{"speech_id":1090000065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have 13 unanimous consent requests which have been cleared on the other side. The requests are the routine requests agreed to at the beginning of each Congress and include the allocation of leader time. floor privileges. the filing of reports. and the like. I now ask unanimous consent that the requests be agreed to en bloc and that the requests be printed separately as part of the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":408}
{"speech_id":1090000097,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before he leaves the Chamber. I commend the majority leader for his interest in health care. in particular. I have always thought it is far away the most important issue at home. I have come to the Senate to talk about some of the opportunities in this session to work in a bipartisan way on these critical issues. In fact. I was going to mention that the Senator and I have pursued legislation to tackle the problem of child obesity. I appreciate the majority leaders interest in health care and look forward to working with him in this session. Mr. President. colleagues. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4079}
{"speech_id":1090000097,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have believed health care is the most important issue at home since my days as director of the Oregon Gray Panthers. I* have thought health care was the most important issue because. in a sense. if our folks do not have their health. it is not possible to work. to learn. to raise children. or do much of anything the American people value. For me. this is the big priority at home. When we look at what Is happening today with medical costs gobbling up everything in sight. the demographic revolution with so many more older people. the tremendous lifesaving technologies we have today which. of course. carry a big price tag. all of these forces come together to present an issue that just cannot be ducked any longer. To put it in perspective. David Walker. the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office. put it pretty well. saying that the Medicare problem is about seven times greater than the Social Security problem and it has gotten much worse. It is much bigger. It is more immediate. It .is going to be much more difficult to effectively address. That is the view of the Comptroller General. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4079}
{"speech_id":1090000097,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is talking about Medicare. But in my view. the concerns that David Walker talks about with respect to Medicare extend to the health care system as a whole. This afternoon for a few minutes I will chart a course as it relates to health care: first. a number of steps that could be taken right now that would significantly help the American people as we deal with this health care challenge. Then I will discuss. for the longer term. another bipartisan effort I have had a chance to team up with Senator HATCH on that will be implemented over the next few weeks. But if I might. I would like to start with. Medicare. I think Senator FRST is right. these Medicare costs are soaring. For the prescription drug legislation alone. it is clear now the price tag will be in the vicinity of $100 billion more than Congress originally calculated. That is the current estimate. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4079}
{"speech_id":1090000097,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many have said it will be much greater. I think it is critically important that steps be taken to contain costs. particularly as relates to this fastgrowing area that we will be faced with. that is prescription drugs. We all hear about it from our constituents. Every time we are home. folks tell us about how skyrocketing prescription drug costs are such a hardship on them. They want to know what Congress is going to do to respond to it. One of the things I think has been so exacerbating about this issue of cost containment as it relates to prescription drugs is that the Medicare program is not even employing the kind of cost containment tools you see in the private sector. If you are talking. for example. about a big timber company. the Presiding Officer (the Senator from Idaho) and I know big timber firms and other natural resources firms use their bargaining power in order to try to hold down the cost of medicine and other essentials. The Medicare program is not doing that. The Medicare program is not using the kind of bargaining power that exists in the private sector today. In fact. if you are an older person. and you go off and purchase your medicine. either now or even in the future. under many of the plans that will be offered under the new program. you have no bargaining power. and in effect you are subsidizing those big privatesector buyers. whether they are steel firms. timber firms. auto companies. or various other kinds of concerns. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4079}
{"speech_id":1090000097,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not think that is right.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4079}
{"speech_id":1090000111,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the worlds thoughts and prayers continue to be focused on the victims of the Asian tsunami. The international community. including governments. private businesses. and ordinary citizens. is providing financial aid and material assistance to affected countries in that region. President Bush and other world leaders deserve praise for quickly providing substantial assistance and resources to disaster response efforts across that region. They have brought hope and relief in the midst of despair. I want to recognize in particular Japans substantial pledge to ongoing relief efforts. As chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee. I intend to continue to work closely with the administration in the days and weeks to come to assess damage and provide targeted relief. Let me close with an observation on Burma. Predictably. . information on the extent of damage in Burma is unknownthis is the way the Burmese junta operates--with the official casualty tally placed by the illegitimate State Peace and Development Council at 59 people. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090000111,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Do international donors. regional governments. or humanitarian NGOs trust. this figure? The simple answer. as articulated by Secretary Powell earlier today. is we dont. We dont trust the figure. We dont have any idea how many people either died or are suffering in Burma. The lack of action or interest in the welfare of the people of Burma. by the military junta. should not be lost on all of the ASEAN members and their dialog partners ahead of the SPDCs chairmanship of that. organization in I thank everybody on the groundfrom personnel at the State Department. USAID. and the Department of Defense to the dedicated staff of humanitarian organizationsfor working around the clock with respective governments in those hardhit countries. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed in the Senate. As we move forward with this relief effort in the near future. our prayers are for those efforts that are being made to ease the incalculable suffering of the people affected by the tsunami: I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090000116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my sympathy over the loss of Aaron Holland of Columbus. NE. a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. Lance Corporal Holland was killed in a car accident on December 17. 2004 near Richfield. UT. while returning home to Columbus from his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was 21 years old. Lance Corporal Holland graduated from Columbus High School and is survived by his mother Becky and stepfather Paul Knopick. two stepbrothers. Silas and Paul Knopick. grandparents. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090000116,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lois and Edmund Mueller. and uncle. Mark Mueller. all of Columbus. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time. The United States of America is proud of Aaron Hollands service and mourns his loss. The 9\/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. fostered Hollands interest in a military career and after graduating in 2002. he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After completing his training. he served with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. CA. Holland served two tours in Iraq. from February to July 2003 and from February to August 2004. Lance Corporal Holland will be remembered as a loyal marine who had a strong sense of duty. honor. and love of country. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090000116,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thousands of brave Americans like Lance Corporal Holland are currently serving in Iraq. For his service. bravery and sacrifice. I ask my colleagues to join me and all Americans in honorin LCpl Aaron Holland.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090000120,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in todays Federal Register. the United States Department of Agriculture has published a final rule that could have significant adverse impacts on our domestic cattle industry. The regulation I am referring to designates Canada as a \"minimal risk region\" for BSE. known as mad cow disease. and allows Canada to export more beef and beef products to the United States. I understand the desire of the administration to work with Canada. and I know how frustrated Canadian cattlemen are with the current situation. It is the same frustration my Montana cattlemen feel. as they watch Australia and New Zealand expand market share in the Pacific Rim. while those markets remain closed off to the U.S. But this rule has some significant problems. and to the extent that those flaws could harm domestic consumer confidence and the reopening of international markets. Im not going to support* the administrations decision to open the U.S.-Canadian border to increased Canadian exports. A* I am sure everyone recalls. in May 2003. Canada discovered a case of BSE in Alberta. To protect the safety of Americas food supply. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7950}
{"speech_id":1090000120,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"USDA banned all imports of Canadian beef. In December of that same year. a Canadianborn dairy cow in Washington State with BSE was discovered and so we have the cow that stole Christmas. Important export markets around the world closed their doors to U.S. beef. the highest quality beef in the world. USDA then instituted a rapid screening pilot program to test random cattle samples for BSE. To date. the United States thankfully has never had a case of BSE in a U.S.-born cow. Since BSE jumped to the forefront of the cattle industry in 2003. USDA has been working with other nations. such as Japan and Korea. to reopen markets to U.S. beef. In October 2004. Japan agreed in principle to begin accepting U.S. beef and beef products from cattle under 20 months of age. While that agreement represents an important step forward. exports have not yet started because of scientific and technical obstacles. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7950}
{"speech_id":1090000120,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remain optimistic that exports will begin this spring. and would be very concerned about any decisions that could jeopardize our relationship with Japan. In addition to negotiating the resumption of U.S. exports. USDA has also been working with Canada to resume imports of Canadian beef. USDA began accepting Canadian boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age in August 2003. In October 2003. USDA first proposed designating Canada as a minimal risk region. but after the December 2003 discovery of BSE. the rule was delayed. With the exception of a few incidents. that trade has generally been uneventful. and has had little impact on U.S. cattle prices. Most importantly. consumer confidence in the food supply remains strong. But today I fear USDA has gone too far. The rule published in todays Federal Register. which takes effect on March 7. will allow Canada to export to the United States live cattle under 30 months of age for feeding or immediate slaughter. sheep and goats under 12 months of age for feeding or immediate slaughter. meat from cattle. sheep. goats and cervids--deer. elk. caribou. moose and reindeer. and certain other products and byproducts. including bovine livers and tongues. gelatin. and tallow. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7950}
{"speech_id":1090000120,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Feeder cattle must be branded to indicate country of origin. must have an eartag so we can trace back to the premises of origin. and must be slaughtered before reaching 30 months of age. The identification requirements must be preserved only to the point of slaughter. not carried through to the retail level. Cattle designed for immediate slaughter must move as a group in a sealed container to the facility and must be slaughtered as a group. As I said. this regulation has some significant problems. most notably. Canadas enforcement of its feed ban and the decision to allow beef and beef products from cattle slaughtered at any age. USDA needs to withdraw this rule now and fix these problems. USDA asserts that Canada has high levels of compliance with its feed ban. but fails to provide the hard data that supports that finding. In fact. USI)As own risk assessment states that in 2002. 8 percent of feed mills were not in compliance with the feed ban. This indicates that feed contamination is a recent issue. rather than a concern taken care of years ago. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7950}
{"speech_id":1090000120,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even more surprisingly. the risk analysis states that the fact that no cases of BSE have been found in animals born after the feed ban is evidence that the feed ban is working.\"USDA claims that this rule is based only on science. but that is hardly a scientific assessment. It could just as likely be evidence that Canada is not testing enough samples in its rapid screening process. Montana ranchers are not going to rest easy based on these findings. On Dec. 17. the Vancouver Sun ran an article indicating that nearly 60 percent of Canadian feed contains \"undeclared animal parts\". but that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. CFIA. decided not to use DNA testing to determine if the feed is contaminated with cattle materials. While the presence of animal parts does not necessarily indicate feed ban violations. Canada should be willing to take necessary steps to reassure the United States. as well as its own cattle producers. that the feed is not contaminated. Failing to act represents a lack of commitment to enforcing the feed ban. in contrast to the effectiveness that USDA is willing to presume. Industry sources quoted in that article expressed concern about conflicting messages from CFIA. yet USDA seems quite willing to rely on CFIA representations for its scientific assessments. Similarly. the decision to allow beef and beef products from cattle slaughtered at any age is troubling. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7950}
{"speech_id":1090000121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the waning days. weeks and months of the 108th Congr ess. my colleagues on both sides of the aisle were working hard to pass important bipartisan legislation that would have protected Americas innovators and artists. made more spectrum available for broadband services. enhanced 911 services. and fixed a technical glitch that was threatening the Universal Service Fund. Unfortunately. others were apparently working just as hard to obstruct these measures. This obstruction was intended only to force the Senate into passing legislation that everyone knew was doonied in the House. It was a flawed plan that was destined to fail. And fail it did. but not before it also prevented enactment of critically important and bipartisan intellectual property legislation. The Family Entertainment and Copyright Act will go down as a victim of this obstructionism. This was an uncontroversial intellectual property bill that would have protected the rights of those who lead the United States intellectual property industry. That industry makes the United States the global leader in innovation. and it deserves our support. Protecting these individuals from the theft of their work appeared to mean little to some of my colleagues. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5604}
{"speech_id":1090000121,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A Republican plan to hijack this important legislation. which lasted until the very last moment of the 108th Congress. ensured that it would not pass in time for the House to take.it up and pass it. They succeeded in preventing the bicameral passage of the most important intellectual property legislation before the Congress this year. This was wrong.. The Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2004 contained important and uncontroversial measures. The ART Act. a bill that passed the Judiciary Committee and then the full Senate by unanimous consent. would have provided new tools in the fight against bootleg copies of movies snatched from the big screen by camcorders smuggled into theaters. And it would have adopted a creative solution developed by the Copyright Office to address the growing problem of piracy of prerelease works. The Film Preservation Act would have helped ensure that the Library of Congress is able to continue its important work in archiving our nations fading film heritage. Some of Americas oldest filmsworks that document who we were as a people in the beginning of the 20th Centuryare literally disintegrating faster than they can be saved. The Preservation of Orphan Works bill would have allowed greater access to certain works in the last years of their copyright term. The Fraudulent Online Identity Sanctions Act would have protected against online trademark infringement by prohibiting the use of fraudulent Internet addresses to commit such infringement. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5604}
{"speech_id":1090000121,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. FECA would have clarified that services allowing home viewers of prerecorded movies to skip objectionable content does not violate the copyright laws. Obstructionism from certain Republicans has ensured that all of these problems are left unresolved by the 108th Congress. Thankfully. two provisions of this bill were able to pass as stand alone bills. Thanks to the hard work of Senator BIDEN. the House version of critical anticounterfeiting legislation passed. Unfortunately. additional language on which Senator BIDEN worked tirelessly was passed too late for House action. Again. the Republican obstruction was at work and to blame. The Cooperative Research and Technology Enhancement Act also passed both houses. largely because a Senate version had passed earlier in the year. and the Republican obstructionists in the Senate could not subvert that bill. There is other legislation that has fallen to this illconceived plan to hijack popular legislation. The bipartisan Junk Fax bill would have protected both consumers and many industries. by placing reasonable limits on senders of unsolicited faxes. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5604}
{"speech_id":1090000121,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That bill. too. was passed too late for House action on account of the Republican roadblock. Thankfully. at the last minute. another important and bipartisan piece of legislation was allowed through the roadblock. The telecommunications package contained critically important provisions that will enhance 911 service. allow spectrum reallocation. and preserve the ability of the Universal Service Fund to do its important work. These are not controversial or partisan prpvisions. E911 will ensure that first responders can provide an essential public service. The spectrum reallocation trust fund will free more space for wireless broadband services. This will help the American economy by promoting jobs and education. The Universal Service Fund provision will fix an accounting glitch that if left unattended will seriously impede the USF as it goes about its critical work. Again. these uncontroversial provisions were held up and almost failed because of this obstructionism. All of these bills were hijacked and sidetracked. in order to coerce the passage of a bill that everyone knew would not pass the House. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5604}
{"speech_id":1090000121,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am thankful that the telecommunications legislation was eventually able to pass. but what does it mean that the telecommunications bill became law. while the intellectual property bill is left unfinished? It seems those responsible for this obstruction do .not take the needs of Americas innovative leaders very seriously. That attitude will undermine the American economy. and threaten Americas leadership in the creative industries. So. because of this Republican roadblock. Americas innovators and artists will have to struggle through more uncertainty. without the tools they need to defend their rights. That is a shame.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5604}
{"speech_id":1090000166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the resolution we are preparing to consider. the proposed rules for the 109th Congress. in my judgment violates the United States Constitution which we were just sworn to uphold and defend. It does so by allowing a very limited number of Members. potentially only a handful. to constitute the House of Representatives. Article 1. section 5 of the Constitution states that \"each House shall be the Judge of the Elections. Returns and Qualifications of its Members. and a majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business. but a small Number adjourn from day to day. and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent Members.\" H1O Unfortunately. H. Res. 5 seeks to Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2214}
{"speech_id":1090000166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in allow a small number not just to ad- support of the point of order. The Conjourn or compel attendance. as the stitution defines a quorum to conduct Constitution stipulates. but to enact business as the majority of each House. laws. declare war. impeach the Presi- The question of course before us in dent. and fulfill all other article I re- this debate is. a majority of what? sponsibilities. What is the denominator in that equaThe very first act of the very first tion? Congress of the United States was to The precedent holds that the total recess day after day after day because number of the membership of the they lacked a quorum. Just moments House is those Members who are choago everyone in this body took an oath sen. sworn and living and whose memto uphold and defend the Constitution. bership has not been terminated by acand now our first official vote is by tion of the House. Removal by action rule to undermine a fundamental prin- of the House is also a defined term. exciple of that Constitution. i.e.. what is pulsion by a vote of twothirds in artia quorum. It is my understanding that cle 1. section 5. the Speaker is reluctant to judge on The Constitution also gives the matters of constitutionality. I respect House the authority to compel attendthat. But I would reserve and inform ance when Members do not answer the the Speaker it is my intent to ask the call of the Chair in such manner and question of consideration to bb put. under such penalties as each House","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2214}
{"speech_id":1090000168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me re- tered authority to change the number spond by saying that the gentleman is of the Members of the whole House to absolutely right when he states that exclude Members who are chosen. the Chair does not rule on questions of sworn. and living but who do not anconstitutionality. swer the call of the Chair. This would I would also like to say that on this seem to amount to a constructive exquestion that is being brought forward pulsion without a twothirds vote of by my friend. it is very clear to me the whole House. based on statements that have been For example. suppose the House is at made by a wide range of constitutional its full complement of 435 Members. A scholars that what we are doing in the quorum would then be 218. Now. suprules package that we are about to con- pose only 400 Members answer the sider is in fact constitutional. In fact. Speakers call for whatever reason. before the Committee on Rules the They are still living. They are still very distinguished former Solicitor chosen. They are still sworn. They General Walter Dellinger said the fol- have not been expelled. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3304}
{"speech_id":1090000168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now a quorum lowing: \"It is simply inconceivable by order of the Speaker would be 200. that a Constitution established to pro- The House may conduct its business vide for the common defense and pro- with only 200 Members present. If this mote the general welfare would leave is triggered in a time of national emerthe Nation unable to act in precisely gency. the consequences could be dire. the moment of greatest peril. No con- Mr. Speaker. we heard the distinstitutional amendment is required to guished chair. or maybe he is only the enact the proposed rule change because presumptive chair. of the Committee the Constitution as drafted permits the on Rules. at this point. but in any Congress to ensure the preservation of event. the gentleman from California government.\" said a moment ago that Let me further. Mr. Speaker. say this proposed rules change is constituthat the Committee on Rules intends tion.l because the Constitution could to conduct further examination of the not have contemplated that the House best way for the House to assure a con- could not function. But the Constitutinuity of government during a na- tion did not contemplate that the mational emergency. and it is our hope jority of the Members of the House that as we proceed with this work that might in fact be the victims of an act further discussions will take place with of mass terrorism. Those things were the members of that very distinguished not contemplated at the time. panel. the Continuity Commission. The fact is we do need to amend the which included our former colleague. Constitution to take care of this very Senator Simpson. and Speakers Foley serious question. but this provision for and Gingrich and former minority lead- the reasons stated by the gentleman er Bob Michel. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3304}
{"speech_id":1090000168,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Leon Panetta. Kwasi from Washington . for the Mfume. and I believe we will have a reasons that I stated a moment ago. is chance to proceed with this. but I clearly unconstitutional. Certainly. bethink it would be very appropriate for fore we take such a measure. it deus to proceed with consideration of the serves much more extensive debate and rules package that we have. hearings and discussion than it can","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3304}
{"speech_id":1090000189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of the rules package this afternoon. The different aspects that compose it are very important. and they will contribute to this Houses being able to function in a more efficient and effective manner in the next 2 years. The dueprocessforMembers aspect of this rules package is extremely important precisely because of the integrity of the House. The integrity of the House includes the integrity of Members whose reputation may be impugned or unfairly attacked. and thus all Members that make up this House deserve due process. And that is what we are trying to achieve today. I have worked long and hard in the last 2 years. along with the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules. the Speaker. and their staffs. to try to formulate a most difficult proposal for something that is. despite its difficulty. very necessary. and that is a standing Select Committee on Homeland Security. Due to the leadership of the Speaker of this House. that is becoming a reality today. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1387}
{"speech_id":1090000189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are doing it in this rules package. The provisional quorum safeguard is historic in nature. and it is constitutional. It is a constitutional means to prevent the possibility that terrorists could paralyze our representative government. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support and urge the adoption of this rules package.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1387}
{"speech_id":1090000199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to address the ethicsrelated provisions that are in this package at the insistence of the Committee on Rules. I had the honor of serving as ranking member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in the last Congress. It was an honor to serve with the gentleman from Colorado (Chairman HEFLEY). as he always managed to chair the committee in a completely bipartisan manner. The headlines in this mornings paper say \"GOP Abandons Ethics Changes.\" It turns out that the headline is at best only half right. It is true that the most outrageous ethics undermining provision has been deleted from the rules package. but other provisions. provisions that would make major changes in the way the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct handles enforcements of the rules. they remain. There should be no misunderstanding that these provisions that remain would seriously undermine the ethics process in the House. both because of the changes they would make in committee procedures. but. and equally important. because of the partisan way in which they are being adopted. If there is to be a meaningful. viable ethics process in the House. it must be a genuinely bipartisan process. That point should be selfevident. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12096}
{"speech_id":1090000199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How could there be a legitimate ethics process that is operated on a partisan basis? And to have a bipartisan process. it is absolutely essential that any major changes in the rules be made on a truly bipartisan basis. What is more. because of the importance and the sensitive nature of the ethics rules. it is also essential that any proposed changes be considered in a thoughtful. considered. and open way. with all Members being given the opportunity for input. Democrats and Republicans. Until today. the. House recognized these fundamental points. Until today. the House has not attempted to make major changes in the ethics rules or the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct procedures in a slapdash way. with literally only hours of consideration. and on a party line vote. It will probably come as no surprise that the materials issued by the Committee on Rules that attempt to justify these amendments are based entirely on misstatements of the current rules. For example. under the benign sounding heading. \"Restore Presumption of Innocence.\" the Committee on Rules memorandum states. \"Currently. if the chairman and ranking minority member take no action on a properly filed complaint within 45 days. the matter automatically goes to an investigative subcommittee.\" Fine. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12096}
{"speech_id":1090000199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But that statement is incomplete and. therefore. misleading. The rules that have been in effect since 1997 clearly provide that at any time that a complaint is before the chairman and ranking member for consideration. either one of them may place the complaint on the committees agenda and when either one of them does that.. an investigative committee cannot be established without a majority vote of the committee. Another example. Mr. Speaker. Under the heading \"Due Process for Members.\" the Committee on Rules memorandum states that. \"Under the current rule. the chairman and ranking member or the committee may take action against a Member without a complaint. notice. or the opportunity to be heard.\" This statement clearly implies that the committee may determine that a Member has committed a violation or impose a sanction without the Member having such rights. and that suggestion. Mr. Speaker. is flatly wrong. The rules are replete with the rights for Members who are accused of any violation. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12096}
{"speech_id":1090000199,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When you turn to the actual text of the \"due process\" amendments. you find that what these amendments are concerned with is not committee -actions that impose sanctions or determine violations. but instead on committee letters or statements that \"reference the official conduct of a Member.\" It may be well that the rules should provide certain rights to a Member whose conduct is going to be discussed in a letter or statement that the committee issues publicly. but what should those rights be? They should be determined through a deliberative. fair. bipartisan process. But one specific right that this proposed rule provides to those Members is the right to demand an immediate trial in front of an adjudicatory subcommittee of the Committee on. Standards of Official Conduct. But in the circumstances that the rule addresses. that trial would take place before the committee has conducted any formal investigation of the matter. No committee that is serious about conducting its business would allow itself to be put in that circumstance. So the effect of this amendment would be that whenever any alleged misconduct is brought to the committees attention. the committee may be forced to choose between either launching a formal investigation of the matter or dismissing it entirely. Both of these rule changes lack careful consideration and. more seriously. are brought to us today through a partisan process. Id like to address the ethicsrelated provisions that are in this package at the insistence of the Rules Committee. I had the honor of serving as ranking member of the Ethics Committee in the last Congress. and I also served on the committee for 6 years during another time of controversy in the late 1980s. It was an honor to serve during the last 2 years with Chairman HEFLEY. as he always managed the committee in a completely bipartisan manner. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12096}
{"speech_id":1090000199,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A headline in this mornings newspaper says. \"GOP abandons ethics changes.\" It turns out that the headline is at best only half right. Its true that the most outrageous ethicsundermining provision has been deleted from the rules package. but other provisionsprovisiohs that would make major changes in the way the Ethics Committee handles enforcement of the rulesremain. There should be no misunderstanding that these provisions that remain would seriously undermine the ethics process in the House. both because of the changes they would make in committee procedures. and. equally important.. because of the partisan way in which they would be adopted. If there is to be a meaningful. viable ethics process in the House. it must be a genuinely bipartisan process. That point should be selfevidenthow could there be a legitimate ethics process that is operated on a partisan basis? And to have a bipartisan process. its absolutely essential that any major changes in the rules be made on a truly bipartisan basis. Whats more. because of the importance. and the sensitive nature of the ethics rules. its also essential that any proposed changes be considered in a thoughtful. considered. and open way. with all Members being given the opportunity for inputDemocrats and Republicans. Until today. the House recognized these fundamental points. Until today. the House has not attempted to make major changes in the ethics rules or the Ethics Committee procedures in a slapdash way. with literally only hours of consideration. and on a partyline vote. It will probably come as no surprise that the materials issued by the Rules Committee that attempt to justify these amendments are based entirely on misstatements of the current rules. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12096}
{"speech_id":1090000209,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank.the gentlewoman for yielding me time. T]he gentlewoman is correct: I currently serve on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. And despite what I read in the morning papers. the Republican leadership is eliminating a major traditional ethics standard of the House. While we are relieved that the Republican leadership did not go as far as they wanted .to. I do not think we can be happy with the trend that is clearly downwards as it is today. The new rule means no ethics violations will be investigated of party leaders. whether they be Republican or Democratic. control their members. since a tie vote means a dismissal. The logical result is more partisan political pressure on the committee members. America was intended to be a city on a hill with the highest standards for the government in the world. and sadly. today we are lowering those standards. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090000209,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The majority is proud of their political power and their skills at political .games. and politics is an important part of our business. but principles must be held above politics because no man can serve two masters. both principles and politics. When we are guided by only political consideration in the House leadership today. the House abandons its principles and the moral compass. I do not enjoy serving on the committee. I do know something about legislative ethics. having first been elected to the State house of representatives after a tremendous Sharpstown bank scandal in Texas 1972. Born and raised in Texas. I understand what it means about conservative government. but I cannot begin to explain how eliminating a traditional ethics standard is conservative in the slightest. The House leadership can fool some of the people some of the time. like they did today when the papers said they were dropping ethics changes. when they clearly continue to weaken the standards. However. the people recognize this for what it is. a weakening of our governments ethics in pursuit of political parity by one party. be it Democrat or Republican.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090000232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I urge a no vote on the previous -question. I call on all Members of this House. particularly the freshmen casting their first vote. please vote for ethics today. Do not vote against the Constitution. Vote for this House that you will love and revere as all of us do on both sides of the aisle. Please vote no on the previous question and vote yes on the motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. [ 1630","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090000277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that during the first session of the 109th Congress. all Members be permitted to extend their remarks and to include extraneous material within the permitted limit in that section of the RECORD entitled \"Extensions of Remarks.\"","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090000343,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I stand in support of H.R. 12 expressing the condolences f this House and th6 support for thef pebple of the countries that have been impacted by the tsunami in Asia. A friend of our country. Sri Lanka. was one of the countries most devastated. Sadly. Sri Lanka lost at least 30.000 of its citizens. and that toll may rise well into the 40.000 range. I serve as cochairman of the Sri Lanka Caucus in the House and I have traveled personally to Sri Lanka. I have seen firsthand many of the areas now devastated by the tsunami. and my heart and prayers and those of my colleagues go out to the people of Sri Lanka at this difficult time. Today many Americans are still unaccounted for who were in Sri Lanka when this tragedy struck. but as we deal with that loss and also work to help the nearly 1 million living survivors who are now displaced in Sri Lanka. we continue to move forward and we want to express our support. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2972}
{"speech_id":1090000343,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Secretary of State Colin Powell plans to be in Sri Lanka this Friday to express our support and to see firsthand what more we can do. and I am proud of the support that the United States Government has been providing. In the early hours of the day after Christmas. top U.S. Government officials began the work of aiding Sri Lanka and the entire region. immediately moving money to the affected areas and sending out teams to survey the damage for accurate assessment of needs. To date our President. President Bush. has pledged $350 million in relief in recovery assistance. and already $13 million has been allocated to our friend Sri Lanka alone. The Department of Defense and USAID have established a regional coordination center in Sri Lanka to coordinate our relief efforts to the region. as well as this friendly country. Hundreds of USAID and military personnel are on the ground in Sri Lanka helping to assist the relief efforts. I would also note that the men and women of the United States military are fully engaged helping Sri Lanka. In this region. the United States has committed a vast majority of military assets to the region: 20 ships. 14 strategic lift cargo planes. and 48 helicopters. The USS Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group is in route to Sri Lanka. as well as a ship capable of producing 90.000 gallons of fresh water every day. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2972}
{"speech_id":1090000343,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have also instituted a cash for *ork program. helping the local economy and cleanup efforts at the same time. Mr. Speaker. there is so much that we can do. and I want to thank our friends in the private sector who have stepped forward. We in the United States are doing our part and we want to do more. We are working in partnership with the world in this effort to aid Sri Lanka. and the Indian government in particular has been very helpful in the Sri Lanka mission. The United States will continue to help Sri Lanka and the entire region as long as needs are there. We stand in support and we express our condolences. and our prayers go out to the people of Sri Lanka.","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2972}
{"speech_id":1090000355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay my respects and give my deepest condolences to those who have suffered through one of the worst natural disasters in history. As our nation celebrated the holiday season with our loved ones. a tragedy of epic proportions was occurring half a world away. An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 off the coast of Indonesia triggered a massive tsunami that engulfed several countries throughout South and Southeast Asia. The total aftermath is not yet known as the number of lives lost continues to rise to immeasurable levels. Though this tragic disaster destroyed lives. families. and entire economies. it did not destroy the strength of character and sense of purpose displayed by the victims who continue to fight daily for survival. The victims of this tsunami are not alone in their struggle. Across our great Nation. Americans. together with the world community. have exhibited their generosity of spirit as they pray for the suffering families and continue to give monetary assistance to those in need. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090000355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More than 150.000 people have been killed with millions more affected. These numbers are already impossible to comprehend yet countless others are missing. We are now presented with a defining historical moment as a nation and as an international community. We must share the fiscal and emotional burden that will only get worse for our brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia. We cannot underfund. undercut. or undermine our relief efforts by failing to follow through on our promises as a government or our compassion as Americans. 9\/11 will always be remembered in our nation as a time of crisis and devastation. yet also a time of perseverance and unity. We survived this horrific event because of the resolve exhibited by our Nations people and the support received from the international community. The tragedy that has struck Southeast Asia is no less of a crisis and no less devastating. It is the responsibility of the United States and the world community to continue the aid and assistance of these countries during their time of need. During times of crises are when the integrity of a nation and its people are judged in history. I am encouraged by the overwhelming response and generosity shown by the people across this world. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090000355,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the human way to respond. it is the American way to respond.","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090000371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is very difficult to come to terms with BOBS loss. It was a shock and so tragic. He was -kind and decent beyond measure. He put a human face on the all too often theoretical debates on health care. Social Security. child welfare and tax policy. and he was always a voice of reason. BOB cared about the challenges real people faced. children in foster care. workers struggling for a fair shot and seniors whose Social- Security checks make the difference between life in or out of poverty. In 1988. BOB helped the Nation come to terms with the terrible wrong our government committed against Japanese Americans during World War II. BOB and his family were forced into an internment camp when he was 6 months old. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2407}
{"speech_id":1090000371,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His parents were both U.S.-born citizens. but they lost their home and family business during the threeandahalf years their family was interned. BOB became the first Japanese American elected to the Sacramento City Council and one of the first Japanese Americans in Congress. He spent his career fighting injustice. Among his many efforts. he established a task force I was privileged to cochair with him to give Members of Congress with diverse backgrounds a better understanding of the grave threats that Israel and the Israeli people face. On a personal level. I considered BOB one of my closest friends in this institution. We spent time together. often when I took advantage of the fact that our Bethesda homes were close by each other and hitched a ride with him. I know BOBS center of gravity was his family. his wife Doris. his son Brian. his daughterinlaw Amy and what he made clear was the most adorable granddaughter in the whole world. Anna. He was so proud of Brian and his accomplishments. his clerking for the Supreme Court of the United States and making more money in his first year in a law firm than even Members of the United States Congress. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2407}
{"speech_id":1090000371,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He cared deeply about his efforts to make a difference through public serv-. ice and the principles and values of the Democratic Party. and this took him to the position of sacrifice as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Janet and I were so grateful for our friendships over the decade with BOB andDoris. We want to extend our deep condolences to the family. the entire family during this sorrowful time. This is an enormous loss for his family. for his friends and for this entire country.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2407}
{"speech_id":1090000431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this past Saturday. our country lost two beloved public servants. Representative- ROBERT T. MATSUI and former Representative Shirley Chisholm leave us behind. but our national consciousness will never forget their considerable contributions to pursuing equality and social justice for all Americans. Representatives MATSUI and Chisholm dedicated so much of themselves to others. and the outpouring -of support demonstrates the deep impact each had on the lives of others. Both leaders rose from humble beginnings to the heights of Congress. Representative MATSUI. one of the thousands of Japanese Americans taken to an internment camp during World War II. became an influential member on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. His passion for social justice shaped the core of his being. reverberating through his promotion of adequate job training. equal access to health care coverage for children. and the preservation of Social Security for our nations seniors and disabled citizens. In 1988. he helped win restitution from the U.S. Government for the internment program that negatively affected many surviving Japanese Americans. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2660}
{"speech_id":1090000431,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representative Chisholm too overcame great obstacles. As the product of the working neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968. Her advocacy on civil rights issues. particularly womens rights. was unparalleled as she reached .out beyond her local constituency to all Americans. Never willing to allow America to mire in the status quo. Representative Chisholm again broke new ground by offering herself as the first woman to be considered for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Though I never had the honor of serving with Representative Chisholm. her legacy echoes throughout the halls of Congress. I witness her strength in my colleagues in the Congressional .Bllpk Caucus. which she helped establish J11969. I hear her voice in our continued plea9.for justice in underserved communities. And Isee her focus and passion in the eyes of American children who wont accept discrimination or barriers to opportunity. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2660}
{"speech_id":1090000431,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Connected by the common bond of their love for humanity. Representatives MATSUI and Chisholm treaded down unmarked paths with determination. fortitude. and notable grace. As a generation of civil rights activists move into the twilight of their advocacy. we must honor their work by passing along their vision for what we our country can still become. a land of equality and opportunity for all Americans. Though we have lost these dear friends too soon. we continue to be led by their unmistakable footprints.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2660}
{"speech_id":1090000617,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now recess to reassemble in the Hall of the House of Representatives for the joint session for the purpose of the counting of electoral votes and the Senate reassemble in the Senate Chamber on the dissolution of the Joint Session.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":285}
{"speech_id":1090000664,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I did not anticipate speaking today. but the importance of this issue is enough for me to address this body. During the election. I had the occasion of meeting a woman who had supported me in my campaign. She decided to come to shake my hand and take a photograph. She is a wonderful woman. She was not asking for anything. I was very grateful that she took time to come by. It was an unexceptional moment except for the fact that she was born in 1894. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4090}
{"speech_id":1090000664,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Her name is Marguerite Lewis. an AfricanAmerican woman who had been born in Louisiana. born in the shadow of slavery. born at a time when lynchings were commonplace. born at a time when African Americans and women could not vote. Yet. over the course of decades she had participated in broadening our democracy and ensuring that. in fact. at some point. if not herself. then her children. her grandchildren. and her greatgrandchildren would be in a position in which they could. too. call themselves citizens of the United States and make certain that this Government works not just on behalf of the mighty and the powerful but also on behalf of people like her. So the fact that she voted and her vote was counted in this election was of supreme importance to her and it is the memory of talking to her and shaking her hand that causes me to rise on this occasion. I am absolutely convinced that the President of the United States. George Bush. won this election. I also believe he got more votes in Ohio. As has already been said by some of the speakers in this body. this is not an issue in which we are challenging the outcome of the election. It is important for us to separate the issue of the election outcome with the election process. I was not in this body 4 years ago. but what I observed as a voter and as a citizen of Illinois 4 years ago was troubling evidence of the fact that not every vote was being counted. It is unfortunate that 4 years later we continue to see circumstances in which people who believe they have the right to vote. who show up at the polls. still continue to confront the sort of problems that have been documented as taking place not just in Ohio but places all across the country. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4090}
{"speech_id":1090000664,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly urge that this Chamber. as well as the House of Representatives. take it upon itself once and for all to reform this system. There is no reason. at a time when we have enormous battles taking place ideologically all across the globe. at a time when we try to make certain we encourage democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places throughout the world. that we have the legitimacy of our elections challengedrightly or wronglyby people who are not certain as to whether our processes are fair and just. This is something we can fix. We have experts on both sides of the aisle who know how to fix it. What we have lacked is the political will. I strongly urge that. in a circumstance in which tbo many voters have stood in long lines for hours. in which too many voters have cast votes on machines that jam or malfunction or suck the votes Without a trace. in which too many voters try to register to vote only to discover that their names dont appear on the roles or that partisan political interests and those that serve them have worked hard to -throw up every barrier to recognize them as lawful. in which too many voters will know that there are different elections for different parts of the country and that these differences turn shamefully on differences of wealth or of race. in which too many voters have to contend with State officials. servants of the public. who put partisan or personal political interests ahead of the public in administering our electionsin such circumstances. we have an obligation to fix the problem. I have to add this is not a problem unique to this election. and it is not a partisan problem. Keep in mind. I come from Cook County. from Chicago. in which there is a long record of these kinds of problems taking place and disadvantaging Republicans as well as Democrats. So I ask that all of us rise up and use this occasion to amend this problem.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4090}
{"speech_id":1090000712,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the joint session is dissolved. the Senate stand adjourned under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 2 until 3 p.m.. Thursday. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge. the morning hour be deemed to have expired. the Journal of the proceedings be approved to date. the Senate then proceed to a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up tp 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":446}
{"speech_id":1090000735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the bill to accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090000752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the certifi- State of Wyoming received 6 votes for cate of the electoral vote of the Corn- Vice President. monwealth of Kentucky seems to be Mr. NEY. Mr. President. the certifiregular in form and authentic. and it cate of the electoral vote of the State appears therefrom that George W. Bush of Missouri seems to be regular in form of the State of Texas received 8 votes and authentic. and it appears therefor President and DICK CHENEY of the from that George W. Bush of the State State of Wyoming received 8 votes for of Texas received 11 votes for PresiVice President. dent. and DICK CHENEY of the State of Senator JOHNSON. Mr. President. Wyoming received 11 votes for Vice the certificate of the electoral vote of President. the State of Louisiana seems to be reg- Senator JOHNSON. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1246}
{"speech_id":1090000752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. ular in form and authentic. and it ap- the certificate of the electoral vote of pears therefrom that George W. Bush the State of Montana seems to be regof the State of Texas received 9 votes ular in form and authentic. and it apfor President and DICK CHENEY of the pears therefrom that George W. Bush State of Wyoming received 9 votes for of the State of Texas received 3 votes Vice President. for President. and DICK CHENEY of the","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1246}
{"speech_id":1090000757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the certificate of the electoral vote of the wellknown and great State of Ohio seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears therefrom that George W. Bush of the State of Texas received 20 votes for President and DICK CHENEY from the from the State of Wyoming received 20 votes for Vice President.","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":324}
{"speech_id":1090000818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time. Most of our colleagues may not know that we not only had an election in Ohio but we had a recount that was funded by two \"thirdparty candidates that got less than 1 percent of the vote. and knowing this was going to happen today. I called my boards of election back home to see how that recount went. E 1400 In Ashtabula County after the recount. each candidate picked up one vote. In Geauga County there was a net gain of two votes for President Bush. and the 72 provisional ballots that were not allowed were not allowed because the people did not live and were not registered in the State of Ohio. In Lake County. not one ballot changed from November 2. and all of the 201 provisional ballots tossed were tossed because the people were not registered in the State of Ohio. In Summit County. there was a fourvote swing for Senator KERRY. In Cuyahoga County. the county that I am lucky enough. home of the City of Cleveland. to share with the objector and the gentleman from Ohio and the gentleman from Ohio","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090000877,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we have preached democracy in Afghanistan. We have preached democracy in Iraq. Now the time has come for us to accelerate the process of more fully practicing what we preach. I wholeheartedly endorse the democracy mission of America. but I am here today to beg the chosen decision: makers here in Congress to take a giant step forward to bolster Americas world crusade for democracy. Today it is appropriate that we address our remarks not only to the citizens of America but also to the people of Iraq. Our efforts to achieve free elections in Iraq will be totally shattered If we. want to propose today that Nation be divided into 30 or 50 units with each unit granted the power to determine its own election procedures. to select its own equipment. and to appoint its own administrators without any uniform national standards. Our historic compromise granting certain powers to the State that was necessary for the birth of this Nation must no longer be used as an excuse for the abuse of the free and democratic election process here in America. The abuse in certain sections of the country. which once openly used violence and intimidation. were outlawed. All other abuses involving voter suppression and dirty tricks should immediately be made Federal crimes. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4462}
{"speech_id":1090000877,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Out of those who have fought in the past and those still on the battlefield for the cause of democracy. it is our duty to take the steps to escalate our momentum toward the attainment of a more perfect Nation. Mr. Speaker. we have* preached democracy in Afghanistan. We have preached democracy in Iraq. Now the time has come for us to. accelerate the process of more fully practicing what we preach. Our great nation is the premium democratic government of the world and we are all proud of that fact. A unifying position of both Democrats and Republicans is that we support democracy everywhere. We believe that where there is democracy the people are inevitably better off. I wholeheartedly endorse the democracy mission of America. But I am here today to beg the chosen decision makers here in the Congress to take a giant step forward to bolster Americas world crusade for democracy. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4462}
{"speech_id":1090000877,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we strive for a more perfect union let us unite to end hypocrisy and to construct a more perfect one .person. one vote electoral process. Today it is appropriate that we address our remarks not only to the citizens of America but also to the people of Afghanistan and to the people of Iraq. We shouldbegin by apologizing for this present electoral system. which undercuts the principle of one person. one vote. Our efforts to achieve free elections in Iraq would be totally shattered if we were to propose today that the nation be divided into 30 or 50 units with each unit granted the power to determine its own election procedures. to select its own equipment. and to appoint its own administrators without any uniform . national standards. Our historic compromise granting certain powers to the States that was necessary for the birth of this nation must no longer be used as an excuse for the abuse of the free and democratic election process here in America. The abuse in certain sections of the country. which once openly used violence and intimidation. has been outlawed. All other abuses involving voter suppression and dirty tricks should immediately be made federal crimes. For too long our nation has accepted as legal and has tolerated blatant sabotage of free elections. Florida offered abundant evidence of such sabotage in the year 2000. Now. in 2004. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4462}
{"speech_id":1090000877,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ohio has produced a multiple list of irregularities and we are demanding a more thorough investigation. In Ohio the failure of 25 to 30 voting machines to operate correctly with one precinct recording a negative 25 million votes. and the forced waiting periods of three hours in the rain in African American neighborhoods. and ten hours at a polling site for college students. these are only a few. of the outrageous examples of voter disenfranchisement in Ohio. In honor of those who have fought in the past and those still on the battlefield for the cause of true democracy it is our duty to first investigate and then to legislate to overcome all of the poisoning obstacles which obstruct the consolidation of a more perfect national election process. This is a vitally necessary action which will escalate our momentum toward the obtainment of a more perfect nation. God bless America. And God bless democracy everywhere.","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4462}
{"speech_id":1090000893,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I want to associate myself with the remarks of my good friend and colleague from Ohio. I am amazed at how many experts on Ohio election law we have in this Chamber. I had no idea that so many Members from all over the country would have such a working knowledge of the Ohio electoral process. My friend from .Ohio and others have explained it quite well how we work very well on a bipartisan basis. Indeed. our election laws in Ohio are quite adequate to the task despite the fact that we had a huge number of voters. .an unprecedented number of registrants. and some. adjustments to the new voting system. but I think we. by everybodys estimation. did quite well. I know my friend from Michigan had a tough November with the Buckeyes beating the Wolverines and. of course. earlier in November with the loss of his Presidential candidate. but we should not try to overturn the presidential i.ace any more than we should try to overturn the outcome of the Ohio StateMichigan game despite what my friend from Michigan might want. This is a time. as my friend from Ohio sail. for reflection. for healing. for- getting on with the business of the Nation. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1307}
{"speech_id":1090000893,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This exercise. unfortunately. has distracted our country from that worthy goal. For that. I am truly sorry.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1307}
{"speech_id":1090000897,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. nothing is more critical to the foundation of our democracy than the guaranteed right to vote. In the 2004 Presidential election. there were voters in every State. including the pivotal State of Ohio. who were denied that right. and each time it happened. the foundation is weakened. That is why I join my colleagues today in objecting to the counting of Ohios electoral votes. I commend my colleagues in this House of the people and the Senate who are raising this objection for their courage. and I am proud to join them. There is little disagreement that irregularities did occur. The question is what are we going to do about it. It is simply not sufficient to tell the losers in this election to get over it. or to accuse them of sour grapes. or to say we are doing the best we can. It is our patriotic duty to stand up for every voter no matter his or her race or party affiliation and demand that Congress act to expand voter protection and guarantee votbr rights. Once all the facts are determined. a national demand for electoral reform must force Congress to finally finish the job begun under the Help America Vote Act. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1745}
{"speech_id":1090000897,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"HAVA. including voterverified paper trail. We cannot simply sit back and accept the results as if nothing happened or possibly illegal activities had taken place in precincts throughout Ohio. Those Ohio election officials who denied voters provisional ballots. a portion of the voting reform bill that I championed. must be held accountable along with those who allowed machines to be tampered with. eligible voters to be purged illegally. and voters to be intimidated. This is our chance to demonstrate to our citizens and the world that Americans are constantly working to perfect our own democracy.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1745}
{"speech_id":1090000902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Americans turned out in record numbers and their votes have been counted. President Bush won with more votes than any other Presidential candidate in the history of our great country. In Ohio. in fact. the votes were counted and then recounted. and President Bush won by over 118.000 votes in my State. No election is ever perfect. They never are. But there is absolutely no credible basis to question the outcome of the election. That is what is going on here today. I heard my friend from Georgia say. this is about the right for every vote to be counted. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT PORTMAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4145}
{"speech_id":1090000902,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No one on this side of the aisle will disagree with that. We could not agree more. That is why we have HAVA. That is why we are going to refine it further. That is why we need to continue our work. as many speakers on our side of the aisle have said. to be sure that every vote is indeed counted. But that is not what this objection is about. This objection from the other side of the aisle. and I am going to quote one of my colleagues who said. it is about \"massive and widespread voter irregularities in the State of Ohio.\" Not so. I also read in the challenge lots of irresponsible conspiracy theories about what happened in Ohio. I was there. It did not happen. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT PORTMAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4145}
{"speech_id":1090000902,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also heard today from the other side of the aisle that no one has answered any of these questions. That is wrong. One of the concerns that has been raised time and time again. most commonly raised. is that in Warren County. a district that I represent and a city that I represent. that somehow there was not a fair election because people were locked out. Yes. the media was locked out in the Warren County board of elections. It happened. But here is Jeff Ruppert. a lawyer for the KerryEdwards campaign who was inside and saw nothing unusual: \"It was as clear and open as it could possibly be.\" he said. Other witnesses included. of course. the Democratic members of the election board and several Democrats who were hired to help count the votes. As has been said time and time again in Ohio. we have got a pretty good system. It is totally bipartisan. two Democrats. two Republicans. every single board in every county of our 88 counties in our great State. This is not the time. ladies and gentlemen. to obstruct the will of the American people. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT PORTMAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4145}
{"speech_id":1090000902,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is time to get our work done. It is time to govern. not to object. Let us be clear. This is not Americans forcing their will on the American people. This is the views of Ohioans that have been clearly expressed. Every objective observer agrees. In fact. every newspaper in the State of Ohio agrees. Every editorial page agrees. We have heard some quotes today. Here is one I love from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT PORTMAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4145}
{"speech_id":1090000902,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It says: \"The 176 Democrats who sit on Ohios 88 county election boards pondered their jurisdictions results. accepted their subordinates good work. and are now turning their energies toward the future. Are they all dupes in some Machiavellian Republican scheme? Or do they simply have a firmer grasp of reality than that displayed by a handful of unrelenting zealots still ranting in the January rain 8 weeks after the election?\" Maybe we should look at some other States. Again in Ohio. President Bush won by over 118.000 votes. JOHN KERRY won New Hampshire. but by 9.200 votes. JOHN KERRY won Minnesota. but by only 98.000 votes. JOHN KERRY won Wisconsin. but by only 11.300 votes. I wvant to thank my Republican colleagues today for not raising objections to those results in those States. We need to move on. I hope what we will do today. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT PORTMAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4145}
{"speech_id":1090000930,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. although I will not file an objection to the counting of Ohios electoral votes. I rise today to acknowledge the voting discrepancies and irregularities that occurred in the State of Ohio in this past presidential election. As is evident in my colleague JOHN CONYERSS voting rights status report. Ohio has failed to provide the opportunity for its citizens to have equal access and opportunity to cast their vote and have that vote accurately counted. Many voters were denied provisional ballots and some eligible voters were improperly purged. Others were given erroneous information as to where and when they could vote. The State provided insufficient resources to minority precincts. resulting in long lines that caused delays up to 10 hours. forcing some voters to have to leave those lines to tend to personal obligations. There were rampant incidents of voter intimidation. deceptive phone calls and fraudulent fliers on official looking letterhead. The lack of a verifiable paper trail by some of the electronic voting machines contributed to a questionable vote count. ","speaker_name":"GREGORY MEEKS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1729}
{"speech_id":1090000930,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clearly. Ohios election officials. including Secretary of State Blackwell. have questions to answer regarding these disturbing irregularities. How can we. encourage free and fair elections in Iraq. a country that may soon become a fledgling democracy. when we cant ensure free and fair elections in America after 200 years of democracy. As -a Member of Gongress it is my duty to uphold the right of the people to have free and fair elections of their government officials. It Is my hope that this Congress will work together in the coming months to enact real election reform that will restore Americas confidence in the electoral process.","speaker_name":"GREGORY MEEKS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1729}
{"speech_id":1090000940,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my disappointment with where we are today and what this process has become. Id like to start by pointing out just a few facts. County boards of elections in Ohio are bipartisanmade up of two Republicans and two Democrats. These individuals routinely put in 1215 hours a day for 3 months to oversee elections in Ohio. Ive spoken with Democratic members of the boards of elections in the counties I represent. They too have expressed disappointment. In fact. not one board of elections official has raised complaints. In fact. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK TIBERI","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2327}
{"speech_id":1090000940,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Franklin County Board of Elections Chairman William Anthony has gone so far as to label those making these wild charges \"a band of conspiracy theorists.\" By the way. Anthony is also head of the Franklin County Democratic Party. I know him personally. as I do others who serve on the boards of elections in the three counties I represent. Democrat or Republican. they badly want their candidates to win. But above all else. they want to ensure that everyone eligible to vote has an opportunity to do so. and that each vote is counted accurately. Were there problems? Certainly. Long lines. not enough voting machines. these are things we can discuss. But. we must also acknowledge that these are problems that occurred across the boardurban and rural. Republican and Democrat. The Republicans and Democrats who served on each county board of elections decide on the placement of voting machines jointly. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK TIBERI","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2327}
{"speech_id":1090000940,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont think the Democrats would agree to a plan that would cost their candidates votes by shifting machines away from where their supporters cast ballots. Second. there were lines everywhere because of unprecedented turnout. As The Columbus Dispatch pointed out after the election. 4he busiest places to vote were not in the urban areas of Columbus. but in the suburbs. All editoriar boards of the major newspapers in Ohio have said what we are doing today is over the line. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer. \"The election horse is dead. You can stop beating it now.\" Everybody talks about how partisan this town has gotten. I wonder whylook at how were starting the 109th Congress. In closing. Id like to say a few words to boards of elections membersand all other elections workersthat they might not have heard recently: Thanks. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK TIBERI","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2327}
{"speech_id":1090000940,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Your hard work is appreciated.","speaker_name":"PATRICK TIBERI","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2327}
{"speech_id":1090000964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Rhode Island seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears therefrom that JOHN F. KERRY of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts received 4 votes for President. and John Edwards of the State of North Carolina received 4 votes for Vice President. Senator LOTT. Mr. President. the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of South Carolina seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears therefrom that George W. Bush of the State of Texas received 8 votes for President. and DICK CHENEY of the State of Wyoming received 8 votes for Vice President. Senator JOHNSON. Mr. President. the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of South Dakota seems to be regular in form and authentic. and it appears therefrom that George W. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":957}
{"speech_id":1090000964,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bush of the State of Texas received 3 votes for President. and DICK CHENEY of the State of Wyoming received 3 votes for Vice President.","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":957}
{"speech_id":1090001078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that at the conclusion of my remarks and the remarks of the Democratic leader. the Senate proceed to executive session for consideration of Executive Calendar No. 3. Mike Johanns. to be Secretary of Agriculture. provided further that there be 30 minutes of debate under the control of Chairman CHAMBLISS. 15 minutes under the control of Senator HARKIN. and 15 minutes under the control of Senator DAYTON. provided further that at the conclusion of that time the Senate proceed to a vote on the confirmation and nomination with no intervening action or debate. Finally. I ask that the President then be immediately notified of the Senates action.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":669}
{"speech_id":1090001119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the U.S. Congress begins its 109th session. the Senate is performing its constitutional duty of providing its advice and consent on the Presidents nominees for cabinet positions. I take the Senates responsibility to evaluate Presidential nominations very seriously. The process is important to ensuring strong leadership at the very highest levels of the federal government. It also provides an opportunity for Senators to have focused discussions with nominees on issues of particular importance to their respective constituencies. Today the Senate will confirm several nominees. including the nomination of Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns. the Presidents selection to succeed Secretary Veneman at the Department of Agriculture. While I am not a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture. Nutrition and Forestry. I am confident that Chairman CHAMBLISS. ranking member HARKIN and the rest of the committees members conducted a thorough examination of Governor Johanns record. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090001119,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will support the committees recommendation and vote in favor of his nomination. That being said. I have come to the floor today to express my thoughts on two specific agricultural issues that are important to Washington states renowned beef industry: mad cow disease and country of origin labeling. On December 23. 2003. the first known case of mad cow disease ever discovered on U.S. soil was found in Washington State. The discovery sent a ripple effect across the country as U.S. ranchers watched in shock while our trading partners closed their doors to U.S. beef exports. An investigation was conducted and DNA tests confirmed that this cow likely originated in a herd from Alberta. Canada. but this was little consolation to consumers here and abroad who immediately began to question whether U.S. beef was safe to eat. While the exact cause of infection could not be confirmed. it is widely accepted by the science community that this cow became infected while eating contaminated feed before Canada had implemented its 1997 ruminanttoruminant feed ban. The Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090001119,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Department of Agriculture responded by announcing a number of new rules to strengthen protections over the human food. Most importantly. USDA and FDA banned specified risk materials. such as brain and central nervous system tissues from entering the human food supply. These materials have been shown to present the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease through cattle herds and to humans. Unfortunately. FDA failed to stand firm on its stated commitment to close four specific loopholes in feed regulations. measures that Acting FDA Commissioner Crawford made a commitment to do on January 26. 2004 and something that I believe was and is necessary to fully ensure the safety of U.S. beef. As we know. feeding ruminant parts back to ruminants represents one of the greatest risks of spreading mad cow disease and thats why the U.S.. like Canada. implemented a rule to ban this practice in 1997. But existing feed loopholes. such as the poultry litter loophole and plate waste loophole allow for the possibility of ruminant materials to find their way into ruminant feed through cross contamination. To address this possibility. I introduced legislation during the 108th Congress. entitled the Animal Feed Protection Act. which would ban these materials from being used in any animal feed. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090001119,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is important legislation that will strengthen existing feed rules to help mitigate the chance of cross contamination and ensure that ruminant materials are not accidentally fed to cattle. Although my legislation did not pass last year. I plan to reintroduce the Animal Feed Protection Act for consideration during the 109th Congress next week. U.S. beef is arguably the safest in the world. but even so. critical export markets including Japan and South Korea still remain closed to U.S beef exports. It is imperative that we do everything possible to prove to consumers abroad that the measures we have in place to prevent further cases of mad cow are robust and comprehensive. It was reassuring to hear Governor Johanns state. during his nomination hearing. that working to regain exports to Japans market is priority number one for the U.S. beef industry. As I know the Governor understands. access to these markets is the key to bringing prosperity back to U.S. cattle producers. feeders. processors and beef packers. No one understands the importance of the Japanese and South Korean markets better than the ranchers in Washington state. who exported nearly $250 million of Washington beef to these markets in 2003. It is hard to overstate the extent to which Washington ranchers and the U.S. beef industry at large continue to suffer from the loss of these exports. Although progress has been made. recent discoveries of mad cow in Canada could present a major setback to our ongoing negotiations with Japan and South Korea if it is determined that the risk of mad cow in Canada has not been adequately addressed. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090001119,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Canadas discoveries of mad cow on January 2 and January 11 came just days after USDA announced a rule recognizing Canada as a minimalrisk region with regard to the mad cow disease.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090001138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I sincerely look forward to working with my friend from Wyoming. We had a great tribute the other evening from various education groups. Senator ENZI met with more than 95 different groups. and in his typical fashion said he was willing to sit down and listen to each and every group. It was a bold action on his part. It is a clear indication he is going to be an active leader in the field of education as he has been in so many other areas of our committee. I join with him in the strong support of Margaret Spellings to serve as the Secretary of Education. There is no more important position in a Presidents cabinet. And I believe that Margaret Spellings has the knowledge. commitment. and leadership to improve the quality of education across our land. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11676}
{"speech_id":1090001138,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The strength of America depends on the strength of our public schools. Education is the key to opportunity and a strong economy. Our schools and teachers prepare young Americans to compete and succeed in a an everchanging economy. Education is key to our national security. We cannot protect America and maintain our progress in the world without skilled and welltrained citizens. Edcuation is the key to good citizenship. Good schools can shape the character of our citizens and train Americans to participate in our democracy. to serve our country and our communities. In short. our schools are key to the American dream. From our earliest days as a Nation. our countrys founders understood this. John Adams. in drafting the Massachusetts constitution in 1780. affirmed that education of the people was \"necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties.\" And many other States since have included similar commitments in their founding documents. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11676}
{"speech_id":1090001138,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With every new age and each new challenge. part of the genius of America is that we have adapted. We have risen to the challenge. As Thomas Jefferson reminds us. \"Every generation needs a new revolution.\" I believe that the revolution for this generation at this time is to master our own destiny and guide the currents of globalization for our own purposes. No nation is guaranteed a position of lasting prosperity and security. We have to work for it. We have to fight for it. We have to sacrifice for it. And above all else. we must equip our citizens to use their Godgiven talents to compete in the global economy. not by lowering their wages but by raising their skills. The price of failure is enormous. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11676}
{"speech_id":1090001138,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Already. millions of Americans have seen their good jobs shipped overseas. Last year. the new jobs created here at home paid 41 percent less than the jobs lost. And American families are finding it harder and harder to make ends meetharder and harder to live the American dream. To restore that dream in a global economy. we must remove every obstacle to our vision and look beyond the horizons of today. Of course. we must strengthen our economy so that it works for everyone. And we must invest in new growth industries that will create the wellpaying jobs of the future. Most of all. we must stand with all Americans to ensure that they have the skills and the opportunities they need for the future. We must encourage the study of math and science. and once again create a culture of innovation and progress in America. Thats the mission of the Department of Education in these times. It is why I welcome President Bushs nomination of Margaret Spellings to be the next Secretary of Education. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11676}
{"speech_id":1090001138,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ms. Spellings has an impressive record on domestic policy. During her 4 years in the White House. she has worked on a range of issues for President Bush. including transportation. housing. health. and labor. Most impressive is her work on education. Ms. Spellings has been a consistent champion for improving and strengthening public education. from her days as an advisor to Texas Governor Bush to her later role as the Presidents principal advisor on the No Child Left Behind Act. Over the years. she has worn many different hats in public educationadvocate. parent. and policymaker. Her steadfast commitment to children and to the institutions that serve them has never wavered. I look forward to working with her in the years ahead to strengthen our schools and universities. and forge a national commitment in education. More than a basic value or a founding belief. education has been a force to move America forward. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11676}
{"speech_id":1090001178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On January 6. I engaged in a colloquy with the distinguished Democratic Leader. Senator REID. concerning the budget assumptions for the next committee funding biennial period. subject to appropriations. I stated that the committee funding budget assumes an acrosstheboard freeze budget. with salary baselines adjusted by COLAs of 3.71 percent in 2005 as approved by the President pro tempore in early January. 3.3 percent assumed for 2006. and 3.5 percent assumed for 2007. although both the 2006 and 2007 actual COLA amounts remain subject to the approval of the President pro tempore. Based on preliminary calculations. both Senator REID and I assumed certain funding levels. subject to appropriations. We have now received final financial calculations for an acrosstheboard freeze including the previously identified COLAs. To achieve our fiscal goal. aggregate funding levels would be: March 1. 2005September 30. 2005: $51.783.793. October 1. 2005Semptember 30. 2006: $90.923.102. and $38.704.409. These funding levels include. but do not separately allocate. the additional 10 percent allocated to the committees in the 108th Congress. I believe this reflects the intent of the negotiation between the Democratic leader and myself.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1236}
{"speech_id":1090001187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in recognition of Lloyd H. Ross upon his retirement from Newark High School in Newark. DE. after more than 34 years of dedicated service. He is a man with a kind heart. diverse interests and great abilities. Lloyd embodies the best of Delaware. Lloyd was born on August 25. 1948 in Nicholson. PA. He graduated from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Music Education in 1970. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3055}
{"speech_id":1090001187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He then went on to complete his Masters in Music Education at West Chester University in 1974. Lloyd has also done postgraduate work at Peabody Conservatory. Berklee College of Music. University of Delaware. Ithaca University and Villanova University. During the last year of his Masters program at West Chester University. Lloyd received a job offer from Newark High School. He commuted from West Chester to Newark for the year. and then moved to Newark. The rest. as they say. is history. Lloyd has been a fixture at Newark High School ever since and became an institution there over time. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3055}
{"speech_id":1090001187,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lloyd met his wife Joan while in college at Susquehanna University. They married on June 14. 1970 and now have two children. Sharon and Jeff. and one grandchild. Ashley. Over the past 3 decades. Lloyd has taken the jazz ensemble at Newark High School to national competitions including the Mobile Jazz Festival in Alabama. the Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston. and the AllAmerican Jazz Festival in Orlando. as well as numerous jazz festivals in the tristate area. Lloyd and the Newark High School band have performed in 105 field show festivals. 107 parades. 385 football games. 148 concerts. 193 jazz festivals. 158 pep assemblies. 144 special performances and 34 graduations. The music department has won over 925 trophies. From 1978 to 1988. Lloyd directed the First State Symphonic Band in over 110 concerts and 500 rehearsals.. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3055}
{"speech_id":1090001187,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lloyds memberships have included: Delaware Music Educations Association. National Band Association. International Association of Jazz Educations and the Music Education National Conference. Described by his friend of over 30 years. Jonathan Wittman. Lloyd is a jovial. friendly kindhearted man. He always looks for the humor in life. and finds a way to use humor positively and as a way to get his point across when teaching. He is personable and easygoing man who enjoys life to the fullest. Lloyd plans to work parttime after his retirement with students and teachers at the University of Delaware. He also plans to spend time on his hobbies. which include travel. photography. and woodworking. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3055}
{"speech_id":1090001187,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through his tireless efforts. Lloyd has made a profound difference in the lives of thousands of students. while enriching and enhancing countless lives in the first State. Upon his retirement. he will leave behind a legacy of commitment to public service for both his children and grandchildren and for the generations that will follow. It is my privilege to congratulate Lloyd on a truly remarkable and distinguished career. I wish him and his family only the very best in all that lies ahead for each of them.*","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3055}
{"speech_id":1090001188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my privilege to honor a very special man for his 431\/2 years of service with the Social Security Administration. Mr. Orland Bergene was raised in Circle. MT. graduating from Circle High School in 1955. He graduated in 1960. with a degree in Business Administration. from Rocky Mountain College in Billings. MT. Mr. Bergene and his wife. Judy. were married in 1965 and have two children. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090001188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Steven and Jana. Mr. Bergene has helped citizens obtain disability benefits and information through the Social Security Administration. by beginning his career as a Claims Representative in Billings. s100 MT. in June 1961. Realizing his potential. Orland was promoted to Field Representative in 1965. Operations Supervisor in Grand Forks. ND. in 1971. and Staff Officer at the Denver Regional Office in 1973. Mr. Bergen was selected for the Staff Development Program in January of 1975 and became the Public Affairs Assistant in the Regional Office in Denver. CO. in August of that same year. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090001188,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He moved to Pueblo. CO. in 1978 as Assistant District Manager and was reassigned as branch manager in LaJunta. CO. in January of 1993. Orland served on a variety of details in the Denver regional office and the Colorado Disability Determination Services. until being reassigned in January 1994 and coming home to Montana to his present position as district manager in the Social Security Administrations Billings District Office. as their district manager. When Mr. Bergene retired January 3. 2005. we lost a very dedicated and caring public servant. He is an inspiration to us all. and a great teacher to many who have worked for and with the Social Security Administration. I have personal knowledge of Orlands dedication. and commitment. not only to his profession. but more importantly to the people he worked with. and the citizens he worked for. Thank you. Orland. for your service to our country.0","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090001209,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On Monday. following morning business. the Senate will begin debate on the nomination of Carlos Gutierrez to be Secretary of Commerce. We have not received any requests for a rollcall vote on the Gutierrez nomination and it is expected we will be able to dispose of that nomination on a voice vote. Therefore. no rollcall votes are expected during Mondays session. We will continue to work through the Presidents nominations as they become available. We will have more to say with respect to the voting schedule next week. I also remind all of my colleagues that we were able to lock in a time agreement on the nomination of Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary of State. We will debate the Rice nomination throughout the day Tuesday and vote on that nomination on Wednesday of next week.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090001289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman of the Commerce Committee. I rise in strong support of Carlos Gutierrez as the next Secretary of Commerce. I applaud the President for this choice for many reasons. Not only is he a classic American success story. as we have heard from Senators Inouye and Stevens. but he is an example for all the opportunities that are afforded to Americans. I am especially happy to see the President chose someone from a manufacturing background. He also has a background on the ground. so to speak. It is something to manufacture a product. it is also something to sell the product because we live in an economic system where nothing happens until a sale is made. Mr. Gutierrez understands both ends of that equation. For a long time. and since I have been here. this is the first Secretary of Commerce who has an agribusiness background. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9383}
{"speech_id":1090001289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Everything the Kellogg Company does starts in the ground. I am especially happy about that. I would hope we could work together. I have always said there is nothing wrong. on the farm except we just dont get as much of the consumer dollar as we used to. We are going to work on that kind of situation. The Commerce Committee oversees some of the most important and controversial issues that challenge this country and my State of Montana. With his commitmentI have yet to meet the man. but we have had an extended telephone callto work with Congress on these issues. his quick response to the questions I sent to him. and the things he is going to be doing at Commerce. will put him in a position to assist many sectors of our economy. I would like to take a few moments and highlight some of them and where these issues will be discussed prominently in the upcoming session. Lets start with one that affects my. State. the timber industry and softwood lumber. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9383}
{"speech_id":1090001289,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Small mill operators in Montana rely on effective enforcement of U.S. trade laws. particularly against unfair trade acts. such as we have seen coming out of Canada. It is important that the Commerce Department ensures full enforcement of the trade laws in the softwood lumber sector. including selection of accurate subsidy measurement benchmarks. The 911 implementation was critical legislation. The enhanced 911 bill that passed the 108th Congress is now law. The law authorizes $1.25 billion in grants to build out lifesaving emergency location capabilities across the country. I can remember passing the 911 bill some years ago. I said then it is probably the best step that we have taken in public safety in a long time. These grants will be administered by a joint program office run by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation. Basically. what it is. on your cell phone. you dial 911 to get emergency. Many years ago. that call did not know where to go. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9383}
{"speech_id":1090001289,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It could have gone anywhere. Today. it goes to the nearest first responder or communications center. no matter where you are in the country. They can also locate you. ICANN reform. I am concerned about the organization that manages the Internet critical domain system. ICANN is falling victim to a little bit of a mission creep. turning into a miniinternational organization. ICANN should retain its focus on technical coordination. which makes me all the more concerned that the Department of Commerce plans to abandon all oversight of ICANN next year. I urge the Secretary to review that issue closely and get back to Congress. Our Nations spectrum policy remains outdated. and I look forward to working with the Secretary in reforming that to keep pace with the communications revolution. Broadband expensing. the Hollings manufacturing extension partnership program. it is important that these programs move forward. with a good deal of interest coming from his Department. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9383}
{"speech_id":1090001289,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. I want to reiterate my support for Mr. Gutierrezs nomination. I look forward to working with him on many of the challenges that my State and this country face under a vast umbrella called the Department of Commerce. That is what makes our committee probably one of the most exciting committees of any that operates in the Senate. I heartily support his nomination. He should be confirmed. Mr. President. again. I applaud the President for his choice. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9383}
{"speech_id":1090001293,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wanted to let my colleagues know briefly of the reasons why I support the nomination of Carlos M. Gutierrez to be Secretary of Commerce. The Senate will vote on this nomination later today. I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Mr. Gutierrez at length. While he has limited experience with matters handled and regulated by the Commerce Department that are important to Washington. such as fisheries. aerospace. and telecommunication. I was impressed by his general business acumen and management skills. I also found him willing to be personally engaged and to engage others on issues outside of his area of expertise. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":739}
{"speech_id":1090001293,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate his willingness to serve. and I look forward to working with him in the future.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":739}
{"speech_id":1090001298,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in strong support of the nomination of Carlos Gutierrez to be Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Gutierrez has set a great example for all Americans and has proved himself a true leader and visionary in the world of business. It is for this reason I fully support his nomination and I have no doubt he will be a truly superb Secretary of Commerce. Carlos Gutierrezs story is truly inspiring and sets a wonderful example for all Americans. Born in Cuba. Carlos. along with his family fled to the United States in 1960 to escape the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. Eventually. the Gutierrez family chose to live in Mexico and settled in Mexico City. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1887}
{"speech_id":1090001298,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At the age of 20. Carlos Gutierrezs journey through the world of business began when he took a job driving a truck for the Kellogg cereal company in Mexico City. Within 10 years. Mr. Gutierrez proved himself an invaluable asset to the company and was promoted to general manager of Kelloggs entire operation in Mexico. Only 15 years later. Mr. Gutierrez achieved the unthinkable and began running the operations for the entire company. This is truly a prime example of the American dream and * definitively demonstrates Carlos Gdtierrezs considerable talent for business. I am also pleased by this nomination because of the diversity it adds to President Bushs Cabinet. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1887}
{"speech_id":1090001298,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This President has demonstrated a commitment to. selecting Americans\" from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds to serve him. and I believe that the selection of Carlos Gutierrez is a clear sign of the contributions that Hispanic Americans are making to our Nation. I believe as Secretary of Commerce. Carlos Gutierrez will continue to display the values and leadership which have been prevalent throughout hiscareer. I have no doubt that as Secretary of Commerce Mr. Gutierrez will be able to meet any challenge facing this country in the future.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1887}
{"speech_id":1090001300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fortune magazine describes him as possessing \"disarming charisma. steely resolve. and an utter lack of pretension.\" The President of the United States hails him as a \"great American success story.\" It is my pleasure to support the nomination of Carlos Gutierrez. chairman and CEO of the Kellogg Company. to become Americas next Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Gutierrez is a true testament to the American Dream. From humble beginnings as a Cuban refugee. he has become one of the most respected and admired businessmen in America. Mr. Gutierrez and his family fled Cuba when he was just 6 years old. His father ran a successful pineapple company in Havana. Then one day. there was a knock at the door. Fidel Castros regime had named the elder Gutierrez an enemy of the state. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090001300,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gutierrezs father was briefly imprisoned. The business was confiscated. Mr. Gutierrez recalls that. \"We were on a plane right after that.\" The family landed in Miami Beach in 1960. It was there that 6 year old Carlos learned English from hotel bellhops. The family eventually settled in Mexico City. and at the age of 20. Mr. Gutierrez took a job driving a Kellogg van selling frosted flakes to small grocery stores. Ten years later. he became general manager of Kelloggs Mexico operations. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090001300,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Within 3 years. he turned the Mexico plant from the companys least productive to most productive. After stints in Asia and Canada. Mr. Gutierrez returned to the United States in 1990. and in 1999 became Chairman and CEO of the Kellogg Company. In 5 short years. Mr. Gutierrez has steered the cereal maker into the number one spot in the U.S. cereal market. Under his leadership Kellogg has become a food industry powerhouse with industry leading sales growth. Those who have studied his business techniques say that Mr. Gutierrez is successful because he is able to focus in on the key issues and convey his vision to everyonefrom the assembly line worker to members of the board. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090001300,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He believes that every American should have the opportunity to succeed. He also believes that America is. and should be. the best place in the world to do business. Former Governor John Engler of Michigan. who has worked with Mr. Gutierrez. rightly points out that Mr. Gutierrez would be \"the most international leader that Commerce has ever had.\" Mr. Gutierrez says that one of his proudest accomplishments was helping his son and his wife become American citizens. From one American citizen to another. I can assure him the pride is mutual. From his remarkable biography. to his meteoric success. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090001300,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gutierrez is an inspiration to all. He took the American dream and ran with it--and. I should note. without ever having finished college. I am confident that his accumulated wisdom. knowledge axd skills will make Mr. Gutierrez an effective Commerce Secretary and eloquent advocate of our economic policies and ideals. I urge my colleagues to support the nomination of this extraordinary American. \" I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090001348,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. many people recall that over a year ago there was a debate on the Senate floor about the cost of prescription drugs. It was a lengthy debate. and it involved a lot of concern about the fact that a lot of senior citizens find the lifeprotecting drugs they are taking to be too expensive. We have known for a long time that Medicare. a very valuable Federal Government program. has been more than miraculous in its results. When it was instituted during the term of President Lyndon Johnson. there was hope it would help seniors pay for their medical bills and improve the quality of their lives. It has done that and more. It has become an extremely valuable program because seniors have used Medicare for access to doctors and hospitals. and the proof is in longevity. Seniors are living longer. They are getting better medical care. It was truly one of the best Government programs ever created. but there was a gap in those programs. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11655}
{"speech_id":1090001348,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It didnt cover prescription drugs for those who were not in the hospital. So seniors found that new drugs that kept them healthy and out of the hospital were too expensive. Some couldnt take the drugs because they couldnt afford them. Others had to make terrible life choices between their lifesaving drugs and basic necessities of life. For a long time we have talked about establishing under Medicare a prescrip.tion drug program that would help these seniorsand disabled people. who also qualify under Medicare. The debate got started. and it looked promising. There was the belief that we were Tinally moving to a goal that we have talked about for a long time. UnfortunateLy. during the course of the debate there were political forces at work in Washington. That is not unusual. The largest political force at work was the pharmaceutical drug industry. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11655}
{"speech_id":1090001348,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They understood that if we gave to Medicare the power to bargain for senior citizens in America. that power would force the drug companies to reduce their cost. so the pharmaceutical companies. one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in Washington. successfully lobbied the Bush administration and supporters of the bill to prohibit Medicare from creating a drug benefit program under Medicare which would hold the drug companies accountable for cost increases. They got the best of both worlds. They not only could continue to sell expensive drugs to seniors. there is no pressure on them to reduce the cost. Drug companies are very profitable. and they understood that with this change in the law. they would continue to make enormous sums of money off of seniors and the Government for a long time to come. Some of us who voted against the program as presented by the President suggested that. unless there was some cost containment here. this program would break the bank. -it would cost too much. drug prices would go up. and the Federal Government could not appropriate money fast enough to take care of it. Then they started describing the prescription drug program. and it quickly reached the point that even a Harvard trained lawyer couldnt understand what it was all about. I have sat down with seniors in Illinois and tried to explain to them what this prescription drug plan was all about. and after a while they threw up their hands and said: Senator. wasnt there an easier way to do this? And the honest answer was: Yes. but we didnt choose that easier way. Because of some budgetary considerations and political considerations. we created an extremely complicated program for senior citizens. That program ultimately did not reach a point where seniors approved of it. In fact. most of the seniors in Illinois who I talked to are not only skeptical of this program. they are critical of it. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11655}
{"speech_id":1090001348,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are not sure it would really help them. The administrationthe Presidentwas very smart. He decided to postpone the startup of this program until after the last election. He knew. and.I am sure we all do now. that when this program starts a lot of seniors are going to see just how bad it is. how complicated it is. how uncertain it is. and because of those uncertainties many of them will be critical of the Congress that enacted the law and the President who presented it to us for enactment. So at this point we have a problem before us. a program that is about to go into effect which has uncertain monthly premiums. has a socalled donut hole. which means it covers drugs up to a certain point in their cost and then leaves the individual senior citizens on their own for a period of time as they spend the money out of pocket and then comes back to cover them again. It also has some curious provisions where seniors cannot buy supplemental insurance to make up the deficiencies in the prescription drug bill. They are banned. prohibited. It also expressly says Medicare cannot create its own prescription drug company and bargain for senior citizensonce again to protect the profitability of pharmaceutical companies. As bad as this bill was. we were waiting for the regulations written by the Bush administration which would spell out the details of how this process will work. Last Friday the Bush adminis\"tration released 1.500 pages of new rules and regulations related to the new Medicare prescription drug program-.500 pages. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11655}
{"speech_id":1090001348,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I can remember when President Reagan showed up for the State of the Union Address with a huge copy of a bill we had just passed. an appropriations bill. slamming it on the desk saying what an embarrassment it was to the American people that we would have a bill of such complexity and magnitude. Here we have the regulations for the prescription drug bill. an already complicated bill. 1.500 pages in length. When you look at the details of this prescription drug benefit. you understand why many senior citizens are skeptical. Sally Mitchell is a 66yearold widow who lives in Aurora. IL. and takes three prescription medications every day. She told the Chicago Tribune that she: wished Medicare would come up with something that would be easier for people to understand and use. That is not an unreasonable request from Mrs. Mitchell. In her words. she went on to say: If its too much work and too much stress. at my age its not worth it for me to just save a couple of dollars. That is what many senior citizens have found. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11655}
{"speech_id":1090001350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to pay tribute to PFC Gunnar Becker. a member of the United States Army. who died on January 13. 2005. while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. PFC Becker was a member of the 63rd Armored Regiment. 1st Infantry Division. Answering Americas call to the military. PFC Becker joined the U.S. Army shortly after graduating from ArtesianLetcher High School in 2003. His friends remember him as a goodnatured. outgoing person with boundless enthusiasm and confidence to match. Kelvin Peterson. a good friend remembers him as always being able to put a smile on peoples faces. Kelvin said. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090001350,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"He knew how to make a person laugh and have a good time. because thats what he was all about. having a good time.\" PFC Becker served our country and. as a hero. died as a proud member of our Armed Forces. He served as a model of the loyalty and dedication that comes with preservation of freedom. The thoughts and prayers of my family. as well as our Nations. are with his family during this time of mourning. As well. our thoughts continue to be with all those families who have children. spouses. parents. and other loved ones serving overseas. PFC Becker lived life to the fullest and was committed to his family. his Nation. and his community. It was his incredible dedication to helping others that will serve as his greatest legacy. Our Nation is a far better place because of PFC Beckers contributions. and. while his family. friends. and Nation will miss him very much. the best way to honor his life is to remember his commitment to service and his family. I join with all South Dakotans in expressing my sympathies to the friends and the family of PFC Becker. I know that he will always be missed. but his service to our Nation will never be forgotten.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090001351,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor the lives of three brave Arkansans and to pay tribute to the sacrifice they made on behalf of our freedom. Jimmy Buie. Joshua Marcum. and Jeremy McHalffey were all beloved by their families. admired by their friends. and respected within their communities. Today. they are remembered as heroes by the grateful Nation for whom they gave their lives. SPCs Buie. Marcum. and McHalffey were proud members of the Arkansas National Guards 39th Infantry Brigade. Together. they served with the 2nd platoon of Bravo Company. 3rd Battalion of the 39th. a closeknit group who quickly earned a reputation for dependability and whose soldiers were known to do absolutely anything for each other. This was especially true for SPC Marcum. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6549}
{"speech_id":1090001351,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SPC McHalffey. and. SPC Buie. who were all roommates at their companys base at Camp Gunslinger. just north of Baghdad. It was obvious to those who served with them that in addition to being outstanding soldiers. these three men were so much more. While the easygoing SPC Buie and SPC Marcum could always be counted on to brighten a mood with their humor and infectious smiles. the hardcharging SPC McHalffey often motivated his colleagues with his determination and focus. While the three had differing approaches to their service. they were united in the belief that they were doing what was right. helping rebuild the lives of a people they had never met and bringing stability to a nation they had never known. SPC Buie joined the military upon his graduation from high school in 1980. Later. while working for a dental products manufacturer. he met a woman named Lisa who would become the love of his life. The two were inseparable. and the natural chemistry between them soon led to marriage. SPC Buie quickly took to Lisas two sons and found great pleasure in spending time with them. whether they were building a gocart or playing catch. In his hometown of Batesville. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6549}
{"speech_id":1090001351,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SPC Buie worked as a mechanic at Mark. Martin Ford Mercury. where he rightfully earned the reputation of a quiet. hardworking guy who always got the job done. He joined the National Guard in August of 2004 and was deployed to Iraq after spending a month of training at Fort Hood. Texas. While serving in Iraq. he spoke with Lisa every Sunday evening. During these conversations. he always remained upbeat and spoke of the joy he found in improving the lives of Iraqis. particularly the local farmers. whom he pitied for their poor living conditions. These words and actions spoke volumes of SPC Buie. a humble man who found comfort in knowing folks were praying for him back in Arkansas. and who used that inspiration to improve the lives of those around him. SPC Marcum was frpm the small northern Arkansas town of Evening Shade. where he lived with his wife. Lisa. and their five children. Friends and family describe him as one of the nicest people you could ever meet. & unique individual who disliked cursing. avoided arguments. and had a special calming effect on those around him. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6549}
{"speech_id":1090001351,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was also the type of person who found pleasure in bringing joy to others. a gift of his that was attributable to his sense of humor and his loving heart. While serving in Iraq. SPC Marcum. who had always wanted to be a soldier. was remembered by his comrades as a quiet guy who naturally went out of his way to lend a helping hand to those in need. He kept in frequent contact with his wife throughout his deployment and sought to comfort her by keeping her up to date on his welfare and relaying his positive experiences along the way. With his time in Iraq nearing its end. he was looking forward to returning to his friends and family back in Arkansas and often spoke of taking a float trip down the Spring River soon after. SPC McHalffey was born in the small northeastern Arkansas town of Paragould but later moved to Springfield. MO. where he graduated from high school in 1995. Throughout his life. he had a love for the outdoors and if you ever needed to find him during hunting season. he was most likely in the woods with his father. looking for turkey or deer. At the age of 18. he joined the United States Marine Corps. and would proudly serve for 4 years. Upon his return to Springfield. he worked for the Greene County Sheriffs Office and later for Showcase Building Supply. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6549}
{"speech_id":1090001351,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2002. he met a dispatcher named Lacy Tindele at a firefighters training camp. The couple quickly fell in love and their engagement soon followed. SPC McHalffeys deep love for his country is what originally motivated him to enlist in the Marine Corps and it is also what later motivated him to serve in Iraq. As his brother Mike reflected. \"He was the type of guy to volunteer. If something needed to be done. Jeremy would jump in.\" SPC McHalffey initially wanted to reenlist in the Marines but was told the process could take months. As a result. he and Lacy chose to move to Little Rock. to continue his career in law enforcement and to join the Arkansas National Guard. because he was told it had a significantly shorter waiting time. The couple chose the nearby community of Mabelvale. where SPC McHalffey commuted to his new job as a detention deputy at the Pulaski County Jail until his deployment. Lacy spent much of her time planning the couples small wedding. which was to take place upon her fiancees return from Iraq in a few months. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6549}
{"speech_id":1090001413,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I introduce the Tsunami Preparedness Act with my friend and distinguished colleague. Senator TED STEVENS. in our new capacities as CoChair and Chair of the Commerce Committee. Our bill today provides a scientific and technological response to minimize the threats posed by tsunami to our own shores. and the coastal communities of the world. as exemplified by the appalling scope of the Indian Ocean tragedy. The bill builds on our work to establish a system in the Pacific that is a model for the world. and also provides for its expansion and improvement to repair gaps that have been identified recently. Protecting human life and property from natural disaster requires the ability to reliably detect and forecast. the capacity to broadcast warnings in a timely and informative manner. and the knowledge in communities of how to respond and evacuate to safety. Above all. however. it requires the willingness to invest resources to prepare for a threat that is largely unseen and unpredictable until the last moment. when a monstrous wave actually strikes. The people of Alaska and Hawaii have long memories of the threat of tsunami. Perhaps it is because Hawaii sits in a position of terrible vulnerability in the Pacific Ocean. which is the site of 85 percent of the worlds tsunami activity. and because Alaska. perched on the northern edge of the Pacifics Ring of Fire. suffers frequent tsunamigenerating earthquakes. In order to protect local commurnities. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13223}
{"speech_id":1090001413,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hawaii established in 1949 a tsunami warning center. following a tragic Hilo tsunami. In response to the Good Friday earthquake and tsunami of 1964. which accounted for 90 percent of the deaths in the state that year. Alaska followed suit by establishing an observatory in Palmer. Alaska. in 1967. Collaborations between the two centers and other partners led to a nascent capacity for predicting and warning coastal communities about potential tsunami in Alaska and Hawaii and beyond. As we came to understand the broader threat that tsunami posed. TED STEVENS and I worked together to pass legislation in 1994 to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. We are pleased to report that the program has laid the foundation for tsunami preparedness. Through its Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). NOAA has developed Deep ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamior \"DART -buoys. which accurately measure the subtle variations in the oceans sea level caused by tsunami traveling over open water. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13223}
{"speech_id":1090001413,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With these measurements. as well as readings from coastal gauges. the mathematical models PMEL and others have developed can forecast tsunami direction. speed. and inundation with astonishing accuracy. Although the worldwide network of seismic sensors operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides excellent notice of earthquakes with the potential to generate tsunami. the DART buoys represent a nextgeneration approach to detection and forecasting of tsunami that will form the backbone of our domestic preparedness. Interpreting these data and issuing warnings are Hawaiis Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. and Alaskas West Coast\/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. which jointly have the capacity to cover our domestic shores. and. at the same time. to reach out to all cooperating nations of the world. Forecasting and warning networks. however. depend on ears who know how to respond. and so the Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program has partnered with states and local authorities to produce inundation mapping. develop evacuation routes. and conduct tsunami education. As a result of much hard work. fifteen counties up and down the west coast. and in Alaska and Hawaii have become national and world leaders by becoming \"tsunami ready.\" The appalling scope of the Indian Ocean tragedy illustrates the importance and necessity of our work of the Internet. television and radio. and any past ten years. and with stark clarity. innovative combination of these techwe can see that despite our best efforts. nologies. much remains to be done. Now. as be- A critical component of the bill refore. Senator STEVENS and I have come quires NOAA to upgrade and modernize together to lead the charge toward na- the U.S. tsunami detection system by tional and international tsunami pre- December 2007. as well as provide acparedness. countability for the longterm operOur legislation today. formally au- ation of the system. NOAA is required thorizes NOAA to establish. operate. to repair and upgrade the system. enand maintain a dependable national suring deployment of existing deep tsunami warning system that would ocean detection buoys and related deprovide maximum tsunami detection tection equipment. as well as notify capability -for the nation. The system Congress upon any equipment or syswould build on the model established in tem failures that will impair regional the Pacific. and provide for its repair. detection. and of significant contractor expansion and modernization by the failures or delays. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13223}
{"speech_id":1090001413,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. the bill close of calendar year 2007. Thesystem calls for the National Academy of would include four components: an ex- Sciences to review the system for furpanded and upgraded detection. and ther modernization recommendations. warning system. a federalstate tsu- The bill recognizes the need for globnami hazard mitigation program. a al coordination on tsunami preparedtsunami research program. and a mod- ness. requiring NOAA. and the interernization and upgrade program. In ad- agency coordinating committee of the dition. the bill would direct NOAA to U.S. Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Proprovide any necessary technical or gram. to provide technical assistance other assistance to international ef- and advice to international entities as forts to establish regional systems in part of an international effort to deother parts of the world. including the velop a fully functional global tsunami Indian Ocean. warning system. The detection and warning system Finally. the bill authorizes $35 milestablished by the bill would cover the lion annually for six years to support Pacific Ocean region. as well as the At- these activities. Through this legislalanticCaribbeanGulf of Mexico region. tion. the work Senator STEVENS and I and incorporate a variety of seismic started over ten years ago will step up and tsunami detection technologies. in- to the next level. and provide our nacluding deep ocean buoys. as well as tion with coverage and protection that encompass tsunami warning centers it needs. while fulfilling our duties as charged with collecting and analyzing citizens of the global community. the data and distributing warningsin- I. ask unanimous consent that the cluding the existing Pacific Tsunami full text of the bill be printed in the Warning Center in Hawaii and the West RECORD. Coast\/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center There being no objection. the bill was in Alaska. as well as any others ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as deemed necessary by the NOAA Admin- follows: istrator. S. 50 The bill also formally authorizes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of RepNOAAs Tsunami Hazard Mitigation resentatives of the United States of America in Program and its communitybased tsu- Congress assembled. nami hazard mitigation program to im- SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. prove tsunami preparedness of atrisk This Act may be cited as the \"Tsunami areas. The bill directs a FederalState Preparedness Act\". coordinating committee for the pro- SEC. 2. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13223}
{"speech_id":1090001413,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. gram. consisting (FEMA). the United (a) FINDINGS.-The Congress finds the folStates Geological Survey (USGS). the lowing: National Science Foundation (NSF). (1) Tsunami are a series of large waves of and affected coastal states and terri- long wavelength created by the displacement of water by violent undersea disturbances tories. to work together to improve in- such as earthquakes. volcanic eruptions. undation mapping. community out- landslides. explosions. and the impact of cosreach and education. and promote and mic bodies. integrate tsunami warning and mitiga- (2) Tsunami have caused. and can cause in tion measures. including rescue and re- the future. enormous loss of human life. incovery guidelines. The program would jury. destruction of property. and economic provide grants to states to ensure the and social disruption in coastal and island program elements are implemented in communities. (3) While 85 percent of tsunami occur in the coastal communities. Pacific Ocean. and coastal and island comThe bill also requires NOAA to estab- munities in this region are the most vulnerlish. along with other agencies and aca- able to the destructive results. tsunami can demic institutions. a tsunami research occur at any point in any ocean or related program to continuously improve de- body of water where there are earthquakes. tection. prediction. communication. volcanoes. or any other activity that disand mitigation science and technology places a large volume of water. to support tsunami forecasts and warn- (4) A number of States and territories are subject to the threat of tsunamis. including ings. This program would also focus on Alaska. California. Hawaii. Oregon. Washthe potential for improved communica- ington. American Samoa. the Commontions systems for tsunami and other wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. hazard warnings. including telephones. Guam. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13223}
{"speech_id":1090001416,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to reintroduce legislation that would put an end to automatic costofliving adjustments for congressional pay. As I have noted when I raised this issue in past years. it is an unusual thing to have the power to raise our own pay. Most of our constituents do not have that power. And that this power is so unusual is good reason for the Congress to exercise that power openly. and to exercise it subject to regular procedures that include debate. amendment. and a vote on the record. I regret to say. that current law permits Congress to avoid that public debate and vote. All that is necessary for Congress to get a pay raise is that nothing be done to stop it. The annual pay raise takes effect unless Congress acts. This stealth pay raise mechanism began with a change Congress enacted in the Ethics Reform Act of 1989. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090001416,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In section 704 of that act. Members of Congress voted to make themselves entitled to an annual raise equal to half a percentage point less than the employment cost index. one measure of inflation. It is true. that on occasion Congress has voted to deny itself the raise. and the traditional vehicle for the pay raise vote is the Treasury appropriations bill. But that vehicle is not always made available to those who want a public debate and vote on the matter. Just last year. for example. the Treasury appropriations bill was slipped into the massive Omnibus Appropriations conference report. and thus it was completely shielded from amendment. Senators were effectively prevented from offering an amendment to force an up or down vote on the annual pay raise: And that situation was not unique. Getting a vote on the annual congressional pay raise is a haphazard affair at best. and it should not be that way. The burden should not be on those who seek a public debate and recorded vote on the Member pay raise. On the contrary. Congress should have to act if it decides to award itself a hike in pay. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090001416,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This process of pay raises without accountability must end. This issue is not a new question. It was something that our Founders considered from the beginning of our Nation. In August 1789. as part of the package of 12 amendments advocated by James Madison that included what has become our Bill of Rights. the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Constitution providing that Congress could not raise its pay without an intervening election. On September 9. 1789. the Senate. passed that amendment. In late September 1789. Congress submitted the amendments to the States. Although the amendment on pay raises languished for two centuries. in the 1980s. a campaign began to ratify it. While I was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. I was proud to help ratify the amendment. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090001416,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its approval by the Michigan Legislature on May 7. 1992. gave it the needed approval by threefourths of the States. The 27th amendment to the Constitution now states: \"No law. varying the compensation for the services of the senators and representatives. shall take effect. until an election of representatives shall have intervened.\" I try to honor that limitation in my own practices. In my own case. throughout my 6year term. I accept only the rate of pay that Senators receive on the date on which I was sworn in as a Senator. And I return to the Treasury any additional income Senators get. whether from a costofliving adjustment or a pay raise we vote for ourselves. I dont take a raise until my bosses. the people of Wisconsin. give me one at the ballot box. That is the spirit of the 27th amendment. The stealth pay raises like the one that Congress allowed last year. at a minimum. certainly violate the spirit of that amendment. This practice must end. This bill will end it. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090001416,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senators and Congressmen should have to vote upordown to raise congressional pay. My bill would simply require us to vote in the open. We owe our constituents nothing less. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090001417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to. correct discrepancies in the reimbursement of clinical social workers covered through Medicare. Part B. The three proposed changes contained in this legislation clarify the current payment process for clinical social workers and establish a reimbursement methodology for the profession that is similar to other health care professionals reimbursed through the Medicare program. First. this legislation sets payment for clinical social worker services according to a fee schedule established by the Secretary. Second. it explicitly states that services and supplies furnished by a clinical social worker are a covered Medicare expense. just as these services are covered for other mental health professionals in Medicare. Third. the bill allows clinical social workers to be reimbursed for services provided to a client who is hospitalized. Clinical social workers are valued members of our health care provider network. They are legally regulated in every state of the nation and are recognized as independent providers of mental health care throughout the health care system. It is time to correct the disparate reimbursement treatment of this profession under Medicare. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1350}
{"speech_id":1090001417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1350}
{"speech_id":1090001430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing two pieces of legislation to help families save for their childrens education. In todays global marketplace. ensuring access to highquality educationstarting in early childhood and grade school. moving on to college and beyondis central in maintaining Americas competitive edge. To make paying for school easier. I am introducing two pieces of legislation that would expand Coverdell Education Savings Accounts or ESAs: The Education Savings for Students Act and College Savings Act. Coverdell ESAs are trusts created solely for the educational benefit of any child under the age of 18. Contributions to a Coverdell Education Savings account can be used toward a childs eduqation from kindergarten through 12th grade. college. and even graduate school. All earnings in the account grow taxfree and can be withdrawn on a taxdeferred basis.. if used for educational expenses. Currently. annual contributions to each Coverdell ESA cannot exceed $2.000. But this particular provision will sunset on 12\/31\/ 2010 unless Congress takes action to extend it. otherwise the maximum contribution will drop back to a previously set stipulation of $500. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9888}
{"speech_id":1090001430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My bill. the Education for Students Act would expand the existing Coverdell ESA by permanently increasing the maximum annual contribution from $2.000 to $5.000. This bill keeps the current Coverdell ESA provision that investment earnings accumulate taxfree and withdrawals from the account are taxexempt when the child uses the funds for school. My other bill. the College Savings Act would also permanently increase the maximum annual contribution to a Coverdell ESA to $5.000. Instead of anticipating future earnings. families would be able to deduct the amount they contribute to their education savings account from income. Rather than putting away money adhoc. both bills provide a financial incentive to save for college or other educational expenses. And since there is no limit on the number of Coverdell ESAs that may be opened for a child under age 18. parents have the flexibility to set aside money now through deductible contributions or bank on projected savings through taxdeferred earnings and withdrawals. or even take on both options. The College Savings and Education Savings for Students Acts will help families plan for future educational expenses. paving a path to financial selfsufficiency. I understand that all families are different. Saving for college may be the last thing on a parents mind. especially when their child is young and their family has significant financial needs. But just as fast as our children grow. so does the cost of tuition. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9888}
{"speech_id":1090001430,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mounting prices for books and materials. plus room and board have made colleges and universities less affordable for most families. College is expensive. There are many parents whose children aim to go to college. but soon discover they cant afford it because the price of pursuing a higher education costs too much. If the College Savings and Education for Students Acts became law. families would have another powerful tool to help their children realize their educational dreams. By saving money early and often. families wont feel as hard hit by skyrocketing college prices because youll know whats coming in and whats going out of these accounts. In 2002. the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reported on the national trends of rising college prices. The Center determined that if educational costs are unaddressed there will- be adverse consequences for expanding students opportunities to pursue a higher education and future career. This report found that over the last two decades. the cost of attending twoand fouryear public and private colleges have not only grown more rapidly than inflation. but faster than family incomes. increasing the share of family income that is needed to pay for tuition and other college expenses. From 1991 through 2001. tuition at fouryear public colleges and universities rose faster than family income in 41 states. including my home state of Washington. The Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board reports that. over the last ten years. tuition and fees have far outpaced family income. increasing 89 percent Compared to 51 percent in per capita personal income in my state. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9888}
{"speech_id":1090001430,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In comparison. the cost of most consumer goods increased an average of 20 percent during the same time. Per capita personal income in Washington increased 51 percent during this same period. As a result. more students and families at all income levels are borrowing more money than ever before to pay for collego. According to a recent study by the College Board. nonfederal borrowing reached $11.3 billion in 200304. up 39 percent over the previous year. and jumping nearly 150 percent in three -years. Over $10 billion of these loans are private. Over the past five years. borrowing through banks and other private lenders has increased from 7 percent to 16 percent of education loan volume. Although borrowing is an acceptable way to pay for college. the financial consequences of high debt can still ensue. and students spend years paying back loans. undermining their ability to purchase a home or save for retirement. Additionally. college students on average graduate with about $3.300 in credit card debit alone. Concern about the increase in educational loan debt may cause students to spend more time working than attending class or to opt out of enrolling in college altogether. Moreover. the steepest increases in college and university tuition have been imposed during times of greatest economic hardship. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9888}
{"speech_id":1090001430,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just in the past three years. our economy has experienced a loss of 1.8 million private sector jobs and 2.7 million manufacturing jobs. Preparing Americas workforce and keeping up with the demand for skilled workers across all sectors of the 21st century economy is my priority. If we want to maintain our economic competitiveness. it is imperative that there are opportunities for individuals to fully take advantage of educational opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that six of the ten fastestgrowing occupations in the U.S. economy require an associates degree or bachelors degree. and that all ten of these careers will require some type of skills training. By 2010. 40 percent of all job growth will require some form of postsecondary education. On average. a college graduate earns nearly 73 percent more than a typical high school graduate. In 2003. the average worker in the U.S. with a fouryear college degree earned just under $50.000. over 60 percent more than the $30.800 earned by the average worker with a high school diploma. reports the College Board. Those with advanced degrees earn two to three times as much as high school graduates. In addition. society reaps the benefits of an educated workforce by improving quality of life and overall. the wellbeing of our communities. Affordability is key to expanding opportunities to go to college. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9888}
{"speech_id":1090001431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to take a few minutes to discuss legislation that I offer today along with Senator LIEBERMAN and I believe 15 other cosponsors called the HEROES Act of 2005. the Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service Act. that will increase substantially the death benefits provided to the families of our service personnel who lose their lives in service to their country. I see Senator ALLEN. I know he deeply cares about this issue. We are working together on this same idea. Fundamentally. this bill would raise the basic death benefit from $12.420 to $100.000. It will raise the servicemens group life insurance payment from $250.000 to $400.000. Senator LIEBERMAN and I. all of us in this body believe we need to make sure that our servicemens families are well taken care of if something were to happen to them. I am very pleased that Senator FRIST .on Friday made this part of his leadership package and that Senator JOHN WARNER. chairman of the Armed Services Committee. promised quick action in the committee on the subject. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090001431,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I am very pleased that the Defense Department has worked with us in helping to craft this legislation. actually supports it and the funding it will require. I asked last year about it when our defense bill moved. When no consensus was reached as that bill was moving. we put in the legislation a requirement that the DOD work with the Congress to develop a plan to improve death benefits. and they have done so. It is the right thing to do. Just last Monday. I was in Iraq. I had the ability to travel throughout that country. and we flew back from Baghdad to Kuwait about 9 or 10 that night. On the C130 in which we flew back. in the bay of that great aircraft were two flagdraped coffins of American service personnel who had given their life to their country. There should be no doubt in any soldiers mind that if something happens to them while in service to their country. their family will be well taken care of. The American people want thEtt. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090001431,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe the people in this Congress will support that. This legislation needs to be passed promptly. I am proud that Senator WARNER and Senator FRIST have indicated they would accelerate it and do what they can to see that it does become law. I look forward to working with Senator LIEBERMAN and my fellow Senators to move this bill to final passage. I see the chairman of Armed Services. Senator WARNER. I express my appreciation to him for his commitment to do what he can to move this bill forward promptly. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090001492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am reintroducing the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. When we were in deficit and when we were in surplus. I have always said. if we could adopt one fundamental reform to the way the Federal Government does business. this is it. The fiscal events of the last few years have again demonstrated the need for this longterm. fundamental. permanent reform. For many Americans. one of the signs of our deep respect for the Constitution is our acknowledgment that. in exceptional cases. a problem rises to such a level that it can be adequately addressed only in the Constitutionby way of a constitutional amendment. From 1998 through 2001. Congress balanced the Federal budget. These four budget surpluses in a row. for the first time since the 1920s. set the modern record for balancing the Federal budget. The first Republican Congresses in 40 years made balancing the budget our top priority. and did what was necessary. reaching across the aisle and working on a bipartisan basis. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090001492,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We ran surpluses and began the process we needed to pay down the national debt. This in turn promised. among other things. to help us safeguard the future of Social Security. Then events intervened. A return to budget deficits was caused by an economic recession and a war begun by terrorist attacks. Even before taking office in 2001. President Bush correctly foresaw the coming recession and prescribed the right medicinethe tax relief that has bolstered the economy and has saved and created jobs. The current economic recovery. in turn. has prevented even worse Federal budget deficits. The return to deficit spending can and should be a temporary phenomenon. We are rebounding from the recession of 2001 and the body blow to the economy caused by the war with terrorism. We must do whatever it takes to win that war. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090001492,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Providing for the selfdefense and survival of our people and our Nation is the most fundamental responsibility of the Federal Government. That principle has been reflected in every significant version of the balanced budget constitutional amendment. in exceptions for war and imminent military threats. Historically. that principle was followed even when balancing the budget was the norm. because the U.S. Government always has borrowed when necessary to fight and win a war. Beyond that. we must keep all other Federal spending under control. so that we return. as soon as possible. to balancing the budget. In other words. the return to deficit spending will be a temporary problem only if we make a permanent commitment to the moral imperative of fiscal responsibility. We always did. and always will. need a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. Even in the heady days of budget surpluses. I always maintained the only way to guarantee that the Federal Government would stay fiscally responsible was to add a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Before we balanced the budget in 1998. the Government was deficit spending for 28 years in a row and for 59 out of 67 years. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090001492,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The basic law of political temptationto just say \"yes\"-was not repealed in 1998. but only restrained some. when we came together and briefly faced up to the great threat to the future posed by decades of debt. Now. the Government is back to borrowing. And for some. a return to deficit spending seems to have been liberating. as the demands for new spending only seem to be multiplying again. That is why. today. I am again introducing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and calling upon my colleagues to send it to the States for ratification. The amendment I introduce today is the same one I sponsored in the 108th Congress. This is essentially the same as the amendment that came within a single vote of the twothirds necessary for passage. twice in two previous Senates. In addition. this amendment would not count the Social Security surplus in its calculation of a balanced budget. Those annual surpluses would be set aside exclusively to meet the future needs of Social Security beneficiaries. Its a new day. a new year. and a new Senate. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090001492,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have the opportunity of a fresh start and. hopefully. the wisdom of experience. Today. with the first piece of legislation I am introducing in the 109th Congress. I call on the Senate to safeguard the future. by considering and passing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitutiona bill of economic rights for our future and our children. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this joint resolution. proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090001493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"(for herself. Mr. FEINGOLD. and Mr. COLEMAN) submitted the following resolution. which was referred to the Committee on Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions: S. REs. 8 Whereas public investment in higher education yields a return of several dollars for each dollar invested. Whereas higher education promotes economic opportunity and recipients of bachelors degrees earn 73 percent more in lifetime earnings than those with only a secondary school diploma and are also significantly less likely to be unemployed. Whereas access to a college education has become a hallmark- of American society. and is vital to upholding our belief in equality of opportunity. Whereas for a generation. the Federal Pell Grant has served as an established and effective means of providing access to higher education. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1938}
{"speech_id":1090001493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Whereas when viewed in constant dollars. the value of todays Pell Grant maximum award has actually declined by 16 percent since the mid 1970s. Whereas grant aid as a portion of student aid has fallen significantly in the past 30 years. Whereas in 1975. grant aid constituted approximately 80 percent of total student aid awarded to college students and loans constituted only 17 percent. now this has reversed with grants making up only 38 percent. and loans covering 56 percent of total student aid. and Whereas the increasing reliance on -borrowing to finance a higher education is particularly burdensome on lowincome families and has negative consequences for the enrollment of these students. Now. therefore. be it Resolved. That it is the sense of the Senate that(1) the maximum Federal Pell Grant for which a student should be eligible during award year 20052006 should be $4.500. and (2) the authorized levels for the Federal Pell Grant maximum amount found in section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) should be set high enough to accommodate a Federal Pell Grant amount of $9.000 by award year 20102011.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1938}
{"speech_id":1090001498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday. January 24. 2005. for a hearing to consider the nomination of: Mr. R. James Nicholson to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10:00 A.M. A markup on Mr. Nicholsons nomination will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2:00 P.M.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":475}
{"speech_id":1090001538,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the time allotted for Democratic Members under the agreement regarding the Rice nomination be modified as follows: The time for Senator LIEBERMAN be allocated to Senator BAYH. Senator DAYTON be allocated 15 minutes. 5 minutes from Senator BOXERs time and 10 minutes from the time controlled by Senator DURBIN.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":353}
{"speech_id":1090001547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Presidents nomination of Dr. Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary of State presents the Senate with a difficult decision. Dr. Rice will bring an impressive set of public policy and academic credentials to the job of Secretary of State. Her personal story is inspiring. Nonetheless. Dr. Rices record on Iraq gives me great concern. In her public statements. she clearly overstated and exaggerated the intelligence concerning Iraq before the war in order to support the Presidents decision to initiate military action against Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090001547,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since the Iraq effort has run into great difficulty. she has also attempted to revise history as to why we went into Iraq. I approach this issue as the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee and as a member of the Intelligence Committee. Both committees have devoted a great deal of time over the last 2 years to issues concerning Iraq. including the Intelligence Committee inquiry into prewar Intelligence. These inquiries indicated major problems with the intelligence on Iraq and how it was exaggerated or misused to make the case to the American people of the need to initiate an attack against Iraq. Dr. Rice is a major player in that efforta frequent and highly visible public voice. Dr. Rice is not directly responsible for the intelligence failures prior to the Iraq war. The intelligence communitys many failures are catalogued in the 500page report of the Senate Intelligence Committee. But Dr. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090001547,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rice is responsible for her own distortions and exaggerations of the intelligence which was provided to her. Here are a few of those exaggerations and distortions. One of the most well known was the allegation that Iraq was trying to obtain uranium from Africa. which was cited to demonstrate that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. But our intelligence community did not believe it was true. and took numerous actions to makeits concerns knowneven. urging the British not to pullish the allegation in September of So how did it happen that President Bush in his January 28. 2003. State of the Union speech said that \"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa\"? When the CIA saw a draft of the Presidents Cincinnati speech for October 7. 2002. it asked the White House to delete the allegation that Iraq had been seeking uranium from Africa. and the White House did remove the reference entirely. On October 5. 2002. the CIA sent a memo explaining its views to Steven Hadley. Dr. Rices deputy. It sent another memo to Dr. Rice and to Mr. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090001547,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hadley on October 6. again expressing doubt about the reports of Iraqs attempt to get uranium from Africa. Finally. George Tenet. the Director of Central Intelligence himself. personally called Mr. Hadley to urge that the uranium allegation be removed from the speechwhich it was. This was not just some routine staff action or a lowlevel CIA analyst who called the National Security Council. It was a memorandum from the CIA to Dr. Rice. and the Director of Central Intelligence himself who called Dr. Rices deputy to make it clear what his concerns were and to request the removal of the allegation. Yet just 31\/2 months later the White House put the African uranium allegation back into a draft of the State of the Union speech. That draft made no mention of the British. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090001547,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was a reference like the one that was removed from the Cincinnati speech a few months before. It asserted in that draft what purported to be the view of the U.S. Governmentthat Iraq had been. trying to obtain uranium from Africa. According to Director Tenet. shortly before the speech was delivered. the CIA received portions of the draft of the State of the Union to review. including the allegation about uranium from Africa. A senior CIA staff member called the National Security Council staff to repeat his concerns about the allegation. Instead of removing the text from the speech. the National Security Council and the White House changed the text to make reference to the British view. suggesting. of course. that the United States believed the British view to be accurate. That formula was highly deceptive. The only reason to say the \"British have learned\" that Saddam Hussein was seeking uranium from Africa was to create thr impression that we believed it. But our intelligence community did not believe it. Indeed. they had attempted to dissuade the British from publishing the allegation in September. and they successfully made several highlevel interventions with the White House in October to have the allegation removed from the Presidents Cincinnati speech. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090001587,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. in Federalist No. 77. Alexander Hamilton wrote: It will readily be comprehended. that a man who had himself the sole disposition of offices. would be governed much more by his private\" inclinations and interests. than when he Was bound to submit the propriety of his choice to the discussion and determination of a different and independent body. and that body an entire branch of the legislature. The possibility of rejection would be a strong motive to care in proposing. Although Hamilton explains the importance of the role of the Senate in the appointment of officers of the United States. neither he nor the Constitution is specific about what criteria Senators must use to judge the qualifications of a nominee. The Constitution only requires that the Senate give its advice and consent. It is therefore left to Senators to use their own judgment in considering their vote. The factors involved in such judgments may vary among Senators. among nominees. and may even change in response to the needs of the times. The position of Secretary of State is among the most important offices for which the Constitution requires the advice and the consent of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12082}
{"speech_id":1090001587,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the Secretary of State who sits at the right hand of the President during meetings of the Presidents Cabinet. The Secretary of State is all the more important today. considering the enormous diplomatic challenges our country will face in the next 4 years. I commend the Foreign Relations Committee for its work in bringing the nomination of Dr. Condoleezza Rice to the Senate. Chairman Richard Lugar conducted 2 days of hearings for this nominee and the debate that began in the committee on this nonination is now being continued on the floor of the Senate. Senator BIDEN also provided a voice in great foreign policy experience during those hearings. I was particularly impressed by Senator BOXER who tackled her role on the committee with passion and with forthrightness. as did Senator KERRY. There is no doubt that Dr. Rice has a remarkable record of personal achievement. She obtained her bachelors degree at the tender age of 19get that. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12082}
{"speech_id":1090001587,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaking as someone who did not earn a bachelors degree until I had reached 77 years of age. I have a special appreciation for Dr. Rices impressive academic achievement. It was. a remarkable achievement indeed. She then obtained a doctorate in international studies and quickly rose through the academic ranks to become provost of Stanford University. Dr. Rice has also gathered extensive experience in foreign policy matters. She is a recognized expert on matters relating to Russia and the former Soviet Union. She has twice worked on the National Security Council. once as the senior adviser on Soviet issues and most recently for 4 years as National Security Adviser. Dr. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12082}
{"speech_id":1090001587,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rice has had ample exposure to the nuances of international politics and by that measure she is certainly qualified for the position of Secretary of State. The next Secretary of State will have large shoes to fill. I have closely watched the career of Colin Powell since he served as National. Security Adviser to President Reagan and we worked together during the Senate consideration of the INF treaty of 1988. Colin Powell distinguished himself in his service as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. particularly during the 1991 Gulf War. When his nomination came before the Senate in 2001. I supported his confirmation and I supported it strongly based upon the strength of his record. The vote that the Senate will conduct tomorrow. however. is not simply a formality to approve of a nominees educational achievement or level of expertise. I do not subscribe to the notion that the Senate must confirm a Presidents nominees barring criminality or lack of experience. The Constitution enjoins Senators to use their judgment in considering nominations. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12082}
{"speech_id":1090001587,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am particularly dismayed by accusations I have read that Senate Democrats. by insisting on having an opportunity to debate the nomination of Dr. Rice. have somehow been engaged in nothing more substantial than \"petty politics.\" partisan delaying tactics.- Nothing. nothing. nothing could be further from the truth. The Senates role of advice and consent to Presidential nominations is not a ceremonial exercise. Here is the proof. Here is the record. Here is the document that requires more than just a ceremonial. exercise. I have stood in the Senate more times than I can count to defend the prerogatives of this institution and the separate but equalwith emphasis on the word \"equal\"-powers of the three branches of Government. A unique power of the legislative branch is the Senates role in providing advice and consent on the matter of nominations. That power is not vested in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. it is not vested in any other committee. nor does it repose in a handful of Senate leaders. It is not a function of pomp and circumstance. and it was never intended by the Framers to be used to burnish the image of a President on Inauguration Day. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12082}
{"speech_id":1090001592,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"earlier on. He is criticizing Dr. Rice for supporting President Bushs policies. He said that \"might have changed the course of history had she not given the reasons and the advice that she did to the President.\" Because of that. that she agrees with President Bush. has been an architect and key adviser. because of that support. because of that knowledge. because of the advice she has given in the past and presently. she should not be Secretary of State for this President. If one wants to use common sense. why would any Executive bring on a Cabinet. Secretary--particularly one as important as Secretary of Stateif that person does not share his views. his values. his philosophy. his goals for our country. as well as have that Presidents trust? Also. looking through the comments that have been made by others. the junior Senator from Indiana said why he is going to be voting against Dr. Rice. complaining that there was too little troop strength. dismissal of the Iraqi army. and the refusal to include Baathists in the armies and security efforts there in Iraq. Opponents have held Dr. Rice personally accountable for the decision to disband the Iraqi army and remove members of the Baathist Party from Iraqs government. Let us again use some common sense. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8503}
{"speech_id":1090001592,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we are reflecting on this decision. it is easy. I suppose. to Monday morning quarterback and criticize and question whether that was wise. But at the time of that decisionit was clear that institutions that were repressing the people of Iraq was the Baathist Party. So the Baathist component of the insurgency. which some are saying should have been incorporated. they are the ones who are carrying on these terror attacks--not just on Americans and coalition forces but also on Iraqi civilians. To me. it is illogical to be criticizing Dr. Rice for any of the decisions that were made insofar as Baathists and the security forces of Iraq when these same people could have been infiltrating the security forces. not knowing what sort of information they might transmit to other guerillas or terrorists on the outside. To criticize that. again. doesnt make much sense to me because they are the ones who are most concerned that the Baathist Party was thrown. out of power. They had their good bureaucratic jobs. They had all the power. They had all .the privileges. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8503}
{"speech_id":1090001592,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To criticize for not incorporating them into the interim government and the security forces doesnt make a great deal of sense. You also hear. again. from the junior Senator from Indianaand others have said this as wellthat those in charge must be held accountable for the mistakes. That is why they are going to vote against Dr. Rice. Dr. Rice allowed in the committee hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee that every decision that was made was not the right decision. that they did it with the best of intentions. the right principles. based on the evidence and information they had. But if you are going to criticize the pursuit of regime change. the liberation of Iraq. the advancement of freedom in countries such as Iraq. which is in very short order. within a week. going to have elections for the first time ever. what is the solution if you are going to criticize all of this? To tuck tail and run? I dont think that is what the American people want. The American people want to see freedom in Iraq because they recognize it is good for fellow human beings. but also the logic that it also makes this country much more secure. In analyzing all of the statements. they are not talking about her fitness or her qualifications to serve as Secretary of State. The opponents have used this nomination to launch these broadside attacks on the Bush administration and use the Monday morning quarterback approach to dissect every decision out of context. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8503}
{"speech_id":1090001592,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have heard about a lot of this. again. in the Foreign Relations Committee. But even there. I want to repeat. Dr. Rice did not say. that every decision was perfect. She allowed as much during those hearings. But let us also note that 25 million Iraqis have been freed from Saddams repressive regime. In 5 days. these people are going to have elections. They are going to be forming their own government. From statements of clerics and otherwise. they seem to want a constitution and a government that allows for individual rights. where peoples rights will be enhanced and not diminished on account of their ethnicity or their religious beliefs. and also unprecedented opportunities for women to serve in government. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8503}
{"speech_id":1090001592,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One other thing to note is with Saddam out of power. which seems to be criticized indirectly. we dont have Saddams regime giving $35.000.to parents to send their children on suicidemurder missions into Israel. Instead of that repressive regime sending terrorist attackers into Israel. also disrupting the whole region. now we have the chance of elections in Iraq for the first time ever. a first step towards a representative democracy. I ask .my colleagues to be cognizant. This is not an agency head. It is a Cabinet Secretariat. the Secretary of State. which is arguably the most important Cabinet position in the Government. The Vice President obviously is very important. but the Secretary of State. particularly in a time with all the diplomatic relations and all the efforts that we are going to need to be making and continue to make to get allies. converts. and assistance from other countries around the world. it is important that the Presidents representative to the rest of the world is a person who advocates and garners further support for our position in matters of great consequence to our country. I ask my colleagues to be careful in your criticism. People can say whatever they want. They will say something. and I will say that doesnt make sense. here is a more logical approach. That sort of bantering back and forth is fine. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8503}
{"speech_id":1090001597,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I raise the issue of Dr. Rices opposition to a provision in the intelligence reform bill that would have outlawed the use of cruel. inhumane. or degrading treatment of foreign prisoners by intelligence officials. The section of this provision is here. It was passed unanimously by the Senate. The overall amendment was written by Senators MCCAIN and LIEBERMAN. but this particular provision was written by Senator DURBIN: Prohibition on torture or cruel. inhumane. or degrading treatment or punishment. In general. no prisoner shall be subject to torture or cruel. inhumane. or degrading treatment or punishment that Is prohibited by the Constitution. laws. or treaties of the United States.. That is very straightforward. When I asked Dr. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3114}
{"speech_id":1090001597,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rice. why did you sign a letter with Mr. Bolton and object to this provision and ask that it be stricken. she had a couple of different responses. The first response she gave me was: This is duplicative of language that was in the Defense Department bill. So I checked with the authors of this provision. and I said: Is it true that this is duplicative? They said the language is in the Department of Defense. but it does not apply to the CIA and intelligence officers who work outside of the DOD. So I explained it to her. and she argued with me and she said it is not true. it is duplicative. I said: Do you think Senators MCCAIN. LIEBERMAN. and DURBIN dont know what they are doing when they added this to the intelligence bill? She didnt answer. The fact is. this is not duplicative. This is necessary so that we cover those intelligence officials who may not be part of the Department of Defense but are part of other agencies not covered by the Department of Defense. And then she went onand said: We did not want to afford to people who did notshouldnt enjoy certain protections those protections. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3114}
{"speech_id":1090001597,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the Geneva Conventions should not apply to terrorists like alQaida. They cant or you will stretch the meaning of the Geneva Convention. That was her second problem with it. which was that you are granting more rights than the Geneva Conventions. However. this explanation makes no sense because the following language was also part of this. which is: Nothing in this section shall affect the status of any person under the Geneva Conventions or whether any person is entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions. So she gave two reasons as to why she wrote a letter and demanded this be removed from the intelligence bill. neither of which is true. It is not duplicative. and there is no problem with the Geneva Conventions because we make a special exception for them. But that is not all. The next day. Dr. Rice came back and changed what she said the day before. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3114}
{"speech_id":1090001597,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She said she doesnt oppose the subsection that clearly prohibited torture and cruel. inhumane. or degrading treatment. She said she opposes other provisions in the section. Well. Mr. President. this was the operative language of the section. That second days excuse just doesnt hold up under scrutiny because she wrote in a letterthis is what Dr. Rice wrote to the committee.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3114}
{"speech_id":1090001600,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the nomination of Dr. Condoleezza Rice to be Americas next Secretary of State. President Bush has made an excellent choice for this preeminent position in his Cabinet. Her experience as National Security Adviser will make her even more effective than one normally might be. When foreign leaders talk with Dr. Rice. they will know she is speaking with the Presidents voice. I had the privilege of attending much of the 9plus hours of hearings. Dr. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6765}
{"speech_id":1090001600,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rice got about every kind of question. She handled the questions. I thought. with dignity. with intelligence. with grace. It was an excellent performance. It augurs well for her time as a U.S. Secretary of State. I am proud to support her. The major issue confronting Dr. Rice and our Nation today is the war in Iraq. At the hearings to which I just referred. some of my colleagues talked about needing an exit strategy. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6765}
{"speech_id":1090001600,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I disagree. I dont believe we need an exit strategy in Iraq. We need a success strategy. But such a strategy may mean taking a little more realistic view of what we mean by success. It is one thing to help people win their. freedom. as we did in Iraq. It is another to help a country become a stable. pluralistic democracy. a flourishing society. We need to ask ourselves how many American lives are we willing to sacrifice to do this? How long are we willing for it to take? And what is our standard for success? We should be thinking well beyond Iraq. The next time the opportunity occurs for the United States to undertake what we now call regime change. or nation building. what lessons have we learned in Iraq? During his campaign for the Presidency in 2000. President Bush was critical of nation building. That was before September 11. 2001. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6765}
{"speech_id":1090001600,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today the situation has \" obviously changed. Our initial war in Iraq was a stunning success. What came afterwards has been a series of miscaldulations. But the United States has engaged in nation building more than a . dozen times since World War II and. based on those experiences. should we not have anticipated that nation building in Iraq would have required more troops. more money. and taken longer than we expected? And what do those lessons say about our future policy toward nation building? I asked Dr. Rice about this when she appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee. One lesson she said we learned was that we need to train our own diplomatic personnel with the skills of nation building. She said we need to learn how to help a country set up a new. independent judiciary. how to establish a currency. how to train up police forces. among other things. I am sure other lessons will be learned as we move forward. and we should be humble enough to learn them. I would hope that our experience in Iraq has reminded us of what a major commitment regime change and nation building require. I hope the next time someone suggests to this President. or to any future President. that he pursue regime change. that one of his advisers. perhaps Dr. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6765}
{"speech_id":1090001600,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rice. will say: Mr. President. based on the history of postwar reconstruction and what we have learned in Iraq. any regime change is likely to take us several years. is likely to cost us hundreds of billions of dollars. and require the sacrifice of thousands of lives. If it is in our national interest to go ahead. then the President may decide that. but he needs to have that advice. And we need to discuss that as we did in the hearing the other day. American history.is the story of setting noble goals and struggling to reach them and often falling short. We sincerely say. in our country. that anything is possible. that all men are created equal. that no child will be left behindeven though we know down deep we will fall short and we know we will then have to pick ourselves up and keep trying again to reach those noble goals. We also said we want to make the world safe for democracy. and- we remember an inaugural speech 44 years ago in which a new President named John F. Kennedy said we would \"pay any price. bear any burden\" to defend freedom. And we heard last Thursday President Bush echo those sentiments when he said to the people of the world: When you stand for your liberty. we will stand with you. Yet there is obviously a limit to what we can do and to what we are willing to do and to the number of lives we will sacrifice to secure the blessings of freedom and democracy for others. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6765}
{"speech_id":1090001646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the remarks of the Senator from Oklahoma. I. too. want to speak on the confirmation of Condoleezza Rice to serve as Secretary of State. We are all aware. because it has been the subject of quite a bit of discussion and we have seen her in action for the last 4 years at the White House and even before that. of Dr. Rices accomplishments. She is a woman of fantastic achievement. a profoundly talented individual who has excelled at virtually everything to which she has set her mind. I dare say there are few people in this Nations history who would make both an excellent Secretary of State and an excellent commissioner of the National Football League. I am sure Dr. Rice. in keeping with her stated aspirations. will fill both roles with dedication. intellect. and passion in due time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11634}
{"speech_id":1090001646,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet the reaction to this nomination. which you would think would be a cause for great celebration. given the historic nature of this particular appointment. is also sadly predictable. For example. it is a shame to think that with the overwhelming voice of the people so recently expressed in the recent national elections and with the 109th Congress just having begun. with the President having been sworn in last week. with early pledges of bipartisanship and working together in the best interest of the American people. we are yet again already seeing the specter of partisan politics being brought to bear on this nomination. Of course. the Senate does have a very important role in the confirmation process known as advice and consent. No one is questioning the right of any Senator. indeed the duty of every Senator. to ask hard questions and to determine to the best of their ability the qualifications of a nominee to serve in the office to which the President has chosen to appoint them. But there is a difference between exercising the role of advice and consent and the line that seems to have been crossed with impunity when it comes to the attacks we have seen on some of the Presidents nominees. Condoleezza Rice just happens to be the one we are focusing on today. We have seen much of the same vitriol and poison used to assassinate the character of people like Alberto Gonzales. another American success story. a personification of the American dream. I would hope that no one in this body would feel it necessary to bring all the leftover angst of the campaign season to bear against a bright and honorable nominee such as the one who is presently before us. You may disagree with Dr. Rices view of the world. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11634}
{"speech_id":1090001646,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You may take issue with some of her policy preferences. But to impugn her motives or the integrity of a woman held in such high esteem is a tactic that I believe is simply unacceptable and beneath the dignity of this body. Yet we see this tactic clearly. again. in the attempt tofirst in the committee hearings. the Foreign Relations Committee. and even on the floor of the Senatetry to tie her actions to the tragic events at Abu Ghraib prison. the crimes .that occurred by a handful of individuals that simply crossed the line between human decency and criminality. They were acts that violated U.S. policy and basic human rights. They were disgusting actions undertaken by sick individuals who are being investigated and being brought to justicethe most recent of which. of course. was the conviction and sentencing of Mr. Graner to 10 years in prison. Now. my colleagues know well that at no point has Dr. Rice ever supported. condoned. or advocated such acts of torture or humiliation. I believe to try to link her. through some vague references. to these crimes is iothing more than a blatant attempt to score political points. to somehow demean her in her service. and to taint her nomination. It should not be necessary to raise these points. but I realize that in politics. particularly in Washington. a charge unanswered is too oftena charge believed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11634}
{"speech_id":1090001646,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me just refer to a brief reference in the Schlesinger reportof course. referring to the former Secretary of Defense. who served on an independent commission with former Defense Secretary Harold Brown. who served in the Carter administration. as well as a former distinguished Member of the House of Representatives. They concluded after their investigationand this was just one of. I believe. eight investigations. There are three more that are not yet completed. But this was the conclusion of -the independent Schlesinger commission: No approved procedures called for or allowed the kinds of abuse that in fact. occurred. There is no evidence of a policy of abuse promulgated by senior officials. or military authorities. So to suggest. to hint. to imply that this nominee. or any senior officials in the Bush administration has condoned or adopted a policy that resulted in the criminal abuses that occurred at Abu Ghraib is simply without foundation and any fact. Indeed. it is a scurrilous allegation. and the American people need to understand that. They also need to understand the motives why such allegations are made. In addition to these inappropriate partisan attacks against a nominee who deserves our respect. there are a handful of my colleagues who have used this Opportunity to roll out the same tired. old arguments concerning the war on terror. and particularly Operation Iraqi Freedom. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11634}
{"speech_id":1090001646,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know that we are in the midst of a global war on terrorism. This is not just about Afghanistan and Iraq. This is not just about isolated incidents of terrorism. This is about a conflict that has been building for more than a decade and. indeed. will likely last a generation. Since America suffered an attack on our own soil in New York in 1993. we have been hit at our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. we have been hit at the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. our Navy was hit at the USS Cole in Yemen. of course. we had the attacks of 9\/11. and Bali. Madrid. and in Beslan. The list goes on and on. In the aftermath of the attacks of September 11. President Bush decided. with the authorization of Congress at every turn. that if diplomacy would not yield a pacified Saddam. that if the U.N. declined to enforce its own resolutions requiring inspections and disarmament. we would. when necessary. use preemptive action against those who seek to harm America and those who threaten world peace and supply sanctuary to terrorists. We also decided that it was in Americas selfinterest to take the battle to the terrorists where they live. where they plot. where they plan. and where they train and build weaponsnot to wait until we are attacked again and where innocent civilians lives are lost and innocent blood is shed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11634}
{"speech_id":1090001671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the wor ld pauses this week to observe the \"60th anniversary of an event that calls for the deepest solemnity and reflection. In early 1945. as American and British armies closed in on the Third Reich from the west. Soviet forces were on the march through Poland. On January 27. they came to a place called Auschwitz. In the Nazi death industry. Auschwitz was its most productive factory. It is estimated that some one and a half million were murdered there. The victims were Poles. Slavs. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7619}
{"speech_id":1090001671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Russians. Gypsies. but the majority were Jews. They died from disease. starvation. exposure and exhaustion. on the gallows and in front of the firing squads. but mostly they were marched into the gas chambers. From the camps establishment in 1940 until its liberation. the ovens of Auschwitz operated around the clock. their smokestacks spewing the stench of inhumanity across the countryside. The Holocaust is a story of incomprehensible inhumanity. of an act of enormity that passed all moral- bounds and entered the realm of pure evil. It also. however. is a story of incredible her-. oism. of men and women who risked their lives. many who sacrificed their lives. for othersnot just family and friends. but often total strangers. Some of these heroes are well known to us: Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schlindler. to name just two. Some are less known. but equally deserving of mankinds gratitude. The American journalist Varian Fry. the beneficiary of a privileged childhood and an Ivy League education. risked his life repeatedly spiriting 2.000 Jews out of occupied France through the network he created of blackmarket funds. forged documents and secret escape routes. In 1941. in retaliation for an escape by others. a group of Auschwitz prisoners was lined up before a firing squad. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7619}
{"speech_id":1090001671,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At the last moment. the Roman Catholic Priest Maximillian Kolbe voluntarily stepped forward to take a fathers place. The names of some heroes will never be known to us. In the weeks before the liberation. the Nazis began dismantling the machinery of death at Auschwitz in order to hide their crimes. The gas chambers and crematoria were dynamited. the mass graves were disguised. and the infamous March of Death began. Nearly 60.000 prisoners. already weakened by hunger and illness. were driven on foot across the harsh winter countryside to camps within the Reich. The penalty for failure to keep up was summary execution. That also was the penalty for the people who offered food. water. andwhenever the opportunity aroseescape when this sorrowful parade passed through their villages. One survivor of the March of Death. Jan Wygas. tells of a villager who approached his column of prisoners with a bottle of water: \"Let them drink.\" she said in German to the SS guards. \"They are people. too.\" She gave the water to one of the prisoners. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7619}
{"speech_id":1090001671,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The SS man yelled at her to move back. As she turned to walk away. he shot her in the back of the head. I saw this with my own eyes. And yet. despite this brutality heaped on top of brutality. the people of the villages continued to offer aid. in Poland. in Silesia. even ifi Germany itself. Indeed. there are stories of those within the regime who resisted in whatever way they could. In his inspiring Holocaust memoir. \"Anton the .Dove Fancier.\" Bernard Gotfryd tells of the time in 1944 when he was sent as a slave laborer to a German aircraft plant. Like his coworkers. Gotfryd did his best to be the worst worker possible. turning out defective parts and causing his machine to break down constantly. His stern German supervisor. known only as Herr Gruber. seemed not to notice this widespread incompetence. despite being under constant pressure to increase production. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7619}
{"speech_id":1090001671,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Once. Gotfryd sprained his ankle so severely he could not walk and could barely stand. In most cases. this disability would have earned a prisoner a spot on a train to a death camp. Again. Herr Gruber Seemed not to notice. In the summer of 1944. Gotfryd discovered a treasure in the pocket of his work overalls: a sausage and a slab of real bread wrapped in newspaper. The rare and delicious food nourished his body. The newspaper nourished his soul. for it told of the Allied invasion of Normandy. The meaning of this message was to hold on. salvation was on the way. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7619}
{"speech_id":1090001672,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday. along with my colleagues Senators JOHNSON. THOMAS. THUNE. BINGAMAN. and DORGAN. I introduced a bill on countryoforigin labeling. The bill would accelerate the date of implementation of mandatory COOL. and expand labeling requirements to include processed foods. Countryoforigin labeling is probably one of the most important issues for cattle producers in Montana. They raise the best beef in the world. and they are proud of that. They want the American consumer to know that beef in the freezer case is \"Made in the U.S.A\". ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090001672,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Of course. I have supported countryoforigin labeling for many years. and I was glad to see it finally pass in 2002 when we passed the 2002 farm bill. But since then. there have been some folks who wont rest until they dismantle the program. The implementation has been delayed. writ4ng the rules has been delayedwell. I say enough is enough. Mandatory COOL is the law of the land. Lets get it implemented. We need to get the countryoforigin labeling done. It needs to be done right. and it needs to be mandatory. Getting it done right is the key. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090001672,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have a coifcern with the COOL law currently on the books. My legislation begins to fix one part of that law. Right now. very little beef will actually be labeled in the grocery stores. The law excludes over half of the beef sold in this country. \"Processed foods\" includes a big portion of the beef products you and I are used to: Beef jerky. sausage. marinated foodsall of these items would be excluded under the current COOL law. I want to see that fixed. and that is what my bill will do. But I do not want mandatory COOL to be delayed any longer. That is why my legislation will implement the mandatory COOL law. as it is written. 1 year ahead of what the current law says. and then direct USDA to work on including processed foods. Let me be clear. I want to see COOL done right. but under no set of circumstances do I support rolling back countryoforigin labeling. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090001672,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"COOL needs to be mandatory. We have tried a voluntary program for 2 years. No one has participated. It is time for the packers and the processors to realize that Montanas cow\/calf producers want labeling. They want to tell consumers where their beef comes from. I support that. I have pushed for mandatory COOL for -years. and I will continue to do so in this Congress.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090001675,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have joined Senators BOXER and DURBIN in introducing legislation that would rename the federal courthouse in Sacramento. CA. in honor of recently deceased U.S. Representative Robert T. Matsui.. This represents a fitting tribute to a great man and a dedicated public servant. On January 1. 2005. the people of the Sacramento area. the State of California. and the Nation suffered a great loss when Bob Matsui passed away. For 26 years in Congress and 7 years before that as a member of the Sacramento City Council. Bob was a reasoned and dependable voice. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090001675,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A problem solver. Bob was a thoughtful and constructive leader who brought people together to find solutions to public policy issues. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Bob on a number of issues relating to our home State of California. I will remember him as a great human beiig. as a trusted colleague. as a fine public servant. and someone in whom I was proud to place friendship. respect. and collegiality. Proud of his ideals. Bob never let disagreement lead to rancor. The sheer number of tributes paid from both sides of the aisle clearly demonstrates the enormous respect he inspired among his colleagues. Likewise. the tremendous outpouring of support shown at services held in his honor reminds us just how endeared he had become to those he represented over the years. Bobs path to public service was greatly fueled by experiences in his youth. especially his internment along with thousands of other Japanese Americans during World War II. When he was just six months old. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090001675,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bob and his family were sent to an internment camp in Northern California. leaving behind their home and their livelihood. Bob would spend the first four years of his life there. I think this experience had a very sobering impact on his life. But rather than let it lead to resentment and hatred. I think it had an impact on his knowing what he wanted to do with his life. and that was public service. In fact. one of Bobs most significant legacies will be the work he did to help the Government make amends with the Japanese Americans who were interned like himself. As a member of Congress. Bob was successful in passing legislation that offered a formal apology from the Government for the internment program and provided compensation to victims. This is a great legacy and it will be remembered well. Bob also excelled in his knowledge and expertise of Social Security as well as tax and trade policy. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090001675,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He had an influential place on the House Ways and Means Committee. which will miss his leadership. The Sacramento area. where Bob was born and which he represented for over three decades in public office. shows numerous examples of Bobs achievements. From the lightrail train system to comprehensive flood protection. Bobs mark is everywhere. The renaming of this particular courthouse in Bobs honor is especially fitting. During his career in Congress. Bob was instrumental in obtaining more than $142 million in federal funding for the courthouse. Bob did what he did extraordinarily well. Throughout his career he showed that he was a skilled politician as well as a great policymaker. His constituents considered themselves lucky to have his representation. and I consider myself lucky to have known him. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090001675,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through his many accomplishments. Bob Matsui secured his legacy of devoted public service. I offer my gratitude for his service and support this legislation in his honor.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090001679,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take this opportunity to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. In 1930. the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. JFSV. was incorporated into the national Jewish Federation system to promote philanthropic and humanitarian activities in Santa Clara County. For 75 years. JFSV has served as a focal point for the Jewish community in Silicon Valley. With a membership of over 13.000. the JFSV is committed to preservation and enrichment of Jewish culture. and to expressing Jewish community concerns about Jewish life in Santa Clara County. the United States. Israel and throughout the world. Over the past 75 years. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1859}
{"speech_id":1090001679,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"JFSV has expanded greatly. and now offers a wide variety .of programs to its members. The Silicon Valley Young Adults Division offers educational and social programs to members ages 2540. The Womens Philanthropy Division focuses on communitybuilding. educational. social. and cultural enrichment for women. while offering great networking opportunities to women members. Blue Knot. the Jewish Technology Initiative. creates opportunities for Jewish professionals in the technology sector to exchange ideas and expand networks. JFSV is based on the caring philosophies of Klal Yisrael. the responsibility of each Jew for another. and Tikun Olam. repairing the world through social action. JFSV has mentored many members who have dedicated themselves to community service in Silicon Valley and the Greater Bay Area. Through its outreach. JFSV has successfully enhanced social and civic participation in the Silicon Valley community. The Jewish Federation of Silicon Valleys service to the Jewish community. both in Santa Clara County and nationwide. is truly inspiring. I congratulate the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley on their 75th anniversary and wish them another 75 years of success.o","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1859}
{"speech_id":1090001726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course not. The statute covers only a person who \"knowingly uses or attempts to use an audiovisual recording device to transmit or make a copy of a motion picture or other audiovisual work protected under Title 17. or -any part thereof .... In other words. the defendant would have to be making. or attempting to make. a copy that is itself an audiovisual work. or make. or attempt to make. a transmission embodying an audiovisual work. as that term is defined in Section 101 of Title 17. As such. the Act would not reach the conduct of a person who uses a hearing aid. a still camera. or a picture phone to capture an image or mere sound from the movie.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":657}
{"speech_id":1090001728,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a criminal provision under Title 18. not a copyright provision under Title 17. Accordingly. there is no fair use exception included. However. -Federal prosecutors should use their discretion not to bring criminal prosecutions against activities within movie theaters that would. constitute fair use under the copyright laws. The object of this legislation is to prevent the copying and distribution of motion pictures in a manner that causes serious commercial harm. This legislation is not intended to chill legitimate free speech.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":540}
{"speech_id":1090001733,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As the chairman knows. he and I and our other cosponsors have worked throughout this Congress on the provisions of the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2004 that we have introduced today. I just want to confirm what I believe to be our mutual understanding about the effect of certain provisions of the Family Movie Act. Title II of the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2004 that we introduced today modifies slightly the Family Movie Act provisions of H.R. 4077 as passed by the House of Representatives. That bill created a new exemption in section 110(11) of the Copyright Act for skipping and muting audio and video content in motion pictures during performances that take place in the course of a private viewing in a household from an authorized copy of the motion picture. The Housepassed version specifically excluded from the scope of the new copyright exemption computer programs or technologies that make changes. deletions. or additions to commercial advertisements or to network or station promotional announcements that would otherwise be displayed before. during. or after the performance of the motion picture. My understanding is that.this provision reflected a \"belt and suspenders\" approach that was adopted to quiet the concerns of some Members in the House who were concerned that a court might misread the statute to apply to \"adskipping\" cases. Some Senators. however. expressed concern that the inclusion of such explicit language could create unwanted inferences as to the \"adskipping\" issues at the heart of the recent litigation. Those issues remain unsettled. and it was never the intent of this legislation to resolve or affect those issues. In the meantime. the Copyright Office has confirmed that such a provision is unnecessary to achieve the intent of the bill. which is to avoid application of this new exemption in potential future cases involving \"adskipping\" devices. therefore. the Senate amendment we offer removes the unnecessary exclusionary language. Would the chairman confirm for the Senators present his understanding of the intent and effect. or perhaps stated more appropriately. the lack of any effect. of the Senate amendment on the scope of this bill?","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2219}
{"speech_id":1090001737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill* also differs from the Housepassed version because it adds two \"savings clauses.\" As I understand it. the \"copyright\" savings clause makes clear that there should be no \"spillover effect\" from the passage of this law: that is. nothing shall be construed to have any effect on rights. defenses. or limitations on rights granted under title 17. other than those explicitly provided for in the new section 110(11) exemption. The. second. relating to trademark. clarifies that no inference can be drawn that a person or company who fails to qualify for the exemption from trademark infringement found in this provision is therefore liable for trademark infringement. Is that the chairmans understanding as well?","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":717}
{"speech_id":1090001742,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I offer a resolution celebrating the December 26 election in Ukraine. I am pleased that Ukraine has dominated newspaper headlines and media broadcasts all over the world for the last sixty days. In that time. extraordinary events have occurred. A free press has revolted against government intimidation and reasserted itself. An emerging middle class has found its political footing. A new generation has found its hope for the future. A society has rebelled against the illegal activities of its government. It is in our interests to recognize and protect these advances. I congratulate the people of Ukraine in their undeniable quest for freedom and democracy. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2409}
{"speech_id":1090001742,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. I would also like to congratulate President Viktor Yushchenko. who was inaugurated last Sunday. for his victory. The December 26 election in Ukraine was a tribute to Ukraines maturing democracy and places Ukraine on a path to join the community of European democracies. A fraudulent and illegal election would have left Ukraine crippled. The new president would have lacked legitimacy with the Ukrainian people and the international community. With the stakes so high. I commend President Bush. his Administration. and the international. community for providing the people of Ukraine with the support they needed to withstand the threats to free and fair elections. Even in the face of repeated attempts to end any hope of a free and fair election. I was inspired by the willingness and courage of so many citizens of Ukraine to demonstrate their passion for free expression and the building of a truly democratic Ukraine. I am hopeful that the momentum to foster democratic freedom around the world will continue. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2409}
{"speech_id":1090001742,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In his inaugural speech last week. President Bush stated his unequivocal support for democracy and put securing individual freedom at the forefront of Americas foreign policy. I agree with the President. We must be prepared to play an active role in ensuring that democracy and basic freedoms are .promoted and preserved around the world. The future of Ukraine rests with its leaders and its people. but the United States and Europe must continue to support a foundation of democracy. rule of law. and a market economy. which will allow Ukraine to prosper and reach its full potential. I urge my colleagues to lend their support to U.S. policy in Ukraine and ask their support for this resolution.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2409}
{"speech_id":1090001744,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet in open executive session during the session on Tuesday. January 25. 2005. at 10 a.m.. to organize for the 109th Congress. The committee will also consider favorably reporting the nomination of Michael 0. Leavitt. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":350}
{"speech_id":1090001758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as a strong supporter of Californias college athletes. I rise today with Senator BOXER in support of S. Res. 12 commending the University of Southern California Trojans football team for winning. the 2004 Bowl Championship Series national championship game. No one who witnessed the Trojans decisive 55 to 19 victory over the University of Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl can deny that USC is the best college football team in the Nation. Led by Head Coach Pete Carroll. the Trojans brought home their l1th national championship. their 22nd straight win. and 27th victory in a bowl game. second all time to only the University of Alabama. Not even the most diehard Trojan fan could have anticipated such a win. In addition to winning 13 games during the 2004 season for the first time in the history of the school. USC became the first team since the University of Nebraska in 19941995 to repeat as Associated Press national champions and the second team to start and finish the season at number one in the Associated Press poll. As the number one team in the country. they took on the best and they beat the best. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3087}
{"speech_id":1090001758,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every USC player deserves praise and recognition for their fine play on the field. but I would like to particularly point out the accomplishments of Heisman Trophy winner and Associated Press Player of the Year. quarterback Matt Leinert. who completed 18 of 35 passes for a total of 332 yards and set an Orange Bowl record with five touchdown passes. There were times when he could do no wrong and his play reminded me of a couple quarterbacks from my hometown team. the 49ers: Joe Montana and Steve Young. Matt has also distinguished himself by announcing that he would return to school for his senior year. foregoing an opportunity to be the first pick in the National Football League draft. I wish more college athletes would follow his lead. Ultimately. however. this was a team win featuring a high scoring offense and a tenacious defense. USC ranked in the top 10 in every defensive category and set a school record by scoring at least 20 points in the last 38 games. Led by AllAmericans Matt Leinert. tailback Reggie Bush. defensive tackle Shaun Cody. and linebacker Matt Grootegoed. USC brought much pride to the University and the Pacific Ten Conference. Legions of Trojan fans across the country celebrated the victory and have already made plans for a return trip to the championship game in 2005. And anyone who has seen a USC game over the past few years knovs that another championship run is a strong possibility. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3087}
{"speech_id":1090001758,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me also take a moment to congratulate the University of Oklahoma Sooners for their great season. They were a worthy opponent and a credit to the University and their State. Years from now. as Americans engage in one of their favorite pastimes and debate the great. college football teams of alltime. the 2004 University of Southern California Trojans will surely make the list. I congratulate the team once again for their incredible season and I look forward to watching them make another run at a championship next year.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3087}
{"speech_id":1090001803,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the resolution offered by my Chairman. the gentleman from Illinois. Mr. HYDE. congratulating the people of Ukraine for the fair and free election of a new President. I also commend and congratulate President Victor A. Yushchenko for his victoryand more importantly. his determination to see fair andfree elections in this fledgling democracy. The world watched this race unfoldthe poisoning of the democratic candidate. a sto-. len victory. and marches in the street by people hungry for freedom and for a better future for their children. The world witnessed true Passion. We witnessed people expressing themselves and their will to live freely and democratically. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1972}
{"speech_id":1090001803,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We witnessed people determined to take charge of their nations destiny and risk all to do so. We witnessed young and old. families and students. camping outdoors in the blistering Ukrainian cold Ao protest against a sham victory and demand true elections. What we witnessed was true everyday heroism. While we. the people of the world. witnessed victorythe people of Ukraine lived it. by forcing it. By rejecting tyranny and corruption and demanding equality and freedom. they brought about peaceful democratic regime change. And at the inaugural. an inspiring historical event itself. we saw the symbolic break with the past and a nations hopes soar. as President Yushchenko released a dovea symbol of peaceinto the air to fly free. This dove rose into the sky much like the hopes of this newly free people. united for a better nation for themselves and their families. President Yushchenko represents the continued peaceful demand by people on every continent for selfgovernance and free market principles. -Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to join with my colleagues. and so many of my constituents. including Emil Eisdorfer of the Bronx. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1972}
{"speech_id":1090001803,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"New York in welcoming President.-Yushchenko. I welcome the people of Ukraine into the family of democratic and free nations.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1972}
{"speech_id":1090001805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate Viktor A. Yushchenko on being swom in as the President of Ukraine on January 23. 2005. After enduring personal hardships. President Yushchenko enters office as powerful symbol of victory over tyranny. His inauguration ends a bitter chapter In Ukraines history and paves the way for the country to become a democratic leader in the former Soviet Union. As a founding member and former CoChair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. I have regularly spoken out in favor of a democratic Ukraine. In 2002. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2305}
{"speech_id":1090001805,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I introduced a resolution urging the Government of Ukraine to ensure a democratic. transparent. and fair election process leading up to the March 2002 parliamen\"tary elections. This resolution passed overwhelmingly and let the Ukrainian government know that the U.S. would not simply rubberstamp aid to the Ukraine without also considering the serious issues involved in Ukraines democratic development. Unfortunately Mr. Speaker. the former Ukrainian government continued to turn a blindeye to the international communitys insistence on truly democratic elections. The November 21 runoff presidential race was plagued by voter fraud. intimidation. and widespread use of counterfeit ballots. However. a truly significant event occurred after Viktor Yushchenkos opponent was initially declared the winner. Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in protest. surrounding the government buildings and refusing to leave until a new and fair election was announced. Their faith and determination was signified by the donning of orange scarves. and came to be known as the Orange Revolution. It was instrumental in forcing the Ukrainian government to hold new elections on December 26. which Yushchenko won handedly. I want to commend the Ukrainian people for their commitment to ending their political crisis in a peaceful and democratic way. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2305}
{"speech_id":1090001805,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The United States Congress stands ready to work with President Yushchenko as he undertakes the political and economic reforms necessary to bring about a bright future for Ukraine. I am hopeful. Mr. Speaker. that President Bush will soon invite President Yushchenko to Washington so that. Congress can congratulate him and hear firsthand his vision for bringing about a reformed Ukraine dedicated to freedom and justice.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2305}
{"speech_id":1090001818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First. I want to express my sincere thanks to my friend. the gentleman from Illinois . the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International Relations. for his steadfast support for this important resolution and for the ideas and values on which it is based and for his efforts to bring it to the floor today. I also want to thank him for his powerful and moving statement. Mr. Speaker. I spent yesterday at the General Assembly of the United Nations which met in extraordinary session to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. one of the horror camps of Hitler. and I had the opportunity of meeting with delegates from scores of countries across the globe which came to New York to pay .their tribute to innocent victims and the heroic liberators of Nazi death camps. The special session had the strong support of my friend. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5412}
{"speech_id":1090001818,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"United Nations Sebretary General Kofi Annan. I should mention that there are 191 members of the United Nations. and for a long time. many of us have made special efforts to have all of them support the calling of this extraordinary session. Over 150 countries have responded in the affirmative. and I will put in the refer to as a roll call of shame and hatred of those who failed to recognize that 6 million innocent people were put to death by Hitler. and some countries have chosen not to pay honor to their memory and tribute to the heroic liberators of the death camps. fl 1445 After a moment of silence in memory of the more than 6 million victims of Nazi brutality. delegates from nations around the world paid tribute to our and other allied troops who made ultimate sacrifices to defeat the Nazi regime and to liberate the innocent victims in these death camps. They also honored those who helped the survivors of Nazi brutality to return to civilized life and reaffirmed their commitment that such a nightmare will never again be repeated. The General Assembly session marked the beginning of this week of solemn observances around the world commemorating the unspeakable tragedy of the Holocaust. The final event will take place the day after tomorrow. January 27. at Auschwitz. The President of Poland. Aleksander Kwasniewski. will host an international assembly. including the President of Israel. President of Russia. and a host of other heads of state and government. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5412}
{"speech_id":1090001818,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vice President and Mrs. Cheney will lead the United States delegation on this occasion. and I am deeply honored that my wife. Annette. and I. along with Elie Wiesel. the conscience of the Holocaust. will be members of this delegation. Mr. Speaker. this resolution today and the commemorative activities all this week are not merely remembering the horror of the distant past. Unfortunately. the memories of mankind are all too short and new generations have been born who cannot remember. and unfortunately have not been taught. about these horrors. A recent survey reported that 63 percent of passersby on a street in Orlando. Florida. had no idea what Auschwitz was. A survey in Britain reported that 45 percent of the respondents had never heard of Auschwitz. We are all too familiar with the recent controversy over Prince Harry appearing at a party wearing a uniform with an arm band emblazoned with the Nazi swastika. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5412}
{"speech_id":1090001818,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the conditions that led to the Holocaust are still very much with us today. Just 3 weeks ago. as mandated by my legislation adopted by this body last fall. the Department of State submitted to us its first annual \"Report on Global AntiSemitism.\" Its findings. in the context of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. were chilling: \"Hatred of Jews is on the increase by hate mongers of all types. antiIsrael sentiment crosses the line between criticism of Israeli policies and antiSemitism. Holocaust denial and Holocaust minimization find increasingly overt acceptance as sanctioned historical discourse in a number of Middle Eastern countries.\" The report also identifies \"the recent phenomenon of antiSemitism appearing in countries where historically or currently there are no Jews.\" Mr. Speaker. this chilling report and the shocking lack of knowledge about \" the Holocaust only reaffirm the importance of our resolution today and the importance of the educational events that are taking place in Auschwitz and elsewhere around the globe. Our resolution calls for governments and teachers to use this occasion to speak to young people about the unspeakable brutality of the Holocaust: the gas chambers and all they imply. Not because we are remembering the past. but because it is vital to. our own future that we remember why Auschwitz happened. why the horrors of the Holocaust occurred. and why we must fight bigotry. intolerance. racism. and antiSemitism in order to make the world safer and better and more civilized for our children and our grandchildren. Yesterday. I had occasion at the United Nations to point out that genocides are not just matters of events of 60 years ago. In Cambodia. in Rwanda. and as we meet here today in Darfur. there is a genocide going on. and it is long overdue for all governments and all international organizations and all of us as individuals to take responsibility to terminate the ongoing nightmare. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5412}
{"speech_id":1090001818,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge all of my colleagues to support my resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5412}
{"speech_id":1090001851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise to join my colleagues in support of H. Con. Res. 16. which commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Yesterday. I went to New York to attend the United Nations first commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz. It was an incredible daythe first of its kind. It gave me hope that we. as a world. may be learning lessons so desperately needed. Among other things. yesterdays General Assembly session was a reminder that we. as a country and a world community. must not forget the battles we have waged in the name of humanity. This anniversary provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the horrors that occurred at Auschwitz. and to commemorate the lives of those it took. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3591}
{"speech_id":1090001851,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it is more than that. That. I suppose. is something we all know. Hearing the stories of Auschwitz is difficult. It is tempting to want to avoid th~se horrific memoriesto bury the Holocaust deep. so that it will not haunt us. But understanding the immeasurable wrongs the Jewish people have enduredand the scale on which they occurredis vital to understanding our world today. It is also vital to understanding the depravity of which human beings. when hardened to others suffering. are capable. It is only through the process of acknowledging and discussing these horrific events that we can prevent similar iniquity in the future. Anniversaries. as I have said. give rise to reflection. But understanding our past and respecting each others differences have never been more vital that they are today. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3591}
{"speech_id":1090001851,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Distrust. misunderstanding. and hate have found fertile ground in many parts of the world. We see it in the Sudan. for example. We must meet this challenge by demanding that all world leaders anticipate. understand. and address the issues that emerge from poverty. injustice. militarism. and racism. A good speech can move its audience. but speech without action does nothing for those who most need the words to mean something. As U.N. Secretary General Kofi Anan reminded us yesterday. in the 60 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. the world has failed more than once to prevent genocide. As we look around the world today. we must open our eyes to the many horrific examples of inhumanity that we are allowing to continue. The Secretary General recounted the history and pointed out that like Israel. the foundingof the United Nations in a real sense was a direct response to the Holocaust. The international community must deal honestly with the Holocaust and with the atrocities that are occurring at this very moment. We must acknowledge its roots. and antiSemitism persist in too many places around the globe. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3591}
{"speech_id":1090001851,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"World leaders must shake themselves out of indifference and rise above political considerations. They must use their position to combat the intolerance that has been allowed to fester for too long. Without an honest assessment and vigilant commitment. we fail to learn the lessons of Auschwitz and prevent the recurrence of these crimes against humanity. I urge my colleagues to do more than vote for this resolution today. We must work within our communities and across borders to foster respect for all people and deepen understanding of other cultures. We must reach out to the organizations and community groups that teach values such as tolerance and diversity to our young people. We must challenge the seeds of hate before they take root. even when it means confronting our friends. Failing to take these steps is more than a moral failing on our part. It is a failure to make good on the promise we made at Auschwitz six decades ago.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3591}
{"speech_id":1090001857,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 39 offered by the gentleman from Califomia. commending countries and organizations for marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and urging a strengthening of the fight against racism. intolerance. bigotry. prejudice. discrimination. and antiSemitism. I thank my colleague.","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":348}
{"speech_id":1090001861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. 60 years ago. allied forces entered the scene of the greatest mass murder in historythe concentration camp known as Auschwitz. Auschwitz has become recognized around the world as a symbol of genocide. terror and brutality. The liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army became a turning point in our understanding of the world and of inhumanity. Auschwitz showed us the face of evil incarnate and to our horror. it was an ordinary face. Auschwitz did not start out as an experiment in death. Established by the Nazis in 1940. it was initially a camp for individuals deemed problematic by the Third ReichPolish dissidents and Soviet prisoners of war. Soon after its creation. the Germans decided to use prisoners as slave laborers for their large industrial complex. Once Auschwitz became a work camp. the Germans found themselves faced with the question of what to do with prisoners who could not work. At first. they simply shot them. Eventually they began looking for ways to kill prisoners without unduly discomfitting the killersultimately discovering the effectiveness of crystallized prussic acid. a pesticide mass produced under the trade name Zyklon B. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4403}
{"speech_id":1090001861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the crystals dissolved in air. they created a lethal gas. The Germans first used this deadly gas to kill Soviet POWs. In 1942. the Germans drew up plans for the socalled \"Final Solution.\" which contemplated the murder of every Jew under their control. Auschwitz. which had already proved itself to be effective at killing large numbers of people. was perfectly situated to carry out the deadly plan. It was located on major railroad lines and it was easy to move large numbers of people there. Auschwitz became a crucial part of the Germans effort to eradicate an entire people. The majority of the Jewish men. women and children deported to Auschwitz were sent to their deaths in the Birkenau gas chambers immediately after arrival. AsGermany conquered new territory. the SS gathered and sent the Jewish populations to Auschwitz and other death camps. Meanwhile. other atrocities were also being committed at Auschwitz. In May 1943 Dr. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4403}
{"speech_id":1090001861,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Josef Mengele. an SS physician. and his colleagues began conducting experiments on thousands of human guinea pigs. By January 1945 the SS knew that the Red Army was approaching Auschwitz. In an effort to eliminate evidence of the crimes they had committed. the SS blew up the gas chambers. crematoria. and other buildings. and .burned documents. On January 18 and 19. 1945. more than 60.000 Auschwitzinmates deemed capable of walking were forced by the SS to march through freezing weather into Germanoccupied territory. Lacking proper food. clothing and medical attention. thousands died during the death march. Many were shot. Those who made it to the rail stations were put in open Wagons and sent west to become slave laborers. Some prisoners. many of them too weak or ill to travel. were left behind. Those who remained behind in the camp were liberated by Red Army soldiers on January 27. Perhaps the most eloquent survivor of Auschwitz. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4403}
{"speech_id":1090001861,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Elie Wiesel. commemorated the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the camps with these words. \"In this place of darkness and malediction we can but stand in awe and remember its stateless. faceless and nameless victims. Close your eyes and look: endless nocturnal processions are converging here. and here it is always night. Here heaven and earth are on fire. Close your eyes and listen. Listen to the silent screams of terrified mothers. the prayers of anguished old men and women. Listen to the tears of children. Jewish children. a beautiful little girl among them. with golden hair. whose vulnerable tenderness has never left me. Look and listen as they quietly walk towards dark flames so gigantic that the planet itself seemed in danger. All these men and women and children came from everywhere. a gathering of exiles drawn by death.\" From 1940 to 1945. the Nazis deported over a million Jews. almost 150.000 Poles. 23.000 Roma. 15.000 Soviet POWs. and over 10.000 prisoners of other nationalities to Auschwitz. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4403}
{"speech_id":1090001861,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The overwhelming majority of them died in the camp. Madam Speaker. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. May we forever remember those who perished there. and may their deaths remind us how our own humanity suffers when we serve as silent witnesses to genocide.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4403}
{"speech_id":1090001900,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on February 23. 1905. Paul Harris. a Chicago attorney. invited three friends to a meeting: Sylvester Schiele. a coal dealer. Hiram Shorey. a merchant tailor. and Gustavus Loehr. a mining engineer. All four men gathered in Loehrs business office in room 711 of even for the proabortionists. uncondithe Unity Building at 127 North Dear- tional empathy for the victims. both born Street in downtown Chicago. the child and his or her mother. and which is my district. They discussed unconditional courage. Harris idea that business needed to We are a movement with deep hope meet periodically to enjoy camaraderie and expectation. that with Gods alland to enlarge the circle of business powerful grace. and through that alland professional acquaintances. powerful grace. the culture of death The. club met weekly. Membership will soon be vanquished by the culture was limited to one representative from of life. where all human life is chereach business and profession. Though ished and respected. We pray for the the men did not use the term \"rotary\" day when branding an unborn child as that night. that gathering is commonly unwanted will no longer mean a death regarded as the first Rotary Club meet- sentence in America. ing. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4087}
{"speech_id":1090001900,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The name \"rotary\" was suggested Mr. Speaker. I have always found the later on by Paul Harris as meetings term \"unwanted child\" dehumanizing. were rotated from office to office in the for it relegates a child to the status of early days of the organization. a commodity. an object. a thing. someDuring the early days. the Rotarians thing that can be chosen or unchosen realized that fellowship and mutual at will. not unlike any other consumer selfinterest were not enough to keep a product. club of busy professionals meeting each Mr. Speaker. with each passing year. week. Reaching out to improve the the horrific toll of abortion on womens lives of the less fortunate proved to be lives becomes more evident. and it is an even more powerful motivation. The time the media especially stopped cenRotary commitment to service began soring the truth. Women deserve better when the Rotary Club of Chicago do- than abortion. and the compelling stonated a horse to a preacher so that he ries of the brave women. the could make the rounds of his churches postabortive women who are silent no and parishioners. A few weeks later. more need to be heard. These very spethe club constructed Chicagos first cial women bear witness not only to public lavatory. These actions of serv- the agony and the trauma of their own ice and improvement of communities abortions. but to the hope of healing. continued in 1967 to support the pedi- reconciliation and inner peace as well. atric program at the Rehabilitation In- Wounded women like Dr. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4087}
{"speech_id":1090001900,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Alveda stitute of Chicago. King. the niece of. the late Dr. Martin Of course. through the years. these Luther King. who has had an abortion. services have continued and they have Jennifer ONeill. singer Melba Moore. continued to make valuable contribu- civil rights activist. like I said. Dr. tions to the most needy members of King. and so many others. and coour society. founder of this group called Silent No So. Mr. Speaker. I warmly congratu- More Awareness Campaign. Georgette late the Rotary Club of Chicago for 100 Forney. have all called on us to listen years of service. making a difference in to their heartwrenching stories and the lives of the less fortunate and take seriously our moral duty to proshowing the true commitment of busi- tect women and children from the predness leaders to strengthen our local ators who ply their lethal trade in and global communities. I wish the abortion mills throughout the land. club another 100 years of service and These brave women are the new Tuesday lunches in downtown Chicago. champions of life. They have refused to be silent any longer. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4087}
{"speech_id":1090001900,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They care too deeply about other women and their ABORTION CLINICS: NOT ONLY children. and they want others to be KILLING MILLS BUT TORTURE spared the anguish that they themCENTERS AS WELL selves have endured. And to the mil-","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4087}
{"speech_id":1090001919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tonight I would like to address the most urgent issue facing our Nation today. the ongoing war in Iraq. I recently returned from a congressional delegation trip to Iraq with the gentleman from New Jersey and several of our colleagues on the House Committee on Armed Services. Meeting with our servicemen and women in Iraq made me appreciate their service and their courage even more. My trip also reinforced my conviction that America needs an exit strategy from Iraq. and that is what I would like to discuss tonight. It has been nearly 2 years since we invaded Iraq and removed one of the worlds most brutal regimes. but 2 years later. Americas Armed Forces are confronting a far more resilient enemy. a growing insurgency that has plunged Iraq into violence and chaos. The elections are drawing closer. The peace and stability seem to be moving further and further away. How we got to this point in time has been the subject of an extensive debate. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11785}
{"speech_id":1090001919,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How did our intelligence fail us so badly about Iraqs weapons of mass destruction? Was that intelligence deliberately ma-. nipulated by the administration in order to rush to war? Why did the Bush administration not give the U.N. inspectors more time to conduct their inspections. and how did we allow so much chaos to grow out of Saddam Husseins downfall? And why did we not have a better plan to secure the peace? Many of us have strong views about these issues. and many of us have been quite vocal in expressing them. Unfortunately. when there is a hotly contested Presidential campaign. the national debate often descends into starkly partisan terms. I believe this is what happened to much of the debate about our policy in Iraq. In Congress the bipartisanship was lacking. and partisanship was especially bad. Most Republicans saw it as their responsibility to defend the Presidents policies. however flawed. Many Democrats viewed their role as questioning and criticizing all that went wrong without necessarily offering policy alternatives. The result has been a failure to forge bipartisan consensus and develop answers to the pressing questions about our involvement in Iraq. By rallying behind the administrations policy. the Republican leadership in Congress failed in its responsibility to lead. not just follow. on issues of war and peace. At the same time. many Democrats who opposed the war from the beginning have spent more energy lamenting the past than thinking about solutions for the future. A substantive. nonpartisan reassessment of Americas goals and options in Iraq is long overdue. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11785}
{"speech_id":1090001919,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The time has come for us to change our focus from the missteps of the past to the challenge that confronts us in the immediate future. When I visited with our soldiers on the front lines. they were not focused on the mistakes of last year. they were concerned about what we are doing today and tomorrow. Now more than ever. with our current policy going nowhere. America needs to form a bipartisan consensus behind a strategy. a responsible strategy. in Iraq. Today I challenge my colleagues in Congress to work together to develop answers to the most urgent question facing our country today: How can the United States put Iraq on a path toward selfsufficiency and begin to bring our troops home in a way that advances our strategic interests? We owe it to the American people and we owe it to the brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day. All of us in Congress have met with the family of guardsmen and reservists whose deployments have been extended. We have spoken to too many mothers of soldiers and attended too many funerals to leave these fundamental questions unanswered. We must stop looking backward and thinking defensively. We must start looking forward and developing proactive ideas about the next steps in Iraq. It is clear that the administration has no endgame in sight. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11785}
{"speech_id":1090001919,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for Congress to reassert its role in foreign policy and take the lead on providing an exit strategy in Iraq. The first step in Iraq to any exit strategy is an honest assessment of the facts on the ground there. It is time to take the rosetinted glasses off and put aside our partisan hostilities and start with the basics: What is going well. and what is not? What is still possible in Iraq. and how do we get there? In search of answers to these questions. I returned to Iraq earlier this month. The last time I was in Iraq was August 2003. 4 months after the fall of Baghdad. Iraq was hardly a safe place then. but we were able to walk the streets and talk with average Iraqis. something I had hoped to do this time. Unfortunately. the threat of violence was simply too high. Baghdad is still a war zone. My colleagues and I traveled in heavily armed military convoys. zigzagging through the streets to avoid ambushes. In Iraq today the expectation is that any American or anyone associated with the Americans will be attacked. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11785}
{"speech_id":1090001919,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The United States has spent more than $150 billion on military operations in Iraq. with another. $80 billion that the administration is going to request from this House next month in a new supplemental budget. We have maintained between 100.000 and 150.000 troops for 2 years. The Armys current plan is to maintain that level until at least 2007. Over the past year. America has sent more soldiers and more money to Iraq. but we have seen more violence. As Iraq prepares to hold elections 5 days from now. the violence is worse than it has ever been. All of us hope that the elections will proceed peacefully and safely with maximum participation. but we should be realistic that regardless of who votes or who wins. the insurgency will continue. When Saddam was captured. we hoped the insurgents would give up. When we transferred sovereignty. we hoped that the violence would end. And when we routed the insurgents in Fallujah. we hoped it would break their backs. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11785}
{"speech_id":1090001923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I want to thank my colleague for making the point and reiterating the point how important it is to defend our freedoms at home. even as we are fighting to defend freedoms abroad. As I was saying. the President in his stirring inaugural remarks talked about the importance of spreading freedom across the world. not only that it is consistent with our highest ideals. our goals. our principles. but also as an effective means of defending Americas freedoms here at home. I want to share this with you. There is a little girl back in my district that understands it. The story in our local paper opens with a quote that says. \"They fight for us.\" \"Fouryearold Katelyn Swansen is talking about her heroes. the American troops fighting overseas in Iraq. It seems like a big statement coming from a very little girls mouth. but she says it with pride as she shows off the poster she made to send to the troops.\" I am going to read a little bit from this article. Her preK teacher at the local YMCA has taught not only little Katelyn. but also her 12 classmates. to know all about what it means to be an American and about the sacrifices the American troops are making in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090001923,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These kids. they may not be able to say \"patriotism.\" they may not even know what it means. but they are practicing being good Americans. The words may seem jumbled. they may not be pronounced correctly. but when they say the Pledge of Allegiance. they say it with pride. they say it from their heart. On a blackboard behind them. the words say. \"The YMCA Supports our Troops USA.\" and there is a flag. And on Ms. Restivos desk. that is the teacher. there is a small picture of her stepson. who is a private first class. Seth Restivo is a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. He is currently deployed to Iraq. The kids have made a stack of posters to send to his unit and made handprints on the posters. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090001923,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The teachers wrote on these handprints. \"These small hands support our troops in a big way.\" A poster was also made using hand-. prints from Seths 4yearold son Triston. who also attends that same YMCA childcare center in Covington. Ms. Restivo says her son signed up to be in the National Guard when h6 was only 16. He is now 19. He left for boot camp as soon as he graduated from high school in May 2004. He left for Iraq a week before Christmas. He is currently in Baghdad. spending most of his time cleaning weapons. He has been deployed for 10 months. She says it is important for .her students. even though they are too young to learn about the soldiers who are fighting for their freedom. she says it is important that they know about America and about the true heroes. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090001923,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is important for them to learn about what is going on for our country. Those posters will be mailed to her stepson. I think 4yearold Katelyn and I think her classmates truly understand what it means to be American. I think they truly understand the sacrifices being made by our brave men and women in uniform. being made overseas to defend our way of life and also to help the Iraqi people to find freedom. On January 30th. an historic day is approaching us as. for the first time in decades. after decades of dictatorship and oppression. the Iraqi people will be finally be able in a free election to decide their own freedom. January 25..2005 Back in December. the International Republican Institute did a survey that showed over 67 percent of Iraqis supported going forth with the elections as scheduled. over 67 percent. According to their own independent election committee. over 7.000 candidates representing 75 political entities. 27 organizations and 9 coalitions plan to participate in the National Assembly elections. over 7.400 candidates. These elections should reflect the will of the Iraqi people. They should lay the groundwork for the drafting of a constitution that represents the will of the Iraqi people and embraces freedom and democracy. and. finally. to result in a representative government committed to peace. stability and democracy. These are our hopes. these are our goals. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090001923,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. can we in America guarantee what happens after these elections? Certainly there is no guarantee. But what we can know. what we can do is this: We can give the Iraqi people the best chance they have got for stability. for peace. for freedom. We can give them the best chance that entire region has by allowing these elections to proceed. It will -be up to the Iraqi people after these elections take place to decide for themselves. We are not able to impose order externally. What we are able to do is turn over. with time. turn over as quickly as we can. the responsibility for the safety back to Iraqi forces. Over 120.000 forces of varying kinds have been trained. You have got not only the national elections. but in local elections you have got over 111 political entities that have submitted candidate lists. You have 256 political entities composed of almost 19.000 candidates registered to compete in the 20 different elections. You see just the birth of democracy. in that country. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090002028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in December of 2003. Josh Bolton. the Director of the Office of Management and Budget wrote. \"With the adoption of the Presidents policies. our projections show a solid path toward cutting the deficit in half within the next 5 years.\" Fact: this year our deficit will increase for the fourth straight year. to a record $427 billion. The Websters dictionary defines a crisis as \"an unstable state of affairs.\" If you are looking for a crisis to solve. look no further. Look at the Presidents budget deficit. The Presidents reckless policies are damaging our Nations future. Our annual interest payments on the national debt are more than six times what we spent on education last year. They are more than 12 times what we spent on veterans. What are we doing with this $7 trillion debt that keeps running up? We are asking our bankers. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1241}
{"speech_id":1090002028,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Japan and China. for more money. They control our future. It is a very fascinating economic strategy. The President has indicated that his budget will be tough. I agree. With 3 years of record deficit and a record national debt accumulating. it is tough. It is tough on Americas future. Mr. Speaker. when it comes to the President and the economy. the truth is. we will forever be in his debt.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1241}
{"speech_id":1090002036,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would be quite interested In accepting my good friends challenge on Social Security. but let me say to my colleagues. the proposed plans of Republicans are an absolute betrayal of the American people and the safety net of Social Security. and I. for one. and those of us who stand under the Democratic umbrella. are not going to stand around while Social Security is being destroyed. Social Security is secure until 2053. and we need to make sure that that safety net remains in place. Mr. Speaker. I also rise to acknowledge the 35 marines that lost their lives this morning in Iraq. I. too. believe in freedom. as most Americans believe in freedom. but I do also believe in truth. As Secretarytobe Condoleezza Rice will be approved today. I hope that we recognize In this Congress that we have an obligation not to political philosophy. but to the lives of those young men and women on the front lines. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1235}
{"speech_id":1090002036,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iraq may be able to be a democracy as we know it in decades and decades to come. but what do we say about the blood of Americans who came to fight a war in Iraq on the basis of weapons of mass destruction? I believe we owe them an apology. and I believe that we owe cautious deliberations on the next steps in Iraq.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1235}
{"speech_id":1090002107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I will be brief. First of all. this is not a killer amendment. This is not an unreasonable amendment. and the sponsor has certainly always been a very reasonable Member of Congress. and we are arguing at the margins here in terms of what we are doing. and I recognize that. And I recognize these arguments because they are compelling to a degree. Having said all those things. I still oppose it. And let me explain why. It is not a lot different from what I have already said. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2228}
{"speech_id":1090002107,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. and that is essentially we are trying to make this a medal of true distinction for true heroes of the United States of America. I also believe. by the way. and the gentleman from New York said something I thought was interesting. and that is it is difficult to get the names on the legislation. So the first year becomes a little more difficult. and that is true. We sort of learn techniques in this when we have done it. One is we take it to conferences or big gatherings of people and pass it out that way. The gentleman from New Jersey will always be a hero in my mind because he took it amongst the Democrats and got a lot of signatures when I was struggling with it on a bill that I did last year. and I appreciate that a great deal. But I have learned when one really applies oneself. they can do it reasonably rapidly. and hopefully the committees will be able to be responsive to it and will be able to do two a year if that is what we decide to do. But my judgment is four in total in the course of 2 years is sufficient. And I am worried about the influx that is going on. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2228}
{"speech_id":1090002107,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The chairman cited the numbers. I do not remember the exact numbers. It was something like 45 medals In the first 120 years and now 10 times that many in the last 10 years. That means that this has increased. I think. at a rate that is too rapid. and again I do not in any way belittle anyone who has received this because they are all very distinguished people. But having said that. we want this to be the highest honor possible. So my judgment is we should defeat the amendment. If at some point it proves we need to expand this. we would certainly consider that. But I think we should try to restore this program to where it was before.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2228}
{"speech_id":1090002115,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I hope that this amendment would also be received as reasonable and with cogent arguments. My second amendment made in order under the rule would allow for the equitable distribution of these medals between the majority and the minority. Since the 104th Congress. 24 gold medal resolutions became law. Using the process currently in place that has worked so well for us. the two parties in the House have evenly split sponsorship of these medals. Republican Members have sponsored 10 medals and Democratic Members have also sponsored 10 medals. In fact. this amendment probably makes more sense with Republican support in it than Democrats. as in the 108th Congress. five congressional medals were awarded and four of those were sponsored by Democrats. only one by a Republican. But I offer this amendment out of basic fairness for both sides. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090002115,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I. therefore. believe if we are to limit the number of gold medals and if we are to obtain the bipartisanship that has characterized the process. my amendment should be passed by the Chamber. my fear being that if we limit it to only four. then leadership will decide who will sponsor those four. and we in the minority may find ourselves on the short end of that stick. And that is why I offer this amendment. I hope that the Members will agree to accept this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090002209,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the United States invasion and occupation of Iraq violate Americas core values of honesty. responsibility. security. justice and freedom. This has been a dishonest war from the word go. The President said he had hard evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It turns out he did not. To date. no weapons of mass destruction have been found. The President himself has officially called off the hunt. Irresponsible behavior has been a guiding principle of the administrations behavior in leading the Nation to war in Iraq. Specifically. what has been the response of our leaders when they have been exposed for misleading the country. or for sending American men and women to their deaths without Imminent threat to American security. or what has been the response for keeping our National Guard troops In Iraq for many months longer than they had agreed. or for signing off on orders that led to torture in American prisons? Our leaders do not take responsibility for their failures. Instead. they change the subject. make excuses. or worst of all. blame an underling. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4515}
{"speech_id":1090002209,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not a single administration official has resigned as a result of the mistakes that led us into this misguided and dangerous war. George Tenet received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Alberto Gonzales and Condoleezza Rice are up for promotion. and Donald Rumsfeld is still the Secretary of Defense. although if he traveled to Germany. he could possibly be arrested as a war criminal. The Iraq invasion has made the Middle East a more violent and unstable place. and it has made America less secure at home by creating a terrorist breeding ground in a country that was not a haven for Islamic fundamentalists before we invaded it. It seems too ironic to be true. but after our Nation was attacked on 9\/11 by Islamic fundamentalists. the Bush administrations response was to bomb and kill civilians in one of the few countries in the Middle East that was actually inhospitable to Islamic fundamentalists. Speaking of justice. there is no justice in an operation that has caused the deaths of over 1.400 Americans and untold thousands of Iraqis for the purely ideological reason that our leader did not like their leader. Nor do we serve the cause of freedom by killing innocent people in a country that did not ask for our help. by destroying a nations roads. schools and hospitals. and in the process we have created a playground for Islamic fundamentalists. Freedom is very important to Americans. and I believe that the Presidents recent inaugural address made a mockery of the word \"freedom.\" He should ask the people of Iraq. many of whom have suffered because they lost a loved one or had a friend maimed by foreign bullets. just how free do they feel today. Some say that we have a responsibility to the people of Iraq to keep our troops there. that we not abandon them. This belief misses the point. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4515}
{"speech_id":1090002209,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our very presence in Iraq is the cause of much of the violence. We have a moral responsibility to leave in order to stem the violence. We owe this to the people of Iraq. who have been killed by the thousands and thousands. We owe it to our troops who are sitting ducks for terrorists. That is why later today I will introduce legislation calling for a withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq. In the 108th Congress I also introduced a SMART Security Resolution For the 21st Century. which calls for a sensible. multilateral American response to terrorism. Adopting a smart approach to foreign policy will help us avoid the many mistakes that have characterized the war in Iraq. By supporting my call to bring the troops home. we will send a message to the President. one. asking that he develop and implement a plan to begin the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. two. develop and implement a plan for the reconstruction of Iraqs civil and economic infrastructure. three. convene an emergency meeting of Iraqs leadership. Iraqs neighbors. the United Nations. and the Arab League to create an international peacekeeping force in Iraq and to replace U.S. military forces with Iraqi police and national guard forces to ensure Iraqs security. and. finally. take all necessary steps to provide the Iraqi people the opportunity to completely control their own internal affairs. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4515}
{"speech_id":1090002209,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is time we pursued a SMART security strategy for America. and we must do this by withdrawing our troops from Iraq. It is not too late to make the smart choice. the right choice. the choice to bring our troops home.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4515}
{"speech_id":1090002213,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. at the outset. I want to recognize the terrible tragedy that took place in my district this morning in the city of Glendale where a terrible train accident occurred. I recently spoke with the Glendale fire chief. who informed me that the death toll has now risen to 10 from that accident. The investigation and the search effort continues. He did report to me that he was very impressed with the level of coordination of the relief agencies on the ground. the rescue agencies on the ground. I know they are doing everything humanly possible to help the victims of that terrible crash. I also spoke with the mayor of Glendale this morning. very shaken from what he saw at the scene. and I asked him what we could do. what I could do. what our colleagues could do to help. He said just pray. Just pray. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4742}
{"speech_id":1090002213,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to send my thoughts and prayers out to my Glendale and Los Angeles constituents and let them know that we will certainly do everything possible in any way. and I know my colleagues will join me in that. I would also like to express my condolences as we mourn the loss of the 35 marines in Iraq today. To those whose loved ones were lost In the helicopter crash or in action today. our hearts. our thoughts. and our prayers are with you. Over the past 2 days. we have learned that the President will be asking Congress for an additional $80 billion supplemental appropriations to finance the war In Iraq and ongoing operations in Afghanistan. I support giving our troops all that they need to ensure their safety and to enable them to perform their missions. but for the past few months. I have been disturbed by continued reports that have detailed persistent shortages of uparmored Humvees in Iraq. especially given the repeated assurances by administration officials that everything that could be done about these shortages was being done. In fact. it appears this was not so. It should not take a question from a GI in the field to spur the Secretary of Defense to address critical shortfalls of equipment. That. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4742}
{"speech_id":1090002213,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. is our job. That is our job. Congress is charged with oversight of the executive branch. and I am deeply concerned that we have not been fulfilling that critical and institutional role. As a result. our troops are riding into battle in vehicles that are not adequately protected or are juryrigged with socalled \"hillbilly armor\" lifted from scrap heaps. Last May. Senator CHUCK GRASSLEY. the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. expressed his unease about the lack of oversight in Congress and admitted that legislative oversight was better when the Democrats controlled Congress. The majority in this Congress. Senator GRASSLEY acknowledged. \"has delegated so much authority to the executive branch of government. and we ought to devote more time to oversight than we do.\" The critical need for oversight is underscored by a new Government Accountability Office report outlining and updating its highrisk list. The new report lists 25 Federal programs that are vulnerable to fraud. waste. abuse. and mismanagement. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4742}
{"speech_id":1090002213,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Increasingly. the GAO also identified highrisk areas to focus on the need of broadbased transformations to address major economy. efficiency. or effectiveness challenges. Of the 25 government operations and programs that comprise the GAO list. 8 are associated with the Department of Defense. the governments largest department. These include inventory management. weapons systems and acquisition. financial and contract management. personnel security clearance. management of military bases and other infrastructure. and modernization of computer systems. The Comptroller General. David Walker. noted at a news conference yesterday that DODs failure to rectify many of these problem areas results in billions of dollars of waste every year and inadequate accountability to the Congress and the American taxpayer. I am not surprised to see a large number of DOD programs on the GAOs list. As an assistant U.S. attorney. I prosecuted defense contractor fraud. It was true then that if you throw enormous amounts of money at any department without adequate oversight. you would get tremendous amounts of fraud and abuse. Given the hundreds of billions of dollars in the DODs annual budget. the potential for waste. the reality of waste. fraud. and abuse is enormous. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4742}
{"speech_id":1090002213,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No amount of oversight and investigation will eliminate all instances of fraud. but that does not excuse our failure to try. I urge my colleagues. and especially my colleagues in the majority who alone have the power to call hearings. to subpoena witnesses. to take our oversight role more seriously. The American taxpayer and. more importantly. our men and women in uniform are relying upon us.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4742}
{"speech_id":1090002215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is worthy of note when someone lights up the world with his or her own sunshine and gives us a glimpse of such a beautiful soul that it is more understandable why our Creator would endow us with the blessings He has. Such a person was a young man named Judson Daniel Davis. known to his friends as JD. He was 23 years old. after having experienced life fully every single year he was alive. He was born in Tyler. Texas. on September 17. 1981. and he left for heaven on January 19. 2005. He was active in high school and in his church. which was Green Acres Baptist. He was constantly looking for ways to help others and to improve himself. Even at his young age. he had found that helping others somehow made him a more complete person. My own daughters knew him well. and even my wife and I felt quite comfortable when we knew one of our daughters would be with JD. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3567}
{"speech_id":1090002215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He graduated from Whitehouse High School in Smith County. Texas. after which he attended Tyler Junior College. earning an associates degree in business. and then proceeded to Texas A&M University. obtaining a degree in finance. After Texas A&M. this unusual individual studied kinesiology and earned a degree at the University of Texas. It does take a rather unique individual to be both a Texas Aggie and a Texas Longhorn. and that is what JD was. While at Texas University. he did not merely study. he also utilized his talent for playing musical instruments. He played the trombone in the Longhorns basketball band in addition to performing with the Big Bertha crew. He began studying sports management in the UT program in Austin. and. during the Christmas break. he had talked about the potential for substitute teaching. because he loved to help others. His mother. Linda Davis. said. \"He always had a smile. a kind word for everyone. and was always sensitive to the needs of others.\" The Longhorn band was excited about coming to play for the Presidents inauguration this month. and none was more excited than JD. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3567}
{"speech_id":1090002215,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He had run a fever the week before the trip. but he told the university health personnel he did not want to miss the Presidents inauguration. He was coming. He did feel ill on the plane ride and did not get off the bus when the other students did here in Washington. They got off physically. but he had proceeded ahead of them in spirit. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. He was looking forward to being an intern at Lake Hills Church in Austin. a position of which he had just learned about before he came to Washington. He was to start rehearsals when he returned from Washington for a leading part in the play. \"The Lion. the Witch. and the Wardrobe.\" Just as he had been active In his work at Green Acres Baptist Church. he was determined to try to make as big an impact as he could. wherever he could. As if to subconsciously follow the admonition of David to number our days aright. JD numbered and filled every one. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3567}
{"speech_id":1090002215,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a sign in his room said. \"Life is short. so fish hard.\" His mother Linda said the picture and sign that most exemplified JDs life says. \"The value of life lies not in the length of our days. but in the use we make of them.\" JD brought life and hope and good news to so many. He truly lifted spirits by his presence and leaves us much in his physical absence. He loved his neighbors. he loved his President. he loved his country. He loved the visible and auditory beauty given us by the Creator. May others be inspired by the life. living. and giving of Judson Daniel Davis. and may his loved ones be comforted in that knowledge.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3567}
{"speech_id":1090002219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if any of my colleagues were watching Meet the Press on Sunday. they may have seen a truly remarkable thing. The gentleman from California proposed that Social Security benefits should be based on race and gender. If we take the distinguished chairman at his word. he is proposing overt race and gender discrimination by the government. Apart from raising serious constitutional questions. this shocks the conscience. My colleagues can read excerpts from the transcript of his statement on Meet the Press in press clippings across the country and in Tuesdays Roll Call. The gentleman from California said. Congress \"needs to examine how many years of retirement you get based on your race and you ought not to leave gender off the table because that would be a factor.\" Tim Russert. who seemed a bit taken aback by this. asked THOMAS. \"So if someone is a woman and they live longer. they would get less per year?\" The gentleman from California confirmed that is what he wants Congress to consider. Then Russert asked. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4540}
{"speech_id":1090002219,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Do you think Congress. Mr. Chairman. would accept any formula that said that people should be treated differently because of their gender or race?\" I can answer that question and I believe that I speak for many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle that the answer is a very strong no. We will never accept a Social Security formula based on race or gender. I am confident that many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this issue find this idea as repulsive as I do. This idea is unfair. it is unjust. it is profoundly antiAmerican. It goes against fundamental constitutional principles of equal protection. Congress must. and I believe will. repudiate it. Social Security is the financial safety net for all working Americans in their old age. and all workers are entitled to its benefits. regardless of gender or race. Its formulas currently are race and gender neutral and must remain so for all time. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4540}
{"speech_id":1090002219,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe. Regardless of what projections we each believe in for the longterm outlook of the trust fund. we must surely agree on the basic proposition that all retired workers are entitled to this essential government safety net without regard to gender or race. The chairmans proposal attacks the most vulnerable among us. those who need Social Security most. and that is wrong. He proposes to cut every womans annual Social Security benefits because statistically women live longer than men. and that is just plain backwards. What are retired women supposed to do. live at a lower level of income payments than men? On the contrary. women need Social Security even more than men do. We are a long way from closing the wage gap. We are currently 79 cents to the dollar. and that translates into an even wider pension gap. Retired women workers are twice as likely as men to depend on Social Security as their sole means of support and to depend on Social Security benefits to keep them out of poverty. According to Joint Economic Committee figures and the National Womens Law Center. women are 60 percent of Social Security recipients at age 67 and threequarters of the recipients at age 85 or older. Hispanic women. for example. live the longest of all as a group. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4540}
{"speech_id":1090002219,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Californias logic would cut their benefits most. Yet more than half of retired Hispanic women depend on Social Security for 90 percent of their income and without it would live in poverty. The chairman also proposed to adjust benefits based on race. and this is mindboggling. I am at a loss of words to explain how outrageous it is to propose basing any government benefit based on race. Let me just remind the distinguished gentleman from California that the Constitution requires the Federal Government to treat persons of all races equally. His proposal raises very serious constitutional questions and undermines our moral commitment to our society in which all are treated equally. regardless of race. I wish I could call the chairmans statements on Sunday ill considered and not serious. but that was not the first time the chairman has proposed such a policy. and I call on my colleagues to not accept it. I am circulating a letter to the President of the United States. I will place it Into the RECORD. I urge my colleagues to support it and to send a strong message that basing any type of Social Security benefits on race and gender is unfair and just plain wrong. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4540}
{"speech_id":1090002219,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will also add in the RECORD additional statements and some comments from around the country that have been in major papers.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4540}
{"speech_id":1090002294,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday I came to the Senate floor to announce my support for the nomination of Dr. Rice to be our Secretary of State and explained why I thought she was more than qualified to take on this critical position at this critical stage in our Nations history. In the time and the hours that followed. several of my colleagues came to the floor and announced that they would not support this nomination and explained why. I wanted to return very briefly this morning to simply say that I considered the arguments made against her nomination and they do not alter my conclusion that Dr. Condoleezza Rice is more than qualified to be Secretary of State at this time in our Nations history. Some of the criticisms of the administrations policy. particularly postSaddam in Iraq. I agree with. Others about Dr. Rice personally. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090002294,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I vehemently disagree with. But as I see our role here in advising and consenting. the question is not whether we agree with everything the nominee has ever done or said but whether the nominee is qualified to be Secretary of State. This nominee is more than qualified. Implicit in this. of course. is that the President has won the right. by virtue of his election. to have around him people who have his confidence. This nominee certainly does. Secondly. I want to make a statement about how I read the criticisms that have been expressed. They are all about the past. either about past behavior of Dr. Rice or. more particularly. about past administration judgments or actions with regard to foreign policy generally and particularly about the war in Iraq. I want to make clear that I dont hear criticisms about where we are now or where we should go in the future. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090002294,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It Is important that the American people understand that but more important that our friends and foes in Iraq. throughout the Islamic world. and the world generally understand that. There is not substantial dissent in the Senate of the United States about the policy we are following in Iraq today. It is to train the Iraqis to better secure themselves. It is to give them the opportunity. which they will exercise bravely and I believe successfully this Sunday. to elect their own leaders. It is to invest in their own economic wellbeing so they can create a model within the Arab world of not only a selfgoverning state but a modernizing state connected to the modern world. I have listened to my colleagues who oppose this nomination. and I have spoken to them off the floor. I want to make clear to people around the world. there is not a single one of these colleagues who wants us to cut and run from Iraq. There is not a single one of these colleagues who does not fully support our troops there. I want our troops to understand that. There is not a single one of these colleagues who is not supportive of the election this Sunday and hopeful that people will turn out in large numbers. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090002294,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no question about which side we are on. We are on the side of the people of Iraq. struggling bravely for a better future. and we are against that minority there. composed largely of leftovers from Saddam Hussein and foreign terrorists associated with alQaida. who are killers. murderers. fascists. who want to stop 25 million Iraqis from having a better life. Finally. if my colleagues believe that Condoleezza Rice is not qualified to be Secretary of State of the United States. then. of course. they must vote against her. But if they areI hate to use the word \"just\"-just upset about some of the things this administration has done in Iraq. but if they believe otherwise. that what we are doing now is all we can do to make the situation better. then I appeal to them to vote for Dr. Rice. Give her the benefit of the doubt. In some sense. give the President the benefit of the doubt that I believe the Constitution entitles him. Give Americas national interests the benefit of the doubt. Give our soldiers fighting in Iraq the benefit of the doubt. This nominee has the Presidents confidence. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090002294,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want people around the world to knowand I hope with a resounding votethat though there are disagreements about what the administration has done In regard to our Iraq policy and other elements of foreign policy. that in the final analysis we are together. We are together for what we are pursuing. which is the successful conclusion to our involvement in Iraq and to the spread of freedom and democracy throughout the world. I thank the Chair and urge a strong vote for Dr. Condoleezza Rice to be our next Secretary of State.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090002307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. President Bush made an excellent choice In nominating Dr. Condoleezza Rice to be Americas next Secretary of State. She has both the professional experience and the personal integrity to make a great Secretary of State. I cannot think of a candidate more qualified to be Secretary of State than Condoleezza Rice. Dr. Rices experience and expertise are truly multifacted. She is a distinguished public servant and has led one of our countrys most distinguished universities. She has 25 years of experience in foreign policy. having served three Presidents as a key advisor. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2218}
{"speech_id":1090002307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She has led the Presidents national security team with strength and expertise. A short list of her many accomplishments include developing sixparty talks aimed at ending North Ko.TE S525 reas nuclear program. helping to design the Presidents landmark emergency AIDS relief package. and strengthening relations with Russia and China. In her capacity as National Security Advisor. Dr. Rice has developed personal working relationships with international leaders and governments that will enable her to nurture alliances and conduct effective diplomacy around the world. She was instrumental in developing the administrations response to 9\/11 and a new framework for United States policy in the Middle East. Most important. Condoleezza Rice has the trust and confidence of the President. She has served the President as a loyal and trusted advisor. When she speaks to foreign leaders as Secretary of State. they will know that Dr. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2218}
{"speech_id":1090002307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rice is speaking on behalf of the President. I have had the honor of working closely with Dr. Rice on many occasions over the past 4 years. In particular. Dr. Rices support was extremely helpful to me and to my colleague Senator LIEBERMAN as we undertook the Herculean task of reforming our intelligence community in the last Congress. Dr. Rice helped us overcome the obstacles we faced to ensure the bill became law. and for that. she has my gratitude. Having a strong foreign policy vision is critical to success in the war on terrorism. Condoleezza Rice is the right person for the job. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2218}
{"speech_id":1090002307,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. Rice will make an outstanding Secretary of State. and I look forward to working with her in the coming years.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2218}
{"speech_id":1090002357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I note that the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the ranking minority member will be here shortly to speak on the Leavitt nomination. Until they get here. I thought I would summarize my thoughts concerning this nomination. I come to the Chamber to speak in favor of Mike Leavitt to head the Department of Health and Human Services. I want to begin my brief remarks by talking about the importance of bipartisanship in the health care field and to note that at the end of the last session of the Congress. there was a bipartisan failure in the health care area. in my view. of enormous ramifications. At the end of the last session of the Congress. the Congress failed to provide the funding necessary for the office of Dr. David Brailer. who is. in effect. the national health care technology point man. to try to modernize decision making. record keeping. telemedicine. and other crucial matters in the health care field. His office. as a result of this bipartisan failure by the Congress. was essentially defunded. So what you have is a situation where both political parties talk a big game about health information technology. or IT. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090002357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You hear senators of both political parties saluting the promise of this exciting field and talk about how committed they are. but the response of the Congress was to essentially defund it. So rhetoric has been in abundance. concrete support has been lacking. I come to the Senate floor to say I very much hopeand Mike Leavitt has a great interest in health information technologythat this deficiency is corrected in this upcoming Congress because otherwise there will be great consequences. First. I am concerned that as we see the move towards electronic medical records. these records and the placement of them is not being done in a fashion that will promote interoperability so that they are best in a position to be coordinated and maximize their value.. They simply are not interoperable. It is a very significant concern. If we are going to see this trend toward electronic medical records and not take the steps to promote interoperability. that will be a very serious deficiency as we set up the new system and will cause a great deal of confusion. Second. I am very concerned that in the information technology area. the big and powerful figures. be they hightech companies or medical clinics. will be able to do this work. but it is not going to be done by the small physician offices and clinics. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090002357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Brailers office was the office that was in a position to give incentives to help those small offices go forward. That work is not being done. Third. the very promising aspect of health technology has been in the area of regional offices. and now we are not seeing the funds that are necessary for those regional offices as well. The Congress essentially zeroed out the money that Dr. Brailer needed. It was a modest amount. $50 million. My sense is to really promote health information technology. it is going to take much more significant sums. but to have this body on a bipartisan basis constantly talking about the value of health information technology and then taking the one program that would make a difference and zeroing it out is just unconscionable. Both political parties have let down what needs to be done in this critical area. I see the chairman of the committee. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090002357,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know he is very interested in health information technology. as is Senator BAUCUS. I hope to lead a bipartisan effort in this session of the Congress to ensure that Dr. Brailers office gets the funds that are necessary. The last couple of points I would make in support of the Leavitt nomination: First. on the question of Medicaid. Mike Leavitt told me. in response to a question I asked. that there was no plan to send a block grant proposal to the Congress. That was welcome news. But he left an awful lot of wiggle room in terms of the details. and so bipartisan concerns remain. concerns by the governors as well. about what is to come. As one Senator who specializes in this field. I send a message that I am very supportive of the concept of health care waivers. I think that kind of flexibility is certainly a plus. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090002357,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We in Oregon have used them in a humanitarian way. to get better quality care to people for services that are medically effective. But there is a big difference between waivers that are borne out of a desire to use flexibility to serve people and a block grant proposal which just sets an arbitrary cap and cuts people off. Finally. I want to talk about the importance of working in a bipartisan way to contain costs for prescription drugs under the new Medicare law. As one who voted for that law. believing it was important to get started. I said then that the next step has to be to put in place a real cost containment effort that looks particularly to the private sector. Senator OLYMPIA SNOWE. who serves with great distinction on the Finance Committee. will be introducing legislation with me next week that will say we are going to use private sector forces. marketplace forces. to hold down the costs of prescription drugs In our country. For the life of me. I cannot figure out why Weyerhauser. a big timber company. or an auto company. or a steel company. or any other big concern. has marketplace power to hold down the cost of medicine but the Medicare Program does not. In fact. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090002427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. since I am going to ask on behalf of the leader the resolution be agreed to. I want to express my gratitude to his office and the Democratic leaders office for their expeditious handling of this resolution. and also Senator WYDEN and all those who have cosponsored it. On their behalf. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to. the preamble be agreed to. and the motion to reconsider be laid on the able.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":430}
{"speech_id":1090002443,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. as I did in the Foreign Relations Committee. I cast my vote in favor of the confirmation of Dr. Rice to be Secretary of State. I did so not because I endorse Dr. Rices views but because. barring serious concerns about a nominees qualifications or serious ethical lapses. the President has the right to appoint Cabinet officers who share his Ideology and his perspective. In keeping with Senate practices and precedents. my inclination is to give the Presidentany Presidentsubstantial deference in his Cabinet choices. I do not agree with many of the Presidents foreign policy choices. But as President. he generally has a right to a Cabinet that shares his perspective and agenda. However. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3632}
{"speech_id":1090002443,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to be clear that I was troubled by some of Dr. Rices statements in the hearing. Our most senior diplomat. our emissary to the entire world. should be able to represent our core values. Dr. Rices failure. and the failure of the administration. to categorically reject tactics that the average American would acknowledge to be torture is more than disappointing. It is dangerous. and it is shameful. I also want to restate my view that the Presidents foreign policy over the last 4 years has been. on many fronts. misguided and selfdefeating. I have discussed these issues in much greater detail on the Senate floor and in the Foreign Relations Committee. I am troubled by the damage done to our image around the world. I am concerned by our loss of focus in fighting terrorism. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3632}
{"speech_id":1090002443,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am angry about the use of shifting justifications and faulty information to sell the war in Iraq. I am angry about the failure to plan for the fact that overthrowing a regime leads to disorder and disorder leads to looting. I am angry about the official insistence on grossly underestimating the bill that would be handed to the American taxpayer and then declining to budget for this massive expense once its parameters became more clear. I am angry about the mismanagement of efforts to put a competent Iraqi security force in place. I am angry about the woefully slow pace of reconstruction. and I am angry about this administrations failure to ensure that our troops were adequately equipped for the circumstances in which they found themselves. Many people in this country and in this Congress are troubled not only by the mistakes. but by the fact that there appears to be no real accountability for these failures. At one point in the course of the hearing. Dr. Rice expressed some indignation regarding questions or remarks that she felt impugned her credibility. Her credibility is a legitimate question. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3632}
{"speech_id":1090002443,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Rice made sweeping. public characterizations about aluminum tubes sought by Iraq before the war began that were. quite plainly. misleading. She permitted a reference to Iraq seeking uranium from Africa. a reference that she knew the intelligence did not support. to be included in a major presidential address. She has a credibility problem. not just among skeptics in this country. but around the world. Once confirmed. Dr. Rice will be accountable to Congress in a way that she was not as the Presidents National Security Advisor. I hope that Dr. Rice fully understands her obligations to tell the duly elected representatives of the American people the whole truth. President Bush. like any President. is entitled to a Cabinet that reflects his views. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3632}
{"speech_id":1090002443,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I will continue to oppose every bad policy. to question every baseless assertion. and to advocate for a wiser course that will make our country more secure. The stakes for the current and future generations of Americans are far too high to do anything else.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3632}
{"speech_id":1090002474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to reintroduce a piece of legislation that is of paramount importance to the State of New Mexico and many other western States. This bill will address the mounting pressures brought on by the growing demands of a diminishing water supply throughout the west. The bill that I am introducing today authorizes the Department of the Interior acting through the Bureau of Reclamation to establish a series of research and demonstration programs to help eradicate nonnative species on rivers in the Western United States. This bill will help develop the scientific knowledge and experience base needed to build a strategy to control these Invasive thieves. In addition to projects that could benefit the Pecos and the Rio Grande. the bill allows other States in the west such as Texas. Colorado. Utah. California and Arizona to develop and participate in projects as well. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090002474,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Allow me to explain the importance of this bill. A water crisis has ravaged the west for more than five years. Drought conditions have expanded throughout the Western United States. Snow packs have been continuously low. causing severe drought conditions. The presence of invasive species compounds the drought situation in many states. For instance. New Mexico is home to a vast amount of salt cedar. Salt cedar is a waterthirsty nonnative tree that continually strips massive amounts of water out of New Mexicos two predominant water suppliesthe Pecos and the Rio Grande rivers. We have already had numerous catastrophic fires in our Nations forests including the riparian woodlandthe Bosquethat runs through the heart of New Mexicos most populous city. One of the reasons this fire ran Its course through Albuquerque was the presence of large amounts of Salt cedar. a plant that burns as easily as it consumes water. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090002474,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Estimates show that one mature Salt cedar tree can consume as much as 200 gallons of water per day. over the growing season thats 7 acre feet of water for each acre of Salt cedar. In addition to the excessive water consumption. Salt cedars increase fire. increase river channelization and flood frequency. decrease water flow. and increase water and soil salinity along the river. Every problem that drought causes is exacerbated by the presence of Salt cedar. I know that the seriousness of the water situation In New Mexico becomes more acute every single day. This drought has affected every New Mexican and nearly everyone in the west in some way. Wells are running dry. farmers are being forced to sell livestock. many of our cities are in various stages of conservation and many. many acres have been charred by fire. The drought and the mounting legal requirements on both the Pecos and Rio Grande rivers are forcing us toward a severe water crisis in New Mexico. Indeed. every river in the intermountain west seems to be facing similar problems. Therefore. we must bring to bear every tool at our disposal for dealing with the water shortages in the west. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090002474,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Solving such water problems is one of my top priorities and I assure this Congress that this bill will receive prompt attention by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Controlling water thirsty invasive species is one significant and substantial step in the right direction for the dry lands of the west. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090002486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join with Senators KENNEDY and SMITH and twentyseven of our colleagues today in introducing a very important piece of legislation. the Ensuring College Access for All Americans Act. This bill would prevent any student from seeing a reduction in the Pell grants under recent changes by the Bush administration to the formula used to calculate student aid eligibility. On December 23. 2004just 2 days before the Christmas holiday. I might notethe Department of Education published updates to the allowance for state and other taxes that is used by students and their families to calculate their expected family contribution. or EFC. to college tuition. The EFC is the amount that students and their families are expected to contribute towards college in a given year. Changes in a students \"expected family contribution\" have a direct impact on that students eligibility for a variety of types of financial aid. Simply put. as a students expected family contribution goes up. their eligibility for financial aid goes down. The Administrations changes to the tax tables have the effect of cutting $300 million from the successful Pell grant program. upon which more than five million students nationwide rely. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8327}
{"speech_id":1090002486,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is projected that. as a result of these cuts. 1.3 million students will see a reduction in their Pell grants and another 89.000 will become ineligible for Pell grant assistance. Not only will these changes drastically affect Pell grant eligibility and aid. but because the EFC formula is used to calculate eligibility for other forms of Federal aid. including federal student loans. as well as private institutional and state aid. these changes will cut practically all forms of student aid. Unfortunately. the Departments changes to the state and local tax allowance will increase the EFC for nearly all American families and students. While no New Jersey students are projected to lose assistance under this years proposed cuts. they were projected to lose assistance under similar cuts proposed in 2003. I am very concerned that New Jersey students could be hurt going forward if the administration continues to update the tax tables based on outdated tax information. Certainly. I do not disagree that the tax tables used to determine EFC. which have not been updated since 1988. may need to be revised to reflect current state and local tax burden. However. the administrations proposal does not reflect current tax levels. The updates reduce the credit that families receive for paying state and local taxes at a time In which they are actually paying more taxes. For example. the administrations new tax tables are based on Fiscal Year 2002 state tax information. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8327}
{"speech_id":1090002486,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the National Association of State Budget Officers. though. since FY 2002. states have enacted $14.1 billion In tax and fee increases. Again. because the administrations proposal is based on outdated tax Information. It does not take into account these substantial increases in State tax burden. In fact. the General Accounting Office issued a report last week that found that the Department of Educations procedures for revising the tax tables and the formula the Department used are seriously flawed. The GAO report. entitled Student Financial Aid: Need Determination Could be Enhanced through Improvements in Educations Estimate of Applicants State Tax Payments. states. \"Education could not provide us with written procedures guiding staff on the routine steps necessary to update the tax allowance. nor did it maintain detailed records of its efforts to obtain data.\" The report goes on to say of the data the Department used to revise the tables. As a result of certain limitations of the S0I [statistics of income] dataset for the purpose of calculating the allowance and problems with how Education uses this dataset. the current state and other tax allowance may not fully reflect the amount of taxes paid by students and families. The dataset itself is not ideally suited for calculating the allowance because it is limited to financial data from those who itemize their taxes. does not include state and local taxes. and is several years older than the income information reported by students and families on the FAFSA. The report further notes that because the SOI compiles data only for those who itemize their tax deductions. who may pay different tax rates than nonitemizers. the data is further flawed. The GAO goes on to suggest improvements to the Departments calculations and the data they use. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8327}
{"speech_id":1090002486,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These changes also come at a time when tuition is rising dramatically at double digit rates. and students and working families are straining to provide the financial wherewithal to access Americas promise of education. According to the College Board. tuition. room. and board at a fouryear public university costs an average of $11.354. $824 more than last year and $1775 more than 2 years ago. In other words. tuition at public institutions has been increasing by almost ten percent a year. In fact. according to the National Association of State Universities and LandGrant Colleges. tuition and fees at public institutions in New Jersey has increased by more than 40 percent since the 19992000 school year. In some states theyve increased by more than 60 percent in the last five years. To really understand these numbers. though. its necessary to look at the people who are struggling to afford to go to college. To that end. I would like to read a couple of personal stories about the importance of the Pell grant program to a collegebound student and a student struggling to afford college now. One student writes. I am lucky enough to be attending a toprate University and receiving a quality education. but I rely on many federal loans and aid. including a Pell Grant. in order to remain where I am. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8327}
{"speech_id":1090002486,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When President Bush decided not to fully fund Pell Grants. he left me and many others in a precarious position. My Pell grant is still pending and I really am counting on it to cover some of my basic expenses. it will be a hardship until it comesor worse if it doesnt come in full. The President says hes an advocate for young people with his dubious social security plans. but he leaves us behind with his noncommitment to higher education. A mother who fears she will no longer be able to afford to send her son to school writes. Ive saved money from the day my son was born so that he may attend the college of his dreams. He is a gifted musician and was awarded scholarships to attend Berklee in Boston. With the help of the Pell Grant and other student loans. he is now a freshman there and Im proud to say is doing very well. However. I am worried that with Bush having lowered the income standard for Pell. Timmy may lose his grant and there wont be enough money saved for him to stay in school. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8327}
{"speech_id":1090002492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce. along with my colleagues Senators SUNUNU and DOLE. the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005. This is needed regulatory reform at a critical time for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Freddie Mac. and the Federal Home Loan Banks. There is no doubt that our housing government sponsored enterprises GSEs. have been successful in carrying out their mission of providing liquidity for the housing market. The market has remained strong through tough economic times. and homeownership in this country is at an alltime high. The housing GSEs. however. are uncommon institutions with a unique set of responsibilities and stakeholders. Fannie and Freddie are chartered by Congress. limited In scope. and are subject to Congressional mandates. yet they. are publicly traded companies with all the earnings pressure that Wall Street demands. Additionally. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4321}
{"speech_id":1090002492,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fannie and Freddie enjoy an implicit guarantee by the Federal Government that has aided them in developing substantial clout on Wall Street. With their influence in the markets. their ability to raise capital at nearTreasury bill rates. and their use of the most sophisticated portfolio management tools. Fannie and Freddie today are no longer simply secondary market facilitators for mortgages. The significance of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to our economy cannot be overstated. Together. the companies own or guarantee roughly 45.6 percent of all mortgage loans in the United States. The companies combined have issued over $3.9 trillion in obligations comprised of $2.2 trillion in mortgage backed securities and $1.7 trillion of GSE debt. It is clear that the recent revelations at both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae precipitate the need for Congress to address GSE regulatory reform. In 2003. Freddie Mac found itself treading through a wave of accounting problems and questionable management actions. That led to an income restatement of $5 billion. a penalty of $125 million and the removal of several members of its executive management. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4321}
{"speech_id":1090002492,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One year later. a similar surge of questionable practices was discovered at Fannie Mae. That led to the retirement and resignation of two of Fannie Maes top management officials. as well as last months ruling by the Securities and Exchange Commission. SEC. that Fannie could face a $9 billion income restatement. At a minimum. the bar for a GSE should not be held lower than it is for any other company. In fact. given its congressionally chartered mission to serve a public interest. the bar should be held significantly higher. The operations of such companies should be managed with uncompromising integrity and unabridged transparency. Our legislation would create a new independent world class regulator for Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Our bill provides the new regulator with enhanced regulatory flexibility and enforcement tools like those afforded to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. the Federal Reserve System. the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision. Furthermore. the bill would: Provide the new regulator the authority of receivership to close down a failing GSE and protect against a taxpayer bailout. provide the new regulator greater discretion in raising capital standards to protect against insolvency. provide the new regulator approval power over new programs and activities proposed by a GSE. provide the regulator with greater authority to limit exit compensation packages or golden parachutes for executives removed for cause. require the annual audits of Fannie Maes and Freddie Macs affordable housing programs to ensure that these programs support the enterprises affordable housing mission. end presidential appointments to the board of directors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. and would require all Federal Home Loan Bank directors to be elected. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4321}
{"speech_id":1090002492,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This reform is important to restoring and maintaining the confidence that investors and the markets require. In light of the recent problems at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. it is even more important. I urge my colleagues to support this reform effort and invite them to cosponsor our bill. By Mr. SMITH (for himself. Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. BAUCUS. and Mr.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4321}
{"speech_id":1090002498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am joined by Senator MIKULSKI of Maryland and seven of our colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal one of the most egregious tax subsidies found in the U.S. Tax Code. Believe it or not. U.S. companies that move their manufacturing plants and goodpaying jobs overseas will be rewarded with billions of dollars in tax breaks over the next 10 years. Unfortunately for both American workers and American taxpayers. this is absolutely true. Our bill will repeal this wrongheaded fiscal policy that has worked against the interest of American manufacturers for so many years. Let me describe how this perverse tax subsidy works. Imagine two competing U.S. companies manufacturing a product for sale in this country. Company A has a plant with American workers. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4408}
{"speech_id":1090002498,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It sells its product here at home. immediately paying U.S. taxes on its profits. Company B. however. decides to shut down its U.S. plant. fire its American workers and build a new plant in a foreign country because it can produce the same goods at lower cost there. using underpaid foreign workers. Moreover. Company B pays almost no taxes in the foreign country and no taxes currently in the United States because it is entitled to tax \"deferral\" under our income tax laws. The Federal Tax Code allows firms like Company B to defer paying any U.S. income taxes on the earnings from those now foreignmanufactured products until those profits are returned. if ever. to this country. In other words. when United States companies close down a manufacturing plant such as Huffy bicycles or Radio Flyer little red wagons. fire their American workers and move those goodpaying jobs to countries like China. United States tax law actually gives these companies a large tax break. This tax break is not available to American companies that make the very same products here on American soil. So the U.S. company that decides to stay at home suffers a competitive disadvantage. a disadvantage that our tax laws have helped to create. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation says that this tax \"deferral\" loophole will dole out some $6.5 billion in tax breaks over the next decade to U.S. manufacturing companies that pack up their operations and relocate abroad. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4408}
{"speech_id":1090002498,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This tax loophole likely contributed to a loss of some 2.7 million U.S. manufacturing jobs since 2000 and encouraged the creation of over 1 million new jobs in the foreign manufacturing affiliates of U.S companies since 1993. Last May. Senator MIKULSKI and I offered an amendment on the Senate floor to try to shut down this perverse LTE S605 $6.5 billion tax break. Our effort was supported by a number of organizations concerned about the loss of goodpaying U.S. manufacturing jobs. including the International Union. United Automobile. Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of AmericaUAW. the AFLCIO. the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. Iron Ship Builders. Blacksmiths. Forgers and Helpers. the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. and the Union of Needletrades. Industrial and Textile Workers. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4408}
{"speech_id":1090002498,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"UNITE. Regrettably. our amendment failed to get the votes it needed to pass. The powerful lobby for large multinational firms was able to keep this tax loophole fully intact. But I intend to offer this proposal again and again until this tax subsidy is finally repealed. Frankly. I strongly disagree with the majority in the Senate that voted to retain this illconceived tax break. which hurts American businesses and workers. By their vote. our opponents essentially said lets continue to give enormous tax breaks that encourage U.S. companies to move their operations overseas and contributes to the dislocation of thousands of American workers. The bill we are introducing today. like last years amendment. is carefully targeted. It applies only to U.S. firms that move production overseas to lowtax countries and then turn around and import those products for sale here in the United States. Repealing this U.S. jobs export tax subsidy will not hurt the ability of U.S. firms to compete against foreign competitors in foreign markets. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4408}
{"speech_id":1090002498,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the final analysis. the approach taken in our legislation is measured and long overdue. As we work in Congress to reform the tax system in the coming year and shut down a number of arcane tax loopholes. this one should be at the top of the list. I urge you to cosponsor this bill. By Mrs. BOXER:","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4408}
{"speech_id":1090002500,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President a mere 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the booming city of Atlanta. GA. lies a quiet refuge that cradles historical remnants and natures beauty. This area around Arabia Mountain houses the ecosystems of endangered species. historic structures. and archeological sitesa treasure deserving of our protection and our admiration. Arabia Mountains proximity to Atlanta makes it accessible to millions of Americans. but it also puts this national treasure in danger of urban sprawl. No condominium development should destroy the ancient soapstone quarry which attracted Native Americans over thousands of years ago. Nor should a strip mall tarnish the pristine land which contains farms from the days when the area was the heart of Georgias dairy industry and which contains remnants of Georgias Gold Rush in the 1820s. I. along with my colleague Senator ISAKSON. have introduced legislation to designate Arabia Mountain. which encompasses land in DeKalb County. Rockdale County. and Henry County. as a National Heritage Area. This designation will help preserve the rare and endangered species that inhabit the land. and It will save historic buildings from the wrecking ball that often comes with modernization. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090002500,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Arabia Mountain and its surrounding area is the product of significant geological changes. Starting several thousand years ago with the quarrying and trading of soapstone. the history of human settlement in the area is closely connected to its geological resources. It would be a shame to allow a decade of uncontrolled growth to deny future generations from enjoying the history and natural beauty of this land. The quest to obtain National Heritage designation for Arabia Mountain began as a concept between conservationists. neighborhood activists. landowners. and concerned citizens. and support has grown ever since. Local Georgians even voted to tax themselves to support the project. Support has come from both sides of the aisle in both houses of Congress. I would like to thank all of those who have worked so hard for this designationKelly Jordan. Chair of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance. Mayor Marcia Glenn. of Lithonia. Vernon Jones. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090002500,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CEO of DeKalb County. Mark Towe and Glen Culpepper. and Senator Zell Miller and Congresswoman Denise Majette for their efforts in the 108th Congress on this issue. I ask my colleagues to support the preservation of this truly deserving area.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090002509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the full Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on Wednesday. January 26. 2005. at 9:15 a.m.. to conduct a business meeting to consider the committee funding resolution and the committee rules. The hearing will be held in SD 406.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":298}
{"speech_id":1090002671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate is expected to confirm the nomination of Samuel Bodman to be the next Secretary of Energy. As Secretary of Energy. Mr. Bodman will face challenges that are critically important to our economy and our national security. We depend on a stable supply of energy to keep our economy moving. Yet. the United States continues to rely too heavily on oil imports from other parts of the world. especially the Middle East. We import about 55 percent of the oil we consume. and this percentage is expected to increase to 70 percent by 2025. Similarly. we are relying more and more on imports of natural gas. This dependency puts us at a strategic and economic disadvantage. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090002671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Secretary of Energy must work with the diverse energy interests. the administration. and the Congress to develop a comprehensive Energy bill that will move us toward energy independence. The Secretary of Energy position is especially important to North Dakotas energy producers and economy. North Dakota can be a significant supplier of electricity to the rest of the country. My State is blessed with an 800year supply of lignite coal and the potential to be the biggest wind energy producer in the country. The main challenge we face is developing a transmission grid that will allow our electricity producers to fully utilize these resources and send power to the rest of the cbuntry. We need to invest significant new resources in finding new ways to upgrade and expand our transmission capacity and reliability. We also need to increase investment in. and more aggressively pursue. the development of clean coal technology. By reducing pollution from coalburning power plants. clean coal technology will ensure that this plentiful. domestic source of energy remains a vital part of our national energy portfolio. The nomination of Samuel Bodman is encouraging. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090002671,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bodman has proven himself to be an effective manager as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and Deputy Secretary of Commerce. In addition to his exemplary managerial skills. Mr. Bodman has the background knowledge and intellect to understand the importance of research on. and development of. advanced energy technologies. These technologies. including clean coal technology. will help us meet our countrys energy challenges. I look forward to working with Mr. Bodman on the funding and development of grant programs to bring advanced technology to North Dakotas power producers and transmitters. Today I offer my support for Senate confirmation of Mr. Samuel Bodman as our next Secretary of Energy.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090002675,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. paragraph 2 of Senate rule XXVI requires that not later than March 1 of the first year of each Congress. the rules of each Committee shall be published in the RECORD. In compliance with this provision. I ask unanimous consent that the Rules of the Select Committee on Intelligence be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":321}
{"speech_id":1090002722,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow. following morning business. the Senate will begin consideration of the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General. There are a number of Senators who wish to speak on this nomination. but it is our hope that we can reach an agreement for a reasonable time for debate and a vote on the Gonzales nomination. We will continue working with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to lock in a consent agreement on the nomination. I encourage all Members looking for floor time to contact either the chairman or the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee as soon as possible so that we can have orderly debate with respect to the nomination. I also remind all of our colleagues that the Presidents State of the Union Address will be on Wednesday evening of this week. Senators are asked to be in the Senate Chamber by 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in order to proceed as a body to the House Chamber at 8:45 p.m. for the 9 oclock address.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090002731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize three exceptional high school students in my District: Allison Nichols. Brittany Saltiel. and Sara Siegal. With the help of Barry Bradford. their inspirational teacher. what began as a National History Day project became an awardwinning documentary entitled We Are Not Afraid. These Stevenson High School students reexamined the Mississippi Burning case. the 1964 murders of three civil rights volunteers. In 1967. seven men were convicted on Federal conspiracy charges. but none were charged with murder. But. finally on January 6. 2005. a Mississippi grand jury indicted Edgar Ray Killen for the murders of these volunteers. The efforts of these girls led me to cosponsor H. Con. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":850}
{"speech_id":1090002731,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Res. 457. which called on the Mississippi Attorney General to reopen the case. and I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":850}
{"speech_id":1090002751,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 23. Catholic schools have been educating American children since the founding of our country. They continue to serve as an important complement to our public schools and other private institutions. providing topquality. valuesadded education for young students across the Nation. In my district. which is located in the Chicago archdidcese. dozens of Catholic schools have planned events for students. teachers. and parents to enjoy and celebrate Catholic Schools Week. At Saint Symphorosa. students are participating in a community prayer service. a neighborhood ice cream social. and a variety of educational events. In addition. they are taking part in Vocation Appreciation Day. Saint Francis Xavier in LaGrange. my home parish. they are celebrating with Student and Teacher Appreciation Days. an aoademic fair emphasizing student curriculum and student projects. and a special liturgy honoring teachers. students. and parents. all of whom make great contributions to the integrity and values of Catholic education. As we honor Catholic schools. we need to especially pay tribute to the more than 163.000 Catholic school teachers nationwide. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2330}
{"speech_id":1090002751,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These dedicated sisters. priests. brothers. and lay teachers are the backbone of Catholic education. They sacrifice so much personally in order to provide atop notch education that serves our children very well in preparing them for the future. My wife and I are each products of 12 years of Catholic elementary and secondary education: Judy in Johnstown. Pennsylvania. at Saint Patricks grade school and Bishop McCourt High School. myself in Chicago at Saint Symphorosa Grammar School and Saint Ignatius College Prep. Although at the time I did not always appreciate their harol work. I have fond memories of my teachers who provided me with the fundamentals of a good education that laid the groundwork for future academic achievements. But just as important. they instilled in me the belief that I should use my Godgiven abilities to contribute to society. In doing this. they provided me with the inspiration for a career as an educator and as a public servant. just as they have inspired countless other Americans to contribute to our society. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2330}
{"speech_id":1090002751,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly urge my colleagues to pass House Resolution 23.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2330}
{"speech_id":1090002763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 23. honoring the contributions of Catholic schools to the intellectual. spiritual. moral. physical. and social development of children in Guam and throughout our Nation. As we celebrate 2005 Catholic Schools Week with the spirit of \"Faith in Every Student.\" I would like to thank Mr. KENNEDY for introducing this resolution that helps draw national attention to the important role of Catholic Schools. Roman Catholicism has .a long history in Guam dating back to 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan landed on the island. In 1668. Blessed Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores arrived in Guam. establishing a missio n in the village of Hagitfia. This became the site of the first Catholic Church and is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Agafia. In the modern era. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090002763,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bishop Apollinaris Baumgartner. OFM Cap.. established the foundations of Guams Catholic Schools. Guams first Chamorro Bishop. Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores. OFM Cap.. made Catholic education a priority and instilled a tremendous pride in the academic and moral education provided by the Catholic schools. His successor. Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron has continued the tradition of excellence that has been the standard of Catholic Schools in Guam. Today. nearly a quarter of Guamanian school children attend Catholic schools throughout the Island. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090002763,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Catholic schools offering a secondary curriculum include the Notre Dame High School in Talofofo. Father Duenas Memorial School in Tai. and Academy of Our Lady of Guam in Hagitfia. Those offering an elementary and middle school education include Bishop Baumgartener Memorial School in Sinajana. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Agat. St. Anthony School in Tamuning. Saint Francis School in- Yona. San Vicente School in Barrigada. Santa Barbara School in Dededo. and Dominican School in Yigo. Finally. those offering a nursery school education include the Dominican CNId Care Development Center in Ordot. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090002763,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Infant of Prague in Tai. Maria Artero in Agaha Heights. and Mercy Heights in Tamuning. I would like to commend the leadership of Archbishop Apuron. Superintendent of Catholic Schools Lea Santos. and Associate Superintendent Sister Ana Lee. OP. for advancing the mission of Catholic Schools in Guam. I would also like to recognize the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Sisters of Mercy. Dominican Sisters. the religious orders of Capuchins. Franciscans. Jesuits and Marists for their service in educating the children of Guam. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090002763,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. I want to commend all the students. parents. teachers and administrators of Catholic schools in Guam and across the Nation for their contributions to our Nation and our world.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090002789,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleagues in the California delegation and the gentleman from California in particular. and all of my other colleagues for cosponsoring H.R. 289. I would also like to thank the House leadership for allowing H.R. 289 to come to the House floor today. Mr. Speaker. I am indeed honored to offer this bill. which would rename a post office in Californias 35th Congressional District after Sergeant John Marshall. who died at the age of 50 on April 8. 2003. during combat operations while fighting with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the United States Armys 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3590}
{"speech_id":1090002789,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation is just a small way to recognize and pay tribute to one of our fallen heroes. Mr. Speaker. whatever our views are of our policy in Iraq. it is always important for all of us to honor and show our respect for those in our military who are serving us so bravely and with such distinction in Iraq and all around the world. John Marshall spent much of his childhood in Los Angeles. graduating from George Washington High School. At the age of 18. Sergeant Marshall signed up for duty with the United States Army and served for nearly 30 years. taking a leave of absence only after he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. He was a dedicated career member of our military. a shining example of all that is best about our country. Sergeant Marshall died when a rocketpropelled grenade hit his vehicle as his combat team fought its way to Baghdad. The brigade was eventually the first U.S. military unit to enter the Iraqi capital and hold the city center. But reaching Baghdad came at a significant loss to the unit: eight soldiers. including Sergeant Marshall. died. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3590}
{"speech_id":1090002789,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the time -of his death. Sergeant Marshall was the oldest service member to die in the Iraq war. Mr. Speaker. Sergeant Marshall was eligible for retirement in 2002. and many of his friends had urged him to do so. Yet. true to his character. Sergeant Marshalls sense of duty to his country and his loyalty to his soldiers caused him to continue his military service in Iraq. In explaining to his wife his decision to continue serving in Iraq. Sergeant Marshall said. and I quote. \"I trained these guys. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3590}
{"speech_id":1090002789,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I really need to be there.\" What a wonderful example of selflessness he established for all of us. Mr. Speaker. Sergeant Marshall leaves behind a wife. Denise. six children. both of his parents. eight brothers and sisters. and many friends and neighbors whom he touched throughout his life. I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Marshall at Sergeant Marshalls memorial service in Los Angeles. and while I know that nothing we can do here today can fill the hole that was created with Sergeant Marshalls passing or remove the pain of the loss that the Marshall family and friends have suffered. it is vital we honor his sacrifice and service. . Mr. Speaker. Sergeant Marshall fought bravely on behalf of our Nation. and the renaming of this post office is just a small gesture of thanks from a grateful Nation. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3590}
{"speech_id":1090002789,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Sergeant John Marshall Post Office will be a source of great pride to the community and the residents of the 35th Congressional District. Mr. Speaker. our country will remain strong and free because our military is able to attract and retain the services of people of the quality and character of Sergeant Marshall. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Marshall family on the loss of this great and good man. and I would urge my colleagues to support this important bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3590}
{"speech_id":1090002790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume to also urge all of my colleagues to vote. because our vote. not our words. but our recognition of this unsung hero is what will bring others to understand his great contribution. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090002807,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to congratulate the courageous Iraqi people who voted in Sundays Iraq election. My congressional district. Marin and Sonoma Counties just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. had an 89.5 percent voter turnout in the last election. Believe me. we know how important elections are to a democracy. Sundays election in Iraq was an important step for the people there. and it is also an important milestone for Americas role in Iraq. With the elections completed. we in the United States must ensure that the people of Iraq control their ewn affairs as Iraq transitions toward democracy. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4468}
{"speech_id":1090002807,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Bush and his team have not gotten much right when it comes to Iraq. and Sundays election provides them with yet another opportunity to get back on course. Let us hope they take the smarter path this time. one that supports the Iraqi people with international cooperation to rebuild their economic and physical infrastructure. President Bush loves to talk about democracy. While elections are absolutely necessary to establish a democracy. they are not sufficient to establish a democratic government. Democracy cannot take root in Iraq when an occupying power remains in the country. Right now. the presence of 150.000 American soldiers in Iraq is an obstacle to the prospect of an Iraqi democracy because it is a rallying point for dissatisfied Iraqis and others i n the Arab world. Plus. our first responsibility is -to America and our American forces. which means we must not leave them in Iraq as sitting ducks. Last week I introduced legislation to secure Iraq for the future and ensure that Americas role in Iraq actually does make America safer. My plan for Iraq is part of a larger SMART security strategy. which is a Sensible. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4468}
{"speech_id":1090002807,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Multilateral. American Response to Terrorism that will ensure Americas security by relying on smarter policies. The withdrawal plan that I. with the support of over two dozen other Members. have proposed includes four components. First. develop and implement a plan to begin the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. More than 1.400 American troops have died in the line of fire in Iraq. More than 10.000 other soldiers have been injured. These soldiers leave behind grieving parents and grandparents. spouses and children. brothers and sisters. friends and neighbors all around the country whose lives will never be the same because of the war in Iraq. The best way to support our troops is to bring them home. Second. develop and implement a plan for the reconstruction of Iraqs civil and economic infrastructure. The United States has a moral responsibility to clean up the mess we made in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4468}
{"speech_id":1090002807,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But that responsibility needs to befulfilled not by our military but by humanitarian groups and companies that will help rebuild Iraqs infrastructure. That does not include nobid contracts to companies like Halliburton and Bechtel. It does ensure that the Iraqi people will benefit in the rebuilding process of their country. Third. convene an emergency meeting of Iraqs leadership. Iraqs neighbors. the United Nations and the Arab League to create an international peacekeeping force in Iraq and to replace U.S. military forces with Iraqi police and national guard forces to ensure Iraqs security. Iraqs security problems are still the most serious cause for concern in the country. and Iraq requires an international peacekeeping force to address this problem. not the United States military. An international peacekeeping force. supported by other Arab countries. Iraqs neighbors and the United Nations will provide real legitimacy to a conflict that has flown in the face of international law from the very beginning. Fourth. take all steps to provide the Iraqi people the opportunity to control their internal affairs. The Iraqi people cannot truly control their own affairs until the United States military has ceded back authority to those very people. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4468}
{"speech_id":1090002807,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why it is essential for Iraqs police and national guard forces to manage Iraqs security. not the United States military. Mr. Speaker. let me be clear. We should not abandon Iraq. There is still a critical role for the United States in providing the developmental aid that can help create a robust civil society. build schools and water processing plants and ensure that Iraqs economic infrastructure becomes fully viable. In the end. this is the smarter option. And we must begin always taking the smarter path if we are to succeed in Iraq.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4468}
{"speech_id":1090002829,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the announcement was made last week that a high school in my congressional district. Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in Westchester. Illinois. would be closing its doors at the end of this school year. This closure indicates the end of an era in the Chicago western suburbs and for singlesex education due to a record low enrollment in 2004. and a significant drop in the number of people sitting for the entrance exam in January of 2005. The school administration made the difficult decision to close this spring. Since 1961. Immaculate Heart of Mary has offered a rigorous. singlesex. college preparatory education for young women throughout Chicago- and the western suburbs. Over 6.000 women have benefited from the education offered by IHM since its inception. Teachers and staff have dedicated themselves to fostering a diverse community aimed towards achieving academic excellence and building a Christian community made up of empowered young women. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2916}
{"speech_id":1090002829,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"IHM has been successful both academically and in its extracurricular activities. Athletic successes include a State championship in basketball in 1987. The students of IHM have been involved in many other extracurricular activities such as Model United Nations and Students Against Drunk Driving. In 1996. IHM received the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Award in recognition of their academic superiority. IHM is the only allwomen school in the State of Illinois to receive this award. The schools president. Karen Ristau. has led a dedicated staff of approximately 30 teachers and administrators in fulfilling IHMs motto: \"Every student has the need to become what she has the ability to become.\" I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to both Ms. Ristau and the entire staff of IHM for their years of dedication to the education of young women in Illinois. The community. current students. and past graduates are grateful for the commitment of the administration and staff. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2916}
{"speech_id":1090002829,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By deciding to open its doors to women next fall. St. Joseph High School has offered the students of IHM the opportunity to continue striving for academic excellence in a Catholic environment right next door. These two high schools have always shared a special relationship in which students from both schools have shared some specialized classes and extracurricular activities. As a result of this relationship. the transition into creating a coeducational environment should be relatively smooth. For any of the remaining 238 students who choose not to attend St. Joseph High School in a coeducational environment. IHM officials and counselors will help them and their parents to clhoose an alternative school. Although IHM is closing its doors. it has left an indelible mark on todays world through the actions and successes of its graduates. It will be sorely missed by the community and by the entire Illinois 7th Congressional District.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2916}
{"speech_id":1090002850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from New York for this Special Order. and I rise to make a fervent appeal. Social Security should be a nonnegotiable part of a democratic society in America. I must appeal and beg the White House and the Republican majority in the House and the Senate to end the torture of millions of Americans. Right now they are going through torture. Torture is a .correct word. A cruel psychological torture is being executed every day when we launch these overt attacks. assaults on Social Security. People are fearful. I feel the pain and fear of the millions who are now trembling under this barrage of Republican propaganda which attacks Social Security. uses trick words and booby trap concepts that frighten people a great deal. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9363}
{"speech_id":1090002850,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not reform. It is the destruction of Social .Security as we know it which is being attempted. Social Security must be made as permanent as the United States Constitution. Social Security represents a high expression. of compassion. It is a massive and systematic application of collective compassion. It works. It is not a perfectly administrated program. Nothing is perfect. But it has made possible a helping hand in a systematic way to more people than any other program ever conceived by any government. Social Security is a Democratic Party creation. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9363}
{"speech_id":1090002850,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fortunately. we heard our colleague previously talk about how Social Security evolved out of State programs. It is a Democratic Party creation because it was greatly resisted by the Republican Party from the very beginning. It is important to note this fact and have people understand in this generation at this particular time that Social Security was not created by magic. There was a certain kind of moral dedication and political determination that was necessary in order to create Social Security. Moral dedication. Morality in the truest sense of the word. Morality: Caring for the lives of people. Morality: Wanting to make that part of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence which talks about the pursuit of happiness. wanting to make it a reality for the poorest people. So it is probably the greatest act of morality of our government. the one that impacts on the most lives over history. over time. than any other. So when we speak of moral values. let us remember it was the Democrats who created Social Security. the Franklin Roosevelt administration. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9363}
{"speech_id":1090002850,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was the Democrats who later created Medicare and Medicaid. The great disciple of Franklin Roosevelt. Lyndon Johnson clearly understood that government is not on peoples back when government takes steps to organize systems which allow people to pursue happiness. allows the elderly to be part of the process of pursuing happiness. allowing all people to have reasonable health care. no matter how poor they are. Medicaid and Medicare are under attack also as well as Social Security. America today must appreciate that maybe there were miracles involved. but they were not from heaven. I assure you. There were miracles that took place in this city. in Washington. There were miraeles that took place on the floor of the House and the Senate. There were miracles that took place in the White House to make Social Security a reality. We do not want to lose this reality. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9363}
{"speech_id":1090002850,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want it to continue to be an expression of our moral values at the very highest. I feel the fear of millions of people. but I also first feel the fear of individuals that I know. The senior citizens whose faces I look into. they are frantic. Because the way in which we have approached this problem is to first stampede people into the feeling it is doomed. it is about to go over the cliff. that any day now that they will cut off Social Security checks. We did not mean to make it quite that dramatic. but for a poor person. a senior who has no other income. no other income. and there are millions who have no other income except Social Security. for them to face a situation where they hear on the radio. they see on television the talking heads talking about the need to privatize Social Security. privatize to them means the government is not running it. and they do not trust private individuals. There are all sorts of scenarios running through the heads of people who are dependent upon Social Security. So I feel the fear directly. I feel the fear because I know people who cannot make it any other way without Social Security. and they think that any day now they are going to be without it. This stampede is a kind of terror. It is unnecessary terror. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9363}
{"speech_id":1090002860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight to discuss an issue that is of paramount importance to the people of the Third District of Missouri and across this country. Social Security. For over 60 years. Social Security has provided a dependable and predictable income for retired or disabled workers. their dependents and their survivors. In my St. Louis area district alone. there are over 100.000 Social Security beneficiaries. many who have contacked me. For those people. this debate is vital. Changes made to Social Security will affect not only their lives but also their families. neighbors and communities. ","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2115}
{"speech_id":1090002860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must take every necessary precaution to protect this vital program and prevent it from being undermined by risky privatization schemes that would weaken the very foundation of Social Security. As we all know. the President has proposed a system of private accounts. He claims that these private accounts will solve the socalled Social Security crisis. The Social Security system is not in crisis. While the program faces many challenges. it will be financially viable for at least the next half a century. According to our own Congressional Budget Office. this is a manufactured crisis created to help sell a privatization plan. The Presidents plan will not help preserve the benefits for those people who depend on them the most. The practical effect of the Presidents plan is that guaranteed benefits will be cut in half over the life of a retiree. That is not acceptable. A system subject to private fees. investment risk. and massive increases to our national debt is not acceptable. .Social Security supports and protects families across this Nation. ","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2115}
{"speech_id":1090002860,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a family insurance program. not an investment scheme. It has reduced poverty in America and given a guaranteed source of income to those who need it most. Let us keep the solid foundation of Social Security and look to encourage supplemental savings plans to further strengthen the retirement security of Americans. Privatization is a gamble Americans cannot afford to take. Let us keep Social Security safe and oppose misguided privatization plans.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2115}
{"speech_id":1090002868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would continue to yield. I think that is exactly the point. that in Afghanistan. despite the abject poverty. the lack of infrastructure. the brutality that they lived under for decades. and we forget how brutal the Taliban regime really was and how oppressive. despite those things and despite 7 years of drought. which would be crippling anywhere. we know the pain that we feel in our country when we have years of drought. the country of Afghanistan is just devastated. Even. with .that. the.tribal warlords are coming on board with the new national government. They are turning in their arms. and we saw tanks and armored personnel carriers and missile launchers and weapons of all types that were left over from their conflict with the former Soviet Union being turned in. So if we compare it with Iraq. which is comparatively modern in its infrastructure. it is not what we would accept. but compared to Afghanistan it is striking. We were flying around in Iraq. We would fly over. big power lines. the same kinds that we have here. They just do not exist in Afghanistan. So Iraq with its mighty rivers. the Tigress and the Euphrates. with its extensive oil resources. with an infrastructure which is at least a start. it is in a much better position. going in position. than is in Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2107}
{"speech_id":1090002868,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So. all those features and the proximity to a contemporary organized culture has really inspired the Iraqi people to step up and realize their freedom. As the gentleman from Georgia knows. these men and women are more than aware of the dangers that are surrounding their democratic efforts. but they believe that the promise of liberty is a worthy goal. There is a wonderful picture in the newspaper. and I saw it on television. of an Iraqi woman who is looking in the camera and raising her hand in the sign of victory with the ink. the indelible ink. on her finger that shows that she voted. We need to remember that that does not wash off. That is the purpose of the ink. And the ink on her finger identifies her as someone who defied the intimidation and went to the polls.","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2107}
{"speech_id":1090002878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the right honorable gentleman from Georgia . I consider it a privilege to call him a friend and colleague. and I appreciate the time. Mr. Speaker. to address a couple of issues here together. First of all. we know 2 days ago the cradle of civilization took initial steps towards becoming a democracy. Citizens of Iraq. which today includes parts of the former Mesopotamia and Babylon. cast ballots as free people to elect their own leaders. We must join the rest of the world and salute the extraordinary courage it took for these people to cast their votes. Each of them had to endure adverse conditions and the threats of death to go to the polls. stand in line and let their voices be heard. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7582}
{"speech_id":1090002878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The people of America and the free world should be inspired. As with the words paraphrased from Les Miserables. \"We should hear their spirits sing as it is the music of a people who will not be slaves again.\" They have joined in the fight that secures them the right to be free. These brave souls have ventured out in sheer defiance of terrorists and insurgents who want to harm them and keep them enslaved. I join the rest of the world as we salute them. the brave voters of Iraq. In sharp contrast. right here in this democratic Republic. where hundreds of thousands have sacrificed their lives and millions more have sacrificed so much to secure our right to be a free people. we have a group of Democratic Senators who know the sacrifice it took to secure that right and obligation. They know the words they spoke in an oath sworn to God. with history and citizens watching. to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. They know the Constitution mandates they vote on the nominations to Federal courts. those nominations made by the President. Yet they fail and refuse to do their sworn obligations. and it is as if they never intended to keep their oaths when they were sworn. . Not only has this group intentionally failed to follow their sworn oaths. they have taken the job of questioning good. honorable and decent people and turned it into abusive inquisitions. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7582}
{"speech_id":1090002878,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These Senators would never tolerate these unfair inquisitions if they were treated in the same manner. Many of these nominees have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and have worked hard to become the top in their field. There are nominees who have lived ethical. moral. honorable lives. yet they are brutalized and had their lives publicly smeared and demeaned in the most vile and disgusting manner. In the ancient Roman Empire. Christians were thrown to the lions. but many were at least allowed to fight back. When a conservative or a moderate Christian Hispanic or African American nominee is dragged before the Democratic Senators inquisition. they are not allowed to fight. back. These are nominees who have never been accused of cheating in college or plagiarizing speeches or surgically changing their appearance or being involved in the death of fellow partygoers. These are decent people who are who they are and who they appear to be. and they deserve better treatment. These folks have not lied under oath by completely refusing to do their sworn duty. These nominees have simply agreed to subject themselves to the torture chamber of the certain Democratic Senators in order to try to help this Nation. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7582}
{"speech_id":1090002878,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The judicial nominees only wish to help the Nation without legislating from the bench. and they believe in the true intentions of our Founders. Having been a district judge and a chief justice. I know some of the nominees that the President has made over the years. They have been attacked and stymied. and I believe what has been done to them is simply unconscionable. Were the attacks made out in the civilian sector. those nominees. some of them. would certainly be entitled to huge verdicts by juries who would understand the malice. Some nominees have had their lives put on hold for years while some Democratic Senators not only refuse to follow their oath but do all they can to block others from keeping their oaths. When one Democratic Senator was chairman of the Judiciary Committee in 1992. the average length of time to get a vote before the Senate after being nominated was basically very short months. This same Senator wrote to nominees saying basically he would not play politics with their nominations. Then he turned right around and played politics. dragged out such hearings and votes for nearly a year. at which time the nominations died when the President was defeated in November 1992.. Now those certain Democrats have effectively prevented votes on qualified nominees such as that of Priscilla Owen. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7582}
{"speech_id":1090002878,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Carolyn Kuhl. Charles Pickering. Miguel Estrada. Henry Saad. David McKeague and Terrance Boyle. not for months but for years. Those were all nominated. and I mentioned. in 2001. Miguel Estrada could wait no longer and finally had to withdraw. In fact. my law school classmate. Justice Priscilla Owen. was one of those who was nominated for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That was on May 9. 2001. and then she was coldly and callously left without the constitutionally required vote for over 31\/2 years. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7582}
{"speech_id":1090002906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. the effect of that policy is very clear. It means longer deployments. more time away from home. and a further strain on our entire military. It is no secret that some of our soldiers are hit especially hard by this news. I am talking. of course. about our Guard and Reserve soldiers who have already faced extended deployments and long stretches away from their jobs. away from their homes. away from their families. We honor all of our troops serving overseas. but I am very concerned that these Guard and Reserve soldiers are not receiving some basic services and help that they have earnedbasic services and help they most certainly deserve. Last week I reintroduced legislation to increase services and benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves when they are called to active duty. I offered this Guard and Reserve Enhancement Benefits Act last year to expand health care. education. financial benefits. and family assistance to help ease the burden on our Guard members and their families. We made some progress in the Senate last year. but those important provisions were never signed into law. Now. in this new Congress. we have another opportunity to provide for our Guard men and women. our reservists. and all their families. This coincides with the introduction of S. 11. the first Democratic bill for this Congress. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11593}
{"speech_id":1090002906,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the first Democratic bill of this Congress to help increase. protections for our troops and Reserve members. Thousands of citizen soldiers from across my home State of Washington have been called to active duty over the past 2 years. These very brave men and women and their families deserve the same support that other military units receive when they sacrifice to serve our country. My bill tells Guard and Reserve members across America that we are committed to providing them and their families with the health. financial. and social support services necessary to get through this difficult time. According to the Pentagon. 239.000 National Guard members have been called to active duty. Currently. 192.500 Guard and Reserve members are serving on active duty as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Thousands of Washington State Guard members have been activated over the past 2 years. This is the largest activation since World War II. Hundreds of Washington State reservists have also been activated. and 150 local Marine Corps reservists will soon be deployed to Iraq as part of the Yakimabased Bravo Company 4th Tank Battalion. That is why this legislation is so important at this time. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11593}
{"speech_id":1090002906,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As many other Members. I have sat and talked to our reservists as they have been called up. and I have talked with their families who have been left behind. It is critical that we provide the support and services they need so they can do this important job that this couitry has asked them to do. My legislation would begin by extending the current Family and Medical Leave Act protections to the spouses of guardsmen and reservists called to extended active duty. This is really important. The families who are left behind are struggling as single parents to try to raise their family. They should not have to worry about losing their jobs ahd their income when their loved one is sent overseas. So the first part of our bill simply extends the Family and Medical Leave Act protections so these spouses who are left behind can take care of the issues they need to take care of as their spouse is called overseas. Second. it provides childcare assistance grants to parents or guardians of dependents of guardsmen and Reservists called to active duty. This is really important. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11593}
{"speech_id":1090002906,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most of these Guard and Reserve members are not on a base. so they dont have access to childcare facilities that Regular Army and other people have on the base. They are out in our communities. across my State and across this country. So child care is especially important to them when their spouses are sent overseas and they are left with how to deal with child carean issue that is always critical to families. It becomes extremely critical when you lose half of your family. when they go to a place that cant help with child care. Childcare assistance grants are an important part of our package. My bill also expands tile GI bill for members of the Guard and Reserves who are called to active duty for 12 consecutive months or 24 months out of a 60month period. This is something that is really important. When we send these men and women overseas to serve. they should have access to the GI bill when they return so they can enhance their own lives and get a job and be productive members of our society. Next. our bill provides relief from interest and defers payments of unsubsidized student loans. I met with Reserve members before they left. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11593}
{"speech_id":1090002906,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many of them were students or were just finishing college. and they were extremely worried about how they were going to pay their student loans while they were deployed. or when they returned before they would be able to get back into the job market and have a steady income. We put special help in our bill for these men and women who serve us by providing relief from interest and defer payments of unsubsidized student loans so they can \u0095S684 get their lives back together when they care challenges? How do we get return before they start to pay back through this? their obligation. I think it is important that this year Next. our bill requires any college re- we enact into legislation assurance for ceiving Federal funds to offer students the family members of those who serve returning from activeduty service re- overseas that their family left behind admission without penalty or addi- will have access to TRICARE and tional fees. health care. You can imagine. if you are in col Tours of duty are being extended and lege attending classes and you are new units are being deployed. I believe called up to serve your country as a we have an obligation to ease the burmember of the Guard and Reserve. you den for these Guard and Reserve famiare concerned that when you return lies. you will not be able to get back into Supporting our troops means more that school and finish the college de- than just passing multibilliondollar gree that you started. Our bill provides supplemental appropriations bills assurance to these students who have whenever the President asks. Supbeen called up that they will be re- porting our troops must also mean that admitted into any college that receives we look after the soldier and his fainFederal funds. so they will know when ilys wellbeing back at home. It means they return that they can continue ensuring they get quality education. it their lives. means ensuring they get good health Next. we reduce the age for members care. and it means access to a job. and of the Guard and Reserve to receive re- childcare for their families. tirement pay. This is a critical issue I have spoken many times on this for many of our Guard and Reserve floor and in every corner of my State families who face extreme hardship as about the need to take care of. our their family member serves overseas. troops. Oftentimes. that means We want to make sure they can receive supplementing our floundering vetretirement pay at an age that benefits erans care system. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11593}
{"speech_id":1090002911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I today to express our Nations deepest thanks and gratitude to a special young man and his family. I recently received word that on January 26. 2005. Marine SSgt Brian Bland of Newcastle. WY died in the line of duty while serving his country in the war on terrorism. SSgt Bland was killed. along with 30 of his brothers in arms when the CH 53E Super Stallion helicopter they were iiding in crashed in western Iraq. The Marines were on their way to provide security operations for the recent Iraqi elections. SSgt Bland was member of 1st Battalion. 3rd Marine Regiment out of Hawaii. He grew up in Newcastle and joined the Marine Corps after graduating from high school there in 1995. he had reenlisted twice. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2390}
{"speech_id":1090002911,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He held a profound sense of duty and knew he was doing the right thing. telling family members shortly before the crash that he felt good about what he was doing in Iraq. He was very proud of being a Marine and had planned to stay in the service until he retired. He is remembered as one who enjoyed motorcycles and was friendly to everyone. and he took every opportunity to return to visit family and friends in Wyoming and South Dakota. Because of people like Brian Bland we continue to live safe and free. Americas men and women who answer the call of service- and wear our Nations uniform deserve respect and recognition for the enormous burden that they willingly bear. Our people put everything on the line everyday. and because of these folks. our Nation remains free and strong in the face of danger. The motto of the Marine Corps is \"Semper Fidelis.\" It means \"Always Faithful.\" Through his selfless and courageous sacrifice. Staff Sergeant Brian Bland lived up to those words with great honor in that he willingly gave the last full measure so that others could live in freedom and liberty. SSgt Bland is survived by his wife Stacey. his mother Beverly and stepfather Mark. his brother Jeremy. his grandmother Emma Lee. and his brothers of the United States Marine Corps. We say goodbye to a husband. a son. a brother. a Marine. and an American. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2390}
{"speech_id":1090002911,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our Nation pays its deepest respect to SSgt Brian Bland for his courage. his love of country and his sacrifice. so that we may remain free. He was a hero in life and he remains a hero in death. All of Wyoming. and indeed the entire Nation. is proud of him. So from one Marine to another. SSgt Bland. Semper Fi.","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2390}
{"speech_id":1090002925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are proceeding at the moment to the nomination of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General of the United States of America. He had served as a judge on the Supreme Court of Texas and has been commonly referred to as Judge Gonzales. which I shall do during the course of my presentation. Judge Gonzales. 49. comes to this nomination to be the chief law enforcement officer of the United States with an extraordinary record. He was one of eight children. sharing a tworoom living quarters with their parents. They had no hot water. no telephone. He pursued an academic career. first at the military academy. then at Rice University. where he graduated. and then at the Harvard Law School. He went into the private practice of law and then was asked by thenGovernor George Bush to work with him in the Governors office. Judge Gonzales then. as noted. was a justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. With the election of Governor Bush to the White House. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12087}
{"speech_id":1090002925,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Judge Gonzales has been White House Counsel for the last 4 years. It is not irrelevant to note that Judge Gonzales would be the first Hispanic to be Attorney General of the United States. That is quite a dramatic rise in the legal community. When I was elected district attorney of Philadelphia some time ago. in 1965. there was not a single Hispanic lawyer in Philadelphia. At that time. I made an effort of outreach to bring minority representation into the district attorneys office as assistants and could not find a single Hispanic. So there has been a great deal of progress. Now there are Hispanic Federal judges in Philadelphia. State court judges. city solicitors. prominent attorneys. but Judge Gonzales would be the first Hispanic to be Attorney General of the United States. if confirmed. He will bring. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12087}
{"speech_id":1090002925,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think. a unique perspective because of his minority status. I think he would have a broader view. a different view on civil rights. We have an issue which is subject to some congressional oversight where some 762 alien detainees were rounded up after 9\/11. and according to a report by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense. there was never any showing of connection to terrorism or to alQaida or to any reason for their detention. While we know we live in a very dangerous world. there has to be some reasonit may not be as strong as probable cause for an arrest. or probable cause for search and seizure. or even sufficiency for stop and friskbut there has to be a reason for detention. That is something of which I think Judge Gonzales might have some greater perspective. Judge Gonzales. I think. also would be expected to have a broader view on the immigration laws. being Hispanic. being from Texas. seeing the kinds of problems which are present both from the point of view of stopping illegal immigrants and also from the point of view of immigrants who come to this country who seek a better way of life. Similarly. I think he might have some greater insights into voting rights. He took a position broadly viewed as divergent from the administration on affirmative action in the controversial cases involving the University of Michigan. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12087}
{"speech_id":1090002925,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Affirmative action. always a complicated. controversial subject. but one where differing views and a broader perspective is a quality that would be well served in the Attorney General of the United States. He also took a broader view on the issue of what was required on parental notification under the Texas statute. drawing opposition from some on the socalled right of the party. There again. a little different view and a little broader view reflective of his background and his own attitudes. A great deal of the hearing process on Judge Gonzales has been involved on the issue of compliance with the Geneva Convention. on compliance with the statutes of the United States which prohibit torture. A great deal has been made of a statement made by Judge Gonzales with respect to the Geneva Conventions. He has been broadly quoted on a statement that some of the Geneva Conventions limitations are obsolete or quaint. In an opinion which he circulated. he said this: In my judgment. this new paradigmreferring to what has happened after 9\/11renders obsolete Genevas strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of Its provisions. That part of the statement is the one always quoted. and the comment on \"quaint\" and the commept on \"obsolete\" have drawn a lot of criticism. But almost nowhere has there been a followup on what he was referring to. But what he said. continuing: ... renders quaint some of its provisions requiring that captured enemy be afforded such things as commissary privileges. scripi.e.. advances of monthly payathletic uniforms and scientific instruments. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12087}
{"speech_id":1090002925,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. when you see the reference here to \"items like commissary privileges.\" I dont know that that would be exactly something to be concerned about on a prisoner. or scrip or advances of monthly pay or athletic uniforms or scientific instruments. So in that context. to say it is \"quaint\". or \"obsolete\" is not to challenge the underlying provisions of the Geneva Convention on its important substantive provisions. In Judge Gonzaless statements and testimony before the Judiciary Committee. he has been very emphatic about his personal opposition to torture and about the opposition of the administration to torture. He has been emphatic on his opposition to transporting detainees to other countries which permit torture to enable detainees t6 be tortured in other countries where they could not be under the auspices of the United States. He has been explicit in articulating the view that the CIA is bound by the same rules prohibiting torture as anyone else. He has come under considerable criticism for the socalled Bybee memorandum which was issued in August of 2002. signed by Jay Bybee. then Assistant Attorney General of the United States. where the memorandum was requested so that there would be a full statement and an understanding of what the law required to comply with the statutes prohibiting torture in the United States. That memorandum was erroneous in its legal conclusions. as has been generally agreed to. and has been withdrawn by the Department of Justice. The interpretation of what constituted torture was very extreme. referring to the kind of excruciating pain and loss of bodily function. certainly not a realistic or an adequate or a definition of torture which would withstand legal analysis or legal scrutiny. The memorandum was extreme and excessive in a statement. an articulation of executive power. One example was the statement that the President of the United States had as much authority on questioning of detainees as the President had on battlefield decisions. which obviously makes no sense. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12087}
{"speech_id":1090002946,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the ranking member. I rise today to explain why I deeply regret I cannot vote to confirm Alberto Gonzales to be the next Attorney General. I believe as a general rule the President is entitled to the Cabinet of his choice. But one Department. the Department of Justice. always deserves special attention from Congress because it does not exist solely to extend the Presidents policies. Though the Attorney General serves under the President. he must independently interpret the laws as written by Congress and be truly the countrys chief law enforcement officer. I cannot emphasize this enough. The Department of Justice must be independent from the White House. The FBI must be independent. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11890}
{"speech_id":1090002946,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The U.S. attorneys must be independent. The Criminal Law Division. the Environmental Law Division. the Civil Law Division must all be independent. The Solicitor Generals Office. which argues before the Supreme Court. must be independent. The Office of Legal Counsel. which is charged with interpreting the law of the executive branch. must be independent. The Civil Rights Division must be independent. These departments are charged with nothing less than following. interpreting. and implementing the law of the United States of America. The Department of Justice is in charge of defending the Nation in court. It is in charge of advising the rest of the Government about what the law means. It is in charge of overseeing the investigations of the FBI. and it is in charge of deciding when to prosecute criminals and send them to prison. This is obviously a big portfolio. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11890}
{"speech_id":1090002946,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The head of the Department of Justice is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. As such. the Attorney General is in charge of 59 separate divisions within the Department of Justice. which cover more than 110.000 employees. In my view. before we vote to confirm to put someone in charge of all this awesome powerand it truly is awesomeit is important for us to know what that individual thinks about the major policies the Department will be implementing. And that is where I have been disappointed by the confirmation process for Judge Gonzales. When President Bush nominated Judge Gonzales. I think many of us were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. But the hearings crystallized how little we knew about his own policy views. how little we knew about his qualities for leadership. his policy views. his management style. his strength of character. and his personal beliefs in those areas where he sets the tone and the policy. I think this was a great missed opportunity. John Ashcroft served 6 years in the Senate. We knew his service on the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11890}
{"speech_id":1090002946,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We knew about his views. One could decide about his personal views. yes or no. Judge Gonzales has spent so many years serving President George Bush. If confirmed. this will be the fifth job George Bush appointed Judge Gonzales to over the past decade. The hearings were his first real opportunity to show his own views. I think this is why the hearing process became so important in many of our views. This was a crucial opportunity for Judge Gonzales. Many of us were prepared to vote for him. If there is a single issue that defines this confirmation process. it is what Judge Gonzales thinks about torture and brutal interrogation practices. * He reminded us again and again that both he and the President condemn torture. But as we know from the Bybee memo of August 2002. for at least 2 years. the Federal Government followed a definition of torture that was excessively narrow. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11890}
{"speech_id":1090002946,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. it was considered so incorrect that the Department of Justice revoked it on the eve of Judge Gonzales hearing. That memo defined torture as: Equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury. such as organ failure. impairment of bodily function. or even death. For me. in addition to its clear legal and moral importance. the issue of torture became the main way for assessing this next Attorney General. And it was very important for him to state in unambiguous terms what he thought. It was as important a way for us to assess how he approaches a problem as any. In his opening statement. Judge Gonzales offered a clear. absolute condemnation of torture. He said flatly: Torture and abuse will not be tolerated by this administration. At this point. at the beginning of his testimony. there were no ifs. ands. or buts. But after that. his testimony. both verbal and in writing. was full of ambiguities. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11890}
{"speech_id":1090002979,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fortunately. though. the letter and the way it has been described by the chairman is absolutely correct. He has been very straightforward in his description. But it does not say. and the question was asked of Mr. Gonzales and the White House. was he awarewas he. Alberto Gonzales awareof the second Bybee memo. That does not require a classified answer. It is either a \"yes\" or \"no\" and he still refused to answer yes or no.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":424}
{"speech_id":1090002994,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the Senator misunderstood me. I did not say that I was dissatisfied with what the Department of Justice had submitted. What I did was to ask them to respond to the letter which I received this morning from you and Senator DURBIN. and they responded with a letter which I have put in the RECORD where they have said that the second memo was not a memo that went to Judge Gonzales. but it was a memo that went from the Department of Justice to another client who had inquired as to what were the parameters of appropriate questioning. And the Department of Justice said that it had classified information and they would not release it and that it had been identified in previous correspondence with Senator LEAHY and that it had been the subject of a briefing of a chairman of a relevant committee on the customer client. I think all of this may boil down to a request by the- CIAI am speculating now. I want that clear for the record because that is not what the letter saidin that there was later a briefing to the chairman of the -Intelligence Committee. So the matter did not go to Judge Gonzales. and that is a reason for not making the disclosure because he did not actually receive it. But I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for letting me comment. But I had not said that I was dissatisfied with what the Dep&rtment of Justice had done.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1354}
{"speech_id":1090003002,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we have heard quite a ring of castigation against Judge Gonzales. virtually all of it misdirected. virtually all of it factually incorrect. We have heard the Senator from Massachusetts castigate the Bybee memorandum in torrid prose. claiming the Bybee memorandum was exactly wrong. He asserted that the Bybee memorandum did not have a sensible interpretation. or a legal interpretation of torture. He further claimed that the Bybee memorandum vastly overstated executive authority. and that it said the President had as much authority on the question of detainees as he did on battlefield control. These claims are palpably erroneous. The Senator from Massachusetts then cited the Goldsmith memo. and said it certainly was a smoking gun. But Judge Gonzales did not hold that gun. did not have anything to do with that gun. The Senator from Massachusetts said Judge Gonzales was sent a copy of that memorandum. During the course of Judge Gonzaless questioning by the Senator from Massachusetts. the Senator from Massachusetts never once. to my recollection. ever viewed the transcript. or said anything about the Goldsmith memorandum. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11871}
{"speech_id":1090003002,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So what we have is the castigation of Judge Gonzales for matters which were totally beyond his control. Judge Gonzales was the lawyer for the President as White House Counsel. As such. he sat in on a series of meetings. Those meetings were convened to find out what was the law on how detainees could be appropriately questioned to avoid any implication of the torture statute. When there is a determination of what the law is. -that is up to the Department of Justice. And that is what Judge Gonzales testified to. And while there appears to be instances in which the Bybee memorandum was offbase. Judge Gonzales was not involved with the drafting of that memorandum. Then when the question comes up as to what questions the detainees were going to be asked. that is a matter for the experts. As Judge Gonzales responded to questions from the Senator from Massachusetts at the hearing. it is up to the CIA and up to the Department of Defense. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11871}
{"speech_id":1090003002,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not up to the Counsel for the President. When the Senator from Massachusetts castigates Judge Gonzales for not being able to remember what happened years ago. or what conversations may have taken place. he is being unfairly critical. The Department of Justice was responsible to provide the memo. Whether it was for the CIA or the Department of Defense is something that was not recollected. but who can recollect everything that happened several years ago? When the Senator from Massachusetts castigates Judge Gonzales for not conducting a search and for not knowing certain information. he is mistaken. A search was conducted. When the Senator from Massachusetts raised that issue in the executive session. I then asked the White House to conduct a search. That search was conducted. and immediately a memorandum was circulated disclosing what that search was. When the Senator from Massachusetts. last nightI got it this morningasked for some more information from the White House. I again forwarded the request and got a reply today. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11871}
{"speech_id":1090003002,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was not a reply that the Senator from Massachusetts liked. but there has been nothing about this entire proceeding that the Senator from Massachusetts has agreed with. And that is his prerogative. He does not have to agree with it. He does not have to vote for Judge Gonzales. And he can express his views on oversight responsibilities. But there are others of us on this committee who have been here a while who understand our oversight responsibility and who have made a very strong effort to provide the information which the Senator from Massachusetts has asked for. Judge Gonzales was available to more than a dozen Members of the Senate. available to all members of the Judiciary Committeenot that all asked to see himand provided more than 250 pages of voluminous answers. So extensive were the answers that they were complimented. in effect. by the New York Times. saying it was the most comprehensive statement made as to what was the policy of the U.S. Government on these very important subjects. But aside from the rhetoric. what are the facts? What does. the testimony show? What do the documents show? Senator FEINSTEIN says she still does not understand what Judge Gonzales thinks about torture. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11871}
{"speech_id":1090003002,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. what Judge Gonzales thinks about torture he has said on quite a number of occasions. Let me remind all Senators who have to vote on this matter what Judge Gonzales said about torture. No. 1: [T]he President has said were not going to engage in torture. No. 2: The President gave a directive to the military that despite the fact that Geneva may not apply with respect to the conflict and the war on terrorism. it is that everyone should be treated humanely. No. 3. this is in the record. according to his testimony: [T]he position of the President on torture is very. very clear. and there is a clear record of this. He does not believe in torture. condone torture. has never ordered torture. and anyone engaged in conduct that constitutes torture is going to be held accountable. No. 4: All I know is that the President has said we are not going to [have] torture under any circumstances. . . . the United States has never had a policy of torture. No. 5. further testimony: Our policy is we do not engage in torture. No. 6: It is not the policy. of the administration to tolerate torture or inhumane conduct toward any person that the United States is detaining. No. 7. more testimony: The President is not going to order torture. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11871}
{"speech_id":1090003024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is that the TNI participates in training programs under both the expanded International Military Education and Training. EIMET. program and the Counterterrorism Fellowship Program. CTFP. This is the largest CTFP program currently underway anywhere in the world. Millions of dollars have been appropriated for these programs in recent years. including for the types of defense management. military justice. civil military relations. and other courses that the Senator from Missouri and I support. The TNI is participating in the EIMET program which Congress has funded at the level requested by the Bush administration. Our law also does not prevent military exercises and other contacts with the U.S. military through officer visits. educational exchanges. and port visits. Perhaps the most visible evidence of this is the U.S. military working side by side with the TNI during the ongoing humanitarian relief operations in Aceh. With respect to training. U.S. law restricts only the full restoration of regular IMET assistance until the Indonesian Government and the TNI \"are cooperating\" with the FBIs investigation into the August 31. 2002. murders of two American citizens andone Indonesian citizen. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090003024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By \"cooperating.\" we obviously mean not simply cooperating in limited ways. but fully cooperating. I am concerned with reports that the TNI may have conspired with the shooters in that case. and that the one Papuan individual who has been indicted. who is not a member of the TNI. remains at large even though his whereabouts are reportedly known to the TNI. With respect to equipment. our law does not restrict the sale of nonlethal equipment to the TNI. Specifically. with regard to spare parts for the C130s. there has been no change in U.S. law. although I am told that there may have been a relaxation of this administrations policy. Our law does not and never has prevented the sale of spare parts for these aircraft for humanitarian purposes. Over 4 years ago. when the TNI\" first requested to purchase C130 spare parts for \"search and rescue\" missions. the U.S. Ambassador and I. as well as. I am told. the Secretary of Defense. informed the Indonesians that this was not prohibited by either U.S. law or policy and that they could purchase these parts from us. For reasons the Pentagon is aware of. the TNI decided to obtain them elsewhere. The only conditions on the sale of lethal equipment are that the Indonesian Government is prosecuting and punishing members of the TNI for gross violations of human rights. and that the TNI is .(1) taking steps to counter international terrorism consistent with democratic principles and the rule of law. (2) cooperating with civilian judicial authorities and with international efforts to resolve cases of gross violations of human rights. and (3) implementing financial reforms to deter corruption. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090003024,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are good reasons for these limited conditions. The United States has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in training and equipment to the Indonesian military since the l\u00a750s. Despite the close relationship that developed between the U.S. military and the TNI over four decades. the TNI acquired a reputation for being notoriously abusive and corrupt. After the TNI murdered some 200 civilians in a cemetery in Dili. East Timor in 1992. our IMET assistance was cut off. Our relations with the TNI were further curtailed in 1999. after the independence referendum in East Timor when the TNI orchestrated widespread killings and the destruction of property. Although senior TNI officers have repeatedly vowed to support reform. they have done next to nothing to hold their members accountable for these heinous crimes. Instead. the TNI has consistently obstructed justice. I should note that these conditions do not apply to the Indonesian navy. Congress specifically exempted the navy because enhancing maritime security is a critical priority. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090003024,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are also credible reports that after 9\/11. the TNI provided support to radical Indonesian groups that have been involved in terrorism. Since 1999. restrictions on our relations with the TNI have been narrowed. and today. as I mentioned. we have a wide range of militarytomilitary activities. I am disappointed that some Pentagon officials and my friend from Missouri. rather than acknowledging the extent of the United StatesIndonesia military relationship and urging the TNI to demonstrate that it is serious about reform by meeting these reasonable conditions. have expressed support for weakening our law. Indonesias new President Yudhoyono is a career militaiy officer. He has a reputation as a reformer. and I wish him well. I have always supported substantial economic assistance to Indonesia. In fact. Senator MCCONNELL. the Chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee. and I have worked to increase this assistance. Prior to President Yudhoyonos election. there were some important reforms which reduced the TNIs influence in politics. But a key gap remains regarding justice for the victims of atrocities. including crimes against humanity. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090003024,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the focus of our law. and it is as important to Indonesia and the TNI as it is for the United States. I believe that President Yudhoyono should agree and want the TNI to make these necessary reforms. I applaud the U.S. military and the TNI for working together to bring aid to tsunami victims in Aceh. But just as our policy should promote cooperation in humanitarian operations and in counterterrorism. so should it promote respect for human rights. accountability. and the rule of law. These are fundamental to the freedom and democracy that President Bush spoke of in his inaugural address. Our law. whichwas narrowly written to provide an incentive for reform while allowing military contacts to continue. strikes the right balance.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090003029,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of the greatest domestic challenges facing our country today is the soaring cost of health care. Its a serious problem for millions of families. But when the chief income earner in a family suddenly becomes unemployed. the problem can be critical. and we give a helping hand. We give them the opportunity to continue their coverage through their employer for a reasonable period. Families who lost loved ones on September 11 deserve the same opportunity until they can land on their feet again. The Continuing Care for Recovering Families Act I am introducing today in the Senate with Senator CORZINE and Senator LAUTENBERG. and Congressman MARKEY is introducing today in the House of Representatives. recognizes that many of the September 11 families are still struggling to recover and we have an obligation to assist them. Some of the families have found ways to cover their health costs by purchasing private insurance or obtaining grant assistance on their own. For others. employers have agreed to provide coverage. For still other families. however. the safety net has fallen apart. because their coverage has expired under COBRAthe temporary lowcost continuation of coverage available under current Federal law for those who change their job. lose their job or for families that lose their chief income earner through death. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2108}
{"speech_id":1090003029,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Continuing Care for Recovering Families Act will give spouses and children of victims of September 11 the ability to purchase or continue to purchase coverage under COBRA indefinitely. as long as they enroll within 120 days after passage of the Act or 120 days after they lose their COBRA coverage. Eligibility for the program would expire only if they become eligible for Medicare. The families of September 11 have shown great courage and extraordinary resilience. But we still have much more to do to help them on their long and arduous road to recovery. and I hope very much that we can pass this legislation this year. It will only affect a small number of families. But for them. it will make a world of a difference. By Mr. STEVENS (for himself.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2108}
{"speech_id":1090003045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce the Abrupt Climate Change Research Act of 2005. This bill would authorize $10 million per year for the next six years for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. in partnership with universities across the Nation. to conduct research on abrupt climate change. The subject of climate change remains controversial. Nevertheless. I believe there is one issue on which almost everyone can agree: A great deal more scientific research is necessary in order to better understand the potential risk of abrupt climate change. Understanding and predicting climate change are enbrmous scientific challenges. The challenges are made even more difficult with the recognition that the climate system is capable of dramatic and abrupt changes. Scientists have determined that past global temperatures have swung as much as 200F within a decade. accompanied by drought in some places and catastrophic floods in other places. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5521}
{"speech_id":1090003045,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"An abrupt climate change triggered by the ongoing buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would also likely result in the redistribution of atmospheric moisture and rainfall. with substantial impact on the worlds food supplies. Unfortunately. we have no satisfactory understanding of what triggers abrupt climate changes. Both the National Academy of Sciences and the Administrations Strategic Climate Change Science Plan identify abrupt climate change as a key priority for additional research. In a 2002 report. the National Academy of Sciences stated that \"Large. abrupt climate changes have repeatedly affected much or all of the Earth.\" Furthermore. the report stated that \"abrupt climate changes are not only possible but likely in the future. potentially with large impacts on ecosystems and societies.\" The report noted that were not doing nearly enough to identify even the threat of abrupt climate change. My bill would lay the framework and provide the funds for the United States to understand and address abrupt climate change. One reason this funding is so urgent is that were rapidly losing one of the greatest sources of information: Ice cores from glaciers. The University of Maines Climate Change Institute has one of the best abrupt climate change research programs in the world. The Climate Change Institute uses ice cores from glaciers and ice sheets around the world to make discoveries that change the way we think about climate change. Unfortunately. numerous glaciers around the world are melting. and when they go. we lose the very record that has given us so much of this. critical climatic history. I recently had the opportunity to see for myself how scientists are able to use glaciers and ice sheets to understand climate change. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5521}
{"speech_id":1090003045,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In August. I traveled with Senators McCAIN. SUNUNU. and others to the northernmost community in the world. We visited NyAlesund on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. Located at 79 degrees north. NyAlesund lies well north of the Arctic Circle and is much closer to the North Pole than to Oslo. the countrys capital. It has even served as a starting point for several polar expeditions. although thankfully. Senator MCCAIN did not include an attempt to reach the North Pole on our itinerary. The scientists we met with told us that the global climate is changing more rapidly now than at any time since the beginning of civilization. They further state that the region of the globe changingmost rapidly is the Arctic. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5521}
{"speech_id":1090003045,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The changes are remarkable and disturbing. In the last 30 years. the Arctic has lost seaice cover over an area 10 times as large as the State of Maine. In the summer. the change is even more .dramatic. with twice as much ice loss. The ice that remains is as much as 40 percent thinner than it was just a few decades ago. In addition to disappearing seaice. Arctic glaciers are also rapidly retreating. In NyAlesund. Senator MCCAIN and I witnessed massive blocks of ice falling off glaciers that had already retreated well back from the shores where they once rested. The melting of glaciers and sea ice. the thawing of permafrost. and the increases in sea levels resulting from warming are already beginning to cause environmental. social. and economic changes. Indeed. the social and economic disruption resulting from climate change is already evident in a number of regions throughout the Arctic. including Alaska. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5521}
{"speech_id":1090003045,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some coastal communities in Alaska are facing increased exposure to storms and coastal erosion as a reduction in sea ice allows higher wav es and storm surges to reach shore. In other areas. thawing ground is disrupting transportation. buildings. and other infrastructure. Some indigenous communities are already facing .the prospect of relocating. If these changes were to be compounded with an abrupt climate change on the scale seen in our climatic history. the result could be devastating. I know that my colleague. the chairman of the Commerce Committee and senior Senator from Alaska. is very concerned about how Arctic climate changes are affecting his State. I know he recognizes that more research funding is necessary in order to understand future climate changes. I look forward to working with Chairman STEVENS. Ranking Member INOUYE. and other members of the Commerce Committee to address this extremely important issue in the 109th Congress. I am grateful to my cosponsors. Senators CANTWELL. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5521}
{"speech_id":1090003055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this resolution would designate August 7. 2005 as \"National Health Center Week\" in order to raise awareness of health services provided by community. migrant. public housing. and homeless centers. I hope my colleagues will join me in cosponsoring this important resolution and I look forward to its passage in the Senate.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090003189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise this morning to speak about a man whose life and career embody principles that are uniquely. and proudly. American. He is the grandson of immigrants whoovercame language and cultural barriers to carve out an existence through manual labor and faith. Through his commitment to education. his firm belief in the law. and a dedication to public service. he has risen to the top of his profession and now seeks to serve his country at the highest level. Mr. President. I rise this morning to speak about Alberto Gonzales and to urge bipartisan support for his confirmation as Attorney General of the United States. Alberto Gonzaless qualifications speak for themselves. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3449}
{"speech_id":1090003189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He is a graduate of Harvard Law. He served as Secretary of State for the State of Texas and as a justice on Texas Supreme Court before being named White House Counsel by President Bush in 2001. Mr. Gonzales was recently inducted into the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alumni Hall of Fame and has been honored with the Good Neighbor Award from the United StatesMexico Chamber of Commerce. Henry Cisneros. the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. calls Alberto Gonzales a person of sterling character and says that Mr. Gonzaless confirmation by this body will be part of Americas steady march toward liberty and justice for all. It is a march. that. for Alberto Gonzales. started in a twobedroom house shared by ten people with no hot running water or telephone. But what Alberto Gonzales and his family lacked in comfort they made up for in vision and hard work. Alberto was the first person in his family to go to college. He served in the United States Air Force and attended the United States Air Force Academy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3449}
{"speech_id":1090003189,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But Alberto Gonzales is about more than an impressive r6sum6. Each experience in his life has prepared him for the great honor of serving as the next Attorney General of the United Statesa job he is extremely qualified for and a job that I know he will perform with honor and dignity. As the Nations chief law enforcement officer. Alberto Gonzales will take the lessons from his positions as Counsel to the President. Texas Supreme Court Justice. Texas Secretary of State. and General Counsel to the Governor and work to protect Americans from terrorism while protecting our Constitutional rights. He will also work to reduce crime. reform the FBI. and protect Americans from discrimination. Alberto Gonzales has come a long way since his days growing up in Humble. Texas. He has accomplished so much. but he has never forgotten from where he came. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3449}
{"speech_id":1090003189,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has been committed to the Latino community throughout his career. and they have recognized him for his community service and the impact he has made. Today. many of the largest national Latino organizations are standing in staunch support of his nomination and looking forward with great anticipation to the swearingin of the first Latino Attorney General for the United States. For Alberto Gonzales. the march toward liberty and justice started in Humble. TX. and continued through many ambitious goals. Alberto Gonzales has defied the odds and surpassed expectations time and time again. His successes have created a foundation that will serve our Nation well and inspire a new generation to aspire and conquer. I urge my colleagues to join me as we continue the march toward liberty and justice by voting to confirm Alberto Gonzales as the next Attorney General of the United States.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3449}
{"speech_id":1090003267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Angel Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act. with Senator BOXER as an original cosponsor. This legislation authorizes the use of up to $15 million in Federal funds for ongoing efforts to restore and preserve the Angel Island Immigration Station located on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. I understand that Congresswoman LYNN WOOLSEY is introducing similar legislation in the House. In the 108th Congress. Congresswoman WOOLSEYs Angel Island bill passed the House. The Angel Island Immigration Station is an important piece of American history. especially to our Nations Asian American and immigrant communities. From the mid 19th to early 20th century. millions of people came to America in pursuit of the American dream. Most people are familiar with Ellis Island and the stories of immigrants coming to America and \u00a7eeing the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. but often forgotten are the experiences of those who made it to America through the West Coast by way of Angel Island. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090003267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just like those who came through Ellis Island. there are many stories of triumph and tribulation associated with Angel Island. However. for the Chinese and those from other Asian countries who came through Angel Island Immigration Station the story goes a bit further. The economic downturn in the 1870s brought political pressures to deal with the increasing population of Chinese who risked everything to travel to \"Gold Mountain\" in search of a better life. Amongst the harshest of measures taken was the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. the only legislation enacted by Congress to ban a specific ethnic population from entry into the United States. To enforce this new law and subsequent legislation which excluded most Asian immigrants to this country. the Angel Island Immigration Station was established in 1910. After a difficult journey across the Pacific Ocean. many new arrivals were brought to the Station where they faced separation from their family. embarrasging medical examinations. grueling interrogations and long detainments that lasted months. even years. in living deplorable conditions. Testaments to these experiences can be found today on the wooden walls of the barracks. Many of the detainees told their stories through poems that they carved on the barrack walls. Using allegories and historical references. they described their aspirations for coming to America as well as expressed their anger and sadness at the treatment they received. However. this experience did not break the spirit of these new courageous immigrants. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090003267,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They endured and established new roots and made immeasurable contributions to this nation. The Station was closed in 1940 and three years later Congress repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act. For the next 20 years the Station remained mostly unused except for a short term during World War II. when it was used as a prisoner of war camp. In 1963. Angel Island became a State park and the California Department of Parks and Recreation assumed stewardship of the Immigration Station. In the late 1990s. the Station was a declared a National Historic Landmark and named on \"Americas 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.\" In 1998. Congress approved $300.000 to conduct a study to determine the feasibility and desirability of preserving sites within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) which includes the Immigration Station. As a result. a historic threeparty agreement was created between the National Park Service. California Department of Parks and the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation to conduct this study. In 2000. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090003267,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Save Americas Treasures named the Angel Island Immigration Station one of its Official Projects and provided $500.000 for the preservation of poems carved into the walls. The Station is supported by the people of California as well as numerous private interests. The voters of California voted in 2000 to set aside $15 million for restoration of the Station through Proposition 12 and in addition approximately $1.1 million in private funds has been raised so far. Most recently. in December 2004. the California Cultural and Historical Endowment Board voted to reserve $3 million pending further staff findings for the Immigration Station. The legislation limits Federal funding to 50 percent the total funds from all sources spent to restore the Angel Island Immigration Station. The remaining money will be provided through State bond funding and raised through private means. making this a true public private partnership. Today. approximately 200.000 visits are made each year to Angel Island by ferry from San Francisco. Tiburon and Alameda. In addition. 60.000 visits are made to the Immigration Station. about half of which are students on guided tours. The resources secured so far have set in motion designing. planning and initial restoration efforts of the Immigration Station but much more is needed. particularly to save the Immigration Station Hospital building. which is deteriorating. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090003267,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill I am introducing today will authorize $15 million in Federal funding to complete the restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station so the stories of these early Americans who courageously endured the experience at the Angel Island Immigration Station will be preserved for future generations. I urge. my colleagues to support this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090003309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the state of the Union is asleep. This administration cannot account for $9 billion it controlled in Iraq for a 9month period ending last October. Wake up. America. While $9 billion went unaccounted for. the administration did not have enough money for bulletproof vests or armorplated protection for troops. It fought against increasing the combat death benefit and cut veterans benefits. Yet. for 9 months. an average of $30 million a day. totaling $9 billion. could not be accounted for by the administrations Coalition Provisional Authority. according to the Inspector General. Do we hear a grand jury stirring? Was the $9 billion stolen? Was it used for bribes for peace or rentafriend or a paid assassin program? Was it funneled elsewhere to spend money to foment chaos. disorder and violence? The administration could not find WMDs. Osama bin Laden. and now $9 billion is unaccounted for. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1111}
{"speech_id":1090003309,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They want another $80 billion. while Halliburton makes a killing on overcharges. And they want us to trust them with Social Security? I do not think so. Wake up. America. Your democracy is disappearing.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1111}
{"speech_id":1090003315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the President talks loosely and loudly of the pending crisis. the bankruptcy of Social Security. Under pessimistic assumptions. 40 or 50 years from today. Social Security might only be able to pay 75 percent. or more. of benefits. That could be described as a possible potential future problem but certainly not an immediate crisis and a long way from bankruptcy. So what does the President propose? Privatization which would actually make Social Security shortfall certain. precipitate the crisis. He would mandate a 40 percent cut in benefits. Think of it. To solve the problem. a possible reduction in benefits by 25 percent. he mandates up front a 40 percent cut. then would borrow $2 trillion. put that on the back of the taxpayers and future workers so people could gamble possibly to try and make up that shortfall through privatized accounts and most probably would fail. What a deal. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":975}
{"speech_id":1090003315,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us get real about it. Let us fix Social Security. not destroy it.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":975}
{"speech_id":1090003323,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Social Security must be fixed. It is not a question of whether to do it or how to do it. It is a question of when we do it. Because unless we act now. those workers that are 20 years old now. in their mid20s. when they retire. the system is going to be bankrupt. In the 1950s when current retirees were young workers. there were 16 workers supporting every one retiree. Now there are only 3.3 workers per retiree and by 2040 there are only going to be two workers per retiree. President Bush will outline his ideas to fix Social Security tonight during his State of the Union Address. It is an issue so important to the future of America. to my grandmother as well as future generations of Americans. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1139}
{"speech_id":1090003323,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must act boldly. and our President tonight will outline his strategy for a lasting solution. not a temporary fix. We must maintain our commitment to those that are at or near retirement age while allowing younger workers such as myself to get a better return on their Social Security investment. Mr. Speaker. Social Security must be fixed. and it is this Congress and this President this year -that will take on this task.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1139}
{"speech_id":1090003342,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the gentleman from California and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. RosLEHTINEN) for bringing forward this resolution. I particularly want to acknowledge the gentleman from California and his extraordinary leadership on human rights issues in this body and thank him for his continued commitment in the Middle East. I also want to thank the gentleman from Missouri and the gentleman from Maryland for sponsoring this resolution. I had the opportunity to travel with our distinguished whips in December to Israel and the West Bank and talk to the leaders in that region. We all have reason to be optimistic with the election of Mr. Abbas. We urge him to continue not only to speak out against violence but to take action to control the terrorists in that region. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1320}
{"speech_id":1090003342,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also want to congratulate Mr. Sharon. the Prime Minister of Israel. for his disengagement. commitment in withdrawing from the Gaza and parts of the West Bank. He is showing real leadership and commitment in that area. Mr. Speaker. this resolution speaks to the commitment of this country to continue to be an active leader for peace in the Middle East. We know it is important not only for that region but for U.S. interests as well. and I congratulate all that are responsible for bringing this resolution forward today.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1320}
{"speech_id":1090003386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to thank Chairman HYDE. Ranking Member LANTOS. Congresswoman RoSLEHTINEN. and Congressman MCCOTTER for initiating this resolution urging the European Union to maintain its arms embargo on the Peoples Republic of China. I rise today to give my strong support to this resolution. The arms embargo we are discussing today was placed on the Peoples Republic of China in response to the massacre at the Tiananmen Square on June 4. 1989. That singular event succinctly demonstrated the oppression of- those who suffer under a closed society like the PRC. They suffered on that fateful day at the hands of a brutal suppression. I urge our European friends to uphold their principled stand against arms sales as they opposed arming Eastern Germany and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. At that time it was the safety of Europe that hung in the balance. Now it is the peace and stability of the AsiaPacific region that is at stake. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090003386,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gathering of students and peaceful protesters at Tiananmen Square that summer represented a value we in this country hold dear: the right to freely assemble. If you believe in that freedom. then dont lift the embargo. Let us remember the graphic image of the lone protester stopping a line of Peoples Liberation Army tanks on a Beijing highway. How will the governments of Europe explain that the next time this occurs the Peoples Liberation Army could be using French or German tanks to quell a protest for democracy? _ One member of the PRC government recognized the plight of the Chinese people on that fateful day and had the courage to admit that the brutal suppression was a shameful tragedy. General Secretary Zhao Ziyang was then stripped of power and placed under house arrest until his recent passing. It is forbidden to discuss his heroism in China. but here on the floor of Congress we can be candid because we enjoy the right to free speech that the people of China do not. In his memory. I urge the good nations. of Europe to recognize that the work begun by the protesters at Tiananmen is not done. I admit that I have personal interest in keeping the arms embargo in place. The Peoples Republic of China has had a history of aggressive military acquisition. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090003386,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These forces may someday threaten our allies in the AsiaPacific region. It was only recently that a Chinese submarine was detected circling our island. I urge the leaders of Europe to look beyond their own selfinterest and consider the cause of freedom in making their decision concerning the arms embargo. To this end. I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of House Resolution 57. to urge the European Union to maintain its arms embargo on the Peoples Republic of China.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090003403,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. insurgents in Iraq this weekend had vowed to wash the streets in blood. Yet. despite all their threats of people who were going to get killed and places that were going to be bombed. and indeed 48 people were killed. despite all that. voters turned out. of course. in record numbers because the election itself was a record. One voter said on Sunday that each vote was a bullet in the heart of the enemy. We are defeating the terrorists in coming here. he said proudly. as he dipped his finger in the famous purple ink. This was done in over 30.000 polling places. And now the votes are being counted. When we look at the turnout. nearly 60 percent. we are not really sure what the turnout officially is. but compare that to the United States presidential election just this November of a 60.7 percent voter turnout. Yet no one was threatened to be killed. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2523}
{"speech_id":1090003403,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That was the highest turnout in the United States of America in 38 years. Indeed. in my home county in Savannah. Georgia. Chatham County had a turnout of a mere 48 percent 2 years ago when we elected the Governor of Georgia. So for them under these circumstances to have a 60 percent voter turnout. it is phenomenal. but it is also a huge statement on how badly people want freedom. how badly they want to throw off the shackles of oppression. and how they value the opportunity to vote. The U.S. Marines said that watching voters go to the polls was a spectacular and a wonderful payoff of the magnitude of the wellvisualized photo of their knocking down Saddam Husseins statue 2 years ago in Baghdad. And the people who died. the 43 lives who are no longer with us. they should all be remembered along with the other heroes who made the day possible. We owe them a debt of gratitude. It took the United States of America 7 years to fight the Revolutionary War to win its independence- from Britain. and then it was not until 1789 that we threw out the Articles of Confederation and wrote our own Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2523}
{"speech_id":1090003403,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And yet we fought a Civil War since then and we have had lots of struggles and lot of amendments to our Constitution. Indeed. over 200 years later. we are still fighting and working on this experiment that we call democracy. representative democracy. What the world needs to do right now is to support Iraq in this endeavor. It is time for folks around the globe to say this did serve as a referendum and a statement. now let us reach out and do what we can to help Iraq become independent.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2523}
{"speech_id":1090003448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To begin. Mr. Speaker. it is absolutely backwards to decry this policy of excluding recruiters from using the facilities of a university. Let us be clear: no university can ban a recruiter from coming to that city or that town. No university can say that students will not talk to the recruiter. The question is not whether the recruiters can come and advertise. it is whether they can compel the university to offer its facilities involving a policy with which they disagree. But to say that that causes a problem in getting people in the military. it is the supporters of a policy that say to ablebodied men and women. we disapprove of your sexuality. and. therefore. no matter how talented you are. no matter how patriotic you are. no matter what skills you bring. you are not allowed here. Colin Powell. when he was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. testified before this Congress that there was no argument that gay and lesbian men and women in the military were in any way deficient as members of the military. He made it clear. The only reason for excluding them was the prejudice of others. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6465}
{"speech_id":1090003448,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was the only reason. The argument was: if you let these people in. and he said they had been good soldiers and good airmen and good sailors. it would be disruptive. Well. one. that was 15 years ago when he said that. I think society has moved some. .But. second. we have experience to the contrary. I know there have been people critical of the Israeli Defense Forces in some respects. I think theydeserve. on the whole. a lot of credit for a difficult job. In the Israeli Defense Forces. people serve who are openly gay and lesbian. So the argument that somehow allowing people who are honest about their sexuality. if they are gay or. lesbian. to serve in the military makes you an ineffectual military. how do they explain the Israeli Defense Forces? In fact. what we are again being told is that good people. able people. and we heard reference to the linguists. This has become the policy of \"Dont ask. dont tell. and by no means translate.\" You who support this policy are the ones. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6465}
{"speech_id":1090003448,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. who are depriving the armed services of ablebodied people. You are the ones who have driven thousands. literally thousands of perfectly capable men and women out of the military because you disapprove of what they do in their spare time. So then to claim that it is the universities trying to stand up for a principle that are weakening the military gets it absolutely backwards. I was also saddened. I must say. by one of the previous speakers who said he wanted to express his disdain for the universities involved. We have universities here which are trying to express their disagreement with what they believe. and I agree. but what they believe to be an unfair prejudice that singles out some of their students. I understand disagreement with that. but disdain? Disdain because people in these positions feel that their students should not be unduly stigmatized and denied this opportunity? If it is so important to have the opportunity. Mr. Speaker. should not people on the other side say. you cannot deny these young people the opportunity to serve in the military. Should you not say. you should not deny these young people the opportunity to serve in the military unless they are gay or lesbian. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6465}
{"speech_id":1090003448,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because if they are gay or lesbian. you want to deny them the opportunity to serve in the military regardless of any fault. Remember. this is one that says we just stigmatize you from the outset. There is nothing you can do. there is no degree of service you can perform. there is no sacrifice you can offer to make that will allow you to serve your country. And then we will complain because we do not have enough people to .serve in the military. And. again. literally thousands have been turnQd away.. The universities are not blocking recruitment. They cannot. They are asking for the right to stand up for principle. And now we are told by one other speaker. well. if they do not agree with the policy. you would think they would not accept the money. Please. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6465}
{"speech_id":1090003448,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would say to Members. one rule in parliamentary debate: try to avoid saying something that no one will believe. I mean. this notion that if you do not agree with a policy you should boycott the government. which is using your tax money. nobody believes that. People get taxed. and sometimes they agree and sometimes they disagree. We say to people. look. you can voice your opinion. but you cannot avoid paying the taxes. And. by the way. it is not money from the military they are seeking. Typically. what we have here are law schools. It is law schools. as people have noted. who are doing this. So people have. said. well. what about the poor people? We are not getting enough wealthy people to offset the number of poor people. Well. we are talking about lawyers who are being recruited. Frankly. the poor people are not being recruited for the Judge Advocate Generals office. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6465}
{"speech_id":1090003485,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for the distinguished way in which he has conducted the debate and also the gentleman from Alabama for sponsoring this resolution. Mr. Speaker: let us make this clear. This is not about some social issue. The real impetus for this barring of the American military from our college campuses is because of the leftwing core of administrators and professors who do not like this country. And we could substitute another protest issue for them in this thing and it would not make a bit of difference. These are the same people who in many cases had protests in favor of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Many of them protested our involvement in El Salvador. protested our bringing democracy to Nicaragua. protested our participation in the first Desert Storm in the early 1990s. and in -this recent bringing of freedom to Iraq. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1586}
{"speech_id":1090003485,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They protested all those things. They hate all things military. And the interesting aspect of this debate is that these same leftwing professors and administrators profess to let young people make up their own minds. Free thinking is theoretically their trademark. Let us have some free thinking. Let us allow the military to be on the campuses. Let us allow the students to have access to their information. and let us let them make up their own minds. There is no draft here. This is a volunteer military. They do not have to join the military. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1586}
{"speech_id":1090003485,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the idea that the leftwing professors and administrators have to protect the students from that very military that the gentleman from Florida","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1586}
{"speech_id":1090003550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs. I rise to urge my colleagues to support the gentleman from California and myself who have reintroduced H.R. 302. the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. This bill addresses a 60yearold injustice which has cut to the heart of each and every Filipino American in this Nation and which was acknowledged in the last congressional session by over 200 cosponsoring Members of Congress. many veterans service organizations. religious organizations and many State and local officials in addition. Sixty years ago. Filipino soldiers living in the Philippines. which was a territory of the United States. were drafted into service during World War II by an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. Filipino soldiers fought side by side with forces from the United States mainland. defending the American flag in the nowfamous battles of Bataan and Corrigidor. Thousands of Filipino prisoners of war died. both on the Bataan Death March and in prisoner of war camps. at the rate of 50 to 200 a day. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2503}
{"speech_id":1090003550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They endured 4 long years of occupation by the Japanese. The soldiers fortunate enough to escape capture. together with other Filipino citizens. fought guerilla war against the accupation forces. These -guerilla attacks foiled the plans of the Japanese for a quick takeover of the region and allowed the United States the needed time to regroup to defeat the invading army. .After the liberation of the Philippines. the United States used the strategically located Commonwealth of the Philippines as a base from which to launch the final efforts to win the war in the Pacific. With their vital participation so evident. one would assume that the United States would be grateful to their Filipino comrades. so it is hard to believe that soon after the war ended Congress voted in the 1946 Rescissions Act to take away the benefits and recognition that many Filipino World War II veterans were promised. These veterans are now in their eighties and in need of health care. Many are dying each year. Their last wish is to be recognized as honored veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Please support H.R. 302 to restore the rescinded benefits to Filipino World War II veterans. many of whom have now become citizens of the United States. Please cosponsor H.R. 302 to restore the dignity of Filipino World War II veterans for their defense of our common democratic ideals.","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2503}
{"speech_id":1090003764,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise. late this morning. to speak on the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to serve as the Attorney General of the United States. I would. as an initial matter. note that I know one of our colleagues came to the floor yesterday and spoke some words in Spanish in support of this nomination. And as someone who speaks Spanish. I was urged by some of my colleagues to do the same.I would not want to complicate the life of our reporters here. It is hard enough to understand us in- English from time to time. and doing so in Spanish might make things more difficult. I take great pride in the fact that I lived in a Spanishspeaking country as a Peace Corps volunteer. and that I have been a longtime member of the Senate subcommittee that concerns itself with Latin America. I understand this nomination is certainly a matter of ethnic pride to many. I understand that. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11971}
{"speech_id":1090003764,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I would further suggest that to consider this nomination as only or even principally as a matter of ethnic pride does a disservice to the Latino. the Hispanic community. As far as I can tell. members of that community are no different than people throughout our great Nation. They want to know not only who you are and what you are. but also what you think and what you believe in. They want to know if a person nominated to be this Nations chief law enforcement officer will uphold the rule of law. The outcome of this nomination at this hour is not in doubt. It appears quite likely. if not altogether certain. that Mr. Gonzales will be confirmed by the Senate of the United States as our countrys next Attorney General. So what I am about to say is of little. if any. consequence to the ultimate outcome of this particular nomination. If. in fact. this nominee is confirmed. I hope what I have to -say might have some impact on his thinking as he assumes this office. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11971}
{"speech_id":1090003764,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have asked for time to participate in this debate because of the important questions that this nomination raises. for not only this body but for our Nation. I thank the two leaders for allotting time for a full debate on these questions. I am going to oppose this nomination. I say that with deep regret. Like all or nearly all of my colleagues. I had very high hopes for this nomination when it was first announced. When Mr. Gonzales was nominated for this position several weeks ago. I didnt know a single Member who expressed any intention to vote against this nominee. That is certainly the case for this Senator. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11971}
{"speech_id":1090003764,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Howevelr. I also said at the time that I would reserve an ultimate decision until after the nomination was considered by the Judiciary Committee and put before the full Senate. In the interim. the committee chairman and ranking member have done a tremendous job of holding a careful. thorough. and substantive set of hearings. They have given members of the committee every opportunity to ask questions of the nominee. Just as importantly. if not more. they.have given every opportunity to the nominee to answer those questions fully. As many of my colleagues may know. particularly those with whom I have served over the past almost quarter of a century. I have long adhered to the practice of according Presidents great deference in their nominations of termlimited appointees. Those who campaign for and win the highest office in our land deserve to name their team to the Presidents Cabinet. Accordingly. my standard of review for nominations such as this is different than it is for lifetime appointments. There are two basic questions that must be answered. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11971}
{"speech_id":1090003764,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. does the nominee have the personal qualities required to discharge the duties of the office to which he or she has been nominated? And secondly. has the nominee demonstrated an understanding of the duties that he or she will be required to discharge if confirmed? Based on that standard of review and only that standard. I have supported overwhelmingly a number of Cabinet appointees during the quarter of a century I have served in this body. That includes nominees of this President. including the current Attorney General. as many of my colleagues may recall 4 years ago. It also includes nominees proposed by Presidents and opposed by a majority of members of my own party. including. in at least one instance. a nominee opposed by a majority of the Senate. But I have. on rare occasions. less than five in my 24 years here. through all five Presidents during that time. opposed only a handful of Cabinet nominees. including nominees supported by the majority of Members of the Senate and a majority of members of my own party. There is no question that this nominee possesses a number of admirable personal qualities. He has demonstrated considerable intellectual ability. He is an experienced and accomplished attorney. He has by all indications been a responsible member of his profession. And he has demonstrated commitment to public service. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11971}
{"speech_id":1090003766,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. a few days ago. the world watched as the seeds of democracy began to take root in Iraq. As a result of the sheer courage of the Iraqi people and the untold sacrifices of American soldiers. the success of the elections showed just how far people will go to achieve selfgovernment and rule of law. As Americans. we can take enormous pride in the fact that this kind of courage has been inspired by our own struggle for freedom. by the tradition of democratic law secured by our forefathers and enshrined in our Constitution. It is a tradition that says all men are created equal under the law and that no one is above it. That is why even within the executive branch there is an office dedicated to enforcing the law of the land and applying it to people and to Presidents alike. In this sense. the Attorney General is not like the other Cabinet posts. Unlike the Secretary of State. who is the public face of the Presidents foreign policy. or the Secretary of Education. whose job it is to carry out the Presidents education policy. the Attorney Generals job is not just to enforce the Presidents laws. it is to tell the President what the law is. The job is not simply to facilitate the Presidents power. it is to speak truth to that power as well. The job is to protect and defend the laws of freedoms for which so many have sacrificed so much. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6941}
{"speech_id":1090003766,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President is not the Attorney Generals client. the people are. And so the true test of an Attorney General nominee is whether that person is ready to put the Constitution of the people before the political agenda of the President. As such. I cannot approach this nomination for Attorney General the same way I approached that of Secretary of State Rice or Veterans Affairs Secretary Nicholson or any other Cabinet position. The standard is simply higher. Like the previous speaker. Senator DODD. I wanted to give Alberto Gonzales the benefit of the doubt when we began this process. His story is inspiring. especially for so many of uslike mewho shared in achieving the American dream. I have no question that as White House Counsel. he has served his President and his country to the best of his ability. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6941}
{"speech_id":1090003766,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But in my judgment. these positive qualities alone are not sufficient to warrant confirmation as the top law enforcement officer in the land. I had hoped that during his hearings. Judge Gonzales would ease my concerns about some of the legal advice he gave to the President. and I had hoped. he would prove that he has the ability to distance himself from his role as the Presidents lawyer so that he could perform his new role as the peoples lawyer. Unfortunately. rather than full explanations during these hearings. I heard equivocation. Rather than independence. I heard an unyielding insistence on protecting the Presidents prerogative. I did not hear Judge Gonzales repudiate 2V2 years of what appears to be official U.S. policy that has defined torture so narrowly that only organ failure and death would qualify. a policy that he himself appears to have helped develop and at least has condoned. Imagine that. if the entire world accepted the definition contained in the Department of Justice memos. we can only imagine what atrocities might befall our American POWs. How in the world. without such basic constraints. would we feel about sending our sons and daughters off to war? How. if we are willing to rationalize torture through legalisms and semantics. can we claim to our children and the children of the world that America is different and represents a higher moral standard? This policy is not just a moral failure. it is a violation of half a century of international law. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6941}
{"speech_id":1090003766,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet while Judge Gonzaless job was White House Counsel. he said nothing to that effect to the President of the United States. He did not show an ability to speak with responsible moral clarity then. and he has indicated that he still has no intention to speak such truths now. During his recent testimony. he refused to refute a conclusion in the torture memo which stated that the President has the power to override our laws when acting as Commander in Chief. Think about this. The Nations top law enforcement pfficer telling its most powerful citizen that if the situation warrants. the President can break the law from time to time. The truth is. Mr. Gonzales has raised serious doubts about whether. given the choice between the Constitution and the Presidents political agenda. he would put our Constitution first. And that is why I simply cannot support his nomination for Attorney General. I understand that Judge Gonzales will most likely be confirmed. and I look forward to working with him in that new role. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6941}
{"speech_id":1090003766,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I also hope that once in office. he will take the lessons of this debate to heart. Before serving in this distinguished body. I had the privilege of teaching law for 10 years at the University of Chicago. Among the brilliant minds to leave that institution for Government service was a former dean of the law school named Edward Levi. a man of impeccable integrity who was committed to the rule of law before politics. Edward Levi was chosen by President Ford to serve as Attorney General in the wake of Watergate. The President courageously chose to appoint him not because Dean Levi was a yes man. not bpcause he was a loyal political soldier. bit so that he could restore the publics confidence in a badly damaged Justice Department. so that he could restore the publics trust and the ability of our leaders to follow the law. While he has raised serious doubts about his ability to follow this example. Judge Gonzales can still choose to restore our trust. He can still choose to put the Constitution first. I hope for our countrys sake that he will. and part of the reason I am speaking in this Chamber today is to suggest three. steps that he can take upon assuming his role that would help restore that trust. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6941}
{"speech_id":1090003781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. although Congress has the responsibility to advise and consent on the confirmable posts of Cabinet Secretaries. I have historically cast my vote in a manner that provides wide latitude for a President to select his Cabinet team. I have voted for Cabinet nominees with whom I have very substantial and deep disagreements because I believe a President should be able to select a team of his choice to pursue his administrations goals. But there are those occasions where it is important for the Congress to express its independent judgment about the record and the qualifications of a Cabinet nominee. That is the case with the nominee the President has sent us for the post of Attorney General. I have met with Judge Gonzales on a number of occasions. and I think he is smart and capable and has served the President loyally for a long period of time. But I am very troubled by the results of the Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Gonzales. I believe there are serious questions about the role of Judge Gonzales in the development of guidelines defining \"torture\" in the war on terror that should be unsettling to all Americans. Judge Gonzales was evasive in answering direct questions about these issues and refused to release all of the information that has been requested by the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2767}
{"speech_id":1090003781,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With respect to civil liberties and issues relating to how our Government conducts itself. I want an Attorney General who will follow the law and not look for cracks or crevices in the law that will enable an administration to pursue its own course. Frankly. and regrettably. I think that Judge Gonzales in his work in the White House has not demonstrated the willingness to be independent. nor has he shown the concern about civil liberties that I want to see in an Attorney General. These are difficult and uncertain times for our country. The war on terrorism is difficult and will likely be lengthy. It is important we have the tools available to combat terrorism. but it is also equally important for us to preserve our civil liberties and protect the constitutional rights of our citizens even as we wage the war on terrorism. For that reason. I believe it is critical to have an Attorney General who will understand that his responsibility is not to the administration. but rather to the Constitution. Because of my concern for all of these issues. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2767}
{"speech_id":1090003781,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cannot vote to confirm Judge Gonzales for the post of Attorney General. It is unusual that I vote against a Presidents choice for a Cabinet post. but I believe this an unusual time and circumstance. and I believe it is critical that we -have an Attorney General who can resist the efforts of those who would diminish our civil liberties as we wage this war bn terrorism.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2767}
{"speech_id":1090003816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am very fortunate. I did not plan it this way. but I was here for most of what Senator LIEBERMAN had to say. I am very glad I had that opportunity. Even though I have never been a member of the Judiciary Committee. I am a lawyer. although I have not practiced for a long time. but I am very pleased I had a chance to listen to an analysis given by the Senator with reference to the memos and what might be taken from them in terms of what it means if we nominate. if we accept his nomination or send him signals about what we think about torture. Does that mean because he was involved in all of this activity at a time of turmoil. when there were a lot of things we did not know. a lot of legal definitions had not yet been completely determined. that are still out there being litigated and discussed. that he is disqualified from being a good Attorney General? That is hogwash. As a plain. simple person looking at this. I say: What if I were a lawyer and I decided that the law meant A. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9342}
{"speech_id":1090003816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"B. C. D and that was logical. there were legal opinions and a lot of people supporting it. but after the fact things occurred. and D. E. F said that wasnt right. Does that mean whatever you said was right. as a matter of law? Does it mean since that is not what the court says. you are not a good lawyer. or in some way that disqualifies you from a job? We have lawyers arguing against each other with legal briefs that have innumerable citations supporting a position. Somebody wins. somebody loses. right? And that does not mean that either side did anything but research the law as best they could. come up with conclusions as best they could. These very narrow arguments on legal niceties totally miss the point. None of those justify saying he has given America a black eye in terms of torture. and if he is Attorney deneral. we approve of this kind of person. that would be part of such activity. That has got to be nonsense. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9342}
{"speech_id":1090003816,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I say it different from the Senator. You say it is nonsense but you never say it is nonsense. you just go through and pick it apart. Of the people who know him. who have known him for longer thin anybody on that side of the aisle. who have practiced with him. who were in the State bar with him. who were there when he got great awards in the Texas bar for his minority. in terms of his culture. but for his excellence in terms of the law. one is Henry Cisneros. He has known him for years and wrote a letter January 5. a tremendous letter. He knew this man. What did he say? Well. he is not saying he shouldnt be Attorney General because he has been reading about what happened with regard to prisoners of war. He didnt say that. He said: I know all about him. He is a terrific lawyer. a wonderful man. and a great succe~s story. and he is Hispanic like I am. Henry Cisneros said: I am proud of him. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9342}
{"speech_id":1090003816,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is Democratic Henry Cisneros. I think he should become the first Hispanic to be Attorney General. Other SenatorsI hate to say which onescome down here and argue these legal niceties. I dont want to discredit them. I dont want to say this is an excuse because probably some of them really believe what they have said. I think there is something to the fact that there are a lot of Senators who want to forget the fact that George Bush won. They cant believe he is President again. so. wherever they can. they want to vent their feelings about this. This man should have every vote in the Senate. He is more qualified than most. He is. in a sense. a better example of somebody who should get this job. a success in America. because of the signal it tells about the American way of life. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9342}
{"speech_id":1090003816,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And success can be achieved by minorities. His experience as a lawyer is as much or better than most who have been Attorneys General of the United States. Everything you look at. his decisions \" about this whole business of alQaida and whether they should be deemed to be protected by Geneva or not. whether the Taliban up there in Afghanistan should be treated as prisoners of war. There is no question he is not on the edge of a group of people who do not care about humanity. who want to do anything. He is not on that side. In fact. he is pretty much correct. that the ones I just described shouldnt be covered by the Geneva Conventions. Maybe the Iraqi soldiers. but there is nothing that says the Taliban terrorists should or the terrorists in Iraq should. for sure. There is lots of legal opinion. That is not the subject matter of the Geneva Conventions. You still have to have rules about torture. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9342}
{"speech_id":1090003827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. The essence of Judge Gonzaless role was summarized by one of his statements. consistent with his entire testimony. It is this: Shortly after September 11. 2001. until the present. the administration has been involved in conducting the war on terror by gathering as much information from terrorists as we possibly can within the bounds of the law. During that time. I have participated in several meetings at which the possible use of methods of questioning were discussed. These meetings may have included. from time to time. representatives from the National Security Council. the Department of State. the Department of Justice. the Department of Defense. Central Intelligence Agency. and others. In the meetings I attended. agencies representatives raised concerns that certain terrorists had information that might save American lives. The participants shared the desire to explore whether there existed methods of questioning these terrorists that might elicit that information. It was always very clear that we would implement such methods only within the bounds of the law. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3811}
{"speech_id":1090003827,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As counsel to the President. my constant interest is and was on the last factor. enduring compliance with the law. There you have Judge Gonzaless role. He listened to the Department of Justice. which had the responsibility to interpret the law on what the appropriate conduct was. When it was off the wall or over the top. he disagreed with it. It is up to the Department of Defense and CIAthe experts on questioningto make decisions on those matters. Judge Gonzales was explicit in his opening statement. He didnt wait for anybody to ask him any questions about the scope and role of the Attorney Generalthat it was much broader than being Counsel to the President. On the totality of this record. I suggest to my colleagues that Judge Gonzales is qualified to be Attorney General of the United States. When you look at his life. some 49 years. and at the values which he demonstrated in many lines. values he demonstrated as a young man facing great adversity and achieving a college education at Ricethat is not easygoing to the Harvard Law Schoolthat is not easypracticing law with a prestigious firm and distinguishing himself. taking on a responsibility for the Governor of Texas. being a justice on the State Supreme Court. and his positions as White House counsel were very progressive and independent. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3811}
{"speech_id":1090003827,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He took a February 3. 2005 . COI stand in opposition to the White House. favoring affirmative action on the University of Michigan lawsuit. a very controversial matter. It is not easy for White House Counsel to stand up in the midst of a great deal of polarized contentions and be in favor of affirmative action. When the Texas statute came upthe socalled bypass--on what a young woman had to do to obtain an abortion with respect to satisfying the requirements for an order of the court allowing a bypass. Judge Gonzales took a position which was sharply criticized by those on the far right of the party. showing independence. showing values. showing judgment. You can contrast that with a few meetings where Judge Gonzales played an appropriate role. except to the extent that there have been representations and attenuations and inferences that are far beyond any of the testimony or anything that has been said. So if you take the scanty fathoms. scanty ideas. scanty speculationI guess that is the best wordfrom those meetings. it is totally unsubstantiated by the record. and everything on the record shows Judge Gonzales is worthy of being confirmed as Attorney General of the United States. I thank the Chair and yield the floor. I am sure the leaders will appear shortly to take the remainder of their time. In the absence of a Senator seeking recognition. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3811}
{"speech_id":1090003862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. to honor the memory of a great Nevadan. Tony Armstrong. who passed away last Saturday morning. Tony was the mayor of the town of Sparks. NV. and I had the privilege of working with him in that capacity. But I rise today not to praise Tony Armstrong the mayor. even though he was a great mayor. I want to praise Tony Armstrong the husband. the father. the friend. the neighbor. I rise to praise Tony Armstrong the man who made a positive impression on everyone he met. through the force of an engaging personality that reflected his basic love of people. Tony spent most of his life in Sparks. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4623}
{"speech_id":1090003862,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was born in Philadelphia. but his family moved to northern California when he was a toddler. and settled in Sparks when Tony was 4 years old. Tony attended school in Sparks. and when he graduated high school he joined the Nevada Air National Guard. After serving on active duty for several years. he returned to Washoe County in 1973 and got a job as a building inspector. In 1983 he married Debbie Rimby. and a couple of years later he started his own contracting company. which later became a private inspection firm. He first ran for public office in 1987. when he failed to win election to the Sparks City Council. But like many of us who have lost elections. he learned from that experience and it strengthened his determinaton. He came back 2 years later and won a seat on the city council. Ten years after that. in 1999. the people of Sparks elected him as their mayor. He was a popular mayor. guided always by his love of Sparks. his appreciation of the citys history. and his vision for the future. Tony worked to preserve the best aspects of Sparks. the friendly atmosphere that make it such a wonderful place to raise a family. and at the same time. improve the services and amenities. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4623}
{"speech_id":1090003862,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He realized that the great quality of life in northern Nevada meant that Sparks would continue to grow. and he worked to manage that growth so it would benefit the citizens of the city. During the 14 years that he served as a city councilman and mayor. Sparks grew from a sleepy little railroad town to a city that is home to about 80.000 people. He oversaw the development of a project called Victorian Square. which preserves and revitalizes a historic area. and the Sparks Marina. I had the privilege of working with him on that marina project. He was a tireless champion for his city. Sparks and Reno share a convention center and airport. and Tony Armstrong was constantly working to make sure Sparks wasnt overshadowed by its larger neighbor. Tony also spearheaded the Sparks Centennial Commission. which is celebrating the citys 100th birthday this year. There is no question that the city will miss his leadership. And the people of Sparks will miss Tonys warm smile and his friendly conversation. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4623}
{"speech_id":1090003862,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The man who preceded him as mayor. Bruce Breslow. put it simply. \"He made everyone around him feel important.\" he said of Tony. Another friend. Mary Henderson. said. \"His smile was as bright as a northern Nevada sunrise.\" -Mary Humphries met Tony last spring. when they both welcomed attendees to a Sertoma convention in Sparks. After sitting with him for half an hour. she felt as if they had been friends for years. Tonys daughter has multiple sclerosis. and 2 years ago at an MS walk. he struck up a conversation with Steve Mattos. a Reno man whose wife also has the disease. Tony told Steve that he was taking his daughter to Stanford Medical Center for some experimental tests. and Steve asked him to pass along any information that might be helpful. From that day forward. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4623}
{"speech_id":1090003862,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tony regularly sent email updates to a man he had met in person only that one time. Another person who will never forget Tony is Tina Cline. Her husband. Marine LCpl Donald Cline. was killed in Iraq in 2003. At his memorial service. a tearful Tony introduced himself to Tina. hugged her and gave her his home phone number. After Tonys death last weekend. Mrs. Cline posted a message on the web site of the Reno Gazette Journal. \"He has been one of the most helpful men I have ever known.\" she said. Those are just some of the ways the people of Sparks will remember Tony Armstrong. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4623}
{"speech_id":1090003866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I call the attention of my colleagues to a warning from several major police organizations that a new high powered and easily concealable handgun. known as the FiveSeven. is easily available to potential criminals and poses a significant threat to our Nations law enforcement officers. The International Association of Chiefs of Police. the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives issued the warning late last week. Belgian firearm manufacturer FN Herstal specializes in military and law enforcement weaponry but has also made its FiveSeven handgun available to private buyers in the United States. The FiveSeven includes a 20round clip and is capable of firing ammunition that penetrates the body armor commonly worn by law enforcement officials. The FN Herstal Web site boasts that with the FiveSeven handgun. \"Enemy personnel. even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters. Kevlar helmets and vests as well as the CRISAT protection will be penetrated.\" These new guns clearly have no sporting purpose and no place on our streets. We should not ignore the concerns of our law enforcement officers with regard to these dangerous weapons. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2950}
{"speech_id":1090003866,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The law enforcement community is most concerned about the FiveSevens ability to kill police officers. even while wearing protective body armor. Bernard Thompson. director of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. commented on the FiveSeven. \"No one is safe from a weapon like this. Police body armor wont offer protection if a criminal has this pistol.\" The legislative director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Steve Lenkhart called the FiveSeven \"an assault rifle that fits in your pocket.\" A recent memo by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement supports this assertion. The memo reportedly states that the FiveSeven has the capabilities of a carbine or rifle but weighs less than 2 pounds when fully loaded. The FN Herstal Web site lists the overall length of the handgun as only 8.2 inches. making it small enough and light enough to be easily concealed by criminals. Common sense should tell us that there is no reason for civilians to have access to easily concealable handguns with the capability to shoot through body armor. It is important for our elected officials to listen to the warnings of those who put their lives on the line to help keep violent criminals off of our streets. Unfortunately. the Congress also continues its failure to pass commonsense gun safety legislation that. among other things. would reauthorize the 1994 assault weapons ban. close the gun show loophole. and regulate highpowered .50 caliber sniper rifles. I again urge my colleagues to work to pass sensible gunsafety legislation that will help protect our law enforcement officers. families. and communities from military style firearms like the FiveSeven handgun.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2950}
{"speech_id":1090003873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I would like to reflect on the loss of a dear family friend. Karen Shapira. Karen recently passed away after a battle with breast cancer. The Shapira family has suffered a tremendous loss. and I offer them my condolences and deepest sympathy during this difficult time. Karen always called herself a \"professional volunteer\" and that is what she was. She was an extremely caring and selfless individual. For more than 20 years. she served the Jewish community. both in Pittsburgh and abroad. Most notably. she chaired the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh. which is responsible for delivering grants for educational. cultural. and human service programs. Her deep involvement in the Jewish community led her to Israel. where she met with Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2173}
{"speech_id":1090003873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Through her capacity as chair of Partnership 2000 at the United Jewish Federation. Karenworked on projects with several schools. camps. womens health centers. and job training facilities in Israel. She also chaired a revolving loan fund of the Israel Emergency Appeal. which supports Israeli small businesses. Karen could also be found serving her local community in Pittsburgh. She had a major leadership role at the United Way of Allegheny County. cochairing the Early Childhood Initiative. and she served on the boards of the Pittsburgh Symphony. the Jewish Healthcare Foundation in Pittsburgh.. the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. and Shady Side Academy. Karen was also appointed by Governor Ridge to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. It is obvious from the several awards that Karen received that her dedication to the Jewish community did not go unnoticed. Specifically. Karen received the 2002 Emanuel Specter Award and the Sonia and Aaron Levinson Award for the pursuit of social justice. both from the United Jewish Federation. Karen was also devoted to her family. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2173}
{"speech_id":1090003873,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She was married to David Shapira for 41 years and raised three children. Laura Karet. Debbie. and Jeremy. Karen leaves behind a wonderful family. and a legacy of community service and outreach. My thoughts and prayers are with the Shapira family in the days and months ahead.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2173}
{"speech_id":1090003879,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in 1999. the Social Security Administration began mailing the new Your Social Security Statement to all Americans over the age of 25 but not retired. These statements include an accounting of Social Security taxes the individual worker has paid to date. the workers eligibility status for benefits. and an estimate of the benefits the worker could receive. For most Americans. this personal statement will be the sole source of official information on Social Security. yet it downplays or omits important information about the program. The bill I am introducing today is called the Social Security Right to Know Act and would correct this problem at no cost by simply changing the statement to include information available in official reports. The improved statement would inform workers. using information in the Social Security Trustees Report. that the taxes paid into the program may not be sufficient to fund all of their benefits in retirement. It would also inform workers. using information from the Office of Management and Budget. that the Social Security Trust Fund does not consist of real economic assets that can be drawn down in the future to fund benefits. The new statement would inform workers that they pay 6.2 percent of their earnings and their employer pays 6.2 percent on their behalf. for a total Social Security payroll tax of 12.4 percent. It would also illustrate and explain to workers using information from the Government Accounting Office that while Social Security has performed well in the past. its average rate of return is expected to decline in the future. While we may not agree on specific changes to Social Security. we should all agree that Americans have a right to know the true financial status of the program and how it will affect their retirement. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090003879,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090003904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. February 3. 2005. for a full committee hearing on Benefits for Survivors. The hearing will take place in Room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":312}
{"speech_id":1090003953,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been in the Senate for 31 years. This is one of the most enjoyable colloquies I have ever had. I hope that the Philadelphia Eagles and actually all of their fans recognize what a great fan they have in the distinguished senior Senator from Pennsylvania. We all know him as one of the most knowledgeable and best lawyers ever to serve in the Senate in either party. But we saw another side of him today. Anybody who can recount effortlesslyI say for those reading the RECORD. it was without a single notethe history of the Eagles and give a play by play recounting. this recounting was a tour de force of the first order. For Eagles fans. I want you to know his legal expertise is every bit as good. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4039}
{"speech_id":1090003953,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I grew up with a different sportbaseballin Vermont. where my home is only a couple hours drive from Fenway Park. The distinguished Presiding Officer knows what that is like because he is even closer. We all will wait for next year and the Red Sox. s1001 As a child growing up. my father. who had some interest in politics. used to say there will be a day when Vermont will actually elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate. Everybody told him this would never happen in his lifetime. I am delighted that it did. I was thinking about my father today. It was 21 years ago today that he left this Earth. He got to see this one and only Democrat. and he got to be there twice on election night and twice to see me sworn into this body. which even after six times is still one of those moments one will never forget. We waited in Vermont from 1918my father was 18 years old when the Red Sox won the championshipuntil this past year. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4039}
{"speech_id":1090003953,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was some celebration. I might mention that I thought maybe there was some inspiration from Paul McCartney. who performed in the halftime show. I was very disgusted with the halftime show last yearat something nobody even noticed until the next day. when people talked about it on Web sites. The photographs of Miss Jackson became the most visited Web site in America. which gives you some idea of what our priorities are. What I found disgusting at that halftime show was Kid Rock ripping a hole in the American flag and wearing it as some kind of a poncho and then throwing it on the ground at the end of his song. I found that to be very offensive. I would hope that some of the keepers of morality in this country. who have had a wonderful time sending out fundraising letters based on something nobody really saw until the next day and spending just as much time trying to sell patriotism to everybody. would say how disgusted they are at the actions of a rock singer who would so desecrate the American flagto the roaring cheers of too many people in the audience. I thought that was outrageous. Perhaps we needed somebody from the United Kingdom to come over here and give us a rousing halftime show. which it was. Actually. the game got better after that. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4039}
{"speech_id":1090003953,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maybe that is in the eyes of the beholder. too. But I appreciate what the Senator from Pennsylvania said. I also note that in my 31 years here. it is the first time I heard the unanimous consent request Senator SPECTER made. Perhaps it was made before. I have to think that when future historians go back into the RECORD and find that Senators actually did that. they would probably applaud that we know what the RECORD is. I recall my days in law school having a summer job and researching the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD for the thenFederal Power Commission. which later became the Department of Energy. and trying to figure out what was actually said and what was not said. what order it was said in. and why some Senators appeared to have said the same thing twice. When I came to the Senate. I must admit some of the Senatorsno longer with us. God rest their soulswould tend to say the same thing twice. but that was not intentional on their part. or at least they were unaware of it. But I commend the Senator from Pennsylvania for making a unanimous consent request that actually will make sense for those who read the RECORD.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4039}
{"speech_id":1090004011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a privilege to join Senator SNOWE. Senator PRIST. Senator GREGG. and Senator ENZI in introducing the Genetic Information NonDiscrimination Act. Today we take another step in our national journey to a fairer and more just America. I particularly commend our colleague from Maine. Senator SNOWE. for her dedication to this vital issue. Senator SNOWE first proposed legislation on genetic discrimination in 1996. Hopefully. the bipartisan momentum we have built up in recent years will produce a consensus bill we can enact into law this year. Two years ago. we celebrated an accomplishment that once seemed unimaginable--deciphering the entire sequence of the human DNA code. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090004011,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amazing accomplishment will affect the 21st century as profoundly as the invention of the computer or the splitting of the atom affected the 20th century. But the extraordinary promise of science to improve health and relieve suffering is in jeopardy if our laws fail to provide adequate protections against misuse of genetic information. Our bipartisan legislation prohibits health insurers from using genetic information to deny health coverage or raise premiums. It bars employers from using genetic information to make employment decisions. Few kinds of information are more personal or more information than a persons genetic makeup. This information should not be shared by insurers or employers or be used in decisions about health coverage or a job. It should only be used by patients and their doctors to help them make the best possible decisions on diagnosis and treatment. Breakthroughs in genetic science are bringing remarkable new opportunities for improving health care. But it also carries the danger that genetic information will be used as a basis for discrimination. I hope we can all agree that discrimination on the basis of a persons genetic traits is as unacceptable as discrimination on the basis of race or religion. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090004011,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No American should be denied health insurance or fired from a job because of a genetic test. The vast potential of genetic knowledge to improve health care may go unfulfilled. if patients fear that information about their genetic characteristics will be used against them. Congress has a responsibility to guarantee that genetic information remains private and is not used for improper purposes. Experts in genetics are united in calling for strong protections to prevent this misuse and abuse of science. The HHS advisory panel on genetic testingwith experts in law. science. medicine. and businessrecommended unambiguously that Federal legislation is needed to prohibit discrimination in employment or health insurance based on genetic information. Last fall. witnesses testified about their first hand accounts of genetic discrimination. Heidi Williams children were denied health insurance because they were carriers for a genetic disorder. Phil Hardts children feared discrimination so much that they sought genetic tests in secret. paying out of their own pockets and not using their real names. Francis Collins. the leader of the NIH project to sequence the human genome. said. \"Genetic information and genetic technology can be used in ways that are fundamentally unjust. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090004011,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Already. people have lost their jobs. lost their health insurance. and lost their economic wellbeing because of the misuse of genetic information.\" Genetic tests are becoming even cheaper and more widely available. If we dont ban discrimination now. it may soon be routine for employers to use genetic tests to deny jobs to employees. based on their risk for disease. When Congress enacts clear protections against genetic discrimination in employment health insurance. all Americans will be able to enjoy the benefits of genetic research. free from the fear that their personal genetic information will be used against them. If Congress fails to see that genetic information is used only for legitimate purposes. we will squander the vast potential of genetic research to improve the Nations health. Effective enforcement will be essential. It makes no sense to enact legislation giving the American people the promise of protection against this form of discrimination and then deny them the reality of that protection. President Bush recognizes the seriousness of this problem. and supports a ban on genetic discrimination. In his words. \"genetic information should be an opportunity to prevent and treat disease. not an excuse for discrimination. Just as our Nation addressed discrimination based on race. we must now prevent discrimination based on genetic information.\" I commend the President for his support. and I look forward to working with the administration to see that a strong bill on genetic discrimination is signed into law this year. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090004011,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for Congress to act. and I urge the Senate to do so without delay. By Mr. SANTORUM:","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090004078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the Presiding Officer has noted. we are continuing consideration of class action reform. Yesterday. we had opening statements. which I led off as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. and the ranking member. Senator LEAHY. made his opening statement. Senator HATCH spoke. We will be going to an amendment this morning by SenatorDURBIN on mass actions. The class action bill has as its central focus to prevent judge shopping to various States and even counties where courts and judges have a prejudicial predisposition on cases. The issue of diversity of citizenship has been created in the Federal courts to eliminate favoritism. When diversity jurisdiction was established. it was undertaken in the context of the claimant from one State. illustratively. Virginia coming to Pennsylvania. and the concern there was there might be some favoritism for the local resident in Pennsylvania. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1989}
{"speech_id":1090004078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So the jurisdictional amount. when I was in the practice of law. was $3.000. It is now $75.000 which would put the case in the Federal court where there would be more objectivity. That is what they are trying to do here. to eliminate judge shopping. If the cases which stay in the State court have twothirds of the class from that State. it would go into the Federal court. If onethird or less is not from the Statein the onethird to twothird rangeit would be the discretion of the judge. As I said yesterday. there is. as far as I am concerned. a very important purpose here: to put cases in the Federal court to avoid forum shopping and judge shopping. With respect to the substantive law. it is my view that the substantive law ought not to be altered. I commented briefly on the Bingaman amendment yesterday where I think it is important that the Federal judges who have the cases would have the discretion to apply State law. But that will be taken up sometime when we debate the matter later. I want to yield now to Senator MCCONNELL for leadership time or time as he may choose.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1989}
{"speech_id":1090004081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the next Senator to seek recognition is Senator DODD. I am informed Senator LOTT will be coming to the floor shortly to speak. and that soon thereafter Senator DURBIN will offer his amendment. It is now 11:18. That should take the time for floor action until the hour of 12:30 when we are scheduled under a previous order to recess for the party caucuses. So I now yield to Senator DODD.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":402}
{"speech_id":1090004114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I notice the distinguished Senator from Wisconsin is in the Chamber. but I would like to make a few more remarks if he does not feel too badly about it. I support this bill. I have been working on it for 6 years. It is a grand compromise. We have Democrats and Republicans. It is bipartisan. It is not perfect. but it is as good as we can do and it will do an awful lot of good. The evidence is clear and undeniable. the welldocumented abuse of the class action litigation device too often ends up victimizing plaintiffs. the very people that class actions are supposed to benefit. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11638}
{"speech_id":1090004114,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These abuses cheat millions- of consumers who unwittingly have their legal rights adjudicated in local courts thousands of miles away. They deny the due process rights of defendants who are relentlessly hauled into a handful of small county courts where the playing field is unfairly tilted in favor of the personal injury bar. the plaintiffs bar. If that were not enough. class action abuses are eroding public confidence in our civil justice system. When abuses do occur in the class action system. the public can ultimately pay dearly through spiraling prices. lost jobs. and even bankrupt companies. I have been listening to arguments from the other side. but to give the class action problem some perspective. I want to consider just the effect of this litigation in one locale. Madison County. IL. There we find a case study in rampant misconduct within the class action system. its corrupting effect on the courts. and the desperate need for reform. This small county in the southwestern part of that State provides all the evidence necessary to convince anyone that the legal system is currently being exploited by shameless and selfseeking plaintiffs lawyers. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11638}
{"speech_id":1090004114,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madison County. IL is a rural county. I imagine it is the type of county where maybe Abraham Lincoln first got his start as a young lawyer and an advocate for justice. In some notes perhaps taken in preparation for a law lecture around 1850. Lincoln set the ideal for his profession. a profession practiced by many in this Chamber. including myself. No. 1. \"Discourage litigation ... Point out how . . . the nominal winner is often a real loserin fees. expenses. and waste of time.\" No. 2. \"Never stir up litigation. A worse man can scarcely be found than one who does this. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11638}
{"speech_id":1090004114,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Who can be more nearly a fiend than he -who habitually overhauls the register of deeds in search of defective titles. whereon to stir up strife. and put money in his pocket? A moral tone ought to be infused into the profession which should drive such men out of it.\" And No. 3. \"An exorbitant fee should never be claimed.\" These words were uttered during a time when being a lawyer automatically carried with it a title of honor. integrity. and trust. Unfortunately. Lincolns words no longer carry much meaning for some of the lawyers who have descended on Madison County. In the land of Lincoln. the rule of law has too often been corrupted almost beyond recognition by selfinterested plaintiffs lawyers and seemingly pliant public officials. Some unscrupulous personal injury attorneys go forum shopping to find friendly jurisdictions. Certainly Madison County. IL is one of them. Then some judges in those jurisdictions. some of whom are compromised by campaign contributions from the very same law firms arguing in their courtrooms. sometimes certify these cases with the proverbial rubber stamp. even though they are not worthy of being certified. Finally. sympathetic local juries trying outofState corporations have sometimes bestowed unjustified and sometimes outrageous awards. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11638}
{"speech_id":1090004114,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This pattern of behavior is not only an affront to the due process rights of defendants. but it breeds disrespect for the rule of law itself. I have heard colleagues on the other side of the aisle say. Well. these are big corporations. First. they arent all big corporations. and second. even if they were. they still deserve fair treatment. due process. and an impartial justice system. And make no mistake about it. These suits are not free. We all pay for them. The American consumer pays for the costs of these class actions. The courthouse in Madison County. IL is what scholars now describe as a magnet court. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11638}
{"speech_id":1090004139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before Senator GRASSLEY leaves the floor. I simply want to say how much I have enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to work with him on this issue. If we go back 7 years when this idea first took legislative form and look at the changes that have occurred over each of the last three or four Congresses. they have been dramatic. My goal. and I believe it is a goal many of us share who support the legislation. is to make sure that when what I term little people are harmed by the actions of big companies or small companies. those little people have a chance to aggregate together and be made whole. I think we agree on that principle: We want to make sure the companies that do something that is wrong or that are contemplating an action or behavior that is inappropriate or wrong. that they know if they get caught. they will pay a price. and class actions can help catch them at that and make sure they are put on notice. I think that is a principle on which we all agree. A third principle is to make sure the defendant companies. if they are called on the carpet. can go to a court where they have a fair chance of defending themselves and presenting their case. The last one is to try to do all of this in the context of not needlessly overburdening the Federal judiciary. It is tough to balance all of those. different principles. but I think on the legislation the Senator has authored and that some of us have been privileged to work with the Senator to help shape. we have come close to realizing those principles. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090004139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wanted to say a special thanks to the Senator for his willingness to work with people on both sides of the aisle. to hear us out. to hear our ideas. and be willing to accept a number of the ideas we have put forward. My hope is at the end of this week we will have passed that legislation. It is a delicate compromise and balance and. God willing. our friends in the House of Representatives will accept that and the President will sign it into law. I thank the Senator.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090004292,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 548. a bill to honor our former colleague Tony Hall by designating the federal building located at 200 West 2nd Street in Dayton. Ohio as the \"Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.\" The House introduced and passed two similar bills with strong bipartisan support in the 107th and 108th Congresses. Unfortunately. the other body did not vote on either bill. We reintroduced this legislation early in this session and are considering it today to ensure that Congress has the opportunity to complete action on it in the 109th Congress. Tony Hall was elected to his first term in Congress in 1978. He went on to serve 11 consecutive terms. Congressman Hall spent 21 years on the House Rules Committee and was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Hunger. Congressman Halls long career in public service is distinguished by his unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes. in particular to combating hunger issues not only in this country. but also among the world population. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090004292,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His early commitment to helping others and serving this Nation began in the Peace Corps. which he joined in 1966 after graduating from Denison UniversitN in Ohio. I witnessed this commitment first hand in 1983 when I traveled with Congressman Hall and two other colleagues to Kansas City. At a time of high unemployment in our country. the Federal Government was storing surplus milk. butter and cheese in Kansas City. Congressman Hall was determined to focus national attention on this issue and press for the release of this surplus food into general distribution. He even personally went on a hunger strike to compel the government to release the stored food. As a result of these efforts. the stored food was eventually distributed to homeless shelters and the general public. Throughout his career. Congressman Hall focused on helping those in need. He promoted economic development that created jobs. championed efforts to ease foodstamp reductions. and in 1997. spearheaded the \"Hunger Has A Cure\" campaign. In the international arena. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090004292,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman Hall visited numerous countries around the world in an effort to focus attention on the problems of world hunger and to promote international aid. He took part in one of the first Congressional delegation trips to Ethiopia in the 99th Congress. and he traveled to Bangladesh to observe disaster relief programs in the 100th Congress. Congressman Hall also helped create the Select Committee on Hunger. which focused on the problem of hunger both domestically and internationally. He served as Chairman of that Select Committee from 1988 until its elimination in 1993. He was also founder and cochair of the Congressional Hunger Center. a nonprofit organization created to bring awareness to world hunger concerns. Tony Hall made numerous other trips across the world to serve as an advocate for human rights. including a trip to draw attention to the illicit diamond trade in Sierra Leone. Congressman Hall continues to work to banish world hunger and promote developmental assistance. In 2002. President Bushappointed him Ambassador top the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture. He wasonce aptly described by former colleague Eva Clayton as \"the moral conscience of Congress on issues of hunger and poverty.\" This bill to designate the \"Tony Hall Federal Building and U.S. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090004292,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Courthouse\" is a fitting tribute to the compassion and humanity with which Ambassador Hall conducts his public service. I urge all of my colleagues to honor Tony Hall and to support H.R. 548.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090004349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in accordance with Clause 2 of Rule X of the Rules of the House. I am submitting the Rules of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for printing in the CONGESSIONAL RECORD. On January 26. 2005. the committee adoptedthese rules by nonrecord vote with a quorum present.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090004373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for her statement. and I might want to consider also. and all of us should consider. the fact that in this area of Community Development Block Grants. it is one of the areas where great promises are being made to faithbased organizations. and I wonder if the movement of this program from HUD into the Commerce Department is partially to facilitate a movement of grants into faithbased\" organizations. without scrutiny. without any peer review process and with the maximum amount of favoritism. It is something we should bear in mind. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":635}
{"speech_id":1090004380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first let me thank my colleague. the gentleman from New York . for organizing. really. this opportunity to educate the public and the administration and. of course. Congress with regard to the most pressing issues confronting our country as itrelates to this budget. especially as it relates to those who have not benefited from the huge tax cuts. Mr. Speaker. few traditions are more significant in our democracy than the Presidents annual submission of the budget. It provides us really a window on the Pres)dents and the administrations values and their priorities for this term. It also sets the tone and the standard for us in Congress by marking the spending levels for this year. Now. I quite frankly had to go back and reread the Presidents State of the Union speech. because I wanted to see how consistent this budget was in terms of what he presented to the country in his State of the Union address. So I would like to mention a couple of those points tonight. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090004380,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First of all. of course. in his State of the Union message he said that one of the deepest values of our country is compassion. I think we have heard that tonight this Presidents 2006 budget shows very little compassion. Instead of sending us a budget for the American people. for the people. this President has sent us a budget that really turns our back on the people and on their future. It sacrifices our children. our seniors. our security. our veterans. our environment and our economy in order to advance special interests and to make permanent tax cuts for the wealthy. In his State of the Union speech. the President also said over the next several months on issue after issue. let us do what Americans have always done and builda better world for our children and our grandchildren. Well. let me tell my colleagues. Mr. Speaker. how does cutting $5 billion in housing. how does eliminating funding for Hope VI. how does cutting funding by 50 percent for the disabled in terms of housing. how does this create a better world for our children and for our grandchildren? The assault on the poor in this budget is appalling. and the cuts keep coming. The Presidents budget -has cut Community Development Block Grants. has cut housing assistance for people living with HIV and AIDS. It has cut the lead paint abatement program. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090004380,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It cuts the fair housing program. It cuts rural housing initiatives. It cuts Native American housing. It cuts the Youth Build program. It has eliminated the empowerment zone and brownfield programs. and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Again. going back to the Presidents State of the Union speech. how does this budget build a better world for our children and for our grandchildren? Also in his State of the Union speech. the President acknowledged. rightfully so. the devastatingly high rates of HIV and AIDS in the African American community. and Mr. Speaker. we acknowledge the Presidents leadership in calling on Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act. During last weeks State of the Union speech. the President indicated this. but again. I must say. looking at this budget. it offers very little for our minority AIDS initiative. He proposes a $10 million increase in the Ryan White CARE Act. $10 million. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090004380,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is far short of what is needed. We need at least $513 million more this year to keep people off of waiting lists and to prevent new infections. In short. we need a budget that provides a minimum of about $2.6 billion if we are really serious about addressing this HIV and AIDS crisis here in America. A $10 -million increase in the Ryan White CARE Act really does not signal the seriousness of this crisis. Furthermore. we need more money for the minority AIDS initiative. Ever since this President has been in office. we have flatfunded the minority AIDS initiative at $407 million. We need at least $610 million this year if the President is really serious. again as he said in his State of the Union address. if he is serious about addressing the HIV\/ AIDS pandemic in our communitids. The budget does not reflect what the President has said in terms of the seriousness of this in our country. Also. in the State of the Union. the President devoted a large portion of his speech to address Social Security. And as he described it. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090004380,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Social Security is one of Americas most important institutions. a symbol of trust. he said. between the generations. and that it is headed towards bankruptcy. Well. even if we discount the fact that the President simply is incorrect. and I believe he is and many of us do. in his assessment about Social Securitys solvency. his budget for 2006 does not even include the cost of his estimated $1.3 trillion proposal for Social Security privatization over the decade after its enactment. This is a critical omission. And the President said in his State of the Union speech that a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely or not at all. Well. let me just say parenthetically. I believe not only should tax dollars be spent wisely but they should be spent with compassion. as he talked about earlier. not or not at all. But in this budget. these cuts that the President has proposed are not even wise. let alone compassionate. Also. the Presidents State of the Union speech was about freedom and democracy. very grandiose statements he made. But I wondered when I was listening to him why justice. as a value. why this was omitted really from these grand statements in the State of the Union. Well. quite frankly. after reading and reviewing this budget. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090004392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to vehemently state my disappointment. frustration. and objection to the FY 2006 budget submitted by President Bush. When President Bush submitted his 2006 budget to Congress on Monday he said. \"The taxpayers of America dont want us spending our money into something thats not achieving results.\" I couldnt agree more. The unnecessary tax cuts for the rich and an optional war with Iraq are not producing results. The Presidents 2006 budget request slashes social programs while increasing military spending. Yet not a single dime of his FY 2006 budget is earmarked for Iraq. Instead. those costs are hidden from the American people in the form of an $80 billion emergency supplemental request to Congress. This budget will severely impact Texas citizens negatively. as well as other American citizens. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090004392,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They deserve better. Mr. Speaker. never before has America faced such an array of issues that demand creative. competent leadership. But the Administration has pursued solutions that serve. only to escalate the problems we are facing. Programs and policies that not only provide assistance for the poor but for a large portion of the American people who need help to keep their heads above water are under attack. On the cutting block by this Administration are grants for college tuition. housing assistance under Section 8. food stamps. health care for the uhinsured. Eight million Americans are unemployed. But Republicans passed a new set of tax breaks that reward corporations who send jobs overseas. About 45 million Americans have no health insurance. But Republicans have proposed Health Savings Accounts that benefit a wealthy few. encourage employers to drop insurance coverage and will increase the number of uninsured by 350.000. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090004392,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 8 million children nationwide are struggling to meet new national education standards. But Republicans refused to provide promised help to our schools. leaving millions of children without the help they need in reading and math. America needs a national security policy that is as strong and brave and as decent as the heroes who serve in uniform. We must make sure that they have the training and equipment they need to get the job done right. Democrats are working to build a future that is worthy of the trust of the American people. the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. and the aspirations of all of Americas . children.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090004407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. that is right. The earned income tax credit was an attempt by this Congress to credit folks at the lower end of the earning scale for taxes that they would have otherwise owed to the Federal Government. It is a credit that is targeted directly to those who make the least amount of money in our system. or in our economy. and phases out as folks income goes up.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":367}
{"speech_id":1090004429,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would tell my colleague from Washington that a gentleman by the name of J.P. Brown. who has a weekly radio show where he talks about veterans issues. had me as a guest on that show recently. I talked about what happened to the gentleman from New JerSey and what was going on with VA health care funding. Mr. BROWN has said that he has gotten more calls from listeners than he has ever received before. I suspect that what we are talking about here tonight will be changed. because I do believe the veterans of this country and those who care about them are going to speak up and speak out. I shared part of a press release from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I would like to share a few more comments from that press release. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090004429,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This press release from the Veterans of Foreign Wars says. \"This budget will cause veterans health care to be delayed and may result in the return of 6monthlong waiting periods. That is especially shameful during a time of war.\" Then it continues: \"The VFW national commander is now calling on all 2.4 million members of the VFW and its auxiliaries. as well as all service members and their families. to urge their congressional Members to correct the shortfalls in this budget.\" Then the press release concludes with this statement. \"Without the American soldier. there would not have been a United States of America. and I shudder to imagine the rest of the world. Our Nation must honor its commitment to care for those who are ultimately responsible for every liberty we enjoy today.\" So my sense is that the leadership of the various veterans organizations in this country are going to mobilize their members to descend upon this Capitol. at least through emails and letters and phone calls. faxes. and so on. to demand of their Representatives. our colleagues in this Chamber. that this shameful budget. especially the parts that deal specifically with veterans health care. be rejected by this Congress. and that we do what we should do. which is to provide adequate funding so that those who are in need of health care. those who have served the country and are in need of health care. have the ability to receive it in a timely manner.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090004504,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday. the Senate got the eyepopping news that prescription drug benefits will cost far more than anyone had ever anticipated. In fact. the early appraisal was that it would cost $400 billion. and then it shot up to over $500 billion. Yesterday. we learned that it would cost $720 billion over the next decade. and perhaps would even go to $1 trillion. A lot of us in the Senate. frankly. were not too surprised because the legislation doesnt allow for the use of cost containment strategies that are utilized in the private sector. To me. it is incomprehensible. for example. that Medicare. with all of its bargaining power. wouldnt use the same kind of clout that a timber company does in Alaska or Oregon or an auto company in the Midwest or any other big purchaser. Under this law as it is constituted today. what Medicare does is the equivalent of standing in the price club and buying toilet paper one roll at a time. There is absolutely nobody in the United States who goes out and purchases that way. What Medicare is going to be doing just defies common sense because we all know that if you buy more of something. whether in Oregon or in Alaska or anywhere else. you say. Let us try to negotiate a better deal. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6025}
{"speech_id":1090004504,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But Medicare is not allowed to do that under current circumstances. I have come today to say that in addition to the debate about how the numbers are crunched. what we ought to be doing is working on a bipartisan basis to ensure that we have real cost containment in this program that seems to grow in costs almost by the day. I have worked with Senator SNOWE for more than 3 years on legislation to do that. We have introduced it. It has bipartisan support. On our side of the aisle. Senator FEINSTEIN and Senator FEINGOLb were original sponsors. Senator MCCAIN joined Senator SNOWE and me in this bipartisan effort. We simply believe that at a time when we -are seeing so many Government programs cut and reduced and tremendous financial pressures for belt tightening. we shouldnt leave seniors without even the kind of private sector bargaining. the kind of -private sector cost containment powerthat we see in communities all across the country. I will tell you. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6025}
{"speech_id":1090004504,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cant for the life of me figure out why Medicare shouldnt have the power to be a smart shopper. As itTstands today. everybody in the United States tries to be a smart shopiper instead of Medicare. What I would like to do for a couple of moments is try to lay out the legislation that Senator SNOWE and I have spent so much time working on and why I think it is particularly critical right now. For a senior who lives in rural America where there may be only one private plan serving that areaand maybe there is no private plan at allthat senior is likely to be part of what is called the fallback plan. As of now. all of those seniors in those small communities. many of them in ArkansasI see our distinguished colleague has joined us. like me. she vetted for the law. We would like to see people in Arkansas and Oregon. in areas with large. rural populations. have some bargaining power the way smart shoppers would. Under the SnoweWyden legislation. we say that the seniors in those fallback plans could in effect be part of a group that could use private sector bargaining power in order to hold costs down. Many of us also represent the larger cities. I have Portland. but we want to hold down costs in Miami. New York. and Chicago. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6025}
{"speech_id":1090004504,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These people might have a choice of larger health programs to try to deal with their benefits. Maybe they are in a managed care organization or what is called a PPO. preferred provider organization. However. these private entities ought to have some bargaining power to hold down the cost for all of theirmembers. Our bipartisan legislation that I have with Senator SNOWE and Senator MCCAIN stipulates we can have bargaining power for seniors in those metropolitan areas as well. This legislation is going to save taxpayers money as well. not just seniors but taxpayers because. as the Senate knows. we put out a substantial amount of money to offer assistance to employers to not drop their coverage. When the Medicare plans save seniors money on medicine. that means less cost for the retiree plan to make up. Containing costs on the Medicare side. in our view. will help keep costs down for employers insuring retirees as well. We have an opportunity to get beyond the debate about the numbers that came out in the last day or so. these shocking numbers that Medicare prescription drug care will cost $720 billion. We can get beyond those numbers and go to a comprehensive. bipartisan. marketbased costcontainment strategy. a bipartisan plan that will contain costs for rural and urban seniors in plans across the country. in plans in rural and urban areas. and a plan that will also provide cost containment for employers insuring retirees as well. It is our view we desperately need some common sense as it relates to cost containment for prescription drugs in our country. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6025}
{"speech_id":1090004504,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is my view that giving bargaining power to millions of seniors through the private sector is essentially Economics 101. There is no sense waiting when the costs of this program go up almost daily. It started at $400 billion. then $500 billion. now we are at $720 billion. and we are st ill counting. With these costs continuing to go through the stratosphere. the choice for the Senate. in my view. is to either sit around and say we will just wait and see what happensand maybe the next report will put this at $1 trillionor we can take the opportunity in a thoughtful. bipartisan way to do what is being done in communities all across the country. Virtually everyone who buys in quantity says: Excuse me. wouldnt you be willing to give me a break given the fact I am making additional purchases? Medicare is not doing it. It defies common sense. We have a bipartisan opportunity to reign in these costs that continue to.soar. I hope the Senate will do this as soon as possible. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6025}
{"speech_id":1090004539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have served with some of these attorneys general. and I can say they come from different ideological points of view and different ways of practicing law. As a whole. they are not taking a position on the bill. but as you can see by this letter. the vast majority of State AGs agree on one point: As the chief legal officers for their respective States. there must be clarification in the bill to make sure they can continue to represent the citizens of their States and carry out their duties as elected officials. As we all know. attorneys general frequently investigate and bring actions against defendants who have caused harm to their citizens. These cases are usually brought pursuant to the attorneys general parens patriae authority under their respective consumer protection and antitrust statutes. This is an important point. Not all States have parens patriae authority. In fact. the State of Arkansas. when I was attorney general. had very limited parens patriae. In fact. one could argue none at all. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11792}
{"speech_id":1090004539,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We always had to pursue our actions under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. which is a State statute. and we had specific authority in that statute. I heard some people say. again. in the hallways here. that all States have parens patriae and therefore we do not need this amendment. But that is not the case. In some instances. such actions have been brought with the attorney general acting as the class representative for consumers in the State. It is my concern. as well as those of 46 attorneys general. that certain provisions in S. 5 might be interpreted to hamper their ability to bring such actions. thereby impeding one means of protecting their citizens from unlawful activity and resulting harm. It is important to all consumers. but especially to the poor. elderly. and disabled. that the provisions of the act not be misconstrued and that attorneys general maintain the enforcement authority needed to protect them from illegal practices. I know there are many people who want this body to pass class action reform this year and do not want to ruin its chances by adding too many amendments to the underlying bill. But. as I said a few moments ago. in this case. with this particular amendment. we are not changing the intent of the bill. I would like to address a falsehood about the amendment that I have heard. and that is that -ome people have said this amendment would create a major loophole because suits could be brought on behalf of Stateattorneys general. that some attorneys general may allow their friends to use their names to avoid moving the case to Federal court. The notion is incorrect and. quite frankly. it is offensive. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11792}
{"speech_id":1090004539,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me be clear. No one can add a State attorney general without his or her express consent or permission. Moreover. attorneys general are statewide elected officials accountable to the same citizens who vote for us. They work hard and take their responsibility as chief legal officers very seriously. State attorneys general would not expend the resources or their reputations to take up a class action they did not believe was worthy of protecting their citizens. In addition. it should be noted that in many cases. attorneys general are not after the check or the payment in litigation. They are not eyeing the big settlement. although in some. cases there are large settlements at the end of the horizon. The primary objective of State attorneys general is not chasing the money but bringing about reform. Let me be clear on this point. I alluded to this a few moments ago. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11792}
{"speech_id":1090004539,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"State attorneys general are fundamentally different from private attorneys. Private attorneys have clients. and they are out there doing what their clients want: trying to get a recovery and trying to make their clients whole. I understand that. That is a good thing. I do not have any problem with that. State attorneys general are different. Generally speakingmaybe not in every single case but generally speaking. when the State attorney general becomes involved. there is a matter of public policy in the litigation. In fact. I said a few moments ago that the State attorneys general are elected officials. That is not true in every single case. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11792}
{"speech_id":1090004539,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think there are about 35 elected attorneys general. There are a couple selected by the supreme court or by the State legislature. and some are appointed by the Governor. Nonetheless. attorneys general have a level of accountability that you do not find in private practice because they are accountable to the people. either the people who elected them or appointed them or selected them for the office. And attorneys general. more than private lawyers. are sensitive to criticism. I can assure you. the last thing an attorney general wants to read is an opinion by a judge who is criticizing the attorney general for bringing a frivolous lawsuit. criticizing the attorney general for going too far. That is the last thing the attorney general wants to read in the paper. Also. there is the court of public opinion. The attorney general does not like bad editorials to be written about him or her. They do not like to be out on the street and people questioning their integrity or their sense. So attorneys general have a level of accountability that just does not exist in other areas of practice. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11792}
{"speech_id":1090004668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I begin by thanking the leadership. I thank Senator REID of Nevada particularly because. as my colleagues know. the minority in this institution. even a minority of 1. can make life difficult for a majority even of 99. The Framers of the Constitution created an institution that would make sure that the rights of minorities would be protected in this body. Contrary to his own substantive feelings about the matter before us. the distinguished Democratic leader has made it possible. because of the unanimous consent agreement entered into with the distinguished majority leader. for this matter to proceed. I also thank Senator FRIST. the majority leader. for working out that arrangement so that we can deal with the matter before us. As someone who a year and a half ago negotiated an agreement that was satisfactory to many. not to all. I am pleased that we are within a day or so of adopting this very important legislation. We would not be able to do that were it not for the leadership shown by the minority and the majority in allowing this amendment process to go forward. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090004668,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I begin there. I commend my colleagues who have offered amendments. They have offered germane and relevant amendments to this bill that have at the very least some kernels of sound judgment and good ideas to them. I regretfully disagree with my colleagues substantively and have expressed that in the RECORD. I know my colleague from Delaware. Senator CARPER. who has spent a lot of time on this legislation. has been more deeply involved in this question than almost anyone in this body and has listened very carefully to all of those who have argued their amendments and considered them thoroughly. So I thank them for offering these ideas. I do not suggest that I would necessarily be opposed to all of these amendments under different circumstances. although I think there are substantive arguments against them. I say to one of my dearest friends in this bodyand I know we call each other good friends. but Russ FEINGOLD is one of my best friends in the Senate. and it is a rarity when he and I are on different sides of an issue. I am not comfortable disagreeing with my friend from Wisconsin because I admire him so much. but there is a substantive disagreement over having mandatory time requirements. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090004668,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Judicial Conference of the United States. in a letter dated February 7. addresses specifically this amendment and urges our colleagues not to impose a time certain. The Senator from Wisconsin makes a strong argument on having some predictability. and I agree with him about predictability for all involved. for defendants and plaintiffs. but there is a danger in making the predictability so certain that it makes it difficult for the judicial process to necessarily work in a fair and balanced way. Because there are so many extenuating circumstances which can complicate a given mandatory time requirement. it can actually work adversely to plaintiffs or defendants in the case. and I know my colleagues are aware of that. A sound case can be made for Senator FEINGOLDS amendment. There was a sound argument on the other side as well as to why this can be dangerous. The Judicial Conference has come down rather strongly in a letter in opposition to a mandatory time requirement. Rather than go through and read this whole letter. I ask unanimous consent that the letter from the Judicial Conference dated February 7 be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090004687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to a devoted public servant and a former Member of the U.S. Congress. Shirley Chisholm. As a passionate activist. the first AfricanAmerican woman to be elected to Congress. as well as the first AfricanAmerican to seek the Presidential nomination from a major political party. Congresswoman Chisholm was a person of exceptional courage and profound impact. She will be missed. Before her election to the New York State Legislature in 1964. she Was a dedicated educator in New York City. serving as a teacher as well as a daycare director. Elected to national office in 1969. Congresswoman Chisholm worked for both gender and racial equality. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2320}
{"speech_id":1090004687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She was cofounder of New York NOW. the first chapter of the National Organization for Women. In 1969. she became a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. and in 1971 she cofounded the National Womens Political Caucus. She continued her fight for minority representation when she sought the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 1972. Although many criticized her campaign as a futile effort. she tenaciously continued her fight for the nomination and laid the groundwork for future minorities to run for the Presidency. In her own words. she \"ran for the Presidency. despite hopeless odds. to demonstrate sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo.\" And indeed she was instrumental in opening the door for women and minorities to enter Presidential races in the future. As she noted in her autobiography. \"The Good Fight.\" \"the next time a woman runs or a black. a Jew or anyone from a group that the country is not ready to elect to its highest office. I believe he or she will be taken seriously from the start. The door is not open yet. but it -is ajar.\" Throughout her lifetime. Shirley Chisholm worked to open doors for women and minorities inside and outside of the political arena. and in the process gained the respect and acknowledgement of even -her most ardent political foes. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2320}
{"speech_id":1090004687,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By remaining loyal to her own beliefs and steadfastly working to accomplish her goals. Shirley Chisholm truly was what the title of her autobiography declared: \"unbought and unbossed.\" Her vision. her ideals. and her courage are certainly not to be forgotten. I extend my deepest sympathies to her family and friends.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2320}
{"speech_id":1090004706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. come 2007. Virginia. along with the rest of our great Nation. will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the historic founding of Jamestown. the first permanent English settlement in the New World. At this site. back in 1607. an adventurous band of Englishmen. led by Captain John Smith. pitched down their stakes on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. .tired from a long journey across the blue ocean. but full of hope for the possibilities that lay ahead. And although they primarily came in search of economic gain. they brought with them many of the principles that were integral to the formation of our American Democracy. Free enterprise. the entrepreneurial spirit. and respect for the principles of representative government and the rights of man would guide these settlers through the trials and tribulations of those tough. early years. As we Virginians know. nobody was more influential in this founding endeavor. than their leader: Captain John Smith. Captain Smith was not just the man famously saved from death by Pocahontas. and he was more than the mere commander of a small group of pioneers. John Smith. as Virginians learn at a young age. was the first ambassador to the native peoples of the Chesapeake. exchanging cultural customs. trading goods necessary for the fledgling colonists survival. John Smith was also the first English explorer of the many creeks and rivers that populate the Maryland and Virginia of today. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090004706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"From 1607 to 1609. Captain Smith plied the briny Bay waters. recording history and surveying the land. even this patch of Earth where our Nations Capitol stands today. In honor of Captain Smiths historic 3.000 mile journey through the choppy Chesapeakes main stem and tributaries. I rise today. joined by Senator SARBANES and my colleagues from the Bay States. to propose a bill authorizing the study of the feasibility of designating the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Watertrail. What would this trail accomplish? What would be its purpose? Outside of the obvious tourism it would bring to the region. and besides the fact that its creation would complement the existing Chesapeake Gateways Network. the Watertrail would educate Americans on the perils of our. first English settlers. on their interaction with the numerous Native tribes. on the voyages they undertook to better understand the New World they had come to inhabit. First hand. students and seniors. parents and children. would be able to retrace the paddle strokes and footsteps of Captain John Smith. to see what he saw. to learn what he learned. to know what he meant when he wrote in his diary that \"oysters lay thick as stones\" and fish could be caught \"with frying pan(s).\" Ultimately. this trail would allow for a deeper appreciation for the Chesapeake. for a better understanding of the settlers hardships. and for the distinct cultures. English and Indian. that came to pass. in that historic era. at this historic place. Today I rise to cele-\" brate Captain Smiths foresight. to celebrate the founding steps of America. and to celebrate the bounty of the Bay. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting -this feasibility study for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Watertrail. By Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090004706,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SMITH (for himself. Mr.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090004738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it seems that Music.Television plays a lot more than music these days. From reality TV to tasteless dramas. MTV has become one of cables largest purveyors of smut. A report released by the Parents Television Council found that the level of sex and foul language on MTV is far higher than anything found on adulttargeted television. The report says that children watching MTV view an average of nine sexual scenes. 18 sexual depictions and 17 instances of sexual dialogue and innuendo per hour. D Printed on recycled paper. A study done by RAND last year shows that kids this age often adopt the sexual behaviors and attitudes of their favorite TV characters. By glamorizing drug and alcohol abuse. sexual promiscuity and violent behavior. MTV lies to our kids. Instead of making them cool. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1027}
{"speech_id":1090004738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MTV is often harming our kids. Many say this is no big deal. but they are wrong. MTV reaches 73 percent of boys. 78 percent of girls ages 12 to 19. That is why this study and this report are so disturbing and so important.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1027}
{"speech_id":1090004744,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to the $651 million included in the Presidents budget for the Yucca Mountain project. An increase in funds for the Yucca project that is consistently riddled with problems is ridiculous. Last year the Department of Energy faced insurmountable hurdles it was unable to overcome. resulting in its failure to submit its license application on time. The second highest court in the United States ruled that the Yucca Mountain radiation standards were inadequate to protect the health and safety of the American people and that the EPA knowingly ignored the scientists recommendations. We are talking about the harmful effects of radiation being underestimated by a mere 290.000 years. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. to its credit. refused to rubberstamp an electronic database required for licensing the Yucca repository. and expressed serious concerns about the lack of information supplied in the license application. Instead of dumping even more money into a $9 billion hole in the Nevada desert. we should be investing in clean. renewable energy sources and moving toward energy independence. Instead. the President is slashing critical funding for renewable energy while adding $651 million to the Yucca Mountain debacle. Fraud. waste and abuse in government. look at the Yucca Mountain project. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1381}
{"speech_id":1090004744,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the poster child. fl 1015","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1381}
{"speech_id":1090004765,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 6 and Americas Boy Scouts. Unfortunately. the assault on the Boy Scouts of America continues. In the name of tolerance and acceptance. some would force the Department of Defense to abandon Americas Boy Scouts. Rather than allow this private organization to continue receiving support from the Department of Defense. they would rather compel the Department of Defense to terminate the relationship between military families and this important qualityoflife program. It is a shame that the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN HOSTETTLER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090004765,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress even has to consider this bill. yet here we are actually debating whether such an organization that instills service and integrity in our Nations boys is worthy of support from the Department of Defense. The Scouts Law says that Scouts must be trustworthy. loyal. helpful. friendly. courteous. kind. obedient. cheerful. thrifty. brave. clean and reverent. We can only hope that all Americans would ascribe to such a code of morality. Imagine the effect on our culture if all of us resolved to commit to the Boy Scouts Oath. Rather than condemn the Boy Scouts for such a code. this organization deserves our wholehearted support. In closing. Madam Speaker. I urge the Boy Scouts to remain unwavering in their principles as expressed in the Scout Law and Oath. Likewise. I urge my colleagues to continue to support this fine organization by voting in favor of H. ","speaker_name":"JOHN HOSTETTLER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090004765,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Con. Res. 6.","speaker_name":"JOHN HOSTETTLER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090004768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in strong Support of H. Con. Res. 6 and the Boy Scouts of America. I would like to thank my colleague. Representative JOEL HEFLEY. for introducing this important resolution to support the Boy Scouts of America and their Jamborees. To all Scouts everywhere. I say continue to live your life according to the Scout law. and you will find that you will go far in life. To those adults involved in -the Scouts. I say. thank you. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1520}
{"speech_id":1090004768,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you for .your work to mold young people into fine citizens that will do great things for our country. The Scout leaders who teach Scouts about self respect. self reliance. and the wonders of our natural world do our nation a great service. Without the Boy Scouts and others who have worked to instill these values in our society. many in this institution would not be able to carry on the hard work to protect our natural resources and wild lands. Last Congress. I introduced H.R. 5428 which. if passed. would restore the ability of our armed forces to directly support Scout troops and ensure that the Scouts will con.tinue to have the use of Fort A.P. Hill and the assistance of our armed forces for its jamboree. I intend to work with my colleagues to introduce similar legislation again in this Congress. Madam Speaker. I grew up a Boy Scout. became a Scoutmaster. and watched proudly as both my sons became Scouts. I will continue to. protect the Scouts from those that wish to harm this fine organization. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1520}
{"speech_id":1090004768,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 6.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1520}
{"speech_id":1090004790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today as a cosponsor of this resolution. and I thank the gentleman from. Alabama for offering it. It is an honor for me to be part of this recognition of the Tuskegee Airmen. members of the Greatest Generation who fought fascism abroad and overcame discrimination at home to become one of our Nations most successful military units. Their story deserves to be told often. not just in February. to remind all Americans how far we have come to honor the many sacrifices made along the way. I have the privilege of representing four Tuskegee Airmen who reside in Nebraskas Second Congressional District: Robert Holts. Ralph Orduna. and Charles Lane. all of Omaha and just south of Omaha in Bellevue. Harry Tull.. Another Airman. Paul Adams. lives in nearby Lincoln. ","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090004790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am especially proud to note that Colonel Lane of Omaha was the youngest black fighter in World War II. His daughter. Karen Davis. is a longtime member of my congressional staff and she does a wonderful job. and Colonel Lane can be as proud of her. as we are of him. I also want to mention Omaha native Alphonza Davis. a graduate of Omaha Tech High School and Omaha University. who finished first in his class at Tuskegee and was chosen squadron leader. He was killed in combat in 1944 while over Germany. Today. the local Tuskegee Airmen chapter is named in his honor. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is unfortunately rooted in the racial segregation that still existed in our country during World War II. As a result. African Americans who wanted to fly in the military were trained at a separate location near Tuskegee. Alabama. ","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090004790,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Tuskegee Airmen. or Red Tails as they were called because of the crimson tails on their aircraft. were the first squadron of African American combat pilots in the U.S. military. By the end of the war. nearly 1.000 men had graduated from pilot training at Tuskegee. Ul nder the command of Colonel Benjamin Davis. Jr.. these warriors fought over North Africa. Sicily and Europe. By the way. Colonel Davis would go on to be the Air Forces first African American general. How good were these Tuskegee Airmen? In a book entitled \"Mustang Aces of the 9th and 15th Air Forces.\" one pilot bomber recalled that the Tuskegee pilots had earned great respect from the bomber pilots they protected. Here is a direct quote: \"The Red Tails were always out there when we wanted them to be.\" he said. \"We had no idea they were black. it was the Armys best kept secret.\" Today. the Tuskegee Airmen and their record of success is no secret. ","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090004790,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Throughout the war. not a single bomber protected by the Red Tails was ever shot down by enemy aircraft. By the wars end. the Tuskegee Airmen had flown over 15.000 sorties. completed over 1.500 missions. destroyed more than 260 enemy aircraft. and more than 1.000 enemy vehicles on the ground. and been awarded 744 Air Medals. 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. 14 Bronze Stars. and 8 Purple Hearts. Of the estimated 450 who saw combat. 150 lost their lives while on combat flights or in training. including Colonel Lanes childhood friend. John Squires. I join my House colleagues in salut-. ing the Tuskegee Airmen 60 years after they first donned the Nations uniform. They have secured their place in history as American heroes. We are proud of them all. We thank them for their service to this great country. I thank the gentleman from Alabama for his work and for this worthy tribute.","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090004812,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina for yielding me time. and I thank the sponsoring Member. the gentleman from Alabama for his kindness. Mr. Speaker. I was introduced to the Tuskegee Airmen through my father in law. Phillip F. Lee. who spent many hours and many moments with the family telling us about not only the history. but the compassion and the character of these brave men. Might I say that although we applaud the United States military for being one of the first institutions in the United States to integrate its services and its forces. let me try to paint for you very briefly the kind of atmosphere that these young black men entered into. It was an enormousl y segregated America. an America that had recently come through a challenging depression. and an armed services that did not confront them or view them as equal. yet with dignity in uniform they stood strong. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6263}
{"speech_id":1090004812,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They loved their country. and they trained young airmen who later became generals of our Armed Forces. They were known in World War II to be the battalion that never turned back. They joined their colleagues. irrespective of their color. They went after those who needed to be saved and they did it with valor. Even though they came back to the Nation as secondclass citizens. they always lived their lives as Tuskegee Airmen. I salute the city of Tuskegee and I salute Alabama for hosting . these young families. My motherinlaw lived. of course. as a _young bride in Tuskegee. Alabama. It was that charitable atmosphere. of course. for those young men that allowed them to be able to train and to be excellent. So today I rise with my colleagues to support and applaud this resolution and to be able to say that we together now in a bipartisan manner and. of course. with all of our diversity and our appreciation for what America really stands for. we stand here today on February 9. 2005. united as an America that loves its United States military. but we will never forget the brave men. who. against all odds. stood as regal Tuskegee Airmen. making a difference in this valiant effort. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6263}
{"speech_id":1090004812,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Alabama for allowing us the opportunity to debate this. but more importantly. for cementing the history at this very important time. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the resolution currently on the floor under suspension of the rules. H. Con. Res. 26. This bill was introduced by our colleague from Alabama. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6263}
{"speech_id":1090004812,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. ROGERS. and the Committee on Armed Services and honors the heroic and renowned Tuskegee Airmen for their sacrifices in World War II as well as for their contribution to the Civil Rights movement. I joined our colleague from Nevada. Mr. PORTER. to speak about his resolution. H. Con. Res. 417. that honored the Tuskegee Airmen and their contribution in creating an integrated United States Air Force. At the time we supported that resolution. this Nation dealt with a very serious human rights crisis that was partially perpetrated by our own military personnel in the Iraq region. However. the Tuskegee Airmen represented a positive example of a respect for human rights as well as civil rights at the highest level. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6263}
{"speech_id":1090004812,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Five members of the Tuskegee Airmen group visited middle and high school students at the M. 0. Campbell Educational Center in Houstons Aldine Independent School District in conjunction with the \"Wings Over Houston Air Show.\" That event left an indelible mark on the youths of Houston who look up to our men and women in uniform. Lt. Col. Lee Archer. Lt. Col. Charles McGee. Dr. Roscoe C. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6263}
{"speech_id":1090004815,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise this afternoon to speak of bravery. of courage. and of a war that was fought on two fronts. at home and abroad. Over 60 years ago America was at war with totalitarianism and fascist forces spreading across Europe and the Pacific. And here at home. our country was training and building an army to answer the call. an army with a history of excluding African Americans from aviation training. That was the case until just 3 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. when a class of five aviation candidates finished training at the Tuskegee Army Airfield on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. soon becoming the Nations first African American fighter pilots. They were George S. Roberts. Benjamin 0. Davis. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BARROW","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2277}
{"speech_id":1090004815,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jr.. Charles H. BeBow. Jr.. Mac Ross. and Lemuel R. Custis. These were the original five Tuskegee Airmen. pilots who entered into combat at a critical part of the war and was instrumental in helping to turn the tide. Between 1941 and 1945. over 1.000 aviators trained at the Tuskegee Army Airfield. Together. fighting alongside hundreds of thousands of..their fellow citizens. they helped defeat the threat of fascism. proving that America is strongest when they are not divided by bigotry. prejudice. or racism. The military record of these distinguished airmen speaks for itself. 15.500 missions completed. 260 enemy aircraft destroyed. one enemy destroyer sunk. an unprecedented record of flying more than 200 bomber escort missions without the loss of a single bomber to enemy aircraft. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BARROW","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2277}
{"speech_id":1090004815,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Tuskegee Airmen returned home with Distinguished Flying Crosses. Legions of Merit. Purple Hearts and Silver Stars. but beyond the medals and accolades. these men paved the way to an important and longoverdue victory. the full integration of the U.S. military. That is the lesson of the Tuskegee Airmen. that love of country. skill. and daring are qualities that transcend race or skin color. Today. as we face new threats from abroad. let us learn from the courage and example set by the Tuskegee Airmen. Let us recommit ourselves to putting old and inexcusable divisions behind us. Americas strength lies in our unity. and to move forward. we must work together as one nation. whether it be on foreign battlefields or in our local communities.","speaker_name":"JOHN BARROW","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2277}
{"speech_id":1090004825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am honored and grateful for the opportunity today to recognize the inspirational challenges that the Tuskegee Airmen courageously embraced and surmounted as the first AfricanAmerican pilots in our Nations distinguished Armed Forces. I commend my colleague. MIKE ROGERS. for introducing H. Con. Res. 26. that recognizes the invaluable contributions that these valiant men made to our country and the significant example that they continue to offer us today. An illustrious group of men who served the United States with honor and bravery. the Tuskegee Airmen defied both fascism abroad and racism at home. as they proved determined to defend our families. communities. and Nation as a whole throughout the course of the Second World War. As the only unit ever to secure the impressive and unprecedented record of flying over 200 escort missions without the loss of a single bomber aircraft to the enemy. the Tuskegee Airmen confirmed. without a doubt. that skill and determination. not skin color. are the determining factors not only in aviation. but in anything we endeavor to achieve yesterday and today. The example set by these individuals encouraged millions of Americans of every race to pursue careers in air and space technology. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2079}
{"speech_id":1090004825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it extends even further then this. The extraordinary feat of the Tuskegee Airmen to overcome segregation and prejudice to go on and become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II established the possibility for all Americansdespite race. culture. religion or genderto achieve their own dreams and aspirations. Their courage to confront the constraints of American society contributed to the courage of others to confront the dangers of the war. and today continues to contribute to the courage of Americans to persevere and succeed in the .face of adversity and hardships. Once again. I express my utmost sincere gratitude and admiration for the courage of the Tuskegee Airmen and hope that our colleagues here today will join in this much deserved recognition of their sacrifices and contribution.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2079}
{"speech_id":1090004827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 26. honoring the Tuskegee Airmen for their bravery in fighting for our freedom in World War II. and for their contribution in creating an integrated United States Air Force. I thank my friend and colleague. MIKE ROGERS of Alabama. for introducing this legislation. Dayton. OH. which I am proud to represent in Congress is the home of the pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. and is the birthplace of aviation. The Wright Brothers were pioneers of flight. as were the Tuskegee Airmen. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090004827,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But before they could fly. the Tuskegee Airmen had to overcome racial prejudice and segregation. And overcome they did. These brave Americans went on to become one of the most respected fighting units of World War II. Nicknamed the \"Red Tails\" because of the red tail markings on their aircraft. the tenacious bomber escort cover provided by the Tuskegee Airmen often discouraged enemy fighter pilots from attacking bombers they escorted. The Tuskegee Airmen passed on the lessons they learned in flight to those who came after them: between 1941 and 1945. the Tuskegee Airmen trained over 1.000 black aviators for the war effort. The bravery and dedication of these airmen can be appreciated by their enviable service record of over 15.500 missions. in which over 260 enemy aircraft were destroyed. one enemy destroyer was sunk. and numerous enemy installations were damaged. The Tuskegee Airmen served with distinction and earned over 850 medals and throughout their storied history. the Airmen did not lose a single bomber to enemy fire in more than 200 combat missionsa record that is unmatched by any other fighter group. There is a local chapter of an organization named. for the Tuskegee Airmen at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. Ohio: The Mac Ross Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen. The chapter is named after Mac Ross. a Dayton native. and- one of the first five AfricanAmerican airmen to become Air Corps pilots in 1942. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090004827,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It serves as a reminder to all of us of the heroic tale of these airmen who fought in a world war. and at home. for freedom. As a proud Daytonian. I am pleased to join my colleagues in honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. pioneers who braved prejudice at home and combat abroad and as a result did their part in winning World War II and creating an integrated Air Force.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090004871,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 30. supporting the goals and ideals of National Black HIV\/AIDS Awareness Day. HIV\/AIDS is having a devastating affect on the African American community. The statistics given by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are staggering. The cold numbers reveal the stunning human cost of the disease. While African Americans make up less than 13 percent of the population in the United States. they represent almost 40 percent -of the diagnosed cases of AIDS since the epidemic started. In 2003. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090004871,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"African Americans accounted for almost 50 percent of the estimated cases diagnosed. African American women are currently the most at risk of contracting HIV\/AIDS. The rate of AIDS cases among black women is 19 times higher than white women and five times the. infection rate of Latinas. The infection rate among black men. while lower. is no less troubling. In 2003. 44 percent of the AIDS cases diagnosed among men were African American males. These numbers are painful to listen to and to read. The painful realities of this world do not always make frontpage news. but this issue must be addressed. We must join together in a bipartisan. bicameral effort to eradicate this epidemic. I am pleased to join with my esteemed colleague Ms. LEE in this effort and commend her distinguished and dedicated leadership on this issue. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090004871,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. thousands of African Americans are suffering from HIV\/AIDS. On this day. National Black HIV\/AIDS Awareness and Information Day. we must make a concerted effort to ensure that education. awareness and prevention are a priority in the 109th Congress.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090004889,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the gentlewoman from Texas has politely articulated something that I believe is misguided and inappropriate. The Congressional Budget Office is a professional organization that assists the United States Congress in knowing in a nonpartisan way those impacts of the laws that we pass. and I have respectfully made sure that the gentlewoman had a copy and had been advised that before she came to the floor. evidently. the minority was in possession of this new document of 2005. And the Committee on Rules. in a meeting that we had yesterday where we considered this legislation. had to understand the implications or some of the implications as it related to this act. and we rely upon the current information that has come from the Congressional Budget Office. So I am very disappointed that my colleague has chosen to think that we have placed pressure upon this professional organization. that we have fudged the numbers. and I would say to the gentlewoman from Texas that that. I believe. is not only an unfair accusation to this Member but. more specifically. to the Congressional Budget Office. which I believe is a professional organization. delivers a product that they put their name on and makes available to all who might read it. E 1215 So I respectfully disagree with the gentlewoman. do not accept the characterization that she has given to this Member or to the Congressional Budget Office. and would hope that the gentlewoman would find the time perhaps later in the day to bring this issue up upon full scrutiny of the documentation to recognize that. in fact. the professional conduct of the Congressional Budget Office was correct in their assertion. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1785}
{"speech_id":1090004898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purposes of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. This general debate rule provides for 1 hour and 40 minutes of general debate. with 40 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. 40 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Government Reform. and 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Homeland Security. It waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. and provides that after general debate the Committee of the Whole shall rise without motion and no further consideration shall be in order except by. subsequent order of the House. Mr. Speaker. we are here today to begin the debate on fulfilling Congresss promise to the American people made in the wake of the tragedy of September 11. 2001. that our government will do everything it can to protect them from another deadly attack on our homeland. This promise was made in the days immediately following September 11 when President Bush committed4o the American people that the full force of American power would be used to bring terrorists and their sponsors to justice. This promise was continued by the efforts of the September 11 Commission and the subsequent efforts of Congress to study the frailties and oversights of our national security system that the 9\/11 terrorists were. able to identify. exploit and use against us. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1946}
{"speech_id":1090004898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And this promise will continue again today through the consideration of the REAL ID Act of 2005. which has been authored by my good friend. the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. SENSEN-","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1946}
{"speech_id":1090004910,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Much has been and will be said about this bills impact on makifhg it more difficult for terrorists to get identification to conduct their terrorist activities and the reform of the asylum laws and the plugging of the fence south of San Diego. However. there is an issue of public safety involved in this bill as well. Yesterday. a criminal complaint was unsealed in the Federal Court in Chicago which showed that there was a huge scam in getting Wisconsin drivers licenses for illegal aliens to drive trucks. And in at least one instance. the case of Nasko Nazov. who is an illegal alien from Macedonia. 3 days after he obtained this drivers license. he killed four people. a family of four. in a truckcar accident in Baileyton. Tennessee. Now. the criminal complaint says that the scam worked as follows: Foreign nationals paid sponsors in Chicago up to $2.000 for help in getting a commercial drivers license. Several Wisconsin residents were paid a onetime fee for use of their addresses. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2738}
{"speech_id":1090004910,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The clients were transported from Chicago to Milwaukee via van to banks in Milwaukee. where they used the Wisconsin addresses to open checking accounts. After the checks were printed. the clients brought them to the Division of Motor Vehicles as proof of their residency required to take their written tests. In Wisconsin. the written tests were given in English. Spanish. and Russian. People who spoke other languages had to bring their own interpreters. Some of the interpreters helped the clients cheat on the tests. In some cases. the sponsors accompanied the clients to a private facility that has a contract with the State to conduct road tests. Employees there accepted payments. that ensured that the clients passed the test whether or not they knew how to drive a truck. Now. because Wisconsin does not require proof of legal residency in the United States in order to get a drivers license. whether it is a regular license or a commercial drivers license. Mr. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2738}
{"speech_id":1090004910,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nazov got a license validly issued by the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles. and 3 days later killed a family of four on a highway in Tennessee with a truck he did not know how to drive. Now. legislation like this would have been a key move in preventing an illegal alien from getting this drivers license. a drivers license he could not have gotten in the State of Illinois. I think this proves that there is more involved to this than border security. There is an issue of public safety. And if you do not believe that. ask the family of the people who were killed in Tennessee. Mr. Speaker. I submit for the RECORD the story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel entitled \"Tennessee Deaths Bring New Charge.\"","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2738}
{"speech_id":1090004959,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise. regrettably in opposition to this antiimmigrant legislation. Mr. Chairman. if we truly believe in all we have heard about the importance of freedom and liberty from our President and others. then we have no other choice but to vote down this bill which denies so much freedom ahd liberty to the immigrants in our own country. H.R. 418 includes. provision after provision limiting the rights ofrefugees. imposing onerous new drivers license requirements on the States. unfunded mandates. making it easier to deport legal immigrants. waiving all Federal laws concerning construction of barriers and fences anywhere within the United States and denying immigrants longstanding habeas corpus rights. This is a work of art that has to be examined very. very carefully and very critically. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2595}
{"speech_id":1090004959,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If this measure becomes law. this will close Americas doors to Cubans fleeing from their country. religious minorities attempting to escape religious persecution. women fleeing from sex trafficking. rape or forced abortions. Unfortunately. in our history. there have been a number of examples of this overreaction in the past. For example. during the Civil War. General Ulysses Grant. no less. sought to expel the Jews from the South. The aftermath of World War I brought the notorious Red scare. and the very long remembered antiimmigrant Palmer raids from the attorney general of that era. Of course. World War II gave us the searing memory of the unconscionable internment of Japanese Americans. In the wake of the 9\/11 tragedy. and even after the PATRIOT Act. which did its share of violating the rights of those who were in this country. this legislation would even further target immigrants for crimes they have not committed and for which they are not responsible. At some point we have to treat terrorism as a problem that requires intelligent response. as opposed to an excuse to scabegoat immigrants. For all these reasons. there are so many groups lined up behind the American Civil Liberties Union to oppose the bill: immigration rights _groups. civil rights groups. civil liberty organizations. private rights groups. labor organizations. environmental groups. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2595}
{"speech_id":1090004959,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Native American rights. States rights and international human rights groups. So. I urge us in good conscience and serious concern over the direct and the subtle import of this legislation. please. We cannot and should not close ourselves off to the most vulnerable members of our society. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from Texas","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2595}
{"speech_id":1090004994,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me time. I thank the chairman for leading on this most important issue. On September 11. our Nation suffered the most horrible attack ever on American soil at the hands of those with a deepseated. enduring hatred for freedom. Since that day. we have made great strides in improving our Nations security. but several gaps leave our Nation vulnerable to attacks. just like those we suffered that day.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":446}
{"speech_id":1090005002,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would simply like to submit my statement for the RECORD on this particular issue in opposition to the REAL ID Act. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong opposition of the REAL ID Act. H.R. 418 is meanspirited legislation that threatens our national security by depriving law enforcement officials of critical information on many adults who are physically present in the United States. The drivers license REAL ID Act will also impose additional requirements on states. without providing funding. and interfere with what is inherently a state responsibility. The REAL ID Act will also raise insurmountable hurdles for refugees seeking asylum. This bill will negatively affect women refugees seeking asylum from honor killings. rape and sex trafficking. since most women cannot provide direct proof of torture. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090005002,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not understand how supporters of this bill can turn their backs on victims of sex trafficking in the name of protecting homeland security. Finally. I am particularly disappointed that the authors of this bill have ignored real security threats. Like the need to upgrade the safety of our chemical and nuclear plants. Instead they have introduced a sweeping new law that allows the Department of Homeland Security to unilaterally strip away civil rights. labor. health and environmental laws to build a border fence. This will be done without any recourse for the average American citizen impacted by the construction. This doesnt make our country safer. it just takes away the liberties that make America a model for the world. I strongly urge all Members to vote \"no\" on H.R. 418.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090005025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the problem with this bill is that it is an immigration bill posing as an identification bill. Instead of listening to what the States told us needed to be done to make drivers licenses more secure. what we have done is to basically make State motor vehicle employees unwitting immigration agents. It does little to improve homeland security. and it is certain to prove overwhelming and ineffective. Now. I support what the. gentleman from Virginia (Chairman TOM DAVIS) is trying to do to improve the integrity of drivers licenses. but I find it curious that the leadership of the House has chosen to largely ignore the multiple references in the 9\/11 Commission Report to the value. of oncard biometric technology in improving the integrity of identification cards. The problem is that these digital images are not sufficient. Matching the image with the face is more prone to error than the technology that would use biometric data. Two fingerprints transformed into numeric algorithm. that works. What we have here does not work. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1173}
{"speech_id":1090005025,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think we are going to find the States letting us know that. Unfortunately. it will be too late. We will miss an opportunity.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1173}
{"speech_id":1090005042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am happy to join this debate as the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and welcome the gentleman from Mississippi . my ranking member. We are here because each day thousands of people -illegally enter the United States. They know where to cross. They know how to get a drivers license. And if they are caught. they even know how to rig our legal system to stay in the country nonetheless. What has been the result of this broken system? On January 25. 1993. Mir Aimal Kansi stood at the entrance of the Central Intelligence Agency and gunned down five people. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6258}
{"speech_id":1090005042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A month later Ramzi Yousef masterminded the first bombing of the World Trade Center. Both men were in the country because they were awaiting the outcome of their asylum applications. This legislation will fix that loophole. On September 11. 2001. according to the 9\/11 Commission report. the 19 hijackers responsible for the 9\/11 terrorist attacks carried between them 13 U.S. drivers licenses and 21 stateissued ID cards. Several of these hijackers had overstayed their visas. and they were unlawfully in this country. But their drivers licenses permitted them to board those airplanes nonetheless. This bill fixes that problem. The laws that we are operating under today allow terrorists to enter our country and to plan and carry out attacks in the United States. The reality is that this homeland security vulnerability is being exploited by terrorists and criminal aliens every day. H.R. 418 makes necessary changes to ensure that terrorists do not obtain identification. as did the 9\/11 hijackers. that Will permit them to board airplanes or access Federal facilities or easily travel within the United States. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6258}
{"speech_id":1090005042,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The most literal security gap that this bill addresses is the 3mile hole in the San Diego border fence. Recent press accounts have reported that al Qaeda operatives have joined forces with human smuggling rings in order to enter the United States. As we now know. the 9\/11 hijackers were interviewed 25 times by U.S. consular officers. they had 43 contacts- with Immigration and Customs authorities. But because of administration and congressional initiatives requiring the screening of all foreign nationals entering the United States. terrorists will be forced to resort to crossing our borders illegally. The border security fence. therefore. which thus far has been mired in bureaucratic delays. is part of our national security efforts and must be completed now. For decades the border between San Diego and Mexico has been the preferred corridor for ntry into the United States by unknown or undocumented persons. With highly populated cities both north and south of the border as well as relatively quick access to .national transportation hubs such as LAX. it is the perfect place for aliens to slip across the border and gain quick access to U.S. communities and transportation networks. The important infrastructure assets in the area. including in particular the largest naval base on the west coast of the United States and the busiest seaport in the United States. makes securing this area even more important. From September. through November. 2004. the border patrol apprehended over 23.000 individuals with criminal records including 84 wanted for murder and 151 wanted for sexual assault. In 2004 border patrol agents arrested almost 1.2 million illegal aliens with 11.6 percent of those apprehended in the San Diego sector alone. despite the fact that the San Diego sector is roughly 1 percent of our border area. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6258}
{"speech_id":1090005042,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over the past 2 years. the three border patrol stations responsible for patrol of the existing 14 miles of border fence in the San Diego sector have apprehended approximately 200 special interest aliens annually from countries such as Afghanistan. Iran. Iraq. Pakistan. and Turkey. Completion of this fence will not only reduce the number of illegal crossings in the area but will also allow the Border Patrol to redeploy manpower and redirect precious resources to other important homeland security missions along the border. And like the other border fence areas. the San Diego sector can expect to see a reduction in crime. including murder. as well. Of the 14 miles authorized by Congress several times. 9 miles of the triple fence have been completed. But only in Washington -would people construct a fence with a big hole in it. The final 31\/2 miles has been held up due to bureaucratic red tape and lawsuits. The border patrol has worked to alleviate the environmental concerns that have been raised. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6258}
{"speech_id":1090005042,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. the U.S. Department of the Interiors Fish and Wildlife Service concluded in July. 2003. that construction of the fence \"is not likely to jeopardize. the continued existence of any relevant endangered species in the area. Furthermore. not completing the fence will continue to cause other environmental damage in the area due to large numbers of persons crossing illegally through this area and subsequent pursuit by the border patrol. as well as large amounts of trash and refuse left in the wake of smugglers and illegal crossers. As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and_ a California resident. I am extremely concerned by the roadblocks that different bureaucratic groups have used to justify thwarting this important project. For example. in September of 2003. the San Diego Border Patrol requested entry to a section of countyowned land located in the 31\/2 mile section in dispute and located about 300 feet from the U.S.Mexican border in order to. first. improve the road for safety of the border patrol agents. and. two. take soil samples in order to address environmental concerns pertaining to construction of the fence. But the San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation denied access. saying there was no authority to enter upon the land. After months of negotiation. I have been told that the issue was finally resolved. but this clearly demonstrates that Federal action is necessary to ensure that the fence is completed and that border security remains a priority. The time for delay and bureaudratic obstruction is over. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6258}
{"speech_id":1090005077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. America was dealt an awful setback over the weekend in Miami. .Florida. The distinguished actor. director. producer and advocate Ossie Davis passed away at the age of 87. He died doing what he loved most: he was shooting a movie. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090005077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis stood out both in the fields of theater and human justice. We have enjoyed all of Daviss regal performances in recent movies like \"Grumpy Old Men.\" \"The Client.\" \"Do the Right Thing.\" and \"Jungle Fever.\" and in television programs like \"Evening Shade.\" Mr. Speaker. Ossie Davis was also a powerful social advocate. He was a tireless worker on behalf of the civil rights. and particularly voting rights. for all Americans. It is remarkable to note that Ossie Davis was also half of one of the most revered couples of American stage and screen. Mr. Daviss wife. Ruby Dee Davis. appeared in more than 20 films and scores of theater productions herself. In December. the Kennedy Center here in Washington honored both Ossie and Dee Davis as part of the 27th Kennedy Center Honors for their extraordinary contributions to the arts. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090005077,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The two were married for 57 years. Ossie Davis is survived by his wife. If my distinguished colleague. the gentleman from Georgia . would indulge me. I would wish to offer the most sincere condolences of all Members of the House to Ruby Dee and the Davis family during these heartrending days. Mr. Speaker. the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Melissa Gilbert. made this fitting statement last week. following the death of Mr. Davis. who was a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award recipient: \"Along with his remarkable wife. Ruby Dee. Ossie Daviss impact on America can be seen not only in his rich body of creative works. but equally so as a passionate advocate for social justice and human dignity.\" Mr. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090005077,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for proposing this resolution to the House. I am proud to be a cosponsor of House Resolution 69 that honors the life of Ossie Davis. I urge adoption of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090005100,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me 2 minutes. I. too. want to add my appreciation for the soul of Mr. Ossie Davis: courageous. king. gentleman. warrior. friend. We honor him today and his memory. for when he walked in a room. we knew that the strength of Africai American men was being represented wherever he went. When he spoke. when he gave his time. when he reached out to all of us to let us know that we could be whatever it is that we wanted to be and with God in us. as he was in Mr. DAVIS. we knew that we would overcome. To Ruby Dee and her family for over 50 years. thank you for sharing him with us. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":860}
{"speech_id":1090005100,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis. he lives today and he will always live because he is an example to all of us how we should live with dignity and pride. face challenges head on.. and speak the truth. Thank you. Mr. DAVIS. and may you rest in peace.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":860}
{"speech_id":1090005103,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I believe that all of our speakers who are here. have had an opportunity to speak. I will use the rest of our time to close. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding a portion of the time. and I want to thank all of those who came over to speak. There were a number of additional individuals who had signel up but were not able to get here. people like the gentleman from Michigan . the gentleman from New Jersey . the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands . the gentleman from Maryland . the gentlewoman from California . the gentleman from New York . and unfortunately. they were not able to come. I simply want to indicate that Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were as much a part of being activists as .they were being actors. and I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for giving us all the opportunity to share in his life today. In November of 2003. we launched something called the State of the African American Male. and Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were the luncheon speakers. Of course. the luncheon had standing room only. people trying to get in. and it was at that gathering where Ossie Davis stated that it was his personal mission to reverse the trends affecting young black males. such as drug tradition. high dropout rates and criminal issues. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090005103,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis will forever live in our hearts and minds through his community outreach. his talents on and off camera. and as a loving father and husband. He will also be recognized on the world stage as a pioneer of the civil rights movement. fighting for justice. equality and what he knew were the right things to do. Ossie Davis felt a collective effort of change was needed in our community and our country. but as he once said. \"Its not the man. its the plan.\" Today. we honor the man. but we will never forget the plan. the life and the influence of Ossie Davis. Mr. Speaker. I yield the remainder of our time to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia . for our final words. as she has just dashed in. another contemporary and friend of his.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090005112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. most people will remember Ossie Davis as the deepvoiced actor who paved the way for AfricanAmerican performers. He helped widen horizons for blacks on stage and screen while fighting for civil rights from Washington to Hollywood. Born in Codgell. Ga. in my district. Raiford Chatman Davis was known as \"RC.\" This was later misunderstood to be \"Ossie\". and he kept the name his entire life. Ossie Davis grew up in Waycross and Valdosta. Georgia. He later hitchhiked to Washington. DC to attend Howard University to study drama. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2070}
{"speech_id":1090005112,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis had intended to be a writer. but his fame came from his incisive and wideranging acting performances over five decades. even as he wrote plays and screenplays and directed and produced. Ossie and his wife. Ruby Dee. were married in 1948. Their marriage was a true partnership. and during their decades together they worked to make America a better place. They entertained us in the films and theater productions they starred in together. They were tireless activists during the civil rights era. They persevered when blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Nothing shook their devotion to each other or to the causes that motivated them. In December. when Ossie Davis was honored at the Kennedy Center. Sean \"PDiddy\" Combs said that Davis helped pave the road for two generations of black performers. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2070}
{"speech_id":1090005112,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis said that night. \"We knew that every time we got a job and every time we were onstage. America was looking to make judgments about all black folks on the basis of how you looked. how you sounded. how you carried yourself. So any role you had was a role that was involved in the struggle for black identification. You couldnt escape it.\" In an example of art imitating life. Ossie Davis delivered the eulogy in the film \"Malcolm X.\" it was the same eulogy he had actually delivered at Malcolm Xs memorial service. Davis was politically active. especially with the civil rights movement. and he was also an opponent to Senator Joseph McCarthys Communist witch hunt of the 1950s. [From the Ledger. Feb. 9. 2005]","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2070}
{"speech_id":1090005113,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Mr. Ossie Davis. an American legend. Ossie Davis was an actor and an activist who believed the function of art was to better society. He said he could not imagine art without struggle. and he could not imagine struggle without being knee deep in it. His worthy struggled ended on February 4. 2005. at the age of 87. while practicing the craft he loved so dearly on the set of the movie Retirement. Mr. Speaker. throughout his life. Ossie Davis was knee deep in struggle. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090005113,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was born in 1917 in Cogdell. Georgia. the heart of the segregated South. His mother named him Raiford Chatman Davis. RC for short. But when his mother pronounced his initials to the white nurse in attendance. the nurse misheard her. and recorded the infants name as Ossie. Fearful of challenging the white nurses authority. Laura Davis accepted her sons new name. Mr. Speaker. Ossie Daviss childhood was not an easy one. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090005113,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His father oversaw the building of railroads in Georgia. A manager and supervisor. Kince Charles Davis was an anomaly in the segregated South. In fact. his esteemed position made the Davis family the target of racism and threats of violence. More than once. the KKK threatened to shoot Kince Davis \"like a dog.\" Mr. Speaker. from a young age. Ossie Davis took refuge from racism by plunging into his studies. He loved Shakespeare and dreamed of becoming a writer and an actor himself. In 1939 he followed his dreams to New York City. and joined the Rose McClendon Players. He befriended the intellectual giants of the Harlem Renaissance. basked in the glow of their brilliance. and was inspired by their passion for empowerment through the unity of arts and politics. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090005113,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis made sacrifices for his craft. After an evening performance. he would often retire to a nearby park bench. But for Davis. the sacrifices were well worth it. Towards the end of his life. Davis recalled the moment he understood his mission as a black artist. In 1939. he heard Marian Anderson. who had been banned from performing in Constitution Hall. sing in front of the Lincoln Memorial. According to USA Today. he told students at Cornell University in the 1990s. \"I understood fully for the first time the importance of black song. black music. black arts. I was handed my spiritual assignment that night.\" Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090005113,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ossie Davis believed he had a responsibility to his race and a responsibility to his country. In 1942. he enlisted in the Army and served as a surgical technician in Liberia. His patriotism. his heartfelt belief in what America could and should be. guided him throughout his life. He chose to perform in plays that showcased Americas promise. while demonstrating its flaws. One such play was \"Jeb.\" an American Negro Theater production about a black soldier returning from World War II only to encounter racism in the country for which he fought. \"Jeb\" was an important piece of social commentary. For Ossie Davis. it was doubly important. because it was in \"Jeb\" that he met his wife. his partner in love and life. as well as in art and activism. Ruby Dee. Mr. Speaker. the union of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee was among the most fruitful acting partnerships in American history. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090005151,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I am introducing the Clinical Laboratory Compliance Improvement Act of 2005. legislation to improve accuracy and reliability in medical testing and provide protection for employees who report laboratory problems to their superiors or regulatory entities. Medical laboratory testing is a fundamental pillar of our Nations health care system. Virtually every American undergoes testing in the course of receiving medical care and relies on the accuracy of laboratory tests to receive appropriate medical care and treat-.7 ment. Incorrect test results in the worst case can contribute to a misdiagnosis that leads to inappropriate care and possible adverse health consequences for the patient. In the best case. incorrect or invalid results can lead to undue stress and inconvenience. Inaccurate testing for communicable diseases can pose a serious threat to the public health. In May and July of 2004. the House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice. Drug Policy and Human Resources of the Committee on Government Reform held hearings to investigate lab deficiencies that led to the release of hundreds of invalid test results by the Maryland General Hospital located in my district in Baltimore City. I requested the hearings as the subcommittees ranking minority member. and with the cooperation and support of the distinguished chairman. the gentleman from Indiana . the subcommittee conducted the hearings on a strictly bipartisan basis. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6164}
{"speech_id":1090005151,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During the hearings. the subcommittee received testimony from Teresa Williams and Kristin Turner. .two former laboratory employees who complained to superiors and State health officials about serious. longstanding deficiencies in the lab. including failure to implement quality controls on a diagnostic device used to read tests for HIV and hepatitis. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. responsible for implementing Federal regulations governing medical diagnostic devices and laboratory operations. respectively. the former chief executive of Adaltis US. Inc.. manufacturer of the device used to run the invalid test. the College of American Pathologists. a private accrediting organization responsible for certifying the. laboratorys compliance with Federal and State regulations on behalf of CMS and the State. and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene all testified. It was Ms. Turners complaint in December 2003 that triggered investigations by the State CMS. the Joint Commissioner on Accreditation of Healthcare. JCAHO. and CAP. between January and March. The investigations confirmed Ms. Turners allegation that during a 14month period between June 2002 and August 2003. Maryland General Hospital issued more than 450 questionable HIV and hepatitis test results to hospital patients. During this time period. the hospital laboratory was inspected and accredited for 2 years by CAP. receiving CAPs Accredited With Distinction Certificate. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6164}
{"speech_id":1090005151,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Despite an earlier anonymous complaint by Ms. Williams and several colleagues. the State also was unable to identify the problems. and serious deficiencies in two key departments of the lab went undetected by CAP and the State until January of 2004. In Spring of 2004. inspectors from the States EMS and JCAHO concluded that the laboratory staff had falsified federally required instrument quality control results and reported patient results even though quality control checks had failed. Learning of. the problems by way of news reports. CAP conducted a complaint inspection in April. found similar deficiencies. and suspended accreditation of the labs chemistry and pointofcare departments for 30 days. To its credit. Maryland General Hospital conducted its own internal review and vigorously undertook efforts both to retest the affected patients and to revamp the labs leadership and operations. Fortunately. retesting verified the accuracy of the overwhelming majority of tests. and Maryland General has made enormous strides in improving its lab operations so that patients receive results that are accurate and reliable. Nevertheless. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6164}
{"speech_id":1090005151,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. this is a situation that caused great distress to the community that the Maryland General serves. I should note that I live in that community. and I have received care at Maryland General Hospital. This is a situation that could have put lives in jeopardy and one that simply should never. have occurred. given the regulatory safeguards that exist to ensure quality testing. Congress recognized the importance of ensuring that all Americans receive accurate diagnostic test results when in enacted Federal Standards for Medical Laboratories under the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendments of 1998. now know as CLIA. Under the CLIA. the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were charged. with developing and implementing regulations to ensure that all labs conform to strict Federal guidelines. CMS directly inspects some labs to ensure CLIA compliance and State health agencies are responsible for inspecting and certifying the compliance of others. In addition. pursuant to CLIA regulations and agreements between CMS and the States. clinical laboratories that choose to be accredited by CAP or one of five other private accrediting organizations. are deemed to be in compliance with State and Federal regulatory requirements and can bill for services provided for Medicare beneficiaries. Mr. Speaker. there is no doubting the fact that CLIA has made medical testing more accurate and more reliable. and surely the overwhelming majority of labs do their best to conform to these high standards. Unfortunately. the Maryland General case clearly demonstrates that not all laboratories will play fair and that the current system does not guarantee that serious instances of noncompliance will be detected or corrected. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6164}
{"speech_id":1090005151,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Testimony before the subcommittee indicated that in the Maryland General case. laboratory supervisors failed to implement quality control measures and deliberately masked lab deficiencies from Inspectors from CAP and the State. Employees who complained were subject to retaliation and intimidation.","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6164}
{"speech_id":1090005169,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to congratulate the gentleman for his remarks. We can save the Social Security system and also we can get a better deal for our young woFkers in retirement. Let me make one quick point and see if I have it right. There are actually three aspects to the Social Security system. One is Social Security disability. another is the survivorship program. and th6 other is the old age retirement program. I think what most of us are saying is. we can save the retirement program through these individual accounts. but we do not have to do one single change to disability. People do not have to worry about losing their disability and they do not have to worry about the survivorship. So if people raise that red herring. that is exactly what it is: It is a false charge. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090005169,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nothing will be done to disability and nothing will be done to survivorship. is that correct?","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090005173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding to me. First. let me join others in thanking him for his leadership on the Committee on Ways and Means as chairman for 6 years on the Subcommittee on Social Security. a resident and leader in Florida. which has a number of Americas seniors who care so much about this issue. Back in Texas I know that every senior I visited with in the Eighth Congressional District is worried about two things: their health care costs and their Social Security. Prescription drugs. the new technologies are doing just a wonderful job of creating a great quality of life. but it is so expensive. They are worried about getting generic drugs to the market faster so they do not have to pay so much for these pills. They want more preventative services under Medicare so they can detect that illness early and get treatment. prevent it rather than having it occur to them. And they want.to make sure they can see doctors they know. All important issues on health care. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6578}
{"speech_id":1090005173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And they also want to make sure Social Security is there for them. for their children and for their grandchildren. with greater costofliving increases. that it is something that they can count on. And for our seniors the great news is they are golden under Social Security. Virtually nothing that can even be contemplated will change for -Social Security seniors. and that is the great news. But odr goal has to be to preserve Social Security once and for all for every generation. Once and for all. meaning not another BandAid. because we have gone through this exercise before. We have raised payroll taxes. We have raised the age. and- then in another 20 or 30 years we are right back where we started. Let us solve it once and for all. Secondly. let us solve it for every generation. We know that seniors above 55 are in very great shape with this. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6578}
{"speech_id":1090005173,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the baby boomers. we know there is not enough funding for them. And the young people today. I just do not see how we take money from their paycheck. a promise to have it ready for them when they retire and we know for certain we cannot deliver on that promise. And one thing we will hear in this debate is we will hear lots of people talking about we are dismantling Social Security. we are making huge benefit cuts. there is a guaranteed risk to personal accounts within Social Security. But what those same Members of Congress will not tell people is that they have their own retirement invested in personal accounts just like the one the President has proposed. In fact. Members of Congress. our staffs and our fellow coworkers invest $15 billion every year. new dollars. into personal accounts. They are invested and grow over time just like the accounts we offer and propose for Social Security. And people back home always ask me. How come these personal accounts are safe and secure for members of Congresss families but all of a sudden they are a guaranteed gamble for us? How come it is good enough for your families. but not good enough for people who pay your salary? It. is a great question. and my thought is those who claim that personal accounts are such a guaranteed gamble perhaps ought to lead by example and withdraw from the Thrift Savings Plan and see what happens. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6578}
{"speech_id":1090005173,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My guess is they will tell us wait a minute. that is how I am going to build my nest egg. My question is why do we not allow other Americans. the ones who pay our salaries each day. to build their own nest egg as well? What we are offering for seniors is to preserve it. but for young people we are offering them a choice. For the first time in their lives. they are going to get a choice in Social Security. real dollars in a real account or an IOU in some imaginary government ledger. Real dollars in a real account that build up over time that is theirs. for their retirement. and when they get to 65 they are not begging government for help in Social Security. they are not calling on their Congressman. They are calling on their financial adviser because they built up a nest egg that belongs to them and they have got that power. And the fact of the matter is that back home in Texas. I always ask two simple questions of the people I work with because they really have great questions on Social Security. And I ask them. personally. they are 50. or 60 years old. they are a baby boomer like me. If they could go back. way back when and put all of that money that has gone from their paycheck in a traditional retirement account and let it grow over the years. would they be better off today than they were under Social Security? And invariably they would say. I would give anything to have that money back. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6578}
{"speech_id":1090005173,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then I ask. if Social Security could have put that money into real accounts. real dollars into real accounts. and let it grow over the years. would Social Security be better off today than the financial mess it is in? And invariably they answer the same way. yes. Why not start now to build the same type of security? We know the right thing to do is to move from this payasyougo system that will just run out of workers eventually and actually much sooner than we all wish. to move it to traditional retirement accounts within Social Security so that young people have real dollars in real accounts so that they can rely upon their Social Security. It is. I think. irresponsible by some to scare our seniors. It is irresponsible to ignore this huge crisis. I call it a crisis because it gets so big so fast. We have got to move now. It costs us $600 billion a year every year we delay. $600 billion. The more we talk. it costs taxpayers. Why not. after decades of gabbing about this. let us come together and solve it? And I think too we have to be responsible for our seniors as -well. focusing on their health care. making sure that they have their Social Security guaranteed with real costofliving increases. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6578}
{"speech_id":1090005176,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yes. as sad as that is. There are some bright people on the other side of the aisle that could really help us get this thing done. When I did welfare reform back in 1996. we finally got some help from the other side and President Clinton signed the bill. And that was one of the greatest pieces of social legislation that has come out of the Congress. I think. in the last couple of decades. It was late coming. but it came and we were able to do that. But in order to have the confidence of the American people. this has to be done in a bipartisan way.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":553}
{"speech_id":1090005187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Chairman SHAW for leading this important effort to highlight the problems facing the current Social Security system. Since the creation of the Social Security program. older Americans continue to count on guaranteed benefits to support them in their retirement. Social Security benefits must be there for every American who pays into the system. The President and the Republican Congress are committed to making sure Social Security is there for the worker who retires. is there for the widow who needs that extra source of income. and is there for the disabled who need that helping hand each month. I want to make sure these benefits continue for future generations of.Americans. To ensure the continued solvency of the Social Security program Congress and the President must fact the facts that by 2018less than 15 years from now the program will begin to pay out more in benefits than it currently collects. The outlays will be more than the revenues coming in. How can my Democratic friends ignore this reality? Fiftyfive years ago. there were 16 workers for every one Social Security beneficiary. ","speaker_name":"DAVE CAMP","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2833}
{"speech_id":1090005187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. there are three workers for every one beneficiary. The numbers dont improve from here on out. If we postpone the inevitable and do nothing to reform the current system. todays worker will be left with a Social Security program that has nothing to pay out. While some policymakers may hope that a magic wand miraculously rescues the current system from future bankruptcy. the reality is that Congress and the President must work together now. make necessary reforms. and save Social Security. That is what we were elected to do--make decisions and implement policies that help Americans now and in the future. To not do so is frankly irresponsible. My Democratic colleagues argue that we dont need to do anything to reform Social Security. Many suggest that the magic elixir for Social Security is repealing the sensible tax cuts Congress and the President signed into law over the past four years and stashing the * money in the Social Security Trust Fund. Tax increases will not rescue Social Security. This approach. which they have used to fund every one of their policy proposals. will restrain the economic growth we have experienced over the past several years. ","speaker_name":"DAVE CAMP","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2833}
{"speech_id":1090005187,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since the Republican Congress passed the 2001 Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Act. the U.S. economy has rebounded. millions of new jobs have been created. and business investment is the best its been in seven years. Repealing these tax cuts will hurt the U.S. economy and in turn. do nothing to save Social Security. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put every idea and all the options on the table so we can begin to examine how to preserve and protect Social Security for todays seniors and future beneficiaries.","speaker_name":"DAVE CAMP","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2833}
{"speech_id":1090005189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 6. which is on the agenda of the United States House of Representatives today. expressing the support of the United States Congress for the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Speaker. I also rise as a lifetime Scouter and a very proud Eagle Scout. As a matter of fact. this week marks the 95th anniversary of the incorporation of the Boy Scouts of the America. It was February. 1910 that the Boy Scouts of America were incorporated in New York. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1864}
{"speech_id":1090005189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They stood for a set of values. They stood for something. They stood on a set of principles. teaching young men to be trustworthy. loyal. helpful and friendly. If you think about it. there are not many organizations around today who were around 95 years ago that stand for the same things today that they stood for back at the time of their inception. back at the time of their incorporation. teaching young men to be. courteous. kind. obedient. cheerful. thrifty. brave. clean and reverent to God. That is what the Boy Scouts of the America stand for. It is what they have always stood for. The Department of Defense. the United States military. have always been encouraged by the United States Congress. Of course. the Congress provides one of the very few congressional charters to .the Boy Scouts of America. The Congress has always supported the Boy Scouts. They have always encouraged the Department of Defense to support the Boy Scouts of America. as well. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1864}
{"speech_id":1090005189,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a matter of fact. this coming year. the Boy Scouts will hold a quadrennial national jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. not too far from the Nations Capital. This resolution encourages the Department of Defense to continue support of the Boy Scouts of America. I believe it is the sense of Congress and also the sense of the citizens of the United States of America that we continue to support the Boy Scouts.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1864}
{"speech_id":1090005193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much. and I just want to sayI think that he said something that Was very important. If the $2 trillion number is not right. because- as my colleagues know. under this Medicare prescription drug benefit that the administration put forth in the last Congress. we were told one number and that was wrong. and then it was revealed that the numbers were suppressed and the actual number is higher. Just today. looking at the news reports. that number is even higher. and so as these mistakes are made. future generations and even the present generation is put at risk financially. I can tell my colleagues one thing that is fact. We do know who will benefit from this privatization scheme. which is $940 billion. Wall Street. to put these public dollars in open water. to gamble. The other issue that I thought the gentleman really laid out was the fact there are no guarantees that the benefit level will stay where it is now. Matter of fact. we are pretty much guaranteed that benefits will be cut. even for those who do not take part in the privatization accounts. and so I think it is important for us to continue to share that with the American people. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2045}
{"speech_id":1090005193,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Once again. I just want to say that Social Security is going to be solvent for another 47 years. and also. we have 48 million Americans that are now recipients of Social Security. and it has a lot to do with local economies. a lot of our disabled and very frail individuals. This is what they count on as a source of income. I must add that we still do not have a Social Security plan. We are just talking about principles now. guiding principles. but one thing that the gentlewoman from California . the minority leader. shared not only with the Nation but shared withmany of us here. Democratic guiding principles to make sure that we do not increase the deficit in any Democratic plan that is put forth. a plan that does not send us further into debt. that every dollar will be paid for and not borrowed that will continue to make the problem worse.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2045}
{"speech_id":1090005198,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Absolutely. Mr. Speaker. the gentleman is correct. and it is very important for the people to know that we have a surplus in Social Security as we speak today. And the only reason we will be having a problem is because we folks have borrowed from Social Security to pay other bills. And we have had IOUs. which are Treasury bonds. but they are good all t]e way up through 2052. And then beyond that. of course. we will even be able to pay 80 percent of it. But I think this kind of system with the President is that you create as much of a crisis as you can. But I do not think the American people will be fooled on this one. as they were with the crisis over the weapons of mass destruction.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":692}
{"speech_id":1090005207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to bring up something that maybe has not been discussed and that is the disproportionate impact that the Presidents plan will have on women. Women are already starting far behind the eight ball as compared to men in their earnings. There are a number of factors that leave women even more vulnerable to this radical proposal than it leaves men. In 2003. for example. the average monthly Social Security benefit for a woman was only $798. That is $241 less than the average mans monthly retirement. Womens earnings are 77 percent relative to men back in 2002. Women who reach retirement age live. on average. at least 3 years longer than men. and Social Security is the only source of retirement income for one in three unmarried women. Without Social Security. 52 percent of white women. 65 percent of African American women. and 61 percent of Hispanic women would live in poverty upon retirement without the safety net that Social Security provides. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1259}
{"speech_id":1090005207,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It provides more than half of the total income for female widows and for single women. So when the President talks about the different groups that his proposal would disproportionately benefit. he does not seem to care that we would leave women in this country completely out in the cold.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1259}
{"speech_id":1090005208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I wanted to emphasize that the young people need to realize that if you were to make this move into a private account. you will correspondingly have benefits cut down the road. You are going to lose in benefits far more than you would in the accounts with the. risktaking involved and because your Social Security investment is protected from inflation. it is guaranteed. and when you have those cuts taken away as a result of going into the private accounts. it should make one stop and think a little bit before even entertaining the idea of going into private accounts because they would correspond in the cuts.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":627}
{"speech_id":1090005231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. talking about priorities. I will just share this bit of information. When one discounts the additional moneys that the VA will get from imposing user fees and increased copayments for prescription drugs on our veterans. we find that the increase in the VA budget is fourtenths of one percent. fourtenths of one percent. Now. I think it is interesting to know that the American Legion and other veterans groups have requested $3.5 billion as an increase in health care spending for VA health care for fiscal year 2006. They have requested an additional $3.5 billion. The President is proposing a $9.5 billion foreign aid bill. foreign aid bill. which is an increase of $2.1 billion. Now. I am not saying that all foreign aid is wrong or bad or should not take place. but I am troubled when we are taking American tax dollars and we are increasing significantly the amount of our foreign aid by $2.1 billion. and we are only increasing the budget for VA health care by fourtenths of one percent. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090005231,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I shared the press release from the Disabled American Veterans. I would like to share some information from the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Paralyzed Veterans of America was founded in 1946. It is the only Congressionally chartered veterans organization which is dedicated solely for the benefit of individuals with spinal cord injuries or disease. Here is what the Paralyzed Veterans of America had to say about President Bushs budget: \"Paralyzed Veterans of America calls the administrations budget proposal woefully inadequate. forcing some veterans to pay for the health care of others by increasing fees and copayments.\" Then I will read from the press release. It says. \"The release of the fiscal year 2006 budget request by the administration demonstrates a callous disregard for the services of Americas veterans and represents another attempt to place the burden of needed funding increases on the backs of disabled and sick veterans. I do not understand where their priorities are. said Andy Pleva. the National President of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090005231,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He says. at a time when more and more service members are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in need of health care and when aging veterans of previous wars are turning to the VA for their medical needs. the administration proposes a basically flat budget. with the only increases coming out of the veterans pockets. This is not acceptable.\" Mr. Speaker. the Paralyzed Veterans of America speculate that if the Presidents budget is enacted. if higher prescription drug costs are included and if enrollment fees are demanded. the result will be to drive veterans out of the system. In fact. the Veterans Administration itself estimates that as a result of the increased fees. 213.000 veterans will leave the health care system next year. I want to tell you. many of these veterans are of limited income. they are sick. they are in need of medical care and they may not be able to get it elsewhere. Yet this Nation. this administration. this Congress. if this budget is enacted. will be responsible for turning these veterans away. and the American people I think do not want that to happen. As I said earlier. I truly believe that the Americanpeople want this Nation to care for its veterans.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090005237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to share another saying with my colleague that came from Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin said. \"If you act like sheep. the wolves will eat you.\" Now. I say to my Republican colleagues. if your leadership could do this to CHRIS SMITH. they can do it to you. Now. you were elected. we were all elected by over 635.000 or so constituents. Our obligation is to come up here and be the representative of the people who elected us. We are not up here to please the Democratic leadership or the Republican leadership or even to please the President. we are up here to represent our people. But I want to say this: if you become so cowed. if you become so afraid. if you become so sheeplike that you are afraid to speak out. for example. as the gentleman from New Jersey spoke out in defense of veterans health care. if you are so afraid that they are going to take away your chairmanship or they are somehow going to punish you politically. then you cannot really be an independent spokesperson for your people. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1391}
{"speech_id":1090005237,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to tell my colleague. I would urge my colleagues. I would urge the friends of the gentleman from New Jersey here in this Chamber and around this country to have the courage to speak up and speak out and say. what was done to CHRIS SMITH is wrong. He is a good man. a good person. The only thing he did. the only thing he did was to stand up for veterans.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1391}
{"speech_id":1090005239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I made reference earlier this evening to a press release from the Disabled American Veterans and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. There was also a press release put out by the American Legion. The national commander. Mr. THOMAS Cadmus. -made a good point in his press release. He said. \"Veterans\" health care is an ongoing expense of war.\" In other words. VA health care is not welfare.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":401}
{"speech_id":1090005333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. The rule under consideration completes the work begun by the general debate rule passed yesterday by the House. It provides for further consideration of the rule under a structured rule and provides that no further general debate shall be in order. This rule provides that the amendment printed in part A of the Committee on Rules report accompanying the resolution shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole and that the bill. as amended. shall be considered as the original bill for the purpose of further amendment and shall be considered as read. . It makes in order only those amendments printed in part B of the report and provides that these amendments may be offered only in the order printed in the report and only by a Member designated in the report. These amendments shall be considered as read. shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and opponent.shall not be subject to amendment. and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. Finally. this rule waives all points of. order against the amendments printed in part B of the report and provides for one motion to recommit with or without instructions. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5996}
{"speech_id":1090005333,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this rule will complete the work begun yesterday on H.R. 418. the REAL ID Act of 2005. As a number of our colleagues have already made it very clear during the debate yesterday of an hour and 40 minutes. this legislatiop will continue the efforts of our President. George W. Bush. the 9\/11 Commission. and of Congress to ensure that America never suffers another terrorist attack like the tragedy of September 11. 2001. H.R. 418. authored by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman SENSENBRENNER) will improve security by focusing on four main areas: Number one. implementing muchneeded drivers license reform. closing asylum loopholes. defending our borders. and strengthening our deportation laws. * Implementing the drivers license reforms included in H.R. 418 will provide fgr greater security for the American people. Because of lax standards and loopholes in the various current State issuance processes. terrorists have been allowed to obtain drivers licenses. often multiple drivers licenses from different States. and abuse these false identities for illegal and harmful purposes. The September 11 hijackers had within their possession at least 15 valid drivers licenses and numerous Stateissued identification cards listing a wide variety of addresses. These terrorists were then able to exploit many of the benefits conferred upon them by possession of these cards. such as enabling the bearer to acquire other corroborating identification documents. transfer funds to a United States bank account. obtain access to Federal buildings. purchase a firearm. rent a car. or board a plane. just to name a few. By establishing minimum document and issuance standards for the Federal acceptance of drivers licenses. requiring applicants to prove that they are in the country legally. and requiring identity documents to expire simultaneously with the expiration of lawful entry status. this legislation will ensure that individuals harboring malicious intent or who have illegally entered or who are unlawfully present in the United States cannot have access to these valuable and sensitive documents. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5996}
{"speech_id":1090005333,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Closing the asylum loopholes identified by H.R. 418 will provide greater security for the American people because. as the 9\/11 Commission report noted. \"a number of terrorists . * . abused the asylum system.\" By strengthening judges abilities to determine whether asylum seekers are truthful and credible. we will be able to prevent terrorists from gaming the system by applying for asylum as a means to avoid deportation after all other recourses for remaining in the United States have been denied to them. This will prevent abuses of the system like in the case of the \"Blind Sheik\" Abdul Rahman. who was able to stay in the United States and force an immigration judge to hold a hearing on his asylum claim only weeks before his followers bombed the World Trade Center in 1993. Defending our physical border. as provided for in the REAL ID bill. will also provide greater security for the American people. We know from the 9\/11 Commission that the hijackers had 25 contacts with consular officers and 43 contacts with immigration and customs authorities. As a result. the 9\/11 Commission and Congress are recommending to take a number of appropriate actions that would make it more difficult for terrorists to enter the United States through the visa or other legal immigration process. and this bill will go even further towards attaining that goal. But closing down only the legal means by which they will try to infiltrate this country is not enough. Because increased vigilance has made entering the country through normal. regular channels more difficult. we must also increasingly prepare for the certainty that terrorists will use illegal. clandestine methods to enter our country and do us harm. and we must take steps now to close the gaps in our border security where we feel we are most vulnerable. Finally. strengthening our deportation laws as provided for by H.R. 418 will provide greater security for the American people. Currently. although it seems unbelievable. not all terroristrelated grounds for keeping an alien out of the United States are also grounds for deportation. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5996}
{"speech_id":1090005333,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This means that terrorists and their closest advocates can be denied entry to the United States for their actions in support of terrorism. but if they are able to make it to our shores. we cannot deport them legally under those same actions.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5996}
{"speech_id":1090005339,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. the REAL ID Act is a real travesty. It has little to do with homeland security. and it represents just the latest in a string of antiimmigrant proposals so unfortunately popular with certain of our Republican colleagues. Instead of putting the safety of our families first. these are the same folks that would have turned our emergency room doctors into border patrol agents. who would have cut the funding to cities that did not conduct immigration raids. and who would interfere with the people with whom our private banking institutions could serve and encourage instead an underground. black market financial system. This same antiimmigrant fervor continues to fuel this bad bill. The REAL ID Act is designed to make our roads real unsafe. Undocumented workers will be on our roads. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2950}
{"speech_id":1090005339,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why the Austin Police Department believes that Texans would be safer if the law allowed all drivers to obtain licenses. [U 1045 As Assistant Police Chief Rudy Landeros testified. \"In allowing the community the opportunity to obtain drivers licenses. they will have to pass a drivers test. and that will make them not only informed drivers. but safer drivers.\" The Texas legislature. in a bill by former Representative Miguel Wise. wisely recognized that requiring all drivers to obtain licenses would make Texas families safer. Had it not been for the veto by Texass myopic governor. this commonsense call for public safety would be the law in the Presidents home state. Legal immigrants could also be. denied a license. Paula Waddle. an immigration attorney in the Rio Grande Valley. explained that her clients are having delays of as much as 15 months in getting their legal permanent residency papers because of confusion at the Department of Homeland Security. If these legal immigrants do not have sufficient paperwork to prove their legal status. they will be caught up in this same web of antiimmigrant fervor and denied the opportunity to obtain insurance and drive. Ironically. consideration of this bill coincides with the release this week by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. This proposal would worsen the plight of those whose conditions were the subject of investigation by that commission: asylumseekers who already face deplorable conditions. who are often treated like common criminals and thrown into jail with common criminals. and who are subject to strip searches as well as solitary confinement. But since current law already bars those who presnet a secruity risk from getting asylum. the additional restrictions in this bill would not make us safer. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2950}
{"speech_id":1090005339,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must not sacrifice our democracy in a misguided attempt to save it. This bill strikes the wrong balance. Antiimmigrant hysteria cannot be permitted to drive an agenda that makes us less safe. less healthy. and erodes our civil liberties while failing to address real terrorist threats.","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2950}
{"speech_id":1090005366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my distinguished colleague for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in favor of the rule and in support of the underlying bill. the REAL ID Act. This is probably one of the most important bills that we will have to vote on in the 109th Congress. The bill obviously will strengthen our borders. improve the rule of law. and protect our national security. It builds upon the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission. These are things they have talked about and had recommended. and it begins to respond to the pleas of the many families who lost loved ones on that terrible day. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1327}
{"speech_id":1090005366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It implements much needed drivers license reform. Now. drivers licenses have become the primary ID in the United States. It enables individuals to go get other identity documents. to transfer funds to U.S. bank accounts. obtain access to Federal buildings and other vulnerable facilities. purchase a firearm. rent a car. board a plane. et cetera. So lax standards and loopholes in the current issue process allow terrorists to obtain drivers licenses. often multiple licenses from different States. and abuse the license for identification purposes. The REAL ID Act corrects this. Identification documents are the last opportunity to ensure that the people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1327}
{"speech_id":1090005391,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. in August 2004. the bipartisan chairman of the 9\/11 Commission testified at the Select Committee on Homeland Security that border security combined with the routine and effective enforcement of immigration laws must be a top priority for Congress and the administration if our country can expect to secure the homeland and prevent another tragedy like what happened on 9\/11 from happening again here in America. The 9\/11 Commission report states on page 384 that \"looking back. we can also see that the routine operations of our immigration laws. that is. aspects. of the laws not specifically aimed at protecting against terrorism inevitably shaped al Qaedas planning and opportunities.\" \" There is no more basic homeland security function of our. legal system than deporting aliens who have been afforded dud process and who have subsequently been ordered deported by a Federal judge. Sadly. according to our governments best statistics. only 13 percent of the aliens arrested entering the country illegally and ordered deported are actually removed. As a result. people entering the country illegally with criminal or terrorist intent have quickly learned that. if arrested. they can be quickly released on their own word. and that they can be confident in the knowledge that they do not have to show up for their hearing. knowing they will likely never be deported. My amendment seeks to remedy this threat to our safety by clarifying the use of delivery bonds by the Department of Homeland Security. This concept is nothing new. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2718}
{"speech_id":1090005391,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The authority to leverage delivery bonds to compel attendance at Federal deportation proceedings already exists in Federal law. The Department simply needs guidance from Congress on how to best use its existing bond authority to reach the goal of 100 percent repatriation of all aliens ordered deported. and that is exactly what my amendment will provide. Quite simply. the amendment makes certain before an alien is released from Department of Homeland Security detention pending an upcoming hearing. the Federal judge must first certify that the alien is not a flight risk. and more important. that he does not pose a security risk to the United States. By improving this routine and fundamental operation of our laws. my amendment will limit terrorists planning and opportunities to attack Americans here at home. and to begin fulfilling what the 9\/11 Commission identified last summer as a top priority for Congress. I ask that all Members of this House support my amendment and build upon the strong deportation reform initiatives already included in H.R. 418. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2718}
{"speech_id":1090005396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. a better amendment title for this amendment would be The Bounty Hunter Act of 2005. The amendment gives bail bondsmen authority to round up illegal immigrants and to have them deported without any sort of hearing or due process rights. This amendment would not make our homeland any safer or keep terrorists out. Instead. it would endanger civil rights and create fear in the immigrant community. We should not outsource the Department of Homeland Securitys job to a bunch of bounty hunters. As already has been said. the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 has very similar language to this amendment. And for those Members who have not suffered from the ills of slavery and what people went through. I want to share and encourage you to look at this amendment very clearly before it comes to a vote. Let us give the Department of Homeland Security the 2.000 employees that we authorized for border security. not 2.000 bounty hunters. ","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090005396,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not a reality program. People will not be watching it on TV. We are turning over the Department of Homeland Securitys enforcement responsibility to bounty hunters. people who have no training whatsoever. who absolutely can and possibly will infringe on civil rights of the people of this country. Mr. Chairman. I encourage absolute opposition to this amendment.","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090005431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. let me just close by raising these points. It looks like we are moving quite quickly. It is the question of having the answers. This has good intentions. but the answers of what DHS is doing. the training of TSA. what kind of standards are used in different airports. Some TSA person might say it is a mistake. go back. Others might make it in essence a Federal crime and that person is prosecuted. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":786}
{"speech_id":1090005431,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So some you get in the database. others you do not. It is just a question of concern as to how this will work. Again. it is a good idea. Before I yield back my time. I would simply say that I would suggest that this amendment be addressed again in our hearings. to be able to detail out what would ultimately happen.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":786}
{"speech_id":1090005440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself of such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman of the full committee for indulging me with this amendment. This amendment was legislation which was introduced by several of us that represent border districts last year as a freestanding bill. It is now incorporated here in this bill. or parts of it at least are incorporated in this bill. I think it is entirely consistent with the goals of H.R. 418. because a key component of securing our borders is increasing technology and communication along the border regions. H.R. 418 is a bill about securing our homeland. and this amendment is a perfect complement to the vision of this very important legislation offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3321}
{"speech_id":1090005440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Arizona has become a doormat for illegal immigrants. They pour across our porous border every day. In fact. there are more apprehensions of illegal immigrants in Arizona than the entire rest of the border combined. Many portions of the Arizona border are large and unpopulated desolate desert areas. They are hard to patrol and difficult to monitor. In these areas and all along the border it is essential to advance ground technologies in order to officially understand and stop those who come through this back door to our Nation. My amendment to H.R. 418 requires the Department of Homeland Security. working through the field offices of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. to get the technology. the equipment and the personnel needed to address security of our borders. Furthermore. the amendment requires that the Department of Homeland Security carry out ground surveillance programs that will improve border security. While the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 designed a plan to enhance ground surveillance on the northern border. a similar program was not designed for the southern border. Improvements to ground technologies are absolutely essential in the large expanses of desert and unpopulated lands along the southern border. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3321}
{"speech_id":1090005440,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. this amendment requires the Department of Homeland Security to improve communications and information sharing with Federal. State and Tribal government agencies. The various agencies with jurisdiction over the southern border must be able to communicate. This is particularly a problem in Arizona. because more than half of the entire border is covered by Tribal organizations. Tribal units. sovereign Tribal nations who are not generally covered by most of the Federal legislation we have on telecommunication sharing. Having customs agents unable to communicate with border patrol agents or with the policemen from the Tohono OOdham Nation around the same port of entry is really quite ridiculous. This portion of the amendment addresses problems with the use of incompatible communications technologies and requires that the Department of Homeland Security rectify this situation. The amendment builds on the sentiment. it builds on the intention of H.R. 418. and through its enhancement of homeland security helps to ensure the safety and defense of our Nation. I think it will be a step. perhaps a small step. but one of the very important steps along our sodthern border to helping improve the technology and our ability to secure that southern border. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3321}
{"speech_id":1090005440,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3321}
{"speech_id":1090005505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. We started this fence about 20 years ago. We started it by building the first steel fence across that 14mile segment between the coastal hills of San Diego County and the Pacific Ocean. We did that because drug trucks were running that border at the rate of about 300 per month. We had about 10 people being\" murdered each year. along with numerous robberies and rapes. to such a high degree that the bestselling book. \"Lines and Shadows\" by Joseph Wambaugh. was written depicting this \"no mans land.\" where nobody wanted to be after dark. So we built that first line. which was the steel fence right on the border. We then built the second fence. that is. the second tier of the socalled triple fence. after we passed a law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2964}
{"speech_id":1090005505,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And it was President Clinton who signed the bill waiving the Endangered Species Act and waiving NEPA because he thought it was so important that we have security at this. the most porous smugglers . corridor in the United States of America. Now. I can just tell you. as a guy who has worked on this thing from the start. my staff went out and found those 79.000 steel landing mats to build this fence. If the extremists had discovered this fence before we got the first 12 miles built. that would not be built. We stopped those 300 drug trucks a month. stopped them dead. We eliminated the 10 murders a year. mostly of undocumented workers. We eliminated the hundreds of rapes of the people who were coming through there because we built that fence. If the extremists had had their way. they would have gone to a sympathetic Federal court. tied us up in lawsuits and we would not have had the fence. The Secretary of the Navy has written us a letter saying that completion of this project will enhance the security of our naval installations by reducing the potential threat environment created by an unsecured border. A few miles north of this gap in the fence is the biggest naval installation on the West Coast. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2964}
{"speech_id":1090005505,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Through this gap have come and been apprehended people from nations that sponsor terrorists. nations like North Korea. nations like Syria. This is a security issue. And for people to say this is an environmental issue. this is the state of play right now. all these trails you see have been hammered into that ecosystem by the smugglers. None of my colleagues have been out there trying to stop them. They have hammered these trails by the hundreds into the ecosystem. hammered it into the marshlands and the estuary lands. Good biologists say it will take hundreds of years for these areas to be restored. not by actions of the Border Patrol or by our security apparatus. but by the smugglers who come across this particular gap in the fence. We need to secure this gap. The Secretary of the Navy recognizes that. President Clinton recognized that and gave an unprecedented waiver. We need to complete the border fence.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2964}
{"speech_id":1090005508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond. first. to the gentleman from California . He is right. there is in existing law the authorization to waive those issues. It has never been used. It has never been used. This waives all laws. labor laws. every kind of law. This is a draconian approach to try to get the job done. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":412}
{"speech_id":1090005508,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Michigan .","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":412}
{"speech_id":1090005509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in favor of the Farr amendment. This bill gives the Secretary unprecedented authority to waive all laws to finish the construction of the security barrier. This bill denies due process to anyone challenging the Secretarys decision by prohibiting judicial review of the Secretarys waivers. These provisions would undermine the Federal trust responsibility to Indian nations by allowing waivers of Federal requirements of providing tribal notification that are specifically designed to protect Native American burial grounds. religious shrines. and cultural and historical sites. I urge my colleagues to support the Farr amendment.","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":650}
{"speech_id":1090005549,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the underlying legislation. known as the \"REAL ID Act\" H.R. 418. There is no greater responsibility placed upon myself and my colleagues than providing for a safe and secure homeland for Americas citizens. We must and can do better to secure our borders. this legislation takes necessary and reasonable steps toward that goal. I strongly support this legislation because it will close current loopholes in our laws that terrorists have been taking advantage of to gain entry and have free reign within our borders. Every measure within the REAL ID Act is present because it closes a loophole a terrorist has used previously. For example. the September 11th the hijackers had within their possession at least 15 valid drivers licenses and numerous state issued identitycards with a large variety of addresses allowing them to get on U.S. airliners. This legislation includes a number of common sense measures aiming to establish minimum document and issuance standards for federal acceptance of drivers licenses and stateissuedpersonal identification cards and would require applicants to provide proof they are in the country legally. Additionally. this measure would require identity documents to expire at the same time as the expiration of lawful entry status which will prevent individuals who have illegally entered or are unlawfully present in the United States from having valid identification documents.","speaker_name":"BILL SHUSTER","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1452}
{"speech_id":1090005557,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. on September 11. we were attacked by terrorists who took advantage of weaknesses in our border security. After infiltrating our country. the terrorists were able to conceal their real identities. and thereby plot their attacks without fear of being apprehended. If we. as a Congress. want to seriously address the problem of terrorism. then we must address the issue of border security. For this reason. I rise to express my support for the REAL ID Act. This bill contains urgent border security reforms that were not addressed in the Intelligence Reform Bill that President Bush signed into law in December. Foremost in this bill are provisions that would prevent terrorists from obtaining a United States drivers license. Without a license. potential terrorists will have a much harder time opening a bank account. traveling. and conducting other business necessary to plot an attack. I think we all understand that preserving freedom is not an easy process. ","speaker_name":"JIM RYUN","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090005557,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Freedom is a difficult journey filled with enemies who will try to destroy it if they are left unchecked. For this reason. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for the REAL ID Act.","speaker_name":"JIM RYUN","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090005607,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the gentleman yielding. The White House has indicated to us that they will submit. as the gcntieman said. the supplemental request on the tsunami next week. But we also expect the supplemental requests on the war on terror. and I would expect the House to consider some supplemental sometime in the month of March.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090005628,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President Bush has recently indicated that he will ask Congress to approve another supplemental appropriations bill to fund the ongoing military operations in Iraq. The number is rumored to be somewhere in the $80 billion range. $80 billion. If this request for emergency funds is anything like the last three passed in the Congress. we can expect two things: one. the President will once again refuse to explain precisely where this money will be spent. and. two. congressional Republicans will meekly accede to the Presidents demands without asking for even the slightest degree of accountability from the White House in return. We in Congress must do more than just rubber stamp the Presidents every last wish. We hold the power of the purse. and. accordingly. we must exercise our constitutional authority to hold the executive branch accountable. Up to now. the Congress has failed to hold the Bush administration accountable for the many mishaps and mistakes in Iraq. and. as a result. the Members of Congress. all 535 of us. are responsible for the nearly 1.500 American troops who have been needlessly killed in Iraq. not to mention the 11.000 Americans who have been forever wounded and the untold thousands of Iraqi civilians who have died in this war. Before appropriating a single dollar for the Iraq war. more than we have already appropriated. Congress must demand that President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld tell Congress exactly what they plan to do to address the growing crisis in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4336}
{"speech_id":1090005628,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Demanding accountability from the Bush administrationcrosses over political lines because it is about more than just politics. It is about taking care of our men and women who are serving in Iraq. and it is about advancing policies that will secure America for the future. Together. with 27 of my House colleagues. I have introduced House Concurrent. Resolution 35. an Iraq withdrawal plan. that has four components. President Bush needs to address. at the very least. each of these important components before Congress provides him any further funds for Iraq. First. the President needs to begin the process of bringing our troops home. How can we possibly ask these brave men and women. who have selflessly answered the call of duty for their country. to continue to die for an unjust. unfair. and poorly planned military failure halfway across the world? These are the troops the administration assured us would be embraced as liberators. but who continue to be the focal point of antiAmerican extremism. leaving them like sitting ducks. In fact. I believe the insurgency in Iraq is fueled primarily by our military presence. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4336}
{"speech_id":1090005628,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ceasing the military operations will not be sufficient to defeat the insurgency. no way. but staying will continue to intensify it. and that is for certain. Second. President Bush needs to develop and implement a plan for Iraqs civil and economic infrastructure. The U.S. has a moral responsibility to clean up the mess we made in Iraq. but that responsibility needs to be fulfilled not by our military bflt by humanitarian groups and companies that will help rebuild Iraqs infrastructure: and all future investments must be made with the needs of Iraqis being paramount. not the United States Government contractors and other war profiteers. Third. the President must convene an emergency meeting of Iraqs leadership. Iraqs neighbors. and the United Nations to create an international peacekeeping force in Iraq and to replace U.S. military forces with Iraqi police and national guard forces to ensure Iraqs security. With Iraqs security problems the most serious cause for concern in the country at the moment. an international peacekeeping force in place of the U.S. military would better serve Iraqs needs. An international peacekeeping force. supported by Iraqs neighbors and the United Nations. would provide real legitimacy to a conflict that has flown in the face of international law from the very beginning. Finally. the President must take all steps to provide the Iraqi people the opportunity to .control their internal affairs. The Iraqi people cannot truly control their own affairs until the U.S. military has ceded back authority to the Iraqi people. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4336}
{"speech_id":1090005628,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why it is essential for Iraqs police and national guard forces to manage Iraqs security. not the American military.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4336}
{"speech_id":1090005663,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this mornings paper has in it once again. as we often get here in Washington. a poll. It seems everything we do is focused on polls and what the people think. This poll is on the question of whether there is a crisis in Social Security. Frankly. the numbers are confusing. because it depends on the definition. If the question is whether there is a problem. there is a majority who say there is a problem. there is a smaller percentage that say there is a crisis. and so on. It gets very confusing. I would like to speak today in answer to the fundamental question posed by the poll. and.. do what I can to shed some light on the question of what condition Social Security is in. I am not a newcomer to this. We have held hearings in the Joint Economic Committee. while I have been chairman. examining this question. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10482}
{"speech_id":1090005663,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have a body of institutional knowledge that we have put together now over the past year and a half. I want to pose and I hope answer three fundamental questions here today that can be the basis for the debate on Social Security. Those questions are: No. 1. is there a problem? No. 2. if so. how big is it? No. 3. when will it hit? With those three questions in mind. let us go forward. Individuals come to me and ask these questions through the lens of their individual situation. Is there a problem with Social Security? They are really asking. Is there a problem for me in Social Security? The answer to that question is a question: When were you born? Stop and think for a minute of your own birth date. and then address the question. Is Social Security going to be a problem for me? If you were born in the 1930s. as I was. or if you were born in the 1940s. as my wife was. or if you were born in the 1950s. as my nieces and nephews were. the answer is no. there is not a problem for you with respect to Social Security. Your benefits will be paid. They will be paid at the full level the law requires. You do not have a problem with Social Security. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10482}
{"speech_id":1090005663,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you were born in the 1960s. as my children were. the question of whether you have a problem depends. on how long you will live. If you were born in the 1960s and you live into your eighties. chances are in the last few years of your life the Social Security benefits are going to be cut quite dramatically. If you manage to die before you get to age 80. then you wont have a problem. If you were born in the 1970s. it is almost certain you will have a problem. And if you were born in the 1980s. it is guaranteed that the Social Security benefits will have to be cut before you reach retirement age. For these young pages sitting here. it is very clear that if we dont start to do something now. you will be penalized for your youth. The Social Security benefits will be seriously curtailed for you. Let us review some history to put some flesh on the bones as to whether there is a problem. Think of Social Security in these terms: It is a little like a lottery. A lottery works this way: A lot of people pay in. and only some people get paid out. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10482}
{"speech_id":1090005663,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it produces winners and losers. With Social Security. a lot of people pay in. and not all of them get money out. Here are the statistics which demonstrate what has been happening to this lottery. In the 1940s. 54 percent of the workers who paid into the system lived long enough to be winners. This is the ideal political situation. because the losers were dead. They were not in a position to protest that they had paid in and had gotten nothing out. Fiftyfour percent in 1940 of the menand in 1940 our workforce and retiree population was almost entirely malegot money out of the lottery and the other 46 percent who had paid in got nothing. but they werent complaining because they were dead. But then the women started to join the workforce. and now women make up as high a percentage of the workforce as men. and the age kept going up. Today. 72 percent of the men who paid into the lottery are eligible for benefits. and 83 percent of the women who paid into the lottery are eligible for benefits. Whereas it was 54 percent who were winners in 1940. it is now 80 percent who are winners. and the number keeps going up. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10482}
{"speech_id":1090005663,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is another factor. This shows how many people get into the winner side who are going to be drawing money from Social Security. How long did they stay there? In 1940. once a man got to retirement age. he would stay there on the average for 12 years. Womenthere were fewer of them who were in the programlived for 14.7 years. But the numbers kept going \"up. Today. a man will be in the program for 15 years. and a woman for nearly 20. The average time people draw out their Social Security benefits has gone up from 12 to 18a 50percent increase. You have many more people who get into the program by virtue of living beyond the age of 65. and then once they. are in the program they stay longer. What is the obvious result of this kind of change in demographics? Let us see what has happened to the pool of people paying in. In 1945. there were 42 people paying in for every one person drawing out. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10482}
{"speech_id":1090005692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I. thank Senators on both sides of the aisle for their cooperation in moving this class action bill. We reported it out of committee a week ago today and started the opening debate on it on Monday afternoon and then proceeded in a very timely fashion. The prospects are good that we will conclude action on the bill today. A unanimous consent agreement is currently in the process of being worked out. and we will know in the next few minutes precisely what will happen. We -are going to proceed in a few minutes to the amendment offered by the Senator from Wisconsin. Mr. FEINGOLD. which would impose some time limits on the courts which. as I said at the committee hearing last week. I think is a good idea. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3083}
{"speech_id":1090005692,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I advised Senator FEINGOLD that I would feel constrained to oppose it on this bill because of the procedural status. where the House of Representatives has been reported to accept the Senate bill provided it comes over as what we call a clean bill. without amendments. But as I said to .Senator FEINGOLD. and will repeat for the record. I had heard manycomplaints about delays in our Federal judicial system. I believe that is an appropriate subject for inquiry by the Judiciary Committee on a broader range than the issue specifically proposed by Senator FEINGOLD. It is in the same family. I want to be emphatc. We are not impinging in any way on the independence of the Federal judiciary. their discretionary judgments. But when it comes .to time limits. how long they have these matters under advisement. I think that is an appropriate matter for congressional inquiry. It bears on how many judges we need and what ought to be done with our judicial system generally. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3083}
{"speech_id":1090005692,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that will be a subject taken up by the Judiciary Committee at a later date. I think the Senate billthis may be a little parochial prideis more in keeping with an equitable handling of class action bills than is the House bill. For example. the House bill would be retroactive and apply to matters now pending in the State courts. which would be extraordinarily disruptive of many State court proceedings. I think it is fair and accurate to say that the House bill is more restrictive than the Senate bill and our Senate bill. I think. is a better measure to achieve the targeted objective of having class actions decided in the Federal court with balance for plaintiffs and for defendants as well. So we are moving. I think. by this afternoon. to have a bill which will be ready for concurrence by the House. and signature by the president. and that I think will be a sign that we are moving forward on the legislative calendar. The Senator from Louisiana is going to seek recognition in a few minutes. I thank my distinguished colleague. Senator HATCH. the former chairman. who has agreed to come over and manage the bill during my absence. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3083}
{"speech_id":1090005692,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are. at the moment. having hearings on the bankruptcy bill which we hope to have in executive session next Thursday. to move ahead on our fast moving. ambiti6us judiciary calendar. I now yield to my distinguished colleague from Louisiana.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3083}
{"speech_id":1090005704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that at 12:30. the Senate resume debate ofh the Feingold amendment. and that the time be equally divided in the usual form. provided that at 12:40. 10 minutes later. the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Feingold amendment. with no intervening action or debate and no amendments in order to the amendment prior to the vote. I further ask consent that following that vote. debate be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees until the hour of 3 p.m.. provided further\" that the time between 2:20 and 2:40 be equally divided between Senator SPECTER and Senator LEAHY. and that at 2:40. the final 20 minutes be reserved. with the Democratic leader in control of 10 minutes. to be followed by the majority leader for the final 10 minutes. provided further that at 3 oclock. the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Durbin .amendment. with no amendment in order to the amendment prior to the vote. I further ask unanimous consent that following that vote the bill be read the third time and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of the bill. with no intervening action or debate. Finally. I ask that no other amendments be in order other than the two abovementioned amendments.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090005779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"for working on a process. We just heard him speaking on the floor against the bill. In spite of that personal feeling toward this bill. he has worked in a real leadership mannerworking with us to deal with the bill in a timely and expeditious manner on the floor. The American people expect and deserve a government that works and leaders who work together. I think they have seen it play out very well on this bill. They did elect us to govern toward meaningful solutions. The bill. I believe. demonstrates we are accomplishing just that. We are meeting the challenge and we are moving America forward. I look forward to quick passage of the bill in the House and being able to send it to the Presidents desk. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1798}
{"speech_id":1090005779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we will vote very shortly. So that Members can plan on their schedules. this upcoming vote on final passage of the class action fairness bill will be the last vote of the evening. Following this vote. we will have a few Members making statements. We will remain in session for a short period today. The Senate will not be in session tomorrow and we will reconvene on Monday. On Monday. the plans are to begin debate on the nomination of Michael Chertoff to be Secretary of Homeland Security. At closing today. we will reach an agreement that will provide for debate on the Chertoff nomination during Mondays session. with a vote to occur on that nomination on Tuesday. Therefore. I am prepared to announce we will not have any votes on Monday. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1798}
{"speech_id":1090005779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will have more to say about the precise timing of the debate and vote later today when we wrap up our business. Once again. I thank all Members for their cooperation and assistance throughout the debate on the class action bill. I believe we are ready for final passage. Mr. President. I ask for the yeas and nays on the bill.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1798}
{"speech_id":1090005812,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am honored to rise with my friend and colleague from Arizona. Senator MCCAIN. to introduce the Climate Stewardship Act. It is an urgent matter. I was thinking of one clause that I could remove from Senator McCAINS comments. He said: Suppose Senator LIEBERMAN and I are deluded. It struck me that probably many times in the battles that we have fought together or individually. people have thought we were deluded. If I was going to be deluded. I would rather be deluded in the company of JOHN MCCAIN than anybody else I can think of. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10547}
{"speech_id":1090005812,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But let me say this: We are not deluded in our battle to get the U.S. Government to assume a leadership role in stopping this planet of ours from warming. with disastrous consequences for the way we and certainly our children and grandchildren will be forced to live if we do not do something. When Senator MCCAIN and I first started to work with people in the field. the scientists. the businesspeople. the environmentalists. we had a pretty clear picture of what was coming. but very often we had to rely on scientific models and assume their accuracy in terms of the worst consequences. That is over. As Senator MCCAINS charts and pictures show. we can see with our eyes the effects of global warming already. The planet is warming. The polar ice caps are melting. One can see that with their own eyes. The sea level is rising in coastal areas already. and in other areas the water is diminishing. declining. as in the great State of my cosponsor. Arizona. and the State of the distinguished occupant of the Chair. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10547}
{"speech_id":1090005812,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nevada. Forest fires are increasing. The evidence is clear that the problem is here. and that is why we have to do something about it. Doing nothing is no longer an option. We have reached a point where the intractable must yield to the inevitable. The evidence that climate change is real and dangerous keeps pouring in and piling up. What this legislation is all about is pushing. cajoling. and convincing the politics to catch up with the science. I will give real marketbased evidence to back up what Senator MCCAIN and I are saying about how compelling the science is. The leading insurance companies in the worldwe are not talking about environmentalistsare now predicting that climatedriven disasters will cost global financial centers an additional $150 billion a year within the next 10 years. That is $150 billion of additional costs for the world as a result of climatedriven disasters. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10547}
{"speech_id":1090005812,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just a couple of weeks ago. at an international conference. the head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dr. R. K. Pachauri. said that we are already at \"a dangerous point\" when it comes to global warming. and \"immediate and very deep cuts in greenhouse gases are needed if humanity is to.survive.\" Let me repeat those last words: \"If humanity is to survive.\" It should be noted that Dr. Pachauri is no wildeyed environmental radical. In fact. the administration lobbied heavily for Dr. Pachauris appointment to the IPCC leadership because it considered him a more cautious and pragmatic scientist than the other leading candidate. To call global warming simply an environmental challenge is almost to diminish it or demean it with a kind of simplicity that puts it alongside a host of other environmental challenges that we face. Global warming is both a moral and an economic security challenge. as well as an environmental challenge. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10547}
{"speech_id":1090005812,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I start with what I mean by calling it a moral challenge. Greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for about 100 years. so failure to take. the prudent actions that our bill calls formarketbased. moderate. with capswill force children still unborn to take far more drastic action to save their world as they know it and want to live in it. There is just no excuse for this. We know it is real. I cited the melting glaciers. the coastal communities damage. the increased rate of forest fires. Previously. on this floor I have talked about the fact that a robin appeared in the north of Alaska and Canada. among the Inuits native tribe. and they had no word in their 10.000yearold civilization and vocabulary for robin. Robins now linger longer into the winter in Connecticut. my State. Why? Because it is getting warmer. Polar bears may soon be listed as an endangered species. Let me put it another way. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10547}
{"speech_id":1090005855,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 10. 2005. at 9:30 a.m.. in open session to receive testimony on the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2006 and the future years defense program.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":299}
{"speech_id":1090006001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senator from New Mexico wishes to speak for up to 15 minutes as in morning business on an issue unrelated to this nomination. I ask unanimous consent that he be so recognized but that the time he consumes be taken from the minority side on this debate.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":271}
{"speech_id":1090006040,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today again with Senator BENNETT to introduce the \"ArtistMuseum Partnership Act.\" This bipartisan legislation will enable our country to keep cherished art works in the United States and to preserve them in our public institutions. while erasing an inequity in our tax code that currently serves as a disincentive for artists to donate their works to museums and libraries. This is the same bill we introduced the past three Congresses. It was also included in the Senatepassed version of the Presidents 2001 tax cut bill. and in the Senatepassed version of the 2003 Charity Aid. Recovery. and Empowerment. CARE. Act. I would like to thank Senators BINGAMAN.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":680}
{"speech_id":1090006089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. pursuant to that consent. I would like to be recognized to speak to an issue which the. whole world has focused on over the last several weeks and months. Within a few weeks. the Senate is likely to vote to send hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to the nations that were devastated by the tsunami on December 26. We have seen the videotapes. We cannot forget them. Within a matter of minutes on that terrible day. whole families and villages were swept to sea. Schools. clinics. and hospitals were destroyed. Coastal cities were eliminated. What infrastructure there was in place was wiiied out. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7190}
{"speech_id":1090006089,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are doing the right thing to come to the assistance of the victims of this disaster. one of the 10 most devastating natural disasters in recent history. but we should not overlook the fact there are many other challenges in this world. Millions have died in the Congo and the Sudan. Hundreds of thousands are still at risk. Preventable. treatable diseases kill millions more every year. Someone dies of AIDS every 10 seconds in this world. Someone new is infected every 6 seconds. Poverty kills. Bad water. hunger. poor sanitation kills. they are the weapons of economic injustice and economic disparity. Nelson Mandela said recently: Like slavery and apartheid. poverty is not natural. It is manmade and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7190}
{"speech_id":1090006089,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Overcoming poverty is not just a gesture of charity. it is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right. the right to dignity and a decent life. Our attention now focuses on the Indian Ocean. as it should. But lets not overlook the suffering in the world. A number of years ago I went to Bangladesh. I went there to look at food programs. In the course of my visit. I met one of the most extraordinary people I ever had the pleasure to meet. His name was Muhammad Yunus. Muhammad Yunus. not that long ago in 1976. was an economics professor. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7190}
{"speech_id":1090006089,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Having taken a few economic coursesI remembered my professors--he would have blended in with the faculty of most universities. He had an idea. It was an idea that was borne out of human experience. It involves basic economics. Dr. Yunus thought for a moment. what if we gave the poorest people on Earth a small sum of money. what would they do with it? Would they pay it back? They were two very basic questions. The issue came up because he saw in many of the p6orest villages of Bangladesh people who were being exploited by those who would lend them money and charge them outrageous interest rates. He started something called Grameen Bank. which means the peoples bank in their local language in 1976. The concept behind it was to give a very small loan to people who were very poor. Now. 29 years later. as I stand in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7190}
{"speech_id":1090006089,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Yunuss theory of microcredit and the Grameen Bank grew from a class project to a worldwide phenomenon. Today. there are 80 million families in the world who are benefiting from Dr. Yunuss concept of microcredit. We estimate some 400 million people will benefit. 98 percent of them are women. These are people who are part of a quiet revolution. I have seen it firsthand. Their lives have been transformed. They have enough money to feed their children. to buy basic tools. maybe to buy a goat for milk. perhaps to buy a sewing machinebasic things that transform their lives. They pay the money back. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7190}
{"speech_id":1090006099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the President has sent to us an $81.9 billion supplemental for our war against terror and the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. This morning. in Congress Daily. I read a quote about that supplemental from the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee: This supplemental request provides support for our men and women in uniform. but it provides little basis for optimism for a stable and secure Iraq. The comment of the respected distinguished Senator from West Virginia deserves amplification in terms of stability and security in Iraq. I am pleased to have just returned from Iraq with Senator THUNE. who just spoke. and to have had the chance to see firsthand the results of what our men and women in our Armed Forces have been doing in Iraq since we deposed Saddam Hussein and began providing peace and a foundation for future security. In fact. it is that.foundation I would like to address. There are three key pillars to security and stability in Iraq. The first pillar is for us to continue this year. and for a time uncertain. to provide the Iraqi people with security so they can complete the writing of their constitution. hold their permanent elections. and allow their democracy to flourish. The second pillar is that government itself. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7873}
{"speech_id":1090006099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is essential that we pass this supplemental to continue the security and allow those who were fecently elected to form their constitution and do their work. When you talk about optimism. I have to share a story about the recent visit. Senator THUNE. Senator INHOFE. and I met with deputy Ambassador Salih. a Kurd. We met alone. with no staff. no press. no encouragement. total candor. We asked Mr. Salih. a Kurd in the minorityand even though the results of the election were not complete at the time we were there. we knew they would be in a minority. We asked: Dont you fear that the Shiitds. who will inevitably be in the majority. will overrun you? He said: Oh. no. we have a secret weapon. This is a Kurdish leader in the middle of Iraq in the 21st century who said he had a secret weapon. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7873}
{"speech_id":1090006099,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said that secret weapon is one word: \"Filibuster.\" Then he proceeded to describe their study of American democracy and our Republic. If there were ever a reason for optimism about what this supplemental provides for the people of Iraq and their stability and security. it is one of their minority leaders proudly stating one of the pillars and principles of our Government as the way they would ensure that the majority never overran the minority. Following that meeting. we went and met with Dr. AlRubiae. a Shiite. obviously to be in the majority. We worried that since. for so many years. they had been the victims of the Sunnissince they now would be in a majority. would there be a propensity to overrun the minority? So we asked: Dr. alRublae. what will you do? Will the minority have a voice? He said: The American Constitution requires twothirds vote to amend the Constitution. We will require twothirds vote to adopt ours. The point is very clear. He. too. had studied Adams and Jefferson and our Founding Fathers. Knowing he would be in the majority. he recognized that the peace. strength. and stability in Iraq was predicated upon the majority not overrunning the minority. So when we question whether this supplemental provides any optimism for stability and security in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7873}
{"speech_id":1090006099,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I submit those two absolutely accurate quotes of two gentlemenone in the majority and one in the majoritythose who will take part in writing the constitution. Who would have thought they would quote Jefferson or Adams or our Constitution 6 months ago. or a year ago. or 2 years ago? It is because of the men and women we have sent into harms way. the coalition forces. our commitment to freedom. and our present commitment to spreading democracy around the globe that today provides great optimism in Iraq. But there is a third pillar we must consider as well. which is the future ability of the Iraqisonce their constitution is written. their government is established. and our troops lessento be able to secure themselves. There have been a lot of comments about whether they can do that. I give you comments that Lieutenant General Petraeus shared with us on our visit. First. the coalition forces have trained 136.065 Iraqis. Our goal by the end of this year is 200.000. Recruiting has mushroomed since the election. In fact. on television. some of you have seen the lines the day after the election that showed up at recruiting centers that were previously vacant. So we know the resources are coming. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7873}
{"speech_id":1090006099,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our coalition forces are helping us with their training. and already the Iraqis who are trained are demonstrating heroism just like the heroism of our American soldiers. There is no better example than this: On election day. when at a polling place an Iraqitrained soldier by our coalition forces was in the first line of defense. as were Iraqis at every polling place. all 5.200. He spotted a suspicious character. He approached him. He noticed the bulging waistline. symmetrically indicating a bomb. He threw himself on the bomber and the bomber detonated the bomb. The Iraqi soldier. trained by coalition forces. gave his life. Those in line to vote. identifying with their index finger their commitment to liberty. were not injured and did not leave. They voted and democracy was born in that precinct. in that district in Iraq. in large measure. because of the bravery and heroism of that Iraqi soldier. trained by United States and coalition forces. So as we consider the $81.9 billion for the continuation of our effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. and to a certain extent in the Middle East. if we look for optimism. it surrounds us everywhere. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7873}
{"speech_id":1090006124,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I also rise to speak in support of the nomination of Michael Chertoff. Today we vote on one of the most important Cabinet positions in our Government. and that is Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. New York. perhaps more than any other State in the Union. knows the need for a strong defense at home. Therefore. I take this vote very seriously. I have considered carefully Judge Michael Chertoffs background. I have considered his experience. and I met with him personally to express the needs and concerns of the citizens of New York and my own concerns about what we have and have not been doing when it comes to homeland security. After careful review and after hearing his commitment to work with me and other Members of this body. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090006124,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I intend to vote in favor of Judge Chertoffs nomination for this vital post. It is clear. crystal clear. that Judge Chertoff has the intelligence and the skill to run this behemoth Department. There is no question about that. But what has really been missing from the Government is an advocate for funds and focus in homeland security that will protect New York and the rest of the country. Judge Chertoff assured me he would fight within the adminisfration for resources that have been missing in homeland security. It is no secret that. while we have given all the money it takes to fight the war on terror overseas. we have shortchanged the domestic war on terror at home. Program after program. which we all admit is necessary to defend us at home. is shortchanged when it comes to funding and focus. The Department of Homeland Security was run by admirable people. but their constitution was such that when they went into the Oval Office. they didnt make much of a fight for the things that were necessary. I asked Judge Chertoff about that when I met him. I said: I am sure you are not going to make a public fight. but are you privately. within the confines of the Oval Office. going to demand the funds that this Department needs to make us secure? He told me he would. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090006124,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no doubt Judge Chertoff has been blessed with a brilliant mind. and he has formidable experience as a prosecutor. as Chief of the Justice Depart- In conclusion. the task of the next ments Criminal Division. and more re- Secretary will be difficult. The stakes cently as an appellate judge. He now couldnt be higher. Based on his record faces the toughest challenge of his thus of achievement and my personal meetfar impressive career. He will be called ings with him. I have high hopes for upon to lead and manage a Department Judge Chertoff. I hope and pray he of 170.000 employees. forged out of 22 lives up to those high hopes. I will vote separate Government agencies. still yes on the nomination of Michael not all working together. That is no Chertoff as Secretary of the Departsmall task. ment of Homeland Security. \" Judge Chertoff will have to be smart. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090006124,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President. I thank tough. dedicated. and savvybut a my colleague from New York for his keen mind and a strong work ethic will . excellent statement. not be enough. As I have said. what has I see a very valuable member of the been missing from homeland security committee. the Senator from Hawaii. has been funds and focus. A colorcoded is here to speak. I am prepared to yield warning system can have all the colors to him 10 minutes from the minority in the rainbow. but without adequate side. funding for vital programs and without The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sena laserlike focus. we are not serving ator from Hawaii. the people well. Judge Chertoff assured Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090006124,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"AKAKA. Mr. President. I rise me he would fight hard for the funds today to discuss the nomination of and maintain a strong focus to main- Judge Michael Chertoff to be Secretary tain these programs at the Department of the Department of Homeland Secuif confirmed. If my reading of his char- rity. DHS. acter and personality iscorrect. he will Since the inception of DHS in 2003. make those fights inside the adminis- Secretary Tom Ridge has led the detration that have been. lacking thus partment with strength and grace. His far. tenure sets a high standard for future Judge Chertoff. of course. will also secretaries to meet. I would like to have to commit himself to working take this opportunity to thank Secwith Members of Congress in a bipar- retary Ridge for his hard work and tisan way. so together we can best pro- dedication to his country. tect the homeland. As a member of the Homeland SecuUnfortunately. as I said in the past. rity and Governmental Affairs Coinsometimes this administration has mittee. I was able to discuss with acted with too much secrecy and too Judge Chertoff his positions on issues often it has failed to consult Congress. such as the DHS personnel regulations. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090006145,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in strong support of the confirmation of Michael Chertoff to be Secretary of Homeland Security. He is an extraordinary professional and a remarkably talented lawyer. He is highly intelligent. honorable. and impartial. He is also a straight shooter. which is exactly what we need right now in this position. He is also a personal friend. Mr. Chertoff has impeccable credentialsnot the least of which is being a native New Jerseyan. He attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School. where he was editor of the Harvard Law Review. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8541}
{"speech_id":1090006145,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He then served as a Supreme Court law clerk. In private practice and public service. he developed a reputation as a brilliant. tough. fair. and truly world class litigator. and earned the respect of his peers and adversaries. Indeed. one New Jersey paper has even suggested he might be New Jerseys \"Lawyer Laureate.\" In recent years. Judge Chertoff has served as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division and circuit judge for the Third Circuit. In each of these capacities and throughout his career. he has served our Nation exceptionally well. So when Judge Chertoff told me recently that this position. as Secretary of Homeland Security. is the most important task he has ever undertaken in his public career. I took notice. Given his commitment to public service and the distinguished results of his remarkable career. this statement speaks for itself. I wish to emphasize one particular aspect of Judge Chertoffs career: his role in helping the New Jersey State legislature investigate racial profiling. As special counsel to the State senate Judiciary Committee. he led the committee probe into how top State officials handled racial profiling by the State Police. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8541}
{"speech_id":1090006145,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His work was bipartisan. objective. balanced. and thoroughly professional. and helped expose the fact that for too long. State authorities were aware that statistics showed minority motorists were being treated unequally by some law enforcement officials. and yet ignored the problem. This landmark racial profiling investigation demonstrated Judge Chertoffs ability to balance the States responsibility to provide for the public safety with protecting our citizens civil liberties. Judge Chertoff is uniquely positioned to undertake the enormous challenges that come with the position of Secretary of Homeland Security. Particularly important to the citizens of New Jersey is his understanding of the critical importance of allocating our homeland security resources to those areas of the country where the risks and vulnerabilities are greatest. New Jersey is on the front lines of terrorism. We lost 700 people on September 11. 2001. Two of the 9\/11 terrorists were based in New Jersey. and the anthrax that hit this institution originated in New Jersey. The Post Office in Hamilton. NJ. where the anthrax was sent. has taken years to clean up and will finally reopen next week. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8541}
{"speech_id":1090006145,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The costs are expected to be $72 million for decontamination and $27 million for the refurbishment of the facility. Newark Libertr Airport. and Port Newark. and the Ports of Philadelphia and Camden are critical vulnerabilities. New Jersey is home to rail lines. bridges. and tunnels to New York City. as well as chemical plants and nuclear facilities. Atlantic City has the second highest concentration of casinos in the country. and between tourists and those who work there. is visited by as many as 300.000 people. Wall Street and other financial services firms house important front and back office operations. including clearance and settlement services. and other operations essential to the functioning of Americas capital markets in Newark. Jersey City. and Hoboken. And. last summer. Newark was one .of three locations including New York City and Washington. DCthat was put on Orange Alert for a possible terrorist attack as intelligence suggested that the Prudential building in downtown Newark could be a target. Yet despite these growing threats to New Jersey from anthrax to the Orange Alert. and the everexpanding costs associated with protecting the most densely populated State in the countryremarkably homeland security grants to New Jersey were cut in 2005. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8541}
{"speech_id":1090006145,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Funding was reduced from $93 million in 2004 to $61 million in 2005. Newark will see a 17percent reduction in funds. from $14.9 million to $12.4 million. And. incredibly. Jersey Citys homeland security funds will drop by 60 percent. from $17 million in 2004 to $6.7 million in 2005. These cuts leave New Jersey home of countless companies and people who keep our economic engine moving. home of one of the most active and exposed ports in the country. home of one of the busiest airports in America. home of our Nations new Homeland Security Secretary36th in the Nation in per capita homeland security funding. I was pleased that the Presidents budget called for an allocation of homeland security funding based on risk and vulnerability. This commonsense approach mirrors the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission. Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG and I have introduced legislation that would require that homeland security funding be allocated along these lines. This bill grants the Department of Homeland Security the authority it needs to keep us.safe and will allow Michael Chertoff to be an outstanding Secretary of Homeland Security. Judge Chertoff also understands the critical importance of protecting our chemical facilities. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8541}
{"speech_id":1090006191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great honor that I submitted this resolution. S. Res. 45. paying tribute to John Hume. Throughout the long and difficult years of civil strife and turmoil. John dedicated himself to achieving a peaceful. just. and lasting settlement of the conflict in Northern Ireland. I have known John for over 30 years. and he has always been one of the people I have admired most in the world. I have consistently been impressed by his insights. his commitment to peace. and his dedication to the people of Northern Ireland. He is truly a profile in courage. and he won the Nobel Prize for it in 1998. I first contacted John in 1972. shortly after he founded the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090006191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was planning a trip to Western Europe for a NATO meeting in Bonn. I was concerned about the violence erupting in Northern Ireland. and I was told that John Hume was the best person to see in the North. So I called him in Derry. and said: \"Mr. Hume. its Ted Kennedy. I understand youre the person to talk to about whats going on over there.\" He didnt believe it. He said: \"Pull my other leg.\" I resisted though and told him that I would be in Bonn for the meeting of NATO. He graciously agreed to meet me there. and it was the beginning of our extraordinary friendship over the years. John has been an indispensable voice for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. His call for respect for both the Catholic and the Protestant traditions has been eloquent and historic for more than three decades. In a very real sense. it was John who. in large part. became the glue that held Northern Ireland together. halted the descent into anarchy and civil war. and produced realistic hope for peace and further progress. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090006191,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1983. largely as a result of Johns efforts. the principal political parties in Ireland and the SDLP in Northern Ireland established what was called the New Ireland Forum. It developed new ideas for peace. and prepared a landmark report that laid the groundwork for an unprecedented. new initiative on the North between Britain and Ireland. culminating in 1985 with the signing of the historic AngloIrish Agreement by Margaret Thatcher of Great Britain and Garret FitzGerald of Ireland. That in turn led to the ceasefire by the Irish Republican Army in 1994. the famous Good Friday Agreement in 1998. and the further progress that has brought both sides so close to a permanent peace today. John has been a familiar face to many of us in the United States over the years. Perhaps his greatest achievement was educating Irish America about the conflict and the most effective way forward. The civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s planted the seed for a comparable movement by the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. But. as the movement gained strength. it encountered intense resistance. and there was a very real feeling that violence was the only path to a better future. Much of Irish America agreed with that view. and there was a strong financial. support in the United States for the IRA. John Hume changed all that. He became an apostle of nonviolence. just as Martin Luther King did at a critical time in our own civil rights movement. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090006191,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The violence began to ebb. and more and more citizens in Northern Ireland recognized that peaceful change could be achieved in a way that would benefit people of both communities in the North. Others had important roles as well. but at a critical time in the history of Northern Ireland. John Hume stepped up and led the way toward peace. and history will honor him forever for all he did so well. The pending resolution pays tribute to John Humes brilliant achievements in the cause of peace for all the people of Northern Ireland. and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090006203,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the American people recognize the importance of the family farmer to our Nation. and the need to provide an adequate safety net for family farmers. In recent years. however. assistance to farmers has come under increasing scrutiny. Critics of farm payments have argued that the largest corporate farms reap most program benefits. The reality is over 72 percent of the payments have gone to only 10 percent of our Nations farmers. There is good reason to be critical of our farm programs. Whats more. farm payments that were originally designed -to benefit small- and mediumsized family farmers have contributed to their own demise. Unlimited farm payments have placed upward pressure on land prices and have contributed to overproduction and lower commodity prices. driving many family farmers off the farm. The Senate has agreed.. by an overwhelming bipartisan vote during the 2002 farm bill debate and two Senate Budget Committee markups that targeting Federal assistance to small- and mediumsized family farmers is the right thing to do. It has been my hope since the 2002 farm bill conference committee dropped the payment limit amendment that Congress would establish legitimate. reasonable payment limits similar to S. 667. the payment limits bill we introduced last session. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2212}
{"speech_id":1090006203,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While we have not yet achieved our ultimate goal. no one can question that the votes have been there for payment limits. Unfortunately. a twothirds majority in the Senate hasnt. been enough to protect this issue in conference. But times are clearly changing thanks to the Presidents support for payment limits in his budget proposal. The legislation we are introducing today adopts the Presidents proposed cap of $250.000. while maintaining other concepts from S. 667 that the President has embraced like limiting the subterfuge surrounding the threeentity rule. curtailing the use of generic certificates. and developing a measurable standard to determine who should and should not be receiving farm subsidies. I look forward to working with Senator DORGAN again on this issue. With the Presidents support I believe we will have success. I ask unanimous consent. that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2212}
{"speech_id":1090006222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. February 15. 2005. for a hearing on the administrations proposed fiscal year 2006 Department of Veterans Affairs budget. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090006262,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was saddened earlier to learn of the passing of Mr. Milton Davis. the former chairman and president of Shorebank. Shorebank is one of the most innovative. creative community financing operations in the Nation. Milton Davis was a pioneer in community banking. I simply want to extend condolences to his family. and I trust that his legacy will continue to live as neighborhoods and communities reap the benefits of the lending policies and practices that he developed.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":482}
{"speech_id":1090006282,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on May 17. 1954. the U.S. Supreme Court declared two things: (1) segregated schools are illegal. and (2) the legal principle of \"separate but equal\" was dead. Philosophically the Court was saying if our public institutions are equal. why separate them? And. practically and historically. if they are separate we know they will be unequal. Thus. the Brown decision laid the legal foundation for attacking all segregated institutions in America: There had been sitins in the 1940s and 50sin Chicago. St. Louis. Baltimore and elsewherebut without the legal foundation of Brown. During this period of increasing civil rights activity. CORE. the Fellowship of Reconciliation. and SCLC clergy trained young people in nonviolent direct action. ","speaker_name":"JESSE JACKSON","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1970}
{"speech_id":1090006282,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rev. James Lawson and others did such training in Nashville at Tennessee State. the American Baptist Theological Seminary and at Fisk University. The students at North Carolina A & T State University. my alma mater. didnt know about the activity in Nashville. But freedom was increasingly in the air. So. on February 1. 1960. four young African American menFranklin McCain. Joseph McNeil. Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmondall freshmen on academic scholarships at North Carolina A & T. sat down at a \"whites only\" Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro. They wanted to be served. but were refused and physically abused. They responded to violence with nonviolence. The media focused on what was happening in Greensboro. and African American college students across the South were inspired to begin a lunch counter sitin movement. ","speaker_name":"JESSE JACKSON","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1970}
{"speech_id":1090006282,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They filled jails. got out. satin again. and went back to jail. They marched. picketed and refused to stop until the \"Cotton Curtain\" fell. Ten years after Brown. their dream was -achieved when Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawing segregation in public institutions. But it all began with four students at North Carolina A & T. The nation owes them a great debt of gratitude.","speaker_name":"JESSE JACKSON","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1970}
{"speech_id":1090006312,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the time. and Mr. Speaker. I want to join with my other New England colleagues in congratulating the world champion New England Patriots for their victory from Super Bowl XXXIX. Over the past few years. the Patriots have put the rhetoric of teamwork into practice on the field. They work hard without showboating or gloryseeking to be the best football team possible. [ 1500 They deserve the mantle of dynasty. and we are proud of their success. I particularly want to congratulate owner Bob Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick for their hard work 4nd dedication. not just to the game of football but also to our community. And of course I want to congratulate the magnificent players. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090006312,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. all of us in Massachusetts. indeed all of us throughout New England. have been given an embarrassment of sports riches in the last year. First. our beloved Red Sox ended 86 years of misery. first by coming from behind to defeat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. and then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. And now the Patriots are once again world champions. I hope that the rest of the country is patient with those of us in New England as we adapt to these new circumstances. After all. we have much more practice with frustration and heartbreak. Mr. Speaker. again. I want to congratulate the Patriots for their tremendous season. and I look forward to watching them continue their success in the years to come. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090006370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. pursuant to clause 2(a)2 of Rule Xl of the Rules of the House of Representatives. I hereby submit the Rules of the Committee on Energy and Commerce for the 109th Congress for publicamittee adopted Rules on February 2. 2005. and amended the Rules on February 9. 2005. both in meetings that were open to the public.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":326}
{"speech_id":1090006373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as many of my colleagues now know. the C130J multiyear procurement contract was canceled in the administrations recent budget proposal. I want to spend a few minutes speaking about the history and the significance of the C130 Hercules program and why we in Congress need to continue to fund this crucial airlift program. Mr. Speaker. the C130 aircraft has been the workhorse of the militarys tactical airlift fleet for more than 50 years. The versatile Hercules was originally designed in the 1950s as an assault transport. Over the years. however. it has been adapted for a variety of important missions. including special operations. closeair support and air interdiction. midair space capsule recovery. search and rescue missions. aerial refueling of helicopters. weather mapping and reconnaissance. electronic. surveillance. firefighting. aerial spraying. ArcticAntarctic ice resupply and natural disaster missions. It has even landed and taken off from a carrier deck without the benefit of arresting gears or catapults. Currently. the Hercules primarily performs the intratheater portion of the Air Forces tactical airlift mission. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4520}
{"speech_id":1090006373,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This mediumrange aircraft is capable of operating from rough dirt strips and is the prime transport for paratroop and equipment drops into hostile areas. including Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently. more than half the fleet of combat delivery C130s is over 30 years old. Although their longevity is clearly a testament to the value of these crucial aircraft. we should be very concerned that the C130 E and H models continue to age at alarming rates. putting our tactical airlift capability at risk in the near term. In fact. yesterday. the Air Force announced that they are grounding much of the C130E models because of severe fatigue in their wings. including a dozen that have been flying missions in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker. some of these planes were used in Vietnam. and we are literally flying their wings off in the Middle East.The Air Force has long anticipated the aging of the older models. which only makes it more remarkable that the multiyear contract to replace these -planes has been carved out of the budget. Another astonishing fact is that the Department of Defense will not save any money. In fact. the perceived savings generated by the proposed cuts will unquestionably be consumed by over $800 million in termination liability costs and billions of dollars in increased costs to support aging and less capable aircraft. Consequently. this proposal to end the C130J program could end up costing the American taxpayer more than the cost of completing the multiyear contract. and it will leave our military with far less capable planes. Furthermore. not a single study or any analysis of the total effect of terminating this program was conducted prior to the cancellation decision. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4520}
{"speech_id":1090006373,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that. Mr. Speaker. is troubling. E 1945 If left unchecked. this dismantling of our aerospace manufacturing base will also come just when subsidized foreign competitors are jockeying to displace United States manufacturing. Once lost. hardacquired industrial skills will not easily return to our workforce. In some cases. they will never come back. Once the Department of Defense inevitably realizes they cannot continue to rebuild old planes. their only viable option to replace the mediumrange tactical airlift would be to purchase new aircraft from France. Mr. Speaker. it is important that my colleagues realize that the C130J is not just designed to replace the older models. In reality. the J model has revolutionized the world of tactical airlift. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4520}
{"speech_id":1090006373,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to being 15 feet longer. the J is faster. more powerful. more reliable. easier to maintain. more technologically advanced and capable of flying higher and farther than ever before. Today. both U.S. and Allied C130Js are performing operational missions in the Middle East in support of our watfighters. as well in support of the tsunami relief effort in Southeast Asia. The J is performing superbly and testimonials from the pilots using the new planes have been extremely positive. Mr. Speaker. there is a glimmer of hope that the Department of Defense has realized the negative implications of this decision in the short and long term and may be working to reverse the decision. But we in Congress must continue to do everything in our power to ensure Americas ability to transport troops and supplies and to perform critical humanitarian missigns both today and in the future.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4520}
{"speech_id":1090006385,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my support for the War Funding Accountability Act. a bill that has been endorsed by the Blue Dog Coalition. a group of moderate to conservative Democrats with reputations for being fiscal and defense hawks. The members of the Blue Dog Coalition are some of the most prodefense. promilitary Members of Congress. from either party. We are dedicated to seeing our troops achieve success in Iraq and Afghanistan and we applaud the Iraqi people for their recent election success. The War Funding Accountability Act. sponsored by the gentleman from California . is about those troops. the dedicated men and women of the United States Armed Forces who put their lives on the line every single day to defend our way of life. Mr. Speaker. I believe. as people across our Nation believe. that we must provide our men and women in uniform the resources they need to complete their mission as safely and securely as possible. Our military has performed brilliantly. protecting civilians. maintaining order and. promoting democracy while facing threats and guerillastyle attacks every single day. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4013}
{"speech_id":1090006385,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My support for our troops is unwavering. and for that reason I have supported the supplemental requests that have come before this Congress. However. the job of Congress is to make sure that the money we are spending in Iraq is going to the appropriate places. goifng to our troops to keep our Nations sons and daughters out of harms way. We must make sure this job gets done right and gets done as soon as humanly possible. So until all of our troops are withdrawn from Iraq. we need an accurate accounting method of where the money is being spent so that we can make sure our soldiers are adequately equipped and prepared. Accountability is not only patriotic. it is often determining of success or failure. If our troops do not have proper equipment. such as vehicles without armor plating. rather than them scrounging for scrap metal for doityourself armor plating. we as Members of Congress can and should do something about it by redirecting the money. The Department of Defense has received $201 billion to date for the war on terrorism. While they have provided an allocation of some of these funds. they have not given Congress a full accounting. The White House has announced today that it will request $81 billion more for these operations in its fiscal year 2005 wartime supplemental. including $75 billion for the. DOD. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4013}
{"speech_id":1090006385,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the costs for the war could approach $500 billion between this year and the year 2015. There have been reports of wasteful spending. One private contractor. for example. overcharged DOD by $61 million to impor.t gasoline into Iraq from Kuwait where the government agency provided the same service for less than onethird the price. The same contractor reportedly charged taxpayers $10.000 a day for unauthorized and unnecessary expenses at the Kuwait Hilton. even though the same people could have stayed in airconditioned tents like those used by our troops for less than $600 per day. The entire justification for having private companies is that contractorg can supposedly save the taxpayers money. not cost the taxpayers dollars. With the War Accountability Act we have an opportunity to regain the oversightvoice that has been lost for too long. Congress should not give. up its oversight powers. Mr. Speaker. the power of the purse. And it should not write the Defense Department a blank check. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4013}
{"speech_id":1090006385,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President needs to be held accountable for where our money is going. This is a responsibility that we have to the men and women serving in combat. to their parents. and to all American taxpayers who are footing the bill to ensure that the billions of dollars in supplemental funds are going to be spent in the most effective and efficient* way possible. I hope all of my colleagues will stand with the Blue Dog Coalition and start to support the War Funding Accountability Act. an act for America.","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4013}
{"speech_id":1090006405,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. this is just so very important to the American people. and also Members of Congress. I put a great deal of responsibility on Members of Congress. I do not take great pleasure. even though I am honored to serve in this institution of the U.S. Congress. elected by my constituents. representing not only my district but the State of Florida. but we are U.S. Members of this great House. I must say that we have to make sure that we frame this correctly. that we are in the minority. The Democrats are in the minority in the House and have been during the time of that great dive that we see on that chart that the gentleman just illustrated to the Members of the House. We have a great deal of responsibility. We are serving in the House. in the legislative branch. that is overseeing. or watching. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090006405,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I should say. the largest deficit in the history of the Republic. Not once before was it like this. This is the largest deficit in the history of the Republic. Can the gentleman put the chart back up on \"backsliding into the deficit ditch?\" I think this is important. because I think that nosedive. you can see in the blue you have President Bush1. You have the green. Bill Clinton and the Democratic House and other body that did what it took when the going was tough to say that we wanted to bring about surpluses. I will tell you in this House. I believe there were only five or six Republicans that joined the Democratic majority in passing that budget that took us into a surplus. One of the main themes was making sure that we could provide and keep the Social Security Trust Fund in good shape. We made the tough decisions. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090006405,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Back when President Reagan and this House. Democratic House. I must add. at that time. did what it took to make sure that Social Security was there for those that are receiving checks now and benefits now from Social Security. even survivors. they did what they had to do. Guess what? Twothirds of the Democrats in this House voted in the affirmative to make the right decision to make sure that the guarantee we told the American people we would provide. that we did. I am.proud of those Members and individuals that made that vote.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090006407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I am saying all of that to say we have to work together. You cannot come to the Hill with a plan and say \"It is our plan. and. guess what. if you do not like it. so what?\" This is Social Security. The campaign is over. For folks who did not get the news flash. our colleagues. the campaign is over. The signs are down. the commercials are no longer on television. and it is important that we actually work towards what the American people would like for us to work towards: bipartisanship. I will tell the gentleman what is also important in this debate: If there was a Democratic majority here in this House and a Democratic majority in the other body across the hall and there was a Democrat in the White House. guess what? Democrats could not pass a plan by themselves without Republican input. Because do you know something? When Mrs. Johnson goes to that mailbox counting on that Social Security check to be there. and when that 21yearold young man or young woman that has a benefit from their father. who worked his entire life and was cheated on his job because the pension plan was raided and Social Security was the only thing there. his only financial legacy is that benefit to his child in Social Security. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7415}
{"speech_id":1090006407,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You cannot play around with that. You cannot be a Democrat or Republican or. an independent when it comes down to that. You have to l5e an American. and you have to come clean with the American people. There is one other thing the gentleman mentioned that I think is very. very important and that we definitely need to highlight and illuminate as much as we can. What we tell the American people is important. and I will say to the Members that are watching us now. I am not going to go back to ancienttime doubledigit years. I did not have to run over to the Library of Congress to look this up. This was just within the last 12 .months. During the Medicare debate that took place right here on this floor. where the clock was held until 4 a.m. in the morning. arms were being twisted. Members were trying to make the right decision but were not allowed to. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7415}
{"speech_id":1090006407,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I must say here on this side of the aisle. Democrats stood firm. because the Medicare prescription drug plan was important to those that put it on the line for this country and allowed you and me to have an America that we can be part of and represent. [1 2030 During the Medicare debate. the other side. the majority side. the Republican side. said that the true costs of the Medicare prescription drug plan. what the administration said and the majority embraced. that the bill would only cost $350 billion. I remember that just as clear as my daughter going to school for the first day. I can remember that number because it was a number that was highly suspect because there was just no way in the world that you can satisfy pharmaceutical companies and provide a benefit to the American people. Now. that is what makes me very concerned about this Social Security plan or. Im sorry. not plan. but concept. that folks are talking about around here on the majority side. saying that there is a 3alarm fire. We were originally told $350 billion. Then it slowly moved up after someone got fired in one of the budget offices and said. well. I do not know. This fell .behind the copier. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7415}
{"speech_id":1090006407,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We did not necessarily get this page. There is a page 3 to the 3page document or 2page documents that you received. It slowly moved up to $400 billion. That is a lot of money.. $400 billion. Then sure enough after the debate. we returned back here after the campaign and the signs went down. and then someone lo and behold said. you know. the true cost. the really true cost of the prescription drug plan that was put forth by the administration. it started off at $350 billion. This is real money. This is not chump change. It started off at $350 billion. The true cost is $530 billion. It stops there. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7415}
{"speech_id":1090006407,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What are we going to. hear in another couple months? $700 billion? Like my mother used to say. money does not grow on trees. The gentleman just mentioned China. I am not upset with China for making an investment in our country. but. you know something. I have a problem if they ask to cash in. because we will be in trouble. They are backed by U.S. bonds and whathaveyou. but we are going to go through some real financial issues. and we are now. So when we talk about Social Security. I know the reason why. I am sorry. I stopped at $530 billion. I am sorry. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7415}
{"speech_id":1090006416,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would yield. it is national defense and it is antiterrorism programs. It is all of the things that all of us fight tooth and nail for here every year. I would argue that interest on the national debt that we are racking up every year is an expenditure that we get no value for. It is essentially foreign aid is what it really is because so much of these payments are going overseas because so much of our debt is held by overseas entities. but we do not get anything for that. You cannot go back to your district and say now we have 20 percent of the budget is going to just make these payments. Let us not forget something. The Social Security program is not supposed to be a profit retirement plan. The President is absolutely right. If we invested since 1935 every dollar in the stock market. we would have a lot more money in the trust fund for sure. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090006416,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The problem is the line would not go like this. It would go like this. The program was intended to be fundamentally an antipoverty program. a safety net program. It is a program that is there for everyone. and also. the idea you are getting out a lot more than when you put in. The President says that it is a sign that the program is broken. No. That is the way it was created because we assume that from generation to generation. just as your generation did for us. we would be creating a stronger economy with more coming into the Social Security program. He said there are so many fewer children supporting the parents. Yeah. but we are making a lot more. Thank goodness that economic growth continues growing which is even more preposterous. that when the budget actuaries concluded we are going to start going broke in the year 2042. they based it on a presumption that for the first time we are going to have a 20yearperiod where we start going in the other direction. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090006416,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some optimigtic projection. I keep hearing about the President being the ultimate optimist. Well. not if you believe the Social Security actuaries. So the idea that somehow we get some value by doing this. I defy my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that if you want to pay for homeland security. which I do. if you want to pay for national defense. which I do. and if you want to pay for farm subsidies. as many of you do. we do not actually have farms in Brooklyn. but then you cannot do any of those things if you are paying that much in interest.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090006418,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Once again. there is no plan. It is almost like saying I want to build a house but we do not have a blueprint. but we are going to build it and we are going to build it on philosophy and we are going to build it on what we may put out as guiding principles. I do not know if you heard us a little earlier. but at the top of this hour we talked about the majority side are saying. well. you are saying that we need to do something about Social Security. but where is your plan? The same thing. where is their plan? I mean. the President came into this Chamber there at that podium and said there was a state of emergency. urgency. about dealing with Social Security. This is not the WeinerRyanMeek report saying that Social Security will be solvent for years. They made the tough decisions back when Reagan and Tip ONeill was running this House. this House and even the leadership in the other body. So it is important that we come clean with the American people. If we can. I know that we have some emails that some folks sent to us. but we have to make sure that we are asking that the American people and also that Members of Congress are even asking some of the tough questions of the administration. I want to commend especially some of our colleagues on the other side that have said I am not comfortable with this guiding principle thing. I am not comfortable with the fact that people may lose benefits or will lose benefits under these private accounts. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090006418,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"E 2100 And I do not believe that I can support it. Now. I hope that their back is strong. because I can tell those on the majority side that that is the same debate we had with the Medicare vote. The gentleman from New York was here on the floor. He saw that debate. We all have constituents. and now we are up to 740something billion dollars. starting from 350.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090006426,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are moving swiftly into the Iraq Watch time. and many other Members will be down here shortly to talk about a couple of different issues. one would be the issue of Iraq that has been going on for some time in a working group here. Congress has been talking about this issue over and over and trying to bring some awareness and some clarity to many of the people of this country who are very concerned with what is going on in Iraq. I would also like to. since we claimed the time here. I would also like to talk a little bit about the veterans and a little bit about what is going on here with the budget. As we just talked about. and as the gentleman from New York articulated and the gentleman from Florida articulated as well. there is some real pressure being put on the budget here in the United States Congress. and I did mention it towards the end. One of the programs that is going to take a real beating here in the 2005 budget is going to be the issue of veterans. Now. the President has made a formal request of this body for another $80 billion to help fund the Iraq war. and this will take the grand total over $300 billion that we will spend on the Iraq war. And that is just today. That is up to this pQint. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4716}
{"speech_id":1090006426,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This $80 billion may get us through the year. but some analysts say it may not. We are going to be over $300 billion in what we have spent in Iraq. Now. there is nobody in this Chamber who will not support the troops. who need our support. Many of us have argued. and I was on the Committee on Veterans Affairs in the last Congress. many of us argued vehemently that we need to fully fund veterans health care in the United States of America. If we are going to continue to say there are other priorities in the budget. or that a certain amount of people who make a certain amount of money. a lot of money. the Bill Gateses of the world. should somehow get a tax cut and that we should do it on the backs of the veterans of the United States of America. and tell them their copay is going to go from $2 to $7. $7 to $15. that their annual fees are going to be increased up to $250 if they are a category seven or eight veteran. then this is an issue that I think as much as &ocial Security attacks some of the fundamental concepts and promises of this country. Is there anything more despicable than to go out and tell a veteran who has left a limb somewhere across the world that somehow he is not going to be able to get the kind of benefits he was promised? That is what is happening with the irresponsibility of the budgeteering that is going on in the United States Congress today. We showed the deficits: $450 billion. We are out borrowing money. paying interest on it. and eating up a bigger share of the budget in years to come. And we are not challenging the top 1 percent. or people making $1 million a year or more to somehow pay their fair share. to say they do not have to on the backs of the veterans. And no one can squirm out of this one. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4716}
{"speech_id":1090006426,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is one you just cannot get .away from. You can maybe talk private accounts will yield more interest and at least get people thinking. but how can you not ask people who benefit the most from the capitalistic system to pay and meet their obligation to the rest of society? Because if it were not for those people. if it were not for the veterans of the United States military. there would be no capitalistic system for anyone else to make money off of. That is the fundamental premise. So we need to make sure that we find the resources in the Congress to do it. I would like to just take this opportunity to acknowledge the gentleman from New Jersey . who was the Republican chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs. who was a great advocate for veterans in this country and who was removed from the chairmanship of the committee because he was too strong of an advocate because he wanted more resources put in. I live in Ohio. and a lot of those folks have moved into the State of Florida. south Florida. Miami. and they have some sun and fun. but there are a lot of veterans who have stayed in my community and who are having a lot of difficulties accessing the system. So I think it is appropriate that we are here following this debate. the generation that gave us Social Security. the generation that freed Europe. the generation that saved southeast Asia in many ways. and who created a lot of the opportunities that we have here today and set us on this path of democracy and fiscal responsibility for years to come. social justice. I think we have an opportunity to honor those folks. especially as we have more people from our generation coming back. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4716}
{"speech_id":1090006426,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Florida .","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4716}
{"speech_id":1090006433,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what the gentleman says is true. There are several ways we can find the money to pay for veterans health care. For one thing. we can cut back on these tax cuts that have gone to the richest people. There are people in this country who have never served in the military. never put their lives on the line. and yet this President. during this time of war. has decided to give them a huge. huge tax out. while our veterans. many of them becoming increasingly elderly and disabled. are being deprived of adequate health care. having to wait for weeks and months to get a doctors appointment. That is just wrong. So the President had a choice: tax cuts for the richest people in America or adequate funding for VA health care. He chose tax cuts for the richest among us. There is something else I would like to share with my friend from Ohio. We are spending in Iraq today about $1.25 billion a week. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090006433,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Think of that. And we cannot find an additional $3.5 billion for our veterans. all of our veterans. I do not want to choose among our veterans. I do not want to say this veteran is worthy and this veteran is not worthy. All of these people have served the country. They are in need of help and health care. and I am getting sick and tired of hearing about focusing on the core constituency. Of course we need to focus on the core constituency. But that does not mean that we should neglect other veterans as well. And that is what is happening. And I hope the people in this country. especially the veterans and the families of veterans. are paying attention because we are treating our veterans in a shabby manner. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090006433,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Presidents budget that he sent us a couple of weeks ago is a shameful document. It cuts back on nursing home care for veterans. It is a shameful document. And I do not want to hear my colleagues over there say these are tight budgetary times. we just do not have the money. We have the money. Mr. Speaker. to pay for what we think is important. We hpve the money for that. The fact is that President Bush and this leadership do not consider Americas veterans a priority. They cannot run from that fact. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090006433,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I would just invite any of my Republican friends to come to this floor and let us discuss this openly. Let us discuss the fact that President Bush is asking that our veterans pay increased costs for medications. that he wants to impose a $250 annual user fee for many of our veterans to use a hospital. I think it is shameful. I really think it is shameful.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090006456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think I know. if I can posit a hypothesis. in general how the President would answer. perhaps in more diplomatic terms than I will offer. but I think he would say: Mr. STRICKLAND. with all due respect. you just do not get it. Our administration has made a decision for the first time in American history to fight a war. but the only people we are going to ask to sacrifice are veterans. Nobody else is going to have to sacrifice.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090006461,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield further. we are standing here and talking about this. and there are probably Americans watching and. perhaps a few listening to us. and what we are saying sounds almost unbelievable. I understand how someone listening to this may be puzzled. because there is no rational explanation. as far as I am concerned. Why should this government put a greater value on compensating Iraqis than on compensating tortured Americans? It just does not make sense. And it does not fit the image that is usually. presented to the American people by this administration. because you hear a lot of rhetoric about how much we appreciate our soldiers. how much we appreciate what the military does for us. but the world now knows. and certainly most Americans that have paid attention. that we did send our soldiers into battle without adequatebody armor. and we have them driving around in vehicles in Iraq that are not properly armored. and we have people over there conducting patrols and driving long distances and taking fuel from one part of Iraq to the other part of Iraq without night vision goggles. So we know there has been that kind of neglect. But what my friend has brought to our attention here. tonight regarding these tortured Americans and the administrations fighting them through the courts to keep them from getting compensated by the Iraqi government is nearly unbelievable.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1417}
{"speech_id":1090006532,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the administration has told us Social Security is in a crisis. headed for an iceberg. going broke. yet last weeks revelation that the Medicare drug bill will cost nearly three times more than its original price tag. for a total of $900 billion. known in the real world as a $500 billion overcharge. calls into question the notion of privatizing Social Security. Apparently the leaders here in Washington are content to ignore the 900pound gorilla in the room. I would like to remind everyone that it was none other than the Fed Chairman. Alan Greenspan. who told the House Budget Committee in February of 2004. the concern is not so much about Social Security. the outlook for Medicare is much more difficult to assess. We really do not have a clue about the outlook for Medicare and never have. The distinguished Fed Chairman is an expert on the challenges facing Social Security. He is undoubtedly getting tremendous pressure today to change his story. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1366}
{"speech_id":1090006532,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Federal Chairman Greenspan. do not get weak in the knees today. or ever. This is no time to change your judgment. Your integrity is a precious asset. I was there at the Budget Committee hearing when you said Medicare is a more serious problem. Mr. Speaker. we have a health care crisis in this country. Privatizing Social Security is not an ideological solution in search of a crisis.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1366}
{"speech_id":1090006610,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of both the rule and the underlying classaction reform legislation. Mr. Speaker. the bottom line is that classaction reform is badly needed. Currently. certain crafty lawyers are able to game the system br filing large. -nationwide classaction suits in certain preferred State courts such as Madison County. Illinois. where judges are quick to certify classes and quick to approve settlements that give millions of dollars to attorneys and .only worthless coupons to their clients. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2423}
{"speech_id":1090006610,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Looking at this chart. for example. we can see the history of Madison County. Illinois. which has been called the number one judicial hellhole in the United States. There were 77 classaction filings in 2002. and 106 classaction lawsuits filed in 2003. Now. the movie Bridges of Madison County was a love story. \"The Judges of Madison County\" would be a horror flick. Unfortunately. all too often. it is the lawyers who drive these classaction suits and not the individuals who allegedly have been injured. For example. in a suit against Blockbuster over late fees. the attorneys received $9.25 million. their clients got a $1 off coupon for their next video rental. Similarly. in a lawsuit against the company that makes Cheerios. the attorneys received $2 million for themselves. while their clients received a coupon for a free box of Cheerios. In a nutshell. these outofcontrol classaction lawsuits are killing jobs. they are hurting small business people who cannot afford to defend themselves. and they are hurting consumers who have to pay a higher price for goods and services. Fortunately. this legislation provides muchneeded reform in 2 key areas. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2423}
{"speech_id":1090006610,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. it eliminates much of the forum shopping by requiring that most of the nationwide classaction suits be filed in Federal court. Second. it cracks down on these couponbased classaction settlements by requiring that attorney fee awards be based on either the value of the coupons actually redeemed. or by the hours actually billed by the attorney prosecuting the case. Mr. Speaker. this legislation will and should comfortably pass the House of Representatives. Last week. this exact bill received 72 votes in the U.S. Senate. and last year we passed a similar bill with 253 votes. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill and vote yes on the rule. LI 1200","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2423}
{"speech_id":1090006611,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I guess it is politically popular to attack lawyers and judges. but what I am concerned about is what this bill will do to average people who are seeking remedies for being mistreated. I want to read an excerpt from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. AFL\/CIO. and the Alliance for Justice statement. One of things they point out is that nowhere has a case been made that abuses exist in antidiscrimination and wage and hour class action litigation. They point out by allowing dozens of employees to bring one lawsuit together. the class action device is frequently the only means for lowwage workers who have been denied mere dollars a day to recover their lost wages. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3053}
{"speech_id":1090006611,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Moreover. class actions are also often the only means to effectively change a policy of discrimination. Wage and hour class actions are most often brought in States under the law of the State in which the claim arises. The reason is that State wage and hour laws typically provide more complete remedies for victims of wage and hour violations than the Federal wage and hour statute. For instance. the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act offers no protection. no protection for a worker who works 30 hours and is paid for 20. so long as the workers total pay for the 30 hours worked exceeds the Federal minimum wage. However. many States have payment of wage laws that would require that the workers be fully paid for those additional 10 hours of work. Also. Federal law provides no remedy for parttime workers who often work 10- to 16hour days. yet earn no overtime because they work less than 40 hours per week. At least six States and territories. however. including California and Alaska. require payment of overtime after a prescribed number of hours of work in a single day. Likewise. State- laws increasingly provide greater civil rights protections than Federal laws. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3053}
{"speech_id":1090006611,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. every State has passed a law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. Some of these State statutes provide a broader definition of disability and a greater range of protection in comparison to the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. including California. Minnesota. New Jersey. New York. Rhode Island. Washington. and West Virginia. In addition. every State has enacted a law prohibiting age discrimination in employment. Some of these State laws. including those in California. Michigan. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3053}
{"speech_id":1090006611,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ohio and the District of Columbia. contain provisions affording greater protection to older workers than comparable provisions of the Federal Age Discrimination and Employment Act. In addition. many State laws provide protections to classifications not covered by Federal law. For example. many States provide expanded benefits based on marital status. and I could go on and on and on. The point of the matter here is that this legislation is basically denying people the rights and the protections that many of them have fought so hard to earn in their States. and it leads to more injustice and more unfairness.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3053}
{"speech_id":1090006621,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this is a fair rule for legislation that will help restore fairness and common sense to the current class action system. Like H.R. 1115. which overwhelmingly passed the House last Congress. S. 5 expands Federal diversity jurisdiction over interstate class actions in a manner consistent with the framers constitutional intent that Federal court preside over controversies between citizens of different States. S. 5 also protects consumers from these bogus coupon settlements that reward trial lawyers with millions in windfall fees while clients who never hired them get coupons in the mail. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2202}
{"speech_id":1090006621,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to call attention to this slide before me. This is from the Washington Post. November of 2002. The Washington Post is not exactly the most conservative newspaper in the country: \"The clients get token payments while the lawyers get enormous fees. This is not justice. It is an extortion racket that only Congress can fix.\" The Senates overwhelming passage of S. 5 by a vote of 72 to 26 just last week reflects a strong bipartisan consensus in favor of reforming a classaction system that is prone to systematic abuse. Of those 26. 18 were Democrats. and each one of those provisions in that amendment in the nature of a substitute were offered in the Senate. and each one of them were voted down in a bipartisan fashion. I think we all. in both the Senate and the House. and both Republicans and Democrats. we want to do the right thing here. and we want to make sure that. as the Washington Post says. that we eliminate this extortion racket and bring some fairness to this classaction system. After all. it is the injured person. it is the plaintiff that deserves a fair and just settlement. and it should not be just a lottery windfall for lawyers who venue shop. looking for places like. and we have heard it during this hours discussion. Madison County. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2202}
{"speech_id":1090006621,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Illinois. the epicenter of this classaction lawsuit abuse. What happens in Madison County. Illinois. affects the whole country. So I encourage my colleagues to vote for the rule. vote for S. 5 tomorrow. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the remaining portion of my time.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2202}
{"speech_id":1090006652,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from Michigan for moving this important legislation so early in the session. This is not a new issue. But parents have been pleading with us to take action on this for years. Mr. Speaker. studies show that children are impacted by what they watch on television. A study last year released by Rand shows that children pick up sexual attitudes and behaviors from television programs. and we know that children are very impressionable. and to allow broadcasters to circumvent the role of parents in teaching their children right from wrong when it comes to sexuality. violence. and profanity is wrong. and not to act is to do just that. Our decency laws are based on our view that society is partly responsible for making sure public airwaves are filled with safe material. and programs depicting profanity. sexuality. and violence influence how kids act and see the world. and that is why we have adopted decency standards that have withstood legal challenge and the test of time. This bill updates the penalties for violating those standards. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2125}
{"speech_id":1090006652,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For too long government has allowed broadcasters to profit from the use of public airwaves with little or no public accountability. We have in effect abandoned American families in doing that. H.R. 310 sends a clear message to the entertainment industry that we are no longer going to idly stand by and force our parents to put up with this unacceptable programming. H.R. 310 reaffirms our commitment to ensure safe programming for children. Mr. Speaker. families are tired of worrying about what their children may hear and see every time they turn on television. They are frustrated that the media industry has seemingly been able to broadcast any type of behavior or speech that they feel will bring in advertising dollars. Meanwhile. they feel that the Federal Government has sided with the media elites and turned a blind eye to the concerns of ordinary moms and dads. So finally Congress has heard. We are acting for American families. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2125}
{"speech_id":1090006652,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are not going to stand idly by on this topic. I urge support for the bill.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2125}
{"speech_id":1090006668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 310. the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005. I commend my full committee and subcommittee chairmen. Representatives BARTON and UPTON. and Subcommittee Ranking Member MARKEY for their work and efforts to bring this everimproving bill to the House floor so quickly. H.R. 310 is strong. bipartisan legislation worthy of support. This legislation is nearly identical to the O.ill passed by the House almost 1 year ago by a vote of 391 to 22. That bill failed to become law. The need for this legislation. however. has not diminished in the past year. For too long. the Federal Communications Commission. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3185}
{"speech_id":1090006668,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FCC. has been asleep at the wheel when it came to incidents of public broadcast indecency and the ensuing complaints. Congresss attention to the issue of broadcast indecency last year awakened the commission from its years of slumber. We finally saw an FCC that more properly understood the need to enforce laws against indecency over the public airwaves. Unfortunately. consumer complaints continue to receive haphazard treatment at the commission. Moreover. there continues to be a betrayal of the public trust. Some broadcasters persist in crossing the line. putting their own drive for ratings and profits ahead of their responsibilities to the public. This is regrettable behavior. Most broadcasters are decent and proper stewards of the public airwaves. but the poor judgment of a select few casts a dark shadow on the entire industry. Perhaps these wayward broadcasters mistak-. enly thought that the kickoff of a new Super Bowl would see this issue recede and lawmakers would \"let it be.\" Let me be clear. the need to enforce the indecency laws is greater than any one malfunction. It is important for Congress to ensure that the FCC not only maintains its newfound alertness. but that it also has the right tools to ensure proper enforcement against indecency over the public airwaves. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3185}
{"speech_id":1090006668,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 310 will ensure that the FCC has such tools. First. the bill responds to the overriding need to raise the maximum indecency fine to a level that will deter even the largest companies. Second. the bill compels the FCC to use the license renewal and revocation processes to examine more closely the fitness of certain licensees. particularly broadcasters that repeatedly violate the FCCs rules. Third. needed attention is also paid to the consumer complaint process by compelling the FCC to act on complaints within a specific timeframe. Fourth. this bill will make the FCC more accountable by requiring regular reports to Congress on its enforcement activities. This reporting requirement should encourage any new FCC chairman to carry on the moral virtue that came rather late to the outgoing chairman. Our constituents have made it clear that they are fed up with the level of sex and violence on television and radio. They deserve to be able to turn on their television or radio at appropriate times without being bombarded by filth and smut. The increased oversight and penalties contained in H.R. 310 should provide the proper incentive to broadcasters to keep it clean. Accordingly. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3185}
{"speech_id":1090006668,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support this sensible bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3185}
{"speech_id":1090006793,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is correct. I had another chart up which the gentleman is familiar with which shows you on the back of an envelope in a simple form the net effect of the three Bush budgets sent up in 2002. 2003. and 2004. When the President sold his tax cuts to the Congress. his Treasury Secretary and his Director of OMB both said. We will not need to come back to you until 2008 to ask for the debt ceiling of the United States to be increased. They were back the next year. 2002. They said. We have incurred so much debt. despite our intentions. that we need to raise the legal ceiling on the debt of the United States by $450 billion. The next year. 2003. they were back again. The tax cuts were beginning to be fully implemented. taking a toll on the bottom line. with other effects like a recession. like increased military expenses. But all of this added up to a need to increase the debt ceiling by $984 billion. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4618}
{"speech_id":1090006793,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me put that in context. The entire national debt of the United States before Ronald Reagan took office was less than $984 billion accumulated since the beginning of the Republic. Then last November. before we could adjourn. Treasury was back. the administration was back. and they said. Before you can leave here. unless the government is going to shut down. the ceiling on the debt of the United States has to be raised again by $800 billion. That means that this $984 billion increase made on May 26. 2003. lasted only 16 months. We are in effect adding $1 trillion to our national debt every 18 months. Nobody in his right mind thinks that that course can be continued. This is the net total by which Congress had to raise. Republicans for the most part voting for it. had to raise the debt ceiling of the United States in order to accommodate Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4618}
{"speech_id":1090006793,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bushs budgets for the first 4 years. $2.234 trillion. That was the amount we had to raise the debt ceiling over 3 years in order to accommodate his budget. Let \"me go back to the things that were left out of the Presidents budget. because. as I said. it is more notable for what it excludes than what it includes. As I said. there was nothing in the calculation of the taxes that he wanted to make permanent to fix the AMT. though all know this is a looming problem that politically has to be addressed in the next several years. There was not even money to patch. it over for another year to study how to fix it. Secondly. there was not a dime for Social Security privatization. Ten years of budget. not a dime for Social Security privatization. even though the President has made it his number one agenda initiative. Thirdly. there was nothing for the cost of the war in Afghanistan. the insurgency there. nothing for the cost of our deployment in Afghanistan or Iraq or enhanced security in North America. The Congressional Budget Office. recognizing that that is a number that is there and has to be somehow or another estimated and included in the budget. captured. in order to have the budget be a complete and full account of what we are likely to spend. did a model. They said. assume we can reduce our forces beginning in 2006. between 2006 and 2010. down to 40.000 troops in the theater. the CENTCOM theater. not necessarily Iraq. but in the CENTCOM theater. with 18.000 troops remaining in Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4618}
{"speech_id":1090006793,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What is the cost over the 10year period of this budget? The cost to do that is $384 billion. Let us hope we do not have to incur that. but some significant number has to be included in this budget to make it a realistic budget. Finally. when you add those three items. then we have less surplus. When you have less surplus. you have a bigger deficit. you have more debt service. because you borrowed more principal on which you have to pay interest. You add all of those items together. you get a $2 trillion adjustment to the budget. This. therefore. is what we see. adjusting for the four items that I have just outlined. the budget path that the Bush budget will take over the next 10 years. $427 billion. third year in a row. it sets a record level. a deficit of $427 billion for the year 2005. It goes up the next year and levels off in the range of $400 billion. and then comes out at the end of 10 years at $566 billion. We are not reaching to make this point. we are simplyputting back in the budget costs we think are realistic and need to be captured in order to have a truthful portrayal of what the budget looks like. This is the course that the Bush administration is plotting for us in the budget they have just submitted. and most people think that thisyis not a sustainable course. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia .","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4618}
{"speech_id":1090006814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we discussed this a bit earlier. and the gentleman is absolutely right. The numbers we are talking about are the unified deficit numbers. That is to say. we consolidate all of the accounts of the budget. Social Security is actually in surplus now and will be for some years to come. so the surplus of about $160 billion in Social Security is offset against the deficit and the rest of the budget. making that deficit appear smaller than it truly is.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":462}
{"speech_id":1090006815,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what I am getting at is. I remember. as the gentleman does. when the Clinton administration acquired a substantial surplus and was projecting at the end of the year 2000 about $5.5 trillion of surplus. To meet the Social Security obligations for the next 75 years. what they were going to do is to take the Social Security surplus and put it back into the Social Security trust funds. so we would not have this issue with regard to supposedly bankrupting Social Security. All of that could have been avoided if we had followed through on those policies. Unfortunately. what this. administration did was to promptly pay out that money in tax cuts. We have been talking about these high numbers. trillions and billions. in fact. I wish the people. if there is anyone watching at home. they might write down what $1.7 trillion represents. It is 1 comma 7. and then 11 zeroes. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1915}
{"speech_id":1090006815,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. $1 trillion is a thousand billion. a billion is a thousand million. This is an enormous amount of money that we have reduced our revenue by as a result of tax cuts. most of which went to the people who needed it the least. Now. what is most troubling. I think to many people that we represent. is the cuts that are going to occur in the lives of people dependent upon programs. I want the gentleman to conclude his points. but when we talk about cutting $60 billion out of Medicaid nursing home costs and health costs for children and eliminating vocational education. all of it relates back to this policy. and it seems almost as though it is an excuse to cut domestic social programs that represent only 16 percent of the deficit. and yet almost 100 percent of the cuts are coming out of these domestic social programs. But I would like to address that. and I would like to elaborate on that in a bit. I know the gentleman wants to conclude his comments and hear from our friend. the gentleman from Maine. as well.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1915}
{"speech_id":1090006835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentlewoman has touched upon major impacts. One of our problems is the Presidents budget is lacking in detail as to all of the program. project and activity cuts that they would actually propose in the years after 2006. It is hard to tell. We have a chart here that shows what we know about the reduction in what is called nondefense domestic discretionary spending. And we can see here that we expect a reduction below purchasing power of about $180 billion over a 5year period of time. That is education. That is veterans health care. That is highways. That is the government as we know it. Everything that people tend to identify the government with is included in these accounts. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1303}
{"speech_id":1090006835,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have only come all together to $350 billion. So you can. of course. out of $350 billion achieve some cost reduction. but there is only so much that can be achieved there. And keep in mind. this is not the source of the problem. These accounts have not increased in the last 3 years. but this is where the administration is going to squeeze as much as they possibly can. but there will never be enough in these accounts to eradicate a deficit of $427 billion next year. Nevertheless. there will be deep pits. student loans. Pell grants. all of these things that matter to American families. kitchentable issues.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1303}
{"speech_id":1090006876,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we have a period of morning business for up to 90 minutes. The first hour of that time is divided with the majority controlling the first 30 minutes. and the minority in control of the second 30 minutes. At about 11 oclock. the Senate will begin consideration of S. 384. the Nazi War Crimes Working Group extension bill. Senator DEWINE is the primary sponsor of that legislation. and he will be here to begin the debate. Last night. we reached an agreement for 90 minutes of debate on the bill to accommodate several Senators who want to speak on the underlying legislation. It does not appear that a rollcall vote will be necessary on passage of S. 384. and we will notify everyone if someone requests a vote. We are also working on agreements for the genetic nondiscrimination bill and the highrisk pooling bill. This week. we also hope to consider the committee funding resolution. as well as any additional nominations that become available. Finally. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1457}
{"speech_id":1090006876,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remind all of our colleagues of the traditional reading of George Washingtons Farewell Address that will occur this Friday. The junior Senator from North Carolina. Mr. RICHARD BURR. has agreed to deliver that address. and we thank him in advance for his contribution to this longstanding Senate tradition. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the final 30 minutes of the allotted morning business time be under the control of Senators CORNYN and LEAHY. or their designees.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1457}
{"speech_id":1090006957,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we were visited on Capitol Hill by Alan Greenspan. Alan Greenspan i\u00a7 the head of the Federal Reserve and is considered the economics guru who comes to Washington periodically. to Capitol Hill. and gives us advice. Sometimes that advice is very wise and sagacious. and sometimes I think it is totally politicalthe same Alan Greenspan who helped President Clinton with the task of reducing the deficit. the right thing to do. President Clinton came up with a proposal which in fact reduced the deficit. a deficit which through previous administrations of President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush finally came to an end at the end of the Clinton administration. For the first time in modern memory. we were generating surpluses in. the Federal Treasury. All of that red ink finally ended. We moved into the black. Mr. Greenspan was the inspiration for this initially. saying to the Clinton administration. get serious and get real about the deficit. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10041}
{"speech_id":1090006957,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We were anxious to listen to Mr. Greenspan in following years about what his advice might be. Along came the Bush administration 4 years ago proposing dramatic tax cuts. The argument for the White House was. if you have a surplus. more money in the Treasury than you need. for goodness sakes. give it back to the people who paid it. That was the argument for the tax cut. Many of us warned that sometimes the economy turns around. and things happen you dont anticipate. If we are going to have tax cuts. we should have some sort of a safety valve there. If things go badly. the tax cuts will not continue and drive us into deficit. Mr. Greenspan didnt argue for that kind of caution at all. and the Bush White House rejected that notion. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10041}
{"speech_id":1090006957,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What happened? Exactly as we anticipatedunforeseen circumstances. the surplus disappeared. the tax cuits were there. Along came a recession. followed by a war on terrorism. followed by the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. in addition to the tax cuts still being on the books. That grand surplus disappeared into a deficitthe biggest deficit in the history of the United States. Now comes the President with a new plan. He says let us privatize Social Security. Let us create private and personal accounts. knowing full well that to do that you have to take money out of the Social Security trust fund so people can invest it in mutual funds. Some say that is too risky. Regardless of whether it is risky. it does take money out of the Social Security trust fund and adds to the deficit. In comes Mr. Greenspan today for more words of advice. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10041}
{"speech_id":1090006957,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We welcome him to Capitol Hill. but we wait patiently and anxiously to hear that same deficit fighter of years ago comment on what we are seeing -today. Where is Mr. Greenspan when it comes to these tax cuts that have driven us into this deficit? Where is Mr. Greenspan when it comes to privatizing Social Security that will make it worse? Sadly. he understands that deficits are not healthy. but Dr. Greenspan is afraid to prescribe any serious medicine. One of the concerns we have with the Social Security trust fund is after the. surplus has ended and the Bush administrations tax cuts brought us into this new era of deficits. more and more money is being pulled out of the Social Security trust fund. The President. who tells us he is worried about the Social Security trust fund. has been the biggest problem the Social Security trust fund has run into. His tax cut plan and his privatization plan attack literally the balance in the Social Security trust fund. Congress has joined in this. Every time Congress voted for the tax cuts. it voted to raid the Social Security trust fund. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10041}
{"speech_id":1090006957,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 2000. the Social Security trust fund surplus has lost .$800 billion800 billion taken out of the Social Security trust fund since the year 2000 when President Bush came to office. Now the President tells us he is worried about Social Securitys future. The obvious question is. Why werent you worried when you were taking all of this money out of the Social Security trust fund? How much of that surplus was paid back to strengthen the Social Security trust fund since President Bush took office? Zero. The President has been taking their money out of the Social Security trust fund. That means workers have paid $800 billion more into Social Security in taxes than were necessary to pay out benefits and the Social Security trust fund turned around. and that money was removed by the Presidents policies. The Bush administration has borrowed $800 billion from the American public over the last 5 yearsmoney that was paid to the Government for the Social Security trust fund. for their tax cuts. and to fund the war. Instead of paying it back. the Republicans have called the bonds on the Social Security trust fund \"meaningless IOUs.\" How is that for respect for the Social Security trust fund. Now to draw attention away from the Republican idea of cutting benefits instead of paying the trust fund back. the Republican. Policy Committee has come up with a document criticizing a Democratic plan on Social Security that doesnt exist. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10041}
{"speech_id":1090007011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first I rise to congratulate the Senator from Wyoming for assuming the chairmanship of the HELP Committee and moving forward on this exceptionally important piece of information.. the Genetic Infbrmation Nondiscrimination Act of 2005. Quickly moving this legislation forward shows the priority the Senator from Wyoming places on straightening out our medical situation in this country. making delivery of health care more affordable. more thoughtful. and in this case free of discrimination. This is the .first civil rights act. really. of this century. for all intents and purposes. It is a major commitment to people of our country that they will not be discriminated against on the basis of their genetic code. Last year we celebrated the discovery by Dr. Watson and Dr. Crick of the double helix. Then we also celebrated the fact that NIH had mapped the human genome. that the DNA project was completed. Those were huge milestones which have had an exceptional impact on the quality of health care in this country. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7485}
{"speech_id":1090007011,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They will continue to have an expanding impact. the breadth and depth of influence on how we deliver health care and how peoples health care is affected within our Nation cannot even be predicted. That is because. if you can define what your genetic code is. you can obviously make huge strides toward curing diseases which might potentially afflict anyone. But this new science also created issues for us. public policy issues. One of the big public policy issues it created is the issue of discrimination based on your genetic code. Everybody has this problemor has this benefitor has this situation. We all have genes. This is a universal issue. It is something that impacts everyone. So Congress has taken a long and indepth look at how we should address this from a public health policy standpoint. working in a very bipartisan way under the leadership of Senator ENZI. Prior to that. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7485}
{"speech_id":1090007011,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was chairman of this committee and we worked on this very aggressively with help across the aisle. of course. of Senator KENNEDY and members of the Democratic leadership on the committee. Then. outside the committee itself. Senator FRIST and Senator SNowE and others have played a major role in making sure that what we did in this area was thoughtful and had a purpose and accomplished the goal. The goal was to make sure that discrimination did not occur in the science of the human genome and that the science of the use of this information that genetics was going to produce could be best implemented so we didnt end up retardihig the development and implementation of new cures. The goal was to address the concerns of people rel-. ative to their genetic history and the potential it has for them as they move forward in their lives so they are not impacted negatively by acts of discrimination which might chill peoples willingness to use this genetic information or even obtain this genetic information in their interfacing with the health community. This act is an effort. after a tremendous amount of work. to thoughtfully and intelligently address the issue of how we effectively promote the use of genetic information. It actually encouraged people to take advantage of this new science rather than have an atmosphere where people are limited or are discouraged from taking advantage of this new science. We know. unfortunately. that the potential is there. and it has actually occurred. We have instancesa few. I admit. but there are specific instancesof discrimination occurring as a result of the persons genetic history or potential genetic history in the area of employment and in the area of health insurance. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7485}
{"speech_id":1090007011,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is where this bill addresses those concerns. It specifically addresses the issue of health insurance underwriting. and it specifically addresses the issue of employment. Its impact is that health insurance plans will not be able to deny eligibility for an employee into a health plan based on genetic information. and it prohibits health insurance plans from charging higher premiums based on an individuals. or his or her familys. genetic information. It is very important. It also does not allow an individual health insurance employer to request genetic information or to use a persons genetic information in their decisions on the hiring and firing of an individual. It recognizes that all individuals. whether they are healthy or sick. and all medical information. whether genetic or otherwise. should be afforded the same protection under the law. And that is a critical point. The practical implication of it is. if you have a family history where you sense or may think there may be a problem that you have because of your genetic makeup and you are not going forward and being tested. your willingness to see a doctor to see if that genetic problem may actually exist for you is not going to be limited because you are not going to be concerned with the fact. if that information comes forward or is obtained that it might be used to limit your ability to get a job. keep a job. or get health insurance. or keep health insurance. or. alternatively. that your children or childrens children might also. if the genetic information is confirmed. be subject to discrimination for work or for obtaining insurance. It will allow people to be much more aggressive in using this brand new science to assist them in getting their health in order and making sure that people and their children are properly screened for what can be produced from genetic information. This is going to be such a hugely valuable tool for our society and for people. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7485}
{"speech_id":1090007011,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There should be nothing in our society which says to people you really cant afford to do this. because if you take this type of test. you see this doctor. if you have this type of review. you are going to find out something that might lead to your quality of life being dramatically reduced because you lose your job or you lose your insurance. The legislation is appropriate. Those who questions its need. do so out of legitimate concern that it is a new Government law. new Federal legislation. and they do not see that the problem exists. I guess. in many instances or. if it does exist. they dont think it is significant enough to address. To those folks. I would simply say this: Yes. the problem does exist. Yes. we have instances of discrimination occurring both in the workplace and in the insurance industry. They have been limited but. more importantly than that. this is a science which holds such tremendous potential for dramatically improving the way we deliver health care as a society that we do not want anything to stand in its way to chill its use or to undermine the willingness of Americans to participate in studies of themselves or their families or their genealogy which might undermine the advantage which this new science gives them in getting better health care. It is an appropriate piece of legislation. I think it pats the emphasis in the right place. which is reasoned and appropriate in how we handle genetic information and we avoid discrimination in the use of that information. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7485}
{"speech_id":1090007020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today to express my support for S. 306. the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. and I thank Senator SNOWE for her leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to vote for passage of this important legislation. The Genetic Nondiscrimination Act is a crucial first step to protecting individuals and families from genetic discrimination. This legislation prevents insurers from denying coverage or raising premiums based upon the results of genetic tests. It prohibits insurance companies and employers from requiring individuals to undergo genetic testing. And finally. this legislation protects workers from employment discrimination based on their genetic information. Genetic testing holds great promise for medicine. Knowing you are prone to cancer or heart disease or Lou Gehrigs disease may give you a fighting chance. But just try. with that information in hand. to get health insurance in a system without strong protections against discrimination for preexisting or genetic conditions. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3070}
{"speech_id":1090007020,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As genetic information allows us to predict illness with greater certainty. these tests threaten to turn the most susceptible patients into the most vulnerable. Each vaunted scientific breakthrough brings with it new challenges to our health system and this legislation will help maximize advancing technologys benefits while protecting Americans from the use of genetic information as a tool for discrimination. With this bill. we can help patients access the latest advances in science without sacrificing their personal privacy. Genetic discrimination has many victims: those who are denied health coverage. those who lose job opportunities. and those who forego important tests out of fear that they will be victimized. We should encourage people to learn more about their health so that they can make informed decisions about treatment and care. not discourage them from seeking information with threats of unemployment or loss of insurance. By passing the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act into law. we will address at the Federal level an issue that has been recognized by a majority of states. More than 40 States have enacted genetic nondiscrimination provisions. and I believe that it is far past the time for Congress to follow suit. I would also like to note that the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act. while a good first step. is only the beginning of our work in this area. Many who have long championed genetic nondiscrimination support stronger protections and tough enforcement provisions. Passing the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act will help to put a necessary framework in place and we will need the same commitment to action in the future to reinforce this framework. and provide strong. reliable enforcement for the important civil right that we are defending today. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3070}
{"speech_id":1090007020,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. I would urge my colleagues to support the passage of the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act. I also urge the House to take up this matter as quickly as possible. to protect the millions of patients that might benefit from genetic testing.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3070}
{"speech_id":1090007022,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak in support of S. 306. the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Before I talk about why this bill is so crucial. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the HELP Committee. Senator ENZI and Senator KENNEDY. for their efforts on this bill. and for making it one of their first priorities in the 109th Congress. Their action sends a strong signal about the importance of this legislation. I would be remiss if I did not also mention the dedication to this issue shown by our former Democratic leader. Senator Tom Daschle. We are in a position to pass this bill today as a direct result of the work done by Senator Daschle. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5726}
{"speech_id":1090007022,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many of us. on both sides of the aisle. saw the need several years ago for legally enforceable rules to maximize the potential benefits of genetic informationand minimize its potential dangers. I have worked on this issue with many of my colleagues since the 105th Congress. I have chaired a hearing in the HELP Committee. and I have introddced legislation with several of my colleagues. notably Senator Daschle. Senator KENNEDY. and Senator HARKIN. going back to the.106th Congress. The legislation that we will consider today is a bipartisan compromise. between our bill. and a similar bill introduced by Senator SNOWE and others. It represents a culmination of the efforts of many of us to establish such rules. It is an enormous step forward. and I would like to acknowledge the hard work of everyone who was involved in crafting this legislation. Over the past decade. the science of genetics has developed at an astonishing pace. The mapping of the human genome is qndoubtedly one of the greatest scientific achievements of this generation. We have not even completely grasped the wide array of potential benefits that may come from our newfound genetic knowledge. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5726}
{"speech_id":1090007022,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Certainly. the impact on our health will be profound. Doctors will be able to read our unique genetic blueprints and predict the likelihood of developing diseases such as cancer. Alzheimers. or Parkinsons. They will also be able to use an individuals genetic information to develop treatments for these same diseases. and target individuals with the treatment that will work best for them. This is not science fiction. It is already beginning to happen. For all the promise of the genetic age. there is also an inherent threat. Science has outpaced the law and Americans are worried. and rightly so. that their genetic information will be usednot to improve their healthbut to deny them health insurance or employment. There is no information more personal and private than genetic informationand no information more worthy of special protection. Our genetic code is the very blueprint of our selves. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5726}
{"speech_id":1090007022,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is with us from birth. and to some extent it determines who we will become. What an incredibly powerful tool. with its vast potential to help us live healthier lives. But the nature of genetic information also makes it dangerous to the individual if used incorrectly. This bill provides significant new protections against the misuse of genetic information. It ensures that Americans who are genetically predisposed to health conditions will not lose or be denied health insurance. jobs. or promotions based on their genetic makeup. Reaching an agreement on this legislation means that our laws dealing with genetic information can begin to catch up to the reality of our technological capability in the field. With these protections in place. individuals need not feel reluctant to get the tests that may save or improve their lives. Although the Americans. with Disabilities Act. ADA. and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA. took important steps towards preventing genetic discrimination. this legislation is more specifically tailored to prohibiting its misuse. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5726}
{"speech_id":1090007022,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Health plans and health insurance issuers will not be allowed to underwrite. determine premiums. or decide on eligibility for enrollment based on genetic information. Employers will not be allowed to alter hiring practices based on genetic information. The American public can feel secure in the knowledge that their genetic blueprint will not be used to harm them. that a genetic marker indicating a possible illness later in life will not cause them to lose a job or health insurance. Like any compromise. this bill is not perfect. In particular. while it poses some important limitations on the collection of personal genetic information by insurance companies. it would allow them to collect this information. without consent. once an individual is enrolled in a health plan. While insurers are expressly prohibited from using this information for the purposes of underwriting. I am concerned that once they have this information. it may be difficult to control how it is used and who has access to it. We all know from experience that the difficulty of protecting information increases exponentially with each additional person who has access to that information. As this bill becomes lawand I sincerely hope it willI will monitor closely how it is implemented. and the extent to which privacy is protected. We may need to revisit this issue in the future. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5726}
{"speech_id":1090007044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator TALENT asked me on the date of introduction. February 3. 2005. to be a cosponsor of S. 273. Unfortunately. by the time we got the message to the floor that day. the Senate had adjourned. Senator TALENT is not only a great friend of mine. but a great friend of Americas farmers and ranchers. including our dairy farm families. He is a valuable member of the Senate Agriculture. Nutrition. and Forestry Committee. a cochairman with me of the Senate Biofuels Caucus. We work very closely on issues of importance to our farm families. I am pleased that Senator TALENT and I will be working together to extend MILC. legislation. extremely important to Missouri and Minnesota dairy farmers and dairy farmers across our country.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":744}
{"speech_id":1090007054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce a bill. along with the Senator from Vermont who we will hear from shortly. that will help enhance the openness of the Federal Government. This bill is called the Open Government Act of 2005. It is a bipartisan effort to improve and update our public information lawsparticularly the Freedom of Information Act. The purpose of the bill is to arm the American people with the information they need to make certain that ours remains a government whose legitimacy is derived from the consent of the governed. This legislation will significantly expand the accessibility. accountability. and openness of the Federal Government. Open government. of course. is one of the most basic requirements of a healthy democracy. It allows taxpayers to see where their money is going. It permits the honest exchange of information that ensures government accountability. and it upholds the ideal that government never rules without the consent of the governed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090007054,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As is so often the case. Abraham Lincoln said it best: No man is good enough to govern another without that persons consent. But achieving the true consent of the governed requires something more than just holding elections every couple of years. What we need is informed consent. Informed consent is impossible without open and accessible government. It has been nearly a. decade since Congress has approved major reforms to the Freedom of Information Act. The Senate Judiciary Committee has not convened an oversight hearing to examine the Freedom of Information Act compliance issue since 1992. And at that time. I believe it is clear that the growth of technology and the Internet has created a real desire among the American people to achieve direct. efficient. and open access to government information. I thank my colleague from Vermont. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. who has long been a champion of these issues. for his hard work on this bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090007054,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Together our offices have spent a good deal of time meeting with open government advocates. I am proud to say this bill is Supported by a broad coalition across the ideological spectrum. because I believe this legislation should not be a partisan or special interest bill. Indeed. it is not. I ask unanimous consent that these endorsement letters from dozens of watchdog groups across the political spectrum be printed in the RECORD at the close of my remarks.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090007059,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Executive Director. DEAR BOARD MEMBERS: United States Senator John Cornyn will introduce legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act next week. Among other things. the Open Government Act of 2005 would provide meaningful deadlines for federal agencies to act on Freedom of Information requests and impose consequences on federal agencies for missing statutory deadlines. In light of the fact that some federal agencies have had requests for information pending for as long as seventeen years. the Foundation believes Senator Cornyns proposals are much needed and overdue. The proposed legislation would also make it easier for successful litigants to recover their attorneys fees when litigation becomes necessary. strengthen reporting requirements on government agencies FOIA compliance. establish an ombudsman to resolve FOIA complaints without the need to resort to litigation and enhance the authority of the Office of Special Counsel to take disciplinary action against government officials who arbitrarily and capriciously deny disclosure. The Foundation therefore enthusiastically endorses Senator Cornyns proposed legislation and encourages each of your organizations to do the same. Sincerely.","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090007106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on the Constitution. Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Obscenity Prosecution and the Constitution\" on Wednesday. February 16. 2005. at 3 p.m.. in SD226. Witness List Mr. Robert Destro. J.D.. Professor of Law. Catholic University of America. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090007106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Columbus School of Law. Washington. DC. Mr. William Wagner. J.D.. Associate Professor of Law. the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Lansing. MI. and Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090007106,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Frederick Schauer. J.D.. Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment. John F. Kennedy School of Government. Harvard University. Cambridge. MA.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090007199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as I had the privilege to write this morning on the editorial page of USA Today. nobody doubts this Presidents heart for our kids. As a Governor. George W. Bush championed education reform. and. upon being elected President. brought his vision for standards and school choice to Capitol Hill. Unfortunately. the defenders of the status quo in education succeeded in turning the Presidents original vision for education reform into a huge increase in the Federal Governments role in our local schools and. regrettably. they are at it again. as No Child Left Behind II. with national testing for high school students. comes to Congress. The American people have always known the government that governs least governs best in those functions of government closest to the family. However wellintentioned. one more unfunded mandate from Washington. D.C. will not cure what ails our -local schools. Resources that promote reform through competition and school choice will. There is nothing that ails our local schools that parents and teachers of America cannot solve with the resources and the freedom to choose. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090007199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us say no tp more national testing. Let us say no to No Child Left Behind II.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090007206,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. with the consideration of this legislation. the majority begins their assault on our Nations civil justice system. Today we will attempt to preempt State class actions. Next month we will take up a bankruptcy bill that massively tilts the playing field in favor of credit card companies and against ordinary consumers and workers alike. On deck and pending are equally onesided medical malpractice bills and asbestos bills that both cap damages and eliminate liability to protect some of the most egregious wrongdoers in America. - The majoritys assault on victims and consumers is unprecedented in its scope and stunning in its breadth. Collectively. these measures will close the courthouse doors on millions of Americans harmed by intentional wrongdoing. negligence. and fraud. And so. long after the 109th Congress has forgotten. American consumers and workers will be paying the price for these special interest bills through needless injuries and uncompensated harm. This legislation will remove class actions involving State law issues from State courts. the forum most convenient for victims of wrongdoing and with the judges most familiar with the Substantive law. and this legislation will move it to the Federal courts where the case will take far longer to resolve and is far less likely to be certified. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090007206,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. you do not need to take my word for it. Let us just ask big business itself. The Nations largest bank. Citicorp admits \"the practical effect (of the bill will) be that many cases will never be heard. Federal judges facing overburdened dockets and ambiguities about applying State laws in a Federal court. often refuse to grant standing to class action plaintiffs.\" Forbes Magazine writes. \"The legislation will . . . make it more difficult for plaintiffs to prevail. since . . . federal courtsare . . . less open to considering . . . class action claims.\" Passage of this legislation would be particularly devastating for civil rights cases and labor law cases. As the Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under The Law explained. \"The consequences of the legislation for civil rights class actions . . . will be astounding and. in our view. disastrous. Redirecting State law class actions to the Federal courts will choke Federal court dockets and delay or foreclose the timely and effective determination of Federal (civil rights) cases.\" Since the November election we have heard a lot of talk about values. and that is fine. but will someone during this discourse today tell me where the value.is in denying senior citizens who suffered heart attacks because they took Vioxx for their arthritis? Where is the morality in preventing poor workers from joining together to obtain compensation when unscrupulous employers pay them slavelabor wages? H72.6 Where is the righteousness in telling victims of discrimination that they will have to wait years for a Federal court to consider violations of their own State laws? If we have learned anythingfrom the Enron. TYCO. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090007206,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Firestone. and other legal debacles. it is that our citizens need more protection against wrongdoers in our society. not less. And yet the class action bill before us takes us in precisely the opposite direction. The House should reject this onesided. anticonsumer and anticivil rights legislation. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090007222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. and I will be pleased to provide two examples. Suppose that a California State court class action were filed against a California pharmaceutical drug company on behalf of a proposed class of 60 percent California residents and 40 percent Nevada residents alleging harmful side effects attributed to a drug sold nationwide. In such a case. it would make sense to leave the matter in Federal court. After all. the State laws that would apply in all of these cases would vary. depending on where the drug was prescribed and purchased. As a result. allowing a single Federal court to sort out such issues and handle the balance of the litigation would make sense both from added efficiency and a federalism standpoint. Now. suppose. in a second example. a checking account fee disclosure class action were filed in a Nevada State court against a Nevada bank loqated in a border city. and the class consisted of 65 percent Nevada residents and 35 percent California residents who crossed the border in order to conduct transactions in the Nevada bank. In this hypothetical. it might make sense to allow that matter to proceed in State court. It is likely that Nevada banking law would apply to all of these claims. even those of the California residents. since all of the transactions occurred in the State of Nevada. There is also less likelihood that multiple actions will be filed around the country on the same subject so as to give rise to a coordinating Federal multidistfict litigation proceeding.","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1556}
{"speech_id":1090007249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. even though I am in opposition to his position and favor tlis bill. This is not a radical bill. nor is it regressive. In fact. it is a reasonable compromise designed to address what is an abuse of the judicial system. That is why The Washington Post endorses this bill. It is why the Democratic Senators from New York. California. and Illinois all voted for the bill. In fact. Democratic Senators representing 19 States voted for this bill in the other body. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090007249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why did they do this? Because they believe on balance that consumers are going to be better represented in Federal courts. And this notion that somehow State courts are going to be more inclined to represent consumer interests rather than Federal courts on issues like tobacco and civil rights and so on. I do not think history proves that to be the case. I am particularly sensitive to these charges that this bill is going to inhibit civil rights actions. Clearly if we look at history. it is the Federal courts that have been far more insistent upon enforcement of civil rights than State courts. Even recently in the Home Depot case. a genderdiscrimination case. it was settled with a $65 million settlement. filed in Federal court. The CocaCola racialdiscrimination settlement. which guaranteed each class member recovery of at least $38.000. was achieved in Federal court. Contrast that to the Bank of Boston case. where the depositors in Boston were not even aware they were members of a plaintiff class. where a lawyer filed suit down in Alabama supposedly representing their interest. and they found out when they had their bank account reduced by $90. $90 was taken out of the mortgage escrow account from these depositors to pay the lawyers when they were not even aware they were a member of the plaintiffs suit. and the lawyer walks off with $8.25 million. That is judicial abuse. and that is what this bill corrects. This is a reasonable bill. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090007249,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is that in so many State and local courts. they do not have the resources to go through the mountains of evidence that have to be presented in class action suits. In Federal courts they are far more likely to have those resources. They have court clerks and they can hire magistrates that can go through all of the evidence. There has been far too much abuse where judges have certified these settlements at the tort lawyers request and then. the defendant has to settle for large sums of money. That is not the way it is supposed to work. On balance. I think the judicial system will be far more fair. responsible. and reasonable under this compromise bill. so I would urge my colleagues. particularly on the Democratic side. to support this bill..","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090007302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Janet Huggins died last September. She was 39 years old. She had a 9yearold son. She had no personal or family history of heart problems. but she suffered a fatal heart attack just a month after she began taking a new medicine for her earlyonset arthritis. That medicine she took was Mercks antiinflammatory drug. Vioxx. Cardiologist. Dr. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3358}
{"speech_id":1090007302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eric Topol. and other researchers at the Cleveland Clinic sounded the alarm in August of 2001. Their article in the Journal of the American Medical Association pointed to increased occurrence of heart problems in patients taking Vioxx and similar CoxIl antiinflammatory drugs. Dr. Topol even called Mercks CEO and research director to talk about his concerns. His calls went unanswered. His warnings went unheeded. Instead. Merck continued to sell Vioxx. continued to spend $100 million a year on directtoconsumer advertising. encouraging more and more Americans to buy Vioxx. That is what Ms. Huggins did. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3358}
{"speech_id":1090007302,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She was buried the same day that Merck finally took Vioxx off the market. Her husband Monty has filed suit against Merck. His suit will be captured. along with thousands of other Vioxx suits. under the mass actions provisions of S. 5. This bill is designed to make it more difficult for Monty Huggins and others to pursue their claims that companies like Merck will never be held accountable. S. 5 will make it more expensive for him and much harder for him to travel for court proceedings. It may even deadend Monty Huggins claim entirely. Federal Courts have repeatedly refused to certify multistate class actions because they found them too complex to choose one State law over the other. So Monty Huggins may arrive in Federal Court only to find that is the end of the line. The bitter irony here is that Vioxx claims are not really class actions at all. Here is a good example of the sort of things settled by class action lawsuits. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3358}
{"speech_id":1090007302,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This iPod portable music player is all the rage. There are some people out there who thought the batteries on these things run out too quickly. They have filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer. If they win. everybody in the class probably gets a few bucks and the whole thing is done. That is what class action lawsuits are about. They do not generally involve personal injuries. They do not generally involve huge losses. There is a world of difference. Mr. Speaker. between a faulty battery in this. and the death of a 39yearold wife and mother. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3358}
{"speech_id":1090007302,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Perhaps the worst aspect of this bill is that it treats these suits the same. We should strip out the whole class action. the mass action provision. but that is not realistic in this political environment. My motion to commit prevents harm so obvious it cannot be ignored by specifically exempting Vioxx lawsuits. Dr. Topol at the Cleveland Clinic. who I mentioned earlier wrote. \"Neither of the two major forces in this 5andahalf year affair. neither Merck nor the FDA. fulfilled its responsibilities to the public.\" This motion to commit offers an opportunity for someone at last to act responsibly. If we adopt this motion to commit. Monty Huggins will have a fighting chance for justice. If we do not. the U.S. House of Representatives will join the list of those who betrayed the publics trust. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3358}
{"speech_id":1090007303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Class Action Fairness Act could not be more inappropriately named. and this motion to commit shows why. Since 1999. Merck has spent over $100 million a year to advertise Vioxx. More than 80 million people took Vioxx. and the drug generated sales of $2.5 billion for Merck. Merck should take responsibility for the harm their products may cause. Thousands. literally thousands of American families believe they lost a loved one or suffered personal harm be-. cause Vioxx was unsafe. These families believe Merck knew of the danger Vioxx was causing. but allowed the drug to remain on the market anyway. Maybe they are right. Maybe they are not. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090007303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the point is that the socalled Class Action Fairness Act does not give them a fair chance to make their case before a jury of their peers. The Class Action Fairness Act makes it very difficult for those who feel they were harmed by drugs. like Vioxx from getting the justice they deserve. We should adopt this motion to commit and pass a Class Action Fairness Act worthy of the name.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090007465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I feel honored to be here today to support this resolution recognizing the lifetime achievements of my good friend Howard Baker. Howard and I have been friends for a very long time. We arrived in the Senate at about the same time. Howard was elected in 1966. and I was appointed in 1968. In 1977. Howard became minority leader. I was elected minority whip. We became leaders of the majority in the Senate in 1981. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090007465,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Being part of the Senate leadership was a new chapter in my life. and I was privileged to start out on that path with Howard Baker. After the 1980 elections. we traveled together to the White House almost every couple of weeks to meet with President Reagan. I cherish those trips to the White House to this day. They remain some of my favorite memories of the time I have spent here in the Senate. Howard Baker is a great leader. He understands how to bring people together to accomplish great things. Those who were here during Howards tenure. I am sure. remember his commitment to collegiality and fairness. It earned him tremendous respect among his colleagues in the Senate. He was a great choice for majority leader. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090007465,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All of us were honored to serve with him. In early 1984. I went to his office to discuss the future. Howard convinced me I should plan to stay in the Senate. Later that year. however. Howard announced his own retirement. And. as we know. he later became President Reagans Chief of Staff. Catherine and I were sad when Howard lost his first wife. Joy. She was a wonderful woman. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090007465,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We were glad when he and Nancy found each other. Nancy. who is also a friend. served as a distinguished Senator here in her own right. She has been a great friend and partner for our friend Howard. In 1989. the day before Catherine and I were married. Howard called to tell me he needed to go to China. but Joy was illshe was in the hospitaland Howard could not leave. Deng Xiaoping had called. as leader of China. and wanted to understand what \"Reaganism\" meant. When Howard could not go on the trip which Ronald Reagan asked him to take to answer that question. Howard dispatched me on that mission. Again. it was a wonderful memory for me. and I appreciated that honor. Catherine and I were married on December 30 and left for China on December 31. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090007465,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was no time for a honeymoon. But we got on that plane to China at Howards request. and we havent stopped since. I am reminded of that every year now. and it has finally caught up with me. Catherine and I are scheduled to take that honeymoon this spring. So I am not allowed to call Howard to congratulate him because we cannot risk being dispatched again to some foreign country. Howards time as Ambassador to Japan is only one chapter in the long and distinguished career the leader just talked about. a career that he spent serving the American people so well. Few men are more deserving of the honor of such a resolution. and Catherine and I wish our good friend and his good lady great luck in their pursuits.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090007470,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator for giving me this opportunity. I am glad to join with the President pro tempore and the majority leader in cosponsoring this resolution. I would like to add a few words about Howard Baker. When Howard Baker left for Japan. there was an enormous ceremony hosted by the President of the United States in the East Room. It was a signal of the importance of our countrys relationship with Japan. It was a demonstration of the long list of distinguished United States Ambassadors to the country of Japan. It was a reminder of the importance of the job Ambassador Baker would have at this listening .post and action post in Asia. Howard Bakers coming home deserves a little bit of fanfare. too. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3886}
{"speech_id":1090007470,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The relationship between Japan and the United States has never been better. A good bit of that credit goes to President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi for their close relationship. but Howard Baker had a lot to do with it. too. His homecoming helps to bring to a close. as Senator STEVENS and Senator FRIST have said. another chapter in one of the most distinguished public careers in our obuntry. Howard Baker was a very successful Senator. There would not have been a Reagan .Presidency. as we know it. without Howard Baker. I remember Howard Baker told me that when the tax cuts passed in the early 1980s. after the Republican majority was elected. he. Senator Baker. the majority leader. took the tax cuts and walked them over to the House of Representatives and handed them to Tip ONeill. Then. of course. Senator Baker put his own Presidential aspirations aside a few years later and served as Chief of Staff for President Reagan. I was living in Australia at the time. and I remember the relief the Australians had in 1987 hearing on the radio that Howard Baker was going to the White House to help straighten out some problems. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3886}
{"speech_id":1090007470,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I saw him up close. and I have seen him up close for a long time. I came here to this body in 1967. as his legislative assistant. 1 year before the President pro tempore became a Member of this Senate. Howard Baker was not a shy firsttermer. We sat around in staff seats in the back of the Chamber and waited until he and TED KENNEDY. then another young Senator. took on Everett Dirksen and Sam Ervin on \"one man. one vote.\" The youngsters beat the oldsters on that vote. He ran for leader twice. I think. in the first 6 years. In 1977. he changed the name \"Minority Leader\" to \"Republican Leader\" on the wall out here. He began to talk about the secondbest view in Washington being in the leaders office. And we knew he was thinking about trying for the firstbest view in Washington. which is from the White House. When he accepted this post in Japan. at President Bushs request. some people said to me: Why in the world would Howard Baker do that. with all he has already done in his life? I was not one bit surprised that he did. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3886}
{"speech_id":1090007470,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Howard Baker has always had the bit in his teeth. He has done everything he has ever done with consummate skill. He is the reason I am in public service today. We once said there was a whole generation of usformer Senator Thompson. the late Howard Liebengooda number of us who were a generation of people inspired by Howard Baker. Now there is a second generation. including our majority leader. There really would not be a twoparty system in Tennessee without Howard Baker. We used to say the best thing about Howard was that when people saw him on TV. he always made Tennesseans look good. We can now say that about the country. When people see Howard Baker around the world. he makes us Americans look even better. He represents the best of us. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3886}
{"speech_id":1090007470,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We welcome him home just in time for his 80th birthday on November 15. and just in time. I am quite confident. to prepare for another sparkling chapter in one of our countrys most distinguished public careers. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3886}
{"speech_id":1090007542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to reintroduce the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act to improve the Medicare program for our senior citizens. The bill. which enjoyed the support of a majority of the Senate in the 108th Congress. would repeal the beneficiary cap on rehabilitation therapy care and ensure quality healthcare for Medicare patients. The beneficiary cap is really two separate therapy caps: one cap for occupational therapy and one for both physical therapy and speechlanguage pathology care combined. Congress has already shown its opposition to this arbitrary cap by placing a moratorium on enforcement of the cap in 1999. 2000. and 2003. The latest moratorium will expire on January 1. 2006. Without congressional action. the beneficiary cap on therapy services will be effective again in less than a year. It is time to repeal the cap once and for all. Each year. more than 3.7 million Medicare beneficiaries receive outpatient physical therapy. occupational therapy. and\/or speechlanguage pathology services to regain their optimum level of function and independence. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090007542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS. completed a longawaited analysis of the therapy cap policy. The report. prepared by AdvanceMed. estimates that for Calendar Year 2002. some 638.195 beneficiaries receiving physical therapy. occupational therapy. and\/or speechlanguage pathology services would have exceeded the cap threshold. This represents 23.7 percent of the outpatient therapy expenditures for that year. Failure to address the issue this year in Congress will have a significant impact on the access beneficiaries will have to necessary rehabilitation services. It is clear from recent reports prepared for CMS t hat patients with debilitating illnesses and injuries would be severely impacted by enforcement of the therapy caps. Based on data from 2002. patients suffering from conditions such as stroke. Parkinsons disease. congenital heart failure. and Dysphasia were certain to be negatively impacted by enforcement of existing statutory limits on rehabilitation coverage. Action is needed to address the ther apy caps this .year. Last Congress. this bill attracted 51 Senators as cosponsors. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090007542,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a member of the Senate Budget Committee. I realize the budgetary constraints that are upon Congress. I understand that we need to prioritize spending. I believe that a meaningful solution to address the rehabilitation needs of senior citizens and individuals with disabilities in the Medicare program should be a priority. I would like to thank my colleagues. Senator BLANCHE LINCOLN. Senator CHUCK HACEL. Senator PATTY MURRAY. Senator JEFF BINGAMAN. Senator JON CORZINE. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090007542,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator TIM JOHNSON. Senator SUSAN COLLINS. and Senator ORRIN HATCH for joining me in this effort. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to enact a solution to the therapy caps that ensures access to quality restorative services provided by qualified professionals. By Mrs. BOXER (for herself and","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090007546,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce. along with Senator NELSON of Florida. Senator KYL of Arizona. Senator ALLEN of Virginia. Senator BUNNING of Kentucky. Senator CHAMBLISS of Georgia. and Senator DOLE of North Carolina. legislation that would permanently extend the current treatment of investments made to motorsports entertainment complexes. ensuring that this important economic engine for our economy continues to roar. The Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act of 2005 will help ensure that jobcreating investments in motorsports facilities continue to be made under the same economic assumptions and tax treatment used for the last several decadesdecades that have witnessed the most explosive growth in motorsports long history. Motorsports is the fastest growing sport in the United States. drawing fans to tracks and speedways around the country. In fact. there are over 900 motorsports facilities throughout the U.S.. with tracks in every State. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090007546,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These facilities contribute to the economy by attracting motorsports enthusiasts and tourists. hiring permanent and temporary employees. and making capital investments. Facilities of every typefrom local tracks that run weekly racing series to \"superspeedways\" that host nationallytelevised eventsmust continually upgrade and reinvest in order to remain competitive. Motorsports play a significant role in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. where racing is an integral part of Pennsylvanias economy with 60 racing facilities in every corner of the State. In fact. Pennsylvania is tied with California for the secondmost motorsports facilities of any State. Our facilities and tracks span across the Commonwealth and include the nationally known Pocono Raceway in Long Pond. Lake Erie Speedway. and Maple Grove Raceway. located just outside of Reading. These and other raceways in Pennsylvania hold NASCAR. National Hot Rod Association. Import Drag Racing Circuit. and other racing events. drawing -hundreds of thousands of fans each year contributing vital economic support to their local communities. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090007546,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is clear that motorsports racing plays an important role in Pennsylvania. just as it does across this coun-. try. When making these capital investments. owners of motorsports facilities have long relied on and in good faith applied a 7year depreciation life for these assets. but a few years ago the IRS began to raise some questions about the- use of the 7year classification. Last year. in H.R. 4520. the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Congress clarified that the appropriate depreciation period for motorsports assets was indeed 7 years. Due to revenue constraints in that particular bill. the provision on motorsports asset classification will lapse in 2008. meaning that Congress needs to act to permanently extend the provision. These capital expenditures. such as major improvements to existing tracks or building new tracks. require several years of planning followed by construction. Without a permanent provision that provides clarity and certainty. significant capital investments in motorsports facilitiesand the jobs and economic gains those investments bringcould be negatively impacted. I am hopeful that my colleagues in the Senate will join me in support of permanently extending the current treatment of investments in motorsports entertainment facilities. By Mr. DEWINE (for himself. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090007546,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. KOHL. and Mr. LEAHY):","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090007564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation to reverse the decline in the number of international students studying at American colleges. universities. and high schools. I am very pleased to be joined by my friend and colleague. Senator BINCAMAN. who cares deeply about these issues as I do. Policies implemented to keep our country safe in the wake of September 11 have had the unintended consequence of dramatically reducing the number of international students studying in the United States. Total international applications to U.S. graduate schools fell 28 percent from fall 2003 to fall 2004. and 54 percent of all English as a Second Language (ESL) programs have reported declines in overall applications at a time where countries such as the U.K.. Canada. and Australia are experiencing increases. Why is this a concerd for our country? From a foreign policy perspective. America needs all the Ambassadors of goodwill we can get. In a world that too often hates Americans because they do not know us. international education represents an opportunity to break down barriers. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2204}
{"speech_id":1090007564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is in our local and national interest for the best and brightest foreign students to study in America because these are people who will lead their nations one day. The experience they gain with our democratic system and oui values gives them a better understanding of what America is and who Americans are. My caseworkers in Minnesota have dealt with literally hundreds of student visas cases. One case in particular stands outthat of Humphrey Tusimiirwe. a brilliant student from Uganda who was having difficulty getting his student visa for study at St. Thomas. Fortunately. after several calls to the U.S. Ambassador. -Humphreys story ultimately had a happy ending. and he is going to be part of our panel at the University of Minnesota. But too many other students are barred from coming to study in America. and far too many are choosing to not study in the U.S. and instead go elsewhere. I have heard from Minnesotas colleges and universities. The presence of international students on campuses gives American students an irreplaceable opportunity to learn about other cultures and points of view. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2204}
{"speech_id":1090007564,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thats why","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2204}
{"speech_id":1090007569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to submit a resolution on the European Unions expressed intent to lift its arms embargo against China. During the EUChina summit meeting last December. the European Union indicated that it is likely to lift the arms embargo it imposed against China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Evidently. the \"strategic partnership\" the EU seeks with China and base economic interests trump the human rights considerations that were the reason for instituting the embargo in the first place. How the EU proceeds on this issue will reveal a great deal about the role it seeks to play in the world. In helping the Chinese develop their military capabilities. the Europeans see two principal benefits. Chinas enhanced military prowess would serve as a more effective counterweight to American power. theoretically strengthening the EUs hand in international political and strategic decisions. Additionally. European defense industries stand to gain billions of euros in Chinese contracts which. for EU leaders. seems too good to resist. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6994}
{"speech_id":1090007569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sadly. the EU seems to be giving in to Chinese blackmail. Because China views the continued.arms embargo as an international black eye and an embarrassing reminder of the Tiananmen crackdown. it has aggressively lobbied the Europeans to lift it. even saying that their. trade relationship will be jeopardized if the embargo remains in place. It is important to remember the reason for imposing the embargo: Chinas brutal reaction to the democratic movement in 1989 that resulted in the death of hundreds of Chinese and the imprisonment of thousands more. So. when we consider the future of the embargo it seems selfevident to evaluate the current state of human rights in China today: Though the governments methods may be more refined than we saw in June 1989. the situation remains bleak. Chinese citizens who attempt to exercise basic rights are dealt with harshly. People are jailed for writing essays. Priests are beaten and abused. Churches are closed. their leaders detained. Birth planning policies are cruelly implemented. The Chinese people are still unable to speak freely. to meet without interference. or to worship in peace. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6994}
{"speech_id":1090007569,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Although respect for basic human rights is one of the values that define the EuroAtlantic tradition. the EU seems ready to discard it at will. It is foolish for them to call on China to improve its human rights record and then talk of rewarding them by lifting the embargo. I cringe to think of the message that sends to the brave Chinese dissidents fighting for democracy. The EU claims that lifting the embargo will not change the status quo. Its argument is based on the EUs Code of Conduct that lays out minimal standards (including respect for human rights and preservation of regional peace) for EU nations to consider before approving arms sales. There would be no explosion of military sales to China if the embargo is lifted. EU readers say. But not only is the Code of Conduct ineffective. it is purely voluntary. And if its terms are violated. it is not legally enforceable. Even if the EU were to strengthen the code of conduct and improve its transparency. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6994}
{"speech_id":1090007569,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am confident that EU members would ignore its provisions if they deem it economically advantageous. Otherwise. I doubt their defense industries would be as enthusiastic about access to the Chinese marketplace. There are serious consequehces if the EU proceeds down this road. By giving China access to advanced military systems. including surveillance and communication equipment. the EU wojuld be directly responsible for modernizing the Chinese military. On a regional basis. the delicate strategic balance in the Taiwan straits will be altered. and as one Pentagon official states. China will be able to kill Americans more effectively. Chinas recent threatening moves against Japan will be seen as more dangerous. And whether the EU admits it or not. China will have a greater capability to suppress internal dissent. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6994}
{"speech_id":1090007569,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This may not matter to Europe. But they should carefully consider the impact this move would have on the transatlantic relationship that they claim to value. I can guarantee that if the EU lifts its arms embargo against China. the Congress will reassess the close defense and intelligence cooperation that the United States has with Europe and work to reverse the liberalization of technology transfers to our European partners. To do otherwise would be irresponsible. If we share advanced technology with the EU which then allows China even limited access to it. our forces in the Pacific are more vulnerable to Chinese misadventure. Last November. British Foreign Minister Jack Straw told me that the United Kingdom did not want to jeopardize its close defense relationship with the.U.S. over the arms embargo issue. Yet. apparently the British believe that this is an instance where it can play the role of a good European. rather than an American partner. I take heart that there are some EU members that still believe in the importance of taking a stand on human rights grounds. Unfortunately. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6994}
{"speech_id":1090007606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. my resolution. S. Res. 63. calls for an international investigation into Mondays assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri of Lebanon. The resolution also urges the President to take steps to pressure Syria to leave Lebanon.I am pleased that Senators LUGAR.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":275}
{"speech_id":1090007801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. along with my good friend Senator MCCAIN. to speak about a resolution that is of great. importance to the cause of democracy which we have devoted America to advance at home and around the world. In November 2003 Senator MCCAIN and I were moved by Russias failure to adhere to democratic principles to submit a resolution to hold Russia accountable for the commitments Moscow made when first invited to participate in what became known as the G8. Since then. the situation in Russia has deteriorated. I am particularly pleased that Senators BAYH. BURNS. CHAMBLISS. SMITH. and DURBIN have joined as original cosponsors of this resolution indicating the increasing Senatorial concern over the accelerating erosion of democratic and economic freedom in Russia. As President Bush returns from his meeting with President Putin at the summit in Bratislava. we call once again on the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to work with our partners in the G7 to condition Russias continued participation in the G8 on Russias compliance with basic standards of democracy and rule of law. - We have a real stake in Russias adherence to democratic norms because our commitment to Russias transition toward democracy is critical to secure a peaceful future with Russia. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5037}
{"speech_id":1090007801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The G7 nations are highly industrialized countries bound together by fundamental principles of democracy. rule of law. a free market system. and respect for human rights. The actions of President Putin over the past few years have raised serious concerns about Russias commitment to these principles. There is a long list of welldocumented antidemocratic developments in Russia. The Putin administration has limited freedom of expression in Russia by seizing independent media organizations and suppressing the activities of independent journalists. religious organizations. and nongovernmental organizations that are all integral components of a healthy civil society. The Russian governments dismantling of Yukos and the arrest of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky 16 months ago raised serious doubts about Russias commitment to free market principles and rule _of law as well as respect for property and shareholder rights. The Federal Security Services. FSB. play a strong role in Russias power structures in a manner reminiscent of the KGB in the old regime. President Putins support for the first fraudulent results in the Ukrainian presidential elections last year exhibited disregard for basic democratic principles. Fortunately. a democratic outcome prevailed in a new vote and Yushchenkos victorya very positive development for Ukraines and Russias democrats. We were all moved by the horrific attack on the schoolchildren and families of Beslan school last September. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5037}
{"speech_id":1090007801,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There can be no justification for such brutal acts and we condemn them with every fiber of our soul. Our hearts and sympathy go out to the families of these \u0095 victims as they continue to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The United States condemns terrorism in all forms. But the tragedy of the Beslan school should not be used by President Putin to retreat from democratic reforms. In the wake of the Beslan crisis. President Putin abolished the popular election of regional .governors in favor of presidential appointees. These changes to the Russian political system enhance the power of the executive branch. while reducing the checks and balances that make democracies work. As former Secretary of State Colin Powell said. \"We understand the need to fight against terrorism . . . but in an attempt to go after terrorists I think one has to strike a proper balance to make sure that you dont move in a direction that takes you away from the democratic reforms or the democratic process.\" Allowing Russia to continue its involvement in the G8 and to host the 2006 G8 Summit while continuing to undermine democracy makes mockery of the very principles that bind the G8 countries together. This resolution is not antiRussian. it is a strong show of support for Russias democrats who have long urged the United States to not turn a blind eye to undemocratic developments in Russia. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5037}
{"speech_id":1090007801,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sharing a deeply personal moment from his time in Soviet Gulag. Natan Sharansky recently told a group of Senators how deeply supported he felt when President Reagan gave his famous \"evil empire\" speech that honestly addressed the oppression of the Soviet system. Since then Russia has come a long way. but we must speak openly in the face of the backsliding we are seeing. As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently said. \"The real deepening of our relations can only take place on the basis of common values.\" To do otherwise would be to shirk our responsibilities as a leader of the democratic world. And as President Bush said so eloquently in his inaugural and State of the Union addresses. Americas security is advanced by the advancement of freedom. This resolution puts those sentiments into concrete action and I urge my fellow Senators to support it.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5037}
{"speech_id":1090007805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation to extend an important tax benefit to the men and women of the United States Intelligence Community. I am pleased that in keeping with the bipartisan traditions of the Intelligence Committee. every member. Republican and Democrat. is listed as an original cosponsor. Two years ago. on Veterans Day. President Bush signed into law an important modification to our tax code to ensure that it does not punish those who serve our country in the military and in the U.S. foreign service. Unfortunately. that legislation did not extend to intelligence officers. who serve alongside their military and diplomatic colleagues all around the world and who often face the same tax issues encountered by those individuals. The legislation I am introducing today makes a common sense modification to the capital gains tax exclusion rules to ensure that when selling their homes. intelligence officers do not pay more tax than they would if they did not serve their country. The men and women of the Intelligence Community. serve with the military in Iraq. Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090007805,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Korea. and numerous other locations where we have U.S. forces deployed. They also serve in U.S. Embassies around the world. Often times- they carry an added burden because they must serve undercover. Their families and friends dont know what they do. They live .their cover story by day and perform their critical intelligence work by night. They work for all fifteen of the agencies included in the intelligence community and they do a remarkable job. These people are dedicated to their mission and to this country. These patriotic individuals sacrifice a great deal on behalf of the rest of us. They uproot and relocate their families every few years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090007805,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They often live in places most of us wouldnt even visit. And they rarely have the quality of life with access to modern luxuries that the rest of us take for granted. To then say that they are going to be penalized by our tax code is unacceptable. Since 1997. our tax code has allowed Americans to sell their homes without paying taxes on up to $250.000 of capital gains. Married couples can exclude $500.000 in capital gains from taxation. This provision is specifically intended only for principle residences. and therefore. sellers are required to have lived in the homes for at least 2 of the 5 years prior to sale. In 2003. Congress recognized that this residency requirement was often difficult for members of the armed forces and foreign service to satisfy. If they had been stationed away from home while serving their country. they were essentially punished with higher taxes on the sales of their homes. Congress addressed this injustice by allowing service personnel and foreign service officers who were stationed away from home to suspend the residency requirement for as many as ten years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090007805,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This change allows. for example. a soldier who spent the last 7 years stationed in Germany to exclude from taxes the capital gains on the sale of his former home in the U.S.. as long as he had lived in it for at least 2 of the 5 years prior to his service overseas. The change is effective on all sales after 1997. when the capital gains tax exclusion for home sales was provided to all Americans. Fairness demands that Congress apply the same rules to intelligence officers Serving their country away from home. My legislation simply inserts intelligence officers into the list of those allowed to suspend the 5 year residency test period for up to 10 years while they are stationed away from home. I intend to work with my colleagues on the Intelligence Committee and the Finance Committee to ensure that this provision is enacted this year. By Mr. DODD (for himself. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090007805,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"JOHNSON. and Mr. WYDEN):","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090007906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me thank the Senator from Alabama. not only for his willingness to engage on the merits of this amendment. but for his willingness to engage on a number of difficult subjects. whether it be the homestead exemption or landlordtenant issues. When the Senate takes up legislation. we typically start with a good discussion in committee. make some progress toward agreement. and then come to the floor. And when we go to the conference committee between the Houses. we also sometimes manage to come up with an agreement. It is regrettable. through no fault of the Senator from Alabama. that in this case we are starting this process on the floor. I think had these amendments been taken seriously in committee. we could have found some common ground and not had to take up the time of the whole body. but this is where we are. I do believe this amendment is a reasonable extension of something in which the Senator from Alabama is already involved. His principal concern about this amendment is apparently that we would be overriding State law in the area of homestead exemptions. But the Senator. as he has indicated. has been a party to an agreement that would do exactly that when it comes to the high end of homestead exemptions. It is not as if I picked a new area where I am suggesting that State laws are inadequate. What I am arguing is that if we are going to be dealing with some of these outrageous abuses of the bankruptcy system perpetrated by the very wealthy. lets also take the opportunity to make sure that the average senior citizen in this country. who desperately wants to protect their home and has to go into bankruptcy. has some minimum protection. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090007906,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To me. this is not an extreme proposal. We only pass these bankruptcy billsonce in a great while. As I understand it. the last one was passed in 1978. There clearly is a trend across the country in places like Maine and California. where legislators are recognizing that there is a special. severe problem for many of our seniors. I agree with the Senator from Alabama. it would be terrific if we could extend this protection to everybody. Perhaps that is something we should consider. But there is a particular problem when it comes to seniors. who have no way of making money anymore. and who are beset with unexpected medical bills. whether it be prescription medicine or some other bills. They are stuck. They dont have any other way to save their home. This problem just cries out for a minimum Federal standard of the kind this amendment proposes. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090007906,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope my colleagues consider this amendment. It is offered in good faith. It is not something that should in any way upend the overall bill because we have already engaged in a discussion about the changes that need to bemade at the high end of the homestead exemption. and the bill already includes such a provision. So I ask my colleagues to give an independent and fresh look at this. given how important it is to senior constituents in every State of the Union. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090007925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I see the Senator from Illinois is here. At this point I ask unanimous consent that immediately -following this consent it be in order that I offer a firstdegree amendment relating to the matter in the Durbin amendment. provided further that there be 60 minutes for debate equally divided on both amendments concurrently. provided further that at the expiration of that debate the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Sessions amendment. to be followed by a vote in relation to the Durbin amendment. with no seconddegree amendment in order to either afnendment prior to the votes.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":602}
{"speech_id":1090007936,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just want to ask the Senator a question. Is it not true that you have amended page 12. section (B)(I) of S. 256. which reads in part: \"In any proceeding brought under this subsection. the presumption of abuse may only be rebutted by deinonstrating special circumstances\" such as being called to active duty in the Armed Forces? So when I say you are presuming .that they are abusing bankruptcy. these are the exact words of your amendment.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":441}
{"speech_id":1090007939,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I stand to voice my support for the amendment offered by my friend and colleague. Senator DURBIN. which will protect our military servicemembers from attempts to penalize them by making it tougher for them to file for bankruptcy. even when the reason they lost all their income is because they answered the call of .duty to serve America. I am proud to join my colleague as a cosponsor of this amendment. We cannot have a thorough debate on bankruptcy reform without considering the economic hardships faced by servicemembers and their families. Calls to serve their country in Iraq. Afghanistan. or elsewhere can cause loss of family income. the closing of a family business. or unexpected expenses. Unfortunately. it is not uncommon for servicemembers and their families to be forced into filing for bankruptcy relief. We need to protect those who are fighting for us. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090007939,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I support Senator DURBINs efforts to protect our soldiers. particularly young recruits and junior officers. from sales of inappropriate insurance and investment products on military bases. It is crucial that servicemen and women who sacrifice for their country not be exploited or taken advantage of through dishonest business practices. It is our duty to ensure that Americas military personnel are offered firstrate financial products so they can provide for their families and invest in their futures. I commend Senator DURBIN for his leadership on this issue. and I urge my colleagues to accept his amendment so we can remedy the financial hardships faced by servicemembers who serve our nation and their families.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090008001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are having a difficult time enough now in meeting our goals for the Reserve and the Guard. Unless we pass the Durbin amendment. we are going to have a much more difficult time. If you support the Guard and the Reserve and support our troops. you will support the Durbin amendment.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":298}
{"speech_id":1090008039,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce legislation to expand the scope of the Equal Access Act. which Congress enacted in 1984 to guarantee equal access for religious and other organizations to the facilities of public secondary schools that receive Federal funding. Tomorrow morning. the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral argument in two cases involving the right of State and local governments to erect a public display of the Ten Commandments. One of those cases. Van Orden v. Perry. involves the public display at the State capitol grounds of my home State. the great State of Texas. The other case. McCreary County v. ACLU. arises out of the State of Kentucky. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9446}
{"speech_id":1090008039,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These two cases are reminiscent of the Supreme Courts consideration last year of the Pledge of Allegiancewhich contains the words \"under god\"--in the matter of Elk Grove Unified School District v.. Newdow. The Court rejected the challenge to the Pledge of Allegiance in that case. but strictly on procedural grounds. So the Pledge of Allegiance. like the Ten Commandments. remains under attack and under danger of forced removal from our public square by judicial fiat. We examined these issues at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Civil Rights. and Property Rights I chaired on June 8. 2004. The hearing was entitled \"Beyond the Pledge of Allegiance: Hostility to Religious Expression in the Public Square.\" That hearing was important. because it reminded us of an even broader. more systemic problem caused by the Supreme Courts previous rulings. than just these disturbing attacks on the Pledge of Allegiance and the Ten Commandmentsan unjustifiable hostility to religious expression in public squares across America. Just as there is bipartisan agreement on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance. so should there be bipar\u0095tisan agreement that government should never be hostile to expressions of faith. As president Rgnald Reagan stated in 1983: \"When our founding Fathers passed the First Amendment. they sought to protect churches. from governmeit interference. They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself.\" And as President Clinton noted in 1995: \"Americans feel that instead of celebrating their.love for God in public. theyre being forced to hide their faith behind closed doors. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9446}
{"speech_id":1090008039,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thats wrong. Americans should never have to hide their faith. but some Americans have been denied the right to express their religion and that has to stop. That has happened and it has to stop.\" At the hearing. we heard from citizen witnesses and legal experts alike. who recounted example after example after example of government discrimination against . religious expression generallyincluding both discrimination against religious versus nonreligious expression in government speech. as well as discrimination against purely private expressions of faith. Just. consider this sample of incidents throughout the Nationincidents of hostility to religious expression in the public square: A 12yearold elementary school student was reprimanded by a public school in St. Louis. MO for quietly saying a prayer before lunch in the school cafeteria. according to a federal lawsuit. The case was settled after the St. Louis School Board announced a new policy protecting the religious expression rights of students. St. Louis Postdispatch. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9446}
{"speech_id":1090008039,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"July 11. 1996. A second grade school girl in Wisconsin was forbidden from distributing valentines during a Valentines Day Exchange because her valentines happened to contain religious themes. After a Federal lawsuit was filed. the school district settled the suit by publishing an apology to the student in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal and issuing a new policy protecting the religious freedoms of its students. Capital Times. Madison. August 29. 2001. A kindergartener in Dayton. OH was forbidden by her public school teacher from distributing bags of jellybeans with an attached prayer to her classmates. according to a Federal lawsuit. Associated Press. February 8. 2004. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9446}
{"speech_id":1090008039,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Public high school students in Massachusetts started a Bible club and tried to hand out candy canes with a Biblical passage attached. The school suspended the students for distributing the candy canes. A federal diftrict court issued a temporary injunction against the school. Westfield High Sch. L.I.F.E. Club v. City of Westfield. 249 F. Supp. 2d 98 D. Mass. 2003. A public school sixth grader in Boulder. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9446}
{"speech_id":1090008047,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 1. 2005. at 9:30 a.m.. in open session to receive testimony from combatant commanders on their military strategy and operational requirements. in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2005.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":351}
{"speech_id":1090008072,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So tomorrow. Mr. President. the Senate will resume consideration of the bankruptcy bill. We made good progress on the bill today. disposing of two important amendments. There are three amendments currently pending to the bill. Under the previous order. we will have stacked rollcall votes early tomorrow morning in order to dispose of two of those amendments. Those votes are expected to begin shortly after 10:30 in the morning. We expect to be able to continue with additional amendments and votes throughout Wednesdays session of the Senate.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":544}
{"speech_id":1090008076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to thank the country of Mongolia for its contributions in fighting the war on terror. After 9\/11 the government of Mongolia expressed its strong support for the United States and offered training opportunities for coalition forces and valuable overflight clearances. Mongolia has supported coalition operations by contributing troops to both Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In fact. Mongolia has deployed four rotations in each country. And even though prior to 2000 Mongolia had not had a national policy of deploying forces beyond its borders. it became the first coalition country to contribute an infantry battalion in Iraq. The Mongolian military is participating in peacekeeping. providing security to a logistic base in southern central Iraq. escorting convoys. constructing -military barracks. medical facilities and local schools. The Mongolian soldiers have proven their bravery and skill over and over. even preventing a suicide attack that could have killed hundreds. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090008076,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For a small country of two and a half million people. these contributions are indeed significant and greatly appreciated. and we thank this important ally.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090008131,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I have always been told that music is a universal language. and so I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 45 to recognize the benefits and importance of schoolbased music education. Unfortunately. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2612}
{"speech_id":1090008131,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the reality our schools face today is one of budget cuts yet while trying to maintain. a wellrounded curriculum for our children. Afterschool programs. art classes. intramural sports. late bus routes and even music classes are being eliminated. We know music education helps young minds to develop creatively and express emotions. We know that studies show that early music training can enhance a childs ability to reason and think critically and that children exposed to music at a young age learn better in other subjects. We also know that children trained in music score significantly higher on reading tests than those who Were not. We know that secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances such as alcohol. tobacco and other illicit drugs. The College Board identifies the arts as one of the six basic academic subject areas students should study in order to succeed in college. and the Department of Education agrees by listing the arts as subjects that collegebound middle and junior high school students should take. stating that many colleges view participation in the arts and music as a valuable experience that broadens students understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Although the Department of Education sees music education as a prerequisite to college and countless studies have shown the vast impact of music education. it is still missing for too many schools. particularly public schools in inner city neighborhoods having virtually no access to music education. Local budget cuts are depriving approximately 30 million students of an education that includes music. It is not only at the local level that is forcing schools to abandon music education. but the lack of Federal funding as well. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2612}
{"speech_id":1090008131,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without music education. so many of our great musicians that we admire today would be doing something else. Not only musicians. but it has been noted that even the very best entrepreneurs and technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry are nearly. without exception. practicing musicians. The school music program was there for them. and we need to have it there for the next generation of musicians. thinkers and entrepreneurs. So. Mr. Speaker. I gladly rise in support of this resolution and urge its passage.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2612}
{"speech_id":1090008139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 45 as offered by my colleague. Mr. COOPER. to acknowledge the importance of music education in our schools. I thank Mr. COOPER for bringing this resolution to the floor today and for bringing this issue to the Congress attention. Every student in the United States should have the best education possible. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1758}
{"speech_id":1090008139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Such an education should be founded on a broadbased curriculum that incorporates instruction in a range of subjects. This includes not only math. science. history and English. but also physical education. music and the arts. An extensive knowledge base gives our children the skills they need to succeed in and enhances their lives. Music education has innumerable benefits to students. ranging from higher levels of academic performance to improved social and motor skills. Schoolbased music instruction is fundamental in our continuing efforts to improve the education of Americas children. Music adds a vital dimension to the scholastic experience. In the pursuit of quality education in America. teachers aim to boost scores in math and reading tests. Recent studies show that music lessons for young children result in a significant increase in their 10 levels and can help children develop analytical and problem solving skills. Music can open up doors for a child. It can be a medium for expression. a method for learning and it can open a young students eyes to career possibilities. faraway cultures or simply allow them to reach the- farthest depths of their imagination. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1758}
{"speech_id":1090008139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in recognition of the importance of school music programs and in support of this resolution. Music education must continue to be a part of American education.","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1758}
{"speech_id":1090008184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the problematic FDA approval process. In recent weeks. we have learned that the Federal Drug Administration has established an independent board to review postmarket drug safety issues. We have also learned that the FDA committee issued a recommendation to return Vioxx to the market and keep Bextra and Celebrex on the market. On the surface. it Would seem the FDA has taken measures to address drug safety issues. However. we know all too well the devil is always in the details. and by looking at these details. it is clear that it is just business as usual at the FDA.. Take the committee that issued the recent recommendations on the COX2 inhibitors. Ten of the 32 drug advisers had ties to the pharmaceutical industry and. in fact. had received consulting fees in the past from the drug manufacturers. I wonder how they voted? Nine to one to keep the drugs on the market. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090008184,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without the votes of these industry consultants. the committee would have recommended withdrawal of Bextra from the market and keep Vioxx off the market. We will never know if their votes are the result of an actual conflict of interest. Yet to stay above the ethical fray. there should not even be an appearance of conflict of interest at the FDA. Their job is too important. With nearly a third of the panel receiving consulting fees from the industry. the appearance of conflict of interest is undeniable. Unfortunately. the newlyestablished Drug Safety Oversight Board will suffer from similar problems. Despite the claims that the board will be independent. all but two members of the board will be FDA employees. What is more. the board will include FDA employees from the Office of New Drugs. the entity that approved the drugs in the first place. What incentive would board members truly have to conclude the decisions made by the FDA were mistakes in judgment and should be reversed? Even less likely is the chance that the board members from the Office of New Drugs would vote to reverse their own decisions or those of their closest colleagues when it comes to drug safety. Mr. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090008184,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the makeup of this board is more incestuous than independent. and. unfortunately. this problem pervades the entire FDA approval process. not just approval of pharmaceuticals. We have experienced it in our own efforts to keep silicone breast implants off the market. When the implant manufacturers came before the FDA. 40 percent of the advisory panel was made up of plastic surgeons. Needless to say. each of the plastic surgeons voted to approve silicone breast implants. There is a conflict of interest if I ever saw one. since plastic surgeons are virtually guaranteed more business if the FDA approves again the use of silicone breast implants. Despite the panels recommendation to approve the device. the FDA. thank. goodness. recognized the need for additional clinical trials. and rejected that H816 Co application. Now. with. another advisory panel in the works. we face another uphill battle to ensure that decisions are based on science alone. rather than tainted by conflicts of interest. Like device approval. the FDA approval process for pharmaceuticals no longer reflects publics use of these products. Whereas the FDA approval process is based on clinical trials with small samples and short durations. the drug industry is now geared to treating. chronic conditions. such as high cholesterol and arthritis. that affect millions of Americans for decades at a time. In a rush to get these drugs to market. the FDA relies on preliminary studies with little insight into longterm risk.. telling manufacturers they will get conditional approval as long as they conduct postmarket studies. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090008184,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The problem is. the FDA has no enforcement authority to mandate these studies. With the drugs on the market and the profits rolling in. the manufacturers have nothing to gain from conducting the postmarket studies. The statistics paint a crystal clear picture. As of September 2003. drug manufacturers agreed to perform 1.338 postmarket studies. The FDA has reported. however. that twothirds of them have not even begun that agreement from September of 2003. All the while. manufacturers can either market these products to physicians or directly to the -public. .who equate the FDA stamp of approval with safety. Mr. Speaker. we need to give the FDA the tools to hold drug manufacturers to their agreement to do the postmarket studies. If they are fined for noncompliance or barred from direct advertising until the studies are completed. maybe the manufacturers would have an incentive to get moving on these studies. The FDAs regulatory authority. needs some teeth. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090008184,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Creating this Drug Safety Oversight Board takes us in the opposite direction by simply rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship. If this is how the FDA intends to get back* to business. then business as usual is simply not good enough.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090008230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to ask a question. maybe my colleague does not know the answer to this. but when the Office of the Inspector General finds this kind of breach of the regulations and the rules. what happens? I mean is this. you were wrong to do this. does nothing happen?","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":281}
{"speech_id":1090008249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He said bankrupt.. To me bankrupt means there is nothing in the bank. It is belly up. zero. That is how I interpret bankruptcy. Nothing left. The problem is Social Security will never. ever. ever. go bankrupt because there will always be workers putting money into the system. Now it may not be. if we stay like we are now. it may not always be at the levels we want. Down the line. it may only pay 80 percent of the benefits. but there wil always be money in the Social Security system so it will never be bankrupt. So when the President says bankrupt. he is misleading the public because the gentleman from Florida and I will be paying in for the next 30 some years into the program. So even if you and I are just paying in. it is not bankrupt. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090008249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It may not have enough funds. but it is not bankrupt.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090008262,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But that is the reason why we are here. People are asking for the Democratic plan. I am asking where is the Presidents plan? Where is the majority plan? I do not want to go back to 1978 again. We are still talking about philosophy. but if I can just for a second. I have said this and I will say it again verbatim. for the last 3 weeks we have talked about Social Security. Democrats want to strengthen Social Security without slashing benefits that Americans have earned. Private accounts makes Social Securitys challenge worse. makes the challenge worse. the private accounts do. we will talk about that in a minute and we have been talking about that. as far as massive benefit cuts and it will increase the national debt. Already in the projection. $427 billion. Who is counting? I am.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":789}
{"speech_id":1090008269,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. let me just say the list is endless for those who are opposed to the Presidents philosophy and the majority sides philosophy on this. I mean. it is not just House Democrats. It is not just the Democrats of the other body. It is not just Democrats that are out there hopefully wanting to be President one day. I mean. we have a number of individuals. I just want to name a few while we are here to let them know that we are paying attention to what they are doing. Along with the 300 townhall meetings that House Democrats had. we had a number of other groups that were out there and still out there doing good things and sharing with the American people. I just want tostart off with an organization that is out there of retirees. the AARP. They are opposed to the Presidents plan. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090008269,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And to be a member of the AARP. one has to be kind of middleaged. I must add. I have been elected a long time. I am not going to call anyone old. But let me tell my colleagues this: one has to be at least middleaged.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090008271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one has to be at least middleaged. and one would have to have experienced life. So they are opposed to this plan. this philosophy of a plan. Nothing is concrete. but what they have heard thus far as it relates to privatization of Social Security they have a problem with. So does the A. Phillip Randolph Ingtitute. So does the African American Ministers Project. So does the Alliance for Retired Americans. So does the American Association of University Women. American Baptist Church-","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":498}
{"speech_id":1090008381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to take a moment. as I do on March 2 every year since I have been in the Senate. and before me Senator John Tower did the same thing. to commemorate Texas Independence Day. Today is. indeed. the 169th anniversary of the day when a solemn convention of 54 men in a small Texas settlement took a step which had a momentous impact. not only on Texas but on the future of the United States. These 54 men. including my greatgreatgrandfather Charles S. Taylor from the town of Nacogdoches. met on March 2. 1836. They were in WashingtonontheBrazos and. after laying out the grievances they had with the Government of Mexico. they declared: We therefore . . . do hereby resolve and declare . .. that the people of Texas do now constitute a free. sovereign and independent republic. They brought the Lone Star Republic into existence with those words. At the time. Texas was a remote territory of Mexico. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5535}
{"speech_id":1090008381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was hospitable only to the bravest and most determined of settlers. While few of the men signing the declaration could have predicted Texass future prosperity. they immediately embarked on drafting a constitution to establish foundations for this new republic. The signers of the Texas declaration. as their forefathers who signed the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. risked their lives and families when they put pen to paper. They were considered traitors to Mexico because they were in a Mexican territory. But they were going to fight for freedom and independence. My greatgreatgrandfather Charles S. Taylor didnt know it at the time. but all four of his children had died when he left home to go and sign the declaration of independence. His wife took the children in what is now called the \"runaway scrape.\" when the women. in the Nacogdoches territory took the children to flee from what they thought might be the oncoming Mexican army. In the \"runaway scrape.\" many children died. They were fleeing to Louisiana at the time. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5535}
{"speech_id":1090008381,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But my greatgreatgrandmother had the same spunk and determination as my greatgreatgrandfather. so she returned to Nacogdoches and they had nine more children. That was one of the examples that was set by people of that time who believed freedom was worth fighting and dying to achieve. They spent their last days in Texas. trying to build the Republic and eventually supporting the statehood of Texas coming into the United States of America. While the convention met ii WashingtonontheBrazos. 6.000 Mexican troops held the Alamo under siege. seeking to extinguish this newly created republic. Several days earlier. from the Alamo. Col. William Barrett Travis sent his immortal letter to the people of Texas and to all Americans. He knew the Mexican Army was approaching and he knew that he had. really only a few men. under 200 men to help defend the San Antonio fortress. Colonel Travis wrote: Fellow Citizens and Compatriots: I am besieged with a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual Bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5535}
{"speech_id":1090008381,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The enemy has. demanded surrender at discretion. otherwise. the garrison is to be put to the sword. if the fort is taken. I have answered the demand with a cannon shot. and our flag still waves proudly over the wall. I shall never surrender or retreat. Then I call on you in the name of Liberty. of patriotism. of everything dear to the American character. to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due his honor and that of his countryVictory or Death. No Texanno personcan fail to be stirred by Colonel Travis resolve in the face of such daunting odds. Colonel Travis dire prediction came true. 4.000 to 6.000 Mexican troops did lay siege to the Alamo. In the battle that followed. 184 brave men died in a heroic but vain attempt to fend off Santa Annas overwhelming army. This battle. as all Texans know. was crucial to Texas independence because those heroes at the Alamo held out for so long that Santa Annas forces were battered and diminished. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5535}
{"speech_id":1090008381,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gen. Sam Houston gained the time he needed to devise a strategy to defeat Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto a month or so later on April 21. 1836. That battle was won and the Lone Star was visible on the horizon at last. Each year on March 2. there is a ceremony at WashingtonontheBrazos State Park where there is a replica of the modest cabin where the 54 patriots pledged their lives. honor. and treasure for freedom. Every year I honor the tradition Senator John Tower started by reading this incredible letter from the Alamo. written by William Barrett Travis. that showed so much about the kind of _men who were willing to stand up and fight for freedom. men we have seen throughout the history of our country. starting in 1776 and going on. Even today. as we know. our young men are in Iraq and Afghafiistan. fighting the war on terrorism. . I think it is important for us to remember our history. I am proud to be able to do it. We were a republic for 10 years before we entered the United States as a State. We are the only State to enter the United States as a republic. and we are very proud that we are now a great State. a part of the United States of America. with a vivid history and past. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5535}
{"speech_id":1090008388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate this opportunity to speak further on my amendment which I offered yesterday. I urge my colleagues to support my senior homeowner protection amendment. amendment No. 17. As I explained yesterday. my amendment would protect senior homeowners. who need to file for bankruptcy relief. It would help to ensure that these older Americans do not have to lose their hardearned homes in order to seek the protection of the bankruptcy system. The homestead exemption in the bankruptcy laws is supposed to protect homeowners from having to give up their homes in order to seek bankruptcy relief. But -in too many States. the homestead exemption is woefully inadequate. The value of this exemption varies widely from State to State. Federal law currently creates an alternative homestead exemption of just under $20.000. but each State gets to decide whether it will allow its debtors to rely on this already low Federal alternative. and most do not. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090008388,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In many States. the amount of equity a homeowner can protect in bankruptcy has lagged far behind the dramatic rise in home values in recent years. For example. in the State of Ohio the homestead exemption is only $5.000. and in the State of North Carolina the homestead exemption is -a mere $10.000. Even for States that have no State exemption but allow debtors to use the $20.000 Federal exemption. like New Jersey. the number is just too low in this age of rising housing costs. My amendment would create a uniform Federal floor for homestead exemptions of $75.000. applicable only to bankruptcy debtors over the age of 62. States could no longer impose lower exemptions on their seniors. If a States exemption is higher than $75.000. however. that exemption would still apply. My amendment creates a floor.-not a ceiling. Older Americans desperately need this protection. Americans over the age of 65 are the fastestgrowing age group filing for bankruptcy protection. Job loss. medical expenses and other crises are wreaking havoc on the finances of our seniors. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090008388,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the 1990s. the number of Americans 65 and older filing for bankruptcy tripled. They need our help. Older Americans also are far more likely to have paid off their mortgages over decades of hard work. making the homestead exemption particularly important for them. In fact. more than 70 percent of homeowners age 65 and older own their homes free and clear. For these seniors. their home equity often represents nearly their entire life savings. and their home is often their only significant asset. That means seniors are hit hardest by the very low homestead exemptions in some states. It has become apparent that when there is no substantive argument against a worthy amendment. we will hear arguments cautioning against the unraveling of delicate compromises and agreements. It has become a convenient and frequent refrain on the floor of the Senate. that amendments cannot be tolerated. That is very troubling. particularly because in the Judiciary Committee we were implored to hold our amendments for the floor and promised that supporters of the bill would work with us to try to resolve our concerns. There is a bait and switch going on here. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090008388,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bills that come before this body are not sacrosanct. If there is a substantive argument to be made against my amendment. I am eager to hear it and dbbate it. But it is just not right to say that an amendment will be defeated because the bill must remain \"clean\" to pass. It is especially wrong to make that argument when it is just not true. Some amendments might be termed poison pills. but that term does not apply to this amendment. To be frank. my amendment simply has no bearing whatsoever on the other provision of the bill that addresses the homestead exemptionthat is. the provision whose delicate balance we have been so strongly cautioned not to disrupt. Section 322 of the bill addresses abuses resulting from the fact that some States have unlimited homestead exemptions. An agreement on that provisionoften called the Kohl amendment after my senior colleague from Wisconsin. who led the fight against these abuseswas reached in the 2002 conference. Senators from the States that had unlimited homestead exemptions. such as Florida and Texas. objected strenuously to a Federal ceiling preempting their States unlimited exemptions. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090008388,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They agreed to the provision only when it was modified to its current version. in which the Federal cap applies only to people engaging in fraud and people who purchase property shortly before filing for bankruptcy. My amendment has no bearing whatsoever on that compromise deal. The Senators who initially objected to Senator Kohls attempt to limit wealthy debtors abuse of the homestead.exemption are from States where the homestead exemption is already unlimited. In those States. my uniform Federal floor would have absolutely no effect. The unlimited exemption would still apply. On the other side of the .negotiations were people like Senator Kohl who were attempting to prevent wealthy debtors from abusing the homestead exemption by buying multimillion dollar mansions in States with unlimited homestead exemptions. I have not heard them object to giving seniors a uniform homestead exemption that is less than the Federal ceiling provided in Section 322. Once again. my amendment has absolutely no effect on the deal that was cut. I would also point out that supporters of the bill are perfectly willing to override State decisions with regard to homestead exemptions in certain circumstances. This bill already requires that a Federal maximum exemption apply to prevent abuse by wealthy debtors seeking to hile their assets in a mansion and get rid of their debts through bankruptcy. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090008423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Senator will yield further for a question. as I understand. what the Sanator is saying is that in some States you could have a person who was a compulsive gambler who went deeply into debt to the point that they faced bankruptcy. but if they are smart enough to take the remaining- assets they owned and put them into a home to the tune of $1 millionif they pick the right State. such as Floridathat compulsive gambler. irresponsible person who goes to bankruptcy court will be protected by the law of Florida. be able to keep their multimillion dollar home. Yet in a State such as Massachusetts or Illinois. if someone faces devastating cancer diagnoses. treatments that costs more than they can ever pay back. they could go to bankruptcy court and loose their homes. but the gambler keeps his multimillion dollar home. In other States. the person who has a medical diagnosis they never expected ends up losing their home under the current law we are consideripg.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":971}
{"speech_id":1090008439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Particularly if they are out of work. What we are talking about here is. if they run into illness and sickness under the existing bankruptcy laws. they have a chance to be able to measure their assets and their creditors.to be able to at least go on to another day. They may pay a fearsome price in terms of their own lives. but under the circumstances of the bill as proposed. they would be treated even more harshly. As I listened to the Senator. he was talking about a rough sense of equity in terms of legislation that we ought to be considering here in the Senate.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":569}
{"speech_id":1090008476,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment is offered on behalf of the Senator from Arizona. Mr. KTL. and myself. Because Senator KYL has an urgent appointment. I will make a very brief statement and then turn it over to Senator KYL. and then I will wrap up. I ask unanimous consent to be able to do that.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090008488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My understanding is. I believe there was only one in the House. and the bulk of that was to defend the company called Halliburtonand there were no such hearings by the standing committees in the Senate. Essentially. there has been no interest in looking at this kind of abuse. The Senator from Illinois was at a DPC hearing we held. We had a guy there who used to purchase towels. He purchased hand towels for soldiers. He held up the towels. He showed us that they are nearly three times the price of the towels they purchased for U.S. soldiers. Why? Because the company wanted its logo on the towel. So they buy a towel with a company logo on it for the soldiers and nearly doublebill the American taxpayer. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090008488,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a small issue in itself. but it is an example of what is going on. pervasively.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090008552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask percent show it over $5.000. And of the unanimous consent that I be allowed to total debts shown on those forms. only introduce Members of the Parliament 5 percent represent health care debts. from Canada and that we proceed as in That is No. 1. morning business for those introduc- No. 2. this bill absolutely protects tions. people and allows them to bankrupt","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090008564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment deals with the economically distressed caregivers. There are 4 million of those in America. Mr. President. $257 billion is saved each year by family caregiving. If we value families. we ought to protect them under the harsh changes we are implementing here. I hope people will say we want to reward that. There are 125.000 bankruptcies a year from distressed caregiving. This is one where family values and all of the things that people claim they care about are represented. This ought to be carved out from the bankruptcy reform. I hope my colleagues will support this. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":615}
{"speech_id":1090008564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":615}
{"speech_id":1090008671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have no additional requests for time. but before yielding back. I want to join the gentleman from Massachusetts in paying tribute to the majority leader and to the gentleman from New Jersey for their invaluable work on this issue. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":339}
{"speech_id":1090008684,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 126 is a structured rule providing for 1 hour of general debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The rule makes in .order only those amendments printed in the Committee on Rules report. and for the time specified in the report. And finally. the rule provides for one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8494}
{"speech_id":1090008684,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am pleased to stand before the House today in strong support of this rule and support of the underlying resolution legislation. H.R. 27. the Job Training .Improvement Act of 2005. The gentleman from Ohio (Chairman BOEHNER) and the gentleman from California (Subcommittee Chairman MCKEON) and the committee members from both sides of the aisle are to be commended for their diligence and hard work in putting together. a comprehensive measure reauthorizing vital job training programs while. at the same time. providing for improvements of those programs aimed at providing greater flexibility. accountability. targeting Federal dollars where they will be most effective and where there. is the highest demonstrated need. Mr. Speaker. my favorite movie of all time has always been \"Inherit the Wind.\" I still think it is Spencer Tracy s greatest role. But in that he. playing the character of Henry Drummond. talks about the other main character. Matthew Harrison Brady. who was a well intentioned. yet flawed. character. And in talking about his death. Drummond says of Brady. a giant once lived in that body. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8494}
{"speech_id":1090008684,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But Matt Brady got lost because he was looking for God too high and up too far away. Federal Government is a lot like Matt Brady. We are well intentioned. the greatest of desire to serve. but we oftentimes get lost and allow too many people to fall through cracks and harm people because we try to solve problems from too high up and administer programs from too far away. From this isolated Hall. we often concoct specific standards that fail people who have the needs but do not fit our preconceived standards. Last Wednesday in my district at a town meeting. I met a young lady by the name of Micaela. who offered me also this fivepage letter of her efforts and her concerns. She is in need of vocational rehabilitation services. but does not quite fit our standards we have designed. In her letter she said in her years of trying to receive services that she was told she had too many disabilities. too few disabilities. You could not visually see her disability. She was too young. too old. and too rare of a circumstance. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8494}
{"speech_id":1090008684,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You name it. she had heard it. And she has also been basically told that I am not worth helping. hiring. or even listening to. Oftentimes the Federal Government. in fact. not oftentimes. The Federal Governments only advantage is that of uniformity. By definition we can deal with people only as objects on a factory conveyor belt designed to meet the Federal factory specifications. But if we truly believe that people are each individuals. that they have a spark of divinity. that individual needs are there that require individualized help. then we do not need uniformity. What we need is creativity. efficiency. and caring. and that can only be done effectively on the State levels. which is why this particular bill has gone from several years ago. 63 programs. has now taken three funding streams and tried to bring it into one so they could help individual people by trying to apply 70 percent of the funding that has been given to students: to those who have been unserved and out of school. to create a demonstration project for personal reemployment accounts to meet individual needs to be addressed by that individual. and to present .the Presidents community college program and tie them all together to give local governments the ability to work with individuals .so that .Micaela here does not slip through the crack by definition. Prior to coming to Congress. I had the opportunity. like many of you. of serving in the State legislature. and I was a teacher for a long time. In that position. or those positions. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8494}
{"speech_id":1090008684,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I witnessed firsthand the years of oftentimes Federal programs and mandates shoved on States. on .local school districts. on local units of governments with this onesizefitsall uniform approach. What was often. tdo often. left out were. quite frankly. the bona fide local .needs. A uniform Federal approach stifles innovation with the heavy hand of Federal regulations and professionalism. The philosophy behind H.R. 27. therefore. is to give Governors as the chief political officer of the States the flexibility over job training programs to promote economic development and jobs based upon local needs. and that way. the States become responsive to employment and to job markets. Recently. I attended a community college. a community technical college in my district. And I was amazed at the benefits I saw of partnerships with local private industry. government contractors. and local employers coming together. In their diesel program. to find the kinds of materials that were provided by the industry. they have to get handson experience for firstrate technicians. And in program after program in that particular college. I saw. through innovation and hard work. the community college has been able to leverage. the State and Federal dollars and to attract private contributions for equipment and training that met the need of training qualified workers in the hightech future. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8494}
{"speech_id":1090008690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding me this time. and I rise to oppose this rule to H.R. 27. the Workforce Investment Act. The gentleman from Ohio. the chairman of the committee on which I serve. is correct.-The Workforce Investment Act has been successful. The renewal that is proposed to us today. however. is a step backwards. and we will hear a great deal about that. There were amendments that were proposed that have not been made in order. These amendments Would have created a separate authorization for infrastructure funding for onestop centers. would have struck the provisions regarding personal reemployment accounts. There was an amendment that would have struck the provisions to consolidate the funding of adult. dislocated worker and employment service. and an amendment that I would like to address at this moment that I offered that would have increased the authorization by $750 million for job training programs under the Workforce Investment Act. Between fiscal year 2002 and fiscal year. 2006. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3129}
{"speech_id":1090008690,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. funding for the Workforce Investment Act has been reduced by threequarters of a billion dollars. This is for a program that works. But the funding has been reduced. My amendment would have restored this funding. However. the Committee on Rules did not see fit to accept the amendment. At a time when there are 7.7 million people unemployed. not counting those who have fallen off the rolls. 4.5 million working parttime because they cannot find a fulltime job that they need. we should be doing more. Through the onestop delivery system. job seekers have access to labor market information. job counseling. and job training to help them get back on their feet. Back in 1998 when this bill. this program. was first passed. David Broder wrote an article. He said: When Senator Paul Wellstone walked off the floor arm in arm with Senator MIKE DEWINE of Ohio. bipartisan I should point out. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3129}
{"speech_id":1090008690,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Paul Wellstone said. \"MIKE. this may not be the lead story on the network news. but its a good piece of work.\" Well. indeed it was not the lead story on the network news. David Broder reports. It was hard to find a trace of their bill. The news at that time was overwhelmed. overtaken by scandals. But as says Broder. In communities less consumed. by scandal than Washington. the impact of the measuie that DEWINE and Wellstone and others had fashioned may be felt in real lives long after the memories of the scandals have faded. In a dynamic economy where technological changes and market shifts are forcing layoffs of some people even as other jobs are being created. the key is to equip workers with fAeeded skills and then link them efficiently to the vacancies. That -is what this legislation is intended to do. It should be authorizea at a greater -amount. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3129}
{"speech_id":1090008690,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Said Broder back then. The workers will never know the names of the legislators. but they are in their debt. Unfortunately. the workers who do not get to take advantage of this program because it is underfunded will never know what they have missed. and we have let them down. We should oppose this rule. Mr. Speaker.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3129}
{"speech_id":1090008699,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. May I respond simply to the arguments about our veterans because they are so important to us. Let me reiterate that H.R. 27 does not harm workerretaining programs for veterans. Not one dollar from this account comes that is meant to help veterans with their training. The programs that we already have in place. specifically the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program. the Local Veterans Employment Representative Program. the Vocational Rehabilitation Program. already are required to contribute to the infrastructure of these onestop career center programs. Any money that would come to the onestop. center would be coming out of their administrative funds. not from the money going directly to the training of veterans. That is an area that was specifically covered in this bill. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":881}
{"speech_id":1090008702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the structured rule that has been reported out of the Committee on Rules for this debate. The partyline vote of 220204 that we saw in the 108th Congress on the debate of the then H.R. 1261 should evidence the need for the most open debate over the issues. The need for debate arises from disagreement. As representatives of the United States Congress. we all have a duty to fully debate the issues on behalf of our constituents. A restricted rule precludes that opportunity. Nevertheless. I am pleased that the amendments of my colleagues from Massachusetts. New York. and Virginia respectively have been ruled in order. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1688}
{"speech_id":1090008702,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Passage of these three important amendments will bring H.R. 27 one step closer to providing more jobs and better opportunities for American workers to receive training for these jobs. Without them and many other suggestions that have been made by our colleagues. this bill fails as to both initiatives. In the short term. extending unemployment benefits. coupled with the assistance that unemployed workers can receive through onestop service centers. will provide workers with the means to achieve high paying jobs. We must address the needs of our unemployed now and in a manner that respects the rights of individuals regardless of their faith. while they are struggling to pay their mortgages and to put food on the table for their families. The base bill will fail to address these concerns and squander resources better used to provide immediate help to our unemployed workers. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to reject a restrictive. rule or to support the amendments offered by Mr. TIERNEY. Ms. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1688}
{"speech_id":1090008702,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"VELAZQUEZ. and Mr. SCOTT.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1688}
{"speech_id":1090008726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of H.R. 27 and thank the gentleman from Ohio for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. the Job Training Improvement Act of 2005. which I introduced to strengthen and reauthorize the Nations job training system as well as adult education and vocational rehabilitation programs. Job training programs must be responsive to the needs of the workforce and improving them is critical. In todays knowledgebased economy. we need to equip Americans with the skills they need to -find a new or better job and quickly return to the workforce. One of the hallmarks of WIA is that in order to encourage the development of comprehensive systems that improve services to both employers and job seekers. local services are provided through a onestop delivery system. The onestop centers serve as the front line in helping job seekers return to the workforce. At the onestop centers. assistance ranges from core services such as job search and placement assistance. access to job listings and an initial assessment of skills and needs. to intensive services such as comprehensive assessmehts and case management and. if needed. occupational skills training. Over the last 3 years. I. have met with local workforce development leaders. businesses. the administration. researchers. and others to examine how we can improve our Federal job training system. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090008726,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 made dramatic reforms to the Nations workforce system. I learned that further refinements were necessary to ensure State and local officials have the flexibility they need to effectively target resources toward the unique needs of their communities. The Job Training Improvement Act builds upon WIA to make it more demanddriven and flexible while reducing unnecessary duplication and inefficiency. H.R. 27 will help strengthen and improve the Nations locally driven. businessled workforce investment system to help States and localities ensure workers get the training they need to find good jobs. For example. the bill streamlines the current WIA funding in order to provide more efficient and resultsoriented services and programs by combining the adult. dislocated. and employment service funding streams into one funding stream. This will eliminate duplication in service delivery and -administrative functions that remain in the system. improving services for individuals. The bill also ensures the financial contribution of the mandatory partners in the onestop centers while at the same time it increases the service integration among the partner programs. This will improve access to services through the onestop delivery system for special populations. such as individuals with disabilities. In order to ensure greater responsiveness to local area needs and strengthen the private sectors role. the bill simplifies the local and State governance processes. Onestop partner programs will no longer be required to have a seat on the local boards. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090008726,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This will provide for greater representation and influence by local business representatives. Currently. they are frequently frustrated that they are not able to connect with or access resources from the local boards. Mr. Chairman. I had a couple of my good friends. constituents in my district. that lost their jobs in the defense industry. They came up and thanked me for the help they received from WIA. They were able to get vouchers. One of them went on to become a .school teacher. ohe a worker in the computer industry. This bill works. The new bill that we are passing today will make it better. more efficient and help the people to really get the services they need so we can continue to have the job growth that we have been enjoying the last few months here in the country. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090008726,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I support this strongly.","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090008739,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for raising this issue. Data on young adults participating in adult education programs is important information for our committee as well as for the adult education programs and for school districts to keep in mind as we work to raise our high school completion rates. And it is my understanding that this is information that the Department already collects but has not been a focus in program reporting.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":459}
{"speech_id":1090008748,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I very much appreciate the gentleman yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. there are many problems with this bill. I choose to focus on the Scott amendment because it..involves a matter in what I think I can safely say is my personal confidence. I have heard title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act called out here repeatedly. It was my great privilege to enforce H876 Co title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. and I have an obligation to step forward to plead with my friends on the other side to make this a bipartisan bill. because its chances of becoming so at least on this matter should be great. In fact. it is such a good idea to have faithbased organizations involved in the programs of the Federal Government that we have been doing it for decades with billions of dollars to show for it. There may be some ways. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090008748,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will be the first to say. there are some ways in which this could be strengthened and expanded. But I do not know whose idea it was to allow religious organizations to discriminate. I do not think it could possibly have been the idea of the faithbased communities themselves. I do not believe that churches and synagogues and mosques are stepping forward to say. Even though we have an extraordinary ability to hire only our own folks. we want to make sure we use public dollars to hire only our coreligious partners. If the language is kept as it is. we will have the first nullification. the first repeal. of civil rights laws since they were initially passed 40 years ago. To our credit. we have steadily built those laws into legislation that came after it. and. yes. into the Workforce Investment Act. We are required to do that. Title VI requires us to do that. the 14th amendment requires us to do that. It required us to do so when the Workforce Investment Act was passed. and it requires us to do so now. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090008748,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Essentially what the bill states now is that you can hire only Lutherans or Muslims with your own money. and you can hire only Catholics and Jews with the peoples money. That is a huge departure from everything that is built into title VII. I was Chair of the agency and brought forward religious discrimination guidelines. We worked very hard to strengthen the law against religious discrimination and went the extra mile because of the free exercise clause. Thus. today religious organizations. a church or synagogue. for example. can do what no union or business can do. It cannot only use its money to hire its Feligious members in religious positions. it can use its own money to hire even their own members in secular positions. This is the maximum in religious freedom that is allowed under the Constitution. Now. if you want to take on public responsibilities. I cannot understand why anybody would say you would not want to spend that money in accordance with the public responsibility in each and every respect. That is how it has always been done. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090008748,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why the departure now? If you want public dollars. do so in accordance with public law. That law requires no discrimination on the basis of race. sex. or religion. It would be a horrible setback to now come forward and say that you can in fact discrimi-","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090008752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. once again my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are claiming they want to help workers in this Nation. But. as usual. their actions say otherwise. The newest WIA proposal does nothing. more than force workers to compete with each other for services that they have come to expect and services they deserve from the WIA system. WIA onestops provide important job training services to help those struggling to find work to get resources they need. If this bill passes. veterans and unemployed adults will be placed second to infrastructure costs: Instead of increasing funding in the bill to address infrastructure needs separately. -this bill forces Governors to choose between workers and updating facilities. all from the same pot of money. Limiting this pool of funding will deny workers quality services for reemployment and adult education programs. and that is just plain and simple true. This bill also sets up a voucher system that will actually decrease thb amount of services available to job seekers. Those receiving these new job vouchers will be able to pay for training courses or other jobsearching expenses. That sounds great. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2527}
{"speech_id":1090008752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the catch is that once a worker takes a voucher. they will lose access to Federal job training programs through WIA for an entire year. Money and services are both critical for many workers to get .back on track. particularly when they have become unemployed over and over again. and workers who should not have to make the choice between one or the other are continually faced with the dilemma. This bill also changes the way in which thegovernment will evaluate the success of WIA programs. Now workers will be judged on how they serve the company they work for rather than on the quality of services they received under WIA. Since when was WIA focused on big business needs rather than the workers needs? The worst part of this bill. however. is that it will write discrimination into the law. At religious institutions receiving WIA funds. those who share the same religious philosophies will have an advantage over those applying for employment that do not subscribe to the same views. Workers can now lose job opportunities through blatant religious discrimination at places our tax dollars are funding. This bill turns WIA into a competitive service provider. rather than an equal opportunity resource for our Nations unemployed workers. This is not the way we can help our Nations workforce. and I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 27 as it is written.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2527}
{"speech_id":1090008787,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. current law requires that services be provided to both inschool youth and outofschool youth. Nothing in the Act prevents States from spending all of youth funds on outofschool youths. In fact. as many as 17 States spend more than 30 percent on outofschool programs. The majority of States are challenged by current outofschool requirements. Eliminating services for inschool youth cuts funding for programs designed to keep youths in school. to develop workforce skills. to prepare for postsecondary education. and provide after school and summer opportunities. H.R. 27 limits the business communitys ability to work with schools and prepare emerging workforces. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1200}
{"speech_id":1090008787,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In many communities. you have that cooperation between the business community and the schools. H.R. 27 restricts services for rural youths. Many rural inschool programs provide workforce development and onschool support service for students who are at risk for dropping out. I think it is very. very important that we maintain the inschool youth program. and that is the purpose for me offering this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time. Ej 1700","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1200}
{"speech_id":1090008791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume just to correct the record.. The gentlewoman who just spoke says that we eliminated a preference for veterans in this bill. The fact is that there is a preference for veterans written into the law. That has not changed at all. . Secondly. the gentlewoman said there are block grants in the underlying bill. There are no block grants. As a matter of fact. the targeting of funds to the local workforce boards in this bill is more structured than it is today under current law. so that at least 75 percent of the funds available back to the States must go to the local workforce investment boards. Lastly. the gentlewoman said .that we have discrimination in this bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1378}
{"speech_id":1090008791,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would just remind the gentlewoman that when our predecessors wrote the 1964 Civil Rights Act. they recognized in title.VII that religious organizations ought to be protected in their hiring so that they would not be required to hire anybody that shows up. but could. if they wanted to. only hire those people within their faith. Now. if people want to disagree with title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. they certainly have that right. They may go to the Committee on the Judiciary and change that law. but let us not try to do it in this bill. Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia . a member of the committee).","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1378}
{"speech_id":1090008847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. next month my family and I will observe my wifes Jewish tradition and recite the ancient story. the Passover at our family seder. Later this month. I will honor my religious tradition and commemorate Christs crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. And today I will honor the principles behind the United States Constitution and vote for the gentleman from Virginias amendment.. The principle here is that when an organization takes Federal money. it takes with it the responsibilit3t not to discriminate. I do not think we should ever have a situation in this country where an organization takes taxpayers money collected from everyone and then says if they want to be a job counselor in our agency. they cannot be a Catholic. they cannot be Jewish. they cannot be Muslim. they cannot be an evangelical Christian. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090008847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our religious organizations are free and should remain free to discriminate with their own funds. That. is the religious liberty that our friends on the other side refer to correctly. But that liberty does not extend to the power to use someone elses money to subsidize the practice of ones religion. That is the establishment of a religion which is specifically precluded by the first amendment of the Constitution. It would be a travesty to reject the gentleman from Virginias amendment. It would be wholly consistent with the religious principles of this country to adopt it. I would urge its adoption. C3 1800","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090008848,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana . M. JINDAL. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the offered amendment. It seems to me in our country right now we have an allout assault on faithbased groups. Just this week.-a court in my home State of Louisiana ruled that school boards were prohibited from having voluntary school board memberled prayers to begin their meetings. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3671}
{"speech_id":1090008848,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. this very Chamber. the Supreme Court. and many government entities begin their proceedings with a prayer. and along that line I see nothing wrong with us inviting faithbased groups to be partners with the government in training tomorrows workforce. To me. this debate should be about one and only oine thing. and that is how do we provide the most effective training. for our future workers? Nobody here is arguing that we should have an unlevel playing field. Nobody here is arguing for favoritism for faithbased groups. Rather. we are simply saying. let us level the playing field. Let us invite those who are motivated by faith to help us to train displaced workers. to train tomorrows workforce. In my home State of Louisiana. faithbased groups have done a wonderful thing. They have provided health care to those who needed it. they have provided education. housing and shelter to those whose needed it the most. What is next? If you extend the logic of this amendment. what might be next might be those Catholic hospitls not being able to accept Medicare patients. What might be next might be the Baptist hospitals not being allowed to participate in our States Medicaid program. We are not asking for special treatment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3671}
{"speech_id":1090008848,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All we are saying is let us build on a bipartisan precedent. a precedent set in the Civil Rights Act. a precedent reaffirmed under President Clinton under four different bills. Let us build on that bipartisan precedent of opening the doors and allowing faithbased groups to participate as equal partners. People of faith pay taxes as well in this country. We are not arguing for special treatment. we are just arguing for a level playing field. Four different times this Congress saw fit to open those doors to faithbased groups. Four different times President Clinton signed into law four different measures designed to protect the interests and rights of faithbased groups. Today this bill that we are going to approve later on the floor today simply. takes another step forward. It simply says to the faithbased community. we will not discriminate against you. We will not require you to give up your employment rights guaranteed or granted to you by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. To quote Members from the other side. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3671}
{"speech_id":1090008848,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator KERRY and Senator CLINTON. those that have stood before for freedom and plurality. they themselves say. Senator CLINTON in her own words says.. There is no contradiction between support for faithbased initiatives and upholding our constitutional principles.\" Senator KERRY says. \"I know there are some that say that the first amendment means. faithbased organizations cant help government. Ive never accepted that. I think they are wrong.\" In this instance. I find myself in agreement with both Senator KERRY and Senator CLINTON. The first amendment is not designed to protect government. not designed to protect us from faith. it is rather designed to separate church and State. It is. rather. designed to protect faith from government. not the other way around. . So I think we need to stop closing the door to people of faith. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3671}
{"speech_id":1090008848,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to stop discriminating against those groups that are motivated by their religious beliefs to help the weakest in society. I rise in opposition to this amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3671}
{"speech_id":1090008907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"changed hi \"no\" to \"aye.\" So the bill waspassed. The result of the vote wa as above recorded. A motion to reconsider the table. Upton Walden (OR) Walsh Weldon (FL) .Weldon (PA) Weller Westmoreland Whitfield NOES200 Green. Al Green. Gene Grijalva Gutierrez Harman Hastings (FL) Hensarling Herseth Higgins Hinchey Hinojosa Holden Holt Honda Hooley Hostettler Hoyer Inslee Israel Jackson (IL) JacksonLee (TX) Jefferson Johnson. E. B. Jones (OH) Kanjorski Kaptur Kennedy (RI) Kildee Kilpatrick (MI) Kind Kucinich Langevin Lantos Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Lee Levin Lewis (GA) Lipinski Lofgren. Zoe Lowey Lynch Maloney Markey Matheson McCarthy McCollum (MN) McDermott McGovern McIntyre McKinney McNulty Meehan Meek (FL) Melancon Menendez Michaud Miller (NC) Miller. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090008907,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"George Mollohan Moore (KS) Moore (WI) Moran (VA) Murtha Nadler Neal (MA) Oberstar","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090008921,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 12 years ago I came to this house in January 1993 and during that year this Congress debated whether or not to pass the North American Free Trade Agreement. The promises made during NAFTA in 1993 from its supporters were it would create jobs in the U.S.. it would raise living standards in Mexico by raising wages. it would encourage and enable Mexicans to buy more American products. It would increase our balance of trade with Canada and Mexico. positively. Those were the promises made by NAFTA. We have heard those same promises when we passed the PNTR with China. We have heard those same promises on trade agreement after trade agreement. But look what has happened to our trade deficit in that period. Starting in 1992. the year -I first ran for Congress our trade deficit was $38 billion. You can see it passes $100 billion in the early 1990s. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090008921,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Almost $200 billion in the mid 1990s. President Bush took office. Goes up to 400 billion. 450 billion. 500 billion. This year our trade deficit was $617 billion. That means that we are buying $617 billion more in products than we are selling. So. what is the Presidents response? The Presidents response is the Central American Free Trade Agreement. More of the same. followed he hopes by something called free trade area of the Americas. CAFTA and FTAA will double the population of NAFTA. Mexico. the U.S. and Canada and quadruple the number of low income workers. 5l 2000. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different result. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090008921,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are hearing the same promises about CAFTA. that it will raise living standards and raise wages in Central America. that it will create jobs in the United States. that we will export more and more to Central America. that it will reduce our trade deficit. It is the same old song. It was the same song for NAFTA. It is the same song for NAFTAs dysfunctional cousin CAFTA. the Central American Free Trade Agreement. This President is going to come to Congress and again ask us to pass another free trade agreement that hemorrhages American jobs that costs us. especially manufacturing jobs. My State under President Bush has lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs. this country has lost around 2 million manufacturing jobs in the 4 years that George Bush has been President. yet he continues to do the same thing. tax cuts for the wealthiest people in our country. trade agreements that hemorrhage jobs overseas. Mr. Speaker. just look at the facts. Look at what has happened with our trade deficit. Again. it was $38 billion the year I ran for Congress in 1992. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090008921,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today it is almost 20 times higher. $617 billion trade deficit. We had a trade surplus with Mexico in 1992. Today we have a $40 billion trade deficit with Mexico. Again. -Mr. Speaker. the President looks at these numbers and he says. let us do more of the same. Clearly our trade policy is not working. Clearly the President is taking the country in the wrong direction on trade. Every trade agreement this Congress has passed from President Bush has been signed by the President and then passed within Congress by about 60 days. President Bush signed the Central American Free Trade -Agreement on May 28. He has yet to try to push it through Congress because he knows the American people oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement. and he knows the United States Congress opposes this Central American Free Trade Agreement. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090008921,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fully 90 percent of Democrats in the House of Representatives plan to vote against CAFTA because Democrats understand. and I hope enough of my Republican colleagues come along. understand that the Central American Free Trade Agreement is bad for our cominunity. It is bad for our families. It is bad for our workers. It simply does not work for our country. It betrays American values of hard work. of being rewarded for hard work. It hurts the poor in both countries. It hurts working people in both countries. It clearly does not promote the right set of moral values for our Nation. I ask my colleagues to oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement. It is clear these trade agreements are not working for our country.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090008931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of an extraordinary member of my community. Clara Jenkins. In the 1950s. Clara helped advance the Civil Rights movement in Georgia by breaking down color barriers at a local hospital. On August 20. 1951. Clara was hired as the first black nurse at Kennestone Hospital in Cobb County. Now. 1951 was not an easy time *to be a black nurse among allwhite colleagues. The Brown v. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090008931,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Board of Education ruling. that mandated separate but equal was inherently unequal. was still 3 years away. In 1951. Kennestone Hospital was segregated by floor and ward. Blabk patients and white patients received their care separately and in unequal surroundings.. But Clara did not let segregation deter her goal of providing care for the sick and the needy. Through her determination and talent. she proved to her colleagues that skill. not skin color. was what mattered most. Despite having earned a nursing degree right here in Washington. D.C.. Clara was not initially allowed to work with white patients. However. over time. doctors and nurses noticed her skill. especially her ability to insert IVs into patients with thin or hardtofind veins. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090008931,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Clara said her work on parents with darker skin made her adept at finding veins by touch. not sight. a skill the other nurses lacked. Increasingly. white doctors and nurses began asking for Claras help. After the 1954 Brown versus Board ruling desegregated Kennestone Hospital. Clara was assigned to several special hospital units. She was asked to head up Kennestones very first IV team. and later became the only black nurse on the hospitals first coronary team. These were amazing feats for a woman who only a few years earlier had not been allowed to even care for white patients. As a physician. I had the privilege.of working with Clara at Kennestone Hospital. And let me tell you. she is just as respected and beloved now as she was .then. In fact. she was one of my favorite nurses. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090008931,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And working with her on the floor. and later when she was a supervisor. always gave me confidence in her ability. her compassion. and her leadership. -I am inspired by Clara Jenkins ability. to prove herself in the face of segregation and discrimination. Clara had a sense of determinatiori and courage that should serve as an inspiration for us all. By asking others to judge her based on skill. not race. she helped break down color barriers for black professionals in Cobb County. Clara also opened dOors for other black nurses. She was once offered a position as head pediatric nurse at Kennestone. But when sheturned down the job. another black nurse was selected to head that unit. She brought a greater equality -to our hospital. Clara Jenkins is a skilled nurse and an important member of the Cobb cOmmunity. Mr: Speaker. I ask that you join me in honoring her legacy.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090008977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. no. I did not. But I think the gentleman from New York . our distinguished leader on the Committee on Ways and Means. said earlier that clearly the President has asked us to wait until he brings forward a plan. He has withdrawn the fact that this is a crisis. but points out there are problems. Everyone recognizes that there are .problems with Social Security and Social Security needs to be strengthened. But the President further goes on to now admit. as well as the gentleman from New York points out. when the actuaries and the financial people have a chance to look at the proposed plan. that it does nothing to solve the problems that the President has spelled out in Social Security. So one has to come away with thinking as to why would they possibly then want to privatize or introduce risk in the most successful governmental program in the history of this country.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":909}
{"speech_id":1090008987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for articulating that point. I am pleased now to turn to the gentlewoman from California . who also has spoken and held hearings in her district and is here this evening to contribute to this very important dialogue about the strengthening of Social Security and pointing out the direct impact that it has on women who rely so heavily on Social Security.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":391}
{"speech_id":1090009008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I think it is a terrific graph. The problem is clearly outlined with that big red area that says cash deficits. I just want to reinforce what the gentleman said about the trust fund. the trust fund not actually having any money in it. having IOUs. having bonds that have to be redeemed through the general fund. And the gentleman. I know. understands full well that it is highly unlikely without some major change that we could reach that 2042 date when the IOUs run out. The impact to all of America between 2018 and 2042. if we do not do something now. would just be catastrophic. To get back to the gentlemans opening comment about problem or crisis. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1858}
{"speech_id":1090009008,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Certainly it is a problem today. but clearly a crisis when you get into that big red area that says cash deficits. That is why it is so important we should have this debate today. that the American people understand that we are facing a problem which is going to turn into a crisis. We need to get this debate engaged and agree on a solution which will strengthen Social Security. I know there are many proposals out there. The gentleman has a bipartisan proposal. the President has put forth an outline of a proposal. Our colleague. the gentleman from Wisconsin . and Senator SUNUNU have a proposal. and others. and that debate. that discussion is the one we need to have. If there are others who think that sim.ply the solution is to raise taxes. which was suggested here tonight. then. fine. let us put that discussion into the debate as well. But let us recognize that that red area. that sea of cash deficits is something that is looming. Now. I am part of that leading edge. or maybe 1 year behind it. of those baby boomers. and it is a rapidly approaching demographic shift that we need to address. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1858}
{"speech_id":1090009008,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield back to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1858}
{"speech_id":1090009075,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia. a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba. Mr. Ferrer Garcia is a peaceful prodemocracy activist in Cuba. In January 2002. he was forced from a bus and beaten by the tyrants thugs. In March 2003. 2 years ago. he was arrested as part of the dictators crackdown on peaceful prodemocracy activists and in a sham trial sentenced to 25 years in the totalitarian gulag because of his support of democracy. Mr. Ferrer is a brilliant example. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1021}
{"speech_id":1090009075,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. of the heroism of the Cuban people. The totalitarian gulag is full of men and women of all backgrounds and ages who represent the best of the Cuban nation. Thousands languish in the gulag because. like Mr. Ferrer. they refuse to accept tyranny. Mr. Speaker. we must speak out against the grotesque disregard for human rights. dignity. and freedom just 90 miles from our shores. We must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Jose Daniel Ferrer and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1021}
{"speech_id":1090009080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor the service of the sailors and Marine Corps of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group who bravely and compassionately served the Nation and the world in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean in the wake of Decembers tragic tsunami. These women and men began their new year by delivering vital food. water. and medicine around the clock to the people of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. They showed the world the values that we represent and why this country is so great. From January 1 until February 4. carrier group aircraft flew over 1.700 missions in support of Operation Unified Assistance. carrying almost 6 million pounds of supplies. Over 1.200 crew mechanics from the group volunteered to go ashore and help. Tomorrow I will attend the USS Lincoln and USS Shoup homecoming to Everett Washington. The VAQ 131 Prowler Squadron out of NAS Whidbey. the Lancers. just returned. and they are all part of Operation Unified Assistance. Tomorrow. with their return. will be a great day for our country. a great day for our Navyand Marine Corps and for their families to celebrate.","speaker_name":"RICK LARSEN","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1124}
{"speech_id":1090009081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am honored to discuss how two service organizations in the Second District of South Carolina have joined together on the Nothing to Hide project to promote awareness about mental illness. This project is an educational photo exhibit about families whose lives have been affected by mental health disorders. By sponsoring the Nothing to Hide project. the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island. Sunset. and the Mental Health Association of Beaufort and Jasper are addressing the myths and stigmas surrounding mental illness and are helping connect. people who suffer from mental illness to the appropriate resources for .support. education. and treatment. Sunset Rotarians have volunteered to oversee the transition of the display during its 8week tour through Beaufort and Jasper Counties. I would especially like to recognize the good work and leadership of the dedicated volunteers. Ed Dowaschinski. Krista Delgado. and Sandy Leath. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1190}
{"speech_id":1090009081,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their strong efforts to raise awareness about this issue that affects so many of our friends and family members will help increase understanding throughout our community. In conclusion. God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1190}
{"speech_id":1090009212,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. The motion to recommit would fix the problem raised by the gentlewoman from California . at least for special elections under this bill. I urge the support of the motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090009255,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans yielding to me. It is our anticipation. or I have been notified by the respective committees. that we will be considering the supplemental from the President and the budget that both committees expect to hold markups on those two bills next week. which would prepare us and give us plenty of time to have both of those bills on the floor the week prior to the Easter recess.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":415}
{"speech_id":1090009273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about two young men. They both grew up in Houston. Texas. They both grew up without any family support. They both were basically raised by others. They were both named Michael. And they both chose careers in the criminal justice system. r Michael Lopez chose in the criminal justice system the. career of crime. He I started committing violent crimes at the age of 11. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090009273,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He spent a lot of time in - and out of the criminal justice system. He was a gang member. a drug abuser. I committed numerous robberies against other juveniles. a burglar. and a thug in his own community. t Michael Eakin also chose criminal justice as.a career. but he chose it as a police officer. Their paths crossed on a quiet peaceful night in Houston. Texas. after Officer Eakin stopped Lopez and his fellow gang members who were cruising Houston. Texas. looking for criminal opportunities. When Officer Eakin stopped the vehi* cle. Lopez jumped from the vehicle. * took off running and Officer Eakin* made the decision to chase Michael Lopez. After capturing . Lopez. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090009273,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lopez pulled out a pistol. pointed it at point blank range and shot Officer Eakin. 1 and then he fled in the darkness of the night. Lopez was 17 and on probation for criminal offenses. Eakin was 24 and a rookie police officer. Lopez was charged with capital murder of a police * officer. In Texas. a 17yearold is an adult by State law forcriminal. law purposes and not a juvenile. It is a longestablished rule of law that the States determine the age of accountability for criminal law purposes. Not the Federal Government. not the Federal courts. I was the judge in the Lopez case. having been -a judge for 22 years in criminal cases. A jury heard the case in my court. A jury found the defendant Michael Lopez guilty of capital murder of a police officer. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090009273,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Court TV even showed this on national television. The same jury unanimously found the defendant would be a continuing threat to society in the future. The jury unanimously found there was no mitigation that would warrant a sentence less than death with Michael Lopez. The defendant was assessed the death penalty by a jury in 6 hours. During sentencing I referred to the defendant as a street terrorist based upon the evidence in the case. On appeal. the highest court in Texas referred to the defendant as a mean little guy and upheld the death penalty. Now the Supreme Court has gotten involved in these types of cases and declared once and for all that no one 17 or under can be executed for the crimes that they commit. Citing international court decisions and the socalled evolving United States Consfitution. the Court yesterday struck down these types of cases five to foir. The Supreme Court of the United States should not look to foreign courts for guidance but to the United States Constitution because that is what they are sworn to uphold. The Supreme Court once again has discriminated against victims based upon the age of the defendant. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090009273,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Whether or not a person agrees or disagrees with the death penalty. whether or not a person feels the age of accountability should be 17 or 18 or 21. there is no precedent in law that the Supreme Court may arbitrarily say a 17yearold is a mere child and an 18yearold is an adult. The Supreme Court has once again promoted the philosophy that America is becoming the land of excusable conduct in our criminal courts. There should be consequences for criminal conduct even for 17yearolds. The Supreme Court has replaced the law of the land with its own personal opinion and European thought. This is an affront to the rule of law. to the Constitution. to the 10th amendment. It is an affront to the peace officers in the United States. and it is an affront to Officer Michael Eakin and his family.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090009325,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The USDA Minimal Risk Region rule should be implemented because it is grounded in solid. sound science and will help end a situation that has wreaked havoc on beef trade for too long. It will protect the integrity of the human supply system and stabilize agricultural trade. Canada meets the requirements of a minimal risk region. based upon a number of *its actions. It has prohibited specific risk material in human food. as we do here in the United States. It placed import restrictions sufficient to minimize exposures to BSE. It has built and structured surveillance for BSE at levels to meet or exceed international guidelines. as we do here. And it has enacted a ruminanttoruminant feed ban. Finally. the appropriate epidemiological investigations. risk assessment. and risk mitigation measures have been imposed. Opening the border with .Canada will help restore the beef industrys ability to remain competitive in an increasingly global marketplace and protect longterm job stability in the United States. I have a chart that reflects Canadian beef exports. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2617}
{"speech_id":1090009325,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we look over here to 2003 when the mad cow disease began to impact Canada. we can see. obviously. that there was. a reduction in billions of pounds of carcass weight that was exported from Canada. But here we are moving from 2004. Not all the figures are in. but they are indicating we are going to get a pretty steep climb back in exports from Canada. And based on projections for 2005. exports from Canada are going to reach a historic high. despite the fact they have had mad cow disease in Canada. These facts come from a reputable analyst analyzing firm based in Denver. CO. that traditionally cattlemen have relied on to analyze beef markets throughout the country. Lets look at the chart for -U.S. beef imports from Canada. Obviously. in 2003 we saw a reduction in the amount of beef imports from Canada. Again. this is a million pounds of carcass weight over time. What we see in 2004 is that the imports from Canada have exceeded an alltime high. despite the fact that we have mad cow disease. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2617}
{"speech_id":1090009325,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The point is. we are importing Canadian beef at record levels. We need to change that policy because processors are moving their plants to Canada. More and more people are going into the Canadian beef business. As a result. we are at risk of losing our own market share of beef. The Greeley Tribune published an editorial stating that the. United States must open its border with Canada. The Tribune is published in Greeley. CO. Colorados most productive agricultural county. I ask unanimous consent that the editorial be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2617}
{"speech_id":1090009401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by my colleague from Minnesota. Senator DAYTON. Basically. he has offered an amendment to create a Federal usury law. While I understand and appreciate the good intentions of my colleague. I cannot support what amounts to Federal price controls. This is a mode of regulation from a bygone day. Price controls are a failed experiment that often hurt those who they are intended to help. Even if the price control envisioned in this amendment was never triggered. it would set a very bad precedent. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090009401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Credit underwriting is the assessment of the risk. Interest rates are intended to reflect the risk of a particular credit. They have to. While I appreciate my colleagues concerns. I fear that his amendment will result in credit becoming less accessible to more Americans. Market forces are the best regulator of prices. As chairman of the Banking Committee. which has jurisdiction over consumer credit and price controls. I must oppose this amendment and encourage my colleagues to do so. We are going to have some hearings on similar matters in the Banking Committee. and I hope Senator DAYTON would work with us in that regard.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090009427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I understand I only have a couple of minutes. so I will be very brief. I want to speak on the issue of minimum wage. I know the Senator from Massachusetts has offered this amendment on the minimum wage to this package. I will be opposing the Kennedy. amendment and will be offering an alternate to this amendment. But let me explain first why I oppose the Kennedy amendment. First. it doesnt belong on this bill. Even the amendment I will offer as an alternative doesnot belong on the bill. I have spoken to Senator KENNEDY and others about what I believe is the appropriate place for this discussion. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090009427,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the welfare reform bill. It will be a bill that will come here and have a lot of amendments and it focuses on how we help those who are transitioning from welfare to work. how we help them and give them the support they need. to be able to have work that pays well enough for them to get out of poverty. I think this discussion fits best. and I would argue has the better chance of actually ending up in a final bill and being sent to the President. on the welfare bill as opposed to here. which I think everyone recognizes is a bill that has been .worked on for years and years and years. We have a bill that has bipartisan support. with the hope of trying to get this to the President at a propitious time. So I would make the argument. No. 1. first and foremost I would oppose the Kennedy amendment on that ground. Second. I suggest-","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090009483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I offer my amendment because I want to address a practice in the credit card industry. Basically. what happens with some card companies--and not all of them. certainlyis they make it a practice to look at their cardholders credit reports. on a monthly basis. When they find that the cardholder has a late payment maybe on a utility bill. or a car note. or whatever the case may be. they will actually raise the interest rate on the cardholder. even though they may have made every credit card payment on time. They use that as a justification to raise the interest rate on the cardholder. I think that is an unfair practice. It is fraught with all kinds of problems. including the problem that many of these credit reports contain errors. I have certainly been subject to those. I am sure almost every Senator in this Chamber has been subject to an error on their credit report at one time or another. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1793}
{"speech_id":1090009483,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The credit card companies dont take that into consideration. They will routinely increase interest rates. I think it is an unfair business practice. We are talking about bankruptcy. We all know that one of the main reasons people get into financial trouble is because they have credit cards. Sometimes they abuse them. Sometimes the interest rate is so high that it creates great difficulty on our citizens. I think this amendment is important. I think it is one we can certainly justify. and I think it is one that. if people take a look at it. they would think this is a bad industry practice and this is a way to. hopefully. decrease the number of bankruptcies and the number of families in America who get into financial trouble. if some of these hidden methods of increasing interest rates are taken away. With that. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1793}
{"speech_id":1090009483,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1793}
{"speech_id":1090009489,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment. as I have noted. makes a technical correction to ensure that the bill does not violate our budget laws. It has come to my attention that the bankruptcy bill could draw a potential point of order because of two provisions in S. 256. The first provision is section 1223 of the bill. which authorizes the creation of 28 new bankruptcy judgeships. According to the CBOs most recent cost estimates for S. 256. these new judges will account for $45 million in direct Federal spending over a 10year period. Specifically. the mandatory spending would be earmarked for the judges pay and benefits. The second provision subject to this amendment. section 325. addresses the filing fees for bankruptcy and amounts that are directed to a trust fund that compensates bankruptcy trustees. Under current practice. a percentage of bankruptcy filing fees paid by a debtor is allocated to a trust fund that compensates bankruptcy trustees. while the remaining percentage of the filing fee is paid into the Treasury and counted as Federal revenue. Section 325 of the bill. however. will now increase the allocation percentages from the filing fees that are directed to the trust fund. But because the bills percentage increase will result in a corresponding decrease of Federal revenue. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3666}
{"speech_id":1090009489,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CBO has reported this provision will result in a net revenue loss for the Treasury. Specifically. the Congressional Budget Office estimates the revenue loss at $226 million over 5 years. $456 million over 10 years. After reviewing this matter with the Budget Committee. we are proposing through this amendment to offset the direct spending from the judgeships and revenue losses from the section 325 percentage by increasing the bankruptcy filing fees in chapters 11 and 7. The amendment also tries to limit revenue losses by sunsetting after 2 years the increased allocation percentage measure in sections 325(b) and 325 (c). By doing so. we estimate that the bill will provide sufficient offsets to cover the potential budgetary problems facing this bill. Specifically. the amount of the increased filing fees that is greater than the amount that would have been collected. but for this legislation. is earmarked towards the payment of salaries and benefits for the judges. The remaining amounts from the increased filing fees are also used to offset the Federal revenue loss caused by section 325 for the 2 years that the provision stays in - existence. I believe this amendment represents the best way of creating offsets within the bill. It will obviate the need to strike the bankruptcy judgeships provision altogether and. most importantly. allow this bill to survive a potential budget point of order. To the extent there are concerns that the increase in bankruptcy filing fees will make it more difficult for financially strapped debtors to use chapter 7. let me remind my colleagues that I pushed for an amendment in committee during the 105th Congress to give bankruptcy courts the discretion to waive filing fees for lower income debtors. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3666}
{"speech_id":1090009489,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The committee accepted that amendment and it is now embodied in section 419 of the bill. This amendment removes a significant procedural obstacle that could jeopardize the prospect of this bills passage in the Senate. As such. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. What this all boils down to is we need new bankruptcy judges. We have to pay their salaries and their health benefits. and we do not want to run afoul of the budget laws which would strike down the entire bill unless we got 60 votes. Mr. President. in the absence of any other Senator seeking recognition. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3666}
{"speech_id":1090009497,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is the bankruptcy reform bill. It is about 500 pages long. If I went to Illinois and asked the people I represent what they think we should do when it comes to bankruptcy. I am virtually certain that the first thing they would say to me is. you have to do something about these horrible corporate bankruptcies. Enron. WorldCom. and the list goes on. and the abuses which these officers and CEOs have demonstrated as heads of these corporations. the fact that because they were feathering their own beds when their companies went.bankrupt. hurting shareholders. hurting employees. hurting investors in pension plans. and hurting retirees. I think my constituents in Illinois are right. When it comes to bankruptcy. that is the scandal in America. We read about it every day. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11623}
{"speech_id":1090009497,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is another criminal trial. Somebody is on I trial because of corporate malfeasance that lead to bankruptcy. It is going on right now. When one takes a look at this 500page bill. how many pages in this bill address corporate bankruptcies? Five. Ninetynine percent of this bill hardly relate to corporations at all. Ninetynine percent relates to individuals and families who. through -no fault of their own. in most circumstances. are crushed by debt and go to bankruptcy court. Ninetynine percent of this bill relates to bankruptcies of people who have a medical diagnosis they never anticipated and end up in treatment incurring medical expenses that their health insurance does not cover. That is almost half of the cases in bankruptcy court. So this bill is designed to make the bankruptcy process more difficult for those individuals and families to get out from under their debt. That is what this is about. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11623}
{"speech_id":1090009497,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that at the end of the day. when we pass this legislationand surely we willthe credit card companies and thd banks will end up keeping people in debt longer. So that people facing a crushing debt. when all is said and done. will not be able to walk out of that court. having been declared bankrupt. and start their lives again. That is what this bill addresses. My amendment goes to the 5 pages about corporate bankruptcy. I believe this: If we are going to hold Americans and families to a high moral standard. if we are going to say to them that before they go into a bankruptcy court. pay their bills and prove to the court that they cannot pay their bills before we let them off the hook. -if we are going to say that it is immoral and unjust for someone to go into a bankruptcy court and ask to be declared bankrupt and leave their bills and assets behind. if they. in fact. can pay. then fair enough. But my amendment says. if we are talking about justice and high moral standards. should we not also talk about these corporate CEOs and insiders? Should they not be held to a high moral standard? Should they not be held to the standard of justice? Sadly. this bill does not do it. When a corporation files for bankruptcy. their workers are left standing at the back of the line behind all the other creditors. Many of them lose their retirement savings. health care benefits and opportunities to get back to work and back on their feet. The story of Bethlehem Steel Corporation is a good illustration. After years of decline in the steel industry. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11623}
{"speech_id":1090009497,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bethlehem Steel dissolved in January of last year. Along with the end of Bethlehem Steel. 95.000 retired steelworker employees. who literally helped build America. lost the health care benefits they were promised. These are workers who. at the expense of their own health. went to work every day. played by the rules. paid into their pension plans. anticipated their health care. and yet because of the bankruptcy of Bethlehem Steel they were left unprotected. They lost their pension. They lost their benefits. They have nothing. The problem is not limited to just steel companies. WorldCom. a telecommunications company. Adelphia. a cable company. PG&E and Enron. energy companies. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11623}
{"speech_id":1090009497,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Conseco. an insurance company. Financial Corporation of America and HomeFed. banks. United Airlines. U.S. Airways. TWA. all in the transportation business. Texaco. KMart. Polaroid. household names. These are some of the once great corporate giants that ended up in bankruptcy. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11623}
{"speech_id":1090009594,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join today with Senator MCCAIN to introduce the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Boundary Adjustment Act. This legislation would amend the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Act of 2000. Public Law 106319. to reduce the size of the heritage area to conform to the area set forth in the Heritage Area Management Plan approved by the Secretary of the Interior in 2002. The Yuma Crossing Heritage Area was designated in October 2000. It sprung from a preliminary concept plan completed in 1999 by the Heritage Area Task Force. The boundaries proposed in that plan included approximately 22 square miles. extending from the Colorado River on the north and west to the Avenue 7E alignment on the east and the 12th street alignment on the south. These boundaries represented the task forces \"best guess\" as to the cultural landscape warranting inclusion in the heritage area. This \"best guess\" was incorporated into the legislation designating the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1940}
{"speech_id":1090009594,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the development of the final Heritage Area Management Plan. which was subject to- comprehensive .community involvement. it became apparent that the areas boundaries were too large and should be more concentrated along the Colorado River and in historic downtown. Rather than simply leave the boundaries as they were set in the 2000 legis\" lation. we have heard from the community in Yuma that it is important that we conform the boundaries to those in the agreedupon Management Plan. Doing so will provide certainty to the heritage area and those private landowners who live within its current boundaries. It will allow the heritage area to meet its management goals and responsibilities without the worry that private property rights may be affected in the future. This is a noncontroversial. straightforward correction. I hope my colleagues will work with me to pass it quickly this year. By Mr. HAGEL (for himself. Mr.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1940}
{"speech_id":1090009610,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce a simple piece of legislation. The idea underlying this bill is S2030 CO simple: words matter. How we characterize what we do sends a message. and nowhere is that more clear than in the question of survivor benefits for survivors of military fatalities. The Senate this year is considering major increases in survivor benefits for military families. That is as it should be. and I am proud to support two specific proposals to increase that assistance. We have an historic opportunity to raise both the direct DoD assistance and the life insurance payouts to families from $12.420 to $100.000 and to provide an extra $150.000 in life insurance payouts. We also have an opportunity to allow full concurrent receipt of the DoDs Survivor Benefit Plan and the VAs Dependency & Indemnity Compensation. We also have the opportunity to improve the help that military survivors get in navigating the bureaucracies of the VA and the DoD to get the benefits they deserve. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090009610,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And finally we have the opportunity to protect military families from predatory life insurance companies. All of these reforms are needed. and all are within our reach this year. As I studied this issue. I was struck by the term \"Death Gratuity.\" That is the name for the assistance that taxpayers make available to military survivors. The term gratuity means gift. I believe that not one of the widows. widowers. or children left behind think of that money as a gift. These families and these heroes are the ones who have given the gift to us. They are the ones who have given the ultimate sacrifice. I know that the name of the assistance is not as important as the assistance itself. but I am sure that hearing the term \"gratuity\" is a bitter pill for survivors who have just received the worst news of their lives. I for one refuse the term \"Death Gratuity.\" and I am introducing legislation today to change it to \"Fallen Hero Compensation.\" This is a simple change. but it more properly reflects the sacrifices military survivors have made and more properly expresses the gratitude and dignity we owe these families. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090009610,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consen t that the text of this legislation be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090009612,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am here with Senator DODD and on behalf of Senator ENzI and Senator KENNEDY to introduce the Caring for Children Act of 2005 which reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant. CCDBG. program. This program provides funding to States for child care vouchers. Across the United States last year lowincome parents of 2.3 million children were able to use these certificates or \"vouchers\" to help pay the cost of child care while the parents worked or continued their education so they could get a better job. Last year. my home State of Tennessee spent $251.760.528 for child care. much of which came through the CCDBG program. This important program legislates how States are to administer child care. States provide certificates to parents to choose the type of care that best fits their childrens needs. In Tennessee. 1 percent of children receive care in their own home. 19 percent have chosen to place their children in family home care. 5 percent are in group.care while the vast majority. 75 percent. are in child care centers. About 24.500 Tennessee families with children are enrolled in some form of subsidized child care. and as of January of this year. 46.591 children were receiving subsidized child care in my home State. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090009612,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A family of four. which is a typical size for eligible families in Tennessee. is eligible for child care support When their median income is no more than 60 percent of the States median income. That means that families making $33.000 or less are eligible for some assistance. though they may also have to make a copayment. For example. a family of four making $32.000 would be required to pay $56 per week for the first child and $42 per week for the second child. This year we are making the CCDBG program even better with four key improvements. First. the act increases the quality setaside from 4 percent. current law. to 6 percent. Eighty percent of parents report that their child care is poor to mediocre. so we need to take steps to improve overall quality of care. The quality setaside is used to .offer training and professional development to child care workers. States can also use quality funds to provide technical assistance to child care facilities to help them enhance learning opportunities for preschool or schoolaged children while in care. Of course. States could choose to do even more. and I am happy to report that my own State of Tennessee spends at least 12 percent on quality improvements. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090009612,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Second. .the act requires States to use at least 70 percent of funds for direct services. This will ensure that more of the money gets into the hands of parents rather than State bureaucracies. Under current law. States vary greatly in what percentage they use for direct services since current language simply specifies that a \"significant\" portion be used for services. Third. the legislation emphasizes the importance of school preparedness by adding a new goal: development of prereading. prenumeracy. math and language skills for children in care. Research has proven that a childs brain doubles in size between birth and age 3. These are formative years for both physical and cognitive development. Fourth. the bill establishes a temporary small business competitive grant program to encourage small businesses to work together to provide child care services for employees. Senator ROBERTS developed this innovative $30 million grant program. and I am glad it could be included in the bill.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090009614,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am pleased to be joined by Senators KENNEDY. ALEXANDER and DODD in introducing the \"Caring for Children Act of 2005\" which reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This legislation is essential to continued success with welfare reform because it helps lowincome parents find and pay for affordable child care so that they can work. As members of this body know. child care vouchers provided to parents by States using CCDBG funds greatly facilitate the expansion of child care subsidies and promote parental choice by allowing eligible parents to select their preferred type of care setting and provider. including faithbased providers. Current law provides States with flexibility in determining how to address the child care needs of lowincome families and children. including establishing the eligibility requirements for participation. The legislation we are introducing today adds even greater flexibility by proposing to- eliminate the arbitrary Federal ceiling for eligibility. Removal of this ceiling. previously set at 85 percent of State median income. eliminates any Federal incomebased restriction on State determination of who receives benefits. However States must continue to prioritize families based on need. States provide child care assistance to both TANF and nonTANF families. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090009614,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For the first time the Caring for Children Act requires States and territories to show they are spending at least 70 percent of their mandatory. child care money on actual subsidies for child care. For TANF families. families transitioning off TANF. and families at risk of becoming dependent on public assistance an assurance of the States commitment to providing significant funds for direct assistance is critical. The bill we are introducing today also addresses factors that in the past made finding care difficult for parents. We have specifically required States to meet the child care needs of parents who have children with special needs. parents who work nontraditional hours. or parents who need child care for infants and toddlers. Additionally. the legislation streamlines and reduces unnecessary paperwork by allowing States to provide assistance to eligible families for six months before redetermining eligibility. The bill also supports the needs of small business owners and operators. by providing resources for small businesses to join together to provide child care for their employees. This will be of great help for rural areas. where small businesses provide most of the employment opportunities. Last. but most importantly. the bill responds to. in significant ways. the very disturbing reports about the lack of quality in child care and the lack of tangible results from current investments in quality. The bill before us increases the quiality setaside from 4 to 6 percent and directs child care quality funds toward activities that can really make a difference. Under this bill. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090009614,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States would develop child care quality targets and would be held accountable to reach those targets. Quality funds would be available for States to: develop and implement voluntary guidelines on prereading and language skills and prenumeracy and mathematic skills and activities for child care programs in the State. support activities and provide technical assistance to enhance early learning and school preparedness in Federal. State and local child care settings. offer -training. professional development and educational opportunities for child care.providers that relate to scientifically based curricula and teaching strategies through several means including distance learning. offer incentives for child care providers that meet or exceed State child care services guidelines: evaluate and assess the quality and effectiveness of child care programs and services offered in the State to young children on improving overall school preparedness. and other activities that can be shown to improve child safety. child wellbeing. or school preparedness. The improvements made to the program by this legislation and the resources it provides will continue to help provide quality child care in my home State of Wyoming. and other rural States. Many families in Wyoming reside in very isolated areas. and by helping to support child care centers in those rural areas. this legislation will help provide high quality child care. a service that many in those communities might otherwise be forced to do without. This legislation represents a truly bipartisan effort and I look forward to having it signed into law this year. The Caring for Children Act includes some very important changes in our nations premier child care program that provide families with the assistance they need to work and access to child care that best meets their childrens needs. By Mr. REED (for himself. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090009614,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DODD. Mr. KENNEDY. and Mrs. MURRAY):","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090009622,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I submit a resolution expressing the United States Senates concern about Russias actions in Georgia and Moldova. At the Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) 1999 conference in Istanbul. Russia signed commitments to withdraw troops from both Georgia and Moldova. While Russia has fulfilled some aspects of those agreements.. Russian troops and military bases remain in both countries. In my resolution. I urge Russia to live up to its 1999 Istanbul Commitments. The resolution also addresses concerns about the OSCEs Border Monitoring Operation (BMO) in Georgia. The BMO. which took up its mission in Georgia in 2000. is the sole source of objectiv.e reporting on border crossings along Georgias border with the Russian republics of Chechnya. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090009622,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dagestan. and Ingushetia. Since last June. Russia has called for the closure of the BMQ in Georgia. In December. Russia blocked renewal of the mandate for the BMO. stating that it had accomplished nothing. I am disappointed that the OSCE was unable to renew the BMOs mandate. The BMO started shutting down in January and is expected to be fully closed by May. The future of the BMO mission is uncertain. The United States. in cooperation with its European allies. should work to preserve the BMO in Georgia. But if the BMO is not revived. my resolution calls upon the United States and its European allies to seek an international presence to monitor objectively crossings along Georgias border. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090009622,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am concerned that if Russia does not fulfill its commitments to withdraw troops from Georgia and Moldova. and if the Border Monitoring Operation iii Georgia shuts down. the security situation in the region could further deteriorate. The United States must provide strong leadership on these issues. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090009722,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I hope all Members of Congress saw the news yesterday. that oil prices reached $55 a barrel. Now. some of us reacted with shock and amazement. but others knew the reality that this day would come. We have witnessed the impact of these high energy prices every time we fill up our gas tanks and pay our heating or electric bills. These high prices are unsustainable. jeopardizing jobs and threatening the longterm health of our economy. The impact of high energy prices can be seen at all levels of our economy. High energy prices have produced job losses. trade deficits. and constraints on consumer spending and economic growth. Demand for energy in the United States is outstripping supply. and Americans are feeling the impact of Congresss failure to act to solve the problem. Our people rely on our ability to stabilize energy prices and provide them with the energy resources all of us need. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9329}
{"speech_id":1090009722,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The good news is that this worsening crisis is avoidable. The United States has the natural resources to increase our energy supply. But inconsistent Government policies discourage the exploration. development. and use of our own energy resources. Almost 30 percent of all the lands in this country are owned by the Federal Government. That is 657 million acresalmost four times the size of Texas. Under those lands lies 90 percent of the predicted undiscovered oil and 40 percent of our undiscovered natural gas. Those public resources are needed to meet our energy needs and secure our future. Since 1983. access to our Federal lands has declined by 60 percent. Over half of the lands that are designated currently as multiple usein other words. ones that oil and gas exploration could take place onare subject to highly restrictive land classifications or lease stipulations which effectively restrict energy exploration and development. The effect of these policies is clear. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9329}
{"speech_id":1090009722,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1981. 91.533 oil and gas wells were drilled in the United States. In 2000. that number declined to 29.284. almost down to 25 percent of what we did some 20 years ago. As a result. crude oil production in the United States is at a 50year low. and permitting for oil and gas projects on Federal lands that once took 18 monthsand that was considered a long time thencan now take up to 10 years. In some instances. it takes 10 years to clear a permit to start exploring for oil on Federal lands. Those delays force companies to pursue projects overseas rather than develop U.S. resources. Some people have commented upon the fact that the U.S. oil industry is no longer seeking to support the concept of drilling on Alaskas Arctic plain. They have opportunities all over the world where they can proceed much more rapidly than in this country. and there is no question that they need to find oil to meet our needs. What industry is going to put up the money for 10 years to explore for and develop energy here at home when it can go abroad and do that in less than 1 year? In a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. Stephen Entin. a former staff economist for the Joint Economic Committee and currently president of the Institute for Research On the Economics of Taxation. argued that our current policies actually support OPEC. the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. and enhance its power. By locking up our own lands we have basically manipulated prices because we have restricted competition from American companies. and OPEC reaps the benefits from an inequitable playing field. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9329}
{"speech_id":1090009722,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a matter of fact. we encourage them to raise prices because our demand constantly increases and our domestic supply constantly decreases. Jobs and energy security have been outsourced. as we seek our energy security in places where there are unfriendly and unstable regimes. I have had personal talks with some members of the oil industry. They know that those are unstable regimes. but they have no alternative. For every $1 billion we spend to develop petroleum resources domestically we would create 12.500 jobs. That would mean that last year we lost over 1.3 million jobs by importing oil instead of producing it. People wonder why our jobs are going abroad. When we withdraw lands from oil and gas exploration. that is not free. Many people in this country think it is an easy decision and it doesnt cost anything. It is a very expensive policy. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9329}
{"speech_id":1090009722,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are paying a huge price now because we have locked up our lands and made them inaccessible. when they purportedly are open. by restrictive policies. restrictive stipulations that take so long to comply with that no industry is going to put up the money and wait so long for the opportunity to see if there is oil and gas in those lands. The American taxpayer picks up the tab. and the American consumer is severely punished by this policy. Consumers are paying more for food. goods. and energy bills. According to Daniel Yergin. an economist from Cambridge Energy Associates. high energy and gasoline prices essentially act as a consumer tax. leaving Americans with less disposable income for travel. home buying. restaurants. and retail establishments. all of what we call our quality of life. Only yesterday. I received this estimate. It is estimated now that for every onecent increase for gasoline at the pump. there is $1 billion lost in consumer spending. Just look at the price of gasoline now: The price of gasoline is at an alltime high. and it will not come down. It is going to continue to go up. In China. 5 years ago only 5 percent of their people were using energy. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9329}
{"speech_id":1090009726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great honor and appreciation that I recognize the leadership and the many achievements of Mr. Steve Metli. Steve will soon retire from his post as city planner for the city of Sioux Falls. SD. a position he has held since 1974. He embodies the highest qualities of public service and has aptly earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues and leaders throughout South Dakota. I am proud to claim Steve as a friend. Steve Metli consistently addressed challenges with determination and foresight which significantly improved the strength of the local economy and the quality of life in Sioux Falls and thus expanded opportunities for all South Dakotans. His success is rooted in enthusiasm. vision. leadership. and progressive South Dakota values that will undoubtedly continue to echo in the growth and prosperity of the entire region for many years to come. In 1974. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090009726,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mayor Rick Knobe appointed him to head an overburdened fourperson planning and zoning staff. Since that time. the city has swelled in population from about 75.000 to over 141.000 people. and Sioux Falls has become a major regional center for health. education. culture. recreation. and job growth. Steve now oversees the city departments of planning. transit. building services. media services. and arena. airport. convention center. and Washington Pavilion. Steve Metlis fortitude and resolve is evident in his private life as well as his public service. As an adult. he has survived three bouts with cancer. two changes in the form of city government. and the administrations of five mayorsRick Knobe. Joe Cooper. Jack White. Gary Hanson. and Dave Munson. He devoted significant attention to the Big Sioux River greenway project and on expanding the citys park system. which now consists of 76 parks covering 2.600 acres. He has sought to reinvigorate and revitalize the downtown community. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090009726,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His vision of Sioux Falls downtown centers on the beautiful natural resource of the Big Sioux River. He led development of the citys growth management plans. which include infrastructure direction as well as parks. schools. and fire services. His vision of the Phillips to the Falls project was recently completed and he stood at the ribbon cutting with the pride of a parent whose child achieved a longtime dream and accomplishment. He has developed plans for the Big Sioux River Greenway. Falls Park and Downtown Development. and served as project manager for the construction of the Sioux Falls Convention Center. I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with Steve. His leadership and vision were critical to the successful growth of the Sioux Falls region. National publications have consistently recognized Sioux Falls as among the best communities of its size in which to live and do business. I am proud to recognize Steve Metlis critically important contributions to the success of the City of Sioux Falls. SD. and to our entire State. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090009730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the ancient text teaches: \"Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.\" And Paul noted that \"Honor your father and mother is the first commandment with a promisethat it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.\" Thats what Social Security is about. It is about honoring our fathers and our mothers. And like the commandment. Social Security also carries with it a promise. Social Security benefits not just our elders. It also benefits their children. and us all. Families throughout history have faced uncertainties. old age. disability. and death of the breadwinner. Before Social Security. the extended family provided what economic security they had. President Franklin Roosevelt described those times: In the early days of colonization and through the long years following the worker. the farmer. the merchant. the man of property. the preacher. and the idealist came here to build. each for himself. a stronghold for the things he loved. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11791}
{"speech_id":1090009730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The stronghold was his home the things he loved and wished to protect were his family. his material and spiritual possessions. His security. then as now. was bound to that of his friends and his neighbors. In the 18th and 19th centuries. most Americans lived and worked on farms. -Before 1840. 9 out of 10 Americans lived in rural areas. And as late as 1880. 7 in 10 did. This chart on my right shows the degree to which Americans lived in rural America and over time moved to cities. Back in 1790. about 95 percent of Americans lived in rural areas. Right now. the trend line is down to 1990. where about 20 percent lived in rural areas. Everybody else moved to the cities. Back then. in the early days. life was hard and often short. A boy born in the year 1850 could expect to live 38 years. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11791}
{"speech_id":1090009730,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is all. By 1900. the male life expectancy rose to about 46 years. As this chart shows. things changed with the Industrial Revolution. America changed from an agricultural to an industrial economy. People moved away from the family farm into the city. and by 1920. most Americans lived in urban areas. The extended family and family farm failed to provide the security they once did. At the same time. the people of a more prosperous nation began to live longer. As this chart shows. around 1930. a baby boy could expect to live 59 years13 years longer than in 1900. And a 60yearold man could expect to live to age 75. More and more Americans had to address the challenges of living into old age. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11791}
{"speech_id":1090009730,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This chart shows the male life expectancy at birth has risen significantly. from 39 in 1850 to 68 years of age 100 years later. in 1950. Of course. today the lifespan is longer. Senator Robert Wagner of New York described how the burdens of supporting those growing numbers of seniors fell heavily through a patchy safety net and onto their grown children. He said: In truth ... every civilized community does and must support its old and dependent people in some way. In this country. we have. been doing it largely by inefficient relief methods. by shabby pension systems. and by imposing burdens upon millions of younger members of families. with consequent impairment of their industrial efficiency. their morale. and their own opportunities for future independence. And President Roosevelt looked back on those times. saying: Long before the economic blight of the depression descended on the Nation. millions of our people were living in wastelands of want and fear. Men and women too old and infirm to work either depended on those who had but little to share. or spent their remaining years within the walls of a poorhouse. Fatherless children early learned the meaning of being a burden to relatives or to the community. President Roosevelt saw Americas social changes as grounds for a change in governments role. In his June 1934 message to Congress. he said: [S]ecurity was attained in the earlier days through the interdependence of members of families upon each other and of the families within a small community upon each other. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11791}
{"speech_id":1090009730,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The complexities of great communities and of organized industry make less real these simple means of security. Therefore. we are compelled to employ the active interest of the Nation as a whole through government in order to encourage a greater security for each individual who composes it. The Great Depression triggered governments response. As this chart shows. the American economy in 1933 produced barely more than half the output that it did in 1929. And as the next chart shows. by 1933. a quarter of the American labor force was unemployed. Look at this next chart. From its 1929 high of 381. the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to a trough of 41 in 1932. Thats nearly a 90 percent drop in the Dow. in just 3 years. Lifetimes worth of private accounts evaporated into thin air. Senator Royal Copeland of New York recounted: [T]here are thousands of families. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11791}
{"speech_id":1090009749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join Senators ALEXANDER and PRYOR in introducing the Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act. This important legislation. by placing reasonable limits on the duration of judicial consent decrees. will help restore democratic control over State and local institutions. Lawsuits against public schools. welfare agencies. and other State and local government agencies and programs often end in judicial consent decrees. Consent decrees are binding. legal agreements between plaintiffs and institutions specifying how a particular problem will be remedied. Two years ago. two professors at the New York Law School. Ross Sandler and David Schoenbrod. published an important book about the effect of consent decrees on our society: Democracy by Decree: What Happens When Courts Run Government.\" The professors book describes how unelected and unaccountable judges and attorneys control many State and local institutions by imposing rigid plans through consent decrees and how these decrees prevent newly elected officials from altering policies in response to the changing wishes of voters. These decrees allow plaintiffs lawyers and judges to assume the power to make policy and dictate in detail what shall constitute compliance with the decree. They reflect a multitude of motives and often are based on considerations of the moment. yet they can bind public institutions for decades. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7604}
{"speech_id":1090009749,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While plaintiffs must allege violations of rights when filing their cases. the consent decrees that are produced by the litigation often have little connection with the enforcement of those rights. Instead. the decrees in some cases simply reflect the policy preferences of the controlling group behind the litigation. including the plaintiffs attorneys and special interest groups. One example from \"Democracy by Decree\" illustrates the nature of this phenomenon. When Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. it created a Federal right to special education. This new right required that all handicapped children receive \"free appropriate public education.\" After the laws enactment. local school boards had difficulty complying with the new Federal standards. As a result. parents and childrens advocates brought many lawsuits in Federal courts. including a New York case that was titled Jose P. v. Ambach. The Jose P. case ended with a consent decree that dramatically shifted control over public education in New York. It transferred power over special education from the board of education and elected officials to the Federal court. Judge Nickerson. the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7604}
{"speech_id":1090009749,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"District Court Judge assigned to Jose P.. selected a \"special master\" and extended to him the enormous power to decide what was \"appropriate to provide the requisite public education to handicapped children in New York City.\" In an affidavit to Judge Nickerson. New York City School Chancellor Macchiarola described how the litigation forced attention to a vast succession of special education and administrative issues. and diverted teachers attention from the education of children. The special masters orders elevated speed of child placement above all other educational priorities. The mass processing of children with disabilities forced by the order. in turn. directly conflicted with efforts to educate these children. Chancellor Macchiarola wrote: I believe that however closely the judgment may have approximated the best professional judgment at a particular time. it is a mistake to elevate any set of practices and procedures to the level of an inflexible mandate. Such an approach robs the school system of the flexibility it needs to adapt to changing circumstances. increasing practical experience with alternative approaches to implementation. and a constantly growing understanding of the nature and dimensions of the educational issues we face. In April 1984. New York City Mayor Ed Koch created the Beattie Commission to review the citys special education programs. Five years after Judge Nickerson issued the Jose P. consent decree. the citys programs had grown to serve 116.000 children at a cost of $850 million. yet it still did not meet the mandates of Jose P. The Beattie Commission found that special education had been transformed into a program for handling any child who for one reason or another performed at less than expected levels or who caused trouble in the classroom. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7604}
{"speech_id":1090009749,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Eightynine percent of all referrals for evaluations were either for poor academic performance. bad behavior. or both. The program had begun to function as a quickly expanding and increasingly expensive general education program. The New York City Board of Education officials who worked under the decree conceded that Jose P. caused a restructuring of special education. but they emphasized that the scope of the judgment and the detailed procedures that it required shifted attention from what was truly best for the children to a focus on numerical compliance with rigid timelines. In \"Democracy by Decree.\" Sandler and Schoenbrod explain: The most notable fact after more than twenty years of court supervision is the size of the special education program. For the 19992000 school year. out of a school system of 1.1 million children. 168.000 received special educationthree times the number when Jose P. was filed. Public school costs for these services reached $2.7 billion. 25% of the entire school budget. The board spends in excess of $26.000 per student in special education. nearly three times more than the resources devoted to students in regular education. Jose P. failed to produce sound special education because it was premised on a basic misunderstanding of institutional change. The court set about to reform a single program in a vast educational structurea fools errand because special education could not be reformed without reforming the entire system. What was needed was to overhaul the system. only part of which was special education. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7604}
{"speech_id":1090009749,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The New York City board of education could not stop the gaming of special education unless it also stopped gaming in other areas such as seniority. union perks. principal rights. custodial authority. and inadequate programs of all kinds. from athletics to grammar. What the court order did was cause the board to focus effort on one area of institutional performance without altering the culture of which it was a part. That. and the very rigidity of the Jose P. decree and the process it required. made it more difficult for new mayors. new chancellors. or new boards of education to improve the entire system. In their handling of cases such as Jose P.. the courts have moved away from enforcing rights and toward a managerial process of overseeing the pursuit of general goals. The Jose P. order and its process could conceivably continue without end. The court never described what the board must do to terminate supervision. Sandler and Schoenbrod plead that our conclusion should not be to fix blame on the individuals in charge of the case. They are superbly trained. well intentioned. and widely recognized as outstandingly successful judges and lawyers. Nor should that attention be fixed on questioning the worthy objective of special education. Rather. the failure of such competent people in pursuit of such a needed objective should compel attention on whether we should continue to rely so readily on courts to manage the complex institutions of state and local governments. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7604}
{"speech_id":1090009759,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I briefly mentioned this amendment before. This amendment focuses on a abusive practice that I have to believe all of my colleagues would want to see done away with. this universal default practice. Let me explain what this means. Under a universal default. which almost all these companies now engage in. it says that credit card companies have the right to raise fees and rates. whenever they want. for any reason I choose. That language actually is included in some of the small print. Again. I believe that consumers have an important responsibility for the debts they incur. However. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7989}
{"speech_id":1090009759,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is patently unfair. that if you are paying your minimum monthly balance to the credit card company. and for whatever reason you are not meeting your obligation to the car payment. the house payment. or the utility bill that you be subject to a universal default clause. And while I think the practice should be banned. if it is part of the credit card agreement. credit card companies are allowed to raise your rates even though you are meeting your obligation to them. This amendment simply restores some basic fairness in this arrangement. You can raise interest ratesbut only prospectively on new purchases. However. it prohibits retroactively rate hikes. that is. raising the interest rate on purchases you may have made a week. a month. a year. or 2 years earlier. Let me make the point again. I understand why the credit card companies would like to do this. Obviously. they make more money doing it. But I think we have an obligation to see to it that there is a sense of fairness about all of this. That is what I am trying to do with this amendment. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7989}
{"speech_id":1090009759,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is all this amendment does. It just says here you cannot apply these rates retroactively. On future purchases. fine. Again. I think the practice of universal default is unfair. If I have a contract with my friend from Alabama at a certain rate and I am meeting my responsibilities to him. he is lending money at 15 percent. and for whatever reason I have a contract with my friend from Georgia. and we have a dispute about my payment obligations to you. my friend from Alabama then can automatically raise my rate to 20 percent. 25 percent. or 30 percent because of my dispute with the Senator from Georgia. The idea that a credit card company can charge an initial interest rate that would have in the past been outlawed as usurious and then double or triple that rate for any reason it chooses is just plain wrong. in my view. If a phone bill is inadvertently mailed to the wrong address. you are disputing the bill that is not paid on time. does the mortgage rate on your home go up? No. but apparently your credit card interest rate can. Record number credit card companies have builtin universal default clauses in their agreements. \"Universal default complaints are definitely on the increase at a disturbing rate.\" says Paul Richard. director of the nonprofit Institute of Consumer Financial Education. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7989}
{"speech_id":1090009759,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More than onethird of all major credit card issuers now say they act on these clauses regularly. A recent survey found that a staggering 39 percent of credit card issuers apply this universal default rate to consumers even if they have no late payment on their credit cards. A recent New York Times article entitled \"Plastic Trap. Soaring Interest Rate Compounds Credit Card Payments for Millions\" illustrates the point. Ed SweibeL was whittling down his mound of credit card debt at an interest rate of 9.2 percent. The MBNA company had a happy and profitable customer. But this past summer when MBNA suddenly doubled the rate on his account. Mr. Sweibel joined the growing number of irate card holders stunned by lenders harsh tactics. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7989}
{"speech_id":1090009759,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sweibel. 58 years old. a semiretired software engineer in Gilbert. AZ. was not pleased his minimum monthly payment jumped from $502 in June to $895 in July. But what really made him angry. he said. was the sense he was being punished despite having held up his end of the bargain with MBNA. \"I paid the bills the minute the envelope hit the desk. All of a sudden in July they swapped it to 18 percent. no warning. no reason. It was like I was blindsided.\" Mr. Sweibel had stumbled into the new era of consumer credit in which thousands of Americans are paying millions of dollars each month in fees that they did not expect and that strike them as unreasonable. Invoking clauses tucked into the fine print. lenders are doubling or tripling interest rates with little warning or explanation. What truly astounds me is the fact that credit card companies view the practice as completely legitimate. In fact. when in fine print they disclose they engage in this practice. the language they use- is incredibly brazen. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7989}
{"speech_id":1090009832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise tooffer an alternative to the Kennedy. amendment on minimum wage. I listened in part to my colleague from Massachusetts describe that. Obviously I have a slightly different take on what my amendment does than the* Senator from Massachusetts suggests. and I will go through that point by point and point out where the Senator from Massachusetts may have exaggerated some of the claimsabout what destruction this amendment would do to workers in my State or any State. I start out by suggesting why I am offering an increase in the minimum wage. On this first chart it is important to see this green line which is the percentage of hourly workers who are paid the minimum wage. Since the minimum wage was institutedactually not since it was instituted but in the. last 25 years we can see that the percentage of workers now covered by the minimum wage is actually the lowest it has been in quite some time. It is 2.7 percent of hourly paid workers who now get paid the minimum Wage. When one looks at that number. it sort of cries out a bit and says it is time to bring it back up to be not the absolute bottom where no one is paying that and there is effectively no minimum wagevery few people are paid itto a point which sort of comports with at least recent history. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11115}
{"speech_id":1090009832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what we are trying to accomplish with our amendment. which is to bring it back up to about here. Our $1.10 increase over a period of 2 yearswould cover about 7.4 percent of all workers. which is actually slightly higher than it has been over the last 15 years and is a little above historic trends. Senator KENNEDYS increase would actually put it to about almost 17 percent of workers in the economy who would be making minimum wage. which at least going back to the 1970s would be much higher than it has ever been as a percentage of wages. So I think what we are suggesting is something that comports with the current economy. certainly the way the economy has worked over the last 20plus years. as opposed to something that harkens back to long ago days where this was not just a minimum. it actually had. as Senator SUNUNU suggested. a dramatic impact on the economy and a potentially very inflationary impact if one looks at where the wages were of this percentage of payroll and .we have hyperinflation. You remember the 20percent morqgages and all the other things that were going on during the time. That set the wages at a very high level. So look at how we .are providing a responsible floor for workers without having. as Senator SUNUNU suggested. an impact on the economy which could be inflationary and: damaging.to all workers. as well as. particularly. lower wage workers. looking at high rates of inflation. as well as making. sure we do not disadvantage. businesses by pricing them out of the ability to have workers. and also .pricing laborers out of the marketplace. When. you-.have extraordinarily high rates. as. .Senator SVNUNU suggested. $20anhour. - $30anhpur minimum wage. you are going to be pricing a lot of people out of the workforce. I think what we ar .suggesting is a responsible approach..It. keeps up with the tradition over the .past few years of a responsible floor .for a minimum wage. I am very comfortable. that our proposal keeps the balance between the ability of lower skill employees to enter the workforce at a wage in which they are compensated for the skills they bring to the job. and at the same time not forcing employersbecause. again. see. we are pretty far down on the number of people working at this levelnot forcing employers to forego employment with people in that slightly increased amount we are suggesting. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11115}
{"speech_id":1090009832,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it is not going to hurt employment. it is not going to hurt their businesses dramatically. and to the extent it does. as Senator KENNEDY. at least. described the provisionsI dont know that he accurately described the provisionswe do have provisions in the legislation that deal With the smaller businesses. It is a general rule in the Federal Government that we have lots of requirements--family and medical leave is one example. but there are others. labor laws--that exemlit small businesses. We either do it by the number of employees or. in the case of the Fair Labor Standards Act. by the amount of revenue that employer happens to take in. In this case. we do raise the cap from $500.000 of .revenue for your business as being exempt from this provision to $1.2 million. That provision was set. by the way. back in 1990. If you would have indexed that for inflation. it. Would be .$1.5 million today. So we are not even keeping up with inflation. We are actually well below inflation in the proposal that is being put forward. but we are capturing more small businesses that are not affected. This just affects the States that sort of tie their minimum wage laws to the Federal laws. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11115}
{"speech_id":1090009832,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you have a State that has no minimum wageI think there are six or seven of thosethey would stay at the $500.000 level. We left that provision in place. in a sense to protect workers because the States have not spoken on this. But for States that are tied to the Federal level. we raised it. Obviously. if the States want to go back. they arecertainly welcome to do so. But it does provide an exemption for smaller businessesthose that are momandpop stores. those who are just starting to build their businessfrom the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is important to understand. There are other things I will go through. but before I move off into the other areas of the bill I want to talk about how important it is not to dramatically increase the minimum wage the way Senator KENNEDY has suggested.. What we have seen about overtime is that this is where we are today with the real value. if you add in a combination of the minimum wage and the earnedincome tax credit. Why do we say the earnedincome tax credit? You heard the Senator from Massachusetts talk about trying to support a family. trying to make a living. I am sure he is not going to go out and try to argue for the teenage son of a wealthy businessman. that we have to make sure they earn a minimum wage because that wealthy businessmans son needs the money. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11115}
{"speech_id":1090009832,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He may need it in his own right. but that is not the purpose of the minimum wage. That is not what it is for. The argument for the minimum wage is we have to make sure those out there in society whom the Senator from Massachusetts talked aboutthe young lady in Johnstown. PA. making sure she had coverage. By the way. the provision we authored that Senator KENNEDY said applied to her with the tip. credit doesnt apply to the State of Pennsylvania. It is written specifically to exclude States that have spoken on the tip credit. It is only those that have .not that this covered. So the young woman in Johnstown. PA. is not covered by the provision. So the example given by the Senator is inaccurate. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11115}
{"speech_id":1090009835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will take a moment or two to respond to my good friend from New Hampshire and then also to the Senator from Pennsylvania with regard to the points they have made. First of all. I will respond to the Senator from New Hampshire about the question of whether the increase in minimum wage is really good for lowincome working people and whether this isnt going to create more problems for working people because of the increase in the minimum wage. He mentioned. if this was such good medicine-$7.25--why arent we going for $20 or $25? The obvious simple answer for that is we are talking about a minimun wage. we are not talking about a maximum wage. I havent even gotten into discussing what has been happening at the upper end of the economic ladder and the stories over the weekend that showed the bonuses are going to the wealthiest individuals in the corporate world. They have increased astronomically in a period of the last few years. Since the midthirties. we have had a minimum wage because we believed as a matter of social justice men and women who are going to work in this country and have families should at least have some minimum standard. some minimum safety net. that this society is not the society of survival of the fittest. but it is also a \"we\" society. not just a \"me\" society. There has been a recognition of the importance of the minimum wage. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11110}
{"speech_id":1090009835,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will include in the RECORD the support for the increase of the minimum wage. Mr. President. 552 economists agree. including a number of Nobel laureates. This is a summation of what they say. We believe that a modest increase in the minimum wage would improve the well being of lowwage workers and would not have the adverse effect that critics have claimed. In particular. we share the view of the Council of Economic Advisers economic report. that the weight of evidence suggests that the modest increase in the minimum wage has had very little or no effect on employment. That is what an outstanding group of economists have said. Let us not just take what they have said. let us take a look at the facts in terms of employment and job growth. If you look over at this chart. you will find the increase in the minimum wage in October of 1996. We had an increase in the minimum wage. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11110}
{"speech_id":1090009835,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In October of 1997. it went up again. The minimum wage increased to $4.75 in 1996. and then it went up to $5.15 an hour. This red line is an. indication of the job growth during this period of time. I dont accept the arguments that my good friend from New Hampshire has madethat this is going to mean the loss of jobs. It just has not been so. If you look at the historic lows of unemployment after the minimum wage. if you look again in 1996. the minimum wage went to $4.75. and unemployment went up. It picked up a tenth of a point. but then it started down. The minimum wage goes up to $5.15. and what happened? It continues to go down. Here is the last time that we have the increase in the minimum wage. and we see it had absolutely no impactnone. zeroin terms of unemployment. as we reported. for good reason. because it is less than onefifth of 1 percent of total payroll. So it has no impact in terms of unemployment. and it has virtually no impact in terms of inflation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11110}
{"speech_id":1090009835,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it does have an important impact in terms of social. justice. This chart is interesting. It indicates that the States with the. higher minium wage add more jobs. These are the 39 States with the minimum wage at $5.15. Their employment growth has been 4.1 percent. and some have been somewhat higher at 6.2 percent. We have debated this time in and time out. The .most inclusive studies were the CardKrueger studies and the conclusions they have made. They are from Princeton. NJ. Contrary to the central prediction of the textbook model of the minimum wage. but consistent with a number of recent studies based on a crosssectional time series comparison of affected and underaffected communities of unaffected markets or employees. we find no evidence that the rise in New Jerseys minimum wage reduced employment. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11110}
{"speech_id":1090009835,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is pretty well established. It has a dramatic impact in other areas. I listened with interest to the Senator from Pennsylvania talking about the increase in the minimum wage. Better than 60 percent of the increase in the minimum wage goes for the lowest 40 percent on the economic ladder. Let us look at what has been happening in our country in the recent times since the last increase in the minimum wage. This is in the area of hunger. We have the survey of hunger and homelessness by the Conference of Mayors. This is December 2004. This is in their summary: Officials in the survey estimate that during the past year. requests for emergency food assistance increased by an average of 14 percent. with 96 percent of the cities registering an increase. requests for food assistance by families with children increased by an average of 13 percent. 56 percent of the people requesting emergency food were members of families. children and parents. 34 percent of adults requesting food assistance were employed. These arepeople who justcant make it with the $5.15 increase in the minimum wage: Then I heard about flextime. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11110}
{"speech_id":1090009843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under Federal law at the present time. every State has to have a minimum of $2.13 and then the States can add on top of that. Many of the States do. The State of Pennsylvania has added. I believe. 60 or 70 cents on top of that. So when you talk about not permitting any States to enforce the tip credit. you are talking all the States. That is the way we read it.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":363}
{"speech_id":1090009901,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The history for interstate workers is that from 1038. when the minimum wage was first passed. the minimum wage has applied to them That is being changed by the Senator from Pennsylvania. We understand that. That is being changed. It is going to have a profound effect on millions of workers. It is not only by the provisions. the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. it is not only the payment. but it is also the equal payment. Second. there have been different rules with regard to retail workers. There was the overall figure of $1 million that was used on retail workers. That was reduced to $500.000 and even down to $250.000. So we have been dealing with this for many times. The point of the matter is. under the Santorum amendment. the way it is constructed. there will be millions and millions and millions who will be outside the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":912}
{"speech_id":1090009901,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is plain and simple.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":912}
{"speech_id":1090009917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a false economy. and if we really wanted to raise it. we would have done something with the Workforce Investment Act. the job training. We would have raised skills. and then employees would have been compensated well. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090009921,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have not been on the floor all day to listen to the debate. but I have listened to part of it. I am stunned by some of the remarks by those opposed to raising the minimum wage. To indicate that people who are drawing minimum wage live with their parents or othersthey do because they make so little money. And all the denigration of these entrylevel jobsthese are jobs that people have to have filled. They may be low. entrylevel jobs. but they are jobs people need. People are not hiring these people out of the goodness of their heart. to say: Well. here is somebody. Well hire a few minimum wage employees. There are a few people like that. but the reason you have these minimum wage jobs is because people need results. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6917}
{"speech_id":1090009921,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The employer needs the work done. The employee needs the job. I have heard on this floor. a number of times today people saying: It is pushing a drastic increase in the minimum wage. The minimum wage was valid when it was initiated many years ago. It is valid today. We. should at least keep up with the cost of living. Using the logic of those who oppose the increasein the minimum wage with these \"drastic.\" as they say. -minimum wage increases. the longer you wait. the less chance there would be to raise it because it would become more \"drastic.\" in their words. all the time. All we are trying to do. all Senator KENNEDY is trying to do. is keep up with the cost of living. My friend. the distinguished Senator from Wyoming. indicated that during the short time we were in controlof course. a lot of the time we were in charge there was no legislative business going on.:but keep in mind that every time we have attempted. no matter who is in the majority in the last 8 years. the Republicans have stopped it. either through an actual filibuster or through somd parliamentary maneuver. They have opposed raising the minimumwage. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6917}
{"speech_id":1090009921,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the logic of so doing. that it is a \"drastic\" increaseI repeatmeans that the longer you wait until you attempt to raise the minimum wage. the less chance it would have to pass because it would become. in their minds. more drastic. Think of the poor people who are trying to earn a living with this minimum wage. It becomes very drastic for them. \u0095 I was heartened last week to see my Republican colleagues express their commitment to addressing the issue of poverty. Press conferences were held. But I believe the time has come for them to back up their words with action and vote to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. It is not going to happen. We understand that the marching orders have been given. and they will all walk up here and vote against increasing the minimum wage. In a country that values work and the opportunity to get ahead. a.hard days work should bring adecent days pay. whether it is an entrylevel job or a job that is a more skilled job. In America. this is not the case as it relates to entrylevel work. We have mothers and fathers working full time in minimum wage jobs but still living in poverty. still struggling to get ahead. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6917}
{"speech_id":1090009921,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I met with some of these workers in Nevada last month. When you talk with them. you begin to understand that increasing the minimum wage is not about helping teenagers earn more from their summer jobs. it is about helping families realize the promise of America. This fact was driven home during a conversation I had with a woman from Reno named Natasha. She is married. has a child. and works as a server in a popular restaurant. She works hard. In fact. the restaurant is one of my favorites. It is in a little strip mall. -The restaurant .is. called Pinocchios. It is a wonderful iestaurant. She has served. me on a number of accasions. She works harl. as does her husband. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6917}
{"speech_id":1090009921,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But .with a minimumr Wage job. she hgs trouble making ends meet and affording basics. such as- food. clothing. and housing. She has tried to get ahead by taking classes at a community college in the area. but she had to cut back because she could not afford to: go to school and also pay for what she needed to take. care of her family. She earns- the minimum wage. plus her tips. Now. I would say to my friend from Wyoming. the employer is not going to eliminate her job if the minimum wage is increased. He needs somebody to wait those tables. and she is willing to do. this because she needs the work. And the tips are not that bad. She is trying to live ithe American dream by going to school and getting ahead but unable to do it because the minimum wage in this. country is not enough money. Her story is like many others we have all heard. if we listenstories of families caught.in the cycle of poverty. a cycle we. can begin to end today by increasing the minimum wage. An increase in the minimum wage will help 7 million Americans. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6917}
{"speech_id":1090009953,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have filed a number of amendments to this bill. most of which I believe are germane and therefore can be offered and debated and voted on even if cloture is invoked tomorrow. I wanted to make sure that my amendments have been called up prior to cloture so that I am assured of getting a vote on any amendment that is germane. It is not my intention to debate these amendments tonight. That is what this request is designed to do. merely to allow my germane amendments to be voted on prior to a vote on final Passage of the bill. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be laid aside and that each of my amendments Nos. 87 through 101 be called up in turn. that the reading of each amendment be dispensed with. and each amendment in turn be laid aside so that another amendment can become- the pending business. and that the last amendment in the list then be laid aside so that the amendment that is now pending is again the pending business.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090010008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the landmark report Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General brought the hidden mental health crisis to the attention of the U.S. public. According to that report. 13.7 million of the Nations children and adolescents. twenty percent. have a diagnosable mental disorder. the most cammon of which include Anxiety Disorder. Attention Deficit\/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Depression. Unfortunately. only one out of five of those in need will receive mental health care. One of the primary reasons for this across the Nation is that mental health services to help treat children are in short supply. Long waiting lists for children seeking care. even those in crisis. are not uncommon. In New Mexico. its estimated that 56.000 children and adolescents have -a mental or emotional disorder. Of these. almost 20.000 have serious emotional disorders. As of June 2003. there were only 13 licensed child and adolescent psychiatrists to serve the entire State of New Mexico. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5041}
{"speech_id":1090010008,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. there are fewer trained psychologists and social workers per 100.000 population in New Mexico than the country as a whole. Children with untreated mental disorders are at a higher risk for school failure and droppingout. violence. drug abuse. suicide. and criminal activity. A 2002 report documented that approximately one in seven youth in New Mexico detention centers incarcerated because mental health care is not available. From January to December 2001. 718 New Mexico youth were collectively incarcerated for 31.3 years just to wait for a mental health treatment opening. Clearly. something needs to be done to address this growing shortage of these important health professionals. The Surgeon General states that there is a dearth of child psychiatrists. appropriately trained clinical child psychologists. or social workers. Nationwide. 3.543 urban. suburban. and rural localities have been designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas by the Federal Government due to their severe lack of psychiatrists. psychologists. social workers and other professionals to serve children. and adults. According to the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions. the demand for the services of child and adolescent psychiatrists is projected to increase by 100 percent by 2020. while the number of these professionals is expected to increase by only 30 percent resulting in a shortage of over 4.000 child and adolescent psychiatrists by that year. The National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5041}
{"speech_id":1090010008,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Department of Education reports that the national average studenttoschool counselor ratio in U.S. schools is 513:1. more than double the recommended ratio of 250:1. In the United States. there are approximately 7.000 child and adolescent psychiatrists and only 300 new child and adolescent psychiatrists are trained each year. In 2000. the Bureau of Health Professions projected that between 1995 and 2020. the use of child and adolescent psychiatrists. will increase by 100 percent. While the Nation as a whole is experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals. the problem is most acute in the rural areas. In NM for example. 4\/5 of the psychiatrists in NM are located in Bernalillo and Santa Fe Counties. This area is also home to 70 percent of the psychologists. 53 percent of counselors and 47 percent of the social workersleaving the rest of the State at a severe disadvantage. It is in response to the mental health workforce crisis that I rise with my colleagues Senator COLLINS of Maine. Senator HARKIN of Iowa. Senator DODD of Connecticut. Senator KENNEDY from Massachusetts. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5041}
{"speech_id":1090010008,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator REED from Rhode Island and Senator SARBANES of Maryland. to offer The Child Healthcare Crisis Relief Act. This bill creates incentives to help recruit and retain child mental health professionals providing direct clinical care. and to improve. expand. or help create programs to train child.mental health professionals. It provides loan repayment and scholarships for child mental health and schoolbased service professionals as well as internships and field placements in child mental health services and training for paraprofessionals who work in childrens mental health clinical settings. This bill also provides grants to graduate schools to help develop and expand child and adolescent mental health programs. It allows for an increase in the number of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists permitted under the Medicare Graduate Medical Education Program and. extends the Board Eligibility period for residents and fellows from four years to six years. Finally. this bill asks the Secretary to prepare a report on the distribution and need for child mental health and schoolbased professionals with respect to specialty certifications. practice characteristics. professional licensure. practice types. locations. education. and training. broken down by State so that we may better comprehend the mental health workforce needs that are facing our Nation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5041}
{"speech_id":1090010063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the remarks of my colleague. As usual. he has done a very good job in outlining what is involved in this bankruptcy bill. and I believe he deserves a lot of credit for the hard work he has done on the floor. Mr. President. comes now the Schumer amendment or. should I say. comes again the Schumer amendment. I rise to speak in opposition to this amendment. Been there. Done that. In fact. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11932}
{"speech_id":1090010063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have been there and done that a few times. I have been around here long enough to know a poison pill when I see one. And make no mistake about it. this has become a classic poison pill amendment. I have worked in good faith for several years to attempt to neutralize the counterproductive effects of this amendment. But no matter how we try to adjust the language. we cannot overcome the basic flaw in the amendment: The Schumer amendment is a solution in search of a problem. I oppose this amendment. It is no secret that I am genuinely fond of the senior Senator from New York. While I frequently disagree with him on issues. I respect enormously his political skills. Even When from my perspective he is wrongsuch as the leadership role he has played in organizing the first permanent -filibusters of majoritysupported judicial nominationsI know that he al~vays tries to act in a heartfelt manner that advances his political agenda. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11932}
{"speech_id":1090010063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have been able to achieve compromises on many issues over the years. Senator SCHUMER and I have worked together on many crime issues. For example. we have worked on language pertaining to the designation of highintensity drug trafficking areas. Over a period of years we have tried to work together on the subject matter of the pending amendment to the bankruptcy bill. I have always been willing to work with him and others in the interest of passing the bankruptcy reform bill. From the beginning of this debate. many others and I have long contended that his amendment is unnecessary on its own merits. The amendment which we consider today appears to seek to guarantee the collection of civil and criminal penalties arising from criminal violations of the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The purpose of the Schumer amendment is to make clear that those who are fined due to attacks on abortion clinics are prevented from being able to discharge these fines and civil judgments resulting from such attacks through bankruptcy proceedings. My friend from New York has pushed a hot button. He must know that. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11932}
{"speech_id":1090010063,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Injecting the polarizing politics of abortion into the bankruptcy bill. most would have to agree. does not appear to be calculated to help the passage of the bankruptcy bill. Quite the opposite. the Schumer amendment has become a wedge issue that has stopped the bill in the past and. today. can threaten the passage of this important bipartisan bill that enjoys broad bicameral support. I urge my colleagues to vote against the Schumer amendment. Let me first explain my substantive objections and then I will describe my procedural. pragmatic. and political concerns with the Schumer amendment. At the outset. it should be understood that in .its best light the Schuiner amendment is a beltsandsuspender proposition that attempts to solve a problem which. as far as I can tell. has never actually occurred. We have been debating this bill for 8 years. and I am still unaware of any actual case in which a person who has been fined for harming a person or property in connection with any unlawful protests against. or attacks on. abortion clinics. has had any subsequent fines or financial penalties discharged through bankruptcy. At our markup of this legislation in February of 2001more than 4 years ago. Senator Schumer said in justification of the amendment: ... this is a vital amendment. I am not going into all the details ... I will not catalogue them except to tell you that when Maria Vullo testified and anyone else did. they said without the Schumer Amendment we would go back to the days before 1994 when the clinics were closed by some who had felt .. that they were morp moral than the rest of us.... ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11932}
{"speech_id":1090010063,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Certainly that prophesy has not come to pass in the 4 years subsequent to the time that Senator SCHUMER made that statement back in 2001. I am unaware of a systemic shutdown of the network of abortion clinics in this country over the past four years. Nor am I aware of any evidence of the use of the bankruptcy code as a mechanism of escaping financial responsibility for acts of violence against abortion clinics or their personnel. or for that matter. any other criminal enterprise. The reason for this outcome is simple: Current law prevents such an outcome. Section 523(a)(6) of the bankruptcy code already prohibits the discharge of debts through willful or malicious injury to a person or property. and section 523(a)(12) makes restitution orders resulting from a criminal conviction nondischargeable through bankruptcy. Nothing in this bill changes these provisions in the law. Moreover. a growing body of case law confirms the adequacy of these provisions when it comes to enforcing judgments arising from FACE Act violations. In Behn v. Buffalo GYN Womenservices. a 1999 decision in Federal bankruptcy court in Senator SCHUMERS home State. the court rejected an attempt to discharge a civil award debt resulting from an abortion.protest. So it was rejected. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11932}
{"speech_id":1090010068,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from New York. We are both members of the Judiciary Committee. We had an oppbrtunity to discuss and debate this amendment in the Judiciary Committee. Senator SCHUMERs amendment is a critical amendment. Essentially. when this body in 1994 passed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. we said .that individuals should be able to go into clinics without being obstructed. The law was very clear. The law also has led to successful criminal and civil judgments against groups that use intimidation and outright violence to prevent people from obtaining or providing reproductive health services. This law would be seriously damaged if we do not close this loophole that has allowed some antiabortion extremists to use bankruptcy to shield their assets. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11001}
{"speech_id":1090010068,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator froni New York mentioned the founder of Operation Rescue. Randall Terry. who said in 1998 after filing for bankruptcy: I have filed a chapter 7 petition to discharge my debts to those who would use my money to promote the killing of the unborn. In my home State of California there was a similar incident involving a man by the name of John Stoos and several other people in 1989 who were sued by the operators of a Sacramento abortion clinic for allegedly blocking the c1tn\u0095ics entrance and harassing patients. A judge ordeted Stoos and others to pay nearly $100.000 in attorneys fees incurred by the clinic. As a result. Stoos filed for personal bankruptcy. listing that debt among many he could not pay. These actions are clear evidence of abuse of the bankruptcy system. This bankruptcy bill should stop them. I hope the Schumer amendment would be accepted by this Senate. Let me use this time to speak a bit more generally about this bill. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11001}
{"speech_id":1090010068,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I voted for this bill when it left committee. I have decided to vote against this bill in the Senate. I want to say why. In committee. we were asked to withhold all amendments to the floor. We knew the bill was not a perfect bill. We have seen it improved over the years. We knew it was better than the House bill. And with all complicated. difficult bills. the tradition of the Senate has always been the floor debate -and discussion. In a majority of times as a product of floor debate and discussion. problems in the bill can be remedied. We knew there were problems in the bill. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11001}
{"speech_id":1090010068,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. I have an amendment which I have withdrawn which says that the credit card companies should. in fact. notify a minimum payer how long it would take that payer of a credit card. if he only paid the minimum amount of interest. to pay off the debt. Senator AKAKA had a similar amendment. It was summarily defeated. I had an amendment. I had two Republican cosponsors. I learned it would also be summarily defeated. Thanks to Senator SHELBY and Senator SARBANES. the Banking Committee has taken an interest in this and in the future and will take a look at it. Nonetheless. the fact of the matter is this bill is all for the credit card companies. I know there is credit card fraud. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11001}
{"speech_id":1090010068,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that has to be met. I felt the bill was important to pass. However. I also felt the bill should be balanced and that we should see that the consumer is also protected in this process. protected with notice. of what a minimum payment means. and also. frankly. protected against high interest rates. Senator DAYTON moved an amendment which would limit interest rates on credit cards to 30 percent. The amendment was summarily defeated. The fact is with penalties. with other charges. with high interest ratesand many companies have interest rates. believe it or not. well in excess of 30 percenta minimum payer cannot ever pay the full debt because the interest on the debt. if combined with certain penalties and\/or fixed payments. becomes such that it overwhelms the principal. Many people do not know that. The fact is 40 percent of credit card holders pay off their debt every month. 40 percent make only the minimum payment. and 20 percent are kind of 50\/ 50 in that category. For those 60 percent who are generally people who are not as informed. not as able to pay back their bill. who may have one. two. three. four. five. six different credit cards. because this is a credit economy. credit card companies have been able. with very little interest to the payer of the debt. to golicit huge fees. penalties. and interest rates. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11001}
{"speech_id":1090010096,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to explain my decision to oppose closure on the Bankruptcy bill. I have offered an amendment to this bill modeled on legislation I have introduced to set up a permanent health care trust fund for current and former Libby residents. and former workers at the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby. MT. The trust fund will help pay for medical costs associated with treating asbestosrelated disease or illness caused by exposure to deadly tremolite asbestos and other fibers released by. Graces mining operations. I offered this amendment to this bill because it presented an opportunity to make whole the people of Libby. who have suffered. while preventing a company like W.R. Grace. which has filed for bankruptcy. from emerging from that bankruptcy without setting up a healthcare trust fund for its victims. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2044}
{"speech_id":1090010096,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have worked very hard to make sure the people of Libby. MT. are protected in any asbestos legislation to come before Congress. to include special provisions in an asbestos bill for Libby residents that take into account the unique kind of health impacts associated with exposure to the deadly asbestos fibers from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine. For years. I have been committed to securing a common sense solution for the residents of Libby. I strongly believe that too many people have suffered. and they deserve fair compensation. I will do everything in my power to help Libby make their community whole again and to make sure their longterm health care needs are met. Passing bankruptcy legislation. with consideration of my asbestos amendment is essential. I will fight to get additional protections for Libby residents and then work to pass the bill. Unfortunately. we have not had an opportunity to vote on this amendment. and it has been judged to be nongermane. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2044}
{"speech_id":1090010096,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bankruptcy bill is all about responsibility and accountability. This amendment. tries to hold W.R. Grace accountable for its actions. Because we were not able to vote on this amendment. I can not support limiting debate on this bill.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2044}
{"speech_id":1090010124,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the income can be determined. and we did step that requirement up to require more in connection with income tax return filings and things of that nature. I know the Senator is a member of the Judiciary Committee and has worked hard on this bill. so I respect his concern over this issue. I am not one who believes we have a problem. but I will be willing to look at it.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":372}
{"speech_id":1090010159,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the majority whip would yield for a question. I have three germane amendments pending. I think others are in the same position. including Senator FEINGOLD. It is my hope to move as quickly as possible to a quick. limited debate. for just very short periods of time. and then to vote on these amendments in an effort to keep the bill moving forward. I ask the Republican whip whether or not there are plans to call any other votes today or early tomorrow.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":457}
{"speech_id":1090010231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague for the very kind remarks. Senator DODD has been a real partner on so many issues affecting children. He and I have worked together. Whenever we want to find someone to advocate for children. CHRIS DODD is there. My colleague is always a great champion for children. On the issue of drinking and driving. underage drinking and highway safety. Senator DODD has been a true champion. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":536}
{"speech_id":1090010231,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague for coming to the floor. Again. I look forward to continuing to work with him in the years ahead.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":536}
{"speech_id":1090010237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. According to the San Franaisco Chronicle. a participant in a Davis. CA. gaypride parade was assaulted last summer. The apparent motivation for the attack was the sexual orientation of the victim. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against -the harms that come out of hate. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090010237,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Local Law Enforcemept Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well. NOPEC","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090010238,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I. again. join in the introduction of our NOPEC bill. I am sincerely sorry that this bill has not yet become law. and I hope that the situation we face as a nation will lead the Senate to recognize the toll that the OPEC producers are exacting from the American people. As gasoline prices continue to skyrocket. exceeding $2 a gallon in many communities. we must have a real correction. As heating oil prices have soared. the President needs to take notice. Without correction and containment. consumers across the nation will continue to suffer. The relentless increases in gasoline prices are not the result of natural supply issues. Rather. they are largely due to market manipulation by OPEC. a cartel of those controlling production and supply of oil from the Middle East. When the Antitrust Subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary held its hearing on gas prices last year. experts from several fields. both in and out of government. confirmed for us what we already suspected: The higher prices are due to the OPEC cartel that sets production quotas for it members and prevents the free market from setting crude oil prices. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2711}
{"speech_id":1090010238,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The testimony at that hearing revealed that most of the gasoline price increase can be explained by OPECs unfair production quotas. The artificial pricing scheme enforced by OPEC affects all of us. not the least of whom are hardworking Vermont farmers. As USDAs Cooperative Extension Office in New Hampshire recently found. the increasing energy costs may add $5.000 or more to the total costs of operating a 100head dairy operation in the Northeast. In addition. soaring prices have affected a variety of industries across the United States. and will likely force& many Americans to make tough choices about family travel. Over the last year. I have expressed concern that gasoline prices would simply continue to rise. I have hardly been alone in that belief. and I am sorry to say that my prediction has borne fruit. Sadly. that fruit is bitter for those forced to pay ever higher prices to go about their daily lives. This week. the average price for regular gasoline reached $2.00 per gallon. Our economy. our farmers. and our families need relief now. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2711}
{"speech_id":1090010238,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They also need good policy. In the absence of White House leadership. Congress should provide law enforcement the tools needed to fight anticompetitive practices. If OPEC were simply a foreign business engaged in this type of behavior. it would already be subject to American antitrust law. It is wrong to let OPEC producers off the hook just because their anticompetitive practices come with the seal of approval of the member nations. I urge the Senate to support this bill and to say \"No\" to OPEC.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2711}
{"speech_id":1090010245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I would like to reflect on the passing of Max Fisher. On March 3. 2005. Max Fisher passed away at his home in Franklin. MI. The Fisher family has suffered a tremendous loss. and I offer them my condolences and deepest sympathy -during this difficult time. Max Fisher was born in my hometown of Pittsburgh. PA. He was a quiet leader who led mostly by example. He inspired his neighbors through his love for and dedication to this country. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090010245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As the head of several JewishAmerican organizations including the -United Jewish Appeal. the Council of Jewish Federations. the National Jewish Coalition. and the American Jewish Committee. Max Fisher was able to influence policy with regard to IsraeliAmerican relations and lead an international campaign for Israel after the ArabIsraeli War in 1967. Max Fisher was a respected friend and adxiser to many Republican Presidents and Secretaries. as they sought Maxs wisdom in Middle East affairs. Max not only leaves behind a legacy in the Jewish community and the world of politics. but also a wonderful family. My thoughts and prayers are with the Fisher family during the days and months ahead..","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090010246,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. With the death on January 6th. 2005. at the age of 82 of Samuel Thornton Daniels. Sr.. my city of Baltimore and the State of Maryland lost a distinguished citizen. a courageous and farsighted leader. a source of inspiration and. especially. a beloved friend. Sam Daniels. the Grand Master. was known to his fellow members of the Prince Hall Masons simply as \"The Grand.\" and grand he was. A Baltimorean through and through. he was born in the city and educated at Douglass High School and Coppin State College. He married his beloved wife Gladys. a fellow student at Coppin. and together for more than 60 years they went on to raise a new generation of Baltimoreans. Sam made our community a better place for all its people. Service to others came naturally to Sam Daniels. He interrupted his college studies to serve in the Army in World War II. returning to Coppin State to receive his degree in 1948. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4270}
{"speech_id":1090010246,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the Korean War conflict broke out 2 years later. Sam returned to military service. and reached the rank of captain before receiving his honorable discharge. Soon thereafter he joined Gladys as a teacher in the Baltimore public school system. In the mid1950s. Sam Daniels set out on the path that was to shape his lifes work. It was not just that he joined the civil rights movement. rather. in innumerable ways he shaped it and he led it. His professional commitments tell part of the story: Maryland Commission on Interracial Problems and Relations. Baltimore Community Relations Commission. Baltimore Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. and then. starting in 1967 and continuing for more than two decades. the Baltimore Council for Equal Business Opportunity. or CEBO. During the 1960s. in addition to his other commitments. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4270}
{"speech_id":1090010246,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sam also worked for the AFSCME local unions representing Baltimores municipal workers. In 1968 he was named to the citys school board by thenMayor DAlessandro. where his intelligence. his principles. his clear vision. and his wise and generous temperament all combined to make him. as the mayor was to observe. \"a calming influence on the board during an unsettling time.\" Sam balanced his professional commitments with his role in The Prince Hall Masons. whose Grand Master he was to become and who knew and loved him as \"The Grand.\" Under his leadership The Prince Hall Masons grew to have 5.000 members and to play a major role in the historic movement toward civil rights. When Dr. King came to Baltimore in October 1964. Sam Dani els stood among the leaders who welcomed him to the Prince Hall Masons Lodge. In everything he did he challenged us to make our Natibn live up to its ideals. Of all his many accomplishments. Sam Daniels considered CEBO the most important. It began modestly enough with a grant from the Ford Foundation. but over more than two decades under Sam Daniels leadership CEBO became one of the first business development organizations in the country. helping to create opportunities for entrepreneurship and business where precious few existed for Baltimores AfricanAmerican community and along with those opportunities. new hopes. new plans. and new dreams. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4270}
{"speech_id":1090010246,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sam Daniels has been described as a \"giant\" and an \"icon.\" and surely these words reflect the critical role he played in expanding the opportunities for African American entrepreneurship and wealthbuilding. which has meant so much to the city that he served in so many different ways. Sam Daniels was a giant and an icon in other ways as well in character and temperament. Mayor DAlessandro. who nearly 40 years ago appointed him to the school board. remembers him as \"an absolutely decent human being.\" and his pastor. the Reverend Marion C. Bascom. calls him \"the most giving human being this city has ever known.\" In the words of George L. Russell. the former city solicitor and judge. \"he was a temperate person who conveyed a great deal of wisdom.\" He was a great man and a great citizen. and he has left us all a magnificent legacy. We will miss him. and our thoughts are with his wife Gladys. his children. and his grandchildren. The Baltimore Sun paid tribute to Sam Daniels in an obituary published on January 8. 2005. I ask that it be printed in the RECORD. The material follows. [From the Baltimore Sun. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4270}
{"speech_id":1090010246,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jan. 8. 2005]","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4270}
{"speech_id":1090010339,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such tinme as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 133. It is a pleasure to be here today with the gentleman from New Jersey . and I also want to mention our ranking member. the gentlewoman from California . As we go through the process here. it is going to be a privilege and a pleasure to work with her and all the Democrats and Republicans on the committee to provide for the funding resolution. Mr. Speaker. today I rise in support of House Resolution 133. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1716}
{"speech_id":1090010339,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"which provides interim funding for the standing select committees of the House from April 1. 2005. through April 30. 2005. The rules of the House provide interim funding for committees until March 31 of 2005. This resolution will extend that funding for an additional month. thereby allowing the Committee on House Administration the time needed to put together the committee. funding resolution that will. once passed. fund the committees for the duration of the 109th Congress. This is nothing unusual. We have done this in the past. The committee chairmen and ranking members will appear Thursday of this week and the following Wednesday to present their budget requests to. the committee. and that will be all the committee Chairs. As the House will be out of session for the final 2 weeks of March for the Easter district work period. floor consideration of the committee funding resolution really will not be practical or possible. therefore. before March 31. and. therefore. it necessitates passage of this interim funding resolution. That is why we are here today. I therefore urge my colleagues to support resolution 133. it is needed. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1716}
{"speech_id":1090010370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I. ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure may file a supplemental report on the bill. H.R. 3. to authorize funds for federalaid highways. highway safety programs. and transit programs. and for other purposes. at any time before midnight. March 8. 2005.","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090010405,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 40 years ago yesterday on March 7. 1965. events in Selma. Alabama. became a seminal moment for the advancement of civil rights in our country. Last weekend. I had the privilege to join one of my heroes. the gentleman from Georgia . who was also one of the leaders of the nonviolent civil rights movement. to retrace his steps across the Edmund Pettus Bridge where Americas long march to freedom met a roadblock of violent resistance. The day became known as Bloody Sunday. By 1965. the cause of equality and human dignity had already seen much progress and. setbacks: the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education. Rosa Parkss defiance on a bus in Montgomery. the breaking of a color barrier at Ole Miss. the historic March on Washington. the assassinations of Medgar Evers and President Kennedy. the bombing deaths of four little girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Alabama. the Mississippi freedom summer. the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090010405,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But on this Bloody Sunday. about 600 people. young and old. put their lives on the line and met the unbridled force of racism for the most basic American right. the right to vote and be full participants in our democracy. The Alabama State Patrol was waiting for them at the other side of the Pettus Bridge and attacked them with clubs. tear gas. and dogs. The gentleman from Georgia was beaten so badly he believed he was going to die. The images were captured on TV. When the movie \"Judgment at Nuremberg\" was interrupted with the news. many people watching the movie first thought that it was a continuation of the movie depicting brutal Nazi oppression. until they realized that this was happening in America. right now. Peoples shock moved the political world. One week after Bloody Sunday. President Johnson spoke to the Nation. In inspiring words. he said: \"At times. history and fate meet in a single time and a single place to shape a turning point if mans unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090010405,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma. Their cause must be our cause.\" Two weeks after Bloody Sunday. Dr. Martin Luther King and the gentleman from Georgia led 4.000 people across the Pettus Bridge on their 54mile march to Montgomery. Six months later. President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. proclaiming that the right to vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison all people merely because they are different from each other. Soon the Voting Rights Act will be up again before Congress for reauthorization. We should do it sooner rather than later. We should make it permanent. rather than for short periods. so we do not have to revisit the issue and debate its provisions. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090010405,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Surely there is enough common interest and bipartisan support to accomplish this. Their cause 40 years ago this week still must be our caus6 to overcome today. For as long as the power of Americas diversity is diminished by acts of discrimination and violence against people just because they are black. Hispanic. Asian. Jewish. Muslim or gay. we still must overcome. As long as the gap between rich and poor continues to spread in our Nation. with some and not all having access to health care. we still must overcome. As long as children of color are more likely to live in poverty. die sooner. and less likely to graduate high school and go on to college. we still must overcome. As President Bush stated during his recent trip to Europe: \"We cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090010405,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All our nations must work to integrate minorities into the mainstream of society. and to teach the value of tolerance to each new generation.\" President Clinton pointed out 5 years ago at the Pettus Bridge that these challenges already have existing bridges waiting to be crossed. He said: \"These bridges stand on the strong foundations of our Constitution. They were built by our forebears through silent tears and weary years. They are waiting to take us to higher ground.\" But there is still much work to be done. In the words of Martin Luther King. Jr.: \"Human progress never rolls on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts of people willing to be coworkers with God.\" We remember the event of 40 years ago this week not only to honor the courage. sacrifice and accomplishments by those like the. gentleman from Georgia and so many more. but also to rededicate ourselves to their unfinished work: the pursuit of justice. love. tolerance and human rights. in our country and throughout the world.","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090010456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to place into the RECORD a tribute to honor former Representative Tillie Kidd Fowler. who passed away unexpectedly on March 2. 2005. Tillie was not only an extraordinary leader and a dedicated public servant. she was also a dear and loyal friend. Tillie and I came to the Congress together in 1993. and worked together on many issues during the eight years she served her constituents in the communities of Jacksonville. Florida. Tillie was kind. intelligent and thoughtful. She put aside partisanship and politics for the good of the American people. Too few today speak with courtesy and respect when in disagreement with a colleague on important issues. but Tillie always did. These attributes earned her enormous respect among Republicans and Democrats alike. and undoubtedly played a role in her rise to Chairwoman of the House Republican Conference. placing her fifth in the Republican leadership hierarchy. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2029}
{"speech_id":1090010456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a member of the Armed Services Committee. Tillie was a champion of a strong national defense and worked tirelessly to improve military culture in the U.S. and abroad. She continued this good work after her retirement from Congress in 2001. serving on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee where she aided the Secretary of Defense on strategy and policy matters. She also served on several panels to investigate allegations of discrimination and sexual misconduct at the U.S. Air Force Academy. as well as prisoner abuse in Iraq. Her work to improve our nations military is second to none and she will be remembered for her role in eliminating intimidation. discrimination. harassment and assault from the culture of our military. The State of Florida. our nation and those of us who are Members of Congress have lost a true friend and wonderful leader. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary life of Tillie Fowler and in extending our deepest sympathies to her beloved husband Buck. their daughters Tillie and Elizabeth. and their entire family.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2029}
{"speech_id":1090010482,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the gentleman from Connecticut mentioned the fear tactics that are being used. The President. in advocating for his privatization. has made the case or attempted to that Social Security faces an impending crisis. and I just want to let the administration know I think the American public sees through this fear tactic. this scare tactic. I just want to read one quick letter on that point from Robert from Madison in my district. As he writes. \"Bush has in recent weeks been repeatedly inflating the significance of 2018 and 2042. especially the early date. so as to imply that Social Security is ip imminent danger of bankruptcy and must be overhauled very soon. The sheer urgency of Bushs tone is unsettlingly consistent with his demonstrated tendency to conjure up a crisis where none exists. as he did during the runup to the war with Iraq. \"The overblown nature of Bushs alarms over Social Security is reflected in the Social Security trustees estimate that. even if nothing drastic is done between now and 2042. Social Security will still be able to pay retirees\" almost 75 percent \"of the promised amount\" and \"this timeline hardly suggests any crisis that necessitates pounding away at a need to overhaul Social Security\" or dismantle it \"now.\" I would like to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey . my colleague.","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1338}
{"speech_id":1090010605,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I urge my .colleagues to support the amendment I offered yesterday. It is an amendment designed principally to protect children and families caught in the bankruptcy situation. Let me state again at the outset. clearly there. is a need to reform the bankruptcy laws--none of us disagree with thatbut it must require a sense of balance. People are moving through the bankruptcy courts. but we also need to keep in mind that families. particularly children. the innocents in this. are not going to be so disadvantaged by the process that we create a more serious problem than the bankruptcy issue suggests. Under this bill as presently crafted. there are several areas where we could do a far better job of seeing to it that it. It is specifically designed to offer children and families are.going to be some relief to the innocents. the chilprotected to the extent possible. while dren and the families who are going. creditors are also going to have an through this processnot to blame ability to reach assets. This bill pro- them or put them in an untenable situvides too strong a straitjacket for fain- ation. ilies. This amendment is. supported by a I offer four different parts in this long list of organizations across the amendment. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7359}
{"speech_id":1090010605,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The first modifies the country dealing with women and chilmeans test to require greater flexi- dren. I ask unanimous consent that list bility and reasonableness in calcu- be printed in the RECORD. lating a debtors ability to pay. Under There being no objection. the matethe bill you have $1.500 a year as the. rial was ordered to be printed in the total amount allowed for educational RECORD. as follows: expenses for children. The reality of ACES. Association for Children for Enthe 21st century. putting aside paro- forcement of Support. .Inc.. American Assochial school education. even for a pub- ciation of University Women. American Medlic school. $1.500 is too low a figure for ical WomensAssociation. Business and Prothe children to get the proper edu fessional Women\/USA. Center for Law and u- Social Policy. Center for the Advancement cation they need. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7359}
{"speech_id":1090010605,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our amendment of Public Policy.- Center for the Child Care raises that ceiling from $1.500 to $5.000.. Workforce. Children NOW. Childrens DeSecond. the amendment ensures that fense Fund. Church Women United. Coalition support payments. child support pay- of Labor Union Women (CLUW). Equal ments. alimony. if there are any re- Rights Advocates. Feminist Majority. Hadassources coming from the earned in- sah. International Womens Insolvency & Recome tax credit or the child tax credit. structuring Confederation (\"IWIRC\"). specifically money intended to support MANA. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7359}
{"speech_id":1090010605,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A National Latina Organization. National Association for Commissions for children and their needs. should not go Women (NACW). National Black Womens to creditors. Those moneys ought to be Health Project. National Center for Youth kept out of the estate. Again. child Law. National Council of Jewish Women. Nasupport. alimony. EITC. child tax cred- tional Council of Negro Women. National Orits. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7359}
{"speech_id":1090010605,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill does not presently allow ganization for Women. that. We specifically passed that legis- Mr. DODD. This bill deserves to lation to assist poor families and fami- make some changes. I hope our collies with children. leagues look closely at what is in the Third. the amendment enables debt- bill and support this amendment and ors going through bankruptcy to keep see we can provide a sense of balance personal property normally found in and relief for children and families who and around the home. The bill does list need some protection when they go some new items that were not in the through the bankruptcy process. earlier versions of the bill. That is a I yield the floor.. simple reasonableness test. Rather\" The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senthan having a finite list. if these goods ator from Utah. have no resale value at all. and they Mr. HATCH. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7359}
{"speech_id":1090010654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of the extraordinary phenomenons we are facing at this time is the outsourcing of American jobs. the movement of American manufacturing jobs out of this countryby and large to the Far .East but to other countriesand the growth of what we call \"temps\"--companies that provide temporary workers. Those temporary workers have few. if any. benefits. So. obviously. when they run into challenging health crises and more limited incomes. they are facing the dangers of bankruptcy. That is why I am offering .this amendmentto ensure that workers who have lost their jobs or who have an illness or injury that prevents them from working are not unfairly thrown into the harsh means test created by this bill. This means test puts addi-: tional burdens on the debtors already trying to get theirlives and finances back together after a difficult period. The means test applies to those debtors whose average income for the 6month period prior to filing bankruptcy is above the .median income. Some debtors forced. to file for bankruptcy because. they lost their jops. are already exempt because they had no income in the last 6 months. but those who lose their jobs within 6 months before the filing for bankruptcy can be fairly included in the means test based on income they are no longer earning. My amendment would correct this problem. It provides that.income from any job in which the debtor is no longer employed and income from any activity in which he can no longer engage due to a medical disability will be excluded from this calculation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8978}
{"speech_id":1090010654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if we look at what has been happening in the economy. particularly to those individuals who are unemployed. manyof them have been looking for employment for some period of time. If we look at the numbers of unemployed workers in January 2001. it was 6 million. In February 2005. it .is 8 million. We are in a period where those who are unemployed are unemployed for a longer period than at any time in recent history. This chart shows what happens in recoveries. The recoveries before 1991the increase in terms of the employment and recoveries beginning in 1991 are here. and our current recovery shows that it is very light in terms of the total number of jobs that are created. This is one of the important charts. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8978}
{"speech_id":1090010654,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This has 8 million Americans competing for 3.4 million jobs. That is the economic condition for workers in this country: 8 million people are looking for 3.4 million jobs. Obviously. there are going to be many millions of Americans who are not going to be able to get those jobs. When they cant get the jobs. they dont have the unemployment compensation. and they are unable to provide for their families. what happens? They end up in bankruptcy. We are trying to say that for those individualsby and large individuals who have lost their jobs because of outsourcingthe best projection is that we are going to lose 3.4 million jobs. 3.4 million jobs are at risk of being shipped overseas. 540.000 jobs in 2004. 830.000 in 2005. 1.7 million in 2010. and 3.4 million in 2015. Basically. when the manufacturing jobs go overseas. individuals lose their income. or if they are able to get some income. it is as a parttime worker with no health coverage. Their income goes down dramatically. What happens to those individuals? They end up in bankruptcy through no fault of their own. These are Americans who want to work. From 2001. we have seen 2.8 million manufacturing jobs lost. 2.8 million jobs were lost. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8978}
{"speech_id":1090010654,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are the jobs with good benefits. good wages. the jobs that -are the backbone of Amkerica. When you take 2.8 million of these jobs out of the market and you have 8 million people chasing 3.4 million jobs. we know there are going to be millions of American workers who are going to find increasing pressure. in providing for their families. That is what is happening todayj . i . .. V. What we are saying is. if these work- all else. the American people expect us ers are going to be forced into bank- to stand for fairness. freedom. and opruptcy because they have lost their portunity. Those values are the cornerjobs. they are not going to have to fall stone of the American dream. We beinto the cruelest part of the bank- lieve that if you live right and work ruptcy. That is all we are saying. We hard. you should be able to care for have done this. I have been here when your family. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8978}
{"speech_id":1090010654,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You should be able to afwe had our .trade adjustment assist- ford a comfortable home in a safe ance. We said some industries were ad- neighborhood. You should be able to versely affected because of imports. We put your children through school and provided some consideration for those in college. You should have time to workers. We are finding out now that spend with your family. practice your we are losing hundreds of thousands faith. ard contribute to your commuand millions of jobs that are being nity. moved overseas. The result is that We also believe that when life throws many of these individuals are unable to you an unexpected setback. you can have the kind of income they need. and count on your neighbors to pitch in. If they are forced into bankruptcy. When you lose your job or you fall seriously they are forced into bankruptcy. we ill. we all want to help out. You should are saying that they dont go into be given a second chance to pick yourchapter 13. they go in and meet their self up. dust yourself off. work hard. responsibilities and get a fresh start. and reclaim the American dream for They dont go into a chapter 13. which. you and your family. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8978}
{"speech_id":1090010656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we in Last month. we passed a class action the Senate were elected to serve the bill that makes it harder for average people. It is our solemn duty to fight Americans to hold big corporations acfor the American people every single countable. and we have a President day. for the values. they. share and the who wants to give your Social Security priorities they care about most. Above away to Wall Street. Credit card companies. big corporations. Wall Streetwhen .is this President and this Republican Congress finally going to give the American people just 1 minute to debate their issues? When are we going to .make their health care more affordable so they do not have to worry every night if one of their.children gets sick? When are we going to make college more affordable so parents can proudly send their children to college to build their own futures? When are we going to fight for clean water and clean air so we can raise our families in health? When are we going to compete for good jobs. not by loweringthe pay but by raising our skills in the global economy? When are we going to fight for a secure retirement for Americans who have lived responsibly and worked hard all of their lives? When is the Senate. finally going to stand up and fight for the American people? Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1347}
{"speech_id":1090010689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am joined by friends and colleagues. the senior Senator from Maryland. Mr. SARBANES. and the senior Senator from Virginia.Mr. WARNER. in offering a bipartisan amendment that will moderately preserve the current conflict.ofinterest standards for investment banks. We are doing this to safeguard the integrity of the bankruptcy process. Section 414 of the underlying bill would severely weaken the disinterested persons rule. That was an important conflictofinterest standard. It has actually been part of the Bankruptcy Code since 1938. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7318}
{"speech_id":1090010689,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has been there before I was born. We believe that the standard embodied in current law is critical to protecting the interests of investors and the public. So our bipartisan amendment is a modest compromise. It limits the conflictofinterest prohibition. not a total exclusion but just 5 years prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition. In other words. a prohibition which has been the bankruptcy law forever would now be cut back just to apply in the 5 years immediately preceding the bankruptcy. I think it is a reasonable compromise. The current disinterested persons standards are intended to ensure that professionals who advise a company in bankruptcy have no conflicts of interest. are neutral. and when we consider how huge some of these bankruptcy have been. Enron and others. we want somebody without a conflict of interest. we want somebody who can be neutral. Since bankruptcy proceedings involve reexamining prior transactions. an investment bank that underwrote those prior transactions could not be expected to act as a neutral. disinterested party. It is almost like saying. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7318}
{"speech_id":1090010689,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wrote these transactions when you went into this multimillion or multibilliondollar bankruptcy but do not worry. I will now be the disinterested party to advise you where we go nQw. I think the reason we have the current standard. the reason it has worked well for nearly 7 decades. is because it has helped maintain public confidence in the bankruptcy system. Section 414 of the bill before us eliminates the current conflictofinterest standard. It is a standard that prohibits investment banks that have -ad a close financial relationship with the debtor from playing a major role in the bankruptcy process. I have talked to a lot of people who are far more knowledgeable on this than I. and they tell me you cannot expect that an investment bank that served as an underwriter of a bankrupt companys securities would then provide an independent assessment of that underwriting as an adviser in the bankruptcy of the company. In other words. you want to find somebody who can give you an independent. neutral as-. sessment in bankruptcy of the underwriting. You dont go to the person who did the underwriting. Of course. they are going to say: Great job. Man. that person did a great job. whoever it wasoh. that was me? Boy. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7318}
{"speech_id":1090010689,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I did a great job. The investors. especially in these huge bankruptcies. the pensioners who .have suffered financial damage through the bankruptcy. deserve neutrality. They dont deserve somebody where it looks as if it is such a cozy deal there is no way they are going to recover. If the bill is passed in its current form. the investment banks that advised or underwrote securities for companies such as Enron or WorldCom prior to bankruptcy. having advised or underwritten those securities. could then be hired to represent the interests of the defrauded creditors during the bankruptcy proceeding. Just think of this. The people who were involved in putting the creditors and the investors and the people whose pension money was in there. the people who were involved putting all their money at risk. can now be hired to represent their interest. There is a blatant conflict of interest and that is why it has been forbidden for seven decades. Firms that had a part in those companies could then end up. staying on the payroll in bankruptcy and they could make huge profits. sometimes from their own fraud. What kind of message are we sending to those everyday Americans who invested for their kids college or their own pensions. who suffered as a result of corporate misdeeds. if we then say that is OK. now we are going to give a whole lot of money to the people who set this mistake up in the first place? We talked to the National Bankruptcy Review Commission. They strongly recommended that Congress keep the current conflictofinterest standards in place. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7318}
{"speech_id":1090010689,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Actually. in their report they concluded: Strict disinterestedness standards are necessary because of the unique pressures inherent in the bankruptcy process. These are the people who understand this better than anybody in this Chamber. Supporters of the underlying bill have voiced their opposition to the inclusion of section 414. I wish they would listen to what a member of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said. Judge Edith Jones: She is a member of the commission. She asked us to remove section 414. She said: If professionals who have previously been associated with the debtor continue to work for the debtor during a bankruptcy case. they will often be subject to conflicting loyalties that undermine their foremost fiduciary duty to the creditors ... Section 414. in removing Investment bankers from a rigorous standard of disinterestedness. is out of character with the rest of this important legislation and . . . it should be eliminated. Again. if you have a bankruptcy of a WorldCom. an Enron. something like that. and you have all these people with the pension money in it. the kids college funds in there. their business in there. their own retirement in there. you cannot then turn around and say we are going to let the same people decide what happens to you in bankruptcy as the people who did the things that put us into. bankruptcy in the first place. William Donaldson is the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7318}
{"speech_id":1090010701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I thank my colleague from Iowa. with whom I have served since January 3. 1981. We came to the Senate at the same time. the sole survivors of 16 Republican Senators. I appreciate what he has said about taking a look at it. I will be filing legislation to correct this. and I will be looking forward to the opportunity for a hearing in the Finance Committee. And I think other Senators will be joining me as well. I understand the reasons we cannot have it in now. but let the 60.000 coal miners nationwide take heart. and the 14.000 Pennsylvania coal miners. that this is an issue which we will pursue and I think prevail on. We will ultimately win this. although not today. Again. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":769}
{"speech_id":1090010701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleagues for letting me intervene. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":769}
{"speech_id":1090010715,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to take a moment to respond to the Senator from Idaho. I think this is important. Elizabeth Warren. who is a distinguished professor at Harvard Law School and an expert on bankruptcy. has said there is a reason why the professionals who have worked for a business that collapses in a bankruptcy are not permitted to stay on. The company must go back after bankruptcy and.reexamine its old transactions. Having the same professionals review their own work is not likely to yield the most searching inquiry. She goes on to say about the provision in the bill: It is not a provision to ensure investor confidence or to enhance protection for employees. pensioners. or creditors of failing companies. Let me make one other point which needs to be understood To the extent an investment bankand it needs to be understood that an investment bank has been viewed as integrally related to the financial arrangements of the company. similar to creditors. security holders. and insidersadvised on the creation of a companys capital structure before a bankruptcy filing. it may itself be exposed to potential liability. As it works out. the deal that permits the company to emerge from bankruptcy. it may be tempted to prefer the creditors who have a potential claim against the investment bank. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1784}
{"speech_id":1090010715,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. that is the very sort of- conflict that we simply. ought not. to permit. We address one point made. by the Senator. about acolinection a long time ago thatis no longer relevant in the 5year provision. and the amendment takes care of that. Beyond that. I think we would be making a grave mistake to allow this radical change. to .take place. I very much hope my colleagues will support the amendment_ offered by Senator LEAHY. Senator WARNER. and myself. I yield the floor:","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1784}
{"speech_id":1090010758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to commemorate National School Breakfast Week. For the past 30 years. the School Breakfast Program has provided nutritious morning meals to our Nations neediest youth. Today. over 1 million children across the United States are malnourished. and the School Breakfast Program is a first line of defense against this growing epidemic. The School Breakfast Program was established through the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Despite this law. many lowincome children still go without breakfast each day. Every student eligible for a free or reducedprice school lunch is also eligible for a free or reducedprice breakfast. In my home State of Illinois. during the 20032004 schQol year. over 1 million children from lowerincome families participated in the National School Lunch Program. yet only about 200.000 children received a school breakfast on an average day through the National School Breakfast Program. This disparity is not unique to Illinois. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3133}
{"speech_id":1090010758,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nationally. 43 students receive a free or reducedprice school breakfast for every 100 students that receive a school lunch. To receive a free school breakfast- or lhnch. a familys income must be at or below 130 percent of the poverty line. and to receive a reducedprice school breakfast or lunch. the family income must be at or below 185 percent of the poverty line. Students who are unable to eat breakfast experience negative physical. emotional and educational effects. Children who do not. eat breakfast tend to produce low math and reading scores. have trouble recalling information. and are more likelyto have disciplinary and psychological problems. On the other hand. when children eat a nutritious breakfast. like the meals provided through the National School Breakfast Program. their standardized test scores tend to increase and their memory skills improve. They are less inclined to visit the school nurse complaining of headaches and stomach pangs throughout the school day. They are also less likely to become obese later in life and are more likely to eat more fruit. drink more milk. and consume less saturated fat than students who do not eat meals provided by the school. From 1989 to today. the number of children participating in- the School Breakfast Program has doubled from around 3 million to over 6 million. and if the breakfasts were available to more children. the numbers would likely increase. In .Illinois. the State legislature and the Governor recognized the need for this vital program. On February 15. 2005. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3133}
{"speech_id":1090010758,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the Childhood Hunger Relief Act. stipulating that all schools in which at least 40 percent of the students are eligible for free or reducedprice lunches must also provide a breakfast program. This action will hopefully increase the academic as well as physical and psychological wellbeing of Illinois school children. Today. I ask that we recognize States like IllinoisStates that are providing school breakfasts to their neediest children. I ask that we continue to push toward higher nutritional standards throughout the United States to ensure the wellbeing of our Nations youth.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3133}
{"speech_id":1090010764,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise. today to introduce two bills to increase the security of the Nations agriculture and food supply: the Homeland Security Food and Agriculture Act and the Agriculture Security Assistance Act. Both measures. build on legislation I sponsored in the 107th and 108th Congresses. I would like to thank my good friend. Senator DURBIN. who cosponsored my agriculture security bills last session. for continuing his support of this legislation. The first bill. the Homeland Security Food and Agriculture Act. will enhance .coordination between the Department of Homeland- Security (DHS) and other Federal agencies responsible for food and agriculture security. The Agriculture Security Assistance Act will injcrease coordination between Federal and State. local. and tribal officials and offer financial and technical assistance to farmers. ranchers. and veterinarians to improve preparedness. The Nations agriculture industry represents about 13 percent of GDP and nearly 17 percent of domestic employment. Yet. this critical economic sector is not receiving adequate protection from accidental or intentional contamination that would damage our economy. and. most importantly. could cost lives. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7723}
{"speech_id":1090010764,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Such contamination could be devastating to states such as Hawaii which generates more than $1.9 billion in agricultural sales annually. Just last week. the President of Interpol warned that the consequences of an attack on livestock are \"substantial\" and \"relatively little\" is being done to prevent such an attack. The introduction of my bills coincides with the release of a report I requested from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) entitled \"Much is Being Done to Protect Agriculture from a Terrorist Attack. but Important Challenges Remain.\" The report reviews the current state of agriculture security in -the United States and makes recommendations. While GAO reported some accomplishments. such as conducting vulnerability assessments of agricultural products. establishing the Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council. and funding two universitybased Centers of Excellence to research livestock and poultry diseases. GAO found that critical vulnerabilities still exist. Even though veterinarians may be the first to spot outbreaks of diseases. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified veterinarians are not required to demonstrate any knowledge of foreign animal diseases. This is short sighted given how easily animal diseases can travel from country to country as we have seen with the avian flu over the past few years. It is important that veterinarians. who. will be ogr first responders in- the event of an agroterrorist attack. be able to identify symptoms of a foreign disease in U.S. livestock. GAO also highlights USDAs inability to deploy vaccines within 24 hours. of an animal disease outbreak as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD9). ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7723}
{"speech_id":1090010764,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to GAO. the vaccine for footandmouth disease (FMD). which is the only animal disease vaccine that the United States stockpiles. is purchased from Britain in a concentrate form. To use the vaccine the concentrate must be sent back to Britain to be activated. which adds at least three weeks to the deployment time. According to a scenario from Dr. Tom McGinn. formerly of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. FMD would spread to 23 States five days after an initial outbreak and to 40 States after 30 days. By the time the Vaccine is deployed. FMD could spread across the country. We cannot afford to wait three weeks to start vaccinating livestock. Why is the United States outsourcing this critical security function? USDA should either store readytouse vaccines in the U.S. or examine ways to activate the vaccines in this country. Equally troubling is that over the past 2 years. the number of agricultural inspections performed by the U.S. has declined by 3.4 million since DHS took over the border inspection responsibility from USDA. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7723}
{"speech_id":1090010764,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Kim Mann. a spokesman from the National Association of Agriculture Employees (NAAE). expressed similar concerns at a February 10. 2005. hearing conducted by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.- the Federal Workforce. and the District of Columbia (OGM). Mr. Mann testified that of the approximately 2.100 Agriculture Quarantine Inspection positions that were transferred from USDA to DHS in 2003. only about 1.300 of those positions are currently filled. According to Mr. Mann. agriculture inspectors have left DHS to return to USDA because of DHSs lack of commitment to its agriculture mission. and DHS is not filling these vacancies. I recently wrote Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson expressing my concern over these reports because agriculture inspections are crucial to the economy of Hawaii which is home to more endangered species than any other State. GAO also reported a lack of communication between DHS and states regarding the development of emergency response plans. grant guidance. and cest practices. States agriculture officials were given as little as three days to provide input on the National Response Plan and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. In addition. the State Homeland Security Grant Program grant guidance puts little emphasis on agriculture as a sector eligible for assistance. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7723}
{"speech_id":1090010764,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. agriculture only became eligible in fiscal year 04 and many states are unaware that funds can be directed towards agriculture security. In addition. State and industry officials reported that there is no mechanism to share lessons learned from exercises or reallife animal disease outbreaks. GAO further notes .that shortcomings exist in DHSs Federal coordination of national efforts to protect against agroterrorism. Federal officials claim that ther6 is confusion in interagency working groups as to which responsibility falls with whom. DHS reportedly also has been unable to coordinate agriculture security research efforts governmentwide as is required by HSPD9. While some program staff from DHS. USDA. and Health and Human Services have engaged in preliminary discussions. there is no overall departmental coordination of policy and budget issues between the various Federal agencies: . My bills address many of the concerns raised by GAO. The Homeland Security Food and Agriculture Act will: increase communication and coordination between DHS and state. local. and tribal homeland security officials regarding agroterrorism. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7723}
{"speech_id":1090010779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on .Environment. and. Public Works be authorized to meet on Wednesday. March 9. 2005. at 9:30 a.m. to conduct. a business meeting regarding 5. 131. Clear Skies Abt of 2005. The hearing wil be held in SD406.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":265}
{"speech_id":1090010785,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous ..consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. be authorized to meet on Wednesday. March 9. 2005. at 10 a.m. for a hearing to consider the Department of. Homeland Securitys budget submission for fiscal year 2006.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":272}
{"speech_id":1090010814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as a member of the Congressional Iraqi Womens Caucus. I am honored to recognize the bravery and strength of Iraqi and Afghan women today in developing democracies. In the face of great danger. the women of Iraq and Afghanistan are displaying tremendous courage. In January. Iraqi women risked their lives to participate in Iraqs first free elections in over 50 years. After the votes were tallied. their bravery was rewarded. as over onethird of Iraqs newly elected legislators are women. The liberation of Iraq delivered hope and a future to Iraqi women. and they are helping to turn the promises of democracy into realities for their children and grandchildren. Today. a group of Iraqi and Afghan women are visiting the halls of Congress. I am pleased to celebrate their accomplishments and encourage them to continue their work for freedom and democracy. In conclusion. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":948}
{"speech_id":1090010814,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"God bless our troops. and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":948}
{"speech_id":1090010817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. a large number of people are on the Hill this week from ACORN. one of the most effective grassroots community organizatiohs in America. The group I just met with told me one thing. They said. Tell the President if it aint broke. dont fix it. Add to it. but do not fix it. Of course they were talking about Social Security that has been the lifeline for millions of seniors in our country since its inception. Madam Speaker. I will just repeat what ACORN told me: If it aint broke. dont fix it.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":508}
{"speech_id":1090010830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. as a proud secondgeneration Scottish American. I join my colleagues in recognizing the tremendous contributions of Scottish Americans who immigrated to America because they hoped for a better life and all the wonderful possibilities that is America. Their ambitions. their braveness. their pioneering spirit helped build our economy. helped build our culture and. more than anything. contribated to our history. I think it is significant to note. certainly. that onehalf of the signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and at least 11 United States Presidents have been of Scottish ancestry. They were pioneers. of course. but they also had an ability and the desire to work hard. Some of the great Scottish Americans include Alexander Hamilton. one of the architects of our Constitution and the first Secretary of the Treasury. John Paul Jones. the father of the United States Navy. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090010830,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Andrew Carnegie. one of the most successful businessmen ever. renowned for his charitable activities. Alexander Graham Bell. inventor of the telephone. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. who both captured the imaginations of the entire world by .floating above it and exploring what no person had ever explored before. In fact. the term Great Scot is meant to express oneself in the presence of something extraordinary. I think I speak for all Americans of Scottish heritage and lineage when I say that the Scots brought a spirit of freedom and rugged individualism that found fertile soil in America. On a final note. I might add that it. was the Scots. of course. who originated the game of golf. and it is well known that. less than 1 hour after golf was invented in Scotland. that the first golf joke was heard. Mr. Speaker. Scots are usually members of a clan. from the term clanna which means \"group function as a family.\" coexisting. succeeding and overcoming as a family. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090010830,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. we pay tribute to all Scottish Americans who have strengthened our American family. I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090010853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 119. a bill to recognize the contributions of the United States Marine Corps and other units of the United States Armed Forces on the 60th Anniversary of the.Battle of Iwo Jima. By capturingthis isolated. eight square mile island in the Pacific. the men and women of our Armed Forces ensured victory in World War I1. U.S. control of Iwo Jima removed the island as a staging ground for kamikaze attacks. ensured that B29 bombers would continue to fly missions to mainland Japan and allowed U.S. planes traveling in the Pacific to use the island for emergency landings. Despite facing 22.000 Japanese soldiers hidden in bunkers inside the hills of Iwo Jima. American soldiers successfully charged through miles of open spaceto capture control of the. island in a little more than a month. Their sacrifices were many. Nearly one in three men were killed or wounded. making the Battle of Iwo Jima the source of onethird of all Marine deaths in World War I1. In fact. three of the six men who famously raised the .American flag over Mt. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1906}
{"speech_id":1090010853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Suribachi died during the Battle. Yet Iwo Jimas survivors often refused to acknowledge their heroic service. often citing the friends who died beside them as the only heroes of the battle. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz commented in .1945 that \"by their victory. the 3rd. 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully.\" Sixty years later. the United States remains free. Japan is now one of our closest allies and the grandsons and granddaughters of those who served at Iwo Jima are again defending freedom abroad with the same determination and love .for their country. I am confident that the Battle of Iwo Jima will continue to be a shining example of American military success for generations to come.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1906}
{"speech_id":1090010868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member for the time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 3. the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. TEALU extends Federal highway and transit programs guaranteeing nearly $284 billion over the next 6 years. This funding will provide for Federal highway aid. mass transit. and road safety programs. I am concerned. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5610}
{"speech_id":1090010868,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. that the Committee on Rules did not make a single Democratic amendment in order last night. I know that the committee will be meeting again on this issue. and I hope that we can have a more open and bipartisan process. Mr. Speaker. we need to reauthorize this funding for the sake of our crumbling infrastructure. Our transportation network requires technological improvements. Our road and bridges are in dire need of upgrades and maintenance. Our drivers and passengers deserve the best safety programs. The number of deficient highways and bridges in our country is staggering. Nearly 30 percent of highways are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. 600.000 bridges are considered deficient by the Federal Highway Administration standards. In my home State of Massachusetts more than half of the bridges rank below standards. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5610}
{"speech_id":1090010868,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reauthorization. of TEA21 will provide repair and maintenance that our highways and bridges so desperately need. Our highways and bridges are severely damaged each year by increased truck sizes and weights. and I plan to introduce the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act. better known as SHIPA. My bill would make our highways safer and prolong the life of our roads and bridges by extending the commonsense limits we already have on the interstate highways to the entire national highway system. I am concerned about an amendment made in order by the Committee on Rules last night that grants exemptions for the size and limits of longer combination vehicles. LCVs. The amendment would grant an exemption from the LCV freeze for trucks hauling custom harvesters in Nebraska during the harvest season for wheat and soybeans. I can appreciate the needs and concerns of these farmers. but. Mr. Speaker. this amendment sets a dangerous precedent. and I encourage my colleagues to vote against it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5610}
{"speech_id":1090010868,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The underlying bill also addresses the growing problem of traffic by proposing funding for alternative modes of transportation. It authorizes $52.-3 billion for mass transit and public transportation programs. By strengthening public transportation. we are able to extend services to those who need it most like the elderly and the disabled. Allocating funding for public transportation programs is just the first step. We need to find ways to encourage people to use public transportation and mass transit. Congress needs to expand our public transportation network through increased ridership initiatives. The commuter benefit tax credit isone such initiative. Currently. employers can offer $200 per month. in pretax benefits for parking. but only $105 per month for transit or van pool benefits. This inequity has created a financial incentive for employees to drive alone to work rather than utilize public transit for van pools. As a consequence. we have seen a decrease in ridership and corresponding increase in commuter rail and transit cars. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5610}
{"speech_id":1090010868,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today I have sent to all my colleagues in the House a Dear Colleague letter that illustrates the need to equalize the commuter tax benefit with the parking benefit. This letter summarizes the costly.commuter rail fares of our Nations major transit systems. and I encourage all of my colleagues review this information. and emphasize the importance of the commuter tax benefit during debate this week. Along with creating incentives for people to use public transportation. we need to address the. issue of traffic. I want to express my appreciation to the work of the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for including in this bill several initiatives to reduce congestion. For example. H.R. 3 requires States to obligate a portion of their annual highway formula funding to activities aimed at alleviating congestion. These initiatives will result in a reduction of automobile emissions and a corresponding increase in the efficiency of our highway system. A significant amount of funding in H.R. 3 is dedicated to supporting transportation safety programs. Over $6 billion is authorized for programs carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This funding would provide for occupant protection grants. seatbelt incentive programs. motorcycle safety. driver fatigue. child booster seat initiatives. and alcohol impairment programs. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5610}
{"speech_id":1090010898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Chairman. first. I would like to thank Chairman YOUNG for visiting Miami recently and spending time understanding the important transit issues that we are facing in MiamiDade County. The most important issue at this point. asthe gentleman from Alaska knows. Mr. Chairman. is allowing $100 milli6n committed by the Florida Department of Transportation for the Miami Intermodal Center. Earlington Heights connector to be .used as part of the nonFederal match towards other transit corridors in MiamiDade County. I also want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for his interest. and I understand that he is also interested in even maybe going to Miami to look at that specific issue. This provision. which would guarantee -the release of the $100 million from the Florida Department of Transportation. requires legislative language that I have been working on with the gentleman from Wisconsin. also with Chairman YOUNG and their talented staffs. ","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090010898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I understand that negotiations are continuing on this issue and will continue to be worked on in conference after the gentleman from Wisconsin has had an opportunity to visit Miami in early April. As the gentleman knows. the $100 million from Florida DOT will only be released if such language is included. This provision has strong bipartisan support among South Florida Members. Again. while this provision is not in the bill today. it is my understanding. Mr. Chairman. that we are continuing to work on it as the process continues.","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090010933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this legislation. the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. TEALU is an important piece of legislation. It is especially important to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It provides money for highways. It provides money for roadway safety. It authorizes money for road and highway congestion relief.. For the millions of Pennsylvanians who depend on the Commonwealth roads for travel between work. school. home and business. this act provides the means to build better roadways and to ensure that existing. thoroughfares and highways are safer. less congested. and properly maintained. These funds are particularly important in a State like mine which has to maintain a much larger and older infrastructure than some others. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3325}
{"speech_id":1090010933,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Department of Transportation in Pennsylvania maintains over 40.000 miles of highways. Accordingly. I support the tradition of recent transportation authorizations in which funding is returned to the States on a needbased approach. In my district. the Greater Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania and its environs. the maintenance of existing and the creation of new infrastructure are of vital importance to the wellbeing of the residents. Thus. as part of this bill. I have asked for an allocation of funds for a host of transportation projects including the construction of the bridge crossing the Lehigh River to connect both sides of the American Parkway in the city of Allentown. the expansion of State Route 412 from interstate 78 into the city of Bethlehem. the improvement of State Route 145 in Whitehall Township. and the construction of intermodal facilities in the cities of Easton and Allentown. Members of the Pennsylvania delegation. myself included. all share in the conviction that highway improvements should be available to all people living in the Commonwealth. I thought We shared this goal with the Governor of my State. Recent actions by the Governor. however. have called into question this assumption. On March 1. 2005. the Associated Press reported the Governor has decided to flex some $412 million of the approximately $1.2 billion in highway funds previously appropriated to the State. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3325}
{"speech_id":1090010933,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Governor proposes to divert this money. about onethird of the total allocation. away from the highway system and over to the Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. or SEPTA. and the Port Authority of Allegheny County. These public transportation systems are drowning in a sea of debt partially of their own making. and they have been doing so for some time. Given the foregoing. I applaud the inclusion in this bill of a provision which calls for. the Government Account-. ability Office to determine the extent to which State government representatives. such as the Governor of my State. are appropriating large amounts of Federal highway dollars that are supposed to benefit all citizens of a State and how those officials are accounting for those dollars. While no one objects to giving States some flexibility to the allocation of Federal highway money in order to benefit the common good. diverting these highway funds to a particular mass transit project or projects to such a significant extent.ls simply unacceptable to me and most Pennsylvanians. Mr. Chairman. I support this legislation.","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3325}
{"speech_id":1090010966,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I stand in support of H.R. 3. the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEALU). In my congressional district. the rural highways that have served my constituents for years can no longer sustain the increased traffic levels they see every day. Many of these roads cannot meet the growing needs of the communities and economies that they serve. U.S. Route 30. the prime eastwest truck route in my district. exemplifies this problem. As the main alternative to the Ohio Turnpike and Interstate 70. Route 30 has seen huge increases in truck traffic over the yearsroughly 65 percent in the last decade. This has led to a tragic number of fatal accidents on the narrow twolane segments of this road. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090010966,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Obviously. the need for a fourlane upgrade has never been more crucial. Seven years ago. as part of TEA21. I was able to secure more than $11 million for the purchase of rightofways for the Route 30 modernization throughout my congressional .district. Since that time. I have been honored to join my constituents at groundbreaking and ribboncutting ceremonies to mark continuing progress on this lifesaving project. for which they have been waiting for more than four decades. The fourlane segment between Upper Sandusky and Bucyrus opened just last December. and completion of the BucyrusOntario section is expected by August of this year. As soon as next week. construction work could begin on the longest uncompleted section in the.Fourth District between State Route 235 and Upper Sandusky. Im grateful that TEALU will provide an additional $10 million in direct funding for Route 30 modernization to bring much needed relief to those who drive and live near this major.highway. Im also pleased that the bill provides $2.3 million to continue U.S. Route 68 bypass construction efforts in Urbana. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090010966,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nearly fifty years ago. the State of Ohio launched this project to connect Interstate 70 to U.S. Route 33 west of Columbus. purchasing significant parcels of land for the new road. Little progress has been made on it. though. hindering economic development on the west side of the city. This bill will advance the second phase of the overall project by providing needed design and rightofway funding. In accord with TEALUs expansion of rail\/ highway crossing safety programs. I am grateful to the Committee for including important rail grade separation projects in the reauthorization as well. In the city of Lima. the construction of new grade separations will alleviate the potential dangers that arise when stopped trains cut off an entire sector of the populace from emergency services. A similar project in Urbana will allow for the rehabilitation of the rail bridge over U.S. Route 36. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090010966,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I salute the commitment of Chairmen DON YOUNG and TOM PETRI in setting a course toward meeting our nations growing transportation needs. I applaud the continuing hard work of STEVE LATOURETTE and BOB NEY in securing the best possible rate of return for Ohio and other donor states to the Highway Trust. Fund. As we move to conference. their efforts in support of highway funding equity will help our state to complete the many vital infrastructure projects that have been on the shelf for years. due to lack of funding. I also thank them and our outstanding senators. MIKE DEWINE and GEORGE VOINOVICH. for their leadership in fixing the ethanol tax penalty last yeara fix that will result in an additional $160 million in highway funds for Ohio each year. Their work is ensuring that our state and our nation have the best and most modem transportation systems in the world.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090010967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3. a bill to reauthorize our Nations highway programs. H.R. 3 is a significant piece of legislation for our Nation. Transportation needs have an impact on every aspect of our wellbeing. Inadequate roadway conditions cause crashes. cause congestion. drain money from the economy. and decrease the quality of life for people across the country. Investing in transportation creates jobs. increases business productivity. makes the roads safer for our families. and keeps this country moving. We are now into our second year without reauthorization of the Nations transportation programs. In my own State of Missouri. there is an average of over 1000 traffic fatalities each year. The delay in passing a bill to reauthorize our highway programs has meant missed opportunities to. reduce these tragedies. ","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1225}
{"speech_id":1090010967,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Passage of H.R. 3 will allow Missouri and other states to move forward with projects to create better. safer transportation systems. I would like to thank Chairman YOUNG and Ranking Member OBERSTAR for their leadership on this issue and for their efforts to pass a bill quickly. Their hard work will truly make a difference for transportation -programs across the country.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1225}
{"speech_id":1090010988,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment would reduce the regulatory burden on the good men and women of this country who are exploring for oil and natural gas. The hoursofservice rules that ..this would impact really -have to do with longhaul truckers. men and women who feed their families by driving trucks from one side of the country to the other. Oil and gas operators are getting caught up with this rule. and it is an unnecessary regulatory burden on them that does not add to the safety of our highways. In general what happens. these truck drivers will leave the yards in the morning. go to a location where an oil and gas well is being drilled or completion is being done on oil and gas wells. or workover units are being worked. While driving commercial vehicles. they are typically tractors pulling either specialized trailers that perform some special function on the well. or they are driving a selfcontained unit that has some special function once it gets to location. These locations are generally within a short driving. distance where these men and women are typically spending the night in their own -home and getting up the next morning and going to work. The rules. as they apply to oil and gas truck drivers. are causing some undue burdens in that if they get caught on location. as operations typically happen. it is not as efficient as they need to be. they are there longer than normal circumstances. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2617}
{"speech_id":1090010988,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because of these rules. they cannot drive back home that night. The operator or the service company has got to hire transportation to drive out to location and pick them up and bring them home. Or even worse. they are required to spend the night overnight on location in a circumstance where they were not necessarily expecting that because of this regulation. So with this amendment. we have the opportunity to lessen the regulatory burden on an industry that is vital to our national security. As crude oil prices reach $55 a barrel. natural gas prices are high. we obviously do not want to burden this industry any more than is necessary. I spent 7 years in Texas writing regulations for the accounting industry. Regulations ought to control what is going on and protect what needs to be protected. but they ought to be done in a way that is cost efficient and effective for those who have to comply with the regulations. This amendment would allow oil and gas operations exclusively to conduct their safety programs under the rule in place before the hoursofservice rules came in effect in January of 2004. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2617}
{"speech_id":1090011031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I came to Congress at the same time as Amo Houghton. I think Congress is diminished by his departure. He was a gentleman. He was a rare spirit who was willing to stand up for what he thought was right even when he had to confront leaders on the other side. whether it was his own party or leaders on our side of the aisle. He spoke from his conscience and I think represented his district well. I just had the pleasure and opportunity to be with him again last weekend with the gentleman from Georgia","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":514}
{"speech_id":1090011060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to first express my appreciation to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox). He is a friend and colleague. but most importantly. when his constituents have a very serious concern. he has shown he effectively addresses the concerns of his constituents in California. And I appreciate his crafting this amendment. It is somewhat different from the amendment that I had in a bill. but it is certainly consistent. What gives rise to the need for this amendment is what happened back in 1994. when the Tow Truck Operators Association slipped in language in the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization that claimed that towing was interstate in nature and. thus. can only be regulated by the Federal Government. which fell under the Interstate Commerce Commission. Then. in the next year. in 1995. the Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act. and thus. there was no one to regulate towing at the Federal level. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090011060,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. as the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) very rightly says.. most towing companies do not need regulation. They do a good job. You know. they do what they are supposed to do. they are decent people. Unfortunately. when you have an unregulated situation. you do have a few bad apples. as the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) has said. And they will take advantage of that situation and act in an abusive manner. That is why I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska and -the gentleman from Minnesota","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090011087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me be clear. the Florida Secretary of Transportation is in town today. along with Commissioner Lazaro. and they are both opposed to this amendment. The U.S. Department of Transportation has said that we need to invest $375 billion just to keep up with the needs of this Nations transportation infrastructure. Yet we have a bill on the floor today at $284 billion. Obviously. this is not enough of an investment we need to keep up with our transportation system. \u0095 This amendment will tie the hands of the State departments of transportation and would deny them the flexibility they need to fund important projects in their State. My home State of Florida is experiencing tremendous population growth. and we use tolls to cover many of the high costs related to maintaining an adequate transportation system. Without these additional revenues. there is no question that current improvement projects will not be funded. In other words. no tolls. no roads. The current tolling provisions in this bill were carefully worked out in a bipartisan manner and were developed to allow States the flexibility to build new roads. reduce congestion. and invest in transit. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1507}
{"speech_id":1090011087,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We authorize this. major transportation bill every 6 years so we\".can make major investments in infrastructure and improve the national transportation system. but the Kennedy amendment does the opposite. It takes money from the States and limits their ability to creatively finance major projects. In closing. no tolls. no roads.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1507}
{"speech_id":1090011097,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I am here today to correct an inequity in the car and truck renting and leasing industry. By reforming vicarious liability to establish a national standard that all but a small handful of States already follow. we will restore fair competition to the car and truck renting and leasing industry and lower costs and increase choices for all consumers. Currently. a small number of States impose vicarious liability or limitless liability without fault. on companies and their affiliates simply because they own a vehicle involved in an accident. Whether or not the vehicle was at fault is completely irrelevant in these situations. These vicarious liability lawsuits cost consumers nationwide over $100 million annually. ","speaker_name":"SAM GRAVES","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1846}
{"speech_id":1090011097,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Vicarious liability laws apply where the accident occurs. It does not matter where the car or truck was rented or leased. Since companies cannot prevent their vehicles from being driven to a vicarious liability State. they cannot prevent their exposure to these laws and must raise their rates accordingly. These higher costs have driven many small companies out of business. reducing the consumer choice and competition that keeps costs down. While this amendment seeks to level the playing field. I want to emphasize. I want to be very clear about this. that this provision will not allow car and truck renting and leasing companies to escape liability if they are at fault. Accident victims will continue to be compensated according to individual State law. This is supported by the NFIB. It is supported by the U.S. ","speaker_name":"SAM GRAVES","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1846}
{"speech_id":1090011097,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. I ask my colleagues to support this commonsense reform measure to level the playing field so that consumers are protected. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SAM GRAVES","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1846}
{"speech_id":1090011103,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. * Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Oregon for yielding me this time. and I want to commend him and the ranking subcommittee member. the gentleman from New York . for their excellent work in rebutting the notion offered by the gentleman from Missouri about protecting the rental car industry and the leasing industry. That is what this is. Because what is wrong with requiring that the rental and leasing car companies assume responsibility when uninsured drivers they rent to cause injury and cannot compensate the victim? This is another one of a long line of issues. legal. in which we reduce the supports of the citizen and make them more open and more vulnerable. If -a driver harms an individual and cannot compensate for their injury. the rental company should do so. What is wroiT with that? Vicarious liability guarantees that the victims are not left to shoulder the costs of injuries caused by negligent rental car drivers and companies. Take the case of the gentleman from New York . New York City. I have been in cabs where we have wrecks downtown in Manhattan. Car rental is a very dangerous activity. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1767}
{"speech_id":1090011103,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For us not to require this backup from the car rental industry would be a travesty. And so I am hoping that we will just do something for the consumers. By the way. Members. that is what you have in your district. consumers of a product that needa little insurance backup when necessary. And to knock that out in the cavalier manner that is being proposed is preposterous. I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. This provision is nothing more than a special interest sham designied to unfairly and urijustifiably protect the very rofitable car -rental and leasing indudtry ahid harm inn6dent66 btanders:","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1767}
{"speech_id":1090011112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. again the gentleman did not answer my question. Rent a car in a 10\/20 State. drive it into a 100\/300 State. that car is essentially not insured for the purposes of that State. Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New York .","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":324}
{"speech_id":1090011167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pretty excited about the fact that we are go.ing to spend an .hour discussing Amtrak. I do not think anybody in this country knows more about transportation and transportation infrastructure and the needs of transportation than the gentleman from Minnesota . I have asked him to give us kind of a broad background. bringing us up to date as to how we arrived where we are as far as Amtrak is concerned in this country. And then we will go to the other speakers. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":520}
{"speech_id":1090011172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from- Florida for providing this special hour on Amtrak and having this very vital discussion about Amtraks solvency and its future and its employees. And I certainly thank the gentleman from Minnesota . the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. for that insightful overall perspective. historical perspective. of rail in the United States of America and abroad. It is my pleasure to be here tonight with my very dear friend. the gentlewoman from Florida . and to thank her very much for leading the fight to retain Amtrak and its employees. Amtrak continues to demonstrate its value as a critical public resource. unequivocally worthy of our Federal funds. The past 3 years have been among the most successful in Amtraks 30year history. 34year history. Despite an overall turndown in the travel industry that has resulted in financial disaster for our airlines. Amtrak has been making great strides in efficiency while becoming an increasingly popular choice for consumers. It remains a vital component of our Nations infrastructure. providing an invaluable public service unmatched by any other means of transportation. ","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3160}
{"speech_id":1090011172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 2002. our rail system has gone through an exceptional period of financial and operating stability. Amtrak has established new accounting and financial reporting systems. trimmed mail and express rail operations. truncated long distance routes and cut expenses while raising ridership and engaging in the largescale repair and restoration of an aged fleet. Last year. the 240 employees of Beech Grove. Indiana. which is in my district. a heavy maintenance facility. repaired and returned to service 15 wrecked Superliners and locomotives. And as all of us recall the 9\/11 fiasco. consumers turned to Amtrak to continue their commuting to work and other ways. When Amtrak was established by an act of Congress in 1970 to take over for the moneylosing private passenger rail systems in America. then Secretary of Transportation John Volpe predicted that Amtrak could turn a profit. but only if the Federal Government provided enough capital to produce highspeed trains and profitable corridors. What better investment could Congress make to ensure the preservation of 22.000 jobs of the Amtrak employees and to preserve the vital services for consumers around the country who rely daily on Amtrak services. According to ithe Congressional Research Service. Amtraks fastest train. the Acela. averages 86 miles per hour in the New York to Washington corridor. And I am telling you. if I lived in New York or New Jersey. my transportation would be Amtrak. ","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3160}
{"speech_id":1090011172,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I love it. I love to ride Amtrak back and forth to New York and to New Jersey. and I am sure the other passengers do too. So it is my strongest. strongest request and hope that Congress will do what it should do in terms of maintaining Amtrak and funding it at the proper levels so that it can remain efficient and solvent for many years to come. And I want to again thank the ranking member. the gentlewoman from Florida . for her leadership in this regard. a very vital service for the United States of America.","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3160}
{"speech_id":1090011177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. may I ask the gentleman one question before he leaves? I know that the gentleman comes from Baltimore. which is a big city. and many people look at the big city and know that we need Amtrak. But would the gentleman believe that 109 small cities do not have any other form of transportation? They do not have bus service. nor do they have air service.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":383}
{"speech_id":1090011185,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. $1.8 billion. Would the gentleman believe that we are spending $1 billion a week in Iraq. $4 billion a month in Iraq. and with $3 billion. it would completely fund the Amtrak system and bring it up to date. The people that pay the bill are getting the short end of the stick.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":288}
{"speech_id":1090011293,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to bring to your attention an underground industry preying on our children. and that is exploitive child modeling Web sites. These Web sites contain images of young girls as young as 4 years of age wearing only their underwear. tiny bathing suits or other suggestive clothing. posing in sexually provocative ways. In most cases. these Web sites are nothing -more than child pornography hiding under the guise of child modeling. These Web sites do not sell products. they do not sell services. and they serve our young people on a platter for Americas most depraved. These Web sites are nothing more than a fix for pedophiles. . Let us be clear. -These are not Web sites used for the modeling industry. No child has been hired as a bona fide model. They are only used to exploit these children. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1278}
{"speech_id":1090011293,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. these web sites are nothing more than gateways to child and adult pornography. I have recently introduced legislation that would ban these sites once andfor all. the Child Modeling Exploitation Act. This bill will not harm legitimate modeling nor families from being able to post photos of their families on the Internet. but the legislation has been carefully crafted to prevent exploiters from being able to use our children as.sexual objects for money.","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1278}
{"speech_id":1090011311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President Bush- and. congressional Republicans have yet. to. offer a plan that makes Social Security .solvent beyond the year 2052. As far as I. am concerned.. until the Bush administration takes its privatization plan off the table. we cannot work together to address Social Security solvency. Even one of our Republican colleagues. Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM. has admitted that privatization is not a plan that will fix Social Security. On Tuesday he said. \"We now have this huge fight over a sideshow. It has always been a sideshow. but we sold it as the main event.\" That is a Republican Senator calling the Presidents plan a sideshow. Mr. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090011311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is a sideshow because it does nothing to strengthen Social Security. Democrats are willing to work with Republicans to extend solvency beyond 2052. but we cannot do that until Republicans are serious about extending solvency and rejecting privatization. Democrats want to keep Social Security secure for the future. When that is the Republican goal. we can finally begin to work together in a bipartisan fashion.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090011365,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself suoh time as I may consume. The amendment that I offer today addresses an important issue of fairness. flexibility and opportunity according to how we finance our Nations transportation systems. I believe that States should be credited for their nonFederal investment in revenuegenerating transportation facilities to address their regional transportation needs. As of 2003. 20 States have applied to the Federal Highway Administration for Federal credits based on their toll revenue as authorized under Section 120(J) of Title 23 of the United States Code. This program allows States to accumulate these Federal credits in recognition of their nonFederal investment in local transportation facilities. In the past 10 years. some $14 billion in Section 120(j) credits have been accumulated by these States. The accumulation of these Federal credits reflects the level of commitment that States and localities nationwide are making to find nonFederal solutions to their growing transportation needs. The creation of this program in the 1991 ISTEA legislation recognizes the importance of these efforts. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3853}
{"speech_id":1090011365,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The use of nonFederal revenues for needed transportation facilities is not a new concept. States and localities for decades have turned to revenuegenerating forms of project financing to address their tremendous transportation financing needs. Especially today. given the tight fiscal situation that many States and localities face. the use of transportation facilities that pay for themselves without additional Federal funding is essential. This amendment changes the calculation of the section 120(j) credits to reflect the proportionate State and local investments in revenuegenerating transportation facilities. Why is this important. and why do we need to make this change in the bill today? In my home State of Texas. we. have entered into a new era of transportation project development. delivery and financing. With the introduction of new State and local transportation financing tools. Texas will be able to accelerate projects that have been needed for years. leveraging .transportation funds that are currently available to finance additional projects today rather than tomorrow and decades in the future. These new tools allow my .home State to include new financing partners. like the private sector and new regional mobility authorities in solving Texas transportation challenges. In order to take full advantage of these new tools. we must make the most effective use of our available transportation dollars. both local. State and Federal. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3853}
{"speech_id":1090011365,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To that end. we expect to use some Federal funds in nearly every major transportation mobility project that we build. However. the current system is untenable. For instance. a State may use 99 percent of nonFederal funds on a needed transportation project. but under the current credit calculation that State cannot receive any credit for that investment because of the use of 1 percent Federal funds in the project. This is an unfair penalty. It must be changed to properly recognize the local and State share of investments in meeting our transportation needs. Currently. 20 States are using 120(j) credits to finance needed transportation projects. Ohio uses toll credits to match GARVEE bonds on projects and shares with local government for both highway and transit projects. New Jersey has used approximately $860 million of $1.9 billion in approved toll credits for approved highway projects. Florida is using many credits on Federal aid projects so that most of its Federal highway programs are 100 percent Federally funded. Projects include the new Everglades Parkway. the Pinellas County Bayway. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3853}
{"speech_id":1090011365,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Beeline East Expressway and the Sunshine Skyway. Kentucky will use toll credit as a match on the Federal highway projects releasing about 100 million per year.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3853}
{"speech_id":1090011371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Texas for introducing this amendment and for the gentlemans hard work over the last 2 years on transportation issues in Texas. Under current law. even if $1 of Fed eral money is spent towards a State toll project. no transportation development credits will be accrued by the State. In other words. not only does the Federal Government punish States for investing in toll facilities. it also prevents them from using transportation development credits which would have been accumulated for the use Lnd purchase of transit capital such as buses and transit cars. The United States has a 50yearold highway system put under enormous strain by our population. Combine that with the fact that there is simply not enough money to go around for highways and transit programs. and there is a large gap between our countrys transportation needs and that which can be provided under current funding. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":977}
{"speech_id":1090011392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am hopeful and believe that there will be no opposition to this wellcrafted. narrowly crafted amendment to this legislation. I want to thank Chairman YOUNG and the members of the committee who helped make this a very good amendment. This amendment. Mr. Chairman. seeks to empower our States when they have excess capacity in their HOV lanes to use that capacity to encourage and promote the superlowemissions .hybrid vehicles that are just emerging on our highways today. California and other States have passed laws in anticipation of our doing our job to allow this. I believe that it will promote superlow emissions. - higherefficiency vehicles for a period of only 4 years to give this an opportunity. ","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090011392,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would urge all of our colleagues to bear in mind that when we authorized HOV lanes. we did so for two purposes: one was to reduce congestion. the other was to save fuel. Hybrid vehicles do an excellent job of saving fuel. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090011417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank the chairman for working with us on this. I do want to thank the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on the Judiciary for working with us. the Committee on Rules. and Senator DEWINE for working with me on this amendment and offering the same in the Senate. I also want to thank my staff member. Heather Keiser. who has been passionate about traffic safety and working on intelligent technology systems. She has been passionately involved in these types of activities. who actually raised the flag and said this is a problem and it needs to be fixedfor the safety and security of our local Americans and our local emergency service personnel. I thank her as well. She is getting ready to leave -this week. so this is a great way for her to go out on such a high note. I think. making an important difference. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":930}
{"speech_id":1090011417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield. back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":930}
{"speech_id":1090011423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. under current law. when an urbanized area exceeds 200.000 in population. the transit system serving the area not only receives less Federal transit funding. but also loses their flexibility to use Federal transit funds to meet unique local transit needs. The 2000 Census was the first census carried out under this law. and we are now seeing the consequences of this law. which uses an arbitrary and outdated threshold that was really first established and tiied in the 1950s. Today it is hurting our Nations most thriving communities. Fiftytwo small transit systems across the Nation and the communities they serve face a financial crisis that they are not equipped to handle. That means more than 11 million people across the country will have their public transit service affected. These systems will have to cut routes and raise fares in the hope of making ends meet. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090011423,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But for most. even that will not be enough. This will hurt passengers who rely on transit. workers who need to get to their jobs. elderly who need to get to the grocery store or pharmacy and. in my district. particularly the Amish. who rely on transit because it is against their religion to owns cars. We need to give these transit systems time to find alternative funding solutions at the State and local levels. My amendment allows these small transit systems. only 52 of them. to have flexibility in using 50 percent of their Federal transit funds through the year 2007 and then reduces that 25 percent for 2008 and 2009. This is the least we can do for these systems that are servicing some of the healthiest growing communities across the country. Two systems in my districts. Red Rose Transit and BARTA in Reading are facing a financial crisis because of this law. We should not puhish healthy systems in growing communities. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090011423,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the chairmans support for holding these systems harmless over the past couple of years. However. due to the uncertainty surrounding this year and the transportation programs throughout the country. these small systems have not been able to find local solutions. We need more time. and I urge Members to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090011452,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment which relates to language that originated in the Committee on Science. The language of the amendment was negotiated between the Committee on Science andO the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I. frankly. do not think- that this amendment is especially necessary. but .I feel comfortable with the language. The language we worked out does not allow any political interference with science. nor does it set any new standards for science. It does not raise any legal hurdles for scientists or agencies. It is a simple statement of what we expect from scientific research and the use of that research. particularly risk assessments. What we expect is what any scientist would expect. which is that the researchers strive for objectivity and use the best available scientific practices. and that when the literature review is done for a risk assessment. that that review look at the best available science and that it describe where the weight of the scientific evidence is. It is pretty hard to imagine a case where that would not be done. which is why I do not think the amendment is of any urgency. but I think the language we worked out with the gentleman from Texas (Chairman- BARTON) is fair and balanced and limited. and therefore I support it.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1296}
{"speech_id":1090011483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. based on the representations of both the chairman of the committee and the ranking member. their gracious willingness to work on this issue as it moves to conference and their acknowledgment that it is a serious cofncernI. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHADEGG","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090011545,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 3 and commend Chairman YOUNG and Ranking Member OBERSTAR for their hard work in bringing this bill to the floor. As a Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I am proud of the work of our committee and am hopeful that we can enact TEALU quickly to give out State departments of transportation the stability and resources they need to plan for. design and build important highway and transit projects. I would also like to highlight a few issues that I look forward to working with the chairman and ranking member on as this bill moves forward. First. I strongly support a provision that was included in S. 1072. the Senates version of the reauthorization in the 108th Congress. This provision. section 1620 of S. 1072. would provide a 2 percent set aside of funds to be used to address stormwater mitigation. If included in H.R. 3. the provision would bring over $29 million back to Pennsylvania to help address some of the major stormwater runoff problems. ","speaker_name":"JIM GERLACH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090011545,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Stormwater runoff is a significant source of water pollution. untreated sewage overflows. beach closings and flooding. I believe addressing this need with specific funding in the bill to correct runoff problems associated with existing highways is good policy. Many of the communities in my own district have to deal with the impacts of runoff from highways and roads. yet have no funding to do so. This provision would correct this problem. and give local communities access to muchneeded funding for stormwater mitigation. Second. I have worked with my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from Pennsylvania to address a problem that has recently come to our attention regarding \"flexing\" of Federal highway dollars to shore up the operating budgets of Pennsylvanias transit agencies. I hope that the chairman will continue to work with us to see thaV our concerns are taken into account. While I certainly understand the ongoing crisis confronting SEPTA and the Commonwealth ofPennsylvanias other transit agencies. and hence believe the flexing of Federal highway dollars may provide an appropriate. shortterm answer to the agencys budgetary problems. I likewise believe that any agreedto flexing plan should be contingent upon an agreedto repayment of these muchneeded dollars within a short and fixed time period. These highway dollars are absolutely critical to the continued improvement of our regions road infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"JIM GERLACH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090011545,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While the Pennsylvania Legislature and Governor Rendell continue to work toward a permanent solution to mass transit funding. the need to provide transit agencies with a \"hand up\" with these dollars may be appro.priate. But that assistance should only be provided if the Commonwealth agrees to return these dollars to the effected MPOs within a specified time period to ensure the use of these dollars for the initial purposes for which the appropriations were made by the Federal Government. Further. I would like to see a plan in place to assure that the projects delayed by the flexing action are fasttracked once the flexed dollars are returned. Mr. Chairman. providing flexibility to our metropolitan planning organizations is a laudable goal. but these Federal dollars were never intended to plug holes in the operating budgets of transit agencies. I therefore ask the chairman and members of the committee to work with us to achieve an acceptable solution. Finally. in the section 307 of the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995. there was included a provision that prohibited states from imposing arbitrary overhead rate caps. Section 307 did have its desired effect. most States are following common overhead and auditing procedures that promote quality design work. The problem is that section 307 provided states a window of opportunity to opt out of the Federal Highway Administration FHWA. overhead and auditing procedures by adopting State laws establishing alternative procedures. ","speaker_name":"JIM GERLACH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090011545,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thirteen States have taken advantage of this opt out and passed law to impose arbitrary overhead rate caps. As a result. Congress cannot be assured that the most qualified firms are being selected for working on Federalaid design projects. At the same time. many of these States require their own audits with their own procedures. instead of accepting the uniform audit procedures used by most of their peers. This places unnecessary burdens on engineering firms and diverts time. staff and focus away from the technical aspect of the project. Section 1703 of S. 1072. the Senate version of the highway reauthorization in the 108th Congress. included a permanent fix for this problem and I hope that the provision finds its way into the final bill. Again. I would like to commend Chairman YOUNG and Ranking Member OBERSTAR for their commitment to our Nations highways and transit systems. I am proud to support H.R. 3 and urge all my colleagues to support the bill as well.","speaker_name":"JIM GERLACH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090011620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Committee on Rules may meet the week of March 14 to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006. Any Member who wishes to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Committee on Rules to room H312 of the Capitol no later than 10 a.m. on Tuesday. March 15. As in past years. the Committee on Rules intends to give priority to amendments offered as complete substitutes. Members are advised that the text of the concurrent resolution as ordered reported by the Committee on the Budget should be available on the Web sites of both the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Rules tomorrow. Friday. March 11. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel and the Congressional Budget Office to ensure that their substitute amendments are properly drafted and scored and should check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1065}
{"speech_id":1090011628,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this Friday marks the oneyear anniversary of the tragic train bombing in Madrid. Spain. The resolution I have.introduced with Mr. McCOTrER expresses the condolences of the House of Representatives to the families of individuals killed in the bombing. It also expresses solidarity with Spain and all other countries that have been attacked during the Global War on Terrorism. These bombings were the worst acts of terrorism ever experienced in Spanish historykilling 191 individuals and injuring almost 2.000. They also marked the deadliest terrorist attacks in Europe since the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Much like our own September 11th. the March 11 attacks were senseless acts of violence perpetrated by terrorists against innocent civilians. This was nothing more than an attack against freedom and democracyperpetrated by cowards bent on turmoil and destruction. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1727}
{"speech_id":1090011628,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While we have had our differences with the government of Spain over the last yearit is important that Congress reiterate its support with the people of Spain. The war on terrorism is a global conflict that knows no boundaries and does not distinguish between civilian and soldier. We have experienced its destruction firsthand. and we must stand in unity with others who have also felt this tragedy. The relationship between the United States and Spain remains strong. and Spain remains an important ally in the war on terrorism. The Madrid bombings were a direct attack on this peaceloving government and its democratic principles. I am deeply saddened by this senseless loss of life. and join my colleagues in express\"ing our most sincere condolences to the victims. their families and the people and government of the Kingdom of Spain.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1727}
{"speech_id":1090011667,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. RU486 is baby poison. and now we know it is also fatal to women. RU486 is a powerful pesticide that was developed to kill human beings. cot cure them. It targets unborn children for elimination as if they were cancers or viruses and hurts the women who take it. The fact that proabortion groups led the charge to water down the FDAs safety measures on RU486 and now have been silent in the death of Holly Patterson is an indictment against them. They care more about abortion than they do women. These groups have actually chosen to subjugate womens lives and health to the insatiable desire for legal abortion at any time and for. any reason. They have chosen abortion over women. but our current FDA should not continue to side with these extreme organizations such as Planned Parenthood. The FDA should be concerned more about health than they are with the bottom line of what the abortion industry is making. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090011667,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why I so strongly support Hollys Law. a bill authored by the Senator from South Carolina and the gentleman from Maryland . I was very glad to join the gentleman from Maryland today at a press conference promoting this important legislation. As a father. my heart goes out to the Pattersons in their grief over the loss of their daughter. RU486 killed Holly Patterson. and the approval of this terrible drug during the Clinton administration was done in the name of political expediency instead of patient health. Let me just say briefly. Mr. Speaker. that the FDA violated Federal law and their own standards in approving RU486. They approved it without the submission of data from adequate and wellcontrolled clinical trials. They created a final approval regimen for the use of RU486 that does not reflect safeguards employed in the clinical trials on which FDA relied. They approved RU486 using the expedited subpart H process which is only supposed to be used to approve drugs to treat serious or lifethreatening illnesses. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090011667,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unless you construe the killing of an unborn child. boy or girl. to be a disease or an illness. subpart H should have never been used. In violation of their own pediatric rule. they never tested the drug on adolescents. even though it is being used by adolescents. They have failed to impose and enforce restrictions on the use of RU486 commensurate with the risk that it poses to women. and womenare dying. They failed to require the Population Council to honor in full its postapproval safety study commitments. and let us not forget that this drug is being manufactured in the Peoples Republic of China. It is important to keep in mind that with RU486. we are talking about calibrating a poison designed to kill one person without causing harm or without killing another. The purpose of RU486 is to. chemically poison. this is the purpose of it. another human being. That it is dangerous physically and mentally and should never be sold to young people as a solution to their problems ought to be selfevident. Abortion. Mr. Speaker. is violence against children. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090011667,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We can do better for women. It is not in their interest that their children be killed with these powerful poisons. I would just say finally. Mr. Speaker. that the longer this poison is on the market. administered to young people by groups like Planned Parenthood. the more unborn boys and girls and women who take it will be at risk of death and injury. Let us not forget. as well. that Planned Parenthood is an organization that annually performs about 240.000 abortions. They make an enormous amount of money from the abortions that they provide. either surgically or chemically. and this is now another tool in their arsenal against unborn children. They ought to be known as Child Abuse. Incorporated for the large number of children that they have killed.and continue to kill with U.S. subsidies both at the Federal and the State level. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090011667,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. again we call on the FDA. It is time to take this drug. this chemical poisoning of unborn children that is so dangerous to women. off the market.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090011776,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the baffkruptcy bill does not allow consumers to declare personal bankruptcy. in either chapter 7 or chapter 13. unless they receive a briefing from an approved nonprofit credit counseling agency within 6 months of filing for bankruptcy. About onethird of all credit counseling consumers enter into a debt management plan. In exchange. creditors can agree to offer concessions to consumers to pay off as many of their debts as possible. However. most credit card companies have become increasingly unwilling to significantly reduce interest rates for consumers in credit counseling. My amendment would prevent unsecured creditors. primarily credit card issuers. from attempting to collect accruing interest and additional fees from consumers in credit counseling. As a show of support for the effectiveness of sound consumer credit counseling. especially as an alternative to bankruptcy. credit card issuers should waive the amount owned in interest and fees for consumers who enter a consolidated payment plan. Successful completion of a debt management plan benefits both creditors and consumers. For many consumers. paying off debt is not easy. and my amendment seeks to help these struggling individuals. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment to help consumers enrolled in debt management plans to successfully repay their creditors. free themselves from debt. and avoid bankruptcy.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1415}
{"speech_id":1090011827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment will exempt from the bankruptcy bills means test those disabled veterans whose indebtedness occurred primarily during a period of military service. They have given us their arms. their legs. very important parts of their lives. After 2 weeks of debate. after scores of amendments that have failed. I ask my colleagues. just once. in the consideration of this bill. whether they will take into their consideration those who. because of misfortunes they could not control. have had their lives seriously changed. We need to honor these veterans who have given so much to America. If the Senate owes a great debt to the credit card industry. dont we owe a greater debt to these brave soldiers? I ask you to vote aye.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":743}
{"speech_id":1090011872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak in support of a critical piece of legislation. the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. More than ever. we need rigorous. relevant career and technical education programs to help students prepare for postsecondary education and to address the shortage of highly skilled workers necessary to meet the demands of the contemporary workforce. A skilled and flexible workforce is essential to building a strong and dynamic economy and to maintaining our countrys ability to compete in a global economy. According to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey. 75 percent of employers report severe difficulties when trying to hire qualified workers. with 40 percent of job applicants having poor skills. Further. a survey by the National Association of Manufacturers found that 80 percent of manufacturers experience a shortage of qualified workers. Most troubling. as many as 3.3 million jobs may be sent overseas in the next 15 years. resulting in American workers losing $136 billion in wages. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8210}
{"speech_id":1090011872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With this reality. it is vitally important to support S. 250. the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education. CTE. Improvement Act of 2005. This legislation promotes a rigorous curriculum. innovative learning environments. and relevant coursework and training. thus ensuring students receive the education and training necessary to develop .a highly skilled workforce. Strong career and technical education programs are essential in addressing this shortage of highly skilled workers and in preserving American jobs. Career and technical education must be academically rigorous and enhance students critical thinking and applied skills. Accordingly. this bill makes a number of significant improvements to ensure that CTE students participate in a rigorous and challenging curriculum. and realize positive educational and employment outcomes. For example. the bill integrates challenging academic and technical standards. aligned with No Child Left Behind and nationallyrecognized industry standards. into CTE instruction. The bill also strengthens educational and career pathways for students beyond high school and makes significant strides in building alliances among high schools. 2- and 4year colleges. business and industry. and community organizations. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8210}
{"speech_id":1090011872,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Further. the bill expands career guidance and academic counseling services to ensure that students have a career plan and career objectives. Wellprepared CTE teachers and good professional development are essential components of an effective. rigorous CTE curriculum. CTE teachers must possess the knowledge and skills to teach effectively. Hence. this bill dedicates resources to promoting the leadership. initial preparation. and professional development of career and technical education teachers to foster effective practices.. Mr. President. this bill is designed to improve student educational and employment outcomes. including their technical and workplace knowledge and skillg. But. we must be able to measure how well CTE programs are meeting the needs of its students. Accordingly. the legislation will require states to identify core indicators of performance that include measures of student achievement on technical assessments and attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies. Thus. it is essential to develop valid and reliable assessments of technical and career competencies that are aligned with national industry standards and integrate industry certification assessments. if available and appropriate. To address this- need for highquality technical assessments. this bill permits State leadership funds to be used to develop valid and reliable assessments of technical skills that are integrated with industry certification assessments where available. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8210}
{"speech_id":1090011872,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet. increasing academic and technical rigor alone is not enough to prepare students to enter into and compete in the 21st century workforce. The learning environment students experience also heavily impacts academic performance and student outcomes. When smaller learning communities are in place. students benefit greatly: they experience a greater sense of belonging to their schools and they have fewer discipline. crime. violence. and substance abuse problems. I would like to highlight two high schools in my home State of New Mexico which demonstrate some of the best practices of rigorous and innovative career and technical education. Rio Rancho High School. in partnership with Intel Corporation. has served as a model example of how academic rigor. handsonlearning. strong professional development. defined career pathways. and robust alliances are elements of a successful. quality CTE program. Rio Rancho has created academies of study for all students. which allow students to: pursue career pathways to postsecondary education and beyond. take core courses geared toward interests. skills. and competitive careers. form partnerships with instructors. and become part of a smaller learning community within the larger high school. The academies allow students to explore personal strengths and interests in relationship to career planning and job markets. Accordingly. Rio Rancho has been designated as a Microsoft Center of Innovation and Time Magazine has called Rio Rancho one of the ten most innovative career and technical schools in the nation. Another great example of innovative career and technical education can be found at Albuquerque High School. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8210}
{"speech_id":1090011872,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In just a couple of years. the career academies at Albuquerque High School have demonstrated very positive student outcomes. The first students in Albuquerques Academy of Advanced Technology have lower dropout rates and improved academic achievement. Accordingly. this legislation recognizes that smaller learning communities are a critical educational investment and thus allows local funds to be used to support and develop personalized career themed learning communities. As Rio Rancho and Albuquerque High Schools demonstrate. rigorous career and technical education and smaller. learning environments enhance students achievement and motivation to learn.Mr. President. this country is facing a crisis. Only 68 percent of our Nations students are graduating high school with a regular diploma in four years. We must devote more attention and resources to increase graduation rates and promote dropout prevention. Providing quality career and technical education is one crucial way to increase graduation rates. CTE programs provide students with relevance. and are themselves a form of dropout prevention. In fact. quality CTE programs result in positive educational and employment outcomes for students. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8210}
{"speech_id":1090011898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak in favor of S. 256. the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. and to thank all of the people who made this bill possible. This bankruptcy bill has been a long time coming. We all know how bankruptcy claims have\" skyrocketed since the last major bankruptcy reform bill in 1978. We all know about the abuses of the system. Well. that is about to change for the better. This bill is about fairness and accountability. We have made some important changes in this legislation. This bill contains a debtors bill of rights with new protections that prevent bad actors from preying upon the uninformed. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11741}
{"speech_id":1090011898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill also includes new consumer protections under the Truth in Lending Act. such as new required disclosures regarding minimum monthly payments and introductory rates for credit cards. It protects consumers from unscrupulous creditors. with new penalties on creditors who refuse to negotiate reasonable payment schedules outside ofbankruptcy. S. 256 provides for protection of educational savings accounts. and it gives equal protection for retirement savings in bankruptcy. It helps women and children by providing a comprehensive set of protections for child and domestic support throughout the bankruptcy process. This legislation dramatically revises the reaffirmation agreement provisions of the Code. It imposes critical disclosure requirements that will put a stop to abusive ptactices. It makes the provisions relating to farmers in chapter 12 permanent and broadens its provisions. It -cleans up the law governing complex exchanges and thereby reduces systemic risk in our marketplace. It acts to stop abuse. When this bill hit the floor on Monday. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11741}
{"speech_id":1090011898,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"February 28. I mentioned that we were in the last leg of -a legislative marathon. The finish line is finally in sight. I am pleased to have been a part of this process and I am even more pleased we are able to pass this important legislation. and I anticipate that it will pass shortly. This bill has been a long time in development. I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish. Today it seems it is finally going to cross the finish line. and it is well worth it. This bill may not lead to a severe reduction in the number of bankruptcies. I believe. though. that it will reduce the number of fraudulent and abusive filings and help educate consumers to keep their financial houses in order. This is always an important goal. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11741}
{"speech_id":1090011898,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No responsible society can long countenance the open flouting and abuse of its laws. This bill. with its means test. will discourage such abusive filings by restricting access to chapter 7 liquidation by those with relatively high incomes. We should all stand behind a law that requires people with the ability to repay their debts to actually repay those debts. Most of our debate on this bill has focused around the means test. There is no doubt that this will discourage some bankruptcy filings. but I also hope our credit counseling provisions will work to persuade even some- lowincome debtors that there is another way out. Right now. too many are only hearing one part of the story: Declare bankruptcy. Liquidate your debts. Some attorneys pushing this line. however. leave out the part about the years of ruined credit that result. the inability to get a car loan or a house loan. My hope is our modest credit counseling provisions will persuade sortie people to stayt out of bankruptcy and meet their obligations. do what is right. and keep their credit alive. While a great majority of Senators support this bill. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11741}
{"speech_id":1090011898,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know not all of my colleagues are pleased. Last night my friend from Massachusetts. Senator KENNEDY. again voiced his strong opposition to this legislation. This was probably clear from m)t response. I vehemently disagree with his opinions about this bill. but I hope he understands that we are trying our best. Could we have done better? I have no doubt about that. not for a second. but I also know this bill has benefitted from some of Senator KENNEDYS suggestions over the years. We have not ignored him. and I hope he understands we appreciate his participation. I also understand some of my colleagues feel that they may not have been treated fairly in this process. My desire throughout this process. and the desire of my colleagues who supported this bill. was always to act as an honest broker who took the suggestions of the other side with appropriate seriousness. I understand the frustration from some on the other side at the inability to get amendments agreed to or considered on the floor. but I hope they in turn can understand that we have tried our best on this side to balance all of the competing interests in this body while also trying to get this very important bill done. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11741}
{"speech_id":1090011927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I know that the Senate is about to pass a bankruptcy reform bill. and that this bill will be signed into flaw. And it is with some regret that I say that I will not vote for it. I do believe that there have been cases of abuse of our bankruptcy system. and that some reform is needed. Nobody likes to hear of wealthy people who walk avay from their debts because they can game the system. Thats not fair to financial institutions. and perhaps more importantly. its not fair to Americans who pay their debts in full. I voted for a bankruptcy reform bill twice in the past. most recently in 2001. That bill passed in the Senate with significant bipartisan consensus. and I had hoped that it would be signed into law. But the House of Representatives refused to compromise with the Senate. and ultimately the bill failed. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090011927,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This time around. I Would have liked to have reached another bipartisan consensus. However. the bipartisan spirit seems to have broken down. My colleagues on the Democratic side offered a number of amendments that were reasonable. commonsense tweaks to the bill. to reflect changes in our country since the last time the bankruptcy bill was considered. There have been hundreds of thousands of National Guard and reserve troops called up because of !the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. They have left behind their jobs. their businesses. and their families. When they find themselves in bankruptcy. why not allow them some consideration? My colleague from Illinois. Senator DURBIN. offered an amendment that would have done precisely that. but it was voted down on a largely partisan vote. Or how about victims of identity theft? In the last few years. identity theft has become a plague on lawabiding citizens. My colleague from Florida. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090011927,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator NELSON. offered a most reasonable amendment. which simply said that if someone is forced into bankruptcy because of identity theft. he should receive some consideration. That amendment was also voted down along partisan lines. Or how about Americans who suffered major medical problems and were driven into bankruptcy? A very recent Harvard Medical School study found that about half of all people that have been driven to bankruptcy have suffered a major medical problem. Many of these people have lost their homes. So Senator KENNEDY offered an amendment that would have allowed such Americans to keep their homenot a mansion. mind you. but a modest home. while they try to get back on their feet. But this amendment also was shot down. We have not heard good arguments for why these amendments should have failed. The majority party have really only had one argument: that they want to avoid displeasing the House of Representatives. and dont dare modify the Senate bill even with modest. reasonable amendments. Well. I am just not going to support a bill that turns its back on service members and veterans. or on hardworking people that just happen to have had a medical crisis. and have been driven into bankruptcy not because they are gaming the system. but because of circumstances beyond their control. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090011927,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One other point. This bankruptcy bill was supposed to be about preventing cheating in the bankruptcy -system. Well. I offered an amendment. along with Senator DURBIN. that would have dealt with a different kind of cheating: the fraud. waste. and abuse that has been rampant in many of the reconstruction contracts in Iraq. My amendment said. lets appoint a bipartisan special committee of the Senate to investigate these abuses. But that amendment did not even get a vote. In 1941. a Senator from Missouri by the name of Harry S Truman. heard allegations of wasteful and fraudulent spending in the preparations for World War II. He thought this waste and fraud could undermine the war effort. so he drove around the country. visiting military bases. And when he came back. he called for the creation of a special committee. That committee. which came to be known as the Truman Committee. saved the U.S. government an estimated $15 billionand thats in 1940s dollars. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090011927,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was a case of a Democrat calling for investigations of contracts handled by a Democratic Administration. But for Harry Truman. this wasnt about politicsit was about looking out for the U.S. taxpayer. and not squandering resources that were meant for the war effort. We need a Truman Committee again. because the majority party is not calling for oversight hearings on these contracting abuses in Iraq. My amendment would have created a bipartisan special committee to do just that. But it did not even get a vote. because the majority party rested on a technicality in Senate rules to deny a vote. Under these circumstances. I am. regretfully. not going to vote for the bankruptcy bill. Ms.: MIKULSKI. Mr. President. today I rise to oppose S. 256. the Bankruptcy Reform Bill. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090011934,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am in opposition to the bankruptcy legislation. The financial services industry has become increasingly complex with new technology. products. and services. However. this dated legislation has not had significant changes made to it since the 107th Congress. Predatory lending has surged since the initial development of this bankruptcy legislation. In the early 1990s. there were fewer than 200 payday lenders nationwide. Now. there are more than 20.000. Payday lenders made 100 million loans in 2003. These loans represent more than $40 billion. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090011934,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most alarmingly. according to the Consumer Federation of America. interest rates on these loans begin at 390 percent. Yet. Congress has failed to -act to prevent the exploitation of working families that are short on cash due to unexpected medical expenses or other needs. I -am afraid that the passage of this legislation will further reduce the risk for predatory lenders. and as a result. they will aggressively market their products even more. We must act to protect consumers from these unscrupulous lenders. I remain committed to restricting all forms of predatory lending. including .payday loans. and to providing consumers with alternative affordable shortterm loans. Access to credit has increased significantly and household debt has skyrocketed as a result. Revolving debt. mostly compromised of credit card debt. has risen from $54 billion in January 1980 to more than $780 billion in November 2004. A U.S. Public Interest Research Grodp and Consumer Federation of America analysis of Federal Reserve data indicates that the average household with debt carries approximately $10.000 to $12.000 in total revolving debt. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090011934,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation tightens the grip that creditors have on consumers. but it fails to restrict the aggressive marketing practices of credit card companies. In addition. this bankruptcy bill fails to provide adequate. timely. and meanijngful disclosures for consumers. As we make it more difficult for consumers to.discharge their debts in bankruptcy. we have a responsibility to provide additional information so that consumers can make better informed decisions. S. 256 includes a requirement that credit card issuers provide a generic warning about the consequences of only making the minimum payment. This provision fails to provide the detailed informa.tion for consumers on their billing statements that my amendment would have provided. My amendment would have given consumers the detailed personalized information necessary for them to make better informed choices about their credit card use and repayment. It would have required companies to inform consumers of how many years and months it would take to repay their entire balance and the total cost in interest and principal. if the consumer makes only the minimum payment. The amendment would also have required consumers to be provided with the amount they need to pay to eliminate their outstanding balance within 36 months. Finally. my amendment would have required that creditors establish a tollfree number so that consumers can accbss trustworthy credit counselors. Unfortunately. this amendment was defeated. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090011934,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the willingness of the Chairman of the Banking Committee. Senator SHELBY. to continue to work with me on this very important consumer awareness issue. I also proposed an amendment that would have required credit card companies to make concessions to individuals in debt management plans so that credit counseling could be a viable alternative to bankruptcy. Unfortunately. that amendment was also defeated. I fear that this bill will end up significantly harming families that have suffered financially due to illnesses. the loss of a job. or the death of a loved one. I supported other reasonable amendments intended to protect lowincome families. the elderly. and other vulnerable populations from this overly restrictive legislation. However. these amendments also failed. Instead of making improvements to the legislation. an old. outdated bill has been approved by the Senate. It is lowincome working families that will be hardest hit by this anticonsumer legislation. After passage of this legislation. we will need to take additional steps to prevent further exploitation of consumers by unscrupulous lenders and to improve relevant and useful information about crehdit to consumers. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090011934,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will continue to fight to protect working families from predatory lenders and overly aggressive creditors","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090011936,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. for me. marks the culmination of 8 long years of hard work. and I am glad we have finally reached this point. where we will not only pass this bill. but the House will do so as well and the President will sign it into law. I believe that we have eliminated some abuses with this bill. I wish we could have accomplished more. but we could not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Let me say to my colleagues. that there are some issues like homestead and asset trusts that will come back. and I look forward to working on those. but make not mistake about it. this is a good bill and I am excited to see it pass. The policy questions we have been addressing are these: (1) whether bankruptcy is a necessary and permitted way to recover from overburdening debt. and (2) when is bankruptcy being abused and used as an escape valve for individuals capable of repaying some. if not all. of their debt . The goal of this bill has never been to create additional burdens for those who have overextended themselves for one reason or another. but to help them achieve financial responsibility after bankruptcy. so that they can avoid similar setbacks In the future. It is clear to me that when you have statements from debtors that they are using bankruptcy to \"[take] advantage of one of the opportunities the Government offers.\" that the responsibility for slowing down the 1.6 millions consumer bankruptcy filings per year lies with Congress. As we approached this bill. our goal was not to punish those who legitimately need the fresh start that bankruptcy offers. However. our goal was to disallow people from filing bankruptcy simply for the sake of taking advantage of a financial opportunity provided by the government. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9564}
{"speech_id":1090011936,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People who can afford to pay all or a part of their debts over a limited period of time should not get off Scot free. Let me just for a moment. talk about the concept of bankruptcy. The term derived from the medieval Italian phrase \"broken bench.\" Merchants would sell their wares in the marketplace from benches. If the merchant ever reached a point where he could not pay his debts. his creditors would seize all of his wares and divide it among themselves. They did not stop with the seizing of wares. however. The creditors would break the merchants bench. to bankrupt the merchant from reopening. Our goal under this legislation was not and we did not \"break the bench.\" Instead of trying to prevent merchants or individuals from having a second opportunity. we accomplished just the opposite. People who need a fresh start under this bill will get one. The people who can pay some of their debts back will have to do that. Let me just highlight a few of the benefits in this bill. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9564}
{"speech_id":1090011936,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. S. 256 requires that individuals receive credit counseling prior to filing for bankruptcy. This counseling will help an individual decide if bankruptcy is the appropriate mechanism to remove debt and will help the individual understand what filing bankruptcy actually means In many instances. the deceptive and fraudulent advertising practices of bankruptcy mills lure consumers into bankruptcy unnecessarily. Debtors should know that there are many ways to get back on their feet financiallysuch as entering into voluntary repayment arrangements: To curb the practice of preying upon debtors. S. 256\"establishes the Debtors Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights requires that debt relief organizations disclose the nature of the services they offer. explain the alternatives to filing bankruptcy disclose the rights and obligations of debtors who file for bankruptcy. and explain the consequences of filing for bankruptcy. \" Second. S. 256 establishes a means test to help determine whether people are capable of paying back a meaningful portion of their debts. This test might help the debtor avoid a Chapter 7 filing. where creditors will liquidate the individuals assets and where the debtor will have a very hard time getting creditors to extend credit to them in the future. If a debtor files under Chapter 13 and learns how to manage money under a structured repayment plan that requires some discipline. the debtor learns financial responsibility andshould be able to avoid future financial turmoil. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9564}
{"speech_id":1090011936,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chapter 13 bankruptcies allow debtors to keep their assets and pay back a portion of their debts over a 5 year period. In exchange. the remaining portions of their debt are discharged and the debtor gets a fresh start. Third. S. 256 creates new protections for consumers. especially in the area of credit cards. We require credit card companies to disclose the dangers of making only a minimum payment and we prohibit deceptive practices like advertising low introductory ratesrates used to bait and switch the credit card holder. We also require that a tollfree number be provided to consumers. where they can obtain information on how long it will take to payoff their credit card balances. The consumer benefits of this bill are enormous. Instead of breaking the bench. this bill promotes financial responsibility. The bill vastly improves the current situation in bankruptcy forcertain categories of individuals. For example. it provides special benefits to women and children. through child support and alimony. and provides parents the ability to deduct expenses such as school tuition. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9564}
{"speech_id":1090011936,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Make no mistake about it. while the bill provides some increased protection for unsecured creditors. it provides more protection for consumers. Logically. there is absolutely no reason to oppose it. Mr. President. over time. many people have worked on this bill. and I would just like to take a moment to express my appreciation for their work. First. it has been an honor to work closely with Senators GRASSLEY and HATCH to make this legislation a reality. I appreciate both of them so much and I believe they both have done yeomens work on this bill. I thank Senator FRIST for making this bill one of his top priorities and I appreciate the leadership of Senator MCCONNELL. I think it is appropriate that wetake just a moment to express appreciation to some people who gave extraordinary effort to make this successful conclusion. First. I note that in my office it has taken three chief counsels to get through this bill. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9564}
{"speech_id":1090011964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the Committee on Commerce. Science. and Transportation I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the RECORDS on the dates indicated. and ask unanimous consent. to gave the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretarys desk for the information of Senators.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":351}
{"speech_id":1090011972,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join Senator BAUCUS in the reintroduction of the Encouraging Work Act of 2005. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and WelfaretoWork Tax Credit (WtW) are tax incentives that encourage employers to hire public assistance recipients and other individuals with barriers to employment. The combination of Welfare Reform passed by Congress in 1996 and the assistance to employers found in the WOTC and WtW has enabled expanded opportunity for many Americans. Yet more can be done. We were pleased that the Senate JOBS bill passed last year included a permanent WOTC\/WtW provision along with helpful reforms largely supported by the Administration. Unfortunately. it was only extended in another tax relief bill. Without action by Congress .WOTC and WtW will expire on January 1. Under present law. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10065}
{"speech_id":1090011972,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"WOTC provides a 40 percent tax credit on the first $6.000 of wages for those working at least 400 hours. or a partial credit of 25 percent for those working 120399 hours. WtW provides a 35 percent tax credit on the first $10.000 of wages for those working 400 hours in the first year. In the second year. the WtW credit is 50 percent of the first $10.000 of wages earned. WOTC and WtW are key elements of welfare reform. A growing number of employers use these programs in the retail. health care. hotel. financial services. food. and other industries. These programs have helped over 2.700.000 previously dependent persons to find jobs. WOTC and WtW eligibility is limited to: 1. Recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) in 9 of the 18 months ending on the hiring date. 2. individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. 3. disabled individuals with vocational rehabilitation referrals. 4. veterans on food stamps. 5. individuals in households receiving food stamp benefits. 6. qualified summer youth employees. 7. lowincome exfelons. . and 8. individuals age 1824 living in empowerment zones or renewal communities. Eligibility for WtW is limited to individuals receiving welfare benefits for 18 consecutive months ending on the hiring date. More than 80 percent of WOTC and WtW hires were previously dependent on public assistance programs. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10065}
{"speech_id":1090011972,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These credits are both a hiring incentive--offsetting some of the higher costs of recruiting. hiring. and retaining public assistance recipients and other lowskilled individualsand a retention incentive. providing a higher reward for those who stay longer on the job. After eight years of experience with these programs. their value has been well demonstrated. In 2001. the GAO issued a report that indicated that employers have significantly changed their hiring practices because of WOTC. With the resources provided by WOTC. employers have provided job mentors. lengthened training periods. engaged in recruiting outreach. and listed jobs or requested referrals from public agencies or partnerships. WOTC and WtW have become a true publicprivate partnership in which the Department of Labor. the Internal Revenue Service. the states. and employers have forged excellent working relationships. But the challenges for employers and those looking for better opportunities are real. The job skills of eligible persons leaving welfare are sometimes limited. and the costs of recruiting. training. and supervising lowskilled individuals cause many employers to look elsewhere for employees. WOTC and WtW are proven incentives for encouraging employers to seek employees from the targeted groups. Despite the considerable success of WOTC. and WtW. many vulnerable individuals still need a boost in finding employment. There are several legislative changes that would strengthen these programs. expand employment opportunities for needy individuals. and make the programs more attractive to employers. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10065}
{"speech_id":1090011972,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Combine WOTC and WtW. The Administrations FY 2006 budget proposes to simplify these important employment incentives by combining them into one credit and making the rules for computing the combined credits simpler. The credits would be combined by creating a new welfaretowork target group under WOTC. The minimum employment periods and credit rates for the first year of employment under the present work opportunity tax credit would apply to WtW employees. The maximum amount of eligible wages would continue to be $10.000 for WtW employees and $6.000 for other target groups ($3.000 for summer youth). In addition. the second year 50percent credit under WtW would continue to be available for WtW employees under the modified WOTC. Eliminate Requirement to Determine Family Income for ExFelons. Under current law. only those exfelons whose annual family income is 70 percent or less than the Bureau of Labor Statistics lower living standard during the six months preceding the hiring date are eligible for WOTC. The Administrations FY 2006 budget proposes to eliminate the family income attribution rule. Permanent Extension of WOTC and WtW. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10065}
{"speech_id":1090011972,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Permanent extension would provide these programs with greater stability. thereby encouraging more employers to participate. make investments in expanding outreach to identify potential workers from the targeted groups. and avoid the wasteful disruption of termination and renewal. A permanent extension would also encourage the state job services to invest the resources needed to make the certification process more efficient and employerfriendly. Raise the WOTC age eligibility ceiling from 24 to 39 years of age for members of food stamp households and \"highrisk youth\" living in enterprise zones or renewal communities. Current WOTC -eligibility rules heavily favor the hiring of women because single mothers are much more likely to be on welfare or food stamps. Women constitute about 80 percent of those hired under the WOTC program. but men from welfare households face the same or even greater barriers to finding work. Increasing the age ceiling in the \"food stamp category\" would greatly improve the job prospects for many absentee fathers and other \"at risk\" males. This change would be completely consistent with program objectives because many food stamp households include adults who are not working. and more than 90 percent of those on food stamps live below the poverty line. WOTC and WtW are also key elements of welfare reform. Employers in the retail. health care. hotel. financial services. and food industries have incorporated this program into their hiring practices and through these programs. more than 2.700.000 previously dependent persons have found work. A recent report issued by the New York State Department of Labor bears this out in economic terms. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10065}
{"speech_id":1090011974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I rise to introduce thO \"Electric Transmission and Reliability Enhancement Act of 2005\". It is my intention to build on the competitive wholesale open access policies adopted by the Congress in the 1992 Enerzgy Policy Act. My legislation would extend and improve these open. nondiscriminatory access policies. remove antiquated federal statutory barriers that stand in the way of competitive wholesale markets.","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":432}
{"speech_id":1090011976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation to. correct an injustice in the Internal Revenue Code that is negatively affecting our troops. I recently received an email from an activeduty Airman who expressed his dismay that he has been told the law requires him to withdraw the money he had contributed. to an IRA previously in the year. Here iswhat he told me: I am an activeduty member of the military who has been deployed so much that I have not paid taxes for more than a year now. I also had been contributing to a RothIRA. Ive been told by tax professionals that I will have to withdraw my contributions because I do not show a taxable income. Ive been deployed and put in harms way many times last year and I am not allowed legally to contribute to an IRA like any other average American. This is an injustice to the soldiers that work so hard under hard conditions. There are thousands of soldiers that are going to be told to take their IRA contributions out since they \"have been deployd twelve months. This is a slap in the face for those soldiers who have put themselves in danger. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090011976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This injustice results from an unintended. but undeniably unjust. interaction between combat pay and IRA rules. Under IRA contribution rules. you can only contribute to a taxfavored retirement account if you have taxable income for the year. Military personnel deployed for a full calendar year or more. however. may have no taxable income because their earnings while serving in a combat zone are excluded from taxation. These troops are therefore prohibited by law from contributing income to an IRA because. technically.. they have not earned taxable income. This is indeed an injustice. This is no way to treat the men and women who have been deployed to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan for long periods of time. Rather than discouraging our troops from saving for retirement. we shoulf take steps to ensure that they have the same access to taxfavored retirement savings programs as the rest of us. I ask my colleagues to join me in correcting this injustice. The bill I am introducing today simply amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow.our dedicated military service men and women to contribute to 1RAs. regardless of their deployment status. My bill presents an opportunity for the United States Senate to support retirement savings and our brave military personnel. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090011976,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a winwin for all involved. I hope my colleagues will join me in correcting this injustice and send this bill to the President for his quick gignature. By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself. Mr. BOND. Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. WARNER. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090011976,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MS. COLLINS. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. WYDEN. Mr. SARBANES. Mr. JOHNSON. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090011976,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. NELSON of Florida. Ms. LANDRIEU. Ms. STABENOW.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090011978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the Senate cochair of the Bipartisan Task Force on Alzheimers Disease. I am pleased to join Sehators BOND and MiKULSKI in introducing the Ronald Reagan Alzheimers Breakthrough Act of 2005. Alzheimers is a devastating disease that takes a tremendous personal and economic toll on both the individual and the family. As someone whose family has experienced the pain of Alzheimers. I know that there is no more helpless feeling than to watch the progression of this dreadful disease. It is an agonizing experience to look into the eyes of a loved one only to receive a confused look in return. Ronald Reagan had a profound effect on our Nation in many ways during his Presidency. But what many of us will remember most is the grace and dignity with which he nd his wife Nancy faced the final battle against Alzheimers--the one campaign they knew he wouldnt win. Ironically. it was President Reagan who first drew national attention to Alzheimers disease when he launched a national campaign against the disease some 22 years ago. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3658}
{"speech_id":1090011978,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1983. President Reagan proclaimed November as National Alzheimers Disease Month. In his proclamation. President Reagan said: \"The emotional. financial and social consequences of Alzheimers disease are so devastating that it deserves attention. Science and clinical medicine are striving to improve our understanding of what causes Alzheimers disease and how to treat it successfully. Right now. research is the only hope for victims and their families.\" An estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimers disease. more than double the number in 1980. Moreover. Alzheimers disease costs the United States more than $100 billion a year. primarily in nursing home and other longterm care costs. This figufe will only increase exponentially as the baby boom generation ages. As the baby boomers move into the years of highest risk for Alzheimers disease. a strong and sustained research effort is our best tool to slow down the progression and prevent the onset of this terrible disease. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3658}
{"speech_id":1090011978,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our investments in Alzheimers disease research have begun to pay dividends. Effective treatments for Alzheimers disease and a possible vaccine are tantalizingly within our grasp. Moreover. if scientists can find a way to delay the onset of this devastating disease for even five years. durNation will save at least $50 billion in annual health and longterm care costs and an incalculable amount in human suffering. If we are to keep up the momentum we have established. we must increase our investment in Alzheimers disease research. Millions of Americans. including the families of Alzheimer patients. are profoundly grateful for our historic accomplishment of doubling funding for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health. We have made tremendous progress. but more must be done. The bill we are introducing today therefore doubles the authorization levels for Alzheimers research at the NIH from the current . funding level of $700 million to $1.4 million. In addition to increasing funding for research. our bill provides much needed support for Alzheimers patients and their families by increasing funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program and by providing a tax credit of up to $3.000 to help families meet the costs of caring for a loved one with longterm care needs. The Ronald Reagan Alzheimers Breakthrough Act of 2005 will serve as a living tribute to President Reagan and will offer hope to all of those suffering from the disease today. It is now time for Congress to pick up the banner and pass this important legislation. and I urge all of my colleagues to sign on as cosponsors.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3658}
{"speech_id":1090012024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise rights legal advisor in West Africa. today to mark the anniversary of the Whereas in 2003. Fern Holland went to indeath of a young woman whose courage vestigate alleged human rights violations for the American Refugee Committee at a refugee camp in Guinea where she established a legal clinic to seek justice for victims of human rights violations. and which. at the time of her death in 2004. had handled 118 cases on behalf of victims of human rights violations. Whereas in May 2003. Fern Holland went to Iraq as a United States Agency for International Development employee to work for womens rights: Whereas in Traq. Fern Holland organized human rights groups. opened 6 womens centers in south Baghdad. and acted as a strong advocate for Iraqi womens rights. Whereas after Fern Hollands death. leading feminists from the National Organization for Women. the Feminist Majority Foundation. and the National Council of Womens Organizations issued statements praising her work. Whereas.residents of the refugee camp in Guinea renamed the legal clinic Fern Holland established the \"Fern Holland Legal Aid Clinic of Nzerekore\": Whereas the high school Fern Holland attended in Miami. Florida observed a moment of silence and then discussed a memorial to honor her. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1963}
{"speech_id":1090012024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whereas the Cherokee Nation honored Fern Holland by passing a resolution saying she \"died as a warrior\". Whereas Fern Holland was posthumously named a Heroic Oklahoman on April 7. 2004. by Governor Brad Henry. and Whereas Fern Holland devoted her brief life to promoting her belief in basic human rights and the rule of law: Now. therefore. be it Resolved. That the Senate\u0095(1) recognizes that. in Fern Holland. the World has lost one of its most devoted and hard working human rights activists. (2) honors Fern Holland in her extreme dedication to making the world a better place. and (3) expresses its deep and heartfelt condolences to the family of Fern Holland on their loss.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1963}
{"speech_id":1090012030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Prepident. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes is business today. it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Friday. March 11. I further ask unanimous consent that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then begin a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":462}
{"speech_id":1090012160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise. along vith my friend. colleague and fellow Arkansan. Senator MARK PRYOR. to introduce a bill to direct the Treasury to mint a commemorative coin in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High School in Little Rock. AR. Our colleagues in the House have led the way in this effort with a bill written by Representative VIc SNYDER and cosponsored by the entire Arkansas delegation. On September 2. 1957. nine AfricanAmerican students made their way to the front doors of Central High School in the city of Little Rock. AR. In our modern era. this seems like a very normal moment. And in truth there is nothing particularly special about students making their way to school on the first day of class. However. in 1957. this was a Nation changing event. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090012160,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ernest Green. Elizabeth Eckford. Jefferson Thomas. Terrence Roberts. Carlotta Walls. Minnijean Brown. Gloria Ray. Thelma Mothershed and Melba Pattillo showed courage in the face of strong opposition. Their principled stand helped to move the State and the Nation forward as it marched toward greater equality for all. What happened in Little Rock almost 50 years ago is not only a testament to the Little Rock Nine. but it is also a testament to those who supported them. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090012160,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a testament to the people. of Little Rock of all hues who decided that they would confront their own consciences. And it is testament to those who. upon reflecting on the matter. decided that doing what is right was worth the cost. Theie decision to move this Nation forward makes me proud to be an Arkansan. It makes me proud to be an American. Thats why Im especially pleased to introduce this legislation to direct the Treasury to issue these commemorative coins. This bill is a small token of recognition of the gift that the Little Rock nine and the entire Little Rock community has given to this Nation. I believe that someone who was there can say it better than I can. At the 20th anniversary of the integration of Central High. Ralph G. Brodie. the 5758 student body president. spoke at a special ceremony where he paid tribute to the Little Rock Nine. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090012160,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He addressed the three of the Little Rock Nine who were present saying: \"Youve. done much to assure the rights of others. Yours were acts of courage. and I salute you.\" I join him. I salute the Little Rock Nine and I salute those. both black and white. who helped to successfully integrate Central High School. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090012165,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to share with my colleagues the winners of the 20042005 Dick Lugar\/Indiana Farm Bureau\/Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Youth Essay Contest. In 1985. I joined with the Indiana Farm Bureau to sponsor an essay contest for eighth grade students in my home State. The purpose of this contest was to encourage young Hoosiers to recognize and appreciate the importance of Indiana agriculture in their lives and subsequently. craft an essay responding to the assigned theme. I. along with my friends at the Indiana Farm Bureau and Farm Bureau Insurance Companies.. am pleased with the annual response to this contest and the quality of the essays received over the years. I congratulate Thomas (Trey) Dunn III of Jay County and Brittany Lechner of Daviess County as winners of this years contest. Likewise. I include the names of all of the district and county winners of the 20042005 Dick Lugar\/Indiana Farm Bureau\/Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Youth -Essay Contest. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1050}
{"speech_id":1090012165,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask that the following materials be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1050}
{"speech_id":1090012169,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Banking Committee for their acknowledgment of my concerns. I also appreciate their interest in this matter and believe that these are serious issues that merit further attention. I look forward to working with the chairman and ranking member in examining these issues associated with practices in the credit card industry.*","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":399}
{"speech_id":1090012255,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker\" in my capacity as Wi ranking Democratic mmber of the Resources Conwrise. I would Ike to register my 36 support of H.R. 2. to cre#Ae the ofce of chief *W ofto for the terito of the U.S: Virgin islat This Chwante Passed s\"FAN lislation m the 1091h Congrees becaus. of the tireless and tenaciosll Sets of Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Today. we are bringing up this legislation early in the Congress hoping the Senate will act on it expeditiously. The financial condition of the Virgin Islands remains in trouble. Skyrocketing deficits coupled with inadequate fiscal controls have left the local government struggling to provide basic services to the people of the Virgin Islands. Just last week. the U.S. Department of Education issued an order to the Virgin Islands Government to hire an independent contractor to manage approximately $35 million in annual grants because the local government did not have a financial system in place to adequately account for the grants. Regrettably. this recent order was not the first of its kind by one of our Federal agencies levied against the local Virgin Islands Government. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2106}
{"speech_id":1090012255,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clearly. the lack of financial accountability and the potential for financial insolvency of the territory did not occur overnight. Nevertheless the introduction of this measure. by the distinguished representative of the Virgin Islands. DONNA CHRISTENSEN. continues to.be met with controversy and opposition from many local political leaders. DONNA CHRISTENSEN has made it clear that this legislation is something that she would rather not have to do. but the circumstances of her territory have made the choices for her. She is a brave woman for fighting for what she believes is in the best interest of her constituents and for her island and she should be commended. Virgin Islands history will tout this legislation as a turning point in the fundamental approach that the territory handles its financial affairs. I have said it before. and I will say it again today: When the next chapter in Profiles in Courage is written. it will be about the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands. DONNA","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2106}
{"speech_id":1090012284,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 486. introduced by the gentleman from New Meyico . would provide for a land exchange involving private land and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the vicinity of Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for the purpose of removing that land from a required safety zone surrounding munitions storage bunkers at the Air Force base. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico .. the author of this bill.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":525}
{"speech_id":1090012287,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. it is unfortunate that the private landowners in this case were unable to reach an agreement with the Air Force to resolve this ongoing dispute. However. because ensuring that Holloman Air Force Base operates effectively and safely is critical to both the Air Force and the residents who live and work near the base. we have worked closely with the gentleman from New Mexico to craft a legislative solution. Compared to the version of this legislation introduced in the previous Congress. H.R. 486 contains a number of changes made at the request of the minority. and we appreciate the inclusion of those changes. and at this time we would not oppose the adoption of H.R. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":822}
{"speech_id":1090012287,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have no further speakers. and I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":822}
{"speech_id":1090012322,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise before this House as a proud Floridian. Over this past year the people if my home State have demonstrated an amazing amount of tenacity and the ability to help each other in their great time of need. Yes. it has been quite a few months since the Hurricane sea.son of 2004 ravaged us. but the sight of blue tarps replacing roofs on homes and piles of debris are still all too rampantand in only 12 weeks the Hurricane season of 2005 will be upon us. I am pleased to stand before this chamber in support of Congressman FOLEYS effort to ease the pain for those who were affected by the tragic events of this last hurricane season. Sadly. the reality of these kinds of natural disasters is that many businesses never reopen and unemployment remains high long after the storms have gone. The Florida tourism industry is still very bruised because of canceled seasons and slower recovery times in certain areas of the State. By exempting hazard mitigation grants from being considered personal income for tax purposes. we are easing the path to recovery for a large number of Floridians. While this legislation wont remove all of the obstacles that these storms have put in our way. it certainty will be a useful tool in the effort to fully recover.","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1269}
{"speech_id":1090012356,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding me time. I would also like to thank the chairman and ranking member and other members.of the committee that made it possible for this resolution to come to the floor on a strictly bipartisan basis. I would also just like to say that during the consideration of the previous resolution. it was pointed out by the gentleman from California and others how encouraging it is to see democracy springing up around the world. particularly in the Middle East. This is a trend which is tremendous for us to see. and certainly it should be the policy of the House of Representatives and our government generally to do whatever we can to help promote the trend which is so well under way. And of course at the same time it. would be good if we could help remove obstacles that may stand in the way of democracy being successful in places like Lebanon and the trend which is under way perhaps in Egypt and Iraq and Afghanistan and many other places. So let us be clear on this subject of Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a radical terrorist organization. and this resolution simply asks the European Union to officially list it as such. Its core beliefs are based on a perverse doctrine of antiWesternism and antiSemitism. ","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7443}
{"speech_id":1090012356,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hezbollah has led a 23year campaign targeting American. German. French. British. Italian. Israeli. Kuwaiti and countless other civilians from a variety of other countries. Whether it is the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 where 241 Americans were killed. the deadly attacks against Jewish targets in South America during the 1990s or any other atrocious acts of tyranny perpetuated by this organization. there is one thing clear: Hezbollah represents a clear and -present danger to the national security of the United States. to the progress of countries that are in the process of democratizing and to many others around the world. Mr. Speaker. there is no denying the fact some of us in this Chamber disagree from time to time on tactics. on techniques and procedures that are needed to win the war on terror. ","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7443}
{"speech_id":1090012356,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. we all agree. beyond a shadow of a doubt. that organizations that openly call for the death of innocent civilians have no constructive role to play.. H. Res. 101 was not introduced for the purpose of angering our allies on the other side of the Atlantic. It is no secret that without the assistance of various European intelligence services and the steadfast support of many of our allies there would be more terrorists at large today and more threats to our national security than there is at this time. However. it is with these thoughts in mind that I urge our European friends to ponder the following facts: The main reason that France has led the efforts to block the European Union from placing Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organizations is due to the fact that the French believe that the military and political wings of the organizations are separate and. therefore. must be judged in that way. My questidn is simple: How can one separate the political and military wings of an organization if members of that organization. of the organization in question. have made statements contrary to that very fact? For example. Mohammad Raad. a member of the Lebanese Parliament from Hezbollah. stated very plainly. \"Hezbollah is a military resistance party and its task is to fight the occu- Saddam Hussein. from some EU quarpation of our land. There is no separa- - ters has come a strident call on the tion betweer politics and resistance.\" U.S. and its allies to diminish reliance In a book recently published by an- upon force. i.e.. hard power. and inother member of Hezbollah. Sheikh crease utilization of diplomatic means. ","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7443}
{"speech_id":1090012356,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Naim Qassem. Hezbollahs deputy sec- i.e.. soft power. within our war on terretary. he states. Hezbollah is a jihad ror. organization whose aim. first and fore- Now. here rests the opportunity for most. is jihad against the Zionist those strident voices in the EU to put enemy. while the political. pure and their morality where their mouth is. sensible effort can serve as a prop and for if despite all the evidence and the a means of supportafor jihad.\" consequences of Hezbollahs terrorist Mr. Speaker. after hearing these activities. the European Union refuses statements stated by members of to place Hezbollah on its terrorist lift. Hezbollah. how can anyone. European then we will be left but to conclude or American. deny the simple fact that some in Europes insistence upon a sothe ideological fabric of Hezbollah is phisticated. soft power diplomacy in based on the ideals of radical Islam and pursuit of stability. at the expense of the central purpose of the organization liberty. is in reality no less than a disis to kill innocent human beings? ingenuous. shortsighted exercise in I have been concerned during the last craven accommodation. several days about constant references The choice is theirs. but this vote is in the media that seem to indicate that ours. and I urge adoption of the resoluat the behest of our European allies. tion. our government in the United States is Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. ready to accept Hezbollah as a legiti- Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the mate political force in Lebanon. gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Despite the disconcerting statements SHAYS). chairman of the Subcommittee being perpetuated by the media. just on National Security. ","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7443}
{"speech_id":1090012356,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Emerging yesterday Secretary of State Threats and International Relations of Condoleezza Rice declared in the clear- the Committee on Government Reform. est of terms that the United States Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker. I thank the still regards Hezbollah as a terrorist gentleman for yielding me the time. organization. and I was encouraged last and I thank the gentleman from New Thursday when our colleagues in the Jersey and the gentleman European Parliament passed a resolu- from California for their tion that was mentioned just a few from entliforni (Mr. rtAN teir minutes ago by my friend from Cali- involvement in this important legislafornia that the EU Parliament has tion. passd aresluton rgigte Ero- I think the thing that is most repassed a resolution urging the Euro- freshing about President Bushs adminpean Union leadership and the govern- istration is the effort to have an honest ments there to list Hezbollah as a ter- iao ith or allies a hateis rorist entity. The resolution stated the dialogue with our allies about what is simple fact that there are \"irrefutable need to have this honest dialogue. proofs of Hezbollahs terrorist ac- nee to e is het igue tions.\" It is my sincere hope that the The bottom line is Hezbollah is a terEU eaerhipwil ollw headvceofrorist organization through and EU leadership will follow the advice of through. It may have a political arm. their own parliament. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to it may have a public relations arm as pass this impbrtant piece of legislation the gentleman from California (Rankand. send a message to the European ing Member LANTOS) pointed out. but Union that in order to secure a peace- so did the Nazi Party. ","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7443}
{"speech_id":1090012392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to offer a personal explanation. Earlier today. I was unavoidably detained on rollcall votes 66. 67. and 68 due to prior obligation. Had I been present. I would have voted \"yea\" on rollcall vote 66 (H. Res. 135). \"yea\" on rollcall vote 67 (H. Res. 101). and \"yea\" on rollcall vote.68 .","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090012417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. but now we must do it on a global basis. because of Jevons Paradox. if all the world does not cooperate. we will not get there. Had we H1414 CC paid attention to M. King Hubbert and not relegated him to the lunatic fringe. and he was right as evidence indicates on his prediction from 1970. had we paid attention to him we would have had at least 20 years headstart. and then we could have done it alone in this country because we are so big and use so much of the worlds energy. Before we leave coal. we are going to come back to this and spend another hour with a lot of detail on this. but someone said there are 500 years of coal. that is not true there is maybe 250. at present use rates. But as oil becomes harder and harder to find. we are going to turn more and more to coal. and that 70 years with enormous environmental penalty will shortly become a relatively.few years. That is not forever. But we will be leaning on coal more than in the past nuclear. Three ways we can get nuclear energy. For one of them we are home free. and that is fusion. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2927}
{"speech_id":1090012417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We send a little less than $300 million a year on that. I would like to spend more if there was the infrastructure out there to support it. because if we get there. we are home free. But I kind of think that hoping to solve our energy problems with fusion is a bit like you or me hoping to solve our personal financial problems by winning the lottery. That would be real nice. I think the odds are somewhere near the same. I am about as likely to win the lottery as we are to come to economically feasible fusign. I hope I am wrong. Frequently my hopes and my anticipations are different. My anticipation is we are not going to get there because of the enormous engineering challenges. My hope is I am wrong and we are going to get there. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2927}
{"speech_id":1090012417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Two other ways to get energy from nuclear. One is the light water reactor. which is all we have in this country. By the way. tonight when you go home. every fifth home and every fifth business would be dark if we did not have nuclear. It produces 20 percent of all of our electricity. But there is not all that much fissionable uranium in the world. so we are not going to get there with light water reactors. France produces about 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear. They have a lotof breeder reactors. They do what the name implies. they make more fuel than. they use. with big problems. in enrichment. shipping it around. squirreling away the products for a quarter of a million years. That presents enormous challenges to us. So there is the potential here in nuclear. but a lot of problems involved with it. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2927}
{"speech_id":1090012417,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not just that simple. By the way. it takes a lot of oil to build a nuclear power plant. At some point. you pass the point of no return where there is not enough readily available highquality fossil fuels to support our present economy while we make the investment we have","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2927}
{"speech_id":1090012453,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to make one point. The Senator from North Dakota continues to return to the concept that this budget .does not account for the war. It is important to note that this budget accounts for the war in the year of the budget. This budget is a 2006 budget. There is $50 billion of money put into a reserve fund for the purpose of paying for the war in the 2006 budget. The Presidents budget didnt do that. but this budget does. In my opening statement I explained why we decided not to go to the 2007 number or the 2008 number. both of which are very difficult numbers to reach. because this war is hopefully going to be winding down by then and we can reduce the number significantly. and why we didnt put it in the base. which would have been a mistake. because we dont want to inflate the defense budget by an amount which should be a onetime. item which is the need to fight the war.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":903}
{"speech_id":1090012457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from North Dakota. I come to the floor this afternoon to talk about the way this budget deals with the fastest rising costs in America. and those are our medical bills. I am going to talk about two areasMedicaid. and the question of prescription drug coverage under Medicare. I want to start by saying that regrettably in this budget. health care is done wrong. It is set up in a way that we are going to regret. and we are going to regret greatly. I want to take a few minutes to talk about why this budget gets it wrong on the health care issue. Health care is so important because of the demographic changes with which we are faced. First. with respect to the Medicaid program. the way I would describe this Medicaid budget is hurt the poor now. talk about reform later. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11191}
{"speech_id":1090012457,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say this recognizing that I know that is not the intent of the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire. It is certainly not the intent of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Mike Leavitt. who I know means well. But regrettably. that is what it going to happen under -this Medicaid budget. The distinguished Senator from New Hampshire. when he talks about Medicaid. constantly says: We are not (utting Medicaid. The Senator from New Hampshire is correct in saying he is not cutting Medicaid. But he is certainly going to hold down the rate of growth in the program. So the Senator from New Hampshire cuts the ability of State and local governments at a crucial time when they are getting more people enrolled because of the hardships in the economy and when there has been a failure to deal with the longterm care issue. These factors are driving up the cost of Medicaid. The Senator from New Hampshire is right that this is about the rate of growth. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11191}
{"speech_id":1090012457,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But this budget is going to cut the ability of local governments and States and poor people to pay for these medical costs at the very time when States are. going to need the dollars in order to deal with the increases in enrollment and the fact that longterm care under Medicaid has not been dealt with. In effect. what we are going to see is States and the poor get hit with a double. whammy. States and the poor are going to have fewer dollars while at the same time States will not get relief from some of the bureaucratic water torture that is imposed on them. My home State of Oregon is perhaps the leader in desiring to have innovative approaches in Medicaid. Sometimes I jokingly say: I am a Senator from \"Waiver\". because my State consistently wants to waive out of the onesizefitsall approach that is so often taken in health care. Oregon has seen this kind of bureaucratic water torture in a lot of different ways as we have tried to deal with a tough economy and making changes in the Oregon Health Plan. We saw that very often when something innovative was done elsewhere. you couldnt even expedite approval to do that in Oregon or in other states. We see the bias against home and communitybased services in Medicaid. I very much want to see the more flexible approach. the more innovative approach that lets the States be used as a laboratory for innovation in the health care area. But make no mistake about it: Under this budget there are going to be fewer dollars for the kinds of reforms and innovations that are badly needed. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11191}
{"speech_id":1090012457,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In effect. the real mistake in this budget with respect to Medicaid is it essentially says: Lets put the cuts in funds first before we go ahead with reform. I and others have no dispute at all with the distinguished Senator fromNew Hampshire and colleagues on the other side of the aisle about the need for reform in Medicaid. There is no question about the fact that innovative approaches used in the private sector have not yet found their Way into the Medicaid program. What the dispute is about is that we think it is goingto be harder to get the reforms. harder to get the innovations if you cut off the dollars to the States and the localities right at the time they are having increases in enrollment. at the time that longterm care has not been dealt with. and certainly make it less likely that they will have the dollars they need to put in place the reforms. Senator CORZINE and Senator ROCKEFELLER. others. and I will be. through the course of this week. seeking to improve this budget resolution as it relates to the Medicaid program. because regrettably a lot of poor people and a lot of States are going to get hurt now. The discussion about reform will come later. Under this particular budget. it is going to be hard to get in place some of the reforms that I and Governors around the country. on a bipartisanbasis. believe are necessary. The second area I would liketo talk about as it relates to this budget is the question of Medicare and prescription drugs. Where we are headed now is the prospect that early in 2006. the Federal Government will be spending a ton of money on a prescription drug program and covering a very small number of people. That doesnt seem to me to. be acceptable in this kind of belttightening climate and certainly is not acceptable with respect to the scarce use of Government resources. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11191}
{"speech_id":1090012457,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A group of Senators and I. on a bipartisan basisSenators SNOWE. MCCAIN. FEINGOLD. and othershave been seeking unsuccessfully to do what the Senator from New Hampshire has said he wanted. which is to find real savings. Here is what the Congressional Budget Office said. I see the Senator from New Hampshire here. I want to read to him the sentence specifically from the Congressional Budget Office letter of Paraphrasing. the Congressional Budget Office said: Giving the Secretary an additional tool would put greater pressure on manufacturers and could produce additional savings. In March 2004. the Congressional Budget Office found. with respect to singlesource drugs. there was the opportunity to have leverage like the private sector has. and there would be some savings. You are going to hear during the course of the week that there are no savings. I hope my colleagues will look at the letter dated March 3. 2004. from CBO that attests to the fact that they believe there is a potential for additional savings. Of course. this was the kind of concern that motivated Tommy Thompson. in his last days as Secretary of Health and Human Services. to say he wished he had the power and clout that the legislation I have authored with Senators SNOWE. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11191}
{"speech_id":1090012557,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the information of Members. we will now have a number of speakers. but there will be no additional votes this evening. Senator CONRAD and I are working on an agreement. hopefully. so we can line up votes for tomorrow and debate for tomorrow morning. and hopefully on those amendments which will be related to Social Security. assuming agreement is reached. At this time. I believe the unanimous consent agreement calls for Senator BENNETT to be recognized for half an hour. followed by Senator CONRAD having the time until 8:45. at which time Senator STEVENS will be recognized.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":597}
{"speech_id":1090012601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to reintroduce the \"Veterans Prescription Drugs Assistance Act of 2005.\" a bill which seeks to assist Medicareeligible veterans struggling with the costs of prescription medications. In the 108th Congress. I worked with my colleagues to provide a prescription drug benefit for all Medicareeligible seniors. Today. I offer legislation to allow Medicareeligible veterans to obtain prescription drugs from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the significantly discounted costs that VA. as a highvolume purchaser of prescriptions medications. is able to secure in the marketplace. On May 23. 2003. I introduced similar legislationS. 1153 in the 108th Congress. In my capacity as Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the 108th Congress. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6428}
{"speech_id":1090012601,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I held a hearing on June 22. 2004. and heard testimony from Senate colleagues. Veterans Adminis-. tration officials. and various veterans service organizations on this important legislation. On July 20. 2004. the Committee on Veterans Affairs reported out S. 1153 by a vote of 10 yeas and 5 nays. Unfortunately. the full Senate did not consider this measure. In 2003. former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony J. Principi was forced to limit access to VA carewhich continues to this dayby suspending new enrollments of nonservicedisabled middle and higher income veterans who were not enrolled for care as of January 17. 2003. The Secretary was forced to so act because the number of patients provided care by VA had more than doubled in just five years and. as a result. VAs medical care system had been overwhelmed. As a consequence. VA was unable to provide timely access to healthcare for all veterans who had sought it and appointment waiting times had grown to alarming levels. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6428}
{"speech_id":1090012601,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But in almost every news story that followed the Secretarys difficult decision. it was noted that many of the new enrollees who had overwhelmed VAs capacity to provide care were Medicareeligible veterans who were able to get Medicarefinanced care elsewhere but who were seeking access to the relatively generous prescription drug program provided to veterans under VA care. Currently. VA provides enrolled patiets with prescription medications for $7 for each 30day supply. But to get such prescriptions. the veteran must obtain the full range of medical care from VA. This fact. coupled with former VA Secretary Principis decision to close enrollment. means that veterans who are now. or who will be. eligible for Medicare who had not enrolled for VA care prior to January 17. 2003. will be unable to access VAs generous prescription drug benefits. This legislation would provide some relief for those veterans. In addition. I anticipate that it may induce some VAenrolled Medicareeligible veteransthose who were happy with their Medicarefinanced care but who enrolled for VA care to gain access to VAsupplied drugs--to return to nonVA care with knowledge that they will be able to get their nonVA prescriptions filled through VA. Enactment of this provision. then. would reducenot exacerbateVA patient backlog numbers. The premise of this legislation is straightforward. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6428}
{"speech_id":1090012601,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"VA fills and distributes more than 100 million prescriptions each year for its 4.7 million veteranpatients. As a result. it has significant purchasing powerpower which. coupled with VAs formulary program. allows it to negotiate very favorable prices for prescription drugs. According to the National Association of Chain Drug -Stores. the average \"cash cost\" of a prescription in 2003 was $59.28. The average VA perprescription cost in 2003 was just under $25more than 50 percent less. This bill would allow veterans. to access these significant discounts simply by providing a written prescription from any duly licensed physician. presumably one he or she has seen under the Medicare program. By reintroducing this legislation today. I seek to afford Medicareeligible veterans access to such discounts. I do not propose that VA be directed to supply drugs to all Medicareeligible veterans at VA expense. or even with a partial VA subsidy. VA has stated that such a mandate would divert VA funding which. clearly. is already stretched to the limitaway from VA priority patients: the serviceconnected. the poor. and those with special needs. I accept VAs statement of concern. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6428}
{"speech_id":1090012601,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I accept and I insist that scarce funding be directed. first. to meet the needs of priority patients. This legislation. therefore. requires that VA recover the costs of drugs it supplies under this program from veterans who bring their prescriptions from outside doctors to VA. I do not propose to tell VA in this bill how to recover these costs. VA is better positioned than I to make such judgments. Thus. my legislation provides flexibility to VA to design and test payment mechanisms to best accomplish cost recovery while still easing veterans access to the drugs they need. It might be that enrollment fees. a copayment structure. or a simple \"costplus\" for administrative expenses pricing format. or some combination of those mechanisms works best. It might be that different approaches work best in different regions of the country. I intend for the VA to experiment with different pricing structures to determine what Works best. However. I also intend that veterans get a break on prescription drug pricing. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6428}
{"speech_id":1090012661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise this morning. along with my colleague. the gentleman from Ohio . to talk about how House -Democrats feel about national security. It may seem obvious to say we Democrats support our troops and support a strong national defense. but I want to offer today a more detailed explanation of where we stand and why. These are challenging and difficult times for our country. We are engaged in a global war against terrorism. we have military forces deployed around the world. and we are involved in two shooting wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan. These deployments and these conflicts are putting a terrible strain on our military. on our troops. on our equipment. on our military families. on our defense budget. and on our national economy. I believe we will overcome these challenges because we have the greatest treasure in the world. our service men and women. who are selflessly serving around the globe on behalf of this great Nation. They are the key to the war on terrorism. more than any doctrine or system. Their effort and sacrifice will make ultimate victory for us in the war on terror. and in Iraq and Afghanistan. possible. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4797}
{"speech_id":1090012661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. the two most peopleintensive services. the Army and the Marine Corps. are last in line for funding from the Defense Department. For example. the fiscal year 2006 budget request for the Army. not counting money that may be added in the supplemental. actually declined by some $300 million relative to last years level. Mr. Speaker. it is incredible to think that this administration would actually reduce funding for the Army. the service with the most people and the most equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan. in a time of war. Even if the amount for the Army is ultimately increased because of supplemental appropriations. what kind of signal does this send our troops. who are literally putting their lives on the line. when the administration asks for fewer funds for their service? Our servicemen and women deserve better. I know I speak for all House Democrats in saying we support our troops. but what is more important for everyone to understand is that supporting the troops is more than just a bumper sticker. It means giving them the best possible leadership. the finest training. and uptodate and working equipment. protective armor body. and vehicle armor. We in Congress have a duty to ensure that they have all the tools they need to succeed on the battlefield. We also have a duty to provide for their families while they are deployed in service to our great Nation. We have a duty to take care of the families of those who are killed and those who are wounded. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4797}
{"speech_id":1090012661,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we also have a duty to our citizen soldiers. members of the National Guard. members of the Reserve. who also make such extraordinary sacrifices. They not only serve our country beside their activeduty counterparts. but they also do so. at considerable sacrifice back home. Because they have jobs in their communities. oftentimes they give up these jobs and ask someone else to pick up the slack created by their absence. Moreover. while they -are deployed. their families are entitled to benefits. but it is often hard for families to use these benefits because so many of them do not live close to military facilities. Finally. Mr. Speaker. we Democrats believe we have an obligation to our Veterans. whether it is allowing them to receive full retired pay in addition to VA disability compensation. allowing their survivors to receive both Social Security and Survivor Benefit Plan benefits. or allowing their survivors to receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation in addition to VA benefits. We have an obligation tomake sure they know that America appreciates their patriotism and is willing to recognize their sacrifices. America should know that Democrats unanimously take these responsibilities very. very seriously. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4797}
{"speech_id":1090012661,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The supplemental appropriation bill. which we will pass later this week. will have overwhelming bipartisan support. That is evidence of the commitment that we on this side of the aisle have in supporting our troops. But I want to be I @ Printed on recycled paper. clear. While Democrats support a strong military and support using our military when necessary. we do not support squandering it. My concern. Mr. Speaker. is that we are starting to see visible signs of strain in our military. I do not want to see it break. My colleague. the gentleman from Ohio . will speak to these issues momentarily. The bottom line. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4797}
{"speech_id":1090012661,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. is that all Members should support our -men and women in uniform. we should not deploy them wantonly. and we should give them the compensation. recognition. and tools they. as well as their families. need and deserve. I know I speak for all Democrats in saying we honor their service.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4797}
{"speech_id":1090012671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is my honor to introduce our guest chaplain who so thoughtfully and graciously led us in prayer this morning. The Most Reverend Edward J. Slattery serves as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa. Bishop Slattery was ordained a priest on April 26.-1966 for the Archdiocese of Chicago by the late John Cardinal Cody. During his time in Chicago. Bishop Slattery served as Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish. This was an innercity Hispanic parish on the south side of Chicago. Additionally. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SULLIVAN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1261}
{"speech_id":1090012671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bishop Slattery served as President of the Catholic Church Extension Society. a funding agency for the American home missions. In late 1993. Pope John Paul II notified thenFather Slattery that he had decided to name him Bishop. On January 6. 1994the Holy Father ordained 13 men as bishops. Among the 13 men was one American. Edward J. Slattery. A week later. Bishop Slattery was installed as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa at Holy Family Cathedral. By the grace of God he continues to serve over 80 parishes in 21 counties. as a shepherd for the People of God in eastern Oklahoma. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SULLIVAN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1261}
{"speech_id":1090012671,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is an honor to have Bishop Slattery as our guest chaplain and I know my colleagues join me in welcoming and thanking Bishop Slattery for being with us here today.","speaker_name":"JOHN SULLIVAN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1261}
{"speech_id":1090012713,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this rule. and I want to begin by congratulating the gentleman from Oklahoma . who has worked long and hard on this and has made four trips to Iraq and understands extraordinarily well how critically important it is for us to ensure that we get the resources necessary for our mew\u00b0 and women in uniform there. We have many important things that need to be done in this measure. The gentleman from Oklahoma talked in his opening remarks about the need for us to ensure the completion of our compound. It is not just an embassy. our compound. in Baghdad. I am one who would be very critical of a massive expenditure for a huge compound like this. but we have got to realize. as the gentleman from Oklahoma","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":744}
{"speech_id":1090012715,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this amendment intends to protect sections 1113 and 1114 against points of order. The Committee on Rules last night exposed these provisions at the request of the chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs. who has since asked the Committee on Rules to protect the provisions. The amendment is necessary to protect the important Military Death Gratuity Benefits contained in the bill. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this particular amendment to the resolution. Mr. Speaker. in closing. I would like to say that I believe we have had an excellent debate on the rule. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1609}
{"speech_id":1090012715,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What is clear to me is the importance and timeliness of this legislation. With that said. I would again encourage Members to listen carefully to the following debate and to support the underlying legislation. Additionally. I would encourage Members to be cautious when it comes to considering the amendments. This bill has been carefully crafted and worked out in a way to ensure that our servicemen receive the best equipment when they go forward into war. Finally. I would ask the Members to remember that this is not a vote about the wisdom of the war in Iraq. The President and the Congress made that decision years ago. This vote is about giving those we have asked to execute our policy in Iraq the tools they need to do their job. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1609}
{"speech_id":1090012715,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The men and women serving our cause in Iraq ask for nothing more. In good conscience we should give them nothing less. To close. I would urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying resolution. The material previously referred to by Ms. SLAUGHTER is as follows:","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1609}
{"speech_id":1090012736,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their. remarks and include extraneous material on the bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2005. and for other purposes. and that I may include tabular material on the same.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090012750,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to have worked with the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) to develop recommendations on the international assistance portion of the bill. As- the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) said. the bill does cut $1.2 billion in nonemergency initiatives from the administrations international assistance request as well as rescinds an additional $1 billion in previously appropriated funds that are no longer needed. and I certainly concur with most of the chairmans recommended cuts. However. I do want to express my concern that we will be expected to fund some of these items on the fiscal year 2006 bill. and as I anticipate a 302(b) allocation for the Foreign Operations bill that may cut the 2006 request. these needs will be tough to accommodate. We are now into year three of the. reconstruction programs in Afghanistan. yet the administration continues to rely on offbudget emergency supplementals to fund ongoing reconstruction. There are clearly many nonemergency items in the $2 billion requested for Afghanistan in this bill. The establishment of a stable democracy in Afghanistan with their own security forces is the key to bringing our troops home. The administration. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3668}
{"speech_id":1090012750,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am concerned. has set back that effort by overuse of the emergency supplemental mechanism instead of providing appropriate assistance within the normal appropriations process. and I do hope in working closely with the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE). we will be able to provide sufficient funds that are so important for the future of Afghanistan. I am very pleased that the committee was able to protect funds for continued urgent needs in Afghanistan. especially for initiatives that support women and girls. The supplemental contains approximately $63 million in support of education. health. economic. democracy programs that target women and girls. And I am pleased with the generous amounts in the bill for the tsunami relief and reconstruction. as well as other items that advance our foreign policy interests. I will be supporting the Jackson amendment to add $100 million for unmet needs in Africa because in my judgment the ongoing complex crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Liberia. Northern Uganda. Ethiopia. and Somalia may be out of the media spotlight. but the human suffering continues and additional funds are urgently needed to provide food and medical assistance to refugees. to facilitate refugee returns. and to provide droughtrelated aid. The Congress does have a responsibility to real disasters and to ensure that the United States is generous in our response to crises throughout the world. We have been extraordinarily generous with our tsunami relief. and I think we need to follow suit to meet the real needs in Africa. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3668}
{"speech_id":1090012750,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would also note that the bill contains $200 million for the West Bank\/ Gaza program with appropriate safeguards for monitoring and auditing. Fifty million of the $200 million will improve the flow of goods and people with Israel and will thus improve the security of Israel and the region. Finally. I will be also supporting the Maloney amendment to transfer $3 million from ESF accounts to UNFPA to assist tsunami victims. The UNFPA. with its proven track record and longstanding presence in the tsunamiaffected areas. is uniquely placed to immediately respond to the needs of women and children. populations among the most vulnerable after disasters such as the tsunami. In closing. I just want to say for me I want to applaud the important efforts of the gentleman from California (Chairman LEWIS). the gentleman from Wisconsin . ranking member. the gentleman from Pennsylvania","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3668}
{"speech_id":1090012752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I compliment the gentleman from California (Chairman LEWIS) for having brought this first of many important appropriation bills to the floor. He explained the Defense part of this bill very well. as well as he should because he has served superbly as chairman of the Defense Subcommittee for many years. Our portion of the bill is just a little over $73 billion. and it is to provide for the warfighters. to provide the equipment that they need and the protection that they need as they go about carrying out their mission. I want to take just a few seconds and comment on the issue that the gentleman from Pennsylvania raised because we have worked together on this section of the bill from the very beginning. along with the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Missouri of the Committee on Armed Services. the gentleman from California (Chairman LEWIS) and the gentleman from Wisconsin . This is truly a work of bipartisanship. But on the subject of accountability. there is no reason that I can think of other than the importance of the Legislative Branch of government that Article I of the Constitution establishes the Legislative Branch of government. We have three branches. separate but equal. but right after the Preamble the first article is the Legislative Branch. So I do not know whether that means we are a little more equal. but I do know that we control the money. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2041}
{"speech_id":1090012752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And as I have referred to so many times. and I will continue when it is necessary. it says \"No money shall be drawn from the Treasury. but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.\" That means nobody can spend money. Federal money. unless we appropriate it. But part of that section that does not get referred to very often says in the same sentence. \"and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.\" So we think that is just as important. and we. the gentleman from Pennsylvania . myself. the gentleman from California . the gentleman from Wisconsin","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2041}
{"speech_id":1090012780,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today out of frustration with H.R. 1268. the Emergency Suppleiental Wartime Appropriations Act. I support passage of this legislation. as I believe it is absolutely necessary to continue to fund the important activities of our brave men and women fighting the global War on Terrorism. Our men and women depend on having the necessary equipment and systems to be successful in mission accomplishment. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee. I am actively involved in efforts. for example. to better protect our troops while they are in harms way. With that said. the inclusion of spending projects within this bill that certainly do not qualify as either \"emergency\" or \"wartime\" is outrageous. The issue at hand is not whether or not it is necessary to fund the noble efforts of our soldiers. for that answer is selfevident. Rather. the question is about our responsibility to spend the American peoples money wisely. and in a manner consistent with the established process. ","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1756}
{"speech_id":1090012780,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not doubt that the nonwartime. and nondefense related projects in this bill are worthwhile. however. the decision to fund these projects should be made during the established appropriations process. Certainly. it is inappropriate for this body to have to consider legislation under the guise of emergency. wartime spending. when in fact. that description is not completely honest. Again. I support this funding legislation as it pertains to the support of our military. and our efforts to protect American citizens. and to promote peace and democracy in the Middle East. However. I do not support the inclusion of unrelated projects within this bill. and find it most unfortunate that Members of Congress are forced to vote on such legislation.","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1756}
{"speech_id":1090012782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. first. I Want to take a moment and commend the gentleman from Texas. Mr. EDWARDS. Ranking Member OBEY. Chairman LEWIS and the Committee on Appropriations for bringing this supplemental appropriationto the floor so quickly. This legislation is extremely important to the lives of servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. As many of my colleagues know. Las Vegas is home to the Nellis Air Force base and many of the men and women stationed there have been sent overseas. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3478}
{"speech_id":1090012782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 1.000 Nevada reservists and National Guard members have been called to active duty. I have spoken to the parents and families of our men and women who have fallen in the line of duty and I am acutely aware of family conflicts which are exacerbated by the death of a servicemember. Therefore. I have serious concerns regarding the application of the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) spousal consent requirements insection 1113(b)*of the emergency supplemental bill. This section requires a married servicemember to purchase a particular level of life insurance and to list their spouse as the beneficiary. unless the spouse consents otherwise. At first blush. this proposal sounds greatuntil you think about it. This \"one size fits all\" approach could result in the onetime payment of $400.000 to a spouse. at the expense of a servicemembers wishes and the best interest of his orphaned children. We must remember that not all married servicemembers have the same types of families and relationships with their spouses. Imagine a servicemember who is married to a man with a serious drug problem. This servicewoman may prefer to name theirchildren as the beneficiaries of her life insurance policy so that in the event of her death. the insurance is spent on he childrens school. clothes. and health care. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3478}
{"speech_id":1090012782,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not her husbands cocaine addiction. I do not believe that this woman should have to receive permission from her husband to name her children as the beneficiaries of her life insurance policy and that the government should be forcing her to do so. Consider a serviceman .who has minor children from a prior marriage. He may want his children to receive the monies. instead of his current wife. A man who wants to be responsible and take care of his children in the event of his death. should not be prevented from doing so. But the spousal consent provision in the emergency supplemental may do just that. Current law allows a servicemember to designate 50% of his life insurance policy to a spouse and the rest to a child. This flexibility has given servicemembers the opportunity to properly take care of their families upon their deaths. no matter what kind of family situation they have. The Military Officers Association of America originally supported the provision. but now recognizes that the language is excessively stringent. The organization now supports striking the requirement for spousal consent. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3478}
{"speech_id":1090012782,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to insert in the record a letter from MOAA and a similar letter from The Military Coalition. Mr. Chairman. the potential of this provision to require that a large one time .payment be made to the legal spouse of a deceased servicemember could have serious ramifications for the servicemembers children. It needs to be reconsidered in that light. I do not want to delay passage of this important bill. since it contains many important and urgent provisions. I trust that the conferees will be able to address this issue in conference.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3478}
{"speech_id":1090012803,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment adds $5 million to the operation and maintenance defensewide account. The Secretary of Defense. using existing transfer authority. may transfer that money to the legislative branch for the purpose of establishing a select committee. in essence along the outlines of the amendment that I just reviewed moments ago. and I will not belabor that point by going over all of that information. except to say that it would be a select committee for the purposes of investigating contracts and related materials with respect to things beingspent in Iraq and Afghanistan and the issue of terrorism. As I mentioned earlier. this is and should be a bipartisan effort. I think the gentleman from Iowa should be commended for his leadership on this and for pointing out the fact that. in fact. when Harry Truman did it years ago. he was a Democrat and the President was a Democrat. and he still found it the patriotic and judicious thing to do with respect to the responsibilities of the House of Representatives. and if we are to maintain the integrity of this Congress and our responsibility of oversight of such huge sums of money. it would be the appropriate thing for us to do now in a bipartisan way. Critics may say that there i. no need to create a select committee when Congress has standing committees to perform this role. Regrettably. those standing committees have not done that. not exercised their institutional responsibilities to the extent they could in this particular Congress. Li 1330 The gentleman from Connecticut","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1551}
{"speech_id":1090012863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. I do so in order to have a very brief discussion With the gentleman who is chairman of the authorizing committee. I think many of you in the House know that I spent a lot of years in my life making an honest living in the life and health insurance business so I know a little bit about this subject. The gentleman is raising a number of questions that are very legitimate questions. I do not think there is a conflict here. I just wanted the gentleman to know that it is my intention to examine these serious questions between now and t]he time we go to conference. I am absolutely certain we can at least clear the air on any remaining problems between now and then.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":713}
{"speech_id":1090012913,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. I want to rise as well to support the gentlewoman from New Yorks amendment dealing with the efforts the UNFPA is engaged in because we got a chance to see firsthand in visiting Sri Lanka the work that has been done. It is true that many children were lost. It is true that 15.000. at the time that we were there. women were expecting. and it is certainly true thatthey lost a large infrastructure of health care. particularly the womens hospital that we were able to visit. The womens maternity hospital was completely destroyed. and so these dollars will be crucial in helping to ensure good health care. good intervention. and safe deliveries. I want to commend all of the leadership that is focused on this particularly narrow issue. though it may seem. It is vital that we provide the support. and I would like to encourage our colleagues to support this amendment.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":931}
{"speech_id":1090012915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. for the last two decades. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). has shockingly defendedthe coercive Chinese population control program. By refusing to give American tax dollars to the UNFPA. the United States stands solidly with the victims and against the oppressors. We must continue ALdo so as long as UNFPA insists on supporting the Chinese program. Today. Representative MALONEY offered an amendment to H.R. 1268. the \"Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense. the Global War on Terror. and Tsunami Relief\". and she described the amendment as something that would give $3 million to UNFPA. Even though she explained it as. a UNFPA Amendment. I want to clarify that the language of the amendment could in no way be construed to support or give funding to UNFPA. In fact. the amendment does not even mention UNFPA. The Maloney amendment says. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7564}
{"speech_id":1090012915,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In chapter 1 of title II of the bill. in the item relating to the \"Economic Support Fund\". after the first dollar amount. insert \"(reduced by $3.000.000)\". In chapter 1 of title IV of the bill. in the item relating to the \"Tsunami Recovery and Reconstruction fund\". after the first dollar amount. insert \"(increased by $3.000.000)\". Since the Maloney amendment simply transferred $3 million from one account to another. thereby providing aid funding without funding UNFPA. I did not oppose the amendment. Victims of the Chinese onechildpercouple policy have told me horrific stories. At one religious freedom meeting in China I asked what the participants knew about forced abortion policies. All three women in the group broke down in tears as they shared with me how they all had been forced to have abortionsone woman talked about how she thought God was going to protect her baby. but she was not able to escape the abortion. Other women who have gained asylum in the United States because of Chinas coercive population control program have told me terrible stories of crippling fines. imprisonment of family members. and destruction of homes and propertyall to force abortion and sterilization upon millions of women. According to last years State Department Human Rights Report. one consequence of \"the countrys birth limitation policies\" is that 56 percent of the worlds female suicides occur in China. which is five times the world average and approximately 500 suicides by women per day. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7564}
{"speech_id":1090012915,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gao Xiao Duan. a former administrator of a Chinese Planned Birth Control Office. testified before Congress about Chinas policies. She explained. \"Once I found a Woman who was nine months pregnant. but did not have a birthallowed certificate. According to the policy. she was forced to undergo an abortion surgery. In the operation room I saw how the aborted childs lips were sucking. how its limbs were stretching. A physician injected poison into its skull. and the child died. and it was thrown into the trash can .... I was a monster in the daytime. injuring others by the Chinese communist authorities barbaric plannedbirth policy. but in the evening. I was like all other. women and mothers. enjoying my life with my children .... to all those injured women. to all those children who were killed. I want to repent and say sincerely that Im sorry!\" While Mrs. Gao acknowledged her part in these human rights atrocities and courageously told her story. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7564}
{"speech_id":1090012915,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"UNFPA continues to side with the Chinese government. Since 1979. UNFPA has been the chief apologist and cheerleader for Chinas coercive one child per couple policy. Despite numerous credible forced abortion reports from impeccable sources. including human rights organizations like Amnesty International. journalists. former Chinese population control officials and. above all. from the woman victims themselves. high officials at UNFPA always dismiss and explain it all away. UNFPA has funded. provided crucial technical support and. most importantly. provided cover for massive crimes of forced abortion and involuntary sterilization. Time and again. high officials of UNFPA have defended the indefensible and called voluntary that which is anything but. The former Executive Director of UNFPA Nafis Sadik said. \"China has every reason to feel proud. of and pleased with its remarkable achievements made in its family planning policy. The country could offer its experiences and special expert to help other countries.\" On CBS Nightwatch she said. \"The UNFPA firmly believes. and so does the government of the Peoples Republic of China. that their program is a totally voluntary program.\" And Sven Burmester. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7564}
{"speech_id":1090012915,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"UNFPAs man in Beijing. gushed over Chinas achievements. \"In strictly quantitative terms. it was the most successful familyplanning policy ever developed.\" Make no mistake that China covets UNFPA financial and verbal support of their program as a \"GoodHousekeeping seal of approval\" to whitewash their human rights violations. I traveled to China and met with the head of their population control program. Peng Peiyun. In our lengthy conversation. Madame Peng Peiyun told me over.and over again that there was no coercion in.China. and then she cited UNFPAs participation in the program and UNFPAs public statements where UNFPA leaders have defended it. The United States should not help UNFPA cover up Chinas crimes against women and children. In 2001. the. Department of State determined that UNFPAs activities in China violated our human rights law. thereby making them ineligible for U.S. funding.. On July 21. 2001. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7564}
{"speech_id":1090012967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. my amendment -would strike all of the taxpayer funded relief provided in the bill to the countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami. After teviewing information from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University detailing the level of private American contributions to the tsunami relief. I am not sure we need to spend extra taxpayer dollars for that purpose. Already some 130 private organizations are providing tsunami elief. Several private companies are also providing relief through their local offices in the region. According to the report. some $800 million has already been provided by these organizations in cash. In addition. another $101 million has been provided in kind donations. That brings the total to $1 billion already. close to $1 billion. and that total does not include all the persontoperson aid that is not accounted for in the study. Since the disaster many Americans have looked into their hearts and reached into their wallets in an effort to help alleviate the suffering in Thailand. Indonesia. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS TANCREDO","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090012967,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sri Lanka. and other affected nations. One of these companies. as a matter of fact. a company called CH2M Hill. was one of the first on the scene to provide critical services to victims ever since. They partnered with other countries to provide a clean drinking water purification system to people in Indonesia. The quality of the water is equivalent to bottled water and is currently being provided throughout the country. including to the U.N. compound and more than 10 refugee camps. The system is currently purifying water at the rate of 600 gallons per minute. producing 864.000 gallons of purified water each day. helping nearly a quarter of a million people each day. I am proud of the efforts of CH2M Hill. I am proud of all of the Americans who have given so much to alleviate the suffering. Their efforts and indeed all of the efforts are to be commended. They help demonstrate that the strength of Americas compassion is best measured by the efforts of individual citizens and private organizations and companies. not by the number of government programs we create or the amount of Federal appropriations we dole out. Given this era of tight budgets and the need to provide for disasters here at home like the hurricanes that ravaged Florida. wildfires that burned through the West. tornados that hit middle America. we simply cannot ask Americans to be all things to all people. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS TANCREDO","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090012967,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People have already donated what they can. We should not exact further tax dollars from them for this purpose. Madam Chairman. I do not approach this in a light or frivolous way. I believe that the issues are significant and serious. I believe that. in fact. if more money is needed. we need to do it as a result of a study and careful examination of exactly what needs are still out there. Recent reports have indicated that in fact NGOs are saying that there is more money than they can even deal with. Some of the NGOs have indicated that people are running into each other essentially. Too many people. too much money flooding the country at the present time. If more money is needed. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS TANCREDO","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090012967,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I suggest it be provided in a later appropriation under a regular rule. I do not believe that any longer we can consider it to be \"an emergency\" and I certainly do not think that it qualifies for a categorization under this supplemental. I have no illusions about the possibility of the passage of this amendment. I know it will probably fail and probably fail pretty dramatically. I recognize that entirely. But I do feel it is important to at least bring to the attention of my colleagues and to the Nation that I think a great deal has been done. I am proud of every single American who has donated. It does come from their heart. That is the way we should provide for these things. That is not the way this bill intends to do it.","speaker_name":"THOMAS TANCREDO","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090012970,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. I am troubled by the amendment that we have before us today. There is. I think. a wide range of opinion that is available for us to debate the merits of a wide range ofthings in this bill. And I appreciate that people are coming forward in good spirit. But I appreciate the comment of the gentleman from Arizona. It was. I want to say. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090012970,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not want to say it was my privilege. but I had the opportunity to spend time after the tsunami a couple of weeks after it hit with a bipartisan delegation led by the gentleman from Iowa . Senator BROWNBACK. touring the area. I assure you that the testimony about the devastation is. if anything. understated. The pictures that we saw on CNN did not do justice. But I was struck by the impact of the generosity that was shown by Americans in uniform. civilian employees. members of NGOs who were there. There was some bad publicity initially. surrounding what appeared to be a lack of compassion 6n the part of the United States with its initial response. But that never interfered in terms of the publicity with the work that was done by the United States and our agencies. We built amazing goodwill for this country while we helped these traumatized areas heal. I think what has been offered by the President. by the committee. is the least that we can do. It will pay dividends many times over. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090012970,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that it would be unfortunate even to bring this proposal to a vote. It is sending the wrong signal about the United States intention. We are certainly. on a per capita basis. not .giving more than Australia. Scandinavia. Germany. For us to indicate that there is a sense here could only be interpreted as our being callous and unfeeling. I think. is the wrong message- to send to these people in these traumatized countries. I think it is the wrong thing to send to the international community. I will say. Mr. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090012970,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. in the course of the visit. I had people who were Americans in business. people from the NGO communities. foreign parliamentarians. all talking about the damaged relationship that the United States has. the image that we have in this region. and how amazing they felt the progress was being made by the work that was being done by our country. This amendment and any support for it. I think. is sending the wrong signal. And I strongly urge its rejection. I sincerely hope that it is rejected. if necessary. on a voice vote. if not withdrawn. But I hope people make no mistake about how people are watching our actions for the signals we send around the world.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090012997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I am sure all Members ard very concerned about the proposed embassy compound. in Iraq and the number of dollars that are involved. I think it is very important that I share with Members our discussion with the Secretary of State. She feels \"it is absolutely critical that we move forward very quickly with this money. first and foremost because we have almost 4.000 American personnel whose lives are in jeopardy under current conditions. Indeed. if this compound goes forward quickly. their security will be assured. Tie Secretary has been given great assurance that the compound can be completed in 24 months. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1182}
{"speech_id":1090012997,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is only one small hook. and that is in order to get a contractor to bid on such a job in this territory. the money has to be there in the pot. So within this bill we are providing the funds to make sure the funds are available and we can move quickly. This embassy and the compound are designed to solidify our mission. allowing us to be successful in Iraq as well as the Middle East. It is very important that we go forward with this money now. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1182}
{"speech_id":1090013029,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. I will close by saying just two things in points of clarification. One. the gentleman. despite the best efforts of this House. is incorrect.Thespite our amendment saying no money can go to Saudi Arabia. moneys were allocated to Saudi Arabia. so they are now entitled to discount on purchasing for our military. So our will was not followed. Secondly. to the previous speaker. this notion that they are not exporting Wahabism has been debunked by the State Department as recently as 11\/2 months ago. They are exporting terrorism. exporting Wahabism. I would say they are twofaced except they have so many members of the Royal Family. they are several hundred Fahds. and the time has come for us to start judging people on what they do. not what they say. I have 5 additional seconds to make my punchline point. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1027}
{"speech_id":1090013029,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment will say that we belieye that Saudi Arabia should be treated not as an ally but as an enemy in the War on Terror because that is what they have been.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1027}
{"speech_id":1090013121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just want to talk about.how good the Defense portion of this bill is. and I was disappointed we lost the embassy vote. and hopefully we will be able to repair that. But let me say that the members of the Defense Subcommittee went out to bases all o er the country. We have all kinds of shortages. We added $1.8 billion to this bill to take care of things like spare parts. small arms. mortars. things that one would expect that they would have. We not only have shortages overseas and equipment that is worn out overseas. we have Reserve and National Guard units that are actually going to the major bases like Fort Bragg and having to rehabilitate that equipment. One of the reasons we put in $7 billion for rehabilitation of equipment was because of what we found out in the field. We think it is absolutely essential to get the Army back in shape so that when these units are called up they have the right equipment when they train. and when they go overseas they have the right equipment. So I would hope everybody would vote for this bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1060}
{"speech_id":1090013122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. while the gentleman is getting ready to proceed. let me make one other point with respect to the Lantos amendment. We have done our best to expand benefits to servicemen and women who have been killed in the line of duty.. I think there is still one gaping hole. For someone who is seriously injured in Iraq or Afghanistan whose ability to obtain gainful employment may be permanently impaired because of what happened to them in combat. I think that we really need to think through how. little this country does for people in those situations. It just seems to me that especially given the fact that we do not have a draft today and given the fact that so many people go into the service in order to be able to save some money so they can go to college. I think the sacrifice that people are called upon to make falls very unevenly in this society. and we have to do much more to see to it that those persons who do pay a major price because they could not afford to go to college without first going into service. for instance. I think that we need to do much more to provide enhanced benefits for them and for their families and for their children.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1185}
{"speech_id":1090013130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me time. and I rise in strong opposition to the amendment. I understand many of the points that my colleague and friend from New York was making. but I think it is clear from the commbnts of the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) on how we crafted the bill that I think we address almost every point the gentleman is making. I feel very strongly that we have to take this opportunity to work with the Palestinians and work with the Israelis to try and move towards a peaceful settlement. We have heard Rabin say. \"You dont make peace with your friends. you make it with your enemies.\" I can remember Barak. and he would say to us very clearly. \"Trust. but verify.\" I think there is clear language in this bill that verifies what we are doing in order to provide the assistance to the West Bank and Gaza program. I have felt that the prospects for peace in this region and for the ultimate security of Israel depend on bringing economic stability to the West Bank and Gaza. Just to repeat. these additional funds will be used for infrastructure development. democracy and government. health care and education. and as my chairman mentioned. $50 million of the $200 million is for improving the flow of goods and people into Israel with appropriate safeguards. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2467}
{"speech_id":1090013130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The funds will be spent with Israels direct input to facilitate both access and security between the West Bank and Gaza. The safeguards were mentioned by the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE). Language has been included calling for a GAO audit of the $200 million. The committee has specified how the funds should be spent. required a financial plan that we will approve prior to funds moving forward. and in addition. an amendment was adopted in committee which calls for a separate report on progress on dismantling terrorism. an audit of the Palestinian Authority. and a prohibition. a clear prohibition. on direct funding of the Palestinian Authority with this $200 million: So. again. I would express my strong opposition. I do think it signals exactly the wrong message if we want to cut off these funds. I hope that my colleagues in the Congress will support the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) in opposing this amendment. and I hope we can move forward and make sure that all the dollars are audited appropriately and that we can take this step to work with both the Palestinians and the Israelis in moving the peace process forward.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2467}
{"speech_id":1090013236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I didnt realize there was a unanimous consent in place. I ajologize. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 today Senator GRAHAM orhis designee be recognized to offer an amendment on Social Security. the text of which is at the desk. provided further that at 3 p.m. today the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Graham amendment. to be followed by a vote in relation to the Conrad amendment on Social Security. to be followed by a vote in relation to the Republican Social Security amendment. to be followed by a vote in relation to the Nelson of Florida Social Security amendment. to be followed by a vote in relation to the Stabenow amendment on first responders. I further ask unanimous consent that all points of order be waived with respect to the Social Security amendments. further. that no second degrees be in order to any of the five amendments prior to the votes. I also ask unanimous consent that all debate time until 12:15 be equally divided between the chairmen and ranking members. or their designees. and further that debate from 2:15 until 3 p.m. be equally divided in the same form. and that any quorum calls be counted against the statutory time limit with- time divided equally between the two sides. Further. that all votes after the first be limited to 10 minutes. with .2 minutes of debate equally divided after the first.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1382}
{"speech_id":1090013247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me read the amendment to everyone because we have just changed the amendment that had been printed that I intended to offer. I have added some additional language. It is the sense of the Senate that Congress should reject any Social Security plan that requires deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt. and a failure to act by 2042 would result in deep benefit cuts. therefore Congress should take action to address Social Security solvency. That is. the- amendment offered as a sense of the Senate. We have heard a lot of debate on Social Security. As a result of having 10 town hall meetings in my State over the last recess. the people of Florida heard what the administrations proposal was. to take up to 4 percentage points of the 12.4 percent Social Security tax against an employees wages and instead of allowing all of that 12.4 percent tax to pour into the Social Security trust fund. to allow up to onethird of it to go. outside of the Social Security trust fund in the socalled privatized accounts. with the result. combined with the change in the formula as proposed by the White House that future Social Security benefits would be calculated increases each year not according to what has been the case since the beginning of Social Security. according to the index on wages. but instead targeted to a lower index. on prices. So the combination of taking a third of the Social Security tax out of the Social Security trust fund plus a changing of the payment formula was going to cause cuts in benefits. with massiv6 borrowing to fill the hole. Why cuts in benefits?","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090013351,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It pushes the problem forward. For example. the Congressional Budget Office had told us that the trust fund would go cash negative in 2018. Now. they have updated their forecast to say. no. we wont go cash negative until 2020. because economic growth has been stronger than the underlying forecast. A big reagon for that is productivity growth has been much stronger than the underlying forecast. So I think it is very important that we be clear. That is why the word \"permanently\" gives me heartburn in the sense that we are trying to forecast forevermore. and I just flatout dont believe this forecast for 75 years. I want to make clear that we still have a challenge. We still need to address this problem because we have the demographic problem. That is one reason I have tried to talk to my colleagues about not just Social Security but Medicare and the budget deficit and Medicaid. because it is all these things coming together that really presents us with a challenge. It is real. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090013351,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In any event. I dont know what the Senators disposition -is on the word \"permanently.\" if he would be willing to change that or maybe he is wedded to that. I dont know.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090013353,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have tried to be clear on the problem I have with that one word. That said. because I support the thrust of this. I intend to support it. I want to make clear that I believe we should be looking toward 75year solvency because I think the forecasts are so murky. and we would make a real advance if we were to secure 75year solvency. With that said. I think the overall direction of the amendment is good. I ask the Chair. where are we in time?","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":445}
{"speech_id":1090013356,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to make some remarks to Senator GRAHAM for a moment. if I could get his attention. I wanted to direct some remarks to the Senator. First. I wish to thank the Senator. I think what he is doing here is quite different than what we have been getting from this White House. The Senator is being very careful to essentially say. lets get to-","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":358}
{"speech_id":1090013368,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from South Carolina. Mr. President. I wish to make some remarks before we start this series of votes at 3 oclock. I understand there will be several stacked votes. four or five at that time. First. I remind my -colleagues that this is an important process. This is a process where we pass a budget resolution. This is a blueprint that we are trying to put in place of how we will proceed the rest of this year and even. depending on the enforcement mechanisms. next year. This is not written ig stone. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4113}
{"speech_id":1090013368,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is not the Ten Commandments. This is an outline. This is a blueprint. These are aggregate numbers. I must say. ashamedly. for 2 of the last 3 years we did not have a budget. I think that is one reason we had such a mess at the end of the session last year. I admit. it was an election year. but we need to have some guidelines of what are we expected to do at Commerce. how can we do a better job at the Transportation Security Administration. how much money is going to be available. what is going to be available at the Finance Committee. what are we going to do with our entitlement programs and tax policy? One way or the other. what are the appropriators going to do? I hope my colleagues will not get too overwrought and too much into the details. I do not like a lot of this budget proposal. I do not like a lot of what the President proposed. but I will have my opportunity to make mycase and I will have my opportunity to vote for or against parts of it. This is just the beginning. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4113}
{"speech_id":1090013368,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the kickoff. By the way. it should be a bipartisan effort to get this budget resolution in place. I think the committee has done a good job. First. it cuts the deficit in half within 5 years. We have been dealing with increased defense needs. We have been trying to figure out all the needs of homeland security. We had economic problems. and the deficit has gone up. Now it is time we begin to do something about it. We need to begin to control spending. and we need to be careful about our tax policy which\" can hurt the economy if we have raised taxes or if we cut taxes even in the wrong way versus cutting taxes in a way that gives incentive for growth. This budget starts in the right direction of reducing the deficit. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4113}
{"speech_id":1090013368,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It fully funds the Presidents request for defense and homeland security. I guess we need to do that. The numbers are adequate in both areas. I would like to see some more in defense. And I do not like the mix in the Presidents budget for defense. But that is not what we will decide here. This bill maintains jobcreating tax policy and it strengthens budget enforcement tools. Because we did not have a budget resolution last year. and 2 years before that. we have been losing our ability to impose some budget and fiscal restraint. This resolution does provide outlines that will take us into doing more. and doing a better job at education. energy. welfare. and pension policy. all of which we need to do. I hope we will be careful. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4113}
{"speech_id":1090013368,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lets not get too hot with the rhetoric this week. When we get to Thursday night or Friday. we will pass a budget resolution and move forward. With regard to the amendments. I was interested to see we got some amendments on Social Security. This may be good. Is this a- sign that Democrats are going to join us and we are going to have a serious discussion? Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM has his neck way out there. so far out I am not about to join him where he is right now. but he is trying to get us going. get engaged in this discussion. A lot of people say we cant do this. we cant talk about any kind of restraint in growth and benefits. We cant do anything about age. Oh. no. we cant do anything with personal savings account. If you listen to what they are saying. it is we dont want to do anything but raise Social Security taxes again. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4113}
{"speech_id":1090013473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleagues from New York and Delaware. Many believe Amtrak is a critical service for the northeastern corridor. Amtrak is an important passenger rail service for the Midwest. In my State of Illinois. we have three different Amtrak lines that are vitally important to my State. Each year. about 3 million passengers ride Amtrak in the State of Illinois. They are young and old. many college students.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":410}
{"speech_id":1090013559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I send an amendment to the desk. I have sent an amendment to the desk that I am offering to strike the language from the budget resolution the reconciliation instructions to the Energy Committee that assume Arctic drilling. Specifically. under the instructions. the Energy Committee must report legislation by June 6 at the latest that produces $2.7 billion in revenue from 2006 until 2007.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":405}
{"speech_id":1090013572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thought for the benefit of my colleagues we would lay that down tonight so people could understand the amendment and we could continue debating it in our time this evening and continue debating it tomorrow. I hope that clarifies issues for my colleagues. I start by saying a word to the Senators from Alaska because I think both Senators from Alaska have been diligent in their concerns for this issue. in their advocacy for making sire the issues they would like to represent are heard in this debate. and that the accuracy of information provided is correct. I certainly applaud them for that. But. I certainly dont diminish the difference of opinion we might express tonight as it relates to where this country should go on an energy policy. I believe our energy policy must be very aggressive in creating a future for new energy technology and renewables. in making a downpayment on getting off of our overdependence on foreign oil. and. specifically in continuing to diversify off of our countrys dependence on oil in general. I may have a different opiniofi about what I think our energy strategy should be. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4501}
{"speech_id":1090013572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the last generation of Americans were smart enough to put a man on the Moon. this generation of Americans ought to be smart enough to get off our overdependence on foreign oil. But that assumes we would pass an energy bill that would outline these policies and that we would have a debate about them. We have been trying to have this debate. and We certainly have had disagreements about what the policy should be. For the last couple of years. I have expressed concern over our countrys overfocus on fossil fuels. the fact that 60 percent of the incentives in the Energy bill have focused on fossil fuels. And I think we should start incentivizing other types of energy supply and move ahead. That is why I find this particular process to be an end run on energy policy and energy discussions. In fact. I think it is somewhat absurd that we can simply mandate the opening of ANWR by putting language in the budget. by simply saying: Lets put the revenue in the budget. and by doing that. we will then start the process for legislating that ANWR could be opened. The reason why that is -so bothersome to this particular Senatorthink. for example. if in the next budget we put revenue in there expediting timber sales in our National Forests or basically expediting the leasing off the coast of Florida for oil production. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4501}
{"speech_id":1090013572,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Or. God forbid. why dont we put revenue in the resolution recognizing oil leasing in Yellowstone National Park. even though it is a National Park? Why dont we do this process by continuing to put revenues in the budget resolution? Well. I think the energy debate deserves far more attention than simply sticking language in the budget resolution demanding the Energy Committee report a bill capture this revenue. I think that is what other people have started to see about this proposal. In fact. the New York Tiles recently ran a story about this. the refuge drilling. and basically pointed out: Others who advised Mr. Bush on his energy plan said including the refuge was seen as a political maneuver to open the door for more geological promising prospects off the coasts of California and Florida. So my first question is. If we dont stop this now. where does this stop in the future? I ask my colleagues. both Democrats and Republicans. if today you are going to allow the opening of ANWR by simply putting language in the budget requiring that we produce revenue. where will you go next? And clearly. I do not think the discussion of opening up leasing off the coast of Florida or the coast of California or even in ANWR belongs in the budget resolution. I do not think we should legislate in the budget resolution. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4501}
{"speech_id":1090013572,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To me. the process of having this debate now is very bothersome. But I understand there are some who will continue to push this until they find a way to make this proposal a reality. I do not think anybody can say our side of the aisle cannot be concerned about this type of tactic. I simply say. we should vote for my amendment tomorrow and turn this proposal down and start a real discussion on the energy bill. The senior. Senator from Alaska. I know. is very concerned that this not be referred to as a wilderness area. He is right. It is a wildlife -refuge.. He is right. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4501}
{"speech_id":1090013572,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a wildlife refuge. It is not a wilderness area. One of my colleagues would like to make it a wilderness area. the Senator from. Connecticut.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4501}
{"speech_id":1090013601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at this very hour. veterans in my home State of Washington and throughout the country are waiting for the health care they were promised. They are facing understaffed and overcrowded VA hospitals and clinics. They are dealing with paperwork. They are dealing with redtape. They are not getting the service they were promised. At this hour. veterans from World War II. Korea. Vietnam. and other conflicts are waiting for appointments to see a doctor. waiting for prescription drugs. and waiting for help with posttraumatic stress disorder. While they are waiting. new veterans are coming home from Iraq. from Afghanistan. and they need health care. too. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090013601,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every day the system is getting more and more crowded. The waiting lists are growing longer. We have to do something about it. These brave men and women were there for us. We have now got to be there for them. They answered our countrys call. and now we have to do our part. That is why I am on the floor tonight with Senator AKAKA. offering an amendment to increase funding for veterans health care by $2.85 billion. I am here today with a simple message. which is displayed right here on this chart: Congress needs to keep its promise to Americas veterans. We need to honor their service and their sacrifice. and we need to fund health care now. I received many letters from veterans throughout my State with this simple plea: Keep our promise to Americas veterans. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090013601,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fund health care now. Let me say. we- have a lot of work to do. If we follow the budget President Bush proposed last month. we will force veterans out of the VA system. we will force veterans out of nursing homes. we will force veterans to pay more in fees and copayments. and we will force veterans to wait even longer for the care they have earned. As the daughter of a disabled World War II veteran. as the first woman in history to serve on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. and as the voice of more than 700.000 brave veterans in the State of Washington. I cannot let that happen. I have been fighting for veterans for many years. In fact. just last week in the Budget Committee I offered an amendment to boost funding for VA health care. Do you know what some Senators told me? They said: We have already increased funding for veterans plenty. so we dont need another dime for veterans health care. They are wrong. That is not what the veterans in my home State are telling me. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090013601,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want every Senator to know that how you vote on this amendment is a .test of how committed you are to helping Americas veterans. With this vote. we are going to find.out who is serious about helping our veterans and who is just talking. With this vote. every Senator will have to announce publicly whether they are making life better for our veterans or whether they are making excuses. I am here to say lets do the right thing. Let us support this amendment and keep the promise to those who have served. For those veterans who are following this debate tonight. let me recap where it standS. This month. Congress is deciding how much money to spend on priorities such as veterans health care. So far. we have only had two choices. and one is to follow President Bushs approach. He offered a budget that will impose higher fees and copayments on many veterans. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090013601,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will lock the doors of VA to thousands of veterans. It is no wonder that veterans organizations from coast to coast have denounced that budget proposal. Last week. the Senate Budget Committee organized its own budget proposal. I serve on that committee. I was part of that debate. The Republican proposal got rid of some of the onerous fees in President Bushs budget. but they refused to increase funding for veterans to meet their needs. I tried to improve that bill in committee with the Murray veterans health care amendment. but the Republicans blocked my funding and passed an inaccurate budget on a partyline vote. Now that flawed budget is here on the Senate floor. and we have one more chance to make it right. That is why I am here tonight offering this amendment with Senator AKAKA. Our amendment says lets fund veterans health care based on real needs. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11198}
{"speech_id":1090013622,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will close. I think the Senator from Washington has time left that she would lilke to use. I think every Senator who comes to the floor of the Senate to speak about our veterans is committed without question to assuring to the veterans community of this country that we will honor their needs. It is our responsibility. I happen to disagree with the Senator from Washington. I do not think we need to raise taxes to meet the necessary needs at this time. Veterans are hard working. too. and they pay taxes. But there are additional moneys -necessary from what were moneys proposed by the President. and that is exactly what this amendment does. along with the additional plus up that the committee itself has accomplished. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4951}
{"speech_id":1090013622,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the EnsignCraigVitterHutchison amendment is adopted. the net increase will be over $1.2 billion of new money for the Veterans Administration to spend. What do we do with that money? I mentioned we add $100 million for VA prosthetic care. We look seriously at those who are tremendously injured in body. but we also recognize that there may be veterans injured not of body but of mind. and mental health programs are increased. The EnsignCraig amendment to the budget resolution will mean an addi-. tional $100 million can be devoted this year to expanding treatment and services in mental illness for Americas veterans who suffer PTSD as a result of their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also. the budget proposes $43 million to ensure that veterans who seek emergency. care in nonVA facilities are treated exactly the same as if they had sought care at a VA facility. Clearly. across my large expansive State of Idahoit is true of the State of Washingtonwe cannot have a veterans hospital or a care center in every community. and yet veterans live there and emergency care is sometimes necessary. We assure that they -can enter that emergency room door and be treated prior to moving on to a veterans care facility.. Finally. this budget with the $410 million added by the EnsignCraigVitterHutchison amendment will provide $19 million for the treatment of homeless veterans. That may sound like a small amount of money. but it will bring this program up to the $100 million level and help. us build on gains we have already made in reaching out to this incredibly vulnerable population of veterans. I can stand on the floor of the Senate tonight with the offering of this amendment. as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Senate. working with all of my colleagues and assure them that all of those gains we talked about earlier that we all share. we recognize. and we are proud of. whether it be in mandatory spending or whether it be in health care. are gains that will be sustained by this budget in 2006. that we can build on the strength of those gains and assure that veterans who are in the categories of 1 through 6 will be truly served. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4951}
{"speech_id":1090013622,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those who have serviceconnected disabilities or problems in other areas will be served. We recognize that the 20.000 veterans home beds across the States will remain open and available to veterans by not bringing down the per diem. This is a sincerely responsible budget to deal with Americas veterans needs as we have always done as a Congress and as we will continue to do in the 2006 budget and into the future. A tight budget year? You bet it is. Need we be fiscally responsible? You bet we should be. Should we raise taxes on the working men and women of America to accomplish that? No. we should not. What we should do is exactly what we are doing tonight: reestablishing priorities within the overall budget and saying here is an area of true need and care. a responsibility that we have to address. and we are open. caring. and responsible in addressing it. I am proud to serve as chairman of the committee. I am proud to work with my colleague from Texas who is the chairman of the appropriating committee. With the combination of all of us in a very real and bipartisan way. we are going to meet the needs of veterans as we always have. and we are going to meet them with a budget that represents a 3.7percent increase over last year. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4951}
{"speech_id":1090013622,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In as tight a fiscal year as we are in. that is a large and responsible and sensitive increase of which I am proud. I will yield the floor. and we will be back tomorrow to debate this important issue as we ask our colleagues to support us in this effort. I do believe when we look at all the facts and figures. when we look at the 43percent increase in veterans spending over the last 4 years. when we see the increase of veteraps going out and the quality of health care going up and the efficiencies that we have asked the system to produceand it has produced itthen this is in itself a truly responsible and caring budget. and I am proud to be a sponsor of it along with my colleagues. We will ask the Senate to support us in this effort. I yield the floor and yield back the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4951}
{"speech_id":1090013647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to again join with my friend. Senator HATCH. in introducing legislation to make a permanent commitment to researchintensive businesses in the United States. This legislation is bipartisan and bicameral. A companion bill will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman NANCY JOHNSON and Congressman BEN CARDIN. Every morning we hear news of some new product or discovery that promises to make our jobs easier or our lives better. Many of these innovations started with a business decision to hire needed researchers and finance the expensive and long process of research and experimentation. Since 1981. when the R&D tax credit was first enacted. the Federal Government was a partner in that business endeavor because of the potential spillover benefits to society overall from additional research spending. Research has shown that a tax credit is a. costeffective way to promote R&D. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8703}
{"speech_id":1090013647,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Government Accountability Office. the Bureau of Labor Statistics. the National Bureau of Economic Research. and others have all found significant evidence that a tax credit stimulates additional domestic R&D spending by U.S. companies. A report by the Congressional Research Service. CRS. indicates that economists generally agree that. without government support. firm investment in R&D would fall short of the socially optimal amount and thus CRS advocates government policies to boost private sector R&D. R&D is linked to broader economic and labor benefits. R&D lays the foundation for technological innovation. which. in turn. is an important driving force in longterm economic growthmainly through its impact on the productivity of capital and labor. We have many times heard testimony from economists. including Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan. that the reason our economy grew at such breakneck speed during the 1990s stemmed from the productivity growth we realized thanks to technological innovations. There has been a belief that companies would continue to increase their research spending and that the benefits of these investments on the economy and labor markets would continue without end. Unfortunately. that is not the case. According to Battelles 2005 funding forecast. industrial R&D spending will increase only 1.9 percent above last year. to an estimated $191 billion. which is less than the expected rate of inflation of 2.5 percent. For the fifth year in a row. industrial .R&D spending growth has been essentially flat. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8703}
{"speech_id":1090013647,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over recent years. industryfinanced R&D declined from 1.88 percent to 1.65 percent of GDP in the United States between 2000 and 2003. while R&D performed by the business sector declined fron 2.04 percent to 1.81 percent of GDP. Japan. in contrast. saw a steep increase in businessperformed R&Dfrom 2.12 percent to 2.32 percent of GDP between 2000 and 2002and modest gains were posted in- the EU. Moreover. just last week. the World Economic Forum released its annual Global Information Technology Report. The rankings. which measure the propensity for countries to exploit the opportunities offered by information and communications technology. ICT. revealed that Singapore has displaced the United States as the top economy in information technology competitiveness. As a matter of fact. the United States has dropped from first to fifth place in this ranking. Iceland. Finland and Denmark are the countries ranked two. three and four out of the 104 countries surveyed. Iceland moved up from tenth last year. These numbers should be a wake up call for all of us. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8703}
{"speech_id":1090013647,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As research spending falls. so too will the level of future economic growth. It is also important to recognize that many of our foreign competitors are offering permanent and generous incentives to firms that attract research dollars to those countries. A 2001 study by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD. ranked the U.S. ninth behind other nations in terms of its incentives for business R&D spending. Countries that provide more generous R&D incentives include Spain. Canada. Portugal. Austria. Australia. Netherlands. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8703}
{"speech_id":1090013647,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"France. and Korea. The United Kingdom was added to this list in 2002 when it further expanded its existing R&D incentives program. -The continued absence of a longterm U.S. government R&D policy that encodrages U.S.-based R&D will undermine the ability of American companies to remain competitive in U.S. and foreign markets. This disparity could limit U.S. competitiveness relative to its trading partners in the longrun. Also. U.S. workers who are engaged in R&D activities currently benefit from some of the most intellectually stimulating. highpaying. highskilled jobs in the economy. My own State of Montana is an excellent example of this economic activity. During the 1990s. about 400 establishments provided hightechnology services. at an average wage of about $35.000 per year. These jobs paid nearly 80 percent more than the average private sectorwage of less than $20.000 per year during the same year. Many of these jobs would never have been created without the assistance of the R&D credit. While there may not be an immediate rush to move all projects and jobs offshore. there has been movement at the margins on those projects that are most costsensitive. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8703}
{"speech_id":1090013672,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent. that the Subcommittee on Airland be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 15. 2005. at 2:30 p.m.. in open session to receive testimony on Army transformation and the future combat system in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2006.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090013703,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor Fayette County. Tennessee. Mayor Rhea Taylor. As the Fayette County Mayor since 2002 and a public servant for years. Rhea Taylor has been actively involved in planning for the rapid growth of Fayette County. And during their annual awards banquet. the Fayette 0 Printed on recycled paper. County Chamber of Commerce named Mayor Taylor the 2004 Citizen of the Year. During Mayor Taylors tenure. Fayette County has been designated as a ThreeStar Pilot Program county by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1025}
{"speech_id":1090013703,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to facilitating growth planning and recruiting industries to the county. Mayor Taylor is working to create a countywide fire system and a justice complex. The list of achievements goes on and on. but it is clear that Mayor Taylor has worked tirelessly on behalf Of the Countys residents. Mr. Speaker. I congratulate Mayor Taylor on his record of achievement and thank him for his continued good service to the people of Fayette County. Tennessee.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1025}
{"speech_id":1090013751,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr:- Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. the gentlemans amendment is most intriguing. The gentleman is interested in having opportunity for veterans to.gain employment. I presume they are veterans. whether veterans of World War II or circumstances in Iraq or otherwise. I presume that is the case. I certainly would be supportive of ensuring every veteran has an opportunity to find work. wherever the veteran might have served. I would like to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman. Yesterday we had a discussion on the floor of the House relative to the gentlemans wanting to ensure there were additional funding flows for veterans. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090013751,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was some resistance to that -suggestion because some of us thought there was money in the pipeline that adequately serviced the hospitals. and in regular order we would make sure whatever was necessary would be available. at future hearings and markups of bills that affect funding. So I want to ask a question: There is a veterans hospital in San Diego County. is there not?","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090013791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I will vote for this supplemental appropriations bill today. I have been a critic of the Bush administrations policy in Iraq. But I think even those who have supported it should be deeply concerned .about the escalating cost of our efforts there. If approved. the Presidents emergency supplemental appropriations request will bring the total cost of our operations in Iraq so far to over $200 billion. This amount gives me pause. but Congress must not fail to supply our troops. When I visited Iraq last year. I met with our troops and it is clear to me that more resources. including body armor and military equipment. are needed to safeguard their lives. The bill we are considering today provides these resources. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4109}
{"speech_id":1090013791,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It includes important provisions to raise the military death gratuity from $12.000 to $100.000 and to increase funding for addon vehicle armor kits. nightvision equipment. and electronic roadsidebomb jammers.- It includes funding for contract linguists for the Army andadditional body armor for the Army and Marines. And thanks to the passage of the MarkeyBlumenauer amendment. which I supported. the bill reaffirms the U.S. commitment to the U.N Convention Against Torture. It also provides funding for tsunami disaster relief. $1.3 billion to train and equip Afghan security forces and the Afghan army. $92 million for Darfur and $150 million for food aid to Sudan and Liberia. and $580 million for peacekeeping programs. most of which are for Sudan. Importantly. the bill appropriates the Presidents request of $200 million for economic development in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But large as it is. the bill still falls short in some respects. More funding is needed for veterans health care and mental health care and helping members of the National Guard transition back to civilian life. And most -roblematically. the Housepassed rule incorporated into the bill the REAL ID Act. legislation that I opposed when the House passed it in February. I opposed it again by voting against the rule. I believe the REAL ID Act does not strengthen national security. but it does create undue difficulties for asylum seekers and excessively expands the powers of the Secretary of Homeland Security. The bill also lacks answers to some tough questions. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4109}
{"speech_id":1090013791,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How many more supplemental requests like this one does the administration plan to present to Congress? What is our postelection strategy in Iraq? Can we account for the billions of dollars already spent in Iraq. and are the remaining billions of dollars in reconstruction funds being well spent? Why cant we get a solid answer about the numbers of trained and equipped Iraqi troops? That lack of information is why I voted for an amendment proposed by Representatives TIERNEY and LEACH to create a Select Congressional Committeebased on the Truman Committee that existed during World War IIto investigate and study the awarding and carrying out of Government contracts to conduct military and reconstruction activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adoption of that amendment would have improved the bill. The failure of this amendment makes it even more important that we continue to ask questions. not only to provide accountability to American taxpayers. but also to keep faith with the real needs of our troops in the field. Estimates of future U.S. costs in Iraq are mindbogglingranging from $400 billion to $600 billion over the nQxt decade. Thats why its so important for us to do the job right this time. The more effectively we use these billions to train and equip Iraqi troops. the more quickly Iraqis will be able to fend for themselves. which means a ticket home for our troops. So the bill could be improvedand I have supported amendments that would do that. But the bottom line is that we need to provide the funding necessary to keep our troops supplied and protected. With our troops stretched thin. forced to perform longer tours of duty and short of equipment and supplies. funding for our men and women in uniform must not be held hostage to disagreements about the wisdom or folly of Bush administration policies.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4109}
{"speech_id":1090013794,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in a few days we will mark the second anniversary of the in- take. vasion of Iraq and the start of a war that. in I understand and share the frustration that my judgment. did not need to be fought. At the will lead some to vote against this bill. We are time. the war was rationalized on intelligence being asked. again. to clean up a mess that estimates of Iraqi weapons of mass destruc- many of us argued strongly against creating. tnd on sug- Putting aside our frustration with this admintion capabilities that were wrong. ndonsug istration so that we can provide our troops gestions that Iraq was somehow connectedwhthenedosntoevrmanht with the September 11 alQaeda attacks on what they need does not. however. mean that our country that were never true. we will forget the mistakes. miscalculations. The President now says that the war is real- and misrepresentations that brought us to the ly about the spread of democracy in the Mid- point where these billions are necessary. die East. This effort at afterthefact justifica- The time is long past due for an accounting tion was only made necessary because the for those failures. We in Congress understand primary rationale was so sadly lacking in fact. our responsibility to provide for the common The one constant in 2 years of combat has defense. The administration must understand been the courage. dedication. and skill of the its responsibility to use the money this Conmen and women of our Armed Forces. For gress provides effectively. and with a transmore than 1.500 of our troops. service in Iraq parency that can withstand scrutiny. required the ultimate sacrifice. That is a loss - Ms. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090013794,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. for which our country mourns each day. Chairman. I rise in opposition to H.R. 1268. Thousands more have been woundedtheir the Emergency Supplemental Wartime Approlives. and the lives of their families changed priations Act for FY 2005. My opposition to forever by this war. Similar losses have been this bill does not mean that I do not support experienced by families in Spain. in Italy. and. our troops. I wholeheartedly support our of course. in Iraq. troops and believe that we should -fully fund The bill before us provides another $75 bil- our troops so that they have the necessary lion for military operations in Afghanistan and equipment to ensure their safety. Also incorIraq. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090013794,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This enormous sum was not requested porated into this bill is funding for Tsunami rethrough the normal budget process. not sub- lief efforts for affected Southeast Asian counjected to any hearings. and not counted tries. Having gone to Si Lanka and personally against our massive budget deficits. In fact. seen the devastation. I know how important this will be the third largest appropriations our relief efforts are for these countries. measure this year. Sadly. Im opposing H.R. 1268 because it And this $75 billion will be on top of the includes the REAL ID Act of 2005. The REAL more than $200 billion previously appro- ID Act of 2005 would deny drivers licenses to priated. mostly by the supplemental appropria- immigrants. and slam the doors on refugees tions process. for these military operations. seeking asylum from persecution. The REAL. How much of this cost would have been un- bad. ID Act has nothing to do with supporting necessary had the administration taken the our troops. let alone national security. time and the care to plan adequately for a war It is such a shame that Republicans had to of choice? We will never know. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090013794,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we do incorporate the REAL ID Act in the Iraq Supknowbecause these supplementals are evi- plemental and Tsunami Relief when it has dence of itthat our troops were sent into nothing to do with these two pressing issues. combat without the equipment they would This is an unprecedented move on the part of need for a protracted insurgency operation. the Republican leadership and this concerns Our responsibility now is twofold. First. to me. ensure that our troops have what they need to The REAL ID Act. H.R. 418 will not make us do their jobs effectively and as safely as pos- safer. What H.R. 418 will do is undermine sevsible. And second. to develop a strategy for .eral keysecurity features that were dealt with success that will contain clear benchmarks by responsibly in the Intelligence Reform legislawhich the American people can measure tion which was based on the 911 Commisprogress toward the time when our forces will sion Recommendations. be brought home. If the Republicans and this administration That strategy for success must include an really want to strengthen national security. aggressive plan for transferring responsibility they should start by providing full funding for March 16. 2005 - CC the Department of Homeland Security. particularly the security improvements authorized in the Intelligence Reform bill. Yet the Presidents 2006 budget did not include funding for 10.000 new border guards. 40.000 new detention beds to hold people awaiting deportation. and 4.000 new immigration inspectors as the bill dictates. The administration merely funds 210 new border patrol agents. As the proud daughter of immigrants. I am pleased to be serving my country as a Member of Congress. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090013794,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a great honor to be giving back to America. a country that has given my family so much. Like millions of immigrants. my parents came here in search of the American Dream and to give their children the opportunity to secure a promising future. Again. I am outraged and saddened that Republicans are using the pretext of national security to attack immigrants who pose no real threat to our safety. America is a country built by immigrants. and we should remain a country that is open and welcoming to those seeking freedom. The U.S. has always been a beacon of hope and we must continue to guard the light of liberty for those who are oppressed or displaced.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090013801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I reluctantly voted against this supplemental. not because there arent many important items included in it. but because a \"no\" vote is one of the few things in my power to signal my deep opposition to the administrations policy in Iraq. At its core. this bill gives too much money to the wrong people to do the wrong thing. As I made clear from the beginning of this war the administration continues to have no plan for success in Iraq. They have no blueprint for winning the peace and have not even adequately protected our troops in harms way. I fully support the assistance to the tsunamiaffected region. and hope it will be used wisely for recovery. reconstruction. and mitigation of future disasters. While we cannot prevent natural events such as floods. mudslides. volcanic eruptions. earthquakes. or tsunamis. we can reduce or mitigate their devastating impacts by helping communities to rebuild in safer locations. construct sturdier dwellings. and enhance natural ecosystems that mitigate the impact of these natural disasters. I am pleased to see that there is funding to provide additional armor for our troops and vehicles in Iraq. I hope that they will use the funding provided by Congress to give our troops the protection that they need. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2345}
{"speech_id":1090013801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"An amendment that I offered with Mr. MARKEY to prohibit funds for torture and for sending detainees to countries that practice torture passed. The use of torture and rendition is morally reprehensible. puts Americans at risk. is a poor way to obtain reliable information in our fight against terrorism. and sets back the cause of democracy. This is the very least that we can do as Congress continues to abdicate its responsibility to. investigate this horrific aspect of :administration policy.: Regardless of the merits. everyone should be troubled by the use of supplemental legislation to pay for regular military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Funding these operations outside of the regular budgeting process limits our ability for effective oversight and distorts the true budget picture. The Rules Committee burdened this legislation with all the flaws of H.R. 418. the \"Real ID Act.\" which. among other things. placed the entire 7.514 mile border completely outside all legal protections. This is perhaps the most damaging single precedent since Ive been in Congress.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2345}
{"speech_id":1090013803,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this $82 billion \"emergency\" supplemental bill. I also am opposed to the manner in which the REAL ID Act. H.R. 418. was attached to the Rule. thereby stealthily making the establishment of a national ID part of an \"emergency\" bill to which it is completely unrelated. Once again we see controversial bills being hidden inside another bill so that they are automatically passed where they otherwise might face opposition. I do not believe this is a wise practice. This \"emergency\" supplemental is the second largest supplemental appropriations bill in United States history. second only to the one last year. The funds will be considered \"emergency\" funds so Congress can ignore spending caps that would require the billions in new spending to be offset by reducing spending elsewhere. We are told that this is emergency spending. and that we therefore must not question this enormous expenditure. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2479}
{"speech_id":1090013803,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Does an emergency require sending billions of American taxpayers dollars overseas as foreign aid an emergency? This bill is filled with foreign aid spending. If we pass this illconceived legislation. we will spend $656 millibn for tsunami relief. $94 million for Darfur. Sudan. $150 million for food aid. most to Liberia and Sudan. $580 million for \"peacekeeping\" overseas. $582 million to build a new American embassy in Iraq. $76 million to build a new airport in Kuwait (one of the wealthiest countries on earth). $257 million forcounter drug efforts in Afghanistan. $372 million for health. reconstruction. and alternative development programs to help farmers stop raising poppy. $200 million in economic aid for the Palestinians. $150 million for Pakistan (run by an unelected dictator).$200 million for Jordan. $34 million for Ukraine. Does anyone really believe that all this foreign aid is \"emergency\" spending? Or is it just an opportunity for some offbudget spending? Just the above foreign aid equals almost $3.5 billion. Does anyone believe that sending this much money abroad as international welfare is a good thing for our economy? Is there a baseball emergency? There must be. because this \"emergency\" supplemental contains a provision to allow Washington. D.C. to use taxpayer money to build a baseball stadium. Mr. Chairman. this bill is almost unimaginably expensive. It is our outofcontrol spending that really is the greatest threat to the United States and our way of life. I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation.","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2479}
{"speech_id":1090013832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to inquire how long has it been since we have really had any fun around here. and would it not be a lot better if we just cut out this leaking underground storage tank stuff. we are talking about a LUST bill. I thought we might as well get that on the record and endure whatever the smirks are. because it is really an important bill. It is not controversial. It is a straightforward extension for 6 months. and I got a smile from Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":679}
{"speech_id":1090013832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a 0.1 cent per gallon excise tax. It will go to clean up drinking water and the environment. I appreciate the support of the gentleman from Indiana","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":679}
{"speech_id":1090013851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my distress over antisecession legislation recently passed by the National Peoples Congress of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The new law reaffirms the PRCs sovereignty over Taiwan and threatens peaceful and nonpeaceful means to defend its \"One China\" policy. In passing this law. the PRC imperils the status quo and durability of the delicate crossstrait truce that has been established. The United States has consistently maintained that differences between Taipei and Beijing should be resolved diplomatically and with the full involvement of the people of Taiwan and China. I subscribe to this position and the view that the status quo must be preserved until a peaceful resolution can be achieved. The antisecession law disturbs the status quo and creates and unnecessarily tense situation that may lead to an escalation of hostilities. While the antisecession law may have originated as a reaction to political rhetoric in Taiwan. the Taiwanese government supports the status quo. further obviating the need for the anticession law. The new law also seems at odds with recent positive developments between China and Taiwan that seem to signal closer.relations. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2146}
{"speech_id":1090013851,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. direct flights between Taiwan and mainland China were initiated during the Chinese New Year holidays and two senior representatives from the Peoples Republic of China attended the memorial services for Koo Chenfu who was instrumental in moving crossstrait dialogue forward 10 years ago. Mr. Speaker. in light of these positive events. it.is unfortunate that the PRC has chosen to take a step backwards in the effort to improve crossstrait relations. The antisecession law has made it necessary for us today to pass this resolution. which expresses. the Congress. grave concern that. China is: establishing legal justification for the use of force against Taiwan. The resolution rightly urges U.S. officials. through appropriate diplomatic channels. to express our nations grave concern to the PRC. and it reaffirms U.S. support for fostering crossstrait dialogue in an effort to resolve this international issue peacefully.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2146}
{"speech_id":1090013858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing gross violations of human rights and civil liberties of the Syrian and Lebanese people by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic.. as amended.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090013861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of this resolution. I want to commend my friend from New Jersey for his leadership on this issue. The resolution before the House supports the people of Syria who live under a violent and repressive regime. The last Congress. this body passed the Syria Accountability Act with 297 cosponsors. That bill primarily addressed Syrias behavior in the Middle East. including its sponsorship of terrorist groups and its continuing occupation of Lebanon. This resolution. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2875}
{"speech_id":1090013861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. focuses on Syrias domestic misbehavior for which Damascus must also be held fully accountable. After all. nobody has suffered more from the brutality of the Syrian government than the Syrian people. According to the State Departments annual human rights report released recently. Syria continues to commit egregious human rights abuses. including torture. arbitrary detentions of political prisoners without trial. censorship and harassment of journalists. protections for spouserapists. and light sentences for socalled honor killings. According to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Syria is engaged in an unceasing campaign to harass and intimidate human rights organizations. In recent days. the world has focused on Syrias outrages against the Lebanese people and. indeed. another resolution we are considering today deals directly with that issue. But. Mr. Speaker. we cannot credibly say we favor political reform in the Middle East if we ignore Syrias depredations against its own citizens. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2875}
{"speech_id":1090013861,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Syria is certainly. and I quote. one of the worlds most repressive regimes. as the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has indicated. Accordingly. it is important that this Congress be on record not merely in condemning the Syrian government for its actions against its neighbors but. more importantly. to express our support for the Syrian people in their struggle to achieve the kind of government they deserve. When I met with Syrian President Assad in Damascus. I urged him to change his governments behavior at home and abroad so that Syria could rejoin the ranks of the civilized world. This resolution is one result of his failure to heed that advice. Mr. Speaker. a Syria that is accountable to world standards and norms. a Syria that respects its own citizens and no longer occupies Lebanon or supports terrorism against Israel must be a central goal of our project of -reforming the Middle East. In the long run. a Middle East in which people are stakeholders in public life offers the greatest hope for peace and safety in the region and beyond. I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2875}
{"speech_id":1090013861,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Res. 18. Mr. Speaker. I am delighted to yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague. the gentleman from Oregon . a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2875}
{"speech_id":1090013862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans courtesy in permitting me to speak on this resolution and his leadership in bringing it forward. I am going to support the resolution. I. too. am troubled by what we have seen with the Syrian government. I am heartened by some activities in the Middle East. I think there is some real progress. But I would step back for a moment and ask us to reflect on something that has been happening that does not reflect so well on our government. Just moments. ago. the House overwhelmingly approved .an..amendment advanced by the gentleman from Massachusetts and me that dealt with making sure that money that we approved in the supplemental was not used to torture suspects of terrorism. We have this sense. and it is one that the people I represent feel very strongly about. that we have a responsibility and an obligation as the worlds oldest democracy to be upholding our standards of rule of law. of due process. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4266}
{"speech_id":1090013862,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have made torture illegal -not just because people are concerned that it is an immoral practice. we do so because it is not a good way to get useful information. Dictatorships torture indiscriminately. but it is not a way. as the Intelligence Community well understands. that we get good information upon which to base activities that may put our men and women at risk and to protect United States interests. Furthermore. we do not torture suspects of terror because if we do so. then any information that is gathered from that process taints any potential case and we cannot bring people to justice in a court of law. Last but not least. we do not torture because we want a standard established where we can use our moral authority to make sure that Americans abroad are protected. whether they are in uniform or they are civilians. There are a variety of moral. practical reasons why we are against torture. Yet I would note that there are too many press accounts for us to ignore.. too many reports from nongovernmental organizations that the .United States is participating in and condoning torture on behalf of prisoners that we have taken to other countries. There is a famous case that now the Canadian government wants investigated where the United States kidnapped a Canadian citizen and rendered this person to Syria where he was tortured. We have called for this Congress to get on top of what is. I am afraid. an emerging scandal. where we use extraordinary rendition. where we kidnap and transport people. where there is not effective oversight. where. Congress does not know what is going on. where there are people who are not being held accountable. where there are problems that we have seen with people who have been in custody of the CIA and some of the American prisons that we have had in Afghanistan and Iraq. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4266}
{"speech_id":1090013862,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We. as a Congress. need to be doing our job because we do not believe in torture. it is illegal. it is against international conventions. it is against the interests of the United States. And I must reemphasize the irony when we come forward with a resolution that points out the problems. legitimate problems. the abuses in Syria. and then it appears as though the United States is willing to offer up people to. countries like Syria. where we thought they are in fact going to be tortured. Mr. Speaker. I would hope that Congress gets ahead of this issue. that Congress does its job- to investigate these widespread reports that are coming through now our own legal system. that are coming through the media. that are coming from nongovernmental organizations. that we exercise our oversight to make sure that we have our own house in order. There should be no prospect that we are on one hand going to be a Congress that condemns torture and abuse of human rights in Syria. and on the other hand we are going to look the other way when we may be offering up people who are suspects. not convicted of anything. to be turned over to the hands of these same torturers. I would sincerely hope that we will have activity on the part of all of us to make sure the many committees in Congress do their job to provide this oversight and that we are not relying on the media. nongovernmental organizations. and what trickles through the legal system to do a job that we should be doing.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4266}
{"speech_id":1090013881,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have taken the time in opposition to this resolution not so much to object to the wellintended notions of the gentlewoman and the promotion of freedom and liberty. It is just that I do not think this is going to achieve it. As a matter of fact. when we pursue resolutions like this and a more aggressive foreign policy of telling other countries what to do. I see it as more of a threat to our security rather than helping our security. I. for one. would admit I personally do not know what is best for the Lebanese and the Syrians. the Iraqis. or anybody else in the region. but I would argue the case that traditionally in this country up until probably the past 100 -years. we took a different position on foreign policy. We took a position of nonintervention. one where we strived for neutrality. and we argued the case that we did not have any business in the internal affairs of other nations. No matter how well intended. there always seem to be ramifications. There seem to be unintended consequences. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8338}
{"speech_id":1090013881,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There seems to be a condition called \"blowback.\" where it comes back and ends up where we suffer more than anybody else. For instance. we are in Iraq right now with all these good intentions. We have been there for a couple of years. We have spent over $200 billion. and this week they came out with a survey and they talked about the most dangerous city in the world and where security is the worst. and that city is not Beirut. In the last 2 years. every one of us would have rather have been in Beirut than we would have been in Iraq. And yet we have 140.000 troops there protecting the Iraqis and promoting freedom and liberty and elections. and it sounds good. But I think if we are honest with ourselves. the results are not nearly as wonderful as we would like them to be. The other thing that concerns me is that we lose credibility when we talk about what we want and what we will impose on other nations. because when we are claiming that the Lebanese cannot possibly have elections with the presence of foreign troops. at the same time we daily hear the bragging about the great election in Iraq where we had these 140.000 troops and total martial law in order for an election to take place. I am all for the elections. and I am a strong supporter of selfdetermination. but I do not correlate that with our policies. We saw demonstrations. first a little at a demonstration orchestrated in support of getting Syria out of Lebanon. and then there was a response to that where 500.000 showed up supporting Hezbollah claiming they supported Syria. and then of course following that there was a much bigger demonstration. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8338}
{"speech_id":1090013881,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the people have had freedom to express themselves. But the one thing about all the demonstrations. we never saw a sign that said. America. come save us. come in here. tell us what to do. tell us what to do * with our elections. They have had elections going on for you in Lebanon without any violence directed against Syrian troops as we see daily in Iraq. They have an election coming up in May. It has been scheduled all along. It is not like they hav6 been avoiding them. We complain a lot about the Syrians being there. and if I have a personal preference. since I believe in selfdetermination. I would have the troops out just as I would have our troops out of most other places. But I would have foreign troops out of the Golan Heights. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8338}
{"speech_id":1090013881,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why are we so excited about the Syrian troops. who were invited by the Lebanese Government? Why are we not excited about foreign troops in the Golan Heights and in the over 100 countries where that we have troops? So I think we lose credibility. I think the Arab people just laugh at us and say. oh. yes. they are for these wonderful elections. and they have got to get these troops out. and. at the same time we have troops all over the place. The Syrians went into Lebanon in 1976. and if we go back and look at history. it was at the urging of the Government of the United States because there was about to be an election. And at that time. it was perceived that the election would undermine the minorities. the Christians and the Druse. So. therefore. it was in our interest at that time to interfere with the election. just as we have interfered so many times since then over the world. Just think of the elected leader in 1953 in Iran. the elected leader. Mossadeq. But he did not follow what we wanted him to do with regards to oil. So what did we do? We sent in the CIA. We overthrew him. and then we had our puppet government. the Shah. for 25 years. which did nothing more than provide fodder for the radicals. and we radicalized the ayatollahs against us. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8338}
{"speech_id":1090013881,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In a conversation with a veteran of the CIA. an expert in this region. he explained. at least he sincerely believed. that we did a tremendous favor for Osama bin Laden. and that is to go into Iraq. expose ourselves. and then .create the chaos of Iraq. Where there was no al Qaeda before. it is now a haven for al Qaeda. It has served as a recruiting ground for al Qaeda. So no matter how well the intentions are. we should look at the conclusions. what finally happens. Our problem very simply comes from the violation of the basic principle that we should follow. and that is that we should be friends with nations and trade with nations.. and that we should be neutral in foreign affairs. because it does not serve our interests. It costs a lot of money and it costs a lot of credibility and it costs a lot of lives. Just think of what the interference in Iraq has cost us: Over 1.500 men. over 11.000 battle casualties. with another 9.000 sent home because of illness. and over $200 billion. And there is no end in sight. Today we had to pass another $82 billion. which was not put into the budget. to continue this process. My argument is it comes not because we make a misjudgment. not that this resolution is simply a misjudgment of the day. it just is that is part of the misjudgments that we have made now for many. many decades in overall foreign policy. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8338}
{"speech_id":1090013888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Yleem Poblete and Paul Ostburg Sanz. long and dedicated. hardworking members. staffers on our committee on these measures and the work of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia. I would like to thank Chairman HYDE of the International Relations Committee. for understanding the need to support the Lebanese people at this critical time. and moving this resolution quickly through the Committee. I would also like to commend our leadership for their commitment. to freedom and democracy for all the people of the Middle East. Lastly. I must make special mention of the efforts and cooperation of our Subcommittee Ranking Member. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090013888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"GARY ACKERMAN. and especially our Full Committee Ranking Member.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090013905,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me thank my New York colleague for extending me the 5 minutes. I rise in opposition to the rule because it appears to be inconsistent with all of the things that the President is talking about. The President is talking about relieving the tax burdens of working Americans. and yet there is no provision at all for the alternative minimum tax that is going to grab the middle income people with a tax that they do not deserve. and the Committee on Ways and Means and this Congress never intended that they have to carry this burden. I am glad that the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman NUSSLE) saw fit to put the $50 billion in because it is an indication that they know that a war is going on. and I only wish that they would put something in there to help those veterans that are fighting the war. Lastly. if the President is going around the country selling this concept that we ought to eliminate this Social Security system and set up a new system. everyone agrees that it is going to cost a lot of money to do this. The transition is very. very costly. It runs into trillions of dollars. and yet there is not one scintilla of evidence that the Presidents legislative ideas are considered by the House in this budget. The President had a press conference today. and he has indicated that the personal accounts. as he called them. and private accounts. as we called them. actually will not do anything to make the Social Security system solvent. So. in support of the Presidents position. what we are saying here in defeating the rule. give us the opportunity to bring legislation to my colleagues that Would prolibit us from taking the contributions that are made to the Social Security fund out of that and putting it into a private fund. which the President agrees with us has nothing to do with saving Social Security. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090013905,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a matter of fact. he says that personal accounts will make sure that individual workers get a better deal in whatever emerges as a Social Security system. which means that if it is separate and just to make someone feel good because they have private investments. then come. Mr. President and my fellow colleagues of the other side of the aisle. and let us talk about it by taking personal private accounts off of the table and. in a bipartisaf way. help us to get something that emerges out of Social Security. Then. if we want to encourage incentives for savings. since the third rail that the President has grabbed is changing the income tax system. then let us work together and put incentives in the tax system that would encourage low and middle income workers to have a savings. It just seems to me to have a budget today that excludes the real cost of the war. that punishes veterans that suffered in the war. that makes no provisions for relieving the economic pain that is going to be caused by the alterliative minimum tax. and to act like the President going for 60 cities in 60 days will have no legislative impact. then let us save a lot of money and say that we cannot deal with Social Security reform today. not because we do not have a problem. but the President is committed in making certain that we do not find a bipartisan solution. EJ 1330 But the President going into districts knocking Democrats because they are not coming forward to work with him is inconsistent with what our President has said when he brought this subject up. and that is keep your powder dry. do not be critical because I will be coming up with a bill. and then after that come to us. The President has changed his position three times. First. he says there is no crisis. and we agree with him that there is a problem. Two. he indicates that the personal accounts really are not the solution and have nothing to do with the solution of solvency. And. three. he is now saying he wants ideas instead of coming up with what he thinks should be the solution. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090013905,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It just seems to me that it is up to us to make certain that we still work for a bipartisan solution. and if the President does not believe that his personal and our private accounts -are going to help us in resolving this problem. then for Gods sake let us get on with Social Security and with the help of the gentleman from California . a personal friend of the President who listens to him. tell him we agree with the President that if it does not solve the problem. get out of the way and let us together. Republicans and Democrats. solve this problem.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090013926,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say to the gentleman from Florida that we do not believe that the way to increase the solvency of Social Security is to decrease the solvency of Social Security. Everybody on our side of the aisle is prepared to work in a bipartisan way to increase the solvency of Social Security. What we are objecting to is this privatization scheme. Let me also say to the gentleman. because he questioned why I said that the Republican majority of this Congress has a budget that will create a government without a conscience. the reason why I say that is because this budget would cut $5.3 billion from the Department of Agriculture. cutting food stamps and other programs that are vital to Americas farmers. This budget would cut 21.4 billion from education. cutting student loans and higher education spending. He brags about the increase in money for No Child Left Behind. but we never properly funded No Child Left Behind. And our teachers and our principals and our superintendents are screaming about the fact that we have passed an unfunded mandate to them. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1751}
{"speech_id":1090013926,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill would cut $20 billion. mostly from the Medicaid program. It would cut $270 million in spending from section 8 and other housing and homelessness programs. It would cut money from the Witness Protection Program. $103 million from transportation. It would cut $798 million for veterans health care. It would cut the earned income tax credit. It would cut money for unemployment insurance programs. I mean. this is why I say that this is a budget that creates a government without a conscience. We are turning our backs on people who need our help. and I think that is wrong. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1751}
{"speech_id":1090013963,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my friend. the gentleman from South Carolina. who is one of the most able and honorable Members of this body. I also want to congratulate the gentleman for having put together a budget that reaches balance. The other side talks a good game. They do not produce. Every year the ranking members budget has a lower deficit than the Republican budget. My point today is simple: On the floor of this House. there are two pictures and two pictures only: One is George Washington. to my right. and the other one is a gentleman people in the galleries have trouble identifying. Who is he? He is a Frenchman. the Marquis de Lafayette. Why is he here? Because during the American Revolution. they loaned us money to help us beat the British. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2236}
{"speech_id":1090013963,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is always a race between the creditors and the citizens. Well. under the Republican budget. the creditors start winning in the year 2009. This is it. the tipping point. In the year 2009. we will be spending more money to service our debts. increasingly to foreigners. than we will be spending on our own citizens on domestic nondefense discretionary spending. That is an outrage. It will be better starting in the year 2009 in terms of domestic government in. this country to be a dreditor and not a citizen. And the trend that is being set by the Republican budget just gets worse. Do not take my word for it. listen to the Government Accountability Office. By the year 2040. under present trends. it will take all the revenues of the Federal Government just to pay interest on our debts. There .will be no national defense. there will be no Social Seourity. there will be no Medicare. there will be no government left. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2236}
{"speech_id":1090013963,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Republicans have put us on a road to ruin. One of the speakers recently just said. well. we have a strong defense. That is good. We are borrowing more and more of the money from the Chinese. Who do you want pictured on the wall of the House of Representatives in future years? Do you want the Marquis de Lafayette. or do you want Hu Jintao of China. or Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. or do you want Tony Blair of Great Britain? Because these creditors have more and more power over this country because we are borrowing more and more of their money.","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2236}
{"speech_id":1090013967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my disappointment with the lack of attention to our Nations fiscal crisis. We have a budgeting process that simply defies logic. The system is broken. plain and simple. We need to focus our efforts on finding a cure for our addiction to budget deficit spending. This dog of a budget does not hunt. but the Blue Dog Coalition has introduced a 12step reform plan that is a good place to start with reforms. It requires a balanced budget. stops Congress from buying on credit and puts a limit on spending. It requires an accurate account. cost estimates and allows sunshine to purify the process. It is no secret that our national debt is out of control. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090013967,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are expected to run a $427 billion deficit in 2005. with more deficits projected as far as the eye can see. We do not even have a firm grip on where our money is going. Within the Department of Defense. only six of 63 departments are able to produce a clean audit. That is less than 10 percent. \u0095 1600 This budget omits so many major expenses that it is a sham. The administration has essentially cooked the books using Enronstyle accounting and Congress is just blindly going along with the program. We find ourselves trying to pass a budget that hides half of our problems. We know that foreign holdirig of U.S. debt is on the rise. Interest on the national debt is the fastest growing area of the Federal budget. and the trade deficit is totally out of control. What are we doing about it? Not a darn thing. I hope that this Congress will wake up and restore fiscal responsibility and accountability. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090013967,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time to stop digging this hole deeper.","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090013973,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the chairmans leadership in this effort. As he noted in his opening statement. we have spent a great deal in these past few years to secure our Nation in the wake of the September 11 attacks. But at the same time we were directing a huge new share of resources to those urgent needs. we were also continuing to keep pace in our domestic nonsecurity programs like education. health care. veterans. agriculture. a whole host of other issues outside of defense and homeland security that people associate with their government. On 9\/11. our priorities shifted as a Nation. but our fiscal priorities remained the same. We kept growing our domestic programs by the same levels we had been. the rate of which would have been unsustainable even without a September 11. Over the past decade. we have increased programs almost across the board. and in many cases doubled. tripled or even quadrupled the rate of inflation. I say that because out of one side of the mouth of the opposition comes a plea for fiscal restraint and out of the other. side comes a hue and cry at tle devastating terrible cuts that are being beset upon the American people. Let us look at what the impact of domestic spending has been over the past decade. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5518}
{"speech_id":1090013973,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A Mount Everest of increases in discretionary spending. As we can see. overall discretionary spending grows since 1994. a very steep line. With the exception of last year which was the first time in a long time that we began the process of slowing growth. on average we have increased discretion spending by 6.1 percent per year for over a decade. Let us look at some of the key areas that make- up that portion of the spending. In the last 5 years. the Republican Congress has increased education funding by an average of almost 12 percent per year. Over that same period of time. spending for the Department of Education has increased by 75 percent. almost doubling our commit: ment. In fact. aside from the newly created Department of Homeland Security. the Department of Education has grown faster than any other Federal agency or Department during this period. Let us look at some of -the key programs that make up twothirds of the Department of Educations budget. Title I. since 2000 title I funding for lowincome schools has increased by 55 percent. Pell grants which help provide lowerincome students with funding for college has increased by 57 percent over 5 years. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5518}
{"speech_id":1090013973,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And while this decision will be left up to the Authorizing committee. the Presidents budget request called for increasing that amount that stu.dents are eligible to receive under this program. Let us look at funding for our special needs students. IDEA. the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. or IDEA. provides for those needs of our most important and sensitive children in the school system. funding has increased by 87 percent in the past 5 years. In addition to increased funding. Congress also passed the No Child Left Behind Act which demands results in exchange for dollars. It works to forge a real link between education spending and classroom achievement while focusing resources on underperforming schools. Now let us look at veterans. those men and women who have done so much to secure the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy and take for granted on a fegular basis. I think that everyone should be proud of the commitment that we have made and continue to make in the area of veterans benefits. Since Republicans took control of the Congress in 1995. tremendous strides have been made in improving benefits for our Nations veterans through hefty increases. Budget authority since 1995 has increased 77 percent. beginning at $38 billion. ending up at $67.6 billion. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5518}
{"speech_id":1090013973,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A tremendous increase. In fact. that 77 percent increase compares to only a 40 percent increase over the previous 10 years. Spending per veteran. Let us get right down to the veteran in your district. Spending per veteran since 1995. increased payments per veteran have gone up 103 percent compared with 43 percent during the previous 10 years. You could walk into any Legion Hall or VFW complex in America and be proud of that number. Since 1995\". we have increased VA medical care funding from $16.2 billion to almost $30 billion. And in 1996 and 1999. Congress expanded eligibility for medical care and as a result the number of veterans utilizing VA. care has nearly doubled. The Montgomery GI bill. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5518}
{"speech_id":1090013973,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those veterans who return home and seek to improve their lot and develop their education skills. since 1995 Montgomery GI education benefits have gone from $405 to $1.004. an increase of 147 percent. And I will also note that prior to the Republican take over in 1995. under 40 years of Democrat control. there was no progress whatsoever on concurrent receipts. Now military retirees injured in combat or while training for combat who are 50 percent or more service disabled. are able for the first time in over 100 years to receive. retirement benefits at the same time as their veterans disability compensation. About a month ago. the Charleston Gazette ran this quote. and I will share it: \"Bush increased VA spending by 27 percent in his first term. As factcheck.org pointed out. funding for veterans is going up twice as fast under Bush as it did under Clinton. And the number of veterans getting health benefits is going up 25 percent.\" The bottom line is that domestic discretionary needs have been met and continue to be met under this blueprint that the gentleman from Iowa presents today.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5518}
{"speech_id":1090014006,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond to the gentleman. I would point out that when the Bush budget summit agreement came to the floor of this House in the fall of 1990. after many arduous months of negotiation with the Bush administration and the Democratic leadership and the Republican leadership in the House. only 88 Republicans supported the passage of that bill. which had the Presidents support behind it. 0 In 1993. when we passed the Clinton Budget Act and began the unprecedented march towards lower and lower deficits. eventuating in a surplus of $236 billion in the year 2000. not a single Republican in either House voted for that deficit reduction effort. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":761}
{"speech_id":1090014009,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yieldingme time. Mr. Chairman. I wish to speak very briefly about an aspect of fiscal responsibility. the rule called payasyougo. because there is a connection between our lack of fiscal responsibility and these draconian cuts we are seeing in vital services. like the $20 billion that people who are poor and dependent on Medicaid will be forced to endure. Our colleagues in the majority have consistently opposed Democratic efforts to reinstall payasyougo rules for both entitlement spending and new tax cuts. In fact. they just denied the House the ability to vote on such a proposal offered by the gentleman from Tennessee and the Blue Dogs. These PAYGO reforms were put in place in the 1990s and were essential to the successful effort achieved then to balance the budget. PAYGO reforms have been endorsed in their entirety by Alan Greenspan. but the Republicans do not want them applied to tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090014009,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why? Because doing so would require that they identify specific- revenue measures. most likely spending cuts. which would provide the offsets. vital spend services being cut. such as Medicaid. So we should reinstate PAYGO. We should not support this budget. that destroys so much which is a part of our health care delivery. Medicaid.","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090014043,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the shameful Republican budget. Yet again the Republican leadership neglects the needs of low and middle income families in order to provide hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthiest of Americans. We should not be supporting this unfair budget that leaves people without adequate housing. without opportunities for a decent education or job training. and which passes billions of dollars of debt to our children. I am especially concerned about the Community Development Block Grant. Mr. Chairman. the Community Development Block Grant is something that should have the support of both Democrats and Republicans. This Community Development Block Grant is the only source of funds that some of our small towns and cities have to deal with housing. to deal with programs for senior citizens. atrisk youth or to deal with the infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2612}
{"speech_id":1090014043,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many of the small cities just do not have the money to deal with some of the problems of the sewer systems and roads and other kinds of things. But with the Community Development Block Grant. they have the flexibility. This is a very. very respected program. They have the kind of extensive community planning that brings in all of the community groups and organizations. the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. and they actually go through all of the programs and they decide which of these programs will be funded. To talk about cutting this is very. very cruel. I have received just hundreds of calls from mayors and city council members who say. \"Please. whatever you do. dont cut CDBG.\" Since the President initially proposed consolidating CDBG and other development programs into one grant program. not only have I received all of these letters from members of city councils and mayors. they have basically said without this program. many of their cities will simply collapse. In addition to these cuts. the President has already proposed to cut public housing by 10 percent. section 811 disabled housing by 50 percent. . housing opportunities for persons with AIDS by 14 percent. and other HUD programs. Yet the Republican budget resolution proposed to make even more draconian cuts to this function. We simply cannot afford to do that. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2612}
{"speech_id":1090014043,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to reject the Republican budget and to support a budget that invests in thefuture of our country. This is shameful and unconscionable that they can even bring this budget to the floor. I ask for a \"no\" vote on the Republican budget and an \"aye\" vote on the Democratic budget.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2612}
{"speech_id":1090014078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today being very disturbed with the direction that the Republican Proposed Budget and this Administration is taking our great nation. The prime reason for my concern is the national budget which stands before this body today. The Nussle budget clearly does not improve upon the severely flawed Bush Administration budget. The needs of average Americans are still ignored. The interests of a wealthy few outweigh the needs of an entire nation in this budget. I say this not out of partisanship. but from a statement of the facts. I want to highlight a few areas in this budget that are particularly egregious. *This President and the majority party in this body have spent so much time talking about their record on educationand as hard as I try I can not see what they have to be proud of. It is one thing to address areas of critical need with rhetoric. but to advocate a policy and then not fund it sufficiently is plain irresponsible. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5727}
{"speech_id":1090014078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This budget eliminates 48 education programs that receive $4.3 billion this year. These eliminations include wiping out $1.3 billion for all vocational education programs. $522 million for all education technology programs. and $29 million for all civic education programs. The budget eliminates other large programs including the Even Start family literacy program ($225 million) and state grants for safe and drugfree schools and communities ($437 million). The Presidents budget cuts 2006 funding for the Department of Education by $1.3 billion below the amount needed to maintain purchasing power at the current level. and by $530 million below the 2005 enacted level of $56.6 billion. This is the first time since 1989 that an Administration has submitted a budget that cuts the Departments funding. This Administration and the majority in this Congress promised to leave no child behind. but clearly they have reneged on their promise. Our brave American veterans are another group who were outraged by the Presidents budget and will unfortunately be disappointed with the Republican House Budget. I hear so much in this body from the majority party about the greatness of our Armed Forces. and their right. but again its just empty rhetoric on their part. Those brave men and women fighting on the front lines in our War Against Terror will come back home and find that the Republican Party looks at them differently once they become veterans. Almost all veterans need some form of health care. some will need drastic care for the rest of their lives because of the sacrifice they made in war. but the Republican Budget continues to turn a blind eye to their needs. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5727}
{"speech_id":1090014078,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is that $3.2 billion more than the current budget proposal is needed just to maintain the current level of health care programs for veterans. The entire Department of Veterans Affairs is going to suffer because of the Republican agenda. I have heard from veterans groups throughout my district in Houston and I am sure each Member of this body has heard from groups in their own district because veterans are one group that come from all parts of this nation. These brave veterans have told me their stories of how they are suffering now with the current state of Veterans Affairs. I am going to have trouble telling them that not only will things continue to stay bad but if this budget passes this body things will only continue to get worse. That is not what our returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan should have to look forward to. a future where their needs are not only unprovided for. but are in fact ignored. Education and Veterans Affairs are not the only two areas where Republican budget fails Americans. The truth is there are many other programs and services vital to our nation that are at risk because of the Republican agenda. At this point. an average American may be asking why the Republican leadership finds it necessary to cut so many fundamental programs. The answer is simple. yet disturbing. the majority is cutting important programs in order to finance all their irresponsible tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5727}
{"speech_id":1090014078,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They will continue to make the argument that tax cuts provide stimulus for our economy. but millions of unemployed Americans will tell you otherwise. In fact the Congressional Budget Office itself said \"tax legislation will probably have a net negative effect on saving. investment. and capital accumulation over the next 10 years.\" While the Republican leadership continues its offensive for irresponsible tax policies they allow our national deficit to grow increasingly larger. When President Bush came into office he inherited a budget surplus of $236 billion in 2000. Now. however. this Administration has raided those surpluses and its fiscally irresponsible tax policies have driven the country ever deeper into debt. A $5.6 trillion tenyear projected surplus for the period 20022011 has been converted into a projected deficit for the same period of $3.9 trilliona reversal of $9.5 trillion. Much like the Presidents budget. the resolution before us omits the longerterm costs of either the war in Iraq or fixing the AMT. yet still tries to make claims of reducing the deficit. Its clear that the Republican Party is hiding from the American people. This President and this majority in Congress have yet to advocate a fiscal policy that helps average Americans. Special interests have become king in this budget at the price of sound fiscal policies. This body was made to stand for the will of all Americans. if we allow this budget proposal to take effect we will have failed our mandate. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5727}
{"speech_id":1090014078,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I for one will not stand by silently. I have a duty to my constituents and indeed to all Americans to work for their well being and I will continue to honor that duty.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5727}
{"speech_id":1090014079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume to just respond gently. firmly in some respects to some of the characterizations I disagree with of the budget that I am presenting and the Republicans are presenting. I definitely respect the Congressional Black Caucus in their effort to put together a budget. I admire anybody who tries to go through this process and comes out of the other end with an actual work product that they can come to the floor to defend. So. as a result of that. I am pleased to yield time so that they can present that budget. Mr. Chairman. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":635}
{"speech_id":1090014084,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. first let me say to the gentleman from South Carolina . there is absolutely no one on the Democratic side that I admire more than the gentleman and the partnership we have in working on these budgets. This is the culmination when we come to the floor and. have these debates. and I really respect the way he handled the debate. We appreciate that. We disagree how we are going to accomplish the goals that our Nation needs to set. but we know the goals are pretty important. We have to keep the country strong. There is no question about that. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10806}
{"speech_id":1090014084,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is really nonnegotiable. There is not a constituent I talk to that would suggest at this point in time in our history we do not want to protect the country. Our borders. everything from terrorism to illegals and drugs and all sorts of things coming into the country. we have to protect the country. number one. Number two. we have to make sure that the economy keeps growing. That should not be an item up for negotiation. It is so important that families have the resources to deal with the challenges that they face every single day. We come out here and talk about other peoples money very easily on the floor of the House. what the taxpayers send us in order to solve problems. but we really do need to be mindful of the fact that the most important budget that we ought to be focused on is the budget decided and discussed and sweated over and argued about around kitchen tables across the country. That is such an important budget. We worry about education here. but parents do that every night after their kids go to bed. We worry about health care here. but seniors do that every night when they are laying in a bed in a nursing home. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10806}
{"speech_id":1090014084,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We worry about creating jobs. but small business people do that every night in the quiet of their closed shop. They try and make sure their cash register all added up. It is funny. I have heard people say we should not worry about the error rate in the food stamp program. which is now 6 percent. Mr. Chairman. 6 cents on every dollar in this country in food stamps is wasted. We say that is an improvement because it is down from 19 percent. The interesting and fascinating thing about that is if a small business person ended the night. closed that shop door and turned the open sign around to closed and rang up the cash register and they were missing six pennies.. they would stay all night to find it. all night long to find those six pennies that did not add up in their cash register. But we say. oh. that is an improvement. Amazing.. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10806}
{"speech_id":1090014084,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It really is amazing. That is what I turn to first. This is the record of Federal Government spending over the last 10 years. In these numbers is what I was talking about. the concern of education. the concern of homeland security. the concern of national defense. the concern of job training. the concern of our environment. the concern of transportation. the concern of research and development. All of the concerns that we have talked about are embodied in numbers because in Washington we define compassion from one year to the next. solutions from one year to the next of spending more. We have all seen that. If I spend just a little bit more from one year to the next year. I must care. I must be solving problems. I must be dealing with real solutions. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10806}
{"speech_id":1090014084,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If I just spend a little bit more money. I will solve all of the problems in the country. Every problem that every family ever addressed around their kitchen table can be solved with justa little bit more Washington spending. That is the fallacy of what we are debating tonight. and that is that if we believe. truly believe that all we have to do is take more money to Washington in the form of taxes and define and design and develop just one or two more programs that hires a number of more bureaucrats. that builds maybe a few more office buildings to be filled with those bureaucrats. and they drive in from Virginia or Maryland or wherever they drive in from. so that they care more about what is going on than the families back home. if we really believe that is solving problems. then Members are going to have a budget to vote for. It spends more money. it increases taxes. and it purports to solve problems. Unfortunately. we are not solving those problems by doing that. My favorite saying that I heard on the floor. and I do not remember who said it. a long time ago. if you always do what you always did. you will always get what you always got. If Members think about it. we have been trying to solve problems in Washington with more speiding for quite some time now. and those problems do not seem to go away. Last year we decided to put the brakes on spending. We said yes. we have had the excuse of September 11. of the war on terror. of needing to deal with homeland security and needing to deal with our economy. but it is time to be done with all of that. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10806}
{"speech_id":1090014123,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I want to respond to an observation the gentleman from Texas made that this was the most fiscally responsible budget since the Reagan years. I was surprised. first of all. that he chose the Reagan years as a frame of reference. Those are the years that the mushroom deficits first appeared. We had deficits of $200 billion. 5.6 percent of G.DP in the early 1980s. It took us 15 years to get to those deficits. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2451}
{"speech_id":1090014123,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That would not be the kind of model that f would choose. If you want something to model a budget after. then there is a much more recent and much more valid model and that is what we did in 1990. 1993 and 1997. In 1990. both sides sat down. President Bush took part in the negotiations through his staff and we came to the first agreement for the settlement of the budget deficit. The Bush balanced budget agreement of 1990 and 1991. laid the foundation for what we accomplished in the 1990s. In 1993. we did the Clinton budget. In 1997. we finished it up with the Balanced Budget Act. All of those acts contained three elements. the PAYGO rule which we are proposing to reinstate. caps on discretionary spending backed up by sequestration. and a multiyear 5year budget. not just a 1year budget but a 5year budget with goals to attain each year. That is what is lacking here. the budget process. the budget discipline. the budget plan. If you want to see where this budget is likely to lead us. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2451}
{"speech_id":1090014123,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to say once again that everybody should look in his mail and he or she will find an analysis of the Presidents budgetary proposals for fiscal year 2006. This is essentially the Presidents budget with a few changes to it. but it is basically his budget. As I have said. you only have to read two pages. You come to table 1.1 and you look in the far righthand column and you will see the total debt accumulation according to CBO that will be incurred if we follow the Presidents budget through 2015. That total is $5.135 trillion and that is before anything for fixing the alternative minimum tax which CBO tells us is going to cost at least $640 billion. and before anything is added to the cost side of the ledger for the war in Iraq. This is where we are going if we adopt this budget. right back where we were in 1980 with the budget that the gentleman from Texas said he admired so much as fiscally responsible. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2451}
{"speech_id":1090014171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. having watched that last bill. I continually am surprised in this House that I think I have seen everything. and then I see another one like this one tonight. But on the television today we saw an even more amazing thing. We saw the architect of the Iraq war and all the problems that still remain. the killings. the massacring of civilians. the instability of the government. the inability for them to pick their leadership. their inability to give security to the people of Iraq. we see that every day on the television. It is all the creation of a man named Paul Wolfowitz and his friend. Mr. Rumsfeld. the Secretary of War. The two of them together have put together this disaster that we now face. Now. one would think that. given the failure of the planning and all of what went on in the Iraq war. you would be about to see the end of Mr. Wolfowitz one way or another. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3707}
{"speech_id":1090014171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But history has some really interesting things in it. Some of you may remember the Vietnam War. There was an architect for the Vietnam War. His name was Robert McNamara. Robert McNamara led us into the swamp. 58.000 people died. Tons and tons of folks died on the Vietnamese side. We wasted money. We put ourselves deeply in debt. And when it was over. Lyndon Johnson made him the head of the World Bank. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3707}
{"speech_id":1090014171,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Who would think that today the President of the United States would reward a man who has created the mess in Iraq with the job of being the lead of the World Bank? Now. what does the World Bank do? At the end of the Second World War we set up four institutions. We set up the World Bank. the United Nations. We set up the International Monetary Fund. They were all to stabilize what was going on economically and tie us together in trade. And we take a man who is an avowed American imperialist. who believes in establishing hegemony across the whole world on the base of military power. That is really what the neocons believe. And the President says. you know. this is just the kind of guy we need at the head of the World Bank. What does the World Bank do? Well. if a country wants to build a dam or they want to do some road improvement projects or they want to do some AIDS prevention or some AIDS treatment. they come to the World Bank and ask for loans. Imagine the world coming to the feet of Paul Wolfowitz and trying to get him to understand about rebuilding. This is a man who has flattened Afghanistan and flattened Iraq. has come in here and asked for $80 billion again and again and again. even today. 80 more billion dollars. and they still do not have the water running and the sewage moving. and they do not have electricity. and they do not have the basic requirements of a civil society in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3707}
{"speech_id":1090014171,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And he comes in here. now to be the head of the World Bank. We are going to give him billions of dollars to hand out to the world to rebuild the very mess that he created. What in the world is the President thinking? I suppose he thinks. well. maybe. you know. Paul created all those problems over there. bombed everything and led our neocon ideas. that iffwe could just get enough power. we just bomb enough. you could have a city like Fallujah in Iraq. It is a city of about 400.000 pdople. It is flat. Just like we did in the Second World War to Dresden. and we did with the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He flattened that city. Well. that was to save it. you know. because they were so resistant in that city to American democracy that the only solution Paul Wolfowitz and his confreres in the department of war could think of was to bomb it flat. And now he is the World Bank president. and he will be letting the loans to put Fallujah back on its feet. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3707}
{"speech_id":1090014171,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Man. I have seen everything.","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3707}
{"speech_id":1090014179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise tonight to recognize Dr. Melvin E. Banks of Chicago. Illinois. on his companys 35th anniversary. Dr. Banks is the owner of Urban Ministries. Incorporated. which is the largest African American owned and operated Christian publishing and media company. At the age of 12. Dr. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090014179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Banks discovered the Lord and his subsequent calling after sharing his testimony on the back roads of Birmingham. Alabama. \"At that time an elderly gentleman overheard his testimony and provided the young Banks with a Bible verse that would have significant impact on his future pursuits. Hosea 4:6 states. \"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.\" Upon hearing those words. Dr. Banks knew immediately that Gods purpose for his life was to help spread knowledge of the gospel from an African American perspective. After founding Urban Ministries in 1970. Dr. Banks and his small staff operated out of the basement of his home for 12 years. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090014179,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As Dr. Banks faith grew. so did his media ministry. In 1982. Urban Ministries occupied the second floor of a building located at 1439 West 103rd street in Chicago. Illinois. Guided by a vision that others did not see. Dr. Banks moved Urban Ministries in 1996 to its current 46.000 square foot headquarters in the Chicagoland area. Today. Urban Ministries serves over 40.000 Sunday school teachers throughout the United States. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090014179,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Haiti. the Bahamas. Nigeria and South Africa. Under Dr. Banks leadership. souls have been touched and prayers have been answered as Urban Ministries moves closer to its goal of reaching every black Christian church with Christian education products and services. Mr. Speaker. Dr. Banks holds a Bachelors Degree from Moody Bible Institute as well as undergraduate. graduate and postgraduate degrees from Wheaton College in Illinois. So on this day. I congratulate Dr. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090014179,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Banks on this momentous milestone in his companys history. My fellow colleagues. please join me in extending best wishes to Dr. Banks on 35 years of success and for another 35 years of success that surely will be approaching.","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090014192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. if I may take just a moment to talk about a friend of ours and a pillar in Florida. Mr. Bill Lehman. Congressman William Lehman went on to glory today. He served our country well. He was blessed to be here for some 91 years. He passed away with his family by his side. He served in the 17th Congressional District. Madam Speaker. from the time of 1973 to 1992 with great distinction. He was one of the longest serving. if not the longest serving. chairmen of the Transportation Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations and did good works while he was here. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1119}
{"speech_id":1090014192,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A quiet man but a man that enjoyed to have a good time. and we will appropriately honor him with an hour here on the floor. designated by the gentlewoman from CalifOrnia . Democratic leader. at a later date. with reflections of friends that served with him in the Congress and also those Members who knew him well. And we send our prayers and appreciation to his family for allowing him to serve this great government of ours and play his role in democracy as the annals will reflect. Madam Speaker.. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1119}
{"speech_id":1090014193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. My colleague from Florida is always so eloquent. and one of the things that has struck me from the time I have been privileged to serve in the Congress. for about 10 weeks now. is that we really stand on the shoulders of giants in this Chamber and there are precious few that fall into that category and that deserve that accolade. And Congressman Lehman was most definitely one of them. I am privileged to represent a good portion of his district. I can only hope. as I am sure the gentleman can because he also represents a portion of his former district. that both he and I and our colleagues from South Florida can even begin to fill his shoes. Certainly it is our responsibility to carry on his legacy. and I know that is what we will strive to do every day on this floor. and I look forward to the hour that will be devoted to his life.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":899}
{"speech_id":1090014216,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. that is absolutely true. I think one of the reasons that the President got reelected and I think one of the reasons the gentlewoman has been reelected in a very competitive district is people appreciate leadership. It is easy to be against things. but we are elected as public servants to be for solutions. and the harder the issue. the more responsibility we have to step up to the plate and solve the problems that we face as a Nation. What I heard the President say when he was in South Bend is .we have a problem. We can call it a crisis. whatever we want. but it is clearly and undeniable challenge. and I think the American people understand that. I heard the President say it is not the seniors problem. If you are retired or near retirement. your benefits are safe and secure and you are going to get everything you have earned. and all options are on the table. This is a debate that should be engaged in by all. The President said it does not matter if it is.a Republican idea. a Democrat idea. any good idea will be embraced and be part of the solution. I think it is important that we focus on the facts. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090014216,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Recently. I sat in a hearrSE. March 16. 2005 ing of the Committee on Ways and Means where David Walker who is the Comptroller General of the United States. a former trustee of Social Security. and he made a pretty profound statement that we need to focus on nonpartisan facts and a bipartisan solution. I think it is important that we all engage in this debate to find a solution that benefits every single generation. He talked about the Social Security trust. fund. In his words. the trust fund has no economic value. He called it an accounting device. One of the earliest lessons I learned in business was that balance sheets and income statements are fiction. and cash flow is reality. That is a challenge that we face is in the short term -we have a cash flow problem. In the medium and long term. we have a solvency problem. and that is what we are talking about and that is what we have to solve.","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090014220,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is certainly a crisis depending on your time frame and certainly our seniors today are fine. those about to retire are fine. but those retiring in the future will face this crisis if we do not act now. Those that say that there is no problem. that there is no need to act until the year 2042 when the trust fund is exhausted really need to answer the question. how are they going to pay the benefits? If they would come to the floor or they would offer their solution by saying. well. if we raise payroll taxes by 50 percent. maybe we could address this crisis and they may be right. But the reality is that more Americans pay payroll taxes than they do income taxes. When you want less of something. increase taxes on it. When you increase taxes on jobs. it would be devastating to our economy. it would be devastating to many low- and middleincome families. \u0095 I think it is critical that we find a package of good ideas. and personal accounts may be one 6f those good ideas. but the people that want to raise taxes have to. I think. face up to the devastating effects that they would have on our economy and our families and they also have to face up to the fact that we have already raised taxes since Social Security was put into place 22 times. Each one of those times it did not solve the problem. If you add in when we raised the cap on earnings. which is currently $90.000. the total goes up to 39 times. And so it is critical that we find this package of good ideas that not only solves the problem today but permanently solves the problem so future Members of this body do not have to come down and engage in this debate and say why we failed to act and did not live up to our responsibility as elected officials.","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1734}
{"speech_id":1090014266,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe the Senator from Wyoming was going to speak in opposition to the amendment of the Senator from Pennsylvania. He was going to talk about that. Did the Senator from North Dakota wish to go forward off the resolution? Is that the Senators plan?","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":251}
{"speech_id":1090014370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am glad I could assist the Chair in clarifying the time at this point. This is a very important issue. It is time. I agree. we should get it resolved. I think it should be resolved with a majority vote. We can argue over the rules as long as we like. But to me. this is a critical issue. It symbolizes what we are going to do about the future in the energy area. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4281}
{"speech_id":1090014370,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not have some beautiful picture I am going to show today. If I were going to show one. I would show one of my four grandchildren. Are we going to have energy production in our country or not? Are we going to continue to put various areas off limits where we cannot have more production? There are some people. I guess. in this institution who think we can conserve ourselves into an energy policy. We need to produce more oil. more natural gas. more coal with clean coal technology. hydropower. all of it. and have conservation and alternative fuels. And we should produce this oil in Alaska. or natural gas. or whatever it is up there. When I came to the Senate. I spent some time talking to the experienced hands around here. and I asked about how you deal with different issues. One of the things I was taught by my predecessors here in this institution is you pay attention to the Senators from their State when it is an issue involving their State. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4281}
{"speech_id":1090014370,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is an issue that is supported by the two Senators from Alaska. supported by an overwhelming number of people in that State. It is supported by the Native Americans in that State. This is the right thing to do from their standpoint. I do not understand why Senators from Massachusetts and Washington and Maine are trying to dictate what should happen in this area in production that we need as a country. I am absolutely floored by all of this. I think it is time we consider what is for the good of the overall country and get over all these dire threats of doom of what we might do if we have exploration in this very limited area. And. ladies and gentlemen. it is about jobs. It is about revenue. Why do you think most of the unions are supporting this? They were in my office today saying: We are for this. because they tinderstand it would involve jobs. They understand it would involve more revenue coming into the Federal Treasury. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4281}
{"speech_id":1090014370,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They understand it is about energy independence. When are we going to learn? The price of a barrel of oil is $54 a barrel. Gasoline is somewhere close to $2 a gallon. in some areas as much as. I think. $2.16 a gallon. Venezuela made it clear recently they would like to cut us off completely. We are dependent on a very volatile area of the world for our oil supply. Probably about 60 percent of our energy needs is supplied by foreign oil. Even in this remote area of Alaska we are saying we cannot produce more oil and gas. Who is going to lose if we do not have energy sources? We are going to have it in my State. We are going to produce our own oil and natural gas and coal. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4281}
{"speech_id":1090014370,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are going to have excess power. By the way. if they are willing to pay for it. we will be glad to wheel it up to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and Connecticut. We will share. But I will tell you. if we do not have oil and gas and coal to run our powerplants. the electricity is going off. It is time we get serious about this issue. We should vote down this amendment. I commend Senator JUDD GREGG and the Budget Committee for taking this action I think we should do this if for no other reason than because of support for the Senators. particularly Senator STEVENS. who has spent a career trying to do the right thing for Alaska. Who has done more for conservation and environmental issues in Alaska than Senator TED STEVENS? Nobody. He has made every possible plea for this. So I hope we will do it. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4281}
{"speech_id":1090014374,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my strong support for the Cantwell amendment to strike the reconciliation instruction to the Energy Committee that allows for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I first thank Senator CANTWELL for her tremendous leadership on environmental issues in general and especially her strong leadership on this very important environmental issue. The other side can say what they want as many times as they want. The fact is. this provision is an abuse of the reconciliation process. Yes. it is. The Senator from New Hampshire may be right that it is technidally not a violation of the rules of the Senate. but it is an abuse of the process. It is what you do when you get frustrated. You cant win under the normal rules. 60 votes. the way we have debated this issue year after year. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4279}
{"speech_id":1090014374,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You get frustrated and you say: Here is what we will do. We will use a revenue assumption in the budget so we only have to have 51 votes. We should be debating this issue when we take up the Energy bill rather than engaging in a backdoor maneuver on the budget resolution. I feel strongly. as a Senator who has always worked on a bipartisan basis year after year on the budget and the budget rules. that this one is over the line. This fact is clearly evidenced by the speculative nature of the revenue assumptions from drilling in the Wildlife Refuge. A February 21. 2005 New York Times article about the refuge quotes a Bush adviser as saying that \"even if you gave the oil companies the refuge for free. they wouldnt want to drill there.\" He continued: No oil company really cares about [the Arctic refuge.]\" British Petroleum. ConocoPhillips. and ChevronTexaco have all pulled out of the prodrilling Arctic Power lobbying group. BP abandoned a test well right next to the Arctic Refuge because of a lack of production. ChevronTexaco has moved its executives from Alaska to Houston. A Halliburton official said that \"enthusiasm of government officials about ANWR exceeds that of the industry\" and that \"evidence about ANWR is not promising.\" CBO concedes it did not address the oil industrys lack of interest in drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in its projections. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4279}
{"speech_id":1090014374,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So these projections dont add up. Authorizing drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge through the budget process is simply the latest in a series of abuses of Senate procedures. and I believe the American people know it. This is a backdoor scheme for drilling because the drilling proponents dont have enough votes to deal with this issue in the Energy bill. The public .doesnt want it. major oil companies dont appear to want it. and it does not belong in the budget resolution. The proposed transfer of revenues from drilling in the Arctic Refuge to fund popular conservation programs is. on its face. also an accounting gimmick. The Presidents budget zeroed out the State recreation grant program of the land and water conservation fund and reduced Federal lands acquisition dollars to its lowest funding level in 10 years. To further erode our environmental protections by drilling in this pristine wildlife refuge to generate public revenues for these important conservation programs underscores the administrations insincerity in claiming to support conservation. Even if you think we should drill in the Arctic Refuge. this is not the time or place for this debate. If we can contort the budget process to authorize drilling in a wildlife refuge. why couldnt we use the budget process to allow drilling off the coasts of Florida or California or the Carolinas or the Great Lakes? When you abuse the budget process in this way. it invites even greater mischief down the line and undermines the very purpose for which these procedures were established. We should not abuse the budget and the budget reconciliation process. as one of our colleagues put it years ago. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4279}
{"speech_id":1090014374,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"in order to be immune from unlimited debate.\" Allowing oil drilling in the Wildlife Refuge which many of us believe should be protected as pristine wilderness is too important an issue to be handled in this way. We should have this debate in the open during an energy debate. not a debate on the budget resolution. Therefore. I will. vote for the Cantwell amendment and I urge my colleagues to do the same.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4279}
{"speech_id":1090014384,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of Alaskas indigenous peoples. the Alaska natives. I will oppose the Cantwell amendment. Myposition is based on my experiences in Alaska when I visited the village of Kaktovik in 1995 and spoke to the Inupiat peoples who greatly desire this opportunity for economic selfdetermination: My position is not newI have remained firm in the position for the last 10 years. In developing this position I have met with individuals and organizations who have advocated on both sides of this issue. For me. this vote is not a vote just about preservation of the environment versus development. It is a vote about the selfdetermination of an indigenous people and their homeland. The Inupiat. who live within the boundaries of the coastal plain. are a people with strong cultural values. and are deeply in touch with their environment and everything that lives there. It is the Inupiat who have been the caretakers of the Arctic region for thousands of years. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090014384,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To some of my colleagues. the debate about ANWR is about energy. To others. it is about the environment. To me. ANWR is really about whether or not the indigenous people who are directly impacted have a voice about the use of their lands. The Inupiat know every mile. every curve in the landscape of the coastal plain. and every animal that must survive there. for their own survival depends on this. They have the greatest incentive of anyone to preserve their environment. including the plants and animals that live on the coastal plain. in order to maintain their way of life. They too depend on the caribou and they have participated in the protection of the caribou while monitoring and working with the oil industry at Prudhoe Bay. Their experience has demonstrated that a careful balance is possible. and that preservation and development are not mutually exclusive. My colleagues. I do not live on the coastal plain. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090014384,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For that reason. I trust the wisdom and knowledge of those who have lived and cared for the land there for many. many generations. I will vote to provide the Inupiat with the opportunity to provide for themselves and their future generations. They have spoken and have been steadfast in their position for many. many years. I am confident that they will protect their homeland and utilize its resources with the native values that have served them well since time began. Their position is supported by the Alaska Federation of Natives. which represents 110.000 Alaska natives. and the native village of Kaktovic. This has not been an easy decision for me given the fact that this is one of the few times that I am not voting with the majority of my colleagues in my party. As much as I would like to vote with my colleagues. I must remain true to myself and my values. For me. this is an issue about economic selfdetermination. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090014384,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an issue about allowing those who have lived on the coastal plain and cared for the coastal plain for many. many generations. to do what they believe is right with their lands.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090014450,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in strong support of the Akaka amendment to increase funding for VA medical care. When America is at war. there should be no greater priority than to sustain our brave men and women in uniform. And just as we owe a debt of gratitude to those brave men and women that are fighting to keep us safe in Iraq and Afghanistan and the far corners of the world. we owe that same debt to the veterans who served before them. We need to get behind. our troops and our veterans. and use this budget to support them. Our veterans need to know that America is behind them. and behind their families. 100 percent. As the former ranking member on the VAHUD Appropriations Subcommittee. I fought to add more than $1 billion to last years Presidential budget to make sure our veterans had the health care and benefits that they earfied. Yet as Yogi Berra would say. we have deja vu all over again with this years budget resolution.. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4931}
{"speech_id":1090014450,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Once again the White House has sent us a budget that does not keep the promises we made to our veterans. At a time when private insurance is failing and the cost of prescription drugs is skyrocketing. the VAs 2006 budget request puts new toll charges and means tests on our veterans. It fails to fully cover the costs of medical inflation. and it cuts back on services for vulnerable veterans. And it fails to do enough to expand care for veterans returning from the Middle East--especially those with special mental health or prosthetics needs. Specifically. the budget proposes four things. First. the budget proposes to keep the VA closed to Priority 8 veterans.-These are veterans who are not disabled as a result of their service. whom the VA considers to be higher income. Second. the budget proposes a new $250 enrollment fee for middleincome veterans in Priority Groups 7 and 8. Third. the budget proposes to increase prescription drug copayments from $7 to $15 for these same veterans. These two measures have been twice rejected by Congress. yet the administration included them yet again in the 2006 budget. Finally. the budget proposes to slash longterm care availability for veterans in Priority Groups 4 through 8 who are not \"catastrophically disabled.\" What does this mean? That means that VA wont provide longterm institutional -care for many veterans. even some who are below the poverty line or have serious medical conditions that are not serviceconnected. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4931}
{"speech_id":1090014450,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The VA budget shifts the cost of paying for longterm care to Medicaid. Medicare. and private insurance. leaving some of the mostvulnerable veterans without a safety net. More than 2 years ago. the VA health care system stopped accepting new Priority 8 veterans. Manufacturing isfading and private health insurance is failing. And many of those affected are Priority 8 veterans. Many corporations involved in manufacturing had defined benefits plans that included health plans with guaranteed retiree coverage. For these veterans. VA healthcare is their last safety net. until they turn 65 and are eligible for Medicare. Many of my colleagues have heard me talk about the plight of veterans who worked for the former Bethlehem Steel Corporationin Maryland there are nore than 10.000 Bethlehem Steelr retirees alone. Their situation sums up the needs that too many of our Nations veterans face. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4931}
{"speech_id":1090014450,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many former Bethlehem steelworkers are Vietnam veterans. They came back from serving their country at war. and they continued to fight for Americas national and economic security by working in our steel mills. But now. many have lost their health insurance because of Bethlehem Steels bankruptcy. They are not eligible for Medicare yet. Under this.budget. many will be turned away from VAthe safety net they counted on will not be there because VA will continue to shut out Priority 8 veterans. Bethlehem Steels veterans. and other veterans who worked in manufacturing or for other businesses that dont offer health insurance. fought for their country and now they will have to fend for themselves on the open market for .health insurance. I am deeply concerned that this policy and many other potholes in VAs budget leave our veterans paying toll charges. standing in lines. or without any health care at all. In the last 5 years. the VAHUD subcommittee has provided large increases for medical care1.3 billion in 2001. $1 billion in 2002. $2.4 billion in 2003. $3 billion in 2004. and $1.2 billion in 2005. We did this to honor our commitment to our veterans. to give them the health care and benefits they have earned on the battlefield. We did it because our veterans didnt stand in waiting lines when they were called up or they volunteered to serve our country. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4931}
{"speech_id":1090014450,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So they shouldnt have to stand in line to see a doctor. and they shouldnt have to face toll charges to get the health care that is owned to them. Mr. President. I urge my colleagues to support our veterans in this budget by supporting the Akaka amendment.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4931}
{"speech_id":1090014508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I rise in opposition to the Feingold amendment. I do that With a realization that there is a great need for deficit reduction. Who can find fault with the objectives of Senator FEINGOLDs amendment? Those objectives are good. I am going to demonstrate that his proposal is not realistic. It also ignores the reality of the tax relief of the current law. It unwisely ignores a bipartisan will to maintain current tax relief for millions of taxpayers. Without maintaining existing tax policy. if we would just let that expire. we would have the biggest tax increase in the history of the country without Congress acting. It seems to me if we are going to have the biggest tax increase in the history of the country. Congress ought to make the decision to do it. I will talk about how the Senate Finance Committee approaches tax policy. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6495}
{"speech_id":1090014508,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have used paygo on taxes. but we do it outside- of the budget. Two kinds of tax relief bills have come out of the Finance Committee in the last 4 years. One set of bills contained widely applicable tax relief. Those bills. if you take them together. and they were done under reconciliation. were bipartisan. I emphasizethat because everyone around the country thinks everything around here is partisan. But these tax cuts were bipartisan and they were net tax cuts for virtually every American taxpayer. Those bills enacted in 2001 and 2003 did not contain offsets. The secondary category of bills our committee works on would cover all other bills coming as part of our committee business. Those bills dealt with specific categories of tax relief. I will give some examples: A charitable giving tax bill. the bill to deal with exports in manufacturing. a bill to deal with the Armed Forces tax relief for our folks in Iraq putting their lives on the linethere are many other examples of tax relief fully offset by our committee. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6495}
{"speech_id":1090014508,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In a few rare cases. such as the energy tax relief. for example. bills were partially offset. Now. this pattern is applicable during my chairmanship of this committee. and it is fair for me to say there was a similar pattern occurring when my Democratic colleague and counterpart. Senator BAUCUS. was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. By and large. then. the Senate Finance Committee. when dealing with tax policy. has produced revenueneutral bills. The exceptions occurred when there was bipartisan support for widely applicable tax relief. And I emphasize the word \"bipartisan.\" By the way. had we not responded with that bipartisan tax relief. there would have been no widespread economic stimulus that resulted. In other words. the economic depression that set in with the NASDAQ losing half of its value in the year 2000. and then with the September 11 attack on New York City and the resulting downturn in the economy. we would not have had in place an economic stimulus to bring back economic growth to where we are now. Chairman Greenspan said tax relief was responsible for the economic turnaround. Also. we had the most recent Nobel economic prize winner tell us that our tax relief in 2001 and 2003 was not as big as it should have been to get the maximum economic stimulus. But we have had an economic turnaround justifying. without question. those tax relief packages. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6495}
{"speech_id":1090014508,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So let me be clear. With tax policy outside the budget. the Finance Committee has. in effect. operated on a paygo basis. The exceptions were built into the budget. and those exceptions had bipartisan support. I would like to challenge any of the critics of this budget to show the same record on the spending side. No. it seems like others want to spend. And all of these amendments that are being offered are adding up to positive proof that the same people who are against tax relief do not want to reduce the deficit. What they want to do is spend more money. If I could ever find from the other side how high taxes had to be. how high they had to be to satisfy their appetite to spend money. I might go that high. if I knew I never had to go any higher. But I cannot ever get any consensus about that. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6495}
{"speech_id":1090014508,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the only conclusion you come to: taxes can never be high enough. The other point is. I might be willing to vote for some increase in taxes if every dollar increase in taxes resulted in a lower deficit. went to the bottom line to lower the deficit. But. no. every time we raise $1 of taxes around here. it is a license to spend $1.10. $1.20. and sometimes more. So we need out of the other side the same concerns about spending. The Feingold amendment is not realistic about current tax relief. Senator FEINGOLDs amendment would undo the tax policy resources in the budget. Let me explain why. The budgets tax cut number covers expiring tax relief. It extends all widely applicable tax relief. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6495}
{"speech_id":1090014623,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is not easy for me to come to the Senate floor and propose an amendment that I know makes life difficult for my budget chairman. It is not easy for me to oppose the President of the United States. Secretary Leavitt. Dr. McClellan. or all those in the administration who are grappling with a budgetary tsunami approaching our country related to entitlements. I am brought here as a matter of conviction. conscience. passion. on a matter that I hold as a principle. that in good times and bad. the people we do not abandon or put at risk are those who are most needy in our society. Twelve years ago. I first won public office as an Oregon State senator. By chance. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7719}
{"speech_id":1090014623,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was given a seat on the Senate Health Care and Bioethics Committee. I went into that role knowing little about medicine and its many intricacies. knowing it only as a consumer and as a businessman trying to meet a payroll. I came to that committee at a time when Oregon was leading the country in many ways as a medical reformer. a pioneer. Oregonians are used to blazing new trails. and the Oregon trail. in the spirit of my State. led to the creation of the Oregon health plan. The basis of that *was to take the Medicaid resources. plus State revenues which we raised. to provide for the needy. the disabled. the chronically ill. the children of working but uninsured. preventive health medicine. and the most medical care available for the dollars available. In the course of my service on that committee. I came to know quite a bit about Medicaid and about the plan that Oregon was developing. It has been with some consternation that I have watched. during the recent recession. Medicaid budgets all over this country pushed to extremes. and for that reason I was one of the Republicans on the Finance Committee last Congress to precondition my vote for tax relief with relief to the States to help try to find a bandaid so that we do not take the most vulnerable of our citizens. push them out of nursing homes. deny them the basic vaccines of preventive medicine. take the chronically ill and billion came from. But I know what it particularly the mentally ill whose is going to mean: Another 60.000 Oregolives are often imperiled at their own nians maybe losing health care. preshands. and put them \"in a position suring private plans. overwhelming where their only recourse is the emer- emergency rooms. gency rooms of our hospitals. where I would rather let the policy deterthe care might be well meaning but the mine the budget. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7719}
{"speech_id":1090014623,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I pled with my leader. outcome is least effective. and the whom I want to sustain. to create this costs incurred then are shifted on to commission. but take this number out the plans of private employers. further of reconciliation. Put in there a niummaking it difficult to expand health ber that puts pressure on the commiscare and provide for the uninsured. So sion to do its job before our next budgwe grow the uninsured population at et cycle so we in the Finance Cointhe expense of the private sector. mittee can respond quickly to the ideas I speak to this from personal experi- that they agree upon and we can get encetrying to meet a payroll that working on this. making reforms that provides health care that is growing at everyone can agree with.. But I cant in unsustainable rates. good conscience vote aye and watch Now comes along a proposal in. this what happens. because I have seen budget from men I care for and admire. what happens. for whom I have deep personal affec- I plead with my colleagues. Repubtion. and I understand that Medicaid is lican and Democrat alike. to do this a $300 billion annual bill. I understand right and not just fast. We can do it that in the course of the next decade it right. We can help to mitigate this en-. is going to double. I also understand titlement tsunami. and we can weed some States game the system. I under- out the waste. the fraud.-the abuse. the stand wealthy people transfer their as- gaming of Medicaid. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7719}
{"speech_id":1090014623,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But we can do it sets to their kids so they can get with an eye to those who it is designed $60.000 in Medicaid in a nursing home to serve. They are the elderly in nursat our expense. I understand there are ing homes. they are the children of the. all kinds of abuses. I am committed to working uninsured. they are the chronMedicaid reform. But what I am not ically ill. those too poor to deal with prepared to do is to put the budget cancer. HIV\/AIDS. They are the disahead of the policy. and that is what is abled. going to happen if this budget contains I think if we are going to say Medthis provision. icaid is off the tableI didnt do that. I already mentioned 60.000 OregoniansMedicaid recipients under the They said Medicaid is off the table. no Oregon health planalready lost their touching it. That is fine. Social Secucoverage last year. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7719}
{"speech_id":1090014623,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Who are they? They rity is all in the fight here. So lets go coerage mto the only thing that is left. and that are the most vulnerable Oregonian is the most vulnerable Americans. I am with a few exceptions of those who de- is the ms v abl ans i a fraud the system. They are people who simply saying: Not so fast and not in a have no other recourse. So when it way that will doreal human damage to \"comes to saying to this Senator. let us people who cannot fend for themselves. just close our eyes. hold our nose. and What do I do with this commission? vote for this budget. it will be okay. The commission consists of the folthere will be an agreement with the lowing: It will establish a panel of 23 Governors. I have talked to the Gov- members: One member appointed by ernors. There is less unity on this issue the President. two House Members. among them than there is among us. current or former. appointed by the Most of them do not know where they Speaker and minority leader. two Senare going to go. except to push people ators. current or former. appointed by into the ranks of the uninsured. What the majority leader and minority leadthat means is private insurers. employ- er. two Governors. designated by the ers. will continue to withdraw health NGA. two legislators designated by care coverage from employees. About 3 NCSL. two State Medicaid directors percent a year do that. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7719}
{"speech_id":1090014646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I probably will not use the full 10 minutes. Mr. President. I have the utmost respect for the Senator from Oregon and the Senator from New Mexico. They are both members of the committee I chair.. They are contributing members. very serious members of the Committee on Finance. They are people who care deeply about providing health care coverage for our most vulnerable citizens. I have listened with interest as my friend from Oregon talked with great passion about providing mental health services for these fragile individuals receiving public health services. I shhre the commitment of the Senator from Oregon and the Senator from New Mexico to providing the necessary care to individuals with disabilities. our senior citizens. and mothers and their children. And yet. knowing all this. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7370}
{"speech_id":1090014646,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also have a concern that if their amendment passes. we will fail to enact meaningful improvements to the Medicaid system. --If we fail to do that. we could ultimately end up hurting the very same individuals for whom we show so much concern. I understand that the key feature of the SmithBingaman amendment would create a bipartisan Medicaid commission. I have said for a while there needs to be a common language associated with Medicaid reform. Republicans and Democrats alike do not agree even on what the word \"reform\" means when it is applied to Medicaid. Some believe it means curtailing costs. Others believe it means expanding coverage. A Medicaid commission could help bring us together in developing common themes and ideas of needed reforms. However. the need to make some critical changes to Medicaid that would capture savings over the next few years and the creation of this commission are not mutually exclusive. We could have both. If we simply let the program function in the way that it has been over the next few years. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7370}
{"speech_id":1090014646,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States will continue to be squeezed and will have no choice but to begin curtailing services for the elderly and the disabled. To some extent that has been happening in some States. Everyone needs to realize when a State makes a decision to not serve Medicaid people and to save State dollars. that saves money at the Federal level. but that is not the wisest way to do this. The Federal Government should not be saving money because the States cannot do the things they need to do. What we need to do is give the States more leeway on serving their people in that particular State without assuming that we here in Washington have all the answers. Quite frankly. we would be better off working together to see what could be saved. and save State dollars in an intelligent. rational way. and. at the same time. save Federal dollars in an intelligent. rational way. rather than making States do it in a crisis environment. which ends up saving us money at the Federal level. That is why it is necessary that we work together with the States to save this money. But you can also set up a commission that would make longterm suggestions on the change. Now. I know that curtailing services for this class of people helped by Medicaid is not a scenario that Senators SMITH and BINGAMAN want to see unfold. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7370}
{"speech_id":1090014646,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. the Medicaid drug payment system is in significant need of reform. The average wholesale price system clearly overpays for drugs. Just as we took the average wholesale price out of Medicare in the Medicare bill 2 years ago. it seems to me we can and must change this payment system in Medicaid. AWP. average wholesale price. is a flawed system. and we all know it. AWP is more known today as \"Aint Whats Paid.\" instead of what it really meant to say. \"Average Wholesale Price.\" Capturing savings by making this commonsense improvement is not inconsistent with a commission. While there is much that we can learn from a commission. we do not need a commission to tell us that the average wholesale price system of paying for drugs is flawed. A recent General Accounting Office study showed that the bestprice system is also significantly flawed. If States are not getting the best price. it costs both the Federal Government and the State governments. There is another Medicaid problem that we know about. and that is a proposal to crack down on the schemes that are currently legal whereby seniors divest themselves of their assets in order to qualify for Medicaid. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7370}
{"speech_id":1090014646,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there is a virtual cottage industry that instructs seniors on how to give away their homes. properties. cars. and other assets in order for them to qualify for Medicaid. Surely. no one would agree this is in the best interest of the Medicaid Program. and surely you dont need a commission to tell us this. The President has rightly put on the table new regulations that will govern asset transfers that allow a senior to go on Medicaid for longterm care. This commonsense proposal. as well. is not one that we need a commission to make and could ultimately save dollars so States can continue to spend the money on those who cannot afford care. as opposed to spending money on people who can afford care. This would be serving the elderly and the persons with disabilities who are very low income. While the change the President is suggesting is simple. we must. in addition. continue to discuss the proper role of Medicaid and longterm care. The commission Senators SMITH and BINGAMAN are proposing would be very useful in that context. However. we should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. There are things we can do this year to make improvements in the Medicaid Program. and we should do that. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7370}
{"speech_id":1090014665,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. President. some on the other side on several different occasions have trotted out several multiple arguments against the tax relief reconciliation instructions to the Finance Committee that I chair. Now. I am not going to get into any debate over whether budget reconciliation can. in fact. be used for tax legislation because there has been plenty of precedent established over the years in the Senate. whether the Senate has been controlled by Republicans or controlled by Democrats. As an aside. though. I find it intriguing to consider the views of some on the other side feeling so strongly. as they have indicated. that partisan tax increases such as the 1993 tax hike legislation should enjoy expedited reconciliation process. and somehow our using that this year is wrong. They care not a whit about raising $1 trillion in taxes as was done in the 1993 tax bill on a partyline vote under the process that is called reconciliation. but talk about bipartisan tax relief in reconciliation and somehow they get very irate. It selms to be a big double standard. so I come to the floor not to debate these points. Rather. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5543}
{"speech_id":1090014665,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to tell you why we should have a reconciled tax relief package. Lets look back just to the last Congress as a precedent. In that Congress. late in an election year. we passed a couple of tax relief proposals that were allegedly supported on both sides of the aisle. With an election facing them. many on the other side reluctantly supported extension of the family tax relief proposals. Keep in mind that conference vehicle was opened a year earliera year earlier. You would think something that passed just before the election should have been considered over the course of a year. but it was not. You would think it would be simple. by how it finally passed. but there were obstacles put in the path of it all the time. We were not as lucky when we took up the FSC\/ETI legislation. That bill was drawn up in a bipartisan way by Senator BAucus and this Senator. The bill came out of the Finance Committee with only.two dissenting votes. and those dissenting votes were Republican votes. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5543}
{"speech_id":1090014665,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite the bipartisan support. it actually took two cloture votes and the threat of a third cloture vote to break a Democrat filibuster on a tax relief bill Democrats claimed to support. I have a chart behind me that represents goalposts on a football. field. Tax relief bills have a way of becoming political footballs. We brought up the FSC\/ETI legislation on March 3. 2004. and did not complete it until May 11. more than 2 months later. the same year. That is over 2 months to do a tax relief bill that had unanimous support from Democrats on my committee. Members. sometimes for partisan reasons. sometimes for other reasons. decide to filibuster by amendment or other tactics. Now referring to another bill. referring to the charitable tax relief bill that we call the CARE Act. let me point out that we were unable to go to conference because of Democratic leadership objections over the years 2003 and 2004. Also. do not forget that we were unable to get energy tax relief because of a filibustered conference report. So what happens? Reconciliation creates an opportunity for certainty. Reconciliation. obviously. is not my first choice. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5543}
{"speech_id":1090014665,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reconciliation prevents mustdo tax legislation from becoming pqlitical footballs. as you see the goalposts move from time to time. In this case. I had hoped that those who say they want to address issues such as alternative minimum tax hold harmless would not filibuster. If you say you care about expiring provisions that are -going to expire this year. such as the college tuition deduction. you should care about reconciliationif you want to get that- done. It will be tough enough to address expiring tax relief provisions. There is demand for revenue of about $90 to $100 billion in this budget. and tax relief numbers of $70 billion. That means I have to find offsets for about a fourth of that. of $20 billion to $30 billion over 5 years. just to keep taxpayers where they are now. Not more tax reliefstopping existing tax policy from ending and having automatic increases in taxes. That will be tough enough without political football tactics of filibusters by amendment or otherwise. as we saw over the course of last year. that I am just using for an example. But it is a lesson to be learnedto have a process in place where people who say they are for tax relief cannot say they are for tax relief and then stall the process forever and ever. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5543}
{"speech_id":1090014665,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Necessarily. I have to have a reconciliation option in this Finance Committee playbook. I appreciate the Budget Committees efforts of providing that option. I urge my colleagues to retain that option. Otherwise you are not being realistic when you tell the folks back home that you support extending these tax relief provisions. In other words. I would like to have us avoid the environment where people can say they are for something but then stall for 2 months to finally get it done. moving the football goalposts down the field. What reconciliation does is it gives us an opportunity to get done what people say they want done. There are a lot of tax provisions that have to be worked on this year that have almost unanimous support. People can say they are for them but put roadblocks in the way. or move the goalposts to keep them from happening. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5543}
{"speech_id":1090014718,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator. I want to make some closing comments on behalf of myself anj Senator WYDEN because it is important to reiterate several facts about this approach. First of all. the point is the Meflicare Modernization Act included a direct prohibition against the Secretarys authority to negotiate. an authority that is already utilized by the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense. That is a fact. The second fact is those soaring costs with respect to the Part D program as we know it. Within a month after the enactment. we had a restatement from the administration of $534 billion. The CBO isnt even prepared to give a netcost of that legislation. We only expect that the price is going to go up. up. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2563}
{"speech_id":1090014718,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As Sengtor WYDEN indicated. the only tool we have to negotiate prices to keep those prices low. particularly in situations. for example. where the Congressional Budget Office indicated to us in a report that with solesource drugs. where there are drugs that have no competition. we will realize savings. That is a responsibility we have to seniors and to the taxpayers with respect to this program. Finally. it is indicated that Secretary Thompson made this comment. He said. \"I would like to have the opportunity to negotiate.\" He was asked a question in his final press conference as Secretary of Health and Human Services. The question was. \"You listed the drug benefit as one of your proudest achievements. Was there anything you really pushed for in that bill that didnt get in or that you would like to see Medicare tackle in the future?\" Note the fact that the question didnt even suggest negotiations. But his answer was. \"I would like to have had the opportunity to negotiate.\" And for good reason. because the Secretary understood that the price of this program and the price of the benefit was only going to go in one direction. and that is up. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2563}
{"speech_id":1090014718,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It defies logic that we would not allow the Secretary to have the ability to negotiate the very best prices in certain instances and in other instances which the Secretary deems worthwhile. A final point: In a recent poll. 80 percent of the American people believe the Secretary should have the abilfty to negotiate on their behalf. In the final analysis. this is the amendment that is going to save moneysave money in the drug program. save money to the taxpayer. save money to the seniors. It is hard for me to believe anyone would ultimately reject it. I again thank Senator WYDEN for all of his support and leadership over the last few years to make this happen.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2563}
{"speech_id":1090014851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This clarification is helpful. Unfortunately. there is a lot. of confusion on this point. Yesterday. all Senators were sent a letter that among other things suggested that the budget resolutions assumed additional. but unreconciled. reductions in Agriculture Committee mandatory spending would generally allow a budget point of order to be raised against Agriculture Committee bills subsequent to the completion of the budget reconciliation process. Have you had an opportunity to read this letter?","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":498}
{"speech_id":1090014867,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to recognize Ms. Tina Taysom and Mr. Greg Cannell of American Falls. ID. for their heroic actions in saving the life of a rural mail carrier who skidded off a winding mountain road and into a nearby river in Idaho. On December 1. 2003. Ron Meadville. a rural mail carrier. was returning from his 110mile route along the remote North Fork road northwest of Salmon. ID. Friends Tina Taysom and Greg- Cannell were traveling ahead of Meadville on the same road. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1879}
{"speech_id":1090014867,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They pulled over to look at some deer. and Meadville passed them. When they pulled back on the road and rounded a bend. they couldnt see the mail truck but saw a set of skid marks that veered off the road. toward the .nearfrozen river. Meadville had hit a patch of ice that sent his truck hurtling over the 25foot embankment to land upside down in the Salmon River. in more than 5 feet of 33degree water. Greg Cannell and Tina Taysom acted immediately. They stopped their truck. jumped out. slid down the steep embankment. and plunged into the river. After several strenuous attempts. they were able to pull open the truck door. grab Meadvilles hand. and pull him out through an opening between the seat and the doorjamb. By this time. Meadville was experiencing hypothermia. Taysom and Cannell pulled Meadville up the embankment to their vehicle. Meadville managed to tell them he lived about a mile away. and they took him to his home. where they helped Meadvilles wife care for him. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1879}
{"speech_id":1090014867,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They refused any care for themselves until they knew Meadville was safe. Greg Cannell and Tina Taysom put themselves in harms way to save a stranger. They refuse to be called heroes. but they are truly heroes to Ron Meadville and his family. Without their courageous actions. Ron Meadville would not be alive today. Their actions truly were heroic. and it is a pleasure for me to honor them and share their story.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1879}
{"speech_id":1090014873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act of 2005. This bill will authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a commemorative coin (500.000) honoring the millions of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who were disabled while serving our country. Revenues from the surcharge on the coin would go to the Disabled Veterans LIFE Memorial Foundation to help cover the costs of building the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington. DC. The mint date is scheduled for January 1. In its own distinctive way. the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial will also allow the American people to show their appreciation to those who died defending freedom by honoring the disabled veterans who still live among us. It is not only appropriate. but necessary. to recognize the special sacrifices that disabled veterans have made to this country. It has .been said that \"poor is the Nation which has no heroes. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090014873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Poorer still is the Nation which has them. but forgets.\" The creation of this memorial will ensure that we. as a Nation. do not forget those who have been forever changed in service to our country. The threeacre site for the Memorial is located on Washington Avenue at 2nd Street. SW.. across from the U.S. Botanic Gardens. and in full view of the U.S. Capitol building. Federal legislation for the Memorial. Public Law 106348. was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October \"24. 2000. Sponsors included Senator JOHN MCCAIN. Senator Max Cleland. Congressman SAM JOHNSON. and Congressman JACK MURTHA. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090014873,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The National Capital Planning Commission unanimously approved the Capitol Hill location on We have an obligation to assure that the men and women who each day endure the costs of freedom are never forgotten. The American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act of 2005 will honor these veterans and help fund the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial. The Disabled Veterans LIFE Memorial Foundation was cofounded in 1996 by the Lois Pope Life Foundation and the Disabled American Veterans. Ldis Pope. one of Americas leading philanthropists. is the founder and President of the Lois Pope Leaders in Furthering Education Foundation. In addition to supporting veterans programs. this organization provides awards for medical research. scholarships. and summer camp programs. Formed in .1920. the Disabled American Veterans is a nonprofit organization representing Americas disabled veterans. their families. and survivors. The drive to build the Memorial. which is scheduled for completion within the next several years. is well under way. but has a long way to go. Prominent national figures including Retired Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Poet Laureate Dr. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090014873,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maya Angelou. and New York Giants star defensive end Michael Strahan are lending their support to this effort. I ask my colleagues in the Senate to join me in supporting Americas disabled veterans with this important legislation. By Mr. CHAMBLISS:","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090014903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16. 2005 at 3:00 p.m. in open session to receive testimony on national security space policy and programs in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":313}
{"speech_id":1090014981,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my opposition to the administrations budget proposal. Although the Community Development Block Grant Program is now on its way out if this is approved. I think it is important for the Nation to know that on August 22. 1974. the Community Development Block Grant Act was signed into law by Republican President Gerald Ford. but it is the brain child of President Richard Nixon. Today. there is a proposal that would allow for a consolidation of 18 other programs in the Department of Commerce. and the new commerce program would then be funded at a level that is 35 percefht lower than the combined fiscal year 2005 appropriated level for all 18 programs. - The prorata reduction of CDBG alone would be $1.42 billion. That would devastate a program. Mr. Speaker. When I was mayor of Kansas City. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":971}
{"speech_id":1090014981,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Missouri. we identified 60.000 homes in need of rehabilitation or repair. We were able to complete 12.000. What will happen to the 48.000 others?","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":971}
{"speech_id":1090014983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. more than 260.000 jobs were created last month making February the 21st straight month in which we have seen steady job gains. Companies are hiring more and more these days. More people are now. collecting wellearned paychecks rather than unemployment checks. However. companies here in the U.S. are facing competition from around the globe. and to ensure economic prosperity over the long run we must be competitive in the world. To do this we have to address corporate tax rates. Why do we penalize American companies for keeping their business here in the U.S.? Why are companies leaving America to go overseas? Should we not be trying to attract businesses rather than drive them away? Mr. Speaker. the U.S. corporate tax rate is a whopping 40 percent. For every $10 a company earns. $4 has to be sent to the IRS. It is no wonder businesses are taking a look at moving out of the country. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1241}
{"speech_id":1090014983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our tax code is literally sucking jobs right out of the economy by depriving our -businesses of the money that should be invested in hiring. Only one other country. Japan. taxes its companies more than we. only one other country. Mr. Speaker. clearly that is not the road we want to travel and it is not the way we want to create jobs.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1241}
{"speech_id":1090015021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am honored to stand here as the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 109th Congress and to offer as this substitute amendment the Congressional Black Caucus budget for this year. We believe that a budget is a statement of priorities and in that respect Members should know where the money is coming from that is being budgeted and how the money is being spent. Mr. Chairman. I yield 61\/2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia . who has led the task force for the Congressional Black Caucus to put together the budget.","speaker_name":"MELVIN WATT","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":588}
{"speech_id":1090015043,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the CBC budget is sane. rational. logical. serious. It recognizes the tremendous need that exists in our country to assist those 2 million people who are currently in jails and prisons and the 650.000 who return home every year. Therefore. it increases juvenile justice programs by $300 million. $100 million for the weed and seed drug elimination program. and $300 million for prisoner reentry programs. and it does not raise taxes. It rolls back the tax breaks that were given in 2001 and 2003 to those individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $200.000. People in my community say. provide the services. dont gIve to the rich.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":654}
{"speech_id":1090015053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the Congressional Black Caucuss alternative budget. Among the critical investments it makes are those in health. Mr. Chairman. without these albeit moderate increases. we would do nothing to reduce the almost 100.000 premature preventable deaths that will occur in the African American community this year and every year because of our failure to act. It is important to note that while the increases in the CBC budget apply specifically to programs that improve minority health. many studies have demonstrated that our lack of access. our poor health. and the failure of this country to focus on prevention in our communities contribute greatly to escalating health care costs and adversely impacts the quality of health care for everyone. So the CBC budget through improving the health of African Americans and other people of color improves health and the quality of life for all Americans. And with the additional $167 billion reduction in our national deficit it provides. this is a budget that everyone can and should vote for. I proudly applaud the gentleman from North Carolina and the gentleman from Virginia and this committee for this outstanding budget.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1207}
{"speech_id":1090015114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if I were voting for a budget that cut veterans benefits by $14 billion over the next 5 years. I guess I would want to talk about the past rather than the future as well. The difference is very clear. and it is very simple. Republicans voting for this bill say that it is okay to cut veterans health care benefits by $14 billion over the next 5 years. Democrats and national veterans organizations say it is wrong. In fact. the DAV. the VFW say it is a grossly inadequate budget. it is an unconscionable budget. especially at a time when Ameridas sons and daughters are being killed and wounded every day in Iraq.","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":627}
{"speech_id":1090015131,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the Republican budget. Its dishonest. Its immoral. Its wrong for Americas future. Republicans dishonestly proclaim their budget is fiscally responsible. The only way their numbers work out is if you use slick accounting gimmicks or fuzzy math. Let me give you some examples of their clever sleight of hand: The Republicans top priority to privatize Social Security through private accounts will cost billions of dollars. Youd think thatd be accounted forin this budget? No. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090015131,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The billions of dollars that will be needed for the Iraq war. In the budget? No. The cost to our children of extending the massive Bush tax cuts to the wealthy that will balloon our massive deficit? You guessed it. Not in the budget. Even as they leave out all this massive spending. Republicans still claim fiscal responsibility. Dont be fooled. Theyre lying to the American public. The true costs of this budget are far higher than Republicans claim and our children and grandchildren will pay the tab for this deceit for decades to come. This budget isnt just dishonestits immoral. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090015131,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It imposes deep cuts to vital programs that Americans depend upon. As our weak economy is forcing more people to rely on Medicaids health safety net. Republicans are cutting the program by $20 billion. Income support programs that keep lowincome families afloat economically are being axed. Some 48 education programs. vital environmental protections. community development grants and veterans health care programs are being gutted. If youre an average American family this will affect\" you and your economic security. But. while youre tightening your belt watching funding for childs education and your familys health care diminish. billions of dollars are going to big business and special interests. While every other priority is sacrificed in the GOP budget. billions of dollars more are being funneled into the bloated defense contracts or frittered away in corporate tax giveaways. Mr. Speaker. the federal budget is supposed to be a statement of our nations priorities. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090015131,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This budget is a punch line to a sick joke being played on the American people. I urge my colleagues to oppose this dishonest. immoral and irresponsible budget.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090015140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the Republican budget of mass destruction and in support of the Democratic and Congressional Black Caucus alternative budgets which recognize the true needs and values of our Nation. We do not need to call in weapons inspectors to find the threat to the majority of Americans in this budget. nor do we need a warning system. We know exactly what. when. and where the damage will be because the Republican budget. once again. puts the tax cuts of the few above the needs of the many. Under 1he Republican budget. the vast majority of Americans are asked to sacrifice. with one exception: the wealthy who can most afford to give something up. Their tax cutsthe same tax cuts that brought us unprecedented deficitsare protected and even extended under this proposal. They will cost our country an additional $106 billion. of which 75 percent will go to people making. over $200.000 a year. . In order to pay for those tax cuts. the Republicans are literally proposing to take away food and health care from lowincome families. kill 48 education programs by eliminating the $4.3 billion that funds them. slash veterans health careincluding cutting $9 million from medical and prosthetic research. and undermine community development in struggling neighborhoods by cutting $1.5 billion in grantprograms. Despite Republican claims. these cuts will do nothing to help our countrys bottom line. but they will be devastating for the children. working families. veterans and seniors who will be asked to go without. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4539}
{"speech_id":1090015140,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not only irresponsible. but immoral. In the that state of Illinois. we could see the Earned Income Tax Creditthe most effective antipoverty program--cut by $164.2 million. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and child care grants lose $84.3 million. and Supplemental Security Incomewhich helps poor seniors and people with disabilitiesslashed by $174 million. -Thousands of vulnerable peoples lives will be destroyed if the Republican budget passes. The House Republican budget is even worse than the Presidents proposal. For instance. they propose even greater cuts to Medicaid than under his plan. The $20 billion in Medicaid cuts included in this budget resolution are unwise. unjustifiable and almost certainly lethal. As health care costs continue to rise. the number of uninsured Americans exceeds 45 million. and employers continue to cut back on coverage. Medicaid has provided a guarantee of support for pregnant women and children. persons with disabilities. persons living with AIDS or mental illnesses. and senior citizens needing medical care or long term care services. Without those services. millions of Americans will no longer be able to get the physical health. mental health. and long term care services they need to remain healthy and productive. In my state of Illinois. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4539}
{"speech_id":1090015140,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Medicaid covers 40 percent of all births. 30 percent of all children. and 65 percent of ill nursing home residents. In Illinois. under the leadership of our governor. we are working to expand Medicaid to cover more children and more families in face of a growing crisis in health care. This is not just the right thing to do. it is the costeffective course to take. Medicaid costs less tlan private health insurance and its per capita costs are growing more slowly than private insurance premiums. But. if the Republican budget cuts re enacted. it may no longer be there for the millions of Americans who have no other source of careother than bankrupting their families or mortgaging their futures to pay for their parents long term care needs or their childrens medical services. Budgets are not just about numbers. they are about values and priorities. Based on the Republicans proposal. maintaining and making permanent tax cuts for millionaires. has been and continues to be a higher priority than meeting the needs of the majority of Americans. And. they are shifting the responsibility of their fiscal mess onto the backs of our children who will see decreased services and will be asked to deal with deficits for years to come. The Democratic and CBC budgets recognize that this is the wrong thing to do and a great threat to our nations future wellbeing. and prosperity. It is time -to reverse course so that we do not continue to mortgage our countrys future and our childrens prosperity in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich that we cannot afford and that they do not need. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4539}
{"speech_id":1090015140,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote against the Republican WMD and for the Democratic and CBC budgets.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4539}
{"speech_id":1090015160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize. the soldiers of Washington States 81st Brigade Combat Team. The men and women of the United States Armed Services are the finest in the world. Spine of them have given the ultimate sacrifice. and those that are serving across the world today and serving in our country and other countries across the world today sacrifice time with their families. and we should recognize that and understand that they are giving up a lot to fight for us and protect our country and preserve our freedom. The 81st Brigade Combat Team made history as the largest deployment of a National Guard unit from Washington State since World War II. and last month. the first group of soldiers from the 81st Brigade have begun to return home. There are no words that we can really say to thank them. but today I just want to say thank youto the 81st Bri- a degree in journalism in 1969 and. after eight gade from Washington State. months with the Huntsville News (during which time he maintainedr a mailing address in AuHONORING D)AVID EMERSON burn) he returned to his Alma Mater to accept HOU E R N a job in the Ticket Office. where he worked HOUSEL from 1970 to 1972. He taught journalism from","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090015161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today On April 1. 1994 David became Auburns I rise to honor Mr. David Emerson thirteenth Director of Athletics. Upon accepting Housel on the occasion of his retire- the job he said. \"People may agree or disment as Auburn University Director of agree with decisions that are made. but they Athletics. I am honored to stand before will never be able to question the reasons for this body of Congress and this Nation those decisions. There will be no agenda to recognize his many accomplish- other than the betterment of Auburn.\" His one ments. goal was to leave Auburn and the athletic proDavid is truly a man who embodied gram better than he found it. This goal was American principles of hard work. achieved. Under Davids leadership Auburn dedication to ones family. and service won seven team national championships (in to ones community. the previous thirtyeight years Auburn had On April 1. 1994. David Housel became captured only one national championship). ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6043}
{"speech_id":1090015161,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"AuAuburn Universitys thirteenth Direc- burn has won twentynine Southeastern Contor of Athletics. Upon accepting the ference titles in the last ten years (in the prejob. he stated that his one goal was to vious ten seasons. Auburn had won eight. tileave Auburn and theathletic depart- ties). During Davids tenure. the Athletic Dement better than he found it. This goal partment has posted its highest graduation was achieved. -rates ever. Also. the Department operated in Mr. Speaker. I could go on much the black financially every year. one of the longer about this gentleman who was very few Division 1A programs to do so on.a born and grew up in Pickens County. consistent annual basis. Alabama in the Fourth District but Being the humble man that he is. David retimedoes not permit this morning. fuses to take credit for these accomplishIt is a great privilege to honor David ments. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6043}
{"speech_id":1090015161,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Instead he gives credit to the Board of Emerson Housel for his many accom- Trustees. the President. and above all. to the plishments and his enduring impact on Auburn people. \"This is the work of Auburn his country. his community. friends people.\" he says. \"Whatever we have been and of course family. He is a man of able to accomplish is a direct reflection of Augreat dignity and character who takes burn people and their support of the school pride in the accomplishments of those they love.\" he has helped over the years. David David is a past president of the SEC Sports continues to be an inspiring role model Information Directors. a former chair of the for all of us and is the embodiment of NCAA Public Relations and Communications the Auburn creed. Committees. He served on the District III PostI know I join the Auburn faithful and graduate Scholarship Committee and has all Alabamians in wishing David Gods served as chair of the Deans Council for Aurichest blessing in his retirement. burns College of Liberal Arts. He also served Mr. Speaker. today I have the privilege to as a member of the NCAA Championships honor Mr. David Emerson Housel on the occa- Cabinet and the Executive Committee of the sion of his retirement as Auburn Universitys Southeastern Conference. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6043}
{"speech_id":1090015161,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Director of Athletics. I am honored to stand He serves on the Board of Directors for Aubefore this body of Congress and this Nation burn Bank. the Auburn Wesley Foundation. to recognize his many accomplishments. He is the Lee County Red Cross and is a member truly a man who embodies the American prin- of the Birmingham Pledge Advisory Board. He ciples of hard work. dedication to ones family. is an honorary member of the Auburn Football and service to ones conmunity. Lettermen Club and the University Singers. He David Emerson Housel was born on Octo- is a member of the Sports Information Direcber 18. 1946 and grew up in the small. west tors Hall of Fame. the Tony Brandino Hall of Alabama town of Gordo. In 1956. at the age Fame and the Gordo Athletics Hall of Fame. of ten. David attended his first Auburn Univer- He is also an award winning free lance writer sity football game. a 347 victory over the Uni- and has written two books. \"Saturdays to Reversity of Alabama at Legion Field in Bir- member\" and \"From the Desk of David mingham. After the game he wrote letters to Housel. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6043}
{"speech_id":1090015161,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A Collection of Auburn Stories.\" both schools asking for information about their In 1982 the Alabama Chapter of the Nafootball teams. David told the story to Mr. Neal tional Football Foundation recognized David Sims of the Birmingham News in the Decem- with their Contribution to Amateur Football ber 26. 2004 issue: \"Auburn sent a football Award. He has also received the Distinguished guide. along with a note thanking me for being Service Award from the Walter Camp Foundaan Auburn fan. I got an Alabama media guide tion of New Haven. Connecticut and. the Birand a bill for two dollars\". As Mr. Sims re- mingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club ports: \"Alabama got its two bucks. Auburn got for his career contributions to the sport of colhis heart. and together school and devotee lege football. have been linked ever since he grew from Of all of Davids accomplishments. perhaps child to man.\" . his greatest achievement was convincing the David graduated from Gordo High School in former Susan McIntosh to marry him. Susan is 1965 and enrolled in Auburn University on a retired third grade teacher at Wrights Mill June 9 of the same year. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6043}
{"speech_id":1090015268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Michigan for her kind words. I also say to my friend. the chairman of the Budget Committee. Senator GREGG is a terrific fellow. one of the best people I know in this place. He has a tough job. I know I have made it more difficult. I. at a personal level. apologize to him for that. but I want him to knowI want all my colleagues to knowhow personally and passionately I feel about this as someone who helped to create the Oregon health plan. to find ways to serve more with preventive medicine. in ways that stretch the dollar and serve more people who have no other recourse. I take that responsibility very seriously. I am trying to reflect that with the best of motives. with an equal commitment to finding a budget that will represent our values and our views that includes all the Members. that does. perhaps for a few days. delay some of the cuts that would fall. but if these cuts fall badly. we will hurt the most vulnerable people.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":980}
{"speech_id":1090015303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President..I appreciate very much having an oportunity to support this amendment and to be a cosponsor. I thank my colleague. from Maryland for his leadership. This is a small way in which we support local communities to create jobs. revitalize neighborhoods. support infrastructure. water. sewer. roadsthose things that help create jobs. From the highlightsof the 2004 CDBG accomplishments. they show very specifically that they created or had the. retention of more than 90.000 jobs last year. In a State like Michigan. this is incredibly important. Over 130.000 rental units and singlefamily homes were rehabbed. 85.000 individuals received employment training. 1.5 million children were served with afterschool enrichment programs. childcare services were provided to over 100.000 children and their families. 700 crime prevention and awareness programs. and 11.000 Americans became homeowners. What is more important to each of us as parents than to be able to make sure we have shelter and a home for our children? These are partnerships with local communities. small amounts of revenue that we bring together with our communities to make major impacts on the quality of life. That is what we are aboutt partner with our local communities. I urge the support of the amendment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12607}
{"speech_id":1090015303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Kt NNEDY. Mr. President. I strongly support the Sarbanes amendment. which will prevent one the greatest failings of this Presidents Budgetits elimination of more than $2 billion from critically needed economic development and social service programs and the proposed consolidation of 18 valuable Federal programs into a single block grant under the socalled \"Strengthening Americas Communities Initiative.\" I am heartened that so many of my. colleagues have come together in opposition to these cuts55 Senators wrote to the Budget Committee in an important show of bipartisanship 2 weeks ago. Under the Presidents plan most American cities can expect at least a 35 percent cut in assistance from the Federal Government to help secure investment. house the poor. provide health care to the uninsured. and counsel the abused. If the administration dislikes helping cities. they should have the decency to say so. instead of this charade where they tjy to hide massive cuts under the cloak of streamlining. Their proposal insults the intelligence of mayors. community development officials. and social service agencies across the countryby cynically suggesting that somehow these cuts are going to make life better and be helpful to cities across America. What makes these cuts so objectionable is they come at a time of great stress and difficulty for Americans who live in poverty. lWe are the wealthiest nation on earth. We are blessed with great abundance. Yet despite our great wealth. too many of our fellow citizens -remain in the shadows. the prisoners of persistent and increasing urban and rural poverty. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12607}
{"speech_id":1090015303,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The numbers are alarming. Today. nearly 36 million Americans live in poverty. and 3 million more working -Americans live in hunger or on the verge of hunger today than in 2000. One out of five American children goes to bed hungry each night. We have it in. our power to eliminate so much of this poverty. At the very least. we shouldnt do anything to make it worse which is exactly what this \"Strengthening Americas Communities\" plan from the White House would do. In the powerful words of the Gospel. \"To whom much is given. much is required.\" We need to pass the Sarbanes amendment. so that the work of tens of lhousands .of public officials. health officials. educators. community development experts toiling to improve living conditions in our cities isnt made any more difficult. Mayors across the country on the front lines every day are struggling to create new jobs and attract capital investment. They are struggling to educate and house the children of the poor. and they are not fooled by this administrations misleading slogan \"Strengthening Americas Communities.\" because they know it is the exact opposite. My friend. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12607}
{"speech_id":1090015303,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mayor Clare Higgins of Northampton isnt fooled. She recently wrote me urging Congress to save Cornmunity Development Block Grants. one of the very -few tools she has to meet Northamptons needs and one of the biggest programs on the Presidents chopping block. Most recently. Northampton invested $300.000 of these Federal funds to acquire the Interfaith Cold Weather Emergency Homeless shelterthe only cold weather shelter serving Hampshire County. It is a collaborative effort between area church groups and ServiceNet Inc.. a local human service provider. Without these funds. there would be no cold weather shelter in Hampshire County. Mayor Higgins wrote: Without CDBG futds. the City will be unable to develop a planned senior center. public services that provide emergency food. homeless services. child care and after school programming. literacy skills and health care would not be funded. the Citys ability to promote and develop affordable housing will be severely limited. parks and playgrounds will not be improved. and the Citys ability to provide funding for the redevelopment of the former Northampton State Hospital will cease. Mayor Tom Menino of Bostonthe former head of the U.S. Conference of Mayorsisnt fooled. He knows whats at stake and recently conducted an analysis of the budget cuts on his city. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12607}
{"speech_id":1090015303,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 1998 aloneMayor Menino stated at a recent press conferencethe City of Boston has permitted almost 5.000 new units of affordable housing and permitted more than 12.000 other units. We have invested a total of $7.8 million in CDBG funds in 19 large developments that have created a total of 1.175 apartments including 517 units for the formerly homeless. He went on to say that this budget for housing. community development. and social services threatens to \"throw the nation into the dark ages.\" That doesnt sound like he believes his community will be \"strengthened\" by the Bush administrations cuts. Mayor Menino believes the Presidents budget will mean the loss of $8 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for Boston. and the loss of $5.5 million in Community Services Block Grant funding. On any given night in the City. of Boston. -there are nearly 6.000 homeless men. women. and children in the city. Shelters in Massachusetts have been overflowing for 6 straight years. with 4 beds available for every 5 adults. Yet the very support he has relied on to help build 133 units of affordable housing for homeless people. to help 500 lowincome homeowners rehabilitate their properties. and to provide 130 firsttime homebuyers with their down payments is now in grave danger. How exactly is the mayor supposed to strengthen Boston when the support he needs to do it is getting the axe under this budget? Other local officials tell the same story. A letter I recently received from Elizabeth Cohen. Executive Director of Rape Crises Services of Greater Lowell. says: Dear Senator Kennedy: We need your help ... ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12607}
{"speech_id":1090015304,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today in support of Senator SARBANES amendment to the Budget resolution that would re-. store funding to the Community Development Block Grant. CDBG. program and 17 other community and economic development programs proposed to be eliminated. .These programs are vital to our Nations low and moderate income neighborhoods. as these are the communities who need these programs the most. Despite the proven results of the CDBG program and the other 17 community and economic development programs. the fiscal year 2006 budget proposes to consolidate these programs .into a single Commerce Department program. resulting in a $1.89 billion cut. In fiscal year 2005. the total budget for all 18 community and economic development programs proposed to be consolidated. including CDBG. was $5.6 billion. The administrations proposal only provides $3.7 billion for all 18 programs. leading to a $1.89 billion cut in community development funds. This major reduction would have a .devastating impact on our Nations neediest communities and families who rely on these programs. The loss of funds would also impact our Nations economy. affecting4 small businesses who receive loans to finance projects that lead to the creation and retention of jobs. The Sarbanes amendment would restore the proposed $1.89 billion cuts to the CDBG program and 17 other community and economic development programs. such as the Community Development Loan Guarantees Program and Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. retain the administration of these important programs at their current agencies. For example. the CDBG program would remain at HUD and not be transferred to the Department of Commerce. accomplish this by closing tax loopholes that an overwhelming majority of Senators voted to close in the last Congress. While the vote to close tax loopholes was not enacted. it offers us a bipartisan way to save community and economic development programs. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11441}
{"speech_id":1090015304,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Community Development Block Grant Program is one of the most effective Federal domestic programs to revitalize urban and rural communities. Over the past 30 years. cities. counties. and States have used more than $105 billion in CDBG funds. Over 95 percent of CDBG funds have gone to projects and activities principally benefiting low- and moderateincome individuals and families such as housing development. recreation centers. clinics. daycare facilities. and job creation and training. According to HUDs \"Highlights of Fiscal Year 2004 CDBG Accomplishments.\"-CDBG funding led to the creation and retention of more than 90.000 jobs and 85.000 individuals received employment training nationwide in the last year alone. In 2004. CDBG funds also helped with the rehabilitation of over 130.000 rental units and single family homes. and allowed more than 11.000 Americans to achieve the American Dream and become homeowners. Additionally. nearly 700 crime prevention and awareness programs were funded and child care services were Although CDBG is one of the main provided to 100.065 children in 205 corn- community development programs munities across the country. slated for consolidation and cuts in the In my State of California. CDBG fiscal year 2006 budget. there are 17 grants are critical to both urban and other important programs that would rural cities who rely on these funds to be impacted as well. serve many lowincome neighborhoods. Specifically. I would like to touch on In fiscal year 2005. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11441}
{"speech_id":1090015304,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"California re- a few of the following programs that ceived over $526 million in CDBG funds. have had a substantial benefit to counaccounting for 12.8 percent of the total ties and cities: $4.1 billion grant program. Community Development Loan GuarOf these funds. for example. Cali- antees. section 108 loan program. fundfornia cities and counties received $82.8 ed at $7 million in fiscal year 2005. is million to thecity of Los Angeles and used often with CDBG funds to finance $34.6 million to Los Angeles County. the construction of new facilities and $24.6 million to the city of San Fran- economic development activities such cisco. $11.5 million to Riverside Coun- as business loans. ty. $8.4 million to San Bernardino Through -the section 108 Loan ProCounty. and $5.5 million to Fresno gram. the city of San Francisco has County. been able to construct 13 new childcare Over the past 5 years. the diverse use facilities which created 599 new slots of CDBG funds have allowed Los Ange- for children of lowincome families. les County to develop almost 9.000 af- and created 200 new jobs through 8 fordable housing units. to create and business start ups and expansions. preserve over 2.000 jobs. to remove over Brownfields Economic Development 32 million square feet of graffiti. and to Initiative. which received $24 million provide loans and technical assistance in fiscal year 2005. used with the secto over 5.000 businesses among other tion 108 loan program. helps finance programs. Cuts to the CDBG program would the redevelopment of seriously conCuts t the Anges pCountys low taminated sites. greatly hurt Los Angeles CCities throughout California and the income residents. the primary bene- Nation have received assistance ficiaries of CDBGfunded services. According to 2000 Census data. 17.9 through these funds to conduct envitof Los Angeles County ronmental engineering assessments for percent oLoAneeCutyresi- st lau ciiis dents had incomes below the poverty site cleanup activities. level. a far higher poverty rate than This amendment would also restore the 12.4 percent national average. funding for the Community DevelopCDBG funds have not only benefited ment Financial Institutions. CDFI. large urban counties like Los Angeles. which provides private sector investors but rural counties and cities in Cali- with tax credits to raise money for fornia as well. Here are a few examples: hard to firfance development projects The city of Porterville in the Central in lowincome areas. as well as other Valley. which has a population of over economic development programs. CDFI 39.000 and an unemployment rate of 12.3 received $55 million in funding this percent. has utilized CDBG funds to re- year. habilitate over 50 homes and assist These community and economic demore than- 200 first time homebuyers velopment programs proposed to be cut purchase their first home. Many of in the fiscal year 2006 budget put Fedthese first time homebuyers are farm eral dollars where they are needed worker families. most by funding projects that are The city of Victorville. located in unique to the problems they address. San Bernardino County. served over The proposed cuts to the CDBG pro2.900 senior citizens. youth. homeless. gram and 17 other programs would redisabled. victims of domestic violence. sult in higher unemployment. diminish and lowincome families in 2004 with business creation and retention. inCDGB funds. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11441}
{"speech_id":1090015304,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over $551.550 in CDBG crease the number of blighted buildgrants were provided to lowincome ings. and the number of homeless peosenior and disabled homeowners to re- ple who cannot find affordable housing. habilitate their homes. ensuring that The loss of these dedicated funds Victorville citizens have a safe place to would profoundly affect our countrys live. low and moderate income communities As you can see. CDBG funds are cru- and residents. cial to closing the disparity between We must not allow this to happen. rich. and poor in so many communities I urge my colleagues to vote for the in California and throughout the coun- Sarbanes amendment to restore fundtry. ing for CDBG and the 17 other commuAs a former mayor. I know that nity and economic development proCDBG resources are the most flexible grams proposed to be eliminated. dollars within city government. mak- Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President. I rise ing them extremely valuable to the today to address shortfalls in the budgeconomic vitality of local commu- et resolution for key community and nities. economic development programs. The We cannot allow these funds to be budget before us includes a reduction cut. of roughly $2 billion in Federal assistTo do so would send the wrong mes- ance to distressed and underserved sage to our countrys neediest commu- communities. These cuts are shortnities and families who rely on these sighted. illadvised and represent a sigfunds the most. nificant retreat from our longstanding commitment to invest in our Nations communities. I join Senator SARBANES in offering an amendment to restore funding for these programs to their fiscal year 2005 levels. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11441}
{"speech_id":1090015304,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year the Federal Government invested $5.7 billion in communities across the country through a network of community and economic development programs. These programs were used to enhance social services. invest in infrastructure. promote affordable housing. provide public services and revitalize our downtowns. These investments changed the face of our cities and helped improve the standards of living across the Nation. Unfortunately. tfie President has proposed to eliminate this network of programs and replace them with a single block grant at the Department of Commerce. Eighteen programs are on the chopping block. including th6 Community Development Block Grant. CDBG. the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. CDFI. the Community Services Block Grant. CSBG. Brownfields Economic Development Initiatives and the Economic Development Agency. EDA. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11441}
{"speech_id":1090015357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank the distinguished Senator. the chairman of the committee. for his characteristic courtesy. I rise. Madam President. to express my admiration for Senator COCHRAN as he assumes the duties of chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Today. I stand with Chairman COCHRAN in support of his amendment concerning the authority of Congress to designate funding as an emergency. In the Constitution. there is no ambiguity about which branch of Government has the power of the purse. It is the congressional power of the purse which is the central pillar of the system of checks and balances under our Constitution. The budget resolution that is before the Senate includes a provision which makes the ability of the Congress to designate funding as an emergency subject to the approval of the President. The measure that is before the Senate is a budget resolution. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1962}
{"speech_id":1090015357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not a law. It will not be sent to the President for his approval. The Congress should not use a budget resolution to tie its own hands on spending decisions. The Congress should not tie its own hands in determining whether an expenditure for war. or an expenditure for victims of a flood. hurricane. or earthquake is an emergency. The Senate should not have to get on its knees and. plead with any President for his permission to designate a provision as an emergency. The Congress is a coequal branch of Government under our Constitution. and it should jealously guard the prerogatives associated with the power of the purse. so wisely preserved for the legislative branch by our Founding Fathers. If the Senate wants to provide emergency funding for agriculture disaster relief. or for responding to a recent flood or hurricane. or to provide additional funding to the Department of Defense for body armor. it must have that authority. The Cochran amendment makes clear Congress retains that authority. I urge adoption of the amendment. Again. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1962}
{"speech_id":1090015357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1962}
{"speech_id":1090015371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. the Senator from Massachusetts is correct. Money does not solve the problem of education. If it did. the city of Washington would have the finest schools and the best academic experience .in the country instead of the worst. The students regrettably score at the bottom of the Nation year in and year out. Yet on a per capita basis. more money is spent per child here in Washington than any place else in America: $12.000 a year per child. I congratulate the present Mayor for trying to address the issue through creating choice within the school system. But that is a fact. Money does not necessarily solve education problems. However. in the area of mdoney. this Presidency has done a dramatically better job than the prior President in his commitment to increasing education dollars. Since coming into office. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4136}
{"speech_id":1090015371,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Bushs increase in education exceeds that of President Clinton by 33 percent. His increase in funding for title I exceeds that of President Clinton by 52 percent. His increase in IDEA funding exceeds that of President Clinton by 75 percent. His increase in funding of No Child Left Behind exceeds President Clintons areas in approximately the same programs by 46 percent. In this budget proposal. the President has proposed adding another $500 million in IDEA. $600 million in title I. $1 billion in. No Child Left Behind. and half a billion dollars into Pell grants. In addition. this budget itself sets up the process for significant increases in .funding in the Pell grant area so that we can get to a $4.150 grant next year. And if we follow the proposal of this budget. we will get to a $5.100 grant for people who use Pell grants and go to college for 4 years and complete their schooling. In addition. we put in $5.5 billion. approximately. in order to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. And yes. it is paid for in large part. but it is paid for by basically ratcheting down on lenders. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4136}
{"speech_id":1090015371,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I suspect the Senator from Massachusetts will be comfortable with many of the payfors which Senator ENZI comes up with in committee. So the education commitment of this administration has been extraordinarily strong. and this budget puts forth some very creative and unique ideas for going forward on that aggressive approach. This amendment is not the way to proceed. The Senator from Massachusetts has never been a wilting violet on the concept of increasing taxes. This amendment reinforces that fine track record as it increases taxes by $10.9. billion. In fact. the entire other side of the aisle has not been much in the way of wilting violets on the issue of increasing taxes. So far we have had approximately seven amendments that we have accounted for. I think there. are a lot more floating around here that we have not yet accounted for that had they been passed or if they are passedfour of them were. fortunately. defeatedwould have added $47 billion. That doesnt count this $10 billion. So we are up to almost $60 billion of new taxes that has been proposed so far. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4136}
{"speech_id":1090015371,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I suspect that number is understated because I think we are missing five or six amendments that had been suggested in the last few hours late last evening. So there is no question but there is a philosophy on the other side which this side is trying not to subscribe to. which is that you just raise taxes and you spend more money and that solves the problem. That doesnt solve the problem. The problem is that we have to set priorities. and within those priorities. some programs -of the Federal Government should be funded more aggressively than others. What the President has suggested specifically is that the core educational initiatives of.the Federal GovernmentNo Child Left Behind. title I. special education. Pell grant. higher educationwill be funded ext emely aggressively. The Congress may not decide to choose. to follow that course of action. but at least we should go forwardwith the concept that we are going to set the priorities within a budget that we can afford and not break that budget and raise taxes on the American people. Therefore. I oppose this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4136}
{"speech_id":1090015379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment is critical to my home State of Montana and to most States in the Nation. It is agriculture. Agriculture is the financial engine that drives. certainly. my States economy. It brings in $2 billion of annual revenue jplus benefits to rural communities and to our State generally. One in five Montana workers is employed in agriculture or a rela.ted field. But this amendment is important not just to Montana. it is important to the Nation. Americas agricultural producers provide us with the safest and highest quality food supply in the world. We all know that. It is worth repeating. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7880}
{"speech_id":1090015379,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is worth remembering. Sometimes we. take things for granted. Our agricultural producers in America provide us with the safest. highest quality food supply in the world. Americans are extremely fortunate to enjoy those benefits. Agriculture is a small part of the Federal budget. but it is expected to shoulder huge cuts. very disproportionate cuts in this budget resolution. The Senate budget resolution calls for a reduction in mandatory agricultural programs of $5.4 billion over 5 years. The budget resolution puts $2.8 billion of those savings on fast track through reconciliation. I was one of the farm bill negotiators and supporters of that legislation. but I disagree with some of the provisions within the law. The 2002 farm bill represented a delicate balance between diverse interests. It was very tough to put that together. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7880}
{"speech_id":1090015379,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The 2002 farm bill was a 6year bill. not an onandoff bill but a 6year bill. and people had reason to expect it settled farm policy for 6 years. People have to plan. to have a. sense of what is going on. It is not just farmers. but bankers. equipment suppliers. and farm implement dealers. Producers and bankers who made financial decisions to enter into contracts with the understanding that the farm bill would not be renegotiated until 2007. that was their understanding. If Congress proceeds with the agriculture cuts in this budget resolution. we will be cutting nutrition. not just the six basic crops in the farm bill. but cutting nutrition. conservation. and forestry programs. These cuts are not directed solely at the commodity programs. In fact. they are directed at many other segments of the whole agriculture bill. The Senate should put off the policy discussions that are behind these cuts until we begin debate on the new farm legislation. That is the appropriate time to debate these policy discussions. not in the budget resolution to cut for the sake of cutting. The commitment that Congress and the President made to farmers. to conservatives. and the neediest in our society should be maintained until a new farm bill is developed. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7880}
{"speech_id":1090015379,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Proposed mandatory spending cuts will also unilaterally disarm our trade negotiators. especially our agricultural trade negotiators. The United States recently lost its appeal of the World Trade Organization dispute panel decision concerning domestic cotton. It is not widely known. but it should be well understood. the implications of that decision. At the same time. we are negotiating a new global trade agreement with the WTO. of which agriculture is a critical part. That decision is going to put our agricultural producers and our agriculture program in jeopardy. We should. therefore. not commit to the substantial agriculture policy changes that this resolution would require while we are engaged in. those trade talks. We should not unilaterally disarm. It makes. no sense. and I cannot understand for the life of me why this budget resolution unilaterally disarms our farmers before we go into negotiations. Some argue the proposed cuts are good for our negotiators because they demonstrate to other countries that the United States is serious about agriculture reform. I have learned through very hard. bitter experience that no country altruistically. out of the goodness of its heart. if it has any sense. is going to lower a trade barrier. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7880}
{"speech_id":1090015379,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They do not unless they have to. You have to provide leverage. There are many examples where the United States had to exercise levefage to get other countries to lower a trade barrier. It takes leverage. They just do not do it out of the goodness of their heart. If we do that. think what the Europeans are going to do. They are going to say: Oh. those Americans. they have already eliminated their agriculture program. they have cut their supports. so we Europeans. do not have to go quite so far. I tell you. it makes no sense. no sense whatsoever for this Congress to pass a budget resolution which cuts agriculture by such a dramatic amount. In 2002. total EU domestic supports plus export subsidies totaled $37 .billion. What was ours? What was the U.S. comparable figure? It is about $17 billion. and that is just actual spending. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7880}
{"speech_id":1090015410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will state that the Senator from Montana has been extremely persuasive. We started out with a budget number in this budget that essentially tracked the Presidents number in agriculture. But as a result of listening to the Senator from Montana and the Senator from Georgia. chairman of the Agriculture Committee. we have backed that number down rather dramatically from the original request of $9 billion by the Presidents $2.8 billion. And we have. as the Senator from Montana noted. at the request of the Senator from Georgia. given maximum flexibility to the Agriculture Committee so that they can reach that number. Remember. that is a 5year number. not a 1year number. the $2.8 billion is spent over 5 years. They can reach that number however it is deemed best in looking at it through the lens of the Agriculture Committee. where the real expertise resides. I thank the Senator from Montana for his very constructive effort in this area. I assure the people of Montana he has certainly held their interests and put their interests first and aggressively pursued it.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1088}
{"speech_id":1090015433,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That was the agreement. When President Clinton offered this proposal. which I supported. which I fundedI happened to chair the subcommittee that funded this proposalthe understanding was it would be a 3year program. The cities and towns would come in. they would get their police officers approved. and then after 3 years those police officers would be off the Federal payroll. on the local payroll. and when we got to 100.000 police officers. the program would end. In the year 2000. we got to 100.000 police officers. in -the year 2001. we got to 110.000 police officersand the program goes on and on. There was an agreement 2 years ago that we would only fund those officers who were sort of the end of the linein rural communities. essentiallyand then we would terminate the program the way it was supposed to be originally terminated. That has not happened. either. Finally. the President. living up to the commitment of President Clinton. has said: Enough is enough. The program did what it was supposed to do. it put over 100.000 police officers on the street. As a result of doing that. it has succeeded. Lets declare victory relative to this program because it accomplished what it was supposed to accomplishit added 110.000 or 120.000 officers. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3137}
{"speech_id":1090015433,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I guess. in the endand lets take these funds which were being used here and move them to another account. specifically accounts which are going to be more focused on a targeted responseprimarily to the threat of terrorismversus a general response. The police officers. obviously. have a terrorism role. but they have a lot broader portfolio when they walk on that street. from movingvehicle crimes to. obviously. violent crimes to drug crimes. But the dollars that were being spent on the COPS Program have been moved over. essentially to homeland defense and other accounts. the purpose of which is to get the Federal role together in an area where we have a priority. which is fighting terrorism. The officers who were put on the stceet by this program are theoretically still on the street because the communities that use this program to basically gear these officers upI think we paid 75 percent the first year. 55 percent the second year. 25 percent the third year. and then it goes on the communitys payroll. that officers salarythose officers are still out there. one presumes. It is just extremely ironic that there would be such an outcry to keep a program that the prior administration fully expected and put forward as a program that was going to be focused on getting 100.000 police officers on the street. and when it accomplished that. it would terminate. It accomplished that and more. and it should be terminated. - So I hope maybe we could prove President Reagan wrong once. He has b6en right on just about everything he ever did as a President. but maybe we could just prove him wrong onceIm sure it would make the other side happyby showing all programs are not eternal in this city and we can terminate onethe COPS Program. I yield the remainder of my time on this amendment. then. and we will move on to the next amendment. which I guess is Senator FEINSTEINS.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3137}
{"speech_id":1090015439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a senseoftheSenate amendment sent to the floor by Senator KYL. Senator HUTCHISON. Senator BINGAMAN. Senator AKAKA. Senator CORNYN. Senator.SCHUMER. Senator FEINGOLD. and Senator CLINTON. It is a senseoftheSenate amendment to urge this Congress to reauthorize the SCAAP Program. the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. On every desk there is a chart that shows how much each State received for this program. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1171}
{"speech_id":1090015439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What does this program do? What this program does is reimburse the State for the cost of the incarceration of an illegal alien. In other words. when someone comes to our country. commits a crime. is convicted of that crime. is in jail or is in State prison. the Federal Governmentit is their responsibility for all matters pertaining to immigrationhas reimbursed the State. The program reimburses the State for less than 20 percent of the actual cost to the State. The authorization is due to expire. We are asking in the sense of the Senate that it be considered for reauthorization. Before I speak further. my main author. Senator KYL. wanted to make a few comments and then Senator CORNYN. if I might. I yield briefly to Senator KYL.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1171}
{"speech_id":1090015487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I rise to offer a very important amendment dealing with taxes on Social Security benefits. For too many years. senior citizens have carried an unnecessary and unfair tax burden on their shoulders. Today we have an opportunity to remove it. Historically. Social Security benefits were not taxed. However. in 1983. Congress changed -the rules of the game. That year. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":735}
{"speech_id":1090015487,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress passed legislation to begin taxing up to 50 percent of a seniors Social Security benefit if Dheir income was over $25.000 for a single individual or $32.000 for a couple. This move subjected many seniors across the country to an unanticipated tax increase and forced them to send a portion of their Social Security benefit back to the IRS.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":735}
{"speech_id":1090015572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this budget resolution includes a reconciliation instruction to raise the debt limit by $446 billion. That is a lot of money. That is $1.510 for every man. woman. and child in America. I think the Senate ought to have a debate on whether to add $1.500 to the indebtedness of each and every American. and that is why I am offering this amendment. The amendment is to strike the reconciliation instruction. This budget resolution includes a debt limit increase automatically for one reason: that my friends on the other side of the aisle do not want to have a debate about how exploding budget deficits are piling up our national debt. Instead. what we see is an attempt to hide yet another debt limit increase by burying it deep in the budget. We used to have debt limit increase debates on a regular basis. and we made it hard to increase the debt limit because we knew ultimately the deficits would overwhelm us. This recordsetting deficit the administration is running will have real consequences for every family. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090015572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the Government borrows more money. much of it from foreign central banks. eventually it is going to cause interest rates to go up. It is inevitable. When interest rates go up. it hurts each and every American. Hodses cost more. Cars cost more. College certainly costs more. Investment capital for small businesses costs more. We often hear the money our Government spends is the peoples money. That is true. but it is also true that the money our Government borrows is the peoples debt. We passed a bankruptcy bill that I think is punitive to working Americans who lose their jobs. have a catastrophic illness or an injury. or run up their credit card debt to try to pay their bills. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090015572,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over and over again. our friends on the other side say people have to pay their debts. Well. is this any different? What I have here is the Bush administrations credit card. We like to use this as a reference. It is issued by the Bank of Our Childrens Future. That is what it says. It says the President is over the limit. That is because public debt under this administration has been run up to $7.7 trillion and each Americans share of that debt is over $26.000. Hear this: Every American is going to be saddled with a debt amounting to $26.000 as a result of our increasing indebtedness. But $7.7 trillion apparently is not enough. which is where we are. President Bush wants this credit limit increased. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090015572,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When they make that kind of request. it usually needs some scrutiny. The majority party in the Senate wants to give him that increase. but they want to do it without anybody noticing. without any conversation about it.-So they bury it in the budget resolution. We need to discuss whether it is a good idea to increase this credit limit because each and every American gets stuck paying the bill. including our children and our grandchildren. We should be talking about paying off the debt on this card. as we did in 1997. I was then the ranking member of the Budget Committee..","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3004}
{"speech_id":1090015609,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This can only be done by unanimous consent. obviously. One of the managers of the bill doesnt agree. I should tell everyone this is going to add at least an hour to the votes--I will bet more than that.-We have staff here. We have nice staff. If people do not know what the votes are. that is unfortunate. But. anyway. it takes unanimous consent. and I understand that.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":369}
{"speech_id":1090015662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to know with whom this legislation has been shared? It certainly has not been shared with me. and I do not intend to just sit here while we change the nature of all of these things to put this in the political arena without a hearing.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":262}
{"speech_id":1090015715,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the purpose of this amendment is to repeal the provision of the Tax Code that actually rewards companies to shut down their American plant and move their jobs overseas. Yes. we actually reward companies in the current Tax Code for shutting down their American plants and moving jobs. It is the most pernicious part of the Tax Code. In my judgment. this is only a baby step in the right direction. A vote against this amendment is a vote against fairness and a vote against American jobs. I hope this Senate will approve this amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":579}
{"speech_id":1090015851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To close. I thank the leadership of the minority and majority. I never anticipated that my first legal measure on thefloor of the Senate would be something such as this. I am very pleased that we have had the cooperation we have had. I thank Senators HARKIN and CONRAD and so many others on our side of the aisle who have worked with me tirelessly to get to this point and the encouragement they provided me. By voting for this bill. we will simply .be allowing the Federal judge to give one last review. one last look in a case that has so many questions. that has so many anxieties. and that will provide us the kind of assurance before the ultimate fate of this woman is decided to know that we did all we could do and that every last measure of review was given her. just like it would have been given to a death row inmate convicted and sentenced to die. I ask for a vote in support of the measure that we might keep Terry Schiavo alive and give her a chance to have a Federal review of her case.","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1001}
{"speech_id":1090015867,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there is an agreementand it is fairly well agreed to. not only within this body but on the House side and with the Presidentthat the highway bill will be $284 billion. That is funded in this budget resolution. This would increase that funding by approximately $30 billion. In addition. it raises taxes by $14 billion. It is a classic taxandspend amendment. I hope it will be defeated.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":399}
{"speech_id":1090015884,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this takes the fund. the purpose of which is to allow the Senate to spend more than the $284. billion but requires that that be genuinely paid for. and turns it into a reserve fund. The payfors will become not necessarily illusory but close to that. I dont think it is good policy to do that. I would rather we had a strong statement that if we are going to go over the $284 billion. it is really going to be paid for.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090016069,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I offer an amendment to increase the funding for LIHEAP from $1.8 billion to $3 billion. This amendment is fully offset. LIHEAP has received level funding for more than 20 years. but energy prices have not remained level. They have not remained stable. In fact. they are at alltime highs. We all have stories such as this from our States. Recently. a mother of two from Arkansas turned on her electric oven in order to heat the house. burned the house down. and killed her two daughters. We all have similar stories such as that from around the Nation. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090016069,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an amendment that will help the people who need it most in all of our States.","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090016134,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the description of the intent of the reserve fund that my colleague from Massachusetts just provided also reflects my understanding and intent in supporting the inclusion of this fund. I believe the intent of the reserve fund would be sat-. isfied by legislation reported by the HELP Committee or the Finance Cornmittee that is not deficit neutral in the initial year or any other single year during fiscal years 2006 to 2010 but that otherwise complies with the conditions of the reserve fund. I do not intend to raise or support a budget point of order raised against such legislation on the basis that it is not deficit neutral in any particular year during fiscal years 20062010.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":698}
{"speech_id":1090016227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join my colleagues. Senators KENNEDY. MCCAIN and others in condemning ongoing violence and criminality by the Irish Republican Army. Our actions are prompted in part by our meeting yesterday with the sisters and fiance of Robert McCartney. a Catholic resident of Belfast who was brutally murdered on January 30. by individuals who are members of the IRA. These six young women. Catherine McCartney. Paula Arnold. Gemma McMacken. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090016227,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Claire McCartney. Donna Mary McCartney. and Bridgeen Karen Hagans. have publicly challenged the code of silence that generally surrounds IRA activities. including the brutal murder of their brother. an innocent bystander. These brave women came to Washington seeking our help to ensure that this heinous act is not forgotten as time passes and. that justice is done. not only on behalf of their brother. but for all the people of Northern IrelandProtestant and Catholic alike. They have called upon the IRA and Sinn Fein to stop covering up Roberts murder. and to begin immediately to cooperate directly with the Northern Ireland Policing Service in order to bring to justice those responsible for this heinous crime. In response to their appeal we believe that it is important that the United States Senate express itself on their behalf. That is why we have asked the Senate to act on the pending resolution. That is why President Bush met personally with these brave women at the White House earlier todayto highlight the importance of justice being done. . Our actions on .this resolution and the Presidents meeting earlier today put the world on notice that we condemn such acts. In addition. with this resolution we call on the leadership of Sinn Fein to insist that everyone responsible for this murder be brought to justice and that anyone with knowledge about the crime cooperate fully and directly with the Police Service of Northern Ireland in making that possible. As an Irish American. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090016227,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I look forward to the annual celebration of Saint Patricks Day. Earlier today we participated in the Annual Speakers luncheon with visiting Prime Minister of Ireland. Bertie Ahern to commemorate this day. I must tell you that we did so with less. exuberance than in past years when there was frankly more to be joyful about. Ten years ago on this day. there was excitement and promise at our Saint Patricks Day celebrationthe 1994 IRA ceasefire had been in place for more than 6 months and there existed a positive climate conducive to finding a political resolution to a quarter century of sectarian violence. Seven years ago. in 1998. there was even more concrete evidence that sectarian violence was over as we were literally days away from the parties signing the Good Friday Accords which they did on April 9 of that year. That document was crafted by the political parties under the able leadership of former Majority Leader George Mitchell with the active involvement of President Bill Clinton. and Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. It spelled out in black and white an agenda and institutions for delivering justice and equality to both traditions within a framework of inclusive selfgovernment. Our annual Saint Patricks Day celebrations since 1998 have been an opportunity to take stock of the progress toward full implementation of the Good Friday Accords. I for one have approached this day each year with the hope that we might finally declare that the Accords were fully functioning. and that violence and terror were no longer a part of the fabric of Northern Irelands society. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090016227,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sadly. this Saint Patricks day we struggle -to call the glass half full with respect to progress on the Accords. The Northern Ireland Assembly is in suspension. the assemblys Executive is vacant. The parties are deadlocked over what must be done to restart the process. Collectively. Northern Irelands political leaders must accept responsibility for the political impasse that now exists. :But Sinn Fein and the IRA carry a heavier burden than others for restarting the process. Sinn Fein. as an organization. must commit itself fully and unequivocally to solely political means to advance its agenda of equality and inclusion. There is no place in a democracy for a political organization to have its own private paramilitary organization. Sinn Fein cannot call itself a democratic organization if it does not severe all ties with the IRA. an organization which espouses. condones. and covers up unlawful acts such as murder and robbery. And. if the IRA is in fact committed to the full implementation of the Peace Accords as it has publicly stated. then it must fully and verifiably decommis-. sion its weapons and go out business entirely. In my opinion. nothing short of these actions is going to repair the damage done to the peace process by the recent acts of criminality by the IRA. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090016227,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Public demonstrations by the Catholic community in Belfast in support of the McCartney sisters quest for justice made it patently obvious that whatever support might have existed for the IRA in that community exists no longer. It is very clear that the people of Northern Ireland want to live in peacethey want an end to vigilantism and intimidationthey want transparency and the rule of law. They want a future for themselves and their children. Today. Northern Ireland is a struggling democracyat a crossroad. Elections have occurred. Elected representatives have been chosen. The mechanisms of selfgovernment are clearly spelled out in the Good Friday Accords. Everyone knows what needs to be done to move the process forward. I hope and pray that those with the power to make a difference will have the courage to do the right thing. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090016245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join twenty of my Senate colleagues in introducing landmark legislation that will double the amount of ethanol used in motor fuel by 2012. The Fuels Security Act of 2005 establishes a renewable fuels standard program beginning with 4. billion gallons in 2006 and culminating in 8 billion gallons in 2012nearly a 40 percent increase from legislation that I first sponsored in 2003. The legislation creates a functioning and flexible market for ethanol produced from South Dakotas farmerowned plants. South Dakota has more farmerowned ethanol plants than any other State. and South Dakota producers deliver a greater percentage of corn for ethanol production than any neighboring State. Revising and strengthening the proposed RFS is important to South Dakota producers and our valueadded economy. In 2004. the domestic ethanol industry produced a record 3.4 billion gallons of ethanol and an additional 700 million gallons of capacity will be added in 2005. Because of the strong increase in ethanol production over the last few years it is necessary to revisit and revise the proposed RFS to more accurately reflect the growing market. Increasing the RFS schedule to 8 billion gallons in 2012 ensures market stability and encourages investment in ethanol plants and transportation infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2854}
{"speech_id":1090016245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ethanol stands out as an agriculture sector that is resisting the move toward greater consolidation and concentration. The Fuels Security Act of 2005 goes a long way toward ensuring that farmers retain market power and will continue to play a leading role in renewable energy production. While adjusting the schedule to match growth is crucial. equally important is ensuring that the schedule and standard are not eroded by a permissive credit program or inconsistent and suspect waiver authority provisions. To that end. the Fuels Security Act of 2005 creates a oneyear credit program to provide flexibility to blenders without diluting the RFS requirement. An illdefined or openended credit program will cause investor\u00a7. to .hedge against investing in new ethanol facilities as the guarantee of an increased baseline is weakened through multiyear credit trading language. Additionally. the bill includes an effective tool to ensure that after 2012. Americas renewable fuel market does not diminish and capacity and production match demand. The bill directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy. as well as the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the RFS schedule grows with the overall motor vehicle fuel pool after 2013. I am proud to stand with over a dozen agriculture. clean energy and renewable fuels organizations that support this legislation. Accordingly. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2854}
{"speech_id":1090016245,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that a letter written by over a dozen agriculture and energy groups be printed in the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2854}
{"speech_id":1090016247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am encouraged that as a consequence of the strong bipartisan support for increasing the RFS to 8 billion gallons. my colleagues and I can add this bill to a comprehensive energy proposal working through the Senate. Furthermore. as a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I remain committed to working With my Senate colleagues. Chairman DOMENICI and Majority Leader FRIST and Minority Leader REID toward ensuring that the Fuels Security Act of 2005 becomes law.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":501}
{"speech_id":1090016268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to introduce the \"Asbestos Standards Enforcement Act.\" This legislation provides for enhanced criminal penalties for willful violations of occupational standards for asbestos. Currently. the Occupational Safety and Health Act provides for criminal sanctions only in those cases where a willful violation of standards results in the death of a worker. This circumstance is not likely to occur when an employer is cited for an asbestos violation. due to the long latency of the disease. and the fact that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is required to issue citations within six months after inspectors find workplace violations. This legislation would subject employers who willfully violate OSHA asbestos standards to fines at levels set by the Uniform Criminal Code. as well as imprisonment of up to five years. or both. If the conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction. this legislation would provide punishment by penalties in accordance with the Uniform Criminal Code. imprisonment for not more than ten years. or both. Strong enforcement actions against parties that violate OSHA asbestos rules are necessary to avoid putting workers and the public at risk of asbestos related diseases. I have incorporated these strong measures in my discussion draft of the \"Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act.\" While that legislation is being considered. there is no reason not to proceed *ith OSHA legislation that would come before the Senate Health. Education. Labor. and Pension Committee. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2455}
{"speech_id":1090016268,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are still egregious practices by employers. particularly when it comes to asbestos abatement. that must be stopped. In a recent case. owners of an asbestos removal firm Were convicted of exposing hundreds of workers to such high levels of asbestos that many of these workers are almost certain to contract asbestosis. lung cancers. and mesothelioma. Yet this case involved criminal prosecution under environmental laws because the OSHA Act does not contain suffrczent authority for criminal prosecution in such cases. In many other asbestos cases. it may not be possible to successfully apply environmental laws to protect workers. The bill I am introducing today would permit criminal prosecution directly under the OSHA Act. the law that is supposed to protect safety and health in the workplace. I urge the Senate to pass this legislation. By Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. SALAZAR):","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2455}
{"speech_id":1090016276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today -I am. reintroducing the Central Contractor Registry Act. This legislation is particularly relevant this week. as we debate a tough budget to restore fiscal discipline. Last year the Government Accountability Office testified at a hearing before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that over 27.000 contractors at the Department of Defense owed over $3 billion in unpaid Federal taxes. If we want to demonstrate fiscal discipline. it seems to me that we ought to be looking at places like this before we start talking about cuts to Medicaid or the farm bill. Asking companies that win lucrative government contracts to simply pay their taxes seems like common sense to me. Thats why I have introduced the Central Contractor Registry Act. This bill will close a $3 billion tax loophole and will help to recover over $100 million annually from federal contractors who have not filed federal tax returns or who have not paid the taxes they owe the government. The bill is simple: it establishes a centralized contractor database within the Department of Defense. and requires federal contractors who register in that database to provide their taxpayer identification number and their consent to verifying that number with the Internal Revenue Service as a condition that must precede the awarding of a contract by the Department of Defense. Normally. companies that are delinquent in paying their taxes are levied 15 percent of the payments they receive as government contractors. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5829}
{"speech_id":1090016276,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fiscal year 2002. this should have amounted to over $100 million from tax delinquent Department of Defense contractors. However. actual collections for that year were less than $500.000. And in 2001. over 26.000 of the defense contracts submitted to the IRS to determine contractors tax liability were unusable. One of the principal reasons for this anemic state of collections and the large volume of unusable information returns is the inability of the Department of Defense and the Internal Revenue Service to reach an accord on verifying the taxpayer identification numbers of the contractors who have registered in the Department of Defenses Central Contractor Registration database. Under current law. the Department of Defenses authority to verify contractors taxpayer identification numbers is limited to those contractors who have contracts with the Department of Defense and for whom the department is required to report miscellaneous income to the Internal Revenue Service on a Form 1099 information return. However. there are contractors who have registered in the Central Contractor Registration for whom the Department of Defense lacks authority to verify their taxpayer identification numbers. including individuals and companies who would like to contract with the federal government and contractors who have contracts with agencies and departments other than the Department of Defense. And often the numbers provided are incorrect. but there is no recourse. My bill will resolve the impasse between the Department of Defense and the Internal Revenue Service by requesting Contractors consent to the validation of their taxpayer identification number as part of the registration process. Contractors will not be required to provide their consent. But if they do not. they will not be awarded a contract by the Department of Defense. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5829}
{"speech_id":1090016276,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Further. my bill requires the Department of Defense to warn contractors as part of the registration process that if they do not provide a valid taxpayer identification number they may be subject to backup withholding. Thig would apply to those contractors who list an invalid taxpayer identification number. have a contract with the Department of Defense. and will earn miscellaneous income that is required to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. I would like to briefly summarize the major provisions of my bill. It provides a statutory basis for the Central Contractor Registration and renames the database as the Central Contractor Registry. It requires that the registry contain contractors taxpayer identification numbers. their consent to verifying their numbers with the Internal Revenue Service and for the Internal Revenue Service to provide a corrected number if possible. It requires that registrants furnish this information as a condition for registration. and requires the Department of Defense to warn contractors who failto provide a valid taxpayer identification number that they may be subject to backup withholding and requires implementation of backup withholding in cases where it is required. It precludes awarding a contract to any registrant who has not provided a valid taxpayer .identification number and excludes from coverage any registrant who is not required to have a taxpayer identification. number. It directs the Secretary of Defense to apply to the Internal Revenue Service for inclusion in the Taxpayer Identification Number Matching Program and directs the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to provide response to the Department of Defense. It directs the Secretary of Defense to provide any registrant who is determined to have an invalid taxpayer identification number with an opportunity to provide a valid number. It further requires that the Central Contractor Registry clearly indicate whether a registrants taxpayer identification number is valid. under review. invalid. or not required. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5829}
{"speech_id":1090016276,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. it requires that contractors taxpayer identification numbers be treated as confidential by federal contract officers who have access to the Central Contractor Registry. This bill will ensure that tax cheats are not rewarded with Federal contracts. As we debate the budget this week. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5829}
{"speech_id":1090016277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join my colleagues. Senators NORM COLEMAN. SUSAN COLLINS and JACK REED. in introducing the Central Contractor Registry Act of 2005. The purpose of this bipartisan bill is to strengthen the ability of the Federal Government to stop tax cheats from obtaining Federal contracts. and for those who have managed to obtain contracts. to use a portion of their contract payments to repay their tax debts. Now. even more than when we introduced a similar bill in May 2004. it is clear that new legislation is essential to confront the problem of Federal contractor tax debt. Last year the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. on which Senator COLEMAN and I sit. raised this issue in a hearing based on a report issued by the Government Accountability Office. GAO. The report showed that over 27.000 contractors at the Department of Defense. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8599}
{"speech_id":1090016277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DOD. owed $3 billion in unpaid taxes. Approximately 90 percent of these unpaid taxes were payroll taxes. money that should be going to help fund the social security and medicare expenditures that are climbing so rapidly. Too many contractors are- continuing to duck payment of these payroll taxes. while at the same time holding out their hands for taxpayer dollars. Beyond the loss in substantial government revenue. allowing tax cheats to bid on Federal contracts is a disservice to all citizens who meet their tax obligations. It is also a disservice. to all of the honest companies that compete for the same government contracts. since companies that do not pay their taxes have lower costs and a competitive advantage over the companies that do. Current law requires DOD and other government agencies to identify any government contractor with unpaid taxes. to withhold 15 percent or more of their contract payments. and to forward that money to the IRS to be applied to the contractors tax debt. The official title of the DOD program to carry out this obligation is the Federal Payment Levy Program. sometimes referred to as the DOD tax levy program. In order to identify tax delinquent contractors before they receive payment. DOD and other agencies participate in a computer matching program administered by the Treasury Department that crosschecks lists of upcoming contractor payments with IRS lists of delinquent taxpayers. If a match occurs. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8599}
{"speech_id":1090016277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DODin the case of defense contractorsand the Treasury Department for all other government contractors is supposed to withhold money from the identified contractors upcoming. contract payments. The problem is that the computer matching program has so far produced relatively few matches. In 2003. for example. DOD collected only about $680.000 of back taxes through its tax levy program instead of the $100 million that GAO estimates should have been collected. That means DOD collected less than one percent of the back taxes it should have. One major impediment to the computer matching program has been that it depends upon a Federal agencys providing the correct taxpayer identification number or TIN for each of its contractors. when many contractors have either failed to submit a TIN or supplied an incorrect number. When a TIN is incorrect or missing. the computer matching program is unable to determine whether the relevant government contractor is on the IRS list of delinquent taxpayers. For example. in 1 year. data indicates that DOD sent the IRS over 26.000 invalid TINs that could not be used. To increase the efficiency of the computer matching program. the IRS has tried to improve the accuracy of the TINs in agency contractor data. The IRS has. for example. set up a computerbased TIN validation system that can electronically verify a TIN number in seconds. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8599}
{"speech_id":1090016277,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This electronic system is available for use by DOD and all other federal agencies. Unfortunately. the IRS has also interpreted certain tax laws as prohibiting DOD from obtaining TIN validations for many types of contracts. In addition. in the case of TIN numbers with clerical errors. the IRS has interpreted current taxpayer confidentiality laws as prohibiting it from supplying a DOD with a corrected number. The bill we are introducing today would eliminate this bureaucratic redtape and significantly increase the effectiveness of the tax levy program by increasing the accuracy of the TINs used by DOD. The bill would strengthen TIN accuracy by focusing primarily on the TINs in the Central Contractor Registry. a governmentwide database of persons wishing to bid on Federal contracts. This registry is currently administered by DOD. and current Federal regulations require potential bidders to selfregister in the system by supplying specified information. As part of the process. registrants are supposed to supply a TIN. but many either do not or supply an incorrect number. The bill would. for the first time. impose a legal requirement on registrants to supply a valid TIN and would also bar contracts from being awarded to contractors who fail to supply a valid TIN. In addition. the bill would require registrants to authorize DOD to validate their TINs with the IRS and obtain a corrected TIN from the IRS. if needed and possible. This requirement would apply to all registrants in the Central Contractor Registry. no matter what type of contract is involved and whether the contract is with DOD or another Federal agency. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8599}
{"speech_id":1090016277,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would also allow the IRS to supply corrected TINs where it can promptly and reasonably do so. If. by chance. a registrant managed to obtain a DOD contract without having supplied a valid TIN. the bill would direct DOD to withhold a portion of their contract payments to satisfy their tax debt as specified under existing law. Although this backup holding requirement has been on the books for years. DOD has not implemented it. The bill would require DOD to start doing so. Finally. the bill would provide a number of protections. It would protect privacy by prohibiting DOD and other Federal procurement officials from making TIN numbers available to the public. The information would be kept confidential within the procurement community using the Central Contractor Registry. It would explicitly exempt from the TIN requirements any contractor. such as a foreign business. not required by U.S. law to have a taxpayer identification number. The bill would also require DOD to show in the registry database whether a particular TIN has been validated. is awaiting validation. has been found invalid. or is not required. so that procurement officials using the database will know the status of a contractors TIN. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8599}
{"speech_id":1090016287,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will take place on Wednesday. April 6. at 10 a.m. in 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. DC. The purpose of this hearing is to consider the nomination of David Garman to be Under Secretary of Energy. For further information. please contact Judy Pensabene of the Committee staff at (202) 2241327.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":498}
{"speech_id":1090016329,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Montana FFA. an organization near and dear to my heart. As a former blue jacket myself. I know firsthand how much this organization contributes to the development of leadership skills. A number of my staff. including my chief of staff. are former Montana FFA officers. I couldnt be prouder to introduce today. along with my colleague. Senator BAUCUS. a resolution congratulating the Montana FFA on its 75th anniversary. With over 2.500 current members from 75 chapters. the Montana FFA provides outstanding career and technical education to students across the State. Over 40.000 Montanans have participated in FFA programs. As this resolution states. the mission of the FFA. a federally chartered national organization. is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership. personal growth. and career success through agriculture education. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090016329,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Montana. that mission is achieved every day. Whether focusing on public speaking skills. or developing business expertise. or learning about horticulture at the new greenhouse at Park High in Livingston. FFA ensures that our students are ready to embrace all the opportunities the future holds for them. When the national FFA began in 1928. it did so with just 33 members. Today. it has blossomed into a powerful force for career education. with over 475.000 members. Each year. the halls of Congress are filled with the familiar blueandgold jackets. as FFA students from across the nation come to share their thoughts and concerns with us. The contributions of both the Montana FFA and the national FFA are numerous. and I am pleased to have the opportunity to honor this groat organization today. I know this program will continue to flourish and offer our youngsters skills. in leadership. personal growth. and career options in the agricultural community as it has done every day since its inception back in Kansas City.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090016553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will continue to yield. the gentleman is absolutely correct. And hopefully. as the gentleman knows. every hour is incredibly important to Terry Schiavo. The Senate has passed the bill. so we will be taking up a Senate bill and. hopefully. we will expedite this process as fast as the House rules will allow us.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":340}
{"speech_id":1090016573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds. Mr. Speaker. in 1995. my friend from Massachusetts said. in a habeas corpus bill. \"I want judicial review in a reasonable way. I want people who may have had their rights interfered with to be able to sue in reasonable fora.\" That is what this bill does. He was right then. I think this bill is right now. Mr. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090016573,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona . a member of the committee.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090016585,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker. this bill does not make a decision on whether or not the feeding tube should be reinserted. It does not make a final decision on the issues that are being decided in Florida. What it does do is that it says that a Federal court. a judge. will review the Federal constitutional and legal rights that belong to Terri Schiavo. and that Federal judge will make a decision on Federal issues. and that is all the bill does. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey .","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":536}
{"speech_id":1090016619,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. there have been a lot of charges talked about tonight and a lot of emotion. This is a painful process. As a physician. I have dealt with endoflife decisions in families as they struggle countless times. Why is this one different? First and foremost. there is no living will in place. and. second. there is a fundamental disagreement between Terris husband and her parents. two who normally would agree. There is also a disagreement among medical experts. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1636}
{"speech_id":1090016619,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. where do we make disagreements when there are disagreements with irreversible lifechanging decisions? A court of law. What court? Depends on the case. Does Congress have the authority? Absolutely. Article I. Section 8 and Article III. section 1 give Congress the authority to determine the jurisdiction of Federal courts. and that is what we are doing here tonight. Ideally. decisions are made among families. When loved ones disagree. our society strongly. strongly believes in individual rights and that they must be preserved. That is why all Statedeath penalty cases get a final review in Federal court. and that is all that is being asked here. As I sat in church this morning. I struggled with this and I prayed. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1636}
{"speech_id":1090016619,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I prayed for a lowering of the rhetoric. I prayed for a decrease in the emotion. This is not a clearcut case. This is an extremely difficult case. and I ask my colleagues for caution. It is right and just that we have a final set of eyes. objective. nascent and responsible eyes. review the case and provide that final cautious review. It is our responsibility to ensure that right.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1636}
{"speech_id":1090016621,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. this bill is a dangerously reckless way to deal with one of the most serious issues we will ever confront. There is no way to make these judgments easy. even when the express desires of the patients are clear and unambiguous. Where there is disagreement on the medical facts or on the wishes of the patient. these cases can be heartrending and sometimes bitter. beyond the comprehension of those who have been fortunate not to have to make these decisions. So what does this bill do? This bill would place a Federal judge in the middle of this case after the State courts have adjudicated it. after doctors and family members and counsel and clergy and the courts in Florida have struggled with it for years. After everything is over. after all the facts have been established to the satisfaction of the courts. all the appeals exhausted. the writ of certiary denied by the Supreme Court of the United States. now we start all over again. My colleagues wish to put one of those unelected Federal judges they always denounce right in the middle of this and say the trial starts de novo. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090016621,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ignore everything the Florida courts have done. This expresses contempt for the Florida courts. contempt for the Florida legislature. Nothing is to be considered res judicata. No facts are to be considered established. This is not establishing a Federal appeal from the Florida courts on the grounds that the Florida courts have violated some constitutional rights we are familiar with. those kinds of procedures. No. this does not do that. This simply says the Florida courts are incompetent. The Florida legislature is incompetent. The Florida people are not to be trusted in electing their judges and their legislators. Instead. we are going to put this case. and only this case. in the Federal courts from the very beginning and we instruct the Federal courts to ignore the evidence in the Florida courts. to ignore the procedures in the Florida courts. to ignore the testimony in the Florida courts and to start all over. because we have contempt. because we do not like the judgments of the Florida courts. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090016621,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have never. ever done such a thing in the history of this country. and we should not start now. The Constitution of the United States says there should be no ex poste facto law because it is fundamentally unfair. This is not ex poste facto. it is not a criminal court. but it is the same kind of legislation. It is a bill of attainder. in effect. There is a reason why the Constitution prohibits bills of attainder and ex post fact laws. and although this is not technically an ex poste facto law or a bill of attainder. it violates all those reasons. and we should respect the spirit of the Constitution of the United States. Mr. Speaker. it is an uncontradicted fact. uncontradicted except for the speculations of some orators in this Chamber. that Terri Schiavo told her husband. told her sisterinlaw. told her brotherinlaw. told various of her friends when attending funerals of close family members who had been on life support. that she Would \"not want to live like that.\" The Florida court found that to be the case. to be the fact. The guardian ad litem appointed by the court. in his report to the court. found that. This is not the case of a perhaps selfinterested. conflict of interested husband testifying to.that. It is the case of. the husband saying that she told him that. the friends. the brothersinlaw. the sistersinlaw. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090016621,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They all said the same thing. And the court found that. as a matter of fact. that is what Terri Schiavo said that was her wish. The doctors testimony. The doctors testified. doctors who examined her. not doctors standing up on the floor here who say. well. from the video tape we can infer. Doctors can be deprived of their license for making diagnoses from afar. But doctors who have actually examined this patient have testified her cerebral cortex is liquefied. that it is destroyed. Without a cerebral cortex there is no sensations. there is no consciousness. there is no feeling. there is no pain. there is no possibility of recovery. That is what a persistent vegetative state is. There is no possibility of recovery. despite the wishes. despite the fervent hopes. despite the illusions of desperate relatives. We should not feed those illusions. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090016621,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And what has happened to family values that we talk about here? This bill would invade the sanctity of the family. would invade the decision of the husband. George Will. a noted conservative comentator and philosopher. conservative enough so that he famously helped coach Ronald Reagan for his debates in the Presidential debates in 1980. said on television this morning. and I quote. \"Unless we are prepared to overturn centuries of common law and more than two centuries of constitutional law that says that husband and wife are one. therefore clearly this is a decision to be made by the husband.\" Now. this is not just a decision made by the husband. This is a decision made by Terri Schiavo. according to the testimony of the husband and the brothersinlaw and the sistersinlaw. This is a decision made by the husband and Terri Schiavo. according to all the testimony. So we have no respect for the carefully established procedures our States have set up to wrestle with these difficult cases. no respect for the elected representatives of the Florida State legislature or their judges. Who are we to say they are wrong? Who are we to say Terri Schiavo and her husband are wrong? Who are we to say that Terri Schiavos husband is selfinterested? And who are we to say this is any different from the thousands of cases of donotresuscitate orders that are given effect in our courts and in our hospitals every day. other than the fact that this case has gotten a lot of publicity and a lot of public official intervention? This is hypocrisy at its greatest. and we ought not to pass this bill.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090016623,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I shall not try to influence the opinion of anyone on this issue. I will simply share with you my opinion. the opinion of a physician of almost 41 years duration. I am a head and neck surgeon. I have done cancer surgery almost all of those years. I have done much maxillofacial trauma all of those years and dealt with situations like this on numerous occasions. Terri Schiavo has spontaneous respiratory activities and respontaneous cardiac activity. She is not on life support. as we routinely define it. She is not intubated and she is not on a respirator. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090016623,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I give the gentleman from the State of Washington credit for his knowledge of the physiology of the brain stem. He is right. it is very robust. and that certainly is one of the things that is driving her now. But she does have some cognition and some cortical activity. Removing her gastrostomy tube will ultimately cause her demise. a commissive act that will cause the death of a human being. How many others in this country are now in longterm care facilities with feeding tubes. but able to breathe on their own. their hearts beating strongly? Should their feeding tubes be removed as well? I think not. I believe it is wrong to remove a feeding tube from an individual whose cardiopulmonary function is stable and who has some remaining cognitive abilities. It is unfortunate in many ways that this venue is where this issue will be decided. but removal of this feeding tube under these very public circumstances is a slippery slope down which we and the United States should not tread. This bill deserves our support.","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090016700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Congress has been called upon to take emergency action to protect the rights and life of Terri Schiavo. While I normally do not favor Federal government involvement in personal decisions. there are a number of aspects to the Schiavo case which disturb me and call for further investigation. I am concerned about the lack of written evidence that Terri Schiavo did not want her life preserved. the fact that her husband waited years before telling anyone that his wife supposedly did not want to live. and also the fact that her husband is pushing for her feeding tube removal after he has become involved with another woman and had children. Terri Schiavo is a living human being and every reasonable effort should be made to ensure that her constitutional rights have not been denied. I encourage all Members to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"TERRY EVERETT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":855}
{"speech_id":1090016720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I regret that Congress is being called in to this special session while official business requires me to be elsewhere at this time. However. I wish to insert these remarks for the RECORD in order to make public my views and position on the legislation before this body tonight. S. 686. that will provide for the Relief of the Parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo. We are playing a dangerous game here as we try to act as Solomons when the nine Solomons of the U.S. Supreme Court have refused to review the case involving Ms. Schiavo. The arguments we have heard tonight both \"pro\" and \"con\" give testimony to the difficulty of the decision before us this evening. but it is a decision we should not be making. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090016720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Issues of life and death should be determined personally. medically. legally. spiritually. morallybut not politically. Congress. the political body that it is. should not be involved in this sad debate tonight. and I strongly believe we will ultimately regret the precedent we are setting by our intrusion into this affair. My heart goes out to the Schindlers this evening. and I share with them their concern and love for their daughter. Nonetheless. I do not think we have all the information we need to act wisely in this matter.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090016725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Congress is continuing to work to pass legislation to give Terri Schiavo another chance at life. Let me update all of our colleagues on where we are right now. On Saturday. yesterday. we reached a bipartisan. bicameral agreement on a legislative solution. At that point. we initiated a procedural process to act on the bill. a process which brought both the House of Representatives and the Senate back today to complete action on this critically important matter. Shortly. we will stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair. This action will allow the Senate to come back into session at a moments notice to consider the legislation. The Senate will remain here throughout the afternoon and. if necessary. late into the evening in order to act immediately on this bill once it is ready. Because Terri Schiavo is being denied lifesaving nutrition this very moment. time is of the essence. Let me summarize again for everyone what the agreedupon legislation does. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1655}
{"speech_id":1090016725,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under this bill. Terri Schiavo will have another chance. She will have another opportunity to live. The bill allows Terris case to be heard in Federal court. More specifically. it allows a Federal district judge to consider a claim on behalf of Terri Schiavo for alleged violations of constitutional rights or Federal laws relating to the withholding of food. water. or medical treatment necessary to sustain her life. I am heartened by the way Congress is uniting in a bipartisan. bicameral way in this unique situation. Now is the time for us to act. Terri deserves it. I remain committed as leader to pass legislation to give Terri Schiavo one more chance at life.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1655}
{"speech_id":1090016813,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized to speak for up to 10 minutes. but then following my remarks that the Senator from Tennessee be recognized for any remarks he might have. and following the conclusion of his remarks that I might then be recognized at that time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090016815,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we mourn the passing of a great man. In the long history of Roman Catholic Popes. John Paul II is among the greatest in championing human dignity. He also was a champion for the sanctity of human life and for the family and for working for the good of his Church. He is the kind of leader who only comes along once in a very great long time. As the most traveled pontiff of all time. Pope John Paul personally delivered hope. encouragement. and inspiration to more people in more places than any other person in human history. And he was especially beloved by the youth. the future of our world. with whom he had a very special relationship. Catholics and nonCatholics alike should feel fortunate to have had such a leader in our midst. a man who gave so much to humanity. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1662}
{"speech_id":1090016815,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Undeterred. perhaps even driven a bit harder by an assassins bullets. this devout man embarked on an exhausting journey over a quarter of a century to spread words of freedom. compassion. and justice. His mission seems to have been nothing less than redemption of the world. Surely. but for men such as this. the world would have long fallen nto irreparable chaos and decline. Elected Bishop of Rome on October .6. 1978. Pope John Paul IIs faith and courage was forged and proven as a Polish priest standing up to the horors of the Soviet Union. He took his tance at a time when dissidents were vhisked away in the dark. never to be ieard from again. Yet John Pauls pereverance eventually awakened the oul of a nation of secret believers who tood in candlelit solidarity to bring own an evil empire. According to Harvard theologian eorge Williams. a Protestant who be-","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1662}
{"speech_id":1090016841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to extend my best wishes to Carol DiBattiste. whose last day as deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration was April 8. 2005. Carol DiBattiste is truly a living textbook version of a \"public servant.\" Her record is one of service to country. of a strong leader who gives unstintingly of herself to make sure that Americas defenses against terrorism are as strong as possible. I know that Carols dedication to this mission and strong leadership will be sorely missed by her colleagues at TSA and the Department of Homeland Security. Ms. DiBattiste arrived at TSA in March of 2003 after more than 33 years of public service and two years at a private law firm. As the new Chief of Staff at TSA. she brought with her a sense of urgency that fit well in an agency committed to the security of the Nations transportation system. Ms. DiBattiste immediately put her unique experience and skills to work as a member of the TSA leadership team as it rushed to meet its mission. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5281}
{"speech_id":1090016841,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hard work has characterized Ms. DiBattistes public career. She enlisted in the Air Force in 1971. earned her B.A. degree magna cum laude in sociology\/criminal justice from LaSalle University in 1976. her J.D. degree from Temple University School of Law in 1981. and her Master of Laws degree from Columbia University School of Law in 1986. Before retiring from the Air Force as a major in 1991. her assignments included serving as chief prosecutor for the Pacific Region. faculty of the Air Force Judge Advocate General School. and chief recruiting attorney for the Air Force. Going forward. Ms. DiBattistes career took her to the Department of Justice where she was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and director of the Departments Office of Legal Education. In 1993. Ms. DiBattiste served with the Department of the Navy. where she was principal deputy general counsel. the services secondhighest ranking lawyer. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5281}
{"speech_id":1090016841,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In that role. she was responsible for resolving several highprofile matters. including the sexual harassment scandal dubbed \"Tailhook\" and the U.S. Naval Academy cheating case. In 1994. Ms. DiBattiste returned to the Department of Justice as the director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. In that capacity. she was instrumental in investigating the Oklahoma City Bombing. Unabomber. Olympic Park Bombing and TWA 800 airliner crash. Between 1997 and 1999. she served with distinction as Deputy United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. In 1999. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5281}
{"speech_id":1090016841,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ms. DiBattiste accepted the nomination of former President Clinton and served as Under Secretary of the Air Force where. among other duties. she chaired a task force that brokered an antiharassment action plan for the Department of Defense. Prior to joining TSA. Ms. DiBattiste was a partner at Holland & Knight LLP. where her practice areas involved corporate diversity counseling. government relations. and criminal and civil litigation. Last July. TSA Chief of Staff DiBattiste became Deputy Administrator DiBattiste. a move that again recognized her many talents and leadership abilities. Deputy Administrator DiBattiste and Administrator David Stone have spearheaded the efforts to make TSA a strong and mature performance based Federal agency. But even more importantly. Ms. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5281}
{"speech_id":1090016841,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DiBattiste made it her mission at TSA to continuously recruit new leaders and make sure that every TSA employeefrom the screeners to the executive teamunderstood their role in securing our Nation. Finally. Carol made sure that each of those employees understood that: they were valued. their opinions mattered. and that what they were doing was important. even vital to achieving TSAs mission. For that. we all owe Deputy Administrator DiBattiste a great deal of gratitude. It is instructive to read what some of her friends and colleagues at TSA have to say about Ms. DiBattiste. From Tom Blank. the Chief Support Systems Officer: \"Many times the sky was actually falling and when it was. Carol was in charge of getting it put back up there againall the while with the greatest sense of humor there is.\" From Theresa Bertucci. Assistant Administrator for Intermodal Programs: \"She always pushed the entire organization towards a level of excellence and commitment. and never asked more of any person that worked alongside her than she asked of herself.\" And addressing Ms. DiBattiste. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5281}
{"speech_id":1090016848,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on behalf of Senator STABENOw and myself. I rise to bring tribute to Ann Arbor. MI. resident Bill Martin. On May 2 of this year. the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County will confer their Humanitarian Award on Bill Martin as an outstanding member of the community. Throughout his life. Bill Matin has dedicated himself. publicly and privately. to projects that involve. concern. and benefit the community. When the Ann Arbor public schools needed extra funds for school projects. Bill implemented the very successful 3on3 Superball basketball tournament. He rallied a group of craftsmen to rebuild State ranger cabins on Isle Royale and joined in the effort. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090016848,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And he answered the calls of both the University of Michigan Athletic Department and the United States Olympic Committee when they were engulfed in turmoil and scandal. Bill Martin has been director of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Michigan since 2000. Martin has also served as the president of the United States Olympic Committee. An avid sailor. Bill Martin has also served as president of the United States Sailing Foundation. as well as the U.S. Sailing Association. In 1968. Bill Martin founded First Martin Corporation. a diversified real estate construction. development and management firm. He is also the founder and chairman of the board of Bank of Ann Arbor. Bill Martins devotion to his community ranges beyond business and athletics. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090016848,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has served as president of the Washtenaw Land Conservancy. and has been a board member of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Foundation and the Washtenaw Technical Middle College. He has been a member of the advisory board of UMs Center for the Education of Women and served on the Fales Committee of the U.S. Naval Academy. He is currently on the board of directors of New York 2012. working to bring the Olympic Games to New York City. He has been awarded numerous awards including the U.S. Olympic Committee Award for outstanding service to the U.S. Olympic Committee and Americas athletes. the Nathanial G. Herreshoff Trophy for outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing. the Bob Ufer Distinguished M Club Award. and \"Ann Arbor News Citizen of the Year for his service and contributions to the community. Martin earned a bachelor of arts degree from Wittenberg University. a graduate degree in economics from the University of Stockholm. and a MBA from the University of Michigan. Bill and his wife Sally have lived in Ann Arbor since 1967 when they met as students. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090016848,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have two grown sons. Seth and Michael. Senator STABENOw and I are delighted to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Bill Martin for all of his contributions to his community and congratulate him on his upcoming honor from the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County..","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090017017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ana. Mr. Speaker. when you look at when you would want to actually take out the money. our colleague. the gentleman from New York . who was here a few weeks ago with us. had a great explanation. The stock market goes up. The stock market goes down. The stock market goes up. The stock market goes down. Well. what if you are going to retire at the wrong time? What if you were planning on retiring in 2001. 2002. and your private savings account was cut in half? Now all of a sudden you are not retiring. Social Security grows at a steady pace and keeps up with inflation and makes sure that you would be able to maintain the kind of buying power that you would normally have. and it is stable. and it is safe. and it is guaranteed. H1771-","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":739}
{"speech_id":1090017027,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the only answer I can come up with is the pharmaceutical companies did not want it. It is amazing because we have obviously signed numerous free trade agreements with every country. In my area we have been devastated by a lot of the agreements. All of a sudden we say if we are going to free trade everything else. let us free trade pharmaceuticals. As long as they have good safety standards. let us let them come in from Canada and drop the price down. But the kibosh was put on that. When we look at the pharmaceutical industry had three or four lobbyists for every Member of Congress and donated $100 million to Congress over the course of that period when we were negotiating that drug bill. the money comes in here. The pharmaceutical industry did not want that. So they got what they wanted. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1234}
{"speech_id":1090017027,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They got that language removed or not put in. So now the Secretary of Health and Human Services is not allowed to negotiate. Not only are we not allowed to bring drugs in from Canada. but the Secretary of HHS is not allowed to sit down with Pfizer and say Pfizer. Merck. if you want the Medicare drug contract for X drug. and of course they do. so you say we are going to talk price. just like any other business would do.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1234}
{"speech_id":1090017062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when Pope John Paul II died overthe weekend. the Catholic Church lost its spiritual shepherd. The world lost a giant of a man. As successor of St. Peter. he began his papacy by reminding the world to \"Be not afraid.\" The captive people of Eastern Europe and Latin America heard that message loud and clear. And as he prepared for his own death. he met his suffering with a fearlessness and hopefulness that was heard by us all. For millions of American Catholics. including many Utahns. and many of my colleagues in this body. Pope John Paul Hs passing represents the loss of a profound spiritual leader. My prayers are with all of you and with the Pope. For nonCatholics like myself the Popes death is a cause for mourning as well. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6278}
{"speech_id":1090017062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His was an example of strength. commitment. and moral curage that we will all miss and that we will never forget. The Communist tyranny that the Pope ultimately triumphed over once mocked the power of the Catholic Church. asking how many divisions the Pope had. While it is true that the Pope possessed no military might. his witness to hope. his faith that life would triumph over death. that the light would prevail over the darkness. was more powerful than any army. As a result of his simple faith. this humble mari from Krakow. Poland emerged from behind the Iron Curtain. became the first nonItalian Pope in nearly 500 years. and concluded his life as one of the towering figures of the Twentieth Century. I have no doubt that his example will guide us in the Twentyfirst Century as well. and I understand why it is that so many Catholics are already referring to him as John Paul the Great. My career as a public servant began shortly before John Paul II became Pope. I am fortunate to have -spent time with him on two occasions over the years. and so it was no surprise to me to watch the worlds and this countrys admiration and love for him grow. I was struck by his joyful and his charitable spirit. Yet behind that peaceful demeanor was a determination to challenge the totalitarian assaults on human dignity that stained much of the last century. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6278}
{"speech_id":1090017062,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a young man he was witness to the Nazi terror in his native Poland. and later as Pope he went to Poland and encouraged the Solidarity movement. He understood that all persons are created in the image and likeness of God and that no matter how small. old or weak. no person is without significance. I have no doubt that his powerful witness to the dignity of all people contributed as much to the downfall of the horror of communism as anything. we accomplished in Washington. A year after he assumed the papacy. John Paul II went to Poland and awakened a sleeping giant. Today. I hear that over a million thankful Poles are en route to Rome to pay their respects to their native son. As the Pope grew older and he lost his youthful vigor. his own sufferxg served as a powerful reminder of the need to nurture a culture of life. Catholics and. nonCatholics alike have heard this call. As President Bush put it the other day. it remains the duty of the strong to protect the weak. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6278}
{"speech_id":1090017062,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It only took about twentyfour hours before some commentators came out to declare the Popes legacy a mixed one. The Pope was too strident on certain issues. they say. He left certain groups unsatisfied. Perhaps. But I think that these criticisms really miss what this man was about. John Paul II reminded us of the meaning that our human lives can have. This truth is not something that you can focus group. The truth about the universe. about our duty to God and to our fellow man. is not something that you can triangulate. Still. some fault the Pope for not being more like a politician. He was not accommodating enough. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6278}
{"speech_id":1090017062,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He should have compromised and found a middle ground. As elected officials. that is our charge. But as the spiritual head of the Catholic Church. .the Popes duty was greater than what we work to accomplish. He was a witness to truth. His message was not always one that people on either side of the aisle wanted to hear. but the call to the faithful is not often an easy one to swallow. The Pope reminded us of the splendor of truth. I think what is revealed in these criticisms of the Pope is the kneejerk aversion by some to the very idea that there are eternal truths. The Pope should be commended. not criticized. for reminding us of them. The talking heads have this exactly backward. They think that it was the Pope who was inconsistent because he was not easily labeled as politically liberal or conservative. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6278}
{"speech_id":1090017063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on Saturday evening the world lost a voice for peace. justice. and human dignity. Born in Poland in 1920. Pope John Paul II grew up in the aftermath of World War I. As a young man. he witnessed the injustice of the Nazi occupation of his country. lived amid the horrendous crimes of the Holocaust. and survived decades of repression behind the Iron Curtain. Out of those experiences. he developed a hopeful view of the world that defined his 26 years as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. and he shared that vision with Catholics and nonCatholics worldwide. As the first nonItalian Pope since 1523. Pope John Paul II was a truly groundbreaking figure. He redefined the papacy. coming out from behind the walls of the Vatican to travel to 129 countries and literally reach out to people wherever he went. Through his travelmore than any oth~er Popehe helped rejuvenate and expand Catholicism to areas far beyond its roots. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090017063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During his 26 years as Pope. the Catholic Church grew from 750 million people to over 1 billion. with most of that grdwth coming from the third world. For those in developing countries who struggled merely to survive. the Pope was a strong advocate for economic justice. And for those who lived under repression. he- was a powerful voice for freedom. His 1979 visit to his native Poland is viewed as the spark that ignited the labor movement which toppled communism in Poland and led to its demise throughout Eastern Europe a decade later. It was his powerful yet simple belief jn the value of human life that brought him to challenge violence wherever he saw it. He chastised the brutal Communist goverpments of Eastern Europe. He criticized the military junta that governed Brazil in the early 1980s. He condemned nuclear war while meeting with survivors of the Hiroshima bombing. He called for an end to the violence in Northern Ireland. And he appealed for human rights in Cuba. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090017063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Pope consistently urged leaders and citizens alike to seek peace and respect human life. The Pope also sought to heal wounds. He apologized for the errors of Catholics over the last 2.000 years and for injustices against Jews. women. indigenous peoples. immigrants. and the poor. He acknowledged the failure of many Catholics to help Jews during the Holocaust. And m6re recently. he condemned the sexual abuse of children by priests in the United States. The Pope reached out to members of other faiths at a time of growing sectarian violence and religious strife. He was the first Pope to pray in a synagogue. the first to visit Auschwitz. and the first to make an official papal visit to the Holy LandJohn Paul II made great strides in improving relations between Catholics and Jews. . And just as he acknowledged the mistakes made by his Church and its members. he also demonstrated a willingness to forgive those who had done harm to him. In December 1983. he met with the man who had attempted to assassinate him 22 half years earlier. During that meeting. the Pope forgave the man who had shot him three times. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090017063,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Pope regularly visited the United States and met with five Presidents. He believed that the U.S. had a special responsibility to the world calling on our Nation to be \"for the world. an example of a genuinely free. democratic. just and humane society.\" In recent years. even as his health deteriorated. he refused to give up. And in this. he served asa model to millions of people throughout the world about how faith and willpower can overcome adversity. Indeed. I cannot remember a Pope who has been more warmly received and loved. I hid the great honor to meet him at the Vatican in 1982 where I presented him with a cross sculpted from handguns melted down after being turned into police when they were banned in San Francisco. He received my gift warmly. giving me a rosary in return. The world has lost a strong voice for peace. justice. and. human dignity. Pope John Paul II will be dearly missed.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090017104,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I simply point out these are amendments that followed the consideration of the bill in the Committee on Foreign Relations and were suggested by the administration. They have been carefully considered over the course of several days. and there has been unanimous consent on the list that was agreed to. I encourage Senators who have amendments. once again. to come to the Senate to make their presence known so we can work with them. It would be our hope we could accept most of those amendments or work on modifications so they can be part of the legislation. as has been the case with the package we just agreed to. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":651}
{"speech_id":1090017135,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I so appreciate my colleague coming to the floor and taking time to express his views. but I think it is very important to straighten out the record. What my colleague is talking about is putting strings on U.S. taxpayer funds. That is the Helms amendment. and that has been the law since 1973. What the global gag rule does is different. It tells nongovernmental organizations abroad that they will lose U.S. funding if they use their own funds not ours. but theirsto lobby to change egregious laws in their country. In order for a nongovernmental organization to fight to change an egregious law. like the one that used to exist in Napalwhich I know my friend would not agree withthat nongovernmental organization. I tell my friend. had to give back their USAID money because they were using their own funds to change the laws of Nepal. So we gagged this nongovernmental organization from helping a child who was raped. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3559}
{"speech_id":1090017135,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The rapist did not go to prison. The rapistthe unclewas free. The parents did not go to prison even though they forced her to have an illegal abortion. The child went to prison. The only way the nongovernmental organization was able to work to change the law in that country. which punished a child who was a victim of incest. was to give back the USAID money. Otherwise. they could not lobby for law changes in their own country. Now. I use that example because it shows why this law is so egregious. And again. to make the point to my friend. the Helms amendment. which has been in place since 1973. already precludes U.S. Federal funds from being used by nongovernmental organizations in any aspect having to do with abortion. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3559}
{"speech_id":1090017135,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They already cannot use our funds to perform abortion. They already cannot use our funds to refer. They already cant use funds to advocate. That is taken care of. The global gag rule is different from that. It is putting a gag around the very people who are trying to help prevent pregnancies. who are trying to help girls such as Min Min in Nepal who was the victim of incest. That is plain wrong. I dont mind my friend disagreeing with me. And we do agree on many isshes and have worked together and will continue to. But I would hope we would not confuse the Helms amendment. which has been in place since 1973 and does not allow a penny of taxpayer funds to go in any way to the provision of abortion services. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3559}
{"speech_id":1090017135,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dont confuse that with the gag rule. which keeps nongovernmental organizations from being able to use their own funds as they see fit to help women and girls in tragic circumstances such as the one I described by changing the repressive laws in some of their countries. I urge my friend to please be clear that these are different issues. We already deny the use of Federal funds for anything having to do with overseas abortion or its lobbying. But the gag rule takes it a step further and says these organizations that work so hard in the toughest environments cannot use their own funds in the way they see fit to advocate for changes in the law. to help women understand what their options are. And it is antithetical to the United States of America. to freedom of speech. My friend knows we couldnt do that here. We couldnt tell people here that they cant talk. to their patients. That would be unconstitutional. I urge my colleagues to please vote on what this issue is. not on what this issue is not. We live with the Helms rule. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3559}
{"speech_id":1090017135,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not changing that. We simply want to get rid of this global gag rule today. I hope Members will vote aye on the BoxerSnowe amendment.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3559}
{"speech_id":1090017156,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.President. I want to respond. Again. my colleague has made my point. He read. into the RECORD exactly what I said. Under the gag rule. you cannot perform abortions except for rape. incest. or life of the mother. That is right. But here is the second point: You cannot attempt to alter the laws. and that is the exact reason I cited for why the nongovernmental organization that is prohibited from altering the laws of their country had to give back their funding. That is exactly the point. My friend made my argument for me by reading what I have been saying. This nongovernmental organization wanted to change the laws in Nepal so that a child who was raped or a victim of incest would not rot in prison. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090017156,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were precluded from using their own money to alter the laws of their country. My friend read it right into the RECORD.. and I thank him for that. He made my point. So. yes. at the end of the day. we stand with the rapist in this case against the child. and that is wrong. and that is the reason I hope my colleagues will join with me. I retain the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090017167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment strikes section 207. It was scored by the Congressional Budget Office as containing direct spending that needed an offset. While there is some disagreement between the executive branch and Congressional Budget Office on the scoring. if section 207 were not stricken. the legislation would be subject to a budget point of order. I understand the staff of the Budget Committee and the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have come to an agreement. and this amendment removes the threat to the legislation. We know the State Department considers section 207 important. We will do our best to provide these authorities. but we must do so in a way that is budget neutral. For this reason. until a way can be found to resolve the scoring difficulties. we ask unanimous consent that the amendment be adopted.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":843}
{"speech_id":1090017206,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first I thank the chairman of the committee. second my good friend from Idaho. Senator CRAIG. and other Senators who have cosponsored this amendment. There are at the present moment about 30 cosponsors of this amendment. It is bipartisan. I might say there is tremendous interest in this legislation also in the other body. To review where we are. back in the year 2000. not too many years ago. we in the. Congress approved legislation called the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act. otherwise known as TSREEA. What was the point of that legislation? It was legislation which authorized cashinadvance food and medicine sales to Cuba. That is. the Congress carved out a substantive area of food and agricultural sales to Cuba. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8524}
{"speech_id":1090017206,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It did not provide a broadbrush authorization for trade with Cuba. rather. it narrowed it to food and to medicine for humanitarian reasons. It just made sense for the United States to be able to send its medicine and its food products. its agriculture. to Cuba. Clearly this made a lot of sense: Food should never be used as a weapon. and surely no dictator has ever missed a meal. Second. big government has no business telling the U.S. farmers and ranchers to whom they could sell their products. for a lot of reasons. One is agriculture is facing such dire straits in many parts of our country. In addition. U.S. agriculture is facing a shrinking trade surplus. It used to be agriculture products exported overseas were the one big bright spot in the trade imbalance. That is no longer true. Agricultural programs are under tremendous pressure from budget cutsmore so now than has been the case in the past. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8524}
{"speech_id":1090017206,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should be .looking around for new markets .for American products. not cutting out export markets for American agricultural products. Cuba certainly presents a promising market for Montana and for American agriculture. Yet. unbelievably. the Treasury Department has recently issued a new rule. That rule makes it harder. it makes it much more difficult. for U.S. farmers and ranchers to sell agricultural products to Cuba. It makes it much more difficult in spite of the intent of the law we passed in 2000. This rule by Treasury requires Cuba to pay for goods before shipment instead of before delivery. as was the case in the last 3 years after the act was passed. For some reason. here in 2005. a few years after the act has been in operation and working. the Treasury Department passes new regulations. just out of the blue. which make it much more difficult for American farmers to sell their products to Cuba. If Cuba pays for the goods while they are still on U.S. soil. these goods. under this new rule. become Cuban assets. which make them vulnerable to seizure to satisfy unrelated claims. What is the effect of that? That has a very chilling effect. Treasury says it issued this rule as a \"clarification\" of the intent of Congress in the bill we passed in the year 2000. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8524}
{"speech_id":1090017206,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me be clear. My colleagues and I did not vote for a bill to enhance exports to Cuba that contained payment restrictions so severe as to render U.S. exports uncompetitive or worse. Clearly we did not pass a bill. we did not vote for a bill which makes it more difficult to sell agricultural products to Cuba rather than less difficult. and this regulation makes it more difficult. That was not the intent of Congress. We pass the laws. We decide what the laws of the Nation should be. It was our intent that agricultural sales should proceed unimpeded on a cash basis to Cuba. When Treasury proposed this rule. I and colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both Chambers made our point very clear that we did not intend this. It was not our intent to have this interpretation. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8524}
{"speech_id":1090017206,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why is this so important? Cuba. the largest island in the Caribbean. was worth $400 million to U.S. agriculture exporters in the year 2004. Since 2001. Cuba has purchased more than $800 million in agricultural products from 35 States in our Nation. making that island the 25th largest export market for agricultural products. A year and a half ago. I led a trade .mission to Cuba. and I walked away with what I think is a pretty good deal for my State of Montana: $10 billion in agricultural products on a cash basis. and the fact is they bought $10.4 million of agricultural products from my State of Montana. I went back last December and signed a new agreement. this time worth $15 million for Montana agricultural products. Unfortunately. that agreement is now in jeopardy because of the new rule. In the interim. Treasury passed this new rule. It also applied this new rule even to sales completed months earlier on a retroactive basis. which is totally unfair. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8524}
{"speech_id":1090017222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will take the time before the vote to rise in support of the CraigBaucus amendment. I am a cosponsor of S. 328. the bill on which the amendment is based. I appreciate the views of the Senators on both sides of the Cuban embargo issue. In the Committee on Foreign Relations. concerned Senators have offered constructive ideas on how to approach Cuba with the goal of transforming that island into.a democracy. even as Senators disagree on interim policy steps. My view is within the defined limits of Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. United States businesses and farmers should be able to sell products to Cuba. In the interest of expanding opportunities for U.S. agriculture. 5 years ago Congress enacted this law. It exempts from the trade embargo on Cuba commercial sales of agricultural and medical products and allows only for cash sales. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3005}
{"speech_id":1090017222,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No credit or subsidies to the Cuban Government are allowed. This law has provided a new market for our farmers and ranchers. The American Farm Bureau has reported that since the passage of the bill. United States farmers have sold approximately $800 million in agricultural products to Cuba. Exports to Cuba have more than doubled since 2002. reaching approximately $400 million in 2004. Growth in the Cuban market has become especially important as the United States agricultural trade surplus has narrowed over the last 2 years. Recently. the Bush administration issued a clarification to our Cuban export policy which changed the payment terms of cash sales to. Cuba. The Treasury Department rule will make it more difficult to sell agricultural products to Cuba. The amendment would reverse the Treasury rule by returning it to the status quo payment terms. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3005}
{"speech_id":1090017222,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That has worked well since 2001. It also would cut some of the redtape that makes United States producers less competitive in the Cuban market. Expanding international markets in our hemisphere and the world will have a positive impact on the lives of Americans. All sectors. especially American agricultural. benefit from the opportunity to sell products to other nations that create jobs in the United States. My home state of Indiana is a world leader in agricultural production and manufacturing. If we hope to sustain our economic strength in the 21st century. we must participate in an expanding global economy. We must aggressively pursue opportunities in new markets and we must keep our competitive advantage and sell our products worldwide. As a Senator. I worked in the Congress to support trade and economic policies that I believe are in the best longterm interests of our Nation. Constricting agricultural sales to Cuba would have little or no effect on the Cuban regime. particularly since the rest of the world does not participate in our embargo. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3005}
{"speech_id":1090017222,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would. however. limit the ability of our farmers and our ranchers to sell their products abroad. I urge my colleagues to support the CraigBaucus amendment. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3005}
{"speech_id":1090017303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to acknowledge the passing of a great Marylander. Frank Perdue. Sr.. who helped build the poultry industry on the Eastern Shore. a leading entrepreneur. a philanthropist. He passed away of Parkinsons disease a few days ago. Born in Parsonburg. on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Frank Perdue grew up working in his familys egg businesscollecting and cleaning eggs from childhood. But Frank Perdue was determined to take the family business to another leveland it was his tremendous capacity for hard work that did just that. When Perdue said. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1968}
{"speech_id":1090017303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken.\" America listened. and Frank Perdue became both a savvy businessman and a cultural icon. Today Perdue Farms employs more than 20.000 people across America and has annual sales of about $3 billion. I am proud to work have worked with Frank Perdueand now with his son Jim Perdueto fight for fair trade policies that enable Maryland chicken producers to export around the world. As Frank Perdues business soared. he worked to bring Maryland with him. He became a great benefactor to Salisbury University. establishing the Perdue School of Business with a generous gift. Once a college baseball player and always a baseball fan. Frank Perdue brought the Delmarva Shorebirds to Salisbury in 1996. and then built the team and the Eastern Shore community a stadium. It is for both his business sense and his philanthropic heart that I salute him today. Frank Perdue and I came from different ends of the political spectrum. Yet we both believed that the best social program is a joband that we must give help to those who practice selfhelp. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1968}
{"speech_id":1090017303,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We joked that we should do an ad for a group we both supportwe would saywere two tough birds from the right wing and the left wingbut we both support this tender cause. Today as we grieve the loss of one of Marylands finest. Frank Perdue. we send our thoughts and prayers to his family and his many friends and colleagues.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1968}
{"speech_id":1090017305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with extreme disappointment that I come to the floor today. This week the New York Times. ran a story detailing a recent agreement signed between WalMart Stores and the Department of Labor. WalMart was fined just over $135.000 for 24 child labor violations that occurred in New Hampshire. Arkansas. and Connecticut. One of the most egregious violations involved a boy who injured his thumb while using a chain saw to cut Christmas trees. Others were operating cardboard balers and chain saws. which are illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to Work on. The $135.000 figure is a paltry figure that demonstrates DOLs lax enforcement policy. A $135.000 penalty against a company the size of WalMart has the same financial impact as a 40cent penalty for a milliondollar company. -DOL has sent American companies a message with this settlement: violators of child labor laws neednt worry about child labor. even if they are caught. Beyond this minimal fining of WalMart. the Labor Department recently released new regulations that place young workers at greater risk of serious injuries. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7976}
{"speech_id":1090017305,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The new regulations are the first since the May 2002 release of a report detailing dozens of deficiencies in our Nations child labor laws. The report. published by NIOSH. recommended over 40 changes in child labor laws to better protect Americas employed youth from dangerous jobs and equipment. Since the 2002 release. it is estimated that more than 600.000 child workers have been injured in the United States. Among the disappointments in the new regulations. fast food restaurants can now employ 14- and 15yearolds to operate deep fryers and grills that are cooled to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. According to NIOSH. however. half of all burn injuries among child laborers occur in fast food restaurants. In another regulatory change. 16- and 17yearolds are now allowed to load paper balers and compactors that meet specified safety standards. Since 1954. children under the age of 18 have been prohibited from any contact with these machines. As with cooking. compliance with this standard will require vigilance by employers who put youth in contact with these machines. Unfortunately. the Labor Department requires no specific training for young workers under these new regulations. Issuing regulations that sometimes allow exposure to certain machines. equipment. and hot surfaces. but not to others. is confusing both to workers and employers. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7976}
{"speech_id":1090017305,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is bound to result in young workers being exposed to greater dangers. Additionally. young workers still work at dangerous heights. on tractors. in pesticide- handling. and in exposure to lead and silica. These hazards and more are recognized in the NIOSH report but have yet to be addressed by the Labor Department. Sadly. this is not the first instance of WalMart employing dangerous and illegal child labor. In March 2000. the State of Maine fined the company $205.650 for violations of child labor laws in every one of its 20 stores in the State. In January 2004. a weeklong -internal audit of 128 stores found 1.371 instances in which minors worked too late at night. during school hours. or for too many hours in a day. In the most recent fine levied against WalMart. the average fine per violation is approximately just $5.600. This is about half of DOLs maximum penalty of $11.000 per violation. WalMart banks $285 billion in annual sales. This is not what one would classify a financial hardship. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7976}
{"speech_id":1090017305,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The most disturbing part of WalMarts settlement with the Labor Department is not even the small and insignificant fines. however. The distressing part of the agreement are the special favors handed out to WalMart. The agreement. which was signed on January 6. was not even made public until now. It took a reporter to question officials about concerns raised by several DOL employees that the agreement gave WalMart special favors. Those employees have remained anonymous. however. due to their fear of retaliation. What special favors were given to WalMart? First off. DOL promises to give the retailer 15 days notice prior to any \"wage and hour\" investigation. like failure to pay .minimum wage or overtime. As my colleagues will recall. I have tried for the past year to get the Department of Labor to reverse their damning new overtime provisions which stripped overtime pay benefits from thousands of American workers. This administrations Labor Department continues to stand opposed to respecting worker rights. child labor rights. and overtime rights. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7976}
{"speech_id":1090017305,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But WalMartis really their perfect ally. since they do not allow their workers to unionize. DOLs cozying up to WalMart is outrageous and completely unacceptable. By doling out these special privileges. worker rights in America are taking a giant leap backwards. The degree to which the current administration has relaxed worker rights should not be seen in a partisan light. Elizabeth Dole. U.S. Secretary of Labor in the first President Bush administration. launched a crackdown amidst record levels of reported child labor law violations in America in 1990. She reminded all Americans that \"the children of America are our future. The Department of Labor will do everything within its power to protect children against those who violate our child labor laws. The first step in this process is to reassess our fine structure and take immediate action to step up enforcement.\" This was the view of a previous Republican Department of Labor. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7976}
{"speech_id":1090017307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Monday night in Saint Louis a dream season came to an end. The University of Illinois was defeated for only the second time this season as they fell to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. But as painful as the loss was. it does not detract from a remarkable season. Head coach Bruce Weber and his Illini should know there is nothing to be disappointed about. As much as I would have enjoyed seeing the Illini conclude their remarkable run with an NCAA championship. there is no doubting what the Illini have accomplished.. The team tied an NCAA record with 37 victories. They made the first championship game appearance in the schools 100year basketball history. They won regularseason and conference tournament Big 10 championships and were ranked first overall in the Associated Press poll since- early in the season. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2505}
{"speech_id":1090017307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I could pick one word to describe the Illini this season. it would be \"team.\" Rarely has a group of young men worked together as well as the Illini has. After Illinois defeated Louisville 72 to 57 on Saturday evening. Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said. \"I dont know if they necessarily had the greatest talent Ive seen from a Final Four. but theyre the best team Ive seen in some time.\" The Illini are the ultimate team. and that is the ultimate compliment to coach Weber and his players. Every man on the floor was capable of leading the team to victory. whether it was guards Dee Brown. Luther Head or Deron Williams. or forwards James Augustine or Roger Powell. Yet Illinois plays within\" head coach Bruce Webers system and doesnt allow ego. personal statistical goals.. or anything else to disrupt their teamwork. Unfortunately. they came up short against North Carolina. But the State of Illinois is proud of their Illini. An orange hue has been cast across the State as Illinoisans got behind the team for their NCAA tournament run. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2505}
{"speech_id":1090017307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So many people have enjoyed this tournament and they wont. soon forget where they were when the Illini shocked Arizona. or when Roger Powell slamdunked the rebound from his own threepoint shot against Louisville. I would like to congratulate B. Joseph White. who became the Universitys 16th president on January 31 of this year. and the administration. faculty. staff. student body. and fans of the University of Illinois on making it to the championship game of the 2005 NCAA tournament. To the coaches. Illini players. and their families. thanks for the memories. Thanks for showing us what teamwork is all about.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2505}
{"speech_id":1090017329,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today along with my colleague. TOM COBURN. to introduce a resolution to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The attack occurred at 9:02 a.m. Central Daylight Time on April 19. 1995. in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma. 168 Americans lost their lives while more than 850 others were injured. This terrible act of domestic terrorism affected thousands of families across the State of Oklahoma and the United States. I thank the.local. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090017329,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"State and Federal law enforcement. firefighters and emergency services and search and rescue teams across the United States. public and private medical personnel. and thousands of volunteers from the community who saved lives. assisted the injured. comforted the grieving. and provided meals and support to those who came to help the people of Oklahoma. I applaud the people of Oklahoma for making tremendous progress over the past decade and for demonstrating their steadfast commitment to triumph over violence and stand behind them as they continue to persevere. I am privileged to be from the great state of Oklahoma and encourage my colleagues to join me in commemorating the tenth anniversary of the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090017371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. thanks to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for arranging in this incredibly important debate. Senator KYL and Senator DORGAN. for bringing us together in this way. Social Security is a great American success story. Senator DURBIN and I. while we were not around when it was created. are very proud of the fact that we as Democrats led the way to create a great American success story. Our goal today is to keep the security in Social Security. That is the fundamental issue. I believe. for each American family. We are very proud of the fact that Social Security is a great American success story because prior to Social Security. half of the seniors in our country. half of older Americans. were in poverty. Today it is about 10 percent. We still need to work on the 10 percent but this is a great American success story. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5577}
{"speech_id":1090017371,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want to make sure nothing is done to unravel this. It is important we have this debate. though. and we talk about the fact that Social Security is Americas insurance policy. It is our familiesinsurance policy because it is more than just retirement. which is so critical. But it is also a disability policy. Most of us do not have a private disability policy. In fact. 75 percent of us do not. It is a disability policy. it is a survivors policy. Heaven forbid if mom or dad lose their life. where they are not there to care for their children. In fact. in my husbands own family. when he was 10 years old. his father died. His mom was older and not well. and he and his mom literally survived on Social Security. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5577}
{"speech_id":1090017371,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a great American success story. Anything we do that pulls dollars out of an insurance policy will cut those who are left. No matter how forcefully the President or our colleagues say that somehow some folks can be protected. when you pull dollars out of an insurance system. it is not possible. I think it is very important for us to understand that as well. Also. we can each have our own opinions but not our own facts. There are a couple of different numbers floating around. but I would suggest to you that the folks whom we are obligated to look to. the Congressional Budget Officethe folks where nobody is appointed by the President. such as the Social Security trusteesthose who are the nonpartisan folks we refer to all the time. they tell us. as has been said. that the trust fund can pay 100 percent of its obligations until 2052. and after that. if nothing was done. it would be about 80 percent. maybe 78. 80 percent the trust fund could pay. There is no question there is a gap. and we are here to say we want to work with you to address that gap. That is what we ought to be doing. What we know. and the President has already admitted. as have others. is the privatization scheme proposed does nothing to fix this. nothing. It does not add a day. does not add an hour to 2052. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5577}
{"speech_id":1090017371,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. it makes it worse. There is a solution. In fact. there are a. number of things we can talk about. But 2 weeks ago we had a vote on the floor on the budget resolution. This was a vote based on an amendment that Senator KENT CONRAD and I had to put Social Security first. I know people are concerned about Social Security. those who support continuing it. But the reality is. we had a vote 2 weeks ago on an amendment that simply said. before we permanently extend tax cuts predominantly to those most blessed in our country. who are the least worried about Social Security. or before we add new mandatory spending. we should secure Social Security first. It is staggering when we look at the differences in values and priorities in this Congress and with the administration. Mr. President. $3.7 trillion is a lot of money. $3.7 trillion would secure Social Security for 75 years. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5577}
{"speech_id":1090017371,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is. what. a third. a third maybe. of what we are going to be asked to vote on later this year and beyond to extend tax breaks predominantly for the wealthiest Americans for 75 years. What are our values? What are our priorities? What does this say about us as a country? We can easily. by putting Social Security first. fill that gap for 75 years. And I believe we ought to do it. Specifically. on why privatization is something that does not make sense. Privatization does three things we are concerned about: It increases the national debt drastically. it increases administrative costs. and it adds deep benefit cuts. No matter who says. \"Well protect this group or that group. these folks will be OK.\" if you take money out of the insurance system. everybody gets cut. That is the reality. The first thing is the budget deficit. the deficit for the country. When we look at what is happening right now. it is astounding. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5577}
{"speech_id":1090017378,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would answer that and say that as you see. we have a surplus right now that can be used to fund these accounts for the next 10 years. After that we run a deficit in the Social Security Program. and we would have to come up with a way of financing that deficit. What the President has suggested is that with Social Security. if we fix it the oldfashioned way. the way you did in 1938. which was increase taxes and out benefits. workers would be paying more and getting less. With personal accounts. you have the opportunity of getting more because you use the compound interest. you use the miracle of the markets. and a balanced investment portfolio that is being used by pension funds all over the country to fund their accounts. And so what we would suggest is you initially use the surplus money and then you balance for future workers--again. no reduction in benefits today. but you balance for future workers. What the President has talked about is a promise.. a lower promise of benefits but a better opportunity for a return because you have the personal savings accounts which can exceed the promised benefit. So you have at least the opportunity to do as well as the current system promises but cannot paypromises but cannot payand you have the opportunity of not having to have future tax increases. again. because you are able to compensate with the amount of money that is earned in these accounts. again. because of the compounding of interest and because of the diversified portfolio of investments you have. To me. this is a balanced approach: It takes the good part of the Social Security system which is the security of having money go into this old system. keeps that in place for about twothirds of the money. and a third of the money will be able to offset what would have to be a future reduction of benefits with the growth in the personal account.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1872}
{"speech_id":1090017398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. This is really an interesting question. and I think everyone admits that there is a gap between the amount of money coming in and the amount of money that we are going to need to pay. and that is shown by this cash deficit. The fact is. we have to somehow or another in Social Security bring these two lines together. I think everyone would agree that is the option. Right now. the shortfall over the life of the program is $11 trillion between the revenue line and the benefit linethe benefit line being up here. the revenue line down here. How do we bring those lines togethe. and how do we keep it solvent in the future? What the President suggested is that if we do some- let us assume it is all borrowing. We cannot make any spending cuts. We borrow up toagain. according to Alan Greenspan-$1 trillion to $2 trillion over the next 15 to 20 years to prefund SociAl Security. just like we prefund every other retirement system in America. In fact. they are required by law to prefund. We put the money into a diversified portfolio of investments and then that borrowing at the beginning creates an elimination of the $11 trillion longterm problem. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1933}
{"speech_id":1090017398,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I would ask. is a $2 trillion investment now worth saving $11 trillion and making the system permanently solvent in the future? I would answer that qdestion with a resounding yes. and we put the Social Security system on stable funding forever and have it supported by ownership. Of course. we all know ownership has its privileges. One of the things is it can be passed to the next generation. One can do better than the current system promises and cannot pay for. Let me repeat that. The promised benefits we cannot pay for for my generation and for future generations of Americans. What we want to give is ownership to future generations. We want to give them a good chance. This gamblego to every union pension plan and tell them their union is gambling.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1933}
{"speech_id":1090017408,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank you and my colleagues very much. This is an important debate. and I appreciate being able to participate in it. The Presidents privatized accounts. we know. will do three things. and that is why my colleagues and I are opposed to the privatized accounts. First of all. -they will greatly increase the national debt. In fact. do you know what folks are going to own with this? Seventeen thousand dollars more in debt for every man. woman. and child in the United States. That is what they are going to own. It is a lot more debt and a lot higher interest rates as a result of this plan. This is a bad idea. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2559}
{"speech_id":1090017408,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The other thing that doesnt make any sense to me is that right now Social Security. which is retirementand we do have a secured obligation to make sure that we pay it. but it is retirement. disability. and it is a life insurance policy. For that we pay about a half a percent in administration. On average we are told that it could be upwards of 20 percent. maybe 10. maybe 25. but we are told by the experts. 20 percent in order to administer an annuity or other kind of private account. One of the things I find interesting is that among folks who are really pushing for this idea around here are those folks who would be paid to administer these accounts. I understand we now have something like five financial services lobbyists for every one Senator now here on Capitol Hill. Certainly there arefolks who will make a lot of money from this. but it is wrong. This systen works right now and we pay a half a percent. The final thing I would say is it is estimated that the average person over 20 years. the average retiree. will lose $152.000 under the approach the President is talking about. This is wrong. This is not better for people. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2559}
{"speech_id":1090017408,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is. in fact. worse. I agree with my colleagues. and in fact let me also say I would welcome folks going to my Web site or any of my colleagues Web sites to learn more about Social Security and the facts. We do need to be working together. not only to secure Social Security for the future past 2052. but we also need to work on those other ideas that create opportunity for people. One of my great concerns is that onethird of the cuts proposed by the President in the budget are in education. That is opportunity. That is the opportunity for ownership in the future. Why dont we focus on jobs and health care and those things immediately that need to be addressed? We welcome those debates as well and we welcome working with our colleagues to keep the security in Social Security.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2559}
{"speech_id":1090017567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 436. the Increased Capital Access for Growing Business Act. This bill creates an improved regulatory environment for small business. the undisputed engine of our economy. A quarter of a century ago. Congress created business development companies to encourage investments in small businesses. Unrelated rules promulgated by regulators since that time have had the unintended consequence of limiting the investment opportunities of business development companies. This bill will restore the true intent of Congress by modernizing the securities laws governing these companies. Small businesses will once again have the important capital access provided by business development companies. *This is crucial as small businesses must have efficient access to capital to create jobs and promote economic growth. I would like to commend my good friend and subcommittee chair. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1092}
{"speech_id":1090017567,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mrs. KELLY of New York. for her fine work in crafting this bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this important bipartisan legislation for Investors and small businesses.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1092}
{"speech_id":1090017578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first of all. I would like to commend the gentleman from California. who must feel like it is Ground Hog Day because he has actually been out here two prior times on this bill. In the 107th Congress. it passed by voice vote. In the 108th Congress. the gentleman from California was here. and his bill passed 424 to. nothing. and yet it died in the other body. not because there was opposition. but it simply got caught up in the paperwork. I want to commend him on his persistence. And he is doing this because without this bill. when a mortgage is transferred or assigned or bought. there are always a few people who are not only in default. but even those who are just simply delinquent. behind on a payment. and it misleads those people into believing that they are receiving a call from a debt collector who has to make Mirandalike warnings. and when they do that. they have a tendency not to talk to them. And. in fact. and I will read a letter from some of our Democratic colleagues who are also cosponsoring this bill. in fact. the very thing that we would want these people to do is talk to their new mortgage servicer and establish a relationship to work out of that default and to work out of that delinquency. because there are actually rules that these servicers are supposed to make every attempt to establish such a relationship. yet the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. it was not meant to be. This was an unforeseen technicality in the interpretation. So the FTC came to the Congress and enlisted the help of the gentleman from California to remedy this. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4023}
{"speech_id":1090017578,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me read the letter because I think it says it very well. It was drafted by the gentleman from Pennsylvania . who has worked tirelessly on this bill for the last two Congresses. It has a signature of the gentlewoman from New York . the gentleman from California . the gentlewoma.n from Ohio . and the gentleman from New York . These are all Democrats and all members of the Committee on Financial Services. They said this about the present state of the law and the need for the gentleman from Californias legislation: One. the present Miranda notice misleads borrowers about the nature of the new servicers relationship. The most important thing a delinquent mortgage borrower can do is call his or her servicer to work out options. The harshly worded warnings actually discourage borrowers from doing just that. from contacting the new servicer out of fear that the company is simply another debt collector. Two. the notice protects borrowers from providing information that the mortgage servicer already has in its possession. Mortgage servicers already possess detailed information about the borrower in the loan files. Third. the notice hurts customer relationships for the remaining term of the mortgage. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4023}
{"speech_id":1090017578,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The miniMiranda warning is required in adl subsequent contacts with the borrower even after the customer has brought their loan current and maintained them for years. In other words. under the present state of the law. these customers are treated for- years to come as if they are delinquent or in default. and that is an insulting thing when they have brought their mortgages up to speed. In closing. I will summarize the entire bill this way: In todays market. Mr. Speaker. mortgages are transferred. they are assigned. they are bought. And when that happens. those customers have a right to know whether they are dealing with a debt collector or they are dealing with their mortgage service provider. and that is a big difference. And this law will actually allow that to happen. So I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. KA&JORSKI). and I commend the gentleman from California particularly for his diligence in this matter. and I would ask the Members of this body to do what the last two Congresses have done. and that is unanimously approve this legislation. which is truly bipartisan and ought to be a model for this Congress as it works to do what is best for our citizens without regard to political party.","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4023}
{"speech_id":1090017582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as the leading Democratic supporter of H.R. 1025. I rise today in strong support of the Mortgage Servicing Clarification Act. It is a good piece of legislation that will fix a technical problem under existing law. Under the current Fair Debt Collections Practices Act. when a mortgage servicer acquires the rights to service a loan portfolio it is generally exempt from complying with the laws requirements because the act extends the creditors exemption to the new servicer. In a typical loan servicing transfer. however. a certain percentage of loans will be delinquent or in default at the time of the transfer. These loans are therefore technically covered by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. even though the new servicer has a fundamentally different relationship with the borrower than a true debt collector. H.R. .1025 would resolve this problem by establishing a very narrow exemption for servicers of first lien mortgages from the notice requirements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. All other substantive borrower protections provided by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act would remain in full force. Additionally. the exemption is available only to servicers that are primarily engaged servicing current loans. ","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2007}
{"speech_id":1090017582,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We worked for several years to narrow the exemption created by this bill in order to address the concerns of all interested parties. The legislation also passed the House in the 107th Congress and the 108th Congress. and when we last passed this bill it was approved by a vote of 424 to 0. I expect that we will again today pass this bill in the 109th Congress with similar bipartisan support. In closing. Mr. Speaker. the provisions of H.R. 1025 are consistent with longstanding recommendations by the Federal Trade Commission. under the Clinton and Bush Administrations. to improve the application of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to mortgage servicing activities. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense. technicalfix legislation.","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2007}
{"speech_id":1090017595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I also want to thank the gentleman from Utah for his advocacy and particularly for the leadership he showed during the hearing out in Navajo Country. In closing. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman NEY). who has been a tireless advocate on Native American housing issues. who represents a tough district with a lot of rural needs. and who understands and has articulated the message that is now getting out across the country. the need to help so many of our first citizens. the Native Americans of our Nation.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":593}
{"speech_id":1090017597,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 797. the Native American Housing Enhancement Act of 2005 and want to commend the sponsor of the legislation. the gentleman from Arizona. RICK RENZI. for his tireless work and continueddedication to improving the housing conditions for Native Americanns in this country. Native Americans are three times more likely to live in overcrowded housing. and are more likely than other Americans to lack sewage and water systems. telephone lines and electricity. according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Nearly 12 percent of Native Americans lack complete plumbing. compared with 1.2 percent of the general population. Native Americans have the highest poverty rates at 26 percent and have the highest unemployment rate in the country at nearly 14 percent. Last year. in May. this Committee held the first Indian Housing Congressional hearing in Tuba City. Arizona in Indian country. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090017597,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At that hearing. members were able to witness first hand the substandard conditions experienced by Native Americans and learned of the many barriers to housing development on reservations. After that hearing. this Committee took action and enacted H.R. 4471. the Homeownership Opportunities for Native Americans Act of 2004 to provide more chances to provide quality housing for Native Americans. That legislation restored the government repayment under the Title VI Loan Guarantee Program from 80 percent to 95 percent in case of default. The bill we are considering today represerts another installment in .this Committees commitment to addressing the many housing needs facing Native Americans. The legislation we are considering today. H.R. 797. represents another small step toward improving housing for Native Americans in this country. First. it requires federally recognized. selfgoverning Indian Tribes (whose selfgoveming status would otherwise make them exempt) to comply with the Indian Civil Rights Acttitle II of the Civil Rights Act of 1968if they receive financial assistance from the Agriculture Department for farm housing. Under current law. the department can provide loans to farm owners to improve housing conditions for themselves or their workers. The Indian Civil Rights Act prohibits tribes from making laws that restrict freedom of religion. speech or the press. It also sets other requirements pertaining to fair due process for people who are arrested. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090017597,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The measure also exempts tribes currently in compliance with the Indian Civil Rights Act and tribes acting under other federal affordable housing programs from compliance with certain sections relating to fair housing under other civil rights laws. which overlap with provisions in the Indian Civil Rights Act. The bill makes Indian tribes or their housing entities eligible for Youthbuild grants. The grants are part of a Housing and Urban Development Department program that provides job training and academic assistance to lowincome young people. Finally. the measure clarifies that the Interior Department cannot restrict access to or reduce funds going to tribes receiving block grants under the Native American Housing Assistance and SelfDetermination Act of 1996 (PL 104330). . While this legislation does not make monumental changes. it makes changes that will help stretch the housing resources _available to Native Americans. I urge my colleagues to support.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3366}
{"speech_id":1090017606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. financial literacy may be more important today than during any other time in our Nations history. That is why I am pleased to support H. Res. 148. introduced by the gentlewoman from the Great State of Illinois","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090017625,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself.such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of this worthwhile resolution that honors our Nations incredible firefighters. This resolution extends the most sincere gratitude of the House of Representatives to the more than 1 million men and women who stand ready to put their lives on the line each time that fire station alarm bell rings. Madam speaker. American firefighters respond to nearly 25 million calls each year from citizens across the country. Their dependability and service during countless kinds of urgent events are traits that Americans have come to count on. From their unequal bravery at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11. 2001. to their responsiveness during the 2003 California wildfires. to their aid provided time and time again following the series of hurricanes in Florida last fall. firefighters have been on the front lines of many headlining emergencies in recent years..Through these events. I believe Americans have gained an even greater level of admiration for firefighters because of their courage and selflessness. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090017625,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. on behalf of all Members. I want to thank firefighters for their service to this country. I highly commend the distinguished ranking member of the homeland security select subcommittee. the gentleman from Mississippi . for introducing this measure. I urge the adoption of House Resolution 188. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090017639,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res 188. which recognizes and honors the contributions firefighters have made to our country. Firefighters have played an important role in our nations history since the first volunteer fire company was founded in 1736 by Benjamin Franklin. Firefighters take their oath of public safety very seriously and go above and beyond their call of duty to serve and protect the citizens of the United States. On September 11. 2001. the firefighters of our nation selflessly risked and gave their lives in one of most tragic days in the history of our country. The site of those brave men and women putting their lives on the line to enter the smoldering World Trade Center to save as many people as they could is still a humbling vision three years later. My heart goes out to the hundreds of firefighters who gave their lives on that horrible day. The terrorist attacks were not just attacks on New York City. but on the nation. With New York as a continuing top terrorist target. the protection of New York City is becoming a national responsibility. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2159}
{"speech_id":1090017639,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Other cities with tall buildings throughout the country face the same challenges with their communication systems and will need the same upgrades. Improvements in New York will lay the groundwork for improvements to communications systems across the country. In light of this fact. it is my hope Congress will redouble its efforts to insist that communications systems of firefighters in highrisk urban areas be upgraded. The \"9\/11 Can You Hear Me Now Act.\" which Congresswoman Maloney will be introducing soon with my. support. instructs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide a communication system that must be capable of operating in all locations and under the circumstances we know firefighters face and will continue to face when responding to emergencies. Today and every day. the bravery and selfsacrifice of the firefighters in the United States -deserves to be commended. Their efforts have had an enormous impact on the public safety of our citizens. Thanks to the 1.1 million firefighters in the United States. the country is a safer place to live.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2159}
{"speech_id":1090017655,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. it is a. privilege to speak in honor of the life and the achievements of His Holiness Pope John Paul II. It is hard to imagine any other person who holds so much worldwide respect regardless of religious faith. The estimated 4 million people. including 200 heads of state. expected to attend the Popes funeral in Rome later this week will bear witness to historys high regard for this man of principle and coDurage. John Paul H dedicated his long life to peace and freedom for all mankind. As a young man. the Pontiff risked his life and defied Nazi forces which occupied Poland in an effort to protect the Jewish population and others in his homeland. As the 264th Pope. his faith remained steadfast during the years of the Cold War. playing an important role in the demise of Soviet communism. As columnist Charles Krauthammer commented this week. \"John Paul IIs first great mission was to reclaim his native Eastern Europe for civilization. and he demonstrated what Europe had forgotten and Stalin never knew: the power of faith as an instrument of political mobilization.\" Visiting more than 125 countries over his career. the Pope reached out to people of other cultures and religions in an effort toward greater understanding. healing. and harmony. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3132}
{"speech_id":1090017655,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite the steady decline in his health due to Parkinsons disease. and especially since he fell ill in early February. John Paul II continued. to lead the Roman Catholic Church with his gentle strength and noble heart. He remained faithful. principled. and resolute concerning the continuing defense of the Churchs traditional belief in the unique dignity of every human life from conception until natural death. During a long and fruitful life. he literally provided the world with an example of how to live with dignity and unshakable faith. He told us to \"be not afraid\" in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. He showed us how to demand justice from the unjust. His faith inspired us when we most needed reassurance. His composure and dignity during times of great suffering serves as an inspiration to us all. He bore his personal cross with grace and serenity until the very end of his long and remarkable life. As John Paul II has said. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3132}
{"speech_id":1090017655,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Faith opens us to a hope that does not disappoint. placing us before the perspective of the final resurrection.\" While life itself is short and tenuous. I am comforted by the fact that His Holiness is finally at home and in a place of peace and refreshment with the Father. I am sure he is praying for us even now. as we are praying for him. It is appropriate we mourn his passing. It is right and proper that we grieve over the loss of humanitys great champion. but we should also feel gratitude that this Pope stayed with us for so long and look forward to the time when we will heat the words he surely heard last Saturday: \"Come. Beloved of my Father. and enter the Kingdom which has been prepared for you since the beginning of time.\" I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3132}
{"speech_id":1090017660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. One of the great experiences I have had in life was to have an audience with Pope John Paul II. I traveled to Rome with the former mayor of the city of Chicago. Harold Washington. two other colleagues of mine at the time. a Jewish gentleman. Larry Bloom. and a Polish gentleman. Bill Krystaniak. The four of us met with the Pope. two African Americans. a Jewish person. and a Pole. When we were ready to leave. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3466}
{"speech_id":1090017660,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bill Krystaniak replied. \"We can actually end our trip because one of my wishes has been fulfilled.\" Each one of us left with a tremendous sense of peace and tranquility. knowing that we had been in the presence of encompassing greatness. one who fought poverty. ignorance. discrimination. totalitarianism. whose arms were wide enough and broad enough and strong enough to embrace the hopes of the world. I strongly support this resolution. Chicago is home to more Poles than any city in the world with the exception of Warsaw. and I know that we experienced a tremendous sense of pride. not only our Polish citizens. but all of Chicago. knowing that Pope John Paul II. had passed our way. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the memory of Pope John Paul I1. He served as the head of the Catholic Church during a tumultuous 26 year period that saw changes that rocked the World as well as the Church. During his life. Pope John Paul IIs influence extended far beyond the Catholic faithful to nonCatholics and world leaders. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3466}
{"speech_id":1090017660,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a result. his death is mourned by people of all faiths around the world. In his role as head of the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II led a growing Church that spans 6 continents and consists of people from very different backgrounds. His credibility as a leader was bolstered by his willingness to take stands that were often unpopular and sometimes viewed by many in highly developed countries as anachronistic. His willingness to take stands that reflected the traditional teachings of the Church was strengthened by his willingness to acknowledge that the Church had at times failed to stress its traditional teachings during challenging periods. He did not just acknowledge past errors. but sought to prevent future ones by confronting the totalitarian threat of his time. the Soviet Union. John Paul II was a tireless champion of democracy in Eastern Europe and an unrelenting critic of the Soviet Union and its puppet regimes in Eastern Europe. His experience growing up in Nazi occupied and Soviet controlled Poland surely influenced his prodemocracy. antitotalitarian worldview. As Chicago.is home to the largest number of Poles of any city in the world other than Warsaw. his death hits especially close to home. Many Chicagoans of Polish descent fled Poland during the crackdowns and turmoil of the 1980sa period during which Pope John Paul II was a major figure in the prodemocracy. antiSoviet movement in- his homeland. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3466}
{"speech_id":1090017660,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Developments in Poland: proved decisive in ending Soviet domination in Eastern Europe as well as the collapse of the Soviet Union itself. For his leadership in the fight against totalitarianism. many people in Eastern Europe and of Eastern European descent hold him in particularly high esteem. His leadership in the prodemocracy movements in Eastern Europe represents only one facet of his numerous accomplishments. A complete list would not be possible. though I am certain that my colleagues in the house will point out many more.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3466}
{"speech_id":1090017697,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize one of the most influential Popes in modern history. Pope John Paul 11 was born Karol Jozef Wojityla on May 18. 1920 in Wadowice. Poland. During his childhood the Pope was very athletic and an exemplary student. He had a passion for the outdoors and the theatre. In 1942 he felt a calling to the church. He was ordained a priest at the age of 26. Subsequently. he served as Archbishop of Krakow. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2516}
{"speech_id":1090017697,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Poland and was appointed a Cardinal. On October 16. 1978. Cardinal Wojityla became Pope John Paul I1. He opened the door for future nonItalian Popes.as he was the first since Adrian VI in 1522. He was also the first Pope of Polish ethnicity. Pope John Paul II impacted people of all ages world wide. especially young people. Creating World Youth Day in 1986. the Pope showed his commitment to young people worldwide. His hope was to instill the values of freedom. hope. truth. and justice in youth so they could work towards bettering the future of humanity. Religious tolerance and acceptance were Pope John Pauls core ideals. He had a profound respect for other religions. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2516}
{"speech_id":1090017697,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During his childhood. he had many Jewish friends and expressed a longstanding respect for the Jewish faith. He expressed sorrow for historic hostilities toward Jews and prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Judaisms most Holy site. John Paul II was also the first Pope to visit a Mosque and visited more than 20 Islamic countries. Pope John. Paul II went to great lengths to encourage religious tolerance. In 1986 the Pope invited a diverse group of 90 religious leaders to Assisi. Italy to pray and recognize the role world religions have in promoting understanding and tolerance. An advocate for human rights. peace and justice. the Pope was the most traveled pope in history. He visited over 120 countries in every continent except Antarctica and met with a diverse group of World Leaders. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2516}
{"speech_id":1090017697,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pope John Paul II was the first Pope to meet with the President of the United States. His commitment to the love of people and the love of his religion transcended political boundaries. In 1998 Pope John Paul II became one of the first leaders to visit communist Cuba and meet with Fidel Castro. Pope John Paul II died on April 2. 2005. Pope John Pauls II captivating personality and commitment to the church and humanity ingratiated him into the hearts of millions of people worldwide. The members of the House of Representatives remain mindful of John Pauls II message of tolerance. hope. peace. and justice.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2516}
{"speech_id":1090017698,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to honor the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II. who traveled the world for twentysix years and touched billions of lives. In the countries he visited. he delivered a message of peace and reminded the world about the power of love for all humanity. As the leader of the Catholic Church. he worked toward the fall of communism and spread hope to millions of oppressed people. One of the most influential figures of the modern era. this son of Poland taught us to respect human life in all forms. His legacy will be felt for generations to come: His actions in life and his strength in death have inspired people of all faiths. I join with billions around the world who mourn the loss and celebrate the life of this great man.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":746}
{"speech_id":1090017706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my support for this resolution and my deep regret of the recent passing of Pope John Paul II. I also extend my special sympathy to the more than one billion Catholics around the world and the more than 66 million Catholics in the United States. Pope John Paul II was one of the most significant leaders of our time. He worked tirelessly to promote the basic freedoms and dignities shared by all humanity. He was instrumental in serving as a catalyst for the fall of the Soviet Union and the emancipation of millions from totalitarian rule. More broadly. he worked in public and in private to persuade world leaders to respect their citizens basic human rights. The Pope consistently embraced the poor and the oppressed masses of the world. and urged governments to take care of the needs of all its citizens. One right of particular importance to John Paul II was freedom of worship. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090017706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ministering to Catholic and nonCatholic alike. the Pope took unprecedented steps on behalf of the Catholic Church to promote religious freedom for all citizens. regardless of their particular religious belief. To that end. he became the first Pope to visit a synagogue and a mosque. and made numerous public pronouncements committing the Vatican to upholding religious tolerance. As ranking member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission. I met John Paul II during a 2003 trip to the Vatican. and listened to his address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In that speech he praised the work of the OSCE to encourage the recognition of religious freedoms among its member nations. He observed that maintaining a secular state while promoting the ability of individuals to worship as they choose in private \"corresponds. among other things. to the demands of a healthy pluralism and contributes to the building up of authentic democracy. to which the OSCE is truly committed.\" The Pope took historic steps to heal divisions between the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths. I was pleased that the Vatican strongly .supported. ourefforts to host the.firstever OSCE conferenbeson the issue of antiSemitism. These conferences produced the \"Berlin Declaration.\" which unambiguously condemned all forms of antiSemitism and committed the members of the OSCE to col-. lect and maintain statistics on antiSemitic crimes and hate crimes. and to promote Holocaust education and remembrance programs. In September of 2004 Archbishop of Baltimore Cardinal William H. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090017706,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Keeler. who -has fought tirelessly to ensure that discrimination and racism have no place in the public dialogue. attended the OSCEs Conference on Racism. Xenophobia and Discrimination in Brussels. I hosted a roundtable with Cardinal Keeler and other religious leaders in Baltimore in October 2004 to discuss the conference and how we can work to prevent racism and xenophobia and promote tolerance. I wish Cardinal Keeler well as the cardinals meet in a conclave over the next several weeks to elect a new pope. Pope John Paul II was an inspiring leader in the battle to stamp out religious discrimination and ensure that all individuals have the freedom to worship as they desire. Future generations must work to promote his legacy. so that we may one day live in a world in which no individual is. denied their inalienable right to worship as they see fit.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090017758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in July 2004. I addressed the Sandy Berger \"Sloppy Socks Scandal\" here on the floor. At that time. many of the liberals here in Washington said that the former Clinton national security aide had done nothing wrong. that he had not stolen Top Secret documents regarding the Clintons administration -terrorism policies. Well. today we know the truth. Sandy Berger did indeed steal and destroy Top Secret documents. In fact. it is such a clear case of theft and such a disturbing crime against this Nation that Mr. Berger has pled guilty to taking classified material. He has pled guilty to taking classified materials. The punishment does not fit the crime. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1130}
{"speech_id":1090017758,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was stunned to learn that for stealing national secrets and for putting his own interests and that of the Clinton. administration above Americas war on terrorism. that he will simply have to pay a $10.000 fine and relinquish his security clearance for 3 years. This is outrageous. Those of us who are shocked by this outcome will be watching to be sure that no future Democratic administration ever gives Mr. Berger a job in the national security arena again.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1130}
{"speech_id":1090017830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join my colleague. the majority leader. in saying a word about Pat Summitt. I am delighted the majority leader scheduled time for this discussion of Pat Summitt and submitted the resolution. which I am proud to cosponsor. There are a great many superlatives one could offer about Coach Summitt. Perhaps the most obvious is sustained excellence over such a long period of timeas the majority leader said. 16 Final Four appearances. three backtoback national titles. 107 NCAA tournament games. virtually undefeated on the floor of the ThompsonBoling Arena. which is now renamed The Summitt in her honor. always playing the toughest schedule. always high expectations. I was president of the University of Tennessee for nearly 3 years. I remember going to a yearend Lady Vols basketball banquet because I remember the team had won the Southeastern Conference Championship and did not make the Final Four. Pat Summitt congratulated the players. but I remember the atmosphere was more like a funeral than a celebration because. obviously. the team did not meet the expectations Coach Summitt had for her players. We live in a society of televised images in which we meet a steady stream of people who are at the top of their game for 15 minutes or for a few months or for a few years. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3823}
{"speech_id":1090017830,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But for Pat Summitt. it has been 31 years at the top of her game. and there is no end in sight. There are a couple of other less obvious superlatives about Coach Summitt. One of these is unselfishness. The coaches whom she regularly defeats will tell you. to a woman or a man. that no one has done more to build the game of womens basketball than Pat Summitt. When she started. there were three girls at each end of the court playing in an empty gym. Today it is my favorite game to watch on television because of the skill of the players. because of the team play. because of the good coaching. and now because of the parity of the sport. There are a lot of good teams. a lot of good coaches. and many of them are former assistants to Pat Summitt. It seems she always has a good word to say about this program or that program. this opponent or that opponent. Her objective is to build the game up as much as it is to win the game. The final superlative is Pat Summitts emphasis on academic achievement. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3823}
{"speech_id":1090017830,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Every young woman who has ever played for her over 31 years has either graduated or is working today on the requirements for graduation. That is almost as difficult as winning backtoback NCAA championships. It certainly sets the right tone for college sports. I know how proud I was as a university president to have that most visible symbol of our university have such high values. It is mentioned at all the games. people see it all the time. It is a superlative achievement. This past year. Nicky Anosike. one of eight children of a mother from Nige.ria now living in the United States. became a sudden star at the University of Tennessee as a freshman. There were six great recruits said to be the best recruiting class ever in the history of this country. Four of them were hurt. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3823}
{"speech_id":1090017830,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nicky Anosike was not hurt. and she suddenly became a starter on the team and one of its best starters. Some people say she is a female Scottie Pippen at the top of his game. As I suspect happens with many of Pats freshman students. Nicky Anosike called home the next few weeks discussing with her mother how difficult it was to play for Pat Summitt because she demanded so much. Her mother said: What does she expect of you that I did not expect of you? That is the reason why I believe parents and young women want those young women to go to the University of Tennessee to play for Pat Summitt when they might be admitted to any school in the country. It is that for 31 years. Pat Summitt has brought out the best in those young women.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3823}
{"speech_id":1090017849,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the leader has much better access to. the President than I do. but to the best of my knowledge there is no negotiation. has been no negotiation. no discussion. no comment whatsoever about changing the U.S. provision from 27 percent to 25 percent. I know of nothing. The State Department has never said anything to me. The Defense Department. the White House. Kofi Annan. nobody has raised this. except my friends on the conservative right in the Republican Party. If we do not want to send a mixed signal. do not vote against the President. The President of the United States. not our conservative friends on the right side of the aisle. says 27 percent. Do not undercut the President and send a mixed signal. I yield whatever time I have remaining. and I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090017910,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I regret that we have a disagreement on the Senate floor. but I am not surprised. I would like to make a couple of comments. First. those who have opposed this amendment apparently have tried to win a debate we are not having. This debate is not about nurturing the flame of freedom. It is not about resisting tyranny. All of that is wonderful. I could stand here and tell a story about Vaclav Havel on a late night on a street corner in Prague. Czechoslovakia. hearing the Declaration of Independence for this country being recited by someone in Czechoslovakia. I could tell a story about Lech Walesa and what he did to light the flame of freedom in Poland. but I will not do that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090017910,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is not what this debate is about. My colleague from Florida. Senator MARTINEZ. talked about how important these television signals are and that is why the Castro Government jams them each and every day. That is the point he made. That is exactly the point I was making. If. in fact. these are jamme& and they arelet me read the expert from the U.S. Government. He says: Even though TV Marti is jammed. it is well positioned to be an important instrument of U.S. foreign policy or a crisis will occur on the island. Transmission to Cuba \"has been consistently jammed by the Cuban government.\" That is a U.S. official saying that. So we spend $10 million a year to tend television signals no one can receive in Cuba to a Fat Albert. the aerostat balloon. and","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090017928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in strong support of the SchumerGraham. et al.. amendment that would authorize actions in currency negotiations with China. I have come before the Senate on a number of occasions to speak about how strongly I feel against providing permanent normal trade relations to China. The Chinese have been systematically devaluing their currency. and they have been buying up dollars. This is all done in a con.certed effort to keep their goods cheaper than United States goods. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed how the Chinese behaved over the years. Chinas human rights record. their antagonism toward Taiwan. and the threat they pose to our own national security have been well documented. These issues have been swept under the rug as the Senate has given away its voice on our trade relationship with the most populous nation on the globe. For me it looks as though we are simply putting profits over people. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3801}
{"speech_id":1090017928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is plain wrong. Now we have a chance to correct that. The amendment before the Senate will give the administration a real tool to deal with the Chinese. The Chinese need our markets to sell their goods. If we take it away from them. we will have their attention. Hopefully this amendment will show the Chinese we are serious this time and that they need to play fair and let the market set the value on their currency. Those opposed to the amendment will talk as if the American economy will be. seriously harmed if we pass the amendment. I argue our economy is already being harmed. We are losing manufacturing jobs as a direct result of Chinese policies. The Chinese are killing what is left of our domestic textile industry. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3801}
{"speech_id":1090017928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hopefully. the U.S. Trade Representatives office will step in. It sounds ag though they will. But we are dangerously close to losing what few textile jobs we have left in Kentucky. and I know other States are in the. same boat. For those who are not concerned about Chinas human rights. foreign policy. and trade record. lets take another cold. hard look at the facts. China operates one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. brutalizing its own people and persecuting people of faith. China ships weapons of mass destruction to terrorist states. China threatens other freedom advocates such as Taiwan and snubs its nose at the international community by occupying Tibet. China tried to buy access to our Government through illegal campaign contributions and to influence our elections. The trade deficit with China has grown to record heights. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3801}
{"speech_id":1090017928,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For over a decade. the supporters of free trade with China have been making the arguments over and over again that China is changing. that things are getting better. and that we will soon reap the benefits of free trade with China. The fabts prove them wrong. It has been over 10 years since Tiananmen Square and the Chinese are still oppressing their own people. They are .still selling weapons to terrorists. They are still bullying other nations and threatening Taiwan and United States interests in the Pacific. Nothing is any different with China now. In fact. it might be worse. Those who say otherwise are fooling themselves. We are seeing a march of freedom around the worldin Afghanistan. Iraq. the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine. whose President addressed Congress today. the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon. and other prodemocracy revolutions. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3801}
{"speech_id":1090017928,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have seen that the time of the oppressive regimes is coming to an end. It is time to stop propping up the Communist government of Red China. Vote for the SchumerGraham. et al. amendment and tell the Chinese our Government will no longer support tyranny. Vote for this amendment for the sake of Americas economy and our workers. Vote for this amendment because it is the right thing to do. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3801}
{"speech_id":1090017968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to discuss the situation that is developing. questioning the value of the separation of powers. about whether one of the powers has rights that succeed the powers of the other. Particularly. my subject now regards the judiciary and whether it is a free. unencumbered judiciary. as it ought to be.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090018023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. very briefly. I know we are about to maybe have a more important matter come to the floor. I am going to keep my eye on the chairman of the committee so he can let me know when I should wrap up these comments. The amendment that at some point I would like to offer. either on this bill or another piece of legislation. deals with what I believe is an extremely important issue about enhancing U.S. diplomatic and strategic influence in the Western Hemisphere. As many of my colleagues know. I have been a member of the Foreign Relations Committee on the subcommittee dealing with Latin America for the 24 years I have been in the Senate. either as the ranking member or as the chairman of the subcommittee. I am deeply concerned. as I know many of my colleagues are. that while our attention is focused on other parts of the world. for obvious reasons. there is a serious condition developing in Latin America that deserves our attention. The amendment I would be offering is quite simple. It would permit nations in this hemisphere to receive international military and educational training. socalled IMET training. assistance from the United States. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3336}
{"speech_id":1090018023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleagues might say: Well. dont we do that? Havent we been doing that for years? The answer is yes. But it has been stopped in 11 countries in Latin America. along with economic support funds. The reason is because these nations have not signed on to the socalled article 98 agreement with the United States. The article 98 agreement has to do with the American Service Members Protection Act. That is because the administration is vehemently opposed to the. International Criminal Court. and any nation that does not protect American servicemen from potentially being prosecuted under that act would have the international military and educational training funds. along with economic support funds. cut off entirely. Now. again. I am not arguing at all about whether we ought to have the American Service Members Protection Act. My colleagues have voted for that. That is the law. of the land. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3336}
{"speech_id":1090018023,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My concern is linking that legislation with the international military and educational training funds and economic assistance funds. Let me tell you what has happened as a result of linking these up. We used to have as many as 800 junior officers or senior officers from Latin America come to the United States each year to go to our schools. to learn about how we would conduct our military operations. to receive the critical training that would make them more in tune with our ideals. our values. as military officers. As a result of this linkage we have now adopted. we now have zero military personnel coming from these countries that I have already mentioned. the 11 countries affected. the countries being Bolivia. Ecuador. Peru. Venezuela. Brazil. Costa Rica. Paraguay. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3336}
{"speech_id":1090018023,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Uruguay. Barbados. St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Trinidad. and Tobago. To give you some idea. we used to have from Peru 172 young officers come to the United States. Because of the linkage. we.now have zero. Urugfuay sent 202. We now have zero. Venezuela. 73. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3336}
{"speech_id":1090018023,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ecuador. 85to give you some idea in the last year or so. and on down the list. I ask unanimous consent that the list of the number of people coming from these countries on a roughly annual basis be printed in the RECORD. if I may.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3336}
{"speech_id":1090018058,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eliminating the filibuster by the nuclear option would violate and destroy the Constitutions design of the Senate as an effective check on the executive. The elimination of the filibuster would reduce any incentive for a President to consult with homeState Senators or seek the advice of the Senate on lifetime appointments to the Federal judiciary. It is a leap not only toward oneparty rule and absolute majoritarianism in the Senate but to an unchecked executive. Recently Republican partisans hAve ratcheted up the vitriol even further with their direct threats upon the judiciary. They spare no one. neither State court judges. nor Federal judges. nor Federal judges appointed by Republican Presidents. nor the Supreme Court Justices themselves. Their goal is intimidation and subservience to an ideological agenda. rather than adherence to the rule of law. Worst of all. some Republican leaders have taken their rhetoric to a level that should concern all Americans. at a time when violence against judges. their families and courtroom personnel has shocked the nation. The Republican leader of the House has recently spoken of seeking vengeance against judges involved in the Terri Schiavo matter. I recall a similar call by that. House leader in 1997 in which he called for the intimidation of judges. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090018058,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I spoke against it then and do so again today. It is essential that we preserve the independence of our judiciary and protect it from intimidation. In my time in the Senate we have often faced issues directly relevant to the separation of powers and the role this body plays as a check on executive power. As ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee and as a former chairman of the committee. I have invested significant time and energy on providing resources to our third branch of Government. During the 17 months I chaired the committee. the Senate confirmed 100 of President Bushs judicial nominees. In the other 34 months of the Bush administration. the Senate has confirmed but 104. The independent. nonpartisan role that judges play in our democracy is vital. I agree with Chief Justice Rehnquist when he called the independent judiciary the \"crown jewel\" of our democracy. It is the envy of and the model for the world. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090018058,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In order to keep this branch of Government independent and above politics. these nominations to lifetime appointments should be of the caliber to garner wide consensus. not political divisiveness. The goal should not consistently to be to see how many controversial nominees can be confirmed by the narrowest of partisan margins. Partisan passions must be kept in check when we are addressing an independent branch of Government. and no President should seek to pack the bench with unalloyed partisans or narrow ideologues. It is the Federal judiciary that is called upon to rein in the political branches when their actions contravene the Constitutions limits on governmental authority and restrict individual rights. It is the Federal judiciary that has stood up to the overreaching of this administration in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. It is more and more the Federal judiciary that is being called upon to protect Americans rights and liberties. our environment and to uphold the rule of law as the political branches under the control of one party. have overreached. Federal judges should protect the rights .of all Americans. not be selected to advance a partisan or personal agenda. Once the judiciary is filled with partisans beholden to the administration and willing to reinterpret the Constitution in line with the administrations demands. who will be left to protect American values and the rights of the American people? The Constitution establishes the Senate as a check and a balance on the choices of a powerful President who might seek to make the Federal judiciary an extension of his administration or a whollyowned subsidiary of any political party. The Senates role in advising the executive and determining whether to consent to confirmation of particular nominees is a fundamental check and balance on the executive. It is especially important with respect to lifetime appointments to the judiciary. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090018058,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senates rules. already adopted and in place for this Congress. continue to provide for an orderly procedure to end debate on matters before the Senate and an orderly procedure for amending the Senate rules. Just as amending our fundamental charter. the Constitution. requires supermajorities. so amending our Senate rules does. as well. When the Senate rule for ending debate in the Senate has been amended in the past. the rules for amending those rules have been followed. Previous Senate majorities have followed the rule of law by amending rule XXII only after a supermajority has agreed to end debate on amending the rule. The nuclear option would circumvent rule XXII and would destroy the equivalent of the rule of law in the Senate. Even the Senates Republican majority should not be above the law. The Senate has always protected minority rights. The nuclear option would bring an end to that tradition and to the comity and cooperation on which the Senate depends. The Senate and the House were designed by the Founders to serve different functions in our Government. The nuclear option destroys the fundamental character of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090018058,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Breaking so fundamental a Senate rule by brute force is lawlessness. Over the past 2 years. the Republican majority has already bent. broken or ignored the rules governing committee consideration of judicial nominees. This year they are moving to destroy the one Senate rule left that allows the minority any protection and any ability to protect the rights of the American people. In political speeches we all talk about the importance of the rule of law. In Iraq over the last 2 years. young Americans have given the ultimate sacrifice seeking to help establish a democracy that upholds the rule of law. The governing transitional law that the Bush administration helped design for Iraq calls for a twothirds vote of the Iraqi legislature to select -the president and vice presidents. This was created to protect the minority and encourage consensus. Just today we hear that the long period of negotiations following the Iraqi elections has yielded an agreement on the presidency council. which is the next step in forming an Iraqi government. and that the Iraqi national assembly expects to have the twothirds vote required to proceed to name a Kurdish leader. a prominent Shiite Arab politician and a Sunni Arab leader as the president and the two vice presidents of Iraq. While we recognize and fight for consensusbuilding and minority protection in Iraq. Republican partisans here at home are threatening the nuclear optiop to remove protection for the minority in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9754}
{"speech_id":1090018061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I pay tribute to Pope John Paul II. not only as a leader of the worlds 1.1 billion Catholics. but also someone who was a moral leader in our troubled world. I was privileged to have met this Pope twice in my life while representing the people of Florida. I will always remember his devotion to faith. his intellect and his charm but. mostly. I will remember his overwhelming humility. I was struck by how a man in a position of such awesome power could be so humble. And I believe people around the world saw this. too. which is why millions came to see and hear him during his visits to 129 different countries. His words of freedom and peace penetrated the human heart. John Paul II was also a man of great courage. who learned firsthand the suffering of the Polish people he later would come to serve. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090018061,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a young man. he performed forced labor at the hands of the Nazis but challenged their rule. As the archbishop of Krakow. he defied communist rulers. telling his countrymen no onetoould take faith and hope from their hearts. He used his 26year papacy to spread the message of freedom and peace to all corners of the world. and did so with vigor. His international trips always served a higher purpose. for he always sought to bring people together as equals in Gods eyes. At one large gathering of youth. the faithful chanted. \"We love you. we love you.\" When they quieted. the Pope humbly responded. \"I love you more.\" He also inspired open communication among the worlds faiths. as the first Pope to enter the main Jewish synagogue in Rome and the first to enter a mosque. When he was selected to be the churchs 264th Pope. his first words to the public were: \"Be not afraid.\" Indeed. Pope John Paul II taught people around the world they need not fear those who try to oppress. nor fear those who might be different. As the world mourns -his passing. we all should try to heed his words.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090018166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. the Senator has summed it up very well. I pick up on his comments with respect to health care. As my friend knows. this has always been my first love. going back to my days with the Gray Panthers. I have been especially proud that Oregon has been a leader in this area. first essentially in home health care. using dollars that could have gone for institutional care for home care. or the Oregon health plan. which began the debate about tough choices. I particularly want to note with Senator SMITH on the floor this morning that Oregon again is in a position of leading on health care. and that is because my friend and colleague. through an extraordinary effort. has been able to send a message across this country that those on Medicaid. the most vulnerable people in our society. people who always walk an economic tightrope. balancing their food costs against their fuel costs and their fuel costs against their medical bills--because of Senator SMITHs efforts during the budget. there is an opportunity now to renew the protections those vulnerable people have. He and I agree completely that there are opportunities to promote reforms in Medicaid and we are committed to that. but because of Senator SMITHS effort we are not going to put budget cuts ahead of reforms. So as we go to this discussion about health care. I particularly want to commend my colleague because his leadership on Medicaid is part of the long tradition of Oregon being first in terms of making judgments about health care. I am proud to be able to assist in his efforts. My colleagues will see that the Medicaid reform commission Senator SMITH envisions and other reforms we have worked on are a big part of our effort. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9416}
{"speech_id":1090018166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With respect to catastrophic care. what is so striking about this debate is that experts have known what to do about this issue for years. One can get an awful lot of protection for a relatively small amount of dollars. For example. on any given day in our country. if somebody gets sick in a small business. it essentially blows the whole premium structure for everybody. If just one of the employees. where there is a little store of five or six people. gets sick. then rates skyrocket for everyone. What Senator SMITH and I are going to do in our catastrophic care bill is spread the risk. look to a way. for example. where Government might pick up a bit of that risk. Democrats have proposed it. Republicans have proposed it. Once there is that kind of risk spreading. instead of what happens now when one person gets sick and everybody pays higher bills. Government picks up a bit of that risk and the costs go down for everybody. The two of us are on the Senate Finance Committee and we are going to do everything we can to try to bring the committee and the Senate together around these ideas. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9416}
{"speech_id":1090018166,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Members of both political parties have had good ideas on this for literally a couple of decades. I remember talking about catastrophic care when I had a full head of hair. and we should have done it then. Senator SMITH and I are going to try to tackle it. We will also look at some other issues that have great implications for our State but also for our country overall. One of them involves equity for health care providers. Today. at a time when we have this demographic revolution. and we are going to have so many more older people. one would think the Federal Government would try to reward providers for doing the right thing. offering good quality care and holding costs down. Instead. the Federal Government sends the opposite message. The Federal Government basically says to Oregon and to other States that are doing a good job. well. tough luck. folks. Instead of rewarding you. we are going to actually stick it to you. We are going to penalize you and limit your reimbursement in spite of the fact that you provide higher quality. more efficient health care. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9416}
{"speech_id":1090018166,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are going to try to change that reimbursement system. It will obviously help our State. but I would submit. if one looks at the challenges for Medicare. the head of the General Accounting Office. David Walker. has said Medicare is seven times as great a challenge as is Social Security. And we cannot afford not to have the SmithWyden reforms with respect to reimbursement for health care providers. I am very hopeful we will be able to win support in the Finance Committee and in the Senate for those reimbursement changes as well. They make sense for our State. but they are absolutely critical for our country as well. In addition to health care. which will be a prime focus of our work. Senator SMITH and I want to make sure we promote the use of innovative technologies. making sure that they are accessible and affordable so as to capture the opportunity to use technology to grow incomes and strengthen our economy. Depreciation will be a topic we will focus on because right now businesses that need new technologies to keep up in tough global markets take a big tax hit if they change their equipment as frequently as they need to in order to keep up with the competition. We intend to work together on the Finance Committee to change tax laws and be able to accelerate the depreciation of equipment and end the penalties our businesses pay for staying on the cutting edge of our economy. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9416}
{"speech_id":1090018166,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We also intend to promote nanotechnology to continue to work to make Oregon a national leader in the new small science. Americans are not completely sure what this field is all about. A woman came up to me in a small store in Oregon recently and said: RON. I do not know what this nanology is. but I am glad you are working on it. The science of small stuff is going to be the wave of the future. and unprecedented collaboration between the public and private sectors has made Oregon one of Americas leading microtechnology and nanotechnology centers. Senator SMITH and I joined to be part of an effort in the Senate to provide billions of dollars for nanotechnology that would create regional centers in this exciting field. and we intend to work to make certain that those efforts receive the Federal attention and credit they deserve. We will also work to build out broadband and the telecommunications technologies. We intend to work again in the Finance Committee to create appropriate tax incentives that will ensure broadband gets to the four corners of our State. and. of course. to pick up on our theme that what we are doing makes sense for Oregon and for our country. I submit that the SmithWyden effort. as it relates to broadband. technology. and the Web. will be of great benefit to Alaska as well. We are fortunate to have had a good relationship with Senator STEVENS as well who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9416}
{"speech_id":1090018219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. April 7. 2005. for a hearing to consider the nomination of Mr. Jonathan B. Perlin to be Under Secretary for Health. Department of Veterans Affairs. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090018389,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished ranking member for his cooperation in moving the nomination of Paul A. Crotty to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. By way of a very brief reply. I came in in the middle of the comments by the Senator from Vermont because he and I just attended a very lengthy meeting on the asbestos issue. We are working very hard and cooperatively on many matters on the Judiciary Committee. Asbestos :[s very high on the list. Just a brief comment there. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2898}
{"speech_id":1090018389,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are thousand:3 9f victims of mesothelioma who are dying and not being compensated because their companies have gone into bankruptcy. Some 74 companies have gone into bankruptcy. an enormous drain on the economy. I think it is fair to say that we just had a positive meeting with a number of Democrats and with Members of my side of the aisle. We are making progress. I could not be here at. the start of the argument because of the commitment there. I came in to hear the Senator from Vermont comment about the President. and I believe the President has made comments which- are supportive of the Federal judiciary. as has the majority leader. Senator FRIST. made comments supportive of the Federal judiciary. The Schaivo case raised the emotional level very high in the United Statesreally. beyond--for people who were on both sides of the issue. The rhetoric. I am pleased to see. has cooled. at least to some extent. but I believe that the Federal judiciary acquitted themselves in accordance with their authority under separation of power. and there has been respect for the judicial role expressed by both the President of.the United States and the majority leader of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2898}
{"speech_id":1090018389,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is enough said on that subject. I had not intended to get into it to any extent. but having heard those comments. I believe it is appropriate to respond. Paul Crotty has a very distinguished academic record. He has a law degree from Cornell Law School. where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He then clerked for Judge Lloyd MacMahon in the Southern District of New York. He has 35 years of legal experience. He is with the very prestigious New York firm of Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine. He has had a notable career in public service. having served as a New York City commissioner in two mayoral administrations. first for Ed Koch and later for Rudolf Giuliani. So he worked on both sides of the aisle. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2898}
{"speech_id":1090018389,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democratic and Republican. He is currently the group president for New York and Connecticut of Verizon Communications. The American Bar Association gave him the highest rating of \"well qualified.\" He has the support of both New York Senators. and he has an excellent record. I see the Senator from New York just arrived. He has already spoken. I do not have to make an act of generosity and give him 2 minutes. which will bring us to 5:30. Mr. President. how much time remains?","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2898}
{"speech_id":1090018404,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased that the Senate voted this afternoon in support of the resolution I submitted along with the Democratic leader. Senator REID. and the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee expressing the Senates concern about various subsidies provided by European governments to Airbus. This resolution sends a strong signal that the Senate supports the Presidents leadership and commitment to leveling the playing field in the large civil aircraft market. As many of my colleagues know. the administration has been working hard to resolve this issue through the World Trade Organization. WTO. Last October. the United States filed a complaint at the WTO alleging that the subsidies provided to Airbus were in violation of WTO rules. This January. the European Union agreed to freeze launch aid payments and other support to Airbus while attempting to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on government support to the civil aircraft sector. Unfortunately. despite the heroic efforts by former U.S. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090018404,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Trade Representative and current Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick. the negotiations begun in January have broken down. Nevertheless. I want to commend him in particular for his involvement in these talks and his commitment to achieving a fair resolution of this issue. Since January. there has been little discernible progress in addressing the launch aid issue. which directly affects Boeing. Airbuss main competitor in the civil aircraft market. The Senate. in passing this resolution today. is stating very clearly that EU subsidies to Airbus must end and that launch aid must be rejected in order to avoid WTO action by the U.S. I am encouraged by the comments of EU Trade Commissioner Mandelson in favor of extending the negotiation period that expires today to give both sides more time to reach a fair deal. However. additional discussions will only be productive if Commissioner Mandelson recommits to the framework agreed to 90 days ago. If the EU continues to flout the January agreement. WTO action may be unavoidable. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090018404,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. in my view. if the EU were to provide. any new launch aid support for the A350. the U.S. would have no choice but to immediately request a WTO panel. This would be the largest trade dispute in the history of the WTO. I hope we do not have to go that route. It would be much better if both sides would come back to the table and restart substantive negotiations with the goal of reaching a bilateral agreement. American companies can compete with anyone in the world. but not on an uneven playing field. Airbus is a mature. profitable company that should compete on commercial terms without government subsidies. This resolution today says that we. believe the playing field must be leveled for all competitors in the commercial aircraft market.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090018436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I pay tribute and congratulate Bernice Dickerson of Adairville. KY. for her service on the Adairville City Council. At age 91. Mrs. Dickerson has dedicated herself to improving the community of Adairville. As a councilwoman for Adairville. Mrs. Dickerson has made a difference in peoples lives and has served as an example .for all who know her. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":665}
{"speech_id":1090018436,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The citizens of Kentucky are fortunate to have the leadership of Bernice Dickerson. Her example of dedication. hard work and compassion should be an inspiration to all throughout the Commonwealth. She has my most sincere appreciation for her work and I look forward to her continued service to Kentucky.*","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":665}
{"speech_id":1090018437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great pride that I commemorate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus whose assistance to New Yorks Italian community in the late 19th century is a model for immigrant outreach. The efforts of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus initiated by the first American citizen saint. Frances Cabrini. led the Vatican to name her Patroness of Immigrants. From the missionary sisters first New York initiative. a home for destitute Italian orphans that opened in 1889. to the vibrant network of schools. hospitals and social service agencies serving immigrants in New Jersey. Pennsylvania. Louisiana. Illinois. Colorado. Washington State and California. as well as New York. the missionary sisters brought solace to immigrants in both urban and rural areas. visiting them in homes. public hospitals. prisons and mines. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2462}
{"speech_id":1090018437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today this enduring mission flourishes in 16 nations on six continents where the Cabrinian religious institute eases misery. works for justice. and educates new generations. The institutes compassionate work cares for AIDS orphans in Swaziland and street children in the Philippines. provides health and child care and educates young people in Australia. Central and South America and the United States. Frances Cabrinis legacy can be seen in 21st century New York State in Dobbs Ferry at the St. Cabrini Nursing Home and the Cabrini Elder Care Consortium. Dobbs Ferry is also home to the Monsignor Terence Attridge Adult Day Health Center and Cabrini Immigrant Services. New York City is fortunate to have the Cabrini Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. Cabrini Care at Home. Cabrini Immigrant Services. Cabrini Hospital. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2462}
{"speech_id":1090018437,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sister Josephine Tsuei Senior Day Services. Cabrini High School. the Cabrini Shrine and the Cabrini Housing Development Funds apartments for the elderly. This year the St. Cabrini Nursing Home honors two individuals who exemplify the dedication and service of the Cabrinian valuesDonna McNamara whose efforts were crucial to the creation of Cabrini Immigrant Services and Cabrini Care at Home. and James A. Smith. longtime board member who has given leadership to the Cabrini Elder Care Consortium. I am thankful for the efforts of Ms. McNamara and Mr. Smith and for the 125 years of compassion and care that are hallmarks of the life of Frances Cabrini and those who continue to serve the ideals to which she dedicated her life.*.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2462}
{"speech_id":1090018456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a field hearing in St: Paul. MN entitled \"Tax Related Financial Products Can Be Costly.\" regarding the Subcommittees investigations into taxrelated financial products. These bank products include refund anticipation loans (RALs). refund anticipation checks (RACs) and refund transfers that are offered by tax preparers such an H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt. Also included are products offered solely by the tax preparation companies such as tax preparation guarantees. The Subcommittee field hearing will examine these products costs. the extent to which these products are fairly marketed. and whether the costs of these products are fully disclosed. Additionally. the Subcommittee will examine the refunds. incentives and rebates that are paid by banks to tax preparers for selling these products and the ethical implications that can be presented from a client service perspective. The Subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Friday. April 15. 2005. at 1 p.m. in \"The Reading Room\" of the James J. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090018456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hill Reference Library at 80 West 4th Street in St. Paul. Minnesota. For further information. please contact Raymond V. Shepherd. III. Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. at 2243721.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090018462,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 11. 2005. at 2 p.m.. in open session to receive testimony on the Chemical Demilitarization Program of the Department of Defense in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2006.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":358}
{"speech_id":1090018464,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Les Spivey. Mr. B.G. Wright. and Mr. Chad Schulken of the Appropriations Committee staff be granted full floor access during the consideration of H.R. 1268. the fiscal- year 2005 emergency supplemental appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":270}
{"speech_id":1090018530,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as was just indicated. we are now back on the sup. plemental appropriations bill. which is critical to the funding of our effort to continue our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. One of the reasons Senator CORNYN and I want to speak for a few minutes this morning is to make the point that we very much hope our colleagues will join with us in ensuring the quick passage of this bill so we can get on with that effort and then move to other business. There has been a suggestion that amendments might be offered to the bill that do not relate to the funding of the war effort. For example. some of our colleagues have talked about offering amendments that relate to the subject of immigration. Now. that subject is one we are going to have to debate this year. and we are going to have to consider legislation very seriously later on this year. but our view is that it would be inappropriate to consider that legislation in the context of this supplemental appropriations bill. We are aware of the fact there was a provision in the House bill that relatedto drivers license standards and asylum. but those are matters that relate more to terrorist activities than our immigration laws. as they pertain to illegal immigration. Therefore. our view is that we would refrain from offering amendments of that kind and would hope our colleagues would as well. We would hope. by indicating what we plan to do. that our colleagues would appreciate our commitmentthat is to say. Senator CORNYN and myselfto seeing that the issue of illegal immigration generally and immigration reform specifically will. in fact. be considered by the Senate a little bit later on this year. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10113}
{"speech_id":1090018530,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is our intention to introduce legislation and to work through the amendment process. perhaps before that. to ensure that we are doing everything we can in the Congress to ensure our borders are secure. that we have adequate law enforcement both at the borders and in the interior of the country. and that we. therefore. create the precondition for the consideration of immigration reform. which is that we do have a commitment to enforce the law and abide by the rule of law in this country. There is- one thing I think almost everybody interested in the immigration debate will agree on. and that is that we have a broken legal system right now. Employers pretend they are not employing illegal immigrants. but they know they are. and they have documents the Government has called for. The Government pretends to enforce the law. but it knows the documents. in many cases. are counterfeit. The industry will very candidly tell you they do not know what they would do without the illegal employment they have today. So they are putting pressure on some of our Members to come forward with legislation to create a legal regime for these employees and. indeed. there should be. We should get to the point where nobody in this country hires illegal immigrants anymore. To do that. we are going to have to demonstrate a couple things. The first is that we are committed to enforcing such a law. because our constituents rightly tell us: Why should we consider immigration reformtemporary worker reform. for exampleif we dont think it is going to be enforced? You are not enforcing the law today. What makes us think you are going to enforce the law in the future? It is a good question. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10113}
{"speech_id":1090018530,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to be able to answer that question in the affirmative and say we are committed to enforcing the law. It begins with enforcement at the border. and it goes right on through with the rest of the law that makes it illegal to hire illegal immigrants. Those laws do need to be adequately enforced. If we could commit ourselves to do that. then I believe we could lay the foundation for successfully getting legislation to provide some kind of guest worker or temporary worker program that will both liberalize the ability of employers to bring legal immigrants into this country to work for them on a temporary basis and also deal with the 10 to 15 millionnobody knows exactly how many for sureillegal immigrants who exist in the country today. Many of those people work hard. They come to work here. They intend only to send money back to their relatives in Central America or Mexico or wherever they came from. Many of them are. indeed. needed in our workforce. But we cannot condone a situation in which they are working illegally. So we have to come up.with a structure that would permit us to take advantage of their desire to work here. but to do so in a legal construct and not to reward them with any kind of amnesty. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10113}
{"speech_id":1090018530,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The specifics of doing that have been discussed a little bit by the President of the United States. who laid out some principles for a guest worker program. as he calls it. What Senator CORNYN and I are here to talk about today is the fact that we are working on legislation to try to embody many of the principles the President has laid out to create a legal mechanism by which we can meet our workforce needs in this country but to do so all within the rule of law. where the law will be strictly enforced. there will be no more hiring of illegal immigrants. and therefore we remove the magnet which currently exists which draws illegal immigrants into our country because they can be employed easily. So we remove that magnet. but we do so in a way that does not reward the lawbreakers. the people who come here illegally and use illegal documentation to obtain employment and. in many cases. are creating a drain on society. and ensure they are not rewarded for their illegal behavior by amnesty. which I think most people would agree. at a minimum. means they would not be granted a path to citizenship or be able to chain migrate their family into the country ahead of those who want to do so legally. meaning. specifically. that. of course. anyone who wanted to do that could get in line in their country of origin with a worker sponsor for legal. permanent residency or green card status. If they acquired that status. then there are other things that flow from that. such as the ability to apply for citizenship. But that should only come as a result of going home. being there. -and getting in line with everybody else. It certainly should not be granted to people who came here illegally and would be permitted to stay here while that status was pending. That is the kind of thing we mean by saying no amnesty. But at the end of the day. I think President Bush is right. that we have to come to grips with this problem. We have to find a way. as he said. to match willing workers with willing employers but to do so strictly in the confines of a legal regime. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10113}
{"speech_id":1090018530,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What Senator CORNYN and I have been working on for several weeks now is a bill we hope would embody many of those principles. It is not going to track exactly what the President has proposed. I would also say the President has not gotten real specific about several areas. and we aregoing to have to fill in a lot of those blanks. We will talk to our colleagues. and we will talk to the various groups that are involved in this issue to see what their ideas are about how best to make this work. But the bottom line so far as we are concerned is. if we do this. we have to be able to commit to the American people that since we now have a legal and relatively easy mechanism for filling the workforce needs here in our country. we are not going to condone any illegal employment in this country. If we establish that principle. we then help to remove that magnet which is drawing so many illegal immigrants to the United States. Just to conclude with this point. I mentioned the fact we would be introducing legislation. which we intend to do. But there are also opportunities for us to demonstrate this commitment to enforcing the law. Let me mention a few of those. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10113}
{"speech_id":1090018649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Senator COCHRAN of Mississippi. for his generosity and for his very gracious and courteous action in this regard. I thank him for the time. I will not use the entire 10 minutes. I take it I may yield some of that time. if I wish. to other Senators. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have strained America. The cost of these wars has strained the Federal budget. The deployments of the National Guard and the Reserves have strained American families. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090018649,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The toll of the wars on our troops and their equipment has strained the readiness of our Armed Forces. But there is no one who bears more of the strains of these wars than the veterans who have served our country in combat. According to the Department of Defense. nearly 12.000 troops have been wounded in Iraq and another 442 have been wounded in Afghanistan. These troops have received the finest medical care our military can offer. but untold numbers of service men and women will require longterm care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. However. the VA is also feeling the strains of war. VA hospitals are seeing more and more veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the same time the aging veterans from World War II. Korea. and Vietnam are most in need of the VAs health care services. to which they are entitled. However. the administration has not met this growing demand for VA health care services with budget increases. Fortunately. Congress has stepped in and added billions in needed funds in recent years. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090018649,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year. Congress added $1.2 billion to the Presidents request for veterans health care. Two years ago. Congress added $1.57 billion to the Presidents budget for VA health care. But the shortfalls in the veterans budget continue. The Disabled American Veterans. in its independent budget for fiscal year 2006. estimated that the White House budget for VA health care is $3.4 billion less than what is required to care for all veterans who are entitled to care. Clearly. more needs to.be done to care for veterans. \u0095 The MurrayAkakaByrd. and others. amendment would increase veterans health care by $1.98 billion. These funds are targeted to provide care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to increase mental health services and to support lodal VA hospitals and clinics. This is a commonsense amendment to support the men and the women who have borne the wounds of -battle. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090018649,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. how much time do I have?","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090018661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I do not see anybody on the other side who is going to speak. Let me just reiterate for everyone here. What we are talking about is an amendment for veterans. to make sure they have the health care and support they need when they come home from the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. What we have been very clear about is in every* region across this country there is a debt and a shortfall.. We have facilities that are decaying. and no money is being put in to fix them. We have long waiting lines. We have veterans in rural areas who are being told they cann6t have health clinics. We are being told that veterans. the men and women who served us. have to travel over mountain passes and travel long distances to get the care they need. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090018661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most of it is inaccessible. We are telling veterans who live in urban areas that the long lines in which they are waiting have to be there. We are telling suburban parents if they send their young son or daughter off to war. we are not going to be there for them when they come home. I believe this is a emergency. I have outlined it this morning. I have outlined it again this afternoon. I heard from our colleagues on the other side that the Veterans Affairs Secretary. Secretary Nicholson. is saying he has the money he needs. He was on the job for 2 weeks when he said that. I invite the Secretary and any one of us to go out on the ground. go out to Michigan and Minnesota. go to Kentucky. go to Illinois. go to California. go to Texas. go to Idaho. go to any veterans facility and look and tell me there is not an emergency. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090018661,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Look in the eye of any VA doctor or nurse and tell them there is not an emergency. But more importantly. look in the eyes of the young men and women who served us. I was in Iraq and Kuwait several weeks ago. I had to look in the eyes of 150 Guard and Reserve members Who had just finished in Iraq for a year. Their No. 1 concern is they are hearing the facilities will not be available for them when they get home. Their No. 1 concern? Stress. A year on the ground in Iraq. They had heard from soldiers who had already gone home about the troubles they had with migraines. posttraumatic stress syndrome. reintegrating in the community. They want to come home. and we know the support is not there. and we tell them that is not an emergency. I find it outrageous that this body can send to war our sons and daughters. husbands and wives. and. say we will not be there for you when you come home. that we will tell them you will have to wait. your budgets are not a priority. your issues are not a concern to this body. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090018661,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cannot think of a more important issue. I cannot think of a more impbrtant emergency. and I cannot think of anywhere else we are going to be able to deal with this this year. If we do not provide the funds on the emergency supplemental before us. we will be here a year from now with story after story of young men and women who served us and then came home and were told no. That is an emergency.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090018669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I understand the other side yielded this time. Let me simply respond by saying we are talking about a supplemental bill that talks about the cost of the war. Part of the cost of war is caring for the men and women when they return home. As President Lincoln said: We all have an obligation to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and for his orphan. That is what this vote is about. whether we carry forward our obligations to care for those we sent to war. I ask my colleagues to vote with us to overxide this motion that says this is not an emergency so our veterans can receive the care they deserve. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":663}
{"speech_id":1090018719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on September 30. 2004. I had the pleasure to announce that Senator GORDON SMITH was the latest recipient of the Senates Golden Gavel Award. marking his 100th hour of presiding over the Senate. The Golden Gavel Award has long served as a symbol of appreciation for the time that Senators contribute to presiding over the Senatea privileged and important duty. Since the 1960s. Senators who preside for 100 hours have been recognized with this coveted award. On behalf of the Senate. I extend our sincere appreciation to Senator SMITH for presiding during the 108th Congress.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":588}
{"speech_id":1090018723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate an historic event that changed the world. Fifty years ago today. Dr. Thomas Francis. Jr.. director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center and founding chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. announced that the Salk polio vaccine was \"safe. effective. and potent.\" That innouncement marked the culmination of the most comprehensive field trials ever conducted. unprecedented in scope and magnitude. In the early 1950s. Dr. Jonas Salk. a postdoctoral student of Dr. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3156}
{"speech_id":1090018723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Francis at the University of Michigan. developed a promising vaccine against poliomyelitis in his laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Salk returned to the University of Michigan to work with his longtime mentor. Dr. Francis. who led the yearlong field trials demonstrating that \"the vaccine works.\" More than 300.000 individuals participated in the work of the trials. including 20.000 physicians and public health officers. 40.000 registered nurses. 14.000 school principals. and 200.000 volunteers. More than 100 statisticians and epidemiologists tabulated data from the approximately 1.8 million children across the United States. Canada. and Finland who were involved in the trial. These brave children. who stepped forward to receive a shot not knowing if it would be the real vaccine or a placebo or whether it would be safe or harmful. are now affectionately known as polio pioneers. While we rarely consider the possibility of contracting polio today. let me remind you that for generations polio was one of the most feared childhood diseases. Poliomyelitis. a neuromuscular disease also known as infantile paralysis. is caused by the polio virus. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3156}
{"speech_id":1090018723,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The virus invades nerve cells in the spinal cord. resulting in weakness or paralysis of the limbs and muscles. Prior to the successful work of Drs. Salk and Thomas. no one knew how to prevent polio. and there was no cure for the disease. Hot weather in late summer was \"polio season.\" bringing on a rash of new cases of paralytic polio each year. In 1916. a devastating epidemic struck New York. killing 9.000 people and leaving 27.000 disabled. For the next 40 years. not a summer passed without an epidemic occurring somewhere in the U.S. In the 1940s and 1950s. the number of cases reported in the U.S. ranged from 40.000 to 60.000 each year. The warmer months of the year were termed \"nightmare summers of quarantine and contagion.\" President Roosevelt. who suffered personally from the effects of polio. founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. now called the. March of Dimes. and called upon millions of private citizens to donate dimes to fund the foundations work to fight polio. Today. polio has been nearly eradicated. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3156}
{"speech_id":1090018723,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fifty years ago this morning. before more than 500 scientists. physicians. and reporters at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor. Dr. Francis told an anxious world of parents that the Salk vaccine had been proven to be effective in preventing polio. Please join me in .honoring the success of Drs. Francis and Salk in combating this devastating disease.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3156}
{"speech_id":1090018724,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend the efforts of Basketball without Borders. an initiative that promotes friendship. understanding. and healthy living for young people around the world. Today. the National Basketball Association. NBA. and the International Basketball Federation. FIBA. announced that Basketball without Borders will hold four instructional camps in the coming year. For the first time. Basketball without Borders will be staged on four continents: North America. Europe. Asia. and Africa. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2057}
{"speech_id":1090018724,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will feature professional basketball players from diverse backgrounds. including Chinas Yao Ming. Argentinas Manu Ginobili. Germanys Dirk Nowitzki. and Congos Dikembe Mutombo The Basketball without Borders ini: tiative is more than an opportunity for children to meet their favorite players and learn basketball skills. It is also a chance for them to learn important lessons about the world in which they live. In addition to basketball instruction. the children who participate in Basketball without Borders will learn about HIV\/AIDS prevention. the importance of education. and ways to lead a healthier life. They will also have the opportunity to meet children whose ethnicities. backgrounds. and cultures are different from their own. I also applaud the NBA and FIBA for the charitable efforts that are part of the Basketball without Borders initiative. As part of this years program. the NBA will be conducting several auctions on its website. with the proceeds funding community improvement efforts worldwide. particulaily in disadvantaged areas. As public figures. professional athletes can send a strong message by serving as role models both on and off the playing field. It is my hope that the players who are taking part in Basketball without Borders will inspire basketball fans around the world to take a closer look at ways they can.extend a hand of friendship to diverse communities around the globe. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2057}
{"speech_id":1090018724,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I salute the athletes who are participating in this worthy venture. as well as all those whose hard work has made this initiative possible.*","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2057}
{"speech_id":1090018731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today along with my colleague. Senator LAUTENBERG. to introduce legislation. the Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs (PAAD) Act. This legislation is essential to ensuring that our most vulnerable seniors who have existing prescription drug coverage do not see a reduction or disruption in their coverage once the Medicare prescription drug program goes into effect. Htindreds of thousands of seniors. including 190.000 in my State. currently enrolled in state pharmacy assistance programs (SPAPs) will be forced out of those programs and into a private drug plan under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Additionally. approximately six million seniors. including 140.000 in New Jersey. who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid will lose access to their Medicaid prescription drug benefits. which are more generous and provide greater access to a variety of drugs than the Medicare benefit will. No senior should be made worse off by the new Medicare. law. The law should expand benefitsnot reduce them. The PAAD Act will make critical changes to the Medicare law to ensure that the abovementioned benefits are safeguarded.","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090018738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to submit the PeopletoPeople Engagement in World Affairs resolution with my colleague from Nebraska. Senator HAGEL. In July 2004. the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States released its final report. which determined that \"just as we did in the Cold War. we need to defend our ideals abroad vigorously. . . . If the United States does not act aggressively to define itself in the Islamic world. the extremists will gladly do the job for us.\" The 9\/11 Commission report clearly states that in the interests of national security. the U.S. must commit -to a longterm. global strategy. which includes. among other things. effective public diplomacy. Public diplomacy is an essential component of our efforts to define and defend Americas interests and ideals abroad. But a successful. longterm approach to building solid relationships with the rest of the world is not just the mission of the State Department. It also requires the engagement of the American people. This PeopletoPeople Engagement in World Affairs resolution is a call to Americans to reach beyond our borders to engage with the world at an individual level. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7218}
{"speech_id":1090018738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It encourages Americans to seize opportunities to engage in the global arenathrough participating in a professional or cultural exchange. studying or volunteering abroad. working with an immigrant or refugee group in the United States. hosting a foreign student or professional. participating in a sistercity program. -or learning a foreign language. This resolution also urges the State Department to coordinate between government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to create a database where Americans can learn of opportunities to become involved in world affairs. Furthermore. it encourages all Members of Congress to work to raise the importance of citizen diplomacy in their states and districts. Americans must make a serious investment in reaching across borders and reversing the tide of increasing antiAmerican sentiments abroad. According to a 2003 Pew Research Center survey. during 19992000. more than 50 percent of the people in surveyed countries held a favorable view of the U.S.. and in at least one country. favorable views of the U.S. were held by over 80 percent of those surveyed. More recent surveys reveal a stark contrast with those figures and growing antiAmerican sentiment. Pew found that. by 2003. favorable views of the United States in these countries plummeted. Additionally. whereas negative public opinion of the U.S. among Muslims was once limited to the Middle East. now it has spread to populations in places like Nigeria and Indonesia. Pew found that \"the bottom has fallen out of Arab and Muslim support for the United States.\" While these sentiments are most notable in the Muslim world. they extend even farther. coloring the views of many others. Growing antiAmerican sentiment abroad is dangerous and breeds misperceptions in future generations. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7218}
{"speech_id":1090018738,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our ability to work with allies to foster democratic societies and tackle global problems relates directly to our image abroad. Building an international coalition with our allies requires their trust that our efforts are genuine. Success in combating terrorism. the greatest global threat. is contingent upon a unified. global participation. Members of the international community must collaborate to eliminate loopholes that terrorist networks manipulate when intelligence and communication break down between borders. AntiAmericanism can feed a steady supply of recruits and supporters for terrorist networks. intent on our destruction. Terrorist networks capitalize on. misperceptions about the U.S. to advance their own agenda andscapegoat the U.S. as the reason for the poverty. weak and corrupt states. and powerlessness that many experience on a daily basis. International cooperation is also essential for effective progress in other important. transborder issues. such as the proliferation of WMD. human trafficking. poverty. environmental degradation. and diseases from HIV\/AIDS to polio. We cannot solve these problems alonewe need allies to help find and achieve meaningful solutions. Combating antiAmerican sentiments requires that we engage in a conversation with people in all levels of society beyond our borders. And as Secretary Rice has noted. our dialogue cannot be a monologue. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7218}
{"speech_id":1090018738,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Talking at people about what the U.S. image abroad should be is not sustainable or effective. Talking with people. and listening to them. however. can be the start of real understanding and even trust. That conversation needs to happen at a governmental level. through public and private diplomacy. but it alsoneeds to happen at an individual persontoperson level. through citizen diplomacy. - I have met with a number of groups from my State of Wisconsin that tell me they are concerned about misperceptions of America abroad. which they believe discourage people from coming to the U.S. to visit. study. learn about our wonderful country. and share their knowledge. I am so proud of the work people back in Wisconsin have done to overcome barriers to engaging outside our borders. whether by continuing Wisconsins strong history of support for the Peace Corps. or by taking part in farmer to farmer initiatives and education exchange programs. building sister communities. or tirelessly working to ensure that Wisconsin maintains its success inattract ing foreign visitors to our remarkable state. In 2004. Wisconsin was awarded the Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for. Excellence in International Education in honor of its work to bring international education and skills into its curriculum. In fact. earlier this year. Wisconsin welcomed a group of teachers from Azerbaijan to study .the workings of our education system to create a model for a new curriculum in their country. Wisconsin also. works to improve communities abroad. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7218}
{"speech_id":1090018738,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A nonprofit organization based in Wisconsin helps abused children in Latvia and is working to create the first family shelter there for these children and their mothers. Another Wisconsinite who is an expert in dairy prices participated in a farmer to farmer program to assist in building a pricing system in Armenias dairy industry. He was able to share his experiences from this program with myself and people back in the state. Citizen diplomacy not only helps the rest of the world to understand us. it strengthens this country internally as well. Americans with insight into and tihderstanding of the world beyond our borders become energized constituents who demand wise foreign policy and help all of us to understand global events. President Kennedy acknowledged the importance of public diplomacy in 1960 and challenged Americans to serve their country through building stronger communities abroad. His vision is even more relevant today. It is our responsibility to connect with people outside our borders. This duty can be fulfilled by teachers. students. retirees. and anyone who can share the best of the American people. We are a generous nation. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7218}
{"speech_id":1090018740,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with Senator CONRAD as a proud cosponsor of a resolution which recognizes the immense bravery of the crew and passengers on flight 93. Over 32 years have passed since September 11. 2001. but we. the American people. have not forgotten the bravery and selflessness that was shown by our fellow citizens on that day. During the 108th Congress. tlie 9\/11 Commission investigated the events that took place on September 11. 2001. including flight 93s crash in Somerset County. PA. As a result of a series of Senate hearings held to evaluate and gain a clearer understanding of the 9\/11 Commissions findings. the actions of flight 93s passengers and crew have become increasingly evident. We know with near certainty now that the terrorists had plans of causing severe destruction to either the White House or the CapitolBuilding. Having realized through phone calls to loved ones that three other planes had already been crashed that morning by terrorists. the passengers on flight 93 acted quickly and collaboratively to overtake the hijackers and force them to crash the plane into a rural part of Pennsylvania. keeping the planes intended target safe from harm. As a result of the 9\/11 Commissions findings. we conclude that America is indebted to the heroic actions of those on flight 93. who showed great bravery so that many other lives could be spared from ruin. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2747}
{"speech_id":1090018740,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We who work here in the Capitol are particularly indebted to those on board flight 93. In addition to saving the lives of thousands. the passengers on flight 93 ensured the preservatio of one of the greatest symbols of Americas freedom and democracy. In an effort to recognize and honor the heroes on flight 93. I am proud to submit this resolution with Senator CONRAD. This resolution is an expression of our deep gratitude for what those on flight 93 did for each of us here in our Nations Capital. as well. as an expression of sorrow and condolence to their families and friends. Additionally. this resolution provides for a place in the Capitol Building to be memorialized in the name of the crew and passengers of flight 93. with a remembrance plaque placed at the location. This day presents an opportunity to remember all of those who died on September 11. 2001. Additionally. our volunteers. first responders. . and the American people deserve a heartfelt \"thank you\" for the strength and strong resolve they showed in the face of destructive. cowardly acts. I hope that all of my colleagues will join with Senator CONRAD and me in this bipartisaneffort to honor the crew and passengers on flight 93 for what they did on that infamous day in Americas history. May their selfless actions. taken for us and the American people. never be forgotten.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2747}
{"speech_id":1090018799,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the summer of 2004 will be remembered for many years in American politics. Groups organized on the left and the right under what was known as section 527 of the Internal Revenue -Code and spent more than $300 million to support candidates. while the two major political parties and the Nations most respected labor unions. associations. businesses. and constitutional groups watched in silence from the sidelines. In response to this summer of 527s. some in Washington will bring -measures to rein in the 527 groups with greater government control and regulation. and that is certainly their right. The gentleman from Maryland . a Democratic Congressman. and I have taken a different approach in introducing the 527 Fairness Act in the 109th Congress. The 527 Fairness Act seeks to restore basic fairness to the political process for political parties and 501(c) organizations instead of attempting further regulation on political speech. More freedom is always the answer of the difficulties and challenges and the politics of a free society. While this liberty may be a bit more chaotic and inconvenient for some in the political class. as Thomas Jefferson said. \"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.\" I join the gentleman from Maryland","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1338}
{"speech_id":1090018814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I could not agree more with the intent of the bill. I certainly hope it takes less than the 12 years it took to do the Southern California Water Study. We do have a time frame for this to happen. It is critical for us to recognize that all areas of our country have water needs. and we need to consolidate how we address them and be together with the suppliers so we can move ahead with a comprehensive plan.","speaker_name":"GRACE NAPOLITANO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":38.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090018853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker.-H.R. 18. authored by the gentleman from California . authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the funding and implementation of a balanced. longterm groundwatdr remediation program. This bill establishes a limited Federal fund to resolve groundwater problems in the Santa Ana. California. watershed. This area has approximately .30 major water wells that are currently shut down or are out of production due to groundwater contamination from manmade and naturallyoccurring chemicals. For example. a local perchlorate plume has impacted 250.000 residents in Rialto. California. This bill is just one small. but very important. part of a comprehensive solution to resolvea water emergency. The House passed identical legislation in the 108th Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":944}
{"speech_id":1090018853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to once again adopt this measure. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":944}
{"speech_id":1090018892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a bowling ball weighs about 170 times the weight of a slice of sandwich bread. It does fiot take a physicift to see the mismatch between a bowling ball and a slice of bread. And it does not take a trade expert to see the economic mismatch between the United States and the nations that make up the Central American Free Trade Agreement: Honduras. Costa Rica. Nicaragua. Guatemala. and El Salvador. The way that CAFTA. the Central American Free Trade Agreement. proponents talk. you would think Central America was one of the biggest economies in the Western Hemisphere. CAFTA nations are not only among the worlds poorest countries. they are among its smallest economies. Think about this: this big trade agreement that President Bush wants. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4973}
{"speech_id":1090018892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CAFTA. the combined purchasing power of the CAFTA nations is almost identical to the purchasing power of Columbus. Ohio. Tomorrow. the Senate will hold the first congressional hearing on CAFTA. Congress typically has voted within 55 days. of President Bush signing a trade agreement. May 28 will mark the 1year anniversary of when the President signed CAFTA. The other trade agreements were all done within only about 2 months. Because CAFTA is so unpopular and trade policy in this country is so wrongheaded. the President still has not sent CAFTA here for a vote. Clearly. there is dissension in the ranks. and for good reason. CAFTA is the dysfunctional cousin of NAFTA. the North American Free Trade Agreement. continuing a legacy of failed trade policies. Look at NAFTAs record: one million United States manufacturing jobs lost to the North American Free Trade. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4973}
{"speech_id":1090018892,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Agreement. One million.. NAFTA did nothing. NAFTA: Mexico. Canada. the U.S. NAFTA did nothing for Mexican workers as promised. They continue to earn just about a dollar a day. while living in abject poverty. Not exactly a great market for U.S. products. And yet the U.S. continues to push for more of the same. more of the same job hemorrhaging. incomelowering trade agreements. more trade agreements that ship U.S. jobs overseas.. more trade agreements that neglect essential environmental standards. more trade agreements that keep foreign workers in poverty. Theonly difference between CAFTA and NAFTA is the first letter Madness is repeating the same action over and over and over and expecting a different result. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4973}
{"speech_id":1090018892,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We hear the same promises on every trade agreement. This Congress. somehow barely. in the middle of the night. passes them. We see the same bad results. But do not just take my word for it. Look at the numbers. Numbers do not lie. The U.S. economy. with a $10 trillion GDP in 2002. is 170 times bigger than the economies of the CAFTA nations. at about $62 billion combined. It is like pairing a bowling ball with a slice of bread. CAFTA is not about robust markets for the export of American goods. It is about outsourcing. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4973}
{"speech_id":1090018892,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is about access to cheap labor. We send our jobs overseas. The workers overseas get paid almost nothing. not able to raise their living standard. U.S. corporations make more money. American workers lose their jobs. It is the same old story. Again.. the combined purchasing power of the CAFTA nations is about that of Orlando. Florida. Trade pacts like NAFTA and CAFTA enable companies to exploit cheap labor in other countries. then import their products back to the U.S. under favorable terms. American companies outsource their jobs to Guatemala. outsource their jobs to China. outsource their jobs to Mexico. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4973}
{"speech_id":1090018925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the gentleman makes the point that in the case that he worked on. and it is unnecessary to mention -it by name. but that his investigative subcommittee. he and his colleagues. did an excellent job. And one of the reasons they did is because theywere able to keep that information between the witnesses apart. They were not able to have coordination. Their testimony was not contaminated in that way. And that is why they came up with such a clean. hard decision. which was adopted unanimously by the. investigative subcommittee and was adopted unanimously .by the full committee.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":592}
{"speech_id":1090018944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Texas for his comments. I appreciate that. And that letter really just gets to the heart of the matter. I hope to see that letter in their newsletter. They ought to be sending that kind of information out to their members because. as he said. it really is a disservice when the level of discussion about something so incredibly important sinks to these little games that are played that are not productive and that frankly do a disservice to our Nation and to its citizens. So I thank the gentleman for his participation this evening. Now I would like to ask the gentlewoman from Virginia . another stellar member of the freshman class who is going to join us. She is a Realtor and former State delegate from Virginia. As a former small business owner herself. she is extremely familiar with the positive impact protecting Social Security will have on millions of American families and small businesses. And I yield time to the gentlewoman from Virginia as she consumes.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":997}
{"speech_id":1090019053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to urge my Republican colleagues to join me in restoring the ethical system to this Chamber. Currently. a member of the Republican leadership is at the center of a troubling array of investigations into corruption. abuse of power and ethics violations. Instead of being forthright and open to these allegations. the Republican leadership has stripped the ethical rules of this institution to cater and protect one of their own. By doing so. Republican leadership has abandoned a tradition of trust and transparency in this body. As Members of Congress. we are responsible to adhering to the ethical guidelines set forth by this .Congress. As public servants. we must answer to the American public. and while we craft the law. we are not above the law. I urge my colleagues to answer the concerns of the American public and remove the question of any possible ethics violations that tarnish the reputation of this Chamber. Democrats want to restore strong. bipartisan ethics rules. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1172}
{"speech_id":1090019053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time Republicans join us in passing the Mollohan resolution and restore the ethical system and the integrity it upholds in the U.S. House of Representatives.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1172}
{"speech_id":1090019130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 787. a bill to designate the new United States courthouse located at 501 I Street in Sacramento. California in honor of our friend. my dear and treasured friend and colleague. Congressman Bob Matsui. Congressman Matsuis death this past January deprived this House of one of its most astute. most admired statesman. The headline in the \"Sacramento Bee\" newspaper said it well: \"A Good and Decent Man.\" A lifelong Californian. Bob Mats~i served the people of Californias 5th District with dedication. commitment and compassion. I was able to witness Bob Matsuis commitment to his constituents first hand when he and I worked together to address flood control issues for his beloved Sacramento area. No other major metropolitan area faces as severe a flood risk as Sacramento. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4259}
{"speech_id":1090019130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman Matsui believed. as do I. that the capital city of the worlds fifth largest economy deserved to know that it would not face severe threats from flooding. Following the high flows of 1986. when the levees almost failed. Congressman Matsui worked tirelessly to improve flood protection. He examined every option. He worked to forge agreement to complete a dam at Auburn. California. It was to be a multipurpose dam. then a dry dam. and then ultimately. no dam. but assurance of adequate water supply for upcountry users represented by Congressman John Doolittle. Because of Bob Matsuis persistence. original thinking. flexibility and collegiality. we were able to develop a comprehensive proposal that strengthens levees. makes use of the existing Folsom Dam. and preserves the beautiful American River Canyon. As this project comes to completion over the next few years. every Spring. when the snows melt and rains come. and the State Capitol in Sacramento stays dry. the people of California and the Nation will owe a debt of gratitude fo Bob Matsui for his persistence and wisdom on behalf of flood control. Flood control is just one example of Bob Matsuis dedication and effectiveness. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4259}
{"speech_id":1090019130,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are countless other examples. In his first congressional race in 1978. Congressman Matsui campaigned as an underdog who vowed to bring new statesmanship to public office. His campaign was enriched by literally hundreds of volunteers that helped him achieve victory. Bob Matsui did not disappoint his constituents. He brought not only statesmanship. but also dedication. competence. innovation. and integrity to public service. Elected to 14 consecutive terms in the House. Bob Matsui rose through the ranks to be a member of the Leadership team. Under his quiet demeanor lay a man of keen intellect who was a trusted friend and a formidable competitor. As a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4259}
{"speech_id":1090019130,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman Matsui was substantially involved with all the complex policy issues placedbefore the Committee including international trade. health care. welfare reform. and tax issues. Congressman Matsui helped create the Research and Development Tax Credit in 1981 to fuel innovation in the American economy. In 1986. he spearheaded efforts that resulted in extensive reform of the tax code. His work on the Earned Income Tax Credit helped extend the tax credit for working poor families. Most recently. Congressman Matsui was preparing to lead the discussions regarding the future of social security and his desire to preserve social security for future generations. Bob Matsui truly understood the varied complexities of the social security program. and he was determined that any reform of social security would provide for its longterm solvency without compromising its fundamental purposes. Bob Matsui was intellectually curious and honest. He was fair minded and even handed. His legacy is one of compassion. commitment to do the right thing. hard work. and wisdom. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4259}
{"speech_id":1090019130,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman Matsui is ably succeeded by his wife DORIS MATSUi. She has already done an admirable job of representing the people of Californias 5th District and I am confident that she will continue to do so. It is most fitting and proper that the career of this truly outstanding member be honored with the designation of the new courthouse in his hometown of Sacramento. California as the \"Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse.\" I urge the bills passage.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4259}
{"speech_id":1090019150,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this rule and the bill authored by the gentleman from Missouri and commend him for his great work on behalf of Americas job creators. I just heard the Jemocratic Member say that only a tiny fraction of the people who die in America and their families have to pay this death tax. Apparently. the gentleman has never had to go through the dreaded form 706. How many of us right now are trying to deal with -form 1040? Even though we deal with it year in and year out. we still cannot figure it out. What we are trying to get rid of is the complexity of the Tax Code and the $20 billion a year that the death tax consumes from the American economy that does not go to the Treasury but. rather. goes to tax lawyers and accountants and life insurance sales and keyman policies and so on. all of this estate planning which is economic waste. It is hurting our economy. Eightyeight pages of the Internal Revenue Code. 88 pages of law. are devoted to trying to close the loopholes that have erupted over the 20th century as our experiment with the death tax has shown that it actually costs the government and costs the American people money to maintain it. Much as we would like to be able to tax the superrich. they get out of the tax with trusts and loopholes and so on. as will the rich after we do what the Democrats want. which is to create some complicated new definitions to -try and cabin off this tax so it only affects a few people. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3430}
{"speech_id":1090019150,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The only people who will actually be hurt by the burden of these new complex rules and laws will be people who we do not want to pay the tax in the first place. If at the time that one of ones loved ones dies. just to file the return. not pay the tax. they are going to have to plow through all of these helpful instructions that are in such small print that even a high school student might need reading glasses to get through some of these 40 pages. But here is the kind of helpful thing one will find when a loved one dies: \"Generally. you may list on Schedule M all property interests that pass from the decedent to the surviving spouse and are included in the gross estate. However. you should not list any nondeductible terminable interests. described below. on Schedule M unless you are making a QTIP election. The property for which you make this election must be included on Schedule M. See qualified terminable interest property on the following page. \"For the rules on common disaster and survival for a limited period. see section 2056(b)(3).\" This is just one little paragraph out of 40 pages of this. They are going to have to hire a lawyer. They are going to have to hire an accountant to go through all this and list everything that their family member has accumulated throughout his or her entire life just to prove that they do not owe this tax. Anybody who is slogging through their form 1040 trying to file their income tax return now knows what I am talking about. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3430}
{"speech_id":1090019150,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are trying to eliminate the complexity of this law which hurts every single person who works for a small business in America. When that small business is liquidated in order to pay the death tax because it is a tax on property of small businesses. people lose their jobs. and that is where the burden and the incidence of this tax falls. Repealing the death tax once and for all is the right thing to do. and I am very pleased that this rule will bring that to the floor.","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3430}
{"speech_id":1090019161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to rise in support of the rule that will allow us to consider the permanent repeal of the death tax. Mr. Speaker. I think it is so appropriate. so very appropriate that this week. as millions of American taxpayers are finalizing their Federal income tax filings that we are looking at what is one of the most egregious taxes and most unfair taxes to our small business community. I am one of those that fully believes that the death tax is the triple tax. because Americans pay tax when they earn their income. Then they turn around. they buy an asset. and they spend their money. and they are paying a tax on every bit of that. And then. when an American dies. they have to pay the tax again. This tax affects every American. especially our small business owners. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090019161,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have found it very curious that some of my colleagues across the aisle continue to say it only affects the rich. Well. in my district. do my colleagues know that it affects thousands of farmers. thousands of small business owners who are very upset about the death tax? Families everywhere would benefit from the repeal of this tax. When 70 percent of family businesses do not make it to the second generation. there is a problem. and we know we can fix part of that problem. because it is the death tax. For too long the death tax has been a major factor in the failure of family businesses. The tax not only forces American families to hand pver their hard work to the government. family businesses spend millions of dollars every year trying to comply with these regulations. In addition. it discourages savings and investment. and it is costing our economy hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Mr. Speaker. 89 percent of Americans want death taxes repealed. Small business owners get it. seniors get it. the farmers in my district get it. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090019161,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I urge my colleagueA to join the leadership and to support this rule in favor of H.R. 8.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090019164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I rise in strong support of the rule and the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005. I do so. Mr. Speaker. really to just speak about small business America and about a small businessman who raised me. It was 17 years ago today at the tooyoung age of 58 that my father. Ed Pence. passed away. It happens to be an unfortunate anniversary in my family. but on April 13. 1988. we said goodbye to my father. He was a small business owner that many on the floor of the Congress today would classify as a rich American. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2694}
{"speech_id":1090019164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. the rich American that I saw was a man who started out in a very small business in Columbus. Indiana. and worked tirelessly to raise his four sons and two daughters and build a business that employed several hundred local people in support of their families. It is really. with the memory of my father in mind. that I rise in vigorous support of the permanent repeal of the death tax. Because while my family was reeling from the grief of the loss of my father to a sudden heart attack 17 years ago today. also we were settling into the reality that much of what he had built. all of which he had already paid taxes on. was now subject to as much as a 47 percent estate tax. My fathers death and the business that he built and the resources that he had husbanded. after paying all of his debts and all of his taxes. should not have been subject to another tax. And we come into this well today on behalf of small business owners and family farmers just like my dad to put to an end permanently this truly immoral death tax in America. It is the reality out there. not the heated rhetoric of rich versus poor. that explains why 89 percent of small business owners favor permanent repeal. In fact. they know that more than 70 percent of family businesses do not survive to a second generation. 87 percent do not make it to a third generation. Much is made of middle America that I am proud to represent and the fact that Main Streets .and courthouse squares are largely boarded up. People want to blame the Internet. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2694}
{"speech_id":1090019164,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They want to blame mass retailers. Well. I put the majority of the blame in practical terms at the doorstep of the death tax. It has waged war on small business and family farmers all across America. and we will begin to reverse that in a permanent way today. So in the tender memory of my father. of his earnest labors. and with it in my mind the men and women who to this day labor to raise their families and build small businesses and family farms all across America that I extol the authors of this bill. I endorse the rule. and I vigorously support the permanent repeal of the death tax.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2694}
{"speech_id":1090019168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we have heard a lot of rhetoric here today. and some of it a bit disingenuous. I think it is a bit disingenuous to say in a loud tone. demanding an answer to some rhetorical question. and then demand. well. I hear none. when all of us here are observing the rules and not interrupting. It is a bit interesting to hear people talk about red herrings. and I like hearing. from people across the aisle that they want to talk about real facts. So let me talk about real facts. This. my friends. is a music box. It plays Amazing Grace. I would wind it up and play it now if the rules allowed that. E 1215 It belonged to my Great Aunt Lillie. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1752}
{"speech_id":1090019168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She was land rich. Over a hundred years their family accumulated land. farm and ranch. I bought this music box at an IRS auction where the IRS forced the sale of everything she owned. They accumulated about 2.500 acres of farm and ranch land. She died in July of 1986. and shortly thereafter land was dumped on the market. Times were rough. and the value of the land that was around $2.000 an acre when she died went to $600 or $700 an acre. The IRS was actually very gracious. They gave a couple of extensions or so. They allowed another appraisal. but it was around $2.000 an acre when she died. The IRS required the sale of every acre of land that they owned. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1752}
{"speech_id":1090019168,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They sold every item out of her home. If anybody in the family wanted anything. we had to show up at the auction and buy it. I bought this keepsake to remember my Great Aunt Lillie. who had been so gracious and kind and a great farm woman and a great gentlewoman. So if you want to talk about the death tax in real facts. here it is. The death tax provides no grace. amazing or otherwise. It is a socialist notion. and it needs to go away.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1752}
{"speech_id":1090019171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from Washington for yielding this time. Mr. Speaker. in the last 2 years. the economy has created over 3 million new jobs. The unemployment rate is down. Our Nations total output. or Gross Domestic Product. is up. Home ownership is at a record high. and personal income has increased. Our economy is strong. To ensure that we continue to enjoy prosperity. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1102}
{"speech_id":1090019171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress should support a proeconomic growth agenda that creates jobs and helps small businesses grow. This includes reducing taxes. Our families and our country are better off when they keep more of what they earn. One way to enable them to do that is to pass H.R. 8. which permanently repeals the punitive death tax. This tax often prevents parents from passing along their lifes work and savings to their children. Family farms. ranches and small businesses are forced to *be sold to satisfy the death tax rates which can reach 55 percent. No one should be taxed throughout their lifetime and then have their property retaxed at the time of their death. It is the wrong tax at the wrong time on the wrong people.","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1102}
{"speech_id":1090019182,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the. balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. this is. not the first time that this body has addressed the issue of repealing or making permanent the death tax. In the 106th Congress. on a bipartisan basis. with 279 votes in favor. this body voted in favor of permanently eliminating the death tkx. And the other body. also on a bipartisan basis. they. too. voted to permanently eliminate the death tax. but President Clinton vetoed that bill. 0l 1230 In the 107th Congress. again on a bipartisan basis. the House voted to eliminate the death tax permanently. Unfortunately. in the reconciliation of trying to put the differences between the two Houses together. we put the date of the 2011 when that would expire. In the last Congress. once again the House addressed this issue and voted to permanently eliminate this death tax. The bill that we will address when we pass this rule is exactly the same as the bill that we passed on a bipartisan basis in the last Congress. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1141}
{"speech_id":1090019182,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to vote. for the rule and the underlying bill. The material previously referred to by Mr. McGOVERN is as follows:","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1141}
{"speech_id":1090019208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds. I am sure the gentleman from Michigan misspoke. and I am certain it was inadvertent. The bill. H.R. . actually does allow for a step up in basis of $3 million for a surviving spouse and another $1.3 million for surviving heirs. If the intent of the legislation. which it is. is to help family businesses be passed from one generation to the next and the surviving heirs choose not to farm or continue the family busifiess. then they are the ones making the taxable decision to dispose of assets that would be subject to a 15 percent capital gains rate but certainly not the 45 percent estate tax. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida .","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":698}
{"speech_id":1090019230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my friend from Missouri for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I think a number of important points have been made today. but I rise today in strong support of this bill and in opposition to the estate tax. Some of the previous speakers on this side of the aisle have made reference to the fact that a number of us on the Democratic side have worked over this issue since actually the early nineties. I know the gentlemans predecessor Jennifer Dunn and I and a number of people from this side of the aisle had worked hard together to look for a commonsense way that we could end this burden which. in my opinion. is an extreme burden on the small business community and on the farm community. I do not know about the other speakers. but when I go back to my district and I am mixing and mingling with the folks where they eat breakfast. or where they have dinner or where they gather. it is my farm families that bring this issue up. In north Alabama where I come from. we have some of the most productive farm families of any district in the country. For generations. they have struggled and used tax lawyers and tax strategies to try to find a way to effectively pass that farm on to the next generation that we want to continue engaging in that farm business. But they are overwhelmed by this issue. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT CRAMER","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2535}
{"speech_id":1090019230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2001. we did a good step. not a great step but a good step. We passed some temporary relief. But the reality is that if we do not permanently repeal the death tax. you have almost got to time your death for the benefit of your family. That is outrageous. So let us make sure that we bury this issue once and for all. According to the Congressional Research Service. estates that included farm or business assets represented 42.5 percent of the 30.000 plus taxable estate tax returns filed in 2003. It is not fair to say that this is just a rich persons issue. that the estate tax only affects the wealthy. because. according to that same Congressional Research Service. estates over $5 million accounted for only 6.8 percent of taxable estates. In this day and time. assets are accumulated in a different way than they were 20 years ago. 25 years ago. 30 years ago or even more than that. For the benefit of those farmers. for those small manufacturers. for the local car dealers. the independent car dealers. the realtors. the funeral directors. the grocers. the family restaurant owners. the florists. the convenience stoke owners and many others. let us end this unfair tax burden. I urge the Members to support this.","speaker_name":"ROBERT CRAMER","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2535}
{"speech_id":1090019249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I strongly support H.R. 8. the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005. and encourage my colleagues to pass this important legislation. This vital legislation will permanently repeal the estate tax. a tax that is unjust. inefficient. and harmful to small businesses. the backbone of our economy. Repeal of the Death Tax will create a system that is more equitable and more productive for our economy. The Death Tax is a burden on our economy that costs the country between 170.000 and 250.000 jobs every year. In Louisiana. our familyowned farms have been faced with decreasing profitability and in many instances the Death Tax is an additional burden that they cannot carry. this tax is a leading cause of the dissolution for thousands of familyrun businesses across the country. It also diverts resources from investment in capital. slowing research and development at a time when our country is facing growing competition around the world. We cannot afford to continue discouraging productivity and innovation. Furthermore. the death tax is inefficient. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2139}
{"speech_id":1090019249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since the 1930s. revenue from the tax has fallen steadily as a percentage of total federal revenue. Compliance costs each year can be almost as high as the tax itself. around $22 billion in 2003. thus every dollar raised by the death tax is $2 that could have been invested in capital and new jobs. The economic damage ofthe Death Tax is reason enough for its repeal. but it is also fundamentally unjust. The rate of taxation is as high as 47%. and this is in addition to the taxes that were already paid on the assets subject to this tax. The Death Tax also discourages hard work and savings and instead encourages largescale consumption. At a time when we should and need to be encouraging individuals to save for their future. we cannot continue to send this mixed message. By repealing the Death Tax we will create a tax policy that is more efficient. more equitable and more productive for our economy. I urge Congress to act today to permanently repeal the Death Tax and ensure that our future generations will be able to carry on the heritage of our forefathers.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2139}
{"speech_id":1090019252,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R..8. legislation that would permanently repeal the Death Tax. a tax that haunts millions of small business owners and farmers nationwide. The last thing the federal government should be doing is taking. more money from small business owners and farmers. and curtailing further economic growth. They are the backbone that drives our economy forward. I commend Mr. HULSHOF for his leadership on this issue and praise his vision to continue lowering thefederal tax burden. Throughout my twentytwo years in Congress. I have proudly voted for every major tax cut initiative considered by the House. Cutting taxes is one of my highest priorities. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2412}
{"speech_id":1090019252,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remain convinced that letting Americans keep more of what they earn will help stimulate the economy and create more jobs. People will not hide this muchneeded relief under their mattress or store it in their closet. instead they will purchase necessary goods and services. An increased demand for these goods and services will require more employees. therefore. providing incentives for businesses to hire more workersputting unemployed Americans back on the job and providing a framework for longterm economic growth. The key to growing our economy is simpieallow Americans to keep more of their own money to spend. save. and invest. My favorite fourletter worddont worry. its a four letter word that can be used in polite companyis JOBS. Permanently repealing the death tax will create new jobs across the nation. Cutting taxes is not unprecedented. Since 2001. Congress has repeatedly passed legislation. which Im proud to say I voted for. to lower the federal tax burden. For example. we voted to extend relief from the marriage penalty tax. a burdensome tax on married couples for doing nothing more than saying \"I do.\" We also voted to extend the Alternative Minimum Tax reforms (AMT). which is the right step toward making sure the AMT applies only to those people it was designed to cover. not working families just trying to make ends meet. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2412}
{"speech_id":1090019252,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We also supported a measure to extend the 10% bracket to lower taxes for hard working. lowincome families. Finally. we voted to extend the $1.000 child tax credit. It only nakes sense to take the next step and permanently repeal the Death Tax. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 8. and put an end to this unfair. unjust. and inefficient burden on our economy.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2412}
{"speech_id":1090019256,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Benjamin Franklin noted over 200 years ago that \"in this world nothing can be said to be certain. except death and taxes.\" Unfortunately. the convergence of these two inescapable events. in the form of the Federal estate tax. results in a number of destructive outcomes in terms of slower economic growth. reduced social mobility. and wasted productive activity. Moreover. the costs imposed by the estate tax far outweigh any benefits that the tax might produce. For these reasons. among others. I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of permanent repeal of the Federal estate tax. The estate tax has been enacted four times in our Nations historyeach time in response to the exigent financial straits deriving from war. In three of those instances (17971802.186270. and 18981902). the estate tax was repealed shortly thereafter. Most recently. the estate tax was reintroduced during World War I (1916) and has existed ever since. What was meant to bring shortterm budgetary relief has become a permanent burden on Americas farmers. small business owners and families. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9855}
{"speech_id":1090019256,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some observers might believe that the estate tax is free from serious controversy. For example. it is often claimed that the tax only falls on the \"rich\" and thus serves to reduce income inequality. Other supporters of the estate tax point to the $22 billion in tax revenues for 2003. or to the incentive for charitable bequests. Nonetheless. there are many reasons to question the value of taxing -the accumulated savings of productive. entrepreneurial citizens. Not the least of these reasons is the widelyheld belief that families who work hard and accumulate savings should not be punished for soynd budgeting. Additionally. it is unclear whether the estate tax raises any revenue at all. since most if not all of its receipts are offset by losses under the income tax. The freedom to attain prosperity and accumulate wealth is the basis of the \"American dream.\" We are taught that through hard work we can achieve that dream.and. God willing. pass it on to our children. Unfortunately. for many the estate tax turns that dream into a nightmare. The current tax treatment of a persons life accumulations is so onerous that when one dies. the children are often forced to turn over half of their inheritance to the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9855}
{"speech_id":1090019256,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The estate tax. which is imposed at an alarming 45 to 47 percent rate. is higher than in any other industrialized nation in the world except Japan. Thus. many families must watch their loved ones legacy being snatched away by the Federal Government at an agonizing time. This is tragically wrong and nullifies the hard work of those who have passed on. In the minority community there are numerous examples of the injurious effects of the estate tax. The Chicago Daily Defenderthe oldest African Americanowned daily newspaper in the United States--is a good example of the unique problem presented for.\"minority families. It was forced into bankruptcy due to financial burdens imposed by the estate tax. But. beyond that. the questions werewas the Chicago Defender family forced to sell. could a minority owner be found to purchase it. or would it become a whiteowned asset. reducing the overall wealth of the African American community? On a smaller scale. another potential victim. a storeowner named Leonard L. Harris who is a first generation owner of Chatham Food Center on the South Side of Chicago is frightened that all the work and value he has put into his business will be for naught because it will be stripped from his two sons. According to Mr. Harris. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9855}
{"speech_id":1090019256,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"My focus has been putting my earnings back into growing the business. For this reason. cash resources to pay federal estate taxes. based gn the way valuation is made. would force my family to sell the store in order to pay the IRS within 9 months of my death. Our yearly earnings would not cover the payment of such a high tax. I should know. I started my career as a CPA.\" These two stories are not isolated. According to the Life Insurance Marketing Research Association. less than half of all familyowned businesses survive the death of a founder and only about 5 percent survive to the third generation. Another recent study found the following: Eight out of ten minority business owners questioned believe the Federal estate tax is unfair. Only one minority business owner in three has been able to take any steps whatsobver to prepare for the ramifications of the estate tax. One in four believes that his or her heirs will be forced to sell off at least part of their butinesses to pay the estate tax liability. Fully half the respondents already know a minorityowned business that has had trouble paying the tax. including some that have been forced to liquidate. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9855}
{"speech_id":1090019256,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those few minorityowned businesses that have been able to take steps to reduce their estate tax liability complain that it has detracted from their ability to meet business objectives by channeling time. energy and resources away from productive endeavors. Many of my colleagues who are proponents of the estate tax contend that the tax adds progressivity to the Tax Code and provides needed tax revenue. They argue that the estate tax falls on wealthier and higher income individuals and increases the total tax paid by this segment of the population relative to their income. This helps offset the regressivity of payroll taxes and excise taxes. which fall more heavily on lowincome groups relative to their income. They also argue that increasing the unified credit to $4. $5. $6 or $7 million would remove small familyowned businesses and farms from the harsh impact of the estate tax. I share my colleagues concerns about protecting the tax base and ensuring that our Tax Code remains progressive. However. I find these arguments in support of the estate tax unconvincing in the face of substantial evidence otherwise. First. there is no clear evidence that the estate tax is progressive or that larger estates are paying a greater portion of the tax. Wealthier members of our society are able to reduce and or eliminate the impact of the estate tax by stuffing money away here and there at the suggestion of highpriced attorneys and accountants. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9855}
{"speech_id":1090019258,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to express my strong support for H.R. 8. the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005. I have supported this measure in the past and have introduced similar legislation to make the death tax repeal permanent. I believe it is important that we accomplish the goal of passing this in the House and the Senate and seeing this bill enacted into law. The Death Tax needs to die. Along with the marriage penalty. the death tax is perhaps the most disgraceful tax levied by the Federal Government and it should be repealed immediately. The death tax is double taxation. Small business owners and family farmers pay taxes throughout their lifetime. then at the time of death they are assessed another tax on the value of the property on which they have already paid taxes. This is unfair. unjust and an inefficient burden on our economy. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3542}
{"speech_id":1090019258,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have spoken in the past about a constituent of mine. Danny Sexton of Kissimmee. FL and owner of Kissimmee Florist. He. like millions of other Americans. has experienced the sad realities of the Death Tax. He joined me several years ago in Washington to highlight the adverse impact the Death Tax had on his family business. Mr. Sexton. who comes from a family of florists. inherited his uncles flower shop and was faced with paying almost $160.000 in estate taxes. This forced him to have to liquidate all of the assets. layoff workers and take out a loan just to pay the death tax. He also had to establish a line of credit just to keep the operation running. Danny Sexton is the reason we need to appeal the death tax. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3542}
{"speech_id":1090019258,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The death tax isnt a tax on just the rich. it is a tax that hurts family owned businessesfamily owned businesses that are the backbone of this great Nation. It also caused several average workers to lose their jobs. Family owned businesses provide and create millions of jobs for American workers. The people who worked in Mr. Sextons florist were not rich. but they lost their jobs because of the Death Tax. In a recent survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. 89 percent of small business owners favored permanent repeal of the death tax. Why? Because these small business owners know this tax may mean the death of their business for future generations. According to the Center for the Study of Taxation. more than 70 percent of family businesses do not survive the second generation and 87 percent do not make it to the third generation. Family owned and operated businesses deserve the right to be inherited by the next generation without the blow of the death tax. In current law. the death tax is phasedout. completely repealed in 2010. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3542}
{"speech_id":1090019258,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But that is not good enough because in 2011. the tax reemerges in full force. That means taxpayers must plan for three different scenarios when passing along their family businesspre2010 when the exemption levels are gradually increasing and the top rate gradually decreasing. 2010 when the tax is completely repealed. or 2011 when the tax reemerges. This is complicated. confusing and hard to plan forunless a small business owner knows for certain when his or her death will occur. When we make this tax repeal permanent. taxpayers will have the ability to make longterm financial plans with certainty and will have the opportunity to pass on their hard earned family businesses and farms to future generations. It will also ensure that those who work for these. small businesses are able to keep their jobs. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 8. the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3542}
{"speech_id":1090019259,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I favor cutting unnecessary. ineffective or unfair taxes. but in balanced and fiscally responsible ways. I have been one of the few Democrats in Congress who has been willing to cross party lines to vote for tax cuts. I have voted to eliminate the estate tax in the past. I have been willing to vote for eliminating the marriage penalty. to vote for cutting taxes for small businesses. to vote for cutting taxet to help people pay for education and retirement. and to vote for cutting taxes for senior citizens and to give business tax credit for research work. With a war in Iraq and looming postwar costs. increased expenses for domestic security and a ballooning budget deficit. Congress. must exercise restraint on both revenues and spending to prevent fiscal policy from spiraling out of control. The consensus in favor of balancing the budget over the long term must be reestablished. There are a wide range of pressing national challenges that need action. from rapidly increasing health care costs. to our increasing dependence on evermoreexpensive foreign oil. to a broken and increasingly corrupt political system. and yet today we are passing a bill that will only help a few of the already wealthy. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4456}
{"speech_id":1090019259,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today we are debating total elimination of the federal inheritance tax. Permanently repealing the estate tax would further balloon the Federal budget deficit by an estimated $290 billion through 2015. and by $745 billion through 2021. Add in the interest costs of borrowing the funds to pay for this measure. and the true 10year cost is nearly $1.3 trillion. I support the substitute offered by Representative EARL POMEROY which will protect families and small business from the estate tax. The substitute increases the estate tax credit to $3 million. $6 million for married couples. beginning in 2006. Under the substitute. the credit would be increased to $3.5 million. $7 million for couples. in 2009. The Pomeroy substitute would eliminate tax reporting compliance burdens and carryover taxes for over 71.000 estates each year which effects small business and families. According to Representative POMEROYS calculation. his package would exempt 99.68 percent of all estates from the estate tax. yet it would save the Treasury $217 billion compared to total repeal. It is worth noting that the saving of $217 billion is equal to 40 percent of the shortfall of Social Security of the next 75 years. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4456}
{"speech_id":1090019259,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. today the national debt is the largest in history. Americans now collectively owe about $7.8 trillion. Here we have another tax cut that is not being paid for. .even as the Bush administration and the leadership of this Congress spend more than the American government has ever spent on homeland security and on all the other expenses of running the Governmentespecially the huge costs of the war in. and occupation of. Iraq. Government borrowing of this scale places the burden of repaying our debts on our children. Governing is about making choices. Our constituents all across America sent us to Congress to. make the tough decisions. They did not send us here so we can pass those decisions on to our children. and they certainly did not send us here to pass the cost of our decisions on to our children. I want the people of this country to realize that. right now. we owe collectively. about $4.5 trillion to foreign countries. Japan holds $702 billion of our debt. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4456}
{"speech_id":1090019259,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"China. including Hong Kong. $246 billion. the U.K. $163 billion. Taiwan. $59 billion. Germany. $57 billion. OPEC countries. $65 billion. Switzerland. $50 billion. Korea. $68 billion. Mexico. $41 billion. Luxembourg. $29 billion. Canada. $43 billionthe list goes on and on. More tax cuts of this size will not only jeopardize critical public services now. but they will also hurt Americans well into the future. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4456}
{"speech_id":1090019259,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Massive deficits now create large debt and will create high interest payments that will crowd out spending on public investments for future generations. Moreover. these deep deficits threaten to increase interest rates in the futuremaking it harder for Americans to buy homes and afford higher education and making it harder for businesses to raise capital. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting permanent reform of the estate tax. but not irresponsibly repealing it. Government should follow the principle of helping the present generation and helping future generation as wellnot leaving future generations to pay our bill.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4456}
{"speech_id":1090019283,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. it is fascinating if you would think if there was a proposal in the substitute to eliminate the whole list bf taxes that the gentleman referred to. but I have never heard one case where they have talked about eliminating any tax. only increasing taxes. So it is quite an interesting debate. Let me just say. I come to this as someone who grew up in a family farm operation. a family small business. I can tell you firsthand from real life. honest experience the effect that the death tax has on families and creating jobs and opportunities and being able to continue what I believe is the American Dream. and that is to have an opportunity for your children and your grandchildren to continue a life that you love and cherish. Nothing stands in the way more for families and small businesses to be successful. to continue. than the death tax. ","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1922}
{"speech_id":1090019283,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We spend thousands and thousands of dollars every year as a way to try and avoid what the death tax will do to us. It is morally wrong that the day you die. your heirs should not only see the undertaker but have to go see the tax man to see how much the Federal Government is going to take away from a lifetime of work. The idea. while the gentleman from North Dakota . I have the greatest respect for him. but the idea of continuing an immoral tax that destroys family. destroys family businesses. I have seen neighbors who have lost everything they have. lost generations of work on a family farm because of the death tax. It is a fact that nothing is more harmful. nothing is more hurtful than a tax that takes away the hope of the American Dream. This country is based on farms. on small businesses. That is the lifeblood of this Nation. and nothing destroys it more than the death tax. and that is why we have to kill this death tax to make sure that we can experience the American Dream in this country.","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1922}
{"speech_id":1090019315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. well. congratulations to the- BushCheney administration. They set another record yesterday. but it is one I am certain they will soon eclipse. The United States of America ran the largest 1month trade deficit in our history. $61 billion. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost in order to achieve that record. Whole industries were exported to China and other cheap wage countries in order to set that record. Congratulations to the administration. Their trade policy is a tremendous success for those few multinational corporations who are profiting handoverfist with these policies. while tens of thousands of Americans lose their job and we lose our industrial base here at home. In the first 2 months of the year. a $29 billion trade deficit with Communist China. We are on a par. the Bush administration is on a path. to beat their record trade deficit with Communist China that they set just last year. a $162 billion trade deficit with Communist China last year. a country which pirates products from small businesses across America. including a number in my district. both hitech. furniture and others. a country that does not observe international laws. a country that the BushCheney -administration told us. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5024}
{"speech_id":1090019315,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Oh. please. give us permanent mostfavorednation status for those Chinese. and then they will clean up their act. Put them in the World Trade Organization and we will use the force of law against them.\" Well. they have only chosen to file one complaints against the tens of billions of dollars of products pirated by the Chinese from American firms. and that was for one of the drug companies. of course. Who else would they go to. bat for? Not the small businesses. not the hitech business in my district. not the furniture business in my district. not the other businesses across America. Yet their trade policy is working just great. Now they say two things. Well. if the dollar just drops a little bit. everything will be fine. Well. the dollar has dropped a lot. and everything is not fine. and the dollar is on the verge of dropping one whole heck of a lot more. Even when it gets down to the value of an Indian rupee. it still is not going to solve the trade problem. Because the classic economic theory is. well. if your currency is devalued. then your manufacturers will crank things up and your goods will be bought overseas. That will not happen for two reasons: One. we do not make tfiings anymore. and many of our companies have moved their industrial base to China and many more are contemplating doing that or being forced to do that. or to Mexico or to other countries where they can exploit labor better. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5024}
{"speech_id":1090019315,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So. for that reason. it is not going to happen. Second. because the Chinese will not allow our goods in. and they have illegally pegged their currency to ours. so their currency is artificially cheap. It falls with the dollar. so we can never catch up with the Chinese. And the Bush administration has refused to do anything about those illegal actions by the Chinese. the illegal pirating of U.S. goods. theft of jobs. illegal currency manipulations by the Chinese. The Bush administration will not do anything because a few big companies and contributors are doing very well over there. It is just to the detriment of the majority of the workers and people here at home in the United States of America. . They say there is another reason why the trade deficit is so big. because our economy is growing so fast. faster than other economies. That is why we got a big trade deficit. Well. that is an interesting argument. So we are borrowing a bunch of money from the Chinese. they are now our second largest international creditor. soon to be our largest. the Japanese are number one. and we use that money which we borrow from them to buy goods that used to be produced in the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5024}
{"speech_id":1090019315,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And since those are produced nominally by American corporations. that shows growth here at home. In the meantime. here at home people are unemployed. running up their credit cards. they have lost their jobs to unfair Chinese competition. and that shows what a robust and growing economy we have. What a disaster this is for the working people of this country. What a disaster this is for the future industrial might of the United States of America. for our productive capacity. What a disaster it is going to be when the dollar tanks and oil goes up even more because the dollar will have been devalued so much. There are so many things wrong with this laissez faire trade policy it is hard to know where to start. but the Bush administration thinks it is working just fine because they set a new record yesterday. the largest 1month trade deficit in the history of the United States of America. and they are hoping they beat it every month this year and beat last years record trade deficit. because that means jobs are exported. and. in the words of the Presidents former economic adviser. that is a good thing when we export jobs. It makes the country more efficient.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5024}
{"speech_id":1090019364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Absolutely. And reclaiming my time. Mr. Speaker. the numbers are about $4.500 for every American in the workforce. $9.000 for a married couple. These numbers are so staggering. and so I think it is a moral imperative for Congress to act. And with that. Mr. Speaker. I further yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":299}
{"speech_id":1090019398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to share with my colleagues my observations and urgings on two issues: One. following on the eloquent remarks of the Senator from Georgia. SAXBY CHAMBLISS. on the importance of judges and actions in the Senate. and the second has to do with our National Guard and Reserves who are being called up for duty and what the Federal Government can do to be helpful to them. JUDGES First. on judges. I look at four pillars as being essential for a free and just society: freedom of religion. freedom of expression. private ownership of property. and fourth. the rule of law. The rule of law is where judges come in. where you have fair adjudication of disputes. as well as the protection of our Godgiven rights. It is absolutely essential we have judges on the bench at the Federal level. and at all levels. who understand their role is to adjudicate disputes. to apply the facts and evidence of the case to the laws. laws made by elected Representatives. We are a representative democracy. That means the judges ought to apply the law. not invent the law. not serve as a superlegislature. not to use their own opinions as to what the law should be but rather apply it. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5042}
{"speech_id":1090019398,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is absolutely essential for the rule of law. for the credibility and stability one would want to be able to rely on in our representative democracy for investments and. as we advance freedom. to try to have the people of other countries around the world put into place these four pillars of a free and just society. What we have seen is a break of precedent in the Senate. For 200 years judicial nominees from the President. when they were put forward. were examined by the Judiciary Committee very closely. as they should be. as to their temperament. philosophy. and scholarship. If they received a favorable recommendation from the committee. they would come to the floor and Senators would vote for them or against them. In the last 2 or 3 years. what we have seen is unprecedented obstruction. a requirement. in effect. of a 60vote margin for judges. particularly at the appellate level. The most egregious in recent years. in. my view. was Miguel Estrada. He is an outstanding individual. completely qualifiedgreat scholarship. great experiencea modernday Horatio Alger story. having come to this country from Central America. applying himself. doing well. Indeed. the American Bar Association unanimously gave him their highest recommendation and endorsement. That went on for a year. Then it went on for another year. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5042}
{"speech_id":1090019398,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It went on for over 2 years. and he finally had to withdraw. notwithstanding the fact that a vast majority of Senators were actually for Miguel Estrada. It is not unique to him. It has happened to roughly 10 or so appellate judges. including those nominated for the Ninth Circuit. which is the circuit where you have adventurous. activist judges who ignore the will of the people. For example. the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. which they struck down because they are concerned about the Words \"under God.\" That is the sort of activist judiciary that is ignoring the will of the people. who are the owners of this Government. People say: What do we need to do. and they up come with this term. \"nuclear option.\" It is a constitutional option. It shows how out of touch people are in calling this a nuclear option. when all it is is the question of whether it is a majority vote to give advice and consent or to dissent on a particular judicial nomination. It is my view. in the event the minority party continues with the approach of obstructing the opportunity of a nominee to have fair consideration. then this constitutional option must be utilized. .We should not be timid. We should not cower. I believe the obstructionist approaches are preventing me from exercising my duty and responsibility to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia to advise and consent on these judicial nominations. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5042}
{"speech_id":1090019398,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope my colleagues will not continue this obstructionist approach. In the event they do. then we have to use the constitutional option. I do not think it is too much to ask Senators to get off their haunches and show the backbone or spine to vote yes or no. but vote. and then explain to their constituents why they voted the way they did on any particular man or woman who has been nominated to a particular judicial position. I am hopeful we do not have to use it. but if we do. go for it. Do not cower. Do not be timid. The people. as my colleague from Georgia said. all across this country. whether they are down in Cajun country in Louisiana. whether they are in Florida. whether they are in the Black Hills of South Dakota. or whether they are in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. expect action on judges. As much as people care about less taxation and energy security for this country and wanting us to be leaders in innovation. they really expect the Senate to act on judges. It is a values issue. It is a good government issue. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5042}
{"speech_id":1090019398,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a responsibilityingoverning issue that needs to be addressed.","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5042}
{"speech_id":1090019410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise. today to urge my colleagues to think about the implications of what has been called the nuclear option and what effect that might have on this Chamber and on this country. I urge all of us to think not just about .winning every debate but about protecting free and democratic debate. During my Senate campaign. I had the privilege and opportunity to meet Americans from all walks of life and both ends of the political spectrum. They told me about their lives. about their hopes. about the issues that matter to them. and they also told me what they think about Washington. Because my colleagues have heard it themselves. I know it will not surprise many of them to learn that a lot of people do not think much gets done around here on issues about which they care the most. They think the atmosphere has become too partisan. the arguments have become too nasty. and the political agendas have become too petty. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4304}
{"speech_id":1090019410,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I have not been here too long. I have noticed that partisan debate is sharp. and dissent is not always well received. Honest differences of opinion and principled compromise often seem to be the victim of a determination to score points against ones opponents. But the American people sent us here to be their voice. They understand that those voices can at times become loud and argumentative. but they also hope we can disagree without being disagreeable. At the end of the day. they expect both parties to work together to get the peoples business done. What they do not expect is for one party. be it Republican or Democrat. to change the rules in the middleof the game so they can make all the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet. The American people want less partisanship in this town. but everyone in this Chamber knows that if the majority chooses to end the filibuster. if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate. then the fighting. the bitterness. and the gridlock will only get worse. I understand that Republicans are getting a lot of pressure to do this from factions outside the Chamber. but we need to rise above \"the ends justify the means\" mentality because we are here to answer to the peopleall of the people. not just the ones who are wearing our particular party label. The fact is that both parties have worked together to confirm 95 percent of this Presidents judicial nominees. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4304}
{"speech_id":1090019410,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senate has accepted 205 of his 214 selections. In fact. we just confirmed another one of the Presidents judges this week by a vote of 95 to 0. Overall. this is a better record than any President has had in the last 25 years. For a President who received 51 percent of the vote and a Senate Chamber made up of 55 percent of the Presidents party. I would say that confirming 95 percent of their judicial nominations is a record to be proud of. Again. I urge my Republican colleagues not to go through with changing these rules. In the long run. it is not a good result for either party. One day Democrats will be in the majority again. and this rule change will be no fairer to a Republican minority than it is to a Democratic minority. I sense that talk of the nuclear option is more about power than about fairness. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4304}
{"speech_id":1090019410,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe some of my colleagues propose .this rule change because they can get away with it rather than because they know it is good for our democracy. Right now we are faced with rising gas prices. skyrocketing tuition costs. a record number of uninsured Americans. and some of the most serious national security threats we have ever had. while our bravest young men and women are risking their lives halfway around the world to keep us safe. These are challenges we all want to meet and problems we all want to solve. even if we do not always agree on how to do it. But if the right of free and open debate is taken away from the minority party and the millions of Americans who ask us to be their voice. I fear the partisan atmosphere in Washington will be poisoned to the point where no one will be able to agree on anything. That does not serve. anybodys best interest. and it certainly is not what the patriots who founded. this democracy had in mind. We owe the people who sent us here more than that. We owe them much more. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4304}
{"speech_id":1090019484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to address the Senator from Illinois because every person the Senator has mentioned in connection with Senator KERRYs amendment is covered. All the people on an airplane going to combat are covered. Any trainingrelated combat. they are covered. The question is whether people who stand side by side with someone in the Pentagon working daily in uniform. a civilian person working the same job. whether one should be covered in the event of death and the other should not. whether one should be covered while driving home here in Washington. DC. after drinking too much. gets in an automobile accident. and get the same benefit a fallen hero gets. I ask the Senator if he would consider in connection with his amendment eliminating a request for the yeas and nays and we would be glad to accept that amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":831}
{"speech_id":1090019589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the provisions we talked about before. which would attract any number of illegal immigrantsand by the way. that is not a term I throw around negatively because they would. in fact. have to say they were illegal immigrants in order to gain entry into the United States. They would have to say they were working illegally in the United States before and now they want to come back. That is the provision of law under which they could actually come back into the United States. Based on the experience of the Senator from California with the use of illegal documentationSocial Security cards. drivers licenses. all of the other items of identification that can be counterfeitedwould the Senator have a view as to wheth6r this particular provision could be taken advantage of by those wishing to commit fraud? Of course. people already committed fraud in this country by coming here illegally and using those same fraudulent documents to gain employment in the first place. Isnt this one that would engender a lot of fraudulent applications to come back into the United States?","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1079}
{"speech_id":1090019643,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator. again. has made an accurate assessment. This bill is only applicable to employers and guest workers who have complied with the law. If a worker has not been here before and they have not demonstrated that they have complied with the lAw. not returned to their home country. they would not be eligible. That is why I say we need to help American business but keep control of the border.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":398}
{"speech_id":1090019771,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this year marks the 150th anniversary of completion of two of the four Soo Locks in the St. Marys River. These locks. completed in 1855. provide the link between Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes at SaultSte. Marie. MI. These locks have proved to be vital to the economy of the Great Lakes region as well as the nation as a whole. The locks. in fact. handle more cargo than the Panama Canal annually. The history of the Soo Locks is really the story of the settlement of the Midwest and the rise of the regions industrial legacy. Lake Superior is separated from Lake Huron by the St. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3511}
{"speech_id":1090019771,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Marys River. Prior to the locks. rapids made navigation of this river impossible.. The Ojibway Indians. and later white settlers. were forced to portage their small boats around the rapids to reach Lake Superior. Larger ships had to have their cargo unloaded and then moved by wagon to the other side of the rapids. where it could be loaded onto another ship. In the 1840s. extensive copper and iron mining began in Michigans Upper Peninsula. and several boomtowns soon sprang up along Lake Superiors shores. Due to the lack of roads. all travel and trade was done by boat. The increased traffic soon made it clear that continuing the loading and unloading of cargo at Sault Ste. Marie would not be possible. An act of Congress in 1852 gave 750.000 acres of. public land to the State of Michigan for use as compensation to the company that would build a system of locks between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. The project was undertaken by the Fairbanks Scale Companydue to their mining interests in the Upper Peninsula. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3511}
{"speech_id":1090019771,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Despite poor building conditions during the cold winters. the two 350foot locks were constructed within the 2year deadline set by the State. On May 31. 1855. the locks were turned over to the State of Michigan and named the State Lock. The opening of the State Lock decreased the cost of shipping iron ore from the Upper Peninsula to industrial centers like Detroit. Chicago. and Cleveland. by more than half. This.. along with railroad improvements. allowed Michigans Upper Peninsula to fuel Americas industrial revolution. Michigan was able to lead the nation in iron production for almost 50 years. Even today. about 22 percent of the iron ore produced in the United States comes from Marquette County alone. In 1881. it became clear that new locks would be necessary to keep up with growing traffic. Additionally. the State did not have the funds to improve the existing locks. so they were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers. where they have been ever since. The current lock system consists of a total of four locks. two of which are shallower and no longer used. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3511}
{"speech_id":1090019771,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The other two. the MacArthur and the Poe locks. were completed in 1943 and 1968 respectively. The MacArthur lock is used most often and can accommodate ships of up to 800 feet in length. Larger ships need to use the Poe lock as it can handle ships of up to 1.000 feet in length. There are plans to build a new lock in place of the two unused locks. but funding has not been appropriated. Common cargos that pass through the locks today include iron ore. limestone. coal. grain. cement. salt and sand. Today the Great Lakes shipping industry and the Soo Locks still allow many industries to stay competitive. The Soo Locks shaped the economy of the Great Lakes region. and the engineers who helped design and construct the locks truly deserve to be remembered and honored.0","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3511}
{"speech_id":1090019773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to commemorate the 40th anniversary of SelfHelp Enterprises. SelfHelp is an organization that helps lowincome families build their own homes. Now in its 40th year. SelfHelp Enterprises has been instrumental in building over 5.000 new honmes in the San Joaquin Valley. As its name implies. SelfHelp aids families that try to help themselves. The mission of SelfHelp Enterprises stresses that of personal responsibility. pride in ownership and community. Through its various programs SelfHelp not only helps to build houses. it builds communities. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090019773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To qualify for help a family must demonstrate that it is committed to building their own home and that it is dedicated to helping others in the community. In this way. SelfHelp ensures that a sense of community is built. Families receive counseling through every step of the home building process and are taught. not shown. how to build a house so that they may take pride in their work. Each family must contribute at least 40 hours of \"sweat equity\" a week towards building their home. with a total of 1.3001.500 hours of labor. SelfHelp calls this sweat equity the familys down payment. Families are organized into groups of 10 or 12. From these groups families work to build each others homes. Through cooperative work SelfHelp Enterprises helps an average of 150 families build homes each year. SelfHelp Enterprises also works on Community Development Projects designed to improve the infrastructure present in lowincome neighborhoods. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090019773,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Similarly.. SelfHelp rehabilitates older homes to help families keep homes that may be rundown. and makes homes safer to live in. To date. SelfHelp has rehabilitated 5.000 homes. renovated 20.000 water and sewer connections. and weatherproofed 40.000 homes. SelfHelp understands the importance of providing affordable housing to families. For families who cannot own a home. SelfHelp develops.multifamily housing projects and establishes rent levels and financing plans to give lowincome families a chance to raise their children in a safe and secure environment. In its mission statement. SelfHelp Enterprises states that all families really need is \"someone to bridge the gulf between dreams and reality.\" SelfHelp is that bridge. I congratulate SelfHelp Enterprises on their 40th anniversary and wish them many more years of continued success.*","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090019774,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take this opportunity to recognize the 20th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity. Fresno. Habitat for Humanity. Fresno was formed in 1985. For the past 20 years. Habitat for Humanity has been a champion in the community on behalf of those who cannot afford homes. The mission of Habitat for Humanity is to end poverty housing \"by uniting individuals. families and communities to build decent. affordable housing.\" Since its inception. Habitat for Humanity. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13735}
{"speech_id":1090019774,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fresno has helped build over 35 homes. The process through which it helps to build homes demonstrates its dedication to its mission. Habitat for Humanity stresses that it does not build homes for families. It facilitates the building of homes. While the difference may seem slight. it is in fact one of the sources of success for this organization. To qualify for aid from Habitat for Humanity. families must show that they are invested in building a home. This investment. or dedication. will serve as the foundation from which a house is built. Habitat for Humanity chooses its families regardless of ethnicity. It provides aid to low income families who show a willingness to partner with the community. This willingness to partner serves to perpetuate an altruistic sense of participation and involvement within the community. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13735}
{"speech_id":1090019774,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And indeed. Habitat for Humanity is fueled by the dedication and goodwill of volunteers. Since 1985. Habitat for Humanity has hosted over 7.000 volunteers. These volunteers range in age. ethnicity. gender and occupation. The diverse background of these volunteers is representative of the far reach that Habitat for Humanity has in the community. The homes they construct are built with the love. strength and dedication of a community. The mission of Habitat for Humanity goes far beyond merely building houses. Through its prehensive water strategy to address future tion. Department of Transportation. transwork in the community Habitat for water needs. to the Committee on Environ- mitting. pursuant to law. the report of a rule Humanity not only builds houses. it mental and Public Works. entitled \"Airworthiness Directives: Boeing H. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13735}
{"speech_id":1090019774,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"R. 482. An act to provide for a land ex- Model 757 Series Airplanes\" ((RIN2120AA64) builds strength within the community change involving Federal lands in the Lin- (20050160)) received on April 7. 2005. to the and confidence in its recipients. coln National Forest in the State of New Committee on Commerce. Science. and I congratulate Habitat for Humanity. Mexico. and for other purposes. to the Coin- Transportation. Fresno on the celebration of its 20th mittee on Energy and Natural Resources. EC1628. A communication from the Proanniversary and wish them continued H.R. 541. An act to direct the Secretary of gram Analyst. Federal Aviation Administrasuccess.* Agriculture to convey certain land to Lander tion. Department of TranspOrtation. transCounty. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13735}
{"speech_id":1090019774,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nevada. and the Secretary of the In- mitting. pursuant to law. the report of a rule terior to convey certain land to Eureka entitled \"Airworthiness Directives: Dassault MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT County. Nevada. for continued use as ceme- Model Falcon 2000EX and 900EX Series Air-. teries. to the Committee on Energy and Nat- planes\" ((RIN2120AA64) (20050161)) received A message from the President of the ural Resources. on April 7. 2005. to the Committee on CoinUnited States was communicated to H.R. 794. An act to correct the south merce. Science. and Transportation. the Senate by Mr. Kalbaugh. one of his boundary of the Colorado River Indian Res- EC1629. A communication from the Prosecretaries. ervation in Arizona. and for other purposes. gram Analyst. Federal Aviation Administrato the Committee on Indian Affairs. tion. Department of Transportation. transmitting. pursuant to law. the report of a rule EXECUTIVE MESSAGE REFERRED entitled \"Airworthiness Directives: McDonE EXECUTIVE AND OTHER nell Douglas Model DC 8 Airplanes\" As in executive session the Presiding COMMUNICATIONS ((RIN2120AA64) (20050146)) received on April Officer laid before the Senate a mes- The following communications were 7. 2005 . to the Committee on Commerce. sage from the President of the United laid before the Senate. together with Science. and Transportation. States submitting a nomination which aEC1630. A eommunication from the Proaccompanying papers. reports. and doc- gram Analyst. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13735}
{"speech_id":1090019798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Wednesday. April 13. 2005. at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an oversight hearing on Indian Health. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection. it is so ordered.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090019818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. we will pass legislation in the Senate that provides tax relief to all Americans receiving disaster mitigation grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA. I am pleased that my good friend. Senator GRASSLEY. and I. along with my colleagues. Senators LANDRIEU. BOND.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090019819,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last year the Internal Revenue Service hit my State like a Category 4 hurricane when it determined that disaster mitigation benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are taxable. We get hurricane warnings when a storm is coming. we can track their paths as they come 6ut of the Carribean and into the Gulf of Mexico. We didnt get any kind of \"tax warning\" from the IRS. but the financial toll on many of my constituents was devastating. Let me explain what happened. In June of last year. the IRS chief counsel issued an advice letter that determined that FEMA disaster mitigation benefits were taxable as a matter of law. This ruling applied to a variety mitigation grant programs. covering a wide range of natural disasters. The main disasters that concern us in Louisiana are hurricanes and. flooding. They are as much a part of life as crawfish boils and Mardi Gras. The key to our peace of mind is the National Flood Insurance program administered by FEMA. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090019819,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In Louisiana. 377.000 property owners participate in the National Flood Insurance program. It is a real Godsend to the people of my state. The National Flood Insurance program also provides funding for property owners to floodproof their homes through the flood mitigation grant program. FEMA distributes these grant funds to the States which then pass them along to local communities. The local communities select properties for mitigation and contract for the mitigation services. Communities use these funds to put homes on stilts. improve drainage on property. and to acquire flood proofing materials. These mitigation grants encourage property owners to take responsible steps to lessen the potential for loss of life and property damage due to future flooding. The grants also have the added benefit of saving money in the long term for the flood insurance program. But the IRS has turned this valuable disaster preparedness and prevention program into a financial disaster for responsible property owners by making these payments taxable. This tax is unfair. unexpected. and an unfortunate policy decisionunfair and unexpected because no one told my constituents that they would be taxed for accepting FEMA disaster mitigation assistance. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090019819,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The local officials in their parish were just as surprised. This tax is unfortunate policy because in the long term. the IRS will undercut the effectiveness of using mitigation as a means of decreasing future costs to the flood insurance program. It will force people to take risks that they will not be hit by a disaster. I was pleased that the House of Representatives passed a bill. H.R. 1134. to correct this problem. It says that going forward. disaster mitigation benefits are not taxable. But this legislation is not retroactive. It offers no relief to people who are facing a huge tax bill this Friday-. April 15. for mitigation funding received in 2004 or earlier years. Virtually every constituent who has written or called my office about this issue received their grant in 2004. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090019819,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill will do nothing for them. I understand that the sponsors of H.R. 1134 and its Senate version S. 586 claim that once it has been passed. the Department of the Treasury will issue some sort of notice to IRS field personnel essentially making the effect of this bill retroactive. Treasury officials. however. cannot cite a legal justification for issuing such a notice. They claim that they can rely on the floor statements of the chairs and ranking members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee as a basis for issuing the notice. Mr. President. we cannot legislate on a wink and a nod. The right way to make this relief retroactive is to pass the BaucusGrassley amendment to H.R. 1134 and send it back to the House. This amendment will extend the tax relief in this bill to all recipients of FEMA disaster mitigation assistance past. present. and future. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the amendment. I thank the chairman and ranking member of the Finance Committee for their leadership in bringing this matter to the floor. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090019819,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"April 15th is 2 days away. I urge the other body to take up and pass H.R. 1134 as amended by the Senate. and send it to the President for his signature. This bill will bring peace of mind to thousands of responsible property owners who face an unfair tax burden. We should not allow April 15th to pass without giving these people relief.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090019831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its* business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. April 14. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then begin a period of morning business for up to 60 minutes. with the first 30 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee and the second 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. provided that following morning business the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 1268. the IraqAfghanistan supplemental appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":718}
{"speech_id":1090019893,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my late father used to say. you only have to do two things in life: die and pay taxes. Just about 40 minutes ago. I did one of those things. and I will let my colleagues guess which one it was. Like millions of Americans. before midnight tomorrow night. I managed to fill out all of the forms which. for me. as a man of no significant means. a public servant married to a schoolteacher. there were only forms that I had to file in three States and with one national government. The full total of the pages that I had to fill out and file neared to 100. Mr. Speaker. the Peoples House is supposed to resonate with the hearts of the American people. As we approach this tax day and go through our usual spring ritual of arguments in Washington. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090019893,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"D.C.. I hope the Congress will resonate with the heart of the American people and seize upon the opportunity to simplify this tax system and end the tyranny of anxiety that- reigns throughout the land every April 15.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090019894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today is an important day. It is opening day for the Washington Nationals. Baseball is back in Washington. But we ought to come up with a better name than the Washington Nationals. a name that really fits this city. The new baseball team should be called the Washington Lobbyists. After all. who runs this town? The energy lobbyists that wrote the energy bill last night in committee. the bank lobbyists who wrote the bankruptcy bill today. the pharmaceutical lobbyists who write the medicare legislation. the Wall Street lobbyists who write the Social Security -privacy legislation. and they and their Republican allies in Congress play under different rules. \"It aint over til its over.\" unless we are losing. At home games. the Washington Lobbyists could hold the game open. adding extra innings if they are losing at the end of the arbitrary nine. Instead of the ohsoboring ball day and bat day. we could have Halliburton Gasoline Night: a tank of gas for the first thousand fans at the Halliburton patriotic price of $8.95 a gallon. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1484}
{"speech_id":1090019894,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Or. we could have the Enron Double Header: fans get in early with promises of a big win. but then the team kicks you out and takes your pension away. Or. we could have WalMart Kids Day: kids do not actually get to watch the game. Somebody has actually got to work the concession stand. after all. Mr. Speaker. if we want to change how things work in Washington. we need a new pitching. staff. and the Washington Lobbyists have to go.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1484}
{"speech_id":1090019911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield to myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin. distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. for bringing forth those statistics and that stack of documents that he just went over. and I want to add one more statistic to that. and this is that since the 105th Congress. the House and the Senate have passed bankruptcy reform legislation a dozen times. with a vote tally of 2.455 for and 871 against. TQ my distinguished colleague from Florida. in regard to the amendment process in the Committee on Rules. my colleague knows that the other side was offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. That substitute amendment could have included all 35 Democrats. who my colleagues allege were shut out. Every one of those 35 amendments could have been included in an amendment in the nature of a substitute. but apparently they just could not get their act together. did not have an amendment and passed on that opportunity. In regard to the gentlewoman from California and the concerns about identity theft. opponents of the means test of the bankruptcy legislation have attempted to claim that a debtor should be except from the means test if the debt is related to identity theft. This is a red herring. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2124}
{"speech_id":1090019911,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. because consumers who are victims of identity theft do not owe the debts that result from identity theft. and. therefore. it is not an issue addressed by the bankruptcy court. We all understand the sentiment of trying to help identity theft victims. Amendments related to identity theft. though. are not necessary. They would inadvertently do serious harm to consumers and create a significant potential for fraud and abuse. A consumer who is victimized when an identity thief establishes credit in the con-. sumers name is not liable for any of the debts incurred by the identity thief. The maximum amount I think is $50. and that is even waived by the credit card companies if it is proved to be fraudulent. Bankruptcy relief is. therefore. not necessary in regard to identity theft. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2124}
{"speech_id":1090019913,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for the time. The rule we are debating. that we have made today is a closed rule which means that the Members of Congress who brought 35 amendments to the Committee on Rules will not have a chance to bring them up. This. closed rule means that the elected representatives of the people will never have the opportunity to consider the amendments and decide for themselves whether or not they would make the bankruptcy bill. a better piece of legislation. I personally think that amendments protecting our men and women returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan would be a good idea. and I feel very strongly that the amendment protecting the victims of identity theft from bankruptcy is an important measure that should be debated on the House floor. After all. Americans are and should be very concerned about identity theft. AARP said it is one of the top five issues concerning seniors today. Just to give my colleagues an idea of how concerned our fellow Americans should be about this. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2270}
{"speech_id":1090019913,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LexisNexis and GM MasterCard are both recovering from widescale security breaches which may have placed millions of Americans at risk for having their identity stolen. In fact. just 2 days ago. LexisNexis identified more than 300.000 Americans that their personal information may have been stolen. In some cases. it will take those people 6 years to get back their identity. It is a very real problem for our country. But if my colleagues in the majority do not agree that protecting Americans from identity theft is an important issue. why will they not let the body debate it? If they want to. they can always vote against it. That is the way things are supposed to happen here in a democracy. Instead. they have instituted another closed rule and will not allow us to debate the issues. This is the fifth Congress that we have debated bankruptcy reform. and we have heard that this morning. To be fair. we have not debated this bill under open rules in the past. but we have certainly debated them under rules that allowed amendments. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2270}
{"speech_id":1090019913,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This chart shows the number of amendments that the Committee on Rules made in order on this bill in every Congress since the 105th. and I insert in the RECORD at this point a list of the rules.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2270}
{"speech_id":1090019917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. while some who file bankruptcy have been financially irresponsible. the overwhelming majority of those who file do so as a result of divorce. major illness. or job loss. Half of those who go into bankruptcy do so because of illness. and most of them had health insurance but still could not pay their bills. If the purpose of the legislation is to try to deal with those who abuse credit. we ought to be able to distinguish them from the hardworking Americans who unfortunately become ill. those who have an unforeseen loss of a job. or whose spouses desert them after a business failure. Mr. Speaker. in addition to those who get sick or lose their job. this bill will also hurt small business entrepreneurs. They go into business and consider a riskbenefit ratio that includes the possibility of making a lot of money. but also includes the possibility of losing everything and ending up in bankruptcy. With the passageof this legislation. those entrepreneurs and their families will risk not only losing everything but also being denied a fresh start if the business goes under. They will be stripped down to essentials like food and rent for 5 years. and that is average rent for the area. not what they may have been living in. Finally. we ought to consider the impact on society of increasing the number of people who conclude that they have nothing to lose. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2109}
{"speech_id":1090019917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is ironic that the last time we debated bankruptcy reform on the floor of the House. a farmer had driven his tractor into the pond near the Washington Monument. tying up traffic for a long time. He was quoted as saying. \"I am broke. I am busted. I have the rest of my life to stay here.\" People who feel they have nothing to lose can become dangerous to society. Denying bankruptcy protection to people who need a fresh start will only increase the number of people in our community who feel they have nothing to lose. This legislation does not differentiate between those who abuse the system and those who deserve a fresh start. This rule does not allow amendments to fix the bill. and. therefore. the rule should be defeated.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2109}
{"speech_id":1090019934,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have yielded three times. If I could finish my statement. I would like to. We have other people who would like to participate. I know that my dear friend from Florida will be more than happy to yield further time to the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker. we have been waiting for years and years and years to get to the point where we could get a measure to the desk of the President of the United States so that he can sign it. so that we can deal with this issue and finally bring about responsible reform of our bankruptcy law. We happen to believe very passionately that people should be accountable for their actions. We do not want anyone to be deprived of access to file for bankruptcy. but we know full well that this has been abused for such a long period of time. That is why we are here today and that is why I am convinced. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1009}
{"speech_id":1090019934,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that even though we will see opposition to this rule. at the. end of the day. we will see very strong bipartisan support to reform our bankruptcy law.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1009}
{"speech_id":1090019944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 1 minute. The gentlewoman from California brought up the issue about bankruptcy reform harming veterans. In speaking to that. Senate 256 needsbased test includes several safeguards and exceptions for special circumstances. including those of veterans: a specific reference to a debtor who is subject to a call or ordered to active duty in the Armed Forces to the extent that such occurrences substantiate special circumstances. S. 256 means test has a special exception just for debtors who are disabled veterans if the indebtedness occurred primarily during a period when the debtor was on active duty or performing a homeland security activity. The bill excuses a debtor if he or she is on active military duty in a military combat zone from the mandatory credit counseling and financial management training requirements. I could go on and on. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1011}
{"speech_id":1090019944,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. but we are addressing. as we always have on this side of the aisle. the special needs of our great veterans of this country.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1011}
{"speech_id":1090019998,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 1 minute. In response to the gentleman from Illinois. the reform bill significantly limits two practices that some wealthy filers use to hide assets from bankrupt creditors. Under the current system. in States with unlimited homestead exemptions. debtors can shield the full value of their residencies from creditors. To discourage debtors from relocating to the State to hide assets prior to a bankruptcy filing. the legislation requires a 3year residency before a debtor can take advantage of the States full homestead exemption. Currently. that is 91 days. In addition. the bill adds a specific provision that prevents filers from shielding funds in an asset protection trust when fraud. is involved. In fact. these practices will continue unabated unless this legislation is passed. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":861}
{"speech_id":1090020140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this bill hurts Americans. One group who will be especially hurt are family forced into bankruptcy because of a medical crisis. A recent study conducted by professors at Harvard Medical and Law School showed that about half of all personal bankruptcies can be attributed to medical costs. Among those who cited illnesses as a cause of bankruptcy. the average unreimbursed medical costs totaled nearly $12.000 even though more than threequarters had health insurance. How does the bill hurt the families? Under the bill for the first time there will be a presumption that many of these families abuse the bankruptcy system..Under current law. people facing a medical bankruptcy can seek several forms of relief. Chapter 7 is by far the most common. Under 7 debtors are required to forfeit all of their property other than the exempt assets in exchange for having their debts extinguished. Current law already gives bankruptcy courts discretion to deny chapter 7 relieve where the filing is found to be a substantial abuse. But unlike this bill. current law provides a presumption in favor of granting relief to the debtor. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3113}
{"speech_id":1090020140,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The other option is chapter 13 where a debtor is required to continue paying creditors. This makes it more difficult for debtors to get back on their feet. This bill will hurt families facing medical bankruptcy because it will force many of them into chapter 13. That is because it presumes that these families are abusing the bankruptcy system if they fail the means test. The means tests starts with a familys income and then subtracts monthly expenses permitted by IRS guidelines. But instead of using a debtors actual projected income. the means tests uses the debtors average income over the prior 6 months. Thus. if a familys bankruptcy was triggered by a loss of income resulting from a serious illness. the means test would still attribute the lost income for the purpose of determining whether the family is abusing the bankruptcy system. Further. the means test uses the median income for a State. My constituents in Santa Clara County live in a highcost area. Almost nobody will be able to discharge their debts in bankruptcy from Santa Clara County because of that high cost. no matter how meritorious for their claim for relief. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3113}
{"speech_id":1090020140,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Similarly. instead of using the debtors actual expenses. the inflexible guidelines developed by the IRS is used. As a result. more families facing medical bankruptcy will be presumed to be abusing the system. will be forced into chapter 13 and will never be able to stand on their feet again. That is not right. The Harvard study found that these struggling families did everything they could to pay their medical bills to avoid bankruptcy. One in five skipped meals. Onethird had their electricity cut off. Almost half lost their phone service. One in five was forced to move. Incredibly. they also cut back on needed medications to try to avoid bankruptcy. In fact. half went without needed prescriptions. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3113}
{"speech_id":1090020140,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And a full 60 percent went without a needed doctor appointment. Please join me in opposing this uifair bill. [From Market Watch]","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3113}
{"speech_id":1090020161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the socalled Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. Contrary to its name. this bill does not protect consumers and it certainly does not help honest. hardworking families with financial problems. The only thing that this bill does is distort our bankruptcy laws so that working families are treated more like criminals than people in need of relief. Our bankruptcy laws must strike a fair and practical balance between debtors and creditors. This means that honest people with financial troubles can make a fresh start by getting creditors off their backs. But this bill does the exact opposite of that. Instead. of helping struggling families in debt. this bill erects harsh legal and monetary roadblocks for people who are trying to file bankruptcy. ","speaker_name":"LINDA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":39.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1939}
{"speech_id":1090020161,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The vast majority of people who file for bankruptcy. 9 out of 10. do so because they have either lost their job. suffered a medical emergency. or there has been a divorce or separation in their family. These are not people who are abusing the bankruptcy system. We are talking about recentlr divorced. single working mothers trying to support their children who may not be getting their child support. We are talking about young men and women in our Armed Forces returning home after serving their country in Iraq. We are talking about some of the 1.6 million families who have lost their privatesector jobs since 2001 when a Republican administration took over the White House. These are honest. hardworking families who have resorted to bankruptcy to find some relief for their debts and a chance to start their lives anew. This is a terrible bill. It is harmful to struggling families and goes against the basic policy of our bankruptcy laws. helping families in financial trouble get a fresh start. I urge every Member of the House to stand by Americas working families by voting no for passage of S. 256.","speaker_name":"LINDA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":39.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1939}
{"speech_id":1090020177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am proud to vote in favor of S. 256. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. This important bill brings needed reforms to our nations bankruptcy system. The legislation reduces the unfair disparity of treatment in the bankruptcy system by establishing more uniform and predictable standards. I am particularly pleased to note the compromise reached on healthcare and employee benefits. This legislation takes great strides to protect patients rights. and it encourages debtors and trustees to consider patients interests when administering healthcare bankruptcy cases. Patients are given a voice through the appointment of an ombudsman. who advocates for the confidentiality of patients records and ensures patients are transferred to appropriate facilities. These are critical provisions that protect the rights of those with failing health. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090020177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to commend a constituent from my district for his contributions to this legislation. Keith J. Shapiro. Esq.. of Northbrook. Illinois. and his colleague Nancy A. Peterman. Esq. Mr. Shapiro testified in support of these patient health provisions before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts on June 1. 1998. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090020177,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The passing of this legislation marks the culmination of Mr. Shapiro and Ms. Petermans tireless efforts to protect patients interests in bankruptcy cases. On behalf of my colleagues in Congress. I offer my sincere gratitude for their dedication to fair bankruptcy policy.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090020184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of S. 256.-the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. It is a basic principle of commerce in our country that when a. person makes an obligation to pay someone for a good or service. they do so. We ought to address the fact that our nation had over 1.6 million bankruptcy filings last year. and an estimated $44 billion in debts are discharged annually. When creditors are unable to collect money owed to them. we all pay the cost in the form of higher costs. higher interest rates and higher downpayments. I want to be very clear that this legislation will not prevent those who have incurred oppressive indebtedness from filing. It will apply a means test that weighs whether a debtor has enough disposable income to repay creditors. If. after applying this test. the debtor has little or no disposable income. they will be able to file for straight bankruptcy just as they always have. Those who earn wages and have the ability to repay. however. will be required to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. restructure their debt and repay a portion of it. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1681}
{"speech_id":1090020184,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have heard from a number of my.constituents concerned about high credit card rates. predatory loan practices and identity theft. I share their concern and believe that after passing this legislation today. we must redouble our efforts to pass legislation curbing predatory lending. and we must build on the legislation we passed during the last Congress regarding identity theft. This is comprehensive legislation and while supporting its passage. this body should\" pledge strong oversight and the willingness to review its effect on bankruptcy filers and the economy at large.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1681}
{"speech_id":1090020205,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. after eight years of intense Congressional scrutiny and debate. this longoverdue legislation is now close to becoming law. I will vote in favor of this legislation. just as I have supported similar bills in the past. and I encourage my colleagues to pass S. 256 without amendments so it can go directly to the President for his signature. Without a doubt. bankruptcy reform is needed. Under current law. it is far too easy for debtors with significant cash resources to declare bankruptcy and walk away from their debts. even when they have the ability to pay a substantial portion of those debts. Bankruptcies cost the rest of us American taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Why? Because commercial institutions have to pass their losses on to everyone else in the form of higher prices and higher interest rates. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act is a wellbalanced measure that will permit people with real financial need- to get a fresh start. but lessen the burden placed on other working Americans who now must support people who are taking advantage of the system. This bankruptcy reform bill will force those who have the ability to repay their debts to do so. At the same time. it provides safeguards such as child and spousal protections. debtor education. and mandatory credit counseling before someone files for bankruptcy. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090020205,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill also makes commonsense revisions to homestead exemptions to reduce the ability of a wealthy individual shielding his money in an extravagant home just prior to filing bankruptcy. Put simply. this legislation helps restore the fundamental concept of personal responsibility in the bankruptcy system. I urge my colleagues to adopt.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090020227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Spea that our colleagues. th from Maryland (Mr. Hoy gentleman from Texas ( will be engaged in a collo moment. and the announc have will. I believe. relat loquy that they are about Mr. Speaker. the Commi may meet next week to which could limit the ameI ess for floor consideratio ergy Policy Act of 2005. pected to be introduced M 18. as H.R. 6. Any Membe offer an amendment shou copies of the amendment. copy of a brief explana amendment. and one elect the same to the Committe in H312 of the Capitol b3 Tuesday. April 19. 2005. Members are advised ti bined text from the comn risdiction should be avails review on the committees well as on the Committee. site by tomorrow. Frida Members should use the C islative Counsel to ensur amendments are drafted Sanchez. Linda T. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090020227,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sanchez. Loretta Sanders Schakowsky Schiff Scott (VA) Serrano Sherman Slaughter appropriate format. Members are also advised to talk with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain that their amendments comply with the rules of the House. Mr. Speaker. I would like to say. Go Nationals. Snyder LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM Stark (Mr. HOYER asked and was given Stupak permission to address the House for 1 Thompson (MS) minute and to revise and extend his reTierney Towns marks.) Udall (CO) Mr. HOYER. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090020227,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I take this Udall (NM) time for the purpose of inquiring of the Van Hollen majority leader the schedule for the Velazquez Visclosky coming week. Wasserman Mr. Speaker. I yield to the distinSchultz guished majority leader. the gentleman Waters from Texas . Watson Mr. DELAY. I thank the distinWatt Waxman guished whip for yielding to me. Weiner Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090020227,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the House will convene Wexler on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for legislative Woolsey business. We will consider several measures under the suspension of the rules. A final list of those bills will be Weldon (FL) sent to the Members offices by the end of the week. Any votes called on these measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday and Thursday. the .ssed. House will convene at 10 a.m. for legisas announced lative business. We will likely consider additional legislation under the suswas laid on pension of the rules. as well as H.R. 6. the Energy Policy Act of 2005.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090020228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming ing rollcall vote my time. I thank the gentleman for in256) I was un- forming us of that schedule. een present. I Mr. Leader. tomorrow is a day on which the conference report on the budget is supposed to be adopted. as you well know. However. the House is COMMITTEE yet to appoint conferees. When might NG H.R. 6. we appoint conferees.* given the fact OF 2005 that we are already behind schedule? ker. I know Mr. DELAY. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2673}
{"speech_id":1090020228,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. if the gene gentleman tleman will yield further. obviously we ER) and the would have liked to have met the statMr. DELAY). utory deadline of April 15. but. unfortuquy in just a nately. we will not. I am advised that ement that I the Speaker has not yet decided when e to the col- he would like to appoint the conferees to engage in. to meet with the Senate. but it could ttee on Rules occur as early as next week. grant a rule Hopefully. within the next few weeks ndment proc- we will have a conference report for the n of the En- House to consider that provides for the which is ex- extension of the progrowth tax poli[onday. April cies enacted in 2001 and 2003. reduces r wishing to nonsecurity discretionary spending. ld submit 55 and provides for important reforms of one written entitlement programs. tion of the Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker. reclaiming ronic copy of my time. I thank the gentleman. Obvie on Rules up ously he articulates reasons that he bey 12 noon on lieves this bill is an important piece of legislation. hat the com- In light of the fact that the Speaker ittees of ju- has notyet decided who he wants to able for their appoint as- conferees. does the genWeb sites as tleman have any thought as to when on Rules Web we might contemplate having the conby. April 15. ference committee meet and then. of )ffice of Leg- course. the conference report on the re that their floor? I ask that from two perspectives: in the most one. as the representative of the party who would like to know what is going on. as I am sure the gentleman would as well. and. secondly as an appropriator. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2673}
{"speech_id":1090020228,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the gentleman knows. until the conference committee report is adopted. it has the appropriations committees somewhat in limbo as it relates to allocations to the committees and then allowing us to make the 302(b) allocations. Mr. Speaker. I yield further to my friend in terms of what expectations he might have as to timing from this point to when We might adopt a budget. in light of the fact it is my understanding from the staff of the gentleman from California that there is hope that we will start to mark up bills sometime in midMay. I do not know whether the majority leader has the same understanding or not.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2673}
{"speech_id":1090020251,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans concerns. The gentleman has raised two issues: one is process and one is substance. On the process side. the gentleman is correct. And the gentleman would have to ask the Speaker about the process of bringing the rules to the floor in a bipartisan way. And I do not want to secondguess the Speaker. and the gentleman may well have a good argument on process. But in the substance. the gentleman is correct. And I hope all Members are watching this because they need to consider this very strongly. that the gentleman cannot have it both ways. The gentleman wants a bipartisan process. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2377}
{"speech_id":1090020251,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Speaker was bringing a bipartisan process. which means that in order to proceed to an investigative subcommittee you would have to have a majority vote. which would be bipartisan. a bipartisan vote to proceed to the investigative committee. What some partisans had found. that if there was no agreement and charges brought against a Member. the Member would be hung out to dry. There would be no action. or there could be automatic action without a majority vote of the committee. That is the problem. That is what allows people to use it for partisan politics is that if one side or the other decides to deadlock the ethics committee. then the Member that has been charged can be held out and held up for many days. if not months. before a resolution of that charge comes. The Speaker came up with a way to make sure that the committee is bipartisan because it requires a bipartisan vote to move forward. The gentleman is suggesting that he would like to change. for the House and the rights of the Members. something that is so different than the rules of procedures in courts of law. If a grand jury is deadlocked in an indictment. there is no process that goes forward. If there is a full jury in a trial that is deadlocked. there is no process that goes forward. It has to be clear. without a reasonable doubt. with no reasonable doubt that the offense is right and needs to proceed. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2377}
{"speech_id":1090020251,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that is why the Speaker created a bipartisan. process for that to -proceed. And it can work for both sides politically. It can work for Democrats as well as Republicans. And that is why I say the Speaker was trying and worked very hard to protect the rights of the accused. and more important than that. the rights of each and every Member of this House.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2377}
{"speech_id":1090020277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Leader. -we obviously have a disagreement in the perceptions as to what the rule does and does not do. I think both you and I are very concerned about the reputation and integrity of this House. I think you share that view and I share that view. It is my suggestion that resolving this in a way that is bipartisan will be productive for the House. Cl 1615","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":359}
{"speech_id":1090020278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"the former chairman. I do not agree with Mr. HEFLEY on a lot of things. but I do agree with his perception of how we protect the integrity of the House. There may be people on my side of the aisle who agree with your perception and not mine. I understand that. The fact is. though. that it would be in the best interest of this House and this country for us to resolve these matters in a bipartisan way either through. as our leader has proposed. a commission to be a joint commission equally divided. as was the LivingstonCardin commission. or. in the alternative. to consider H.R. 131. The leader is absolutely right. and I made that aside. as you recall. We did vote against the rules package. but we had agreed to the components. and there was no controversy about the ethics component in the rules package. There were other things with which we disagreed. obviously. but that was an agreement. and it was reached in a bipartisan fashion. This was not reached in a bipartisan fashion. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1445}
{"speech_id":1090020278,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. yes. as both parties usually did. I can remember. it is getting more difficult to remember. but I can remember when we were in charge and your side used to vote unanimously against our rules package and we pretty much do the same because we have some disagreements. But there was agreement on the rules package as it related to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. and the reason for that is because both sides felt it to be very important.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1445}
{"speech_id":1090020280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I think we both agree on that. The gentleman from Maryland wanted to say something. but I wanted to say you were right on the process. I was incorrect on the process. It was a separate vote on a separate package. and you are right that I and the gentleman from Maryland and others voted against it. It was not on these provisions as you know because a change was made. not in a partisan sense. according to the gentleman from Maryland . Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland to explain his perception and recollection of the process.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":567}
{"speech_id":1090020317,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have spoken several times about Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano. a Marine who served our Nation bravely in both Gulf Wars and who now stands accused of murder for defending himself and this country. During his service in Iraq last year. Lieutenant Pantano was faced with a very difficult situation that caused him to make a splitsecond decision to defend his life. He felt threatened by the actions of two insurgents under his watch. and in an act of selfdefense. he had to resort to force. 22 months later. a sergeant under his command. who never saw the shooting. accused him of murder. Lieutenant Pantano now faces two counts of murder. Mr. Speaker. what is happening to this young man is an injustice. Lieutenant Pantano has served this Nation with great honor. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3205}
{"speech_id":1090020317,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My personal experiences with him and his family convince me that he is a dedicated family man and a man who loves his corps and his country. But I am not the only one who believes he is innocent. Yesterday. I read excerpts of pieces from the Washington Times and respected journalist Mona Charen defending Lieutenant Pantano. I have received letters and emails from Vietnam veterans who sympathize with him and ask that I do something to help him. They know what it is like to be in battle with an unconventional enemy. One second can make the difference between life and death. I have read excerpts from his combat fitness report in which his superiors praised his leadership and talent. even recommended him for promotion. Mr.. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3205}
{"speech_id":1090020317,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lieutenant Pantano was. by all accounts. an exceptional Marine. Yesterday. Lieutenant Pantano and his attorneys waived his right to have an article 32 hearing and had decided that they want to go straight to trial. They are so convinced that he will be proven innocent that they want to speed the process along. In a letter yesterday. Lieutenant Pantanos mother wrote: \"My son. our family. and millions of concerned citizens. Marines and soldiers were assured that the article 32 pretrial hearing would bring everything out in the wash. and we have been patient with a process that has been grueling for my sons family. The problem is that if the government is the machine and my son is the laundry. they are not adding any water.\" Thus far. the prosecution has not presented the witnesses and the evidence that they claim to have. and Lieutenant Pantano had no reason to believe that they would do so at the hearing. No such evidence appears to exist. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3205}
{"speech_id":1090020317,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I have put in a resolution. House Resolution 167. to support Lieutenant Pantano as he faces trial. I hope that my colleagues in the House will take some time to read my resolution. look into this situation for themselves. Lieutenant Pantanos mother also has a Web site that I encourage people to visit. The address is www.defendthedefenders.org. Mr. Speaker. as I close. I ask the good Lord in heaven to please bless our men and Women in uniform whether in Iraq or Afghanistan. to bless them and their families across this country. and also I ask the good Lord to please be with the family of Lieutenant Pantano and that I believe he will be exoner-. ated. and he is a great man. a great Marine. and God bless America.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3205}
{"speech_id":1090020357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. before the gentleman leaves for his meeting. that I am pretty sure is very. very important. the gentleman is going to have to not only give the information on the Web site. because we want to hear from Members. we want to hear from Americans. to make sure that we get the information from them on how they feel. especially as it relates to Social Security. the Federal deficit and other issues. because it is important that we share this. not only with young people. We have the 30something Working Group. But in our age range. I say to the gentleman. there are a number of young parents that are out there. and so many times here in Washington. people say. well. we are doing this for the future generation. Well. the future generation has $26.000 in debt right now and climbing. So I do not know. I do not feel good about my daughter and my son having to worry about college and all these other things. and then worry about the Federal debt at the same time.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":993}
{"speech_id":1090020370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the leader. I say through the Chair to the majority leader. we have workedeven started working last weekon the immigration amendments. We have a finite list now. We have 12 amendments. I think that can be whittled down. for lack of a better word. to even less than that. considerably less than that. What we should do is lock in these amendments as a finite list. Within a very short period of time. we can find out how many really have to be offered. The pending amendment. the one Senator MIKULSKI offered. will have nearlyin fact. it may have60 votes. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1007}
{"speech_id":1090020370,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that will be adopted with ease. I hope we do not have to file cloture on this bill. I acknowledge this is important legislation. The money for the funding of the troops is absolutely necessary. All one has to do is read the paper every morning to understand how badly our troops need it. I was just there. and they need all the resources they can get. We want to make sure they do not have to wait a second for what they need.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1007}
{"speech_id":1090020372,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there is one issue I talked about initially Monday and want to bring forth once again. Nothing is more important than the safety of the American people. and we have a lot of work to do in a particular area. Yesterday we learned that samples of the deadly H2N2 flu virus were accidentally shipped to 5.000 laboratories all over the world. Thankfully. nearly all of the samples have been destroyed. The H2N2 virus is lethal. It is fatal. Back in 1957. it killed over 70.000 people just here in the United States and as manyas 1 million to 4 million people around the world. This latest news underscores. once again. just how vulnerable we are as an American people. as a world people. because viruses know no borders. they know no geography. There are no barriers. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090020372,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On Monday. 3 days ago. I spoke of the need to bolster State preparedness and Federal preparedness in this arena. I mentioned that exotic and deadly viruses. such as the Marburg virus that at this very moment is racking all of northern Angolathe Marburg virus being a virus which is an Ebolalike virus. a hemorrhagicfevertype virusthose viruses that. are racking that country which we do not understand. for which we have no cure. for which we have no vaccine. are literally just a plane ride away from this room or from whoever is listening to me now through the media around the country. It is just a plane ride away. Avian flu has already killed 50 people. Some say. 50 people. that is not thousands of people. But it is 50 people from a virus that not too long ago we did not know anything about. that began to be harbored in birds. and now is being harbored in other animals and now has killed and jumped to kill 50 people. with just a tiny drift and ultimately a shift in a mutation. it becomes transmissible. Once again. we have no vaccine for avian flu. It is something for which we have no cure. We only have to look back to 1917. another type of avian flu. but very similar. which killed a half a million Americans. 50 million people around the world. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090020372,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Meanwhile. as all this goes on. there are only five major vaccine manufacturers worldwide that have production facilities in the United States. That is for all vaccines. Only two of those are actually United States companies. Our manufacturing base for vaccines is woefully inadequate for any of the threats I have just mentioned. Over the past 2 decades. the number of manufacturers who make vaccines. for children has dwindled from 12 down to now just 4. and only 2 of the 4 manufacturers that make lifesaving vaccines for children are here in the United States. I spoke. as I mentioned. on this topid on Monday. I spoke on Monday because it was the 50th anniversary of the polio vaccine. Yesterdays news about the H2N2 virus is just one more reason why we need to take action. It is imperative we strengthen our domestic vaccine supply. we offer appropriate legal protections. and we encourage and incentivize collaboration between public and private sectors. We need to advance research and development. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090020372,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to put all these initiatives together to protect us from a deadly viral outbreak that scientific experts warn could come to our shores any day. America has been the engine of couhtless lifesaving discoveries and global health efforts. Once again. we are called upon to lead forthe safety of our fellow citizens and. indeed. citizens around the world. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090020374,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. under the previous order. there will now be a period for the transaction of morning business for up to 60 minutes. with the first half of the time under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee and the second half of the time under the control of the majority leader or his designee. The Senator from North Dakota.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":341}
{"speech_id":1090020462,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator from Massachusetts is correct. He makes a valuable point. When we in Congress ask the Department of Defense. how are we doing in terms of training troops for the Iraqi side. what are your guesses and best estimates in terms of when American troops can come home. many times they tell us. we cant share that information. They give us widely different numbers. The Senator from Massachusetts makes the point that spokesmen for the U.S. military apparently speak to the media frequently. volunteering information about how quickly troops can come homd to the United States. If it is good enough for CNN. should it not be good enough for the USA. should not American taxpayers be given this information? I think we want to know that. I understand that we have to stay the course and finish our job. I am committed to that. even though I shared Senator KENNEDYS sentiments about the initiation of the invasion. One of the problems with the insurgeficy is the question of whether we are a permanent occupying force. I hope we make it clear to the Iraqis that we are there to finish the job. to stabilize their country. and come home. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090020462,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we start moving down the line on this amendment. which the Senator from Massachusetts and Senator LEVIN have cosponsored. we are going to be moving toward that goal and delivering the right message.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090020577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. I think the Senator certainly hits upon a subject that we are very sensitive about at. this time. We are following very closely the situation of the servicemen who are participating in the war against terror in Iraq. Afghanistan. and elsewhere. We are proud of them. We are sorry that any of them have to be in the hospital or have to have access to services that are provided under the terms of this amendment. I would be happy to take the suggestion that is embodied in this amendment to the conference committee and try to work out an acceptable provision to be included in the final conference report and bring it back to the Senate. So I recommend the Senate accept the amendment.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":706}
{"speech_id":1090020645,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to recognize a model of intergovernmental cooperation from my home State of Colorado: the Denver Regional Council of Governments. known as DRCOG. DRCOG is a nonprofit. cooperative effort of -the 51 county and municipal governments in the Denver metropolitan area. representing two and a half million residents. with another million expected by 2030. across eight counties: Adams. Arapahoe. Boulder. Broomfield. Clear Creek. Denver. Douglas. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2662}
{"speech_id":1090020645,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gilpin and Jefferson. It was founded 50 years ago as the InterCounty Regional Planning Association. conceived as a place where local officials could work cooperatively to solve the regions problems. And it is a voluntary organizationthe members are choosing to work together for mutual benefit. DRCOG champions efforts in a number of areas. including services for seniors. transportation and commuter solutions. public safety training and testing. where it has repeatedly benefited from the highly successful COPS Program. as well as regional growth and water quality plans. It has focused on longterm plans to solve these issues. including developing understandable. fair and objective project selection processes for regional projects eligible for Federal. State and local funds and a longterm regional growth plan. Last night was DRCOGs Annual Awards Dinner. where it will hand out a number of awards. including the John V. Christensen Memorial Award. Named after one of DRCOGs cofounders. the late John Christensen was a county commissioner for Arapahoe County and one of the Denver areas biggest proponents of cooperative problem solving for the metro area. The Christensen award will go tonight to a regionalist who has displayed outstanding commitment to working for the regions common good. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2662}
{"speech_id":1090020645,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Past award recipients have included Colorado State legislators. mayors. county commissioners. as well as county planners. regional leaders. and others during the awards 32year history. DRCOG has strived to speak. as its motto says. \"With One Voice.\" Its members have eschewed partisanship and ideological bickering to focus on a single goal: Cooperative problem solving that benefits all of the people of the Denver metro area. By coming to the table with the commitment to work towards a common solution. DRCOG has exemplified what we seek in our leaders: Thoughtful consideration and deliberate action. DRCOG is exactly the kind of effort to which we all aspire. a place for ideas and insight. for working in a nonpartisan fashion across jurisdictional lines. I applaud -the accomplishments and efforts of the Denver Regional Council of Governments and look forward to its continued success..","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2662}
{"speech_id":1090020655,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am today reintroducing legislation to clarify the -status of villages participating in the federally established Community Development Quota (CDQ) program created to assist economically disadvantaged communities around the edge of the Bering Sea. The CDQ program is one of the youngest but most successful of a variety of programs intended to improve economic opportunities in some of my States most challenged communities. The CDQ Community Preservation Act is intended to maintain the participation of all currently eligible communities along the shore of the Bering Sea in Alaskas Community Development -Quota program. It is necessary because inconsistencies in statutory and regulatory provisions may require a reassessment of eligibility and the exclusion of some communities from the program. This was not the intent of the original program. nor of any subsequent changes to it. In order to clarify that fact. a legislative remedy is needed. Senator STEVENS joined me in introducing just such a remedy last year. but work on it was not completed and we were forced to settle for only temporary relief. It is time we dealt with this matter more appropriately. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4256}
{"speech_id":1090020655,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Alaska hag been generously blessed with natural resources. but due to its location and limited transportation infrastructure it continues to have pockets of severe poverty. Nowhere is this more evident than in the villages around the rim of the Bering Sea. The Community Development Quota Program began in 1992. at the recommendation of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. one of the regional councils formed under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Congress gave the program permanent status in the 1996 reauthorization of the Act. The program presently includes 65 communities within a 50 nauticalmile radius of the Bering Sea. which have formed six regional nonprofit associations to participate in the program. The regional associations range in size from one to 20 communities. Under the program. a portion of the regulated annual harvests of pollock. halibut. sablefish. Atka mackerel. Pacific cod. and crab is assigned to each of the associations. which operate under combined Federal and State agency oversight. Almost all of an associations earnings must be invested in fishingrelated projects in order to encourage a sustainable economic base for the region. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4256}
{"speech_id":1090020655,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Typically. each association sells its share of the annual harvest quotas to established fishing companies in return for cash and agreements to provide job training and employment opportunities for residents of the region. The program has been remarkably successful. Since 1992. approximately 9.000 jobs have been created for western Alaska residents with wages totaling more than $60 million..The CDQ program has also contributed to fisheries infrastructure development in western Alaska. as well as providing vessel loan programs. education. training and other CDQrelated benefits. The CDQ program has its roots in the amazing success story of how our offshore fishery resources were Americanized after the passage of the original Magnuson Act in 1976. At the time. vast foreign fishing fleets were almost the only ones operating in the U.S. 200mile Exclusive Economic Zone. American fishermen simply did not have either the vessels or the expertise to participate. The MagnusonStevens Act changed all that. It led to the adoption of what we called a \"fish and chips\" policy that provided for an exchange of fish allocations fo technological and practical expertise. Within the next few years. harvesting fell almost exclusively to American vessels. Within a few years after that. processing also became Americanized. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4256}
{"speech_id":1090020655,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. there are no foreign fishing or processing vessels operating in the 200mile zone off Alaska. and the industry is worth billions of dollars each year. The CDQ program helps bring some of the benefits of that great industry to local residents in one of the most impoverished areas of the entire country. It is a vital element in the effort to create and maintain a lasting economic base for the regions many poor communities. and truly deserves the support of this body. I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4256}
{"speech_id":1090020659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce The National Drought Preparedness Act of 2005. First off. I would like to thank Senator BAUCUS. As the lead cosponsor. his strong leadership and hard work on this bill has been a tremendous help. Drought is a unique emergency situation. it creeps in unlike other abrupt weather disasters. Without a national drought policy we constantly live not knowing what the next year will bring. Unfortunately. when we find ourselves facing a drought. towns often scramble to drill new water wells. fires often sweep across bone dry forests and farmers and ranchers are forced to watch their way of life blow away with the dust. We must be vigilant and prepare ourselves for quick action when the next drought cycle begins. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4487}
{"speech_id":1090020659,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Better planning on our part could limit some of the damage felt by drought. I submit that this bill is the exact tool needed for facilitating better planning. This Act establishes a National Drought Council within the Department of Agriculture to improve national drought preparedness. mitigation and response efforts. The National Drought Council will formulate strategies to alleviate the effects of drought by fostering a greater understanding of what triggers widespread drought conditions. By educating the public in water conservation and proper land stewardship. we can ensure a better preparedness when future drought plagues our country. The impacts of drought are also very costly. According to NOAA. there have been 12 different drought events since 1980 that resulted in damages and costs exceeding $1 billion each. In 2000. severe drought in the SouthCentral and Southeastern states caused losses to agriculture and related industries of over $4 billion. Western wildfires that year totaled over $2 billion in damages. The Eastern drought in 1999 led to $1 billion in losses. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4487}
{"speech_id":1090020659,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are just a few of the statistics. While drought affects the economic and environmental well being of the entire nation. the United States has lacked a cohesive strategy for dealing with serious drought emergencies. As many of you know. the impact of drought emerges gradually rather than suddenly as is the case with other natural disasters. I am pleased to be following through on what I started in 1997. The bill that we are introducing today is the next step in implementing a national. cohesive drought policy. The bill recognizes that drought is a recurring phenomenon that causes serious economic and environmental loss and that a national drought policy is needed to ensure an integrated. coordinated strategy. The National Drought Preparedness Act of 2005 does the following: It creates national policy for drought. This will hopefully move the country away from the costly. ad hoc. responseoriented approach to drought. and move us toward a proactive. preparedness approach. The new national policy would provide the. tools and focus. similar to the Stafford Act. for Federal. State. tribal and local governments to address the diverse impacts and costs caused by drought. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4487}
{"speech_id":1090020659,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Bill would improve delivery of federal drought programs. This would ensure improved program delivery. integration and leadership. To achieve this intended purpose. the bill establishes the National Drought Council. designating USDA as the lead federal agency. The Council and USDA would provide the coordinating and integrating function for federal drought programs. much like FEMA provides that function for other natural disasters under the Stafford Act. The Act will provide new tools for drought preparedness planning. Building on existing policy and planning processes. the bill would assist states. local governments. tribes. and other entities in the development and implementation of drought preparedness plans. The bill does not mandate state and local planning. but is intended to facilitate plan development and implementation through establishment of the Drought Assistance Fund. The bill would improve forecasting & monitoring by facilitating the development of the National Drought Monitoring Network in order to improve the characterization of current drought conditions and the forecasting of future droughts. Ultimately. this would provide a better basis to \"trigger\" federal drought assistance. Finally. the bill would authorize the USDA to provide reimbursement to states for reasonable staging and prepositioning costs when there is a threat of a wildfire. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4487}
{"speech_id":1090020662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise on behalf of myself and the distinguished ranking member of the Veterans Committee. Senator AKAKA. to introduce legislation providing a traumatic injury protection rider for servicemembers. I urge all my colleagues to review this important legislation and support its enactment. and I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":380}
{"speech_id":1090020666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join with my colleague from Illinois in reintroducing the Conserve by Bike Act to recognize and promote bicyclings important impact on energy savings and public health. With Americas dependence on foreign oil. it is vital that we look to the contribution that bike travel can make toward solving our Nations energy challenges. The legislation we are reintroducing today would establish a Conserve by Bike pilot program that would oversee pilot projects throughout the country designed to conserve energy resources by providing education and marketing tools to convert car trips into bike trips. Right now. fewer than 1 trip in 100 nationwide is by bicycle. If we could increase this statistic to 1 u trips per 100. we could save over 462 million gallons of gasoline per year. worth nearly $1 billion. While more bike trips would benefit our energy conservation efforts. additional bicycling activity would also help improve the Nations public health. According to the U.S. Surgeon General. fewer than onethird of Americans meet Federal recommendations to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity 5 days a week. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3596}
{"speech_id":1090020666,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even more disturbing is the fact that approximately 300.000 American deaths a year are associated with obesity. By promoting biking. we are working to ensure that Americans. young and old. will increase their physical activity. In my home State of Maine. citizen activists have led the way in encouraging their fellow Mainers to use bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation. Founded in 1992. the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. BCM. has grown substantially in its first decade plus of operation. In 1996. when BCM hired its current executive director. Jeffrey Miller. the organization had 200 individual and family memberships. Today. it has over 1.700. For a State of less than 1.3 million residentsmany of them elderlyBCMs broad membership is especially impressive. Over the years. this group has advocated increased bicycle access to Maines roads and bridges. organized the first \"Bike to Work Day\" in our State. initiated bicycle safety education in our classroomsteaching more than 60.000 schoolchildren in over 500 Maine schoolsand produced \"Share the Road\" public service announcements for television stations statewide. among numerous other accomplishments. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3596}
{"speech_id":1090020666,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No matter how energetic. committed. and organized BCM and other bicycle activists are. however. these groups cannot accomplish their mission alone. There is an important role for Government to play in encouraging more individuals to make bicycling their alternative mode of transportation. In Maine. BCM has built strong. active partnerships with local governments and the States Department of Transportation. These key relationships have benefitted bicyclists throughout Maine and. in doing so. have encouraged more Mainers to ride their bikes on a regular basis. Indeed. more than 4 percent of Maines commuters currently bike -or walk. ranking the State 14th in that category nationwide. I believe the Federal Government needs to become more engaged in encouraging bicycling as a means of alternative transportation. and the Conserve by Bike Act would contribute to the worthy goal of convincing more Americans to travel by bicycle. The Senate is already on record in support of this bill. In the previous Congress. during consideration of the Energy bill. identical legislation was accepted by voice vote as an amendment. I urge my colleagues to maintain their support for the Conserve by Bike Act. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3596}
{"speech_id":1090020666,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself. Mr. CORZINE. and Mrs. BOXER):","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3596}
{"speech_id":1090020668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with a sense of honor that my friend and colleague. Senator FEINSTEIN. and I rise to introduce a bipartisan constitutional amendment that would allow Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag. I am proud and privileged to be working again with my California colleague on this important proposal. Among our prihcipal cosponsors are our colleagues Senator THUNE and Senator TALENT. It is heartening to us to see some of the Senates newest Members come to this issue with the same passion that its original supporters still feel. This amendment is truly bipartisan. Today. we count 51 original cosponsors I of this resolution. And. nearly twothirds of the Members of this body have indicated their support. Those numbers seem to grow with each passing year. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9159}
{"speech_id":1090020668,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No doubt. some will still argue that this amendment is unnecessary. Fortunately.- that refrain is gradually losing its punch. When this amendment eventually passes the Senate. as I believe that it will. our victory will not be attributed to the passions of the moment. Rather. it will be due to the tireless efforts of citizens committed to convincing their elected representatives that this amendment matters. I have heard from some Utahans who love our countrys flag but are opposed to amending the Constitution. To them I would say. amending the Constitution should never be taken lightly. Yet after serious study of the issue. I have concluded there is no other way to guarantee that our flag is protected. as I will discuss in a few minutes. And. indeed. guaranteeing the physical integrity of the flag is a cause worth fighting for. The American people seem to understand what the opponents of this amendment fail to grasp. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9159}
{"speech_id":1090020668,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment is a necessary statement that citizens still have some control over the destiny of this Nation and in maintaining the traditions and symbols that have helped to bind us together in all our diversity for over 200 years. Those who oppose protecting the flag through a constitutional amendment are probably not aware of our constitutional history. Indeed. for most of Americas history. our Nations laws guaranteed the physical integrity of the American flag. These were laws no one questioned. No one every questioned that the simple act of providing legal protection for the flag. a unique symbol of our ties as a Nation. could somehow violate the Constitution. We should take a moment and recall what we were taught about the flag as schoolchildren. Our flags 13 stripes show our origins. We started as 13 separate colonies that first became separate States and then one Nation through the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. The 50 stars on the field of blue represent what we have become: a Nation unified. And over the past 230 years. we have become ever more united in our commitment to the extension of liberty and equality. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9159}
{"speech_id":1090020668,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Among all of our differences. differences frequently reflected in this body. we do remain one Nation undivided and indivisible. and our flag is a simple but profound statement of that union. That is why we open the Senate each day by pledging. our allegiance to the flag. It is a reminder of all that we have in common. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens understood the significance of theflags status when he wrote: A countrys flag is a symbol of more than nationhood and national unity. It also signifies the ideas that characterize the society that has chosen that emblem as well as the special history that has animated the growth and power of those ideas . . . So it is with the American flag. It is more than a proud symbol of the courage. the determination. and the gifts of a nation that transformed 13 fledgling colonies into a world power. It is a symbol of freedom. of equal opportunity. of religious tolerance. and of goodwill for other peoples who share our aspirations. There is a certain wisdom to Justice Stevens statement that our constituents immediately grasp. Some polls show that over 80 percent of the American people support an amendment to protect the flag. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9159}
{"speech_id":1090020668,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Its unique character is represented in the diversity of the groups that have worked over the years to bring this amendment to fruition. Veterans. police. African Americans. Polish Americans. farmers. and so many more diverse groups see in the flag a symbol of our Nation. they understand that it is perfectly consistent with our constitutional traditions for us to protect it. Unfortunately. in 1989 the Supreme Court intervened and ovrrode every State law barring desecration- of the American flag. None of these States has restricted first amendment political speech in any way. Their laws did not lead us down some slippery slope that would result in restraints on political opinions. These States drew reasonable distinctions between political speech and inflammatory and frequently violent acts. Yet in Texas v. Johnson. the Supreme Court held that a Texas statute. and others like it. that barred desecration of the American flag. violated core first amendment principles. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9159}
{"speech_id":1090020669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. it is my distinct honor and privilege to rise and speak on behalf of Senator HATCH. Senator FEINSTEIN. Senator TALENT. myself. and 47 other senators. as we introduce bipartisan legislation we believe to be long overdue. It is not reform legislation. It does not authorize new government programs. create new sources of tax revenue. or provide incentives to stimulate our economy. It is none of those things. but it is a matter of great importance. The events of 9\/11 have reminded us all of that. It is. instead. legislation that speaks to the core of our beliefs and hopes as a Nation. and as a people. It is about a national treasure and a symbol of our country that the vast majority of Americansand the majority of this great body. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5121}
{"speech_id":1090020669,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I might addbelieve is worth special status and worthy of protection. It is about the American flag. Our American flag is more than. mere cloth and ink. It is a symbol of the liberty and freedom that we enjoy today thanks to the immeasurable sacrifices of generations of Americans who came before us. It represents -the fiber and strength of our values and it has been sanctified by the blood of those who died defending it. I rise today to call upon all members of this body to support a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag. It would simply authorize. but not require. Congress to pass a law protecting the American flag. This amendment does not affect anyones right to express their political beliefs. It would only allow Congress to prevent our flag from being used as a prop. to be desecrated in some ways simply not appropriate to even mention in these halls. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5121}
{"speech_id":1090020669,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This resolution and similar legislation have been the subject of debate before this body before. There is. in fact. a quite lengthy legislative history regarding efforts to protect the American flag from desecration. In 1989. the Supreme Court declared essentially that burning the American flag is \"free speech.\" That is a decision the American people should make. particularly when this country finds itself fighting for democracy and expending American lives for that cause. on battlefields overseas. South Dakota veterans and members of the armed forces from my State know exactly what Im talking about. as Im sure they do from every state represented in the Senate. In recent months. units of the 147th field artillery and 153rd engineer battalions of the South Dakota National Guard returned home after spending a difficult year in Iraq. Likewise. the 452nd ordinance company of the United States Army Reserve is preparing to depart for Iraq in September. My father. like many other veterans of World War II. understands the importance of taking this step. Veterans from across South Dakota have asked me to step up and defend the flag of this great Nation and today I am answering that call. Today. members of both political parties will introduce a proposed constitutional amendment that would give back to the American people the power to prevent the desecration of the American flag. We know the gravity of this legislation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5121}
{"speech_id":1090020669,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is nothing complex about this amendment. nor are there any hidden consequences. This amendment provides Congress with the power to outlaw desecration of the American flag. a right that is widely recognized by Madison. Jefferson. and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. one of the foremost advocates of first amendment freedoms. Most states officially advocate Congress passing legislation to protect the flag. Frankly. I do not see this as a first amendment issue. It is an attempt to restore the traditional protections to the symbol cherished so dearly by our Government and the people of the United States. Some acts are not accepted as \"free speech\" even in societies like ours where we consider free speech a cherished right. For example. an attempt to burn down this Capitol building as a political statement would never be viewed as someones right of free speech. Our laws would not tolerate the causing of harm to others property or life as an act of \"free speech.\" This flag happens to be the property of the American people. in my opinion. and this question should be put before the States and their people to decide how and if to protect it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5121}
{"speech_id":1090020669,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think the answer will come back as a resounding \"yes\". There is little doubt that the debate over state ratification will trigger a tremendous discussion over our values. beliefs and whether we will ultimately bestowa lasting honor on our traditions. Importantly. it will be an indication of how we recognize our servicemen and women who are sacrificingright nowin Iraq and Afghanistan. to protect those traditions and values for us. Will we honor them. and all the veterans who served and died in wars for this country and our flag over the last 200 years? Thats not a question which a court should hold the final answer. I believe the time has finally 9ome. I believe our country wants this debate. The majority of this Senate. I believe. wants this amendment. We begin it here. and we begin it now. Let the debate begin.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5121}
{"speech_id":1090020670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor today to voice my support for the flag amendment. The flag of the United States of America is a symbol of freedom. The flag of the United States of America has been sanctified by the blood of thousdnds of U.S. soldiers who have fought across the world. and it must be protected from desecration. This proposed constitutional amendment would overturn the 1989 U.S. Supreme Courts 54 ruling which held that laws banning desecration of the U.S. flag Were unconstitutional infringements on free speech and therefore a violation of the first amendment. I am proud of the first amendment right to free speech and will always ensure all Americans maintain that right. I am also proud of the American flag and the values behind it. The American flag flies over this great country as a symbol of liberty and patriotism. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1176}
{"speech_id":1090020670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Desecration of the flag would be destruction of the core principles on which this great Nation was founded. I will continue to be an advocate on behalf of the American flag and the values the flag represents. I encourage my colleagues to support this measure and join me in ensuring the everlasting integrity of the American flag.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1176}
{"speech_id":1090020706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I rise today to recognize the University of Oklahoma Sooners mens gymnastics team for winning the 2005 NCAA Division I mens gymnastics championship on April 8. 2005 at West Point. NY. This historic achievement is an enormous source of pride for the university that they represent as well as for the people of my entire State. This championship achieved by the Sooners. under the outstanding leadership of NCAA Coach of the Year Mark Williams. is OUs sixth overall national title and their third in the past 4 years. It was undoubtedly an accomplishment that they earned and grittily sweated out. The Sooners dramatic victory over secondplace Ohio State came down to the wire with the competition narrowly being d~termined by the final rotation on the vault. Freshman Jonathan Horton delivered a heroic performance. which secured OUs winning score of 225.675 over the Buckeyes 225.450. The tremendous success of the 2005 Sooners gives support to the Sports Illustrated covers designation of Oklahoma as \"Americas Gymnastics Hotbed\" that notably included the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy. Nadia Comaneci. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1988}
{"speech_id":1090020706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Shannon Miller. and the worlds largest gymnastics magazine. International Gymnast. In addition to the national championship. the Sooners boasted six team members who attained a total of 13 AllAmerica honors for OU at the individual event finals. The 13 honors of 2005 added to an already substantial collection of 141 honors garnered by the university over the 39 years of the mens gymnastics programs existence. Moreover. senior David Hendersons 2005 NCAA title on the still rings. gave OU its 18th alltime individual national champion. capping off a brilliant 4 years for this extraordinary young man. The Sooners victory is a product of the heart. determination. and teamwork of these exceptional student athletes. and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire team for a job truly well done and well deserved.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1988}
{"speech_id":1090020714,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Friday. April 15. I further ask consent that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then resume consideration of H.R. 1268. the IraqAfghanistan supplemental appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":447}
{"speech_id":1090020768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment is cosponsored by Senator DURBIN. Senator COLEMAN. Senator DOLE. Senator KENNEDY. Senator SALAZAR. and Senator CORZINE. This amendment is designed to improve the health care access for those children who have lost a parent on active military duty. To understand the need for this amendment. we have to look at the current status of the law. to understand the problem. to understand why we need to change it. Currently. the dependent childchildren of a deceased service memberwill receive medical benefits under the TRICARE prime. for 3 years after that service member has died. at no cost. But following that period. the dependent child may continue to receive TRICARE prime at the retiree dependent premium rate available to children until the age of 21. or 23 if enrolled in school. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2878}
{"speech_id":1090020768,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But they have to pay for it. Also. if a dependent childs military parent dies. that child moves down on the food chain. in terms of availability of services. What that means is that if. for example. there is a doctors appointment opening. an ActiveDuty dependent would get preference to schedule that appointment over the dependent child whose parent has died in service. Let me state that again. Let me make sure my colleagues understand me. To take one example. if there is a doctors appointment opening and your parent is alive. you get preference over a child whose parent was killed in Iraq or killed in Afghanistan. That is simply not fair. That is not right. I dont think any Member of the Senate. who really understands that. would say that is right. Our amendment would change that. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2878}
{"speech_id":1090020768,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What our amendment will do is put the surviving children of service members killed in service to our country in the same position as if their parent would have lived and continued to serve in the military. It puts them in no better position. but it puts them in the same position. That is all this amendment does. That is the right thing to do. What our amendment would do simply is to extend TRICARE prime to every dependent child of a deceased service member at no costthe same thing as if the parent would have liveduntil the dependents age of 21. or 23 if the dependent attends college. It is the same as if the service member were still alive. Maintaining this level of TRICARE coverage guarantees the surviving dependents will continue to have access to some of the best doctors this country has to offer and would receive adequate health care and treatment. This is the right thing to do. it is fair. and it is just. I believe it is what the American people. if they understood the issue. if the issue was explained to them. would clearly want us to do. To do any less for the surviving children of our service members who have been killed in service to our country is simply not right. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2878}
{"speech_id":1090020768,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that two letters of support be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2878}
{"speech_id":1090020957,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Does the ChainblissKyl amendment not take the current H2A program. which is very cumbersome and requires a lot of paperwork and requires the adverse effect wage rate to be paid. and streamline that program to where it is more easily usable by farmers who now simply dont use it because it is cumbersome? Does it alleviate some of the problems?","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090020967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because our debate time. as. I understand: it. is actually tomorrow. and I think we will go off and on this issue today. and. because the. ohairman of the Appropriations Committee is on the floor managing the supple7 mental and may have other amendments he wants to deal with.. I would hope we can rely on the Chairfor moving us back and forth in a. balanced way from side to side before we look at a structured way to proceed. I have difficulty with that. .ff","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":460}
{"speech_id":1090020977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Will the Senator yield? ..Mr. KYL. I am happy to have my unanimous consent request amended along the lines of what the Senator from. Massachusetts said. ):Mr. CRAIG. It is clear anybody coming tothe floor to offer amendments to the supplemental would have that right.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":267}
{"speech_id":1090020980,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Letffie propound the unanimbus.coiseft request again. if I can. I ask unanimous consent that in 15minpte blocks of time Senator WYDEN pibceedwithout any of this time coming off his. there then be two 15minute blocks for the Senator from Alabama and the Senator from Georgia. followed by a. 15minute block for the Senator from Massachusetts. but in the meantime. Senator BINGAMAN be able to offer his amendments.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":411}
{"speech_id":1090021080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator will yield. the Senator from California. Mrs. BOXER. and I are waiting to speak about the tragic death of Marla Ruzicka over the weekend in the form of eulogies. I dont want to interrupt the work of the distinguished senior Senator from Virginia. but when he is finished I am going to seek the floorboth Senator BOXER and Ito give the eulogies. which will not take a great deal of time. but they are important.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":440}
{"speech_id":1090021112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment would increase funding for jamming devices that would deactivate roadside bombs. They are one of the leading causes of the casualties in Iraq. Mr. President. I will get back to the tribute.I want to give to Marla. I thank Laura Schiller. my staff member. who is sitting here with me. She helped me put together these remarks. She was a friend of Marlas. and it was very hard forher to get through writing these remarks. This morning. in northern California. where I wasI just got herethe people woke up to the San Francisco Chronicles front page. It is this magnificent picture of Marla and a little girl she helped. along with an Iraqi woman who had clearly also been working with this little child. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090021112,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is interesting because on either side of this beautiful photograph of Marla and this little girl are two very negative stories about the world we live inMedicare fraud and oil companies trying to lower their taxes in light of their highest profits everand it just spoke to me about Marla because there she was in the middle of all these negative forces. the worst kinds of negative forceswar. hatred. sectarian violence. all these things. there she was right in the middle. something good for us to cling to. My heart breaks for Marlas family and her friends. Some of them were here. so many whose lives she touched. One of Marlas friends was my daughter Nicole who called me with the news of Marlas death on Saturday night. It was hard to understand her at first. so heavy were her tears. Between sobs. she told me Marla had been killed along the treacherous road leading to the Baghdad airport. It was a road so dangerous that when Senators travel thereand I just got back from there a couple weeks agothey dont go on that road. Instead. they go on a Blackhawk helicopter and speed through a city with machine guns on either side looking down to the ground. It is a road so dangerous that even limited protection costs thousands of dollarstens of thousands of dollars just to go one way on that road. if you were to hire people to help protect you. That is how dangerous it is. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090021112,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Who among us would have found the courage to travel on that road on Saturday. or the road that Marla had traveled during her courageous. committed. and very short life? Who among us can say we have spent so much of our lives serving other people in the way that truly makes a difference? How many 28ydarolds can say that? Imagine. in this the most powerful and greatest country in the world. it was this remarkable woman who went door to door counting Iraqi civilian victims. when nobody else would. It was this young woman who lobbied the Senate for assistance for these families. and we heard from Senator LEAHY about how incredible she was when she -made the case. She risked her own life to make sure they received the support they deserved. \"Marla was something close to a saint.\" one friend wrote this morning. \"but a very realistic saint.\" I personally met Marla for the first time recently when she and her mother came to my home in California to celebrate an occasion for my daughter. When Marla walked through our front door with her mom. she had an infectious smile. and my daughters face lit up. \"This is the amazing woman Ive been telling you about. Mom.\" she said. This is how it always was for the thousands around the world lucky enough to call Marla a friend. It didnt matter if you lived in the streets of Baghdad or the dusty villages of Afghanistan or the corridors of power in April.18. 2005 co: Washington. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090021112,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DC. It didnt matter whether you knew Marla. She would come up to you and you Would feel as if you had known her for a lifetime. She treated every conversation as a chance to tell you about the righteousness of her cause. and she treated everyone with the same respect. openness. and unconditional love. We so often hear: And now three remain: faith. hope. and love. But the greatest of these is love. My office was flooded today with emails and phone calls from the people whose lives were touched by Marlas faith. hope. and love. Everyone has a story to tell. and I brought a few photos toshare with you because words are not enough. In this photo she sent hours before her death. we see her holding tightly an Iraqi child who was thrown from a vehicle just before it was blown up in a rocket attack. The childs entire family was killed. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090021112,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Marla saved that child. Here we see one of the countless civilians brutally injured and now beaming and healthy next to the person. Marla. who helped her heal. We see Marlas trusted Iraqi colleague. Faiz. whom she wrote. \"was sent to me by angels from the sky.\" He worked tirelessly beside her. and he died bravely beside her. And we see this beautiful. vibrant. young woman. red scarf around her neck. surrounded by the soldiers she befriended and entreated in her quest to help Iraqi civilians. Senator LEAHY made the point that everyone wanted to help Marlaeveryone. The U.S. military wanted to make up for the damage that was caused. They desperately wanted to do that. butthey needed someone who could give them accurate information. and she did that. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090021119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to offer an amendment of great importance to the returning guardsmen and reservists in my home State and in many other States. I think many of my colleagues. in understanding what I am trying to do. will agree that it is the right approach and the right thing to do for the men and women from our States who have done such an incredible job serving our Nation in Iraq and on behalf of not just Americans but the Iraqi people. When our soldiers return home. some of them are finding they might only have a week or less before they are expected to reenter the workforce and return to civilian life. It is confusing at best to know with what they are going to be faced. The price of gasoline has gone up tremendously since they deployed almost 2 years ago. They have seen a lot of changes in their communities. perhaps changes in their work. changes in their families. the loss of loved ones. certainly the growing of their little biddies. But many of the soldiers of Arkansass 39th Infantry Brigade found they had absolutely no leave left when they returned to our home State of Arkansas. This left them with very few options other than to return to work immediately or. in some cases. to begin looking for work immediately. within a week of when they returned to their home soil. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090021119,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These soldiers had just spent nearly 18 months in Iraq. risking their lives to defend the freedoms we cherish as Americans. They witnessed scenes of tragedy and violence they never expected to encounter but willingly accepted as part of their mission in service of this great Nation. It is part of","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090021193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Tuesday. April 26. at 10 a.m. in Room SD366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. DC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimpny regarding the status of the Department of Energys Nuclear Power 2010 program. For further information. please contact Clint Williamson at 2022247556 or David Marks at 2022286195.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":509}
{"speech_id":1090021248,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me respond to a couple of comments which my colleague just made. He characterized his legislation as enabling people to earn the right to stay. This is the earned amnesty provision. But the point is. there is no difference between coming across the border illegally and working here illegally and working under the CraigKennedy bill. You are working in the field. and after a period of time you get permanent legal residency. Between 22 weeks and 32 months. you get legal status. Then a year later you get legal permanent residency by doing the very same thing you are illegally doing today.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":610}
{"speech_id":1090021260,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is going to be a very interesting debate. I hope all of our colleagues are watching this. I wish to respond to a couple of things my friend said relative to our legislation. First of all. this is not a stopgap measure. This is not something we conceived over the last several weekseven the last several months. I have actually been working on this issue for the entire 11 years I have served in the House of Representatives and now in this body. In fact. on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1995. Congressman RICHARD PoMno of California and myself proposed a very similar piece of legislation to what the ChamblissKyl amendment is today to reform the H2A program. We werent as expansive back then because *we didnt conceive the blue cardconcept. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11152}
{"speech_id":1090021260,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But we had a very similar proposition relative to H2A because H2A has been a good program. if it were streamlined. And if it were not so cumbersome for employees to use. it would be used more often than what it is today. Second. I want to talk about this issue relative to the control of the borders. Senator KYL is exactly right. I think it is very dangerous for anybody to argue during this process or any other process that we cannot control the borders. We can control the borders. and we must control the borders. If we- dont control the borders to our countryduringthis process or conceive of some way to make sure that Homeland Security does so during this process. then we are going to accomplish nothing. Our goal isI know what the goal of Senator CRAIG and Senator KENNEDY isto provide our agricultural sector in this country with a stable. with a quality. and with an abundant labor force pool from which to choose. and that they must be legal. That we can agree on. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11152}
{"speech_id":1090021260,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But we can control the border. and under our legislationit is ab-. sent from Senator CRAIGs legislationwe demand that the Department of Homeland Security. within 6 months after the effective date of this amendment. come forward to Congress with a proposal as to how they want to seal the border and control it from allowing .illegal immigrants to come across that border. It can be done. it should be done. and it must be done as a part of this process. I want to go back to the AgJOBS bill and talk about what is truly the major significant difference. that is. the issue of amnesty. Under the AgJOBS bill that Senator CRAIG and Senator KENNEDY have. first. illegal aliens are eligible for temporary work visas if they have worked in agriculture a minimal amount of time. I will not go through what Senator Km just said but. basically. if they have been here for 100 days and worked 1 hour each day. then they can apply for what is known as \"temporary adjustment status\" under the CraigKennedy bill. That makes them legal. We simply do not do that. We intentionally put the burden on the employer to make sure the employee is who he says he is. First of all. I need the workers. second. that these workers will be coming here as lawabiding citizens. and. they have not violated the lawas you can do under Senator CRAIGS and Senator KENNEDYS amendment. not once. not twice. but you can havethree misdemeanors on your record and still get the legal adjustment status. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11152}
{"speech_id":1090021260,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have zero tolerance. We think folks who come here and say they want to work in the United States must be lawabiding citizens. if that is what they want to do. We say. unlike CraigKennedy. that the burden must be on the employer to. first of all. go out and say. I want to hire American workers to fill these jobs. Then. if he cant do that. it is the employer who comes in and says: I have tried to hire American workers to fill these jobs. I cannot find the American workers to do it. Therefore. under the H2A reform provision. I need these workers for a temporary. period of timeX number of daysto do this job. Then they will return to their native country. In the case of the blue card. it is a little bit different. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11152}
{"speech_id":1090021260,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are some agricultural industries in this countryfor example. the landscape or the nursery businesswhere employees are needed for a 12month period every time. not just for a temporary 90day or 120day period of time. In that particular instance. these employersagain. the burden is on the employermake the estimation that they need these employeesthis individual is here. is law abiding. and that they want to have a blue card issued to that individual. That individual. again. can work only for that employer. When he leaves the employ of that individual. the burden is on the employer to let the Department of Labor know he has left. If he goes to work for another employer. which he can do in the agricultural sector. the employer for whom he goes to work must again file the proper documentation with the Department of Labor as well as with the Department of Homeland Security so they can track that individual. That is critically important. The major difference in that provision versus the CraigKennedy provision is they grant the temporary adjustment status which says they are here illegally. After a 31\/ month period of time. they can then work for a year and get a green card. which means they basically can stay in the United States forever with that green card. If they want to apply for citizenship. they can apply for citizenship while they are in the United States. Under ChamblissKyl. they must comply with current law in order to get a green card. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11152}
{"speech_id":1090021286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Would the Senator not agree a fundamental difference is. under your bill. the employee is the one who makes that attestation. Whereas. under our bill. it is the employerthe American employersays: I need you. Under your bill. the employee says: I have been here for this period of time. and therefore I deserve to receive this adjustment.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":337}
{"speech_id":1090021298,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. By the way. the AgJOBS amendment also provides they shall be given fully paidfor health insurance. which American workers do not get. It provides that the worker organizations and employer associations are the ones to receive the applications for temporary status. But. they cannot provide that application or the information in the application to the Department of Homeland Security unless the alien consents. They might receive information or evidence in the application pertaining to a crime. but. apparently the sponsors of this amendment are not concerned about that. Instead. they want the applications and the informationthat is given to the organizations and associations that are authorized to receive them kept from the Department of Homeland Security. As a matter of fact. the only way your application is allowed to go to the Department Homeland Security and its Secretarythe only way it can go thereis if you have a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer. your application has to go to one of these groups who will send it to DHS for you. These groups are not independent. fair groups. The employer groups and the worker organizations are groups that have a special interest in promoting this. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2334}
{"speech_id":1090021298,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So this is not protecting the interests of the people of the United States to give this process over to two groups. both -of which have a special interest in promoting people coming into this country. And. of course. there are no numerical limits on the number of aliens who would be given amnesty. Also. finally. I would note. as the Senator from Georgia is well aware. group after group that are said to have been in favor of this legislation have changed their mind or oppose it. The National Farm Bureau no longer supports AgJOBS. Farm groups all over the country are opposed to it. I know that the largest individual H2A employer in the country opposes the AgJOBS amendment. I also know that the largest coop user of the H2A programthe North Carolina Growers Associationoppose the amendment. I have received letters from MidAtlantic Solutions. the Georgia Peach Council. AgWorks. the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. the Virginia Agricultural Growers Association. the Vidalia Onion Business Council. and the KentuckyTennessee Growers Association all of which oppose the passage of AgJOBS.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2334}
{"speech_id":1090021352,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am disappointed there is an objection to allowing this important committee to do its work. That will make it necessary to recess for a period this afternoon to give Chairman LUGAR an opportunity to have his committee meeting. I understand there may be a request from the other side for a vote on the motion to recess. Senators should be on notice that if we are unable to work out this objection. we will vote at 2:15 this afternoon. Unfortunately. this recess will not allow debate and votes on additional amendments to the underlying emergency appropriations prior to this afternoons cloture vote. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":620}
{"speech_id":1090021401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the amendments we cleared and approved a moment ago. there were two modifications which I neglected to send to the desk. The first was a modification of the Reid amendment. I ask unanimous consent that the Reid amendment be so modified.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090021446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Virginia and the Senator from Maryland. I urge my colleagues to support the cloture motion on this amendment. It is an immigration issue. but it is more importantly a small business issue. There are a lot of small businesses that are seasonal in nature. It may be construction. landscaping. tourism. or the seafood industry. It is vitally important that we get this immigration. this H2B visa issue. in order logically. These are lawabiding citizens who want to keep their small business in operation. providing the services that people in their communities so desire. I thank the Chair and my colleagues. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090021446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope all colleagues will vote for small businesses. to keep them operating in States all across the Nation and bring some common sense with this temporary remedy. to bring some common sense and reasonableness to a program that every year ends up in a crisis. I thank Senator MIKULSKI of Maryland and my colleague from Virginia. Senator WARNER. of course. All of us are 538$6 working together for the betterment of many family businesses.","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090021565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased that today the House has voted to pass the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005. clearing the way for the President to sign this important bill into law. That signature will mark the completion of our unfinished intellectual property business from last year. As we work to enact an equally ambitious intellectual property agenda in this new Congress. we have started off on the right foot. The Family Entertainment and Copyright Act will help protect the rights of our innovators and support efforts at preserving Americas cultural heritage. Title I of the bill. the \"Artists Rights and Theft Prevention Act.\" will criminalize a growing scourge: the use of camcorders- to surreptitiously swipe movies from the big screen. Theft of intellectual property does not involve stealing something tangible. but the economic impact is very real. According to the Motion Picture Association of America. our film industries lose $3 billion annually due to piracy. We already know of high profile examples of movies showing up in other parts of the world on DVD while still in theaters in the United States. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3680}
{"speech_id":1090021565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Theft of intellectual property is a global problem. and we need to ensure that our own IP house is in order even as we continue efforts at stronger international enforcement. I have long been an enthusiastic proponent of the Library of Congresss efforts at protecting and promoting our nations rich and diverse film heritage. Thus. I am particularly pleased that the bill passed today also contains the National Film Preservation Act. legislation that I sponsored in the last Congress to continue support for this extraordinary project. It reauthorizes a Library of Congress program dedicated to preserving precisely those types of films most in need of archival preservation: \"orphaned\" works that do not enjoy the protection of the major studios. The movies saved include culturally significant silentera films. ethnic films. newsreels. and avantgarde works. The Act will allow the Library of Congress to continue its important work. and to provide assistance to libraries. museums. and archives in preserving films and in making these works available to researchers and the public. We know that more than 50 percent of the works made before 1950 have disintegrated and that only 10 percent of films made before 1929 still exist. Once these works are gone. they are lost to history forever. The Librarian of Congress. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3680}
{"speech_id":1090021565,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"James Billington. has referred to our film heritage as \"Americas living past.\" The National Film Preservation Act will help ensure that this past is accessible in order to entertain and enlighten future generations. I am also glad that a small but significant component of the bill is the Preservation of Orphan Works Act. which corrects a drafting error in the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. Correction of this error will allow libraries to create copies of orphan works. copyrighted materials that are in the last 20 years of their copyright term. are no longer commercially exploited. and are not available at a reasonable price. The last provision in the bill is the Family Movie Act. which ensures that inhome viewing of movies can be done as families see fit. I noted when this bill was introduced that while I might well have drafted specific components of this package differently. the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act was built around collegiality and compromise. both across the aisle and between chambers. As a result. we have produced good law worthy of the broad support it has enjoyed. I thank the bills Senate cosponsors. Senators HATCH. CORNYN. FEINSTEIN. and ALEXANDER. for all of their S9 893","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3680}
{"speech_id":1090021581,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to introduce legislation which may be cited as the Fairness In Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005. I do so on behalf of Senator LEAHY. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator HATCH. the former chairman of the committee. Senator FEINSTEIN. Senator DEWINE. Senator BAUCUS. Senator VOINOVICH and Senator GRASSLEY. There are others in the wings waiting to cosponsor. but this is a very complex bill. ranging over 300 pages. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5194}
{"speech_id":1090021581,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Quite a number of my colleagues have told me they are supportive of the bill and are making the final check to determine cosponsorship. Several months ago. a discussion draft was circulated. Last week. after a great many refinements had been added. the current bill was circulated. There have been a couple of relatively minor changes which have been added to this bill. but it is essentially the same as the circulation bill which was submitted a week ago. I compliment my distinguished colleague. Senator LEAHY. the ranking member. for his diligence. hard work and cooperation in structuring a bill with a great many moving parts. which he and I have been able to agree upon on the core principles. We have adopted a position that we will work jointly to retain these core provisions. We are open to suggestions and amendments and modifications which do not impact on these core provisions. But it is a very difficult matter to structure an asbestos bill which can pass the Senate. There are 55 Republicans. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5194}
{"speech_id":1090021581,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You need at least five Democrats. It has to be a balanced bill. and it is our submission that this is a balanced bill. A great deal of credit is due to senior Federal Judge Edward R. Becker. who until May 5. his 70th birthday. in the year 2003 was the chief judge of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit who wrote the opinion on the asbestos litigation which reached the Supreme Court of the United States. When the Judiciary Committee passed out of committee legislation on asbestos in July of 2003. the distinguished Presiding Officer was on the committee at that time and can attest to the 12hour marathon session we had. We did so significantly along party lines to move the legislation along. recognizing it had many problems. At my request. Judge Becker then convened the socalled stakeholders in his chambers in Philadelphia for 2 days in August. the stakeholders being identified as the manufacturers. the AFLCIO. the insurance. industry. and the trial lawyers. S3906 CO To recite the power and diversity and difference of opinion of these groups is to suggest the complication of bringing the stakeholders together on a piece of.. complex legislation. Following those 2 days of meetings in Judge Beckers bhambers. we have had some 36 sessions in my conference room here in the Hart Senate Office Building where Judge Becker presided and I assisted. and we worked out a great many of the issues to the satisfaction of the stakeholders. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5194}
{"speech_id":1090021581,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the core provisions of the bill is that there is a trust fund of $140 billion. It is always difficult on projections to be absolutely certain. but I believe there is a very high probability that this trust fund will be adequate to pay all of the claims. In very extensive testimony from Goldman Sachs on very carefully calculated projections. it was projected that the total cost of payments would be $118 billion. There is a considerable cushion between $118 billion and $140 billion. If for some unexpected reason the trust fund is insufficient. then those who have been injured by exposure to asbestos will be able to revert to jury trials. All of us are mindful of the very substantial factor when a claimant gives up a constitutional right to jury trial. but in a program structured largely along lines of workmens compensation. it is our conclusion that it is a fair exchange. When you find that there are many people who are suffering deadly ailments from asbestos. mesothelioma and other deadly injuries. who are not being compensated. this is a way to compensate those individuals whose companies have gone bankrupt. Over 75 companies have gone bankrupt at a tremendous impact to the economy. This will relieve the companies of the onerous threat of bankruptcyand they are taking additional companies with rapidity. . On one development which candidly surprised me. last week. when we circulated the draft bill a week ago today. there was a 25point bump in the stockmarket for asbestos companies. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5194}
{"speech_id":1090021581,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we had a meeting later in the day and -deferred production of the bill. the stock market went down to some extent. There is some consideration that the stock market is wiser even than Congress. Perhaps that would take a whole lot. But the reaction of the stock market is an indication of the importance of resolving this asbestos issue in order to give the economy a start. The hour is late. There are others who wish to seek recognition. The distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee is waiting through this nongermane part of his business. and the distinguished Democratic leader. I know. wants to seek recognition. I shall include the remainder of my statement in the RECORD and ask unanimous consent that it be printed.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5194}
{"speech_id":1090021591,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. April 19. at 10 a.m. in room SD366. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony concerning offshore hydrocarbon production and the future of alternate energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. Issues to be discussed include: recent technological advancements made in the offshore exploration and production of traditional forms of energy. and the future of deep shelf ana deepwater production. Enhancements in worker safety. and steps taken by the offshore oil and gas industry to meet environmentalchallenges. Participants in the hearing will also address ways that the Federal Government can facilitate increased exploration and production offshore while protecting the environment. New approaches to help diversify the offshore energy mix will also be discussed.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":937}
{"speech_id":1090021605,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the subcommittee on Water and Power be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. April 19 a 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 166. to amend the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 to reauthorize the participation of the Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes River Conservancy. and for other purposes. S. 251. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a water resource feasibility study for the Little Butte\/Bear Creek subbasins in Oregon. S. 310. to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Newlands Protect headquarters and maintenance yard facility to the TruckeeCarson Irrigation District in the State of Nevada. S. 519. to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Cohservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that act. and for other purposes. and S. 592. to extend the contract for the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin Project in the State of Wyoming.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090021616,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. all of us who go out into the field to see our troops. and particularly overseas. bring back many conclusions and various impressions. but to a person. we all come back impressed. inspired. and thankful for the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. In hard. dirty. and dangerous circumstances and often thankless deployments like Iraq and Afghanistan. they not only serve but they have had to adapt and improvise and tackle tasks they were never trained to handle. They have risen to the occasion. they have risen to the challenge. and at significant cost. in terms of those who have been wounded or injured or killed in action. These troops are the finest that any country has ever fielded. and they deserve not only our admiration but our support. and not just for them and their roles. which are vitally important. but for their families back home. for they sacrifice dearly. There are three levels in which our support should come: first. to those on active duty. and their families. and particularly those who are deployed for long tours of duty in harsh environments and under hazardous conditions. second. to the Guard and Reserve who leave \"their civilian occupations and are now serving in numbers and percentages we have never seen since the allvolunteer force was created some 30 years ago. Almost half of those in Iraq come from the reserve components. More than 300.000 have been called up over the last 21\/2 years. 45.000 have had their toursextended. Many are on their second tour. some on their third. They are answering the call. they are doing their duty. and they are proving that the total force works and works well. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090021616,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But they have families back home and jobs and businesses and obligations and debts to pay and health care needs. and they need our unstinting support as never before. They not only need it. they deserve it. Next come the veterans and the retirees. those who have put. in many cases. much of their adult lives into serving their country. They have served and they now look to their country to keep the promises that were made to them at the time they were serving and when they reupped and when they joined again and when they stayed in for 20 and 25 years. promises about retirement benefits. about veterans benefits. about health care and education and many other things. When the needs of these three groups are put together. all together. they make up a long bill of particulars. more than we can do. in all candor. in 1 year or even 2 years. but every time we take up a supplemental appropriation bill or a defense authorization bill or a defense appropriation bill. we should frankly. candidly. and honestly. searchingly. ask ourselves. what are we doing in this bill. on this occasion. to meet the needs of our service men and women who are serving gallantly in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and what are we doing in particular for their families? What are We doing to help them out in their combat circumstances. with flak vests and personal protective gear and uparmored vehicles? But what are we also doing for their children back home for their health care needs? Have we provided adequately. I do not think we have. for family separation centers. the one place dedicated to helping them resolve their problems while family members are overseas? And for Tricare. health care. critically important in our society. particularly for Reservists and their families. Reservists leaving their job. what have we done to provide and see to it that they do not have to sacrifice in terms of health care for themselves and their families not only while they are on duty but in the months after they are deactivated and come back home? And how about servicemens life insurance? For years it had been inadequately funded. Many troops because of the premium. modest though it seems. have not elected to take it. What are we doing to see to it that every American soldier who goes into combat. hazardous duty has at least several hundred thousand dollars of servicemens group life insurance? And what are we doing about our veterans. our category 7 and 8 veterans for over 2 years now. if they have not previously registered and are not able to 0 Printed on recycled paper. get admitted to veterans health care facilities? There are 50.000 veterans waiting in line as we speak for an appointment to a veterans health care facility. The Presidents budget for this year provided $106 million. not much over last year which itself was inadequate to meet their needs. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090021616,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over the next 5 years. this budget request is $18 billion below what is needed for current services. We can do better than that. We have got promises to keep to our veterans and these promises. above all. should be kept. Given the sporadic. unpredictable violence and the harsh. hard circumstances. it is not surprising that many of our troops come back. some have said as many as 17 percent. from places like Afghanistan and Iraq with difficult mental problems. This. too. is something we could do. Mr. Speaker. we have to follow up the gentlewoman from California who not only is a member of the Committee on Armed Services but also formerly a military spouse and speaks knowledgeably about this subject.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090021624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a bowling ball weighs about 170 times the weight of a slice of sandwich bread. It does not take a physicist to see the mismatch between a bowling ball and a slice of bread. It does not take a trade expert to see the economic mismatch between the United States and the nations that make up the Central American Free Trade Agreement. CAFTA: Honduras. Costa Rica. Nicaragua. Guatemala. and El Salvador. The way that proponents of the Central American Free Trade Agreement talk. one would think that Central America was one of the biggest economies in the Western Hemisphere. CAFTA nations. in fact. are not only among the worlds poorest countries. they are among its smallest economies. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5045}
{"speech_id":1090021624,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Think about this: This big trade agreement that President Bush wants. CAFTA. the combined purchasing power of CAFTA nations is almost identical to the purchasing power of Columbus. Ohio. Tomorrow the House will hold a hearing on CAFTA. Since President Bush took office. Congress has voted within 55 days of the Presidents affixing his signature on a trade agreement. April 28. coming up. will mark the 11month anniversary of when the President signed CAFTA. In. other words. trade agreements are always sent to Congress quickly. Within a couple of months. we vote on them. The President has delayed CAFTA for 11 months because this simply is not an agreement that the American people want or need. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5045}
{"speech_id":1090021624,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I said. other trade agreements were all done within about 2 months. but because CAFTA is so unpopular. because trade policy in this country is so wrongheaded. the President still has not asked this Congress to vote on CAFTA. Clearly. there is dissension in the ranks for good reason. CAFTA is the dysfunctional cousin of NAFTA. the North American Free Trade Agreement. and continues a legacy of failed trade policy. Look at NAFTAs record. NAFTA is the United States. Mexico. and Canada: One million U.S. manufacturing jobs lost to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Wages of Mexicans have stagnated. Environmental conditions. especially along the U.S.-Mexican border have worsened dramatically. And yet the U.S. continues to push for more of the same: more of the same job hemorrhaging. more of the same incomelowering trade agreements. more trade agreements that ship jobs overseas. more trade agreements that neglect environmental safety standards. more trade agreements that keep foreign workers in poverty. more trade agreements that undercut our food safety laws in our country. The only difference between CAFTA and NAFTA is the first letter. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5045}
{"speech_id":1090021624,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over and over again and expecting a different result. On trade we hear the same promises over and over and over again. and we see the same results: lost jobs. a weakened economy. lower standards of living in Mexico. bad environmental outcomes. But this Congress somehow barely in the middle of the night continues to pass these trade agreements. and we see the same bad results. But do not take my word for it. Look at the numbers. The U.S. economy. with a $10 trillion GDP in 2002. is 170 times bigger than the economies of the CAFTA nations. at about $62 billion combined. It is like comparing a bowling ball that weighs 170 times a slice of bread. CAFTA is not about robust markets foi the export of American goods. It is about outsourcing. It is about access to cheap labor. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5045}
{"speech_id":1090021624,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We send our jobs overseas. Workers overseas get paid almost nothing. not enabling them to raise their standard of living even a.bit. U.S. corporations make more money. American workers lose their jobs. It is the same old story time and time again. Again. the combined purchasing power of the CAFTA nations is about that of Columbus. Ohio. or Orlando. Florida. or the entire State of Kansas. Trade pacts like NAFTA and CAFTA enable companies to exploit cheap labor in other countries in the developing world. then import their products back into the United States under favorable tiriff terms. American companies outsource their jobs to Guatemala. outsource their jobs to China. outsource their jobs to Mexico. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5045}
{"speech_id":1090021628,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the financial condition of American working and middleclass families is a mess. Wages are stagnant. health care costs are exploding. the individual savings rate for 2004 was 1 percent. and credit card debt is more than $800 billion. The bright spot is that 69 percent of American families own their own home. The equity that American families build in their homes by years of faithfully paying a mortgage is the bulk of the net worth. the life savings. of most homeowners. Homeownership is more than an investment. The deed to a home is a membership card to the middle class. Families living on the fringes of poverty can begin to get their footing when they own their own home and become part of a neighborhood where parents know their childrens playmates. Financially vulnerable families are even more likely to have to borrow against the equity in their homes to provide for lifes rainy days. however. Every American homeowner faces a mountain of documents when they borrow money to buy a home or when they use their home to secure a loan. ","speaker_name":"R. MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090021628,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many vulnerable homeowners borrow knowing only how much their monthly payment will be. only to learn later that they signed away a big part of their home equity. of their life savings. There are lending practices that should offend anyone with a conscience. Let me give my colleagues one of the stories from North Carolina that prompted the North Carolina legislature. not generally seen as a hotbed of liberalism. to enact legislation to prohibit predatory lending 6 years ago. A lender approached an elderly school employee in Durham about refinancing her home to consolidate her debts. The lender charged her $17.542 in upfront costs on a $99.000 loan. including a $5.002 origination fee. a $2.142 loan discount fee. and a $9.089 singlepayment. nonrefundable credit premium insurance. She would never have written a $17.542 check at closing. but when she signed the closing documents. the charges came straight out of the equity she had built in her home. straight out of her lifes savings. The North Carolina law enacted in 1999 has put an end to practices like that. and without hindering honest lenders from making loans to vulnerable families that need to borrow against their home. Subprime credit remains readily available in North Carolina. The gentleman from North Carolina","speaker_name":"R. MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090021635,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tomorrow the Committee on House Administration will be holding a hearing on regulation of the socalled 527 political organizations. We all remember the promises that campaign finance reform was supposed to remove unregulated money from the political process. Well. not only did it fail to deliver on its promise. an argument can be made that it actually is worse. 527 groups have grown in importance and influence with little or no disclosure of who funds them. According to published reports. staffers of the distinguished House minority leader acknowledge they hold weekly meetings with the leaders of MoveOn.org. A recent fundraising email sent on by MoveOn.org stated. \"Now its our party. We bought it. We own it. and were taking it back.\" Strange that a group that claims to be nonpartisan for tax purposes claims to have bought a political party. The limited disclosure required by these groups makes it nearly impossible to determine who is claiming to have bought the Democratic Party. 527 groups spent over half a billion dollars in 2004 with no regulation from the FEC. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1222}
{"speech_id":1090021635,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we -truly want to enhance disclosure and remove unregulated money from the political process. we must do something about 527s.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1222}
{"speech_id":1090021666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of S. 167. the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005. which strengthens our Nations intellectual property rights system and further protects and rewards our Nations artists for their creative products. I supported this bill during the last Congress. and I look forward to seeing its eventual enactment in the coming weeks. This bill closes several significant gaps in our copyright laws that have contributed to the epidemic of digital piracy today. It outlaws camcording of movies off of theater screens by making it a Federal crime. It also empowers judges to impose up to 5year prison terms for persons convicted of distributing copyrighted songs and movies on filesharing networks for financial gain. I believe these provisions create crucial tools to combat the theft and redistribution of valuable intellectual property. With our movie industry losing about $3 billion to piracy every year. it is time that Congress demonstrates its support for our Nations creators and artists by strengthening protection of copyrighted products. In addition. the bill strengthens our Nations film heritage by reauthorizing the National Film Preservation Board and the National Film. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2728}
{"speech_id":1090021666,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Preservation Foundation that have worked successfully to preserve historically or culturally significant films. Their fine work will ensure our collective artistic heritage will be preserved for generations to come. Finally. I want to point out that despite my overall suppoit for the bill. I disagree with title II of the legislation. which shields companies that make moviefiltering systems from liability for copyrighting infringements. The intent of the moviefiltering technology is to sanitize movies to protect children. While I support a familyfriendly entertainment. I believe this method is not only a violation of film makers copyright protections but also an infringement of their artistic vision. Just yesterday. the Washington Post reported that companies sanitizing films removed 24 minutes from the part of the movie \"Saving Private Ryan\" depicting the landing at Omaha Beach on DDay and eliminated racial epithets uttered by police officials against African American boxer Rubin Carter in \"The Hurricane.\" Both are central to the themes of the movies. Such editing may be done in the name of protecting children. but often reflect our political or ideological biases of the censors. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2728}
{"speech_id":1090021666,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to make it clear that my general support of the bill is no way an endorsement of film sanitization. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support S. 167. and it is my hope that we will keep the dialogue open regarding the everchanging landscape of technology. censorship. and creativity in our country. . 1445","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2728}
{"speech_id":1090021668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 167. I commend the gentleman from Texas for introducing the House counterpart of this legislation. and I commend the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman SENSENBRENNER) and the gentleman from California for their continued diligence in bringing this legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker. included in Title II of this legislation is the Family Movie Act of 2005. This title clarifies the Copyright Act so families. in the privacy of their homes. can use technology that allows them to skip or mute objectionable content in legally purchased or rented DVDs. Parents should have the right to watch any movie they want and to skip over or mute any content they find objectionable. This legislation will allow.parents to have the final say in what their children watch in the privacy oftheir homes. and parents should have the option to protect their children from the sex. violence. profanity and other objectionable material found in movies that are produced in Hollywood these days. This legislation allows them to do so by clarifying the exemption in the copyright infringerent law allowing people to skip. mute or avoid sceneson DVDs. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER CANNON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090021668,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation does not allow for the modifying of the underlying content of the movie. it merely allows fast forwarding or muting portions of the movie or sound track. Thanks to this legislation. parents can control the content their children view without having to hold a finger on the remote control and anticipate scenes they might find objectionable. Mr. Speaker. technology that helps parents accomplish this goal should be applauded. S. 167 will allow for technology innovation to flourish without having to face continued legal challenges. This bill is an ideal solution that can be used by families in the home. and doesonot require limits to be placed on content the studios develop. I support this legislation. I urge the support of my colleagues.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER CANNON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090021670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this legislation with reservations about one part. At the outset. I strongly support efforts to make it more difficult to steal content and to encourage preservation of historic content. As I have said before. the content industries are a boon to our economy. providing this countrys number one export. Their products. which include music. movies. books. and software. survive on the protection given by copyright law. Without protection from rampant copying and other infringement. creators would have no reason to keep creating and investing in new content. The success of copyrighted content. however is also its Achilles Heel. People now camcord movies in theaters to sell online or in DVD format. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090021670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They obtain prerelease copies of content and sell it online. Of course. this is illegal because it is done without the permission of the content owners and without payment to them. This bill clarifies that these two acts are illegal even if technology makes it easy and fast and cheap. While I believe we should do more to stop piracy. S. 167 is a step in the right direction. Having said that. I would like to clarify one issue. The civil enforcement said of the prerelease provision imposes a statute of limitations on certain copyright lawsuits. Because it imposes the limit only for infringements that occur no more than two months after preregistered content is first distributed. it is clear that the bill does not impose any time limit on filing lawsuits for infringements that occur more than two months after distribution. The bill also contains two provisions that will encourage the preservation of historicallysignificant content. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090021670,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. it reauthorizes the National Film Preservation Board and National Film Preservation Foundation. which review initiatives to ensure the preservation of valued films and issue grants to libraries and other institutions that can save films from degradation. The Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have applauded these efforts. The program expired in 2003. so S. 167 extends it until 2009. The second preservation piece. the \"Preservation of Orphan Works Act.\" will empower libraries and archives to make additional copies of musical works. movies. and other content. My one objection to S. 167. however. is with the \"Family Movie Act.\" which would allow private companies to sell movie editing software without permission from the filmmakers.. This was proposed in response to a lawsuit between one company and filmmakers. From our consideration of this provision last year. we know this section inserts Congress into a private dispute and will take away. the copyrights and artistic rights of filmmakers to the financial benefit of one private company. It is important to note that the bill does not immunize those who make fixed copies of edited content. such copies would still be illegal. as they are today. and the legislative history should reflect that. I urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on this legislation.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090021696,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. trademark law is relevant to the life of every consumer in America. Trademarks give customers assurance that the goods or services they are buying are what customers think they are. If a customer has purchased items in the past from a particular company that bears a specific mark or logo. the customer has an impression. favorable or not. of that company and the goods or services it produces. So trademark law empowers consumers by giving them information that is often critical to their purchasing decisions. Dilution alters the public perception of a trademarked product or service by diminishing its uniqueness over time. The idea of protecting famous trademarks from dilution surfaced in the 1920s. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090021696,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since then. roughly half of the States have enacted dilution statutes while Congress passed the Federal Trademark Dilution Act nearly a decade ago. As the gentleman from Wisconsin noted. the Federal dilution statute is being amended for two main reasons. First. a 2003 Supreme Court decision involving Victorias Secret ruled that the standard of harm in dilution cases is actual harm. Based on testimony taken at our two Intellectual Property Subcommittee hearings. this is contrary to what Congress intended when it passed the dilution statute and is at odds with the concept of dilution. Diluting needs to be stopped at the outset because actual damage can only be proven over time. after which the good will of a mark cannot be restored. Second. the regional circuits have split as to the meaning of what constitutes a famous mark. distinctiveness. blurring and tarnishment. The bill more distinctly defines these terms. This will clarify rights and eliminate unnecessary litigation. an outcome that especially benefits small businesses that cannot afford to have a misunderstanding of what is permissible under the Federal dilution statute. Finally. amendments developed at the subcommittee level will more clearly protect traditional first amendment uses. such as parody and criticism. These amendments provide balance to the law by strengthening traditional fairuse defenses. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090021696,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in sum. H.R. 683 clarifies a muddied legal landscape and enables the Federal Trademark Dilution Act to operate as Congress intended.","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090021705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Joint Resolution 19. I am pleased to be here on the floor with my distinguished colleague from New York to talk about the appointment of Shirley Ann Jackson as a citizen regent of the Smithsonian Institutions Board of Regents. The Smithsonians governing board is comprised of 17 members. These members include the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. the Vice President of the United States. six Members of Congress. and nine citizens who are nominated by the board and approved jointly in a resolution of Congress. The nine citizen members serve for a term of 6 years each and are eligible for reappointment to one additional term. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2581}
{"speech_id":1090021705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Shirley Ann Jackson will -fill a vacancy on the board being created with the departure of Hanna Gray. Shirley Ann Jackson is the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the first African American woman to lead a national research university. E 1515 Dr. Jackson has been a pioneer in many of her other endeavors as well. She is the first African American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT. the first African American to become a commissioner and chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. and the first African American woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Her accomplishments in the field of physics and her leadership as the head of a national research university provide her with tremendous experience that will benefit -the Smithsonians board. Dr. Jackson is currently President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. and she was named one of seven 2004 Fellows of the Association foi Women in Science. In addition to her experience. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2581}
{"speech_id":1090021705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. Jackson has received the Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Academia from the National Society of Black Engineers. She has been inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame. and she has been recognized in such publications as Discover and Industry Week magazines and the Essence book. 50 of The Most Inspiring African Americans. I could go on and on because I have merely scratched the surface of Dr. Jacksons numerous achievements. as well as the honors and awards she has received. But I will conclude by saying that it should be very clear that Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson would be a tremendous addition to the Smithsonian Institutions governing board. It will be an honor and pleasure to have her serve on that board. and I ask my colleagues to support House Joint Resolution 19. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2581}
{"speech_id":1090021748,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening to begin what I hope will be the start of a constructive dialogue about our Nations immigration laws. There has been a lot of heated rhetoric about this topic in recent months. But what I believe has been lacking from this debate is a discussion of real solutions and an accurate portrayal of the real contribution of our Nations immigrant community. In Congress. on cable shows and in newspaper columns across the country. we witness undocumented workers being unfairly and inaccurately blamed for all of our Nations ills. In fact. it seems as though there are some cable show hosts out there who have made this practice the cornerstone of their programming. Just look at Lou Dobbs and his \"Broken Borders\" segment. If you ask me. it should be called the \"Broken Record\" segment. Because night after night after night. it is the same thing. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5283}
{"speech_id":1090021748,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is about giving a platform to antiimmigrant extremists so they can espouse their misguided. misleading. and often malicious views. Mr. Speaker. I am the first to admit that our Nations immigration system is simply not working. It is not meeting the needs of our Nation. it is damaging families. and it is hurting businesses. But rather than targeting Windexwielding cleaning ladies. we should be talking about practical solutions. Do these individuals actually believe we should deport the more than 10 million undocumented working men and women working in this country? Do they think that is truly the answer? Let us say they say yes. Do they think our Nation has the will or the requisite resources to round up these individuals and ship them all off? If that is the case. I would simply ask them. what would life be without the more than 700.000 undocumented restaurant workers washing dishes and cleaning tables. 250.000 household employees. or the almost 1 million undocumented farm workers? These industries where these workers toll would literally come to a screeching halt if not for their labor. Their absence would cripple entire communities. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5283}
{"speech_id":1090021748,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fruits and vegetables would rot on the vine. office buildings and hotels would go uncleaned. and children would go unattended. So this evening. I thought I would set the record straight and give the folks at CNN and other news outlets a little unsolicited editorial advice. I think we should be talking in this country about mending borders. Rather than a segment about broken borders. why not create a segment about mending borders on your stations? How about a segment where elected officials. policy analysts. and immigration experts on all sides of the political spectrum discuss ideas and proposals for fixing our flawed immigration policy? How about. instead of endless footage of workers crossing the border. we see footage of real contributions of immigrants to our agricultural industry? I wish I could turn on the television set one night and see scenes like this. by Rick Nahmias. This is the face of our immigrant community. right here. Mr. Speaker. It is backbreaking. thankless labor. These men and women are exposed to dangerous pesticides and punished by brutal working conditions. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5283}
{"speech_id":1090021748,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They lack safety equipmenti and have no place to send their children to school. Many of these workers wake up at 2 in the morning to take a bus to our fields. and they do not return until long after dark. But this is why we have fresh fruits and vegetables at our grocery stores and on our kitchen tables. It is men and women like this in this poster who sustain our $30 billion agricultural industry. According to the Department of Labor. at least half the 1.8 million crop workers in the U.S. are undocumented. That is the Federal Government. I would like to show the next poster. one we never see on TV. The subtitle of the article is \"Jobs Americans Wont Do.\" I wish everybody would read the front page of The Wall Street Journal on March 11. The Wall Street Journal article focuses on the challenges growers have finding workers. For example. ahead of a recent lettuce harvest. one grower took out ads in local papers for field workers to pick up the lettuce. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5283}
{"speech_id":1090021748,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He needed about 350 workers. The grower got one reply. just one reply. Mr. Speaker. the simple truth is our aging. more educated workforce is unwilling to pick the lettuce. I do not blame them. It is truly arduous work. So rather than attacking immigrants for filling these important jobs and for sustaining our vital agricultural industry. let us talk about creating a system that allows them to come out of the shadows and work here legally and safely and humanely. Rather than unfairly attacking immigrants for draining entitlements. let us talk about the undocumented workers who are here in this country and. according to the Social Security Administration. subsidize our Social Security system by $7 billion. Unfortunately. I have yet to see a segment about this on the cable channels. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5283}
{"speech_id":1090021938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I happen to have been at the meeting that the Senator from Pennsylvaniawhom I admire and respect enormouslyhad with the Secretary of the Navy. I was so proud of the Secretary of the Navy because unequivocally the Secretary of the Navy said: No. we do not want this money. we do not have the technology. we do not have the design for this. this is not one of our requirements. and we do not want to spend $40 million in this fashion. It was as strong a statement -as I have ever heard from the Secretary of the Navy. This is basically a $40 million giveaway of the takpayers\" dollars to a private corporation that has nothing to do with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has nothing to do with it. The language of the bill says \"support\" highspeed military sealift and other military purposes. Maybe there are other military purposes. There is no design today for a highspeed military sealift. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090021938,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish there were. It is affordable. But the fact is that there is not. The fact is the Navy unequivocally said they do not want taxpayers dollars. defense dollars. spent on this port in the city of Philadelphia. another legislative rider. This has nothing to do with Afghanistan. it has nothing to do with the tsunami. it has nothing to do with Iraq. and it has nothing to do with the Navys requirements for a highspeed military sealift capability. This is really an egregious example of what happens in appropriations bills because there has never been a hearing before the Armed Services Committee nor any consideration in the Armed Services Committee of this particular request and would not be because it is not something we would rationally consider. But we put it on-$40 million worth on an appropriations at a time when the GAO says: If we continue on our present path. well see pressure for deep spending cuts or dramatic tax increases. And Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says: It falls on the Congress to determine how best to address the competing claims. Which is our trade deficit as well as our burgeoning Federal deficit. We do not need to spend the $40 million. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090021938,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the efforts Senator SPECTER has made. over many years. for the city of Philadelphia and the Navy yard. I can guarantee the Senator from Philadelphia that a lawsuit will probably hire some more lawyers. But if he thinks it is going to reverse a BRAC decision and reopen the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard as a naval shipyard. it will be one of the more fantastic outcomes in the history of the United States of America. Again. I respect his advocacy for the Port of Philadelphia. I respect his belief that somehow we are going to come up with a highspeed military sealift. That vision and view is not shared by the Armed Services Committee nor by the Secretary of the Navy nor the Secretary of Defense. I hope we will be able to pass this. and I am sure we probably will not. I 37ield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090021942,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator from Pennsylvania is correct. It was in last years Omnibus appropriations bill. it was not in the Defense appropriations bill. It was not authorized in the Defense authorization bill. Let me tell you what is so egregious about it. In the appropriations bill. in the Omnibus appropriations bill. it says. blah. blah. blah: ... for a grant to Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. to be used solely for the purpose of construction. by and for a Philadelphiabased company.... Here we are in an Omnibus appropriations bill we passed last year that not only designates $40 million that needs to be spent but without competition. without scrutiny. without examinatiofi: ... by and for a Philadelphiabased corn.pany established to operate highspeed. advanceddesign vessels for the transport of highvalue. timesensitive cargoes in the foreign commerce of the United States. of a marine cargo terminal and IT network for highspeed commercial vessels that is capable of supporting military sealift requirements. Last year. it was astonishing that we would put in an omnibus appropriation a requirement that $40 million be spent by and for a Philadelphiabased company. In other words. a company in Seattle or a company in Charleston or a company in Oklahoma. they couldnt compete for this. It had to be a Philadelphiabased company. What is it about Philadelphiabased companies that warrants them receiving a $40 milifon contract without competition from anybody else? I say to my friend from Pennsylvania. this is egregious. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1656}
{"speech_id":1090021942,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We should not be designating certain cities as a base for any company to compete for any cofitract of any kind. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1656}
{"speech_id":1090021944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to make certain everybody understands. This was appropriated. It was not directed clear enough for the Department of Defense to want to spend the money. What we are seeing is they want a clearer direction. I do not fault the Senator from Pennsylvania at all for trying to give them a clearer direction. I would like to do that for some companies in my area as well. The fact is. it is not the way to run an airline. it is not the way to run a company. The omnibus appropriations process is not the way to run a country either. and it is my hope we dont get there this year either.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":602}
{"speech_id":1090021956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I do not want to take any more of the bodys time. I would point out -this provision appeared in the conference report of the Omnibus appropriations bill. which meant I never had a chance to propose an amendment to strike that $40 million because it was in the conference report. It was never in the original omnibus which would have beenor Defense Appropriations .Committee bill and considered on the floor of the Senate. So I had no opportunity. The Senator from Pennsylvania asked why we didnt object then. It is because I couldnt. I had an upordown vote on a bill that was \"that\" high. We had. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2440}
{"speech_id":1090021956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe. less than 24 hours to act on that. much less read it. If there is any objection to me or consternation about me objecting to it now. I didnt have the opportunity to object to it because $40 million. along with tens of billions of dollars of pork. was stuffed in it last year in this egregious and outrageous process we have evolved into called the Omnibus appropriations bill. and this was stuck in it. I want to say again. it is not appropriate to designate \"by and for a Philadelphiabased company\" any money. any of our tax dollars. Our tax dollars should be competed for. With respect to the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. when he says \"the Navy agrees.\" of course the Navy agrees because it is there. But the Navy did not agree in a meeting the Senator from Pennsylvania and I had with the Secretary of the Navy. where they adamantly refused to agree to have this money spent because they have no fast ship even on the drawing boards. much less any that could be based in Philadelphia. We are going to pass this. I do not believe we can beat it. But now we are in the practice of designating a localitybased company to spend $40 million of American taxpayers dollars. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2440}
{"speech_id":1090021956,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is not right. I will bet there is expertise around the countryeven if this were necessaryto be able to compete for this $40 million contract. But now we are designating it to the city of Philadelphia. I wonder if people out in the county might be able. or maybe someone in Pittsburgh might be able to compete for it. Probably not. This is a wrong way to legislate. In these times of burgeoning fiscal deficits. for us to designate money to be spent by a localbased company is just the wrong way to designate. and I think most Americans would agree. I do not intend to extend this debate any further. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2440}
{"speech_id":1090022065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. The amendment is germane. therefore. it can be made a part of the business pending before the Senate and. hopefully. it will be acted upon by a record vote and included as a part of the underlying bill. I will seek that at an appropriate time. Mr. President. this is an amendment that follows on an amendment that I earlier put in on this bill. which understandably failed to meet the germaneness test. and therefore just early this morning it was stricken. Nevertheless. I have carefully crafted this. and now it is confirmed by the Parliamentarian that this amendment is germane. This amendment applies to the question of the USS John F. Kennedy. a very famous and historic ship of the U.S. Navy. which recently was designated to be retired by the Department of Defense as a consequence of a restricted budget that was placed in the waning hours of the budget process on the Department of the Navy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6561}
{"speech_id":1090022065,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Quite unexpectedly. the Department of the Navy departed from its steadfast opinions. published statements. and records that this Nation required 12 aircraft carriers in our fleet. It came as a complete surprise to the Congress. I didnt feel that we had any particular consultation. Nevertheless. the executive branch has the right to make budget decisions. so that history is behind us. I believe it is imperative that the Congressand now. at this time. the Senateexamine this situation and determine whether at this point in time this ship should be stricken from the active force and designated for mothballs. I say that because the Department of Defense is well along in its Quadrennial Defense Review. The Congress has 180 days. once that is completed. to look at that report. Therefore. the purpose of this amendment is to say that this ship stays in the fleet in an active status until two things happen: the Department completes its Quadrennial Defense Review and the Congress has had 180 days to study the results of that review. and the Secretary of Defense certifies to the. Congress that necessary agreements have been entered into with other nations to provide for the permanent forward deployment of aircraft carriers in the Pacific necessary to carry out the mission within the Pacific Command area of responsibility. The reasons I am offering this amendment are simple. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6561}
{"speech_id":1090022065,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress has a constitutional role and mandate to maintain a. navy. I will repeat that. Under the Constitution. we raise armies in time of need. but we maintain a navy. As I have heard many colleagues sayand I recently heard my colleague. Senator MCCAIN. speaking to a groupa warship really has two purposes. It has its underlying missions to deter aggression and. if necessary. to repel aggression. but it also has a very valuable role as a silent ambassador wherever it is beyond the shores of the United States. Particularly when the magnificence of an American ship is in a harbor beyond our shores. people from that country come from all over to take a look. It is a silent way of saying America is there to help protect freedom. It is called ship diplomacy. It is well documented in the long history of this country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6561}
{"speech_id":1090022065,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We being. in many respects. an island nation. we have always depended upon our maritime arm of defense to play a role in diplomacy and. if necessary. to take up arms. The funds for the Kennedys scheduled maintenance were authorized and appropriated in previous bills. Money to do the work that is necessary to keep this ship active in the fleet is in the coffers of the U.S. Navy today. For thatreason. we are not trying to touch a single dollarthat is in this bill. We will maintain the Kennedy in the fleet until 2018. The ship will be quite old. nevertheless. in the opinion of the sailors who sail it today and the sailors who will sail it tomorrow. it can be an effective ship and be counted upon as a full partner in the fleet of some 12 carriers. All analyses presented to the Congress. to include the last two Quadrennial Defense Reviews. in 1997 and 2001. set the minimum number of aircraft carriers at 12. There has been no analysis to support reducing the aircraft carrier fleet to 11that is. formal analysis. I realize there are working documents in the Department of the Navy. but I have not seen that type of analysis that I believed fully justified a decision of this importance. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6561}
{"speech_id":1090022065,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think that analysis will be done in the forthcoming 2005 review. Next. the reason the Department submitted the budget request with the decommissioning of an aircraft carrier was because the Navy was handed a budget cut in December. somewhat unexpectedly. The Navys original budget submission included the Kennedy. I point that out. Throughout the budget process. that particular process. and the budget of the Department of Defense. the Kennedy was always included with the 12 carriers. Then. with the flick of a wrist and some very brief analysis I have seen. out she went. The Kennedy. as I say. is in good material condition. In the words of the battle group commander who just returned on this ship from a 6month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in December. it is in \"outstanding material condition.\" With the scheduled decommissioning of the USS Kitty Hawk in fiscal year 2008. the Kennedy would be the only. assuming this amendment prevails. conventionally powered aircraft carrier available in the Pacific Command area of responsibility where there are nations that simply will not allow a nuclear warship to enter its waters. Again. I believe Congress should now show its responsibilityI repeat. its responsibilityin making force structure decisions and go back and review what the Navy has done and say to the Department of the Navy: Not at this time should we be decommissionfng this ship. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6561}
{"speech_id":1090022117,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment is very straightforward. Its purpose is to limit the use of funds to restrict the issuance of general licenses for travel to Cuba in connection with authorized sales activities and for other purposes. This amendment responds specifically to an action by the Department of Treasury in a new rulemaking process that dramatically curtails the potential of agricultural trade with the nation of Cuba. A group of usone of my colleagues who is on the Senate floor. MAX BAUCUS. and otherssent a letter to our Secretary of Agriculture. We know agricultural trade is extremely. important for American agriculture. Last year. there was a surplus of $9.5 billion. That is going to drop precipitously this year to as much as $2.5 billion. Trade with Cuba has been growing. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1104}
{"speech_id":1090022117,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment dramatically restricts that trade by the unwillingness of the Treasury Department to offer the necessary licenses for agricultural traders to travel to Cuba for that purpose. I hope we can consider it. It is very straightforward. I understand my colleague from Montana has a seconddegree amendment.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1104}
{"speech_id":1090022203,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of Senator WARNERS amendment. I believe it is of crucial importance to our Nation that we maintain the readiness of our carrier force. I thank my colleagues from Virginia. and also the senior Senator from my State. Mr. NELSON. who has been so dogged in his fight in this effort. I believe we have made a lot of progress since we began to talk about keeping the Kennedy and keeping 12 carriers in the fleet. The thing that has impressed me as this discussion has proceeded is a commentary from the Secretary of the Navy. as well as the Chief of Naval Operations as they have discussed the need for readiness of 12 carriers. as well as the fact there is a need for maintaining operations on the east coast of the United States with two ports available to our Navy. I believe as this debate and this discussion has ensued. it has become increasingly clear that at a time of great stress upon our Armed Forces. at a time when we expect our global reach to be just that. global. we cannot make do with 11 carriers to satisfy shortterm budgetary goals. ","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1414}
{"speech_id":1090022203,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fact is our Nation is best served by a 12carrier force. Our Nation is also best served by having two ports on the east coast that can handle nuclear carriers. I believe we should move forward in that regard as well to allow that diversity and that opportunity. I yield the remainder of my time and thank the Senator from Virginia.","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1414}
{"speech_id":1090022214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So as a former Secretary of the Navy myself. I feel very strongly. I do not know of any Senator who stood on this floor more times to defend the Department of the NavyI say with a sense of humilitythan I. But I believe this time the decision was driven by the budget. and it is not a correct one given the status of forces in that area. given the uncertainty about the ability to continue the homeporting of a Navy carrier in our expensive base that we have maintainedas a matter of fact. as Secretary I put it togetherin Yokosuka. If there is more time. I yield the time back and suggest the Senate work its will.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":614}
{"speech_id":1090022291,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Recently. USA Today reported that many of our injured soldiers are returning from Iraq with a condition known as traumatic brain in: jury. or TBI. Even though new technology and better body armor are helping soldiers survive bomb and rocket attacks. the blasts are still causing brain damage to them. As of January. 437 cases have been diagnosed in Army hospitals alone. and some doctors are saying that it could become the \"signature wound of the Iraq war.\" TBI is the greatest risk factor for developing epilepsy. In fact. a study of Vietnam vets showed that 51 percent of those who suffered TBI went on to develop this disorder. That is why I filed an amendment to provide $1 million to the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program for epilepsy researchincluding research on the relationship between TBI and epilepsy. The Epilepsy Foundation of America supports the amendment. However. I understand that this important issue is more appropriately addressed in the fiscal year 2006 appropriations process. With that understanding. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1097}
{"speech_id":1090022291,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will not offer the amendment at this time.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1097}
{"speech_id":1090022406,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise in opposition to the inclusion of the socalled REAL ID bill in the emergency supplemental appropriations conference report. That bill is harmful and unnecessary. The Intelligence Reform Act we approved overwhelmingly last year provides real border security solutions. The socalled REAL ID bill contains controversial provisions we rejected last year and should reject again. Its a false solution on border security. Theres no need to revisit these issues again. and they serve no purpose except to push an antiimmigrant agenda. The supporters of the REAL ID bill continue to say that loopholes exist in our immigration and .asylum system that are being exploited by terrorists. and- this bill will close them. Infact. it does nothing to improve national security. and leaves other big issues unresolved. Asylum seekers would find no refuge. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1821}
{"speech_id":1090022406,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Battered women would be exposed to abuse. Many Americans would have problems getting drivers licenses. and law enforcement would be outsourced to bounty hunters. All of our laws. including labor laws. would be waived to build a wall. For the first time since the Civil War. habeas corpus would be prohibited. Each year. countless refugees are forced to leave their countries. fleeing persecution. America has always been a haven for those desperate for that protection. At the very beginning of our history. the refugee Pilgrims seeking religious freedom landed on Plymouth Rock. Ever since weve welcomed refugees. and its made us a better nation. They represent the best of American values. They have stood alone. at great personal cost. against hostile governments for fundamental principles -like freedom of speech and religion. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1821}
{"speech_id":1090022406,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With this legacy. we have a responsibility to examine our asylum policies carefully. to see that they are fair and just.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1821}
{"speech_id":1090022415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when the State governments of our Nation say that these drivers license provisions are unworkable. we need to take notice. State governments have been issuing drivers licenses for decades. They are the experts. and we will need their input and coordination if we are going to implement the drivers license standards recommended by the 9\/ 11 Commission. - . !t:: I urge my colleagues to oppose the REAL ID Act. We must ask our Senate conferees not to allow such a controversial measure to be pushed through Congress on an emergency spending bill. The REAL ID Act contradicts our historic identity as a nation that provides a haven for the oppressed. The REAL ID Act would not make us safer. It would make us less safe. It would repeal provisions enacting a central recommendation of the 9\/ 11 Commission. and it would undermine a vital counterterrorism initiative.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":878}
{"speech_id":1090022457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased. on behalf of the leader. to present the following agreement that has been cleared. I ask unanimous consent that the only remaining amendments to the bill be the Ensign amendment No. 487 and the Bayh amendment No. 520. provided further. that all time be considered expired under rule XXII. with the exception of 15 minutes prior to the votes. provided further. that on Thursday. at a time to be determined by the majority leader. after consultation with the Democratic leader. the Senate resume consideration of the bill and that there be 15 minutes for debate equally divided between the chairman and Senator BAYH or his designee prior to votes in relation to the remaining amendments. and that following the disposition of the amendments. the bill be read a third time and the Senate proceed to vote on passage. with no intervening action or debate. finally. I ask unanimous consent that following passage of the bill. the Senate insist on its amendments. request a conference with the House. and the Chair be authorized to appoint the Appropriations Committee as conferees on the part of the Senate.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1130}
{"speech_id":1090022479,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I honor the life and legacy of Edward J. Moskal. Edward Moskal was a giant in the PolishAmerican community. He was President of the Polish American Congress and the Polish National Alliance. These are empowering organizationsrooted in heritage. history and philanthropy. Their members are humanitarians and patriotsdedicated to Polish history and culture. and to strengthening the historic links btween America and Poland. Because of Ed Moskals leadership. these organizations have flourished. The Polish American Congress and the Polish National Alliance were created during one of the darkest periods in Polish history. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2160}
{"speech_id":1090022479,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know that the history of Poland has.. at times. been a melancholy one. Every king. kaiser. czar or comrade who ever wanted to have a war in Europe always started by invading Poland. But we know that while Poland was occupied. the heart and soul of the Polish nation has never been occupied. The Polish American community never abandoned Poland. We supported them during the long. cold years of Soviet domination. And then in 1980. when an obscure electrician in the Gdansk Shipyard jumped over a wall proclaiming the Solidarity movement. he took the Polish people and the whole world with him. to bring down the Iron Curtain. Ed Moskal and the Polish American community played an important rolesending supplies to the strikers and their families and educating the world about what was going on in Poland. After the fall of the Iron Curtain. I worked with Mr. Moskal for NATO membership for Poland. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2160}
{"speech_id":1090022479,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Moskal and the Polish American community helped Poland take its rightful place as a member of the family of democratic nations. Poland is now a full. contributing member of NATO. Our Polish allies serve alongside Americans in Afghanistan and in Iraq.. Now. after so many years of foreign domination. Poland has made the difficult transition to democracy and a free market. Poland is now a real democracy with a vibrant market economy. as well as a reliable NATO ally. And so. today. we in the Polish community mourn the loss of Ed Moskal. We send our thoughts and prayers to his wife. Wanda Sadlik. and to his family.o","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2160}
{"speech_id":1090022492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD. . There being no objection. the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows: S. 858 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":299}
{"speech_id":1090022495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Im pleased to join Senator ALEXANDER again this year in introducing the. American History Achievement Act. This bill is part of a continuing effort to renew the national commitment to teaching history and civics in the Nations public schools. It lays the foundation for more effective ways of teaching children about -the Nations past and the value of civic responsibility. It contains no new requirements for schools. but it does offer a more frequent and effective analysis of how Americas schoolchildren are learning these important subjects. Our economy and our future security rely on good schools that help students develop specific skills. such as reading and math. But the strength of our democracy and our standing in the world also depend on ensuring that children have a basic understanding of the nations past and what it takes to engage in our democracy. An appreciation for the defining events in our nations history can be a catalyst for civic involvement. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6289}
{"speech_id":1090022495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Helping to instill appreciation of Americas pastand teaching the values of justice. equality. and civic responsibilityshould be an important \"mission of public schools. Thanks to the hard work of large numbers of history and civics teachers in classrooms throughout America. were making progress. Results from the most recent assessment under the NAEP show that fourth and eighth graders are improving their knowledge of U.S. history. Research conducted in history classrooms shows that children are using primary sources and documents more often to explore history. and are being assigned historical and biographical readings by their teachers more frequently. But much more remains to be done to advance the understanding of both of these subjects. and see to it that they are not left behind in classrooms. A recent study by Dr. Sheldon Sternthe Chief Historian Emeritus at my brothers Presidential Librarysuggests that State standards for teaching. American history need improvement. His research reveals that 22 States have American history standards that are either weak or lack clear I chronology. appropriate political and historical context. or sufficient information about real events and people. As many as 9 States still have no standards at all for American history. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6289}
{"speech_id":1090022495,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Good standards matter. Theyre the foundation for teaching and learning in every school. With the right resources. time. and attention. its possible to develop creative and effective history standards in every State. Massachusetts began to work on this effort in 2000. through a joint review of history standards that involved teachers. administrators. curriculum coordinators. and university professors. After monthly meetings and three years of development and revision. the state released a new framework for teaching history in 2003. Today. our standards in American history and World history receive the highest marks. School budget problems at the local level are also a serious threat to these goals. Other accounts report that schools are narrowing their curriculums away from the social sciences. arts. and humanities. in favor of a more concentrated approach to the teaching of reading and math in order to meet the strict standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. Meeting high standards in reading and math is important. but it should not come at the expense of scaling back teaching in other core subjects such as history and civics. Integrating reading and math with other subjects often gives children a better way to master literacy and number skills. even while learning in a history. geography. or government lesson. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6289}
{"speech_id":1090022495,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That type of innovation deserves special attention in our schools. Making it happen requires added investments in teacher preparation and teacher mentoring. so that teachers are well prepared to use interdisciplinary methods in their lesson plans. Our bill today takes several important steps to strengthen the teaching of American history and civics. and raise the standing of these subjects in school curriculums. Through changes to the National Assessment for Educational Progress. schools will be better able to achieve success on this important issue. First. we propose a more frequent national assessment of children in American history under the NAEP. For years. NAEP has served as the gold standard for measuring the progress of students and reporting on that progress. Students last participated in the U.S. history NAEP in 2001. and that assessment generated encouraging results. But the preceding assessment with which we can compare datawas administered in 1994too long before to be of real assistance. It makes sense to measure the knowledge and skills of children more frequently. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6289}
{"speech_id":1090022495,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill would place priority on administering the national U.S. history NAEP assessment. to generate a more timely picture of student progress. We should have an idea of childrens knowledge and skills in American history more often than every 6 or 7 years. in order to address gaps in learning. The bill also proposes a leap forward to strengthen State standards in American history and civics. through a new Statelevel pilot assessment of these subjects under NAEP. The assessment would be conducted on an experimental basis in 10 States. in grades 8 and 12. The National Assessment Governing Board would ensure that States with model standards. as well as those that are still under development. participate in this assessment. Moving NAEP to the Statelevel does not tarry any high stakes for schools. But it will provide an additional benchmark for States to develop and improve their standards. Its our hope that states will also be encouraged to undertake improvements in their history curricula and in their teaching of civics. and ensure that both subjects are a beneficiary and not a victim of school reform. Americas past encompasses great leaders and great ideas that contributed to our heritage and to the principles of freedom. equality. justice. and opportunity for all. Todays students will be better citizens in the future if they learn more about that history and about the skills needed to participate in our democracy. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6289}
{"speech_id":1090022508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions. Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development. be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. April 20. 2005 at 10:00 a.m. in SD430.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":277}
{"speech_id":1090022510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a hearing entitled. \"Solving the Small Business Health Care Crisis: Alternatives for Lowering Costs and Covering the Uninsured\" on Wednesday. April 20. 2005. beginning at 10:00 a.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":389}
{"speech_id":1090022514,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 20. 2005. at 2 p.m.. in open session to receive testimony on the readiness of military units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Ending Freedom in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2006.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":398}
{"speech_id":1090022534,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have nothing against classics. I drove a 1968 Barracuda to work today. But I am looking at hybrids because of the high cost of gas and to get a little more efficient. The Republicans. are offering us a classi5 energy bill today. firmly rooted in the 1950s: no improvements in efficiency. no investment in energyefficient technologies. no breakthroughs. Even worse. $8 billion of subsidies to the oil and gas industry. Well. heck. they need it. That was only the quarterly profit of ExxonMobil gouging people at the pump last quarter. They want to give us more of the same. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":963}
{"speech_id":1090022534,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Presidents own energy information administration says this bill will. quote. have only negligible impact on production. consumption and imports of oil. In fact. they said it willprobably increase the price of gasoline by 3 cents per gallon. I guess that is to pay for the new subsidies to the suffering oil and gas industry. That is an energy policy for the 21st century?","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":963}
{"speech_id":1090022537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this morning I wish to brag on my talented young constituents. the cover girls and boys that were featured in Roll Call this week. The band and color guard of the Keystone Heights Marching Indian. Florida. high school band visited Washington. D.C.. this weekend. While here with Band Director Jason Dobson. they performei at the Jefferson Memorial and Capitol Hill. They played \"El Capitan.\" a John Philip Sousa march. \"Pevensey Castle\" by Robert Sheldon. \"Tis the Gift to Be Simple.\" an 18th century Shaker folk tune. and saving. of course. the best for last. student conductor Ashley Poplin conducted them in \"The Washington Post.\" another Sousa march. French horn player Karlo Martin. still fresh after three sleepless nights. described the trip as \"really enjoyable.\" I am proud of the students in Floridas Sixth Congressional District for their hard work and their skill. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090022537,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Being in a marching band is strenuous enough. but central Florida with all its heat adds an extra impediment to the challenge. Job well done. 0J 1015","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090022538,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what are House Republicans afraid of? True. there are constant newspaper reports about a member of the Republican leadership participating in questionable activities dealing with Washington lobbyists. trips overseag and questionable financial dealings. However. if Republicans are so confident that these activities do not constitute a breaking of the House rules. why have the Republicans made it virtually impossible for the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to do its job? Earlier this year. the Republicans weakened the ethics rules. Under the new Republican rules. if a majority of the committee cannot determine whether or not an investigation should proceed after 45 days of receiving a complaint. it would simply be dropped. Under the old bipartisan ethics rules. a subcommittee was created after the 45day deadline to investigate the ethics charges. It is no wonder Republican leaders are so confident. If they keep their Republican troops on the committee in line. they do not have to worry about an investigation. And this is no way to run an ethics committee. It is time that House Republicans join the Democrats in rejecting these new rules in .favor of fair. bipartisan rules that restore confidence to the House ethics process. F\/A22","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1270}
{"speech_id":1090022544,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the National Wheelchair Basketball Associa-\" tion is the largest and oldest wheelchair sports organization in the world. Established over 50 years ago. the NWBA has provided opportunities for people with physical disabilities. including children and disabled veterans. to play the game of basketball.","speaker_name":"VICTOR SNYDER","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":313}
{"speech_id":1090022572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleague and fellow classmate. the gentleman from Coppell. Texas . for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. this morning I rise in support of this bill which I introduced to name the Pflugerville Post Office after Marine Sergeant Byron Norwood. I am honored to come before the House and the American people to tell them of the sacrifice of the family and the heroics of a Marine who embodies all who are engaged in helping keep this world safe. You may remember one of the high points of President Bushs State of the Union address is when he honored the memory of Sergeant Norwood. who was killed last November during the assault on Fallujah in Iraq. There the President said. \"We have said goodbye to some very good men and women who died for our freedom. and whose memory this Nation will honor forever. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5446}
{"speech_id":1090022572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Brron Norwood. Ladies and gentlemen. with grateful hearts we honor our military families represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwoods mom and dad. Janet and Bill Norwood.\" The President read from a letter Byrons mother wrote to him. She said. \"When Byron was home the last time. I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said. Youve done your job. Mom. Now its my turn to protect you.\" He protected not only his mother. but the Nation. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5446}
{"speech_id":1090022572,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Bush honored Sergeant Norwoods parents. Bill and Janet. who stood up to represent all of the families who have found themselves paying the ultimate price for freedom. And we all remember the embrace between Janet and Safia from Iraq right here in the Chamber of this House. up there. It was truly the defining moment of the State of the Union. The cameras panned towards the Norwoods seated behind First Lady Laura Bush. The Members of the Congress. the Cabinet and assembled dignitaries turned and recognized Mr. and Mrs. Norwood with applause. With the eyes of the Nation on the Norwoods. a woman seated next to Mrs. Bush named Safia. an Iraqi refugee and activist against Saddam Husseins terrible regime. turned and embraced Mrs. Norwood. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5446}
{"speech_id":1090022572,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was truly a remarkable moment of gratitude that was seen around the world. And it was one of the most emotional experiences in the long history of State of the Union speeches. In some of the fiercest fighting since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Sergeant Norwood and his fellow Marines waged an assault to liberate Fallujah from the evil that impeded our efforts to free and liberate the people of Iraq. During the fighting. Sergeant Norwood found himself positioned outside of a house where seven of his fellow Marines were being held captive by the insurgents. A trained and experienced Marine. Norwood stormed the residence and freed his band of brothers from their captors. Tragically. during his efforts to liberate his buddies. Sergeant Norwood was mortally wounded. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5446}
{"speech_id":1090022572,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But by his actions Sergeant Norwood embodied the verse found in the Gospel of John. Chapter 15:13. \"Greater love hath no man than this. that a man lay down his life for his friends.\" Sergeant Byron Norwood loved his country. and we as a Nation can do something to honor the sacrifice he made in saving the lives of those seven Marines. Today I ask my colleagues support for legislation to name the post office in Pflugerville after Sergeant Byron Norwood. When I approached Bill and Janet Norwood with the idea of naming the post office in Pflugerville after their son. they were humble. but they wanted to make sure that this bill would honor not only Byron but all of our fallen heroes. and today we can honor their request. In a letter. sent to me by Sergeant Norwoods mother. Janet. they wrote a very compelling and powerful message to me. This is a picture of Sergeant Byron Norwood and she wrote to me. \"Representative MCCAUL. we wanted you to know how much we have appreciated your visits to our home. It was a pleasure to meet you and Linda and to be able to share more about Byron with you. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5446}
{"speech_id":1090022573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to be a cosponsor of House Resolution 1001 that honors Sergeant Byron Norwood. I urge all Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":263}
{"speech_id":1090022591,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as is evident a great many people responded to this situation. Over 12.000 emergency workers. rescue workers and volunteer workers. were at the site within a matter of only a couple of days. They came from all over America. for which we are grateful and will always remember. I want to add some additional thanks to some people that have not been mentioned that I. as someone who shared representation of Oklahoma City with Congressman LUCAS at the time. and as someone who now represents that specific building site. I want to express appreciation for those with whom we also worked. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations. I worked directly with former Chairman Bob Livingston. former Speaker Newt Gingrich. and former Infrastructure Chairman Bud Shuster in making sure that we fashioned the correct Federal response. And. in fact. something in the neighborhood of $200 million flowed in to reimburse law. enforcement and safety expenses. to pay the cost of rebuilding hundreds of damaged properties. to establish a permanent revolving loan fund for the redevelopment of the area. the area that surrounds the former Murrah site. to build the new Federal building and campus. which was opened just over a year ago. and of course to establish the national memorial. museum. and the antiterrorism institute in Oklahoma City. We are grateful for how the country .reached out to our community and to our State. and as has been made clear by everyone who has spoken. we are most grateful of all for the wonderful nature. character and spirit of the people of Oklahoma that have taken disaster and used it as something to build upon and make a stronger America. with stronger faith and a stronger Oklahoma.","speaker_name":"ERNEST ISTOOK","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090022656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Murphy resolution. I would like to thank my colleagues. Representatives MURPHY and DOYLE. for offering this resolution today. commemorating the development and the field trials of the Salk polio vaccine 50 years ago. Fifty years ago. Dr. Thomas Francis. Jr. announced from the University of Michigans Rackham Auditorium words that people around the globe were waiting to hear: the Salk polio vaccine works. With those simple words. eradication efforts began in earnest to rid the world of this terrible disease. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2104}
{"speech_id":1090022656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the early 1950s. Dr. Jonas Salk. a postdoctoral student of Dr. Francis at the University of Michigan. developed a promising vaccine against poliomyelitis in his laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. In what has been called the largest cooperative effort undertaken in peacetime. the Salk vaccine was tested in the most comprehensive field trials ever conducted. Overseeing those trials was Dr. Francis. Director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center and founding chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2104}
{"speech_id":1090022656,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the polio field trials were unprecedented in scope and magnitude. Dr. Francis and his team of more than 100 statisticians and epidemiologists tabulated data received from hundreds of public health officials and doctors who participated in the study. The trials involved. 1.830.000 children in 217 areas of the United States. Canada and Finland. No field trial of this scale has been conducted since. This historic event is a source of pride for the University of Michigan and the state of Michigan as awhole. Since that day 50 years ago. polio has been nearly eradicated. In August 2002. there were no confirmed cases reported in the United States. and only 483 confirmed cases of acute poliomyelitis reported to authorities worldwide. I would like to thank Representatives MURPHY and DOYLE for their work on this resolution and congratulate the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh on the 50th anniversary of the Salk polio vaccine.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2104}
{"speech_id":1090022673,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. of all the things to come on the floor of the House of Representatives and claim with a straight face that we should have a debate about. claiming that what is in the bill with regards to the MTBE is an unfunded mandate. is one of the biggest whoppers I can imagine. with all due respect. I want to read some of the language of the bill. and I have to put my reading classes qn to do it. We specifically authorize in the bill additional- funding. $50 million. to avoid the creation of unfunded mandates. It is in the bill. a specific allocation of $50 million to avoid the creation of unfunded mandates. The Leaking Underground Storage Trust fund has a balance right now of $2 billion. The bill before us dedicates some of that balance specifically to go out and inspect existing underground storage tanks. to enforce if those inspections find that there is a leak. and to fund improvements in the operation of these underground storage tank programs. It is in the bill. That is not an unfunded mandate. If anything. it is a specific allocation in the bill to enforce the program that we have. to put additional funds into it and to make sure that we prevent the problem. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090022673,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is funded. That is not unfunded. Now. the real debate is not whether it is an unfunded mandate or not. The real debate is what we should do about MTBE. and as my good friend. the gentleman from Texas . has already pointed out. we can have a legitimate policy debate about that. The bill allows States that want to ban MTBE to do it. That is not mandating the States. That is telling the States. you want to use MTBE in your gasoline supply to get cleaner air. fine. You do not want to use it. that is fine. too. The bill also has a provision in it that over the course of the next. I think. 10 years. depending on some scientific studies and various things. there could be a point in time that we have a Federal ban on MTBE. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090022673,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It may not. it may. but it could happen. People forget in the 1991 Clean Air amendments we required an oxygen amendment to make the gasoline burn cleaner in nonattainment areas. There were two ways to do .that at the time: use ethanol or use MTBE. There was not a mandate to use MTBE. but there was a requirement in nonattainment areas you had to do something in terms H2176 cc of putting more oxygen in the gasoline to make it burn cleaner. Most of the market went to MTBE. We then found out. and we knew before the fact actually. that if the gasoline that had MTBE leaked out into the environment that the MTBE would disassociate a little bit quicker because it was more missable. and it would get into the water supply. or water table. and it causes an odor. So there have been a number of lawsuits. The gentlewoman mentioned two of them. in Lake Tahoe. one in California. where there have been outofcourt settlements for several millions of dollars because of that odor. That did not establish that MTBE is a defective product. This bill does have a safe harbor. not just for MTBE but also for ethanol. that by definition of the product. the chemical composition.* that it is not defective. but if you use it negligently. you can be sued upon it. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090022673,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the right warnings are not with it. you can be sued. There are all kinds of reasons. You can sue and win. as has been shown. but that does not mean that it in and of itself is defective. Interestingly enough. in one of the cases the gentlewoman from California quoted. the amount of the settlement was less than the legal fees that the law firm representing the community in California claimed. So that community is now suing their law firm. saying you ripped us off. you are asking for more money tp settle the suit than we got to clean the water up.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090022695,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker. this rule being considered on the floor today is a very balanced rule that makes in order 22 Democratic amendments. three bipartisan amendments and five Republican amendments. This means that of the 30 amendments that we will be considering here on the floor over the next 2 days. over 80 percent of them have been substantially authored by a Democrat. giving the minority party a fair and public opportunity to come to the floor and debate how their dissenting views could improve this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this legislation which improves and strengthens our countrys national energy policy. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5224}
{"speech_id":1090022695,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"American prosperity and American jobs rely upon energy that is abundant. affordable and reliable. Having access to save affordable energy is fundamental to Americas success. both as a Nation and to each and every one of us as individual Americans and certainly our families. The safe and reliable energy available here in America has brought economic growth. jobs. freedom. and the highest quality of life in human history. This is why the gentleman from Texas .. my good friend. has invested so much of his committees time and effort in bringing a product to the floor today that takes important steps to ensuring that secure and reliable energy fqr our country is made available. The legislation that we consider here on the floor today ensures that American producers can meet the demands placed upon them by consumers while also creating incentives to modernize the way we find. develop. and produce energy. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 will create jobs here in America as we promote innovation.-new conservation requirements. and new domestic energy sources. Reliable sources of energy also will secure millions of existing jobs over the decades. and producing more domestic energy Will mean Americans can worry less about whether the outcomes of distant conflicts will mean fewer jobs. less growth. and reduced opportunity. Some of the most important accomplishments of this legislation include improving our Nations electricity transmission capacity and reliability. promoting a cleaner environment by encouraging new innovations and the use of alternate power sources. promoting clean coal technology. and providing incentives for renewable energies such as biomass. wind. solar. and hydroelectricity. providing leadership in energy conservation. clarifying the Federal Governments role in siting liquified natural gas. known as LNG. facilities. decreasing Americas dangerous dependence on foreign oil. and encouraging more nuclear and hydropower production. The provisions in this legislation wiil also create hundreds of thousands of jobs due to the costs associated with the current high energy prices. The new jobs will be in all sectors. including manufacturing. coistruction. agriculture. and technology. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5224}
{"speech_id":1090022695,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Another important benefit of this legislation is its crucial energy conservation and environmental protection measures that will improve the quality of life for all Americans for decades to come. Among other things that the bill will do. it will make the Federal Government a leadingedge creator and consumer of energyefficient technologies. it will fund a stateoftheart project and program to get hydrogen fuelcell vehicles on the road by 2020. it will improve regulation on hydroelectric dams to allow for more hydroelectric power generation while preserving existing protections for the environment. increasing funding for the Department of Energys Clean Cities program. authorize two new Clean School Bus programs. take critical steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. and will bring muchneeded supplies of natural gas to the public by allowing for more natural gas exploration. transportation. and development. Further. it will increase Americas use of solar energy. it will contain a renewable fuels requirement to add 5 billion gallons per year of ethanol and other renewablebased fuel to the Nations gasoline supply. it will provide $1.8 billion for the Clean Coal Power initiative. and it will increase funding for the Department Of Transportation to continue its already very important work on incorporating average- fuel economy standards. Mr. Speaker. I am very proud -of these accomplishments that are being made by this legislatioi and would like to take this opportunity to commend the hard work of many committee chairmen who have toiled late into the night. along with their staffs. for the production of this bill. including the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BARTON). the gentleman from California (Chairman POMBO). the gentleman from California (Chairman THOMAS). and the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert). and crafting this important legislation on behalf of American families and workers. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this very important not only fair -rule but also the underlying legislation. \u0095 Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5224}
{"speech_id":1090022703,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is interesting. hearing our colleagues talk about this bill. I think that people and many of our colleagues know that this bill has been born out over 4 years of hard work. hundreds of hearings. hundreds of hours of testimony. It is a balanced bill. Mr. Speaker. I certainly believe it is one that bridges the needs that we have today with where we need to be in the future as we look to renewable energy sources and alternative sources. One of the things that the chairman mentioned a few moments ago is bipartisan support that we have had on some of our initiatives. and certainly we feel like we will see this on the energy bill. We saw it in committee. and I would commend the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BARTON) for the wonderful work he did on the bill in committee. Over the past few weeks. we had 122 Democrats that voted with us on the continuity of government bill. 50 Democrats voted with us on class action. 73 Democrats voted with us on bankruptcy reform. and 42 supported us on repeal of the death tax. and our REAL I.D. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2027}
{"speech_id":1090022703,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Act. I hope this is a sign of things to come. that there will be bipartisan cooperation as we look to this energy bill. because it is a fair bill. It is a fair rule that addresses this bill. Mr. Speaker. supporting this rule and supporting this bill is good for small business. It is great for American small business. for Main Street. for jobs creation. We have an economy that has created nearly 2 million jobs in the past couple of years. 3 million jobs in the past couple of years. We are excited about what is happening with the growth of the economy. We know that this- bill is going to do good work in continuing to support Main Street. support our small business community. support our small business manufacturers. and will address some of the concerns they have about energy policy. oil policy. electrical policy and how it affects the business that they carry forth every day. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2027}
{"speech_id":1090022703,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I encourage my colleagues to support the rule and to support the bill.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2027}
{"speech_id":1090022747,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans courtesy. We are fond of saying around here that the world changed after September 11. but the energy bill did not. This bill is virtually identical to Dick Cheneys energy task force and where the House has been these last 4 years with concerns. notwithstanding the Enron scandal. skyrocketing gasoline prices and demands on scarce oil supplies in unstable parts of the world. It is ironic that the American publics vision is much clearer than Congress. They want to increase the CAFE standards. The public has very clear views about the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. that it is the last place America should look for oil. not the next place. They oppose a waiver and relief to the MTBE manufacturers at the expense of State and local authorities and the quality of local drinking water. This bill is looking at our energy problem through a rearview mirror. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090022747,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It gives too much to the wrong people to do the wrong thing and is dramatically out of step with what the American public wants and needs. The politics of today and yesterdays policies do not provide an energy road map for the future. It is true that lots of people have been working very hard on this bill. but I would suggest that never have so many worked so hard and so long to do so little to change the direction of this countrys energy future. For the sake of the country. one hopes that there will come a time when the needs and wishes of the public is heard and it will be reflected in an energy policy for this century. costeffective and rational. preserving the quality of life. rather than operating on the cheap.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090022754,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6. the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Passage of this comprehensive bill will ensure a more affordable. environmentally friendly energy supply. Americas prosperity and national security are at stake. The bill before us today is a balanced bill and it is a bipartisan bill. It will have lower energy prices over time for consumers. it will help spur our economy. create hundreds of thousands of jobs. and take unprecedented steps to promote greater energy conservation and efficiency. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1960}
{"speech_id":1090022754,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Energy Policy Act of 2005. among other things. improves our Nations electric transmission capacity. promotes a cleaner environment with new innovations on alternative power sources. the Clean Cities authorization. and the lhydrogen fuel cell car program. it promotes clean coal technologies. provides incentives for renewable energies. such as biomass. wind. solar and hydroelectricity. The bill would provide leadership in energy conservation by establishing new mandatory efficiency requirements for Federal buildings. and expands the Energy Star program to tell American consumers what products save the most energy. The bill also provides an efficient approval process for siting new liquified natural gas facilities. It would. for the first time. give an expedited procedure. hopefully in brownfield areas and highunemployment areas. for expanding or building some new refineries. We have not built a new oil refinery in this country for the past 30 years. I could go on and on. Mr. Chairman. but simply let me say at the beginning of the debate that it is time for an energy policy for America. It is time for the House of Representatives to say we. want a strong economy based on the worlds best and most open free market for energy supplies. and also to put some incentives in for conservation. \" I strongly support the bill. and I look forward to the debate we are about to begin.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1960}
{"speech_id":1090022782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me this time. The\" gentleman has done a magnificent job leading the committee on this new bill. I would just say. in America we face some great challenges with regard to formulation of our energy policy. The oil demand growth keeps rising due to the industrialization of the emerging world. China consumes 7 million barrels per day. and if Chinas rise in world.prominence is similar to that of Korea and Japan. China will consume 20 million barrels per day in less than 10 years. The last big oil discovery was 30 years ago in the North Sea. China is trying to buy oil companies in Canada. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1078}
{"speech_id":1090022782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"India is trying to buy oil companies in Russia. the present world production capacity is 83 million barrels a day. and we are running an estimated 81.5 million today. which means we are in the red zone. The 14 largest oil fields in the world are 40 years old. Once they are taken out to 50 percent. water and fluids need to be pumped to keep production at existing levels. We have some significant challenges. Support this bill.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1078}
{"speech_id":1090022785,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the legislation. Mr. Chairman. protecting our environment and promoting energy independence are two of the most important jobs I have as a Member of Congress. Unfortunately. the bill before us today represents a real missed opportunity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. promote energy efficiency and conservation. and improve our air. land and water quality. For decades. our country has lacked a nAtional energy policy. While I did not agree with the Administrations energy plan. I was grateful President Bush put forward a comprehensive proposal. The Presidents energy plan was superior to the severely flawed bill before us today. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090022785,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had a chance to devise a forwardlooking energy policy that would have increased fuel efficiency. made polluters (including MTBE producers) pay for harming our environment. and advanced a renewable portfolio standard. Instead what we have is quite a bad bill. Instead of creating a balanced energy policy that provides incentives to make renewable energy more affordable and widely available. we are making fiscally irresponsible and environmentallyreckless decisions for the benefit of a few profitable industries that dont need this kind of help from taxpayers. I fail to understand why the major thrust of the bills tax provisions involve further subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. rather than providing incentives for conservation and renewable sources of energy. These are enormously profitable industries operating in a time of record energy prices. Clearly. these profits demonstrate the market has already provided the fossil fuel industries with sufficient incentive to increase production. I strongly oppose a provision in the bill that allows for the permanent activation of the Cross Sound Cable. In doing so. the bill subverts the regulatory process and ignores sound environmental policy regarding the depth at which the Cable should be buried. In addition to its environmental shortsightedness. I also oppose provisions in this bill related to energy transmission. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090022785,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For instance. the Energy Policy Act allows the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission (FERC) to preempt state siting authorities when it is determined that a highvoltage power line is of \"national significance.\" and overrides state authorities when expanding or siting new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. In our own Long Island -Sound just off Connecticut. this is a very real possibility. While energy security is a national issue. it seems to me the communities who will live with these siting decisions deserve a voice in the process. Finally. Istrongly oppose opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. We simply wont have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways. In my judgment. it would be far better to develop prudent and lasting alternate fuel energies than to risk irreparable damage to the wilderness of one of North Americas most beautiful frontiers. Drilling in the Arctic will not fix our energy problemswith so little oil available up there it couldnt possibly. as it will take a decade to get the oil down here. That time would be far better spent developJng clean.. renewable energy sources that will provide infinite energy without imperiling our last remaining wilderness areas. I look forward to the day when we will have an opportunity to vote for a fiscallyprudent. environmentallyresponsible national energy policy. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090022785,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today is not that day.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090022835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Once again the House is debating a \"comprehensive energy package.\" I do have to say that as far as the Ways and Means Committee is concerned. it is just slightly less comprehensive than it has been in the past. But that is because we understand. having gone through a conference with the Senate. the kind of package that will maximize our chances in producing a fair and balanced tax section. In discussing what we do in this particular.bill. and I enjoy hearing people discuss it as though it is the conference report that is in front of us. it is in fact. and I will say it flatly. and in a negotiating position. before us to sit down and work with the Senate. It does have renewable provisions in the tax package. but by a small amount. The majority focus is on the infrastructure of this country. the electric power lines. gas collecting lines. and supporting a structure which will be the backbone of our energy needs clearly for the next quarter of a century before any of the innovative approaches begin to carry a significant share of our energy needs. I might also caution Members not to get too carried away looking at this particular piece of legislation under the heading of an energy bill and assume that we have done nothing since the conference report that was agreed upon between the House and Senafe was passed by the House and not the Senate. I would ask you to go back and refer to legislation passed just a short time ago under the title of the Working Families Tax Relief Act. In that bill we had incentives for wind. open biomass. electric cars. and alternativefuel vehicles. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090022835,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the American Jobs Creation Act. we provided incentives for ethanol. biodiesel. geothermal. solar. open biomass. municipal solid mass. and refined coal. I know the other side is going to offer that constant lament. what have you done for me lately? The answer is. let us get to conference. put together a package. once again come to the floor of the House with a conference agreement. we will pass that conference agreement. and the Senate will pass that conference agreement. And I will conclude my opening remarks by saying. I was very pleased that on the Ways to the Means Committee. five Democrats understood. one. the strategy that we are undertaking. and. two. supported the content of that strategy by voting for the Ways and Means position. I know a number of people have a definition of bipartisan. but based upon the recent history of the Ways and Means Committee. five Democrats supporting a measure offered in that committee is unprecedented bipartisan support. And I was very pleased for it. Madam Chairman. I. retain the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090022865,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I want to express my deep disappointment that the l3ules Committee did not accept a bipartisan amendment authored by Mr. STUPAK. myself. and other Great Lakes area mfembers last night. This important amendment would have permanently banned oil and gas drilling in and under the Great Lakes. The current ban is set to expire in 2007. I am proud to say that I have long been a proponent of banning oil and gas drilling on the Great Lakes and have voted to do so at every possible opportunity. The Great Lakes are home to the worlds largest supply of fresh water. In fact. the Great Lakes make up 95 percent of the United States fresh surface water. For those of us in the Great Lakes states. the Great Lakes represent a critical component of our environment. our economy and our identity. The risks drilling poses to the lakes are unacceptable. ","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090022865,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress has a history in support of banning drilling on the Great Lakes.-A ban was first approved in 2002 and has been extended twice since. However. the time has come to end the uncertainty surrounding drilling on the Great Lakes. A permanent ban should be .put into place. While I am disappointed the Rules Committee has prevented the House from including a ban on drilling on the Great Lakes. I plan to work night and day with my colleagues to get a permanent ban approvedeither in conference or as a standalone piece of legislation. This is a fight I will not give up.","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090022914,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself 3 minutes. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national treasure. a place of ancient wilderness that remains much the same as it was at the end of the last Ice Age. It is one of the few places remaining in America where man has not scarred the land. It is a place where roads do not pave the way and where the animals truly do roam free. The refuge is home to the 130.000strong porcupine caribou herd as well as polar bears. musk oxen and even more than 130 species of migratory birds. All wildlife refuges have. by bipartisan consensus. been set aside to ensure that a few special places. natural places. will not succumb to the pressures of commercial exploitation. The Arctic refuge is one of the most unique wild and irreplaceable refuges of all. If we allow the oil and gas drillers into this refuge. we might as well say goodbye to protection of all 544 refuges in this country. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the crown jewel of the wildlife refuge system in the United States. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2774}
{"speech_id":1090022914,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of those 544 refuges. it is estimated that 60 percent of them have the potential for oil and gas development. Overturning the 39year precedent of never leasing a wildlife refuge to the oil companies where leases did not previously exist will set in motion a series of events that will endanger each of the other 543 refuges spread throughout the States and districts of the Members of this body. Besides the wildlife refuges. drilling in the Arctic refuge is widely seen as the first step in lifting the moratoria on drilling on the outer continental shelf of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. specifically in Florida and California. The chairman of \u0095 ExxonMobil recently said that drilling in the Arctic refuge is representative of the broader issue of whether drilling will be allowed in other environmentally sensitive places such as the coasts of California and Florida. In a 2003 speech to the Republican Caucus. House Majority Leader TOM DELAY proclaimed the issue of the Arctic refuge is about precedent and repeatedly referred to its symbolism. Matthew Simmons. an oil industry banker and former Bush adviser. recently told the New York Times that if you cannot do ANWR. you will never be able to drill in the promising areas. Ladies and gentlemen. this is a huge test for us. The Republican majority has decided not to do anything about making SUVs and automobiles more fuel efficient. and that is where 70 percent of all gasoline. all oil. goes. into those gasoline tanks. Instead of making those vehicles more efficient. what they have decided to. do is to construct a gasoline station on top of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in order to fuel those inefficient vehicles. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2774}
{"speech_id":1090022914,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must stop them. Madam Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2774}
{"speech_id":1090022928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me this time. First. let me say that I do oppose the Markey amendment. but I want to say that the letter that was just read is totally legal. He has got every right if he wants to use something to try to raise money. He did not send me that letter. Had he sent it to me. I would have had to reply in the negative that I could not make the contribution. But I recognize his right to do it in that manner. I oppose the Markey amendment because I want to pay less for gasoline in Texas. I would like to tell the Members that my great State is selfsufficient in energy production and selfsufficient in oil. but it is not true. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2259}
{"speech_id":1090022928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are the largest producer of oil of the 50 States. but we are also the largest consumer. ANWR has the potential to produce up to 2 million barrels a day for 30 years. And depending on ones point of view. that is a lot or a little. If one wants to say it is a lot. it is more than we import from Saudi Arabia..If one wants to say it is a little. it is less than we use in a year in this country. But 2 million barrels a day for 30 years would lower prices for every American at the pump. I would point out that in terms of the environment. we have been producing successfully in Prudhoe Bay for almost 30 years without any harm to the environment. as the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman YOUNG) showed in those pictures when he was up here right before me. My district produces -substantial amounts of oil and gas. We are producing 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas every day. That is one half of a trillion cubic feet a year. I cannot tell the Members how many hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day. but we are producing significant amounts of oil. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2259}
{"speech_id":1090022928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are producing it through the water table and supplies of many of the cities that I represent. We are producing it from underneath downtown Fort Worth. Texas. And we are doing it in a safe and environmentally effective fashion. We could do that also in ANWR. I strongly support the gentleman from Californias (Chairman POMBO) amendment that would allow it. I want to thank our colleagues in the other body for already agreeing in the reconciliation instructions. and I urge a \"no\" vote on the. Markey amendment.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2259}
{"speech_id":1090022976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the BoehlertMarkey amendment. Despite the bills claims to meet our Nations energy needs and provide for our Nations future. H.R. 6 ignores a pivotal approach that will reduce our foreign dependence on oil and alleviate our high oil consumption. increasing fuel economy standards. Let us look at what we know. We know that fuel economy standards have helped to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We know that raising the standard to 33 miles a gallon over the next 10 years. which this amendment would do.. would save 10 percent of the gas we will consume. and we know that we have the potential in this country to make cars and light trucks much more efficiently. Mr. Chairman. we need to unlock that potential. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1427}
{"speech_id":1090022976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have the technology. we have the innovation. Despite all of this. the bill before us makes no. effort to increase those standards. We have a choice: Do we want an energy future that is stagnant and dependent on traditional sources. or do we want a future that will break new boundaries in innovation and technology. reduce our dependency on foreign oil. increase conservation and efficiency and ensure the security of our Nation? Let us prove that we are serious about our Nations energy future. Increasing fuel economy standards should be part of the solution and part of our National energy policy. And I urge my colleagues to vote for the BoehlertMarkey amendment.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1427}
{"speech_id":1090022978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. you know you cannot make a fat guy skinny by mandating smaller pant sizes. People have to want to buy the vehicle that you are trying to sell them. There is a reason that moms go through the pain and agony of buying an SUV and a minivan. because they are safe. because they can get\" their whole family in there. because they can put a bike in the back. and they can get all the groceries in there. They buy them because they want them and they are safe. The automobile companies today do not get enough credit for all of the money they are investing in trying to make these things efficient. Believe me. if they could get 40 miles to the gallon in an SUV. they would be on these front steps having a press conference selling these things. Technology has not matched what consumers want. Let them do that. You artificially interfere with where we are going. they are making huge strides. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1101}
{"speech_id":1090022978,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To do this costs Americans jobs. It costs Americans jobs. Let them do what they are doing best. and innovate their way to those highmileage SUVs and minivans so moms do not have to drive Mini Coopers.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1101}
{"speech_id":1090022980,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I believe that this amendment actually saves American lives. Mr. Chairman. there is no better way to look at this issue than through the eyes of a young soldier stationed in the Middle East. One of the reasons why we pay so much attention to the Persian Gulf is that the economy of the West is totally dependent on oil from this region. We must station forces there to make sure that nothing happens to our supply of energy. And nothing can change this situation right now. But this amendment can change this situation for the future. By adopting CAFE standards. we will make the Persian Gulf much less important. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":907}
{"speech_id":1090022980,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will reduce the need to ever deploy young Americans into harms way. Look into the eyes of a 10yearold American and think of him or her. and vote for policies which will make it much less likely that any President would ever ask them to return to harms way in the Persian Gulf.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":907}
{"speech_id":1090022984,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in a cautionary letter to the President last month. a group of defense experts including conservatives Robert McFarlane. Frank Gaffney. and Boyden Gray said the following: \"With only 2 percent of the worlds oil* reserves but 25 percent of current world consumption. the United States cannot eliminate its need for imports through increased domestic production alone.\" Our dependence on foreign oil is putting our country in a perilous situation. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment because it will move us away from that perilous addiction to foreign oil and increase efficiency where we use the most oil. and thatis the automobile industry.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":666}
{"speech_id":1090023003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. this is myth versus reality. Myth number one: This will cost us jobs. passing this amendment. \"Jobs\" is my favorite fourletter word. This is a bunch of nonsense. The reality is. the new standards. if they are enacted into law. Americans will buy more. not fewer. vehicles because they will be more fuel efficient. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090023003,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Myth number two: CAFE standards will force Americans into smaller vehicles. The reality is. we heard thatargument first back in 1975. The opponents said. If you adopt this new standard. all Americans will be driving compacts or subcompacts in 10 years. What has happened? The record is bigger and bigger vehicles all over the place. The fact of the matter is. we do not want to take away choice from consumers. We want them to have their SUVs if that is what they want. We want them to have their light trucks if that is what they want. We want Detroit and the American auto industry to make more fuelefficient vehicles. Finally. this really offends me. myth number three: We will sacrifice safety. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090023003,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what the opponents say. that is not what the National Academy of Sciences says. We already have the technology on the shelf gathering dust to manufacture more fuelefficient automobiles and light trucks. I say the alarm has been sounded. This is a national security issue. We are far too dependent on foreignsource oil. This amendment alone will save 2 million barrels a day by 2020 and. in the process. save the American consumers that are fed up with a car requiring $40 or $50 to fill up. They want more fuel efficiency. and we owe it to them and to ourselves to deliver it.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090023088,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman can just give me one second. Mr. Chairman. I guess what I would say in response is that I understand the questions that the gentleman from Texas is raising and I understand. I guess. the consternation that he has with respect to receiving such a lengthy amendment with little notice. I would only say that the underlying bill is equally complex. equally dense. and that there are sections of the underlying bill that were not subjected to hearings. as well.","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090023092,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the chairman would remember. he did allow me to offer my amendment in committee. but before we had voted to do a permanent ban. it was undermined by the Rogers amendment. which basically says the same thing that it says in the body of the underlying bill. which encourages States to enact a ban. As the gentleman from Texas knows well. because we have several States who deal with Lake Michigan and four of the five Great Lakes are international borders. a ban. if it is going to come. a permanent ban. which we seek. would have to be Federal legislation because of the interstate commerce clause from which our committee gets its jurisdiction. That is why we were very disappointed in that. especially. In fact. in 2001. we did have a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes. and it passed 265157 with strong bipartisan support. That is why we are disappointed that the Committee on Rules did not make our amendment in order.","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":957}
{"speech_id":1090023191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman. I wish I could find a way to say \"yes.\" Unfortunately. I cannot. I think the underlying bill which has an authorization to increase the crude Strategic Petroleum Reserve and build it out to a billion barrels and also try to build some new refineries in this country. if we take those two things together. we will have the same effect as the gentlewomans intent. which is to create the ability. if we ever need the SPR. to move the large amounts more quickly and to refine them more quickly and thus disrupt the American economy as little as possible. I continue to oppose the gentlewomans amendment. I urge a \"no\" vote. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":723}
{"speech_id":1090023199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I offer this amendment to address what is a critical shortage of labor within the oil and gas industry and the mineral industries. Since 1999 there has been a significant drop in the number of jobs in the oil field. As the price of oil and natural gas have fluctuated. workers have come and gone in this industry. We are now at a point where we are at a critical shortage of workers across the spectrum. roughnecks. well service hands. pulling unit hands and others. as well as the technical engineers. geologists. geophysicists. They are key to continuing the search for domestic production. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090023199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As an example. one community in my district. Kermit. Texas. in 19981999 had some 9.000 people living there. As a result of the downturn in those years and the loss of jobs. that community now has 6.000 people living there. Even with the significant increases in the price of natural gas and crude oil that we are experiencing today. those people have not come back to Kermit. Texas. We are facing this critical shortage. My amendment would simply require the Energy Department. in consultation with the Interior Department as well as the Labor Department. to conduct a study of the impact that this shortage is having and to present possible solutions to the shortage. By way of trying to be a bit dramatic. each barrel of oil we import. each MCF of natural gas we import. adds tor our trade deficit each and every day. The need to import a barrel of oil or the need to import an MCF of natural gas causes us to remain dependent -on those foreign sources. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090023199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I speak in favor of this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico . a former oil and gas company owner.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090023200,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I would support the amendment. As an oil and gas service company. we did not actually own oil and gas wells. but we owned a company that repaired the wells. My wife and I faced the problem daily of where to find employees and how to retain those employees. In the 19992000 period. the price of oil fell to $6 for New Mexico type of oil. Revenues in service companies like ours fell to 20 percent of the original values. Although my wife and I were able to keep every employee for the duration of that period of time. about 11 months. many. many of the firms laid off 68 to 70 percent of their employees and gave pay cuts in the industry. That is the sort of cyclical thing that we face in the oil and gas industry. and now that the price has come back up. literally there are no workers to be had because they do not wanted to come back to a cyclical industry. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1391}
{"speech_id":1090023200,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We face limitations on production based on the lack of availability of labor. So I think that this important study should be done to find out where we can get labor. where we can get solutions to simply keep our oil fields working. The viability of our oil fields really is going to determine the price of natural gas and petroleum in this economy. I think the gentlemans amendment is well placed. and again. I would heartily endorse it and request Members to vote for it.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1391}
{"speech_id":1090023215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. we have not built a new refinery in the United States since 1976. Now. we have expanded some existing refineries. but we have closed dozens. if not hundreds. of small refineries. E 2045 We are importing refined product because we do not have the ability to. meet our needs for refined petroleum products with our existing refinery base. Our refineries are operating at 95 percent capacity every day. Now. this amendment that the gentlewoman from California wants to strike would say that we are going to go out and do an inventory of existing refinery sites that have been closed or manufacturing sites that have been closed where theie is high unemployment. high unemployment. So you have to have two things. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1825}
{"speech_id":1090023215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You have to have an existing refinery site or a manufacturing site that is no longer in use.. and you have to have very high unemployment. We think there are around 100 of those sites. I think the exact number is 96. and under this part of the bill. if a community wants to solicit a refinery. we set up an expedited procedure that is led by the Department of Energy where you can go and request all the number of permits. We do not waive any permit. We dd not eliminate any permit. We are not mandating that anybody has to seek one of these. but I think it would be a positive to build 5. 6. 7 million barrels of new refinery capacity in this country using stateoftheart technology so that we can meet 100 percent of our refined product needs. take some load off the existing refinery base. and. yes. create some jobs in America. I think that would be a good thing. not a bad thing. So I strongly oppose this amendment and would encourage all the other Members to oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1825}
{"speech_id":1090023215,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1825}
{"speech_id":1090023226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. I could well envision a procedure that would require the EPA to coordinate in a consultative process with the Department of Energy to resolve environmental issues. but the crafters of this bill have I would say knowing the gentleman from Texas not intentionally but unintentionally overreached. They extend this authority for the Secretary of Department of Energy to overturn a range of Federal laws. The Corps of Engineers regulates activities that would have adverse effect on navigable waters of the United States. Private parties could locate wharves. docks. other structures in the water that would obstruct commerce. but the Corps of Engineers has permitting authority that says. no. you cannot do that. With this language. the Secretary of Energy could throw out a century of regulatory authority. for example. in the case where a refinery has been denied a permit to build a structure in a navigable waterway. The applicant would appeal to the Secretary of Energy who would just simply overturn the corps. Refineries often are not located near navigable waterways to facilitate barge traffic. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090023226,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the corps.said. no. you are going to do something that is going to obstruct navigation. the Secretary of Energy could overturn the corps. I do not think that is intended. and this authority goes even further to FAA and other agencies under the jurisdiction of our committee. It should be defeated.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090023296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I pay tribute to a close personal friend. a mentor. a dedicated public servant and a respected attorney. Robert E. \"Bob\" Andrews of Gainesville. Georgia. Bob was many things to many people: a devoted husband who was always concerned about Katherines welfare. a proud father whose home and office were decorated with pictures of his children. a decorated war hero who remained a patriot in the defense of freedom. a skilled attorney whose advice and counsel were sought by many. a legislator who brought leadership and insight to the Georgia General Assembly. But. above all. he was a caring and compassionate southern gentleman. Bob Andrews was a man of faith. His faith in God was the earnest money for his blessings of family. friends and health. His faith in himself was the manifestation of a purposecentered life. Bob liked to laugh. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090023296,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He could always tell a funny story from his early years as a practicing attorney when the courtroom was the focal point for community entertainment. It was in that environment that he honed his skills in crossexamination and oral argument. Bob was a true student of the law. who loved and respected its discipline. His library table was always piled high with appellate reports that reflected his meticulous attention to the details of his profession. He valued knowledge. political dialogue and common courtesy. Bob Andrews was a kind person. In a. profession that is often noted for its viciousness. Bob was an attorney whose most severe rebuke of someone would come when he would wrinkle up his nose and simply say. \"He just should not have done that.\" As the passage of years and declining of health took its toll on his mobility. he never lost his sharp mind. except on one occasion when I visited him for a second time at the hospital. I commented that this was a different room than on my prior visit. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090023296,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bob laughed and said that all hospital rooms looked the same to him. I am thankful that he did not have to spend more time there. The psalmist described a blessed man. in part. is one who is like a tree planted by the rivers of water. that bringeth forth fruit in his season. Bob Andrews was a blessed man who. in turn. blessed us as he shared the fruits of his labor and allowed us to learn and grow in the shade of his branches. If God allows lawyers into heaven. .and I believe he does. Bob Andrews is there regaling the saints with his exploits and humorous commentary on his passage through this life. and God must be smiling as he listens to a good man who did his best.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090023308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue and for hisdiligept work on behalf of his constituents and on behalf of.. all Americans. tas iwe Are working on:.this bi l ban bringigit forward to the House. -getting. it ready to move forward and looking forward to the time that the President signs this into law. so that we do have an energy policy. A couple of points I would like to highlight with my colleagues that the gentleman from Nebraska brought forward to us. this bill is. as he said. forward thinking and it is now thinking. and it is important as we look at these two provisions that we realize it is this way because we have to think about small business. We have to think about farmers. We have to: think about the impact of this on the economy. Madam Speaker. as the gentleman from Nebraska has said. this is about jobs. We think about our economy. This wonderful free enterprise system that we have in this great Nation of ours has created nearly 3 million jobs in the past 2 years. and we need to continue that. This economic engine needs to continue working. We do not hear enough about the jobs creation that has happened. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1676}
{"speech_id":1090023308,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not hear enough about the tax relief that has happened over the past couple of years. but we know that jobs creation is such an important part and an energy policy will serve as a boost for that jobs creation. I thank the gentleman from Nebraska. and at this point I yield to the gentleman from Colorado who has been a leader on the energy issue. has done a wonderful job for his constituents in the State of Colorado and is g6ing to talk with us for a few minutes about ANWR and the implicationsof ANWR.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1676}
{"speech_id":1090023373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. The Udall amendment would strike from the energy bill all funding for research and development into environmentally sensitive ura-. nium mining and reclamation technologies. Uranium mining is necessary for the production of enriched uranium that is necessary to create nuclear fuel used in nuclear power plants. The bill before us today paves the .way for an expansion of the domestic nuclear industry. and we need to authorize funding to develop more environmentally sensitive uranium technologies to feed the growing demand for nuclear power. Section 631 of the bill creates a uranium mining research and development program to improve uranium mining technologies. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090023373,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This important funding supports advanced uranium mining technologies that can allow mining operations to be conducted with greater environmental sensitivity. Section 631 would also authorize funds for the development of new environmental cleanup technologies for the remediation of closed uranium mines. Nuclear power is here to stay. and we need to support A strong domestic ura-\" nium industry. Section 631 provides funding for environmentally sensible uranium mining to support a growing nuclear industry. With respect to the gentleman from New Mexicos specific concerns for uranium mining issues in his home State. I would like to point out the provision specifically excludes New Mexico from receiving any funding under this provision. So I am not sure exactly what his objection could be at this point. at least with respect to his home State. I would encourage my colleagues to vote against the Udall amendment. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090023400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reserving the right to object. and I will not object. Mr. Chairman. simply to say that the gentleman has cleared this with the majority. It would change the numerical number of cities that would be eligible. but it would not change the total funding. and this is an acceptable change. and we are very willing to accept it. Mr. Chairman. I withdraw my reservation of objection.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":390}
{"speech_id":1090023475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing. I want to urge support for the amendment and also express to the gentleman from New York . for whom I have the highest regard. that I would like to work with him. along with the gentleman from Virginia . to find a middle ground and to resolve any concerns that he has. I was unaware of his concerns. but I certainly would want to take them into serious consideration. Mr. Chairman. I urge an \"aye\" vote for the amendment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":541}
{"speech_id":1090023484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. we think this is a good amendment. and I think it is enough to go down through the projects that he outlined. In general. it says it hereby establishes the National Priority Project designation. which shall be evidenced by a medal bearing the inscription National - Priority Project. And this medal would be of such design and materials and bear such additional inscriptions as the President might prescribe. The President. on the basis of a recommendation made by the Secretary. can annually designate organizations. if any. that have. one. advanced the field of renewable energy technology and contributed to North American energy independence. and a project that has been certified by the Secretary under subsection (c). The President shall designate projects with such ceremonies as the President may prescribe. It goes on to state. an organization that receives the designation under this section may publicize this designation asa National Priority Project in its advertising. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2897}
{"speech_id":1090023484,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Separate designations also could be made to qualifying projects in eachof the following categories: the first one is renewable energy generation. and the second is energyefficient and renewable energy building projects. Under selection criteria. and it is pointed out absolutely from the very beginning. where this is made clear. that certification and selection of the projects to receive the designation have to be based on criteria. and they set that out. that is. that the project demonstrates that it will install no less than 30 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity. It states further that. in addition to meeting the criteria established in subparagraph (A). building projects shall. one. comply with nationally recognized standards for high performance. sustainable buildings. two. utilize wholebuilding integration of energy efficiency and environmental performance design and technology. including -advanced building controls. They go on to say. also could utilize renewable energy for at least 50 percent of its energy consumption. comply with applicable Energy Star standards. and include at least 5 million square feet of enclosed space. For the initial applications. it goes on to point out that no later than 4 rbnths after the date of this enactment. and annually thereafter. the Secretary would publish in the Federal Register an invitation and guidelines for it. Under contents and certification. it reads: the application shall describe the project. or planned project. and its plans to meet criteria listed in -paragraph (1). and they certify it not later than 60 days after the application period described in paragraph (2). the. Secretary shall certify projects that are reasonably expected to meet the criteria prescribed in this paragraph: For these reasons. we support this amendment and urge its passage.","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2897}
{"speech_id":1090023588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the Republican leadership in the House has done everything it could possibly do to keep us from voting on this issue. They so badly wanted to protect the oil companies and to push the costs onto the local governments to take care of the polluted drinking water. We had a vote earlier. as the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BARTON) indicated. but it was on a procedural vote. Now we have a vote on the merits. And if we do not support the Capps amendment. we are keeping this unfunded mandate in the bill. and our local governments are going to have to pick up the billions of dollars of costs to clean up the drinking water. That is why it is an unfunded mandate. And that is why I am speaking for the Republican side of the Chamber. because the Republicans came in under the Contract with America and said. We want to do away with unfunded mandates. and we will let them be challenged on the House floor. . And I congratulate the gentlewoman from California for bringing this to the House floor under a procedure that the Republicans allowed. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2652}
{"speech_id":1090023588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States rights. that used to be a Republican position. But this bill has the view that Washington knows best. So we do not let States decide things anymore. They cannot regulate. or participate even. in key energy decisions affecting States and localities such as LNG facilities or relicensing of hydroelectric dams. Washington knows best. And in this bill the most egregious example of arrogant centralization of power in Washington is this massive unfunded mandate. We have heard that Congress insisted that MBTE be used for reformulated gas. That is not true. Under the Clean Air Act. we required reformulated gasoline. but we left it to the oil companies to decide how to do that. and they were using MBTE before the 1990 Clean Air Act was adopted. Now that we know what they may have known in advance. that MBTE can cause problems in our drinking water. they want to shiftthe costs from the oil companies that have caused the pollution to the local taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2652}
{"speech_id":1090023588,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I remember when Republicans would have objected to this. And I hope today they will object to it as well. And I guess the Republican leadership fears that they might. because that is why they have gone to such enormous lengths to not allow anybody in this Chamber to vote on this specific issue. Every time we asked the Committee on Rules to allow a motion to strike be in order. they denied it. There was a point oforder raised. and that way they were able to keep us from voting on it. But thanks to Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America. we have this way of bringing the issue on the merits. Vote for the Capps amendment.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2652}
{"speech_id":1090023589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Briefly. before I yield time to the gentleman from New Hampshire . just to make one major point. we were not aware that this amendment might come up today. We were not even told it could until we walked on the floor and saw the gentlewoman from California . That is point number one. Point number two. when we huddled at the leadership level to decide what to do about this. I was given several parliamentary options to try to defeat any kind of an effort to have a substantive debate. and I chose not to do that. I made the decision that if the gentlewoman from California and her allies were smart enough to figure out a way to use the House rules to get her vote up. she ought to be given that chance to do it. And I had several opportunities to gimmick the rules up and do complicated parliamentary procedure that would have obfuscated the issue. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1703}
{"speech_id":1090023589,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I do not want to come onto this floor and be told that somehow I have tried to be unfair or prevent an honest debate. I will be honest. I would rather not have this debate right now. But we are going to have it. and let us have a substantive debate. I am fine on that. The second point I want to make is. I am not going to disparage what the gentleman from California just said. but when we were debating these amendments back in the early 1990s. we had numerous instances where he went on record saying that MBTE was something that should be included as an oxygenate. He even offered an amendment in committee to increase the oxygenate requirement to 3 percent. If I am correct. then I will let him look at the statements and tell me that they are incorrect. I am for a fair and open debate.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1703}
{"speech_id":1090023600,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. my good Republican colleagues and friends are seeing something that they made possible today. Years ago. in 1995. they passed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. They should recognize this. They said how this was going to stop the imposition of unfunded mandates upon communities and States. That is exactly what the amendment does. If they had been fair and given this a decent rule. then we would have been able to debate these in a proper fashion and they would not be complaining about surprise. But having said this. there are some 80 lawsuits that are going to be able to go forward. The judge had this to say about these kinds of lawsuits. and. by the way. they are in New York and New Hampshire: \"Innocent water providers and. ultimately. innocent water users should not be denied relief from the contamination of their water supply if the defendants breached a duty to avoid an unreasonable risk from their products.\" This bill is an immunity bath for MBTE manufacturers and for the refineries. That is wrong. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090023600,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It should be possible for there to be responsibility where the polluters pay. and that is exactly what this amendment allows. It leaves ethyl alcohol and other renewables okay. but it removes MBTE from the liability waiver.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090023608,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the Republican leadership acts as if there is one set of rules for Republicans and another set of rules for the rest of us. Well. it has taken more than 4 hours. but they have finally. reluctantly recognized that at least on this occasion a Democrat. the gentlewoman from California . has a right to offer an amendment. a good amendment that strikes a provision in this bill that protects polluters and penalizes taxpayers. For people who are not familiar with the rules of the House. here is what is going on. In 1995 the Republicans passed a law called the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The purpose of the law was to prevent the Federal Government from passing bills that impose unfunded mandates on our State and local governments. At the time. they touted this law as a sign that they would run the government differently and show more respect to local governments. They issued thousands of press releases patting themselves on the back for this legislative accomplishment. Well. here is the problem. According to the Congressional Budget Office. not the gentlewoman from California . not the gentleman from Massachusetts . not the gentlewoman from California . but according to the Congressional Budget Office. the MTBE provision in this bill is a big. fat unfunded mandate. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090023608,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the bottom line. The other side can spin it all they want. but CBO says this is an unfunded mandate. To my friends who want to protect the polluters. I say. come up with the money to pay for it. Do not pass it on to communities that are already strapped for cash. Do not pass the buck. Cleaning up the MTBE drinking water contamination could cost our local communities as much as $29 billion. Thanks to the Capps amendment. you will have the opportunity to go on record as to whether you favor or oppose this unfunded mandate. To my friends who sometimes vote against things claiming that they are mere partisan procedural votes. this is differeit. This is not a procedural vote. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090023608,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an amendment to strike out language that gets MTBE producers off the hook for polluting our drinking water and sticks average taxpayers with the bill. So this is a different vote from the vote we had yesterday. Let me say to my friends in the Republican leadership. you could have avoided the scene we saw on the House floor today. The gentlewoman from California brought her amendment to the Committee on Rules Tuesday night and asked for an opportunity to consider this amendment on the House floor. But the heavy hand of the gentleman from Texas and the Republican leadership denied her. I am happy that we have the opportunity to right that wrong. This vote is clear. You either favor unfunded mandates or you do not. You either want to reward polluters at taxpayers expense or you do not. Vote for the Capps amendment.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090023616,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me say at the beginning. I am no fan of MTBE. and my State has banned it. But let me point out a couple of facts. In this bill. the LUST fund. Leaking Underground Storage Tanks fund. has $2.1 billion to clean up these tanks. We have an additional $1 billion for oxygenate as well. And a precedent exists. The Federal Government mandated that we had to have oxygenate in this bill in the past and we have done that before. we have done that with flu vaccine. we have done that for Biomaterials Access Insurance fund. The government mandated it. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090023616,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to protect people that carried through on those provisions. I accept the agreement that is going to be made between the gentleman from New Hampshire and the chairman to work this out. Please vote \"no\" on the Capps amendment.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090023626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to congratulate my good friend. the gentleman from Texas . the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. for his leadership in forging a comprehensive. cohesive energy policy for our Nation. I also applaud the chairman for his attempts to ensure a reliable. efficient. and affordable energy supply. We all can agree that a transparent energy market is essential to achieving the overall goals of this bill. I am concerned. however. Mr. Chairman. that the current language in title 12. specifically section 1281. weakens the protections afforded the sensitive and proprietary information used to determine energy prices. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090023626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I seek the assurance of the gentleman from Texas that he will work with me and concerned others on language that clarifies the Commodity Futures Trading Commissions exclusive jurisdiction with respect to accounts. agreements. and transactions involving commodity futures and options. The CFTC has a long history of sharing futures and options trading data with other Federal and State regulators that agree to abide by the public disclosure restrictions found in section 8 of the Commodity Exchange Act.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090023685,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman for engaging in this colloquy with me addressing the Department of Defense. DODs concern in any decision FERC would make authorizing the siting of liquefied natural gas facilities. LNG. on or contiguous to our defense installations. Mr. Chairman. I know and believe our colleagues all recognize the extreme importance of our duty to ensure that our men and women in uniform are able to operate and train in an environment free of any unnecessary constraints. Should a proposal to site an LNG terminal be on or adjacent to a military installation or range. I believe there would be concerns that should be addressed as to whether there may be an impact upon military operations. training and readiness. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1737}
{"speech_id":1090023685,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Among the factors that may impact the daytoday operations of a military installation or range include the actual location of an LNG storage and regasification unit. shipment routes. frequency of shipments. natural gas pipelines. maintenance and inspection regimes. and other activities mandated by Federal and State laws and regulations. I have spoken with the officials at the Department of Defense and assessing nonmilitary impacts to installation operations and training is something they are capable of and in fact do on a regular basis. It is my belief the Department of Defense should have a role in assessing the impact of such proposed sitings to be considered on or contiguous to a military installation or range. I believe that the commission should consider the Departments evaluations so that any -siting does not interfere with our militarys duties as prescribed in title 10 of the U.S. Code. Mr. Chairman. can you confirm that we can discuss this concern further at conference?","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1737}
{"speech_id":1090023693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I always enjoy following my colleague. He is very impassioned. He is just wrong on this. The picture that the gentleman put up. he wants it offshore and wants it piped in. One of the most crazy things ever to happen to me is I am sitting in my office and the energy company comes in. They are excited about building an LNG facility in the Bahamas and they want to pipe this natural gas in to Florida. \u0095 Now. who gets the tax revenue from that facility? Not the United States. Who will get the jobs from that facility? Not the United States. Who is going to get energy security from that facility? Not the United States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1052}
{"speech_id":1090023693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Who has a problem with a pipeline underneath the ocean? We do. I just cannot believe that we want to give up the jobs. the energy security. and the ability to have these facilities in the United States and put them in remote areas. many of them outside the continental United States. If we want good jobs. we want lower prices. we want to help our farmers with lower fertilizer deals. we have to defeat this amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1052}
{"speech_id":1090023742,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 6. the Energy Policy Act of 2005. For the third time in 5 years. the House Republican leadership has passed up an historic opportunity to craft an energy policy for the 21st Century. With oil prices hitting record levels and repeated predictions that the cost of a barrel of oil could hit over $100 in the coming years. we should be focusing ourefforts on alleviating our nations dependence on fossil fuels. Instead. H.R. 6 is stuck in the past. Modeled after the energy plan developed by Vice President CHENEYS secret energy committee 4 years ago. H.R. 6 reflects the philosophy that the only solution to the high price of oil is more oil. However. analyses by the U.S. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090023742,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Department of Energys Energy Information Administration indicate that even if the provisions of H.R. 6 becomes law. Americas imports of foreign oil will still increase by as much as 85 percent during the next 20 years. thereby increasing our dependency. H.R. 6 should have been an honest. bipartisan effort to halt Americas growing dependence on fossil fuels foe energy. It could have been focused on developing new technologies. improving energy efficiency. promoting renewable energy. and conducting the research and development that could produce the breakthroughs that would power the world of tomorrow. I have no objection to supporting some new or additional oil and gas exploration or production because. until we develop the energy alternatives of the future. we must continue to meet our oil and gas needs. Unfortunately. the majority of the bills eight billion dollars in energy tax incentives are for oil and gas production. Thats billions in tax breaks. paid for by our children and grandchildren. going to energy companies that have been earning record profits. Even President Bush admitted recently \"... with $55 oil. we dont need incentives for oil and gas companies to eiplore.\" His fiscal year 2006 budget called for $6.7 billion in tax breaks for energy with 72 percent going toward renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency. In contrast. H.R. 6 only provides six percent of the tax benefits for renewable energy and energy efficiency. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090023742,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. H.R. 6 irresponsibly sacrifices environmental protection for petroleum production. Exposing our great natural treasures. especially the North Carolina coastline. to exploitation and possible degradation is not responsible. For example the bill shuts states out from the appeals process for offshore mineral development. thereby limiting coastal states ability to protect their coastlines from unwanted energy development. I am also dismayed that H.R. 6 continues to provide liability protection for methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) manufacturers for past contamination of water supplies. So Republicans believe when somebody gets sick from MTBE. these companies should not be held accountable. Thats just plain wrong. If it becomes law. the provision will force local governments to foot the bill for removing MTBE from water supplies. It was thjs single issue that scuttled the energy bill last year. Despite this. the Republican leaderships arrogance demands that this provision remain in the bill. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090023742,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gas prices in America continue to reach record heights. Natural gas prices have increased raising the cost not only of the gas itself but of derivative products like fertilizer. Gas prices and energy costs affect every American. This problem is particularly acute in farm country. Unfortunately. the Republican congressional leadership wasted an opportunity to develop a prudent energy policy that directly addresses these issues and instead developed a bill that serves as a tremendous handout to oil companies. As a result. I oppose H.R. 6.","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090023752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this legislation and in support of the Markey\/Johnson amendment to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of the UdallEisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act and am diametrically opposed to drilling in the refuge. I say this as an unabashed advocate for protecting the environment. As Rep. MARKEY recently stated. \"We must draw the line against drilling in our few remaining pristine habitats set aside specifically for preserving wildlife for future generations. If we allow drilling in. the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. there will be no place in America so special that it cannot be opened up for commercial exploitation.\" Unfortunately. the environmental ethic holds no value with this White House or a majority of my colleagues in this chamber. They simply dont care. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2635}
{"speech_id":1090023752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So let me try another tract. Its one that I fear is too real a scenario and one this energy bill falls seriously short of addressing. Today. this year. this decade. it really doesnt matter. but someday and someday. soon we will cross the point where world demand for oil will outpace available supply. The disagreement isnt about if it will occur. its when. And. when it does occur it will be a time of reckoning. We will have to reorient our oildependent economy into something less consumptive of oil.. If the shortfall in supply takes on crisis type dimensions. the transition will be much more disruptive economically and socially. The one reserve we possess to ease this transition. buy us time and mitigate a crisis. is the untapped reserve thought to exist under the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge: I would hate to see this reserve extracted under any circumstance. but if one day it must. let it be for better reasons than those presented today. I doubt there will ever be sufficient safeguards to guarantee this Serengeti of the Arctic can be protected once drilling starts. but if there is credence to the argument that the technology and safeguards used today are better than yesterdays. then tomorrows will still be more advanced than todays improvements. Lets not drill now. squander our last reserve of oil and gain nothing in improved economic security. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2635}
{"speech_id":1090023752,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unless this bill places our Nation on a path toward lower levels of oil consumption. greater use of alternative fuels. greater levels of fuel efficiency and conservation. why should we advance the calendar on the day of reckoning? Why should we consume next years seed corn. when we havent experimented with alternative diets or eating less? Support the Markey\/Johnson amendment.. oppose drilling in the refuge.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2635}
{"speech_id":1090023754,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in vehement opposition to this legislation. Two years have passed since the last time we debated a comprehensive energy bill on the House floor. but the majority appears to have learned nothing since that time. What we are considering today is practically the same. identical bill from last Congress. It even has the same bill number as last time. as if it were photocopied with complete indifference to the disturbing news and international developments that have come to pass in recent years. Mr. Chairman. .why is oil more than $50 a barrel and gasoline prices averaging $2.28 per gallon? The simple answer. demand is up and supply is limited. A more thorough investigation leaves one very troubled with the direction we are headed. While demand from the U.S. andother industrialized nations is growing on average 1.2 percent. the. situation in developing nations has radically altered. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090023754,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Demand for oil in these countries is now growing at an average of 2.7 percent annually. On its face that may not sound like a lot but it is not sustainable and is largely the cause behind the higher prices were encountering today. In China. demand for oil is growing at almost an exponential rate. India isnt far behind either. Combined. these countries represent 35 percent of the worlds population. Another sign of concern is that Indonesia. a member of OPEC. became a net importer of bil in 2004. These recent increases in worldwide oil demand are not a onetime phenomenon. therere here to stay and will continue to squeeze markets and push oil prices ever higher. The Department of Energy. on its own Web site. even suggests that crude oil prices will continue to cost over $50 per barrel. (Though they are silent on any longterm forecast.) Mr. Chairman. we are an oilbased economy. While coal. uranium and some renewable sources such as wind comprise a majority of the fuel used to generate electricity. most of our economy is dependent or exclusively reliant on oil. from fertilizers for agriculture. plastics for manufacturing to gasoline and diesel for transportation. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090023754,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. H.R. 6 does very little to prepare us for the day when this insatiable demand for oil outpaces world supplies. When that day comes. the prospect of $80 barrels of oil and $4.50 a gallon of gasoline are not unrealistic. Some pessimistic forecasts even predict $200 barrels and $10 a gallon of gasoline. Many experts believe that most of the worlds proven reserves have been found and that supplies will decline an average of 3 to 6 percent a year once the oil peak has been crossed. The oil shock caused by the Arab oil embaigo of 197374 cut supplies temporarily by 5 percent. The social and economic disruptions caused by this temporary disruption in supply were felt for more than a decade. Gas prices shot up 400 percent. inflation ran rampant and was fought with double digit interest rates and unemployment climbed over 10 percent. Are we prepared or are we preparing ourselves for some permanent downward decline in supply? Does this bill prepare us for this eventuality? I think the answer is that it clearly does not. Why are we rushing to exploit pristine wilderness areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and bestowing more tax incentives on some of Americas most profitable companies and individuals to tap our last domestic sources of domestic oil and gas when these sources wont even make a dent in our oil and gas needs? Where are the incentives and subsidies to wean us from our dependency on foreign oil? Where are the incentives and subsidies to retool industry to alternative fuels and greater efficiency? One part of our solution to the looming energy crisis is to require automobiles to be more fuel efficient. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090023754,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Had we improved efficiency through higher CAFE standards 27 miles for light trucks and 33 for cars back in the early 1990s. we could have displaced all the oil we imported from OPEC today. This bill is shamefully silent on that issue. We have been shortsighted in our energy policies. preferring to influence shortterm prices. keeping them artificially low while ignoring the longterm consequences of programs and policies that promote greater consumption and profligate waste. When oil supplies begin their decline and prices spiral higher. our profligate waste may be our one silver bullet to respond. There are incredible opportunities to make industry. office buildings. homes and vehicles more fuel efficient. We cannot sustain a situation where 6.7 percent of the worlds population continues to consume 24 percent of the worlds energy. (Energy Information Administration 2002 figures: 405 quadrillion Btus world98 quadrillion Btus U.S.) Mr. Chairman. this bill is deficient and heads our country in the wrong direction. It rushes us closer to the day shortages occur and sets us backward on our ability to address it. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090023771,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my very interested in holding the line on friend for yielding to me. their mandatory savings. and the SenMr. Speaker. the House will convene ate is trying to work through this procon Tuesday at 2 p.m. for legislative ess. business. We will consider several So it is really up to the Senate as to measures under suspension of the rules. what they are going to bring to the and a final list of those bills will be conference. sent to Members offices by the end of Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman. I thank the week. Any votes called on these my friend for that information. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090023771,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. I do not know the accuracy of the letOn Wednesday and Thursday. the ter in terms of the numbers of people. House will convene at 10 a.m. for legis- but there seemed to be a fair number of lative business. We may consider addi- people. there were over 40. on the letter tional legislation under suspension of which appeared to agree with the Senthe rules. as well as H.R. 748. the Child ates view. obviously a large number on Interstate Abortion Notification Act. this side who share that view as well. Mr. Speaker. I yield back to the dis- Perhaps we might have some discustinguished whip. sions about reaching agreement on","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090023782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we have heard a lot of complaints about rules changes by Democrats. -As a freshman. as a former judge and chief justice. I am still in the process of making assessments. When I hear allegations for or against either side. I am looking to figure out. is there evidence to support or dispel the allegations. In this case. the allegations about the rules changes. you have to take a look at. In the first place. there have been ethical. allegations made about the majority leader. Mr. DELAY. and the complaint about the rules changes. Well. we look at the rules. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090023782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First of all. allowing someone to know what they are charged with in advance seems pretty reasonable. Allowing someone to hire their own attorney sounds pretty reasonable. Going from 90 days to 45 days seemed a little short. and then we hear Chairman HASTINGS say. We will go and I will give you an automatic extension back to 90. You look at the evidence. the fact that there was a RICO lawsuit filed against the majority leader that was dismissed with prejudice because there was nothing there. you have a DA that has been trying to indict him for years unsuccessfully. There is an old saying. Mr. Speaker. justice delayed is justice denied. It appears now that this is all about denying justice to DELAY.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090023795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Carolina. Mr. Speaker. I have spoken at length on the floor about Second Lt.- Ilario Pantano. a Marine who served this Nation bravely in both gulf wars. During his service in Iraq last year. Lt. Pantano was faced with a very difficult decision that caused him to make a splitsecond decision to defend his life. He felt threatened by the actions of. two insurgents under his watch. and in an act of selfdefense he had to resort to force. Two and a half months later. a sergeant under his command who never even saw the shooting accused him of murder. Lt. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3199}
{"speech_id":1090023795,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pantano now faces two counts of murder. Mr. Speaker. what is happening to this young man is an injustice. Lt. Pantano has served this Nation in great honor. My personal experiences with him and his family convince me that he is a dedicated family man and a man who loves his corps and his country. but I am not the only one who believes he is innocent. I have read excerpts of pieces from the Washington Times and respected journalist Mona Charen defending Lt. Pantano. I have received letters and emails from Vietnam veterans who sympathize with him and ask that I do something to help him. They know what it is like to be in a battle With an unconventional enemy. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3199}
{"speech_id":1090023795,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One second can make the difference between life and death. I have read excerpts from his fitness report in which his superiors praise his leadership and talent. In that report. his superior officer evaluated \"accomplished infantry leader. His actions during the fighting in Fallujah and Al Zaidon highlighted a solid understanding of tactics and ability to anticipate the enemy. Leads from the front always and balances his aggressive style with true concern for the welfare of his Marines. Exceptional communication skills for a Second Lt. Organized. aggressive. focused and driven. Ready for increased responsibility. Retain. promote. and assign to challenging assignments.\" Mr. Speaker. that came 2 months after the sergeant reported him for murder. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3199}
{"speech_id":1090023795,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Lt. Pantano by all accounts is an exceptional Marine. On Monday. April 25. there will be an Article 32 hearing to determine whether or not Lt. Pantano will face a courtmarshal for a murder trial. If convicted by a courtmarshal. Lt. Pantano can be subject to the death penalty for an action he took in selfdefense on the battlefield. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3199}
{"speech_id":1090023795,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope and pray. Mr. Speaker. that on Monday Lt. Pantano will be cleared of all charges because I am confident that he did his duty as any Marine officer should when faced with the enemy. Mr. Speaker. I have introduced House Resolution 167 to support Lt. Pantano as he faces trial. I hope that my colleagues in the House will take some time to read my resolution and look into this situation for themselves. Lt. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3199}
{"speech_id":1090023827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you so much. Congressman MEEK. We are continuing to try to educate our generation and other generations about the significantly negative impact that privatizing Social Security would have on them. As much as the President. as you have outlined. would like to lead people to believe that privatization is not going to harm people 55 and older. and there is going to be this amazing panacea. this incredible windfall for our generation and for supposedly savvy investors that are from our generation. we know differently. What we have been trying to do as the 30something Working Group convened by Leader PELOSI is to try to separate fact from fiction. To follow up on some of your really excellent descriptions of what the kind of money we are talking about really means for people. you just talked about $5 trillion and what $5 trillion. which is what the Presidents privatization proposal would cost and add to the deficit in the next 20 years. what that would mean. what we could do with $5 trillion instead of ballooning the deficit. I was just elected. I am a freshman Member of the Congress. We have had an opportunity to work together over the years. I am still definitely in learning mode. and I have got a learning curve. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5580}
{"speech_id":1090023827,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the things that I have noticed in my learning curve is that when you go from being in the State legislature like we were where you are dealing with billions of dollars. with a B. to the Congress. when you are dealing with trillions. with a T. it is hard for anyone. Members of Congress. Members of State legislatures and average citizens to really grasp what that kind of money is. No one deals with trillions of dollars. The current budget deficit is more than $7 trillion. It is $7.7 trillion. And what the gentleman just described. the Presidents privatization proposal would add another $5 trillion to that. So let us just take the $7.7 trillion that is included in the projected deficit now and try to help people get their minds around what that is. If we took $7.7 trillion and can pile enough $1 bills. and there are actually people that figure these things out. on top of one another. it would reach the moon and back. The Moon is 93 million miles away from here. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5580}
{"speech_id":1090023827,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pretty sure that is right. 93 million miles away from here. So that is two stacks of $1 bills that would reach the moon. and that is how much our deficit is. We would still have almost $6.5 billion left over. With that money. after traveling to the moon and back. we could make 1.329 stacks of $1 bills that would reach up into the stratosphere. however high that would go. There is a really instructive Web site that the Department of Treasury has. and I think it would be helpful for people to know what that Web site is. It gives what the current deficit is. and it also gives what is each Americans share of that deficit. It is a ticker and it is constantly changing. But that Web site is www.house.gov\/budget democrats. And they can get access to the U.S. Treasury Departments Web page with that information. if they sign on to that Web site. it will link them right to that information. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5580}
{"speech_id":1090023827,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The national debt as of April 21 is $7.782.705.281.978.34. We could really improve the quality of peoples lives with that kind of money. And the direction that this country has been going in is really disturbing. When I go home and talk to the people that live in my community in Broward and MiamiDade Counties. and we represent both of the same counties in South Florida. it does not matter whether I talk to people who consider themselves conservative. people who consider themselves moderate. people who consider themselves liberal. After the events of the last few weeks and the concerns that people have over the deficit. their share of it. this privatization plan which the President is suggesting would pull the safety net of Social Security out from under people. People are really starting to say just hold it a second. we need to get this train back on the tracks and start going in the direction that most people are comfortable with. And I think we really need to start encouraging people. as we have been doing. to raise their voices to help get that train back on the tracks. because it is moving so far to the right even for people who consider themselves on the right. even people like that are coming up to me and telling me they are disturbed. So I just wanted to share that illustration with people. We have talked often about the impact that privatization has had. and we had been on a break and we were not able to spend time during our 30something hbur. We did not have a 30something hour last week because of votes. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5580}
{"speech_id":1090023827,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I think it is important. and I am not sure if the gentleman already talked about it. the impact that privatization would have on different categories of people. Particularly as the 30something Group. we want to explain how it would hurt young people and working families. The cost of privatization would just explode the national debt. which we have been talking about. but what it means beyond exploding the national debt is that people who collect Social Security would literally experience a 46 percent cut in their benefits. There has been this portrayal by the President on his 60day tour of the country to try to sell this plan. which I know the gentleman outlined and talked about. how they restrict access to their town hall meetings and we let anybody come and we are willing to take on the people who stand up and actually ask questions that are not the same as the position that we take in our town hall meetings.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5580}
{"speech_id":1090023835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what I have noticed is that this President treats democracy as an inconvenience. He treats democracy as if what it means is \"I am going to listen to you when you agree with me and I am going to apply democratic principles when I can surround myself with people who tell me what I want to hear.\" And that is just the worst message we could possibly be sending. When the gentleman and I listened to the State of the Union and we listened to the Inaugural Address. both of which included a treatise on the Presidents desire to help spread democracy around the world. I really think that the greatest democracy in the world and the leader of that democracy should be setting an example at home. And I think that that is what we expect parents to do. We ask parents to set examples for their children. and we tell parents- that they cannot expect their children to behave any better than they do. And I do not know how the President could expect democracies or burgeoning democracies around the world to behave any better than he does. There are a couple other things I wanted to highlight for people about the impact of the privatization plan because we got on our soap box for a little while. C","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090023837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Absolutely. Mr. Speaker. And that is because they do not want the facts to go out. Because if light is shed on their proposal. if they are forced to face their accusers. so to speak. if they are forced to respond to people who have the facts. their facts just do not hold up under the sheen of light. So what I started to say a few minutes ago was what his proposal does is. and like I said. I call it a proposal. but I should say his vague outlines of a proposal. he has promoted.across the country the concept or the belief that private accounts would be a windfall and has led people to believe that they would both be able to have the money in their private accounts as well as their Social Security benefits. and that is not the case. There would be a commensurate cut in Social Security benefits. about 46 percent. commensurate in proportion to the amount in someones private account. An average 20yearold. over their 20year retirement. would lose about $152.000 in Social Security benefits under the vague outlines of the Presidents proposal. Let us take disability insurance and survivor benefits. because I am not sure if the gentleman talked about that before I got here. but Social Security provides disability insurarrce for young families. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2595}
{"speech_id":1090023837,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no privite insurance plan that could compete with. the disability benefits provided by Social Security. For a worker in her mid20s who has a spouse and her two children. and there are millions of those across this country. Social Security provides the equivalent of a $350.000 disability policy. Most people. especially a young widow with two children. cannot afford to go out and buy a policy on the private market like that. It would just not be available to her. Suppose. God forbid. there is a young parent who suddenly dies. Social Security provides for the children who are left behind. Social Security provides survivors benefits. Survivor benefits replace as much as 80 percent of the earnings for a 20yearold averagewage worker who dies leaving two young children and a spouse. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2595}
{"speech_id":1090023837,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For that parent. Social Security survivor benefits are equivalent to a $403.000 life insurance policy. That is what it means when we talk about what privatization would do to young families. That is real. That would be gone. that benefit. Because when it comes to disability and survivor benefits. privatization does not apply because there is no income being generated. One has to have income in order to have a private account. People who are disabled and people who are widows and widowers do not have that income coming in by its very nature.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2595}
{"speech_id":1090023859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think it is also important to note that on this trip we also had an opportunity. as we were coming back. to stop and report to our counterparts in the -European parliament as we went to Brussels. Belgium. Actually. I spoke about this the other day here on the House floor. Mr. Speaker. when I introduced a resolution calling for negotiations for a U.S.EU free trade agreement. One of the things that we have found is we were reporting to European parliaments about the importance of this. the developments that we are seeing in the region. and they were very encouraged. Of course. a number of these countries had been strong opponents. very strong opponents to our effort that had taken place in the Middle East and in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2826}
{"speech_id":1090023859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will never forget the dinner that we had in Brussels when a socialist member of the European parliament from Lisbon. Portugal. stood up. and he was proud to be a socialist. We obviously disagreed on a wide range of issues. but what he said was that in watching both the inaugural address and the State of the Union message delivered by President Bush. in which he talked about the struggle for freedom in Iraq and other parts of the world. that he had never been more proud to hear a statement from a President of the United States. and he had never been in such strong agreement or as inspired by a statement of the President of the United States as he was by the statement from President Bush. In that meeting that we had in Brussels. we were able to get into a number of very important issues with the Europeans that impact the United States. First and foremost. and one of the main reasons that I wanted to stop in Brussels to meet with members of the European commission and European parliamentarians was that we wanted to ensure that we would not see the European Union lift the arms embargo on -the sale of weapons to the Peoples Republic of China. I have been very gratified and I know it was not just our effort because President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had very successful trips. The President had one trip. Secretary of State Rice has had three trips to Europe since she has become Secretary of State. talking about the need to ensure that there is not a lifting of the arms embargo. I am happy to see that since we were there and since these other efforts have been put into place that our European allies have decided not to lift the arms embargo on the transfer of these weapons. We have other trade disputes that exist over the issue of Airbus. some other measures that were put into place by the Europeans. and it is my hope that we can begin negotiations on a European UnionU.S. free trade agreement that will allow us to address many of these concerns that are understandable and have been there. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2826}
{"speech_id":1090023859,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would be happy to further yield.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2826}
{"speech_id":1090023872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in morning business to speak about a matter of great importance. and that is our broken judicial nomination and confirmation process. As Senators. we have sworn to support and defend the Constitution. ald on the issue of judicial nominations the Constitution is straightforward. It states that the President nominates judges and the Senate has the duty to give its advice and consent on those nominations. For over 200 years. that is exactly how it worked. regardless of which party was in power. Over the past 2 years. the Democrat minority has attempted to change the rules and stand 200 years of Senate tradition on its head. The Democrat minority now thinks that 41 Senators should be able to dictate to the President which judges he can nominate. The minority also thinks that it should be able to prevent the rest of the Senate from fulfilling its constitutional duty of voting up or down on judicial nominees. The Democrats position is contrary to our Constitution. our Senate traditions. and the will of the American* people as expressed at the ballot box this past November. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7149}
{"speech_id":1090023872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It must stop. The advice andconsent provision in the Constitution has served us for over 214 years up until the last Congress. That meant that the Senate should vote. and for over 200 years no nominee with majority support has been denied an upordown vote in this body. zero. The Democrats have said that they have confirmed 98 percent of the Presidents nominees. The actual number is 89 percent. But even at that. are we to say that we are only going to follow the Constitution 89 percent of the time? Furthermore. this Senates record on dealing with the Presidents appellate court nominees is the worst for any President in modern history. This Presidents record of having his appellate court nominees voted on is 69 percent. which ranks him lowest of any President in modern history. It would be one thing if these nominees did not have the votes for confirmation. but they do. These nominees will have 54 or 55. 56. 57 votes for confirmation. It- is wrong to deny them what the Constitution says they deserve and for us to ignore our constitutional responsibility to see that they have an upordown vote in this body. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7149}
{"speech_id":1090023872,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Democrats have said that it is their prerogative to debate. Well. that is. great. Let us debate them on the floor of the Senate. But before they can be debated. a nlomination has to be brought to the Senate floor for debate. We have a right to debate under the Constitution in the Senate. They have also suggested that judges ought to have broad support. that they ought to have more than the necessary 51 votes for the simple majority that has traditionally been the case in the Senate. There is nothing in the Constitution about filibustering judges. There is nothiing in the Constitution about requiring a supermajority to confirm judges. If the Founders had wanted judges to get a supermajority vote. they would have put that in there. They did it for treaties. for constitutional amendments. and for overriding a Presidential veto. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7149}
{"speech_id":1090023872,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Clearly. that was not the case with judges. It was the Founders intention that the Senate dispose of them with a simple majority vote. The Democrats in the Chamber have said that what we are trying to accomplish is \"the nuclear option.\" suggesting that somehow this is a radical process. that we are trying to implement. Well. simply. that is not true. There is nothing nuclear about reestablishing the precedent that has been the case. the practice. and the pattern in this Senate for over 200 years. What is nuclear is what is being discussed by the Democrats in this body. and that is shutting the Senate down over the issue of judicial nominees. which means important legislation to this country. such as. passing a highway bill that will. create jobs and growth in this economy. could get shut down. or an energy policy which is important in my State of South Dakota. We have gas prices at record levels. we have farmers going into the field. the tourism industry is starting its season. so we need to do something to help become energy independent. I am very interested in the issue of renewable fuels. I want to see as big a renewable fuels standard as we can get on the Energy bill. but we have to get it on the floor to debate it first. We cannot have these attempts. these threatsand I hope they are just that: threatsbecause it would be tragic. it would be nuclear. if the other side decided to shut this Senate down over the issue of judicial nominees. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7149}
{"speech_id":1090023872,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Democrats in this Chamber have tried to confuse the issue of legislative and judicial filibusters. clearly trying to confuse the public about what this means. Well. what we are talking about is simply the narrow issue of judicial nominees. It is part of this Senates constitutional responsibility and duty. and we must take it very seriously. However. in the last Congress that became extremely politicized. What we are talking about again is simply the issue of judicial filibusters. Incidentally. it was the Democrats who last voted on the filibuster in the Senate to do away with it back in 1995. It was a 76to19 vote. It had to do with the whole issue. not just judicial but legislative filibusters as well. Many of those Democrats who voted to end the filibuster still serve in this institution today. The American people see this as an issue of fundamental fairness. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7149}
{"speech_id":1090023920,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my friend will yield. I further say that the President made an enormous contribution. which was sort of generally overlookednot by those of us who work in this field of intelligencewhen he made it very clear and made an executive decision that 80 percent of the budget that goes to the military. minus a few very specific tactical areas. and necessarily so. would be under the Director of National Intelligence. That was the President declaring that whoever is in that position will control the funding. Complications can arise. but the President has been clear about who is going to run this operation. and that is very important.","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090023951,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of the nomination of Ambassador John D. Negroponte to serve as our first Director of National Intelligence. a position whose importance to our national security cannot. be stressed enough. After 9\/11 and the failure of the intelligence community to predict the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. study after study has told us that our intelligence system is broken. and desperately in need of repair. We began the process of fixing our intelligence community in December. when we passed the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. Arguably the most important part of that legislation was the creation df a new positionthe Director of National Intelligencewith appropriate budgetary and personnel authority to effectively cootdinate the fifteen different intelligence agencies. Eliminating gaps and ensuring that our intelligence agencies are working together is vital to winning the war against al Qaeda. as well as to our longterm national security. That having been said. the mere creation of this position was not a silver bullet. Many challenges lie ahead for the new DNI. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2305}
{"speech_id":1090023951,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Transforming our intelligence agenciesgetting them to work together and share informationwill not be easy. According to the RobbSilverman Commission. turf battles are again emerging between the Central Intelligence Agency. CIA. Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI. and Department of Defense. DOD. These turf battles contributed to past intelligence failures. and if we are going to truly reform the intelligence community. we need to put an end to this. The key to a wellfunctioning intelligence community is to resolve these disputes in the best interest of the country. and not one agency or another. Independence and strong leadership are essential to the DNIs success. Good intelligence is vital to our ability to protect against the threats we face today. as well as the threats we will face in the future. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2305}
{"speech_id":1090023951,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That cannot happen without better management. a DNI to coordinate all of our intelligence effortsto make sure everyone involved remembers that we are all on the same team. working toward the same goal. It is critical that he succeed in making meaningful changes to our intelligence community. These are high hurdles. but I believe Ambassador Negroponte is up to the job.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2305}
{"speech_id":1090023958,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of my top priorities is the real reform of our Nations intelligence. The Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 was a first step toward transforming the U.S. intelligence community. Information sharing will be strengthened. while diverse opinion and independent analysis will be protected. The single most important provision in the act was the creation of a Director of National Intelligence. who would have authority. responsibility. and financial control over the entire intelligence community. The President has nominated an experienced diplomat to be Director of National Intelligence. Ambassador John D. Negroponte has worked hard for his country and has made personal sacrifices. When his country called. he has exposed himself to hardship and danger most notably in Vietnam and in Iraq. He has also had extensive exposure to U.S. intelligence products and operations. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2939}
{"speech_id":1090023958,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He had intelligence coordination responsibilities in Washington on the National Security Council. He recently had responsibility for leading the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad during a time when intelligence on the Iraqi insurgency had the highest priority. Yet I have serious concerns with certain aspects of Ambassador Negropontes recordparticularly his actions while he was ambassador to Honduras. There is a serious discrepancy between his description of the Honduran governments human rights record during those years and that of the CIA Inspector General and nongovernmental organizations. He has yet to show complete candor in discussing U.S. activities there with the Congress. I believe that Ambassador Negroponte could have been more outspoken in reporting from his vantage point at the United Nations in the winter of 2003when our country was on the verge of war. Despite these concerns. I will vote for the confirmation of Ambassador Negroponte. I am encouraged by his responses to my questions during hearings before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. . ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2939}
{"speech_id":1090023958,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In a very important exchange. he provided assurances that he will \"speak truth to power.\" In response to *my questions. Ambassador Negroponte said he would make sure that reliability problems with sources are put before decisionmakers. He agreed to explore mechanisms like the State Departments Dissent Channel to encourage those who see yellow flashing lights to express their views to senior officials and to protect dissenters from political retaliation. And he said that he himself would be taking the \"unvarnished truth\" to the President. He also said that all organizations under his purview will obey the law and that there will be full accountability. These assurances are critical. My vote to confirm Ambassador Negroponte is based on them. As a member of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee. I will be watching closely to see that they are honored and will do what I can to contribute to Ambassador Negropontes success as the first Director of National Intelligence.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2939}
{"speech_id":1090023963,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of Ambassador John Negropontes nomination to be the first Director of National Intelligence. I am pleased President Bush filled this critical position. and pleased that the Senate Intelligence Committee moved with such dispatch to move him through the process. The Director of National Intelligence will be one of the most difficult jobs in Washington. The director will have to integrate information from 15 Federal agencies involved in gathering antiterrorism information. To break down the boundaries that fracture our intelligence community. Negroponte will have to draw on more than 40 years experience in the Foreign Service. He served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2001 until last June. when he became the first U.S. ambassador to Iraq since the 1991 Gulf War. He served in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2610}
{"speech_id":1090023963,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Embassy in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968 and has been ambassador to Mexico. the Philippines and Honduras. Mr. Negroponte is going to have to take advantage of his closeness with President Bush to overcome some of the institutional inertia within the intelligence community. However. Negroponte cannot allow that closeness to be a doubleedged sword. The DNI needs to be an independent voice. He needs to be able to withstand pressure from the President and report threats to American security as they are. not as others want them to be. I hope that Ambassador Negroponte will make it a priority to improve the flow of accurate. timely and actionable intelligence to state and local security officials. Right now. local officialsour front line in the battle for homeland securityare getting intelligence from a dozen Federal terrorism watch lists. They get .conflicting or incomplete $4073 data or information that has no impact on them. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2610}
{"speech_id":1090023963,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They dont have the resources and expertise to process intelligence. form a complete picture of the threats they face. and what steps they can take. We need to move away from a \"needtoknow\" intelligence culture to a \"needtoshare\" one. State and local emergency officials represent more than 800.000 sworn law enforment officers and 95 percent of Americas counterterrorism capability. They are on the front lines of the war on terror and they need better information in order to protect us. I recognize that will be difficult to do. and I also recognize that the solu tions to this problem will require new thinking. But after serving with Colorados police officers for 6 years as Attorney General. I also know that the current system of information and intelligence sharing is absolutely insufficient. We can do betterand we must do better.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2610}
{"speech_id":1090023987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor to talk about my good friend. John Negroponte. I have known him and Diana and. their childrenMarina. Alejandra. John. George. and Sophiafor quite some time. I think the Nation is very lucky to have a man of the caliber of John Negroponte on deck. so to speak. and willing to take the assignment of being the new Director of National Intelligence. He has had considerable experience as an ambassador. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2151}
{"speech_id":1090023987,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remember full well the first time I met him was in Honduras when he was the Ambassador there. We had a rather severe problem.* as people will recall. we called them the Contras. But I got to know him fairly well in the time we were down there. When he returned to Washington. I met his wife and was with him and spent time with him on a family basis. I have spent time with him now in his various positions he has had since that time. at the U.N.-and in Iraq. He is a man of great talent and depth. I believe there are many of usand I am one of themwho had severe questions about the direction we were taking in terms of this new Director of National Intelligence and how it would relate to existing agencies and to the State Department and to the Department of Defense and to the National Security Agency and all others who are involved in intelligence and relate to those in the Congress who have the oversight responsibility for the intelligence function and for the classified areas of the activities of our Nation. John Negroponte is a man who can do this job. He is a man of great talent. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2151}
{"speech_id":1090023987,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But more than that. he has demonstrated the ability to work with people and various entities. not only here in our country but throughout the world. This new Director of National Intelligence could well become the most important Cabinet position we have in the years to come. John Negroponte is the man to fashion that office. to determine what it needs in order to function properly at the beginning. and to set the course for this new intelligence agency. So I am here to urge that the Senate promptly approve this nomination and confirm John Negroponte so he can start on this very important task. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2151}
{"speech_id":1090023998,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will take another minute. We cannot let the Department of Defense get it wrong for the tenth time. For the sake of our troops we need to get it right. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a letter from the Department of Defense to Senator INOUYE that says: To sustain production at the maximum capacity through the end of FY05. the Army would need an additional funding of approximately $213 million.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":419}
{"speech_id":1090024078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I commend Senators KENNEDY and BAYH. They have really fought the battle through the years. and it has been since fiscal year 2003 we have beern dealing with the need for the uparmor. As my colleague from Alaska said. and I add this. from fiscal year 2003 to 2005. the Congress addedthat is additional fundsadded $1.2 billion to the Presidents request to increase uparmored humvee production. and almost $1.9 billion was added to the Presidents budget request to increase the production of ballistic addon armor for tacticalwheeled vehicles in the Army and the Marine Corps. I think we have clearly met the demand. and it is largely owing to these two Senators who have been out on the point on this issue. But right now these additional funds. I say to my colleague from Alaska. if the Senate were to approve the amendment. would have to be taken out of other modernization programs for the Army. am I not correct?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":936}
{"speech_id":1090024126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as a cosponsor. I rise to discuss the DeWine\/ Bingaman amendment. This important measure would designate $20 million for critical election assistance. employment and public works projects. and police assistance in Haiti. I am pleased that agreement has been reached to include this amendment in the managers package. It has been just over a year since President Jean Bertrand Aristide was forced into exile. It is well known that the United States played an active role in his departure. I do not wish at this time to consider just how great that role may have been. But as I have stated before. I am troubled that our Government chose to use its influence to remove a democratically elected leaderand for all of President Aristides faults. he was thatrather than working to restore stability. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10186}
{"speech_id":1090024126,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To its credit. the United Nations Peacekeeping force in Haiti. MINUSTAH. has done much to reestablish security following President Aristides departure. I applaud those countries. particularly those Latin American countries. which have contributed forces. I am also encouraged by the work of the international community in support of the Haitian elections scheduled for this fall. But without United States leadership. I am afraid that any temporary stability will be fleeting. Indeed. the Bush administration and the inter. national community had an opportunity to become engaged in Haiti well before we reached the current state of affairs. It failed to do so. The presence of President Aristide used to be the Bush administrations excuse to not properly engage with Haiti. Right or wrong. that issue is no longer a factor. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10186}
{"speech_id":1090024126,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Leadership here on the part of the Bush administration has been woefully lacking. Indeed. if we continue on our present course. longterm security in Haiti may be critically undermined. Most immediately. without increased United States support. the success of Haitian elections scheduled for this fall is in jeopardyelections. .which I might point .out. could do much for the stability and wellbeing of the Haitian people. Mr. President. during the past year. Haitians have endured unimaginable hardships. Flooding in late May claimed almost 3.000 lives. Tropical Storm Jeanne killed nearly 2.000making it the deadliest storm this hurricane season. These catastrophes were only compounded by a deteriorating security environment. They created a. vicious cycle where widespread. looting and rioting significantly impeded disaster relief efforts.. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10186}
{"speech_id":1090024126,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sadly. such violence and insecurity persists. The government lacks control over substantial portions of the country. Armed gangs continue to terrorize the capital of PortauPrince. Elements of the former military have occupied towns -and police stations throughout the countryside. Since September alone. around 400 Haitians have been killed as violence spiraled out of control after an escalation in proAristide protests. The ongoing disorder is perhaps best .symbolized by a February 19 attack on Haitis national prison. Approximately a dozen armed men assaulted the facility and released 481 prisoners. including drug dealers and other suspected criminals. The atteckwhich appears to have been assisted from insideis indicative of the governments inability to fully control even its own security forces. If we are going to move toward a more hopeful future for Haiti. then we need to renew our support for the Haitian people. That means. of course. working to establish basic security. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10186}
{"speech_id":1090024126,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clearly. we need to reign in the armed gangs and former military. But that is not enough. Longterm stability also requires a sustained commitment to democratic institutions and to economic development. Last July. the United States pledged approximately $250 million in aid for fiscal years 2004 and 2005. The United States provided $130 million of that assistance last year. Thats a good start. But we need to do more. Mr. President. the United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti. MINUSTAH. is making important contributions to peace and stability in Haiti. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10186}
{"speech_id":1090024149,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. engraved in stone on the panel behind the Presiding Officer are the words \"E pluribus unum\"-\"Out of many. one.\" The words also appear on the seal of the Senate. which appears on the flag the Senators see to the right of the Presiding Officer. It is one of my favorite mottos. It is the motto of the United States of America. The words mean. \"One unity. formed from many parts.\" They represent the Senate well. For it is here in the Senate our Nation has been brought together. It is here in the Senate our Nations leaders have worked out many of the great compromises that have bridged the issues of the day. It is here in thb Senate that disparate interests in our Nation have become one. The Senate is a place of unity. a place of compromise. and a place of consensus. because of its rules. The Senate works to force unity. not because its rules make it easy to get things done. but because the rules make it so hard. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11763}
{"speech_id":1090024149,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because the Senates rules require Senators to assemble majorities of threefifths. and sometimes twothirds. the rules force Senators to find policy positions that appeal more broadly. that transcend party. that bring more Senators together. Because its rules make it so hard to get things done. the Senate does much of its work through the ultimate expression of unitythrough unanimous consent. Because the Senates rules make it hard to -get things done. Senators must work together to get things done. Because the Senates rules make it hard to get things done. no Senator may completely disrespect a second Senator because a second Senator might hold up the first Senators legislation. Because the rules make it harder to get things done. the Senate has collegiality and comity. It is that simple. The rules make it harder to get things done. and that forces us together. Because the Senate rules make it harder to get things done. Senators of one party must reach out to the moderates of another party. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11763}
{"speech_id":1090024149,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me state for the record. as my colleagues already know. I am one of those moderates. Since 1978. I have worked in this Chamber to put Mon-. tana first. to use common sense. to be effective. and to get things done. Because of the way the Senate works and because of the way I work. that has meant working together with other Senators. often across the aisle. I have worked together with Republicans to cut taxes. to reform environmental laws. to open international markets to American trade. and to update Medicare to provide prescription drugs. Why? Because all those are important. and it is important to work together to get those things done. One of the reasons moderates. like me. of both parties can move compromises and consensus legislation is because the rules of the Senate require getting more than a simple majority. Contrast that with the House of Representatives. There the rules make it easy to get things done. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11763}
{"speech_id":1090024149,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But there. it is a rare exception when Members craft legislation to appeal broadly. across party lines. There the majority passes the legislation that represents the strongest achievable expression of the majority partys position. Unity is not their goal. One might call the result majority rule. but the reality is that the product of the House of Representatives often represents an even smaller fraction. The rules of the House of Representatives often encourage a majority of those in the majority party to decide policy and then to enforce that policy within the majority caucus. Because its rules make it so easy to get things done. Representatives of one party steamroll the moderates of their own party. let alone of the other party. Thus. the rules of the House of Representatives foster sharper partisan division between the two parties. The rules of the Senate lead to the result: \"Out of many. one.\" The rules of the House lead to the result: \"Out of many. two.\" The Senates rules are particularly important to a State with a small population. such as my home State of Montana. This is particularly true in light of the small House delegation that such small States have. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11763}
{"speech_id":1090024149,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Montana. as several other States. has one Representative in the House. States such as Montana rely on their Senators to allow their relatively greater influence to protect their interests. Without the Senate rules. rural America would have a much harder time getting heard. Sometimes it is good that the Senates rules require more than a thin majority. in order to make sure that every part of the country is truly represented. Fundamental to the Senates rules. for two centuries. has been the right to extended debate. In the First Congress. Senators debated at length the permanent site for the Capitol. In 1811. the House of Representatives procided that a motion for the previous question could cut off further debate. But the Senate rules have not included such a motion since the 1806 codification of the rules. We cannot summarily cut off debate. as the House can. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11763}
{"speech_id":1090024168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute to a good friend who recently retired after three decades on the radio. John Ed Willoughby. who has been a familiar voice on WAPIAM 1070s morning talkradio show. \"The Breakfast Club.\" signed o~f on April 15. 2005. John Eds last day on the air was the 30th anniversary of his first day on the air: April 15. 1975. Over the years. I had many opportunities to join John Ed on the air. and I always appreciated his candid. honest. and humorous demeanor. John Ed was born February 3. 1935. in Birmingham. AL. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090024168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He attended West End High School. where he excelled on the athletic field as quarterback of the football team. and captain of the baseball and basketball teams. He attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. which is where. our friendship began. We met as students at the University of Alabama. and it was there that we both served as members of the Delta Chi fraternity. His radio career began in 1975 on WSGN radio with cohost Tommy Charles. The duo was an instant success and became Birminghams top rated radio morning show for 82 years. John Ed and Tommy then moved to WVOKAM\/WQUSFM for a short time before going to WERC radio in 1985. They were a talk radio force to be reckoned with. remaining No. 1 in Birmingham. until Tommys passing in 1996. Following Tommys death. Doug Layton joined John Ed and they stayed on the air until February of 1998. In June of 1998. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090024168,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Ed joined his son. J Willoughby and Scott Michaels for a morning show devoted to talk radio on WAPIAM called \"The Breakfast Club.\" He would finish out his career at WAPI. I have had the pleasure of being interviewed by John Ed numerous times over the years. Whether it was instudio in Birmingham. in Washington during one of his visits. or over the phone. John Ed has been informative and fair. His listeners could count on a funny and enlightening show every morning. John Ed is blessed with a wonderful family. I suspect that his newfound free time will give him the opportunity to enjoy more time with his wife Jean. son J. daughterinlaw Kim and granddaughter Samantha Jean. Incidentally. J Willoughby has assumed the reins from his father. and is on the air with Richard Dixon. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090024168,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Ed has been a great friend to me and a familiar and loyal voice to so many in Alabama. He will be greatly missed by his devoted listeners. but I am certain they join me in wishing him the very best as he embarks on many new endeavors.*","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090024173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am government match. And. perhaps most pleased to join with Senators fundamentally. for the first time. every Santorum. Schumer. and DeMint in in- American child will grow up knowing troducing the ASPIRE Act of 2005. that when they reach adulthood. they which would expand opportunities for will have the ability to invest in themyoung adults. encourage savings. and selves and in their own education. In promote financial literacy. by estab- short. every child will have hope for a lishing investment accounts. known as -real future. KIDS Accounts. for every child in Considering its potentially signifiAmerica. cant social and individual benefits. the ASPIRE is based largely on a similar ASPIRE Act requires an investment initiative in the United Kingdom devel- that is relatively modest. It has been estimated that. when it becomes effective. the bills cost would represent only about one tenth of one percent of the Federal budget. Yet the proposal differs from other proposals for new spending or tax cuts because. for the first 18 years. it would not reduce overall national savings at all. In that period. virtually every dollar of outlays would be saved. and would be available to expand longterm economic growth. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2462}
{"speech_id":1090024173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. the proposal would lead to an increase in national savings because of its incentives for families to save more. This would help create the economic growth we need to handle the added burdens associated with the impending retirement of the baby boomers. Senator SANTORUM and I are excited to be joined this year by Senators Schumer and DeMint as sponsors of ASPIRE. along with sponsors of identical legislation in the House. Congressmen Harold Ford. Patrick Kennedy. Thomas Petri and Phil English. In that process. we have been assisted by a broad range of experts and other interested parties. for which I am very grateful. However. I want to especially thank Ray Boshara and Reid Cramer of the New America Foundation. who have been extraordinarily helpful in the development of the legislation. and who have taken the lead in efforts to promote this and other asset building initiatives. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2462}
{"speech_id":1090024173,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. the ASPIRE Act is a big new idea based on simple. old time American values. It already enjoys strong bipartisan support from conservatives and progressives. alike. in both houses of Congress. I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure its prompt enactment. By Mr. FEINGOLD:","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2462}
{"speech_id":1090024195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Wednesday. May 11. 2005. at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an Oversight Hearing on Federal Recognition of Indian Tribes. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at 2242251. MEET","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090024198,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking. Housing. and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 21. 2005. at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on \"Regulatory Reform on the Housing GovernmentSponsored Enterprises.\"","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":273}
{"speech_id":1090024214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management. the Federal Workforce. and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Thursday. April 21. 2005 at 10:30 a.m. for a hearing entitled. \"Employing Federal Workforce Flexibilities: A Progress Report.\"","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":303}
{"speech_id":1090024230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Friday. April 22. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then to begin a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090024314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise this morning to clear up the apparent confusion and misinformation surrounding the confirmation of judicial nominations. I hope to shed some light on one of our most important obligations and express to the American people the truth about the partisan obstruction of our constitutional duties. Article II of the Constitution. known as the advice and consent clause. requires Senate approval of judicial nominations. This obligation is only 0 Printed on recycled paper. fulfilled when the Senate allows an up or down vote on a nominee. The vote acts as an expression of the bodys \"advice and consent.\" but this expression simply cannot occur if it is blocked by a filibuster. I strongly believe that the use of a filibuster to block judicial nominations is not only unprecedented minority obstruction but an attack on the Constitution itself. The decision to vote on a judicial nomination or to obstruct the nominee pits the Constitution against a mere tool of parliamentary procedure. that is the Constitution versus a Senate rule called the filibuster. I urge my colleagues to put our faith in the founding document. not a filibuster rule. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9223}
{"speech_id":1090024314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To do otherwise degrades the Constitution and relegates it to the level of an arbitrary rule of procedure. Let me make it clear. I am not going to stand idly by as parliamentary maneuvers run roughshod over the Constitution and centuries of Senate practices. The Republican majority is not establishing new precedent. We are simply trying to restore the rights of the Constitution and the practices that this body has observed for over 200 years. If the Senate allows the filibusters of judicial nominations to continue. it will be acquiescing in a minoritys unilateral change to Senate procedure and practices. requiring 60 votes for the confirmation of judges through the rules. undermining the Constitutions requirement for a 50vote majority. The practical effect is an amendment to the Constitution without the approval of the American people. My colleagues on the other side would have everyone believe that the filibuster is being eliminated. But that simply is not the case. They dont mention that the filibuster never existed on judicial nominations. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9223}
{"speech_id":1090024314,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. it never existed until the Democrats broke with over 200 years of Senate procedure and unleashed the filibuster last Congress to block 10 judges. It was not a usual way of doing business. It was the first time in the history of the Senate the filibuster was used. The Democrats want to have it both ways. They want to change the history of the Senate by blocking judges with the filibuster. rewrite the Constitution by using the filibuster to thwart the advice and consent clause. and then blame Republicans for simply saying. \"lets follow the Constitution and allow votes on judges. lets follow Senate tradition.\" They falsely portray our actions to preserve the advice and consent clause as something akin to minority persecution. But what they dont mention is that the filibuster is not a law. It is not in the Constitution. In fact. the Founding Fathers didnt even envision a filibuster weapon at all. Even more astonishing is the fact that several of the Democrats who are now ardent supporters of the judicial filibuster are the same ones who tried to eliminate the filibuster entirely just a few years ago. not only on judicial nominations but on everything. including legislative actions. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9223}
{"speech_id":1090024314,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the Democrats who are altering history. It is the Democrats who are unleashing a weapon that threatens to alter the traditions and precedent of the Senate. It is the Democrats who are revising the history of our Founding Fathers and undermining the three branches of our separate but equal system of Government. For example. from 1789 until 1806 the Senate had a traditional \"motion for the previous question\" in its rules. There was no intention to create a Senate where a filibuster was prominent. The filibuster was not used in any significant way at all until the 1840s. and it was never used for judicial nominations. The Senates original cloture rule. in 1917. did not even apply to nominations because no Senator had ever used a filibuster to block a nomination. Let me repeat that. up until 1917 the Senates original cloture rule didnt even apply to nominations because no Senator had ever used a filibuster to block a nomination. The rule did not apply. not because the Senate approved of such filibusters but because Senators never contemplated them. A thorough examination of Senate history clearly demonstrates that there is no precedent for the Democrats use of the filibuster to permanently block the confirmation of judicial nominations. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9223}
{"speech_id":1090024314,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some Democrats claim that Republicans want to destroy the filibuster for all matters. This is simply not true. What is true is that the only sitting Members of the Senate on record supporting the elimination of the filibuster are Democrats. In 1995. 19 Senators all Democrats. not one Republican. voted to eliminate the filibuster for all matters. not only judicial but also legislature. Nine of the 19 Democrats who voted for the HarkinLieberman rule change remain in this body today. And all of those Senators now support the filibustering of judicial nominations. If it was ok to end the filibuster rule in 1995. why is it not ok today? Let me just share some of the comments made by those Democratic Senators in 1995: For too long. we have accepted the premise that the filibuster rule is immune. Yet. Mr. President. there is no constitutional basis for it. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9223}
{"speech_id":1090024348,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. many times over the past few years that our military men and women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. we have heard the accounts of combat. injury and death. Sometimes. we can lose sight of the fact that there are people here at home who put their lives on the line every day in the execution of their law enforcement duties. In September 2003. Randy White. a courageous police officer and 16year veteran of the Minidoka County Sheriffs Office put his life on the line to protect innocent bystanders and fellow officers from injury and death. In the course of apprehending a fugitive from an Idaho bank robbery in Jackpot. NV. Randy sustained gunshots to his abdomen and legs. one of which was at pointblank range. He still suffers from these injuries. but returned to work very shortly following his harrowing experience and has not allowed the extent of his injuries to derail his work and activities. Randy and his wife SunDee have four children. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2417}
{"speech_id":1090024348,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jared. Jordan. Michelle and Dalen. Randy is active in the LDS church in Rupert. ID. serving as high priest group leader. He has devoted many years to the Boy Scouts. first serving as a Cub Scout Master for 10 years and then a Scout Master for 8. He now holds the position of Scout Committee Chairman. A third generation Idahoan. Randy spent 10 years on active duty with the Navy and 19 years in the Navy Reserves. His active duty time included a tour in Vietnam. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2417}
{"speech_id":1090024348,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Along with his devotion to his family and dedication to his job and community. he has retained his sense of humor. even in the recent trauma he experienced. He said this when asked about the shooting. \"I spent two years in Vietnam and was shot at many times but never hit. I came back to sleepy Idaho and rural Nevada and got shot three times!\" Randy is a courageous. hardworking father. husband and community leader. I wish him well as he continues his recovery. and congratulate him on his selection to be the new Rupert Chief of Police. Today. he is being awarded the FBI Shield of Bravery and Star Award in Rupert. ID. I am honored to recognize Randys bravery and courage today in the United States Senate. as well as the bravery and courage of all other Americans in law enforcement across our country. Randy embodies the spirit of the great State of Idaho. We are all extremely fortunate that individuals like this exceptional man we honor today protect our freedom here at home. 0","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2417}
{"speech_id":1090024350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I pay tribute and congratulate Mr. Paul Hemmer of Northern Kentucky. who was recently honored with one of the \"Movers and Shakers\" awards for the Greater Cincinnati area. Mr. Hemmer life accomplishments and dedication to the Commonwealth of Kentucky have given me reason to be proud. Following his graduation from Saint Xavier High School. Mr. Hemmer entered the University of Cincinnati where he later earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He has held a variety of positions within the construction industry including general contracting. development. design\/ build and plan\/spec with experience in the industrial. institutional. commercial. and residential fields. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1692}
{"speech_id":1090024350,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His is currently retired as the chairman of Paul Hemmer Companies. Throughout his life. Mr. Hemmer has always been active in civic affairs in Northern Kentucky. He has been an integral part of his community serving as director for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. a trustee for Thomas More College. a trustee for the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati. and the United Way chairman for Northern Kentucky. The \"Movers and Shakers\" award of Northern Kentucky is an annual award presented to honor those within the Greater Cincinnati region who stand as an example for all. It is presented by the Kentucky Enquirer. the Sales and Marketing Council of Northern Kentucky. The Home Builders Association of Northern Kentucky and The Kentucky Post. As a Senator from Kentucky. I appreciate the devotion Mr. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1692}
{"speech_id":1090024350,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hemmer has shown over the years to the citizens of Kentucky. I commend his efforts and hope his example of dedication and hard work will serve as an inspiration to the entire State. 0","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1692}
{"speech_id":1090024481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to make a couple comments in response to my good friend from North Dakota. First. I encourage Members to come down to the Chamber. The current order of business is the motion to proceed to the highway bill. It is very important. It is critical. Thee is nothing we are dealing with right now that is more important. There is so much at stake. as I already outlined. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":505}
{"speech_id":1090024481,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to have more Members come down. Certainly. if I am talking. I will defer to them if they do come to the floor.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":505}
{"speech_id":1090024490,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning. Americans braced themselves for another week of devastating news about the gas pump. This morning. Americans learned again of the record increases in the price of oil in America. When they turn on the news tonight. they are not going to learn of anything that has been done by this Congress or the administration in the past months or even past years. They are not going to see Washington taking the necessary steps to end our dependency on foreign oil. Instead. people will see President Bush meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. a stark reminder of our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and how much that dependence threatens our economy as well as our national security. The President offers strong words against nations that sponsor terror. but for those in control of 65 percent of the worlds oil supply. those words are compromised from the getgo. That is wrong. but it is fundamentally what happens when the administration is committed to an energy future that is dependent on oil. oil. and more oil. at all costs. even if that cost is our national security. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11412}
{"speech_id":1090024490,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is. we are more dependent on foreign oil today than ever before. Despite the sharp rhetoric of the 1970s and the initial effort to try to be less dependent on oil. it has consistently increased. This dependence slows our economy. harms our environment. dilutes our national security. and it burdens Americans with the high gas prices they face today. Sadly. the Presidents energy bill. which we are going to soon debate in the Senate. fundamentally ignores these problems. and it does nothing to lower gas prices. In the last days. the administration has conceded \"changes to production. consumption. imports and prices are negligible under the plan submitted to the Congress.\" Frankly. Washington has danced around this statement for a year now. But last week. President Bush himself acknowledged the truth. He said: [The] energy bill wouldnt change the price at the pump today. I know that and you know that. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11412}
{"speech_id":1090024490,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So if we all know that. why pass this Energy bill along in its current form when real solutions are staring us in the face? Americans are paying an average of $2.28 a gallon at the pump. That is up 6 cents in the last week. over 50 percent in the last year. and up a staggering 56 percent since 2001. The Presidents socalled energy plan does nothing to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. The Presidents own economists found oil imports will actually increase 85 percent by 2025 under a proposal such as the one we see in the Congress. Less than 5 percent of the incentives in this bill are devoted to developing alternative sources of energy. That is 5 percent for the future. 95 percent for the status quo. In 2002. when the Senate passed an energy bill with a bipartisan vote of 88 to 11. the bill provided for a balanced tax package: 50 percent of the benefits to oil and gas and 50 percent to renewables. By abandoning that balanced. forwardlooking approach. this bill sells out our Nations dream of an energy independent future. Why are we taking the time in the Senate and the House to discuss an energy bill that does not take the steps available to begin to free us from our dependency? The failure to aggressively address the dependency will condemn a generation of Americans to higher gas prices. and the problem will only get worse. The era when the United States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11412}
{"speech_id":1090024490,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Japan. and Europe comprised the bulk of the worlds demand for oil is long over. Oil consumption from developing Asian nations is going to more than double in the next 25 years. from 15 million to 32 million barrels a day. Chinese consumption will grow from 5 million to nearly 13 million per day. Indias consumption will rise from 2 to more than 5 million barrels per day. The escalating demand for foreign oil is simply unsustainable. Every American who has taken an economics class. who owns a small business. or who balances the family checkbook understands that when demand for the product goes up and supply of that product is limited. prices are going to go through the roof. If you do not own your own product. that is great. but if you do. you are in trouble. Obviously. we do not. The fact is that the United States only has 3 percent of the worlds oil reserves. So no matter what happens. we are going to remain dependent if fossil fuel and oil are going to remain the staple of our transportation. heating. and other product sources in the United States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11412}
{"speech_id":1090024490,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In reality. international demand for oil is going up. and prices are going up as that demand goes up. There is little we can do to stop it unless we change the fundamentals on which we are currently producing and providing for the various oil needs of our Nation. We cannot drill our way out of this problem under any scenario whatever. Whether we drill in Alaska or even the oil in the deep water of the gulf. we cannot drill our way out of it. America needs to move forward in the technology race. We need to invent our way out of it. The spectacle of an American President literally reduced to askingsome would describe it as begginganother country to open the spigots and try to provide some momentary relief is really its own statement about where we find ourselves today. The fact is. what we ought to be doing is accelerating research and development in our country. Todays meeting with the Saudis really underscores what is wrong with the energy policy of our country. The danger of rhaintaining our dependence on foreign oil is so obvious that Americans cannot help but question the actions of this administration. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11412}
{"speech_id":1090024508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday marked the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. A date of great significance for many Rhode Islanders. and growing in significance for all Americans. this day not only commemorates the atrocities of the past. but also reminds us that it must not happen again. Remembering the victims is our duty to the past and to the future. The term \"genocide\" did not even exist when these atrocities occurred from 1915 to 1923. yet the numbers are staggering. Over 1.5 million people perished. Over 500.000 people were forcibly removed from their homes and their homeland. Armenian religious. political. and intellectual leaders were killed. Men were removed from their families and women and children were left vulnerable to deportation. kidnapping. and starvation. and 132.000 Armenian orphans became foster children in American families. It is vital for the distinct identity of every culture to be honored and celebrated. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN CHAFEE","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090024508,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over one and a half million Americans are of Armenian heritage. and on this day we are grateful for their many contributions to our country. Rhode Island and this entire Nation continue to benefit from a strong and vibrant Armenian community.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN CHAFEE","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090024513,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. 40 years ago. when having a conputer in your home was inconceivable and being able to hold a miniature computer in the palm of your hand was the stuff of science fiction. Gordon Moore. then a young engineer with Fairchild Semiconductor. had a revolutionary idea. In the April 19. 1965. issue of Electronics Magazine. Moore first articulated what would come to be known as Moores law: that the number of transistors on a computer chip would double in power approximately every 18 months but the price v7ould actually decrease. Moores law was revolutionary because it said that computer power improves essentially for free. Not only did this mean technology could be accessible and i affordable for all Americans. it set the stage for increases in productivity unheard of since the Industrial Revolution. Today. Moores 40yearrold prediction is not just the thought Iof a dreamer. written for the benefit of a few early hightech pioneers. it is the metronome of the technology industry. The drive to keep up with the drumbeat of Moores law has meant unparalleled innovation in the hightedh industry. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090024513,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has resulted in quality.. highpaying jobs and contributed td our Nations economic stability. The growth of computer technology in the U.S. has brought countless benefits to consumers and businesses throughout this country. We are proud in my home State of Oregon to be part of thei hightech engine that helped build the digital economy. We are happy to be home to companies like Intel Corporation. which Moore helped found in 1974. Intel. which employs 15.500 people and has invested approximately $11 billion in Oregon. is an important contributor to our economy and an example of the impact that leadership in technology can have at the local level. Oregons hightech industry continues to be a vital and growing part of the States economy. creating jobs. fueling the growth of srall and large businesses. and driving the innovation necessary to keep pace with Moores law today. The fulfillment of Mdores 40yearold prediction will continue to lead to advances in virtually every aspect of our lives. It means smaller and more affordable computers. and cameras the size of pills that can be. swallowed to explore our insides without surgery. It also means family and friends can overcome great distances. connecting in an instant over the digital airwaves. Though his prediction has held true. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090024513,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gordon Moore could not have foreseen the power and influence qf his observation. Im proud today to pay tribute to his contributions and rec6gnize the impact Moores law has had on our economy and our world..","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090024514,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I honor Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. who is a key leader in the civil rights movement and continues to be a guiding light in his community. I am honored that Reverend Shuttlesworth is visiting Missouri on April 29. and I want to commemorate his visit by briefly sharing some of his accomplishments. Reverend Shuttlesworth grew up in Birmingham. AL. and graduated from Alabama State University in 1951. After graduating. he continued to do graduate work at Alabama State and then received seminary training at Cedar Grove Academy and Selma University. His involvement in civil rights has been grounded in his belief that \"a man should not be judged by the color of his skin any more than he is judged by the color of his eyes.\" In 1953. at the age of 30. Reverend Shuttlesworth became pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham. during the period of time when the city earned the nickname \"Bombingham\" for the black homes that were bombed by white supremacists. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090024514,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In May 1956. Reverend Shuttlesworth helped lead a group of ministers to establish the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. in response to the NAACP being outlawed in Alabama. Reverend Shuttlesworth. on many occasions. nearly became a martyr of the Civil Rights Movement. On Christmas Day 1956. as Reverend Shuttlesworth prepared to lead protests against the segregation of Birminghams buses. someone threw a bomb under his bed in the parsonage of his church. where he was talking to a visiting deacon. Miraculously. he was unharmed. Undeterred. in 1957 Reverend Shuttlesworth joined with Dr. Martin Luther King. Reverend Ralph David Abernathy and Bayard Rustin to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. which was firmly committed to using nonviolence to advocate for Civil Rights despite the violence that was being committed against its members. He would later help to organize sitins against segregated lunch counters and was a key leader of the mass protests and demonstrations in Birmingham during the spring of 1963. During those tumultuous times. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090024514,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reverend Shuttlesworth was also assaulted by police dogs. knocked unconscious by a fire hose. and jailed more than 35 times. Reverend Shuttlesworth moved to Cincinnati. where he founded the Greater New Light Baptist Church in 1966. and today he continues to serve as Pastor. In 1988. Reverend Shuttlesworth established the Shuttlesworth Housing Foundation to help needy families access capital for down payments for the purchase of homes. His efforts have helped hundreds of lowincome families in the Cincinnati area to become homeowners. These are just a portion of the good works that this outstanding servant of God has done to help make our Nation more just. I commend Reverend Shuttlesworth for his outstanding contributions to the cause of civil rights for all Americans. I am honored to share his story with my colleagues. and I wish him and his family all the best for the future.*","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090024527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to submit the Better Hearing and Speech Month Resolution with my friend and colleague Senator JOSEPH LIEBERMAN of Connecticut. By passing this resolution. Congress will recognize May 2005 as National Better Hearing and Speech Month which will help raise public awareness. encourage prevention and treatment of hearing impairments. and commend those States that have implemented routine hearing screening for every newborn baby before the infant leaves the hospital. One in every ten Americans has hearing loss making it one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in this country. In addition. every day 33 babies are born in the United States with permanent hearing loss. making it one of the most frequently occurring birth defects. The impact of delayed detection and intervention can last a lifetime. When hearing loss is found early. intervention and treatment can produce dramatic improvements in child speech and language development by school age. This Resolution will raise public awareness of the 28 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss and the importance of early detection and treatment. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1465}
{"speech_id":1090024527,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this Resolution as research shows that children identified with hearing loss early and those who receive appropriate early qualified intervention by the age of six months have significantly improved speech skills than children whose hearing loss is identified later.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1465}
{"speech_id":1090024568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise under morning business to discuss some events that occurred overnight. Most important. there is a story in todays USA Today. based on a direct interview. that Karl Rove rejected a compromise with Senate Democrats Monday on longstalled nominations for the Federal judiciary and strongly defended President Bushs choice of John Bolton. I am going to talk about the first matter. It is disconcerting and surprising to see an aide to the President. an important aide. tell the Senate how to conduct itself. The Senate has conducted itself by its own rules for decadesfor centuries. Those rules. by the design~of the Founding Fathers. written into the Constitution. talk about the Senate as being a preserve of minority rights. The Founding Fathers called it the cooling saucer. It is clear. if you read the Federalist Papers and look at the history of this Republic. that when a Senate minority of 45 rejects 10 out of 215 judges and supports 205 out of 215. that is the very way the Founding Fathers wanted the Senate to behave. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8657}
{"speech_id":1090024568,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After all. one of the very earliest nominations of President @DPrinted on recycled paper. Washington. John Rutledge. was rejected by the Senate for the Supreme Courtrejected by the Senate. In that Senate were I believe eight Founding Fathers. the people who wrote the Constitution. rejecting the Presidents choice. We have. in a certain sense. people way out of the mainstream. way overa small grouptelling the Republican Party in the Senate and telling the President that they must have all the judges. including the most extreme. Because. after all. it was only the most extreme we rejected. judges who believe. for instance. that the New Deal was a socialist revolution and should be undone. judges who believe zoning laws are unconstitutional. judges who believe the purpose of a woman should be to be subjugate herself to a man. judges who believe slavery was Gods gift to white people. These are some of the judges we have rejected. It was not based on any one particular issue. People say this is all code for abortion. It is not. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8657}
{"speech_id":1090024568,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have voted for I believe it is about 190 of the judges. The overwhelming majority do not agree with me on abortion. but I believe they met the. ultimate test.. that they would interpret the law. not make law. Thus. even though they had strongly held beliefs on their own. they would be good judges. The 10 we rejected failed that test. They feel so passionately that they have to impose their views. One of them. Priscilla Owen of Texas. was criticized repeatedly by conservative members of her own court. the Texas Supreme Court. for placing her interpretation of law ahead of the standard interpretation. the interpretation everybody accepted. So we were proud to do our constitutional duty and reject these judges. judges we were not consulted about. judges who were way out of the mainstream. Now. because of the demands of a fewway over. way out thereit seems the majority leader -is pushing the socalled nuclear option. The problem is a large number. a good number of people on the other side. do not want to do the nuclear option. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8657}
{"speech_id":1090024568,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They know it would change the rules in the middle of the game. You dont change the rules in the middle of the game because you cannot get your way on every eingle judge. Our Constitution. our system of laws. is too hallowed. is too important to do that. These wavering Republican Senators know the Senate has been the repository of checks and balances. That is why we have not done the nuclear option yet. I have to say I wish the majority leader would not be moving it. He should as a Senator stand up for the rights of the Senate. He should as an American stand up for the rights of the American people. But that has not happened. Yesterday they had to call the heavy guns in. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8657}
{"speech_id":1090024568,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Karl Rove. a member of the executive branch. told the Senate Republicans there should be no compromise. It is quite natural. by the way. that the White House would not want a Senate with checks and balances. This is not simply true of Republican Presidents. it is true of all Presidents. whether they be Democrat or Republican. They want to have their way. They regard the legislature. and particularly the Senate. as sort of a pesky obstacle to getting their way. But the wisdom of our Republic has shown that when the Senate does slow things down. when the Senate does invoke checks and balances. the Republic is better off. Now we have Karl Rove telling the Senate how they ought to acthow we ought to actto change a tradition of 200 years. Senator REID has said publicly that the President told him the White House would stay out of this. That is clearly not the case. The White House is not staying out of this and they are trying to aggrandize executive power. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8657}
{"speech_id":1090024595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. the States are absolutely frustrated beyond all means that we have not been able to reauthorize the bill. Merely extending the bill does not enable us to go forward with major planning. The extensions keep existing projects in line and allow the Department of Transportation to continue to operate. but if we have another extension it means the money that this bill would make available will now not be made available until the construction season. For most of the United States. the construction season is spring. summer. and fall. Not a lot of work can be done in the winter. So with the necessary contract times. 90 days to let contracts. if we do not make the May 31 deadline with new authorization. we are going to lose a tremendous amount of road construction necessary for economic development and safety.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":818}
{"speech_id":1090024654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Basically. what I want to do is not ask him a question. but allay his concerns about this being a slippery slope that would lead to the end of the legislative filibuster. We had that vote in 1995. I remind my good friend from Nevada. to get rid of the filibuster. period. It got only 19 votes. all 19 of them were Democrats. Not a single Republican voted to get rid of the legislative filibuster. Interestingly enough. this was the first vote after my party came back to power in the Senate. So. arguably. we would have been the big beneficiaries of getting rid of the filibuster. We had just had a marvelously successful election in 1994. We were in the majority of the House for the first time in 40 years and in the Senate. Somebody on your side of the aisle offered an amendment to get rid of all filibusters. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2302}
{"speech_id":1090024654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That was the first vote Senator FRIST cast after he was sworn into the Senateto keep the filibuster. So I can reassure my good friend there is no sentiment that I am aware of anywhere in the Senate for getting rid of the filibuster. Secondly. I am not aware of any sentiment about the filibuster being a problem with regard to Cabinet or subCabinet appointments. Third. I am not aware of the filibuster being a problem with regard to district court judges. Senators seem to beyour side has done a good job of confirming district court judges. That is not in dispute. We appreciate that. We think you have done it in a fair manner. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2302}
{"speech_id":1090024654,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What we are talking about here is this problem: for the first time in history the filibustering of circuit court nominees that have a majority of support in the Senate and. if allowed to have an upordown vote. all of these judges would be confirmed. They are for the first time in history denying them a vote when they have a majority of support in the Senate. and many of us have a suspicion this is precisely what our good friends on the other side of the aisle have in mind for any subsequent Supreme Court nominations. So why dont we just talk about the problem. which is circuit courts. and potentially the Supreme Court. and reach some kind of understanding that gets us back to the way we comfortably operated here for 214 years. That is what I would hope my good friend from Nevada. the Democratic leader. and ourselves could agree to at some point.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2302}
{"speech_id":1090024660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. briefly. before the Democratic leader leaves. what I fear is that the only thing that has really changed in recent years is the occupant of the White House. With all due respect to my good f:iend and colleagueand I thank him for his cooperation on class action and bankruptcy. I know that was not easyhere we have my good friend I.[ARRY REID in June of 2001 saying: we should have upordown votes in the committees and on the floor. We should have upordown votes in t:.ae committees and on the floor. June My good friend Senator SCHUMER is. I believe. still here on the Senate floor. In March of 2000. he said: I also plead. with my colleague\u00a7 to move jr.dges with alacrityvote them up or down. ... This delay makes a mockery of the Const itution. That is the Democratic leader and oar good Senator from New York in 2(100. just a few years ago. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2237}
{"speech_id":1090024660,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What has changed between then and now? I suggest the only thing that has changed is the occupant of the White House. All we are pleading forand again. I thank the Democratic leader. I think he has been gracious. he has been anxious to work with us to come up with some acdommodation. But what was routine Senate procedure as late as 2000 and 2C01 now has been turned on its head and night is day and day is night. I am having a hard time seeing that anything has changed except the occupant of the White House. What we need to do is divorce ourselves from who the current occupant of the White House is. who the current majority is in the Senate. and think about the institution in the long term. It seems to me that where we are headed is that 41 Members of the Senate will. in effect. be able to dictate to whomever is in the White House who the nominees for appeals court judges and for Supreme Court Justices may be. I believe that is not where we need to end up. I do not think it is in their best interest. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2237}
{"speech_id":1090024660,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They may have the White House as soon as January of 2009. Why cant we just pull back from the abyss. get back to the way we were operating in a way apparently the Democratic leader and the Senator from New York felt was quite appropriate as recently as 2000 and 2001? Why cant we just get back to that and settle this dispute once and for all for future Congresses?","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2237}
{"speech_id":1090024700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. - I thank the Senator. Mr. President. first of all. I think all of us understand this Transportation bill is the No. 1 jobs bill the Senate will debate this year. Mr. President. 47.000 jobs are created for every $1 billion in this legislation. This bill would create [40.000 jobs in my own State of Massaohusetts. But this bill has $34 billion tess than last years Senate bill. and. :ncredibly. a $1.7 billion cut in public \u0095 ransit. So the Senate must find a way ..o restore these cuts. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1956}
{"speech_id":1090024700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my own State. we have a crucial need for this kind of help and assistance in terms of our roads and our bridges and also in terms of mass transit. It is one of the most important pieces of legislation. It is fundamental in terms of our economy. We are very conscious that there are many growth areas across \" this country. Those growth areas require additional kinds of investment in terms of the highway ystem. But there are also other older areas where the roads are heavily used. and used much more than just by the people who inhabit that particular State. Generally. consideration is not given as to the amount of usage of many of these roads. So in many of the older States. in New England. for example. and the eastern seaboard. many of these roads are heavily used not only by those who live in those particular States but others as well. There is a very important need to make sure those roads are going to be safe for those who travel on the roads and also be safe and secure in order to add an additional dimension to our national economy. So I am going to support this legislat:[on. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1956}
{"speech_id":1090024700,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do hope we will be able to find additional resources. I know those resources can make a major difference and be put to work effectively. in terms of strengthening and improving not only our interstate system but also the transportation systems in our States. It is a very solid investment that is paid back many times over by the returns in our economy.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1956}
{"speech_id":1090024750,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"A Bill to create a Fair and Efficient System- to Resolve Claims of Victims. for Bodily Injury Caused by Asbestos Exposure. and for other Purposes\" on Tuesday. April 26. 2005 at 9:30 a.m.. in Russell Senate Office Building. Room Panel I: The Honorable Judge Becker. Panel II: The Honorable John Engler. National Association of Manufacturing. Washington. DC.. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090024750,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Craig Berrington. General Counsel. American Insurance Association. Washington. DC.. Ms. Peg Seminario. Director. AFLCIO. Washington. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090024750,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC.. Ms. Carol Morgan. President and General Counsel. National Service Industries. Inc.. Doraville. GA. Mr. Hershel W. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090024750,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gober. National Legislative Director. Military Order of the Purple Heart. McLean. VA. Dr. Francine Rabinovitz. Hamilton. Rabinovitz & Alschuler. Carmel. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090024750,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CA. Mr. Mark A. Peterson. President. Legal Analysis Systems. Inc.. Thousand Oaks. CA. Prof. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090024765,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the theme of this years World Intellectual Property Day. which we commemorate today. is \"Think. Imagine. Create.\" Think. imagine. create. these simple words are at the center of what makes America great and what continues to .drive our progress. American thought produced our Constitution and our system of government. American imagination put a person on the moon. And American creativity has made U.S. culture the envy of the world. It is astounding how important intellectual property has become in our everyday life. It is even more astounding how much we take human creativity and intellectual property for granted. Just think about it for a moment and imagine what a world would be like without intellectual property rights. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5967}
{"speech_id":1090024765,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without copyrights. who would want to write the books we read. produce the movies we watch. or compose the music that fills our ears? Without trademarks. who would want to invest the enormous time. energy. and resources required to develop a brand name synonymous with quality and reliability? And without patents. who would have the incentive to innovate and produce inventions that change our world and save our lives? Intellectual property rights are not just some abstract legal concept the sole province of lawyers and judges. They are an essential motor of our economy. Look at the copyright industry. These are the folks who produce newspapers. books. movies. computer software. ahd radio\/TV broadcasting. This industry alone accounts for 12 percent of our gross domestic product. Thats $1.25 trillion. If these numbers dont impress. then lets look at the impact the copyright industries have on U.S. jobs. They alone employ roughly 11.5 million workers. That is nearly 8.5 percent of total U.S. employment. Believe it or not. that number approaches the level of employment in the heath care sector or the entire manufacturing sector. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5967}
{"speech_id":1090024765,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And between 1997 and 2002. the rate of job growth in the copyright industry exceeded that of the U.S. economy as a whole. That is why protecting intellectual property rights worldwide is critical. It is not just a concern for the overall health of the U.S. economy. And it is not just a concern of this or that company. It is a concern of each and every worker that the intellectual property industries employ. And it is a concern of each and every one of us that enjoys going to see the latest movie. likes wearing a hip new pair of Nike shoes. or needs the most innovative life saving drug. Unfortunately. while we have a robust IPR regime here in America. some of our trading partners do not. In certain countries. IPR theft is rampant. China is probably the most notorious example. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5967}
{"speech_id":1090024765,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"USTR reports that counterfeiting and piracy in China are at \"epidemic levels and cause serious harm to U.S. businesses in virtually every sector of the economy.\" In fact. as USTR pointed out. one U.S. trade association claims that counterfeiting and piracy in China exceeds 90 percent. Estimates of the value of counterfeit and pirated goods in China are between $19 billion and $24 billion in 2001. That translates into losses of $2.5 to $3.8 billion to U.S. industry. Russia is also a serial IPR violator. The scale of intellectual property rights infringement there is vast and growing. Russias legal framework has huge gaps. and theenforcement of existing laws is lax. This has real costs. Estimated losses to U.S. copyright industries due to piracy of films. videos. sound recordings. books. and computer software continue to exceed $1 billion annually. Over 80 percent of all DVDs on the Russian market are estimated to be pirated. Pirated music is estimated at 66 percent of sales. and software piracy is estimated at about 88 percent. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5967}
{"speech_id":1090024765,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"IPR violations in Brazil are also very troubling. particularly given that Brazil is both a WTO member and receives benefits from the United States under the Generalized System of Preferences. USTR reports that estimated losses in Brazil due to piracy of copyrighted materials totaled over $930 million in 2004 alone. An estimated 75 percent of audiocassettes sold in Brazil are pirated. These violations run counter to the entire spirit and purpose of World Intellectual Property Day. Rather than foster an environment that encourages thought. imagination. and creativity. IPR violations in China. Russia. Brazil. and other countries stifle creativity and innovation. They send the chilling message that the shortterm profit of pirates. counterfeiters. and other IPR thieves matter more than the long term gains of society. We need to crack down on countries that fail to protect and enforce intellectual property rights. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5967}
{"speech_id":1090024777,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last Friday evening I had the opportunity and the honor of attending a ceremony where the Lemelson Foundation awarded the annual Lemelson MIT Prize for Innovation. held for the first time in Portland. Oregon. The foundation was established by one of the most prolific American inventors. the late Jerome Lemelson. and his family. Although located in Portland. the foundation is truly international in scope. Jerome Lemelson endowed the foundation to p~omote innovation and to ensure that its application benefited humankind. In the United States. their unique foundation supports several grantees whose programs celebrate extraordinary inventors as role models. illustrate the value of invention in the evolution of a great society. and nurture young adults to solve pressing social problems by pursuing careers in invention. This year the foundation awarded a $500.000 LemelsonMIT Prize. the largest cash award for innovation. to Elwood \"Woody\" Norris for revolutionizing acoustics. Internationally. the Lemelson Foundation nurtures individual creativity to transform fundamental challenges into opportunities for sustainable progress. Its Invention for Sustainable Development program recognizes inventors and innovator\u00a7 in developing countries. fostering the institutions that support them. and applies their inventions to meet basic human needs and advance sustainable development. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4307}
{"speech_id":1090024777,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last week. foundation board member Eric Lemelson discussed foundation initiatives dealing with lowtech. highimpact innovation dealing with drip irrigation. an example of a costeffective application of new technology to save scarce water resources. save money in a developing country while improving agricultural yields. This is the type of commonsense approach of applied technology to sustainability that can truly transform peoples lives. I would hope that we in government can undertake the same spirit of innovation in our approach to USAID. I was pleased to see Senator FRIST return from his trip to Africa convinced that the United States needs to do more with water innovation and has introduced legislation in the Senate. I applaud his bill. the Safe Water Currency for Peace Act. S. 492. By the same token. I am offering complementary legislation in the House. the Water for the Poor Act of 2005. This bill will make access to clean water and sanitation a major U.S. foreign policy objective and requires the USAID to develop a strategy to carry out this objective. It supports innovative financing mechanisms that can create additional resources for water and sanitation. while ensuring access and affordability to the very poor. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4307}
{"speech_id":1090024777,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation is critically needed. The lack of clean water and sanitation is perhaps the worlds greatest single health need. More than 1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. More than twice as many. 2.3 billion people. one in every three people on the planet. lack access to adequate sanitation. and the consequences are devastating. Waterrelated diseases are a human tragedy. killing up to 5 million people every year. At any given time. half the population in the developing world is sick from waterrelated disease. Tragically. one child dies every 15 seconds for lack of water and sanitation. At a time w]en people in every corner of the globe understand the importance of water and the problems of its misuse. I was pleased that the United States and the Bush administration joined 185 other nations committed to cutting in half the percentage of people in. the world without access to water and sanitation. I was there in Johannesburg in 2002. watching that consensus come together. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4307}
{"speech_id":1090024777,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am hopeful that we will be able to follow through. As Eric Lemelson pointed out in his remarks. the Lemelson Foundation does not have to be responsive to shareholders or the voters so they can afford to be cuttingedge. innovative. and creative. I would like to think that they are pointing the way to more liveable communities around the globe where all our families can be safe. healthy. and more economically secure. and they are pointing the way for the Federal Government to follow their lead. My congratulations to the foundation. and I look forward to working on their innovations. integrating them with U.S. Government policy around the globe.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4307}
{"speech_id":1090024878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as the former CoChair of the Caucus on India and Indian Americans and the representative of one of the largest concentrations of Indian Americans in the United States. I have seen firsthand the contributions my friends from India have made. I commend my colleague and good friend Rep. TOM DAVIS (RVA) for introducing this legislation and talking about the contributions of Indian Americans. Representing the second highest concentration of Indian Americans in the country. I have seen for myself on 74th Street in Jackson Heights. Queens how successful and industrious Indian Americans are. That recipe for success starts with institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology. which we recognize today. and the farreaching success of their graduates. The Indian Institute of Technology (liT) has had a long history of grooming fine minds that have gone on to achieve incredible success in India and around the world. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090024878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The first lIT was established in 1950 in Kharagpur and now 50 plus years later they have a total of seven institutes. with the newest one established by recognizing University of Roorkee. one of Asias oldest engineering institutions. as lIT Roorkee. Many of the top Indians in industry have graduated from Indias prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. like Vinod Khosla. founder of Sun Microsystems. to Rajat Gupta. the first non North America bom head of the venerable consulting company McKinsey & Co. I have had an opportunity to meet many graduates of lIT and all have spoken about the benefits of attending the institute. I believe in todays current educational environment in the United States we can learn from the history of how the Indian government went about establishing this institute. After the Indians gained their independence from the British. they formed committees to explore ways of creating an educated class of people to move the country forward. What they found was that to be competitive in the world they needed to excel in technology and engineering. which is where we in the United States find ourselves to be lacking today. We need to follow the example of our Indian friends and the example we set in the 1960s and create a national strategy to make the way we teach our children in the United States more focused on the math and sciences so we are not left behind. Instead of fearing India as an economic competitor. we should be embracing India as an economic and political ally. The over 1 billion consumers in India and the market for U.S. goods and services in India allows for unprecedented opportunities for American companies. and job growth for Americans. I want to thank Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090024878,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DAVIS for introducing this resolution and urge all my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090024888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. and I am rising today in support of H.R. 902. I congratulate the gentleman from Delaware and the gentlewoman from New York for having worked long and hard on this legislation. In a Chamber where we find so much to fight about. you might think that a dollar coin commemorating former Presidents would be the ultimate nobrainer. but believe me. I had very deep troubles with this legislation. You see. I represent the State of North Dakota. home of Sacagawea. as we say in Hidatsa. Sacagawea as she is known in the Shoshone language. This coin. the Presidential coin. will come in addition to the existing dollar coin which bears the likeness of Sacagawea. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090024888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This occurs at a time when we are recognizing the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and commemorating. in accordance with that remembrance. the role Sacagawea had in this very important expedition. The State of North Dakota feels very deeply about Sacagawea and about her role in U.S. history. We commemorated not long ago our second statue in Statuary Hall in Sacagaweas likeness. We were concerned that the move to the Presidential coin would somehow phase out the Sacagawea coin or relegate this one coin to history and obscurity. We thought that was not the time to do it. not in the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. not this coin that recognizes the contributions Native American people have made in our history. not the coin that recognizes the role women have played in the history of our country. So with all of these concerns. I sat down and began my discussions with the gentleman from Delaware and also many discussions with my friend. the gentlewoman from New York . I am very pleased to say that this was one experience where rather than just being rebuffed with \"forget about your concerns. we have got -the votes so we are going to run this.\" there was actual. very sincere listening to our concerns that Sacagawea continue in the coinage of our country. There were sincere efforts to address the issues that we were raising. and let me just cite a couple of them: First. that the Presidential coins start at the conclusion of the bicentennial observation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In addition. that any improvements to the coin to advance the Presidential coins would also be applied to the Sacagawea coin. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090024888,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Specifically. here we are talking about making a coin that will work in vending machines. that has the gold color. yet is not so subject to tarnishing as the existing rendition of the Sacagawea coin. I think that the bill. as a result of the changes made by the constructive dialogue we were able to maintain. isa better bill. and I am just deeply grateful that on this issue. maybe not of great national importance to many. but of very real importance to me and the people I represent. you paid attention to our concerns. addressed them and came up with what I believe is an acceptable compromise. Maybe we can take this example and export it to other issues before us. I am deeply grateful to the gentleman from Delaware . By golly. when the gentleman gets an idea. he just does not let it drop. I was hoping the gentleman would wear out on this one. but. no. he kept pushing. and here we are today and we are going to pass it and are going to pass it with my vote. So I commend the gentleman from Delaware . I commend the gentlewoman from New York . and I thank them once again for the opportunity to work with them on this legislation.","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090024889,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume to thank the gentleman from North Dakota for his constant work on this bill and his support. We are very grateful. I believe the gentlemans input has made it a stronger bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield back my time.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090024918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 81. a resolution which condemns the crackdown on political dissidents that was orchestrated by the regime of Fidel Castro two years ago. Through this remarkable violation of human rights. the Cuban government arrested more than 75 journalists. labor union organizers. civic leaders. librarians. and human rights activists. and took them as political prisoners. On this occasion. it is important that we keep in mind the struggle in which our brothers and sisters in Cuba continued to be engagedthat is. the struggle for freedom and true democracy. One of the many dissenters arrested in March 2003 was Mr. Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia. a prodemocracy activist in Cuba who has been jailed for his outspoken leadership in the Cuban democracy movement. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1691}
{"speech_id":1090024918,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Garcia is the regional coordinator for the Christian Liberation Movement in Santiago Province. Through this leadership position. he has moblilzed many Cuban youth for democratic change. and has focused on accomplishing the movements chief objective: to unite citizens that are willing to defend and promote human rights and achieve changes in the Cuban society through peaceful means. Because of the efforts of determined individuals such as Mr. Garcia. the struggle for democracy in Cuba continues. and we should keep this in mind when considering any potential changes in United States policy towards Castros regime. Mr. Speaker. I ask that all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 81. and continue to voice their solidarity with Mr. Garcia and all other prodemocracy activists in Cuba as they continue their push for true freedom.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1691}
{"speech_id":1090024938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished ranking member for the time. Mr.. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the gentleman from Wisconsins motion to instruct conferees on the emergency supplemental. This motion declares that all future funding requests for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan should be included in the Presidents budget. not in emergency supplemental spending bills. This provision enjoyed wide bipartisan support and was included in the Senate bill. The House needs now to follow this track to fiscal responsibility. While I support using emergency funds to pay for real emergencies. continued reliance on emergency spending for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is fiscally irresponsible. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2674}
{"speech_id":1090024938,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress should stop bailing out the Pentagon for its inability to pay for the costs in Iraq. On top of over $400 billion in defense appropriations every year. Congress has provided $268.7 billion in emergency supplemental funding for the war in Iraq and the war on terror. The new emergency supplemental will bring total warrelated supplemental spending to $350 billion. The gentleman from Wisconsins motion would not prevent this emergency supplemental from going through. but it would make sure that the administration and the Pentagon. like millions of Americans. budget according to their means. We can afford to fight and win the war on terror. but the public should not be misled into believing that these costs are an emergency or unexpected or that there is not an imperative for the Pentagon to look at its existing budget and deal with the war inside that budget. For example. we know that the war in Afghanistan and Iraq operations cost roughly $6 billion a month. Those costs have been somewhat fixed for well over a year. It is perfectly capable and necessary for the Pentagon to look inside its own operations. find savings and find a way to put this in the budget. These costs can be planned for and considered by Congress in regular order. instead of saddling our children with billions of dollars of debt and cutting vital domestic programs. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2674}
{"speech_id":1090024938,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last February. the gentleman from California . my friend and colleague and chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services. sent a strong letter to the Committee on the Budget for what he called funding certain items in the supplemental \"inappropriate.\" The gentleman from California also agreed with many of us that some supplemental costs should be included in the annual budget process for consideration and action by the Congress. Not budgeting for the war in the regular Pentagon budget is an abrogation of our responsibilities as stewards of the taxpayers trust. I urge support of the Obey motion.","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2674}
{"speech_id":1090024941,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I rise in support of the Obey motion to instruct. ICE simply needs more money. and I think we all understand that. For some reason. their budget has been in shambles ever since the Department was created. Their bookkeeping has been in shambles more so than their budget. and I am not sure if it is their fault or the fault of the central Department. but it is somebodys fault. It is all screwed up. It is not because Congress has not provided the money they asked for. Last year. we provided slightly more than they asked for. and so they were in hiring freezes and training freezes and one problem after the other. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090024941,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now they want to take money away from lots of other good programs to make up for their budget shortfall. We simply need to get ICEs funding straightened out. and this supplemental does it. The other thing this supplemental does is add border agents. Whatever ones views are on all the controversies relating to immigration and other issues. one thing is evident. and that is. we need to strengthen our law enforcement on our borders. whether it is the northern border or the southern border. I was out this winter and visited the southern border in California where clearly we have made significant process. but what seems to happen. we plug a hole someplace. and the pressure comes other places. So We need to add border patrol people. We were told in our committee that they should have the capacity to train about 1.200 people a year. and clearly. this bill provides less than 1.200. but even I think the Presidents request is an additional 200 for next year. So. clearly. they have the capacity to begin the process of training and hiring additional border patrol agents. It is not something that happens. You do not say we want more agents and it happens tomorrow. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090024941,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You have to recruit them. you have to hire them. and you have to train them. The need is obvious. I think. to everyone. and this bill clearly moves us in the right direction. So I hope we adopt the motion to instruct and adopt the policies implemented in the Senate bill on funding for ICE and for border patrol agents.","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090024942,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me say that I feel this discussion is a very healthy discussion in terms of the preliminary work we have to do here. The most important reason for this supplemental is because in line and waiting are the troops who are representing us so well in the Middle East. It is critical that we get this bill on to conference and move it quickly to the Presidents desk. So. today. I would hope with all of our discussion. above and beyond everything else we make every effort to make certain we get this bill to the President as quickly as possible. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090024968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I say to the chairman of the Committee on the Budget. my suggestion is to come forward with a reform program. Let us consider it. But do not cut vulnerable people prior to coming up with solutions. Do not make them pay the price of losing Medicaid while we are trying to solve the problem. Let us solve the problem. The gentleman is right. and we are not going to come to the floor saying there is no problem. But we are going .to come to the floor and say. do not have vulnerable people let down while we are trying to solve that problem.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":554}
{"speech_id":1090025020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 232) permitting official photographs of the House of Representatives to be taken while the House is in actual session on a date designated.by the Speaker. and ask for its immediate consideration.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090025023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of House Resolution 232. This is a resolution permitting the taking of the official photographs of the House of Representatives. It is a biennial official photo of the House of Representatives. It has really become a tradition for this institution. It not only is a keepsake for the Members. but it also serves as a very valuable- and important historical memento as well and a record for future generations. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090025023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The picture actually will be taken tomorrow morning. I think right after 1minute speeches. And with that. Mr. Speaker. I ask for support of this resolution.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090025113,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You could start a small business. You could fly from New York to Hawaii and back 12 times. The President is marching around here. and the majority side is marching around here saying we are trying to preserve Social Security for future generations. meanwhile it is not tax and spend. it is borrow and spend. and continuing to borrow. They are on borrowfest. They cannot stop themselves. So when folks start talking about. well. the President is flying around and burning taxpayers dollars at $55.000 an hour. that is more than two or three people make in a year in America. Now. I am not shocked. because the evidence speaks to the highest deficit in the history of the Republic. He cannot help himself. Neitler can the members of the majority side help themselves. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1924}
{"speech_id":1090025113,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I cannot understand how the leadership. and I say the leadership because I do have friends on the other side that get it. and it is up to us here in Congress to make sure. Here on the Democratic side we have our act together. and a number of Members have that number outside their office to remindpeople when they come walking the halls to see their Member of Congress. this debt is continuing to click. So we have to make sure as Americans that we vote principle over politics. Principle over politics. So if you are working right now. and if Americans pull their check stubs out right now and look at what they pay in Social Security. and they have the majorityside here saying. the leadership once again and the President saying we are looking out for you. meanwhile we are going to add $5 trillion onto that number. meanwhile we are going to cut your benefits. What they put out as it relates to their plan. they are going to lose 20 percent of their benefits right tow. or more. on a gamble of privatization. I cannot understand it. But I can tell you one thing: The American people are not buying it because the polling numbers are reflecting that.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1924}
{"speech_id":1090025150,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman. I want to say a statement the gentleman made. I want to emphasize how important it is to me and I think it is important to every Member of this House. That is. men of good will always look for solutions. We do not always have the right ideas. but if you do not lay proposed solutions on the table for a free debate among men of good will and women of good will in this august Chamber. we will not come up with a solution. I believe the American. people are ready. willing. and able to listen to a debate from the United States Congress about the things that we are talking about here today. and that is what is wrong. how do we change our attitude towards the law. towards our rights and towards our responsibilities? What little things can we do to adjust. to help guide us down the path that I think our forefathers clearly intended for us when we designed the. system. which. for all its fault. as the gentleman pointed out. is still the best system ever devised by man? I am not ashamed of it. and I am not ashamed of lawyers. and I am not ashamed of our system. But I think we must be men of good will and women of good will who seek solutions. Finally. I am going to just briefly pause. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5070}
{"speech_id":1090025150,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This will be the subject of a whole other talk. but we have got the issue that the press has decided to address as \"the nuclear option\" which is going on over in the Senate by dealing with the Senate rules and how we are going to get an upordown vote on judges. We love to address. and rightfully so. the Constitution of the United States as we discuss things on this floor. And we love to talk $bout the checks and balances in our government. And in a judiciary appointed for life as we designed in our system. you have to look into the Constitution and see where the checks and balances are. And I think clearly our framers designed the number one check and balance on the judiciary to be the fact that there will be a new process at least every 8 years now. but certainly 4 to 8 years. who will appoint different types of people to serve in our judiciary which will give a good crosssection of a blend of attitudes. views of the law to our judicial system. to give a system that spreads fairness for all citizens. To use procedural rules to prevent that appointment power which calls for the advice and consent of Senate. to prevent that using procedural rules. I think it is not a nuclear option. as we are discussing. it is a constitutional option. If we are not going to allow that check and balance to operate. then where Will the checks and balances be? So this Will be a subject of another discussion another time. But at this time. I just want to remind the American people as the rhetoric in the papers and on the TV and the radio. remember it is the best justice system in the world. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5070}
{"speech_id":1090025150,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it is the best because we had some peoplewho sweated blood. sweat. and tears in Philadelphia to come up with a plan that set balance to our system. And the number one balance to a judicial system appointed for life is the opportunity for the executive branch. through the President. to nominate new blood to our judiciary through every Presidential term. Some of that new blood will be just exactly what they think it will be with their views. and some of it will not. And we are always surprised to hear from our commentators: Well. it is true. but that judge was appointed by Reagan. Thats right. that is how the system works. You put the new blood out there. that blood develops into a justice system. that spreads it out for everybody. And some of them. some people go the way everybody expects them to be and some people do not. When Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren. nobody anticipated the activist court that would come from the Warren court. And yet historically it is one of the most activist courts in America. So that system works. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5070}
{"speech_id":1090025150,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why be afraid of it? I would urge everyone to look at this issue and let the Senate think just for a second. get the politics out of this for a minute and say. What did our Founding Fathers see here? That we had a system that works if we just let\" it work. Let us have a vote. up or down. on every nomination that the President has proposed. and when their President gets in there. if he ever does. we should do the same thing for them. That is what our Founding Fathers proposed. Madam Speaker. I have enjoyed being with you this evening and I am very honored that my colleagues were able to see me ranting and raving and come over here and help me out. Of course. you know one thing you can count on from Texans and Georgians is when there is a call to arms they always show up. So I am proud to see my colleagues from Texas come out and join me in this discussion. and I am very proud to have my colleague from Georgia join me. I thank them all for being here with me tonight. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5070}
{"speech_id":1090025150,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank you for your patience in listening to me tonight and for joining us and coming up with those solutions that men and women of good will can submit to this body and hopefully make America better.","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5070}
{"speech_id":1090025237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator from Dela- ware a few minutes ago claimed we f have never changed our procedures by majority vote. Four times the distinI guished Senator from West Virginia led this body to do exactly that when he was acting as majority leaderin 1977. 1979. 1980. and 1987. Using a ruling from the Chair and a majority of all the Senate. a simple majority. we changed pros cedure relating to both legislation and nominations. The record has to be made clear. All we are asking is the 214year tradition of the Senate that judicial nominees not be filibustered be followed. That has been the tradition of the Senate up until President Bush became President. All we are asking is that every one of these qualified nominees who have reached the floor receive an upordown vote. That is all we are asking. These are highly qualified nominees. The ABA has ruled they are qualified in every case. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9243}
{"speech_id":1090025237,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They all have a majority bipartisan vote in their favor. If our colleagues on the other side do not want to vote for them. they can vote against them. That will be their right. I would fight always to maintain that right. But give them a vote. vote up or down. That is what we have always done for 214 years before this President became President. The actions of our colleagues on the other side amount to changing that 214year traditional history of this Senate. By the way. we never called this the nuclear option. It was called the nuclear option by the Democrats. We called it the constitutional option because the Constitution says the President has the right to appoint and nominate these people for judicial positions. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9243}
{"speech_id":1090025237,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have the right to advise andit is sometimes left off in this bodyconsent. which means a vote up and down. That is what I think our colleagues ignore. This is a dangerous thing. I call it the constitutional option. or I call it the Byrd option because our distinguished friend. the Senator from West Virginia. is the one who used this four times. If politics is a medicine. an effective prescription gives an accurate diagnosis. I take a step back and offer a diagnosis of our current struggle over how to conduct the judicial confirmation process. I hope this will bring a few pieces together. connect some dots. and provide a little perspective. The first principle is every judicial nomination reaching the Senate deserves an upordown vote. This principle has constitutional roots. historical precedent. and citizen support. I begin with the Constitution because that is where we should always r begin. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9243}
{"speech_id":1090025237,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Along with the Declaration of Independence. it is one of the foundational organic laws of the United States. It is the charter that each of us. as Senators. swears an oath before God to preserve. protect. and defend. That Constitution separates the three branches of Government. assigning legislation to us in the legislative branch. and assigning appointments to the President in the executive branch. We have heard that the Constitutional Convention considered other arrangements for appointing judges. That may be. but the Constitutional Convention rejected those arrangements. Rejected ideas do not govern us. The Constitution does. And the Constitution makes the President. in Alexander Hamiltons words. the \"principal agent\" in appointments. while the Senate is a check on that power. Giving judicial nominations reaching the floor an upordown vote. that is. exercising our role of advice and consent through voting on nominations. helps us resist the temptation of turning our check on the Presidents power into a force that can destroy the Presidents power and upset the Constitutions balance. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9243}
{"speech_id":1090025237,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Historically. we have followed this standard of everybody who reaches the floor getting an upordown vote. When Republicans ran the Senate under President Clinton. we gave each of his judicial nominations reaching the floor a final confirmation decision. an upordown vote. We took cloture votes. that is. votes to end debate. on four of the hundreds of nominees reaching us here. All four were confirmed. As a matter of fact. we confirmed 377 judges nominated by President Clinton. almost the same number as the alltime confirmation champion. and that was Ronald Reagan. who got 382. But Ronald Reagan had 6 years of a Republican Senate to help him. President Clinton only had 2 years of a Democrat Senate to help him. Yet. with the aid of the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and in this body. he got 377 approved. In fact. even on the most controversial appeals court nominations by President Clinton. the Republican leadership used cloture votes to prevent filibusters and ensure upordown votes. exactly the opposite of how cloture votes are being used during President Bushs Presidency. This principle that every judicial nomination reaching the Senate floor deserves an upordown vote not only has constitutional roots and historical precedent. it also has citizen support. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9243}
{"speech_id":1090025238,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"named 5 judicial nomina- p tions which he said had been filibus- a tered. Once again. not one of them is a s precedent for filibusters happening I today. You would think no one with a C straight face would claim that ending debate and confirming nominations is somehow precedent for not ending debate and refusing to confirm nominations. On April 15. 2005. the distinguished assistant minority leader. Senator DURBIN. expanded his previous list. now offering us 12 examples of what he said were judicial nominations requiring at least 60 votes for cloture to end a filibuster. I addressed this in more detail last week. Not onenot oneof those 12 of Senator DURBINs supposed precedents is any precedent at all. The first nomination on his list occurred in 1881. 36 years before we even had a cloture rule in the Senate. In fact. if we truly did what he apparently wants us to do. and treated his listed examples as a confirmation guide. we would vigorously debate judicial nominations. invoke cloture if we needed to. and then vote on the confirmations. That is what happened. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090025238,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This game continued as recently as 2 months ago. On Monday. April 25. on CNNs \"Crossfire\" program. the leader of a prominent leftwing group claimed that more than 30 nominations--here is the listhad been filibustered. I have this list right here in my right hand. It is titled: \"Filibusters of Nominations.\" It lists 13 judicial nominations out of the 30. and not one of them is at all like the filibusters being conducted todaynot one. We did not even take a cloture vote on two of them. We invoked cloture on eight of them. We confirmed 12 of the 13. And the one we did not. did not have majority support. the Fortas nomination. but had bipartisan opposition. Accepting such fraudulent arguments requires believing that ending debate on judicial nominations is the same as not ending debate. that confirming judicial nominations is the same as not confirming them. and that judicial nominations without majority support are the same as those with majority support. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090025238,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As you can see. the liberal propaganda machine has been working overtime. In addition to these bizarre claims I described. they worked to turn what was once common sense and accepted fairness into something that sounds sinister and unseemly. They manufacture nasty phrases such as \"court packing\" and ominous warnings about oneparty rule.\" Now. we are told. preventing upordown votes on even majoritysupported judicial nominaions is the only way to prevent our enire constitutional order from implodng. The sky is falling. and we are all bout to slide into the abyss. The purveyors of this fantasy would iave us look to President Franklin Jelano Roosevelt who. they tell us. vanted to pack the Supreme Court. rhe Senate rejected his legislative pro)osal to expand the Court so he could .ppoint more Justices. By taking this tand. the storytellers say. the Senate ept oneparty rule from packing the ourt. Well. as Paul Harvey might say: Hei is the rest of the story. The Senate. even though dominate by President Roosevelts own part did not support this legislative plar And it turns out President Roosevel did not need any legislative innova tions to pack the Supreme Court. H packed it all right. doing it the old fashioned way. by appointing eight ou of nine Justices in 6 years. Mind you during the 75th to the 77th Congress Democrats outnumbered Republican by an average of 70 to 20. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090025238,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. that i oneparty rule. In those years. from 1937 to 1943. ou cloture rule applied only to bills. Thi meant that ending debate on othe: things. such as nominations. requirec unanimous consent. A single Senateu in that tiny. beleaguered minorit could conduct a filibuster of Presideni Roosevelts nominations and thwarl the real court packing that was in ful swing. Now. if the filibuster were the only thing preventing oneparty rule from packing the courts. and the filibustet were so easily used. surely there must be in history filibusters of President Roosevelts Supreme Court nominations. If the warnings. frantic pleas. and hysterical fundraising appeals we hear today make any sense at all. the filibuster would certainly have been used in FDRs time. I hate to burst anyones bubble. but there were no filibusters. not even by a single Senator. not against a single nominee. In fact. FDRs 8 Supreme Court nominees were confirmed in an average of 13 days. and 6 of the 8 were confirmed without even a rollcall vote. So if this is to protect the minority. why has it not ever happened before President Bush became President? Even when we look at the very examples and stories the other side uses. we see no support for using the filibuster against majoritysupported judicial nominations. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090025238,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last week. here on the Senate floor. the distinguished Senator from Illinois repeated a selective version of this FDR story and asked what would happen today in a Senate dominated by the Presidents party. He asked: Will they rise in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelts Senate? Well. I hope we do. I hope the Senate does exactly what Franklin Roosevelts Senate did. by debating and voting on the Presidents judicial nominations. Franklin Roosevelts Senate did not use the filibuster. even when the minority was much smaller and the filibuster much easier to use. and this Senate should not do so. either. Finally. the fourth piece to this diagnosis of our current situation is that Senate Democrats have threatened to shut down the Senate if the majority moves us back to the traditionthe 214year traditionof debating and voting on judicial nominations. To avoid what most Americans believe Senators come to Washington to dodebate and vote--we are now .e threatened with a party policy of open obstruction. a nuclear option of shutd ting down the Senate. at least to anyT. thing but what they agree to. I said a I. few minutes ago that the Constitut tions separation of powers assigns legu- islative business to Congress and exece utive business. including appointI- ments. to the President. Some Sent ators on the other side of the aisle are L. saying if they cannot hijack what is !. not theirs. they will destroy what is s theirs. If they cannot abandon Senate s tradition and use the filibuster to defeat majoritysupported judicial nomir nations. they will undercut and disable s the legislative process. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090025239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As our current majority leader Bill Frist put it a few days ago: I never thought it was a radical thing to ask Senators to vote. That is what we have traditionally done on judicial nominations that reach the floor. and that traditional standard should apply across the board no matter which party controls the White House and no matter which party controls the Senate. We should bind both parties. Republicans and Democrats. to do what is right. That is the diagnosis. and I hope we see an effective cure soon so we can get back to doing the peoples business. I started off by saying one of the problems here is that every one of these Presidential nominees who reaches the floor should have an upordown vote. especially since they are listed as qualified by the American Bar Association. most of them well qualified. the highest rating you can have. They all have majority bipartisan support. We should not change 214 years of Senate tradition because some in this body dont like President Bushs nominees. People such as Priscilla Owenshe broke through the glass ceiling for women in this country and became a major partner in a major law firm. Her last election to the Texas Supreme Court was over 75 percent. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2297}
{"speech_id":1090025239,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She had every editorial board in the State of Texas supporting her. 15 former State bar presidents supported her. most of whom were Democrats. Yet they have called her an extremist. Janice Rogers Brown. a sharecroppers daughter. came up the hard way. put herself through college and law school as a single mother. worked in California State government in a variety of positions. wound up on the California Supreme Court where she wrote. at least in the last number of years. the majority of the majority 1 opinions. She got reelected by 84 per1 cent of the California voters. more votes than any other person running for the Supreme Court that year. including her colleagues. Yet she is called an extremist because she is a L conservative African American. It is very dangerous stuff to say this will create nuclear war because we I want to continue 214 years of Senate tradition. That is dangerous stuff. It is the wrong stuff. We ought to give these people a simple. straightforward upordown vote. I notice the distinguished Senator from North Carolina is waiting. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2297}
{"speech_id":1090025247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. this is the third day we have been on a bill we have been working on for 2V2 years. It is the same bill essentially that was passed last year by a margin of 76 to 21. We are anxious to get people to come down to the floor for amendments. I dont know of anyone coming down at this time. But I encourage all Members on both sides of the aisle to come down and utilize this time so we can get the amendments behind us. I understand the Senator from Illinois has some comments he wishes to make. I yield to him some of our time at this time.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":554}
{"speech_id":1090025388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I along with Senator LIEBERMAN am introducing the Savings and Working Families Act of 2005. The need for this legislation comes at a time when Americans face an ongoing savings and assets crisis. One third of all Americans have no assets available for investment. and another fifth have only negligible assets. The United States household savings rate lags far behind that of other industrial nations. constraining national economic growth and keeping many Americans from entering the economic mainstream by buying a house. obtaining an adequate education. or starting a business. Lowincome Americans face a huge hurdle when trying to save. Individual Development Accounts. IDAs. provide them with a way to work toward building assets while instilling the practice of savings into their everyday lives. IDAs are one of the most promising tools that enable lowincome and lowwealth American families to save. build assets. and enter the financial mainstream. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5924}
{"speech_id":1090025388,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Based on the idea that all Americans should have access. through the tax code or through direct expenditures. to the structures that subsidize homeownership and retirement savings of wealthier families. IDAs encourage savings efforts among the poor by offering them a onetoone match for their own deposits. IDAs reward the monthly savings of workingpoor families who are trying to buy their first home. pay for postsecondary education. or start a small business. These matched savings accounts are similar to 401(k) plans and other matched savings accounts. but can serve a broad range of purposes. The Savings and Working Families Act of 2005 builds on existing IDA programs by creating tax credit incentives for an additional 900.000 accounts. Individuals between 18 and 60 who are not dependents or students and meet the income requirements would be eligible to establish and contribute to an IDA. For single filers. the income limit would be $20.000 in modified aggregate gross income. AGI. The corresponding thresholds for headofhousehold and joint filers would be $30.000 and $40.000. respectively. Participants could generally withdraw their contributions and matching funds for qualified purposes. which include certain higher education expenses. firsttime home purchase expenditures. and small business capitalzation. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5924}
{"speech_id":1090025388,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additionally. this bill would create a tax credit to defray the cost of estabishing and running IDA programs. contributing matching funds to the appropriate accounts. and providing financial education to account holders. Program sponsors could be qualified institutions. qualified nonprofits. or qualified Indian tribes. and would hav to be an institution eligible under cut rent law to serve as the custodian c IRAs. Sponsors could claim a tax credi that would have two components. Th first would be a $50 credit per accoun to offset the ongoing costs of maintain ing and administering each accoun and providing financial education t participants. Except for the first yea that an account is open. the credi would be available only for account with a balance. at years end. of mor than $100. In addition. there would be credit for the dollartodollar matchini amounts. IDAs work to spur savings by lowin come individuals. The American Dream Demonstration. ADD. a 14site IDA pro gram. has proven that lowincome fam ilies. with proper incentives and sup. port. can and do save for longerterr goals. In ADD. average monthly net deposits per participant were $19.07. witt the average participant saving 50 percent of the monthly savings target and making deposits in 6 of 12 months. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5924}
{"speech_id":1090025388,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Participants accumulated an average of $700 per year including matching contributions. Importantly. deposits increased as the monthly target increased. indicating that lowincome families saving behavior. like that of wealthier individuals. is influenced by the incentives they receive. Additionally. key to the success of IDAs is the economic education that participants receive. Information about repairing credit. reducing expenditures. applying for the Earned Income Tax Credit. avoiding predatory lenders. and accessing financial services helps IDA participants to reach savings goals and to integrate themselves into the mainstream economic system. The encouragement and connection to supportive services helps lowincome individuals to keep early withdrawals to a minimum and overcome obstacles to saving. Banks and credit unions benefit from these new customer relations. and States benefit from decreased presence of checkcashing. pawnshop. and other predatory outlets. But more than income enhancement. asset accumulation affects individuals confidence about the future. willingness to defer gratification. avoidance of risky behavior. and investment in community. In families where assets are owned. children do better in school. voting participation increases. and family stability improves. Reliance on public assistance decreases as families use their assets to access higher education and better jobs. reduce their housing costs through ownership. and create their own job opportunities through entrepreneurship. We must reinstill the value that Americans once put into saving and promote an ownership society. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5924}
{"speech_id":1090025388,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Saving must once again become a national virtue. At stake are not just the financial security and prosperity of Americans as individuals but America as a nation. This bill takes a step in reaching out e to lowincome Americans to meet thi ._ goal. if I urge my colleagues to support th t Savings and Working Families Act c e 2005. t By Mr. CORZINE (for himseli t Mr. AKAKA. Ms. STABENOW. M1 LAUTENBERG. and Mr. OBAMA): r S. 923. A bill to amend part A of titl t IV of the Social Security Act to re s quire a State to promote financial edu cation under the Temporary Assistanc for Needy Families (TANF) Progran r and to allow financial education ti count as a work activity under tha - program. to the Committee on Fi nance.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5924}
{"speech_id":1090025457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would answer to my friend. not only is there a suggestion about changing the rules. but they are going to do it by breaking the rules. To change a rule here in the Senate takes a simple majority. But if somebody wants to speak in an extensive manner relating to that rule change. you have to break a filibuster. They are not willing to do that. They are going to use brute force and break the rules to change the rules. That is what they are talking about. So even though what went on in the House of Representatives is bad. what is contemplated here is even worse than that.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":577}
{"speech_id":1090025463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Senator would t further yield for a question through k the Chair. is it not true that the fili- t buster. because it requires 60 votes to c overcome. really requires the Senate to S work to compromise. to find bipartisan r solutions to their differences. and t brings us together in a bipartisan fashion? Is this not the same thing that the Democratic leader just alluded to. that we should use that same bipartisan approach not only when it comes to lifetime appointments for judges and controversial issues but to find constructive solutions to issues such as the challenge of health care. the cost of health insurance. the need to help families pay for college educationall of the things we should put on our agenda but. sadly. have not been part of the discussion in this Republican majority Senate so far this year?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":827}
{"speech_id":1090025497,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. an allout attack on workers rights is happening in Brewer. Maine. and I come to the House floor today to tell DHL that it is time for them to stop their assault. These Brewer workers have borne the brunt of these unionbusting practices. and they are paying the price. For many. the price of their jobs has been too much for them and their familiei to bear. Workers have been fired. Man were put on the street with no sever ance pay. no insurance. and no assist ance to make ends meet. Managemenl has reverted to using interrogation an( coercion to keep workers in line. This is simply outrageous. I know a a union member how important union are to ensure better jobs and basic pro. tection of rights. I will do all I can tc assure that their rights are protected.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MICHAUD","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":778}
{"speech_id":1090025499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I rise to announce the adoption of the Democratic principles that will be unveiled today that will seek to eliminate racial and ethnic health care disparities. s The community that I represent is y multicultural. Sixty percent of the - residents are Latino. 20 percent are - Asian Pacific Islander. and 40 percent of those residents in my district were d born outside of the United States. and many of them cannot afford to pay for 3 medical coverage. s Unfortunately. our health care system is not meeting the needs of all these people. who in most cases are children. - For racial and ethnic minorities. as for most all communities. the lack of health insurance is a major barrier in quality health care. In our Nation. there are over 43.3 million people who do not have any form of health care coverage. A staggering 1 in 3 Latinos in this country are uninsured. Actively challenging the racial and ethnic inequalities affecting all branches of our health care system is key to helping the Latino community achieve better health care. These Democratic principles address the many health disparities plaguing our communities. I strongly support these principles and stand united with my colleagues to end racial and ethnic health disparity. We must make this a national priority for our country.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1318}
{"speech_id":1090025509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. ear- public lier this year. the House Republican drop leadership purged the Committee on strong Standards of Official Conduct of three Demo of the Republican Members. Serving on time. this committee. where one is charged We with investigating and possibly media reprimanding ones own colleagues is ards o not an easy assignment. but it is a very vestig important one. ior. q The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. been i HEFLEY). the chairman. and the gen- last cc tleman from Ohio As and the gentleman from Missouri wanted to continue to serve in Nov on the committee. a committee unlike that ti most in this Chamber. that worked in a what bipartisan fashion. Could that have here i] been their downfall? at the After losing his chairmanship. the paid v gentleman from Colorado by spe told The Washington Post. and I am workir quoting. \"Theres a bad perception out stituer there that there was a purge in the right t committee and that people were put in That that would protect our side of the aisle gentlei better than I did.\" years 0 1030 right. He continues. \"No one should be swers. there to protect anybody. they should not get be there to protect the integrity of the ened e institution.\" publics Madam Speaker. I could not have senses said it better myself. The integrity of later t] the House is much more important really than any one Member. It is time the years a Republican leadership learns that les- us in eo son.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090025516,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker. H. Res. 22 calls for a commonsense Small Business Bill of Rights that spells out urgent actions that Congress should take to allow small businesses to thrive. Ninety percent of all employers in our country are small businesses. and 70 percent of all new jobs created in America are created by these small locally owned businesses. Small businesses. stores. manufacturers. and farms drive the economic engine of - many communities across the country. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4000}
{"speech_id":1090025516,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They truly are the backbone of America. Many obstacles confront a small business owner looking to expand his or her company to provide more jobs and investment. f Frivolous lawsuits are a constant and a costly threat to small businesses across the country. The rising cost of health care has made it difficult and. in many cases. impossible for small business owners to offer health care to their employees. Today. over 60 percent of small business employees do not have health insurance. Soaring energy costs make it difficult for small manufacturers to produce goods at a competitive price. The cost of natural gas and other feedstocks is taking up a larger and evergrowing share of the budget of manufacturers. In the 109th Congress. the Peoples house has already acted on several of the items called for in this resolution. Two weeks ago. we passed legislation to permanently repeal the death tax. a tax that puts a huge burden on small business owners and takes away resources that are vital to families seeking to keep farms and businesses in their family. Last week. we passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to help reduce the cost of energy. The legislation provides money for clean coal technology that will help coal continue to provide lowcost energy while protecting our environment. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4000}
{"speech_id":1090025516,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Provisions will also open new refineries and new oil reserves into the market. All of these measures will help lower the cost of energy for small businesses. In February. President Bush signed the Class Action Fairness Act into law. This law is a strong first step in limiting frivolous lawsuits that burden our economy and destroy job growth. There is still much more to be done. In the past two Congresses. we passed legislation allowing for Association Health Plans. These plans would permit small businesses to join together through trade associations across State lines to gain purchasing power in the health insurance market. Health insurance is the biggest challenge facing small business today. hands down. Many small business owners want nothing more than to offer affordable health care to all of their workers. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4000}
{"speech_id":1090025516,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These owners know their employees personally and know their employees spouses and children. making that decision not to offer health coverage an agonizing one. Yet many small business owners make this choice because of the rising cost of health care. We must pass legislation to allow small businesses to have the same purchasing power as large corporations in the health insurance market. With millions of small business employees among the uninsured. association health plans are one of the most important things Congress can do for our Nations workers. In order for small business to groi and produce more jobs in local econc mies. we must have progrowth poll cies. A national energy policy. associa tion health plans. and legal reform ar some of the important steps that wil benefit small business owners and thei employees alike. This resolution is an opportunity fo Members to show their support o small business to continue moving for ward on crucial issues to protect exist ing jobs and spur economic develop ment. I urge my colleagues to join mi in supporting the rule and the under lying resolution. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4000}
{"speech_id":1090025516,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I reserve the balance o my time.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4000}
{"speech_id":1090025542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. after being brought to task by the American people for meddling in the personal and private life decisions of an American family during the Schiavo tragedy. you would think that the majority in this Congress would have learned. You would think that they would have learned that the people of the country do not want the government intruding into the lives of American families. but they have not learned. Mr. Speaker. because here we go again. This bill is another invasion into the private lives of American families making the decisions for themselves. and it is an invasion into the legal rights afforded all women in this country. I am talking about the legal right for women to choose. which is protected by the Constitution of the United States. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7137}
{"speech_id":1090025542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have a duty in this body to consider legislation which will maximize our freedom and equality. values which are the very fabric of our society. Our job here is to protect the legal rights of those we serve and not to take them away. and I urge a \"no\" vote on this bill. A report was just recently released that shows that there are more Americans incarcerated than in any other country in the United States. This bill will add Granny and Granddad and the lergy and an occasional cab driver. this is how far this bill goes. but I want to talk for a minute about another tbuse which has occurred in this Chainler. a personal affront to three of our olleagues. The Committee on Rules discovere yesterday that the Committee on th Judiciary report on this very bill which was offered by the majorit. staff. contained amendment summarie which had been rewritten by the corn mittee staff for the sole purpose of dis toting the intent of the authors. This committee report took the lib erty to mischaracterize and to falsif. the intent of several amendments of fered in committee by Democrat Mem bers of this body. At least five amendments of this bil which were designed to protect th( rights of family members and innoceni bystanders from prosecution under th( bill were rewritten as amendments de. signed instead to protect sexual preda. tors from prosecution and were ther included in the committee report as il that was the actual intent of the amendment. No Member of Congress on either side of the aisle would do such a despicable thing as attempt to protect sexual predators. and these amendments were no more about sexual predators than they were about terrorists or arsonists or any other criminal class in our society. No one was attempting to protect them. Indeed. what they were trying to do was produce amendments which apparently the fact of writing an amendment was offensive. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7137}
{"speech_id":1090025542,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendments were about the rights of the grandmothers and siblings and clergy and the cab drivers. and I asked the chairman of the committee about this deception yesterday at the Committee on Rules hearing. Instead of decrying what I certainly expected would be revealed as a mistake by an overzealous staffer. the chairman stood by the authored amendment descriptions. to my great surprise. I have known the gentleman from Wisconsin since I first arrived in Congress. and I did not believe that he would allow such a thing to happen and particularly not in the Committee on the Judiciary. but he made it very clear to us that the alterations to the Members amendments were deliberate. When pressed as to why his committee staff took such unprecedented action. the chairman immediately offered up his own anger over the manner in which Democrats had chosen to debate and oppose the unfortunate piece of legislation we have before us today. In fact. he said. \"You dont like what we wrote about your amendments. and we dont like what you said about our bill.\" To falsely rewrite the intent of an amendment submitted by another Member. to intentionally distort its description as being designed to protect sexual predators is no different than accusing a fellow Member of Congress of being an apologist for sexual predators themselves. That is. in effect. what the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary has done here. and he has ensured that d these amendment descriptions will bi e encapsulated in the RECORD for al time by including those unfair and in y correct amendment summaries in th s committee report. He ha - mischaracterized these Members for - ever. This is a new low for this Chamber - Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7137}
{"speech_id":1090025542,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a clearly disy honest and unethical attack on the - credibility and character of othe - Members. and sadly. it is just the latest in a pattern of unethical and abu1 sive tactics employed by this majority. How incredibly arrogant it is that t they believe they have the right to tamper with official congressional doc- uments for their own political purposes. How unbelievably arrogant is i the leadership of this Congress that C they would force their own political interpretation of another Members work upon this body and upon American people in perpetuity in an official committee report. The majoritys actions are not only an affront to the Members in the House but an affront to the American people. There is no question that we can debate and disagree over the impact the bill can have. We can argue over how well it has been written or what language it should include to be more effective. but regardless of the way the debate turns out. the caption on the top of that bill or amendment serves to instruct the American people as to what the original intent of the legislation was. It serves as an unbiased reading on what the amendment aims to accomplish. To falsify and rewrite that description as a political attack is not only unprecedented. it is fundamentally dishonest and an abuse of the power given to the majority by the American people and their votes. I have no doubts. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7137}
{"speech_id":1090025542,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. no doubts that unless this CONGRESSIONAL RECORD is amended to reflect the true captions of these amendments. we will see these erroneous captions again in the form of campaign attack mail pieces. In fact. when pressed last night in the Committee on Rules to have the record amended to reflect the honest and accurate captions that belong on the amendments. we were defeated on a partyline vote. So now. these honorable and hardworking Members of Congress will be forever branded in the official record as having offered amendments designed to protect sexual predators when nothing. nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. Speaker. I have often heard the chairman of the Committee on Rules. as well as other Members of the leadership. talk about the loss of civility in this Chamber. How can we be civil under this attack? Is this a disguised attack to say to the Democrat Members of the House. if you have the effrontery to offer an amendment on a bill of ours. we will destroy you in the committee report? Have they reached that low? e Perhaps they have. but if we are 1 going to regain lost civility. they do - not need to look any further than the abusive. unethical. and arrogant ads ministration of this House of Rep- resentatives and this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7137}
{"speech_id":1090025566,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. strongly oppose this bill. and I kno some people strongly support the bill This clearly is an emotional issue. WE can debate both sides of this. But I risE to express my deep regret over the report from the Committee on the Judiciary that accompanied this legislation. Mr. Speaker. there is not a civility left in this House. and what little civility is left I want to protect. Listening to my colleagues on the other side talk about. and the way they have mischaracterized and misrepresented and. yes. maligned Democratic Members on this side. and I say maligned because if you use those words that you used to describe their amendments to describe them on this House floor. your words would be taken down. One of the kinds of traditions or the unwritten rules of this House is when you describe the amendments offered by Republicans or Democrats. it is done so in a nonpartisan way. In the Committee on Rules. we get more amendments than any other committee in this House. and they are all described in a nonpartisan way. We would never describe anybodys amendment in this kind of a political way. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1839}
{"speech_id":1090025566,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we did. there would be an outcry amongst members on that committee. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to kind of take a step back. to correct the report. to demonstrate some civility and some rationality on this issue. Nobody deserves to have their amendments characterized the way these Members did. This is wrong. and I know deep down you know it is wrong. It is difficult for me to sit by and watch my colleague from Georgia and the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. who I have great respect for. try to rationalize this. We are better than this. I would hope there could be a bipartisan consensus when it comes to descriptions of amendments in reports. we could do this in a nonpartisan way.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1839}
{"speech_id":1090025574,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. and I commend her for her leadership on this issue and many important issues. Mr. Speaker. what we are really talking about today is the need to prevent teen pregnancy. Let us understand that. We can disagree about this issue. But I strongly feel. as a mother of four children. two daughters and two sons. that by providing them information I am the one who can assure that they behave responsibly. I do not need to criminalize the behavior of others in trying to do my best job as a mother. So I oppose this bill. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090025574,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also oppose the rule because it did not make in order something I thought was totally obvious. and that is an amendment that I offered with the gentleman from Connecticut to prevent teen pregnancy by funding programs which accomplish that. The Committee on Rules chose not to make our amendment in order. All it would have done was provide a series of criteria by which to judge teen pregnancy programs. Those that were effective in preventing teen pregnancy would get precious Federal dollars. and those that were not would not. I would call that. given my background on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. a slamdunk amendment. but it was not to the Committee on Rules. So I oppose this rule because it shut out our opportunity to offer our amendment. We will be introducing it as a standalone bill and it is also part of a comprehensive bill that the gentlewoman from New York has introduced. But I would hope that this body later this year would do the right thing. and that is to put our money where our mouth is. And where our mouth is. is to reduce unwanted teen pregnancy. That is a much better answer than the thrust of this legislation we are considering here today.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090025579,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. to show the egregious nature of the misconduct engaged in by the committee report. I have here the reports from the 107th Congress. the 106th Congress. and several other Congresses on these same amendments. In the 107th Congress. an amendment was offered prohibiting H.R. 476 from c applying with respect to conduct by a grandparent or adult sibling of a minor. 106th Congress. to exempt grandparents and adult siblings of the minor from the provisions of the bill. 106th Congress. four amendments were offered en bloc by the gentlewoman t from Texas to ex- a empt ministers. rabbis. pastors. t priests. other religious leaders from t the provisions of the bill. In no case in these prior Congresses vas the slander and libel about sexual predators mentioned. That has changed C for this Congress. It has changed because of a dishonest report.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":856}
{"speech_id":1090025626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield e myself as much time as I may con- sume. Mr. Speaker. the goal of the Small - Business Bill of Rights is to provide a - blueprint for Congress to help small business employers create more jobs. A job is the best social program in the world. It provides income. health insurance. and dignity. Significantly. 70 percent of all new jobs in the United States are created by small business people. In light of the fact that small business employers are the engine that drive this economy. I decided to meet with 20 very success- ful small business people in Orlando. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7227}
{"speech_id":1090025626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Florida. to learn firsthand what. if anything. Congress could do to help small business employers create even more jobs. I learned a lot by sitting down and listening to small business people. First. I learned that the number one issue facing small business people today is the skyrocketing cost of health insurance. In fact. a growing number of small businesses today are not able to provide health insurance to their employees. primarily because of the surging cost. Of the 45 million Americans without health insurance. 60 percent are small business employees and their families. Right now. small businesses are unable to achieve the bargaining power of large corporations when negotiating with insurance companies to obtain affordable health insurance for their employees. The premiums that small businesses pay are typically 20 to 30 percent higher than those of large companies. According to the Congressional Budget Office. small businesses that obtain insurance from association health plans can save up to 25 percent. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7227}
{"speech_id":1090025626,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These small business people told me that they needed the right to be able to join together to purchase affordable health insurance for their employees so their workers have the opportunity to get the same health care benefits now reserved for those employees of Fortune 500 companies. The second thing I learned is that many of these small businesses are family owned. Unfortunately. the death tax causes onethird of all familyowned businesses to liquidate after the death of the owner. If Congress does not undertake any meaningful reforms of the death tax laws. then small businesses will go back to paying up to 55 percent in tax rates in the year 2011. Unfortunately. the only small familyowned business in America that knows for sure whether they will die in the year 2010 is the Sopranos. Understandably. these small business people want the right to tax laws that allow familyowned small business people to survive over several generations and offer them incentives to grow. The third thing I learned is that friv olous lawsuits and the rising cost of li ability insurance represent a very ser ous threat to small business owners Unlike large. multinational corpora tions. small business owners do no have the resources to defend them selves against frivolous litigation an( are often forced. for business reasons to settle a claim for $5.000 to $10.001 rather than pay a defense attorne3 $100.000 to successfully defend them ir court. Finally. I learned that burdensome regulations and paperwork cost small business more than $5.500 per employee. and these small business owners understandably want the right tc be free of unnecessary. restrictive regulations and paperwork which end ur wasting their time and energy and prevent them from creating additional jobs. After listening to the challenges and solutions proposed by various small business people. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7227}
{"speech_id":1090025626,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I worked with some of my Democrat colleagues to craft a Small Business Bill of Rights. I want to particularly thank the gentleman from Alabama for being an original cosponsor of H. Res. Now. we had a hearing on the Small Business Bill of Rights last month. At that hearing. witnesses from NFIB and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce testified that the four issues identified in the Small Business Bill of Rights were in fact the top four issues affecting small businesses in the United States today. according to the surveys of their members. After the hearing. we added language relating to the importance of lower energy costs. increasing access to capital. and opening access to government contracts for small business. To my left here is a chart which shows the Small Business Bill of Rights. Number one. The right to join together to purchase affordable health insurance for small business employees. who make up a large portion of the millions of Americans without health insurance. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7227}
{"speech_id":1090025626,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Number two. The right to simplify tax laws that allow familyowned small businesses to survive over several generations. and offer them incentives to grow. Number three. The right to be free from frivolous lawsuits. which harm lawabiding small businesses and prevent them creating new jobs. Number four. The right to be free of unnecessary restrictive regulations and paperwork which waste the time and energy of small business people. Number five. The right to relief from high energy costs. which pose a real threat to the survival of small businesses. Number six. The right to equal treatment as compared with large businesses when seeking access to startup and expansion capital and credit. - Number seven. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7227}
{"speech_id":1090025634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield nyself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. again I have to smile istening to the gentlemans comments ecause he said this is a bill of platiudes that is a partisan Republican genda. and then he turns around and said that he proudly supports association health plans. along with the ranking member. and we need action on them. I think that is a bit inconsistent. although I will agree with the gentleman. association health plans are very important. I think it is fair to say that they will pass overwhelmingly in the House. We want to make that a priority. I think it is fair to say the Senate has not taken them up. should have taken them up. and darn well better take them up and finally pass them this term. I think we want to send a strong message that the House considers this a top priority of small businesses. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090025634,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With respect to the other issues. certainly we want to focus on the toptier issues. such as repealing the death tax. and not just a platitude. We want it to pass and we took action last week. and it is going to come back in the form of a conference report. We want the small business community to be on record as saying that we think that is important that we finally repeal the death tax once and for all. With respect to frivolous lawsuits and liability concerns. we will have an opportunity to address that this Congress. We want this country to know we are listening to small business people when they say that they are concerned about frivolous lawsuits and there should be some sanctions. So we have simply taken many. many issues. identified them in this blueprint by saying these are the toptier issues that the NFIB says are the top issues to their members. the Chamber of Commerce says. and the regular people that I have interviewed say. and say. we hear you. we know you want action. and we are identifying these top priorities. and we intend to take action on those top priorities.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090025647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaim- i ing my time. with respect to what was considered by the committee. the committee. minority members included. t got a full hearing. Everybody got to ask questions twice. They then had three provisions added to the original r Small Business Bill of Rights by me through substitute amendments. and I then they got a vote on four of their six amendments before time expired. No. t there was not a vote on the 8(a) pro- t gram. There is nothing in here that t says 8(a) is bad or good. t","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":506}
{"speech_id":1090025655,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I just would like to sa. that more than 50 percent of thi microloan program loans went to mi d nority entrepreneurs. making it a crit ical source for funding for new minor ityowned firms. That is quite a nich( \u0095 for us. It might not be for the othei party. I Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":392}
{"speech_id":1090025655,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield 2 minutes to th gentlewoman from California","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":392}
{"speech_id":1090025664,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to. so the world knows. speak in support of all of the work that the gentlewoman from New York has done on behalf of small business across this country. Without her leadership. small businesses might not have a voice in this Congress. I rise to speak in opposition to this resolution and. specifically. on the importance of tax relief for American small businesses. This bill specifies that small businesses have \"the right to be free of unnecessary. restrictive regulations and paperwork which waste the time and energy of small business. while hurting production and preventing job creation.\" My only question is. what have the Republicans done since they took the majority in 1994 to relieve the tax burden on small business? Over a decade ago. when Republicans took control of the House. they promised that they would make our tax laws more simple and fair. Former Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Bill Archer promised on many occasions that he was going to rip the code out by its roots and replace it with a simpler one. This has not happened. Actually. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3435}
{"speech_id":1090025664,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the truth is no action has been taken. The Republicans have done the very opposite of what they promised. Here are some disturbing facts. The IRS estimates that the average taxpayer with selfemployed status has the greatest compliance burden in terms of preparation: 59 hours. This is about 10 hours longer than in 1994. According to the GAO. in 2000 and 2001. small businesses overpaid their taxes by $18 billion because of return errors and complexity in the Tax Code. The Small Business Act of 1996 made 657 Tax Code changes that expanded the code by more than 50 pages. The Job Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2003 made 51 Tax Code changes and expanded the Tax Code by nearly 12 pages. During the 108th Congress. the Republicans orchestrated nearly 900 a changes to the Tax Code. And it goes - on. e I just rise to say. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3435}
{"speech_id":1090025664,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that I rise in opposition to the legislation. s Small businesses need a simplified Tax Code. An analysis of the legislation by the Joint Committee on Taxation describes how the - new law will require more than 10 percent of r all small businesses to keep additional records. result in more disputes with the IRS. I increase tax preparation costs. and require adr ditional complex calculations. Mr. Speaker. small businesses are the foundation of our economy. They need a tax system that frees resources for investment and encourages job creation. We must support small businesses and American entrepreneurship. When this resolution before us states that small businesses have \"The right to be free of unnecessary. restrictive regulations ....\" we cant help but question the sincerity of that declaration. Since they took the majority in 1994. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3435}
{"speech_id":1090025664,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Republicans have enacted 42 new tax laws. These new laws contain 4.268 changes to our tax code. resulting in over 500 additional pages to our tax code. These changes have made the tax code significantly more complex for Americans and small businesses. with no serous effort to provide tax simplification. Mr. Speaker. when we say that small businesses have the right to be free from unnecessary regulation and deserve tax simplification. we cannot just \"talk the talk.\" We must also \"walk the walk.\" This is the time in which we need to initiate fundamental tax reform. it has become vital to our small businesses and American entrepreneurship. We must act now.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3435}
{"speech_id":1090025709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first of all. I would like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin. the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. for yielding me time. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Florida . my friend. for his generous comments and especially for taking the initiative on this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I am an original cosponsor of this resolution which supports World Intellectual Property Day and applauds the work of the World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO. WIPO is the leading intellectual property organization that works globally to promote intellectual property. Its mission is to promote the use and protection of works of the human spirit. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1761}
{"speech_id":1090025709,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The organization administers 23 intellectual property treaties and works to educate member countries about the importance of intellectual property. In the United States. the intellectual property industries drive our economy. Whether it is the creative industries that produce music and movies or hightech companies that produce software and research. nanotechnology. innovation keeps America competitive. I The United States is a member of I WIPO. In order to safeguard our invens tors and innovators. we must not only i enact strong intellectual property laws in the U.S. but also must make sure our products are protected abroad. WIPO works to do just that. April 26 was established by WIPO 5 years ago as World Intellectual Prop- erty Day. H. Res. 210 applauds WIPO for its work and commemorates April - 26. 2005. as World Intellectual Property Day. This resolution is an appropriate way to call attention to such a worthy organization. and I encourage my colleagues to support it. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1761}
{"speech_id":1090025709,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Once again. I 1 would like to thank the gentleman from Florida for his sponsoring of this resolution.","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1761}
{"speech_id":1090025740,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 748. And I thank the Committee on the Judiciary for allowing Members to speak on this bill and also particularly the gentlewoman from Florida. who brought this legislation to the floor and who has worked on this legislation to get it through. Needless to say. this bill is something that many of us feel very strongly about. that will protect our daughters of minor age from those who would seek to harm them or that would interfere with that parental\/child relationship. In my State. for example. Alabama. we have a oneparent consent or judicial bypass law that is currently on the books. Three of the States that border Alabama. Georgia. Tennessee. and Mississippi. have laws that are at least as stringent as those in Alabama. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090025740,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fourth State. Florida. currently has no parental involvement statute in effect. which in essence means that minor children from Alabama can be taken nto Florida to have an abortion with io parental involvement. I in no way believe that this legislaion punishes young women. It was put here to protect them. Therefore. I would urge my colleagues to vote ii support of this important legislation.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090025772,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just simply want to come to the floor and wish upon my colleagues the ability to look at a bill that really denies a young person the comfort of clergy. of grandparents. and the ability to make a fair decision about a choice that should be the family. the doctor. and the religious leader. This parental consent that confuses the issue of State laws is going to cost lives. I ask my colleagues to consider that we want to save lives. We want that young person to have someone to have comfort. And if their parent is incestuous. if their parent has created incest. then that is not the person for parental consent. Mr. Chairman. I oppose the legislation before the House. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3892}
{"speech_id":1090025772,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 748. the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. The provisions contained within this proposal are very inflexible and unreasonably punitive. This legislation completely eliminates State rights and creates a maze of confusion during a troubling time. p Given the usual slant of my good colleagues on the other side of the aisle to favor uniformity in legislation. this bill is inconsistent with that purpose. Overall. H.R. 748 would force physicians to learn and enforce 49 other states laws with respect to parentalinvolvement requirements. On its face. one of the policies that this bill seeks to enforce. the mandate that every parent will receive notice and can get involved when their daughter faces a crisis pregnancy. is a good one. However. one of its harmful effects is that it is unnecessarily punitive. In the absence of laws mandating parental involvement. young women come to their parents before or while they consider abortion. A study found that 61 percent of parents in states without mandatory parental consent or notice laws had knowledge of their daughters pregnancy. Interestingly enough. a majority of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle supported less governmental intrusion in personal family matters in the recent case of Terry Schiavo (S. 653\/H.R. 1332). ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3892}
{"speech_id":1090025772,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. in the case of a young girls decision to have an abortion. the proponents of H.R. 748 seek to force family communication even where it does not already exist. Excessive governmental intrusion can have detrimental consequences as evidenced in the case of a 13yearold sixth grade student from Idaho named Spring Adams who was shot to death by her father after he learned of her plan to terminate a pregnancy caused by his acts of incest. Some of the major health associations such as the American Medical Association. the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. the American College of Physicians. and the American Public Health Association strongly oppose mandatory parentalinvolvement laws because of the dangers they pose to young women and the need for confidential access to physicians. This legislation poses such a risk by increasing the risk of harm to adolescents by obstructing their access to healthcare that could save their lives. According to an article by Lawrence B. Finer and Stanley K. Henshaw. only 13 percent of U.S. counties have abortion providers. Therefore. the fact that many young women seek abortions outside of their home state is not solely attributable to an avoidance of home state law. I will offer an amendment with Mr. NADLER of New York. #9 that expands the exceptions to the prohibitions of this act to include \"conduct by clergy. godparents. aunts. uncles. or first cousins.\" This amendment is a very simple but necessary dampening of the excessive punitive nature of this legislation. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3892}
{"speech_id":1090025772,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A young woman should not lose her right to seek counsel and guidance from a member of the clergy. her godparent. or the family member enumerated in the text of the amendment if she so desires. The mandatory parentalinvolvement laws already create a draconian framework under which a young woman loses many of her civil rights. My State. Texas. is one of 23 states","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3892}
{"speech_id":1090025779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I stand today in strong opposition to H.R. 748. the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. It is a direct attack on a womans right to choose. it endangers womens health. and it forces young women facing unintended pregnancies to choose between dealing with it on their own or enlisting the help of a trusted adult who could possibly be put in jail as a result. This bill makes it a crime for anyone other than a parent. including a grandparent or a religious counselor. to accompany a minor across state lines for an abortion if the minor has not complied with her home states mandated parental consent or notification law. This bill also makes it a federal crime for a doctor to perform an abortion on a young woman who is a resident of another state unless the doctor notifies the young womans parent in person at least 24 hours before the procedure. I agree that. whenever possible. minors should go to their parents for help in difficult situations. And research tells us that the majority of the time. young women do talk with their parents when making difficult decisions about pregnancy. whether their state requires parental consent for an abortion or not. Unfortunately. H.R. 748 ignores the reality of many situations where a young woman may choose not to go to her parents. possibly because she fears violence or because she was the victim of incest or because their parent is not available. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5495}
{"speech_id":1090025779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Very often in those situations. young women seek help and guidance from other trusted adults in their lives. such as grandparents. aunts. and ministers. Yet. this law would deter many young women from seeking help and would instead tell them that they must deal with this situation on their own. The reality is that CIANA will not make more young women tell their parents about a pregnancy if they do not want to. nor will it reduce or prevent abortion. What it would do is endanger the health of young women who feel they have no other choice but to seek illegal or selfinduced abortions and who will be limited in their options for receiving health care. The American Medical Association has noted that \"the desire to maintain secrecy has been one of the leading reasons for illegal abortion deaths.\" The American Academy of Pediatrics. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. and the Society for Adolescent Medicine all oppose this bill because of the dangers they pose to young women and the need for confidential access to physicians. The coalition of health groups in their letter urging Congress to oppose this bill state. \"Our primary responsibility must be to our patients. The potential health risks to adolescents they are unable to obtain reproductive healtl services are so compelling that deference t( parental involvement should not stand in th( way of needed health care for patients who re quest confidentiality.\" This bill would force minors to delay urgen health care and. contrary to proponents claims. infringe on the rights of parents. Thert is no exception to either the waiting period o the notification requirement in cases where person is facing a serious but not lifethreat ening medical emergency. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5495}
{"speech_id":1090025779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In a medical emer gency. a young person would be forced tc wait 24 hours for an abortion that could aver serious risks to her health. The abortion mus be delayed even when the minors parent accompanies her and requests medical help. Furthermore. many young women who obtain abortions outside of their home States do so for reasons that have nothing to do with avoiding their home States laws. The most prevalent and compelling of these reasons is the lack of abortion providers. Only 13 percent of U.S. counties have an abortion provider. Several states. in fact. have only a single provider or a provider who may be located many hours away from a young womans home. Lastly. CIANA violates the basic principle of federalism by attaching the laws of a womans home State no matter where she travels in the Nation. The Supreme Court has held that States are required to make abortions available to visitors on the same legal terms under which they make them available to residents. Since Illinois has no parental involvement law in effect. this bill would impose tough and unrealistic requirements to Illinois providers for the first time. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5495}
{"speech_id":1090025779,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under CIANA. doctors will be asked to comply with other State laws. verify the information provided by patients. and obtain inperson parental consent even if parents are abusive. guilty of incest or absent from the household. CIANA imposes a punitive and arbitrary federal parental notification requirement that will trump the public policy judgments of the 27 States that lack such requirements. It will mean that physicians who comply with their States laws and provide medical care to their patients could be treated as criminals. Make no mistake. this law is a direct threat to a womans right to make decisions about her reproductive health. We need to see this bill for what it really isanother attempt to chip away at Roe v. Wade and deny women choice. The Government cannot mandate healthy family communication where it does not already exist. We must face this reality and work to help teens receive the treatment. counseling. and support they need when it comes to reproductive health. I urge my colleagues to reject H.R. 748 because it would endanger young womens health and force them to be alone at a time when they are most vulnerable and most in need of support from a trusted adult.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5495}
{"speech_id":1090025806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. let me read the operative language of the bill. \"Whoever knowingly transports a minor across a State line with the intent that such minor obtain an abortion.\" clearly covers a taxicab driver who knows where he is going and has heard the discussion behind him. I just do not think the bill ought to apply to the taxicab driver. If the others do not think it applies. then just pass the amendment. I think it is a - commonsense amendment. The taxicat driver ought not get caught up into an s interfamily dispute over who did what 3 and he get sued and the cab company get sued because he did not know it s was illegal to take the fare to the neari est abortion clinic which happened to 3 be across the State line. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090025806,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I The taxicab driver could clearly * know and he could hear the discussion r about where they were going and why. That would make him guilty. the taxicab company guilty. the sorority sister that called the taxicab guilty for conspiracy. This is a commonsense amendment. I do not think the taxicab driver ought to be part of this discussion. ought not i be sued by a mad parent. and I hope we will adopt the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090025816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I support the amendment. but I also wanted to point out that at the end of the last debate the chairman of the committee suggested that there needs to be a criminal intent for the evasion of the parental consent laws. but we do not need intent for that. If. in fact. you have circumvented the parental consent laws. then there is a violation. You do not even have to know you violated them if. in fact. you did. and I think the chairman would acknowledge that.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090025847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this bill allows a father to sue the person who accompanied the young woman or. if he did not receive the required notice. to sue the doctor who provided the abortion even if he himself. the father. that is. caused the pregnancy by rape or inI cest. If adopted. my motion to recommit would simply ensure that this right to sue does not extend to a parent who caused the pregnancy through rape or incest. The motion to recommit would ensure that this bill would not enable such rapists to profit from their wrongdoing. I know the gentleman from Wisconsin will say that the bill already prohibits suits by rapists. but the socalled prohibition in the bill applies only to suits against the doctor. not against the person who accompanied her. and even against the doctor only in the unlikely event that the minor declares the rape in a signed written statement to the doctor. 0j 1830 Aside from that exception. the rapist under this bill will profit from the newly established rights to sue the doctor or the unlimited newly established right to sue the person who accompanied her. I cannot believe that any Member of this House. even those who support parentalconsent laws. could really want to enable a criminal. a father who raped his daughter and caused the pregnancy. to be able to profit from his wrongdoing by suing doctors. grandmothers. and clergymen. This motion would correct this obvious mistake. and I think. or at least I hope. that the sponsors of this bill would agree that this amendment should be adopted. Mr. Speaker. there has been a great deal of loose talk over the last few days about sexual predators and the need to protect young women. We may not agree in this House on the best way to protect these young women. but we should all be able to agree that a father who rapes his daughter should not profit from his crime. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090025847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill as presently constituted gives him that power. The motion to recommit would take that ability away from him and would do nothing else at all. The motion to recommit simply says a father who rapes his daughter or commits incest with her and causes that pregnancy cannot then sue someone who performs an abortion or who accompanies her to an abortion. Mr. Speaker. I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California .","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090025866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have mentioned him several times in my remarks. I am now very pleased to yield 4 minutes to my friend. the gentleman from Pasco. Washington . the hardworking member of the Committee on Ethics who actually chairs the committee and is ready to go to work.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":268}
{"speech_id":1090025867,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee for his graceful words. And I want to say. Mr. Speaker. that no one has worked longer and harder over the years or devoted more personal energy to the critically important institutional issues of this House than the chairman of the Rules Committee. the gentleman from California . [Q 1915 Those issues do not win you many headlines back home but they are absolutely essential to our continuing ability to work in an effective bipartisan fashion history in the peoples House. So I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership in the past and his insistence in moving this resolution to the floor. Mr. Speaker. I have introduced House Resolution 240 for one reason and one reason only: to restore a functioning ethics process here in the House. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4631}
{"speech_id":1090025867,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Regrettably. the Democrats have kept the Ethics Committee shut down now for more than 2 months. It simply must be restarted as soon as possible. Members will recall that in January as part of our opening day rules package for the 109th Congress. the Members of this House adopted a series of muchneeded ethics reforms. We adopted those reforms in order to ensure that the ethics rules treat Members of the House as fairly as possible. We believe. for example. and still believe that it is unfair for the Ethics Committee to tell individuals called before the committee during an investigation whom they can or cannot hire as their lawyer. This right to counsel. after all. is a fundamental right enjoyed by all Americans. so we moved to protect it. In addition. we believed and still believe that it is unfair for Members to be publicly embarrassed when the committee issues a public letter of reprimand or admonishment or violation. et cetera. without providing the Member in question with any advance notice that they are being scrutinized by the committee in any way. So we moved to make sure that this never happens to any Member of either party in the future. And finally. we believe and still be lieve that it is unfair for Members o either party to be kept in perpetua limbo after initial investigation of complaint if a bipartisan majority o the committee cannot agree to proceec with the fullscale investigation. Con trary to many published reports. no in vestigation has ever been undertaker by the Ethics Committee without bipartisan support. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4631}
{"speech_id":1090025867,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But under the o1 rules of the 108th Congress. the burder of proof to get out from under an ethical cloud fell on the Member in question. whether Democrat or Republican. So we acted to restore fairness to that part of the ethics process as well. Nevertheless. despite the fact that the full House adopted these rules. the Democrat members of our committee refused to accept the clear directive of the House and to let us organize our committee. For 2 months now. I have worked in good faith to address the substantive objections of the gentleman from West Virginia to these rules. and I know that he holds these objections in a very sincere way. And while I have a great deal of respect for the gentleman from West Virginia. I regret that he has declined to consider any of my proposed compromises. As it should be. membership on our committee is evenly divided between the majority and minority. which means that substantive action of any kind requires support from both sides of the aisle and a genuine commitment to compromise. However. Democrat leaders and the gentleman from West Virginia have made clear that they remain absolutely unwilling to compromise on any of these matters and insist on overturning the expressed will of the House by returning to the rules of the 108th Congress. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4631}
{"speech_id":1090025867,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because I believe it is severely damaging to this institution to permit Members on the other side of the aisle to keep the doors locked on the Ethics Committee. I have concluded that we must return now to the rules of the past Congress. the 108th Congress. My resolution would do just that. But at the same time. Mr. Speaker. I am hopeful that once Democrats agree to put a functioning Ethics Committee back in business. they will then agree to work with us in a bipartisan way to address the real problems of unfairness to Members that are inherent in the 108th rules. Mr. Speaker. the American people have every right to expect the highest ethical standards here in the House. Those of us charged with upholding the integrity of the institution stand ready to carry out our important responsibilities. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4631}
{"speech_id":1090025867,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Accordingly. I urge adoption of H. Res. 240 so all of us who serve on the Ethics Committee. from both sides of the aisle. can get back to work.","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4631}
{"speech_id":1090025903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. once again today. the Speaker of the Whole House. the gentleman from Illinois . has proven that he is a decent. fair. humble. and. today. magnanimous person. putting the institution first. The truth is neither party has an exclusive on integrity or ideas. There are good and decent people in both parties. But we are not your enemy. Al Qaeda is our enemy. We are competitors. We need to stick together and pursue unity and reconciliation. Sometimes that means setting your own beliefs aside. which the Speaker did today for the purpose of the institution. holding it up above our own view of how things should be done. I have spoken out when I thought we were going in the wrong direction. but in this case I. frankly. think the rules proposals were reasonable. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1449}
{"speech_id":1090025903,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And if one Members foot was not in a snare today. I think a lot of Members over here would have agreed to them. But that is not a discussion point anymore. I appeal to both sides. Let us mak sure that this ethics conflict does no turn into a circular firing squad. It i not in our countrys best interest an( it is not in this institutions best inter est. Let us pursue. as much as we cai in the competitive battles we fight oi ideas and our agendas. let us pursu reconciliation and unity. especiall3 when it comes to the ethics of thi great institution. putting it above ei ther partys political agendas. It wil serve our country well. and the Speak. er should be commended.","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1449}
{"speech_id":1090025947,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. those watching CSPAN right now probably are wondering what they are watching. They probably think it is a circus. But they are pretty familiar with the 5minute speeches that Members of Congress deliver each day after the House of Representatives wraps up its legislative session. Some critics and political opponents may claim that these nightly speeches serve little purpose. and sometimes they do serve little purpose. It is hard to accomplish much in 5minute increments. they say. But because half of the American people are not being represented by the Bush administrations shameful and threatening foreign policy. and half the American people are not receiving the representation they deserve from the Republicans in Congress. those who cower to the Presidents every demand when it comes to funding the illegal. ill advised and dangerous war in Iraq. I come here nightly so that I can discuss that very issue. the issue of the war in Iraq. That issue says to me that we need to change the way we think about foreign policy if we hope our country will survive the threat of global terrorism from fanatical groups like al Qaeda. That is why next week I will reintroduce the SMART Security Resolution . for the 21st Century. legislation that provides a positive alternative to the Bush doctrine of unilateralism and preemptive war. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4071}
{"speech_id":1090025947,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SMART Security addresses the threat of terrorism and nuclear security by augmenting and encouraging diplomatic efforts with other nations. We need to address the threats we face through international cooperation. not war. because the military option does not solve our problems. Only by promoting an effective national security strategy that is based on conflict prevention. diplomacy. multilateralism. and nonproliferation can we truly secure America for the future. while at the same time holding on to the liberties and values that make this country so very great. Many of my House colleagues have stood with me in urging a new and smarter American foreign policy. Fifty Members of Congress cosponsored the SMART Security resolution during the 108th Congress. and my staff and I will work to ensure that this number increases in the 109th Congress. But Members of Congress are not alone in this effort. Many of my constituents get it too. I am incredibly privileged to serve as the voice in Congress for the people of Marin and Sonoma counties. just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. which comprises Californias 6th Congressional District. My constituents get democracy as well as anyone else in the country. In last Novembers election. for example. a record 891\/2 percent of registered voters turned out to vote in Californias 6th district. 91.1 percent turned out in my hometown of Petaluma. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4071}
{"speech_id":1090025947,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"California. That is why I quote them. and I want to quote Marge Piaggio. who lives in Fairfax. California. She called my office earlier this month to say that what the world needs is. and I am quoting her pretty liberally here. but she said what the world needs is a \"peace tsunami.\" The tsunami analogy might sound like an odd idea at first. but I think Marge is on to something. It is about time. she said. and I agree with her. that we washed over the war machine and cleaned up our political system. Of course Congress will need the help and the support of citizens of the United States in this effort. And another one of my constituents. Jean Walz of Santa Rosa. wrote because she realizes that there is an important role that she and others like herself can play in helping to end the war in Iraq. In reference to my nightly 5minute speeches. Jean wrote the following in an email. and I quote her: \"If you can do this each night. so can I. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4071}
{"speech_id":1090025947,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will send an evening missive each and every night to my local elected representatives to please stop this war in Iraq.\" Everyone in this country. Mr. Speaker. who opposes the Bush administrations dangerous current path can emulate Jean Walzs heroic efforts to influence her local representatives. Then we will have peace in the United States between ourselves and other countries.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4071}
{"speech_id":1090025952,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide and to commend the Armenian Caucus cochairs. the gentleman from Michigan and the gentleman from New Jersey . for again encouraging their colleagues to remember this solemn occasion. April 24 marked the beginning of this systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Over the next 8 years. 1.5 million Armenians were tortured and murdered. and more than half a million were forced from their homeland into exile. The U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the genocide vividly documented the massacre of the Armenians by stating: \"I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.\" As this crime against humanity was being committed. the United States led the world in attempting to end the slaughter and to save those who survived. American intervention prevented the full realization of the Ottoman Empires genocidal plan. and U.S. humanitarian assistance was extended to those who survived. While the U.S. record on the Armenian genocide is the most expansive in the detail of its coverage of the events of 1915 to 1918. the official records of many other countries. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090025952,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Austria. France. Germany. Great Britain. Italy. and Russia corroborate the evidence gathered by U.S. diplomats. Therefore. it is important for our government to reaffirm its own record on the Armenian genocide and to assure that the relevant historical records are preserved. By keepin memories alive through history. w. will prevent other instances of inhu inanity from occurring. As an ardent supporter of New Hamp shires Armenian community. I wouh like to pay particular respect to hard working individuals within my State Mr. Mike Manoian and Mr. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090025952,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Johi Aranosian have long advocated on be half of the ArmenianAmerican citi zens in New Hampshire. and their ef forts have resulted in the increasec awareness and understanding of Armenian interests. I applaud that dedicated work and greatly appreciate theii strong commitment. As a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. I will continue to encourage my colleagues to honor the memory of those Armenians who suffered and perished nearly a century ago.","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090025979,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ris today to highlight an important issu that has become the topic of much dis cussion across our country: Social Se. curity. Republicans in Congress have joine( together to form a series of teams tc highlight the important issues facing our Nation today. and I am proud tc serve as the chairman of the Retirement Security Team and to be joined by a number of my esteemed colleagues for this important discussion tonight. Mr. Speaker. we know that it is important that Congress address the challenges that Social Security stand before us in the coming years. We know that there is an increased number of retirees and that there are fewer joining the work force. When Social Security first paid out benefits in 1950 there were about 16 workers for every retiree. Today there are 3.3 workers for every retiree. and we are headed towards a time when there will be only 2 workers in the system for every retiree. This means that we need a system that can support a Social Security team program. ","speaker_name":"ANNE NORTHUP","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090025979,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When Social Security began. it happened that it paid out benefits when you were 65. but the life expectancy was at the age of 62. So this means for the average American they paid into a system where they were expected to die 3 years before they would be entitled to collect benefits. To our great benefit and to all Americans benefit. our lives are much different now. We know that our life expectancies are much greater than 65. 79. 80. 81 are becoming the life expectancy. And not only that. Americans are healthier. They are enjoying vibrant lives after they retire. and that means we have to have a Social Security system that can support the hope and opportunities that so many seniors have come to depend on and look forward to in their years after the age of It is an exciting time for Social Security. The Members here in Congress that are with me tonight are eager to address the challenges of Social Security so that we can meet our responsibilities and so that we can live up to the expectations of also our children and grandchildren who are going to be expected to bear the responsibility of this program after we ourselves are retired. This is a good time to embrace this challenge. to put ideas on the table. to ask our friends across the aisle to join us and to make a difference for todays seniors that they know they are in a system that is strong and vital and is there for them as they have always k known it. For those that are about to s be retired. that there is a system that n they can expect is going to stay the - same and benefit them. ","speaker_name":"ANNE NORTHUP","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090025979,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I We need to invite seniors today and those that are about to be seniors to join us in this conversation as seniors - in previous generations have done. to sit down at the table and to help ensure that this program that means so e much to them will be there for their children and grandchildren. The seniors in my district are appre- ciative of the generations before them that planned for a program that would I be sustainable while they themselves were retired. And I know that they are eager to roll up their sleeves and to join in this discussion and make sure - that the program for their children and grandchildren will be stainable too. So tonight let me introduce several of my colleagues as we discuss what the opportunities are before us with relationship to Social Security. First. I would like to introduce my very good friend. the gentleman from South Bend. Indiana or Elkhart. Indiana to be exact. I thank the gentleman for being with us tonight.","speaker_name":"ANNE NORTHUP","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090026032,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Does the gentleman yield? I spoke to the Raleigh Kiwanis Club - just as tax filing deadline approached a couple of weeks ago and said something about the alternative minimum tax. * that if the Members in this room have not figured that alternative minimum tax. you had better do it because I. for one. and sounds like the gentleman from South Carolina had the same experience. I found just exactly how this is biting. and there were many heads nodding in that room. This alternative minimum tax is reaching deep into the middle class. And as the gentleman says. the Presidents budget takes no account of the need to fix that.","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":625}
{"speech_id":1090026036,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just want to follow up on this briefly because we talked about fiscal responsibility and irresponsibility. And we have seen this chart. In 1993 we passed budgets that were very controversial. But they had the effect of eliminating the deficit and sending it up into surplus. And these were controversial. and those votes were used against the Democrats. Right after these votes were cast. when we eliminated the trend line going down into further and further deficit and started going up. we had PAYGO in effect. where if you had a tax cut. you had to pay for the tax cut. If you had a spending increase. you had to pay for it with either more taxes or less spending somewhere else. You just could not spend without paying for it. You could not cut taxes without paying for it. And we ended up in a surplus at the end of 2000. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5213}
{"speech_id":1090026036,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We let PAYGO expire so you could pass massive tax cuts and increase spending all you wanted without paying for it. And that kind of fiscal irresponsibility puts us down here to $427 billion in the hole. Now. it is going to get worse before it gets better. The President suggests in the rhetoric that he is going to cut the deficit in half in 5 years. which is actually somewhat modest. That means he is only going to clean up half the mess he caused. He is not even going to clean up just half. He is going to promise to clean up half. But this green line down here shows if you actually include what we know must be included. there is no way you are going to even come close. It is just going to get worse and worse. This blue line is an interesting line 1 because this is the budget projection. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5213}
{"speech_id":1090026036,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All the surpluses of 300 billionplus was the projection made in 2002. which is an interesting year. because it is after s 2001. After 9\/11 we still thought we could have surpluses. but we continued g to cut taxes. we continued to increase ( spending without any limit. h Now. we have heard about the prior- v ities that we are going to be missing. s We have heard about education. We have heard about health care. We have c heard about all of the things we cannot t do. One of the things we cannot do. I fi live in Newport News. Virginia. We y build aircraft carriers. Because of the 1 budget crunch. they are talking about c reducing the number of aircraft carriers. We have a NASA research facility near my district. aeronautics research. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5213}
{"speech_id":1090026036,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are scrambling to try to find a couple $100 million so that NASA Langley can have a few million dollars to continue the research that we are doing. We are having trouble finding that money. We hope we can find it. But just last week. we passed another tax cut. When fully phased in. it would be another $70 billion a year. Without paying for it. Just passed it. One priority we have. all of us here. Social Security. If you look at all of the tax cuts. you know. where are we going to find the money for Social Security to keep the plan we have got now. all of the tax cuts under this administration passed. and if we make them permanent. $14 trillion. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5213}
{"speech_id":1090026036,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Social Security only has a 3.7 to $4 trillion shortfall. If you add on Medicare. you could have solved both of those. or you can have tax cuts. And to add insult to injury. make the tax cuts permanent. That is over $11 trillion in present value cost. Social Security. 3.7. Make the tax cuts permanent for the top 1 percent. those making more than $350.000 a year. That is almost enough in itself to solve the Social Security problem that we have. Matter of priorities. Are we going to give tax cuts to the top 1 percent. or are we going to save Social Security for everybody? Well. we are going to be voting on that. We have already passed estate tax repeal. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5213}
{"speech_id":1090026040,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"$2.6 trillion. covering all of the priorities of this great Nation. the fact that we are at war. Social Security and Medicare. all domestic spending. cancer research. CDBG grants. everything is rolled up into it and no one has seen it. Now. last year we did not have a budget at all. so maybe the prospect of voting on a budget this year is a good one. But from all that we do know of the budget. and we will probably vote on it apparently about 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. it will be crammed down our throats with no one having seen the text of it. And the New York Times and responsible publications like that are saying it is really the worst of both worlds. It is going to help the people who need it the least and hurt the people who need it the most. It is going to hurt poor people. It is going to hurt middleclass people. It is going to hurt small businesses. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":934}
{"speech_id":1090026040,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is going to hurt our schools. and that is irresponsible budgeting.","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":934}
{"speech_id":1090026198,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first I say to the Senator from Colorado. we miss him on the committee. He was an excellent member of the committee. However. he was replaced by some excellent freshmen who are as enthusiastic as was the Senator from Colorado. While we miss him on the committee. it is still a great committee. and we certainly appreciate very much the comments he made this morning and the contributions he has made to the Environment and Public Works Committee.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":461}
{"speech_id":1090026227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the ranking member very much. What the committee has done is a very important step forward in a very balanced bill. I very much hope we will sustain this provision in the committeereported bill. I yield the floor and suggest the absence.of a quorum.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090026307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished Senator from Virginia. I say this to my distinguished friend from Missouri: I believe the needs of rural America. especially with respect to transportation. are important. I believe having legislation here that would change the percentage allocation by 5 percent. so we could have the rural bridges of our country have more resources to be able to get the job done. is something that is very important. I accept his offer to work with him. and look forward to seeing how we can address the needs of rural America with respect to the rural bridges we have across our country. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":619}
{"speech_id":1090026313,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. obviously. my good friend. the Senator from Virginia. and I view this very differently. I will outline some of the differefnces we have. Let me clarify. The Senator from Virginia noted that the bill passed last year in the Senata with the storm water provision included. I ask my colleagues to recall that we did so only with theagreement that I would not raise it in the Senate in order to get it to conference. and we would address it in conference. I did so out of deference to my colleagues to get the bill off the floor and to conference in what turned out to be the vain hope we could get a conference agreement on the bill which we badly needed last year. I did not want to hold up progress on the bill last year. We did not have time to debate it fully. But this year. we have time to debate it fully. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3195}
{"speech_id":1090026313,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is appropriate we do so. First. let me address the concept that this is a modest amendment. a small amendment. Back home. $900 million is not a small amount. I live in a State where $900 million means a whole lot. Do you know to whom it means a lot? It means a lot to the mayors. The mayors want safety for their citizens. These are community leaders who come to Washington to talk to me about how badly they need the money for their roads. I dont think $900 million is small. I dont think we should take $900 million from the highway. bridge. transit construction budget. But if Senators think their State has more than enough highway dollars and can afford to give money away for storm water. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3195}
{"speech_id":1090026313,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would be glad to know that as we move forward on appropriations matters and other matters dealing with transportation. With respect to what this underlying bill will do. section. 1620. which was sponsored by the Senator from Virginia. mandates States set aside 2 percent of the funds in their main highway gccounts--nearly $900 million total over the life of the billto be used only. regardless of need. on storm water mitigation activities. If allowed to remain in the bill. the mandatory setaside would force all States to divert $740 million from their Surface Transportation Program funds. The mandatory setaside would also force States to divert over $125 million from the Equity Bonus Program set up to help almost every State receive more transportation. That is where I get the $900 million figure. However. if this figure is struck. if the State of Virginia or any other State wants to use it. storm water mitigation activities are already eligible for funding. States can spend up to 20 percent of a projects cost using STP funds on storm water mitigation if they choose. The underlying bill also expanded funding eligibility for storm water mitigation by adding it to the eligible activities. The National Highway System program states they will be able to spend up to 20 percent of a projects costs using NHS on storm water mitigation if they choose. I have already listed what the impact of the mandatory setaside would be. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3195}
{"speech_id":1090026313,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The ocoupant of the chair is from Minnesota. That would be a $17.7 million hit on Minnesota. In addition. the State of Virginia would have to set aside $23 million. But I guess they would want to use that money on storm water anyhow.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3195}
{"speech_id":1090026350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I accept the proffer. Mr. President. while the Senator is on his feet. I say to the Senator. you say that this mandate is going to take some money from the bill. I have added up a number of mandates that our committee has put into this bill which are funded out of highways. Two of them. I commend you for. One is the NHS connectersthat is connecting some of our local systems to the interstatewhich are valid. That is $900 million. Safe roads and paths to schoolsthat is a mandate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090026350,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I commend you for that. That is $312 million. AndRailroad diversion of highway funds. $893 million. It goes on and on. I have to tell you. I think this is a wellcrafted bill. It has my support. The chairman knows that. But. please. do not point the finger to me as if I am the only one who put a mandate in to help the little fellows. They are in here. plenty of them. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090026350,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you for your smile. That is all I wish to say. You agree with me. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090026359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I simply wish to reply that the amendment that is in the bill provides jobs. The same construction worker who is on the project building the new. road comes down and repairs the old road. It requires concrete and asphalt to repair .the old road. to divert the water. So it is highway construction. It is jobs. There is no digression of the funds except to provide a safety measure.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":396}
{"speech_id":1090026427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is very interesting to compare this .statement where the President says he is going to have \"the largest debt reduction of any country. ever. Future generations shouldnt be forced to pay back money that we have borrowed.\" but here is what has actually happened. There is no debt reduction. The debt is exploding. This is just the publicly held debt. The gross debt would be even a worse picture. I have taken the debt that is the most restrained version of the debt of the United States. The President inherited $3.3 trillion in debt in 2001. Under his plan. we are headed for over $9 trillion of debt by 2015. Increasingly. this money is being borrowed from abroad.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":669}
{"speech_id":1090026430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the debt keeps running up. then the carrying charge on the debt goes up every year. So more and more of the annual budget is consumed in order to pay the interest charge on the debt that was built up because deficits have been run before. is that correct?","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":258}
{"speech_id":1090026490,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I first want to congratulate the Senator from North Dakota and my two other colleagues. my old friend and colleague from Maryland. Senator SARBANES. and Senator DORGAN. for their excellent presentation in terms of the budgetary impact of this budget. I think they have explained very clearly. eloquently. and passionately the severe risks that this budget puts in terms of the economic future of this country and its relationships and dependency on other countries throughout the world. I would like to address another aspect of this budget. and that is with regard to domestic priorities that are front and center for most families in this country. First. I would like to discuss the priority of education. and then. second. the budget cuts in Medicaid. which is a lifeline to millions of. children and disabled people and women in our society. and third. the further undermining of our whole pension system. which has been included as part of this budget as well. We are having a great national debate on the issues of Social Security and the integrity of the Social Security fund. Under the provisions of this budget. we are going to find that the availability and the assurance of pensions is going to be seriously undermined and threatened as well. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1545}
{"speech_id":1090026490,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But as an initial matter. I ask unanimous consent that an excellent statement by the Episcopal Church. the Evangelical Lutheran Church. the Presbyterian Church. the United Church of Christ. and the United Methodist Church. with regard to this budget. be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1545}
{"speech_id":1090026527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am truly frustrated in the failure of the budget resolution conference agreement to include the senseoftheSenate provisionwhich I offered and the Senate accepted by voice votethat is intended to head off the administrations plans to raid the Crime Victims Fund of over $1.2 billion. The Crime Victims Fund was created under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. VOCA. as a \"separate account.\" meaning that the revenues in the fund are intended to be used solely for financial support of victim services. The fund does not depend at all on taxpayer revenues. it is derived from Federal criminal fines. forfeitures. and special assessments. Since its inception. amounts deposited into the fund in a given fiscal year have remained available to support victim services in subsequent fiscal years. Following a proposal in the Presidents budget. this budget resolution conference agreement would rescind all amounts remaining in the fund at the end of fiscal year 20065an estimated $1.267 billion. That would leave the fund with a balance of zero going into fiscal year 2007 to support vital victim services. This is absolutely shameful and unacceptable. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5991}
{"speech_id":1090026527,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The budget is a statement of our Nations priorities and with this agreement we say to crime victims. \"Sorry. but your suffering is no longer our concern.\" We are telling crime victimsthe victims of child sexual and physical abuse. domestic violence. sexual assault. robbery. assault. DUI\/DWI crashes. elder abuse. adults molested as children. and the survivors of homicide victimsthat their concerns and suffering do not rise to the level of being a national priority. The provision.that we included in the Senatepassed budget resolution expressed the sense of the Senate that we reject the proposed rescission. It assumes that all amounts that have been and will be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund. including all amounts to be deposited in fiscal year 2006 and thereafter. will remain in the fund for use as authorized by the Victims of Crime Act. The Crime Victims Fund is the Nations premier vehicle for the support of victims services. Nearly. 90 percent of thb fund is used to award State crime victim compensation and victim assistance formula grants. VOCAfunded .victim assistance programs serve nearly 4 million crime victims each year. VOCAfunded compensation programs have helped hundreds of thousands of victims of violent crime. The fund also serves victims of Federal crimes. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5991}
{"speech_id":1090026527,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"VOCA funding supports victim assistance services provided by U.S. Attorneys Offices and the FBI. as well as the Federal victim notification system. It is used for child abuse prevention and treatment grants. and it is also used to provide emergency relief to victims of terrorism and mass violence. Since fiscal year 2000. Congress has set a cap on annual fund obligations expressly for the purpose of ensuring \"that a stable level of funding will remain available for these programs in future years.\" The \"rainy day\" fund created by this spending cap has been used to make up the difference between annual deposits and distributions three times during the past 6 years. When Congress began considering caps on fund obligations. I proposed and Congress enacted an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act to clarify our intent to stabilize. and preserve the fund for the benefit of victims. The amendment. now codified at section 10601(c) of title 42. requires that \" . . . all sums deposited in the fund in any fiscal year that are not made available for obligation by Congress in the subsequent fiscal year shall remain in the fund for obligation in future fiscal years. without fiscal year limitation.\" Thus. in both the authorization and the appropriations processes. Congress has clearly and emphatically stated its intent to maintain .a stable source of Federal support for essential victim services. Over the past 4 years. the Bush administration and this Republican Congress have squandered record surpluses and racked up $7.6 trillion in Federal debt as a result of reckless spending and budgetbusting tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5991}
{"speech_id":1090026527,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now the President and this budget resolution conference agreement propose to reduce the deficit by siphoning off resources that we set aside to assist victims of crime. The entire crime victims communityincluding the National Center for Victims of Crime. the National Network to End Domestic Violence. the National Organization for Parents of Murdered Children. the National Childrens Alliance. and Mothers Against Drunk Drivingstands united in opposition to the proposed rescission. These organizations represent the millions of Americans who become victims of crime every year. They have argued that rescinding the fund at the end of fiscal year 2006 would create a \"disasr trous\" situation for victim service providers and their clients . . My friend and colleague. Senator CRAPO. recently joined me to lead a bipartisan group of 29 senators on a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce. Justice and Science requesting that they oppose proposals to rescind all amounts remaining in the fund at the end of fiscal year 2006. Each of those Senators recognized that we bear a responsibility to victims of crime. that it is appropriate that compensation come from convicted criminals and provided to the victim. and that it is entirely inappropriate to expunge this money from the fund and transfer it into the pot of appropriated taxpayer dollars. In the House. a letter with the identical request has 91 bipartisan cosigners. Clearly broad Congressional support for the preservation of the fund exists. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5991}
{"speech_id":1090026527,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In every State and every community across the country. the Crime Victims Fund plays an essential .role in helping crime victims and their families meet critical expenses. recover from the horrific crimes they endured. and move forward with their lives. It is an embarrassment that this budget resolution agreement fails to preserve the fundas we promised we wouldfor the benefit of -victims.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5991}
{"speech_id":1090026567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from NortJi Dakota for his leadership on this budget. When there was a break here and another Senator was speaking. I asked Senator CONRAD an obvious question: Have you ever seen a worse budget since you have been in Congress? His answer was no. Well. I have not either. I cannot remember a budget this bad. When you take a look at the budget deficits of President Bush. and now his Republicans in Congress. it reminds me of a lot of baseball players who were on steroids and in denial. We are seeing these budget deficits mushroom. and the socalled fiscally conservative Republicans are ignoring it. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7835}
{"speech_id":1090026567,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to send out an all points bulletin by the Capitol Police to find out if there is one fiscal conservative left on the Republican side of the aisle because each year now under President Bush we have been digging this deficit hole deeper and deeper. Sadly. the party that used to stand up and say. we want to balance the budgetin fact. amend the Constitution to do it--has now raced away from that value. that principle. and we find ourselves in a terrible predicament. We have a budget that does not accurately reflect the cost of the war in Iraq. It does not reflect the Presidents proposal to privatize Social Security. It doesnt feflect making permanent all the tax cuts. It doesnt reflect the cost overruns for the Presidents Medicare prescription drug program. It doesnt reflect the true cost of plugging this tax loophole problem called the alternative minimum tax. Do you know what BusinessWeek Magazine said? BusinessWeek is not a liberal publication. They said of President Bushs budget that it has become a comedy routine. Listen to what they said: It resembles Swiss cheese. and the holes are more interesting than the substance. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7835}
{"speech_id":1090026567,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They understand that this budget doesnt reflect the true spending of America. We understand that if this budget is enactedand I am sure my Republican colleagues will march lockstep to the well to vote for itwe are going to find ourselves in the deepest deficits in the history of the United States of America. The President and his party are making history with the deepest deficits in our history and the fact that they are calling for tax cuts in the midst of a war. Tax cuts in the middle of a war? No President has ever done that. This President does it and does not flinch. We met in the Appropriations Committee this afternoon with an $81 billion supplemental emergency appropriation because you cannot add it in the real budget. It is not a real budget item. it is an emergency budget item. although we are going into 6ur third year in Iraq. The emergency keeps coming every single year. They wont add it to the real budget because it makes the deficit look a lot worse. That is the reality. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7835}
{"speech_id":1090026567,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet. at the same time. as the Senator from North Dakota explains to us. we find ourselves in this deficit hole with the budget that doesnt tell the truth about spending in America. This President wants to stand up and give tax breaks to the wealthiest people in America. Just next year. as the Senator from North Dakota pointed out. there are $32 billion in tax cuts for Americans making over a million dollars a year. Did you listen to the President tonight on television? He spoke to the American people. This is what he said: We need to index Social Security benefits in a way that will reduce Social Security payments for some and increase them for lower income people. I am not going to object to increasing payments for lower income people. I think that is a fair. just. moral thing to do. But when you take a close look at the Presidents proposal. it means if you are making the average income$60.000. lets say. and that is not a lot of money. but an average incomewhen you retire. the Presidents Social Security benefit change will take over 40 percent of your benefits away. The President said these higher income peoplemaking $60.000 a year under the Presidents definitionmust be prepared to sacrifice. The spirit of sacrifice. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7835}
{"speech_id":1090026567,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Where is that spirit of sacrifice when it comes to millionaires next year. millionaires to whom the Presidents tax cuts will give $32 billion more to spend. If you are making $60.000. you need a spirit of sacrifice. if you make a million dollars. have a tax cut. How about $32 billion worth of tax cuts. Then look at what this budget cuts: $10 billion in Medicaid cuts that reduce final funding for health care. Today. the Governor of my State and the mayor of the largest city came to talk to us about Medicaid. They talked to us about what that meant. Medicaid. where I live. is a critical program. Medicaid for most States is essential. Two out of three people- in nursing homes in America today rely on Medicaid to pay their bills so they can live there from month to month. Medicaid\" provides health care to children. pregnant women. seniors. and people with disabilities. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7835}
{"speech_id":1090026608,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the courtesy of the Senator from North Dakota and his staff and again thank my staff for the extremely effective way they have brought this process forward. This is the only opportunity to get us on a game plan for reducing the debt of the Federal Government. for moving forward in a process that is going to bring fiscal restraint to the Federal Government. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle. for all their talk. have not put a budget on the table. This budget is a real document. It is a strong game plan for moving down the road of establishing fiscal responsibility here at the Federal level. It freezes nondefense discretionary spending for 3 years. That is real savings. For the first time in 7 years. it steps onto the turf of entitlement and mandatory spending and begins the process of addressing two major issues which need to be addressed if we are going to get our fiscal house in order. specifically Medicaid and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2221}
{"speech_id":1090026608,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. it reduces the deficit in half over the next 4 years and. as a result of stepping onto the issues of Medicare and entitlements. it begins the process of correcting the outyear problems we face as a nation which we should not be passing on to our children but which we will pass on to our children if we dont begin to act now. There has not been a budget in this Congress for 2 of the last 4 years. It is time to act on a budget. It is our obligation. especially as the majority party. to put forward a game plan for how we as a government are going to function and how we are going to move forward to act in a fiscally responsible way. This budget does that. In addition. it will continue to energize and activate the very strong economic recovery which we have seen over the last year. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been added. Revenues have increased dramatically. That is a result of the policies of this President. This budget continues those policies in a manner which will continue that economic expansion. give entrepreneurs the opportunity to be aggressive. and create jobs for Americans. -It is a good budget. and it is a good place to start. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2221}
{"speech_id":1090026608,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is something we need to do. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2221}
{"speech_id":1090026678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. more than 1200 students from across the Nation will be competing in the finals of the \"We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution\" program here in Washington. DC. from April 30May 2. 2005. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is designed specifically to educate our young people about the U.S. Constitution. Bill of Rights. and the importance of civic participation to our political process. Schools are provided with textbooks that offer both historical information and criticalthinking activities. and students compete in the format of a congressional hearing to show their knowledge of our democracy. I am proud to announce that students from East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick. NJ. will be returning this year to defend their national title earned in May 2004. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1464}
{"speech_id":1090026678,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"East Brunswick High School won my home States competition again this year and will represent New Jersey in our Nations Capital this weekend. I wish the following students. and their teacher Alan Brodman. the best of luck in the future and congratulate them on their hard work and inspiring civic advocacy: Rajiv Agarwal. Elliot Chiu. Theresa Cui. Yan Cui. Aditi Eleswarapu. Michael Genson. Stephanie Horwitz. Frances.Huang. Manisha Johary. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1464}
{"speech_id":1090026678,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Michael Kofsky. Kevin Kuo. Sam Lau. Alexandra Palmer. Resham Patel. Mark Pruce. Panwan Punjabi. Caroline Rana. Natalie Rana. Sana Sheikh. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1464}
{"speech_id":1090026678,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Allison Sorkin. Ilana Stern. Eric Struening. and Lauren Volosin.e","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1464}
{"speech_id":1090026685,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am pleased to be joined by the Senator from South Carolina. Mr. GRAHAM. in introducing legislation that requires Congress to act on what may be the most pressing domestic policy issue of our time. namely health care reform. I travel to each of Wisconsins 72 counties every year to hold town hall meetings. Year after year. the number one issue raised at these listening sessions is the samehealth care. The failure of our health care system brings people to these meetings in droves. The frustration I hear. the anger and the desperation. have convinced me that we must change the system. So many people now come to tell me that they used to think government involvement was a terrible idea. but not anymore. Now they tell me that their businesses are being destroyed by health care costs. and they want the government to step in. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10777}
{"speech_id":1090026685,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These costs are crippling our economy just as the na\u0095tion is struggling to rebound from the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs. Our health care system has failed to keep costs in check. Costs are skyrocketing. and there is simply no way we can expect businesses to keep up. So in all too many cases. employers are left to offer subpar benefits. or to wonder whether they can offer any benefits at all. Employers cannot be the sole provider of health care when these costs are rising faster than inflation. One option that could help employers. especially small businesses. reduce their health care costs is to have them form health care cooperatives. where employers lower costs by purchasing care as a group. I have introduced a bill in the Senate to make it easier for business to create these cooperatives. But that legislation certainly isnt the magic bullet that can address the whole problem. We need to come up with more comprehensive ways to address rising costs. In most cases. costs are still passed on to employees. who then face enormous premiums that demand more and more of their monthly income. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10777}
{"speech_id":1090026685,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People tell me that they dont understand how anyone can afford these astronomical premiums. and what can you say to that? Well. we can say that its time to move toward universal coverage. I believe we can find a way to make universal coverage work in this country. Universal coverage doesnt mean that we have to copy a system already in place in another country. We can harness our Nations creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to design a system that is uniquely American. Universal coverage doesnt have to be defined by whats been attempted in the past. What universal coverage does meah is ending a system where approximately 45 million Americans are uninsured. and where too many of those who are insured are struggling to pay their premiums. struggling to pay for prescription drugs. and struggling to find long term care. We cant tolerate a system that strands so many Americans without the coverage they need. This system costs us dearly: Even though an estimated 45 million Americans are uninsured. the United States devotes more of its economy to health care than other industrial countries. Leaving this many Americans uninsured affects all. of us. Those who are insured pay more because the uninsured cant afford to pay their bills. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10777}
{"speech_id":1090026685,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And those bills are exceptionally high. because the uninsured wait so long to see a doctor. The uninsured often live sicker. and die earlier. than other Americans. so they also need a disproportionate amount of acute care. In 2001 alone. health care providers provided $35 billion worth of uncompensated care. While providers absorb some of those costs. inevitably some of the burden is shifted to other patients. And of course the process of costshifting itself generates additional costs. We are all paying the price for our broken health care system. and it is time to bring about change. Over the years I have heard many different proposals for how we should change the health care system in this country. Some propose using tax incentives as a way to expand access to health care. Others think the best approach is to expand public programs. Some feel a national single payer health care system is the only way to go. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10777}
{"speech_id":1090026685,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I dont think we can ignore any of these proposals. We need to consider all of these as we address our broken health care system. As a former State legislator. I come to this debate knowing that States are coming up with some very innovative solutions to the health care problem. So in addition to the approaches already mentioned. I think we really need to look at what our States are doing. and add to the menu of possibilities an approach under which each State decides the best way to cover its residents. I favor an Americanstyle health care reform. where we encourage creative solutions to the health care problems facing our country. without using a onesizefitsall approach. I believe that states have a better idea about what the health care needs of their residents are. and that they understand what types of reform will work best for their State. So I am in favor of a Statebased universal health care system. where States. with the Federal Governments help. come up with a plan to make sure that all of their residents have health care coverage. This approach would achieve universal health care. without the Federal Government dictating to all of the states exactly how to do it. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10777}
{"speech_id":1090026735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator HATCH. Senator BROWNBACK and I are pleased to introduce today the Project BioShield II Act of 2005. This is the fourth bill I have introduced on this subject. and the third with Senator HATCH as my lead cosponsor. We are delighted today to be joined by Senator BROWNBACK. a leading advocate for research to cure deadly tropical diseases. None of us on the Hillespecially those of us with offices in the Hart Buildingwill forget October 15. the date of the anthrax attack on Senator Daschles office. This date is the bioterrorism equivalent of September 11. We also need to remember October 5. the third anniversary of the 2001 anthrax death of Bob Stevens. a photo editor at American Media in Boca Raton. Florida. and November 17. the third anniversary of the discovery of a similar anthrax laced letter mailed to Senator LEAHY. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12590}
{"speech_id":1090026735,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Similar anthrax attacks during these weeks were directed at NBC. ABC. CBS andother news organizations. All told five people died and thousands who might have been exposed were put on Cipro. including many of us and many of our staff. This attack on civilians with weapons grade anthrax was unprovoked. And unlike the case with the 9\/11 attacks. we still dont know who mailed the anthrax letters. As with the 9\/11 attacks. wewere totally unprepared for the anthraxlaced letters. We are re.sponding forcefully to the 9\/11 attacksthe commission that Senator MCCAIN and I proposed has issued a superb report and the Government Affairs Committee. where I serve as the Ranking Democrat. is hard at. work translating its recommendations into legislation. Unfortunately our response to the 10\/15 anthrax attack has not been as forceful. Unlike our response to 9\/11. we have not seemed to consider the 10\/15 attack to be the equivalent of a declaration of war. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12590}
{"speech_id":1090026735,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While we have taken a few constructive steps to strengthen our Bioterror defenses. we remain painfully vulnerable to another Bioterror attack. or a chemical or radiological attack. Many of us believe that enactment of BioShield I. last July. is a step in the right direction. but we dont believe that BioShield is sufficient. If we listen carefully. we will hear that the biopharma industrywhich is hiding on this issueis saying that BioShield is not enough. So we already have strong warning signs that more needs to be done. There is no terror threat greater than that of Bioterror. With an attack with a plane. a chemical attack or a radiological dispersion device. dirty bomb. the loss of life can be catastrophic. but the perimeter of the attack is fixed. With an\" infectious disease. the perimeter of an attack might grow exponentially as the infection spreads. It is possible to kill thousands with a bomb. chemical or radiation. but it is possible to kill millions with a bioterror pathogen. In the 2001 anthrax attack. the terrorist wrote a note in the letter to Senator Daschle that said. \"091101. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12590}
{"speech_id":1090026735,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You can not stop us. We have this anthrax. You die now. Are you afraid? Death to America. Death to Israel. Allah is great.\" If this note had not been included in the letter. and if the intern who opened the letter hadnt been suspicious. it is possible that some Senators and many Capitol Hill staff from our officesperhaps hundredsmight have died. We would only have discovered the attack in hospital emergency rooms. where Cipro might have proven to be ineffective. Cipro works as a prophylaxis only when it catches anthrax early. before the toxins are released into the bloodstream. which can happen within 24 hours of an infection. Our current anthrax vaccine is administered in six shots over 18 montns. The 9\/11 Commission report states that alQaida \"was making advances in its ability to produce anthrax prior to Sept. 11\" and citedformer CIA Director George Tenet as warning that an anthrax attack is \"one of the most immediate threats the U.S. is likely to face.\" Russia developed dozens of strains of anthrax and the security at these former bioweapons laboratories is suspect. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12590}
{"speech_id":1090026735,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is estimated that a mason jar of anthrax spores sprayed over an urban area could infect 400.000 residents. and if undetected until they started showing up in emergency rooms. kill half of them. It is also estimated that one hundred anthrax laced letters could cross contaminate thirty million letters and infect 10.000 people with anthrax. Imagine what would happen if our mail systemwhich processed over 200 billion pieces of mail last yearwere closed for a few months. What we need. and dont yet have. is a therapeutic that disarms the anthrax toxins at a late stage of the diseasewhich is the aim of a pending RFP at the Department of Health and Human Services. We saw the potential for* morbidity and mortality. and massive economic disruption. with SARS. When SARS was rampant. Beijing. Hong Kong and Shanghai closed down. Quarantines were imposed and China authorized the death penalty on anyone who willfully spread the disease. During the epidemic. there were reports that the SARS virus was mutating to become more virulent. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12590}
{"speech_id":1090026813,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. yesterdays Washington Post carried two pages of pictures of our brave young men and women whb were killed in Iraq. This war is an abstraction for most Americans. but not for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The fallen soldiers contributions will never be diminished. What they stood for is in the highest service to this Nation. But we must ask questions of those who sent them. of those who would keep our troops there. of those who would send even more troops. of those who say. well. now that we are there. we must stay there. Such logic would have left us still fighting a war in Vietnam. How can we move on to other matters in this Capitol when we are sending more men and women to die in a war that was based on a lie? This war has forever altered the lives of tens of thousands of families in this country and hundred of thousands in Iraq. . Enough is enough. It is time for an exit strategy. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":965}
{"speech_id":1090026813,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time to get out of Iraq.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":965}
{"speech_id":1090026816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is hard to tell by reading the front pages of papers across the country. but the House has been racking up legislative accomplishments. one after another after another. most of the times with growing bipartisan support. Look at just a few of the accomplishments in the first 100 days of this Congress. Legal reform. The Class Action Fairness Act addresses the most serious lawguit abuse by allowing larger interstate class action cases to be heard in Federal courts with a Consumer Class Action Bill of Rights. Border security and immigration reform. The REAL ID Act completes the work of the 9\/11 Commission recommendations by implementing reforms to strengthen our border security and better protect our homeland. The death tax repeal. The permanent repeal of the death tax ends the unjust and unfair tax on millions. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090026816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is a great pleasure and a welcome sight to me to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle join us to do the peoples work. Let us continue that good work and tackle Social Security and tax reform.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090026821,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr..Speaker. Social Security is one of the most successful programs ever enacted .by Congress. Through its guaranteed benefits and reliability. it has saved tens of millions of seniors from a life of poverty during their most vulnerable years. To appreciate fully the importance of Social Security. one need only to have our grandparents talk about the tragic lives of many of our seniors prior to the 1935 passage of the Social Security Act. Yet the Presidents current proposal fails in its protection of our Nations seniors by sacrificing the reliability of Social Security bepefits for the highly risky scheme of private accounts. subject to the unpredictable fluctuatibns of the stock market. For that reason. it is no accident~that seniors across the country are opposed to the Presidents ill advised and- extremely risky Social Security proposal. Let us reject the Presidents ideas and instead draft a plan to ensure the longterm solvency of Social Security and again give Americans the safety and confidence they have long enjoyed from the Social Security System.","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1070}
{"speech_id":1090026841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just marvel that in this deep dark process that we are engaged in enough light has been cast to find all of the flaws in the budget. So on the one hand. there are tremendous problems with the budget that will be presented in the budget. and on the other hand. we do not know what is in the budget because there has been inadequate time. I submit that the gentleman from Massachusetts was right when he said that this is a big deal. it is an important issue. Having a blueprint. having a budget resolution for the Congress is hugely important so that we may avoid the omnibus at the end of the year. which also is open to the criticism that it is difficult to find everything that is in it when we have to pass and manage the government in that way. And the budget resolution lays forth a blueprint that enables the Committee on Appropriations to do their work and enables the American people to know what the priorities of their government are foi that fiscal year.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090026848,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"of -Texas. Mr. Speaker. his genuine attitude is appreciated. I think the American people would welcome a closer study of this issue. and I thank him for allowing me to go home. however. and wake up the constituents of the 18th Congressional District for a fight to come in the future. And we will continue the fight. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":358}
{"speech_id":1090026886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me thank my colleague from Florida for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the rule for the budget for fiscal year 2006 and stand firmly behind our effort to exercise fiscal responsibility when it comes to spending taxpayers hardearned dollars. I came to Congress in part because I believed Federal spending had gotten out of hand. The Federal Government was growing by leaps and bounds. and as government grew larger. it was crowding out the private sector. the engine that drives our Nations growth and prosperity. I was concerned about that. and I still am. We have done a lot of good things since the American people put a new majority in charge in 1994. We have repeatedly reduced the tax burden on families and entrepreneurs. we have reformed the welfare system. we have reformed elementary and secondary education. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1107}
{"speech_id":1090026886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The government has continued to grow. and this budget is a chance for us to renew Americas confidence and prove that we still have the courage to lead. I want to recognize my colleague. the chairman of the House Committee on the Budget. the gentleman from Iowa","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1107}
{"speech_id":1090026898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in very strong support of this conference report. And I also want to congratulate the gentleman from Iowa . the chairman of the Budget Committee. who I know is on the floor now. Mr. Speaker. I believe he probably has the most difficult job that one has in the United States House of Representatives. and that is. each one of us. 435 of us. have opinions about how much money we should take from American families and spend in government. and once we get that money what should we spend it on. And certainly I have my opinions. I believe we need to do more to protect the family budget from the Federal budget. And at the same time there are some categories of government I wish we could spend more money on. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090026898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe that there is still more we could do in policing our border. more we can do in veterans health care. But I strongly support this budget for several reasons. Number one. a budget is a whole lot more than just numbers. It is more than just an accounting green eyeshade function. It is about priorities. It is about vision. This is a budget that provides for the common defense. This is a budget that helps us fight and win this war on terror. It is a budget that promotes economic growth. Under this Republican administrations economic policies. we have come out of the recession. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090026898,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have created 3 million jobs. We are giving Americans jobs and growth and hope and opportunity. And this budget protects that. And perhaps also. very important and very historic. this budget provides for something we call reconciliation. Now. in Washington terms. that is kind of an insider baseball term. But what it means is we start the process to reform our entitlement spending. Now. why is that important? Our friends on the other side of the aisle are always talking. about how. for some reason. their budget is fiscally responsible and ours is not. But right now we have Medicare. over the next decade it is growing to. grow at 9 percent a year. Medicaid is going to grow at almost 8 percent a year. Social Security is growing at 52 percent a year. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090026898,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The General Accounting Office tells us that if we do not reform these programs. that we are on a glide path to where our children and our grandchildren will have to see their taxes increased 2\/2 times. This is fiscally responsible? Sure. We can balance the budget in 2040. All we do is we leave spending on automatic pilot. and we raise taxes on our children and grandchildren 2\/2 times. Mr. Speaker. I see nothing fiscally responsible in that approach. And this is why I am a strong supporter of this. And I believe we must start the process of reform. Our children and grandchildren are facing this legacy. this sea. this tsunami of red ink. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090026898,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is a question of generational fairness here. And Mr. Speaker. many of us in this Chamber know that we can get better retirement security at a lesser cost. We can get better health care at a lesser cost if we just have different policies. I mean. right now we know. we know that if we will embrace real Social Security personal accounts with real assets that owners can work and have a nest egg. that they can get more. greater retirement security than what present Social Security is promising and cannot deliver. Now. our friends on the other side of the aisle will find fault in this budget in a couple of ways. And I have been listening to the debate. They say tax relief is why we have these massive budget deficits. Well. unfortunately. they have not looked at the latest Treasury reports. We have actually cut marginal rates. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090026909,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. What our friends on the majority side are doing would be downright funny if it were not so downright tragic. The motion that we are here taking a $2.6 trillion budget with less than 3 hours to look at it is not laughable. It is disgusting. We tried at the beginning of this year to enforce the 3day rule except for cases where a supermajority could be obtained. You denied that. I challenge you to go home to your rotary clubs. your town halls. your citizens groups and say. friends. the United States Congress led by the Republican majority passed a $2.6 trillion budget and the Members had 3 hours to look at it. Be honest with your constituents. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1121}
{"speech_id":1090026909,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Say. I read that entire budget in those 3 hours we had. Be honest with your constituents and tell them how much of that Social Security trust fund you are bor- rowing to disguise your spending and to disguise the cost of your deficit. You folks ran on a platform back in 1993 where you said if legislation cannot pass 3 days of scrutiny. it should not be enacted into law. That is the case today with this budget.","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1121}
{"speech_id":1090026916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. let me close this debate by urging Members to vote \"no\" on the previous question so I can modify the rule to allow the House to reject this flawed budget conference report and require the House Committee on the Budget to produce a new Federal budget that does not raid the Social Security trust fund. Mr. Spbaker. since President Bush took office. Republican budgets have spent every penny of Social Security trust surplus in .order to finance the deficits and pay\" for their tax cuts. While the President travels the country trying and failing to convince Americans that privatizing Social Security is a good idea. his tax cuts continue to pile up the IOUs in the Social Security trust fund. We need a budget that will bring back budget enforcement. to protect the Social Security surplus and return the budget to balance by 2012. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1325}
{"speech_id":1090026916,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Spratt budget would put us back on the path to fiscal solvency and that is the kind of budget America needs and deserves. not the budget before us today. Please vote \"no\" on the previous question so we can protect Social Security and begin restoring some fiscal sanity to the Nation. [] 1800 Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1325}
{"speech_id":1090026944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the. budget resolution that we are going to vote on here in about 30 or 45 minutes because we are a body about solutions. If we do not pass the budget. we have no opportunity to solve some of the problems that face our great Nation. The committee that I chair does have jurisdiction over the Medicaid program and a large portion of the Medicare program. as well as telecommunications and energy. And in the instructions for reconciliation in this budget. we are asked to try to find savings of approximately $20 billion over the next 5 years. For those who are not familiar with the arcane process of reconciliation. it is very similar to what happens when a husband and wife have a spat and they get mad and they do not talk to each other for a while. Eventually they reconcile. They come back together. That is what we do here in this body. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5537}
{"speech_id":1090026944,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do it between the Committee on Appropriations and the authorizing committees. and we also do it between the House and the Senate. We fight all year. but at the end of the year. we are going to have a reconciliation. We are going to come forward. hopefully on a bipartisan basis. and we are going to say we want some solutions to some of these problems. The Medicaid program is a $300 billionayear pr6gram. It is about 60 percent funded by the Federal taxpayers and about 40 percent funded by State taxpayers. Twentynine States in the last 3 years have frozen their Medicaid populations. The State of Tennessee. for example. has kicked 323.000 people off their Medicaid rolls because they just did not have the money. There are a lot of good ideas out there in terms of things we could do to reform Medicaid. We are not talking about trying to do things to kick people off the rolls. We are talking about things like letting people stay at home instead of having to go to a nursing home to get longterm care. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5537}
{"speech_id":1090026944,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are talking about giving the States the flexibility perhaps to decide how to price some of their pharmaceuticals. We are talking about commonsense things like people that have some assets. getting them to use reverse mortgages on their homes so they can stay and live at home and not have to hide that or sell that home and then go into a nursing home. So I know it is difficult. but this is a budget about solutions. And I hope that we will pass it so that we can begin the reconciliation process at the appropriate time with the other body. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of this budget. resolution. On March 17. this House voted 218 to 214 in support of a budget that instructed the Committee on Energy and Commerce to find $20 billion in savings. Members at that time recognized the importance of reducing the rapid rate of growth in entitlement programs like Medicaid. As the House and Senate reconcile our two budgets. we need to continue to be diligent and stay on the path of fiscal responsibility. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5537}
{"speech_id":1090026944,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Opponents of this resolution argue that any budget resolution that allows for Medicaid reforms will cause untold suffering for Medicaid beneficiaries. This argument ignores .the fundamental truth that these beneficiaries are already suffering. In Tennessee and Missouri. over three hundred thousand beneficiaries are going to lose their health coverage. due to the outofcontrol growth in Medicaid costs. Other States are imposing restrictions on benefits. including limits on the total number of prescriptions a beneficiary can receive per month and restricting access to other basic services. Without Congressional action. these problems are just going to get worse. Mississippis Medicaid program ran out of money last year. and they were almost unable to pay their providers. Unfortunately. the current Medicaid program traps beneficiaries in a second rate health program. where too often they cannot get access to quality care or manage their chronic conditions. These problems stem in large part from the explosive growth in Medicaid spending. From 2000 to 2003 alone. Medicaid spending grew at an average rate of 10 percent each year. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5537}
{"speech_id":1090026944,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Neither the States nor the Federal Government can sustain these rates of spending growth. That is why Governor Mark Warner (DVA) recently warned that \"we are on our way to a meltdown\" on Medicaid. By including Medicaid reforms in the budget. were attempting to save this important program. Our efforts will not cut Medicaid. but only slow its rate of growth. In 1993. Medicaid spending was approximately $132 billion. By 2003. the program had more than doubled. and it is expected to cost $5 trillion over the next 10 years. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) projects that Medicaid will \"grow more rapidly than the economy over the next several decades and . . . add substantially to the overall budget deficit.\" I take Medicaid reform extremely seriously. There are 46 million people out there who depend on the Medicaid program. and I dont want to let them down. That is why I have been working with members of Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5537}
{"speech_id":1090026945,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey . the distinguished chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. # Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker. the Nations $2.6 trillion budget was filed just over 3 hours ago. and we have not even had a chance to review it. But from press reports this budget adds more than $4 trillion to the deficit in the next 10 years without even including the enormous costs that have been left out of the budget such as funding for coitinued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. So let us be clear that when Members come to the floor representing their constituencies. they should understand that a vote for this budget resolution is a vote to increase the debt ceiling of the United States to $8.6 trillion. This will ensure that our tax dollars do not go to Social Security and Medicare or to investing in our people. but to simply paying interest on this debt that Republicans continue to raise without any concern about future generations. By not restoring the budget enforcement rules. the rules that say we have to pay for the expenditures of the Nation aswe go.. they continue to spend wildly. making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. and driving us and the deficit into deeper debt. a debt that will not educate one child. provide lifesaving health care to someone who needs it. or treat and care for those veterans that are returning from war. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2173}
{"speech_id":1090026945,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This budget only guarantees that the middle class will be further squeezed. It does nothing to help these families provide quality affordable health care for them and their children nor make a college education more affordable nor ensure a secure retirement nor lower the prices of gasoline that have reached an alltime high. These are not the values we share. Republican priorities are making the wealthy tax cuts permanent regardless of the damage that will be caused not only to the citizens and families of this country but to the Nations economic wellbeing. I urge my colleagues to vote against this conference report. It may be the last opportunity to preserve Americas future and the intergenerational responsibility this Republican majority cares nothing about. E 1900","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2173}
{"speech_id":1090026964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds to respond to the gentleman. This chart clearly sh6ws. Mr. Speaker. where the increases in spending have come. They have been supported by the Bush administration and supported by both sides of the aisle because they have gone to national defense. homeland defense. and response to 9\/11. Ninety to 95 percent of the spending increases in the discretionary accounts over and above current services have gone to these programs in these 4 fiscal years. You supported it. the President sought it. and we have done it because we had to do it. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":643}
{"speech_id":1090026964,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield 11\/2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois .","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":643}
{"speech_id":1090026969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in rejection of this budget resolution because it continues to mortgage our childrens future. A vote for this budget resolution tonight is a vote to continue the record budget deficits that we have seen over the last 4 years. A vote for this budget tonight is a vote that continuously raises the national debt automatically by a half a trillion dollars in this budget resolution for the fourth year in a row. A vote for this budget continues the raid on the Social Security trust funds. And a vote for this budget continues our reliance on Japan and China being the largest purchaser of our government deficits today. It also fails to invest in our students and our work force who need to compete in a 21st century global economy by cutting the education workforce by $12.7 billion. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090026969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe we can do better for our children. for our students. for the workers of this country. Reject this budget resolution.","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090027019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in opposition to the resolution. It is punitive to lowincome families. The conference agreement proposes cuts totaling $10 billion in Medicaid. It also calls for significant cuts in domestic programs. In addition to cuts in Medicaid services. the resolution also calls for cuts in education. including student loans. the Earned Income Tax Credit. and large tax cuts. At a time when we need to add jobs to the economy. the budget agreement cuts back on funding for adult and vocational education. Finally. the budget resolution. conference report requires drastic increases in the premiums paid by employers to the Pension Benefit Guaranty. Corporation (PBGC). These premium increases will drive many employers to exit the defined benefit pension system. thereby undermining the retirement security for millions of workers and retirees and ultimately weakening the PBGC. The tax cuts called for in the resolution total $100 billion over five years. but will balloon to $1.4 trillion when stretched out over a 10year period through 2015. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090027019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Despite all the domestic program cuts. the tax cuts will make the budget deficit picture worse. not better. The $2.56 trillion budget agreement cuts domestic spending below Fiscal Year 2005 levels. It does this without making any progress on reducing record level budget deficits. Supporters of the budget resolution. spin this document as a vehicle for bringing the budget deficit into check. but do not be persuaded by that argument. The Republican leadership have made the same argument in the last three budget cycles and look at their performance: more record budget deficits. It took this country 204 years to run up a public debt of $1 trillion. Under this administration. under this Republican Congress. we are adding $1 trillion to the public debt every 18 months. Over the last four years. we have added $2.2 trillion to the national debt. What concerns me most about this budget is that it signals the call of retreat. It is a blue print for disinvesting in the programs that make our economy and our people competitive in the global marketplace. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090027019,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot build a stronger economy and create good paying jobs if we cut programs for worker education and job training--critical programs that invest in our human capital resourcesthe future American workforce. This budget does not represent the values of my distrietrnor does it represent the priorities of the American people. Is there any wonder that poll after poll has registered declining public confidence in .the direction of our economy and the nations spending priorities. The real test of this budget resolution will come when we attempt to pass the 10 appropriations bills later this year. I predict a tough time ahead because it will be difficult to obtain the consensus needed to pass the spending bills that will keep the government running. For these reasons. I urge my colleagues to vote against this conference report.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090027021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as Congress moves toward passing the fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget. I Would like to address my thoughts and concerns on two aspects of this proposal. First. this budget will reduce the deficit. The resolution caps discretionary spending at $843 billion and cuts the deficit in half over the next 5 years. We will reach our deficit reduction goals through a combination of policies that encourage economic growth and fiscal discipline that slows the growth of mandatory spending by 0.1 percent over five years. Without this restraint. the federal deficit would continue to grow. I am very disappointed with one aspect of the budget agreement. The original House passed budget did not include language to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil and gas exploration. while the Senates budget did. The Concurrent Budget Resolution deleted the Senate language. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090027021,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Several weeks ago we debated the Energy Bill . On April 20. 20b5. the House considered the Markey amendment that would have protected ANWR from oil and gas drilling. I voted for the Markey amendment to protect the wildemess. When the amendment failed. I voted against the House Energy Bill. I will continue to oppose proposals to open the Refuge to drilling. This Budget Resolution includes reconciliation instructions for the House Resources Committee to find $2.4 billion in savings from programs under their jurisdiction. The Resources Committee should find savings from programs outside the ANWR. They can do this and should not rely on the speculative revenues of oil yet to be discovered. Since my election to Congress. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090027021,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have voted consistently to protect ANWR from oil and gas exploration. I have voted to protect ANWR for two main reasons. First. ANWR is among the last untouched natural landscapes in the entire United States. Once ANWR is open for exploration. its natural landscape will be changed forever. Second. any oil found in ANWR will not put the United States on a path to energy independence or lower gas prices one cent. The United States Geological Survey estimates that the supply of oil in ANWR is totally inadequate to meet our nations growing energy needs. More importantly for the current energy debate. oil from ANWR is more than 10 years away from hitting domestic markets. ANWR will not solve our domestic energy issues. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090027021,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the budget is not the forum for a debate on ANWR--its main purpose is to cut the deficit. I will support the budget because it moves us toward a balanced budget by reducing spending by 1 percent. And I will continue to oppose legislation that opens ANWR to drilling.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090027061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the Committee on Rules may meet the week of May 2 to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 1185. the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Committee on Rules in room H312 of the Capitol by noon on Tuesday. May 3. 2005. Members should draft their amendments to the bill as reported by the Committee on Financial Services on April 27. 2005. Members are advised that the report of the Committee on Financial Services is expected to be filed tomorrow. Friday. April 29. And Members are also advised that the text of the reported bill should be available for their review on the Web sites of the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Rules by Friday. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format and should check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1123}
{"speech_id":1090027077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. this month the Minuteman Project has accomplished with just a few hundred citizen volunteers what the Federal Government has been unable to do and actually told us was impossible to do. and that is stopping illegal immigrants crossing our borders. In the process of focusing the Nations attention on the insecurity of our borders. they have succeeded in bringing new information to the debate on the overall immigration crisis in this Nation. The new information is critical to this bodys consideration of a specific policy area. probably and frankly the one area in which all Americans should be in 100 percent agreement. and that is protecting Americans from criminal illegal immigrants. U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Michael Nicely is head of the entire 260 mile long Tucson Sector of our border.. the worst in the Nation for illegal immigration. and the same sector where the Minutemen shutdown a 23 mile portion of that sector. What should be horrifying to all Americans is what Chief Nicely told Government Executive Magazine just last week. He says that since November. the Border Patrol agents have caught 17.000 criminal illegal aliens trying to enter our country through just through this one 260 mile sector. 17.000 criminal illegal aliens. That is not total illegal aliens now. just the criminals. Overall. Chief Nicelys sector has arrested more than a quarter of a million people trying to enter this country illegally just since Thanksgiving. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090027077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Last year. I introduced legislation specifically targeting against criminal illegal aliens. The Clear Law Enforcement For Criminal Aliens Removal Act. or we call it the CLEAR Act. gained the support of some 125 Members. Our purpose is fairly simple: State and local law enforcement personnel would be fully authorized to investigate. apprehend. and. if necessary. remove criminal aliens in the United States. Already this year our Justice Department has asked for help from local law enforcement on this issue. According to Reuters News. the Bush administration now recognizes that. \"The United States has freed numerous illegal aliens into the community who are dangerous murderers. rapists and child molesters under a legal loophole created by Supreme Court decisions. and that \"Congress should urgently pass legislation to close this loophole. which has already resulted in the release of several extremely violent offenders. with others scheduled to be released soon.\" According to the report. U.S. Justice Department Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Cohn made this request of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives We have the legislative draft to do just what they want. this years pending version of the CLEAR Act. We plan to introduce the 2005 version within the next few weeks. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090027077,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do welcome constructive input from the administration. from Members of both parties and members of both houses. But from what we have learned thus far from the Minuteman Project. the CLEAR Act cannot be a standalone remedy for stopping the hordes of vicious foreign criminals invading our country to murder. rape and molest Americans. My one bill will not do it. not by itself. We can provide local and State law enforcement with the tools to remove these criminal elements through guaranteed deportation. We can help Homeland Security do their job. But it does little if they can simply pour back across unsecured borders. You have gotten nothing done.","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090027231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this last weekend I held a town hall meeting on Social Security in my hometown of Martinez. I must say that the audience was quite stunned to learn that not only was President Bush continuing his drive for the privatization of Social Security. which would borrow trillions of dollars from the Social Security -trust fund and drive it deeper into debt and imperil its opportunities to achieve solvency. but now he was offering something called progressive indexing. which would be a substantial cut in benefits under Social Security to middleclass recipients. They were quite stunned to learn that those individuals who pay into Social Security every week from their paychecks. every month from their paychecks and all year long from their paychecks. that the President was now suggesting that they should take a cut in their benefits as a way of restoring solvency. They were not just stunned that the President was suggesting this onetwo assault on Social Security. but they were also quite alarmed to learn that the President apparently has no intention of paying back the some $700 billion that his administration has borrowed from the Social Security trust fund. that the trust fund is. in fact. not being honored. the people that pay into that trust fund every year to the tune of some $160 billion. that that money is now being taken out to use for other functions of the government. whether it is the war in Iraq or whether it is the general spending of the government. It is very clear that they want that trust fund restored. It is a trust fund. They are paying into it because they believe that that money is going to be put there. loaned to the government. replaced by Treasury bills. but it will be there for their use. for their annuities that they are buying every week when they pay into the Social Security fund. But that is not what the President is suggesting. The President is suggesting. as he does in the budget that this House passed last week. that he will continue to borrow $160 billion out of the trust fund and. as he said when he went to West Virginia. it is really. not a trust fund. there is no trust there. so apparently he is the first President since we started Social Security who has suggested that he may not pay the trust fund back. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4508}
{"speech_id":1090027231,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is just unacceptable to my constituents at the town hall in Martinez. I think it is unacceptable to the overwhelming number of the American public who believe that the reason they are paying into Social Security is so that they can have some level of financial security upon their retirement. Social Security. for the current retirees. supplies over half of their retirement income. Sure. we all want to make it easier and better and more likely that Americans will save for their retirement. But that has not happened. Hopefully it will happen in the future. But Social Security is a very important part of peoples retirements. When they look at the efforts by corporations to get rid of their retirement plans. when they look at the difficulty they are having as middleclass families to save not only for their childs education but for their retirement. they recognize how important it is that the Social Security trust fund be maintained. But now this President comes along and suggests that that is not the case. that he is going to put an assault on that trust fund with the privatization of Social Security and then he is going to.come along and cut the benefits to middleclass Social Security recipients who have paid into that trust fund throughout their entire working life. I think it is very clear that not only is this plan unacceptable to the vast numbers of Americans who have had a chance to take a look at it. but hopefully it will become unacceptable to this Congress as stewards of that trust fund. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4508}
{"speech_id":1090027231,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But first and foremost. what the American people want us to do is to stop taking the money out of the trust fund to fund the rest of the government. We have got to honor what we set out to do in 1983 under the bipartisan agreement of Speaker Tip ONeill. an icon of the Democratic Party. President Ronald Reagan. an icon of the Republican Party. when they sat down and hammered out a bipartisan agreement. Part of that agreement was to create a trust fund. not some honey pot that any Member of Congress could go into and take out for whatever purpose they want but a trust fund for the retirement of millions and millions of Americans and their families. It is important that we honor that. Mr. Speaker.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4508}
{"speech_id":1090027277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"o1 Michigan. Madam Speaker. I commend my colleague from Flint. a fellow University of Michigan graduate. and also another gentleman from Michigan . \"After the Fall.\" \"All My Sons.\" \"Death of a Salesman.\" \"The Crucible.\" \"Anatomy of the People.\" \"A View From the Bridge.\" \"The Misfits.\" \"Incident at Vichy.\" \"The Archbishops Ceiling.\" \"TwoWay Mirror.\" \"The Last Yankee\" and innumerable other works by Arthur Miller. a distinguished graduate of the University of Michigan. As an individual in the House whose district almost comes up to Ann Arbor. I think I can safely say I represent also the sentiments of the dean of House. the gentleman from Michigan . who represents Ann Arbor. in supporting this resolution. Arthur Miller was like many students who come to University of Michigan. especially in that era. They came from the eastern part of the United States. came from families that did not have a great deal of wealth. and were extremely hard workers. As alluded to by the gentleman from Michigan and the gentleman from Michigan . Arthur Miller had an extremely successful career at the university winning the Hopwood Award. an award given to students for the best writing. two times at the university. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2528}
{"speech_id":1090027277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He graduated and wrote for the Federal Theater Project. and after World War II. he wrote and his magna opus was performed on Broadway. \"Death of a Salesman.\" Subsequent to that. Miller wrote many plays. some made into moving pictures. some performed on Broadway. It is indeed. as the gentleman from Michigan indicated. a very rare day when somewhere in the world an Arthur Miller play is not performed. As a means of saluting Mr. Miller. thenpresident of the University of Michigan. now president of Columbia University. Lee Bollinger. had the idea that we should build a theater on the University of Michigan campus and name it after Arthur Miller. And as the gentleman from Michigan indicated. Arthur Miller. by a postcard to. the university. said yes. that would be okay. So in March 2005. following Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2528}
{"speech_id":1090027277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Millers death at the age of 88. the regents of the University of Michigan approved plans to build the Arthur Miller Theater. a 250seat performing venue on the campus of the University of Michigan. and this resolution honors the late Arthur Miller and the University of Michigan. Mr. Miller for his contributions to American theater. and the University of Michigan. I. think. for playing a part in educating Mr. Miller and in recognizing the fact that he indeed was Americas greater playwright of the 20th century.","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2528}
{"speech_id":1090027309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding me this time. I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 127. This resolution calls on the Government of Nigeria to transfer Charles Taylor. the former president of Nigeria. to the Special Court for Sierra Leone so that he can be tried for war crimes. And I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) and the gentleman from California . ranking member. and the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman SMITH) for their support of this resolution and also for their support over the years for the establishment of a Special Court. Madam Speaker. Charles Taylor has been indicted on 17 counts. 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court for the role that he played during Sierra -Leones brutal war. This hybrid court. which has been supported by this body. has been given jurisdiction over. in the terms of that agreement. \"those who bear the greatest responsibility\" for the atrocities and human rights violations in this nowpast war. Charles Taylor is at the top of that list. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4525}
{"speech_id":1090027309,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the late 1990s. thenPresident Taylor of Liberia supported the Revolutionary United Front. or RUF as it is commonly known. which was designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization. He supported it in neighboring Sierra Leone in West Africa. and the RUF was notorious for hacking the limbs off their political opponents. even young children. When I chaired the Africa Subcommittee. we hosted some of these victims on Capitol Hill. We held numerous hearings dating back to 1998. examining the chaos in West Africa caused. orchestrated by Charles Taylor. Employed by the RUF were child soldiers. Investigative reporter Doug Farah described what life was like for child soldiers in his book \"Blood from Stones.\" And in his book he said: \"One thing the children do remember vividly is the preparation for what they called mayhem days. sprees of killing and raping that lasted until the participants collapsed from exhaustion. They said they were given colored pills. most likely amphetamines. and razor blade slits near their temples. where cocaine was put directly into their bloodstreams. The ensuing days would be a blur. The children often remembered only the feeling of being invincible before the drugs wore off.\" This was Charles Taylors view of West Africa. Yet today Charles Taylor safely resides in exile in Nigeria. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4525}
{"speech_id":1090027309,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"E5 1545 In August 2003. some believe that removing Taylor from Liberia and giving him exile would prevent Liberia and West Africa from destabilization. Instead of facing justice at the Special Court in Freetown. Sierra Leone. Taylor was given a seaside villa in Calabar. Nigeria. In exchange. Taylor would refrain from engaging in political activity. Nearly 2 years after the exile deal. Taylor is still very much involved in Liberian politics as that Nation prepares for elections in the fall. According to the United Nations reports. his \"former military commanders and business associates. as well as members of his political party. maintain regular contact with him and are planning to undermine the peace process in Liberia.\" Now. this peace process. incidentally. has been supported by the United States and Congress with hundreds of millions of dollars. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4525}
{"speech_id":1090027309,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As. the resolution points out. David Crane. Chief Prosecutor at the Court. has stated. \"Unless and until Charles Taylor is brought to justice. there will be no peace in Liberia.\" The U.N. Secretary Generals Special Representative to Liberia . is Jacques Klein. Jacques Klein has said. \"Charles Taylor is a psychopath and a killer. He is still very much involved in and is intrusive in Liberian politics.\" Madam Speaker. Charles Taylor remains.a serious and continuing threat to West African peace and security. which is counter to U.S. interests as well. I am hopeful that Nigerian President Obasanjo does the right thing and hands Taylor over to the Special Court. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4525}
{"speech_id":1090027309,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Among others. the Nigerian Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Bar Association have criticized the exile deal. President Obasanjo is in Washington this week. By passing this resolution. there will be no question where the U.S. House of Representatives stands. Madam Speaker. I urge the government of Nigeria to transfer Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone so that he can be tried for war crimes and that justice can be served. It is time for Charles Taylor to face up to his crimes. This resolution deserves the strong support of the House.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4525}
{"speech_id":1090027315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 127. Charles Ghankay Taylor is a ruthless war criminal who has been indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on 17 counts.of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Taylor. the former president of the Republic of Liberia. has supported atrocities including mass murder. rape. torture. mutilation. and the use of children as militants during Sierra Leones brutal civil war. Charles Taylor also supported the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). deemed a terrorist organization by the State Department. He therefore. should be held accountable for the inhumane barbarism the RUF committed within Sierra Leones borders. Furthermore. this Special Court that indicted Taylor has contributed to the rule of law in Sierra Leone and deserves our support. In August 2003. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1682}
{"speech_id":1090027315,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Charles Taylor was granted asylum in Nigeria and agreed to end involvement in Liberian politics. The Nigerian government also warned Taylor not to communicate with anyone involved in illegal or political activities in Liberia. However. the UN Secretary General has reported to the Security Council that Taylor has breached this agreement and maintains contacts in Liberia with those planning to undermine the peace process in Liberia. Today. Charles Taylor remains in Nigeria. Taylor is a threat to peace and stability in West Africa and should not be granted any freedom in Nigeria. I call on the government of Nigeria to immediately turn over Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Only with the proceedings of a fair and open trial for the crimes against humanity. will justice be served. and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1682}
{"speech_id":1090027355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to offer a resolution concerning the privileges of the House. The deliberate misrepresentation of Members of the House of Representatives amendments is unprecedented. And I do this because the Committee on the Judiciary report on H.R. 748 mischaracterized amendments offered by Members in a way that distorted both the effect of the amendments and the intentions of the Members. I offer this resolution to protect the rights of every Member in this body. None of us wants to see our amendments mischaracterized in a way that undermines our good faith. None of us wants to see our legislative work distorted in a way that diminishes our motives. I am not eager to bring this matter to the floor of the House. but I do so as a last resort to achieve a resolution that is fair and justThere is little doubt in my mind that the amendment characterizations included in the committee report were distorting and damaging. Taking an amendment written to exclude grandparents and describing it as one protecting sexual predators crosses a line of good faith and comity so essential to the operation of this House. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090027355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Descriptions this pejorative are not only inappropriate. they are without precedent. This has never happened before in my memory. If we look at the RECORD. we will see that the three previous committee reports describing these amendments use neutral and objective terms. The same is true of the amendment descriptions prepared by the majority staff on the Committee on Rules as well as the majority staff on the Republican Conference. I cannot agree with the contention that the obligation should have been on the Members to draft these amendments more narrowly. The amendments were drafted in a careful and straightforward manner as they have been for each of the last four Congresses. The duty should not be on us to exclude categories of persons who have nothing to do with the underlying amendment. Let me close by stating that the majority will not control this body forever. There will come a time when members of another party are the ones interpreting the rules. writing the committee reports. and explaining the amendments. Whoever controls this body tomorrow or next year. we will all be better off today if we do not rewrite each others words or disparage each others intentions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090027355,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I support this privileged resolution and urge the rest of my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090027370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. that is not with respect to my amendment. That was with respect t6 another amendment. That was with respect to a different amendment. In respect to my amendment. which was characterized as dealing with sexual predators. nobody mentioned the words- \"sexual predators\" or raised that. It has also been said that the intent may have been not with sexual predators. the intent may have been grandparents and siblings. but could a grandparent or a sibling be a sexual predator? In that eventuality this would protect sexual predators. Yes. in that eventuality the amendment would protect sexual predators. But. of course. the bill itself said that the parents could sue. the parents could sue the doctor who performs the abortion or the person who transports the minor. But the parent could be a sexual predator. The pregnancy could have been caused by rape or incest. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2508}
{"speech_id":1090027370,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This would give the sexual predator the right to profit from his own predation. I. in fact. offered a motion to recommit to correct that defect in the bill. but the rhajority voted it down. Why. I do not know. But they voted it down because apparently they wanted sexual predators. in the unlikely event that the parent was a sexual predator. to be able to sue. There is no other interpretation possible. -But. as I said last week. if someone wanted to say on the floor of the House or in the committee. as no one did in the committee. that one has not anticipated the rare eventuality that a grandparent would be a sexual predator and maybe they should amend the amendment. that would have been a fair comment. Fair comment in a debate. It is not a fair characterization of the amendment. There is a clear difference between expressing views in a debate and saying that ones amendment could be used by a sexual predator under certain circumstances. which might be a fair comment. It would be fair comment to say those circumstances are so rare that we do not have to worry about them or they are right or whatever. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2508}
{"speech_id":1090027370,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is different. It is different. it is dishonest. it is a disgusting rape of the rules of this House to characterize the amendment in a onesentence report that this was an amendment dealing with sexual predators. No. it was not. It would be just as dishonest as if we reported the bill and said this was .a bill to allow sexual predators to sue doctors. E 1745 The gentleman from Wisconsin and everybody associated with this owes an approgy to the House and a correction to the American people.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2508}
{"speech_id":1090027521,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman yielding to me. It is a real honor to be a Member of this freshman class. Folks keep telling us we are a good group. and we know that from ourselves. I rise this evening to support our majority leader. the gentleman from Texas . Congressman DELAY has done a remarkable job in providing strong leadership and guiding the Congress to make many positive changes for our country. It is a shame that Democratic party leaders are playing partisan games in order to distract the American people from what is important. all of the progress that is being made in this session of Congress. But rest assured. they will not distract my colleagues and me from getting the job done. It is time for the Democratic leaders to put partisan politics aside and work together on the issues that really matter to the American people. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6011}
{"speech_id":1090027521,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am proud to report that the first 100 days of the 109th Congress have been a tremendous success. We have been working hard in a bipartisan fashion to make many positive changes for America. Mr. Speaker. I get up lots of mornings 5 *oclock. 6 oclock and leave home. and I am always astonished at how many people there are on the highways of western North Carolina going out to do their jobs. and I think those people expect us to do the same thing. I say to the gentleman. That is what they want us to be doing. and that is what we are doing. 0l 2200 I am proud of that. In the past 4 months. we have fought to reduce taxes and the burdensome rules and regulations that plague hardworking Americans. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6011}
{"speech_id":1090027521,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When those people get up every morning and go to work. they do not want. to be burdened with taxes and rules and regulations. And just last week. the House passed a budget resolution conference report that will implement $106 billion in tax cuts over the next 5 years. Our fiscally responsible budget funds our top priorities. such as national security and defense. while stimulating our economy and creating jobs. It also reins in spending and reduces the Federal deficit. You know. with the loss of sense of history and civics. many people have forgotten that the number one role of Federal Government is to provide for the defense of our Nation. If we do not provide for the defense of our Nation. nobody else can or will. no other level of government can. So that has got to be our top priority. We have also acted to repeal permanently the death tax. which is an unfair burden on thousands of American families. small businesses. and family farms. The death tax has caused many of these small businesses and farms to go out ofbusiness. I am happy that we have acted to bury this unreasonable burden. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6011}
{"speech_id":1090027521,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have strengthened our national security by passing the REAL ID Act. This bill will require rigorous proof of identity and strong security requirements -for all applicants for drivers licenses and Stateissued identity cards. The vast majority of the States have recognized the privilege that a drivers license brings. However. 10 States. and regrettably including my home State of North Carelina. issue valid drivers licenses and identiffcation cards without requiring proof of legal status. And according to the 9\/11 Commission report. these travel documents are just as important as weapons are toterrorists. I am pleased that the REAL ID Act will help solve this problem. We have passed an $81.4 billion wartime supplemental bill that provides the funds necessary to continue fighting the war on terror. while providing our men and women in uniform with vital equipment and training. I am proud we are supporting our troops who are performing magnificently under difficult conditions. Just last week. a young man who was injured in Iraq came to see me. He lost both of his legs above the knees. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6011}
{"speech_id":1090027521,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has the most wonderful spirit and most wonderful attitude about this country. and about keeping the faith that this country has given him. And it is an inspiration to me to meet people like him. I am proud that we are supporting him and others. They are helping to spread freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East and the rest of the world. Without their sacrifice. Americans would not be able to continue to enjoy the freedom we cherish. We have hosted Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko who has become a leading symbol for the promotion of democracy in his part of the world. How wonderful it is that the values of freedom are being adopted across the world. We fought to support the Boy Scouts of America. by encouraging the Department of Defense to stand up to the liberal extremists and continue to permit the Scouts to use their facilities. The Boy Scouts is an outstanding organization that teaches young boys timehonored values such as loyalty. preparedness. citizenship. and character. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6011}
{"speech_id":1090027523,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for- yielding the tim6. the gentleman from Texas . and of course before him the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx). The gentleman mentioned the spirit of bipartisanship. In that vein. let me just commend our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu). who in the previous hour talked about the contribution of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. people like themselves who have contributed so much to this country. And I commend them for that. I found it to be a very interesting and compelling hour. And we. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090027523,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. can be bipartisan and need to be. We need to take every opportunity. There are so many issues. as my colleague from Texas just mentioned. that. I mean. things like health care and public education. These should not be partisan issues. Social Security modernization and saving that program for our children and grandchildren. It does not make sense that that will get involved in partisan bickering. but it does. But I think we need to understand and make sure that. as our colleagues know. that we can still make progress despite the fact that we have to run every 2 years and everybody is always kind of thinking about the next election and who is in control. Well. that is what a lot of this partisanship is about. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090027523,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the way. Mr. Speaker and my fellow colleagues. that we make progress despite that tension is with great leadership. with great leadership. And I can think of none greater than the Speaker of this House. the gentleman from Illinois . and our great majority leader. the gentleman from Texas who is a colleague from Texas of my friend. Representative CONAWAY. We have done so much. as he pointed out. the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) also. in discussing the progress that we have made in these first 100 days of this 109th Congress. It is truly amazing. And I think a lot of these things have already been mentioned. that we have accomplished. despite the fact that our leader. the gentleman from Texas . has struggled because of unrelenting attacks from the other side. mainly for political reasons. quite frankly. It is a situation where if you go after the leader. if you are able to shoot the leader. then the rest of the troops might cower down a little bit. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090027523,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank God that has not happened. We have a very strong caucus on our side of the aisle. And. you know. we may have a Member or two that gets a little squishy and nervous. and that is regrettable. But I think the important thing is that the vast majority of us are very supportive. we are team players. When the going gets tough. as they know in Texas and as they know in my great home State of Georgia. the tough get going. That is what we have seen from our leader. There is a country song. if you want to play in Texas you got to have a fiddle in the band. The gentleman from Texas has a fiddle in the band. and not just in Texas but in this great country of ours. he is the straw that stirs the drink. And the courage that he has shown. the leadership. that is the reason why in these first 100 days of the 109th Congress that we have been able to accomplish so much. As has already been mentioned by the gentleman from Texas and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090027523,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Foxx). we have passed the emergency supplemental. $81 billion. to support our troops in Iraq as they continue this battle to democratize the Middle East. And we are succeeding. We had great bipartisan support on that bill. Just last week. we passed the House budget resolution. which for the first time in. I think. over 10 or 12 years. we actually cut discretionary spending by a full percentage point. and we limited the growth of mandatory spending. It has been mentioned. of course. the permanent elimination of the death tax. which just passed this Chamber a couple of weeks ago. Class action reform. bankruptcy reform. the energy bill just last week. and all of these really remarkable pieces of legislation. There was an article. I think. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090027532,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to speak to that point. though. because I do think it is something on a bipartisan basis we could probably come up With something. I have been working on a lock box bill which was originally the idea of the gentleman from California . a Republican Congressman. and we passed it off the floor of this House. but what a lock box really would do is take that Social Security surplus and keep Congress from spending it. The reason why it is spent now is because the surplus goes out. buys Treasury bills. pays about 4.1 percent on the average right now to the Social Security trust fund. but the revenues that come in from it. do go into general revenue. and then Congress does spend it on veterans and education and health care and so forth. But I think it is a concept we could work on together on a bipartisan basis to come up with a lock box to discontinue that bipartisan practice which has been the practice for decades and decades. Yet. to date. I do not have any Democrats who want to work with me on this bill. and again. I am asking the Democrats. just come down here and let us talk. let us engage. That is what they are paid to do. come up with ideas. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2517}
{"speech_id":1090027532,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not good enough to come in here and vote in and have a little whining press conference and saying we do not like this or that. If you look at the Democratic agenda for the year. they have established two major issues. One is we do not want to do anything on Social Security. period. They have gone from New Deal to the no deal. and this is their position. they are not going to offer. they are not going to help on Social Security. Their second issue was we hate the gentleman from Texas . It is not we want to punish somebody who may have an ethics issue. It is. we hate the gentleman from Texas . It is the politics of hatred and personal attack. and beyond that. you say to yourself. okay. all right. let us move on. Transportation: Republicans. here. Democrats. silence in the chamber. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2517}
{"speech_id":1090027532,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We go on to energy. Rdpublicans. here. Democrats. silence in the chamber. We go to health care. and the gentleman is chairman of the Health Care Task Force. Health care: Republicans. here. Democrats. nothing. It goes on down the line. with Iraq and terrorism and issue after issue. Tort reform. None of the leadership have voted for civil liability reform. They have not cosponsored it. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2517}
{"speech_id":1090027532,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On bankruptcy reform. they have not been there. Class action reform. they have not been there. Two things on their agenda and they are both negative noes.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2517}
{"speech_id":1090027540,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the third consecutive year. this week our country has designated Cover the Uninsured Week. Led by former Presidents Ford and Carter. hundreds of national and local organizations. as well as thousands of Americans in all 50 States. are participating in weeklong activities to highlight. the national health care crisis. This is one of those annual events that I wish we did not need to observe. Cover The Uninsured Week should be unnecessary. Moreover. millions of Americans who are underinsured should not be paying such a high price both emotionally and financially. There is simply no justifiable reason why the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not guarantee health care forall. So. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11336}
{"speech_id":1090027540,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise tonight to draw attention to the 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance and the millions more who are underinsured. Our Nation is in the midst of an escalating health care crisis. As health care costs soar. it becomes increasingly difficult for Americans to obtain comprehensive and affordable health care. Our current health care system is failing not only the 45 million Americans who are uninsured. but also millions more who do not receive comprehensive health care. We can no longer turn our backs while millions more lose access to health care. Additionally. health care is becoming increasingly expensive even for those who are fully insured. Rising premiums. increasing d6ductibles. and the increasingly high cost of prescription drugs are making health care more and more unaffordable for those who have insurance. The lack of comprehensive and affordable health care affects every single Congressional district in this Nation. To highlight this issue and the real impact that being uninsured has on the lives of Americans. I have decided to read to my colleagues from some of the people that I represent in their own words. ","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11336}
{"speech_id":1090027540,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Often the people most affected tell the story of out uninsurance crisis more eloquently than many policymakers. I would like to begin with a few letters from my district in Wisconsin that express real peoples struggles as part of our Nations 45 million uninsured. Starting with Kimberly from Madison. Wisconsin. Kimberly writes \"I am writing you today because of my familys frustration and anxiety over health care. My husband recently quit his job to launch his new company. Obviously. it will take some time for his new company to see any profit. much less income. In the meantime. we are without health insurance.\" She writes. \"I am 5 months pregnant. and we have a 2yearold son. Because of my preexisting condition. we cannot buy affordable health insurance. ","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11336}
{"speech_id":1090027540,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"COBRA would cost us $1.200 a month. I am currently applying for Medicaid and other forms of public assistance as a last resort. This is ridiculous.\" \"As someone with no insurance. I wonder what could possibly be the problem with implementing a public health care system. Oh. I have heard the horror stories about having fewer choices and doctors. longer waiting lists for procedures. and less incentive among doctors and researchers to develop new techniques. What is most frightening for me is the chance that my son might get sick or my baby might be born with expensive complications and we are uninsured.\" Janet from Portage. Wisconsin writes to me: \"I have a 53yearold brother who has psoriasis all over his body and arthritis caused by this. Three weeks ago he fell and needs surgery on his shoulder to repair it. He has no job. no money and no insurance. ","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11336}
{"speech_id":1090027540,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We started looking for a program to help him. There are none that we can find. There is nothing to help him get his shoulder fixed. but after it heals wrong and he is disabled because of it. then there are programs to help him. They will not help him get it fixed so he can find a job. Instead. they would rather support him for the rest of his life instead of trying to help him now.\" Gail from Janesville. Wisconsin writes: \"My husband lost his job in October 2003. He has applied for over 100 positions only to be told that he lacks a college degree or he is overqualified or they can only pay $8 an hour.\" Gail writes: \"I was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 1989 and again in 2003. I have gone through breast cancer twice. and have undergone a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. COBRA has run out and without a stable income. we cannot afford to pay the premiums of our own health care policy. My husband is 59 years old and I am 58 years old. ","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11336}
{"speech_id":1090027655,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this open rule. I look forward to hearing the debate on this legislation to reform Federal Deposit Insurance. and am hopeful that we can pass this legislation today. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":328}
{"speech_id":1090027668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to note the passing of Cindy Marano. Ms. Marano was a founder of the National Displaced Homemakers Network. now known as Women Work! For 12 years. Cindy was executive director of Wider Opportunities for Women. which we call WOW. Her work to improve opportunities for Women. including displaced homemakers. who are specifically helped by this bill. was invaluable. and we will miss her. We will miss her vision and we will miss her leadership greatly.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":476}
{"speech_id":1090027689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am Left Behind Act. there is more to be V pleased to yield 6 minutes to the gen- . done in academic achievement in these oth tleman from Delaware .- schools and schools across the country. the the author of the bill and the chairman H.R. 366 will improve vocational and the of the Subcommittee on Education Re- technical education by increasing the wa form. focus on academics in conjunction with an","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":415}
{"speech_id":1090027690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the skill attainment that is incumbent stu the chairman for yielding me this on the program. log time. and more importantly. I thank The emphasis on academics will be is him for his continuing excellent work assessed through the acts alignment for in heading this committee and dealing with No Child Left Behind. as well as me with significant legislation to help all enhanced accountability. H.R. 366 acr of us. strengthens accountability by requir-. effi Obviously. I rise in support of H.R. ing that locals establish adjusted levels wa 366. and I also want to thank my com-- of performance to complement the P rade in arms at the subcommittee. the State adjusted levels of performance I gentlewoman from California (Ms. already in current law. The State agen- St WOOLSEY). for her work on this. and cy will evaluate annually whether the pos the gentleman from California (Mr. local recipient is making substantial an( GEORGE MILLER). who has a continuing progress toward achieving these goals. me interest in education. They are a pleas- The intent is not to penalize those pat ure to work with. most of the time. and local areas that are facing difficulty in cat we appreciate that. I think together we achieving highquality outcomes for thi produce good legislation. even though their students. but to create a struc- A there may be small differences on some ture that includes technical assistance. ple of the amendments. opportunities for program improve- tle The Perkins Act aims to prepare ment. and sanctions only as a last re- wh sort. cot youth and adults for the future by One of the unique attributes of vocabuilding their academic and technical tional technical education programs is ma skills in preparation for postsecondary their ability to show students a path wa education andor employment. The bill that could end in a certificate. creden- cot we are considering today enhances Per- tial. employment. military. or postsec- wa kins by ensuring both secondary and ondary education. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6254}
{"speech_id":1090027690,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The TechPrep pro- cra postsecondary students participating gram currently within the Perkins Act pa in the program are acquiring rigorous is intended to focus on a welldefined i academic and technical skills and will link between high school and at least 2 cat have the opportunity to transition into years of postsecondary education. for further education and\/or successful em- Research has shown. however. that wo ployment: funds are rarely. if ever. used to meet act The Perkins Act governs widely sup- this goal. Rather. funds are often used tra ported programs at both the secondary for purposes within the larger voca- fro and postsecondary level. For example. tional technical education program. cat nearly all high school students com- Therefore. H.R. 366 folds the separate plete at least one vocational educatibn TechPrep program activities and fundcourse. and approximately 26 percent of ing into the larger State grant to cre- mu students are considered vocational con- ate a more streamlined system. Under tra centrators. those students that focus the bill. States will still be expected to su on a single occupational area. In my spend the same amount of money on sit home State of Delaware. we have five TechPrep activities as they did under stt career and technical high schools that the former standalone program. To en- ani enroll 5.500 of the 29.500 total high sure that the intent of the TechPrep th( school students. At the postsecondary program is met. the legislation revises on level. the Perkins Aft supports a broad the requirements of the program in to array of options primarily at the com- order to ensure articulation agree- ne munity college level. In the 19992000 ments. or twoplustwo agreements. be- I school year. over 50 percent of all stu- tween secondary and postsecondary in- th dents enrolled at the lessthan4year stitutions are implemented. off postsecondary level reported they were Along this same track. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6254}
{"speech_id":1090027690,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 366 re- me majoring in vocational education quires States to establish model se- on] areas. quences of courses to emphasize fur- Un Vocational education represents one ther student academic and vocational on of the first education laws at the Fed- and technical achievement. Sequences set eral level. with the passage of the of courses will incorporate a non- th SmithHughes Act in 1917. H.R. 366 duplicative progression of both sec- wo seeks tobuild on reforms made in past ondary and postsecondary elements. I reauthorizations and seeks to enhance which would include both acadeulic and th this popular program to ensure its suc- vocational and technical content. wh cess in years to come. Local recipients of both the secondary as The legislation before us today and postsecondary level would adopt at Ge *makes significant reforms to academic least one model sequence of courses as det achievement and accountability to en- developed by the State. I believe this ca sure students have the skills necessary also will help drive program improve- an to enter the workforce or continue to ments by ensuring that States clarify lio an institution of higher learning. As I the progression of academic and voca- th( mentioned. there are five career and tional and technical courses needed for hi technical high schools in Delaware. the postsecondary education and train- of While all these schools met adequate ing or employment- of a students grt yearly progress under the No Child choice. des Vhile the President has proposed anier avenue for high school reform in Perkins Act. I believe strongly that reforms in H.R. 366 will go a long y in driving program improvement I ultimate success for high school dents across the country. The dia*ue surrounding high school reform .rowing and the President is right to ce it at the Federal level. I comnd those States and businesses oss the country that are pioneering rts at the local level and look forrd to following these developments. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6254}
{"speech_id":1090027690,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ls a result of the changes in the bill. believe that H.R. 366 would help ayes. community colleges. and other stsecondary education institutions d local educational agencies better et the needs of the students particiring in career and technical edu:ion. I urge my colleagues to support s education.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6254}
{"speech_id":1090027692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chair.n. I rise in support of H.R. 366. I nt to thank the chairman of our subnmittee. the gentleman from Delare . for his leadership in fting a bill which could receive birtisan support. dr. Chairman. as we all know. edution for careers is terribly important young people. Members have rked hard to balance planning for ademic courses and introductory ining to create a seamless move )m secondary to postsecondary edution. 6 n my district there are several comtnity colleges which offer excellent .ining for nursing and the health pport occupations. as do the univeries. But the truth is that high school idents need to have taken the math d science courses that will enable em to move into these postsecdary courses directly. They deserve progress quickly to qualify for these eded and available jobs. But I have to reiterat6 the concern at I expressed in committee when I ered a sense of the Congress amendnt to state that this Act must rot ly be reauthorized. but also funded. fortunately. that amendment failed a partyline vote. I appreciate the ntiments that were expressed saying at well. of course appropriations uld be made for the program. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":53.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1631}
{"speech_id":1090027692,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But Members. we have failed to do at. Last week we passed a budget ich omits funding for this program well as for programs like Trio and arUp that also help high school stunts prepare for postsecondary edurion. So it is only wishful thinking. I afraid. to suppose that this $1.3 biln program. can be paid for as part of e Presidents proposed $1.2 billion rh school initiative. along with many the other 48 unfunded education proams. I believe that our young people serve better.","speaker_name":"SUSAN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":53.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1631}
{"speech_id":1090027710,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Delaware for yielding me this time. I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this bill. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 366. This bill is important to Louisiana and to our country. Many students back home in my State. Louisiana. do not attend college. and they seek work opportunities immediately after high school or even before graduating. Lou-. isianas employers need proficient workers with training and education past the high school level to work in the energy. chemical. and hightech industries. Voc ed programs are an avenue for these students to obtain advanced training or certification to enter the workforce ready to be productive. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090027710,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SOWELA Technical Community College in Lake Charles. Louisiana. provides a number of accredited programs. The school is recognized as one of the top aircraft maintenance programs in the Nation. and they have successfully used TechPrep to engage area high school seniors as they finish high school. This bill increases the focus on student achievement in core academic subjects such as math and science education that incorporate the use of technology and strengthen the transition from secondary to postsecondary education. The bill empowers States and local communities to insist on accountability and improvement for students. By establishing separate performance indicators for secondary and postsecondary students. it focuses on success at the local level and allows States and local communities to reward performance. Furthermore. this bill would combine fufiding for the Techprep and Perkins State grant programs. This will give much needed flexibility for States. streamlining funding and ensuring current activities continue while the program as a whole is updated to meet the .challenges of the future. This will also ensure that a greater share of the funds are targeted to the local level so that communities have more control over their programs. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090027710,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I urge passage of this bill. I hope the other Chamber will also take action. as well. to improve the vocational education opportunities for our students.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090027720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I also want to thank her for all of her work on behalf of our Members on this side of the aisle in helping to shape this legislation. And I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman BOEHNER) for bringing this bill to the floor in a timely fashion. and to the gentleman from Delaware (Chairman CASTLE) for all of his work and his dedication to the vocational education programs within our jurisdiction. I rise today for two reasons: One. I am hopeful that bringing this bill to this floor at this time And all of the statements made by Members on both sides of the aisle as to the successes of vocational education and the various components of vocational education in their districts and in their States will forever put an end to this idea of the administration that it is going to somehow zero out this legislation or that it is going to take this money for some other initiative when Members of Congress recognize in such an overwhelming fashion the importance of vocational education to the students in their districts. to the success of the educational programs. and certainly to their local economieg and to their State economies. That is really the second reason that I rise. and that is to again reiterate the idea that this is not our fathers or our grandfathers vocational education. A dramatic transition and a transformation has been made within many of our educational establishments in high schools and community colleges that now provide for the linking and the merging and integration of academic programs and vocational programs and skillsacquiring programs so that students now not only are taking vocational education or participating in vocational education to get a job. . What they are getting is a set of skills that will allow them to get that job but also to have the options to create creer paths within that industry or within that vocation. within that sector of our economy. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8370}
{"speech_id":1090027720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Far different than has been done in the past. In the integration of the academic skills. again. building upon the research that has been developed over the last decade. and that is that really for people to be proficient. to continue to maintain a middleclass lifestyle. to be able to continue to maintain their opportunities in employment. The set of skills that they need on the academic side and on the vocational skills side really are equivalent of what one needs to have an AA degree. So now students are put on that path. They are given the opportunity to relate the academic skills that they need to acquire for the job opportunities. for the career opportunities. and for the academic opportunities in their future lives. And that is a dramatic change from what many people view as vocational education of the past or of their experiences when they were in school. We now talk to young people. I just recently visited a program at the. Serendipity training program in Mr. Diablo High School in my district. where Chevron Corporation just made a major grant to the county schools for the purposes of enhancing these kinds of economic opportunities and educational opportunities for young people. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8370}
{"speech_id":1090027720,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And when we talk to the young people. whether they are participating in the health academies or they are participating in the fire academies or the food service academies or the technical academies. the fact of the matter is they now see themselves having multiple options. For some it is just to simply get a job. A number of students said they were go to become EMTsbecause they wanted to be able have that work and that work schedule and that income to pay for their college education. Others decided that they would go just to the fire academy and try to get a job. Others thought that they would go to the fire academy and go on to Humboldt State and to the 4year programs in terms offire sciences. So what these students now see are the multitude of opportunities that are available to them. the opportunities for career and advancement and providing for them and their families into the future. I would hope that we would support this bill. I am disappointed that the Committee on Rules. in its continued abuse of power. simply could not provide for the debate of the amendments that many on this side of the aisle wanted to offer. Again. it is not like the Congress is running at maximum RPMs here day in and day out and there is no time for that debate. It is unfortunate that the Committee on Rules continues that abuse of power. but we will have an opportunity to debate a couple of amendments and then push. this bill forward to conference committee. where a couple of its modest shortcomings can be hopefully corrected. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8370}
{"speech_id":1090027720,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Chairman BOEHNER and CASTLE for bringing this bill the floor. The V ocational and Technical Education for the Future Act reflects a bipartisan work product and I am pleased to be able to join the chairman. Chairman CASTLE and Ranking Member WOOLSEY in supporting this reauthorization. Career and technical education has traditionally been a bipartisan effort in Congress and that continues today. Unfortunately. the President. for the fourth year in a row has tried to eliminate this program. and this is a mistake. Career and technical education programs make high school matter for many young people. offer college students pathways into productive employment and new hope for displaced homemakers and workers reentering the workforce. Now. is not the time to retreat on our investment in career training. The global economy demands a highly skilled workforce and the Perkins program has been instrumental in building that workforce. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8370}
{"speech_id":1090027720,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 366 moves the successful Perkins Act. named after the distinguished Senator from Kansas. to the next level in career and technical education. This program may have started out as second tier education program for students who sought employment after graduation from high school. but today. these programs are changing the face of secondary and postsecondary education. Perkins equips Americas workforce with the skills they need to compete in a global economy. More and more schools are using career and technical education programs to develop highly challenging and academically sound education systems. combining secondary and postsecondary education elements. H.R. 366 adopts this model. Successful career tech programs allow academic and vocational teachers to develop curriculum together and teach together so that students can apply academic content in a real world context. In order to make high school matter. learning. must become more meaningful to students. Career technical education programs do this. H.R. 366 also ensures that students learn the identical challenging academic content as students who are in a purely academic program further reinforcing the goals of No Child Left Behind: that all students should be taught to high standards. We know that students who are enrolled in career technical programs are less likely to drop out before graduation. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8370}
{"speech_id":1090027805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. there are several things about this bill that I am not sure have been discussed or are as widely known by the Members. but the first thing I would say is that the legislation is supported by. all the federal bank regulators. It is also supported by all the industry groups. And it does several things. It addresses inefficiencies in the present system and deficiencies in the present system. As far as deficiencies in the present system. one of the greatest is the fact that we have two different funds. The Savings Association Insurance Fund and the Bank Insurance Fund. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8251}
{"speech_id":1090027805,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All the Federal regulators have recommended combining those funds from the administrative cost savings and also because we donot want a situation where.some of our institutions are paying certain basis points where others are not. We want more. equity there so it gives no advantage for our thrifts over our banks or our banks over our thrifts. Another problem we have had increasingly is the problem of free riders. Since 1996. there have been no assessments of the banks for the Federal insurance. and as a result of that. we have had several large brokerage firms which have never paid into the fund. and what they are doing is setting up affiliate banks. six or eight or nine affiliate banks. and they are advertising $800.000 or $900.000 worth of federally insured deposits. In other words. people can deposit $800.000 or $900.000 into to their fund. and it is federally insured. This really is an inequity because they have never paid into the system and they are offering that something that smaller banks and other banks that do not set up these affiliates or string of affiliates and can only offer $100.000 of coverage. and. in fact. those banks or thrifts that are only offering $100.000 worth of coverage are actually paying and have paid for coverage for some of the large brokerage firms. And the Federal Reserve. the FDIC. and the industry have said that this ought to be corrected. and we do that in this bill. We do that in two ways. One is by requiring that everyone pay a minimum amount. number two. we increase the coverage. and number three. we allow more flexibility in when the premiums are charged. Right now when the bank reserves fall below 1.25 percent. the Federal Reserve actually has to start charging a premium. and then if the situation is not rectified within a year. they have to then start charging 23 basis points. and they have little discretion in this matter. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8251}
{"speech_id":1090027805,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bank regulators and the industry have recommended that what we do as opposed to having a hard number that we give a range. or a discretionary range. and we have done that at 1.15 to 1.4. What this allows to happen is. if we think about it. there are no premiums being charged. and then all of a sudden we go into a recession and we start charging a premium. or 23 basis points. it actually can worsen the recession. and at the time when banks ought to be lending money. suddenly they are having to pay these premiums. The time to fund the insurance program and the insurance reserve is in good times. So what we have done in this bill is allow them to build up a reserve in the good times. and then when we come into a recessionary period and bank reserves start dropping. they have some discretion in not instituting a 23basispoint charge on the banks. And policymakers and all the Federal bank regulators believe that this will not only strengthen the funds. but it will take away a bias against a down cycle that could actually make a down economic cycle worse. One of the things that is being debated. and the gentleman I am going to yield to next is going to be in opposition to the coverage increase. is the coverage increase. When we consider increasing the coverage. there have been two arguments against that. One was a \"moral hazard\" argument. The FDIC. in response to some people saying that if we raise the coverage. it will be a moral hazard. actually commissioned a study and appointed the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. Alan Blinder. as the chairman of that study commission. and they came back and said because these are riskbased premiums. there is absolutely no validity to the moral hazard argument. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8251}
{"speech_id":1090027805,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we think about it this way. what this is. is an insurance. and bank depositors pay a premium on their deposits for insurance coverage. And to argue that if that coverage is increased from $100.000 to $130.000 suddenly would cause reckless behavior. it would almost be like arguing that if I had automobile insurance and I had $100.000 worth of automobile insurance on my automobile. and I raised that to $200.000 of insurance coverage that I would suddenly start driving more recklessly or be more prone to have accidents. and we know that when people insure. whether it is a deposit. an automobile. or a home. they are not any more apt to act in a reckless nature. So that argument has been shot down pretty uniformly. A second argument against it is that we do not need to increase it. But one of our last bank failures was a bank in Chicago. a mediumsized bank. And what we found. because we had not raised the coverage levels above $100.000 since 1980. we found over 700 customers of that bank lost a substantial amount of their deposits. and the reason they did that. if we think about what depositors do. we had several hundred of them that had an IRA account with that bank. and they had an IRA that was over $100.000. and they basically lost everything above $100.000. And one lady that was quoted in the Chicago Tribune said. The loss I sustained is going to be the difference between my having a retirement where I will not have to struggle. and now. basically having A bare bones retirement where I will have to struggle to make ends meet. We have another situation that we talked about in committee. and that was the fact that- today many people are selling and buying houses. and when they do. they put the proceeds of that sale or the purchase price for that sale in a bank account. In 1980 the average price of a home was around $100.000. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8251}
{"speech_id":1090027805,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today it is several times that amount. So imagine that if one is closing on a house. they sell their house. they get a $400.000 or $300.000 check or even a $200.000 check for that house. and most Americans put their savings in a house. they go down to their bank and they deposit that check and the bank happens to fail. And every once in a while. a bank does fail like the one in Chicago. In that case. they had 12 people that had deposited the proceeds from the sale of their homes in the weeks before and they lost -all of that money above $100.000. Some would say and some have said in opposing coverage increase that what Americans ought to do is when they sell a home. if they sell a home for $300.000. they ought to ask the closing attorney to write three $100.000 checks and they ought to deposit that in three different banks. or. if they are going to purchase a house. they ought to go to three different institutions and deposit that money in three different institutions. and then when they show up at the closing. they ought to write three different checks. We know as a practical matter. Mr. Chairman. that people are not going to do that. and we should not ask them to do that. What we ought to do is raise coverage levels to reflect realities today. The last time that coverage was increased in 1980. if we increased it for inflation today. it would be well over $180.000. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8251}
{"speech_id":1090027851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. one thing the gentleman from California mentioned and I would like to say in his defense: he has triplets at home. so I think we ought to have a lot of patience for the gentleman. They are very young. Oneyearold triplets.","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":297}
{"speech_id":1090027859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have two counties. one is Bibb County. one is Shelby County. The school board in those counties is forced to take about 96 percent of their money and deposit it out of county because there are only two hometown institutions. and they would like to deposit in those. as long as those are rated A institutions. and again I say that they are paying a premium on their deposits for this coverage. The second thing I would say is if the gentleman will go back to 1980. what you had is we deregulated the savings and loans. We made tremendous changes in their mission. And at that time they had 30year mortgages. They had loaned out money at 4 percent. 4.5 percent. 5 percent. From 1979 to 1981. the interest rates increased. the Federal Reserve continued .to increase the interest rate because of inflation. which the gentleman from Massachusetts mentioned. and they drove the interest rate up above 20 percent. The prime rate was 21 percent. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2594}
{"speech_id":1090027859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the savings and loans were having to borrow money at 21 percent and had loaned it out at 4 and 5 percent. and predictably. particularly in Texas where the price of oil fell. the savings and\" loans in Texas started failing one right after the other. And as I said earlier. if it were this increase from 40 to 100.000. you would have expected to see it show up in the banks. you would expect it to show up throughout the Nation. I do not think the people in Texas where most of the first failures occurred. Louisiana. I do not think they were engaged in any more fraudulent conduct or reckless behavior except that what they were doing. that was a boom economy in Texas and property values shot up. and there was a bubble and they came back down. But during all of that. the bank fund did not fail. And as I have said before. before one dollar of taxpayer money comes out of this account. it requires the funds to be exhausted. It. second. requires the banks. their assets to be liquidated. and only at that point would the taxpayef step in. That would be a heck of a depression. And I think that would be a depression made only worse if school boards. governments lost their deposits. if people. lost their 401(k)s. if they lost any of their savings above $100.000. businesses who had accounts. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2594}
{"speech_id":1090027859,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And some of those might be rich people. the guy that owns the small business and has $400.000 or $600.000 deposited or a contracting company that has just been paid on a contract. I think it would make the recession or depression or economic shock that much worse. I -believe that this legislation is sound legislation and should be supported.","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2594}
{"speech_id":1090027891,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to discuss ways we -can work together to create an immigration system that better reflects the enormous contributions immigrants make every day. respects our Nations proud history of welcoming men and women to seek a better life. and better protects our homeland by bringing people out of the shadows. And today I thought we could continue our discUssion of mending borders with a quote. The late Senator Robert F. Kennedy once said. \"Our attitude toward immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal. We have always believed it possible for men and women who start at the bottom to rise as far as their talent and energy allow. Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances. \". ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3649}
{"speech_id":1090027891,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. Mr. Speaker. our current immigration system is falling far short of those ideals. But it is my hope that we can work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that our Nations immigration policies and the practices better embody Senator KENNEDYS eloquent words. Because the struggling farm worker in Washington State who endures brutal working conditions and little pay to support his family deserves the right to be treated with dignity and to have a clear path to permanency for his sacrifice. Because the restaurant worker in Chicago who each day faces endless hours of washing dishes in the dank basements of our swankiest eateries to support her children has earned the right to keep her family together. without fear of deportation. And because the factory worker in North Carolina who tolerates grueling days so his loved ones may one day realize the American Dream should be protected from exploitation and discrimination. These hardworking immigrants are part of the fabric of our Nation as surely and completely as those who came before them. And from coast to coast in big cities and small farm towns. they are serving as Americas economic backbone and as a source of pride and progress for the future. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3649}
{"speech_id":1090027891,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. our Nation depends on immigraits labor. and I hope we can create an immigration system as dependable as they are. So tonight. rather than focusing -on divisive words of people like Lou Dobbs. let us focus on the words of Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. who recently stated at a Committee on Financial Services hearing that: \"As Ive said before. Im always supportive of expanding our immigration policies. I think that immigration has been very important to the success of this country. And I fully support it.\" Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Rather than unfairly attacking imigrants for filling jobs Americans will not do. let us focus on the words of President Theodore Roosevelt. who said. \"This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in.\" President Roosevelts words are why in cities across the country today. workers and advocates. religious and business leaders are standing together to strongly support comprehensive immigration reform. Mr. Speaker. tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. and I can assure the Members that this town is gearing up for another party. And while the immigrants appreciate the mariachis and marching bands. the speeches and the songs. what they really want is an immigration system that works and keeps their families united. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3649}
{"speech_id":1090027891,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A system that- allows them to be full and productive members of our society. Because. Mr. Speaker. we cannot simply just take their labor. their sweat and their toil and then subjugate them into the shadows of a second class citizenry. We need a system that allows people to come to our country in a safe. orderly. and legal manner.","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3649}
{"speech_id":1090027901,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last Sunday marked the 2year anniversary of President Bushs now infamous \"Mission Accomplished: speech aboard the USS Lincoln. Tomorrow the House of Representatives will vote on another $82 billion for the Iraqi conflict and Afghanistan conflict. bringing the total cost to the American taxpayers of $300 billion. Sunday. the 2year anniversary of the \"Mission Accomplished\" speech. tomorrow the United States Congress puts the tab at $300 billion for the Iraqi and Afghanistan engagements. What have we accomplished? We have defeated Saddam Hussein. yet we find ourselves mired in an endless occupation. This past January we witnessed a successful election. yet the progress on developing a functioning government has been slow at best. Terrorism and the insurgency remain as strong as ever and at times seems to be escalating. Today we learned about another explosion killing 50 individuals. Last week over 100 individuals were killed in different terrorist acts. The economy is stalled. the civil society cannot form a consensus. and millions of Iraqis remain without basic services such as electricity. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3648}
{"speech_id":1090027901,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The brave men and women in the American Armed Forces continue to\" fight a valiant effort. but the battle has taken its toll. In addition to the $300 billion it has cost the taxpayers. we have lost 1.600 sons. daughters. mothers. fathers. aunts. uncles. and 12.000 citizens are wounded. some permanently. And the strain is so great the recruiters in the armed services cannot meet their enlistment goals. Through the first 5 months of fiscal year 2005. the Army is short its recruitment goal by 15 percent. The Pentagon now says that they are stretched so thin. it would be difficult for the Armed Forces to meet other obligations should they need to. Mr. Speaker. Operation Iraqi Freedom was a war of choice. As President Kennedy once said. \"To govern is to choose.\" One can only hope that the war in Iraq was the right choice. and as I said. tomorrow we will add an additional $82 billion. bringing. the total cost to $300 billion. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3648}
{"speech_id":1090027901,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But in the meantime. while we have made this effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. what has happened here at home? Every President has always thought in the middle of a military engagement. how do I make America stronger post this war? What do I do to think about Americas future. raise its sights to see another horizon? Presiddnt Lincoln. in the middle of the Civil War. he thought of the transcontinental railway system. President Lincoln thought of the land grant colleges. President Eisenhower thought. in the height of the Cold War. of the highway system in America. President Kennedy. in the middle of the escalation of Vietnam and the Cold War. thought of putting a man on the moon. President Roosevelt. during World War II. thought of the GI bill that built and made this an American century the last century. So as we go through it. Eisenhower thought of the highway system here in America. President Bush is threatening to veto the highway bill. President Lincoln thought of the transcontinental railroad system. President Bush wants to veto Amtrak and eliminate it. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3648}
{"speech_id":1090027901,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every President has thought of America as a greater and bigger vision. This is the first President who is now talking about a lesservision for America in the middle of a war. We must not have the legacy only of 1.600 dead. 12.000 wounded. and costing $300 billion and an America that is weaker and smaller and all we have left them is $2 trillion of additional debt to dig their way out. We can do better. We must have a vision of America that is stronger past this conflict. not one that leaves Iraq stronger and us weaker.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3648}
{"speech_id":1090027944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I come here tonight concerned about drug safety and to speak out to protect our children from the acne drug Accutane. manufactured by HoffmanLaRoche. As a legislator. I have called for more restrictions on the distribution and use of this drug. which is known to cause severe births defects and a form of impulsive behavior and depression in young people taking this drug. This drug has devastated my family. with the loss of our son BJ. and more than 268 other families who have lost a son or daughter while he or she was taking the drug Accutane. Recent news stories have quoted an FDA safety reviewer. Dr. David Graham. when he spoke before the SenateCommittee on Finance. Dr. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090027944,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Graham said: \"I would argue that the FDA as currently configured is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx.\" He told the Senate Committee on Finance that \"there are at least five other drugs on the market today that should be looked at seriously to see whether they should remain on the market.\" He cited the acne drug Accutane. Why Accutane? Accutane is the poster child for why we need an independent body to approve and review drug safety. Accutane causes horrendous birth defects and causes psychiatric disorders such as depression and suicide. It is linked to 268 suicides. according to the FDA. A recent study by Dr. J. Douglas Bremner. and published this month in th6 American Journal of Psychiatry. demonstrates how Accutane affects the brain. possibly causing impulsive behavior due to changes in the orbital frontal cortex. This is the front part of the brain. This is the area known to mediate depression. As Dr. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090027944,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bremner demonstrates in this study. as we see in this PET scan here. there is a decrease in the metabolism or function of the brain. This PET scan establishes a baseline of a person before they start Accutane. Notice the red activity in the brain. The second PET scan is of the same person 4 months later on Accutane. Notice the first PET scan from\" the second PET scan. The red color. after 4 months on Accutane. is missing. representing a decrease in brain activity in the frontal part of the brain. In the second PET scan. here. notice again very little or no red. representing decreased brain activity. in the same person after 4 months of Accutane treatment. Accutane decreases the metabolism or brain function in the front part of our brain. In this one slide that Dr. Bremner has shared with us. there is a 20 percent decrease in brain metabolism or function. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090027944,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This decrease in brain function only occurred in some Accutane patients. Dr. Bremner did PET scans with other patients taking oral antibiotics for acne and none showed any brain changes. It is not all Accutane patients who demonstrate a brain change. just those who complain of headaches. Is the excessive dosage found in the current formula of Accutane that is prescribed to our young people the cause for the change in the brain that we see? The medical evidence is clear that Accutane causes changes in the brain. and this may be what leads some young people to take their own life through impulsive behavior. Let us join with Dr. Graham. the CDC. and other health care groups who have expressed strong concerns about the safety of this drug. and who have called for Accutane to be withdrawn from the market as far back as 1990. Let us pull this drug Accutane from the market until we have all the answers surrounding this powerful drug. At the very least. the FDA should immediately require a largescale review and a study on the drugs effects on the human brain. Is this decreased metabolism we see here reversible? Will the brain repair itself? What amount or what dose of Accutane is safe? What amount of Accutane can be safely taken by young people so that the brain is not affected? Has the FDA done enough to protect our children from the side effects of this drug? Has the FDA seriously looked at Dr. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090027944,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bremners study and similar studies in animal testing. which also demonstrated that Accutane harms the brain? It has been 7 or 8 months now since I have shared this information with the head of the FDA. Dr. Crawford. We still have had no response to our concerns. It is time for all of us to join together to protect our children. It is time to withdraw Accutane from the market until all of our important safety questions are answered.","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090027951,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for recognizing me. I thank the gentleman from Iowa for having this time. and I thank the other Members of this body for entering into this discussion here this evening. In my former life as the attorney general of the State of California. I was privileged to be on the confirmation panels for those members of the bench who were nominated to appellate positions or the Supreme Court of the State of California. In that regard. it was a threeperson panel of confirmation requiring a majority vote. a twothirds vote because there were three of us on that -panel. During that time. I had the opportunity to investigate. review. speak with and have public hearings and then vote on more than a score. I believe. of nominees of the Governor of the State of California during the 8 years I served as the attorney general. During that time. we were required to look at their record to see whether or not they were qualified to serve in their positions. but never did we misunderstand the responsibility we had. which was not to nominate them in the first place but. rather. review their nomination after it was made by the Governor of the State of California. While that is not an absolute analogy. it certainly is an apt analogy to the responsibility that the United States Senate has under the Constitution of the United States to give advice and consent to the President of the United States upon his nomination of individuals to serve in the various courts in the Federal system. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11163}
{"speech_id":1090027951,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tonight I would like to at least address briefly the process that has developed in the Senate and the impact it has had on the nomination of a particular individual from my home State of California. Her name is Janice Rogers Brown. She is and has served for a significant period of time as a member of the California Supreme Court. Prior to that. she was on the Third District Court of Appeals for the State of California. She has been nominated by the President of the United States to serve on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. The gravamen of my observation is that the failure of the Senate to allow her nomination to come to the floor thus far denies her. but more importantly the American people. an opportunity to review her qualifications. to review her personal history and to make a determination as to whether she is a worthy individual to serve on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. As a matter of fact. it is my observation that in the absence of the opportunity to be voted up or voted down. to be subjected to a debate on the floor of the United States Senate in the context of such a consideration. that in fact the Janice Rogers Brown that I know in the State of California. not only because of my personal experience with her but because of my prior service in making a determination as to whether or not she was worthy to serve on the California appeals court and the California Supreme Court. that that person that I know is not the person that I hear discussed. the person that I hear characterized. or the person that I see presented in the press and in other places. Her personal story is nothing short of inspirational. Janice Rogers Brown comes from a family of Alabama shatecroppers. She was born and grew up at a time in which there was still official discrimination in that State. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11163}
{"speech_id":1090027951,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She was one of those people who suffered as the result of official and unofficial discrimination in that State. Yet she rose from those humble beginnings to receive her law degree from UCLA in 1977. She served as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 1979 to 1987. When I was elected the attorney general of the State of California and took office in January of 1991. I asked a number of people who had previously served in the attorney generals office for recommendations of people who. should serve at the top level of the Department of Justice in my administration. Her name was always offered by those who had had experience in that office. I did talk with her. I did offer her the opportunity to serve as the head of the civil division in the California Department of Justice. That is an office that has over 1.000 attorneys in it. 5.000 employees. I believe one of the finest law offices in the country. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11163}
{"speech_id":1090027951,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It probably presents itself in argument before the U.S. Supreme Court more than any other office outside of the U.S. Department of Justice. and I very much believed that she would be someone who would bring tremendous esteem to our office. Unfortunately. Pete Wilson. the former United States Senator. then Governor of the State of California. was successful in talking her into accepting his offer to be the legal affairs secretary to him in his administration. During that period of time that she served as legal affairs secretary. I was the attorney general of California and worked with her on many knotty legal issues. I found her to always be professional. to always be measured in her tones. to always look to the law first. and to give the best advice that she possibly could. Later. the Governor nominated her to serve as justice on the Third District Court of Appeals. and we listened to the testimony of those who had worked with her. those who had seen her close at hand in the office of the Governor. in the attorney generals office and in private practice. and there was such a strong recommendation of those who had worked with her that it was easy to vote for her confirmation to the Third District Court of Appeals for the State of California. Several years later. she was the first African American woman to be nominated to serve on the California Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11163}
{"speech_id":1090027951,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the confirmation hearings that we had. I had the opportunity to review the opinions that she had written while on the appellate court. Interestingly enough. every single member of the appellate court on which she served recommended her confirmation tp the California Supreme Court. I recall at the time that the chief justice of the California Supreme Court. Justice Ron George. surprised the public hearing that we had by actually putting on the table every single written opinion that she had done and advising everybody there that he had read every opinion she had written at that point in time. not once but twice. and rendering his opinion that she was well qualified to serve on the California Supreme Court. I can recall of those who opposed her. some said she was not serious enough and one of the things they cited was a particular case. So I went to that case to see their suggestion that she was not serious enough. and I found out that not only is she a legal scholar but she is a wellread individual and someone who understands the culture of America very well. because she had footnoted a routine done by. George Burns and Gracie Allen. and that routine that she footnoted was right on point but made the point with humor. I must say that having been involved in the law for 30someplus years. having served in this body on the Judiciary Committee for now 11 years. having served as attorney general for 8 years. and been involved in private practice in the other years. it is refreshing to find members of the court who actually believe it is appropriate occasionally to use humor to make a point. It should be noted that Justice Brown was required to go before the people of the State of California for confirmation in a direct vote of the people and that in that she received over 75 percent of the vote of the people of California who had the opportunity to review her performance while serving on the California Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11163}
{"speech_id":1090027952,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman from California for his comments. and I appreciate more insight into Justice Brown. I also want to say that I looked to the gentleman from California for his viewpoint on the law and on the Constitution because of the experience he has and the fact that he had the opportunity to view her- from up close and share that with us tonight. We are asking for an up or down vote for Janice Brown and the others in the Senate. And I yield to the gentleman from Indiana . the chairman of the Republican Study Committee.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":566}
{"speech_id":1090028001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We think it is funny. maybe some others may think it is funny. They say if you do not like what you are doing and you cannot talk with a little humor now and- then. you will worry about things you do not need to worry about 24 hours a day. I can say it was great hearing the gentleman talk about the deficit. hearing the gentleman talk about the Social Security privatization plan or blueprint or philosophy that the President says he has. But I can tell you this. that I am very concerned. We know in the past whenever we have approached a national program that is a part of the fiber of our country. that the administration ana1 the majority side. there is always a smokescreen there. The numbers are not exactly what they say they are. So since the President last Thursday night talked a little bit about his blueprint and his philosophy. I do not know if I can take that for being the accurate plan that the Social Security. that the President has for his Social Security plan. And I know there are some people on the Hill that are running around sharing some of those numbers and saying how we are going to save Social Security. And I can tell you there is more to saving Social Security than privatization. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3900}
{"speech_id":1090028001,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And private accounts and privatization -of Social Security is the backbone of the Presidents philosophy or plan. I just want to remind the Members and I also want to remind Americans that if they can just remember. and I said this last week and I said it a week before last and I will say it again this week because I think it is just that important. we have started talking about the deficit. the highest deficit in the history of the Republic. Never before in the history of this country have we had a deficit as high as it is now. Never before have we been indebted to foreign nations. because they are buying our debt more than at any other time in the history of our country. Being a Member of the 109th Congress. I always tell my constituents it is an honor serving them here in Washington. D.C. And the reason why it is an honor is because I have the ability to come to this floor because the Democratic leader designated this hour for the 30something Working Group and other Members that wish to come to the floor to share with Members of this Congress and the American people the importance of focus and paying attention and making sure that they hold us accountable for what we do. Now. this whole privatization issue. I can state that I am very concerned. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3900}
{"speech_id":1090028001,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And what I have read in the paper and what I am seeing of polling numbers. Americans are concerned. There is no place in this Social Security. some may call it reform. some may call it saving. some may say that it is a crisis. And I am glad that American people. they know and also Members of this House know the truth that Social Security is not in a crisis. A crisis is if Social Security were going to dissolve or not be able to provide 100 percent benefits in the next 5 years. A crisis would be even if it was 10 years from now. A crisis would be even if it is 15 years from now. When we are talking about 50 or 47 years from now that the Presidents Social Security plan will not be able to provide the benefits that Americans deserve and they paid into Social Security. that is not a crisis. Now. there will be some discussion. I believe in the 109th Congress. on Social Security. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3900}
{"speech_id":1090028001,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important that we talk about fact. not fiction. If folks want to see fiction. there are a number of cable stations that they can go to or Members can go to. We just finished talking about what we do in our leisure time when we are ready to be entertained. but not here in the U.S. Congress. We are not here for entertainment purposes. We are here to handle the business of the country to make sure that the Republic is strong and to make sure that the American people get their taxpayer dollars worth of representation.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3900}
{"speech_id":1090028010,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that is a great segue into a couple of the emails that we received last week that I think put a human face on what you were just speaking about. We got one from Denise Harmon who was from Evanston. Wyoming She says: \"Hello. Im 40. so Im one year over the age group you are looking at.\" But. again. we are here talking about a lot of other issues and not just the people who are in their 30s. \"I have some IRAs. a mutual fund. a retirement plan with stocks. bonds. and annuities started through my previous employment. a 401(k) type plan with my employer. and a pension as a State employee in Wyoming.\" Denise goes on to say. \"I am very uncomfortable with the idea of using private accounts for Social Security. My mutual fund lost half of its value and at the rate it is earning. will take another 5 to 8 years to get to the rate of my deposit.\" So. just as you said. she lost sounds like thousands of dollars here and it is going to take another 5 to 8 years to get to the rate of her deposit. So. if she was planning on retiring in say 2002 and her 401(k) or mutual fund was cut in half. then she would not be able to retire if that was Social Security. It sounds like she has some other things going on here. but what we are saying with the privatization is that your Social Security would be your mutual fund and it would be subject to the whims of the market. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2699}
{"speech_id":1090028010,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would no longer be a guaranteed benefit. and when the gentleman from New York was here. he explained it great. Here is the stock market up and down. up and down. up and down. but here is the Social Security program. slowly growing. slowly paying out benefits to meet with the wage index so you maintain your buying power. and this is exactly what Denise is talking about. She goes on to say: \"Everyone else I know. from my retired father to my peers to my kids who have mutual funds in their names for college funds have been burned by the private financial sector.\" And this is something that really hits home: \"My grandfather lost his railroad pension in - the 1970s (he worked for Rock Island Lines) when Rock Island went out of business. He relied on Social Security and Medicare. He required nursing home care due to dementia and died with nothing. in fact. he probably cost the government because the company he gave his life to defaulted on him. \"Social Security is fieant to be the norisk retirement backup system. You shouldnt allow people to gamble with that money.\" E 2145 And do not forget to remind Americans that Social Security also pays for the disabled and for children whose parents die early. I want to thank Denise for writing in. That was great. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2699}
{"speech_id":1090028082,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. since May of 2003. more than 3 million new jobs have been created and Americans have gone back to work. We have had 22 straight months of job growth. Last month alone. more than 110.000 Americans found jobs. Clearly. our economys growth is as a result of the progrowth agenda of the President and this Republican Congress. By focusing our efforts on allowing the American people to keep more of their own money and working to remove the negative economic effects of our legal system. the Republican Congress continues to show its commitment to Americas economy and working families. However. our work is not done. We need to get an energy bill signed into law. This would create 500.000 new jobs. We need to make the tax relief permanent and hold down government spending. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090028082,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over the past 100 days. House Republicans have demonstrated that we are dedicated to promoting policies that better the economy. And for the sake of our families who are counting onus. I hope we can count on our friends in the Senate to follow our lead.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090028095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President Bush and the Republican leadership in the House are asking us today to vote again on a huge appropriations bill to fund the Iraq war without any oversight. I do not understand how we can be asked to vote on another huge appropriations bill to spend money in Iraq. and yet we do not have any oversight. any hearings to determine what the costs are and what the money is being spent on. Yesterday I talked about how there have been renewed reports about how our soldiers are not properly protected. There. is no exit strategy. What are the overall costs of this war? And what does it mean when we continue to go into deficit and do not have money to pay for domestic programs without having an exit strategy or even any defined strategy of what our goals are in Iraq? As was mentioned earlier today by other speakers. we know that we went into Iraq for the wrong reasons. The weapons of mass destruction were never found. were never there. Yet no one within the Bush administration or within the Republican leadership basically tells us what the reason is. why we are remaining. how long we are going to be there or what .the cost is going to beI do not think we should be voting on this bill today until we have answers to those questions.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1261}
{"speech_id":1090028096,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the first 100 days of Congress. my Republican colleagues and I have worked to make America safer. Since the tragic day of September 11 when our country suffered a painful blow to its heart. we have persevered to make sure every American feels secure and knows our freedom will always be protected. We continue to take strides in the war on terror. here at home and abroad. Our country will not yield to our enemies who lack humanity and principle. As our selfless soldiers move forward and yield freedom and choice overseas. it is critical that they have the most uptodate protective gear available. In the supplemental appropriations. we designated funding to do just that. In the REAL ID Act. we implemented the 9\/11 Commissions recommendations. By applying critical drivers license reforms and stringent border protection. we ensure that licenses cannot be used by terrorists as a gateway to travel documents. weapons or firearms. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090028096,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. we live in a Nation. a great Nation of liberty. I am privileged as a new Member to vote for these important pieces of legislation protecting our homeland. and I look forward to what our majority will accomplish in the coming days.","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090028097,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we have a very stark example of what is dysfunctional about the Republicans running of this House. We have done nothing about the livable wage that we all believe in. We have done nothing about providing health insurance for the people in this country. Fortyfive million have nothing. We have done nothing about the housing prices and problems in this country. We have done nothing about cleaning up the environment. In fact. we continue to be addicted to oil and all we do is pass a bill that gives more money to oil and to coal. Now. we are not dealing with the problems of the American people. Instead today what we are doing is continuing to pursue the Bush war of folly in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090028097,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has spent $200 billion of our money so far. He says. \"Please giveme another 80. I dont know what Im going to do with it. but Im going to keep spending it over there.\" ci 1030 The electricity is not up in Iraq. The sewer system is not in up in Iraq. The telephone system is not up in Iraq. He cannot fix it there or here. This is a bad bill. and it ought to be voted against.","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090028102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker. on Wednesday the Committee on Rules met and reported a rule for consideration of the conference report on H.R. 1268. the Emergency Supplemental Act for Defense. the Global War on Terror. and Tsunami Relief Act. 2005. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and provides that the report shall be considered as read. Additionally. it authorizes the chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary to file a supplemental report to accompany H.R. 748. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090028102,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 1268. the emergency supplemental appropriation. is intended to fully fund our forces overseas and at home. It helps to ensure the full funding of the important accounts which have been depleted during our global war on terror and our effort to assist the Iraqi and Afghan people in their efforts to establish functioning democracies in their countries. Additionally. the bill includes important funding for Afghan reconstruction and counterterrorism assistance. counternarcotics efforts. international food aid. and relief to address the terrible tragedies resulting from the massive tsunami that struck the Southwest Pacific and Indian Oceans in December of 2004. Mr. Speaker. additionally. this rule provides important increases in coverage for the servicemembers group life insurance and increases coverage for individual soldiers from $250.000 to $400.000. It also increases the onetime death benefit from $12.000 to $100.000. While neither of these benefits can ever replace the lives of brave American service personnel lost in action. they can assist their families through the hard times they will face while recovering from the loss of their loved ones. Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 258 allows us to fully debate the important issues surrounding the war on terror. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090028102,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just yesterday we saw on the front page of The Washington Post a graphic photograph that captured the terrible effects of the war on an innocent victim and the courage and compassion of the American soldiers who are engaged in the battle. We should keep this image in mind as we commence the debate on the conference report today. More than any words I could ever utter. that picture illustrates the nobility of our effort. the valor and decency of our soldiers. and the evil and fanaticism of our enemies. Many may wish to raise policy issues in this debate. That is certainly appropriate. Others may want to discuss issues that. however important. are superfluous to the war on terrorism. Mr. Speaker. I believe in this discussion we should focus our remarks on what truly counts. We have committed 170.000 of our servicemen and -women to fight terrorism and advance the cause of freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090028102,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We owe them our full support in the battles they wage on behalf of the American people and the cause of liberty. This rule and the underlying bill represent the efforts of Congress to keep that solemn commitment to the sons and daughters of America. Mr. Speaker. to that end I urge support for the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090028111,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Let me simply say that I intend to support this legislation when we actually get to it. but that does not mean I am happy with the contents of it. There are clearly more than seven or eight items. major items that I find very problematic. But what I want to do at this time is to alert the House to the contents of the motion that we would make on the rule if the previous question is not adopted. If the previous question is not adopted. we would be offering a request to establish a select committee such as the Truman Committee back in World War TE to investigate and study the awarding and carrying out of government contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. I would simply point out. all one has to do is to read the newspapers daily to understand how badly this is needed. The Washington Post this morning has the most recent story: \"Audit of Iraq Spending Spurs Criminal Probe.\" and then it talks about opening a criminal inquiry into millions of dollars missing in Iraq after auditors have uncovered indications of fraud and nearly $100 million in reconstruction spending that could not be properly accounted for. The article goes on to say. the audit of U.S. funds found that the contract files were \"unavailable. incomplete. inconsistent and unreliable.\" Other than that. they were terrific. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3469}
{"speech_id":1090028111,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the article points out that as a result. auditors have said the U.S. Government may have trouble making a case against contractors who overbill or do not do what they are supposed to do. Now. we have been virtually begging on bended knee- to get this Congress to establish a committee with teeth to look into this problem. We met with no success. I would point out that stands in stark contrast to what happened in 1941 when then Senator Harry Truman became aware of similar stories. and he saw to it that a committee was created in the Congress to investigate that situation. That committee held 432 public hearings and 300 executive sessions and issued 51 reports and saved the taxpayers a load of money. I would also point out. that was a case where a democratic Congress was investigating a democratic administration. and no great hafm was done to the republic in the process. A lot of good was done. So I just want to urge Members to vote against the rule because. in my mind. this Congress is derelict in its duty and. in my mind. any Member of Congress who refuses to recognize how the taxpayers dollars are being siphoned off every day by these operations. by these sloppy operations in Iraq. they are contributing to the fact that the taxpayers are being fleeced. They may not be wanting to do that. but that is the practical effect of their actions. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3469}
{"speech_id":1090028111,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I would suggest. Mr. Speaker. sooner or later. we are going to have this committee. because we are going. to be stuck in Iraq for another 5 years. and we are going to see stories like this headline every week. It is about time we got around to setting up a cleanup brigade to deal with the problem before we are all acutely embarrassed by it. So with that. Mr. Speaker. I simply want to say that while I would urge support for the underlying bill. I would urge that the rule not be supported until we have had an opportunity for this House to meet its oversight responsibilities. We ought to be acting like a watchdog in this case. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3469}
{"speech_id":1090028111,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead. we are acting like puppy dogs. That is not going to help the taxpayer very much.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3469}
{"speech_id":1090028113,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of not only this rule. but the conference report as well. I want to congratulate my- colleagues. the gentleman from Oklahoma . and I know we are going to be hearing from the gentleman from Georgia in just a few minutes some very thoughtful remarks. But I want to begin by saying that this is the first supplemental appropriations bill that our very good friend. the gentleman from California has brought to the House floor. And I take my hat off to him. as I know both Democrats and Republicans will. for the phenomenal job that he is doing. as the new chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. This bill is one which encompasses. as we all know. the very important aspect of ensuring that our men and women in uniform. as we are in the midst of the war on terror. including Iraq. have what they need. It also is focused on ensuring that we provide some relief to those who were hit so badly by the tsunami that took place at the end of last year. This also is. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3939}
{"speech_id":1090028113,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. a very great testament to the commitment that was made by the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker HASTERT) last fall. I had the privilege of serving with a number of our colleagues as a conferee on the intelligence reform package. the implementation of the recommendations from the 9\/11 Commission. And we know that border security is a very important aspect of that. Those of us who were House conferees on the Republican side pushed very hard to make sure that we could deal with the drivers license issue. the asylum issue. and the effort to close the 3V2mile gap in the border fence which has been discussed here many. many times. We had an amendment that was offered by our then former colleague. the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose). to complete that 31\/2mile gap. We worked very hard to ensure that when it came to the issues of drivers licenses. that we did not impose a mandate on the States. We simply said to the States. as is included in this measure. that if a State chooses to give drivers licenses to people who are here illegally. then those drivers licenses cannot be used for any Federal purpose: getting on board an aircraft. going into a Federal courthouse. applying for any Federal program. So States ajre still free to do whatever they would like. but this provision is addressed. I think. very adequately. focusing on our security. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3939}
{"speech_id":1090028113,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. these issues that we discussed and tried to include in the 9\/11 Conference last fall unfortunately were not able to be included because our colleagues in the other body chose to resist. And we had a commitment from Speaker HASTERT that the first mustpass piece of legislation would include the very important border security items which are so important for us. And I am happy to say that Speaker HASTERT and Chairman LEWIS have included these provisions. I also wanted to compliment President Bush who has strongly supported the effort to include the Real ID Act in this measure. This is a very important first step towards dealing with the issue of border security. I am pleased. we are planning next week to hold hearings on H.R. 98. our goal of putting into place a counterfeitproof social security card. so that we can also play a role in diminishing that magnet which draws people illegally across the border. and in so doing. we can allow the Border Patrol to focus their attention on the potential terrorist threat coming across our borders and other criminals. And so we have got very important things that we are doing. No one knows whether this is a panacea. It is still a problem with which we have to contend. but the measures that are included in this supplemental appropriations bill are critical to dealing with that challenge that we face. I thank my friends for their hard work on this. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3939}
{"speech_id":1090028113,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I generally congratulate the gentleman from California and all who have been involved on both sides of the aisle in implementation of this important measure.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3939}
{"speech_id":1090028121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this supplemental bill is a good bill. I was privileged to go with my good friend. the gentleman from Oklahoma . to Iraq. We visited with the troops. And some of the troops indicated that they got the satellite transmissions. some of the news. They had heard some of our friends on the other side of the aisle saying they were wasting their lives. They had heard some of newscasters saying that they were wasting lives. But they said after the election they knew why they were there: they were setting a historical precedent in the cradle of civilization. They were doing good and they knew it. and they know it today. And we owe it to our troops to make sure that they have everything they need to make Iraq. or give them the opportunity to create that democracy. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090028121,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In talking to Sunnis. the Sunnis were upset with their leadership that told them not to vote. They said. please. if you would just stand behind the Iraqi police and armed services to make sure we get one more chance to Vote. One former general under Saddam Hussein said. if you will do that. I believe you will see 95 percent of the violence in Iraq go away. Folks. this is historic. what we have undertaken. and it does not just help Iraq. It deals with terrorism around the world. It sends that message. It has already sent shivers throughout the Middle East. and it has helped us right here in America. That is why we are doing it. So we need to support that. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090028121,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Also. I want to address one other thing that has been brought up. I have heard people on television. I have heard colleagues across the aisle. some folks I have great respect for.. indicating that there is nothing in the Real ID bill that would have changed anything on 9\/11. And I have respect for some of these people that I have heard say that. and I wish that they would read the bill instead of just relying on talking points or something from the leadership. Because. if you look. under evidence of lawful status. which is required in order to have a drivers license that will be an acceptable form of identification to get on an airplane. it says. you cannot use a drivers license if it does not come from a State that makes sure you are in lawful status. And if you are in a temporary status. it must be a temporary drivers license that says on there the same date your permit to be in this country expires. If we had had that in place on 9\/11. then every one of the hijackers would have tried to get onboard an airplane with an invalid. outofdate drivers license. and should have been stopped. Folks. this goes in a number of directions. all coming together to help with the fight against terrorism. It would have helped on 9\/11. it will help prevent 9\/11s in the future. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090028121,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would encourage everyone to support it. 1.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090028128,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman. from New York for yielding me time. Let me say as President Reagan used to say. Here we go again. Another supplemental spending bill for the war in Iraq and why? Because time and time again. the Republicans refuse to spend one cent for this war in their sham budget. a budget every Democrat opposed this year and last year. because we need these socalled off budget bills to cover up the exploding deficits the Republicans have given. not to us. but to our children and grandchildren totaling $27.000 for every American. We are going to need a death tax relief just to pay for the birth tax that our children and grandchildren will have to pay. To add insult to injury. the Republicans have added to this mustpass spending bill for our troops the REAL ID Act. These provisions. which are supposed to make our country more spcure. .will do nothing but place more antiimmigrant restrictions making it harder for honest people fleeing religious prosecution from entering our country. and added a $100 million unfunded mandate onto our States. If this were in place. i t would not have prevented the attacks of 9\/11. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1548}
{"speech_id":1090028128,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is purely false. The 9\/11 Commission has said they are unwarranted. It was added by the right wing extremist from the Republican conference. This legislation. which. again. the 9\/11 Commission has called \"unwarranted.\" was added by the right wing extremists in- the Republican caucus whose joy in bashing immigrants is exceeded only by their zest for tax cuts for the wealthy in this country.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1548}
{"speech_id":1090028138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will be asking Members to vote \"no\" on the previous question. If the previous question is defeated. I will offer an amendment to the rule to instruct the enrolling clerk to make an important addition to the conference report. This addition will establish a select. committee to investigate the awarding and carrying out of warrelated contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nearly $9 billion of money spent on the Iraq reconstruction is unaccounted for because of inefficiencies and bad management. according to the Special Inspector General for the Iraqi Reconstruction. Ensuring vigilant oversight of taxpayer dollars should not be a partisan issue. I want to stress that a \"no\" vote on the previoua question will not stop consideration of the emergency supplemental report. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1230}
{"speech_id":1090028138,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A \"no\" vote will simply allow the House to create a muchneeded select committee to investigate goverilment contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A \"yes\" vote on the previous question will prevent the House from establishing this important select committee. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the amendment be printed in the RECORD immediately before the vote on the previous question.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1230}
{"speech_id":1090028145,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing. I would like to say that I believe we have had a good debate on the rule today. I believe the importance and timeliness of this legislation could not be more selfevident. This bill has been carefully crafted and worked- in a way to ensure that our service men and women receive the best supplies and equipment when they go to war and that those supplies and equipment are replenished and replaced in a timely fashion. Finally. I would ask Members to recall that this is a vote about our willingness to support our service men and women. not about other policy issues. The men and women serving our cause in Iraq ask for nothing more. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":915}
{"speech_id":1090028145,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In good conscience. we should give them nothing less. Mr. Speaker. I would urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation. The material previously referred to by Ms. SLAUGHTER is as follows:","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":915}
{"speech_id":1090028164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to bring to the House for its consideration the conference report on H.R. 1268. the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense. the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief. The conference agreement includes a total of $82 billion. The vast majority of these funds are to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. For that reason. it is critical that we move this package quickly. It also provides needed assistance to the victims of the tsunami. During our conference with the Senate. Chairman COCHRAN and I agreed that the final agreement should come in at or below the Presidents request and relatively free of extraneous items. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2470}
{"speech_id":1090028164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The conference report before you has met both of these very critical parameters. We did our very best to keep the package clean. and by and large. we were successful with that. We have funded our foreign policy priorities while still preserving congressional prerogatives where appropriate. With that said. the conference report provides a total of $75.9 billion for defenserelated expenditures. roughly $921 million over the Presidents request. The additions over the request are for force protection. and increasing the survivability of troops in the field. In addition to the defenserelated spending. the conference report provides a reduction of $1.5 billion in foreign assistance from the ?residents request. The conference agreement also includes $635 million for increased border security enforcement. This includes 500 additional border patrol agents and increased detention space. We have also included $656 million for tsunami disaster relief. Finally. the bill includes much of the REAL ID Act of 2005. which was included in the Housepassed version of the bill. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2470}
{"speech_id":1090028164,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The provisions on asylum. border infrastructure. and drivers license standards are included. Each of these provisions will greatly enhance the security of our borders. All of these provisions reflect agreements negotiated by relevant authorizing committees. I especially want to thank Chairman SEN*SENBRENNER. Chairman DAVIS and their staffs for getting this measure before the Congress in a timely fashion. I urge my colleagues to support this much needed support for our troops. Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense - the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief - 2005 (HR. 1268) (Amounts in thousands) FY 2004 Conference Request House Senate Conference vs. Request","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2470}
{"speech_id":1090028165,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 8 minutes. Mr. Speaker. this bill before us today makes clear that we have now spent $284 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan since the war began. The money that has been spent in Afghanistan is certainly legitimate and justified. After all. that country harbored the people who attacked us on 9\/11. The problem is. however. that $165 billion has now been spent to deal with a country that did not attack us. We have spent some $240 billion on this entire endeavor since the President first landed in his jumpsuit on that carrier and addressed the country under the banner \"Mission Accomplished.\" There has been quite a bit of that mission left since it supposedly was over. We have now been involved in Iraq longer than we were involved in World War I. and respectable and responsible experts have told me that they expect that we will be involved for at least another 5 years. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5273}
{"speech_id":1090028165,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This whole operation has been brought to us by the same people who erroneously told us that we had to go to war because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and it was implied that they had. or were close to having. nuclear capability. That was all demonstrated not to be true. This has been brought to us by the same people who believed the assertions that our troops would be welcomed with open arms. It has been brought to us by the same people who thought they were so smart that they knew more than General Shinseki when the good general warned us that we would need substantially \"more troops and boots on the ground than we were scheduled to have if the postwar occupation was to go well. And it has been brought to us by the same people who provided to our troops insufficient armor for Humvees. insufficient body armor and insufficient jammers to prevent our troops from having their faces and their legs and their arms blown off by remotely detonated bombs and mines. I want to make quite clear I will support this bill because I feel that I have no .choice but to participate in cleaning up the mess which somebody else left. But I do not relish it. I believe that the entire operation in Iraq has. been accompanied by incredibly naive romanticism on the part of the White House and on the part of the civilian leadership in the Pentagon. and that has left the people fighting the war to bear the brunt of the miscalculations that have been made by the civilian leadership of our government. We have lost the lives of 1.500 American service men and women. We have seen more than 11.000 be injured. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5273}
{"speech_id":1090028165,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And this bill understates. in my view. the amount of money that will be needed eventually to restore the readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces and to minimize their casualties. The second thing this bill does is to demonstrate once again how we. on both sides of the aisle. have had to work doubly hard to overcome the resistance of the White -House in adequately funding homeland security operations. They have been especially resistant to providing the adequate funding along the borders. especially the Canadian border. And it has taken a bipartisan effort on the part of a wide variety of people in this Congress in order to overcome that resistance. -This bill falls far short of the funding that is necessary to provide a secure set of borders for the United States. The new bill that is going to be offered by the gentleman from Kentucky will help fill that gap. but that is forced to play catchup because we have met a steady resistance effort on the part of the White House. Lastly. I simply want to say that while I am certainly no experton the subject. I note that there is being attached to this bill a provision which many experts in the field feel has the potential to construct a nationwide database that could be very harmful in terms of pebples efforts to engage in identity theft. I hope that proves not to be the case. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5273}
{"speech_id":1090028165,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would simply make the point that certainly no one on our committee on either side of the aisle has the expertise that you would hope would be found in the authorization committees. and I wish that that provision had been dealt with on a separate bill rather than solving an internal problem within the Republican Caucus by having it attached to an unrelated bill. and I want to make one point about that. We are being lectured almost daily by the majority that we should not add ungermane riders to appropriation bills. I want to serve notice that if the majority feels free to add unrelatedauthorization bills such as this to a mustpass bill. that then I feel fully within my rights in offering whatever authorization legislation we feel appropriate on this side of the aisle and asking that it be attached to appropriation bills. If sauce is going.to be okay for the goose. then it ought to be good for the gander. So we will see in the coming months what the attitude of the majority is when we seek to add what we feel are legitimate efforts to strengthen appropriation bills by adding.various pieces of socalled legislation to appropriation bills. E 1230 So since the majority has chosen to proceed down that path-. I hope they raise no objection when we seek to follow it. With that. Mr. Speaker. again. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5273}
{"speech_id":1090028165,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I repeat I intend to vote- for this bill with all of my misgivings. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5273}
{"speech_id":1090028177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this conference committee report. But. Mr. Speaker. the American people whose sons and daughters are fighting this war and the senior military officers who are directing this war deserve to know what the White House will consider to be success in Iraq. Now. this conference committee report includes language that would require the administration to fully evaluate the situation in Iraq and provide the Congress with measurable. achievable criteria. including the following: an assessment of the number of troops it will take to secure the peace and how those troops would be rotated. key measures of political stability. such as ratification of a national Constitution and permanent national elections now scheduled for next year. the estimated strength of the Iraqi insurgency and the extent to which it is composed of nonIraqi fighters. the operational readiness of Iraqi military forces. including the type. number. size. and organizational structure of Iraqi battalions that are capable of conducting counterinsurgency operations independently. and the readiness of Iraqi police forces to perform all duties now being undertaken by coalition forces. as well as the viability of economic sectors that are crucial to Iraqs economic recovery. as measured by unemployment levels. utility availability. and oil production rates. The fact is that our longterm presence in Iraq will only give our enemies in the region a greater ability to recruit terrorists and build public support for violence. That is the opposite of our objective there. I do think it is past time to lay out for the American people what is our strategy for success. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2290}
{"speech_id":1090028177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This language that is included in the report will require the Secretary to report no later than 60 days after the enactment of the supplemental and every 90 days thereafter. That is progress. We support our troops. We have to complete this mission. but we also need to work together. The fact is. the American people whose sons and daughters are fighting this war do not have the ability to require this of the administration. nor do the senior military officers. It is our responsibility. and I am glad that this Congress is committed to performing that responsibility. On balance. it is a good bill. and I support it.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2290}
{"speech_id":1090028199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the\" chairman for this time. I rise in strong support of this conference report as the peoples House at long last takes care of some unfinished business. In the closing days of the 108th Congress. some in the other body objected to commonsense provisions that deal with our national security and our border security. to wit. the notion that when you apply for a drivers license or another legal document. you should be who you say you are. and you should enjoy legal status in this country. This supplemental conference report includes the REAL ID Act. and at long last the Congress of the United States gets real and understands that border security and national security are one and the same. Pass this to help protect our borders and help protect our national security.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":793}
{"speech_id":1090028201,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman LEwis for including in the supplemental the provision which is our wounded warrior bill. As our enemies adapt their warfighting strategies. they change not just to kill our men and women overseas. but to maim and wound. Roadside incendiary devices. rocket grenades. car bombs mean the loss of several arms and legs and eyes. blindness and paralysis. Our men and woman coming home at Walter Reed Army Hospital and their families coming up to be with them so they can heal faster are incurring great debt. Never mind that they try to transition back into society. those great wage earners. trying to find selfworth in the work. This bill includes the wounded warrior project. It says to our troops. we are going to provide you with supplemental disability insurance to help you transition back to being American citizens and thank you for your patriotism. I urge my colleagues to vote for this supplemental. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090028201,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Do not allow these traumatic injuries to be the economic death sentence after our troops have survived the death bed overseas. Vote for our wounded warriors.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090028207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in supportof the bill. although I am disgusted with the antiimmigration provisions in it. particularly the things with the drivers licenses. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this supplemental appropriations bill. but not without very serious misgivings. I will vote for this legislation because it contains support for our troops in the field and important tsunami relief. With American soldiers in harms way. I am very reluctant to vote against funding of military operations. And. having personally seen the devastation in the wake of the Tsunami in Indonesia. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2310}
{"speech_id":1090028207,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I feel that aid to the victims is critical. Nevertheless. I am disgusted by the process by which this legislation came to the floor and by the immigrationrelated provisions in the bill. This is an. appropriations bill. It is not the place to write new immigration law or to include seriously flawed drivers license provisions. The Republicans are clamoring in the Senate about the lack of up or down votes on judges and. today. they denied the House not only an up or down vote on the socalled \"Real ID\" Act. but even a real debate on this issue. The immigration sections are seriously flawed. They impose onerous restrictions on foreign nationals in the U.S.. not to mention upon American citizens. and slap a massive unfunded mandate upon the states. Shortly after this legislation takes effect. I can only imagine that. instead of more licensed drivers on the roads. there will be less. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2310}
{"speech_id":1090028207,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead of safer roads. we will have more reckless drivers operating completely outside of our laws. America is a nation of immigrants and our strength is in our diversity. We are founded upon the people who have come from all corners of the globe and are continually enriched by the unique strengths that they add to our national mosaic. We must not undermine the careful balance our nation has struck. I. therefore. strongly oppose these ID and immigrationrelated sections and pledge to fight hard in the future to remove the offensive provisions from the law. in the end. as a legislator. I must vote on the bill in front of me. and in this instance I must vote for the vital funding contained in this bill. But. Mr. Speaker. please know that I will work hard in the day ahead to strike the dangerously flawed sections from the code.","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2310}
{"speech_id":1090028211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin . *our distinguished ranking member. the lead Democrat on the Committee on Appropriations for his leadership for his very important motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker. before I get into talking about the bill. I want to commend both the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. the gentleman from California and our distinguished ranking members on the Committee on Appropriations and Subcommittee on Defense. Over the years. they have worked very hard and provided great leadership for our men and women in uniform and for the security of our country.. There is much about this bill that I support. I have some concerns which I will e xpress but none of that diminishes the regard and appreciation I have for the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":804}
{"speech_id":1090028223,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this supplemental appropriations bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. At $82 billion. this is the second largest supplemental appropriations request passed by Congress. This is on top of an already bloated $400 billion defense budget. Instead of borrowing more from our children. Congress ought to instead stop wasteful spending on ineffective. redundant and unnecessary weapons programs. A supplemental of this size wouldnt even be necessary if Congress dumped pieinthesky missile defense programs. put a stop to the delayed and over budget F22 and F35. and ended the boondoggle Osprey thats unsafe for our troops. There is. however. a larger. more fundamental issue here. The Bush Administration refuses to live up to the human costs of this ongoing war. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3616}
{"speech_id":1090028223,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 1.500 young Americans dead. over 12.000 young Americans mAimed and wounded and countless Iraqi civilians killed in the continuing bloodshed. The message of my vote against this bill today is clear. The immediate withdrawal of. U.S. troops from Iraq is necessary if the United States is serious about bringing peace and security to the Iraqi people. The continued presence of an American occupying force only intensifies the resentment. anger and distrust that fuels the ongoing violence against our troops. Its time to bring our troops home. This message is lost on the Bush Administration. Theyve sought to establish American dominance in the region and to pursue regime change at any cost. Theyll stay the course whatever the tragic consequences for the wives. husbands and families of our soldiers. These brave young Americans face down deadly conflict in the streets each and every day. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3616}
{"speech_id":1090028223,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We honor their courage and service. But. for their sake. everyone of us in this House must consider the burden they bear. Is it worth it for them and for all of us? America is not safer today two years after the capricious preemptive invasion of Iraq. Terror networks continue to grow and recruit in response to the US arrogant preeminence in the Middle East. Terrorism has been brought to the front door of America: waged mercilessly against our troops in places like Baghdad and Tikrit. That terror wont stop until we get serious about involving the world in solving this conflict. We must actively involve Arab states. the United Nations and our major world partners in taking a stand against these insurgentsand in taking our place. A large. multinational peacekeeping force is the soundest way forward to end the war and win the peace. The Bush Administration can continue to throw billions at Halliburton without real accountability. They can continue to look the other way as profiteering trumps genuine reconstruction in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3616}
{"speech_id":1090028223,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They can laud its new democracy as one of the key foundations necessary to sustain itIraqs economycontinues to flounder. The Bush Administration can do all these things. but the end of this war will not come any day sooner. What America needs most is honest leadership and a clear strategy for Iraq. Thats not reflected in this bill. Its just more money thrown at a crisis we cannot solve through force of will alone. That is our problem here today. Congress wont force our President and his advisors to live up to their failure. Well vote to give them another blank check without addressing the fundamental illusion of our Iraq policy: we can win the peace alone. Thats a costly falsehood. I urge my colleagues to take responsibility for the lives of our soldiers. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3616}
{"speech_id":1090028223,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iraqs future. and the future security of the United States and the world. Vote down this bill. It is time to bring our troops home.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3616}
{"speech_id":1090028237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the Emergency Wartime Supplemental. especially the provision that would postpone reducing the number of Navy aircraft carriers from 12 to 11. Our nation is at war against global terrorism and reducing the number of aircraft carriers would be a huge blowto our nations defense at this very critical time. Since the end of the Cold War. carriers have been kept very busy and have proven their value in numerous operations. In this era of uncertain U.S. access to overseas air bases. the value of carriers as sovereign U.S.. bases that can operate in international waters. free from political constraints. is particularly significant. During the past half century. the carrier force has never dropped below 12 ships. illustrating the enduring need for a force of at least that many ships. After experimenting with an \"11 + 1\" carrier force in FY1995FY2000. DOD returned to a force of 12 fully active carriers. suggesting that DOD was dissatisfied with a force of less than 12 fully active carriers. This provision in the Supplemental would effectively delay the decommissioning of the USS Kennedy until 6 months after the Quadrennial Defense Review is released. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2363}
{"speech_id":1090028237,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Kennedy is based at the Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville. Florida. Aside from concerns of this move striking a blow to national security. the carriers retirement would mean an estimated Idss of $300 million a year to the local economy. Furthermore. if the Kennedy were retired. all of the Atlantic Fleets carriers would be. for some time at least. home ported in asingle location. This. of course. would not be in the best interest of national security. Decommissioning the Kennedy before the QDR is complete could prove to be a very costly and illtimed decision. The QDR may conclude that a fleet of 12 aircraft carriers is essential to our nation. thus necessitating that the USS Kennedy be operational. In a time of war. it is unwise to retire an aircraft carrier without knowing whether or not it will be needed. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2363}
{"speech_id":1090028237,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge members of congress to carefully examine the effects that retiring the Kennedy and reducing the number of carriers would not only have on our nation. but the world at large. Please join me in supporting the Supplemental and the provision that keeps the number of carriers in the Navys fleet contained therein.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2363}
{"speech_id":1090028265,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. continuing to yield to the gentleman. I understand we have appropriation bills coming up. and we understand we may have a number of appropriation bills on the floor prior to the Memorial Day district work period. Which appropriation bills will be considered prior to the recess?","speaker_name":"JOHN LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090028277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 250. a resolution that recognizes the goals and ideals of the week of May 9th as National Hepatitis B Awareness Week. I first want to thank Mr. MURPHY for his leadership on this resolution. During the week of May 9. health advocates from around the country will be putting on a national media campaign. \"Aim for the B.\" to raise awareness about the disease and to educate the community about prevention through testing and vaccination. Mr. Speaker. the numbers are startling. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090028277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the United States. 12 million people (1 out of 20) have been infected at some time in their lives with the hepatitis B virus. more than one million people in the U.S. have developed chronic hepatitis B infection. and more than 5.000 Americans die from hepatitis Brelated liver complications each year. Chronic hepatitis B is often called a \"silent disease\" because more than twothirds of the 12 million Americans infected with hepatitis B have no recognized symptoms. Of those who are diagnosed. fewer than ten percent seek longterm medical care that could allow more hepatitis patients to lead long and healthy lives. Those who do not receive treatment often suffer cirrhosis of the liver. liver failure and liver cancer. Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) are particularly susceptible to this diseaseas many as 1 out of 10 APIAs are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus. Accordingly. liver cancer rates among males are 13 times higher among Vietnamese Americans. eight times higher among Korean Americans. and six times higher among Chinese Americans than among the general population. The most common route of infection among APIAs is through mothertochild transmission. In the United States. APIA children were found to have low vaccination rates despite national vaccination guidelines and availability. Many children worldwide remain unvaccinated and may become chronically infected as adults. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090028277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Furthermore. the incidence of liver cancer among APIA ethnic groups is 1.7 to 11.3 times higher than rates among Caucasian Americans. Hepatitis B is extremely infectious. In fact. the disease is 100 times more infectious than HIV. Most healthy adults (90 percent) who are infected will recover and develop protective antibodies against future hepatitis B infections. A small number (5 to 10 percent) will be unable to get rid of the virus and will develop chronic infection. Mr. Speaker. as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. I want to say it loud and clear so that there is no misunderstanding. Hepatitis B is a public health emergency for Asian Pacific Islander Americans. We need to break the silence and bring awareness to our community about this disease. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090028277,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hepatitis B diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence. The weapons to combat this disease are available. including vaccination. early diagnosis and treatments. During National Hepatitis B Awareness Week. events will be held across the United States to raise awareness about hepatitis B. educate sufferers and their physicians about improved methods of treatment and prevention. and open the dialoguewithin communities to stop the transmission of this virus. Recognizing the goals of National Hepatitis B Awareness Week is an important step in efforts to increase awareness about this deadly virus. This resolution also seeks to honor those in the community and in medicine who seek to prevent additional cases of hepatitis B and improve the quality of life for those who have already contracted it. We all have constituents affected by this disease. so let us come together and support a comprehensive response and spread awareness on prevention. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and all of the events during National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3793}
{"speech_id":1090028280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today. it adjourn to meet at noon on Monday next. and further. that when the House adjourns on that day. it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. May 10. 2005. for morning hour debates.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090028288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to notify Members of the House that the gentleman from Wisconsin and I are sending out invitations by way of an event that will take place in the Committee on Appropriations on May 16. The title is \"Celebrating Charlie Wilsons War and the End of the Soviet Empire.\" Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to one of our former Members and a stalwart on the House Appropriations Committee. whose ability to work behind the scenes and across the aisle helped speed the downfall of thQ Soviet empire. Those who are interested in the past impact of one Member concentrating himself upon the Soviet empire and the effect he had should be a part of this celebration. Mr. Speaker. I rise today pay tribute to one of our former Members. and a stalwart on the House Appropriations Committee. whose ability to work behind the scenes and across the aisle helped speed the downfall of the Soviet empire. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090028288,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am referring to former Congressman Charlie Wilson. who was renowned for providing topnotch representation for his east Texas constituents. Many of you will remember my good friend Charlie for that. and for a dashifig and debonair style that was perhaps unequaled during my time in the House. But I would like to recount something Charlie did quietly about two decades ago that may have changed the course of world history. In the early 1980s. foreign policy was for the most part a bipartisan affair. The Soviet Union seemed unshakable in its antiAmerican strength. and the evil stain of communism continued to spread around the world. Those of us who served on the Intelligence Committee and the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee heard constant reports of our Nations efforts to counteract that tyranny and oppression. I served on those committees with Charlie Wilson. a former Navy lieutenant who was known outside the House as a connoisseur of the good life. Those of us who served with him were wellaware of his insight and keen intellect. When Charlie spoke about world affairs. we always listened. Longtime members of the Appropriations Committee develop a unique perspective on Congresss ability to influence national policy. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090028288,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have seen time and again that one Member. who has developed an expertise in a subject and a commitment to change. can influence colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide support and get a program moving that might spend years languishing in bureaucratic review. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this was how Charlie Wilson found a way.to fund the rebels in Afghanistan. which eventually led to the defeat of the Soviet Unions efforts in that country. which was the beginning of the disintegration of the Soviet empire. As CIA Director James Woolsey later said: \"The defeat and breakup of the Soviet Union is one of the great events in world history. There were many heroes in this battle. but to Charlie Wilson must go a special recognition.\" Charlie was amazed that the Afghan rebels seemed to be holding the Soviets at bay with rocks and knives. and urged appropriators to provide covert funding to get them more sophisticated weapons. The committee agreed to a few million in the first year. and Charlie persuaded his colleagues to increase spending in .succeeding years. Ultimately the rebels began shooting down Soviet planes and helicopters with Stinger missiles. By 1988. the Soviets were on the run. By 1990. the Berlin Wall had fallen and the breakup of the Soviet empire was under way. Mr. Speaker. many of my colleagues will recognize this tale from George Criles marvelous \"Charlie Wilsons War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History.\" I urge everyone to read this highly entertaining book. and I am happy to say that it may soon be produced as a motion picture. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090028288,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What you as members will see in this story is that a single voice. heard with respect and supported by House colleagues. can initiate the kind of program that can change the world. I know that Charlie Wilson is gratified to have been given that respect and support. and I am proud in the knowledge that I have been privileged to serve with Charlie in this House and on that committee. Mr.\" Speaker. Charlie Wilson retired from Congress in 1996. but he is only now leaving Washington. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in thanking him for giving us the opportunity to take part in history. and to wish him well as he heads home to Texas.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4430}
{"speech_id":1090028302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. earlier this ieek. General Richard Myers. the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.. warned Congress that the stress on our Armed Forces of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan had raised the risk that it will take longer to prevail in conflicts elsewhere around the world. While General Myers stressed that American troops would still succeed. he acknowledged that the ongoing pace of operations has strained the military and would have a negative impact on operations. including the possibility of higher American casualties. General Myers candid assessment is both welcome and. to me. selfevident. A growing number of current and former military officers are expressing strong concern over the strain being placed on our Armed Forces. and for good reason: our Armed Forces are too small and the demands on them are too great. \"What keeps me awake at night.\" General Richard Cody. vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army. testified ina recent Senate hearing. \"is what will this allvolunteer force look like in 2007?\" General Codys concerns are professional and personal. He is the father of two -sons who are captains in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5663}
{"speech_id":1090028302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Army. Right now those sons are deployed on their second and third tours of combat since September 11. .Throughout the country. men and women in the Guard and Reserve are being called up repeatedly to serve. Indeed. the line between those in the Guard and Reserve and those on active duty is being blurred beyond recognition. We can no longer ask a small group of men and women to bear such \u0095 a disproportionate and growing share of the burden. We must expand the standing Army and Marine Corps to provide adequate resources for our longterm national security. When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. American policymakers downsized the military in hopes of reaping a peace dividend. Our mistake at the end of the Cold War was to consider the vastly diminished threat of nuclear annihilation as signaling what one commentator called \"the end of history.\" Even as the Soviet Union broke apart. new threats. failed States. radical Islamic terrorism and ethnic and religious strife quickly advanced to challenge the United States. The need for the forward deployment of large numbers of American troops in Western Europe may have largely disappeared. but the end of the bipolar -international system has led to much greater instability elsewhere. Before the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. the conflicts in Somalia. in Haiti and in Kosovo. already demonstrated some of the challenges that we confront in the postCold - War era. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5663}
{"speech_id":1090028302,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Throughout the 1990s. even as the U.S. military maintained a significant presence in Europe. South Korea and in the Gulf region. U.S. forces engaged in these largescale deployments. American troops are still operating in some of these areas and participating. in other smaller peacekeeping operations. Despite the high tempo of activity. the strength of the active duty Army and Marine Corps went from 929.000 in 1990 to 655.000 in 2000. While we are fighting the war -on terrorism and the Iraq war and \"trying to meet our other commitments. the strength of our active duty Army and Marine Corps has increased only slightly in the last 5 years. At the end of 2004. 671.000 Americans were serving on active duty in the Army and Marines and virtually all of the modest increase in troop strength has come as a result of stoploss and other measures that have kept soldiers in the force beyond the period of their enlistments. To meet its needs. the military has mobilized hundreds of thousands of Reserve and National Guard personnel to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. with many called to service multiple times and others activated from the Individual Ready Reserve. Because the gulf between the expectations of those joining the Guard and Reserve and the reality of todays service is so great. morale has suffered and recruitment is down. President Bush warned the Americanpeople that the war on terror would not be easy or quick. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5663}
{"speech_id":1090028302,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He asked the country -to make a generational commitment to promote democracy around the world. But as this applies to adequate troop strength. the administrations rhetoric has not been matched with action. The defense authorization bili increased end strength of 20.000 for the Army and 3.000 for the Marine Corps. It also authorized an additional 10.000 Army and 6.000 Marines to be added in the next 5 years. This expansion is a beginning. The administration and Congress. though. need to take steps to increase the size of our Armed Forces by a far more substantial amount. Recently. a bipartisan group of national security experts recommended increasing the active duty Army and Marine Corps by a combined 25.000 per year for several years. Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark has called for an additional 90.000 troops to be added to the Armys ranks. Our Armed Forces are the best in the world. but even the best can be asked to do -too much with too few. As we continue our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and confront potential challefiges in North Korea. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5663}
{"speech_id":1090028302,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iran and elsewhere. we must acknowledge that our current force level does not meet our security needs. Beefing up our recruiting efforts will not be easy. but we have little choice. The magnitude of the threats we face presents too great a risk to the Nations security given our current strength of active duty military. In conclusion. Mr. Speaker. we all hope and pray we never have to make need of these additional troops. But knowing we have a larger Armed Force if the urgency arises should help us all sleep a little better at night. including General Cody and his sons.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5663}
{"speech_id":1090028323,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day. known in Hebrew as Yom Hashoah. This is the day that not only the Jewish people should mourn the loss of the six million people stolen from this earth. but a day recognized by all. We must never forget the attempted extermination of the Jewish people but we must also never forget so we can ensure that is never happens again. We still see these mass slaughters around the world whether its in Sudan or what we saw in the 1990s in Rwanda. The world community must take immediate action so the murder of so many Jews never happens again to any of our brothers and sisters around the world. This day has a bit more of a special meaning to me this year. 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the concentration camps that stole the lives of six million innocent human beings in ways that are still unfathomable to me. I had the unique opportunity this year to attend the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the 60th anniversary of the Liberation of the Nazi Death Camps. It was a very emotional day listening to the speeches made by many of the worlds leaders who were in attendance. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2697}
{"speech_id":1090028323,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Also this was the first time that I know of that the United Nations convened to commemorate the Holocaust. and the first time that the United Nations convened a special session at the request of Israel. Along with many of my colleagues. I contacted foreign embassies I have close relationships with to urge them to encourage their home governments to write a letter to Secretary General Annan to allow the general assembly to hold the special session. Over 135 countries responded to make sure that the special session got underway. My day at the U.N. also brought me to a special breakout session sponsored by Bnai Brith International with several Holocaust survivors to talk about their experiences and how they survived the death camps. One of the speakers was my good friend from California. Mr. LANTOS. When we speak about Yom Hashoah in Congress we should remember that we have a survivor among us and should listen and respect his words when he speaks about the current humanitarian crisis like he has done most recently with Sudan. At the end of the day a special exhibit was held by the Vad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority about the Auschwitz death camps. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2697}
{"speech_id":1090028323,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its impossible to describe the overwhelming feeling you get when you see the visuals of the condition the victims of the concentration camps were in. It still troubles my heart that one human could do this to another. We must never forget and never allow this to happen again in the world to any group of people.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2697}
{"speech_id":1090028324,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to a cohstituent and friend of mine who has visited huhdreds of classrooms and spoken to thousands of students about his life in German concentration camps during the Holocaust. Sam Harrisborn Szlamek Rzeznikhas taken his remarkable life story and made it a driving force in his effort to help Americas children learn the value of tolerance. In September 1939. when Sam was 4 years old. he and his siblings were taken from their home and confined in the Deblin Ghetto in Poland. Three years later. they were sent to the concentration camp at Deblin and then at Czestochowa until that camp was liberated by Soviet troops in 1945. Only Sam and 2 of his sisters survived their time in the camps. and Sam is among the youngest remaining survivors of the Holocaust. Currently. Sam volunteers with the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois. discussing genocide and the Holocaust with elementary. middle and high school students to ensure that history does not repeat itself. Part of their effort is the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. due to begin construction in the near future. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2109}
{"speech_id":1090028324,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important to note that this will not be simply a museum. It will also focus on education as a means to prevent hatred and bigotry. So it is fitting that Sam Harris and his Holocaust Memorial Foundation colleagues remain focused on the future. not only with their museum but also on using the classroom as a forum to help understand and deter genocide. Sam said to me that if children were to take one thing from him. it should be this: \"When there is a bully in the play yard. they should step forth and stop the bully.\" That is advice that we all can live by. whether we are in the schoolyard. in the boardroom or in Congress. Mr. Speaker. I ask my.colleagues to join with me today. Holocaust Remembrance Day. not only to honor the memory of the 6 million people killed during the Holocaust. but to thank people like Sam Harris and the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois for their tireless work in the promotion of tolerance and understanding.","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2109}
{"speech_id":1090028328,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day. a day on which we recall the atrocities committed during the Second World War. celebrate the liberation of these horrific concentration camps. and call for continued efforts to fight antiSemitism around the world. While 60 years have now passed since the end of World War II. and our Jewish brothers and sisters from around the world have managed to become a remarkably successful and innovative people despite the horrors they were forced to face. it is imperative that we continue to remember the events of the Holocaust to ensure that future generations remain aware. The crime of genocide. which continues to be committed today as we have seen in Armenia. Rwanda. Sudan. and elsewhere. is one of the most reprehensible acts that can be committed by man. To attempt eradication of an entire population based on a misguided prejudice is absolutely vile. and the United States should do everything in its power to try and prevent such atrocities from happening in the future. Today. we call to memory the atrocities of the Holocaust. while at the same time honoring those individuals that persevered despite them. The success of such Holocaust survivors as our dear colleague. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1434}
{"speech_id":1090028328,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman TOM LANTOS. serves to remind us that while the crime of genocide can take our lives and our freedom. it cannot and must not break our will and determination.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1434}
{"speech_id":1090028347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to bear witness to the millions who perished in the Holocaust. From 1933 to 1945. a dark cloud descended on . Europe and death rolled like thunder across the Continent. Six million Jews died unspeakable deaths at the hands of the Nazis. Thousands of homosexuals. political dissidents. blacks and gypsies were corralled into concentration camps. tortured. and killed. Righteous Germans gave their lives to protect their neighbors. and millions of civilians succumbed as bombs fell like rain during air raids. Mr. Speaker. we hear the screech of sirens piercing the night. and we say \"Never Again.\" We see shattered glass littering the streets and we say \"Never Again.\" We feel bodies pressed against each other in cattle carsno room to move. no air to breatheand we say \"Never Again.\" We hear the hiss of gas po~ring from shower spigots and see fingernails scratching at concrete walls. and we say \"Never Again.\" We remember the curl of smoke reaching toward a white winter sky and ashes drifting down amidst snowflakes. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090028347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Never Again. Mr. Speaker. in the 60 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Holocaust. survivors across the world have borne witness to the atrocities of the Shoah. They have taught us about the dangers of prejudice and ignorance. They have shown us by their shining example the power of strength. education and activism. I rise today to thank these survivors for all they have taught us. and to express my sympathy for the loved ones they lost long ago. But. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090028347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also rise today because. somewhere in Darfur. Sudan the electricity has gone out in a small town. signaling that an attack is imminent. Soon. a village will be burned to the ground with only scorched earth to testify to the lives once lived there. When the sun sets on this day. 500 more innocent Sudanese will have died at the hands of Janjaweed killers. bringing the death toll to over 400.000. Meanwhile. the rainy season is fast approaching in Sudan. In the coming weeks. it will become even harder for aid workers to reach those most desperately in need. Three million Sudanese have already been displaced. and children are dying In refugee camps from illness and malnutrition. Mr. Speaker. innocent people are being killed because of their ethnicity. and I ask. \"Never again?\" Children are starving in relocation camps. and I ask. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090028347,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Never again?\" Homes are being burned. women raped. and men mutilated. Is this what we call Never Again? Voices rise from the ashes at Auschwitz. the killing fields in Cambodia and the hills of Rwanda. begging us to intervene. It is time we answer their cries. not with words. but with action. It is time to pass the Darfur Genocide Accountability Act. H.R. 1424. We must increase our aid to refugee camps. halt the spread of disease. and provide food where there is famine. Towards the end of her life. Anne Frank wrote. \"I feel the suffering of millions. And yet. when I look up at the sky. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090028347,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I somehow feel that everything will change for the better. that this cruelty too shall end. that peace and tranquility will return once more.\" Mr. Speaker. today. on this Day of Remembrance. let us make Anne Franks vision our own. and ensure that this cruelty too will end.","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090028368,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan Medicare Modernization Act. which Congress passed in December of 2003. In particular. I would like to praise the prescription drug benefit that is already providing seniors with more affordable medication under the Medicareapproved prescription discount cards. Mr. Speaker. the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare estimate that our seniors will save up to 60 percent off the current price of their prescription drugs under this new benefit. Sixty percent. that is a huge savings. And our seniors are already reaping the benefits of Medicare prescription drug coverage. I would like to tell you. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3990}
{"speech_id":1090028368,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. and my colleagues. the story of one such senior. a constituent of mine from Talbot County named Lizzie Menefee. Ms. Menefee lives in Talbot County. Georgia. She will be 80 this May. I met her at a town hall meeting I was holding on strengthening Social Security. Her story inspired me. and I wanted to share it with my colleagues here today and with seniors across our Nation. Ms. Lizzie. as her friends call her. has not lived an easy life. though you would never know it from her spirited attitude. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3990}
{"speech_id":1090028368,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She has a heart condition. she has high blood pressure. arthritis and one functioning kidney. As you might guess. her medical bills. in particular the cost of her monthly medications. are exorbitant. -In fact. the cost of medication nearly bankrupted Ms. Menefee. It is easy to see why. She takes Zocor for her cholesterol. which is high. That medica.tion runs $155 a month. Add another $140 for the purple pill. Nexium. which she takes to control her acid reflux and heartburn. and $20 a month for medication to lower -her blood pressure. When Ms. Lizzie gets a kidney infection. and this happens often with her condition. she pays an additional $300 a month for antibiotics. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3990}
{"speech_id":1090028368,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Before Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003. Ms. Menefee regularly spent more than $500 a month. Mr. Speaker. just on prescription drugs. As a senior with limited income and a widow. these costs were simply prohibitive. But there is good news for her and for all seniors out there. It comes in the form of the Medicare prescription drug benefit. part D. if you will. Last year. Ms. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3990}
{"speech_id":1090028368,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lizzie signed up for the new temporary provision under Medicare. the discount card. She is incredibly happy with her coverage. and I can see why. Today this lady spends a mere $7 a month on prescription medication. Yes. you heard me correctly: $7 a month. Mr. Speaker. there are hundreds of Ms. Lizzies out there who have benefited from substantial savings on their prescription drugs. and there are millions more not yet enrolled in the program. who would benefit. from these savings as well. When our seniors have to choose between buying food or buying medicine. their health suffers. Seniors on fixed incomes cannot afford $500 a month in medicine. heck. most of us cannot afford $500 a month. Congress undoubtedly. undoubtedly. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3990}
{"speech_id":1090028536,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Hawaii. I am hoping we can get started on this bill as quickly as possible because this time during this week has been set aside for the bill with all of the titlesEPW. commerce. financeand we have a very complex bill. We need to work on these amendments right away. There is discussion about holds on both sides. I hope if anybody has a problem with the bill they will come down and work with us and not hold up the bill because we cannot do our job and get this measure passed if we are blocked from bringing it up by people phoning in their holds. I would like to have any Member who has a problem to talk to our staffs. realize there are lots of things that many people want to change. but that is what this whole process is about. We are trying to craft a bill that has been reported out of several different committees. Our highway title has been out there for 10 days. and everyone has had a chance to work on it. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090028536,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have cleared numerous amendments on both. sides of the aisle to take care of needs that various Members have. We cannot get this bill completed if people phone in holds and say: No. we are not going to let you go to the floor. It is very important that Members come down. This is going to be a very difficult bill.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090028619,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Presi day was the 60th anniversa of World War II in Europe of course. Mothers Day. writer Ann ODonnell sh with me her grandfather a fitting remembrance o sions. It is a letter from a .private. 12th Armored Di Glenn H. Waltner. Stati many at the time. he mother. Mrs. J. J. Waltner SD. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7870}
{"speech_id":1090028619,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The letter is postmarked today. May 9. 1945. though ten. actually. on May 3. as follows: Dearest Mother. Mothers Day is only a sh again. Since we cannot be tog ing this opportunity to thani my mother. Youve always be son could ever ask a mother t enator from tient. loving. considerate. and forgiving. S) are nec- Though Mothers Day comes but once yearly. dont think youre not appreciated the other rICER (Mr. [days of the year]. I thank God daily for the privilege of having been your son. her Senators [i] am wellhave been moving so swiftly vote? and far that mail still hasnt reached us. nor cedyeas 89. can we mail letters often. Shaved today for the first time .in a long while and havent Leg.] had my hair cut for months. I guess. Hear peace rumors daily. but apparently. the Germans dont know a thing about it. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7870}
{"speech_id":1090028619,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"McConnell Happy Mothers DayLove from your son. Mikulski Glenn. Murray Mr. President. I imagine that many Nelson (FL) Nelson (NE) hundreds of letters just like this went Obama out 60 years ago to mothers all across Pryor our country. Letters went out as they Reed waited patiently. praying for the safe Reid Roberts return of their dear. beloved sons servRockefeller ing overseas during the war. FortuSalazar nately. just a few short days after this Santorum particular letter was written. the ruSchumer mors about peace did become a reality Sessions Shelby as Hitlers Germany surrendered to AlSmith lied forces. bringing to an end almost 6 Snowe years of brutal. bloody battle and an Specter unparalleled threat to mankind in the Stabenow Nazis attempt to destroy the Jewish Stevens Sununu race. Talent When I think about all those who Thomas served during World War II. I am reThune minded of a famous speech in William Vitter Voinovich Shakespeares play \"Henry V.\" The warner title character attempts to rally his Wyden men with a St. Crispin Day speech. a 1 moving appeal to soldiers facing a McCain vastly superior French force. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7870}
{"speech_id":1090028619,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ShakeMurkowski speares Henry assures his men of their Sarbanes place in history. creating the bond that links them all. An excerpt from that 0) was agreed speech reads as follows: And Crispin Crispian shall neer go by. ER. The Sen- From this day to the ending of the world. But we in it shall be rememberd. We few. we happy few. we band of brothers. Stephen Ambrdse. of course. in his [ESS book. \"Band of Brothers.\" also wrote ident. I ask about this fraternal bond that connects iere now bea all warriors to -one another. Ambrose documented the journey of the men of ER. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7870}
{"speech_id":1090028619,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without Easy Company. E Company. 506th Regiment. 101st Airborne Division. through their journey through World War H. While the men of the 506th seem at )F ENDOF times lost in the confusion and tragedy PE of war. Ambrose ends his book with a dent. yester- poignant reflection on what they entry of the end countered during the war. He wrote as It was also. follows: My speech- They found combat to be ugliness. destrucared a letter tion. and death. and hated it. Anything was better than the blood and carnage. the grime wrote that is and filth. the impossible demands made on f both occa- the bodyanything. that is. except letting young Army down their buddies. They also found in comrision. named bat the closest brotherhood they ever knew. oned in Ger- They found selflessness. They found they wrote to his could love the other guy in their foxhole in Freeman. more than themselves. They found that in war. men who love life would give their lives for them. d160 years agofothm 1 it was writ- Over the last couple of- years. my 1945. It reads staff and I have had the great privilege of getting to know a group of World War II veterans who. like the men of ort time away Easy Company. are. indeed. a band of :ether Im tak- brothers. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7870}
{"speech_id":1090028654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Safe Storage of Radiological Materials Act of 2005 to prevent sealed radioactive sources. which can be used to create \"dirty bombs.\" from getting into the hands of terrorists. This bill is- similar to S. 1045. the LowLevel Radioactive Waste Act. which I introduced in 2003. Since September 11. 2001. the Congress has faced the challenge of anticipating where the next attack on the United States will come from and in what form it will come: It is important to weigh where to invest precious security resources. knowing everything cant be protected. Many vulnerabilities deserve serious attention. Some can be addressed with relative ease. Thousands of unwanted sealed radioactive sources are currently held by the private sector. research institutions. and medical laboratories where these sources are generally unprotected and accessible. An April 2003 report I requested from the Government Accountability Office. GAO. entitled \"Nuclear Proliferation: DOE Action Needed to Ensure Continued Recovery of Unwanted Sealed Radioactive Sources.\" stated that \"if these sealed sources fell into the\" hands of terrorists. they could be used as simple and crude but potentially dangerous radiological weapons. commonly called dirty bombs.\" Most experts agree that it would not require much scientific expertise or funding to cobble together a dirty bomb from radioactive material. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090028654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In other words. the required materials are accessible and the assembly is relatively rudimentary. The GAO report focused on greaterthanclassC. GTCC. sealed sources. GTCC radiological sources are the \"high end\" of the continuum of lowlevel radioactive waste. Class A. B. and C wastes can generally be disposed of at existing commercial disposal facilities. But wastes that exceed the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions criteria for Class C. known as greaterthanclassC wastes. are potent enough that they cannot be disposed of at existing facilities. While GTCC wastes are not as dangerous as highlevel radioactive waste and therefore are not considered the highest security priority. they are the most potent of low level waste and necessitate progressively more stringent disposal requirements. The LowLevel Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments of 1985. P.L. 99240. required the Department of Energy. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090028654,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DOE. to provide a facility for disposing of all GTCC radioactive waste. including GTCC sealed sources that are no longer utilized by their owners. GAO found that little to no work had been done to designate a permanent disposal site. Although DOE has said that the facility will be up and running by 2007. it seems unlikely as they have only just begun the necessary environmental impact statement process. In 1999. DOE created the OffSite Source Recovery Project. OSRP. to recover unwanted GTCC sealed sources and temporarily house them at the Department of Energys Los Alamos National Laboratory. According to GAO testimony before the Senate Energy Committee in September 2004. approximately 10.000 GTCC sealed sources from about 160 sites across the U.S. had been recovered to date. However. approxi\u0095mately 8.000 sources still remained in insecure facilities at the time of the hearing. The job is not done. but the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). the division within DOE responsible for the U.S. Radiological Threat Reduction. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090028654,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"USRTR. previously the OSRP. has made great strides. Since I first introduced S. 1045. the Low Level Radioactive Waste Act. in May 2003. the prioritization of offsite recovery of GTCC sources has heightened. DOE received a $10 million supplemental for the program in 2003 and the Presidents fiscal year 06 budget proposes funding the USRTR at $12.75 million. up 69 percent from the fiscal year 05 enacted level of $7.54 million. Earlier this month. NNSA called to let me know it intended to remove 100 sources of cobalt60. which is GTCC. from the University of Hawaii. The University had been trying toget DOE. the owners of the material. to dispose of the sources for years. The radioactive niaterial was used in an irradiator and loaned to the University back in the 1960s for agricultural research. I am grateful that NNSA stepped up its recovery of unneeded radiological sources and helped to relieve the burden of guarding potentially dangerous material from the University administration. The progress made by NNSA. while appreciated and laudable. is nonetheless a first step. Without the designation of a permanent disposal facility for GTCC waste. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090028654,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DOE will run out of temporary storage space. The Department already encountered problems finding a place to store strontium90. cesium137. and plutonium239. all GTCC sources that have unique storage requirements. A permanent disposal facility that can accommodate all GTCC waste must be identified. The Safe Storage of Radiological Materials Act of 2005 would require DOE to report to Congress on the .current situation and future plans for disposal alternatives for GTCC radioactive waste and the cost and schedule to complete an environmental impact statement and record of decision on a permanent disposal facility for GTCC radioactive wastes. My bill would also require DOE to provide Congress with a plan for the shortterm recovery of GTCC radioactive waste until a permanent facility is available. This legislation parallels the recommendations of the April 2003 GAO report. and I believe enactment of this bill is critical to securing sealed sources of nuclear material. Twenty years is too long to wait for an agency to do its job. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090028764,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I make my remarks on the supplemental appropriations conference report. I commend my friend and colleague from California. As we have come to expect. her presentation was thorough. comprehensive. factually and historically accurate. Much in the debate that has occurred around the socalled nuclear option has been heated. It has been rhetorical. It has been filled with opinion. It has been. unfortunately. often devoid of either historical or factual content. I personally appreciate greatly the Senator from California putting into the RECORD these very carefully created remarks based on facts. I hope no matter what. happens with this debateand obviously. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":975}
{"speech_id":1090028764,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope the Senate comes to its senses and realizes that we owe an obligation to the Constitution and the countryhistorians will be able to look back and read the very impressive statement of the Senator from California and know What the facts were. I personally express my appreciation to her.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":975}
{"speech_id":1090028768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to address the emergency supplemental appropriations conference report. When the vote occurs. it is likely to be. if not unanimous. very close to being unanimous. And why? Because this conference report contains the funding that is needed by our brave troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It contains funding to provide necessary resources to equip our troops and to do the military construction that is necessary. I will vote for this conference report. But I want to record some serious reservations about this process. First. the emergency supplemental appropriations process is destined to be just that. It is a way to fund unforeseen emergencies outside of the usual budgetary process. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9890}
{"speech_id":1090028768,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. once again. we are funding the cost of the military in Iraq. Afghanistan. and elsewhere. as well as a legitimate emergency. such as the tsunami relief provisions in the bill. through an emergency. I am privileged to sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee. which is responsible for presenting the authorization for the budget for the Department of Defense. and during several of our hearings over the last several months. I. among a number of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. have asked our civilian and military leadership from the Department of Defense how they explain the fact that once again the costs for Iraq and Afghanistan are not in the budget. they are in the emergency supplemental. Many of these costs perhaps were genuine emergencies. but many others are not. I wouldnot argue with many of the decisions made because I am well aware of the importance of recapitalizing our equipment. building back up our stores of arms that have been decreased through necessary action. But a good budgeting process would take all of that into account. Having this supplemental. unfortunately. with the big title \"emergency\" over it appears to be an effort to rush things through to avoid congressional oversight and scrutiny. Obviously. a bill that is going to provide funding for the young men and women wearing the uniform of our country. in harms way every single hour of every day. is going to command broad bipartisan and public support. as it should. But that doesnt. in my opinion. in any way mitigate against what should be the necessity of an orderly process. an appropriations process subject to the give and take of opinion and fact. and argument and reason and evidence. and then the presentation of a budget that includes the expenses that are necessary for our military. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9890}
{"speech_id":1090028768,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I regret \"deeply that we are. once again. seeing an emergency bill being pushed through the Senate. as it was pushed through the House last week. when instead we should be having an orderly process looking at these matters within the budget and making decisions based on that process. During the Armed Services Committee hearing on this upplemental request. a number of my colleagues asked why projects that ordinarily are included in the regular Department of Defense budget were being shifted to the supplemental. I really was quite taken aback when the military leadership said they didnt know. that they were just told they should put it out for the supplemental. The civilian leadership present at the hearing could not offer a much better explanation. So it is regrettable that we are making these important. literally lifeanddeath decisions once again in an emergency supplemental as opposed to the regular budget. Also. it is regrettable that the administration is not providing a proper accounting of how funds are being spent in Iraq. According to recent reports. Government auditors found that American officials rushed to start small building projects in a large area of Iraq during 2003 and 2004. They did not keep the required records that would tell us how they spent $89.4 million in cash. They cannot account for at least $7.2 million more. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9890}
{"speech_id":1090028768,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a very serious question. If we are appropriating this money and we are sending it for both military and reconstruction purposes to Iraq. we have a right to expect that records will bekept so we can determine whether it is being spent in the appropriate manner. We have also heard that millions of dollars of Iraqi reconstruction funds that have been appropriated have also not been spent. A large reason for that is security. But why come back for more money when we cannot spend the money we have already appropriated? It is heartbreaking to me that there is so little oversight from this Congress with respect to this administration. There are no rigorous hearings being held to determine whether we are spending money correctly. how it is being spent. where all of the cash is going. The first time I flew into Iraq. I flew from Kuwait to Baghdad on a C130. The back of it was loaded with cash--dollars. They were being taken into Baghdad to be spent for God knows what. and there is no accountability. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9890}
{"speech_id":1090028768,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is remarkable that this Congress. at this important moment in American history. is not exercising its constitutional oversight responsibilities. During the Second World War. Harry Truman. a Democratic President. with a Democratic Congress. held hearings about where money was going in World War II. In the 1960s. Senator Fulbright. with a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress. held hearings about our policies and actions in Vietnam. We have a Republican President. a Republican Congress--hear no evil. see no evil. speak to evil. we dont want to know. Questions are not askedat least publicly. People have no idea where this money is going. who is getting it. and how it is being spent. These emergency supplementals have even less oversight than the typical budget. which in this Congress is practically nothing. So while we continue to spend billions and billions of American taxpayer dollars. we dont see the requisite accountability occurring in this body to determine whether we are spending them appropriately. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9890}
{"speech_id":1090028788,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am here to talk about the supplemental appropriations bill. While the Senator from North Dakota is herehe is one of the best speakers in the Senate. He can take a story. tell it. andbe clear about what he is saying. He has spoken eloquently about the need for a compromise. I will suggest one to him. I suggested it 2 years ago when I came to the Senate and heard the debate about Judge Estrada. I said at that time that. even if a Democratic President were elected. that I would never vote to filibuster his nomination: In other words. I would always vote to give a President of the United States a fair upordown vote on the floor of the Senate on his or her nominee. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1978}
{"speech_id":1090028788,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have repeated my pledge tQ do that on this floor several different times. and. I would say to my friend from. North Dakota. if he would get 8 or 10 Democrats to make the same pledge. there would not be any filibuster. There would be no need for a rules change. We could talk about gas prices. we could talk about schools. and we could talk about the war in Iraq. So that spirit of compromise is there. I was not here during whatever went on before. and. Whatever it was. I wish it had not gone on. What I can remember. going back to 1967. which is when I came to this body as. a legislative aide even before the President pro tempore was a Senator. is that all during that time this tactic was not used to deny a President an upordown vote on his judicial nomine6s. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1978}
{"speech_id":1090028788,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The only possible argument during that time was the case of Abe Fortas in 1968. and that was a little different. But put all that to the side. the \"who shot John\" or \"who didnt shoot John.\" If several on that side and several on this side would simply say. as a way of avoiding this train wreck. that we would pledge right now. during our time here. always to vote to give a President an upordown vote on his or her judicial nominees. then thefe would be no need for a rules change. and we could go on to our other business.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1978}
{"speech_id":1090028791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me just observe. because the Senator mentioned me. my point of supporting the 60vote threshold is that is what requires compromise. The very presence of the filibuster is what requires compromise. Otherwise you do not have any incentive to compromise. be it the executive branch relative to the legislative branch. That was not my point. It wasnt that we should find a way to allow the nuclear option to exist without changing the rules of the Senate.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":455}
{"speech_id":1090028828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to talk about the supplemental appropriations bill we are considering which funds our military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Overall. I support this bill. We do need to get the money out to our troops. But I am here today because I have several concerns about what it leaves out and how it was put together. I have to say I am particularly troubled that I and other Senators were denied a. promised opportunity to debate and vote on some very controversial immigration changes that have been attached to this bill. First. let me say. I know how important the funding is to our troops overseas. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090028828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In March. I traveled with the Senator from Illinois and several others on a bipartisan trip to Iraq and met with troops from the State of Washington. To a person. each of them was a dedicated professional who was putting duty above their personal wellbeing. They need our support. and they deserve every resource our grateful Nation can provide. As I have said before. I am the daughter of a disabled World War II veteran. I represen t hundreds of thousands of Washington State veterans and military families. I support every dollar in","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090028841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005 is a vital piece of legislation. It provides $75.9 billion for the Department of Defense. nearly $4 billion for the Department of State. and billions more for military construction and other national priorities. It will come as no surprise to anyone that. Congress will pass this bill with an overwhelming majority. Instead. we should be asking what took so long. The administration continues to play games with the funding of the -war on terror and the war in Iraq. These arent insidethebeltway issues. Every day the administration resists bringing forward an accurate and reasonable accounting of our future needs in Iraq. it .complicates the way the Department of Defense conducts business. In recent weeks. the Pentagon has been forced to shuffle $1.1 billion to cover Army shortfalls while the Department of Defense waits for the President to sign the supplemental into law. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6536}
{"speech_id":1090028841,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That $1.1 billion came out of Navy. Air Force. Marine. Corps and Army National Guard personnel accounts. That is a dangerous way to conduct business. As we pass this legislation. I urge the President to heed the advice of so many Senators who believe that he must better reflect the costs of war in his regular defense budgets and simply be straight with the American people about the ongoing costs of operations in Iraq and elsewhere. Our troops shouldnt have to wait for the gear and equipment they need to do their jobs well. to win the peace in Iraq. to bring the terrorists to justice in Afghanistan and around the world. and to come home. This bill takes some important steps toward the Military Family Bill of Rights which we have talked about for many months. It increases to $400.000 the life insurance coverage available to service members. and raises the death gratuity to $100.000 for those who die in combat and in combatrelated incidents. including training. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6536}
{"speech_id":1090028841,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also extends to 1 year the length of time widows and children of military personnel may remain in military housing. Together. these provisions are important affirmations of the Congress support for the men and women of the American military and their families. I thank the HouseSenate conferees for including those provisions. I regret that the HouseSenate Conferees struck a provision that the Senate added to pay an equal death gratuity to the survivors of all service members killed while on active duty. regardless of the circumstances. This policy was supported by 75 Senators in a floor vote. It was supported by the House in its version of the legislation. And it is supported by the uniformed leadership of the military. It is clear that the civilian leadership at the Pentagon. led by Secretary Rumsfeld. opposed it. While they have succeeded in striking the provision from this supplemental legislation. Iwill continue to work with my colleagues. many of whom have worked on this issue for some time. for its enactment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6536}
{"speech_id":1090028841,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I support this bill overall. I have serious concerns -about the attachment of the REAL ID Act to the conference report. This legislation creates new hurdles for legitimate asylum seekers. allows the government to waive environmental laws to build physical barriers on the border. and forces an unfunded mandate on the States. This legislation did not have so much as a hearing in the U.S. Senate. Such legislation should be considered in committee and before the full Senate. rather than being attached to an emergency spending bill. It is my hope that the Senate will work to amend the most damaging provisions of the REAL ID Act as soon as possible. I am pleased that the conference report includes the \"Save our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act\" which makes changes to the H2B visa program. This provision will provide great relief to many small businesses in Massachusetts that count on foreign workers to keep their seasonal businesses open. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6536}
{"speech_id":1090028841,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. I would also like to thank the conferees for addressing potentially damaging antismall business language in this bill which would have allowed small business subcontracts at the Department of Energy to be counted as prime contracts and capped all small business contracting goals at 23 percent. Section 6023 had strong bipartisan opposition from members of the Small Business Committees and from other members concerned about protecting small business federal contracting. The compromise language included in Section 6022 of the final version of this bill lays out a process for the Small Business Administration and the Department of Energy to expand small business contracting. The compromise requires the Small Business Administration and the Department of Energy to develop a Memorandum of Understanding. MOU. on a methodology for measuring the achievement of awarding prime contracts and subcontracts to small businesses. It is my understanding that MOU will in no way count the subcontracts awarded by DOEs management and operations contractors towards DOEs prime contracting goal. Section 6022 also requires DOE and SBA to conduct a joint study of changes at DOE that would encourage greater opportunities for small business contracting. and it includes temporary relief for local small firms that are facing undue burdens as a result of contracts being broken out from large. bundled management and operations contracts. Mr. President. the Department of Energy has the worst small business utilization record of all Federal agencies. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6536}
{"speech_id":1090028858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of this urgently needed funding for our soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines fighting around the world. Specifically. I would like to thank my colleague and friend from Mississippi. the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Senator COCHRAN. for his commitment to our Nations Armed Forces. I particularly want to express my support for the provision dealing with DD(X) destroyers. This bill includes a critical provision to prohibit the use of funds by the Navy in conducting a \"one shipyard\" acquisition strategy to procure nextgeneration DD(X) destroyers. The Navy serves not only as a central pillar of our Natiohs military strategy. but also as a symbol of American strength abroad. It is crucial that .not only do we have the most capable fleet. but also that we have sufficient numbers of ships . . . and shipbuilders ... to meet our national security requirements. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3945}
{"speech_id":1090028858,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. the Navy has proposed to radically change the acquisition strategy for DD(X) destroyers in such a manner as to ensure that there is only one shipyard involved in major surface combatant production. If implemented. the Navys illadvised proposal to go forward with a \"one shipyard\" competition for DD(X) between General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath. ME. and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula. MS. would jeopardize our national security and our industrial capacity. We need to move forward with DD(X) at both shipyards. as originally planned. Holding a competition will inevitably delay DD(X) acquisition and increase the costs to taxpayers. The fleet needs the capabilities of a DD(X) destroyer that will provide sustained. offensive. and precise firepower at long ranges to support forces ashore and to conduct independent attacks against land targets. These systems will provide a naval or joint task force commander with the multimission flexibility to destroy a wide variety of land targets while simultaneously countering maritime threats. Moreover. DD(X) will take advantage of advanced stealth technologies. which will render it significantly less detectable and more survivable to enemy attack than the current class of ships. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3945}
{"speech_id":1090028858,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will also operate with significantly smaller crews than current destroyers. Conducting a competition for these ships. or implementing a \"one shipyard\" acquisition strategy further exacerbates the decline in Americas shipbuilding employment that has shrunk by an overwhelming 75 percent since the late 1980s. This supplemental appropriations bill continues to build upon the work many of my colleagues and I during the past several months to thwart the Navys attempt to have only one shipyard capable of building DD(X)s. On March 1. I joined 19 of my Senate colleagues. in concert with Senator LOTT. to send a letter to President Bush expressing our strong opposition to any \"winner take all\" competition for DD(X). We all agreed that any instability or delay in the DD(X) program at this time could lead to the permanent exodus of skilled men and women from the last remaining shipyards that produce our complex surface combatants. Construction of surface combatants at a single shipyard would affect the Navys ability to keep costs lower in the long term. The recentlypassed Senate budget resolution included a sense of the Senate on the acquisition DD(X) that correctly emphasized that the national security of the United States is best served by a competitive industrial base consisting of at least two shipyards capable of constructing major surface combatants. The Congress has spoken very loudly. and very clearly on this rapid change in direction. It is in our national interest to have two major surface combatant shipyards. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3945}
{"speech_id":1090028858,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This appropriations bill is good for the Navy. good for our shipbuilders. and good for our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and funding for our men and women in uniform serving around the world.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3945}
{"speech_id":1090028882,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have not talked to the Democratic leader. but I think if we are about ready to vote. then what I might do is go ahead and do my statement in the interest of time. unless there is something just burning that the distinguished Senator from Florida has to say. I will go ahead and do my statement and thenif the Democratic leader is available?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":357}
{"speech_id":1090028887,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a few minutes we will vote on the Presidents war and tsunami supplemental request. I take thit opportunity to thank Chairman THAD COCHRAN. as well as Senator BYRD. for their leadership on behalf of our men and women in uniform. This is one of the first major appropriations for Senator COCHRAN under his chairmanship of the full committee. and I do congratulate him for a job superbly done. I also thank Senator STEVENS and Senator INOUYE. I am confident we have a bill that will shortly be overwhelmingly supported on both sides of the aisle. The legislation before us is absolutely critical to winning the war on terror. It provides $75.9 billion in support of our troops who are out in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan courageously hunting down the enemy. hielping rebuild these countries. and spreading freedom and democracy. We are indebted to our soldiers. and this legislation reflects our deep commitment to their readiness. to their safety. to their families wellbeing. This weekend. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090028887,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"U.S. troops launched a major- counterinsurgency offensive in western Iraq near the Syrian border. This region has become an infamous smuggling route and sanctuary for foreign jihadists. So far. our troops have killed over 100 of the terrorists. and they continue to press the enemy back. Meanwhile. this weekend. our military announced the capture of a top Zarqawi associate. Amar Zubaydi. He was apprehended in a raid on his home last Thursday. Zubaydi ii an extremely dangerous man. He is believed responsible for multiple car bombings across Baghdad. as well as the attack on the Abu Ghraib prison last month which wounded 44 U.S. troops and 13 detainees. Authorities also discovered he was planning the assassination of a top Iraqi Government official. The good news is he is now in custody where he can no longer wreak his havoc. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090028887,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Military sources tell us Zubaydis capture has provided invaluable insights into the Zarqawi wing of the alQaida network. This arrest. along with the capture of Ghassan Amin in late April and Abu Farraj alLibbi in Pakistan last week. further tightens the noose. Indeed. we intercepted.a note by one of their colleagues complaining of the groups low morale. Osama bin Laden and alZarqawi will be brought to justice. just as Saddam. and his henchmen now sit in prison. Our brave men and women in uniform and their colleagues across the U.S. Government are risking their lives and working hard every day to bring that moment ever closer: I urge my fellow Senators to pass the supplemental swiftly so we can get this support to our military men and women in thB fieldand also. I should add. to the victims of the December tsunami tragedy. The war supplemental includes nearly $880 million in relief funds to help people in countries devastated by that deadly wave. Furthermore. it includes nearly $630 million to increase security at our borders by hiring 500 new border agents and tightening our drivers license ID requirements. America is leading the war on terror. and we are making great progress. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090028887,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As this supplemental appropriations demonstrates. we are a strong Nation. and we are a compassionate Nation. I look forward to an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote on this critical legislation in a few moments. Our troops and our fellow citizens are depending on it. Mr. President. I ask for the yeas and -nays.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090028954,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this letter of April 5. 2005. is signed by 13 giants of American diplomacy. including five Secretaries of State and two Secretaries of Defense in support of John Bolton. I ask unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":251}
{"speech_id":1090028955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for over three decades. John Bolton has had an effective\" working relationship with foreign governments. international institutions. nongovernmental organizations. and the private sector. He is a man who gets results. As Secretary Rice said: The President has nominatedJohn Bolton because he gets things done. That is exactly what we need for the U.N. ambassador. John Bolton is the man for the job. Mr. President. I am proud to support him. and I do believe his nomination will be moving forward this week. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":606}
{"speech_id":1090028955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think this Senate should promptly move to confirm him in this important position.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":606}
{"speech_id":1090028956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this past Sunday. the 8th of May. marked the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe during World War II. I have come to the floor today to honor those who served in that war and to mention our colleagues who answered the call of duty then. When I first came to the Senate. I think more than half of the Senate had served in World War II. There are few of us left who served during that war. and in the Senate only five: Senator AKAKA. Senator INOUYE. Senator LAUTENBERG. Senator WARNER. and myself. That war was an enormous effort that involved our Nations total manpower. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4642}
{"speech_id":1090028956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sixteen million Americans answered the call to serve. and more than 400.000 of them gave what Lincoln once called \"the last full measure of devotion.\" Here at home. Americans of all walks of life supported the war effort. Children collected rubber. tin. and steel. Families rationed food and gasoline. And women. in unprecedented numbers. took their place in industry anai produced the tools that enabled us to win the war. They joined fields which had once been closed to them. and they never looked back. When I went into the service. as most of my generation did. I was fortunate to do what I wanted to do. which was to fly. Sixty years ago. for those of us who served. every day was a milestone. Every day marked another step toward victory. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4642}
{"speech_id":1090028956,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. we only recognize a handful of those days: Pearl Harbor Day. Dday. VJ Day. and VE Daywhich is what I speak of today. There were so many who stepped forward when our country needed us. who sacrificed on the battlefield and here at home so we could win that war. It was a time defined by heroism. and it is hard to single out any one person who did heroic things. But I am here to remind the Senate that my friend. Senator INOUYE. was a hero. In military history there is a select group of men who have suffered grave injuries on the battlefield. continued their military careers. and gone on to further greatness. Horatio Nelson. Joshua Chamberlain. and John Bell Hood are all men who were tested on and off the battlefield. and their legacies endure. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4642}
{"speech_id":1090028956,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Among these men. Senator DAN INOUYE stands out because he overcame so much more just to become a soldier and waited so long to have his heroism officially recognized with the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is hard to sum up my respect and admiration for my great colleague and friend from Hawaii. Our friendship has spanned many decades now. and we call each other truly brothers. We are brothers. I can think of no man I respect more. Last month. Senator REID came to the floor to honor Senator INOUYES service during World War II. also. Senator REID said: Dan Inouye is a step above all of us. I agree with Senator REID. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4642}
{"speech_id":1090028956,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a World War II veteran. I am here to salute DAN INOUYE. His courage and bravery and sense of duty are an inspiration to not only his Senate colleagues. but I feel to all Americans. In a time when men made the extraordinary seem ordinary. DAN INOUYE stood out as a hero among men. I would like to read part of the citation for action that resulted in Senator INOUYEs Congressional Medal of Honor. Senator INOUYE was recognized for valor in combat in the Italian campaign in a battle just 17 days before VE Day. The citation says: With complete disregard for his personal safety. Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades. destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate. he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4642}
{"speech_id":1090028961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with a heavy heart and deep sense of gratitude to honor the life of a brave young man from Westfield. Robert Murray. 21 years old. died on April 29 whena bomb exploded beside his vehicle during a reconnaissance mission in Tal Afar. With his entire life before him. Robert risked everything to fight for the values Americans hold close to our hearts. in a land halfway around the world. After graduating from Westfield High School in 2002. Robert attended Indiana State University where he studied aviation management. He was a licensed pilot and a musician who decided to join the Army because of family history and a sense of patriotism and duty after the tragic events of 9\/11. Friends and colleagues remember him as a determined and wellliked individual with a good sense of humor. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3599}
{"speech_id":1090028961,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His mother Katrina Murray released a statement praising her sons heroism. saying. \"From an early age. Robert wanted to enter the military. This was the path he chose. and I want to honor his choice by remembering him as a hero who served his country proudly and made the ultimate sacrifice. He will be missed by our entire family and his many friends. He brought so much joy and laughter.\" I stand here today to express the same sentiments of pride in this young Hoosier and gratitude for his sacrifices and for those made by the Murray family on behalf of our country. Robert was killed while serving his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. based in Fort Carson. CO. This brave young soldier leaves behind his father Robert W. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3599}
{"speech_id":1090028961,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Murray Sr. his mother Katrina and his two sisters. Today. I join Roberts family and friends in mourning his death. While we struggle to bear our sorrow over this loss. we can also take pride in the example he set. bravely fighting to make the world a safer place. It is his courage and strength of character that people will remember when they think of Robert. a memory that will burn brightly during thege continuing da s of conflict and grief. Robert was known for his dedication to his family and his love of country. Today and always. Robert will be remembered by family members. friends. and fellow Hoosiers as a true American hero and we honor the sacrifice he made while dutifully serving his country. As I search for words to do justice in honoring Roberts sacrifice. I am reminded of President Lincolns remarks as he addressed the families of the fallen soldiers in Gettysburg: \"We cannot dedicate. we cannot consecrate. we cannot hallow this ground. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3599}
{"speech_id":1090028961,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The brave men. living and dead. who struggled here. have consecrated it. far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here. but it can never forget what they did here.\" This statement is just as true today as it was nearly 150 years ago. as I am certain that the impact of Roberts actions will live on far longer than any record of these words. It is my sad duty to enter the name of Robert W. Murray. Jr. in the official record of the Senate for his service to this country and for his profound commitment to freedom. democracy. and peace. When I think about this just cause in which we are engaged. and the unfortunate pain that comes with the loss of our heroes. I hope that families like Roberts can find comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah. who said.. \"He will swallow up death ifi victory. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.\" May God grant strength and peace to those who mourn. and may God be with all of you. as I know He is with Robert.","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3599}
{"speech_id":1090028963,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is National Womens Health Week. and it is certainly fitting to take stock of both our successes in promoting womens health while looking at the challenges ahead. Historically. womens health care needs have been poorly understood. While the obvious differences between the sexes are indisputable. it was assumed that those differences had limited implications. resulting in women being systematically excluded from health research studies. Too often. only men were studied and considered the health care \"norm\" for both genders. Of course. for a few diseases such as ovarian or breast cancer. the study of women was an absolute requirement. However. for so many others. women were excluded. Sometimes we heard that it would cost more to include women in trials because more participants would need to be enrolledsince research results would need to be analyzed separately for both men and women. That certainly sounds like a recognition that men and women can differ quite substantially. As researchers have looked. they have found so many times where a single difference between the sexes has so many other ramifications for health and disease. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090028963,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For example. because every child is genetically unique and different from both parents. childbearing requires the ability of a woman to have periods of lowered immunity in her reproductive tract. This is also a major contributor to her susceptibility to ynecologic infections. and it helps explain why women are much more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases. This is critical knowledge when one is trying to protect women from HIV and that knowledge simply must be reflected in strategies for protecting women. Remember that men and women differ geneticallythat was obvious from our earliest study of genetics . . . an entire chromosome is different. As we learn more about the human genome. and how genes interact. we doubtless will discover more differences which must be reflected in health decisions. There can be no doubt that whenever we fail to see women properly represented in health research. we risk causing major harm. One recent example is so notable. When one federally funded study examined the ability of aspirin to prevent heart attacks in 20.000 medical doctors. all of whom were men. physicians were left to assume that the protective effect may apply to women as well. So for years physicians have- been left to assume that aspirin had the same effect in women but we simply didnt know. Yet we do know that the pattern of heart disease in women is different than in men. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090028963,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Heart disease develops a bit later about 10 years later. Despite this. heart disease kills more women than men. more than either breast or ovarian cancer! So in March of this year when we finally learned that aspirin does not have the same effect in women as in men. we saw more evidence that assuming there is no difference between men and women is no substitute for conducting proper research. Sex differences in health are so numerous. Osteoporosis is far more common in womenas is depression. While women have the ability to modulate Our immunity to bear a child. it is ironic that we suffer far more autoimmune disease than men. For example. 9 of 10 lupus sufferers are women! Drugs and alcohol affect us differently from men as well even a womans response to anesthesia is different than a mans. So one can see it is a critical problem when we fail to discover such differences. It compromises the quality of health care for more than half of all Americans! Many of us have worked for years to achieve equal representation of women in health research. Since 1990 when the Society for Womens Health Research was founded. we have had a voice to help us in our effort to promote the inclusion of women in health care research. and to educate all of us about sex differences in health and disease. The Society is to be commended for its tireless efforts to increase our understanding of sex differences. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090028963,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today we know that equity does not yet exist in health care. and we have a long way to go. Progress has been madewe have seen an Office of Womens Health established at the NIH. and the research at the Institutes has reflected that representation. In fact. we see that not only women but also children and minorities are being better represented in health research today. I introduced the Womens Health Office Act to help address the sexbased .disparities in research and policy. This legislation provides permanent authorization for offices of womens health in five Federal agencies: the Department of Health and Human Services. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.- the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. the Health Resources and Services Administration. and the Food and Drug Administration. Currently. only two womens health offices in the Federal Government have statutory authorization: the Office of Research on Womens Health at the National Institutes of Health and the Office for Womens Services within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. With some offices established. but not authorized. the needs of women could be compromised without the consent of CongKress. We must create statutory authority for these offices. to ensure that health policy flows from fact. not assumption. Improving the health of American women requires a far greater understanding of womens health needs and conditions. and ongoing evaluation in the areas of research. education. prevention. treatment and the delivery of services and passage of this legislation will help ensure that. I call on my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. which will ensure better health for our mothers. our sisters. our daughters. here and abroad. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090028963,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. President.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090028967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased today to recognize and thank Ambassador Lisa Guillermin Gable of Virginia for her valued leadership as the United States Commissioner General to the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi. Japan. The World Expo 2005 features national pavilions from 125 participating countries. Under the leadership of Ambassador Gable. the notforprofit and privately funded organization. Aichi USA 2005. has successfully designed and built the U.S. Pavilion. which will be open to the public in Nagoya. Japan. through September 25. 2005. The showcase at the United States pavilion honors Americas first diplomat and innovator. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1408}
{"speech_id":1090028967,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Benjamin Franklin. The pavilion showcase promotes Americas core values of hope. optimism. enterprise and freedom. Under Ambassador Gables stewardship. the U.S. Pavilion and related cultural activities were successfully .and fully funded with 100 percent nonFederal financing. The hard work of this distinguished resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia will help promote U.S. economic development by fostering business relationships between Japan and the many participating countries and state sponsors. I express my appreciation and thanks to Ambassador Lisa Guillermin Gable. U.S. Commissioner General to the World Expo. as named by President George W. Bush. for leading the way in making possible the United States participation in the first worlds fair of the 21st Century.","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1408}
{"speech_id":1090028970,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to an extraordinary class of students from Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers. These outstanding young Hoosiers competed against 50 other schools from across the Nation and won honorable mention as one of the top ten finalists in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution national finals in Washington. D.C. The motivation displayed by these students will no doubt lead them along the path to becoming some of our countrys future leaders. It is my honor to enter the names of Ryan Arnold. Natasha Arora. Kelsey Buckingham. Ricardo Doriott. Eddie Gillham. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1149}
{"speech_id":1090028970,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Worthe Holt III. Carolyn Homer. Kyle Lymberopoulos. Ashley Martin. Michael Matern. Allison Nimtz. Alex Orlowski. Laura Peregrim. Jennifer Wardell. Brian White and Marissa Wills in the official RECORD of the Senate for their remarkable understanding of the fundamental ideals and values of American government: I also want to take a moment to salute Jill Baisinger. these students teacher. for her clear commitment to encouraging the curiosity and development of our Hoosier youth and furthering their understanding of American Government.e","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1149}
{"speech_id":1090028992,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask. unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Airland be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. May 10. 2005. at 3:30 p.m. in closed session to mark up the Airland Programs and provisions contained in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090029038,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on May 8. 2005. we will mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. So I rise today to honor the men and women that did their duty in this war to comfort the families that lost loved ones. World War II was truly a world war conflict. spread across the globe. and it is estimated that some 50 million people died as a result. The impact of the war was felt everywhere. Men and woman from every walk of life were encouraged to do their bit for the war effort. and they responded magnificently. It is hard to imagine the relief and joy that those who had lived through the war experienced when at last the war finally ended. Veterans remember ripping the blackout curtains from their windows. turning on their lights. and sharing with their family. friends and neighbors or complete strangers their joy at hearing the news that the war was over. However. we should remember that for many. the end of the war came over a period of months. For those who were serving in the Far East and their loved ones. the war continued long after the victory celebrations that are etched in our popular memory. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090029038,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"World War II extracted a terrible toll. most brutally in terms of the dreadful human cost in dead. injured and of course disabled. Year after year of sacrifice and uncertainty. of making do and going without. left its mark on each and every Nation. But it also helped forge an attitude of never again. The images we see of people celebrating the end of the war are people shaking off their recent past and looking forward to a better peaceful future. As we look back on these images. we might stop to reflect upon not only the debt that we owe them. but to consider too the responsibility for the future that we have inherited. As We look towards the future we look towards democracy. President Bushs trip to Europe. in particular the Soviet Union. exemplified his strong push towards his foreign policy agenda of spreading democracy. As we look towards the future today. President Bush also looked towards the past in remembrance of World War II. He connected the struggles against Nazi and Communist tyranny in the part of the world to his own campaign to bring democracy to the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090029038,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In an effort to encourage President Putin to acknowledge past national mistakes he said. \"In regard to our occupation of the Middle East. we will not repeat the mistakes of other generations. appeasing or excusing tyranny. and sacrificing freedom in the vain pursuit of stability. We have learned our lesson. No ones life is expendable. In the long run our security and our true stability depends upon the freedom of others.\" It is a remarkable statement that the President issued. It is this freedom. the freedom and benefits of a democratic Nation that President Bush is trying to encourage people to reflect on. His scheduled stop in Latvia was a way of easing his participation into Mondays anniversary celebration in Moscows Red Square. But. of course. a trip like this reopened old wounds between Moscow and the Baltic States. which of course were absorbed into the Soviet Union in 1940 after the secret MolotovRibbentrop deal between Hitler and Joseph Stalin in 1939. The agreement provided for Soviet occupation of Estonia. Latvia. part of Finland and later Lithunia in return for Nazi Germanys control over most of Poland. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090029038,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As President Bush looked back on the history of the Soviet Union. he tried to compare the United States past mistakes to that of the Soviet Union. President Bush noted that lengthy and difficult journey for us here in the United States for democracy. with our own civil war that we struggled through. As we look to the future. it is essential to remember the past and the mistakes we made as a Nation. and other Nations should do the same. World War II embodies what certain mistakes can result in. Sixty years ago. millions of Europeans were suffering from homelessness or having been released from captivity or expelled as part of an act of vengeance. So thousands of Americans and American families were left with a gapping hole. as they had lost loved ones in the battles during World War II. It is today that we make a stand and seek to liberalize other nations and encourage freedom and democracy throughout the world. Mr. Speaker. I would like to praise President Bush for his statements that were made in Europe this week and again honor the lives of millions of soldiers that fought for the end of the war. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090029038,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"World War II.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090029047,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is kind of hard to see justice served in this Nation when our Federal bench has vacancies on it. That is why the President has put forward a number of highly qualified. highly skilled people to serve on the Federal bench. However. Senate Democrats do not like these judges. They have conspired to block judges using the filibuster. That means a nominee requires the approval not of 51 Senators. which the Constitution requires. a majority. but 60 Senators. a supermajority. So Republicans would like to restore the tradition of the Senate approving the Presidents judicial nominations by -requiring an upordown vote. This is called the Constitutional Option. because it empowers Senators to vote on judicial nominees. up or down. The rtfe change will apply only to judicial nominees. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1263}
{"speech_id":1090029047,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It actually has been used before by Democrats. In 1995. 19 currently serving Democratic Senators voted to end all filibusters. and Senator ROBERT BYRD has tried to amend use of the filibuster several times. As long as there is a Senate. there will be a filibuster and other delaying tactics available to thwart the majority and legislation. But as long as the Constitution directs the Senate to vote on judicial nominees. the filibuster will not stand in the way.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1263}
{"speech_id":1090029093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. asan original cosponsor. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 142 to support the goals and ideals. of Rotary International Day and to celebrate and honor Rotary International on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. Rotary began in my district. the U.S. Virgin Islands with what was called nondistrict clubs. The first nondistrict club to receive a charter was The Rotary Club of St. Thomas in 1957. followed by The Rotary Club of St. Croix in 1958 and from their inception they emphasized their commitment of Service Above Self. Rotary West of St. Croix for example has provided (5) $1.000 scholarship for graduating seniors from St. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2692}
{"speech_id":1090029093,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Croix high schools for over 25 years. They have also donated over 350 wheelchairs to residents of St. Croix and Haiti. and provided over 3 trailers loads of dry goods to the residents of Grenada in the wake of the disaster they suffered last year. Just this past March. they presented a $10.000 check to Juan Luis Hospital to help the facility purchase an EEG machine. On St. Thomas. three 2004 graduates of the Ivanna. Eudora Kean High S6hool were given full fouryear scholarship awards to attend the University of the Virgin Islands. thanks to Rotary Club of St. Thomas East. St. Thomas Rotary East works closely with students at Eudora Kean. its adopted school. yearround and at the end of the year it awards up to four scholarships to deserving graduates. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2692}
{"speech_id":1090029093,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With Rotary International in its 100th year. each club is mandated to create a special project. For its Centennial project. Rotary East created a tropical arboretum with the help of Kean students. planting 100 trees on the schools campus concentrating on native species. such as pink cedar and .sea grape trees. Madam Speaker. I am pleased that Rotary International and the U.S. Coalition for the Eradication of Polio have chosen to recognize me as a 2003 Rotary \"Congressional Champion of Polio Eradication. The drive to eradicate polio has been one of the largest privatepublic sector initiatives ever organized. Rotary International has been working since 1985 to help eradicate polio from the world and it is now possible. They have mobilized tens of thousands of Rotarians to work together with their national ministries of health. UNICEF and the World Health Organization. and with health providers at the grassroots level in thousands of communities. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2692}
{"speech_id":1090029093,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By the time polio has been eradicated. Rotary International will have expended more than $500 million of its own money on the effort. I am pleased to support H. Res. 142 and applaud Rotary International for all of their good work in service to their community. I urge my colleagues to support passage of the resolution.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2692}
{"speech_id":1090029126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. House Concurrent Resolution 136 authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the 24th annual National Peace Officers Memorial .Service. a most solemn and respectful public event honoring our Nations brave civil servants. The event. scheduled for May 15. will be coordinated by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Hill Police. This is a fitting tribute to the Federal. State. and local police officers who gave their lives while protecting our families. our homes. and our places of work. This year. 153 names will be added to the memorial wall. including nine women who were killed in the line of duty. These fallen heroes served an average of 12 years in law enforcement. with some serving as many as 40 years. Others. like one 20yearold officer. had only just begun what he had hoped would be years of service to his community. ","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3194}
{"speech_id":1090029126,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On average. one officer is killed in this country every otherday. and approximately 23.000 are injured every year. And thousands more are assaulted while on duty.- In 2004. seven law enforcement officers from the State of Pennsylvania were killed in the line of duty. In the. early morning hours of March 19. Philadelphia City Pretrial Warrant Supervisor Joseph LeClaire was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant in West Germantown to a man who had failed to appear in court during two trials. one for a drug charge. the second for a rape case. Officers Vincent Disandra and Carlo Delborrello were also shot and wounded during the encounter. Shortly after 11 a.m. on March 31 in Bradford County. Deputy Sheriffs Christopher Burgert. who was 30. and Michael Vankuren. 36. were shot and killed while trying to. serve two warrants to a man living in Wells Township. In the early morning of April 20. Sergeant James Miller. a 28year veteran of the Upper Dublin Police Department. died when his police vehicle rolled over during an accident. And Police Chief Douglas Shertzer. a 23year veteran of his department. was killed in a motorcycle accident on the morning of May 11 while en route to begin his patrol. ","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3194}
{"speech_id":1090029126,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Patrolman Michael Wise II of Reading City Police Department was shot in the line of duty on the night of June 5 while searching for a murder suspect. And. finally. Elk Lick Township Police Chief Sheridan Caton. 60. was killed in a headon collision while responding to a request for a backup from a neighboring police department. The driver of the second vehicle was charged with driving while under the influence. These public servants .are sorely missed. and they deserve our deepest respect. and their families have our most sincere sympathies. In October. 1962. -President Kennedy declared May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day so that we could come together to honor the service and sacrifice of our Nations law enforcement officers. This years ceremony is the 24th anniversary of this memorial service. Consistent with -all Capitol Hill events. the memorial service will be free and open to the public. I support the resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this tribute to our fallen police officers and peace officers.","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3194}
{"speech_id":1090029132,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Concurrent Resolution 86. House Concurrent Resolution 135. and House Concurrent Resolution 136. the matters just considered by the House.","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":310}
{"speech_id":1090029139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Texas. Ms. JACKSONLEE. for her courage in bringing this personal privilege before the House. The very fact that this Member has been mistreated should cause all of us deep concern. It is wrong and unacceptable. The fact that a repbrt is being supplemented by the Chairman with significant and startling -changes attests to the fact that the Majority knew that the original report was wrongly and inappropriately filed. But that does not resolve the matteran apology is owed to Ms. JACKSONLEE by the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2887}
{"speech_id":1090029139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that the distinguished Chairman. for whom I have great respect. would like to call it a drafting dispute or return to a discussion on the merits of the bill. In fact. I would think that the Chairman of the Judiciary would be sensitive to the treatment of committee reports and would share my view that committee reports should not be misused to hurt a Member. given that the distinguished Chairman was the cosponsor of a resolution in 1983 regarding the alteration of committee reports. a matter of seriousness that was ultimately investigated by the Ethics Committee. This issue is about fundamental respect for our democracy. for the dignity of the House. and.for the integrity of the proceedings of this body. It is about how we treat each other. and it is about trust and the betrayal of that trust. The bounds of trust that we need to function in this Body are weakened even further by this sorry and disgusting chapter. What the leadership of the Committee on the Judiciary did is just another extension of the abuse of power of the Republican majority in both Chambers of the Congress of the United States. What they are doing with the filibuster in the other body is to try to silence the Minority and break the rules. They are using any means to justify their partisan agenda to the.far right. even if it violates the rules. the Constitution. and fundamental decency and trust. Here in the House. there is an attempt to disregard the rules that protect us all. corrupt. the integrity of our proceedings. and demean not only the dignity of this House. but going so far as to demean individual Members. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2887}
{"speech_id":1090029139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is an attempt to limit the voice of the Minority. reducing the opportunity for Members to speak on the floor. and offer substitutes and amendments. Comityand trust between the Majority and the Minority are essential and must be encouraged. That is why the Republican Leadership has an obligation to come here right now on the floor and disavow this disgraceful behavior. There is no need for this kind of misbehavior and abuse by the Majority. We should follow the rules of this House and treat each other with the proper respect. To preserve the trust that the American people place in us. the Republican leadership in this House must pledge that this travesty will never happen again.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2887}
{"speech_id":1090029171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we recently passed the conference report on yet another supplemental appropriations bill for the war in Iraq. bringing the total amount of taxpayer money being spent on this illconceived. builtonlies war to over $300 billion. The longer we keep funding this irresponsible effort. the more harm we are doing. not just to the people of Iraq but also to our very own troops. The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported that as many as one out of four veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq treated at VA hospitals in the past 16 months were diagnosed with mental disorders. Alarmingly. this number has been steadily rising. and we can only guess how many soldiers do not come forward to get help because of the stigma that is associated with mental illnesses. Posttraumatic stress disorder. also known as PTSD. is the most common disorder seen in returning soldiers and has been diagnosed in 10 percent of returning soldiers at VA hospitals. Other mental disorders that are being seen are drug or alcohol abuse. depression and anxiety disorders. Also phobias and panic are part of the whole diagnosis. These are the hidden scars that young men and women who serve in combat are left with when they return home. While mental and emotional problems cannot be seen as easily as a physical wound. they are just as debilitating. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090029171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Large numbers of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home. and they are showing up in our homeless population in numbers that have not been seen since the end of the Vietnam War. This is a shameful epidemic. and we must work to confront it before it is too late. Serving in a combat zone not only affects soldiers but also their families. When service members come home. they face a real challenge in learning how to readjust to civilian life. often taking a toll on relationships with family members and sometimes leading to even more mental and emotional problems. Every time we send our young men and women into combat. we are asking them to make a huge sacrifice for the rest of us. Their lives and their health are the real followup costs to any war. That is why I have introduced H. Con. Res. 35. asking for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Thirtythree other Members of Congress have signed my resolution with me. because weknow that the longer we keep our troops in harms way. fighting a war of occupation. the higher the costs in human lives. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090029171,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coupled with that bill. I am also reintroducing legislation to support a SMART security platform for the 21st century. SMART stands for Sensible. Multilateral American Response to Terrorism. SMART treats war as an absolute last resort. It fights terrorism with stronger intelligence and multilateral partnerships. It controls the spread of weapons of mass destruction with a renewed commitment to nonproliferation. and it aggressively invests in the development of impoverished nations. with an emphasis on womens health and womens education. We must take a smarter approach to our foreign policy and homeland security measures. The sacrifices made by our soldiers are so great. We should be asking them to make sacrifices only after careful and thoughtful deliberation. not rushing to war on unreliable intelligence and on personal grudges. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090029171,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must take careful and measured steps when putting lives on the line. something that the Bush administration has not done. As we work to protect those who protect us. instead of thr6wing our money into an illadvised war. we must commit first to keeping our troops well equipped with safety gear and modern equipment. and we must provide them with real and comprehensive health care. including mental health support services. when they come home. Mr. Speaker. war has longlasting effects on those who serve. Let us work to ensure that we limit those effects by using our troops only when we must and treating them with the dignity they deserve when they return.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090029195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just appreciate the gentleman from South Carolinas and the gentleman from Floridas leadership and the opportunity for us to help explain to our generation what the ramifications will be if the Presidents proposal goes through. I think it is real important that we plug the Web site. and the gentleman from Florida has it up here on the board.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":357}
{"speech_id":1090029205,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for all his help in this area. He touched on something that I wait to turn to now with these charts because some of the strongest criticism that we have heard concerning No Child Left Behind has been with respect to the funding. specifically the Federal Governments role in funding the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. If we look carefully at these charts. we begin to get the true picture of what is happening in the funding. Let me go through it word by word. Education Funding. Discretionary Appropriation Increases. Fiscal Year 1996 to Fiscal Year 2005. This is what the Federal Government has done for the funding of education. Although it says the Department of Education here. this money basically flows through to our States and school districts throughout this country. Federal funding for education has more than doubled over the past 9 years. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6794}
{"speech_id":1090029205,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the final fiscal year 2005 appropriations bill. discretionary funding for the Department of Education climbed from $23 billion in fiscal year 1996 to $57 billion for fiscal year 2005. That is an increase of 148 percent. That is a tremendous increase. We are talking about 15 percent. and maybe the math comes in handy here. 15 percent or more on an annualized basis. Most costs of living. when you measure it in government programs. is just that. it is cost of living. Usually it is 2 or 3 percent. So the Federal Government has stepped forward and said. We are going to make a larger commitment to education. and we have done that in the course of the last 9 years. I do not have the chart here to show this. but I would be willing to put a lot of money on the fact that the States and the local school districts have not been able to keep up with this particular pace of funding that has gone into education. Just one more chart while we are looking at these charts. and that is funding for programs under the No Child Left Behind Act. a 40 percent increase in 5 years. showing that. in the last 5 years since No Child Left Behind. we have also had very significant increases as far as No Child Left Behind is concerned to help with those programs. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6794}
{"speech_id":1090029205,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are programs. by the way. which were being put into place by most of the States and most of the school districts in this country even before No Child Left Behind came along. I am very dubious of any argument saying the Federal Government has not done its share as far as that is concerned. I am discouraged. frankly. by States and organizations that focus more on the funding levels than on what the law is supposed to ultimately be providing to students. which is a quality education and the opportunity for future success. Many even argue that it is an unfunded mandate. that it is impossible for schools to implement the law at the funding levels provided by Washington. D.C.. This is a disingenuous argument at the very best. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. which you may know as GAO. released a report in May 2004 which discredits comments that No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate. The GAO reviewed more than 500 different statutes and regulations enacted -in 2001 and 2002 and officially concluded No Child Left Behind is not an unfunded mandate. Even more clear are the significant increases in Federal funding of Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs since the enactment of No Child Left Behind as was shown by those charts. According to the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6794}
{"speech_id":1090029205,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Department of Education. Federal funding for programs encompassed by No Child Left Behind has increased $17.4 billion. as I indicated. representing a 40 percent increase in just 3 years. Included in this number is title I funding for disadvantaged students and schools. which is funded at $12.7 billion in fiscal year 2005. an increase of 45 percent since No Child Left Behind was signed into law. That is significant. because that is the money that is going to the schools that have the most lowincome children in their schools. It should also be noted that. in 1994. President Bill Clinton signed the Improving Americas Schools Act. a reauthorization of the ESEA. that required States to develop standards and aligned assessments for all etudents. Districts were required to identify schools not making adequate yearly progress and take steps to improve them. Bill Clinton. 1994. This makes two important points. First. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6794}
{"speech_id":1090029205,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States across the country should already have been implementing accountability systems similar to what is required under No Child Left Behind. The previous reauthorization included many of the same provisions. just without the necessary teeth to ensure compliance. Second. during that time. Congress did not appropriate the same levels as were authorized in the act. Democrats funded education in the same manner when they controlled Congress and the White House. Yes. raising the student achievement levels are difficult and expensive. The fact remains that the Congress has been funding the program. States and organizations should not be avoiding their responsibilities to students on the back of a failed funding argument. The hard work and dedication of those implementing No Child Left Behind is clear. and we can all agree with the laws goals. We are beginning to see results. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6794}
{"speech_id":1090029272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we all know about the axis of evil. Iran and North Koreas pursuit of nuclear weapons is frightening. and we need to do everything we can do to stop it. But now there is a new axis of evil. apparently. and it starts right here in Washington. The axis of evil for this administration is bullseye. square one. the United States Senate and the. 45 members of its minority. Because while not yet a nuclear State. that is exactly what the Republicans want to make it by eliminating the filibuster rule. Not only does the Republican Party demonstrate yet again that when they do not get their way. they do not be-. lieve in playing fair. they want to change the rules. When they cannbt change the rules. their leadership bullies judges and pushes legislation that has no business being in the United States Congress and is left best to the States. When that does not work. they eliminate the voice of the minority and appoint. for lifetime appointments. to the Federal and supreme Court. Let us remember that Democrats in the United States Senate combined represent more Americans than do their Republican colleagues. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090029272,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have a proud history of an independent judiciary and checks and balances. That is something that Iran and North Korea cannot say. If Bill Frist gets his way. it is something we will not be able to say. either.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090029283,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is a lot of talk by groups in Washington. D.C. about ethics. making sure that Members of Congress hold to the highest standards of ethical conduct. It is good stuff. But one of these groups concerned about ethics. the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. is not the nonpartisan entity we may have thought. The Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. CREW. Mr. Speaker. is a partisan group with a partisan political agenda. According to The Wall Street Journal. board members of the group. including a former Clinton White House pollster. have contributed over $340.000 to leftwing causes in the past 4 years. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090029283,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The groups director has said. \"Since I started. the main thing I want to do was to goafter Tom DeLay. DeLay is my top target.\" This group is concerned about ethics. Mr. Speaker? No. I do not think so. It is about partisan politics. And they only have one agenda. and that is to file complaints against Republicans. Mr. Speaker. as someone new to Washington. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090029283,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not used to this Washington. D.C. parlor gAme of dirty tricks. This is about politics. Mr. Speaker. not about ethics.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090029293,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker. we now find ourselves in an even more interesting situation. The gentleman from Indiana has just raised some substantive concerns about .the bill. and those ought to be responded to. The pr6blem is that. because of the way this has been handled. because you had a matter that was not under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations essentially dumped into an appropriations bill. this issue is not going to be dealt with on the substantive level. The issues raised by the gentleman might be very legitimate. but they should be debated in the forum in which they are supposed to be debated. and that is the Committee on the Judic.iary. Instead. we have the Committee on Appropriations which is supposed to focus on budgets here dealing with a legal issue about which our committee has nd particular expertise. So. once again. the process by which the bill is being considered today changes the House from being what it is supposed to be. which is the greatest deliberative body in the world. to a poor imitation of Daffy Duck. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090029293,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I again would urge that we give greater consideration to normal order around here if we do not want to rapidly descend into being the laughingstock of the country. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090029294,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. since this change is merely a technical item in nature. I urge swift adoption of this resolution so we can expedite enrollment of the bill and get it to the President for his signature today. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my tinie.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":311}
{"speech_id":1090029338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 1279. the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005. This bill is a forwardlooking and comprehensive approach to a growing national threat: violent and vicious criminal gangs in our communities. According to the last National Youth Gang Survey. there are now between 750.000 and 850.000 gang members in our country. Every city in the country with a population of 250.000 or more has reported gang activity. There are over 25.000 gangs in more than 3.000 jurisdictions in the United States. Criminal gangs are no longer just a local problem. In recent years. gangs have become nationallyorganized criminal syndicates. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5439}
{"speech_id":1090029338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are disciplined criminal enterprises with leaders. managers. and employees. with training and structured associations. many of which are now international in scope. They are dedicated to enriching themselves through criminal activ.ity and terrorizing our communities. The lawabiding public and State and local law enforcement have sent us a strong message: Act now and stop the scourge of violence in our communities. This legislation has four broad and significant purposes. First. the bill authorizes the creation of antigang task forces that will bring together Federal. State and local law enforcement to conduct complex and significant. gang prosecutions and provide a national in- frastructure for the sharing of gang information nationwide. Second. the bill creates a new gang crime statute. akin to the RICO statute. that addresses specific techniques and criminal strategies used by the gangs. Third. the bill increases penalties and clarifies several existing statutes for crimes typically committed by gangs. Fourth. the bill adopts a limited measure to permit Federal prosecutors to charge 16- and 17yearolds. in Federal court without going through a lengthy and outdated transfer procedure. Current law has hindered law enforcement efforts to incapacitate violent 16- and 17yearold gangmembers in aggravated crimes of violence. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5439}
{"speech_id":1090029338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I. would like to underscore one important aspect of this bill. It adopts new mandatory minimum penalties that address the seriousness of violent crimes committed by gang .members. For kidnapping. maiming and aggravated sexual abuse. gang members will be subject to a 30year mandatory minimum. For assaults resulting in serious bodily injury. that is. nearly killing or permanently disabling a person. gang members will face a mandatory minimum of 20 years. and for all other gang crimes. gang members will face a 10year mandatory minimum penalty. The mandatory minimums contained in this legislation are carefully tailored to deter and disrupt violent gang activity as swiftly as possible. These mandatory minimum penalties reflect Congresss duty to ensure that violent gang members are consistently and fairly incarcerated. Further. prosecutors and law enforcement will tell you that in the absence of mandatory guidelines. such penalties are the only way to secure the cooperation of lowerlevel gang members who have critical information about the tightlyknit gang structure and gang crimes to testify and cooperate against higherlevel gang members who typically insulate themselves from the daytoday criminal activity. Gang members who wish to avoid the mandatory minimum penalty can do so by freely and willingly deciding to cooperate against other gang members. Madam Chairman. I wish to take a minute to underscore the support for this measure from law enforcement. and by that. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5439}
{"speech_id":1090029338,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I mean the brave men and women who are on the streets every day putting their lives on the line to fight the gang epidemic in our country. Since this measure was introduced. we have received strong letters of support from organizations representing State and local law enforcement agencies across our country. including the Fraternal Order of Police. the National Sheriffs Association. the National Association of Police Officers. the National Latino Peace Officers Association. the National Troopers Coalition. the Major County Chief Association. the Law Enforcement Alliance of America. the Association For Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. the District Attorney for New Orleans. the California Gang Investigators Association and the International Union of Police Associations. When law enforcement speaks with such a clear and unanimous voice. we have a duty to listen. to act now and to give their members the tools and resources they need to fight and win this battle on behalf of Americas lawabiding citizens. I want to thank my two colleagues. the gentleman from Virginia and the gentleman from Virginia for their strong and committed leadership on this issue. They have dedicated both time and effort to- H.R. 1279 and should be commended for their focus on combating this disturbing national trend. I urge my colleagues to suppoit this vital public safety legislation. Tough. determinate sentencing policies. have worked to reduce crime in the last 20 years. and now. we are facing a new challenge. Gang violence is a growing national scourge that requires a tough and measured response. Stiff penalties and additional resources to law enforcement will send a clear and unmistakable message to the violent criminal gang members that their conduct will no longer be tolerated. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5439}
{"speech_id":1090029345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. let me begin by thanking the gentleman from Virginia for doing this. And every Member of this House on both sides should thank the gentleman. And I thank the chairman and the staff of the Judiciary Committee for moving this legislation. March issue of Newsweek: \"They are a violent force in 33 States and counting. The most dangerous gang in America. MS13.\" They killed 10 people in Northern Virginia. And I will tell the gentleman from Los Angeles. they have killed a number of people out in your area too. There was a Washington Post editorial about this and a story where it talks about a young parent. The eldest son. age 15. was sitting on the steps of a nearby apartment with two friends when he was gunned down. The friends were wounded. but survived. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2505}
{"speech_id":1090029345,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The son was killed almost instantly. The mother remarked. we moved here to get away from the gangs. The brutality of these gangs. They took Brenda Paz. who was in the Witness Protection Program down to the Shenandoah Valley and slashed her throat to where her neck was cut all the way almost through. and stabbed her 16 times. They prey on the poor. They prey on the poor in the inner cities. They prey on the poor in Culmore. I have said. the people of Culmore and the people of the inner city have just as much right to live in the upscale neighborhoods where they may not be. This is a good bill. And when we protect the most vulnerable in our society. we protect everybody. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2505}
{"speech_id":1090029345,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have talked to the community in different areas of my district and in Culmore through this region. They live in fear. And I say whether you have been in this country for 50 years and are wealthy or whether you have been here for 50 hours and you live in an area where you are trying to work your way out. you deserve the right to be protected. And the bill by the gentleman from Virginia protects the poor. This bill protects those who are being preyed upon. And I hope and I pray. on behalf of Brenda Paz who was stabbed 16 times and the families that live in Culmore and the families that live out in L.A. and the families that live in Houston. and the families that live throughout the State of Virginia that are suffering with this. that this bill passes overwhelmingly and goes on to the Senate. and they pass it so we can finally get relief. not for the wealthy but for those who live in Culmore and the inner city. who. up until this time. have been forgotten by this institution. Finally. with the Forbes bill. this will do more to help them.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2505}
{"speech_id":1090029367,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I cannot think of anybody who would want to see gangs deterred more. I cannot think of anybody who would want to see crime deterred more. I cannot think of many people who have had more experience living in innercity communities. where there is a tremendous amount of poverty. deprivation and pestilence. I want to see people who commit robbery. murder. rape. assaults. participate in mob action. all of them dealt with accordingly. And although I do not believe in capital punishment. I do believe that they have to be punished. I do not believe that mandatory minimums. that trying more children. more teenagers as adults. or changing venues and deciding what discretionary action individuals would be tried under is going to solve the problem. I think that we need to make sure that fairness is a part of justice. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1126}
{"speech_id":1090029367,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this bill frightens me. It scares me. I would hope that we would take it back. deal with it appropriately and bring a bill that we can agree on that punishes those who deserve to be punished but to demonstrate that we -understand sensitivity and not put children in jail as adults.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1126}
{"speech_id":1090029373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act. . is the latest example of Congress disregarding its constitutional limitations in the name of \"getting tough on crime.\" Gang crime is certainly a serious issue in many parts of the country. However. unless criminal gangs are engaging in counterfeiting. treason. or piracy. the federal government has no jurisdiction over the criminal activities of gangs. In fact. by creating new federal crimes related to gang activities. but unrelated to one of the federal crimes enumerated in the Constitution. the new federal crimes and enhanced penalties in this bill usurp state and local authority. H.R. 1279 broadly defines \"criminal street gangs\" and \"gang activity.\" This is a major expansion of Federal criminal jurisdiction. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese. two men who no one has ever accused of being \"soft on crime.\" have both warned that. although creating more Federal crimes may make politicians feel good. it is neither constitutionally sound nor prudent. Rehnquist has stated that. \"[t]he trend to federalize crimes that traditionally have been handled in state courts . . . threatens to change entirely the nature of our federal system.\" Meese stated that Congresss tendency in recent decades to make federal crimes out of offenses that have historicallybeen state matters has dangerous implications both for the fair administration of justice and for the principle that states are something more than mere administrative districts of a nation governed mainly from Washington. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090029373,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those who want the American criminal justice system to actually deliver justice should oppose H.R. 1279 because it imposes \"mandatory minimum\" sentences for certain gangrelated crimes. Mandatory minimum sentences impose a \"onesizefitsall\" formula in place of the discretion of a judge. or jury. to weigh all the circumstances. surrounding an individuals crime and decide on an appropriate punishment. Taking away judicial discretion over sentencing may represent a legislative usurpation of areas properly left to the judiciary. I have long been critical of judicial usurpation of legislative functions. and have introduced legislation using Congresss constitutional powers to rein in the judiciary. However. I recognize that Congress must make sure it does not overstep its constitutional authority by imposing legislative solutions on matters best resolved by the judicial branch. Mandatory minimums almost guarantee unjust sentences. Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio. Chairman of the Domestic Policy Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. and Reverend Kerry Snyder. President of Catholic Charities USA. summed it up well in a letter to Congress opposing this bill: \"... rigid sentencing formulations could prevent judges from properly assessing an -individuals culpability during the crime of other factors that have bearing on recidivism. thus sometimes resulting in harsh and inappropriate sentences.\" I am also concerned that removing authority over the prevention and punishment of gang crimes from state and local jurisdictions will prevent states and localities from coming up with innovative ways to prevent gang crimes. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090029373,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gangs flourish for a multitude of reasons. and no federal \"onesizefitsall\" program can. address all the causes of gang crimes. States and localities should be left free to create the .gang prevention and punishment programs that best meet their unique needs. Supporters of this bill make a good point that federal money is being wasted on ineffective \"prevention\" programs like the infamous \"midnight basketball\" program. However. H.R. 1279 in no way reduces funding for ineffective prevention programs. Instead. it spends more taxpayer money on unconstitutional crime programs. The sponsors of this bill could have attempted to stop wasting taxpayer funds on programs such as midnight basketball by defunding such prevention programs and using the funds to pay for the new programs created by H.R. 1279. Finally. I must oppose this bill because it expands the Federal death penalty. While I recognizethat nothing in the Constitution forbids Federal. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090029373,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"State. or local governments from imposing a death penalty. I have come to the conclusion that a consistent prolife position requires opposition to any legislation imposing a Federal death penalty for unconstitutional Federal crimes. Mr. Speaker. I do not advocate Federal action to stop individual States from imposing a death penalty. I simply oppose compounding the damage done by creating new Federal crimes by making those crimes subject to a Federal death penalty. H.R. 1279 exceeds Congresss constitutional authority by creating new Federal crimes. thus further burdening the already overwhelmed Federal judiciary system and taking another step toward upending our constitutional system by turning the States into administrative districts of the Federal Government. This bill also creates unwise mandatory minimum sentences. usurping the sentencing decisions of judges and juries. Finally. H.R. 1279 raises serious moral issues by expanding the use of the Federal death penalty. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090029373,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Therefore. I must oppose H.R. 1279 and urge my colleagues to do same.","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5246}
{"speech_id":1090029387,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the material that is on page 20 relates to a clarification of the ban on possession of hand guns by juveniles. It appears to me that the clarification does not clarify the statute. The best thing to do is to completely remove the clarification as was proposed. thus leaving the current law intact. which means that if a juvenile possesses a hand gun. he will have to have a written note stating that he is authorized to do so from his parent.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":456}
{"speech_id":1090029482,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the gentleman is very kind. Mr. Chairman. I will tell you the NCIC system works. After 61\/2 years. it is overdue time we tried to do something about the visas. I will take just a minute to thank the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary for a great bilLI appreciate so much his support in this. as well as the support of the gentleman from Virginia and the gentleman from Virginia and all their good work. We are finally. finally trying to do something about this terrible problem of illegal immigrants.","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":522}
{"speech_id":1090029515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just wish today that we would hear the same passion for the victims of gang crimes as we have heard on the other side for those who commit violent gang crimes. You know. we have heard a lot about the cost of locking up violent gang criminals. But I have not heard a whole lot about the cost of leaving them in our neighborhoods to create more crimes and leave repeated paths of victims. We just heard about common sense. Well. let me tell you about common sense. Common sense is that you are not going to stop these violent gang criminals by giving them a Popsicle and a hug. You stop them by getting them off the streets. Let us make it clear that we do not believe there is any socially redeeming value for belonging to a violent criminal gang. ","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090029515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What mandatory sentences do is they set out clearly a policy that we say. if you are going to belong to one of these gangs. you take the consequences. that if you commit one of these gang crimes. you are going to pay a price. You cannot just roll the dice. Now. our opponents will tell you it is already illegal to do some of these acts. They miss the point. Our whole purpose is to keep those acts from being committed in the first place by getting rid of the gang networks. They believe. they have argued here the way you do that is by giving arts and crafts to members of these violent gangs. We just respectfully disagree. We believe that the way you do it is by bringing down the criminal gang networks and the criminal gang leaders. Mandatory sentences do that by giving those individuals who commit gang crimes a choice. They can either spend a long time in jail. or they can help us bring down the networks that are praying on .our communities. ","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090029515,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I hope we will reject this amendment and will pass the bill.","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090029529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the Waters\/Scott amendment to H.R. 1279. the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005. If the Waters\/Scott amendment is defeated I would urge my colleagues to oppose the underlying bill because it broadens the definition of gangs and metes out even harsher punishments for offenses that already have very long sentences. Mr. Chairman. the Scott\/Waters amendment strikes those sections of the bill which set mandatory minimum sentences. I agree with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. (NAACP) who propose that by increasing the number of crimes that have mandatory minimum sentences. and stiffening those sentences. the bill will exacerbate the already troubling and offensive racial disparities in the criminal justice system. According to -Families Against Mandatory Minimums. such \"sentences are bad regardless of the crime because they prevent judges from making distinctions between defendants and sentencing them according to their culpability. Instead. mandatory minimums impose onesizefitsall sentencing. which guarantees injustices\" In my district the US Virgin Islands we are in the midst of gang violence amongst our young males. Over the years. through various preventative programs within our law enforcement community and. amongst private organizations. we have seen a difference in behavior within our teen population as it pertains to conflict resolution. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1602}
{"speech_id":1090029529,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Prevention is truly the best cure in this situation not inflexible mandatory minimum sentences I urge my colleagues to support the Waters\/ Scott amendment.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1602}
{"speech_id":1090029569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to. first of all. commend the Capitol Police and all the other personnel who did such a fantastic job when we had the evacuation earlier today. \" It is never good. obviously. to have this kind of evacuation. But when we were kids in school. we had fire drills and things like that. and we wanted to see how well it was done. Today. it was done in a very professional way. And. thank God. it really was not a threat. but it is nice to know. when we need to leave. we can. So I want to just take the time to thank the Capitol Police and to all the personnel who worked with us here in making sure the evacuation was smooth and nobody was hurt. Responding to the threat and the threat over the aerospace was swift. And Ithink all of us as people who work at the Capitol can sleep a little better tonight knowing that our very highly trained personnel really had things under hand. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1099}
{"speech_id":1090029569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It again shows the American public why we all need to be prepared for terrorism and why this is a new world. and I think that we are meeting the task. Again. I want to thank all those concerned. ] 1745","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1099}
{"speech_id":1090029642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentlewoman would yield. I am glad the gentlewoman brought that up. because one of the things that is interesting. and I have traveled in some of the Eastern Bloc countries. and one thing that really amazes me when you talk to countries like Bulgaria or Lithuania. Latvia. Estonia. the Czech Republic. these countries that only 10 to 15 years ago were freed from Soviet oppression and they are now out experimenting with democracy and the rule of law. one of the things they realize is if you have absolute security for everybody in terms of governmentsustained programs. then you do not have any work base and your economy does not move forward. You have done a lot of things at the cost of opportunity. I think France is a miserable country in terms of an economic role model. I see a lot of these other countries that are really growing and making some huge changes and taking some bold steps. I think one of the things we have to do is realize that decisions of 1937. do you want to still be driving a car and relying on communications or medical systems from 1937? Yet when it comes to social programs. we think a 1937 social model is the best thing in the world. the best we can do. That is what bothers me. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1481}
{"speech_id":1090029642,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because we are Americans. We should not fear. We should be able to be world leaders and not have to point to other countries and say. well. you know. look. this is what we want to do. We need to be braver and stronger and not become a nanny state.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1481}
{"speech_id":1090029651,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Exactly right. I thank the gentleman. As I said. Mr. Speaker. the gentleman from Missouri has joined us. We are also joined by the gentlewoman from Illinois . who has worked on trade agreements for years. and the gentlewoman from Ohio . my colleague on the other side of the State bordering my district to the west. who has been involved in trade agreements probably longer and more aggressively and more assertively than I think any Member of this body. the gentleman from Missouri . a freshman who has taken this issue and run with it. I yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":563}
{"speech_id":1090029661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if I could interject here. the company that the gentlewoman mentioned from Illinois. Galesburg. Maytag. I actually own Maytags. What happened to the workers from the Galesburg plant? Were they transferred? Did they get other jobs? Were they just without work?","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":272}
{"speech_id":1090029666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. well. I represent a part of the Appellations region of Onio. Every time I go home and I think my colleagues here have similar experiences. I talk to people who have lost their jobs. They have in many cases lost their health insurance. They have families. They may be 55. 57. 59 years of age. They have chronic health conditions. What is happening to us as a country that we would be willing to just tolerate such conditions? It troubles me. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090029666,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It really troubles me. And I do believe. as I said to a reporter yesterday. he said. Congressman. tell me what is wrong with these trade agreements that you seem to be so against? And I said. They leave out the human dimension. They leave out concern for people. Now. quite frankly. I do not believe Americans are willing to give up our middle class. to lose our standard of living. to participate in the exploitation of poor people around this world simply to get a pair of blue jeans at WalMart for a couple of dollars cheaper than they may be able to get them than if they were made right here in the good old U.S. of A. I believe the American people have different values than that. I think it is our leaders who need to question their values. I think it is the people who are benefiting. richly benefiting from these agreements. that ought to be called into question and their motives ought to be questioned. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090029666,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And there is. I think. one word that pretty much summarizes what is the driving force behind NAFTA. behind the WTO. behind permanent trade relations with China and now this socalled CAFTA agreement. And it is greed. It -is greed. ri 2045 How are we going to increase our own wealth or the wealth of our investors? If that is going to result in poor Mexicans or poor Americans being exploited. then I think our government has an- obligation to stand- up and speak out. change course. We are on the wrong course. I would say if I could talk with him. Mr. President. we are on the wrong course. We are on the wrong track. We need to reverse. ","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090029666,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to go back. We need to reevaluate the re- sults of NAFTA. As the gentlewoman from Ohio had said earlier. why in the world. given the results of NAFTA. would we pursue CAFTA? It is almost irrational.","speaker_name":"TED STRICKLAND","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090029689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over the recess last week. I had the opportunity to travel to Israel. the West Bank. Jordan. Lebanon. and Egypt. Yesterday. I report6d on the Israel leg of my factfinding mission. Today I will continue briefly with that discussion of some of my observations of the West Bank. It was an invaluable experience. I and. my entire group learned a tremendous amountabout the Palestinian perspective. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6552}
{"speech_id":1090029689,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Following my meetings in Jerusalem. we made our way to Ramallah in the West Bank to meet with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. As we drove toward the city. we could see from our windows that everyday life for Palestinians in the West Bank is. indeed. a struggle. We had to pass through multiple checkpoints. predominantly through the security barrier. the socalled fence. much of which is newly constructed. As I learned on my visit to the Middle East. the fence has been. in truth. very successful in preventing terrorist attacks. although it was quite remarkable that you had to stop and be checked out before passing this fence. which sometimes you had to cross multiple times. We could also see the toll the Intifada has taken on the lives of the Palestinian people. Streets were pockmarked. buildings were run down. and a pall hung over the landscape itself. It is clear the Palestinians need one thing. that is. hopehope for the future. hope for a better life. hope for a more secure life. They need their economic services improved. They need their social services improved. They need to believe there will be tangible benefits from choosing dialog over violence. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6552}
{"speech_id":1090029689,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This view was reinforced during my meeting with Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad. I learned from him that the unemployment rate in the West Bank is officially 27 percent. but it far exceeds that number. The people are suffering. That is why I strongly support President Bushs efforts to increase assistance to the Palestinian people. President Bush has pledged to help improve economic support programs and strengthen Palestinian democratic institutions. The Finance Minister and I discussed President Bushs generous proposal to provide assistance to the Palestinian Authority. The Finance Minister agrees this assistance is crucial as President Abbas seeks to strengthen the mandate he earned in the Januaty Palestinian elections. From the Finance Ministers office we went on to the Presidential compound in Ramallah to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting was constructive. The parties on all sides appear to appreciate the importance of a longstanding and meaningful dialog on ways to bring peace and security to the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6552}
{"speech_id":1090029689,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had a very open and candid discussion about the status of the peace process. the Palestinians obligations under the roadmap. and the need for both sides to establish greater trust. In particular. we talked of the need to coordinate the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip so that the Palestinian Authority can reestablish a strong presence in that territory. This whole concept of coordination seemed and is so critical to that successful disengagement. It is crucial that after that withdrawal the Palestinian Authority is able to strengthen its democratic institutions and maintain security and maintain law and order. We discussed Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. I believe that is a courageous decision on the part of the Israelis. President Abbas expressed his concern over unilateral Israeli measures. stressing that progress toward peace should be made through dialog. bringing people together through negotiation and through coordination. To that end. President Abbas expressed his commitment to dismantling the terrorist organizations and preventing terrorist attacks against Israel. This came up again and again. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6552}
{"speech_id":1090029689,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He conveyed to me his firm belief that nonviolence is the path to a Palestinian State. . In our discussions it was evident that President Abbas is a serious leader. an elected leader. but also a leader who is in a very difficult situation. His election victory gave him a strong mandate to depart from his predecessors legacy. Arafats legacy. of violence and terrorism. But he must also compete for that popular support with violent factions such as Hamas that continue to reject peace with Israel. and at the same tine they garner support among the people by providing social services to the people. That is what President Abbas faces. I strongly believe it is. therefore. necessary that the United States continue to support President Abbas in his efforts to transform the Palestinian Authoritys reputation for cronyism. corruption. and nontransparency. We need to actively help his administration reform and strengthen the Palestinian security and improve economic services. We must continue to support both economic and social services and offer a stable and peaceful alternative to the radicals that reject peace. We also had the opportunity to talk with an independent Presidential candidate who lost in the election but garnered significant supporta physician. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6552}
{"speech_id":1090029749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are once again asking for the support of our colleagues to raise the contract authority or budget authority in the highway bill. We said we were going to do this when we brought it to the floor. Eighty of our Members voted in the Budget Act to allow the Finance Committee to come in with additional resources. which they have done. There has been discussion about the legitimacy of the offsets and the Finance Committee actions. The Joint Tax Committee has scored it. That is the authoritative view. It does not add to the budget. The comments about this being a budget buster are absolutely wrong. These funds are paying for the money we add. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2554}
{"speech_id":1090029749,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will explain a little bit of complicated budgetary process. There are two things called the obligation limit. which is the amount that can be spent. the guaranteed amount. Traditionally. we have put a higher number into the bill for what we call budget authority. or what is called contract authority. That is because the highway departments cannot spend all of the money that they contract. and to enable them to spend the $283.9 billion guaranteed spending proposed by the President we have to have a higher contract or budget authority number. This measure. which was added by the Finance Committee and which is now subject to the -point of order. was designed to raise. with a fully offset amount. the spending so that we could provide additional funds for badly needed State roads. Let me be clear. This amount that was added will enable us to bring all donor States up to 92 cents on the dollar by the end of the period. It will also guarantee those States which are at the bottom of the list in terms of increases to get at least a 15percent increase. It is imperative that those who joined with us in the 80vote majority to add the provision allowing the Finance Committee now reaffirm that they believe this money is necessary. The additional money. contract or budget authority. will not be spent. the obligation limit will increase slightly. but we cannot spend the money the President said we should spend. the $283.9 billion. unless we increase the contract authority. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2554}
{"speech_id":1090029749,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Obviously. thats lots of confusion but that is where we are. I urge my colleagues who understand. as the chairman and ranking member of the committee and my colleague Senator BAUCUS on the committee understand. we have to have this money for safety. for economic development. for continued growth and the health of our economy. I yield the floor and reserve the remainder of our time for use by my colleague.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2554}
{"speech_id":1090029787,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we had a short recess for about an hour because of a security threat that. by now. has been covered well in the media. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Capitol Police and the various assistants throughout the Capitol because. when we have that sort of alert. Which comes very quickly. very unexpectedly while we are in session here. but at the same time this huge Capitol Building with literally hundreds and thousands of people working in this complex having to stop and evacuate in an orderly way is a real challenge. So I thank everybody. includfng our guests. because at the same time we have all of us who are working here in this Capitol structure. there are guests visiting throughout the Capitol. Everybody left in an orderly way and in a way that was safe and calm. As far as I have heard in talking with the Sergeant at Arms. there were no injuries. When you have that sort of rapid departure. that is always a risk. Our Capitol Police. Sergeant at Arms. and the Secretary of the Senate all responded in a way that we can all be proud of. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1257}
{"speech_id":1090029787,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most importantly. the offending aircraft is now on the ground. and the pilot and whoever else was in the plane are being questioned. Now I am happy to turn to the Democratic leader.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1257}
{"speech_id":1090029914,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. just today I initiated an effort to ask Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo to reopen an investigation into the brutal torturemurder of a young journalist from my state. The 28yearold reporter. Todd Smith. was found dead 15 years ago. his body discovered in Perus violent cocaproducing region. This son of a Florida appellate judge worked for The Tampa Tribune. and was \" investigating the drug traffic in the northern Peruvian jungle. Officials in Peru were quick to say the murder was the work of the Shining Patha Maoist insurgent group said to be involved in protecting cultivators of the coca plant. Specifically. Perus Interior Ministry said Todd had been captured by Maoist rebels and possibly sold to drug traffickers for $30.000. Four years later. a secret counterterrorism trial in Peru resulted in a Shining Path guerrilla being sentenced to 30 years in prison for taking part in the murder. He was the only person ever tried for the crimeand even he reportedly. has received an early release. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3400}
{"speech_id":1090029914,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Little else was known. Now. however. the transcript of that secret 1993 trial has emerged. including an intelligence report that identifies a businessman who founded a Peru airline as one of the masterminds behind Todds killing. The complete court file was obtained by a Limabased institute for a free press and society. According to one of several detailed intelligence reports in the trial transcript. the guerrillas who tortured and strangled Todd were working for Peru businessman Fernando Zevallos. and two others allegedly involved in the drug trade. But Zevalloslabeled a Peruvian cocaine kingpin last year by the Bush administrationwas never charged in the case. The New York Times quotes American and Peruvian authorities as saying he has evaded justice for so long by bribing court officials and killing witnesses. It has been over 15 years since a son of Florida and a member of the fourth estate was tortured and strangled to death in the jungles of Peruand clearly. justice has yet to be served. In January. I went to Peru and there I established a working relationship with President Toledo and was joined by Ambassador Ferrero. Perus ambassador to the United States Today. through proper diplomatic channels. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3400}
{"speech_id":1090029914,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I made a formal request that President Toledo immediately reopen the investigation into Todd Smiths death. and. that his government cooperate fully with our State Department and FBI. And Ambassador Ferrero told me he \"would put all [his] effort into this. I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in demanding that justice finally be served in this case. Todds parents. and his two sisters. deserve no less. Mr. President. I am going to birddog this with everything I have to see that this case is brought to justice. I do believe the Peruvian government clearly has an interest. now that the secret court files have come to light. to get to the bottom of this. I earnestly hope we will get the cooperation of the Peruvian government in reopening the investigation. There is no excuse. when an American newspaper reporter is brutally tortured and murdered. that we should not have all the facts. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3400}
{"speech_id":1090029914,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If it leads. in fact. to this businessman. then so be it. We owe this especially to this family in Florida that for so long has not known any of the facts of this brutal killing of their son. I yield the floor. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3400}
{"speech_id":1090029935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a native Idahoan who has distinguished himself in the military. public service. and as a religious contributor. T. LaMar Sleight retired recently from his position as the Director of International and Government Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. LaMar is a native of Idaho. born in Montpelier and educated in Preston. In his years of public service. he has set a fine example of leadership and dedication. LaMar served more than 34 years in the military. retiring in 1993 as a Colonel in the United States Army. He joined the National Guard at age 18. Eventually the Guard sent him to OCS and he joined the Army. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1752}
{"speech_id":1090029935,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was awarded three awards of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star medal. His overseas assignments took him to Korea. Vietnam and Germany. Assignments closer to home include Oklahoma. Georgia. Nebraska. and Washington. DC. His military career clearly influenced his organized and structured leadership style. Upon retiring from the military. LaMar took up the challenging position as the Director of International and Government Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1752}
{"speech_id":1090029935,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has been an outstanding liaison for the .LDS Church and the international community. I have enjoyed my interaction with him during my tenure in Congress. which extends back more than 12 years. He has a calming. measured demeanor and could always be counted on to provide a full view of any issue that was being discussed. No doubt LaMar is balancing his ongoing volunteer service to his church with lots and lots of golf. With 6 children and 11 grandchildren. there is also a lot of family time and experiences ahead. I wish him the best as he undertakes this change in his life.*","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1752}
{"speech_id":1090029940,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in strong support of the Veterans Road to Health Care Act of 2005 that I introduced with my colleagues Senator BURNS and Senator THUNE. This legislation would raise the travel reimbursement rate for veterans who must travel to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals for treatment. The current reimbursement rate is 11 cents per mile. This bill would raise that figure to match the Federal employees travel reimbursement rate which is 40.5 cents per mile. The average price for gas in Wyoming right now is $2.20 per gallon. The current rate of 11 cents per mile barely makes a dent.in the expenses incurred by veterans who have no choice but to travel by automobile for health care. I have received numerous letters from veterans in Wyoming describing how difficult it is to work into their budget the money necessary to travel between their hometown and the VA hospital. Being able to access health care is vital. veterans should not have to choose between driving to receive needed treatment and being able to afford other necessities. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090029940,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Wyoming. we have two VA Medical Centers. one in Cheyenne and one in Sheridan. Veterans have to travel to one of these facilities to be treated for health conditions and be covered by the health care plan that the government provides for them. This p6ses a serious problem in terms of travel expense. especially with the rise in gasoline prices. Some towns in Wyoming are over 300 miles away from the nearest VA facility. A veteran living in Riverton must drive 215 miles to the Sheridan facility or nearly 300 to the Cheyenne facility. This problem is then compounded when these facilities. which provide great service for our veterans. must refer the veterans to a larger hospital in Salt Lake City or Denver for additional treatment or procedures. This bill addresses the health care of veterans who have special needs. It would allow veterans who have been referred to a special care center by their VA physician to be reimbursed under the Travel Beneficiary Program for their travel to the specialized facility. This applies only to those veterans who cannot receive adequate care at their VA facility. This legislation is important to all veterans. but it is especially significant to those veterans who live in rural states. like my home State of Wyoming. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090029940,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rural States are less populated. there is greater distance between towns and far fewer options for transportation. Wyoming has miles and miles.of miles and miles. Cars are the main mode of transportation and many times the only option. It is our duty to compensate our servicemen and women for the sacrifices that they made defending the freedoms of this country. With our current recruitment and retention problems in the military. it is our Nations responsibility to give veterans the kind of access to healthcare they have earned through their service to our country. The rising cost of gasoline should not be a factor for veterans to ignore their health concerns because they cannot afford to travel to the nearest veterans clinic. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important bill. By Mr. BURNS:","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090029941,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this bill conveys 3.4 acres on the BeaverheadDeerlodge National Forest to Jefferson County. MT for continued use as a cemetery. The Elkhorn Cemetery in Jefferson County has been used as a cemetery since the 1860s. Due to surveying errors and limited information when the National Forest boundaries were surveyed in the early 1900s. the cemetery was included as National Forest lands. The cemetery is still in use by local families who homesteaded and worked the mines in the area. However. Forest Service manual direction strongly discourages burials on National Forestlands. placing both the families and Forest Service in an awkward position. It is clear the cemetery should not have been included as part of the National Forest. The County Commissioners and the local public strongly support the conveyance. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":901}
{"speech_id":1090029945,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join Chairman GRASSLEY in introducing the Hospital Fair Competition Act of 2005. This bill. based primarily on recommendations of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). will improve the accuracy of Medicares inpatient hospital prospective payment system (PPS). prevent the establishment of new specialty hospitals to which physicianowners can selfrefer. while allowing existing physicianowned specialty hospitals to continue with restrictions. and allow \"gainsharing\" arrangements to foster improved physicianhospital efficiency. This legislation is important for patients. taxpayers. and the Medicare program. and I urge my colleagues to support it. About 17 months ago. Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Actthe MMA. This 400page bill included many important provisions. including longawaited outpatient drug benefits under Medicare. The MMA also included a small provisionSection 507related to the construction of physicianowned specialty hospitals. These facilities specialize in cardiac. orthopedic or general surgical care. and are partly- or whollyowned by physicians. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13218}
{"speech_id":1090029945,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The provision was a response to growing concerns over physician selfreferral. and placed a moratorium on the construction of new. physicianowned specialty hospitals. while \"grandfathering\" existing facilities and those in development. Having reviewed several independent analyses on this issue. I believe Congress was right to place a moratorium on specialty hospital construction. And I also believe that moratorium should effectively be extended permanently. while allowing existing. facilities to continue operating in their current capacity. Some view specialty hospitals as innovative. focused factories for highquality. specialized care. Advocates for these facilities say that by focusing on a limited number of services. specialty hospitals provide excellent care at a good price. while adding competition to the health care marketplace. Others say specialty hospitals flourish because they exploit a Medicare loophole allowing physicianowners to select patients who are healthier and. therefore. more profitable. *For my part. I dont want to stand in the way of innovation or competition. For example. Im glad that Congress brought innovation to Medicare in the form of outpatient drug benefits. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13218}
{"speech_id":1090029945,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was long overdue. And hospitals and physicians should work together in innovative ways to improve efficiency in health care. The U.S. spends twice as muchor moreperperson on health care compared to any other developed country. And yet. our health outcomes are worse than theirs. We should get a better bang for our healthcare buck. and we can take steps to that end by encouraging quality and accountability in health care. Thats why I am pushing to advance incentives for quality improvement in Medicare. so patientsand taxpayersget the most for their money. I introduced legislation last year to require that Medicare pay dialysis providers and Medicare managed care plans based on the quality of care they provide. And I am working on legislation to extend these principles of paying for quality to other parts of Medicare. As for competition. Im all for itas long as its carried out on a level playing field. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13218}
{"speech_id":1090029945,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But when it comes to physician ownership of specialty hospitals. Im not convinced the playing field is level. Thats because physicians alone choose where patients go on the playing fieldeither to community hospitals or specialty hospitals. Some liken physicianowners of specialty hospitals to coaches who choose the starting lineup for both teamsin this case. the specialty hospital team and the community hospital team. And for the third time. a Federal agency has told us that the healthiest teams. that is. the most profitable patients. end up at physicianowned specialty hospitals. In 2003. the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that. by and large. specialty hospitals care for relatively healthier patients than their community hospital counterparts. GAO surveyed 25 specialty hospitals. and found that 21 of the 25 had a less acute mix patients than community hospitals. GAO determined thit of the hospitals studied. 17 percent cardiac patients seen by specialty hospitals could be classified as severe cases. compared with 22 percent in general hospitals. And about 5 percent of orthopedic cases in specialty hospitals were severe. compared with 8 percent in community hospitals. Earlier this year. on March 8. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13218}
{"speech_id":1090029945,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MedPAC issued its MMAmandated report on specialty hospitals. and arrived at findings similar to those of the GAO. MedPAC found that despite shorter lengths of stay. physicianowned specialty hospitals are not more cost efficient than community hospitals. MedPAC found that specialty hospitals tend to treat lower shares of Medicaid patients than community hospitals. And. just as GAO did. MedPAC found that specialty hospitals treat patients who are generally less Sickand therefore. more profitablecompared to community hospitals. And while the Department of Health and Human Services has not officially issued its MMAmandated report on the topicbut is expected to shortlyHHS reported on March 8 that. based on the small number of facilities it studied. specialty hospitals tend to care for a healthier patient population than their community hospital counterparts. I believe the phenomenon of specialty hospitals treating healthier patients is the result of a loophole in the Stark selfreferral law. This loopholerelated to the \"whole hospital exception\"-is one that should be closed. If it is not closed. Congress will effectively sanction the practice of physician selfreferral that has been prohibited for years. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":13218}
{"speech_id":1090029958,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Com\"mittee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. May 11. 2005 at 2:30 p.m.. to hold a hearing on U.S.-E.U. Regulatory Cooperation on Emerging Technologies.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090029970,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. May 11. 2005 at 2 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 100. to authorize the exchange of certain land in the state of Colorado. S. 235 and H.R. 816. to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to sell certain parcels of federal land in Carson City and Douglas County. NV. S. 404. to make a technical correction relating to the land conveyance authorized by Public Law 10867. S. 741. to provide for the disposal of certain forest service administrative sites in the State of Oregon. and for other purposes. S. 761. to rename the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in the State of Idaho as the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in honor of the late Morley Nelson. an international authority on birds of prey. who wis instrumental in the establishment of this National Conservation Area. and for other purposes. and H.R. 486. to provide fora land exchange involving private land and Bureau of Land Management land in the vicinity of Holloman Air Force Base. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1324}
{"speech_id":1090029970,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NM. for the purpose of removing private land from the required safety zone surrounding munitions storage bunkers at Holloman Air Force Base.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1324}
{"speech_id":1090030115,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank the chairman and ranking member for their outstanding work. and the subcommittee chairs and ranking members as well. This bill is the best indication to the first responder community across the country that Congress was listening. It was not this way 5. 6 or 7 years ago when the first funding for training first responders was being developed by bureaucrats in Washington. who had no idea of what the real threats were out there across America. It was not the case over the past several years as States and counties siphoned off administrative dollars that should have gone for the first responders. This bill changes- all that because this bill is based upon the committee listening to the first responder community. It provides a more consistent approach that is based on the threats that we see out there. and it responds to the needs that were presented to us by the representative groups of the first responder community. In fact. Mr. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2242}
{"speech_id":1090030115,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. that is why every first responder organization in America supports this legislation. I applaud my colleagues for this outstanding work. As to the other programs that we fund. like the grant program for firefighters which my colleague just spoke on of. I am proud of the fact that in a tough budget environment. separate from this legislation. we have appropriated over $3 billion to almost 20.000 fire and EMS departments across the country. direct allocations. not through any bureaucracy. but directly through firefighters deciding on the priorities of fire groups and EMS groups across the country. That program will see another onehalf billion dollars at a minimum in the next fiscal year. So we are taking care of the priorities and the needs. we are responding to local concerns. and the key message of this legislation is that we have listened to those people who are across America in 32.000 fire and EMS departments. thousands of police departments who every day for every call respond to Americas needs. I commend. again. the committee for its outstanding work. and I look forward to continuing the aggressive schedule the chairman has laid out before us for the Committee on Homeland Security in this session of Congress.","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2242}
{"speech_id":1090030153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 1544. the Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005. This essential legislation establishes common guidelines for the federal departments that currently oversee our Nations existing terrorism preparedness programs. Since the attacks of September 11. 2001. our Nation has greatly reinforced our terrorism response capabilities. Over $30 billion has been invested in state and local terrorism and natural disaster preparedness programs. Still. more needs to be done. We must remain vigilant. and continue to strengthen our defenses. take proactive measures. and ensure that first responders are properly equipped. Though difficult. it is vital that we balance resources between all Homeland Security related fields to maximize our ability to protect the American people. This legislation will provide assistance to areas of our country facing greater risk. while ensuring that all areas are provided the necessary support. streamlining existing terrorism preparedness grants. establishing measurable goals. and creating new regional terrorism preparedness grants. ","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090030153,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. a board of appropriate Homeland Security officials will be created to evaluate the nations high risk areas. I will fight to illustrate the vulnerabilities and high level of risk that confronts the 7th District of Virginia on a daily basis. I will ensure the proper data illustrating the risk to these localities is taken into account. First responders are Americas first and last line of protection against murderous terrorists who seek to harm the innocent. Ensuring effective and efficient funding for our first responders is one of my highest priorities as a member of Congress. I urge passage of this legislation.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090030175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I offer an amendment. The Acting. CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. BERRY: At the end of section 1804(c)(1) (page 25. line 19). add the following: \"The Board shall coordinate with State. local. regional. and tribal officials in establishing criteria for evaluating and prioritizing applications for covered grants.\".","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":418}
{"speech_id":1090030226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from California for his comments. The gentleman is correct in that my home State. and every other State. deserves equitable consideration. I appreciate his willingness to protect adequate grant allotments for first responders in small States. I support the gentlemans goal of getting these important funds to communities where they can be used effectively and look forward to working with him throughout this process to ensure all States receive fair and realistic homeland security funding.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":547}
{"speech_id":1090030253,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to submit this- statement for the RECORD and regret that I could not be present today. Thursday. May 12. 2005. to vote on rollcall vote Nos. 169 and 170 due to a family medical emergency. Had I been present. I would have voted: \"No\" on rollcall vote No. 169 on an amendment to H.R. 1544 to limit the number of Urban Area Security Initiative grants during any given fiscal year to 50. and \"aye\" on rollcall vote No. 170 on passage of H.R. 1544Faster & Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005. Tancredo Tanner Tauscher Taylor (MS) Taylor (NC) Terry Thomas Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thornberry Tiahrt Tiberi Tierney Towns Turner Udall (CO) Udall (NM) Upton Van Hollen Velizquez Visclosky Walden (OR) NOES10 Herseth McDermott Mlchaud Moore (WI) Walsh Wamp Wasserman Schultz Waters Watt Weiner Weldon (FL) Weldon (PA) Weller Westmoreland Wexler Whitfield Wicker Wilson (NM) Wilson (SC) Wolf Woolsey Wu Wynn Young (AK) Young (FL) Ross Sabo","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090030266,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank. the Majority Leader. Does the gentleman know at this point in time what type of rule. I notice that the gentleman from Texas is on the floor. what type of rule the Homeland Security authorization bill might be considered under? Mr. Speaker. I yield to my friend. the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":311}
{"speech_id":1090030268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. Mr. Leader. I appreciate that observation. I agree with the gentleman from Texas. In light of the fact it is the first time that we will have considered an authorization bill from this committee and for this department since its formation as a separate piece of legislation. it would. hopefully. be one that would be open to perfection and amendment. if possible. So we will hear from the gentleman from Texas shortly on that. Prior to Memorial Day. can you tell us. Mr. Leader. what appropriation bills you anticipate coming to the floor prior to that Memorial Day break? We are going to have. obviously. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":768}
{"speech_id":1090030268,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Homeland Security and Interior next week. Do you know which bills you might be considering? Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":768}
{"speech_id":1090030309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of John Boltons nomination as our ambassador to the United .Nations. Although I am not able to vote on his nomination. since I am not a Member of the United States Senate. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to support his nomination. I am pleased that the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has agreed today to put his nomination before the full Senate for an upordown vote. Mr. Speaker. the United Nations is in serious need of reform. From enforcing the resolutions the United Nations and its member countries have adopted over the years. to its misuse of funds for many programs across the world. the U.N. is in serious need of reform. Mr. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090030309,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the United Nations is rife with fraud. mismanagement. and abuse in many areas of its operations. From the U.N. OilforFood program. to its lack of action with respect to the genocide in Darfur. Sudan. to the horrendous human rights abuses during the U.N. mission in the Congo. the U.N. is in serious need of reform. I think we can all agree. that the most urgent threat to international peace and security today is terrorism. yet the U.N. cannot even agree upon a definition for terrorism. Perhaps this is because its membership consists of several terrorsponsoring states. The U.N. counts the worlds leading human rights violators and repressive governments among its membership. and even taps many of them to be in leadership positions on its subcommittees. I find this completely outrageous and dangerously ironic. Last time I checked. the U.N. charter states that it is supposed to \"maintain international peace and security. to promote equal rights and. selfdetermination of peoples without distinction as to race. sex. language. or religion. to help solve problems of an economic. social. cultural. or humanitarian character. to encourage social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.\" The U.N. needs reform and Mr. Bolton is the right man to voice our encouragement for these reforms. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090030309,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Bolton has a proven -track record in working with the United Nations in the past. In conjunction with efforts by Secretary James Baker to resolve conflict in the Western Sahara. he actually worked for the U.N. pro bono between 1997 and 2000. While serving as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations from 1989 to 1993. he worked on other key diplomatic initiatives and U.N. reforms. including the repayment of arrearages in U.N. assessments that had been created during the 1980s. He has worked tirelessly in various capacities to help combat the spread of dangerous weapons of mass destruction through his lengthy and distinguished career. Mr. Bolton has served this Nation well. There is no doubt in my mind that he will serve our great Nation with distinction and will be a strong voice for reform at a time when the United Nations desperately needs it. I applaud his nomination and encourage his approval by the Senate to serve our great Nation. Let Mr. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090030309,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bolton be our voice to the U.N. that these reforms must be made.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090030330,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in January of this year. I stood in this very Chamber. placed one hand on the Bible. and raised the other hand. In taking my oath of office. I made a simple pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. However. only 4 months laterbecause of the partisanship of someI am prevented from fulfilling my oath. It is interesting to observe what the Constitution requires of the Senate and what it does not. Nowhere does it say that Congress must pass new laws. But it does specify Senators must \"advise and consent\" on the Presidents judicial nominees. How can I perform my constitutionally mandated duties to advise and consent without the ability to vote on the nominees sent to us by the President? How can I represent the people of South Carolina. who elected me to serve their interests. without the ability to vote yes or no? Today. 41 Senators are preventing a bipartisan majority from carrying out the duty we were elected to fulfill. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8368}
{"speech_id":1090030330,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is outrageous. The President of the United States is given the authority. under the Constitution. to choose his own nominees. We have an obligation to vote on those nominees. Fortyone Senators are trying to thwart the will of the American people and the Constitution. Beginning in 2003. Democrats used the filibuster to block upordown votes on 10 nominations to the Federal appeals courts. All had bipartisan. majority support. Do not be fooled by the misinformation of a few. Never in history has a judicial nominee with clear majority support been denied confirmation due to a filibuster. Throughout my campaign. and each time I have been home this year. folks in South Carolina have told me how furious they are that the Presidents nominees are being denied a vote. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8368}
{"speech_id":1090030330,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Democrats have chosen to throw 200 years of tradition out the window by refusing to give judicial nominees a vote. and Americans are simply tired of the partisan obstruction. Before* I was elected. I said the Senate had become a \"graveyard of good ideas\" due to partisan liberal obstruction. Unfortunately. it has now become a \"graveyard of good nominees.\" such as Janice Rogers Brown. California Supreme Court Justice Brown was nominated to the DC Circuit by President Bush in 2003. The first African American to serve on the California high court. Justice Brown received public support from 76 percent of California voters and is widely respected as a leading intellect on the bench. She has been unanimously voted as \"well qualified\" by the American Bar Association. which has been described by those who oppose her nomination as the \"gold standard\" of judicial ratings. The daughter of sharecroppers. Justice Brown was born in Greenville. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8368}
{"speech_id":1090030330,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"AL. in 1949. During her childhood. she attended segregated schools and came of age in the midst of Jim Crow policies in the South. She has dedicated 24 years to public service. serving as legal affairs secretary to California Governor Pete Wilson. deputy secretary and general counsel for the California Business. Transportation. and Housing Agency. deputy attorney general in the Office of the California Attorney General. and as deputy legislative counsel in the California Legislative Counsel Bureau. Just what is it that opponents of Justice Brown claim is their reason to deny her a fair vote? They obviously could not attack her experience or her character or her education or her intelligence. which are all impeccable. Instead. they have used the political equivalent of a desperate \"Hail Mary Pass.\" They labeled Justice Brown as \"out of the mainstream.\" Really? Out of the mainstream? Were threequarters of Californians out of the mainstream when they elected her overwhelmingly to the State supreme court? She was elected by the largest margin of any of the judges up for retention that year. Despite the claims of her opponents. her record demonstrates a commitment to interpreting the law. not legislating from the bench. If the obstructionist Senators who are vehemently opposed to her nomination feel so strongly that she is out of the mainstream. then they should put their money where their mouth is and come down to this floor and make their arguments against her nomination. then allow all of us to draw our own conclusions and cast our vote. If Justice Brown is so truly unqualified. then surely her opponents would be confident of convincing a majority that this is the case. Otherwise. they are simply smearing the integrity of a highly respected jurist in order to score political points against the President at the expense of vandalizing the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8368}
{"speech_id":1090030330,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One of my goals as a Senator is to confirm highly qualified judges by ensuring timely upordown votes for all nominees no matter who is President. no matter which party is in the majority. That is my commitment. and I have encouraged Senator FRIST to consider all options. including the constitutional option. to end the undemocratic blockade of judicial nominees. Senators were elected to advise and consent. not to grandstand and obstruct. I would like to say something to my colleagues across the aisle. There is a reason George W. Bush was elected to serve as President of the United States. It is because the majority of Americans trusted him to nominate judges. There is a reason the American people elected a majority of Republicans to the Senate. They trusted our judgment to vote on judicial nominees. There is a reason the Democratic Party is in the minority in Congress. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8368}
{"speech_id":1090030349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in 2002 I cosponsored. and Congress passed. the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. commonly referred to as TRIA. This important legislation provided a government backstop for the terrorism insurance market that disappeared after the attacks of September 11. TRIA is working. Today. because of TRIA. terrorism risk insurance is available and businesses have meaningful access to coverage. The primary purpose behindTRIA. and the reason it needs to be extended. is to make sure that the American economy and markets function in the face of a -terrorist threat. There needs to be a mechanism in place to allow the economy to rebound more .quickly and to protect American jobs in the unfortunate event of another terrorist attack here in the United States. The threat of an attack has not gone away and will not go away when TRIA expires at the end of 2005. While some in Washington continue to hope that a private market will develop in the absence of TRIA. let me quote from two reports put out recently by those who are in the business of watching markets. The first is a Special Report by the rating agency Moodys Investors service dated April 28 which expressed concern about the potential effects of the pending expiration of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090030349,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TRIA. Moodys noted. that insurance brokers report that up to 75 percent of policies written since January 1st have adopted a conditional endorsement that automatically voids terrorism coverage if TRIA is not renewed. and that the number of conditional endorsements is expected to increase as the year progresses. The report stated. \"These conditional endorsements appear to be an indication that unless TRIA is renewed. premium spikes. or a sharp reduction in availability of coverage. may result. The report warns. \"Moodys is unaware of any viable private market initiative that would take the place of TRIA.\" Secondly. Marsh Inc.. in a report released on April 25. entitled Marketwatch: Terrorism Insurance 2005. concludes: \"If TRIA is not extended. the standalone insurance market is unlikely to have sufficient capacity to satisfy all of the expected demand at commercially viable prices.\" The Bush administration .official who spoke at the recent U.S. Chamber symposium on TRIA simply gave those in attendance a history lesson on the issue. but refused to give any indication whether the administration would support or oppose an extension of TRIA. Policy holders from major sec-. tors of the economyreal estate. financial services. energy. entertainment. hotel. and hospital industriesfeel like they are being left to twist in the wind wondering whether the administration and the Congress are going to take the necessary action so that they can properly and responsibly protect their properties. There is absolutely no sense of urgency by this White House and I think they would like to see this issue quietly go away. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090030349,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The financial dislocation caused by another possible terrorist attack is too important to ignore and we should not continue to delay action on an issue that is so important to our economy and the American workforce. We should act on extending TRIA and act promptly.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090030380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have all heard from folks back home about the high price of gasoline. When you pull into a gas station to fill up your tank. youre now paying some of the highest prices of all time. This amendment is designed to do something about thatby promdting a choice at the pump that will allow consumers to choose a fuel that today is 50 cents per gallon cheaper than regular gasoline. Thats why I would like to thank the chairman of the Finance Committee. Senator GRASSLEY. and the ranking member of the Committee. Senator BAUCUS. for their advocacy of. this amendment. I also want to thank the manager - of the transportation bill. Chairman INHOFE. for working with us on this proposal. These Senate leaders are all committed to addressing high gas prices. and their work on this amendment is an example of that com*mitment. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1132}
{"speech_id":1090030380,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to thank my fellow authors of this amendment. Senator TALENT. as well as my distinguished colleague from Illinois. Senator DURBIN. for their hard work in getting this provision passed. And I thank the cosponsors of this amendment. also longtime supporters of ethanol. Senators LUGAR.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1132}
{"speech_id":1090030411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend the Senator from West Virginia for what he is attempting to do for rural America. That happens to be me. rural America. I am certainly in sympathy with this issue. The problem I think is going to be the cost. The cost is somewhere around $5 billion. Since this affects the finance title of the bill. I am looking to see if Senator BAUCUS and Senator GRASSLE can come by and visit a little bit. If the Senator would like to continue explaining his amendment. or we could try to get hold of the two Senators from the Finance Committee.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":558}
{"speech_id":1090030432,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will be brief. I was just talking to my staff and to the Democratic leader to see exactly what offer Was made. I did not know exactlywhat offer had been made. but he reviewed it with me. Let me make a statement because it is important for people to know the Democratic leader and I are in constant conversation about what is a yery important issue to this institution. to the culture of this institution. to the past and traditions which are important. but ultimately it is what we do in the future because that is what we can control today. It is our responsibility to do so. As we walk the Halls. people come up all the time and say there are outside groups putting pressure on people to behave in certain ways. or to vote in certain ways in terms of this- important issue. I have told them. all day and each and every day. ultimately how we handle judges in these judicial nominees is determined. as set out in the Constitution. by the 100 Senators who are here today. That is what we are working with and discussions are ongoing. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10060}
{"speech_id":1090030432,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Having not heard the specifics of the proposal. the Democratic leader and I will continue conversations on the proposal that he has put forth. But I do want to draw back and say that the more and more I listen to all the recent discussions about the Presidents judicial nominees. the more disturbed I become and the more upset I have become. Indeed. as I think about it now. it angers me to think about it. much of it. because quite frankly a real injustice. a real injustice is being done to our Nations system of justice. The reputation and the records of some of Americas finest jurists. seven of them we talked about in the last Congress and over the last several weeksin fact. for months now in morning business we have talked about how outstanding many of these jurists arethose reputations are being sullied and they are being smeared and we have talked among ourselves. not necessarily on the Senate floor but in private as we do on both sides of the aisle. This has an impact on individuals. on their lives. Yes. their careers. but their lives. their personal lives. their lives with family members. And it is inexcusable. I believe. It is time. in fact. I think it is long past time. for the majority of this Senate to come to their defense and to be able to express that on the floor of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10060}
{"speech_id":1090030432,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe it betrays the great heritage of this country to drag a persons good name through the mud using the media and the coverage of that. and then deny them the right to be defended on the floor of the Senate and voted on on the floor of the Senate. We look at the individuals. I use the word \"smeared\" because I believe that is the level that much of the discussion has risen to in this body. It disturbs me. It is time for us to address this. and that is why. once we finish the highway bill. we have to work together and address this much larger issue. larger than much of the legislation that is brought to this floor in the course of our daily operations. This betrayal of the countrys heritage is not the way we are supposed to do things in this body. in the Senate. It is not the way we are supposed to do things in America. It is not the idea of fairnessI am going to use that word. \"fairness\"--that I was accustomed to before coming to this body in the Senate. It is not the level of fairness that you expect in a doctorpatient relationship. and thus America doesnt understand it. why we cannot bring somebody to the floor and vote on themfair vote. up or down. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10060}
{"speech_id":1090030432,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is our responsibility. We hear again and again about minority rights. The Constitution was written to ensure the rights of the minority. We respect that. Both sides of the aisle respect that. It is much of the tradition of this body. But the Constitution was writtenI guess it was neither written. nor has it operated in 214.years. in a manner that denies the majority of people in this body the right to hold a vote. yes or no. confirm or rejectconfirm or denyup or downon a Presidents most important nominations. These are the most important nominations of a President of the United States. These are the nominations to our Nations highest judicial offices. Yes. justice must be independent. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10060}
{"speech_id":1090030432,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yes. justice must be blind. But I cannot and I do not think we as a body can turn a blind eye to the continued attacks on innocent people who are willing to dedicate their lives. Lets have that debate on the floor of the Senate. bring them up in a regular order. have as much time as it justifies. listen to both sides. see if the smears and the accusations are real. and then have a vote. And however the vote falls. we are willing to accept that. Confirm them or reject them. we will accept the vote. That is the way this body expresses itself. The Democratic leader and I will continue our discussions. Again. it is one of the great pleasures to be able to talk back and forth. But I. based on whether it is individual proposals or the larger discussion of what to do with the seven judicial nominees. or as we look aheadwhat I propose we do is roughly the following: If Members of the minority want to make their caseI will tell you a lot of times we hear the case of extremist. out of the mainstreamif they want to make their case that the American Bar Association is wrong in the recommendations they have given. or in one instance in California 76 percent of the California voters are wrong. let them do so and we will do them nominee by nominee and have the courage to do so on the floor of the Senate. with plenty of time for debate--we can agree on how much time for debate on each oneand then have a vote. America understands having a vote. having heard the case made by both sides. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10060}
{"speech_id":1090030445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. through the Chair to the distinguished Senator from West Virginia. we will continue the discussion. I would prefer to. as leader. take the Executive Calendar and take the people on the Executive Calendar. who have gone through the Judiciary Committee. who have been debatedit is the way we have always done business or should do businessgo through committee and have them voted on. If they are voted on. they come to the calendar. At that point in time. you would look at that list. and you would bring them to the floor. and you would have the debate. and you would vote. That is what I would much prefer. The specifics. just like you asked. I have heard. and we will consider that. But why not take Priscilla Owen for the Fifth Circuit. who is on this calendar. who has waited 4 years. rather than other judges. if we are going to be addressing judges? Or Janice Rogers Brown. who is a sharecroppers daughter. who is at the Supreme Court of California. with 76 percent approval. who is on the Executive -Calendar? All she is waiting forall she is waiting forfs a vote. Why cant we address Janice Rogers Brown? William Pryorwe had a recess appointment. he has done an outstanding job. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1697}
{"speech_id":1090030445,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was just talking to our distinguished Senators from Alabamawas marked out of the Judiciary Committee today. So what I would like to doagain. I am not going to rule out anything. And I understand the Michigan judges in this Congress may be viewed a little differently than last Congress. and I appreciate that. I think once we can discuss how we are going to deal with those on the Executive Calendarbring them to the floorthat we will be able to move very quickly on all of these. I am hopeful.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1697}
{"speech_id":1090030459,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. Mr. President. I know of nothing in my 47 years in this body. in my 53 years in this Congress. that has pained me more than this issue. I am pained. pained by the political partisanship. What this country needs is not partisanship but statesmanship. I have great faith in the Senate. I have great faith in the two leaders. The minority leader has made a suggestion. Why dont we proceed with it? -I am sorrowful we have come to the point where we seemingly forget the American people. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090030459,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We talk about the feelings of those nominees who have not been given an upordown vote. I am sorry about their feelings. But Senators have a right to speak. have a right -to object. And the distinguished Republican leader talks about the need for an upordown vote. an upordown vote. an upordown vote. I have heard the President say something about that. Mr. President. here is my guide. the Constitution of the United States. What does it say? Does it say that each nominee shall have an upordown vote? Does it say that? I ask the Senator from Tennessee. I ask any Senator to respond to that question. Does this Constitution accord to each nominee an upordown vote on the Senate floor?","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090030499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished leader. I have the floor. Thank God for the Senate. I said. when I was in that body over there. Finally. I say to my good leader. I will pose a rhetorical question. How much land does a man need? Leo Tolstoy wrote a story about a man named Pahom. I believe it was. but regardless of the mans name. this man had orchards and fields of grain .and lands. but he had land hunger. He wanted more land. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":633}
{"speech_id":1090030499,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He. kept getting more land. but he always wanted more land. The upshot of it was there appeared before him one day a stranger who offered him all the land that he could cover in a day. like that Tennessee land.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":633}
{"speech_id":1090030527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Oregon and the Senator from Utah. They have a great deal of passion on their subject and they have worked long hours. I appreciate the fact they recognize we are considering what many people consider to be the most significant bill this year. Again. we will renew our request for Members to come. down with their amendments. We have hotlined it twice. I want to make sure I say that enough times for Members. Senator JEFFORDS joins me in this. They have hotlined it on their side. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":732}
{"speech_id":1090030527,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If Members want their amendments considered. if Members want floor time. if Members want a vote. come down. bring it down. I am waiting for that to happen. We are open for business. We encourage Members to come.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":732}
{"speech_id":1090030530,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is urgent. Let me state why it is urgent. We have a deadline. We are on not our fourth. fifth. but our sixth extension right now. When you operate on extensions. as we have said over and over again. you cannot get anything done. you cannot have any of the reforms. you cannot take care of donor States. you cannot have innovative methods of financing. That is all in the bill. Core safety provisions are in the bill. None of that will be a reality if we do not get this bill. Why is it such a rush? This extension expires on the 31st of May. That is 19 days from now. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":880}
{"speech_id":1090030530,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to get this done. If we get this bill finished tonight. we will have time to have it over into conference and start working on it in conference in time to get the conference report back to the House and back to the Senate and to the Presidents desk prior to the expiration of this extension on May 31.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":880}
{"speech_id":1090030536,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I actually came over to have a little discussion with the distinguished chairman of the full committee who has brought this legislation forth. Senator INHOFE. I thank him for the work he has been doing. We had an issue we have been discussing. and I think we have something identified to be helpful. Icame to talk about the highway bill. and I will do it to this extent: We need a bill. It is an overdue bill. It is important to our country. It is important to have infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090030536,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is important for job creation. It is important for economic development. And it is important for safety. We ought to do this bill. I just cannot understand why the Senate still heaves away from getting this extremely popular. overdue. and highly necessary piece of legislation passed. I urge my colleagues. if they have good amendments. lets do them. If we cant get it completed this afternoon. lets do it as soon as possible. It is critical for our country. We are speaking on time on the highway bill. but actually other subjects have been introduced. I would like to comment on that.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090030590,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to make a few comments about the SAFETEA legislation. I thank the managers of the bill for working with us in trying to address some of the concerns I had about the prior legislation from last session. As I stood here over a year ago when we debated this bill. I spoke very critically of that legislation and the dam_ age that legislation did to Pennsylvania. Thanks to the Senator. from Oklahoma and the Senator from Missouri. in particular. we have been able to address some of what I consider to be inequities in this legislation. The point I made a year ago was that one of the major reasons for a Fedeiral tax on gasoline in a Federal highway bill was the idea of promoting interstate commerce. Originally. the interstate system was certainly put in place for military purposesat least ostensibly for military purposesto move things around the country in a national emergency. Obviously. the more pedestrian reason. if you willprobably that is a bad word to use when we talk about highways. but nevertheless. the reason that is most often used is because it is for interstate commerce. to move goods around the country. to move people around the c.ountry. for travel and tourism. a whole host of other reasons. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6421}
{"speech_id":1090030590,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When you look at why the Federal Government does that. you have to step back and say transportation is a State function. Every State in the country has a transp6rtation department. Why do we need a Federal transportation department? We need it because we have to make sure the goods that are produced in New Jersey can get to Ohio to Texas. or the goods produced in California can get to Georgia. The fact is it is important for us to be connected. If there are situations where States are in financial difficulty and they let their roads degrade. particularly the major interstatesfor example. my State is occupied increasingly with traffic that does not stop in Pennsylvaniathere would be much more of an impetus if you were a local legislator to invest money on roads which Pennsylvanians used and invest a lot less money on roads that are used by folks out of State. So we put together a Federal tax system. a gas tax. as well as Federal transportation legislation. to promote on the highway sidethe transit is another piece. but we will talk about highways for a momentto promote interstate commerce. So we have a situation where we have States that shoulder a large burden when it comes to that interstate commerce and we have other States that are the great beneficiaries as to the burden those States shoulder in getting a lot of what is referred to as passthrough traffic. That is traffic that does not stop in your State. does not benefit your State economically. to speak of. but. in the case certainly of trucks. beats the heck out of your roads. So -you are in a sense carrying the load for States that are the economic beneficiaries. whether they are the originator of. the freight or the destination of the freight. whether you are a State that is a passthrough State for travel and tourism. Those are the States you want to pay particular attention to. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6421}
{"speech_id":1090030590,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. the nature of the program is to make sure we have a seamless highway system. that we have good interstate commerce. The reason I came to the floor last year was to point out that Pennsylvania is a State that certainly shoulders the lions share or certainly major share of this passthrough traffic. We have in Pennsylvania about as many interstates as any State in the country. I think there are three States that have more interstate miles. Texas. California and Illinois are the only three that have more interstate miles than Pennsylvania. We have 22 interstates in Pennsylvania. Actually. another one is under construction. There are only four States that have a higher number of tonmiles than Pennsylvania. Again. they are much bigger States than little old Pennsylvania. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6421}
{"speech_id":1090030590,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Texas. California. Ohio and Illinois. I will show a chart that shows the importance of interstate commerce and what Pennsylvania has to deal with. First. the statistic I throw at you. 47 percent of the trucks that go through Pennsylvania do not stop in Pennsylvania. They do not originate there and are not destined for there. We get a lot of traffic from the New England StatesNew Jersey. New Englandthat goes through Pennsylvania to get out West or comes down through Pennsylvania to get down to the South. These lines are the traffic that goes through Pennsylvania that does not stop. coming from way out here in Seattle. and they go way up to Maine and lots of points in between. We see the resulting effect on the load of traffic in Pennsylvania. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6421}
{"speech_id":1090030590,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the Pennsylvania Turnpike. the big thick black line. That is more than 80 million tons of traffic passing through Pennsylvania on this one road. We see several others that have between 60 and 80 million tons of truck traffic. heavy truck traffic. We have heard in the Senate the vehicles that- do the most damage to the highways are your heavy trucks. Yes. we are in an industrial area. We have a lot of heavy steel. coal. and lots of other products that travel through our State. They do an enormous amount of damage. You throw on top of that the mountainous terrain we have in Pennsylvania. the numerous bridges. We have several thousand bridges that are in disrepair. We have lots of bridges. we have lots of mountains. we have a lot of freezing and thawing in Pennsylvania which wreaks havoc on the roads. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6421}
{"speech_id":1090030694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce The Health Care Choice Act of 2005. a bill that would help Americans afford health insurance. Approximately 45 million Americans lack health insurance. These uninsured Americans face significant hurdles in entering the insurance marketplace. including limited choices of insurers and inflexible benefit options. For most. the high cost of health insurance is the biggest impediment to getting coverage. In fact. nearly twothirds of the uninsured are the working poor. and they cite the high cost of insurance as the primary barrier to accessing health coverage. The cost of insurance is often increased by excessive State regulations. These State mandates raise the cost of insurance which. in turn. increases the number of Americans who are priced out of the health insurance market. The Health Care Choice Act will -allow consumers to shop for health insurance the same way they do for other insurance products--online. by mail. over the phone. or in consultation with an insurance agent in their hometown. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2388}
{"speech_id":1090030694,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Act empowers consumers by giving them the ability to purchase an affordable health insurance policy with a range of options. Consumers will no longer be limited to picking only those policies that meet their states regulations and mandated benefits. Instead. they can examine the wide array of insurance policies qualified in one State and offered for sale in multiple states. Consumers can choose the policy that best suits their needs. and their budget. without regard to State boundaries. Individuals looking for basic health insurance coverage can opt for a policy with few benefit mandates. and such a policy will be more affordable. On the other hand. consumers who have an interest in a particular benefit. such as infertility treatments. will be able to purchase a policy which includes that benefit. The Health Care Choice Act will help the uninsured find affordable health insurance. while also providing every American with more and better health insurance choices. The bill harnesses the power of the marketplace to allow Americans to tailor their insurance choices to their individual needs. I am grateful to Congressman Shadegg for introducing the Health Care Choice Act in the House today. and I urge my Senate colleagues to support this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2388}
{"speech_id":1090030714,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at the end of 2002. the Maritime Transportation Security Act became law. I. was a member of the conference committee on that bill. and I think it was a good first step in improving security at our Nations ports. It had many good provisions. such as the creation of national and regional maritime transportation\/port security plans to be approved by the Coast Guard. better coordination of Federal State. local. and private enforcement agencies. and the establishment of a grant program for port authorities. waterfront facilities operators. and State and local agencies to provide security infrastructure improvements. The problem with the bill was that it had no guaranteed funding mechanism. As a result. we are underfunding port security. Since the passage of the Maritime Transportation Security Act. the Department of Homeland Security has awarded approximately $625 million in port security grants. This is not enough. The Coast Guard has estimated a need for $5.4 billion over 10 years for port facility upgrades. and $7.3 billion over 10 years for all port security. At the same time. the administration only requested $600 million for infrastructure protection in fiscal year 2006. and this meager figure does not even specify a dedicated portion for port security grants. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090030714,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With over 40 percent of the Nations goods imported through Californias ports. a terrorist attack at a California port would not only be tragic but would be devastating for our Nations economy. So. today. I am reintroducing a bill to provide more funding to the ports. Specifically. it will create a Port Security Grant Program in the Department of Homeland Security. provide $800 million per year for 5 years in grant funding. andthis is very important to Californias portsallow the Federal Government to help finance larger multiyear projects similar to what is done with many of our airports for aviation security. I hope that the Senate will act on this bill. Now is not the time to slow down or delay our efforts to increase and improve transportation security. The job is not done. and it must be done. By Mr. McCAIN (for himself. Mr.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090030743,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Presidbnt. I ask unanimous consent that the Agriculture Committee be discharged from further consideration of the nominations of Thomas Dorr. PN 68 and PN 69. and that the nominations be placed on the calendar. and finally that the Senate then return to legislative session.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090030812,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this Sunday marks the 24th anniversary of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Each year. tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the country gather in the Nations Capital to honor their comrades lost in the line of duty. They are accompanied by wives. husbands. sons. and daughters. along with families of the fallen. It is a solemn occasion. It is a sacred occasion. It reminds us of the tremendous sacrifices our police officers make to keep us safe. Every day around the clock they are on the front lines defending our neighborhoods and protecting our lives. our homes. protecting our freedoms. When we need an officer to investigate a dark alley. quell a domestic dispute. to chase an armed suspect. or subdue a criminal. we call these dedicated professionals to save us from harm. And each and every time they take a risk that our distress call could be their last. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4537}
{"speech_id":1090030812,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I share very briefly a few stories of our proud heroes from Tennessee who. last year. gave the ultimate sacrifice. Officer Jason Michael Scott of Loudoun County was shot and died on March 12. 2004. after responding to a family dispute. The station got a call that a teenager was attacking his mother. Officer Scott was sent to the scene. As Officer Scott climbed out of his patrol car to walk up to the house. he was shot four times with a highpowered rifle. The 16yearold shooter then barricaded himself inside the home and exchanged gunfire with responding officers. The gunfight raged on for more than 20 hours before the disturbed young man committed suicide. Officer Scott was only 24 years old. His first child. Jayden Nicole. was born 11 days after his death. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4537}
{"speech_id":1090030812,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our prayers are with the Scott family. Even routine calls can lead to unexpected tragedy. Officer Christy Jo Dedman of Nashville was helping a motorist on the side of Interstate 40. not too far from my home. when a tractor trailer hit and killed her. In the flash of an instant. in one random moment. her life was taken. At the funeral of Officer Mark Vance in Bristol. TN. an officer remarked: You always know when you go out that you are taking a risk but you do not think it is going to happen. Officer Vance was only 30 years old when he was shot and killed on a domestic violence call. Our prayers are with each and every member of his family. Tonight. the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will hold a candlelight vigil to honor Officer Vance along with his fellow colleagues killed in the line of duty. Over 20.000 people are expected to attend the ceremony tonight. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4537}
{"speech_id":1090030812,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The names of the 153 heroes will be read. as will the names of 262 other fallen officers from years past. On Sunday. a memorial service will be held on the West Front of the Capitol. The President will be on hand to honor these heroes. I look forward to paying my respects to each of these courageous men and women. I will take a moment now to single out Tennessees own who are included on this solemn roster: Sergeant Andy Thaddeus Bailey of Jackson. Officer Christy Jo Dedman of Nashville. Patrolman Timothy Howard Dunn of Shelby County. Patrolman J. Matthew Rittenhouse of Harriman. Deputy Sheriff Jason Michael Scott of Lenoir City. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4537}
{"speech_id":1090030812,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Patrolman Marlon Allen Titus of Memphis. and finally. Mark Edward Vance of Bristol. Our hearts go out to their families. friends. and colleagues who were made safer by their service. We all suffer their tragic loss. In their honor I pledge to keep working hard to show our commitment in the Senate. Last year. I cosponsored the Law Enforcement Safety Act. which the President signed into law. This legislation had been the No. 1 priority for our Nations law enforcement community for years. Finally. last year. Congress passed it. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4537}
{"speech_id":1090030903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we return to the consideration of the highway bill. The managers are here to work through the remaining amendments this afternoon. and we will have votes on at least one amendment at 5:30. or sometime around 5:30. The specific time we will state shortly but at around 5:30 today. We have an agreement for finishing this bill tomorrow. Under the agreement. Senators may offer amendments today from the limited list we agreed to last week. We do hope most of these amendments will not require votes. There are a few remaining amendments that will need rollcall votes prior to passage. I once again thank the managers for their hard work. and I look forward to finishing the bill tomorrow so we can get it to conference as soon as possible. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090030903,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LEBANON Mr. President. in my leader remarks for the past week. I have come to the Senate floor to briefly comment on a recent trip to the Middle East. Over the April recess I had the privilege of traveling to Israel. the West Bank. Jordan. Egypt. and Lebanon. In each of these stops. I met with officials and community leaders. I also made a special point of meeting with opposition leaders as well. With each conversation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090030903,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I learned more about the challenges facing this complicated part of the world. I became convinced that despite the deep differences that divide them. each party is committed to and wants peace and prosperity. Each side knows that dialog is the only way forward. Nowhere has this been oh more astonishing display than in Lebanon. As we all witnessed. following the assassination of former . Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February. hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens took to the streets to peacefully protest foreign occupation and interference. The images on television were remarkable. Central Beirut was awash in this sea of flags of red. green. and white. Proudly defiant citizens passed out roses to the soldiers who had been sent in to contain them. It was a triumphant moment for the Lebanese people and a turning point in their countrys history. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090030903,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our delegation had the opportunity to walk through Martyr Square. as that square is called. where. on March 14. there were hundreds of thousands of people who came forth to express the will of the people. Syrian military and intelligence personnel had been stationed in Lebanon for decades and had consistently denied the Lebanese people the sovereignty and territorial integrity deserved by all independent nations. In addition. heavily armed militias. such as the Deborah terrorist group. have operated with virtual impunity in Lebanon and have been allowed to pursue their rad- firmed my belief that more such proical agenda. grams are needed throughout the reThe last few months have been times gion. We need to make a more conof turmoil and opportunity for the Leb- certed effort to reach out to the people anese people. For thefirst time in dec- of the Middle East. especially the ades. the Lebanese people are free of young. and demonstrate to them that the interference of the Syrian military. they can achieve their hopes and aspiHowever. it is still not clear that rations for peace and freedom. Syria is fully complying with the My visit to Lebanon and the deterUnited Nations Security Council Reso- mination exhibited by the Lebanese lution 1559. Resolution 1559 calls for people in the past few months have the withdrawal of all foreign forces and been truly inspiring. I hope my Senate intelligence personnel. and the dis- colleagues will join me in continuing arming of armed militias. Although to support the Lebanese people as they Syria claims to have removed all of its strive to achieve their dream of a free intelligence personnel from Lebanon. and prosperous Lebanon. this has not been confirmed. And Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090030903,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I yield the floor. groups such as Deborah refuse to dis- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER arm. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Resolution 1559 also calls for free and Democratic leader is recognized. fair elections. Our first meeting in Bei- Mr. REID. Thank you very much. Mr. rut was with members of the opposi- President. tion. They represented parties and religious sectsChristian. Druze. and Mus- WISHING SENATOR PAUL SARBANES WELL lim. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090030943,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am introducing some legislation today. along with Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM from South Carolina. to construct. It deals with the issue of piracy or counterfeiting of goods by China. It relates to the substantial loss of U.S. jobs. and $200 billion in harm to the U.S. economy as a result of the piracy and counterfeiting that is going on in China. What is our Governments reaction to this problem? Our governments reaction to date can be characterized as somewhere between looking worried. a deep frown. or thumbsucking. Essentially. it isdoing nothing to stand up for this countrys economic interests. Let me describe the problem. The U.S. Trade Representative has concluded that: \"China has not resolved critical deficiencies in intellectual property rights protection and enforcement and. as a result. infringements remain at epidemic levels.\" In short. the Chinese are cheating. counterfeiting American goods and robbing jobs from our country. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090030943,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chinese fake goods coming into the United States grew 47 percent last year. The Chinese government is not doing anything about it. Investigations of counterfeiting in China. as you see. have taken a nosedive. The vast majority of products in the United States that are counterfeits or pirated are Chinese. 67 percent of the counterfeit products in this country are Chinese counterfeit products. The question is. What are we going to do about it? Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM and I are offering a sense of the Senate resolutionand we will ask the Senate to vote on it at some pointcalling for the immediate launch of a WTO case against China for gross violation of U.S. intellectual property. rights. On April 29. last month. the U.S. Trade Representative released a report finding that China had broken its promises to crack down on this piracy and counterfeiting. They have done nothing. They promised the moon. and they have done nothing. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090030943,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The question is. Will this country stand up for its own economic interests? Mr. President. let me give you specific case that I think is interesting. Time magazine wrote recently about a new car produced by Chery. an automobile company in Chinathats right. not Chevy. but Chery the Chery Automobile Company. A Chinese firm called the Chery Automobile Company has stolen productionline blueprints for a new GM car called the Chevrolet Spark. The Chery Automobile Company is going to be producing that car. which they call the QQ. and they plan to sell five models. including an SUV. in the United States. Chery has teamed up with the man who brought the Subaru to America in the 1960s. Their plan is to import up to a quarter of a million Cherys starting in 2007. GM is now in court. General Motors filed an action alleging that their productionline blueprints were stolen. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090030943,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it is not jdst that. It is so many different products. Take a look at the products that all of us knowfilms. publishing. software. electric equipment. automotive parts. on and onhave been counterfeited and pirated. It means American lost jobs and a higher trade deficit to the tune. we are told. of $200 billion in piracy and counterfeiting. Now. given that we had specific promises by China that they would begin to crack down on this with respect to their entrance into the World Trade Organization. and the fact we know they have done nothingour own U.S. Trade Ambassador says they have done nothing. that it is \"epidemic\"when will this country take action? Winston Churchill once told a story of being taken to a carnival by his parents. He was speaking to his adversary in the House of Commons. and he told the story about seeing the sideshows big canvas sign that says. \"Come Inside and See the Boneless Wonder.\" a man apparently born without bones. Winston Churchill said he was with his parents that day. his parents thought it was too traumatic to take a young boy into a carnival sideshow to see the boneless wonder. He never got to see it until that day on the floor of the House of Commons. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090030943,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When he addressed his adversary. he said. \"Finally. I see a boneless wonder.\" Boneless wonder is a good way to describe. in my judgment. those involved in trade policy in this country. who fail to stand up for this countrys economic interests. who dont have the backbone to stand up and say it is in our countrys interests. in the interest of our jobs. to take action against those who pirate or counterfeit American intellectual property. I have talked.often on the Senate floor about trade with China and Japan and Korea and with Europe. There has been a lack of spine on many fronts. In this case. I am speaking specifically about counterfeiting and piracy by the Chinese. with whom we have the largest trade deficit in history. Now we see that the USTR says it is in epidemic proportionspiracy and counterfeitingand yet nothing is being done. The question is. Will we do something? Will we finally have the nerve to say we want a WTO case to be commenced against the Chinese? This is a sense of the Senate resolution asking that the USTR commence a WTO case against the Chinese. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090030960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me reserve the right to object and ask the Senator if he would amend his unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes as in morning business. However. if a Member comes with an amendmentsince the cutoff is 25 minutes awaythe Senator agrees not to speak for more than a couple of minutes.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":294}
{"speech_id":1090030976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. earlier this week. I offered an amendment. which was passed unanimously. to eliminate the ability to toll existing interstate highways. I did this because I believe in using our tax dollars that we collect to support the Federal interstate highway program. But we ought to do it fairly. The majority of the highway system was designed in the 1950s to meet the needs of the westward expansion of a rapidly growing nation. Today. we face different needs. For example. new areas of population growth. especially along the southern tier. require new infrastructure. and also with the trade coming from NAFTA. we are seeing an even more increasing load that adds to the transportation burdens of our border regions. Strong trade partnerships with Mexico and Canada have provided great benefits for us. but the resulting traffic is damaging the highway network in my State and others. such as Arizona and Michigan. Most of the goods in our economy ride on our Nations highways. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8895}
{"speech_id":1090030976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In large part. over the past 50 years. the Federal highway aid program has assisted the States in -producing one of the worlds finest highway networks. To meet our needs. Congress must reauthorize surface transportation programs this year. States are responsible for converting the resources this legislation provides into infrastructure that allows traffic to move efficiently. and we want and need to undertake that construction. My major concern with the Federal highway program is that Texas has been a donor State for 50 years. contributing billions to other States to enable them to build their highway network. As a strong adherent of a National Transportation Safety Board system. I understand that large States. such as Texas. should assist smaller and rural States with their transportation needs because we all profit from the comprehensive highway network. What concerns me is the level of support Texas has been forced to provide to other States. In the late 1980s and early 1990s. Texas and other donor States received as little as 76percent rate of return on what our. taxpayers send to Washington. -With the 1998 bill. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8895}
{"speech_id":1090030976,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"TEA21. Texass rate of return rose to 90.5 percent in the formula program. This program produced real dollars. From 1994 to 2003. Texas contributed $20 billion to the highway trust fund and received $18 billion in return. If not for other donor State Senators. such as the chairman of the committee. the Senator from Oklahoma. and improving the rate of return. Texas would have received only $15.8 billion. The additional $2.4 billion has been critical for us to meet our transportation needs. However. Texas has still given $2 billion to other States over this period. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8895}
{"speech_id":1090030976,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States such as Texas. California. Arizona. Colorado. and Michigan are contributing more and more. and we are the States that need the most new infrastructure to handle the greatest population growth. In addition. most of the donor States are border States with unique needs resulting from trade. Texas has more than 300.000 highway miles. the most of any State in our Nation. Texas highways are almost 10 percent of the national total. Eighty percent of NAFTA traffic travels through my home State of Texas. But while the entire Nation benefits from the resulting commerce. Texas bears the brunt of maintenance and upkeep on our highways. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8895}
{"speech_id":1090030976,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2003. more than 4 million trucks. hauling 18 billion pounds of cargo. entered from Mexico through 24 commercial bordercrossing facilities. More than 3 million of those trucks. or 68 percent. entered through Texas. In addition. 90 million personal vehicles from Mexico also travel through the southwest border States. The donor States are the fastest growing States in America and are most responsible for the growth in the highway trust fund. Ironically. the formula in this bill offers the least relief to the States where cities are developing most rapidly. In 1998. Texas accounted for 7 percent. of the highway trust fund receipts. In 2004. it rose to 9 percent. and during this bill. it may top 10 percent. In other words. we are paying a larger and larger share. The formula in the bill reported out of committee created a floor guaranteeing every State at least 110 percent of the total cash it received under TEA21. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8895}
{"speech_id":1090031007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while we are waiting for Members to come down to the Senate floor to offer their amendments. to talk about their amendments. and be prepared for vdtes tomorrow morning. I will share with you that we have had a lot of erroneous reports concerning what is going on in Iraq and in other sensitive areas of the world. Quite frankly. I believe the greatest disservice that has been done to our troops in Iraq has been by the press. by the press not giving an accurate accounting as to what is really happening there. I am a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. and as such I have taken on the responsibility of spending time in Iraq. Afghanistan. Africa. and different places where terrorism may come due to the squeeze in the Middle East. But as far as Iraq is concerned. I will share a couple of experiences. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6103}
{"speech_id":1090031007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One was a couple days after the January 30 election. So many people in the media were trying to say the election is not going to come off on January 30. it is not going to happen. democracy is not going prevail there. they are not going to be able to make the deadlines. they are not going to be able to handle the eleptions and they are not capable of doing it on their own. they do not have the security because they would have to provide all the security for the elections. Yet a few days after that. you might remember. of the three elements over there. the Sunnis were the onesnot the Shiites or the Kurds--but the Sunnis were the ones wanting to obstruct the electionsthe most antiAmerican of all the groups. Yet the day after the election. the two primary Sunni leaders stood and said publicly that they were surprised it went the way it did. They wanted to be in on this. They wanted to participate. We know subsequent to that they have. I remember testimonials by different. people who had participated in that election. One was a lady who said she could not read the ballot because of the tears in her eyes. She couldnt see the ballot. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6103}
{"speech_id":1090031007,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Another person told me through a translator that she was in there to vote. and it occurred to her at the time they were voting that this was not just the first time in 35 years of a bloody regime of Saddam Hussein. but it was the first time in 7.000 years that they had an opportunity for selfdetermination. It is a huge thing happening over there. Who would ever have dreamed at any time in the last 35 years that they would actually be participating in a free election? Now we have seen what has happened since then. Sure. the terrorists over there who do not want this to happen are out there and they are killing as many of the Iraqis as possible to try to obstruct this new freedom that is coming their way. The last time I was there. I decided it would be a good idea to spend time in the Sunni triangle. That is where most of the hostilities are. It was the Sunnis who were the ones holding out last. the ones who were supporting Saddam Hussein. I recall going to Falluja. just a matter of a few weeks ago. and in Falluja there was a general whose name was Mahdi. He was the general. the commanding officer of the brigade. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6103}
{"speech_id":1090031007,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was the brigade commander for Saddam Hussein. He hated Americans and he had the background to demonstrate how deeply that hatred went. the murders and all these things going on. Yet that general. after we moved the Marines into Falluja and they started going door to door. and they were embedded with the Iraqis. this general was so impressed with the Marines that he made a statement. When they rotated the Marines out and said the Marines were going to have to go into a rotation. they had become so close working and fighting together that when they all got together before the Marines left. he said they all cried. There was a general looking at me saying: We cried because we didnt want the Marinet t9 leave. He renamed the security forces of Falluja the Iraqi Marines. He named them after us. While we were there in Tikrit. the home of Saddam Hussein. there was an explosion. It was at a place they called a police station. but it was a training area where they were training Iraqis for the security forces. It killed 10 immediately and seriously injured 30 more so they could not be trained. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6103}
{"speech_id":1090031007,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The families of these 40 individuals who were either killed or were severely injured offered up another member of each of their families to substitute for the one who was killed or the one who was injured. It was the type of sacrifice you would never dream possible a few years beforea few days before. really. I remember going all over the Sunni triangle in a Blackhawk helicopter. 100 feet off the ground. That is the only safe way to get there. There are terrorists who have SAMs. surfacetoair missiles. although some pretty crude. Many American families who have sent care packages to the troops over therecandy. cookies. these different things--what they have done with these is repackage them and. as we were going over the Sunni triangle and looked down at these small villages. all the kids were out there and.we threw them candy and things like that. and they were waving American flags and cheering. This is not the picture you get from the media. - I applaud the job our guys and gals have done over there. our troops. Of course. many have lost their lives. but people dont stop to realize how many more lives would have been lost if we had not been involved in that area. offering that kind of freedom. . Now we see a lot of terrorists are going into other areas. One of the good things I would announce that is going on right now is down in Africa we are now in the process of assisting Africans in forming five African brigades. and these African brigades. we will put them in a position to help them train themselves so when something like this erupts down there it will not be the Americans who have to do it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6103}
{"speech_id":1090031082,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. all Americans are distressed by the antiAmerican images that surfaced this weekend in Afghanistan. United States (lags are being burned. the American military is being harshly criticized. our good name is being stained. What is more. people are dying. All of this because of the carelessness of one group of magazine editors at Newsweek magazine. This magazine recently reported that U.S. investigators had determined American guards at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base had desecrated the Quran by flushing the holy book down the toilet. Now we have learnedthat Newsweek has acknowledged errors in its story. The source used by Newsweeks reporters was anonymous. and it is obvious that the magazine failed to fully investigate this \"source\" and his or her claims. Newsweek decided to publish these accusations in haste. without regard for the great pain and suffering that they could. and ultimately would. cause. Some in the media are simply fanatical about being first. and we as a country and as a culture must draw the line and demand more from our media. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090031082,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. I call on Newsweek to fully retract its story and to apologize to the people of Afghanistan whose lives have been forever impacted by this carelessness and to the American people for damaging our good name.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090031110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This important legislation. introduced by the distinguished gentlewoman from Wisconsin . names a Post Office in Madison. Wisconsin as the \"Robert M. La Follette. Sr. Post Office Building.\" Robert La Follette. Sr. was a giant in Wisconsin and American politics around the turn of the 20th century. He served the people of the Badger State as a Congressman. a Senator. a Governor. and even ran and finished third in the 1924 presidential election. falling to incumbent President Calvin Coolidge. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1687}
{"speech_id":1090031110,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His passion and his rousing speaking style earned him the nickname \"Fighting Bob.\" As a member of this body. he was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Agriculture in the 51st Congress. after which he lost a reelection bid in 1890. He returned home to a law career in Madison that began before his first stint in Congress. Sixteen years after his. defeat in 1906. he was elected to return to Washington. this time as a United States Senator. He was reelected three times before he died in office in 1925. shortly after his bid for the presidency ended the previous year. His legacy was further enhanced when his son actually succeeded him as a Senator and went on to a significant political career of his own. Another son also held up the family name by becoming Governor of Wisconsin in 1931. Mr. Speaker. all seven members of the Wisconsin delegation have joined Congresswoman BALDWIN as cosponsors of H.R. 1760 to prove the stature of Robert La Follette in Wisconsin political history. This Post Office in Madison will be an appropriate memorial to his legacy. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1687}
{"speech_id":1090031129,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today as a supporter of H. Res. 266. which supports the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. I want to thank Mr. HEFLEY for introducing this necessary recognition of our peace officers and the sacrifice they make everyday for Americans. I hope everyone in this Nation will take the time to observe Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor Federal. State. and local peace officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Today. more than 870.000 law enforcement personnel. the highest amount ever in the United States. serve their fellow citizens as guardians of peace. Unfortunately. while these brave men and women seek to keep the peace they are too often taken by the violence they are working to prevent. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1427}
{"speech_id":1090031129,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every year. a law enforcement officer is killed somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. and there are also 56.000 assaults against our law officers each year. resulting in 17.000 injuries. I want to take a moment to honor the law enforcement officers from the City of Houston who day in and day out work to keep my constituents safe. Last Friday on May 13. 2005. more than 20.000 peace officers gathered here in Washington. DC to join with the families of their recently fallen comrades to honor those comrades and all others who went before them. I wish to join them in this recognition of the brave and honorable law enforcement off icers who served this Nation despite the danger.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1427}
{"speech_id":1090031177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first. let me thank my good friend and colleague from Arizona for allowing me the privilege to rise today in support of legislation I introduced. the Newlands Project Headquarters and Maintenance Yard Facility Transfer Act. H.R. 540. This legislation passed the House under suspension of the rules last year. but was not considered in the Senate prior to the adjournment of the 108th Congress. I truly appreciate the opportunity to stand before my colleagues again in support of this legislation that is so important for the people of the Second District of the State of Nevada. The purpose of this legislation is to transfer all right. title. and interest in the Newlands Project to the TruckeeCarson Irrigation District. otherwise known as TCID. This conveyance consists of approximately 35 acres and will allow TCID to make permanent improvements on this land for the continued operation of the Newlands Reclamation Project. In 1996. the Bureau of Reclamation certified that TCID had repaid the original construction costs designated for repayment to the United States. The original construction costs included the cost of the land on which the initial headquarter facilities were located. In the late 1970s. however. ","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2648}
{"speech_id":1090031177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"TCID had outgrown the original facilities and moved to the current site. which is the area to be conveyed through this legislation. TCID paid for the land where the original facilities were located. however. they were never compensated when they vacated these lots. despite the fact that a Federal post office now sits on the original tract of land thathoused the project headquarters. Critics will charge that this bill unfairly favors the TCID and that the land is a taxpayer asset and should be treated accordingly. Those assertions simply do not make sense. The Bureau of Reclamation certified that the Newlands Project had been paid for and asking the TCID to pay for their land that their headquarters is currently located on would be in effect asking them to pay for it twice. To say that H.R. 540 is a giveaway is simply incorrect and misrepresents the intent of this important legislation. This bill is a fair solution to an unfair situation. Therefore. I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator JOHN ENSIGN and Senator HARRY REID and Governor Kenny Guinn of Nevada and the local leaders of Churchill County and the city of Fallon. Nevada. in supporting this legislation. ","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2648}
{"speech_id":1090031177,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona . my good friend and colleague. once again for allowing me to speak on this bill. I appreciate the consideration of this legislation that is so very important to my constituents in Nevada.","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2648}
{"speech_id":1090031194,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico for yielding time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 938. but. I will confine my remarks to title [ of the bill which would establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Let me start by thanking the gentlewoman from Connecticut for her persistence. her diligence. and her hard work on this legislation. It has been a pleasure working with her. During the 106th Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2611}
{"speech_id":1090031194,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 4312 authorized the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study of the Upper Housatonic as a potential national heritage area. The study establishes that the Upper Housatonic Valley meets the Interior Departments criteria for such a designation. The Park Service recognizes the valley as distinctive for having a landscape that includes a blend of industrial innovations. environmental conservation initiatives. and cultural achievements of national significance. The Upper Housatonic Valley includes 29 communities in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut. I would like to highlight a few of the many contributions this region of New England brings to our national heritage. Herman Melville. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Edith Wharton. Oliver Wendell Holmes. Norman Rockwell. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2611}
{"speech_id":1090031194,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Suzy Frelinghuesen are just a few of the prominent artistsand writers who have made the Housatonic Valley their home and the subject of their Work. Today. visitors can see these artists work on display in local museums before taking in a classical music concert at Tanglewood or visiting the magnificently restored Shaker Village in Hancock. The Upper Housatonic has a rich cultural heritage and thriving artistic community to this day. Elizabeth Mumbet Freeman is a person my colleagues may not be familiar with today. but her role in our national history is rightfully recognized in the newly reopened National Archives exhibit. Charters of Freedom. A slave from Sheffield. Massachusetts. Mumbet sued in Massachusetts court for her freedom. leading to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1793. Many years later. the great civil rights leader. W.E.B. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2611}
{"speech_id":1090031194,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dubois. made his home in Great Barrington. Massachusetts. His papers are archived and open to the public today in the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. As I hoped to highlight for you today. the Upper Housatonic Valley is an area rich in culture. history. and innovation against the backdrop of scenic landscapes. Its designation as a National Heritage Area will help preserve this treasure for years to come. I urge an \"aye\" vote in support of this legislation.","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2611}
{"speech_id":1090031197,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my support for H.R. 938. Among its provisions. H.R. 938 incorporates bill language from H.R. 1820 which reauthorizes the Illinois and Michigan. I & M. Canal National Heritage Corridor to receive appropriations and transfers management entity status from the now defunct federal. I & M Commission to the nonprofit Canal Corridor Association. I would like to commend Chairman POMBO and the House Committee on Resources for their hard work on this important piece of legislation. The I & M Canal changed the Nation in 1848 when it opened the first shipping route between New York and New Orleans. designating Chicago as the Nations greatest inland port. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2767}
{"speech_id":1090031197,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While the canal eventually fell into disuse due to new transportation methods and routes. in 1982 business and industry leaders founded the Canal Corridor Association to help revitalize the I & M Canal region. and in doing so. created a national model for regional partnership. conservation and renewal. I am proud to say that the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor was Americas charter National Heritage area. being created by an act of Congress in 1984. For 20 years. the Federal I & M Commission has worked to carry out the mission of the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor. Its efforts have been particularly successful during the past 5 years that Phyllis Ellin has provided strong leadership as the Executive Director of the Commission. Since 1984. the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor has increasingly become an engine of economic growth in communities up and down the length of the Corridor. primarily through an increase in tourism but also in the use of the Corridor for recreational purposes. After consulting with local officials and those most interested and involved in the I & M Canal. it seems that the private sector approach offers more advantages to handle the increased work load brought on by the recent success of the canal and interest in heritage tourism. As a result. H.R. 938 designates the Canal Corridor Association. CCA. as the new management entity of the I & M Canal National Heritage Corridor. The CCA seeks to enhance economic vitality by raising awareness of and expanding the parks. trails. landscapes. and historic sites that make the I & M Canal region a special place. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2767}
{"speech_id":1090031197,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have also successfully implemented education programs and improved the cultural. environmental. historic and tourism resources that the canal offers. Under the leadership of Ana Koval I am firmly convinced that the CCA. through their governance of the I & M Canal. will continue to successfully educated citizens of the nationally historical importance of the I & M Canal and to play a pivotal role in the continued economic redevelopment of the region.","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2767}
{"speech_id":1090031245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the data that led these 30 people you mentioned. Jim Woolsey and Frank Gaffney. and there were about a dozen admirals and generals. and several retired heads of agencies in the government that signed that letter. these were really thought leaders in the country. And the data that they quoted that led them to write that letter is what is on the board here. We have only 2 percent of the worlds oil reserves. But we use 25 percent of the worlds oil. And let me digress for just a moment. I have not been enthusiastic about drilling in ANWR. because if you have only 2 percent of the known reserves of oil in the world. and if ANWR is a part of that 2 percent. I am having some trouble understanding why it is a good idea to use that 2 percent up as quickly as possible. Certainly we need oil. but we will need it in the future if our economy continues to grow even more than we need it now. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090031245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I think we need to reflect a bit on whether it is a good idea to exploit that resource now. We import about twothirds of the oil we use. And the gentleman from Michigan said that is just going down hill from the direction we ought to be going. because during the Arab oil embargo. we imported only about a third of the oil that we used. and you may remember then the long lines at the service stations and a few fights over it. I think a death or two. And you may remember that gas guzzling cars. you colld hardly give them away. And now when we are importing twothirds of -our oil rather than a third of our oil. suddenly SUVs and pickup trucks represent more than half of the personal vehicles sold in the country. So these 30 world and United States leaders who wrote this letter referred to this data. They said. Mr. President. this is an unacceptable national security risk. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090031245,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We cannot be using 25 percent of the worlds oil. have only 2 per-. cent of the reserves. and import twothirds of what we use from other countries without having a big unacceptable national security risk. And they noted. and the President agreed. because I have heard him say it more than once. that much of that oil we imported comes from countries that do not even like us very much. This is indeed a big national security concern. Two other bullets on the chart point out some relevant factors that we need to be concerned with. First of all. the bullet here that says we are 5 percent. we are a bit less than that. actually about 1 percent out of 22 in the world. less than 5 percent of the worlds population. and having only 2 percent of the known reserves. and using 25 percent of the worlds oil. twothirds of it coming to us from other countries. much of it from across the seas. If those shipping lanes were interrupted or if there was some impediment to the flow of oil through some choke points in the world. we really could have an economy at risk. One other thing that I wanted to denote. and that is from this little 2 percent of the reserves that we have. we are producing 8 percent of the worlds oil. We are pretty good at pumping oil. That is both good news and bad news. It is good news in that we are importing only twothirds of what we use. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090031245,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we were not so good at sucking that oil out of the ground. we would be importing more than twothirds of what we use. The bad news is that it is going to be gone sooner doing that.. And the more efficient we become at pumping these reserves the more quickly they will be exhausted. The Chinese recognize that we are pretty good at this. and as the next chart shows here. they have been scouring the world for oil. And they were in our country a week or two ago and what they were doing is talking with our technical people. how do you could it? How do you get that oil out of the ground from these wells that were nearly exhausted? This chart shows the world. and by the way. this green here for Russia should come around the other side because that is Russia there right next to Alaska. Russia spans 11 time zones. They are now a major oil exporter. One of the few countries that probably has several years before they peak in their. they have peaked but that peak is being stretched out because of very poor performance when the Soviet Union was disintegrating. So they have a ways to go before they are on the steep down slope of a curve that we are going to talk about in a minute. But what this shows is all of the places in the world that they have gone to and secured contracts. and in some places bought assets to make sure that they have access to the worlds oil. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090031245,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are in our backyard. They have contracts in Canada. They have contracts in Colombia. in Venezuela. in Brazil. in Argentina. in Africa. several in the Middle East. They are now meeting with Russia to build a very large pipeline from the Sakhalin Island region. the Russian far east to get oil down to China and perhaps on down to the Korean Peninsula. Chinas economy is growing very rapidly. 10 percent last year. about the same the year before. They increased their oil imports last year about 25 percent. I have a set of exponential curves that we will show in a moment that show what those growth rates mean. but we are focusing on energy this. evening with particular reference to national security. And China recognizes their dependence on oil. not only are they scouring the world for oil. they have noted that they are dependent on the shipping lanes to get their oil. And they are now aggressively building a blue water navy. There is no other country other than the United States that has a blue water navy. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10477}
{"speech_id":1090031309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the past week. I have come to the Senate floor to briefly discuss my recent factfinding mission to the Middle East. having had the opportunity to travel to Israel. the West Bank. Egypt. Lebanon. and Jordan 2 weeks ago. I will conclude these Mideast reports with a very brief discussion of my time in Jordan. We began the Jordan leg of our trip with a visit to King Abdullah. Son of the much admired King Hussein. King Abdullah has been a trusted and valuable friend to the United States and a steadfast partner in the war on terrorism. We discussed Jordans progress toward economic reform. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090031309,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jordan is embarking upon free market reforms and encouraging the growth of small business and entrepreneurs. We know in the American experience that entrepreneurship is that engine of economic and job growth. I am encouraged by the progress that King Abdullah is making. and I am hopeful the Jordanian economy flourishes. As it does so. it will become a model of reform throughout the Middle East. We also talked about the importance of the U.S.-Jordanian partnership in the peace process. King Abdullahs father exhibited great courage and -foresight as he led his nation to peace with Israel in the 1990s. Because of Jordans relations with Israel and its special ties to the Palestinians. Jordan can be a substantial contributor to the peace process. By coordinating our efforts. I believe Jordan and the United States can help the parties build momentum toward a peaceful resolution. 0 Printed on recycled paper. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090031309,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During a dinner meeting with King Abdullah. we were joined by Jim Wolfenson. the former head of the World Bank. Dr. Wolfenson was recently selected. as my colleagues know. by President Bush to handle the upcoming Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. focusing on the quartet of partners and building the appropriate support. I applaud the President for his choice in this emissary. Not only is Dr. Wolfenson eminently capable. but he knows many of the important players directly. professionally. and personally. and he appreciates the stakes and I am confident he can get the job done. Dr. Wolfenson understands the transition must go well. If it does not. violent unrest and instability could destroy this. what I believe is a historic chance for peace. The Jordanians have been an invaluable partner in Operation Enduring Freedom. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090031309,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have made tremendous contributions to the Iraqi peoples efforts to secure a free and prosperous Iraq. We have witnessed the extraordinary bravery of the Iraqis at the polling booths and at the police recruitment centers. They have been willing to defy the terrorists and assume an active role in securing democracy. Many of those courageous Iraqis are acquiring the training and skills needed to defend their country by completing a security course and police training regimen in Jordan. We had the opportunity. while in Jordan. to visit the JordanIraq Police Training Center. a truly unique effort where 16 countries have come together. including the United States. Jordan. Britain. Canada. Finland. and others. to train the Iraqi security forceto train the Iraqi police. The director of the facility is John Moseby. a highly qualified veteran of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090031309,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Air Force. The centers goal in Jcrdan is to train 32.000 Iraqi police by December 2005. Already. the center has graduated over 15.000 recruits. who have gone back to Iraq to serve in security positions. There are currently 40 Iraqi trainers at the site in Jordan. and the center hopes to add another 60. It sits on about 450 acres and can train about 3.500 cadets per session. I wanted to go to the JordanIraq Police Training Center to see firsthand how those exercises are conducted because there has been some question in the past as to the adequacy and the quality of that training. Having had the opportunity to meet the cadets. both an incoming class and classes that were leaving. viewing many of the exercises. viewing. with the leaders there. the commitment to a quality curriculum. I am very reassured they are doing an outstanding job in training those Iraqi recruits to go back and keep their communities and their streets safe. The Iraqi cadets told us of their hope and appreciation for Americas help in building a new Iraq. I am confident that by their courage and their commitment. freedom will prevail in Iraq and the dark forces that now threaten their country will be defeated. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090031318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to join my colleague in the resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens. I thank my colleague for working on the resolution to commemorate this historic event. Not only for Washington State and the Northwest. but for our country. May 18 marks an incredible landmark in time for people in the Northwest and certainly marks a critical response by our Federal Government. It also allows us to reflect on the progress we have made as a nation to develop a greater understanding about the more than 160 active volcanoes in the United States. For over 100 years. Mount St. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5863}
{"speech_id":1090031318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Helens stood in silence. a relatively dormant peak and serene part of the Pacific Northwest. But on the morning of May 18. 1980. Mount St. Helens erupted releasing a plume of ash that filled the sky. circling the Earth in just 15 days. The destructive eruption eviscerated everything in its path and tore through miles of trees. Today. 25 -years later. the effect of the 1980 eruption remains evident. and the rumbling of Mount St. Helens over the past several months reminds many of us. particularly in Washington State. of those events on May 18. 1980. The level of activity of Mount St. Helens. combined with the unpredictability of it. makes it very special for Washingtonians. We embrace the mountains beauty but remain in profound respect of its power and weary of a repeat eruption similar to 1980. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5863}
{"speech_id":1090031318,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What is important to understand is that Mount St. Helens. located 90 miles south of Seattle and 65 miles north of Portland. OR. when it exploded. released such hot steam that it actually melted 70 percent of the snow and ice on top of the mountain. To give you a sense of that enormity. Mount St. Helens was. prior to this. the ninth highest. peak in the State of Washington. It has now been reduced about 1.300 feet. The avalanche that was created by that explosion was close to twothirds of a cubic mile of debris. The Geological Survey estimates that would be enough to cover Washington. DC. in more than 14 feet of ash and mud. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5863}
{"speech_id":1090031318,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is basically what the Northwest dealt with when this explosion happened in 1980. We saw flows of rock and ice covering various parts of the north fork of the Toutle River. debris running down those pathways wherever it could go. The eruption destroyed 27 bridges that were part of our highway structure. 200 hundred homes. 185 miles of roadway. and 15 miles of railway. What is unique about this is that Congress responded. We responded because of the devastation to the physical and environmental infrastructure but also because of the loss of life. My colleague and I are here to commemorate those 57 Washingtonians .who died in the incident. and one particular individual. David Johnston. who was with the U.S. Geological Survey. What this anniversary marks is the great .strides weve made as a Nation to response to science in this area. David Johnston. by comparison. in 1980 had been studying Mount St. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5863}
{"speech_id":1090031318,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Helens for many months. In fact. on the morning of the explosion. he was 6 miles away on what is now called Johnston Ridge. Many of my colleagues may. if they turned on the TV in the last several months to see rumblings of Mount St. Helens. seen many observers. and many members of the.media stationed on Johnston Ridge. When Mount St. Helens erupted on that day. David Johnston. who was our monitoring system at Mount St. Helens only had an opportunity to say: Vancouver. this is it. And the eruption took his life. Where we are today is that we have volcanologists. geologists. seismologists in what is a robust system of emergency response. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5863}
{"speech_id":1090031350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this has been an effort that has been bipartisan all the way around. It has been 3 years in the making. For. all of us to get along this well for 3 yearsI hope it does not end after this is over. I compliment you and Senator BAUcus. along with Senator BOND. and the Democrats and Republicans on the Environment and Public Works Committee who are so cooperative.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":376}
{"speech_id":1090031368,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Montana. The transportation industry is strongly opposed to this amendment. For example. to take one instance of a group we deal with. given the jurisdiction of our Banking Committee over mass transit. the American Public Transportation Association. which represents 1.500 transit agencies across the country. observes that the Sessions amendment would undo the bipartisan and widely supported efforts in the Senate in support of increased and balanced transportation infrastructure investment and should be strongly opposed. I ask unanimous consent to print the letter to Chairman INHOFE in the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":660}
{"speech_id":1090031401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished chairman. He is one of my favorite Senators. There is no one I respect more. He has worked hard. and so has the committee. to maximize what we can do to improve transportation infrastructure in this country. I respect that. The problem is. we have passed a budget. The facts are that in. pumping more money into highwayswhich all Members want to see. as this bill doeswe have created a $10.7 billion shortfall. The offsets are revenue enhancements or tax increases that have been proposed either are unlikely to reach that $10.7 billion and\/or will not be approved by the House of Representatives. That is a pretty wellknown fact. In addition. the President has stated he is not going to sign the bill. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090031401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He started out at $256 billion. He went to $283 billion. and that is where he is going to stay. What can we do to improve funding for highways&.which affect every State. every corner of this country. not just certain areas? I proposed an amendment that I believe does the right thing. It does what our constituents pay us to do. and that is to make choices. make decisions. I have proposed where the bill has a 31percent increase in spending. we alter that. that we reduce the increased level of spending for matters not critical to our infrastructure. that we reduce the mass transit part of the bill by about $5 billion. still leaving an increase in mass transit spending. We can getthere. We can be sure the money we spent for highways will be sufficient. the President will sign the bill. and we will be fiscally responsible and be within our budget. We are spending almost $300 billion. Cant we stay within the budget? Cant we be fiscally responsible and tight in how we spend this money? My amendment reduces some of the increases in the other accounts. including mass transit. By the way. 46 percent of the mass transit funds are spent on four States in this country alone. and that does not count $8 billion in bureaucracy. and overhead that goes with that in research. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090031401,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This would be the right approach. I thank my colleague. Senator INHOFE. for his work on the bill. I know he has tried to do the impossible. which is to get more and more for our highways without having to bust the budget. I am afraid that is what we are doing. If we do this. we will fund highways for every State in the country. We will put the money where we need to. inconcrete. so that every citizen can use for 100 years from now. The result is good for our budget and our integrity as we go through this process. This is the first big bill that deals with a budget conflict. We do not need to fail a test on the first piece of legislation. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090031401,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Senator INHOFE for allowing me the additional time. I believe this is an important amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote fiscally responsibly. to affirm the budget. and pass legislation that will give us highway spending levels that we want and that the President will sign. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090031431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These protections are needed because. while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. FMCSA. assumed the regulatory duties for the household goods moving indus.try. previously entrusted to the Interstate Commerce Commission. inadequate Federal statutory protections and limited resources have meant that the interstate hnoving industry has essentially gone without oversight. FMCSA has received nearly 20.000 consumer complaints since January 2001. and yet until recently has had only one or two employees dedicated to household goods regulation and enforcement for the entire nation.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":591}
{"speech_id":1090031441,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. my amendment begins the process of putting all trucks operating in the United States. including those from Mexico. on an equal footing for emission standards with American trucks. Beginning in 2007. all trucks. including foreign trucks. operating in the U.S.. will have to certify that they are meeting the performance emission standards of the Clean Air Actthe type of standards that American trucks have been required to meet for years. This provision will comply with our trade laws and help improve our air quality by assuring that foreign trucks are meeting our emissions protections. I thank the Senators from Mississippi and Hawaii for working with me on this amendment and for agreeing to accept it. However. I believe it is only a start. I would have liked to include a provision requiring rebuilt engines to meet the standards in effect at the time the engines were manufactured. Such a provision would have covered more forbign trucks and ensured even cleaner air. I understand the complications with including such a provision now. and I hope we can address this in Conference.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090031450,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased that Congress has worked in a bipartisan manner to pass a long overdue full transportation reauthorization. which has unfortunately been extended on a temporary basis six times and simply must be made permanent. I congratulate Chairman INHOFE and Ranking Minority Member JEFFORDS for their tireless efforts in moving forward one of the largest bills Congress will consider this year. I am sensitive to the fact that the current spending extension expires at the end of this month. Clearing this legislation through a HouseSenate conference before the May 31 deadline may be difficult. but I am hopeful we can move quickly. This is important because the bill will create approximately 47.500 jobs for every $1 billion in highway spending. This bill will also provide desperately needed funds for Utah roads and create. jobs for many hardworking Utahns. Transportation is an issue in which all Utahns have -a stake. Without a doubt. transportation plays a central role in the States ability and opportunity to prosper economically. . ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090031450,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As Utahs population continues to grow. its highways are becoming more congested. negatively affecting Utahs ability to compete economically. and ultimately decreasing the quality of life for many of us. I am concerned that in 5 years. Utahns may be changing the term \"rush hour\" to \"rough 2 hours\" because of the heavy congestion on our freeways. The Utah Department of TransportationUDOTestimates that in 10 years. peak congestion along the Wasatch front will increase from 1 hour in the morning and in the evening to more than 3 hours. The effect congestion has had on our quality of life is undeniable. Time after time I have visited with Utah officials who stress that.our top priority must.be transportation funding. because we simply do not have the money to meet the tremendous demands on our roads. Last year alone. the State of Utah received approximately $254 million in Federal transportation funding. In addition to the Federal funding received. the State of Utah spent over $520 million for transportation projects ii. 2004. Yet. UDOT maintains the. state is unable to increase capacity or maintain existing infrastructure at this level of funding. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090031450,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Responding to Utahs serious transportation needs. I voted to increase total federal funding in the multiyear transportation bill by $11.2 billion. which would raise Utahs portion from the $269 million originally included in the bill to $282 million. Utah desperately needs these funds to fight congestion. I am encouraged by the transportation projects planned for fiscal year 2006 for the State of Utah. This legislation may help us complete many transportation projects throughout Utah. including: new 115 interchanges in Ogden. Layton and Provo. commuter rail service from Ogden to Provo and lightrail lines to the airport and South Jordan. highway projects on US6 in Carbon County and State Road 92 in Utah County. a railroad overpass in Kaysville. and building the Northern Corridor in St. George. This legislation also contains a provision that addresses an important competitive issue in the transportation sector. At my urging. Chairman INHOFE has agreed to include compromise language that allows qualified companies the opportunity to compete for Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure ProgramITIPfunding. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090031450,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I consider this a significant victory for small companies. and hope that HouseSenate conferees will recognize the importance of providing a fair and level playing field for those wishing to access ITIP funds. Our Nations transportation infrastructure is in dire need of improvement. I believe this legislation not only addresses these critical needs. but it will create thousands of job opportunities. fight traffic congestion. and improve the safety of our roads and bridges. As the bill moves to conference. it is my hope that we may come together with an adequately funded compromise. I pledge my efforts in this cause and hope my colleagues will do the same.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090031451,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are about to vote on the highway bill. I believe we have a strong bill. a bipartisan bill. I thank Senator INHOFE. Senator BOND. Senator GRASSLEY. Senator STEVENS. Senator LOTT. and.Senator SHELBY for their hard work. dedication and leadership to get this bill passed. They have been instrumental to the process and deserve great credit. I also thank my colleagues Senator JEFFORDS. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4118}
{"speech_id":1090031451,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator BAUCUS. Senator INOUYE. and Senator SARBANES for their willingness to work cooperatively on thie critical legislation. The highway bill is a result of a long. bipartisan process. It is based on more than 3 years of work. over a dozen hearings. testimony from more than 100 witnesses. and countless hours of negotiation. It is supported by a deep and broad coalitionfrom State and local highway authorities to national safety advocates. And in a few moments. we will finally deliver to the American people legislation that will help build and improve our vast and sprawling infrastructure. America is interlaced by nearly 4 million miles of roads and highways. The interstate highway system has often been called \"the greatest public works project in history.\" Our roads. ports and railroads are vital to Americas economic success. We know this well in Tennessee where companies like Federal Express. U.S. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4118}
{"speech_id":1090031451,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Express. and Averitt Express are located. Unfortunately. Americas transportation infrastructure has deteriorated badly and our roads have become painfully overcrowded. Just ask any American commuter. There is bumpertobumper traffic. not just during rush hour. but all day long. In our Nations urban areas. traffic delays have more than tripled over the last 20 years in small and big cities across the country. In my home State of Tennessee. traffic congestion has increased in all of our major metropolitan areas. Nashville commuters drive an average of 32 miles per person per day. Metropolitan planning organizations are struggling to meet demand. Because of this congestion. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4118}
{"speech_id":1090031451,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Americans suffer more than 3.6 billion hours in delays. and waste 5.7 billion gallons of fuel. per year. sitting in traffic. All the while creating more and more pollution. Cars caught in stopandgo traffic emit far more pollution than cars on smoothly flowing roads. The American Highway Users Alliance estimates that if we could free up Americas worst bottlenecks. in 20 years. carbon dioxide emissions would drop by over threefourths and Americans would save 40 billion gallons of fuel. The legislation before use seeks to alleviate these problems in a number of ways. In addition to improving our roads. the highway bill provides generous provisions to imitrove the buses and rail systems that make our urban centers thrive. For Tennessee. this legislation will dramatically .increase Federal highway and transit spending and support economic development throughout the State. Tennessee. which is a donor State. will receive more than $800 million on average each year to invest in its highway infrastructure. This represents nearly $4 billion over the next 5 years. The bill will also provide more than $296 million over the next 5 years to improve transit for our rural and urban commuters. an increase of 166 percent over the last highway reauthorization bill. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4118}
{"speech_id":1090031451,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tennessees highways have consistently been ranked among the best and safest in the Nation. and these funds will help to reduce congestion. improve safety. and create thousands of new jobs. Our transportation infrastructure is estimated to be worth $1.75 trillion.. Every $1 billion we invest in transportation infrastructure generates more than $2 billion in economic activity and 47.500 new jobs. I look forwafd to passing this critical legislation. We will need to work to resolve our differences with the House of Representatives so that we can send the President a bill that he can sign into law as quickly as possible. I am confident this can be done. The highway bill is a roads bill. It is a jobs bill. It promises to help improve every American drivers quality of life. I thank my colleagues in advance for. literally. keeping America moving forward.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4118}
{"speech_id":1090031456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with renewed hope and confidence that this Congress can pass a surface transportation reauthorization bill. As it has been stated before. we have been operating under continuing resolutions--six of themto keep the Department of Transportations highway. transit. and highway safety programs running. We have been operating May 17. 2005 - COI for 2 years on expired legislation and we are far past due on our commitment to the American people to deliver an updated policy and expanded funding. Last year both the Senate and House passed bills and the conference committee met for months before we were forced to abandon hopes of completing a conference report as a result of the much discussed disagreement over the size of the bill. This year we will still have a disagreement over the size of the bill but I am optimistic that with the narrowed gap. we will be able to resolve the differences quickly and amicably. I am pleased the Senate will adopt a bill funded at $295 billion and am hopeful that this funding level can be retained in conference. Our transportation system is bursting at the .seams and the Congress must adequately fund this bill to address this myriad of needs. Almost 30 percent of ou Nations bridges are structurally deficient. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4882}
{"speech_id":1090031456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thirty two percent of our major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Our urban centers and suburban communities need expanded and updated transit infrastructure. Americans spend 3.7 billion hours each year in congested traffic. Our State highway departments are forced to cancel or delay projects as costs continue to rise while the revenue does not come. In addition. we have a responsibility to make our transportation system safer for the traveling public. The President recognizes this and has appropriately named his proposal. the Safe. Accountable. Flexible. and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005. SAFETEA. Throughout my career in the Senate I have worked with many of my colleagues to address critical safety measures on our Nations highways. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4882}
{"speech_id":1090031456,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The most effective way to increase safety on our roads is to get people to wear their seat belts. I am a firm believer that the individual States must pass primary safety belt laws. The statistics are clear. More than 50 percent of the fatalities on our highways are individuals who were not .wearing their safety belts. My hope is that the incentive grants included in this bill will prompt states to take actions to cut into the tens of thousands of deaths on our roadways each year. The Committee substitute will increase funding in the bill from $284 billion as passed by the Environment and Public Works and Finance Committees to $295 billion. This means an additional $247.7 million for my home State of Virginia for a total of $4.7 billion in highway construction over the next 5 years. This represents more than a 32 percent increase over the highway funding in TEA21. The Virginia Department of Transportation will now be able to restore many projects that had been cut from our transportation plan because of the lack of revenue. We have made small steps in the right direction to address donor States. increasing the rate of return to 92 percent by 2009. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4882}
{"speech_id":1090031456,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will also increase funding for transit programs across the country. While this has traditionally only meant our urban centers. transit has evolved to enable Americans in suburban and even rural areas of our States increased mobility on subways. buses. light rail. commuter railroads. ferries. and vans. More than 80 million Americans do not drive or have access to a car and this robust investment in our transit systems helps not only those Americans but also helps relieve congestio4 on our Nations roads. I wish to thank the chairmen and ranking members of the committees and subcommittees working so diligently on this bill. They and their staffs have been working together for several years toward the ultimate goal and today we take one .step closer to that end. Chairman INHOFE. Subcommittee Chairman BOND. Ranking Member JEFFORDS. and Subcommittee Ranking Member BAucus have worked openly with the EPW Committee and every Senator in this body to address our concerns and their work is very much appreciated by this Senator. They have worked well with the Finance. Commerce. and Banking Committees to bring this bill together. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4882}
{"speech_id":1090031456,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know how difficult this bill is to manage and it is my sincere hope that the conference committee will soon be able to resolve differences between the House and Senate bills and send a strong bill to the President. The bill we vote on today increases the revenue for our state highway departments. enhances the safety of our roadways. will help states address environmental pollution from our roadways. and will reduce the congestion millions of Americans deal with each day to help keep our Nation the strongest economy in the world.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4882}
{"speech_id":1090031457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President I would like to explain my vote today against this important legislation. the highway reauthorization bill. I want to explain that my vote was against the unfair treatment of my State. and not a 5year reauthorization bill. I support consistent and adequate funding 6f our transportation infrastructure) but I do not support a bill that cuts Wisconsins rate of return unfairly. A safe and efficient transportation system is critically important to my State. In Wisconsin. the changing seasons require constant maintenance of our roads and bridges. In addition. we have an aging fleet of buses that are in dire need of replacement. A fiveyear reauthorization is necessary for sustained transportation planning. it will provide jobs. will ensure safer travel on our highways and roads. and will provide transit funding for millions of commuters. I have heard from the people of Wisconsin. and I know they support a 5year authorization bill. I share their sentiments on the need for an authorization bill. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2910}
{"speech_id":1090031457,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also share their sentiments on the bill the Senate passed today. I have spoken to engineers. bus drivers. road builders and businesses throughout my state and the message is the samedont support .legislation that would drop Wisconsins rate of return. My support for this legislation would undermine Wisconsin taxpayers who deserve better than 92 cents on the dollar.. A vote in favor of this legislation would set a dangerous precedent for treating Wisconsin unfairly. I recognize the arguments of my colleagues that the overall funding for Wisconsin will increase and I support the addition of $11.2 billion that the substitute amendment contains. The substitute amendment provides Wisconsin with an additional $147 million in highway funding over the five year life. of the bill. These dollars are absolutely necessary in the State. and I urge the conferees to maintain the Senate level of funding. What the substitute amendment does not do. however. is greatly change my States rate of return. Over the life of the bill. Wisconsin will still drop from an average of $1.02 to an average of 96 cents on every dollar the taxpayers send to Washington. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2910}
{"speech_id":1090031457,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The socalled equity bonus program included in the bill is far from equitable. It includes exemptions based on random criteria. it is a formula stitched together to appease the highest number of Senators possible. not to give each State its fair rate of return. I remain hopeful that Congress will pass a bill much different than the one the Senate votes on today. I hope that my colleagues will. in conference. repair the damage that is done to Wisconsin under the Senate bill. I hope the final bill gives Wisconsin its fair share. Given the great need for a 5 year authorization bill. I would like to support this legislation. Given its treatment of Wisconsin. I cannot. I hope that will be different when the Senate considers a final bill.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2910}
{"speech_id":1090031460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. funding for transportation infrastructure such as roads. bridges and border crossings is a sound investment that increases the mobility of people and goods. enhances economic competitiveness. reduces traffic congestion. and improves air quality. Those improvements in transportation infrastructure are critical to our States. and the Federal highway money that States receive is critical for funding them. In addition. few Federal investments have as large and immediate an impact on job creation and economic growth as transportation infrastructure. The Department of Transportation estimates that every $1 billion in new Federal investment creates more than 47.500 jobs. Unfortunately. the formula that distributes Federal highway funds to States is antiquated and inequitable. Historically. about 20 States. including Michigan. have been \"donor\" States. sending more gas tax dollars to the highway trust fund in Washington than are returned in transportation infrastructure spending. The remaining 30 States. known as \"donee\" States. have received more transportation funding than they paid into the highway trust fund. This unfair practice began in 1956 when small States and: large Western. States banded together to develop a formula for distributing Federal highway dollars that advantaged themselves over the remaining States. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4300}
{"speech_id":1090031460,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Once that formula was in place. they have tenaciously defended it. At the beginning. there was some legitimacy to the concept that large. lowpopulation. and predominately Western States need to get more funds than they contributed to the system. It was the only way that we could build a national interstate highway system. However. there is no justification today for any State getting more than its fair share. With the national interstate system completed. the formulas used to determine how much a State will receive from the highway trust are simply unfair. Each time the highway bill has been reauthorized. I. along with my colleagues from the other donor States. have fought to correct this inequity in highway funding. Through these battles. some progress has been made. For instance. in 1978. Michigan was getting around 75 cents back on our Federal gas tax dollar. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4300}
{"speech_id":1090031460,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The 1991 bill brought us up to approximately 80 cents per dollar. and the 1998 bill guaranteed a 90.5cent minimum return for each State. Last year. we believed we had another significant victory when the Senate passed a bill that would have given donor States 95 cents on the dollar in the final year of the bill. Unfortunately. that bill died in conference due to the Presidents veto threat and his unwillingness to accept the funding levels in either the House or Senate bill. This years legislation. however. would give donor States just 92 percent of their highway trust fund contributions by 2009. Although that is a small step in the right direction of closing the equity gap. we still have a long way to go to achieve fairness for Michigan and other donor States. This bill is also a setback from last years bill because it provides fewer overall transportation dollars. Last year. the Senate wisely passed a bill that would have pumped $318 billion into our transportation systems over 6 years. This year. the Senate has reduced that funding down to $295 billion. That is more than the Housepassed bill of $284 billion but still less than what is needed. Michigans rate of return would go from 90.5 percent to 92 percent immediately and remain at 92 percent for the full 5 years of this bill. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4300}
{"speech_id":1090031460,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under this bill Michigan would get an annual average funding level of $1.134 billion which represents a 28percent gain over TEA21. We have made progress in this bill compared to current law in the ongoing fight for equity for donor States. I will continue to fight in the future. as I have in the past. looking toward full equity for Michigan. I recognize. however. that we have reduced the inequity a little more in each previous reauthorization bill. and we do so in this bill as well. This bill will bring billions of desperately needed dollars to States across the country. It will improve our Nations transportation infrastructure and create millions of American jobs. and therefore I will support it. although its steps toward equity and fairness are very tiny indeed.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4300}
{"speech_id":1090031462,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of the highway bill. I want to first applaud the bill manager. my good friend Senator INHOFE for all of his hard work on this important legislation. I also want to thank the ranking member of the EPW committee. Senator JEFFORDS. for his work on the bill. Mr. President. the highway bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation that the Senate undertakes. This bill makes it possible to construct and repair vital transportation arteries that crisscross this great Nation. As our country grows we must be conscious of our transportation needs. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090031462,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Accordingly. this bill increases funding for road construction that will substantially reduce traffic delays that plague the country. Additionally. this bill substantially increases transit funding further reducing congestion and pollution caused by overpopulated highways. My home state of New Mexico is one of the -most rural states in the country. However. our population is on the rise and it is vitally important to ensure New Mexicans have the transportation infrastructure they need to be competitive with the rest of the country. This bill will provide roughly $1.7 billion in funding for New Mexico specific projects. This bill also increases funding for the Indian roads program. I have advocated for increased Indian roads funding for a number of years and while this increase only begins to address the need. it will help immensely in addressing the economic development problems facing Indian Country. Once again. I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the EPW Committee and their staff for doing a great job in getting this bill completed.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090031465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. after great effort by many people. the Senate is ready to move us one step closer to enacting legislation with the potential to impact all Americans in every state. Crumbling infrastructure and poor transportation choices impede our ability to live and do business. and the Senate clearly recognizes that fact. Our transportation bill utilizes more than $295 billion to ensure all Americans have access to efficient and reliable transportation as they go about their professional and personal lives Among the many people whose hard work has made the difference. I must first thank the chairmen and ranking members of all the appropriating committees that have been involved in this process. Credit must also go to all members of my staff. who spent many hours sifting through the nuts and bolts of this bill.. Kolan Davis. Mark Prater. Elizabeth Paris. Christy Mistr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1764}
{"speech_id":1090031465,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ed McClellan. Dean- Zerbe. John ONeill. Sherry Kuntz. and Nick Wyatt showed great dedication to the tasks before them. As is usually the case. the cooperation of Senator BAUCUS and his staff was imperative. I particularly want to thank Russ Sullivan. Patrick Heck. Bill Dauster. Kathy RuffaloFarnsworth. Matt Jones. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1764}
{"speech_id":1090031465,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jon Selib. Anita Horn Rizek. Judy Miller. Melissa Mueller. Ryan Abraham. Mary Baker. and Wendy Carey. I also want to mention George K. Yin. the chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation and his staff. especially the fuel fraud team of Tom Barthold. Deirdre James.. Roger Colinvaux. and Allen Littman. as well as the always invaluable assistance of Mark Mathiesen. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1764}
{"speech_id":1090031465,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jim Fransen and Mark McGunagle of Senate Legislative Counsel. This bill is infused with the spirit of bipartisan cooperation. Hopefully that spirit will survive the ongoing legislative process.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1764}
{"speech_id":1090031503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are loyal to you and your party. but we are more loyal to the Constitution. and the Constitution insists the judiciary must be fair and independent and balanced. And they said no. In more recent times. many can recall that Franklin Delano Roosevelt. one of our greatest Presidents. reelected to a second term. frustrated by the Supreme Court across the street which had killed his New Deal legislation. said: It is time to do something about the old men on the Court. He came to this Chamber. this Senate. and said to the Democrats of his own party: Help me change the judiciary. We need to put more Justices on the Supreme Court to overcome those old men. The Democrats and Republicans in the Senate said: No. Mr. President. We respect you. We support your goals and your programs. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090031503,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the Constitution is more important than increasing your power as a President over the judiciary. And here we are today in the year 2005. coincidentally at the beginning of President George W. Bushs second term. And what do we hear from this President? He comes to this Chamber. to the Senate. and says to Democrats and Republicans alike: I want more power over the judiciary. I want to do something about those activist judges. And I resent the fact the Senate has not approved every judicial nominee which I have sent for approval. Which takes me to my last chart. For those following debate. for those who want to know what the score is. it is 208 to 5 or maybe 208 to 10. depending on your count. But more than 95 percent of the nominees sent by President Bush to the Senate Chamber for approval have been approved. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090031503,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. 208 to 5. and we are facing a constitutional crisis and confrontation because this President cannot get 5 judicial candidates he insists on? One wonders if this President. coming to this Senate. would hear the echos of what Thomas Jefferson heard or Franklin Roosevelt heard where his own political party would stand up and say: Mr. President. we respect you. but we respect the Constitution more. We respect the Senate more. Sadly. few of those voices have been raised. Within a matter of hours or days. we will face this historic constitutional crisis. I believe it comes down to some very fundamental principles. Neither this President nor any - President should be allowed to change the rules in the middle of the game. to take away the right of extended debate on judicial nominees. Neither this President nor any President should be allowed to change the checks and balances which have given us our lifeblood as a nation for over 200 years. Neither this President nor any President should make a lifetime appointment of someone to a Federal court who is not prepared to take on that awesome task and to dispatch it with the kind of integrity and skill and commitment to the values of America we must insist on. So in a short period of time. there will be a test in this Senate the likes of which it has never seen. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090031503,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We almost have to go back to the Civil War to recall a debate of this proportion. I sincerely hope my colleagues will rise to this challenge. I sincerely hope they will understand there is more at stake than whether a President has a good press release one day. whether some supporters cheer them on for standing up for 5 or 10 nominees. who understand that what we are debating is. sadly. going to be viewed for generations as a test of whether we are truly committed to preserving and defending the Constitution of the United States. I still have great hope. I still have great hope that enough Republican Senators will stand up to this President as Thomas Jeffersons party stood up to him. as Franklin Roosevelts party stood up to him and said: Mr. President. we respect you. we believe in your program. we will support you. but first we have to be guided by our Constitution. and we cannot increase your power in this Government at the expense of the balance that was created by the wisdom of our Founding Fathers. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090031524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. Senator BINGAMAN and I introduced the \"Covering Kids Act of 2005.\" This legislation provides $100 million in funding to a host of entities including the States. local communities. schools. faithbased organizations. Indian tribes. safety net providers. The goal is to increase enrollment of eligible children in Medicaid and the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). I believe that all Americans should have the security of lifelong. affordable access to health care. especially Americas children. Programs like SCHIP help provide a critical safety net. But. unfortunately. there are still too many families who are not aware of the coverage available to them. or face barriers to enrollment. In fact. over 5.6 million kids are eligible for Medicaid and SCRIP. but are not enrolled. The Covering Kids Act will help close that gap. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2839}
{"speech_id":1090031524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The legislation will fund innovative outreach and enrollment efforts to expand coverage among minority and underserved children. and to those living in rural areas. It will also give states additional flexibility to streamline enrollment in these programs. reducing administrative costs for the government and dliminating paperwork and hassles for families. Covering children is the right thing to do. And by ensuring that children have access to preventive care. it is also one of the best ways of reducing longterm strain on Americas health care system. Since arriving in the Senate in 1995. I have advanced worked hard to expand coverage to uninsured Americans and improve health care for those in need. I have sponsored numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation including: the \"Closing the Health Care Gap Act of 2004.\" the \"Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003.\" the \"Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Prevention Act of 2003.\" and the \"Childrens Health Act of 2000.\" Last Congress. we took a critical step forward in expanding affordable health coverage to millions more Americans by authorizing taxfree. portable Health Savings Accounts as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Today. we build on that record of progress. I first proposed expanding outreach efforts to help lower income children in July of last year. Today. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2839}
{"speech_id":1090031524,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I join with Senator JEFF BINGAMAN and other cosponsors in taking a critical step toward fulfilling that goal. I also want to applaud the President for his leadership on this issue. President Bush has made the expansion of Medicaid and SCHIP coverage a cornerstone of his agenda. I am confident that with his leadership. and the efforts of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. we can help millions of kids who need coverage by passing this common sense legislation. All of our children should have access to the affordable quality health care. Im proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Senators BINGA-","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2839}
{"speech_id":1090031533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with Senator ENSIGN to introduce a bill to ensure that Title I funds are directed towards instructional services to teach our neediest students. Title I provides assistance to virtually every school district in the country to serve children attending schools with high concentrations of lowincome students. from preschool to high school. It has been the \"anchor\" of Federal assistance to schools. since its inception in 1965. Although it has always been the intent of Congress for Title I funds to be used for instruction and instructional services. the Federal Government has never provided a clear definition of what instructional. services should entail. This lack of federal guidance has become especially clear now. as States scramble to comply with the Title I accountability standards established in \"No Child Left Behind.\" While State Administrators of Title I are directed by law to meet these specific requirements. they have been given little guidance as to how to ensure that they are in compliance with the law. I believe that the Federal Government is responsible for making this process as clear to States as possible. In my view. as it relates to Title I. we have not lived up to our end of the bargain. During consideration of \"No Child Left Behind.\" I worked hard to get my bill defining appropriate Title I uses included in the Senate version of the bill. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7525}
{"speech_id":1090031533,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. during conference consideration. my bill was stripped out and in its place language directing the General Accounting Office (GAO) to report on how states use their Title I funds was inserted. In April 2003. GAO released the report that Congress directed them to submit on Title I Administrative Expenditures. What -GAO found is that while districts spent a relatively small amount. no more than 13 percent. of Title I funds on administrative services. these findifngs were based on their own definition \"because there is no common definition on what constitutes administrative expenditures.\" Therefore. the accounting office could not precisely measure how much of schools Title I funds were used for administration. Because Title I funds are not defined consistently throughout the states. the accounting office created their own definition by compiling aspects of state priorities to complete the report. You see. the very reason I worked to define how Title I funds should be usedto create consistency and distribution priority nationwidebecame the definitive .aspect preventing GAO from effectively drawing conclusions to their report. The report highlights two concerns that I have with the absence of universal definitions in the Title I program: the lack of Federal guidance on effective uses of Title I funds. The governments inability to accurately measure whether the academic needs of lowincome students are being met. My bill takes some strong steps by. balancing the needs for states to retain Title I flexibility and providing them with the guidance needed to administer the program uniformly throughout the country. Current law on Title I is much too vague. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7525}
{"speech_id":1090031533,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It says. \"a State or local educational agency shall use funds received under this part only to supplement the amount of funds that would. in the absence of such Federal funds. be made available from nonFederal sources for the education of pupils participating in programs assisted under this part. and not to supplant such funds.\" Basically. it says that Title I funds are to be used for the \"education of pupils.\" This is too nebulous. The U.S. Department of Education has given states a guidance document that explains how Title I funds can be used. Under this guidance document. only two uses are specifically prohibited: 1. construction or acquisition of real property. and 2. payment to parents to attend a meeting or training session or to reimburse a parent for a salary lost due to attendance at a \"parental involvement\" meeting. I believe we should give the Department. states and districts a clearer guidance in law. This legislation does the following: defines Title I direct and indirect instructional services. Sets a standard for the amount of Title I funds that can be used to achieve the academic and administrative objectives of this program. Ensures that the majority of Title I funds are used to improve academic achievement by stipulating that a local educational agency may use not more than 10 percent of Title I funds received for indirect instructional services. By limiting the amount of funds that schools can spend on administrative or indirect services. school districts are restricted from shuffling the majority of Title I to pay for nonacademic services. but it also gives the districts flexibility to use the remaining funds for the indirect costs administering Title I distribution. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7525}
{"speech_id":1090031533,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Furthermore. by defining direct and indirect services. all states can apply the same standards for how Title I funds are used nationwide. Examples of permissible Direct Services are: employing teachers and other instructional personnel. including employee benefits. Intervening and taking corrective actions to improve student achievement. Extending academic instruction beyond the normal school day and year. including summer school. Providing instructional services to prekindergarten children for the transition to kindergarten. Purchasing instructional resources such as books. materials. computers. and other instructional equipment. Professional development. Developing and administering curriculum. educational .materials and assessments. Examples of Indirect Services limited to no more than 10 percent of Title I expenditures are: business- services relating to administering the program. Purchasing or providing facilities maintenance. janitorial. gardening. or landscaping services or the payment of utility costs. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7525}
{"speech_id":1090031533,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Buying food. Paying for travel to and attendance at conferences or meetings. except if necessary for professional development. My reasons for introducing this bill are twofold: First. I believe that states must use their limited federal dollars for the fundamental purpose of providing academic instruction to help students learn. Secondly. I believe that it is nearly impossible to do so without providing a clear definition of what is considered an instructional service. I am not suggesting that it is the fault of the school districts for not focusing their Title I funds on academic instruction. They are simply exercising the flexibility that Congress has given them. If Congress also intended for those funds to educate our neediest children. Federal guidance must be given to ensure that it happens. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7525}
{"speech_id":1090031537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank Chairman MCCAIN for his leadership in introducing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2005. I have been pleased to work with him in constructing this legislation. He and I are united in our agreement that getting the Indian Health Care Improvement Act reauthorized this year is the Indian Affairs Committees top priority. This legislation was last reauthorized in 1992. Since 1999. the director of the Indian Health Service and his staff have worked with a national steering committee of tribal leaders and representatives of Indian health organizations. as well as with the congressional authorizing committees. on reauthorization of and amendments to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The bill that we introduce today reflects many elements of these discussions and negotiations over recent years. as well as testimony received at a number of hearings held by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and House Resources Committee. It is important that we begin as soon as posgible to receive the views of Indian Country. the administration and others on this legislation. I am sure that in the course of this Congress. there will be changes to the bill that is being proposed today. As Chairman MCCAIN knows. I am committed to addressing the serious issue of teen suicid6 that is epidemic on several Indian reservations. in North Dakota and other areas of the country. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1953}
{"speech_id":1090031537,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that the recommendations of Indian parents. students. tribal officials and health professionals may lead to additional provisions in the Act to deal with this very serious problem. I look forward to the comments of the administration. especially the Indian Health Services. as well as other committees of the Congress. tribes and tribal organizations. urban Indian entities. and others to help us craft legislation that will provide creative and effective solutions to address the health care needs of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1953}
{"speech_id":1090031588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I rise to denounce the Republican attack on our system of checks and balances that has existed in our country for well over 200 years. Led by the Sen~te majority leader. the Senate Republicans are creating an unnecessary showdown over judicial nominations that will hurt the American public and especially woien. The truth is that since President Bush took office. the Senate has confirmed 208 of his judicial nominations and turned back only 10. which is a 95 percent confirmation rate. There are reasons the Democrats are concerned about the judicial nominations. As Chair of the Democratic Womens Working Group. I am concerned about the nominations of Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen to the circuit court seats. Both these nominees would come to the Federal bench with an agenda to roll back civil rights and labor protections. many of which would affect women and all Americans. We have held these values dear for many decades. and I cannot stand quiet and allow the Senate Republicans to abuse their power. Eliminating the filibuster would destroy the procedures that would protect democracy in this institution. The American public must stand up and be heard.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090031592,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the city of Las Vegas is celebrating its centennial this year. This past weekend marked the anniversary of the land auction that founded Las Vegas. and the city highlighted this momentous day with special events such as the return of the Helldorado Days Parade. baking and serving the worlds largest birthday cake. and a reenactment of the land auction of 1905. Las Vegas has grown from the western railroad stop of May 15. 1905 to the entertainment capital of the world that welcomed a recordsetting 40 million tourists last year. I remember as a girl with my family driving out west in search of the American Dream and finding it in Las Vegas. Nevada. Over the years. I have watched Las Vegas become the quintessential American city. Economic opportunity and the optimistic attitude of our citizens welcome thousands of new residents and millions of tourists every month. I am proud to be a part of the Las Vegas community. and I wish my city. Las Vegas. a.happy 100th anniversary. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090031592,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The best is yet to come.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090031594,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I rise to introduce the Child Support Reinvestment Act of 2005. This muchneeded bill will provide States. including my home State of California. with important penalty relief. allowing more money to flow where it should: to the children of our State awaiting their pastdue child support payments. California is in the process of developing the largest single statewide automated child support collection system in the country. Although the project initially met with delays. California is now on track to compliance by September 2006. However. rather than reducing the penalties as California makes progress towards its goal. the Federal penalties actually continue to grow. because the penalties are based on the amount the State invests in child support programs for the previous year. Effectively. we are hurting the very children that the program is trying to help by punishing States for doing their best to get each child the support payments they are owed. My bill. the Child Support Reinvestment Act. will lower the penalties and allow the money levied in penalty to be used for the benefit of the children instead of the Federal Governments general fund. This is smart regulation for the States.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1225}
{"speech_id":1090031600,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I too rise this morning. along with my fellow Texans. to recommend to the .other body that they have an upordown vote on Justice Priscilla Owen. Justice Owen has been elected by the people of Texas to the State Supreme Court two times. the second time in the year 2000 with an overwhelming popular majority. During her last election. Justice Owen was endorsed by every major newspaper in the State of Texas. Mr. C. Boyden Gray. writing an article about this. said: \"The members of the Texas legal community know Justice Owen to be a jurist of the highest integrity. one who is committed to following the law. no matter where it leads.\" The Dallas Morning News editorialized after she was nominated 4 years ago that \"Justice Owens lifelong record is one of accomplishment and integrity. She is one of the few judicial nominees to receive the unanimous wellqualified rating from the American Bar Association.\" The chairman of the Texas Commission on Judicial Efficiency. Baylor University President Herbert Reynolds. said. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1242}
{"speech_id":1090031600,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Based on my knowledge of Justice Owen for the past 30 years. I believe you simply cannot make a more solid choice for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.\" I urge the other body to have an upordown vote.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1242}
{"speech_id":1090031606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. . Madam Speaker. the Homeland Security Appropri4tions bill is one of the most important bills this or any Congress will consider. The protections provided in this bill are designed to make our country safer and to prevent future terrorist acts from taking place inside the United States. The Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee has a difficult job. The gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman ROGERS) and the ranking member. the gentleman from Minnesota . have done the best they could with the limited resources provided to them. While I do not agree with every choice they made. theycertainly have my appreciation and gratitude for the job that they have done. Nonetheless. Madam Speaker. I am very concerned with the inadequate funding levels provided to the Appropriations Committee and with the continuing lack of accountability on the part of the Bush administration. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8459}
{"speech_id":1090031606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. let us not kid ourselves today. Congress must provide more funding to protect our Nation from terrorist attacks. We should not be forced to choose among funding port security. air security. border security and first responders. These distinct areas of security are all necessary parts of an integrated whole. and none of them should be shortchanged. But the reality is that the reckless fiscal policies enacted by the Bush administration and the Republican leadership in Congress are shortchanging these and other important programs. The tax cuts enacted over the last 5 years. coupled with the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the war in Iraq. have drained the Federal Treasury to the point where even the fire grants that help our local fire departments prepare for the challenges they face every day will be severely cut in this bill. Madam Speaker. that is the wrong choice. Many of my Republican friends will claim that the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee did the best they could with the allocation provided to Jhem. That argument does not tell the whole truth. Many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will try to have it both ways. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8459}
{"speech_id":1090031606,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They want to criticize the low funding level in this bill. but they do not want to criticize the fiscal policies that have put us in the hole we are in today. I know that my colleagues on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee will describe this bill in more detail. but I want to highlight a few key programs. Again. I am disappointed that this bill shortchanges the fire grant program. It is one of the most successful programs in the country and it deserves to be increased and not cut. I am also disappointed that this bill fails to live up to the promises made in the Intelligence Refbrm Act. enacted just in December. This bill shortchanges border security. a key component of the 9\/11 Commission report that was released last year. The. silver lining. thin as it is. Madam Speaker. is that the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman ROGERS) and the ranking member. the gentleman from Minnesota . were able to increase some funding for port security and transit security. and I am pleased that this bill also directs the Homeland Security Department to take concrete actions to protect this country. For too long the administration has refused to hold the Department of Homeland Security accountable for its actions. and the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman ROGERS) and the ranking member. the gentleman. from Minnesota . included provisions to make the Department accountable. and to provide the necessary oversight of the Department that has been lacking since its creation. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8459}
{"speech_id":1090031606,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. this bill will impose penalties on the TSA Administrator if a requirement to increase the screening of air cargo is not implemented by the end of the fiscal year. Madam Speaker. for too long the Bush administration has refused to provide general oversight on the Department of Homeland Security. This fits the pattern of a complete lack of accountability on the part of this administration. From the Education Department paying for its own propaganda with taxpayer funds. to the absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. to the wasting of billions of dollars in Iraqi reconstruction contracts. this administration has made mistake after mistake after mistake. Yet the Republican Congress does not want to do anything. Ask no question. demand ho answers. Under this Republican leadership. the legislative branch of government is barely a twig. And so. Madam Speaker. we see the same things happening in the Department of Homeland Security. After publicly supporting a dramatic increase in the number of air marshals. the last two Bush budgets actually proposed cuts in funding for this important program. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8459}
{"speech_id":1090031606,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yesterday at the Rules Committee. the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman ROGERS) testified at length how the Coast Guard refuses to provide detailed plans for their Deqpwater program and how the only way to get their attention is to withhold funds for this program. The same is true with the TSAs implementation of cargo screening measures and the deployment of explosive detection technologies at airports around the country. Madam Speaker. I am pleased that this bill attempts finally to force some kind of accountability from the administration. But. finally. Madam Speaker. I want to say something about the rule today. I am pleased that it is an open rule. There have been 30 rules considered so far this year. and only three of those rules have been open. That is a batting average of 100. which will get you kicked off of any selfrespecting Little League team. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8459}
{"speech_id":1090031697,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. I really appreciate the action of the gentleman from New Jersey. the chairman of the Coast Guard authorization committee. I really appreciate the gentlemans amendment and the comments that have been made. I think we are all in agreement. There is nothing that hurt me more in this bill than when we were forced to cut back the Deepwater monies until we could get the report of the Coast Guard about what the 20year plans were. I am a big supporter of Deepwater. In fact. when I was chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee is when we first funded Deepwater. The gentleman from Minnesota and I served on that subcommittee as well. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2605}
{"speech_id":1090031697,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a wonderful program. But then came 9\/11. When 9\/11 happened. the mission of the Coast Guard dramatically changed and they never really amended the Deepwater program in view of that very alarming new mission that they became charged with. And then we have continued to fund them for the last 2 years just based on their promise that they would get us the revised plan--a rebaselining. And then as time passed and we began to notice with the help of the gentleman from New Jerseys subcommittee that more and more of the Deepwater monies intended for new equipment was being used to maintain the old equipment. increasingly eating into the Deepwater monies. We felt we had no choice but to try to force the issue. We have bent over backwards. 15 different ways. with the Coast Guard and with the Department to try to get them to tell usthe new 20year plan. the rebaselined Deepwater. so that we all know where we are going and we know what we are buying. This subcommittee is not going to be a blank check for anybody. We insist on knowing what the program is. I think that is our duty. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2605}
{"speech_id":1090031697,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As soon as the Coast Guard can get us the 20year Deepwater spending plan. I think the problem will disappear but not until. The old equation. lack of information means lack of money. applies to the Coast Guard as it does to my personal account. I appreciate the gentleman from New Jerseys work and his attitude in the subcommittee. He is a great leader of that subcommittee and has done a wonderful job. We have enjoyed working with him. He is easy to work with. He is very firm in his convictions. but he understands what has to be done here. I hope that this painful period of time will pass. It is up to the Coast Guard and the Department and perhaps. most importantly. the Office of Management and Budget to all finally agree and let us get on withit. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2605}
{"speech_id":1090031697,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for offering the amendment.","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2605}
{"speech_id":1090031705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the LoBiondo amendment to the DHS authorization and I ask my colleagues to.support it. The Coast Guard yard in Baltimore. MD has dedicated coasties and dedicated civilian personnel. all of whom are fighting to keep us safe and secure. So it is disheartening to hear that the DHS authorization is going to cut critical funding for the Coast Guard to the tune of $466 million. This in my opinion is a huge mistake. We have asked the Coast Guard to take on an aggressive and daunting role in protecting our coastlines. ports. rivers and waterways. and more importantly keeping our homeland secure. We cannot and should not be cutting their funding. The Coast Guard is moving in a new and exciting direction that will allow for an all encompassing approach including faster. stronger ships along with an aircraft component. ","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1533}
{"speech_id":1090031705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At this time we should not be cutting their budget. we should be making sure they have the tools and resources to keep us safe. It is my understanding that cuts could result in a loss of up to 108 jobs at the Baltimore Yard and I want to let you know that this is completely unacceptable. The Baltimore Coast Guard yard is already scheduled to lose 50 jobs for the MEP program and to add another 108 jobs on top of it would devastate the yard and the proud maritime tradition that Baltimore has. I support the new direction for the Coast Guard and believe these new capabilities will only make our homeland security stronger. However. losing skilled ship repair and build-","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1533}
{"speech_id":1090031744,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. as an author of this legislation with the distinguished ranking member and the distinguished chairman. I thank the chairman for working with us on this compromise. The chairman has been one of the tireless advocates in this body on behalf of the first responder community. and I want to tell the gentleman they recognize that. On behalf of the 1.2 million men and women who serve in the 32.000 departments across America. they understand that the gentleman from Kentucky is listening to them. Last week. when I approached the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman Rogers) and the gentleman from Minnesota . our colleague. the gentleman from New Jersey . the gentleman from New Jersey . the gentleman from Maryland . and a whole host of Members on our side of the aisle over here. the gentleman from New York and others. it was with a great deal of enthusiasm that the chairman said he would work with us. and that allows us to bring this amendment forward today. Last November. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090031744,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I spoke at the memorial service for our fallen firefighters. We paid tribute to 111 brave Americans. most of them volunteers. who paid the ultimate price in protecting America. Each year in this country. we lose over 100 police officers. we lose over 100 firefighters. paramedics. and EMTs. The difference in terms of law enforcement support. and we spend about $3 billion to $4 billion a year on local law enforcement at the Federal- level. is that 85 percent of our first responders in the fire commupity are volunteers. They get paid nothing. They serve on behalf of these 32.000 departments while doing their fulltime job and then come home on weekends and at nights and serve their communities. It is up to us to make sure they have the proper equipment they need. Now. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090031744,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Members need to understand there is a distinction between the grant program running through the States and the grant program increased by this amendment. The grant program that this amendment increases is directly accessible to the fire departments. There are no middle people. There is no bureaucracy. There is no overhead. They go on line for 30 days once each year. and they apply directly. The grants are actually reviewed by other firefighters. There is no politics. That is why over 19.000 departments in this country have received one or more grants that have benefited our local towns. This money is not just for homeland security. it is to better equip those departments who. back in 2000. we recognized need national help. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090031744,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The second part of this amendment provides additional funding to the SAFER program. a program to encourage cities to hire more paid firefighters. -volunteer departments to come up with more creative ways to encourage volunteers. and volunteer departments who may have to hire a fulltime driver or a fulltime officer. to have some of that funding available through this SAFER bill. It is a significant increase when the program was appropriated to the level of $65 million this fiscal year. to add another $25 million in this amendment to that program. Let me say just in closing. Mr. Chairman. that we are asking our fire and EMS departments to do more. The recent round of base closings that was announced on Thursday largely closes Guard and Reserve facilities. That is going to put increased pressure for homeland security on those 32.000 fire departments. They are not going to be able to rely on those local Guard and Reserve units. because their facilities are being .shut down. so it is all the more reason that this amendment makes sense. It is good policy. It is good fiscal sense. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090031744,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is paid for. I commend all of the authors and everybody involved and especially again I want to thank the chairman for his vision. for his foresight. and for working with the ranking member to make this possible.","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090031763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. the reason I move to strike the last word rather than speaking directly to the amendment is because I have mixed emotions. I think the problem the gentleman from New Jersey presents to us is one of the most important and most profound ones we face in the whole question of homeland security. His amendment bothers me for two reasons: One. I think there are real problems where the money is coming from. and. secondly. I am concerned. that we are transferring this problem from the Federal Government to the State governments. Because dealing with chemical security and the security of chemical plants is truly a national problem and not one that should be the ultimate problem of State governments. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5218}
{"speech_id":1090031763,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Department. in my judgment. has been incredibly slow in dealing with the problem. The Congress has been slow in dealing with the problem. A year ago we provided $3 million to the Department for a study on whether they should require vulnerability assessments and security plans from the chemical plants. The study has not occurred. We do have language in this bill that urges them to do more in the next year. I hope they listen to that more than what they did to the provision of $3 million last year. But I would suggest to my friend from New Jersey that the format that we should be following is really what we did in the Maritime Transportation Security Act as it relates to ports. What we required in that bill was for ports to do vulnerability assessments and produce security plans themselves. - - 80 and that is what the .major chemical to place responsibilities. and I agree plants in this country should be doing. that there are responsibilities that We should not be assessing them. they should be placed upon certain legitishould be developing their own vulner- mate corporate responsibilities. that ability assessments and security plans. should be placed upon people who operAnd then. as in the Maritime Security ate in a society and who have a hazAct. where the Coast Guard assesses ardous element to their operation and the plans. that is what we should be need to operate in a way and to protect doing with chemical plants. their facilities in such a way that proThe bulk of the responsibility for im- tects the greater good. but ultimately. plementing those security plans should ultimately the defense of the people is be with the chemical companies. not not delegable to any other entity. with the State. It should not be with The second point is that when I hear the Federal Government. in my judg- the chairman talk about the $50 milment. let alone with the States. And I lion placed in critical infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5218}
{"speech_id":1090031763,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am concerned that we are putting up do appreciate that. but that is all critthe assumption that this is now becom- ical infrastructure. That is nuclear ing a responsibility we are delegating power plants. that is electric grids. from the Federal Government to the that is everything you can think of States. that we would develop under the rubric So the gentleman is absolutely right. of critical infrastructure. And in that This is one of the biggest context. while understanding the limivulnerabilities that we have. The De- tations. it is a relatively small amount partment has not been paying atten- when you think about protecting all of tion to it. The Congress has not been the Nations critical infrastructure. willing to deal with the issue of wheth- I do not know. as has been pointed er this is something we want simply out by law enforcement. as has been the Federal Government to do or pointed out by the Environmental Prowhether we should be requiring the tection Agency. that this critical infrachemical plants. at least the major structure that we talk about in terms ones. to have the vulnerability assess- of chemical plants does not come to a ments and the security plans and then higher level. because ultimately the they submit them to the Department potential attack and emissions and the for their evaluation. From there. we plumes that come from it can kill litcan move as to howyou remedy the se- erally millions and millions of people. curity plans and how you make judg- And that. in other respects. I think ment on the funding you need for local heightens it among the critical infrapeople who might have to respond to structure that exists. an emergency. I understand that people are conSo I have mixed emotions about this cerned about the management office. amendment. I have problems with their although I will note that that is where premise with the offset and the basic we just took money for another critical delegation to the States. but the issue. But if you ask the American peoamendment raises. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5218}
{"speech_id":1090031763,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think. one of the ple between management and promost crucial problems we face in home- tecting the chemical coastways that land security. And to the other gen- are along and throughout the landtleman from New Jersey. who talked scape of this country. I think they will about a comprehensive bill he was in- tell you I would like to see the chemtroducing. I think that is the direction ical coastways protected. we should be going. Even if we ultimately ask the private","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5218}
{"speech_id":1090031816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. it is my intention to ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment at the conclusion of my remarks. I want to commend Chairman LEWIS of the full committee. Chairman ROGERS of the subcommittee. and also Chairman YOUNG of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for having dialogues on these particular sections. These sections in H.R. 2360 make appropriations to three State and local grant programs that are not and have never been authorized. specifically. a trucking industry security grant system. an inner city bus security grants and inner city rail. freight rail and transit security grants. In each of these areas. the Department of Transportation has existing and ongoing security programs that are managed at the Federal and State level by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. the Federal Railroad Administration. the Federal Transit Administration. and State safety oversight agencies. The FRA act provides the Federal Railroad Administration with strong authority to promote rail safety in every aspect of rail operations. The FRA has a robust and active inspector workforce that is on the ground every day inspecting the saiety and security of Americas freight railroads. and the sane with the truck safety and the same with the bus safety. I want to commend the appropriations subcommittee for looking at this problem. but I want to point out that. one. there is no authorization from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. two. it is. my understanding in the homeland security bill that will be on the floor tomorrow there is no authorization as well. One of the problems that we have seen in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure right here in the Districtd of Columbia. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2940}
{"speech_id":1090031816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. is the city council and the District of Columbia when they have looked at a pot of money or when they have looked at a program that has been passed by homeland security but has not gone back and referenced the Federal Rail Act have said. You know what? No more trains going through the District of Columbia. You are going to have copycat legislation like this all over the United States of America. It is my understanding. and I would invite the distinguished subcommittee chairman to comment if he would want to. that Chairman LEWIS and Chairman YOUNG have talked about the fact that we need to make sure that we do nob create an overlay of law and regulation that permits these NIMBY things to pop up. Obviously. everybody in this House wants the safest rail system. safest trucking system. and the safest innercity bus systems in the world. But we cannot do it if we create a fund over here. a fund over there. and a fund over there. I would hope. that the chairman perhaps could commit to us to working as this bill goes to conference to see how we can put these into existing programs or work out new programs that achieve what I know the chairman is trying to achieve.","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2940}
{"speech_id":1090031845,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I would like to commend the gentleman from Kentucky for the funding that is already in this bill that gets us to 1.500 agents. which he just described. and I am very pleased to hear that he is going to work with us to get to the 2.000 Border Patrol agents. As the gentleman knows. the Homeland Security Authorization Act. which will be on the floor this week. also authorizes funding for 2.000 new Border Patrol agents in fiscal year 2006. This is the same number that was authorized in the 9\/11 Commission Recommendations Implementation Act. Moreover. an important part of 2.000 new agents is the expansion of the Border Patrol training facilities. Will the chairman work with us to ensure that the funding for these 2.000 new Border Patrol agents. who are critical to our national security. and the accompanying training infrastructure necessary to do so. will be a priority?","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":933}
{"speech_id":1090031949,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me explain what this is. We have had a steady stream of Members for weeks now decrying the fact we just do not have enough resources to do the job we ought to be doing in homeland security or in transportation or in education or in health care or any other endeavor of the Federal Government. The fact is that we do not have those needed available resources because the Members of this House have put themselves in a box. They have done that by. in essence. saying that their number one priority above all others is to provide very large tax cuts for people very high up on the income scale. Example: This year if you make over $1 million you will get. on average. about a $140.000 tax cut. What I am trying to do here today is to do two things. I am trying to. first of all. help the Congress keep the promises that it made just 6 months ago. Therefore. this amendment would provide an additional $500 million to the Department of Homeland Security to meet the staffing and detention bed space increases that were called for in the Intelligence Reform Act* and to allow States to meet the drivers license standards that were just imposed on those States by this Congress 2 weeks ago. So my amendment is simple. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2837}
{"speech_id":1090031949,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First of all. it adds 500 more people to the Border Patrol. Second. it adds 600 people to the immigration inspector workforce. And thirdly. it adds 4.000 more detention beds so that we can keep the promises laid out in the Intelligence Reform bill. Finally. we would fund the grant program that is authorized by the REAL ID Act. which the Congress attached a Couple of weeks ago. I did not support that act. I did not vote for it. It was attached as a nongermane amendment to the appropriations bill. But we are told by the Congressional Budget Office it will cost about $100 million to implement. We are told by the Council of -State Legislative Leaders it will cost $500 million to implement. That is a huge mandate however you slice it that we are laying on the backs of State budgets. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2837}
{"speech_id":1090031949,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So what I am simply suggesting is we can do both of these things by simply scaling back by a tiny amount that supersized tax cut for people with supersized incomes of over $1 million. We would simply cut that average $140.000 tax cut to $138.000. and we would have more than enough to fund these operations. The Committee on Rules did not allow this amendment to be made in order. That means that the only way it can be considered is if no one raises a point of order against it. I would hope they would not do so. This is a minor adjustment that we would make in the supersized tax cuts in order to provide significantly more security for the entire country. I think it is worth the investment. and I would urge -support for the amendment. assuming that no one decides to lodge a point of order against the amendment.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2837}
{"speech_id":1090031962,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Chairman. no one knows at this point in time what this is going to cost. We only passed it 2. or 3 weeks ago. No one has any idea at this point in time what it is going to cost us or States or locals or whomever. I think it is premature at this point in time to take up this amendment. At some point in time during this year before we go to conference. we are probably going to have to deal with this question. But there isjust nothing there to give us any idea. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":580}
{"speech_id":1090031962,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Estimates run from $5 million to $100 million. depending on who is asked.","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":580}
{"speech_id":1090032056,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would just yield for one second. not just the college students. but their parents. I want to tell my colleague. when I graduated from college. I went straight into the Highway Patrol Academy. Thank God I had a full scholarship to Florida A&M. But a number of students that go into college. they do not have a scholarship. okay? And they come out owing student loans. And do we know who pays those student loans when they come out? Mom and Dad or Grandmom. to make surethat they do not end up falling into bad debt and also falling into an area where they are going to start off on the wrong foot.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":626}
{"speech_id":1090032068,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio. And to our emailer. we just want to say that all Democrats throughout this Congress will be calling into radio stations. be it country. rap. rock and roll. what have you. during drive time in the morning to talk about the importance of Social Security and young people. Mr. Speaker. it is always an honor to come to the floor and we thank not only the gentlewoman from California","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":420}
{"speech_id":1090032077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio for his everpresent vigilance on issues that affect American workers and the American economy. I rise tonight to join him in objecting to CAFTA and in pointing out to the people why it is so important that CAFTA be defeated. All of these trade agreements have been about one thing and one thing onlycheap labor. Corporations create conditions where they help to pass these agreements so that they can move jobs out of this country and create jobs in other countries but the jobs in the other countries are not benefiting people because they are working. in some cases. far below the poverty level. CAFTA. as it was with NAFTA. creates conditions where workers have \"no rights. As a matter of fact. the trade agreements are written specifically to preclude workers having the right to collective bargaining. the right to or.ganize. the right to strike. the right to decent wages and benefits. the right to a safe workplace. the right to be compensated if you are injured on the job. the right to a secure retirement. the right to participate in the political process. All of those are swept aside under CAFTA as they were under NAFTA. What happens when jobs are created under these trade agreements? First of all. workers are working for a pittance. Secondly. they have no protections whatsoever. They are just basically human chattel. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1588}
{"speech_id":1090032077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Third. there is no job security. They can be moved around. Beyond that. these trade agreements have no protections against child labor. prison labor. slave labor. They have no protections for the water or the air.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1588}
{"speech_id":1090032146,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was wondering if our leader is familiar with the letter which members of our Judiciary Committee sent to the chairman of bur committee that points out there are now some 30 vacancies on the Federal bench for which the President has not yet sent a nominee to the Senate. If he would work with Senators of both parties to identify qualified. consensus nominees for each of these spots. the vacancy numbers on our courts could be lowered even further. However. as much as we have offered to work with him finding these nominees and getting them confirmed. there has been absolutely no response. I am just wondering whether. as we are addressing the issues of one nomineeand the issue that is before the Senate is filling vacancies on the courts- -I am just interested if the majority leader has any information from the administration as to when we are going to be able to fill these other nominations.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":916}
{"speech_id":1090032154,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would. also like to make a suggestion. The idea is not original with me. I wish it were. But we had a meeting last night. The distinguished majority leader was present at that meeting. My friend. the junior Senator from Utah. suggested that what might be good for this body is the same thing that happened when we had the difficult issue here 6 years ago dealing with the impeachment of a President of the United States. At that time. we retired to the Old Senate Chambers.. No staff was there. just 100 Senators. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1573}
{"speech_id":1090032154,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We worked through some very difficult problems. and it surprised everyone. The distinguished Senator from Massachusetts and now retired Senator Phil Gramm were the people who saved the daytwo people who battled ideologically for a combined total of 40 or 50 years. Basically. because of them. we resolved an extremely difficult issue as to how the impeachment would be handled. So I would ask my distinguished friend. the Republican leader. to consider joining with me and having. in the next day or sohopefully todayhave all of us retire to the Chamber and sit down and talk through this issue and see if there is a way we can resolve this short of this socalled nuclear option. I think it would be good for the body. I think it would be good for the American public to see we are able to sit down in the same room and work things out. I 9m not sure that we could. but I think it would be worthy of our efforts: Nothing ventured. nothing gained. I would ask my friend if he would consider following the suggestion of Senator BENNETT of Utah.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1573}
{"speech_id":1090032195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We suffered through 3 years during which Republican staff stole Democratic files off the Judiciary computer servers. It is as though those currently in power believe they are above our constitutional checks and balances and they can reinterpret any treaty. law. rule. custom. or practice. If they dont like it or they find it inconvenient. they set it aside. It was tragic that the committee that judges the judges did not follow its own rules but broke them to achieve a predetermined result. It was through these means that divisive and controversial judicial nominees were repeatedly brought before the Senate in the last Congress. It was through these abuses that the majority acted as handmaidens to the administration to create confrontatiqn after confrontation over controversial nominees. They dragged the judiciary. which should be above politics. into the political thicket and did so for partisan gain. I applaud the Senator from Pennsylvania who has worked to bring fis back in the Senate Judiciary Committee to following our rules in the comity that makes it work. I regret that filibusters have been necessary in the. past 2 years. I wish Republicans would not have followed their years of secret holds and pocket filibusters of more than 60 of President Clintons nominees. judicial nominees. and more than 200 of his executive nominees. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4415}
{"speech_id":1090032195,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wish they would not have flipped the script once a Republican became President and dismembered the rules and traditions of the Judiciary Committee. I have urged consultation and cooperation over the last 4 years. I had the privilege of chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee for 17 months with President Bush in the White House. and we confirmed 100 of President Bushs judicial nominees. including a number of controversial nominees. including some I was opposed to. I voted against them. but I made sure they got hearings. The President and his enablers in the Senate cannot seem to take \"yes\" for an answer. The Senate has confirmed 208 of his judicial nominees and we are withholding consent on 5. He rejects our advice. but he demands our consent. That is wrong. and that goes against the Constitution. The Constitution speaks of advice and consent. not order and rubberstamp. What the White House ignores is that President Bush completed his first term with the third highest total of confirmed judges in our historyin our historyand more Federal judges on the courts than at any time in our history. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4415}
{"speech_id":1090032195,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The truth is. Senate Democrats have cooperated extensively in confirming more than 95 percent of this Presidents judicial nominees--208 of them. George Washington. the most popular and powerful President in our history. was not successful in all of his judicial nominations. The Senate . rejected President Washingtons nomination of John Rutledge to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For example. And certainly I would hope that the current President would not assume he stands higher in our history books than George Washington. The truth is. in President Bushs first term. the 204 judges confirmed were more than were confirmed in either of President Clintons two terms. more than during the term of this Presidents father. and more than Ronald Reagans first term when he had a Republican majority in the Senate. By last December. we had reduced judicial vacancies from the 110 vacancies I inherited in the summer of 2001 to its lowest level. lowest rate. and lowest number in decades. since President Ronald Reagan was in office. Unfortunately. this President has chosen confrontation over cooperation. In fact. it is midMay. and he has only sent one new nomination to the Senate all year. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4415}
{"speech_id":1090032195,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Im connection with that nomination. Democrats on the Judiciary Committee have written to the Chairman urging a prompt hearing. With the support of the nominees homestate Senators. one a Democrat and one a Republican. the nomination of Brian Sandoval will be added to the long list of judicial confirmations. But that leave 30 judicial vacancies without nominations. Back on April 11. the Democratic leader and I wrote to the President urging him to work with Senators of both parties to identify nominees for these 30 vacancies. To date. he has not responded. Instead he. his Vice President. his Chief of Staff and his spokesperson continue to prod the Senate toward triggering the nuclear option. I ask unanimous consent to have that letter printed in the","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4415}
{"speech_id":1090032232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will rebut something that my friend from Virginia. Senator ALLEN. said about Janice Rogers Brown. He said she was in the mainstream. This is a woman who has served on the California Supreme Court that is made up of six Republicans and one Democrat. She has dissented a third of the time because her Republican friends on that court are not radical enough for her. Thirtyone times she stood alone on the side of a rapist. on the side of energy companies against the consumers. against women who were seeking to get contraception. It goes on and onagainst workers. .She said it was fine for Latinos to have racial slurs used against them in the workplace. This is a woman with an inspiring personal life story. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090032232,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it is what she has done to other peoples lives that makes her far out of the mainstream. I thank my colleague for yielding. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090032312,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. several weeks ago I introduced a joint resolution which has been given the number S.J. Res. 13. This resolution is a one sentence amendment to the Constitution declaring that marriage is between a man and a woman. I would like the RECORD to reflect at this point that I would like to withdraw this resolution. I understand that under the Senate rules. a unanimous consent withdrawing a joint resolution would not be in order. Thus. copies S.J. Res. 13 will remain available from the Government Printing Office. However. while it is my intent to continue to hold hearings on the important issue of traditional marriage. it is not my intent to advance S.J. Res. 13 through the legislative process.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":710}
{"speech_id":1090032313,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last week. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sent his base closure recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. I am deeply disappointed. with his decision to include Ellsworth Air Force Base. This recommendation is shortsighted and harmful to our national security. I am confident that the BRAC Commission will recognize the invaluable contribution that Ellsworth makes to the defense of our homeland and will support removing it from the list. Ellsworth is one of only two bases in the country where the B1 is stationed. In the past decade. the B1 has been invaluable to our national defense and it is truly the backbone of our bomber fleet. B1 crews stationed at Ellsworth have flown missions in Kosovo. Afghanistan. and Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3165}
{"speech_id":1090032313,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bis were integral in liberating Iraq by dropping more than half the satellite guided munitions on critical targets including command and control facilities. bunkers. and surfacetoair missile sites. In addition. Ellsworth is strategically located and has excellent access to B1 training ranges. It is not threatened by urban encroachment or congested air space and has strong community support. During the past decade. I have used my position on the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee to help direct funding to Ellsworth for critical upgrades including a new base operations building. a B1 training facility. and military housing that ranks amongst the best in the country. Given its ideal location. as well as the longterm investment in the bases infrastructure. Ellsworth is capable of expanding and accepting new missions. I emphatically disagree with the Secretarys recommendation to close Ellsworth. and I am eager to work with the Ellsworth Task Force. and the entire South Dakota Congressional delegation. to ensure Ellsworth remains a vital part of our national defense. Ellsworth is a premier installation that has proven it can be a competitive military base for decades to come. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3165}
{"speech_id":1090032313,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To that end. I am cosponsoring legislation that will postpone this round of base closures. At a time when we are engaged in two military conflicts. as well as rotating soldiers back to the U.S. from overseas installations. we should not be closing bases at home. Simultaneously closing domestic and overseas bases will irrevocably damage our ability- to defend against threats at home and abroad. This bill will delay this round of domestic base closures until the recommendations offered by the Overseas Basing Commission report has been reviewed by the Departient of Defense. In addition. the bill would prohibit this round of base closures from commencing until combat units currently deployed to Iraq have returned home and the Pentagon completes the quadrennial defense review. I firmly believe that these are reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure we do not irreversibly impair our national defense. The entire State of South Dakota is proud of Ellsworth and the men and women stationed there for their role in keeping America safe. We are confident that the commission will see the military value of Ellsworth and will support removing it from the base closure list.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3165}
{"speech_id":1090032354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. May 19. I further ask consent that. following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and that the Senate then return to executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of Priscilla Owen to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. provided further that the time from 10 a.m. to 10:45 be under the control of the majority leader or his designee. and the time from 10:45 to 11:45 be under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. provided further that from 11:45 to 1:45 be under majority control. and from 1:45 to 3:45 be under Democrat control. I further ask consent that the times then rotate every 60 minutes in a similar fashion. provided further that 6:45 to 8:15 be under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. and that 8:15 to 8:45 be under the control of the majority leader or his designee.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090032356,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow. the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Priscilla Owen to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Fifth Circuit. A number of our colleagues came to the floor today to speak on the nomination. and we had a good. substantive debate from both sides of the aisle. I hope Members will continue to come to the floor during tomorrows session and engage in this important discussion. I continue to hope that at some point. after everyone has had an opportunity to speak. we will be able to have an upordown vote on the nomination of Priscilla Owen. In the meantime. I thank Senators for coming to the floor. and I do encourage Senators to take advantage of the opportunity to speak over the course of the next several days.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":750}
{"speech_id":1090032367,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise very proudly to congratulate Antonio Villaraigosa as the newly elected mayor of the City of Los Angeles. Believe it or not. the last Latino mayor -elected in the City of Los Angeles. which is overwhelmingly Latino and African American and Asian. was back in 1872. Can we imagine what a whirlwind of change has occurred? Antonio Villaraigosa is one of the Nations most promising leaders of our country. I served with him in the State assembly and he served as the assembly speaker for the great State of California. where he helped to expand the Healthy Families program. which we know here as at the Federal level as the SCHIP program. and helped to pass one of largest park bonds in the State of California which helped to identify areas in lowincome communities to establish urban conservancies. And my district was a proud recipient of one of the largest urban conservancies in California. Antonio is one of those individuals who will bridge the gap in our communities. He is about. empowering people. empowering our communities. putting public safety and education first. and helping to fight crime. I look very much toward his leadership and know that the country is looking at our great State of California. and especially Los Angeles. and I am proud to say that a portion of my district. he and I have similar jurisdiction in the community of El Serreno. So he is a champion. someone I continue to work with. and I extend the best wishes to him and his family.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1493}
{"speech_id":1090032396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have had a number of our colleagues make observations. just as the gentleman from Oregon did. about the importance of not only the debate that takes place here in the House but also about our desire to make homeland security even better. more robust. more dynamic. aiming at the threat. We heard the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":384}
{"speech_id":1090032446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Chairman. I would like to first of all add my thanks to both the chairman and the ranking member of this committee. for the bipartisan way in which they have approached this issue. I was not ajmember of this House of Representatives on 9\/11. I saw. as did many Americans. an attack that many of us had never anticipated. It only brought memories of what my parents generation must have felt on the day that we had the attack at Pearl Harbor. The question before us really now is what is the proper response and what will that response be by our legislative branch. There has been established a Department of Homeland Security. It is an amalgamation of many departments and agencies that previously existed. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3063}
{"speech_id":1090032446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has been an effort to try and bring a single focus to a major issue. our response to terrorism. It was a welldone job under the circumstances. Yet now we are here some. 3plus years after 9\/11. and we recognize that everything we. did was not exactly perfect. We recognize there are bhanges that must be made. This authorization bill is the first chance that our committee has to present to the House our effort to try and get our arms around not only this problem but the response to this problem. and that is the Department of Homeland Security. While there are other elements of the executive branch which deal with this. the primary responsibility is With the Department of Homeland Security. and we have attempted on a bipartisan basis to look at the issues. to do the proper oversight. to try and make some recommendations. but none should be deluded to the fact that we somehow believe this is the total response to the problem. E 1245 This is our first effort. This is the beginning of a job that is going to be ongoing. Much like the Defense Department was organized in the late 1940s. early 1950s. and while it took time for Congress to properly get its arms around that. we similarly must do that now. Time is not on our side. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3063}
{"speech_id":1090032446,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The terrorists are not waiting until we get organized. so we must make sure that we do this in the best fashion possible. in a timely fashion. I would say that I am very proud of the fact that the bill that has been. brought to floor is a bill that got the unanimous support of the members of this committee. both Democrat and Republican. It is a worthy bill. It is a worthy effort at our direction to the Department of Homeland Security. There will be things that we will do in the future. One of the things mentioned by the ranking member that I believe is a real step forward is establishing the position of Assistant Secretary for cybersecurity. There is a. need to have a concentration on that issue. There is a need to have that at a heightened level. There is a need for us to understand the embedded nature of cyberoperations- in our society. both public and private. I believe that we have on a bipartisan basis reached that conclusion. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3063}
{"speech_id":1090032446,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank both the ranking member and the chairman for the work they have done. I would ask that the Members support this bill as presented by this committee. -","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3063}
{"speech_id":1090032456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. today represents a very important step to ensure that Congress truly begins to exercise a robust. judicious. and intense oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. Our committee has been called on to defend our ports. our infrastructure. our neighborhoods. indeed our families. We have risen to the challenge. Indeed. this firstever authorization bill. H.R. 1817. will begin an annual ritual to critically examine the Department of Homeland Security and its effectiveness in securing out Nation. Oversight is germane to our mission. It is an austere and sober undertaking. to be sure. and it should be. This Department was formed because of the disastrous terrorist attacks of September 11. and its mission is to help prevent and respond to any potential future assault. I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1825}
{"speech_id":1090032456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cox) and the gentleman from Mississippi for their leadership in undertaking this process. I understand the pressures that were faced in trying to complete this inaugural authorization. and our chairman has had to navigate a difficult course. Make no mistake. there are provisions within this bill that will make very good public policy. The creation of an Assistant Secretary for cybersecurity within the Department is a wise measure to help combat a very real vulnerability. Likewise. allowing the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to provide additional incentives to recruit highly sought after intelligence analysts is a great step to combat one of our biggest national security problems. However. while I applaud the work and the spirit that went into this legislation. I would have preferred to see a more comprehensive bill that addressed a greater assortment of security gaps that we have uncovered. I will proudly support the substitute that the gentleman from Mississippi","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1825}
{"speech_id":1090032499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. and particularly the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox) for yielding me time and for working and participating on this amendment. . I rise today in support of the CoxSensenbrenner amendment which au.thorizes funding to train State and local law enforcement officers to perform immigration officer functions. I submitted a nearly identical amendment to the Committee on Rules because I believe this amendment provides the help our local law enforcement needs to enforce our Nations immigration laws and keep our citizens safe. I am proud to stand today with the gentleman from Wisconsin . my chairman. and the author of the underlying bill. the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox). the Committee on Homeland Security chairman. to urge my colleagues to support this funding. Under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. State and local governments can enter into cooperative agreements with the Department of Homeland Security to train on Federal immigration law and be reimbursed for that training. This amendment would authorize the funlds needed for that reimbursement for States all across this Nation. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090032499,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are two reasons to encourage local police to assist in enforcing immigration laws. First. while there are an estimated 8- to 10 million illegal aliens in the United States. ICE currently has only about 2.000 special agents to identify and remove them. Second. local officers come into contact with many of those illegal aliens. especially criminal aliens. daily in performing their duties. So it is a practical marriage. The House Committee on the Judiciary has promoted and supported local immigration enforcement since section 287(g) was added to the INA in 1996. In January of 2002. the Committee on the Judiciary pressed the Attorney General to accept local assistance in enforcing the immigration laws. As the thenImmigration Subcommittee chairman stated. \"In light of the tragic events of September 11. 2001. and the growing problem of illegal immigration into the United States. this is perhaps the most pressing time for the Department of Justice to consider utilizing the power\" conveyed under section 287(g). The Federal Government subsequently authorized officers to perform immigration enforcement functions with Florida and Alabama. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090032499,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Committee on the Judiciary has revisited this issue in evaluating interior immigration enforcement. in examining sanctuary policies in a number of major cities. and in assessing the. inherent authority of local police to enforce the immigration laws. This amendment is an improvement over a narrow provision struck from H.R. 1817 during the markup of the legislation on May 12. That narrowly tailored provision applied only to States with a location 30 miles from a border or coastline. In order to truly protect our citizens from those who have en2 tered our country illegally to do them harm. this policy must be applied nationwide. As an April 2005 Subcommittee on Immigration. Border Security. and Claims hearing revealed. alien gang violence has followed immigration patterns from the ports and borders into the communities of the interior United States. Similarly. new reports indicate that local police far from the nearest national border confront alien criminals and smugglers on a daily basis. So in summary. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090032499,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the opportunity to speak in support of this amendment that addresses the necessary cooperation between local law enforcement. both local and State. and the Federal educational support so that we can build that level of cooperation.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090032644,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. just in closing let me say. homeland security. we all want to make sure that our country is as safe as possible. Homeland security is a responsibility of all of our citizens. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":296}
{"speech_id":1090032693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As I indicated earlier. Madam Chairman. the gentleman sought to clarify his amendment without providing us with the opportunity to see it and. for that reason. we objected. But even with the clarification. it still would have been problematic for our side. So for that reason. Madam Chairman. I continue to object and to oppose the amendment. Madam Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":451}
{"speech_id":1090032700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the ranking member. and I have to associate myself with the gentlemans argument. More importantly the gentleman from Georgia has made. if you will. my very point. Although we disagree. the point is not ridiculous. What we are saying is that he is suggesting that law enforcement massively go to the border and begin to arrest and deport individuals they perceive to be illegal aliens. There lies my angst and opposition to this massively confusing amendment. The gentleman has in his amendment that local law enforcement. constables and sheriffs. will be responsible for deporting aliens. Theydo not even have the Federal jurisdiction to do so. By the way. deportation requires Federal intervention because there are proceedings which you have to go before. Unfortunately. we have short changed that side of the formula. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1103}
{"speech_id":1090032700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an unworkable amendment. It violates the 10th amendment of the Constitution. It violates the idea of protecting our national security. I ask my colleagues to defeat this amendment and help us do real immigration reform through the Federal Government.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1103}
{"speech_id":1090032717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time. The point she raises now brings to mind a point I wanted to make about what is really an unbelievably reckless amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia regarding empowering local police to detain and remove people based on illegal immigration status without checking or verifying that status with INS or the Federal agencies. A group of people with no training in this particular effort will have the ability to pick up people. assume. or come to the conclusion that person is not here in legal status and. without checking with the Federal Government or the INS. to deport and remove that person from this country. That person may be an asylee. having a wellfounded fear of persecution. The person may","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":768}
{"speech_id":1090032722,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time to make this point to my colleagues. I am sure it is not the intent of my colleague from Texas to try and imply that citizens engaged in lawful protest are somehow attempting to inspire violent acts. I know that is not the intent of my colleague. However. that would be the perverse result if this House would support that amendment. This House would then be on record saying that the lawful rights of citizens should be abridged to accommodate illegal acts by noncitizens. That is something this House and this government and the citizens of this Nation Will not countenance. Therefore. because of that. I would ask all my colleagues to join me in opposition to the JacksonLee amendment. Vote \"no.\"","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":753}
{"speech_id":1090032784,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. despite -the expenditure of billions of dollars on homeland security since September 11. the reality is that Americas ports. chemical facilities. transportation systems and critical infrastructure are still to this day vulnerable to attack. Are we better off? Yes. Are we where we need to be? No. As Stephen Flynn. the former U.S. Coast Guard Commander and a foremost expert on homeland security. stated a few months ago on Meet the Press. \"The measures we have been cobbling together are hardly fit to deter amateur thieves. vandals and hackers. never mind determined terrorists.\" This Congress can and must. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090032784,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. domore to protect our citizens from attack at home. even as we take the fight to our enemies abroad. That is vhat the Thompson substitute does. It provides $6.9 billion more than the Republican bill. including funding to fulfill our homeland security commitments in the Intelligence Reform Act. It includes $1 billion for grants for port. rail. transit and bus security. criticil priorities. $380 million to hire 2.000 new border agents. and $500 million to ensure that first responders can communicate with one another. It requires a plan to ensure that all air cargo on passenger planes is screened. giving sufficient time to develop the requisite technologies. and it sets deadlines for establishing security plans for critical infrastructures. Republicans will and are objecting to the funding level in our substitute. but let us put it in perspective. Mr. Chairman. This additional funding is nearly $2 billion less than the funding the Bush administration has failed to account for. some $8.8 billion. in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090032784,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the Bush administration can lose track of nearly $9 billion in Iraq. I submit that we ought to be able to find $6.9 billion to make this Nation. its people. its communities and its families safer and more secure. I urge my colleagues to support the Thompson substitute.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090032798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. The Thompson substitute is necessary. It fills great holes in our major bill. There is not one dollar in this bill for the transportation that America uses to go to work: rail. light rail. buses. subways. ferries. Yet even after Madrid. we are not dealing with the al Qaeda favorite. Onethird of all the attacks has been on public transportation. Cargo within four blocks of the Capitol. Explosives. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":771}
{"speech_id":1090032798,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One car. 14 miles. If one attack occurred. 100.000 people dead in a halfhour. How can we reauthorize or authorize the first homeland security bill without having any section in that bill on rail security? I do not think we can. The American people deserve better. The Thompson substitute is clearly superior.","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":771}
{"speech_id":1090032843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker. I want to draw our attention to what is actually in the motion to recommit. It consists of 15 sequential sections that do nothing more than authorize monies. and a final section. which my colleague from Massachusetts just spoke about. concerning air cargo which contains no reference to money. whatsoever. but which. according to the Department of Homeland Security. would effectively double the budget of the TSA. Let me read to you the dollar amounts in each of the sections. because I want to draw Members attention to the fact that there are no offsets. There are no sources of funding for these provisions. Section 601 adds $20 million without any funding source. section 602. $1 million. section 603. a quarter billion dollars. section 604. $400 million dollars and so on. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5960}
{"speech_id":1090032843,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I mention this because we are here on the floor for the first time considering the Department of Homeland Security authorization bill in an annual process that is beginning now. but which will go on for the indefinite future. And we are seeking to establish a precedent. And that precedent is that just as with other national security authorize legislation that we bring to the floor. in this bill. it is real money. In this bill. we are authorizing funding within the Housepassed budget and consistent with amounts that we actually intend to appropriate. Now. we have a unique opportunity this year because the order of consideration of the appropriations bill and the authorization bill was reversed. Just yesterday on the floor of this House. Members voted on the appropriations bill so we actually know real dollar numbers that Secretary Chertoff and the Department of Homeland Security will have to work with. And virtually every Member on this floor just voted for that bill yesterday. So. if we are to come to the floor today and vote for funding figures which are different from what we know will actually happen. we will be placing priorities before the Department of Homeland Security and mandates on the Department of Homeland Security that we know it cannot meet. There are some other anomalies with the funding provisions in the motion to recommit that I am certain must be drafting mistakes. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5960}
{"speech_id":1090032843,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not doubt for a moment the passion of the gentleman from Massachusetts when it comes to the question of screening air cargo. but I have to draw Members attention to the fact that the dollar figure that is authorized for the Department of Homeland Security for air cargo in the motion to recommit is $100 million. That would be a $15 million cut from the actual number that we appropriated last year and a $28 million cut from what we just voted for air cargo screening in yesterdays appropriations bill. I do not know why we would do that. The same thing is true for air marshals. Tis House is very interested in putting air marshals on airplanes to protect the flying public. The motion to recommit sets the authorized funding level for air marshals at $83 million. The appropriations bill that we just voted for yesterday would give the Department of Homeland Security $700 million. not $83 million for air marshals. Why would we cut air marshals. unless it is a drafting mistake in the motion to recommit? As I said. this is an historic moment on the floor of this House. and I want to draw our attention to what we are about to do. as soon as we finish the motion to recommit. We are about to vote on what will be the first of an annual authorization for the Department of Homeland Security. That bill is bipartisan. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5960}
{"speech_id":1090032843,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Both sides agree on everything that is in it. It fully funds 2.000 new Border Patrol agents. It establishes a top level new Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security within the Department of Homeland Security. It beefs up the intelligence capability at the Department of Homeland Security. It reforms the threat warning system. It establishes the Homeland Security Information Network that will link thousands of local agencies across the country in realtime to the Department. It does all of this and much more within the Housepassed budget and within the confines of the appropriations bill that we just passed yesterday. This is exactly the norm that is set for us in the authorizing legislation that comes from the Committee on Armed Services to fund the Pentagon and that comes to us from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to fund the intelligence community. Those authorization bills all live within the budget. So. too. must we in this homeland security authorization bill this year and every year hereafter. ","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5960}
{"speech_id":1090032843,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To my colleagues on the Democratic side. I understand what they are doing in this motion. seeking to draw attention to critical issues such as cargo security and chemical plant security that are not yet the subject of authorizing language on the floor of this House. I commit to my colleagues that this bill on which we agree is a beginning and that our new committee will use its jurisdiction to develop bipartisan legislation on these subjects. just as we have on first responders. just as we did last week on the floor of this House. and just as we have on this historic $34 billion authorization for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Speaker. if I may in conclusion say that I am thoroughly impressed with the effort and the work that has been put forth on both sides of the aisle on this bill. with the performande and the leadership of the gentleman from Mississippi . my colleague. May I say that there has not been 1 day since September 11 when any Member of this House has forgotten the lesson of homeland security that we learned on that day. chief among which is that we must always put the security of this country ahead of partisan politics. The bill that we will vote on in a moment. the homeland security authorization bill. does that. and I look forward to standing shouldertoshoulder with the gentleman from Mississippi","speaker_name":"C. COX","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":48.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5960}
{"speech_id":1090032880,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Congressional Black Caucus has been in the forefront of the fight to preserve the filibuster. a muchused. indeed used more against African Americans than any others. We do not want to see and will not stand to see the rules changed when it could now be used to protect us from judges. who would overturn our rights. We have supported the idea of a compromise. if one could be found. but I","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":405}
{"speech_id":1090032905,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. DooLITTLE. Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. BACHUS. Mr. TIAHRT. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2504}
{"speech_id":1090032905,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Cox. Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mrs. MUSGRAVE. and Mr. GOODE): H.R. 2458. A bill to require Congress to specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws. and for other purposes. to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2459. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2504}
{"speech_id":1090032905,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A bill to extend the temporary suspension of duty on yarn of combed Kashmir (cashmere) and yarn of camel hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2460. A bill to extend the temporary suspension of duty on certain yarn of carded Kashmir (cashmere). to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2461. A bill to extend the temporary suspension of duty on certain Kashmir (cashmere) hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2462. A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on certain camel hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2504}
{"speech_id":1090032905,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2463. A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on waste of camel hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2464. A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on certain camel hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2465. A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on woven fabric containing vicuna hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2504}
{"speech_id":1090032905,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SIMMONS: H.R. 2466. A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on certain camel hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2467. A bill to extend the temporary suspension of duty on fine animal hair of Kashmir (cashmere) goats. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMMONS: H.R. 2468. A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on noils of camel hair. to the Committee on Ways and Means. By Mr. SIMPSON: H.R. 2469. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2504}
{"speech_id":1090032955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the administration. -through senior Air Force officials. wants the U.S. to achieve military supremacy in outer space. Dominating all earth from outer space will have an outofworld price tag. perhaps more than $1 trillion. A question: Why reach for the stars with guns in our hands? Are there weapons of mass destruction on Mars? Yesterday 28 Members of Congress signed on to H.R. 2420. a bill to stop the weaponization of space. urging the President to sign an international treaty to ban such weapons. If we work together towards creating peace on earth. we would not bring war to the high heavens. While some fantasize about being \"masters of the universe.\" there are 45 million Americans without health insurance. Corporations are reneging on pension obligations. Social Security is under attack. We are headed towards a $400 billion annual budget deficit. a $600 billion trade deficit. an $8 trillion national debt. The cost of the war in Iraq is over $200 billion. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1121}
{"speech_id":1090032955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While we build new bases in Iraq. we close them in the United States. Earth to Washington. D.C. Earth to Washington. D.C. D.C.. call home.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1121}
{"speech_id":1090032983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I will be voting against the previous question on the rule. and after the bill is considered. unless it is substantially changed. I will be intending to vote against the bill itself for a variety of reasons. My main reason is this bill represents gross negligence of our responsibility to clean up the Nations air and water pollution. This bill provides huge cuts. 40 percent cuts over a 2year period in the clean water revolving fund. If there is any Member of this Chamber who has a district that does not have a community that needs more loans to fix their sewer and water problems. would you please raise your hand. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4974}
{"speech_id":1090032983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to see one Member who thinks that they have enough money. I note no Member of the House present has raised his hand. 0l 1130 Mr. Speaker. I would say there is a great deal of hypocrisy surrounding the budget process. Every time that those of us on this side of the aisle point to the shortcomings in the budget that the Republican majority has just passed. we hear. \"Well. we cant do anything about these shortages in the appropriation bills because. after all. we have limited resources.\" The gentleman who just spoke. the gentleman from Utah. said the appropriations process. quote. \"should prioritize our needs.\" I fully agree. That is what I wanted to be able to try to do by offering an amendment which this rule would preclude me from offering. Because what I wanted to do is to change the judgment. change the priority judgment that the majority party made when they decided it was more important to give a $140.000 tax cut to someone who makes a million bucks this year. they decided that was more important. that was a higher priority. than cleaning up our air or cleaning up our water. I do not think that represents the priority choice that the American people would make but it is the priority choice that the majority party has made. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4974}
{"speech_id":1090032983,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The only way that we can change that priority judgment is by offering the amendment that I wanted to offer. which would have scaled back the size of those tax cuts for anybody making a million dollars a year or more. It would have scaled back those average tax cuts from $140.000 to $138.000. Imagine those poor souls having to get by with a tax cut of only $138.000. I remind you. those are people who make more than a million dollars. I do not begrudge. I do not denigrate in any way people who have managed to strike it rich and who are managing to make a million dollars a year. I hope everybody in this country at some point in their lives can do that. But I do believe that people who are the most blessed in our society ought to pay their fair share and the budget resolution which was imposed on this committee by this House does not allow us to reach that kind of fair distribution of tax burden. So if we object to that what I regard to be not just illadvised but immoral allocation of resources. the only device that we have to try to change that is to try to make our point on each of these appropriation bills trying to get the majority party to understand that just as they reconsidered their unilateral actions on Ethics Committee changes a couple of weeks ago. we would also like them to reconsider their poor judgment on the budget resolution. Because the Rules Committee would not allow that amendment. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4974}
{"speech_id":1090032983,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am going to vote against the previous question. and I am going to vote against the bill because the bill is grossly negligent in dealing with the air and water pollution problems facing this country. I am also not at all thrilled by the fact that for the first time in all the years I have been in Congress there will not be a single dollar provided for land acquisition programs. The gentleman may not wantit in his State. but there are key tracts of land that we want the government to acquire in my State. there are key tracts of land we want the government to acquire. for instance. at George Washingtons birthplace before real estate developers destroy that beauty for all time. I am an old real estate broker. so I have nothing against real estate developers but I do not think they ought to be able to get their gloms on the most pristine land in this country and turn it into a shopping mall when we have our population increase by onethird since I came to this body and when we have an increased need for resources that the average family can enjoy. But most of all the biggest problem with this bill is that it walks away from our obligation to help State and local governments clean up some of the dirtiest rivers and dirtiest lakes in the country. It walks away from our responsibility to prevent communities like Milwaukee from dumping their surplus sewage into Lake Michigan every time there is a storm. That is an outrageous neglect of our stewardship responsibilities. I think this bill makes it even easier to ignore those responsibilities. and I think that is a disgraceful act.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4974}
{"speech_id":1090033034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairrman. I rise to offer an amendment that will redress a grievous act that was perpetrated. without our knowledge. on a majority of this great body. Last year. with a resounding vote of 241 Members. the House voted an increase for our Federal arts agency that we knew would pay us back many times over. both in hard dollars and in ways that are simply incalculable for the people we represent. The actual amounts were small. an increase of $10 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and $3.5 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities. But the loss was great. After conferees met for the omnibus funding bill. NEA. incredibly. received just several hundred thousand dollars. and NEH received less than $3 million. Not only was the will of this great body thwarted. but also the creative activities of our artistic constituents in every congressional district in this country were stifled. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090033034,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Grants were not made and those grants were not matched. Works were not created. Performances did not happen. Audiences did not gather. Minds were not enlightened. souls were not fed.. and the small businesses that depend on the nonprofit arts community did not profit. Finally. the funds that should have been returned to the Federal Treasury in the form of tax receipts. many times over the original amounts. never arrived. It was a loselose situation for everyone involved: the artists. the audiences. our communities. and our small businesses. as well as our local. State. and Federal treasuries. By all rights. I should be standing here asking my colleagues not just to restore the moneys that we voted for last year. but to double them. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090033034,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If our Federal deficit were not so huge and our budgets so tight. believe me. I would be doing just that. Instead. I ask you simply to put these Federal art agencies back in business where we funded them last year. with an increase of $10 million for NEA and $5 million for NEH. The Presidents own budget request for NEA was telling. In it. even as he suggested level funding for the agency. he asked that American Masterpieces. a majestic program that emphasizes the best of American art. should be increased by $6.5 million. President Bush was rightfully enthusiastic about that program. It is an increase that I personally applaud. But unless we provide an overall increase for NEA. the money is slated to come from Challenge America. a highly popular program that supported artists in more than 99 percent of our congressional districts last year. That is not a good idea. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090033034,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Challenge America grants go to the towns and hamlets of this sprawling country. where big touring companies will rarely go. and major actors. actresses. writers and artists may never appear in person. For example. last year Challenge American grants went to Aliceville. Alabama and to Bainbridge Island. Washington. to Red Wing. Minnesota and Lucas. Kansas. They energized audiences in Texarkana. Texas and Locust Grove. Arkansas. and spellbound arthungry folks in Albany. Georgia and Billings. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090033034,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Montana. We can and should do both: increase American Masterpieces as the President wishes. and continue to challenge the artists and their audiences in our congressional districts by funding Challenge America. Madam Chairman. $10 million will ensure th at the program will prosper and grow. with Chairman Gioia using up to 10 percent of the -money to ensure effective administration of this fine program. And $5 million will enhance NEHs We the People. which promotes the teaching and understanding of American history. But let me remind my colleagues. even with these increases. we are far from providing the agencies with the funds they received in the mid1990s. As you see from the first chart. NEA is currently funded at $121 million. but received $176 million in 1992. And NEH is funded at $138 million. while it received $175.5 million in 1994. Why is it so important to rebuild the funding for these agencies? Well. every year I stand here and remind you what an economic powerhouse the nonprofit arti industry has become in American. As this second chart proves. .it produces over $134 billion annually. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5822}
{"speech_id":1090033048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield for the purpose of a unanimous consent request to the. gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu). (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. WU. Madam Chairman. I rise in support of the Slaughter\/Shays\/Dicks\/ Leach\/Price amendment.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":279}
{"speech_id":1090033098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to strike the required word. One of the greatest responsibilities of representing Idaho in Congress is convincing Members who represent other Statesparticularly those east of the Mississippi Riverwhy some issues matter to us so much. High among those issues is our unique relationship with our biggest landlord. Almost twothirds of Idaho is federally owned. and therefore exempt from local property taxes that pay for everything from our childrens schools to police and fire protection. Picking up our Uncle Sams slack means in the West we each pay higher property taxes and our counties are forced to make tough choices about essential public services. Counties in Idaho were shorted $75.5. million from 1995 through 2004 alone. That burden is heaviest where it can least be borne. in more rural counties with relatively small tax bases. Since almost all the land in the East is private. ","speaker_name":"C.L. OTTER","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2636}
{"speech_id":1090033098,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States there have no such concerns. Many Members of Congress from the East. care little about how taxexempt Federal land hurts folks in Idaho. They just dont get it. I am extremely disappointed at the Administrations FY 06 PILT request of $200 milliona $26.8 million reduction from the FY 05 payment. PILT was funded at $200 million back in 2001 and is clearly a step backward in a commitment to compensate counties for financial burdens imposed on them through an overwhelming Federal presence. Theres no getting around the need for some of the basic services that property taxes provide on the local level. but theres no excuse for having to pay extra for the honor of having so much nontaxable Federal land in our counties. The Federal Government has been a deadbeat landlord long enough. I am very concerned that over the past ten years. the PILT program has been funded at an annual average of $155 million. while over the same time period. Federal land acquisition funding has averaged more than $347 million. Why are we buying more land when we cant make good on the commitments for the land we already have? I applaud Chairman TAYLOR for trying to address this problem and recognize the constraints he has to work within. ","speaker_name":"C.L. OTTER","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2636}
{"speech_id":1090033098,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. TAYLOR I commend you for recognizing the importance of this program and for increasing PILT up to $230 million while at the same time reducing land acquisitions to roughly $40 million. However. I think we need to go further and zero out all land acquisitions until PitLt is fully funded and the Federal Governnent can actually manage the land under its ownership. I would encourage everyone to vote for the Cubin. Rahall. Udall. Cannon amendment and give what is due to our rural communities.","speaker_name":"C.L. OTTER","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2636}
{"speech_id":1090033119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman is correct. In no way should this study delay or disrupt either phase 1 or 2 of the planned cleanup of the Hudson River. any other . ongoing Superfund site. And I know of no party involved that wishes that .delay. I will work with the gentleman to consider whether modifications to the language are needed to further- clarify this point.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":351}
{"speech_id":1090033132,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for his commitment to the National Park Service and for his comments and concerns regarding the War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam. I look forward to continuing to work with the gentleman from North Carolina and the geitleman from Washington (Mr. DicKs) to address this serious situation.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":341}
{"speech_id":1090033170,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. We hear a lot of conversation today here on the floor about national security and not depending upon foreign sources of oil and gas. Let me just say that this particular issue is in fact a national security issue. Most of the focus we hear. obviously. is on the potential environmental impacts and impacts on tourism and all of the environmental things we -enjoy along our coasts in Florida and in California. But let me just say that the biggest impact that could happen with oil and natural gas. drilling or exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is a potential to harm our ability to test and evaluate all of the Air Force weaponry that is used around the globe. In fact. let me read a quote to you. \"Wilbert Patterson. Brigadier General. ","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1159}
{"speech_id":1090033170,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"United States Air Force. June of 2000. We are deeply concerned over the construction of any oil or gas structures that could impact on our critical test programs performed by the Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base.\" This is an issue of national security. We have to be able to test in the Gulf ranges and this drilling will harm that testing.","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1159}
{"speech_id":1090033172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment. The argument that has been made in support of the amendment is that the price of natural gas is increased to the consumer. And we should address this as a Congress. But one of the points that has been overlooked here today is that this Congress passed an energy bill that provided initial financial incentives to drill in the central and western gulf. and that is a valid attempt by this Congress to address this issue. But to open up the eastern Gulf of Mexico would be a terrible mistake. There is a very small proportion available. and what is available is right off tie coast of Florida. It has been suggested Florida should follow the standards of Texas with respect to our beaches. The beaches in Florida are a pristine treasure not to be experimented with. ","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1293}
{"speech_id":1090033172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The truth of the matter is nobody here on the floor of the House knows what the risk is if you drill. This amendment may say gas. but it is about gas and oil. Because once you start -drilling. you get what you get when you drill. So we should not sacrifice or risk the Florida beaches or the California beaches to get a small proportion of gas that can be more easily achieved. and which this Congress is promoting through deepwater drilling in the central and western coast.","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1293}
{"speech_id":1090033190,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I reserve a point of order on the gentlemans amendment. Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman and the ranking member. but I am deeply concerned about a possible Indian gambling casino in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. I have had these concerns for at least 7 years. and I am extremely disappointed in recent developments. The Governor of Oregon signed a compact with this tribe on April 6 and it was presented to the Department of the Interior on I have been cbnsistent in my position and I have privately informed the Confederate Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and Governor Kulongoski and his predecessor Governor Kitzaber throughout my congressional career that I specifically do not support a casino in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. and that generally I oppose offreservation gaming casinos. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3123}
{"speech_id":1090033190,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have persisted in suggesting to the Warm Springs Tribe that they consider a new location on reservation land along a highly traveled route. namely Highway 26. between Portland. Oregon. and Bend. Oregon. This particular proposal came to the Federal Government on April 8. and it is necessary that I weigh in now. I am asking Secretary Norton to disapprove the TribalState compact. because this casino will hurt the Columbia River Gorge. other tribes and all Oregonians. I understand the Secretary intends to approve this compact. but that only starts the process. I am here to tell the Secretary and the Tribe that Congress will not be silent while the crown jewel of Oregons natural heritage gets trashed. I have been a supporter of preserving the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and I will continue to do so. A casino of this magnitude will bring over 3 million nonGorgerelated visitors per year. a million cars per year to the area. and exacerbate traffic. pollution. and risks to endangered species in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. I am proGorge. and I am troubled that there is a possibility of disturbing this crown jewel of Oregons natural heritage. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3123}
{"speech_id":1090033190,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will actively oppose this proposal and do everything I can to protect the Gorge. State and Federal agencies have already determined that air quality in the Columbia River Gorge is significantly degraded and that visibility is impaired 95 percent of the time within this- national scenic area. Also. according to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station. this area suffers acid rain and fog as severe as what falls in industrial cities such as Los Angeles. Pittsburgh. and New York. Mr. Chairman. States such as Oregon. Nevada. Louisiana. Rhode Island. and *South Dakota derive State taxes from casinos. slot machines. and lotteries for more than 10 percent of their overall State revenues. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3123}
{"speech_id":1090033190,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Oregon must not become further dependent on gambling. In all the States I listed. budgetary problems persist and gambling does not solve their problems. We should not sacrifice our national treasures. our communities. or our souls upon the alter of Indian casino gambling. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania . - 1445","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3123}
{"speech_id":1090033224,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I .hank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in opposition to the amendmant and would like to again poipt out that this Congress has already taken a very significant step towards addressing the need for additional drilling for oi? and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.. We are currently drilling in the central and western Gulf. This Congress has passed additional financial incentives fo: deepwater drilling.. This is an important step towards addressing the problem of supply. Phis amendment goes much further than that and exposes areas for drilling junt a few miles off the coast of Florida without any clear Indication that there will be no risk.to the beaches of Florida. This is very important to our economry. Many Members of Congress are rising today to defend the economy in their State. ","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1328}
{"speech_id":1090033224,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No one is going to stand on th:.s floor and say that the beaches of Florida are not the most important pat of our economy in addition to the work skills of our Floridians. We do not want to take this risk. There is a very small proportion of supply available off the coast of Florida. There is an enormous proportion available in the central and western Gulf. This Congress has already acted. We provide additional financial incentives to get the supply where it is to be had. I urge opposition to the amendment.","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1328}
{"speech_id":1090033232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. I read the National Academy of Sciences studies very differently. In fact. they say that twothirds of the oil in the oceans is natural seepage and very little of it comes from the drilling that we are describing. To those who say we never want to drill in these offshore areas. they should be honest with their constituents. and they should say \"It is fine with us for you to pay the skyrocketing energy prices. It is fine with us to spend $180 billion a year to bring most of our oil across the oceans overseas and bring it to America and send American jobs and American money over there in their place.\" It is environmentally safe. We have made so many advances since people made these moratoria. and yet people do not want tp look at those. ","speaker_name":"ERNEST ISTOOK","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1001}
{"speech_id":1090033232,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is time we take an honest look at it. We should not say that these areas are off limits forever. As the oil import problem rises. we should be looking at drilling in these offshore areas.","speaker_name":"ERNEST ISTOOK","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1001}
{"speech_id":1090033297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this is one of the tougher issues in our bill. I feel that we gre inadequately funding the State revolving grants. and this program goes out to each of the States and they are able to make loans to the local communities at low interest rates E13642 in order to fund projects that are crucially important. I know in my own district I have got cities like Shelton and Hoodsport. Belfair. Tacoma. all of which depend on this source of funding. STAG grants are important. and I support the program. I wish we could do more in both areas. It is just unfortunate that. unlike when EPA was first created. we had 3 or $4 billion of funding for grants at a 9010 Federal match. and yet we moved away from those programs.I do not believe we are funding this adequately. This means less money to the States and then less money goes out to the communities. ","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090033297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that as we go further in the process we can find a way to help correct this problem. The gentleman from Wisconsin has his approach. which I am supporting. and I think this is one of the jobs that appropriators have to do. We have to make difficult choices. and this is a very difficult choice. but I think it is the correct one.","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090033334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I support the amendment offered by Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. the Ranking Democrat of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The amendment moves $2 million from grants for state administrative expenses to grants for communities to conduct actual cleanup of contaminated brownfields. The Bush administration has called the federal brownfields program. enacted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in 2001. \"one of the administrations top priorities and a key to restoring contaminated sites to productive use.\" Yet. despite this praise. the administrations budget requests for the cleanup of brownfields demonstrate its lack of commitment to the cleanups necessary to reduce the risks to human health and the environment. In fiscal year 2006. the administration requested $210 million for Environmental Protection Agencys brownfields program. however. of this amount. approximately 45 percent. or $90 million. is earmarked for Federal and state bureaucrats to manage the program. That leaves only $120 million of a $210 million request devoted to actual cleanupsshovels in the groundand this bill .further reduces that amount by about 20%. Since 2001. the Bush administration has consistently requested far less than the fullyauthorized levels for assessment and cleanups.. yet attempts to take credit for fullyfunding the brownfields program. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090033334,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While the budgetary constraints of the House Republican Leadership prevent us from fullyfunding brownfields cleanups. the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas. Ms. JOHNSON\" shifts dollars away from the management of the program to actual cleanups. The amendment reduces. by $2 million. the amount appropriated for State Response programs under section 128 of the Superfund law to $50 million. the total authorized level of funding for these programs. The amendment adds $2 million to the site assessment and cleanup portion of the brownfields program. raising this level from $95.5 million to $97.5 million. Under current law. the brownfields sites assessment and cleanup program is authorized at $200 million annually by section 104(k) of the Superfund law. so even this increase leaves the program at less than 50 percent of its authorized funding level. Mr. Chairman. the brownfields program is critical for the restoration and reuse of the legacies of this Nations industrial era. many of which have plagued our cities and c6mmunities for decades. In this time of scarce Federal resources. it is important that we devote what limited dollars are available to actually accomplishing what the brownfields program set out to do over five years agoredeveloping the underused and abandoned brownfields across this country. I strongly support the amendment offered by","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090033354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have always been a strong supporter of funding for arts programs and will continue to be. The arts community in my district is vibrant. and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts is an invaluable part of education and social enrichment throughout Oregon. I was pleased to -see the amendment offered by Congresswoman SLAUGHTER and Ranking Member DICKS. which would increase funding for the NEA. -approved by a voice vote. But we have an unresolved crisis on our public lands that needs to be addressed. A lot df members would probably like to believe that by passing the Healthy Forests restoration Act. Congress solved the forest health and hazardous fuel buildup problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. I fought hard to get funding for fuel reduction projects included as part of HFRA. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3444}
{"speech_id":1090033354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That bill eventually authorized $760 million annually for critical fuel reduction. 6ut Congress hasnt even begun to approach that commitment as evidenced by the appropriations bill were considering today. This Interior bill contains $211 million in hazardous fuel reduction for the Bureau of Land Management and $286 million for the Forest Service. Thats an increase of $9.8 million and $23.5 million respectively. I very much appreciate the Chairman and Ranking Member for including these increases in the bill. but they fall far short of what is needed to reduce hazardous fuel and the yearly threat of wildfire throughout the West. The GAO recently stated that at these anemic spending levels we will continue to fall further and further behind. The GAO says that if we doubled the funding for fuel reduction. we would only stay even with the problem. Earlier this year when the agency testified before the Forests Subcommittee on which I serve. they said we would need to triple the funding for fuel reduction if we wish to begin to address the buildup of dangerous trees and shrubs in our national forests. If we tripled the overall funding. more than 30 percent of that money could be spent under the expedited environmental analysis and judicial review authorized by HFRA. instead of using budget gimmicks to only claim 1hat we are fully funding that important law. But the administration thus far has used that authority on- less than 10 percent of projects. And the vast majority of those projects are ..imply burning rangeland. which does virtually nothing to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3444}
{"speech_id":1090033354,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bottom line Is that we are not oven beginning to address the fuel buildup problem on forested federal land and we wont start with this.bill. We gave them the authority to get more done in an expedited way. now lets give them the money necessary to do it. The administration plans to treat only about 1 percent of the acres that they claim are in need of fuel reduction. The money in the amendment offered by Mr. BEAUPREZ would te small compared to the need. but every adcitional dollar helps. This amendment would allow them to do 60.000 more acres of fuel recuction next year. And not of only burning sagebrush. but actually treating 60.000 more acres of forested lands which are overstocked tinder boxes that could result in catastrophic fires and threaten our communities. Congress needs to get serious about funding hazardous fuel reduction projects and fullfil the commitment made when it passed HFRA. This amendment would be a small but important step toward that goal *and I urge its adoption.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3444}
{"speech_id":1090033385,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. at the outset let me thank the gentleman from North Carolina for bringing forward a bill that I believe addresses many of the critical issues for the Department of the Interior. It is impossible not to note that this budget environment creates genuinely tough challenges for the Department of the Interior. With that said. I believe the subcommittee has done an excellent job in crafting abill that addresses those major problems. Several years ago this committee provided funds for a new visitors center at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in my district. The bids came in high due to the rising cost of materials. Before the project Could be downsized the Department of the Interior had to reprogram these funds for emergency wildfire suppression. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090033385,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am asking that you consider restoring this project in conference should funds become available.","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090033386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I understand the gentlemans concerns and the unfortunate turn of events which caused this project to be delayed. and I will give the request of the gentleman from Oklahoma every possible consideration. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma .","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":290}
{"speech_id":1090033399,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairjnan. I raise a point of order against the provision on page 124. lines 15 through 25. on the grounds that this provision changes existing law in violation of clause 2(b) of House rule XXI... therefore it is legislation included in a general appropriation bill.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":270}
{"speech_id":1090033408,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would urge that the point of order be rejected on grounds that the language my friend cites explicates and explains a limitation. This is a limitation amendment. and the language in the amendment simply establishes the scope of the limitation. The test is not whetber the limitation is difficult to figure out. The test is whether it imposes a new obligation. This language does not. and I would urge rejection of the point of order.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":449}
{"speech_id":1090033418,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I am offering this amendment on behalf of myself. the gentleman from Kentucky . the gentleman from New York . and the gentleman from South Carolina . Mr. Chairman. America is blessed with a rich natural heritage. Part of\" that heritage are the herds of wild horses. direct descendants of animals that came here with early explorers and missionaries. which -still roam the ranges in parts of the American West. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090033418,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1971. Congress formally protected these wild horses and mandated that they could not be sold or processed into commercial products. in effect. slaughtered. Since that time. when the Bureau of Land Management has determined that the wild horse population is excessive to the ability of the range to support them. captured animals have been offered to the public through adoption. All of that changed as a result of a rider tucked away in the dead of night in the massive omnibus appropriations bill enacted last December. With no public notice or comment. this rider trashed 33 years of national policy and lifted the prohibition on the commercial sale of Americas wild horses. Today. the gentleman from Kentucky","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090033423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to claim the time in opposition -to the amendment. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. this issue is about the proper management of wildlife and public lands. and the Committee on Appropriations is in charge of trying to adequately fund the United States agencies. If we want to get into the question of whether or not the six cents is being paid for grazing land or anything else. you need to go to the authorizing committees and have a debate there and get it changed and so forth. We in the Committee on Appropriations have a situation where wild horses and burros cost the taxpayers $40 million annually. Now. this is more than BLM spends on all. wildlife management activities on public lands. There are currently 24.000 wild horses and burros that are kept in shortterm. -r longterm. either way. holding facilities. They are not roaming free. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090033423,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are being housed in these shortterm facilities. and that is costing $20 million. and they are living there until they die. BLM has the authority to sell the older or unadoptable animals. Now. if they are 10 years or older. or if they have been offered three times for sale and been turned down. then this would give BLM the authority to sell these older. unadoptable animals and conserve the $40 million that we are talking about. That is what we are asking. and we think that is a prudent measure. so we urge our colleagues to defeat this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield 21\/2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada .","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090033432,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I might add that BLM has already told us that under the Burns language they have no criminal penalties available to them. Even though they may put in a contract that a horse cannot be taken to slaughter they have no recourse if someone does it. I would remind people once again that these are public lands. 214 million acres of land. We are talking about 30.000 wild horses we need to protect. We have companies like Ford Motor Company taking in.horses now. and we have over 214 entities out in the country doing it. I think that there is plenty of money available. Also. we would urge the BLM to euthanize horses rather than send them to slaughter. That is an option also. ","speaker_name":"ED WHITFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":820}
{"speech_id":1090033432,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But this is a wellintended amendment and it would reintroduce the policy that has been the accepted policy in the U.S. for 37 years.","speaker_name":"ED WHITFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":820}
{"speech_id":1090033460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. the amendment is identical to those I have offered to appropriations bills for the past couple of years. The amendment trims outlays for H.R. 2361 by 1 percent under the Holman Rule. which means if the amendment passes. it will be up to the administration to determine where the cuts will fall. I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina . the gentleman from Washington . the ranking member. As always. they have done a solid job of this. I understand the dynamics of bringing a bill out of committee. They have done a good job. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2835}
{"speech_id":1090033460,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are below what would have been expected. but we are still not at a balanced budget. and so I offer this amendment. In fact. just tlre other day a Democratic colleague mentioned this bill and said the gentleman from North Carolina is \"as tight as a snare drum.\" and I take that as an extreme compliment. That said. I do not think the funding levels of this bill are reflective of a country with a $340 billion deficit. The -amendment would trim a penny on the dollar across the agencies funded by this bill. Despite the strippeddown character of the bill. I think there are still some areas worthy of examination. For example. the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Some years ago as a member of the House Interior Committee. I heard testimony on deaccessioning the Kennedy Center from the National Park Service. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2835}
{"speech_id":1090033460,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"James Wolfensohn. its director and later head of the World Bank. pleaded with the subcommittee to cut the center loose. He said the center needed millions of dollars in structural repairs. yet he could not move forward on them because of the Park. Service contracting requirements and inflated costs. \"Let us raise our own funds and we will be able to do this much more efficiently.\" he said. And so we did. We got rid of the Kennedy Center. except that we did not really. The only National Park Service cut loose in the past 20 years. supposedly. and yet in this bill it includes $17.8 million for operation and maintenance at the Kennedy Center and $10 million for construction. Now. I know the Kennedy Center has serious structural problems. but given the legislative history of this issue. I would like to know how long we are going to continue to have this center that we have to fund. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2835}
{"speech_id":1090033460,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is just one example. I question whether the various agencies really need all of the new vehicles authorized in this bill. I estimate at least $5 million for those. I question some of the administrative accounts. The chairman has done a fine job in reining in costs. particularly in the area of land acquisition. but at a time of a $300plus million deficit. we need to do more. This amendment would do that. Even in a small way. I encourage support of this amendment. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2835}
{"speech_id":1090033515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Last year our trade deficit surpassed $670 billion. Our Federal budget deficit was more than $300 billion. and we saw too many highquality. goodpaying jobs go overseas. It has become more and more difficult to keep and create jobs and small businesses here in America. And when we look around at what the world is doing. unless we change the environment here in America we are going to become a thirdrate economy. Over the last generation. starting in the 1960s. Congress has created barriers to keeping and creating jobs. We must remove those barriers. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4232}
{"speech_id":1090033515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. one of those barriers created by Congress is bureaucratic red tape. Others are rising health care costs. education policy. research and development policy. energy policy. unenforceable trade policy. tax policy. and lawsuit abuse. My amendment goes to the heart of the problem centered around the unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. My amendment is designed to require an outside audit to determine that science is used to develop regulations at the EPA that are unbiased and well substantiated. At a minimum major rules by the EPA should go through a Science Advisory Board and rules should then be audited by a neutral third party to ensure that.our environmental regulations are based on scientific facts and not emotional theory. There are reporting rules promulgated by the EPA that do nothing to protect the envionment or the health and wellbeing of the citizens but cost American businesses hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. One example of an unnecessary burden to the American small businesses is the EPAs toxic release inventory lead rule. The rule requires that businesses report annually on how much lead is used. Not how much lead is emitted into the atmosphere. but how much lead the business uses. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4232}
{"speech_id":1090033515,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In June. 2002. a small business owner from Baltimore. Maryland testified before the Regulatory Reform and Oversight Subcommittee of the Committee on Small Business on how this particular EPA reporting rule causes harm to her business. We can see how ridiculous and wasteful this EPA rule is to our economy without making our air any cleaner. Nancy Klinefelter is president of Baltimore Glassware Decorators. Her small business specializes in printing H3670 cc small quantities of custom glass and ceramic ware for special occasions. Some of Nancys work can even be found in the House gift shop and some is sold in the EPAs gift shop. When they print mugs or glasses for customers. they sometimes use leadbearing colors on the outside surface. These colors are expensive. so they use a minimum amount of paint. just that which is needed to color the surfaces and they try to reduce waste. And the finishing process ensures that none of the lead leaches out. So their products are safe for anyone who uses them. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4232}
{"speech_id":1090033515,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But because of the EPAs Toxics Release Inventory lead rule. Nancys business is forced to compile daily records on how much color is used for the mugs because the color contains a very small amount of lead. Each year her small business has to report to the EPA how much lead has been used. It costs her about $7.000 annually and across the NatiQn about $70 million every year. And what do the Americans get for the millions that are spent? Cleaner air? No. Less lead being used? No. Less exposure to lead by children? No. The answer is none of these. But all the American people get from these thousands of reports are estimates on how much lead is being consumed. but our air is not any cleaner. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4232}
{"speech_id":1090033515,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. with the hopes of working during the conference committee report. I intend to withdraw this amendment because I know it is subject to a point oforder. I hope that we can work together with the gentleman from North Carolina (Chairman Taylor) in the conference report to try to remove some of these unnecessary regulations. So. in conclusion. we must not move forward with our government to implement regulatory burdens like this on the American public because it drives jobs overseas. it increases the trade deficit. it reduces the Federal revenue. and it moves us toward a thirdrate economy. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4232}
{"speech_id":1090033571,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit. and I wish we did not haye to have a rollcall vote. This motion to recommit kills the bill by adding $352 million. and I oppose this motion. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":251}
{"speech_id":1090033596,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As the gentleman knows. this House passed the highway bill some weeks ago and the Senate just finished the highway bill in their Chamber. We will probably have to consider some type of shortterm extension next week. hopefully an agreedto extension bill. And if the Senate requests a conference next week. I believe that the Speaker will be prepared to appoint House conferees next week.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":386}
{"speech_id":1090033685,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Justice Brown received a \"not qualified\" rating from the California judicial commission when she was nominated for the Supreme Court of California because of her tendency to inject her political and philosophical views into her opinions and complaints that she was insensitive to established legal precedent. Speaking recently at church on \"Justice Sunday.\" Justice Brown proclaimed a \"war\" between religious people and the rest of America. Imagine that. I s thi someone we want protecting the constitutional doctrine of the separation of church and state or freedom for all Americans to practice religion? She has expanded the rights of corporations at the expense of individualsarguing to give corporations more leeway against attempts to prevent consumer fraudsome of these things make you smileto stop the sale of cigarettes to minors. to prevent discrimination against women and individuals. She may be the daughter of a sharecropper. but she has never looked back to ensure legal rights of millions of Americans still fighting to build better lives for their children and their childrens children. They may not be sharecroppers. but they live like sharecroppers. and she has done nothing to protect them. These are the nominees over which the Republican leadership is waging this fight. and they are prepared to destroy the Senate that has existed for 200 years to do so. The Senate is a body of moderation. While the House is the voice of a single man. single woman. and the House of Representatives is a voice of the majority. the Senate is the forum of the States. It is the saucer that cools the coffee. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4807}
{"speech_id":1090033685,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the worlds greatest deliberative body. How will we call this the worlds greatest deliberative body after the majority breaks the rules to silence the minority? Breaking the rules to change the rules. This vision of our Governmentthe vision of our Founding Fathersno longer suits President Bush and the Republicans in the Senate. They dont want consensus or compromise. They dont want advice and consent. They want absolute power. To get it. the President and majority leader will do all they can to silence the minority in the Senate and remove the last check we have in Washington against this abuse of power. The White House is trying to grab power over two separate branches of government--Congress and the judiciary. They are enlisting the help of the Republican Senate leadership to do it. Republicans are. demanding a power no President has ever had. and they are willing to break the rules to do it. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4807}
{"speech_id":1090033685,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Make no mistake. This is about more than breaking the rules of the Senate or the future of seven radical judges. At the end of day. this is about the rights and freedoms of millions of Americans. The attempt to do away with the filibuster is nothing short of clearing the trees for the confirmation of an unacceptable nominee to the Supreme Court. If the majority gets its way. President Bush and the far. far right will have the sole power to put whoever they want on the Supreme CourtPat Robertson. Phyllis Schlafly. They dont want someone who represents the values of all Americans. someone who can win bipartisan consensus. They want someone who can skate through with only a bare partisan majority. someone whose beliefs are on the fringes of our society. Nobody will be able to stop them from placing these people on the highest court of the landextremist judges who wont protect our rights and who hold values far outside the. mainstream of America. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4807}
{"speech_id":1090033685,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here is what is really at stake: The civil rights of millions of Americans. voting rights of millions of Americans. the right to clean water to drink and safe air to breathe for millions of Americans. the right to free speech and religious briefs for millions of Americans. the right to equality. opportunity. and justice for millions of Americans. nothing less than the individual rights and liberties of all Americans. It is up to us to say no to the abuse of power. to stand up for the Constitution. We need people who have the ability to be profiles in courage. Let the President and the Republican Party know that the Supreme Court is not theirs to claim. The debate all comes down to this: Will we let George Bush turn the Senate into a rubber stamp to fill the Supreme Court with people from the extreme rights wish list. or will we uphold the Constitutions use of advice and consent powers to free the President to be like other Presidents have been. to force the President to look at the mainstream? I hope it is the latter. I know that is what my fellow Democrats and I will fight for. and I hope there are at least six responsible Republicans who will stand up and have the courage to join in this momentous battle. Will the Chair advise me as to what the order is now for debate to go forward on the nomination?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4807}
{"speech_id":1090033693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. in recent weeks. the American people. including the citizens of Louisiana. have heard a lot about Senate rules. about historical precedent. about something very confusing called the filibuster. about the Senates constitutional duty. and advice and -consent. I think for the average American. for the average Louisianan. this seems pretty esoteric. This seems pretty out of touch with their everyday lives. this issue of how the Senate governs itself. But there are issues at the heart of this which are important to those citizens. including my constituents in Louisiana. And those issues are: Is the .Senate going to do its job? Are we as Senators going to do our job and do the peoples business. address important issues of the day to build up our country and make it better? Also. there is the fundamental issue of fairness. Are we going to be fair in this process to all concerned? Those are themes. those are issues to which Americans all across the country. certainly my citizens in Louisiana relate and care about. Are we going to do the peoples business? Are we going to act in a way that is fair to all? Those are issues directly at the heart of this debatedoing the peoples business. Last year. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11598}
{"speech_id":1090033693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ran for the Senate for the first time. In doing so. of course. I traveled all around Louisiana and talked to citizens of all walks of life in every corner of the State. One theme I heard over and over from all sorts of folks of both parties was: Please go up there and do what is right and do the peoples business. Get beyond all of this bitter partisanship. this obstructionism. the filibuster. Do the peoples business in terms of important issues of the day. That is what folks in Louisiana told me over and over again. They care about putting good people on the bench and having our courts run properly and filling these vacancies. They also care about other important businesspassing a highway bill. building infrastructure so we can create good jobs in this country and Louisiana. passing a national energy policy to get us on track in terms of energy independence. That is important for our national security. and that is important for our economic security. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11598}
{"speech_id":1090033693,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. wherever I went. with whomever I talkedBlack. White. Democrat. Republican. and everyone in betweenfolks said over and over: Look. we are sending you there to do our business. to face issues. to vote. to move forward as a country. not to obstruct. not to play political games. not to get mired in bitter partisanship. -but to take care of us and to address our concerns. And that is important. The other issue that is at the heart of this debate that ordinary citizens around the country and Louisiana care about is fairness. Are you going to act in a way that is fundamentally fair to everybody concerned? And. of course. that is at issue here as well. We have judicial nominees who have been nominated not weeks ago or months ago but. in many cases. years ago. in some cases. over 4 years ago. Their lives have been disrupted. They have been attacked by interest groups around the country. as well as Members of Congress. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11598}
{"speech_id":1090033693,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many charges have been leveled against them that are patentlyuntrue and patently unfair. And after all of that turmoil. after all of thbse trials and tribulations. they do not even get an upordown vote on the floor of the Senate. There is no resolution to the trial. the jury never comes back. We do not get to vote and say this person should be on the court or this person should not be on the court. That is not fair. That is not fair in the minds of any ordinary American. It is not fair in the minds of the citizens of Louisiana. We need to bring some fundamental fairness to this process. Sure. we need to have an important debate. Sure. we need to vet all the information. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11598}
{"speech_id":1090033693,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We can have differences of opinion. But then at the end of the day. we need to have resolution. we need to have an upordown vote. It is time to do that with all of these judicial nominees. We have a historic opportunity in the Senate right iiow to address both of those concerns: to do the peoples business. to do our job. to vote. and to move on to other key issues. such as the highway bill. building jobs. building energy independenceand we have the opportunity to act honorably and with fundamental fairness by treating all concerned in a fundamentally fair way in giving these nominees an upordown vote. I stand on the. Senate floor today to ask that we all come together to do that because that is the right thing to do. not for party leaders. not for the President. or for interest groups on the left or the right. It is the right thing to do for the American people. It is the right thing to do for the citizens of each of our respective States. I make a plea in particular to my colleague from Louisiana. Senator LANDRIEU. to do that. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11598}
{"speech_id":1090033730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I seem to recall that. I thought it was a very statesmanlike and accurate portrayal of the traditions of this body and the requirements of the Constitution. and I once again commend our colleague from Utah. who at that time was in a position where he obviously could have mustered 41 votes to block the nominee. It was the view of those of us who agreed with the Senator from Utah that we should not do that because the people of America elected a President who haswe know and he knowsthe power to nominate judges. And it is necessary to maintain a wellstaffed judiciary that we give prompt and upordown votes to these nominees.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":643}
{"speech_id":1090033747,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Chair. and I thank the distinguished Senator from West Virginia for his extraordinary analysis -and understanding -of the Constitution which he has constantly been the keeper of in the Senate. We. are in a remarkable moment of confrontation. This is a great institution. or at least it always has been. and it is looked up to by people all over the world. Caught up as we are now in this moment of partisan ideological division of a raw reach for power. theCongress itself is daily dropping in its regard by the American people. Rather than reaching across the aisle to grapple with the real crises that face our Nation. the Republican leadership keeps moving unilaterally to change the way this institution has worked. and not for the better. Those of us who have had the privilege of being here for some period of timeI have been here for 22 years. Senator BYRD has been here almost 50. Senator KENNEDY. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11183}
{"speech_id":1090033747,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator STEVENS. and others have also served for a significant period of timebut brief as my stay has been. I find myself now I think No. 18 in seniority. which means 82 Senators have come and gone during the time I have been here. I have had a chance to know many of them going back to the time of Barry Goldwater. John Stennis. Russell Long. and others. Never in that whole period of time I have served have I ever seen this institution behaving the way it does today. Colleagues who came to do the same good as colleagues on the other side of the aisle. locked out of conference committees. hearings that do not take place when they ought to. oversight that does not occur as it used to. This institution is being damaged daily by the partisanship. the bitter ideological divide that is preventing good people on both sides of the aisle from doing good business for the American people. from finding real solutions to the real problems of real concern to average families all across our country. who cannot pay their health care bills. who are losing jobs abroad. who worry about the twin deficits of the budget of our country and of our trade. who see extraordinary threats to community as kids do not get the education they ought to. All this time we have been spending weeks. if not months. caught up discussing a nuclear option.- discussing a few judges out of the two hundred. 208 or so. who have been nominated and approved by this President. The Senate is now watching this struggle take place. countless hours consumed by an effort to change the rules by breaking the rules. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11183}
{"speech_id":1090033747,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my colleagues want to change the rules. use the rules to change the rules. Do not subvert the system. Do not play a cute parliamentary game that has been untouched over 200 years. This is a stunning moment. The problem is that words spoken in this Chamber do not even fully convey the importance of this moment. This is. in fact. one of those times the Founding Fathers and countless other statesmen of history have warned us against. Henry Clay said: The arts of power and its minions are the same in all countries and in all ages. It marks its victim. denounces it and excites the public odium and the public hatred to conceal its own abuses and encroachments. James Madison said: Where the whole power of one department is exercised by the same hands which possess the whole power of another department. the fundamental principles of a free constitution are subverted. . . . The accumulation of all powers. legislative. executive and judiciary. in the same hands. whether of one. a few or many. and whether hereditary. selfappointed or elective. may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11183}
{"speech_id":1090033747,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we are going to see if this happens is the judiciary of the United States entirely put into the hands of the Presidency. period. The advice and consent will be wiped out. barring displays of courage that we have not seen recently. because people will come. as they did in our committee most recently. to say. well. we just had an election and the President won and the President has the right to his appointments. that is it. end of issue. Gone. the divisions. gone. the test. gone. the judgment we were supposed to apply as a separate and coequal branch of Government. That is what the Founding Fathers wrote. They did not give the President the ability to have whoever that President wants. That is what is written into the Constitution. that every single one of us went to the well of this body and raised our hands and swore to uphold. We did not swear to uphold the majority leader. We did not swear to uphold the President. We did not swear to uphold our party. We swore to uphold the Constitution of theUnited States. and that is our duty. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11183}
{"speech_id":1090033747,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lord Acton said it maybe best: All power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Thomas Jefferson said: I hope our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less.we use our power the greater it will be. If my colleagues want to use the power of ending a filibuster. just have the filibuster for week after week and let people stand up and make their arguments. If the arguments have no currency. believe me. between the press. public opinion. the bloggers. and CSPAN. this country will rise up and they will get their 60 votes if they deserve them. That is an upordown vote of its own kind. If it were compelling enough. as it was with the Civil Rights Act. or compelling enough as it has been in other great confrohitations in this body. we have always found our way to make it happen. We have always done it without the rules. We are a Nation that has listened to some remarkable men and women in remarkable debates about how we as a Nation are different in balancing power and protecting the people and the institutions that we set up to protect the people. We are not here as an institution to protect an ideology. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11183}
{"speech_id":1090033756,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we continue to . debate the Republican Leaders bid for oneparty rule through his insistence to trigger the \"nuclear option.\" I spoke yesterday about this misguided effort to undercut the checks and balances that the Senate provides in our system of Government. and about the need to protect the rights of the American people. the independence and fairness of the Federal courts. and minority rights here in the Senate. I started my statement yesterday by commending the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Today I want to add and thank a number of Senators who participated throughout the debate yesterday for their contributions: the Democratic leader. the assistant Democratic leader and senior Senator from Illinois. the senior Senator from Washington. both Senators from California. the senior Senator from New York. the senior Senator from Montana. the senior Senator from Minnesota. the senior Senator from Massachusetts and Senator DORGAN. I noted yesterday that this is a setting in which Democratic Senators alone will not be able to rescue the Senate and our system of checks and balances from the breaking of the Senate rules that the Republican leader is planning to demand. If the rights of the minority are to be preserved. if the Senates unique role in our system of Goverpment is to be preserved. it .will take at least six Republicans standing up for fairness and for checks and balances. I believe that a number of Republican Senators know in their hearts that this nuclear option is the wrong way to go. I know that Republican Senators with whom I have been privileged to serve know better. I hope that more than six Republican Senators will withstand the political pressures being brought to bear upon them and do the right thing. the honorable thing. I have to believe that enough Republican Senators will put the Senate first. the Constitution first. and the American people first. and withstand those political pressures when they cast their votes. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090033756,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. as we continue this discussion. I note that the Senate remains fixated on a handful of the Presidents most extreme and divisive judicial nominees. The Democratic leader rightly said recently that the current tally is 208 to 5. The Senate has confirmed 208 of President Bushs judicial nominees. and we are resisting action on five. I included in the RECORD yesterday my statement laying out my reasons for opposing the nomination of Priscilla Owen. As we continue to debate a nomination that was rejected by the Judiciary Committeo in 2002 and on which the Senate engaged in extensive debate in 2004. the Senate ishneglecting other matters. That is the choice made by the Republican leadership. in insisting on this confrontation andt upcoming conflict. : The Democratic leader is right when he urges the Senate to \"put people over partisanship\" and to work to reduce gas prices. make health care more affordable. create new and better jobs and give our veterans and their fami.lies the support they need and deserve. Among the matters being neglected in order to engage in this political exercise is consideration and passage of the NOPEC bill. S. 555. This is bipartisan legislation. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090033756,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our lead sponsors are Senator DEWINE and Senator KOHL. With the increase of gasoline prices by almost 50 percent during the Bush Presidency. with Americans having to pay so much more each week to get to work. drive their kids to school and just to get around. the Republican leadership of the Senate is ignoring a substantial burden on American working families. This week. the national average ptice for a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.18. In Vermont. gas is slightly less expensive. but still a hefty $2.15 per gallon. Just a year ago the price was $1.92. When President Bush took office it was $1.46 a gallon. The artificial pricing scheme enforced by OPEC affects all of us. and it is especially tough on our hardworking Vermont farmers. Rising energy expenses can add thousands of dollars a year to the costs of operating a 100head dairy operation. a price that could mean the difference between keeping the family business open for another generation or shutting it down. With summer coming. many families are going to find that OPEC has put an expensive crimp in their vacation plans. Some are likely to stay home. others will pay more to drive or to fly so that they can visit their families or take their welldeserved vacations. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090033756,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans deserve better. and if the White House will not act to abate this crisis. it is time for Congress to act. It is past the time to hold hands and exchange kisses with Saudi princes who artificially inflate the price of gasoline. The Presidents \"jawboning\" with his Saudi friends has proven unsuccessful. It is now time to act. and the Senate. under the Republican majority leader. is choosing instead to revisit a handful of extreme judicial nominations that have already been considered and rejected by this body. The production quotas set by OPEC continue to take a debilitating toll on our economy. our families. our businesses. our industry and our farmers. Last year and again last month. the Judiciary Committee voted to report favorably to the full Senate the bipartisan NOPEC bill. Our legislation would apply Americas antitrust laws to OPECs anticompetitive cartel. Why not give the Justice Department the clear authority to use our antitrust laws against the anticompetitive. anticonsumer conduct in which they have engaged? We should take up that bill. debate it and pass it without further delay. The many days of the Senates time allocated to the provocative \"nuclear option\" comes at the expense of our taking up the NOPEC bill on behalf of the American people. Another consequence of this fixation on the effort to increase the White Houses political power. and to aid this Presidents attempt to pack the Federal courts. is the loss in focus and sacrifice of progress we have been making on asbestos reform. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090033756,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For more than 3 years I have been working on asbestos reform to provide compensation to asbestos victims in a fair and more expedited fashion. Chairman SPECTER and I have worked closely on S. 852. the FAIR Act. It is pending before the Judiciary Committee. We are in the midst of our markup sessions. That effort was scheduled for yesterday and today. but the Chairman had to cancel our consideration yesterday in light of this debate and it had to be cut short today. That is most unfortunate. We have been working hard and in good faith to achieve bipartisan legislative progress on this issue. We have done so despite criticism from many quarters. That bipartisan effort is now being retarded by this continuing debate. There are many. many items that need prompt attention. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090033969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have said on a previous occasion how proud I am to be here in the Senate. For these years I have served. it has been an enormous privilege. I come from a small town in ranching country and wheat country in southwestern North Dakota. I never thought I would meet a Senator or a President. but yet. because of the great quiltwork of this democracy. I have been elected to the Senate now on three occasions and am enormously proud to serve. I do not come here to be a partisan. I am proud of my political party. however. I think we have two grand political parties in this country. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10962}
{"speech_id":1090033969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Both. from time to time. have made great accomplishments and have made great mistakes. I fear we are on the precipice of one of those great mistakes. That is why I came to speak again on this subject. There is plenty of blame. I suppose. to go around to both parties on a range of issues. I think sometimes about the poem written by Ogden Nash. about a man who drinks too much and a woman who scolds him about it. Ogden Nash wrote this: He drinks because she scolds. he thinks. She thinks she scolds because he drinks. And neither will admit whats true. That hes a drunk and shes a shrew. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10962}
{"speech_id":1090033969,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So Ogden Nash described circumstances of blame. circumstances of how two different people see the same situation differently. We come now to a big decision on the floor of the Senate. David Broder. who I think is one of the excellent writers here in Washington. DC. with the Washington Post. has written a piece about what we are doing. He says: But dwarfing all these individual dramas [in the debate] is the question of what the vote means [the nuclear. option vote means] for the Senate as an institution. Two of the main props of the Senates identity are at stake. The tradition of unlimited debate. going back- to the Senates earliest years. ... [and] the continuity of the Senate rules. What does this mean about \"unlimited debate\" and \"the continuity of the Senate rules\"? I have the rule book for the Senate. These are the Senate rules. The Senate rules provide that to change the rules of the Senate requires 67 Senators. 67 votes. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10962}
{"speech_id":1090033969,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The majority now wishes to change the rules. but they do not have 67 votes. They are displeased about that. So they want to ignore the Parliamentarianthat would be their strategyignore the Parliamentarian. who would rule that what they are attempting to do is not within the rules. and then they would change the rules with 51 votes. They call this the nuclear option. selfdescribed as a nuclear option by a member of their caucus. I suppose they use that term because they know that for a majority party to violate the rules in order to change the rules would have an enormously destructive impact on this body. Some years ago. I went to the 200th birthday of the writing of the Constitution. It was held in the assembly room of Constitution Hall in Philadelphia. Again. I have told my colleagues in the .Senate. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10962}
{"speech_id":1090033969,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I graduated from a small high school class of nine students. I found myself 1 of 55 people designated to go into that room where. 200 years earlier. 55 people had written the Constitution. this little book that. on page 17. says. \"We the People of the United States.\" They wrote that 229 years ago. On its 200th birthday. 55 of us went into th~t room. The chair where George Washington sat as he presided is still there. Ben Franklin sat over here. Mason over there. Madison over here. They wrote: \"We the People.\" and they described a system of selfgovernment that represents the power of one. All of the power in this country is vested in the power of one person casting one vote at a time on a prescribed date in this countryevery evennumbered year. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10962}
{"speech_id":1090033991,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. I am partnering with Senator CORNYN in another of our bipartisan efforts to improve the lives of Americans through effective and efficient government. The bill we are introducing. the \"Protecting American Goods and Services Act of 2005.\" will strengthen our ability to combat the escalating problem of counterfeiting worldwide. In order to effectively fight intellectual property theft. we need stiff penalties for counterfeiters and those who are caught with counterfeit goods with the intent to traffic their false wares. Ours is a short billindeed. it is only four pages longbut it will have global implications in the fight against piracy. Counterfeiting is a growing problem that costs our economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and has been linked to organized crime. including terrorist organizations. According to the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition. counterfeit parts have been discovered in helicopters sold to NATO. in jet engines. bridge joints. brake pads. and fasteners in equipment designed to prevent nuclear reactor meltdowns. The World Health Organization estimates that the market for counterfeit drugs is about $32 billion each year. Several years ago. Senator HATCH joined me in sponsoring the \"Anticounterfeiting Consumer Protection Act of 1996.\" which addressed counterfeiting by amending several sections of our criminal and tariff codes. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7884}
{"speech_id":1090033991,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That law made important changes. particularly by expanding RICO. the federal antiracketeering law. to cover crimes involving counterfeiting and copyright and trademark infringement. Then. as now. trafficking in counterfeit goods hurts purchasers. state and federal governments. and economies at every level. Perhaps most disturbingly. the U.S. Customs Service reports that terrorists have used transnational counterfeiting operations to fund their activities: The sale of counterfeit and pirated music. movies. software. Tshirts. clothing. and fake drugs \"accounts for much of the money the international terrorist network depends on to feed its operations.\" Last year. as in years past. I worked with Senator ALLEN on an amendment to the Foreign Operations bill that pro- tation of counterfeit goods. as well as vides the State Department with vital of bootleg copies of copyrighted works resources to combat piracy of U.S. into and out of the United States. goods abroad. .The bill we ultimately By tying off these loopholes and impassed included $3 million for this im- proving U.S. laws on counterfeiting. we portant purpose. Yet more work both will be sending a powerful message to at home and abroad remains. When you the criminals who belong in jail. and to consider that the economic impact of our innovators. tangible piracy in counterfeit goods is estimated to be roughly $350 billion a year and to constitute between 5 per- TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A cent and 7 percent of worldwide trade. LEGACY FOR USERS a few million dollars is a worthwhile On Tuesday. May 17. 2005. the Senate investment. passed H.R. 3. as follows: We have certainly seen how this form H.R. 3 of theft touches the lives of hardwork- HR. 3 ing Vermonters. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7884}
{"speech_id":1090033991,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Burton Snowboards is Resolved. That the bill from the House of a small company. whose innovation has Representatives entitled \"An Act to authorize funds for Federalaid highways. made it an industry leader in highway safety programs. and transit prosnowboarding equipment and apparel. grams. and for other purposes.\". do pass with Unfortunately. knockoff products car- the following amendment: rying Burtons name have been found Strike out all after the enacting clause and across the globe. Vanessa Price. a rep- insert: resentative of Burton. testified about SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. TABLE OF CONTENTS. counterfeiting. at the Judiciary Com- (a) SHORT TITLE.-This Act may be cited as mittees March 23. 2004. hearing on this the \"Safe. Accountable. Flexible. and Efficient topic. In addition to learning about the Transportation Equity Act of 2005\". economic costs of counterfeiting. I . (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.-The table of contents of this Act is as follows: asked her after the hearing about the Sec. 1. Short title. table of contents. risks posed to consumers by these Sec. 2. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7884}
{"speech_id":1090033991,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"General definitions. -goods. Her answer was chilling: \"In the Sec. 3. Definitions for title 23. weeks since my Senate testimony. I TITLE IFEDERALAID HIGHWAYS discovered a shipment of counterfeit Burton boots for sale through a dis- Subtitle AFunding count sports outfit . . . After exam- Sec. 1101. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 1102. Obligation ceiling. ining the poor quality of the counter- Sec. 1103. Apportionments. feit boots. we determined that anyone Sec. 1104. Equity bonus programs. using the boots for snowboarding risks Sec. 1105. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7884}
{"speech_id":1090033991,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Revenue aligned budget authority. injury due to a lack of reinforcement Se&. 1106. Use of excess funds and funds for inand support in the products construc- active projects. tion.\" Subtitle BNew Programs Customers and businesses lose out to Sec. 1201. Infrastructure performance and counterfeiters in other ways. too. SB maintenance program. Electronics in Barre. Vt. has seen its Sec. 1202. Future of surface transportation syscapacitors reverse engineered and its tem. customers lost to inferior copycat mod- Sec. 1203. Freight transportation *gateways. els. Vermont Tubbs. a furniture manu- freight intermodal connections. facturer in Rutland. has seen its de- Sec. 1204. Construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal and maintenance facilisigns copied. produced offshore with in- ties. coordination of ferry conferior craftsmanship and materials. struction and maintenance. and then. reimported. so that the com- Sec. 1205. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7884}
{"speech_id":1090034082,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise in honor of Dr. Betty Siegel. president of Kennesaw State University in Georgia. After 25 years of service to the University. Dr. Siegel will be retiring at the end of the year. and what an amazing 25 years it has been for her and for the students of Kennesaw State. Back in 1981. Betty Siegel made headlines and chose the path less traveled when she became the first woman ever to serve as president in the 34school university system of Georgia. Today. she makes headlines for all she has accomplished. Under her leadership. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1095}
{"speech_id":1090034082,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KSU has grown tremendously. from a 4.000student college \"offering 15 bachelors degree programs and. no graduate programs to today. with 18.000 students choosing from over 55 undergraduate and graduate programs. The KSU slogan. \"Dare to Dream.\" is epitomized by Dr. Betty Siegel in every imaginable way. Not only does she lead by example. but she instills every student with that motto. So today I say thank you to Dr. Siegel. Thank you for daring to dream and thank you for daring to do all you have done to improve the lives of your students.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1095}
{"speech_id":1090034102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this legislation that concerns such an important matter that affects interstate commerce as referenced in Article I. Section. 8 of the United States Constitution. The Committee on the Judiciary rightly exercised oversight over the issue of counterfeiting products and conspiring to commit retail theft. and I applaud the gentleman from Michigan for having crafted legislation that has garnered bipartisan support. Similar legislation. namely H.R. 3632. the \"AntiCounterfeiting Amendments Act of 2003\" in the 108th Congress. passed under suspension of the rules and became law. and I supported it. That measure regulated the trafficking of certain security components of products. for example. Certificates of Authenticity (COAs). Now that it has become law. piracy of these security markers. which are the source of each products value. will be discouraged by way of criminal consequences. In the context of discussing H.R. 3632. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090034102,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cited a situation in Texas in which a crime ring was implicated for the import of over 100 million counterfeit cigarettes by mislabeling shipping documents and indicating that they were importing toys or plastic parts. That crime threatened the copyright royalties of property owners. However. this legislation extrapolates that aspect of criminal activity by inserting the possibility that unsafe products as well as counterfeit products could be circulated in the flow of interstate commerce. Last year. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials seized fake goods valued at $22 million in the Houston area alone. Federal inspectors now work to curtail the flow of fake Louis Vuitton and Coach handbags and other items coming from Houston. which lags behind only New York and Los Angeles in supplying counterfeit products to the rest of the nation. Furthermore. during Super Bowl XXXVIII that was held in Houston this past year. NFL investigators seized about 1.000 counterfeit products in Houston that were peddled by two vendors. Therefore. the subject matter of this bill is of great importance to me. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090034102,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill is largely bipartisan. however. we have a duty to ensure that its provisions are narrowly tailored before passing them into law. At the Committee level. I had questions regarding the intended scope of search and seizure law and how H.R. 32 proposes to change it. One question that I posed relates to the property forfeiture provision found on page 3. line 21 of the bill as drafted. Subparagraphs (A) and (B) are conjunctive so as to require both findings before a forfeiture would followhow proposes to prevent law enforcement from seizing the property of an innocent person (assuming it is in possession or use by the perpetrator of the underlying offense). I hope that this legislation is clear in its provisions to jurists in order to prevent future appellate litigation that can be both costly and time consumingto the detriment of bona fide claimants. Another question I posed goes to the matter of restitution. Section 2. page 4. lines 1516 would require one convicted of the offense in question to pay restitution damages to the \"victim\" as defined in Title 18. Section 3663(A)(2): a person directly andproximately harmed as a result of the commission of an offense for which restitution may be ordered including. in the case of an offense that involves as an element a scheme. conspiracy. or pattern of criminal activity. any person directly harmed by the defendants criminal conduct in the course of the scheme. conspiracy. or pattern. (emphasis added). I queried whether the drafter of this bill contemplate those proximately harmed by the perpetration of the crimes enumerated to include state governments. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090034102,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I cited earlier in my statement. criminals trafficked over 1.000 counterfeit products in the stream of commerce and caused the State of Texas. among others. to lose significant revenues. I believe that H.R. .32 can provide much needed legislative protection of the American consumer and of the owners of intellectual and licensed property.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090034131,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I can only heartily agree with all that has been said. Let me just add a few words. Spyware has changed the computing experience for so many people. Increasingly. consumers are finding that their home Web pages are changed or that their computers are sluggish. and they get. as I said. the popup ads that will not go away no matter how many times they try to close them. They find software in their computer they did not install and they cannot uninstall. and their computers are no longer their own. and they cannot figure out why. And consumers tend to blame viruses on their old computer or their Internet service providers. but because spyware is bundled with software people do want to download or because it is driveby downloaded from unknowingly visiting the wrong Web site. people do not know that in many cases the real cause of their headaches is spyware. And some of the above examples can be written off as merely annoying. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090034131,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Spyware is so much more than merely annoying. as we have pointed out. and there are these serious privacy and security issues at stake. These problems of slow computers and popup ads are just symptoms of the real trouble spyware can cause. Again. the software is so resourceful that it can snatch personal information from computer hard drives and track every Web site visited and log every keystroke entered. Spyware is a serious threat to consumer privacy and potentially a powerful tool for identity theft. a serious crime on the rise. As the FTC. the Federal Trade Commission. reports. in 2003 there were nearly 10 million Americans victimized by identity theft. Over the past 5 years. there have been 27 million victims. and my State of Illinois is in the top 10 for identity theft occurrences. Online predators. like spyware transmitters. provide an easy access to personally -identifiable information that can be used to steal peoples identities and put them at greater risk of being financially and otherwise victimized. So this is now the time. once again. for the House to pass this important bipartisan legislation. And I too want to thank all of the. leaders who have been involved in bringing this bill once again to the floor. I want to particularly thank the gentleman from Michigan . whose statement. though he could not be here today. will be in the RECORD. and the gentleman from New York . who has worked on this legislation from the very beginning with the gentlewoman from California . ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090034131,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I want to thank the staff on our side. Diane Beedle and Consuela Washington. and the Republican staff for their hours of work. I want to join the gentleman from Florida (Chairman STEARNS) in urging our Senate colleagues to move on this very important legislation. It is time that we not only pass it in the House. but that we make it the law of the land. and I look forward to seeing that happen in the near future. I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to work with all of them. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090034196,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend title 40. United States Code. to establish a Federal Acquisition Service. to replace the General Supply Fund and the Information Technology Fund with an Acquisition Services Fund. and for other purposes. as amended.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":283}
{"speech_id":1090034206,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may. consume. Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 280 celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The resolution honors the. immense contributions that Asians and Pacific Islanders have made to our Nation. This. month. May. is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. and the theme is \"Freedom For AllA Nation We Can Call Our Own.\" Today. more than 14 million native Hawaiians. Pacific Islanders and Asians call America their home nation. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090034206,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation is a fitting tribute to our Asian and Pacific Island friends and neighbors. I thank the House leadership. particularly the Majority Leader for scheduling this meaningful resolution today. Congress first observed this commemoration in 1978 as Asian Pacific American Heritage week during the first 10 days of May. Then. in 1992. Congress expanded the commemoration to designate the entire month of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The first 10 days of May include two important historical dates. May 7. which in 1843 marked the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States. and May 10. the date in 1869 on which the first North American transcontinental railroad was completed. The railway was built heading east from Sacramento. California. and west from Omaha. Nebraska. and converged in Utah thanks to the hard work of thousands of laborers. most of whom were Chinese immigrants. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090034206,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as the war on terrorism continues today. I also wish to recognize the service that more than 300.000 Asian and Pacific veterans have made throughout American history. From the Armys courageous First and Second Filipino Regiments that General Douglas MacArthur sent to spy behind Japanese lines in World War I. to the indescribable bravery of todays soldier heroes like Marine Lance Corporal Victor Lu and Army Specialist Thai Vue. who have lost their lives in the past year in Iraq. Asian and Pacific Americans have indeed sacrificed -so much for our cherished liberty and freedoms. I know that all Members of the House join me in commending the selflessness of these veterans and active duty soldiers. Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished chairman of our Committee on Government Reform. the gentleman from Virginia for his hard work on House Resolution 280. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the resolution. and I urge all of my colleagues to support its adoption. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090034211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as I rise today to recognize Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. one word comes to mind when I think of the people to whom we dedicate this monthand that word is persistence. From the transcontinental railroad to academynominated films. Asian Pacific Americans have helped shape this Nation in incredible ways. In fact. as many may know. the backbone of our countrys railroad system was built with a labor force that consisted of 80 percent Chinese Americans. who prepared the foundation of. our railroad tracks by dangling over cliffs with a mere rope tied to their waists on mountains that rose over 7.000 feet. In literature. we have the contributions of scholarly elites such as Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan. who have opened our eyes to the different practices of the Far East. In fitness. we are exposed to the discipline of the world of martial arts with disciplines ranging from Tai Chi to Judo. Finally. in philosophy. we are introduced to the idea of Confucius. Sun Tzu. who wrote The Art of War. and Feng Sui to guide our lives. Not to mention the Chinatowns of our nation. with cuisines ranging from India. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3202}
{"speech_id":1090034211,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thailand. Korea. Japan. and Vietnam. that has transformed our taste buds with some of the best and most diverse Asian dishesbut more importantly shown the diversity of the continent. But this wonderful list of Asian contributions did not come without a price. Thousands of Chinese Americans died under dangerous working conditions while building the transcontinental railroad. yet when the railroad was finally completed. they were not even allowed to be a part of the official photograph that documented those involved with the construction. Their names were not mentioned anywhere in news articles. and their faces quickly forgotten in American history. Chinatowns were created out of necessity as a form of protection from discrimination and a need for survival. Stereotypes that bias our perceptions today came to form as a result of Asian Americans being restricted to specific lowlevel jobs as deemed appropriate by the majority of the time. Various antiimmigration laws during the early 1900s ensured racial offenses against Asian Americans were abundant and legal. Our nation should never forget the atrocious violations we imposed on the Japanese Americans during World War II as we shunned them from society as a result of their ethnicity. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3202}
{"speech_id":1090034211,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. despite all the hardship and . adversity that Asian Americans have faced during their time in the United States. the persistence and resilience of Asian Americans have allowed them to flourish into the leading minority group they are today. I encourage my colleagues to learn from the history of Asian Americans in the United States. so that we may avoid the civil rights violations and discriminatory practices that hurt ethnic communities in the name of national security. I would also like to encourage the future generations of Asian Americans to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors. Persist in your dreams of a fair America. persist in your desires for an equal America. and persist in your fight for an America that is as dedicated and tolerant of you as your ancestors have been with us.","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3202}
{"speech_id":1090034229,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it was Theodore Herzl that said. \"im tirtzu ein zo agadah\" (EEm teersu. ain so aga DAH). if you will it. it is no dream. Today we are here to celebrate his dream and recognize the 57th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel.: On May 14. 1948. the State of Israel was established as a sovereign and independent nation and the United States was one of the first nations to recognize Israel. a mere 11 minutes after its creation. Israel has provided a unique opportunity for Jews from all over the world to reestablish their ancient homeland. In addition. it is a home to many religious sites which are sacred to Judaism. Christianity. and Islam and attracts visitors every year. Israel provided a refuge to Jews who survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the evils committed by the Nazis which were unprecedented in human history. The people of Israel have established a unique. pluralistic democracy which includes the freedoms cherished by the people of the United States. including freedom of speechT. freedom of religion. freedom of association. freedom of the press. and government by the consent of the governed. Israel continues to serve as a shining model of democratic values by regularly holding free and fair elections. promoting the free exchange of ideas. and vigorously exercising in its Parliament. the Knesset. a democratic government that is fully representative of its citizens. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090034229,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Israel continues to bravely defend itself from attacks repeatedly since independence. such horrors that have become a daily reality for the people who live there. I want to applaud the Government of Israel for successfully working with the neighboring Governments of Egypt and Jordan to establish peaceful. bilateral relations. I have had the privilege of visiting Israel. and hearing firsthand how the government is taking great strides to ensure peace for generations. The United States and Israel enjoy a strategic partnership based on shared mutual democratic values. friendship. and respect. The people of the United States share affinity with the people of Israel and view Israel as a strong and trusted ally. I hope this friendship continues to grow and blossom for decades to come. as Israel settles itself in a firm place on our global map.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090034230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 149 which celebrates the 57th anniversary of the independent and democratic State of Israel. Today we remember and pay tribute to the creation of the State of Israel. The United States took only eleven minutes after Israel had been declared a state to officially welcome her into the community of nations. For the last 47 years the United Stated and Israel built a unique and strong and special relationship. The creation of the State of Israel was a bold step in May of 1948. The first Prime Minister of Israel. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2876}
{"speech_id":1090034230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"David BenGurion. once said that. \"courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared.\" It is from such courage that Israel was formed and it is that that continues to maintain Israel as a vibrant and strong democracy today. We can all learn examples from the struggles that the citizens of Israel have endured and thegrief they have overcome to remain a democratic outpost in the Middle East. Yet. much work remains unfinished. We all remain troubled by the continued violence in the Middle East and we all continue to pray for a peaceful end to the years of violence and terror. The United States and our citizens learned all too well about the effects of terrorism on an early morning in Sepfnber of 2001. In that one day. the nations of the world rallied to our side. offered aid. and pledged to assist us in any way possible. Yet. sadly. events like that September morning have been frequent occurrences in Israel. This fact can to easily be lost as the continued violence and terror is pushed off the front pages of our news papers and out of the nightly news on TV. That is why it is important now. more than ever. to remember and support our strongest and oldest ally in the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2876}
{"speech_id":1090034230,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am proud to join with my colleagues today to reiterate our continued strong support of Israel. its right to defend itself and its people from terrorism. and to focus on the special relationship that exists between our two nations. I have had the pleasure to travel to Israel on a number of occasions. and these visits have only reinforced my strong conviction that the United States needs to remain a strong partner of Israel and remain actively engaged in negotiating a peaceful and equitable agreement between the parties to this conflict. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to support this resolution in celebrating the 47 years of Israels existence as a beacon of democracy and hope in the Middle East. I also celebrate today the daily courage exhibited by the citizens of Israel and want to express my personal commitment to Israel at this important milestone in its history. I look forward to future anniversaries. and to the day when Israel and tier citizens can live inpeace without the need for courage against fear.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2876}
{"speech_id":1090034269,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. next Sunday the people of Lebanon will go to the polls to start a series of parliamentary elections that will play out over the next four weeks. This resolution expresses Congresss ongoing concern that the Lebanese people be allowed to choose their own leaders freely and fairly. in light of the recent withdrawal from Lebanon of all Syrian security forces and intelligence officials. which is not yet verifiably complete. I commend our colleague Ms. RoSLEHTINEN for bringing these important issues before us. Mr. Speaker. freedomloving people everywhere cheered earlier this year as the Lebanese people defied the odds. spurred on by the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. and peacefully rose up and forced the caretaker government to step down. letting key exile leaders return. and leading to the expelling of nearly all of Syrias uninformed forces from longoccupied Lebanese soil. We all hope that there will continue to be a peaceful transition to sovereign. democratic rule in Lebanon. Sadly. the upcoming elections saw their first casualty this weekend. when adherents of rival. parties clashed in the region of Metn. Government soldiers were summoned to disperse the crowds. and as they did so. one man was shot and killed. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4383}
{"speech_id":1090034269,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was a somber reminder of how volatile the situation surrounding the elections can be. Political rivalries. particularly between proSyrian factions and those who seek to continue reforms. threaten to further destabilize the electoral process in Lebanon. some have already threatened to boycott. which could undermine the legitimacy of the process. And the elections will be conducted according to a law passed under full Syrian occupation five years ago. which could stack the deck in favor of the Syrian elements. particularly Hezbollah. Let us hope that the wisdom of the Lebanese people. displayed in vast numbers. will override the structural deficiencies of the law. Mr. Speaker. I fully endorse this resolutions advocacy of U.S. assistance to help Lebanon restore democratic rule. including the separation of powers. the rule of law. and respect for fundamental freedoms. It is undeniably in our interest to support this process. as the flourishing of democracy in Lebanon will no doubt have a multiplier effect throughout the region. Jordans King Abdullah. speaking this weekend at the World Economic Forum meeting. said that this is a time for positive political reform in the Middle East. but it is Arabs themselves who need to develop it. \"Never has there been a greater sense of agreement that the future is in our hands.\" King Abdullah said. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4383}
{"speech_id":1090034269,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Today. positive change is in the air across the region. It is an effort for the whole Middle East to create its own positive change. That demands a realworld process. specific steps that can be implemented by regional governments and civil society.\" . Mr. Speaker. one such specific step for Lebanon will be to fulfill its obligations under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559. especially the requirement that all militias. including Hezbollah. be disarmed and disbanded. We will expect the Lebanese Armed Forces to put an immediate halt tothe flow of arms across the Syrian border to Hezbollah as a first step. Four years ago I sponsored legislation passed by the Congress that made a portion of U.S. aid to Lebanon contingent upon Lebanons taking control of all of its borders. I do not intend to introduce a similar resolution at this moment. as I am hopeful that the new Lebanese government. once it gains its footing. will take the necessary actions to demonstrate its adherence to all aspects 6f U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559the resolution that made possible Lebanons rebirth as a nation. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4383}
{"speech_id":1090034269,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I will remain seized with these issues regarding Lebanons borders and Hezbollahand. in the near future. I will introduce a resolution that I hope will demonstrate that Congress shares these concerns. The stability of the entire region depends on an end to militia rule in Lebanon and full implementation of Lebanese sovereignty throughout that country and along all of its borders. The resolution before us. Mr. Speaker. focuses on certain crucial ingredients of Lebanese sovereigntythe withdrawal of Syrian troops and the holding of free and fair elections. This is an important resolution. I support it. and I urge all of my colleagues. to do likewise.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4383}
{"speech_id":1090034319,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. I would just like to reiterate my appreciation fqr the leadership of the full committee. the gentleman from Arkansas (Chairman BOOZMAN). and his leadership on the subcommittee. of course the efforts of committee staff and all of their hard work in advancing this important legislation. as well as those that were in hearings with the chairman and me and other members of the subcommittee. those from the Department of Labor. the Department of Defense. the Department of Veterans Affairs. as well as many veterans organizations serving as advocates for veterans and their \u0095families across the country and servicemembers as they return. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance. of my time.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":791}
{"speech_id":1090034324,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 2046. the Servicemembers Health Insurance Protection (SHIP) Act of 2005. and to voice my strong commitment and appreciation to our nations servicemembers and veterans as we head into the Memorial Day weekend. On May 11. 2005. my colleagues and I on the House Veterans Affairs Committee considered H.R. 2046. This important legislation would assist in providing a seamless transition for our Reservists and Guardsmen by curbing health insurance premium increases and preserving employersponsored health care coverage. I voted for this legislation because our servicemembers deserve better protections and improved quality of life. I would also like to take this time to thank our past and current members of the U.S. Armed Forces for their selfless service to our country. We owe each of them a great deal of respect and appreciation. especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. While many of us will be fortunate enough to be surrounded by loved ones this Memorial Day weekend. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1342}
{"speech_id":1090034324,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I encourage all Americans to take this special .time to reflect on the sacrifice of those who died while serving their country and to pray for our troops currently in harms way. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues in Congress to continue caring for our servicemembers by ensuring passage of H.R.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1342}
{"speech_id":1090034345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one reason there is so much opposition to the BRAC base closing process is that people do not know what they are going to get stuck with when their base closes. Seventeen bases from the 1988 round are still contaminated and have not been transferred back to the benefit of local communities. Over 140.000 acres on closed or realigned bases have not been cleaned up. I am offering an amendment to the defense authorization legislation tomorrow that would delay the implementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round until the Secretary of Defense submits a strategy including an estimate of the amount of funds necessary to complete unexploded ordinance clean up and environmental remediation of the bases closed during the 1988 round. Not trying to stop the BRAC. just getting plans in place that are 17 years overdue. At a time when we are asking communities to bear the trauma of the BRAC process. it is unacceptable that we have not finished cleaning up the first round.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":997}
{"speech_id":1090034357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last weekend I traveled back to Oregon. as I frequently do. and participated in an Armed Forces Day parade in Cottage Grove. Oregon. The particular focus this year was the return from Iraq of the 2162nd. a National Guard unit which is based in Cottage Grove. in the last 60 days. There was a good turnout among members of the community. Of course. we are looking forward next week to Memorial Day. which will be a sober event. as we will honor some of those who have recently lost their lives in service to our Nation. But one thing stands out in both of these celebrations and that is that there is tremendous support for our troops in uniform. but that support somehow is not getting translated in many ways into policy here in Washington. D.C.. in the budgets proposed by the President that relate to offset of benefits for disabled veterans. a disabled veterans tax. that relate to other services for veterans or equity in benefits for.the National Guard. Today. as I got to the plane. I saw an article \"Dental Problems Stymie Guard Callups.\" This particular article was about the National Guard in Washington State where 30 percent of the 4.500 called up were ineligible for active duty because of dental problems. 20 percent nationally. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4575}
{"speech_id":1090034357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not know the percentage for Oregon. I have not seen it. But when I was meeting with members of the 2162nd. when they were down in Fort Hood prior to their deployment to Iraq. and the gentlewoman from Oregon and I were meeting with them. this one fellow in the front says. I have a problem. Congressman. I would like you to try and help me out here. He opens up his mouth really wide and he is missing a couple of front teeth. I said. What is going on there? He said. I had two bad teeth. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4575}
{"speech_id":1090034357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I went to my predeployment physical. They said. You have those bad teeth. we have to take care of them. So they yanked his teeth out and sent him to Fort Hood. But at Fort Hood they said. You are not active duty military. We are not going to take care of your problem. You go to the end of the line and you will be in Iraq before we get around to it. So he was going to go home to Oregon on his leave before he left to try to get false teeth inserted so he would not spend a year in Iraq with a big gap in his front teeth. We need equity in benefits and better benefits for our Guard members. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4575}
{"speech_id":1090034357,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are treating the Natiohal Guard indistinguishable from active duty forces. yet they still often suffer in terms of equipment and they definitely suffer in terms of equity of benefits. health coverage for our Guard members before they are activated. All Guard members should receive health benefits during their service in the Guard. That means they will be ready to defend the country at the drop of a hat. They are ready to deploy. But it also is a good way to induce and recognize the service of these people in our National Guard. This morning when I got to the plane there was another Guard member there from Kingsley Air Force Base who does military police work. on his way to a conference. And he and I got in a little chat and we were talking about the proposed base closure in Portland. Then he said.. When are we going to get recognition on our retirement benefits. The fact that Gi4ard members have a set age instead of a set number of years of service. they are discriminated against. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4575}
{"speech_id":1090034357,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Education benefits. they are discriminated against. Active duty military soldiers serve in Iraq. come back. leave the military. can get education benefits. National Guard soldiers serve in Iraq. come back having finished their contract in their term. want to get education benefits. No. They have to sign up for another term in the Guard. But the active duty soldier did nothing to earn those benefits. We need equity in education benefits. We need better health care benefits. We need better pension benefits. We have to begin treating our National Guard members like the essential component they are of the Nations national defense today.. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4575}
{"speech_id":1090034383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because we are. I think those of us that are in 30something. and Members of the Congress. are sick and tired of individuals in Washington using Social Security as though there is some sort of imminent danger or. going back to the definition. an unstable situation.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090034386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I thank the gentleman. And after this we are going to move on to what we believe that the real issues are that need to be dealt with immediately. issues that we think are causing unstable situations. issues that we think are providing extreme danger or extreme difficulty for families here and issues. quite frankly. that we think the country is at a crucial stage or at a turning point on. We want to talk about what we believe those issues really are. Now. last week we asked Americans who were watching to write in and to email us with what they thought were the immediate issues that needed to be dealt with. what was the crisis that they believed the country needed to address. And I am just going to share a couple of these because we want to get into some other issues. Mrs. Richard from Kansas said she had been watching and listening to our program on CSPAN. Our country now has so many needs. And we asked her to give them to us and she said. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090034386,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will write them to you. To me. the number one need is to get out of Iraq. Stop losing lives and spending money. That may be a crisis. Probably is. After that. health care. fixing our national deficit. which we are definitely going to get into tonight. and many more things that need to be fixed. She appreciates the concern. Christie Fox. from the gentlemans great State of Florida. she is a second generation American. And on CSPAN you asked for our comments or suggestions on what we think is important to America. Safety. the environment. the oceans heating and rising. need for solar power. recycling. windmills. fuel efficient vehicles. terrorism. which is a major issue that we are not really dealing with here. and to keep God in America. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090034386,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Great issues that we think may be or will have more of a profound effect if we address them immediately. So. again. we ask the citizens who are out there tonight to give us an email. what you believe to be your crisis of choice. that is. something that we need to deal with immediately in the United States of America. Send us something. 30somethingdems@mail.house.gov. That is the number 30. the word \"something.\" and then dems. DEMS @ mail.house.gov. Send us what you think. because. quite frankly. we do not believe that Social Security that is solvent for the next 45 years and will pay 100 percent of the benefits and then for the next 20some years and into the future will still provide 80 percent is not a crisis.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090034389,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When you have employees that are healthy. you have what? A more productive company. And then what do you have then? You have more productive American workers that will be able to compete against other countries that are competing against us now. Before the gentleman from Ohio goes to the chart. I think it is important we talk about the fact that health care costs. when we start talking about. cutting health care costs. we have to look at the issue as it relates to prescription drugs.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":488}
{"speech_id":1090034396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. so it is nonpartisan. It is from June 1998 to February 2005. This is the United StatesBureau of Labor Statistics controlled by a Republican. so it is not any lies that we are just trying to stoke up propaganda here. These States that are purple have lost between 15 and 20 percent. The green States have lost between 10 and 15 percent. The yellow States between 5 and 10 percent. We are getting decimated in our manufacturing base. and these are the jobs that pay well. These jobs are going to China. The hightech jobs are going to India. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090034396,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. another crisis. our overall U.S. trade deficit which led to the enormous job loss right here. overall trade deficit over $600 billiop last year. We are buying $600 billion more worth of products than we are selling. And look at the growth. This is the startling thing. This is not just a kind of a temporary blip in the screen. In 1991 we were a little over $50 billion. or not quite $50 billion. and look at this. the steady growth. And these have been the trade agreements that we fiave been signing. and especially when we cranked up trade with China.bang. right down at the bottom. bingo. in 2004 oVer $600 billion in trade deficit. Of that the main culprit in this whole deal has been with China. another crisis that we need to deal with. I mean. how we can say Social Security is the main issue is beyond me. Again. trade deficits from 1991 to 2004. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090034396,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. a slow. gradual. this is what we call in economic terms. and I am not an economist. this is what you call a trend. This is a trend that is going on in the country and has been for a good many years now. U.S. trade deficit with China over 160some billion dollars a year. And we can see it just continue to decline. It will probably be worse next year. And when we see the job loss in Ohio. in the Midwest. all over the country except for Nevada and North Dakota. this is what is causing it. Companies are moving from the United States. not making the investment here in the country. making it in China. and we are getting walloped. Now. the most important issue as we are running these huge trade deficits and we are also running a national deficit. and let me just show one. before we show that one and then I will let the gentleman talk about the other. not only are we running huge trade deficits. we are also running a record national. domestic deficit on our own budget here. This red line starts with President Johnson where we pretty much were balancing our budgets all the way along. and we pretty much stayed steady up and down throughout the 70s. And into the 80s we got into the pretty high deficit through the Reagan and Bush era. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090034396,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the red line coming down close to $300 billion in our national deficit. That means the budget money that we spend out of here. we were spending $300 billion more than we were taking in. And then the Clinton era. the balanced budget passed in 1993. Not one Republican vote. Democrat House. Senate. White House. Al Gore broke the tie in the Senate as Vice President. That led to booming surpluses in the United States. And then when the next administration came in here. we are again with record deficits. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090034396,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. will a real fiscal conservative please stand up. because we do not have anymore here. And this is the kind of deficit that you are passing on to your kids and your grandkids and the scary thing that the gentleman will talk about right now.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090034398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Absolutely. The source is CBO. the Congressional Budget Office. nonpartisan. The most scary aspect of all of this is if we are spending 400some billion dollars more than we are taking in. we are borrowing that from somewhere because we do not have it. Tax revenues bring us to this line here. and we are spending that much more. up to $400 billion more than we have in the kitty that we are taking in every year. So we have to go out and borrow it. This is the scary part. Who are we borrowing the money from?","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":509}
{"speech_id":1090034420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. their ramifications are certainly widespread. Butler County. as I just mentioned. is a serene place. a farming community. a wonderful place to raise a family. And yet this shocking statistic of 90 percent is very real and disturbing. The sheriff also reported the same problem that the gentleman from Nebraska mentioned. that he finds small portable labs for production even in the back of cars. So meth is a particular threat to our rural communities. partly because it can be cooked in this way from small batches from readily available ingredients such as chemicals commonly used in fertilizer and cold medicines. as has been mentioned. Something else to mention. though. is that concocting meth is itself a toxic activity. and it requires a combination of deadly chemicals at high temperatures. Hazardous fumes are produced. and poisonous fires and explosions are common. as the gentleman is aware. Toxic waste is invariably -dumped. which spoils the environment and requires dangerous and costly cleanup. another adverse impact of this problem. Let me tell the Members. as well. that in 2000 Nebraska law enforcement discovered 38 labs. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3298}
{"speech_id":1090034420,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2004 they dismantled over 300. and one search for a missing person in a wooded area actually turned up 15 meth labs in a 3square mile area. And. of course. many go undiscovered. I would like to add a few comments about what can potentially be done about the tide of meth sweeping the country. and I think there are three approaches that do deserve our attention. First. State efforts to control the spread by controlling the access to its component chemicals. I believe. should be applauded. and smart controls on the sale of cold medicines are also a reasonable idea that may be considered at the Federal level. Second. and the gentleman has mentioned this additionally. the antidrug task force has maximized the effectiveness of law enforcement. particularly with overlapping jurisdictions. And I believe lawmakers. as he does. in Washington must listen to those who are on the front lines in the battle against meth and give them the tools they need to protect our communities this week. this month. this year. Third. we must also recognize the national scope of the meth problem. It is estimated that 85 percent of the meth in Nebraska comes from large outofstate labs in Arizona. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3298}
{"speech_id":1090034420,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"California. and Mexico. These superlabs do not get their chemicals from the local drug store. but depend on multistate and multinational suppliers. This is why we also need a focused and multinational. a coordinated national. strategy to stamp out meth. And I believe it is the job of the Federal Government to keep meth and its chemical precursors from crossing State borders. Existing regulations on the sale of meth chemicals should be enforced. and the development. again. of alternative compounds in cold medicines could also be determined and encouraged. Mr. Speaker. finally. let me add that meth is clearly addictive and deadly. and I urge all to avoid it. There is no future in meth. And again I want to thank the gentleman from the Second District of Nebraska for his willingness to spend this evening discussing this very difficult issue for our State. but a difficult issue as well for many other areas that are facing this widespread problem.","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3298}
{"speech_id":1090034440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I speak to the important principles at stake in this debate. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Majority Leader for doing everything in his power to avoid the impasse we face today. We have arrived at this moment in the Senates history not because of a failure of effort. but because of a failure of cooperation. Over the past two years. Senator FRIST and other members of the Republican leadership have made compromise an inportant objective. We have repeatedly offered to extend the period of debate on the Presidents judicial nominees. Fifty hours. 100 hours. have been offeredeven 200 hours of debate on some of these nomineesall in an effort to ensure that our Democrat colleagues have sufficient time to raise and explain their concerns. Without exception. these offers to provide more time have been rejected outofhand. In May of 2003. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8335}
{"speech_id":1090034440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator FRIST and thenSenator Miller of Georgia introduced compromise legislation that would allow the filing of successive cloture motions on judicial nominees. with each motion requiring fewer votes. for passage. and ultimately a simple majority. When it came time to consider this sensible legislation in the Rules Committee. my Democrat colleagues boycotted the markup. In April of 2004. the current Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator SPECTER. introduced legislation to help remove politics from the judicial confirmation process and ensure that nominees would be given a hearing. that they would be reported out of committee. and would receive a vote on the Senate floor. The Democrats reacted to this proposal with silence. Senator FRIST has been in regular communication with Senator REID. and on March 17 of this year. he formally wrote to Senator REID expressing his hope that a compromise could be fashioned. and indicating that the constitutional option would only be exercised if there were no reasonable alternatives. And. on April 28. Majority Leader formally reached out again to Senator REID. proposing to grant 100 hours of floor debate on each of the filibustered nomineesthats more than twice the time spent by the Senate debating any of the nominations of the current Supreme Court Justices. Senator FRIST also proposed to develop a process to ensure that nominees are not bottled up in the Judiciary Committee. a complaint often made by my Democrat colleagues. Once again. this sincere effort at compromise was immediately rebuffed. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8335}
{"speech_id":1090034440,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So let the record be clear: The Majority Leader has pursued compromise with vigor. and he should be commended for doing so. But. of course. when compromise fails. action must take its place. We are here today because there are important principles at stake . . . principles that are worth defending. Does the President have the right to expect that his nominees to the Federal bench will be fully considered by the United States Senate? Does the Senate have a constitutional obligation to offer \"advice and consent\" on these nominations? And are judicial nominees entitled to an upordown vote on the Senate floor? The answer. of course. to each of these questions is a resounding \"yes.\" For more than 214 years. judicial. nominees with clear majority support have received an upordown vote on the Senate floor. with a majority vote leading to confirmation. Until just two years ago. a 60vote supermajority was never the standard for confirmation to the Federal bench. Those are the facts. By blocking not one. but ten. of President Bushs judicial nominees through the inappropriate use of the filibuster. my Democrat colleagues are doing nothing less than setting Senate tradition on its head. They are rewriting the rules of the game while abandoning the custom of selfrestraint that has enabled the Senate to function so effectively in the past. And three of these nominees have now withdrawn their names from consideration. To justify their actions. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would have us believe that filibustering judicial nominees is just business as usual. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8335}
{"speech_id":1090034440,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They specifically cite the nominations of Abe Fortas. Marsha Berzon. and Richard Paez as examples. of Republicanled obstruction efforts. Justice Fortas. of course. lacked majority support when. in 1968. President Johnson withdrew his nomination to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Todays filibuster victims. on the other hand. all have bipartisan. majority support ... and are being permanently blocked despite this fact. Fortas nomination was opposed not just by members of one partS7. as is the case today. but by Democrats and Republicans alike. And lets not forget: Justice Fortas nomination was debated for just several days before President Johnson took action. Many- of President Bushs nominees have been pending before the Senate not for days. but for years. I am not sure what citing the Berzon and Paez nominations proves. since both individuals were given the courtesy of an upordown vote. and both were ultimately confirmed. They are now sitting judges. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8335}
{"speech_id":1090034440,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. the Majority Leader at the timeTRENT LOTTworked to end debate on both nominations. believing then. as we do now. that judicial nominees deserve a vote on the Senate floor. So. what we are witnessing today is something wholly different: it is a highly organized obstruction campaign that is partisan in origin. unfair in its application. harmful to this institution. and unprecedented in our Nations history. Now. lets take a moment to examine the record of the individual whose nomination is before the Senate today. Justice Priscilla Owen has been called everything from an \"extremist\" to a \"farright partisan\" to someone who is \"out of the mainstream.\" But the simple fact is that Justice Owens record is that of a distinguished jurist who enjoys broad support and who understands that her role is to apply the law fairly and impartially. Twice elected to the Texas Supreme Court after a long career as a litigator in a prominent Texas law firm. Justice Owen earned the highest score on the December 1977 Texas bar exam and ranked near the top of her class at the Baylor University School of Law. She has been endorsed by a bipartisan group of 15 past presidents of the Texas State bar. An advocate for providing pro bono legal services to the poor. Owen also received a unanimous \"wellqualified\" rating from the American Bar Association. the highest rating given by that organizationI add. the \"gold standard\" for our Democrat friends. And in her last election to the Texas supreme court. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8335}
{"speech_id":1090034446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. it is important for Senators to understand what we are talking about here. We are talking about the nomination of Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen to be a Federal circuit judge. We are talking about her qualifications and about fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities to give advice and consent. We are talking about whether each Senator will vote yes or no in an upordown vote on the nomination of Justice Owen. And soon we will be talking about the longblocked nominations of California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown. former Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor. and others passed by the Judiciary Committee. As the Presiding Officer said. the Senates pending business is the nomination of Justice Priscilla Owen. Justice Owen has had a distinguished record as a judge who respects the rule of law. She understands that elected legislators write the law. not judges. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090034446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a judge. she has applied the law as it is written. not as she wished it were written. The American Bar Association unanimously rated Justice Owen \"well qualified.\" Everyone here knows that the ABA is not exactly a conservative organization. so that rating speaks volumes. She has served on the Supreme Court of Texas for more than 10 years. where she has earned the respect and endorsements of Democratic justices and attorneys. and more impressively than that. in her most recent election. she received 84 percent of the vote. I cannot imagine getting 84 percent. Just last week. I met with Justice Owen. I was impressed with her intelligence and honesty. I was impressed with her energy and determination to see this through. But most of all. I am satisfied that Justice Owen will interpret the law rather than try to write it. and I am convinced that she will stand up to any other judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals who try to rewrite the law from the bench. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090034446,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why has Justice Owen been denied an upordown vote? As best I can tell. it is because they crossed the radical left when she voted not to take away a mothers right to know that her teenage daughter wanted to have an abortion. Justice Owen did not write the Texas law requiring notification. The legislature did. She merely agreed with the two lower courts that the requirement of the exceptions in the law had not been met. In the time when a teenage girl cannot get her ears pierced at the mall Or take an aspirin at school without parental consent. it is not out of the mainstream to enforce a law requiring notice to a parent before that same teenager can get an abortion. Another nominee we are discussing this week. California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown. is also a nominee who will stand up to the activist judges on the Ninth Circuit Court. Justice Brown has been on the California Supreme Court for 9 years. and she received 76 percent of the vote in her last election. the most of any justice on that years ballot. Justice Brown has earned a reputation as a judge who respects the law and the California Legislatures decisions. She has consistently deferred to the legislatures judgment and not substituted her own political views. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090034446,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In other words. she knows the role of a judge is not to write the law but to apply the law. Justice Brown has also earned the respect of her California colleagues. In recent years. she has been chosen by the court to write the majority opinions more times than any of her fellow justices. She has the endorsement of both the Republicans and Democratic judges. lawyers. and law professors in California. Critics point to the statements that Justice Brown made about her policy views outsideoutside. I sayof the courtroom. While some may not agree with her personal opinions on issues. outside the courtroom is the place where she should feel free to make her policy views known. Some of her political views may conflict with the laws of the State of California. but Justice Brown has had no problem applying those laws to the cases before her. That is exactly what a judge is supposed to doapply the law to the facts of the case regardless of whether the judge would have voted for that law if she or he had been in the legislature. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090034446,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. 5 years ago. a discussion like this about nominees would have been overlooked by most Members of this body. A few Senators would give a statement on the Senate floor in support of a nominee to a circuit court. A few more Senators would insert a statement into the RECORD. And then the Senate would confirm the nominee by a rollcall vote or even a voice vote. That was the ordinary course of business in this body for 214 years. But that is not the case anymore. Ever since President Bush was elected. his nominees to the circuit court have been denied an upordown vote. During the 107th Congress. many of his nominees did not advance when the Senate was under Democratic control. During the 108th Congress. Democrats instituted the first partisan filibuster of judicial nominees. all of whom have majority support in this body. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090034458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in opposition to the nomination of Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. After being rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2002. and after being renominated and successfully filibustered by the full Senate in the 108th Congress. Justice Owen has been nominated yet again to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In my opinion. Justice Owen has not demonstrated an appropriate judicial temperament for a lifetime appointment to the Federal bench. More importantly. her own colleagues on the conservative Texas State Supreme Court have described her dissents as \"nothing more than inflammatory rhetoric.\" In another case.the majority stated that Justice Owens dissenting opinion. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11137}
{"speech_id":1090034458,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"... not only disregards the procedural limitations in the statute but takes a position even more extreme.\" However. I will not dwell too long on Justice Owens record. It speaks for itself. and as I mentioned earlier. we have given much time and thought to this nomination. Much has already been said in opposition to her nomination. Instead. I will spend some time on the majoritys plan in this Chamber to subvert the minoritys right to extended debate. I have spent the past few weeks listening to the debate over seven nominees who were not confirmed in the 108th Congress and have been renominated to the Federal bench by President Bush. We are nearing the end of a debate that may forever change the very nature of how this great institution operates: by a delicate balance of the majoritys ability to set.the agenda and the protection of the minoritys rights. One thing is clear to me. this discussion about the minoritys right to extended debate is not getting us any closer to enacting muchneeded legislation to assist our constituents. Outside of Washington. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11137}
{"speech_id":1090034458,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DC. on a daytoday basis our constituents face many challenges: escalating health care costs. record high gas prices. and mounting debt that will be handed down to our children and grandchildren. Despite these daytoday challenges. the majority party continues to put seven judicial nominations at the top of its agenda. Let it be clear to those following this debate. This discussion is over the fact that the Senate has passed only 95 percent of President Bushs nominees. not 100 percent. I take my responsibilities as a Senator very seriously. I am to provide the President with my advice and consent regarding the individuals he nominates for a lifetime position to the Federal judiciary. Let me say that again: a lifetime position on the Federal judiciary. Many have asked why the Democrats are so vigorously defending the rights of the minority in this case? Why do we need to preserve the tradition of extended debate with regard to judicial nominations? The reason why we are taking a stand against these nominees is because once they gain the Senates advice and consent. nominees are free to decide thousands of key cases that affect millions of Americans on a daytoday basis. If there are any objections we may have to a judicial nominees lifetime appointment to the Federal judiciary. this is the time for each Senator to voice that opposition. Unlike legislation. which may be amended and refined over time. judges on the Federal bench sit for a lifetime appointment with little recourse for correction or change. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11137}
{"speech_id":1090034458,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The only chance we as Senators have to voice our positions on their appointments is now. From civil rights to personal privacy. from environmental protections to a corporations financial matters. these nominees will affect public policy for decades to come. In fact. I dare say that we would be remiss in our Constitutional duties if we did not object to those nominees with whom we find unfit for a lifetime appointment to the Federal bench. It troubles me that the Senate has focused so much in the past few weeks discussing the fact that we have not acted on 7 of 218 of the Presidents nominees to the Federal judiciary. We are talking about seven individuals. seven individuals who have jobs. while 1.2 million people are without jobs since President Bush took office. seven individuals who most likely have health insurance. while 45 million Americans do not have health insurance. We should be talking about jobs and access to health care. We should be focusing on the need to increase funding to ensure that veterans. especially those returning from the global war on terror. have access to quality health care and benefits. We should be looking at energy legislation that will address the vital energy needs of our Nation. In short. we should be doing* what the American people sent us to Washington to do. to govern. not engage in an effort to ensure that this President has a 100 percent success rate for his judicial nominations. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11137}
{"speech_id":1090034458,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we want to start talking about legislation that is important to us as individual Senators. we could be talking about Federal recognition for Hawaiis indigenous peoples. Native Hawaiians. an issue of extreme importance to my constituents in Hawaii. We could be talking about ending mutual fund abuses for investors or promoting financial and economic literacy for our youth and adults alike. We could be talking about how to fund the promises we extended when we passed the No Child Left Behind Act which has been severely underfunded since its enactment. Instead. over these past few weeks out of 218 judicial nominations approved we focus on the seven that Democrats have opposed. -Despite confirming 208 nominations for a lifetime appointment on the Federal bench. there are those in this body who seek to subvert the rights of the minority for the sole purpose of ensuring that instead of a 95percent success rate. the President has a 100percent success rate with respect to his judicial nominations. This actidn will serve to deny me my ability to truly provide my advice and consent on individuals nominated to serve in the judiciary that our predecessors have preserved. It is sad that we have come to this point. During my tenure in the Senate. we have been able to work in a bipartisan manner to achieve our goals. Some of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle argue that this is the first time a filibuster has been used for a judicial nominee. Republicans have openly filibustered a number of nominees on the floor of the Senate.. five of whom were circuit court nomi-\" nees. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11137}
{"speech_id":1090034485,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. my friends and colleagues. I have not been here as long as Senator BYRD. and no one fully understands the Senate as well as Senator BYRD. but I have been here for over three decades. This is the single most significant vote any one of us will cast in my 32 years in the Senate. I suspect the Senator would agree with that. We should make no mistake. This nuclear option is ultimately an example of the arrogance. of power. It is a fundamental power grab by the majority party. propelled by its extreme right and designed to change the reading of the Constitution. particularly as it relates to individual rights and property rights. It is nothing more or nothing less. Let me take a few moments to explain that. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11573}
{"speech_id":1090034485,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Folks who want to see this change want to eliminate one of the procedural mechanisms designed for the express purpose of guaranteeing individual rights. and they also have a consequence. and would undermine the protections of a minority point of view in the heat of majority excess. We have been through these periods before in American history but never. to the best of my knowledge. has any party been so bold as to fundamentally attempt to change the structure of this body. Why else would the majority party attempt one of the most fundamental changes in the 216year history of this Senate on the grounds that they are being denied ten of 218 Federal judges. three of whom have stepped down? What shortsightedness. and what a price history will exact on those who support this radical move. It is important we state frankly. if for no other reason than the historical record. why this is being done. The extreme right of the Republican Party is attempting to hijack the Federal courts by emasculating the courts independence and changing one of the unique foundations of the Senate. that is. the requirement for the protection of the right of individual Senators to guarantee the independence of the Federal Judiciary. This is being done in the name of fairness? Quite frankly. it is the ultimate act of unfairness to alter the unique responsibility of the Senate and to do so by breaking the very rules of the Senate. Mark my words. what is at stake here is not the politics of 2005. but the Federal Judiciary in the country in the year 2025. This is the single most significant vote. as I said earlier. that I will have cast in my 32 years in the Senate. The extreme Republican right has made Federal appellate Judge Douglas Ginsburgs \"Constitution in Exile\" framework their top priority. It is their purpose to reshape the Federal courts so as to guarantee a reading of the Constitution consistent with Judge Ginsburgs radical views of the fifth amendments taking clause. the nondelegation doctrine. the llth amendment. and the 10th amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11573}
{"speech_id":1090034485,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I suspect some listening to me and some of the press will think I am exaggeratfng. I respectfully suggest they read Judge Ginsburgs ideas about the \"Constitution in Exile.\" Read it and understand what is at work here. If anyone doubts what I am saying. I suggest you ask yourself the rhetorical question. Why. for the first time since 1789. is the Republicancontrolled Senate attempting to change the rule of unlimited debate. eliminate it. as it relates to Federal judges for the circuit court or the Supreme Court? If you doubt what I said. please read what Judge Ginsburg has written and listen to what Michael Greve of the American Enterprise Institute has said: I think what is really needed here is a fundamental intellectual assault on the entire New Deal edifice. We want to withdraw judicial support for the entire modern welfare state. Read: Social Security. workmens comp. Read: National Labor Relations Board. Read: FDA. Read: What all the byproduct of that shift in constitutional philosophy that took place in the 1930s meant. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11573}
{"speech_id":1090034485,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are going to hear more about what I characterize as radical viewmaybe it is unfair to say radicala fundamental view and what. at the least. must be characterized as a stark departure from current constitutional jurisprudence. Click on to American Enterprise Institute Web site www.aei.org. Read what they say. Read what the purpose is. It is not about seeking a conservative court or placing conservative Justices on the bench. The courts are already conservative. Seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices appointed by Republican Presidents Nixon. Ford. Reagan. and Bush 1seven of nine. Ten of 13 Federal circuit courts of appeal dominated by Republican appointees. appointed by Presidents Nixon. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11573}
{"speech_id":1090034485,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ford. Reagan. Bush 1. and Bush 2. 58 percent of the circuit court judges appointed by Presidents Nixon. Ford. Reagan. Bush 1. or Bush 2. No. my friends and colleagues. this is not about building a conservative court. We already have a conservative court. This is about guaranteeing a Supreme Court made up of men and women such as those who sat on the Court in 1910 and 1920. Those who believe. as Justice Janice Rogers Brown of California does. that the Constitution has been in exile since the New Deal. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11573}
{"speech_id":1090034493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my good friend from Utah. He laid out in pretty logical form what is at stake. I have come to the Senate floor today to talk on an issue about which I seldom speak on this floor. I come to lend my voice maybe to break this impasse in which we find ourselves. The Senate has dwelt and droned for endless hours with at times very inflammatory language of which some of us and folks in America. the viewing public. have no doubt become very weary. I just got off an airplane from Montana. When I walked off that plane. I said it is time to act so we can move on to the business of addressing the issues that are pressing the times. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11809}
{"speech_id":1090034493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have run out of time and options. and now we must decide. and the hour is now. I cannot remember a time when I read more history of the Senate than on this occasion or in this situation. Some have made statements that this has never happened before in our history. That is wrong because there have been some contentious times facing each and every Congress since our beginning. and Draconian actions were taken to deal with the issues of the dangerous times. times of great peril. We survived them. and we will survive this one also. That is the greatness. of this country and the Senate because I think at times we underestimate our own abilities. It just seems to me that in the Senate. we cannot allow a small mifnority to radically alter longstanding traditions just because it does not like a President or maybe his or her judicial nominees. During the 108th Congress. the other side used the filibuster to block- upordown votes on 10 nominations to the Federal appeals courts. All of these judicial nominees had bipartisan majority support. The Senate would have confirmed them had they been permitted a vote. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11809}
{"speech_id":1090034493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And never in the history of this country has a judicial nominee with clear majority support been denied confirmation due to a filibuster. Further. nearly onethird of President Bushs nominations to the courts of appeal were denied upordown votes. The Democrats used or threatened to use the filibuster. In that respect. President Bush now has the lowest appeals court confirmation rate for the first 4 years of any modern Presidency. Has each judicial nomination been blocked due to improper qualifications? Everybody on this floor has talked about that. and the answer is no. Rather. each nomination has been blocked by a partisan few who are willing to change Senate tradition and custom of advice and consent imposing a 60vote requirement on each nomination. Every one of the judicial nominees being blocked by filibuster is of the highest academic and intellectual quality. and each represents a broad crosssection of American society. More importantly. all these nominees have demonstrated that they respect the rule of law. They are committed to interpreting and applying the law as it relates to the Constitution of the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11809}
{"speech_id":1090034493,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those folks who want to say this is a constitutional amendment. go to article II. section 2. and read what it says. The American people should know that for more than 200 years. the rule for confirming judges has been fair on an upordown vote. In the heart of every American I know. there is a common sense of fairness. These good people being nominated by President Bush are. at the very least. entitled to receive a vote. Whether you disagree or agree with the. particular person being nominated for a judgeship. it is incumbent on this legislative body to provide full and fair open debate on the nomination and to then allow proper democratic procedures to take place. We have heard words such as \"rubberstamp.\" I do not think you could say that. Were minorityleaders such as Howard Baker and Everett Dirksen and majority leaders such as ROBERT C. BYRD and Bob Dole rubberstamp Senators? I do not think so. I have heard the talk of theradical right. I wonder if there is a radical left also that grabs the ears of some folks. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11809}
{"speech_id":1090034493,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let there be no doubt about this issueit is as clear as a Montana morning. It is obstructionism that has caused this crisis that looms over us today. During the 108th Congress. 10 judicial nominations were either filibustered or threatened the use of filibuster. and 6 other nominations along with it. All of these nominations were supported by Senators of both parties and opposed only by a partisan minority. In fact. Judge Owen has received four votes in the Senate. and she carried the vote each time. Yet she is not on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Look at William Myers. The President nominated the former Solicitor of the Interior Department for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11809}
{"speech_id":1090034503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the majority leader be recognized at 5:30 p.m. today. provided further that from 6 to 7 this evening be under the control of the majority leader or his designee. that from 7 to 8 p.m. be under the Democratic control. with time continuing to rotate in that fashion until 9 a.m.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090034543,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I think that ought to make it clear we are just talking about the unprecedented use of the filibuster within the last 2 years. We are not talking about changing anything in regard to filibusters on legislation because we understand that is where you can work compromises. You cannot really work compromises when it comes to an individualis it either up or down. But you can change words. you can change paragraphs. you can rewrite an entire bill to get to 60. to get to finality. on any piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":511}
{"speech_id":1090034560,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the 20th century. the same party controlled the executive branch and the Senate 70 percent of the time. Seventy percent of the time. in the 20th century. the same party had the White House and a majority in the Senate. So I am sureby the way. that aggrieved minority in the Senate. for most of the time. was our party. the Republican Party.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":347}
{"speech_id":1090034652,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reserving the right to object. since I was to speak at 9:30. I want to intervene. I will withhold depending upon what my colleagues say in the spirit of the latest agreement to see whether it is necessary to comment. and if not then I wont. but otherwise I will not object to the request that has been made.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":322}
{"speech_id":1090034668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to comment on the passing of a dedicated. 28year employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs Insurance Center. Mr. George Poole. Until his untimely death. Mr. Poole served within the VA Insurance Service. widely regarded as a model of efficiency and service excellence within the Federal Government. We in the Congress spent a considerable amount bf time on the supplemental appropriations bill debating enhancements to insurance benefits for our servicemembers fighting abroad. We were successful in not only increasing the amount of life insdrance benefits available for servicemembers. but also creating a new traumatic injury insurance benefit for those severely disabled. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3019}
{"speech_id":1090034668,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without the assistance of public servants like George. who provide the Veterans Affairs Committee. and the Congress. with invaluable technical assistance on all legislation affecting insurance benefits. our job would be very difficult. George began his lifelong dedication to public service while serving honorably in the U.S. Air Force from 1964 through 1968. Subsequent to his service. he then received a bachelors degree and a law degree. taking full advantage of the Department of Veterans Affairsadministered GI bill. There is little doubt that his time in the military service of his country. and his subsequent studies under the GI bill. inspired him to pursue a career dedicated to helping his fellow veterans. This dedication to fellow veterans translated into a long and distinguished 28year career with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs where he served his Nation from 1977 until his death. His long career with the Department of Veterans Affairs was entirely within the Insurance Service where he served in an impressive litany of capacities. Starting as a claims examifier in the death claims activity. he worked his way up through numerous management level positions including section chief. division chief and finally culminating his distinguished career as chief. program administration. a senior management position. In this. the final step in his career ladder. he was responsible for a variety of duties.-not the least of which was composing legislative initiatives concerning servicemembers and veterans group life insurance programs. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3019}
{"speech_id":1090034668,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This insurance coverage is intended for members of this Nations ActiveDuty military and Reserve components. as well as veterans recently released from Active service. who are in. or recently were in. harms way defending the United States. The importance of assuring that all members of the military. veterans. and their families are properly provided for in their time of need goes without question. Therefore. Georges work will undoubtedly have a lasting effect on the families of thousands. I would like to extend my sincere ap_ preciation on behalf of a grateful Nation to the Poole family for Georges dedicated service to this Nations veterans. I also extend my heartfelt sympathies to the Poole. family during their time of sorrow.e","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3019}
{"speech_id":1090034681,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a privilege to join my colleagues Senators DODD. COCHRAN. LEVIN and AKAKA in introducing the International and ForeignLanguages Studies Act to increase study abroad and increase foreign language study here at home for undergraduate and graduate students. The study of foreign language and foreign cultures is more important than ever. Yet in 2003. the number of fellowships awarded for such studies was 30 percent less than the high point in 1967. Only 40 percent of undergraduates report taking any foreign language coursework and only 20 percent have studied abroad. Learning another language is more than a desirable educational goal. It is a national security goal as well. We need more students to pursue other languages. especially the lesser taught languages like Chinese. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1472}
{"speech_id":1090034681,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Japanese. Farsi. Dari Persian and Arabic. which will be critical for international business as well as for national defense. In addition to supporting language studies. the bill builds bridges with overseas universities to promote research and training abroad for American students. It supports the expansion of the CenterV for International Business Education. and increases the scope of the Institute for International and Public Policy by creating an accelerated track for PhD students in key areas. This bill is an important part of Americas participation in globalization. and I urge my colleagues to strongly support it. By Mr. ALLARD (for himself and Mr. SALAZAR):","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1472}
{"speech_id":1090034786,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. No. 1. there has been a lot Said about last night. I was one of the signatories of the agreement. I think last night gives us a chance to start over. Seldom in life do people get a chance to start over and learn from their mistakes. There have been some mistakes made for about 20 years on judges. and it finally all caught up with us. It started with Judge Bork. He was the first person I can remember in our lifetime who was basically subjected to \"how will he decide a larticular case.\" and he was attacked because of his philosophy. not because of his qualifications. It has just gotten worse over time. Clarence Thomaswe all remember that. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9828}
{"speech_id":1090034786,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The truth is. when the Republicans were in charge of the Judiciary. Committee. there is a pretty good case to be made that some of President Clintons nominees were bottled up when we had control of the Judiciary Committee. and they never got out into the normal process. Where do we find ourselves now? It started with an attack on one person because people did not like the philosophy of that person. which was new for the Senate. Before that. when a judge was sent over. we looked at whether they were qualified ethically and intellectually. One has to understand that there is a consequence to an election. When a President wins an election. that President has a right to send nominees over to the Senate for Federal courts. It has always been assumed that conservative people are going to pick conservative judges. and moderate and liberal people are going to be somewhere in the middle. That has worked for 200 years. The bottom line is. the President can send over somebody who they think is conservative. and they can be fooled. They can send somebody they think is liberal. and over a lifetime they may change. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9828}
{"speech_id":1090034786,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What we have been able to do as a body is to push back but eventually give people a chance to be voted on. I was a \"yes\" vote. Senator DEWINE and myself were ready to vote for the nuclear option this morning if we had to. the constitutional option. It can be called whatever one wants to call it. but it would have been a mess for the country. It would have been better to end this mess now than pass it on to the next generation of Senators because if the filibuster becomes an institutional response where 40 Senators driven by special interest groups declare war on nominees in the future. the consequence will be that the judiciary will be destroyed over time. People can get rid of us every 6 years. thank God. but once a judge is put on the bench. it is a lifetime appointment. We should be serious about that. We should also understand that people who want to be judges have rejected the political life. and when we make them political pawns and political footballs. a lot of good. qualified men and women who are moderate. conservative. or liberal will take a pass on sitting on the bench. If the filibuster becomes the way we engage each other on judges. if it becomes the response of epecial interest groups to a President who won who they are upset with. the Senate will suffer a black eye with the American people. but the judi ciary will slowly but surely become unraveled. That is why I think we have a chance to start over. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9828}
{"speech_id":1090034786,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why I voted for us to start over. and I hope we have learned our lesson. As to Priscilla Owen. it is the most manufactured opposition to a good person I have seen short of Judge Pickering. only to soontobe Judge Pryor and a close third is Justice Brown. What has been said about these people is beyond the pale. They have been called Neanderthals. If one has somebody they know and care about and they are thinking about being a judge. I think they need to be given fair warning that if they decide a case that a special interest group does not like. a lot of bad things are going to be coming their way. Do we really need to call three people who have graduated near the .top of their class. who have had a lifetime of service to the bar. Neanderthals? We have a chance to start over. and we better take it. because one thing the American people have from this whole show is that the Senate is out of touch with who they are and what they believe because we have allowed this thinlg to sink into the abyss. Priscilla Owen got 84 percent of the vote in Texas. and JOHN CORNYN knows her well. He served with her. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9828}
{"speech_id":1090034786,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She graduated at the top of her class. scored the highest on the bar exam. She has been a solid judge. What has been said about her has been a cutandpaste. manufactured character assassination. Whether she is in the mainstream. the best way to find out is when people vote. When Priscilla Owen finally gets a vote here soon. you are going to see she is very much in the mainstream. if a supermajority of Senators count for anything. She is going to get votes. She is going to get a lot more than 50 of them. So is Judge Pryor. The problem I have had with Bill Pryor and the way he has been handled is that he is the type person I grew up with. He is a conservative person. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9828}
{"speech_id":1090034845,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I discuss the nomination of Priscilla Owen to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. and to briefly discuss the compromise before us on the socalled nuclear option. I continue to oppose all three of the nominees that will proceed to upordown votes as the result of this compromise. and I will be voting against cloture on Priscilla Owen as a result. But I do acknowledge the importance of preserving the process of debating judicial nominees. I do not feel that the filibuster has been misused with regard to President Bushs nominees. as Ill explain shortly. but I am impressed at the efforts of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to avoid the allornothing nuclear option vote that threatened to cause us to break down as an institution. I also express my hope that the term \"extraordinary circumstances\" bhat is in this compromise is interpreted sensibly. When extreme nominees threaten the balance of our federal courts. I view those as extraordinary circumstances. I will continue to vote to block any nominee who is not suitable for the bench. and it will continue to be an unusual exception for me not to support a nominee. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7049}
{"speech_id":1090034845,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My standard has been extraordinary circumstances all along. As a former member of the Judiciary Committee. I attended a hearing on Priscilla Owen that lasted a full day. During that hearing. Owens record showed a particular disregard for precedent and the plain rule of law. Anyone who walks into a courtroom as a plaintiff or a defendant in this country should do so having the full confidence that there is impartiality on the part of the judge on the bench. They should have total confidence that the rule of law will be followed. and believe the issues will be judged on their merits rather than viewed through the prism of an individual judges personal values or beliefs. There is reason to be concerned about the record of Priscilla Owen. Time after time. even her own Republican colleagues. on a predominantly Republican Texas Supreme Court bench. criticized her for failing to follow precedent or interpreting statutes in ways that ignore the clear intent of the law. \u0095 What some of Owens colleagues on the bench have said about her opinions I think is important. In a case dealing with a developer seeking to evade Austins clean water laws. her dissent was called \"nothing more than inflammatory rhetoric.\" In another case. her statutory interpretation was called \"unworkable.\" In yet another case. the dissent she joined was called \"an unconscionable act of judicial activism.\" There is another reason this nomination is so important. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7049}
{"speech_id":1090034845,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is critical to all the nominees we are considering for appointnient to the Federal bench. and especially important for you here this morning. That is. what is the judicial philosophy and commitment to upholding current law as it -relates to a citizens right to privacy. I asked Justice Owen at her hearing about her beliefs on the right to privacy.. I asked her if she believed there was constitutional right to privacy and where she found that right in the Constitution. She declined at the time to answer that question without the relevant case information and precedents before her. When Senator FEINSTEIN followed up with a *similar question. Owen against would not answer whether she believes a right to privacy does exist within the Constitution. The question of whether a nominee believes that the right to privacy exists withregard to the ability to make decisions about ones own body is only the tip of the privacy iceberg. I believe that we are in an information age that poses new challenges in protecting the right to privacy. We are facing difficult issues including whether U.S. citizens have been treated as enemy combatants in a prison without access to counselor trial by jury. whether businesses have access to some of your most personal information. whether the Government has established a process for eavesdropping or tracking U.S. citizens without probable cause. and whether the Government has the ability to develop new software that might track the use of your own computer and places where you might go on the Internet without your consent or knowledge. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7049}
{"speech_id":1090034845,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are a variety of issues that are before us on an individuals right to privacy and how that right to privacy is going to be interpreted. A clear understanding of a nominees willingness to follow precedent on protecting privacy is a very important criterion for me. and it should be a concern for all Members. Of course. some of my concern and skepticism about Justice Owens views on privacy results from the opinions she wrote in a series of cases interpreting the Texas law on parental notification. In 2000 the State of Texas passed a law requiring parental notification. But they also included a bypass system for extreme cases. Eleven out of 12 times Owen analyzed whether a minor should be entitled to bypass the notice requirement. she voted either to deny the bypass or to create greater obstacles to the bypass. Owen wrote in dissent that she would require a minor to demonstrate that she had considered religious issues surrounding the decision and that she had received specific counseling from someone other than a physician. her friend. or her family. Requirements. I believe. that go far beyond what the statute requires. In interpreting the \"best interest\" arm of the statute. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7049}
{"speech_id":1090034845,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Owen held that a minor should be required to demonstrate that the abortion itselfnot avoiding notificationwas in the individuals best interests. In this particular case. I think she went far beyond what the statue required. Where does that put us? Women in this country rely on the right to choose. It is an issue on which we have had 30 years of settled law and case precedent. In the Fifth Circuit. there are three States that continue to have unconstitutional laws on the books. and legislatures that are hostile to that right to choose. The Federal cpurts are the sole protector of womens right to privacy in these states. I do not believe that the rights of the women of the Fifth Circuit can be trusted to Justice Priscilla Owen. The Senate provides each of us with the procedural privilege to thoroughly discuss my concerns about this nomineethe filibuster. The filibuster has -been used against me on issues I care deeply about. just as I have used this procedure when it was necessary to protect the people of my state. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7049}
{"speech_id":1090034869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise this afternoon to pay tribute to an exceptional young man who gave his life in the defense of freedom. Marine Cpl Todd Godwin. from Zanesville. OH. died on July 20. 2004. when the Humvee he was riding in was struck by shrapnel from a roadside explosive in the Al Anbar province in Iraq. He was 21 years old. CPL Godwin was a sniper with the 1st Battalion. 8th Marines. 2nd Marine Division and was on his second tourofduty in Iraq. Always ready with a smile or a joke. Todd was an easy going. respectful person with a big heart. He was also a Marine through and throughsomething he took very seriouslysomething he had been training for his whole life. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090034869,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Born on March 4. 1983. to Bill and Kathy Godwin. Todd was an alert. energetic child who grew up with an interest in the military. His father remembers him playing with G.I. Joes. wearing fatigues. and simulating wars. According to his brother. Aaron. the two boys would hang dolls outside and shoot at them with a BB gun. honing their targeting skills. Apart from these activities. Todd sought to perfect his body. He could often be found working out at \"the Fieldhouse\" fitness center or practicing his Tae Kwon Do. for which he received two blackbelts. Whether intentional or not. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090034869,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Todd seemed to be grooming himself for the military. acquiring a host of skills that would serve him well in the Marines. After graduating from Zanesville Christian School in June 2001. he joined the Marines. His high school principal said that Todd \"had a goal of being a Marine. and he wasnt going to let anything get in the way of that.\" Todd excelled as a Marine and completed the intensely competitive and selective sniper training to win a spot in the sniper platoon. It was a spot he wanted because. according to his mother. \"He wanted to be with people who were really serious about what they did.\" Indeed. Todd Godwin was a serious Marine who took pride in his duty to defend our country and to spread freedom to other parts of the world. Todd was an exemplary Marine and also just a good. decent personthe type of person others remember as having \"a way about them\"-the type of person who was quick to smile. who was compassionate. and who was good at making people feel at ease. It seems as though eVeryone who knew Todd liked him. One of his friends. Austin Thompson. remembers Todds ability to laugh in almost any situation: \"He always had a great sense of humor. and he was also very loyal to his friends. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090034869,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He always looked out for them and loved to be with them.\" Todd encouraged one of his friends. Josh Carpenter. to \"hang tough\" in Marine boot camp. He wrote a letter to Josh that said. \"Im sure you cant wait to graduate and get some of the comforts of life back. Just remember you have to pay your dues. just like every Marine. Im sure youll do fineI have confidence youll succeed..\" Josh had joined the Marines because he looked up to Todd. Todds letter helped Josh get through the challenges of boot camp. so that he. too. could be one of the few and the proud. A letter like that is a little thing. a small deed. but Todd Godwin was always doing those \"little things\" for others. That is just who he was. When Todd saw that his fiancees younger brother. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090034869,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Caleb. was wearing a U.S. Navy tie clasp. he brought him a Marine clasp to wear. instead. It was a small gift that meant a great deal to Caleb. who describes Todd as \"my best buddy I ever had.\" One of Todds friends from high school. Kimberly Burley. remembers another of his deeds that took place on the night of the Zanesville Christian School juniorsenior banquet: It was raining that night. and he came out to greet all the girls at their car with an umbrella. Such a gallant act was really typical of Todd. It was just another \"little thing\" he had done for others. But. when we look at all the \"little things\" togetherthe. letters. the tie clasps. the way he acted always. the jokes that made people smilewe see such a much bigger picture. a picture of an exceptionally caring. thoughtful. generous young man. We see that he did the \"little things\" for people because he had a very big heart. Todd also had big plans. He was engaged to Andrea Mendenhall. whom he loved dearly. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5963}
{"speech_id":1090034918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. .President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjourhment until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. May 25. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge. the morning hour be deemed to have expired. the Journal of the proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. andthe Senate then begin a period of morning business for up to 60 minutes. with 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. and the final 30 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. Following morning business. the Senate will return to executive session and resume the consideration of the nomination of Priscilla Owen to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. as provided under the previous order.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":795}
{"speech_id":1090034920,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tomorrow. following morning business. the Senate will resume consideration of Priscilla Owen to beU.S. circuit judge for the Fifth Circuit. Under a previous agreement. at 12 noon tomorrow. we will proceed to the vote on the confirmation. Following the vote on the Owen nomination. it is my expectation that we will move forward with the nomination of John Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have indicated they would need a good deal of time to debate the nomination. We plan to complete action on the Bolton nomination this week. and I will work with the Democratic leader to lock in a time agreement on the nomination.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":678}
{"speech_id":1090034950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H. Res. 291 is an open rule that provides for the consideration of H.R. 2419. the Fiscal Year 2006 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate. equally divided and controlled by the chairman and .ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule also provides one motion to recommit. with or without instructions. I would like to take a moment. Mr. Speaker. to reiterate that we bring forth this resolution under a fair and open rule. Historically. appropriations bills have come to the floor of the House governed by open rules. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3585}
{"speech_id":1090034950,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We continue to .do so in order to allow each and every Member of this House the opportunity to submit amendments for consideration. obviously as long as they are germane under the rules of the House. This legislation before us today. Mr. Speaker. appropriates almost $30 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. the Departments of the Interior and Energy. and several independent agencies. This bill is truly fiscally sound. representing a reduction of $131.7 million from the fiscal year 2005 legislation and the same spending level as was requested by the President in his budget request. At the same time. Mr. Speaker. this legislation provides the resources necessary to address the energy and water needs of the United States. H.R. 2419 provides $4.7 billion for the U.S. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3585}
{"speech_id":1090034950,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps is the worlds premier public engineering organization. responding to the needs of the Nation in peace and in war. For over 200 years the Corps has been involved in such important missions as flood control. shoreline prevention. navigation and safety on the waterways of this great Nation. The vital work of the Corps will continue under this act. which includes a vigorous civil works program. The bill also includes a number of significant changes to improve project execution and financial management. including more responsible use of reprogramming. continuing contracts and implementation of longterm financial planning. I would like to highlight a Corps project of particular interest to my community. the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program. The restoration of the Everglades. that wonder of nature. is the largest and most significant environmental initiative that this country has ever undertaken. The legislation continues our commitment to the restoration of this -environmental treasure with an appropriation of $137 million. I am pleased to report that Everglades restoration is moving forward expeditiously and effectively. Congress. and the Committee on Appropriations especially. should be proud of this environmentally sound action. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3585}
{"speech_id":1090034950,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The National Nuclear Security Administration. which includes the nuclear weapons program. defense nuclear nonproliferation. naval reactors and the Office of the Administrator. is funded at $8.8 billion. an increase of $24 million over fiscal year 2005. I am glad to see that the appropriators increased this program. Nonproliferation is essential to the defense of the homeland. Our work across the globe. especially in Russia. makes it ever more difficult for rogue states and terrorists to obtain the weapons necessary to attack the United States or our Armed Forces abroad or our allies. I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman LEWIS) and the gentleman fronii Ohio (Chairman HOBSON) for truly extraordinary work on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues. Mr. Speaker. to support both the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3585}
{"speech_id":1090034962,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. while Iam not present for todays debate on this rule or on the underlying Fiscal Year 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations bill due to an illness in my family. I do urge my colleagues to support both measures. This is an open rule and allows for full debate on funding for the Army Corps of Engineers. Bureau of Reclamation. and all programs and activities of the Department of Energy in the next fiscal year. Writing this bill was a challenging task. as Subcommittee Chairman HOBSON had over $130 million less to spend in Fiscal Year 2006 than was spent in Fiscal Year 2005. I commend Chairman HOBSON for the tremendous leadership he has shown in constructing this bill and for garnering bipartisan support for it in both his Subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee. I fully expect it will pass this House with strong bipartisan support as well. I particularly want to thank Chairman HOBSON for the continued commitment he has shown to the Department of Energys Environmental Management program and cleanup of the Hanford site in Washington state. The Administrations proposed budget reductions at Hanford would have jeopardized the progress and cleanup momentum that has been ach.ieved through accelerated cleanup over the past 3 years and put cleanup deadlines in jeopardy of being missed. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2825}
{"speech_id":1090034962,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The restoration of over $200 million for Hanford in this bill will ensure that cleanup momentum continues. the Department has the ability to meet its legal timelines. and that skilled workers remain on the job. The Federal government has a legal and moral obligation to cleanup Hanford and the Nations other nuclear waste sites. and this bill ensures that these promises are kept. In addition to significantly restoring funds to Hanfords budget. this bill provides funding for preservation of the B Reactor. for operation of the Volpentest HAMMER training facility. and for the critical effort to develop replacement lab space for Pacific Northwest National Lab scientists who will soon be required to vacate their current workspaces for cleanup work. PNNL is home to worldclass researchers and ensuring they are able to continue their work is important for our Nation and for the economic future of the TriCities community in Washington state. While water project funding is much tighter this year due to overall spending constraints. I am pleased that several important Washington state initiatives were included in this bill. Scarce funds will be used to continue the progress on the Bureau or Reclamation study of additional water storage in the Yakima River Basin that I began in 2003. Additional funding is also provided for work to address depletion of the Odessa Subaquifer. the Port of Sunnysides wastewater treatment and wetland restoration project. and the deepening of the Columbia River channel.","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2825}
{"speech_id":1090034984,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to make some brief comments and then engage in some colloquy with the chairman. Not to repeat anything that has been already said. but just to highlight why I can believe this is such an excellent work product. really three reasons: one. this chairman over the last 2\/2 years has gone out into the country. both on the water side and on the energy side. gone into the depths of very complex places like our nuclear weapons complex. gone into our scientific research institutions. energy research. gone and seen demonstrations and the advancement of technology. and tried hard to understand what needs to be proposed. This chairman deserves tremendous credit. At no time in my 9 years on the Committee on Appropriations have I seen this kind of diligence that the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman HOBSON) has shown. Secondly. it has been very fair and Very bipartisan all along the way. Third. this is one of the greatest assimilations of professional staff on both sides of the aisle. people with expertise and experience coming to the same subcommittee at the same time at a very important time. My hat is off to all of these individuals for their diligence. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2056}
{"speech_id":1090034984,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if I may engage in a colloquy. I would like to say a few words on the importance of fielding a leadershipclass computer for open science. For the past 2 years under your leadership. this subcommittee hds provided additional funds to achieve this goal. and I thank you for this commitment. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory and its partners were competitively selected to carry out this effort. With the additional funds provided by this bill. they will continue down that path. The $25 million for hardware will enable the Center For Computational Science at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to upgrade the existing system to 50 teraflops. This will get us halfway to the goal of a leadershipclass computer which is a 100 teraflop H3786 cc system. The remaining funds will help support the operations and software.","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2056}
{"speech_id":1090035049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my good friend for yielding and for his leadership on this bill and for cosponsoring it. along with the gentleman from Alabama on the other side of the aisle for his leadership over the last 3 years as we crafted this legislation. It is finally on the floor after almost 3 years of work. and again I thank my friend. the gentleman from Alabama for his leadership. One of the best kept secrets in America today is that umbilical cordblood stem cells and adult stem cells are curing people of a myriad of terrible conditions and diseases. One of the greatest hopes that I have is that these currentday miracles. denied to many be-. cause of an insufficient inventory and inefficient means of matching cordblood stem cells with patients. will now become available to tens of thousands of patients as a direct result of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005. H.R. 2520. Amazingly. we are on the threshold of systematically turning medical waste. umbilical cords and placentas. into medical miracles for huge numbers of very sick and terminally ill patients who suffer from such maladies as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. And because this legislation promotes cordblood research as well. we can expect new and expanded uses of these very versatile stem cells. For the first time ever. our bill establishes a nationwide stem cell transplantation system. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1738}
{"speech_id":1090035049,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It also authorizes the national bone marrow transplant system and combines both under a new program. providing an easy. singleaccess point for information for doctors and patients and for the purpose of collecting and analyzing outcomes data. The new program created in our legislation is named for our distinguished colleague. the gentleman from Florida","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1738}
{"speech_id":1090035092,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in favor of adult stem cell research. characterized by the gentleman from New Jerseys bill. and oppose H.R. 810. the Castle legislation. that would propose Federal dollars for destroying human embryos for embryonic stem cell research. I can illustrate the difference with these two binders. In this one binder there are 67 successful treatments using adult stem cells. and stem cells from cord blood. adult stem cells for treatment of diseases. They are all categorized here by diseases. successful treatments. From embryonic stem cell research: zero. The simple fact of the matter is with the use of embryonic stem cells the only thing that you have today are dead embryos and dead laboratory rats with tumors. They have not worked. They do not work. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":896}
{"speech_id":1090035092,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With adult stem cells you have live patients with treatments. This is the ethical way to go. This is what we should support.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":896}
{"speech_id":1090035093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we wonder. as most medical scientists wonder. why not both kinds of research. We in no way want to restrict it to just one or the other like my friends on the other side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":299}
{"speech_id":1090035098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the legislation to help. us have continued success in the funding for research for uses for adult stem cells. Adult stem cells really encompass a number of different kinds. People have talked today about cord blood. They have talked about the bone marrow stem cells. A number of them have already been used clinically and with much success. I believe it is this Congresss duty to help support that. because certainly we will have many people who have benefited already and additional people in the future who can benefit from this kind of research. In fact. the University of Pittsburgh in my hometown just announced about a week or so ago that they are doing clinical trials regarding the use of bone marrow stem cells to help reverse chronic heart failure. I met a gentleman actually who was involved in the research. and they talked about trials that have already been done in South America that have been successful. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1185}
{"speech_id":1090035098,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are all with adult stem cells. It is important for Congress to fund research. but it is especially important for this Congress to fund responsible research and that is the research supported on this bill on adult stem cells.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1185}
{"speech_id":1090035157,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we need to remember that embryonic stem cell research is legal. In the absence of the Federal Government. the States are already taking the lead. California is at the forefront of establishing a robust embryonic stem cell research program. New Jersey has followed suit. and seven other States are in the process of doing so. We do not want our stem cell research policies left to the vagaries of State electoral politics. The Federal Government in general. and NIH in particular. must be involved. The less NIH is involved with its timetested methods and procedures. the less we are assured of good ethical guidelines and scientific methods will be followed. Instead. we will have more and more individual States attempting to set up their own reghlatory schemes. something they may or may not be equipped to do. Opponents argue that it is the product of a utilitarian world view. that somehow this is a zerosum game. if the Members will. in which life is taken in order to give life. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1441}
{"speech_id":1090035157,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think the strictures that are established by H.R. 810 negate that argument. Under this bill. Federal research will proceed using those embryos not used in fertility clinics. embryos voluntarily given that would otherwise be destroyed. that is. embryos that held the promise of life but are certain not to fulfill that promise. What we are doing is extending the potential life where otherwise there would be none. I urge passage of H.R. 810.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1441}
{"speech_id":1090035244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the majority leader for yielding me this time. and I am rising in opposition to the legislation that would fund the destruction of embryos in order to take the stem cells for research. There are a number of reasons that I oppose the bill. The very first one. though. is one of the statements we keep hearing over and over again from those who support the bill. and that is that these embryos would just be discarded. This morning. I met several families. parents with young children who are here in Washington. These children were just like every other child. but they were different. And they were different because these children are the snowflake babies. They have been referred to a little bit today. but for those just joining the argument. the snowflake babies are born from what would have been discarded embryos in fertilization clinics. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1724}
{"speech_id":1090035244,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is important that we know this. because it is not. no option. that these embryos would be discarded or tossed aside. It is true these embryos are often adopted. And. in fact. the children I met today were wonderful evidence of that. It looks like these embryos do not have to be discarded. All they needed was a mother and 9 months. We do not have to choose between embryonic stem cell research and cord blood. assuming that only embryonic can solve problems..And. in fact. there is no proof that embryonic stem cell research can be successful. This list on the left on this chart shows all the different treatments currently using adult stem cells. On the right is the list of success with embryonic stem cells. It is a pretty empty list. I encourage my colleagues to reject the false promise of embryonic stem cell research and reject this legislation.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1724}
{"speech_id":1090035289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. most of my colleagues that support this bill are from the prochoice field. I come at it from the prolife section. A lot of times I disagree with my colleagues because I think in some cases they would go further. and a fact that many people will not take under their wing is that many of these stem cells are going to be thrown away. either cryogenically they deteriorate and they throw them away. or a woman says \"I dont want to keep them for 1.000 years\" and they discard them. They literally throw them in the toilet. Now we can save life. They say there is no good to be done. Animal studies have shown that work with th& spinal cord. heart and others have been successful. We have not done it on humans. If you take a look at some of the blood diseases with bone marrow used. that is stem cell. ","speaker_name":"RANDALL CUNNINGHAM","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":50.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1015}
{"speech_id":1090035289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we have hope- in the future. I met a young man that had AIDS at NIH. and he only thought about dying. He said. \"Duke. all I need is hope to survive.\" This gives that hope. and I think it has promise.","speaker_name":"RANDALL CUNNINGHAM","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":50.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1015}
{"speech_id":1090035297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill. which will expand funding for embryonic stem cell research. and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of it. What I would like to say today is the following: Scientists have informed us. the professional scientists in Qur country. not political scientists. but scientists. and what they have told us from their considerable work and research is that this issue represents hope. It represents hope for the cure of diseases that plague so many of our people. from juvenile diabetes all the way to the other part of life. which is Alzheimers. and so many diseases in between. This Congress and previous Congresses have seen fit to double the funding of the National Institutes of Health. I have always called them the National Institutes of Hope. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090035297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are now on the threshold. we are now on the threshold of debating an issue that can bring hope to our people. It is up to us to have an ethical standard in this debate. That is why no human cloning is a part of the bill that I support. Why? Because no one supports that. The American people are decent and they want an ethical standard. but they also want their Nations leaders to continue to give hope to them. hope for the cure of these diseases that cause so much human suffering. We have a responsibility in terms of our compassion. in terms of the instruction that our Nations scientists have given to us. . So I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is an ethical bill. and it is a bill that is all about hope. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090035297,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in support of this bill which will expand funding for embryonic stem cell research. and Im proud to be an original cosponsor of it. Under this bill embryonic stem cell lines will be eligible for Federal funding only if the embryos used to derive stem cells were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and are in excess of clinical need. Today. there are thousands of surplus embryos from fertility treatments that will never be used and will likely be discarded. We should allow parents who choose to donate these embryos for use in federallyfunded stem cell research to do so. . My homestate of California recently approved a $3 billion ballot initiative to fund embryonic stemcell experiments. It is the largest Statesupported scientific research program in the country. This initiative places California at the forefront of the field and exceeds all current stermcell projects in the United States. But without additional Federal funding. our scientific leadership is being transferred overseas. Where the leadingedge research is carried out matters a great deal. Any policy restricting Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research threatens the longterm vitality of the U.S. economy. and most importantly denies millions of Americans hope. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090035297,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge all my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on H.R. 810.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090035299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the majority leader for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening in opposition. strong opposition. to H.R. 810. not as a physician. not as an obstetriciangynecologist. but as a prolife Catholic who firmly believes in the sanctity of life. I have sat here for almost 3 hours listening to every word of the debate as part of my job as a member of the rebuttal team. and here is my legal pad of notes and rebuts. Most of those rebuts are against people on my side of the aisle. because this issue is clearly a bipartisan issue. You have Members. Republicans and Democrats. who are for the bill. indeed the authors. and you have Republicans and Democrats who are in opposition to the bill. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2608}
{"speech_id":1090035299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I have got plenty of rebuttals that I could make. but very briefly. I will just mention one or two. One of the gentlemen on my side of the aisle said that we need the Federal Government. we need the Federal Government involved in embryonic stem cell research and the funding of that to proyide ethical guidelines to the States. You remember that comment. maybe an hour or so ago? Well. if the Federal Government is involved in a program where taxpayer dollars are spent to destroy human life. what ethical advice can they give to my State of Georgia. I ask? I think none. You see. I firmly believe in the sanctity of life. and I believe that life does begin at conception. and these embryos are definitely living human beings. The gentleman just said a few minutes ago that \"I cant imagine that a 14week blastocyst has the same value as a human being.\" Indeed. it does. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2608}
{"speech_id":1090035299,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would ask my colleagues to look at these charts and what we know with these socalled frozen throwaway embryos that nobody wants. Well. there are hundreds today of these snowflake children. and there will be many more when people realize this is available to them. Yes. it starts as an embryo. just a few cells. and then a blastocyst. But then here is a 20week ultrasound with a beating heart and brain and limbs and moving. and then here is the final result. Let me just say in conclusion. the gentleman from New Jersey talked about his development. his growth and development. and going backwards in his life. He stood in this well and said. \"I am an adult man today. But yesterday I was a teenager. and before that I was a toddler.\" But he did not go the opposite direction and say \"In 20 years I will be a senior citizen. and after that I may be in a nursing home and I may have Alzheimers. I may be a vegetable.\" You would not want to destroy those lives. any more than the embryos at the beginning of life.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2608}
{"speech_id":1090035303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished majority leader for yielding me this time. We are here debating H.R. 810. which directs the Federal Government to spend tax dollars on embryonic stem cell research. This bill. therefore. implies that stem cell research is not already going on but stem cell research is alive and well in America. Adult stem cells are currently being used to treat people. and successfully. This bills approach. however. will remove stem cells from human embryos. This will kill the embryo. :nd whether .we like to think about it or not. embryos are indeed human beings. Every human life begins as a human embryo. and by extracting their stem cells. this bill uses American tax dollars to destroy human life. The embryonic stem cell research in this bill destroys human life. and I believe that we as the American people should not destroy human life with American taxpayers dollars. not even in the name of research.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":938}
{"speech_id":1090035322,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in Missouris 5th District there are two individuals. Jim and Virginia Stowers. who did not seek a Federal grant. but who used $2 billion of their own money to begin some very vital research. They founded the Stowers Institute. And the Stowers Institute employs brilliant researchers from more than 20 countries around the world. and they are working with the most advanced tools to answer the questions and build the bridges between diseases and cures. Our Nation is blessed with the greatest minds and researchers on this planet. But to whom much is given. much is required. And so. Mr. Speaker. this Nation has a wonderful opportunity right now to respond to the needs and the interests of its people. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1137}
{"speech_id":1090035322,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Two boys. twin boys were in bed. One fell out of the bed in the middle of the morning. and when the parents went in to see him and asked what happened. he said. as he looked up to the bed. I think I was sleeping too close to where I got in. And that is where we are. Mr. Speaker. Even after the President has spoken. we are. as a Nation. still sleeping too close to where we got in with regard to research on stem cells.","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1137}
{"speech_id":1090035347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 810. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak on behalf of H.R. 810. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. Today there have been bills presented that discuss. among other things. the merits of embryonic stem cell study versus cord blood cell utilization. This discussion. while interesting. misses the point of promoting stem cell research in general: Scientific breakthroughs that may originate from stem cell examination have the power to better. and even save the lives of our fellow citizens afflicted with terrible diseases. Stem cell research holds out hope for those suffering with. for example. diabetes. Parkinsons. and coronary heart disease. the number one killer of adults in this country. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090035347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must encourage this research. and the legislation offered by my colleagues from New Jersey and Delaware is an important step forward in our attempts to find cures for these diseases. Moreover. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act promotes the establishment of ethical standards with regard to the procurement of embryos utilized in the research. The only embryos that can be utilized are ones .that were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and are in excess of clinical need. Further. the individuals seeking fertility treatments for whom those embryos were created have determined that these embryos will not be implanted in a woman and will be otherwise discarded. Finally. these same individuals have provided written consent for embryo donation. The development of standards. both ethical and clinical. is an important aspect of stem cell research. This bill directs that the National Institutes of Health develop guidelines to insure that researchers adhere to the highest possible principles in scientific inquiry. Here we have a unique opportunity to establish national standards that will become the benchmark for scientific study throughout the world. By encouraging scientific breakthroughs while at the same time observing the highest possible standards of ethical and clinical behavior. we can go a long way towards battling geneticallybased diseases that have ended the lives of so many. Thank you Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090035347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. and I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090035362,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am Stem cells are the foundation cells for every pleased to support H.R. 810. the Stem Cell organ. tissue. and cell in the body. Embryonic Research Enhancement Act of 2005. This leg- stem cells. unlike adult stem cells. possess a islation takes the critical first step in expanding unique ability to develop into any type of cell. the number of stem cell -lines that are eligible Embryonic stem cell research holds the potenfor federally funded research. tial for treating a variety of diseases such as For years. the United States has been the Lou Gehrigs disease. Parkinsons disease. preeminent world leader in the field of bio- Alzheimers disease. autism. cystic fibrosis. technology. We have made extraordinary ad- heart disease. diabetes. multiple sclerosis. and vancements in the treatment. management osteoporosis. as well as spinal cord injuries. and prevention of a wide range of disabilities. H.R. 810 would impose strict ethical guideIts nearly impossible to read a newspaper lines for embryonic stem cell research and without hearing of some new breakthrough- would lift the arbitrary restriction limiting funds drug cocktails for AIDS patients. gene therapy to only some embryonic stem cell lines cretreatments. new medical devices. ated before August 10. 2001. By removing this These advancements are cause for celebra- arbitrary restriction. H.R. 810 will ensure that tion. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090035362,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our mothers and fathers. our spouses. researchers can not only continue their work children and grandchildren are benefiting like to prolong or save lives. but also conduct such never before. They are living longer. healthier - research using newer. less contaminated. lives due to our investments in scientific re- more diverse. and more numerous embryonic search. stem cells. H.R. 810 does not allow Federal funding for the creation or destruction of embryos. This bill only allows for research on embryonic stem cell lines retrieved from embryos created for reproductive purposes that would otherwise be discarded. This point is critical: If these embryos are not used for stem cell research. they will be destroyed. Former first lady Nancy Reagan once said. \"Science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research. which may provide our scientists with many answers that for so long have been beyond our grasp. I just dont see how we can turn our backs on this. We have lost so much time already. I just really cant bear to lose any more.\" Let us not turn our backs on this important research and the 128 million Americans who could benefit from it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090035362,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us not lose any more time. Let us pass H.R. 810. the \"Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.\"","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2668}
{"speech_id":1090035386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that. during further consideration of H.R. 2419 in the Committee of the Whole pursuant to House Resolution 291. the amendment I have placed at the desk be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole and be considered as original text for purpose of further amendment. and that no further amendment to the bill. as amended. may be offered except: Pro forma amendments offered at any point in the reading by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees for the purpose of debate. Amendments printed in the RECOR\" and numbered 1. 2. and 5. The amendment printed in the RECORD and numbered 3. which shall be debatable for 24 minutes. Price (GA) Price (NC) Pryce (OH) Putnam Radanovich Rahall Ramstad Rangel Regula Rehberg Reichert Renzi Reyes Reynolds Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rogers (MI) Rohrabacher RosLehtinen Ross Rothman RoybalAllard Royce Ruppersberger Rush Ryan (OH) Ryan (WI) Ryun (KS) Sabo Salazar Sinchez. Linda T. Sanchez. Loretta Sanders Saxton Schakowsky Schiff Schwartz (PA) Boswell Dingell Hastings (WA) Linder Schwarz (MI) Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Sensenbrenner Serrano Sessions Shadegg Shaw Shays Sherman Sherwood Shimkus Shuster Simmons Simpson Skelton Slaughter Smith (NJ) 9mith (TX) Smith (WA) Snyder Sodrel Solis Souder Spratt Stark Stearns Strickland Stupak Sullivan Sweeney Tancredo Tanner Tausqher Taylor (MS) Taylor (NC) Terry Thomas NAYS--1 DeFazio","speaker_name":"DAVID HOBSON","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1477}
{"speech_id":1090035391,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I ask River and Harbor Act of 1962. and of which unanimous consent that title I be con- $25.000.000 shall be exclusively available for sidered as read. printed in the RECORD projects and activities authorized under secand open to amendment at any point. tion 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948. and","speaker_name":"DAVID HOBSON","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":314}
{"speech_id":1090035460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank tion of any real property or any facility or the gentleman for yielding. for plant or facility acquisition. construcMr. Chairman. I have at the desk an tion. or expansion. and the purchase of not amendment. a proposed amendment to exceed 40 passenger motor vehicles. for replacement only. including not to exceed two buses. $6.181.121.000. to remain available until expended.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":397}
{"speech_id":1090035509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. earlier I entered into a colloquy with the chairman. and he was good enough to clarify for me some parts of this committee report that are important to me. I would like to further build a context on which my concerns were built. In this committee report accompanying the bill. there is directive language at pages 122 and 123 and 124 that can be taken to amend the explicit terms of existing laws. And the laws at issue. which the report language could be construed to change. of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and possibly even the National Environmental Policy Act. both carefully wrought. are both vitally important. I do not think it is the intention of the committee report to change the laws because I do not think it can but nevertheless it makes some strong recommendations. The committee report laments the latest delays at Yucca Mountain. The startup date has slipped again. this time from 2010 to 2012. The committee. to its credit. with the chairmans strong support. funds Yucca Mountain at the requested levels. I think we should. $651 million for fiscal year 2006. and I commend you for that and finds this sufficient to do the engineering work. continue the license application. continue the design work. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10324}
{"speech_id":1090035509,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have an interest in this because I represent four nuclear reactors. and I live in an area where nuclear generation accounts for 50 percent of our electricity. My constituents pay one mil per kilowatt per hour to fund a permanent waste facility. and they and the others who pay this assessment deserve to have their money spent well and used solely for that purpose. a spent fuel repository. The chairman has assured me wholeheartedly that he wants to see. too. that that end is accomplished. But Yucca Mountain in the words of the report \"recedes into the future.\" I am concerned if we open up new options. even expedients like interim storage. and if we use the Nuclear Waste Fund to pay for these options. then Yucca Mountain will keep on receding into the future. This report proposes a concerted initiative. It is a bold proposal for interim storage of spent fuel and for reprocessing of spent fuel. These are ideas that have been considered in the past. but abandoned. The committee brings them back to life. provides some funding. but it is only a tiny fraction of what these facilities are going to cost. So you cannot avoid the concern that some. if not all. of this money may come from the Nuclear Waste Fund at the expense of Yucca Mountain. I have this concern because Savannah River Site is among the specific sites singled out as a candidate for interim storage. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10324}
{"speech_id":1090035509,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I become more concerned when I read the report which says: \"The committee directs the Department to begin the movement of spent fuel to centralized interim storage at one or more DOE sites within fiscal year 2006.\" That is next year. If this is taken literally. I do not see how they can possibly prepare an EIS. That is why I was saying that the report would almost override the National Environmental Policy Act. There is no way they can finish an EIS on a matter of such importance in a year. The report recognizes that the Nuclear Waste Policy Act applies to these matters. For example. the report recognizes that the NWPA borrows an interim storage facility at the same location as the permanent repository. Yucca Mountain. and yields to that law by proposing that the storage facility be sited elsewhere. In another place. the report calls for a plan of implementation within 120 days. Here again. it anticipates that legislative changes may be necessary to execute the plan by asking DOE to submit them. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10324}
{"speech_id":1090035509,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In these respects. the committee report supports my point* that explicit law cannot be amended or overridden by report language. But in pushing for an interim storage facility. the report is on the collision course with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act because it abandoned the idea of interim storage in 1990 by sunsetting the law that passed it. In its place it authorized a retrievable storage facility. but only after Yucca Mountain is licensed. So these were my concerns. These were the reasons for asking for the colloquy and asking for the clarification. I have problems with interim storage. and I have problems with reprocessing fuel. But I support the chairman in his endeavor to see Yucca Mountain finished. and I also support the chairman in his quest to see that nuclear power is able to make a comeback. because I think it has a role in our energy future. That is the reason I asked for clarification. to make sure that the committee was not pushing the envelope and overriding the statutory law on pages 122. 123. and 124. which struck me as more than just report boiler plate. I appreciate the confirmation. the clarification from the committee chairman and for all of his other efforts in bringing together this bill. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me to make this clarification. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10324}
{"speech_id":1090035509,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. BARRETT and I have an amendment. but before I explain it. let me explain why I am offering it. There is a longstanding rule of this House against legislating policy on an appropriation bill. but its honored in the breach. In the case of this bill. the committee report contains directive language at pages 122. 123. and 124 that can be taken to amend the explicit terms of existing law. And the laws at issue. which the report language could be construed to change. are the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. both carefully wrought laws. and both vitally important. The committee report laments the latest delays at Yucca Mountain. The startup date has slipped again. this time from 2010 to 2012. The committee. to its credit. funds Yucca Mountain at the requested level. $651 million for fiscal year 2006. and finds this sufficient to do the engineering work in support of the license application and to continue the design work. I represent 4 nuclear reactors and live in an area where nuclear generation accounts for fifty percent of our electricity. My constituents pay 1 mil per kilowatt hour to fund a permanent waste facility. and they and others who pay this assessment deserve to have their money spent well and used solely for the intended purpose: a spent fuel repository. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10324}
{"speech_id":1090035575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. For fiscal year 2006 and 2007. the Army Corps has implemented new guidelines for determining whether a harbor is considered high use and. therefore. eligible to be considered to be funded for dredging in the Presidents budget. In order for a harbor to be considered high use. it must move at least 1 million tons of cargo per year. This would have severe ramifications on small. rural harbors. such as Ontonagon Harbor in my district. which has typically been included in the Presidents budget. If the harbor is not dredged. the future of our paper company. SmurfitStone Container Corporation. which relies on the harbor for coal and limestone deliveries. and White Pine Power. a revitalized coal plant that depends on the harbor for coal deliveries by ship for its power generation. will be in jeopardy. Without this yearly dredge. these communities are subject to harsh floods and the inability to receive goods they need through these harbors. I seek assurance from the gentleman that he will work with the Corps and us to reevaluate this policy that could affect not only my small harbors. but small harbors throughout this country..","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090035621,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. embryonic stem cell research has the potential to lead to cures of debilitating diseases affecting millions of people. Wellrespected medical experts from many of our Nations finest institutions have been seeking cooperation from the Federal Government for this research and have been stymied by the cell lines available under current law. H.R. 810. a bill which I am proud to be an original cosponsor of. provides strong. ethical guidelines that ensure high standards in stem cell research. It also provides hope to countless people who live each day less sure of their future. Some would suggest we must choose. between lifesaving research on the one hand and high moral standards on the other. This is a false choice. We can and must have both. H.R. 810 gives hope to the ill and maintains Americas high ethical purpose. It has my full support.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":859}
{"speech_id":1090035749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are going to move forward with a vote on Priscilla Owen. It is well that the Senate is moving. There are other judges who are waiting and have waited a long time. We have three judges from Michigan. There is no reason we cant move those four very quickly. They were held up as a result of an intractable procedural matter. That is no longer. We can do those judges in a very short timeframe. We also have a person Senator HATCH has been wanting to have for some time now. way into last year. a man by the name of Griffith. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1136}
{"speech_id":1090035749,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are willing to move him. There were some problems. Some Senators will vote against him. There is no question about that. Senator LEAHY. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. has made a number of negative speeches about Griffith. We will agree to a very short timeframe on his nomination and move it on. That would be four appellate court judges very quickly. I hope we can do it in the immediate future. We could clear four judges today or tomorrow. I suggest the absence of a quorum and ask unanimous consent that the time be charged equally against both Senators SPECTER and LEAHY.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1136}
{"speech_id":1090035773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I ask fort to work in a bipartisan manner. unanimous consent that the Senate For 3 straight years. we have reported now proceed to the consideration of Ex- out foreign affairs authorization bills ecutive Calendar No. 103. the nomina- by unanimous votes. During the last tion of John Bolton. to be U.N. ambas- Congress. we met 247 times. which was sador. provided further that the debate 50 percent more frequently than any up to 6:30 this evening be equally di- other committee in the Senate. In alvided between the chairman and rank- most every case. the subject of the ing member. I further ask that if a clo- meeting and the selection of witnesses ture motion is filed on the nomination. enjoyed bipartisan support. notwithstanding the provisions of rule We have undertaken the cooperative XXII. that vote occur at 6 p.m. on path. not because we always agree..but Thursday with a live quorum waived. because we know the stakes are high provided further that when the Senate for our country in the international resumes debate on the nomination on arena. We face severe threats capable Thursday. all time until 6 p.m. be of undermining our national security equally divided as stated above. fur- and our economic wellbeing. We bether. that if cloture is invoked on the lieve we should strive to approach nomination. the Senate then proceed these questions with as much unity as to a vote on the confirmation of the possible. nomination with no further inter- On the John Bolton nomination. our vening action or debate. provided fur- committee could not develop a conther that following that vote. the sensus position. From the start. memPresident be immediately notified of bers had widely divergent views of Secthe Senates action and the Senate re- retary Bolton and his suitability for sume legislative Senate. finally. I ask the U.N. ambassadorship. Members consent during the debate on the nomi- formed different opinions about the nation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2095}
{"speech_id":1090035773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator VOINOVICH be in con- nomineebased on their assessment of trol of 1 hour of debate. the role of the United Nations. their in-","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2095}
{"speech_id":1090035799,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Senator will yield for a further question. I understand that the analyst with whomBolton had this confrbntation said that what Bolton was seeking to say didnt represent the judgment of the intelligence community. In other words. the analyst was stating correctly the position of the intelligence community which Mr. Bolton was. in effect. seeking to ignore or go against. So it is not as though the analyst was seeking to impose his own personal opinion. His judgment corresponded with the vetted judgment of the broader intelligence community. is that correct?","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":568}
{"speech_id":1090035810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Senator will yield. that is correct. Not only did I ask that. but the chairman of the committee asked that. and it was resolved that we were not asking it to be made public. we were not asking those names to necessarily be made available to the whole Foreign Relations Committee. although that was the chairmans preference. and ultimately the chairman concluded it should not even be provided directly to me or the chairman. but it should be made available to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the ranking member or vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. and they should decide how our committee would review the information. I think the information should be provided to me and to Senator LUGAR. as well. but the way this was parsed out. it was going to be that the National Security Agency was going to come and brief the Senate Intelligence Committee. of which I am no longer a member. andI thoughttell them the names of these Americans. I might add further. the reason for that is. there are unsubstantiatedI emphasize \"unsubstantiated -allegations that Mr. Bolton may have been seeking the names of these Americans to seek retribution. that it may have been intelligence analysts with whom he disagreed or policymakers against whom he was trying to make a case in terms of the direction of American foreign policy. I do not know that to be the case. The question is why did he need the names.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090035856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. to my good friend from Delaware. one of the interesting aspects of what has occurred in the Senate over the last week or so is an impetus to go back and do a lot of historical research. I went back and looked at the Articles of Confederation and the Founding Fathers and what they had to say about this provision of advise and consent in the Constitution. It is interesting. I was very taken aback with how they went about modifying. If the Senator and others will indulge me. I would like to discuss that for a moment or two because I think it poses a question I would like to put to my good friend. That begins at this juncture. You may ask why it is particularly appropriate for the Senate to be in executive session today. because on this day in 1787. 218 years ago. our Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution first reached a quorum so that the Constitutional Convention could draft our Constitution and they could proceed. It took several years to get it done. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090035856,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"George Washington had been calling for such a convention for years. but it was not until this day. 218 years ago. that the convention finally began. S5890 co From May 25. 1787. straight through the summer. 55 individuals gathered .in Philadelphia to write our Constitution. It was a hot summer. with long and arduous debate. and many drafts went back and forth. Careful consideration was given. Finally. In midSeptember. it was over. It was a monumental achievement. one that would .enable the United States today. 200plus years later. to become the oldest. continuously surviving republic form of Government on Earth today. I mention all this because one of the key compromises our Founding Fathers made throughout the Constitutional Convention was with respect to the advise and consent clause. Our Framers labored extensively over this section of the Constitution. deferring final resolution of the clause for several months. Some of the Framers argued that the President should have total authority to appoint. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090035856,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Others thought both the House of Representatives and the Senate should be involved in the process. Ultimately. a plan that was put forth by James Madisonif I may say proudlyof Virginia. won the day. where the President would nominate judges and executive nominees. and the Senate would reject or confirm them. In Federalist Paper No. 76. in 1788. Alexander Hamilton explains in detail exactly why this compromise was so important. Let me read a portion of Hamiltons quote: It has been observed in a former paper that \"the true test of a good government is its aptitude and tendency to produce a good administration.\" If the justness of this observation be admitted. the mode of appointing the offices of the United States contained in the foregoing clauses must. when examined. be allowed to be entitled to particular commendation. It is not easy to conceive a plan better calculated than this to promote a judicious choice of men for filling the offices of the Union. I presume he wasnt looking into the future. so I will add \"women.\" Today. this great compromise can be found. unmodified. in article II. section 2 of the Constitution. This section of the Constitution reads in part as follows: The President shall nominate. and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate. shall appoint . . . public Ministers and Consuls. Judges of the supreme Court. and all other Officers of the United States ... Thus. the Constitution provides a role for both the President and the Senate in this process. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090035856,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The President has the responsibility to nominate. and the Senate has the responsibility to render advice and consent on the nomination. While article II. section 2 of the Constitution doesnt explicitly make a distinction between the Senates role with respect to executive branch nominees and judicial nominees of the other branch of Government. the tradition of the Senate. in recognition of the Constitution. dictates otherwise. Traditionally. a President. especially after taking office following an elec-","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090035863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reason I say this is that. in the debates in the Constitutional Convention on this nominating process. on three occasions I believe it was Governor Wilson of PennsylvaniaI am not positive of thatproposed a motion that the President of the United States should have the power alone to appoint his Cabinet and inferior officers in the court. It never got. to the best of my knowledge. more than -seven votes. The only consideration that almost passed twice was that only the Senate. without the President even in on the deal. could make those appointments. If we look at the constitutional history. the President was an afterthought in the nominating process. That is what Madisons notes show. That is what the history of the debate in the State legislative bodies shows. So here we are. the Connecticut Compromise comes along guaranteeing that small States will be able to have an impact on these choices. but go back and look. and I think it is Federalist 77do not hold me to thatbut it is Hamiltons treatise on why there was a need to have the Senate involved in choosing not only judges but appointments to the Federal Government. There was the ftar that what happened in the British Parliament would be repeated. that. in fact. the King and the leaders of the majority would appoint incompetent people. such as their brothersinlaw. their friends. to be surrounding them in their Cabinets. in the lesser offices of the Federal Government. So it was a genuine concern and a clear understandingI- think the phrase in Federalist 76 is. this is off the top of my headif by this we are limiting the President. so be it. that is our intention. To the specific question. yes. there is more deference given to the President of the United States in the appointment of his Cabinet than there is to his appointments to the Supreme Court. district court. any lower court. or any. other appointed office in the Government. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3447}
{"speech_id":1090035863,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the single exception that was intended by the Framers. if you read what they said. in terms of even appointing those around him. if the persons he would pick. notwithstanding that they would reflect the Presidents political views. if the appointment ifiures to the detriment of the United States. they should be opposed. There have not been many occasions when I have opposed nominees to the Presidents Cabinet or Cabinetlevel positions. and I imagine there have not been many my friend from Virginia has opposed. But I opposed two in the Clinton administration. f opposed one in the Carter administration. Ithink I opposed two in the Reagan administration. In each case. my oppositionand this would be only the second one I have opposed in this administrationis because the appointment of that individual. notwithstanding the fact that he or she is the choice of the President. would have the effect of negatively affecting the Standing. security. or wellbeing of the United States. So there are exceptions. and I would argue Mr. Bolton. as my friend from Ohio. I suspect. is going to make a compelling case. falls into the category of. yes. the President gets who he wants. unless the appointment of that person would inure to the detriment of the United States. That is the central point I am trying to make. I understand my friend does not agree with me. but I honestly believe Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3447}
{"speech_id":1090035863,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bolton going to the U.N. will inure to the detriment of the United States. notwithstanding the Presidents judgment that it would not do that.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3447}
{"speech_id":1090035870,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my friend. I would also go back to Federalist 76 and read the following provision dated Tuesday. April 1. 1788. author Alexander Hamilton: The President is \"to nominate. and. by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. to appoint ambassadors. other public ministers and consuls. judges of the Supreme Court. and other officers of the United States whose appointments are not otherwise provided for in the Constitution. But the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior offices as they think proper in the President alone. or in the courts of law. or in the heads of departments. The President shall have the power to fill up all vacancies which may happen during the recess of the Senate. by granting commissions ... This is the operative paragraph to which I wish to refer: It has been observed in a former paper that \"the true test of a good government is its aptitude and tendency to produce a good administration.\" I said that. If the justness of this observation be admitted. the mode of appointing the officers of the United States contained in the foregoing clauses. must. when examined. be allowed to be entitled to particular commendation. It is not easy to conceive a plan better calculated than this to promote a judicious choice of men for filling the offices of the Union. and it will not need proof. that on this point must essentially depend the character of its administration. Mr. President. our distinguished President has served in office 4 years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5153}
{"speech_id":1090035870,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was reelected with a clarity by the votes. He is now putting together his administration for these coming years. The nomination of John Bolton. with whom I have had considerable experience in work. in whom I have a strong sense of confidencehe has chosen this individual. I might say by and with the consent of his Secretary of State. a very able and most credible individlal. in my experience. in working with the distinguished current Secretary of State. The President. together with his principal Cabinet officers. has put together an extraordinary national security team. John Bolton will be a valuable addition to this team. The President and his Secretary of State. Condoleezza Rice. have been clear in their belief that John Bolton has the experience and skills to represent the United States at the United Nations and to carry out the Presidents priorities to strengthen and reform the United Nations. I agree with the confidence they place in this nominee. John Bolton has had a long and distinguished career in public service and in the private sector. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5153}
{"speech_id":1090035870,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most recently. he has served for the past 4 years as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. In that capacity. Secretary Bolton worked to build a coalition of over 60 countries to help combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction through the Proliferation Security Initiative. PSI. He was a leader in creating the G8 Global Partnership. which invited other nations to support the NunnLugar nuclear threat reduction concept. As a result. many other nations are now participating with the United States in helping to eliminate and safeguard dangerous weapons and technologies which remain in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Previously. John Bolton has served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. as an Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice. and many years ago he held several senior positions in the Agency for International Development. He has also had a distinguished legal career in the private sector. It is no secret that Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5153}
{"speech_id":1090035870,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bolton has at times advocated or represented positions which have sparked controversy. He has done so with a frankness and assertiveness that demonstrate his strongly held beliefs. As the Senate considers this nomination. we should -keep in mind the words of Secretary Rice. She stated: The President and I have -asked John Bolton to do this work because he knows how to get things done. He is a toughminded diplomat. he has a strong record of success and he has a proven track record of effective multilateralism. Secretary Rice concluded her remarks by saying. and I quote again: John. you have my confidence and that of the President. Given the enormity of problems facing the U.N. today. we have an obligation to send a strongminded individual to help constructively to solve these problems and to build the confidence of the American people in the U.N. I share the Presidents and the Secretarys belief that John Bolton will enthusiastically advance the Presidents goal of making the United Nations a stronger. more effective international organization. I urge my colleagues to support this nomination and to send Mr. Bolton to the U.N. to represent our Nation and to advance the Presidents agenda of reform. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5153}
{"speech_id":1090035870,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Such reform is necessary to restore American confidence in the U.N. and to ensure that the U.N. will remain a vital and respected international organization in the years to come. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to print in the RECORD two articles from the New York Times and the Washington Post with regard to the Bolton nomination.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5153}
{"speech_id":1090035921,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I think I addressed the Senators personal concern. The Senator knows me well enough to know that when I say I am not accusing him personally of anything that would be inappropriate. I have stated I am talking about open discussion of intelligence information. quite frankly. not only in this nomination process but in the Intelligence Authorization Act in regard to a whole series of other subjects I will not go into. that many people have spoken to on the floor. many people have talked to the press about. and I do not think it is appropriate. I will say again. I am not accusing the Senator of anything inappropriate. I think from the whole standpoint of this body. subjects such as this should be done in executive session. I think that because of all the problems we have had in regard to leaks and in regard to information that is not helpful to our national security. That is about as far as I will go with it. I could go through quite a laundry list of concerns I have of things that have been made public and what has happened in regard to our adversaries. what has happened in regard to our intelligence capability. and I worry about it. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090035921,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So my concern was basically the continued open discussion of things of this nature. not the Senator from Connecticut.","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090035937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Denying Members of this body information is part of a woeful pattern of this administration denying information to the Congress. Even the Republicans of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittees and the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee over in the House included language in their bill which says that the Bush administration should be criticized \"for its lack of responsiveness to repeated Congressional requests for information.\" Mr. President. this Senate. as a bodyshould insist on legitimate requests for information from its Members. Every Memberevery Membershould add his or her voice to the demand for the production of relevant documents which Senators need to decide on confirmation or for any other legitimate reason. This body will be a lesser place if we do not stand with each other when it comes to gaining access to documents. at least in the absence of a claim of executive privilege. Now. I happen to believe we should give deference to the President on the selection of his team. but deference does not mean abdication of our best judgment when a nominee crosses the line. If we do that. we will send the wrong mes\u00a7age to anyone working in the intelligence community who sees Mr. Boltons behavior rewarded rather than seeing him held accountable. If we do that. we will send the wrong message to the international community. to send a repeat abuser of intelligence and an abuser of intelligence analysts to be our representative a.t the United Nations. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2543}
{"speech_id":1090035937,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have the opportunity to send.a different message to the intelligence community and to the world. We can cast a vote for objectivity in intelligence. for intelligence that is free of political influence. and for accountability. But before we votebefore we votelegitimate requests for documents and information from Members of this body should be honored and should be supported by every Senator. That is a need which. at one time or another. each one of us has. and as an institution we should. in one voice. demand that need be met. This is a demand for relevant documents relevant to the qualifications of this nominee to be confirmed to this high office. It is a demand for documents which relate to an issue which is clearly. involved in this nomination. and that has to do with a pattern. on the part of Mr. Bolton. of punishing people who analyze intelligence who do not give him an analysis that he likes and that supports his own policy. Mr. President. I thank the Chair. and thank my good friend from Minnesota for yielding the time.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2543}
{"speech_id":1090036045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to applaud President Bush on his recent statements in support of renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. While touring a biodiesel facility in Virginia last week. President Bush stated. \"Our independence on foreign oil is like a foreign tax on the American Dream. and that tax keeps growing every year.\" The President called on Americans to increase our use of renewable fuels and highlighted -biodiesel as a fuel of the future. \"You are beginning to see a new industry evolve.\" the President stated. \"and as more Americans choose biodiesel over petroleum fuel. they can be proud knowing they are helping to make this country less dependent on foreign oil.\" The energy bill that passed the House and is currently being debated in the Senate would increase our use of renewable fuels and reduce our reliance on foreign fuel. The President has called on Congress to get him that energy bill by the August break. We need a national energy policy sooner rather than later. and a policy that strengthens and encourages the development and use of renewable fuels like biodiesel and ethanol.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1119}
{"speech_id":1090036110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I am also aware that the item the gentleman mentioned was actually stricken on the parliamentary question. I would like to submit for the RECORD the chairman of the committees letter to that effect and also the statement from CBO upholding that decision.","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":274}
{"speech_id":1090036154,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me just say with respect to what the gentleman from Arkansas said. never has so much been written and said about one issue in such a short period that has been so wrong. and I wanted to clarify the record. The amendment that was introduced. and the second amendment that the. gentleman from Arkansas described as terrible and that the managers amendment will replace. has been described as antiwoman. has been described as disruptive to current operations. and has been described as confusing to commanders. I just want to be clear. Mr. Chairman. The language that was inserted would not have resulted in one woman losing her job or risk being shut out from any position for which she was qualified or that was open to her. not one. not now. not at any time in the future. despite what some of the opponents have said. That was the entire intent. to make it clear for the first time in law that the women who are doing a fantastic job on behalf of the military could not be excluded from any job for which they are operating and were qualified at that moment. not from forward support companies. not from any other position which they had. just because the traditional. linear battlefield had changed. As to the confusion that some say occurred. let me just say to my friends in the military and to my friends who have questioned this amendment. and particularly my friends in the Army. does it not trouble you when you say that it would be confusing to your commanders when. for the first time ever. they are handed something that just embodies what you say is your policy? The policy that was developed and placed into that amendment. the military wrote and now you claim that you are following. Congress did not make that up. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090036154,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Politicians did not define it. the military did. Now you say it is confusing. I would ask my friends in the military particularly. when did you plan on making it clear? The amendment today will clarify matters even further. I fully support it. But I really think the characterizations that have been made against the text that is replacing it have been unfair and simply inaccurate as to what the position would be with respect to the honorable men and women in military uniform.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090036192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"amendment may be helpful in sending an important signal to the Muslim world that America has no desire to stay in Iraq. but it fails toaddress the necessary linkage between an exit strategy and security. Moreover. I am persuaded that this is not the moment for Congress to cast what the insurgents predictably would describe as a vote of no confidence in our efforts to assist the new Iraqi government to draft a constitution and to develop the police and military forces needed to maintain order so that the Iraqi people can decide in free and fair elections whether to ratify that document. Mr. Chairman. this is not a perfect bill. And the process under which it was debated was not all that it should have been. But. overall. the bill deserves to pass and I urge its approval.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":780}
{"speech_id":1090036640,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me extend my thanks. and I know on the other side of the aisle the leadership and membership extend their thanks. to all of our great staff people who did such a wonderful job putting this bill together and bringing it to the House floor. We appreciate them.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":275}
{"speech_id":1090036646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide -an extension of highway. highway safety. motor carrier safety. transit. and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund pending enactment of a law reauthorizing the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.","speaker_name":"THOMAS PETRI","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090036651,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. it was September 24. 2003. when this House was considering the first surface transportation extension bill that I said. \"I am afraid we will be back here on this floor once again pleading for another extension of time to \"keep transportation programs from once again expiring. I do not want to be back on this floor saying again what I said 6 years ago. Time is running out.\" Well. what I said 20 months ago has been right again and again. Tonight we are here following six extensions of current law pleading for. once again. a temporary extension of authorization for highway construction. safety and public transportation funding. And what is discouraging .is we are almost in the same position we were a year ago when both Houses passed legislation. met in conference to resolve our differences. but the unwillingness of the White House to agree to a level of investment the country really needs and which we all understand is needed prevented the conference from coming to a successful resolution. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090036651,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So here we are with extension number seven. Like the six previous extensions. this bill provides for a clean extension of program funding authorization. which means that in the interim we have not been able to modify or update current surface transportation programs that need those adjustments. The bill will provide $3.14 billion in new contract authority for highway programs through June 30. 2005. I better say 2005. lest we get confused with the next year. For transit programs. the bill provides $647 million for the month of June to allow programs to continue for one more month. E 2045 The best news about this bill is that the prospects look better than they have for the past 2 years. The chairman of our full committee. the gentleman from Alaska has been designated. or will be designated and agreed upon to be the Chair of the conference. I think that indicates that we will move with expeditious resolve to get this legislation completed in the month allotted by this extension of time. But let us not underestimate the problems lying ahead of us. They are enormous. and they are principally funding problems. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090036651,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have passed through our committee. through this House. in extraordinarily good time. early in this year. carrying our responsibility as we said we would do. to the transportation needs of America. but it has been the other body and the other branch of government that have not done their part. Now. I am confident that when we get into conference. we could just take our bill. if the other body would simply accept it. we would get it passed. and we would meet the transportation needs of the country. but I suspect it is not going to be quite that simple. So it is reassuring that our chairman will be the conference chair. and that means that things will move along. I think. very expeditiously. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090036663,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. we are poised to enact our seventh extension of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21). This Act was originally set to expire in September 2003. Unfortunately. after nearly two years of consideration. Congress has been unable to pass a new reauthorization measure. I truly hole that this is the last extension we have to pass. The transportation reauthoriza-. tion guides all federal spending on highways and transit systems. The delay in enactment of this legislation has left states and transit systems uncertain about the funding they will have. As a result. they have delayed critical constructions projectsand good paying jobs have been lost. State departments of transportation reported at the end of last year that collectively they had already delayed the implementation of more than $2 billion worth of highway and transit projects. which has caused nearly 90.000 job opportunities to be lost. ","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1721}
{"speech_id":1090036663,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The delay in implementation of transportation construction projects is also causing the traveling public to suffer. The new 2005 Urban Mobility. Report published by the Texas Transportation Institute found that drivers now waste nearly 4 billion hours and $63 billion waiting in congestion. The only way to reduce this congestion and to create new jobs is for states to build the new roads and transit projects they needand states cannot do that until the federal government meets its responsibility and commits funding for these projects to the states. There is an old saying: even if you are on the right track. youll get run over if you just sit there. Right now. it is time to get movingand to get our transportation system movingby passing a transportation reauthorization.","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1721}
{"speech_id":1090036676,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tonight I rise to celebrate individual courage and individual strength. Last Saturday in Carson City. Nevada. an act of bravery and unselfishness occurred when Mr. Loren Boyles saved the life of a Carson City deputy sheriff. As he was leaving for work early Saturday morning. Mr. Boyles came across Deputy Wayne Gray who was down and being attacked by a suspect he was attempting to restrain. Without hesitating. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090036676,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Boyles jumped in and kept that suspect from doing serious. if not fatal. bodily harm to the deputy. He helped to apprehend th6 assailant and then stayed with Deputy Gray until additional officers arrived at the scene. Loren Boyles represents the best in the people. of Nevada and of America. He was not afraid to intervene in what was undoubtedly a dangerous situation to save the life of Deputy Gray. Afterwards. he just went on to work. saying. It was not a big deal. I was just helping out. But. Mr. Speaker. it was a big deal. ","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090036676,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Everyday heroes make this country great. Heroes like Arland D. Williams. Jr.. who died. in the icy Potomac River helping fellow survivors of Flight 90 get to lifelines. He did not worry about his own safety. Instead. selflessly he helped others. Heroes like Pat Tillman. who walked away from a $3.6 million contract as the starting safety for the Arizona Cardinals to defend our country. He too did not want glory. refusing even to grant interviews to talk about his decision. Mr. Boyles has a long record of selfless bravery as well. ","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090036676,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A veteran U.S. Air Force military policeman. Boyles risked his life repeatedly during his three tours of duty in Vietnam. And earlier this week. he did not hesitate to risk his life to save someone in need from a dangerous individual. Yet Boyles has remained modest about the entire incident. telling the local newspaper. the Nevada Appeal: \"The cops are the real heroes here. They are on the front lines every day protecting us from guys like this.\" Mr. Boyles bravery is commendable. and his modesty is laudable. His heroism is an inspiration to not only the people of Nevada but to. all Americans. So to Mr. Boyles I say thank you for aiding your fellow citizens. and I commend you for your heroism. ","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090036676,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"May your sense of duty and selflessness be a model for all Americans.","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090036678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. next Monday is Memorial Day. And tonight. in my opinion. a majority in the House of Representatives besmirched that day. A majority. a partisan majority. on a near partyline vote. rejected the idea that our National Guard troops deserve health insurance while they are serving our country. They said. oh. they get it 90 days before they are deployed. Yet many Guard members fail to qualify for deployment because of existing and preexisting medical problems. They get it for 180 days after they come back. That should be enough. The chairman of the committee said something extraordinary. He said. oh. they have all got health insurance at their jobs. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090036678,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What jobs? 50 percent of my Guard unit that just came back from Iraq do not have jobs. and they have a very limited health insurance that is going to run out pretty darn soon because of that vote tofight. Now. they are probably going to go back next year to Afghanistan. But in the interim. we cannot afford health insurance for those young men and women and their families. That is extraordinary to me. The chairman talked eloquently about 16yearold helicopters. We need to replace them. What about the 22yearold Guardsman who does not have a job. just came back from Iraq. whose health insurance is going to expire this summer. who has a wife and a kid and a not really great economy in Oregon and cannot get health insurance through our State because of cutbacks in Medicaid? But we are going to ask him to go back to Afghanistan next year. What is that all about? We cannot afford health insurance for that young family? We have to buy some new helicopters. Those helicopters are junk without the Guardsmen and the Guardswomen and the regular Army and the Marines. the people who make them work. It does not matter if they are 1 month old. 1 year old. 16 years old. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090036678,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without those dedicated troops. those helicopters cannot fly. It is unbelievable to me that the chairman of the committee would force Members of his own party to follow him in this vote. Fifty percent of my Guardsmen are unemployed. Fifty percent have just returned from Iraq to no job. They do not have insurance. And of the 50 percent that have jobs. despite the chairmans statement. most of those people do not have health insurance either. like so many Americans who work fulltime and do not have health insurance. And we are worried about Guard retention. They are going to have fabulous new bonuses to try and get people to enlist or reup. How about basics? Basics? Health insurance for those Guardsmen and -women and their families. the same education benefits that people on active duty get. We are using our Guardmembers indistinguishably from the active duty Army. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090036678,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Indistinguishably. They are performing special operations. They are doing all the same things we ask the regular Army to do. But they do not get the same education benefits. They do not get the same health benefits. They do not get the same retirement benefits. and many times they do not even get the same equipment. They are put in harms way with inadequate equipment. It is a disgrace to this House that we were told we cannot afford to add onequarter of 1 percent. That is about 18 hours spending out of a year to the military budget in order to provide permanent health insiurance for everybody who is still active in a Guard unit in this country. Hopefully. the Senate will act with more wisdom and force a reversal here. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090036678,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am proud to have voted with our Guardsmen and -women. and I am proud to have stood up with them and said they deserve better and our countr. recognizes their service and they recognize it by extending adequate benefits including health care. particularly as we come up to Memorial Day. So those who voted against it. I hope they are asked on Memorial Day. why did you vote against giving me health insurance? Because there 4re an awful lot of Guardsmen and -women who would like to know the answer to that question.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3955}
{"speech_id":1090036701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Colorado for those observations. Many people do not realize that life does go on in Baghdad. There is a degree of normalcy. It has been almost universal. my experience with the troops. who have indicated that their number one desire is to get back to their units. some who have even lost limbs. Mr. Speaker. I would now like to yield to a very unusual Member. He spends a lot of his time in the House gym. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090036701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has been up on Everest several times. I do not know if he has ever made it to the top. He has climbed\" a lot of the highest mountains in the world. and has become a great friend. We have actually been to Iraq twice. and he even wore a Nebraska football hat as we flew over Baghdad. so Members can tell he is an unusual person. I am referring to the gentleman from Colorado . and I would appreciate any recollections the gentleman has of the trip.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090036709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman for his comments. And we will not even get into that elephant that was hung in his district. That is for another special order. I just want to mention the bravery of Iraqi officials. We kind of stick our necks out here a little bit. but over there when they run for office. they are literally putting their life on the line and their families. And that jumped out at us. The other thing I might mention is that General Casey mentioned to us that he thought things were going better since the elections. but he said the wild card here is the issue of the Sunnis. are the Sunnis going to be incorporated? That is still up for grabs. So we do not want to leave the American people with an impression .that everything is perfect. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1155}
{"speech_id":1090036709,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are still problems. But I think anyone who goes there and spends time there. spends time with the soldiers. from either party. we may disagree on how we got there. whether we should have gone there. but you have to be impressed with the soldiers in this situation. If anyone has a closing comment for the good of the order. we would be glad to hear it from any of you.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1155}
{"speech_id":1090036729,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my good friend. the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross). The gentleman and I were elected in the same class. in 2000. I thank the gentleman for his leadership for so ably representing the conservative values of his district. I do not agree with every one of his positions. but nobody advocates more fearlessly for the interests of his district than the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross). Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1699}
{"speech_id":1090036729,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee . I am honored to be on the floor with both of them this evening. The gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. .Ross) noted that I am from New York. from Long Island. New York. One of the wisest decisions that I ever made in coming to Congress with the gentleman was to join the Blue Dogs. And. in.fact. most of the Blue Dogs do come from the South. I am probably the only Blue Dog who speaks with a distinct New York accent. Sometimes we need a translator to figure each other out. But it really does not matter whether you are from. the Deep South or the south shore of Long Island. What binds Blue Dogs are principally two issues: Number one. a sense of fiscal responsibility. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1699}
{"speech_id":1090036729,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We believe that we ought to play by the same rules on the floor of the House that every American family has to play by at their kitchen tables. You have got to balance the books. Those folks do not have the ability to simply print money in their basements. They have got to balance their books. They have got to reconcile their checkbooks. We believe the same. The second thing that we believe is that we have got to have a strong and robust military. something I agree with passionately. Now. I have the privilege of serving with the gentleman from Tennessee","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1699}
{"speech_id":1090036735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would advise the gentleman to continue to join us if he will. The gentleman speaks to us on these veteran issues and these military issues with a lot of authority as a member of the House Committee on Armed Services. And I want to thank thQ gentleman for what he does for our veterans and our men and women in uniform as we continue to try and advance health insurance around the clock for our men and women in the National Guard and our Reservists. I think what the gentleman from Long Island has basically summed up for us this evening is about priorities. It is about. do we want another $106 billion in tax cuts when we borrow 45 percent of that money from Japan and China and the Caribbean banking centers and Korea and the OPEC nations and Germany and Taiwan and Mexico? Or do we want to do right by our men and women in uniform. by our veterans? Do we want to build the kind of roads we need to create jobs and economic opportunities for the future and do we want to fix- Medicare? All this talk about Social Security. if we do not touchit. the first reduction in benefits happens when I am 91 years of age. And yet Medicare. which is what our seniors count on to stay healthy and get well. is bankrupt in 14 years. And yet no one is talking about that. These are priorities that are important to those of us in the Blue Dog Coalition. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2130}
{"speech_id":1090036735,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we understand that as long as we continue to borrow money from foreign countries. as we continue to borrow money to the tune of $1.1 billion per day. think about that. as a Nation we are spending $1.1 billion a day more than we are taking in. It is about priorities. And until we get our fiscal house in order. we are not going to be able to meet the needs of our children. our grandchildren and the future of this great country. Mr. Speaker. I would like to yield at this time to the gentleman from Tennessee . the cochair for policy for the Blue Dog Coalition. I thought we could engage in a colloquy to discussing the 12point reform plan. We do not just want to beat up the Republicans for bankrupting this country. We want to offer a solution. and we have got one.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2130}
{"speech_id":1090036819,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. health care in this country is a crisis of major proportions. Seniors are still splitting pills to make their medications last. People will not go to a doctor because they cannot afford it. Only if some are near death will they rush to the hospital. It is clearly time for a universal. single payer. notforprofit health care system called Medicare For All. and that is exactly what H.R. 676. sponsored by the gentleman from Michigan","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":445}
{"speech_id":1090036833,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. Iyield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield -myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker. H. Res. 298 is an open rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2528. the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2006. The rule allows for 1 hour of general debate. equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. It waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090036833,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It waives points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI. prohibiting unauthorized appropriations or legislative provisions in an appropriations bill. It authorizes the Chair to accord priority and recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in vides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Under the rules of the House. the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph. Mr. Speaker. today I am proud to. present for consideration the rule for the very first Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriation bill. This important subcommittee was formed to take an allinclusive look at the programs related to the quality of life for the brave servicemen and -women who currently serve America in the Armed Forces. their families and those men and women who sacrificed so much for our freedom in the past. I also believe the bill before us achieves this important goal in a fiscally responsible manner. The new subcommittee held 14 hearings this year covering a wide range of issues pertaining to their new jurisdiction. and I believe their product is a strong one. The underlying bill totals $121.8 billion of which $85.2 billion is discretionary and $36.6 billion is mandatory. The discretionary funding lev(.l represents a $1 billion increase above the Presidents request and $5.9 billion above last years enacted level. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090036833,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill funds the Department of Veterans Affairs at $68.1 billion. $2.3 billion above the fiscal year 2005 enacted level. and $635 million above the 2006 budget request. Particularly important is the $21 billion for veterans medical services. $1.6 billion above the 2005.enacted level and a billion dollars more than the budget request. This is an 8.5 percent increase over last years level. and an 18.2 percent inbrease in medical services from fiscal year 2004. Perhaps most importantly. and what I heard the most about from the veterans back home in northwest Georgia. is that this bill does not contain any new fees for veterans medical services or prescription drugs. The bill restores funding for longterm care to the level it was in the fiscal year 2005 appropriation legislation. and the bill directs the Secretary to work with the National Association of State Veterans Homes to generate an agreeable policy to make the program function more effectively for the veterans and for the taxpayer. Mr. Speaker. there are two State veterans homes in Georgia that are hugely important to many aging citizens and their families. and I am personally grateful for this measure. Additionally. the bill includes language directing the Department to spend more than $2.2 billion on specialty mental health care in fiscal year 2006. an important issue that many Members of Congress brought to the atterition of the chairman. The subcommittee also included report language directing the VA to double the funding available for mental health research. For the Department of Defense. the bill provides a total of $53.5 billion. and within this total is funding for military construction. for family housing construction and maintenance. basic allowance for housing payments. facilities maintenance. modernization. and environmental restoration. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090036833,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Also included in this bill is $20 billion for the Defense health program. This is an increase of $1.8 billion above the fiscal year 2005 enacted level. and it is $192.3 million above the 2006 Presidential budget request. This amount. will sufficiently allow for ongoing preparation of our brave soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines while caring also for their families at home. LI 1030 Finally. the subcommittee has- allowed for greatly enhanced interaction between the Department of Defense and the VA to explore joint ventures that can enhance a continuity of services provided between the two departments. Mr. Speaker. in a tough budget yeat such as this. we have a responsibility to make sure that scarce resources are allocated in the most effective and efficient manner possible. This bill achieves that goal. Mr. Speaker. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Subcommittee Chairman WALSH. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090036833,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ranking Subcommittee Member EDWARDS and. of course. Chairman LEWIS for their vision and hard work on this bill. I look forward to this debate. and I encourage my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090036863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I rise again in support of this rule and in recognition of its importance to the men and women who have and who continue to serve and protect America. Mr. Speaker. our service men and women sacrifice so much for the safety and security of this Nation. and we have the responsibility to ensure that they have everything that they need. not only to succeed in their duties. but also to enjoy the quality of life that they deserve. This bill represents the culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of cooperation to not only completely support our service men and women but to also do so in the most helpful and fiscally responsible way. With a total amount of $121.8 billion. this bill includes an overall increase of $5.8 billion in discretionary spending from last year. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1953}
{"speech_id":1090036863,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Specifically. the Department of Veterans Affairs will receive $2.3 billion more than the previous year. The VA medical care increase from 2005 to 2006. I gave the number earlier for the previous 5 years. another 8.5 percent increase. They will receive. they the VA medical services. an increase of $1.6 billion. And again. I emphasize that there will be no new fees for either veterans medical services or for prescription drugs. Today represent a victory for our service men and women in all stages of service from recruitment to retirement. And I appreciate all of my colleagues who have spoken on behalf of the rule and in support of the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1953}
{"speech_id":1090036863,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would again like to thank the subcommittee chairman. the gentleman from New York . the ranking member. the gentleman from Texas . and the chairman. the gentleman from California . for leading the way and ensuring the necessary funds to provide for the quality of life of our service men and women. I want to encourage my colleagues to support both this rule and the underlying bill for the sake of those who spend their lives defending ours.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1953}
{"speech_id":1090036886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. as a member of the subcommittee. I want to commend both our chairman and ranking minority member for producing a bill which will dramatically improve the life and the experience of men and women joining the United States Navy and going for basic training and other schools in my district at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. This bill funds two new barracks for the Great Lakes Naval Training Center and an infrastructure upgrade. It continues a $1 billion capitalization program which has transformed Great Lakes into the birthplace of the United States Navy. But this bill does something even more important. Throughout the country. we know that we have several hospital facilities funded by the Department of Defense close to VA facilities also funded by the taxpayer in caring for our veterans. What this bill does is it accelerates plans to build a new joint VANavy hospital in North Chicago. Illinois. This new facility. with two reports required by the administration to accelerate the progress. will be the first ever NavyVA joint facility. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090036886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are very proud that that will be located in North Chicago. Illinois. This $100 million facility will ensure veterans health care in northern Illinois and provide cuttingedge. quality care for the recruits who are joining the United States Navy. For these reasons and others. I really commend the chairman and the staff for what they have done to accelerate this. better health care for veterans. better health care for naval recruits and at lower cost to the taxpayer. Mr. Chairman. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090036902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me just say I am proud of the work the subcommittee did on a bipartisan basis to take limited dollars and use them wisely and focus them on high priorities. But. clearly. the reason I supported the Obey amendment and am sorry it was not allowed by the Committee on Rules is because it would allow a significant increase in resources and provide mental health care services and funding for the operations of our hospitals. And I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her great leadership over the years in standing -up and fighting for our men and women who have served our country in uniform.","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090036927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. as I begin my remarks. let me say that in my first 2 days as a newly swornin Congressman. I had the unfortunate experience of attending seven funerals for young men within a 20mile radius of my home. I bring this warrelated veterans service amendment to you today. This amendment provides an additional $53 million in urgently needed funding for items critical for veterans returning from the war. The increased money for vets is paid for by cutting back this years funding for the next round of the BRAC by 9 percent. The amendment will provide $8 million for combatrelated trauma care. The VA is currently operating four polytrauma centers for research. education and clinical activities on complex multitrauma associated with combat injuries. The .important work of these centers needs to be expanded and demands dedicated funding. Six million dollars is provided for hardware and software to support telemedicine initiatives to allow the polytrauma centers to support wounded troops once they return to their homes. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090036927,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Longterm followup is particularly problematic for Reservists and National Guardsmen who return to their communities without the support of nearby military bases. Nine million dollars is added for medical and prosthetic research. which is needed to support current spending levels for VA research. Last year. this was funded at $402. but the bill only includes $393. a $9 million cut. Unlike NIH. VA research is uniquely focused on veterans health issues. It investigates new prosthetic devices. infectious disease. the effects of various environmental hazards. postdeployment mental health Rnd warrelated illnesses. Veterans returning from the global war on terrorism will all benefit from this research. It should not be cut. Provide retroactively. $23 million for war orphans: Surviving spouses with minor children are eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation to assist the families with immediate and transitional needs after the death of a spouse. Right now. only servicemember families whose spouses die after November 30. 2004. receive this $250 per month benefit for 2 years. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090036927,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment will help approximately 4.100 spouses with children whose servicemember spouse died during the war on terrorism between September 11. 2001. and November 30. 2004. This will also provide $7 million for 100 additional staff who process claims for compensation and pension benefits. Veterans coming home from the war deserve quick response to their claims. but as of May 21. 2005. over half a million claims for compensation and pension benefits were pending at VA regional offices. This includes 342.811 claims by veterans who are seeking a disability rating. I propose a BRAC offset. The administration requested $1.88 billion for fiscal year 2006 for the new round of BRAC. While the administration was formulating this request. the DOD consistently was stating that there was about a 20 to 24 percent excess capacity in military installations. Then. on May 12. just 2 weeks ago. Secretary Rumsfeld reported at a press conference that the new BRAC list would only cut between 5 and 11 percent of excess capacity. The 2005 BRAC round will actually require less than half of the closure and realignment activities originally projected. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090036927,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administrations budget request reflects much more money than will be needed to be spent for BRAC activities in fiscal year 2006. The bill already cuts $310 million from the BRAC request. and the program would not -suffer with an additional $169 million cut. This is well under the $180 million in additional cuts that was approved by the Committee on Armed Services. While it is important to begin funding the implementation of the new BRAC round. this money is the first installment in a process that will take several years. By contrast. money for veterans health is urgently needed. especially in the critical areas funded in this amendment. We need to take care of our servicemen and -women returning from the war as they come home.","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4016}
{"speech_id":1090036933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming* my time. I simply want to say that I congratulate the gentleman for offering this amendment. I would say that I greatly respect the chairman of the subcommittee. but I disagree with the implication of one thing that he said. He is evidently suggesting that because of a difference in outlay rates between these two accounts. that we would not get the full amount in the amendment. or that the full amount in the amendment would not be immediately made available for the - purposes of the amendment. I would simply point out that whether it is $79 million being redirected or $53 million being redirected. it is still better than nothing. [ 1245 I would also say that BRAC is going to go on for a long. long time. We have no idea how much money we are going to need for BRAC. and this Congress will be adjusting what it provides for BRAC many times over. the next 7 or 8 or 9 years. But the fact is that the troops coming home now need these services now. I do not think that anyone believes that either the budget amount or the amount in the committee is fully sufficient. given the needs of the troops. So I would urge a \"yes\" vote on the amendment.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1176}
{"speech_id":1090036947,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. re- would hope that the conference stateclaiming my time. I thank the gen- mhent of managers would include a sugtleman from New York for his recogni- gestion to the Department of Veterans tion of both the funding needs of the Affairs that they consider doing reACWA program and the need to dispose search in this area. of these dangerous weapons that Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman. if the threaten the safety of communities in gentleman will continue to yield. I Richmonol. Kentucky and Pueblo. Colo- thank the gentleman and pledge to do rado. all I can to work with the other body","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":589}
{"speech_id":1090036998,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to rise in support of the Jones amendment. I think the gentlewoman is right on point here. I know for my base. in this case Fort Monmouth. we have not received a lot of the data. most of the data upon which the Pentagons recommendations were made. I think that was quite clear if you listen to. the hearings that were held last week by the BRAC. Many of the commissioners at that time indicated they did not have the background data upon which the Pentagons recommendations\" were made. I think this is just another indication of the fact that we have not been able to proceed with this BRAC round in the way we have in the past. I have actually been through three other BRAC rounds since I have been in the Congress. and just from the. questioning that occurred last week at the BRAC hearings from the commissioners. it was clear this is not the time to have a BRAC round. We are in the middle of a war. both in Iraq and in Afghanistan.- Many of the commissioners asked questions about the war and the military value because they frankly felt that in a general sense questions had not been answered by the Pentagon. and the Pentagon was not able to answer the questions properly about how this BRAC round was supposed to proceed in the context of an ongoing war.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1290}
{"speech_id":1090037143,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Irise to speak on the nomination of John Bolton. The question for me is. in a position of exceptional importance to the United States and our Government. that of representative to the world bodythe United Nations. is John Bolton the kind of person who can best represent the interests of the United States? Is John Bolton the kind of personality who can negotiate and talk and establish personal relationships with the representatives of the other nations of the world as we try to carry forward the agenda of the United States? To those two questions. the answer is clearly no. There are examples of former representatives to the United Nations. nominated by Republican Presidentssuch as Ambassador Negroponte. such as a former Senator and former Ambassador John Danforthwho embody the type of person you would want representing our country before the United Nations. This position is particularly critical to our country at this time because two of the greatest threats to the interests of the United States are North Korea and Iran. and their pursuit of nuclear weapons. Clearly we have an interest in preventing both countries from possessing the bomb. even though it looks as though North Korea already does. We ought to be making sure that at the end of the day North Korea does not have weapons of mass destruction that they can proliferate all over the world. particularly into the hands of terrorists. The same with Iran. There is no evidence that Iran has a bomb now. but clearly the evidence is there that Iran is trying to achieve that. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4236}
{"speech_id":1090037143,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need a representative in the United Nations who can help us work with other nations. particularly European nations. with regard to Iran. Also. we must focus on the nations in the region of North Korea. so. at the end of the day these two countries do not have nuclear weapons. This is in the clear interests not only of the United States. but it is in the clear interests of the world. Otherwise. you raise the possibility of nuclear weapons or nuclear materials getting into the hands of terrorists. And once that happens. Katie bar the door. we would.have a whole new and extreme threat to the interests of the civilized world. Is John Bolton the person who we think can establish those personal relationships within the United Nations? The relationships that we will need in order to get Europe to help us with Iran. and in order to get help with North Korea. I think that answer is clearly no. The stakes are high. That is why I speak with passion. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4236}
{"speech_id":1090037143,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I have spoken with passion as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But there is more. The \"more\" is simple. Should John Bolton be promoted based on his performance in his existing job as arms control negotiator? Should he be promoted? I think the answer is clearly no because John Bolton has not done a good job. Look at those two nations I just mentioned. North Korea and Iran. Have we gotten anywhere in our arms control negotiations with regard to those two countries in the last 4 years when he was Under Secretary for Arms Control? The answer to that is no. Why should we be promoting an individual who has not done his job well into a position of even higher visibilityI will not say of greater importanceof higher visibility as a representative of our country? It is clear to me that we should not. If wedidnt have this deal here about supporting the Presidents nominations. do you think if Senators on that side of the aisle voted their conscience. they kould support this nomination? I think the answer is clearly no. Senator VOINOVICH has had the courage to stand up and call itas he sees it. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4236}
{"speech_id":1090037143,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not know Mr. Bolton. but I have observed him and I have observed his demeanor and I have looked at his record. I think his record is one that does not suggest we elevate him to this position of extreme prominence in the representation of the interests of the United States before the United Nations. particularly at this delicate time when we need our best representative at the United Nations. I think at the end of the day it is clear he should not be our representative at the United Nations. Therefore. I am going to vote no on the nomination of John Bolton. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4236}
{"speech_id":1090037157,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That strikes me as an eminently reasonable position. It needs to be made clear that there is material the executive branch is refusing to make available to the Senate. and which we need in order to be adequately informed in carrying out our responsibilities of advising and consenting on this nomination.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090037277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in opposition to the nomination of Undersecretary of State John Bolton as United States Ambassador to the United Nations. an institution which he has openly and repeatedly disdained. A number of factors have led me to this decision. but they fall into several broad categories: Mr. Boltons apparent abuse of the intelligence process and of his subordinates. his opposition to peacekeeping and other fundamental functions of the United Nations. his disdain for the institution itself. his opposition to important nonproliferation efforts. and the poor judgment he has displayed on key foreign policy questions. Furthermore. there is the nomination process itself as it has been carried out in this case. Despite repeated requests from the Foreign Relations Committee. the executive branch did not provide key documents concerning Mr. Boltons requests to learn the identities of 10 U.S. officials who were cited in intelligence intercepts. The administrations failure to provide requested and relevant documents distorts the nomination process. Although handicapped by a lack of information and candor. the Senate Foreign Relations Committee examined the charges that Undersecretary of State Bolton abused the intelligence process by seeking to have those who dared to dissent removed. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12339}
{"speech_id":1090037277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The evidence demonstrated a clear pattern of conduct that led 9 out of 18 members of that committee to vote against confirmation. The minority views of the committee report on the Bolton nomination reached four firm conclusions on this matter: One. Mr. Bolton repeatedly sought the removal of intelligence analysts who disagreed with him. Two. in preparing speeches and testimony. Mr. Bolton repeatedly tried to stretch intelligence to fit his views. Three. in his relations with colleagues and subordinates. Mr. Bolton repeatedly exhibited abusive behavior and intolerance for different views. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12339}
{"speech_id":1090037277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Four. Mr. Bolton repeatedly made misleading. disingenuous. or nonresponsive statements to the committee. We have to examine these conclusions in terms of the position for which Mr. Bolton is now being considered as the United States voice at the United Nations. In his approach to intelligence. Mr. Bolton clearly sought to stretch the analysis to meet his world view rather than stretching his world view to accommodate other possibilities. This is an extremely dangerous way to look at the world. as the 9\/11 Commission and others have shown us. Even more damaging. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12339}
{"speech_id":1090037277,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Bolton apparently used his position to attempt to intimidate subordinates and even to have analysts fired who dared to disagree. on such critical issues as the alleged development of weapons of mass destruction in Cuba and elsewhere. Crying wolf about weapons of mass destruction is an extremely dangerous habit. The United States will be living with the consequences of poor intelligence and unfounded allegations regarding Iraqi weapons of mass destruction for years to come. The United Nations was at the center of the WMD debate over Iraq and it will be at the center as we seek to address North Korea and Iran as well. We cannot afford to be wrong about weapons of mass destruction again. and we cannot afford to have at the helm a man who has deliberately exaggerated intelligence regarding these devastating weapons. There is also the question of pressuring colleagues and subordinates. even attempting to get people fired. In response to Mr. Boltons tactics as Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security. Secretary of State Colin Powell reportedly came down to ask the analysts to continue to \"speak truth to power.\" I applaud Secretary Powell for this step. but he should have never had to take it. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12339}
{"speech_id":1090037277,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senate Intelligence Committee briefly addressed this issue of pressuring and seeking to remove analysts last year. However. we addressed this question only superficially. as I pointed out then in the committees additional views on \"The U.S. Intelligence Communitys Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq.\" Even worse. our committee fell into the same trap of discouraging dissent. As I wrote then. \"the conclusion section in the [committee] report rebukes the analyst for the temerity of raising a policy question with a. State Department Undersecretary.\" That analyst did the right thing. Policy questions should be raised. In fact. they should be welcomed. If more questions had been asked. we might not have had a distinguished Secretary of State testifying at the U.N. with apparent certainty about weapons in Iraq that did not. in fact. exist. The recent SilbermanRobb report from \"The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction\" concluded that \"the Intelligence Community was dead wrong in almost all of its prewar judgments about Iraqs weapons of mass destruction.\" One of the key recommendations of the commission was to \"preserve diversi ty of analysis\" and to encourage debate among analysts. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12339}
{"speech_id":1090037278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me say at the outset. that I do not intend to vote for cloture on John Bolton. nor do I intend to support him for the position of United States Ambassador to the United Nations. As I have said repeatedly since he was nominated. this is the wrong man for the job not because of his abrasive personality. although I am deeply troubled by his serial mistreatment of coworkers and subordinates. My objections to this nominee go much deeper than his inability to work well with others. I am opposed to this nominee because of his poor performance. his flawed views. and his repeated misstatements and mischaracterizations of his record. Let me commend Senator BIDEN and the Democratic staff on the Foreign Relations Committee and Senator ROCKEFELLER and his Intelligence Committee staff. As a result of their leader: ship and diligence. the Senate and the American people have a much more complete understanding of John Bolton and his entire troubling record. And there is no doubt that we have learned a lot about Mr. Bolton. We have learned about his failures in the proliferation area. his repeated efforts to manipulate intelligence. his numerous misstatements of fact. and his serial mistreatment of career civil servants. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7360}
{"speech_id":1090037278,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But. in spite of the best efforts of Senator BIDEN and the other Democratic members of the Foreign Relations Committee. the record on this nominee is still incomplete. Despite numerous requests. the administration has failed to turn over important information about this nominee. This is astounding to me. The administrations stonewalling has not only had the effect of slowing down the confirmation process. it has also put a further cloud over this individual and has--perhaps unnecessarilyraised the impression that the nominee and the White House have something to hide. The end result is further questions about this nominee. further disruption to the Senates consideration of this nominee. and further demonstration of the administrations willingness to keep information from the Congress and the American people. This is information that the Senate is entitled to under the advise and consent clause of the Constitution. information that is central to this mans qualifications. information that. had it been provided. could have possibly spared this man further questions about his already damaged reputation. But as has so often been the case with this administration. they have sought to ignore the publics right to know and prevent Congress from making a fully informed decision. They want to be the judge and the jury. They have decided the information is not relevant to our consideration of Mr. Bolton. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7360}
{"speech_id":1090037278,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me see if I understand their argument. The administration asserts that information that bears directly on Mr. Boltons role in assessing the threat posed by Syria and in his seeking intercepted conversations of foreigners and U.S. citizens is not relevant to his qualifications to represent this Nation at the United Nations. and therefore should not be provided to the Senate. After all the damage caused when this administration stretched the truth at the United Nations as it made the case for war in Iraq. does the White House really believe it is not relevant for us to be absolutely certain their nominee was not trying to stretch the intelligence yet again? So we are in this largely avoidable position of having to vote against cloture and extending debate until the information is turned over to the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. I hope the administration will do the right thing and provide the information to the Senate. In the meantime. the information the Foreign Relations Committee has managed to obtain is deeply troubling. This is a record which caused one of the most respected and storied committees in the entire. Congress to not recommend him favorably to the full Senate. Based on that fact alone. the President should have withdrawn the nomination. Unfortunately. since he didnt. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7360}
{"speech_id":1090037278,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the Senate should follow the committees lead and not recommend him for this j6b either. I know Mr. Bolton has tried to distance himself from certain parts of his record. like his past statements about the United Nations and its role in international affairs. However. there can be no denying that the man harbors a deep animosity towards the institution. At a time when we need diplomacy more than ever. and we need help in Iraq and in the global war on terrorism. this is exactly the wrong man to send to the U.N.. and it sends exactly the wrong message to our friends and allies. Mr. Boltons supporters have advanced only one reason to ignore the weight of all the evidence that he is unqualified: Mr. Bolton believes the United Nations needs to be reformed. The U.N. does need to be reformed. The U.N. can improve its performance. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7360}
{"speech_id":1090037278,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It can reduce inefficiency in its bloated bureaucracy. It can become more effective and more relevant. And we ought to have a U.N. ambassador who is willing to take on that mission of reform. But the President should be able to find someone capable of reforming the U.N. without Mr. Boltons baggage. So lets be clear. I do not oppose sending someone to the United Nations who is willing to engage in some toughminded reform. I do oppose sending someone who has misused intelligence and bullied intelligence analysts in a way that undermined our diplomatic corps and- produced wrongheaded national security policies. The facts show that Mr. Bolton repeatedly sought the removal of intelligence analysts who disagreed with him. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7360}
{"speech_id":1090037340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this coming Monday. Americans across the Nation will hang flags at their doors and place small flags and flowers on the gravesites of loved ones and soldiers in a tradition that stretches deep into history. perhaps back to the advent of warfare. The selection of the last Monday in May is unique to the United States. but remembering and honoring those fallen in battle is deeply ingrained in the human heart. On this day. these sons and fathers. uncles and brothers and. more recently. daughters and mothers. aunts and nieces are family members to us all. Lost to us too early. their images remain frozen in time. young faces trying to look stern in crisp uniforms. Their sacrifices on battlefields from the Argonne to Tripoli. Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima. Porkchop Hill to Hamburger Hill. Kabul to Baghdad have kept the Nation safe and carried the American ideals of liberty and democracy across the surface of the globe. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4763}
{"speech_id":1090037340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This week. as the Senate struggled and ultimately overcame an arcane but fundamental challenge to our constitutional system of checks and balances. we have. I believe. honored the memory of all of those soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines. They defended the Nation and the Constitution from without. a bipartisan group of Senators this week defended it from within. thank God. I rejoice that 14 Senators could rise above partisan politics to understand and preserve the carefully crafted balance of powers inscribed in our Constitution. Without the Constitution. the millions of lives and billions of dollars spent over the years on our Nations defense. the flower of our youth and our hardearned treasure. would have gone for naught. Our form of Government. acknowledging the might of the majority but protecting the rights of the minority. balancing populous States against States with smaller populations. preserving the voice and will of the people as the ultimate check against the rise of a tyrant king. that is our greatest treasure. It is the preservation of our form of Government that merits committing our young to the bloody horrors of battle. It is perhaps appropriate. in this context. that the Senates battle is concluded just before Memorial Day. which originated after our Nations most divisive and bloody war ever fought on our home soil. The Civil War pit over 2.2 million Union soldiers against just over 1 million Confederate soldiers. resulting in almost 600.000 deaths. a third in battle and the rest from wars accompanying furies of disease and privation. It is a tribute to the hearts powers of healing that soon after the war. individuals and communities could put aside their differences in the graveyard and simply mourn their losses together. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4763}
{"speech_id":1090037340,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 42 million American patriots have risked their lives for our Nation since the Revolutionary War. Over 17 million war veterans. of among over 25 million veterans of military service. live among us still. I salute them all. and thank them and their families for their bravery and their patriotism. Of the 42 million Americans who saw battle during their military service. over 650.000 died in battle. That is 650.000 families who received the terrible news that their loved one had been killed. In World War II. the tragic news often came by telegram. and Americans learned to dread the sight of those envelopes. As of May 23. 2005. in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom. 1.623 families have answered the door to the solemn faces of two officers whose hard duty it is to report the tragic news that another life has been lost. Another 186 families have gotten the same sad news coming from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. My prayers go out to these families. There are no words that can console the grieving heart at times like these. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4763}
{"speech_id":1090037340,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The widows flag. folded with care after a military ceremony. offers little comfort. But these brave men and women. and the families they leave behind. are part of a long chain of sacrifice and grief that firm the resolve of the Nation. Never should we forget their service to the Nation and the Constitution. Never should we squander their sacrifice on momentary partisan advantages that erode the integrity of the Constitution and. in turn. the continued health and vitality of our form of government. On this Memorial Day. and on every Memorial Day. I urge Americans to put out their flags and to honor the fallen. I further. urge them. in the spirit of those first Memorial Days. to put aside partisanship in favor of true patriotism. and to love and preserve our Nation and our Constitution in a lasting tribute to those who have given their lives in its defense. As is my custom on these occasions. I would like to close with a poem. This piece is by Edgar Guest. and is called. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4763}
{"speech_id":1090037340,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Memorial Day.\"","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4763}
{"speech_id":1090037361,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to pay tribute today to an outstanding public servant. educator. and communicator. Charlie Walker. Charlie is retiring after a distinguished 40year career in teaching and government service at the local. State and Federal levels. most recently as director of government affairs for the Baltimore District. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I extend my personal congratulations and thanks for his many years of dedicated service and contributions to the American people. Born in Charleston. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4553}
{"speech_id":1090037361,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"WV. Charlie spent much of his youth and career in Baltimore. MD. He was a graduate of Clifton Park Junior High and Baltimores City College. one of the oldest and finest public high schools in the country. He won scholarships to Towson State Teachers College. now Towson University. where he excelled acadeffically and in his extracurricular activities. selected to serve not only as president of the Phi Alpha Theta Honorary Society in history but also as a manager of three sports teamssoccer. wrestling. and track. Upon graduation in 1963. Charlie taught for 3 years in Baltimores secondary schools and then enrolled in West Virginia University to earn a masters degree in history. In 1966. Charlie enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for a 3year period in Vietnam and at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4553}
{"speech_id":1090037361,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He returned to West Virginia University to obtain a Ph.D. in history. and worked in various and progressively responsible positions in local. State and Federal Government. including service as an historian and public affairs officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. an aide to the mayor of Baltimore and a research analyst with the Library of Congress. In 1987. Charlie Walker was tapped to lead the public affairs office of the newly established Maryland Department of the Environment. and it was in this position that I first had the opportunity and privilege of working closely with Charlie. A highly skilled communicator and manager. Charlie assembled a terrific team to promote the initiatives of the new department and to protect and restore the quality of Marylands air. water. and land resources. Charlie and his team set a standard for outreach and responsiveness that few. if any. agencies have been able to match. He served in this position until 1991 when he was recruited. as government affairs officer for the Baltimore District. U.S. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4553}
{"speech_id":1090037361,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Army Corps of Engineers. to help the district restore relations and responsiveness with the Congress and other levels of government. Over the past 14 years. Charlie has been a trusted adviser to six district engineers. and the principal point of contact for Members of Congress and our staffs from the Five States and the District of Columbia. which encompass the Baltimore Districts jurisdiction. With his indepth knowledge. political astuteness. and a dedication to public service that is.second to none. Charlie has remained a constant force in moving the Army Corps of Engineers programs and services forward. He is well known. widely respected. and well liked. not only among the staff at the Baltimore District but throughout the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and beyond. He is the core of the Corps. His advice is constantly sought for improving communications and relations with the press. the public and witl elected officials at all levels of government. Over the years. he has inspired great loyalty in the members of the Baltimore District staff and affection from the countless others with whom he has worked. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4553}
{"speech_id":1090037361,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He will be sorely missed by those of us who have had the pleasure of working with him. Throughout the course of his career. Charlie has received numerous honors including the Commanders Award for Civil Service. Governors Salute to Excellence Award. and the Maryland Department of the Environment Award for Outstanding Public Service. In addition to his public service. Charlie has volunteered a great deal of time and energy serving on the numerous organizations. including the Phi Alpha Theta History Society. the Society of American Military Engineers. and the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs. It is my firm conviction that public service and teaching are among the most honorable callings. They demand the very best. most dedicated efforts of those who have the opportunity to serve their fellow citizens. Throughout his career Charlie Walker has exemplified a steadfast commitment .to meeting this demand. I want to extend my personal congratulations and thanks for his many years of hard work and dedication and wish him well in the years ahead.*","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4553}
{"speech_id":1090037366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"From the Committee on the Budget. for consideration of sections 80018003 of the House bill. and title III of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. NUSSLE. MARIO DIAZBALART of Florida. and SPRATT. From the Committee on Education and the Workforce. for consideration of sections 1118. 1605. 1809.3018. and 3030 of the House bill. and sections 1304. 1819. 6013. 6031. 6038. and 7603 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. KLINE. KELLER. and BARROW. From the Committee on Energy and Commerce. for consideration of provisions in the House bill and Senate amendment relating to Clean Air Act provisions of transportation planning contained in sections 6001 and 6006 of the House bill. and sections 6005 and 6006 of the Senate amendment. and seqtions 1210. 1824. 1833. 5203. and 6008 of the House bill. and sections 1501. 1511. 1522. 16101619. 1622. 4001. 4002. 6016. 6023. 7218. 7223. 7251. 7252. 72567262. 7324. 7381. 7382. and 7384 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. BARTON of Texas. PICKERING. and DINGELL. From the Committee on Government Reform. for consideration of section 4205 of the house bill. and section 2101 of the Senate amendment and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2431}
{"speech_id":1090037366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TOM DAVIS of Virginia. PLATTS. and WAXMAN. From the Committee on Homeland Security. for consideration of sections 1834. 6027. 7324. and 7325 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. Cox. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. and THOMPSON of Mississippi. From the Committee on the Judiciary. for consideration of sections 1211. 1605. 1812. 1832. 2013. 2017. 4105. 4201. 4202. 4214. 70187020. and 7023 of the House bill. and sections 1410. 1512. 1513. 6006. 6029. 7108. 7113. 7115. 7338. 7340. 7343. 7345. 7362. 7363. 7406. 7407. and 7413 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. SENSENBRENNER. SMITH of Texas. and CONYERS. From the Committee on Resources. for consideration of sections 1119. 3021. 6002. and 6003 of the House bill. and sections 1501. 1502. 1505. 1511. 1514. 1601. 1603. 6040. and 75017518 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2431}
{"speech_id":1090037366,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"POMBO. WALD)EN of Oregon. and KIND. From the Committee on Rules. for consideration of sections 8004 and 8005 of the House bill. and modifications committed to conference: Mr. DREIER.","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2431}
{"speech_id":1090037370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing S. 1133. the Clean Coal Research. Development. Demonstration. and Deployment Act of 2005. I am proud to have Senators ROCKEFELLER and SPECTER as cosponsors of my bill. This comprehensive clean coal technology legislation will help provide for a new era for coal. I have looked into the past. I recognize the enormous challenges that are before us. and I see coals future. The bill authorizes important programs at the Department of Energy as well as provides a major package of targeted federal energy tax incentives. It supports a research and development program and tax incentives to encourage the use of advanced coal technologies at coalfired power plants. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1996}
{"speech_id":1090037370,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill also promotes a major investment in a national industrial gasification program. It is a balanced and financially sound proposal. and it recognizes that there are new horizons opening for coal. The ByrdRockefellerSpecter bill works to balance these ever expanding opportunities in a very reasonable and responsible way. We must move forward with the development and deployment of advanced power generation and carbon capture and sequestration technologies. Coal also has a future in producing chemicals. alternative transportation fuels. and other important products for use in the economy. My legislation can begin to initiate that effort. There are those who have wanted to push coal aside like stove wood and horse power as novelties from a bygone era. But we cannot ignore coal as part of the solution to our future energy challenges. Over the past several years. I have been diligently assembling a set of proposals tbtat can provide a comprehensive approach for the near- and longterm viability for coal. both at home and abroad. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1996}
{"speech_id":1090037370,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time that we reexamine the opportunities for coal. and let the past be our guide to the future. Mr. President. I hope other Senators will review S. 1133. and I urge them to cosponsor this legislation. By Mr. BENNETT (for himself and Mr. HATCH): .","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1996}
{"speech_id":1090037384,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in honor of Older Americans Mental Health Week. I rise today to introduce the Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act of 2005. I am proud to sponsor this legislation that will ensure that clinical social workers can receive Medicare reimbursements for the mental health services they provide in skilled nursing facilities. Under the current system. social workers may flot be paid for services they provide. Psychologists and psychiatrists. who provide similar counseling. are able to separately bill Medicare for their services. Congressmen STARK and LEACH are iptroducing a companion bill today in the House of Representatives. Since my first days in Congress. I have been fighting to protect and strengthen the safety of our Nations seniors. Making sure that seniors have access to quality. affordable mental health care is an important part of this fight. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5068}
{"speech_id":1090037384,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that millions of seniors do not have access to. or are not receiving. the mental health services they urgently need. Nearly 6 million seniors are affected by depression. but only onetenth ever gets treated. According to the American Psychiatric Association. up to 25 percent of the elderly population in the United States suffers from significant _symptoms of mental illness and among nursing home residents the prevalence is as high as 80 percent. These mental disorders. which include severe depression and debilitating anxiety. interfere with the persons ability to carryout activities of daily living and adversely affect their quality of life. Furthermore. older people have a 20 percent suicide rate. the highest of any age group. Every year nearly 6.000 older Americans kill themselves. This is unacceptable and must be addressed. As a former social worker. I understand the role that social workers play in the overall care of patients and seniors. This bill protects patients across the country and ensures that seniors living in underserved urban and rural areas. where clinical social workers are often the only available option for mental health care. continue to receive the treatment they need. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5068}
{"speech_id":1090037384,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clinical social workers. much like psychologists and psychiatrists. treat and diagnose mental illnesses. In fact. clinical social workers are the primary mental health providers for nursing home residents and also seniors residing in rural environments. But unlike other mental health providers. clinical social workers cannot bill directly for the important services they provide to their patients. Protecting seniors access to clinical social workers can help make sure that our most vulnerable citizens get the quality. affordable mental health care they need and deserve. This bill will correct this inequity and make sure clinical social workers get the payments and respect they deserve. Before the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. clinical social workers billed Medicare Part B directly for mental health services provided in nursing facilities to each patient they served. Under the Prospective Payment System. services provided by clinical social workers are lumped. or \"bundled.\" along with the services of other health care providers for the purposes of billing and payments. Psychologists and psychiatrists. who provide similar counseling. were exempted from this system and continue to bill Medicare directly. This bill would exempt clinical social workers. like their mental health colleagues. from the prospective payment system. and would make sure that clinical social workers are paid for the services they provide to patients in skilled nursing facilities. The Medicare. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5068}
{"speech_id":1090037384,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Medicaid. and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act addressed some of these concerns. but this legislation would remove the final barrier to ensuring that clinical social workers are treated fairly and equitably for the care they provide. This bill is about more than paperwork and payment procedures. This billis about. equal access to Medicare payments for the equal and important work done by clinical social workers. It is about making sure our Nations most vulnerable citizens have access to quality. affordable mental health care. The overarching goal we should be striving to achieve for our seniors is an overall improved quality of life. Without clinical social workers. many nursing home residents may never get the counseling they need when faced with a life threatening illness or the loss of a loved one. I think we can do better by our Nations seniors. and Im fighting to make sure we do. The Clinical Social Work Medicare Equity Act of 2005 is strongly supported by the National Association of Social Workers and the Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. I also want to thank Senators STABENOW. BINGAMAN. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5068}
{"speech_id":1090037384,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MURRAY. CORZINE. JOHNSON. and INOUYE for their cosponsorship of this bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact this important legislation. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill and letters of support be printed in the RECORD. There %eing no objection. the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows:","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5068}
{"speech_id":1090037415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that The Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during The session of The Senate on Thursday. May 26. 2005. for a committee hearing titled \"Battling The Backlog: Challenges Facing The VA Claims Adjudication and Appeal Process\". The hearing will take place in Room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2 p.m.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":367}
{"speech_id":1090037417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations be authorized to meet on Thursday. May 26. 2005. at 9 a.m.. for a hearing entitled \"The Container Security Initiative and The CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism: Securing The Global Supply Chain or Trojan Horse?\"","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":309}
{"speech_id":1090037419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent. pursuant to Rule 26.5(a) of The Standing Rules of The Senate. that The Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet after conclusion of the first two hours after the meeting of The Senate commences on May 26. 2005.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090037448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to consider the following nominations on todays Executive Calendar: Nos. 104. 105. 106 through 111. 112. with the exception of BG Rita Broadway. 0473. Nos. 113. 114. with the exception of COL Donald M. Bradshaw. 5796. Nos. 115 through 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. and all nominations on the Secretarys desk. I further ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration of Coast Guard nominations lists. PN 236 and RN 527. and a NOAA list. PN 452. provided further that the Senate proceed to their consideration. the nominations be confirmed en bloc. the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table. and the President be immediately notified of the Senates action.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":775}
{"speech_id":1090037599,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as a reminder to our colleagues. the cloture vote on the Brown nomination is scheduled for noon tomorrow. I hope and expect that cloture will be invoked at that time and that we will be able to move quickly to an upordown vote on her nomination. The Democratic leader and I will be talking shortly this afternoon and will make more specific plans in terms of voting times and give some idea of how quickly we can move with other nominations. We do have another cloture vote on the Pryor nomination. which would immediately follow the upordown vote on Janice Rogers Brown. In addition to those judicial nominations. we have agreements to debate and vote on of two Sixth Circuit judicial nominations. as well as one DC Circuit Court nominee. This week. we may also reconsider the vote with respect to the Bolton nomination. As you can tell. we have a very busy week as we return from recess. I thank our colleagues in advance as we move through these issues. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090037599,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I will have a brief opening statement as well. but I now yield to the Democratic leader.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090037623,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Excellent. Mr. President. I am going to speak about the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown. Before I go into the reason I hope the Senate will reject this nominationand the \"reasons\" because there are manyI wish to put into context for my colleagues. and for anyone watching this debate. why the Senate has spent so much time looking at the rules surrounding the nomination and confirmation of Federal judges. It is very clear when you vote to confirm a Federal judge that it is a very important vote. Why is that? It is because these judges really vote on so many issues of importance to us. whether it is our right to vote. our right to a safe workplace. our right to privacy. our consumer rightsit goes on and onour victims rights. The fact is. these issues are crucial. and who winds up on the bench on Federal courts is very important to the American people. This is not an abstract debate about Senate rules and procedures. it is really about who sits on the courts. and why is it that for 200plus years the minority party has had the right to filibuster or delay the vote on nominees who they believe are outside the mainstreamwhether that means they are to the far right of the mainstream. as in this particular case. or to the far left of the mainstream. Presidents who have tried to pack the courts in the past. have tried to twist the arms of the court. have been rebuffed. from Thomas Jefferson. once. to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. another time. when FDR had 74 Democrats in this Chamber. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11866}
{"speech_id":1090037623,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He could do anything he wanted. if they agreed. He had won his election by 60 percent of the votes. He decided he did not like what the courts were doing. so he said: Well. I want to double the size of the courts. He had the votes. But the Democrats in the Senate said: Mr. President. we like you. We love you. We think you are a great President. But we will not allow you to pack the courts because the bottom line is that our Founders did not want a ruler. they wanted someone to govern. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11866}
{"speech_id":1090037623,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They did not want a ruler. they wanted someone to govern. Therefore. they believed very strongly in checks and balances and the rights of the minority so that we do not have a court system that has on it people who would be so far out of the mainstream as to disrupt the very fabric of our country. Now. this President did his own move to pack the courts. Lets face it. that is what happened. He had the agreement and acquiescence of almost a majority of the Senate. until a few brave Republicans came over to our side and said: .Look. lets step back from this precipice. Lets not do away with the filibuster. These are lifetime appointments. These judges get good pay. and they are never up for election. This is the only check and balance we have. when their names are brought before us. So I was so appreciative of my colleagues on the other side for standing up and saying: We are not going to change the rules of the game in the middle of the game because some President wants to pack the courts with people who are so far out of the mainstream that it could set our country back for generations. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11866}
{"speech_id":1090037623,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what really happened. Now. in order to get that deal they came up with. they said to our side: You are going to have to give. You are going to have to give on three judges whom you have stopped. This 10 on the chart represents the number of judges Democrats have stopped. They said: In order to get this deal. you have to give up on three. One of those three judges is Janice Rogers Brown. a nominee way out of the mainstream. to the extreme. which I will explain. But we have to remember this deal only involves the vote to end the filibuster. We said: OK. enough of our colleagues will join with you to end the filibuster. But the deal did not say: Therefore. she would get automatically voted in. We still have the upordown vote on Janice Rogers Brown. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11866}
{"speech_id":1090037623,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A lot of us believe very strongly that 51 of us should oppose this nomination. I think we might well get those 51 noes. or close to it. but. obviously. we are pushing for 51. Now. again. I want to focus your attention on these numbers: 208 to 10. It is actually 209 to 10 with the Priscilla Owen judgeship approved. We have stopped 10. We have approved 209. And this President and the Republicans here have been crying every morning that they do not get 100 percent of what they want. They have gotten 95 percent of what they want. It is not good enough. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11866}
{"speech_id":1090037702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. she is not. as represented. a radical revolutionary bent on undoing the American dream. Who are you going to believe? I say you should believe those who served with her on the bench in California. and that is over a period of years. Because of the astonishing failure to give Justice Brown an upordown vote. I have had ample time to review her record. and.it is clear to me. without any doubt. that those who worked with her every day on these courts have it right. She is a model jurist. You cannot have anybody who has been in court.as long as she has that somebody cannot pluck cases out of the air and distort them or find some fault with them. I am sure I can find fault with some of her cases. But the point is. this is a woman who does what is right. Justice Brown would be a welcome addition to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. I look forward to finally closing the debate on this nomination. bringing her nomination to a vote. and seeing her on the Federal bench. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1430}
{"speech_id":1090037702,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nqow. let me close by saying that voting for cloture is the right thing to do on the nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown and the rest of the Presidents judicial nominees. Allowing an upordown vote on these nominees will return us to the Senates 214year tradition. So I ask my colleagues to vote yea on cloture. and hopefully we can have an upordown vote in a short time after that. Mr. President. again. I thank my colleague and yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1430}
{"speech_id":1090037722,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a few moments. we will vote to conclude debate on the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown to serve on the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. I do want to thank the chairman and ranking member for getting us to this point. It has taken awhile for us to reach this point. and I am pleased that in an orderly process and regular order. we are on the way to getting an upordown vote for Janice Rogers Brown. It has been nearly 2 years since President Bush first nominated Justice Brown as a Federal judge. During those 2 years. she has been thoroughly debated. exhaustively investigated in committee and on the Senate floor. She has endured more than 5 hours of committee hearings. answered more than 180 questions. submitted 33 pages of responses to an additional 120 written questions. has set aside weeks at a time to personally meet with individual Senators. has waited patientlywhile the Judiciary Committee debated and voted on her nomination. On the Senate floor. we have debated her nomination for over 50 hours. That is more time than the Senate debated any one of the current Supreme Court Justices. but still as of yet she has not received an upordown vote on her nomination on the floor. not one. Why? Because of an orchestrated campaign of obstruction that has denied her that upordown vote until now. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090037722,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So she has been waiting for far too long for a simple upordown vote on the Senate floor. As a matter of principle. as a matter of fairness. as a matter of out constitutional duties as Senators to give upordown votes. it is time to bring the debate to a close and to vote. Fairness is not just about the process of a vote. It is about treating a good. decent. hardworking American with the respect and the dignity she deserves. Justice Brown is an inspiration. All of us have heard her story. how she was born the daughter of an Alabama sharecropper and educated in segregated schools. how she worked her way through college and law school. how she has dedicated her life to public service and to 6thers. having spent all but 2 years of her 26year legal career as a public servant. how she is the first AfricanAmerican woman to serve as an associate justice on the California Supreme Court. the States highest court. We have heard about her exemplary qualifications and credentials. including her 8 years of experience on the California appellate bench. We have heard about her impressive record and her commitment to judicial restraint and the rule of law. We have heard the bipartisan praises of Justice Brown from those who know her best: her current and former colleagues on the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeals. They agree that Janice Rogers Brown is a superb judge and have said she is a jurist who applies the law without favor. without bias. and with an even hand. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090037722,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have heard the people of California speaking with their votes. As a justice on the California Supreme Court. she was retained by 76 percent of the electorate. the highest vote percentage of all justices on the ballot. If 76 percent of the people of California voted for Janice Rogers Brown. how can she be considered out of the mainstream. as some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have suggested? Are 76 percent of the California voters out of the mainstream? Janice Rogers Brown is in the mainstream. The overwhelming support of the people of California and the support of her colleagues proves her nomination transcends partisan labels and ideology. Janice Rogers Brown is a distinguished mainstream jurist. She deserves to be treated fairly. She has been investigated and debated thoroughly. Now she deserves the courtesy of a vote. Vote yes or no. Vote to confirm or reject. but let us vote. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090037722,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remain optimistic the Senate is moving in a new direction on judicial nominees. rejecting the partisan obstructionism of the past and embracing the principle that all judicial nominees deserve a fair upordown vote. I urge my colleagues to join me in bringing debate on this nomination to a close and ensuring that Judge Brown will get an upordown vote.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090037756,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I know it has been a busy day and we are very much involved. of course. in moving forward with the judge arrangement. as we should be. I spent a week in my home State. I guess we always come back with different ideas. I spent the whole time talking with people and having town meetings and those kinds of things. and in certainly a little different atmosphere. People see a great deal in the news media about what is happening here. but. of course. what they get is what the media is intending for them to get. and somehow it is a little bit different. So frankly. people are a little impatient that we are not moving forward as much as we might. Certainly. we are working hard here. but the fact is. we have not moved to many different issues. I believe many of us want to do so. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090037756,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think we have spent an awful lot of time on internal kinds of issues that do not mean a lot to people out in the country. I understand that. I realize the way things are done here is important to us. such as changing procedures and all those things. But folks are talking about energy. folks are interested in a highway bill. people are interested in health and the cost of health care. such as what you do in rural areas with health care. There are a lot of these things that are so very important to people on the ground. and here we are continuing to talk about how we are going to vote on judges. So they get a little impatient. I understand that. So I hope we are in the process of doing something about that. There is also a great deal of concern. of course. in Government spending and the deficit. I certainly share that concern. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090037756,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have been more and more concerned about it as time has gone by. We have Social Security before us. about which we need to continue to do something. Interestingly enough. the issue that came up most often when I was home in Wyoming is the idea of illegal aliens and illegal immigration and the great concern about that. I share that concern. Most people here do. Of course. we are seeking to do something. But perhaps we need to focus on some of those issues a little more. I particularly will talk a little bit about spending and about the deficit. I think that is one of our most important issues. In relation to that. it seems to me we need to get some sort of an idea of what we think the role of the Federal Government is. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090037756,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have kind of gotten in the position that for anything that is wanted by anyone. wyhy. lets get the Federal Government to do it. Then we have somebody here on the Hill who will introduce a bill to do that. and perhaps it has very little relationship to what we normally think is the role of the Federal Government. I think most people would agree with the notion we want to limit the size of the Federal Government. that we. in fact. want Government to be as close to the people as can be. and that the things that can be done at the State level and the county level. the city level. should be done there. the things that can be done in the private sector should be done there. I would hope we could come up with some kind of general idea. an evaluation. of what we think the role of the Federal Government specifically should be. The other thing I will comment on a little bit is having some kind Of a system for evaluating programs. We have programs we put into place when there is a need. Hopefully. there is a need for them. I think it is also apparent that over a period of time that need may change. But yet. once a program is in place and people are involved. they build a constituency around it. It stays in place without a good look at it to see whether it still belongs there. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090037756,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are some of the issues of concern. I think the first step toward reducing the $400 billion deficit is eliminating waste. Of course. what is waste to one person may not be waste to another. But there has to be. again. some definition as to how important things are relative to our goals and to assess programs that stay in place because they are there or that are not managed as well as they might be. I think we have some responsibility to try to ensure that we take a look at that issue. There are serious problems facing our Nation today. of course. The Presidents budget that he put out proposes eliminating 150 inefficient and ineffective Government programs. You can imagine what that is going to mean to people who are -involved. \"Something in my town? Something in my State? We are not going to mess around with that.\" There needs to be some kind of a relatively nonpolitical idea as to how you do that and what the purposes are. Of course. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090037780,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on February 16. shortly before the Presidents Day recess. the Senator from Vermont and I introduced the OPEN Government Act of 2005 -bipartisan legislation to promote accountability. accessibility. and openness in government. principally by strengthening and enhancing the Federal law commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act. s When I served as Attorney General of Texas. it was my responsibility to enforce Texass open government laws. I am pleased to report that Texas is known for having one of the strongest sets of open government laws in our Nation. And since that experience. I have long believed that our Federal Government could use \"a little Texas sunshine.\" I am thus especially enthusiastic about the OPEN Government Act. because that legislation attempts to incorporate some of the most important principles and elements of Texas law into the Federal Freedom of Information Act. And I am gratified that Senators ALEXANDER. FEINGOLD. ISAKSON. and NELSON of Nebraska are cosponsors of the bipartisan CornynLeahy bill. This legislation enjoys broad support across the ideological spectrum. Indeed. since its introduction on February 16. the legislation has attracted additional support. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5176}
{"speech_id":1090037780,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In particular. I am pleased to report the endorsements of three conservative public interest groupsone devoted to the defense of property rights. Defenders of Property Rights. led by Nancie G. Marzulla. one devoted to the issue of racial preferences in affirmative action programs. One Nation Indivisible. led by Linda Chavez. and one devoted to the protection of religious liberty. Liberty Legal Institute. led by Kelly Shackelford. I ask unanimous consent that their endorsement letters be printed in the RECORD at the close of my remarks. The point of including these letters in the RECORD. of course. is not that these groups are right or wrong in the pursuit of their respective causes. but that the cause of open government is neither a Republican nor a Democrat issueneither a conservative nor a liberal issuerather. it is an American issue. I would like to take a few moments to emphasize one particular provision of the CornynLeahy billsection 8. It is a common sense provision. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5176}
{"speech_id":1090037780,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This provision should not be at all controversial. and indeed. I am not aware of any opposition whatsoever to it. The provision would simply help to ensure an open and deliberate process in Congress. by providing that any future legislation to establish a new exemption to the Federal Freedom of Information Act must be stated explicitly within the text of the bill. Specifically. any future attempt to create a new socalled \"(b)(3) exemption\" to the Federal FOIA law must specifically cite section (b)(3) of FOIA if it is to take effect. The justification for this provision is simple: Congress should not establish new secrecy provisions through secret means. If Congress is to establish a new exemption to FOIA. it should do so in the open and in the light of day. A recent news report published by the Cox News Service amply demonstrates the importance of this issue. and specifically emphasizes the need for section 8 of the CornynLeahy bill. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this news report be printed at the close of my remarks. Senator LEAHY and I firmly believe that all of the provisions of the OPEN Government Act are importantand that. as the recent Cox News Service report demonstrates. section 8 in particular is a worthy provision that can and should be quickly enacted into law. We note that July 4 is the anniversary of the 1966 enactment of the original Federal Freedom of Information Act. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5176}
{"speech_id":1090037780,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Accordingly. we plan to devote our efforts this month to getting section 8 approved by Congress and submitted to the President for his signature by that anniversary date. Toward that end. we rise today to introduce separate legislation to enact section 8 of the OPEN Government Act into law. We ask our colleagues in this chamber to support this measure. first in the Senate Judiciary Committee. and then on the floor of the United States Senate. And we look forward to working with our colleagues in the Houseincluding Representative LAMAR SMITH. the lead sponsor of the OPEN Government Act in the House. H.R. 867. as well as Chairman TOM DAVIS. who leads the House Committee on Government Reform. and Chairman TODD PLATTS. who leads the House Government Reform subcommittee that recently held a hearing to review the Federal FOIA law. Section 8 of the CornynLeahy bill is a commonsense. uncontroversial provision that deserves the support of every member of Congress. It simply provides that. when Congress enacts legislationspecifically. legislation to exempt certain documents from disclosure under FOIAit do so in the open. After all. if documents are to be kept secret by an act of Congress. we should at least make sure that that very act of Congress itself not be undertaken in secret. A Senate Judiciary subcommittee held a bearing on the OPEN Government Aci on March 15. I hope that at least section 8 of the legislation can be enacted into law quickly. and that Congress will then move to consider the other important provisions of the bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5176}
{"speech_id":1090037814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. June 8. I further ask that. following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and that the Senate then return to executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown to be a U.S. circuit judge for the DC Circuit.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":481}
{"speech_id":1090037861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution and would like to thank my good friend from California. Mr. BACA. for introducing this resolution. Cinco de Mayo represents many things. to Mexicans and Americans alike. To Mexicans and MexicanAmericans. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of courage. patriotism. and Mexican unity. Cinco de Mayo honors all of the brave soldiers who successfully fought off foreign aggressors. in the town of Puebla. Mexico on May 5. 1862. Outnumbereq. the Mexican Army willingly gave their lives in support of Mexican independence and justice. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090037861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The battle that ensued in Puebla was instrumental in fighting of French aggressors. To Americans. Cinco de Mayo is a reminder of how our two nations strive for the same ideals and principles. freedom. justice and unity. It also marks the last time that a foreign power was the aggressor on North American soil. Both of our countries fought for their freedom in the face of great opposition. As a resuit of our struggles the United States and Mexico share a unique history that strengthens our unity. Millions of MexicanAmericans work. live. and contribute to our country every single day. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the rich culture. heritage. and tradition that MexicanAmericans have brought to the United States. This resolution recognizes our MexicanAmerican community and the close spiritual and economic ties the United States has with the people of Mexico. In honor of their accomplishments and unity. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090037861,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution honoring Cinco de Mayo.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090037883,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would just like to thank our wonderful friend. the gentleman from California . for his leadership on this resolution. as well as the chairman. the gentleman from Illinois . I urge all of our colleagues to adopt this resolution today.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090037886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to join with my colleagues in support of House resolution 282 and encourage members of the International community to continue to aggressively condemn antiSemitic- actions and statements. For over sixty years. world history and international perspectives have been shaped by the painful reminders of the events of World War II. Blind eyes could not hide the effect racism had during the Holocaust that affefted millions of Jewish men. women and children. And now. many years later. I join with others to continue to remind the world community to resist the small seeds of hate that once led to the attempted annihilation of an entire race of people. More now than ever. we must all take a proactive stance against views that promote racial. religious and ethnic intolerance. Americas past is certainly imperfect. However. the lessons of the past remind us that through these imperfections we were able to unite and build alliances that promoted a stronger and wiser nation. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1180}
{"speech_id":1090037886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I now call upon the International community to also build alliances and word for peace by actively condemning the increasing culture of antiSemitic views and religious intolerance.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1180}
{"speech_id":1090037935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. at a White House news conference last week President Bush. called on this Congress to pass the Central American Free Trade Agreement this summer. This morning in this Chamber. next to me. the most powerful Republican in the House. the gentleman from Texas","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":268}
{"speech_id":1090037960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have freedom french fries down in the House diner. We do not have French fries. we have freedom fries. Freedom. Is this freedom? Is owing $29.000 when you get out of college freedom? Is owing the government $27.000 freedom? Is that freedom? That is not freedom. So we cannot really just apply freedom to little areas that are convenient. And freedom is economics too. and I believe that we are beginning to get into a situation by letting the credit cards run rampant through this Chamber. letting the spending get out of control in this Chamber. and it takes away the freedom for our young men and women.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090037970,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And patriotic. Quite frankly. tell the wealthiest people in the country. we would love to give you a tax cut. Who would not? Who in politics would not like to tell a really rich person I want to give you a tax cut? I mean. that would be great. But you have to do the right thing. and you have to say. you have to meet your responsibility to society. We cannot afford to give you a tax cut right now. because we have a $7.79 trillion debt. Now you can be selfish and still want one. Why not give the middleclass guy the tax cut. who has all of this debt burden. who is trying to send their kids to school? We cann6t afford to give Warren Buffet a tax cut. I am sorry. Warren.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":674}
{"speech_id":1090038048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we will return to executive session for the final statements regarding the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown. We have the upordown vote on her nomination scheduled for 5 p.m. today. And immediately following her vote. under provisions of rule XXII. we will proceed directly to the cloture vote with respect to the nomination of William Pryor. I expect cloture to be invoked on the Pryor nomination as well. Once cloture is invoked. I anticipate we will be able to lock in a time certain for a final upordown vote on William Pryor. As I mentioned over the last couple of days. we also expect to consider the Sixth Circuit judges on which we have time agreements already in- place. as well as the nomination of Tom Griffith to the D.C. Circuit Court. I look forward to the Senate finally working its will with respect to these four or five nominations over the next 2 days. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1545}
{"speech_id":1090038048,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will have a busy week focused on these judicial nominations. Mr. President. I have a very brief statement on judges. Does the Democratic leader have any comments with regard to the schedule? I think our schedule is pretty clear. After discussions between the two of us and among our leadership in our various caucuses. we have a good plan for the next 4 weeks focused on judges this week. and then moving to energy next week. with a concentrated push on energy based on a bipartisan bill that came out of committee 2 weeks ago. Following that. we will be addressing appropriations bills that are currently coming out of the Appropriations Committee.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1545}
{"speech_id":1090038050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President.. I say through.the Chair to the distinguished majority leader. we have spoken to staff on the situation involving the Griffith nomination. I have not had the opportunity to speak to the ranking member. Senator LEAHY. Hopefully. we can get that resolved so maybe even on Monday we can complete debate on that nomination. We are trying to cooperate as much as. we can getting through this little hurdle we have had here so we can move on to other issues.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":467}
{"speech_id":1090038052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we will vote on the confirmation of Janice Rogers Brown to serve on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. We are on a good path. a constructive. very pbsitive path for getting upordown votes for these judicial nominees. and we will stay on that. as I just mentioned. over the remainder of this week. confirming these judges. After 2 years of delay. Justice Brown will finally get the courtesy of an upordown vote. She will finally get the respect she deserves by getting an upordown vote. Indeed. all 100 Members. later today. will be able to come to the floor and vote to confirm or rejectyes or no. up or downher nomination. I am delighted we have finally reached this point. Following the vote on Justice Brown. we will move to the cloture vote on Judge William Pryor. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090038052,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Similar to Jus\u0095tice Brown. Judge Pryors nomination. in the past. has faced deliberate delay and postponement and obstruction. But with the progress we are making. I believe William Pryor will also now get a fair upordown vote. a vote he deserves. So I am very happy we have moved beyond the impasse on his nomination and that we are back to fulfilling our constitutional duty for advice and consent. That is what these nominees deserve. It gives them the respect they deserve. It gives them the courtesy they deserve. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090038052,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will yield the floor. We will continue to vote on judges this week. and then next week we will be turning our attention to lowering energy prices. to lowering natural gas prices for Americans. and we will be on that bill until completion. That is the Energy bill.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090038095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Alabama. Mr. SESSIONS. for his leadership on the Judiciary Committee and his aggressive support for this fine nominee to serve in our Federal judiciary. - It is a great pleasure for me to rise today in support of the confirmation of the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown to the U.S. Court of Appeals for theDC Circuit. There are a lot of people who I would like to commend and congratulate for bringing us to this point of justice for a very fine nominee to our Federal judiciary. We can be critical of how we reached this point. the socalled compromise that was developed by the 14 Senators who came together. You can give credit to the leaders in both parties in certain respects. But the fact of the matter is the Senate voted finally to give Justice Brown an upordown vote. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9666}
{"speech_id":1090038095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud of that. I think the Senate should take some pride and credit for allowing this nominee to reach this point in the debate and in the voting process. I was pleased. yesterday. to see that 65 Senators voted to invoke cloture to bring this nomination to an upordown recorded vote. So a lot of people deserve credit. and I want to make sure they have it. I want to thank them for it. I also want to ask for the forgiveness of this nominee for the way she has been treated. I do not think this has been one of the Senates proudest hours. I I think this nominee has such an outstanding personal story to be told. and I will not repeat the history of where she was born and whereshe was educated and what she has been through. but she has lived the American dream. and she has lived it well. She did not just complain about her status. She worked and got an education. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9666}
{"speech_id":1090038095,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She applied herself. She has been given opportunities. and she has taken advantage of them. I am proud to say I support her nomination. I think she will make an excellent judge. I really do believe most opposition to her has just been simply the fact that she is an AfricanAmerican conservative woman. I do not think we should vote for or against judges because they are conservative. moderate. or liberal. I think we should vote on them based on their background. their education. their experience. their decorum. Do they have the ethics for the job? Do they have conflicts of interest? If they meet all of those qualifications. in my opinion. they should be confirmed. That is what Presidential elections are about. They are about electing men or women to that office who will nominate people to the Federal judiciary who agree with their philosophy. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9666}
{"speech_id":1090038095,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When President Clinton nomi-. nated people to the Supreme Courtand I have said this before. but I repeat it againwhen he nominated Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court. I knew I did not agree with her philosophy. I knew I would not agree with many of her decisions in the Supreme Court. But she was qualified by experience and by education. by every criteria that we should evaluate. and I voted for her. I voted to confirm other judges whom I did not agree with philosophically. There have been attacks on Justice Brown that she has a philosophy of life. certain moral values. as though that is disqualifying. I do not understand that. Are we not entitled to our opinions. personal opinions. even as judges. let alone as Senators? We certainly have ours and express them routinely. I think judges have a right to have personal and private lives and to be able to give a speech in which they state positions which may not necessarily be reflected in reasoned decisions as judges. You can have an opinion. but if the law is on the other side. you have to rule that way. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9666}
{"speech_id":1090038095,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was a recent decision by a Federal district judge in my own State that I dont agree with. and I know he doesnt agree with it personally. But he upheld the law in a very reasoned decision. That is what has happened with Justice Brown. She has strong beliefs based on her life experience. but she hasnt tried to impose those. in an unfair way as a member of the California Supreme Court. Yet she is attackedattacked relentlessly and. in my opinion. unfairly and inaccurately on many occasions. For instance. she has been attacked here for a quote in her dissent in Stevenson v. Huntington Memorial Hospital in which she distinguished age discrimination from race discrimination. Based on this quote. they suggest Justice Brown doesnt believe in public policy against age discrimination. To draw this conclusion based on what Justice Brown wrote is as wrong as making the same accusation against the U.S. Supreme Court. which drew the same distinction in Massachusetts Board of Retirement v. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9666}
{"speech_id":1090038192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I introduce a bill that is long overdue and would require American nuclear power plants to follow the same procedures that we would like to impose on nuclear power plants in other countries. Each year. the Nations nuclear power plants produce over 2.000 metric tons of spent fuel. which is the used fuel that is periodically removed from nuclear reactors. According to the Government Accountability Office. GAO. spent nuclear fuel is \"one of the most hazardous materials made by humans.\" Within minutes. the intense radiation in the fuel can kill a person without protective shielding. in smaller doses. the fuel can cause cancer. In the hands of terrorists. such highly radioactive materials. when coupled with conventional explosives. could be turned into a dirty bomb that could pose a critical threat to public safety. In April of this year. GAO issued a report concluding that \"[n]uclear power plants performance in controlling and accounting for spent nuclear fuel has been uneven.\" In recent years. three U.S. nuclear power plantsMillstone. Vermont Yankee. and Humboldt Bayhave reported missing spent fuel. The Millstone fuel was never located. the Vermont Yankee fuel was located three months later in a different location. and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is still investigating the missing Humboldt Bay fuel. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3750}
{"speech_id":1090038192,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In all three cases. the missing spent fuel had been contained in loose fuel rods or fuel rod segments. Currently. NRC provides little or no guidance on how nuclear power plants should conduct physical inventories of their spent fuel or how they must control. store. and account for loose spent fuel rods and fragments. NRC also does not conduct routine inspections to monitor compliance with regulations relating to spent fuel. As a result of its investigation. GAO made a series of recommendations for how NRC should improve its regulation and oversight. My billthe Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Actwould implemente those recommendations and require NRC to establish: 1. specific and uniform guidelines for tracking. controlling. and accounting for spent fuel rods or segments. and 2. uniform inspection procedures to verify compliance with these guidelines. Within six months. NRC would be required to report to Congress on its progress in establishing these guidelines. Tracking spent nuclear material used 2005\". a bill to provide the regulatory framework for the development of aquaculture in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3750}
{"speech_id":1090038192,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Concurrently. we have introduced an amendment to this bill to allow coastal States to decide whether or not they want offshore aquaculture in the EEZ off that States coastline. We are cosponsoring Senator SNOWEs amendment to strike the Jones Act waiver for vessels supporting offshore aquaculture facilities contained in the Administrations bill. I am also a cosponsor of Senator INOUYEs amendment to better clarify language that environmental protections apply. As we review the Administrations measure in detail. there may be additional amendments offered to this bill and I look forward to working with my colleagues to address any concerns with the legislation. in the United States is just as important as tracking spent nuclear mate- By Mr. CORZINE (for himself and rial in the former Soviet Union. This is Mr. LAUTENBERG): a commonsense solution to an impor- S. 1196. A bill to provide for disclotant problem. sure of fire safety standards and measI urge my colleagues to support this ures with respect to campus buildings. measure. and for other purposes. to the CormI ask unanimous consent that the mittee on Health. Education. Labor. text of the bill be printed in the and Pensions. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3750}
{"speech_id":1090038192,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"RECORD. Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President. I rise","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3750}
{"speech_id":1090038245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we have known for some time that the Bush administration refuses to exercise any leadership in dealing with climate change. We now find out not only are they failing to act. they are cooking the books and the science involving this issue. We read in the New York Times this morning a White House official who once led the oil industrys fight against. limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming. according to internal documents. Philip Cooney. White House counsel and environmental quality chief of staff have been cooking the books that we pay for with our tax money on the science of climate change. and because the administration has turned the government of the United States over to the oil industry lobbyists. they are not sharing the real science with the American people. It is one thing to debate. I suppose if you want to debate gravity. you can do it. but at least let Americans know what the science is in this regard. We are paying for this science. and the President is cooking the books and not sharing it with us. As a result. we find tundra melting in the Arctic. the glaciers disappearing in Glacier National Park and major changes that our kids are going to have to deal with. Madam Speaker. the Bush administration should stop cooking the books when it comes to climate change.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1415}
{"speech_id":1090038254,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. June is Homeownership Month and the housing market continues to be a catalyst for a growing economy. Just last quarter. growth figures were revised higher. growing at a 3.5 percent annual rate. For the past 2 years. the U.S. economy has grown faster than the economy of any major industrialized nation. Since May of 2003. over 3.5 million jobs have been created with 24 straight months of job growth. That is 2 years of putting people back to work. 2 years of more people collecting paychecks. What is even more impressive is the fact that the unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent. the lowest level since 9\/11. \" Many things are behind these positive job numbers. but one thing in particular is the strength of our housing market. Homeownership is at near record levels with nearly 70 percent of American families now owning their own homes. Sales of existing U.S. homes climbed 4.5 percent in April. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1232}
{"speech_id":1090038254,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2004. home prices posted the biggest gain in 25 years. Madam Speaker. these steady gains are great news. They show that more people are working. more people are collecting paychecks. more people are owning their own homes. and more people are realizing the American Dream. This direction should be celebrated.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1232}
{"speech_id":1090038263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution recognizing the sacrifices being made by the fami.lies of members of the Armed Forces and supporting the designation of a week as National Military Families Week. as amended.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090038303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding me time and for all the effort and attention the committee has paid to this important bill on agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. I just might say to the gentleman from Massachusetts. I. too. want to applaud his passion and his diligence and . vigilance on the issue of hunger and how it affects our children and families in the United States and internationally. I thank him forleading the way for us. I also want to compliment the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BONILLA) on working under very difficult circumstances to deliver this bill on the floor and for working across the aisle. His staff. the gentleman from Wisconsins staff and mine have worked diligently to get us here today. and I thank all of them for their service and for their patience. This bill. unfortunately. falls short in filling the needs in rural America and in fully protecting our public health. While I believe that the gentleman from Texas has done his best with a difficult allocation. regrettably there are shortfalls. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6734}
{"speech_id":1090038303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have barely maintained the same funding level as last year. $16.8 billion. in discretionary funds. and we all know that there are increased benefit costs and salary increases that need to be accounted for in that number. A stable number does not mean a stable agriculture and food and drug effort by our government. The chairman had\" to make up for a huge gap in the administrations proposal when it included an unauthorized user fee of $139 million in the budget. Finding that amount of money to keep our extremely important food safety efforts for meat and poultry operating was not an easy task. It certainly forced the chairman to leave other needs unmet at USDA. In addition. Mr. Speaker. the bill still does not include enough funding to cover the food security needs of the elderly under the Commodity Supplemental Food program. There are hundreds of millions more pending requests for building and repairing water and sewer systems and for conserving our precious soil and water resources. The Commodity Supplemental Food program operating in 32 States and providing surplus food commodities to seniors and to families of young children who no longer qualify for any other help. but who have hungry young ones to feed. is predicted to have to stop feeding at least 45.000 people with the current level of funding in this account: At the same time. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6734}
{"speech_id":1090038303,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"USDA resources are essential so that our agricultural base is not harmed by outbreaks of diseases such as soybean rust or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. BSE or mad cow. United States agriculture is not isolated. and we need to remain vigilant and steady in our support of scientific research institutions in our prevention efforts and in our strategic planning and coordination for these types of challenges to our food supply and our health. In the natural resources area. the bill is $52 million below last year. Water and waste grants. so critical to public health and economic. growth for our rural communities. are funded below The agriculture community has so many important needs. from commodity support to export promotion. from building new community facilities in rural areas to conserving farm land. and by combating animal and plant diseases and protecting human health. by enforcing our food safety laws and maintaining basic nutrition for our citizens. Rural areas are not always places with high tax bases and young working people. Rather. we know 90 percent of the countrys poorest counties are in rural America. and these counties have a poverty rate that is a disturbing 14.2 percent. If..we want these areas to begin to prosper again. we have to help them with infrastructure and communitybuilding. Some forget that another important public health agency is also funded in this bill. the Food and Drug Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services. Again. the chairman has done a good job in trying to find funding for this budget for the Food and Drug Administration. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6734}
{"speech_id":1090038303,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This year. the subcommittee was deprived of the opportunity to hear from the Acting Commissioner of FDA due to what we understand was intervention from the administration. This meant that we had to work on their portion of the bill without being able to ask questions that we would ordinarily have used to learn about their current operations. Nevertheless. with the gentleman from Texas help. we have started down a road to building some additional resources for drug safety and the possibility of more effective oversight of postmarket prescription drugs. by increasing the resources of the office that performs directtoconsumer advertising claims reviews. FDA is an agency that has. demonstrated itself to be in crisis over the last year. We had an influenza outbreak predicted. but we were surprised to learn that another governments regulatory system had found the flu vaccine supply on which we were counting to be flawed. Drugs like Vioxx and Bextra that scientists at FDA knew were causing illness and death were permitted to remain on the market and be advertized well beyond the point that they should have been voluntarily withdrawn or forced off the market. Companies that had promised to perform postmarket studies in return for early introduction of their products failed miserably in keeping their promises without penalty. However. I am pleased that the subcommittee took action on this matter by fencing off 5 percent of the appropriation to the leadership offices of FDA until the head of the agency testifies before our subcommittee. This is a very important provision to maintain in this bill until we get some answers. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6734}
{"speech_id":1090038303,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am also pleased that the subcommittee adopted an amendment addressing the reimportation of FDAapproved prescription drugs from FDAapproved facilities from Canada and other developed countries so that our people can buy them at affordable prices. This House has expressed its will on this issue over and over again. most recently with a letter signed by a bipartisan majority of the House to the Speaker. and we want to be able to keep this provision in the bill through conference. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BONILLA) for his willingness to work across the aisle to replace many of the cuts sent up by the President. We know that we cannot meet all theactual needs that are out in the country. but this bill is a valiant effort. given the budget parameters. I know there will be several amendments offered today. especially on behalf of enhanced civil rights and solutions to regional or specific problems. I believe that debate will be a healthy one. and I look forward to it. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6734}
{"speech_id":1090038314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to express my thanks to the gentleman from Texas and to the gentlewoman from Connecticut . This is a very good bill. I am privileged to be on this subcommittee and to serve with two distinguished leaders. the gentlewoman from Connecticut and the gentleman from Texas. They both have worked very hard together. This is a very good bill for agriculture. It is a very good bill for our farmers. I represent farmers in central Illinois who produce a lot of food and fiber for the world. particularly corn and beans. One of the things that the chairman and ranking member have done has also really put a lot of emphasis on the research title. providing the research dollars to places like the University of Illinois in Champaign and to the ag research lab. ","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1662}
{"speech_id":1090038314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have one of the four ag research labs in the country in my hometown of Peoria. They do great work there. They collaborate with many different people in the community to really think outside of the box about how we take the food and fiber that we produce and the commodities we produce and stretch them into many differenb opportunities for farmers. and also for researchers. We hAve someof the smartest people that work in the ag research lab in Peoria. They could not do their work without the kind of dollars that are provided through this bill. The chairman has really done an extraordinary job in working with all the members of the subcommittee and the committee. really. to reach out and try to provide the dollars that are necessary. This is a very good bill for agriculture. It is a good bill for America. I ask .all Members to support the rule and ultimately to support the bill.","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1662}
{"speech_id":1090038349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. -I appreciate the gentleman yielding me this time. and I want to explain a problem that we discovered as the bill has been moving through. Since 1997. by Executive order. a program was created known as the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. In that program. there are 14 rivers. one of which is the Hudson River in New York State and the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania. As a combined effort over t~e last 5 or 6 years. funding for the river navigator has come through the program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Either inadvertently or otherwise. even though we have had bipartisan support for the support of these two navigator positions for the Hudson River and the Susquehanna. the Susquehanna was inadvertently not included in report language on page 51 of the report. where only the Hudson River is indicated. What I would request from the chairman is assurances that during conference that report language would be amended to include the Susquehanna River for funding the. navigator. Just as a justification for that. I want to point out that the Susquehanna River has been designated by American Rivers as one of the most polluted and endangered rivers in the country. Toward that end. the navigator presently in place has been involved in two areas: improving water quality and use. and increased economic development in the region. To give my colleagues an example. we are now in the throes of more than $100 million in projects as a result of the effort of the navigator position: remodeling an old hotel in downtown WilkesBarre on the waterfront that exceeds $24 million in costs. riverfront revitalization that is between $25 million and $30 million. a program of $10 million of the GIS project to include the entire Susquehanna watershed so that we can work on water quality problems in that area of the Susquehanna River. and a project. an ongoing project presently of over $30 million to service the combined sewage overflows into the Susquehanna River. ","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2753}
{"speech_id":1090038349,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without the key leadership of the navigator. we will lose that $100 or $150 million in projects and return to really zero. What I am urging the chairman to indicate is his willingness to amend the report language as this bill proceeds through conference to include not only the Hudson River but also the Susquehanna River. I may assure the chairman that we have worked in a very bipartisan effort with members of the New York delegation and Governor Patakis office that both of these river navigator positions should be funded in this bill. as the other 12 navigators are funded in other appropriations bills across the country. But to leave out the Susquehanna River. either inadvertently or by error. would be catastrophic to my congressional district.","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2753}
{"speech_id":1090038386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. pic-\" tured on this chart is an Asian longhorned beetle. This is one of the many pests that are under the responsibility of APHIS. the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. This is an insect that bores its way into trees. primarily in Illinois. in the northeast. and kills them. There is no way to stop this pest except by cutting down the tree. And we in New York and in New Jersey and Illinois have had to chop down a lot of them. What my amendment will do is to increase the funding for APHIS. to bring it up to the level that the Bush administration proposed in their preliminary budget. It is estimated that the amendment that we are offering today with the gentleman from Michigan and my colleagues from New York and others around the country. by increasing by $19 million. we will wind up preventing more than $700 billion worth of damage to trees throughout the country. This is not just a problem that will be solved for the Asian longhorned beetle. If you have the emerald ash borer in Indiana. Ohio or Michigan. or in the Pacific Coast. or suffer from sudden oak death in California or Oregon. or are dealing with the glassywinged sharpshooterin California. or of course boll weevils throughout the South. all of these are pests which are having a dramatic impact on our economy. or is having a budget cut in this round to an unacceptable level. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090038386,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First let me say of the chairman and the ranking member. they are doing a lot with less and less. The staffs of both the minority and majority side should be commended for taking a very small allocation and trying to make it as best they can. However. what my amendment will do is it will take a program that essentially does the computing and data processing part of the Agriculture Department and moves it into dealing with these pests. Obviously. I. would like not to have to cut any part of the Agriculture Department. but this is an offset that works. We found. when this House weighed into this debate in the past and increased funding through an amendment on the floor. we wound up having a substantial positive impact. When the Asian longhorn beetle was first kind of discovered in 1999 here in the east coast. there were 2.500 trees that were affected. It was down to just 66 in 2004. Unfortunately. that downward trend has recently been reversed. This. the House bill that we are considering today. allocates $22 million less for APHIS than President Bush had requested. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090038386,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Nature Conservancy. which studies the impact of pests like the Asian longhorn beetles. says that we really need a $44 million increase. We are not going to be able to get a $44 million increase in this bill. What the amendment does is try to reach a point that we at least start to win the battle again. start to lead to a reduction in the amount of trees that are infected. not only by the Asian longhorn beetle. but by the emerald ash borer and others that I mentioned. There is hardly a State in the Union that has not found its trees impacted by these pernicious insects. APHIS has been an effective way to reverse the course. A combination of research and remediation has proven that the dollars spent on these things turn out to be extraordinarily helpful. Whether it is the cactus moth or the gypsy moth in WashingtonOregon. I would urge my colleagues in virtually every State of the Union to look to see if you have an insect that represents a pest that is impacting not only the trees in the abstract sense of our environment. but also our economy. There is hardly a State in the Union that would not benefit from this amendment. As I said. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090038386,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe .that the ranking member. the gentlewoman from Connecticut . and the chairman. the gentleman from Texas . deserve great credit for how they have done more with less. We are making a minor change to increase the funding for APHIS by $19 million to allow even more work. The gentleman from Michigan . who is sponsoring this amendment with some of us in the New York and New Jersey delegation. is detained. He is expected on the floor shortly. but he represents. as so many other Members do. a bipartisan effort. to make sure that insects like this are vanquished once and for all.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090038420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I make a point of order against section 760 that begins on page 81. line 1 through 7 and beginning with \"and\" on page 81. line 11 through \"programs\" on line 17 in that it violates Houqe rule XXI. clause 2. by changing existing law and inserting legislative language in an appropriation bill.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090038528,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise to speak on the Hinchey amendment to require that the FDA stop waiving conflict of interest revelations by their advisors and to start to make an affirmative search for scientists who can give unconflicted advice to this critically important agency. Unfortunately. there is abundant evidence that scientists are being invited onto and accepted onto these committees. even when they tell the FDA that they have a conflict. They are permitted to serve. regardless of conflict. This must stop. Other agencies. such as the NIH. have regularly found unconflicted. fully qualified professional advisors so that the agency can receive the best. unbiased advice possible. I am mildful that there may be scientists whose expertise deserves to be presented to an advisory committee. and nothing in this amendment. as I understand it. precludes these individuals from being asked to testify before a committee. When enacted. this amendment will also start to contribute to and rebuild the credibility of the actions of FDA.. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1513}
{"speech_id":1090038528,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot have even the aura of influence by the pharmaceutical industry or other regulated industries when it comes to the FDA. Surely. in a country that is renowned for its scientific and medical expertise. I think we have 125 medical schools in the United States. that it is possible to find scientists without conflicts of interest to advise the FDA and to protect the public health. I urge support for the Hinchey amendment.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1513}
{"speech_id":1090038535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me this time. As I hear this discussion move forward. I find it nothing short of absolutely amazing that anybody can rise to defend the current system. The pharmaceutical industry in this country is corrupt from top to bottom. They have corrupted the Food and Drug Administration. They have corrupted academia to the point where they pay anybody that might ever issue an opinion about any of their products. and this continues to get worse day by day. We have evidence to all of these things. and it is absolutely and utterly ridiculous that we do not hold FDA accountable to provide a system of unbiased opinions so that the American people can get a safe product. We have seen the results of this corrupt system and the willingness of our own government to allow the pharmaceutical industry to continue to rob our own people. and it goes on and on and on. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090038535,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is wrong. It does not make. any sense. It puts the public health at risk. We just had a big debate on whether or not to label meat and where it comes from. We know what these drugs will do. we have plenty of people that know what they will do. and when we put the information out there. anybody can figure it out. You do not have to be all broke out in brilliance to know when this stuff is bad. But when you are on the payroll of these companies. folks just kind of seem to have a little trouble saying. this is a terrible drug and we do not want to put it on the market. It is a bad idea. I am the only registered pharmacist in the United States Congress. and it is astounding to me to see what has happened to this industry in the last 30 years and the willingness for them to take advantage of the American people over and over and over again. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090038535,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. if this body is going to do anything to serve the public health and welfare of our people on this day. we should pass this amendment. and I thank the gentleman from New York for courageously bringing it to the floor of this House.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2016}
{"speech_id":1090038563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. let me quickly answer my good friend. the gentleman from Iowa by saying 2 things. When Ferdinand. the great horse champion. was sold for slaughter. he was marketed as \"eating an American champion.\" There is a distinction there. Number two. I would ask how many zebras. how many cows do we know the names of? We know the names of many horses. and the fact is horses are not raised in this Nation for human consumption. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":551}
{"speech_id":1090038563,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":551}
{"speech_id":1090038596,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. I know a great many sugar producers who have had to buy the sugar beet factory in order to have a viable business. In doing so. they have taken out extensive loans and the whole financial structure is based on the current sugar program. And so to change the program in the middle of the stream when these people are oftentimes selling at marginal rates. sometimes below the forfeiture level. and then to say. well. we are just going to change it 5 or 6 percent. the margin of profit sometimes is no more than 2 or 3 percent. So to say to. these people. it makes no difference and we are going to just willynilly change the farm bill makes absolutely no sense. You can do it for wheat. you can do it for corn. you can do it for any crop. and that is why we have a farm bill. to make sure that people have some continuity. have something to hang their hat on. I certainly rise in opposition and I urge a \"no\" vote.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1014}
{"speech_id":1090038605,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the BlumenauerFlake amendment to H.R. 2744. I have lots of respect for the gentleman from Oregon . but I must speak up for our sugar producers and for jobs in South Texas. Nearly every year an antisugarfarmer amendment is offered to the agriculture appropriations bill. and almost every year the same misinformation is. recklessly spread about sugar farmers. Before voting on the BlumenauerFlake amendment to H.R. 2744. consider these facts: I repeat what the gentleman from .Florida said earlier. All U.S. commodities covered under the 2002 farm bill receive loans from the Federal Government. Sugar is not receiving a special treatment. I represent lots of ag producers. and it is a fact that loan levels for sugar farmers have remained unchanged for 20 years. Therefore. ","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1623}
{"speech_id":1090038605,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on the BlumenauerFlake amendment to H.R. 2744. Sugar prices in the United States are low by world standards. Grocery shoppers in other developed countries pay 30 percent more for sugar than U.S. consumers. America already has one of the most open sugar markets in the world. importing sugar from 41 countries whether we need the sugar or not. As the worlds fourth largest net sugar importer. were the only major sugarproducing country that is a net importer. 146.000 Americans are employed by the U.S. sugar industry. A vote for the BlumenauerFlake Amendment to H.R. 2744 is a vote against 146.000 hardworking farmers and workers in 19 States. Therefore. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on the BlumenauerFlake Amendment to H.R. 2744 and save over 100.000 American jobs.","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1623}
{"speech_id":1090038607,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. It seems curious to me that at a time when our trade deficit is the deepest in the history of our country and that we face the prospect that this year the United States may actually import more agriculture goods than it exports. that we would hear in the urging of the passage of this amendment that bring-. ing in foreign product is the thing we need to do. I represent sugar beet growers in the Red River Valley. This is an industry that they have built from scratch with sweat and toil at an. enormous financial risk. Presently. it makes a $2 billion contribution to our economy and employs directly 2.500. indirectly. 30.000. This is a vital industry to the region I represent and needs to be protected. It is simply. not responsible to take on a component of the economy as important as. for example. this industry is in the region I represent by amendments offered in the course of appropriations debate. I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment.","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1020}
{"speech_id":1090038705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would just note that the responsibility for enforcing the laws that the gentleman is referring to actually fall under the U.S. -Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS. and the State welfare departments. States are responsible for making demand for and collecting from sponsors any benefits paid to sponsored aliens. So there is no indication that the USDA is violating any of these regulations and rules. again emphasizing that the responsibility for compliance here lies with other agencies and some at the State level.","speaker_name":"HENRY BONILLA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":541}
{"speech_id":1090038739,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. My remarks will be brief. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BONILLA) for his support. We all know the importance of antibiotici to our public health. beginning some 60 years ago with penicillin and other antibiotics. We also know the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance in people who have not been \"cured because of their resistance to antibiotics that have been administered to them. This amendment says the USDA can only buy chicken products for school nutrition programs if it complies with the requirement of existing law that foods purchased for these programs be \"wholesome.\" meaning protected from antibiotic resistance.. This amendment tells the USDA that we are serious. this Congress is serious about protecting the American people from the dangers of antibiotic resistance. I ask my colleagues to support the amendment. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5698}
{"speech_id":1090038739,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On March 14. 1942. the world changed. A woman named Anne Miller had been hospitalized in New Haven. Connecticut. for more than a month with a strep infection. Every conventional treatment had failed. and doctors feared she would not last the day. But then. Anne Miller got an experimental injection of a new medicine called Penicillin. And in just over 12 hours. her temperature had returned to normal. A halfcentury ago. Americas hospitals were jammed with patients suffering from strep. pneumonia. meningitis. typhoid fever. rheumatic fever. and other killers. Penicillin and other antibiotics allowed us to bring these lethal infections under control and save millions of lives. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5698}
{"speech_id":1090038739,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These new miracle drugs changed the world. But a new dangerantibiotic resistanceis threatening to turn back the clock. by making the antibiotics we rely on ineffective. When an antibiotic is used on a person or animal. it may kill some of the bacteria. but it will not kill all of them. The survivors reproduce. propagating these hardier \"antibiotic resistant\" bacteria. Antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing public health problem: 38 Americans die every day from antibiotic resistant infections. according to the World Health Organizationsome estimates suggest the number is more than twice that large. Antibiotic. resistance costs Americas health care system an estimated $4 billion every year. The Centers for Disease Control has called antibiotic resistance one of its \"top concerns\" Human medicine is partly to blame. Doctors are often pressured to overprescribe antibiotics. leading to the spread of resistance. And both the medical profession and the CDC have taken this seriously. with outreach campaigns to educate both doctors and patients about the dangers of antibiotic overuse. But animal agriculture is also to blame. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5698}
{"speech_id":1090038739,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"About 70 percent of antibiotic use in America is not for people but for the cows. pigs. chickens. and other animals people eat. And about 70 percent of those antibiotics are not even used to treat sick animals. but to prevent illness or just to make healthy animals grow faster. And the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture has serious consequences. Fluoroquinolonesthe class of antibiotics that includes Ciproare an important example. Cipro. as we know all too well. is used to threat Anthrax. But Cipro is also used to treat infections by a foodborne bacterium called Campylobacter. The FDA approved fluoroquinolones for use in human medicine in 1986. And FDA approved fluoroquinolones for use in chickens in During the 9 years between 1986 and 1995. no more than 3 percent of Campylobacter cases in the U.S. involved resistant bacteria. But just 2 years after FDA approved fluoroquinolones for use in chickens. resistance in humans hd jumped to 13 percent. By 2001. 19 percent of the Campylobacter infections in humans were antibioticresistant. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5698}
{"speech_id":1090038739,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The FDA has begun a response to this problemby proposing to ban fluorquinolone use in poultry. But thO company that makes them has sued. and litigation could take several years to resolve. Private industry also has recognized the problem. Leading fast food chains like McDonaids and Wendys have told their suppliers they will not buy products made from chickens raised with fluoroquinolones. And leading chicken producers like Tyson. Gold Kist. and Purdue have also committed to stop using fluoruoquinolones. But the National School Lunch Program lags behind. and the USDA still buys our children chicken raised with fluoroquinolones. Congress acted in 2004adding report language of the FY2004 Agriculture Appropriations bill that asked USDA to initiate \"a policy to not purchase chickens for these programs from companies that do not have a stated policy that they do not use fluoroquinolones in their chickens.\" That language was approved by a bipartisan majority in this House. It was approved by a bipartisan majority in the Senate. And the bill accompanying it was signed by President Bush. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5698}
{"speech_id":1090038756,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all. I think this represents the final amendment on the bill and gives me another chance to offer my thanks to the chairman and ranking member for doing well with a bill that provides far too little funding for the important agriculture programs of this country. What does this amendment do? My amendment would require that every State in the Union. all of the States. get at least .75 percent of the funding provided for cotton. tobacco. and rice in this bill. Every single State should get .75 percent. Even though 24 States in the Union have no cotton. have no rice. have no tobacco. this amendment would require that .75 percent of the funding be reserved for those States. Before the chairman has a chance to say it. I will say it for him: It is a preposterous concept. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090038756,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a mindboggling concept. in fact. Why would we allocate funds in an agriculture bill for places like I represent in New York City that have no agriculture programs? But I say to my colleagues. that is exactly what we recently did in the homeland security bill. We said that we are going to allocate a fixed amount of money in the homeland security bill. notwithstanding the fact that there might be little or no homeland security needs. Did this create a wise funding formula? Well. only if one thinks that Wyoming should have the highest per capita funding in the country for homeland security grants. and California and New York will be one and two for the least per capita. Now. of course. one would not want to leave Wyoming unprotected. but I believe that having a minimum guarantee in that bill was simply foolish. After all. New York City had been the target of actual terrorism six times between 1993 and 2001. Twice the World Trade Center was attacked. Efforts were foiled to destroy the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels and the GW. Bridge. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090038756,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We were a target in the Anthrax attacks. a subway bomb plot and. of course. a mission that was disrupted to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge by al Qaeda in 2003. I am not saying that we should not find a way to make every city and locality safe. Butare we really better off because of this formula that has .75 percent going to every State? Have we not perhaps reached a point that now cities and States are trying to figure out. how the heck do we spend this money? Well. the answer is. yes. we have reached that point. Madisonville. Texas. population .4.200. I understand one of the nicer places in Texas. used a $30.000 homeland security grant to buy a custom trailer. and I am not making this up. a custom trailer that will be used during the annual October Mushroom Festival for people who are overheated or injured. and it will double. forgive me. no disrespect to the people of Madisonville. Texas intended. it will double as a command center during supposed emergencies should al Qaeda attack Madisonville. Texas. Now. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090038756,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. it would be absurd for my amendment to become law. It would be a mockery of this House to say that every State should get the same amount of tobacco funding even if there are no tobacco farms. the same amount of cotton funding even if there are no cotton farms. and the same amount of funding even if there are no rice farms. It would be absurd. Why. then. do we have other elements of the bill. other elements of our law. other appropriation bills that are allocated that way? It does not make any sense. Is it really the way it should be? I have to tell my colleagues something. I am going to be magnanimous. I am a representative from Brooklyn and Queens and the beautiful City of New York. We do not have tobacco farms. I will tell my colleagues what I am going to do: Keep your cotton and tobacco subsidy. Keep your agriculture subsidy. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090038756,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not farmers. and we are very grateful to the men and women of this country who are. They make it possible for all of us to eat at prices that are extraordinary. We are the envy of the world when it comes to agriculture. But can we not also agree that when it comes to things that are not so enviable. like the challenge that cities like New York face when dealing with homeland security. maybe. just maybe. my colleagues can be equally magnanimous? Maybe. just maybe. they can say. you know what? Where we have need. where we have threat. we are going to ask for money. Where there is no threat. where there is no need. we are not. So I would urge my colleagues to vote no on the Weiner amendment. but I would urge my colleagues to keep it in mind the next time we consider homeland security grants. Mr. Chairman. I. to the relief of everyone. I am sure. yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090038824,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"M. Speaker. I just recently wrote to the chairman of the committee and. after reviewing that information that was given to us by the PBGC. I asked him. I think it is very important that the committee go ahead and have a vote and make this information public. Because. obviously. what we have seen is there is a huge disparity between what the public has been told of the pension problems of these companies and what the PBGC has been told in secret. out of the public eye. not for disclosure. what the real situation of these pension plans are. So that we have millions of Americans who believe the conditions of their companys pension plan is one thing. and the company knows it is another. In many cases. as we wrote to the chairman and said. the difference is hundreds of millions of dollars and. in some cases. billions of dollars in terms of those liabilities. I think that those employees. when they see how this can happen with the United case. those employees are entitled to that information. Interestingly enough. the President of the United States asked 4 years ago that this information be made public. but the companies are lobbying hard so it will not be made public. and. so far. the committee has not responded to our letter. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090038824,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But certainly before we begin writing a new pension bill we ought to have this information laid out on the public record so people can comment on it to see whether or not the bill that we are considering. the ideas that the President has will make this worse or make it better. I thank the gentleman for raising that point. I would like at this time to recognize another member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. a member of long standing of the Committee on Education and the Workforce who. in every session of this Congress. has taken on the responsibilities of this committee to look at these issues that confront working families in the workplace. in their health care. in their daily lives in the workplaces of America. and that is the gentleman from New York . Mr. Speaker. I am going to yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from New York for the purposes of this discussion and to read the communications from individuals from New York. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for joining us tonight.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090038837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. This is truly a toxid combination of a dishonest regime that has actively deceived the rest of the world for a quarter century. the most iethal and deadly weapons known to man. and the ability to use those weapons both in a conventional and unconventional sense. As the gentleman from Illinois map shows very clearly. Iran tonight has the ballistic capability. has the ability to fire a missile that could cause nuclear havoc to U.S. troops in Iraq. in Kuwait. could cause the destruction of Americas great friend in Israel. This is a real and present danger. but beyond the conventional danger is the asymmetric unconventional danger of the unconventional use of a nuclear weapon in an unconventional way: in a suitcase. in a rental truck. on a container being shipped into a port of the United States. The risk that we are discussing tonight is not only the risk that one of the missiles that the gentleman from Illinois just described would rain down on U.S. troops in the Middle East or on our friends in Israel or in a friendly Arab state. the risk is that this risk could manifest itself in Times Square or in th6 Nations capitol through the use of a nuclear weapon in an unconventional way. A toxic combination of a Jihadist regime. a 25year record of deception. and the possession of this lethal technology is something we simply cannot countenance. Now there have been efforts. intense efforts over the last 18 months or so to address this problem. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090038837,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that the gentleman from Illinois is going to outline them. and we are going to talk about how we support the intent of those efforts. how we are working through our working group to try to buttress the efforts. but how we believe that our country must be prepared both in the eventuality of the success of the negotiations or the failure of the negotiations in order to protect ourselves.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090038841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. gasoline is the Achilles heel of the Iranian autocrats. They have presided over such a dysfunctional country that they are in a situation where they sell crude oil in huge amounts to the rest of the world but import gasoline. Think about that. A country that is literally awash in the basic stuff that gasoline is made of cannot produce its own gasoline. Estimates go as high as 40 percent of the gasoline consumed by Iranian consumers is imported from other countries. Now another measure of the impor tance of what the gentleman from Illinois is saying is this. Today when a citizen of Tehran fills up his or her tank of gas. they pay 40 cents a gallon. I wish I could go home and tell my constituents they were going to fill up their gas tanks for 40 cents a gallon. Obviously. it costs a lot more to produce gasoline than 40 cents a gallon in Iran. but this is such a sensitive issue for the population of the country that the Iranian parliament has voted. and as a matter of fact in January of this year the Iranian parliament voted to freeze domestic prices for gasoline and other fuels at 2003 levels. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1528}
{"speech_id":1090038841,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why did they do that? They did it because it would be so disruptive to the society and the economy to have a price shock that would reflect the true cost of a gallon of gasoline. If such a disruption occurred. it would shake the control. the iron grip the autocrats have over this country. They have identified their own weakness by freezing the price of domestic gasoline. What the gentleman from Illinois","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1528}
{"speech_id":1090038842,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When.we look at Iran. we have got an election coming up. not only just six candidates. they just added two more. but there is a key choice for the Iranian nation and the government to make. whether to pursue this nuclear weapons program. against the wishes of France. against the wishes of the United Kingdom. against the wishes of Germany and the United Nations. the IAEA and the formal commitments of Iran under the nuclear nonproliferation path. or to join the community of nations and build a growing economy in Central Asia. at peace with her neighbors. offering economic opportunity to her families. But if she chooses the path of nuclear weapons and confrontation with the European Union. we do not have to resort. in my judgment. to any military means. We could impose a gasoline quarantine on Iran that would quickly implode her economy. This gasoline quarantine on Iran could be imposed by a coalition of the willing naval powers. But when you look at the position of anyone trying to import gasoline into Iran under an order of quarantine. you would find quickly that it would make no economic sense to try to run that quarantine. In fact. in my judgment. working with our British allies. Lloyds of London likely would pull the insurance -contracts for nearly all of the tankers attempting to service the Iranian market. And working with our allies in the gulf who largely supply Irans need for gasoline. they could by bilateral action simply abrogate contracts with Iran. making this quarantine fairly simple to operate and administer. The effect of this would be heavily on Iran. would put a number of people out of work. and with those thousands unemployed. then asking their government. why are we embracing a policy of confrontation. violating treaty commitments of our government and throwing me and my family out of work. instead of going the direction that most people under the age of 40 would like to go in Iran. and that is embracing the West and having positive direction. I think this is diplomacy with teeth. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3973}
{"speech_id":1090038842,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a way to break out of the intellectual box of either surrendering to an Iranian nuclear program run by a government who has the most extensive terror connections in the world or having some sort of war break out in the Middle East between our Israeli allies and Iran. I for one think that we should embrace a creative diplomatic posture that supports the European Union. that increases their likelihood of success and makes the Iranian government want to embrace a verifiable inspection regime that follows the path of Ukraine. that follows the path of Libya. that follows the path of Brazil and Argentina and South Africa and embraces a nonnuclear future. For us. this is tense times ahead. My colleague talked about reference to the U.N. Security Council and any further action. We think that Iran is quickly moving towards a nuclear capability and. if the Guardian Council gets their way. could bring about a Middle East on a nuclear hair trigger. I think we can do much better. I think pitting our strength against their weakness. we can resolve this in a way that everyone is much more secure. I thank my colleague. I also want to conclude by saying this. before I hand it over to him. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3973}
{"speech_id":1090038842,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have had this debate on this floor as two colleagues from different parties working together in a bipartisan fashion. We have worked through the problem. We have met with ambassadors. with officials from the State Department. with our Israeli allies and reviewed carefully all of the options. I think on a bipartisan level when you work through all of these options and you listen to our allies and you listen to the experts. you will come to about where we are. a chance for a peaceful resolution of this that enhances security on a bipartisan basis. I think that represents the best traditions of this House. especially in our foreign policy where we set partisan differences aside. I yield to conclude to my colleague from New Jersey.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3973}
{"speech_id":1090038922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a 10yearold Knoxville. Tennessee child. Luke Whitson. and some of his friends chose to read the Bible to each other during recesses instead of playing on the jungle gym or kickball. Lukes principal was not amused. She put a stop on this terrible practice at once and told the students not to bring their Bibles to school again. Now. we expect principals to protect kids from bullying and ensure a healthy learning environment. We do not expect them to dictate issues of faith or. worse. mandate a faithfree environment. However. this principal is a ground soldier in a national campaign to remove faith. even voluntary expressions of it. from publicly funded programs and facilities. School children. all people. should have the right to read freely in their own free time. whether it is during recess at school or in the break room during lunch at work. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1144}
{"speech_id":1090038922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our government buys and provides copies of the Koran and prayer rugs to terrorist prisoners at Gitmo. We expect our soldiers to honor a terrorists right to worship freely. but will we stand for the right of an American child to do so as well? Sounds like somebody is paranoid.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1144}
{"speech_id":1090038928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. so often people come to this Chamber and say the way we deal with health care costs is *to change who pays. What we need tQ. talk about is what we are paying for. The Department of Defense Extended Shelf Life Program evaluated over 312 drug products and found that even though they were given a date of shelf life. many of them maintain\" their stability. safety and potency up to as much as an additional 107 months past their expiration dates. For the $3.9 million the military spent on stability testing on expired drugs. it saved $263 million. These are savings worth exploring. and I would urge my colleagues to support careful scientific review of expiration dates for prescription drugs and ask if the savings gained by the military can be applied to general health care spending. My colleagues can learn more about these ideas for savings and health care by visiting my Web site at Murphy.house.gov and continue to change the way we look at health care to what we are paying for.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090038980,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I very much appreciate the good work of my friend. the gentleman from -Vermont . Mr. Speaker. eirlier this week the Committee on Appropriations passed an amendment to prevent the U.S. trade representative from using trade pacts as a tool to block prescription drug reimportation. The fact that appropriators in this body felt compelled to take this dramatic step points to a larger issue. Congress should not have to police the U.S. trade representative to make sure he or she is acting in the best interests of U.S. consumers. We should not have to instruct our trade representative to make sure that he is looking out for U.S. workers and U.S. manufacturers. We should not have to tell the trade representative to protect the environment and our food supply. Congress should not have to scour every trade pact to make sure that some patent extension or importation barrier or other Big Government crutch designed specifically for the drug industry has not been inserted into the trade agreement by the U.S. trade representative or by the President or by my friends on the other side of the aisle. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1577}
{"speech_id":1090038980,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress should not have to take the U.S. trade representative to task for trying to reverse the worlds progress against the global AIDS epidemic. progress partially financed with U.S. tax dollars. Congress should not have to fight the U.S. trade representative in order to ensure jobs for our Nations workforce. affordable .medicine for our Nations consumers. and manufacturing capacity for our Nations protection. Who does the U.S. trade. representative work for?","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1577}
{"speech_id":1090039000,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to comment on H.J. Res. 27. which seeks to withdraw the approval of the United States from the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization. During my first term in Congress. I witnessed firsthand the breakdown in affairs at the World Trade Organizations trade negations in Mexico. Negotiations collapsed as delegates from many underdeveloped countries celebrated their perceived success as an increasingly powerful band of poor farming countries. known as G21. held strong to prevent talks from proceeding. It is important that each participating country have a voice in negotiations. but by banding together to divert trade talks. underdeveloped countries ultimately hurt themselves. No one in Europe or the United States will starve to death because of their efforts. but the citizens in their own countries will be put at risk. What occurred puts the viability of the WTO in question. but it also allows the U.S. to go forth with trade promotion authorization on its own. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1796}
{"speech_id":1090039000,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While I believe the WTO needs reform. I do not want us to abandon our place at the table. If America were to pull out of the WTO. we would lose the ability to influence the organization and its negotiations internally. Our farmers and producers in Iowa and across the country are some of the most efficient in the world and are capable of competing and winning in world markets. so long as they do not face unfair foreign government policies. The enforcement of a rulesbased trading system through the World Trade Organization is our best opportunity to gain access to these markets for our Nations farmers and rural communities. Mr. Speaker. I intend to vote against H.J. Res. 27 because it is clear that our economic interests continue to benefit from engagement with trading partners.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1796}
{"speech_id":1090039060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the page class of 2005 to come down and take seats in the first two rows. While we are doing that. I would like to yield to my colleague and friend. the minority whip. the gentleman from Maryland . who is on a time crunch. and always likes to say goodbye to our page class.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":306}
{"speech_id":1090039061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my friend. and I thank him for the work that he does with the Page Board. His leadership and faithfulness in this effort is very much appreciated. I know. by these young people but appreciated also by the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. I always like to have this opportunity to thank you young people. You have had an extraordinary opportunity which millions and millions of those your age will never have. You have had an opportunity to see firsthand the operations of the peoples House. the House that was established by our Founding Fathers to reflect. as they viewed it. the passions of the people from time to time. That is why we have 2year .elections. That is why the only way you can serve in the House of Representatives is to be elected. You cannot be appointed. You can be appointed to the U.S. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3042}
{"speech_id":1090039061,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senate. You can be appointed Vice President of the United States. but you cannot be appointed to the House of Representatives. You have had an opportunity on a daytoday basis to help us make sure that democracy works. You may not. think of what you did as high falutin and it perhaps was not. but it was critical to the functioning of this House. I would ask you as you leave here to leave with a sense of responsibility. a sense of responsibility to convey to your classmates. to your friends in your neighborhood. to your future college classes. your future workers. coworkers. and your families and others and your fellow citizens your view of democracy as it is represented in this House. It is. of course. not perfect. because it is. obviously. human beings that participate in this. and as I know all of you know too well. we humans are not perfect. However. as Winston Churchill said. while it may not be perfect. it is better than all other forms of government that have been tried. And I have been here now. this is my 26th year. You -were born during part of my fifth or sixth term in office. As president of the Maryland Senate. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3042}
{"speech_id":1090039061,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had the opportunity to run the page program in Maryland. and I always hoped that they would go back and say. you know what. they care. they care about our country. they care about us. They disagree. There are deep divisions from time to time. but. for the most part. almost everyone is trying to represent what they believe to be the best interests of their country. Therefore. you will urge your fellow citizens to participate in the process. as hopefully you will as well. Having more knowledge than they. the more you participate. the better our democracy will be. So I thank you for your service. not only on behalf of myself but on behalf of the Democratic Members of this House. There is no partisanship in the respect and affection that we have for all of you outstanding young people who make us proud of the generations that are coming and are confident that our country will be better for your future service and your service now. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for giving me this opportunity. and I thank him for his leadership of this page board. Good luck.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3042}
{"speech_id":1090039063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commend Jon Junior Calvo for his service as a congressional page in the United States House of Representatives. Jon is graduating from the congressional page program on June 10. 2005. It is exciting that his parents. Juan and Doris Calvo. and two of his siblings. Jonathan and Joni Ree. were able to come all the way from Guam. 10.000 miles from Washington. D.C.. to celebrate this occasion with us. Celebrating with us here in spirit is his sister Krisinda. The congressional page program brings together a diverse group of outstanding student leaders from around the country to work in Congress and pursue their studies in the Nations Capital. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3272}
{"speech_id":1090039063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It fuses classroom learning with realworld work experience. giving students like Jon a front row seat as history unfolds. I nominated Jon based upon his strong academic record. his demonstrated commitment to public service. and for his character and leadership in the community. He has lived up to and even exceeded my very high expectations for him. Jon is the kind of young personl that lights up a room when he walks into it and makes a lasting impression on everyone he meets. In his first month in the program. Jon was recognized with a citizenship award that is given to one exceptional student in the program each month. Other Members of Congress have even remarked to me on the floor what an outstanding young person Jon is. Jon has been extremely active in the page program. serving on the yearbook staff and handling the public relations for the 2005 spring page class play. \"The Black Rose.\" While in Washington. D.C.. he was also elected incoming president of the National Honor Society chapter at Father Duenas Memorial School in Guam. where he will complete his studies next year. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3272}
{"speech_id":1090039063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have enjoyed Jons frequent visits to our -office. and we always try and have a little taste of home for him when he stops by. whether it is guyuria. Chamorro chip cookies or red rice. I thought that coming from Guam Jon might have a rough time adjusting to Washington. D.C.s. cold winter weather. but I think he actually enjoyed the snow and the ice. Jon has been an excellent ambassador for the people of Guam during his time here in Washington. spreading the \"hafa adai\" spirit throughout the halls of Congress. As a native speaker of Guams indigenous language. Chamorro. Jon is a role model and example to other young people in Guam of the importance of preserving ones culture and ofes language. I always enjoy seeing Jons friendly face on the House floor. and he calls us to let us know that he is going to be on CSPAN. He will be truly missed when he returns home to Guam. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3272}
{"speech_id":1090039063,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure that I will still see a lot of Jon. though. considering how active he is in the community through his church and school. Jon is a young man of many talents. and I am excited to see what he will do in life. Whatever he does. I am sure he will continue making a positive contribution to our island. Before I close. I would like to say congratulations to all the wonderful pages that have come from all over the States in our Nation. You have been a wonderful group of people. Jon. you have made your family. your church. your school and the people of Guam proud. Si Yuos Maase for your service. and God bless you.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3272}
{"speech_id":1090039080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have of our districts. We are responsible to spoken many times on this floor con- the people of the United States and are cerning the need to secure our borders. sworn to defend our Constitution. We We must do so if we are going to have have an inherent Godgiven right to any kind of responsible immigration national sovereignty. and this House policy and- retain our national soy- must not stand by while foreign naereignty. We know with somewhere be- tions undermine our laws and our indetween 36.000 and 50.000 additional en- pendence. forcement personnel on our southern Mr. Speaker. I will be back next week borders. we can catch virtually all of to further this conversation. the potential terrorists and drug dealers trying to enter this country ille- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a gully. previous order of the House. the genBut we now find that otherthan- tleman from California (Mr. GEORGE Mexican illegals. or OTMs as they are MILLER) is recognized for 5 minutes. referred to by our Border Patrol. have (Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7530}
{"speech_id":1090039080,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"GEORGE MILLER of California discovered a large loophole in our law. addressed the House. His remarks will Under this loophole. OTMs can cross appear hereafter in the Extensions of our border illegally and be apprehended Remarks.) by our border patrol. The border patrol is then forced to give them paperwork allowing them to bypass all other im- ORDER OF BUSINESS migration checkpoints and virtually Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker. I ask release them into our country. This criminal scheme is not the fault unanimous consent to speak out of of some quirk in U.S. law. It is being order. forced on our border patrol by inter- The SPEAKER pro tempore. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7530}
{"speech_id":1090039080,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Is there national law which weare allowing to objection to the request of the gentleundermine our rule of law. national im- woman from California? migration policy. our Constitution. and There was no objection. our sovereignty. International law says illegal immigrants must either be de- SMART SECURITY ported to their country of origin or placed in detention. If there is no room The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a in detention. they must be released on previous order of the House. the gentlebail with a promise that they return woman from California later for trial. is recognized for 5 minutes. There is never any room in detention Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker. on any more for the millions of illegals April 12 at Fort Hood. Texas. President violating our southern border every Bush told an audience of thousands of year. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7530}
{"speech_id":1090039080,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And since these illegals are not servicemembers that for the first time Mexican. our border patrol is required Iraqi soldiers outnumbered U.S. solto buy them airfare back to Brazil. diers in Iraq. That was April 12. SpeGuatemala. El Salvador. Honduras. cifically. he put the number of trained China. Iraq. and on and on. So they and equipped Iraqi forces at 150.000. sign an agreement to show in court in This rosy assessment of the situation 30 days and are released. in Iraq is shocking not only for its arWith that paper in hand. they can rogance but also for its ignorance. The pass legally through all other border President was either. totally oblivious patrol checkpoints and vanish into cit- to Iraqs true security failures. or he ies in America. We have caught 90.000 was intentionally misleading the OTMs since October 1. 2004. and 98 per- American people into thinking peace cent have failed to show back up in has taken hold. His statement was uncourt. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7530}
{"speech_id":1090039080,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Once hidden in large immigra- informed at best. deceitful at worst. Eition communities inside our country ther way. the Presidents assessment with new false identification. it be- misleads the American people in knowcomes virtually impossible- to appre- ing the true situation in Iraq. hend them. Take. for example. his claim that Mr. Speaker. I have stood here before 150.000 Iraqi soldiers have been trained. and called for deploying 36.000 troops to Iraqs military leaders reveal the numour border to effectively close it. But ber is closer to 75.000. half of the Presiwith this situation in place. we could dents statement. and we are not sure send 1 million troops to our borders. what the quality of training is and how and it would not make any difference. those trained individuals are measured. Border patrol says these people swim Also. the actual number of trained across the Rio Grande and come look- security personnel committed to a seing for our officers with a demand cure and democratic Iraq is probably \"permiso.\" for the warrant that gives less because. as the chief of police in them a free pass into our Nation ille- Basra. General Hassan alSade stated. gally. at least half of his 14.000member miliMr. Spdaker. we need a new law right tia is openly opposed to a secure Iraq. now. Anyone who crosses our border and another quarter are politically with Mexico illegally should be consid- neutral but do not follow his military ered a citizen of Mexico for enforce- orders. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7530}
{"speech_id":1090039112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of William H. Goetz. who. after 46 years of service to the City of Fort Mitchell. Kentucky. has announced his retirement from public service. Bill Goetz career began in 1964 when he began serving on the City Council of South Fort Mitchell until that city merged with Fort Mitchell in 1967. He continued to serve as a council member for a combined total of 18 years. until 1981 when he was elected mayor. William Goetz was mayor of Fort Mitchell from 1982 until April of 1993 when he was appointed city administrator and held that position for 12 years. until announcing his recent retirement. Mr. Goetz has also served the city throughout his career as a member and an officer of numerous local and State organizations. including serving as president of the Municipal Government League of Northern Kentucky. president of the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission. chairman of the board of- the Kentucky Municipal Risk Management Association. and president of the Kentucky League of Cittes. a great record of public service. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090039112,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Goetz has shown a devotion to employee relations and spearheaded efforts to improve employee benefits. which in turn allows the city to retain its seasoned employees. a great workforce with a long history of good service. A devoted family man. Bill Goetz spends much of his free time with a large. extended family cheering on the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals football team. The retirement of William Goetz after over four and a half decades of public service will result in his being greatly missed by elected officials. employees. residents. longtime associates and friends of the city. He is a consummate professional who has always been a pleasure to work with. held a wealth of knowledge. demonstrated a will to help others and a will to continually serve the community. I am sure that that will continue long into the future. Thank you. Bill. for your service. E 1630","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090039143,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So he obviously had a good role model to follow. Senator SESSIONS leadership. obviously. contributed greatly to Judge Pryors distinguished service. I But the reason .I rise on the floor of the Seiate for a second and confirm the reason I am so positively going to cast my vote for his confirmation to the Eleventh Circuit is because he has a magna cum laude degree in law from Tulane University. but he has a masters degree in common Sense. He has a Ph.D: in courage. If you study Judge Pryors record. over and over again. he continues to lead himself to decisions based on the fundamental principle. belief. that in all cases you do what is right. I listened to nearly all of the speech of the distinguished Senator from Alabama. He recited so many examples .of where a statement that Judge Pryor might have made in the past did not guide him to a decision when it differed with the law. that he always followed the law to its fullest extent. not to interpret it as he saw fit but to execute it as he knew it was intended. I am not a lawyer. I am a real estate guy and a politician. Obviously. we deal a lot in words but not nearly the discipline of the specifics of the law. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1686}
{"speech_id":1090039143,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am a citizen of the United States. a father. and a businessman. I care deeply about the men and women who will sit on the bench of our highest courts. If we can have a man with common sense and a commitment to right and doing what is right. then we have provided a great service to the people. I also rise as an extension of a great Georgian who has submitted a letter. on behalf of Judge Pryor. from which I would like to quote. I also ask unanimous consent that the entire letter be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1686}
{"speech_id":1090039144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The attorney general of the State of Georgia is my dear friend. Thurbert Baker. He is a Democrat. an African American. and a close friend with whom I served in the Georgia House of Representatives. On March 31. 2003. Thurbert Baker wrote to Senator RICHARD SHELBY and Senator JEFF SESSIONS his personal feelings about the nomination of Judge Pryor. I want to read a few excerpts from that letter. During his tenure as Attorney General. Bill has made combating whitecollar crime and public corruption one of the centerpieces of his service to the people of Alabama. He joined the efforts of Attorneys General around the country in fighting the rising tide of identity theft. pushing through legislation in the Alabama legislature making identity theft a felony in Alabama. Bill has fought to keep law enforcement in Alabama armed with appropriate laws to protect Alabamas citizens. pushing for tough money laundering provisions and stiff penalties for trafficking and in date rape drugs. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4435}
{"speech_id":1090039144,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The importance of that quote is how consistent that is with what our attorney general. Thurbert Baker. has done in Georgia. in particular. in his fights on whitecollar crime. on trafficking. on drugs. and his confirmation of Judge Pryors commitment to the same. I continue to quote: Time and again as Attorney General. Bill has taken on public corruption cases in Alabama. regardless of how wellconnected the defendant may be. to ensure that the public trust is upheld and the publics confidence in government is wellfounded. He has worked with industry groups and the Better Business Bureau to crack down on unscrupulous contractors who victimized many of Alabamas more vulnerable citizens. The operative words in that quote refer to the courage I mentioned earlier. Judge Pryor. as attorney general. courageously and without fear took on anyone. regardless of stature and political standing. in order to see to it the people of Alabama were protected. their rights were protected and right itself was done and any wrong. regardless of the perpetrator. was prosecuted. I continue to quote: From the time he clerked with the late Judge Wisdom of the 5th Circuit to the present. though. the most critical asset that Bill Pryor has brought to the practice of law is his zeal to do what [is the right thing to do]. He has always done what he thought was best for the people of Alabama. Recognizing a wrong that has gone too far [and too long]. he took the opportunity in his inaugural ad-. dress to call on an end to the ban on interracial marriage in the State of Alabama. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4435}
{"speech_id":1090039144,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Concerned about atrisk kids in schools. he formed Mentor Alabama. a program designed to pair volunteer mentors with students who needed a role model and an attentive ear to the problems facing them on a daily basis. As a member of the legislature in Georgia. one who worked on kids programs. I know so much about the value of mentoring and the programs established such as Mentor Alabama that fundamentally change lives. For a man whose job it is t6 prosecute the law on behalf of the people of Alabama. to illustrate his desire for the future by. at the same time. developing a mentor ing program so that the youth of Alabama would go on the right track in lifenot the wrongshows his absolute commitment to right. his. absolute cominitment to his fellow man. his absolute commitment to those who have been less fortunate. I close with one last quote from this letter: My only regret is that I will no longer have Bill as a fellow Attorney General. fighting for what is right. but I know that his work on the bench will continue to serve as an example of how the public trust should be upheld. Bill Pryor has been waiting for this day for some time. I am grateful to Senators who allowed the cloture vote to take place and voted in favor of giving a chance for Judge Pryor to receive an upordown vote on his confirmation to his nomination to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. I am confident that later today when we cast our voteand I will cast mine in favor of Judge Pryorthe majority of this Senate will confirm a man whose record is impeccable. whose commitment is to doing what is right. whose belief is in the people of this country. in the fundamental foundations of the. law and its strict interpretation and application. I commend to all Members of the Senate Judge Bill Pryor of Alabama for his confirmation. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4435}
{"speech_id":1090039152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to address the nomination of William H. Pryor. Jr.. to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Eleventh Circuit. Many of my colleagues know that I am Catholic by religion and belief. As such. I have watched the debate over Judge Pryor. an acknowledged devout Catholic. with much interest. I start by saying. and I want to be very clear about this point. that I do not believe any of my colleagues are antiCatholic. However. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3576}
{"speech_id":1090039152,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am becoming increasingly concerned about the apparent creation of some kind of religious litmus test for nominees. I would like to provide a sample of some of the questions posed to Judge Pryor during his confirmation process that I think justify my concern that a nominees religion is becoming some kind of a central part of the confirmation process. It concerns me when. in the Judiciary Committee. statements such as these are made: Judge Pryors beliefs are so well known. so deeply held. that it is very hard to believe. very hard to believe. that they are not going to deeply influence the way he comes about saying. \"I will follow the law.\" Another: I think the very legitimate issue in question with your nomination is whether you have an agenda. that many of the positions which you have taken reflect not just an advocacy but a very deeply held view and a philosophy. Third: Virtually in every area you have extraordinarily strong views which continue and come out in a number of different ways. Your comments about Roe make one believe. could he really. suddenly. move away from those comments and be a judge? It concerns me that these questions continued despite the fact that Judge Pryors record in Alabama as attorney -general shows that he can and has separated his personal beliefs from his professional obligations. As Alabamas attorney general. Judge Pryor argued that there should be no schoolsponsored. governmentsponsored religious activity. but genuinely studentinitiated religious expression was protected by the First Amendment. I believe he expressly stated the view that the Supreme Court has held in that regard. regardless of his beliefs. Second. he issued an opinion stating that Alabamas partialbirth abortion law was unconstitutional and could not be enforced. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3576}
{"speech_id":1090039152,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe he followed the law. Third. he personally prosecuted charges against Alabamas Justice Moore for refusing to obey a court order to remove the Ten Commandments from a display in the Alabama State courthouse. The quotes I have referenced and the fact that some Democrats have persisted with this line of questioning despite clear evidence that Judge Pryor is committed to both religious freedom and separation of church and state concern me not because I am accusing anyone on the other side of being antiCatholic or antireligion. rather. statements such as these make me fear that we are creating some kind of a religious litmus test for nominees. A nominees religious beliefs have no connection to fitness to serve on the Federal bench. It seems to me that such questions suggest that anybody who is an Orthodox Jew. deepseated Christian. Protestant. Muslim. or devout Catholic should be rigorously questioned about their religious beliefs. But I believe their beliefs should not in any way affect them becoming Federal judges. These type of questions effectively say to people in the United States: Perhaps if you have deeply held religious beliefs. you cannot serve on the Supreme Court. you cannot serve in the Federal judiciary. I believe we should rid the record of any such inferences. and I am just trying to do that today.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3576}
{"speech_id":1090039204,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I could go on with a list of liberal scholars and commentators who criticized Roe very directly. but I think my friend from Alabama and I hope all of our colleagues get the drift. I do have just one more question for the Senator from Alabama. Does he remember President Bushs nomination of Michael McConnell to the Tenth Circuit?","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":329}
{"speech_id":1090039227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am here to speak on *the nomination of William Pryor to the Eleventh Circuit. Bill Pryors nomination is the last of the three covered by the deal worked out by 14 of our colleagues to avoid meltdown in the Senate. Yesterday was the vote on Janice Rogers Brown. It was a sad vote. Not a single Republican Senator broke with his or her party to vote against a nominee whom even the National Review. George Will. and others singled out for her judicial activism and radicalism. It showed again that the other side is willing to march in almost total lockstep with the President. If they had their way. the Senate would be a complete rubberstamp for any nominee the President proposestotally against what the Founding Fathers intended this Senate to be. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10790}
{"speech_id":1090039227,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The count is 2.921 to 2. Out of almost 3.000 votes on appellate court nominees. 44 in all. only twice have Republican Senators dared to deviate from the party line. Is that the kind of independent thinking that an upordown vote entails? It is a sad day. indeed. For sure. Janice Rogers Browns views do not mirror those of most of my colleagues or even come close. In a moment. I will go through all the reasons I am opposed to Judge Pryors nomination and all the things he said with which I strongly disagree. Here is one I agree with. In his testimony before the Sena4e in 1997. Judge Pryor told Senators. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10790}
{"speech_id":1090039227,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Your role of advice and consent in judicial nominees cannot be overstated.\" On this point. Judge Pryor and I see eye to eye. As we await a slew of new nominations from the President. as we await the possible retirement of a Supreme Court Justice. and as we vote on the current nominees in the wake of an agreement that specifically urged President Bush to consult the Senate in advance of nominations. I again plead with the President and my colleagues to look to the future. Look to a future where harmony can -replace acrimony in the Senate. where bipartisanship can replace oneupmanship. and where discourse can replace demagoguery. How can that be done? It is very simple. The President can. as he said he would in a recent press conference. consult meaningfully with Senators before trying to jam extreme nominees down our throats. The renomination of Bill Pryor was the most breathtaking example of the Presidents ignoring checks and balances and bypassing the Senates role in the nomination and confirmation process. The President stuck a thumb in the eye of bipartisanship when he renominated people like Janice Rogers Brown. Priscilla Owen. and Richard Myers after they were rejected by the Senate. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10790}
{"speech_id":1090039227,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the President did not get his way with William Pryor. and then he took the truly extraordinary step of making a recess appointment. While the renomination of rejected judges was a thumb in the eye to bipartisanship. the recent appointment of Bill Pryor was a punch in the face. This was particularly outrageous because not only is Bill Pryor one of the most ideologically driven nominees we have ever seen but also because there were questions about his credibility with the committee. and there was an unfinished investigation regarding the Republican Attorney General Association that he founded. It is not enough for him or any other nominee to simply say: I will follow the law. His views are too well known. His record is clear about how he will vote as a judge. We all know that judging is not a rote process. We all know our own individual values and thoughts influence how we interpret the law. If it were just by rote. we would have computers on the bench instead of men and women in black robes. There is a degree of subjectivity. especially in close cases and controversies on hotbutton issues. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10790}
{"speech_id":1090039227,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is hard to believe that the incredibly strong ideological bent of this nominee willnot have an impact on how he rules. As my colleagues know. I have no litmus test when it comes to nominees. I am sure most of this Presidents judicial nominees have been prolife. but I voted for so many of them because I have been persuaded they are committed to upholding the rule of law. I. for one. believe a judge can be prolife and yet be fair and balanced and uphold the womans right to choose. But for a judge to set aside his or her own personal views. the commitment to the rule of law must clearly supersede his or her personal agenda. That is a trick some can pull off. Not everybody can. Lets take a moment to review some of the more radical remarks William Pryor has made and some of the more polemical positions he has taken. On criminal justice issues. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10790}
{"speech_id":1090039235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Stenberg v. Carhart that a State legislative ban on partialbirth abortion is unconstitutional. Attorney General William Pryor instructed State law enforcement officials to abide by that decision. even though he personally disagreed. The Senator from Tennessee. Mr. ALEXANDER. presiding in the Chair right now. reminded us earlier today that this was at General Pryors own initiative. The law. not his personal views. formed how he carried out his official duties. . Attorney General Pryor filed an amicus brief in the Lawrence v. Texas case defending a States right to prohibit certain sexual conduct. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6792}
{"speech_id":1090039235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Alabama had a statute similar to the Texas statute being challenged in that case. When the Supreme Court ruled against his position. he immediately released an official statement that the Supreme Court decision rendered Alabamas law unenforceable. Similarly. the entire country knows that as Alabama Attorney General. William Pryor took an unpopular stand regarding the Ten Commandments display in the Alabama judicial building. One respected religious magazine placed a picture of Judge Pryor on its cover with a headline asking whether his legal stance amounted to political suicide. It is clear that Judge Pryor places the law above personal priorities and political expediency. This stuff about following the law rather than personal opinions is not rhetoric. talking points. or window dressing. This is not just William Pryors stated commitment. this is his demonstrated commitment. It is a record that makes former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley. another Democrat. strongly support Judge Pryors nomination. Here is what General Baxley. a leading Democrat in Alabama. said about William Pryor: In every difficult decision he has made. his actions were supported by his interpretation of the law. without race. gender. age. political power. wealth. community standing. or any other competing interest affecting judgment. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6792}
{"speech_id":1090039235,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I often disagree. politically. with Bill Pryor. This does not prevent me from making this recommendation because we need fairminded. intelligent. industrious men and women. possessed of impeccable integrity. on the Eleventh Circuit. Bill Pryor has these qualities in abundance .... There is no better choice for this vacancy. That is Bill Baxley. former Alabama Attorney General. leading Democrat in the State. Just think about that. These Democratic leaders from Alabama paint a very consistent picture of William Pryor. He will uphold the law without fear or favor. He makes decisions without regard to political or irrelevant factors. He is fairminded. intelligent. and industrious. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6792}
{"speech_id":1090039235,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I certainly agree with this assessment. though it does not come first from the Senator from Utah. Democrats such as Dr. Joe Reed. Representative Alvin Holmes. Judge Sue Bell Cobb. and Attorney General Bill Baxley know the difference between private views and public duty. They know the difference between personal opinion and judicial opinion. And they strongly support William Pryors nomination to the Eleventh Circuit. I wish some of my Democratic colleagues and their leftwing enablers knew the difference. Instead they focus only on results. All that matters. it appears. is that a judge rules right or left. as the case may be. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6792}
{"speech_id":1090039235,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On Tuesday a Democratic Member of this body summed up their resultsoriented litmus test approabh when he said: with respect to a whole series of issues. this nominee is profoundly wrong. No doubt each of us in this body has heard something like that in a campaign commercial. We might hear it here when the Senate is in legislative session. But this is a judicial nomination we are debating. What does it mean to say that the judicial nominee is wrong on the issues? Never mind being judicially correct. just be politically correct. Results are all that matters. Yesterday during the debate on the Brown nomination. the Senator from California. Mrs. BOXER. took a similar tack. She put up one poster after another. each stating in the most simplistic terms the results of a case. and then claimed that Justice Brown personally favored the result for which she voted. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6792}
{"speech_id":1090039289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a great honor for me to stand in this great Senate Chamber to share a few thoughts about my friend. one ofthe best lawyers I have ever known. now Judge Bill Pryor. serving on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. to speak in favor of his confirmation. He is principled. He is highly intelligent. He is committed to doing the right thing. He has won the support. respect. friendship. and admiration of people on both sides of the aisleAfrican Americans. Whites. Democratsthroughout our State of Alabama. He has virtually unanimous support among those groups. and he has earned that by his principled approach to being attorney general. his love and respect for the law. his courageous commitment to doing the right thing. He has views about the law and public policy in America. and he expresses those. but he absolutely understands that there is a difference between advocacy and being on a bench and having to judge. that you are not then an advocate. you are a referee. you are a judge. a person who is supposed to fairly and objectively decide how the dispute should be settled. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090039289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He understands that totally. That is true with most good lawyers in America. but I think he understands it more than .even most good lawyers. Most good lawyers have been good advocates. and they have become good judges. Certainly we -understand that. Criticism has been raised against him that is painful to me. I think much of it is a result of misinformation. For example. my colleague from Iowa. who is such a champion of the disabled. always is a champion of the interests of the disabled. suggested that Bill Pryor is not a believer in rights for the disabled because in a disabilities act that was passed by this Congress it allowed people to sue their employers for back pay. for injunction. and for damages if they were wronged by an employer. But the Congress never thought at that time what it meant if it. involved a State. Three percent of the people in Alabama work for the State of Alabama. He understood. as a skilled constitutional lawyer. that the Congress would have then undertaken. if the law was to be interpreted so that damages could be rendered against the State. to wipe out the doctrine of sovereign immunity. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090039289,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a dodtrine that prohibits States from being sued for mgney damages. He said. yes. the employee can get the job back. yes. the employee can receive back pay if they were discriminated in any way as a result of that disability. but they cannot. in a case against the State of Alabama or any State. get money damages because that violates the constitutional principle of sovereign immunity. He took that to the Supreme Court and won. Nobody in Alabama or anywhere else who knows anything about disabilities would think this represented an action by him to harm the disabled. It was simply to clarify this important principle as to what power the Congress has under these kinds of legislation to wipe out the traditional historic right of a State under sovereign immunity. That is how these issues become confused. That is what hurts me about this debate process. So often nominees are accused of things based on results or maybe outcome of any one given case. and they are said to be agairst poor people or against education or against the disabled. I will offer for the RECORD an editorial from the Mobile Press that totally analyzes the complaints and allegations that were raised by Senator KENNEDY about fundraising for the Attorney Generals Association. It completely refutes those allegations. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090039289,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had a full look at it. I think everybody who was involved in the Judiciary Committee and the staff people who made lots of phone calls found there was absolutely nothing to show any wrongdoing. How do we decide what a good person is or a good nominee is? I do not know. You may know them and respect them personally. You have seen their integrity and their courage in trying to do the right thing daily. What do others say who may have a different political philosophy? Let me read a letter from Alvin Holmes. a member of the State House of Alabama. I see the majority leader here. I will be willing to yield to him or take a couple minutes. if he allows me.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090039367,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this year well over 6 million pregnancies will occur in America. The challenge of raising healthy children and preparing them for a changing world is a staggering one indeed. This is even more so when so frequently both parents are working. So it is tragic that half of all pregnancies today are unplanned. In too many cases. this means that the necessary financial. emotional and other resources for parenting are simply not present. I think we certainly share a broad consensus that every child should be wanted. and that parents should have the resources to ensure their childs health and success. This week we have commemorated the 40th anniversary of a landmark Supreme Court decision. that of Griswold v. Connecticut. in which the right of married couples to contraceptives and family planning counseling was recognized. Yet less than a decade ago. when we examined the state of contraceptive coverage by insurance plans. it certainly was discouraging. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6639}
{"speech_id":1090039367,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While many health plans included coverage for prescription drugs. nearly half did not cover even oral contraceptives. Needless to say. many other contraceptive options for women. such as the diaphragm. implants. and injectable methods were covered even less frequently. This.is disturbing. as contraception is so vital to a womans health. Most women will spend just a few years attempting to conceive. with the average woman desiring two children. That leaves about 30 years in which women need access to safe. affordable contraceptives. The benefits of contraception should be obvious. The maternal death rate in the U.S. is only one third what it was back in 1965 before Griswold. The same is true for infant survival. Family planning preserves a womans health. and allows couples to ensure that they have the means to give every child the attention. support. and resources they need. So today I am joining again with Senator REID to introduce legislation to ensure broader access to contraceptionto ensure that the promise of Griswold v. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6639}
{"speech_id":1090039367,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Connecticut is fully realized. I thank him for his ongoing leadership on this issue. We both agree that contraception coverage is essential to reducing unwanted pregnancies and to ensuring that every couple can employ family planning. The Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act. which we again introduce today. will assure that for those plans which provide prescription drug coverage. contraceptive coverage is not excluded. It further ensures that contraceptive services are provided equitably with other outpatient services. Such coverage is just what the Institute of Medicine called for back in 1995. when the Institute reported that a lack of coverage was a major contributor to unwanted pregnancy. Expanding the proportion of health plans which cover contraception is one of the Surgeon Generals objectives for the Healthy People 2010 plan. We can certainly achieve that objective and ensure that in 2010. unwanted pregnancies are exceedingly rare. Some may argue that such a mandate creates yet more costs for providers. but the evidence fails to support that notion. We have seen that for every dollar in public funds which is invested in family planning. three dollars is saved in Medicaid costs for pregnancyrelated health care and medical care for newborns. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6639}
{"speech_id":1090039367,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed after we acted in 1998 to assure coverage to women in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. the Office of Personnel Management concluded in 2001 that there was no cost increase due to coverage. Many health providers have come to the same conclusion. I note that approximately 90 percent of plans now cover the leading methods of reversible contraception. So we have come a long way. There should be no mistakethis issue boils down the principles of basic fairness--fairness for half this Nations population. fairness in how we view and treat a womans reproductive health versus every other kind of health care need that can be addressed with prescription drugs. The facts are not in dispute B the lack of equitable coverage of prescription contraceptives has a very real impact on the lives of Americas women and. therefore. our society as a whole. This is not overstatement. this is reality. All we are saying is that if an employer provides insurance coverage for all other prescription drugs. they must also provide coverage for FDAapproved prescription contraceptivesit is that simple. it is that fair. and it builds on existing law and jurisprudence. The approach we are taking today has already been endorsed by a total of 29 Statesincluding my home State of Mainethat have passed similar laws since 1998. This is real progress but this piecemeal approach to fairness leaves many American women at the mercy of geography when it comes to the coverage they deserve. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6639}
{"speech_id":1090039367,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But fairness is not the only issue. We believe that EPICC not only makes sense in terms of the cost of contraceptives for women. but also as a means bridging the prochoice prolife chasm by helping prevent unintended pregnancies and thereby also preventing abortions. The fact of the matter is. we know that there are over three million unintended pregnancies every year in the United States. We also know that almost half of those pregnancies result from women who do not use contraceptives. Most of the other half involved inconsistent or incorrect use of contraceptivesand in many of these cases. the women would benefit from counseling or provision of a contraceptive which is more appropriate to their circumstances. Surveys consistently demonstrate that almost nine out of ten Americans support contraception access and over 75 percent support laws requiring health insurance plans to cover methods of contraception such as birth control pills. The question before us is. if EPICCstyle coverage is good enough for 9 million Federal employees and their de: pendents. if it is good enough for every Member of Congress and every Senator. why is not it good enough for the American people? Women should have control over their reproductive health. It is the best interests of their overall health. their children and their future childrens healthand when we have fewer unintended pregnancies. we will reduce the number of abortions. We need to finally fix this inequity in prescription drug coverage and make certain that all American women have access to this most basic health need. I thank all of those who have supported us in this effort. and call upon each of my colleagues to join us to ensure that more couples have access to family planning to reduce unwanted pregnancies. and to assure the health and security of American families.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6639}
{"speech_id":1090039398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. June 9. 2005. for a committee hearing to receive testimony on various healthcarerelated bills pending before the Committee. The. hearing will take place in Room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":359}
{"speech_id":1090039439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak for a moment about a brave American who lost his life earlier this week. His name is SSG Justin L. Vasquez. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was killed this past Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his military vehicle. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was 26. and from the small town of Manzanola. CO. near La Junta. along the Arkansas River. He was a member of the 3rd Squadron. 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Carson. CO. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2892}
{"speech_id":1090039439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He aspired to become an FBI agent. to continue his career of helping to protect people. He even considered becoming a lifetime military man. Regardless of whether he chose the FBI or stayed in the military. he was clearly motivated by patriotism and was making service to our great country and our security his career. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was always a patriot who chose to put his country over himself. He enlisted at 18. and after his first tour of Iraq reenlisted for a second 6year stretch with the .Army in 2003. Consider that. Mr. President. We are learning everyday that the Army is having trouble meeting its recruiting goals because of the demands of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Vasquez chose to reup for service after having been to Iraq and knowing he was in all likelihood heading back to Iraq. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2892}
{"speech_id":1090039439,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During this. his second tour in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was serving as a commander of a team of Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Earlier this year. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was selected as one of nine soldiers from Colorado profiled by the Rocky Mountain News during their service in Kuwait. The. paper noted that Staff Sergeant Vasquez had \"arguably. the toughest job in First Platoon. if not in all of Lightning Troop\"working with new enlistments fresh out of boot camp. But perhaps most importantly. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was a leader. Among the nine men under his command. five were new enlistments on their first tour. He would spend much of his time during the days training the inexperienced scouts. helping to build their confidence in their mission and their actions. Staff Sergeant Vasquez was shaping nervous boys into confident young men. creating leaders for our cities and towns. businesses and PTA boards. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2892}
{"speech_id":1090039439,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He had every confidence in his men and inSpired them to have confidence in themselves and their mission. In his shdrt life. Sergeant Vasquez was a living role model of what each of us in this Chamber hopes to become: a champion for something other than ourselves. a champion for an. idbalfreedombigger than anyone person. All of Colorado is saddened by the loss of SSG Justin Vasquez. but we also celebrate everything that he stood for. He served his Nation with honor and distinction. and set an example to which we can all aspire. He will be missed by his family and friends and the men whom he led. Today. they are all in our thoughts and prayers. I thank the Chair and yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2892}
{"speech_id":1090039528,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 1812. the Patient Navigator. Outreach. and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005. I applaud my colleague. friend and chiir of the Democratic Caucus. Congressman ROBERT MENENDEZ of New Jersey for introducing this bill and getting it to the floor today. I also want to thank Chairman BARTON and Ranking member DINGELL for their support of measure. As you know. Madam Speaker. I have come to this floor on numerous occasions call attention to the racial and ethnic health disparities in this Nation. For years. research has told us that minorities and lowincome populations are the least likely to receive the health 6are they need to live a long. healthy life. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090039528,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are many barriers to access which go beyond just the complex nature of the system. While I am pleased that today we have a bill that will begin to break down these barriers. and open up access to healthcare for many who might otherwise be left out. I would have to say though that I am deeply. disappointed that the Committee did not see it fit to include some of the provisions that specifically addressed the additional barriers that people of racial and ethnic minority populations face. such as those related to language and unique cultural factors. Considering that people of this color bear such a disproportionate share of ill health and premature death. and that our lack of access contributes greatly to the skyrocketing cost of health care. it would have seemed to me to be only natural that a bill such as this would have sought to include the extra provisions that would ensure that every American would have the extra help. according to their need to get the health care services they need. Nevertheless the bill we are passing today while greatly modified meets an important need and I join the many organizations which support it in asking my colleagues to pass this bill. and then continue to work with Democrats and the minority caucuses to address all of the other deficiencies in the health care system that keep wellness out of the reach of people of color in this country. The bill before us provides that navigators will be available to help patients make their way through the health care systemwhether its translating technical medical terminology. making sense of their insurance. making appointments for referral screenings. following up to make sure the patient keeps that appointment. or even accompanying a patient to a referral appointment. Madam Speaker. I also want to acknowledge that the original concept for the legislation comes from Dr. Harold Freemans \"navigator\" program. which he created while he was Director of Surgery at Harlem Hospital. It is our hope that Dr. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090039528,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Freemans navigator concept and its laser shape focus on comprehensive modeling of prevention services will eventually be fully translated in legislative terms. I would also want at this time to recognize Brenda Pillars. the chief of staff to Congressman TOWNS who labored hard on this bill and who passed away last evening. Her passion for the health of all Americans but particularly the African American community. and her work in this body will be missed but long be remembered. In closing. Madam Speaker. I also want to thank Karissa Willhite of Mr. MENENDEZs office and John Ford and Cheryl Jaeger of the Energy and Commerce Committee along with other staff that enabled this bill to come to the floor. I urge my colleagues to vote for its adoption.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090039572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. H.R. 2326 would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 614 West Old County Road in Belhaven. North Carolina. as the Floyd Lupton Post Office. As the ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform. I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of this bill. legislation designating this facility in Belhaven. North Carolina. after the late Floyd Lupton. This measure was introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":537}
{"speech_id":1090039629,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the gentleman says. it ought to be called not free trade. because it is not free trade. It is not good trade. we know that. It certainly is not positive trade. because all we are yielding are deficits. Maybe we should call it sweat shop trade or indentured trade. There is some other word that should go here.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":312}
{"speech_id":1090039632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And part of that I think is the development and sustenance of the middle class. We know that the workers in these other countries. because of the way the countries operate. are not creating a middle class. They are endowing the very top. In fact. they have a word for this. they call it oligarchies or plutocracies. they are endowing the wealthy. and the vast majority of people are poor. In Mexico. postNAFTA. more people are poor today than before NAFTA was passed. and many of their small businesses were drummed out of existence. and many of their independent farmers are wandering across North America trying to. find even enough to eat. In our country. we have been druming down the middle class. These other countries do not have a chance to build a middle class. Who is really benefiting off of the pain that is felt by the workers of our country and these other countries? It is very clear. There are a few extraordinarily powerful corporations that are trading workers off against one another. And we as a Congress have a responsibility to stand for the development of the middle class and trade agreements that sustain the middle class in our country and help these other countries develop economies where their wealth comes from demandled growth inside their own countries. not exporting everything they make to other places. paying their workers nothing. and then charging us high prices for those goods here in this country. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1734}
{"speech_id":1090039632,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We do not have that kind of trade regimen. That is why we need to stop CAFTA and go back and renegotiate NAFTA. and any other trade agreement where we have sustained massive deficits over the last 3 years. That ought to be the priority of the President of the United States and of this Congress.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1734}
{"speech_id":1090039657,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased to have as one of our last speakers for tonight the gentleman from Minnesota . who has also been a very forceful fighter against meth and is a member of the Meth Caucus and actually one of the coauthors of the amendment that has been referenced several times tonight. j 2145","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090039683,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to pay tribute to Jesse R. Nichols. Sr. Mr. Nichols. who passed away on February 15. was the first AfricanAmerican clerk for th6 Senate Finance Committee and one of. its longest serving staff members. He worked with the committee from 1937 to 1971. Born in Clarksdale. MS. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4138}
{"speech_id":1090039683,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nichols came to. the Finance Committee at a time early in the building of its staff. Back then. there were few. if any. AfricanAmericans on staff with the Senate. At Finance. there were just three staff members with the committee and no standing subcommittees. Today. there are 70 staff members and 5 standing subcommittees. During his more than 30 years with the committee. he created the committees archival system and became our resident historian. He also contributed to the history of the Senate as a whole. In 1994. he generously participated in an extensive oral history for the Senate Historical Office. In it. he describes some of his most memorable moments during his long tenure. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4138}
{"speech_id":1090039683,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nichols rubbed elbows with some of the most -important leaders of the daybut he was excluded from eating in the Capitols restaurant and cafeterias because of his race. On the day that Mr. Nichols celebrated his 30th anniversary with the committee. several Senators paid him homage on the Capitol floor. They noted that Mr. Nichols outranked every member of the Finance. Committee in terms of length of service. Senator Long in particular called Mr. Nichols a \"senior member\" of the committee and \"one of Gods best people.\" When Mr. Nichols finally retired in 1971. the committee had to hire two people to carry on his extensive work. I salute Mr. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4138}
{"speech_id":1090039683,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nichols for his long and trusted service to the Senate and send my heartfelt condoldnces to the Nichtions. ols family. Over the days and the weeks ahead. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President. Mr. Nichols became indispensable to today I want to pay tribute to the life of Jesse Nichols. Sr.. who passed away on February 22. 2005. Jesse R. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4138}
{"speech_id":1090039683,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nichols. Sr.. faithfully served the U.S. Senate for over 30 years. He was the first African American Clerk employed by the U.S. Senate. Jesse Nichols was born on June 14. 1909. in Clarksdale. MS. He began his service when the late Pat Harrison of Mississippi was the distinguished Chairman of the Finance Committeethe committee I am now privileged to chair. Jesse was appoifited as a messenger for the Finance Committee in 1936. and was elevated about 6 months later to assistant clerk of the Committee. At that time. the staff of the Finance Committee numbered only three. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4138}
{"speech_id":1090039749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is also true that members of the Senate delegation from Louisiana participated in the actions that led us to not act. However. I am very proud to stand here with my colleague from Virginia and to note that the other Senator from Louisiana. a Republican. stands with me. We are united in our support of this resolution to offer the sincere apology to try to bring to light the facts about lynching. to encourage people to seek the truth. I said earlier today people are entitled to their own opinions. But they are not entitled to their own facts. And the facts about this terrible domestic terrorism and rash of terrorism stand today and will not be pushed aside. It is with humility but with pride that I support and put forth before the Senate today. with the Senator from Virginia. this resolution. The junior Senator from Louisiana is an original cosponsor of this resolution. as are a number of sons of the South. Furthermore. in Louisianas legislature in Baton Rouge. a very similar resolution passed today. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6200}
{"speech_id":1090039749,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thus. the people of Louisiana can truly say we are trying to open a dialogue. and bring closure to a bitter history. This is a particularly important step for the South. For while lynchings occurred in 46 of the 50 States. and people of all races were affected. it would be a mischaracterization to suggest that this was not a weapon of terror most often employed in the South. and most often against African Americans. That is why I am so glad to be joined in this endeavor by the junior Senator from Virginia. Mr. Allen. He has been instrumental in getting us to this point of consideration. and I truly appreciate his hard work and dedication to our joint effort. It is also important to acknowledge the bravery of those who took personal risks long before this day in opposition to lynching. First and foreffost. we must acknowledge the pioneering journalism of Ida B. Wells. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6200}
{"speech_id":1090039749,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Though personally threatened with death. Ms. Wells continued to document these outrages before justice. so that future generations might know the history of this era. It should be noted that it was her example that led other women. such as Jane Adams. to join in -her fight against lynching. In fact. women. generally. are viewed as having played a major role in the antilynching campaign. There was tremendous political courage shown in Georgia. Georgia was the first State to adopt antilynching legislation in 1893. Yet. the State continued to .experience a disproportionate share of lynching attacks. However. starting with Governor Northen in 1890. several of Georgias Governors fought lynch violence in their State resolutely. In many cases it came at personal cost. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6200}
{"speech_id":1090039749,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gov. William Atkinson. having left the Governors mansion. personally challenged a lynch mob of 2.000 people in his home town. It is a record of political leadership upon which Georgia can now proudly reflect. Another great voice in the antilynching crusade was Congressman George White of Tarboro. NC. He was the last former slave to serve in Congressending his congressional career in 1901. He introduced an antilynching bill to stem the rising tide of violence. with 107 attacks having occurred in 1899. While his bill was defeated in the House of Representatives. he initiated one of its first political considerations. Finally. we cannot ignore the Senates own passionate voices to end the practice of lynching. Senator Champ Clark of Missouri famously posted photos of a recent Mississippi lynching in the Democratic cloakroom with the caption: There have been no arrests. no indictments. and no convictions of any one of the lynchers. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6200}
{"speech_id":1090039749,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not a rape case. Regrettably. those photos and his convictions could not bring these terrible events to a close. We also salute the efforts of Senators Robert Wagner of New York and Edward Costigan of Colorado. The WagnerCostigan bill was yet another noble effort to inject Federal resources into combating lynching. While it was again filibustered. it was another noble effort that demonstrated that people of good will remained the majority. Because of the courage of these and other individuals. by the 1930s public opinion had turned against lynching. In 1938. a national survey showed that 70 percent of Americans supported the enactment of an antilynching statute. Even in the South. at least 65 percent of these surveyed favored its passage. In short. even if southern Senators had the political latitude to endorse Federal antilynching legislation. most seemed to be too mired in personal prejudice to accept that fact. Where these southern Senators were concerned. justice was mostly deaf. but never color blind. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6200}
{"speech_id":1090039783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is every citizens duty to know American history. One fact we must reckon with is that our experiment in selfgovernment began in a compromise with the existence of slavery. As the American experiment went forward. protections granted to slavery in the Constitutiona document that never explicitly mentioned slaverywere dismantled. The cost was great: Brother fought against brother in the Civil War. largely over whether \"the peculiar institution\" would be allowed to thrive in the United States. When.. at the end of that terrible conflict. the 13th amendment was put in the Constitution. slavery was abolished. Yet while a pernicious institution was now. thankfully. illegal. its aftereffects were still felt in the former slave States. Postwar reconstruction was supposed to restore the natural and the civil rights of the former slaves and their descendents. but State and local authorities did not enforce those rights. The lynching of African Americans. and other forms of persecution. would persist into the 20th century. to the shame of every decent citizen. Candidly facing this history is important. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2248}
{"speech_id":1090039783,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must not forget the wrongs of the pastnor that we have had leaders willing to come forward and stand against those wrongs. From the Continental Congress passing the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. which banned slavery in the region northwest of the Ohio River. to the words and deeds of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. brave men and women reaffirmed for all of us the principles of human equality and consent of the governed on which our Nation was founded. Lincoln declared: \"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. and under a just God. cannot long retain it.\" I support Senate Resolution 39 in the name of honesty and national unity. As Senators representing Americans of all colors and creeds. we ought to give due recognition to past injustices. Even more importantly. we ought to live today by Lincolns dictum. We must make sure our laws and our practices always reflect our belief in individual worth and equality under the law. This belief held in common is what has helped Americanswhatever their race. religion. or backgroundto succeed.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2248}
{"speech_id":1090039790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this past February. I introduced the resolution celebrating Black History Month that follows these remarks. Thirty five other Senators have joined me in this effort. I offered this resolution in the spirit of my late friend Alex Haley. who lived his life by the words \"Find the Good and Praise It\". These six words are etched on his tombstone in the front yard of his grandparents home in Henning. TN. When Alex was a boy. he would sit on the front porch steps of that home on summer evenings listening to his great aunts rock in their chairs and tell the stories that eventually became Roots. the story of the struggle for freedom and equality. It is in that spirit that the Black History Month resolution honors the contributions of African Americans throughout our history. recommits the United States Senate to the goals of liberty and equal opportunity for every American. condemns the horrors of slavery. lynching. segregation. and other instances in which our country has failed to measure up to its noble goals. and pledges to work to improve educational. health. and job opportunities for African Americans and for all Americans. African Americans were brought forcibly to these shores in the 17th century. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090039790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"From that dark beginning. however. these men and women and their descendants have overcome great obstacles. They continue to do so. and have taken a prominent place among the many people of diverse backgrounds who have come together here to form a single nation. African Americans have made and continue to make significant contributions to the economic. educational. political. artistic. literary. scientific. and technological advancement of the United States of America. Black History Month. and this discussion in the Senate today. offer an opportunity to remind ourselves that the United States of America is a work in progress. Ours is the story of a people establishing high ideals. and then struggling to reach them. often falling short. rarely achieving them. but always recommitting ourselves to trying again. This is why we continue to say that anything is possible in America. that no child shall be left behind. and that we will pay any price to defend freedom. although we well know that we will never quite reach such lofty ideals. Perhaps the most ambitious of our goals is the proposition. expressed in the Declaration of Independence. that. \"all Men are created equal. that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights. that among these are Life. Liberty. and the Pursuit of Happiness. ......\" Our most conspicuous failure to reach this goal is the tieatment of African Americans. Slavery. lynching. and segregation are all disgraceful examples of times when this Nation failed African Americans. when we failed to live up to our own promise of that fundamental truth that all men are created equal. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090039790,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. for almost every time that we have failed. we have then struggled to come to terms with the disappointment of that failure and recommitted ourselves to trying again. Where there once was slavery. we enacted the 13th and 14th amendments abolishing slavery and declaring equal protection under the law for all races. After segregation. came Brown v. Board of Education and the Voting Rights Act. There are so many moments like these in our history. We should celebrate these moments. but we should not stop there. We celebrate anaremember our history so that we can learn its lessons and apply them today. Todays wrongs are begging for attention. African Americans in this country face significant and often crippling disparities in education. health care. quality of life. and other areas where the Federal Government can play a role. There are different ways to acknowledge those times when Americans have failed to live up to our lofty goals. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090039790,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senators from Louisiana and Virginia. who are also cosponsors of our Black History Month resolution. have chosen to apologize for the actions of some earlier Senators as a way of expressing their revulsion to lynching. I also condemn lynching. and this Black History Month resolution condemns lynching. But. rather than begin to catalog and apologize for all those times that some Americans have failed to reach our goals. I prefer to look ahead. I prefer to look to correct current injustices rather than to look to the past. Maya Angelou once wrote. \"History. despite its wrenching pain. cannot be unlived. but if faced with courage. need not be lived again.\" There is no resolution of apology that we can pass today that will teach one more child to read. prevent one more case of AIDS. or stop one more violent crime. The best way for the United States Senate to condemn lynching is to get to work on legislation that would offer African Americans and other Americans better access to good schools. quality health care and decent jobs. By joining together in our Black History Month resolution. 35 members of this body commit ourselves to do just that. to find more ways to look to the future. and to continue to contribute to this work in progress that is the United States of America. I dont know what my friend Alex Haley would say about this Senate resolution or that Senate resolution. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090039790,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But I do know how he celebrated Black History Month. He told wonderful stories about African Americans and other Americans who believed in the struggle for freedom and the struggle for equality. he minced no words in describing the terrible injustices they overcame. He said to children that they were living in a wonderful country of great goals. and that while many in the past often had failed to reach -those goals. that we Americans always recommit ourselves to keep trying.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5701}
{"speech_id":1090039834,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday. June 14. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and that the Senate then return to executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of Thomas Griffith to be a U.S. circuit judge for the DC Circuit. provided that at 10 a.m.. the Senate proceed to vote on the confirmation as provided under the previous order. I further ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for the Democratic Party luncheon.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":723}
{"speech_id":1090039860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate my colleague not objecting. and I will limit myself to about half the time that he has taken this morning just out of courtesy to him. I know Tom Griffith. We all know Tom Griffith. Tom Griffith was general counsel of the Senate. He served the Senate well. He did it in a nonpartisan way. even though he is a Republican. He helped all of us during the impeachment. Both sides acknowledge that he was terrific. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11704}
{"speech_id":1090039860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has all the academic and legal credentials necessary to fulfill this position. He is a person who is a consensus builder. someone who tries to get along with everybody and who. I think. will be perfect on this particular court. So I hope everybody wilr vote for Tom. He is a member of our family. Heserved us all. As a general rule. in the past. people who have served us such as Tom Griffith has would pass this body 100 to zip. Unfortunately. we have had some very forceful partisan politics rear its ugly head in some. of these judgeship issues. and from time to time it may have been on both sides. but in this particular case it has been all on one side. I get a little tired of hearing the same arguments over and over again. The fact is. when President Bush 1 left office there were 54 holdovers with the Democrats in control of the Senate. and he only served 4 years. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11704}
{"speech_id":1090039860,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One could imagine how many there would have been if he served 8 years. The fact is. the alltime confirmation champion wasRonald Reagan who had 382 judges confirmed in his 8 years. but he had 6 years of a Republican Senate to help him. President Clinton got almost the same number. a total of 377. with only 2 years of his own party to help him. As chairman of that committee. I know I did everything in my power to give the Clinton nominees an opportunity to get an upordown vote. and when they reached the floor I think virtually all of them got an upordown vote without any delays or filibusters. The Clinton administration was treated very fairly. There were people left over at the end of his administration. and he had 8 years. no more than were left over basically when President Bush I left the Presidency. Getting back to Tom Griffith. as most of my colleagues know. Tom served as Senate legal counsel for 4 years so many of us have had firsthand experience with him. Because the D.C. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11704}
{"speech_id":1090039860,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Circuit reviews cases involving Federal statutes. regulations. and other important matter. this is a tough assignment. Many observers believe that the D.C. Circuits jurisdiction makes it second in importance to that of the U.S. Supreme Court. Tom Griffith is up to the task of sitting on this court. At some length yesterday. I detailed his qualifications. Time is short today. so I will make only a few summary comments. In order to become the exceptional lawyer that he is today. Tom Griffith had to gain an exceptional educational foundation. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11704}
{"speech_id":1090039860,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He accomplished this first as an undergraduate at my alma mater. Brigham Young University. He graduated summa cum laude and was the valedictorian of the BYU College of Humanities. Tom then attended the University of Virginia School of Law. where he was a member of the law review. Upon graduation. Tom joined the leading Charlotte. NC. law firm of Robinson. Bradshaw. and Hinson where he wag an associate specializing in commercial litigation. In 1989. Tom moved to Washington. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11704}
{"speech_id":1090040041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. President. According to EPAs Blue Ribbon Panel on Oxygenates in gasoline. which include ethanol and MTBE. ethanol is extremely soluble in water and should spread if leaked into the environment at the same rate as MTBE. It may spread plumes of benzene. toluene. ethyl benzene. and xylene because ethanol may inhibit the breakdown of these toxic materials. Although ethanol contributes some clean air benefits. it also increases the formation of nitrogen -oxides. which lead to increases in smog. So I think if you listen to the experts and you forget the special interests. you will support my amendment. We need to ask ourselves. are we in the business of letting people off the hook. people who have a responsibility for what they are putting into our gasoline. into our air. into the ground? We mandated airbags. and we did not say to those manufacturers that they should not be liable. If there is a defective product problem with an airbag. people can hold the companies responsible if it does not work or it harms them. Why would we give a free pass to ethanol? There is only one answer: special interests. powerful. powerful special interests. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090040041,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no other answer that you can come up with. If we do not learn from our mistakes. we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. My amendment will eliminate the special interest liability exemption for ethanol in this amendment. It means that ethanol will not be treated any better or any worse than other fuels. It will mean ethanol will be treated the same way as any other fuel. We should not shift the burden of cleaning up any problems caused by ethanol to our communities. The polluters should pay. The safe harbor liability exemption for ethanol should b6 taken out of this amendment. I have to say to my friends. I know how anxious you are to have ethanol. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090040041,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know it means a lot to the corn producers. and. frankly. it means a lot to my agricultural people. I have some good language in this bill dealing with ethanol made from other materials. But I still believe that my people who will produce this ethanol should not be left off the hook if there is a serious problem to the health of the people of the United States of America. So the amendment is simple. I hope we can have a good vote. a solid vote on this amendment. I yield the floor with the understanding that I will close the debate. Thank you very much. Mr. President.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2415}
{"speech_id":1090040068,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am glad we are going to vote on my amendment. I understand that Senator DOMENICI will move .to table. That is fine with me. as long as we have a vote. Again. this is a very interesting issue in terms of what our responsibility is. As Members of the Senate. we have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of the people of our country. Why on Earth would we give a waiver of liability to the makers of ethanol when. in fact. we are not sure what is going to happen with heavy use of ethanol? We are not sure whether it is going to cause a problem for our people and who is going to have to pay to clean up the mess. We know what happened with MTBE. We know it was in communities such as Lake Tahoe. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2091}
{"speech_id":1090040068,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Santa Monica. and communities in the Northeast and all across the country. I remember I had a map that showed where MTBE was a problem. It is practically in every State in the Union. The courts have made it clear that the people who made the MTBE have to come into these communities and clean it up. Now we are saying with ethanol. on the one hand. it is safe. Well. if it is so safe. why do we have to give it a special safe harbor and people give up their right to recover in their community in Tennessee or communities in California? The fact is. they will say the waiver of liability is ver narrow but. in fact. what they have waived is the only course of action a community can pursue. Then you will hear: This is different because we are mandating ethanol. Therefore. we should protect the people who make it. We mandated airbags. and we didnt give a liability waiver to the people who make airbags. We mandate pollution control devices. but we dont give aliability waiver to the people who make it. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2091}
{"speech_id":1090040068,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So this is about the sheer power of special interests. Lets not put our communities at risk.- We could debate whether we ought to have this ethanol mandate. As we will see how it comes out. some people favor it. some dont. We should agree to protect our people. I hope my colleagues will vote against the motion to table the Boxer amendment. I thank the Chair.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2091}
{"speech_id":1090040105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was wrong about eth- curity means kicking our dependence on foreign oil. anol. A gallon of ethanol is only about Today. we import 58 percent of our $1.22. I point out that it would be great oil. if more -people used it. It is only $1.22 Our dependence on imported oil poses and $2.25 for gasoline. a risk to our national security and our","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":339}
{"speech_id":1090040106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my colleague can economic wellbeing. get the price of whatever it takes to We will consider a number of addidrive a car down to $1.22 in New York tional proposals that can help make and have the same efficiencyit is al- greater energy security a reality for fumost as efficient. not quite. at 90 per- ture generations of Americans. centand the same level of cleanliness There will be amendments offered to in the air. I would be all for it. But ev- the bill regarding energy security. reeryone knows. again. whether it is $1.20 newable energy. biofuels. climate or $1.60. the basic cost for us is the change. and fuel economy. transportation cost. We must reduce our dependence on My colleague from New Mexico has foreign oil and make a commitment to been waiting very patiently. I appre- clean. renewable energy. ciate the spirit of my good friend from If we choose to invest in energy effiIowa in this dialog. which we have dis- cient technologies and renewable enagreed on over the years. I dont know ergy. we will create thousands of new if we will ever agree on it. jobs . . . we will protect our environI am happy to yield the. floor so my ment . . . and we will bolster our nacolleague from New Mexico can make tional security. his comments. That is the vision our Nation needs.","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1288}
{"speech_id":1090040110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont know what several criteria. The legislation must would happen if we went to the House reduce the United States unhealthy with it. Maybe we could hurry it up dependence on foreign oil. address the that way. In any event. a number of United States skyrocketing gas prices. Senators want to speak. I will not ad- invest in environmentally friendly dress the issue that was spoken to be- technology and. research. protect the cause many others are goingtoexcept moratorium on drilling in the Outer I remind everybody that something Continental Shelf. address global was said here about a monopoly. lack warming. and promote energy effiof competition. The Senator from New ciency. York made the case for lack of com- The Department of Energy currently petition. When we use gasoline. lets projects that coal and natural gas will not forget we have been subjected to be used to meet most of our Nations the most monopolistic control mecha- increasing electricity energy demand nism for the price of almost anything * over the next 20 years. It is my firm bethis country has ever seen. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090040110,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The cartel lief. however. that as we increase genis strangling us. eration. the United States must ensure As we drive down the road. we are that its energy portfolio is well diversidriving on gasoline that is indeed non- fied. New Jersey. which is already sufcompetitive. It is competitive for a few fering from the effects of poor air qualcents because the filling stations might ityonethird of which is traced to outofState sourceswould not be well suited by increasing our reliance on coal. In addition. considering the spiking price of natural gas. this source is not the cureall that it was envisioned to be a few years ago. We must. therefore. consider all forms of electricity generation to meet our demand. including other clean and domestic forms of energy. I am proud to note that New Jersey currently generates 75 percent of its electricity from lowpolluting sources. Nuclear energy contributes almost 53 percent of the electricity on New Jerseys power grid. However. the need to protect diverse electricity generation is particularly profound in New Jersey. In addition to rapidly fncreasing electricity demand. seven generation facilities are scheduled for retirement and the license of one nuclear facility expires within the next 5 yearsleaving a huge void. since this facility currently meets 10 percent of New Jerseys peak demand. Promoting renewable energy will help the United States increase its energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090040110,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Expanding our renewable energy resources will also allow us to rely on cleaner. more diverse sources of energy. It will also allow us to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. which in turn could protect energy prices from the volatility of fossil fuel markets. Finally. we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution and encourage economic development around renewable energy industries. It is truly a winwin for our country. New Jersey has been a national leader in renewable energy. My State already has its own 20 percent renewable portfolio standard. New Jersey is -not only the first midAtlantic State to adopt renewable energy requirements for all retail energy suppliers. but it also has one of the most aggressive funding mechanisms in the Nation for promoting renewable energy. Protecting our coastlines is another priority of mine when considering our energy future. Jersey shore tourism. the second largest industry in my home State. generates $31 billion in spending. This spending directly and indirectly supports more than 836.000 jobsmore than 20 percent of total State employmentgenerates more than $16.6 billion in wages. and brings in more than $5.5 billion in tax revenues to the State. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090040110,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am. therefore. deeply concerned about a provision added in committee that would allow an inventory of the offshore oil and gas resources. While on the surface. an inventory sounds harmless. the explosive impulses associated with seismic exploration of sensitive coastal waters threatens marine life and can be detrimental to fisheries. Even. more concerning is the fact that the inventory is sure to be just a first step on a slippery slope toward offshore drilling. With so much of my States economy dependent on the cleanliness of our beaches. it is imperative that we stop all efforts to weaken the moratorium on OCS drilling. I am prepared to fight any amendment that would threaten it. including those allowing States to opt out or opening up designated areas off our coast. Senator MARTINEZ. Senator NELSON. and I plan to offer an amendment that would remove the inventory provision. and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of our amendment so that we can protect our Nations coastlines as well as our States economies. It is also my hope that we create an energy policy that adequately promotes a clean and healthy environment. It is time that our Nation confronts the serious problem of global warming. Increasing CAFE standards for automobiles and reducing powerplant emissions can go a long way in reducing .harmful greenhouse gas emissions. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090040110,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was a leader on this issue during the 107th Congress when the Senate included in the Energy bill the greenhouse gas registry amendment that Senator BROWNBACK and I offered. The registry was also a part of the Senate Energy bill that was agreed to by the Senate in the 108th Congress. I was. however. disappointed that an amendment offered by my friend from California. Senator FEINSTEIN. to close the SUV loophole and improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles failed in committee. I believe this amendment would have been effective in reducing our dependence on foreign oil. cutting global warming emissions. and saving consumers thousands of dollars annually at the gas pump. Another way we can start reducing greenhouse gas emissions is by promoting energy efficiency standards for homes and appliances. I am proud to say that this bill includes language that I successfully added to the 107th Congress Energy bill encouraging the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the public housing authoritiesPHAsit oversees to increase energy efficiency in public housing projects. HUD and the PHAs currently oversee approximately 1.3 million units of residential lowincome public housing across the country. The Federal Government spends approximately $1.4 billion total for utility usage in these units. HUD has conservatively estimatehl. that improved energy management processes throughout all of its public housing programs could save between $100 and $200 million annually. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090040111,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. under the chairman and ranking members leadership. the Energy and Natural Resources Committee produced an energy bill that passed out of the committee by a vote of 21 to 1. It is a bill that has a lot going for it. I continue to have concerns about it. including a major concern about a provision that requires an inventory of oil and gas reserves in the Outer Continental Shelf. which my colleague from Florida and I will attempt to remove. And I am aware of other important amendments that will be offered by my colleagues to improve the bill. But I want to indicate to the distinguished chairman that I think he has gotten his bill off to a good start. However. the progress of this bill would be jeopardized if we begin to debate amendments that would change the status quo with respect to the sale of leases for oil and gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf. Vast areas of the Outer Continental Shelf are under moratoria for oil and gas drilling. and other extremely sensitive areas. such as Lease Sale 181 in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico off of Florida. have been made unavailable for leasing by the Department of the Interior. I am aware that there are differences of view among my colleagues on how we should proceed with respect to the Outer Continental Shelf. My good friend and colleague from Louisiana. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2366}
{"speech_id":1090040111,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator LANDRIEU. and I have debated our different views on this at length. and have agreed to work together on a plan to increase the flow of revenue to States that currehtly allow drilling off their coasts. without opening up new areas for drilling. I can tell my colleagues that in Floridae. this is a consensus issue. Floridas pristine beaches and clean coastal environment are so important to our States tourismbased economy that there is no supportzerofor drilling in the waters off Florida in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. For that reason. I am compelled to ask the chairman and ranking member for their commitment that they will oppose. and work to defeat. any amendments to this bill that would change the status quo in the Eastern Planning Area. That commitment would apply to amendments proposing any change in the areas now under moratoria. any additional leasing activity in Lease Sale 181. beyond what was agreed to in 2001. and includes opposing the drawing of lateral seaward boundaries into the Eastern Planning Area.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2366}
{"speech_id":1090040112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the chairman and ranking member for their leadership and for.engaging us in this colloquy. For Floridians. there is simply no margin for error when it comes to offshore oil and gas drilling. Our $50 billion tourism industry is the lifeblood of our economy. and our tourism is based on people coming to enjoy the clean water. sugarwhite sands. and excellent fishing that can be found up and down our. coasts. The risk of even one offshore drilling accident to this economic engine is simply too great for us to take. I will seek to strike the section that permits an inventory of oil and gas reserves inthe Outer Continental Shelf. We are very concerned in Florida that an inventory is simply the first step down a slippery slope toward expanded drilling. But I will also join my colleague in seeking the commitment of the distinguished chairman and ranking member to oppose any amendments that would change the status quo in the Eastern Planning Area.","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":974}
{"speech_id":1090040122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute to the University of Kentuckys College of Pharmacy. Today at the Kennedy Center the college is being awarded the American Pharmacists Associations 2005 Pinnacle Award to recognize the success of UKs Diabetes Education and Management program in helping Kentuckians with diabetes. Over the past 30 years. doctors have been able to treat more and more conditions with prescription medication. While this revolution in pharmaceuticals is overwhelmingly positive. the incorrect use of medication can result in harmful side effects. ineffective treatment. and unnecessary costs. This is of particular importance in Kentucky. where citizens use significantly more prescriptions than the national average. The UK College of Pharmacy has created a comprehensive Center for Improving Medication Related Outcomes to educate physicians. pharmacists. and consumers about the appropriate use of medication. This is something I believe in. and since 2002. I have been proud to secure $3 million in Federal funding to help the center become a leader in promoting the safe use of prescription drugs throughout the Commonwealth and the Nation. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1660}
{"speech_id":1090040122,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Diabetes Education and Management Program is an important component of the UK Center for Improving Medication Related Outcomes that focuses on diabetes control. I am proud that the UK College of Pharmacy and the ]iabetes Education and Management Program have become valuable resources for our Nations healthcare system. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy for their exceptional work in the field of prescription medication safety.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1660}
{"speech_id":1090040125,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the past several weeks. the Senate has been consumed with President Bushs judicial nominations. We have debated the constitutionality of the nuclear option. and we have debated the merits of the judicial nominees themselves. In the past 2 weeks. the Senate has confirmed 6 nominees bringing the total of confirmed judges to 214 out of 218. I voted for two of these nominees: Richard A. Griffin and David W. McKeague. both of whom were nominated to the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. These two individuals were highly rated by the American Bar Association. and. although I disagree with their politics. I believe they will be fair and impartial jurists. I voted against the other four nominees. none of whom I believe deserved lifetime appointments to the Federal bench. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3884}
{"speech_id":1090040125,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Each one has demonstrated an unwillingness to follow the law when it S6470 Co: conflicts with his or her extreme conservative political ideology. and each one embraces a judicial philosophy which would severely curtail constitutionally protected civil rights and civil liberties. Confirming these nominees was a mistake. and their appointments diminish the strength and integrity of the Federal judiciary. Take. for example. Priscilla Owen. While on the Texas Supreme Court. Priscilla Owen repeatedly attempted to rewrite the law from the bench as her dissent in an abortion case concerning parental consent and judicial bypass clearly demonstrates. Justice Owen did not like the fact that the Texas law permitted abortions without parental consent in certain circumstances. As it turns out. she was not the only one. The majority did not like .the law either. but. unlike Justice Owen. they honored their sworn duty to uphold it. In theirwords. they: recognize that judges personal views may inspire inflammatory and irresponsible rhetoric. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3884}
{"speech_id":1090040125,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nevertheless. the [abortion] issues highlycharged nature does not excuse judges who impose their own personal convictions into what must be a strictly legal inquiry. We might personally prefer. as citizens and parents. that a minor honor her parents right to be involved in such a profound decision. But the Legislature has said that Doe may consent to an abortion without notifying her parents if she demonstrates that she is mature and sufficiently well informed. As judges. we cannot ignore the statute or the record before us. Whatever our personal feelings may be. we must respect the rule of law. Then Justiceand now Attorney GeneralAlberto Gonzales was much more direct in his criticism of Justice -Owens decision in this matter. He chastised Owen for rewriting the Parental Notification Act in a way that created nonstatutory hurdles to obtaining a judicial bypass. He called it \"an unconscionable act of judicial activism\" and noted that: [a]s a judge. I hold the rights of parents to protect and guide the education. safety. health. and development of their children as one of the most important rights in our society. But I cannot rewrite the statute to make parental rights absolute. or virtually absolute. particularly when. as here. the. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3884}
{"speech_id":1090040125,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Legislature has elected not to do so. Entrusting Priscilla Owen with a lifetime appointment to the Court of Ap-. peals for the Fifth Circuit did not strengthen the Federal judiciary. Mr. President. it weakened it. Janice Rogers Brown has not only shown her willingness to rewrite our Federal laws but has also indicated a desire to reinterpret the U.S. Constitution. even if doing so would reverse 70yearold precedent. Justice Brown has publicly supported a return to the era of Lochner v. New York. one of the most discredited Supreme Court cases in history. Without going into the details. it is fair to say that even staunch conservatives view Lochner as a clear case of the worst kind of judicial activism. Justice Scalia has criticized it. stating that Lochner was discredited because it","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3884}
{"speech_id":1090040133,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to acknowledge a special milestone for one of Americas beloved entertainers and philanthropists. I am pleased to extend my sincere congratulations to Hugh OBrian as he celebrates his 80th birthday. Hugh OBrian came into the public eye in the role of Wyatt Earp in the 1950s television series. \"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.\" An accomplished stage and screen actor. he used his talents to bring history to life while expanding his influential role well beyond the theater and television to the broader stage. In 1958. Mr. OBrian established the organization HOBY. Hugh OBrian Youth Leadership. aiming to provide support for young people striving for excellence. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1397}
{"speech_id":1090040133,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over the past 47 years. HOBY has promoted extensive volunteerism. a6tive global citizenship. and bright futures for young people. Through HOBY. Mr. OBrian encourages local. national. and international communities to be responsive to the needs of our future leaders. empowering countless young people with knowledge and conscientious role models. We are extremely fortunate that people like Hugh OBrian are committed to bringing people together in the spirit of creative problemsolving and positive social change. In his many roles. Mr. OBrian has led. inspired. and provided hope. On the occasion of his 80th birthday. please join me in congratulating Mr. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1397}
{"speech_id":1090040133,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hugh OBrian on his lifetime of accomplishment.*","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1397}
{"speech_id":1090040139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say a few words to honor the extraordinary life of Robert M. La Follette Sr.. on the 150th anniversary of his -birth. Throughout his life. La Follette was revered for his tireless and deeply principled service to the people of Wisconsin and to the people of the United States. His dogged. fullsteamahead dedication to his lifes work earned him the nickname \"Fighting Bob.\" Robert Marion La Follette. Sr.. was born on June 14. 1855. in Primrose. a small town southwest of Madison in Dane County. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1879 and. after being admitted to the state bar. began his long career in public service as Dane County district attorney. La Follette was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1884. and he served three terms as a member of that body. where he was a member of the Ways and Means Committee. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10820}
{"speech_id":1090040139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After losing his campaign for reelection in 1890. La Follette returned to Wisconsin and continued to serve the people of my state as a judge. Upon his exit from Washington D.C.. a reporter wrote. La Follette \"is popular at home. popular with his colleagues. and popular in the House. He is so good a fellow that even his enemies like him.\" He was elected the 20th Governor of Wisconsin in 1900. He served in that office until 1906. when he stepped down in order to serve the people of Wisconsin in the United States Senate. where he remained until his death in 1925. A s a founder of the national progressive movement. La Follette championed political reform. civil rights and workers and womens riglits throughout his career. As governor. he advanced an agenda that included the countrys first workers compensation system. direct election of United States Senators. and railroad rate and tax reforms. Collectively. these reforms would become known as the \"Wisconsin Idea.\" His terms in the House of Representatives and the Senate were spent fighting for womens rights. working to limit the power of monopolies. opposing pork barrel legislation. and rooting out political corruption. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10820}
{"speech_id":1090040139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"La Follette also championed electoral reforms. and he brought his support of the direct election of United States. Senators to this body. His efforts were brought to fruition with the ratification of the 17th -amendment in 1913. Fighting Bob also worked tirelessly to hold the government accountable. and was a key figure in exposing the Teapot Dome Scandal. La Follette earned the respect of such notable Americans as. Frederick Douglass. Booker T. Washington and Harriet Tubman Upton for making civil rights one of his trademark issues. At a speech before the 1886 graduating class of Howard University. La Follette said. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10820}
{"speech_id":1090040139,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"We are one people. one by truth. one almost by blood. Our lives run side by side. our ashes rest in the same soil. [Seize] the waiting world of opportunity. Separatism is snobbish stupidity. it is supreme folly. to talk of noncontact. or exclusion!\" La Follette ran for President .three times. twide as a Republican and once on the Progressive ticket. In 1924. as the Progressive candidate for president. La Follette garnered more than 17 percent of the popular vote and carried the state of Wisconsin. La Follettes years of public service were not without controversy. In 1917. he filibustered a bill to allow the arming of United States merchant ships in response to a series of German submarine attacks. His filibuster was successful in blocking passage of this bill in the closing hours of the 64th Congress. Soon after. La Follette was one of only six Senators who voted against U.S. entry into World War I. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10820}
{"speech_id":1090040139,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fighting Bob was outspoken in his belief that the right to free speech did not end when war began. In the fall of 1917. La Follette gave a speech about the war in Minnesota. and he was misquoted in press reports as sayihg that he supported the sinking of the Lusitania. The Wisconsin State Legislature condemned his supposed statement as treason. and some of La Follettes Senate colleagues introduced a resolution to expel him. In response to this action. he delivered his seminal floor address. \"Free Speech in Wartime.\" on October 16. 1917. If you listen closely. you can almost hear his strong voice echoing through this Chamber as he said: Mr. President. our government. above all others. is founded on the right of the people freely to discuss all matters pertaining to their government. in war not less than in peace. for in this government. the people are the rulers in war no less than in peace. Of the expulsion petition filed against him. La Follette said: I am aware. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10820}
{"speech_id":1090040158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I am submitting a resolution that addresses a gaping hole in the administrations rhetoric and strategy with respect to Iraq. My resolution calls on the President to define the mission of our military in Iraq. and to issue a plan and timeframe for accomplishing that mission. It has been over 2 years since the President launched the war in Iraq. but we still dont have a defined mission or timeframe that would allow us to hold ourselves accountable for giving the military the tools they need to succeed in achieving those goals. My resolution also 6alls for a plan for the subsequent withdrawal of U.S. troops. so that we can provide some clarity with regard to our intentions and restore confidence at home and abroad that there is an end date in mind. This resolution does not establish a timeframe for troop withdrawalthat is for our military commanders to determine. Any such timeframe has to be flexiblethere are variables that will affect how quickly various missions can be accomplished. But its hard to conceive of an effective strategic plan that isnt linked to some timetables. The rationale for our military action in Iraq has changed over time. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090040158,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The projections regarding the resources that would be required were wrong. And now we seem to be in the midst of some vague policy of muddling through. When I speak to servicemen and women in Wisconsin and in Iraq. and when I speak to their families. their pride in their service is evident and it is wellearned. But their frustration with this openended commitment. with the stoploss orders and the multiple deployments. with the extensions and the uncertainties. is equally evident. and it is painful. We can do better by them. by insisting on clarity. by insisting on accountability. and by assuring them","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090040162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the following hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: The hearing will be held on Tuesday. June 28. 2005. at 10 a.m. in room SD366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. DC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 206. a bill to designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. and for other purposes. S. 556. a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to jointly conduct a study of certain land adjacent to the Walnut Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona. S. 588. a bill to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to jointly conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Arizona Trail as a national scenic trail or a national historic trail. and S. 955. a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of including in the National Park System certain sites in Williamson County. Tennessee. relating to the Battle of Franklin. Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1718}
{"speech_id":1090040162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. United States Senate. SD364. Dirksen Senate Office Building. WashIngton. DC 205106150. For further information. please contact Tom Lillie at (202) 2245161 or Brian Carlstrom at (202) 2246293.","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1718}
{"speech_id":1090040190,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m.. Wednesday. June 15. Further. I ask that following the prayer and the pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then resume consideration of H.R. 6. the Energy bill. I further ask consent that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. on tomorrow for. the Republican Party luncheon.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":527}
{"speech_id":1090040210,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is probably a task we should not undertake because it is momentous. but we will try anyway. This is the Energy bill. It is a big bill. as you can tell. I sat down and did something kind of unique: I decided to read it. just to decide what we are voting on. I dont say that entirely in a negative fashion because some of this is so technical. you need to have staff go through and figure out exactly what is happening in this bill. The one thing that is most important about this bill is not the fact that Senator DOMENICI of New Mexico has worked so hard on it with Senator BINGAMAN and done such a good job on a bipartisan basis to bring it to us. That is a positive thing. and I complimented Senator DOMENIcI about it earlier. What is troubling about this bill is it is setting out to establish: the enhancement of the energy security of the United States. Since it is setting out to establish Americas energy policy. you would think to yourself. How_ do most Americans come in contact with energy each day? Certainly when you flip the lights on in the morning or in the evening. you come in contact with electricity. but equally so. when you get into that car or into that truck or on that bus. you are in contact with the energy policy of America. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10935}
{"speech_id":1090040210,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If that is an important part of our life experience with energy. if over 60 percent of all the oil we bring into the United States is used to fuel vehicles. trucks and cars. you would just assume that a large part of this bill of almost 800 pages must be devoted to the whole question of the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks. Isnt that obvious? Wouldnt that be one of the first things? Sadly. you are going to have to search long and hard to find any reference in here to the fuel economy and fuel efficiency of cars and trucks in America. The question I have asked over and over.again is. How can you have an honest energy policy for America and not talk about that? How canl. you really have a policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil if we do not talk about more fuelefficient cars and trucksmore conservation? . I dont think you can. The only provision in this bill that addresses that. in the most indirect and oblique way. says that over the next 10 years. wewill reduce the.demand for oil in America by 1 million barrels a day. That is a good thing. I support that. It doesnt spell out how we will do it. Frankly. it doesnt reflect the ambition We should have in putting together this bill because we can do better. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10935}
{"speech_id":1090040210,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can do a lot better. Tomorrow. Senator MARIA CANTWELL of Washington is going to offer theamendment from the Democratic side about energy policy. It is our lead amendment. The reason it is our lead amendment is we believe it gets to the heart of the question. Here is what we believe in our Democratic Senate caucus. We think we should add to this bill language which says: Over the next 20 years. we will reduce our dependence on foreign oil in America by 40 percent. Frankly. I think we can do better. but we establish a standard of 40 percent. Today. 58 percent of all of the oil that we burn each day in -America comes from overseas58 percent. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10935}
{"speech_id":1090040210,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unchecked. unchanged. it is estimated that in 20 years. it will be 68 percent. More than two out of every three barrels of oil will be imported into the United States. If the Democratic amendment is adoptedand I hope it is. on a bipartisan basis--if we reduce the foreign imports by 40 percent over the next 20 years. the number will go .from 58 percent to 56 percent. That- is still too high. but to do nothing means that our dependence on foreign oil will grow. Depending on foreign oil means depending on the people who own it. I do not want my future. the future of my children or grandchildren. in the hands of the Saudi Royal Family. That is what their future will be tied toin a world where there will be even more competition over OPEC oil. You cannot pick up a magazine or an article anywhere that does not refer to the growth of China and its economy. They are just sucking away jobs from America. to paraphrase Ross Perot. and creating new opportunities for jobs in a country that is deficientin energy. So they are looking all over the world to find where they can import gas and oil so they can fuel the growing- Chinese economy. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10935}
{"speech_id":1090040210,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What it means. of course. is China will be our competitor for that oil in the years to come- If we do not take care to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. we will find -ourselves in a predicament even worse than today. where the cost of oil will be increasing because of increased demand for limited resources. and our dependence will be increasing at the same time. What a recipe for economic disaster in America. I will tell you one thing that is troubling. Remember the only -provision inthis bill related to fuel efficiency that I mentioned earlier that wants to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by a million barrels a day? We just got. an. official statement from the Bush .White House todaythey oppose that provision. They want to:-take it out of the bill. That is the only provision in the bill relative to fuel efficiency and fuel economy. -and they want to have it taken out of the bill.. This is the same administration that does not concede the fact that there is global warming. the same administration which last week had to dismiss a man who was doctoring environmental documents and statements to make it look as if there is no threat of global. warming. This same administration says they want to take out the only provision in the bill that would move us toward less dependence on. foreign oil. What are they- thinking? This is the leadership- in the White -House? The President can walk. literally hand in hand. with -a Saudi prince at his ranch in Texas. but. does America want to walk hand. in hand with a Saudi prince for the next 20 years?. Not meno. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10935}
{"speech_id":1090040226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Thursday on the floor the House will take up the United Nations Reform Act of 2005. This is a comprehensive. indeed almost exhaustive. reform package aimed at the longstanding inefficiencies. inadequacies. and abuses at the U.N. For all the frustration many Americans feel about the United Nations. the U.N.. for all its faults. it remains the most established and immediately available forum for resolving international disputes and developing international consensus on a wide range of issues. That said. most of the stated aims of the U.N.s bureaucracy. to say nothing of the lofty ideal of its charter. have been undermined and in many- cases brazenly contradicted by decades of waste. fraud. and abuse. In the wake of the massive OilforFood scandal still ripping through the U.N.s headquarters. the American people. who currently provide 22 percent of the U.N.s budget. can no longer trust that their dues payments are being responsibly spent. The U.N.. for all its strengths. should not be blindly trusted. The clarity and transparency that defines democratic governments and institutions is nowhere to be seen in the U.N.s financial management. or for that matter its human rights commission. its peculiar dislike for the State of Israel. its docile attitude towards the oppressive regimes. its handwringing and indecisiveness in times of crisis. and its antiAmerican policymaking apparatus. The reform bill we will take up this week. the product of intense work by International Relations Chairman Henry Hyde will start to address these and other institutional shortcomings at the United Nations. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2670}
{"speech_id":1090040226,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would. most importantly. call for weighted voting on budgetary matters. H4408 cc so that in the future the United States has more say in the U.N.s budget than the representatives of Syria. It would make the funding of certain inefficient programs voluntary. so that contributing nations will get more verifiable value for their contributions. It would also finally cut back on the U.N.s lavish international conference budget. which. hard as it is to believe. comprises the single largest section of the U.N.s budget. In addition. the Hyde bill will put in place human rights requirements that nations must meet before they may have a say in the U.N.s human rights organizations. On and on the list of reforms goes. all of which will be enforced by the promise in the Hyde bill that the U.N.s failure to .reform will trigger a withholding of 50 percent of the United States dues. These necessary reforms and the necessary stick behind them are long overdue. Mr. Speaker. and may finally help create the United Nations the world has needed all along.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2670}
{"speech_id":1090040245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first of all. I would like to ask the gentleman from Georgia a question. In his opening statement. he indicated how many times. or how many waivers had been provided. In the gentlemans statement he indicated the number of waivers that this rule provided.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":267}
{"speech_id":1090040258,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. . r Mr. Speaker. of late there has .been much discussion on protecting Ameri4 cans and what Congress can do to fund programs which prove effective and yield results. Yet here we are today cutting a program that our law enforcement officials rely upon to ensure the safety and security of our communities. the COPS Program. They are our first line of defense. and the COPS programs help States and localities put more police on our streets to keep our families safe. My hometown of Sacramento has seen the practical benefits of this program. The COPS Program has put an additional 569 law enforcement officers on the streets of Sacramento in the past decade. Without this program. I do not know that this would have been possible. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2541}
{"speech_id":1090040258,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I realize the cuts to the COPS Program could have been much more sizable. Congress did not go as far as President Bush recommended in downsizing this program. I am pleased at that. but I am truly disappointed that again for the fourth year in a row funding for this muchneeded program is on the chopping block. The men and women in law enforcement make a real difference not only in our cities and towns. but in the bigger effort to safeguard our country from the threat of terrorists. I am frustrated because we had the opportunity to correct this funding cut for a worthwhile program. The Committee on Rules could have made in order under this rule an amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin . It would have kept. funding for the COPS programs at the previous years level. no increase. but certainly no decrease. This would have been a smart amendment to make in order. -I am pleased to note. however. that this bill makes a significant commitment to strengthen research and education through increased NASA funding. Technology developed by NASA has long served as the engine of innovation which has driven our Nations economic growth. Advances made by this Agency in areas of science and technology have played an integral role in the defense of our Nation. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2541}
{"speech_id":1090040258,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And most importantly. we are educating our Nations next generation of scientists and engineers. I applaucd the committee for their longterm planning in this area. Although I would like to see a few changes to this bill. particularly a greater increase in law enforcement funding. I do support the underlying measure. I am pleased it was reported out in a bipartisan fashion. I commend the Committee on Appropriations for their hard work under such tough budgetary constraints.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2541}
{"speech_id":1090040324,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to enter into a colloquy with my friend. the chairman of the Subcommittee on Science. the Departments of State. Justice. and Commerce. and Related Agencies. the gentleman from Virginia . First I want to thank Chairman -WOLF as well as Ranking Member MOLLOHAN and the other members of the subcommittee for their hard work in putting together this appropriations bill. Mr. Chairman. last year. the Department of Commerce notified the NOAA and NIST and NTIA research laboratories in Boulder. Colorado. that it had decided to build a security fence around the campus where the labs are located. This has been a matter of concern to Boulder. local residents. and the people who work in the labs. They raised questions about the nature of the unspecified threats that the fence is intended to address and about the effectiveness of a fence. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090040324,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At my urging. the Department of Commerce and NIST worked with Boulder residents and city officials to determine the most acceptable placement of the fence. However. the Department still has not made clear the nature of the security threat. the proposed timetable for building the fence. or how they propose to pay for it. I understand no funding has been requested for the project. In my view. it would not be right to reduce funding to research operations or other needed construction work in NIST and NOAA in Boulder in order to pay for the fence. So I would like to ask the chairman whether he agrees that if this fence is to be built. it should not be done at the expense of ongoing research or capital improvements to these laboratories.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090040342,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for his consideration: I thank the chairman for his effort to balance the budget and to allocate the funds equitably to all the various programs. I look forward to working with the chairman in the future on this issue.","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":273}
{"speech_id":1090040345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. my home state of Utah is particularly fortunate to have a number of dedicated individuals working in law enforcement to protect our citizens. These days. we all tend to focus on the armed forces. which are obviously a critical element of national defense. But it is also important to remember those on the front lines here at home. Local law enforcement officers need Congress help to ensure that our streets stay safe for lawabiding citizens. Im very disappointed that this bill cuts funding for Byrne Grants. COPS grants. Juvenile Justice programs. and Drug Courts. During my time in Congress. every single person involved with law enforcement has made it a point to share with me exactly how these grants help protect Utah citizens. I dont think we can say enough about the men and women who use this funding to better patrol our streets. decrease the availability of drugs in our schools. and ensure that each and every citizen is safe and protected. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1381}
{"speech_id":1090040345,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Officer safety and the ability to investigate major crimes are often compromised by a lack of resources. One of the local police chiefs in a small town in my district said to me last year: Jim. Im not worried about Al Qaeda attacking our little town. Im worried about dealing with drugs in our middle school down the street. Every single day. acts of heroism and valor are performed by police officers across our","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1381}
{"speech_id":1090040381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I oppose the Obey amendment. The $200 million funding cut to NASAs exploration program proposed in this amendment would jeopardize U.S.. jobs and jeopardize space launch capability. These cuts would threaten personnel reductions in existing NASA exploration systems workforce across the Nation and could impact more than 1.000 employees. This cut will take money directly from work on the new crew exploration vehicle. a much needed vehicle that will replace the space shuttle in 2010 or after 2010. It contains very likely the most vital addition of a crew escape module making it a safer vehicle for our astronauts. It is a very important thrust. The gentleman from Wisconsins amendment proposes to take funds out of NASA and put them toward justice assistance grants. While I am supportive of local law enforcement officials. it is important to point out that Congress has already appropriated billions for State and local law enforcement. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090040381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On May 17. the House approved the fiscal year 2006 homeland security appropriations bill which provides $3.7 billion for first responders. including grants to State and local law enforcement agencies. Since September 11. $15 billion has been provided to assist State and local officials. Indeed. the bill on the floor today provides $2.6 billion for crimefighting initiatives. $1 billion more than the President requested. Mr. Chairman. Congress has and will continue to support our men and women who fight crime in our communities. Of course we are going to do that. The issue today is not whether Congress supports law enforcement. It is whether Congress supports the economic and national security that our space program provides. Since 1969. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090040381,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"America has led the world into space. and it is time to renew that vision. Our ventures into space not only keep America at the forefront of exploration and innovation. but they also are vital to our economy and our national security. This new national vision sets America on a course toward the Moon and Mars. and we should embrace this dream and work to make it a reality. As the preeminent leader in human space flight. we cannot afford to sit idle and let other nations reap the rewards of our hard work. research and sacrifice. We know that the Peoples Republic of China has developed a human space flight program that encompasses everything from lowEarth orbit to exploring the Moon and Mars. As the new NASA administrator said recently and the gentleman from Virginia just pointed out. we need to retire the shuttle as quickly as possible and begin flying the new crew exploration vehicle -to the international space station and the Moon. These requirements and these funding cuts that the gentleman from Wisconsin proposes will have a direct impact on that momentum and the Presidents vision for space exploration. a vision that will advance our national economy and prestige internationally. Americas space program continues to be an engine for our national economy. Exploration brings jobs and technological growth to America. Nearly every State in the Union benefits from the development of technologies needed to propel our space mission. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090040381,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At a time when we are all concerned about jobs leaving the United States. supporting NASA makes sense because we are providing good jobs for Americans. We owe it to future generations of Americans and the men and women who have kept the space program alive to oppose this amendment.","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090040411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his leadership on this. I also want to thank the gentleman. from Virginia (Chairman WOLF) for the great work he has done with the very difficult challenge of funding very important programs. But I just cannot help but continue to think about a young girl named Megan in a beautiful town in Minnesota that started using meth in seventh grade at age 13. and when she first took it. which she got from a friend. she said. This is something I am going to do over and over again. She did. But when she could not afford it. her addiction. she. like too many other female addicts. was exploited into becoming a prostitute to pay for the meth she craved every day. After hitting bottom at age 18. she is now pulling her life back together. But she has too many in her company. ","speaker_name":"MARK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090040411,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One out of five people that are meth addicts in recovery are 17 years or younger in the State of Minnesota. We need to make sure that we have theresources at the local level to address this. We need to send a signal that this is important to Congress. that we stand with our law enforcement agents as they are trying to rid this country of this scourge. We need to make sure that those that are trying to sell this poison know that we are out to stop them.","speaker_name":"MARK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090040469,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. todays small businesses are having a difficult time in accessing affordable capital due to recent changes to the 7(a) program. This amendment will change that by restoring funding to its fiscal year 2004 level. As you can see from this chart. the cost of the 7(a) program on small business has doubled. translating into an additional $1.500 to $3.000 in upfront costs. And for larger loans. fees are now more than $50.000. In addition. SBA has proposed even more fees on top of those that were implemented last year. and projections are that these fees will only continue to increase year after year. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090040469,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clearly. these actions are having a negative effect. Since the fee increase. the total dollars going into the economy has dropped. small businesses are receiving less capital. and the number of active lenders making a loan has declined by 50 percent. These actions have resulted in a highly unstable program. as you can see from this chart.. History has shown that operating loan programs without a government commitment is a recipe for failure. For proof. look at the SBA venture capital program which has been credited with investing billions of dollars in small businesses. Four years ago. it was taken to a zero subsidy rate. The argument is that it would make the program more stable. Well. today that program is shut down because it simply became too costly. By voting for this amendment. you are ensuring that the 7(a) program does not suffer the same fate. The offsets for this amendment can come from the IT accounts of the State Department. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090040469,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Justice Department. and SBA. This is a small price to pay for job creation. The 7(a) program is a proven job creator. For every $33.000 in loans. one job is created. With just a minor investment from our government. we can empower this Nations entrepreneurs to do what they do best. create jobs and build this economy. This is the sameamendment that was offered last year that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The only thing that has changed since then is that our Nations small businesses have now had to endure a year of increased costs. and they have told us that these costs are hurting them. We cannot let this happen again. Fifteen trade associations. including the National Small Business Association. the Independent Community Bankers of America. the Credit Union National Association. the American Hotel and Lodging Association. and the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce. representing businesses and lenders from across the country. are supporting this amendment and calling on Congress to restore this funding. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090040469,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By voting \"yes\" to restore the appropriations to the 7(a) loan program. you are voting to relieve our Nations 23 million small businesses.of these additional costs. This is a vote for continued job creation and economic development. two things. small businesses and our Nations economy need now more than ever. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090040474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. when SBA claims that the program is doing record levels I have to say that they said that they would do $16 billion. Today they are $2 billion behind. and they are clearly not going to achieve a record level. Mr. Chairman. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio .","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":361}
{"speech_id":1090040514,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the Veldzquez amendment amendment and thank the gentlewoman from New York on all her efforts to help small busineses. I am pleased that this amendment will reinstate funding for the 7(a) loan program and ensure that small businesses will once again be able to benefit from its lending power. As a former small business owner. I know the frustrations and worries small business owners have had as this program has been repeatedly targeted by the Bush administration. Small businesses are one of our Nations leading employment opportunities but few businesses can afford to startup or expand without the help of loans. The president likes to talk about an \"ownership society.\" but his budget hurts middle class Americans by denying funding for this program. How can we have a strong middle class if we dont extend opportunities for people to start their own businesses? This just doesnt make sense. Renewing our commitment to the small business administration 7(a) loan program will not only bolster our Nations workforce but also the economy as a whole. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1357}
{"speech_id":1090040514,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This program gives people a chance to start a business of their own and make a positive impact on their lives and their communities. Mr. Chairman. I want to urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important amendment and our small business owners.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1357}
{"speech_id":1090040516,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the Velazquez Amendment and in support of Americas small businesses. It is vital that we as the United States Government do all we can to foster the growth of jobs in our economy. To accomplish this we must provide the businesses with enough affordable capital to start and grow. Mr. Chairman. this will create those jobs. I am sad to say that we have not done enough to help out the small businesses that need it most. Over the last decade we have drastically reduced the appropriated amount for the Small Business Administrations 7(a) loan program. in 1995 it was funded at nearly $200 million but last year a mere $79 million. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1689}
{"speech_id":1090040516,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I am from Cleveland. Ohio. which at the moment is the most impoverished city in the Nation. Ninetyfive percent of the private sector jobs are provided by small businesses. therefore the creation of jobs and the growth of our small businesses is vital to our economic recovery. The Small Business Administrations 7(a) lending program is essential for small business owners who cannot access capital through conventional markets. However. the program has been and is being underfunded and the burden has been shifting increasingly onto small business owners. Recent. changes in the program have increased the fees to access the 7(a) program. which diminishes access of small business owners. The 7(a) program was created to provide capital to those businesses that need it most. By making the program more expensive. we are defeating its original purpose. I stand in support of restoring the FY 2004 appropriated level of $79 million. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1689}
{"speech_id":1090040516,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the least we can do to help small businesses grow in our country.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1689}
{"speech_id":1090040518,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to support the reinstatement of funding for the Small Business Administrations 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) program provides crucial support for small businesses around the country. and funding should be restored immediately. Central New Jersey has always worked hard to strengthen its position as a national leader in technological and economic innovation. For decades. the states small businesses have led this charge. escorting communities toward independence and inspiration. Withopt consistent governmental support. though. small businesses will falter and stagnate. And without consistent small business support. local communities and economies will suffer. We owe it to the states small businesses to restore funding to the SBAs exceptional 7(a) program. Consider that one new job is created for every $33.000 that SBAs 7(a) program guarantees. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3210}
{"speech_id":1090040518,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And consider that in just the past decade. SBA has approved oVer four hundred thousand loans. for more than $90 billion. You I H.4453 J41ne 14. 2005 can do the math: thats a total of 2.7 million new jobs in just the last ten years. But with the lack of appropriations in FY2005. the average origination fees on small business loans doubled. creating between $1.500 and $3.000 in new costs for the average small business owner. The inevitable result is less .small business access to capital. less expansion. less hiring. and less economic development. In the past decades. weve all seen that many of the countrys strongest local economies are sprouting in areas famous worldwide for their technological prowess: Californias Silicon Valley. North Carolinas Research Triangle. Bostons Route 128 Corridor. Central New Jerseys growing hightechnology communityEinsteins Alleybelongs squarely on that list. Establishing a center of technological innovation in central New Jersey will guarantee New Jerseys continued future as one of the greatest states in the Union. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3210}
{"speech_id":1090040518,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without support from the states small businesses. though. such a technological center could never evolve. Strengthening New Jerseys economy and reinforcing its role as an innovation leader will benefit all New Jersey residents. A researchbased economy will require regional improvements in transportation and telecommunications infrastructure. which will help reduce traffic and produce more efficient transportation options for us all. A researchbased economy will require a larger ax base. which will drive down individual tax rates. And a researchbased economy will demand quality schools and livable communities. in order to attract the best and the brightest entrepreneurs and employees to our region. Central New Jersey has long lived and thrived on the frontier of scientific and technological innovation. Einsteins Alley will be home to vibrant communities. cuttingedge companies. and productive workers whose unique assets and shared vision attract new. innovative industries and create many more good jobs to add to what we already have. None of that will be possible. however. without extensive small business support. For that reason. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3210}
{"speech_id":1090040518,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I strongly urge every Member of this body to vote to restore the SBAs 7(a) program to its FY2004 funding level.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3210}
{"speech_id":1090040534,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment not because I oppose the COPS program. because I know the chairman does not oppose the CommunityOriented Policing Services program. As he indicated. his family understands how important community policing is. But I rise in opposition to this amendment because of the offsets. As Chairman WOLF has pointed out. the gentleman makes unacceptable offsets here. I would ask. does the gentleman from Washington really think that a $50 million cut from the FBI. including funding for counterterrorism and counterintelligence programs. is something that the FBI can do without?","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":621}
{"speech_id":1090040639,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman. it is very clear. if you take my State of California. the annual cost for the incarceration of those who are here illegally and who have committed crimes is about $750 million. That is for one State alone. This is a nationwide problem. as we all know. All we are proposing is that we increase from $355 million to $405 million the effort to bring about reimbursement so that the resources at the State level. as the gentleman from Arizona","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":506}
{"speech_id":1090040696,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 2862 in the Committee of the Whole pursuant to House Resolution 314. no further amendment to the bill may be offered except: Pro forma amendments offered at any point in the reading by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees for the purpose of debate. amendments printed in the RECORD and numbered 1. 4. 10. 11. 17. 18. 19 and amendment printed in the RECORD and numbered 2. which shall be debatable for 15 minutes. amendment printed in the RECORD and numbered 6. which shall be debatable for 20 minutes. an anfiendment by Mr. WOLF. regarding funding levels. an amendment byMr. HINCHEY. regarding implementation of laws on medical marijuana. which shall be debatable for 30 minutes. an amendment by Mr. MARKEY. regarding limitation on funds for torture. which will be debatable for 15 minutes. an amendment by Mr. NADLER. regarding health insurance records under the PATRIOT Act. which shall be debatable for 15 minutes. an amendment by Mr. SANDERS. regarding FISA applications under the PATRIOT Act. which shall be debatable for 40 minutes. an amendment by Mr. SCHIFF. regarding protection of the Federal judiciary. an amendment by Mr. CARDIN. regarding WTO action against China for currency manipulation. an amendment by Mr. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090040696,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MICA. r6garding U.S..and Commercial Service Funding. an amendment by Mr. SmMKUS or","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090040830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. talk of bipartisanship in legislating real solutions for the American people must have been just that. talk. The 109th Congress commenced just 6 months ago. and some Members on the other side of the aisle are still scheming on how to derail practical solutions for reforming Social Security. One promising proposal. the creation of personal retirement accounts. has. already been taken off the table by the Democrats before genuine debate has even begun. I believe that younger workers should have the. opportunity to plan for a .higher retirement income than that which the current system would allow. Workers retiring after about 2042 can only expect to receive about 73 percent or less of what they are being promised today. I hear from my constituents daily about broken promises by our government. Personal accounts are a perfect example of a way we can give the American public control of their hardearned income and avoid broken promises to its people. Mr. Speaker. it is only fair to working Americans that we have true debate on Social Security reform .before tossing out socalled partisan ideas.","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1118}
{"speech_id":1090040851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"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 material. and that I may include tabular material on the further consideration of H.R. 2862. Science. State. Justice. Commerce. and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":317}
{"speech_id":1090040872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I have spent a lot of time not just this session. but in the two previous sessions of this Congress fighting for additional funding for law enforcement assistance grants. I take a back seat to no one in my interest in doing*kat. But I absolutely agree with virtually every word said by the subcommittee chairman the gentleman from Virginia . and by the ranking member the gentleman from West Virginia . I have spent over 30 years on the LaborHealthEducation subcommittee. One of our main concerns on that subcommittee is health research principally centered in the National Institutes of Health. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2571}
{"speech_id":1090040872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Anyone from NIH will tell you that much of the progress that they have been able to make in the past 20 years has been rooted in the most basic of all scientific research. and a good deal of that research has been funded in the past by the National Science Foundation. If we cut back the National Science Foundation. we are eating our own seed corn. we are eroding the ability of this economy to grow. we are weakening the ability of this society to increase human knowledge. and we are weakening our efforts to improve health as well. If you would take a look at our research budget today. at our basic research budget. we are spending a smaller percentage of our national income on basic research today than we have been spending at any time since those numbers have been kept. We do not want to weaken that even more. I would also point out that in the area of health. if you take a look at the issue of threedimensional imaging. that. has been greatly enhanced by basic research done under contract with the National Science Foundation. Research into materials. into changing materials that you can use for joints. for heart valves. much of that has originated in research financed by the National Science Foundation. Eye surgery has been refined to a great extent by what we have learned under the auspices of the National Science Foundation. I applaud the gentleman from New York in wanting to increase funding for the COPS program. I think it is outrageous that we have seen these longterm reductions. But if we do cut back on the National Science Foundation. we not only threaten the health of Americas citizens. we threaten the health of Americas economic system as well. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2571}
{"speech_id":1090040872,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think this is one of those examples where this agency does not have a lot of political support. but it is absolutely imperative that we step in and see to it that we make the advances that are possible with decent levels of funding.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2571}
{"speech_id":1090040944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my friend. the gentleman from Virginia. the subcommittee chairman. I welcome the remarks of my friend from New York because. Mr. Chairman. it gives me an opportunity to clear up any misconception about this amendment. This does not withdraw United States participation from the United Nations. nor does it change our funding for peacekeeping missions. voluntary programs. and membership organizations. What we are saying. and what duly elected. constitutional officers here in the peoples House will say with passage of this amendment. is that in terms of the regular framework of budgeting for the United Nations. a process that my colleagues admit is horribly flawed. we will reduce that funding by onehalf and invite others in the international community to come forward and pay their fair share. My friend fron v Virginia has been very gracious with the time. and I thank him.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":902}
{"speech_id":1090040947,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the gentleman offering the amendment. The fact that it is offered and. hopefully. defeated on behalf of the gentleman from Illinois and others. will put pressure on. I think the U.N. will have an obligation to adopt the GingrichMitchell recommendations and. also. the administration will have an opportunity. but also an obligation to do that. because the U.N. has failed. It failed in Darfur. it failed in Rwanda. it failed in Srebrenic. and it failed in Sarajeyo. Hopefully. this amendment will fail. and the gentleman from Illinois will have an opportunity to have his bill and voted on tomorrow. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":720}
{"speech_id":1090040956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. my amendment addresses the abduction and murder of more than 370 young women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua. Mexico. That is the community right across from my congressional district of El Paso. Texas. Specifically. my amendment urges the State Department to assist Mexican authorities in identifying several unidentified victims through forensic analysis and other scientific assistance. and this would include also to put this subject into the bilateral agenda. which is a discussion between both administrations on a yearly basis. Throughout my time in Congress.. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090040956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have personally asked our Federal and local law enforcement agencies in El Paso to offer any assistance that they can legally provide. and they have made and are making very good efforts to help their counterparts on the Mexican side. Also. for years I have called on the Mexican Government to bring an honest and intensive investigative effort to bear on this issue so that it can solve these horrific crimes and do more to prevent future tragedies. which also. by the way. Mr. Chairman. included a conversation with President Fox in Mexico City on this very issue. In 2003. I joined several of my congressional colleagues on a delegation to Juarez to meet with the families of these victims -and to increase awareness on this important matter. Some of the most poignant testimony we heard was -from families who have been unable to confirm whether their loved ones and their remains have been found or whether -they are still missing. As I have done in the past several years. this past weekend I raised this issue at the InterParliamentary Group meeting in Rhode Island where several of my colleagues in Congress and our counterparts from the Mexican legislature came together to discuss significant issues that affect both the United States and Mexico. This is an issue that has long been of particular concern to me and to all of my constituents in El Paso because. along with Juarez. our two cities form the largest border community in the world. Our cultures. our economies and. most importantly. our families are inseparably tied to each other in this region of the world. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090040956,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When they need help. especially with something as horrific as murders that have taken place there. we need to step up and provide assistance. as all good neighbors often do. This amendment would provide Mexican authorities with additional assistance necessary to solve these crimes. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to assist Mexican authorities in identifying these victims and to put the perpetrators on the road to the penitentiary and to prevent violent acts against women of Juarez and Chihuahua. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for giving me the opportunity to offer this amendment. Mr. Chairman. my amendment addresses the abduction and murder of more than 370 young women in Ciudad Juirez and Chihuahua. Mexico. near my congressional district of El Paso. Texas. Specifically. my amendment would urge the State Department to assist Mexican authorities in identifying several unidentified victims through forensic analysis and to include the topic in our bilateral agenda with Mexico. Throughout my time in Congress. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090040956,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have personally asked our federal law enforcement agencies in El Paso to offer any assistance they can legally provide. and they have made and are making good faith efforts to help their counterparts on the Mexican side. Also. for years I have called on the Mexican government to bring an honest and intensive investigative effort to bear to solve these horrific crimes and to do more to prevent future tragedies. In 2003. I joined several of my congressional colleagues on a delegation to Juirez to meet with the families of the victims and increase awareness on this important matter. Some of the most poignant testimony we heard was from families who have been unable to confirm whether their loved ones remains had been found or if they were still missing. As I have done in the past several years. this past weekend I raised this issue at the InterParliamentary Group where several of my colleagues in Congress and our counterparts in the Mexican legislature came together to discuss significant issues that affect both the U.S. and Mexico. This issue has long been of particular concern to me and my constituents in El Paso because along with Judrez. our two cities form the largest border community in the world. Our cultures. economies. and most importantly. our families. are inseparably tied to each other. When they need help. especially with something as horrific as the murders that have taken place there. we need to step up to the plate and provide assistance. as all good -neighbors do. This amendment would provide Mexican authorities with additional assistance necessary to solve these crimes. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090040956,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to assist Mexican authorities in identifying the victims of these murders. put the perpetrators behind bars. and prevent violent acts .against the women of Juirez and Chihuahua. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time. E 1200","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090041014,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Chairman. I find it interesting. the gentleman mentioned that our constituents send. these packages. If that is true. why would they if they are all opened and money is taken off the top? That may well be the case. but they make that choice. Theyought to make that choice. My constituents ought to have that chbice. That is what America is about. allowing people to have the freedom to make that choice. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":691}
{"speech_id":1090041014,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment will allow them that freedom. The current policy restricts their freedom to make that choice. They are told they cannot send these items. Again. it is back to toothpaste and toilet paper. That is what we are talking about here.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":691}
{"speech_id":1090041053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of this amendment. I rise insupport of the separation of powers as established by our Founding Fathers in the Constitution. The Constitution clearly delegates the powbr to deal with criminal matters. like the use of drugs. to the States. I agree with my colleagues. even the one who just preceded me. that marijuana is probably a dangerous drug. and I would not suggest that we do anything to encourage its use. Certainly the war on drugs. has not eliminated that choice for our young people one iota. Our approach at supply rather than looking at demand has not been successful. But. most importantly. this drug. which may be harmful. reflects many other drugs that may well be harmful. but that we have decided as a society should.be permitted to be prescribed by doctors whom we have empowered to make such prescriptions to people who are suffering from illnesses. There are many drugs that have many serious side effects and that are harmful to people. ","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090041053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Marijuana is no different than that. And especially we should try to discourage young people from using marijuana. But simply to override all of the powers of the people of the States of this Uniop to determine that decision and to override criminal matters that have been decided by the people of States is unconstitutional. The fact is our Founding Fathers wanted these issues to be determined in the States. All this decision we are making today is.. should we use Federal money and use Federal resources to override the wishes of the people of the States who have voted. and in my State there was a referendum which won handily. on this issue. And the issue is that they have a right to decide at the State level should a doctor be able to prescribe marijuana to someone who is suffering. a cancer victim. an AIDS victim. or whatever. This makes all the sense in the world. Let us not have a power grab by the Federal Government at the expense of these poor patients and the right of doctors to make these decisions and not politicians.","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090041065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment extends the protections already provided at the State level in 10 States to the Federal level. It ensures that critically ill patients can find relief from nausea and pain without worrying that the Federal Government will prosecute them. The Federal Government should use its power to help terminally ill citizens. not arrest them. Compassion ought to require us that we look at what we are doing here in this debate. trying to raise marijuana to the level of some kind of bogeyman when you have people who are suffering from terminal illness. and we are saying they should not be provided relief. from pain. What are we talking about in this Congress? Where is our compassion? Where is our understanding of what families go through when someone is suffering from a terminal illness. when people are looking for relief from pain? We are going to deny that to them because of some shibboleth about marijuana? Let us get real.-Let us support the Hinchey amendment.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090041155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I rise not in opposition. I am going to agree to the amendment. but I would like to have some comment before I do. Mr. Chairman. I think this is a regrettable amendment for a number of reasons. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1629}
{"speech_id":1090041155,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First of all. it involves an awfully little bit of money. Secondly. I think it sends a really bad signal. Indeed. one of NASAs missions is to inspire. and it has had an arts program. a.very small arts program since 1962. Such luminaries as Norman Rockwell have participated in it over the years. It is in furtherance of part of NASAs mission. NASAs mission is to inspire. to educate. Indeed. in the education theme of NASAs FY 2006 budget. it states: \"To develop the next generation of explorers. NASA must do its part to inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in science and technology and engineering and in mathematics.\" l 1500 A part of it is connectivity. One of the ways NASA has done that. if anyone has visited its facilities. is through beautiful murals and other art initiatives. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1629}
{"speech_id":1090041155,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This particular initiative that the gentleman is speaking to is the appointment of Laurie Anderson as an artistinresidence. which is another phase. if you will. in NASAs arts program. It is a worthy program. It has developed over those years since 1962 an awful lot of memorable artworks. There is no reason to believe that this initiative. which is so modest in nature. would do anything but further enhance the arts program at NASA. Again. itis so small that itis just minuscule. I am afraid the. amendment really represents more art bashing than it does good fiscal policy.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1629}
{"speech_id":1090041197,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentlewoman will yield further. I do not have a colloquy -before me. We are aware of the amendment. The gentlewoman makes some valid points. What I told the staff to say is we would work to see what could be done with regard to the filing. But I understand the gentlewoman is withdrawing the amendment.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":323}
{"speech_id":1090041211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the sponsor of the amendment for yielding me this time. and I also appreciate the comments of the chairman in the debate that just preceded this. Mr. Chairman. in past years. I have opposed the Sanders amendment on two grounds. First. I felt the appropriate time to revise the PATRIOT Act was this year. because key provisions are sunsetting this year. Second. as ranking member on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. I know. as the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman WOLF) also knows. that terrorists use Internet sites to communicate. and believe law enforcement needs to access terrorist traffic on these sites. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2402}
{"speech_id":1090041211,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This year. the amendments sponsors have eliminated reference to library Internet sites. and their amendment arises as Congress undertakes a serious review of the PATRIOT Act. Because the amendment has been altered and the timing is right. I am pleased to support it. Law enforcement must have the ability to prevent and disrupt terrorist plots on our soil. but this is a sensible amendment for the following reasons: first. section 215. as currently written. is unnecessarily broad. It permits the government to obtain \"any tangible thing\" as long as it is \"sought for\" a terrorist investigation. This is a sweeping power which even the Justice Department agrees can be cut back. I believe Congress should modify section 215 to require that the government show that the items sought belong to or would lead the government to an agent of a. foreign power. the traditional FISA standard. Second. I see no evidence that seizing someones documentary library or bookstore records is needed to combat terrorism. The Justice Department has never sought a 215 order to obtain library records. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2402}
{"speech_id":1090041211,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the rare case that a law enforcement official believes access to these records is necessary. other remedies exist. The PATRIOT Act eliminated. and I supported. the socalled \"wall\" between criminal and intelligence investigations. thus allowing criminal subpoenas or warrants to be secured more easily. And third. as mentioned. this amendment. wisely. would not preclude law enforcement from obtaining library Internet records. Mr. Chairman. Congress has an opportunity. indeed. an obligation to modify some of the authorities of the PATRIOT Act that went too far in eroding our civil liberties. This amendment signals our intention to do so. and I urge its adoption.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2402}
{"speech_id":1090041226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. there are two things that we can say conclusively since the enactment -of the PATRIOT Act. Number one. there has not been another 9\/11 attack. thanks in part to the PATRIOT Act and other tools that we have given the law enforcement community here in the United States. And number two. there has been a great deal of hysteria generated around the words \"PATRIOT Act.\" Very little of the actual complaints can ever be pointed to with respect to anything that the PATRIOT Act did. but there is enormous amount of hysteria. For example. the very name of this amendment. the Freedom to Read Act. implies that somehow there is something anywhere in the PATRIOT Act that denies us the freedom to read anything we want. Of course the PATRIOT Act does not do any such thing. We have heard here today that we need to have some showing of probable cause to protect American citizens privacy. Well. I need to tell you that probable cause is a fine standard after a crime has been committed. The people that believe probable cause is the appropriate thing to demonstrate would have us wait until the. next 9\/11 attack until we can take efforts and steps to defend ourselves. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090041226,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That does not work when you are dealing with terrorism. Folks. the next 9\/11type attack may not be a plane full of citizens. It may be full of biological or chemical or nuclear weapons. And 3.000 deaths may pale in comparison to the devastation that could be heaped upon American metropolitan areas in the next attack. The 215 provisions are very irilportant to understand. They require a Federal judge. a FISA court to make a determination that. number one. there is a national security investigation already under way about somebody other than an American citizen. this cannot be used against American citizens. and number two. you have to demonstrate that the entire purpose of the 215 subpoena is based on international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. This cannot be used to fight the traditional crimes that most Americans may be concerned about with respect to their liberties and freedoms. We want. and we are protecting. those freedoms. \"By the way. President Bushs White House. the OMB. has suggested that if there is any -effort to undermine their number one priority as our administration. and that is to protect the safety .of Americans. they intend to veto this entire appropriations bill. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090041226,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Listen. if there are terrorists in libraries studying how to fly planes. if they are studying how to put together biological weapons. if they are studying how to put together chemical weapons. nuclear weapons. if they are studying how nuclear power plants in America. how the architecture and design is structured so that they can cause a devastating attack. we have to have an avenue through the Federal court system. the FISA intelligence courts. that we can stop the attacks before it occurs. Treating it as a crime and waiting until after we have hundreds of thousands of deaths is an inappropriate way to fight terrorism. It works in crime. It does not work for the next terrorism disaster. and that is what the proponents of this amendment are asking for. 215 allows the FBI to request a judicial order. This has to go through a judge. Over and over we hear that we are going -to somehow be snooped upon by Federal agents without some sort of due process. Well. a Federal judgeis involved at the very outset. It has never been used in a library. What this amendment seeks to do is to build a sanctuary where every terrorist will know in perpetuity that they will be safe to read. to plan. to do whatever they need to do as long as they do it in a library. It creates a sanctuary that every terrorist will know will protect him or her as they create their evil plots to do awful harm and devastation in the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090041226,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is at all does. We know there are incidents of the terrorists using our libraries. And yes. so far they have primarily introlved use of the Internet. Butwe also know that terrorists used American flight schools. We also know that terrorists are interested in biological. chemical and nuclear capabilities. and I believe it is appropriate that our law enforcement agents. after the proper showing in Federal court. can get these records and prevent the next attack. not react after we lose hundreds of thousands of lives.","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090041257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise to support this amendment. What is the difference that this amendment will make? The difference is between good police work and fishing expeditions. This amendment is designed to say you can read without being afraid the government will someday reveal what you are reading. We do not want the chilling effect on free speech. If there is a real reason the government needs this information. that the government suspects someone is looking up how to make atomic bombs. then let the FBI go to a court and get a search warrant or show probable cause and get a subpoena. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090041257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the American way. That is the way we have always done it. The gentleman from Virginia says. well. we had an attack on 9\/11. Indeed. we did. In my district. 3.000 people were killed. and he says. maybe. who knows. this power could be used to stop a future event. But we can say that about anything. Ours is a government of limited powers. That is what distinguishes us from the Soviet Union or Communist China or any other tyranny. and those powers must be limited so as to protect liberty. even in the face of threats. The gentleman says no instance of abuse has been shown. Well. sure. because all of this is secret. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090041257,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No instance of abuse can be shown. Mr. Chairman. the point of this amendment is that we need not surrender fundamental liberty to protect ourselves from terrorism. and we should not. and this is why we should adopt this amendment. We can have our protection. We must have our protection. We must also have our liberty.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090041272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I first want to say that I appreciate the opportunity to bring this amendnent forward. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for his extraordinary work on this entire bill. I want to remark that his persistence here on the floor yesterday. today. and quite likely tomorrow has been a long marathon. and he has maintained his composure. his intellect. and his judgment. I bring before the Congress. Mr. Chairman. an amendment that seeks to upgrade this good appropriations bill that we have on Justice. and it recognizes that there is a Federal law today that prohibits sanctuary policies. Presently many cities have been enacting sanctuary policies which prohibit local police from asking about a persons immigration status or reporting illegal aliens who commit crimes to immigration authorities for deportation. The law I am referring to was passed in 1996. and it is called the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090041272,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It forbids localities from preventing their police officers from asking or reporting immigration information to the Federal Government. The existing Federal law says. and I quote. \"Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal. State. or local law. a Federal. State. or local government entity or official may not prohibit or in any way restrict any government entity or official from sending to or receiving information regarding the citizenship or immigration status. lawful or unlawful. of any individual.\" Now. Mr. Chairman. despite this ban. some cities continue to prohibit their officers from asking about immigration status or providing information to the Federal Government. Make no mistake. this is a situation of local governments blatantly violating Federal law. As a result. U.S. taxpayers pay to incarcerate illegal alien prisoners who are later released back onto the streets. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090041272,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sanctuary policies tie the hands of local law enforcement officers and keep illegal aliens who commit crimes in our country from being deported according to U.S. law. These sanctuary policies have disastrous consequences. A case in point. a tragic case in point. was the issue regarding a Denver police officer. Donnie Young. who was assassinated in cold blood about a month ago. The suspect in the case. Raul GarciaGomez. was an illegal alien. who has since fled to Mexico. He has since then actually been arrested in Mexico. But Denver has an illegal alien sanctuary policy. and it is based upon the mayors executive order. The current mayor. by the way. is a successor mayor to the executive order. but it is still his executive order. and he could rescind that executive order. The mayor happened to also own at least a part interest in the restaurant where this illegal alien worked. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090041272,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They had gotten a letter from the Social Security Administration saying that this Social Security number you sent on this individual does not match the individual. But the individual continued working at the restaurant. He had sanctuary there. He was picked up three times on the streets of Denver. He offered no drivers license one time. a Mexican drivers license at least one other time. and no insurance card on another occasion. Each time he was allowed to drive away. There were at least four different opportunities for that community to enforce the laws and take action against this illegal alien. and each time he has been shielded by the sanctuary policy that is a direct violation of Federal law. Last month we passed an amendment that will provide the necessary resources and training to State and local governments so that they will be more willing and better prepared to work with the Federal Government and to protect our Nations citizens. Even with the proper training. though. law enforcement officials cannot help in this area if they are forbidden from doing so. My amendment today would provide funding for the Department of Justice to enforce the law as it presently exists. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090041272,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It does not enact any new law. It does not promote a new policy. I want to repeat. it simply provides funding to see that our current law is enforced. Our State and local governments serve as the front line of defense against terrorism and criminal aliens. Every murder. every rape. every violent gang crime committed against Americans by illegal aliens is an utterly preventable crime. If we better enforce our immigration laws to keep criminals out. we will save lives. We must use the law enforcement resources that we have to -enforce our laws. with the end result of making our Nation a safer place for our children and grandchildren to grow up in. This amendment simply directs $1 million of the $600andseveral million in this appropriations process to that enforcement of the existing Federal law. It is. an issue that we raised last year as well. It id an issue I know the Chairman is very much concerned about. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4958}
{"speech_id":1090041278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I claim the time in opposition to the amendment. and I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition. The Committee on the Judiciary has held over 10 hearings on the PATRIOT Act. including a hearing devoted just to national security letters. We saw this amendment for the first time Monday night. It is unclear to me why health insurance records are different than any other records. We do not know how this amendment would impact a counterterrorism investigation. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":912}
{"speech_id":1090041278,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We just do not know. And here we are with 71\/2 minutes on each side. What is this? This is no way to protect the country. I could never support 71\/ minutes. And I do not care if it is just the naming of some government building somewhere. So I strongly urge Members to vote \"no\" on this. Sevenandahalf minutes? We cannot do it. I urge a \"no\" vote. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":912}
{"speech_id":1090041278,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida . EZ 1645","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":912}
{"speech_id":1090041291,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment authored by the Gentleman from New York. Mr. NADLER. to the CommerceJusticeStateScience Appropriations Act for Fiscal year 2006. His proposal is simple but carriers tremendous weight in terms of protecting the Constitutional rights of individuals who live in this nation. it withholds funds from government action to issue a national security letter (NSL) H4546 Co for the purpose of obtaining health insurance records under any provisions amended by Section 505 of the PATRIOT Act. Currently. under Section 505 of the PATRIOT Act. the FBI is authorized to issue selfauthorized secret national security letters to insurance providers. which opens the door to he secret seizure of highly personal medical information. Section 505 of the PATRIOT Act authorizes FBI field office directors to collect. in secret. almost limitless sensitive personal information. including medical records. from health insurance companies that are not under investigation themselves but have customers whose records the government wants by simply issuing a \"national security letter\" carrying the weight of law on the FBIs own assertion that the request is relevant to a national security investigation. This unfettered access to information that has been held to be Constitutionally protected since the passage ofthe Bill of Rights must be checked. and the Nadler Amendment provides that check in the context of fulfilling funding requests for the Department of Justice. Not only is the scope of the searchable material under this provision unconstitutional but the prohibition on notice to the individual searched contravenes the notions of privacy that. have formed the foundation of our fundamental freedoms. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090041291,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Records held by health insurance companies about their customers must be turned over regardless of whether they concern financial matters. because \"financial records\" are defined as \"any record held by a financial institution pertaining to a customers relationship with that institution.\" The records sought may include laboratory test results. medications prescribed. and reports that indicate the results of operations and other medical procedures. This kind of authority might well be described as \"terroristic\" to Americans in and of itself. The existence of alternative ways of accessing this kind of information with grand jury subpoenas and orders issuing under Section 215 justify offering this important amendment.. This section allows the FBI to obtain virtually any business record simply by asserting the information is \"relevant\" to a national security investigation. It can be used to obtain records of individuals who are not suspected or accused of any crime. Citing Section 215. the government may. unbeknownst to the suspected person. secretly obtain employment. medical. and financial records. membership lists. and even a key to ones office. The only oversight is an annual report to Congress of the number of warrants issued. Mr. Chairman. I have been involved in the limited oversight that the House Judiciary Committee has begun. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090041291,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On Friday. June 10. 2005. the manner in which the Committee Majority Leadership conducted that hearing is only indicative of the manner in which the highly controversial provisions of the PATRIOT Act have been foisted upon the American people. I support the Gentlemans amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090041497,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me thank my colleague from the State of Washington. I think she has offered an amendment that is worthy of the kind of significant debate we should be having about energy. I recognize that tomorrows newspapers will not likely include this discussion on the front page. I was watching the television programs last Sunday. including one with perhaps one of the most esteemed columnists in this country. one of the best. in my judgment. David Broder. They were talking about the majority party and Democrats and the political differences. David Broder observed that the Democrats need to come forward with a positive agendawith an agenda. What is their agenda? The fact is. people dont cover positive news. You can be on the floor all day with an agenda and they will not cover it. This will not be on the front page of the paper tomorrow. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10572}
{"speech_id":1090041497,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On the front page today is Michael Jackson. His attorney says he has agreed to end the behavior that got him into such trouble. A new \"Batman\" movie. I noticed on the front page. The Lakers have hired a new coach. That is on the front page of the newspaper. I dont think this debate will make the front page and that is regrettable. because this is a big issue. This is an important issue. The question is. are we going to set goals as a country and aspire to achieve those goals? There is an old saying that if you do not care where you are going. you are never going to be lost. Where are we going. with respect to energy? We know that 60 percent of our oil comes from off our shores60 percent from off our shores. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10572}
{"speech_id":1090041497,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I asked the Energy Department officials one day when they came before the Energy Committee: We talk a lot about 50 years from now. like what will be the consequences of the Social Security financing system 50 years and 75 years from now. Then I asked these officials to tell me what their plan is 50 years from now with respect to energy usage and energy supply. You would* have thought I hit him with a baseball bat. They did not have the foggiest idea. They dont have a 50year plan for energy. We know that 60 percent of our oil now comes from off our shores. much of it from troubled parts of the world. Yet here we are. blissfully moving along. buying one big vehicle after another. In fact. pull up to the next stoplight and pull beside a humvee. that is about 6.500 poundsI will get a letter from the humvee\" folks. I suppose6.000 pounds or so. I am sure it gets singledigit gas mileage. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10572}
{"speech_id":1090041497,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I never took Latin. but I think of the Latin term \"totus porcus\" whenever I pull up next to a humvee. Someone told me it means whole hog. Here we are. blissfully moving along. driving our humvees. driving our SUVs. understanding that the question of whether we continue to have an oil and gas supply in this country is not up to us. it is up to the generosity of others. their willingness to pump it. their willingness to sell it. and the question of. at what price do they sell it to this country. I want to tell a story. Late one evening. I was in the old AiT Force One. the old 707 used by President George Bush. the first. That plane was retired and is now in a museum. But that old Air Force One is the airplane that carried John F. Kennedys body from Dallas. TX. to Andrews Air Force Base the night that he was shot. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10572}
{"speech_id":1090041497,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a great old airplane. One of the last trips made in that old Air Force One was to Asia. I was on that trip. Senator John Glenn was on the trip and about two or three other Senators. We were going to China and Vietnam and a couple of other places to talk to foreign leaders. Late that night. in the dark. in the front cabin which the President would have used when it was Air Force. One. we began talking as we were sitting around. as colleagues do. I asked John Glenn about his space flight because I was a young boy listening to the radio with rapt attention when I heard that John Glenn circled the Earth. I asked him questions about it. What was it like going up in that space capsule and being the first American to orbit the Earth? He leaned forward. and for the first time he began talking about that flight to us. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10572}
{"speech_id":1090041528,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank Senator CANTWELL for her leadership on this amendment. It is going to precipitate a debate which shows the difference in outlook between the two political parties. The goal that Senator CANTWELL has spelled out is to reduce Americas dependence on foreign oil. She believes that we are capable as a nation. through our innovation. through hard work and bipartisanship. to come -up with ways to conserve energy. to find alternative fuels. to find environmentally responsible places to seek new oil sources in the United States. that it is possible for us to lessen dramatically our dependence on foreign oil. 40 percent in the next 20 years. That is her vision. Does it mean changing the way we live? Slightly. Of course. it does. But it is not too great a sacrifice. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11162}
{"speech_id":1090041528,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator CANTWELLS vision looks to an America that is no longer going hatinhand to OPEC saying: Please give us your oil. We cannot survive without it. Understanding that at any given moment they can cut off oil supplies and we could watch prices skyrocket as they recently have. That is her vision. It is one I share. It is a vision that challenges America to look forward in a positive way. look forward to change which lessens our dependence on oilproducing countries around the world. In 1973. we imported 28 percent of the oil we used. Today. we are up to 58 percent. If we dont change our ways in the next 20 years. we will be up to 68 percent. When we are so dependent on foreign oil. we give up our freedom. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11162}
{"speech_id":1090041528,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We allow other governments that provide the oil to tax our economy. tax our businesses. tax our lives. We give up our freedom to those who turn on and off this energy spigot and make a difference. When I was a little boy. years and years ago. growing up in East St. Louis. IL. I had a great aunt. She was a wonderful lady who. when I knew her. was very old. She used to tell us stories about growing up in her lifetime. It was Aunt Marne. I always thought it was curious. as a little boy. that she never referred to the vehicles in the driveway as cars or automobiles. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11162}
{"speech_id":1090041528,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She always called them machines. I thought. who in the world would call that a machine? She explained to me that in her lifetime. these machines had appeared out of nowhere. taking the place of horses and buggies. Getting into a car. which she called a machine. was a big deal for Aunt Maine. I used to laugh. after I left her. with my cousins and say: Can you believe she calls those machines? It reflected her mindset. To her. the concept of a car would always be something new and foreign. I listened today while Republican Senators. such as the Senator from Missouri. came to the floor and said they cannot visualize or imagine a different kind of car in the future that would be more fuel efficient. They just cant see it. In fact. the Senator from Missouri. when asked what that car would look like. said itwould look like a golf cart. That doesnt demonstrate the same kind of vision of our future. We hear from the other side that the idea of reducing our dependence on foreign oil is a bad idea. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11162}
{"speech_id":1090041528,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are wedded to the concept that we will continue to be dependent on foreign oil. The idea of challenging America to come up with more fuelefficient cars and with other ways to save oil is something they dont believe in. They just dont have confidence that American creativity and ingenuity can rise to that challenge. It is a negative and dismal outlook. and they also believe that American drivers and consumers are so selfish they would never consider giving up their Hummers. or their huge cars. if it meant less dependence on foreign oil. I see the world a lot differently. This Nation comes together time and again. sending our best and brightest and bravest over to fight in wars. rallying around the war on terrorism after 9\/11. We do rise to the challenge. That is what we are all about. The Cantwell amendment lays down that challenge. In the underlying bill. almost 800 pages long. section 151 states: The President shall develop and implement measures to conserve petroleum and end uses throughout the economy of the United States sufficient to reduce total demand for petroleum in the United States by 1 million barrels per day in the amount projected for calendar 2015. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11162}
{"speech_id":1090041531,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on todays Executive Calendar: No. 58. David Garman to be Under Secretary of Energy. and Nos. 137. 138. and 139. I further ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":365}
{"speech_id":1090041559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to call attention to an important. yet often overlooked. provision of law that governs the relationship of the United States with nations that harbor -individuals who have been indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone or the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. This provision. section 585 of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. which was signed into law by President Bush in January 2004 and reauthorized about a year later. makes it clear that the Unites States stands for. the rule of law in Africa. This is not a partisan issue. Democrats and Republicans understand the importance of the rule of law. which is a cornerstone for peace. democracy. justice and development in Africaand around the world. In fact. Senator JUDD GREGG. a Republican from New Hampshire. coauthored this provision with me. I see my friend from Illinois. Senator OBAMA. on the floor and am wondering if he agrees.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":933}
{"speech_id":1090041566,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am delighted to come to the floor today to congratulate Nathan Przestrzelski of Swannanoa. NC and Stephen Gordon of Fletcher. NC on being selected to present their awardwinning history projects at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in celebration of National History Day. For 25 years the National History Day Program has brought history to life for students across our country. By combining creativity with scholarship. students are finding a new appreciation for the past while developing valuable skills in writing and analytical reasoning. Most importantly. this program focuses on inspiring each child to reachhis or her full potential. and in doing so provides a great service by increasing their confidence and ability to succeed. This year the National History Day Program asked students to present projects on the theme \"Communication in History: the Key to Understanding.\" Students were asked to explore the role communication plays in history and its significance in helping shape how historical changes have been understood. Let me share with you the two wonderful projects Nathan and Stephen presented. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090041566,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nathan presented his exhibit entitled. \"The History of Spring Training: Communication is the Key to Understanding the Merger of Athletic Preparation with Market Magic.\" His project explores how baseballs spring training has grown from traditionally being a means for athletic preparation to today becoming a multimillion dollar industry expressed through business marketing. Nathan was able to incorporate his love of sports. his interest in business. and his appreciation of history to better understand how this tradition evolved over time. Stephen also presented his project.. a documgntary entitled. \"Telling Tales: The Appalachian Oral Tradition.\" His work depicts how the people of Appalachia have communicated ideas. history. heritage. and values through the use of nothing more than oral tradition. Stephen was able to trace stories from the mountains of North Carolina back over hundreds of years and show how fundamental concepts were passed from generation to generation. Through their hard work and dedication. these young historians show that discovering. understanding. and interpreting history is not only important. but exciting. Today is a proud day for Nathan. Stephen. and their families. We are proud of these students hard work. dedication. and tremendous achievements. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090041566,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe passionately that education is the foundation for success. and I am encouraged to see students so active in the learning process. I hope Nathan and Stephen have enjoyed this experience and I wish them continued success in the years ahead.","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090041567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President.the importance of learning and appreciating history cannot be understated. Men and womenyoung and oldbenefit from learning about the past as a way to shape the future. Today. the* National History Day Program is honoring students from around our Nation who have displayed excellence in the study of history. and I am pleased to recognize five students from my home State of Ohio who are participating in this important program. The National History Day Program actually originated in Ohio at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The National History Day Program allows students to create exhibits. documentaries. and performances by using their critical thinking and research skills in the subject of history. This year is a special year. as the National History Day organization is celebrating its 25th Anniversary of training students and teachers to incorporate libraries. museums. and archives into their learning plans. I would like to take a moment to recognize the Ohioans who are participating this year. Megan Daires. a student at Hannan Trace Elementary in Crown City. OH. presented her project. titled \"The Underground Railroad: Communication between Two Worlds.\" at the Smithsonian NatiOnal Museum of American History. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090041567,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Holly Anderson. a student at Canton County Day School in Massillon. OH. was one of 19 students chosen from over 2.000 finalists to perform her original work. \"All ofa Flutter: The Secret Language of the Fan.\" in the Grand Salon in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Ian Shaw of Sylvania. Michael Kreuz of Swanton. and Ben Spang of Toledo are three Ohio homeschooled students. who have been seledted to present their project at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Ian. Michael. and Ben joined Isaac Skaggs of Michigan to complete a documentary titled. \"A Voice in the Darkness: Dr. Jonathan Mann. Uniting the World Against AIDS.\" I congratulate all of these students for their presentations and performances. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090041567,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their dedication to the pursuit of excellence in the study of history sets a great example for our Nations youth. I join all Ohioans in wishing them all the best in their future endeavors.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090041568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to congratulate Michael Walsh of Omaha. NE. an outstanding student and young history scholar whose National History Day project has been chosen out of half a million in America to be presented today at the White House Visitor Center. Michaels documentary. \"Let the Word Go Forth: JFKs New Frontier.\" highlights President Kennedys unique ability to communicate effectively with both Americans. and leaders throughout the world. especially during the Cuban missile crisis. a critical time in Americas history. His project shows that young Americans can take important historical events and share them with us in an interesting and educational way. Michael is a student at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Omaha. National History Day is a unique approach to teaching and learning history in our Nations classrooms. It allows students to create exhibits. documentaries and performances by using their critical thinking and research skills in th6 subject of history. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090041568,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This year marks the 25th anniversary of the National History Day organization. All of Nebraska is proud of Michaels commitment to scholarship. This young Nebraskan understands that history shapes our future and influences the world we live in today. I ask my colleagues to join me and all Americans in honoring Michael Walsh and all students who participated in National History Day.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090041569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred In our country. Last year. a 19yearold gay man was bludgeoned with a pipe while standing on a street corner in Queens. NY. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":825}
{"speech_id":1090041569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well..","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":825}
{"speech_id":1090041575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I honor a community in North Dakota that is celebrating its 125th anniversary. On June 10 and 11. the residents of Amenia. ND. celebrated their communitys founding. Amenia is a small town in the eastern part of North Dakota. with a population just under 100. Despite its size. Amenia holds an important place in the States history. Amenia in 1880 when the Northern Pacifib Railroad established a station and a settlement grew around it. Eban Chaffee of the Amenia Sharon Land Co.. on whose home the station was actually built. called the new settlement Amenia. The post office was established on January 20. 1880. and Edwin McNeil became the first postmaster of the newly formed community. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1804}
{"speech_id":1090041575,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At a special election held December 27. 1927. the village of Amenia was incorporated by a vote of 14 to 1. The Amenia Sharon Land Co. rigidly controlled Amenia until it disbanded in 1928 and as a result the townsite was not platted until. late in 1928. In 1967. Amenia officially became a city. \u0095 The word Amenia comes from the Latin word meaning pleasant and today that is more appropriate than ever. Amenia now has a city park. a bar and grill. a city beauty shop and an elevator. Under the leadership of Mayor I~onna Myers. Amenia remains a delightful community in which to live and work. I ask the U.S. Senate to join me in congratulating Amenia. ND. and its residents on their first 125 years and in wishing them well in the future. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1804}
{"speech_id":1090041575,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By honoring Amenia and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the great tradition of the pioneering frontier spirit alive for future generations. It is places such as Amenia that have helped to shape this country into what it is today. which is why Amenia is deserving of our recognition. Amenia has a proud past and a bright future.*","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1804}
{"speech_id":1090041586,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the Committee on Foreign Relations I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the RECORD on the dates indicated. and ask unanimous consent. to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretarys desk for the information of Senators.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":330}
{"speech_id":1090041626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that the Senate today has taken action on H.R. 483. a bill that designates a courthouse in Brownsville. TX. as the \"Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse\" in honor of these two judges. including the first MexicanAmerican named to a Federal judge. Unfortunately. the Senate has repeatedly delayed action on this bill. Congressman SOLOMON P. ORTIZ first introduced a similar bill honoring these judges in 1998. It is now 7 years later and months after both these Judges deaths in 2004. Both this Congress and last. I have introduced a companion bill with Congresswoman NORTON that designates the new annex to the E. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090041626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse in Washington. DC. the \"William B. Bryant Annex.\" This historic figure should be honored. and that honor should occur during his lifetime. Regrettably. the Senate has yet to act on this bill. S. 478. which I introduced on In order to prevent repeating the regrettable timing of the Judge Garza and Vela Courthouse naming. I urge that the Senate move ahead on this worthy commendation of Judge Bryants lifetime of public service. Judge Bryant continues to perform his duties as a senior Federal judge at the age of 93. His commitment to ending racial segregation and his belief in public service and the law has carried him through a historic career. He was the first AfricanAmerican Chief Judge for the United States District Court in DC. The current Chief Judge Thomas F. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090041626,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hogan and all of Judge Bryans fellow judges recognize his truly remarkable lifetime achievements and have unanimously requested naming the newly constructed annex in his honor. Naming the new annex to the E. Barret Prettyman Courthouse after Judge Bryant is long overdue. I urge the Senate to take this action without further delay and allow Judge Bryant the commendation he deserves.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090041794,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the amendment offered by the Senator from New Mexico. Mr. BINGAMAN. This amendment is a breath of fresh air in a bill that is filled with many stale concepts regarding our approach to this Nations energy policy. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this amendment. Producing a significant amount of our electricity from renewable sources is not a concept for the future. It is a real possibility that exists today using solar. wind. tidal. gas from landfills. and biomass. In fact. 19 States around the country are using these renewable source of energy to steer their States towards a future of clean. sustainable energy use. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3179}
{"speech_id":1090041794,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my State of Illinois and in many other States. enacting this standard is a nobrainer. This winter. Illinois Governor Blagojevich announced a plan to adopt a renewIable portfolio standard requiring Illinois electric utilities to provide 8 percent renewable energy as part of their overall power mix by 2012. This bold vision will make Illin6is the second biggest wind power State in the country by 2012. The city of Chicago also has a strong commitment to using renewable sources of energy and is already planning to surpass a 10 percent contribution from renewables in its electricity stream and achieve a 20 percent goal. In the 18 other States where renewable portfolio standards have been successfully adopted. innovations in electricity- generation have flourished at virtually no cost to the consumer. Just imagine what would happen to this industry of the future if we enacted a Federal standard. And. here is the best news: According to the Union of Concerned Scientists. a 10 percent renewable portfolio standard on the Federal level would not add a single penny to consumers bills. Introducing renewable electricity into the mix of electricity generation also brings us a measure of physical security. By creating geographically dispersed sources of energy generation. we are providing ourselves with greater .electricity security by providing smaller targets and reducing the transport of combustible materials. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3179}
{"speech_id":1090041794,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is smart policy at a time when we must be vigilant about homeland security. Our countrys demand for electricity is expected to continue growing for decades to come. Enacting a renewable portfolio standard ensures that clean technologies will help us meet that enlarged demand. while not offsetting the importance of investing in clean technologies in other energy production methods. especially coal. Coal will undoubtedly play a large role in our energy portfolio for years to come. and I look forward to a vigorous debate on how we can best assist the utilitytindustry in employing clean coal technologies. Abraham Lincoln once said: \"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth. they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts.\" The real facts are that without forwardthinking amendments such as this one. the energy bill is not going to bring us .independence from the 20th century mindset of energy production. Let us give the American public this tool so they too can rise to meet this national energy crisis before it gets worse.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3179}
{"speech_id":1090041849,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the Cantwell energy security amendment. which would set a national goal of reducing projected imports of foreign oil by 40 percent by 2025 in the United States. I strongly believe we must be more proactive in reducing our dependence on foreign oil. and Senator CANTWELLs amendment is a great start to accomplishing that goal. The current path we are on is detrimental to numerous facets of our economy. environment and national security. This is- due to the ongoing instability in the Middle East. which is where the vast majority of our oil comes from. and coupled with the environmental problems associated with the use of fossil fuels. At present. petroleum imports account for fully onehalf of our national oil use and onethird of our trade deficit. In addition. the use of oil and other fossil fuels contributes to global climate change. air pollution. an d acid rain. In order to achieve this ambitious plan we will have to implement many comprehensive energy saving policies. Many people believe this amendment down the road could raise fuel efficiency standards on automobiles. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1844}
{"speech_id":1090041849,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are many energy policies we need to pursue to achieve this ambitious goal. In the past I have not supported raising CAFE standards and I do not believe this amendment would require such a change. In order to make this plan successful we need to support the development of alternative energy. such as ethanol. hybrid vehicle technology and others. I have long believed that our Nation must implement a sensible national energy policy which emphasizes greater energy conservation and efficiency. as well as the development of renewable resources. Simply put. we cannot continue to rely on imported oil to meet such a large part of our Nations energy needs and that is why I support Senator CANTWELLs amendment to the energy bill.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1844}
{"speech_id":1090041895,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with a profound sense of optimism and appreciation. We have not enacted a comprehensive energy bill since 1992. -Many programs need reauthorization and many need revision. Programs and demonstrations must be updated to todays and tomorrows energy parameters. I have long said that the Nation needs a comprehensive blueprint for an energy policy that will take us in advanced directions. away from dependence on declining reserves of fossil fuel and foreign sources of oil. We need a policy which will reconcile growth and energy conservation in our transportation. manufacturing. utility. and consumer sectors across the Nation. We need to bring down the high costs of electricity and gasoline for the country. particularly in my State of Hawaii. and pursue greater energy independence from petroleum products. S. 10. the Energy Policy Act of 2005. provides the best opportunity that I have seen in years. As a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9829}
{"speech_id":1090041895,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am familiar with cuttingedge technologies and approaches to generating energy. I was closely involved in crafting several parts of this energy billlegislation that contains three bills that I have introduced. and a hydrogen title that was crafted with the leadership of Senators DORGAN. GRAHAM. and myself as members of the Senate Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Caucus. I have contributed to comprehensive energy bills in 2002 and in 2003. I wish to thank both Senators from New Mexico for their leadership and hard work in bridging many regional differences in this comprehensive bill. while still keeping in mind the overall vision for an energy bill. The Energy Committee. under the leadership of Senators DOMENICI and BINGAMAN. held a series of structured hearings that were informational briefings from a broad spectrum of industry. environmental groups. nonprofits. and small businesses. Senator DOMENIcI and Senator BINGAMAN are to be commended for keeping an open mind about the potential for new energy sources and a balance of renewable and fossil fuels. science and research and development. In sum. this is a balanced energy bill. The energy policies that we address in this legislation cover a vast range of authorities and a patchwork of unruly regional alliances. This translates to an enormous challenge. and I appreciate Senator DOMENIcI and Senator BINGAMANs hard work and the work of their staffs. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9829}
{"speech_id":1090041895,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to compliment them on crafting an energy bill that will help the Nation as well as States with special \"offgrid\" energy needs such as Alaska. my state of Hawaii. and insular territories and commonwealths. I support this bill and voted for it in our Committee. The bill is wellbalanced between renewable energy production. energy efficiency provisions. oil and gas technologies. electricity provisions. and alternate and visionary sources of energy such as hydrogen. The bill invests in the Nations Research and Development for energy technologies. something that we must continue doing to remain leaders in the world. as global demand for energy increases. The last title of the bill. Title Fourteen. provides muchneeded incentives for innovative technologies. through loan guarantees f6r new energy facilities and projects. I greatly appreciate the inclusion of title VIII. the Hydrogen title. I am an original cosponsor of S. 665. the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Act of 2005. and worked with Senators DORGAN. GRAHAM. and other members of the Hydrogen Caucus to craft this bill. which is included in S. 10. The bill reauthorizes and amends the -Spark M. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9829}
{"speech_id":1090041895,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Matsunaga Hydrogen Research. Development. and Demonstration Act of 1990. which has been the basic authority for Federal hydrogen programs for the last 20 years. Reauthorization of the Matsunaga Act is badly needed and I have been working toward that goal for several years. The bill provides for robust R&D for hydrogen fuel cells. It includes a provision to enhance sources of renewable fuels and biofuels for hydrogen production among its R&D priorities. which is very important for isolated areas such as Pacific islands and rural areas across the Nation. In addition to the R&D section. the bill includes hydrogen fuel cell demonstration programs for vehicles and for national parks. remote island areas. and on Indian tribal land. The bill authorizes system demonstrations. including distributed energy systems that incorporate renewable hydrogen production and offgrid electricity production. In other words. the bill in\"cludes a broad range of hydrogen energy applications that will reach out to rural communities and lower income families. hospitals. military facilitiesnot solely vehicle applications and infrastructure. It recognizes the importance of developing hydrogen from renewable sources and demonstration projects for stationary and distributed energy systems in remote areas and is- lands. I am pleased that the bill contains my request for an energy study in Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9829}
{"speech_id":1090041895,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank Senators DOMENICI and BINGAMAN for including my bill. S. 436. the Hawaii Energy Study bill. Hawaii is uniquely dependent on crude oil for its energy sources. Before we invest in a different energy mix and infrastructure. we need to make transparent all the dynamics between fuels. generating electricity. and the consequences of the directions we choose. The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to assess the short- and lohgterm prospects of oil supply disruptions and price volatility and their impacts on Hawaii. and to assess the economic relationship between oilfired generation of electricity from residual fuel and refined products consumed for transportation needs of Hawaii. In Hawaii. the costs of gasoline. electricity. and jet fuel are intertwined in an intricate relationship. because they all come from the same feedstock. and changes in the use of one can potentially drive consumer prices up or down. Although we approved an ethanol title yesterday. I would like to add a few words on the topic of the ethanol mandate. First. I would like to extend my appreciation to Senators TALENT and JOHNSON. and their staff. who have shown great leadership in working with committee members to understand the challenges that States face with a Federal ethanol mandate. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9829}
{"speech_id":1090041969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I dont believe there is any question about its authenticity. in terms of it being a document in the position of our. Government. In terms of the content ofthe document. almost a year has passed since this was written. and if it were clearly wrong. inaccurate on its face. would the Senator from Virginia not expect the administration to have made that clear by now?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":368}
{"speech_id":1090041981,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The comparison related to interrogation techniques. It is clear. and I will state it for the record. that the horrors visited on humanity by those regimes were far greater than these interrogation techniques. But the point I was trying to make was. what do we visualize when we hear of this kind of interrogation technique? I say to the Senator from Kentucky. I visualize regimes like those described. Did they do more? Did they do worse? Of course they did. The point I was trying to make is. this is not what America should expect. This is not what we should believe reflects our values.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":589}
{"speech_id":1090042023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am pleased to recognize Julia Dyer. a teacher at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville. VA. who is one of eight finalists for the Richard T. Farrell Teacher of Merit Award for outstanding success in teaching history. The Richard T. Farrell Award is presented each year to a teacher who employs innovative and creative teaching methods in and out of the classroom. The teacher must participate in the National History Day program. develop and use creative teaching methods to pique students interest in history. help them make exciting discoveries about the past. show exemplary commitment to helping students develop their awareness of history and recognize their achievements. Ms. Dyer is being recognized for her dedication to the National History Day program and her success with improving history education. She has been involved in helping students participate in National History Day for over 20 years. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1660}
{"speech_id":1090042023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ms. Dyer has a unique ability to take a classroom curriculum and personalize it for each student. And. most impressively. she continues to have an impact on students even after they have left her classroom. As a former Governor who implemented academic standards for Virginias students in a broad range of subjects. including history. I am especially pleased that we have outstanding women like Julia teaching in our schools. I commend Julia on her selection for this award and applaud her dedication to her students. the improvement of the educational process. and the teaching of our common history. With dedicated teachers like Julia Dyer. I know the students in Virginia. and indeed across America. have a bright future..","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1660}
{"speech_id":1090042025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when Sol M. Linowitz died recently. at the age of 91. this country lost a distinguished citizen and his family lost a loving. wise and generous husband. father. brother and grandfather. Those who had the privilege of working with. himand there are many of uslost a colleague and wise counselor and. above all. a dear friend. It says much about Sol Linowitz that he opened his 1985 memoir. The Making of a Public Man. with a citation from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. Jr.: \"It is required of a man that he should share the passion andaction of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.\" That is precisely what Sol did over the course of what his brother. Bob Linowes. describedtoo modestlyas Sols \"exemplary and productive life.\" Indeed. it can be said of.Sol Linowitz that almost from his birth in 1913 until his death earlier this year. he reflected in his own life the highest ideals. aspirations and achievements of 20th-.century America. Sol Linowitz was the eldest of Joseph and Rose Linowitzs four sons. Both his parents had come to this country as adolescents from what was then the Russian empire. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6432}
{"speech_id":1090042025,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They met and married in this country. settling in Trenton. NJ. and raising their family there. Of his parents Sol has written simply but eloquently: they \"were not highly educated people. they had. come across the ocean . . . bringing their hopes and little more . . . their life was a struggle.\" From his parents he received the priceless gift of principles by which to live his own life: the fundamental importance of education. values taught by example. not rhetoric. people helping others in need. He grew up in a neighborhood of families similar to his own. except that they had come *from Ireland. and Italy and in an earlier time and under different conditions. from Africa. He could see that his parents \"most of all loved and trusted this country.\" On the strength of advice from a high school teacher and a modest scholarship. Sol Linowitz went to Hamilton College. where he went on to become the Class of 1935 Salutatorian. Advice from a distinguished Hamilton alumnus. Elihu Root. led him to law school. when he told Root that he was thinking of becoming a rabbi or studying law. Root replied: \"Become a lawyer. I have found that a lawyer needs twice as much religion as a minister or rabbi.\" Once again. this time at Cornell Law School. he rose to the top of his class. finishing first and serving as editorinchief of the Cornell Law Quarterly. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6432}
{"speech_id":1090042025,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A number of.his lawschool friends. like Senator Edmund Muskie and Secretary of State William Rogers. went on to become eminent public servants and practitioners of the law. But Sol wrote with typical understatement in his memoir that \"the most significant social contact\" of his years at Cornell was Toni Zimmerman. a Cornell student. All who know Toni Zimmerman Linowitz would certainly agree. Sol and Toni were married for 65 years. Sol chose to practice law in Rochester with the small family firm of Sutherland and Sutherland. Following government and military service during World War II. he and Toni returned to Rochester. Sol resumed his law practice. At the same time. he entered into the sustained engagement in community and national affairs that was to illuminate his entire life. Sol Linowitzs commitment to public service extended far beyond his government service. which began with his OAS ambassadorship. in 1969. He found an extraordinary range of opportunities to serve. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6432}
{"speech_id":1090042025,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For many years he was a -trustee of.Hamilton College and of Cornell University. which had both served him so ivelland also of Johns Hopkins University. in Baltimore. and the University of Rochester and the Eastman School of Music. in Rochester. He was chairman of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He served as president of the National Urban League. He was a .cofounder of the International Executive Service Committee. in 1964. and the founder of the InterAmerican Dialogue. in 1982. He was an advisor to three U.S. Presidents. and was President Carters representative in the IsraelEgypt negotiations following the Camp David Accord. With Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker. Sol Linowitz led the U.S. team that negotiated the Panama Canal Treaties. It has been reported that years later Sol said of this daunting challenge. \"In retrospect. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6432}
{"speech_id":1090042025,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Id have to say that assignment was probably the most difficult and the most challenging of my life. It is also the accomplishment of which I am most proud.\" Sol had reason to take pride in his achievement. The treaties were brilliantly drafted and negotiated. They put an end to a growing source of friction in U.S. relations not just with Panama but with all of Latin America. and assured the continuing. smooth operation of the Canal. It was in my capacity as a manager of the floor debate over the Senates advice and consent to the treaties that I worked closely with Sol Linowitz over many months and got to know him well. He was an extraordinarily skillful diplomat. an honorable and dedicated public servant. He was also a person of singular intelligence. integrity. and human compassion. It was my privilege to consider him a friend. Sol opened his memoir with the quotation cited above from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. Jr. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6432}
{"speech_id":1090042040,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we talk about these systems and standards and words such as interoperability. which. as the Senator from New York said. does mean being able to connect it all together. people who are listening must ask: Well. how in the world do these electronic health records and the appropriate use of that data bring concrete benefits to them as individuals and to their families? First. it will reduce waste and inefficiency in the system. It only makes sense that fragmented systems. with no interconnectivity at all. have inherent inefficiencies and waste. That is moved aside. That has a very direct impact on lower costs. making health care more affordable and thus available for people broadly. It improves quality. Right now we know that medical errors occur. Too many medical errors occur in our health care system today. By the application of technology. we can move those medical errors aside. They will not occur and that improves quality. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1866}
{"speech_id":1090042040,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They will empower patients. It gives that individual who is listening right now the knowledge and power to be able to participate in a consumerdriven system where choices can be made. where the focus is on the patient. that is provider friendly. that is driven by information and choice and empowerment to make that choice. They will protect patient privacy and promote the secure exchange of lifesaving health information. It is spelled out in the legislation. It is going to be privacy protected. For the first time. they will seamlessly integrate this advancement in health information technology with quality measures. with quality advancements. harmonizing and integrating them in a way that simply has not been done in the past. This proposal brings together people. as we can see. from across the political spectrum. and it will unlock the potential of medical information technology for all Americans.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1866}
{"speech_id":1090042062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. June 16. 2005. at 9:30 a.m.. .in Senate Dirksen Office Building room 226. The agenda will be provided when it becomes available today. Agenda I. Nominations: Terrence W. Boyle. II. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":720}
{"speech_id":1090042062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rachel Brand. to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy. Alice S. Fisher. to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. II. Bills: S. 491. Christopher Kangas Fallen Firefighter Apprentice Act [Specter. Leahy] III. Matters: Senate Judiciary Committee Rules. IThe PRESIDING OFPFICER. Without objection. it is so ordered.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":720}
{"speech_id":1090042109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the world has entrusted peacekeepers from the United Nations with the tremendous task of promoting peace and international cooperation throughout the globe. Unfortunately. for years we have watched U.N. peacekeepers neglect their lofty goals and actually contribute to the demise of wartorn nations. From the jungles of the Congo to the swamps of Sierra Leone. U.N. peacekeepers have committed crimes. including sexual exploitation. corruption. sex trafficking. and the systematic rape of women. In Bosnia. the U.N. quashed an investigation into -the involvement of U.N. police in enslavement of Eastern European women. Today. Congress has a rare opportunity to restore hope. order. and purpose to the U.N. Decades of U.N. waste. fraud. and abuse prove that strong action is the only remedy for the problems plaguing the organization. By linking U.S. support to U.N. reform. we can ensure the U.N. peacekeepers rightfully fulfill their mission. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090042109,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In conclusion. God bless our troops andwe will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090042139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. My main purpose here. obviously. was to focus on the bill and the rule for the bill. but I want to discuss some of the concerns that my good friends on the other side of the aisle have. Frankly. I do not doubt their patriotism for a minute. and I welcome the discussion and debate. I think it is a very good one and a very important one for the national purpose. But I think we ought to go back and recall a little bit the situation in Iraq. We ought to remember who and what Saddam Hussein was. This was brought home to me very dramatically on -my first visit to Iraq in October 2003: I have since gone back on three additional occasions. plus to Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090042139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was talking with a young American soldier. At that point we. like every other intelligence service in the world and most people in the world. thought there were WMDs in significant quantities in Iraq. although I do hasten to point out the capacity to acquire and to develop those was still very much there and Mr. Hussein was still working himself out of U.N. sanctions and placing himself in a position to do that. So I still think we were right to have acted early. But- this young soldier that I was visiting with. I asked him: Weve been here a considerable amount of time. Weve not found the quantities of WMDs we expected. Do you think it was a wise decision to come? He was quiet for a moment and looked at me and he said: Yes. sir. I will tell you regardless. and I still think they had the capacity. but regardless I think it was a good decision to come. I said: Why? And he answered my question with a question of his own. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090042139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said: Sir. have you ever been to a mass grave site? I said: No. I havent. He said: I have. He said. Until youve seen hundreds of wailing women as bodies are coming out. one after another. trying to identify. is that a father. is that a son. is that a husband. is that a brother. you dont know what terror really is. He said: My question is why the whole world wasnt here 10 years ago. That is a very interesting question to ask. Because we of all people had the ability 10 years previously to have done that. We had just won a war with Saddam Hussein. we stopped at the border. and we actually urged people on the other side to rise up. and they did. And 50.000 of them were killed by Saddam Hussein and neither we nor our coalition allies did anything to help. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090042139,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I think looking at what was going on in Iraq. looking at the 400.000 deaths. looking at the 263 identified mass grave sites and lodking. frankly. at our responsibility to have .done something when. indeed. for a decade we did nothing is something that we ought to think about and. frankly. .something that the whole world ought to think about. Just 2 weeks ago. or last week. actually. the New York Times ran an article on another mass grave site that had been located. was being frankly explored. if that is even the appropriate term. in preparation for Saddam Husseins trial. and in that there were 2.500 people. almost all of them women or children. some of them as young as 3 or 4 years of age. That is the type of thing that American intervention in Iraq stopped. My friends on the other side say. Well. are there any signposts? Any hope? I think that is a very legitimate question to raise. too. because there is no doubt this has been a rough road that we have walked down and no doubt. and I think my friends are appropriate when they raise this. that it has not gone as predicted and as planned and it has been a very. very difficult process. But I think we ought to stop and look at the Iraqis on the ground and see what they are doirig. the fact that a constitutional government has been established or is being established. the fact that 8 million people came out to vote under the most difficult of circumstances. the fact that we have elections scheduled for October and again for December of this year. an extraordinary achievement by very brave Iraqis under very difficult circumstances to set up what we most need in that part of the world. which is a functioning democracy. That would not be possible without the sacrifice and the service of the brave men and women of the United States military. That is one of the things they are accomplishing. Their first accomplishment. of course. is to make us more secure. I think it is always legitimate to ask. are we more secure or less secure as a result of the war in Iraq? I would argue we are more secure. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090042139,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would argue that anybody that believes somebody like Zakawi would not be busy trying to kill Americans someplace in the region or in the world probably is missing the point. Our troops are engaged there and are engaging an enemy that. left otherwise free to operate. would be busy trying to kill other Americans as they demonstrated pretty dramatically on 9\/11. I would also argue that over time the best way to transform the region is exactly the one that the President suggests. that is. to establish a functioning democracy. I have a lot of faith in the Iraqi people. I have met the political leaders there. I saw the courage of people going out. I talked to a young soldier on the way back just after the elections actually in March of this year who had been wounded at Mosul. I asked him: Were you there for the elections? He said: Yes. sir. I was. It was the proudest moment in my 15 years of service to my country. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090042187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise in. opposition to the gentleman from Colorados amendment. As the gentleman can see. and I have great respect for the gentleman from Colorado . I know what he is trying to do. and I want to acknowledge that. As the gentleman can see from the debate and the other amendments offered on the bill. many Members feel the funding for the whole host of programs in this bill is already inadequate. In fact. all the amendments. most that we have been able to reject. have been to add money into the bill. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090042187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The one that was accepted by the body was the one to add $73 million in for 7(a) loan programs which nobody in the country wants or needs. So the gentleman can see the trend that things are moving. The budget resolution passed by the Congress has imposed upon u8 a very * restrictive spending climate. This amendment constitutes attempts to reopen the decisions we already made in the budget resolution. The bill we are considering today stays within the budget resolution framework and represents a lot of hard work and difficult decisions to match limited funds to competing national priorities. A number of accounts in the bill are funded very close to the bone and a reduction of 1 percent in many salaries and expenses would have a dramatic effect on the IBI. DEA. ATF. Marshals Service. And so for those reasons. respecting what the gentleman is trying to do. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090042187,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would ask for a \"no\" vote on the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of time to the gentleman from West Virginia .","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090042197,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. And in that 1 minute. I will say that I appreciate very much the statement by the gentleman from Virginia . Even when he is not physically present. he is. a huge spiritual presence in this Chamber when it comes to the issue of human rights and torture. and I appreciate his willingness to support this amendment. The amendment. quite simply. says that the Unitgd States. because of our support for the convention against torture. because of our support for the Geneva Convention. cannot condone the United States. after we have prisoners in our possession. sending those prisoners to other countries in the world that do not abide by the convention on torture. that do not abide by the Geneva Convention. So this amendment will make it unambiguously clear that that is a responsibility that the United States takes very seriously. and notwithstanding what goes on at Guantanamo. that when the United States has possession of a prisoner that we will not outsource torture. that we will not actually put these prisoners on planes and send them to countries whicl we know do engage in torture. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1177}
{"speech_id":1090042299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer an amendment that would strengthen current State -Department policy regarding the export of .50caliber sniper rifles. Under this amendment only official government entities would be allowed to purchase these weapons through the export process. The language of the amendment would simply prevent export to any nongovernmental entity. in other words. the arms dealers that bought 25 of them for al Qaeda and the representatives of the IRA and the KLA. The .50caliber sniper rifle is in a class by itself. A weapon of war. the Army Handbook on Urban Combat states that the .50caliber was designed to attack both fuel tanks and other impenetrable targets. It is considered able to penetrate all but the heaviest shielding material from up to a mile away. This highpowered antimateriel weapon has even been touted by its manufacturers in advertisements that it is capable of disabling or destroying a modern jet aircraft. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3456}
{"speech_id":1090042299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I quote from Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. In their advertisement. they say. \"The costeffectiveness of the .50caliber sniper rifle cannot be overemphasized when a round of ammunition purchased for less than 10 U.S. dollars can be used to destroy or disable a modern jet aircraft.\" I should repeat that because it is hard to believe. But despite this unparelleled potential for damage. including the threat posed to railcars carrying hazardous materials and civil aviation. the .50caliber is easier to obtain than a handgun and no less available than a common shotgun. Governor Schwarzenegger. who recently signed a law banning the .50caliber in California. stated that this gun is \"a clear and present danger to the publics safety.\" These guns are sought after by terrorists. warlords. drug smugglers. and other individuals looking to use the .50s exceptional power. accuracy. and distance for terrorist and criminal purposes. There have been any number of substantiated reports that al Qaeda. the IRA. and the KLA have purchased a number of these guns in recent years. There is an arms race taking place just south of the border in Mexico where drug cartels are employing .50calibers in a bloody turf war that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people caught up in the crossfire. The \"60 Minutes\" TV show has reported at length on this.issue. In their most recent piece. they profile an Albanian American gunrunner named Florin Krasfiiqi. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3456}
{"speech_id":1090042299,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Krasniqi details how he has coordinated the export of .50calibers from the U.S. to arm the Kosovo Liberation Army in their guerilla war to break away from Serbia. The reason the .50caliber was his weapon of choice. he stated simply. \"You could kill a man from over a mile away. You can dismantle a vehicle from over a mile away.\" And they are so easy to buy. If we are not going to deal with the danger that .50calibers pose to the American public. let us at least prevent the export of these weapons of terror to foreign terrorists. Restricting exports of .50calibers is necessary because. unlike most items controlled under the U.S. Munitions List and comparable international control lists. firearms are frequently licensed for commercial resale. increasing the likelihood that they will end up. in the hands of our enemies. Mr. Chairman. this is a human rights issue. and it is an issue of protecting our national security. We need to pass this amendment. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3456}
{"speech_id":1090042299,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I.reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3456}
{"speech_id":1090042302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as.I may consume. I point out that this Moran amendment has been a moving target. Mr. Chairman. This thing has been moving around the last couple of days. and I have been trying to get ahold of the final draft of the final Moran amendment so I can finally look at the language that is finally going to be presented to this Congress that would set final policy on our export policy with regard to one single caliber of firearms. and not even the whole entire caliber of that particular firearm. but just a very small segment of it. And now this final language that I have in this moving target says that it would ban the utilization of Federal dollars for the regulation for \"the export of a nonautomatic or semiautomatic rifle.\" not rifles. \"capable of firing a centerfire cartridge in 50caliber.\" or the like. \"to any nongovernmental entity.\" which I commend the gentleman from Virginia for removing the broader language and narrowing it down to a nongovernmental entity. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3385}
{"speech_id":1090042302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is an improvement in this particular amendment. But this amendment says \"nonautomatic or semiautomatic rifle.\" It does not address fully automatic 50caliber machine guns. but it does target rifles. rifles that I call buffalo guns that go back to the 1800s in this country. The Sharps 50caliber is one of the original 50caliber longrange rifles. It was used to implement buffalo hunting back in those years. and its being a 50caliber is not the reason why it is among the most accurate longrange rifles. but because they chose that caliber back then for longrange accuracy. and they developed the cartridge for that kind of target shooting. And. in fact. there has been an entire organization that has grown up around target shooting that has to do with the 50caliber. that venerable buffalo gun. and I believe they are called the 50caliber Target Shooting Club. and I know that they have .been organized for over 20 years. So this amendment would target rifles when there is not a record of their being used for crime. There are allegations. but not a record that I can find. And I look at some of these quotes: \"Could be used to destroy.or disable a modern jet aircraft.\" Are we going to outlaw every caliber and every weapon that could be used to destroy or disable a modern jet aircraft? If that is the case. then we take every deer rifle out of the rack and out of every cabinet of every home in America because they can be used the same way. We can name caliber after caliber that could destroy or disable a modern jet aircraft. In fact. sometimes we are a little concerned about that happening. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3385}
{"speech_id":1090042302,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fact that the Governor of California advocates an assault on the 50caliber target rifle. the buffalo gun. does not convince me in the least. but this would not do anything to prevent a 49caliber or a 51caliber or going a little bigger or a little smaller. It* would encourage that. But what it would do. Mr. Chairman. is it would make the 50Caliber Shooting Club exclusively a USA club. and it would continue to develop the 50caliber shooting in the United States. but our foreign friends that are involved in the same thing that we are here. legitimate hunting. legitimate target shooting and development of a venerable weapon. would be prevented from doing so for an illogical reason. if there is a reason at all. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3385}
{"speech_id":1090042337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. we recently experienced the Southeast Asia tsunami that destroyed valuable medical services for women across the affected area. But. with the help of the UNFPA. we were able to calculate that 150.000 women were pregnant in the region at the time of the trauma. putting .them at greater risk than normal because of sudden loss of medical support. Without UNFPA. these women would not have had the guarantee of safe. clean environments to deliver their babies. They would not have had the access to the medical support and medicines they need to ensure .a healthy birth. Safe and healthy childbirth should not be a political issue. While disagreements about UNFPA will certainly remain. continuing to ensure this program has never been more important than it is now. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the MaloneyShays amendment.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090042354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mid70s in prison for giving holy communion. Now. the government put him in jail. Nobody else. You have a government that you fundamentally cannot trust. Lastly. Secretary Powell. a constituent of mine. somebody that we all admire. He lives out in my congressional district. Here is what he said on July 15. 2004: \"Despite these efforts. China continues to employ coercion in its birth planning program including through severe penalties for outofplan births. And UNFPAs program has not been restructured to solve the problems identified in 2002.\" So Secretary Powell. who we all trust. said they are still doing it. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090042354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And then he ends. \"however. as in 2002. UNFPA continues its support and involvement in Chinas coercive birth limitation program in counties where Chinas restrictive law and penalties are enforced by government officials.\" I urge you to defeat this amendment and send a message to this fundamentally bad government that is doing all these horrible things to women. doing all these things to Catholic priests. Catholic bishops. to evangelical pastors. to Buddhist monks. I was in Tibet. went in every monastery we could. They told us what they are doing to the Buddhist Church. It is against the law to have a picture of the Dalai Lama. Vote \"no\" on this amendment.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1279}
{"speech_id":1090042434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I love history. In fact. this is not necessarily unprecedented. The KassebaumSolomon amendment in 1985 asked for change. and meaningful change took place. In 1994. we insisted on an oversight committee and an oversight committee took place. And under the bipartisan HelmsBiden approach. once again we insisted on changes with the United Nations. The. United Nations responded to it. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":618}
{"speech_id":1090042434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill is keeping. a tradition that is historical going back for at least 20 years in this body. Mr. Speaker. I yield 31\/2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana .","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":618}
{"speech_id":1090042460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to this bill. and I urge all of my colleagues across .the aisle to do so. Let me state at the outset that I fully share the passionate commitment of the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) to meaningful and thorough reforms at the United Nations. This global institution must become more transparent and open. its employees must be held to the highest ethical and moral standards. and the abuses of the OilforFood program must never be repeated. Mr. Chairman. the United Nations must put an end to its persistent and pathological persecution of the democratic nation of Israel. which has become the whipping boy for totalitarian regimes around the globe. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5252}
{"speech_id":1090042460,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Serial human rights abusers. Mr. Chairman. must also be kept off U.N. institutions explicitly designed to fight for the cause of human rights and democracy. Mr. Chairman. the crushing flow of stories of scandal at the United Nations has forced a longoverdue recognition of an essential fact about the place: it is not a real country. like Japan or Norway. It is a derivative reality reflecting its lessthanperfect member states in a deeply flawed world. I would like to remind my colleagues that there will be no quick fix for an organization composed of 191 member states which. in varying degrees. have their own shortcomings. their own injustices. their own flaws. their own hypocrisies of all types. Because a quick fix is not to be expected. and rigid. punitive measures will not bring about a longterm fix. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5252}
{"speech_id":1090042460,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I must oppose the legislation before the House today and indicate my intention to offer a substitute amendment. Just yesterday. Mr. Chairman. our Republican administration informed Congress that it strongly opposes the automatic withholding provisions of the Hyde bill as well as its infringements upon the Presidents. constitutional powers. Let me repeat that. Mr. Chairman. and I want my Republican friends to listen. The Republican administration strongly opposes the Hyde bill. [ 1745 This does not come as a surprise to us. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5252}
{"speech_id":1090042460,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just a few weeks ago. highranking officials at the Department of State told Congress that the legislation would undoubtedly create new arrears at the United Nations because not all of the U.N. reform benchmarks contained in the bill are achievable. Whilemany of the reforms being sought in the Hyde bill are worthy goals. many require unanimous agreement by all 191 U.N. member states. including the likes of Iran. Syria. and Sudan. Mr. Chairman. the Lord gave us Ten Commandments. but the bill before the House today gives us 39. What is worse. Mr. Chairman. is that if the United Nations achieves 38 of these benchmarks and only accomplishes half of the thirtyninth. the Hyde bill automatically. automatically. cuts off 50 percent of the U.S. contribution to the United Nations. With this rigid and inflexible mechanism. the legislation before us will undercut. not strengthen. our ability to press for the very reforms we all seek. Senior State Department officials argue that the bill. if enacted. would severely undermine Americas national security interests by killing desperately needed U.N. peacekeeping operations. including a possible mission to deal with genocide. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5252}
{"speech_id":1090042460,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The State Department is not alone in opposing the Hyde bill. Eight former \"H4617 United States Ambassadors to the United Nations have expressed their strongest opposition to the bill. These Ambassadors include distinguished Republicans like Jeane Kirkpatrick. John Danforth. a former distinguished Republican Senator. and Ambassadors Richard Holbrooke. Madeleine Albright. Donald McHenry. Thomas Pickering. Bill Richardson. and Andrew Young. They argue that the bill \"threatens to undermine our leadership and effectiveness at the U.N. and the reform effort itself.\" In short. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5252}
{"speech_id":1090042493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I do obviously support the acceptance by our ranking member of the amendment. I think it is important to note for the record that there are currently investigations that are ongoing. and for the information of my friend from New York. the Secretary General has been very explicit that he will fully cooperate. We have received information back that that cooperation is. in fact. occurring. and he has publicly stated. without equivocation. that there will be no immunity for members of the United Nations.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":561}
{"speech_id":1090042558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have the greatest respect for the gentleman from Indiana . The problem with this provision. as with much of the bill. is the lack of judgment that our Secretary of State could bring to bear as a new. tragic Darfurlike situation erupts someplace. We do not question the need for improving the peacekeeping process. we are with you totally on that. but we would like to have- our Secretary of State have the opportunity of exercising her judgment in a rapidly changing and evolving situation.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":506}
{"speech_id":1090042571,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Not too long ago. my wife came to me. She had. the night before. seen a program on television. She said. John. is it true that the U.N. peacekeepers are trading sex for peanut butter with 9- and 10yearold kids? She could not believe it. I looked at her. and I said. Cathy. its true. That is happening. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090042571,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I talked to Chairman SMITH and he subsequently held hearings. They came over and assured us that things were getting better. We were told that basically the implication was on the battlefield. these things happen. sexual abuse occurs. My response was. This isnt sexual abuse. That taking pictures of 9- and 10yearold kids. exploiting them. was child abuse and a criminal matter. We heard that there would be zero tolerance. A week later. another television program and the guy said. We have heard there is going to be zero tolerance. He said. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090042571,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What does that mean? He showed pictures of these guys sneaking out at night to a village. again to do their work and showed a picture of a guy riding around in a U.N. vehicle with a prostitute. I think we have worked. we have held our hearings. we have coerced. I think the time now is to demand accountability. Again. I would ask all of my colleagues to vote for this amendment. -Mr. Chairman. I yield back the bal-. ance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090042584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to use this time. if I might. to ask the gentleman from Minnesota a question. His amendment says that nothing in this title. this title that the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) has brought to us. should be construed to supersede the Uniform Code of Military Justice or surrender U.S. officials to a foreign country or international tribunal. Could the gentleman tell the body what section of the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) bill could be construed to require the surrender of officials. what section of the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) bill could be construed as requiring superseding the Uniform Code of Military Justice? I am certainly unaware of any such section. and I am certainly unaware of any desire by the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) to present to the body such a section.","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":851}
{"speech_id":1090042603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I thank the gentleman from Indiana for his comments. I want to be very clear that I am in strong support of this legislation that\" has come forward by the Committee on International Relations. but there are things that raise my interest and my concern. A few weeks ago media outlets throughout the world proudly parroted Amnesty Internationals unfounded charges of torture and ill treatment in the socalled America \"gulags.\" Instead of condemning the governmentinflicted famine in Kim JongIls North Korea or continued human rights abuses in Castros Cuba. the executive director of Amnesty International USA revealed the true goal of organizations such as his when he called on foreign governments to arrest arid prosecute U.S. Government officials and military personnel. We want to make sure that we have got language in here that would prevent that. The Belgian experience. for example. and recent propaganda espoused by Amnesty International shows that we were wise to doubt the merchants who were peddling \"universal jurisdiction\" at the cost of national sovereignty. Indeed. even President Clinton did not send the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court to the U.S. Senate because of its fundamental flaws. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1583}
{"speech_id":1090042603,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United States is a Nation dedicated to justice and the rule of law. and we cannot allow these fundamental protections to be stripped from our servicemen and women performing peacekeeping missions. and I think we in this body need to be ever vigilant to ensure that that does not happen.","speaker_name":"JOHN KLINE","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1583}
{"speech_id":1090042606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I thank our friends for accepting this important amendment that the gentleman from Minnesota has brought forward to the bill. Certainly today United States troops are deployed around the world as they defend our freedoms and as they assist others in defending their freedom. In Iraq and Afghanistan they are working tirelessly to create a secure environment for fledgling democracies. On the Korean Peninsula. they face a brutal dictator. In Kosovo they observe an uneasy peace among old adversaries. and in Japan and Europe they stand to react to any national crisis. In addition. our naval personnel operate in dozens of bases worldwide to protect global trade routes. prevent nuclear proliferation. and many other important tasks. And even as they perform these actions in defense of liberty in other nations. cour troops serve the United States of America. not the United Nations or any other foreign power. ","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1959}
{"speech_id":1090042606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their mission may send them abroad. but we must never allow a foreign court to interfere in U.S. military affairs. Examples already exist of the dangers of the International Criminal Court. During the most notable example recently. European opponents of the Iraq War suggest that senior U.S. officials including the Secretary of Defense and top military commanders should be tried by that Court. The United States of America has a long history of fair and firm military justice. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is understood and respected by our military personnel that serves our Armed Forces well. Under no circumstances should our men and women in uniform fear retribution in the form of prosecution by a foreign court of justice. I think the gentleman from Minnesota understands this as well as any Member of this body. I appreciate his bringing this amendment to the floor. and I am pleased to see it included in a bill that I hope is heartily responded to by support today.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1959}
{"speech_id":1090042653,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say to my friends and colleagues that this is a good amendment. and. on behalf of the majority. we would like to accept it. I would say very briefly that unless states which are in noncompliance with their nuclear nonproliferation treaty obligations. or which seek to withdraw from the treaty. are forced to give up their peaceful nuclear capabilities legally acquired under the treaty. they can use these to illegally develop nuclear weapons. As was pointed out by my colleague. such states as. North Korea and Iran have already used their status as nuclear nonproliferation treaty parties to develop nuclear weapons. and this closes the loophole. It is a good amendment. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":864}
{"speech_id":1090042653,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield the remainder of the time to the gentleman from California .","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":864}
{"speech_id":1090042660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself su~ch time as I may consume. I will conclude by saying this: There are no Democrats. there are no Republicans when it comes to the issue of nuclear nonproliferation. The one thing that President Bush and JOHN KERRY agreed upon in their Presidential debates is that this is the most important issue in the world. It may have been the only thing that they agreed upon. but they did agree upon this one issue. Now. interestingly. in the Atomic Energy Act of the United States. in 1954. it is. in fact. a requirement under our law that if another nation is in violation of the agreement. that the nuclear materials which wve give to that country is not used for peaceful purposes. that all of the materials that we have sent to that country must be returned to our country. What this amendment says is that as a member of the United Nations and the IAEA. that we now will extend this not just to the United States. but to all countries in the world. that the IAEA must enforce a requirement that if a country is in violation of its agreement -to use materials only for peaceful purposes. then the IAEA must act immediately to begin the process of reclaiming all of the material that all of the countries of the world have sent to that country which is in violation of the law. We must put teeth in this law. We must not allow the shortterm diplomatic or political agenda of any President or any Secretary of State. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090042660,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrat or Republican. to interfere with the overarching goal of ensuring that nuclear weapons are not used anywhere on this planet at any time. And so I urge all Members to support this amendment. It goes a long Way in sending a message to the rdst of the world that the United States intends on being the leader on the issue of nuclear nonproliferation. regardless of which other country in the world is involved and regardless of whiCh other country in the world was the supplier of those materials. We .will be the moral leader. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090042682,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. it is with regret that I must rise again. to invoke the privileges of the House and to defend the rules and the spirit of simple courtesy and cooperation. I do not enjoy taking the time of this House away from our important business to do so. but recent events. the willful and repeated disregard for the rules of the House. the persistent abuse of power by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. and the flagrant abuse of the rights of the minority make this resolution necessary. As I said the last time I came to the floor for this purpose. it is my fervent hope that this will be the last time it will ever be necessary for me or any other Member to offer such a resolution or to rise on a question of personal privilege. We should be spending our time dealing with the problems andconcerns of the American -people. but when a chairman abuses his power to stifle debate. Members of this House. both Republicans and Democrats. have a duty to defend the honor of this institution and the \u0095integrity of its proceedings. So long as power is abused. rules are ignored and broken and the rights of Members who represent millions of Americans are violated. this House cannot do its job -properly. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7403}
{"speech_id":1090042682,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The American people are cheated of their right to an honest. open. fair. and democratic debate on issues affecting the future of our Nation. That is why .we are here again today. These are the facts: the minority is entitled by the rules to a day of hearings. It is a right rarely exercised. but it guards against the majority abusing its power to exclude competing views. Call it the fair and -balanced rule. It is not the chairmans right to determine whether we deserve. in quotes. a hearing. It is not the chairmans right to decide whether his prior hearings were sufficient. It is not the chairmans right to decide whether what we say or think is acceptable or relevant. And it is certainly never the chairmans right to violate the rules in order to interfere with our right to conduct the hearing guaranteed to us by the rules. The chairman is entitled to his opinions. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7403}
{"speech_id":1090042682,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is not entitled to break the rules. to abuse his power and to impose his will. The chairman as a general rule permits only one minority witness in each committee or subcommittee hearing of the Judiciary Committee. I know of no other committee with this sort of restrictive rule. No matter what the -issue. no matter how complex. no matter how many perspectives there might be. the chairmandoes not allow more than one minority witness. On that basis alone. we have every right to insist on a day of hearings every time. aday of minority hearings. but we do not. Of course. that is when he allows hearings at all. In this Congress alone. the chairman has decided that we do not need hearings on such important issues as amendments to the Constitution. alleged mistreatment of detainees. and a rewrite of our bankruptcy code. These are hardly isolated cases. Is that the way we are supposed to do our job? No need for a hearing. the chairman wants to do it. so lets just do it. We do not need ahearing to look at the facts. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7403}
{"speech_id":1090042682,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Members under the rules have the right to question each witness for 5 minutes apiece. We checked with the Parliamentarian. That is 5 minutes for each member for each witness. Yet the chairman repeatedly refused to recognize members. He consistently and abusively cut off members and witnesses in midsentence. It is the chairmans custom. to which we have not objected. to be fairly strict and after the 5 minutes are over to say. finish your thought or make your answer brief. That is fine. In this hearing. because it was a minoritycalled hearing. he consistently cut off members and witnesses in midsentence. and rather rudely. In one case. when a member of the majority accused a witness of endangering American lives. the chairman refused the witness the opportunity to respond. Of course. the chairman did not limit himself to 5 minutes. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7403}
{"speech_id":1090042682,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He recognized himself for an additional 5 minutes to: ward the end of the hearing in order to deride the- witnesses and the minority members of the committee without allowing any response. Every Member of this House. Mr. Speaker. serves on committees and every Member of this House knows that this kind of abusive behavior is virtually unheard of. Witnesses should be treated with respect. So should colleagues. I thought we all knew that. The chairman refused to recognize members who wereseeking recognition. He refused to recognize members who were attempting to raise points of order. Unacceptable. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7403}
{"speech_id":1090042687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. last week it was an honor to begin my new assignment as a member of the Committee on the Judiciary. This Nation was founded on the principles of ensuring that the rights of the minority are protected from the tyranny of the majority. The display that I witnessed and experienced at our committee hearing last Friday was. honestly. the most egregious abuse of power witnessed in my 13 years of combined public service in three legislative bodies. This is a political institution. with individuals who feel passionately about their views. and this is an institution that runs on power. But my hope is that even when we disagree. we Will treat each other with respect and dignity. Respect and dignity were nowhere to be found at that hearing last Friday. and it was a shame. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2831}
{"speech_id":1090042687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was particularly surprised and disappointed by the disposition demonstirated by the chairman during the hearing. and found it ironic that the Committee on the Judiciary. whose responsibilities include reviewing. safeguarding and upholding our Constitution. thought nothing of trampling the rights the minoritys witnesses by severely limiting their opportunities to be heard. After 9\/11. the vast majority of Americans were and remain willing today to give up some of our freedoms and civil liberties in order to keep us safe. When the USA PATRIOT Act was adopted by Congress. there were 16 provisions that were troubling enough to most Members that they were required to be reviewed by Congress before they could remain in law past this year. I think I share the views of many when I say that I may ultimately support all 16 provisions remaining in law. However. it did not seem too much to ask to thoroughly review those provisions. and not just hear a drastically lopsided set of witnesses called by the majority party. If we are going to restrict civil liberties in the name of national and homeland security. it is more important than ever to shine the light on these provisions and make sure they can withstand a rigorous test. Forfeiting civil liberties is not merely an inconvenience for our citizens. It must be a conscious decision. made with full disclosure and review and for good reason. If this forfeiture Cannot withstand a review where proponents and opponents have their concerns aired. then our citizens cannot be expected to give up rights they were born with and for which our forefathers and foremothers so desperately fought. It is my hope that. like the other committee on which I serve. the Committee on Financial Services. which operates in an spirit of bipartisanship even on the most contentious of issues. that we can withstand the test. and this should be done without the abuse of power and trampling of democracy that we experienced last week.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2831}
{"speech_id":1090042705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of the 140th anniversary of Juneteenth. This is the oldest known African American celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. This holiday actually started because of an event in Texas history. Back on June 19. 1856. Major General Gordon Granger led Northern soldiers into Galveston. Texas. to announce the ending of the War Between the States and to order the release of the last remaining slaves. While President Lincolns issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation occurred over 2 years earlier. on January 1. 1863. in the midst of the War Between the States. the peculiar institution of slavery. as Southerners referred to it. continued until this historic day. No one in Texas had ever heard that the slaves had been freed until June 19. 1865. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2186}
{"speech_id":1090042705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Before Texas was a State. it was a free republic. independent Nation. for 9 years. The Constitution of the Republic of Texas of 1836 expressly forbid the importation of slaves from Africa. but slaves continued to come to Texas from the United States. As a result. slavery spread. Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845. by just one vote. I might add that some say they wish the vote had gone the other way. Nonetheless.. the Lone Star State had some 30.000 slaves. In the census of 1850. 27 percent of the Texas population was slaves. In 1860. right before the war started. it was almost 30 percent. So on that day in 1865. June 19. thus the phrase. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2186}
{"speech_id":1090042705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Juneteenth.\" Major General Granger dramatically declared when he landed in Galveston. Texas: \"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States. all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.\" It is interesting to note. Mr. Speaker. that Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation only applied to the Southern States. It took the 13th Amendment to free the slaves in theborder States and the rest of the United States. Now Juneteenth has become not just a Texas holiday but a national event. This Sunday. as thousands of Americans across the Nation celebrate Juneteenth through cultural displays","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2186}
{"speech_id":1090042781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise today to offer an amendment to the Hyde U.N. Reform Act. I appreciate the work that the chairman has done on this important topic and the work of the entire committee and staff. I lived in the country of Namibia April f989 through April of 1990. I worked with government officials and the future leaders of that country as it sought full implementation of U.N. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4301}
{"speech_id":1090042781,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Resolution 435. This experience gave me a firsthand witness of how effective the U.N. can be in ushering in democracy and helping a country in its peaceful and successful emergence from the authority of another country. Several years later. after the fall of Saddam Husseins regime. I traveled to Iraq with my colleague. the gentleman from Indiana . While we were there. we saw the indulgences of Saddam. his sons. and his friends in the form of palaces and rooms full of booze. paintings. fine china. luxury furniture. and more. Several of these palaces were built and outfitted when the U.N. was supposed to be monitoring the sale of oil in exchange for food and medicine for the Iraqi people. Sure. the lot of some Iraqis improved marginally under the OilforFood program. but they were the lucky ones. and their conditions went from destitute to impoverished. We cannot characterize Saddams agreement to the program as being driven by a genuine concern for Iraqis. His intention was malicious at the outset. He only agreed to the program after he was satisfied that he would be able to manipulate it. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4301}
{"speech_id":1090042781,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My point is that I have seen the U.N. work. but. more often and more recently. I have seen it fail miserably. I will not recount the list of scandals. because it is too long. We have heard all about them already. Let me just touch on a couple of points in the OilforFood scandal. however. because that is the catalyst for the reform we are talking about today. The GAO estimates that more than $10 billion of illegal transactions took place under the program. In January of last year. an Iraqi newspaper published a list of about 270 foreign officials. business people. and political entities that have benefited from the scheme. and many of those officials are from countries opposed to U.S. interests. Russia alone received more than $1 billion worth of oil vouchers. Benon Sevan. the leader. the senior official responsible for the administration of the program. solicited and received on behalf of a third party several million barrels of allocations of oil. The U.N.s own investigations under Paul Volcker have stated that Saddams actions \"seriously undermined the integrity of the United Nations.\" The son of the Secretary. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4301}
{"speech_id":1090042781,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"General was employed by a contracting firm up until the time that the firm wona contract from the U.N. for the program. The Volcker Committee reported that \"Kojo Annan actively participated in efforts by Cotecna to conceal the continuing relationship with him.\" Just this week we are hearing about questionable communications between the Secretary General and that same contracting firm. Two of the senior investigators on the U.N.s selfappointed investigation led by Paul Volcker recently resigned on principle and said that the inquiry downplayed Annans role in the corruption in an interim report released in March. So now. the U.N.s own investigation is under question. We need effective investigations into this scaidal. truly independent inquiries. We -also need to serve justice where necessary and where possible under our law. In the last Congress and once again in this Congress. I introduced the OilforFood Accountability Act with cosponsors from both parties. I believe around 70 at last count. This amendment that I am introducing today contains provisions of that bill. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4301}
{"speech_id":1090042781,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Specifically. this amendment would create a certification of U.N. cooperation that. one. requires the U.N. to provide documentary evidence to member states investigating the OilforFood program. and. two. to. waive privileges and immunities of any U.N. employee charged with a crime associated with the program. Mr. Chairman. this scandal is far too big and too connected to the U.N. to not include these amendments as part of an underlying bill to reform the U.N. I urge support of the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4301}
{"speech_id":1090042787,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I simply want to say. in response to my friend. the. gentlewoman from California . that contempt is not animating our legislation.- and I really question the wisdom of penetrating motives. which seems to be a habit with some people. Blackmail was another phrase used. We have a difference of opinion on how to implement the same reforms. That is what we are talking about. what will be effective and what will not. I do not think we need to question or ascribe contempt for the U.N. We are trying to make the U.N. work. When you pay $442 million a year. you ought to have something to say about how the place operates. Years ago there was a phenomenon called the Stockholm Syndrome. and I will tell my colleagues about the Stockholm Syndrome later. then.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":768}
{"speech_id":1090042831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman. there was a time 60 years ago. at the end of the war that took the lives of 30 million people. when the ancient sin of antiSemitism seemed finally to have exhausted its appeal. even among the most hateful of men. When it was hoped. at long last. that Jews could take their place among the other free peoples of the world. that they could rise from their unique experience in that war. live their lives and pursue their happiness free from the genocidal evil that haunted our race. In the decades since. however. that hope has been ignored. undermined. and even attacked by two generations of U.N. bureaucrats and diplomats who remind one of Yeatss observation: \"The best lack all conviction. while the worst are filled with passionate intensity.\" The best. in this case. is the worlds effete. elite diplomatic corps. among whom antiSemitism is considered a harmless amusement. like smoking or bribery. The worst. on the other hand. Mr. Chairman. are the leaders and legitimizers of a bloody cult. bent not only on the destruction of Israel but on the slaughter of the Jewish people. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2609}
{"speech_id":1090042831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Either in the interests of consensus or for more malicious ends. the institutions of the United Nations have become infected by a relentless hostilityto Israel. Zionism. and Jews themselves. The U.N.. which could not bring itself to offer even the mildest rebuke to the aggressors in three wars aimed at Israels destruction or even against the campaigns of terror waged against Israeli civilians. has littered Lower Manhattan with its countless condemnations of Israels selfdefense. The U.N.. whose charter calls on all nations to \"practice tolerance and live together in peace.\" for 2 decades declared that \"Zionism is a form of racism.\" The U.N. General Assembly has hosted countless forums for slander against Jews. like the charge that Israel had injected Palestinian children with the HIV virus. that contain no mention of the deceitfulness of the attacks. In too many parts of the world. Mr. Chairman. including those parts which should be most sensitive to unchecked antiSemitism. the U.N.s tolerance of such hostility is dismissed as diplomatic necessity. It is. instead. diplomatic terrorism. Hatred of Jews. unchecked. begets violence against Jews. and violence against any race of people ultimately leads to violence against all races of people. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2609}
{"speech_id":1090042831,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United Nations should know better than to allow its institutions to be poisoned by hatred. Hopefully. this amendment by the gentleman from Ohio will help the U.N. learn that valuable lesson.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2609}
{"speech_id":1090042890,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Well. at least the gentleman will get half a loaf. I suppose. I do want to point out. in fairness to the United Nations. that they have sent their second verification team into Lebanon in the wake of the assassination of a popular journalist to again ensure that foreign forces and the intelligence network has been removed. For too long the people of Lebanon have wept for decades over their dead. and now they see the dawn of freedom at the end of the dark days. It is critical that the United States and United Nations and every nation of the world do everything within its power to ensure that the peaceful seeds of revolution continue and perhaps light the way for other nations suffering from an oppressive. yoke to break free of their dictators and tyrants and enter the worlds democracies.. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":906}
{"speech_id":1090042906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am so glad the gentleman brings up this important topic. As the gentleman from California has pointed out. our friend. in his own statement. the times we have had reform in the United Nations is when we have used our leverage of this assistance. I think that making sure that we are accountable to the taxpayers. that is what this amendment is all about.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090042920,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. There is no Member in this body who wants to see the influence of the United States diminished in the Security Council. It is my personal judgment that adding democratic friends and allies. such as the worlds largest democracy. India. or Japan. a proven friend and ally. standing with us in many difficuilt situations around the globe. will only strengthen our influence at the United Nations. I see no reason to oppose this amendment. We accept it. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":557}
{"speech_id":1090042970,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As someone who appreciates the work performed by the International Labor Organization and efforts to bring about and secure labor rights for oppressed people in countries under dictatorial rule. it is with difficulty that I rise in opposition of the gentlemans amendment. but I must: Had the amendment called on the U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. to work to strengthen the ILO. to increase site inspections. as we had wanted to do. I am confident that we -would have gladly supported the gentlemans amendment. However. this amendment before us today does not seek to reform the ILO. but seeks to use the U.N. to dictate and determine domestic policies of the U.N. member states. policies such as Social Security schemes and employee benefits. and these are issues that in the U.S.. for example. we in the Congress are working on and are responsible for. We should not use legislation that seeks to reform the U.N.. an international institution. as a means of influencing very specifio domestic policy initiatives. The bill before us. tle Henry Hyde* U.N. Reform Act of 2005. deals with bringing accountability to the U.N.s budget process. It does not concern itself with dictating internal. substantive outcomes on the U.N.s budget process. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2967}
{"speech_id":1090042970,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In short. today. we are focused on reforming how the U.S.. how the U.N. makes the decisions. not on what decisions it makes or what the member states make. The gentleman from Ohio would have been. I believe. better served by offering his amendment. as others have. by it having called upon the President to direct the U.S. permanent representative to work to ensure enhanced funding for the international labor rights organization. which I believe is a worthy goal. and on that very issue. in fact. this is already being done. The amendment suggests that the ILO.is not doing enough in the social protection sector. However. the 20062007 budget that was agreed to shows a significant increase in the budget for the activities of this sector. The 20042005 budget for the protection sector was $72.7 million in 2006. and the 2007 budget is $91 million. Overall. the International Labor Organization budget increased 12 percent from $529 million during the 2004 and 2005 biennium to $594 million in 2006 and 2007. That is $297 million per year. The amendment also requires an increase in the field presence by the ILO. However. the organization is currently undertaking a review of the field structures to determine the most effective overseas profile. and this amendment would have the effect of preempting the outcome of this study. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2967}
{"speech_id":1090042970,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have been a proud supporter of labor organizations. We want to make sure that they help the oppressed people in all of these countries and do not abuse their people. However. I do not think that this amendment. dictating what member states do with their domestic policies. would get to the heart of the gentlemans amendment.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2967}
{"speech_id":1090043079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I re- The substitute included benchmarks very gret that I cannot vote for this bill. much like those in the base bill. but it gave I am not opposed to the ostensible purpose flexibility to the Secretary of State to mandate of the billin fact. I share the view that the the 50 percent cuts to our U.N. dues. SimiUnited Nations needs to be improved so it can larly. the substitute did not link the change better carry out its indispensable role. from \"assessed\" to \"voluntary\" contributions The U.N. is a critically important body that to withholding a portion of our dues. and it has taken on many of the worlds problems would have allowed the Secretary of State to and solved them--problems such as poverty. waive the peacekeeping reform requirements disease. and international disputes. And the if it is determined that a- new mission is in the U.S. has benefited from U.N. actions. Just re- U.S. national interest. cently. the U.N. he!ped with elections in Af- The substitute also included incentives by ghanistan and Iraq and helped negotiate the supporting an effort to pay our dues on time. withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. an increased U.N. budget for the large number But it has serious problems. as exemplified of new offices that will be needed to impleby the oilforfood scandal and offenses com- ment the reforms. a well structured buyout of mitted by U.N. peacekeeping forces. unneeded U.N. personnel. and a contribution So. I support U.N. reformbut I cannot sup- to the U.N. Democracy Fund. port the approach the bill takes toward achiev- The difference between the bill now before ing that objective. us and the LantosShays substitute is that The bill would require the Secretary of State while the substitute was realistic in the way it to push for reforms at the U.N. in the areas of set out a path toward reform. the majoritys bill budgeting. oversight and accountability. if fully implemented would effectively destroy peacekeeping. and human rights. That is the chances of achieving an effective and imsomething that needs to be done. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090043079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But if the proved U.N. Secretary of State cannot certify that the re- Instead of adopting such an approach. the forms have been achieved. starting in 2007. United States should engage the U.N. memthe Secretary would be required to withhold 50 ber countries in the process of reform and propercent of the U.S. assessed contributions to vide the U.N. with the resources necessary to accomplish reforms. rather than alienate the global community by threatening to withhold dues. The Bush Administration itself is opposed to this legislation as it stands. I do not often agree with them. but I do in this instance and I therefore must vote against the bill.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090043093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the distinguished whip yielding to me. Mr. Speaker. Monday the House will convene at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour debates and 2 p.m. for legislative business. We will consider H.R. 2863. the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006. and any recorded votes requested will be rolled until 6:30. On Tuesday. the House will convene at 9 a.m. for morning hour debates and 10 a.m. for legislative business. We expect to consider several measures under suspension of the rules. as well as H.R. 2475. the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. For the rest of the week. the House will consider several additional bills under a rule: H.J. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":932}
{"speech_id":1090043093,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Res. 10. the Flag desecration amendment. the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2006. and the Departments of Labor. Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006 some time later in the week.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":932}
{"speech_id":1090043106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. the leader and I have a different perspective on this. He is correct in that observation. First of all. let me say that clearly the leadership ought to stay out of any determinations or considerations or reference to complaints raised or under investigation or determination by the Ethics Committee. I agree with the leader on that. I do not agree with the leader on the fact that the leadership does not have a particular responsibility to ensure that the Ethics Committee is operating. is functioning. is performing the responsibilities of ensuring the public that we are maintaining the ethics of this institution and the democratic processes in a transparent and open and honest fashion. That is not any different. very frankly. than the leadership appointing the members of the Ethics Committee. It does not stay out of that. It appoints the members of the Ethics Committee on both sides of the aisle. It. in fact. removes members from the Ethics Committee. The problem has arisen here where for the first time since I can remember as a Member of this House. we have an impasse and a failure to. in a bipartisan fashion. agree on a single director. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2205}
{"speech_id":1090043106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Leader. very frankly. I will tell yjou that the initial problem was raised and our perspective is that the rules were changed to provide for impasse. for gridlock. where five people could not agree to proceed with the investigation. and it would not proceed. I know we differ on that perspective. but that was our perspective. Frankly. for whatever reasons. we have now gone back to the rules that we believe provide for proceeding with investigations without providing for the possibility of partisan gridlock or partisan veto. If you had codirectors. which is what has been suggested. you have one director for the Republicans. one director for the Democrats. you provide indirectly what you have now abandoned in the rule change that you made in January and gone back to the old rule. The whole purpose of having one director. selected in a bipartisan fashion. I suggest to my friend. was to provide and to have a confidence level in proceeding in a way that would provide for an effective operation of the Ethics Committee.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2205}
{"speech_id":1090043144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just want to make sure. Against privatization of Social Security. The Subcommittee on Social Security. also you have the Century Foundation. the U.S. Action. Visiting Nurses Association of America. American Corn Growers Association. That is good to have them on board. The Center For Rural Affairs. the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. the League of Rural Voters. the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. the National Family Farm Coalition. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090043144,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Progressive Student Initiative and the 21st Century Democrats. I am going to put this list in for the record. But I just want to say to the gentleman from Ohio . it is always good. and all of the people were not mentioned because we would take a good part of this Special Order talking about those individuals that are out there. But I want to make a case in point. Young people in America have risen up beyond the expectations of many individuals in the past as it relates to advocacy on this issue of Social Security. So I am so glad that they are a part of it because that is the reason why the American people are being educated: Americans United to Protect Social Security. Rock the Vote. College Democrats. Young Democrats. Progressive Democrats of America. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090043144,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"AFSCME. AFSCME Retiree Program. The US PIRGS. National Council on Individuals With Disabilities. Americans for Democratic Action. American Nurses Association. American Public Health Association. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Association of Community Organization for Reform Now (ACORN). Alliance for Retired Americans (AARP). ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090043144,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"America Votes. California Health Advocates. CALPERS. Campaign for Americas Future. Center for American Progress. Center for Medicare Advocacy. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Center on Economic Policy and Research. CHC. Child Welfare League of America. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090043144,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coalition on Human Needs. Code Blue Now. Consumers Union. Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Families USA. Fair Taxes for All. Half The Planet. and HBC Dems. Inalependent Living Services. Leadership Conference for Civil Rights. Medicare Rights Center. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090043160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important we move beyond personalities and look at what is actually taking place and what is not taking place. I think it is important looking at the numbers that we understand that it is just not happening. When we dealt with the whole Medicare issue and we dealt with prescription drugs. the majority side. the leadership on the majority side came over and told us it would cost $350 billion. They also said that it would cost $400 billion. Now it is well over $400 billion. matter of fact. it is even closer to $500 billion. There was the same information that came to this House regarding the weapons of mass destruction. We had prima facie evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction. But no weapons of mass destruction. There was also an initiative that came to the floor by the majority. now majority side. that said we are going to do something about health care. and the President said. well. we are going to have these health care savings accounts. and everyone will be able to save. and everyone will be able to have good health care. Still. today. we have millions upon millions of working families without health care. families that go to work every day that do not have a health care plan. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1509}
{"speech_id":1090043160,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Public hospitals and private hospitals are going under throughout this country. and not because they are bad managers. It is because they do not have the necessary attention or the funds that they need from this Federal Government to be able to provide health care to the everyday American.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1509}
{"speech_id":1090043334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The process for developing this legislation began last year when several of these organizations came in to meet with me. They informed me of the harmful public health impact of diesel emissions. Onroad and nonroad diesel vehicles and engines account for roughly onehalf of the nitrogen oxide and particulate matter mobile source emissions nationwide. I was pleased to hear that the administration had taken strong action with new diesel fuel and engine regulations. which were developed in a collaborative effort to substantially reduce diesel emissions. However. I was told that the full health benefit would not be realized until 2030 because these regulations address new engines and the estimated 11 million existing engines have a long life. Diesel engines have a very long life. I was pleased that they had a constructive suggestion on how we could address this problem. They informed me of successful grant and loan programs at the State and local level throughout the Nation that are working on a voluntary basis to retrofit diesel engines. I was also cognizant that the new ozone and particulate matter air quality standards were going into effect and that a voluntary program was needed to help the Nations 495 and Ohios 38 nonattainment countiesespecially those that are in moderate nonattainment like Northeast Ohio. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5635}
{"speech_id":1090043334,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additionally. I have visited with University of Cincinnati Medical Center doctorsas recently as earlier this monthto discuss their Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study. Some of the early results indicate disturbing impacts on the development of children living near highways because of emissions from diesel engines. It became clear to me that a national program was needed. We then formed a strong. diverse coalition comprised of environmental. industry. and public officials. The culmination of this work was released last Thursday with the introduction of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005. The amendment that I am offering today is the same as this bill. It would establish voluntary national and Statelevel grant and loan programs to promote the reduction of diesel emissions. The amendment would authorize $1 billion over 5 years200 million annually: Some will claim that this is too much money and others will claim it is not enoughso probably it is the right number. We should first recognize that the need far outpaces what is contained in the legislation. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5635}
{"speech_id":1090043334,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This funding is also fiscally responsible as diesel retrofits have proven to be one of the most costeffective emissions reduction strategies. For example. lets compare the cost effectiveness of diesel retrofits versus current Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program projects. We are talking about the per ton of Nitrogen Oxides reduced. cost on average. We are talking about 1 ton of nitrogen oxides and how much it costs to reduce them: $126.400 for alternative fuel buses. $66.700 for signal optimization. $19.500 for bike racks on buses. and $10.500 for vanpool programs. This is compared to $5.390 to repower construction equipment and $5.000 to retrofit a transit bus. The bottom line is that if we want to clean up our air to improve the environment and protect public health. diesel retrofits are one of the best uses of taxpayers money. Furthermore. as a former Governor. I know firsthand that the new air quality standards are an unfunded mandate on our States and localitiesand they need the Federal Governments help. We are going to find that out. Many Americans are not aware. because of the ozone and particulate standards that many communities are going to have a difficult time complying with these new ambient air standards. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5635}
{"speech_id":1090043334,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation would help bring counties into attainment by encouraging the retrofitting or replacement of diesel engines. substantially reducing diesel emissions and the formation of ozone and particulate matter. The amendment is efficient with the Federal Governments dollars in several ways. First. 70 percent of the program would be administered by the EPA. The remaining 20 percent of the funding would be distributed to States that establish voluntary diesel retrofit programs. Ten percent of the amendments overall funding would be set aside as an incentive for states to match the Federal dollars being provided. The hope is this amendment leverages additional public and private funding with the creation of State level programs throughout this country. The amendment would expand on very suc.cessful programs that now exist in Texas and California. Second. the program would focus on nonattainment areas where help is needed the most. Third. it would require at least 50 percent of the Federal program to be used on public fleets since we are talking about .using public dollars. Fourth. it would place a high priority on the projects that are the most cost effective and affect the most people. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5635}
{"speech_id":1090043334,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lastly. the amendment includes provisions to help develop new technologies. encourage more action through nonfinancial incentives. and require EPA to reach out to stakeholders and report on the success of the program. EPA estimates this billiondollar program would leverage an additional $500 million. leading to a net benefit of almost $20 billion with the reduction of 70.000 tons of particulate matter. This is a quite substantial 131 costbenefit ratio. The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005 enjoys broad bipartisan support and is needed desperately. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays. and I ask unanimous consent 10 minutes be set aside prior to the vote on the amendment for sponsors to speak on its behalf.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5635}
{"speech_id":1090043349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I strongly support the Finance Committees energy tax language. Why are the incentives proposed in this language so important? First and foremost. they are important because of the energy challenges facing the Nation. Energy is critical to our Nations economy and security. Our continuing dependence on foreign oil increasingly threatens our vital national interests. As the worlds demand for oil continues to grow at a record pace. the worlds oil producers strain to meet consumption. Today. OPEC is pumping close to full capacity. Even so. refined products remain scarce. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090043349,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The price of oil has soared to more than $55 a barrel. The price of gas at the pump is a daily reminder of the scarcity of energy. Increasing energy prices stifle economic growth. Folks in my home State of Montana are hit hard by rising energy prices. High gas prices particularly hurt folks who have to drive great distances. And high energy prices hurt small businesses. ranchers. and farmers by raising the costs of doing business. We can do more to provide reliable energy from domestic sources. That is our first challenge. Our next great energy challenge is to ensure safe. clean. and affordable energy from renewable resources. Energy produced from wind. water. sun. and waste holds great potential. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090043349,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But that energy cannot currently meet our national energy demands. Technology is helping to bridge the gap. But further development requires financial assistance. The energy tax incentives take an evenhanded approach to an array of promising technologies. We do not yet know which new technologies will prove to be the most effective. As we go forward and provide the needed incentives to develop these new technologies. we also need appropriate costbenefit assessments to guide future investments. The energy tax language reflects the incentives endorsed by the Finance Committee last Thursday. These incentives make meaningful progress toward energy independence. They provide a balanced package of targeted incentives directed to renewable energy. traditional energy production. and energy efficiency. These incentives would encourage new energy production. especially production from renewable sources. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090043349,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They would encourage the development of new technology. And they would encourage energy efficiency and conservation. To encourage production. the tax language provides a uniform 10year period for claiming production tax credits under section 45 of the Tax Code. This encourages production of electricity from all sources of renewable energy. It would not benefit one technology over another. In Judith Gap. MT. wind whips across tnle wheat plains. Wind is a great and promising resource in Montana. But future development of wind projects needs support. like that provided in the tax language. The tax language recognizes the value of coal and oil to our economy. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090043349,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It provides tax incentives for cleanerburning coal and muchneeded expansion of refinery capacity. The lack of refinery capacity is driving up the price of oil. And our lack of domestic capacity increases our vulnerabilities. A new refinery has not been built in the U.S. since 1976. The tax language would encourage the development of additional refinery capacity domestically by allowing the development costs to be expensed. The tax language also rewards energy conservation and. efficiency. and encourages the use of cleanfuel vehicles and technologies. It provides an investment tax credit for recycling equipment. These incentives are environmentally responsible. They reduce pollution. And they improve peoples health. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3777}
{"speech_id":1090043358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I state at the outset that the vote we are about to take is not about John Bolton. The vote we are about to take is about taking a standabout the Senate taking a stand. The vote is about whether the Senate will allow the President to dictate to a coequal branch of Government how we. the Senate. are to fulfill our constitutional responsibility under the advice and consent clause. It is that basic. I believe it is totally unacceptable for the President of the United States. Democrat or Republicanand both have triedto dictate to the Senate how he. the President. thinks we should proceed. The fact that the President of the United States in this case says he does not believe the information we seek is relevant to our fulfilling our constitutional responsibility is somewhat presumptuous. to say the least. I am awareas we all are on both sides of the aisleof the sometimes admirable but most times excessive obsession with secrecy on the part of this administration. . ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7390}
{"speech_id":1090043358,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But j notwithstanding that. we should not forfeit our responsibility in order to accommodate that obsession. I do not hold John Bolton accountable for this administrations arrogance. John Bolton was gentleman enough to come see me. At the request of the Senator from Arizona. Mr. MCCAIN. who contacted me.. I said I would be willing to sit with John Bolton last week and speak with him about what we were seeking and why we were seeking it. I did that. As a matter of fact. one of my colleagues. the Senator fropw Connecticutalthough it wasnt Ifis idea. .and I caught him on the way to have dinner with his brotherwas kind enough to come and sit with me and listen to John Bolton. I believe Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7390}
{"speech_id":1090043358,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bolton would be prepared to give us this information. Whether that is true is. quite frankly. irrelevant. because the fact is we both told Mr. Bolton this dispute about the documents is not about him. I say to my colleague from Indiana. this is above his pay grade. He indicated under oath in -our committee hearing that he was willing to let all of this information come forward. So I actually went to the extent of sitting with Mr. Bolton and suggesting how. as it related to a matter on which I have been the lead horseon Syriawe could accommodate an even further narrowing and detailing of the information we are seeking and why. Last month. after the Senate stood up for itself and rejected cloture on the Bolton nomination. the Democratic leader and I both promised publiclyand today I pledge againthat once the administration provides the information. we have requested and information that no one thus far has suggested we are not entitled towe will agree to vote up or down on the Bolton nomination. At the outset. it should be emphasized that these are notand I emphasize \"not\"-new requests made at the lth hour to attempt to derail a vote. Nobody is moving goalposts anywhere except closer. not further away. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7390}
{"speech_id":1090043358,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The committee made these requests. the same two requests. back in April. First. we requested materials relating to testimony on Syria and weapons of mass destruction prepared by Mr. Bolton and\/or his staff in the sufmer and fall of 2003. We already know from senior CIA officials that Mr. Bolton sought to stretch the intelligence that was available on Syrias WMD program well beyond what the intelligence would support. We think the documents we are seeking will bolster the case that he repeatedly sought to exaggerate intelligence data. Some who are listening might say: Why is that important? Remember the context in the summer of 2003. In the summer of.2003. there were assertions being made in various press accounts and by some \"outside\" experts and some positing the possibility that those weapons of mass destruction that turned out not to exist in Iraq had been smuggled into Syria and that Syria had its own robust weapons of mass destruction program. Remember. people were speculating about \"who is next?\" Newspaper headlines and subheadlines: Is Syria next? Syria was at the top of the listnot the only one on the list. There was speculation. as I said. that the weapons of mass destruction we could not find in Iraq had been smuggled into Syria. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7390}
{"speech_id":1090043358,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know. at that same time. the CIA says Mr. Bolton was trying to stretchstretchthe intelligence case against Syria on weapons of mass destruction. The Syrian documents may also raise questions as to whether Mr. Bolton. when he raised his hand and swore to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. in fact may not have done that because he told the Foreign Relations Committee that he was not in any way personally involved in preparing that testimony. The documents we seek would determine whether that was true or not. It may be true. but the documents will tell us. Second. we have requested access to 10 National Security Agency intercepts. That means conversations picked up between a foreigner and an American. where they may have relevance to an intelligence inquiry and where the name of the foreigner is always listed. but it says speaking to \"an American.\" or an American representing an American entity. Mr. Bolton acknowledged. under oath. that he had soughtwhich is not unusual in the sense that it has never happened. but it is noteworthyhe sought the identities of the Americans listed in 10 different intercepts. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7390}
{"speech_id":1090043377,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the point. When we had the whole debate over a judge a long time ago. a judge named Richard Paez. at that time Dr. FRIST. Senator FRIST supported the filibuster against Judge Paez. What he said in explaining his vote was it is totally appropriate to have a cloture voteas we are going to do todaywhen you are seeking information. That is totally appropriate. I have the exact quote here. and I would like to read it. He said: Cloture. to get more information. is legitimate. I agree with Senator FRIST. It is legitimate to hold out on an upordown vote. to stand up for the rights of the American people and the information they deserve to have through us. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":747}
{"speech_id":1090043377,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank Senator DODD and Senator BIDEN for their leadership. and I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":747}
{"speech_id":1090043381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Delaware. as well as my colleague from California for her comments. Let me say to the distinguished chairman of our committee. I know this has been a long ordeal. now going up to 2 months that this nomination has been before us. No one. except possibly the chairman of the committee. would like this matter to be terminated sooner rather than later more than I would. I am sure the Senator from Delaware feels similarly. as I know my colleague from California does as well. But there is an important issue before this body that transcends the nomination of the individual before us. That is whether as an institution we have a right to certain information pertaining to the matter before us. Certainly the matter that .we have requestedSenator BIDEN has and I haveregarding this nomination is directly on point when it comes to the qualities of this nominee. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8231}
{"speech_id":1090043381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For nearly a month since our May 26th cloture vote on this nomination. the administration has stonewalled our efforts to get the additional information we believe the Senate should have to make an informed judgment on this nomination. Senator BIDEN and I have attempted to reach an accommodation with the administration on the two areas of our inquirydraft testimony and related documents concerning Syrias weapons of mass destruction capabilities and the nineteen names contained in ten National Security Agency intercepts which Mr. Bolton requested and was provided during his tenure as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Senator BIDEN has narrowed the scope of his request related to Syria. I have offered to submit a list of names of concern related to the NSA intercepts to be cross checked by director Negroponte against the list of names provided to Mr. Bolton. I am very puzzled. Mr. President. by the intransigent position that the administration has taken. particularly with respect to the intercept matter. If the intercepts are \"pure vanilla\" as our colleague. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8231}
{"speech_id":1090043381,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator ROBERTS. has described them. then why does the administration continue tb withhold the information from the Senate? The answer is we dont know. Was Mr. Bolton using the information from the intercepts to track what other officials were doing in policy areas he disagreed with? Or was he simply utilizing the information in the normal course of carrying out his responsibilities? Again. we dont know. Under ordinary circumstances. I would not be inquiring whether a State Department official had sought access to- sensitive intelligence for anything other than official purposes. But we know from the Foreign Relations Committee investigation of this nomineefrom interviews of individuals who served with Mr. Bolton in the Bush administrationthat Mr. Boltons conduct while at the State Department was anything but ordinary. We learned how Mr. Bolton harnessed an abusive management style to attempt to alter intelligence judgments and to stifle the consideration of alternative policy optionsall in furtherance of his own personal ideological agenda. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8231}
{"speech_id":1090043381,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to a story that appeared in todays Washington Post. wenow know that Mr. Boltons machinations werent limited to Cuba or Syria weapons of mass destruction. It would seem he was the \"Mr. No\" of the Department on a wide variety of policy initiatives. acting as a major roadblock to progress on such important initiatives as U.S.Russian cooperative nuclear threat reduction. Mr. Bolton has done a disservice to the Bush administration and to the American people by putting his agenda ahead of the interests of the administration and the American people. It is not only that he had his own agenda that is problematic. It is the manner in which he sought to advance that agenda by imposing his judgments on members of the intelligence community and threatening to destroy the careers of those with the temerity to resist his demands to alter their intelligence judgments. In so doing. he breached the firewall between intelligence and policy which must be sacrosanct to protect U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. That is not to say there should not be a vibrant and healthy disagreement where one exists. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8231}
{"speech_id":1090043381,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There ought to be. in fact. more disagreements where these matters have caused friction: But the idea that you would allow that friction. those disagreements to transcend the firewall where you would then seek to have people dismissed from their jobs because you disagreed with their conclusions. that goes too far. Mr. Bolton went to far and for those reasons. in my view. does not deserve to be the confirmed nominee as ambassador to the United Nations. That fact is painfully clear to all Americans following the serious and dangerous intelligence failures related to Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. We know that Mr. Boltons efforts to manipulate intelligence wasnt some anomaly because he was having a bad day. The entire intelligence community knew of his reputation. We were fortunate to have individuals. like Dean Hutchings. Chairman of the National Intelligence Council from 20032005. who disapproved of and resisted Boltons efforts to cherry pick intelligence. We also know that Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8231}
{"speech_id":1090043438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to remember one of Colorados fallen heroes. Marine LCp1 Chad Bryant Maynard who was killed last week in Ar Ramadi. Iraq. He was only 19 years old. Lance Corporal Maynard hailed from Montrose. CO. on the Western Slope. Growing up. it was his dream to serve his country. Chad Maynards deep patriotism was a family traditionhis father served in the Marines. and his brother Jacob returned from his second tour in Iraq a few months ago. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090043438,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a high school student. Chad had secretly contacted recruiters when he was 16 about his wish to join the Marines. His parents remember him sneaking recruiting brochures into the house. The recruiters had to ask him to stop contacting them until he was 18. But Lance Corporal Maynard was determined to serve his country. He joined the junior ROTC at Montrose High School. One of his friends once quipped. \"God rested on the seventh day and on the eighth day made Maynard for the Marines .. \" He worked hard at his classes so he could graduate early to go to boot camp. At his 2004 graduation from Montrose High. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090043438,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chad Maynard stood proudly in his Marine Corps dress uniform. Lance Corporal Maynards friends and instructors remember him as a young man who took his commitment to his country very seriously. On September 11. Lance Corporal Maynard organized a prayer around the flagpole at school. He $ought out the Marines because he wanted to be on the front lines. making a difference for his coun-. try. Today in Montrose is the funeral for Lance Corporal Maynard. Just 1 year and 6 days after he picked up his diploma. Chad Maynard was taken from us. a life of extraordinary promise snuffed out all too soon. He served his Nation with honor and distinction. LCpl Chad Maynard set an example for all those around him to follow and left a positive mark on every life he touched. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090043438,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chads brave and selfless actions have made the world a better and safer place for all of us and we owe him a debt of gratitude which we will never be able to pay. To his wife Becky and their soontobeborn child. I send my humble thanks for Chads sacrifice on our behalf. Your family will remain in my thoughts and prayers.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090043439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. A 17yearold transgender woman and her 18yearold friend were shot in the head while sitting in a SUV. which was set on fire. The SUV was found in an isolated parking lot after the two had been missing for a day. Their bodies were burned beyond recognition. The perpetrator allegedly killed the two victims when he discovered that one of them was a crossdresser. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1050}
{"speech_id":1090043439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms \"that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1050}
{"speech_id":1090043480,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there are many times that this Nation has celebrated its freedom. One that comes to mind is the celebration after the Revolutionary War. then the celebration after Abraham Lincoln pronounced the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. But today I rise to celebrate Juneteenth. a holiday that is now celebrated across the Nation. but Texans and Louisianans know it well. for because the Union soldiers were too busy. the slaves in Texas. some 200.000. did not know of emancipation until . When General Granger landed in Galveston. he read the words. \"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States. all slaves are free.\" And so this weekend on June 19. across the State of Texas and Louisiana and around the Nation. we celebrated freedom. We sang. we spoke about freedom and the preciousness of it. We thanked- America for its values and belief in freedom. I would like to thank State Representative Al Edwards. a Texan and a constituent of my congressional district. who is known as the Father of Juneteenth. It is important to honor freedom wherever it is found.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1136}
{"speech_id":1090043487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consu me. Mr. Chairman. first I want to say to the House that the gentleman from Pennsylvania has been a partner in this effort from day one in preparing and presenting this national defense bill. It is a truly bipartisan appropriations bill to provide for the security of our Nation and to provide for the troops who serve our Nation and to provide them with the equipment and the technology necessary to accomplish their mission and to protect themselves while they do that. I extend my thanks to the gentleman from Pennsylvania. I also thank Chairman LEWIS of the Appropriations Committee for the support that he has given us as well as the gentleman from Wisconsin . the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee. This appropriations bill is a good bipartisan bill. a nonpartisan bill. There are no politics involved at all. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6718}
{"speech_id":1090043487,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is simply to provide for maintaining our security and to provide for our troops. Copies of this legislation have been available for several weeks now. There have been reports distributed to all of the Members. Although this bill is $3.3 billion less than the budget resolution provided for us. we were able to use some skillful oversight and be able to produce this bill at $3.3 billion less than the Presidents request and less than the budget had provided. Mr. Chairman. this is a good bill. Mr. Chairman. Im pleased to come to the floor to present the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006. This legislation includes $363.7 billion in the base appropriations bill. of which $363.4 billion is new discretionary budget authority. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6718}
{"speech_id":1090043487,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. $45.3 billion is provided in a bridge fund to support ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. this is consistent with authority provided in the budget resolution. and follows the lead of the Armed Services Committee. which authorized $49 billion for this purpose in the Housepassed version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The Subcommittee allocation for the base bill is $3.3 billion below the Presidents request. This presented us with some difficult challenges. but I believe we have made appropriate choices given our allocation. The gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. MURTHA. was a full partner in this process. This bill was developed with bipartisan support and deserves bipartisan support. Let me discuss some of the major funding highlights in the base bill: For military personnel. we fully fund the pay raise of 3.1 percent as requested by the President. and we fully support quality of life and familyoriented programs. To support our soldiers and their families. we have added $30 million for Impact Aid and increased Family Advocacy programs by $20 million. In operation and maintenance. the base bill provides funding for critical training. readiness and I maintenance activities at roughly the historic level for these programs. the overall increase is $3.2 billion over the 2005 level. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6718}
{"speech_id":1090043487,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I In the Army acquisition accounts. we fully fund the request of $882.4 million for 240 Stryker vehicles. We also fully fund the request of $443.5 million for modifications and improvements to the M1 Abrams tank. an increase of $326.5 million over the 2005 level. In Naval aviation we fully fund the request for 130 aircraft. including 42 F\/A18s. compared to 115 total aircraft provided in fiscal year 2005. Inaddition. 8 aircraft are shifted back to the Air Force consistent with the restoration of the C130J multiyear procurement contract. In shipbuilding we make some significant adjustments to the Presidents request: We are funding the new construction of 8 ships. as opposed to 4 new ships as proposed in the budget. We continue production of an additional DDG51 destroyer. which was proposed for termination in the budget. Funds are provided to acquire 2. rather than just 1. TAKE ammunition ships. consistent with the authorization bill. In addition. were providing funds for 3 littoral combat ships. 2 more than were included in the Presidents budget request. For the Air Force: We are fully funding the budget request for procurement of 24 F\/A22 Raptors in 2006. and advance procurement for 29 aircraft in We are restoring funding for the C130J multiyear procurement program by transferring funding from the Navy to the Air Force. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6718}
{"speech_id":1090043487,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Air Force will procure 9 aircraft. the Navy will procure 4 tanker variants. Full funding is recommended for the procurement of 15 C17 aircraft. with advance procurement for 7 additional aircraft in 2007. In the research and development accounts: We follow the lead of the Armed Services Committee in recommending no funds for advance procurement for the DD(X) destroyer. but are keeping the program alive by providing $670 million in R&D. We are accelerating development of the CG(X) cruiser. by increasing funding from $30 million to $80 million. Full funding of $935.5 million is provided for 5 VXX helicopters. We provide a total of $4.9 billion. as requested by the President. for research and development associated with the Joint Strike Fighter program. As I mentioned earlier. the bill also includes $45.3 billion in fiscal year 2006 funding to sustain the war effort in a bridge fund. The 2006 budget resolution reserves $50 billibn for contingency operations in support of the global war on terrorism. In addition. the Armed Services Committee proposed. and the House has approved. an authorization of over $49 billion for the same purposes. This bill has slightly lower levels for the military personnel accounts and the procurement accounts based on more recent information we have received from the Department of Defense. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6718}
{"speech_id":1090043520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. first I would like to add my words of thanks and praise to the gentleman from Florida for his great leadership in making our Nations defense strong and secure and extend that praise also to the gentleman from Pennsylvania . who does such a wonderful. job on this Defense Subcommittee. \u0095 I rise for the purpose now of engaging in a colloquy with the gentleman from Florida . chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. regarding the penetrator study for Hard and Deeply Buried Target defeat authorized in the fiscal year 2006 National Defense Authorization bill passed by the House last month. Mr. Chairman. during hearings and briefings in support of the fiscal year 2006 budget request. the House Committee on Armed Services heard from General Cartwright. Commander United States Strategic Command. and Secretary Rumsfeld. on the importance June -206 2005 of exploring all options for holding Hard and Deeply Buried Targets at risk. The United States currently does not have any viable options to put at risk many of these targets which may contain chemical. biological. nuclear. or command and control capabilities. And. very simply. the people who would pull the trigger on a military operation are typically those. the leadership people. who would go to the bunkers. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2510}
{"speech_id":1090043520,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And it is very important to deter those people. and sometimes that means having the ability to reach them with a deep bunker penetrator. Both General Cartwright and Secretary Rumsfeld felt that it was important to explore all options. conventional as well as nuclear. against these targets that pose a threat to our national security. Mr. Chairman. I strongly agree with that. As the gentleman knows. the House Committee on Armed Services mark recommended in the fiscal year 2006 National Defense Authorization bill. H.R. 1815. authorized $4 million within the Department of Defense for research into various options of penetrators that could hold Hard and Deeply Buried Targets at risk. The fiscal year 2006 budget requested funds for only a nuclear penetrator option. under the Department of Energy. In order to explore all options and specifically to include conventional in addition to nuclear options. the defense authorization bill moves this penetrator study from the Department of Energy to the Department of Defense. broadens its scope to include both the conventional and nuclear penetrator options. and authorizes $4 million for the study.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2510}
{"speech_id":1090043546,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. before the gentleman makes his statement. I would like to advise him that we have reviewed this amendment. And since you did make a change that was agreeable to both of us. we are prepared to accept this amendment at any time that you wish.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090043582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to suggest to the gentleman that we think this is a good amendment. and it certainly is consistent with the conversation that the gentleman from Pennsylvania and I have both had with the gentlewoman from Texas . and. we are prepared to accept the gentlemans amendment.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":295}
{"speech_id":1090043648,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of Ranking Member OBEYS amendment. which seeks to protect religious freedom at the Air Force Academy. This amendment condemns coercive or abusive proselytizing at the Academy and reaffirms that the military must be a place of tolerance for all faiths and backgrounds. Indeed. we hold our nation to high ideals of religious. freedom and this amendment ensures that the Air Force Academy meetsthese ideals. Thankfully. this issue of infringement on religious freedom was reported by cadets at the Academy. The Los Angeles Times reported on April 20. 2005. that an atmosphere bxisted on the campus of the U.S.- Air Force Academy that appeared to tolerate disrespectful treatment of persons who were not evangelicals. Air Force officials have acknowledged the problem. which initially surfaced.in early May 2004 when a survey of present and former cadets revealed that some students felt that bornagain Christians received favorable treatment and that persons of faith that did not consider themselves bornagain had been verbally abused. These reports are unacceptable. truly we can not tolerate even the hint of religious intolerance or persecution anywhere in our nation. but especially not in any sector of our Armed Forces. Our brave men and women in the Armed Forces are fighting and in many cases are dying to protect the idea of religious freedom for all Iraqis. it would be a true shame if religious intolerance were given even the slightest legitimacy here in the United States. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3948}
{"speech_id":1090043648,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At this time when recruitment levels are low we do not need to send out the message that anyone who joins the Air Force Academy and is not a strong evangelical Christian may face persecution. I was disappointed by the words heard on the floor by one Republican that Democrats are declaring war on Christians. thankfully he decided to strike this offensive statement from the record. However. he brings up an issue that must be addressed despite its outrageousness. The simple truth is that Democrats are supporting this amendment to strengthen the voice of religion. not weaken it. I affirm the tolerance of all religions. As Democrats we believe that all.faiths have a right to practice freely and share their beliefs. This freedom of religion strengthens and gives voice to the entire faith community. The Obey amendment is not any radical measure. it simply states that: \"(1) the expression of personal religious faith is welcome in the United States military.. but coercive and abusive religious proselytizing at the United States Air Force Academy by officers assigned to duty at the Academy and others in the chainofcommand at the Academy. as has been reported. is inconsistent with the professionalism and standards required of those who serve at the Academy. (2) the military must be a place of tolerance for all faiths and backgrounds. and (3) the Secretary of the Air Force and other appropriate civilian. authorities. and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and other appropriate military authorities. must continue to undertake corrective action. as appropriate. to address and remedy the inappropriate proselytizing of cadets at the Air Force Academy.\" It also calls for the Secretary of the Air Force to develop a plan \"to ensure that the Air Force Academy maintains a climate free from coercive religious intimidation and inappropriate proselytizing by Air Force officials and others in the chainofcommand at the Air Force Academy. The Secretary shall work with experts and other recognized notable persons in the area of pastoral care and religious tolerance to develop the plan.\" Clearly. the requirements of this amendment are not burdensome or complex. but they are necessary. This amendment gives peace of mind to all.students who enter the Air Force Academy that they will not face intimidation when making choices about their faith. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3948}
{"speech_id":1090043648,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Truly. this is an American ideal and we can never stray from that path.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3948}
{"speech_id":1090043657,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I understand the concerns. and the gentleman and I have spoken at length about these issues and I am equally concerned as is he. And I think it is appropriate that we do ask for such a report. and when we meet with the Senate for conference on this bill. we will seek to include such a report.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090043676,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this Defense bill has many good aspects. but I believe that it does contain at least one soft spot that undermines the high level of security that our families demand. The safety of our families is just toO important to be dependent on the word of a terrorist. Unfortunately. that is what this administration has done in a little known corner of the world called Uzbekistan. In a desperate search for allies against terrorism. the administration has actually teamed up with the chief terrorist in that far away land. its President Islam Karimov. Before the Bush administration befriended him. Mr. Karimov was known for his rather peculiar habit of boiling alive some of the local opponents to his police state. In what President Bushs own State Department described in February as an atmosphere of repression. where torture was common. other favored methods of dealing with differing opinion in Uzbekistan includes suffocation. electric shock. rape. sexual abuse. However. beating. according to the State Department. is the most commonly reported method of torture. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5033}
{"speech_id":1090043676,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Another tactic that perhaps Mr. Karimov learned through his earlier tenure on the Soviet Politburo is the practice of having local political and human rights activists declared insane to stop their activities. A woman in Tashkent. for example. was committed to a psychiatric hospital. apparently in part for asking that her neighbors taxes be reduced. Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty reported that torture. and the fear of it. may even serve as the primary tool of controlling society in Uzbekistan. Most recently. the Uzbek dictator participated in what is known as \"Bloody Friday.\" where hundreds of men. women and children were murdered on May 13. Since then. he has successfully led efforts to thwart any independent investigation. The New York Times reported on Saturday that \"Uzbek Ministries in Crackdown Received U.S. Aid.\" The United States has provided extensive aid .to the very Uzbek ministries and the types of units that took part in this murderous May 13 crackdown. To those who say. well. \"he is a thug but he is our thug.\" I would say that this is no way to ensure the protection of our families. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5033}
{"speech_id":1090043676,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even to those in this administration whose interest in human rights has waned significantly in recent years. I would say that when you place the future of our families in the hands of someone who can cling to power only by killing. maiming. and boiling his opponents. you place our future in very unreliable hands. and we already have another example of this thugs unreliability. Mr. Karimovs decision recently to deny nighttime flights and heavy cargo flights into our K2 air base in southern Uzbekistan. Apparently. these restrictions result from the fact that Mr. Karimov is peeved at the Bush administration because they have not yet spent all the $42.5 billion appropriated for the K2 base. and they just softpedaled international criticism of the latest round of murders. instead of fulfilling his desire that they remind the world what a big buddy of America he is. Undoubtedly. he will be happier with the decision of Secretary Rumsfeld. reported last week in The Washington Post. to squelch a call by all the other defense ministers of NATO for a transparent. independent. and international probe of the Bloody Friday murders. During the Memorial Day recess. three Republican Senators took an uninvited trip to Uzbekistan where they received firsthand reports of the shocking increase in Mr. Karimovs violent repression. All three of these Republicans have called for a fundamental change in our dealings with the Uzbek people and have suggested that we should reconsider longterm commitments. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5033}
{"speech_id":1090043676,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment will accomplish just that. As to the form of the amendment. our House rules. as we just saw with the amendment offered by the minority leader when she was thwarted in an effort to get information about Iraq. severely limit our ability to address this concern. Therefore. this particular amendment is simply worded. \"Stop all expenditures immediately.\" I have another version I would be pleased to offer. giving the administration more of the flexibility that it is always so eager to have. but whatever the specific language. I am confident that the conferees. the gentleman from Florida . the gentleman from Pennsylvania and the people from the Senate can make any modifications they deem necessary to this amendment to ensure the orderly removal of what was supposed to be a temporary presence in Uzbekistan and to provide emergency reentry should this be absolutely necessary In the war on terrorism. My only goal is the recognition that the United States cannot lead in the fight on terrorism by funding a terrorist. Our association with thugs like Karimov in Uzbekistan does not enhance our security. It jeopardizes that security. We should adopt this amendment because. in short. the Bush administrations terrorist in Tashkent is a security risk. We risk our security by the bad company Mr. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5033}
{"speech_id":1090043676,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rumsfeld is keeping.","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5033}
{"speech_id":1090043700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I understand that. but what I am saying is under the Constitution we have a responsibility. I do not think any of us want to cede that responsibility to any President. no matter if he is Democrat or Republican. The only time it happens is when we may be misled or something like that. but as a whole the Congress wants to do what is right. I would be very concerned if we passed something that might limit us here. I appreciate the passion of the gentleman. I feel the same way. I feel just as strongly as he does. that the Congress has the ultimate say about whether we go to war. I would urge the Members to vote against this amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":672}
{"speech_id":1090043751,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I was very pleased to see that the amendment that was offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts to prevent any funds in this bill from being used to contravene the United Nations acts and other acts against torture. I think that is a very good thing. But I need to take this opportunity to point out to the House -that we are foregoing our responsibility here to investigate these kinds of acts that have taken place over the course of the last 2 years or so in places like Guantanamo. Abu Ghraib. Camp Cropper. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090043751,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. and we have an increasing amount of evidence indicating that these kinds of torturous activities were not just carried out incidentally by loWranking members of the armed services. but that this was systemic and systematic. We have. for example. recently released documents from Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez which seem to indicate that he approved interrogation techniques outside of the Geneva Convention. outside of international law. and outside the U.S. Armys own field manual. These activities included prolonged stress positions. sensory deprivation. use of dogs to induce stress and fear. We have the first Abu Ghraib report directed by U.S. Army Major General Antonio Taguba. who wrote in his conclusion that \"between October and December o f 2003 at the Abu Ghraib confinement facility. numerous incidents and sadistic. blatant. and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted. This systemic.\" he says. \"systemic and illegal abuse was intentionally perpetrated.\" It -is clear from General Tagubas reports that these were not incidental. and that they were inflicted broadly. The Red Cross reported. by eye witnesses at about the same time. \"these methods of physical and psychological coercion were used by the military intelligence in a systematic way to gain confessions and extract information or other forms of cooperation from persons who had been arrested or deemed to have security value.\" That is a quote from the Red Cross report. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090043751,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Officials implicated in abuse now. interestingly enough. are being promoted. There has been no action taken against the officials implicated in this abuse at the highest levels. This Congress is abrogating its responsibility. This House of Representatives should be holding hearings. It may be necessary to appoint a special counsel out of the Justice Department to look into this. We need to get to the bottom of this. Our reputation as a Nation is at stake. Now. we might ask. as others have. how did all of this begin? Well. here is what the circumstantial evidence indicates. The circumstantial evidence. backed up by the report from which I just quoted. written by Major General Antonio Taguba. shows that it originated at the highest levels of the Pentagon. communicated by Steven Cambone. who was appointed by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to be the first Under Secretary for Intelligence. This is the first time that the Secretary of Defense or that the Pentagon has had an Under Secretary for Intelligence. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090043751,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That man is Steven Cambone. He communicated to General Geoffrey Miller. the commander of the detention and interrogation center at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. that these kinds of activities needed to take place. Now. General Geoffrey Miller. according to the Taguba report. said that detention operations must act as enablers for interrogation. He introduced into Iraq the exclusive and illegal interrogation tactics used at Guantanamo to \"GITMOize\" the prison system in Iraq. They told our good soldiers in Iraq that no rules apply. no rules apply. and then people wonder how these lowranking individuals carried out the acts that have been documented now in court proceedings as well as in photographs. The fact of the matter is. Mr. Chairman. that the House of Representatives is not fulfilling its obligations under the law and under the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090043751,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The system of checks and balances has broken down. It seems as though the executive branch of government is behaving in a way outside of the law. We need to pay attention to this. This House needs to engage itself in the right kinds of activities for the right kinds of purposes.","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4200}
{"speech_id":1090043812,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on April 12 at Fort Hood. Texas. President Bush told an audience of thousands of servicemembers that. for the first time. Iraqi soldiers outnumbered U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Specifically. he put the number of trained Iraqi forces at 150.000. This rosy assessment of the situation in Iraq is shocking. not only for its arrogance. but also for its ignorance. Is the President totally oblivious of Iraqs true security failures. or is he misleading the American people into thinking that peace has taken hold? Either way. the Presidents assessment misleads the American people about the true situation in Iraq. Take. for example. his claim that 150.000 Iraqi soldiers have been trained. Iraqi military leaders actually reveal that the number of trained soldiers is closer to 75.000. about half of the Presidents estimate. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3847}
{"speech_id":1090043812,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the actual number of trained security personnel committed to a secure and democratic Iraq is even less than that. because many soldiers use their posts to assassinate political opponents. Others simply have no desire to help secure Iraq. The chief of police in Basra. General Hassan alSade. stated that at least -half of his 14.000member militia are openly opposed to a secure Iraq. and another quarter are politically neutral and do not follow his military orders. General alSade recently told the Guardian newspaper. \"I trust 25 percent of my force. no more.\" After giving his Fort Hood speech. the President never again mentioned that 150.000 Iraqi security personnel have been trained. Perhaps that is because he realized that his assessment was entirely inaccurate. But the President never admitted to the American people that he was wrong in this assessment. and he still has not told the American people how he plans to help secure Iraq or how and when he plans to bring the troops home. Mr. Speaker. the best way to help secure Iraq and protect our troops is to remove U.S. troops from the country. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3847}
{"speech_id":1090043812,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nothing enrages and unites Iraqs insurgency more than the presence of nearly 140.000 American soldiers on Iraqi soil. One option is to bring one American solldier home-. for- every - trustworthy Iraqi soldier that .has been trained. If 75.000 Iraqi soldiers have been trained. half the Presidents April 12 assessment. then why can we not remove the same number of our own soldiers? This is just one plan to exit from Iraq. We have asked the President to come up with his own plan for securing Iraq. I am not against supporting the Presidents plan if it is a good one. but right now. he does not even have a plan. So we will develop a plan of our own. Fortunately. there is a plan that would secure America for the future once we have cleaned up the mess we made in Iraq: SMART Security. SMART is a Sensible. Multilateral American Response to Terrorism for the 21st Century. and it will help us address the threats we face as a Nation. SMART Security will prevent acts of terrorism in countries like Iraq by addressing the -very conditions which allow terrorism to take root: poverty. despair. resource scarcity. lack of education. and economic opportunities. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3847}
{"speech_id":1090043812,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SMART Security encourages the United States to work with other nations to address the most pressing global issues. SMART Security addresses global crises diplomatically instead of by resorting to armed conflict. Efforts to help the Iraqi people must follow the SMART approach: humanitarian assistance coordinated with our international allies to rebuild Iraqs wartorn physical and economic infrastructure. Mr. Speaker. it has been more than 2 years since the United States started the war in Iraq. Do the American people. especially the soldiers who are bravely serving our country halfway across the world. not deserve a plan for ending the war? It is time for the President to create a plan to end the war in Iraq to bring our troops home. E 2000","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3847}
{"speech_id":1090043828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have listened to my colleagues with great interest tonight. Three issues seem to have been raised. One is on CAFTA. which I will address tonight. and then we talked about Guantanamo. which I am going to try to address later this week. Then we will talk about Iraq because there are parallels between what we are seeing in Iraq right now and what happened in World War I and World War II. but I cannot cover all those tonight. So I will debate my colleagues on some of those other issues later this week. Let me talk about CAFTA right now because the gentlewoman from Ohio","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":586}
{"speech_id":1090043862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for putting in context much of Peter Rodinos life and interpreting the message for us even today. You know. I am told that Chairman Rodino prayed that the Judiciary Committee could exhonorate Nixon. but he discovered that the evidence allowed nothing other than the articles of impeachment. He was not vindictive. He was dutiful. And it was important that he did not go into this with a blood thirst. but with actually a deep love for the country. I now would like to recognize another of my colleagues from New Jersey. from a neighboring district. the gentleman from New Jersey","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":600}
{"speech_id":1090043908,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a moment we will return to consideration of the pending Energy legislation that we debated last week and this week and will complete later this week. We will resume debate on the amendment of Senator. MARTINEZ relating to the inventory of the OSC. The time agreement we reached last night provides for up to 80 minutes of debate before the vote on that amendment. although I do not believe all of that time will be necessary. We would like to begin that vote no later than 11 this morning. We request that Senators come promptly for that vote. We will be recessing at 11:.30 to accommodate the weekly policy luncheons today. At 2:15. when the Senate returns from recess. we will continue through the amendments to the Energy bill. I believe the climate change amendments will be ready later this morning and for debate beginning at 2:15. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1677}
{"speech_id":1090043908,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We would expect votes on those amendments during todays session. I reiterate that it is my intention to file cloture on this bill later this evening. That would allow us to continue to consider and dispose of amendments. but it would also assure that we have a glide path to completion of the bill and that we would complete passage of the bill this week. The managers have done tremendous work over the last almost week and a half in moving the process along. I hope we can continue in that respect and finish the bill no later than Thursday or Friday of this week. Thus. we will be having a vote late this morning. and we will in all likelihood be voting on the climate change amendments later this afternoon. In addition. there Will be the opportunity for people to come to the Senate floor and offer their amendments.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1677}
{"speech_id":1090043926,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One minute and 5 seconds? That is the time allotted by the Chair? Let me. then. be brief. I rise today as a cosponsor in support of the amendment offered by Senators. MARTINEZ and NELSON that will keep the door closed to offshore drilling. The amendment strikes language in the bill that would allow a seismic inventory of all potential oil and natural gas resources in the Outer Continental Shelf. including areas off of the New Jersey coast. The people of New Jersey strongly oppose allowing such an inventory and I voted against this provision during the committee markup. New Jersey recognizes that taking inventory of these resources is a step onto a slippery. slope toward the eventual drilling off the New Jersey coast. resources that are currently protected by the Outer Continental Shelf. or OCS. moratoria. After all. why would anyone conduct an inventory unless they have the intention to drill if resources are found? \"Inventory\" is just bureaucraticspeak for an open door to drilling off of our coast. I have long fought to maintain the bipartisan. twodecadesold moratorium on drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. Any drilling. or even the threat of drilling. poses a real threat to the New Jersey environment. economy. and way of life. Drilling would leave the New Jersey coast and its waters vulnerable to oil spills. drilling discharges and damage to coastal wetlands. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5748}
{"speech_id":1090043926,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The environmental effects of an ecological disaster know no State boundaries. Oil spills are not fleeting environmental sound bites. These accidents linger for years. causing sustained environmental harm. In addition. coastal tourism is our second largest industry. It generates more than $31 billion in spending. directly and indirectly and supports more than 836.000 jobs. more than 20 percent of total State employment. Coastal tourism in New Jersey generates more than $16.6 billion in wages and brings in more than $5.5 billion in tax revenues to the State. New Jersey already holds its own in supporting energy production and refining. We have three nuclear po% er plants. We are the East Coast hub for oil refining. We are growing our energy business. but exploiting our shore is a step we refuse to take. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5748}
{"speech_id":1090043926,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not just an issue for my State. Protecting the moratoria on drilling is important to maintaining the integrity of the coastline of the United States. AlloWing drilling in anyone. area affects all the surrounding areas. Tides move across State borders. Fisheries and fish do not recognize State borders. This issue affects us all. and we must protect the integrity of the moratoria at all costs. The inventory is not only dangerous because it starts us on the slippery slbpe towards drilling. but also because the methods used to conduct the inventory. including seismic surveys. can disrupt marine ecosystems and damage our local fisheries. Dr. Chris Clark. Director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at Cornell University. has called seismic testing \"the most severe acoustic insult to the marine environment. . . short of naval warfare.\" The impulses from the explosive shock waves used have been shown to cause harm to many species of marine life and have been equated with exploratory dynamite. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5748}
{"speech_id":1090043926,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not only dangerous but also costly. The inventory is estimated to cost U.S. taxpayers $1 billion. There is no need to conduct an invasive. environmentally harmful inventory when the Minerals Management Service already provides an estimate of oil and natural gas reserves in the Outer Continental Shelf. \u0095 The MMS estimate is noninvasive and does not harm the environment. So I say tomy colleagues. we have no need -for a seismic inventorywe already know about the resources off our shores. According to the most recent study. the resources are few and far between. In fact.. the MMS estimated that the Atlantic contains only eight percent of the Nations undiscovered natural gas. In addition. in 2000. the MMS estimated the entire\" MidAtlantic region only contains 196 million barrels of oil. enough to last the country barely 10 days. Why would any east coast State want to risk their coastal economies for another inventory when we already know whats out there? Ten days worth of oil will do nothing to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. This administration already has a reputation for threatening the moratoria. On May 31. 2001. the Minerals Management Service released a request for proposals to conduct a study of the environmental impacts of drilling in the Atlantic. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5748}
{"speech_id":1090043926,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The stated purpose of the study was to examine \"areas with some reservoir potential. for example off the coast of New Jersey. and in the area formerly known as the Manteo Unit off North Carolina . . . in anticipation of managing the exploitation of potential and proven reserves.\" Allow me to repeat that last part. The study was \"in anticipation of managing the exploitation of potential and proven reserves.\" Needless to say. the request created quite an uproar in my State. One local headline read. \"Specter of drilling offshore is back. angering Jersey.\" New Jerseyans were outraged. as. were the members of the New Jersey delegation here in Washington. My colleagues and I urged the administration to rescind the request. and were successful. But the threat still lingers. and this inventory will be the beginning of the unraveling of the moratoria and the eventual drilling off the New Jersey shores. Past congresses and Presidents have ruled out Atlantic drilling for years. and we are not going to allow it now. American taxpayers should not have to pay for studies that amount to nothing more than oil industry fantasies. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment so that we can protect our Nations precious coastlines and ocean waters.","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5748}
{"speech_id":1090044029,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before we are finished with the votes on global warmingand I will have a little to say. I will get time from somebodyI will present to the Senate a detailed summary of the bill that is pending before the Senate in terms of what it does to move the United States of America toward a reduction in the socalled greenhouse gases led by carbon. This bill we are going to vote out of here hopefully tomorrow or the next day that we worked so hard on in the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. with Senator BINGAMAN. my -ranking member. and Senators such as LAMAR ALEXANDER who have worked very hard. it does take some giant steps toward the reduction of carbon in the American economy. It does so in ways that if our business communities want to spend money and use innovative technology. the opportunities are there. If our scientists want to make breakthroughs to clean up. it is there. If people want to move with nuclear power. which is the cleanestright now. as my friend from Tennessee has reminded me. 70 percent of the carbonfree emissions in America come from the nuclear powerplants. That is rather astounding. We run around thinking we have done so much cleanup. but these very oldold in that we have not built one in 23 yearsthese nuclear powerplants are the ones that are cleaning up right now. All I am saying is. this bill says if we are right. we are going to build some nuclear powerplants during the era of trying to reduce carbon. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1930}
{"speech_id":1090044029,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is going to be part of our world. both economic and cleanup world. as provided in this bill. We will summarize that. There is no attempt to delude the efficacy of the other bills. be it Hagel or McCain. but merely to say we recognized this in our committee. but we just did not think we ought to do global warming per se. That is where we are. The Senate is confronted with the unanimous consent agreement which we have just laid before it. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1930}
{"speech_id":1090044086,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first I would like to congratulate the sponsors of the amendment that was just passed. They did a good job on the amendment. I appreciate it because it is very indicative of where this debate has gone. My dear friend from Connecticut and I. last October of 2003. forced a voteor we had a vote on. basically.- this issue. although we have changed this somewhat with the inclusion of the incentives for technological advances. as well as some nuclear power provisions which have proven somewhat controversial with some of our environmental friends. At that time the debate on the amendment was: there is no such thing. it is a myth. this simply bears no relation to realityon and on. There were some fascinating statements made about what a myth climate change was. Now. obviously. we have. by passage of the Hagel amendment. recognizedat least by a majority of the Senatethat climate change is real and action needs to be taken. So I believe we have made significant progress since October 2003. At the same time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090044086,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have noticed on other reform issues that I have been involved in over the years. once the opponents of reform see reality. then they try to put up some kind of legislation which appears to address the issue but actually does not. Unfortunately. the amendment by my good friend from Nebraska that was just approved by the Senate simply has no bearing on the requirement that we act. The Senator from Connecticut and I are going to present. not our opinions but evidence. scientific evidence. that climate change is real. it is happening. and as we speak we will see things happening to our environment which will have longterm devastating effects on this globe on whicl we reside. When we talk about scientific evidence and opinion. with the exception of those who may somehow be financially related to certain opponents of this legislation. there is very little doubt as to the scientific evidence of every objective observer.*not to mention our European friends who have s6 concluded and are acting to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. By the way. they have not faced Armageddon to their economies. as predicted by some of the speakers who have already addressed this issue. I found them entertaining. Do you know why I found them entertaining? Because every time I have been in a reform issuewhether it be installation of safety belts in automobiles. or airbags. or campaign finance reformthe Apocalypse was upon us. In this amendment we encourage technology in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make energy use more efficient. and we are trying at the expense of some support to recognize that nuclear power is a very important contributor to our energy needs in the coming years. particularly since 20 percent of our energy supply is already supplied by nuclear power and those powerplants are going out of business fairly soon. We have a proposal that is balanced and fair and not only tries to minimize and. over time. reduce the damage that has already been inflicted by greenhouse gas emissions. but also will provide for energy that this worldour country as well as othersneeds.. Is this Kyoto that Senator LIEBERMAN and I are proposing? No. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090044086,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sometimes I wish that it were. but it is not. It is far less stringent in its requirements to address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions. It is something that we believe is not only affordable but doable. Does it involve some sacrifice on the part of the American people? Yes. I have to tell you. every time I talk to young Americans and say. Are you willing to make some sacrifice to prevent the occurrences that we see are happening now. these young Americans are more than willing to do so. When we talk about jobs. these Draconian estimates of lost jobs that they have hired some think tank to come up with. what about the jobs and the economic effect on the United States of America that is already taking place when we have four hurricanes in one season in Florida. when we have greater and more extreme climatic effects generated by greenhouse gas emissions? How much is it going to cost when the great barrier reef dies? The Australian Government has said that the great barrier reef will die byI think the year is 2040. What happens then to the food chain? What is the cost then? What is the cost to the Alaskan Inuit Tribe when. as we speak. their villages are falling into the bcean because of the melting of the permafrost? What are those costs? I will tell you what they are. they are astronomical. They may hire a lot of people. in the form of emergency workers and FEMA and all of that. I have a very long statement. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090044086,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not going to take too long because I want my friend. Senator LIEBERMAN. to talk. But why is it that our best partner in Europe.. Tony Blair. is so dedicated to the proposition that we need to act on this issue? I- do not find him to be an irrational individual. What does Prime Minister Tony Blair say? I think he puts it better than anyone. The opponents. particularly my friend from Oklahoma. will come down and say all this climate change is just a myth. the Earth is not warmer. there is no real basis for this whatsoever. And he will find some obscure scientist who will say. yes. it is -a mythdespite the overwhelming body of evidence that dictates that climate change is real and its effects are already being felt in a variety of ways. Suppose the Senator from Connecticut and I. and the overwhelming body of scientific evidence. and Tony Blair. and all the Europeans. and all the signatories to the Kyoto treaty. they are all wrong and we went ahead and made these modest proposals. What would we have? We would have.a cleaner Earth. We would have an Earth with a less polluted atmosphere. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090044086,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We would have cleaner technologies. We would have found a way to again utilize nuclear power in a safe and efficient fashion. But suppose that we are right. Lets suppose the. National Academy of Sciences is right when they say: There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the worlds climate. however there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. This comes from the National Academy of Sciences. the National Academies from the G8 countries along with those from Brazil. China. and India. The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify costeffective steps that they can take now to contribute to substantial and longterm reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions. Remember. this is from the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090044098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to say what is unnecessary. and that is that the Senator from Illinois just made a heartfelt statement. one of apology. All of us. I believe. who have had the opportunity to serve in public life from time to time have said things that we deeply regret. I know that I have. I cant speak for the other Members of this body. I would like to say to the Senator from Illinois. he did the right thing. a courageous thing. and I believe we can put this issue behind us. I thank the Senator from Illinois. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":538}
{"speech_id":1090044103,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe that I could now argue against the pending amendment. but I choose at this point. if we could. because I made some arrangeients that I dont think are inconsistent with the minority leadernot agreements but arrangementsif we could let Senator INHOFE. who is now in opposition to the amendment. proceed. he would like to speak for 10 minutes.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":350}
{"speech_id":1090044112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have stated on a number of occasions publicly my great affection for my friend from Illinois. We came together to Congress. He has been a very close personal friend. I have such great admiration for him. He has been a great whip during the 5 months that I have been the leader. As we know. he has been a strong supporter of the troops. He has worked for the Guard and Reserve especially. more than anyone I know in the Senate. I know how hard it was for him to come and speak as he has today. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1546}
{"speech_id":1090044112,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have said things in the past that I wish I hadnt said. In the last 6 or 7 months. they have been noted more than in the past. So I certainly appreciate the strength and the courage of my friend from Illinois. I also want to say a word about my friend who is not on the floor now. JOHN MCCAIN. He and I came to this body also with Senator DURBIN. He and I have been very close in seniority. He is one ahead of me because the State of Arizona is larger than the State of Nevada. That is what happened when we came to the Senate. For someone with his military background to say what he just said about Senator DURBIN is very typical for JOHN MCCAIN. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1546}
{"speech_id":1090044112,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not only do I express my appreciation for the statement of my friend from Illinois but also for the statement of the Senator from Arizona. It was a very typical JOHN MCCAIN statement. and it shows that he is a person who speaks from the heart. If I may impose on my friend from Oklahoma. the other Senator from Illinois is here. Senator FEINSTEIN has 2 minutes. May I give him 2 minutes?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1546}
{"speech_id":1090044164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to make a brief statement before we vote \"on the Voinovich. Carper. Feinstein. Jeffords. Hutchison. Stevens. Clinton. Obama. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":405}
{"speech_id":1090044164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lautenberg. DeWine. Levin. and Alexander amendment. It is based on the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005. S. 1265. That bill is cosponsored by the Environment and Public Works Committee chairman. JIM INHOFE. Ranking Member JEFFORDS. Senators TOM CARPER.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":405}
{"speech_id":1090044167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join my colleague from Ohio as a cosponsor of this important amendment to improve air quality and public health by reducing emissions from diesel engines. I believe that this amendment will take important strides not only toward the stated goal of reducing emissions but also in making advanced clean diesel technology more viable in the United States. Diesel engines now can increase fuel economy by as much as 25 to 40 percent. If we can do thatand do it without harmful tailpipe emissionswe could make significant progress toward improving overall fuel economy and reducing our oil consumption. This bipartisan amendment would establish national and State grant and loan programs to promote reduction of diesel emissions. The amendment authorizes $200 million annually for 5 years to fund programs that will help us to replace older diesel technology with newer. cleaner diesel technology. The grant program. which will be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. has the potential to result in significant reductions in diesel particulate matter and help communities in meeting national ambient air quality standards. Under this amendment. 70 percent of the funds available would be to provide grants and lowcost revolving loans on a competitive basis for retrofit of buses. heavy duty trucks. locomotives. or nonroad engines to help achieve significant emissions .reductions particularly from fleets operating in poor air quality areas. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2271}
{"speech_id":1090044167,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The remaining 30 percent of the funds would go for grant and loan programs administered by states. The important steps that will be taken by these programs offer great promise for reducing diesel emissions and making clean diesel a commercially viable advanced vehicle technology in the U.S. Our friends in Europe have taken advantage of the opportunities that diesel offers for improving fuel economy and reducing oil dependence. We have not been able to do so here in the U.S. because of our concerns about tailpipe emissions. Initiatives such as those included in this amendment will help the U.S. to develop advanced diesel technology that will be able to meet our emissions standards in a costeffective manner. I am pleased to join my colleagues today in supporting this amendment.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2271}
{"speech_id":1090044226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Ijoin my colleagues in introducing the Improve Interoperable Communications For First Responders. or \"ICOM.\" Act of 2005. We have all heard the stories of how the first responders could not communicate on 9\/11 and this lack of communication cost lives. The same situation is happening all over this bountry and we need to improve interoperable communications before .more lives are lost. Attaining this objective will require substantial resources and a strong commitment by. Congress and the Administration. This legislation takes animportant first step in this effort. We have seen how bad the problem is in Michigan. For example. on the morning of Sunday. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3730}
{"speech_id":1090044226,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"October 26. 2003. Michigan first responders held an exercise to test the emergency communications response capabilities -at Michigans international border with Canada. As we all know. during any emergency. effective communications is an absolute requirement. However. during the exercise. in order to communicate between fire agencies. the fire commanding officer needed 3 portable radios literally hangingaround his neck and hooked to his waist band to attempt scene coordination. The Incident Commander was shuffling radios up and down to his ear and mouth in an attempt to figure out \"who\" was requesting or providing information. Further. the fire commanding officer had no communication with any law enforcement or Emergency Medical Service agencies. To communicate with those agencies. 5 additional radios would be required. This is totally unacceptable. First and foremost. the ICOM Act will provide dedicated funding for initiatives to achieve short- and longterm solutions to interoperability to States or regional consortia within each State for Statewide or regional communications planning. system design and engineering. procurement and installation of equipment. training and exercises. or other activities determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be integral to the achievement of communications interoperability. This legislation will also provide the recently authorized Office for Interoperability and Compatibility the resources and authorities necessary to conduct extensive. nationwide outreach. develop a national strategy. facilitate the creation of regional. task forces in each State. fund and conduct pilot programs to evaluate and validate new technology coficepts. encourage more efficient use of resources. and test and deploy more reliable and less costly public safety communications systems. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3730}
{"speech_id":1090044226,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. the ICOM Act also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a comprehensive. competitive research and development program. This includes promoting research through the Directorate of Science and Technology and Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency. and considering establishing a Center of Excellence. The research agenda will focus on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of todays diverse public safety communications systems. examining how current and emerging technology can make public safety organizations more effective. and how local. State. and .Federal agencies can utilize this technology in a coherent and costeffective manner. evaluating and validating new technology concepts. and advancing the creation of a national strategy to promote interoperability and efficient use of spectrum. I recently authored an amendment that passed the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that would assist our first responders by creating demonstration projects at our northern and southern borders. The ICOM Act will complement that legislation by providing -funding. support. research and development to improve interoperable communications on a national level.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3730}
{"speech_id":1090044233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am pleased to introduce the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2005. The Coast Guard serves as the guardian of our maritime homeland security and provides many critical services for our Nation. Last year alone. the Coast Guard responded Jo over 32.000 calls for assistance. and saved 5.500 lives. These brave men and women risk their lives to defend our borders from drugs. illegal immigrants. acts of terror. and other national security threats. In 2004. the Coast Guard seized 376.000 pounds of illegal narcotics. preventing them from reaching our streets and playgrounds. They also stopped over 11.000 illegal migrants from reaching our shores. In addition they conducted 4.500 boardings to protect our vital fisheries stocks and they responded to 23.904 pollution incidents. In todays post9\/11 world. the men and women of the Coast Guard have been working harder than ever securing the nations coastline. waterways. and ports. This rapid escalation of the Coast Guards homeland security mission catalogue continues today. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5349}
{"speech_id":1090044233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Last year alone. the Coast Guard aggressively .defended our homeland by conducting more than 36.000 port security patrols. boarded over 19.000 vessels. escorted over 7.200 vessels. and maintained more than 115 security zones. While our new reality requires. the Coast Guard to maintain a robust homeland security posture. these new priorities must not diminish the Coast Guards focus on its traditional missions such as marine safety. search and rescue. aids to navigation. fisheries law enforcement. and marine environmental protection. By introducing the Coast Guard Authorization bill today. I intend to continue giving the Coast Guard -my full support. and I hope my colleagues will work with me to provide the Coast Guard with the resources it needs to carry out its many critically important missions that it provides to this Nation. Unfortunately. the Coast Guards rapid operational escalation has come on the backs of its 42.000 men and women who faithfully serve our country. Additionally. it has taken a significant toll on the ships. boats. and aircraft that the Coast Guard uses on a daily basis. I believe we need to shift this burden off our people and instead adequately provide the Coast Guard with the resources it needs. primarily through the full support of its recapitalizatiOn project known as Deepwater. The bill I introduce today would authorize funding at $8.2 billion for Fiscal Year 2006 and $8.8 billion for Fiscal Year 2007. This represents an 8 percent annual budget increase over the levels contained in last years authorization bill. This authorization will continue to allow the Coast Guard to perform nonhomeland security missions such as search and rescle. fisheries enforcement. and marine environmental protection. as well as fund the necessary missions related to ports. waterways. and coastal security. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5349}
{"speech_id":1090044233,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill also includes numerous measures that would allow the Coast Guard to enforce provisions of the Maritime Transportation Security Act. an essential element in securing the Nations ports and waterways. Additionally. it would address maritime safety issues by allowing the Coast Guard to continue training both the commercial .fishing industry and the recreational boating public in issues regarding safety at sea. Joint training for foreign Nations is also addressed. which allows for nationbuilding and the development of bilateral agreements that allow the Coast Guard to effectively combat the trafficking of illegal narcotics into our Nation. keeping them off the streets and out of our schools. In response to the final report of the United States Commission on Ocean Policy. this bill includes provisions that would allow the Coast Guard to work with other Federal. State. and local agencies in developing plans to assist vessels in distress. thus dliminating the potential for loss of life and environmental damage. It also directs the Coast Guard to develop steps that will allow it to better detect and interdict vessels. both American and foreign flagged. that are violating fishing regulations. Finally. we must recognize that the United States Coast Guard is a force conducting 21st century operations with 20th century technology. To accomplish its many vital missions. the Coast Guard desperately needs to recapitalize its offshore fleet of cutters and aircraft. The Coast Guard operates the third oldest of the worlds \"42 similar naval fleets with several cutters dating back to World War II. These platforms are technologically obsolete. require excessive maintenance. lack essential speed. and have poor interoperability which in turn limit their overall mission effectiveness and efficiency. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5349}
{"speech_id":1090044233,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. they are reaching the end of their serviceable life just .when the Coast Guard needs them the most. The Coast Guard continues to progress with its major recapitalization program for the ships and aircraft designed to operate more than 50 miles offshore. The- Integrated Deepwater System acquisition program is critical to the future viability of the Coast Guard. I wholeheartedly support this initiative and the procurement strategy the Coast Guard is utilizing. This bill would authorize full funding for this critical longterm recapitalization program. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5349}
{"speech_id":1090044280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. every Member of this body is mindful of his or her legacy. and that is good. There is an issue facing this Nation that should cause us all to consider that legacy carefully. The issue is human cloning.. and it is closer to reality than we think. We learned that from Korean scientists last month. but we have the ability to stop it here in America before it is too late. So Members of this body shouldask themselves. Do you want your legacy to be that we stood by as scientists started cloning human beings in America? Members leaving this body after next year should ask. Do you want to tell your grandkids some day that you had a chance to act to stop cloning but did nothing? If we do nothing. Madam Speaker. cloning will come. and this Congress will be judged not by job numbers or a national energy plan or highway dollars. but by our failure to stop human cloning. I do not want that on my conscience. no one does. but our lack of action will make us responsible for its arrival. Let us leave a good legacy. a legacy that guards the uniqueness of life. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1107}
{"speech_id":1090044280,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us act to stop human cloning.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1107}
{"speech_id":1090044287,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. human cloning is coming. Despite ominous developments in South Korea and in laboratories across the land. last week. the House Committee on Appropriations rejected. by a narrow margin. a thoughtful amendment authored by the gentleman from Florida . The Weldon cloning amendment would essentially prohibit any entity. institution. private or public. from receiving NIH funds if that entity engages in human cloning for research or reproductive purposes. While that amendment failed. human cloning continues to advance. and the breakthrough in this unethical and morally questionable science is around the corner. Now is the time for Congress to act. On two separate occasions. Congress has enacted the WeldonStupak cloning ban by a 60 percentplus bipartisan majority. And the time is now. after last weeks disappointing vote in the Committee on Appropriations. with the LaborHHS bill headed to the floor. now is the time. this summer. to once again bring a human cloning ban to the floor and enacted into law.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090044307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the chairmans resolution which commemorates the bravery of soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines who took part in Operation Eagle Claw 25 years ago. I want to thank my friend. the chairman from New Jersey. for his extraordinary leadership on this issue. Madam Speaker. the resolution also commends our Special Operations Forces who are risking their lives for our country today. On April 24. 1980. 8 patriots lost their lives in an effort to rescue hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The classified mission was noble in its purpose. yet difficult and risky. On November 4. 1979. terrorists stormed the U.S. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090044307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Embassy in Tehran and took 66 American hostages. President Carter sought the hostages release through diplomatic means but his efforts were to no avail. Ultimately. he approved a hostage rescue mission known as Operation Eagle Claw. On April 24. 1980 a task force of Army Special Operations Forces. Army Rangers. Air Force Special Operations Wing personnel. and U.S. Navy. Marine and Air Force pilots launched Operation Eagle Claw. They landed in a remote desert in Iran. 200 miles away from Tehran. and plainned to execute the hostage rescue mission the following day. However. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090044307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. a series of mishaps forced Operation Eagle Claw to be aborted and led to the deaths of 5 brave airmen and 3 Marines. On January 20. 1981. after 444 days. the U.S. hostages were freed. Nevertheless. it was clear from the tragic deaths of those brave servicemembers during Operation Eagle Claw that our Special Operations Forces needed and deserved more and better resources to do their job. Congress created the U.S. Special Operations Command. or SOCOM. so that their needs would be met. Today SOCOM consists of more than 50.000 uniformed personnel. jointly integrated from the Army. the Navy. and the Air Force and the Marine Corps. all striving to support our Nations national security interests. Operation Eagle Claw represented the best equipment and personnel available at the time. However. SOCOM has elevated crewoncrew familiarity. team proficiency. and equipment interconnectivity to a new level of excellence. Madam Speaker. our Nation owes a debt of gratitude to the members of the Special Operations community. particularly those who have given their lives. such as those 8 service members who died during our Operation Eagle Claw. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090044307,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our Special Operations Forces are truly. truly the quiet professionals committed to thd concept of selfless service. So as we face the challenges of terrorists and weapons of mass destruc tion. Special Operations Forces provide a vital tool to defend our great Nation abroad. The resolution brought before us today recognizes this contribution. And I again want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for offering this resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to support its adoption. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090044318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California . the sponsor of the resolution. the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations. and I want to congratulate him for his strong leadership and consistent leadership on human rights issues in this body.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":300}
{"speech_id":1090044327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I congratulate the gentleman from Florida on this bill. and also comment about the long history of human rights protection of the gentleman from California . I rise in strong support of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this bill. There has been a brutal campaign of village burnings. destruction of rice supplies. killings by Burmese military. this outlaw regime. and it has resulted in displacement of between 500.000 and 1 million innocent citizens. living in eastern Burma. Hundreds of thousands of these internal refugees we call internally displaced persons. IDPs. are persecuted for their commitment to democracy and their belief in human rights. These IDP victims are being systematically hunted down by the evil tyrants of this military regime in Burma. Secretary Rice has rightly called Burma one of the six outposts of tyranny in our world. These tactics used by the junta in Burma add up to ethnic cleansing. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1653}
{"speech_id":1090044327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many Americans are not aware of what is occurring in Burma. but this act is a step in the direction that will show all peoples in the world that Americans care about freedom and democracy. no matter where it is and where it hopes to be in the world. It is my desire and hope for my colleagues cosponsoring this bill that these sanctions called for in this joint resolution will continue to gtab the attention of the Burmese junta and pressure them to release Aung San Suu Kyi and allow their country to enjoy the freedoms and rights of a true democracy so that all people may have the right. as President Jefferson said. to life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1653}
{"speech_id":1090044373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I read a list of 23 names from just those in Oregon. but that list could go on and on. and on. depending on the State. I am hoping that through this resolution. although I am not foolish enough to believe that there will be no names. but I would sure like to see that reduced to as few as possible. They have done an incredible service to our country. to our communities. and I wish that for every profession we could look at a little bit later on and say. you have done this amazing job of prevention. Mr. Speaker. they are the ones that really make sure that every home. every business had a fire detector. and we think of the number of lives they have saved just by making sure we had that prevention piece. They have done it over and over and over again. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1331}
{"speech_id":1090044373,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the gentleman from New York is right. they were volunteers. but they were professional. They were there training. they were there every night of the week training. they worked all day. Yet when a fire galled. they came from wherever they were to make sure that they helped put out that fire and saved and rescued lives. I represent a district that has many rural communities and. again. we have many volunteer fire departments. but they are professional. I hope my colleagues would support this measure.","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1331}
{"speech_id":1090044385,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank mygood friend. the gentleman from Georgia . for yielding me time. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to ask my colleague from Georgia a question. if he does not mind. and engage in just a brief colloquy. Does the gentleman know or has his staff related to him. when the last time occurred in America that a flag was burned. and how often that occurs. let us say. in the last year or 2?","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":431}
{"speech_id":1090044471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this rule. We have been led to believe that the use of torture in Iraq. Afghanistan. and Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. were isolated incidents. that murder. sexual assault. and physical abuse were the work of a few lowranking guards who are now being brought to justice. The new evidence indicates we have been misled. Recent news accounts have detailed the deaths of two detainees in 2002 at the Bagram Collection Point in Afghanistan during interrogation by military intelligence. One man was hung by his arms in his jail cell for days and beaten so severely in the legs that he died. even though. as the newspapers reported. soldiers involved in the detention believed that. the man was innocent. Despite being ruled homicide by the coroners. the deaths were described by a military spokesman as resulting from natural causes. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3868}
{"speech_id":1090044471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the meantime. the officer was promoted and placed in charge of interrogations in Iraqs Abu Ghraib Prison. But this story is not about lowranking soldiers who independently ran afoul of the system. it is not a matter of a few bad apples. It is one tale in what is emerging to be a pattern of systematic abuse carried out with the knowledge and approval of senior military and civilian officials. How do we know that the Defense Department and senior military commanders knew what was going on? Because their own documents say so. Their own documents show that the general ini charge of our troops in Afghanistan knew that unapproved techniques were being used in those interrogatories. So what did he do? He made a list of these techniques and sent them to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. who were looking for ways to alter interrogations in Guantanamo Bay. In fact. the only time the general in charge of U.S. forces in Afghanistan seems to have issued any written policy is w hen he recommended that the Geneva Convention techniques be removed for everyone. regardless of whether or not they were tied to al Qaeda or the Taliban. So let me sum it up. Advanced torture techniques were developed and used in Afghanistan and resulted in the deaths of multiple detainees. The deaths were covered up and the investigations were stalled. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3868}
{"speech_id":1090044471,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The. techniques were shared with the interrogators at Guantanamo Bay and then spread to Iraq where the same people responsible for the deaths in Afghanistan were put in charge of the Abu Ghraib prison. From Afghanistan to Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib. torture. lies. and coverup. This is not an accident. this is a pattern of abuse. I want to enter into the RECORD an editorial from my hometown paper on this. That is why I join my colleagues in calling for the creation of an independent commission on detainee abuse. The leadership in the House and. more specifically. the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services have proven both negligent and incapable of dealing with this issue as they have looked the other way and led the country to continue to believe that this is only a few bad apples. a few malcontents that went about it the wrong way when. in fact. the evidence from our own Defense Department tells us differently and has irreparably damaged the reputation of the United States. and has cast doubt on our foreign policy. and it is a new recruitment tool. as so many have commented. both in the intelligence community and in the Congress. that raises the likelihood that U.S. troops captured by enemy combatants or terrorists will be killed or tortured. It gives the radical opponents of the United States and the insurgents the fuel to feed the insurgency against U.S. soldiers and the new Iraqi Government. The failure of this administration. which so often demands accountability of others to deal with this issue in an honest and forthright fashion. undermines our ability to implement the strategy for success in Iraq and Afghanistan and tears down our forces.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3868}
{"speech_id":1090044531,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds to say to the last speaker that I applaud his comments about the need for this new legislation to succeed. It is critical. in my view. to move from a 1947 business model. which is the one we were operating under. to this one. I also would point. out to our colleagues. as the last speaker knows. that battlefield intelligence is not inchided in the DNI construct that we built. Madam Speaker. it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland . a recent addition to our committee. who is a very active member of our new Subcommittee on Oversight.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090044532,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as my colleagues have pointed out. a lot of good. hard. work has -been put into this bill. which places our committee and the intelligence community on the path of success for achieving the goals set forth in the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission and the WMD Commissions. The turf battles are ending and we now have a director of- National Intelligence to oversee and coordinate efforts. but we all must work together in order to make sure that the DNI can succeed. . I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman HOEKSTRA) and the geDtlewoman from California (Ranking Member HARMAN) for leading by example and promoting bipartisan efforts in our oversight role. I also want to thank our staff for their hard work. Our newly established Subcommittee on Oversight has already taken the reins of leadership and is investigating the abuses that have occurred in our interrogation and detention programs. These abuses only serve to embolden terrorist actions against us and it increases risk to our military forces and American citizens abroad. These abuses also hurt our reputation abroad and allow the insurgents to recruit people to attack us. I also look forward to continuing work with my colleagues on solutions to the security clearance challenges -faced by the intelligence community and State and local governments who need to access information to protect our homeland. This bills endorsement of a multilevel security clearance system will enhance flexibility in hiring practices and access to information. Current clearance wait times sometimes exceed a year. ","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1998}
{"speech_id":1090044532,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Terrorists will not wait a year. and neither can we. Let me close by praising the excellent work of the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center and the National Security Agency. NSA. based in my district. Our committee recognizes their challenges. and we fully support their efforts in the global war on terrorism and in Iraq and Afghanistan. I urge my Democratic colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1998}
{"speech_id":1090044561,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Our amendment requires the President to keep the Congress and the American people updated monthly on the progress of the implementation and operation of the National Counterterrorism Center until it is fully implemented and operational. The Congress and the President recognize the National Counterterrorism Center as a critical office for the safety of our country. The Congress and the President agreed that it had to be up and running. fully operational and fully staffed. by June 17. 2005. or last Friday. While director Admiral John Redd was nominated on June 10. he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. and he has many challenges before him. chief among which is to get this center fully staffed and operational. The Bush administration manages by goals and reports. A fully operational and staffed NCTC is a goal that must be attained as quickly as possible. The National Counterterrorism Center was a core element of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The center must be the central organization for analyzing and integrating all foreign and domestic intelligence on terrorism. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3691}
{"speech_id":1090044561,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also is to conduct strategic operational planning for counterterrorism operations at home and abroad. integrating all elements of national power. In short. the NCTC was created to bring all of the pieces together to prevent a future attack. The Congress and the President established June 17. last Friday. as the deadline for the NCTC. Unfortunately. we cannot stand here today and say that it is fully operational and fully implemented. This is not the only deadline in this important bill to be missed. I have a chart that I requested from the Congressional Research Service. It is an 8page chart of deadlines. And what CRS found is no fewer than 22 deadlines have been missed in the first 6 months of this bill becoming law. And many other important deadlines are looming. Some of the deadlines we have missed include: developing a national transportation strategy. a number of port security strategic plans. and streamlining the security clearance process. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3691}
{"speech_id":1090044561,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must keep the implementation of this bill on track. hence the need for this amendment. This is not to say that there has not been substantial progress. Prior to the NCTC being created in law. President Bush created the NCTC last August by executive order. This center has operated for months under the direction of an interim director. A pogitive step towards the goal of implementation took place on June 10 when Retifed Vice Admiral John Redd was nominated to be the permanent director of the NCTC. CE 1545 I would like to note that. when we originally submitted this amendment to the Committee on Rules on June 2. no NCTC director had been nominated. Upon confirmation. the new director and Ambassador Negroponte will be faced with a number of issues before full implementation. Chief among these issues is working out the inconsistencies between the statute and the executive order. The existing inconsistencies which have been identified by CRS hold much danger of creating confusion which could undermine the maximum functioning of the NCTC. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3691}
{"speech_id":1090044561,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Another example of these inconsistencies relates to the danger that the tactic supplied to foreign intelligence collection may be applied against U.S. citizens. Thus. the importance of a robust Civil Liberties Board. the beginnings of which were included in the enacted statute. This amendment will motivate all of the participants to get the job done to protect the American people. I am confident that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. under the leadership of the gentleman from Michigan","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3691}
{"speech_id":1090044573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the. gentlewoman for yielding me time. I want to commend her and the gentleman from Connecticut for the enormous work they did outside the intelligence committee. As we were considering the intelligence reform legislation last year. the faces that I saw on a constant basis were theirs and the families. And I often have said that the families were the wind beneath our wings. I would add a couple of Members of Congress to that. too. and I thank them for all they did. I am very pleased that the majority is accepting the amendment. It is a good idea for us to make absolutely -clear that the NCTC. the National Counter Terrorism Center. is a vital piece of the reform we enacted last year and that it needs to be fully operational ASAP. To explain further. one of the big mistakes we made leading up to 9\/11 is everyone now knows our failure to -connect the dots. Obviously.. having a fusion center designed for this purpose is a very good way to make sure we do not fail to connect the dots the next time. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090044573,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it took. I would say. the introduction of this amendment to cause the President to nominate a very able fellow. Vice Admiral Redd. to be the director of the NCTC. He did that 2 days after this amendment was presented in the Committee on Rules. And perhaps now that we are accepting it as part of todays debate. the NCTC will become fully operational even before that prison reform bill is enacted. In conclusion. Madam Speaker. I strongly support this. I support the team that has brought this to us. And I would note to this body.. that bill last. year that we workedso hard on gets its real sea legs today as. the House takes this necessary step in funding its critical parts and in making clear that we will not accept any efforts to roll back the jurisdiction of the DNI. who is going to be the.commander of the tip of the spear in this era of terror.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090044711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman ever so much. I appreciate that. I always thought it was two bites at the apple. but she is right. It is three bites that the government takes. That is unjust and unfair. I just wanted to come and add a little perspective of what I believe is the optimism that this Congress is leading with. this Republican leadership and this Republican majority is leading with. I appreciate the gentlewoman doing this this evening and giving us an opportunity to show the American people and talk with the American people about the positive things that this -Congress is doing. and I thank her very much. I","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":630}
{"speech_id":1090044791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. two reports from todays New York Times which prove why we need to continue to move in the direction of bringing our troops home from Iraq: The first. a new classified assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency says Iraq may prove to be an even more effective training ground for Islamic extremists than Afghanistan was in al Qaedas early days. because it is serving as a realworld laboratory for urban combat. The report goes on to say that officials have said Saudi Arabia. Jordan. and other countries would soon have to contend with militants who leave Iraq equipped with considerable experience and training. The next report says the following: that Iraqi rebels are refining bomb skills and pushing the G.I. toll even higher. Improvised explosive devices are now sufficiently sophisticated to destroy armored Humvees. That means our soldiers are more vulnerable and that casualty rates will go higher than ever. It is time to bring our troops home. Support House Joint Resolution 55. a bipartisan bill to bring our troops home.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1047}
{"speech_id":1090044805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we have all heard of the 3legged stool that each of us should build when we are looking towards our retirement. Two of these legs. pensions and individual savings. are the responsibility of the individual and the employee. Mr. Speaker. as events over the last month have shown. it is clear that the pension leg of the stool is being seriously undermined by companies who are striking their responsibilities to live up to the promises they made to their employees. The best example of this comes in the form of United Airlines who sold out its employees the first chance it got as a way to come out of bankruptcy. Employees who have been promised $100.000 a year pensions will now have. to settle for$45.000 a year. a dramatic cut in their promised benefits. That may still seem like a lot of money. but these employees were promised a lot more. and they are not going to receive it. Couple that with the giant market crash in 2000 when the stock market lost $9 billion. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090044805,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. there is no question that there is a lot of uncertainty right now. and maybe that is why Americans are so determined to keep one thing that is certain. that is. Social Security from being privatized.","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090044828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I have a deep respect for the arguments that have been advanced by the gentleman from New York and other opponents of this amendment. I disagree with them. And I think the vast majority of the American people disagree with them as well. There has to be a line that is drawn on what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. Most of our criminal code. as well as certain types of civil provisions that contain penalties. do draw the line -and have a clear demarcation of what goes over the line and thus should be punished. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2338}
{"speech_id":1090044828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think one of the reasons why we are here today as a result of both the Johnson and Eichman decisions was exemplified by a decision of the Supreme Court of my home State of Wisconsin on April 9. 1998. in the case of State of Wisconsin v. Matthew Janssen. Mr. Janssen was prosecuted for flag desecration because he defecated on the American flag. Then he left a note saying why he did it. which contained a political expression. Using the precedent that was- set by the Supreme Court in the Johnson and Eichman cases. the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the dismissal of the prosecution against Mr. Janssen and wrote an extensive decision that basically agrees with the arguments that were advanced by the gentleman from New York . But the last paragraph of that decision. I think. is very important. and I am going to read it into the RECORD. The Wisconsin Supreme Court through Justice John Wilcox said: \"But in the end. to paraphrase Justice Frankfurter. we must take solace in the fact that as members of this court we are not justified in writing our private notions of policy into the Constitution. no matter how deeply we may cherish them or how mischievous we may deem their disregard.\" quoting the Barnette case with Justice Frankfurter dissentin . ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2338}
{"speech_id":1090044828,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Supreme Court of Wisconsin concluded by saying: \"If it is the will of the people in this country to amend the United States Constitution in order to protect our Nations symbol. it must be done through normal political channels.\" Today. we are doing it through those normal political channels. That is why this amendment should be approved. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio . the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2338}
{"speech_id":1090044831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I think it is important to put this debate in context because it occurs to me that every time we consider this resolution. we end up cutting veterans health care. So let us just see what we are doing this year on the health care budget for veterans. The Republican budget cuts veterans health care programs by more than $13.5 billion over the next 5 years compared to what would be needed just to keep up with inflation. The President even proposed a $15 billion cut and copays for a significant number of our veterans. When the sponsor challenges us to ask wounded veterans in VA hospitals what they want us to do. I suspect that they would not be asking us to cut veterans health care at the same time we debate this resolution. Furthermore. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5836}
{"speech_id":1090044831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. just before we went on Memorial Day break and gave speeches just a few weeks ago. colleagues voted down a measure that would have offered TRICARE health coverage to National Guard members and Reservists. Reserve components make up 50 percent of our forces in Iraq and studies show that 20 percent have no health insurance. For younger Reservists.it is as high as 40 percent have no health insurance coverage. How can we ask these young men and women to serve on the front line and not even provide for them the basic necessity of health care? And so. Mr. Speaker. 25 million American veterans deserve respect and dignity and they deserve more than the debate on this constitutional amendment. We should be providing health care for our veterans. not this resolution. Mr. Speaker. everyone here respects the flag. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5836}
{"speech_id":1090044831,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The question before us is not whether we respect the flag. but whether or not we ought to use the criminal code to prevent those who disagree with us to express their views. The Supreme Court has frequently considered restrictions on speech that are permissible by our government. For example. under the first amendment with respect to speech. speech may be regulated by time. place and manner. but not regulated by content. There are. of course. exceptions. Speech may be restricted if it creates an imminent threat of violence or threatens safety or expresses a patently offensive message that has no redeeming social value. but we cannot restrict by content otherwise. The distinction: you can restrict by time. place and manner but not content. So you can restrict the particulars of a march or a demonstration by what time it is held or where it is held or how loud the demonstration can be. but you cannot restrict what people are marching or demonstrating about. You cannot ban a particular march or demonstration just because you disagree with the message unless you decide to ban all marches. You cannot allow one political party to have a demonstration. but not the other. You cannot have a prowar demonstration and then try to. restrict an antiwar demonstration. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5836}
{"speech_id":1090044831,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speech protected by the Constitution we have to recognize will always be unpopular. Popular speech does not need protection. It is only that speech that provokes the local sheriff into wanting to arrest you for what you said that needs protection. Of course. speech protected by the first amendment will always be unpopular. Some have referred to the underlying resolution as the antiflag burning amendment. and they speak about the necessity of keeping people from burning flags. In reality. the only place you ever see a flag burned is in compliance with the Federal code at flag ceremonies disposing of a wornout flag. Ask any Boy Scout or American Legion member how to dispose of a wornout flag and they will tell you that the procedure is to burn the flag at a respectful ceremony. E 1130 In fact. the only time I have seen a flag burned is at one of these ceremonies. So the proposed constitutional amendment is all about expression and all about prohibiting expression in violation of the first amendment principles. In fact. the amendment does not even use the term \"burning.\" It uses the term \"flag desecration.\" And by using the word \"desecration.\" we are giving government officials the power to decide that one can burn the flag if they are saying something nice and respectful. but they are a criminal if they burn this flag while they are saying something offensive or insulting. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5836}
{"speech_id":1090044831,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an absurd distinction and is a direct contravention of the whole purpose of the first amendment. especially when the real impact of the legislation will be to have political protesters arrested because they disagree and express that disagreement of government policy. Mr. Speaker. in addition to. the violation of the spirit of the Bill of Rights. this amendment has practical problems. For example. what is a flag? Can one desecrate a picture of a flag? Can one desecrate a flag with the wrong number of stripes?. Mr. Speaker. during the Vietnam War. laws were passed prohibiting draft cards from being burned. and protesters with great flourish would say that they were burning their draft cards and offend everybody. but then nobody would know whether it was a draft card or just a piece of paper. And what happens if one desecrates their own flag in private? Are they subject to criminal prosecution if somebody finds out? Mr. Speaker. I feel compelled to comment on suggestions that stealing and destroying somebodys personal property is protected if that property happens to be a flag. That is wrong. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5836}
{"speech_id":1090044855,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. the argument that has been made against this amendment is that it infringes upon free speech guaranteed by the first amendment. As all of the people who served as Justices of the Supreme Court during the 20th century. I think everybody would recognize that the strongest first amendment absolutist was Justice Hugo L. Black. Let me read you what Justice Black said in the case of Street v. New York. decided in 1969: \"It passes my belief that anything in the Federal Constitution bars a State from making the deliberate burning of an American flag an offense.\" The court changed its mind twice at the end of the decade of the 1980s. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090044855,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not think that anybodys free speech rights to express whatever they want to say about a policy. about the position of the- American Government. about a stand that a candidate makes. a vote that a Congressman makes is going to be infringed by the passage of this amendment. What is going to be stopped is deliberately burning the symbol of our country or otherwise desecrating it. That is what this amendment seeks to prescribe. And if you want to stop it. vote \"yes.\" If you do not. vote \"no.\" I am voting \"yes.\"","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090044857,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 10. the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit the physical desecration of our flag. And. in this respect. I take no pleasure in doing so: Like the vast majority of Americans. I too condemn those malcontents who would desecrate our flaga universal symbol for democracy. freedom and libertyto grab attention for themselves and inflame the passions of patriotic Americans. Without doubt. those misfits who desecrate our flag deserve our contempt. Further. I fully appreciate and respect the motivations of those who offer and support this amendment. particularly the patriotic men and women who so faithfully served this Nation in our armed services and in other capacities. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3817}
{"speech_id":1090044857,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their strong feelings on this issue should neither be questioned nor underestimated. They deserve our respect. However. I respectfully disagree with them and will oppose this amendment for the reasons so eloquently articulated by Senator MITCH MCCONNELL of Kentucky. In opposing a similar amendment a few years ago. Senator MCCONNELL stated that it \"rips the fabric of our Constitution at its very center: the First Amendment.\" He added. \"Our respect and reverence for the flag should not provoke us to damage our Constitution. even in the name of patriotism.\" Those of us who oppose this amendment do so not to countenance the actions of a few. but because we believe the question before us today is how we the United States of Americaare to deal with individuals who dishonor our Nation in this manner. I submit. Mr. Speaker. that a constitutional amendment is neither the appropriate nor best method for dealing with these malcontents. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3817}
{"speech_id":1090044857,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the late Justice Brennan wrote for the Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson: \"The way to preserve the flags special role is not to punish those who feel differently about these matters. It is to persuade them that they are wrong. . . . We can imagine no more appropriate response to burning a flag -than waving ones own.\" Furthermore. it troubles me that this amendment. if approved. would ensconce the vile actions of a few provocateurs into the very document that guarantees freedom of speech. freedom of religion. freedom of the press. freedom of assembly. and freedom to petition the government. That document. of course. is our Constitution. .In more than 200 years. our Constitlution has been amended only 27 times. and nearly all of those amendments guarantee or expand rights. liberties and freedoms. Only one amendmentprohibition--constricted freedoms and soon was repealed. I simply do not believe that our traditions. our values. our democratic principlesall embodied in our Constitution and the Bill of Rightsshould be overridden to prohibit this particular manner of speech. even though I completely disagree with it. Free speech is often a doubleedged sword. However. if we value the freedoms that define us as Americans. we should refrain from amending the Constitution to limit those same freedoms to avoid being offended. I remind my colleagues that if we approve this amendment. we put our great Nation in the company of the oppressive regimes in China. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3817}
{"speech_id":1090044857,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iran. and Cubaall of whom have similar laws protecting their flags. Needless to say. when it comes to free speech. the United States of America is the worlds leader. It does not follow China. Iran or Cuba. Our flag is far more than a piece ofcloth. a few stripes. 50 stars. Our flag is a universal symbol for freedom. liberty. human rights and decency that is recognized throughout the world. The inflammatory actions of a few misfits cannot extinguish those ideals. We can only do that ourselves. And I submit that a constitutional amendment to restrict speecheven speech such as thisis the surest way to stoke the embers of those who will push for even more restrictions.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3817}
{"speech_id":1090044860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this resolution because I disagree with this attempt to muddle our First Amendment rights. I understand and acknowledge the passion that my friends and colleagues demonstrate today. It is disturbing to see images. of someone burning the flag of the United States. particularly when we reflect upon the countless men and women who have given up their lives defending tois symbol of freedom. When I was first elected to the House. I cosponsored a flag burning amendment. I did so for many of the same reasons that proponents of the amendment have expressed today. And yet looking back. I realize I was moved by my heart than by my head. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2485}
{"speech_id":1090044860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"History reminds us that the strength of America is derived from its basic ideals. one. of the most important of which is tolerance for the full expression of ideas. even the acts that we consider obnoxious. As our Founding Fathers originally intended. the First Amendment to the Constitution has safeguarded the freedom of expression. Tested through times of war and peace. Americans have been able to write or publish almost anything without interference. to practice their religion freely and to protest against the Gov-. ernment in almost every way imaginable. It is a sign of our strength that. unlike so many repressive nations on earth. ours is a country that not only accommodates a wideranging public debate. but encourages -it. Mr. Speaker. a friend of mineand former Senator of Virginia. Chuck Robb. is a man who sacrificed greatly for his nation. in both the Vietnam War and in his political career. Exemplifying a \"profile in courage\" Senator Robb stood against public popularity when he voted against this amendment in order to defend the very freedoms that the American flag represents. In his moving Senate floor statement. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2485}
{"speech_id":1090044860,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator Robb described how as a soldier he had been prepared to give up his life in the Vietnam War in order to protect the very freedoms that this constitutional amendment would suppress. By showing the courage to vote against this amendment. he jeopardized his political career and subsequently lost his bid for me reelection. Not having fought in a war. I should do no less than Senator Robb did in defense of die freedom he and so many of my peers were willing to defend with their lives. Mr. Speaker. this amendment should be defeated. In our hearts and our minds we know that flag burning is not a threat to our freedom. limiting the exercise of individual liberty is.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2485}
{"speech_id":1090044881,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in strong opposition to the Watt substitute and in support of H.J. Res. 10. which would amend the Constitution to give Congress the authority to prevent the physical desecration of the American flag. The gentleman from North Carolina says that the Bill of Rights has never been amended. It may be that the words have never been changed. but the United States Supreme Court on many. many. many occasions has amended the first amendment and other provisions in the Bill of Rights by changing the meaning of those words. This is one of those such occasions. For 200 years. many Supreme Court Justices opined that flag desecration laws which were in effecf in 49 States were not in violation of the first amendment of the Constitution. This is in defiance of the will of the overwhelming majority of the American people. the will of the overwhelming majority of the State legislatures. and as we will see later today. the will of the overwhelming majority of the United States Congress. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6483}
{"speech_id":1090044881,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Clearly. free speech goes beyond the written or spoken word to include other forms of expression. including the wearing of symbols and other actions. However. not all actions constitute free speech. and I am -hardly alone in asserting that flag desecration is not speech to be protected under the first amendment. In 1989. the United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson unilaterally invalidated flag protection laws in 48 States and the District of Columbia. overturning 100 years of Federal and State precedent. banning the physical desecration of the American flag. When that occurs. and when the people and the Congress believe that is wrong. it is a constitutional amendment that corrects the error of the Supreme Court. Following this decision for the first time in our Nations history. an overwhelming 49 State legislatures petitioned Congress to send a flag desecration amendment to the States for ratification. The physical desecration of the American flag constitutes an assault on the most deeply shared experiences of the American people. Our flag is more than a piece of cloth. it a symbol of our freedom. It represents the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to win and preserve freedom. There have been those who have gone unarmed into battle carrying the flag. and many have died to keep the flag from falling into the hands of our en-. emies. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6483}
{"speech_id":1090044881,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To burn a flag in front of a veteran or someone else who has put his or her life on the line for their country is an act not deserving protection. Our Nation is unique in the world because our citizens represent a variety of heritages. religions. ethnicities. and political viewpoints. Indeed. we debate our differences openly and vigorously. yet we can always look to the flag and remember that we share certain score values that bind us together as a people. For over 200 years. our flag has flown proudly over our Nation. a visible promise of our commitment to the preservation and expansion of democracy. However. symbols. like values. are eroded gradually. Each time they are desecrated. their symbolism is diminished. We must act now to protect one of our Nations most sacred symbols because the Supreme Court has struck down Congress effort to protect the flag by statute. It is now necessary to amend the Constitution to give Congress the authority to protect the flag. Supreme Court Justices as varied as William Rehnquist. Warren Burger. and Hugo Black have all recognized the appropriateness of these desecration statutes that were struck down by the Court. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6483}
{"speech_id":1090044881,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 10. Of course. words or other forms of expression do not have to be correct in order to be protected. And clearly. free speech goes beyond the written or spoken word -to include other forms of expression. including the wearing of symbols and other actions. Not all actions constitute free speech. and I am hardly alone in asserting that flag desecration isnt free speech to be protected under the First Amendment. \"I believe that the states and federal government do have the power to protect the flag from acts of desecration and disgrace.\" wrote former Chief Justice Earl Warren. This view is shared by many past and present justices of the U.S. Supreme Court across the ideological spectrum. including Hugo Black. Abe Fortas. Byron White. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6483}
{"speech_id":1090044881,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Paul Stevens. Sandra Day OConnor and current Chief Justice William Rehnquist. These eminent men and women havent taken a merely political stance based upon \"shallow assumptions\" or \"perilously sloppy thinking.\" Rather. they rely upon wellestablished principles. \"Surely one of the high purposes of a democratic society.\" wrote Rehnquist. \"is to legislate against conduct that is regarded as evil and profoundly offensive to the majority of people whether it be murder. embezzlement. pollution or flag burning.\" Free speech isnt the right to do anything you want to do anytime you want to do it. Rather. its a precious liberty founded in lawa freedom preserved by respect for the rights of others. To say that society isnt entitled to establish rules of behavior. governing its members is either to abandon any meaningful definition of civilization or to believe that civilization can survive without regard to the feelings or decent treatment of others. To burn a flag in front of a veteran orsomeone else who has put his or her life on the line for their country is a despicable act not deserving protection. Its wellestablished that certain types of speech may be prevented under some circumstances. including lewd. obscene. profane. libelous. insulting or fighting words. When it comes to actions. the proscriptions may be even broader. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6483}
{"speech_id":1090044886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. the major argument that we have heard against the base amendment and in favor of the Watt substitute is that if we do not pass the Watt substitute. we will be amending the Bill of Rights for the first time in the history of this country. That is not true. In the Dred Scott decision. Chief Justice Taney .claimed that the fifth amendments due process clause. which he interpreted to include a sulstantive right to the protection of property. prohibited restrictions on slave ownership. The three amendments that were passed during the Civil War. the 13th. 14th and 15th amendments. corrected that gross constitutional misinterpretation and it slammed the door shut so tightly that that issue never has been raised again. and our country has been much. much better for it. In a similar manner. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1272}
{"speech_id":1090044886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"House Joint Resolution 10 seeks to correct two Supreme Court precedents that repudiated 2 centuries of jurisprudence. The time to correct those two precedents is today. We must vote against the Watt substitute amendment which guts the thrust of House Joint Resolution 10 and then pass House Joint Resolution 10 by a twothirds majority to send it to the other body. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1272}
{"speech_id":1090044996,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman and I thank the interest of Ms. Johnson. the lead staff for the committee on legislative branch issues. Would the chairman be willing to make sure that this gets raised to the appropriate people so we could address it in a constructive way?","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090044997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would be very happy to join with the gentleman in that discussion. I think I probably will discuss it with my wife as well. but in the meantime. you and I work together on the committee. and I am happy to work with you on almost any issue you might raise.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090045000,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. I would like to commend Chairman LEWIS. the committee and the staff for their fine work on this bill and the process. We are coming down the home stretch. and we should all be proud of that. This bill contains $10.5 million to pay our heating bill. natural gas. That is a 25 percent increase over last year. When we get that kind of an increase. the Architect asks us for more money and we provide it. If natural gas prices continue as they are. next year we will be looking at a 3 to $4 million increase to heat our Capitol complex for the same amount of heat. We can do that. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1924}
{"speech_id":1090045000,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will provide the money. But when our folks back home heating their homes. running their businesses have these kind of natural gas increases. I think it is time for Congress to act. As we speak. the fertilizer industry. the petrochemical industry. and the polymers and plastic industry are all making plans to leave this country permanently. because they use natural gas as heat and they use it to make products as an ingredient. Forty to 55 percent of their costs are natural gas. Natural gas prices in this country are an island to themselves. When we buy 58 or $60 oil. the whole world does. Our gas prices this week are $7.60. Canadas are $6. Europes are 5something. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1924}
{"speech_id":1090045000,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chinas are $4 giving them a huge advantage. Trinidad $1.60. Russia 90 cents and North Africa 80 cents. Folks. we will be looking next year at a 3 to $4 million increase to heat this Capitol. By that time. we will have lost some of the industriesthat I have talked about. and we will have seniors leaving their homes because they cannot afford to heat them. I am challenging this Congress to deal with the natural gas issue. the clean fuel. the fuel that does not have pollutants. the fuel we have an unlimited supply of for the next 50 to 100 years. and I am challenging this Congress to deal with natural gas.","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1924}
{"speech_id":1090045005,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me tell the gentleman that I am very appreciative of his interest in the institutions history. As he is .aware. the Speaker controls the placement of plaques on the House side of the Capitol. Their placement is very restricted. and we attempt to achieve recognition of events and places normally through other means. The Capitol Visitors Center is being designed to provide our visitors with a much fuller understanding and history of the House and Senate. Included in the CVC is a 16.000 squarefoot exhibit hall. In this exhibit hall. the architectural and legislative history of the institution are highlighted. As part of the currently proposed CVC exhibits are detailed sections on the history of the Capitol and included in this is the fact that when the Capitol was originally built. it was used for more than legislative meetings. It was commonly. used as the community center for the citizens of Washington. D.C. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1270}
{"speech_id":1090045005,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During that time. there were few places for meetings or church services. Thus. it is correct that such religious services were held here. All these facts are included in the CVC exhibits. and I would encourage that the education of citizens be pursued in this venue so that a more complete history beyond a plaque can be presented.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1270}
{"speech_id":1090045015,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. is there any reason that we could not move forward with a constitutional amendment and a statutory proposal at exactly the same time that would accomplish the mission rather than leave us vulnerable for 7 weeks after a catastrophe?","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":265}
{"speech_id":1090045025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my distinkuished colleague. and I appreciate his leadership on this issue. The gentleman from California spoke eloquently about the need for the Rohrabacher\/Baird amendment. and I would like to address it briefly. if I may. Madison is quoted on this topic. but. let me quote Madison from Federalist 47. He said: \"The accumulation of all powers. legislative. executive. and judiciary in the same hands. whether of one. a few. or many. and whether hereditary. selfappointed. or elected. may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.\" Now. I would like. if I may. to ask my colleagues. before we pass this appropriations bill with legislative language in it alleging to maintain continuity. to maybe address a couple of questions. before my colleagues vote on this. and I will yield time. Not for a filibuster. but just to address some questions. How will We. given Madisons concern. maintain checks and balances during the 49day period until we have the special elections? I would be happy to yield 30 seconds to anyone who plans to vote for this bill to address that question.","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1108}
{"speech_id":1090045028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I will address it in this way: I was here on 9\/11. as the gentleman was. There is absolutely nothing for the Members of Congress to do. That is the answer to the gentlemans question. The whole thing was taken over by the administration. There is not going to be anything for any Member of Congress. any major decisions to be made during that period of time. We do not need to be around here.","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":405}
{"speech_id":1090045127,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I oppose the amendment offered by the gentleman from North Carolina . As the Ranking Member of the Joint Committee on Printing. I can appreciate the gentlemans interest in reducing excessive printing and diverting the funds to more useful purposes. However. rather than shifting spending from GPO to the Capitol Police. the amendment has the potential merely to increase spending. This is because the congressional printing and binding appropriation is not a traditional appropriation to support a predetermined amount of work by the GPO. It is a prepayment for the work Congress orders from GPO. The GPO will perform whatever work Congress orders. and Congress will pay for it in a subsequent appropriation. if necessary. Merely reducing the printing and binding appropriation Will not reduce the amount of printing. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1292}
{"speech_id":1090045127,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By contrast. the amendment would shift the GPO funds to the Capitol Police. which could and presumably would spend the money for its general expenses. The Appropriations Committee has recommended the sum of $29.3 million for the Capitol Polices general expenses. As Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee. which has jurisdiction over the Capitol Police. I believe we should accept the Appropriations Committees recommendation. I urge a \"no\" vote.","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1292}
{"speech_id":1090045205,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for coming down this evening to share her views with the viewers and with the Members of Congress. because she certainly brings a very unique perspective. This brings me to the discussion of how women are treated under the current system. Under the current payasyougo Social Security system. not one person is actually guaranteed benefits. Yes. you heard me right. Not one person is guaranteed access to the money that they contributed to the program over their working life. You might ask why. and it is actually because the United States Supreme Court has ruled that Social Security is not a guaranteed benefit and can be changed at any time by an act of Congress. As you can well imagine. this ruling disproportionately affects women. especially those women who were not in the workforce and who rely on their spouses income and savings for their retirement. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9488}
{"speech_id":1090045205,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If a woman did not work and have the opportunity to save and invest on her own throughout her lifetime. she is often totally reliant on her family and Social Security for her retirement years. In fact. Social Security is the only source of income nationwide for 29 percent of unmarried elderly women. That includes many widows. In my district. it is even higher. It is somewhere around 34 percent. Let me repeat that: in my congressional district. the Fifth Congressional District in Florida. about 34 percent of the Social Security recipients are unmarried elderly women. And that is their only source of retirement income. Social Security should certainly be there for elderly women during their golden years. It should not be taken away by the government inaction of a stubborn and hardheaded minority. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9488}
{"speech_id":1090045205,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As we have heard from the previous speakers who have been here. women deserve better from Social Security than what we are promised under the program in place today. In fact. for many women who work today. they are taxed their entire life without the possibility of seeing any of their hardearned tax dollars returned to them. How. you ask? Well. in many families throughout the United States. both the husband and wife work outside the home. with the husband being most of the time the primary breadwinner. If the woman is a widow. once she reaches retirement. she will receive the greater of either her husbands benefit or her own. but not both. In some cases. the loss in income can be as much as a third. Let me just demonstrate that for you on the chart next to me of two families. We have two families here. We have the Smiths and we have the Greens. The Smiths happen to be a singleearner couple. Mr. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9488}
{"speech_id":1090045205,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Smith earns $3.000 a month. and Mrs. Smith is a stayathome mom and earns nothing. The total Smith income per month is $3.000. When it comes time for retirement. Mr. Smiths monthly benefit is $1.300 a month. Mrs. Smiths monthly benefit is $650. The Smiths total benefit is $1.950. The dualearner couple. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9488}
{"speech_id":1090045205,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Green. Mr. Green earns $2.000 a month. Mrs. Green earns $1.000 a month. so they have the same combined income as the Smiths. Their combined monthly in-. come is $3.000. The retirement benefit. however. Mr. Greens monthly benefit is $1.000. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9488}
{"speech_id":1090045211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to point out the gentleman from California was a Peace Corps volunteer himself in Latin America and is a fluent Spanish speaker. and I think the perspective he brings shows that even though the wages are so much higher in these countries. it .is not a question of we just want to shut them off and agreement is going to have this domikeep them away and not let them com- nant United States. just sort of the big. pete and all of that in the world econ- huge 800pound gorilla move into these omy. It is a question of development countries and wipe out their local idenand bringing up their standard of liv- tity. wipe out their local culture and ing. These trade agreements in the past customs and essentially homogenize have not done that. the whole thing with American fastTalk to us. if the gentleman will. food chains and American businesses. about from your perspective what de- So where I am concerned about this velopment means. The gentleman is that I think if we want to have a talked about water systems and all of winwin. I mean. frankly. the Central that. Instead of a CAFTA that does not American markets. these are small lift standards up. what kinds of things countries. These are poor countries. work the most and. in particular. the There is not a huge market down there. poorest of these countries in Nicaragua This is not going to put a big blip on and Honduras and Guatemala whose in- Americas foreign trade. This is not come is about. in some cases. less than like trading with China or trading with onetenth of ours. onefifteenth of ours. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1682}
{"speech_id":1090045211,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Europe. These are some of the smallest if the gentleman would. countries in the entire. well. they are","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1682}
{"speech_id":1090045237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"$350 billion. it started. at the very beginning. Then it became $400 billion. Then you and I sat in this Chamber until 3 in the morning and watched the arms get twisted. the eyes start to bulge. the chicken wings were coming in. they had the arms behind peoples backs. A $400 billion Medicare prescription drug bill passed this Chamber by just a few votes. with a lot of arm twisting. Then we find out a couple of months later that the $400 billion prescription drug bill that was $350 billion became $700 billion. And then we found out that the $700 billion prescription drug bill that was a $400 billion prescription drug bill that was actually a $350 billion prescription drug bill became over $1 trillion when you start factoring in some of the outyears with absolutely no cost containment through reimportation or giving the Secretary the power to negotiate down the drug prices. So now all of a sudden we go with the Social Security program. and let us not even talk about the war and all the nonsense that was given to us prior to the war and what ended up playing out. we will keep it on domestic programs. now we are in the Social Security and now they are telling us that. well. we had these private accounts and they were going to not cost too much and they were going to save us money in the long run. and we started the crunching the numbers. and we got to the fact that it was going to be $2 trillion over 10 years. $5 trillion over 20 years. Our national debt now is $7.8 trillion. and we are going to add an additional 5 over the next 20 years. But now that did not work so now we are going to go back to the drawing board. and we are going to start playing a shell game with the Treasury bonds. but the bottom line in this is that they are still taking surplus money that is being used right now going into domestic programs. going to reduce the amount of the debt. They are going to put this in some kind of private account somewhere that nobody really seems to know what it is and have no way of balancing the budget or making investments for the American people.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2082}
{"speech_id":1090045250,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman gets a chance. I would like him to be able to share the Web site information and email information not only with the Members. Mr. Speaker. but making sure that everyone knows exactly what we are talking about here. And I think it is important that we couch this 30Something Working Group hour in saying that 7we have a number of issues that have to be addressed in America. We have issues .that are facing people that punch in and punch out every day. or once did. individuals that ran a small business. put their kids through college. now having to really work hard to help their children or grandchildren make it in this America. And so it is important that we bring issue to that. It is also important to let people know that we have ideas. not only concerns but ideas. And we present that every week. at least two proposals that our colleagues have put forth or we have put forth to be able to strengthen America. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1155}
{"speech_id":1090045250,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it is important that we continue on this track. I want to thank \u0095 the gentleman and other members of the 30Something Working Group for doing what they do. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio .","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1155}
{"speech_id":1090045319,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me speak briefly. I thank my colleague for yielding me some time to conclude my remarks here. and I compliment him on his statement. The Constitution is very clear. It says in article I of the Constitutionand Senator BYRD isnt on the floor. but he is usually reading this to usthat \"the Congress shall have the power\"-then it lists a whole bunch of things--\"to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States and with the Indian tribes.\" This is a question of siting import and export terminals. so that we can conduct business with foreign nations. Clearly. there are major authorities that States and local governments have to participate in this process and to object. Anybody who has tried to site one of these terminalsand I have talked to several of themwill tell you there are a lot of people in the process who can say \"no\" and that \"no\" will stick. The States clearly are in that position. The States. under the Coastal Zone Management Act. have the ability to say no. if they do not determine that the permitting or that the applichnt who is seeking a permit is consistent with the States coastal laws. Under the Clean Water Act. the State can say no and deny a certification under section 411 if they determine that the proposal has not complied with the State water quality standards. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2520}
{"speech_id":1090045319,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are a variety of places where the State can say no and. of course. local communities as well. What we have tried to do in the underlying bill is to be sure that once the need for process is completed. once the State has signed off on various permits and certifications. then there is not an additional problem that can be raised by the Governor of the State. Presumably. that- government will have been involved in every stage of this process. and that States appropriate agencies will have been involved in every stage of the process. But we need to have some finality to this. and we need to be able to be sure FERC can go ahead with the siting if they determine. after all this has been done. that in fact this is a safe project that makes sense and ought to be permitted. That is all we are trying to do in the bill. The amendment of the Senator from California would have the effect of saying to Governors that you have the final word. Regardless of what FERC determines. regardless of what the process reveals. regardless of any of that. if you still dont like it. you can say no. That is not a good process. That will not give the confidence and assurance that is needed.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2520}
{"speech_id":1090045347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. obviously there is no time agreement. but I understand Senator BYRD is ready to go. to proceed with his amendment. I understand that is going to be accepted. We will have somebody take my place here to manage our side. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090045415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank the Senator from Arizona for pointing out that point. And I thankit must be Vanna White holding the chart. I ask unanimous consent. on behalf of the Senator from Vermont. that he be allowed to remain seatedhe just had recent knee surgeryas he delivers his remarks for up to 10 minutes.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":310}
{"speech_id":1090045419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. seeing none of my colleagues on the floor. I will proceed for a moment or two and then suggest the absence of a quorum. Yesterday. Senator MCCAIN and I laid down the basic arguments for our amendment. The fact is that the planet is warming. It is warming as a result of human actions. This is no more just a matter of science. although most scientists agree with this. We can see it. We can see it in the kinds of satellite photos that Senator MCCAIN showed such as in the case of the State of Florida. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6979}
{"speech_id":1090045419,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The most graphic evidence is the satellite photos of the polar icecaps. The way in which they have diminished. shrunk. over the last 10. 15. 20 years is startling. with the obvious effect that the water is rising. One could pick their favorite story of evidence. The one that we cite a lot is the Inuit people. the native people in northern Canada. saw robins a few years ago for the first time in their 10.000year history. They did not have a word for \"robin.\" They had to create a word. That reality is something my friend from Vermont is aware of. Senator JEFFORDS has been a great crusader. in the best sense of the word. for environmental protection. He is from the green state. as he says. He has been a wonderfully green Senator in the best sense of that term. and I thank him for his support of this amendment. This amendment is the only amendment that will come before the Senatethat will do something about global warming. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6979}
{"speech_id":1090045419,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With all respect to the amendment offered by the Senator from Nebraska yesterday. it offers some technology support. it may request a report or two. but all of its goals are voluntary. We found out in the 1990s that voluntary goals do not work. that the planet has continued to warm. The result of that conclusion was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Bush administration has now taken us out of that protocol. I wish to make very clear that the amendment Senator MCCAIN and I have introduced sets goals for a reduction of greenhouse gases by the United States much below what Kyoto requires. In fact. I think if one puts the Hagel amendment of yesterday on one side and the Kyoto Protocol on the other. Senator MCCAIN and I are right in the middle where we like to be. In this case. substantively. we are in the middle. This amendment makes meaningful reductions. by 2010. to reduce American emissions of greenhouse gases to the 2000 level. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6979}
{"speech_id":1090045419,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It creates a meaningful market. and it is the only one that does that. It is not oldtime command and control. This is bringing in an enormous number and range of emissions reduction options for businesses and other sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The allowances are allocated at the point of emissions to electricity and industrial sectors. Agriculture can participate in this program on a voluntary basis. They are not covered mandatorily at all. This is a tremendous opportunity for the agriculture sector of our economy to come in voluntary and say. I want to earn some credits by reducing some sources of greenhouse gas or. even nore. I want to make some money by holding some of my land in uses that will absorb carbon dioxide and therefore achieve some credits that can be sold. In our amendment. this is a maximum opportunity for innovation and cost savings. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6979}
{"speech_id":1090045419,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the foremost studies conducted by a group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concluded that perhousehold cost of the passage of this billwe are going to hear a lot of numbers about thisis in the range of $15 to $20 per year more per household. I am sure if the average American householder were asked whether he or she would pay $15 to $20--frankly. a lot would be willing to pay a lot moreto deal with the problem of global warming so that we can preserve this planet and turn it over to our children as close as possible to the way we found it. they would say yes. That is not even taking into account the innovative. costsaving technologies that this bill. will support in research. It is a comprehensive technology strategy that we offer. We have a new title this year that creates a technology program funded by the sale of allowances. not appropriations. would stimulate innovation at each of the three critical phases of innovation: engineering. fulltime construction. and bringing it to market. The language in this amendment says that the funding would go to a series of possible uses. including but not limited to biofuels. solar. advanced clean coal. and nuclear. All of the technologies must meet environmental and economic criteria to gain support. and any technology beyond the ones we mentioned is eligible for funding. This is a real economic investment and economic growth section of this bill. I know there are some who are concerned about the mere mention of nuclear. The fact is. today 20 percent of electric power generated in America comes from nuclear plants. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6979}
{"speech_id":1090045445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. I also want to quote a Republican friend of mine who recently pledged to .cut Californias carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80 percent over the next 50 years: I say. the debate is over. We know the science. We see the threat. and we know the time for action is now. I want to ask. what does the chief executive of California know that the chief executive of our country may not yet know? Our country is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The Governator knows that. He knows we account for almost 20 percent of the worlds manmade greenhouse emissions. He also knows we account for about onequarter of the worlds economic output. The bottom line is. the United States has a responsibility to lead on this issue.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":738}
{"speech_id":1090045470,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am not going to continue this because I am afraid it may evoke further comments by the Senator from Idaho that may further diminish the reputation of a great European leader. who is obviously committed to addressing the issue of climate change. I will just say that in the joint academies statement. it says in the global response to climate change. there will always be uncertainty in inderstanding a system as complex as the worlds climate. However. there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. The question is: Are we going to do something meaningful about it. or are we going to have a figleaf. such as we just passed with the Hagel amendment? I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Illinois.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":742}
{"speech_id":1090045547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will use my leader time. Mr. President. global warming constitutes one of the greatest challenges of our time. I believe that. Greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels have threatened not only our environment but also our economy and -public lands. Should we continue unabated our current rate of polluting. we threaten to disrupt the delicate ecological balance on which our livelihoods and our lives depend. Addressing this growing environmental threat demands strong leadership. I am afraid such leadership has been sorely lacking by this administration. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090045547,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead. the White House has been doctoring information about global warming in reports by Government scientists. A White House senior official named Philip Cooney. removed or adjusted descriptions of climate change research that scientists had already approved. Mr. Cooney previously worked as a lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute before joining the administration in 2001. A few days after resigning from the administration. Mr. Cooney had the audacity. and ExxonMobil had the misfortune and the inability to see how wrong they were. they hired him. ExxonMobil hired himthe same ExxonMobil that has opposed measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has funded groups of global warming skeptics. .It is time for the administration to bypass the filtering by White House officials and hear directly from the scientists. the international community. corporations. and a growing number of Republicans who are calling for a Federal policy to reduce global warming pollution. The President is increasingly isolated on this issue. as highlighted recently in a number of ways. First. in advance of the G8 summit next month. the National .Academy of Sciences and the equivalent organizations from 10 other countries said last week: The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090045547,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is vital that all nations identify costeffective steps that they can take now to contribute to substantial and longterm reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions. Even \"The Terminator.\" California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. recently said. \"The debate is over.\" and announced a goal of cutting the States emissions by 80 percent by the year A bipartisan group of mayors from 158 American cities issued a statement calling on the Federal Government to reduce global warming. The mayors. who represent 32 million people. acknowledged the clear public mandate to address this issue and opined that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help ensure our energy security for this country. Even industry is breaking ranks with the White House. General Electric. one of the largest companies in the Nation. if not the largest. recently joined a growing list of businesses calling on the Federal Government to provide stronger leadership on global warming. Fortune 500 companies. such as Alcoa. British Petroleum. DuPont. Eastman Kodak. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090045547,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"IBM. Intel. Johnson & Johnson. and Nike. to name a few. have all made significant reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions. The United States accounts for about 4 percent of the worlds population. Yet it is responsible for more than 25 percent of the worlds global warming pollution. U.S. leadership on global warming is critical to building international support for future global reductions. and Americas industry needs to be part of the solution to drive the technology that will make technology solutions feasible to all nations. We must set the example. The McCainLieberman amendment would cap greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 at 2000 levels and establish a mandatory economywide capandtrade program. The amendment would limit emissions of global warming pollutants by electric utilities. major industrial and commercial entities. and refiners of transportation fuels. The amendment would allow businesses to devise and implement their own solutions using a flexible emissions trading system that has successfully reduced acid rain pollution under the Clear Air Act at a fraction of anticipated costs. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090045547,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By setting reasonable caps on emissions and permitting industry to trade in pollution allowances. this creates a new market for reducing greenhouse gases. We cannot afford to defer action to address global warming. I commend and applaud these two great Senators for joining together to bring to the attention of the Senate a world problem that takes the. United States. via example. to solve. Mr. President. I ask for the yeas and nays on the amendment.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090045676,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. would the Chair recite the request now as it relates to the section pertinent to the Senator from Virginia? I say to my colleagues. if you would be willing to each speak 5 minutes. I will take 5. 5 minutes each for the Senators from Florida and New Jersey in opposition. then I will move to strike the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090045711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I reluctantly rise to speak against this amendment. I do so for some very basic and sound reasons. I will just mention a few of them. No. 1. this amendment moves in the exact opposite direction of the legislation that is before us. I have been working with Senators DOMENICI and ALEXANDER and others- on the committee to develop a piece of legislation that would provide for the energy future of the country. would encourage domestic development of energy from all sources. all available sources. We are encouraging development of clean. coal. natural gas. nuclear power. oil resources. hydrogen technology. renewable fuels. electricity. and in each case. we have tried to simplify the process that a person or applicant has to go through in order to develop these resources and meet the needs of the country. as we see them. We have also put incentives in this bill so as to further the development of these resources. This amendment. with regard to wind power. does just the opposite of that. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090045711,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It raises obstacles. and it says that we are going to make it more and more difficult for people to proceed with development of wind power projects. How does it do that? It goes through and it .says we are going to. first of all. designate what we call highly scenic areas. Highly scenic areas are fairly broadly defined. they are any area listed as an official United Nations educational. scientific. cultural or World Heritage site. as supported by the Department of the Interior. National Park Service. and International Council of Monuments and Sites. Any lands designated as a national park. national lakeshore. national seashore. national wildlife refuge. national military park. Flint Hillsit goes on and on. It says if you are a highly scenic area. then a socalled qualified wind project. which is any wind turbine project located in a highly scenic area or within 20 miles of the boundary of various of these things I have listed herethen it says over here a qualified wind project shall not be eligible for any Federal tax subsidy. That essentially says there are not going to be wind power projects constructed in any of these locations. I think if we have ever had a proposal that is a onesizefitsall proposal. this is that. There are a great many of these sites. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090045711,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I point out. also. by way of just a historical note. I think this will be the first time. if this amendment is adopted. that the Congress has put in law a provision that essentially recognizes the significance of World Heritage sites designated by the United Nations. I remember debates on the floor in recent years where people objected to the whole notion that U.N. World Heritage sites were oing to get some kind of. special protection. In this amendment. we are saying they get special protection. We are not going to allow the construction of one of these wind projects within 20 miles of them. To my mind. there are undoubtedly areas in this country where we dont want windmills. I agree. But I think that needs to be a decision that is made on the basis of the local circumstances. on the basis of the geography of the area. and I think what we are trying to do here is sort of pass a very broad prohibition. against getting tax benefits. If you want to build a site that is Within 20 miles of any of these things. then you are out of luck. as far as any Federal tax support. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090045711,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that is contrary to the whole thrust of the legislation. I think it is contrary to good sense. In my own State of New Mexico. we have several sites that are listed. I have a list that the Senator from Tennessee has been kind enough to give me called. \"Scenic Sites that are Protected by this Legislation.\" When you . go down the list. in my State. you can see Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Well. I could conceive of the people in Carlsbad. NM. wanting a wind farm. a wind project within 20 miles of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.- I can conceive of there being an area within that 20mile radius that would be appropriate for a wind site. I dont know that that is the case. but I would hate to legislate a prohibition against it. The same with Chaco Culture National Historic Park and with Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the Pueblo de Taos. which has been exempted. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090045711,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate that. The Senator from TennesseeI mentioned to him there may be a desire on the part of people in the Taos area in my State to go ahead and have a wind project. I need to be legislating a prohibition against thata prohibition on any Federal tax support in that circumstance. Each Senator can look at the list and see whether they want to do this to their home State. I think if people will look at this list carefully and get on the telephone and call back to their States. they may find this is not something they wholeheartedly embrace. The Senator from Idaho. Senator CRAIG. has asked for 5 minutes. I yield him 5 minutes.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090045741,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I emphasize to my col- year 2000 when President Bush took ofleagues. this sense of the Senate is not fice. he had any number of options in about Kyoto. It is not asking us to* get fice. he had He numb e us in invoved n Koto actthefront of him. He could have used the involved in Kyoto. In fact. the diplo- bully pulpit to push for greater particimatic issue is no longer Kyoto yes or no. The world understands that we pation from the largest emitters in the no. he wrld ndestans thtis world. He could have focused on targets need to move beyond Kyoto. Kyoto is beyond 2012. He could have reached out limited in time and in participation. to less developed countries and offered Many of us. myself included. objected tehnical counrie and ology. to that flaw in Kyoto because it left technical assistance and technology. out many nations. We need to see that He might have pushed for a more roKyoto. however. as a foundation for bust trading program or greater techglobal cooperation with the principles nology transfer. but he took a decidof binding targets and emissions trad- edly different tack contrary to the ing can serve as a\/blueprint for how to science. He flatly rejected the active reduce those emissions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10833}
{"speech_id":1090045741,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Other nations approach of the prior administration are ready to start a dialogue about the and in many ways he even rejected the future. incremental approach. voluntary apPrime Minister Blair is capitalizing proach. of his own father. Instead. in on his chairmanship of the G8 to press the months after taking office. the for broad cooperative action. but the President questioned the underlying United States alone stands silent and science. He broke a campaign promise apart from this process. That has to to cap carbon emissions from powerstop. We cannot wait for Kyoto to ex- plants. He rebuked his EPA chief for pire in order to consider the next steps. positive comments about Kyoto. He We need to evaluate options now. We proposed an energy plan that would inneed to signal to the world that we are crease pollution. and he withdrew from prepared to shoulder our fair share of the protocol and the international the burden of dealing with this prob- process altogether. lem. and we need to put action behind If the Senate is prepared. as we just our words. accepting the principle of were. to embrace domestic efforts. at binding pollution reduction as a crit- least in principle. we need to embrace ical way of engaging- the developing the larger effort to reach out to the world. world and create a global approach so A number of proposals have been put that all of us can avoid the potential on the table. from a G8 program to pro- downside of what scientists tell us is mote renewable energy. to technology coming our way. funding. to development. to the frame- I reserve the remainder of my time. work convention. We do not suffer from The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who a lack of ideas as to what to do. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10833}
{"speech_id":1090045741,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What yields time? we need is leadership. and the Senate The Senator from New Mexico. has an opportunity to make a state- Mr. DOMENICI. I yield such time as ment about that. he may consume -to the Senator from No climate change program is going Idaho. to work without all of the nations of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senthe world being involved. and no cli- ator from Idaho is recognized. mate plan can pass Congress. obvi- Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President. I will not ously. that does not have their partici- take a great deal of time. but I want to pation. Their emissions may be a frac- visit this issue in the context that it tion of what the developed world does has just been presented by our colnow. but without action they are going league from Massachusetts. First. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10833}
{"speech_id":1090045741,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I to skyrocket and they would soon ex- think it is awfully important to underceed the largest nations emissions. stand a couple of things that just have and we cannot suffer that. transpired that the Senator referenced I had the privilege of goingto Rio 13 as it relates to these National Acadyears agoI guess it was to the Earth emies of Science. On the surface. when one reads that and sees that the G8 academies are all standing together. including ours. one would say. wow. that is a powerful statement. What I am terribly afraid has happened is that. good academicians and scientists have in some way been coopted and in this case possibly politicized. Let me explain what I am talking about. It is terribly frustrating for meand I trust it is for the Senator from Massachusettsto see a group of scientists say one thing at one time and something elsea little later. After that statement came out. I asked Bruce Alberts. the president of our National Academy of Sciences. what was meant by this statement. In his reply to me. here is what he said: The press release is not an accurate charactdrization of the eleven academies statement. and it is not an accurate characterization of our 1992 report. I have enclosed a copy of the letter that I sent yesterday to Dr. May. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10833}
{"speech_id":1090045741,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President of the Royal Society [who is pushing this initiative right now because. obviously. Prime Minister Blair is the chairman of the G8.] expressing my displeasure with their press release. Here is what President May said in return to our own president of our own National Academy of Sciences: Weve read what you said and weve read what .youve written and weve chosen to interpret it differentlr. Stop and think about that. Are scientists -at the National Academy of Sciences. who we rely on. who we think have done credible work and are advancing the issue and building the science on climate change from the 1992 report to the path forward and beyond. recognizing there is an increase in temperature and saying there may be a direct relationship between that temperature rise and greenhouse gases? No. the collective academies jump to a different conclusion. And then the Royal Academy suggests that. well. we just do not interpret it the way you interpret your own work. It is one scientist saying: We know better what you have said than what you have said. Here is exactly what Dr. Robert May. head of the Royal Academy. said: Given the very clear recommendations that your 1992 report contains for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I fail to see how you could make the accusation that our press release misrepresents its contenis. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10833}
{"speech_id":1090045878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I cast a vote for the McCainLieberman climate stewardship and innovation amendment to H.R. 6. My vote is a statement on the need for the United States to take action to address global climate change in a real and proactive manner. The authors of the amendment have recently added provisions related to nuclear power. I dont agree that these two policy issues should be linked. but it was my colleagues option. The real message and point of this amendment remains that the United States needs to acknowledge and rapidly begin addressing global climate change. Voluntary measures are constructive but not good enough. We cannot afford to sit back and indulge those who choose against making reductions in harmful emissions at the expense of those who do. Scientific evidence shows that global warming poses a real threat to the Pacific Northwest environment. way of life. and economy. IAs the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases. we should lead by example and innovation. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1502}
{"speech_id":1090045878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should not wait for other countries to lead on this important priority. We should seek and promote technologies that promote energy efficiency and make significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. as the climate stewardship and innovation amendment would have~us do. Mr. President. I support this amendment because it commits the United States to a mandatory program that makes real cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. This amendment will make our country. and the entire globe. a safer. cleaner place.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1502}
{"speech_id":1090045891,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to offer. along with Senator COLLINS. an amendment to ensure that the Department of Energy. DOE. carries out the direction in this bill to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. SPR. in a costeffective manner. I would like to thank the managers of the bill. Senators DOMENICI and BINGAMAN. and Senators WYDEN and SCHUMER for working with Senator COLLINS and myself so that this amendment can be accepted. The Energy Bill being considered by the Senate today directs the Secretary of Energy to \"as expeditiously as practicable. without incurring excessive cost or appreciably affecting the price of gasoline or heating oil to consumers. acquire petroleum in quantities sufficient to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to [1 billion barrels].\" This amendment will help the DOE ensure that it will acquire oil for the SPR without incurring excessive cost or appreciably affecting gasoline or heating oil prices. The amendment is simple. It directs DOE to consider the price of oil and other market factors when buying oil for the SPR. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8196}
{"speech_id":1090045891,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also directs DOE to minimize the programs cost to the taxpayer while maximizing our energy security. At the same time. it does not restrict the Secretary of Energys discretion to determine how quickly to fill the SPR. or when to put more oil into the SPR. A nearly identical amendment that I offered with Senator COLLINS was adopted by the Senate by voice vote on the Interior Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 2004. Unfortunately. it was not retained in conference. Under the amendment. DOE would have the discretion to determine when to buy oil for the SPR. and under which procedures. but DOE would be directed to use that discretion in a way to minimize costs while maximizing national energy security. The amendment also requires DOE to seek public comment on the procedures to be used to acquire oil. The Department would be wise to especially seek comment from energy industry experts and economists as to the effect that filling the SPR can haveand has hadon oil prices. I believe the Department can learn from our experience over the past few years as to the significant effect the SPR fill can have on oil prices. Since late 2001. the DOE has been steadily adding oil to the SPR. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8196}
{"speech_id":1090045891,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In late 2001. the Reserve held about 560 million barrels of oil. today it holds nearly 695 million barrels. DOE expects to complete its current program to fill the SPR to 700 million barrels in August of this year. Since early 2002. DOE has been acquiring oil for the SPR without regard to the price or supply of oil. Prior to that time. DOE bought more oil when the price of oil was low and inventories were full. and less oil when the price of oil was high and inventories low. In early 2002. DOE abandoned this marketbased approach. Instead. it adopted the current approach. which does not consider cost or any other market factors when buying oil. During this period the price of oil has been very highoften over $30 per barreland the oil markets have been tight. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8196}
{"speech_id":1090045891,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This costblind approach has increased the costs of the program to the taxpayer and put further pressure on tight oil markets. boosting oil and gasoline prices to American consumers and businesses. Any successful businessman knows the saying. \"Buy low. sell high.\" This is true for oil as well as for pork bellies. for the U.S. Government as well- as for oil companies. In 2002. the DOEs staff recommended against buying more oil for the SPR in tight markets. As prices were rising and inventories falling. the DOEs SPR staff warned: Commercial inventories are low. retail prices are high and economic growth is slow. The Government should avoid acquiring oil for the Reserve under these circumstances. The administration disregarded these warnings. SPR deliveries proceeded. As the DOE staff predicted. oil supplies tightened. and prices climbed. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8196}
{"speech_id":1090045891,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"American consumers paid the price. In 2003. the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations published a report on how this change in DOE policy hurt consumers without providing any additional energy security. The investigation found: Filling the SPR in tight market increased U.S. oil prices and hurt U.S. consumers. Filling the SPR regardless of oil prices increased taxpayer costs. Despite its high cost. filling the SPR [in 2002] did not increase overall U.S. oil supplies.. The March report also warned that the deliveries that were then scheduled for later in 2003 would drive oil prices higher because prices were high and inventories were low. This prediction turned out to be accurate. Many experts have said that filling the SPR during the tight oil markets over the past several years increased oil prices. In January 2004. Goldman Sachs. the largest crude oil trader in the world. reported \"government storage builds will provide persistent support to the markets -meaning that filling the SPR pushes up pricesand that \"government storage builds have lowered commercially available petroleum supplies.\" Bill Greehey. chief executive of Valero Energy. the largest independent refiner in the U.S.. criticized the administration for filling- the SPR in tight markets. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8196}
{"speech_id":1090045903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on May 31. the first edition in Russian of President Kennedys famous book. \"Profiles in Courage.\" was published. and to mark the occasion. our Ambassador in Moscow. Alexander Vershbow. held a reception at the U.S. Embassy. As part of the occasion. the Embassy honored the winner of a \"Profiles in Courage\" essay contest organized by the Embassy. in whicp Russian high school students were encouraged to write essays on political leaders who showed extraordinary political courage of the kind described by my brother in his book. The contest was conducted It was a rhetorical question. of course. under the Public Diplomacy Program Gaydar had no doubt that Chubais would acof the Embassy. and I commend the cept responsibility. I think that taking upon oneself the reState Department and the Ambassador sponsibility for carrying out the necessary. for this inspiring initiative. but extremely unpopular action on a naThe author of the winning essay is tional scale. and performing it efficiently Ivan Dmitriyevich Yevstafyev. a 15- and quickly. demands from a politician and a year old student in the ninth grade at person true civic courage. His- contemthe Second School Lyceum in Moscow. poraries are not able to appreciate the imHis essay. \"Genius and Villain.\" de- portance of his actions. scribes how Anatoly Chubais took on Through his privatization Chubais was not only making a bourgeois revolution that was and carried out the immense responsi- virtually bloodless. but every day he made bility for the vast economic reform history that was \"sold\" piping hot together under President Yeltsin that privatized with the state property. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9287}
{"speech_id":1090045903,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under enormous much of the Russian economy during pressure from his opponents. Chubais manthe 1990s. He knew that his actions aged to solve two problems of privatization: would be unpopular. but he believed he made the process irreversible. and he took very deeply that the reforms served the the property from bureaucratic hands and national interest in moving Russia to- carried out the privatization. making compromises with all concerned parties to keep ward democracy. and as the essay the society peaceful. As a result. by the midstates. he carried them out with ex- (he of 1994. an organizational miracle octraordinary courage. curred: the \"voucher privatization\" was The \"villain\" in the title refers to over. Twothirds of property became private. the intense controversy over the phase The time for a monetary stage had come. of the program that privatized the- en- Beginning in March 1995.- the system of ergy sector amid charges of corruption \"sharesforIoans\" auctions was put into effect. As a result. the state budget received and insider dealing relating to the rise one billion dollars that contributed to the fiof the oligarchs--hence the essays ref- nancial stabilization to come. Thanks to the erence to President Yeltsins remark. auction system. big industrial enterprises re\"Its all Chubais fault.\" ceived their owners. The ten interceding The essay has been translated into years have shown that these owners are effiEnglish by the Embassy. and I find it cient. extremely inspiring. I am sure Presi- \"When someone accuses us of taking the dent Kennedy would be proud of Mr. pearls of the Russian Imperial Crown and giving them out. we disagree.\" explains Yevstafyev and his impressive essay. Chubais. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9287}
{"speech_id":1090045903,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"These socalled pearls were nothand proud of the Embassy for reaching ingcomplete failures. Thanks to privatizaout to young Russians in this appealing tion. these industrial ruins were turned into way and encouraging their apprecia- pearls of the new Russian market economy. tion of the importance of political We helped private shareholders to become courage in pursuing the path to a bet- owners through the legal procedures. As a reter future for their nation. sult. they resurrected these businesses and I believe the essay will be of interest transformed them into activeenterprises.\" Charismatic leaders are always in favor in tO all our colleagues in Congress. and I Russia. It is our mentality. Anatoly Chubais. ask unanimous consent that it may be charisma has a limited range. It does not afprinted in the RECORD. fect all people. But his team obeys him like Therg being no objection. the mate- privates obey their general. You can call rial was ordered to be printed in the Chubais an outstanding manipulator. but his RECORD. as follows: readiness to negotiate with the outraged auGENIUS AND VILLAIN dience proves his everyday courage. For example. he won the sympathy of miners at a (By Ivan Dmitriyevich Yevstafyev) depth of 790 meters. where the striking minI would like to write about Anatoly ers agreed to meet with the then deputy Chubais. a politician of extraordinary civic head of government. The story had a mellow. courage who was strong enough to remain almost fairytale end: privatization of coal true to himself and stay on the road he had mines. regular payrolls and transformation chosen despite the pressure of cir- of the mining industry into a profitable one. cumsEances. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9287}
{"speech_id":1090045903,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am aware that the figure I His political credo: \"We survived because have chosen is ambiguous and sometimes un- surviving has never been our priority task. popular. \"Genius and villainy do not go to- When the French Revolution ended. one of gether.\" This phrase has been used so often its key figures was asked what he had been that it has become commonplace. But we doing during the revolution. His answer was. have to admit that Chubais. together with I tried to survive. As for me. I never tried the team of \"The Young Reformers.\" is an to survive.\" economic genius. His villainy is similar to Chubais motto is. \"It not me. then who?\" the evil actions of a surgeon who mercilessly Probably. in the political history of Russia cuts a gangrenous limb to save a patients there are things no one but he could do. But life. they have to be donefor the future of RusChubais is not popular because of his per- sia and for our own future. In this respect. ceived \"cynicism.\" In my opinion. he just our hero is a very lonely man. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9287}
{"speech_id":1090045903,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As lonely as openly talks about problems and complica- only a reformer can bethe one who sets up tions that accompany every victory. He does tasks that only he can perform. The role of not promise wonders. But the \"shock ther- a personality in the history of Russia has alapy\" without the use of anesthesia cannot be ways been important. Lets not disregard popular.by definition. this. That is why a popular remark attribIn the fall of 1991. when Yegor Gaydar uted to Yeltsin is quite true: \"Its all wanted Chubais to become the head of the Chubais fault.\" Everybody can interpret it Department of Privatization. the future min- in ones own waypositive or negative. ister and deputy head of government asked. In 1998. Chubais began to manage a whole \"Do you realize that. regardless of the re- empireas CEO of United Energy Systems of sult. people will hate me for the rest of my. Russia. The initial set of key problems and life. because for them I will be the man who parameters was very Chubaislike: an indussold Russia and who sold it the wrong way?\" try on the verge of collapse. covering an enormous geographic area. whose whole system desperately needed reforms. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9287}
{"speech_id":1090045995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we must stop using taxpayer dollars to subsidize Viagra for sex offenders. It was recently revealed that almost 800 convicted sex offenders in 14 States have received Medicaid funded Viagra and other similar drugs. This practice is a disgusting abuse of taxpayer dollars and must be stopped now. On todays calendar. an amendment in the LaborHHS appropriations bill prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to reimburse sex offenders for Viagra and similar drugs. This amendment does not just address Medicaid but it also prevents Medicare and any other public health service from reimbursing convicted sex offenders for these types of drugs. It is the responsibility of Congress to take action to close this loophole immediately which we in the House shall do today.","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":780}
{"speech_id":1090046049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what we are hearing today is that there isnt enough money to fund any of these important programs like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. education. or health research. But. lets be honest. The real reason that we do not have the money to put towards these programs is because of the reckless tax cuts for the wealthiest of the wealthy that the White House and the majority party have insisted on passing. Yesterday. I met with some of my young constituents representing the Migrant Education Program. I would like to read their requests to you. We the constituents of the Migrant Education Program regions II and XXIII of California are here today to address constant issues that challenge the quality of our lives. In order to achieve this we propose the following.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":786}
{"speech_id":1090046074,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the distinguished ranking member and congratulate him on the extraordinary job he does as the ranking member not only on this subcommitteb but on all the subcommittees. Let me begin with a traditional disclaimer. and that disclaimer is I do not hold the gentleman from Ohio personally responsible for this product. He has done the best he could with the resources that were given to him. and I congratulate him and thank him for that. Li 1245 Nor do I hold the gentleman from California responsible. but I do hold responsible the policies that have been adopted by the Committee on Ways and Means. by the Committee on the Budget. and by this House. Madam Chairman. just 3 months ago the Republican majority leader. the gentleman from Texas stood on this House floor and with great passion stated. \"The one major responsibility of a government is to protect the innocent. vulnerable people.\" On that very same day in March. the President of the United States stated. \"The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak.\" I served under Bill Natcher from Kentucky who chaired this committee for many years. He used to say as long as we take care of the education of our children and the health of our people. we will continue to live in the strongest and greatest Nation on the face of this earth. But now the political party that exploits every opportunity to talk about the culture of life. virtually ignores and dismisses what I call the culture of the living: the innocent. the vulnerable. the weak. who are living. breathing. members of the American family. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4479}
{"speech_id":1090046074,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. this bill demonstrates in concrete terms how the Republican Partys misguided. irresponsible tax and budget policies have harmful consequences for so many living Americans. Just yesterday President Bush visited my congressional district in Maryland. He stated. \"I know some workers are concerned about jobs going overseas.\" Yet this bill cuts job training for unemployed by $346 million. This bill cuts the Presidents community college skills training initiative in half. This bill cuts the International Labor Affairs Bureau by 87 percent which helps enforce child and slave labor abroad. Mr. President. you are not meeting the concerns. He went on to say. \"I know some are concerned about gaining the skills necessary to compete in the global market that we live in.\" Yet this bill cuts No Child Left Behind by $806 million. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4479}
{"speech_id":1090046074,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is $13.2 billion short of authorization and $40 billion short of what the President said we were going to fund when he signed the bill. This bill provides only a $50 increase in Pell grants. notwithstanding hundreds of dollars of increases in college costs. This bill cuts education technology by 40 percent. This bill cuts the Community Services Block Grant in half. This bill cuts the administrations proposal for title I by $603 million. Mr. President. you know the American people are concerned. but you have not responded. He went on to say this: \"I know that families are worried about health care and retirement. And I know moms and dads are worried about their children finding good jobs.\" Yet. Madam Chairman. this bill eliminates 10 out of the 12 title VII health profession training programs. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4479}
{"speech_id":1090046074,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These programs help alleviate the shortage of doctors and dentists in underserved areas to meet that concern that he recognizes the American people have. This bill eliminates the Health Communities Access Program which helps health centers and public hospitals better serve the uninsured. This bill cuts the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant program by $24 million. This bill freezes afterschool centers for the fourth year in a row. This bill provides only a half a percent increase. far less than inflation. which means they will do less for the National Institutes of Health which researches the afflictions which confront Americans. like heart disease. cancer. and diabetes. Madam Chairman. I have the utmost respect for those who speak about the culture of life. But we must ask. what about the culture of the living? What about the people who are served by this bill. who need this bill. whose quality of life is critically affected by this bill? This bill is perhaps the most important piece of domestic legislation that this Congress considers every year. It is a statement of national and moral principle. But today it is nothing more than Exhibit A for the Republican Partys culture of fiscal irresponsibility.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4479}
{"speech_id":1090046076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Madam Chairman. I rise to congratulate the gentleman from Ohio and the subcommittee for doing a remarkable job in funding our Nations education. health and workforce priorities in a time of intense fiscal restraint. This legislation includes in education: increased funding for special funding. for No Child Left Behind. and for Head Start. It has a tremendous increase in the Pell grant area which will help our young people go to college. get the education they need to succeed and contribute. It holds firm on TRIO and GEAR UP. so important to kids who are the first in their family to go to college. So in education. while it does not do everything. it does some important things for our children. and I thank the gentleman. I hope in conference we will find a little more additional money for title I. but this is a good start. In health. it also has some very important accomplishments. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2003}
{"speech_id":1090046076,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By increasing Community Health Center funding. it decidedly reaches out to additional uninsured people. It provides the support vitally needed for the important initiative to implant information technology in our health care sector. which is our best hope of both improving quality and reducing longterm costs. and it provides the money needed for the government to educate our seniors about the important. generous prescription drug program that will. go into effect January 1. I thank the gentleman for those very important education dollars. There are. of course. as always. areas of concern. I hope that in conference there will be more money for the Community Services Block Grant because that is the critical. flexible money that cities. particularly. use to fill the holes in the safety net programs. to provide daycare for women returning to work. and so on. In HCAP. I hope we will restore the funding and thoughtfully review some of the other problems in the bill. But this is a fine job done. and I commend the gentleman from Ohio .","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2003}
{"speech_id":1090046093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this LHHS appropriation billnot only undermines what would otherwise be our nations greatest resource. its people. but as a document is not worthy of what I believe this country stands for. As a matter of fact. as I look at what the Republican leadership lays out in this budget. I just dont know any more what we as a Nation stand for. We obviously dont stand for equal and the best health care for every American. when you look at the imposition of an 11.9%-cut in the programs of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the elimination of Sickle Cell programs. Universal Newborn Hearing. and Emergency Medical Services for Children. We also dont believe that. in this increasingly diverse country that our residents should be able to communicate fully with their healthcare providerthe health professions programs -that are -key to eliminating health care disparities are decimated. It appears we dont understand or dont care that the African American community which is so devastated by HIV\/AIDS has to have the resources itself to reverse its toll. -And we obviously dont care that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This country would rather. neglect prevention and early care in favor of the high tech. more experisive treatments that come too little and too late if at all to the poor. the rural. the people of color to make a significant difference. But that is fully in keeping with why we are where we are in this bill in the first place. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2343}
{"speech_id":1090046093,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a country that prefers to have the poor and the middle class citizens bear every burden from war to illness to environmental pollution. just so the richest people in this country can get richer. What have we come to? We reject the crumbs from the table .of the rich. We want what we deserve. good health a decent education and the opportunity for a good job with a living wage. Apparently the White house and the Republican leadership which has pushed this appropriation to the floor doesnt think so. The culture of life they talk about apparently does not extend past birth. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this. to do whatever we can to block the tax cuts and to take our country back. Lets really fund a culture of life by rejecting the tax cuts in favor of sharing the burdens and the bounty. and really have a budget that supports life.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2343}
{"speech_id":1090046114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the legislation. Mr. Chairman. I oppose the Republican education appropriations bill because it makes huge cuts to our critical education programs. The Republican education measure will force millions of students. elderly. disabled\" and veterans to foot much of the bill for billions in unprecedented tax giveaways to corporations and the super rich. This bill compromises our ability to build a highly skilled workforce and strong economy. just at the time when we need the investment themost.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":532}
{"speech_id":1090046140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I understand one of the objections to the Obey amendment will be that it takes money from worker training programs and community health services. But I want to state. that as a child psychologist. I cannot overstate the need to make the ability of quality. wholesome media a priority for our children. and I am certainly concerned about reducing these funds that would affect childrens programming. as I am sure every Member is. In southwestern Pennsylvania. it has been the home of WQED. the first communityowned TV station. production center for many PBS programs. and also the home for Fred Rogers programs with Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. It is extremely important. and I am hoping in conference. as I expect this amendment may fail. in conference the chairman may work to help restore some programming funds for public broadcasting. I believe it is important to have nonviolent. noncommercial programs. because so many other programs still have so much in there that appears to be just infomercials for childrens programming. So I ask that as this proceeds. that the chairman work in conference and in other areas to help restore some of the programming funds that would help us with such important childrens programming.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1237}
{"speech_id":1090046150,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment is necessary because my friends on the other side know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. I rise in strong support of the amendment to restore funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This is money already authorized by the Congress. Now my friends on the other side of the aisle are trying to take it away. Todays debate is laced with irony because to millions of Americans there is -simply no debate over how important public broadcasting is to them and their children. It is an educational and cultural enrichment to our whole society. and it is a success story of which we can be proud. I urge that we adopt the amendment which actually should be $200 million. instead of $100 million. because that is the amount that has been cut over here. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment. I commend the authors. the gentleman from Wisconsin . the gentlewoman from New York . and the gentleman from Iowa for their amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2108}
{"speech_id":1090046150,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment should not have been needed. But the House can cure the mistakes of the Appropriations Committee by adopting the amendment by an overwhelming vote. Public broadcasting is a highly valued national investment. It generates extraordinary returns for local communities across our Nation. It preserves the highest quality programming and commitment to public service. Public broadcasting must remain not only fully funded but insulated from political pressures which are now being placed upon it. Every Democratic Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce recently signed a letter in support of restoring full funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. including funding for the digital conversion and an upgraded satellite interconnection system. Some of these vital items remain zeroed out. But I hope we can rectify those matters later.- Mr. Chairman. this important amendment values our children. and the indepth journalism and lifelong learning that sustains our democracy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2108}
{"speech_id":1090046150,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. If we do not. we will be sorry and the Nation will disapprove of our decision.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2108}
{"speech_id":1090046162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the Obey amendment. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the ObeyLoweyLeach amendment to restore funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. PBS is exceptional because its local. Unlike the mammoth international media conglomerates that dominate commercial TV. who answer only to their shareholders. the 348 PBS stations are locally owned and operatedaccountable to the local communities they serve. The bulk of CPB funding67 percentgoes directly to local stations. allowing them to serve their communities with the excellent and highly valued programming that is the hallmark of PBS. This cut will slice.between 3040 percent out of most stations overall budgets. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2057}
{"speech_id":1090046162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My district in New York is served by PBS channel Thirteen\/WNET. If this cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is passed. Thirteens budget would be cut by as much as $5 million. I want to be very clear about what that means for my constituents: A substantial number of local programs produced entirely out of discretionary funding would be eliminated. These are programs like New York Voices. Inside Albany. REEL New York. Womens History Month. Cantos Latinos. Harmony & Spirit: Chinese Americans in New York. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2057}
{"speech_id":1090046162,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"KoreanAmerican Spirit. The Irish in America. and New York Kids. outreach service programs to schools and other community partners would be completely cut. at least 40 jobs would be lost. and in addition the indirect impact of cuts would affect nationwide programing like Great Performances. Wide Angle. and the Newshour with Jim Lehrer. and of course Sesame Street. -as weve heard so much about today. With its gold standard historical and cultural programming. PBS captures the culture and history of America. As we Americans face vast. new challenges in a post9\/11 world. PBS helps us to understand who we are and where we have beenand to help us to see where were going. It is imperative that we restore CPB funding to ensure PBSs ability to continue to serve our country and our local communities in this vital role.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2057}
{"speech_id":1090046211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. and I thank him and the gentleman from New York for their commitment and work on restoring these moneys. and I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman REGULA) for agreeing to this colloquy. I know that the rescission of 9\/11 funds was not the gentlemans idea and that he has been put into a difficult position with OMB. but we sincerely appreciate the gentlemans help. I would also like to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman LEwIS) and. of course. the gentleman from Wisconsin (Ranking Member OBEY). and all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who responded with great commitment in helping New York City with the recovery. Finally. I need to mention the names of some of the rescue workers who have come here today to Washington to put a human face on those who selflessly gave of themselves on 9\/11 and still need our help. They are here with ug today in the gallery. They are Marvin Bethea. John Feal. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090046211,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mike McCormack. the rescue worker who literally found the flag on 9\/11. John Sferarzo. Scott Shields. and Ron Vega. These men responded selflessly to the largest emergency of our time. They risked their lives to save others. and. today. they are first responders once again. but this time to save the health and compensation aid needed for their fellow workers at Ground Zero. They should be proud of the progress that we are making here today. but there is still much more that needs to be done. It has been reported that 10 times the claims have been turned down by workers compensation in New York State. and there is no question that there are still many workers who need health aid. Many of them are literally here today trying to speak with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about their need. I think it is absolutely an insult not only to the 9\/11 workers but to all emergency aid workers to deny them the aid and compensation that they need. especially those that were hurt on 9\/11. We are asking for this money to be restored. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090046211,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was allocated. It was part of the commitment this country made to helping New York and its workers and its people recover. and I will say that the New York delegation is totally united on this in our effort to preserve this money for the rescue workers and volunteers.Again. we thank all for their commitment and hard work.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090046217,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the World Trade Center was in my district. I have dealt with hundreds of first responders who responded. The majority of all the first responders have now come down with respiratory ailments. and yet the State has betrayed them and we are betraying them because the insurance company that handles workers comp has contested the worker comp claims at a rate of 10 times the normal rate of contest. And now we are going to rescind the money? We have a hero who testified at a hearing last week that he got awards for rescuing people. and then at the workers comp hearing. they said he was not even there. The fact is thousands of people have. come down with illnesses. Thousands more probably will. It would be the height of hypocrisy to rescind these funds and not have these funds available for the medical treatment of these people whom we know are sick. And. unfortunately. we know more will get sick. and the funds to treat those already sick are not there. I urge adoption of this amendment..","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1010}
{"speech_id":1090046224,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentlemans comments and recognize this is a legitimate and important issue that needs to be addressed. The brave people who responded to the attacks on September 11 will always be remembered in the hearts of Americans. and I recognize that they need additional help. While. there is concern about the dormancy of this funding over the last few years. and questions over whether or not the needs match the available funding. I am pleased to hear that the State of New York plans on starting an actuarial review to determine just how much money is needed to address the problem. In light of the gentlemans comments today. I will work with the gentleman. the administration. and the other body in an attempt to find ways of addressing these workers needs as the bill moves forward. Over the long term. I look forward to examining the needs of 9\/11 responders in light of the actuarial review results. and working with the gentleman from New York and colleagues from New York State tomaintain Congress commitment to these heroes.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1056}
{"speech_id":1090046233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding and thank him for his work on the Committee on Appropriations to restore the HCAP funding. The subcommittee has worked wonders with the allocation you have been given. and I know you are supportive of the HCAP program and have seen the tremendous outcomes achieved in communities with HCAP funding. In Houston. we have utilized CAP funding to put together the necessary collaboratives to help solve our health care access problems. Unfortunately. this bill completely eliminates the CAP program at a time when the level of uninsured individuals in this country has reached 45 million and growing. We know all too well that now is not the time to limit access to primary and preventive health care services in our community. Without this health care access. our uninsured constituents tend to seek health care from our hospital emergency rooms where costs are skyrocketing and beds are scarce. In Harris County. 57 percent of diagnoses in our safety net hospital ERs could be treated in a primary care clinic. With HCAP funds. communities can shepherd folks to the appropriate health care home and put together the partnerships needed to develop additional community health centers for all of our uninsured. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090046233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is truly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I appreciate the willingness of the chairman to work with us on this issue. and hopefully we can restore the funding on this worthy program in conference.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090046252,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am not going to take a lot of time here to defend the cut in OSHA. but I will say that I have a lot of friends that work in plants and refineries and mills in my district. and if there is an agency that could better utilize their enforcement dollars. it is OSHA. I have many union workers. close friends of mine. that talk about the nonsensetype things that OSHA comes in and tinkers with when they could come in and instruct. because most employers today want to run a safe shop. If they had the process where they would come in and instruct. go after the real safety issues instead of the nitpicking issues that they do. I do not believe this small cut in OSHA would cost us one life. If OSHA used modern technology. they could double what they do in saving lives. I want to say this in conclusion. Rural health care is struggling in America. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2019}
{"speech_id":1090046252,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have always been at the short end of the payriient system. We have always had to deal with less payment for the very same procedures. I was in the food business. I was in the retail business. Only in health care does the smallest get paid the least. When you go to a small store. you expect to pay a little more. But the big hospitals. the big institutions who have the volume. who have the multitude of customers and use those expensive pieces of equipment morning. noon. and night get paid more. It is the most unfair part. And why should rural citizens not have adequate equal access to good health care? But let me tell you what happens too often. They leave their families. drive hundreds of miles away to an urban center that they are not even comfortable in. and the system will pay 50 percent more for the same health care that could be given to them in their own community. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2019}
{"speech_id":1090046252,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nobody wins. And sometimes people die. Mr. Chairman. I will reluctantly withdraw this amendment in hopes that the chairman and the ranking member will see that these two programs do not go dnfunded in the final conference report.","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2019}
{"speech_id":1090046264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman REGULA) for yielding me this time. I join the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman REG.ULA) in opposing the Owens amendment and would submit to my colleagues that this amendment offers this very straightforward question to Members of the House today: whether to continue the effective job that the Centers for Disease Control are doing currently to fight tuberculosis in the United States or whether. on the other hand. to adopt the Owens amendment and implement an expensive new regulation to allow OSHA to become involved in infectious disease control. That is the basic question. I know that many of us in the House of Representatives and many people across the country are concerned about the issue of rising health care costs. And I will tell the Members that this amendment. if adopted today. would increase the cost of health care for Americans. It may sound reasonable and narrowly drawn at first. dealing only with the fit testing of respirators used to prevent tuberculosis. but I would invite Members to call their hospital administrators and find out what they have to say about this amendment. and what they will tell them is this will be an expensive new regulation for hospitals. and it will increase health care costs for Americans. I think most of us agree that the correct people to fight infectious disease are the health care professionals in our hospitals. and the best agency to regulate and provide guidelines for these health care professionals is the Centers for Disease Control. They have been doing it since 1992. and they have been doing a good job of it. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2651}
{"speech_id":1090046264,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment is a backdoor method of allowing OSHA a foothold in the regulation of infectious diseases. and I do not think we want to do that today And one reason we do not want to do it is the success of CDC. I direct the attention of my colleagues to this chart here. I do not know if every Member can see it. but we can see that tuberculosis rates are the lowest they have been since 1953. and they continue to drop. On the other chart. \"Reported TB cases in the United States. 1982 to 2003\". along about 1992 when CDC started providing guidelines for our health care facilities for regulation of tuberculosis. the TB rate started to drop. and it has continuously dropped. CDC is winning the war against tuberculosis .in this country. I thank the chairman for including this in the legislation last year. It is now the law of the land. I thank the chairman for keeping the legislation this year. and I urge my colleagues to stay with a proven record in fighting tuberculosis by voting \"no\" on the Owens amendment.","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2651}
{"speech_id":1090046265,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in opposition to the amendment. It was included in the bill last year. It was offered as an amendment in full committee markup and passed and was retained in the conference report. This is good language. allows the committee to exercise its oversight rights. and tuberculosis outbreaks and hospitals ought to be regulated by.the CDC. not OSHA. CDC is this Nations primary. infectious disease control agency. and we do not need other agencies to enact regulations that are not backed up by sound science in a misguided attempt to control infectious diseases. That is the CDC role. For that reason I oppose the amendment.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":683}
{"speech_id":1090046292,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this bill not only undermines our Nations greatest resources. our people. but as a document. it is not worthy of what this country stands for. As a matter of fact. when I look at it. I just do not know what the Nation stands for. It obviously does not stand. this bill says that it does not stand for equal and the best health care for every American when we look at the cuts in programs that provide needed services. maternal and child health. sickle cell programs. the HCAP program. rural health program. community health centers. and the failure to extend full Medicaid to the territories. It also says that the country does not believe that in this increasingly diverse country. that our residents should be able to communicate with their health care provider. The health profession programs that are key to eliminating health care disparities are decimated. an 84 percent cut. That is scholarships. loan repayments. and outreach programs. It appears that they do not accept that the African American community. which is so devastated by HIV\/AIDS. has to have adequate.resources itself to reverse its toll. and that AIDS patients across this country need adequate ADAP funding to get the treatment they need. This budget does not care. obviously. that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2727}
{"speech_id":1090046292,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This country. it says that this country would rather neglect prevention and early care in favor of hightech. more expensive -payments that come too little too late. if at all. to the poor. the rural. and the people of color to make a difference. This bill would make this country one that prefers to have the poor and the middleclass citizens bear every burden. from war to environmental pollution and to illness. just so that its richest people can get richer. On behalf of my constituents and people of color across this country. I siy we reject the crumbs from the tables of the rich. We want what we deserve: good health. a decent education. and the opportunity for a good job with a living wage. This bill sends the wrong message. The culture of life that we hear so much about. apparently. this bill does not want it extended past birth. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on this bill. to do whatever we can to block the tax cuts. and to take our country back. I say. let -us really fund our culture of life. Let us fund those programs that are being eliminated from. sickle cell. from training. and maternal and child health and. all of the programs that keep our communities healthy. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2727}
{"speech_id":1090046292,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let .us really fund the culture of life by rejecting tax cuts in favor of sharing the burdens. and the bounty of this country. by investing in our people and their health. and really have a budget that supports life.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2727}
{"speech_id":1090046306,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. recognizing the fact that serious disparities continue to exist for African Americans in practically all aspects of life. the Congressional Black Caucus has focused much of its attention this session on closing these gaps and reducing those disparities. Unfortunately. this budget. this appropriation in many ways dashed the hopes of those who had thought and hoped that maybe it would provide some help. Instead. it cuts at the heart of many of these programs and areas of concentration. which are absolutely essential if we are to reduce these gaps. This budget cuts job training. job development programs. health services. education. We reduce educational opportunities and cut funds for prisoner reentry and successful reintegration of these individuals back into normal life as selfsufficient and contributing members of society. I would hope. I would urge. I would implore. I would importune conferees that as you go to conference. please look seriously at putting money back into reentry programs so that these individuals. both juveniles and adults. can lead happy. productive. contributing lives. and let the 630.000 individuals who come home from prison each year have some help to become productive citizens.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090046308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. we have very many disparities in the criminal justice system. particularly the juvenile justice system. But many of these programs have been terminated to fund tax cuts. primarily for those with incomes over $200.000. One of those programs is the Reintegration of Youthful Offenders program sponsored by the Department of Labor. It helps young people get jobs. and we know that those with jobs are much less likely to commit crimes in the future. We could fund this program by eliminating the earmark of $10 million for random nonsuspicionbased drug testing. Studies show that that drug testing does not reduce drug use. and that is why that kind of drug testing is opposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. the American Public Health Association. and the National Education Association. I would hope that as we go forward. adjustments in the budget to refund the Reintegration of Youthful Offender program and unfund the earmark for $10 million for the random nonsuspicionbased drug testing could be made. This amendment would be supported by the American Correctional Association. the Association for Addictive Professionals. and the National Association of Sodial Workers.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090046358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me say to the gentlewoman. I am very empathetic to the question that she is raising. I must say that at this moment the committee is quite anxious to see us go forward with the funding in the VERB program. to measure further its effectiveness. We are very empathetic to that which the gentlewoman is discussing. and we do intend to raise this question with the Senate. It is not an issue that will go undiscussed. and I am very hopeful as we will go forward that we will be able to be responsive to the gentlewomans request. fl 1615","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":593}
{"speech_id":1090046408,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yes. I thank the gentleman for bringing this important issue to my attention and to the attention of the House of Representatives. I agree that the quality of health care in rural America is an important issue. And regrettably in a tight fiscal environment. some reductions have been made to rural health care programs. I look forward to working with the gentleman to help find funding streans from which to draw from to help improve the technology availablb to patients of health care providers in rural America.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":513}
{"speech_id":1090046448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the call for an independent commission to review accusations of abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba and other places continues to grow. This is not a partisan issue. Members from both sides of the aisle. citizens who consider themselves progressives and citizens who consider themselves conservatives. have joined the call for such a commission. Opinion polls reflect the American peoples deep concern about prisoner abuse. The security of our Nation is profoundly impacted by our reputation. by how we are viewed by the rest of the world. Our response to terrorism is based on contrasting our values to theirs. We are conducting an ideological war in parallel with police and military operations. The outcome of both the ideological struggle and the armed struggle hinge to a significant extent on this great test of values. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2580}
{"speech_id":1090046448,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Therefore. Mr. Speaker. it is great shame that attention has been diverted in recent days from the fundamental issues to the words used by one Senator. a Senator whom I much admire and greatly respect. who has admitted that the words he used were too strong and who has apologized to those whom he may have offended. The issue raised by the Senator was timely. on target. and central to our Nations best interests. despite the fact that his specific words failed to properly frame his message. It is imperative that we remain focused on the issue that the Senator called to our attention and not allow ourselves to be dissuaded. deterred. or discouraged from pursuing a thorough public inquiry into prisoner abuse in much the same manner as the commission we created to examine September Do some of the policies of our government endanger our troops by disparaging the image of America? Are our own troops endangered by our strained and unique interpretation of the Geneva Conventions? Has our approach to human intelligence distorted and limited our ability to understand and respond to the insurgency in Iraq and the terrorist threat in general? Do the incidents of abuse flow from decisions taken at the highest levels with regard to the conduct of American intelligence? These are urgent and critical questions that cannot be answered adequately in the inquiries launched to date. We owe a great debt to those who have spoken out. calling for an independent commission. sometimes at great personal cost. I thank them for their leadership. We owe a great debt to Senator RICHARD DURBIN for helping cause Americans to look seriously at this issue of prisoner abuse by our intelligence agencies and our military. I thank the Senator.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2580}
{"speech_id":1090046457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as we continue to discuss the best ways to strengthen retirement security for our Nations seniors. I have looked into numerous programs to lessen the burden that our seniors face in rising health care costs. transportation. and homeownership. As a longtime Bucks County Commissioner and now as a Member of Congress. I have received many phone calls. many letters from seniors looking to find ways to stay in their homes and pay their bills. How many seniors do the Members know who are struggling financially because they do not have a steady income stream coming in. but are sitting on a valuable asset that is not working for them. an asset that they cannot cash in: the home that they want to stay in for their retirement? Last week. Mr. Speaker. I introduced H.R. 2892. This legislation is bipartisan and is endorsed by AARP. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4464}
{"speech_id":1090046457,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will eliminate the volume cap on the Department of Housing and Urban Developments Home -Equity Conversion Mortgage. commonly referred to as the FHAinsured reverse mortgage program. A reverse mortgage is a unique loan that enables senior homeowners to remain in their homes and be financially independent by converting part of the equity in their homes into taxfree income without having to sell the home. does not require them to give up title. or to take on new mortgage payments. The funds from a reverse mortgage can be used for needs that every senior faces like health care costs. prescription drug costs. inhome care. prevention of foreclosure. paying off existing debts. home repairs. modification. or simple daily living expenses. Reverse mortgages are aptly named because the payment stream is reversed. Instead of making monthly payments to the lender. as with a regular mortgage. the lender makes payments to the senior homeowner. This unique loan enables senior homeowners who are house rich but cash poor to convert part of their equity in their homes into taxfree income and allow the homeowner great flexibility in choosing how to receive the money. They can opt to receive a lump sum. fixed monthly payments. a line of credit. or a combination of the three. No monthly payments are required during the term of the loan. and it is paid back only when the resident sells the home. passes away. or has permanently moved out of the home. A key part of the reverse mortgage program is mandatory counseling. To make sure that no one tushes into a mortgage that they are unprepared for. the program requires mandatory counseling prior to applying for a reverse mortgage to ensure that the homeowner has a plan to use the payments in a responsible and beneficial manner. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4464}
{"speech_id":1090046457,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The reverse mortgage program has been successful andpopular with senior homeowners. so much so that the rapid growth in these mortgages created a near crisis this April when concerns arose that the cap- was going to be reached. leading to a suspension of the program. While the cap was raised from $150.000 to $250.000 in the 2005 emergency supplemental appropriation bill. this is just a temporary solution. AARP stated that the only complete removal of the volume cap. which is my bill. H.R. 2892. will prevent the possibility of future program disruptions that will be detrimental to seniors. The importance of sustaining the FHA reverse mortgage program was further emphasized to me this past Monday while I was visiting in my district in Pennsylvania with several senior homeowners who recently obtained reverse mortgages. Their stories are the same. They have worked their whole lives to obtain this home and to pay for the home. They have raised their children in the home. They have retired into their homes. and they live on Social Security income with basically no remaining savings. They have converted the equity in their home so that they can repair their homes. they can increase their standard of living. and they can live out their senior years with dignity in their own home. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4464}
{"speech_id":1090046457,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think every Member of Congress can agree that seniors must have the option to stay in their homes as long as they wish. -Lifelong homeownership is the American Dream. My legislation. H.R. 2892. would provide relief for those seniors faced with losing their homes. As we celebrate National Homeownership Month. it is fitting that Congress enact legislation that will allow existing homeowners to remain homeowners. Today I call on all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in this vital effort and to cosponsor H.R.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4464}
{"speech_id":1090046471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight to pay tribute to a man who is not from my districts or even from my State. but who certainly must be one of the most wonderful men of whom I have ever read. The story of Dick Hoyt of Holland. Massachusetts is one of the most amazing. inspiring stories I have ever read. Rick Reilly. a columnist for Sports Illustrated. wrote about Mr. Hoyt in a column published in that magazine the week before last. Mr. Reilly described it as a love story that began 43 years ago when Mr. Hoyts son Rick \"was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth. leaving him brain damaged and unable to control his limbs.\" The Hoyts were told Rick would be a vegetable for the rest of his life and that they should put him in an institution. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3058}
{"speech_id":1090046471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They refused-. When Rick was 11. they took him to engineers at Tufts University to ask them if there was some way to allow him to communicate. They were told. no way. nothing was going on in Ricks brain. \"Tell him a joke.\" Mr. Hoyt said. \"They did. Rick laughed.\" They had noticed the way Ricks eyes followed them around the room. There was a lot going on in Ricks brain. The engineers rigged up a computer that Rick could peck letters on by hitting it with a stick attached to the side of his head. His first words were. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3058}
{"speech_id":1090046471,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Go Bruins!\" After a high school classmate of Ricks was paralyzed in an accident. and a charity run was organized. Rick pecked out the words. \"Dad. I want to do that.\" Mr. Hoyt. who called himself a porker. pushed Rick in that race. and Rick typed out \"Dad. when we were running. it felt like I was not disabled anymore.\" Now. here comes the amazing part. Since that first race. Dick Hoyt has pushed Rick in 85 marathons. 26.2 miles each. Twentyfour times they have run in the Boston Marathon. Listen to Rick Reillys column: \"Their best time. 2 hours 40. minutes in 1992. only 35 minutes off the world record which. in case you dont keep track of these things. happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.\" Now Dick Hoyt is 65. his son is 43. They have done 212 triathlons. including four grueling. 15hour Ironmans in Hawaii. 8 triathlons altogether where the father not only pushed his son 26.2 miles in a wheelchair. but also pulled him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming. and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars. all in the same day. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3058}
{"speech_id":1090046471,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Columnist Reilly wrote. \"I try to be a good father. but compared with Dick Hoyt I suck.\" What a special son. What a special father. What a special story. I thank Rick Reilly for writing such a wonderful column. It is an honor to pay tribute to a man like Dick Hoyt. I am sure that his special relationship with his son has inspired countless numbers across the land and has. in a very unique way. made this Nation a better place. Mr. Speaker. I think it is the most inspiring story I have ever read. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3058}
{"speech_id":1090046471,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to attach the column from Sports Illustrated to my remarks here tonight and call them to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the RECORD. [From Sports Illustrated]","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3058}
{"speech_id":1090046490,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"44. Specialist Nathaniel A. Caldwell 45. Private David Evans Jr. 46. Private First Class Jeremiah D. Smith 47. Major Matthew E. Schram 48. Staff Sergeant Brett J. Petriken 49. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090046490,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Private Kenneth A. Nalley 50. Sergeant Keman L. Mitchell 51. Staff Sergeant Michael B. Quinn 52. Sergeant Thomas F. Broomhead 53. Staff Sergeant Kenneth R. Bradley 54. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090046490,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Specialist Jose A. Perez III 55. Specialist Kyle A. Griffin 56. Specialist Michael T. Gleason 57. Specialist Zachariah W. Long 58. Sergeant Jonathan W. Lambert 59. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090046490,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sergeant Atanasio Haro Marin Jr. 60. Private First Class Branden F. Oberleitner 61. Petty Officer Third Class Doyle W. Bollinger Jr. 62. Sergeant Travis L. Burkhardt 63. Private Jesse M. Halling 64. Sergeant Michael E. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090046490,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dooley 65. Private First Class Gavin L. Neighbor 66. Specialist John K. Klinesmith Jr. 67. Staff Sergeant Andrew R. Pokorny 68. Private First Class Ryan R. Cox 69. Specialist Joseph D. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090046499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Chief Warrant Officer Matthew C. Laskowski. 1. Chief Warrant Officer Stephen M. Wells 2. Specialist Michael R. Woodliff 3. Petty Officer Second Class Michael J. Gray 4. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3131}
{"speech_id":1090046499,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Captain Gussie M. Jones 5. Private First Class Matthew G. Milczark 6. Sergeant First Class Richard S. Gottfried 7. Specialist Edward W. Brabazon 8. Private First Class Bert Edward Hoyer 9. Specialist Christopher K. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3131}
{"speech_id":1090046499,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hill 10. Staff Sergeant Joe L. Dunigan Jr. 11. Specialist Jason C. Ford 12. Captain John F. \"Hans\" Kurth 13. Specialist Jocelyn \"Joce\" L. Carrasquillo 14. Private First Class Joel K. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3131}
{"speech_id":1090046499,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Brattain 15. Sergeant Daniel J. Londono 16. Sergeant First Class Clint D. Ferrin 17. Sergeant William J. Normandy 18. First Lieutenant Michael R. Adams 19. Master Sergeant Thomas R. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3131}
{"speech_id":1090046499,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thigpen Sr. 20. Specialist Tracy L. Laramore 21. Sergeant Ivory L. Phipps 22. Private First Class Ricky A. Morris Jr. 23. Private First Class Brandon C. Smith 24. Private First Class Ernest Harold Sutphin 25. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3131}
{"speech_id":1090046626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the Senator says no other States share the revenues. that is inaccurate. I know he is aware that interior States share 50 percent of their revenues from Federal land in their States. Louisiana does not have -a lot of Federal lands. Texas has very little Federal land. Mississippi does not have much Federal land. Most of that is in -the West. We are different. We are not the West. We are the South. although Texas could claim to be both. But Louisiana and Mississippi are Southern States. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090046626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We do not havea lot of Federal land. What we do have is a lot of land right off of here. as shown on the chart. that belongs to the Federal Government. But the Federal Government could not get to it unless we allowed pipelines. There are 20.000 miles of pipelines put under this south Louisiana territory to go all over the country. to keep our lights on and our industries running. So again. there is revenuesharing. We would like our share. This is going to go for a good cause. for the preservation of an extraordinary marsh. It is time for us to make this decision today for Louisiana and the coastal States.I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090046680,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. the Senator is exactly correct. This amendment is a very modest amendment. It has nothing to do with production of oil and gas. It is with frustration that our State has worked toward that goal and has not been able to receive any compensation. and many other States seem to be slamming the door on even considering that. I ask the Senator if there is not a difference in safety and environmental impact when we deal with natural gas as opposed to oil? And is it not true that much of the energy capacity in the Gulf of Mexico and probably off our other States. is natural gas? I know that is important. We have probably seen a tripling of natural gas prices. I know the Senator agrees that pipelines commence out of the gulf coastal areasAlabama. Mississippi. Louisiana. Texasthat move the natural gas all over the country. and those States. if the price keeps going up when they heat their houses. they heat their water. their industries utilize natural gas. those prices are going up. also. which threatens their economic competitiveness. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1188}
{"speech_id":1090046680,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not that our States have a particular benefit from having the production. It goes in the pipelines that move it all over the country.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1188}
{"speech_id":1090046694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I follow up on some of the previous comments regarding this coastal amendment and quickly underscore two very important points. As my colleague from Louisiana has explained. this is merely treating those coastal producing States that have produced so much of the Nations energy needs. taken care of so much of those needs. simply treating those coastal producing States fairly. If only more States were like us in producing far more energy than we consume. of course. this energy crisis we are facing would be less and less onerous. but that is not the case. In particular. the distinguished chairman of the Budget Committee was in the Senate and said his State produced more energy than it consumed. I would love to hear the distinguished chairmans sources for that. I checked with the U.S. Department of Energy and they flatly disagreed. The most recent figures I could obtain. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3214}
{"speech_id":1090046694,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"September 5. 2003. certainly include the nuclear energy plant the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire was referring to. That produces far less than the State of New Hampshire consumes. In fact. the total energy production from New Hampshire comes from that nuclear facility. .036 quadrillion Btus. The total energy consumption of New Hampshire is .329 quadrillion Btus. So. according to my source from the U.S. Department of Energy. the best information I have. dated September 5. 2003. New Hampshire consumes about nine times what it produces from that nuclear plant or any other source. I use that as an example because. unfortunately. the coastal producing States we are talking about are in the distinct minority. We do produce the Nati6ns energy needs. We do produce far more energy than we consume. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3214}
{"speech_id":1090046694,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is great for the Nation. I wish that load were spread around more. but it is not. That is a very important element of this debate. The second point that directly flows into is a Question of fairness. The Senator from New Hampshire talked about some boondoggle to coastal States. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are simply asking for a small. modest modicum of fairness. This amendment covers 4 years. 2007. 2008. 2009. 2010. 4 years. and then it goes away. During those 4 years. the royalties into the Federal Treasury from this offshore production are expected to be $26 billion. Under this amendment. during those 4 years. our share is $1 billion. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3214}
{"speech_id":1090046694,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is less than 4 percent. Meanwhile. onshore oil and gas and mineral production is shared in terms of royalties on public lands 50 percent to the States and 50 percent to the Feds. The Senator from New Hampshire. when he was here. cited the example of West Virginia coal production. That royalty share on public lands is 50\/50. We will take 50 percent. If the Senator from New Hampshire wants to offer that amendment. we will accept that. We are onlyasking for 4 percent for 4 years and then it goes away. This is fair. It is a fair way to treat those few States that help produce the energy the Nation needs. Those are very important points. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3214}
{"speech_id":1090046694,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope all Senators remember those points as they vote. particularly on an amendment that is squarely within the budget. that does not bust any of the numbers within the budget. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3214}
{"speech_id":1090046696,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have new pictures. Before I show the pictures. I will state the situation in the Senate. The Senator from New Jersey. Senator CORZINE. and this Senator from Florida. are insisting the debate remain on the Landrieu amendment as a means. as the clock is ticking. and with most of the Senate having an interest to recess tonight for the purpose of many schedules that need to be met for tomorrow. including a number of BRAC Commission hearings. especially in the State of New Mexico. that are being held tomorrow. very important pieces of business that Senators need to attend. What the managers of the bill are presently doing. because the Senator from New Jersey and this Senator from Florida are insisting. since. lo and behold. we discovered what we thought we had taken care of yesterday. which was amendments would not be offered for further attempts at drilling on the Outer Continental Shelflo and behold. those amendments have been filed and they were declared germane by the Parliamentarian. Therefore. regardless of all of the agreements that have beenmade. they can be brought up at any time. So the Senator from New Jersey and this Senator from Florida. simply recognizing the clock is ticking. in order that those amendments will not be brought up. are continuing to keep the debate on the Landrieu amendment. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11105}
{"speech_id":1090046696,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At such time as we expect the normal process would be done. which is the winnowing down of the remaining amendments. we then would ask for unanimous consent from the Senate to take up only those remaining amendments and that those amendments will not include the amendments further causing the drilling off the Outer Continental Shelf. So that is the parliamentary procedure we find ourselves in. Now. I have heard a number of statements on this floor over the last several days. I wish to clarify. I also wish to bring an update to the Senate. As shown in this picture. this is what we have at stake in Florida. It is the pristine beaches. That is not the offly reason for not wanting to drill off the coast of Florida..but that is one of the reasons. and it is a major reason. We do have a $50 billionayear tourism industry that depends on those pristine beaches. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11105}
{"speech_id":1090046696,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course. people from all over the world come to enjoy the extraordinary environment we have. That is one of the reasons. I have enumerated over the last several days many other reasons. Those reasons certainly include the delicacy of the balance of nature in some of the estuaries and bays. the brackish waters. the mangrove swamps which you find on the coast of Florida. which is not specifically a beach. Generally you will find a beach on what is known as a barrier island. It is those barrier islands that have these extraordinary opportunities for guests to come and visit. I have enumerated over the last several days also another reason. that is. the major national asset that we have off the gulf coast of Florida and off a good part of the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is called restricted airspace. Is it any wonder why the training of pilots for the new F22 Stealth Fighter is at Tyndall Air Force Base? Is it any wonder why the training of pilots from all branches of the military for the new F35 Joint Strike Fighter is at Eglin Air Force Base? It is not any wonder when you realize the place they train is out over the Gulf of Mexico. most of which is restricted airspace. and most of which has had now increased training coming because. the Navy Atlantic Fleet training was shut down on the island of Vieques off of Puerto Rico. Most of that training has come to northwest Florida. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11105}
{"speech_id":1090046696,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That training is done out off the Gulf of Mexico. You cannot have surface ships coordinating and training with aircraft. which are practicing with their targets on virtual land .masses that have been created by computers on the Gulf of Mexico. if you *have oil rigs down there on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. That is another .reason. But I want to dwell for a minute on this reason right here as shown on this picture. I said I had a n~ew picture. I do. This picture is a week old. This is an oilspill that just occurred off of Louisiana in the last week. There have been now 600 pelicans threatened. and 200 pelicans have died from this oilspill. This was a relatively minor oilspill: 560 gallons13 barrelsof oil. a relatively minor spill. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11105}
{"speech_id":1090046696,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You can see the damage it has done. Now. I have shown other pictures out here. Shown on this picture is what we do not want. And shown on this picture is what we want. That is why the Senators from Florida. the Senators from other coastal States such as North Carolina and South Carolina. the Senators from New Jerseyand you could go on up the coast and then go out to the west coast and start in the North with Washington. Oregon. and Californiathat is why these Senators are so concerned about the protection of the interests of their particular States. Now. this next picture is of an oilspill from years ago. I think this was actually from the Exxon Valdez. which was a much larger oilspill. That was a whole tanker. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11105}
{"speech_id":1090046700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the Senator well knows. her original amendment had the provisions for drilling off the coast of Florida. which this Senator vigorously fought. But when I sought the advice and counsel of the Senator from Louisiana. she had explained to this Senator that what she wanted was revenuesharing so that she could help with the bays and estuaries and coastal waters of her State. This Senator from Florida did not find that at all to be contrary to any interest in Florida. Therefore. it was .the expectation of this Senator that if the Senator from Louisiana backed off of her attempts to want to drill off the coast of Florida. then certainly this Senator would try to help her with regard to the Senator from Louisiana protecting the interests of her State. That is part of the wonderful process of the give and take and the consensus building that we have around here where each State is represented by two Senators. We can look out for our interests. and you can look out for your interests. and then we can look out for our mutual interests. As the Good Book says: Come and reason together. . That is what we have attempted to do. I suspect that although several of us coastal Senators have had to scratch and claw and stand on the floor and make objections and stand up and filibuster and do all of those kinds of things to get our point across. it looks as though the Senator from Louisiana is going to be flying on cloud nine passing her amendment. But she has a higher threshold to get to. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1742}
{"speech_id":1090046700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She has a threshold of 60 votes in order to pass a budgetary waiver in order to get it through. It is my hope the Senator from Louisiana will get her 60 votes. Would the Senator like me to yield for purposes of a question and retaining the floor?","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1742}
{"speech_id":1090046704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Indeed it is. But we feel so passionately about this for the reasons that I have articulated much earlier. When somebody then wants to claim the patina of legality suddenly for their States waters and. in fact. allow the drilling off the coast of another State. then it is starting to get absurd. That is when we have to put our foot down. As the Senator from New Jersey was talking. it occurred to me that I want to show. once again. these charts. This is from the Exxon Valdez. which is many years ago. But that was last week. That is last week off the coast of Louisiana. That is what we want to prevent. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090046704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090046752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator has my assurance. Just as I have tried to do that in the past. I will continue to do it. It cannot be included in this bill for a lot of reasons. including those the Senators from offshore States understand. We will continue to work on it and see how we can move it along in due course.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":298}
{"speech_id":1090046777,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is important to review the bidding here. The situation is that a- budget point of order has been raised. It is properly founded. and there is a motion to waive it. The logic behind the point of order is very simple. We are taking a discretionary program and moving it over to be an entitlement program to benefit five States. primarily Louisiana. which will get 54 percent of the money that is allocated. It is hard to understand why we would want to create a new entitlement program simply for Louisiana to address their conservation concerns. There are a lot of States that have conservation concerns. There is. in my opinion. virtually no nexus between the conservation issues which will be addressed theoretically by this amendment. should it pass. and the energy that is being sought off the coast of Louisiana. But even if there were. it would be inappropriate to pass such an amendment to create a new entitlement unless you included other States which had the same type of impact. because they were producing energy. on their environment. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090046777,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. we have heard a great deal about how Louisiana has a right to this money. They have an entitlement to this money. Those were the words used by my friends across the aisle. As we look at the numbers relative to how funds are disbursed from the Federal Government. it appears that Louisiana is doing pretty well. For every dollar Louisiana sends to the U.S. Treasury. Louisiana gets $1.43 back. That is pretty darn good. They are getting a 43cent bonus on every dollar they spend from what they send up here. Of the five States that will benefit from this. all of them get more money back than they send to Washington. and four get substantially more money. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090046777,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. they are in the top 10 of States to get more money back. The equities of this Louisiana case are weak. to say the least. When you throw into the factor that they already have a dedicated fundthe only State in the countryfor all the money raised as a result of people running lawnmowers in places such as Montana. Oregon. or Massachusetts. you end up. if you start your lawnmower or your snowblower. sending money to Louisiana to help them with environmental mitigation. They already have a fund. and they want more on top of that. The issue is simple. We passed a budget. The other side of the aisle didnt participate in the process. The Rdpublican side of the aisle did. We passed a budget. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090046777,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now the question is. Are we going to enforce that budget or are we going to spend money creating an entitlement program that is totally outside of the bounds of the budget. which is wrong. and which has no equities behind it. other than that group of States decided to raid the Federal Treasury? It seems to me we have to inake some decisions as to whether we are going to enforce the budget process. I note that the administration supports this point of order and opposes this amendment. I hope my colleagues will join me in that position. also. I yield back the remainder of my time. The yeas and nays have been ordered. as I understand it.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3077}
{"speech_id":1090046802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are on the Energy bill at this moment and have put forth a unanimous consent that moves us forward. We have a finite list of amendments I will work with Senator JOHNSON on in the next few minutes. We are about to do a unanimous consent. Those who have amendments should come to the Senate so we can work out the time agreement as we work on the managers package. The majority leader is committed to finishing this bill tonight. If we line ourselves up and move in reasonable order with those amendments that will need votes. we might get out of here at a reasonable time. Other than that we could be here quite late. I hope Senators who do have amendments remaining.. and we have not worked them out. can work with us as we finalize the unanimous consent. I am happy to yield.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090046822,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment I am going to offerthere is a friendly second degree that Senator KyL and I have agreed to. As I understand it. Senator DOMENICI and his staff know of the Kyl amendment and approve of it. Senator KYL is on his way. If my colleague will yield. it is filed.","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":269}
{"speech_id":1090046931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there are nearly $4 billion in estimated loan guarantees over the next 5 years in this title. Those absolutely will cost the Federal Government something. That is exactly why money. $400 million. has to be appropriated to support them. I was pleased to work on this amendment with Senator WYDEN to whom I yield the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":351}
{"speech_id":1090046944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are going to move as quickly as we can. It appears that we can complete all work on this bill tonight. We have a few remaining amendments. I am going to offer a unanimous consent request at this time and. hopefully. we can cut the time down from it. if our colleagues will expedite their effort on behalf of these amendments that are outstanding. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that Senator BOND be recognized in order to offer the BondLevin CAFE amendment No. 925. provided further that the amendment be set aside and Senator DURBIN be recognfzed immediately to offer his CAFE amendment No. 902. provided further that there be 80 minutes of debate total to be used in relation to both amendments. with Senators Bond and\/or his designee in control of 40 minutes. and Senator DURBIN and\/or his designee in control of 40 minutes. I further ask that following the use or yielding back of time. the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Bond amendment. to be followed by a vote in relation to the Durbin Amendment. with no second degrees in order to either amendment prior to the vote. and with 2 minutes equally divided for debate prior to the second vote.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1185}
{"speech_id":1090046968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator from Florida is correct. I will tell him I know what I am up against. I think the. Senator from Florida. being a realist. does too. When you have the major automobile manufacturers who are frightened by the challengethey are afraid of this challenge. They do not think they can meet it. They have been beaten to the punch by Japan when it comes the hybrid cars. Instead. they started talking about hydrogen fuel vehicles. That may happen in my lifetime. but it is just as likely it will not happen in my lifetime. Instead of dealing with hybrid vehicles that are already successful with consumers in America. they are afraid of this challenge. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1322}
{"speech_id":1090046968,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because they. are afraid of this challenge. they throw up all of these arguments: oh. that car is going to be a golf cart. it is going to be so tiny if it is fuel efficient. it is not going to be safe. there is just no way that American engineers can even figure out how to make them. I do not buy it. I think. as I said to the Senator and others who are listening. the technology is there. We do not have to compromise safety. What is wrong with the challenge? What is wrong with the challenge from the President and the Congress asking the manufacturers selling cars in America to make them more fuel efficient? This legislation does not do it. my amendment would.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1322}
{"speech_id":1090046988,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Senator will yield. I have trouble with the amendment of the Senator from Illinois. but I also have trouble with the amendment of the Senator from Michigan. It seems to me we have a problem. a big problem. I dont think we can meet the standard of the Senator from Illinois in time. and I think it would damage American jobs significantly. But I dont understand why we do not bite the bullet and say. whether NHTSA does it or not. you cant drive a Toyota that gets less miles than a Dodge Durango or an Americanmade car because you have a fleet average.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":559}
{"speech_id":1090047007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a National Academy of Sciences finding about the CAFE system that the Senator from Delaware made reference to. It states: ... one concept of equity among manufacturers requires equal treatment of equivalent vehicles made by different manufacturers\" that is. \"equal treatment of equivalent vehicles made by different manufacturers.\" The NAS continues. \"The current CAFE standards fail this test.\" That is what the Senator from Delaware was referring to. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the full paragraphsfrom the National Academy of Sciences study be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090047019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. as cochairman of the Senate Auto Caucus. I am pleased to join with my colleagues. Senator BOND and Senator LEVIN. as a cosponsor of this corporate average fuel economy standards amendment to the Energy bill. It is an important issue. and it impacts on the economy of our country. the environment. and the safety of the traveling public. There is no doubt that each of us wants the automobile industry to make cars. trucks. SUVs. and minivans that are energy efficient. It is not only good for the environment. but it means more money in the pockets of the American consumers because they are going to spend less money at the gas pump. However. I am deeply concerned that the artificial and arbitrarily chosen CAFE standard supported by some of my colleagues will have a devastating effect on jobs. Ohio is the No. 2 automotive manufacturing State in America. employing more than 630.000 people either directly or indirectly. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6835}
{"speech_id":1090047019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have heard from a number of these men and women whose livelihood depends on the auto industry and who are. frankly. very worried about their future. -There is genuine concern that a provision mandating an arbitrary staodard could cause a serious disruption and shifting in the auto industry resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs across the Nation. Domestic automakers build the light trucks that consumers want. DaimlerChryslers fleet of light trucks makes up more than 50 percent of their entire fleet. The company manufactures the Jeep Liberty and the Jeep Wrangler in Toledo. OH. and employs approximately 5.200 workers at this plant. If an arbitrary CAFE provision is mandated that targets light trucks. this plant could close because Chrysler would be forced to redistribute their manufacturing base to build more small. highmileage cars. The concern of auto workers was evident at the polls in Ohio last November. Voters rejected a candidate for President who had advocated an arbitrary standard that would have cost jobs and raised prices on the vehicles that consumers demand. Another concern is that an arbitrary standard would have a harmful effect on public safety. as well as put a severe crimp in the manufacturing base of my State of Ohio which is already under duress because of high natural gas costs. litigation. health care costs. and competition from overseas. In 2001. new vehicle sales of trucks. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6835}
{"speech_id":1090047019,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SUVs. and minivans outpaced the sale of automobiles for the first time in American history. This remarkable result can be attributed to a number of factors. but one reason that is often cited is the fact that these vehicles are seen as safer. On the other hand. the BondLevin amendment is a rational proposal based on sound science that will keep workers both in Ohio and nationwide working. allowing these men and women to continue to take care of their families and educate their children while also encouraging greater fuel efficiency and safer vehicles. This amendment calls for the Department of Transportation to increase fuel economy standards based on several factors including the following: technology feasibility. economic practicability. the need to conserve energy and protect the environment. the effect on motor vehicle safety. and the effect oh U.S. employment. I believe this is a much more responsible approach that will improve the fuel efficiency of our Nations vehicles while also protecting public safety and our Nations economic security. This amendment also requires that the Department of Transportation complete the rulemaking process that would increase fuel efficiency standards for 2008 model vehicles. If the administration doesnt act within the required timeframe. Congress will act. under expedited procedures. to pass legislation mandating an increase in fuel economy standards consistent with the same cyiteria.that the administration must consider. This administration is already taking steps to improve fuel efficiency. As you know. in 2003. the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enacted the largest fuel efficiency increase for light trucks in over 20 years. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6835}
{"speech_id":1090047019,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By 2007. fuel efficiency requirements will increase to 22.2 miles per gallon from the 20.7 miles per gallon that had been in place through the 2004 model year. The amendment will also increase Federal research and development for hybrid electric vehicles and clean diesel vehicles. Additionally. the amendment will increase the market for alternativepowered and hybrid vehicles by mandating that the Federal Government. where feasible. purchase alternative powered and hybrid vehicles. I believe that this guaranteed market will encourage the auto industry to continue to increase their investment in research and development with an eye towards making alternativefuel and hybrid vehicles more affordable. available. and commercially- appealing to the average consumer. As a matter of fact. I have ridden in a hybrid manufactured by DaimlerChrysler and I have driven a fuelcell automobile manufactured by General Motors. I firmly believe that my children and grandchildren will one day be driving automobiles that run on hydrogen and give off only water. However. it will take time for the technology that makes these vehicles possible to be costeffective and for these vehicles to be marketable. Until then. I believe that consumer demand will continue to duive the market place. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6835}
{"speech_id":1090047019,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While truck. SUV. and minivan demand is not expected to decrease any time soon. automakers will meet this demand. In the meantime. many consumers are making the decision to move from light trucks to smaller vehicles as their needs change. In light of todays gas prices. consumers will demand more fuel efficientvehicles that do not jeopardize their personal and family safety. For example. my daughterinlaw currently drives a fullsize van. As the mother of four young children. she has needed the space and flexibility a van provides in order to accomnodate the necessary safety seats for my grandchildren. Now that her children. are getting older and are able to travel without car safety seats. she is looking into purchasing a station wagon. Such a vehicle will meet her needs while saving fuel over the long term. As consumer demands change because of trends and fuel prices. automakers will change to meet that demand. These changes in auto manufacturing should be driven by consumer choice. not by a governmentmandated arbitrary standard. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6835}
{"speech_id":1090047054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the information of Senators. in all likelihood the next vote will be the last vote tonight. We cannot say with certainty. but in all likelihood this is the last vote. The plan is to have final passage on the Energy bill at 9:45 on Tuesday morning. We will complete the bill tonight. We still have the managers package. That is why I cannot say absolutely no votes. But there is a 99percent chance that the next vote will be the last vote. We will be working on the Interior bill on Friday and Monday. We will be stacking the votes on Interior. hopefully. for Tuesday and complete passage of the Interior bill. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090047099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to clarify for my colleagues the .intent of section 1270 of the underlying Energy bill. which is a provision of extreme importance to my Washington State constituents. Ratepayers in my State were harmed by the Western energy crisis and the manipulation and fraudulent practices of Enron in wholesale electricity markets. A number of proceedings remain underway at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. which will determine the relief granted to consumers harmed by Enrons unlawful trading practices. An important issue that remains is whether utilitiessuch as Washington States Snohomish County Public Utility Districtshould .be forced to make termination payments to Enron. for power Enron never delivered in the midst of its scandalous collapse into bankruptcy. The intent of section 1270 of the underlying bill and the technical correction we have adopted today is simply to affirm that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has exclusive jurisdiction under sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act to determine whether these termination payments should be required. This provision expresses Congresss belief that the issues surrounding the potential requirement to make termination payments associated with wholesale power contracts are inseparable and inextricably linked to the commissions jurisdictional responsibilities.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1362}
{"speech_id":1090047101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This provision in no way prejudices or predetermines FERCs decisions in those matters. During the Senate Energy Committees work on this legislation. the supporters of this amendment and I initially considered offering an amendment that would have gone further to require a certain outcome. had the commission made certain findings. We chose not to pursue that amendment in response to concerns that were raised by colleagues. Section 1270 of this legislation is completely neutral regarding how the commission uses its authority under sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act. As such. the provision does not in any way implicate what is known as the MobileSierra doctrine. related to which standard FERC should apply to its review of jurisdictional wholesale power contracts.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":781}
{"speech_id":1090047126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for too long. we as a body. and we as a Nation. have fallen short in our efforts to address some of the most profound and far reaching challenges of our timeglobal climate change and energy security. For too long. we have skirted the issues and have shirked. our responsibilities. We have donvinced ourselves that weare doing something but. in reality. we continue to take nd real action. Rather than lead. we have stood by. paralyzed. undermining any efforts to forge aneffective response. It is time to -pull ourselves out . ofthat quicksand and confront the tasks at hand. First. we must establish practical and comprehensive:. steps to reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases and to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. Second. we must work in a partnership with developing nations to deploy clean energy technologies that can meet their urgent development needs while reducing their own contribution to global climate change and their growing energy dependency. Third. we must commit ourselves to the fundamental task of forging an effective and sound international agreement to guide a truly global effort to confront this most daunting problem. global climate change. In 1997. during the 105th Congress. the Senate passed. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090047126,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"S. Res. 98. by a. vote of 95 to 0. As the primary author. along with Senator HAGEL. of S. Res. 98. I sought at that time to express the sense of the Senate regarding the provisions- of any future binding. international agreement .that would be acceptable to the Senate. However. almost from the day of that vote. those on both sides of the issue have misrepresented and misconstrued .its intent. What was meant as a guide for action has instead been invoked. time and again. asan excuse for inaction. Yet no one has misrepresented and misconstrued. S: Res. 98 more so than this present administration.. Rather than employing it as a tool to positively influence the international negotiations. the administration. used it as cover to simply walk. away from. the negotiating table. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090047126,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For the U.S.. the issue should no longer be about the Kyoto Protocol. Certainly. everyone in this. Chamber knows that the United States will not join the Kyoto Protocol. The rest of the world has come to accept that fact as well. So let us exorcize the specter of the Kyoto Protocol from this debate.. The real question is what comes next. How do we arrive at a. credible. workable strategy. one compatible with the best interests of the United States and. of the other major emitting industrial and developing countries? That must be the question now before us. We must send a clear signal that we recognize our responsibilities. and we must be prepared to work toward a fair and effective framework for action. We must be bold leaders. We owe this to ourselves. we owe it to the other nations of the world. and we owe it most of all to our children and to future generations. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090047126,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Technology is a critical component. to resolving the climate change challenges in the U.S. and around the world. But let me be clear. Even as the administration has touted -technology as the solution. it continues to woefully underfund these very programs. Technology policies by themselves cannot. be the silver bullet. Technology. policies must be paired with commonsense. marketbased solutions to create incentives for innovation and adoption of new andimproved technologies that will providea signal to reduce emissions. There must be- a broader approach.. I want to commend Senators. McCAIN and LIEBERMAN for their diligence and hard work to find a middle ground. I want to commend Senator BINGAMAN on his efforts as well. Likea them. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090047126,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe that we face a problem. and it requires that we craft an economically and environmentally sound solution. The McCainLieberman amendment did not pass in its current form. While I did not vote for their amendment. I want to make it very clear to the administration and to others who just want to say \"no\" that I will work with Senator MCCAIN. Senator LIEBERMAN. and Senator BINGAMAN. and other Republican and Democratic Senators who want to craft a constructive solution. I have long said that global. warming and our energy security are major challenges in the U.S. and aroundthe world. Troubling- things are happening in our atmosphere. and we should wake up. I am not alone in this belief. The U.S. cannot bury its head in the sand and hope that these problems will simply go away. I have insisted on a rational and costeffective approach for dealing with climate change.. both domestically and internationally. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090047152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great honor that I rise today to publicly commend Grace Siers. charter member of Marshall Post No. 3507 Ladies Auxiliary in Britton. SD. for her many years of devoted service to our Nations veterans. Sixty years ago. in 1945. Grace joined the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. and has been an irreplaceable asset to the organization ever since. Grace is part of a long line of military patriots. as she joined the auxiliary under the sponsorship of her husband. William Siers. who served in WWI. as well as her three brothers. Vance. John. and Clarence Hunscher. all veterans of WWII. Not surprisingly. the tradition of serving our country continues with Graces fire sons. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2511}
{"speech_id":1090047152,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Le Roy. Donald. Virgil. Gary. and Robert. and even her grandson and granddaughter. all of whom served in the military. Regrettably. her son. Robert. died while fighting in Vietnam. Although decades have passed and auxiliary members are no longer as active as they once were. Graces hard work and dedication over the years enabled the auxiliary to raise thousands of dollars. bring smiles to the faces of countless injured and recovering veterans. and educate innumerable South Dakotans about the importance of supporting Americas brave veterans. In early years. Grace recalls hosting Post Suppers. serving banquets. selling poppies. organizing bake sales. compiling and selling cookbooks. and even manning the post during the annual Turkey Raffle on Thanksgiving. all to raise money for the auxiliary. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2511}
{"speech_id":1090047152,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In turn. the funds were donated to VA hospitals and used to buy supplies so the women could bake cookies and cakes and then personally deliver the goodies to veterans in hospitals throughout South Dakota. Graces tremendous contributions to the Britton community set her apart from other outstanding citizens. Her extraordinary service ahd commitment to Marshall Post No. 3507 Ladies Auxiliary is to be commended. Through Graces remarkable community involvement and dedication to Americas veterans. the lives of countless South Dakotans have been enormously enhanced. Her wonderful example serves as a model for other hardworking and dedicated individuals throughout South Dakota to emulate. Grace Siers is an extraordinary woman who richly deserves this distinguished recognition. I strongly commend her years of hard work and dedication. and I am very pleased that her substantial efforts are being publicly honored and celebrated. It is with great pleasure thatI share her impressive accomplishments with my colleagues.*","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2511}
{"speech_id":1090047165,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. its time to stop the raid on Social Security. For over twenty years. Congress has maintained the misguided practice of overcollecting Social Security taxes and spending them on other government programs. Congress has used the Social Security Trust Fund to promote the false notion that Social Security actually saves the money workers pay in. and it is time to end this abusive practice. It is time we start saving these resources in personal accounts that politicians cannot spend. Money cannot have 2 mastersit either belongs to the government or to individual Americans. The only way to prevent Congress from spending Social -Security surpluses is to rebate these funds back to a worker in a personal account with their name on it. The only true lockbox is a personal account. President Bush has done a good job helping Americans understand the problem. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1355}
{"speech_id":1090047165,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now it is up to Congress to build consensus around some solutions. Every American and nearly everyone in Congress agree on at least one core principle: Social Security money should only be spent on Social Security. Before we can have an honest debate on longterm solutions. we must restore trust with Americans. Stopping the raid will strengthen Social Security and is the first step toward longterm reform. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1355}
{"speech_id":1090047188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on the Constitution. Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"The Consequences of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton\" on Thursday. June 23. 2005. at 2 p.m. in SD226. Witness List Panel I: Sandra Cano. Atlanta. GA. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090047188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Norma McCorvey. Dallas. TX. and Ken Edelin. M.D.. Boston. MA. Panel II: Teresa Collett. Esq.. Professor of Law. University of St. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090047188,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thomas Law School. Minneapolis. MN. M. Edward Whelan. Esq.. President. Ethics and Public Policy Center. Washington. DC. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090047188,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"R. Alta Charo. Esq.. Professor of Law and Bioethics. Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development. University of Wisconsin Law School. Madison. WI. and Karen OConner. Professor of Government. American University. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":794}
{"speech_id":1090047204,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow. the Senate will begin consideration of the Interior appropriations bill. Under a previous agreement. we will consider amendments to the bill tomorrow and Monday. and we will begin votes in relation to amendments to the bill on Tuesday of next week. Therefore. there will be no rollcall votes during tomorrows session. Senators who have amendments to the Interior appropriations bill. however. should make themselves available to come to the floor tomorrow and Monday to offer their firstdegree amendments. . Mr. President. we had a great success today in the completion of the Energy bill. although we will not have the final vote on that bill until Tuesday morning. I congratulate the chairman and ranking member of the Energy Committee for their tremendous worktremendous workin getting the Energy bill to the- finish line. Through their hard work and with the cooperation and hard work of our colleagues. we were able to dispose of all amendments and take the bill to third reading in 2 weeks. just as we had planned. We had said that was our goal about a month ago. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2004}
{"speech_id":1090047204,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. indeed. that goal has been accomplished. We will have the vote on passage on Tuesday morning of next week. The vote on passage will occur between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Tuesday. and that will be our next vote. Both the chairman and ranking member of the Energy Committee will be there for that vote on Tuesday morning. Tomorrow. Mr. President. I will update everyone with respect to next weeks schedule. It will be the last week of our session prior to the Fourth of July holiday. and thus we can expect a very busy week. At the beginning of this .4week block. we said we would spend the last week on appropriations bills. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2004}
{"speech_id":1090047204,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. indeed. with the completion of the Energy bill. we will do just thatin fact. starting a day early by beginning the Interior appropriations bill tomorrow. Also during the week. we will have other legislative or executive matters we will deal with once they have been cleared.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2004}
{"speech_id":1090047261,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Absolutely. No question about that. And the control of Congress is of the same political party as the White House. and there is no interest in having a discussion about whether we should pay for that which we are spending in Iraq. The administration decided we are going to simply declare it an emergency. add it to the national debt. and let somebody else pay for it. That doesnt happen in most wars. Usually. the leadership says here is why we have to spend this. and it is a national purpose. But we are going to ask the soldiers to represent the country and lets find a way to do it. I will make this point. The Senator says we have some mutual responses. No question. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090047261,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On one of the early tranches of appropriations to replenish these accounts. there was a vote- on the floor of the Senate to pay for some of it. But the Congress. as he knows. is not of a mind to do that. when the President says he doesnt want to. You can dramatically cut spending or increase some revenue. It would be interesting to see if the administration would be interested in sitting down with the- Congress to talk about whether we even should. pay for it because. the administration thinks we should. It would be interesting if we had a sitdown discussion about how to pay for it. I happen to think that would be useful for the country. I would like us to do that. I think this country has a fiscal policy that is dramatically off track. I dont diminish the tax side as much as my friend does. About twothirds of the current deficit comes from reduced revenue. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090047261,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are at a lower revenue of GDP than we have been for a long time. Most of that came from the tax cut. and most of it didnt benefit people that I represent. by the way. Making the rich richer doesnt benefit everybody. The President says extend all of the tax cuts. which is a substantial amount of money and lost resources. and lets repeal the death tax. which doesnt exist. We should have a long discussion. I think our country deserves a fiscal policy grounded in fact and good thought about the future. My colleague from Oklahoma does a service by coming to the floor to talk about those red lines on that chart. I feel strongly about them. not just in fiscal policy but also trade policy. I hope at some point all of us could decide this is a crisis. There is an urgency here and we should work together on that basis. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090047261,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my colleague wishes me to yield further. I am happy to do that.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090047264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am trying to think of how to phrase this as a question. First. I think my statement was on discretionary spending. not mandatory spending in terms of my relationship to an increase in spending. I would think the Senator would agree that if. in fact. we froze discretionary spending. we would drive efficiency. innovation. and productivity among all those agencies. I hope that he would agree with that.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":419}
{"speech_id":1090047291,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was necessarily absent for part of this week and want to indicate how I would have voted if I had been present. If present. I would have voted in the following ways: \"no\" on the Nelson (FL) amendment. rollcall vote No. 143. \"yes\" on the Hagel amendment. roll call vote No. 144. \"yes\" on the Voinovich amendment. rollcall vote No. 145. \"no\" on the McCainLieberman amendment. rollcall vote No. 148. \"yes\" on the motion to table the Bingaman amendment. rollcall No. 149. \"no\" on the Alexander amendment. rollcall vote No. 150. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":758}
{"speech_id":1090047291,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Yes\" on the Kerry amendment. rollcall vote No. 151. \"yes\" to invoke cloture on the energy bill. rollcall vote No. 152. and \"yes\" to waive the budget point of order on the DomeniciLandrieu amendment. rollcall No. 153.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":758}
{"speech_id":1090047294,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that privilege of the floor be granted to George Matejko. a detailee on my personal staff. and Michele Gordon and Rachael Taylor of the Appropriations Committee staff during consideration of H.R. 2361. the fiscal year 2006 Interior and related agencies appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":312}
{"speech_id":1090047340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thought I would read part of the United States Constitution. Maybe the folks down the street at the Supreme Court will hear part of it. No person shall be deprived of life. liberty or property without due process of law. nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation. This is the fifth amendment of the Constitution. Mr: Speaker. This simple amendment does not permit government to take our homes and give it to some private entity. some private developer to build a parking lot. But yet the Supreme Court yesterday misinterpreted this simple provision in our Constitution. and now a private corporation. with the aid of government. can take our homes without our consent and build some shopping mall. This amendment was to protect our homes from others who want to take our land. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090047340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The purpose of this amendment was for public use. like a school. The Supreme Court once again has got it wrong and allows this modernday land grabbing by government for big developers without our consent. The Supreme Court. once again. has lost its way.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090047345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in light of Karl Roves savage attack on the patriotism of liberals in this country. I have a couple of questions. Two days afier 9\/11. the gentleman from Florida and I. on a bipartisan basis. pushed a $20 billion package through this House in response to the attack. We had to sit in the Speakers office and defend the Presidents request against people like Phil Graham and Don Nichols of the Presidents own party. Are those the liberals that Karl Rove was talking about? One month after 9\/11. the gentleman from Florida and I went to the White House and urged the President to support a greatly increased homeland security budget. The President. without even looking at what we were proposing. said. \"If you add one dime to our budget for homeland security. I will veto the bill.\" Mr. Rove was sitting over his shoulder when President Bush made that remark. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090047345,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Is President Bush one of those outofline liberals that Mr. Rove is talking about? I come from the State of Wisconsin. I know a thirdrate Joe McCarthy when I see one. and I saw one in Mr. Roves comments yesterday.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090047392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the arts motivate and inspire people of all ages to engage in learning. and that is what this is all about. Students who take regular arts courses are proven to score on average 90 to 100 points better on their SATs than students that do not take arts classes. Students that attend arts courses are shown to have better attendance. lower dropout rates. participate in more community service and have a higher selfesteem. That sounds to me like a pretty darn good investment in the youth of America. Mr. Chairman. I urge support of this amendment.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":560}
{"speech_id":1090047420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. if I could have the attention of the gentleman from Ohio. I .simply rise neither to speak for nor against this amendment. but simply to make an observation about it. The situation that the gentleman from Ohio finds himself in on this issue is a very difficult one. because he is trying to balance between two legitimate claims on the Federal Treasury. We have seen. as was observed in the Washington Post article this morning. a parade of Members come down to the floor yesterday and today trying to wiggle out from the consequences of the budget resolution which was imposed on the entire House by the passage of that resolution. Now. I do not like to be in that position. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2072}
{"speech_id":1090047420,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have a little less sympathy for the gentleman from Ohio than I do for myself on this issue. because he voted for the budget resolution and I did not. But that being said. there is no right position on an amendment like this. This issue simply demonstrates that when the money that you provide for education is inadequate. when it is inadequate to the needs of the Nation. then we are going to be eating each others favorite programs. then you are going to have all kinds of interest groups in this country chewing on each other and each trying to get out from under at the expense of everybody else. So I can actually understand why the gentleman opposes this amendment. because he needs some flexibility in conference to deal with some of the legitimate concerns that Members have. I love the program the gentleman from Georgia is trying to add money to. I had a son in the gifted and talented program. He was a National Merit scholar. Yet I would have a.great deal of difficulty voting to add money for that program at the expense of programs that went to help less gifted and less advantaged children in this society. So the amendment is half right and half wrong. and I hope. therefore. that the Members on the majority side and the minority side will understand why the gentleman from Ohio is so reluctantly against this amendment.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2072}
{"speech_id":1090047423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. just by way of clarification. I appreciate the gentlemans comments. and budgets are difficult. there is no doubt about it. and they say where we are in the priorities. Just by way of clarification. this fund is not for the talented and gifted program. This fund is to find high quality teachers and reward high quality teachers who increase achievement in schools and increase achievement in closing that gap.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090047432,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman. We are very aware of the gentlemans concerns. We have added a modest amount for the cancer institute. I have had many discussions with the director. Dr. von Eschenbach. and what we are trying to do. and he is doing. the gentleman would be interested in. he is trying to coordinate the various research centers. There are many good institutions throughout the United States doing cancer research. and because of the importance and the cost. we want to avoid duplication among these various institutions. So I think this program of trying to coordinate to ensure that they are not reinventing the wheel at each one of these places. because it is expensive. hopefully out of that effort there will be a more coordinated effort to target a cure for cancer because this would certainly be a great breakthrough.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":862}
{"speech_id":1090047502,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Ohio and the gentleman from Florida . both of the Education and the Workforce Committee. I. too. agree that Pell grants are a fundamental part of our efforts to ensure low- and middleincome students have the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education. As the gentlemen have pointed out. Republicans have a proud history of providing funding for the Pell grant program. I am particularly pleased that in this bill. we will erase the $4.3 billion shortfall that had existed within the program. and put the program on a solid financial footing. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1839}
{"speech_id":1090047502,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are also increasing the Pell grant maximum award to $4.100. the highest level in the history of the program. and it is very evident from the chart there. And I would point out that if you take a look at that chart. where we became thd majority party in 1994. and you can see the rapid ascendency of the Pell grant program. As the gentleman from Florida is aware. increasing the Pell grant maximum award. even incrementally. is costly. Each $100 we add is estimated to cost $420 million. As the number of lowincome students pursuing college continues to increase. the demand for Pell grants will grow as well. Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to have worked closely with the gentleman from Ohio and the gentleman from Florida to provide the resources necessary to help low- and middleincome students gain access to college through Pell grants. As for the conference negotiations. obviously I cannot guarantee any particular outcome. However. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1839}
{"speech_id":1090047502,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will make a goodfaith effort to increase the maximum Pell grant award. provided resources are available to do so. I thank the gentleman for engaging in this colloquy. and I look forward to working with him in the future to con tinue to support this important program.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1839}
{"speech_id":1090047527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the. gentleman from Californias amendment. The gentleman talks about two distinct and particular points in his amendment. First. schools routinely share students information with various vendors. And whether they sell that information or share it. there are a lot of different forums. And during the consideration of No Child Left Behind. the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":406}
{"speech_id":1090047650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I agree with my colleagues that Mr. Tomlinson needs to go. because yesterday Patricia Harrison. who was the former cochairman of the National Republican Committee. was selected as the next president. He has secretly coordinated with a White House official to formulate guiding principles for the appointment of two partisan ombudsmen to monitor and critique all public broadcasting content. Our first amendment.rights are being eroded away and we can see through that. There needs to be transparency. Mr. Chairman. once again our public broadcasting system is under attack by reactionary forces inside the beltway. This time. it is suffering a twopronged assault. one on content. one on funding. and both politically motivated. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3431}
{"speech_id":1090047650,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman HINCHEY and I are offering an amendment to reinforce existing law and buffer PBS from the kind of political attacks that Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB) Chairman. Kenneth Tomlinson. has brought upon Big Bird and Elmo. Mr. Tomlinson has revealed his personal crusade to discredit and destroy public broadcasting by unjustly accusing PBS and NPR of liberal bias. and working behind the scenes to stack the CPBs board and executive offices with operatives who share his ideological views. Yesterday. Patricia Harrison. the former cochairwoman of the Republican National Committee. was elected as CPBs next president. Mr. Tomlinson also secretly coordinated with a White House official to formulate \"guiding principles\" for the appointment of two partisan ombudsmen to monitor and critique all public broadcasting content. Tomlinson suppressed a public poll showing that 80 percent of Americans judge PBS to be \"fair and balanced\". compared to network and cable television. Tomlinson. also diverted taxpayers money to hire a partisan researcher for a stealth study to track so called \"antiBush\" and \"antiTom DeLay\" comments (by the guests) of \"NOW with Bill Moyers\"-a move that currently is being investigated by the Inspector General. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3431}
{"speech_id":1090047650,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the law is clear on this. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 clearly forbids \"any direction. supervision. or control over the content or distribution of public telecommunications .programs and services.\" Congress established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to \"encourage the development of public radio and television broadcasting\" and to \"afford (public broadcasting) maximum protection from extraneous interference and control.\" Under the direction of Tomlinson. however. the CPB has engaged in a deliberate campaign to inject politics into public broadcasting. The taxpayerfunded CPB is supposed to serve as a firewall between Washington DC politics and public broadcasting. Mr. Chairman. we must take the politics out of public broadcastingand put the public back in. Our amendment will prohibit the CPB President from exercising any direction. supervision. or control over the content or distribution of public broadcasting. It would also reaffirm the longstanding policy that public broadcasting must be free from outside interference. This is about the future of a vital public trust. a resource that is owned and enjoyed by everyone. and not allowing it to be hijacked by the nefarious agenda of a few political operatives. It is a shame that it has even come to arguing for safeguards we used to take for granted. but the actions of Mr. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3431}
{"speech_id":1090047650,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tomlinson demand it. I urge my colleabues to support our amendment.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3431}
{"speech_id":1090047653,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last words. Mr. Chairman. we oppose this amendment. There is already language in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 that prevents the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from controlling the content of public broadcasting services. I do not see why this language is necessary today. The law is already there. You have different points of view as to what is the characteristics of public broadcasting. and that is conservative. liberal or whatever. I think this amendment is unnecessary in light of current law. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090047653,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let CPB do its job and stop trying to politicize it. I will point out one further thing. This amendment would negatively impact on CPBs -ability to assist in the production of quality educational programming. For example. if this amendment were to be law. if Ken Burns. whom we all are familiar with. were to serve as a consultant to the National Park Service on battlefield conservation. he then would be prohibited from producing any documentaries for PBS or local public TV stations. The amendment would alter public broadcastings authorization that is presently in the law. and I think it would cripple the abilities of CPB to do what our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want it to do. and that is to be an objective medium. to present all sides of every issue. and not attempt to politicize the message. With the present law. it seems to me that there is no need for this amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote against it if we do have a roll call vote.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090047706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer an amendment to prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from using political litmus tests in making appointments to scientific advisory committees. Advisory committees play a crucial role in the development of policy. That role is to offer policymakers the best available expertise on scientific matters. Science is not liberal or conservative. It is not Democratic or Republican. In order to develop the best policy. our government needs to hear the facts from the most qualified experts. regardless of their political affiliation. This common sense principle is widely accepted in the scientific community. It has been endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences. the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. and numerous other scientific organizations. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090047706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment simply adopts this principle into policy. It would prohibit funding for any committee where members are chosen on the basis of political affiliation. unless required by law. Unfortunately. the current Administration has a terrible track record on this issue. It has repeatedly applied political litmus tests in making appointments to advisory committees. A nationally recognized expert on substance abuse was asked if he had voted for President Bush. After he answered honestly. he was not appointed. An expert in marine ecology was asked if she supported the Presidents economic and foreign policy agenda. After she told the truth. she was immediately dropped from consideration. A Nobel Prize winner was nominated for an important NIH panel on international health. According to a senior NIH official. he was not picked because he had \"signed too many full page letters in the Times.\" The Administrations use of political- litmus tests has generated outrage in the scientific community. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090047706,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The editor of the journal Science has stated. \"I dont think any administration has penetrated so deeply into the advisory committee structure as this one. and I think it matters. . . . If you start picking people by their ideology instead of their scientific credentials. you are inevitably reducing the quality of the advisory group.\" These actions are unacceptable. Expert advisory panels should be filled with scientific experts. not party.loyalists. This is the only way our government will have the information it needs to make the best policies on behalf of the American people. Our countrys premier scientific organizations have affirmed the core principle that scientific advice should be provided by the best scientists. I urge my colleagues to endorse this principle and support this amendment.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090047719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in politics there are show horses and there are work horses. This process. instead of seeking a solution. only sought headlines. We had an opportunity to make real progress and address the concerns of these tribes. Instead of addressing this issue in a substantive manner in committee. we are once again addressing it in a political way on the floor of the House simply for political gain.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":403}
{"speech_id":1090047724,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield 1 But having said that. I want to say minute to the gentleman from Call- that the gentlemans amendment goes fornia the rank- far too far in that regard. Now I will ing member of the Education and tell you why. Workforce Committee. In my State. we had an experience in","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090047726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I standards. But right here in the middle yield myself 30 seconds. of the United States. under this amendMy friend from California proves my ment. a tribe can grant to their workpoint. He admits that in a government- ers no rights. That is just untenable. And we understand how strongly held sovereignty Is. It is fundamental and basic to these tribes. We also understand how fundamental and basic the right to organize and the freedom of as\"sociation is to the workers. We have been trying to work .that out. ","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":891}
{"speech_id":1090047726,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment is not helpful in working that out. But the gentleman is exactly right. You can end up with thousands of American workers having no rights. This is like the situation you had in the northern Mariana Islands. where you had people who could not get a minimum wage. who could not get protection of immigration laws. This is recreating this on these lands.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":891}
{"speech_id":1090047753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague. the chairman of the Committee Education and the Workforce. for those remarks. but the action the Congress took last year was too limited. First of all. it only lasted a year so we could come back this year to fix the problem. but the other part.of the problem was it left a big part of the loophole still in place. what is called \"recycling.\" so that the lenders can continue to receive this windfall of 9.5 percent guarantee on those loans. This amendment is prospective only. It does not look back. it only looks to the future. Nobody who has been promised certain returns on their loans will lose the promises they have been made. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":898}
{"speech_id":1090047753,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But what it prevents from happening is future recycling. future abuse in this program. So I urge adoption of the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":898}
{"speech_id":1090047767,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. parliamentary inquiry. We have been working to introduce new language that I believe both sides have agreed to on this particular amendment. and my inquiry is. do I have to offer an amendment to the amendment? I do not. I stand corrected. So we do have the new language.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090047799,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. speaking as a psychologist and one who has spent a career working with children. let me say that this amendment is misguided. misinformed. wrong for America. and wrong for medicine. First of all. this bill does not fund universal screening. HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt and SAMHSA Director Charlie Curie have both testified that mandatory screening of all children for mental illness has never been. nor will it ever be. a part of the Federal plan to respond to the Nations mental health crisis. The Presidents New Freedom Commission on mental health clearly stated that schools should work collaboratively with families on mental health services and support to children. This amendment- is another witch hunt against mental illness and its passage will only serve to further stigmatize mental illness. If our concern is about overmedicating children. let us deal with that. You do not deal with it by attacking screening. Just as pediatricians routinely screen newborns for heart and liver diseases and sickle cell anemia. appropriate mental health screening done by qualified professionals is vital to identifying mental health and the potential substance abuse problems of our youth.. Screening does not cause diabetes. screening does not cause metabolic disorders. screening does not cause cancer. and screening does not cause hyperactivity. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090047799,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With over 75 percent of all prescriptions for antidepressants prescribed by nonpsychiatrists. including pediatricians. OBGYNs. and primary care practitioners. with little or no training in psychiatry. the answer is to do screening the right way with parental consent and by qualified mental health professionals. not to take away the ability to do it at all. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on the Paul amendment to do what is right for medicine. what is right for mental health. and what is compas sionate for those with mental illnesses.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090047839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the sentiments expressed by the gentleman from Ohio. my good friend. and I understand that he is interested in the best interests of the people in this country. particularly the Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. But the fact of the matter is we have experience in this regard. We have the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. None of the information about who they are. where they are located. -what their telephone numbers may be. is distributed to anyone so that they may be contacted under the provisions of the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. So why. under this new socalled Medicare Modernization Act. are we communicating that kind of information indiscriminately to a whole host of companies that are now going to besiege senior citizens with phone calls that they afe not going to welcome? We have ways to communicate whatever information we want to to the people who may be the beneficiaries under this program. and they can do that through the existing Medicare and Medicaid programs very simply. There is no reason whatsoever to give this information out indiscriminately so that these people can be harassed. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1252}
{"speech_id":1090047840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just want to point out to my colleagues that are listening to this debate that the senior organizations want beneficiaries to have access to the new drug benefit. This is why the AARP. the Seniors Coalition. the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. the National Kidney Cancer Association. the National Association of Manufacturers. the National Chamber of Commerce. and many others oppose this amendment. I would think that Members would take that into consideration because these cover a broad spectrumof opinions on this and they universally agree that this is a bad amendment. For this reason I urge Members to vote against it when we have the opportunity to do so. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":787}
{"speech_id":1090047901,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. today we will vote on H.R. 3010. the Labor. Health and Human Services. and Education bill for fiscal year 2006. On behalf of the educators. administrators and students in Dallas. Texas. I would like to express my strong opposition to the education appropriations outlined in this measure. The inadequate overall funding in H.R. 3010 completely undermines the public prioritization of education as a paramount concern. Make no mistakethese education cuts come as no surprise. Beginning with the passage of the House budget resolution for FY 2006. my Republican colleagues have shown their true intentions with regard to education funding. As passed. the budget resolution provides $56 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6306}
{"speech_id":1090047901,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a $530 million. or 0.9 percent decrease over the current fiscal year (FY 2005). This is the first time in over a decade that total education funding has been cut. Although our children have no legislative voice. they represent our Nations future and deserve our investment in their education today. As it stands. H.R. 3010 would cut funding for reading tours. teacher quality initiatives. bilingual instruction. class size reduction. school modemization. violence prevention initiatives. afterschool services and many other vital programs. Specifically. the House LaborHHSEducation Appropriations bill would cut. No Child Left Behind by $806 million (3.3 percent) below the current level. Under this bill. the NCLB funding shortfall will be $13.2 billion next year and over $40 billion since enactment. The bill also cuts the $603 million increase the Administration proposed for Title I to help lowincome children improve their reading and math skills to only $100 million. The Administrations request was already inadequate. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6306}
{"speech_id":1090047901,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. under this bill. Title I funding will be $9.9 billion below NCLBs funding promise for FY 2006. The bill freezes After School Centers. virtually for the fourth year in a row at $991 million even though only 38 percent of all after school applications nationwide could be funded last year. We are turning away children even though more than 14 million kids are unsupervised after school each day. It slashes Education Technology by $196 million (39.5 percent) on top of a $196 million cut last year. One in four states have no other dedicated technology funds to track NCLB student achievement data. improve teachers use of technology. and close the achievement gap through online learning. It eliminates Comprehensive School Reform grants to 1.000 highpoverty schools by eliminating the program. Rigorous independent evaluations have shown that comprehensive school reform models such as Success for All. Americas Choice. High Schools That Work. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6306}
{"speech_id":1090047901,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First Things First. and Talent Development are making a significant difference in helping schools implement integrated. schoolwide reform strategies. This bill turns its back on these schools. The bill cuts investments in teachers. It freezes the main NCLB program to put a qualified teacher in every classroom--Teacher Quality State Grantsat $2.9 billion for the 3rd consecutive year of a freeze or cut. The bill denies 80 percent of the Administrations $500 million request to provide an incentive for the best teachers to teach in the most challenging highpoverty schools. It cuts funds requested for math and science teachers by $79 million (29 percent). It even cuts teacher training in American history by $69 million (58 percent). It freezes Impact Aid payments to 1.300 school districts for over 1 million military and other Federallyconnected children. funding Impact Aid at approximately 35 percent below the maximum payments authorized for FY 2006. The bill also freezes flexible innovative education grants. English language training. civic education. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6306}
{"speech_id":1090047901,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"State assessments. and rural education. Some of these programs have been frozen for four years in a row. Although the Republican Majority promised lowincome students a $100 increase in the maximum Pell Grant in the 2006 Budget Resolution. this bill provides only half that. The $50 increase would offset only 2 percent of the additional $2.300 in fouryear public college costs since 2001.. If enacted. H.R. 3010 would be a grave disservice to our children and the future of our Nation. For these reasons and more. I oppose the unsatisfactory education funding levels in this appropriations bill. Unfortunately. underfunded education initiatives is not the only problem with this bill. The bill disinvests in job training and help for the unemployedcutting these programs by $346 million below the current level while 7.6 million Americans remain out of work. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6306}
{"speech_id":1090047915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. today we are considering the largestand arguably most complexof the domestic appropriations billsthe measure for Labor. Health and Human Services. and Education. H.R. 3010. I am pleased to say. as it addresses many of Congresss most sensitive domestic priorities. it also meets our fiscal responsibilities: it complies with the Budget Act. with our agreed spending levels. and with specific provisions of the budget resolution for fiscal year 2006.","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":462}
{"speech_id":1090047917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to urge that full funding for Title VII health professions programs be restored in the FY 2006 LaborHHS Bill. The elimination of funding for valuable programs such as the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and the Health Education and Training Center (HETC) would have an immediate. damaging impact on medical education. care. and research. especially in the State of New York. Title VII authorizes grants for important programs designed to address problems such as recruitment arid retention of providers for health centers. shortages in nursing and allied health. and the underrepresentation of minorities in the health care professions. These healthcare training programs are the only federal programs designed to increase the supply of primary medical care providers and public health professionals in underserved areas. such as inner cities and rural regions throughout the country. In addition. these programs seek to train more health professionals in fields experiencing shortages. improve the geographic distribution of health care personnel. and enhance minority representation in the pool of practicing health .professionals. New York has benefited greatly from Title VII health professions programs. In FY 2005. New York institutions received over $20 nillion in Title VII programs. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090047917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. continual annual budgbt cuts pose a great risk to health care in the state of New York. Without federal funding. the AHEC system will be greatly hindered in its ability to address the problems of access to health care. diversity of the health care workforce. and recruitment and retention of health care professionals in medically underserved areas. For these reasons I support the restoration of funding for Title VII health professions programs through the FY 2006 LaborHHS Appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090047956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would have found a way somehow to get this in. Mr. HOYER..It is always a terrific evening where everybody enjoys themselves. There is good comradeship on the field. across the party lines. It is good fun. The Republicans had a great game. particularly early on. They got way ahead of us. We tried to catch up and could not do it. but it was a fun evening. Mr. Speaker. the Bowie Bay Sox. a Double A team in the Baltimore Oriole organization. and the Bay Sox Stadium located in Bowie. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1303}
{"speech_id":1090047956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Maryland. in my district. has been the host of this ball game over the last 6 or 7 years. It is a great little stadium. one of the best minor league stadiums. I think. in the country. It is a fun place to play. but it is approximately 25. 30 minutes from here and. with traffic. a longer period of time. As the gentleman from Ohio . the manager of the Republican team. has pointed out. we had double the crowd. maybe evenmore than double the crowd. the largest crowd in our history. and the beneficiaries. of course. are the children and the families and the institutions that benefited from the contributions made by the people who attended and by those sponsors who generously provided resources to support this game. I want to congratulate the gentleman from Ohio . I know on behalf of the gentleman from Minnesota","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1303}
{"speech_id":1090047976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the men and women of Americas greatest generation. the generation that saved freedom and defeated tyranny. pass quietly from this life each day. Too quietly. I believe. For this generation of Americans must never forget that we are the beneficiaries of their selfless acts and their sacrifice. They made America what it is today: free. strong. and vibrant. Today. Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize and salute the many contributions of one member of that great generation. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3290}
{"speech_id":1090047976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jerald August Glaubitz. who passed away on April 26 at the age of Ii 1700 Jerry Glaubitz was a constituent of mine. He was a friend of mine. In some respects. he was a mentor of mine. I have known him for almost 40 years. More importantly. he was a trusted public servant. a patriot. and a good personal friend. A native of Murdock. Nebraska. Jerry was just 18 years old when he joined the United States Navy in 1938. He was stationed on the U.S.S. San Francisco and was present at Pearl Harbor on that day of infamy in December 1941 when 2.300 sailors and civilians lost their lives. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3290}
{"speech_id":1090047976,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jerry Glaubitz survived the treacherous Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor and remained determined to honor the. memory of those service men and women who were not as fortunate. Jerry served as the president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. and he played a key role during the observation of the 50th anniversary of that attack. \"After the war in which Jerry served. he returned home. more than determined than ever to live a life defined by the love of his wife and family. a life marked by his commitment to community and to his Nation. For 43 years. from 1961 to 2004. Jerry Glaubitz served as the mayor of Morningside. Maryland. a town of approximately 1.000 citizens. a small town. a vibrant town. a town where every neighbor knew one another and every neighbor was concerned about one another. At his retirement. he was the longestserving mayor in our State. and one of the longest serving mayors in the Nation. Morningside Councilman Jim Ealey said recently. \"Jerry took over the town when it was a onehorse town and nourished it and contributed everything he had to that town.\" Jerry also was a mainstay on the Morningside Volunteer Fire Department. joining the department in 1947 and serving as president. chief. and chaplain over the next 5 decades. He was a past president of the Maryland State Fire Association and the Prince Georges County Volunteer Firemens Association. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3290}
{"speech_id":1090047976,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had the great privilege as chairman of the caucus and as a member of the State Senate of Maryland of working closely with Jerry. both in his capacity as the mayor of Morningside. the president of the state fire association. and the county fire association. I can think of few people. Mr. Speaker. who cared more about their family. their community. and their country than did Jerry Glaubitz. I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy to his beloved wife of 62 years. Jean. his daughter. Carol. his son. Larry. and all of his family and friends. And I hope. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3290}
{"speech_id":1090047976,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. that they find comfort in the fact that his was a life welllived. a life that enriched countless others. A God that is merciful has taken Jerry to be home. He took him from a country that is grateful for his service and a community that is better for his life.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3290}
{"speech_id":1090048301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the book of Isaiah. the prophet wrote. \"[M]y people have gone into captivity. because they have no knowledge.\" Francis Bacon wrote. \"Knowledge itself is power.\" And when H.G. Wells summed up his history of the world. he concluded: \"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.\" In the next two decades. Americas history will become more and more a race for economic leadership. For more than a century. Americas economy has set the pace. We have led all competitors. Year after year. we have become used to winning the race. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11666}
{"speech_id":1090048301,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But now. over our shoulder. we can hear the footsteps of another runner. That competitor is China. And it is gaining fast. If we wish not to go into economic subservience. if we wish to maintain our economic power. if we wish to avert economic misfortune. the answer is education. Americas economic leadership has been a remarkable achievement. We Americans are just 4.6 percent of the worlds people. More than a fifth of the worlds people live in China. There are nearly 41\/2 times as many Chinese as there are Americans. Yet America produces 60 percent more goods and services than China. That is how Americans can enjoy one of the worlds foremost standards of living. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11666}
{"speech_id":1090048301,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The average Americans share of our economic output is $37.610 a year. The average Chineses share of theirs is $1.100 a year. But from a slow start. China has picked up the pace. Starting with Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s. China began to reform its economy. Deng was eminently practical. when it came to economic philosophy. He said: \"It doesnt matter whether the cat is black or white. as long as it catches mice.\" Today. you can find those capitalist cats everywhere in China. Over the last two decades. Chinas economy has been growing at an average of 9.5 percent. nearly three times as fast as Americas. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11666}
{"speech_id":1090048301,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And some project that within 20 years. Chinas could become the worlds largest economy. ending more than a century of American leadership. You can see how they do it at an American or Japanese factory in Shanghai. You see rows and rows of hardworking workers. in colorful uniforms. at welllit work stations. The company pays them about $2.000 a year. plus food and housing benefits. But that is good money in a country with an average income of $1.100 a year. The workers there want to keep their jobs. And 200 million other workers stand ready to take their jobs if they do not. The challenge for America in the decades to come will be: How can America compete with that factory in Shanghai? How can we get paid $37.000 a year or more to make goods and perform services. when there are Chinese workers willing to work hard for $2.000 a year? I . The answer is not protectionism. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11666}
{"speech_id":1090048301,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot build a wall around America. We cannot lift the drawbridge and flood a moat around our Country. If American companies do not employ those willing workers at the Shanghai factory. companies from Japan and Italy and China itself will. Then Japanese and Italian and Chinese companies will sell products more cheaply into America. And American consumers will gladly buy those products at lower prices. American donsumers will insist on buying those products at lower prices. If America raises tariffs on goods made in China. then American consumers will pay more for their cost of living than will people in other countries. Americans will have less money to spend on other things that they want. less money to spend on other things in America. The American economy will be smaller. if America raises tariffs. If America raises tariffs. then American businesses will pay more for their industrial inputs than will businesses in other countries. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11666}
{"speech_id":1090048326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while the Senator from Arkansas is on the floor. I want to mention to him hcw pleased I was to play a very small role in getting funding for this and give him a little background of why I have had a special interest in this. One of the more inspirational things I ever attended was in the East Room at the White House. perhaljs some 5 years ago. an event at which President Clinton had invited the Little Rock Nine. There they sat. these nine people. on a riser in the East Room of the White House as part of a celebration of the 45th anniversary of when those thennine young children marched into the Little Rock school and integrated the Little Rock school. That integration was ordered by Judge Ronald Davies of North Dakota. He was a Federal judge who was from the Fargo Federal district in North Dakota who traveled to Little Rock. AR. and issued the landmark ruling that resulted in the integration of that scilool. I was privileged to name a courthouse. in legislation. after Judge Ronald Davies about 5 years ago because I wanted North Dakotans to long remember this man. He was a short fellow. 5 foot 2. perhaps. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3943}
{"speech_id":1090048326,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He strutted around with great flair. but was a remarkable Federal judge by all accounts and issued a courageous decision. He was. in fact. required to have security because of threats on his life when he issued the landmark civil rights decision that required the integration of that school. With respect to the story. I want to read a couple paragraphs from Prairie Public Television in North Dakota. They did an interview with the judges family. It talked about when Judge Davis and Governor Faubus were deadlocked and the nine students were still not in school. There was an injunction that had been ordered. On September 20th. Davies ruled that Faubus used the National Guard to prevent integration. not to prevent violence. and the governor was forced to withdraw the trdops. The situation was now in the hands of the Little Rock Police Department. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3943}
{"speech_id":1090048326,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was a mob of a thousand people outside Central High School when those young students were ushered in. Everyone will recall the Norman Rockwell portrait of a young Black schoolgirl in pigtails and knee socks holding the hand of a U.S. Marshal walking into the Little Rock public school. The crowd learned the students were inside. and out of fear for their safety. the police then evacuated them. President Eisenhower issued a special proclamation that evening. calling for opponents of integration to \"cease and desist.\" ... The next morning. Little Rocks mayor sent the president a telegram asking him to send troops to maintain order. President Eisenhower sent 10.000 Arkansas National Guard and 1.000 members of the 101st Airborne. Those young students the next day. under heavy guard with substantial military around the city. entered Little Rock Central High School. I tell my colleague that only to say that Judge Ronald Davies. this Federal judge from North Dakota. played a very pivotal role in making that day happen with his ruling and paid quite a price for it at the time. with threats on his life and anger about what he had done. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3943}
{"speech_id":1090048326,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But 45 years after that Little Rock day. sitting in that room with now middleaged African Americans. to understand the courage it must have taken not just for them. especially them. but their parents. that they forced this issue. not just on behalf of these students but on behalf of all in this country who were similarly situated and similarly mistreated. I could not feel more strongly and feel more inspired about what this center will mean to those nine. to both Senatorsfrom Arkansas. but also to the relatives of Judge Davies and so many others who had a role in making this event happen that has literally changed the lives of a good many Americans. I heardthe Senatorspeak and wanted to acknowledgehis appreciation and say that we are the ones really who appreciate the opportunity to do this.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3943}
{"speech_id":1090048334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the greatness of women 9nd men is often best judged from an historical perspective. History gives us the detached perspective that -allows us to better understand and appreciate the person. the cause. and the legacy. This happens because great individuals often have been leaders who challenged the status quo as they pushed the country into areas where it had feared to go. As a result. such leaders often arouse criticism and opposition. The Revered Dr. Martin Luther King certainly was a controversial figure in his own time. Black power advocates attacked him for moving too slowly. while more than one presidential administration attacked him for moving too swiftly.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":686}
{"speech_id":1090048414,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of the United States. Karl Rove. a man who began as a political operator. and was rewarded for his political successes by being named to a very high position in the administrationindeed. he is clearly as influential in shaping the policies of the Bush Administration as anyone other than the President himselfmade a speech which was harsh. as is his right. but which was thoroughly dishonest. which again is his right under the first amendment to the Constitution. but ought not to be a right which high officials of the Federal Government avail themselves of so freely. Mr. Rove lied. The speech consists of a number of conscious. deliberate lies. particular ones and general ones. Here is what he said in his effort to further the deep polarization of this country from which he believes his side will benefit if he is ableto shape the way in which it is perceived. \"The most important difference between conservatives and liberals can be found in the area of national security. Conservatives saw the savagery of 9\/11 in the attacks and prepared for war. Liberals saw the savagery of the 9\/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers.\" Mr. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090048414,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. that is a lie. It is a lie consisting of a number of lies. I am a liberal. Mr. Speaker. And along with many. many other liberals in this Chamber. my response to the savage murders of Americans on 9\/11 has no resemblance to the political dishonesty that Karl Rove put forward. I voted for war in Afghanistan. No one who serves here votes for war easily. No one who has the responsibility of defending the country can be cavalier about sending the young men and women of our country off to battle. to kill and be killed. But the vote to go to war in. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090048414,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Afghanistan. to authorize the President. in effect. to go to war. to take whatever measures were necessary. and we knew when we did that that we were talking about going after .the regime in Afghanistan which was sheltering that murderer. Osama bin Laden. that vote was virtually unanimous. There was one \"no\" vote here. There were no \"no\" votes in the other body. There are a lot of liberals here. Mr. Speaker. And virtually unanimously we voted to go to war in Afghanistan. Yet Mr. Rove would lie to the American people and characterize that decision to go to war in defense of the country as indictments and therapy and understanding. . ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090048414,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Shortly after that. on the Judiciary Committee on which I then served. we spent a couple of weeks dealing with what should be done to increase the law enforcement powers of this country. And we voted out a bill by a .unanimous vote of 36 to 0. There are a number of liberals on that committee: Myself. the gentlewoman from California","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090048426,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 312 which recognizes National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States. It is offered by the gentleman from California . my colleague and friend. who could not be here this moment to carry it. He. has done a lot of great work on it. It has very good sponsors. also the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman OXLEY). the gentleman from Massachusetts .. our ranking member. of course myself and the gentlewoman from California . the gentlewoman from Florida and other supporters. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090048426,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This resolution is a testament to the benefits of a strong and robust housing market in this country. A home is more than just the symbol of the American dream..It is the backbone of our American way of life. Over the past 3 years. the housing .market has driven the national economy as Americans bought and refinanced homes in record numbers. Many :regions were spared the worst of the recent recession due to the strength of some local housing markets. Today. the housing sector directly accounts for about 14 percent of the countrys total gross domestic product. Building a home involves multiple segments of our economy. including builders. bankers. mortgage lenders. realtors and numerous other people that are involved in this whole process. June is National Homeownership Month. and so many of our partners celebrate this because in America. every citizen. regardless of race. creed. color or place of birth. has the opportunity and should have the opportunity to own a home of their own. Homeownership creates community stakeholders who tend to be active in charities. churches. and neighborhood activities. Homeownership inspires civic responsibility. and homeowners are more likely to vote and get involved with local issues. Families owning a home offer children a stable living environment. and in many cases it influences their personal development in many positive. measurable ways. at home and also at school. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090048426,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Homeownerships potential to create wealth is impressive. too. For the vast majority of families. the purchase of a home represents the path to prosperity. A home is the largest purchase most Americans will ever make in their lifetime. It is a tangible asset that builds equity. good credit. borrowing power and overall wealth. Today. nearly 70 percent of American families own their own homes. And minority homeownership rates. although they have reached an alltime high of almost 50 percent. that is not good. We have to work on that and give it special effort to get those homeownership rates higher. E 1415 While many gains have been made. lagging minority homeownership rates are a serious concern to this House. Minority households are expected to account for twothirds of household growth over the coming decade. Improving the ability of such households to make the transition to- homeownership will be an important test of the Nations capacity to create economic opportunity for minorities and immigrants and to build strong. stable communities. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090048426,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Last Congress. the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. I am pleased to. report. assisted in the successful enactment of 17 housingrelated bills. Through bipartisan cooperation with our ranking member. the gentlewoman from California . the gentleman from Ohio","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090048450,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his remarks and also heartily agree and hope that the Senate will pass this bill and take it up in an aggressive manner. I thank all the members of the Committee on Financial Services for their support on both sides of the aisle. It was truly a bipartisan effort.","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":364}
{"speech_id":1090048519,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 481. introduced by the gentlewoman from Colorado would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to hold 1.465 acres in trust. thereby allowing the National Park Service to formally establish the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. The Park Service has worked in partnership with the State of Colorado. the Cheyenne tribe. and the Arapaho tribe to establish this site which was originally authorized in 2000 and recognizes the national significance of the Sand Creek Massacre in American History. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LUIS FORTUNO","chamber":"H","state":"PR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":623}
{"speech_id":1090048521,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. asthe majority has explained. H.R. 481 will further the* purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site by enabling a significant parcel of land to be added to the site. The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site was authorized in 2000 to preserve. commemorate and interpret the location of the 1864 massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people camped along the banks of the Big Sandy Creek in southeastern Colorado. The effort to establish the historic site has been a cooperative one. The inclusion. of the land authorized by H.R. 481 will be a significant step leading to the formal establishment of the site by the Secretary of the Interior. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 481 will help advance the preservation and interpretation of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and we support adoption of the legislation by the House today. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090048521,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. let me thank the staff of the Resources Committee. both the minority and majority staff. and especially Rick Healy. who worked diligently on this bill.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090048540,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. . Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to support H.R. 1428 introduced by the gentleman from California . the distinguished chairman of the House Resources Committee. which extends the existing authorization levels for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Since its creation in 1984. the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has funded more than 6.420 conservation projects. These efforts have been coordinated with more than 1.800 different conservation organizations. The fundamental goal of these projects has been to increase resources for fish and wildlife conservation. develop innovative conservation solutions. respect private property rights. and sustain healthy ecosystems. Unlike most conservation groups. this organization requires its grantees to sign an agreement stipulating that no Federal funds will be used for lobbying or litigation purposes. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090048540,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Instead of -simply talking about conserving critical habitat. the foundation has accomplished that effort by taking their limited Federal dollars. and. through its challenge grant approach. generating over $900 million in private matching funds. This is a remarkable achievement. H.R. 1428 is a simple. noncontroversial and bipartisan bill. I urge an aye vote. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090048567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would recognize the staff of both the majority and minority and also congratulate the gentleman from Washington on not only his performance in submitting this bill but his stellar performance in the congressional baseball game last Thursday night. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":312}
{"speech_id":1090048595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I rise in strong. support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. first I want to commend the gentleman from New Jersey . my good friend and .distinguished colleague. an indefatigable fighter for human rights across the globe. for introducing this resolution. It is vitally important that we recall the brutal and tragic events that took place at Srebrenica in July of 1995. and seek justice as long as those responsible are still at large. Mr. Speaker. in early July 1995. Bosnian Serb forces laid siege to the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia where tens of thousands of Muslim civilians had taken refuge from earlier Serb offenses in the northeast. The United Nations attempted to extend protection to the area. and some 600 lightly armed Dutch troops were dispatched there tO establish a United Nations presence. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3187}
{"speech_id":1090048595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Serbian troops stepped up shelling the town. and thousands of Muslim refugees fled ahead of the advancing Serb forces. Serb soldiers then attacked the Dutch U.N. troops and took 30 of them hostage. The Dutch commander requested NATO air strikes against the Serbian troops. but these were quickly stopped after the Serbian commander threatened to kill the Dutch captives. The Serbs occupied the area and began separating the civilians. men to one side. women and children to the other. Women and children were transported. terrified. to Muslim territory. but all the males between the ages of 12 and 77 were held for what the Serbs cynically termed interrogation for suspected war crimes. Over the next 5 days. Bosnian Serb soldiers systematically killed over 7.000 unarmed men and boys in the fields. schools. and warehouses around Srebrenica. Mr. Speaker. this was the worst massacre in the bloody Bosnian war. and it was ethnic cleansing of the most horrible sort. It is important that we note not only that 10 years have passed since that horrendous crime. but what is more. that those who are guilty of this mindboggling atrocity have not been brought to justice. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3187}
{"speech_id":1090048595,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Bosnian Serb general who commanded Serbian forces at Srebrenica. Ratko Mladic. has been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal. but he remains at large in Serbiancontrolled areas of Bosnia or in Serbia itself. Another Bosnian Serpb indicted by the tribunal who also bears responsibility for the atrocities is also free in Bosnia or in Serbia. He is Radovan Karadzic. the former leader of the selfstyled Republika Srpska. or the Serbcontrolled territories in Bosnia. Mr. Speaker. it is an outrage that such war criminals continue to be sheltered and protected by Serbian officials in Bosnia and in Serbia. As we solemnly mark the passage of a decade since this horrific massacre at S~ebrenica. it is essential that we recommit ourselves to seek justice for the victims. welldeserved punishment for the perpetrators. and commit ourselves to take all possible action to assure that such atrocities do not again occur in Bosnia or in Rwanda or in Darfur. or indeed any place on this small planet. Mr. Speaker. I strongly support this resolution. and I urge all of my colleagues to do so. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3187}
{"speech_id":1090048677,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":22,"republican":0,"speech_text":"43. Specialist Philip D. Brown 44. Specialist Isela Rubalcava 45. Specialist Chase R. Whitman 46. Specialist James J. Holmes 47. Sergeant Rodney A. Murray 48. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4412}
{"speech_id":1090048677,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":22,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Private First Class Andrew L. Tuazon 49. Specialist Kyle A. Brinlee 50. Specialist Jeffrey R. Shaver 51. Lance Corporal Jeremiah E. Savage 52. Private First Class Brandon C. Sturdy 53. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4412}
{"speech_id":1090048677,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":22,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Private First Class Brian K. Cutter 54. Specialist Philip I. Spakosky 55. Sergeant Brud J. Cronkite 56. Command Sergeant Major Edward C. Barnhill 57. Private First. Class Michael A. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4412}
{"speech_id":1090048677,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":22,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mora 58. Sergeant James William Harlan 59. Staff Sergeant Rene Ledesma 60. Senior Airman Pedro I. Espaillat Jr. 61. Second Lieutenant Leonard M. Cowherd Jr. 62. Specialist Carl F. Curran 63. Specialist Mark Joseph Kasecky 64. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4412}
{"speech_id":1090048677,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":22,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lance Corporal Bob W. Roberts 65. Staff Sergeant Joseph P. Garyantes 66. Specialist Marcos 0. Nolasco 67. Staff Sergeant William D. Chaney 68. Private First Class Michael M. Carey 69. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4412}
{"speech_id":1090048687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":17,"republican":0,"speech_text":"463. Corporal Jarrod L. Maher 464. Specialist Raymond L. White 465. Sergeant Byron W. Norwood 466. Lance Corporal Justin M. Ellsworth 467. Corporal Kevin J. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2991}
{"speech_id":1090048687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":17,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dempsey 468. Specialist Jose A. Velez 469. Lance Corporal Benjamin S. Bryan 470. Lance Corporal Justin D. McLeese 471. Lance Corporal Victor R. Lu 472. Captain Sean P. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2991}
{"speech_id":1090048687,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":17,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sims 473. Private First Class Cole W. Larsen 474. Sergeant Catalin D. Dima 475. Corporal Nicholas L. Ziolkowski 476. Corporal Andres H. Perez 477. Corporal Dale A. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2991}
{"speech_id":1090048687,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":17,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Burger. Jr. 478. Lance Corporal George J. Payton 479. Private First Class Isaiah R. Hunt 480. Lance Corporal Travis R. Desiato 481. Lance Corporal Bradley L. Parker 482. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2991}
{"speech_id":1090048687,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":17,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lance Corporal Shane E. Kielion 483. Corporal Marc T. Ryan 484. Lance Corporal Jeramy A. Ailes 485. Sergeant Rafael Peralta 486. Lance Corporal James E. Swain 487. Captain Patrick Marc M. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2991}
{"speech_id":1090048690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tonight we will be engaging in a discussion about our Nations homeland security. I will be- joined by several of my colleagues here tonight who have some very interesting thoughts and perspectives they would like to share with the American people on this most important. issue. Homeland security is a matter of concern to all Americans. irrespective of their political affiliation. This is especially true in the United States Congress. The Committee on Homeland Security. of which I am a member. reflects our national concern. In the last 6 months. our committee has sent to the floor of the House some very important legislation designed to make Americas borders. ports. and transportation facilities less vulnerable to terrorist attack or other catastrophe. One such bill is H.R. 1544. the Faster and Smarter Funding For First Responders Act of 2005. Prior to this bill. grant funding for first responders tasked with responding to homeland emergencies was provided in equal percentage to all States with an allowance upward for population. Because these funds are distributed without regard to safeguarding against risk. there were many documented abuses within the system. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4751}
{"speech_id":1090048690,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Of the $6.3 billion in grants appropriated by Congress and awarded by the Department of Homeland Security since fiscal year 2002. only 31 percent of those funds have been spent. Let me repeat: of the $6.3 billion in grants appropriated by Congress and awarded by the Department of Homeland Security since fiscal year 2002. only 31 percent of those funds have been spent. My own home State of Pennsylvania. that State has only spent 17 percent of these homeland security funds. Hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for homeland projects are currently unaccounted for. Moreover. in some instances. local communities received these funds. but utilized them in ways that were not consistent with the promotion of our homeland security. The chart I have here. and I will have those displayed in a moment. but these charts that I have here highlight some of the most egregious examples of misspent homeland security funds: In Washington. DC. Dale Carnegie public speaking training for sanitation workers. $100.000 was spent. These were homeland security dollars we are talking about. Again in Washington. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4751}
{"speech_id":1090048690,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC. a rap song to teach children emergency preparedness. $100.000. Santa Clara County. California. four Segway scooters to transport bomb squad personnel at a cost of $18.000. Mason County. Washington. biochemical decontamination units left sitting in a warehouse for more than a year. with no one trained to use it. $63.000. South Dakota. onsite paging system for the State agricultural fair at $29.995. Converse. Texas. a trailer to transport lawnmowers to lawnmower drag races. $3.000. Des Moines. Iowa. traffic cones. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4751}
{"speech_id":1090048690,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"State of Missouri. 13.000 HazMat suits for every law enforcement official at $7.2 million. Tiptonville. Tennessee. purchases totaling $183.000 including a Gator allterrain vehicle at $8.700 and two defibrillators. one for use. at high school basketball games. $5.200. Washington. DC. computerized car towing service. $300.000. Again. we are talking about homeland security funds here. Montgomery County. Maryland. 8 large screen plasma television monitors for $160.000. Prince Georges County. Maryland. digital camera system used for mug shots at a half million dollars. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4751}
{"speech_id":1090048690,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Newark. New Jersey. airconditioned garbage trucks at a quarter million dollars. H.R. 1544 seeks to rectify this deplorable situation by awarding grant funds based on risk. It requires that moneys be disbursed to those areas where threat vulnerability and consequence of attack is the greatest. It provides priority assistance to those first responders and first preventers that in fact are facing the highest risk. It streamlines the process by which local authorities can apply for and receive terrorism preparedness grants. It establishes specific flexible and measurable goals for the Department of Homeland Security and promotes the development of national standards for first responder equipment and training. It encourages regional cooperation to increase emergency preparedness. It follows the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission which had this to say about the prior funding formula: \"Homeland Security assistance should be based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities. Federal Homeland Security assistance should not remain k program for general revenue sharing. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4751}
{"speech_id":1090048725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening to discuss for the next 45 minutes the most important topic that will allow us to protect the homeland. provide for the security of the American people and our allies and our troops around the world: our intelligence. Last Thursday. Mr. Speaker. I had a meeting with the very able and distinguished chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. the gentleman from Michigan . We discussed many things. one of which was a source that I had hoped that we could get some information to assist us in understanding the threats in Iraq and the Middle East. and especially in regard to Iran. I said to the gentleman from Michigan . I am going to make a prediction to you. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090048725,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Based on my source. I said. common wisdom tells us that the winner of the election in Iran that will take place on Friday and Saturday our time will. probably be Rafsanjani. He is the name that most pundits have said would be the likely winner in a twoperson runoff against the more conservative and not wellknown mayor of Tehran. But I said to the gentleman from Michigan . based on information we had. the election was not going to be close. it will be a landslide. But the conservative mayor of Tehran. a relative unknown. had been anointed by Ayatollah Homeni in Iran and he would in fact win the Iranian election. We all saw the results. Mr. Speaker. on Saturday night and Sunday morning as. in fact. the mayor of Tehran won the election with a margin of 62 to 38 percent. an overwhelming landslide. I raise this issue. Mr. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090048725,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. because good intelligence and good information is the most critical tool that we can have over the next several years and decades to protect our homeland. Mr. Speaker. I rise because information has come to my attention over the past several months that is very disturbing. I have learned that. in fact. one of our Federal agencies had. in fact. identified the major New York cell of Mohamed Atta prior to 9\/11. and I have learned. Mr. Speaker. that in September of 2000. that Federal agency actually was prepared to bring the FBI in and prepared to work with the FBI to take down the cell that Mohamed Atta was involved in in New York City. along with two of the other terrorists. I have also learned. Mr. Speaker. that when that recommendation was discussed within that Federal agency. the lawyers in the administration at that time said. you cannot pursue contact with the FBI against that cell. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090048725,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mohamed Atta is in the U.S on a green card. and we are fearful of the fallout from the Waco incident. So we didnot allow that Federal agency to proceed. Mr. Speaker. what this now means is that prior to September 11. we had employees of the Federal Government in one of our agencies who actually identified the Mohamed Atta cell and made","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090048806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to express my gratitude to the managers of the energy bill. Senators DOMENICI and BINGAMAN. for their support of two amendments that I offered. I am proud that these amendments have been included in the legislation that the Senate will vote on today. and I believe that their enactment will help America increase its energy independence and transition our energy industry to full usage of 21st century technologies. The first adopted amendment. which was cosponsored by Senator LUGAR. provides $85 .million to three universities for research and testing on developing Illinois basin coal into transportation fuels. including FischerTropsch jet fuel. a type of lowemissions diesel that can be used in jets and diesel. The funds provided in this amendment will assist Southern Illinois University. Purdue University. and the University of Kentucky in upgrading existing facilities and constructing new facilities to conduct research and testing on this technology. It is critical that our Government invests in domestic fossil fuel supplies in an innovative mainer. and this is a commonsense way to expand our coal industry in an environmentally friendly manner. The second adopted amendment. which was cosponsored by Senator BAYH. provides $40 million for research on combined plugin hybrid and flexible fuel vehicles. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2517}
{"speech_id":1090048806,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. we have the technology to produce both plugin hybrid vehicles. which run partly on electricity rather than fuel. and flexible fuel vehicles. which run on a blenl of 85 percent renewable fuel and 15 percent petroleum. But we dont yet have the technology to combine both technologies into the same car. If we could do this. there is the potential for developing a car that could get 500 miles per gallon of gasoline. At a time when our country spends billions of dollars a year on importing foreign oil. it is imperative that we take meaningful. proactive steps that not only stem our future oil dependence but also reduce our reliance on overseas sources. My amendment would do just that by stimjlating the commercialization of this technology at a cost of only 6 percent of our Nations daily spending on foreign oil. Again. I thank the bill managers for their assistance with these amendments. I ask unanimous consent to have the following two articles on the potential of combined plugin hybrid\/flexible fuel vehicles printed in the RECORD. There being no objec tion. the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows: [From Newsweek. Mar. 7. 2005]","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2517}
{"speech_id":1090048810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we consider the possibilities and challenges that face our great Nation and the tremendous dependence we have on foreign sources of oil. every effort to reduce that dependence becomes a key point for consideration by the Congress. In addition. the growing demand for oil by China and India only intensifies the need for action. We must become less reliant on foreign sources of oil and natural gas from unstable parts of the world. I have been made aware that by reducing fuel consumption in the aviation sector through implementation of an idle reduction technology we would see fuel reductions in excess of 90 million barrels of petroleum each year after full implementation. Implementing this type of technology would also greatly reduce the associated mobile source emissions greatly benefiting our metropolitan areas facing EPA nonattainfnent and the losses associated this categorization. The airline industry and the general public would also benefit from such technology through reduced costs and environmental improvements. According to DOT. expenses for U.S. commercial airlines. fuel and oil expenses were equal to those of labor which has historically been the single largest expense for the carriers. By reducing the amount of fuel required through idle reduction technology. the U.S. commercial airlines could save well over $4 billion in fuel costs at todays fuel prices. a large percentage of the estimated losses for this year. Applying innovative technology applications in this manner will assist in reducing our overall dependence on foreign oil while providing other benefits as well. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1841}
{"speech_id":1090048810,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Energy bill that has passed today includes support for research and development for optimizing fuel efficiency for commercial aircrafts. This is an important step in the right direction for Americas energy future.","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1841}
{"speech_id":1090048817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the provisions in the Energy bill will greatly improve the ability of electricity transmission operators to ensure the reliability of our grid. especially with the help of new technologies. I want to make the Department of Energy and Federal Government aware that there is a company in my State that currently provides independent realtime energy information. This companys patented technology collects power supply information using a network of remote. wireless devices to monitor multiple pointson the transmission grid. This information is provided to utilities. Federal agencies. and others responsible for monitoring our critical energy infrastructure and the markets associated with that infrastructure. I applaud them for their ingenuity and efforts to further increase the reliability of our electricity transmission grid. It is my understanding that the Federal Government is looking at developing monitoring technology similar to the technology of other companies such as the one in my State and other States. I want to implore to the Department of Energy and other Federal Government agencies to not choke out these new innovations already being developed and deployed in the private marketplace. I ask that the Federal Government consider the new technologies already commercially de-. ployed when examining the role the Federal Government should play when developing these new abilities.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1416}
{"speech_id":1090048825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Finance Committee chairman. A central goal of the Energy bill is to enhance the production of U.S. energy sources. including oil and natural gas. and thus allow us to reduce our reliance on imported energy. To do that we need to make domestic oil and gas exploration projects cost competitive with those abroad. Allowing geological and geophysical expenditures to be amortized over 2 years will help make U.S. projects more economical by reducing the administrative cost burdens to both taxpayers and the IRS. It will especially help small operators take more risks to find new sources of oil and gas. This provision has been in every Energy billHouse and Senateover the past several years. It has enjoyed bipartisan support because it makes sense. These expenditures are similar to research and development expenditures paid by other industries. Research and development expenses are either currently expensed or they receive a tax credit. Shorter amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures. while not as generous a tax treatment as expensing or a credit. would help to equalize the tax treatment of similar expenditures for all industries. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2017}
{"speech_id":1090048825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would also raise the importance of similar tax treatment of delay rental payments. Congress needs to pass legislation to clarify that delay rental payments can be amortized over 2 years to enhance and preserve domestic oil and gas production. This is important for developers who cannot afford to run continuous operations on the properties they hold. The current uncertainty of how these costs are to be treated has led to costly litigation. prompt clarification will eliminate needless administrative burdens on taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service. Unfortunately. these two provisions were not included in the Senate Energy Policy Tax Incentives Act of 2005. They are both important provisions for a comprehensive Energy bill. I would ask my colleague if he would work with me to see that they are included in the final conference package.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2017}
{"speech_id":1090048884,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join my friend from West Virginia. the distinguished Senator who formerly served as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. in offering this amendment for the consideration of the Senate. I appreciate Senator BYRD inviting me to be an original cosponsor of this amendment and join him in this effort to see that the memorial previously authorized to be constructed on the Mall here in the Nations Capital in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King be funded so construction can begin and this memorial be completed. The Martin Luther King Memorial was authorized to be constructed on a 4acre tract on the Mall to recognize and honor the influence on civil rights and justice for allfor all Americansto which Dr. King devoted a lifetime of courageous service and leadership. Although the legislation contemplates. as my friend from Virginia.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090048993,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wanted to ask if the Senator was aware that when our amendment was offered on the supplemental. Senators on this floor were told by the VA that they didnt need the funding. And last Thursday. the VA announced that they were indeed well over $1 billion short for this fiscal year alone for VA funding. That is why I needed to offer this amendment on this bill. and hopefully the Senate will pass it. I hope it will pass unanimously tomorrow. Is the Senator from North Dakota aware that is the situation we are now in?","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":518}
{"speech_id":1090049013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we just heard a good observation about the increase in spending. but it is important for the American people to understand. we did ramp up homeland security. We did ramp up defense. Let me read the increases in spending that have occurred in other areas since 2001: legislative branch. 40 percent. judiciary. 40 percent. Agriculture. 25.7 percent. Defense. 55 percent. Education. 109 percent. Energy. 48 percent. Health and Human Services. 53.1 percent. Homeland Security. 153 percent. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4306}
{"speech_id":1090049013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Housing and Urban Development. 38.2 percent. Justice. 22.7 percent. Labor. Health. and Human Services. 57 percent. Department of State. 74 percent. Transportation. 40 percent. Veterans Affairs. 44.5 percent. General Services Administration. 404 percent. National Science Foundation. 61 percent. The average has been almost 39 percent in the last 4 years. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4306}
{"speech_id":1090049013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Outside of homeland security and defense. the increase in spending by the Congress has been almost 30 percent. I come to the floor of the Senate to talk about the spending problems. I also want the American people to understand what is happening to us presently. This chart represents the onbudget Federal deficit. It is not the games that we play in Washington. This is the true amount of money we are going to spend that we dont have. that we are actually going to borrow money to pay for. As you can see. this year it is going to be $544 billion. That is $544 billion that we are going to ask our children and grandchildren to pay back. There is no question that we have some belttightening to do. There is no question that the authors of this appropriations bill have done some of that in the bill. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4306}
{"speech_id":1090049013,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The amendment I wish to focus on presently is an amendment that reduces funding for land acquisition within the bill by $121.2 million. from $154 million. for a total of $32.8 million. The reasoning behind this amendment is. there is $92 million in reserve accounts right now to buy land that had not been spent this year. The committee put forward another $154 million. Buying land to preserve our scenic heritage. natural wildlife areas. is a good goal. The problem is. do we. need to do it now when we are in a time of war. when we are borrowing from our childrens future to be able to accomplish that? Is now the time to spend money on it? If not. is there another need? Is there a priority on which we should be spending? I would say that we need to have another priority. The current bill proirides funding for land acquisition through four separate programs: $12.3 million for the Bureau of Land Management. $40.8 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service. $56 million for the National Park Service. and $44.9 million for the Forest Service. Within the amen dment. land acquisition funding for both the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service is eliminated. while funding for both Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service is reduced by $32 million. According to OMB and staff estimates. the estimated amount of unobligated balances for Federal land acquisition at tlhe end of the current fiscal year will be $92 million. OMB estimates that BLM will have $28 million in unobligated balances. In contrast. the bill provides an additional $12.3 million for BLM. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4306}
{"speech_id":1090049013,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. which is set to receive almost $41 million. will have an estimated $32 million in unobligated balances at the end of this year. according to OMB. Of the $121.2 million savings produced. $60 million in this amendment is transferred to a special diabetes program for Indians. and $61.2 million is transferred to the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program. Both programs are with the Indian Health Service. Why is that important? There are some important things about diabetes with Native Americans that need to be recognized. The question is. Do we. spend money on land or do we spend money to improve the peoples lives that need us the most? We have a real crisis in health care in Indian Country. The causes are many. but one controllable factor is the delivery of federally funded health care services. Quality of care is severely impacted by poor oversight. lack of competitive forces. and the serious lack of funding prioritization. My amendment addresses the latter. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4306}
{"speech_id":1090049019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I extend my thanks to the majority leader for his exceptionally generous remarks about my service here. and I also want to take this opportunity to thank him for the extraordinary leadership he has provided over the last 21\/2 years. It has been a great pleasure working with the Senator from Tennessee almost every day as I try to assist him in conducting a chorus on our side that is occasionally slightly off key but. generally speaking. singing the same tune. To my good friend and colleague from Kentucky. we share the same constituency. We have similar views on how America ought to be led. It has been a distinct pleasure. I say to my friend from Kentucky. to be associated with him. to enjoy his own electoral success. which has been quite extraordinary given the rather limited number of Republicans who have been elected to the Senate from our State. I thank him for his incredible. generous remarks. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090049019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I stand here today with a bit of disbelief. Fortyone years ago. as a young man long on desire but short on achievement and certainly devoid of connections. I met the man I considered to be one of the greatest Senators in Kentuckys history and certainly the greatest in my adult lifetime. John Sherman Cooper. I was 22 years old. had just graduated from the University of Louisville. ana was intentabsolutely intent--on getting a Senate internship as the first step up what I hoped would be the ladder to a life of accomplishment.. Senator Cooper reached out and lifted me up to that first rung. He took me on as an intern in his office. and this was at a time when many Senators did not have internship programs at all. He gave me a chance to do that. I had the pleasure of being .the only intern in the office and to stay for the entire summerJune. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090049019,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"July. and August. So he became my boss. and he also became my mentor. and he became my friend. In fact. he was the first great man I ever met. Now I stand in the same Senate Chamber as Senator Cooper. the longest serving Republican Senator in Kentuckys history. until yesterday. I am filled with gratitude for his helping hand. gratitude for Senator Cooper. and for a .country where there are no limits to ones success. Senator Cooper served for 7.479 days. My fellow Kentuckians elected him to this body five times. But Senator Cooper had a most unusual record of service. It was not unbroken. nor was he elected to a full 6year term until his fifth race for the Senate. In fact. to serve his nearly 21 years he stood for election seven times. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090049019,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He won five and he lost two. He also lost a race for Governor before World War II. But he was never afraid to put himself before the people of Kentucky and be judged. He knew who he was and he knew where he stood. To borrow a phrase. he had the courage of his convictions. To most Kentuckians. Senator Cooper was our emissary to places of power. I viewed him with simpler eyes. He was my hero. I learned more from him than from anyone else I have encountered in all of my years in public life. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090049019,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He taught me how to be a Senator. And he taught everyone who knew him the value of integrity. forthrightness. and moral character. Senator Cooper stood fast for what he believed was right. no matter how large the opposition and no matter what the cost. even if that cost might mean his seat in this Chamber. When President Andrew Jackson said. \"One man with courage makes a majority.\" he was talking about John Sherman Cooper. I saw that firsthand during my summer here in Washington in 1964. That was the summer of my internship in the Senators office. It was also the summer of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. and we all remember what a dramatic struggle that bill was. Until that point. the Senate had been. for the most part. a graveyard for civil rights bills since reconstruction. courtesy of the filibuster. But as my generation was keen to say at the time. things were achanging. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11254}
{"speech_id":1090049039,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I had to be absent from the Senate today. and I missed votes beginning with the motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to amendment No. 1019. offered by my colleague from Oklahoma. Mr. COBURN. I had to miss the votes in order to travel to Charlotte. NC. to participate in a Base Realignment and Closing. BRAC. Commission Regional Hearing at Central Piedmont Community College. I am not absent from the Senate on days when we have votes without good reason. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3608}
{"speech_id":1090049039,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This afternoon there was nowhere more important for me to be than at the BRAC Regional Hearing. which is part of the process whereby the fate of the 130th Air National Guard Wing. based in Charleston. WV. will be decided. I believe it is a crucial part of my duty as a United States Senator from West Virginia to protect the 130th. While I respect the difficult work done by members of the BRAC Commission. and understand that their preliminary recommendations were made in a good faith effort to improve the efficiency and efficacy of our armed services. However. I believe that gutting the 130th is wrong and I must make eyery effort to oppose it. The 130th plays an important role in our national security. as well as the security of the greater Washington area. It has also provided hundreds of National Guard personnel who responded to the call of duty in Bosnia. Afghanistan. and Iraq. In addition to 340 fulltime Guard members. the 130th employs 201 federal technicians. and more than 80 active guards. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3608}
{"speech_id":1090049039,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The State of West Virginia also employs more than 50 State employees whose jobs depend on the continued presence of the 130th. At a time when enlistments and retention for both our National Guard units and regular Army are suffering. the 130th had 96 percent reenlistment. fifth in the nation. Every single job in West Virginia is sacred to me. and as these jobs also protect my home State and are a vital part of our military family and national security. I believe very strongly that they should not be cut. With regard to the amendment by Senator COBURN. I believe he made very persuasive arguments about problems in Indian Country of diabetes and drug and alcohol addiction. When you consider that Native Americans from the ages of 4574 have a rate of diabetes roughly seven times the rate for all Americans. and that drug and alcohol addiction is rampant. I believe most of our colleagues would feel that all that can be done to help the Indian Health ServiceIHScombat these plagues should be done. However. we are in a time of severe fiscal constraints. and I commend the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee for successfully completing the difficult task of meeting so many priorities as best they could. The underlying bill contains about $100 million in appropriated funds for diabetes programs under the IHS. and there are more than $150 million available in mandatory spending in other programs targeted at the same problem. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3608}
{"speech_id":1090049039,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Similarly. the bill funds alcohol and drug abuse programs at $145.3 million. Senator COBURN would have shifted additional funding to those important causes by transferring funds to be appropriated for land acquisition. The bill contains only about $154 million for Federal land acquisition. While IHS diabetes and drug treatment programs surely could have benefited from an extra infusion of cash. it was also important to fund the land acquisition program at a reasonable level. I will support efforts to adequately fund all programs of the Indian Health Service. and while I would have opposed the Coburn amendment. I commend him for his obvious and careful attention to this matter.","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3608}
{"speech_id":1090049138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator DOLE is unable to vote on amendments this evening because sjhe is in North Carolina where she testified early this afternoon before th6 BRAC Commission. and this evening is with the President at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville. NC. where the President is addressing the Nation on the lyear anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090049165,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. its a privilege to join my colleagues Senator DURBIN. Senator LEAHY. and Senator FEINGOLD in introducing this important legislation. the ANTIGANG Act. Gang violence is a serious problem in many communities across the Nation. and it deserves a serious response by Congress. The keys to success include aggressive steps to take guns out of the hands of criminal gang members and other violent juvenile offenders. and effective prevention programs that discourage gang membership and provide realistic alternatives for atrisk youth. As one example of what works. I urge my colleagues to consider the innovative. cooperative crimefighting strategy developed in Boston. It engaged the entire community. including police and probation officers. clergy and community leaders. and even gang members in a united effort to reduce gang violence. strengthen afterschool prevention programs. and take guns out of the hands of juvenile offenders. The project also established new and effective channels of communication between the police and neighborhood leaders. This strategy was very successfuljuvenile homicides dropped 80 percent from 1990 to 1995. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3353}
{"speech_id":1090049165,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It succeeded without prosecuting more juveniles as adults. without housing nonviolent juvenile offenders in adult facilities. and without spending large sums of money on new juvenile facilities. The Massachusetts Legislatures Joint Committee on Public Safety issued a report last January which concluded unequivocally that successful antigang programs depend on a \"wide variety of solutions.\" Relying on recommendations by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. the report noted that \"preventing youth from joining gangs is the most costeffective longterm strategy.\" Reflecting the input from an investigative hearing and a working group of ten mayors in metropolitan Boston. the report recognized that there is \"no silver bullet for combating gang violence.\" It would be a mistake for Congress to ignore these successful efforts to stop gang violence. Since different communities may find different ways to combat these difficult issues. the bill does not adopt a onesizefitsall approach that will only make the current problem of gang violence worse. Instead of ignoring the primary role of State and locdI governments in fighting violent gang crimes in their communities our ANTIGANG Act strengthens that role. by giving local law enforcement and prosecutors the resources they need by authorizing $862 million in grants over the next 5 years. The provisions in the bill for witness relocation and protection are particularly important. Our bill meets this need by authorizing $60 million in assistance. The urgency of preventing witness intimidation in gangrelated cases can not be overstated. Effective .prosecution of such violence depends upon it. In addition. our bill amends the current law on Federal witness relocation and protection to make clear that the Attorney General can use these provisions to protect witnesses. in State gang. drug. and homicide cases. We also permit States to obtain the temporary protection of witnesses in gang cases. without any requirement of reimbursement. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3353}
{"speech_id":1090049165,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The current complex reimbursement procedures deter State and local prosecutors from obtaining assistance for witness protection from the Federal government. even in emergencies.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3353}
{"speech_id":1090049238,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of the United StatesDominican RepublicCentral American Free Trade Agreement. which will benefit American farmers. manufacturers. and businesses both small and large. Last year alone. the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic imported nearly $15 billion worth of United States agriculture and manufactured goods.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":366}
{"speech_id":1090049242,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. President Bush has a golden opportunity to level with the American people tonight about Iraq. The question is: Will he? The President stands at a crossroads. His credibility and the integrity of the entire administration is on the line. The American people have had enough of administration rhetoric. For a sitting Vice President to dismiss reality and proclaim. the insurgency in its \"last throes\" grossly understates the threat to U.S. soldiers in Iraq and seriously undermines any shred of credibility that the administration has left with the American people. They know that U.S. involvement in Iraq is going badly. Republican Senator. CHUCK HAGEL summed it up last week when he said. \"The White House is completely disconnected with reality . .. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090049242,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reality is that we are losing in Iraq.\" The American people want the President to deliver a straight story and a realistic plan. something he has been unwilling to do up to now. We will see if we hear it tonight.","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090049244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the President had a historic opportunity in 2003. He had the support of the Congress. He had the supportof the United Nations. We had inspectors in Iraq. It was determined that they had no weapons of mass destruction. and yet the President decided to invade. Just think what would have happened if instead of on that day an invasion began. the President said. Lets * keep this international coalition together. Lets move to Iran with the coalition. Lets ensure that they do not .have a nuclear weapon. Now the new President of Iran is stating that the United States and the world will not get in the way of Iran and nuclear weapons. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090049244,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The United States is more in danger. Israel is more in danger. the world is more in danger. because of the bad decision President Bush made on that day in 2003 when he invaded Iraq. Instead. we are on the brink of a nuclear Iran ahd North Korea. and we are in a quagmire in Iraq as we referee an insurgency that will breakout into civil war as soon as the United States leaves. This is a historic mess. The President had a chance for a Nobel Peace Prize. Instead. he is going to go down in history as someone who completely mismanaged nuclear nonproliferation and the politics of Iraq.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090049260,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much. because this is an incantation which I have never actually been able to make legally under the rules of the House in my 29 years in this body. so I would like for the first tim to utter the phrase: I would like to thank the Senate for its work on this legislation. It is much appreciated.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090049285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. We will get to- the bottom of this problem. We will solve it. and we have heard from the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the veterans issue to that effect. We will hear as well shortly from the chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs. and when I say we are going to get to the bottom of this and solve it. it is coming from the history of the House of Representatives that in the last 2 years alone has increased funding for -veterans medical care by 18 percent. We are very proud of our record. and we are going to continue to have a record to be proud of. So having said that. I would simply like to remind any colleagues who may be following this debate that with this rule what we are doing is bringing to the floor the foreign aid bill. the foreign operations appropriations bill. which includes about $22 billion. the foreign aid bill. includes about $22 billion. and it is almost $100 million over the amounts that we appropriated for the current fiscal year. That is what we are bringing to the floor again. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1192}
{"speech_id":1090049285,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. with this rule. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1192}
{"speech_id":1090049318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan . the chairman of the subcommittee. who. along with the chairman of the full committee. have done tremendous work in bringing forth these pieces of legislation. including the one on the floor today.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":274}
{"speech_id":1090049346,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H52g0 Mr. Speaker. I thank all the colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have participated in this very inter-. esting debate. We are bringing forth the last of the appropriations bills with this rule. I think it is a remarkable achievement. and I think the gentleman from California (Chairman LEwIS) really deserves commendation as do all on the Committee on Appropriations. The gentleman from Michigan has done a great job on this bill. This particular bill that we are bringing forth with this rule is. the Treasury and HUD. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090049346,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Transportation bill. I am not sure if it is the bill that increases the most from the current fiscal year. but it certainly has to be one of the most significant increases at 6 percent. We hear from our friends on the other side of the aisle requests and demands for further spending and for further government growth. and obviously. that is legitimate. that debate is very legitimate. I think it is also important and legitimate to put in context that this bill which has caused so much angst in terms of it being categorized as insufficient in spending from the other side of the aisle includes 6 percent more than the current fiscal year. So it not only is an important piece of legislation. but it is funded. obviously. at a very high level. With regard. again. to points that were made. so many of them were made by colleagues who took the floor. It is an undeniable fact. Mr. Speaker. that the economic downturn began in the third quarter of the year 2000. It is an undeniable fact that September 11 of 2001 this country suffered a tremendous. unprecedented and horrible criminal attack. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090049346,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That obviously contributed to the economic downturn. It is also an undeniable fact that due to the policies. certainly it is an undeniable fact that there have been 3 million jobs creatbd in the last 18 months. that the unemployment rate is about 5 percent. and I think we all should be proud of that. It is important to put in context. in the context of what has happened in the economy. I think. the attacks which we have heard so repeatedly. as though we were living in a different reality. The reality we are living is one of 3 million jobs being created in the last 18 months. The reality we are living is one that reflects one of the lowest unemployment rates in history. It is fair to point that out. And I think it is fair to point out. yes. the gentleman from Massachusetts talked about we will have a debate on the Cuban dictatorship. I am sure we will. There is a lot to report in terms of the repression and torture and the continuation in the local prisons and so much more. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090049346,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So. yes. we will probably see amendments to loosen sanctions on that dictatorship. amendments that. if passed and if they became law. would see flows of hard currency going to that dictator-. ship. We will have that debate. but at the end of the day. I am confident that this Congress will continue to stand with those who suffer and those who are repressed and not those who cause the repression. So. Mr. Speaker. again. support the underlying legislation which I think. again. we owe a debt of gratitude to the entire Committee on Appropriations not only for having it brought it forth in such a timely way but especially the chairman who will now soon take the floor. We have much to commend. and I know that we have all of the chair men we see here. the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) on the floor as well. so many who have worked so hard to make sure that all of these bills have come forth in really a remarkably timely way. So. again. I am supporting the underlying legislation. as well as this very fair rule. which is an open rule and urging support for both by all of our colleagues. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090049346,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. \"","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090049378,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I rise today to speak on an issue that is probably best spelled out in The Los Angeles Times today by Sonni Efron. who is a writer for the Times. The Times article is entitled \"Drug War Fails to Dent U.S. Supply.\" I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their commitment to international development and improving dur national security by attacking the culture of poverty and injustice. which I think are the root causes of terrorism in this world. I would also like to thank the chairman for engaging in a debate with me during the full committee markup regarding the increased funding for alternative development in Colombia. I had offered an amendment in committee that would have shifted funding from the military and fumigation side of the Andean CounterDrug Initiative to funding more alternative development programs. My amendment would have shifted funds in five of the departments. which are like \"states\" in Colombia that are receiving little or no alternative development assistance. yet they are being heavily fumigated. While we are using all stick and no carrot in these regions. only spraying a farmers crop but not providing for an alternative livelihood is not a sustainable solution to a coca growing problem in the Andean region. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2325}
{"speech_id":1090049378,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Given the chairmans commitment to work in conference to increase the funding for alternative development programs in Colombia and the Andean region as a whole. I withdrew my amendment in committee. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the chairman of his commitment and thank him again for his efforts regarding the alternative development in Colombia. and I know the chairman has been a tireless supporter of development and security in Latin America. I look forward to working with him and the gentlewoman from New York . ranking member. on these important issues and hope in conference that they can restore the funding that I am sure the Senate side will add to. I would like to close by referring everyone to this L.A. Times article today. I think it speaks to the point that America needs to focus on working itself out of jobs. not making people dependent upon American jobs to develop economic security in their own countries. [From the Los Angeles Times. Jun. 28. 2005]","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2325}
{"speech_id":1090049397,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word for the purpose of entering into colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations of the Committee on Appropriations regarding the fiscal year 2006 budget for counternarcotics programs in Peru. Mr. Chairman. as chairman of the Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. I have been extensively involved in United States counternarcotics efforts in Central and South America. As a result. I was deeply disappointed to see that the Presidents fiscal year 2006 request for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative for Peru is 16 percent below last years enacted level. The Presidents budget aims to reduce the U.S. assistance for Peruvian counternarcotic eradication and interdiction from a level of $62 million enacted in 2005 to a request of $54 million in 2006. and reduces alternative development funds from a level of $54 million to $43 million. I believe this is absolutely the wrong time for such a cut and such a low level of funding. if enacted. will only jeopardize the gainswe have made in Peru in the areas of coca eradication. interdiction and alternative development. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4059}
{"speech_id":1090049397,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2004. with the assistance of the United States. Peru eradicated almost 10.000 hectares of coca. of which 7.500 hectares were eradicated manually by the Peruvian police. and another 2.500 hectares were voluntarily eradicated by Peruvian communities in exchange for community development programs. Moreover. alternative development programs supported legally grown crops on almost 20.000 more hectares of Peruvian farmland. Historically. Colombian narcotraffickers sent cocaine base from Peru to Colombia for conversion into cocaine HCL. but in recent years the traffickers have relied more on coca cultivation and base production in Colombia. But the traffickers in Colombia are under increasing pressure from the Colombian Government. thanks to the successes of Plan Colombia. So far we have successfully avoided a socalled \"balloon effect\" from the successes of Plan Colombia in terms of seeing Colombian traffickers substantially shifting cultivation of narcotics crops back to Peru. But there are warning signs. indications that coca caltivation is starting to spring up outside the traditional cultivation zones in Peru that point to this happening if we do not take steps to prevent it. Additionally. there is good intelligence that appears to indicate an upward trend in terms of poppy cultivation in Peru regarding heroin. I have spoken to officials in Peru. and they are deeply concerned about these warning signs. as well as the emerging opium threat. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4059}
{"speech_id":1090049397,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Recent Ministry of Peru data indicates that Peru now may have 1.400 hectares of opium crops. mostly in the north near the Ecuadorian and Colombian borders. and there are strong indications that opium latex is now being moved by Colombian drug dealers through Ecuador into Colombia for processing into heroin. A recent seizure of 4.440 kilos ofopium in Peru. nearly half a ton of opium. potentially 40 kilos of processed heroin. shows just how serious the growth of opium is becoming. Taken as a whole. I believe. as do my colleagues in Peru. that this data indicate that enacting drastic cuts for Peruvian counternarcotic efforts at this time would seriously undermine Perus coca eradication efforts in the long term and the ability of Peru to implement a similar opium eradication program. So. Mr. Chairman. the government and. more importantly. the people of Peru have recognized the dangers of narcotics to their society. Public polls last year consistently found that Peruvians see narcotics as the second most serious problem in the country after the state of the economy. The people of Peru have taken a courageous stand against the drug traffickers. and like the people of Colombia. they are taking their country back from the criminals and terrorists. Now is not the time to reduce U.S. support for their efforts. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4059}
{"speech_id":1090049397,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to yield to my colleague from Arizona to hear his views about this funding.","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4059}
{"speech_id":1090049428,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I understand that and I appreciate the gentleman correcting my thinking relative to where the money was to come from. because in the AIDS activist community. we were all under the impression that the PEPFAR fund alone would produce the $15 billion. But we will certainly take that information.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":299}
{"speech_id":1090049435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman for his commitment. The gentleman has demonstrated his commitment to this issue as much as anyone. more than most in the Congress of the United States. And I am going to review the numbers and take his representation of how that funding has come together and have further discussions with the AIDS community. -They are so concerned because since the Presidents commitment. over 7 million people have died. And also we will have an amendment coming up today from the gentleman from Iowa . and although I do not want to preempt the gentlemans presentation. I would hope the gentleman would join me in helping to put that down because that would undermine all the work that he has done.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":727}
{"speech_id":1090049440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the chairmans willingness to accept this amendment. I will be extremely brief. . Methamphetamine has traveled across this country. It is a huge problem. There are many children who are being referred to other people because of methamphetamine. In my State. 75 percent of the crime that is committed is because of methamphetamine. We know that roughly 200 tons of pseudoephedrine is needed to produce all the meth sold in the United States. This pseudoephedrine from Mexico can produce half of our Nations supply of this deadly drug. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1054}
{"speech_id":1090049440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. we need to do everything we can to fight the spread of methamphetamine. My amendment would provide the State Department with additional resources. With so much of meth in this country coming from Mexico. we must take action to stop the production and importation of this dangerous drug. As any cop in America will tell you. meth is destroying our communities. This should be one of the top foreign policy items on our bilateral agenda. I thank the gentleman for accepting this amendment.","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1054}
{"speech_id":1090049446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I do rise in strong opposition to this amendment. Our assistance to Egypt has been longstanding and Egypt remains an important ally in the Middle East. I would be among the first in this body to admit my concerns about Egypts actions or sometimes their lack of actions when it comes to buildng programs of democracy in that country. And we have had a lot of discussion at both the subcommittee and full committee levels regarding ways to address these concerns. I accept the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin to fence $100 million of our economic assistance to Egypt and to put an earmark around those or to fence it so they could be used specifically for democracy and education programs. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2884}
{"speech_id":1090049446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the first time that we have ever done that in this earmark for Egypt. E 1530 I think that sends a very strong message to Egypt. So this amendment. however wellintentioned. is not going to be constructive. The relationship that we have with Egypt goes back 2 decades. We should not forget that prior to the Camp David agreement Egypt and Israel engaged in several wars and Egypt was an illy of the Soviet Union. That changed when President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Begin negotiated a peace agreement in 1978 with the help of the United States. As part of that agreement and in an effort to bring stability and security to the region. the United States agreed to provide major economic and military assistance packages for both Israel and Egypt. Six years ago. the Committee on Appropriations under the leadership of my predecessor. former Congressman Sonny Callahan. initiated a policy to begin a phasedown of economic assistance for both Israel and Egypt. This resulted in a . decision to phase out Israels economic assistance by $120 million per year over 10 years. while increasing military assistance by $60 million. Egypts economic assistance declines $40 million per year with no increase in military assistance. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2884}
{"speech_id":1090049446,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The agreement reached 6 years ago modifying the Camp David funding formula was agreed to by the parties involved. including the administration. An amendment that would help to impose a new funding regime. a new funding formula on this money. this carefully balanced money that goes to the partners -in the Camp David accords. not as a result of any discussion or negotiations with them. but by unilateral action by this body. would undo the delicate balance of economic and military assistance and would be diplomatically disastrous for the United States. It would not be wise for Congress to disrupt any cooperation that exists between Israel and Egypt by cutting the military assistance to Egypt. and I can assure my colleagues. this is certainly not supported. though I do not speak for them. I feel quite certain in saying this is not supported by the Government of Israel.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2884}
{"speech_id":1090049447,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. the gentleman raises important issues. For the last several years. I have joined many of my colleagues in expressing concern about the composition of the U.S. aid package to Egypt. Why. at a time when Egypt has no major enemies. should we be providing over $1 billion each year in military assistance? Why. when Egypt lacks economic prosperity. should we maintain such a high level of military aid eVen as. economic assistance levels drop? In Cairo last week. Secretary of State Rice announced a new commitment to human rights in the Arab world. imploring the Egyptian Government- to hold free and transparent elections and end human rights abuses. and I was very pleased to hear her remarks. For too long. we have coddled undemocratic regimes. looking -the other way as democracy and freedom have been stifled. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3426}
{"speech_id":1090049447,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Despite President Mubaraks pronouncements to the contrary. Egypt is a hotbed neither of democratic reform nor respect for the rights of the opposition. In late May. members of the Egyptian movement Kifaya. which means \"enough\" in Arabic. were beaten and dragged through the street by a governmentorganized mob. Police stood by as women were sexually assaulted. and in some cases. police actively participated ifi beating and arresting protesters. What radical agenda does Kifaya have? Free. fair. and transparent elections. Or consider the case of Ayman Nour. leader of a small Egyptian opposition party. who was jailed on charges of faking signatures to form his party. In the weeks leading up to his arrest. Nour had called for a constitutional overhaul to restrain Mubaraks powers. Nour spent 42 days in prison being beaten and held under inhumane conditions and is awaiting a trial that will start next week. The Egyptian record on human rights is rivaled by its record on incitement in the media. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3426}
{"speech_id":1090049447,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even as diplomatic relations between Israel and Egypt continue to progress. with the recent return of Egypts ambassador to Israel. antiIsrael and antiSemitic attacks in the official Egyptian media persist. with claims of Holocaust exaggeration. ZionistNazi collaboration. and antiSemitic canards. The amendment sends the message that the status quo is not okay. Baby steps toward political reform are unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated. Tepid efforts to stop smuggling along Egypts border with Gaza are not enough. Disclaimers that the Egyptian press is free and cannot be influenced by the government will not be believed. The tide in the Middle East is turning toward democracy and freedom. toward rights for women and educational opportunities for children. The tide is turning toward peace between Israel and its neighbors. toward economic cooperation and coexistence. Egypt has been part of this turning tide. It was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel. and it is a needed partner in closing any peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3426}
{"speech_id":1090049447,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But too often we have seen this powerful player in regional affairs place stumbling blocks in front of progress instead of easing the way. We know Egypt is listening to our debate today. A lot is at stake. So the one message I have is this: great nations recognize when the changing times will leave them behind. and they stay ahead of the curve. I hope we will see the pace of reform quicken and the quality of cooperation increase in the coming weeks and months.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3426}
{"speech_id":1090049456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. earlier today I was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center visiting Army Specialist Matt James. a constituent from Virginias 10th District. who was wounded while serving in Iraq. and I missed the vote on rollcall 326. Had I been present and voting. I would have voted \"no\" on rolicall 326. the Pitts amendment to H.R. 3057. Foreign.Operations. Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":432}
{"speech_id":1090049482,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wish to be heard on the point of order. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on the issue. I am pleased that the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman KOLBE) and I were able to double the Presidents request for the Global Fund in the bill from $200 million to $400 million. and. as the gentlewoman probably knows. given the allocation. it was simply the best we could do. However. I understand the urgency of the situation. and I look forward to working with the gentlewoman as we move the bill forward to continue to meet our responsibilities. and then some. because of the tremendous. tremendous impact of HIV\/AIDS in every part of this world.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":656}
{"speech_id":1090049488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentleman will yield. I withdraw my reservation. because I understand from the chairman that this does not have any substantive changes being made in the bill. But I certainly think that the content of the gentlemans amendment deserves greater discussion at another time. The chairman and I were also in Botswana. we were also in South Africa. we were in Tanzania as well. and there is progress being made in some parts of the country. and some not. It is a tremendous challenge. but I think it is simplistic to say that only one area deserves further funding. and that the ABC approach may not be as successful as one may think. So I think we need to discuss this further. and I would like to enter into dialogue with the gentleman at another time.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":770}
{"speech_id":1090049511,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment. I believe it would undermine the efforts to eradicate production and trafficking of cocaine in Colombia which is the primary source of narcotics entering our Nation. We have heard some level of debate today about is the amount of cocaine down coming into the United States or not? But the real issue is. how much higher would it be if we did not have this program in place? Operations under the Andean Counterdrug Initiative have -been instrumental in reducing the cultivation of coca 33 percent since 2002 and cultivation of poppies 52 percent last year. Are those exactly. the percentages and which years do you compare? The point is not the exact numbers. The point is the trend and the trend is that there is less being grown because we know we are eradicating it every year. If we are eradicating it. if we are ripping this stuff out. if we are spraying it. if we are making sure it is not growing. that is that much more is not available. That seems pretty obvious on its face. But this program is doing more to help improve the stability of the country of Colombia and the people who live there. particularly the realm of violent crime in. ","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1851}
{"speech_id":1090049511,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Colombia. Kidnappings are dohn 34.5 percent in 2004 and almost 61 percent through May of this year. Homicides are down. Terrorist attacks are down. Internal displacement of people.. also down by more than 50 percent. Over 200 Columbian narcotraffickers have been extradited to the United States in the last 2 years. including the leader of the Cali Cartel. an important FARC commander. and an AUC commander. The point is we are taking these narcotraffickers out of the business of trafficking in narcotics. of bringing this terrible stuff to our borders and to our people. This is a good program that has done well and we need to continue to fund it.","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1851}
{"speech_id":1090049519,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment will be defeated later on today because it would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in Colombia. We see a close connection between narcotics and terrorism. The people of Colombia saw that. When the Medellin cartel killed three major candidates for president. the people elected the last candidate left -who wanted to fight the narcoterrorists. In their last election. the people of Colombia chose the candidate who took the hardest line against narcoterrorists. and after September 11. who could blame them? President Uribe of Colombia has asked for our help. and so far. what has our assistance accomplished? Coca growing is down. kidnappings are down. terrorist attacks are down. opium growing is down. several hundred drug kingpins extradited to the United States. and desertions among terrorist groups are up. In a recent poll. 73 percent of Colombians said they supported the U.S. assistance under Plan Colombia. We have seen narcoterrorists in Colombia offer training to other terror groups in other countries. and with these international links. we see Colombian drugs not only poisoning our kids but the profits from their sale are now supporting international terror. If we give up on Colombia. a new narcoterrorist state will rise in our hemisphere. and when a narcostate took power in 1991 in Panama. it took the direct action of the U.S. military to restore democracy. I think we should not give up on democracy in Colombia. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1703}
{"speech_id":1090049519,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We should listen to the voices of their people through their elected president and make sure that he and his team remain in power and that this stays as a Colombian struggle and is not surrendered to become a full blown American one.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1703}
{"speech_id":1090049520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just respond to the gentleman. Mr. Chairman. if I can. by saying. if the Colombian people support this policy so much. then why is it that only 740.000 Colombians pay income tax in a country of 42 million people? That is a fact. That was stated in the Council on Foreign Relations report that came out last year. Mr. Chairman. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":438}
{"speech_id":1090049526,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the .gentleman for yielding me time. I also had the privilege of chairing the Criminal Justice Drug Policy Subcommittee before the gentleman from Indiana and inherited those responsibilities. actually. from the gentleman from Illinois . the Speaker of the House. All during that era. the Clinton era. we saw really the beginning of this incredible problem in Colombia. During the 8 years of the Clinton administration. the other side of the aisle. even some of the folks that have spoken today. did everything they could to keep resources from going to Colombia. and when you do not have the resources to . combat narcoterrorism. what happens? I have a little map here. and it shows where the drugs come from. This is not a guessing game. We know from chemical analysis even the fields the cocaine and heroin came from. So they blocked helicopters. they blocked assistance. they blocked eradication. interdiction. anything they could. because they did not want to harm the hair on a single leftist terrorist in that region.* But we are now trying to get a handle on that with the efforts of Speaker HASTERT. with this President. They said Plan Colombia has not worked. when kidnappings are down a third in Colombia. they say it has not worked when murder is down a third. it has not worked when pipeline attacks from 2000. which were at 177 that year. to 20 last year. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2726}
{"speech_id":1090049526,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has not worked? Human rights? My colleague is concerned about human rights? Tens of thousands of people died. judges. legislators. thousands of police were slaughtered. and their human rights were not considered while you blocked aid and assistance. We have a President of the United States who has a firm policy. we have a Speaker who has developed Plan Colombia and we are initiating that. We have success in that land because we have a President who is also getting the resources to another president. in Colombia. who has a tough stance against narcoterrorism. The drugs in the United States are still killing our young people. We had over 26.000 people die. the silent deaths onour street. Our biggest social problem. This is where our few dollars and resources need to go. and that is where the drugs are. at their source. and we can eradicate them. Talk to one mother or father who has had a child die of a drug overdose and you will see the worth of what we are doing here today. We know where these drugs are. We can eradicate them. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2726}
{"speech_id":1090049526,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we can do that continuing Plan Colombia in an effective manner and not having the legs cut out from under -us when we have made such great progress. I urge defeat of the McGovern amendment. I urge defeat of attempts to again thwart the effort to stop drugs coming in across our borders.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2726}
{"speech_id":1090049533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise with a great deal of concern about Colombia and in support of this amendment. because I think the facts I have heard here on the floor just misconstrue what is really going on down there. We need to wake up and smell the coffee. The debate here should be about improving sales of Colombian coffee. not about the increased sales of Colombian coca. What was Plan Colombia has now become Plan K Street. What was supposed to help Colombians help themselves has now become Help American Corporations Stay in Business in Colombia. What should be money to eradicate the poverty that drives drugs in the first place has become a program to give Dyna Corporation $80 million. to give 16 U.S. contractors money to maintain Colombian helicopters and money to U.S. firms to own and fly the eradication aircraft. This is not about Plan Colombia anymore. This is about Plan K Street. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090049533,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lockheed Martin got $9 million.. Congress Members here travel to Colombia almost monthly on what I have now called the Narcotourism Tour that American Congressmen like to have. They come home thinking that they have seen the problems in Colombia and that all we need to do is give more money. I am all for a real Plan Colombia. a plan that invests in Colombia. that lets Colombians do the jobs that Americans should be working themselves out of. -For 5 years the same companies are doing the same things they have been doing. 5 years without the Colombians owning those companies. without. the Colombians doing that work. It is time that we makea statement. Cut this $100 million. put it into alternative development. do something that helps Colombians help themselves so that we do not have to keep American corporations on the handout from American Congress Members to keep their businesses going in the guise of trying to eradicate drugs in Colombia. It is time to stop. Mr. Chairman. it doesnt take an insidethebeltway policy work to understand that the current policy towards Colombia is broken. My district on the Central Coast of California is filled with compassionate people who closely follow US foreign policy towards our southern neighbors and they recognize that our current policy towards Colombia is broken. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090049533,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are well aware that only eradicating a farmers crops and not providing for alternative. livelihoods is not a sustainable solution to the coca growing problem in the Andean region. US assistance to Colombia -is reflective of this flawed policy: 80 percent of funds have gone for military assistance and been eaten up by coca eradication. Only 20 percent of funds have gone to social and economic programs. These programs are what build local economies and communities and provide alternatives to coca production. This distribution of assistance is not a recipe for permanent coca eradication. Its not a recipe for peace. Its a recipe for disaster. And that disaster is reflected in the Administrations own figures for coca production. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy statistics for 2004 show that. despite a record number of crops sprayed in Colombia. data shows that coca production remains \"statistically unchanged\" and the US street prices of cocaine and heroin are at or near alltime lows. Id like to quote a constituent and. friend of mine. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090049533,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bert Muhly. who has traveled extensively throughout Latin America for decades and has been a tireless advocate for the downtrodden throughout the Western Hemisphere. Bert correctly states: \"Plan Colombia must be abandoned in favor of a Plan for Peace where the billions our government spends on shoring up -the military establishment of countries of Latin America that are used to suppriss the hopes of their people is diverted to programs that will alleviate poverty and give hope to the people within those countries.\" I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia in the 1960s and have visifed Colombia many times since then. I have seen first hand that Colombians are resilient and bright people who desperately want peace. Yet U.S. assistance and the Colombian government have not laid the ground work for peace. The Colombian government has failed to focus on creating a rural development strategy to address the underlying causes of poverty. With such a lopsided policy that fails to invest in the innate capabilities of rural Colombians so that they can build a life for themselves that doesnt involve coca production. I am sad that my adopted country will remain stuck in this quagmire of civil war. House rules prevent the $100 million from the McGovernMooreMcCollum amendment to be reallocated to alternative development. which would be my preference. Absent that option. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in support of this amendment which is a step in the right direction to encourage reform of U.S. policy in Colombia. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090049533,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"U 1800","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090049535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to this amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts and who I have great respect for. but disagree on some things. particularly this amendment. This amendment. I believe. would cut the rug out from under our democratically elected ally in Colombia. Let us look at the facts. The facts are that Colombia is a democracy. The facts are that Colombia is our hemispheres second oldest continuous democracy. The facts are that 90 percent of the cocaine and50 percent of the heroin that comes into my home State of Illinois comes from the Andean region. particularly Colombia. The facts tell us that Colombian drugs in 2001 killed more Americans than the attack on the World Trade Center. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090049535,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The facts tell us that the criminal sale of narcotrafficking of drugs supports almost 30.000 terrorists. terrorists who are affiliated with two leftist terrorist groups. FARC and the ELN. and one right wing terrorist group. AUC. I would note that these are terrorist groups that enslave child soldiers. sending children into battle against the democratically elected government of Colombia. Today. 65 elected officials. judges. and a presidential candidate are held hostage. They are political prisoners. held by the FARC. These 65 political prisoners are the only politicar prisoners held in our hemisphere outside of Cuba. that brutal dictatorship. We have a partner in President Uribe. and Colombia is making progress under Plan Colombia. Homicides are down. kidnappings are down. terror attacks are down. and 250 narcoterrorists and drug kingpins have been extradited to the United States for trial. Again. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090049535,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Plan Colombia is working. When it comes to intercepting drugs this past year. 475 tons of drugs were eradicated or seized in 2004. I would note just this past week the Colombian Government was successful. In one drug bust. they seized 15 tons of streetquality cocaine. worth $400 million in Boston or Chicago. Again. progress is being made. Clearly. by voting \"yes\" for this amendment. Memberspull the rug out from under the democratically elected government of Colombia. I have worked with many friends on both sides of the aisle. We have talked about finding alternativecrops to help the farmers in Colombia make money and have a profitable alternative to becoming cocaleros. and I am proud that through USAID our investments are paying off. Today. thousands of former cocaleros are now cafeteros. growing coffee for a more profitable market as coffee prices have increased in the past year. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090049535,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As part of that commitment. the United States joined the International Coffee Organization. Since then. prices have gone up $1 a pound. Mr. Chairman. vote \"no\" on the McGovern amendment.","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090049536,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 11\/2 minutes. Mr. Chairman. let us look at the facts. The facts are that illegal drugs are cheaper today than they were 6 years ago and $4 billion ago when we began Plan Colombia. The facts are that the elites in Colombia want us to bankroll this war. It remq.ins an embarrassing fact that only 740.000 Colombians pay income tax in a country of 42 million. They are relying on us to bankroll this war. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090049536,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. the other fact is that widespread impunity for human rights abusers is getting worse. It has been widely publicized in our newspapers about the new law that the Colombian Government has passed to grant immunity and to grant amnesty. for the most part. to individuals in the paramilitaries who are guilty of crimes again humanity. many of them involved in the drug trade. and they are doing that right before our eyes. The facts are that the human rights situation is so bad that our own State Department has yet to certify human rights progress in Colombia. We are being drawn into a quagmire. The legal limit on the number of military and contractor personnel had to be increased in 2004 from 400 to 800 military\/. from 400 to 600 contractors. Let us try to solve the problem of drug abuse. not just throw money at failing strategies. We need to invest in drug treatment and prevention here at home and in the Andes. in alternative development programs to help small farmers transition permanently from growing illicit drugs. But this policy has failed. Mr. Chairman. the question was raised before what are we for. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090049536,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I include for the RECORD a statement of what we are for.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090049539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 30 seconds. \u0095 Mr. Chairman. if this policy is succeeding. why does cocaine remain readily available on U.S. streets at lower prices than ever. and the levels of use are stable if not rising? There is increased availability. If this policy is such a success. why are there increased abuses by the army? Why are trade union murders on the rise? Murders of trade union leaders increased in 2004 over 2003. Let us look at the facts here. The bottom line is that this policy has not succeeded. It is time for us to take a fresh look at it and to change course.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":584}
{"speech_id":1090049553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the ranking member for yielding to me. Mr. Chairman. the Foreign Operations appropriations bill is one of the best vehicles Congress has to address an issue of paramount importance. the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. This bill contains important Middle East provisions. but I believe we could have done better in our efforts to bring peace to these two longsuffering peoples. I support our $2.3 billion package for Israel. Maintaining Israels military superiority in the region is a prerequisite for any peace agreement. and I am pleased that the bill fulfills the Presidents request for an additional $150 million for the Palestinians. The President believes. as do I. that it is imperative to deliver U.S. assistance quickly to improve the Palestinians quality of life and empower their democratically elected leadership. But I had hoped. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2249}
{"speech_id":1090049553,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. that the Committee on Appropriations could have seized this historic opportunity and provided direct funding to .the Palestinian Authority. Instead. this bill prohibits direct funding and places excessive conditions and limitations on the aid package. Of course. we must ensure transparency and accountability. But the requirements in this legislation continue to go far beyond what we ever demanded in the Arafat era. This strikes me as shortsighted. We should join with President Bush in strengthening President Abbas. especially in the face of a strong -challenge from Hamas in the upcoming parliamentary elections. As Israel and the Palestinian Authority prepare to implement the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza. it is incumbent upon the United States to help both Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas confront the extremists on each side who seek to derail this process. I hope. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2249}
{"speech_id":1090049553,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. that when this bill comes to the conference with the Senate. we can redirect some of our assistance directly to the Palestinian Authority. Fragile as it may be. a flicker of hope and optimism has been kindled in the Middle East. It may truly be our last hope. and what a tragedy it would be for Israel. for the Palestinians. and for America if we did not do everything in our power to bring an end to this conflict. I thank. again. the ranking member for yielding to me.","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2249}
{"speech_id":1090049762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman very much for yielding. Mr. Chairman. if I might engage the distinguished gentleman from Arizona. I think the amendment can be interpreted in the way the gentleman has offered. but I think it can be interpreted in the way I have offered it. The problem is as we visited. first of all I want to thank Chad for what it has offered to the refugees and. of course. refugee resettlement efforts with the United Nations. where Chad is hosting the United Nations and welcoming them for the many refugee camps that are there. But there is a terrible economic burden on Chad as well. and this is simply language that suggests that we are monitoring or ensuring that our funds are being used to. in fact. provide for those refugees who are in fear of their lives. Now. I would be happy if the gentleman would work with me to include this in report language. so that we would have at least that protection from what might happen or what might be thought of or what might cause. if you will. some sort of pressure to return those refugees because of the economic imbalance. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090049762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we were there. though Chad was very hospitable. arid all of us have gone to Chad and- gone through Chad to go to Sudan. but if. for example. the financial burden became so extensive. then there might be some pressure. Mr. Chairman. So I would hope that we find common ground to realize that it is a concern. I would not have brought it to the floor if it was not. I think it is an important point to make. that we understand the brutality that these refugees have experienced. and because they have experienced such devastation. we want to cross the Ts and dot the Is. So that was the explanation I wanted to make. If I can work to get a commitment on precise report language. which I think answers the concern. then I think that that is a way of addressing a definitive concern that I saw. and I think it is real. and I think my interpretation clarifies that it is not in any way undermining the funding for the U.N. Refugee Resettlement Program. but it is to make clear that even if there is an economic burden on the host country. in this instance. Chad. and again. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090049762,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I repeat. I thank them for their hospitality to these refugees. They should be. as we have supported their efforts. but there would not be that intent to resettle these refugees beyond the time of them wanting to go back. or for those who do not want to go back.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090049763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I know the chairmans clear concern and commitment to focus on the severe issues in Darfur. and I certainly would be delighted to work with the chairman to see if we can come up with some report language that would clarify the intent of the gentlewoman from Texas concerns as expressed in this amendment.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":337}
{"speech_id":1090049802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I have worked on this issue for a long time. and I hope to be able to withdraw this amendment and engage the chairman in a colloquy. I think all of us are reminded of the terrible wars in Liberia. Sierra Leone. and Rwanda. And. in addition to the. enormity of the loss of life. one of the most troubling and very sad aspects was the use of child soldiers. In fact. even now. there are programs on the continent of Africa to restore the childhood to these children. children who had guns instead of soccer balls or basketballs or baseballs. children who -had guns instead of sitting in classrooms and learning about science and math and the study of the stars. So. it is unfortunate that even today. in 2005. we find the fact that child soldiers are still utilized. They are utilized in places like Burma. in the Republic of the Congo. and other places where wars arise. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090049802,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would think in this day and time of terrorism. we know that child soldiers are being used as terrorists around the world. On June 18. 2002. the U.S. -Senate gave unanimous consent to U.S. ratification of the Child Soldiers Protocol which was the optional protocol to the convention on the rights of children on the involvement of children in armed conflict. E 2100 This decision meant that the United States would not put anyone under the age of 18 in combat. nor would we approve or sanction any such activity. However. despite that fact. there are many nations throughout the world that sign and ratify the protocol. The problem of children being put into combat situations is still prevalent in many regions of the world. Despite gains in awareness and better understanding of practical policies that can help reduce the use of children in war. the practice persists. and globally the number of child soldiers. about 300.000. is believed to remain fairly constant. In some continued armed conflicts. child recruitment increased alarmingly. And I have cited some of the countries where they are being used to fight wars. boys and girls. which is enormously tragic. They have even been used as laborers and sexual slaves. We know that the governments of Burma. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090049802,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Burundi. the DRC. Liberia. and Sudan and other governments have used children to fight wars. Burmas National Army alone includes an estimated 70.000 child soldiers. which is nearly one quarter of the worlds total and routinely sends children as young as 12 into battle against armed ethnic opposition groups. Mr. Chairman. I would hope that this Congress would go on record in some manner. Even as this amendment may be subject to a point of order. I believe it was worthy of our discussion that we oppose the use of children as soldiers. We have certainly opposed violent conflicts around the world and we wish to promote peace. but we will do everything we can to ensure that our children of the world. the ones who can be leaders for peace if given half the chance. if given the chance to live in a free and open society where they can be children and learn to be the best that they can be. I would hope that these children would not be put to the test of fighting in battles. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090049802,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to support my Amendment to this Foreign Operations Appropriation bill. which states that none of the funds made available in this Act under the. heading \"INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDU-","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090049803,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I continue to reserve my point of order. I hope this will not be necessary. I think the gentlewomans concern is certainly a very real one. None of us want to see child soldiers. None of us want to see this kind of child labor and abuses of children. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":712}
{"speech_id":1090049803,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I would hope that this is a priority as far as I think the United States policy is concerned. I think the United Nations agencies. I think all of them have this as a policy. But I just - would hope that the gentlewoman. we will continue to work with her on the right language here. But I hope the gentlewoman would withdraw this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":712}
{"speech_id":1090049805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentlewoman will yield. she has the assurance of the chairman that we will work with her on language in conference that would address this issue. I obviously cannot commit with the Seriate exactly how that language would be worded. but certainly we will take this issue to the Congress. and we will work on language in the report language for the conference.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":379}
{"speech_id":1090049854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tonight President Bush talked with America about the great struggle and the suffering that our country has endured since September 11. It is clear that these memories are seared for us of that horrific day. and our hearts break for the soldiers that we have lost and the families that they have left behind. But the President reminded us that when tragedy struck. we pulled ourselves together. got to work. as we always do. and that we have taken this war to those who attacked us. to be sure that our children never suffer through another September 11. We do not believe in appeasing terrorism. We do not believe in turning a blind eye as evil gathers. hoping it will strike someone else. We are Ameticans. It is not our way to let bullies and thugs intimidate and destroy what we and other free nations have worked so hard to build. That is why we are in Afghanistan and that is why we are in Iraq. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090049854,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the front lines of this war are on Americas main streets. They are also in Kabul and Baghdad. We are in this together and we will win together. E 2230","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090050043,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Florida. He is a protector of children. families. and the vulnerable of his State. His help on that CHEERS program and getting that stopped was an enormous contribution. Many times we do big things around here that deal with huge issues and we do not know the impact of our work for a long time. When one works for clean. air. clean water. it takes a while. I say to my friend from Florida. this is something he can be proud of because we together. as a team. with the help of some of our colleagues on the Environment and Public Works Committee. were able to use the leverage each Senator has to force a cancellation of a program that was intentionally dosing little children with pesticides. paying off their parents who tended to be poor. giving the parents a video camera. and subjecting these children to dangerous chemicals. So I think we have to be proud that we saved some kids from this. I want to say why my amendment is so crucial and why the Burns amendment is so bad if one cares about protecting children and families. The amendment I have offered with my colleague from Floridaand. by the way. I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be added as cosponsors to this amendment: Senators SNOWE. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090050043,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"COLLINS. NELSON of Florida. CLINTON.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090050049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the essence. You can put lipstick on it but essentially the opposition is saying no to the Boxer amendment. and lets just tell the EPA to look at ethical guidelines and consider them and hurry up and issue a regulation. Does it make any reference to the National Academy of Sciences. which has very strict regulations? It doesnt make any reference to any of the guidelines that are internationally recognized. So. in essence. the Burns amendment is the status quo with a kicker that we continue these studies and that. in essence. we say to the EPA: Hurry up with your regulation.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":588}
{"speech_id":1090050158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is always frustrating when different people are working with different numbers. The suggestion was made that the program costs about $22 million. I have here the Forest Service budget submission for the coming fiscal year as well as data on fiscal years 2004 and 2005. For this regions two forests. Chugach and Tongassthere is no forest. paper. or timber program in the Chugach. so we have two line items. One is forest products. $23.342 million. The other is roads. $22.325 million. That adds up to more than $45 million in their budget estimate for fiscal year 2005. If you look at fiscal year 2004. forest products is $27.379 million and roads is $21.273 million. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090050158,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That adds up to nearly $49 million. And if you look at the coming fiscal year. fiscal year 2006. the budget request for forest products is $21.462 million and for roads it is $17.306 million. That adds up to almost $39 million. I ask unanimous consent this list be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090050175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is not a fiscal amendment. This is an amendment to require that no money be spent to plan. design. or construct roads. What for? For timber development. But timber roads are also built for forest management. for fish and wildlife protection. for recreation. The people involved in the administration of fish and wildlife laws use those roads. The hikers and campers use those roads. The roads are built so pedestrians go across the bridges and do not go across the bottom of the streams. as they used to. In the private sector days. the Caterpillars used to go right through the streams. damage the streams. damage the habitat for fish and wildlife. and we changed that. The Forest Service plans and .designs the. roads. and we construct bridges over every single little stream. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1096}
{"speech_id":1090050175,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We protect the environment. Now we are being accused of spending too much money because why? We are protecting the environment and defending the lawsuits against the bnvironmental groups that bring them. I urge the Senate to reject this amendment. As I say. it does not cut a dime from the budget.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1096}
{"speech_id":1090050236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have a number of colleagues who wanted to come and say a few words about this amendment and about service for veterans. I urge them to come to the floor. because it is clear we are ready to move at any time. If anybody has additional comments. please come. I have been out on the floor several times over the last several days and I have expressed my anger at the Veterans Administration for not being up front and honest about the numbers in the projections. even though it was clear to those of us looking at the numbers that we were facing a very severe crisis in the VA. That was the reason I offered an amendment for the Veterans Administration on the emergency supplemental. It is why I have repeatedly raised this issue throughout the budget process. appropriations process. and throughout the last several months. I think it is very clear that those of us who have been out on the ground talking to our veterans know this is a crisis. Yesterday. the VA came before the Veterans Committee. Senator CRAIGhad a hearing and had the Secretary before us. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090050236,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was continuing to say we could fix this problem today by taking money from construction and maintenance projects that we had appropriated and allocated money for for 2005. I think it is very clear that the Senate now shortly will be on record saying we believe those maintenance projects need to go forward. that those construction projects need to go forward. and the medical equipment promised to our VA services needs to be in place. That is so important. I was in Iraq a couple months ago. and our service men and women from Washington State met with me there. The very first question they asked me was: Is my country going to be there for me when I get home? Will I have health care? I feel it is important that when we look our soldiers in the eye. we answer them honestly. Today. with the Senate going on record with an emergency supplemental to deal with this. we are going to be able to say we are doing the best we can to make sure the services are there. I urge the Veterans Administration to do the -same. I think it is disheartening and disconcerting to all of us when we rely on the Secretary and his agency to make sure they are honest about what the numbers are and they are incorrect. We need that so we can do our job in providing for our service men and women. We are doing that with this amendment today. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090050236,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We all know there iS work to come. and with the 2006 budget and appropriations bill. we need to have an honest assessment. We cannot cofitinue to project a 2percent increase for veterans when we already know the number of men and women coming back is much higher than that. We already know that the service men and women. particularly from the Vietnam war. who are reaching the age of 60. are increasingly accessing our veterans facilities. We already know that .the maintenance projects out there are critical. We have to do the right thing. We have to make sure the fundingis there. Again. I commend Members on both sides of the aisle. I see the Senator from Idaho. Senator CRAIG. is here. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090050236,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I take this opportunity to thank him. He has been most generous in working with us. as we have moved this issue forward because information given to him that was erroneous at the time. He did give me his word that should things change. he would be there to work with us. He has kept his word in an admirable way. bringing the Secretary before the committee. working on this amendment on the floor. and he is here to speak as well. I tell him how much I appreciate his forthrightness and his willingness to work with us to solve this dilemma. We will be voting on the Santorum amendment. which adds $80 million to our amendment that has $1.42 billion. making sure we have a total of $1.5 billion to provide for our veterans services for the 2005 budget and make sure we dont have to go into funds for other projects and put them in a waiting line. which would be a disservice. I urge our Democratic colleagues who want to speak to this amendment to come to the floor as soon as they can. I thank my colleagues for working with us. the House. and the White House to hopefully have a supplemental in place before the July. 4 recess. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090050237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will yield time to the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. I thank Senator HUTCHISON. whose principal responsibility is the appropriations process. I thank her and her staff tremendously for the work they have done. I thank Senator CRAIG and his staff for the tremendous work they have done. in coming forward and digging and getting the proper language for this amendinent so we can provide funding for this year and for next year. as it is needed. to make sure we are providing the quality care our veterans deserve. With that. I yield such time as he may consume to the Senator from Idaho.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":617}
{"speech_id":1090050305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me explain briefly what the amendment is. and why I filed it. and why we need to deal with that subject matter in the future. I have spoken with Senator BURNs about this and have his agreement that he will try to work with us to find a way around the problem that the amendment was designed to resolve. I appreciate his cooperation in that regard. Actually. for several years I have discussed this on the floor. We have had agreements in the past that the authorizing committees would work with us to change the formula for the Clean Water Act. We have not been able to get that done yet. So I am. once again. noting the fact that under the EPAfunded study to determine the needs of -the Statesa similar study which is used under th. Clean Water ActArizona ranks 10th in terms of needs in the country. 10th out of all of the States. In terms of the funding provided by the formula under this act. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2262}
{"speech_id":1090050305,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Arizona ranks 51st among the 50 States. Now. you may say: 51st? There are only 50 States. That is right. Actually. Arizona ranks behind Guam and Puerto Rico. So here we have one of the fastest growing States. with some of the greatest needs--according to the EPA. 10th in the country in needsand the formula puts Arizona worse than any other State in the Union. That has to be fixed. I believe my colleagues will understand if I say that in Arizona we cannot allow this situation to continue any longer. So if my colleagues do not like the formula we have put forward that would resolve this issue. then I invite them to come forward with some other kind of formula that would resolve the issue. But we are not going to very long abide by a situation which has been going on now for years that continues to put Arizona at the very bottom when our needs rank very close to the top. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2262}
{"speech_id":1090050305,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. I appreciate the commitments that have been made by the distinguished chairman. the Senator from Montana. to try to work with us to find a way around this. I do appreciate that this is primarily an authorizing problem. so we will be talking to the authorizing chairmen as well. My colleagues will hear more about this in the future. In the meantime I have withdrawn the amendment that would fix this. But I hope my colleagues will work with us in the future.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2262}
{"speech_id":1090050325,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. may I commend my distinguished colleague from Maryland and Senator MIKULSKI and others. The two. Virginians and the two Marylanders have joined together. and it is a very important step to be taken in connection with a national commitment to the recognition of the Jamestown period. I wish we could in some way reduce this for the record. but we simply cant do it. There is an excellent review in the National Geographic of June of this year. on the whole area. It is something that I think an inordinate number of Americans will be interested in reading about because it goes to the very roots of the fqundation of this great Nation. I thank the distinguished managers of the bill. Come 2007. we will celebrate -the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. the first permanent Eriglish settlement in the New World. as well as the heroics of its first leader. Captain John Smith. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1875}
{"speech_id":1090050325,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lasting from 16071609. John Smiths historic 3.000mile exploration of the Chesapeakes main stem and tributaries made him the first ambassador to the native peoples of the Chesapeake. allowing for the exchange of cultural customs and material goods. Along his journey. Smith noted the incredible bounty of the Bay. writing that \"oysters\" lay thick as stones\" and fish were so prevalent you could catch them \"with frying pans.\" What would this trail accomplish? It would allow Americans to retrace the paddle strokes and footsteps of Captain Smith. to gain a better understanding of the perils he and his fellow settlers faced during the voyages they took to better understand the New World. \" Ultimately. this proposed trail seeks to celebrate Captain Smiths foresight. the founding steps of America. and the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this feasibility study for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Watertrail.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1875}
{"speech_id":1090050395,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is no secret that there have long been concerns about the competitive sourcing process at the Forest Service. I commend the chairman and ranking member for their attention to this issue in the underlying bill. which reflects those concerns by limiting the amount of funding that the Forest Service may usb during fiscal year 2006 for competitive sourcing studies and related activities. The underlying bill also requires agencies funded by this bill to \"include the incremental costs directly attributable to conducting the competitive sourcing competitions\" in any reports to the Appropriations Committee about such studies and stipulates that such costs should be reported \"in accordance with full cost ac-. counting principles.\" The fiscal year 2006 Interior appropriations bill that the other body passed last month contains similar language. and also directs the Forest Service to provide quarterly reports on its related business process reengineering efforts. The American people deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent and if the Forest Services competitive sourcing process is resulting in true savings. which should include a full cost accounting of all of the related- savings and losses associated with this process. An amendment I proposed to the bill would have required the General Accountability Office to conduct an audit of existing Forest Service competitive sourcing procedures and to make recommendations on how these procedures .can be . improved. including recommendations on what accounting practices should be adopted. by the Forest Service to improve accountability. It is my understanding that the chairman and the ranking member have agreed to work with me to request suchan audit.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1741}
{"speech_id":1090050411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Indian Health Service which is funded by this bill. is the agency charged with providing health care services to Native American people. We in this body must work to ensure that the Indian Health Service is meeting the needs of all Native Americans. My State is home to 22 Indian tribes. all of which are served by the Phoenixarea office of the IHS. That same office also provides health services to the Indians of Arizona and Utah. except for the Navajo Nation. Am I correct that this years appropriations bill contains $8 million in funding for the construction of one of the ambulatory care clinics in the Phoenix area of the IHS?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":637}
{"speech_id":1090050414,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. My State has several Indian tribes as well. and I am aware of the challenges that they face. I assure the minority leader that the committee is aware of the Indian health needs in Nevada and expects that IHS will. No. 1. continue to meet and discuss with the 22 tribes in Nevada. as well as the Intertribal Health Board of Nevada and the Intertribal Health Board of Nevada. in an effort to find ways to improve the delivery and quality of health services to Native Americans in Nevada. and. No. 2. will report back to the committee in writing. with recommendations. on how to improve secondary and tertiary care in Nevada.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":643}
{"speech_id":1090050436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate is considering the Interior. Environment. and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for. Fiscal Year 2006. This bill provfdes approximately $26.2 billion in discretionary spendingapproximately $542 million over the Presidents requestfor the Forest Service. the Environmental Protection Agency. the Indian Health Service. most agencies of the Interior Departmentexcept the Bureau of Reclamation. and the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. I commend the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. and in particular. the efforts of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. for completing this appropriation bill in *a timely manner. Unfortunately. as is the case with many of the appropriations bills that come to the floor. this bill and its accompanying report contains earmarks and pork projects which have not been authorized or requested. The bill provides funding for critical programs like forest health and restoration. superfund cleanup. the Land and Water Conservation Fund. and PILT. but all too often. many of these accounts are eroded by unnecessary. unrequested earmarks. This is especially frustrating given the $600 million annuaf maintenance backlog that is crippling the National Park system. There is not a single member of this body who does not have a National Park or monument. or other Park Service unit in his or her State that is not in need of attention. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6935}
{"speech_id":1090050436,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And while curbing the use of earmarks might not solve our Nations enormous deficit or save our National Parks from longterm dilapidation. doing so would be a good step in repairing our broken appropriations process. Lets take a look at some of the earmarks that are in this bill or its accompanying report: $875.000 for a new water storage tank in the Town of Westerly. RI. $1.000.000 for water treatment projects in the Town of Waitsfield. VT. $2.465.000 for sudden oak death research. $200.000 for a poultry science project at Stephen F. Austin State University. Texas. $1.000.000 for statewide cesspool replacement in the County of Maui. HI. $1.800.000 for eider and sea otter recovery work at the Alaska SeaLife Center. $1.114.000 for a research laboratory in Sitka. AK. $500.000 for the University of Northern Iowa to develop new environmental technologies for small business outreach. $250.000 for paper industry byproduct waste reduction research in Wisconsin. $500.000 to continue research on pallid sturgeon spawnin g in the Missouri River. $400.000 to complete a bear DNA sampling study in Montanathe fourth consecutive year this earmark has been added to an appropriations vehicle. $450.000 for a well monitoring project in Hawaii. $5.100.000 to complete the visitor center at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. Arkansas. $6.059.000 to rehab bathhouses at Hot Springs National Park. AR. $160.000 for soil survey mapping in Wyoming. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6935}
{"speech_id":1090050436,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"S7595\u0095 $400.000 for studies on the impact of lead mining in the Mark Twain National Forest. $500.000 for restoration at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home National Historic Landmark in Missouri. In what has become perhaps one of the greatest examples of pork barrel politics. the Forest Service\u0095 has lost more than $850 million since 1982 on timber sales and the construction of access roads for commercial logging in Alaskas Tongass National Forest. More than 4.000 miles of these roads crisscross the Tongass and have accrued at least $100 million in deferred maintenance while serving little public purpose. And every year. Congress continues to appropriate funds to build new roads without accounting for the encumbrance imposed by existing roads. I support commercial logging. but not when it requires Federal subsidies that offer no return to the taxpayer. These federally funded roads are meant to stabilize the price of timber logged from the Tongass. but the.program actually costs the Federal treasury tens of millions of dollars each yearnearly $48 million in fiscal year 2004 alonebecause the value of Tongass lumber is not competitive and so the Forest Service takes a loss on almost every timber contract it manages. To clarify. Mr. President. that is hundreds of millions in Federal subsidies just to lose hundreds of millions * in unprofitable logging. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6935}
{"speech_id":1090050436,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mark Twain. a cynic of politicians and government. once wrote: \"One of the first achievements of the legislature was to institute a tenthousanddollar agricultural fair to show off forty dollars worth of pumpkins.\" I can only speculate what Mark Twain would say about the egregious waste of taxpayer money allocated to continue the timber subsidy program in the Tongass National Forest. I am pleased to have joined with Senator SUNUNU and others in offering an amendment which would prohibit funding for road building in the Tongas National Forest. I hope my colleagues will support this amendment. Many of my colleagues may have forgotten. but it is a violation of Senate rules to legislate on an appropriation bill. Directing or authorizing policy is a function reserved for the authorizing committees. not the appropriations committee. As is done far to frequently. this appropriations bill includes a variety of policy changes. Examples include: Language that authorizes the construction of a replacement IHS facility in Nome. AK. on land owned by the Sound Health Corporation. Language that allows the Secretary of the Interior to collect parking fees at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6935}
{"speech_id":1090050436,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Language that restricts the use of Forest Service answering machines during business hours unless the answering machine includes an option that enables callers to reach an individual. Why is this appearing in an appropriation bill? Perhaps the appropriators could exert jurisdiction over the waiting lines at the DMV? * Also. language that requires National Recreation Reservation Service call centers to be located within the United States and language that extends Abandoned Mine Land program until June 30. 2006. This is the third time the AML program has been extended via the appropriations process. I may not have qualms with many of these particular expenditures and policy items. Some of them may be truly needed and deserving of swift passage. However. it is the casual disregard for Senate procedure that concerns me deeply. We need to be protecting the American taxpayer. not waving rules and passing appropriation bills with wasteful spending. We need to be thinking about the future generations who are going to be paying the tab for -our continued spending. not delivering pork projects to special interests and their lobbyists. Surely. my colleagues are aware of the fiscal challenges facing this Nation. The national debate is consumed by questions like: How will we pay for rising Medicare and Medicaid costs? Will we be protected from rising energy costs? Will Social Security be there for our children? The answers to those questions fall to the Congress my friends.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6935}
{"speech_id":1090050508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. I wish to explain my climate change votes. This is an important debate. and I appreciate the efforts of my colleagues to contribute substantively to our understanding of the issue and to offer solutions. First. let me be clear that although I voted for Senator HAGELS amendment relating to the promotion of climate change technology at home and abroad. I do not think that amendment goes far enough to address the issue of rising greenhouse gas emissions. At the very least. I would like to see more aggressive timetables and proposals for Federal action than are contained in Senator HAGELS amendment. At the same time. I am still not com-.. fortable supporting the approach of Senator LIEBERMAN and Senator MCCAIN. I admire their hard work and dedication in advocating for immediate action to control U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5047}
{"speech_id":1090050508,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have helped to educate their colleagues. and have kept the issue on the frontburner in the Senate and made it impossible for us to ignore. And. as they have so often pointed out. the evidence that manmade greenhouse gas emissions are impacting our climate system is growing every year. However. I am still not ready to support the mandatory cap and trade called for in their amendment that would freeze U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases at 2000 levels in 2010. I still have questions about the costs this proposal would impose on our economy. and in particular on my state that has the largest coal reserves in the lower 48. Projections vary widely. which makes it difficult to weigh costs and benefits. I also have concerns about whether we currentlyor will in the immediate futurehave the technological capabilities to meet the challenges of the McCainLieberman bill. without imposing significant costs on our economy or creating greater volatility in natural gas markets than already exists. Perhaps not in the short term. but beyond 2010. this concern only grows. These are not trivial questions. particularly when some of our friends in the developing world will soon eclipse the industrialized nations as the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. We cannot ignore that fact. particularly as we contemplate placing a burden on our own economy that could impact our international competitiveness. while at the same time. will have little impact on overall global greenhouse gas concentrations. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5047}
{"speech_id":1090050508,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also was unable to support Senator BINGAMANS sense of the Senate. calling on Congress to implement a mandatory program to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases soon. While I do agree that Congress should take this issue seriously and act sooner rather than later. I cant agree at this point that we are ready to enact a purely mandatory program in the short term. Crafting truly bipartisan. comprehensive legislation to address greenhouse gas emissions will take a great deal of work that this Congress to date has avoided. except for the concerted efforts of individual Senators. like Senators MCCAIN. LIEBERMAN. BINGAMAN. BYRD and HAGEL. Unfortunately. individual efforts generally are not enough on legislation this complex and far-. reaching without the structure and support of a committeeled process. and encouragement from the leadership and the administration. This must happen. and I have been encouraged to hear many of my colleagues express similar sentiments about pursuing a broader approach to developing climate change legislation. rather than on an ad hoc basis on the Senate floor. particularly the Chairman ofr the Senate Energy Committee. Senator DOMEN IOI. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5047}
{"speech_id":1090050508,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a positive development. Congress must act. and act in a concerted. thoughtful way. Thats how we have addressed complicated environmental legislation in the past. including the Clean Air Act. But. were talking about a* potential regulatory scheme that could dwarf the scope and impact of even the Clean Air Act and is directly related to our future economic growth. Were also talking about controlling a gasC02for which we currently have no widely available. proven control technology. Implementing mandatory controls now looks to a certain extent like stepping.off a clilf and hoping something breaks our fall. We need to take the time to do it right. I pledge my assistance to make this happen. I also continue to believe that this administration must reengage with the international community in a meaningful way. The best way to move forward in this body is concurrently with an international effort that encompasses all of the majorgreenhouse gas emittersand those that will soon become the major emitters. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5047}
{"speech_id":1090050508,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not only will this accelerate the technology development curve. but it will level the economic playing field. The fact that Kyoto left out much of the developing world. including China and India. was that treatys fatal flaw. We dont need to go down that path again. and I think the world is ready to step beyond Kyoto. As the current number one emitter of greenhouse gases. it is incumbent on the U.S. to lead. not follow. in this effort. Thats why I supported Senator KERRYS sense of the Senate.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5047}
{"speech_id":1090050510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am proud to add my name today as a cosponsor of the Combat Meth Act of 2005. S. 103. I want to thank Senator TALENT and Senator FEINSTEIN for their leadership on this issue. I have had the opportunity to work with my colleagues on a new version of the bill that I understand will be offered in the Judiciary Committee as a substitute when the bill is marked up. and I am very pleased to support this new version of the Combat Meth Act. Meth is a highly addictive and particularly destructive drug that can be manufactured from widely available household items. In the last 5 years. the use of this terrible drug has skyrocketed. both nationally and in my home State of Wisconsin. When I talk to prosecutors and police officers from Wisconsin. they consistently tell me that meth use is the most daunting problem they are facing. They tell me that meth is the single most harmful drugto addicts. families. children. communities. and the environmentthat they have ever dealt with. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8831}
{"speech_id":1090050510,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill gives law enforcement officials a chance to stem the growing tide of meth use by restricting access to the cold medicines that are commonly used to make meth and by providing funds for programs that have been shown to combat the meth problem. The bill targets those who purchase overthecounter drugs for the purpose of manufacturing meth. while still allowing lawabiding Americans to have adequate access to the cold medicines they need. Methamphetamine is derived from pseudoephedrine. a chemical that is found in most common cold medicines. Meth \"chefs\" can manufacture the drug by buying large quantities of cold medicine. mixing it with other common chemicals. and heating it. This process can occur nearly anywhere and requires only limited knowledge and experience. Even beginners can easily manufacture this drug. Given how easy it is it make. it is not surprising. that meth use has been increasing rapidly. A recent report from the National Institute on .Drug Abuse finds that meth use has swept across the country. starting in Southern California and moving steadily eastward. The situation has become particularly dire in the Midwest. where meth use accounts for more than 90 percent of all drug prosecutions. Literally millions and millions of individuals have reported using methand this trend shows no signs of slowing. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8831}
{"speech_id":1090050510,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Meth cases in my home State of Wisconsinhave gone up 500 percent in just the last 4 years. from 101 prosecutions in 2000 to 545 in 2004. And Wisconsin is doing much better than many other Midwestern States thanks to proactive efforts by state officials in the late 1990s. before meth had taken hold. to educate corhmunities about the dangers of meth and the need for prevention. These education and prevention efforts paid off. keeping the number of meth labs relatively low in Wisconsin compared to neighboring States. but the problem remains a very serious one. Both the manufacture and the use of meth have devastating consequences for users and those around them. In the shortterm. even occasional meth use leads to a whole host of physical and psychological problems. It causes inflammation of the heart lining. increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It causes damage to the nervous system and creates abscesses on the skin. It also attacks the brain. leading to bouts of paranoia. anxiety. and insomnia. Meths longterm effects are even more destructive. It has highly addictive properties. quickly turning occasional users into desperate addicts. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8831}
{"speech_id":1090050510,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Meth addicts often go for days without eating -or sleeping. They suffer from a variety of heart ailments and can sustain permaneht and often irreversible brain damage. The drugs effect on the brain also leaves addicts vulnerable to the entire spectrum of mental health problems.. from .paranoia and depression to aggression and psychosis. And the drugs chemical effects are particularly insidious. meaning that addicts often require -extended detoxification periods before they can begin treatment. Sadly. meths harmful effects are not confined to its users. The process of manufacturing meth creates unique environmental hazards that can poison surrounding communities. Cooking the chemicals that create meth can lead to explosions. fires. and the release of noxious gases. Remnants from the procedure are often washed down the drain. or dumped in the ground. where they can contaminate local water sources. Another related danger of significant meth use in a community is an increased crime rate. Meth addicts often resort to violence to gain access to the materials they need or to the money they must have to sustain their addiction. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8831}
{"speech_id":1090050510,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Additionally. people who are high on meth are disposed to aggressive and violent behavior. The results are apparent. For example. local news reports indicate that Eau Claire County in Wisconsin. which has been hard hit by the meth problem. has seen a significant increase in methrelated crimes as meth use has become more prevalent. This drug does not just poison users. it can affect entire communities. And in the unkindest cut of all. children who are exposed to meth manufacturing or use can be scarred for life. Children of meth addicts are exposed to toxic fumes and volatile chemicals. resulting in potentially serious health problems. and they are often abused or neglected by those in the throes of addiction. This problem calls for immediate Federal action. When Oklahoma was the first State earlier this year to pass a law that successfully restricted access to pseudoephedrine. the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine grew noticeably in neighboring States. The Oklahoma experience shows that States acting alone cannot address what has become a national meth problem. We need a law that creates national standards for the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine and puts the resources of the Federal Government behind the effort to stop meth use. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8831}
{"speech_id":1090050516,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a community in North Dakota that is celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 13. the residents of Egeland. ND. will celebrate their communitys history and founding. Egeland is a small townin the northeastern part of North Dakota with-. a population of just under 50. Despite Its size. Egeland holds an important place in North Dakotas history. It began in 1905 when the Soo Line Railroad established a station and a settlement grew around it. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1749}
{"speech_id":1090050516,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Axel Egeland. a banker from Bisbee. North Dakota. was employed by the Soo Line Railroad to select the townsite and was. as a Soo agent. given the privilege of naming the new town. Lots were sold August 9. 1905. and on August 23. 1905. the country store and post office called \"Lakeview\" relocated in the town. Today. most families in the Egeland area are involved in farming the land. Crops such as wheat. flax. and barley are typical. and farming provides an excellent livelihood for the areas residents. Due to its small size. the youth of Egeland attend school and participate in athletics in the nearby town of Cando. However. the rural nature of the commuhity and the interconnectedness of its members make Egeland a wonderful location to raise a family. I ask the United States Senate to join me in congratulating Egeland. ND. and its residents on their first 100 years and in wishing them well through the next century. By honoring Egeland and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the pioneering frontier spirit alive for future generations. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1749}
{"speech_id":1090050516,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is places such as Egeland that have helped to shape this country into what it is today. which is why Egeland is deserving of our recognition. Egeland has a proud past and a bright future.0","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1749}
{"speech_id":1090050570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow we will resume the CAFTA bill. Although there are 16 hours remaining. we do not anticipate either side using all of that time. Half of that time is AQ --2 . _Y005 controlled by this side of the aisle. and we expect to yield back as much of that time as reasonable in order to complete this bill at some time early enough in the afternoonhopefully. not eveningso that we can continue with the two additional appropriations bills we had discussed completing prior to our recess. We want tocomplete the CAFTA and two appropriations bills before we leave for the recess. I do forewarn Senators that we are going to have a very busy day tomorrow with votes tomorrow. into tomorrow evening. possibly into Friday. There is a possibility we can finish tomorrow night. I think it will be late tomorrow night. but we will finish CAFTA and two more appropriations bills.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":883}
{"speech_id":1090050591,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the President of the United States misled this Nation to justify his invasion of Iraq. There were no weapons of mass destruction. there were no ties to al Qaeda. Our men and women are now engulfed in a violent quagmire and endless war. There is no strategy. only spin. Last night. in his speech to the Nation. the President shamelessly. in my opinion. invoked the terrible tragedy of September 11 to justify our continued occupation. Mr. Speaker. the fact that Iraq has become a haven for terrorists is due to this Presidents failed policy in that country. Our continued massive presence fuels the insurgency nd is a magnet for foreign fighters. It takes no courage for a President or a Congressman to stand up and say \"stay the course.\" It is not our lives that are on the line. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1008}
{"speech_id":1090050591,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We owe our soldiers better. It is time for the President to admit that this war was a mistake. It is time for us to begin an orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. It is time for President Bush to end his war.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1008}
{"speech_id":1090050603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have never heard so many negative statements as we see coming from the other side of the aisle. with speaker after speaker. most of them scripted. making false accusations as to what the Republicans are doing with Social Security. If they are going to criticize what the Republicans are doing to try to save Social Security. let them come forward with their plan. Everybody knows that Social Security is going to be going into the red beginning in 2017. Everybody who has done any research knows there is a $26 trillion.shortfall over the next 75 years in cash. So what are they doing? They are sitting there making false accusations about what we are trying to do. One of the speakers just this morning said that we were going to diminish the trust fund by putting the Treagury bills into the individual \u0095 accounts. Nothing could be more wrong. I assume that these statements are being made out of ignorance and not out of- knowledge of the truth. because we know what it is when you say something that you know is not true.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1040}
{"speech_id":1090050604,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I wanted to respond to the last one minute. indeed to set the record straight. The gentleman from Florida said the Republican plans do not. make solvency worse. Read the DeMint plan. The only way that the ShawMcCrery plan does nylumake it. worse. is by borrowing money .ahd.-by. counting the same money twice. The gentleman talks about the urgency .of the shortfall. \"but the McCreryShawet al. plan does zero to address the shortfall. It avoids the issue. It is what the gentleman from Florida called a \"nopain plan.\" It is a \"ducktheissue plan.\" Essentially what the Republican plan proposed by the gentleman from Louisiana is. it is filled with gimmicks. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":709}
{"speech_id":1090050604,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need honest talk. not more gimmicks.","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":709}
{"speech_id":1090050634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as mentioned. this would be the 10th extension. And everyone has the right to ask. why another extension. instead of our buckling down and being able to pass a welfare reform bill. There is an effort. I think. to blame the Senate. I do not think we forget who controls the Senate. But let us forget about that. Because I think the main problem is the approach of the House majority. and when it comes to this as has been true of so many other programs. it is their way or no way. And so far when it comes to further work on welfare reform. it has been no way. Now. that may be better. and I think it is. than what they have proposed here. but still we should be able to. as I said. buckle down and tackle this issue. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090050634,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have not done so. There has been zero effort by the Republican majority in this House to sit down with Democrats and see where we go from here. Zero. There has been success under welfare. reformas we passed some years ago. There have been some successes. The rolls have been cut in half and the majority of those who are leaving welfare have worked since they left. And twothirds now of the people receiving welfare or TANF are engaged in work. But the problem is that so many of them are not moving up the economic ladder. These are the government figures: 60 to 70 percent of those who have moved from welfare to work. 60 to 70 percent are essentially earning at the poverty level or worse. In contrast. those who leave welfare and move into higher starting wages were 40 percenf morelikely to be working 2 years later. and those receiving child care assistance. the same way. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090050634,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So some years ago we worked. President Clinton proposed it. there was passage by the House and Senate. He vetoed it twice because there was inadequate child care. inadequate health care. The Congress. with a number of us working on it. paid attention to those and it passed on a bipartisan basis. But there is no effort to move to another stage of welfare reform.. and that is to make sure that it is structured so that people can move off welfare into jobs that do not lead them into poverty. Instead. the Republican majority here has proposed not moving people off welfare into work that takes them out of poverty. but emphasizing or talking only really about those who are on welfare and moving into work regardless of the consequences. And we\" in the minority here have proposed bills that would. continue State flexibiltty. which would be taken away by the majority here 4nd would reward States if they moved people off welfare into goodpaying jobs. They would take SEH&39 care of the technical.. problems with. health care. transitional Medicaid and also would restore full funding to the Social Services block grant. So in a word. I say to the chairman of the subcommittee. instead of simply extending this bill because you are unwilling to sit down on a bipartisan basis and work on further important welfare reform. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090050634,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge you to instead of just kind of stonewalling. sit down with us and see if we cannot do still better.","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3043}
{"speech_id":1090050656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong opposition to the irresponsible funding level of Amtrak in this bill. The funding level in this bill will kill Amtrak service. Among the 15 longdistance routes that will be eliminated is the Cardinal train. which connects my hometown of Indianapolis to Chicago and to New York City. serves over 88.000 passengers each year. Also slated for elimination is Amtraks Hoosier State train which connects my constituents to Chicago. serving about 18.000 passengers. In all. 100.000 Indiana passengers would be stranded without rail service. Over 1.000 Hoosier jobs will be threatened. including the 640 workers of Amtraks Beech Grove heavy maintenance facility in my district. This funding level is irresponsible. All transportation is subsidized by the government. ","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090050656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the airlines are in trouble. my colleagues do not hesitate to jump to their aid. Since Amtraks creation. the Congress has subsidized air and highway transportation over $1.89 trillion. That is 63 times what we would have spent on Amtrak. Let us not forget.. it was Amtrak trains that brought stranded Americans home in the aftermath of September 11. I commend the gentleman from Ohio . and the ranking member. the gentleman from Minnesota for bringing to the floor the amendment today that would raise Amtrak funding to $1.2 billion. In closing. let me remind my colleagues. there is not a rail service anywhere in the world that is not subsidized by the government. It is a service to consumers and should be maintained. I would appreciate unilateral. universal support of the amendment.","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090050746,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I too recognize the difficult position that the Appropriations Committee has been put in with the cost of Amtrak and the ongoing costs. I just caution the Members of this body that there are States like myself. I represent an entire State. The distance of my district spans the distance of Washington. DC. to Chicago. Our cities were not established in Montana because of rivers and a port. We were established because of the rail. Rail in Montana is not an essential service. it is a critical service. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS REHBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090050746,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In many cases. we have good bus service. It just does not happen to be in the area where Amtrak is. We have good air service. Unfortunately. it just does not happen to be in the area where the rail is. And so. in our particular case. where you have a large geographical area with very little population. it becomes a critical service to provide not only our products but our passengers as well. The Empire Builder in Montana has as many as 500.000 people traveling on it. Do we recognize it is subsidized? Yes. we do. But I do not think the founding fathers and I do not think this Congress ever intended it to be run entirely like a business. We want good quality service. We want a cheap price. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS REHBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090050746,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The problem is there cannot be competition because you cannot set up a rail next to the other. You cannot have two railroads competing against each other. So Amtrak is one of those entities that cannot entirely be run like a business. And so I hope you have listened to the gentleman from Ohios amendment because what it does is it lays the foundation of implementing the beginning of a reform initiative within Amtrak that will make it run more like a business. It can be supported. and ultimately. we will have the rail service in States like Montana and the rest of the long lines that are so critical within our transportation system. I hope you will support the amendment.","speaker_name":"DENNIS REHBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090050776,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I that is. thank the gentleman for yielding me The gentleman from Oregon was cortime. rect in saying we are going to take During the last 35 years. congres- traffic off the interstates. We are going sional funding for Amtrak has amount- to take passengers off the airplanes. esed to roughly $29 billion. It is $29 bil- pecially east of the Mississippi and up lion from the taxpayers that were and down the California coast. and put given for a system which we really do them on trains. but we cannot run this believe in. but back in 1997 with its re- system unsubsidized. It is not possible. authorization. Amtrak came to the and our friends in Europe. our friends table with an agreement that they in Japan. that have the best rail paswould change their operations and be- senger systems in the world. undercome profitable. stand that. Today. Members of Congress come to I ask the body to fund Amtrak at the the floor to ask. once again. for Am- level suggested by the LaTourette trak to do exactly that. We have heard. amendment for another year. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1696}
{"speech_id":1090050776,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also ask boy. there is not enough money there. the body to appoint a commission to we are goingfrom hand to mouth. Yet. study Amtrak. to put together a plan we know that there is $83 million that to make Amtrak something that surAmtrak loses alone just in its food rives and is efficient. but my colservice on trains. leagues must know there will always I would submit to this body that it is b te a subsidy. I find it an embarrasstime now that we take additional steps ment that the passenger rail service in the United States of America: is in its present state. and something needs to be done about it. It needs to be preserved.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1696}
{"speech_id":1090050778,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for the time. Mr. Chairman. I have been on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House- for some 13 years. most of that time on the Subcommittee on Railroads. and I always hear that Amtrak reform is right around the corner. For the benefit of the gentleman who just spoke. in 1997. we put an Amtrak Reform Council. ARC. in place for some 4 years to 1991. They came up with a recommendation. and Congress ignored the recommendation. Yes. the problem is Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090050778,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. the problem is not just putting more money into Amtrak. as this amendment would do. My colleagues heard the gentleman from Kentucky . the Committee on Appropriations subcommittee chair. talk about the waste in Amtrak. The GAO just testified before our subcommittee again. for every dollar that we get in food and beverage service. every dollar. it costs us $2. We lose $2. The service. if we had service. my colleagues heard the gentleman from Kentucky talk about subsidizing routes. the sunset limited. $466 per passenger. Now. it would not be bad if we paid that and. for example. the train got there on time. Do my colleagues know what its ontime performance was? 4.3 percent of.the time it got there on.time. an absolute disaster. We had a hearing on the money that they lost in trying to put in highspeed service. We have neither high speed and we do not have service. an absolute farce. billions of dollars wasted. and no Acela highspeed service in the quarter. Here is the GAO report. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090050778,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The President has called for this reform. The Amtrak Reform Council has called for this reform. I am a critic of Amtrak. but I am a strorig supporter. We need a nationwide system to supply an alternate transit system across the country. and we are behind countries. We are even behind Romania. which recently decided to privatize their railroad. So I get letters. Here is a letter from an Amtrak employee. My colleagues heard some of the waste here. \"There are so many other ways Amtrak squanders its money.\" he wrote me. and this is just one. He said. $20.000 for a 7week course of which most of the people never even completed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090050778,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"I still witnessed my share of a finely tuned money pit.\" Amtrak West headquarters. the fifth floor of the Port of Oaklands luxury highrise. the place is full.of employees but what they all do is a mystery* Then he says. We have another office 20 miles. away. He said. I started to wonder. if Amtrak owns stock in FedEx. They ship everything FedEx. He goes on and says they fly around the country on airline tickets. costing thousands of dollars each. Here is the report of how we save money with Amtrak. not how we squander it. Then we had the question of not just losing money but Stealing money: Food service. over 135 employees were dismissed. resigned or disqualified for improper cash handling and 250 conductors stealing money. There is the report. Give them more money. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090050778,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Go ahead. becausewe will be back here next year doing the same thing.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090050782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the LaTouretteOberstar amendment aimed at keeping Amtrak on track. This amendment restores funding for Amtrak to $1.176 billion. an increase of $626 million. This funding will save Amtrak from bankruptcy and allow the railroad to continue to operate in a safe and reliable manner. No passenger railroad system in the world operates without some.form of public subsidy. Yet. unfortunately. the bill before us would essentially end this countrys passenger rail system as we know it. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090050782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Countries with welldeveloped passenger rail networks but much smaller populations such as Germany and Japan invest $3 to $4 billion annually on passenger rail. representing .over twenty percent of their total transportation spending. At five hundred and fifty million dollars. Amtrak would be forced toshutdown. all operations. causing unnecessary disruption and hardship on millions of Americans that depend on thisalternative mode of transportation. Local economies and businesses that have benefited from Amtraks service would also suffer. Amtraks twenty thousand workers would be out on the streets looking for new jobs. Last year Amtrak provided over eleven million dollars in wages for good paying jobs for Texas residents. Bankruptcy is not the solution for Amtrak. The American people want and deserve a national passenger rail system.. All transportation is subsidized by American taxpayers. Singling out Amtrak assumes wrongfully that taxpayers do want to invest in passenger rail and this just plain wrong. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090050782,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Polls consistently show that Americans support federal funding for a national rail passenger system. I urge my colleagues to renew this bodys support fora national rail passenger system and vote yes on this amendment. r","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090050787,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I have risen to strike the last word. first. because I want to express my deep appreciation to the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member of the subcommittee for a rather fabulous job done on this bill overall. In a time of short financial circumstances. they produced a very balanced bill that reflects a crosssection of very important issues to the country. I rise also to specifically talk about the job the committee has done relative to Amtrak. It is not like Amtrak does not have problems. and it is not like the chairman is suggesting we ought to shut it down by way of his bill but. instead. to deal with the reality that Amtrak has been going over a cliff for some time now. In the last 3 fiscal years. the subsidy has grown from over .5 billion to over $1.2 billion. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1850}
{"speech_id":1090050787,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. indeed. others in this town have decided its pathway is such we cannot afford it any longer. so recommendations were made to zero Amtrak. This subcommittee. in a very thoughtful way. in a very tough budget year. laid the foundation to eliminate the very expensive routes to support the northeastern corridor. the routes in the West. and at the same time try to make sense out of this process. It is long past due that we reviewed this policy and put in place something that will work so we have a passenger rail system. If we continue on the path the way that we are. and the amendment presented by the gentleman from Ohio essentially does that. takes us back to that pathway. eventually the train is going to go over the cliff and Amtrak will be no more. I would suggest that the House recognize a rather fabulous job done by this subcommittee. I congratulate them for their work and in doing so urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on the LaTourette amendment and to support the committees product.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1850}
{"speech_id":1090050801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I raise a point of order against the phrase \"to be derived from the airport and airway trust fund\" beginning on page 5. line 25. and ending on line 26. This provision violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It changes existing law and therefore constitutes legislating on an appropriation bill in violation of House rules.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090050873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. What is interesting about this amendment is that only 20 percent of the people are involved in the elimination of these lines. but it is 50 percent of the cost. This is like a stake in the heart of a plan to establish some reform. You know. unfortunately. our national rail service is no longer a source of pride. Amtrak has suffered mismanagement. irresponsible investments. poor service and a tremendous backlog of. maintenance that has sunk the system to a new low. Amtrak. as we know it. faces tremendous debt while operating in a fundamentally flawed management system. Amtrak goes back to 1971. and the conception at that time was to produce it as a forprofit business. And it was expected to be one within 5 years. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2053}
{"speech_id":1090050873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Here it is 35 years later. Guess what. they are in worse shape than ever. As has been pointed out. unfortunately for the taxpayers. its selfsufficiency is only a pipe dream. On average. taxpayers will pay a $210 subsidy. even though you do not think you are paying it. because some pay $466. you are because the system needs an average of $210 per person. All other transportation systems in our country are paid for directly. Highways and aviation are funded through user fees and excise taxes. Rail is the only passenger transportation mode that relies solely on the generosity of taxpayers. And this charity is running out. It is funny. I have not heard one word from anybody who is complaining about shutting those lines down who is interested in doing anything locally to provide resources to keep it going. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2053}
{"speech_id":1090050873,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is an option. We are not mandating the closure. And the message should be clear. In a time of flat budgets and large deficits. we cannot afford the abuse of taxpayer dollars on irresponsible ventures. poor management and unprofitable services. I know that reform is never easy. But in Amtraks case. it is essential. We have come to the last stop. Amtrak is no longer helping .us move forward. Passenger rail must be reformed. or it will end. be the end of Amtrak.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2053}
{"speech_id":1090050894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. I do not have the revival gusto that the gentleman from Wisconsin does. but I do want to oppose strenuously this amendment. We had. for a long time now. rather a vigorous discussion on the Amtrak system. and I do not know if the gentleman from Minnesota was present during that discussion. but when I hear the $550 that Amtrak should be. thankful for. the evidence was pretty clear in the statements that we gave that that $550 was worse than a shutdown number. it was bankruptcy number. because Amtrak with its obligations for labor costs. almost $400 million. and for its debt service. almost $300 million. it would have forced the system into bankruptcy. ending not these longdistance routes. which were the subject of the last amendment. but all Amtrak service in all of the United States. including the northeast corridor and service out west. What this amendment does not allow us to. do. now that we have squeaked the Amtrak number back up. it is not $1.2 billion. It is $1.176 billion which is below last years spending. which is $1.244 billion. To take $100 million now after a lot of hard work. quite frankly. by the gentleman from Minnesota to identify some hard decisions for offsets. but that is the environment we find ourselves in. but we were successful in doing that. breathing new life into the Amtrak program. giving David Gunn the opportunity to implement the plan that he just sent to us on Capitol Hill in April of this year. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3204}
{"speech_id":1090050894,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Are we so impatient that we have to identify longdistance routes and we have to take a meat axe approach to the Amtrak budget that we cannot let some of the reforms work? David Gunn gets it. He gets that there is a problem with the food service. and he needs to do something about it. He gets the fact that the Acela highspeed train system has some difficulty with disk brakes that were manufactured in a poor fashion. and he needs to do something about it. Those of us on the authorizing committee get it. and that is why we have already had two hearings dealing with difficulties at Amtrak. The next phase will be to invite people with all the good ideas. and everybody in this chamber has good ideas about how to fix something. anybody that has a good idea on how to reform Amtrak. to invite the States to participate in providing quality inter city train service in this country. will be invited to appear before our subcommittee and also the full committee to engage in that discussion. But this amendment. I have to say. really is a wolf in sheeps clothing because its purports to help homeless people. Everybody in the Chamber I bet wants to help homeless people. but the real intent. I would suggest. is to take $100 million away from Amtrak that we have just been able to restore. It was unanimous. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3204}
{"speech_id":1090050894,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was a voice vote. Everybody supported it on the last occasion. and that. again. puts us into a bankruptcy situation. It is bad policy. Every other industrialized Nation in the world recognizes that passenger rail service is something worth keeping. The United States Congress. or some of us. seem to be the only body in the world that think that it is not worth saving.","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3204}
{"speech_id":1090050932,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank again my colleagues from California. Texas and Florida. I think that kind of at least covers the breadth of the Nation. Inthe breadth of the Nation. I think what happens sometimes is maybe some of our colleagues have never suffered discrimination. but I have gone seeking an apartment that later was rented to someone else and told that the apartment was not available. It hurts. We should stop that kind of discrimination. We made progress. but we are not nearly there yet. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":902}
{"speech_id":1090050932,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a $7 million fund that can assist us in avoiding some measures of housing discrimination. As far as the chairmans suggestion about the backlog. one of the reasons the backlog occurs is because people do not get on the front end and do their work. It is like EEOC. They have a backlog because they do not have the funds to do what we could have them do if we properly funded it.","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":902}
{"speech_id":1090050948,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I agree that a more flexible. widely accessible program needs to be developed. I believe my bill. H.R. 280. achieves that goal. and that is why the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman OXLEY) and I have been fighting very hard and believe that we do need this program. I think we fieed it. Does it need improvement? Yes. I agree. We are going to improve it. and I appreciate the gentlemans help.","speaker_name":"GARY MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":42.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":402}
{"speech_id":1090050969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by acknowledging that the gentleman from Michigan did a very good job of dealing with a difficult issue that was dumped in his lap in Section 8. and I acknowledge that. And I think he provided a great deal of comfort to tenants and administrators throughout the country by relieving them of the uncertainty that some proposed very drastic changes were there. And I thank the gentleman for that. And I understand also that he had a difficult situation. I would like to see even more. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090050969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The point I would just make is this: From a number of decisions that we have made. Section 8 has become the main housing program of the United States. I wish it were not. I think it is a mistake to have no production. And we have virtually no production. I think we have made the Section 8 program. by default. carry more load than it ought to. Secretary Jackson talks about what an increasing percentage of the HUD budget Section 8 has become. That is partly because they have cut out everything else. And so what the Section 8 program. is. is a survivor. And in an ideal world. we might allocate a little bit more to housing production. et cetera. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090050969,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But that is not where we are. We very much need this money. It is not nearly enough. but we are in a tight budget situation. Some of us wish we were not. Some of us voted not to .be in it. but facts are facts. As to renewals. the gentleman from Michigan may be right that there is enough for renewals. I hope he is. He may not be. But the point is that nothing in this amendment says it is only for renewals. The gentleman from New York pointed out that we have not had any new ones. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090050969,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Does anyone think that all of the people in America who need Section 8 housing now have it. and that we only have to work with renewals? We had an amendment offered earlier by the gentleman from Minnesota. and I should acknowledge the gentleman from Minnesota voted for that affordable housing program that I talked about. and I should not have implied if anyone thought that he had not. But he talked about a $100 million more for the homeless. taking it out of Amtrak. If you want to provide $100 million for the homeless. vote for this amendment because. you know what makes you homeless? Not having a home. That is what homelessness means. And one way to deal with the homeless is to get them homes. An additional $100 million in Section 8 is the best. most efficient way to provide homes for the homeless. So we acknowledge that there is an unmet housing need. And as I said again. and I mean this very sincerely. I appreciate the gentleman from Michigan with regard to CDBG and HUD and Section 8 and HUD. He brought some order of a situation that was fraught with confusion for people. and I appreciate his willingness to do this. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090050969,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are talking now about a somewhat marginal increase. We wish it could be bigger. But I would say the argument against this on the merits has to be that you think America is now providing housing for everybody who needs it. I would say to other Members. across party lines. across geographic lines. in past years when there have been threats for shortfalls in Section 8. I know all of us on the Committee on Financial Services that deals with housing have gotten anguished complaints from other Members saying. How can we stop this? Well. I tell you the best way to stop another wave of threatened shortfalls. people not having enough. Rents can go up. You cannot entirely predict what the needs are going to be. I tell you a very good way to prevent yourself from being again besieged by fears that there will be people turned away. et cetera. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090050989,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to discuss an amendment that I have offered to H.R. 3058. I would first like to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman KNOLLENBERG) for this opportunity to speak on behalf of my amendment and to explain its intent within the greater context of the recent New London decision by the Supreme Court. The amendment that I have offered would prevent any funds appropriated to the Community Development Block Grant program from being used to support an economic development project that acquires land through eminent domain. Like many members of this body and most people in this country. I am incensed by the recent Supreme Court decision in the case of Kelo v. the City of New London that has effectively turned the deeds to every American home and business over to the government. Imagine a sign on every piece of real personal property that reads: For Sale By Government. While most people recognize that eminent domain has been used historically for the building of a school or a road which serves the entire community. the American people will never accept the idea that government can arbitrarily take away one persons home or business and give it to someone else for the sole purpose of increasing that governments tax base. Government should never have the power to force a person out so that a mini mall can move in. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4131}
{"speech_id":1090050989,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the city of Augusta. Georgia. where I grew up there is a little shop called the Sunshine Bakery. Owned by the same family for over 100 years. the Sunshine Bakery may not be a Fortune 500 company. Mr. Chairman. but it is this familys livelihood. and it serves as an important part of the community. Yet. the City of Augusta could now shut down the Sunshine Bakery and sell the property and their life to the highest bidder Frankly. such an act is not only unAmerican but it is also unconstitutional. Unfortunately. by the narrowest of majorities. the Supreme Court last Thursday decided to abandon its responsibility to uphold the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. By a margin of only one vote. five justices have thrown out over 2 centuries worth of precedent and protections. They have taken away the constitutional guarantee that no ones home or business could be forcibly taken away by the government except for public use and with just compensation. \u0095 Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4131}
{"speech_id":1090050989,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I encourage every American to read the majoritys opinion. Rather than ruling about what is public use and what is not public use. this narrow majority just threw up their hands and allowed government to take. for all intents and purposes. whenever it so desires. Congress cannot. and I trust will not. stand idly by while States and local governments abuse their power of eminent domain. From the largest State to the smallest city. no government should use the New London decision as cover to take away personal real property and give it to a developer to increase the tax base. Make no mistake. I fully support economic development and improvement. Like most Americans. I believe that communities should work in conjunction with their citizens to build stronger. more economically vibrant communities. However. what has distinguished this great country of ours above all others is our bedrock belief in individual liberty and property protections and the security these liberties and protections offer. This security has fostered economic prosperity. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4131}
{"speech_id":1090050989,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has created a society in which this prosperity can be enjoyed. The Supreme Court. by removing these protections. has struck a serious and dangerous blow to the American way of life. Mr. Chairman. my amendment would use Congress power of the purse to make sure that this government never subsidizes eminent domain abuse and never subsidizes the theft and destruction of peoples homes and businesses. However. Mr. Chairman. in light of the point of order reserved against my amendment. momentarily I will ask to withdraw it. This amendment marks only the start of this discussion. and it is my hope that this Congress will set the record straight for the sake of the American people. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4131}
{"speech_id":1090050989,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4131}
{"speech_id":1090051026,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. First. in response to the gentlemans observations. with respect to where this account goes to sustain itself. where it goes to get the $60 million. the GSA building fund. that fund is $7.6 billion out of this budget. That is a $550 million increase over last year. I do not think moving $60 million from $7.6 billion is of any consequence. And I will also reiterate what I said at the outset: Because of the way that Hope VI funds are drawn down. this amendment is viewed by CBO as being budget neutral. In fact. it is actually viewed by CBO as being an amendment that will actually save outlays of around $56 million this year. So. frankly. there is no dollar consequence this year. And in the scheme of things. even over the outyears. this is a very wellgrowing fund of $7:6 million. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2227}
{"speech_id":1090051026,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The second point. the gentleman from Michigan has made observations. and Democrats and Republicans have made. about some of the weaknesses and some of the delays in Hope VI. and I do not think there is any opposition on this side of the aisle. and certainly not from proponents of this amendment. to looking closely at why the projects do not expedite and why it takes them awhile to move to completion. but that is not an argument for doing away with the program. That is an argument to reforming the program. Mr. Chairman. $60 million will amount to three or four projects around the country. but that will be three or four neighborhoods that have been written off and abandoned that can be reclaimed. Finally. given the small dollar consequence of this. I think we ought to err on the side of these communities. We ought to err on the side of the community of the gentleman from Mississippi . we ought to err on the side of the community of the gentleman from Michigan . we ought to err on the side of the community of the gentlewoman from Florida.. and so many like it around the country. We are in a phase where we can either write off a lot of our inner city neighborhoods. or we can reinvest in them. We can either consign them to being blighted places of neglect. or we can rebuild them. and this does it with our private and public dollars. I urge a \"yes\" vote on this amendment.","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2227}
{"speech_id":1090051027,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. it is a sad day when I am rising in support of an amendment that would provide only $60 million for this critical program. But this is the situation in which we find ourselves with this bill. when priorities of the Republic budget are focused elsewhere and we are sent a budget that puts the future of our Nations housing programs in jeopardy. While I am relieved to see the Committee has rejected the extremely unsound proposal to rescind the funding we appropriated for this current Fiscal Year. I find it hard to comprehend that this bill still provide no funding for Hope VI. Just to provide some perspective. we should realize that HOPE VI funding for the last two fiscal years combined is only roughly half of the funding level provided in 2003. I think part of the problem my colleagues have is trying to quantify the success of this program. Mr. Chairman. I understand it is very hard to see the accomplishments of this program on paper. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1966}
{"speech_id":1090051027,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are not clear numbers of statistics that make it easy to put it in a bureaucratic category that proves it is \"demonstrating re-. suits.\" But Mr. Chairman. I can tell you personally of the success this program has brought. not only to communities in my district. but across the country. HOPE VI has successfully transformed some of the nations most dilapidated public housing into revitalized mixed income communities. providing a second chance for neighborhoods that often had little or no hope of im.provement. I have seen the transformation HOPE V funds have brought to communities in my district and around New Jersey. I have stood at communities that have been completely rebuilt. where renovated townhouses replace crumbling buildings. where senior centers and new playgrounds invite the community in. instead of shut it out. Because cycles of poverty and crime are likely to be concentrated at the most distressed and rundown public housing structures. there is often little chance for changing","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1966}
{"speech_id":1090051041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. due to official business speaking to the Circle of Friends for American Veterans. I was unavoidably detained and not present in the Chamber on Wednesday. June 29. 2005. and was regrettably unable to cast my vote on rolicall No. Had I been present. I would have voted \"yea\" on rollcall No. 336.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090051094,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I also want to talk briefly about the offset from ONDCP. the Office of National Drug Control Policy and tb~e national ad campaign. This was funded under former President Clinton at a level of $180 million back in the 1990s.\" What we have seen is it is reduced all the way down to $120 million in this bill. which means that it is barely able to sustain itself. given that advertising costs have gone up. There is an amendment later in this bill that the gentleman from Connecticut and I are doing in a bipartisan way to try to increase the dollars so we can afford and fund antimeth campaigns around this country. as we are also doing under ONDCP in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking area. This amendment. though it is not a large amount. would potentially be an absolutely crippling blow to this particular program and certainly would end any chance for us to do any meth advertising in this budget. Thus. I ask people who support our efforts to combat methamphetamine to vote against this amendment.","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1017}
{"speech_id":1090051109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I think this puts us on a remarkably slippery slope. the proposal that has been made by the gentleman from Indiana. Each of us take an .oath to uphold the Constitution. and that includes upholding the separation of powers between the branches of this government. for one thing. For a second thing. the Supreme Court is at this time. if I remember correctly. six out of the nine justices have been named by Republican conservative presidents or are supposedly from at least the Republican side. And so this is not a liberal court. This is a centrist court. if not a slightly conservative court. So here we are with a proposal. If I remember correctly. there were. in fact. two decisions. each of them taken by a fivetofour vote. and someone switched there. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090051109,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not remember exactly which person switched. so that the commentators that I saw commenting on this in columns suggested that the sum total of what had been done with those two decisions left the situation essentially what it was over the body of material that was being covered by the two decisions. So I think this is a remarkably bold suggestion that we should punish a court. a court in the situation that I have described for a decision which really makes a very minor change in the circumstances. And I would certainly oppose the gentlemans amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090051119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to begin by thanking the gentleman from Michigan and the gentleman from Massachusetts and the members of the subcommittee for their hard work on this appropriations legislation. I realize that we are working with limited resources. and I commend them for their bipartisan efforts to craft the best possible legislation within the constraints of the budget resolution. But I am compelled to offer this significant amendment to the Transportation. Treasury and Housing appropriations bill. Within this bill that funds large Federal agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. the Federal Judiciary often is overlooked. Yet. this year. when the Congress has passed significant legislation that will increase the workload of the courts. we need to remember our responsibility to the Judiciary. our coequal branch of government. I had the privilege of working not only with a Federal District Court judge but also a Federal Appellate Court judge. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090051119,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I recognize their workload. their commitment and their dedication to serving our country. And I think that this amendment is fairly straightforward in recognition Of their continued hard work in light of the significant legislation that increases their workload. It would add $6.9 million to the salaries and expenditures account in the Court of Appeals. District courts and other judicial services subsection of title IV of this act. It would be fully offset from the Federal buildings fund of the General Services Administration. This amendment will provide our Federal court system with the resources they need to manage the surge of complex litigation that they will receive as a result of the recently enacted Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. The administrative office of the U.S. courts has projected that as many as 300 complex class action lawsuits will be moved out of State courts and into Federal courts as a result of this new law. at an estimated cost of $23.000 per case for a total cost of $6.9 million. Federal courts are already burdened with a huge docket of criminal and immigration cases. Failure to increase funding for Federal courts to account for the increase in complicated class actions that will flow from the Class Action Fairness Act will drastically delay the judicial process for thousands of plaintiffs and defendants seeking civil redress in our Federal courts. The Senate has already recognized this need. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090051119,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the 2005 emergency supplemental appropriations bill. it sought to provide increased funding to the Judiciary. but its language was stripped out in conference. It is time for the House to take responsibility for the anticipated impact of the Class Action Fairness Act when imposing significant new costs on the coequal branch of government. We have a duty to ptovide the necessary resources to meet those costs. My amendment will provide this funding. and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090051152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I claim the time in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I am opposed to this amendment because it does not significantly increase HIDTA. but would reduce the White House agency by more than 10 percent. and HIDTA is fully funded. We brought it up to its full funding level. Given that HIDTA was fully funded in this bill. clearly such a tradeoff is not merited. A $9 million increase to HIDTA would be useful no doubt. but this is not the right offset. and clearly the White House will not stand for this amendment. So I would strongly urge defeat of this amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":637}
{"speech_id":1090051253,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a former judge and now a Member of Congress. I rise today to protest the attack on individual private property rights contained in the recent Supreme Court decision Kelo v. City of New London. Following the Courts logic. nothing can stop a local government from replacing a church with a WalMart. or a family farm with a shopping mall. because these will produce greater tax revenues for the government in charge. 0 Printed on recycled paper. Private property ownership is vital to both our freedom and our prosperity.. The Kelo decision now puts every home and every business owner on notice that their property may be taken by the government at any time. This is not the American way. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1218}
{"speech_id":1090051253,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Courts decision is an abdication of its responsibility to protect individual property rights. and it is a gross misinterpretatiQn of the Constitution. As we approach our Nations Day of Independence. we should be concerned about protecting our freedoms. not curtailing them. A just and wise government values individual ownership and protects it. Mr. Speaker. it is a sad day. Our Nation is built on many. many important tenets. and protection of private property is certainly not the least of them.","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1218}
{"speech_id":1090051285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to be heard on the point of order. Section 945 to which the gentleman objects is in this bill for the purpose of ending a practice under which a credit card company can jack up a cardholders interest rates to the default rate which can be as high as 30 percent. Even if that person has never missed a payment and never been a day late on any payment to that credit card company. that interest rate can be jacked up if that consumer was 1 day late in the payment of some other bill and that was reported on a credit report. This language is in here to correct a glaring and obscene omission in legislation which was passed by the House several weeks ago. the infamous bankruptcy bill. As I understand the rules. the gentleman is objecting to this language because it is legislation on an appropriation bill and falls under the jurisdiction of another committee. As I understand the rules. while the Rules Committee did not protect this section in the rule under which the bill is being debated. this section could be passed by the House if no Member chooses to object to it. I would respectfully suggest to the gentleman. in the interest of protecting consumers in this country from these bloodsuckers. I would suggest that the gentleman would do the country a great service if he would withdraw his point of order.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1335}
{"speech_id":1090051299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I find this inexplicable. This is the House of Representatives. We are here purposefully to protect the interests of the American people. There is no situation in which it is more clear as to where the interest of the American people lie than in the context of this amendment that has been offered today by the gentleman from Wisconsin . I assume that is why it passed the Committee on Appropriations by such a strong vote. But for political reasons. the Committee on Rules has decided not to protect the amendment. not to allow it to come out here and not be subject to the kind of opposition it received a moment ago from the gentleman from Florida. This issue Should be debated on the floor of this House. This amendment should be passed. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090051299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why? Because the credit card companies are increasingly putting American families deeper and deeper and deeper in debt. The average debt now. according to the Federal Reserve. the average debt of the average. American family is 115 percent of income and themain reason for that is credit card debt. The credit card companies attract consumers. often attracting them in at relatively reasonable interest rates. and then very rapidly for extraneous reasons and circumstances. increase those rates. And the debt that people owe to credit card companies is going up and up and up. That is one of the reasons why this House of Representatives passed that atrocious bankruptcy bill not long ago. a bankruptcy bill which. in effect. in large part was influenced strongly by the credit card companies. What have we become? This House. which is supposed to represent the interests of the American people. the average American. the average American family. has fallen now to represent narrower and narrower special interests. and the obvious special interest in this case are the credit card companies which has become the fastest growing and one of the most lucrative businesses in America. And why? Because we are not doing our job. This House of Representatives is not doing what it is supposed to do: Protect the interest of the average family and not allow usurious interest rates to take place here over and over and over again. .","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090051341,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. The argument has been made that this debate is about limiting resources. Does anyone want to stand on the floor of this House of Representatives and tell anyone that they cannot go visit a. dying member of their family because that is an appropriate limitation on resources? I have been down to Cuba and seen with my own eyes the suffering and injustice and misery under this oppressive regime. This government is treating their people terribly. One of the few things they have left in life. apart from their own faith and pride. is the support of our own family. No one. no one dares stand on the floor of this House today and answer the question. what do you tell somebody I represent or you represent when someone in their family is having a baby. is approaching death or may die and cannot go down to visit their own family because they were just there 21\/2 years ago. That is indefensible. It is unforgivable. ","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090051341,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not a debate about the embargo. This is a debate about whether we are going to stand on the floor of the House of Representatives and support families and support family values. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090051345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the reason that President Bush implemented these regs. the reason we have an embargo is because we want the political prisoners freed. because we want political parties legalized. labor unions legalized. the press legalized. and elections scleduled. and we want to retain the leverage of those billions of dollars in travel until the dictatorship releases political prisoners. And you know something. yes. there is pain involved in the Cuban tragedy. But the pain comes from the tragedy of the dictatorship and not because of our policies.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":553}
{"speech_id":1090051376,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. I offered this amendment to allow people to see what this is all about. And the notion that what the other side wants to defeat this amendment for. because they might allow more religious travel. is pretty much laid bare by opposition to the other amendments that have been offered. allowing family members to travel or military members to travel. or support for regulations in the past to restrict* religious freedom. to say. hey. if you are of a certain religion. then we at the Department of Treasury. we are going to decide how many are really in your congregation. what kind of religion you have or whether it is really a religion at all. That is what this is about. But I am cognizant of the tact that if this is twisted. like many of the amendments offered on Cuba are. and people misunderstand it as this is something to lift the whole embargo. in fact. the talking points just read refer to a different amendment because it talked about lessening. I am talking about keeping. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090051376,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am cognizant that if this were to go down. that would embolden this side to restrict religion even further. saying we have license. The House has said. let us restrict religion even further. That is the last thing I want. and I will not be party to that. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090051392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the remaining time. I would ask all of colleagues who may be watching this debate to realize this is a very serious issue. that the policy of the United Stateg is a wellthought through policy. It permits travel for educational reasons. humanitarian reasons. family reasons. There are 13 categories of legal travel. Remember. it is terrorist state that has shot down Americans just years ago. that has the head of its air force indicted for murder of American citizen8. shot down over. the straits of Florida. It has the head of its navy indicted for drug trafficking. It is a terrorist state. one of six remaining states. So these are serious issues. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":792}
{"speech_id":1090051392,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must keep this policy to deny hard currency to the regime while permitting the 13 categories of legal travel.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":792}
{"speech_id":1090051427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the Rangel amendment. The current policy of trying to starve Castro out of Cuba by imposing travel bans and embargoes was put in place in 1960. Since then. Castro has outlasted nine Presidents. from Eisenhower to Clinton. and he may outlast a 10th. It does not seem like this policy has been very successful. It has not driven Castro from power. It has not caused him to improve his human rights record. It has not prevented him from oppressing his people. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1033}
{"speech_id":1090051427,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the meantime. the power of American economy and culture has brought about changes in terrible and despotic regimes in various corners of the world. This amendment. and others like it. simply recognizes the truth about the situation. that our current policy is a failure and needs to be replaced by something that has demonstrated success. By easing travel restrictions and the economic embargo we have a chance to overwhelm Castro with Americas culture of freedom. democracy. and free markets. I urge a \"yes\" vote on the Rangel amendment.","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1033}
{"speech_id":1090051428,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I claim time in opposition. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. just 2 years ago three young men. three young black Cubans. tried to leave Cuba to come to the United States for a better life. obviously fleeing the oppression of the totalitarian regime. They were captured by the dictatorship and. under orders of the dictator. they were summarily executed. The distinguished gentleman from New York at that time stated.. and I saw his quote in a New York newspaper. La Prenza. \"I am shocked.\" he said. \"There is nothing that the Cuban government could tell me that would interest me. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090051428,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is totally incredible that a government would\/justify this type of action. The execution of these people puts an end to any possible discussion there could have been.\" \" Now. that Was 2 years ago. What we have seen in the interim. further repression. further torture of political prisoners. and. just in the last 2 months. more than 500 young men. over 90 percent of them black. have been rounded up by the dictatorship in Cuba and thrown in prison under what is known as preventive. preventive detention. And they are thrown in the most brutal of gulags under the concept of preventive detention. That is what is new since the author stated that he was shocked. Also what is new. what is current. is that there are indictments at this time against the head of the Air Force of the Cuban dictatorship for murder of American citizens. indictments at this time for drug trafficking against the head of the navy of the Cuban dictatorship. that 15 spies of the dictatorship have been sent to prison in the United States in the last year alone for spying against American interests. That is what is new. What would be rewarded. in effect. Mr. Chairman. by the amendment if it were to pass. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090051428,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a normalization of relations amendment that would reward the most brutal conduct by the only. dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere. I ask our colleagues to reject it. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090051452,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to \u0095 strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I do not believe in gun control laws. I think in most instances they dont work and I think lots of times they are designed by people who would not know one end of a gun from the other. But having said that. there is something that bugs me about this amendment. and that is that I did not come here to be a city councilman for the District of Columbia. I represent the people of my congressional district. The other thing that bugs me is that the citizens of the District of Columbia have no vote in this body. and in my view. as long as the citizens of the District of Columbia have no vote in this body. this body has no business telling the District of Columbia what their municipal laws ought to be. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2332}
{"speech_id":1090051452,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. I have an amendment that I am going to offer if this amendment passes and that amendment reads as follows: \"The salary for individual Members of Congress shall be paid out of the funds provided in this bill for the District of Columbia and shall be limited to $92.500.\" That is the salary of a District of Columbia city councilman. If the people of this House want to act like you are a D.C. city councilman. then you ought to get paid like you are a D.C. city covncilman. which means you can take about a $70.000 pay cut and I think that would be fitting. I do not have the slightest idea what kind of laws the District of Columbia ought to have with respect to guns. but I do know one thing. I very often simply vote \"present\" whenever any matter affecting the District of Columbia comes up on this floor. because I think we have no business trying to interfere with what the city does on any subject so long as that city and its citizens do not have a vote in this Chamber. The gentlewoman from the District can speak. but when it comes to voting. she is out in the hall. just like anybody else who is not a Member of Congress.. So what you are saying is that you are going to take advantage of the fact that she has no ability to defend her district by voting in this place and you are going to say. \"Well. thats tough. but were going to impose our judgment.\" If you want to tell the District of Columbia what their laws ought to be. run for the city council. This is not the city council. We look ridiculous and abusive. when we try to act as though we are.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2332}
{"speech_id":1090051467,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me just make a couple of points. My friend from Indiana with whom I have worked on so many issues. I tend to agree with him on the substance of the issue. an individual being able to keep a weapon in their own home to defend themselves. but the issue here is larger than that. It really goes to the question of respecting the rights of the District of Columbia to make their own laws and the mayor and the council have spoken on this innumerable times. They seem to have thesupport of the vast majority of the city. Our committee held a lengthy hearing on this. hearing from all sides just 2 days ago: It was an illuminating hearing that I think highlighted both I sides very. very well. But to me the issue comes down to one of home rule. Are we going to allow cities and States to make these jurisdictions or are we going to try to federalize everything out of Washington? I would just caution my colleagues that once we start doing everything out of Washington. it may be on your side. but tomorrow it could go the other way. We have to respect the Federal system that was set up. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4870}
{"speech_id":1090051467,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This does not affect the workings of government. so in my judgment. Congress really should not be intervening in this matter although we have the legal right to do so. I also want to note that there is pending the case of Parker v. District of Columbia that offers the opportunity for second amendment advocates to answer with finality the question of does this violate the second amendment. Passing this amendment today could possibly moot that decision which is currently on appeal to the D.C. Court of Appeals. This is one opportunity because the court has looked for ways out of deciding this decision. This is a way we may be able to speak with clarity and finality. If this amendment passes. we wont have that. It is a very twoedged sword. and I urge opposition to this amendment. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4870}
{"speech_id":1090051467,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong Qpposition to the D.C. Personal Protection Amendment. Let me say that I respect my colleague from Indianas perspective on this issue. There is room in the Congress for debate on the merits of some of our nations gun laws. My opposition is based on the legislations blatant and potentially dangerous assault on home rule in the District of Columbia. The Committee on Government Reform held a hearing this week on this very issue. We heard compelling stories from Mayor Tony Williams. Chief Charles Ramsey. and an array of witnesses. including residents of the District of Columbia and representatives from national think tanks and community organizations on both sides of the debate. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4870}
{"speech_id":1090051467,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was disappointed that my friend from Indiana. the author of this amendment. was not able to attend the hearing to hear these views himself. I am a strong supporter of Home Rule. For our system of federalism and democracy to work. states and localities need to be able to make their own decisions on these sorts of matterseven if some of us think theyre bad ones. There is an appropriate place for a debate on D.C.s gun lawsand that place is the chambers of the District of Columbia Council. not the floor of the House of Representatives. Proponents of this bill want to frame this debate in terms of the Constitutionality of the Districts law. Various lawsuits have been filed in recent years questioning the constitutionality of the D.C. gun law under the Second Amendment. Theres a case pending on appeal right now. Parker v. District of Columbia. that offers the opportunity for the Second Amendment challenge to be answered with finality. Proponents of this amendment have the opportunity for the courts to declare that the D.C. ban. violates the Second Amendment. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4870}
{"speech_id":1090051467,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So whats the rush? What are they afraid of? We (and for that matter. the City Council) can consider the gun ban in light of the result of that case. In fact. if this Amendment becomes law. it could moot the ability of the Court of Appeals to address this critical 2d Amendment With finality. We are only here today because of Congress plenary power over the District. This is a constitutional authority that is. unfortunately. occasionally abused. as is the case with this legislation. D.C. leaders have enacted gun laws that reflect their constituents view that any increase in the number of guns in the District increases the odds that crimes will be committed with those guns. Thats their view. and it should be respected. Im not saying I agree with the Districts gun ban. Frankly. I dont. But I strongly oppose this amendment because I have a profound respect for Home Rule. for the right of local jurisdictions to craft their own local laws--even laws some of us dont agree with. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4870}
{"speech_id":1090051493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in opposition to the amendment as well. The Supreme Court has ruled on the matter of eminent domain and its constitutionality. Yesterday. we debated for quite some time the issue of eminent domain. for 45 minutes I would suggest. We voted and we overwhelmingly rejected. by a margin of 42 to 374. the 374 opposing. obviously. the amendment. which I thought was a very punitive amendment. to cut funds from the Court because of its ruling. This amendment. I am afraid to say. sets a more dangerous precedent. It would allow the legislative branch to override the independent decisions of the Court. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090051493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If this passes. then what will be the next Supreme Court decision that will be effectively overturned? While we may not agree with the Courts ruling. and I understand the gentleman has a right to believe what he wants. if we do not agree on the Courts ruling. we must respect it. For this reason and for those that have already been mentioned. I ask all Members to vote \"no\" against the Garrett amendment.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090051520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. You know. of all the many. many injustices for which this House Republican leadership is responsible. surely there are few that are less defensible than their defense of corporations that flee America. And how appropriate that we bring to the House this amendment at this time as we approach our Nations Independence Day on July the 4th. because a few corporations have declared their independence from America when it comes to paying their taxes. They formally fled our shores. They dodge their taxes by reincorporating in some tax haven. buying a mailbox and having a beachside board meeting. To add insult to injury. the same corporations that renounce America stretch their hand out to all of us who are paying our fair share. businesses and individuals. and say \"can we have some of your tax money?\" They ask to be given the opportunity to bid on government contracts that they are not contributing to pay for. That is right. An outrage that exists that has been defended by this Republican leadership. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3018}
{"speech_id":1090051520,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why do we do this in an appropriations bill? Because the House Ways and Means Committee. on which I serve. has. under the Republican leadership. as its primary responsibility to protect corporations just like those that flee and then ask to do government business. What about this argument that these corporations are paying taxes on their government business? Well. frankly. it is a half truth. Let me tell you. these corporations do not go to Bermuda for the shorts. They do not go there for the suntan. They go there to dodge taxes. And the way they do that. as in the case of Accenture. one company that has been mentioned. is to strip away earnings and have them taxed thereat non tax rates reallyin Bermuda. For example. the name Acc enture did not exist a few years ago. And so Accenture used its American presence to advertise and build up the value of the name. And so when they come to their name being owned by a foreign corporation. when they come to calculate any taxes they owe in the United States. they deduct all the royalties that they pay to that foreign corporation. So they may be paying a certain tax rate on their income. but they do not include all their income because they hive stripped it and sent it abroad. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3018}
{"speech_id":1090051520,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What of the argument that we will lose the opportunity for the best contract? We are not saying that Acceniture or any other company cannot contract for business. Just pay your fair share of taxes like every other American is all that we say through this amendment. And what makes the opposition to this amendment particularly shameful at this time is that wealthy taxdodging corporations are not sacrificing at all. while we call on some young Americans to give their all and sacrifice for America. Middleclass Americans are paying hundreds of billions of dollars for this adventure abroad. while tax dodgers and tax cheats avoid paying their fair share. It is wrong. We ought to correct it wi~h approval of this amendment.","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3018}
{"speech_id":1090051535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I will take just a moment. There has been a recent wave of massive privacy breaches that has highlighted the need to reaffirm the principles of the Privacy Act. This week the IRS announced that they are going to have a $20 million contract with ChoicePoint. the same company involved in a massive privacy breach in its operations in February of 2005. This reminder of the potential compromise of information is. of course. very necessary if the IRS is going to contract with ChoicePoint. with the very sensitive information of Americans. So this amendment restates the importance of the Privacy Act being implemented. I ask the House to adopt this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":729}
{"speech_id":1090051606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding me time. I rise in opposition to this amendment. But first on the merits of this .discussion about the veterans budget. we held a subcommittee hearing. an oversight hearing on Tuesday with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The gentleman from Indiana (Chairman BUYER) held a hearing this morning with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to try to sort this shortfall out and that is exactly what it is. It is a shortfall. I do not believe that there is any intent to mislead or deceive the Congress. And if this amendment is an attempt to belie the confidence of the American public in the process that we have. I think it is a mistake. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3096}
{"speech_id":1090051606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and his administration made a mistake. They made an estimate as to what the costs would be for 2005. Now we have 3 months left in 2005. They have completed their midyear review and they have found that there was an error in their assumptions. Now. this is a 30plus billion dollar budget. So a 3 percent mistake. which is what this was. they were off by 3 percent. that is a billion dollars. Now. I cannot speak for any other Member of Congress. but I suspect there have been times when my office budget has been either overestimated or underestimated by 3 percent. It is a small percentage. but when you are talking huge amounts of money like we are talking about here. it comes out to be a very large number. a billion dollars. But I believe that they made an error. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3096}
{"speech_id":1090051606,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They made a mistake. I do not think they tried to deceive us or mislead us. Let us be honest. The appropriations process moved very quickly this year. Their midyear review came after we completed most of the deliberations in ohr hearings on this bill. So we are going to fix that. I mean. if the idea here is to get at the problem we have. we found the problem. By the -way. it was oversight by the Committee on Veterans Affairs that discovered this in consultation with the Veterans Affairs Administration. So we are sorting it out. And I think we have done the responsible thing. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3096}
{"speech_id":1090051606,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have identified what that shortfall is. Somewhere in the neighborhood. plus or minus $5 million. of about $975 -million. It is a. lot of money. but we fortunately will be able to remedy that today. The last bill. I believe. that we work on tonight will be a supplemental bill to provide those funds to make sure that we keep the Veterans Health Administration whole. They planned to work around the solution. They were going to use capital funds. They were going to take from their own hide. basically the capital account of $600 million and they had a reserve plan for $375 million. We want them to have that reserve. We want them to have those capital expenditures. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3096}
{"speech_id":1090051606,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not want them to defer maintenance and repair and purchases of computers and MRIs and other medical equipment. We want no diminution. no reduction in the quality of service our veterans have. especially in this time of war. So we are moving. We are moving at a pace. and we will have this resolved at least on the House side this evening.","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3096}
{"speech_id":1090051617,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if I understood the chronology correctly. the gentleman from California was pointing out that there were Reagan administration witnesses. of which people had similar complaints. And I would stipulate to that. But this is not a question of just one administration or another. It is a disturbing. failure of this House to carry out its constitutional responsibilities for independence.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":397}
{"speech_id":1090051628,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in 13 years I have seen a lot of amendments in subcommittee and in full committee and on the House floor. This one is a bit peculiar. I do not even. frankly. know what the gentleman from Wisconsin is trying to say. I think it is perhaps being used just so he can come to the floor and speak. I suppose. No moneys can be used in contravention of the OMB circular that states that in testimony before congressional committee and committee before Members of Congress the witnesses give frank and complete answers to all questions. Man. blow me away today. I want to share with my colleagues with regard to the Veterans Administration. Let me give a record as I understand it from testimony and actions that have occurred with reference to the 2005 budget. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6264}
{"speech_id":1090051628,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On April 5 of 2005. a letter to Senator HUTCHISON. the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. stating that the VA. as part of good management. prudently uses reserve funding whenever trends indicate the need to refocus priorities. and the Secretary before the full committee on the House Veterans Affairs testified about that today. On April 7 of 2005. Dr. Perlin testified to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee at his confirmation hearing that reserve funds were being used to meet operational needs in 2005. On April 12 of 2005. Dr. Perlin sent a letter to the Senate VA Committee stating that projected carryover of fiscal year 2006 might be diminished to address current operational demands. including care in OIF and OEF returning combat veterans noting that \"we do feel confident that VHA has sufficient resources for the remainder of 2005.\" On April 19 of 2005. VA staff met with both majority and minority Members of the House appropriations subcommittee. During the meeting. management decisions to reallocate capital funds for direct patient care in 2005 was discussed. On June 3 of 2005. a meeting with the House and Senate majority staff at the request of the staff detailing the modeling differences between the independent budget and the VAs annual budget process. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6264}
{"speech_id":1090051628,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On June 9. a meeting with Secretary Nicholson and the general counsel regarding the budget shortfall and the extent to which reprogramming had already taken place. On June 21. a meeting with Secretary Nicholson regarding the upcoming hearing on budget modeling. On June 22. a ieeting with Dr. Perlin. Under Secretary for Health. regarding the midyear review and the reprogramming of capital assets and rollover accounts into medical services. I am going down this entire list. I should have opened with a March 24 letter that Secretary Nicholson had sent to the appropriators. in particular to the gentleman from New York . chairman \u0095 of the Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs. and Related Agencies. along with the very same letter that I have here in hand that was sent to the gentleman from Texas . the ranking member of that subcommittee. regarding the reprogramming and redirection of funds. I do not want to have to repeat that. but I just want to let my colleagues know that notice was given .with regard to this reprogramming. So with regard to this question about hide the ball. there was no hiding the ball. On June 22. 2005. there is a meeting with Dr. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6264}
{"speech_id":1090051628,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Perlin. the Under Secretary for Health. regarding the midyear review and reprogramming of capital asset and rollover accounts into medical services. On June 23. there is a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs investigating the budget modeling process at the VA and the independent budget and the private sector. and at this hearing is where Dr. Perlin testified with regard to his shortfall of $975 million. That is when the public became fully aware. On June 28. Secretary Nicholson testified before the House Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs. and Related Agencies. regarding the newly identified budget shortfalls for 2005 and 2006. June 28. 2005. Secretary Nicholson then testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee regarding newly identified budget shortfalls for 2005 and 2006. June 29. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6264}
{"speech_id":1090051628,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator Nicholson joined the House Committee on Veterans Affairs at a press conference to alert everyone that he was going to come up with an exact number yesterday and then give testimony before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs regarding that number. Today. he came before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. He testified with regard to an actual shortfall. made an oral request for a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $975 million to cover the shortfall. I would say everybodys been pretty up front. I am pretty impressed on how things have moved in a bipartisan fashion. I want to compliment the veterans service organizations. I want to compliment the gentleman from Texas . I want to compliment the gentleman from Illinois . because what we have here is we want to move in regular order. What happened over in the Senate is that they make it as an amendment on a 2005 supplemental on an 2006 Interior bill. What I am really pleased about is the leadership of the gentleman from California (Chairman LEWIS) and the gentleman from New York (Chairman Walsh) that they are going to take appropriate action. they are going to act on the Secretarys request for the shortfall. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6264}
{"speech_id":1090051653,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the amendment. The Brown amendment seeks to prevent the Presidents Council of Economic Advisers. a highly reputable group. from referencing an independent study that concluded the average new drug or medicine takes $800 million to develop in its future economic reports. This $800 million figure comes from a 2003 Tufts University study. not from the PhRMA. pharmaceutical industry. and not from the administration. There is nothing partisan or slanted about its findings. To try to block information just because you disagree with it is not the way to serve the American people who deserve and expect debate on the real costs of researching and developing pharmaceuticals. This amendment amounts. basically. to censorship and deserves to be defeated.","speaker_name":"RODNEY FRELINGHUYSEN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":796}
{"speech_id":1090051665,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just want to come back to one point because I think a lot of people may not have been paying attention. This study that we are talking about where we got the $800 million figure originally started with a study that was funded by pharmaceutical companies. That number then gets repeated by the Presidents Council of Economic Advisers. and we all believe that it is true. We have an independent research that was not financed by PhRMA. That was done by a professor who was at Princeton from New Jersey. More importantly. he was an adviser to this President on health policy. Let me add one other thing: He is a Republican. Now. this is. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1181}
{"speech_id":1090051665,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think. far more credible than that number that keeps getting bantered around and bantered around. Bad numbers are worse than no numbers at all. This is the one way to say to the Council of Economic Advisers to the President of the United States they ought to be ashamed. Whether or not this amendment passes. the point. I think. is made: that if they are going to put information out to the President. out to the public. out to policymakers about important issues like this. they had better make sure that the facts are correct.","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1181}
{"speech_id":1090051673,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is a very simple amendment. It would simply partially restore funds to HUDs Working Capital Fund that were cut by an amendment adopted yesterday. This amendment has been cleared with the minority. and I urge its adoption. If I were to just briefly talk about it. this is not just a random pot of money. The Working Capital Fund pays the cost of all computers and phones at HUD. which is a huge expenditure. So. briefly. that is the essence of it.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":509}
{"speech_id":1090051690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank the chairman. I also wanted to make him aware that there is legislation being crafted by our colleagues. the gentleman from Ohio and the gentleman from Pennsylvania . as well as the gentleman from California and the gentleman from North Carolina . to address this issue and it is winding its way through the Committee on Financial Services.","speaker_name":"WM. CLAY","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090051693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to make sure that we acknowledge and yield to the ranking member and thank him for his interest in this area and. of course. to be able to work with him during conference on this very important issue of trying to stop predatory lending.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090051721,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would just add that this bill does not change existing law. If you will note. I actually read into the RECORD the status of existing law regarding the requirement to list your subcontractors and the requirement for prompt payment. This bill merely adds the provision to enforce existing law.","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090051730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentleman yielding me time. I appreciate the gentleman from Maryland coming forth and asking questions which are very important. and I believe the chairman talked about that. and that is that where we believe appropriate that the government be involved in inherently government operations. the government should be. However. we know that this government is huge and has many areas in which they are not only behind in their ability to be prepared technologicallywise but -also to meet the demands and needs of taxpayers and people out in this country who need to make sure that this government works and works properly. I would like .to remind the gentleman that this is part of the Presidents management agenda. part of the management agenda where he has talked very clearly to the American public and to Congress about things where we need to change. to change and incorporate changes so that taxpayers and people in need are able to get better benefits and better services. What the gentleman is doing today says. we are going to wipe out the Presidents management agenda. We are not going to allow competitive outsourcing and then come to the floor and say. look. you have done it five times. Is that not an indication that this is a broken system? It is not. It is a system that will continue to be reformed. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1821}
{"speech_id":1090051730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What the gentleman from Michigan has done is to say very clearly where reform is necessary. we will do it. but the taxpayers and people who need the -things which government or government money does to implement change. within our system is very important. Mr. Chairman. I will tell you. I oppose the Van Hollen amendment and the taxpayers would too. I hope that our colleagues all hear this debate because it is important not only for taxpayers but for government efficiency.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1821}
{"speech_id":1090051732,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I have no intention of taking 5 minutes. I just want to point out since my friend. the chairman. has the chance to close. I just want to point out that this amendment has been passed each of the last 2 years in the House by fairly strong bipartisan votes. And it has then gone to conference committee and never reappeared from the conference committee in either of those years. It suggests that there is no intention on the part of the majority of adhering to the will of the House which ought to carry at least as much weight as the Presidents management agenda. socalled. and so I am going to just urge that we again pass this and give the conference one more chance to reject the will of the House. which seems to be its full intent year after year to do and thereby show its total contempt for the will of the House of Representatives.","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":899}
{"speech_id":1090051745,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. in 1998 the last time the Congress authorized the public housing and section 8 programs. they established this policy that tenants of public housing should undertake two responsibilities: number one. they should do some community service. The act requires that individuals in public housing do 8 hours of public service each month. There are numerous exemptions from their requirements for those that cannot do even the most minimal amount of service. The act also requires tenants to be part of the selfsufficiency program. a program designed to help tenants get jobs. keep jobs. and move off and out of public housing so other people may benefit. My own view is that this was a sound policy then. and it is a sound policy now. Neither appears tobe a huge burden and the Department of Housing and Urban Development has not indicated any largescale problems with the provision that would need this type of action. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090051745,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is clearly an amendment that should be taken to the autlorizers. and they are. by the way. right now reviewing all public housing assistance programs. So until Congress changes the policy. I believe that the policy should remain in force. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090051770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. again. for the way in which he has handled this matter. and may I say as well that I thank him for bringing it to our attention. This is a tourist destination and is frankly embarrassing that this matter was not taken care of beforehand.","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":274}
{"speech_id":1090051797,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. yes. I have done this before. In fact. I was going to apologize to the staff and the chairman of the subcommittee for destroying the good working relationship that we have had over time. and that I complimented them so broadly about earlier. by actually offering this motion to strike the last word at a point when I really was not expecting to do so. I do know that this may have lasting implications. given the work that has been done by Dena Baron. Cheryle Tucker. Dave Gibbons. Steve Crane. Tammy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1559}
{"speech_id":1090051797,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hughes. Kristen Jones. and David Napoliello.all of whom would dearly love to get off this floor and on to. the votes that we have coming before us. This bill has been a long slog year. and I have.heard some people on the other side have had lowlevel headaches. There have been times here. as the afternoon has worn on. that I have nearly sunk under. the table when amendments came. as long as the amendments we have had here today and yesterday. and with the votes on the rule on the day before. I think. though I may have lost a day in this process. so that there comes a point where I would be surprised if the chairman or I actually were able to remember our names. And it has been just suggested that I could also thank David Pomerantz of our staff. which is probably the only person I have not previously thanked. And with that. Mr. Chairman. I do. in fact. apologize to the chairman and all of the staff. not only the majority staff but the minority staff as well. because the ranking member has concluded that he does not wish to speak.","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1559}
{"speech_id":1090051832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am disappointed in the way this bill has been considered. Our colleague from Utah. Mr. MATHESON. wanted to offer an amendment that would have canceled the next scheduled costofliving increase in our salaries. I would have voted for that amendmentbut under the restrictive procedure under which the bill was considered. it could not even be offered. In my opinion. it is a serious error for the Republican leadership to preventthe House from even debating and voting on that proposalespecially now. in wartime and a time of serious budget deficits caused by the recent recession. the costs of responding to terrorism and increasing homeland security. and the excessive and unbalanced tax cuts the Bush Administration has pushed through Congress. That is why I voted to allow the amendment to be considered. Unfortunately. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5639}
{"speech_id":1090051832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was in the minority on that vote. However. despite that. I think the bill itself. while far from perfect. is worth supporting. The bill provides important resources to help support our Nations infrastructure. community development. and courts. Examples of this include the $37.0 billion for federal highway programs and $8.5 billion for federal transit programs. which is an increase above the Fiscal Year 2005 allocation and the request made by the Bush Administration. Further. thanks to adoption of several important amendments. the bill provides much more of the needed funding for Amtrak than the appropriations committee had originally allocated. This is important for Colorado. including many communities in my district as well as other parts of the state. Additionally. I am pleased the legislation rejects the Bush Administrations \"Strengthening Americas Communities Initiative\" that would consolidate a number of quality programs in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which provide decent housing and expands economic opportunities to cities and towns throughout Colorado. Of course. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5639}
{"speech_id":1090051832,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not agree with all its priorities included in the legislation. I supported a number of amendments to improve the legislation. and am glad that at least some were adopted. including an increase in the Section 8 TenantBased assistance. I also voted against some amendments. for various reasons. I voted against an amendment to block enforcement of part of a local law adopted by the District of Columbia City Council dealing with firearms. I did so because I think its enactment would be an abuse of our authority as Members of Congress and would reduce the right of selfgovernment for one group of Americansthose who reside in Washington. D.C. Its true the Constitution gives Congress the power \"to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever\" over the District of Columbiaeven though the residents of the district are not fully represented in either the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. But Congress. through the Home Rule Act. has authorized the districts residents to elect a city council and mayor with immediate responsibility for governing the city. I. am convinced this was. the right thing to do. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5639}
{"speech_id":1090051832,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I support home rule for Washington. D.C. because I think Americans who live in the district deserve to be able tegovern themselves as much as possible consistent with the nec.essary functioning of the federal government. And this amendment flew in the face of that principle. There is plenty of room to debate whether this D.C. law is good public policy. but I think that debate should not take place in Congress. The law the amendment would override was duly adopted by the elected government of the district and has not interfered with the orderly functioning of the federal government. So. in my opinion. decisions about retaining. amending. or repealing it hould be made by the City Council. which is elected by and accountable to the people who are subject to it. The effect of the amendment would be to substitute the judgment of Congress for that of the local elected governmentin effect denying their constituents the right to govern themselves on this subject. We cannotand we should not--do that to the residents of Colorado or any other state. I do not think we should do it to the people who live here in Washington. D.C. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5639}
{"speech_id":1090051832,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We may not think this. local law is welldesigned. But I think we should allow those covered by the law to decide that for themselves. I also voted against an amendment to block funding to enforce a recent ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with the scope of a local governments authority to condemn private property. I have serious concerns about that decision. but I voted against the amendment because I thought the amendments approach was not an appropriate way to express those concerns. If Members of Congress disagree with the Supreme Courts interpretation of a law or of the Constitution. that disagreement can be expressed in a resolution such as the one (H. Res. 340) dealing specifically with the eminentdomain decision. And if a Member thinks stronger action is required. he or she can seek to change the law or amend the Constitution. But in the absence of such a change in the law or the Constitution. a courts decisionunless and until reversedis settled law that must be respected. and Congress should not attempt to undermine it or attempt to use the power of the purse to influence the outcome of future cases. Both those amendments were adopted. to my regret. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5639}
{"speech_id":1090051854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 345 provides that suspensions will be in order at any time on this legislative day. The resolution also provides that the Speaker or his designee shall consult with the minority leader. or her designee. on any suspension considered under the rule. Additionally. the rule provides that it shall be in order. any rule of the House to the contrary notwithstanding. to consider concurrent resolutions providing for adjournment of the House and Senate during the month of July. Mr. Speaker. the leadership of this House set out a positive and aggressive legislative plan for this week on behalf of the American people. The goal of this plan has been to pass a number of bills that will allow for USAID to foreign nations. transportation and infrastructure improvements for our Nation. improved housing for those in need. and important funding for executive agencies and our judiciary along with the District of Columbia. I want to particularly commend the gentleman from California and his Committee on Appropriations and the staff for sticking to the time table that they laid out at the start of this session. As of today. the House has passed all 11 appropriations bills prior to the July 4 district work period. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3515}
{"speech_id":1090051854,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I note that the ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations is also on the floor and we certainly appreciate the work that he and his committee members and staff have also put into that. It is a tremendous accomplishment that the House has completed its appropriations work prior to the July 4 work period. We now await action from the Senate so that we may finish the appropria-. tions process and avoid a cumbersome omnibus funding bill at the end of the year. This week we have spirited debate. particularly on the previous two appropriations bills. the Foreign Operations appropriations bill and Transportation. Treasury. Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. I understand that Members on both sides of the aisle have differing viewpoints on how to address these issues. and we have had the opportunity to hear that spirited debate from both sides of the aisle on all of these issues. But some of this legislation that also needs to be cohsidered this week has broad support among Members of both the majority and minority. In an attempt to make sure that this important work is completed by the end of this legislative week. we are here today to pass a rule to provide a process for consideration of these bills under rules that would require them to pass by a twothirds majority. This will allow us to consider items in a timely manner and ensure that last minute issues are resolved prior to adjournment for the Fourth of July work period. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3515}
{"speech_id":1090051854,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This balanced rule provides the minority with the ability to consult with the Speaker on any suspension bill offered. ensuring that input and views are duly considered before any legislation considered under the rule is brought to the floor. I am proud of the accomplishments of this House over the last weeks and months. I now ask my. colleagues to support this rule so that we may continue the work of the American people in a timely fashion this evening. Completing consideration of these suspensions ensures that Congress may accomplish as much as possible before we return to work in our home States and districts and observe our Nations birthday. fl 1915 Mr. Speaker. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this balanced rule. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3515}
{"speech_id":1090051858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for the time. We have actually done some good things for veterans over the last 4 years. I would like to point those out. We have passed concurrent receipt legislation which we have been trying to get done for a period of time. Death and survivor benefits have certainly been very helpful to servicemembers over the past 4 years. The VA budget has been increased from $48 billion to $68 billion. a 42 percent increase. and nearly 5 million veterans receive health care benefit services this year. which is about 1 million more than 4 years ago. So many good things have happened. I realize that the current shortfall is really unacceptable and would like to comment that even though this was due to an actuarial miscalculation. certainly was unintentional and certainly is fixable. we do find that some of our rural veterans are really struggling for health care. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090051858,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many of these people have to travel long distances. and the older they get and the sicker they get. the more difficult it is to get them health care. They often have to have a friend. a child. drive them down one day. The next day they come back. and it may be for very routine issues such as blood pressure. adjustment of medications and so on. What I am saying here at this particular time is that this seems to be a neglected group. and ofttimes our rural veterans are the people who really serve our country in the highest number. highest percentages. What we would like to propose is that legislation that I have introduced. H.R. 1741. the Rural Veterans Access to Care Act. would establish a pilot program to assist highly rural or geographically remote veterans who are enrolled in the VA and are obtaining primary health care at a medical facility closer to home. in other words. their local hospital. If they need to adjust their medications. they can go and check there. and VA reimburses them for that. This would. I think. in some cases save money. It certainly would provide a lot more services for those who badly need the health care. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090051858,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would just like to make that comment. and I thank the gentleman for his time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090051863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I include for the RECORD the report from the Committee on the Budget hearing in which the majority denied our efforts to add the $1.3 billion back in March. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The Committee anticipates that the waiver includes: Rule XIII. clause 4 of House rules (requiring a threeday layover of the committee report and requiring the threeday availability of printed hearings on a general appropriation bill). Section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act (prohibiting consideration of legislation within the jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget unless reported by the Budget Committee). and Section 401 of the Congressional Budget Act (prohibiting consideration of budgetrelated legislation. as reported. that is not subject to annual appropriations).","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":823}
{"speech_id":1090051876,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my understanding is different. The gentleman may be right. My point is we have tried repeatedly on our side of the aisle to get additional funding for the veterans. We had hearings before the Committee on the Budget. The $1.3 billion figure that the gentlewoman from Oregon and I tried to add and were defeated by the majority. we did not draw out of thin air. It came from hearings before the Committee. on the Budget. Veterans groups. as the gentlemen know. Toundly criticized the majority budget as woefully underfunding veterans needs. This did not come as a surprise. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":837}
{"speech_id":1090051876,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We saw it coming. We tried to tell you it was coming. You denied it repeatedly. and the sad part is for all of our bickering and complaining here. the people who suffered were the soldiers. and they are suffering today. We nfeed to solve this problem.","speaker_name":"BRIAN BAIRD","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":837}
{"speech_id":1090051922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlewomans courtesy in permitting me to speak on this bill. There are a number of things in here that I have no objection to. that I think we should do in terms of preserving our national security. But what is striking about H. Res. 344 is that it basically misses the point. It isIinadequate. It talks about only alittle bit of the equation. The problem that we have now is first. we have a reckless fiscal policy in this country aided and abetted by -this Congress. We are as addicted to the Chinese loans. to their credit to us. as we are to Saudi oil. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2683}
{"speech_id":1090051922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nothing in this resolution talks about getting our fiscal house in order. What would happen if instead of using their money that we have given them to purchase this oil company. what if they purchased something in another area or if they start dumping our bonds. What would happen to interest rates and the problems in this country? It is also interesting that the resolution talks about the Chinese oil supply being stagnant in terms of their domestic production. Our supply in the U.S. is not just stagnant. it is going down. Even if you suck the entire oil supply out of the Arctic wildlife refuge and threaten our offshore areas with drilling. we are still in decline. This resolution does not talk about energy independence for the United States. In fact. the Republican majoritys enegy bill. according to the Department of Energy. is going to increase our dependence on foreign imported oil by 75 percent. Interesting. We have gone from a onethird in the 70s. 56 percent imported today. it will be 68 percent in 2025. yet the best that my friends in the majority can do is bash China a little bit and not do anything about our oil addiction. not do anything about diversifying our sources of energy. not do anything about the reckless fiscal policy that puts us at their mercy. As my colleague from Virginia pointed out. 44 percent of our debt is foreign owned. an increasing percentage from China. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2683}
{"speech_id":1090051922,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our addiction to things from WalMart means that it is going to be more the case in the future. What are the Chinese doing? They are diversifying their supply. They are taking some of the money we have given them to invest. They are increasing the energy efficiency of their cars. something that. sadly. the Republican energy bill does not allow in any meaningful way. I would suggest. ladies and gentlemen. that you can examine the national security implications of dualuse technology. That is fine. But what really has us at risk is that we are addicted to imported oil. wasting energy and a reckless fiscal policy. This resolution is completely beside the point on these critcial factors.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2683}
{"speech_id":1090051938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I imay consume. Mr. Speaker. thank you for allowing us to have this debate. I believe it has been a good debate and we do support the amendment. many of us on this side of the aisle. although a couple who spoke do not support it. It is important as we talked about it earlier today that we remembered that 53 percent of Americas private debt is held by foreign countries. 53 percent. That means many of our debt and the two owners of those debts are Japan first. and China second. 53 percent of our private debt is owned by foreign countries. I think that is not good for our country. for our grandchildren. We have got to strengthen America. calling those debts when we are able to pay them off. and give America back to Americans. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1592}
{"speech_id":1090051938,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Should we have work with China? And I said this earlier. yes. we should. and other foreign markets. This is an international. global community that we live in. But we should always put America first. and I think the debate that we have had today. and I thank the gentleman from California for some of his remarks and for the resolution. the sense of the Congress. again. will reinforce what we have done earlier today. We have got to make sure that American companies stay strong so that Americans can continue to work. so they can take care of their families. pay taxes. help cities. towns and villages maintain themselves with the revenue that it gets from them. So trade. yes. and this is free trade. Somebody said free trade. This is not that deal. This is something less than that. As the gentleman from Louisiana","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1592}
{"speech_id":1090051951,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 340) expressing the grave disapproval of the House of Representatives regarding the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in the case of Kelo et al. v. City of New London et al. that nullifies the protections afforded private property owners in the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":365}
{"speech_id":1090051962,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for his generosity in yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. the Constitution of the United States was written as much for any other reason as to protect the private property rights of the American people. The Supreme Court last week. in the already infamous Kelo case. essentially rejected the very idea of private property rights at all. I know some believe that the. Supreme Court is some Citadel with all knowledge and all wisdom and that every decision they- make is the right decision. But by this narrow 54 decision. our high court essentially set aside the most basic fundamental tenet of the social contract that underlies selfgovernment. the inviolability of private property rights. the unchangeable principle of politics. morality. and common sense. that what is mine is mine. and what is yours is yours. What the court decided last week was that what is mine is not really mine and what is yours is not really yours. that. in fact. private property only exists as a political expedient. a psychological contrivance wholly subject to the governments whim. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2495}
{"speech_id":1090051962,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The court ruled that private property. your home or your small business. may be taken by the government and given to someone else who. in the governments judgment. will put that property to better use. This is not the taking of someones property without compensation for specific public use. like a highway or a military base. Congress and States are explicitly granted such power in the Constitution. This is. instead. the government taking your home and giving it to some business because they will generate more tax revenue. Indeed. given the risible logic employed by the courts majority last week. there is no reason your city council cannot kick you out of your house and give it to a wealthier family who will add on to the home and. therefore. pay higher property taxes down the road. Mr. Speaker. I am not a lawyer. so do not just take my word for it. Justice OConnor. writing in dissent of this awful decision said: \"If predicted. or even guaranteed. positive side effects are enough to render transfer from one private party to another constitutional. then the words \"for public use\" in the Constitution do not realistically exclude any takings.\" Justice Thomas adds. \"If such economic development takings are for public use. any taking is. and the court has erased the Public Use Clause for our constitution.\" Both Justices OConnor and Thomas went on to warn the result of this fool-","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2495}
{"speech_id":1090051972,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the resolution. I also think I rise in support of four of the Supreme Court Justices who agreed with the spirit of the resolution. four of those Justices disagreeing with the other five in a principle of longterm property rights. This ruling effectively rewrote the fifth amendment to the Constitution which says that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation. Private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation. The Bill of Rights clearly intended that the governments power to take someones property was limited by two conditions: first. that just compensation be provided. and. second. that the property be taken and used for public use. Five of the Supreme Court Justices have decided that that second condition would no longer apply. That second condition applied for 218 years without a problem. and suddenly it is gone. I think Justice OConnor in her dissent said it better than I might when she said: \"The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a RitzCarlton. any home with a shopping mall. or any farm with a factory.\" When the Supreme Court decides that the public good benefits only by the best taxpayer. the highest tax use benefits the public. that is a hugely wrong step. ","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1697}
{"speech_id":1090051972,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I look forward to not only supporting this resolution. but I understand that the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary intend to move legislation that will do what we can do in the Congress of the United States to see that the four members of the Court who uphed a long constitutional provision ultimately prevail.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1697}
{"speech_id":1090051990,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution expressing disapproval of the majority opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Kelo et al v. New London et al. That case involved the question of the scope of a local governments authority to use the power of eminent domain. and in particular whether local governments may condemn private houses in order to use the land for uses that are primarily commercial. The question before the court was whether such use of eminent domain is consistent with the U.S. Constitutions Fifth Amendmentmade applicable to the States by the 14th Amendmentwhich says \"nor shall private property be taken for public- use without just compensation.\" Answering that question required the court to decide what qualifies as a \"public use.\" The case involved actions aimed at redevelopment of a particular neighborhood in New London. Connecticut to encourage new economic activities. Toward that end. a development corporationtechnically a private entity although evidently under the citys controlprepared a development plan. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5707}
{"speech_id":1090051990,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The city approved the plan and authorized the corporation to.acquire land in the neighborhood. However. nine people who owned property there did not wish to sell to the corporation. The city of New London chose to exercise its right of eminent domain and ordered the development corporation. acting as the citys legally appointed agent. to condemn the holdout owners lots. These owners were the petitioners in this case. with the lead plaintiff being Susette Kelo. who owned a small home in the development area. The owners sued the city in Connecticut courts. arguing that the city had misused its eminent domain power. but lost. They then asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Connecticut Supreme Courts decision in favor of the city. arguing that it was not constitutional for the government to take private property from one individual or corporation and give it to another. simply because the other might put the property to a use that would generate higher tax revenue. The Supreme Court agreed with the City of New London in a 54 decision. The majority decision. written by Justice John Paul Stevens. said thatlocal governments should be afforded wide latitude in seizing property for landuse decisions of a local nature. The primary dissent. written by Justice Sandra Day OConnor. suggested that the use of this power in a reverse Robin Hood fashiontake from the poor. give to the richwould become the norm. not the exception: \"Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party. but the fallout from this decision will not be random. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5707}
{"speech_id":1090051990,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process. including large corporations and development firms.\" A separate dissent was written by Justice Clarence Thomas. while Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote a separate concurrence with the majoritys ruling. The courts decision in this case has attracted considerable comment and criticism. For example. the Rocky Mountain News said \"The 5to4 decision expands the already expansive definition of public use to mean anything that might conceivably benefit the public through economic development. As Justice Sandra Day OConnor said in her stinging dissent. the effect is to wash out any distinction between private.and public use of property. Other editorials and opinion columns were even harsher. I am not a lawyer. and certainly no expert on this aspect of Constitutional law. But I find Justice OConnors analysis of the likely fallout of the decision persuasive and I share the concerns of many of those who have been critical of the decision. especially those related to the possible abuse of the power of eminent domain in situations such as the one involved inthis case. That is why I am voting for this resolution. I do not fully agree with every word of itespecially the statement that the majoritys decision in the \"Kelo\" case \"renders the public use provision in . . . the fifth amendment without meaning.\" But I definitely agree that. as the resolution states. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5707}
{"speech_id":1090051990,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"State and local governments should only execute the power of eminent domain for those purposes that serve the public good \u0095 . . must justly compensate those individuals whose property is assumed through eminent domain . . . [and] any execution of eminent domain by State and local government that does not comply [with the conditions stated] constitutes an abuse of government power and an usurpation of the individual property rights as defined in the fifth amendment.\" I also am in sympathy with the parts of the resolution that state that \"eminent domain should never be used to advantage one private party over another.\" and that state and local governments should not \"construe the holdings\" in the Kelo case \"as a justification to abuse the power of eminent domain.\" And I certainly agree that \"Congress maintains the prerogative and reserve the right to address through legislation any abuses of eminent domain by State and local government.\" However. of course Congress can only take such action in ways that are themselves consistent with the Constitution. and in any event I think we should be reluctant to take actions to curb what someperhaps even a temporary majorityin Congress might consider improper actions by a State or local government. The States. through their legislatures or in some cases by direct popular vote. can put limits on the use of eminent domain by their agencies or governments. I think this would be the best way to address potential abuses. and I think we in Congress should consider taking action to impose our ideas of proper limits only as a last resort.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5707}
{"speech_id":1090052015,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding who has been such a champion of veterans. Mr. Speaker. veterans care is in a state of crisis. As the gentleman from Wisconsin pointed out earlier in the evening. veterans at the Portland VA Medical Center in Oregon have arrived at the shortstay unit only to see this sign which says. \"We regret to inform you that due to budget issues. we can no longer supply meals to patients. Please bring a meal from home if you are going to be in the shortstay unit. We apologize for any inconvenience.\" Well. this is not about the food. But it is about our health care for veterans. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3381}
{"speech_id":1090052015,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have had to close beds because we are 150 people short at the VA hospital. This is no way to treat our heroes. The Portland VA does a wonderful job. It is not their fault. This is our responsibility. I have been working on this issue for years calling for more funding for VA health care. If the leadership had allowed a vote on an amendment I tried to offer with the gentleman from Washington to add $1.3 billion to the supplemental for VA health care. we would have dealt with this issue months ago. This did not have to happen. Not one soldier who puts his or her life on the line should have to worry about health care. While I am glad that we are finally acknowledginb the financial needs of the VA. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3381}
{"speech_id":1090052015,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cannot help but be disappointed that even now. when we know they are desperate for additional funding. we are still not giving them all of themoney they need to serve our veterans. As a result of this budget shortfall. the Portland VA Medical Center is delaying all nonemergency surgery by at least six months. F6r example. veterans in need of knee replacement surgery wont be treated because of the budget shortfall. Recent visitors to the short care stay unit Were surprised to see a handwritten sign declaring that \"due to budget issues. we can no longer supply meals to patients.\" and asking patients to bring a meal from home. The facility is reducing staff as a costcutting measure and is now short at least 150 hospital staff. including nurses. physicians. and social workers. As a result of budget cuts for staffing. the VA has cut the number of medical beds available to care for veterans. And for fiscal year 2005. the facility needed $13 million for medical and clinical ejuipment but 6nly received $2 million. But this should not come as a surprise to us. All you have to do is visit the VA health care facilities to see the overcrowded waiting rooms. the worn equipment. to know that they need additional funding. And weve been saying this for years. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3381}
{"speech_id":1090052015,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just this March. the Republican leadership of the House refused to allow us to debate and vote on an amendment that I tried to offer that would have added $1.3 billion to the Supplemental Appropriations bill specifically for Veterans Health Care. Had we been allowed to debate whether the VA needed supplemental funding in March. or any of the numerous other times that House Democrats have tried to raise the issue. we could have dealt with this problem long before it became a crisis. Not one soldier who puts his or her life on the line should have to worry about getting health care when he or she returns from battle. But how are we supposed to provide adequate health care to these new veterans when we cant even meet the needs of our current veterans? Our veterans deserve better.","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3381}
{"speech_id":1090052056,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate the San Antonio Spurs for winning their third National Basketball Association Championship in seven years. The 2005 World Champion Spurs deserve recognition for this achievement. and the class and sportsmanship they displayed in victory. The Spurs won their third championship against a most worthy opponent. the tough and determined defending champion Detroit Pistons. In this sevengame series. both the Spurs and the Pistons blew each other out for two games apiece. but in the last three games each team showed the championshipcaliber mettle that made this series a classic. The Spurs displayed the skills. determination. and courage to overcome an opponent displaying the same qualities and playing with the same philosophy. This provided for scintillating games five. six. and seven. in which each team would give no ground. and the winner deserved the victory. This final. championship round featured two juggernauts of team defense. and the results showcased the simple beauty of the game the focus not strictly on the hype of individual scoring and acrobatic plays. The pride and joy of the Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich is cohesive and tenacious defense that takes victory for its own. ","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2052}
{"speech_id":1090052056,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The San Antonio Spurs are champions not only on the court. but off. The Spurs are the paragon of professionalism and teamwork. and while this may not sell for the casual fan. it sells very well for the fans in San Antonio and South Texas who admire these values. The San Antonio Spurs are both a vital member of the community and a community concept viewed with pride by all San Antonians. I Mr. Speaker. I am proud to enter the names of these champions into the RECORD: Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobili. Tony Parker. Bruce Bowen. Nazr Mohammed. ","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2052}
{"speech_id":1090052056,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Robert Horry. Brent Barry. Devin Brown. Rasho Nesterovic. Beno Udrih. Tony Massenburg. Glenn Robinson. Head Coach Gregg Popovich. and Chairman Peter Holt. I congratulate them on this momentous victory. and thank them for the pride and happiness they bring to all San Antonio.","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2052}
{"speech_id":1090052062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for a long time I have shared the neighborhood with the Houston Veterans Hospital. Today. Mr. Speaker. just a few minutes ago. we rose to the floor of the House to cure the unpardonable. and that is. of course. the mistaken numbers and the failure to provide the right kind of information to be able to provide the right dollars to serve Americas veterans. $1.5 billion is what the Senate passed. Frankly. the need is $1 billion and more. with the number of returning Iraqi veterans and Afghanistan veterans. those who have been maimed and injured on the fields of battle. It certainly is a shame that we came to the last hours and finally were able to provide for those veterans who were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice. Right now in the Nations hospitals. veterans are languishing all over America. Families of enlisted personnel are suffering because of the lack of funds for TRICARE. I even know today a young man who is a yeteran who is suffering in one of our Nations military hospitals because of insufficiencies in our local hospital in Houston. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090052062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. they need more resources. they need more staff. they need our commitment. I hope the majority will not have us end up in the same predicament by allowing this to happen again. I hope we will work through and provide full furiding for veterans and veterans. health care in America.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090052102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank the chairman of the Finance Committee for yielding. I compliment him on his tremendous leadership in the Finance Committee. particularly on the issue of trade. I rise today in strong support of the U.S. Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement. known as CAFTA. and our administrations current trade policies. We sometimes forget what history has taught us. If we look back to the early part of the 20th century. the early 1900s. our country was struggling economically. One of the reasons. it was decided after a while. is because we were too restrictive on our trade policies. We.had high.tariffs on a lot of different products coming into this country. All of a sudden. the economists began to wake up: If we liberalize our trade policies. we begin to open trade to the entire world. and we benefit. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11936}
{"speech_id":1090052102,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lo and behold. we found our country began to do better economically. We forget what history taught us. We do not want to go back to some of the old triedandfailed solutions some of my colleagues on the other side are talking about. They do not work. It destroys your economy. If we look with other countries to liberalize our trade agreements. we raise the entire tide. Sure. other countries benefit. but we benefit even more. We will see that as we move forward with this debate. NAFTA has not hurt this country. it has helped it. It has created more jobs. not less. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11936}
{"speech_id":1090052102,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So many figures we will hear presented here are focused on one particular group. it is one side of the ledger. Nobody talks about what has happened on the other side of the ledger when we created more jobs. particularly on the service side of our economy. Another point I would make is look at the poor countries in the world today. They have more trade restrictions than those more modern countries that are doing well economically. Doesnt that tell us something? Doesnt that tell us that if we can get them to relax their tariffs. they can begin to benefit with us and what is happening in the growth of our economies? Not only do we help them. but we help ourselves. So it is a mutual winwin agreement on thesd international trade agreements. We can look at all these trade agreements and see how they have helped us economically. They have helped our friends and trading allies. They have helped us to export the idea of democracy and what free markets are all about. It is what makes a difference between our success and many other countries that do not have a democracy. that do not talk about how important it is to have free markets. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11936}
{"speech_id":1090052102,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I rise today in strong support of this trade agreement. Prior to the Bush administration. momentum of trade liberalization had clearly slowed. Thankfully. Congress reapproved executive authority for trade agreements. and with the leadership of President Bush. the administration has made international trade a high priority for the health and wellbeing of the American economy. That is good. We have acted to strengthen the Presidents ability to eliminate trade barriers with other countries. The first steps have been taken toward a new era of trade liberalization. At the end of 2002. the Bush administration completed freetrade negotiations with Chile and Singapore which were first begun by the Clinton administration in 2000. This is not a partisan issue. it is a bipartisan issue. These freetrade agreements with Chile and Singapore entered into force on January 1. 2004. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11936}
{"speech_id":1090052102,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2004. the agreements with Australia and Morocco.were signed and approved by Congress. and this Australian trade agreement recently came into force this January. These agreements make a strong statement about the commitment of the United States -to international trade. and CAFTA continues the trend of reaching bilateral trade agreements in our own hemisphere and abroad. The countries entering into CAFTA are among the developing countries that already enjoy dutyzfree access to U.S. markets for the majority of their exports. That is their goods coming into our country. While these developing countries have high tariff and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports and impose restrictions on U.S. businesses. the agreement will liberalize trade in goods. services. government procurement. intellectual property investment. and address important labor and environmental issues. We are going to let them join with us in our economic prosperity. That is not going to hurt the United States. It is going to benefit our economy. Trade between the United States and CAFTA countries totaled over $33 billion alone last year. The United States exported almost $16 billion in goods to five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic in. 2004more than all exports to Russia. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11936}
{"speech_id":1090052127,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Presiding Officer. Mr. President. today I rise in support of the Central American and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement called CAFTA. I also want to state a word of caution in regards to an issue that is commensurate with this vote. and that is the waning support for free trade in this country. more especially in farm country. It was not long ago when the prospect of expanding our trading opportunities with our neighbors across the oceanthe 96 percent of the rest of the world in terms of tradewas met with great optimism and urgency. I do not know of anybody who made a farm speech who did not say: OK. point No. 2. point No. 3in the laundry list of things they were trying to get done in Washingtonwithout involving trade and expanding exports. Times have changed. Today I think we are suffering from what I call \"trade fatigue.\" That is to say. many times we oversell and we overestimate what is going to happen in regard to the expectations of a particular trade agreement. We oversell it. I know that many more times we overcriticize them. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11587}
{"speech_id":1090052127,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a result. in farm country. I think our producers of food and fiber are a little weary and a little wary of this animal we let out of the chute called free trade. There have to be better examples. specific examples. in regard to how our producers basically benefit- from free trade during very challenging times in farm countrya time when we see a lot of industry concentration going on and consolidation. not only in farm country but throughout our entire economy. Well. I am privileged to represent the State of Kansas where farm exports support over 47.000 jobs. both on the farm and in food processing and transportation. Farm exports from the State of Kansas are estimated at $3 billion. compromising onethird of all farm income. Our State is the Nations top exporter of wheat and the second largest beef exporter.. both of which rely heavily on increased market access. In short. an opportunity such as CAFTA is going to be essential for Kansas. But in my hometown of Dodge City. and in the rest of farm country. you hear the discussion of trade and exports. and there is some reservation. not expectation. I do not think it is isolationism. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11587}
{"speech_id":1090052127,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not think it is protectionism. Too many times farm organizations and commodity groups are looking out for their own commodity interest instead of the big picture. which involves opportunity for all American farmers and businesses. Perhaps more importantly. this is an issue of national security and stability. just south of our border as well. Let me touch on that. Our country has benefitted from trade agreements with Chile. Australia. Canada. and Mexico. Since NAFTA was signedyou do not get the specific instances of this in the press. you always get the instances of somebody who has suffered economically or seen their job outsourced or whateverbut basically. these Kansas exports to Canada and Mexico combined have increased by more than 120 percent. In the first year of the Chilean Free Trade Agreement. our Kansas exports to Chile actually grew by more than 9 percent. CAFTA will build on this trend by securing 44 million new consumers. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11587}
{"speech_id":1090052127,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the agreement. half of the current U.S. farm exports to CAFTA countries will become duty free immediately. This includes highquality cuts of beef and cotton and wheat and soybeansmajor commodities. Under the existing World Trade Organization commitments and tariff preferences. most exports under CAFTA countries already enter the U.S. duty free. However. U.S. exports could face potential tariffs of up to 250 percent in the case of beef. Despite these tariffs. why. our producers in Kansas exported to CAFTA countries a total of $23 million last year. Earlier this month. the U.S. Census Bureau reported that our Nations international trade deficit measured $57 billion. That was a $4 billion increase from previous reporting. As we face the growing competition in global agriculture. it is more important than ever to secure dutyfree rates in these countries. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11587}
{"speech_id":1090052127,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now I want to touch on this business of. security just south of our country. As chairman of the Intelligence Committee. and as a member of the Armed Services Committee. I must stress this agreement is not only about expanding market access. We are talking about stability. stability within these countries. and our own national security. Specifically. I am talking about the big issues of immigration. drug trafficking. and energy. If you put in Mexico and Venezuela. for instance. albeit they are adjacent to the CAFTA countries. we are talking about 23 percent of our energy supply. I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that without this trade agreement we run the risk of these countries falling prey to others who have far less interest in democracy and stability than in manipulation and power within these countries. I do not want to go back to the days of the 1980s. I do not want to go back to the Nicaraguan situation and Danny Ortega. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11587}
{"speech_id":1090052175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that I be able to speak instead of Senator KERRY under the. previous order. to be followed by Senator LAUTENBERG for 10 minutes under the time controlled by Senator DORGAN. to be followed by a Republican Senator to speak under the time of Senator GRASSLEY.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":295}
{"speech_id":1090052207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak in favor of this agreement. Twelve years ago. I rose in this Chamber to speak about NAFTA to express a vision that free trade will one day encompass all of North. Central. and South America. Today. we have an opportunity to further that vision by entering into an agreement that will strengthen U.S. trade relations and promote democratic reform in Central America. CAFTA will provide the U.S. exports with market access to Central America. similar to the dutyfree access we have given Central American exports. Although nearly 80 percent of Central American and the Dominican Republic exports enter the U.S. duty free. America continues to pay high tariffs on over $1.5 billion of annual exports to Central America. our tenth largest export market globally. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4941}
{"speech_id":1090052207,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CAFTA rectifies this inconsistency by providing open market access to U.S. goods. services. and farm product exports. Specifically. over 80 percent of U.S. consumer and industrial product exports to Central America and the Dominican Republic will be duty -free immediately upon implementation of CAFTA. The remaining tariffs are phased out over 10 years. Almost 20 years ago. Central American countries were ruled by dictators and communist insurgencies creating chaos and fostering corruption. With American support and encouragement. Central America has evolved into a region of fragile democracies. Elected leaders are welcoming freedom and encouraging economic diversity. while looking to the United States for a means to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. CAFTA allows the United States to strengthen the economic ties we currently have with Central America and the Dominican Republic. while supporting political stability. History shows us that bilateral and regional freetrade agreements promote economic growth by significantly increasing U.S. exports. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4941}
{"speech_id":1090052207,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my home State of Texas. exports to Chile have doubled since the Chile freetrade agreement was implemented in 2004. The success of NAFTA in the last 10 years yields similar results. Since NAFTA was implemented. combined exports from America to Mexico and Canada have increased by more than 150 percent in Texas. and 113 percent nationally. CAFTA shows the same promise and *encourages U.S. growth as well. One out of ten jobs in the United States depends on exports. Similarly. foreign companies which invest in the United States create jobs. In fact. since 1990. foreign companies have invested more than $1.5 trillion and employed more than 6 million U.S. workers. Freetrade agreements encourage export growth and help create jobs. I think it is important. also. to look at this from a hemispheric point of view. I do believe that it is important that we have free trade from the very north. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4941}
{"speech_id":1090052207,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Canada. all the way through the tip of South America. Strengthening our hemisphere will be good for America. and it will be good for every country in this hemisphere. It will also help us with many of the problems that we face with disparate economies. Many of our immigration issues come from people wanting to come to the United States because they cannot earn a living for their own families where they live. It is not that they want to leave their countries. it is that they are trying to provide for their families. If we have more free tfade in our hemisphere. people will be able to support their families where they live. and we will have healthy economic relations with those countries rather than dealing with that on the basis of an imztigration problem. So I do think that as we are looking at the places where we can strengthen economies. and where it is in our best interests to strengthen economies. we should look in our own backyard. We are having trade issues with China and with the European Union. Why not look to our own hemisphere. our own backyard. for strengthened relationships? That is what CAFTA will continue us on the right track to do. We have NAFTA and now we have Canada. the United States and Mexico. we have Chile and we have other countries in South America. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4941}
{"speech_id":1090052207,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think the Central American agreement will add another component to that.. I want free trade with every country in South America with which we can get an agreement. This is a very important part of our longterm stability and the strength of our economy and the economy of our whole hemisphere. I hope we will look at the big picture. I know that many Senators are concerned about jobs in their States and the impact this might have. Many people in Texas were very concerned about NAFTA because of the labor being less expensive just across the border. but NAFTA has been an overall plus for Texas. as it has been for America. We want to continue to strengthen our relationships with Mexico. CentralAmerica. and all the way through the tip of South America. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4941}
{"speech_id":1090052285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Former President Jimmy Carter states: If the United States Congress were to turn its back on CAFTA. it would undercut these fragile democracies. compel them to retreat to protectionism. and make it harder for them to cgoperate with the United States. I do not think there has been any American President that has reached out more fully to the rest of the world with more humanitarian work and more concern about human rights and labor rights than Jimmy Carter. I understand several of my colleagues believe labor and environmental provisions of the agreement fall short of what is needed to protect workers rights and the natural resources of the CAFTA countries. I think freetrade advocates often make the mistake of arguing that these agreements are a panacea for the ills of the developing world. including lax labor and environmental standards. I certainly do not believe that. The passage of the CAFTA alone will not bring labor and environmental standards and the capacity to enforce those standards up to United States levels. We have to admit that. But.and I say \"but--combined with a robust assistance package to help the CAFTA countries identify shortcomings and improve the enforcement of their laws. this agreement will mark an important step in the right direction. Thi8 is not about sacrificing the rights of workers and the protection of the environment for open markets and increased trade. We can provide new opportunities for American and Central American goods and services and establish programs to help those countries raise their labor standards. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1859}
{"speech_id":1090052285,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What Senator BINGAMAN said when he came to the floor is very constructive. I give him a great deal of credit and credit to the administration. This is the first trade treaty I can remember when they have been open to change. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent just 5 additional minutes.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1859}
{"speech_id":1090052322,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. our trade policy is failing. This failure is reflected in a trade deficit that grew by 25 percent last year to more than $617 billion. and in the loss of 2.8 million manufacturing jobs over the past 4 years. We are in this predicament in part because we have pursued oneway trade agreements that are not in the best interest of the United States and because we have not insisted that our trading partners grant us true reciprocity. It is difficult to see how pursuing yet another trade agreement in the same failed mold will produce a different result. The Central America Free Trade Agreement will not benefit American workers and farmers because it fails to insist on basic internationally recognized labor standards. the agreement will not meet its promise to improve the standard of living for the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic. Instead. it will set off another race to the bottom. The administration is asking the Senate to rubberstamp implementing legislation for CAFTA under fasttrack procedures that only allow Members of Congress an upordown vote and no chance to amend or improve it. Although I support increased trade with Central America and believe that fair trade policies would benefit all parties. I do not support the agreement as crafted. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10368}
{"speech_id":1090052322,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without the chance to improve it. I must oppose it. The administration is not doing the work necessary to get our trade policy on track. The five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic account for less than 1.5 percent of total U.S. trade. and our own International Trade Commission found that the U.S. trade deficit with CAFTA countries would likely increase slightly as a result of CAFTA. Yet the administration has made CAFTA its No. 1 trade pri6rity. A better focus for our trade policy would be opening markets in Nations and sectors where the most egregious trade barriers block the sale of U.S. goods and services. We should break down barriers faced by U.S. manufacturers. farmers and services in key export markets including China. Japan. the EU. Korea. and elsewhere. This administration has also failed to deal with our trade deficit with China. which is on track to surpass $200 billion this year. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10368}
{"speech_id":1090052322,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration has failed to take action against China for undervaluing its currency by between 1550 percent relative to the dollar to promote exports to the United States and to keep out goods made in the United States. This is a violation of the WTO prohibition on gaining a trade advantage from currency. manipulation. The administration has also failed to deal with our large and persistent automotive deficit with Japan. Likewise. our recent record on trade agreements has not been strong. some of the trade agreements the U.S. has entered into have not been in the best interest of the United States. The clearest example is NAFTA. which made it easier for U.S. companies to outsource production to lowwage countries. Between NAFTAs enactment in 1994 and the end of 2003. the Department of Labor certified that more than 525.000 American workers suffered job losses as a result of increased imports or plant relocations to Mexico andCanada. Under NAFTA. our trade balance with Mexico went from a. surplus of $1.663 billion in 1993 to a deficit of $45 billion in 2004. While it is true that our exports to Mexicoincreased under NAFTA. our imports from Mexico also increased. and at a faster rate. The American people and Members of Congress are understandably frustrated by the failure of NAFTA. and they are equally skeptical about the need to enter into another trade agreement pitting low wage workers from countries with weak labor and environmental laws against U.S. workers. Trade should not be a race to the bottom in which U.S. workers must compete with countries that do not recognize core international labor standards and basic worker rights. but that is exactly what CAFTA would do. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10368}
{"speech_id":1090052322,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am disappointed by the weak labor and environmental provisions included in CAFTA. Writing labor and environmental standards into trade agreements is an important way to ensure that free trade is fair trade. But unlike the 2001 Jordan Free Trade Agreement. CAFTA fails to include internationally recognized. core labor standards. Those standards include the right to organize\/ associate. the eight to bargain collectively. a prohibition on child labor. a prohibition on discrimination in employment. and a prohibition on forced labor. I am not seeking that CAFTA countries commit to American standards but at least to the five basic international standards developed by the ILO and supported by virtually every country in the world. . * Indeed. the CAFTADR countries are signatories of the International Labor Organization conventions. Requiring them to abide by their own international obligations is the least we can do when considering whether they deserve to receive trade preferences from us. But CAFTA only requires member countries to enforce their own labor and environmental laws. however inadequate they may be. Unlike the Jordan FTA. the CAFTA labor provisions are not enforceable. The U.S.-Jordan FTA treats the labor and environmental commitments the same as the commercial commitments. enforceable under the agreements dispute settlement procedures. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10368}
{"speech_id":1090052322,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under CAFTA. however. the labor provisions are not subject to the same binding dispute settlement mechanisms as are the commercial provisions. and violations cannot lead to the same level of fines or sanctions. There is a much lower standard for labor and environmental commitments. and that makes this a flawed agreement. Under CAFTA. the only labor rights and environment provision that is enforceable through dispute settlement mechanisms is if a party fails to enforce its own labor or environment laws effectively. This is of significant concern because CAFTA nations own labor laws do not meet international standards. In fact. these countries have higtories of serious worker rights abuses. The 2004 U.S. State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. the October 2003 ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work\" A Labor law Study. and other ILO reports confirm at least 20 areas in which the labor laws in the CAFTA countries fail to comply with the right of association. ILO Convention 87. and the right to organize and bargain collectively. ILO Convention To give just a few examples. in El Salvador and Nicaragua it is legal to fire workers simply because they are union members. Human Rights Watch found that the use of child labor in El Salvadors sugar cane fields is widespread. and under Honduran law. it is legal to fire workers who say they intend to organize a union. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10368}
{"speech_id":1090052330,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I seek recognition today to express my objections to the U.S.- Central American Free Trade Agreement. CAFTA. I have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing the contents of the agreement and there remain outstanding questions regarding labor and agriculture. Until these questions are satisfactorily answered. I am opposed to the agreement. Since June of 1998. Pennsylvania has lost 199.600 manufacturing jobs. Nationwide nearly 900.000 manufacturing jobs have been.lost. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3721}
{"speech_id":1090052330,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These statistics are staggering. Unfortunately. -this trade agreement Would adversely affect this job loss in the United States. especially in Pennsylvania. As. I. reviewed the agreement. I noticed the establishment of a new legal regime that increases safeguards for multinational investment through changes in tariff rates. rules of origin. and quota phaseouts. which would allow corporations in Central America to sell a product at a cheaper price. In order to compete under these conditions. many U.S. corporations would have to shut down their operations. export their jobs. and leave skilled workers jobless. This agreement would aggravate the problem. In addition to job loss. this agreement fails to enhance workers rights. Over the course of the last 5 years. Congress has worked to establish a standard within trade agreements that protects workers rights. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3721}
{"speech_id":1090052330,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2001. when Congress adopted the Jordanian Trade Agreement. labor provisions Were included in the body of the agreement. These labor provisions were made subject to sanctions through the dispute resolution process. Unfortunately. this agreement only strives to enforce workers rights but does not offer provisions for Central Americans. to unionize. collectively bargain. and secure the right to strike. Currently. the six CAFTA nations are subject to the Generalized System of Preferences. GSP. and the Caribbean Basin Initiative. CBI. which condition market access with respect to the International Labor Organization. ILO. standards. Linking market access to labor protections has been responsible for many significant labor reforms in Central America in the last 20 years. However. if enacted. CAFTA does not mandate that the labor laws of the Central American countries comply with the International Labor Organization. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3721}
{"speech_id":1090052330,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ILO. core standards. which include freedom of association. the right to organize and bargain collectively. and the freedom from child labor. forced labor. and discrimination. Ultimately. CAFTA would create downward pressure on wages because it would force our American workers to compete with Central American workers who are working for lower wages. This would allow foreign based companies to expand while leaving America more dependent on imports from abroad. which in turn would lessen the demand for domestic production and create even greater economic instability. Finally. CAFTAs impact on agriculture is problemsome. CAFTA will not open new markets for American agriculture goods. The U.S. is already the CAFTA regions largest trading partner. In many cases. our farm exports to the six CAFTA nations face tariffs that are low or nonexistent and dominate their agricultural markets in several commodities. The International Trade Commission has indicated that there would be -little gain for agriculture. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3721}
{"speech_id":1090052330,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example.. currently. the -U.Sr. supplies 94 perdent of all grainintothe reg i o n . .- . ! I urge my colleagues) to carefully examine this trade agreement. As a nation. we cannot confihue to allow the erosion of our manufacturing base. Equally. CAFTA should continue to meet the labor standards created in previous trade agreements. which it must before I will consider supporting it. For these reasons I am voting no.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3721}
{"speech_id":1090052380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this has been a long debate. and generally. in most respects. the statements have been a little bit onesided: CAFTA is great. it is going to help. or CAFTA is a terrible idea. it will send us down the drain. I am hopeful because I sensed that in the last 2 to 3 hours. the statements have been a little more toward the center. trying to figure out realistically what is happening. what is going on here. I think it is true. we all know in this competitive worldthat trale is important. it is essential. Companies have to trade. people have to trade both ways. If we do not. we are going to lose out big time. That is clear. There is not much doubt about that. But it is also trueand this has not been sufficiently addressed. certainly not in this debate and certainly not in the country. is how we address the dislocations that happen on account of trade because so many people lose jobs through no fault of their own. They work at a company. they work at a plant. say a manufacturing job at a plant. and the company seeking lower wages or lower health care costs goes overseas. maybe seeking software development. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7536}
{"speech_id":1090052380,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"R&D investment. and an American loses his job. This might be a 20yearold. it might be a 50yearold. who loses his or her job. It is not the fault of the employee. It is because of the system. It is because the world is changing so dramatically. We have not begun at all to address what we should do about that. We do have trade adjustment assistance. Trade adjustment assistance today applies only to persons who lose manufacturing jobs. It does help people who lose manufacturing jobs get some assistance. get some training. get some health care benefits. but it ought to be easier to get. and it ought to cover more workers. including service workers. What we care about is training people. finding ways for them to get jobs that make a difference. to help them feel good about themselves without big dislocations in their families. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7536}
{"speech_id":1090052380,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I might say we also are not addressing the larger trend that is coming. We have lost. say. 3 million manufacturing jobs in America over 2. 3. or 4 years. They are gone. We have also picked up a good number of jobs. Butwhat is the area in which we have picked up a lot of jobs? Lately. in the last couple of years. it is because of 9\/11. It is homeland security jobs. It is national defense jobs. Clearly we need those jobs. But it makes one wonder a little bit. first. if there were no 9\/11. sounds like there would be a huge net loss of jobs. We would not have the homeland security jobs we now have. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7536}
{"speech_id":1090052380,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To make matters more. if not alarming. at least serious. is that although we have lost about 3 million manufacturing jobs. we picked up maybe roughly the same in the homeland security jobs. the next wave is going to be much greater and it is going to make the loss of manufacturing jobs pale in comparison. Our economy is creating and destroying jobs at a faster and faster rate. The total number of jobs may not be decreasing. but the rate of churn in the economy is getting faster and faster. especially with service jobs. This country is not ready for that. We have no paradigm. no structure. to deal with it. The days when you could work single job for 30 years without updating your skills are over. We need to be more prepared. hava more educated workers. and more adjustment assistance. Knowledge is not perfect. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. A book that I started to read is a good book that most Americans should read. called \"The World Is Flat.\" by Thomas Friedman. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7536}
{"speech_id":1090052380,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If one reads that. they get a sense of how much technology. communications technologies. moves things from bottom up instead of top down. In the economic world. nothing is sacred anymore. It is such a freeforall. It is the wild west in a certain sense. I do not think we are ready for that. So this debate has been helpful. It helps bring out some of the provisions of CAFTA. what it does and does not do. but it does not address the fundamentals. It does not address the basic problems we should be addressing. I am quite hopeful that sooner rather than later we are going to begin to address and we are going to hear Senators give speeches on what needs to be done. After that. there will be some proposals and debates on those and I am very hopeful that will happen sooner rather than later. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7536}
{"speech_id":1090052388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate will shortly vote on CAFTAthe Central American Free Trade Agreement. This agreement will eliminate most trade barriers between the United States. Costa Rica. El Salvador. Guatemala. Honduras. Nicaragua. and the Dominican Republic. Over the last half century. the United States has led the way to opening new markets and encouraging free trade around the globe. These efforts have had tremendous success. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090052388,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Everyday. American consumers and businesses benefit from the competition and choice that trade expansion brings. As we promote free and fair trade agreements. we create economic opportunity and build relationships that will continue to grow for years to come. Under the agreement. six CAFTA countries will allow 80 percent our exports to enter their countries dutyfree. As a result. CAFTA will create our second largest export market in Latin America. behind only Mexico. This agreement is a huge opportunity for both sellers and buyers. for all people who make transactions happen. Its like opening a huge new store for American businesseswhere we get the same price for our goods butbecause we pay fewer tariffsour customers pay less. This is a winwin. CAFTA will open the doors to 44 million new consumers of American goods. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090052388,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And more sales to Central America means more jobs here at home. With this agreement. over 27.000 new jobs will be created in its first year of implementationover 500 of which will be in Tennessee. And 9 years after implementation. thanks to CAFTA over 137.000 Americansincluding over 2.000 Tennesseanswill have the benefit of a new job. CAFTA means jobs. American jobs. Tennessee jobs. It means more prosperity in our pockets. Even more. CAFTA will allow our Nation to strengthen its bonds with countries in the region. A stronger relationship will allow us to more effectively work together to fight the war on terror and enhance the social stability of these nations. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090052388,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We can also make positive strides in combating the trafficking of illegal drugs. And. as a result. reduce the supply of drugs on our Nations streets and in our neighborhoods. Furthermore. strengthening our mutual economic interests will strengthen our national security. Twenty years ago. only two of the CAFTA nationsCosta Rica and the United Stateswere established democracies. Today. all seven can be counted among the free nations of the world. CAFTA will bolster democracy in Central America and provide a model for freedom seekers around the world. We simply cannot leave the United States on the sidelines as other nations rush to embrace free trade. We have an opportunity to act with CAFTA. I urge my colleagues to support this agreement. A vote for CAFTA is a vote for Americas farmers and manufacturers. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090052388,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a vote for more jobs for hardworking Americans. It is a vote for stable democracies and the spread of freedom to all corners of our globe. CAFTA will move America forward. It will move all the Americas forward. I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2988}
{"speech_id":1090052402,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am wondering. while the manager and everybody else is on the floorwe know we have at least one amendment that will take some debate. I am wondering if everybody wants a vote on final passage. We can do that. It will take a while to get through all this. There are no surprises. It has been around for a while. I am going to be here. anyway. so it does not matter to me. I am wondering if we need to have a rollcall vote on final passage.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":454}
{"speech_id":1090052428,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was 13 years old when I saw this picture. When we discuss nuqlear weapons. this is the picture I remember. The only country on Earth that has ever used nuclear weapons is our own. It has been debated ever since whether this was positive because it saved American troops and ended the war or whether it has launched our country and other countries into a race which well could prove disastrous for all of us. This is a photograph of Hiroshima after the nuclear bomb was dropped on the city on August 6. 1945. Mr. President. 80.000 people died from the initial blast and 60.000 people died from radiation poisoning. for a total of 140.000 people dead. And that bomb was 15 kilotons. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10432}
{"speech_id":1090052428,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The second photograph is of Nagasaki after August 9. 1945. Approximately 75.000 of the citys 240.000 residents were killed instantly. In total. approximately 100.000 people died in the blast. I rise today once again to address a critical issue that is related to the security of the American people and our nuclear proliferation efforts the renewed push by this administration to reopen the nuclear door. including funding for a 100kiloton nuclear bunker buster. I have argued this on the Senate floor before. that such actions. combined with the policy of unilateralism and preemption. run counter to our values and nonproliferation efforts and put U.S. national security interests and American lives at risk. Therefore. those of us who are cosponsors of this amendment wish to delete the $4 million. for the study and development of the robust nuclear earth penetrator. The amendment redirects the funds for debt reduction. The time has come for this Senate. like the House has done in this bill. to send a clear and unambiguous message to the White House and the Pentagon: We will not support funding for programs to develop new nuclear weapons. Congress made a strong statement last year in deleting funding for the development of this nuclear bunker buster by eliminating $27.5 million for the bunker buster. $9 million for the advanced concepts initiative. which included the study of the development of lowyield weapons. This action was due in no small part to the leadership of Representative DAVID HOBSON. chairman of the House Appropriations Energy Committee. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10432}
{"speech_id":1090052428,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The House took a strong position of opposition and they are to be commended. In fact. the House removed new nuclear weapons from all bills. including the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense authorization bill. the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense appropriations bill. and the 2006 Energy appropriations bill. This was a consequential victory for those of us who believe the United States sends the wrong signal to the rest of the world by reopening the nuclear door and beginning the testing and development of a new generation of nuclear weapons. That is why I was so disappointed to learn that the administration requested funds this year to resume the nuclear earth penetrator study. As a matter of fact. this year Secretary Rumsfeld asked the Department of Energy to place the $4 million in the energy budget and $4.5 million in the defense budget. thereby splitting the amount requested for the bunker buster. He hoped to weaken opposition and split the budget between two Departments so that if it could not get funding in one. he could get it in the other. The*House had the foresight to reject this idea and has reasserted its determination not to move forward with the bunker buster study. During its markup on the 2006 Defense authorization bill. the House Armed Services Committee eliminated all the Department of Energy funding for the RNEP. and transferred the $4 million to the Air Force budget for work on a conventional nonnuclear version of the bunker buster. The House Armed Services Committee member. SILVESTRE REYES. stated: The committee took the \"N.\" or \"nuclear.\" out of the RNEP program. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10432}
{"speech_id":1090052428,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Following the Armed Services Committee action. Chairman HOBSON and Representative ELLEN TAUSCHER led the effort to eliminate the Department of Energy funding of $4 million for the bunker buster in its markup in the 2006 Energy and Water appropriations bill. That bill also eliminated funding for the modern pit facility and banned site selection for the facility in 2006. Finally. the House 2006 Defense appropriations bill limits research for a bunker buster to a conventional program. These three actions by authorizers and appropriators. Republicans and Democrats alike. have dealt another blow to the administrations plans to develop new nuclear weapons and reinforced the clear intent of Congress that we should not go down that path because it will only encourage the very proliferation we are trying to prevent. Why should the Senate continue to fund programs that are rapidly losing support in the House and the administration? Now the Senate has an opportunity to follow the Houses lead. Senator KENNEDY and I and others have come to the floor to offer this amendment to do just that. During previous debates on this issue. we have argued that according to the laws of physics. it is simply not possible for a missile casing on a nuclear warhead to survive a thrust into the earth to take out a hard and deeply buried military target without spewing millions of tons of cubic feet of radiation into the atmosphere. Consider this: A 1kiloton nuclear weapon detonated 25 to 50 feet underground would dig a crater the size of Ground Zero in New York and eject 1 million cubic feet of radioactive debris into the air. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10432}
{"speech_id":1090052428,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Given the insurmountable physics problems associated with burrowing a warhead deep into the earth. one would need a weapon with more than 100 kilotons of yield to destroy an underground target at a depth of 1.000 feet. Now let me explain. The maximum feasible depth of a bunker buster is 35 feet. At that depth. a 100kiloton bunker buster would scatter 100 million cubic feet of radioactive debris into the atmosphere. There is no known missile casing that can survive a 1.000foot thrust into the Earth and avoid overwhelming and catastrophic consequences. That is a fact. There is not a single scientist who will say that. The head of the National Nuclear Security Administration agrees. At the March 2. 2005. House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10432}
{"speech_id":1090052433,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. I commend my friend and colleague. Senator FEINSTEIN. for her attention to this issue. She has long been an advocate for sensible and responsible nuclear arms policy. Again. this evening. she is leading the way in the Senate. All of us are grateful for her leadership. I welcome the opportunity to join with her in offering this amendment. It is intended to reverse a reckless proposal by the Bush administration to develop a new generation of nuclear weapons. We do not \"provide for the common defense.\" as called for in our Constitution. by launching a new nuclear arms race and making the world more dangerous. but that is precisely what the administration plans to do. President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld want to develop a new tactical nuclear weapon called the robust nuclear earth perietrator. and their hope is that these bunker busters can crash .deep .into the Earth and destroy bunkers and weapons caches. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11998}
{"speech_id":1090052433,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They hold the dangerous and misguided belief that our Nations interests and values are served by developing what they consider a more easily usable nuclear bomb. I think most Americans believe that is wrong. Our challenge in addressing nuclear nonproliferation issues is not that there are too few nuclear weapons in the world but that there are too many: not that they are too difficult to use but that they are too easy to use. North Korea has them and is rattling its nuclear saber every day. Iran is moving forward on the development of nuclear capability. We all hope and pray that alQaida and other terrorist groups never ever get their hands on a nuclear weapon. So why on Earth. in this dangerous nuclear world. with the specter of a nuclear cloud at the hands of terrorists and rogue states. should the United States be adding more nuclear weapons to the global arsenal? What moral authority do we have to ask others to give up their nukes if we are determined to develop a new generation of nuclear weapons of our own? For thepast 2 years. Congress has raised major doubts about the program and significantly cut back on its funding. But the administration still presses forward for more work on these robust nuclear earth penetrators. Last year. the administration requested $15 million for it and Congress reluctantly provided half that amount. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11998}
{"speech_id":1090052433,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For 2005. they requested another $27 million and submitted a 5year request for nearly $500 million. But cooler heads prevailed. and the House Appropriations Committee rejected the request. As the committee report stated. The Committee continues to oppose the diversion of resources and intellectual capital away from the most serious issues that confront the management of the nations nuclear deterrent . . . The Committee remains unconvinced by the Departments superficial assurance that the RNEP activity is only a study . . . The Committee notes that the management direction for the fiscal year 2004 sent to the directors of the weapons design laboratories left little doubt that the objective of the program was to advance the most extreme new nuclear weapon goals irrespective of any reservations expressed by Congress. This year. nothing has changed. The FY06 budget request from the President includes $4 million for the Department of Energy to study the bunker buster and $4.5 million to the Department of Defense for the same purpose. Thankfully our colleagues in the House were wiser and decided to eliminate its funding. The administration obviously is still committed to this reckless approach. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11998}
{"speech_id":1090052433,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Secretary Rumsfeld made his position clear in January. when he wrote to Secretary Abraham: I think we should request funds in FY06 and FY07 to complete the RNEP study ... You can count on my support for your efforts to revitalize the nuclear weapons infrastructure and to complete the RNEP study. The fiscal year 2006 budget requests funds only to complete the feasibility study for these new nuclear weapons. But we already know what the next step is. In the budget they sent us last year. the administration stated in plain language that they intend to develop it. Ambassador Linton Brooks. the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration. claims those future budget projections are merely placeholders. \"in the event the President decides to proceed with development and Congress approves.\" But their fiscal year 2005 budget clearly shows the administrations unmistakable intention to develop. and ultimately produce. this weapon. The Bush administration would like us to believe that this is a clean. surgical nuclear weapon. They say it will burrow into underground targets and destroy them with no adverse donsequences for the environment. They can believe all they want. but the science says their claims are false. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11998}
{"speech_id":1090052433,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The National Academy of Sciences confirms exactly what most of us thoughtthat these nuclear weapons. like other nuclear bombs. result in catastrophic nuclear fallout. The fallout can poison tens of millions of people and create radioactive lands for years and years to come. The study goes on to say. \"Current experience and empirical predictions indicate that earthpenetrator weapons cannot penetrate to depths required for total containment of the effects of a nuclear explosion.... To be fully contained. a 300 kiloton weapon would have to be detonated at the bottom of a carefully stemmed emplacement hole about 800 meters deep. Because the practical penetration depth for an earth penetrating weapon is a few metersa small fraction of the depth for the full containmentthere will be blast. thermal. initial nuclear radiation. and fallout effects from use of an EPW. This chart simulates the likely nuclear fallout from a one megaton bunkerbuster detonated at a hypothetical underground target 20 kilometers east of an Iranian air force base in Dezful. This model uses the same simulation program as the Pentagons Defense Threat Reduction Agency. During summer months. the nuclear fallout is predicted to travel 150 to 200 miles. across Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The radiation could kill up to 650.000 people. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11998}
{"speech_id":1090052548,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"May I tell Senators. if nothing else breaks here. there are no other amendments. We will vote on this. Senator COBURN has one and he will withdraw it. Can the Senator wait until Senator FEINSTEIN finishes and then he will be recognized? I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090052572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will call up amendment 1086 and then I will withdraw it by unanimous consent. It is important that Members recognize what is written in the report language in this bill. I will read a portion of one sentence and talk about it: Congressionally directed projects. The committee recommends including the following congressionally directed projects. The committee has provided sufficient funding to cover the cost of these additions so as not to impact research. That is the key question. By the misstatement of the committee itself. these projects are not essential. Yet. there is $87 million in projects to 30 States averaging less than $1 million a project. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1332}
{"speech_id":1090052572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are for biomass. biodiesel. hydrogen. solar. and other forms of energy. It is going to pass. there is no question. I cant stop it. but I think the American people ought to go online and look at this. There are two problems. No. 1. it is not essential and we will spend $544 billion we do not have this year. No. 2. by having this many projects at such low value. we do not get our moneys worth because we spend a ton of money in administrative and overhead costs for these small projects. If we are going to spend this money. it ought to be 3 or 6 projects. not the 30some projects that are in there.\" I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1332}
{"speech_id":1090052618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to engage the chairman of the subcommittee. Senator DOMENICI. in abrief colloquy on the subject of the State Technologies Advancement Collaborative. commonly called 8TAC. a program in the energy efficiency portion of the Department of Energy appropriation.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":269}
{"speech_id":1090052630,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senators FEINSTEIN. LEVIN. and I have raised serious coneern about off exchange futures transactions in energy commodities under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In the wake of the Western energy crisis. we believe that there needs to be adequate Federal authority over these energy markets and that they be more transparent in order to prevent fraud and manipulation.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":397}
{"speech_id":1090052650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first let -me say that I am surprised that the distinguished majority leader is surprised at what the Veterans Administration and the administration has talked about today of what they need. We have been. for months. talking about the shortfall with the Veterans Administration. monthsnot weeks. not days but months. We have had three votes. two in committee and two on the Senate floor. where we. the minority. have begged for more money for our veterans. It seems somewhat unusual to me that approximately 24 hours ago. the Senate unanimously passed a $1.5 billion supplemental for veterans for health care. We just did it. The House Republicans have again shortchanged our veterans by reducing this number by over $500 million. We will insist on a right to amend the bill to bring it to the full $1.5 billion mark. This is the same amendment which the Senate Appropriations Committee. on a bipartisan basis. unanimously authorized the chairman and ranking member to offer to the House supplemental. should it arrive here below the $1.5 billion mark. This. is the real world we are in. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2239}
{"speech_id":1090052650,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. I also say this: We are depending on the Office of Management and Budget and the Veterans Administration at this late hour? Would it not be terrible. would it not be awful. if the veterans got a little too much money? What is this. some game that we are playing? We are playing with the lives of people. In Las Vega6. we have people waiting as long as 11 months to get into a hospital to have some of the radiology work done. We learned yesterday that they are literally borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. they are robbing the capital accounts with the Veterans Administration. As we speak. we have about 140.000 troops in Iraq. They are being worked back all the time. and these people who come home need help. in addition to World War II veterans who need help. Why dont we have the House Republicans meet their responsibilities? And why at this late hour are we trying to protect the White House when this body voted by a -unanimous vote. everybody in the Senate voted for this? Yet we had a unanimous vote in the Appropriations Committee authorizing the chairman and ranking member to do the exact thing that I have asked to do.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2239}
{"speech_id":1090052661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is interesting o hear the description given by the Senator who is the chairman of the veterans committee. It is also interesting to put it in the context of where we have come over the last few days. The amendment on the floor just a few days ago when the shortfall was noted on a bipartisan basis from Senator MURRAY was an amendment less than the one adopted. It was $1.4 billion. The Senator. the chairman of the committee. as well as others. came together on a bipartisan basis and said. That is not enough. That is not enough. $1.4 billion will not meet the shortfall. By our best estimate. they said 24 hours ago or whenever we debated it. we need more. we need $1.5 billion. And we acceded to your knowledge of the agency and your knowledge ofits need and came together on a bipartisan basisI believe the vote was 96 to nothingand said that is exactly what we will do. $1.5 billion. Then while we barely finished this work. the House came back and said no. the figure is $975 million or whatever number they came up with. dramatically less than what we had approved. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1710}
{"speech_id":1090052661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It strikes me as interesting that we are going to back off of our best estimate and say lets err on the side of less money for the Veterans Administration. Why wouldnt the Senate be holding fast to its position? Why wouldnt the Senate be holding fast to its position and say we believe $1.5 billion is the right number still. as we believed 24 hours ago when we voted on it? Why do we want to back off at this point and say it mnust be that much less? It strikes me. unless there has been a dramatic infusion of new information and knowledge. that we are acceding to the House of Representatives because they have decided to go home.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1710}
{"speech_id":1090052699,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take a moment to recognize Joan Piermarini. who is retiring after 20 years of service to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Joan has served the committee under seven chairmena testament to her dedication and loyalty. I thank Joan for her many tireless efforts and the significant contributions she has made to the committee. We congratulate her on a job well done and wish her many years of happiness with her family. especially her grandson Luke.","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":488}
{"speech_id":1090052704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I stand before you today to recognize Albuquerque Vocational Technical Institute (TVI). a community college in New Mexico that is celebrating its 40th year of service to the community. Since TVIs humble beginnings in an old vacated school building serving only 150 students. the school has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of students and has grown to serve about 27.000 students each year across four campuses. Considering the enriching education and workforce opportunities TVI provides it is no surprise that TVI is a \"crown jewel\" of the city of Albuquerque. In a community noted for cultural diversity. TVI is a model technical education institution which provides high quality instruction and training in a variety of technical careers. trades. and professions. TVI delivers innovative. customized training and skill development to develop a highly skilled workforce for business. professional organizations. and government agencies. TVI wisely collaborates with business and industry to ensure that their students. as future workers. meet the demands of the hightech 21 century workforce. TVI graduates provide needed technical assistance and services to a variety of industries including our National Labs. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090052704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TVIs dedication to their students professional growth has positively impacted the economic development of the community and of the State. For its leadership in educational advancement and for its invaluable contributions. I commend the students. the teachers. and the administration of the Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute for 40 years of exceptional service to the community and to the State of New Mexico..","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090052706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take this opportunity to honor the memory of a most dedicated public servart. California Assemblyman Mike Gordon. Assemblyman Gordon passed away on June 25. 2005. He was 47 years old. Assemblyman Gordon began his political career at the young age of 18 as a voter registration coordinator for Assembly Speaker Leo McCarthy and later joined the staff of Assemblyman Bruce Young (DDowney). In 1982. Gordon began his 3year tenure as executive director of the California Democratic Party and in 1995 cofounded Gordon and Schwenkmeyer. Inc.. a successful polling and fundraising firm that is still operating today. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2423}
{"speech_id":1090052706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mike Gordon was elected to the El Segundo City Council in 1996 and as the citys mayor in 1998. 2000. and 2002. During this time. he focused on revitalizing El Segundos downtown and helped increase funding for police. fire and recreation. As cofounder of the Los Angeles Air Force Base Alliance. he fought against the closure of the base and focused his attention on finding a solution for regional air and road traffic. Of all his great work as councilman and mayor. Mikes focus on education and funding for the El Segundo Unified School District made him a hero in the community. In 2004. -Mike Gordon ran successfully for the 53rd California Assembly seat in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. Assemblyman Gordon introduced 22 bills during his first 2 months in the assembly and was appointed chair of the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs and as the bodys representative to Californias Milton Marks Little Hoover Commission. His strong leadership skills and passion for public -service were instrumental in his early success in the assembly. Assemblyman Mike Gordon knew firsthand the concerns and needs of his community and dedicated his life to serving the citizens of Southern California. He grew up in La Mirada. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2423}
{"speech_id":1090052706,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CA where he attended Neff High School and in 1979 graduated from California State University. Fullerton with a bachelors degree in political science. Whetheras mayor or assemblman. he used his knowledge. influence. and skills to better the lives of his constituents. Assemblyman Gordon is survived by his wife Denise and children. Ryan. Erika. Amanda. and Gordy. He was a. deeply loved member of both the California State Legislature and the South Bay community for his willingness to champion the causes of those he represented. He will be missed by all who knew him..","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2423}
{"speech_id":1090052710,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to congratulate the hard work of fellow Kentuckians to establish the Kentucky Commandery of the Military .Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. The Military Order of the Loyal Legions of the United States was esta]blished by a group of Federal officers formed to act as an honor guard for the remains of President Abraham Lincoln. These officers later met to form a society to commemorate the events and principles of the War of the Rebellion. MOLLUS became the first military society based upon the War of Rebellion to be formed. Over 125 officers of Kentucky regiments. as well as over a dozen general officers and admirals of Kdhtucky birth. were original companions of MOLLUS. At the MOLLUS National Congress in October of 2004. the dedicated efforts of the Kentucky members paid off. as the Commonwealth of Kentucky was granted full Commandery status. I extend ny heartfelt congratulations to the members of the Kentucky Commandery for their hard work and dedication to their principles..","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090052712,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to congratulate Officer Duane Harper of Owensboro. KY. Officer Harper was recently awarded the Owensboro Police Departments citation for officer of the year. Officer Harper. a vehicle crash reconstructionist. is a 14year veteran with an eye for detail and a steady. meticulous investigative technique. As a reconstructionist. Harper is called on to conduct investigations not only for his department. but others as well. Chief John Kazlauskas describes Harper as committed to conducting his investigations thoroughly and professionally. The officer of the year award is given annually to an officer selected solely by the Chief of Police based on performance and merit. Officer Harper was also the recipient of the Chiefs Award. the departments second highest honor. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090052712,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is very important to have members of our law enforcemen dedicated to the safety and well being of our communities. I am very proud to have Officer Harper as a member of local law enforcement in Kentucky. I heartily applaud his hard work and commitment to serving his community. I hope that you will join me today in both recognizing and congratulating Officer Harper in his achievement. He serves as an example to the rest of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I wish him continued success in the future.*","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090052722,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to recognize a community in West Virginia that will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 12. the residents of Pratt will celebrate their communitys history and founding 100 years ago. Pratt is a small town in southern West Virginia on a soft bend in the Kanawha River. with a population of 551. Pratt has some of the qualities of a typical West Virginia coal campit is a small community with hardworking people and a solid value base. But what separates Pratt from most small coal towns is that it has been around longer and has played an integral role in the labor movement. Despite its small size. Pratt holds an important place in West Virginias history. Originally named Clifton. then Dego. the town adopted the last name of Charles K. Pratt at the dawning of the twentieth century. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3470}
{"speech_id":1090052722,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pratts New York company owned timber and mineral rights in the area. The town was incorporated on June 4. 1905. Stately old homes are spread throughout the town. each adding to Pratts rich history. The towns lone church. Old Kanawha Baptist. is recognized as theoldest functioning church in the Kanawha Valley. It celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1993. In the local cemetery. gravestones date back as far as 1835. Many of Pratts residents can trace their ancestry to the towns preCivil War settlers. In 1984 the towns cemetery and residential neighborhood- overlooking the Kanawha River were designated a historic district and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mother Jones prison site received historic designation in 1992. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3470}
{"speech_id":1090052722,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The town of Pratt rose to national prominence during Wet Virginias mine wars of 19121913. In 1912. United Mine Workers of America. UMWA. miners in nearby Paint Creek demanded wages equal to those of other area miners. They also insisted on the right to organize and an end to the practice of using mine guards. When operators rejected the wage increase. miners walked off the job. beginning one of the most violent strikes in the Nations history. After the strike began. operators brought in mine guards to evict miners and their families from company hojuses. As the mine guards continued to intimidate workers. national labor leaders. including Mary Harris \"Mother\" Jones. arrived on the scene. A leader of the UMWAs efforts to organize the State. Jones was known for her blistering verbal attacks on coal operators and politician. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3470}
{"speech_id":1090052722,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She criticized the poor working conditions. meager safety provisions. and long hours of the mines and called for change. In 1913. Jones was placed underhouse arrest in Pratt for inciting a riot and was held there for 85 days. When news of her imprisonment spread across the country. Congress was forced to investigate the matter. Although the settlement of the strike failed to answer the miners main grievances. the Paint Creek strike produced a number of labor leaders who would play prominent roles in the years to come. Following the strike. the coalfields were ielatively peaceful for 6 years. I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating Pratt. WV. and its residents on their first 100 years and in extending our best wishes for their next 100 years and beyond. We recognize Pratts important contributions to the labor movement. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3470}
{"speech_id":1090052722,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through its challenges and triumphs. Pratt has helped to move our Nation forward in labor relations. which is one of the many reasons this fine community deserves our recognition. Pratt has a rich past and a promising future.*","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3470}
{"speech_id":1090052743,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join Senator BAUCUS in introducing the Medicare Value Purchasing (MVP) Act of 2005. Senator BAUCUS sharesmy strong commitment to ensuring the vitality of the Medicare program for generations of beneficiaries to .come. Two years ago. we worked in a bipartisan manner to establish the first ever Medicare prescription drug benefit. to create new coverage choices under the Medicare Advantage program. and to cover more preventive screening tests. The Medicare Modernization Act transformed Medicare benefits and choices. Over the past 40 years. Medicare has made immeasurable differences in the lives of our Nations seniors and disabled citizens by providing beneficiaries with access to care. The bill that we are introducing today will ensure that they continue not only to have that access. but also have access to good care. Some folks might think I am saying that beneficiaries dont receive good care today. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11797}
{"speech_id":1090052743,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nothing could be further from the truth. I know that physicians. hospitals. nurses and other providers across the country work every day to provide quality care. But just like all Medicare beneficiaries have the same benefits. all Medicare beneficiaries should get the highest quality care possible. And today. thats just not the case. there is tremendous room for improvement. A May 2005 Commonwealth Fund review of more than four hundred studies and data sets painted a mixed picture on the quality of care received by Medicare beneficiaries. The analysis found that many improvements are occurringbreast cancer screening rates have tripled and many patients with diabetes get the tests they need to keep them healthy. At the same time. the review showed that in some parts of the country. beneficiaries get recommended treatments. such as immunizations. but in other parts they dont. They found that improvements in care for Medicare beneficiaries have not kept pace with improvements among other groups. For example. between 1988 and 1994. the percent of fortyfiveyearolds to sixtyfouryearolds whose blood pressure was controlled. increased from 33 percent to 40 percent. Among Medicare beneficiaries. it stayed the samejust 24 percent. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11797}
{"speech_id":1090052743,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They also zeroed in on the need to strengthen programs to care for beneficiaries with a *chronic illness. Research shows that twenty percent of Medicare beneficiaries have five or more chronic illnesses. Caring for these beneficiaries accounts for nearly 70 percent of Medicare spending. One of the studys most disturbing findings was the States with higher spending per Medicare beneficiary tended to rank lower on twentytwo qualityofcare indicators. According to the researchers. this might reflect practice patterns that favor intensive. costly care rather than \"effective\" care. Simply stated. spending more. does not necessarily translate into better quality care for beneficiaries. Of the $300 billion Medicare dollars spent last year. I think it is safe to say that in many cases weben6ficiaries and taxpayersdid not get the absolute best value. Not even close. Why is that the case? In part. it is because of the way we pay for care. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11797}
{"speech_id":1090052743,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am sure that everyone remembers \"To Err is Human\" in which the Institute of Medicine reported the startling fact that studies suggest that up to 98.000 Americans die in hospitals each year from medical errors. It was in headlines for months. I would bet that not as many folks know about the IOMs followup report. \"Crbssing the Quality Chasm.\" In my opinion. that report is equally. if not more. important because it sets forth a wideranging strategy to address the deficiencies in our health care system that undermine the delivery of high quality care. Among the IOMs chief recommendations was a call to both public and private purchasers to examine their current payment methods to remove barriers that currently impede quality improvement. and to build stronger incentives for quality enhancement. The IOM specifically recommended that payment methods should provide \"fair payment for good clinical management.\" Providers also need to be able to share in the benefits of quality improvement. . Consumers and purchasers need opportunities to recognize quality differences and to use quality information when making health care decisions. In simplest terms. we need to better align financial incentives to help promote quality and to achieve better value. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has issued similar recommendations. Today. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11797}
{"speech_id":1090052743,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Medicare pays the same amount regardless of quality of care. Some people would argue that in fact. the current Medicare payment system rewards poor quality. For example. if a patient suffers a complication from subpar hospital care and ends up back in the same hospital to treat that complication. Medicare will pay the hospital for the patients rehospitalization. On the.other hand. if a hospital follows best practices of care and helps patients avoid complications that could require a rehospitalization. well. that hospital doesnt get anything. The hospital that provides lower quality care to the beneficiary gets another payment. The hospital that provides higher quality care to the beneficiary gets nothing. Over time. this perverse situation could disadvantage the hospital that delivers higher quality care to beneficiaries because it will get less revenue. which could compromise its ability to compete against other hospitals. This situation just does not make sense. neither to me. nor should it to beneficiaries. Providing lower quality care can lead to greater revenue. while providing higher quality care can penalize providers financially. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11797}
{"speech_id":1090052744,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise as a cosponsor of the \"Medicare Value Purchasing Act of 2005.\" This bill will establish a new program to link a portion of Medicares reimbursement for health care services to the quality of that care. This bill takes a crucial step towards improving the value of our health care dollar as well as the safety and quality of our Nations health care system. Last w~ek. I gave a statement in this Chamber about Americas place in the world. I am proud of our Nation. I am proud of our enterprising spirit. our energy. our diversity. and the hope for a better future that is inherent to our roots. I am proud of this country. but I am disappointed in the state of our health care system and in the impact it is having on the lives of our fellow citizens. as well as on the economy and ultimately on our place in the world. As I look to the future. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12007}
{"speech_id":1090052744,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I see a stronger America. but I know we must work hard to make sure that vision is realized. We hear about the problem of increasing health care costs nearly every dayin newspaper headlines and in casual conversations. Per capita spending on health care in America is nearly 22 times the average in the industrialized world. We spend over $5.000 per person on health care. and premiums for employersponsored coverage are rising five times faster than inflation. With all this money going into health care. one might assume we had the best health care in the world. But that assumption is wrong. Despite spending more per capita than any other developed nation. the World Health Organization ranks the United States 37th in health care quality. As many as 98.000 patients die each year as a result of medical errors. and research has shown that in some cases more care. more specialists. and more treatments. actually result in worse outcomes for the patient. Costs are rising. we are not getting highquality care for the dollars spent. and due to the nature of our health care system much of this burden is borne by employers. For the first time. the Big Three automakers are beginning to charge premiums and scale back benefits for their workers and retirees. because they cant afford the cost of health care. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12007}
{"speech_id":1090052744,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All told. GM estimates that they will spend about $6 billion in 2005 on health care. This translates into $1.525 for every vehicle they sell. That is more than the company spends on steel. By comparison. Toyotas health care costs are about $1.000 less per vehicle. It is not surprising. therefore. that a recent survey of business leaders found that 65 percent of top Chief Financial Officers in the United States feel that it is very important for Congress to address the cost of health care. Their European and Asian counterparts did not cite the costs of health care amongtheir top concerns. No other industry tolerates the level of disrepair that can be found in the U.S. health care system today. Many of my colleagues in the Senate agree that in order to improve the system. we need to do more to control health costs through efficient purchasing and the use of health information technology. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12007}
{"speech_id":1090052744,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In other words. we need to create a \"culture of efficiency\" in health care. How do we do that? First. we need to begin building a health information infrastructure that can reach providers and patients nationwide. from Manhattan. NY to Manhattan. MT. We must take aggressive steps to establish standards and policies around this infrastructure. and to make initial investments in hardware. software. and training. I applaud my colleagues Senator ENZI and Senator KENNEDY for introducing important legislation on this topic today. the \"Health Information Technology and Quality Improvement Act of 2005\". Building a Health Information Infrastructure will facilitate the provision of highquality care. But we also must begin rewarding quality in the way we pay for health care. Today. Medicare payment policies typically do not include mechanisms designed to encourage quality of care. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12007}
{"speech_id":1090052744,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Medicare does not distinguish between paying for care that is necessary and that which might be unnecessary or inappropriate. As a result. I worked with Senator GRASSLEY to design a program that will tie a portion of Medicare reimbursement for hospitals. physicians. health plans. renal dialysis facilities. and home health agencies to the quality of care provided in these settings. Payment for these providers. as well as for Skilled Nursing Facilities. would also be linked to reporting data on quality of care and. after the first year of the. program. to making this data available to the public. . The Medicare ValueBased Purchasing program would begin paying for value in the health care systemgood care. better patient outcomes. evidencebased medicine. and increased transparency. We have. learned a lot from programs such as this that have begun on a smaller scale in the private sector. and we hope that taking this step forward in Medicare will drive the entire health care system toward a system of highquality. highvalue health care. But designing a program like this one is not easy. and I want to be clear on this point: I dont believe Congress should determine how the quality of health care is measured. That is why my bill sdts up a system of stakeholder involvement at every step in the development and implementation of a Quality Measurement System for Medicarein determining what measures of health care quality are appropriate for each provider group. in implementing a system of data collectiop and analysis. and in updating the measurement system in accordance with changing science. Providers. payers. patients. and many other groups are the key experts who should be involved in the details of a health care quality systemnot Congress. But it is our job to lay out some of the parameters for the system. and to .provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the authority to follow them and create this new program. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12007}
{"speech_id":1090052745,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing the Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction Act of 2005. This legislation. commonly known as Kevins Law. is dedicated to the memory of 2yearold Kevin Kowalcyk. who died in 2001 after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. \"coli 0157:H7 bacteria. Passage of this bill is vital because on December 6. 2001. the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld and expanded an earlier District Court decision that removes the Department of Agricultures authority to enforce its Pathogen Performance Standard for Salmonella. The 5th Circuits decision in Supreme Beef v. USDA seriously undermines the strong food safety improvements adopted by USDA in its 1996 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and Pathogen Reduction (HACCP) rule. In 2003. there was another court case that calls into question USDAs authority to enforce basic sanitation standards. A company called Nebraska Beef sued USDA after the Department tried to shut down the plant for numerous sanitation violations. USDA settled the case because it feared losing yet again in court and having another vital piece of its authority struck down. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1457}
{"speech_id":1090052745,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the 5th Circuits opinion in the Supreme Beef case and the settlement in the Nebraska Beef case. today. there is nothing USDA could do to shut down a meat grinding plant that insists on using lowquality. potentially contaminated trimmings. These decisions seriously undermine the new meat and poultry inspection system.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1457}
{"speech_id":1090052755,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am proud to join Senator ALEXANDER in introducing this legislation authorizing Teach for America to recruit. select. train. and support its national teacher corps in underserved communities. This bill comes at a crucial time. Federal law now requires more from our teachers. yet we have dwindling resources to draw from. Many local education agencies are finding themselves having to supplement their teacher corps. Clark County. NV. is the fifth largest school district in the Nationin the fastest growing State. As one can only imagine. the influx of new residents has an incredible impact on our public works. especially our schools. Clark Countys outgoing superintendent told me that the district spends close to $1 million annually for teacher recruitment efforts across the country. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090052755,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clark County School District has made great strides in its commitment to reversing the trend of sagging high school graduation rates and college attendance by hiring nearly 2.000 new teachers a year to fill its classrooms. But. last year. the school district did something that several other urban and rural districts around the country did: they partnered with Teach for America in order to augment their qualified teaching staffs. Founded by Wendy Kopp. who conceived the idea for the program in her sefltior thesis at Princeton. Teach for America recruits some of the Nations best college graduates to become teachers in lowperforming urban or rural school districts for 2 years. From the 500 college graduates who began teaching in its inaugural year. Teach for America has grown to more than 3.100 corps members teaching in 21 regions across the country. Indeed. this highly selective programin which only 2.000 out of 16.000 applicants were accepted in 2003has a powerful impact on the communities in which it serves. This legislation authorizes Teach for America to receive $25 million to execute several activities related to teacher readiness. recruitment. and placement. Reports are also required. citing the progress of the Teach for America corps members. I would not be Senator if it had not been for a couple of dedicated teachers. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090052755,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One teacher was Ms. Dorothy Robinson. Ms. Robinson pulled me out of class one day and said. \"Harry. Ive watched your progress and I really think you should go to college and become a lawyer.\" I said. \"OK.\" and went back to class. That is why I have dedicated myself at the Federal level to ensure that Teach for America and Clark County have the resources they need to continue this partnership.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090052757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday. July 12. 2005 at 3 p.m.. in Room SD366. of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 49. to establish a joint FederalState Floodplain and Erosion Mitigation Commission for the State of Alaska. S. 247. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the planning. design. and construction of the Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation Project in Deschutes County. OR. S. 648. to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to extend the authority for drought assistance. S. 819. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to reallocate costs of the Pactola Dam and Reservoir. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1677}
{"speech_id":1090052757,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SD. to reflect increased demands for municipal. industrial. and fish and wildlife purposes. S. 891. to extend the water service contract for the Ainsworth Unit. Sandhills Division. PickSloan Missouri Basin Program. NE. and S. 1338. to require the Secretary of the Interior. acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey. to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska. and for other purposes. . Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee .on Energy and Natural Resources. United States Senate. Washington. DC 205106150.","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1677}
{"speech_id":1090052773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Immigration. Border Security and Citizenship be authbrized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"The Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Securing the Cooperation of Participating Countries\" on Thursday June 30. 2005. at 2:30 p.m. in SD226. Witness List: Panel I: The Honorable Andres Rozental. Former Mexican Ambassador at Large. President. Rozental & Associados. Mexico City. Mexico. and Roberta Clariond. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":553}
{"speech_id":1090052773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Professor. Instituto Tecnologico Antonomo de Mexico (ITAM). Mexico City. Mexico.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":553}
{"speech_id":1090052877,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the third time I have come to the Senate floor to speak about the nomination of John Bolton to be the next ambassador to the United Nations. It is particularly apropos because the Senate is on the eve of going into the Fourth of July recess. The. record before the Senate documents the allegations related to Mr. Boltons lack of interpersonal skills and management style. the pattern of intimidation with intelligence analysts. and the allegations that Mr. Bolton had a habit of cherrypicking in- In Iraq. the deaths of over 1.700 telligence to suit his perception of the Americans and the injuries borne by alworld and his ideology. most 13.000 Americans bear witness to The record has also documented Mr. this sacrifice. But the fact is. we have Boltons tendency to stray off message to do a better job of getting our mesin a manner that could harm U.S. in- sage out. 6 terests and his need for supervision Our President. who made an outfrom higher authorities to prevent him standing case for our need to stay the from hurting U.S. objectives. The course in Iraq the other night. has statrecord documents the fact that I was ed on a number of occasions that we given assurances by the Secretary of need to improve our public diplomacy. State. Condoleezza Rice. that Mr. and he has been very successful in Bolton would be supervised closely in pushing forward that agenda in recent his new position at the U.N. Because of months. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8144}
{"speech_id":1090052877,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As I mentioned before. the these concernsand according to other President has nominated Karen Hughes Members of the Senate. they were to head up his public diplomacy efforts given the same assurancesthe ques- at the State Department. undertion we all have to ask is. Why would standing that it is going to take a talwe send someone to the United Nations ented individual to get the job done. He who needs supervision? has also been very successful in I did not come to the floor today to strengthening relationships with key repeat the record. although these allies in the last several months. issues are very important to our deci The President has been very clear sion to confirm Mr. Bolton as our next about the importance of diplomacy in ambassador to the United Nations. I dealing with the world and the most came to the floor to talk about why pesing nioa ecrit issue Dur.this nomination isparticularly unique pressing national security issues. Durand why it is particularly important at ing the Presidents May 31 press conthis time in history that we send the ference at the White House. just a right candidate to the United Nations. month ago. he stated: The nominee that we send to the U.N. The best way to solve any difficult situato be the face of the United States to tion is through diplomacy. the world community must be able to In response to questions about Iran. advance our objectives through diplo- the President stated that U.S. policy is macy and improve the worlds opinion to let diplomacy work its way and to of the United States at this critical solve the problem with diplomacy. time. Americas image is in trouble. working with the EU3. France. Great World opinion is increasingly negative Britain. and Germany. when it comes to the United States. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8144}
{"speech_id":1090052877,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It In response to questions about North is not limited to Muslim countries. Korea. the President said: Polls of traditional allies and nonallies We want diplomacy to work. reveal a dangerous rise in negative Repeating: opinion since the beginning of the con- We want diplomacy to be given a chance to flict in Iraq. The Associated Press re- work. ported that. the popularity of the. And that is exactly the position of United States in many countries. in- the Government. cluding many in Europe. is lagging be- Based on these statements. there is hind even Communist China. no doubt that U.S. national security According to the Pew Research Cen- strategy is going to rely on diplomacy ter for the People and the Press. about for the months ahead. and our ambastwothirds of Britain. 65 percent. saw sador to the United Nations must have China favorably compared with 55 per- tile ability to implement this Presicent who held a positive view of the dential strategy. United States. It is easy to understand I recently spoke with Comptroller why our friend. British Prime Minister General David Walker who heads the Tony Blair. lost 30 seats in the Par- Government Accountability Office and liament. is an expert on change in governmental The 9\/11 Commission made this point organizations and how one achieVes rein its report that negative opinions of form in a governmental organization. the United States have a serious im- He said that in order to be successful pact on U.S. national security objec- on reform. you need someone who retives. The report stated that winning spects the institution to be reformed hearts and minds through public diplo- and who is respected by the institumacy is just as critical to the war on tion. terrorism as other tools. such as mili- In a March 2005 article in the Los Antary assets and intelligence. I know I geles Times. it was reported that Mr. am not the only American who is dis- Bolton was asked why he opposed offerturbed by these numbers. The allega- ing incentives to North Korea to abantions and the criticism do not reflect don its nuclear weapons program. the facts and are in no way fair to the Mr. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8144}
{"speech_id":1090052877,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bolton stated. \"I dont do carUnited States of America. Our country rots.\" is a decent. generous country that has Any competent diplomat knows you sacrificed a great deal for our brothers need both a carrot and a stick to be and sisters throughout the world. Our successful. One would assume by that men and women have sacrificed their statement that Mr. Boltons mode of lives in many wars and peacekeeping diplomacy is solely through carrying a operations so that others could be free big stick. from oppression and free to pursue hap- I will read a few quotes of many Mr. piness. Bolton has spoken over the years: . Theres no such thing as the United Nations. If the U.N. Secretary Building in New York lost 10 stories. it wouldnt make a difference. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8144}
{"speech_id":1090052877,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Not only do I not care about losing the General Assembly vote. but actually see it as a \"make my day\" outcome. Most recently. in answering a question from Juan Williams from National Public Radio. Mr. Bolton said: If I were redoing the Security Council today. Id have one permanent member because thats the real reflection of the distribution of power in the world. Mr. Williams queried: And that one member would be. John Bolton? Mr. Bolton responded: The United States. This is not a man who is perceived to respect the U.N. and who will be respected by the institution if he goes there. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8144}
{"speech_id":1090052892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senafe Appropriations Committee this week took an important step. That step was in providing $275 million to the Child Survival and Maternity Health Programs. I congratulate the full committee for this work. I also congratulate the subcommittee. chaired by Senator MCCONNELL. and Ranking Member LEAHY. for the bill they reported which contained this money. I want to use this occasion and the passage of this billin the future. it will be coming to the Senate floor with this languageto share some important statistics about child and maternal mortality. It is so very important that we understand what this money can do. I am often hesitant to recite statistics on the floor of the Senate because when you hear them repeatedly. it is all too easy to become numb to statistics. to forget the human realities that they do. in fact. represent. It is important for all of us and for the American people to listen to some of these statistics because they are so unbelievable and so tragic and because they do represent human lives. These are lives that can be saved. lives that can be saved by making resources available to developing countries and people who are in such great need. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4110}
{"speech_id":1090052892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me recite some of these statistics. Today. over 10 million children under the age of 5 die each year from preventable and treatable diseases and ailments. These include diarrhea. pneumonia. measles. and. yes. malnutrition. It is an unbelievable figure. Of those 10 million deaths worldwide. 3.9 million occur in the first 28 days of life. These babies dont even have a shot at getting as old as 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. Yet twothirds of these deaths could be prevented if available and affordable intervention had reached the children and their mothers who need them. Malnutrition contributes to 54 percent of all childhood deaths. As many as 3 million children die annually as a result of vitamin A deficiency. An estimated 400.000 cases of childhood blindness are reported each year. children who are condemned to going about their lives blind. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4110}
{"speech_id":1090052892,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are preventable. Of the 130 million babies born each year. about 4 million die in the first 4 weeks of life. In poor communities many babies who die are unnamed. unrecorded. indicating the perceived inevitability of their deaths. Four hundred fifty newborn children die every hour. mainly from preventable causes. According to World Health Organization estimates. over 4.4 million children died from vaccinepreventable diseases in 2001. diseases such as hepatitis. polio. and tetanus. Of all the vaccinepreventable diseases. measles remain the leading childhood killer. claiming the lives of 745.000 children. more than half of them in Africa. Such staggering numbers of children dying from preventable diseases is unacceptable. It is up to usthe Congress. the Senate. people in the developed world. the United States. around the worldto change this tragic human reality. We have an obligation to make this change because we have the knowhow. we have the resources to prevent these deaths. The Lancet. a British medical journal which ran a series of articles last year about child survival. just published a new study indicating that the lives of an estimated 6 million children could be saved for as little as $1.23 per child. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4110}
{"speech_id":1090052892,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yes. for as little as $1.23 per child in the 42 countries with the highest rates of child mortality. 23 lifesaving interventions could be made universally available. These interventions. many of them as basic as vitamin A or zinc supplements. are critical to preventing the deaths of millions of children. The full Appropriations Committee has agreed to provide this $275 million for child survival in the Foreign Operations bill. This is very significant. It is an important step in our efforts to improve the health of children around the world. This funding will save lives. I urge my colleagues to support this funding level when the bill comes to the floor. I urge my colleagues. when the bill then goes to conference committee. to keep this funding in that bill as well. . I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4110}
{"speech_id":1090052916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the United States has a long history of creativity and innovation when it comes to energy. But. somehow we cannot seem to break away from our dependency on foreign oil as the dominant energy source. It is clear that we must S7900 CO begin a new chapter for energy use as we begin the 21st century through new sources and new means of both generating and saving energy. in particular. for the energy security of our Nation. I am pleased that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 at least starts us down this path. The bipartisan bill passed by the Senate this week attempts to look broadly at our energy needs and at new technologies. Innovation has been the bedrock of this nations economic growth and it will be essential once again in transforming the way energy is produced and consumed. not only in the United States but around the world. Fuel cell technology is just one example of this ingenuityoffering a clean. secure. efficiefit. distributed and dependable source of energy. I am pleased that the LiebermanSnowe fuel cell bill is part of the overall bill as it should be part of our national energy strategy. New sources of energy and energy efficienciescan and must be developed and launched in the marketplace for the benefit of both our own national security as well as the American consumer. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3074}
{"speech_id":1090052916,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At the same time. conservation. and decreased energy consumption through greater energy efficiencies are also a necessity. I am particularly pleased that the bill contains a number of energy efficiency tax incentives I have championed that will benefit. my state of Maine as well as the rest of the nation. Specifically. this bill provides important tax incentives for the construction of energy efficient commercial buildings. and renovation of old existing buildingsincluding schools and other public buildings--as well as residential buildings that produce a 50 percent reduction in energy costs to the owner or tenantas compared to a national model code that was part of S. 680. Efficient Energy Through Certified Technologies and Electricity Reliability. or EFFECTER. Act that I have introduced with Senators FEINSTEIN. MCCAIN. and DURBIN. The bill also contains a tax credit for new energyefficient homes that save as much as 30 to 50 percent of the heating and cooling energy costs. as well as tax credits for efficient heating. cooling and water heating equipmentincluding air conditionersthat reduce consumer energy costs. Notably. these incentives are based on performance. not cost. in order to foster competition between suppliers of different technologies to produce products that meet the proposed target and conserve the most energy. And we know that competition will not only improve these technologies. but help make them more widely available. The bill also extends the section 45 tax credit for electricity production from renewable sources. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3074}
{"speech_id":1090052916,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the JOBS bill enacted last fall. this credit was modified to allow categories of waste materials from forestrelated activitiesbiomass. which is a critical industry in Maineto qualify. This has been","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3074}
{"speech_id":1090052949,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that with respect to H.R. 6. the Energy bill. the Senate insist on its amendment. request a conference with the House. and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate with an 8to6 ratio.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090052969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today in support of S. 39. the National Ocean Exploration Program Act. As a cosponsor of S. 39. I join my good friend Chairman. STEVENS in supporting an enhanced national effort to explore our oceans. as was strongly recommended by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. The oceans cover nearly threequarters of the Earths surface and contain a diversity of life which greatly exceeds that found in terrestrial systems. and yet our oceans remain poorly understood. I therefore commend my friend. Chairman STEVENS. for his initiative in this area and thank Senators SNOWE.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":576}
{"speech_id":1090053096,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution authored by the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman HYDE) which brings the largely untold story to the attention of the American people. as well as to the international community. of the continued involvement of the North Korean regime in the kidnapping of thousands of innocent people. These abductions began more than half a century ago according to a survey of the Korean National Red Cross. which documented the kidnappings of over 7.000 South Koreans during the Korean War. Those abducted represent a wide crosssection of society from both South Korea and Japan: film producers and fishermen. housewives and ministers. airline attendants and university students. mothers and even children. North Korean agents did not discriminate in their cold and calculated selection of potential victims. Cases through the years include the 1977 abduction of a 13yearold Japanese girl by North Korean frogmen who came ashore in her country. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4175}
{"speech_id":1090053096,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As recently as August of 2004. a former North Korean. now a South Korean. passport holder. was reported by her husband as having been kidnapped in China by agents of North Korea. Officially sanctioned kidnapping represents horrific behavior. and it raises the question as to whether abduction should be cited as terrorist activity. Should Pyongyang remain on the State Departments list of state sponsors of terrorism because of regime collusion in such reprehensible activity? The kidnapping and subsequent murder in Pakistan of American journalist Daniel Pearl in the months following the attacks of September 11 seems to have answered that question once and for all. Organized kidnapping does constitute an act of terrorism. The fact that Pyongyang has conspired with the Japanese Red Army. a designated terrorist organization. is a clear indication of its own connection to terrorist activities. The United States and other allies who fought together in the Korean War under the banner of the United Nations have a direct interest in the forced detention of certain individuals by the North Korean regime. Those detained include. according to a South Korean Ministry of National Defense estimate. over 500 South Korean prisoners of war held over half a century. against their will and in violation of the 1953 Korean War Armistice agreement. The fact that they had been held for more than 50 years in horrific conditions that include forced labor is of deep concern to both Congress and the people of the United States. Those kidnapped also include a South Korean citizen who was then a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. as well as a South Korean missionary who is a spouse of a resident of the State of Illinois. Those cases are of direct concern to Members of Congress. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4175}
{"speech_id":1090053096,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we all recognize that resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula is of critical importance. We welcome Pyongyangs decision announced over the weekend to return to the SixParty Talks later this month as a first step back from the brink. Let us hope this leads to concrete progress. North Korea has asked for signs of respect from the United States in connection with its decision to return to the negotiating table in Beijing. However. the North Korean regime must recognize that in order to win the respect that it craves from the United States and the international community. it must begin to behave in acceptable ways. Continued gross human rights violations. includingthe abductions of persons from South Korea. Japan and other countries. are absolutely deplorable and will only bring additional dishonor to the North Korean regime. and certainly they are not means for winning the respect and acceptance by the international community. Pyongyang should immediately cease and desist from carrying out abductions. release all victims of kidnappings and prisoners of war still alive in North Korea. and provide a full and verifiable accounting of all other cases. Only then can a reformed North Korea take its place as a full member in the community of nations. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4175}
{"speech_id":1090053147,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the London bombings were indeed tragic. They bring us back to what really matters. We saw the resolve of the British people after the attack. Life would go on. Here in America. we have been so deeply blessed. and just as the words above the Speakers head say. in God we do trust. I have been reminded today why we do what we do. why we try to make a difference. why we push on and try to make this a better place. There are 144 members of my church. my youth choir and sponsors. that have come in today. and with the vitality. the youth. the enthusiasm. the wanting to make a difference. it lifts me up. and I would encourage all of you to be lifted up by the hope that springs eternal in their breasts. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090053147,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"God has blessed America. and with the youth and vitality as demonstrated in Green Acres Baptist Church. I know that we will in the future be blessed by God.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090053164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. so much for President Bushs claim that we are fighting the terrorists in Iraq so that we do not have to fight them at home. The recent tragic terrorist attacks in London disproved that flawed theory. On its very face. the notion that we are fighting the terrorists in Iraq so we do not have to fight them at home is absolutely absurd. For one thing. anyone who thinks the threat of terrorism is not a multipronged threat is kidding himself or herself. That is why it is called global terrorism in the first place. Because the terrorists have the capacity and the will to strike anywhere any time. As we strive to prevent terrorism in the Western world. we must not forget the terrorism that takes the lives of innocent Iraqis on a daily basis. And we must not forget the terrorism in Iraq is. for the most part. of our very own creation. Despite claims from the White House. there is simply no evidence to support the idea that the Iraq insurgency had ties to international terrorist organizations like al Qaeda before the United States invaded. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4239}
{"speech_id":1090053164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sure. al Qaeda is doing its best to align the Iraq insurgents now. but would that have happened if the U.S. had not invaded Iraq in 2003? It is clear that the Presidents notion of taking the fight to the terrorists instead of letting them take the fight to the U.S. is yet another example of the Bush administration twisting public perception to portray the war in Iraq as linked to 9\/11. The truth is that no such link exists. Logic such as this damages our credibility with other nations and hampers our ability to address the truth with facts in the first place. It is clear that the war in Iraq hurts our efforts to combat terrorism in several ways: First. by draining personnel and resources and next by engaging in policies that give the Iraqi people a reason. a legitimate reason for anger aimed at the United States. With the United States appearing as an occupier and with our troops blamed for destroying Iraqi communities and harming innocent people. the Iraqi people are becoming our enemy and many are joining the insurgency. We have already spent over $200 billion on this war. And with $9 billion of this lost by the Coalition Provisional Authority. and worse. nearly 2.000 American soldiers have been killed. and dozens more are being killed by insurgent attacks every single week. while another 15.000 soldiers have been gravely injured and thousands and thousands of innocent Iraqis are gone. What do we have to show for these devastating losses? What has been accomplished? Very little. I am sad to say. Despite the thousands of deaths and injuries. and the billions of dollars spent. the United States has failed to make Iraq secure. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4239}
{"speech_id":1090053164,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have failed to stabilize the Middle East. And as the London bombings demonstrated. we have failed to prevent the terrorists from striking Western cities. The London attacks could have just as easily been New York or Washington. D.C. or -San Francisco. so it is not just that we failed in Iraq. This failure has corresponded with failures to secure the U.S. right here at home. It is time for the United States to begin the process to bring our brave men and women home from Iraq. By beginning this process. we will not only give the Iraqi people the opportunity to move forward. we will also save the liveg of countless American soldiers. and we will free up our resources for protecting Americans right here. at home. which is in line with the SMART Security approach. SMART is a security platform that I have introduced in Congress to provide a Sensible Multilateral American Response to Terrorism. SMART emphasizes homeland security. and instead of aggressively throwing our military weight around the globe. SMART depends on diplomacy and good international relations. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4239}
{"speech_id":1090053164,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is clear that the war in Iraq has not made the United States safer. but actually less safe. Ending the war and giving Iraq back to the Iraqi people. who went to the polls to take control of their own country. will be a great first step in preventing future terrorism. Ending the war will help protect our Nation. We are already 2 years behind time in making this happen. 2 years too late. Let U.S. start catching up. Let the U.S. start now. E 1945","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4239}
{"speech_id":1090053172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last year. during the 2004 election season. the Republican leader. the gentleman from Texas . the most powerful Republican in the Congress. in the House or Senate. promised that this Congress would vote up or down on the Central American Free Trade Agreement. December 31 rolled around. and there was no vote. Majority Leader DELAY again promised earlier this year there would be a vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement by Memorial .Day. Memorial Day came and went. and there was no vote. Majority Leader DELAY. again the most powerful Republican member of this body or the other body. again promised there would be a vote on CAFTA. the Central American Free Trade Agreement. and he promised it prior to the July 4th break. Again. July 4th came and went. and there was no vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Now. the gentleman from Texas says there will be a vote before the end of July up or down on the Central American Free Trade Agreement. There is a reason that Congress did not vote on it by Decimber 31. did not vote on it by Memorial Day. did not vote on it by July 4th. and still has not scheduled it for a vote even this month. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090053172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is because there is strong bipartisan opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. It is Democrats on this side and Republicans on that side. It is business leaders. small business leaders especially. and labor unions. It is religious leaders. The Catholic bishops in Central America and other religious leaders. Lutherans. all kinds of Protestants. Catholics and Jewish groups. all kinds of religious groups in America that oppose this. Environmentalists. food safety advocates and people who think the Central American Free Trade Agreement is not working and does not work for the United States of America and does not work for the five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. they understand we do not want this CAFTA. We want a new CAFTA. We want to renegotiate CAFTA so it will work for small farmers and ranchers. for small manufacturers in my State of Ohio. in Cincinnati and Dayton and Portsmouth and Chilicothe. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090053172,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They understand that this was a trade agreement that was negotiated by a select few for a select few. Sure. Mr. Speaker. there are people that support the Central American Free Trade Agreement. in addition to Majority Leader DELAY and President Bush. The pharmaceutical companies love this agreement because they helped to negotiate it. As I said. it was crafted by a select few for a select few. and the drug industry is one of the select few. The insurance industry loves CAFTA. Again. it was crafted by a select few. the insurance industry and a few others. for a select few. The banks and the other financial institutions love CAFTA. -It was negotiated by a select few. and they were at the table. for a select few. for them and a few others. The largest corporations in the country. many of them like CAFTA because it was negotiated by a select few for a select few. not for small manufacturers in Akron. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090053172,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ohio. not for small manufacturers in Steubdnville. Ohio. but for large corporations that can move their production overseas and exploit cheap labor. When you think about it. the major reason that Americans are opposed to the Central American Free Trade Agreement in every poll you look at and that a majority Members of Congress are against CAFTA is. look what has happened with our trade policy in the last 15 years. Mr. Speaker. I am joined by my colleague. the gentleman from New Jersey","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3530}
{"speech_id":1090053175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my dear colleague the gentleman from Ohio who has brought us together this evening to discuss the pending vote on CAFTA. godchild of NAFTA. and my dear friend the gentleman from New Jersey who has been such a leader on all economic concerns that face our country. and indeed they are daunting. this one among them. As I listened to the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from Ohio discuss this pending CAFTA vote. I could not help but think NAFTA. In a bullet. 1 million lost jobs for our country. of jobs all over this country. Ohio. New Jersey. California. Oregon. The list goes on and on. I think Ross Perot talked about the great sucking sound 10 years ago. and we certainly have seen that. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9370}
{"speech_id":1090053175,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is going to be the last few inches left in the tub. are going to go down to Central America now on this continent. I usually talk about the economic dimension of NAFTA and CAFTA. but tonight for just a brief moment I wanted to talk a little bit about the political issues involved. most importantly freedom. If Americas goal really is to export products. that is a good secondary goal. The first goal ought to be exporting freedom .and finding a way to make sure that any agreement that we enter into advances the cause of freedom globally. If we look at NAFTA as a model of what happened economically. this chart very clearly demonstrates every single year since NAFTAs sign.ing. we have moved into greater and greater job loss and greater movement of the deficit with Mexico as well as Canada. So it is negative. negative. negative. negative in exponential proportions. This is just an example in the automotive industry postNAFTA. We had many more cars coming into our country from Mexico than exports going out. So it is pretty clear what it did economically. But politically. we ask ourselves. will CAFTA support growing democracy in Central America? Will we export freedom first? Do we consider trade more important than freedom? This agreement is going to undermine democracy in our neighboring Central American countries. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9370}
{"speech_id":1090053175,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Central America without question faces serious challenges in the consolidation of democracy and the protection of human rights. Peace accords in some of the countries that the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from Ohio have been talking about tonight. peace accords in El Salvador and Guatemala and the end of the Contra war in Nicaragua signaled the beginning of a hopeful era for Central America. but the implementation of reforms there has been incomplete. and many democratic institutions remain weak. Increasing political violence. in Guatemala in particular. is a grave reminder that the conflict of previous decades has not been laid to rest. Just last week in another country. as high school and college students in El Salvador protested an increase in bus fare. Salvadoran riot police attacked the protesters. seriously injuring and detaining high school students. Riot police followed students as they retreated inside the gates of the university. setting off bombs of tear gas at them and opening fire on the students with what they claim were safe bullets. Four high school students were hospitalized. and others were arrested. To even try to freely assemble in these countries is met with great resistance. Still. civil society in Central America struggles to gain voice. and hundreds of thousands of small farmers. workers. women and young people have gathered in these countries to protest this CAFTA agreement as not contributing to the advancement of freedom in those nations. In recent months. there have been 10 significant protests in Guatemala. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9370}
{"speech_id":1090053175,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You have to be very courageous to demonstrate there. Thirteen in El Salvador. Twelve protests in Honduras. Six protests in Nicaragua. Seven in Costa Rica. They have ranged in attendance from 10.000 to 250.000 people. The people of these countries are saying: United States. pay attention. This agreement will not help us. Hear our voices. Still. their voices are ignored by their own legislatures. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9370}
{"speech_id":1090053175,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are doing this in order to try to get our attention.. CAFTA passed under very undemocratic procedures in Honduras and Guatemala and El Salvador. with an early morning surprise vote in Honduras. we had parliamentarians from Honduras who just came here and told us that. and an emergency session in the Congress in Guatemala because. if they had considered it under regular order. it simply would not have passed. The public would have come into those chambers. They would have stood around the buildings and made their voices heard. Not only does CAFTA do nothing to promote democracy among our neighbors. but in fact. it undermines democratic processes here at home. For example. GAFTAs chapter 10 undermines our ability to uphold our living standards because. under this proposed agreement. corporations have the right to sue a government directly if they feel their ability to earn a profit has been undermined. for example. by a public health law or regulation. Is safe drinking water not important? Not having streams polluted. is that not important? CAFTAs chapter 10. which is modeled on NAFTAs investor right provisions. goes way beyond the rights granted to U.S. companies in the law. Under NAFTAs rules. indirect expropriation and loss of future profits constitute grounds for a NAFTA case. These rules have been reproduced in CAFTA. and they threaten a wide array of legitimate public health and environmental protections. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9370}
{"speech_id":1090053179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to compliment the gentleman for his passion and for placing the net result of the architecture of NAFTA and all succeedifig agreements that follow in its path like this proposed CAFTA because what we see is a system. an economic system. that is really very cruel. foisted upon societies that do not have the legal system nor the financial system nor the political systems to really allow the voices of the people to be heard in their chambers of government. In Mexico. after peoples wages were cut by 40 percent. the value of their buying power down by 40 percent postNAFTA. nearly 2 million people in the countryside thrown off their land. what happened there. they got so angry. there have been protests in Mexico City of a million people. A million people. That is three times as many people as live in the major city that I represent. They could not have their voices heard any other way. There was a group of farmers that got on their horses from the different states in northern Mexico and central Mexico. They literally rode into the parliament to try to say stop it. this is hurting us too much. That is about all they can do to make their voices heard unless they can change over their government. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090053179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They come here and say to us. America. do you not realize what you are doing to us. whom you are in partnership with? They are begging us to help them improve their societies. Do we not have the greatness as a Nation that believes in freedom and the liberty for all people that we would use our powers. political. economic. moral. whatever they might be. to help these poor people? What is wrong with us? We have been hurt ourselves greatly by our jobs moving to Mexico and other places. We know how tough it is.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090053199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida for allowing me this time and for doing this very important event to redognize the freedom that women have obtained because of the United States and the United. States policy with the world and the sacrifice of American troops. History will record the devil deeds of Saddam Hussein. the tyrant of the desert. especially his crimes against his own people. the women of Iraq. They cry out from their unmarked graves across the wastelands created by Saddam Hussein in the desert sands. Those women were raped and tortured. Some were beheaded in the presence of their own families. and after they were murdered. their bodieg were abused. But on January 30. 2005. the women of Iraq spoke out for the living and for the dead. It was their chance to be a part of something that never before ever happened in that part of the world. a free election. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4612}
{"speech_id":1090053199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The world. civilization. began between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Those civilizations have always had a form of government other than a democracy. They have had monarchies. dictatorships. tyrants. but never a democracy. I was privileged to be in Iraq on January 30. along with the gentleman from Connecticut . The two of us were there to witness this first free election. The skeptics. the critics. they said it would never happen. that the Iraqi people did not understand democracy. that they would not vote. they would not show up. that they were intimidated by the terrorists. Well. the sceptics. the critics. the cynics. were wrong yet again. Having been in Baghdad and Fallujah and other parts of northern Iraq. I went to those polling places. and when dawn came. the whole country was shut down to vehicular traffic. But. slowly and surely and defiantly. the Iraqi people walked to the polls. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4612}
{"speech_id":1090053199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They took their families. they took their relatives. their neighbors. They were threatened that. if they voted. they would be killed. and. sure enough. 57 of them were murdered on election day going to or from the polls. One lady. was murdered with her 8yearold son as she left a voting place in northern Iraq. a school. Almost 300 others were wounded because they decided to exercise the right to be free and vote for their own rulers. But yet they voted. in spite of the intimidation. There was almost 60 percent voter turnout on that glorious election day. \"freedom day\" for the Iraqi people. The insurgents tried to intimidate. They tried to harm. they tried to murder those people. but they voted anyway. and. after they voted. they stayed around the polling places to watch this event. They took photographs of family members voting. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4612}
{"speech_id":1090053199,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then. when they would leave the election polling booths. they would walk down the street with that right forefinger. inkstained. held high in the air defiant to those terrorists. because the terrorists said. even with that marking. that would mark them to be murdered later. Yet they did not care. because freedom was more important to them. I talked to many Iraqis that day through an interpreter. and I remember one senior citizen. she was a seniorsenior citizen. an Iraqi lady. and she told me through an interpreter that she had lost her son to the murderous Saddam Hussein. and she wanted to thank. me for the sacrifice. of our sons and daughters. American sons and daughters. that they had made it that she and her other Iraqi friends could vote that day. American troops are spreading liberty and freedom. They are liberating enslaved peoples. The best ambassadors for freedom that we have in the United States are gur young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan liberating those enslaved people. You know. the critics that say we should cut and run from Iraq now should remember that freedom has always cost. It has always cost all people who want to be free. And people in Iraq are free and are fighting continuously for this liberty because of Americans. .I hope we all appreciate the sacrifice our troops are making and understand that they have done more for freedom and dignity. the freedom and dignity especially of women. than any signcarrying protester. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4612}
{"speech_id":1090053199,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We should just ask those noble and brave Iraqi women that held their fingers high. My grandmother used to say. who was really the most influential person in \"my life. that there is nothing more powerful than a woman that has made up her mind. And I think we have seen in the Iraqi women. and I saw personally. that they have made up their mind to be free. that they will not be enslaved and abused or neglected any longer. And it is all because the United Statesbelieves in freedom for all people.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4612}
{"speech_id":1090053214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I would like to express appreciation to the gentleman from New Jersey for his very eloquent and passionate words concerning something that I am angry about. Madam Speaker. I have grandsons .who are growing up now in this country who I do not want to be negatively impressed by these kinds of stereotypes. I do not want my children or my childrens children or anyones children to be subjected to this kind of insult. This is outrageous. Madam Speaker. this is not just a caricature. For many people around the world it is a belief. and those of us who are sensitive and those of us who are impacted would like to erase this as a belief. Some day. caricatures like this will not matter. We will have dealt finally with this bogeyman race. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1517}
{"speech_id":1090053214,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But this is not that day. Some day. Little Black Sambo will not matter. We will look back and laugh at it. But today is not that day. A recent appointee to the D.C. Circuit has said that using the \"N\" word. even in a workplace when discrimination is also an issue. is protected speech. I think that is very dangerous. Now. some day. using the \"N\" word will not matter. But today is not that day. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1517}
{"speech_id":1090053214,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some day. the president of Mexico will be outraged that something like this ever took place. But this is not that day. Some day. a call for racial sensitivity in this body will not be needed. But today is not that day. Some day. the country of Mexico will have a President who respects the citizens of the entire world. But. sadly. Madam Speaker. today is not that day.","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1517}
{"speech_id":1090053316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on Monday. July 11. 2005. I testified before the Base Closure and Realignment Commission regional hearing in San Antonio. TX. regarding Department of Defense recommended changes to military installations in Arkansas and Texas. Therefore. I was absent during vote No. 173 on the Senate Resolution condemning the terrorist attacks in London on July 7 and expressing sympathy for the victims. their families and the people of the United Kingdom. Had I been present. I would have voted yea in support of this resolution.*","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":532}
{"speech_id":1090053357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a community in North Dakota that is celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 8.10. the residents of Lankin. ND. celebrated their communitys history and founding. Lankin is a small town in the northeast part of North Dakota. Despite its small size. Lankin holds an important place in North Dakotas history. The site was originally named \"Young\" for G.W. Young. a Park River lawyer and former teacher. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090053357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He established the post office on April 7. 1898. and John Matajeck became the first postmaster. The name was changed to Lankin on .July 27. 1905. when John Lankin became postmaster and the townsite was established on the Soo Line Railroad. Lankin was officially incorporated as a village in 1908. Among the towns residents were Jack McDonald. a trumpet player with Philip Sousas famous band and Herman Witasek. a member of Lankins 1930 State Class C High School basketball champions. who is considered to be North Dakotas first professional player of the sport. Today Lankin is a delightful community in which to live and work. Lankin is home to a number of businesses. including a grain elevator. post office. bank. restaurant and an American Legion Club. There is also an active volunteer fire department and EMS squad. The community hosted a variety of festivities during its centennial celebration. On Friday. it held an allschool reunion. banquet and dance. Saturday kicked off with a parade and that will be followed by a day of entertainment featuring games. music. a threeonthree basketball tournament and a fireworks display that evening. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090053357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The weekend will close with a church service and picnic on Sunday. I ask the U.S. Senate to join me in congratulating Lankin. ND. and its residents on their first 100 years and in wishing them well through the next century. By honoring Lankin and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the pioneering tradition spirit alive for future generations. It is places such as Lankin that have helped to shape this country into what it is today. which is why Lankin is deserving of our recognition. Lankin has a proud past and a bright future.*","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090053360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to recognize and pay tribute to LTC Lon Pribble. Deputy Chief of the Army Senate Liaison Division. Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison who will retire on 30 August 2005. Lieutenant Colonel Pribbles career spans over 22 years during which he has distinguished himself as a soldier. leader and friend of the U.S. Senate. A native of Kansas. Lieutenant Colonel Pribble graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1983 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Armor Branch of the U.S.Army. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090053360,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During his career he commanded at the platoon and company levels where he ably trained and led Americas soldiers at home and overseas. In Kirchgoens. Germany he commanded D Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Battalion 32nd Armor Regiment. He served in Southwest Asia as an Intelligence and Operations Officer with the 503rd Forward Support.Battalion during Desert Shield\/Desert Storm. Lieutenant Colonel Pribble alsp served in staff and instructor positions in the United States at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin. CA. and the Army Staff Management College at Fort Belvoir. VA. Prior to assuming his current duties he served as a U.S. Army Military fellow for the U.S. Senate and a congressional liaison for the House of Representatives. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090053360,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since January 2003 Lon Pribble has served with distinction as the Deputy Chief. Army Senate Liaison Division where he has superbly represented the Chief of Legislative Liaison. the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Secretary of the Army. as well as promoting the interests of soldiers. their families and civilians of the Army. His professionalism. mature judgment. sage advice and interpersonal skills have earned him the respect and confidence of Members of Congress and congressional staffers with whom he has worked on a multitude of issues. In over 5 years. on Capitol Hill. Lon Pribble has been a true friend of the U.S. Senate and the Congress. Serving as one the Armys primary points of contact for Senators and their staff he has assisted the Congress in understanding Army policies. actions and requirements. As a result he and the Army Senate Liaison staff have been extremely successful in providing prompt. coordinated and factual replies to all inquiries and matters involving Army issues. In addition he has provided invaluable assistance to Members and their staff while planning. coordinating and accompanying Senate delegations on official travel to numerous countries worldwide. His substantive knowledge of the key issues. keen legislative insight and ability to effectively advise senior members of the Army leadership directly contributed to the successful representation of the Armys interests before Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090053360,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Throughout his career. LTC Lon Pribble has demonstrated his profound commitment to our Nation. his selfless service to the Army a deep concern for soldiers and their families and dedication to excellence. Lieutenant Colonel Pribble is a consummate professional whose performance in over 22 years of service has personified those traits of courage. competency and integrity that our Nation has come to expect from its professional Army officers. I ask my. colleagues to join me in thanking Lieutenant Colonel Pribble for his honorable service to the people and the Army of the United States. We wish him and his family Godspeed and all the best in the future.*","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090053366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I am introducing the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined by Senators STEVENS. DODD. WARNER. BURNS. and AKAKA. The Acts purpose is to improve geographic literacy among K12 students in the United States by improving professional development programs for K12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education. The bill also assists States in measuring the impact of education in geography. To begin to understand other people. we need to understand ourselves. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4778}
{"speech_id":1090053366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Eudora Welty said that understanding begins with a sense of place. When we understand our own environment. we can better understand the differences in other places. and the people who live in them. The diversity of cultures. land. and distances between states within our nation is the first evidence we have that a good understanding of geography is necessary. According to the National Geographic Society. home is where the knowledge of geography begins. The 2005 publication. What Works in Geography. reported that elementary school geography instruction significantly improves student achievement. And. the 2002 National GeographicRoper Global Geographic Literacy Survey shows that more than half of American adults best able to read a map had taken a high school geography course. Thats the good news. Unfortunately. other recent studies show us that nearly one third of our elementary schools have reduced the number of geography courses in the last few years. and only 7 percent of our Nations fourth graders are taught by teachers with specific undergraduate or graduate experience in geography. Geography is taught by less than 9 percent of K12 social studies teachers and not even one quarter of high school students graduate with a geography class. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4778}
{"speech_id":1090053366,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To expect that Americans will be able to work economically and diplomatically with the other people in this world. we need to be able to communicate and understand each other. It is a fact that we have a global marketplace. and that will continue to be the case. We need to be preparing our younger generations for global competition and ensuring that they have a strong base to be able to participate in future industry. Geography knowledge improves those job opportunities. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. GDP. thats $2.3 trillion annually. results from international trade. Accord-. ing to the CIA World Factbook of 2005. many U.S. workers need geographic knowledge for this global economy. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed -for U.S. businesses in international markets. For example. the inadvertent placing of Kashmir outside of Indian territory on a time zone map in a widely used computer operating system forced a costly recall. fix. and reissue of the software. A comprehensive geography education provides training in geospatial technologies. such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4778}
{"speech_id":1090053366,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This highgrowth industry is expected to reach $30 billion in annual revenues by the end of 2005. up from $5 billion in 2002. Geospatial technologies are one of the three biggest emerging fields identified by the Department of Labor. and they are providing 75.000 new jobs annually. A strong geographic education system is a necessity for this industrys continuing advancement. Geography literacy is essential to a well prepared citizenry in the 21st Century. Last year. then Secretary of State Colin Powell said. \"To solve most of the major problems facing our county todayfrom wiping out terrorism. to minimizing global environmental problems. to eliminating the scourge of AIDSwill require every young person to learn more about other regions. cultures. and languages.\" We need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students. from kindergarten through high school graduation. are prepared to participate constructively in solving those problems. Over the last 15 years. the National Geographic Society has awarded more than $100 million in grants to educators. universities. geography alliances. and others for the purposes of advancing and improving the teaching of geography. Their models are successful and research shows that students who have benefitted from this teaching out perform other students. State geography alliances exist in 19 States. including Mississippi. endowed by grants from the society. It is clear that their efforts alone are not enough. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4778}
{"speech_id":1090053366,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My bill establishes a Federal commitment to enhance the education of our teachers. focus on geography education research. and develop reliable. advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to invest in geography and I invite other Senators to cosponsor the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. By Mr. MCCAIN:","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4778}
{"speech_id":1090053377,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor the life and achievements of Senator Gaylord Nelson. The people of Wisconsin owe him a debt a gratitude for his years of service to the State. And the Nation owes him honor as the founder of Earth Day and the -driving force behind the way the American people and the world view the environment and environmental conservation. Gaylord Nelson was born the third of four children on June 4. 1916 in Clear Lake. WI. a community of about 700 people in the northwest corner of the State. Nelsons parents were deeply involved in Clear Lake civic activities and his first lessons in political discourse were around his boyhood kitchen table. Those early days were a foundation on which Senator Nelson built a lifetime of public service. Senator Nelson first won elected office in 1948. after 4 years in the military during World War II. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3642}
{"speech_id":1090053377,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He served as a Wisconsin State Senator. Governor. and then as a U.S. Senator for 18 years. As Governor. he fought to preserve Wisconsins forests and wetlands long before those causes became popular nationally. As a Senator. he built on his environmentalist legacy working to protect the Appalachian Trail corridor and to create the national trail system. He fought for consumer protection and was one of only three Senators to vote against the $700 million appropriation that signaled the start of the ground war in Vietnam. However. Gaylord Nelsons greatest gift was his vision of a national day to protect and celebrate our environment. What started out as an idea in the early 1960s blossomed into a national day of observance with an estimated 20 million demonstrators participating in the first Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day is still celebrated. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3642}
{"speech_id":1090053377,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This year 500 million people in 167 countries took part. Earth Day publicized in an unprecedented manner the dangers of poisons in our water and air. pesticides in our drinking water. and chemicals in our soil. Armed with information and a spirit of activism. Americans turned their Earth Day celebrations into a movement pressuring Congress and the President to pass the Clean Air Act. the Clean Water Act. the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. and Superfund legislation. These are the foundation of our environmental law today. and they would not have been possible without the work and vision of Senator Gaylord Nelson. Though Gaylord Nelson left the Senate in 1981. he never stopped working for the Earth and environment. going on to lead the Wilderness Societys important work on environmental conservation. In 1990. he received the Ansel Adams Conservation Award. given to a Federal official who has shown tireless commitment to the cause of conservation and the fostering of an American land ethic. In 1992. the United Nations . Environment Programme presented Gaylord Nelson with the Only One World Award. And in 1995. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3642}
{"speech_id":1090053377,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator Nelson received the Nations highest civilian award: the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On that day. President Clinton proclaimed: \"As the father of Earth Day. he is the grandfather of all that grew out of that event: the Environmental Protection Act. the Clean Air Act. the Clean Water Act. the Safe Drinking Water Act.\" Senator Gaylord Nelson worked not just for our State. or even just our country. His gift was to the Earth and his legacy. a cleaner. healthier world. And though Gaylord is gone. he lives onfor us and into the futurein every clear stream. breath of fresh air and virgin trail. We honor him by thinking as he did. globally and responsibly. We honor him byon every day. not just Earth daytaking seriously our responsibility to the air. land and water that sustain us.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3642}
{"speech_id":1090053392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow. the Senate will resume consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Several amendments are currently pending. including the Collins grant formula amendment. as well as a seconddegree amendment on the same subject matter offered by Senator FEINSTEIN. It is my hope that we will be able to lock in a time agreement with respect to those amendments tomorrow morning. In addition. there is an amendment relating to veterans health funding that we hope to dispose of tomorrow. Chairman GREGG and Senator BYRD will be here tomorrow to work through additional amendments. and Senators who have time to file the amendments and wish to offer them should contact the bill managers. obviously. as soon as possible. Senators should expect rollcall votes throughout the day tomorrow as the Senate continues to make progress on this important piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":890}
{"speech_id":1090053461,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think the assistant Democratic leaders counsel is very appropriate and hopefully will be listened to. The debate we have is a large State\/ small State debate over a formula. This is authorizing language being put on an appropriations bill. which we in the Appropriations Committee try to avoid. As a practical matter. this bill allocates funds. I hope Members will take a look at the allocation we did in this bill because this program has not been authorized. Our theory in this allocation process was to have a threatbased allocation. I feel very strongly that this whole bill has been redirected with the work of Senator BYRDI note that this is his belief alsowe reworked the bill to be a threatbased bill. We did it in the area of border security. weapons of mass destruction. and we did it in the area of this formula. We protected and grandfathered all the States so the States going through upgrades of trying to get their first responder house in order will not see a devastating cut in what they are receiving. Everything over the grandfathered amount essentially moves on the basis of threat. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1429}
{"speech_id":1090053461,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the actual appropriation in the bill falls about halfway between the two theories being put forward here by the competing interests relative to how this formula should be designed on the authorizing side. I just note that for my colleagues edification. At this time. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1429}
{"speech_id":1090053493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I strongly support the Feinstein amendment which is a sensible and vital reform of the way our homeland security dollars are distributed. The 9\/11 Commission wrote in its report that: Homeland security assistance should be based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities. All communities. large and small. need to be prepared for the worst. However. with limited and. frankly. inadequate resources. we have to make choices about how to prioritize homeland security spending. The 9\/11 Commission stated in its report: Federal homeland security assistance should not remain a program for general revenue sharing. It should supplement state and -local resources based on the risks or vulnerabilities that merit additional support. That is exactly what the Feinstein amendment does. It requires homeland security grants to be allocated based on an assessment of threat. vulnerability. and impact on the Nation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090053493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the Congressional Research Service. under the Feiistein amendment. 87 percent of homeland security spending would be based on risk. Today. by comparison. fully 37.5 percent of homeland security funds are allocated for distribution before any risk analysis is done. A Washington Post editorial of May 17 asked the question: What. exactly are Federal \"first responder\" grants supposed to do? Are they intended to give extra financial help to firefighters and police officers who work in places where the risk of a terrorist attack is highest? Or are they meant to spread Federal pork evenly around the country? This is not an attempt. however. to deny any Federal homeland security funding to those areas that we know are the least likely to be targets. Under the Feinstein amendment. $251 million in Federal homeland security aid would still be spread evenly across the States. However. the vast majority of fundingover $1.6 billionwould- be allocated based on actual risk. In practical terms. the amendment will guarantee $300 million more than the underlying bill for highrisk areas. It means that cities like Boston. with its dense concentration of highrisk tirgets. will get the support it needs and deserves. The city is a major financial hub with more than 130.000 people employed in the securities. banking and insurance sectors. Any interruption in the ability of these industries to function would undoubtedly reverberate far beyond the city. and be felt across the Nation. .The city was also a major part of the hightech boom years of the 1990s. Today. it remains one of the Nations most innovative hightech corridors. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090053493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It employs over 100.000 . professionals whose inventiveness is not limited to the city. but is a major component of the Nations economic recovery. The $7 billion tourism industry is also a major driver of economic growth. September 11 had an acute impact on Bostons ability to attract visitors. Undoubtedly. if another attack were to happen. a similar chilling affect would occur. The danger is not theoretical. In 2001. an Algerian citizen. who later joined alQaida entered Boston as a stowaway on an Algerian gas tanker. Security experts said that if the tankers hull and cargotanks had been successfully breached. the result could have been a disastrous fire in the port of Boston. Another key aspect of the Feinstein. amendment is -its preservation of the Urban Area Security Initiative. which has funded preparedness and prevention efforts in 56 of the most likely target regions that are home to more than 75 million people. Yesterday. the mayors of 22 cities.including Boston. wrote the distinguished majority and minority leaders expressing their support for the Feinstein amendment. They wrote: It maintains the critical partnership between the Federal government. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090053493,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States and the Nations highest risk areas by maintaining the Urban Area Security Initiative program. These Urban Area Security Initiative regions have for several years been aggressively working to implement comprehensive plans for terrorism prevention and preparedness approved by their States and the Department of Homeland Security. Maintaining the Urban Area Security Initiative program will preserve and sustain the substantial planning. longterm projects. and regional decisionmaking processes underway. Without the Feinstein amendment. we could see a funding cut in the Urban Area Security Initiative. We all agree that every community in America deserves to receive its fair share of Federal homeland security assistance. No community should be left unprotected. But it makes no sense to use limited resources to provide maximum preparedness in the least atrisk communities. when we still have not yet achieved even the minimum level of preparedness in our most highrisk areas. The Feinstein amendment reflects that obvious priority for communities across the country. and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090053502,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I had asked to be yielded to for a question. but if there is no yielding. if the time is charged to me. I do not need consent from anybody. If it is our time. we are going to use it. I thank the Senator from Maine but would say no thank you. and I will take this brief minute because what we are looking at is what has passed through the committee and what is actually on the floor as an appropriations bill. Under the appropriations billthis is CRSit very simply says $1.338 billion for the underlying bill creates a shortage for the riskbased of $183.53 million. We can turn the table. we can play with the numbers. but we are looking at an appropriations bill. And if we do not believe CRS. then I do not know to whom we ought to turn for advice and for understanding. When the Senator from Maine suggests that my numbers are incorrect. do not take my numbers. please. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1081}
{"speech_id":1090053502,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just take CRS and see what they say. It makes it all very clear. It is a 60\/40 relationship. far different than that which we intended when the amendment passed the committee. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1081}
{"speech_id":1090053523,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. that article states: The Army National Guard . . . missed its recruiting goal for at least the ninth straight month in June and is nearly 19.000 soldiers below its authorized strength. military officials said Monday. Further. the Army Guard: ... is more than 10.000 soldiers behind its yeartodate goal of almost 45.000 recruits and has missed its recruiting target during at least 17 of the last 18 months. Many factors. as we all know. affect recruiting. but how we care for our veterans is absolutely one of them. As George Washington said: The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war. no matter how justified. shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country. That was George Washington back in 1789. It is still true today. We need to show our veteranstodays veterans and those considering military servicewe will be there for them. If the Senate retreats from what we agreed to 2 weeks ago. it will tell potential recruits the VA will have a hiring freeze and the VA will not have new clinics and we will not be there for them. That is the wrong message to send. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2329}
{"speech_id":1090053523,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senate agreed our veterans need $1.5 billion. We agreed on a bipartisan basis. I am offering this amendment today to make sure there is no backtracking and that our veterans get the help they need. they deserve. and they were promised. This is a basic American issue we can and must all support. If Members vote for this amendment. we are giving the VA money to lift the hiring freeze to hire the medical staff it needs and to open new clinics. We are telling todays soldiers and tomorrows recruits we will be there for them. But if members choose to vote against my amendment. they are simply voting to keep their local VA hospital overwhelmed and understaffed. telling veterans in your State that they will not get the new clinics they were promised. This vote will send a strong message to todays veterans and tomorrows recruits. This Senate needs to make sure we will show those who serve our country that we will be there for them just as they have been there for us. My colleague from Hawaii is here. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2329}
{"speech_id":1090053523,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has been a tremendous advocate for veterans. I thank him for all his work. I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Hawaii.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2329}
{"speech_id":1090053565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. President Bush met this morning with the leaders of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee. and I am sure we all have the same questions. Was this really the first step in a serious consultation process that will be meaningful and will continue in the lays and weeks ahead? Will the process result in an effort to Select nominees who can bring the Nation and the Senate together instead of further dividing us? I sincerely hope the answer to those questions is \"yes.\" Consultation is more than a process. its about an outcome. I hope we are not just going through the motions. That will be up to the President. True consultation is not a onesided conversation. The President must share his thoughts with all of us as well. I firmly believe the Nation wants and needs us to proceed in good faith and with open minds. The conditions are right for serious cooperation between the Senate and the executive. whom the Framers of the Constitution made \"jointly\" responsible for assuring the quality and independence of the Federal judiciary. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7826}
{"speech_id":1090053565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President has won a second term and does not have to run again. He is freer to carry out his desire to be a uniter. not a divider. despite the pleas from the fringes of the party he leads. Notwithstanding the constant clamor from the right. the public obviously does not support extreme rightwing positions on key courtrelated issues. Most Americans opposed the effort by some in Congress to order the courts to intrude into private medical decisions in the Schiavo case. Most Americans also rejected the idea that 200 years of Senate history should be reversed in order to give a narrow Senate majority the absolute power to approve extreme judges. Our constituents wonder why we seem to spend so much time shouting angrily at one another. \"Washington\" has lost the respect of many Americans because of the atmosphere of confrontation and conflict that pervades Congress and the executive branch. They much prefer us to spend more time and thought on finding common ground. They know that their families. their local governments. their schools. and their own businesses. could not function if they operated in the kind of hostile. polarized environment that often seems to prevail on issues here. Since the selection of judges is an area where the constitutional Framers placed the decision in the hands of the Senate and the President. we have a special obligation to make choices and take positions that facilitate cooperation and consensus. and avoid choices and positions that provoke confrontation and conflict. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7826}
{"speech_id":1090053565,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"History demonstrates that the Senate and the President can work together on judicial nominations. especially Supreme Court justices. Many of us have been here for the nominations of numerous new Justicesin my case 18 of them. On 13 of those. there was a consensus. with close to 90 percent more of the Senators voting for confirmation. On.5. there was a unanimous vote in the Senate. It is not difficult to achieve that kind of consensus. We know what the Court needs and what the country expects. Nominees should be excellent lawyers who respect the Constitution. understand the law. and understand and respect the vital role of the judiciary in our Government. Most of the public do not want judges whose goal is to advance a resultoriented agenda. or to take the law on detours of their own. They want judges who proceed from the basic principles that unite us. as reflected in the Constitution and in two centuries of our shared history. Most Americans would agree with Chief Justice John Marshall that to keep the Constitution relevant and responsive. judges have to be willing to look at it not as an inflexible and technical \"legal code.\" but as a document that sets forth \"great outlines\" and important goals. with the details to be filled in later. by Congress and the Courts. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7826}
{"speech_id":1090053565,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Certainly. when the Framers wrote the copyright clause of the Constitution. they never contemplated computer downloading. but their objective in that clause is something on which laws and legal decisions can build. Of course. in the minds of most Americans. what defines this country. and about which our courts must be deeply concerned about is our rights and liberties. That is what our ancestors fought for two centuries ago. That is why the Framers spent so much of their time and effort on a governmental structure and a bill of rights establishing and protecting our freedomsboth freedoms to and freedoms from. That is why we fought a civil war to expand freedom. That is why our ancestors came to these shores in the 1800s 1900s why people everywhere still want to come here. There is no freer place in the world. and we must find judges who agree that their first obligation is to keep it that way: to safeguard those freedoms. Our judges must therefore be aware of freedoms history. so that they know what happens when we are tempted to dilute bedrock rights and liberties by subordinating them to shortterm political expediency. The notorious \"Palmer raids\" after World War I. the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. and the McCarthy era during the cold war are obvious examples of past abuses of which Supreme Court nominees should be well aware. Next only to protection of their freedoms. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7826}
{"speech_id":1090053565,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans expect and want fairness. That means the rights and freedoms we cherish must be applicable to allrich and poor. popular and unpopular. powerful and powerlessespecially the poor. the unpopular and the powerless who may have no other recourse. That is what makes America very special among all the nations of the world. Courts cannot cure all the ills of society. but a court system that purports to provide legal remedies for legal wrongs must make those remedies real. It cannot be credible if it erects impenetrable barriers of money. process. or theory that deprive a right of any meaningful reality. The American people understand that our system of checks and balances is a cornerstone of our basic rights and liberties. They want us to make sure that the judges we confirm will not permit unconstrained Executive power to usurp legislative power or judicial power. They certainly do not want the Congress or the President to control or ifiterfere with the judiciary. They surely want an independent judiciary. We can look deeper into each of these general principles on which there is a national consensus. and find areas of agreement and disagreement. but they are clearly a guide for choosing a Supreme Court nominee who can achieve a broad consensus in Congress and the country. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7826}
{"speech_id":1090053573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. by way of preliminary remarks. I have in my hand a letter written by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Michael Chertoff. dated July 12. 2005. where Secretary Chertoff writes to express his concern with regard to amendments that may be offered to change the first responder grant funding formula. Secretary Chertoff says that he welcomes the efforts by Congress to ensure that more homeland security dollars are distributed on the basis of risk. which is precisely what the amendment Senator FEINSTEIN and I have offered does. I ask unanimous consent that this be printed in the RECORD at the close of my remarks.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090053609,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there are other issues as well that are very important to comment on. Another one is that the FeinsteinCornyn amendment does not include adequate accountability measures. We know that we need tough accountability measures. such as what is included in the CollinsLieberman amendment. Such measures. for example. include a requirement for a GAO audit. We would also require in our amendmentin contrast to the FeinsteinCornyn amendment--that all spending be tied to achieving essential prevention and preparedness goals. This is an important point. We cannot afford to have scarcehomeland security dollars wasted on leather jackets in the District of Columbia or be used to buy airconditioned garbage trucks for a New Jersey city. We need to make sure the expenditures are wise and appropriate. and the tough accountability measures included in the CollinsLieberman amendment will do that. I note that the FeinsteinCornyn amendment is silent on an authorization level. and it doesnt attempt to restore the $900 million in cuts since fiscal year 2004. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3152}
{"speech_id":1090053609,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Only our amendment seeks to stop the reduction of funding for first responders by authorizing a significant level of funding. We didnt go overboard. It is a level of funding that was provided in fiscal year 2004. it is $2.9 billion. While we are making progress every year on becoming better prepared to prevent or respond to attacks. we are a long way from completing the task. I note that the FeinsteinCornyn amendment excludes from riskbased funding substantially all the cities that have not received funds in the past. This is an important point. While the FeinsteinCornyn amendment purports to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to distribute funds as he sees fit based on risk. in reality it effectively restricts the universe of cities that could apply for riskbased funding to those that have received riskbased funding in the past. In this sense. it perpetuates the status quo. If a city or region has not received riskbased funding in the past and then is faced with a potential threat. for example. due to the construction of a new chemical facility or another piece of critical infrastructure or because it is hosting a large event. it is out of luck. it is ineligible to apply for riskbased funding under the FeinsteinCornyn amendment. Finally. let me show you the impacton this chart in green and whiteof the FeinsteinCornyn amendment. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3152}
{"speech_id":1090053609,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The States in green are better off under the CollinsLieberman approachthe approach supported by the occupant of the chair. It is virtually every State. I also point out that those seven states in white dont do badly. They do very well because we are doubling the amount of money that is riskbased. and we are also providing for a reasonable minimum allocation. There it is. I hope my colleagues will consider this. A lot of work went into crafting this amendment. It is a comprehensive approach for a grant program for which we have appropriated billions of dollars. but never authorized. Lets do this right. Lets adopt the bipartisan CollinsLieberman amendment. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3152}
{"speech_id":1090053609,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from Connecticut.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3152}
{"speech_id":1090053637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Obviously I am perfectly happy and do not intend to make this point of order until the Senator from West Virginia feels he has had adequate time to discuss this matter with the chairman of the full committee. and hopefully it can be resolved. I sftggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090053683,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. during the past 3 years. we have appropriated more than $8 billion in homeland security grants. despite the fact that this program has never been properly authorized. The Homeland Security Committee has spent the last 3 years working on an authorization bill. We have produced a carefully crafted. balanced bill that is incorporated in the CollinsLieberman amendment. This debate is about establishing a formula that provides a predictable level of funding scaled to reflect the different needs of large and small States that will allow all States to achieve essential preparedness and prevention capabilities. We break the mold that provides a set baseline amount to each State regardless of size and needs. This debate is also about distributing more funds based on risk. Lets put this important issue in perspective. Compared to last year. our amendment would double the amount of funds distributed based on risk. Last year only 37 percent of funds appropriated for homeland security grants were allocated based on risk. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1728}
{"speech_id":1090053683,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under our amendment. more than 70 percent of the funds would be distributed based on risk or factors used now by the Deparbment of Homeland Security to determine risk. That is a lot of discretion that we are giving to the Secretary. I want to address the CRS memo solicited by Senator LAUTENBERG that was discussed this morning. It has been used by our opponents to suggest that only 60 percent is distributed based on risk. In fact. it is more than 70 percent. as is the underlying bill. Tellingly. in a. memorandum issued just today. CRS categorizes the sliding scale allocation as risk based. This is a balanced approach. I urge my colleagues to vote for the CollinsLieberman amendment.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1728}
{"speech_id":1090053702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my understanding that under an agreement. the minority leader. Mr. REID. may offer an amendment on behalf of Democratic Senators. I ask consent. on his behalf. to send two amendments to the desk. one on behalf of Senator BARBARA BOXER and one from Senator","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090053772,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay homage to the Medal of Honor recipients and the values that the Medal of Honor symbolizes. On this date in 1862. President Abraham Lincoln approved the legislation that created the Medal of Honor. our Nations highest military medal. The Medal of Honor is awarded for acts of valor and gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. In its 140plusyear history. only 3.441 individuals have been awarded this distinguished medal. 121 of those individuals are still alive today. Mr. Speaker. I wish to pay tribute to these brave individuals and to those men and women currently serving our Nation overseas. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1356}
{"speech_id":1090053772,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Nations highest award is facing a serious challenge to its meaning and symbol. I am outraged by the impostors who claim they have received this and other honors the military awards for deeds and actions of soldiers. These criminals not only dishonor themselves. but they dishonor the sacrifice that true recipients have made. That is why. Mr. Speaker. I plan to introduce the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 next week. This piece of legislation will make it easier for Federal law enforcement officials to prosecute phonies and impostors and restore the true meaning of these illustrious awards. I hope my colleagues can join me in this effort to reclaim the meaning of honor and bravery and sacrifice in these United States.","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1356}
{"speech_id":1090053778,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am concerned about the rapid spread of gambling in the United States. now largely through the dramatic expansion of tribal casinos. which are devastating Americas communities and families. .-Gambling ruins families. It ruins communitiesIt ruins businesses. Gamblers often neglect their families and lose their jobs. careers and marriages to the habit. Gambling preys on the weak and gambling exploits the poor. Study after study shows that when a casino opens in a community. crime and suicide and bankruptcies rise. As if our Nation is not saturated enough with gambling operations. now comes news of plans to open a casino two miles from the historic Gettysburg battlefield. Yes. Gettysburg. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1098}
{"speech_id":1090053778,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thousands of Americans from the north and the south died at Gettysburg. It is hallowed ground. Its place in our history is sacred. Is there no place in America immune from the lure of gambling? I recently wrote President Bush urging him to issue an Executive Order to halt the explosion of gambling with a 2year moratoriumff on new tribal casinos. Why will the Bush administration not act?","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1098}
{"speech_id":1090053784,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it appears that either President Bushs righthand man Karl Rove was deceiving his boss or the Bush administration was deceiving the American people in regards to the leak of a CIA agents identity to the press. When asked in September 2003 if he had any knowledge or leaked the name of the CIA agent to the press. Rove simply answered. \"no.\" The deception continued earlier this month when. on July 4th. Rove simply amended his previous statements by saying. \"Ill repeat what I said to ABC News when this whole thing broke some number of months ago. I didnt know her name. didnt leak her name.\" Last week. after Newsweek reported that the leak came from Rove. Roves attorney shot back and said Rove \"did not tell any reporter that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.\" Well. now Karl Roves attorney is admitting that Rove did tell a reporter that Joseph Wilsons wife was a CIA agent. Sounds like a leak to me. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":983}
{"speech_id":1090053784,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So. it is now time for President Bush to ask for Karl Rove to go.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":983}
{"speech_id":1090053789,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the House should not recess this week until we have addressed the VA health care. crisis. As we speak. health care services for veterans all across America are either being delayed or cut becauso of a billion dollar plus shortfall in VA health care programs. Cutting veterans health care during a time of war is inexcusable and wrong. Unfortunately. 12 days ago the House leadership refused to support the billion and a half emergency funding bill passed by the Senate 96 to 0 on a bipartisan basis. We could have had help already on its way to our veterans. It has been 8 days since Members of Congress gave patriotic speeches on July 4 honoring the service of our veterans. Those speeches are fine. Veterans deserve our support with our deeds not just our words. Given the House leadership caused the VA health care crisis in the first place by underfunding. seriously underfunding health care programs for veterans over the last 2 years. they have a moral obligation to bring and pass through this House and send to the President this week an emergency funding bill for veterans. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090053789,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our veterans deserve no less.","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090053796,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker. I agree that this is a very important improvement to what was a very important piece of legislation. At a time when people wonder about whether or not we are able to go forward. it ought to be noted clearly there are strong ideological and partisan differences over some issues. as there should be in a democracy. but we have been able. from time to time. to work together on things where there is a consensus of common sense. In this particular instance. the underlying legislation here was one which was strongly supported by a coalition of environmentalists and taxpayer groups who had a common understanding that in effect encouraging people to continue to rebuild in areas that were going to be flooded made no sense from either the environmental or the taxpayer perspective. There was also an unusually fruitful bipartisan collaboration that brought us this bill. Our former colleague. the gentleman from Nebraska . a senior member of the Committee on Financial Services. worked very closely with a continuing Member. the gentleman from Oregon and they did an excellent job of putting this piece of legislation together. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1364}
{"speech_id":1090053796,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we now. having enacted the legislation. encounter something that was unanticipated. This would clean it up. It would make a very good piece of legislation better.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1364}
{"speech_id":1090053817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. and I rise to support this bipartisan effort to honor NASA with a 50th anniversary commemorative coin. Mr. Speaker. this is a great occasion. and I wish to thank those who have made this great occasion possible. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana . chairman of the Committee on Financial Services. the gentleman from Texas . the majority leader. the gentleman from Texas . the gentleman from Texas . the gentlewoman from New York . and the gentleman from California for their singular effort to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor. I also wish to thank the many who work at NASA. Mr. Speaker. from the top administrator to the janitors who sweep the floor. They all play a role in making space flight possible. ","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1126}
{"speech_id":1090053817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And of course. Mr. Speaker. I thank God for those brave astronauts who leave loved ones behind to traverse the heavens. Mr. Speaker. while we commemorate NASAs 50 years of existence. we must acknowledge that it could not have been done without the hand of God. And if it is Gods will. Mr. Speaker. it is safe to say that we have only just begun.","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1126}
{"speech_id":1090053828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then I am sure the gentleman would also agree with me that the Mint should be very careful. take as much care as possible with all highdemand commemorative coin issues. but particularly with coin sets produced under this act. to sell no more than 10 complete sets of any issue to any individual. whether the purchase is made by that individual or through straw buyers.","speaker_name":"JOHN CULBERSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":368}
{"speech_id":1090053835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do agree. Mr. \"CULBERSON. Does the gentleman agree that such a museums exhibits could be kept vital by constant development of traveling exhibits to museums around the country. including those of the American Numismatic Association. the American Numismatic Society. and perhaps. if it is constructed. a museum in the old Mint in San Francisco?","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090053874,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding me this time. The gentleman from Washington did talk about some issues that I think are very important. especially when he talked about education. I think education is very important for the future of this economy. If we look at education spending over the last 5 years. we have had dramatic increases in education. as far as the spending is concerned. What we need to do now is focus on math. science. engineering and technology. We know this is the direction the future economy is going. The world is getting more technically complex. not less technically complex. Yet we have fewer people going into engineering. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2050}
{"speech_id":1090053874,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have fewer young women going into science. We have fewer people going into the technologies. the maths and the sciences. It should be concerning to us. and we need to take steps today. I would welcome their support as to how we do that. National Science Foundation money. the NSF has come up several times here. We increased the NSF again this year. again. Over $5.6 billion will go into NSF this fiscal year and we have plans to increase that funding in the future. too. Innovative research is very important. We need help from the other side of the aisle to get research and development tax relief permanent. and I think we can do that. I just want to mention the supplyside tax cut did stimulate the economy. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2050}
{"speech_id":1090053874,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have more people working today than ever before in the history of our Nation. The average wage is higher than it has ever been in the history of this Nation. We have more people owning their own homes today than ever before in the history of this Nation. and we have done it because we cut taxes. More money got into the economy. and jobs started increasing. But does that mean we should be satisfied? No. We have barriers that need to be removed so that we can increase the number of jobs and the number of opportunities in America in the future. I think it is important that we work together. I look forward to working with the gentleman from New York","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2050}
{"speech_id":1090053888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Utah for the time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to this closed rule and all four of the underlying pieces of legislation that it encompasses. For those who did not hear me the first time. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090053888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I said four pieces of legislation under one closed rule. This is a quadruple coupon day in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker. Four opportunities to shut off democracy for the price of one. What is perhaps most offensive about the rule is the fact that not one amendment was made in order for any of the four bills. Let me repeat that: Not one amendment was made in order for any of the four underlying bills. Closed rules are an affront to our democracy. We should stop it now. My outrage and the outrage of all on this side of the aisle is as much about process as it is about policy. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090053888,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pure partisan politics never produces sound public policy. And patronizing corporate interests to pad ones campaign coffers has no place in the peoples House. Yet. that is all the majority seems interested in doing. The political score Republicans are seeking to settle with their barrage of antiworkingclass legislation is not going to be fulfilled by stifling debate and blocking Democrats out of the process. Republicans are calling this the OSHA fairness package. Fair for who? There are only losers with these bills. Mr. Speaker. and the biggest victim is the American worker. All four of the underlying pieces of legislation represent a buffet of rollbacks in our laws governing working conditions. \u0095 Mr. Speaker. do we have an overwhelming epidemic in this country of ridiculous and overzealous workplace lawsuits that I do not know about? The judicial process for violations and workplace health and safety standards has been in place for nearly 30 years. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090053888,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is fair. and most importantly. it protects the rights of workers. Yet. two of the underlying bills affecting OSHA standards are coming as a direct result of recent court rulings that Republicans and their corporate friends do not agree with. The other two are aimed at stacking the OSHA commission with antiworker commissioners and creating a system where only those who can afford legal representation will be permitted to file a complaint with the Workplace Safety and Health Board. Mr. Speaker. I do not like the new policy of this Congress which can best be described as \"when the courts rule against you. legislate against the courts.\" Why are we stifling Members from offering thoughtful amendments? Just one example. if I play. The ranking Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. my good friend. the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090053902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time opposing this rule. I would like to express my disappointment that the Committee on Rules refused to allow a vote on an amendment that has bipartisan support. an amendment that would require to list contract workers on their injury site log. This was not a major expense or an inconvenience for employers. yet the Committee on Rules defeated it on a partyline vote. The bills that are up today are not major legislation. They may correct individual problems. and each of them need to be debated. and they should be. But not to allow other needed OSHA reforms is a travesty of this House because of the situation I am getting ready to talk about. Our amendment was defeated on a partyline vote. even though we have bipartisan support on the original legislation that was introduced in March of this year. Mr. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4229}
{"speech_id":1090053902,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. 15 people lost their lives during an explosion and fire at a refinery in Texas City. This is a picture of the site. and I include for the RECORD a copy of the Baytown Sun article on the deadly accident. This picture shows the site in Texas City. The bills that are allowed under this rule will do nothing to help the 15 people killed in this accident. Nothing. That is what the travesty is on this floor today. A series of news articles quickly discovered that it is extremely difficult to assess the safety of such facilities due to the way employers are required to keep their site logs of injuries on the work site. While all deaths and injuries are reported to OSHA. only those involving direct employees of the sitecontrolling company are required to be maintained on the site incident log. This means that the incidents involving contract workers or parttime workers do not show up on the injury log employers are required to keep by law. Unfortunately. because current law does not require them to do so. the site log will look just the same as it did the day before March 23. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4229}
{"speech_id":1090053902,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will show no lives were lost. Those 15 workers who died on this site were contract workers. and they should be reported. Residents and communities surrounding these facilities have a right to know if they live near a place that could endanger them if something were to go wrong. If we had full disclosure of these incidents. the free Market system may be able to work. Workers are less willing to work in hazardous environments. so facilities would have incentives to improve safety. Right now. it is nearly impossible to determine exactly how many accidents have occurred at a particular site without crossreferencing contracts between employers and contractors. OSHA has known these reporting requirements were a problem for 14 years. and yet here we are today dealing with three pieces of legislation that deal with nothing to do with contract workers. In 1989. one of the most serious plant explosions in our country occurred at a plant in Pasadena. Texas. and I am honored to represent that area. This accident killed 23 workers and injured 232 others. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4229}
{"speech_id":1090053902,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a result. OSHA called for a study regarding the use of contract labor in the petrochemical industry. This study was conducted while the first George Bush was President. and this study found there was a lack of adequate injury and incident data. It states that current data reporting procedures do not capture the full range of injury or illnesses experienced in the industry because the injury statistics do not include the experience of contract workers. . This amendment does not require an industry to do anything more than record injuries and accidents on their site log regardless of whether they are their employee or someone working on their site. I am not here to. bash employers or OSHA. The bottom line is that neighbors and employees have the right to know. These bills that we are considering today may very well weaken job safety. but I do not think they are that major. We should be working on a bipartisan basis to solve problems and prevent deaths and injuries like what happened on March 23. 2005. in Texas City. Texas. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4229}
{"speech_id":1090053902,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why these three bills are woefully inadequate to deal with the problems that we have with onsite job injuries right now. [From the Baytown Sun. June 29. 2005]","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4229}
{"speech_id":1090053925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the four bills relating to the Occupational Safety and Health Act that the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider today. While these measures purport to protect the safety and health protections of millions of American workers. in reality. they will do nothing of the kind. and will instead undermine existing workplace health and safety laws. The statistics on workplace safety is frightening. It is estimated that nearly 4.7 million workers are injured and almost 6.000 workers die due to workplace accidents each year. Thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Act. workplace safety and health conditions have improved. though there are still great strides to be made. and this is the time for OSHA regulations and requirements to be strengthened. not weakened. On an average day. 152 workers lose their lives as a result of workplace injuries and diseases. and another 12.877 are injured. These measures do not address the fact that workers are still losing their lives due to unsafe working conditions. Instead these bills punish the very workers the authors of these measures claim they are trying to protect. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3153}
{"speech_id":1090053925,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By allowing employers to challenge OSHA citations. they will undermine the Occupational Safety and Health Acts enforcement policies by penalizing the agency when it attempts to enforce the OSHA law and does so unsuccessfully. H.R. 742 would require OSHA to pay attorneys fees and costs for employers with 100 or less employees and a net worth of $7 million or less in any administrative or judicial proceeding in which OSHA does not prevail. While OSHA is already required by law to pay attorneys fees and costs in any proceeding in which the agencys charge is not substantially justified. H.R. 742 goes beyond that. because now OSHA will be hesitant to cite employees for violations of the OSHA unless there is absolute certainty that they will prevail in a court of law. If OSHA. the federal agency that is tasked with enforcing the law. is hesitant to raise awareness to a meritorious workplace safety issue because they might not win. the true losers in this case are the American workers. Employees have no private right of action under OSHA and depend on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to address their concerns and remedy violations of the law. H.R. 742 also purports to help \"small businesses\" recover the cost of attorneys fees. but in fact. this bill would apply to the majority of private sector workplaces. It is widely known that across all industries. businesses with fewer than 100 employees have a higher rate of fatal occupational injuries than do businesses with 100 or more workers. which typically have better workplace safety standards in place. It is troubling that this Congress is attempting to rollback the few safety and health workplace regulations that are currently in place. instead of strengthening OSHA standards in order to save the lives of American workers. I urge all my colleagues to vote against these measures and protect the rights of American workers and their families who deserve a decent. safe and healthy workplace.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3153}
{"speech_id":1090053953,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we are here again. We went through this marathon a year ago. We have had several sets of hearings and markups on these four bills. and one would think thby are very important. They are important. but in the reverse way. They are not important to protect the health and safety of working families in America. They are important because they are trying to trivialize the whole safety component of the Department of Labor and the whole safety responsibility of the government. They want to trivialize it and make it seem insignificant and unimportant. I understand each of the four bills amending the Occupational Safety and Health Act now on the floor will be considered individually. and I would therefore save .my comments on the specifics of the other three bills until the appropriate time. When you consider these four bills as an entire package. however. it becomes very clear that they will seriously erode the enforcement of U.S. safety standards. they will undermine the ability of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to enforce onthejob safety standards. and will only add to more worker deaths and more serious injuries. E 1415 It will not only lead to the Department of Labor becoming more and more the departmentagainst laborers. the department against working peo ple. by bringing these bills to the House floor. the Republican leadership shows yet again just how out of step it is with the American people. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2758}
{"speech_id":1090053953,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In this case. the House Republican leadership is backing four bills to weaken OSHA at the very .time that the American public is demanding the exact opposite be done. According to a recent poll sponsored by the Wall Street Journal. eight out of every ten Americans believe Congress should be passing legislation to ensure greater health and safety in the workplace. Let me repeat that: The Wall Street Journal. which is hardly a liberal publication. they sponsored a poll in April 2005 revealing that 84 percent of those surveyed want lawmakers to pass bills ensuring safer workplaces in America. That is 84 percent. Parade Magazine. another mainstream publication. tells us the same story. An article published in the April 10 issue of Parade Magazine assessed our national priorities based on 2005 dollar allocations for government programs. The article juxtaposed business versus safety. pointing out that this years funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission is $888 million and the Small Business Administration. which is $580 million. far exceeds that for OSHA. which is $464 million. and the Consumer Product Safety Commission which is $63 million. The amount dedicated to business. Parade Magazine concludes. is close to $1 billion more than that dedicated to safety in this simple comparison.","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2758}
{"speech_id":1090053962,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio for his leadership in the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the fact that he has been able to pass reasonable legislation that not only helps the employee. but the employer and gives us a better business atmosphere in this country. I would also like to thank my friend and fellow Georgian","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090053968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise to oppose this bill which would give a pass to employers who do not meet workplace safety conditions. We could have taken this opportunity to help hardworking Americans feel a little safer in the workplace. or we could have made todays priority giving some relief to middleclass families who are struggling to keep up with recordbreaking gas prices. tuition increases. and health care costs. Instead. this administration has once again chosen in favor of the corporate sector and the special interests. Their reward in this bill comes at the expense of hardworking employees who. depend on OSHA to keep an eye on their working conditions. But when former executives win appointnents to regulate the same industries in which they used to work. sound science and smart public policy usually tack a back seat to political favoritism and ideology. This bill creates a new loophole around the 15day deadline for contesting OSHA citations. It is yet one more corporate handout that could have been better spent on job -training. reversing the tide of outsourcing. or raising the minimum wage. l 1445 Meanwhile. hardworking Americans are increasingly faced with workplace conditions in which critically important safeguards are watered down. emerging problems are ignored. and enforcement is scaled back. If OSHA already has the authority to review missed deadlines on a casebycase basis. why would we need a bill that changes this process in a onesided way that could further disadvantage workers. encourage litigation. and undermine health and safety protections? Madam Speaker. I believe the Senate got it right last yearwhen it declined to consider this or any of the other three proposed rollbacks of OSHAs responsibility to hardworking. ","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1835}
{"speech_id":1090053968,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans. I encourage my colleagues to vote against all four of these bills.","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1835}
{"speech_id":1090053976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker. let me remind my colleagues what this small. innocuous bill does. It says to the Secretary of Labor and to. OSHA that the arbitrary. 15day deadline that is in the statute for complying with an OSHA citation or to respond to OSHA can. in fact. be waived under special circumstances. if OSHA believes that the employer missed it by accident or had other extenuating circumstances. they have the option of extending the 15day deadline. That is all this bill does. Now. some of my colleagues on the other side have suggested. well. no. they already have this authority. But the fact is. they do not. The ability of the commission to waive a deadline on a casebycase basis when circumstances warrant it have been drawn into increased legal uncertainty by the recent decision of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Chao v. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090053976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LeFrois Builder. Incorporated. and indeed. as recently as 2003. OSHA has argued that OSHRC does not have the authority to apply this rule. So we think that voluntary cooperation between OSHA and the employer community will. in fact. lead to a safer workplace. And as the chart showed that I displayed earlier. workplace injuries and fatalities have continued to decrease in each year of the Bush administration. Let us make this commonsense change to help employers and their workers achieve a safer workplace.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090053997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I once again want to commend the gentleman from Georgia . for his wonderful and excellent work in the area of worker safety and his real concern for making certain that the rules under which we ask businesses and employees to work are workable. We are all interested in workplace safety. We have got to get that on the table as often as possible. We are all interested in workplace safety. Now. the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":437}
{"speech_id":1090054026,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to start by saying that neither this bill nor the other three weaken OSHA. We designed these bills to help OSHA. Part of the problem is that this 34yearold bill has been changed by activist judges. it has not been reviewed or looked at in 34 years in any sense. and these simply bring fairness back into the equation. As you can imagine. 34 years ago. we had an OSHA bill that was drawn up by a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate that was very fair. just a little tilted in one direction. and we are trying to undo that tilt just a little bit so finally. finally. maybe we can get OSHA to work with the small business community to. benefit the workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act restores congressional intent where the operation of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is concerned. It just puts it back like it was 34 years ago. It got knocked out of whack with activist judges. When the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed. the only reason it passed was a lastminute compromise to create an independent review commission. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090054026,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you do not believe me. you do not have to. Go read the testimony. It is exactly what happened in the seventies. It is clear in the legislative language of the OSH Act that Congress empowered the commissibn to interpret ambiguities under the act. This. however. has been undermined by legal interpretations that did not consider congressional action at the time. I would think all of us would want them to consider what we In Congress did. Mr. Speaker. the OSH Act empowers OSHA to inspect and propose citations for violations of safety and health standards. The commissions responsibility is to review contested citations and render judgment. OSHAs responsibility is to make up the rules and enforce the rules. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090054026,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But they should not sit in judgment of their own rules. That can never be fair to anybody. The Congress in 1970 understood that. and we are going to fix that in OSHA sometime very soon. Congress did not intend for OSHA to create the regulations. enforce them. and then turn around and interpret them. I would compare OSHAs role to a prosecutor. and the commissions role to a court. Congress never intended that OSHA should also be the judge and jury. This is the commissions role. Unfortunately. that position has been undermined by other court cases. cases that did not directly deal with safety and health law. for pitys sake. which suggested that deference should be given to OSHA instead. In my view. this must be corrected. and as long as I am in this town and in this body. I am going to try to correct it. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090054026,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 741 simply states that deference shall be given to the reasonable findings of the commission in accordance with the governing court precedents as Congress originally intended. In the 108th Congress. most of us understood this was important: 224 voted for it. 204 against. I know that the union bosses are against anything we do. anything that might possibly help the majority of citizens in this country who are in small business. Lord. they are always against it. But those of you who care about union members. think about them on these votes. Dont worry about the union bosses. They are going to contribute to you. anyway. Think about the workers. They are the folks who would appreciate this kind of legislation.","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3379}
{"speech_id":1090054028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time. and I appreciate the leadership that he has presented to this Congress on making America more competitive in the world economy. Mr. Speaker. this week. Congress embarks on an important agenda to make America more competitive in the global marketplace. Over the next several weeks. the House will pass significant legislation as part of the Republican Congress competitiveness agenda. Globalization is not something we can ignore. nor is it something we can stop. As Thomas Friedman says in his book. The World is Flat. globalization is a reality of our world today. How Congress deals with this reality will determine whether America remains the dominant economic superpower or whether we are relegated to a secondclass economy. Americas businesses and workers have the skills and talent to compete and succeed in the global economy when given the opportunity to succeed. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090054028,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. over the past 40 years. Congress has constructed barriers to competitiveness. This institution now has a responsibility to break down these barriers and allow workers and businesses to prosper. This week of the competitiveness agenda is dedicated to eliminating bureaucratic red tape. Over the years. regulation after regulation has been levied upon our businesses. hindering their growth and development. Some of these regulations have proved helpful. but far too often these policies work simply to constrain our businesses from effectively competing and thereby keeping our workers from earning the best wages and benefits. OSHA is an excellent example of a good idea poorly executed that now hinders our businesses and workers. The gentleman from Georgia has been a leader in the fight to keep American businesses competitive without sacrificing workplace safety and health protections. The four bills that we are considering today will establish basic principles of fairness. reduce regulatory burdens and expedite administrative reviews that will- increase business productivity among Americas small businesses. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for his vision and hard work on all these issues. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090054028,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1971. OSHA was created to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for workers throughout the Nation. However. the bureaucracy has led OSHA to develop an adversarial relationship with our small businesses. defying common sense. good government principles and congressional intent. In order to successfully create a safe work environment. OSHA must be cooperative. not confrontational or punitive. People who own and operate businesses do not want dangerous workplaces or injured workers. They. want to do the right thing. and OSHA should be there as a guide and resource. cooperatively working for a safer work environment. Unfortunately. this is simply not what is happening with OSHA. This is particularly true in the residential construction industry where OSHA seemed to unfairly target small homebuilders in Sedgwick County. Kansas. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090054028,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In June of 2003. I was contacted by a group of homebuilders in Wichita who were frightened by the prospect of having to stop working in order to avoid fines from OSHA. These constituents told me OSHA was planning to fine builders for plastic cups on stairs and for workers failure to wear earplugs while operating a wet vac. While seemingly minor issues to most of us. these fines. which some in the community claimed could be as high as $50.000. would effectively put small businesses out of business. While OSHA claimed these reports were exaggerated. there is no way I can exaggerate the impact OSHAs hostility and excessive regulation can have on the stillrecovering Wichita economy. In the case of these small construction companies. OSHA chose surprise visits. illconceived compliance guidelines and an adversarial demeanor to achieve everyones goal of a safer. more secure workplace. The results were that many small contractors in my area of the country were forced to stop working in order to avoid unfair fines which could have been as high as $7.000 per infraction. no matter how insignificant. Under this approach. OSHA was doing more to hurt employees than to help them. threatening the ability of the men and women of the residential construction to make a living. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090054028,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why I am a strong supporter of the gentleman from Georgias OSHA reform legislation. including H.R. 741. This is important piece of legislation would establish an independent review of OSHA citations. The American political structure is based on a system of checks and balances. Federal and State. the executive. legislative and judicial branches. However. OSHA currently acts both as the prosecutor and the. judge for the disposition of OSHA citations. Not only is this inherently unfair and inconsistent with our political system. the structure of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission does not live up to congressional intent. As the gentleman from Georgia has eloquently explained. when Congress established the OSHRC. it was designed to be an independent judicial entity to provide proper and nonbiased review and adjudication of OSHA citations. ci 1630 This independent citation is critically important to the integrity and fairness of OSHA. Restoring this independence will help OSHA and the workers it serves. I support the competitiveness agenda for America. and I support eliminating bureaucratic red tape. and I support the gentleman from Georgias OSHA reform legislation.","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090054031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. ryield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the critical question is what more important things should we be doing? This commission bill which creates confusion. to our knowledge. is still not sanctioned by the administration or the Secretary of Labor. Why are -we putting such great amounts of time and energy into proposing new powers for this commission when there are other more important things that we ought .to be addressing? And the statement by the gentlewoman from Ohio was all related to what other important things should we be doing. Why can we not have hearings when there is a major accident with four men being killed under the circumstances they were killed in Ohio? Why can We not call in OSHA and demand that there be an expedited investigation? Why are citations allowed to be unclassified? This committee. the Committee on Education and the Workforce. has oversight over the work of the Department of Labor and OSHA. Why can we not get better answers? Why can we not consider my bill. H.R. 2004. the Protecting Americas Workers Act. which will call for penalties for corporations who are guilty of the kind of neglect that led to the deaths of the four workers in Ohio? Even by conservative estimates. 15 workers in this country will be killed on the job today. July 12. They will be killed due to serious safety lapses on the part of their employers. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11244}
{"speech_id":1090054031,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why are we wasting our time playing around with the adjustment of a commission when these workers deaths are still going on in America? I spoke earlier about the fiery explosion some 3 months ago at the BP plant in Texas City that killed 15 workers and injured more than 100 others. This happened three months ago. It is not ancient history. Why has this committee with jurisdiction not examined that explosion more closely here in Washington? I had also previously mentioned the bridge collapse in Toledo. which the gentlewoman from Ohio discussed in greater detail. Many other cases of worker deaths. equally as tragic and preventable. only make local headlines. They only know about them locally. And they go on in different parts of the country because we are not aware of the seriousness of the situation. The fact is that much of what happens in one area can be prevented from happening in another area if we would just address those serious issues. Every year in New York City. for example. a number of unprotected construction workers are killed by freefalls from buildings and collapses of faulty scaffolds and concrete walls. Almost 8 months ago in Walnut Creek. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11244}
{"speech_id":1090054031,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"California. a gas pipeline explosion killed five workers. and badly injured four others. The list goes on and on. We welcome this opportunity to get on the record from both the Members of Congress and the American people the fact that these things are continuingthis steady rate of somewhere between 5.700 and 6.000 workers dying each yearand it has been going on too long. Why not address the fact that this is something that can be stopped? We can change the death rate by having a more effective OSHA instead of playing around the edges. as these four bills are doing. In the words of a New York State Supreme Court justice. these worker deaths in New York were not simply \"random accidents\" but rather. and I am quoting the judge here. \"tragic certainties.\" \"Tragic certainties.\" The workers died as the direct result of some employers willful safety violations or serious negligence. What is even more reprehensible is that too often. and in the specific worker death cases I just referred to. the employers responsible for these fatalities are repeat safety offenders. In a forum I held last year entitled. \"Jobs to Die For: Inadequate Enforcement of U.S. Safety Standards.\" I heard from the grieving parents of 22yearold Patrick Walters. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11244}
{"speech_id":1090054031,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Patrick was buried alive on June 14. 2002. working on a sewer pipe in a 10foot trench. Patrick had spoken before about his fear of being suffocating because he was repeatedly sent Cown into the trenches without any protective equipment and without a metal trench box. We have a picture of Patrick here. He is the young man at the top tier of the poster to my right. I mentioned Patricks employer before. Moeves Plumbing. with respect to H.R. 739. I did this because Moeves Plumbing is a repeat safety offender. The firm has been the subject of 13 OSHA inspections since 1989. Patrick died only weeks after OSHA had cited Moeves Plumbing for willful trenching violations. When OSHA settled the case of Patrick Walters death with Moeves Plumbing. however. they changed the willful violation to an \"unclassified\" one. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11244}
{"speech_id":1090054031,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Have we heard that before today? Unclassified. just as they did in the case of Ohio. It was not a willful violation. but an unclassified violation. A weak OSHA. a corrupt OSHA changed it to \"unclassified.\" Without a willfdl violation. the Solicitor of Labor would not recommend criminal prosecution of Moeves Plumbing. As Patricks parents told me last year: \"We need to get some stiffer penalties and some muscle behind it. or Moeves company is going to kill another child again. They will. Its only a matter of time.\" Patricks parents. who still live in the Cincinnati area. continue to see Moeves employees working inside trenches without any cavein protections. As Patricks father told a reporter in March of 2005. March of this year. about the owner of Moeves Plumbing: \"Shes killed two people now. and shell probably kill two people again. Its obvious shes not listening to what OSHA is telling her.\" Under the current OSHA Act. the maximum penalty any employer can receive for causing the death of a worker. considered a misdemeanor. is 6 months in prison and a $10.000 fine. Six months in prison and a $10.000 fine. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11244}
{"speech_id":1090054072,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a former small businessman. I rise today in support of H.R. 742 and Republican efforts to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. the job engine in this country. The Federal regulatory burden is strangling small business in America. The estimated total regulatory burden in America is now approaching $1 trillion a year. If we could only save 1 percent of that amount. if that could be returned to the marketplace. that would be enough money to provide capital for 400.000 new small businesses. Or it could pay the annual salaries for over a quarter million of our American workers. Furthermore. according to the SBA. small businesses that employ fewer than 20 workers pay almost $7.000 each year in regulatory cost for every employee. Instead of using these funds to create new jobs or pay higher salaries or fund expanded health care benefits. small business owners are increasingly being forced to spend much of it complying with mindnumbing. inflexible. expensive. draconian and all too often just plain dumb Federal regulations. H.R. 742 will make a difference in a small way in helping level the playing field for small businesses. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1976}
{"speech_id":1090054072,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would require OSHA to better assess the merits of a case before it brings unnecessary enforcement actions to court against small businesses. This act will simply help small business owners to recover attorneys fees if the owner successfully challenges a dubious OSHA citation. And there have been a number. Let us remember. OSHA does not always get it right. These are the folks who alleged that some workers face death or serious physical harm from lifting the top of a sandwich cookie from one assembly line and putting it on the bottom of the cookie on another. Give me a break. Mr. Speaker. this is a matter of fairness. It is a matter of common sense and American jobs. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1976}
{"speech_id":1090054072,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge all of my colleagues to support small business owners and the millions of Americans they employ by voting in favor of H.R. 742.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1976}
{"speech_id":1090054076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak in opposition to H.R. 742. a bill to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 by making it easier for small businesses to recover attorneys fees from OSHA if the agency brought unjustified enforcement action. Small businesses under the bill are defined as those with no more than 100 employees and a maximum $7 million in net worth. More than any of the other bills. H.R. 742 poses the greatest threat to worker safety and health. OSHA. as is almost every other Federal agency. is already required by law to pay attorneys fees and costs in any proceeding in which the agencys charge is not substantially justified. H.R. 742 singles out OSHA. alone among all Federal agencies. to require it to pay attorneys fees and costs in any proceeding in which it does not win. regardless of why it lost and notwithstanding the fact that the position of the agency was substantially justified. In effect. unless the agency can guarantee that it will win every case it brings. H.R. 742 punishes the OSHA for trying to enforce the law. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1707}
{"speech_id":1090054076,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The OSH Act does not afford workers a private right of action. If OSHA fails to enforce the law workers have no other means of doing so. In summary. this bill. as would all the other OSHA bills considered today. would impede the enforcement of worksite safety and health provisions at the very time when more and more Americans have identified safety as one of their foremost concerns. According to a poll conducted in April by NBC and the Wall Street Journal. 84 percent of Americans want Congress to pass legislation that ensures greater workplace safety and health. Supporting this bill would take us in exactly the opposite direction.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1707}
{"speech_id":1090054077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. I express strong opposition to H.R. 742. the Occupational Safety Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act. This fee shifting legislation before us is really a wolf in sheeps clothing. It is dangerous to our workers. overbroad. and unnecessary. The bill is dangerous because it creates an incentive for employers to litigate with OSHA rather than to correct any safety flaws in the workplace. Since OSHA was created in 1970. its mtssion has been clear: \"to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the nation safe and healthful working conditions.\" Unfortunately. H.R. 742 will undermine that goal and penalize OSHA for any instance in which it attempts to safeguard worker safety and loses the case even for technical reasons. The bill is overbroad because it applies to any company with less than 100 employees. regardless of their revenues or their safety record. Currently. over 6.5 million private sector establishments fall into this category. more than 97 percent of all employers. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2110}
{"speech_id":1090054077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These companies employ more than 55 million workers. Many of these businesses have millions if not billions of dollars in annual revenues. and have no business being covered by a \"small business\" bill. The bill is unnecessary because this Committee has not received a shred of evidence that OSHA has pursued unwarranted litigation or abused its prosecutorial discretion. To the contrary. more than sixty percent of OSHA citations resulted in settlements. and OSHA wins nearly four out of five cases that make it to the Federal appellate level. Moreover. employers are already entitled to the recovery of legal fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act. That law specifies that the government must pay the prevailing partys fees and costs in any situation in which the governments position was not \"substantially justified.\" This offers more than sufficient incentive to prevent OSHA from overstepping its authority. So we have before us an unnecessary and unwarranted bill. that. punishes an effective agency. and places our workers in danger. I urge Members to reject this measure.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2110}
{"speech_id":1090054110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to cially. bring attention to the issue of illegal In Michigan. 23 criminal cases were immigration that is perhaps the most filed alleging that pregnant women important concern to my Texas con- from Syria. Lebanon and Yemen flew stituents. into the United States. falsified inforI want to address just one matter. mation on Medicaid forms to cover the cost.. Government and academic es- those costs of delivering their babies. and then returned to their native countries within a few months. Americans paid for all of this criminal activity. Also. the quality of health care will diminish because those in the system are not paying their way. Second. education. The Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that all kids in the United States would be provided a free education. This cost continues to rise due to the fact that Americans are paying for and educating kids illegally in the United States. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090054110,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Local property taxes continue to rise. And the quality of education will suffer. Why? Because there are people receiving from the education system. but are not contributing to it financially. Those are people that are here illegally. Just last year. California spent over $7 billion a year educating illegal immigrant children. Once again. our compassion for others is to the detriment of our own kids. In the criminal justice system. where I was a judge in Harris County. over 20 percent of the people in jail were illegally in the United States. Americans provided those individuals a defense attorney. a court system. a trial. and they paid for the incarceration if those individuals were convicted. Who pays for this? Americans. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090054110,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Americans always pay. Mr. Speaker. everybody wants to live in the United States. but not everybody can live here. We need rules that are fair. and people must respect our rule of law and our borders. American taxpayers cannot afford to pay for those here illegally who use our health care facilities. our education systems. and go through the criminal justice system. The failure of this Congress to act on correcting our broken immigration system trickles down to the communities which we all represent. especially those of us who represent border States. The American taxpayer is funding illegals. and we must put a stop to the problem sooner rather than later. If we continue to offer free education. health care services and provide a criminal justice system. are we not encouraging more illegals to come to the United States? This just ought not to be.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090054125,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Central American Free Trade Agreement. according to Republican leadership. will come to a vote sometime this month. The Central American Free Trade Agreement was signed 13 months ago by President Bush. Every other trade agreement voted on in this Congress has been voted on within 2 months of the Presidents signature. That is. those trade agreements with Morocco and Chile. Singapore and Australia. all passed the Congress comfortably by wide margins within 60 days of the President affixing his signatures to them. This trade agreement. CAFTA. was signed by President Bush in May of 2004. and it has not been brought to this Congress for a vote for one simple reason. One simple mathematical reason: the votes simply are not there to pass this agreement. The votes are not there because of the opposition from dozens of Republicans and Democrats. the opposition from small manufacturers and labor unions. and the deep and broad opposition from small farmers and from family farmers and ranchers and environmentalists. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2442}
{"speech_id":1090054125,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The opposition to CAFTA comes from Catholic bishops in Central America and Lutheran and Presbyterian and Jewish leaders in our country. It is clear this agreement would not pass the House of Representatives today because Americans. in larger and larger numbers. including Members of Congress. representatives of the American people. understand our trade policy simply is not working. Look at this chart. In 1992. the year I was first elected to Congress. we had a trade deficit. That means we exported less than we imported. We had a trade deficit of $28 billion. Last year. our trade deficit was $618 billion. From $38 billion to $618 billion trade deficit in only a dozen years. It is clear our trade policy is not working when we have these kinds of trade deficits. coupled with the budget deficits we have seen the last 5 years. Now. these might just be numbers to economists. these numbers about the trade deficit. but here is what they really translate into. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2442}
{"speech_id":1090054125,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The States in red are States which have lost 20 percent of their manufacturing jobs in the last 6 years. The States in blue have lost 15 to 20 percent of their manufacturing jobs. Now. again. those are numbers. but think about this. My State. and the State of my colleague. the gentlewoman from Ohio . has lost 217.000. and the gentleman from Ohio . who has joined us. has lost 217.000. The State of our colleague. the gentleman from Oregon","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2442}
{"speech_id":1090054130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this evening. I would like to talk about a cultural change occurring in the U.S. military that is very troubling to me. For those people who have served our country and continue to serve our country in the military service. the words honor. duty. God. and country mean everything. These timeless words have motivated hundreds of thousands of our patriotic citizens to enlist and serve in the United States military over the decades. and they inspire a calling to rise above ones own selfinterest for the betterment of our Nation and her highest principles: Liberty. equality and justice. Those high principles are in stark contrAst to what the World Book Dictionary defines as a soldier of fortune. \"a man serving or ready to serve as a soldier under any government for money. for adventure or for pleasure.\" I could not help but think about this and read and reread that definition as I examine how pay and benefits provided to these private military personnel engaged in the Iraqi war dwarf what we provide our allvolunteer military. Guards for private security firms on average are earning $400 to $600 a day or $144.000 to $216.000 in a single year. and they are earning it tax free. That is right. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12034}
{"speech_id":1090054130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These salaries and taxfree dollars are provided so long as the men remain incountry for more than a year. The slain guards for Blackwater were earning nearly a thousand dollars a day for an astronomical salary of $365.000 a year. Let us compare that to what we provide the men and women who have served in our military for 6 years. not even the 1 or 2 years that most personnel in Iraq are at. A military commissioned officer can expect to earn between $100 and $270 a day. for a paltry total of $36.000 to $96.000 a year. Enlisted soldiers. those who carry out the toughest assignments and are in the most danger and need the most support. earn $36.000 in a good year. That is outrageous. General Omar Bradley. the GI general himself said. \"Leadership in the democratic Army means firmness. not harshness. understanding. not weakness. justice. not license. humaneness. not intolerance. generosity. not selfishness. pride. not egotism.\" I thought a lot about those words as I am increasingly saddened as I watch what seems to be transpiring in the Iraqi war. As each day passes. a nonsensical strategy is unraveling in Iraq that threatens to transform many of our most important ideals into crash commercialism. The utter mismanagement of the war troubles me as I witness what I perceive to be the undermining of the honor code and the diminishment of the meaning of the words \"service\" and \"duty\" that have served as hallmarks of our military tradition from its inception. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12034}
{"speech_id":1090054130,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me be clear. For those soldiers. both enlisted personnel and officers serving under the timetested rules of engagement. I have no quarrel. They serve bravely. Their integrity is indisputable. their will resolute.. No. my apprehension lies with the architects of war. Where I am growing increasingly uncomfortable and downright concerned is with the actions of the President and his role as commander in chief. his Vice President. and their Secretary of Defense. Donald Rumsfeld. Together. they are authorizing a strategy for the outsourcing. of military functions that is unparalleled in scope and size in the history of this Nation. Never before have so many private contractors. an estimated 20.000 private military personnel and 100.000 civilian contractors. been utilized in such a function to perform critical security and military needs in theater. duties that heretofore had been under the direct purview of the regular military and its established chain of command beginning with the commander in chief and his joint chiefs of staff. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12034}
{"speech_id":1090054130,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. no one in Congress has any idea of the exact number of private security contractors working and operating in Iraq. Last year. in response to a detailed request levied by myself and dozens of our colleagues. the Coalition Provisional Authority compiled a list of 60 different firms employing a total of 20.000 personnel back then. including U.S. citizens. Iraqis and third country nationals. No additional information. no specifics on the contracts awarded. just a list. And so we watch the news. and we try to figure out what is actually happenipg over there. According to an excellent journalistic expose on Frontline. and I quote. \"Beforehand handing over power to the newly elected Iraqi government in January 2005. the CPA established Memorandum 17. a notice that called for all private security companies operating in Iraq to register by June 1 and established an oversight committee led by Iraqs Ministry of the Interior. According to Lawrence Peter. a former CPA official and the director of the Private Security Association of Iraq. as of June 21. 2005. 37 security contraGtors have registered with the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior. One is awaiting approval. and 18 additional security companies are in the process of registering.\" Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12034}
{"speech_id":1090054130,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. what on earth is going on in Iraq? How do we distinguish between soldiers of fortune and those of our own military who are committed to honor. duty. God. and country? Why can this Congress not get straight answers from the administration on this and a bevy of other issues? Why are we relying on thousands of contractors. including some from third countries. to provide backup and support to our regular military? Why is it perfectly acceptable to outsource war. and this under a veil of secrecy? I have hundreds of questions. and Members can rest assured I will refuse to stop asking them until the American people get real and substantive answers to those responsible. What really bothered me was when I saw that Paul Bremer at the beginning had guards around him that did not have militaryissued uniforms nor U.S. Department of Defense weapons. I began to ask questions. I will continue to raise them. and I include for the RECORD some additional materials. Honor. duty. God. country. These timeless words have motivated hundreds of thousands of patriotic citizens to enlist and serve in the United States Military over the decades. These words inspire a calling to rise above ones own self for the betterment of our nation and her highest .principalsliberty. equality. justice. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12034}
{"speech_id":1090054229,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. how do you haul corn. soybeans. fertilizer. petroleum products. coal and rock from Chicago. Illinois. to the port of New Or. leans. or from the port of -New Orleans up to Chicago. Illinois. without taking 870 tractortrailer trucks over our highway system? That is 870 trucks that burn diesel fuel. 870 trucks that clog our interstate highway system. 870 truQks. that made some of our roads less safe. Mr. Speaker. you do it by the river. by the Mississippi River system. That is- one of the best ways in which we can be an environmental steward. by getting all of these trucks off the road. That is one of the best ways that we can unclog our highway and transportation system. That is one of the best ways that we get a better return on investments and lower price fuels is by doing that. The Water Resources Development Act. which we will take up on the floor this afternoon and tomorrow. is the best way to be a good environmental steward. energy security. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1051}
{"speech_id":1090054229,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And promote the wellbeing of all Americans. I ask Members support for passage.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1051}
{"speech_id":1090054245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to offer my deepest condolences to our friends in London who suffered a heinous attack of terrorism last week when several bombs tore through their public transit system. Events like the London bombing remind us how absolutely important it is to stand firm against terrorism wherever it rears its hideous head. We must never let down our guard. Next week. the House is slated to take up legislation to reauthorize 16 provisions in the PATRIOT Act. Those in Congress acted quickly in the wake of September 11 to get this strong legislation passed to help safeguard our Nation from the agony of another terrorist attack. So far. we have been successful. The PATRIOT Act has helped our intelligence and law enforcement officials prevent another attack from occurring on American soil. But last weeks London bombings remind us that we are still in the middle of a fierce battle. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1114}
{"speech_id":1090054245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our safety depends on our intelligence and law enforcement officials ha~ing the tools they need to track terrorists and to prevent terrorism. at home and abroad. Indeed. this is not the time to let down our guard.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1114}
{"speech_id":1090054256,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my concern shared by many of my colleagues this morning regarding the veterans affairs health care budget shortfall. I am afraid this shortfall is further evidence that the misgivings many Members of Congress. veterans. and teterans service organizations have had about the VA health care budget have been justified.. The bottom line. in recent years veterans health care has not been given sufficient consideration when it comes time to write the budget. Providing the benefits earned by veterans. yesterdays heroes and todays. is part of the Federal Governments responsibility to provide for the common defense. a responsibility that should direct our funding priorities. The necessity to reprogram $1.27 billion to the medical services account for fiscal year 2005 and possibly up to $1.7 billion. not factoring in $600 million for enrollment fees and increased copayments that will not be accepted by Congress. over the Presidents request for fiscal year 2006 is an obvious signal that VA health care is not suitably funded to meet the needs of our veterans. However. this is not the first indication. that the problem existed. It is not a problem that has crept into the system in the last few months. It is a problem that has existed for many years. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090054256,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that we are now working to solve the shortfalls of fiscal year 2005 and 2006 and to ensure effective methodologies that can produce reliable projections regarding adequate levels of funding in the future.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090054321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a member of the House Committee on Government Reform. I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 2630. legislation redesignating a postal facility in Springfield. Illinois. after the late James Michael Dietrich. This measure was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois on May 25. 2005. unanimously reported by the Committee on Government Reform on June 16. 2005. H.R. 2630 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire Illinois State delegation. Mr. Speaker. it is always a pleasure to join my colleagues in praising the hard work of postal employees. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090054321,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the. late James Michael \"Mike\" Dietrich was a postal supervisor long remembered for his dedication to his job. the employees. and the United States Postal Service. James Dietrich was a lifelong employee of the postal service. After serving in the U.S. Army. he joined the postal service as a letter carrier. He was promoted to supervisor of Delivery and Collections in 1983 and later to supervisor of customer service in 1989. He handled daily assignments and personnel staffing. He was known for his patience. problem solving. and recognized as the \"go to\" man. Sadly. he died unexpectedly in September of 2003. Mr. Dietrichs colleagues have described him as a hard worker and a fantastic human being. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090054321,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the memory of Mr. Dietrich and urge swift passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090054330,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 3100. a bill which I introduced for the purpose of authorizing measures to deter arms transfers by foreign countries to the Peoples Republic of China. E 1200 This bill has 14 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. including the gentleman from California . the ranking Democratic member of the Committee on International Relations. and the gentleman from California . the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services. The Committee on International Relations has marked up the bill and ordered it reported un6nimously. The background and need for this legislation can be briefly summarized. When the House passed Resolution 57 overwhelmingly 411 to 3 on February 2. 2005. it did so in the context of a rising chorus from European leaders that it was time to terminate the European Unions arms. embargo on China. In response to this development. Resolution 57 called on the European Union to take two steps: one. to maintain its arms embargo on the Peoples Republic of China. and. two. to eliminate weaknesses in the embargo and in the national policies of the EU member states. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4831}
{"speech_id":1090054330,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. those weaknesses are loopholes of one form or another that had permitted European weapons technology to flow to China at an increasingly higher level. even while the embargo remained in place. Now we have word that the EU has decided for the time being not to terminate the China arms embargo. This. of course is a welcome development. but it only responds to one of the two steps we asked to be taken. Unfortunately. while maintaining the embargo in the formal sense. the EU and its member states have remained silent on whether they will actually stop the flow of armsrelated technology from Europe to China. The supply of European arms technology to China has risen steadily in recent years. both in quantity and quality or sophistication. With respect to quantity. European arms sales to China increased eightfold. to $540 million in the 3year period between 2001 and 2003. Qualitatively. European transfers have included a number of systems which increased the range. reliability. and lethality of Chinas attack aircraft and other offensive Weapons systems. The implications of these transfers are uniformly negative for the security of U.S. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4831}
{"speech_id":1090054330,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Armed Forces in East Asia. for the defense of our friends and allies in the region. and for regional stability more broadly. In this respect. I note the public testimony by the Director of the CIA. Mr. Goss. on February 16. 2005. before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. At that time he pointed out that Beijings military modernization and military buildup is tilting the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait and that improved Chinese capabilities threaten U.S. forces in the region. H.R. 3100 would address these continuing serious concerns in several ways. First. the bill would ensure Congress has the information it needs from the executive branch concerning foreign support for Chinese weapons acquisitions. Under H.R. 3100. the President would henceforth submit an annual report to Congress on European companies that are aiding Chinas military buildup and on European governments whose policies condone these sales. Second. for those European companies and governments that continue dangerous arms relationships with China. the bill would expand U.S. export license requirements and increase congressional oversight in certain circumstances. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4831}
{"speech_id":1090054330,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This will ensure that access to sensible U.S. weapons technology is monitored carefully in the case of foreign companies that are also suppliers to Chinese military programs. As the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services noted during our April 14 hearing. the technology control plans which govern access to our weapons technology\" by foreign contractors who are also aiding the Chinese could be very challenging. if not \"mission impossible.\" Third. the President would be given new authority to help deter future European armsrelated sales. should enhanced procedural safeguards not be enough. H.R. 3100 provides a menu of measures the President could draw upon in limiting access of culpable persons to U.S. weapons technology. Significantly. H.R. 3100 would not have a retroactive character. It will not reach back. This is because the bill is not intended to be punitive. its primary purpose is deterrence. In this context. the optimal report Congress could receive is one in which no European company or government is named. However. if EU member states do not make it possible for this to happen. the President would be in a position to take other steps in consultation with the Congress to safeguard our security interests. Mr. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4831}
{"speech_id":1090054330,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I hope our colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 3100. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4831}
{"speech_id":1090054342,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this is the 60th anniversary of the final victory in one of the greatest campaigns for the preservation of freedom in the history of the world. The heroic struggle of Americas .Greatest Generation and the peoples of the allied countries to defeat the scourge of Fascist militarism and liberate millions from its iron fist was the most monumental endeavor of the entire 20th century. [] 1215 World leaders quite properly gathered in Moscow on May 9 to commemorate VE Day. the 60th anniversary of the victory in Europe. We certainly join in honoring our heroic veterans of the DDay landing and .those of the entire Atlantic theater for their valiant efforts to liberate the people of Continental Europe. especially those trapped in death camps from Nazi tyranny. We should well remember. however. that for the American people. the Seeond World War neither began nor ended in Europe. For our Nation. the war began on a quiet Sunday morning in Hawaii. when the U.S. was suddenly and deliberately attacked at Pearl Harbor. Over 2.400 lives were lost. including those buried in the sunken hull of the battleship USS Arizona. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3950}
{"speech_id":1090054342,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These dead represent the greatest number of American casualties in any such attack prior to September 11. 2001. another date which will live in.infamy. The war for America did not end on May 19 with the defeat of the axis powers in Europe. The battle for Okinawa. the largest sealand air battle in history was largely fought after the surrender in Europe. It was not until General Douglas McArthur crossed the deck of the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay to accept the final surrender of Japan on September 2. 1945. that America and the world were finally at peace. VE Day had been.the beginning of the end. but VJ Day was the final victory. I stand in strong support. therefore. for this concurrent resolution. which gives equal recognition to veterans of both the Pacific and Atlantic theatres as inscribed in the World War 1I Memorial which was dedicated last year on our National Mall. This resolution calls upon generations of Americans who followed those who fought and died in this historic conflict to pause and give remembrance to the sacrifices of the greatest generation as the 60th anniversary of VJ Day approaches. The events of that war are slowly fading. and a distant memory. rekindled only in our national consciousness by readings in history textbooks or by clips from old war films. therefore we must assure. through commemorations like the one contained in this resolution that the sacrifices of the World War II generation are never diminished or never forgotten. We here today should dedicate ourselves to preserving these memories. eVen as we stand once again to thank our World War II veterans for their sacrifice and their valor. As Americans reflect on the decades of unparalleled stability and prosperity following the aftermath of the Second World War. they may recall the words of the great British Scientist. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3950}
{"speech_id":1090054342,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sir Isaac Newton who said. \"If I have been able to see further. it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants.\" The blessings we enjoy today come from standing on the shoulders of those giants who fought. bled and died 6 decades ago so we might be free. And so to all those who fought. we owe an enormous debt of gratitude. Their legacy today is a peaceful and increasingly prosperous Asian Pacific region. where democratic institutions have taken root and market economies have flourished. Their gift to us is an America which still stands as a beacon of liberty to the people of Asia who remember well the horrors inflicted by the coming of the Second World War. With pride and boundless gratitude do we acknowledge the unpayable debt we all owe to veterans. who together with our allies and those on the home front. won the final victory which we commemorate today. Mr. Speaker I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3950}
{"speech_id":1090054394,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct. I commend the Congresswoman for her extraordinary leadership. for working to protect communities from MTBE and from unfunded mandates that shift of cost of cleanup to communities without the funding to match. For 5 years. Republicans have pushed policies to give billions of dollars to special interests which then reaped record profits. Republicans are not listening to the American peoples concerns about the need for save drinking water. clean air. or for lowering the price at the pump of gasoline. Instead of siding with the Americans strangled by high gas prices. President Bushs own Department of Energy said that the energy bill would actually raise gas prices. and that the Presidents proposals would increase our foreign oil dependance by 85 percent. But nowhere is Republican pandering more on display than in the provisions relating to MTBE. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090054394,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as you probably know. a few drops of MTBE can poison whole drinking water supplies. The industry knew that MTBE would leak from gasoline storage tanks when they lobbied for its use. They deliberately hid this fact from Congress. The result of their malfeasance is clear: MTBE contaminated groundwater in every single State in America with estimated cleanup costs between $25 and $85 billion. Incredibly. instead again of siding with communities poisoned by MTBE. House Republicans lined up to protect polluters from liability. Last year. the Majority Leader. the gentleman from Texas added language to the energy bill to protect MTBE polluters knqwing it would kill the legislation and he did the same this year. The Housepassed bill protects MTBE producers form lawsuits. By their actions. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090054394,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House Republicans imposed an unfunded mandate on local communities to protect polluters. This is contrary to a fundamental principle that in our society polluters must pay for the damage they cause. not our children with their health. The Republicans said to localities. not only will we protect the people who poisoned your water. but we are going to leave you with the bill. Mr. Speaker. we are spending our time debating yet another huge subsidy for profitable oil and gas companies at taxpayers expense. When we should be focusing on what consumers want. clean water to drink and relief from high prices at the pump. This is a disgrace. Conferees should insist on the Senate version that excludes this shameful MTBE liability waiver. Only then can we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening community by promoting a clean and healthy environment where polluters pay again for the damage they cause. not our children with their health. Again. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090054394,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman from California. for seizing this opportunity as she did when the House first considered this legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote for the motion to instruct so that we can end this disgraceful giveaway to oil companies and MTBE polluters that poison water all across the country.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090054408,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my esteemed colleague. who is in opposition to this amendment and. indeed. he. the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. is my friend and friends of all of us who haVe spoken today who are members of his committee. But I wish to comment on some of the remarks he made in his speech. First. regarding the list funds which he spoke about as being a place for managing this pollution. Stopping the leaks from the tanks stops additional MTBE contamination. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5410}
{"speech_id":1090054408,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. but it does nothing about existing contamination. and that is the contamination that has polluted over 2.300 water districts across this country in 36 different States. Second. the chairman referred to the very minute amounts of MTBE that have polluted all of this groundwater that we have.been discussing. And it is true that the groundwater is rendered unusable because of the strong smell and taste of kerosene. even in a very small amount of MTBE which is in the groundwater. . But I would argue. respectfully. that the American people deserve to know that the Environmental Protection Agency has a report. eventhough it is a draft report. because it identifies the state of a likely carcinogen that MTBE contains. Even if it is nothing more than a small amount. I do not believe. as a public health nurse. that we want to contaminate our drinking water with even a small amount of a likely carcinogen. Third. I want to get back to the point about the liability of manufacturers of MTBE who knew when they created this product in the 1970s as an additive to gasoline that it was toxic and that it would pollute groundwater. Here is a statement from the deposition of Curt Stanley. a Shell Oil remediation expert. which is part of the testimony for the South Lake Tahoe water district when it was presented with a huge lawsuit against the Shell Company. The question was asked: \"So is it fair to say.\" and this is taken from testimony. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5410}
{"speech_id":1090054408,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"that by 1981. the Shell Oil Company knew that MTBE in its gasoline could contaminate public drinking water supplies?\" The answer is: \"Yes.\" Question: \"And is it also fair to say that they knew by that time that it created taste and odor problems in public drinking water supplies?\" The answer: \"Yes.\" And the final question: \"And did you report those facts to the Shell management?\" And the answer is: \"Yes.\" Since at least that time. 1981. the oil companies. the MTBE manufacturers knew that they were making a defective product and knowingly they continued to manufacture it. Now. the chairman described the compromise that has been worked out on the underlying bill. and in doing so. interestingly. acknowledges fault on the part of the MTBE manufacturers. because they are liable if they are going to be part of the deal in coming to a conclusion. \"They should pay.\" he says. I say. \"they must pay.\" They must be held accountable. And the deal that is struck is one in which they will pay only a portion of the damages and the taxpayers will pay the remainder. The House Republican energy bill fails to address this Nations record gas prices. And according to the Bush administrations own Energy Department would actually cause gas prices to increase. and that at a time when they are increasing. This energy bill we are now going to be considering in conference will do nothing to cause containment of that increase in gas prices. Instead of giving real relief to consumers. this Republican bill gives loads of new tax breaks and loopholes to special interests. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5410}
{"speech_id":1090054408,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the worst example of these special interest giveaways is the complete liability shield for MTBE manufacturers. a shield that will shift billions of dollars in cleanup costs from MTBE manufacturers to the American taxpayer. MTBE is responsible for polluting groundwater in so many communities across this country. Cleanup costs are estimated in the billions. $28 billion to maybe as high as over $50 billion. MTBE manufacturers are now being held accountable in court. but this provision would end that accountability. I would remind Members that it was the special protections granted to MTBE manufacturers that brought this bill down in the last Congress. Senate leaders have made it clear they are not including this grossly unwanted getoutofjailfree card for the MTBE this yeas either. So I know many Members of the House have school boards. have water districts or towns with lawsuits against MTBE manufacturers. and those lawsuits are going to be voided. Null. They are not going to be able to proceed under this energy bill. Your constituents would lose their right to hold these manufacturers of MTBE accountable for the pollution in their groundwater. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5410}
{"speech_id":1090054408,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the billions in MTBE cleanup that your communities face will be shifted from the oil companies. who have record profits and who caused the problem. to your constituents. who have to live with the problem. Make no mistake. that is what this vote is all about. By voting for the motion to instruct conferees. you will be saying that it is not okay to make your constituents pay for pollution that they did not cause. but that was caused by MTBE manufacturers. The special protection in this bill for MTBE manufacturers is completely unwarranted and it will cost your constituents a fortune. So I urge you to vote for the motion to instruct conferees. Vote for the Capps motion.","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5410}
{"speech_id":1090054424,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. America has the best public universities in the world. We have some of the best ones in Texas where I am from. Many Americans want to go to college. Parents want to send their kids to our public universities. Parents and students sometimes save for years to attend college. It is expensive. especially for the middle class. The rich can always pay. good for them. And the poor sometimes get grants and go to college. but it is the middle class that struggles. for a lifetime. sometimes. to send their kids to school. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090054424,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some students decide to go a university in another State. They are penalized by that State and required to pay outofState tuition since they are from out of State. Citizens from other countries apply for Visas to come to the United States to go to public universities. If they are accepted. they pay outofState tuition since they are from out of State. These are citizens who come here legally and then go back to their native lands. But. Mr. Speaker. if a person is in the United States illegally. they can get admitted to State universities and pay inState tuition. So if a person is illegally here from. let us say. France. they apply to a State university. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090054424,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If they are admitted. they pay inState tuition. But they are from out of State. not to mention they should not even be here. They are violating American law by just their presence. So we continue to reward illegal behavior. This policy discriminates against American kids who want to go to. let us say. the University of Kansas from some other State. This policy also discriminates against foreign citizens who come here legally to go to college. It encourages more illegal immigration. College admissions .are so competitive now that even allowing illegals to attend our universities may prevent American citizens from being accepted. And who pays for this nonsense? Americans pay. They always pay. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090054424,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We Cannot continue to subsidize illegal immigration and the benefits illegals receive. There are several States that provide for inState tuition for illegal individuals. The State that started this was my home State of Texas. If you go to the University of Texas.and you are an inState resident. you pay about $7.000. If you are from Oklahoma just across the Red River. you pay $10.000 more. about $17.000.. Kansas. if you are an inState resident. you pay about $5.000. Out of State. about $13.000. and the same is true in several other States. State University of New York: In State. $5.250. out of State. $11.200. University of Kansas: In State. $5.413. out of State. $13.865. University of Texas: In State. $7.438. out of State. $17.474. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090054424,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this ought not to be. This penalizes American kids and rewards illegal conduct. This defies common sense.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090054495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. regarding the statement of my distinguished friend. my counterpart. the Republican leader. 90 percent of what he said is right on target. It is absolutely true that we need a process. That is why Senators HATCH and SPECTER have been working on this for several weeks prior to the resignation of Sandra Day OConnor. The process is moving along very well. I acknowledge that the meetings I have had with the President on this matter have been very productive. They have been good and are pointed in the right direction. However. on a couple of things I disagree with my distinguished friend. the senior Senator from Tennessee. that is. we need to be very careful and put these problems we have had behind us. dealing with the socalled nuclear option. It is easy to throw words around like \"obstructionism.\" but the fact is the vast majority of the Presidents nominees were approved easily. I dont know.the exact numbers. but I believe 210 out of 219 were approved. and a number of them Withdrew. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3164}
{"speech_id":1090054495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The battles over 5 turned out to be 5 out of 219. We do not need words like that. We need to look at this in a positive sense. There are times. as has been indicated in the recent debate that ocJq. X- 13. 2005 curred in the Senate...rvhere certain nomine6p have to beViewqvc very dautiQusly and carefully. FFr dxample. the person the President has chosen to go to the United Nations has caused close scrutiny of this individual. The other two people the President sent to the United Nations as our Ambassador are people who the minority proudly voted for. Ambassador Negroponte went through here very quickly. And then. of course. Jack Danforth. the former Senator from Missouri. whipped through here and was our United Nations Ambassador. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3164}
{"speech_id":1090054495,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"John Bolton is a different story. We had to take a look at him. That is not obstructionism. We asked for certain information. It was not forthcoming. So as I said. I agree with my friend from Tennessee that this is a process that needs to have the view of the American public. and they need to be proud of the work we do. I think we are headed in the right direction. I am cautiously optimistic we can move through this. I have given President Bush the benefit of every doubt that he is doing this with his heart in the right place. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3164}
{"speech_id":1090054495,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have told him personally and in writing how much I appreciate his reaching out to me. And I continually will be optimistic until there is no need to do so. It would be so good for the country if they could see the Senate at its best. moving a nomination that is a consensus candidate. that is. someone Democrats and Republicans both support to this very high. honorable position. a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. I look forward to my continued consultation with the administration. I had a conversation yesterday with one of the Presidents representatives. his legal counsel. I amh going to continue to do whateverI can to make this process move as quickly as possible. and not only as quickly as possible but as dignified as possible. And having done this. it would be a strong message for us to send to the people of America. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3164}
{"speech_id":1090054520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I congratulate my friend and colleague from Colorado for his excellent statement and his leadership on this issue and so many other issues. Since coming to the Senate 6 months ago. the Senator from Colorado has demonstrated his compassion. intelligence. and ability to speak to the issues that people in this country desperately care about and desperately need. I congratulate him. once again. on having amendments that are very important for the families of our country.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":493}
{"speech_id":1090054529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My hope is that we can accept the amendments of the Senator from Colorado. then we will have further discussion of the pending amendment of the Senator from Michigan. probably with a point of order being made at that point. and then we would turn to. the Senator from Massachusetts for up to 15 minutes. That is the game plan. hopefully. So when the Senator from Michigan completes her statement. I will proceed with that proposal.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":431}
{"speech_id":1090054530,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I .rise to speak to an amendment that Senator DODD will be offering on his and my behalf in the next hour. I am sure. This relates to the other piece of what needs to happen to make sure that we are thoroughly prepared and protected. Again. that is our goal. to be prepared and protected. That is what we are fighting for. That is what we are working toward. That is what we need to do together. My amendment would invest in the inter6perable communication so that everyone could speak to each other and be able to respond. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090054530,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is another amendment that Senator DODD and I are introducing that speaks to the larger question of whether we are providing all that we need to. to invest at home in our first responders and what they need to be successful. We know that right now. based on a report that was done back in the spring of 2003. there was a blue ribbon panel of experts. led by former Republican Senator Warren Rudman. that found the United States is drastically underfunding local emergency responders and. in their words. remains dangerously unprepared to handle a catastrophic attack on American soil. They recommended at that time a major investment over a 5year period to fully prepare us so that our families and communities are protected. . After that report was given to us. Senator DODD and I came to the Senate floor 2 years ago and offered ajn amendment for the first year of that 5year funding. It was not passed. We came last year and offered it again. We stand today asking our colleagues. with an even greater sense of urgency. to finally pass this amendment so that we can begin that 5year process of fully preparing our first responders and supporting them so that our families are protected. It is a major investment of $15 billion this year. But when we look at what we are spending abroad. we cannot be just concerned about fighting terrorism in somebody elses country. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090054530,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know we have to be prepared to fight it here. Yet we see hundreds of billions being spent in Iraq. being spent overseas. I supported those dollars so our troops are successful. so they have what they need. but that is not enough. If the troops on the ground in Americaour police officers. our firefighters. our emergency respondersdo not have the same commitment from us. why would we say we are going to make sure our troops have what they need overseas and then dramatically underfund what they need at home? It makes absolutely no sense. This is way beyond anything that is viewed as a partisan issue because it does not matter. Democrat or Republican. when we look at the vulnerabilities for our families and communities for us right now. this is something we should all be rallying around. I hope that we are not in a situation looking back at some point and saying we should have done this but. rather. arent we glad that we did. The Rudman report that was given to us in the spring of 2003 found that. on average. our fire departments have only half the number of radios they need. and I spoke to that in my other amendment. only enough breathing apparatus for onethird of their firefighters. So one out of three gets breathing equipment. Police departments across America do not have the protective gear to respond to a WMD attack. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090054530,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our public health laboratories lack the basic equipment to respond to a chemical or biological attack and most report that they are overwhelmed with testing requests. Finally. our first responders do not have the equipment they need to determine what kind of hazardous material they may be facing. The administrations support for first responders has been on a steady decline. It is less in this budget than it was in last years budget. That makes no sense. For example. last years funding for Michigan State homeland security grants dropped from $47 million to $29.7 million. In this budget. the administration eliminates the law enforcement terrorism training program. cutting another $400 million from our first responders. Last weeks tragedy in London has again shown how important it is to be able to respond quickly and effectively. for them to be able to speak to each other. for us to be able to have enough personnel who can respond. Michigan has three of the busiest commercial crossings in the United Statesapproximately 3.200 miles of coastline. three nuclear powerplants. ports. and other numerous critical infrastructure that we must protect. Our homeland security needs are somewhere between $1.4 billion and $2.7 billion that we need to invest in every year. yet the allocation in this budget is less than $30 millionagain. down from $47 million. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090054530,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is not even close to what we need to be prepared and protectednot even close. I have also spoken with police and fire chiefs across the State. Again. it is amazing to me. I do not believe the average person would believe what is happening until they talk to local law enforcement officials. When I talk to them. there are fewer police officers on the beat today than 9\/11\/2001. It is shocking. It is truly shocking and I believe it is truly irresponsible. Last month we spent about $5 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to put this in perspective. If we take 3 months of what we are spending there. we can fully fund what the Rudman report says is necessary for our first responders. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090054568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. it is my intention to respond to the amendment proposed by the Senator from Connecticut and make a point of order relative to it. Prior to doing that. I will yield to the Senator fromArkansas for 5 minutes so he may offer an amendment and get it in the queue. Then we can agree to it.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090054599,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator for his cosponsorship of this legislation. particularly given that Mr. BIDEN travels daily on the rails. back and forth to his home in Delaware. I trust the Senate will move quickly to once again pass this essential legislation. We owe at least that much to the American people as we continue our struggle against an enemy. that wants nothing less than to destroy everything we stand for and believe in.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090054643,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"and others to have one mass transit amendment which will have an amount far greater than the amount I was going to proposeand we will also have a colloquyso that money can go to more things. The MTA. in my area. the leading mass transit agency that runs New York City subways. the Long Island railroad. MetroNorth. carrying millions of passengers every yearbillions of passengers every year. and millions. I guess. every weekhas said they cannot spend the money on what they need. such as explosivedetecting dogs. which is one of the best types of ways to stop explosives. But that is rail security. As I said. that will come for another time in debate. I believe. tomorrow. But what Madrid also teaches us and London also teaches us is that terrorists look for weak pressure points. If we strengthen air. they may look to rail. If we strengthen rail. they may look to trucks. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4843}
{"speech_id":1090054643,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we strengthen trucks. they may look to our ports. So it is extremely important we have a multifaceted war on terror at home. As you know. I support a strong war on terror abroad. And we are fighting a strong war on terror abroad. maybe too strong in the eyes of some. But we also have to have not only a good offense in the war on terror. we have to have a good defense. We have to look across the board. It has been a great concern of mine that we are not doing enough in various areas. I have tried to put my efforts into the areas where there is clearly a great danger compared to meager effort. Truck security is one of those areas. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4843}
{"speech_id":1090054643,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment gives $70 millionnot a large sum in this very large budgetto the Transportation Security Administration to develop and implement a system for identifying and tracking hazardous material shipments using global positioning system technology. According to the 1997 Census of Interstate Commerce. 740.000 Hazmat shipments travel by truck each day in the United States. Approximately 50.000 trips are made daily by gasoline tankers. and many of them hold as much fuel as a Boeing 757. These trips often end with a latenight delivery to a deserted gas station. Trucks also cross the country carrying potentially deadly chemicals. such as ammonium nitrate. chlorine. and cyanide. An attack with these types of chemicals could cause an even greater level of destruction because these chemicals can form clouds of deadly fumes which would affect individuals miles away from the site of a terrorist incident. My amendment simply provides TSA with the financial resources to look into how we go about monitoring what has been shown to us as a vulnerability within our existing plan to secure our country from terrorist threats. Have we forgotten the initial attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. both of which were the result of truck bombs? While the Nation has completely revamped aviation security since the September 11 attackswe have a longer way to go. but we have come a long waywe have done next to nothing to secure our country from the danger that can be caused by a truck filled with explosives. chemicals. or biological weapons. Today. on their own. many of the larger trucking companies have GPS systems on their trucks. like an evergrowing percentage of American automobiles. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4843}
{"speech_id":1090054643,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Frankly. they have put the GPS systems on often to deal with theft as much as to deal with the threat from teriorism. The systems allow the companies to know where the trucks in the fleet are. If the truck moves off a route. the company knows. If a truck is stolen. the company knows. I believe it is important the TSA take a similar approach and create a nationwide tracking system so that if a terrorist should steal or hijack a truck loaded with dangerous materials. we will find them quickly. It would be very similar to when a plane goes off track. we now know that. F16s are scrambled. We have learned that here in the Capitol over the last year. twice. The same thing can be done with trucks. not very expensively. My amendment provides TSA with tremendous flexibility and muchneeded funds to address truck security and have none of the mandates or the high costs to industry that the ATA alleges. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4843}
{"speech_id":1090054643,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. my amendment specifically limits the type of commercial vehicles and content subject to tracking to the most dangerous and highhazard materials. It is not going to affect every truck shipment. Both the TSA and DOT are currently working on improving trucktracking systems and background checks for commercial drivers licenses with a Hazmat endorsement. My amendment would help continue and build on those existing efforts. which have been slow. in part. due to lack of funding. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and help close this hole in our Nations homeland security. With that. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4843}
{"speech_id":1090054841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is my understanding that we will now have a vote on Senator DODDs amendment. on the motion to waive the Budget Act. followed by a vote on Senator AKAKAS motion to waive the Budget Act. I should inform Members that we actually are going to have three other votes following those two votes as soon as we line them up. The first vote will begin at 6:30. I think Senator AKAKA wanted time.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":388}
{"speech_id":1090054921,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to express concern about recent events in Ethiopia. On May 15. 2005. 90 percent of registered Ethiopian voters went to the polls in the countrys third election under its current constitution. Unfortunately. this historic election was marred by a disputed outcome. Because of the controversy over the eledtion. civil unrest ensued. In responding to protests by opposition parties. the Government of Ethiopia acted with excessive 1orce. killing 36 protestors and arresting large numbers of demonstrators. Final results of the May election were due to be completed by the National Electoral Board first by June 8. then by July 8. and are still ongoing. Interim certified results from the Electoral Board indicate that approximately 40 percent of the vote is either still under investigation or in need of review. with one region of the country still to cast its ballots. Let me be crystal clear that the Government of Ethiopia must respect the neutrality of the Electoral Board and permit it to go about its work in a fair and impartial manner. I also call upon Kemal Bedri Kelo. chairman of the Electoral Board. to conduct the boards proceedings in a transparent. fair and evenhanded fashion in order to ensure that the boards ultimate decision is respected by all sides. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090054921,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ethiopia is an ally of the United States. But that friendship could be strained by failure of the Ethiopian Government to observe international norms in its elections. failure by the Government to abide by the rule of law or failure by opposition groups to avoid overheated rhetoric. As chairman of the State\/Foreign Operations subcommittee. I will be keeping a close eye on events in Ethiopia as they continue to unfold.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090054923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. President Bush and Members of the Senate will soon have the duty of appointing a flew justice to the Supreme Court. In recent days. there have been differences of opinion over whether we should consider the judicial philosophy of nominees to the Supreme Court as part of the appointment process. I hope the Presidents remarks yesterday make clear once and for all that judicial philosophy is an important part of a nominees qualifications. President Bush said that judicial philosophy would be one of the criteria he used to choose a nominee. along with character. integrity. and the ability to do the job. I agree with President Bush that these qualities--including judicial philosophyare important to whether a nominee is fit to serve on the Court. Many times in recent months. and during his campaign for reelection. President Bush has said that nominees to the Federal courts must interpret the law. not make the law. He has said that we should appoint persons who would not try to legislate from the bench. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090054923,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This view has been echoed by Members of the Senate. both Republican and Democrat. myself included. Senators of both parties agree with the President that we should not appoint judicial activists who would decide cases based on personal ideology rather than the law. * The only way to know whether nominees have an activist judicial philosophy is to find out what their judicial philosophy is. Thats the only way to know whether nominees will follow the law or attempt to rewrite it. We certainly cant tell judicial philosophy from nominees resumes. where they went to school. or where they worked. These issues are relevant and should be considered as part of a nominees qualifications for the Supreme Court. But a resume is no substitute for answering questions about whether the nominee respects the basic rights and freedoms on which the nation was founded. The American people deserve to know if a nominee would favor corporate or other special interests. rather than giving everyone the same fair hearing in deciding cases. They deserve to know whether nominees would respect the Constitutional power of Congress to enact environmental protections or if nominees are so opposed to such protections that they would bend or distort the law to strike them down. The American people deserve to know whether nominees would roll back civil rights laws or uphold the rights of the disabled. the elderly. and minorities. The American people are entitled to know if a nominee respects womens rights to equal treatment in our society and to privacy in making reproductive decisions. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090054923,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This does not mean every nominee should promise to rule a particular way in each of the cases on the Supreme Courts docket for the next term. It doesnt mean that nominees must state how they would rule in any specific case. But it does mean that the Senate should expect the nominee to answer questions about important legal -principlessuch\" as the constitutional power of Congress to protect Americans against corporate abuses. the right to equal treatment. Americans right to privacy in making personal decisions about medical care. the principle of nondiscrimination. and the right to be free from unwarranted government intrusion. The American people deserve to know the answers to those questions. and the Senates review is the only way that they can get those answers. The nominee will need to say more than \"trust me\" in response to these important questions. because so much hangs in the balance. The importance of judicial philosophy in deciding whether to confirm a Supreme Court justice is nothing new. During the first 100 years after ratification of the Constitution. 21 of 81 Supreme Court nominationsone out of fourwere rejected. withdrawn. or not acted on. Since 1968. a third of all Supreme Court nominations have failed. During these confirmation debates. ideology often mattered. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090054923,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"John.Rutledge. nominated by George Washington. failed to win confirmation as Chief Justice in 1795. when Alexander Hamilton and other Federalists opposed him because of his position on the Jay Treaty. In 1811. James Madisons nominee. Alexander Wolcott. was defeated because of his enforcement of the embargo and other trade laws opposed by Federalists in the Senate. A nominee of President Polk was rejected because of his antiimmigration position. A nominee of President Hoover was not confirmed because of his antilabor view. The Senate failed to elevate Justice Abe Fortas to Chief .Justice in 1968. when Senate Republicans filibustered his nomination because they objected to his decisions on free speech and defendants rights. Chief Justice Rehnquist himself has stated that it is appropriate for the Senate to ask about a Supreme Court nominees judicial philosophy. stating that this \"has always seemed . . . entirely consistent with our [C]onstitution and serves as a way of reconciling judicial independence with majority rule.\" As our colleague from Mississippi. Senator TRENT LOTT. stated in 1996. \"[w]e should look not only at their education. background. and qualifications. but also . . . what is their philosophy with regard to the judiciary and how they may be ruling.\" In Senator LOTTs words. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090054923,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"if we do not ask questions. then we will be shirking our responsibilities.\" Earlier this month. the Senator from Texas. Senator CORNYN. stated that while nominees should not be asked to promise how they will vote in a specific case. \"its an appropriate question to ask what their views are on cases that have been decided and judicial opinions that have been written.\" We should all agree that its appropriate for the Senate to ask nominees about the issues most important to Americans. The American people expect and deserve to learn about a nominees legal philosophy during the hearings on any Supreme Court nominee. We should do all we can to see that the process provides clear answers. so that the American people will have full confidence in the outcome.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090054927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday the Senate. again. acted in a unified bipartisan manner when it voted 95 to 0 to add an additional $1.5 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Although a family medical emergency unfortunately prevented me from being able to vote on the Murray amendment. I fully support the measure and would have gladly voted in favor of it. Even though -the VA could provide some health care to veterans until fiscal year 2006. it would have to do so by taking funds from other accounts and slashing other projects. This is simply unacceptable. I am proud the Senate chose to emphasize our position that the VA needs an additional $1.5 billion to properly carry out its mission of caring for Americas veterans. Thank you Mr. President.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":754}
{"speech_id":1090054935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a community in North Dakota that is celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 13. 2005. the residents of Fordville. ND. past and present. gathered to celebrate the communitys centennial. Fordville is a city in the northeastern part of my great State with about 266 residents. Although its population is small. Fordville holds an important place in the history of North Dakota. Medford was founded in 1905 and was an important stop along the Soo Railroad line. Because of confusion caused as a result of other stations along the Soo line with the name Medford. it was decided to combine its name with the rural post. office of Belleville. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1569}
{"speech_id":1090054935,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The sombination of Medford and Belleville resulted in the now familiar name of Fordville. The people of Fordville are proud of their local public schools and the railroad system. which helps to sustain the city. .Additionally. the city has a strong farming cooperative system featuring a new grain elevator. Their lively centennial celebration included a parade. street dance. musicals and a fireworks display. I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating Fordville. ND. and its residents on their first 100 years and in wishing them well through the next century. By honoring Fordville and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the pioneering tradition alive for future generations. It is places such as Fordville that shaped this country into what it is today. which is why this fine community deserves our recognition. Fordville has a proud past and a bright future..","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1569}
{"speech_id":1090054937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to recognize a nontraditional Idaho communit that although a Federal installation. is as much a part of our State as any other community. The Mountain Home Air Force Base Ghnfighters support and execute our military air mission worldwide while devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life on base and off. In the 1940s. Mountain Home Air Force Base was established and over the next few decades took on many different Air Force missions including bombers. fighters. tankers. and even intercontinental ballistic missiles for a short time. As the needs and overall mission of the Air Force has evolved over the years. Mountain Home has followed suit. proven to be a site of flexibility and superior support. operations. and training. Wings based at Mountain Home have provided air support all around the world and. in times of need like September 11. here at home. The capabilities of the personnel. facilities. resources and organizations at Mountain Home have always been characterized by flexibility. readiness and immediate and forceful global deployment in a tightly controlled and effective command and control environment. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090054937,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Exercising their skills and military professionalism. Gunfighters have not only fought the battles but participated in reconstruction and humanitarian missions in the current conflict in the Middle East as well as other places around the globe where innocent people are suffering from the evils of poverty. economnic oppression. and the tragedies of natural disasters. In a similar way. Gunfighters have proven to be able to \"deploy\" to the community on base and off at a moments notice when duty calls. Last year alone. volunteers worked on base more than 100.000 hours valued at $1.5 million. Many of these individuals already have more than fulltime work in the military but have found the time to make a difference to others expecting no compensation. Stories abound of emergency assistance given by members of the military to civilians in Idaho. Recently. two jet fighters escorted a disabled civilian aircraft to safety. averting a possible crash and fatality. Another form of giving that is particularly important to the troops who are deployed is donating blood. I am proud to say that in the reeent Armed Forces blood drive. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090054937,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mountain Home Air Force Base more than doubled its goal and donated a total of 265 units of blood that was shipped directly to Iraq. In addition. the base sent 60 units of a special blood product designed to promote quick clotting to our mobile medical units. What a terrific example of fellow soldiers and families lending aid and comfort to our military men and women across the world. I offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to our very own Idaho Gunfighters. both at Mountain Home and deployed. You make Idaho proud.*","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090054947,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Child. Worker and Consumer Safe Chemicals Act of 2005. Senators JEFFORDS. BOXER. KERRY. CORZINE. CLINTON and KENNEDY are cosponsors of this legislation. Every day. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4410}
{"speech_id":1090054947,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans use household products that contain hundreds of chemicals. Most people assume that those chemicals have been proven safe for their families and children. Unfortunately. that assumption is wrong. Many chemicals that have been in use for decades have never been tested for their health effects. Over 40 years ago Rachel Carson. in her book Silent Spring. warned about the danger of using chemicals that had not been fully tested. Today. nearly all of those same chemicals are still being usedyet to this day most of them have never been tested for their health effects. Many of these chemicals perform amazing services and make our lives easier. But in recent years study after study has raised concerns about some of the chemicals that are used in thousands of products. For instance. take the common baby bottle. Many baby bottles contain the chemical \"Bisphenol A\" which at very low doses has been shown to affect reproduction. the immune system. brain chemistry. behavior and more. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4410}
{"speech_id":1090054947,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How great is the risk of using Bisphenol A in baby bottles. water .bottles and other everyday products? The answer is \"we dont know.\" Mothers have every right to expect their babies to be safe from exposure to toxic chemicalsbefore and after birth. We have laws to make sure that pesticides and medicines are safeand even toys. But we fail to require similar assessments for the chemicals used in baby bottles. water bottles. food packages and thousands of other products. This is inexcusable. But the current law. known as \"Toxic Substances Control Act\" (TSCA) actually sets up roadblocks to EPA getting the vital information it needs to determine whether these chemicals are safe. So last year. I asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess TSCA to determine how effective it has been in doing the job of protecting public health and the environment. In the GAO report released today. Chemical Regulation: Options Exist to Improve EPAs Ability to Assess Health Risks and Manage its. Chemical Review Program. we learn that TSCA is such an ineffective and burdensome law that it oftenfails to protect our children. workers and the general population from exposfre to carcinogens such as asbestosfor which there is no safe level of exposure. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4410}
{"speech_id":1090054947,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the GAO. only five chemicals that existed 29 years ago when Congress passed TSCA have ever been restricted by EPA. In 29 years. the agency has formally requested health and environmental effects information On just 200 chemicalsout of about 80.000. The GAO reports. \"EPA does not routinely assess existing chemicals and has limited information on their health and environmental risks.\" It adds. \"EPA lacks sufficient data to ensure that potential health and environmental risks of new chemicals are identified.\" Children are the most sensitive population to chemical pollutants and we must protect that sacred bond between a mother and her child. Again. it is inexcusable that our laws require extensive data to approve pesticides and pharmaceuticals as safebut fail to require similar analysis for the chemicals used in baby bottles. water bottles. food packages and thousands- of other products. That is why today I am introducing The ChildSafe Chemicals Act. My bill will establish a safety standard that each chemical on the market must meet. It shifts the burden for proving that chemicals are safe from EPA to the chemical manufacturers. Under my bill. the manufacturers must provide the EPA with whatever data it needs to determine if a chemical use meets the safety standard. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4410}
{"speech_id":1090054947,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the bill strengthens EPAs authority to restrict the use of chemicals which fail to meet that standard. I have ten grandchildren . . . and I believe we have a sacred duty to protect the health of infants and children. I agree with Daniel Maguire. a professor of religious ethics at Marquette University who stated. \"As a principle of ethics. whatever is good for kids is good. whatever is bad for kids is ungodly.\" My bill has been endorsed by the American Public Health Association and many of the aations leading pediatricians. The American people have a right to assume that the products they use are safe. This bill will help guarantee that right.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4410}
{"speech_id":1090055042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to be joined today on the House floor by two exceptional soontobe fourth graders from Southern Nevada. Hannah Low and Destiny Carroll. These young women were inspired after reading about the womens suffrage movement and began a petition drive seeking to create a holiday honoring Americas suffragists. Hannah and Destiny presented this petition to me with hundreds of signatures that they obtained in my Las Vegas office. I am so proud of Hannah and Destiny. and I am honored to introduce a resolution to establish a day to commemorate Americas suffragists. While it may seem unbelievable today. it was not very long ago that women were not able to vote in this country. I hope that by creating a holiday honoring the suffragists. we will keep alive the memory of the struggle to win this important right for women. I thank Hannah and Destiny for serving as an inspiration for my resolution. and for being here on this very important day. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090055042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope it is a moment that they will long remember. and I hope that they continue working to make a difference in their community and make a difference in our world and make it a better place.to be.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090055054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. obesity and obesityassociated annual hospital costs for children and adolescents have more than tripled over 2 decades. rising from $35 million in 1979 to $127 million in 2000. This alarming rise in childhood obesity has resulted in a generation of children with many of the medical complications historically associated with adults. such as hypertension. diabetes. cholesterol. and heart disease. Adult obesity increases risks for over 20 medical conditions costing about $75 billion in medical expenses. Obesity prevention starts at home. Parents need to begin to teach personal responsibility early on. to eat healthy meals. and establish an exercise routine for their families. There is no Federal program that can improve the habits of our Nations children better than a team of responsible parents. For our part. Congress should work with local communities to promote access to nutritious foods and physical activity programs that make healthy lifestyles a priority. both in schools and the workplace. I ask that Members learn more about the costs and medical problems associated with obesity and other health care issues and urge them to visit my Web site at murphy.house.gov.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090055055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one of my Republican colleagues from Texas just said that Karl Rove is his friend and is innocent until proven guilty and that Democrats should not criticize the Bush administration bn this issue. Republicans need to realize how serious Roves actions were. Karl Roves actions jeopardize the life of every CIA agent. every CIA agent that Valerie Plame ever came into contact with. President Bushs father. a former CIA director. believes it so serious that he said that people who expose CIA agents are the most insidious of traitors. Rather than demand answers from Rove. congressional Republicans are either silent or are attacking Democrats. They should be asking how Rove had the very information about. Valerie Plame from the beginning. and they should deny him any further security clearance. For 2 years. the Republicans and the Bush White House have defended Rove. and now we know that everything that they were telling us was simply false. It is time for Bush to remove Rove from the White House. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1141}
{"speech_id":1090055055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for Republicans to take this seriously and not come up here and talk about their friends and criticize Democrats.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1141}
{"speech_id":1090055079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First. let me thank the gentleman from Alaska and the gertleman from Minnesota . our chairman and ranking member. and the chair of the subcommittee for their leadership. I am delighted to acknowledge that this committee works bipartisanly. Today. we consider the Water Resources Development Act of 2005. And this bill addresses what the Congress failed to do for the past 5 years. to enact a Water Resources Development Act. I support biennial legislation for the Corps water resources program. It is critical to maintain a 2year cycle to provide continuity to the program and certainly to the nonfederal sponsors who support the Corps projects. A biennial cycle also affords Congress the opportunity to monitor and. if necessary. amend -the workings of the Corps program. often in response to changing circumstances. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090055079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 2864 authorizes projects for the entirety of the Corps civil works program. It includes major flood control. navigation. environmental restoration. and other water resources projects. This legislation represents roughly 5V2 years of project requests and modifications. as well as oversight over how the Corps of Engineers carries out its business. As in the past. projects included in this bill were included not on the basis of whether they were Democratic projects or Republican projects but on their individual merit. And this is as it should be. Many of these projects provide vital public safety and economic benefits to our constituents. Their approval should not be withheld solely for partisan reasons. Again. I think the gentleman from Alaska and the gentleman from Tennessee . the chairman of the subcommittee. for working with me and with individual Members on both sides of the aisle to accommodate their requests for this important legislation. All of us know that the more we delay projects like this. the more costly they become and sometimes the conditions worsen. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090055079,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also acknowledge our leadership of the gentleman from Minnesota . our ranking member. who cannot be here because he is attending the funeral of his motherinlaw. but he certainly has interest and a great deal of expertise in water resources issues. I strongly support this legislation and recommend that my colleagues vote in favor of final passage. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090055090,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I will submit my statement for the RECORD in support of this legislation and in support of the Halls Bayou Federal Flood Control Project in Houston. Texas. Mr. Chairman. I want to congratulate the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for reporting out the Water Resources Development Act. WRDA. of 2005. I appreciate your inclusion of our language for the Halls Bayou Federal Flood Control Project in Houston. Texas. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2422}
{"speech_id":1090055090,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Historic flooding along Halls Bayou has been severe and frequent in some neighborhoods. During Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001. Halls Bayou was hit very hard. with more than 8.000 homes flooding within the watershed. No project can keep all homes from flooding. but a project can help reduce the risk of flooding for a significant number of families. reducing the need for Federal assistance. property damage. and loss of life. The purpose of section 5128 of this legislation which pertains to Halls Bayou is to allow the Harris County Flood Control District. HCFCD. to conduct the GRR and any subsequent Federal interest project on Halls Bayou. The Corps is limited in its staff. resources. and time with the many projects in the Galveston District and the Southwest Division. Local project sponsors with the necessary expertise. like Harris County. can provide efficiency by becoming more involved. Halls Bayou. a major tributary of Greens Bayou. was authorized in WRDA 1990 as part of the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Project. The original Halls Bayou authorization assumed the Greens Bayou project in place. which is now finishing a General Reevaluation Review. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2422}
{"speech_id":1090055090,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"GRR. Results indicate that the work on Greens Bayou downstream of Halls Bayou will not have Federal work although it will have significant local projects. Therefore. a GRR is now needed for Halls Bayou as well. While conducting the GRR to find a possible Federal interest. Harris County can begin project implementation in order to reduce future flood damage as soon as possible. Adding Halls Bayou to section 211(f) allows Harris County to be reimbursed if the project is later approved by the Secretary. I thank the Subcommittee and full Committee for their work on this issue. I support the bill and the balance that it strikes between the need to improve water resources for human purposes and to preserve our water uses for the environment and future generations.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2422}
{"speech_id":1090055098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. you will hear today and you have heard today that modernizing our locks and dams on the Mississippi River is a financial boondoggle. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And economically. waterway transportation is the most efficient mode of transporting commercial freight. Our fleet today carries 800 tons of raw materials and finished goods each year. and it adds $5 billion to the United States economy. A typical inland barge holds a capacity of 15 tons greater than one rail car. and 60 times greater than one semitrailer truck. Waterway transportation is also the most environmentally friendly mode of commercial transportation. I would like to remind my colleagues from Oregon and Arizona that modernization of the Ohio River navigation system has been ongoing for more than 40 years. and updated to current value. investments to restore that navigation system would far surpass the cost of improvements on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois waterways. You know. we ship millions of tons of agricultural commoditiesoil. gas. chemicals. fertilizers. hazardous materialsup and down the Mississippi River because it is safer. and it is less costly. For this reason. we must continue the modernization process and defeat FlakeBlumenauer when it comes up later today.","speaker_name":"JO ANN EMERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1288}
{"speech_id":1090055102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the committee on both sides of the aisle. particularly all of the parties. I just want to explain. when I was in Michigan this last week. over the July 4th recess. I met with my Corps of Engineers as it related to the harbor in St. Joe and Benton Harbor. They asked that we take steps necessary to lower the depth of the harbor from 21 feet to 23 feet. which would be consistent with the other harbors along Lake Michigan. Holland. as well as Muskegon and Traverse City. I realize that it is too late now. as the rule has been pending. to offer that as an amendment. And I would just like to receive an assurance from both sides that we will work together in conference to include the appropriate language. so that. at the end of the day. in fact. that we will be able to see this harbor dredged. obviously with the correct appropriation from the proper subcommittee.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":897}
{"speech_id":1090055141,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to express my concerns with the Water Resource Development Act of 2005. I would like to begin by thanking the committee for authorizing projects that are important to my district in their bill. Water and infrastructure are important issues to the sprawl-","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":275}
{"speech_id":1090055148,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 2864. the Water Resources Development Act of 2005. This legislation fulfills the commitment of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to produce water resources legislation for the Nation on a biennial basis. Unfortunately. while the Committee produced a bill in the last Congress. it was not enacted into law. We are now nearly 5 years since the last water resources bill was enacted. That is too long. The Corps of Engineers has served the Nation well for 230 years. During those years it has established itself as the Nations oldest. largest. and most experienced government organization in the area of water and related land engineering matters. From its early works during the Revolutionary War. to navigation improvements. to the unrivaled efforts to reduce the devastating floods in the Mississippi River valley. to the current efforts to save the Everglades from extinction. the Corps is the entity that the people call upon to solve the problems facing the Nations vast water resources. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5322}
{"speech_id":1090055148,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Few people today know that the Corps of Engineers. among its many responsibilities. had jurisdiction over Yellowstone National Park. The Corps managed Yellowstone Park for 30 years. Lieutenant Dan Kingman of the Corps. who would later become the chief of engineers. wrote: The plan of development which I have submitted is given upon the supposition and in the earnest hope that it will be preserved as nearly as may be as the hand of nature left it. a source of pleasure to all who visit and a source of wealth to no one. A few years later. John Muir. founder of the Sierra Club. said: The best service in forest protection. almost the only efficient service. is that rendered by the military. For many years. they have guarded the great Yellowstone Park. and now they are guarding Yosemite. They found it a desert as far as underbrush. grass and flowers are concerned. But. in 2 years. the skin of the mountains is healthy again. blessings on Uncle Sams soldiers. as they have done the job well. and every pine tree is waving its arms for joy. Another great American said: \"The military. engineers are taking upon their shoulders the job of making the Mississippi River over again. a job transcended in size only by the original job of creating it.\" That was Mark Twain. Those statements together pay tribute to what the Corps of Engineers has done so admirably. and the great legacy they have left for all Americans protected in floods. enhanced with river navigation programs. and. of immense importance to me. protecting the great resource of the Great Lakes--one fifth of all the fresh water on the face of the Earth. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5322}
{"speech_id":1090055148,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill before us today includes as great a variety of projects as have ever been included in water resources legislation. The scope of this bill includes projects and programs for the Nations inland navigation system. flood protection. shoreline protection. and environmental protection and enhancement. This bill both builds and rebuilds the Nations infrastructure. It will allow us to expand international trade through projects to improve our coastal ports and inland navigation system. Flood control and hurricane and storm damage reduction measures will help meet critical needs to protect lives and property. This legislation includes 30 projects for which the Chief of Engineers has submitted a report to Congress. In addition. the bill contains over 100 project modifications of existing or ongoing projects. over 100 requests for Corps of Engineers studies for future projects. and an equal number of requests for the Corps to carry out projects consistent with the primary missions of the Corps of navigation. flood control. and ecosystem restoration.. All told. the bill. including additions adopted at Subcommittee. contains roughly $10 billion in new and modified project authorizations. This number should come as no surprise to those familiar with the Corps process. because this bill represents approximately 51\/2 years of requests since the last Water Resources Development Act of 2000. I am pleased that this legislation includes the legislative proposal developed in the previous Congress to address programmatic issues in the Corps program that have become collectively known as \"Corps Reform.\" This bipartisan agreement calling for independent review of larger and more controversial projects will address many of the concerns raised by stakeholders. and outside academics. and will improve the process of moving project proposals from study to completion. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5322}
{"speech_id":1090055148,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There should be no doubt that I am a strong supporter of the Corps and the valuable work that it does for this country. This Nation needs the Corps of Engineers. but the Corps also needs to be free from outside criticisms. That is why I believe Congress must act to implement a few common sense revisions to the process by which the Corps develops and implements projects. Nothing in this bill hampers the ability of the Corps to study and recommend new projects. To the contrary. the Corps study process is improved by ensuring that completed studies can withstand outside scrutiny or challenge. This bill represents a fair effort to address the varied water resources needs of the Nation. It is worthy of bipartisan support. and I urge all Members to support the bill.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5322}
{"speech_id":1090055164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. this en bloc amendment makes technical and conforming changes to projectrelated provisions in the bill and authorizes or modifies additional projects brought to the committees attention following committee action. Specifically. the Corps of Engineers has informed the committee that six additional chiefs reports recommending that Congress authorize a water resources project will be completed by December 31. 2005. The amendment also directs the Corps of Engineers to carry out a number of small projects under existing corps authority to provide flood damage reduction and emergency streambank protection. For other projects that have not been studied. the amendment authorizes for new Corps of Engineers projects. The amendment authorizes one land transfer for a navigation project. Finally. the amendment authorizes a number of activities or programs for water resources management. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1354}
{"speech_id":1090055164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment. like the underlying bill. has been developed in a bipartisan fashion. All projects must be in the Federal interest and must comply with costsharing rules. This means not every project could be addressed. but within these constraints we did the best to meet the needs of all communities. I urge all Members to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1354}
{"speech_id":1090055208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 2864 that will expand the scope of section 208 in the Water Resources Development Act of 1986. My amendment will allow our ports to levy a fee on containers and use that fee to pay for security and infrastructure at the ports. The Rohrabacher amendment will facilitate the effort to modernize and secure American ports. In my district. the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles handle approximately 44 percent of all of the goods delivered to American shores. yet they are in constant need of revenue for. facilities. improvements and upgrades to roads and bridges and rails. Our marine terminals are invaluable commerce infrastructure. not only to our country but also for the many foreign manufacturers who sell primarily in the U.S. market. This is the portal through which foreign manufacturers deliver their goods to our markets. Yet these manufacturers provide almost none of the costs of operation or upkeep of these vital assets. ","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090055208,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This system. as it currently operates. is a subsidy to foreign manufacturers. paid by the American taxpayer. concealing the true cost of imported goods. What we have here is all backwards. What we Are in effect doing. as the system works. is putting a tariff on products that are made in America. Section 208 of WRDA currently allows ports to charge fees on tonnage and use those fees to fund infrastructure improvements. This section is hardly. if ever. invoked by the ports to raise funds due to the fact that it is complicated to collect and tends to be too unwieldy to be used effectively. My amendment allows the ports to use a simpler and more efficient method: Fees on containers. The marketbased fee in my amendment is simple to implement and to track. should be more widely used to raise funds for port projects. My amendment will also permit these fees to be used for homeland security projects at the ports. as well as infrastructure. And let us be frank. the security threats that emanate from our ports come from foreign cargo. Why are we paying for their threat? If they want access to our markets. overseas manufacturers should pay the cost to ensure the safety of their deliveries. ","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090055208,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For too long the funding of marine terminals has been a oneway street with the American taxpayer footing the bill for the factory owners of Shanghai. Beijing and Macau while American manufacturers have been subsidizing their own competition. Our port facilities should have the freedom to levy a marketbased container fee which will provide new revenue and make our system more equitable to the American taxpayer and American manufacturers. The Rohrabacher amendment is the most efficient way to achieve these goals. The Rohrabacher amendment says we are on the side of the American taxpayer. and those people who run overseas to manufacture in China and elsewhere shoul d be paying their part of the cost to make sure that that system. our port system. is working. EQ 1315 I would expect that people on both sides of the aisle would be supporting this. Unfortunately.-our port systems. our ports. the people who run them. would rather come to the American taxpayer and get stipends from us rather than asking for a just fee to those manufacturers in China to pay for some of the costs that are required to shiptheir goods through our ports. This is an American versus foreign vote here. Whose side are we on? Who is going to pay the bill? Right now if our people go overseas and build their manufacturing plants. we end up subsidizing that by permitting them lowcost ways of getting their goods right into our market and undercutting the American producers who stayed behind to hire American peoble. I would ask people on both sides of the aisle to seriously consider this. ","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090055208,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Do not listen to the ports who simply want more taxpayer subsidies. Let us let the people who use this system. the foreign manufacturers. pay their fair share. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090055239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I oppose the amendment. An efficient. modern. intermoda transportation system is vital to the economic well being of the Nation. Our inland waterways are a critical component of that system. This amendment sacrifices any hope of regaining a leadership role in world grain markets for Midwest producers. I can appreciate the concerns of the gentlemen that offer this amendment. The Upper Mississippi RiverIllinois Waterway Navigation Study has been the costliest and most controversial study ever undertaken by the Corps of Engineers. It has had whistleblower complaints. an investigation by the Office of Special Counsel. an investigation by the Army Inspector General. three National Academy of Sciences reviews. Congressional hearings. and more newspaper articles and editorials than one could imagine. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090055239,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Throughout all this. the Corps remained thorough. professional. and exemplary in its review of alternatives and its willingness to adapt to new information presented to it. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. and its predecessors. has consistently supported a diverse and efficient national transportation system. This includes ports. highways. rail. aviation. and the inland waterway system. Each of these modes contributes to the overall transportation system that fuels the worlds leading economy. In pursuing the national transportation system. we cannot stand still. We did not build the Interstate Highway System and then walk away. We continue to expand and modernize the system to meet evolving needsthe House\/Senate conference intends to conclude its work on a reauthorization bill this month. The same is true for ports. rail and aviation. The inland waterway system is no different. The Corps recommends the construction of five new locks on the Upper Mississippi River. and two new locks on the Illinois Waterway. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090055239,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At 1.200 feet. these locks will accommodate todays common 15barge tows. Instead of having to break the tows into two sections to pass through the locks. a 1.200foot lock allows passage as a single unit. This can save an hour or more of transit time. resulting in lower transportation costs. and grain exports that are more competitive on world markets. There are the smallscale structural and nonstructural measures that should be pursued immediately. Initially. the Corps plans to implement mooring facilities and switchboats over the next 15 years. The Corps should also continue to explore options to improve the utilization of existing facilities through improved scheduling techniques and river traffic management. The Nation constantly explores improvements in managing air traffic congestion. the inland transportation sector could benefit from lessons learned in aviation traffic management. After all. the Corps will have to aggressively pursue nonstructural traffic management techniques during any construction period. It is never too early to explore what works. While the Corps is implementing the smallscale structural and nonstructural changes. the Corps should continue its efforts in planning the construction of the new locks. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090055239,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are the largescale improvements calling for the construction of 7 new 1.200foot locks. These components should stay on track. The Nations grain producers. the transportation industry. and our export customers need to have a stable. reliable economic environment in which to grow and develop. In the meantime. the Corps and the Congress will have the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the smallscale measures. monitor grain trade patterns. and proceed with the most current and accurate information available. The amendment before the Committee would simply add delay for no benefit. A contributing cause of stagnant traffic patterns is the very congestion that these locks would alleviate. By requiring traffic to grow before the locks can proceed will forever doom the locks. The proponents of the amendment fail to acknowledge that these new locks are desperately needed to allow traffic to grow. Grain sales occur in world markets based on extremely small variations in price. I recall instances when as little as oneeighth of a cent per bushel was enough to be the deciding factor. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090055239,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By reducing congestion and lowering transportation costs. we can do our part to ensure that U.S. grain products can successfully compete on world markets. Requiring more traffic. more congestion. and higher prices before the locks can proceed will only further harm the Midwest agricultural economy. The smallscale and largescale construction components will require significant mitigation components. Let me be clear to the Corps and the other Federal agencies involved that the Corps must adhere to the requirements of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 and ensure that all required mitigation is undertaken either in advance. or concurrent with the construction. Too often. mitigation becomes the orphan of the project and the environment suffers. That cannot be the case here. or elsewhere in the Corps program. The remaining critical element of the proposal is the recommendation for a largescale ecosystem restoration program for the area. While the total $5.3 billion cost is large. the value to the United States of the Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway navigation system justifies the costs. Since 1940. the Nation has benefited from the efficient and safe transportation of goods by barge. Waterborne transportation remains the most fuelefficient way to transfer bulk commodities. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6438}
{"speech_id":1090055254,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I support the amendment of the gentleman from Wisconsin. Mr. KIND. This amendment seeks to ensure that the navigation project for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway proceeds in tandem with the environmental restoration program that this bill simultaneously authorizes. It also calls for the budgetary process to be adjusted to accomplish this goal. I believe that this amendment reflects the original intent of the interested parties and the Corps of Engineers. When the environmental component was added to the navigation study. it was in recognition that the two programs needed to complement each other. The Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway are a multipurpose system. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1209}
{"speech_id":1090055254,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They serve important navigation needs yet are a vital part of the Nations environmental ecosystem. The Mississippi River. its sidechannels. and tributaries constitute the central flyway for millions of migrating waterfowl. It also serves as the home for a variety of fish and shellfish. I support the twin goals of improving navigation on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway and conducting environmental restoration. This amendment is consistent with these goals. I support the amendment.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1209}
{"speech_id":1090055320,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Committee on Rules may meet the week of July 18 to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 3070. the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005. The Committee on Science ordered the bill reported today and is expected to file its report with the House on Monday. July Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Committee on Rules in H312 of the Capitol by 12 noon on Tuesday. July 19. Members should draft their amendments to the text of the bill as reported by the Committee on Science which should be available for their review on the websites of both the Committee on Science and the Committee on Rules tomorrow. [ 1500 Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the appropriate format. Members are also advised to check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1076}
{"speech_id":1090055388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. if the gentleman will yield further. the New York Times made it very clear. it is wealthy Americans. Wealthy Americans. those in the upper income brackets. who have provided that great surge of revenues to the Federal Treasury. Why? Because of the economic growth that President Bush and this Republican Congress predicted would in fact happen. And it was not simply a prediction. We are clearly the party of ideas. We have made that clear with all the proposals that are out here. But the bankrupt ideology. the ideological baggage of the past. more spending and higher taxes as a panacea of the future. is obviously a failed policy. Time and time again the very distinguished ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations comes before the Committee on Rules and requests. on virtually every appropriations bill. to increase spending. And how does he propose to pay for that? By imposing a surtax on those upperincome wage earners. Well. the fact of the matter is. those upperincome wage earners are. by virtue of having made more and more investments with their income. are increasing their tax responsibility to the Federal Treasury. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1762}
{"speech_id":1090055388,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So if you couple the economic growth policies along with. as my friend from Texas has just said. our passing appropriations bills that have real spending cuts for the first time in a long period of time. we are going a long way towards getting our fiscal house in order. But being the party of ideas. we are not satisfied to stop right here and sit on our laurels. And that is why this Careers for a 21stCentury America agenda is such an important one. because we want to expand on the great success that we are enjoying today. I thank my friend for yielding to me and for taking out this Special Order.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1762}
{"speech_id":1090055401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Wait a minute. You are contradicting a statement here. The majority leader said. veterans need to know that no veteran will be without their health care in 2005 and no veteran will be without their health care in 2006. Is the gentleman saying that that is not the case?","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":269}
{"speech_id":1090055409,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I love my charts. because I think they lay it out for us. Now. I want to just talk about for a couple of minutes exactly what the scenario was. We have been talking about. and I was on the Committee on Veterans Affairs last Congress: how underfunded the VA was and is. [ 1715 On the VA committee. the gentleman from Ohio was always down here talking about these issues. the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":399}
{"speech_id":1090055410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important. Our job is to be able to speak the truth. share. not only with the Members. but with the leadership what is happening. what is not happening. But I just want to back up here. You mentioned a June 24th date that the gentleman from Texas offered the amendment. Because I like third party validators to make sure that folks do not think that we are coming to the floor. we are having a little pregame. we talk about. well. you say it like this. I say it like that. and who cares if we are telling the truth or not. House Resolution 3010. the vote was number 320. on June 24. 2005. failed on a partisan vote 185 to 216. Republicans voted against that opportunity to add in a billion dollars to the Veterans Affairs legislation to shore up the shortfall. On June 28. a couple of days later. Republicans rejected a Democratic attempt to make up the shortfall in the House. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5594}
{"speech_id":1090055410,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Once again. the gentleman from Texas leading Democrats down the area of making sure in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill to be able to provide for our veterans throughout this country. H.R. 3057. vote number 325. June 28. 2005. failed 217 to 189. once again. the majority stopping the Democrats from assisting our veterans in the way that we want to assist them. I would even go further on to say. on June 29th. a day later. where the Senate approved. and this is important. because you talked about this. but I just want to go further into it. the Senate understood what Democrats were trying to do here. or the other body understood what Democrats tried to do here on the floor. And there was a Member that said we need to be able. when we get into conference. match up on the $1.5 billion effort to make sure that we give Veteran Affairs some of what they need. not all. a $1.5 billion effort. We then came to the floor. Democrats. once again. The other body passed it 96 to zero. 96 to zero Senate vote on June 29th of this year. On June 30th. we had a vote here on the floor right before the break. to go on the break for Independence Day Break. Republicans blocked procedurally that effort from happening and did not want to put in the aount of money that the Democrats were looking to put in. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5594}
{"speech_id":1090055410,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I think that it is important that we understand that they wanted to add $300 million. saying. when we get to conference. we will kind of figure it out. when we could have matched up with the Senate. or with the other body I must add. in making sure that there would be no question. and that veterans will not be in a holding pattern. and Veterans Affairs administrators will not say. maybe if. I do not know. if we get the 1.5 this is what we will be able to do to provide care for our men and women that are coming out of the theatre. and those men and woman that hav6 served in World War II and other conflicts. Korea. Vietnam. what have you. first Gulf and so on. Making sure that they receive the benefits. Grenada. making sure that. they receive what they deserve. Bosnia. making sure that they receive what they deserve. So like you said. what is the difference? Well. the difference is that we are here fighting on behalf of not only veterans. this is not the only issue. we are fighting on making sure that Social Security is there for every American for the future and that they have as many benefits as they need to be able to survive. We are also here to make sure that working Americans can make a livable wage and also to promote not only health care. but education. So when folks start talking about what is the difference. there is a big difference. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5594}
{"speech_id":1090055410,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is right here in the record. And so if we hAve to take the journal and pull it out and start talking about where there has been Democratic leadership and where there has been Republicans standing in the schoolhouse door. then we will do that. And. hopefully. one of two things will happen: Either the American people will say enough is enough. just because someone says I need to vote a certain way. and I am going to vote that way because I am who I am and my father and mother and what have you have been a Republican. it is not about Republican. It is not about Democratic. It is not about independent. It is about leadership. It is about making sure that we do what we are supposed to when we are supposed to on behalf of the country. What I want to do. I know that you have your chart there. but I want to talk a little bit about homeland security when we come to the floor next week. Because I am very. very concerned about some of the issues that I am hearing. especially after the London transit bombing attacks. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5594}
{"speech_id":1090055410,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are fine. We have moved mass transit security to a higher level. We are in good shape. I think it is important that we share with the American people. and also with the Members of the House that may not be aware. that we are not fine. and that there are things that we should be doing on behalf of every American to make sure that they are secure. Because if we are walking .around saying we are fine. that means that we really have no work to do. and we have a lot of work to do. So I am glad that you took the record out. and you have your chart and I have my piece of paper. about what is actually happening as it relates to Veterans Affairs. what has happened. what is happening to veterans. And we are here. even though we are in the minority. doing what we can to make sure that they have a voice on this floor. amongst many other Members that are also doing good work and making sure that they have voice in this Congress and the battle continues. and we want them to be with us in that battle.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5594}
{"speech_id":1090055467,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. what I have been attempting to do in some of these amendments is look for our weakest pressure points because the terrorists also know where we have done things. and they know where we have not done enough. A place where we are completely weak is truck security. We have seen that terrorists havt used trucks to hurt us--in New York City at the World Trade Center in 1993. of course in Oklahoma City a few years later. and in Europe and around the world as well. A truck loaded with explosives can do terrible damage at a football stadium. at a skyscraper or another place that is heavily populated. The interesting thing is that technology does exist to track trucks the way we track airplanes. It is GPS. It is not very expensive. But since the truck market is so fragmented. no one company does it alone. even though many companies have GPS systems in their trucks. mainly for theft. We provide just $70 million. not very much. to develop and implement a system for identification and tracking onlW of hazardous material trucksthose that carry gasoline. explosives. chlorinethat could be used for terrible purposes. If we cant afford $70 million to do thisand I disagree with my friend from New Hampshire. we are not doing enough nowthen we ought to look into the mirror. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1332}
{"speech_id":1090055467,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope this amendment will be supported.","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1332}
{"speech_id":1090055563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the Senator wanted to do it. and he could not jurisdictionally do it. That is why I appreciate his support for the Byrd amendment as well. That is the only place we could pick up a piece of Amtrak. I see my friend from New York. There are a million people in Penn Station todaymore people. as I saidsitting at rush hour in an aluminum tube underneath New York City than a half dozen full 747s. and we are doing nothing about it. I thank the Senator from Maryland. He has done a great job. And I thank Senator SHELBY. I hope we can move it.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":543}
{"speech_id":1090055711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Did I understand the Senator from Minnesota correctly that he was posing two questions to the proponents of the Reid amendment. No. 1. whether intent was left out of the amendment on purpose. and No. 2. whether it covered Members of Congress? I was wondering if anyone on the other side was prepared to answer the questions of the Senator from Minnesota.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090055727,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment speaks for itself. If you identify a covert CIA agent. and you have a security clearance. and the person to whom you identify that covert CIA agent does not have the right to receive that information. you lose your clearance. Period. I think it is pretty clear.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":275}
{"speech_id":1090055881,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. since 9\/ 11. those of us on the Environment and Public Works Committee. in a very bipartisan way. have attempted to bring legislation to the Senate to begin the process whereby we can protect our nuclear power plants. first by making sure that there is an assessment made on each power plant. what are their vulnerability needs. and then making sure that these plants are protected from terrorists. We know that on September 10. 2002. in a taped interview on AlJazeera. it included a statement that alQaida initially wanted to include a powerplant in its attacks on the United States. And we on the committee passed out a bill and passed another one last month. This amendment says it is the sense of the Senate it should pass bipartisan legislation to address nuclear powerplant security prior to the August recess. Colleagues. we have a limited time. We need to move forward. I would accept a voice vote. if that is OK with Senator GREGG. and I think he would prefer that. But we would like to have a clear voice vote if we could at this time.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1060}
{"speech_id":1090055929,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as chairman of the Budget Committee. I regularly comment on appropriations bills that are brought to this Senate for consideration and present the financial comparisons and budgetary data. In this instance. I am in the unique position of commenting on my own bill. as I also serve as chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. So it will not surprise my colleagues that I note this is a very good bill and that it is in compliance with the 2006 Budget Resolution. The pending Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006. H.R. 2360. as reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations. provides $31.777 billion in budget authority and $33.899 billion in outlays in fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Homeland Security aid related agencies. Of these totals. $931 million in budget authority and $924 million in outlays are for mandatory programs in fiscal year 2006. The bill provides total discretionary budget authority in fiscal year 2006 of $30.846 billion. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1621}
{"speech_id":1090055929,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amount is $1.285 billion more than the Presidents request. and is equal to the 302(b) allocation adopted by the Senate. and identical to the level in the Housepassed bill. The 2006 budget authority provided in this bill is $1.09 billion less than the fiscal year 2005 enacted level because the 2005 level included a onetime $2.528 billion appropriation for bioshield. After adjusting for bioshield this bill is $1.438 billion above the 2005 enacted level. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that a table displaying the Budget Committee scoring of the bill be inserted in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1621}
{"speech_id":1090055969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. sustained military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have brought to light another example of how outdated and burdensome government policies can punish generous employers. Employers that continue to pay their employees now on active duty in the uniformed services are experiencing tax and pension difficulties that.are discouraging this proworker. patriotic gesture. Apparently. when it comes to companies showing their respect for their employees called to serve. there is special meaning to the old clich6 \"no good deed goes unpunished.\" The National Committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve. a nationwide association. reports that thousands of employers across the country have signed a pledge of support and have gone above and beyond the requirements of the law in support of their National Guard and Reserve employees. This includes many of our Nations largest and most reputable corporations. including 3M. McDonalds. WalMart. Home Depot. Liberty Mutual and many others. These commendable companies provide reservist employees who are on active duty with \"differential pay\" that makes up the difference between their military stipend and civilian salary. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090055969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In New Hampshire. some of the most remarkable stories of corporate patriotism can be found. BAE Systems of Nashua has 110 people serving in the Guard and Reserves. 11 of whom are currently deployed overseas. They provide differential pay to all their calledup employees and continuing access to benefits to family members. The company even provides a stipend to make up the lost pay of active duty spouses of company employees when the spouses employer is not able to provide differential pay. Consider also the account of Mr. Marian Noronha. Chairman and Founder of Turbocam. a manufacturer based in Dover. New Hampshire. An immigrant from India. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090055969,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Noronha has not only provided his employees with differential pay and continued family health benefits. but has also extended to each of his activated employees a $10.000 line of credit. His active duty reservist and Guard employees have used this money to. among other things. purchase personal computers so their families can communicate with them while they are overseas. Several other New Hampshire privatesector companies. including Hitchiner Manufacturing Company in Milford. have exemplary records when it comes to dealing with reservist employees. Under current law. employers of reservists and guardsmen called up for active duty are required to treat them as if they are on a leave of absence under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The Act does not require employers to pay reservists who are on active duty. But as I have pointed out. many employers pay the reservists the difference between their military stipends and their regular salaries. Some employers provide this \"differential pay\" for up to three years. For employee convenience. many of these companies also allow deductions from the differential payment for contributibns to their 401(k) retirement plans. The conflict arises. however. because a 1969 IRS Reveiue Ruling considers the employment relationship terminated when active duty begins. This ruling prevents employers from treating the differential pay as wages for income tax purposes. resulting in unexpected tax bills at the end of the year for these military personnel. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090055969,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Further. the contributions made to -the workers retirement account potentially invalidate. disqualify. the employers entire retirement plan which could make all amounts immediately taxable to plan participants and the employer. The Uniformed Services Differential Pay Protection Act that I am introducing today clarifies that differential wage payments are to be treated as wages to current employees for income tax purposes and that retirement plan contributions are permissible. The bill does the following: Differential wage payments would be treated as wages for income tax withholding purposes and reported on the workers W2 form. This means that active duty personnel will not be hit with endoftheyear tax bills. No New Taxes: The legislation does not change present law. and deferential wage payments will not be subject to Social Security and unemployment compensation taxes. Definition: \"Differential wage payments\" are defined to mean any payment which: 1. is made by an employer to an individual while he or she is on active duty for a period of more than 30 days. and 2. represents all or a portion of the wages the individual would have received from the employer if he or she were performing service for the employer. An individual receiving differential wage payments would continue to be treated as an employee for purposes of the rules applicable to qualified retirement plans. removing the threat that contributions on his or her behalf would invalidate the employers entire plan. Distributions Protected: Clarifying language is included to ensure that individuals would continue to be permitted to take distributions from their accounts when they leave their jobs for active duty. Thus. the right to receive distributions will be preserved even though individuals are treated as current employees for contribution purposes. The bill includes a prohibition on making elective deferrals or employee contributions for six months after receiving a distribution. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090055969,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Satisfying Nondiscrimination Rules: In order to avoid disruptions in retirement savings plans and to remove disincentives. employers could disregard contributions to retirement savings accounts based on differential wage payments for nondiscrimination testing purposes. provided that such payments are available to all mobilized employees on reasonably equivalent terms. In summary. the Uniformed Services Differential Pay Protection Act upholds the principle that employers should not be penalized for their generosity towards our Nations reservists and members of the National Guard. By Mr. WYDEN:","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5974}
{"speech_id":1090055970,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Act. Medicare cost contracts were kept as a health plan option for seniors. However. Congress also limited the ability of cost contracts to operate in areas if a Medicare Advantage plan decided to offer service in that area and stayed for a year. Medicare cost contracts are plans that offer more benefits than basic Medicare and are often available in areas in which Medicare Advantage plans are not offered. Many of the thousands of Oregonians who have cost contract plans are in rural Oregon. where there are few options for care. The legislation I am introducing today. \"The Medicare Cost Contract Extension and Refinement Act of 2005\". would allow seniors to keep their cost contracts longer even if a Medicare Advantage plan is offered. The bill also adds more consumer protection provisions that are similar to those already in law for Medicare Advantage plans. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1147}
{"speech_id":1090055970,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe that it is not only important to ensure seniors have choices. but that they can keep the choice that works best for them as well. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1147}
{"speech_id":1090056060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me begin my remarks on the Department of State. Foreign Operations. and Related Programs appropriations bill with a quick word of thanks to Chairman COCHRAN for the allocation and for additional outlays the subcommittee received. With his support. we are able to recommend a bill that provides $31.7 billion to meet Americas foreign assistance needs. The bill provides increased assistance above the budget request for accounts that enjoy broad. bipartisan support. including $1.7 billion for the child survival and health programs fund. $1.7 billion for development assistance. $395 .million for assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. and $565 million for assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union. Understanding the continued importance of combating terrorism. we recommended full funding for aasistance for Iraq. Afghanistan. Pakistan. Israel. Egypt. and Jordan. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090056060,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Significant assistance is provided for State Department operations. including full funding for the Broadcasting Board of Governors. We recommend a total of $2.9 billion for HIV\/AIDS. TB. and malaria programs. an increase of $203 million above the Presidents request. $400 million is for a contribution to the Global Fund. twice the amount of the Presidents request. We recommend $1.8 billion for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. an increase of over $300 million above last years level but. regretfully. $1.2 billion below the request. To demonstrate our strong support of the Presidents commitment to the promotion of freedom abroad. the bill consolidates democracy programs under a new account entitled. \"Democracy Fund.\" This includes $80 million for the National Endowment for Democracy programs. I encourage Members to come to the floor to offer relevant amendments. Last year. we were fortunate in being able to finish this bill in 5 or 6 hours. So Senator LEAHY and I are optimistic that. with the cooperation of our Members. we can complete this bill sometime either Monday night or Tuesday morning and allow the Senate to move on to other matters that are pressing and need to be dealt with here as we move toward the August recess. With that. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090056060,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield the floor. I know my friend and colleague. Senator LEAHY. will be heard from now.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2268}
{"speech_id":1090056089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the Senate floor this afternoon to pay tribute to a brave soldier and fellow Ohioan. PFC Devin Grella from Medina lost his life on September 6. 2004. when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle near Qarrayah. Iraq. Devin was 21.years old. When I think about the dedication of our men and women in uniform. I am reminded of something President Ronald Reagan once said about the devotion to freedom. This is what he said: Freedom is a fragile thing. and it is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5781}
{"speech_id":1090056089,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation. for it comes only once to a people. Devin embodied the spirit of freedom President Reagan so eloquently described. He sacrificed his life so we can continue to be free and so the people of Iraq can have the chance to -know the freedoms we hold so dear. His dedication to and love for his country knew no bounds. Growing up in Medina. Devin loved music. and he loved to play the violin. the piano. and the guitar. As one of four boys. Devin was also known for his outgoing personality. Devins brother Darrin remembers his brother as always having a good time. Devin attended Medina High School his freshman. sophomore. and senior years. and Archbishop Hoban High School for his junior year. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5781}
{"speech_id":1090056089,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was a very actively involved student who sang in the choir. ran cross country. and played on the lacrosse team with his younger brother Drew. -Lacrosse coach Pat OBrien described Devin as \"a good athlete and a strong kid whom the other players looked up to. You could tell he was having the time of his life when he was on the field.\" Off the field. Devin was known for his playful personality. Brother Darrin described the time when Devin introduced himself to Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James as \"Debron James.\" since James was his middle name. Known to family and friends as \"Deuce\"-a reference to his favorite numberDevin was a great guy to have around. After graduation in 2002. Devin worked at Donatos Pizza. a local restaurant. Adam Stout. a manager at the restaurant. described Devin as a hard worker and a great morale booster who would like to laugh. tell jokes. and make other people laugh. Indeed. wherever he went. Devin made people smile. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5781}
{"speech_id":1090056089,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He wanted to earn money for college. and out of a sense of patriotism and with a dream of becoming an officer. Devin joined the Army Reserves in December 2003. He was assigned to the 706th Transportation Company out of Mansfield. OH. After completing basic training. Devin was deployed to Iraq in June 2004. While serving overseas. Devin made a lasting impression on his superiors. Platoon leader 2LT Timothy Searcy noted that Devin was \"very motivated and dedicated to his job. He set an example.\" Army MAJ Willie Harris described Devin as a dedicated soldier \"who was always willing to take on a challenge ... and who believed in what he was doing.\" Devin was doing extremely dangerous work. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5781}
{"speech_id":1090056089,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Iraq. Devin and his unit were tasked with delivering fuels and supplies to U.S. troops. including during heavy combat with U.S. troops and insurgents at Najaf. He regularly sent emails to his family. many of which describe the constant threat of roadside bombings and firefights. Tragically. a roadside bomb took the life of this brave young man. An IED exploded near Devins convoy when his unit was resupplying other troops. On that tragic day. our Nation lost a great soldier. More importantly. Donna and Dennis Grella lost a great son. Dustin. Darrin. and Drew lost a great brother. and so many others lost a great friend. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5781}
{"speech_id":1090056094,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to add my thoughts to the debate on the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year First. I want to preface my remarks by applauding the chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee for their work on this important bill. They worked within very difficult constraints and had to make incredibly difficult tradeoffs in deciding where to place our homeland security spending priorities. The fight against terrorism is our number one priority and this appropriations bill is a key component in that fight. We have been debating this important bill in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attacks in London. Those horrible attacks served as yet another reminder of the importance of working with our allies to defeat terrorist networks. This tragic event also reminds us of how much we rely on our first responders and the employees of the Department of Homeland Security to keep us safe. I want to thank these brave men and women who work daily to protect this Nation. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5688}
{"speech_id":1090056094,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are on the front lines of the fight against terrorism. They are the ones who are called on to stop and respond to any future attack upon our Nation. This bill includes important resources these brave men and women need to perform their critical tasks. I was pleased that the Senate adopted my amendment requiring the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on its use of datamining in fiscal year 2006. This amendment will provide the American people with critical information about the use of and plans for datamining technology and the way highly personal information. like credit reports. travel records and other personal information. may be obtained and used by our Government. This amendment will not stop any dataminingit simply requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on any datamining programs it is using or developing and how these programs implicate the civil liberties and privacy of all Americans. With complete information. the American people will be able to make considered judgments about which programs should and should not go forward. I was also pleased that the Senate adopted an amendment that I cosponsored that was offered by Senator VOINOVICH. This amendment increases funding for Emergency Management Performance Grants. EMPG. by $10 million to $190 million. which is $20 million more than requested by the President. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5688}
{"speech_id":1090056094,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The EMPG program is crucial in assisting State and local officials in preparing for allhazards emergencies. The program provides emergency managers with the resources they need to increase coordination and planning so that if an emergency occurs. State and local officials will respond much more efficiently and effectively. Although this boost in funding does not fully address the $264 million shortfall identified last year by the National Emergency Management Association. it is an important step in the right direction. Unfortunately. not all of our first responder programs fared as well. Many. including firefighter grants and State homeland security grants. were significantly cut. This bill also has less funding for transit security than last years Senate bill and bipartisan efforts to increase that funding to levels authorized by the Senate last year unfortunately failed. Although I am very disappointed with the major cuts to first responder programs and the failure to increase transit funding. I believe this bill accomplishes a lot within the budgetary constraints in which it operates. It goes a long way towards improving our border security and to combating the multitude of evolving threats faced by our Nation. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5688}
{"speech_id":1090056094,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. I regret that it does not go far enough. Let me explain. I strongly agree with the distinguished chairman when he said that Congress must decide on the budget priorities within the context of a reasonable budget for national defense and homeland security. We must answer the question: Do our national security budget priorities most effectively address the threats we face? I believe that this homeland security bill does a reasonably good job within its limited budget allocation. However. within the broader context of our overall national security spending. our priorities are abysmally out of touch with reality. For example. we continue to spend $8 billion to $10 billion a year on an unproven missile defense system. Those figures suggest that this troubled program is almost twice as important to our Nations security as Customs and Border Protection. three times more important than the entire Transportation Security Administration. and three times more important than the combined funding for our first responders. ports. transit. and rail security. It is time to take a broader view when it comes to our national security budget priorities and make the tradeoffs that must be made. I supported several amendments that would have added funding for critical security needs not fully addressed in this bill. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5688}
{"speech_id":1090056094,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I must point out again this year that I do not take lightly my decision to vote in favor of spending more money. Fiscal responsibility is one of my highest priorities and I constantly look for ways to limit government spending. I am honored that the Concord Coalition and others have recognized me for my efforts in this regard. Although fiscal responsibility remains one of my top priorities. it is imperative that we provide the resources needed to combat terrorism. I voted for this bill because it provides funding for many important security. needs. However. our Nations vulnerabilities demand more and I will continue to work to ensure that our vital homeland security needs are met.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5688}
{"speech_id":1090056098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce S. 1414. a bill that authorizes a study necessary for establishing the Trail of the Ancients National Heritage Area in the Four Corners region of the States of Utah. New Mexico. Colorado. and Arizona. I am joined by Senators BENNErr. BINGA-","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":281}
{"speech_id":1090056117,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On Monday. the Senate will resume consideration of the Foreign Operations appropriations bill. which we commenced today. Amendments will be offered and debated over the course of the afternoon on Monday. As always. I encourage all members who have amendments to contact the bill managers as early as possible so that they can schedule time for floor consideration. Our next vote will occur around 5:30 p.m. on Monday. It is my expectation that we will be voting in relation to one or more amendments to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill on Monday afternoon. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":601}
{"speech_id":1090056305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me indicate that I understand a number of our colleagues are still meeting in Senator DASCHLES office on regulation reform. We hope to find out here before too long whether we will proceed with the bill or lay it aside. or just what may be developing. We would like to. obviously. finish the bill. It may not be possible. BOSNIA","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":332}
{"speech_id":1090056308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will take just a moment to comment on the leaders remarks. I believe that the leaders remarks are totally appropriate with regard to the Bosnian situation. and I feel that this should not be a -partisan issue. This is a moral issue that appeals to a strong feeling throughout the country. I think. that something has happened here in Bosnia that goes against the very nature of the way we believe countries should be treated. In my view. what the majority leader has said about the right to self defense is the key to this issue. There are a number of arguments that are going to come up that this will Americanize the war. to lift the arms embargo. that it is better to do it multilaterally versus unilaterally. But that all is to the side of the central issue. which the majority leader has pointed out. and that is: How in the world can we say that a country cannot defend itself? What would give us that right? A terrible mistake was made in putting an arms embargo in a situation where one side had all the armaments and the other side was very poorly armed. I think we have to do everything we can to have a debate that does not make this a partisan issue. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2347}
{"speech_id":1090056308,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And to reiterate what the majority leader has said. all the arguments that are made have been made time and time again to justify delaying lifting the arms embargo. But he correctly points out that there is never a good time. No matter what we do to try to lift the arms embargo. there is some excuse why it is not the right time to do it. I say this as a person who. in his first month or two as a U.S. Senator. offered the first resolution I ever offered in this body to lift the arms embargo on the Bosnian Moslems. That was 2 years ago. The situation in Bosnia today would be very. very different had we lifted the arms embargo at that time. I have appreciated thefact that we have had. on many occasions. a good bipartisan effort to try to lift this arms embargo. If I can pick one issue since I have been here that really has not been partisan and should not be partisan. it would be this very issue. So I look forward to the debate when this comes up. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2347}
{"speech_id":1090056308,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nothing could be more urgent. I hope very much that we have an overwhelming vote in favor of the proposal. as at least described by the leader in his remarks. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2347}
{"speech_id":1090056325,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we certainly appreciate the comments of the distinguished Democratic leader. I further ask unanimous consent then that the Senate resume S. 343 after the disposition of S. 21. as amended. if amended. and no call for the regular order serve to displace S. 21. except one made by the majority leader after notification of the minority leader. and if a call for the regular order is made. there be 1 hour for debate to be equally divided in the usual form to be followed by the third cloture vote on the DoleJohnston substitute. and the mandatory quorum under rule XXII be waived.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":592}
{"speech_id":1090056425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have a question I want to ask my friend. The money in the Interior bill. I hope it is additional money. not money coming from other programs. Does the distinguished majority leader know about that? Do you understand my question? I hope it is new money. I hope it is not money we are taking from other programs.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090056505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I yield myself 5 minutes. I rise to discuss the pending nomination of Dr. Lester Crawford to be the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. I particularly thank all of the people who have been involved in this nomination process. It has been a great bipartisan effort. It has been thoroughly explored and we finally are at a point where we can have an actual FDA Commissioner approved. It will be a tremendous relief to me and to the Nation. I am sure. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090056505,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I particularly want to thank Senator KENNEDY for his efforts in proceeding through the different hearings that we have had and all of the other work that we have had to do. The Food and Drug Administration is tasked with the broad and critical mission of protecting public health. The FDA Commissioner is in charge of an agency that regulates $1 trillion worth of products a year. The agency ensures the safety and effectiveness of all drugs and biological products like vaccines. medical devices. and animal drugs and feed. It also oversees the safety of a vast variety of food products as well as medical and consumer products. including cosmetics. In addition. the Commissioner is responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations in its mission areas and by helping the public get accurate. sciencebased information on medicines and foods. The FDA has been without a confirmed Commissioner for more than a year. In January of this year. 17 members of the Senate Committee on Health. Education. Labor and Pensions sent a bipartisan letter to the President urging him to nominate a Commissioner to provide the agency with greater clarity and certainty in its mission to protect our food and drug supplies. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090056505,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Recent breakthroughs in medical science and technology show how quickly science and technology are changing our lives each and every day. The FDA is at a critical point in its history. The potential benefits from our medical research are staggering. A fully confirmed FDA Commissioner is essential to ensuring that these medical breakthroughs can be brought to the market safely and effectively. Consumers deserve to have a fully functional FDA that can oversee the industry with confidence and authority and harness the technical achievements that can improve and save lives. I believe the Presidents nominee. Dr. Lester Crawford. has the right qualifications to lead the FDA and to bring about the necessary reforms to maintain consumer confidence in our Nations drug safety. Clearly we need someone at the helm of the FDA who can direct the agency and work with Congress to find the answers to these and many other difficult issues that will continue to come before us. Dr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090056505,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Crawford has been Acting Commissioner of FDA since March of 2004. He has a long and distinguished career in private and public service. He worked at the FDA in other capabilities before joining the agency again in The show of support for Dr. Crawfords nomination has been strong. In the runup to Dr. Crawfords confirmation hearing in March. my committee received letters of support from more than 100 individuals and organizations. It is high time we had this debate and this vote. We waited many months for President Bush to send us a qualified nominee for the post. In response to our bipartisan letter to the President. the President nominated Dr. Crawford. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090056505,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have waited long enough. I think we can all agree that we need a strong leader at the FDA right now and one who has a mandate to act. We must be forward looking. There are many items before the FDA that require the immediate attention of an FDA Commissioner vested with full authority. The authority flows directly from the act of Senate confirmation. Without a Senateconfirmed leader. we cannot expect the FDA to be as effective as we need it to be. Dr. Crawfords nomination was reported favorably out of the Committee on Health. Education. Labor and Pensions on June 15. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090056515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have considered Dr. Crawfords experience and performance on the job for well over a year now. In fact. Dr. Crawford has been the man in charge at FDA since I began taking a hard look at the FDA. It has been a long year for the FDA and I have taken a long look at Dr. Crawfords efforts to address FDAs problems. I know Dr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3072}
{"speech_id":1090056515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Crawford is intimately familiar with how the FDA operates. He has twice served as acting Commissioner. most recently since March 2004. and his lengthy service at the FDA is commendable. Dr. Crawford and I have met on a couple occasions. He is a gentleman and seems to have the best of intentions. He told me personally that he understands there are problems at the FDA that need to be fixed. I believed at one point that he was capable of fixing those problems. However. as the saying goes. \"the proof is in the pudding.\" Today. I am here to say that I cannot vote for Dr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3072}
{"speech_id":1090056515,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Crawford to be the next Commissioner of the FDA. During the last 18 months. this countrys confidence in the FDA has been shaken. It has been shaken not because of one isolated incident or one isolated whistleblower. It has been shaken because multiple drug safety concerns have been exposed by more than one courageous whistleblower. My oversight of the FDA leads me to the conclusion that there are cultural and systemic problems at the FDA. Unfortunately. Dr. Crawford has long been part of that same culture and system. The evidence is overwhelming that the FDA must change to better protect the American people. Dr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3072}
{"speech_id":1090056515,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Crawford does not appear willing to be the man to change the FDA. During Dr. Crawfords tenure. I have witnessed the suppression of the scientific process and the muzzling of scientific dissent. First. with Dr. Mosholder finding a link between antidepressants. children and suicide. And second with Dr. Grahams allegations regarding the FDA. Vioxx and postmarketing safety generally. Dr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3072}
{"speech_id":1090056515,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Grahams testimony before the Finance Committee suggests that the problems are systemic. Oversight of the FDA exposed the cozy relationship that exists between the FDA and the drug industry. It revealed that the FDA negotiated for almost 2 years with Merck about how to change the Vioxx label so people would know about the risk of heart attacks. But the problems are not isolated to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. My staff continues to interview FDA staff across the agency. employees who are doing important work on drugs. devices. and biologics. It is becoming more and more obvious to me that FDA is plagued by structural. personnel. cultural. and scientific problems. Those problems should be equally obvious to Dr. Crawford. But under the leadership of Dr. Crawford. the FDA appears to be in a state of denial. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3072}
{"speech_id":1090056539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Will the Senator yield also for just a moment? We introduced LEGISLATIVE SESSION the bioshield II. the LiebermanHatch The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under bill that has gone a long way to resolv- the previous order. the Senate will reing this matter. and I intend to work turn to legislative session. with the Senator from North Carolina and the distinguished chairman and ranking member to see if we can bring DEPARTMENT OF STATE. FOREIGN this to a conclusion that works. OPERATIONS. AND RELATED I thank the chairman. PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":534}
{"speech_id":1090056550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the Declaration of Independence. one reason our Founders decided for a revolution against King George was \"He has made judges dependent on his will alone.\" That same year. the Delaware Declaration of Rights and Fundamental Rules stated: That the independence and uprightness of judges are essential to the impartial administration of justice. and a great security to the rights and liberties.of the people. In the Federalist Papers. explaining our great Constitution. Alexander Hamilton quoted Montesquieu to say: There is no liberty. if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers. It is the independence of the Supreme Court that is at stake in the coming consideration of the Courts next nominee. Our Constitution embodies that independence of the Court in its separation of powers. in its checks and balafices. and in its structure that provides of the President: He shall nominate. and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. shall appoint ... judges of the Supreme Court. The Senates active advice and consent role in the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice helps to ensure that nominees have the support of a broad political consensus. The Senates role helps to ensure that the President cannot appoint extreme nominees. The Senates role helps to ensure that Justices are more independent from the President. Time and time again the history of our Supreme Court has demonstrated the importance of that independence. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11972}
{"speech_id":1090056550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Time and time again. it has mattered that the Supreme Court had brave men and brave women who were willing to rule against the interests of the President. Time and time again. it has mattered that the President had to apSenate. It mattered that we had an independent court when our Nation was .young. in 1803. when the Supreme Court decided the case of Marbury v. Madison. It mattered that we had an independent court so that Chief Justice Marshall could write for the Court: It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department [that is the judiciary] to say what the law is .... If two laws conflict with each other. the courts must decide on the operation of each .... That is the very essence of judicial duty. Today. most take for granted this bedrock principle of judicial review set forth in Marbury v. Madison. But recall the plaintiff in that case. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11972}
{"speech_id":1090056550,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"William Marbury. challenged President Thomas Jeffersons administration. If the President. Thomas Jefferson. had been able to appoint Justices without an effective check by the Senate. then perhaps the President would have been able to appoint Justices who believed as he didas Jefferson didwhen he wrote. in 1820. a letter saying: It is a very dangerous doctrine to consider the judges as ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions. Just think for a second what that means. President Thomas Jefferson. back in 1820. wrote that it was unfortunate and dangerous doctrine to consider judges as the ultimate arbiters of constitutional questions. If it wasnt he. who would it be? Clearly. Thomas Jefferson thought it would be he. the President. not the Supreme Court. Without concern for the Senates advice and consent. a more recent President might have appointed a Justice who believed as did former Attorney General Edwin Meese. 20 years ago. when Meese argued that the Supreme Courts interpretations of the Constitution. in his words. did not establish a \"supreme law of the land.\" That is Edwin Meese. who was U.S. Attorney General 20 years ago. And recall that Attorney General Meese asserted that the Reagan administration was free to rely on its own views on the meaning of the law. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11972}
{"speech_id":1090056550,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is revolutionary. and I dont use that word unadvisedly. It is a longestablished principle that the Constitution is what the Supreme Court says it is. It has to be. The Constitution is not what the President says it is. it is what the Supreme Court says it is. The judiciary is a free. independent. third branch of Government. It also mattered that we had an independent Supreme Court in 1952. when the Court decided Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company v. Sawyer. otherwise known as the \"steel seizure case.\" It was the time of the Korean War. and we faced a steel strike. President Truman tried to seize the steel companies in order to avert a strike. It mattered that we had an independent Supreme Court so that the Court could rule against President Trumanan independent arbitersaying: No. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11972}
{"speech_id":1090056550,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. that is not proper. the Constitution doesnt permit that. It mattered that Justice Hugo Black was independent enough to write for the majority when he wrote: The Constitution limits his (that is. the Presidents] functions in the lawmaking process* to the recommending of laws he thinks wise and the vetoing of laws he thinks bad. And the Constitution is neither silent nor equivocal about who shall make laws which the President is to execute. That is very clear. The Supreme Court stood up to the President and said. Mr. President. that is unconstitutional. It mattered that we had an independent Supreme Court in 1974. when the Court heard U.S. v. Nixon. otherwise known as the Watergate tapes case. Lets go back and review those facts. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11972}
{"speech_id":1090056558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in sadness to pay tribute to a man who served the State of Louisiana well for over 22 years. our late Secretary of State Fox McKeithen. who passed away over the weekend at his home. lovingly surrounded by friends. family. and admirers. Walter Fox McKeithen was born on September 8. 1946. He was a young man when he died this weekend. He was the second of six children in a small northern town of Louisiana called Columbia. He was the son of a very wellrespected governor whom we fondly called \"Big John\" McKeithen. He served in the 1960s and is accredited with leading our State of Louisiana at a very tough and tumultuous time in a very progressive and positive direction. Fox McKeithen. the oldest child. took after his fathers political skills from an early age. He demonstrated those leadership skills as senior class president at Caldwell Parish High School. and after graduating from Louisiana Tech. he worked as a high school civics teacher and coach. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4644}
{"speech_id":1090056558,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With his desire to serve the people of Louisiana in a greater role. he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1983. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Fox as a State representative. He went on then to run statewide and was elected Secretary of State. I went on at that same time as State treasurer. and we continued our strong partnership and relationship. As Secretary of State. however. Fox took his very colorful personality and spirited dedication to make great improvements to an office that was in need of improvement. He modernized the way the State archived its records. He made it easier for businesses to register and get assistance from the Secretary of States office. Most importantly. he was a friend to local clerks who work diligently in our State to process elections. make sure they are run fairly and openly. He had a very strong view. as Secretary of State and our chief election commission officer. that registered voters should have a chance to vote. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4644}
{"speech_id":1090056558,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not a radical notion. but in this day and age not something that always happens. So he worked overtime to make sure the machines were there on time and people were well trained. If the clerks had problems. he himself would step in and give personal attention. So we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his dedication and commitment. In fact. once there was a problemvoting machines were arriving late. He jumped in his own pickup truck and went down to one of our parishes to bring them voting machines. Perhaps his greatest legacy was the renovation of our old State capitol. a building that sat on the banks of the Mississippi River in decay and abandonment for many years. But with his vision and his leadership. he restored that building to its former grandeur. and now it is a place that is used by many different organizations and appreciated and admired by all the people of our State. When he started this project. people said it could not be done. there was not enough money to do it. But because of his tenaciousness and his hard work and leadership ability. he led a group of leaders both in the public sector and in the private sector to restore our own State capitol and enhanced one of the great communities on the banks of the Mississippi River. right there in our capital city. reminding us of our rich and colorful past. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4644}
{"speech_id":1090056558,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was truly an honor for me and many people in Louisiana to serve in public office with Fox McKeithen. He loved Louisiana and he loved serving all of her people. He shared his fathers famous campaign slogan. \"Wont you hep me?\" as if it were a question that the people of Louisiana were asking of him. It didnt matter if yod were a Democrat or a Republican. rich or poor. from north or south of 110 or north or south of 120. he was always there to help you if hercould. A dedicated public servant who gave everything he had to serving our State. Fox McKeithen will be dearly missed. The people of our State owe a great debt of gratitude to Fox and the entire McKeithen family for a legacy of leadership. compassion. and vision for our State. His eldest daughter Marjorie follows in her fathers and grandfathers footsteps through her practice of law and effective advocacy for many important programs and initiatives in our State. She is truly carrying on the great McKeithen legacy of service. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4644}
{"speech_id":1090056558,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I come to the floor today saddened by the fact but gladdened by the life this man led and certain of his legacy that he left with the people of our State and the many contributions he made over a long and dedicated career. On behalf of the people of Louisiana. I say our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this time.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4644}
{"speech_id":1090056562,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my sympathy over the loss of Tricia L. Jameson of Omaha. NE. a staff sergeant medic in the Nebraska Army National Guard. Staff Sergeant Jameson was killed by an explosion after stopping to treat wounded Marines on July 14 near Trebil in western Iraq. She was 34 years old. Staff Sergeant Jameson grew up in St. Paul. NE. before moving to Omaha as a teenager. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1657}
{"speech_id":1090056562,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She graduated from Millard South High School in 1989 and attended Central Community College at Columbus. NE. from 199091. She spent the last 10 years in the military. working the last 5 years as a health care specialist at the Nebraska Air National Guard base clinic in Lincoln. NE. Staff Sergeant Jameson was a member of the 313th Medical Company of Lincoln and was mobilized to duty in Iraq less than a month ago. Staff Sergeant Jameson volunteered for the assignment. She was not a regular member of the group but a replacement for another soldier. Staff Sergeant Jameson will be remembered as a loyal soldier who had a strong sense of duty. honor. and love of country. Thousands of brave Americans like Staff Sergeant Jameson are currently serving in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Jameson was preceded in death by her father. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1657}
{"speech_id":1090056562,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Robert Jameson. She is survived by her mother Patricia Marsh of Omaha: brother. Rob Jameson of Omaha. grandmothers Kathryn Jameson of Weeping Water. NE. and Annamae Donahue of Omaha. and fianc6 Mike Coldewey of Omaha. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time. America is proud of Staff Sergeant Jamesons heroic service and mourns her loss. I ask my colleagues to join me and all Americans in honoring SSG Tricia L. Jameson.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1657}
{"speech_id":1090056572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on behalf of a resolution to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Polish workers strike of 1980. an important day in history for Poland. Eastern Europe and for democracy worldwide. In 1980. while Poland was still very much under the control of the former Soviet Union. Lech Walesa formed the Solidarity Trade Union. In July and August of that year. he and other members of the Solidarity Trade Union led a workers strike to demand greater political freedom in Poland. That August. the Communist government in Poland yielded to the demands of the workers. In doing so. Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Trade Union won the release of all political prisoners held by the Polish government. forced that government to broadcast religious services on television and the radio. and won the right to establish other trade unions. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2174}
{"speech_id":1090056572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By late 1981. the Communist government. in an attempt to regain absolute control. instituted martial law in order to drive Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Trade Union underground. However. the seeds of freedom had already begun to grow in Poland. and throughout Eastern Europe. On December 9. 1989. Lech Walesa was democratically elected President of Poland. signaling an end to Communist rule in Poland. Two years later. that failed ideology was dead in the Soviet Union itself. As a strong supporter of NATO expansion. I was proud to welcome Poland and two other former Warsaw Pact members into NATO in May of 1999. I have long said that NATO expansion is the best way to guarantee that freedom and democracy continue to thrive in Eastern Europe. Southeastern .Europe. and the Baltic states. The acceptance of Poland into the alliance. as well as the acceptance of eight other former Eastern Bloc nations. may not have been possible were it not for the Polish workers strike of 1980. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2174}
{"speech_id":1090056572,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. twentyfive years after the historic strike. Poland has become a staunch ally of the United States. Polands contributions to the war on terror have been tremendous. Today. we honor Lech Walesa and the people of Poland who risked their lives to restore liberty in Poland and to return Pola~ld to the democratic community of nations.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2174}
{"speech_id":1090056573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Jdy 18. 2005 hearing previously scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Wednesday. July 20. 2005. at 2:30 p.m. has been re-. scheduled for 2 p.m. the same day. The hearing will be held in Room SD366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information. please contact Frank Gladics 2022242878. Dick Bouts 2022247545. or Amy Millet at 2022248276.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":527}
{"speech_id":1090056618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. and am delighted to be here to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the modernday Department of Veterans Affairs. and I am here to speak in a positive way on this matter. I think it has been brought out earlier that it was President Hoover who created the VA by signing executive order 5398. This implemented the legislation. But when we look at this. it did not just begin there. This Nation has always provided the most comprehensive package of benefits and care to our men and women who have served. better. I believe. than any other nation when we look at all of the details. Reflecting on our Nations priorities. we have been caring for and compensating our veterans since before we were even the United Stateg. A lot of people do not realize this. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090056618,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our veterans Jul 18. 2005","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090056621,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I have no further requests for time. I would just again ask all the good gentlemen on the other side. led by the gentleman from Arkansas . my friend. let us get this out of the political rhetoric of who has the right number. Let us get these veterans the adequate support they need. Let us pass this resolution but go back to work and provide the cash. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":458}
{"speech_id":1090056659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to applaud my colleagues for bringing this resolution to the House for consideration. I deeply appreciate the efforts of my dear friend and esteemed colleague. the gentleman from New York . for offering this resolution. and my colleagues. the gentleman from New Jersey . the gentlewoman from California . and the gentleman from New York . for their tireless efforts on behalf of African descendants throughout the globe. People of African descent in this country have benefited from longstanding efforts to raise public awareness of their history and their circumstances. But we must not forget. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090056659,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. that there is an equally complex history for African descendants throughout the Americas. and their current situation demands our attention and our action as well. The resolution of the gentleman from New York seeks to remove the cloak of invisibility that has hidden the faces of so many of our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere from their own countrymen and from the rest of the world. E 1600 African descendents are present in great numbers in the Caribbean and in a few Latin American countries such as Brazil where they comprise approximately 45 percent of the population. But many African descendents also reside in Latin American nations where their presence is less well known. such as Ecuador. Nicaragua. Panama and Mexico. The history of Afro descendents in these countries stretches back centuries. In Mexico. for example. individuals in the Costa Chica. area are believed to be descendents of slaves who were brought there in the 17th century to work on the areas extensive cattle ranches. Today some of the names of Mexican towns in the Veracruz region reflect this history: Congo. Angola. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090056659,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mozambique. Mandinga and Mocambo. While African descendents no longer are enslaved in Latin America and the Caribbean. they tend to be marginalized in many societies. This leaves them vulnerable to economic hardship and to upheaval such as civil conflict. In Colombia. just 2 months ago. intense fighting between leftist guerillas and their right wing paramilitary foes forced more than.2.000 mainly AfroColombian villagers from their homes. The United Nations Commission for Refugees has said that the situation for these communities is worsening. and it has warned that these communities are at high risk of severe hardship and insecurity as a result of these illegal armed groups occupying their land. Mr. Speaker. the plight of African descendents in Latin America and the Caribbean has been ignored for far too long. The gentleman from New York","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090056676,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. it is my honor to be one of the four cosponsors of this resolution along with the distinguished majority leader. the distinguished Democratic leader. and my good friend. the chairman of the Committee on International Relations. the gentleman from Illinois . our resolution commending the continuing improvement in relations between the United States and the Republic of India. We do so in the midst of an official visit by the distinguished Prime Minister of India. Dr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090056676,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Singh. who will address us in a joint session of Congress tomorrow morning to be followed by a private meeting with members of the Committee on International Relations. In the 5 years since President Clinton traveled to India and opened a new chapter in the bilateral relationship between that country and the United States. we have ushered in new and unprecedented forms of cooperation between our two great democratic nations in areas ranging from global trade to technology. Security cooperation between the United States and India has dramatically increased with Washington providing funds for military assistance. counternarcotics aid. and other forms of military training. Mr. Speaker. we all remember well Indias eager offer of cooperation in the war on terrorism after the September 11 tragedy and its willingness to allow the use of Indian bases for counterterrorism operations. Both of our countries have been democracies since our inception. and we are natural allies. In recent years. India has opened its economy to a great extent to trade and investment. India has liberalized its internal economic system. steps that have served. and will continue to serve. to accelerate Indias growth. Our distinguished guest. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090056676,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Singh. played a key role in getting these reforms under way in his earlier capacity as the Finance Minister of India. They have created a vastly enlarged middle class enjoying the benefits of a wellrun economic system. And Indians have Dr. Singh to thank for that. India of late has been a model partner in the ongoing rapprochement with its neighbor. Pakistan. despite memories of bitter wars and nuclear oneupsmanship. Both countries have shown good will in an ongoing attempt to settle their differences by peaceful and diplomatic means. Mr. Speaker. during a recent visit to New Dehli. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090056676,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice praised the positive recent development in relations between our countries. and the administration put out the word that one of its goals is to help India become a major world lower in the 21st century. To that end. Mr. Speaker. I wish to take this opportunity to press again for strong U.S. support for India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. in long overdue recognition by the international community of Indias rightful place as a great democracy. Finally. Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the contributions of Americans of Indian origin for whom the visit of Prime Minister Singh this week has special resonance. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090056676,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The United States is a Nation of immigrants. and we are the worlds preeminent power due in large part to the diversity of our people. It is hard to think of an ethnic group. Mr. Speaker. that has made such enormous contributions to the strength of our Nation in such a compressed period of time as Americas 1.5 million citizens of Indian decent. In business. science. academia. medicine and culture. IndianAmericans have assumed leadership roles.. and they have given back to the communities in which they live. IndianAmericans have made enormous contributions to the economy of my congressional district in the San Francisco Bay area. particularly to the technology firms of our Silicon Valley. Over 300.000 IndianAmericans work in the cuttingedge technology firms in my area. and they play a critical role in generating new startup hightech companies. So. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090056701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk again about the National Instant Criminal Background Check. We know that the States are the weak link as far as getting background checks into our NICS system. We have seen so many times that thousands of people are slipping through the system because the States do not have the money to bring up their computer systems to be able to give the information to the NICS system here in Washington. We know that the NICS system works. We know that over 700.000 people have been denied guns. those that should not be able to buy them but. again. a system is only as good as the database that it has.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":627}
{"speech_id":1090056704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tonight I rise to pay tribute to a very. very special American. a very good friend of mine who died last week after battling a very cruel and mean disease. ALS. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. better known as Lou Gehrigs disease. Wayne Arnold was a friend of mine and he was a friend of many. In fact. I remember when I first got involved in politics Wayne Arnold was one of my first supporters. and I will always be grateful for that. But Wayne was a very special American in so many ways. I would like to say that he was a believer. He was a doer and he was a giver. He was involved in so many things in the Rochester area. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2855}
{"speech_id":1090056704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was an accountant. By the time he retired he was a partner in one of the largest firms in Minnesota. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce. He was active in his church. He was active in education issues. But he was not just active. He got things done. I think perhaps one of the greatest tributes to Wayne Arnold in the Rochester area is what he did in helping to really spearhead the building of a memorial there to all of the soldiers and all of those who have contributed so much. and we have this marvelous memorial which is largely because of people like Wayne Arnold. When he heard about this. that we were going to build this special memorial at Soldiers Field in Rochester. Minnesota he not only got behind it. he became the treasurer. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2855}
{"speech_id":1090056704,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He helped raise the money. He did so much on that and so many other fronts. I also want to submit for the RECORD and I want to thank Greg Sellnow of the Rochester Post Bulletin. and I would like to submit for the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD a copy of a piece that he wrote last week about Wayne Arnold. and the title of which was the philosophy that Wayne Arnold lived by. The title is \"You Only Pass This Way Once.\" And he sort of branded that philosophy on all of his children and many of the people that he knew and worked with. And in it I think he meant that you only get an opportunity to do the right thing every so often. and you have got to take advantage of those opportunities to do the right thing. I talked to Wayne shortly after he learned that he had ALS and he was not sad. He was not morbid. He was not angry. He saw it as a challenge. In fact. in the article that Greg Sellnow has written about him. he said that he had sent him an email a couple of years ago. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2855}
{"speech_id":1090056704,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And in that email Wayne Arnold said to Greg. I look at this disease as a gift. he wrote in an email about 2 years ago. not many people have the luxury to be able to prepare like this. Wayne Arnold was a very special person. He did so much for our community. He did so much for us. He did so much for me. I would like to close by just saying that I have no doubt that Wayne was greeted at the gate with those words. \"Well done. oh. good and noble servant.\" [From the Post Bulletin. Jul. 16. 2005]","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2855}
{"speech_id":1090056727,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Specialist David L. Rice Corporal Joseph S. Tremblay PFC Robert W. Murray Jr. Specialist Ricky W. Rockholt Jr. 1st Lieutenant William A. Edens Sergeant Eric Wayne Morris Sergeant Timothy Craig Kiser Private Charles S. Cooper Jr. PFC Darren A. Deblanc Captain Ralph J. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1151}
{"speech_id":1090056727,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Jay\" Harting II. Captain Stephen W. Frank 2nd Lt. Clifford V. Gadsden Sergeant Kenya A. Parker S. Sgt. Juan de Dios GarciaArana Specialist Derrick Joseph Lutters Captain Kelly C. Hinz Major John C.Spahr Staff Sergeant Tommy S. Little Sergeant John E. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1151}
{"speech_id":1090056727,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"McGee Staff Sergeant William J. Brooks Sergeant Stephen P. Saxton Sergeant Michael A. Marzano Sergeant Aaron N. Cepeda Sr. Lance Cpl Lance Tanner tiraham P0 3rd Class Jeffery L. Wiener Lance Corporal Michael V. Postal Lance Corporal Nicholas C. Kirven Corporal Richard P. Schoener Lance Cpl. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1151}
{"speech_id":1090056727,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lawrence R. Philippon Corporal Dustin A. Derga Specialist Steven Ray Givens Staff Sergeant Thor H. Ingraham PFC Nicolas E. Messmer Sgt. Gary A. \"Andy\" Eckert Jr. Lance Corporal Marcus Mahdee Lance Cpl. Taylor B. Prazynski PFC Stephen P. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1151}
{"speech_id":1090056727,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Baldwyn Staff Sgt. Anthony L. Goodwin 1st Sergeant Michael J. Bordelon Staff Sgt. Samuel Tyrone Castle","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1151}
{"speech_id":1090056731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lance Cpl. John T. Schmidt III Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez Lance Cpl. Jonathan Walter Grant Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy PFC Christopher R. Dixon Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy II PFC Kenneth E. Zeigler II Sergeant Andrew R. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090056731,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jodon Sergeant John M. Smith PFC Travis W. Anderson Sergeant Charles C. Gillican III Sergeant Jacob M. Simpson Private 1st Class Wesley R. Riggs Sgt. Antwan L. \"Twan\" Walker Sergeant Robin V. Fell Specialist Bernard L. Sembly PFC Wyatt D. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090056731,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eisenhauer Sergeant Brad A. Wentz Sergeant Kurt D. Schamberg Corporal Steven Charles Tucker Sergeant Charles T. Wilkerson Sergeant Kenneth J. Schall 1st Lieutenant Aaron N. Seesan Specialist Tyler L. Creamean Sergeant Benjamin C. Morton Sergeant John B. Ogburn III Sergeant Carl J. Morgain Private 1st Class Kyle M. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090056731,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hemauer Staff Sergeant Russell J. Verdugo Specialist Joshua T. Brazee Sergeant Christopher S. Perez Sergeant Daniel Ryan Varnado Specialist Bryan Edward Barron Specialist Audrey Daron Lunsford Staff Sergeant Saburant Parker Sgt. 1st Class Randy D. Collins Sergeant 1st Class Peter J. Hahn PFC Jeffrey R. Wallace Specialist Dustin C. Fisher","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090056753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my colleague would yield. once again. relationships over what the American people need to know. It may not be what they want to hear. but what they need to know. It is important we do not allow those relationships to stand in front of democracy and making sure we stand for those we have been sent here to stand for.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":319}
{"speech_id":1090056758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I agree with the gentleman and thank him for his leadership on the committee. We obviously have a good number of challenges here in the Congress to deal with that. I hope that as time goes on we try to shift the focus back here because I think we all know that the threats are here. As what happened in London. it is scary when homegrown terrorists are the ones causing the most strife in your own country. We have to be very careful and very vigilant. and part of that is protecting the infrastructure here in this country.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":537}
{"speech_id":1090056767,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this evening several of my colleagues and I are going to discuss a topic which is a little bit different from what normally is discussed here on the House floor. I think the general impression that one would get in watching the debate and some of the Special Orders is that this is a highly partisan. very divided body. and somewhat a Godless body at times. I do not believe that this is the whole story. One activity in the House that is not partisan or contentious is the weekly prayer breakfast that is held every Thursday morning. There are roughly 30 to 40 Republicans and Democrats who meet during that hour. It is completely nonpartisan. It is Members only. It is confidential. Whatever is said there stays there. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4517}
{"speech_id":1090056767,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Of course. it is the precursor to the national prayer breakfast which is held every spring. Just a word or two of historical badkground. I think it is important that we from time to time recall that we are a spiritual Nation and that our foundation is of a spiritual nature. To quote Benjamin Franklin. who many believe was somewhat irreligious. this is what he said in a speech on the House floor: \"We have been assured. sir. in the sacred writings. that except the Lord build a house they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that without his concurring aid. we shall succeed in the political building no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests. our projects will be confounded and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages.\" Then he goes on to say: \"I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business.\" Of course. that speech was the precursor of the morning prayer that we have every day that we meet in Congress. So Franklin was alluding to the fact that without acknowledging the divine presence and without prayer. that many of the deliberations of this body were of no more worth than the builders of Babel. George Washington. of course. was a Founding Father that also was one who relied heavily upon his faith. This is what he said in his ihaugural address. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4517}
{"speech_id":1090056767,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said: \"The propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained.\" Both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington indicated that the foundation of a successful nation really needed to be based upon spiritual principle. Mr. Speaker. our purpose here tonight is to talk a little bit about the prayer breakfast. what we think the benefit of the prayer breakfast is. It is not to proselytize. it is not necessarily to even express our personal faith. but to let people know that there is an organization. there is a group here that meets regularly that is certainly not contentious and is focused upon spiritual issues. I would just like to say one word about my personal experience at the prayer breakfast that has been very beneficial. and that is that I began to see people as they really are. We all have a facade. We bear titles. We are Republicans. we are Democrats. we are chairmen. we are vice chairmen. and we are from different parts of the country. As we speak on the floor. many times we are somewhat contentious. At the prayer breakfast. all of those titles and all of those masks that we wear tend to be stripped away. and you begin to see a person as he or she really is. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4517}
{"speech_id":1090056767,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remember particularly one morning where a Member -was to speak. I was not looking forward particularly to that particular day. because the image that I had of that individual was that of a person who was highly partisan. someone who had no relationship to anything that I believed. And yet as I listened to that person and I began to feel the pain in that persons life and I began to understand him better. I saw him entirely different. As a result. that person has become a very close friend. even though politically we are a long ways apart. I think many people have experienced that as well. At this point. I am going to yield to a number of individuals who attend the breakfast who want to just give those who would be viewing a snapshot of how they feel about this particular organization and the service that it renders to this body. The first person I believe who was here this evening was the gentleman from Georgia . so I yield to the gentleman from Georgia at this time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4517}
{"speech_id":1090056821,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased the Indian Prime Minister spoke today before a joint session. His remarks were thoughtful. He spoke of the great promise and values our two nations sharefirst of all. democracy. I also welcome to the Senate today several Indian Americans from Nevada. including my friend. Dr. Chanderaj. and several of my friends from the Sikh community in northern Nevada. I have gotten to know them. They did a number of events for me this past year. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090056821,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are very interested in government. I am so impressed with them and their community. located mainly in Carson City. NV. They traveled throughout the night so they could be here today for this historic event. The contributions of the Indian American community to Nevada and to this country are significant. They have made such a positive impact in communities across the Nation. What we have going on in southern \u0095Nevada is exemplary. We have an AsianAmerican community there. There is no distinction between Pakistanis and Indians. They meet together. they join together. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090056821,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unless you are familiar with the two communities. you could not tell them apart. They work together. Our largest and most famous Indian restaurant in Las Vegas is run by a Pakistani. So. Mr. President. I am very happy they have made such a positive impact in Nevada and communities all across this great Nation. That is why I am so pleased the Prime Minister could be here today: to join our two great democracies. to recognize the common bonds between us. and to celebrate the promising future that lies before us. I would be remiss if I did not recognize one of the leaders of the Indian community. someone who has been involved in government and politics. He helps Republicans. he helps Democrats. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090056821,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is very interested in government. He is a physician by the name of Prabhu. who is a friend to so many of us. I acknowledge him today as being someone who has done so much to bring the communities together. Thank you very much. Mr. President.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090056854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my friend for his continued sponsorship for and renewal of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act. I believe it has had an effect inside Burma. I do believe the people who are in prisons and mistreated. as well as San Suu Kyi herself. are aware of our efforts on their behalf. I thank my friend from Kentucky for his continued efforts on behalf of these people. I believe we should continue to ask that one day they will achieve their freedomnot if. but when. I think the Senators efforts and our passage of this legislation will help get thenthere. I look forward to exploring other options and ways we can put continued pressure on this bunch of thugs to at least allow this brave woman a chance to live some semblance of a normal life. She certainly deserves it.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":772}
{"speech_id":1090056966,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the information of Members of the Senate. what we are trying to do is set up a series of three votes. between an hour and 1\/2 hours on two Coburn amendments and a Dorgan amendment. I will be back at the conclusion of Senator COBURNs remarks to propound a unanimous consent agreement that would lock in those three votes around the time that I just suggested.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090057005,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In one second. So I would suggest. yes. there will be lots of corporations around the world that are part of this deal to build this reactor that would benefit from this. just as probably you could make the argumentand I dont want to make it for you. but I will make it for youthere may be an American company that benefits from the French building this reactor but certainly not to the extent if Westinghouse builds it.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":420}
{"speech_id":1090057155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. no one has been more tenacious in fighting for adequate funding for HIV\/AIDS than the Senator from Pennsylvania. I thank him for his important contribution. His amendment is such a good idea that it has been approved on both sides of the aisle. Mr. President. I recommend we move forward and approve the amendment on a voice vote.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090057283,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on this day in 1848. one of the first public appeals for womens suffrage was made when Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton called a womens rights convention in Seneca Falls. New York. For over 70 years. women organized. marched picket lines. ahd chained themselves to the White House fence until women won the right to vote with the 19th amendment in 1920. Suffragettes should be remembered. and last week I introduced a resolution to establish a day to commemorate Americas suffragettes. It was not long ago that women in this country did not have the right to vote. and we ought not take that right for granted. Women have a responsibility to exercise that right and make a difference in this country. We women do have this responsibility to show our patriotism. denionstrate good citizenship by setting an example for our children by participating in the political process and by casting our vote in this country to elect our representatives.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":963}
{"speech_id":1090057287,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to pay tribute to the women suffragettes who began their campaign for womens right to vote 157 years ago today in Seneca Falls in New York. It would take over 72 years ofperseverance for this campaign to succeed and for women to gain the right to vote. with the ratification of the 19th amendment. Today. almost 85 years later. a higher percentage of women vote as compared to men. However. we still have about 32 percent of women in the United States who are not even registered to vote. Can you believe that? Among that group of women between 18 and 24 years of age. 45 percent are not even registered to vote. We need to do more to energize and engage these young women in the political process. Women must have a voice in all national debates that affect them. especially on important issues like reproductive health. equal rights. and Social Security. As an example. in the debate over privatizing Social Security. 58 percent of seniors receiving Social Security are women. Since women have a longer average life span than men. privatizing Social Security would harm them. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1197}
{"speech_id":1090057287,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us take up the banner. like the suffragettes did. and let us work hard for womens rights.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1197}
{"speech_id":1090057288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to mark an important anniversary in our Nations history. Eightyfive years ago. on August 18. 1920. the 19th amendment to the Constitution was ratified. extending the right to vote to American women. The road to the 19th amendment was long and difficult. paved with hard work and struggle. The birth of the womens suffrage movement can be traced to the Womens Rights Commission in Seneca Falls. New York. in July of 1848. which laid out the principles that would guide the womens movement. More than seven decades later. those principles were at last codified into our Constitution. moving our Nation closer to meeting the promise of its founding. Today. we have more women than ever serving in elected and appointed positions in our local. State. and national governments. ","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1304}
{"speech_id":1090057288,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Not only in this Chamber. but also in the United States Senate. in the Presidents Cabinet. and in a wide range of Governors offices. as well as other positions. This represents a vast change from where we stood 85 years ago. and our Nation is stronger for it. As we watch the spread of freedom across the globe. and as more and more women take on the rights and responsibilities of full political citizenship. let us pay tribute to those women who blazed the trail for those of us who have followed. .....","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1304}
{"speech_id":1090057298,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to a young man who bravely risked his own life to save the Rules. Each such amendment may be offered life of another. only in the order printed in the report. may Mr. Speaker. 15yearold Tyler be offered only by a Member designated in Macemore of Yadkinville. North Caro- the report. shall be considered as read. shall be debatable for the time specified in the relina. rescued an anonymous 10yearold port equally divided and controlled by the boy caught in a rip tide at Atlanta proponent and an opponent. shall not be subBeach. North Carolina last year. One ject to amendment. and shall not be subject might wonder what motivated Tyler to to a demand for division of the question in selflessly enter the ocean that day. But the House or in the Committee of the Whole. it is clear that his choice was in some All points of order against such amendments w are waived. At the conclusion of considerwa ation of the bill for amendment. the Comences he has learned as a member of mittee shall rise and report the bill to the Boy Scout Troop 65 in Yadkinville. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3024}
{"speech_id":1090057298,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"House with such amendments as may have Using only a boogie board. Tyler pad- been adopted. Any Member may demand a dled out to the distressed young boy. separate vote in the House on any amendWith reassuring words and a confident. ment adopted in the Committee of the Whole yet calm. demeanor. he placed the boy to the bill or to the amendment in the naon the board and paddled against the ture of a substitute made in order as original text. The previous question shall be considdangerous surf back to safety. That ered as ordered on the bill and amendments day. Tyler Macemore became a true thereto to final passage without intervening hero. By exhibiting a high level of ma- motion except one motion to recommit with turity and bravery. he prevented -a or without instructions. tragedy. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Since the rescue. Tyler has furthered SIMPSON). ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3024}
{"speech_id":1090057298,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Utah his accomplishments with the Boy is recognized for 1 hour. Scouts of America. He is now. a Life Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker. Scout and working on his Eagle Scout. for the purpose of debate only. I yield Ironically. Tyler will be certified in the customary 30 minutes to the genlifesaving at camp this summer. where tleman from Florida . he will also be awarded the coveted pending which I yield myself such time Honor Medal for his courageous act by as I may consume. During considerthe Boy Scouts of America. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3024}
{"speech_id":1090057298,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud ation of this resolution. all time yieldand honored to recognize this out- ed is for the purpose of debate only. standing young citizen. Mr. Speaker. the resolution provides for the consideration of H.R. 2601. the Foreign Relations Authorization Act PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. It is a OF H.R. 2601. - FOREIGN RELA- structured rule with 1 hour of general TIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT. FIS- debate and provides for the orderly CAL YEARS 2006 AND 2007 consideration of 38 separate amend-","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3024}
{"speech_id":1090057307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I would be remiss not to compliment the gentleman from Florida for his sincere and measured remarks. But I am here today. Mr. Speaker. to speak of Uzbekistan. President Bush stated that the United States \"will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression. which is always wrong. and freedom. which is eternally right. America will not pretend . . . that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies. We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people.\" Certainly noble words. The gentleman from Texas and I offered an amendment that would have provided real meaning to those noble words. but the Committee on Rules did not make our amendment in order. thereby failing the democratic aspirations of the people of a nation in Central Asia called Uzbekistan. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2089}
{"speech_id":1090057307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of our partners in the Coalition of the Willing is a bully. His name is Islam Karimov. and he is the thug who rules Uzbekistan. According to our own State Department. Karimov runs a regime that does not allow freedom of speech or religion. that makes a mockery of elections. that holds thousands of political prisoners where security forces customarily utilize torture. Some of their victims have literally been boiled alive. and 2 months ago his security forces massacred hundreds of civilians who were simply asking for liberty and justice. Yet we have given this thug some $350 million in aid. Our amendment would have use that leverage to push Karimov to democratize. to respect human rights. and to accept an independent investigation into that massacre. As Bill Kristol said in the Weekly Standard just recently. \"It would be unfortunate if the spring of 2005 went down in the history bookA as a turning point. in favor of dictators.\" The choice is simple and we have made the wrong choice today. We are standing with a thug rather than standing for democracy. and I urge defeat of the rule.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2089}
{"speech_id":1090057311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I am outraged that the Committee on Rules did not make my JulyZ 19. 2005 amendment in order. Our amendment on global climate change. which passed both the House and the Senate in a previous version. simply says that the United States must lead the world in the fight against global warming. In this Chamber of democratic ideals. the House of Representatives is supposed to be the place where we take a stand on the issues. If one disagrees. for example. with my amendments. fine. Then stand up and vote against. them. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3276}
{"speech_id":1090057311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is that global warming exists and is fully acknowledged by the scientific community. The fact is that a report which President Bush himself commissioned from the National Academy of Sciences says that human activity causes global warming. The truth is that the United States should lead on climate change. not avoid it. Let me be clear. I was not advocating for the Kyoto Protocol. Other countries took the lead when we backed out. and it entered into force earlier this year. But just because we rejected Kyoto does not absolve us from working with other countries on climate change. Actually. it means .that we have to take the lead. be creative and find a solution. The G8 statement on climate change is a start. by acknowledging that climate change is a serious challenge that human activities are contributing to. Unfortunately. the administration reportedly exerted a considerable amount of pressure to water down the G8 statement and the document falls far short of making a call for strong and immediate .action. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3276}
{"speech_id":1090057311,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The truth is that the worlds future depends on our actions today. Global warming could devastate our environment and our economy. President Bushs administration. in a report to the United Nations. said that global climate change could mean greater storm surges on the coasts. reduced snowpack and water supplies in the West. declining water levels in the Great Lakes. stronger hurricanes. more extreme weather events. and greater risk of both flooding and drought. If that is not an incentive for the administration to act. nothing will be. Filially. I am also concerned that the gentleman from Massachusetts amendment on the demobilization process in Colombia was not made in order. The current Colombian demobilization framework. as discussed in the bill. does not provide minimal guarantees on at least three basic points. First. terrorist leaders who are under standing indictments in our country for serious crimes can escape extradition to the United States. Second. the bill does not require that these terrorists provide complete information on their networks so they could. be dismantled. And. lastly. the law does not build in adequate monitoring mechanisms to ensure that those who have forsworn violence do not return to their terrorist activities. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3276}
{"speech_id":1090057311,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must address these issues before we authorize assistance to a process that could cost theU.S. taxpayer an estimated $80 million over 3 years. The Colombia and global climate change amendments should have been made. in order so that Members would have had the opportunity to debate and vote on these important issues. I urge my colleagues. therefore. to vote \"no\" on the rule.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3276}
{"speech_id":1090057387,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The amendment attaches the Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005. passed by this Chamber on June 17 to H.R. 2601. The Hyde United Nations Reform. Act addresses key areas such as streamlining the budget. strengthening accountability and oversight. restoring credibility and integrity to the United Nations human rights bodies. strengthening IAEA monitoring and compliance apparatus. addressing sexual abuse and exploitation scandals with U.N. peacekeepers and injustices toward Israel. areas that no one denies must be reformed. From the debate that took place 4 weeks ago. there is no question that Members of this body agree the U.N. is in desperate need of .reform. As discussed. corruption is rampant. Look no further than the everexpanding OilforFood scandal. U.N. peacekeepers have sexually abused children in Bosnia. Congo. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3387}
{"speech_id":1090057387,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Haiti. and Sierra Leone. A culture of concealment makes rudimentary oversight virtually impossible. A casual attitude toward conflict of interest rules undermines trust in the U.N.s basic governance. If you recall. the debate focused very little on what the U.N. needs to do to reform itself and instead very much on how. We should ensure these reforms are actually implemented. There was a lengthy exchange on the issue of withholding of dues. and I want to make it clear that Congress must take action to withhold dues if we truly want to see the U.N. reformed. To do less. to set forth aspirational suggestions or to cede total congressional authority of the power of the purse to the executive branch would send a clear message that Congress does not think the U.N. is doing too bad a job. that Congress does not really care how the U.N. spends taxpayer money. and the U.N. can continue operating under the status quo. Let- me also be clear: the withholdings called for are not immediate. The United Nations has 2 years to get its act together before certification kicks in. and then. if the U.N. implements 32 of the reforms. no funds are withheld. The U.N. has another year to accomplish the remaining 14 reforms before any withholdings would occur. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3387}
{"speech_id":1090057387,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a total of 3 years. A reasonable person would have to ask. is this not enough time? When is enough enough? Are we serious about U.N. reform. or not? History shows that when Congress stands tough. when it says if you do not reform. we are not going to pay. then change occurs. Look at the KassebaumSolomon amendment in the mid80s. That amendment eventually led to the implementation of consensusbased budgeting. a reform that no one said could be achieved. What about UNESCO? We withdrew in protest. We stopped paying our assessed dues. Let me repeat. we stopped paying our assessed dues. Reforms of that agency were made. and we rejoined. Does anyone remember the genesis of the Office of Internal Oversight Services in the middle 1990s? The U.S. threatened to withhold funding. Lo and behold. the U.N. created an oversight function. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3387}
{"speech_id":1090057387,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even with HelmsBiden. Congress leveraged the fact that in order for us to pay arrears the U.N. had to undertake certain reforms. All of these requirements were legislated and directed actions which resulted in reforms that were actually implemented. Let the lesson be lost on no one: Congress taking action to withhold dues equals reform of the U.N. Madam Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3387}
{"speech_id":1090057427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to commend my friend from Texas for a very constructive amendment which the committee supports. This provision seeks to alleviate the plight of hundreds of thousands of Burmese who have been forced to flee from their native villages by the repressive policies of the military dictatorship in Rangoon. the same dictatorship that represses Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. This amendment would facilitate the provision of much needed food. medical and other humanitarian relief. and I thank the gentleman for offering it on the floor today.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":591}
{"speech_id":1090057451,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. First of all. let me say there are a multitude of problems in Colombia. We have had the drug cartels. We have had the terrorist organizations down there. the FARC guerillas. the ELN. These are all problems that must be addressed. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle are well aware of that. And the poverty issue that was just raised by the gentlewoman from Texas is also a very real issue. But the issue at hand right now is whether or not we are going to put these two additional aircraft down there to be able to track drug cartels in the distribution of cocaine and other narcotics that reach the shores of the United States that kill and maim young Americans. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090057451,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is extremely important that we do whatever is necessary right now. These two planes are a modest step in that direction. This additional equipment is asked for by our ambassador down there. by the Colombian National Police. by the Colombian military. our drug interdiction agencies. and everybody else who realizes how important this is. I would urge my colleagues to take all of that into consideration and vote for this amendment. It is a modest step. but it is something that is very necessary in the war against drugs. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090057485,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I also rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Oregon . together with the gentleman from Washington . myself. the gentleman. from Minnesota . and many others. to H.R. 2601. This amendment addresses the growing problem of meth production as we have talked about. in particular in Mexico. Like the amendment just offered by the gentleman from Minnesota","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":436}
{"speech_id":1090057495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. and urge passage of this HooleySouder amendment. and I would like to thank my friends. the gentleman from Minnesota and the gentleman from Washington . for all their hard work. They have been tremendous working on this methamphetamine legislation. This is like a great big huge pipeline with meth coming into the United States. and we are committed to making sure that every single valve is turned off.","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":455}
{"speech_id":1090057543,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in complete opposition to the Smith amendment. This amendment guts. it guts the prevention section of our fistula prevention efforts and is a direct assault on birth control and comprehensive family planning. Comprehensive family planning includes any measure that saves a womans life. especially in the event of prolonged. lifethreatening labor which occurs in the case of obstetric fistula. We are all fighting to prevent and treat obstetric fistula. a condition that tears apart the lives of young women whose bodies are not fully developed and obstructed prolonged labor occurs. But I am very disappointed that the bipartisan compromise that was brokered in committee in preventing obstetric fistula and providing medical treatment for its survivors is now being dismantled. We have to be realistic. and we must put our politics aside and put women and their babies first. Making birth control more available and accessible is one of the most effective ways to give women the ability to prevent highrisk pregnancies and to reduce the incidence of fistula. The Smith amendment is a direct assault on birth control and comprehensive family planning. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090057543,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Smith amendment is unacceptable. and I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090057634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With all due respect to my friend and colleague from California. I know that the gentleman from New York . who is really the prime sponsor of this amendment. had prior knowledge of that potential language that you just offered and he did not want to accept it. So on his behalf and my own I would have to reject it regrettably. 0l 1645","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":335}
{"speech_id":1090057705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Texas . who is my neighbor. and thank him for his leadership on this important issue. I serve on the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on International Relations. but that is not the experience I would like to talk about tonight. I would like to discuss my experience in the Justice Department prior to running for Congress which. in my opinion. is very relevant to this discussion. I served as a Federal prosecutor in the Public Integrity Section at Main Justice when the socalled wall between the criminal division and the FBIs foreign counterintelligence was in place. After 9\/11. I served as the Chief of Counterterrorism and National Security for the U.S. Attorneys Office in the western district of Texas. My jurisdiction included the Presidents ranch. the State Capitol. and the Mexican border. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10938}
{"speech_id":1090057705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I worked very closely with the FBI and the CIA on the joint terrorism task forces. In that capacity. I practiced law as a Federal prosecutor under the USA PATRIOT Act provisions. including the one that brought down the wall. I also served as deputy attorney general under then Attorney General and now United States Senator JOHN CORNYN. I would like to take us back to the last decade. In 1995. the U.S. Attorney General adopted policies and procedures for contacts between the FBI and the criminal division concerning foreign counterintelligence investigations. This policy prohibited the criminal division from directing or controlling foreign counterintelligence investigations. Eventually. those procedures would be narrowly interpreted to act as a wall to prevent the FBI and intelligence officials from communicating with the criminal division. As noted by the 9\/11 Commission Report. this wall may have created a climate that helped contribute to 9\/11. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10938}
{"speech_id":1090057705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"An FBI agent testified that efforts to conduct a criminal investigation of two of the hijackers were blocked due to concerns over the wall. Frustrated. he wrote to FBI headcquarters saying. \"Someday. someone will die. and wall or not. the public will not understand why we were not more effective in throwing every resource we had at certain problems. Let us hope the National Security Law Unit will then stand behind their decisions. especially since the biggest threat to us. now. Osama bin Laden. is getting the most protection.\" This was 9\/11. Another illustration of the wall creating dangerous confusion is in the case of Wen Ho Lee and the Los Alamos investigation. The first time the chief of the Counter Espionage Section in the Justice Department heard the name Wen Ho Lee was when he read about him in the New York Times. Indeed. in my own experience I was assigned to investigate allegations that China attempted to corrupt and influence our elections. With the cooperation of witnesses. we were able to uncover some evidence that the director of Chinese intelligence may have funneled money to influence the Presidential elections. The frustration came from the lack of coordination and communication with the foreign counterintelligence side of the House. particularly when our criminal investigation moved into the intelligence arena. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10938}
{"speech_id":1090057705,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ultimately. these examples portray an inefficient system in which the left hand literally did not know what the right hand was doing. As stated by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Quarterly Review. they said: \"Indeed. effective counterintelligence we have learned requires the wholehearted cooperation of all government personnel who can be brought to the task. A standard which punishes such cooperation could well be thought dangerous to national security.\" Mr. Speaker. today. thanks to the PATRIOT Act. that wall has come down. The PATRIOT Act helps us connect the dots by removing the legal barriers that prevented law enforcement and the intelligence community from sharing information and coordinating activities in a common effort to protect national security. It dismantled the walls of separation and enabled a culture of cooperation that is essential to our integrated antiterrorism campaign. The President and the Attorney General recognized that without the ability to share information. including intelligence. we risk the very survival of this Nation. As stated by Senator LEAHY about the PATRIOT Act: \"This bill breaks down traditional barriers between law enforcement and foreign intelligence. This is not done just to combat international terrorism but for any criminal investigation that overlaps a broad definition of foreign intelligence.\" My experience in the Justice Department after the wall came down was profound and dramatically improved. As chief of counterterrorism. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10938}
{"speech_id":1090057705,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I spearheaded the efforts of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. No longer did the barriers of communication exist. Indeed. the FBIs foreign counterintelligence agents and the intelligence community were full. partners at the table. Forthe first time. the FBI intelligence files were reviewed by criminal division prosecutors and agents. Our greatest task and .our greatest task today remains to identify and locate the terror cells which may be in this very country. One of the tools we used to achieve this goal was through the use of national security wire taps under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In addition to these wiretaps. the PATRIOT Act provides many other tools for law enforcement in the war on terror. First. the PATRIOT Act updated the law to the technology of today. No longer will we have to fight a Digital Age battle with antique weapons. legal authorities left over from the era of rotary telephones. Next. it promotes efficiency by providing for nationwide search warrants in terrorist cases. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10938}
{"speech_id":1090057708,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman from Iowa. whom I very much enjoyed sitting next to and talking to and working with on issues on the Committee on the Judiciary. We Texans are proud to have him here with us tonight because he is a true patriot in the sense of the American term \"patriot.\" and we are very proud of him. And the gentleman mentioned these issues of obtaining these records. this fear. this absolute fear that people have of somebody looking at their library records. Grand jury subpoenas have looked at library records for years. Grand jury subpoenas can be issued by the foreman of a grand jury. I do not know where the panic comes from. This has been going on forever. but somehow there is a panic. At this time I would like to welcome the gentleman from Texas . from East Texas. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090057708,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I feel really kind of like we are in a judicial conference. We have got a judge in the chair. We have got two of us down here on the floor. We are proud that we might as well just call a quorum and start doing some legal business. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Texas . a good colleague and close friend. to talk about some of the issues and the answers that we see in the PATRIOT Act.","speaker_name":"JOHN CARTER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090057750,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield on that point. my intention is not to take up time necessarily on Iraq Watch on the question of H.J. Res. 55. the joint resolution number 55. but that is the tangible substance of the commitment of the gentleman from North Carolina and others at this point. including myself. to try to put legislation forward that will respond precisely to the commentary that the gentleman from Connecticut found in his West Hartford meeting. The resolution asks the President to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces from Iraq. It makes a reference. the short version of it. joint resolution 55. as Homeward Bound. The principal. point here. rather than going over it point by point. the principal point in the context established tonight. and I am referring to one of two findings here. is that the United States. has in place a timetable for training. equipping and employing Iraqi security forces to take over the counterinsurgency mission from coalition forces. That is a statement of fact. Speaking as a member of the Committee on Armed Services. I can say to you in all candor and openness that we do have timetables. We do have timetables. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4957}
{"speech_id":1090057750,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We do have benchmarks. We do have indications and timelines for those indications of what constitutes success. what constitutes a capacity for the counterinsurgency mission to be taken from coalition forces by Iraqi forces of all kinds. from border police to interior ministry. to defense personnel police and armed forces. In order to explicate that clearly to the American people. this House passed. in overwhelming numbers. an emergency supplemental appropriations for defense. the emergency supplemental appropriations act for defense on the global war on terror and tsunami relief. Public Law 10913. In that. a joint explanatory statement accompanied the conference report. which required the Secretary of Defense to report not later than July 10. As we speak. it is now approximately 8:45 p.m. on the East Coast on July 19. some 9 days past the deadline established by the Congress of the United States. passed by Democrats and Republicans in overwhelming numbers. Not with this Members vote. to be sure. But nonetheless. my position as enunciated then in opposition to it. to the bill. because I felt we were not carrying forward on what we said we were doing. nonetheless. the overwhelming majority gave the Secretary of Defense the opportunity to report to us no later than July 10 and every 90 days thereafter on measures for security. political. and economic progress in Iraq. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4957}
{"speech_id":1090057750,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I received a letter from the Secretary of Defense yesterday indicating they were working hard on this report. I have no doubt. But we are already 9 days late. We are already 9 days of more killings. more murders. more terrorism. more grievous wounding. more terrorism worldwide. and yet we do not have this report from the Secretary of Defense. My plea is that other Members and the audience that may be listening to us tonight take a look at House Joint Resolution 55 that has been ddveloped on a bipartisan basis with one of the leading advocates being the gentleman from North Carolina and other Members of the Republican Party and Democratic Party as well. This is not an ideological construct. this is not a resolution made to embarrass the President. On the contrary. House Joint Resolution 55 in some respects has been characterized by some as saying what are you doing helping President Bush? We should be in opposition to President Bush. but I feel the politics will take care of itself in time to come. There is no question about that. We can make that point later. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4957}
{"speech_id":1090057750,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This resolution is about backing up our troops now on the mission they have accomplished. and to get the political side. the economic side. the civilian side of this moving forward the way we say it should be. So we set in this resolution the opportunity for the President to enunciate a plan commensurate with the time tables he has set for the establishment of a government in December. and to move forward with the troops that the Secretary of Defense himself has said are being trained so we can begin to withdraw. bring homeward. bound our troops. So when people inquire of you what is it Congress is doing. we can look at H.J. Res. 55. It is not perfect. It is a legislative project. The only perfect set of rules. the only perfect legislation was the Ten Commandments. and I understand Moses took 40 days to do them. And as he came down the mountain he said. Well. I got them down to 10. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4957}
{"speech_id":1090057750,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what the legislative process is. You talk things over. So House Joint Resolution 55 is not a perfect vehicle. but it is a legislative vehicle to join with the President and make an offer to the President to join with us in the Congress in setting a timetable and plan for the withdrawal of these troops commensurate with the mission as enunciated by everyone.","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4957}
{"speech_id":1090057757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. just think of the message that this sends to the rest of the world. When crowds were demonstrating in the Ukraine. we were cheering. We approved. We welcomed the socalled Orange Revolution. And we speak about bringing the fire of freedom to dark corners of the world. and yet here is one dark corner of the world where there is no light. there is no hope. and we do not bring the fire of freedom. And we wonder why polling data indicates that country after country. our traditional allies. look at us as having a mainly negative influence in the world. all because of the war in Iraq. That was the genesis. Mr. Speaker. it will have implications for us.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":666}
{"speech_id":1090057834,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the nomination of a Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States is a solemn and momentous occasion. Our Constitution is the rarest of political documents in human history. Those individuals who are appointed for life to be its stewards and interpreters are extremely important to our future. Each Court is made up of nominees from different political eras. shaped by unique forces and ideas. It is the dialog among the senior Justices and .the new ones. those nominated by Democrats and Republicans. and all the backgrounds represented. that gives the Court its legitimacy and dynamism.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":607}
{"speech_id":1090057844,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished Presiding Officer. Mr. President. capping days of public speculation that maybe the President would appoint Judge Edith Clement or Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez or any number of other people. the President made a dramatic evening announcement of his intention to nominate Judge John Roberts to succeed Justice Sandra Day OConnor on the U.S. Supreme Court. The President called Senator FRIST. Senator REID. Senator SPECTER. and myself last night before this announcement to discuss it. I appreciated his call and the reasons he gave for the nomination. As I said to him last night. he has done his part of the equation. a very important part as President. He nominates the Justice. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090057844,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is interesting that. in a nation of 280 million Americans. only 101 of us get a chance to actually have a say in who is going to serve on the Supreme Court. a person who is there to protect the rights of all Americans on the one body that is to be the ultimate check and balance in our Government. Of the 101. first. of course. is the President making the nomination. But then the 100 men and women in the Senate have an awesome responsibility to the rest of the Nation in how we vote. That is our job. The Senate has to fulfill its constitutionally mandated duty to ensure those who receive lifetime appointments to our highest Court will protect the rights and liberties of all Americansnot those of just one political party or the other but of all Americans--that they will uphold our Constitution and our laws and that they will be impartial in their judicial approach. As I said. the President has announced his choice. Now we in the Senate have to rise to the challenge and get to work. To fulfill our constitutional duties. we need to consider this nomination as thoroughly and carefully as the American people expect and deserve. That is going to take time. It will take the cooperation of the nominee and the administration. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090057844,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will require Republicans. as well as Democrats. to take seriously our constitutional obligations on behalf of all the American people. not just a select few. I will say similar things to Judge Roberts when I meet with him later today. Justice OConnor serves as a model Justice. She is widely respected by America as a jurist with common sense and practical values who brought no agenda from the far left or the far right. She did not prejudge cases. She cast the critical deciding vote in a number of significant cases. Her legacy of fairness. is one that all Americans should want to see preserved. For 24 years on the Supreme Court. she has tried to decide cases fairly and with an open mind. I thank her for her service to the country and her graciousness in agreeing to serve until her successor is considered and confirmed by the Senate and appointed by the President. I regret that some on the extreme right have been so critical of her and so adamantly opposed to a successor who shares her judicial philosophy and qualities. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090057844,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their criticism reflects their own narrowmindedness and biased agenda. I regret that they have taken out ads and gone .on the news trying to tarnish her record. Frankly. the American people know better. and nothing will tarnish the record of the first woman Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I have noted that our neighbor to the north. Canada. a country that is only an hours drive from my home in Vermont. also has a supreme court with nine members. but four of them are women. including the Canadian chief justice. I look forward to the time when the membership of the U.S. Supreme Court is more reflective of America as Canadas supreme court is more reflective of that country. I know Hispanics across the country are disappointed the President has missed this extraordinary historic opportunity to pick a candidate who will make the Court more diverse. I hope he will consider that in future nominations. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090057844,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was no dearth of highly qualified individuals who could have served as unifying nominees while adding to the diversity of the Supreme Court. Reports last week mentioned Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second Circuit and Judge Edward Prado of the Fifth Circuit. Certainly these are the kind of candidates worthy of consideration. Judge Sotomayor was first appointed to the Federal court by President George H.W. Bush. the Presidents father. Judge Prado was first appointed by President Reagan and elevated to the circuit by the current President Bush. They are among the people who should be considered. There are many outstanding Hispanic judges and AfricanAmerican judges who could have added to the diversity of the Supreme Court and made it more representative of all Americans. Last week. Chairman SPECTER and I spoke about our interests in having the President consider nominees from outside what I call the \"judicial monastery.\" I believe their life experience is important and that thA Supreme Court could have benefited from someone with experiences that were not. limited to those of a circuit judge. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090057916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have had some discussion floating around this Foreign Operations appropriations bill about the proposed CNOOCUnocal merger. As I understand it. amendments that directly affect that melger have been withdrawn. That is not a problem. as far as I am concerned. if the sponsors of those amendments on both sides of the aisle wish to delay offering the amendments. to do it on a different appropriations bill. My amendment is different. Let me explain. My basic problem with the CNOOCUnocal merger is not the same as that of many of my colleagues. I am not sure it meets the strategic test. and I am willing to leave that to the body that judges that strategic test. I have a different problem. It is a problem that the Senator from South Carolina and I have talked about in terms of currency and other issues. that is. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5162}
{"speech_id":1090057916,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"China doesnt play fair. What China thinks is good for China. they dont think is good for American companies. That is true here in terms of mergers. CNOOC wishes to buy Unocal. an important company in the United States dealing with a very important commodityoilwhether it meets the strategic test or not. But if you look at the ability of American companies to buy Chinese companies in industries that China considers strategic. you will find barriers along the way. At least that is what I have found. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. We ought to have some degree of reciprocity. If the Chinesein this case. the Chinese Government. since they own 70 percent of CNOOCwish to buy an American company. why should they be allowed to block American companies that wish to buy similarly situated Chinese companies. the American automobile industry. the American construction industry. the American financial services industry? I will be issuing a report shortly which shows that in these strategic industries. American firms have barriers placed in their way. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5162}
{"speech_id":1090057916,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All of them meet approval. Yet in instance after instance. the American company cannot buy a majority share. The barriers are different for different industries. but they exist. In fact. foreign investment in China is divided into four categoriesencouraged. permitted. restricted. and prohibited. Even in the nonprohibited categories. all foreign investment must be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation called MFTEC. The United States has a policy of being open to foreign direct investment in nearly every case. and strict levels of Government approval are only reserved for the most sensitive transactions involving national security. Of the 1.525 cases that have been filed with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States since 1988. only 25 have warrAnted investigation. 12 have been reported to the President. and only one has been denied. In the converse situation. where American firms seek to buy Chinese companies. the devil is often in the details. The Chinese Government creates de facto barriers that almost always require Western companies to give up some degree of control over its enterprise that would be highly irregular in any truly free market. What is more. it is nearly impossible to gain an accurate picture of which investments. mergers. and joint ventures are rejected by the Chinese Government because companies investors dont publicly want to admit it. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5162}
{"speech_id":1090057916,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Chinese will say to General Motors or General Electric or scores of smaller companies: We will let you do it. but only under these circumstances. And the company. not wanting to offend the Chihese. doesnt fight the circumstances. All too often these large companies have an interest to their shareholdersthey are supposed tobut not to the United States. If it serves their in~erest to send the technology to China. even though it will create many jobs in China and hurt jobs here in the United States. so be it. It is good for General Motors. So it is hard to figure this out. As I said. we have begun to do it. and we will be issuing a report shortly about it. There are additional complications when a U.S. company wants to merge or acquire a Chinese stateowned enterprise such as a CNOOC. which is a stateowned enterprise. because any merger with an SOE requires. additional approval of many state agencies. and so in instance after instance. which we will highlight in our report. the Chinese do not play the same way with our companies that they want us to play with their companies. What our amendment does is very simple. It does not prohibit a merger from taking place. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5162}
{"speech_id":1090057916,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It simply requires a report be submitted to the Secretary of State. in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce. to assess whether that country will allow a similar transaction to occur in the opposite direction. The aim is not building barriers but simple. reciprocityfair. part of free trade. and better for everybody. I hope my colleagues will accept this amendment. It doesnt go to the heart of this mergerthat is a different issue which we will delay and do on a different billbut. rather. goes to the point that the Chinese should treat our companies the way they want us to treat theirs. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5162}
{"speech_id":1090057933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. that travel warning remains in effect today. Yet. the administration would have us believe that things are on track for holding elections as currently scheduled. Unless there is dramatic action. the likelihood of fair elections in Haiti with widespread voter participation in the near future is remote. at best. and I would argue virtually impossible. Currently. fewer than 100.000 of the 4 million potential voters have been registered and fewer than a quarter of the necessary registration centers are even open at all. As important. the role of all parties in the elections needs to be protected. All parties must have a fair and equal chance if these elections are to be legitimate. Ultimately. what should matter most to the United States is that institutionally these elections are legitimate and fair. Whoever wins must make reforms. purge corrupt officials. and work to improve security. In my view. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8626}
{"speech_id":1090057933,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"United States engagement on the security situation is just the first step in what will be a very long. uphill battle if we are going to get the situation right in Haiti. Holding elections for the sake of holding elections on some rigid schedule makes no sense at all. Elections. particularly elections with little or no credibility. are not going to solve Haitis problems. It is simply going to compound them. - Haiti is in a humanitarian crisis. For that reason alone. the United States should be far more engaged than we are. Frankly. after sending troops to Haiti 4 times in the past 90 years. it is also in our economic interest to address the problem resolutely. We should start by reviving Senator DEWINES HERO Act. as it is called. which would help reinvigorate the Haitian economy by granting preferential trade agreements to certain Haitian textile products. A year ago. the Senate passed the HERO bill. offered by Senator DEWINE. unanimously in this body. There was not a single vote in opposition to Senator DEWINES proposal. The other body. the House of Representatives. unfortunately would not even consider the legislation. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8626}
{"speech_id":1090057933,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the HERO Act were passed. as it should be. it could help to strengthen Haitis economy and jumpstart real employment in that little island nation. Especially now that the Senate has passed and the House will soon act on the Dominican RepublicCentral American Free Trade Agreement. this is doubly important. After all. it simply does not make any sense to help the Dominican Republic on twothirds of the island and leave Haiti a completely failed state on the other onethird of that island. As it stands now. the options for honest employment are slim to none in the Haitian city centers. particularly the slums of the capital. PortauPrince. The major employers in that country are warring gangs. many of them involved in trafficking cocaine. Indeed. Haiti today is the major transit point for cocaine coming in from South American countries suchas.Colombia. From the year 2000 to 2004. approximately 8 percent of all the cocaine coming to \"the United States passed through Haiti. Entire neighborhoods of that country are under the control of these ciiminal gangs which are responsible for killings. robberies and. increasingly. kidnappings. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8626}
{"speech_id":1090057933,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Authorities in the interim government estimate that each day there are 6 to 12 kidnappings in PortauPrince alone. In total. more than 700 people. including 7 peacekeepers for the United Nations. have been killed in. Haiti in the last 8 months. The U.N. forces have tried. to respond to the security threats. but frankly the U.N. force is not in a position to quell the violence in Haitis major cities or to secure many of Haitis major roads. both of which are now under the control of these criminal gangs. For one. they are trying to protect a population roughly equal to that of New York City. roughly 8 million people. New York City has 40.000 welltrained and equipped police officers. Haiti has a tiny fraction of that number of U.N. peacekeepers. I would\" hope the recent U.N. Security Council authorization for an additional 1.000 troops and police will help the U.N. force wrest control from these criminals. but I doubt it. Secondly. and perhaps even more important than sheer numbers. the United Nations mandate does not give the U.N. forces real authority over the Haitian national police. a force that is in severe disarray. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8626}
{"speech_id":1090057933,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The national police are good people in many cases. but there are many bad ones indeed who need to be removed. If the U.N. force wants the trust of civilians. they need to make sure the Haitian national police do not ignore human rights or violations in the face of high insecurity. which only fuels the cycle of violence. Simply put. the credibility of the U.N. force is directly tied to its ability to bring some calm and to prevent abuses. To that end. civilians should be able to contact U.N. forces directly about the abuses by the national police. That does not happen. I am also troubled by the interim government. led by President Boniface Alexandre and Prime Minister Gerard Latortue. They have delayed justice for thousands of prisoners. Roughly 20 of the more than 7.000 prisoners at the federal penitentiary have been convicted of crimes. Many of them have spent years awaiting trial. I am particularly concerned about the treatment of former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune who has been held without formal charges for over a year and is near death after a series of offandon hunger strikes which he began in February. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8626}
{"speech_id":1090058010,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yes. the distinguished Senator from Alaska is correct in his statement that this is an issue at a crisis point in Africa. and one that the United States has rightly committed ourselves to fighting. I have a particular interest in an innovative proposal by the University of Minnesota to partner with the government of Rwanda to institute a comprehensive training and support program that would provide HIV care to every HIVinfected Rwandan eligible for treatment within 18 months of implementation.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":513}
{"speech_id":1090058068,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the chairman. There is no committee on which I serve that is more of a pleasure to work and has a better bipartisan spirit. Chairman WARNER and Senator LEVIN deserve much credit for that. We get to make a number of trips. Nobody makes more trips than Chairman WARNER. but it is a thrill to visit our fine men and women in uniform in the highly dangerous areas that we many times get to visit. It is an honor to be on the committee whose responsibility it is to support them. I thank the chairman.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":519}
{"speech_id":1090058158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that privilege of the floor be granted to the staff members of the Armed Services Committee during consideration of S. 1042. as follows: Judith A. Ansley. Richard D. DeBobes. Charles W. Alsup. June M. Borawski. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090058158,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Leah C. Brewer. Alison E. Brill. Jennifer D. Cave. Christine E. Cowart. Daniel J. Cox. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090058158,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jr.. Madelyn R. Creedon. Marie Fabrizio Dickinson. Regina A. Dubey. Gabriella Eisen. Evelyn N. Farkas. Richard W. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090058158,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fieldhouse. Creighton Greene. William C. Greenwalt. Bridget W. Higgins. Ambrose R. Hock. Gary J. Howard. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090058158,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jennifer Key. Gregory T. Kiley. Jessica Kingston. Michael J. Kuiken. Gerald J. Leeling. Peter K. Levine. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090058182,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week the minority leader told reporters that \"it is essential for us.\" meaning Democrats. \"to take down their numbers.\" meaning Republicans. And she went on to cite the reasons it is more important to tear down Republicans than offer an actual agenda. It is obvious from these statements that the Democrat leaders main strategy is obstruction and politics. They care more about partisan spin and negative attacks than ideas and progress. However. Republican policies are lowering the deficit created by recession and terrorist attacks. Republican policies have spurred the creation of a million jobs this year. Republican policies have allowed the economy to grow faster than any other industrialized country. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090058182,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And Republican leadership. as opposed to decades of Democrat complacency. have led us into the national discussion on the future of our most important retirement program. Social Security. The Democratic agenda has lost at the polls. If they cared more about working families than their poll numbers. maybe they would start winning elections again.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090058192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as the global war on terrorism continues. State Defense Forces are playing an increasingly critical role in ensuring that their communities are prepared for Homeland Security crises and recovery from hurricane damage. As a 31year veteran of the South Carolina Army National Guard. I am well aware of the valuable contributions of the South Carolina State Guard. From training monthly to supporting National Guard operations. these capable men and women honorably offer their time and experience for their communities. To ensure that these volunteers are used to their greatest potential. the gentleman from Tennessee and I have reintroduced the State Defense Forces Improvement Act. This legislation will recognize the importance of the State Defense Forces. authorize DOD and DHS to coordinate Homeland Security efforts with and provide training to State Defense Forces and allow State Defense Forces to receive surplus DOD equipment. In conclusion. God bless our troops. and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1024}
{"speech_id":1090058200,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of legislation I have introduceol to protect ordinary American citizens from tax abuse at the hands of our government. I was shocked when the United States Supreme Court ruled last month that governments could take private homes. businesses and churches and turn them over to land developers in the name of tax revenue. My bill. the Eminent Domain Tax Relief Act. would prevent the government from adding insult to this injury. It would eliminate the capital gains tax that an individual has to pay on the money he receives for his condemned property. Eminent domain abuse on its own is intolerable. But taxing those who lose their property is even more deplorable. There is no excuse for making a person pay capital gains tax on something she did not want to sell in the first place. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":994}
{"speech_id":1090058200,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. my legislation says this: No taxation on government condemnation. I ask all of my. colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this bill. Ii","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":994}
{"speech_id":1090058222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. today I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 202 authorizing use of the Rotunda for a ceremony on July 26. 2005. to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of a noted ItalianAmerican artist. Constantino Brumidi. Brumidi was in many ways a classic American success story. Born in Rome to Italian and Greek parents in 1805. he began preparing for an artistic career at age 13 by studying with distinguished sculptors and painters. Much of his artistic vision was based on the wall paintings of ancient Rome and Pompeii. and on studies of the Renaissance and the Baroque. He focused on work for the Catholic Church. including several Popes. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090058222,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Italian princes. and other wealthy patrons. Forced to immigrate to the United States in 1852 from an Italy wracked by political turmoil. he became an American citizen in 1867 and established himself as a creator of historic frescoes and murals. Beginning in 1855 and lasting until his death in 1880. Brumidi is known today primarily for the murals he painted in a changing U.S. Capitol building over a 25year period. His training was well suited in the classical design of the Capitol building. These works of art lure the eyes of visitors upward towards sights of beauty. in addition to the historic design of the Capitol itself. as they wander through examples of his artistry in the Capitol Rotunda. committee rooms. and what has become known as the Brumidi corridors on the first floor of the Senate wing of the building. Brumidi also accepted private commissions and periodically returned to his specialty of religious paintings for the Catholic Church which he had practiced extensively earlier in his career. Brumidis worked on decorations in hallways and rooms throughout the Capitol and in the Hall of the House of Representatives and in the Capitol dome. which symbolizes the center of American democracy. His murals combine classical and allegorical subjects with portraits and scenes from American history and tributes to American values and inventions. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090058222,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His work on the monumental canopy. called \"The Apotheosis of George Washington\" in the newly constructed doie remained incomplete at his death in 1880. but the dome frieze was ultimately concluded in 1953. Other artists continued to work on his unfinished projects. Brumidis works are so admired that even in a constantly changing. crowded building where additional rooms for staff are created out of corridors which contain Brumidis work. efforts are made to ensure that the walls and ceilings remain available to public viewing through transparent partitions. Mr. Speaker. Constantino Brumidi has deservedly been called \"the Michelangelo of the Capitol.\" His legacy was recently chronicled and evaluated in a richly detailed 1998 book by Dr. Barbara A. Wolanin. curator for the Architect of the Capitol and published by the U.S. Government Printing Office. It is fitting in another period of major change of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090058222,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Capitol building with the anticipated completion of the U.S. Visitor Center in 2007. we honor Brumidis lasting contributions. I want to commend the sponsors of this concurrent resolution. the gentleman from New Jersey . the gentleman from Florida","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090058242,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. before we take up amendment 20. I would like to step back to amendment 6 of yesterday. I had submitted an amendment made in order under the rule to strike proposed changes to U.S. economic and military aid to Egypt yesterday. I decided not to offer this amendment.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":335}
{"speech_id":1090058270,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment offered by my friend and colleague. Representative STEVE KING. This amendment seeks to obtain information necessary for Congressional oversight of State Department activities. to ensure that the Congressional policy against prostitution and human trafficking for the sex trade is reflected by those activities. The King amendment will assist the Congress in ensuring compliance with current law. Specifically. this amendment would require a report (within 90 days) describing by name all nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) which received funding for AIDS relief after the enactment of the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or the United States Leadership Against HIV\/AIDS. Tuberculosis. and Malaria Act of 2003 (Public Law 10825). That law required that any recipient of funding under the act have taken an official. public stand opposing the legalization of prostitution. Regrettably. many NGOs involved in AIDSrelated work have promoted. legalizing prostitution. in the misguided belief that this will somehow reduce the spread of AIDS. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1345}
{"speech_id":1090058270,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. promoting prostitution not only threatens to increase risky sexual behavior and thereby worsen the AIDS epidemic. it also legitimizes this degrading \"business\" that has enslaved so many women and children in the Third World and elsewhere.","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1345}
{"speech_id":1090058281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from California for his remarks and his support and his defense for the freedom and the safety of people across this globe for decades. I say to the gentleman. as to the small part that I add to the effort that he has brought. I feel it a privilege to be standing on this floor together with the gentleman speaking for freedom and safety of freedomloving people everywhere. We so often and so easily forget that there are people dying in the Middle East that do not show up on the front page of our papers. and we stand with the people in Israel. we stand with all freedomloving people. I urge a \"yes\" vote on this amendment that honors them. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":772}
{"speech_id":1090058299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in very strong opposition to the Kucinich amendment. A key element in a robust defense against ballistic missiles is the deployment of spacebased weapons to intercept them in flight. We are talking about in all cases nonnuclear interceptors to stop an incoming nuclear device. I think the amendment. while well intentioned. and I respect the gentleman from Ohio. is very counterproductive and puts our cities and our population at risk. I strongly oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to defeat it.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":527}
{"speech_id":1090058311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I just want to say that we are delighted to accept this amendment. It is a farreaching visionary help to public diplomacy. an area where we can use all the help in the world possible. I want to congratulate the gentleman from California on producing this very useful. important amendment..And we are delighted to accept it. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":479}
{"speech_id":1090058311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey .","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":479}
{"speech_id":1090058326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida . I want to commend the gentleman from Florida for his leadership on this very important issue. We are currently engaged in a war on terror halfway around the world. a war to bring freedom and democracy to a part of the world that has never seen it. That is a noble and just fight. However. we must also ensure the viability of freedom and democracy in our own neighborhood. Twenty years* ago. we fought against Communist forces attempting to gain footholds in the Western hemisphere. and now we face threats from an agent of Castro. China and Iran. On several occasions. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1633}
{"speech_id":1090058326,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Chavez has attempted to intimidate the United States and has launched unfounded attacks on our President. He has threatened to shift all oil sales away from the United States and towards China. He has aligned himself with the only remaining Communist dictator in the Western hemisphere. And he has allegedly approached Iran in search of nuclear technology. Since his election. Chavez has worked to break down the most basic principles of freedom. indluding the right to free speech and unbiased information. He has restricted the media that has been critical to his government and he has opened a staterun media outlet. This amendment would create parity of information and allow the people of Venezuela the opportunity to hear more than just the propaganda of Hugo Chavez. It will allow the people of Venezuela to hear the truth. I urge my colleagues to support this prodemocracy amendment. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1633}
{"speech_id":1090058326,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Florida for bringing this to the floor.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1633}
{"speech_id":1090058500,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In any war. the belligerents have the right to detain enemy combatants until the conflict has ended. Otherwise. there would be no way to prevent enemies from returning to the battlefield. There is. of course. an exactly parallel concern in the war on terrorism. We already know. Mr. Chairman. that a number of individuals released from detention have returned to the battlefield against us. That is a fact. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3089}
{"speech_id":1090058500,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is also a fact. however. that the war on terrorism is unlike other wars that this Nation has faced. It is a struggle against deadly forces of extremism and nihilism which cannot be found in a bounded geographical space or located at one particular base. And. as our experiences over the last few years have demonstrated. our enemy is resourceful. able to adapt to new conditions. and the end of the conflict may be decades away. In this context. the war on terrorism brings us to new ground. The first question we have to ask as we deal with individuals who participate in this global terrorist conspiracy is. should we treat them with the propriety to which every human being is entitled? The answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. There should be no torture. no cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. and no humiliation. In this context. Mr. Chairman. I believe that the U.S. military is dealing with a very difficult situation not of their own making and doing a great job. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3089}
{"speech_id":1090058500,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am not aware of a single detainee who has lost his life at Guantanamo. I am not aware of a single detainee who has lost his life at Guantanamo. Prisoners have been accorded nourishing and adequate food. quality medical care. access to the Koran. and visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross. And I believe that the U.S. military has investigated abuses whenever they have come up. We need to keep aggressive oversight. including trips by Members of this House. to ensure that this continues. Indeed. closing Guantanamo could well have unintended consequences. We should recognize that Guantanamo is a safer and more humane facility than the facilities in Afghanistan and in many places around the world where others are being held against their will. If we closed Guantanamo. where will the detainees go? We have already seen tragic incidences where their home country has tortured those who have been returned. A second and critical question. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3089}
{"speech_id":1090058500,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. is what type of process should detainees get and how long can they be held without some sort of trial. So far. all these questions have been addressed byboth the executive and judicial branches. with very little involvement from the Congress. For my part. I support the amendment. but I believe we need to have serious and thoughtful debate on how to deal with all of these facilities. This amendment relates to one aspect of this issue. Both here and in the other body. we must begin to make our own judgments regarding these issues. and consider legislation as appropriate to address these complicated matters. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3089}
{"speech_id":1090058506,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from California for his excellent work on this amendment and to join him in saying to the body. yes. indeed. Guantanamo Bay serves a very valuable purpose. a strategic purpose when we talk about the war on terror. and the importance. the absolute necessity that we have to win this war on terror. This is one of those situations where losing is not an option. As the gentleman was just saying. the detainees. all 520 individuals that are there. all 520 detainees have been found to be a terrorist. They have been through not zero. not one. not two. not three. but four different hearings. and they have been found to be terrorists. These are people that do not wish us well. They wish evil. and they carry out evil. We need to keep them locked up. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090058506,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We found that Guantanamo was a safe. secure facility. It is there for the protection of the individuals as well as for intelligence gathering. And our intelligence community is doing a tremendous job gathering information that has continued to keep this Nation. safe and will continue to keep this Nation safe. They have gathered intelligence that helped lead to the capture of Saddam Hussein. They have gathered intelligence that has helped break up terrorist cells all around this globe. That is important. Why have we not seen an attack on American soil since September 11? Because of intelligence that is being gathered. I will tell my colleagues. for far too long we treated terrorism as a law enforcement issue. I would recommend to the body that in my opinion it is not just a law enforcement issue. Law enforcement is necessary. intelligence is necessary. defense is necessary if we are going to win. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090058506,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. while I am here for a moment. I would like to say thank you to the men and women in uniform and to the families that are deployed and serving there. We have had about 10.000 Americans serve at Guantanamo Bay. They are doing a stellar job. We thank them for their work under very difficult. very difficult situations. and we are grateful for their commitment to the war on terror. and we are grateful for their commitment to freedom. preserving freedom in this Nation and around the globe.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090058553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. at a time when we should have an exit strategy for our troops. this amendment provides Members of Congress with an exit strategy for themselves. from responsibility for Iraq. This amendment states that we should withdraw our troops from Iraq only when the Iraqi forces are able to combat the insurgency and only when the government of Iraq is stable. at peace. and is not a threat to its neighbors. We all know that we are light years away from both of these requirements. This amendment will keep us in Iraq forever. I Furthermore. this amendment is essentially flawed because it fails to address the correlation between the U.S. presence in Iraq and utter chaos and civil warlike state that country is in. The U.S. presence in Iraq is fueling the insurgency and has turned Iraq into a training ground for the insurgents. The insurgency is growing stronger by the. day. and attack tactics are becoming more advanced. An article published in New York Times on June 22 described how Iraqi rebels are~ refining bomb skills and pushing the GI toll even higher. Improvised explosive devices are now sufficiently sophisticated enough to destroy armored Humvees. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2165}
{"speech_id":1090058553,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This means our soldiers are more vulnerable and casualty rates will go higher than ever. In May there were 700 attacks against American forces using improvised explosive devices. the highest number since the invasion in 2003. Furthermore. not only is the insurgency in Iraq becoming stronger. but according to a CIA assessment. the insurgency will also spread to other countries in the region. 0l 1615 Another article in the New York Times has described a new classified CIA assessment that the Iraqi war is likely to produce a dangerous legacy by dispersing to other countries this conflict.. According to the assessment. Iraq may even prove to be an even more effective training ground for Islamic extremists than Afghanistan was in al Qaedas early days. Mr. Chairman. it is time for us to face the facts about Iraq. It has been a disaster. We are there for all the wrong reasons. We are there based on lies. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2165}
{"speech_id":1090058553,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for us to get out. This legislation will keep us there. Vote against it.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2165}
{"speech_id":1090058557,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the RosLehtinen amendment is a Republican PR stunt that if approved will make Iraq more dangerous for U.S. soldiers than it already is. and that is very. very dangerous. The Presidents credibility is a well that is fast running dry. We have the best soldiers and the best military commanders in the world. They do not need an inflammatory amendment by a Republican Party behaving like armchair generals while the fighting and dying and chaos goes on in Iraq. What we need to today is total commitment to our soldiers. not empty promises. underfunded programs and outright deception by the Republican Party. The best way to support U.S. soldiers in Iraq is to fully fund and provide health care for veterans when they come home. The best way to support them is to stop pretending that everything is going fine. Hundreds have died since the Vice President categorically denied reality by claiming we were witnessing the \"last throes of the insurgency.\" Reality. like body armor. is in short supply in this administration. As of today. 126 Members of the democratically elected Iraqi parliament. that is nearly half of 275. have signed a statement calling on the U.S. to leave now. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1856}
{"speech_id":1090058557,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. That is what the reality is. That is the environment faced by our brave soldiers. Our soldiers know that this country believes in them and supports them. Our soldiers do not need the tin sound of another hollow amendment. They need the sound of silence to mark the day when the bombs stop exploding and the guns stop firing. The best way to support U.S. soldiers in Iraq is to get the United Nations or NATO in. so that we can begin getting our soldiers out now. Vote no on this amendment that.does nothing to save or bring them home. They are counting on us to correct the mistake we made by supporting the President in starting this war in the first place.","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1856}
{"speech_id":1090058567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. I have made eight trips to Iraq since April 2003. and will be going again this weekend. I have traveled with the military and I have also traveled with nongovernment organizations outside the umbrella of the military. I have literally talked with hundreds of Iraqi citizens. and I know their greatest fear. Their greatest fear is. that we will leave. That is what they have told me. They think we will leave them. It is vitally important to the future of peace and prosperity in the Middle East and. in fact. to the entire world that the United States maintain its commitment. meet historys challenge. and assist that nation to stay on the course towards stability. democracy and economic vitality. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3656}
{"speech_id":1090058567,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United States has set many important benchmarks. We sought to transfer power to an Iraqi government on June 28. 2004. and we did. We wanted to support the Iraqis in .organizing a free and fair election and. on January 31. along with U.S. and international assistance. the Iraqis held their landmark election. their first in 50 years. It was thrilling to witness. Women forced the men to come out and vote. As we speak. all elements of Iraqi society. Shiites. Sunnis. and Kurds are. working to draft a constitution and will hold a national referendum on the document on October 15. And. in spite of the threats against them. they are persevering. During our visits to Iraq. we observed our troops training the Iraqi security forces. their police. their border patrol. their army. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3656}
{"speech_id":1090058567,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And as President Bush has said. as the Iraqis step up. Americans can step down. That is the plan. Like the other goals we have committed to in Iraq. we will stay our course. Our withdrawal from Iraq will be made consistent with. as the amendment states. our foreign policy and national security goals relating to a free and stable Iraq and. thus. a free and stable world. Mr. Chairman. Iraqis are making significant progress. I would like to read a short passage from an email my niece just received from a soldier who just returned after 15 months risking his life for Iraqis and for the national security of the United States. This is what he said: \"Despite what you might hear elsewhere.\" like in this chamber I might add. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3656}
{"speech_id":1090058567,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"the tide has turned in the Middle East and democracy is taking hold. There is much work yet to be done.\" he continues. \"but we should all be excited by the progress made so far. Just think about it! Government of the people. by the people. for the people has found a foothold in. of all places. the Middle East!\" And. he continues. \"Words are hard to come by to express my exuberant hope for the future of the Iraqi people and the rest of the Middle East.\" Mr. Chairman. I could not agree more with this soldiers sentiments. As I witnessed Iraqs election. it is clear the only real losers are the terrorists and insurgents trying to stop the march of democracy. In defiance of the terrorists and insurgents. Iraqi men. women and children came out in droves. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3656}
{"speech_id":1090058567,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was a tangible sense of pride when the Iraqis dipped their index finger in a well of ink and cast their vote. One voter expressed gratitude to me when he said. \"Like you in the United States. Im getting to choose my own leaders.\" We need to continue the process of supporting this nascent democracy and providing the new Iraqi government and its people with the physical. financial and moral support to secure their nation and ensure liberty thrives. I support the hard work of the International Relations Committee on the underlying legislation and the gentleladys amendment and urge my colleagues to support its adoption.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3656}
{"speech_id":1090058642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this evening I rise in support of the United StatesDominican RepublicCentral American Free Trade Agreement. This important agreement will benefit the businesses and workers not only in my district but also throughout the rest of Florida and. yes. indeed. the rest of this Nation. The high tech companies located in and around my district will immediately benefit from the elimination of duties and other barriers to trade. In addition. DRCAFTA will protect the copyrights and intellectual property of those companies. thereby helping to spur innovation. The liberalization of services under DRCAFTA will make it easier for telecommunication. transportation. and computer service companies located in my district to explore new business opportunities in Central America and Dominican Republic. Further. increased trade between Florida and DRCAFTA countries will lead to increased business for shippers and carriers moving goods in and out of the Ports of Palm Beach. the Everglades and Ft. Lauderdale and. yes. Port of Miami. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090058642,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we vote to approve DRCAFTA we ensure future American competitiveness in Central America. the Dominican Republic and the continued growth of our economy. This will benefit my constituents and all Americans. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this most important agreement.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090058665,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I have introduced the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Commitments Act. It calrs on the Bush administration to keep Americas word. to live up to the agreements we have made to reduce our arsenal of nuclear weapons. The Cold War has been over for about 15 years. I can accept. although I disagree. with the argument that an aggressive nuclear arms race might have been the right approach in a bipolar standoff between rival superpowers. but at a time when our greatest threat comes from stateless terrorists there are smarter ways to protect America. Mr. Speaker. 33 years after the United States signed onto the Nonproliferation Treaty. or NPT. our government is actively seeking to undermine it. Last year. for example. the Bush administration sought $70 million for a new and completely unnecessary nuclear weapon. the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator. commonly known as the \"bunker buster.\" Mr. Speaker. the United States of America already possesses 10.000 nuclear weapons. We already spend $6 billion annually on nuclear weapon activities. activities which represent a substantial increase over Cold War era expenditures. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4439}
{"speech_id":1090058665,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Do we really need to spend more money on weapons that will make the world more dangerous while ignoring other national security priorities. thumbing our nose at international law. and losing global credibility in the process? Why is it that this administration is enthusiastic about leading a global military coalition to occupy and invade a sovereign nation. but reluctant to show global leadership on important initiatives for peace? The potential nuclear capabilities of Iran and North Korea are legitimate threats and we ought to be engaged diplomatically to keep these nations from developing a nuclear program. but what moral authority do we have to apply that kind of pressure if we will not agree to even a modest drawdown of our own nuclear weapons? Now the administration has reached an agreement that will allow India greater access to nuclear technologies. This is a terrible policy. While India is not Iran or North Korea in terms of its threat to American security. we are talking about a nation that never signed the NPT. has a history of nuclear detonation. and whose border with Pakistan represents the worlds most dangerous nuclear flashpoint. There has to be a smarter way. Madam Speaker. and there is. I have proposed a new approach to national security. I call it SMART Security. SMART stands for Sensible Multilateral American Response to Terrorism. SMART calls on the United States to lead by example. to honor its treaties and meet its nonproliferation obligations. SMART would enhance and expand the cooperative threat reduction program which has led to the dismantling of nuclear weapons and materials in the former Soviet Union. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4439}
{"speech_id":1090058665,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SMART has also held that military forces should be the last possible resort preventing war. not preemptive war. It calls on us to fight terrorism and weapons of proliferation with strong global alliances. improved intelligence capabilities and vigorous inspection regimes. SMART includes an ambitious international development program to combat the poverty and hopelessness that give rise to terrorism in the first place. and it diverts resources from Cold War weapons systems to priorities like homeland security and energy independence. which are more relevant to current national security threats. There is some irony in the administrations nonproliferation policy. Think about it. We have sacrificed nearly 2.000 American lives. thousands of our troops have been seriously wounded. and hundreds of billions of dollars to end an Iraqi nuclear threat that did not even exist. And as part of a misleading campaign to convince the Nation that there actually was an Iraqi nuclear threat. it appears government officials were even willing to compromise national security by blowing the cover of a CIA agent. Meanwhile. genuine nuclear threats are going dangerously unaddressed. and our own government continues to pursue a large and expensive nuclear arsenal. We need a SMART approach. We need a complete reassessment of our nonproliferation strategy and our national security priorities. something that will not happen overnight. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4439}
{"speech_id":1090058665,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the meantime. however. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Commitment Act. At the very least. we can set an example by keeping the promises we have already made.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4439}
{"speech_id":1090058674,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the 1974 illegal Turkish invasion of Cyprus. I have commemorated this day each year since I became a Member of Congress. PSEKA. the International Coordinating Committee. Justice for Cyrus. the Cyprus Federation of America. the World Council of Hellenes Abroad. the Federation of Hellenic Societies are all located in the 14th Congressional District of New York. which I am fortunate to represent. These organizations believe that peace will come to Cyprus. and they have been strong advocates against the division of Cyprus and the human rights violations perpetrated by the Turkish army in Cyprus. While we must remember this black anniversary. we also need to look to the future. Cyprus accession to the European Union was an historic achievement. As an EU member. Cyprus represents European values and policies. and at the same time is working toward even stronger transatlantic ties with the United States. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090058674,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This was a long time in coming. and I believe that Cyprus has much to contribute to the EU. Although all. of us. including the Greek Cypriots and Turkey Cypriots. want to see the division of Cyprus end before its entrance into the EU. the Annan plan for a Cyprus settlement was justly voted down by the Greek Cypriots by an overwhelming 76 percent. My colleague. the gentlewoman from Florida . outlined the many reasons why this vote took place. But we have also heard that many of the residents are working to resolve these disputes and that there is growing strength for a unified Cyprus. A unified Cyprus would promote stability both politically and economically to the entire Mediterranean region. The people of Cyprus deserve a unified and democratic country. and I remain hopeful that a peaceful settlement will be found so that the division of Cyprus will come to an end. Some of us are calling for a special envoy to Cyprus to work to~ards achieving that end. However. there have been recent developments that concern me. and I know that they may concern many of my colleagues. Earlier this month. the gentleman from Florida and I sent a letter. along with 30 other Members of this body. to Secretary of State Rice asking for clarification about U.S. policy toward Cyprus. Specifically. we are seeking answers about the policy of the United States regarding travel directly into the northern occupied parts of Cyprus by U.S. citizens. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090058674,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While we have not yet heard from the Secretary. I remain hopeful that our relations with Cyprus will remain steadfast and that we will continue to adhere to international treaties and U.N. Security Council resolutions on this issue. I also want to mention the ongoing issue in Cyprus over property in the northern part of the island. Since Turkey invaded Cyprus. American citizens have been denied access to their property even though they hold titles to that property. I urge my colleagues to support legislation offered by the gentleman from New Jersey . H.R. 857. the AmericanOwned Property in Occupied Cyprus Claims Act. which would enable U.S. citizens who own property in the Turkishoccupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus to seek financial remedies with either the current inhabitants of their land or the Turkish Government. Additionally. I have introduced a resolution. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090058674,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 322. which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives in support of the European Court of Human Rights for its decision in the Loizidou v. Turkey and the XenidesArestis v. Turkey cases and for admitting similar cases before the court. The European Court of Human Rights in 1996 ruled that Turkey must pay Titina Loizidou for denying her access to her property in the occupied part of Cyprus. Earlier this year the European Court of Human Rights decided that a similar case brought by XenidesArestis against Turkey was admissible and that Turkey continues to be responsible for what happens in the occupied areas of Cyprus since Turkey exercises effective and overall control through the presence of over 30.000 troops in northern Cyprus. While I hope that Turkey respects the decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights. I believe that denying property owners access to their land in northern Cyprus is wrong and that steps should be taken immediately to address this issue. Thirtyone years is too long to have a divided country. It is too long to be kept from ones home. It is too long to be separated from ones family. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090058674,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have seen many tremendous changes around the world. It is time for Cyprus to live in peace and security with full enjoyment of their human rights. In recognition of the spirit of the people of Cyprus. I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 31st anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus. Long live freedom. Long live Cyprus. Long live Greece. And long live the United States and the friendship between our countries.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090058694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding.. Mr. Speaker. I was just looking at the price tag of some of our high performance aircraft that we are going to be buying. You look at it and you say. we do not want to pay that. and then you reflect on the prisoners of war and that incredible defensive barrier that our pilots had to fly in. fly through to get into their targets in North Vietnam. and you say to yourself at that point I only want our pilots to have the very best. So while I guessI am like everybody else. I get a little sticker shock when I look at the price of an aircraft. Of course. w6 get the same thing when we look at the price of a new car today in this country. I reflect when I see the incredible courage of those who strap themselves into that cockpit and fly out to protect American freedom -and to protect our country. that they need the very. very best. I would just ask the gentleman. because I know that he is familiar with the MiG aircraft. the latest high performance MiG aircraft. and I think one of his jobs. because the gentleman from California knows aircraft. one of his jobs is to make sure that we keep high performance capability in the skies. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1288}
{"speech_id":1090058694,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would just ask him for his reflections on what he thinks we need to do to maintain a strong American air power.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1288}
{"speech_id":1090058700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tonight is an unusual. if not unprecedented. special order. It is one that I think that the country will appreciate and I think our colleagues in this Congress will appreciate it. one where we have brought at least a half dozen. and more will join us. Members of Congress of both parties to this Chamber in opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. I am joined by the gentleman from North Carolina . the gentleman from Alabama","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":454}
{"speech_id":1090058705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Alabama . The gentlemans comments about when people almost always dismiss us. say why are you against trade. why are you against globalization. I think you made the case very well that we want to increase trade. but we want to do it in a way that lifts people up. those children in Central America who have no real protections. that go to work as children. not as young adults. but as children. that we could in fact use these trade agreements to improve living standards to respect American workers and American farmers and improve living standards in a developing world. But this trade agreement. because it was so narrowly constructed. written by a select few for a select few. obviously falls short. And I dream of a day when all of us can vote for a trade agreement. that we can get 350. 400 votes here. a trade agreement that really does lift workers up in the developing world while preserving and enhancing our standard of living and respecting workers in this country. There is simply no reason we cannot do that. as you suggest. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Idaho . who has -said particularly interesting things about the issues of sovereignty and what that means with both Central American countries and the Dominican Republic and with the United States.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1306}
{"speech_id":1090058711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from Virginia. What he said about manufacturing and job loss. I put that and the truth he has spoken about what has happened in the last 10 years next to the promises made for CAFTA. I remember from a dozen years ago when President Clinton made this same pifomise. He said. under NAFTA it will indrease employment in this country. it will create jobs. it will mean we will have more manufacturing and export mote goods abroad. And he said it would lift up the standard of living in the developing world. President Bush says the same thing. that it will mean more jobs. He has said it on trade agreement after trade agreement after .trade agreement. as did his predecessor: it will mean more jobs. more production and manufacturing in this country. more selling jobs overseas and raising the standard of living. in this case in the five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090058711,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. all we have to do. and the gentleman from Idaho and I were talking about this chart a moment ago. all we have to do is look at this chart to realize what they are saying just does not make sense. There is an old Ben Franklin quote where he said. \"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.\" That is really what our trade policy is. They make the same promises. expecting a different outcome. and continue to get the same kind of failed trade policies and failed results. But look at this chart. .The average wage in the United States is $38.000. The average wage down in these Central American countries and the Dominican Republic is 6.000. Guatemala. $4.100. The average Nicaraguan makes $2.300 a year. These trade agreements do nothing to lift up their living standard so they will make more money. But under these trade agreements. we hear promises from supporters of CAFTA that we are going to sell more products. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090058711,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whether it is from Virginia. Idaho. or Ohio. we are going to sell more products to these countries. But Nicaraguans are not going to buy cars made in Ohio. and Hondurans are not going to buy textiles and apparel from Virginia. and Guatemalans are not going to buy lumber from Idaho. These trade agreements are not about our selling products to those countries. because people -in those countries do not have enough money to buy software from Seattle or steel from West Virginia. These agreements are about outsourcing jobs to Guatemala or exploiting workers in Honduras or sending manufacturing to Nicaragua. They are not going to lift those people up because there are no labor standards in this agreement. and they are not going to mean a better standard of living or more exports for the United States simply because these people cannot buy our products. Unless we are trading with a country that can buy our products. or unless we are doing something to raise the standard of living in these countries so that they can buy our products. these trade agreements are destined to fail. So we end up doing what the gentleman from Idaho spoke about a minute ago. we end up with a trade deficit going from $38 billion in a dozen years to $618 billion and all kinds of job losses. In my State of Ohio in the last 5 years we have lost 220.000 manufacturing jobs. In Virginia and the Carolinas. they have combined to lose almost 300.000 manufacturing jobs. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090058711,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the great Northwest. Washington. Oregon and Idaho. they have lost 100.000 manufacturing jobs. In State after State after State. because of these failed trade policies. because our trading partners are not buying our products. because these trade agreements are all about moving our companies. our jobs. outsourcing them to these countries. this trade policy simply is not working.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3740}
{"speech_id":1090058724,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. and I thank her for her leadership on this issue. This is une of many times she has come to tbie floor and spoken on this very important issue that I think is important to generation of Americans. and it is important that we focus on the facts and how we can strengthen Social Security for the long term. And the gentlman from Florida did a tremendous job in talking about a first step. I think a very appropriate step. in maLing bure that we preserve the Social Secarity surplus for Social Security rcasons and benefits. I did 15 or 20 town hall meetings so far this year on Social Security. and if there was one message I heard loud and ciear. Mr. Speaker. from the people of the Second District of Indiana it is: let us stop raiding the Social Security surplus. Let us stop spending it on everything from the Cowgirl Hall of Fame to the war in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5296}
{"speech_id":1090058724,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us use that surplus for what it is there for. and that is simply to provide the benefits for Social Security beneficiaries in the future. And that is exactly what GROW accounts do. They simply.stop the raid. I think facts matter. and with anything I think that we should understand the facts before we make decisions. And I learned recently that there is going to be a group of people in my district office in South Bend. Indiana tomorrow. and they are going to demand that I take my name off as a cosponsor of the bill that creates GROW accounts. I am not going to take my name off of that bill because I think that their request is based on a misunderstanding of the facts. and I know that because they sent me a letter. or they are going to deliver to me a letter tomorrow. I think. but we got an advance copy. and some of the things they have stated in this letter are gross misstatements of the fact and I think mislead people as to what GROW accounts do and how they start to solve our Social Security problem. The first misunderstanding is they say that \"rather than ensuring that American workers receive the benefits they have earned. this bill would divert payroll contributions to create private accounts and would fund these private accounts using the surplus. money which has already been earmarked to pay the baby boomers Social Security benefits.\" Mr. Speaker. it is true that this bill would create personal accounts and those personal accounts will be funded by surplus Social Security money that goes into the system that is not needed for current beneficiaries. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5296}
{"speech_id":1090058724,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What is not true is that the surplus has been earmarked for baby boomers in the future. In fact. the opposite is true. The surplus is simply spent on everything that the government needs that is outside of Social Security benefits. So I think it is very important that we understand that the GROW account simply makes sure that we spend Social Security surplus money on Social Security purposes. The second misunderstanding is they say: \"This plan would cut guaranteed benefits.\" There are two things wrong with that statement. One. there are no guaranteed benefits under Social Security as it is currently implemented. The Supreme Court has said that no one has a property right. no one has a right to your benefits. Congress can change the Social Security system at any time in the future and no one can make a claim for their benefits. So under the current Social Security plan. there are no guaranteed benefits. But if we have GROW accounts. there is a guaranteed benefit because that becomes a personal asset. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5296}
{"speech_id":1090058724,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That becomes an asset with their name on it. It becomes a part of their estate. It becomes inheritable if they die before they can collect their benefits. and currently Social Security has none of those aspects and none of those benefits. The third misunderstanding is: \"This plan would finance risky private accounts.\" Again. Mr. Speaker. it does fund personal accounts. It is a personal asset for individuals who are in the Social Security system. But they are not risky because these accounts would simply have one asset in them when they are created. and that is governmentbacked securities. government bonds. the safest investment in the world. and these are tradeable and marketable bonds that can be sold at a later time when people have their retirement needs. and they can use that for their retirement benefits. So. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5296}
{"speech_id":1090058724,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I do think that facts really matter in this debate because the consequences are very important to every generation of Americans. We can talk more about these accounts and more about the Social Security situation overall. but again I want to thank my colleagues for being here tonight talking about this very important issue. And one of the things that I always want to encourage people to do is to share with us what they are for. The people coming to my office tomorrow are going to tell me what they are against. I would love to hear what their ideas on saving Social Security are. I would 16ve to hear what they are for. I know that their colleagues are open minded and that we are willing to listen to any good idea to make sure that we permanently solve the problems that Social Security faces. So I hope that we can have some positive input from both sides of the aisle and all the American people because we need that to solve this problem.","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5296}
{"speech_id":1090058730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. and I appreciate the opportunity to have this discussion tonight. because. unfortunately. the American people are hearing a lot of diatribe that really has no basis in fact regarding Social Security. The gentlewoman mentioned earlier a point that needs to be stressed. and that is that people believe that Social Security is just fine. that their benefits that they expect are going to be paid. and that nothing is going to change. Unfortunately. that is just not the case. As was mentioned also earlier. in 1983 there was a significant change in the law. and the reason they had to do that was because Social Security was not going to- have enough money to pay out the benefits. So the taxes did increase. Now we are at another point where we are having a very serious change in our demographics. and that means that there are a lot more people who are going to be receiving Social Security benefits in the coming years. The good news is they are going to live a lot longer than they used to. but the bad news is that the Social Security money is not going to be enough to fund the benefits they expect. Of course. another problem that Social Security has had for years and one that the GROW Act of 2005. which several of my colleagues have mentioned. will help us fix. is that the money that comes into Social Security now is not even being spent on Social Security to a significant degree. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5008}
{"speech_id":1090058730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is a surplus in the Social Security account for the next several years and that money should actually be saved for Social Security benefits. But right now it is not being saved for Social Security benefits. That money is being spent on general government operations. as my colleague from Indiana mentioned. It could be anything from some crazy museum or the war. But that money has been collected for Social Security. so it should be spent there. We need to stop the raid on Social Security. We need to stop spending the surplus on things other than\" Social Security. One of the best proposals I have seen to do that is the GROW Act of 2005. It would not only stop the raid. but it would give Social Security a different dimension that I think is important to Americans. especially in this day and age. and that is that it would set up personal accounts for each American in the Social Security system. That money would actually have their name on it. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5008}
{"speech_id":1090058730,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A lot of people think that the Social Security money they pay in goes into an account with their name on it. But that is not the case. It goes into the trust fund and gets spent on a number of things. What the GROW Act would do is set up personal retirement accounts for each person in the Social Security system. Everybody who is paying in taxes would have this account. and that money could no longer be spent on other government operations. It would stay in Social Security. It would be our money. It would have our name on it. It would be inheritable. It is not today. so if you die at 64 and you still have not begun receiving your Social Security benefits. those benefits are lost and your family does not have any claim on those benefits. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5008}
{"speech_id":1090058730,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"S6 the GROW accounts would be created for anybody under 55. unless they choose not to participate. Then they can stay in traditional Social Security. So that Social Security surplus would be dedicated to these GROW accounts and they would be invested in guaranteed. marketable Treasury securities. Another concern and some of the demagoguery we have heard is that you can invest this money in something and lose it in the stock market. That is what you hear. it is a risky investment. These are marketable Treasury securities. not risky investments. They are real assets that are very conservative. in fact. Upon retirement. these account balances would be used to help pay Social Security benefits. I mentioned that they are inheritable. I think this is worth stressing over and over again. because most people understand that they do not have an ownership right in Social Security. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5008}
{"speech_id":1090058730,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But under the GROW Act. they would. So I think there are a lot of things that are an advantage to people that these proposals would really bring that they are not aware of. and as long as some of these groups. such as the ones in the district of the gentleman from Indiana . are out there. we really need to clear the record. to make it clear. I serve on the Committee on Ways and Means. We have been looking at ways to basically shore up Social Security. to make sure that the American public will have an investment that they can depend upon for their retirement. something that will be real. something that will give them a real \"bang for their buck\" as they invest it through their entire lives. And we know that investing it this way is just much smarter. Every person who pays those taxes certainly wants to get the most out of them that they can. Mr. Speaker. I would say to the gentlewoman from Kentucky . I really appreciate the opportunity to join you tonight.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5008}
{"speech_id":1090058733,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. in fact. for years Congress has spent .the Social Security surplus on other things. and it looked as though those things were all affordable because in fact it did not look like deficit spending. when in fact it was taking the Social Security surplus and diverting it to other things. Sometimes people ask me why Congress did that. I always say. you know. if we could bring back the Congresses. if we could get Roosevelt to come back or the ghost of Roosevelt to come back. if we could bring back the Congresses in those days. or even the Congresses in the 50s and the 60s. we could ask them that question. I will bet if they looked at things through our eyes. they would think that maybe they should have put these dollars away into accounts that the American people would own and keep them away from Congress. But all we can do is act as good stewards of the Social Security dollars that are coming in today. None of us can reach back and change what happened in the 60s and the 70s and the 80s. I think the American people understand that. They realize that it is not todays Congress that spent the Social Security surplus in the 60s. but they do expect us to do what we ought to do to make it solvent for the future.","speaker_name":"ANNE NORTHUP","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1240}
{"speech_id":1090058832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to support the nomination of Tom Dorr for Under Secretary for Rural Development in the Department of Agriculture. Thomas Dorr. with his powerful vision for rural America. with his proven leadership as Under Secretary. and with the trust that so many have placed on him. is more than qualified to be confirmed by the Senate. Let me provide a little background information on this nomination process since President Bush took office in 2001. On March 22. 2001. President Bush announced his intention to nominate Tom Dorr to serve as the Under Secretary of Rural Development. During that year. three nomination hearings were scheduled and then canceled. finally. during the August 2002 recess. the President appointed Mr. Dorr as Undersecretary. During Mr. Dorrs tenure as Under Secretary. it has been his leadership and dedication that led to the long list of improvements that increased economic opportunity and improved the quality of life in rural America. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8146}
{"speech_id":1090058832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He tackled the very complicated and difficult problems involved in the MultiFamily Housing Program that. according to the one congressional staff member. \"were ignored by all previous Under Secretaries\"-he believes all rural citizens deserve safe and secure housing. Dorr initiated an aggressive marketing program to extend the outreach of USDA Rural Development programs to more deserving rural Americans and qualified organizations. especially minorities. Also while he served as Under Secretary. Mr. Dorr supported the use of renewable energy. which led to millions of dollars in grants to develop renewable energy sources. Mr. Dorr bo6sted the morale of USDA Rural Development employees. Mr. Dorr aided in the development of community water\/wastewater infrastructureand the list goes on. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8146}
{"speech_id":1090058832,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After his temporary position as Under Secretary. Tom Dorr has completely resurfaced USDA Rural Development. This is a result of his vision for USDA Rural Development. During his term. Mr. Dorr changed USDA Rural Development from being the lender of last resort to one where employees aggressively seek out investments to make in people and organizations that will fulfill its mission. On June 18. 2003. the Agriculture Committee recommended Mr. Dorr to the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 147. On December 19. 2003 the full Senate failed to break Senator HARKINs hold on the nomination by a vote of 5739. six Democrats and fiftyone Republicans. Since the attempted cloture. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8146}
{"speech_id":1090058832,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Bush again nominated Tom Dorr in January of this year. only for Mr. Dorr to meet more of the same from the Senate. One Senator has held up the confirmation since April 30. 2001. and after President Bush has nominated a qualified candidate for this position three times. we still have yet to see an up or down vote. Despite the fact that Tom Dorr has proven his leadership as Under Secretary. some have still insisted on using the politics of obstruction and partisanship to keep Mr. Dorr from receiving confirmation in this Senate. For my State of Oklahoma. the strong leadership of Thomas Dorr resulted in an increase of millions of dollars in rural development. Mr. Dorrs leadership for Rural Development included an aggressive outreach program to rural residents in need of assistance and an innovative effort to leverage more appropriated dollars into program dollars. In fact. Rural Development receives from Congress annual budget authority of about $1.9 billion. and they turn it into $15 billion in program dollars. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8146}
{"speech_id":1090058832,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This includes the administrative money for the agency. In other words. Rural Development takes 12 cents and turns it into a dollar of assistance for rural economic development efforts. which is a level of efficiency difficult to find in most Federal agencies. During his term. Mr. Dorr encouraged the increased use of guaranteed loan programs versus grants to achieve this efficiency as well as very strict tracking of loan servicing. In other words. Rural Development \"invests\" its dollars expecting a return on investment. rather than just throwing money at communities and hope they fix themselves. I have seen many of these projects first hand in Oklahoma. from revolving loan funds to business incubators to new water systems. Loans matched with grants with realistic expectations from Rural Development partners is what I see as I tour rural Oklahoma. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8146}
{"speech_id":1090058839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to the Senator from Iowa that he has been very diligent in his pursuit of this. As someone who has been integrally involved in American agriculture for almost 40 years. I appreciate his diligence because we need to make sure that people who are in the administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are respected and that they are the types of individuals who we need in these positions. I know Mr. Dorr. I have seen Mr. Dorr in action. so to speak. in his position that he has been in for the last 41\/2 years. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":871}
{"speech_id":1090058839,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He is well respected across the country in the agriculture community because of the great work he has done. He is qualified for this position and I am going to support his nomination. Before I yield 5 minutes to Senator HARKIN. which I will do. I would be happy to yield to my friend from Delaware for any comments he wishes to make.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":871}
{"speech_id":1090058872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank our distinguished leader.-I. too. have had a very modest career in the Scouts. I was sort of attenuated when I left and joined the Navy in World War H. So I never attained any special recognition. But I must say that the training that was given to me helped me enormously in my early training in the military because first you learned discipline. then you learned regimentation. You learned the concept of sharing with others. the need to work with your fellow Scouts. It is a magnificent organization. I am so glad you have done this. I also must say I have attended the rally in Virginia to which you referred. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090058872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will never forget waiting. as one of the several speakers. I was a.most inconsequential speaker because a worldfamous baseball player attended. As far as the eye could see. there were clouds of dust. They looked like the Roman legions marching in. Tens of thousands of Scouts assembled at this rally. all carrying their banners. and the parents were all seated under the trees watching this rally. It was a spectacle to behold. It was a marvelous experience. . So again. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090058872,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I encourage other Senators to join our distinguished leader in support of this legislation.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090058904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I do our very best to at least introduce inform the chairman I would like to an amendment at that time. speak for 4 minutes on the Boy Scout The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there amendment discussed. if time is avail- objection to Senator LAUTENBERG able after other Senators speak on the being added at the end of the three preunderlying bill. vious speakers?","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":369}
{"speech_id":1090058907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wonder if the distin- a couple minutes to talk about it. guished Senator from Oklahoma could Mr. WARNER. Five minutes then. proceed. followed by the Senator from Mr. -LEVIN. He would just lay down Maine. and then prior to the vote. if an amendment prior to Senator KENyou desire to do it before 12:30? NEDY speaking and then he would pick","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":340}
{"speech_id":1090058928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a very simple amendment. We have talked about some of the problems that have existed with the ICRC. the International Committee on the Red Cross. I would like to make sure people understand we are not talking about the American Red Cross. There have been problems that have come up. My first concern is for the American troops. The ICRC has been around since 1863 and has been there for American soldiers. sailors. airmen. and Marines through two world wars. I thank them for that good work they did. Likewise. I thank all Americans for their military service to America. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3581}
{"speech_id":1090058928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I did have occasion to be in the Army. That was one of the best things that happened in my life. In my continuing preeminent concern for American troops. however. I am compelled to note some concerns and pose some questions about the drift in focus of the ICRC. In spite of some of the things that have been very good that they have done in the past. there have been some very serious problems. I think they need to be called to the attention of the Senate and be made a part of this bill. Specifically. the ICRC has engaged in efforts to reinterpret and expand inter: national law so as to afford terrorists and insurgents the same rights and privileges as military personnel of states party to the Geneva Convention. They have advocated. lobbied for arms control. issues that are not within the organizations mandate. and inaccurately and unfairly accused the United States of not adhering to the Geneva Conventions when the ICRC itself has demonstrated reluctance to ensure that the Geneva Convention protections are afforded U.S. prisoners of war. Neither the American Red Cross nor any other national Red Cross or Red Crescent Society is consulted by the ICRC or is in any way involved in the ICRCs policy .decisions and statements. The Government has remained the ICRCs single largest contributor since its founding in 1990. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3581}
{"speech_id":1090058928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Government has provided more than $1.5 billion in funding for the ICRC. Congress should request from the administration and the GAO an examination of how the ICRC spends the U.S. taxpayers dollars to dbtermine whether the entire annual U.S. contribution to the ICRC headquarters--in other words. the ICRC operationsis advancing American interests. Additionally. Congress should request that the State. Defense. and Justice Departments jointly certify that the ICRCs operations and performance have been in full accord with its Geneva Conventions mandate. The administration strongly advocates for full transparency of all ICRC documents relating to the organizations core and noncore activities and the administration argues for a change in the ICRC statute so as to allow nonSwiss officials to be a part of the organization and directing bodies of the ICRC. Indeed. I fear that the ICRC may be harming the. morale of our American troops by unjustified allegations that detainees and prisoners are not being properly treated. For example. an ICRC official visited Camp Bucca. a theater internment fa. cility for enemy prisoners of war that is. as of January 2005. being operated by the 18th Military Police Brigade and Task Force 134. near Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. As of late January 2005. the facility had a holding capacity of 6.000 prisoners but only held 5.000. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3581}
{"speech_id":1090058928,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These prisoners were being supervised by 1.200 Army MPs and Air Force Airmen. According to the Wall Street Journal. citing a Defense Department source. the ICRC official told U.S. authorities. \"you people are no better than and no different. than the Nazi concentration camp guards.\"","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3581}
{"speech_id":1090059001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will wait to propound the unanimous consent request until the other side responds. I am going to ask unanimous consentbut I will wait until we get a response from the other sidethat a vote on or in relation to the Frist amendment No. 1342. regarding supporting our Boy Scouts. and others. occur at 2:15 today. with no seconddegree amendments in order prior to the vote. provided further that there be 2 minutes equally divided for debate prior to the vote. So I say there is the strong likelihood that request.will be granted. I thank the Senator for his courtesy.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":566}
{"speech_id":1090059019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. I call the attention of the Senator to page 3. If the underlying purpose of this amendment is to allow the Boy Scouts of America. or similar organizations. to have their annual jamboreewhich I understand they use military facilities and continue to do so. and I have no objection to .that. Could I ask the chairman of this committee to please read with me on page 3. starting with line 16. the paragraph that follows. and ask him if he would explain this to me. As I read it. it says: No Federal law shall be construed to limit any Federal agency from providing any form of support for a youth organization that would result in that agency providing less support to that youth organization than was provided during the preceding fiscal year. As I read that. the Appropriations Committee could not appropriate less money for a youth organization next year than they did this year if we pass this permanent law. Is that how the Senator from Virginia reads it?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":988}
{"speech_id":1090059028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I may say. I know the Senator has a pending unanimousconsent request. I would like to amend that request to allow language to be added to amend this particular section stating that if you have a youth organization that is guilty of wasting or stealing Federal funds. that youth organization is not automatically going to receive the same amount of funds in the next year. That is malfeasance at its worst and a waste of taxpayer dollars. I am sure. the Senator from Virginia and the Senator from Michigan and I dont want to be party to that. If I may reserve the right to offer a seconddegree amendment to that section. I would be happy to allow the unanimousconsent agreement.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":680}
{"speech_id":1090059063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it gives me great pleasure to speak in support of the amendment offered by my good friend. Senator GRAHAM. who has been relentless in his determination to secure a fair deal for our Na. tions reservists. Our Nations citizen soldiers are an integral part of the military. They have been called upon to make big sacrifices. sacrifices many didnt imagine when they signed up. Yet time and time again. they have answered the call. Today. the National Guard and Reserve are on the front line of the war on terror. They are on the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan. I say proudly that Minnesotas Army National Guard leads the Nation in recruiting and retention. We want to continue with that high honor. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090059063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is something in which we take great pride. But I can tell you that. in my conversations with Guard and Reserve members around my State. the strains of mobilization are beginning to have an effect. With the demands now being placed on the Guard and Reserve. we are going to have to step up our support in order to sustain the manpower we need for the future. What I hear from reservists in my State consistently is that given the rising cost of health care. the option of enrolling in TRICARE is perhaps the most important thing we can do to help them and their families. Thanks to the tireless efforts of my good friend. Senator GRAHAM. we have made good progress in opening up access to TRICARE. But this option ought to be available to all reservists. Every member of the Guard and Reserve has signed up for the same risks. and they all made the same commitment to defend our country. This amendment is fundamentally about two things: The first is fairnessfairness for people facing the same dangers as their ActiveDuty counterparts. In todays world. any new reservist can almost count on being called to be there fighting in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090059063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So in a sense. it is not that much different from signing up for active duty to begin with. If reservists know they are going to be putting themselves on the front lines just like an ActiveDuty soldier. we should be giving them the same benefits. The second is national security. Our country needs a robust National Guard and Reserve. We need them to be relevant. which means part of military engagements overseas. In order to keep this invaluable cadre of citizen soldiers. the least we can do is offer them the same health care as we offer ActiveDuty troops. The poet. John Milton. said: \"They also serve. who only stand and wait.\" There is not a lot of standing around for todays reservists. but their value to the Nation is incredible. The key to every endeavor. whether it is military. economic. or personal. is using your resources wisely. The fact that the military planners of the United States have a reserve force of such quality. spirit. and readiness is our crucial advantage. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090059063,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As such. they deserve every honor and support we give our active military. By protecting this vital asset. we accelerate the march of freedom around the world. I am pleased to support my colleague. Senator GRAHAM. once again. and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3163}
{"speech_id":1090059121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I recall very vividly the testimony we received from the whole group of the Joint Chiefs of Staff led by General Myers. General Myers was very strong on this point. You mentioned General Pace. Indeed. he was a leader on it. But. across the board. our chiefs stepped up. I say to the Senator. it is important this be done. We accept the amendment and are ready to move when you are ready to move.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":410}
{"speech_id":1090059143,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we would like to accommodate the Senator. My only inquiry is. we now have on the floor the two principals on this important measure. If you wish. for a few minutes. to lay down an amendment. I am sure we could do that. I would like to have this important debate resumed.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":285}
{"speech_id":1090059158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a matter the ranking member and I have worked on. I ask unanimous consent that between the. hours of 4:30 and 6:30 tonight the amendment by Mr. LUGAR be brought up with 1 hour on each side. with the hour in opposition under the control of Mr. KYL. with a rollcall vote immediately following.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":299}
{"speech_id":1090059186,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first let me say how delighted that I know I amI know every Member who is on the floor now is. and every Member would be if they were on the floorjust taking a look at a dear friend and a former colleague of ours who just walked on the floor. When John Glenn is in our presence. it lifts all of us. The way he lifted up this Nation. he still provides a great lift to each and every one of us. And his beloved wife and our beloved friend. Annie. does the same when she is at his side. So it is great to see former Senator Glenn again. I also want to thank Senator NELSON for his remarks. I must say we are blessedand I know Senator WARNER feels the same way I dothat the members of our committee work so well together. but we are particularly blessed when we have members such as BILL NELSON of Florida who fight for so many issues not just for Florida but for the Nation. He mentioned TRICARE. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1144}
{"speech_id":1090059186,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has been on that issue as long as anybody I can remember. As it happened. we passed that perhaps when he was not even on the Senate floor today. but I know he has been a strong supporter and his advocacy has made all the difference.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1144}
{"speech_id":1090059285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through the Chair to the distinguished southern gentlemanhe really isthe mere fact that we dont have votes tonight is the least of my worries. I do say that we do more than 1 day. I would say to the two managers of the bill. based on what the distinguished chairman of the committee has said. from what I have heard. if we all lay down a number of amendments. the Senator would be satisfied that we have done enough on the bill that he would not have to seek the invocation of cloture. I dont like that. I think this is one of the bills where people should be able to offer amendments that they want to. not only on this subject but others. But I hope by tomorrow when the majority leader returns. we can have a bettdr understanding of what is expected of. the minority. We understand we are the minority. but we are a powerful minority and we have rights. as the distinguished Senator from Virginia knows. So again. I hope the two managers of the bill would follow the suggestion of the distinguished Senator from Virginia as to what we need to do to make you feel late in the session that wehave done what needs to be done where cloture does not have to be filed.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1165}
{"speech_id":1090059289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate very much the statement of the Senator from North Dakota. Let me say one additional thing. If a cloture motion is filed .on this tomorrow. I have tentatively called a Democrat caucus for 5:45 Monday night. I personally am going to -ask my members -o not invoke cloture. We are doing a disservice to the people of this country and the men and women in the military to not have the opportunity to try to improve this bill. There are so many things that are left undone. some of which have been named this evening. that I believe we would be remiss if we did not fully debate this bill. I say to my friend from Virginiaagain. we are friends. and I say this in the most underlined and underscored fashionit is not fair. We basically have spent today on. the bill. We know what has happened around here in recent years. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1475}
{"speech_id":1090059289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fridays and Mondays. not much happens. We will try to change that. We just have not had an opportunity to spend any time on this bill. I have not been here 27 years. but I have been here 23 years. These Defense bills take a long time--certainly more than 2 or 3 days. It is so unfair. As I have indicated to those within the sound of my voice. I understand the distinguished majority leader has a lot to do. The Senator from Virginia is the wrong person to direct this to. We wasted so much time on these five judgesI dont know how many weeks. but we have been in session 94 days. and we have spent 31 days on judges. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1475}
{"speech_id":1090059289,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That pretty much says it all.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1475}
{"speech_id":1090059306,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say to my distinguished friend. we completed the Homeland Security appropriations bill last week. That was a pretty important bill because it protects our Nation. If we are not so inclined to help the men. and women who have signed up to represent us and defend this country. this is not a good sign for this Senate. Therefore. I truly believe there is nothing more important that we could be doing in this Senate than finishing this bill in an orderly fashion. To think we will have one normal voting day on thisthat is what it will amount tobefore cloture is invoked. One day. Thursday. That is it because we do not work around here on Mondays and Fridays.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":660}
{"speech_id":1090059344,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What we do have already is a statement by the President that any effort to delay or impede the BRAC process would lead to a veto. with such clarity in my mind. By the way. an amendment. if I may advise my good friend. quite similar to this amendment was considered by the House and defeated by a vote of 112 for and 316 against. or something. I think onr colleague should know if this ever got into the bill. the President would have to veto the bill. We would have to start all over again on the Defense bill. I dont know when we would do it. But certainly if the House is any guide. it was thoroughly rejected. Am I not correct in that?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":638}
{"speech_id":1090059364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join with President Bush and Project Hope in commending the extraordinary work of the health professionals from Massachusetts General Hospital who dropped everything and went to Indonesia in January and February to provide medical care to survivors of the tsunami disaster. I especially commend Dr. Laurence Ronan. the group leader at MGH who did so much to organize the trip. These dedicated health professionals answered the urgent call when the disaster struck. As in the past when earthquakes devastated Armenia. and El Salvador. and Iran. they volunteered their services and skills on the USS Mercy. the Navy hospital ship sent to the coast of Indonesia. Massachusetts General Hospital sent the largest health team. More than 60 doctors. nurses. and social workers each spent a month helping on cases too complex to be treated by personnel already on the ground in Indonesia. They had expertise in critical medical specialties such as neurology. burns. lung disease. kidney disease. and pediatrics. and they provided care to hundreds devastated by the tsunami. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090059364,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Massachusetts is very very proud of MGH and the extraordinary health professionals being honored today. Their dedication and caring have served America and the world well.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090059381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. drought continues to be a serious problem for many States in this country. and I rise to reintroduce legislation to help small businesses that need disaster assistance but cant get it through the Small Business Administrations disaster loan program. You see. the SBA doesnt treat alt drought victims the same. The Agency only helps those small businesses whose income is tied to farming and agriculture. However. farmers and ranchers are not the only small business owners whose livelihoods are at risk when drought hits their communities. The impact can be just as devastating to the owners of rafting businesses. marinas. and bait and tackle shops. Sadly. these small businesses cannot get help through the SBAs disaster loan program because of something taxpayers hate about governmentburaucracy. The SBA denies these businesses access to disaster loans because its lawyers say drought is not a sudden event and therefore it is not a disaster by definition. However. contrary to the Agencys position that drought is not a disaster. in July of 2002. when this Act was originally introduced. the SBA had in effect drought disaster declarations in 36 States. As of July 2005. 11 States remain declared drought disasters and 19 States are sufferink from severe to extreme drought conditions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090059381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Adding insult to injury. in those States where the Agency declares drought disaster. it limits assistance to only farmrelated small businesses. Take. for instance. South Carolina. A couple of years ago that entire State bad been declared a disaster by the SBA. but the Administration would not help all drought victims. Let met read to you from the declaration: Small businesses located in all 46 counties may apply for economic injury disaster loan assistance through the SBA. These are working capital loans to help the business continue to meet its obligations until the business returns to normal conditions. . . . Only small. nonfarm agriculture dependent and small agricultural cooperative are eligible to apply for assistance. Nurseries are also eligible for economic injury caused by drought conditions. The SBA has the authority to help all small businesses hurt by drought in declared disaster areas. but the Agency wont do it. For years the Agency has been applying the law unfairly. helping some and not others. and it is out of compliance with the law. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090059381,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Small Business Drought Relief Act of 2005 would force SBA to comply with existing law. restoring fairness to an unfair system. and get help to small business drought victims that need it. Time is of the essence for drought victims. and I am hopeful that Congress will consider passing this legislation soon. This Act has been thoroughly reviewed. passing the committee of jurisdiction three times and the Senate twice. with supporters numbering up to 25. from both sides of the aisle. In addition to approval by the committee of jurisdiction. OMB approved virtually identical legislation in 2003. The bill I am introducing today includes those changes we worked out with the Administration. and I see no reason for delay. I thank Senators SNOWE and BOND. our current and past chairs. both of whom have been supportive of this legislation each time it was introduced and passed. I ask unanimous consent that the text -of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090059470,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the inevitable insolvency of Social Security is not a new problem. Since the program began in 1935. the number of workers per retiree has slipped from 40 to just three today. And unless Congress acts. the system will be completely bankrupt by the year 2041. [] 1015 In light of these facts Republicans have put forth a variety of proposals to make Social Security remain solvent for future generations. But up to this point. Democrats have chosen to oppose our good faith efforts and insist that indeed there is no problem. The minority partys only solution to saving Social Security is the same solution they have applied to this problem for the past 68 years. to raise your taxes. On 50 separate occasions when faced with critical decisions to shore up Social Security. Democrats have resorted to either raising the payroll tax rate or the minimum taxable wage. It is clear their tax hikes have done nothing more than mask Social Securitys inadequacies and postpone real and lasting solutions.","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1008}
{"speech_id":1090059473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. maybe we can cool things off by talking about a little tax reform. What if we had a tax reform proposal that would immediately eliminate the marriage penalty. repeal the death tax. abolish the punitive alternative minimum tax. eliminate capital gains taxes and allow for immediate expensing for business and capital equipment? Well. in fact we have such reform. In case you missed it yesterday. in the Washington Times Steve Forbes talks about Americans deserve a flat tax. and believes that the stage is set for fundamental tax reform via the vehicle known as the flat tax. Now. fortunately Members of this body do not have to wait. They can cosponsor H.R. 1040 introduced last March that would provide for a flat tax which is voluntary to be available to the American people as soon as it is signed into law. It is basically a measure of trusting the American people and giving them a choice to opt into a voluntary pro growth system. It does encourage investment and savings for the first time in a long time in this country. I think it is reasonable to provide another option to the American people. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090059473,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Forbes concludes his article yesterday saying America has a great future. The flat tax will help us achieve it. I believe it is time to trust the American people and allow that to happen. a","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090059528,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. I rise in protest of Rules Committees refusal to make the Sanders library amendment in order. Just last month. .this body passed an amendment that would have barred funds from being spent on the controversial 215 orders against libraries and bookstores. It simply would have protected the reading habits of our own citizens from government snooping. It passed by a vote of 238187. I cannot protest enough that we are not debating and voting on this amendment again. Section 215 allows a secret court to issue secret orders to anyone to turn over anything. It need not even be directed at a suspected terrorist. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2324}
{"speech_id":1090059528,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SANDERS and I introduced an amendment that would have exempted library and bookstore reading -records from these secret orders. The FBI still would have been able to get a regular warrant for reading records. However. the administration doesnt even want to have to show any criminal activity before it starts digging into our reading records. It wants a free pass. and I will not willingly give it to them. Consider this: the American Library Association has confirmed that the government. under some authority. has gone to a library. and asked for a list of everyone who checked out a book on Osama bin Laden. Clearly. in the wake of the September 11 attacks. many innocent people are checking out books on Osama bin Laden. And therefore. many innocent people had their right to privacy violated by our own government. And there may be thousands more. We know that nearly 200 libraries have been contacted by local and Federal officers since 9\/11. We must demand that they show some wrong doing on behalf of library patrons before they dive into their personal habits. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2324}
{"speech_id":1090059528,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me also note that we tried to offer an amendment to increase the safety and security of our Nations ports. rails. and mass transit systems by providing those segments of the transportation industry with the necessary tools and resources to reduce identified risks and vulnerabilities. but were shut down by the majority. The American people deserve these improvements. but the majority party will not even let us vote on the issue. In light of todays bombing incident in London. it is all the more objectionable that the majority would foreclose critical amendments for the Patriot Act reauthorization on the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2324}
{"speech_id":1090059606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield_ myself 11\/2 minutes to rebut my good friend from California. Mr. Chairman. effective oversight is a function of effective congressional leadership and not as a result of legislative sunsets. If we restricted oversight to legislative sunsets. only about 5 percent of the laws that we pass are sunset. and most of those are appropriations bills. Now. the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":401}
{"speech_id":1090059617,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Chairman. the London attacks this morning. be they copycat terrorism or yet another al Qaeda attempt. are one more reminder of how vulnerable we are. We need effective tools to combat terrorism. The terrorist threat is real. and if we are going to demand that the FBI uncover terror cells in the U.S.. we need to give them the tools to do that. The al Qaeda organization that attacked us on 9\/11 has changed. It is no longer a topdown centralized terror group planning acts from overseas. Instead. we face a loose network of homegrown terror cells. or what I call franchise terrorism. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2987}
{"speech_id":1090059617,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their attacks draw inspiration from al Qaeda. but they act independently. making it tougher to disrupt their plans. I want to make two points about the PATRIOT Act. First. it gave law enforcement some important new legal authorities. But new legal authorities. Mr. Chairman. on their own. will not protect us from terrorism. We need to shift priorities. to develop better strategies and devote greater resources to protect our soft targets. like rail. subways. and ports. and that we have not yet done. Second. on the issue of reauthorizing the 16 provisions that are sunsetting. my view is \"mend it. dont end it.\" The PATRIOT Act was passed 45 days after 9\/11. with little debate. We were bracing for more terror. The invasion of Afghanistan had begun and Capitol Hill was hit with anthrax attacks. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2987}
{"speech_id":1090059617,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress did a fairly decent job. and I supported the bill. but we can do better. We should reauthorize the PATRIOT Act. which modernized law enforcement tools. but we should clarify and tailor the authorities so that the government does not have a license to engage in fishing expeditions for your personal information or conduct FBI surveillance on innocent Americans. The bill on the floor today is better than the original PATRIOT Act. And if some of the amendments we will consider pass. it will be even better. But my colleagues on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will describe in a moment amendments which we offered in committee and before the Committee on Rules. Those amendments are solid. moderate. and bipartisan. and they should be able to be debated today. The good news is that the Senate Judiciary Committee. on a bipartisan basis. has just reported a bill that includes many of them. That bill. I hope. will serve as the model in conference committee. That bill could have been the House bill. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2987}
{"speech_id":1090059617,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In conclusion. protecting America from terrorism is not a Democrat or Republican issue. it is an American issue. As I have often said. the terrorists are not going to check our party registration before they blow us up. So when we defend America. let us forget party labels and focus on what will provide security and liberty for the American people. Balancing liberty and security is not a zero sum game. You either get more of both or less. The American people deserve more of both. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2987}
{"speech_id":1090059643,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the devastation of 9\/11 shook our collective consciousness to the core. but it should not have shattered the foundation that defines who we are as a people and serves as a beacon of individual rights and liberties throughout the world. Our Nation has been able to overcome the challenges of the past by proving to ourselves and to the world around us that our rights and our values are the indispensable conditions- of being an American. If we allow the threat of fear and terror to undermine our civil liberties. we will have failed not only the Founding Fathers who bestowed upon us the philosophical foundations of this great Nation. but more importantly. we will have failed the future of America as the last great hope of mankind. Mr. Chairman. an unforeseen consequence of these infringements on American citizens civil liberties is the erosion of our standing as the international leader of the rights of people. With each fundamental mistreatment of our own citizenry. we broadcast an image around the world that will. in fact. come back to haunt us. We will become what we deplore: a hypocritical pseudodemocracy of freedoms granted from the government down instead of from the people up. Mr. Chairman. do not rewrite our precious Bill of Rights. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1333}
{"speech_id":1090059643,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vote against this bill just as our Founding Fathers would have.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1333}
{"speech_id":1090059659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3199. the USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005. While Congress should be revising the flawed aspects of the PATRIOT Act. we are instead poised to make permanent the provisions that were supposed to sunset at the end of this year. I My fear is that the actions of our government pursuant to the PATRIOT Act amount to nothing short of a taking. not a taking of property. rather of our rights and our liberties. For example. the House Judiciary Committee Democrats have uncovered the following regarding the Act: It has been used more than 150 times to secretly search an individuals home. with nearly 90 percent of those cases having had nothing to do with terrorism. It was used against Brandon Mayfield. an innocent Muslim American. to tap his phones. seize his property. copy his computer files. spy on his children. and take his DNA. all without his knowledge. It has been used to deny. on account of his political beliefs. the admission to the United States of a Swiss citizen and prominent Muslim Scholar to teach at Notre Dame University. It has been used to uhconstitutionally coerce an Internet Service Provider to divulge information about email activity and web surfing on its system. and then to gag that Provider from even disclosing the abuse to the public. It has been used to charge. detain and prosecute a Muslim student in Idaho for posting Internet website links to objectionable materials. even though the same links were available on the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3769}
{"speech_id":1090059659,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Governments web site. These are just a few of the incidents we know of. yet they are enough to raise plenty of concerns in my mind. Because of gag restrictions. we will never know how many times it has been used to obtain reading records from libraries and bookstores. but we do know that iibraries have been solicited by the Department of Justicevoluntarily or under threat of the PATRIOT Actfor reader information on more than 200 occasions since the 9\/11 terrorist attacks. Rather than making the provisions in question permanent. we should be reviewing and amending the most intrusive of these provisions that are subject to the sunset clause such as: Sec. 215: Secret searches of personal records. including library records. The bill does not provide a standard of individual suspicion so that the court that examines these extraordinary requests can ensure personal privacy is respected. and also falls short by failing to correct the automatic. permanent secrecy order. Sec. 206: \"Roving\" wiretaps in national security cases without naming a suspect or telephone. The bill does nothing to correct this overbroad provision of the Patriot Act that allows the government to get \"John Doe\" roving wiretapswiretaps that fail to specify the target or the device. The bill also does not include any requirement that the government check to make sure its \"roving\" wiretaps are intercepting only the targets conversations. The Patriot Act originally had sunsets on some provisions so we could reexamine the extraordinary powers that were given to the executive branch. in a calmer atmosphere. Instead we are here today ignoring the more troubling provisions such as: the \"delayed notice\" of a search warrant. the intrusive \"national security letters\" power of the FBI. and the overbroad definition of domestic terrorism. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3769}
{"speech_id":1090059659,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no more difficult task I have as a legislator than balancihg the nations security with our civil liberties. but this task is not a zero sum game. By passing a bill that largely ignores the most serious abuses of the PATRIOT Act. that ignores the abuse of power by the Bush Administration. and which fails to give adequate resources and money to those on the \"front line\" in the fight against terrorism.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3769}
{"speech_id":1090059700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment on two grounds. First. I think it moves us in the right direction. I have said several times on this floor today about the PATRIOT Act that we should mend it. not end it. This does tighten section 215. which has probably been. more than any other section in the PATRIOT Act. the subject of intense worry for outside groups and especially those who use libraries. But. second. I support it because of the process involved. The gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from California have worked on a bipartisan basis to craft something they could both support and to persuade the leadership of the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Rules to embrace it. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1273}
{"speech_id":1090059700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is what we should see more of. and I wish we were seeing more of it in connection with this bill. Finally. the gentlewoman from California does make important points. There is an even better way.to amend section 215. and that way has just been embraced unanimously. obviously on a bipartisan basis. by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. and that is to connect section 215 orders to specific facts which show the target is connected to an agent of a foreign power. That would be best. and. hopefully. we will get there before this bill becomes law.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1273}
{"speech_id":1090059735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield.myself such time as I may consume. I will just close quickly in thanking the chairman. the ranking member. the staffs for the hard work that led to the underlying bill. but also to this particular amendment. This was done on a bipartisan basis. There was give and take. Over on the Senate side there is a companion that is somewhat similar that has. I believe. a 7day timeline. and undoubtedly we will work together in conference to reconcile those two. But the good work done on a bipartisan basis in the House has led to what I believe is the right compromise. although I certainly will work with the other body. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":687}
{"speech_id":1090059753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would say that it would have been extremely helpful if we could have considered that. We could have got the definition straight. and we could have considered it in a more deliberative process rather than trying to deal with it here on the floor where we have some constitutional questions such as the death penalty for conspiracy.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":346}
{"speech_id":1090059816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I have this amendment that I place before this body. It is an amendment that talks about gag orders. It talks about a provision of law both in sections 215 and 550 that does not allow one who is the target of an investigation or one who has assisted the FBI in gaining records. access to. records. to talk about the investigation. to let people know they have been contacted. or that they in some way have been involved in assisting the authorities in seeking information. This amendment of mine is a very. very simple amendment that talks about what happens to someone who is under a gag order who may. through no fault of their own. place themselves in danger of being harmed or being killed because someone finds out that they have been involved. they are involved in the investigation in some way. and they are threatened by the person who discovers that they have been involved in the investigation. or what happens to someone who is employed at a particular business where they give the FBI access to information. The employer wants to know did they give out information. they cannot tell them. they get fired from their job. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7794}
{"speech_id":1090059816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I have raised the question about this gag order of what happens when someone is placed in a position through no fault of their own that they have to give up information. And someone may argue that in one section of the law. 215. they have the right to get a lawyer and this could be included in the information that they share with the lawyer that would attempt to get them out from under the gag order. But we know that there is nothing in 215 or 550 specifically that would protect this person under the gag order. Mr. Chairman. what I am attempting to do. and in the scheme of things perhaps it is not that important because we have a PATRIOT Act. PATRIOT Act II. that will basically extend two sections of the PATRIOT Act for 10 years. sections 206 and 215. access to businesses and other records and roving wiretaps. and we have these 14 other sections of the PATRIOT Act that are made permanent. I suppose my colleagues and the people of America should be worried about all of this. all of what is being done in this PATRIOT Act in the name of fighting terrorism. People should be wondering whether or not they are being asked to give up their civil liberties. if they are being led by the people that they elect to protect them to undermine their own civil liberties. This is not simply about the gag order under 215 or 550. This is about gagging Americans. period. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7794}
{"speech_id":1090059816,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is about saying shut up. do not tell me what the Constitution guarantees you. we do not want to hear that. We want you to understand that there are enough people in power who believe that in order to exercise the power as they see it. they have a right to undermine the Constitution of the United States of America. Not only do they believe it. but they are selling it to you based on fear and intimidation. So my amendment in the scheme of things is not that important to try and protect a person or some persons. My amendment really is about giving me a platform to talk about how America and American citizens are being gagged. how we are being told that no matter that folks have really fought for this Constitution. no matter that we really had some true times when we have had to stand up for the Constitution. and even go to war to protect the Constitution. We are now being led to believe that anything that is done. and that is what this PATRIOT Act is all about. it goes beyond what anybody should have to expect in order to fight terrorism. This PATRIOT Act is not in the best interest of Americans. There are those on the other side of the aisle who have gotten up today and said I talked to a constituent who complained about the PATRIOT Act and I said to that constituent how have you been harmed. and the constituent could not explain it. It is not about whether or not I feel my rights have been denied or not. It is about whether or not the children of this Nation. the children of the future. it is about whether all Americans are being denied their civil liberties because they have been led into the support of a PATRIOT Act that really just flies in the face of the Constitution of the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7794}
{"speech_id":1090059816,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And so when I talk about the gag orders and I reference them in order to frame an amendment or to have this platform to talk about this PATRIOT Act. it is really about whether or not I am talking about all Americans being gagged in a very. very clever and sophisticated way. There are those who will not oppose this PATRIOT Act because they do not want to be considered unpatriotic. I stand here in the Congress of th& United States questioning the wisdom of my colleagues on the PATRIOT Act. and I dare anyone to say I am unpatriotic because I do it. I do it because I am patriotic. and I live in an America that has taught me that there is a Constitution that demands we as American citizens question our government. that we do not allow our government to do anything that they want to do. I have been elected by the people. and I could be a part of this charade of the government doing whatever we want to do in the name of socalled terrorism. but I do not see myself as an elected official nor do I see myself simply as a citizen that believes that the government is right in everything that it does. Because I do not believe that. I dare to question those on the other side of the aisle and those on this side of the aisle. I dare those who would wish to stand up and challenge me and charge me with not being patriotic because I do so to get up here and debate me now on patriotism. And I will tell Members what patriotism is all about. Patriotism is about a Constitution and a democracy that says America is different from everybody else and that we have come through a time and a history that has taught us that if you are to have a democracy. you must have certain guarantees. and those guarantees are embodied in the Constitution that guaranteev us freedom of speech. freedom of muiement. freedom of religion. and freedom of privacy. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7794}
{"speech_id":1090059816,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those are the things that we should hold dear and we should fight to protect and we should hold onto with everything that we have with every ounce of energy that we have. Nobody. no elected official. no socalled leader is so smart they should tell the American people do not worry about it. give up your rights and give up your freedom. I know better than you. I hope that somewhere in America. in some fourth and fifth grade out there. there are teachers who are watching the debate on the PATRIOT Act. I hope that these are the teachers who are teaching the Constitution of the United States and the history of this Constitution. about how it evolved and how it developed. and I hope they will teach them about the amendments to the Constitution that strengthen it to make sure that we embody in this Constitution all that may not have been thought about in the original framing of it by way of amdndment. I hope that the teachers are able to say watch the debate on the floor of the Congress of the United States so that you can understand that there are some intrusions thatare taking place today with the PATRIOT Act that fly in the face of the Constitution. nJ 1615 I want you to be aware of it because when you leave this class. when you grow up to be whatever it is you are going to be. I expect that no matter where you are. whether you are in the United States. abroad. no matter where you are. you know how to stand up and fight for the Constitution of the United States that guarantees certain rights and privacies that are now being intruded upon with this kind of act. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7794}
{"speech_id":1090059817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I think every Member of this Congress. liberal or conservative. Republican or Democrat. takes seriously the oath that we took at the beginning of this Congress to preserve. protect. and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies. foreign and domestic. The amendment that the gentlewoman from California has introduced is going to make it very difficult to conduct any type of criminal or terrorist investigation using a national security letter because it basically eviscerates the nondisclosure rules that national security letters and literally all other tools in criminal investigations have attached to them. I think the last thing in the world the American public wants to see is if somebody gets a national security letter or a grand jury subpoena or testifies before the grand jury. something in the newspaper that says that John Doe is being investigated. And if John Doe is really involved in criminal or terrorist activities. that is going to be a tipoff that the feds are on the heels of John and maybe he ought to flee the country or do other things to eliminate the evidence that would be used to convict that person of the crime that he has either committed or a crime that he is in a conspiracy with others to commit. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3115}
{"speech_id":1090059817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me say that by their very nature national security letters involve our national security. and the national security letters are usually not issued against the targets of investigations but to get records that would establish evidence that could be used against the target of the investigation. And if that evidence that was being collected ended up being disclosed and became a matter of discourse in the public press. I do not know how law enforcement would be able to complete its investigation to go after those that are suspected of criminal or terrorist activities. But let me say there is another aspect to the gentlewomans amendment that I think is really bad policy and can really hurt somebody who is innocent. Because of the nature and threat of terrorism. when there is a tip that is sent to law enforcement. law enforcement is obligated to investigate it. Now. that tip might be false. That tip might be a malicious tip by a personal enemy against the person who had information given to law enforcement. But. nonetheless. law enforcement has got to proceed. And if they do their investigation and issue national security letters and find out that the person that the tip was lodged against is up to absolutely no criminal or terrorist activity. if that persons name gets in the newspaper. their reputation is destroyed even though they are innocent. So I think that the amendment of the gentlewoman from California is one that will end up leaking information about an investigation of someone who may be guilty but also leaking information about an incomplete investigation of someone where the evidence would exonerate them before that exoneration has been established. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3115}
{"speech_id":1090059817,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that is why. either way we see it. the gentlewomans amendment is bad news and should be rejected.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3115}
{"speech_id":1090059849,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I would like to just point out that this is another one of the famous halfloaf amendments that we are being peppered with this afternoon. The amendment leaves \"interferes with an investigation\" open. but it does take away \"when it would delay a trial.\" We get half a loaf here again. so I cannot oppose the amendment. because it did make some improvement. After all. what is progress. even if it. may be slow? But at the same time. this may be a nonterrorist provision within the PATRIOT Act. because we already have a provision for secret searches for terrorists. So letting this section expire altogether would not interfere with secret searches for terrorists at all. What we found out in our examination. the staff examination. is that 90","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":810}
{"speech_id":1090059883,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cleaver Clyburn The pending Coble ir a recorded - Cole (OK) ffered by the Conaway Conyers husetts (Mr. Cooper further pro- costa and on which Costello Cramer vote. Crenshaw signate the Crowley Cuellar Culberson the amend- Cummings Cunningham Davis (AL) Davis (CA) A recorded Davis (FL) Davis (IL) Davis (KY) red. Davis (TN) Davis. Jo Ann This will be Davis. Tom Deal (GA) lctronic de- DeFazio DeGette s 418. noes 7. Delahunt DeLauro [Roll No. 407] AYES418 DeLay Dent DiazBalart. L. DiazBalart. M. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2970}
{"speech_id":1090059883,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dicks Dingell Doggett Doolittle Doyle Drake Dreier Duncan Edwards Ehlers Emanuel Emerson Engel English (PA) Eshoo Etheridge Evans Everett Farr Fattah Feeney Ferguson Filner Fitzpatrick (PA) Flake Foley Forbes -Ford Fortenberry Fossella Foxx Frank (MA) Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Gallegly Garrett (NJ) Gerlach Gibbons Gilchrest Gillmor Gingrey Gonzalez Goode Goodlatte Gordon Granger Graves Green (WI) Green. Al Green. Gene Grljalva Gutierrez Gutknecht Hail Harman Harris Hart Hastings (WA) Hayworth Hefley Hensarling Merger Herseth Higgins Hinchey Hobson Holden Holt Honda Hooley Hostettler Hoyer Hulshof Hyde Inglis (SC) Inslee Israel Issa Istook Jackson (IL) JacksonLee (TX) Jefferson Jenkins Jindal Johnson (CT) Johnson (IL) Johnson. E. B. Johnson. Sam Jones (NC) Jones (OH) Kanjorski Kaptur Keller Kelly Kennedy (MN) Kennedy (RI) Kildee Kilpatrick (MI) Kind King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kirk Kline Knollenberg Kolbe Kucinich\" Kuhl (NY) LaHood Langevin Lantos Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Latham LaTourette Leach Lee Levin Lewis (CA) Lewis (GA) Lewis (KY) Linder Lipinski LoBiondo Lofgren. Zoe Lowey Lucas Lungren. Daniel E. Lynch Mack Maloney Manzullo Marchant Markey Marshall Matheson Matsui McCarthy McCaul (TX) McCollum (MN) McCotter McCrery McDermott McGovern McHenry McHugh McIntyre McKeon McKinney McMorris McNulty Meehan Meek (FL) Meeks (NY) Melancon Menendez Mica Michaud MillenderMcDonald Miller (FL) Miller (MI) Miller (NC) Miller. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2970}
{"speech_id":1090059883,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gary Miller. George Mollohan Moore (KS) Moore (WI) Moran (KS) Moran (VA) Murphy Murtha Musgrave Myrick Nadler Napolitano Neal (MA) Neugebauer Ney Northup Norwood Nunes Nussle Oberstar Obey Olver Ortiz Osborne Otter Owens Oxley Pallone Pascrell Pastor Paul Payne Pearce Pelosi Pence Peterson iMN. Peterson tPA) Petri Pickering Pitts Platts PoE Pombo Pomeroy Porter Price (GA) Price tNC) Pryce (OH) Put nam Radanovich Rahall Ramstad Rangel Regula Rehberg Reichert Renzi Reyes Reynolds Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY. Rohrabat her RosLehtinen Ross Rothman Roybal Allard Royce Ruppersberger Bon Cantor Cubin Rush Ryan (OH) Ryan (WI) Ryun (KS) Sabo Salazar Sinchez. Linda T. Sanchez. Loretta Sanders Schakowsky Schiff Schwartz (PA) Schwarz (MI) Scott EGA) Scott (VA) Sensenbrenner Serrano Sessions Shadegg Shaw Shays Sherman Sherwood Shimkus Shuster Simmons Simpson Skelton Slaughter Smith (NJ) Smith (TX. Smith (WAI Snyder Sodrel Solis Souder Spratt Stark Stearns Strickland Stupak Sullivan Sweeney Tancredo Tanner NOES7 Hayes Hunter Rogers (MI)","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2970}
{"speech_id":1090059910,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Basically. this is an amendment supported. I am happy to say. by the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. that simply does one thing: It requires the Attorney General to report to Congress once a year on a survey that it seeks from other agencies of the Federal Government surveying datamining technologies in use or in development at federal departments and agencies. The modification that I seek simply makes clear that. first of all. any classified information will be submitted in a classified annex and. secondly. that any information regarding datamining technologies that deals with the sources. intelligence sources and methods. will be available only in the annex to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. in other words. that to the extent this survey produces anything which should ither be classified or deals with sources and methods. the traditional procedures for where that material goes will be maintained.","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090059922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I rise in support of his amendment. As the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence just said. we did try to work out a unanimous consent request. We agreed among us. but. sadly. others in this body did not agree. The chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary is right. This is a modest amendment that will yield good information so that we will proceed to do data mining in an efficient way consistent with protecting the civil liberties of lawabiding Americans. That is all it does. It requires only the Justice Department to prepare a report. not the Defense Department and not other departments in the government. So my view is that we should vote for this amendment now and perfect it later. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":923}
{"speech_id":1090059922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I agree with the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. It will help us do data mining the right way. and America will be safer for it.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":923}
{"speech_id":1090060003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. the sponsor of the amendment mentioned that hearing we had. Iwould remind him that the hearing was a hearing on habeas corpus. also the same hearing we heard the issue of the question of whether the death penalty deters murder or other crimes. and this bill. We were given one witness to cover all of that. Our witness covered habeas corpus. We did not have the opportunity to invite a witness to discuss this bill and the policy implications of death penalty where no death occurs and alternate jury rules. peremptory challenges. the number of jurors needed to impose a death penalty. all of these death penalties involved. So to suggest that that was a fair hearing. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":938}
{"speech_id":1090060003,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think. does not do justice to actually what happened on that day and the consideration of this bill. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California . a member of the committee.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":938}
{"speech_id":1090060045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk that has been made in order by the Committee on Rules. JacksonLee No. 42. This proposal relates to the civil forfeiture provision of 18 U.S.C. 981 and would add a section that would allow civil plaintiffs to attach judgments to collect compensory damages for which a terrorist organization has been adjudged liable and from the pool of assets that have been forfeited under Section 981. My amendment seeks to allgw victims of terrorism who obtain civil judgment for damages caused in connection with the acts to attach foreign or domestic assets held by the United States Government under 18 U.S.C. 981(G). Section 981(G) calls for the forfeiture of all assets. foreign or domestic. of any individual. entity. or organization that has engaged in planning or perpetrating any act of domestic or international terrorism against the United States. citizens or residents of the United States. The legislation. H.R. 3199. as drafted. fails to deal with the current limitation on the ability to enforce civil judgments by victims and family merhbers of victims of terrorist offenses. There are several examples of how the current Administration has sought to bar victims from satisfying judgments obtained against the government of Iran. for example. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6188}
{"speech_id":1090060045,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the Sobero case. a U.S. national. Guillermo Sobero of Riverside County. CA. was beheaded by Abu Sayyaf. an AIQaeda affiliate. leaving his children fatherless. The Administration responded to this incident by sending 1.000 Special Forces officers to track down the perpetrators. and the eldest child of the victim was invited to the State of the Union Address. Abu Sayyafs funds have been seized and are held by the U.S. Treasury at this time. The family of the victim should have access to those funds. at the very least. at the Presidents discretion. \u0095 Similarly. the Administration barred the Iran hostages that were held from 19791981 from satisfying their judgment against Iran. In 2000. the party filed a suit against Iran under the terrorist State exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act. While a federal district court held Iran to be liable. the U.S. government intervened and argued that the case should be dismissed because Iran had not been designated a terrorist state at the time of the hostage incident and because of the Algiers Accordsthat led to the release of the hostages. which required the U.S. to bar the adjudication of suits arising from that incident. As a result. those hostages received no compensation for their suffering. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6188}
{"speech_id":1090060045,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Similarly. American servicemen who were harmed in a Libyan sponsored bombing of the La Belle disco in Germany were obstructed from obtaining justice for the terrorist acts they suffered. While victims of the attack pursued settlement of their claims against the Libyan government. the Administration lifted sanctions against Libya without requiring as a condition the determination of all claims of American victims of terrorism. As a result of this action. Libya abandoned all talks with the claimants. Furthermore. because Libya was no longer considered a state sponsor of terrorism. the American servicemen and women and their families were left without recourse to obtain justice. The La Belle victims received no compensation for their suffering. In addition. a group of American prisoners who were tortured in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War were barred from collecting their judgment from the Iraqi government. Although the 17 veterans won their case in the District Court of the District of Columbia. the Administration argued that the Iraqi assets should remain frozen in a U.S. bank account to aid in the reconstruction of Iraq. Claiming that the judgment should be overturned. the Administration deemed that the Reconstruction effort was more important than recompensing the suffering of fighter pilots who. during their 12 year imprisonment. suffered beatings. burns. and threats of dismemberment. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6188}
{"speech_id":1090060045,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. the World Trade Center bombing victims were barred from obtaining judgment against the Iraqi government. In their claim against the Iraqi government. the victims were awarded $64 million against Iraq in connection with the September 2001 attacks. However. they were rebuffed in their efforts to attach the vested Iraqi assets. While the judgment rendered was sound. the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower courts finding that the Iraqi assets. now transferred to the U.S. Treasury. were protected by U.S. sovereign immunity and were unavailable for judicial attachment. One major problem that frustrates the objective of my amendment is the fact that information is not publicly available regarding the amount and\/or kind of civil forfeitures made to date. The Executive Branch of our Government has suggested that it has no duty to disclose either the identity of the parties who ow civilly forfeited property or the amounts forfeited to date. Absent public disclosure of this very substantive information. it is very difficult for compensation to even be requestedlet alone expected for victims of horrific acts of terrorism. Right now. H.R. 3199 is the most appropriate and timely vehicle in which to address this issue and allow U.S. victims of terrorism to obtain justice from terroristsupporting or terroristhousing nations. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6188}
{"speech_id":1090060045,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The JacksonLee Amendment protects terror victims rights. Domestic and international terrorism should not be facilitated by barring successful plaintiffvictims from enforcing valid judgments. In closing. Mr. Chairman. let me thank the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member and the ranking member of the subcommittee for their leadership on this whole entire issue of protecting Americans against terrorism and including in that protection of their civil liberties. This amendment will not only protect Americans against the dangers of life and limb and the loss of life. but give them relief in our courts. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment sponsored by myself and my colleague. the gentleman from Texas . a sense of Congress amendment to provide relief to Americans victimized by terrorism. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6188}
{"speech_id":1090060055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. this provides mandatory minimums. which we have frequently said if it had come up in committee we would have a letter ready from the Judicial Conference reminding us that mandatory minimums violate common sense. because if the penalty makes sense. it can be imposed. if it does not make sense. it has to be imposed anyway. This amendment is unnecessarily confusing and duplicative of current law. It is already a crime punishable by 20 years in prison. or life in prison in some circumstances. to provide material support of any kind to a terrorist organization or to support a person in carrying out terrorist acts regardless of how the money came about. whether it was from drug proceeds or otherwise. If anyone is engaged in drug trafficking of any significance in order to support terrdrism. they can already be charged with both a drug offense and the material support of terrorism. This might. unfortunately. bring -in some smalltime dealer that did not know what he was doing and all of a sudden he is subjected to 20year mandatory minimums when he was not much of a dealer at all. This new crime would substantially broaden the Federal death penalty in ways that might actually violate the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1943}
{"speech_id":1090060055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. indirect offenses like conspiracy are generally not death eligible. but financing is more analogous to conspiracy than the direct crimes like hijacking. bombing or murder by drug king. which are already death eligible. Drug trafficking and terrorism crimes already carry numerous penalties for the most egregious offenses. so we do not need them anew in this case. Mt. Chairman. I hope we defeat this amendment. We did not put it into the bill in committee when we would have had an opportunity to ensure it did not conflict with various other provisions of the law or was unnecessarily duplicative. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1943}
{"speech_id":1090060109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of this amendment and want to thank my good friend and colleague. the gentlewoman from New York . We have worked on a number of things. including this. for quite some time. Mr. Chairman. 3 years ago I introduced identical legislation that made homeland security funds. first responder funds threatbased. That legislation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090060109,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am happy to say. has since been supported overwhelmingly by the 9\/11 Commission. the President. and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. We passed an amendment by House vote of 409 to 10 as part of the authorizing language for Department of Homeland Security. Simply. what this is. and this is not a geographic vote. this is not a politicalphilosophical vote. it simply says the Department of Homeland Secretary and the Secretary of that Department ought to have the resources and ought to have the flexibility to direct Federal resources wbere they belong. to direct Federal resources where the threats exist. So if it is in the subway systems or the rail systems or the aviation system or some other system that the threat actually exists. the Secretary will have the capacity and the tools to indeed take all of the resources that we have as a Nation to protect ourselves. We owe it to our constituents. It is the highest order of duty here in this body. The gentlewoman from New York","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090060165,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor a true American hero. Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature died protecting our freedoms on. June 28. 2005 in eastern Afghanistan when his helicopter was shot down by enemy fire during combat operations. Corey was a quiet man who was dedicated to serving his country and family. He loved being outdoors. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. and he enjoyed all kinds of activities with his boys. Since childhood. he lived up to the.family name. carrying a gentle demeanor. yet a very strong presence. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090060165,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Corey was a devoted husband. a loving father. and a dedicated Night Stalker. Corey served his Nation for 14 years. spending 7 of those doing what he particularly loved: flying helicopters with his fellow Night Stalkers and supporting other Special Forces operations. Corey graduated from the University of Minnesota with an associates degree in aerospace engineering and joined the Army in 1991. He served as a parachute rigger at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center in Fort Bragg. North Carolina. He attended the warrant officer basic course at Fort Rucker. Alabama. In 1996. he was assigned to Camp Wheeler in Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090060165,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He served in a number of . regiments around the country and around the world. Coreys awards and decorations include the Air Medal. the Senior Army Aviation Badge. the Army Commendation Medal. the Army Achievement Medal. the Army Good Conduct Medal. the National Defense Service Medal. the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. the Korean Defense Service Medal. the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. the Iraq Campaign Medal. and the Overseas Service Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. the Bronze Star. an Air Medal With Valor device. and the Combat Action Badge. Corey Goodnature was survived by his wife. Lori. his sons. Shea and Brennan. and his parents. Deb and Don Goodnature of Clarks Grove. Minnesota. He had many friends and relatives throughout my district in southern Minnesota. Mr. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090060165,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. Corey died doing something that he deeply believed in. and he is a true hero to our Nation. to his family. and to his friends. We are all grateful for Coreys undeniable dedication and sacrifice. as well as those who he served with and died with. This dedication allows all of us to enjoy the freedoms and liberty of this great Nation. The world has suffered a great loss. We lost a great man. and his friends and relatives lost a son. a husband. a father. brother. uncle. Godfather. and loyal friend. Less than 2 weeks before he died and exactly 1 month before he was buried. Corey sent a simple prayer to his wife. a prayer that I am honored to share with my colleagues today. He wrote: \"Lord. continue to bless Lori and help us to grow and strengthen our bond as a family separated by distance. whether it be me. here. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090060165,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lori by herself. or Shea and Brennan. wherever life takes them. I believe You have a glorious plan for us. and we honor You as the source of our happiness and success. In Your name we pray. Amen.\" May the Lord of our fathers find His mercy upon Lori and all of the friends and relatives of Corey Goodnature. May He continue to bless America and all the brave Americans who defend her.","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090060275,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor a fellow Tennesseean and our Navys first admiral.. David Glasgow Farragut. Farragut was born in Campbells Station. Tennessee. near the city of Knoxville. One of the largest. fastestgrowing and most beautiful communities in my district is- named in his honor. Raised In a Navy family. Farragut sailed on the Essex as a young boy during the War of 1812. took command of his first ship when he was only 12 years old. and later grew to prominence as a Union hero during the Civil War. He was the first to prove naval forces could seize control of an entire city when he led the Union Navy to the capture of New Orleans in 1862. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1352}
{"speech_id":1090060275,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And his command. \"Damn the torpedoes. full speed ahead\" during his victory at Mobile Bay has become legendary. As a result of Farraguts tremendous service. Congress established the ranks of rear admiral. vice admiral and admiral. Amazingly. he was the first person to hold each of these titles. Tomorrow in Bath. Maine. the Navy will christen its newest guided missile destroyer as the USS Farragut. This recognition of Farraguts contribution to our naval tradition is a fitting tribute to one of our Nations greatest military heroes. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1352}
{"speech_id":1090060275,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I consider it a privilege to recognize Admiral Farragut on the House floor today. He was a true Tennessee hero and one of our greatest Americans.","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1352}
{"speech_id":1090060304,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for his remarks and the gentleman from Tennessee for his remarks. A lot of people will look at this bill and wonder how we got here today. with seemingly widespread support. and I think that will be proven when the vote actually occurs. because we started out with clear differences. We are not talking about petty cash. we are talking about $30plus billion over the next 2 years. but we got to this point because we reasoned together. The professional staffs. and I emphasize the word. and Members worked in a bipartisan manner to fashion compromise. and this is the product that we have here today.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":701}
{"speech_id":1090060309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentlemans willingness to work on this issue. We have been able to accommodate other issues. and I am sure we will this one. Just as steel is made by combining iron and other elements. by combining our two bills. we have a stronger bill. and I am sure we will work this out.","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090060404,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may Consume. As a preamble. let me say one of the things I am proudest of in my 23 years in this great institution is the record that I have tried to establish to expand opportunity for all. and I have worked diligently on every committee on which I have served to expand opportunities for minorities. This committee recognizes the importance of that as the members of the committee will tell the gentlewoman who has offered the amendment. We are concerned. We care. We back up our words with deed. But I rise in strong oppositionto this amendment. This amendment proposes to take scarce Federal funds to build buildings for private industry. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090060404,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I cannot imagine why we would use taxpayer money in that way. The idea is apparently for the Federal Government to build buildings on the campuses of minority institutions. which is an undefined term by the way. that would then in some way be turned over to the private sector.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090060458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate my friend yielding to me. Mr. Speaker. the House will convene on Monday at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. We will consider several measures under suspension of the rules. A final list of those bills will be sent to Members offices by the end of the day. Any votes called on these measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday and the balance ofthe week. the House will consider additional legislation under suspension of the rules. as well as several measures under a rule: H.R. 525. the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005. H.R. 5. the HEALTH Act of 2005. and H.R. 22. the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1024}
{"speech_id":1090060458,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. we expect to consider H.R. 3045. the Dominican RepublicCdntral American Free Trade Agreement sometime later in the week. Finally. I would like to note that we are expecting a very busy week heading. into the August recess. Members should expect to work some late nights as we resolve these important pieces of legislation.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1024}
{"speech_id":1090060462,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. As I said earlier. it is very difficult. Certainly we will consult with the minority as to timing. For instance. right now we think we will have a highway conference report. There may be an energy conference report. There could be one to three appropriations conference reports. It is very difficult today to fashion a schedule thAt we could give to the Members. I feel very confident by Monday we will have a better feel for what the week should look like and. in consultation with the minority. we would have a better idea when the Central American Free Trade Agreement can be considered. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090060462,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But I say to the gentleman that it will be fully discussed with an ample amount of time for debate. and we will just do it when we can get to it.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090060473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate that. On the bill of the gentleman from Arizona . I think it is H.R. 2355. dealing with the insurance issues. there is a lot of interest on our side of the aisle. Will that bill be considered? Did you list that as one of the health bills that would be considered?","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090060478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the gentleman yielding. We will try our best. in consultation with you. to give you some idea of when we could possibly bring that bill. and if it is going to be considered next week and we can fit into the schedule. then certainly we would let you know by probably the end of business Monday.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":306}
{"speech_id":1090060563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. I also thank the distinguished Senator from Alabama. I wish to speak on the bill. There is probably no one in the Senate I have greater respect for than the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services. He certainly does know his material. He certainly has put in the years. He certainly has done the work. I very profoundly disagree with what he has said with respect to the robust nuclear earth penetrator. We have heard this is only a study. that it is minor in scope. that we have debated this before. It is certainly true. we have debated this before. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9167}
{"speech_id":1090060563,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We debated it before because we feel strongly about this issue. We have debated it before because the Congress eliminated the money last year..We have debated it before because we have a strong passion and belief that this is tha wrong way for our Nation to go. The fact that we have debated this issue beforeSenator KENNEDY. Senator REED. Senator LEVIN. myselfdoes not in any way. shape. or form downgrade or demean our arguments. Let me discuss this program which is only \"a study:\" Let me discuss for a moment the way this program started out. It started with appropriations for the study of a robust nuclear earth penetrator with a 5year budget projection of $486 million. That is how it started. It also coincided with a program called \"advanced concepts initiatives\" which is not in this authorization but which last year envisioned the development of lowyield tactical nuclear weapons of under 5 kilotons. or battlefield nuclear weapons. That is about a third the force that was used at Hiroshima. a 15kiloton weapon. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9167}
{"speech_id":1090060563,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is not. as Isay. in this bill. It started out with a plan to build a Modern Pit Facility which could produce up to 450 new plutonium pitsthe pit being the trigger that detonates a. nuclear weapon. If you take a good look. you know you do not need up to 450 plutonium pits for replenishment of the existing nuclear arsenal. You may .need 40 to 60. So if you put forward up to 450 plutonium pits. to me it is an indicator that there is a broader program afoot. Part of this is also an increase of the time to test readiness from 3 years to 18 months. What that says is: Beware. something is going on. We want to be able to resume testing and we do not want to resume testing within the normal 3year delay. we want to move that up to 18 months. So. something is cooking. The fact is. no one should doubt this authorization enables the reopening of the nuclear door to the creation of a new generation of nuclear weapons. in this case. a robust nuclear earth penetrator of 1 megaton. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9167}
{"speech_id":1090060563,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a major effort. It is true. we fenced it. as the Senator from Alabama pointed out. Before it goes beyond the engineering stage. it must come back to this Senate for approval. But that does not signify that there is not a new generation of nuclear weapons being studied. researched. advanced. and authorized in this bill. specifically the $4 million for the robust nuclear earth penetrator. Our intention is being signaled to the rest of the world. The Department has been clever in not revealing its hand. No longer does it provide the 5year. cost of this study as it did last year. No longer does it mention this effort in its statement of administration policy. The statement of administration policies on the House Defense Authorization and House Energy and Water Appropriations bills do not mention a robust nuclear earth penetrator. Rather. the attempt was to cloak the study in some kind of obfuscation. to divide it between two budgetsEnergy and Defensehalf. $4 million here. the other $4.5 million in the other budget. with the hope that if one fails. the other will get through. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9167}
{"speech_id":1090060563,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But nonetheless. this is not minor in scope. The Modern Pit Facility which could produce up to 450 new plutonium pits is not even being discussed. There is supposed to be a study that will come back and indicate how many pits are necessary to replenish the present nuclear arsenal. That is not before the Senate. That is in this bill. There is no study to indicate we need 450 pits today to refresh the existing arsenal. particularly when that arsenal is being diminished in size. The intention is clear. Obviously. the way you begin a new nuclear weapon program is with a study. research. and engineering. So it is true we are trying to catch it at the beginning. That is not a bad thing. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9167}
{"speech_id":1090060597,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. we may very well have to vote on these pending amendments. I would like to have them available for that purpose. I would like to continue to talk with the staff of the Department of Energy and the chairman and his staff. But if necessary.-I would like to have an opportunity to have a vote on this amendment.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":325}
{"speech_id":1090060691,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Department of Veterans Affairs is to be applauded for facilitating a conference on the role of medical foster homes. The conference is titled: \"Medical Foster Home: A New Choice for LongTerm Care.\" The conference kicks of tomorrow in Little Rock. AR. I also want to applaud the conference participants for taking time to attend the conference. We truly must be open to new ideas about how VA can care for veterans in need of longterm care. In my view. medical foster homes are an important- part of the equation. We know that today VA is facing tremendous demand for longterm care. In the years ahead. demand will explode. Yet the Presidents budget includes significant cuts to longterm care programs. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2982}
{"speech_id":1090060691,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The goal seems to reduce VAs workload and shift the burden elsewhere. But where are veterans to go? Should VA be cutting back at a time when demand is growing? Should these cuts target needed nursing home and state home beds? According to the Presidents budget proposal. the answer is yes. There is another side to this story: there are places on the VA landscape where some truly wonderful things are happening to keep veterans well cared for and in the setting of their choice. Good programs must be fostered. Indeed. there are VA Clinicians who. in grappling with the demand. have not waited but have found some innovative solutions. I am always deeply gratified by the level of dedication and innovation of VA employees. and I salute those who have moved forward. One such good program is the medical foster home program in Arkansas. In 2002. Tom- McClure testified before the Senate VA Committee about the foster home program. I know that all the Members of the Committee were amazed at the success of the programdespite some of the snags he has faced along the way. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2982}
{"speech_id":1090060691,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nearly 3 years later. it seems VA is finally ready to advance the concept. .For my part. I recently introduced legislation to develop a medical foster home program on the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. While we have a wonderful VA nursing homethe Center on Aging. it only has 60 beds. Unfortunately. community nursing homes hav& few beds. as well. So. it is. absolutely critical that Hawaiis veterans be provided with needed longterm care. More and more veterans are seeking alternatives to nursing homes. They want to remain in the community. With the right kind of support and care from VA. they are able to do soeven with chronic and debilitating conditions. I do want to say that for many veterans. however. noninstitutional options will not work. and because of this Congress is on record stating that VA must have sufficient nursing home capacity. It is vital that VAs role as a model for longterm care be recognized and rewarded. because we will have enormous problems with demand for this care in the years ahead. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2982}
{"speech_id":1090060691,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The only entity of any scope. size. or capacity that is dealing with how to meet the. needs of an older population is VA. This role of VA must be bighlighted and supported.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2982}
{"speech_id":1090060753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the issue of health care insurance in America. its rising costs and a solution that will help to reduce the cost for. many Americans. Our Nation is in the midst of a health care crisis. This crisis affects Pennsylvanias health care professionals. their patients and the doctorpatient relationship. This crisis is especially acute in my district in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Last week I held a small business committee forum in my district. The health care crisis and how it affects small businesses was the topic of the forum. The gentleman from Illinois","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":592}
{"speech_id":1090060755,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this week we will address one of the most important national security issues of the 109th Congress. It also is an extraordinarily important economic issue. when it comes to the challenge of growth in this country and throughout this hemisphere. I am talking of course about the Dominican Republic Central American Free Trade Agreement. As I listened to my colleague from Oregon just a few minutes ago decry the problems of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the fact that there will be overpromising when it comes to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. I was struck by the fact that he really did not get the message that was provided by that great former senator. democratic presidential candidate from Massachusetts. Paul Tsongas. who said. the problem with my democratic party is that they love employees but they hate employers. The fact of the matter is. if you look all the way across the board. we know that globalization is inevitable. And as Prime Minister Singh said in his address to us a week ago tomorrow. right here in a joint session of Congress. we cannot ignore what is taking place in any other part of the world because of the fact that the globe is shrinking. Now. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4169}
{"speech_id":1090060755,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am not going to overpromise and say passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement is all of a sudden going to solve every ailment of society. But I do know this. 22 years ago. we. with a huge bipartisan vote passed the Caribbean Basin Initiative. which. instead of sending aid. provided an opening. an opportunity for the Caribbean nations to have access to the U.S. consumer market. That has helped us and it has helped them. Right now. with the Central American Free Trade Agreement. all we are saying is let us have a reciprocal arrangement. 80 percent of the goods. including 99 percent of agricultural products from Central America come tariff free. tax free to U.S. consumer. That is a good thing. It has allowed us Mr. Speaker. to allow the high standard of living that we have as Americans. Now. what we are saying is. through this agreement. let us open up their markets so that the 44 million consumers in the Dominican Republic and the 5 Central American countries can have access to U.S. manufactured goods. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4169}
{"speech_id":1090060755,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. one of the challenges that we face. of course. is our competition that is going on with the Pacific Rim. We. at the end of last week. saw finally moves toward reevaluation of the yuan. the Chinese currency. And we know that if we are going to compete. it is important for us to implement hemispheric wide trade here so that we can compete with Asia and. specifically. with China. One of the things we also know. Mr. Speaker. is that if you buy a shirt from China it has a little more than 1 percent of U.S. content. If you buy a shirt from Central America that is manufactured in Central America. over 60 percent of it has U.S. content. So this agreement is going to enhance our ability. not only as a Nation. but as a hemisphere to be more competitive. We put together a wide range of agreements over the last several years. bilateral agreements with Jordan. Singapore. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4169}
{"speech_id":1090060755,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Australia. Chile. Morocco. They have all been great bilateral agreements. But right now. Mr. Speaker. we have the opportunity to put together a very important multilateral agreement with six countries. That also will lay the groundwork for the very important effort that we have that will begin in the coming days to proceed with the Doha round with the WTO in Geneva. Why? Because the goal as was set forth back in 1947 when the general agreement on tariffs and trade was established was to eliminate tariffs. And we all know. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4169}
{"speech_id":1090060755,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that a tariff is a tax. And so cutting taxes enhances the standard of living and the quality of life for people. This is a winwin for the United States of America. for the Central American countries. and for our region as a whole. I hope very much that our colleagues join in a strong bipartisan way. doing exactly what we did in 1983 when we passed the Caribbean basin initiative. Let us send this to the President so that it can be signed and so that we can have this winwin all the way around.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4169}
{"speech_id":1090060759,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to highlight the benefits of the Central American Free Trade Agreement to agricultural interests in my home State of Illinois. As the number two soybean and soy products exporter. Illinois already sends approximately $50 million worth of soy products per year to CAFTA countries. The immediate dutyfree access for some products and reductions in tariffs on others are expected to significantly improve opportunities for Illinois soybeans and their products. Illinois corn farmers are the Nations number two exporter of feed grains. U.S. corn exports to CAFTA countries will benefit from reduced tariffs and dutyfree access for corn products. In total. CAFTA countries are already Illinois 22nd largest export market. accounting for more than $211 million in exports in 2004. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1222}
{"speech_id":1090060759,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After the first year of CAFTA implementation. Illinois is expected to realize $79 million in increased output across all industries in the State and $24 million in increased employees earnings and nearly 700 new jobs created. This historic agreement will eliminate tariffs and trade barriers and expand regional opportunities for the workers. manufacturers. consumers. farmers. and service providers of all the countries.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1222}
{"speech_id":1090060761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today the President and countless others will be sending their condolences to the people of Egypt For the second time in less than a week. they have suffered a loss at the hands of terrorists. this time in Sharm elSheik. the site of the historic peace conference between Israel and the Palestinians that have led to the quiet period and the hope for a Palestinian state and for two peoples living side by side once and for all in peace. It is amazing to me that Iraqs first Arab ambassador came from Egypt. and yet this body seems to be always in doubt about whether or not Egypt is our ally. whether or not military support is necessary for this largest Arab nation anywhere in the world. I believe today after the assassination of their ambassador in Iraq. after the attacks in Sharm elSheik. after so many times Egypt has been there for us and paid a price. we should reflect on this special relationship and be glad that this Arab nation is there for us in our time of need.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090060843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform. I am pleased to Join my colleague in the consideration of S. 571. legislation designating a postal facility. in Brooklyn. New York. after the late Shirley Chisholm. This measure. which was introduced by Senator Charles Schumer of New York on March 9. 2005. was unanimously passed by the Senate on July 29. 2005. An identical bill. H.R. 1208. has been introduced by a Democrat in the House. the gentleman from New York","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":543}
{"speech_id":1090060844,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate the legacy of my predecessor and mentor. the Honorable Shirley A. Chisholm. In order to provide her community with an enduring testament to her name. S. 571. and its companion bill. H.R. 1209. will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1915 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. New York. as the \"Congresswoman Shirley A. Chisholm Post Office Building.\" Mrs. Chisholm was a New York icon and committed public servant. ","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2454}
{"speech_id":1090060844,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She was born in Brooklyn. on November 30. 1924. graduated with honors from Brooklyn College. and earned a Masters degree from Columbia University. She was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). foundqr of the Unity Democratic Club. and Representative in the New York State Assembly (196468). In 1968. Mrs. Chisholm became the first African American woman to be elected to Congress and serve for seven consecutive terms. During her congressional career (196882). Mrs. Chisholm served on the House Education and Labor. Veterans Affairs and Rules Committees. where she passionately advocated for the rights of women. children. and minorities. and staunchly opposed the Vietnam War. In fact. she was unmatched as a voice for social justice. ","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2454}
{"speech_id":1090060844,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mrs. Chisholm was also a founding member of the Congressional Caucus for Womens Issues and the Congressional Black Caucus. and the first African American to seek the nomination of a major political party for President of the United States (1972). Her \"unbought and unbossed\" political style allowed her to make fMends and political alliances on both sides of the aisle. In addition. her lifetime achievements have inspired members of her Brooklyn community. and generations of women and African Americans. to engage in our nations policymaking. We are forever grateful for her trailblazing effort. Mrs. Chisholm was truly one in a million. I am honored to have been part of her Brooklyn political circle and to have worked along side her throughout her political career. In particular. I am thankful for her recommendation of my former chiefofstaff. the late Dr. ","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2454}
{"speech_id":1090060844,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Brenda Pillors. She. like Mrs. Chisholm. was an insightful and innovative force on Capitol Hill and a source of inspiration for me. Mr. Speaker. in light of the accomplishments and contributions of The Honorable Shirley Chisholm. I deem her to be more than worthy of the designation of a post office building in her name.","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2454}
{"speech_id":1090060852,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding me this time. I also thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman TOM DAVIS) and the gentleman from California from the Committee on Government Reform for allowing this bill to be expedited to the floor. Mr. Speaker. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this measure. which represents a great honor for one of my districts finest citizens. a proud and favorite son of South Buffalo. James T. Molloy was born in South Buffalo on June 3. 1936. to Matthew Molloy and Katherine Hayden Molloy. Educated in Buffalos Catholic schools. he followed in his fathers footsteps by working in the grain elevators of Buffalos waterfront and fighting fires as a proud member of the Buffalo Fire Department. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090060852,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through his labor. James T Molloy paid his own way through Canisius College. a great Jesuit institution in western New York. and became a lifelong friend of western New York working families. He was a member of the AFLCIO. the International Brotherhood of Longshoremen and the International Association of Firefighters. After pursuing studies at St. Johns University Law School. James T. Molloy worked as a schoolteacher in the cities of Buffalo and Lackawanna. He also worked in the office of the Erie County District Attorney where he met his wife. Roseann. Jim came to Washington in 1968 at the invitation of New York Congressman John Rooney. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090060852,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During his service in the House -Finance Office. he oversaw the legislative appropriations for the House as they grew from $75 million to $126 million per year. James T. Molloy was elected doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives in 1974 and proudly remained in that post through the 103rd Congress. serving as the primary aide to Speakers Carl Albert. Thomas \"Tip\" ONeill. James Wright. and Tom Foley. In fact. Jim was the last of 30 people to hold the position of doorkeeper from its establishment in 1789 to its elimination in 1995. Within this capacity. he introduced Presidents and numerous heads of state to our august body. He coordinated 71 joint sessions of Congress. as well as many other special events. within this Chamber. Jim also acted as a vital connection between his hometown. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090060852,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"South Buffalo. New York. and Congress. inspiring countless men and women from the Buffalo area to consider careers in public service. James T. Molloys strong relationship with Capitol Hill can still be felt today. He continues to serve as chairman of the board on the WrightPatman Congressional Credit Union. a position he has held for 30 years. Jim has been awarded numerous honors for his lifes work in public service. He has received the Outstanding Citizen Award from the New York State AFLCIO. the Presidents Award from the New York State Federation of Police. the United States Senate Youth Alumni Association Outstanding Service Award. and the Sid Yudain Congressional Staffer of the Year Award from Roll Call. I know that many of my colleagues had the pleasure of serving in this House during Jim Molloys tenure. His strong commitment to our institution makes offering this bill. to name a South Buffalo Post Office after him. both a privilege and an honor. James T. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090060852,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Molloys success has been an inspiration to thousands in my district and throughout all of western New York. I know that many here today will want to join me in saluting James T. Molloy. his wife Roseann. and their daughter Amy in recognition of his invaluable service to this Nation. who was fortunate to have him. and to his hometown of South Buffalo and western New York. who are proud to claim him.","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090060861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide for equitable compensation to the Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation for the use of tribal land for the production of hydropower by the Grand Coulee Dam. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090060873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H. Res. 308 was introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Washington and cosponsored by the gentleman from Kentucky and the gentleman from Tennessee . This resolution recognizes August 13. 2005. as National Marina Day. This resolution acknowledges the significant contributions that marinas provide to so many of our local waterfront communities. There are over 12.000 marinas. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1235}
{"speech_id":1090060873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the United States. and these facilities serve as a place where people who share a passion for the water can come together to enjoy our Nations oceans. lakes and rivers. Marinas also serve as stewards of the environment and actively seek to protect the waterways that surround them. Many Members of this body represent districts in which recreational boating plays an important role in the lives of many of our constituents. and marinas provide an easy access point for citizens who wish to enjoy our Natiofis coasts and waterways. This resolution highlights the importance of marinas and their role in promoting recreational boating and in connecting people to the water. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1235}
{"speech_id":1090060917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize a youlng lady from my district who is inspiring her peers to live a healthy lifestyle. Elevenyearold Madison Newberry of Lewisville. North Carolina was just like any other kid at Lewisville Elementary School. except that she was never able to fit into a pair of jeans. Madison is one of approximately 15 percent of American children who are overweight. Yet Madison grew tired of wearing stretch pants. And when her doctor told her she had high cholesterol. she knew it was time to make a lifestyle change. Madison lost 15 pounds by switching to a healthy diet and exercising. In April of 2004. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1305}
{"speech_id":1090060917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Subway chose Madison to appear in two nationally televised commercials as part of its childhood obesity prevention campaign. Then in July. 2004. she marched in Washington with Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle to help kick off the restaurants national childhood obesity program. Obesity among young Americans is a serious problem that can have serious ramifications in the long run. The number of kids affected by obesity has tripled since 1980. and this can be traced in large part to lack of exercise and a healthy diet. I am proud of Madison Newberry for serving as a positive role model to other kids and look forward to seeing more of her peers follow in.her footsteps.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1305}
{"speech_id":1090060990,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman from Colorados leadership. The key point. many of them that he made. was that Americas agricultural community is so strongly behind this trade agreement. There are nearly 70 ag associations around America who are supporting this. In fact. the American Farm Bureau Federation believes that we will sell almost $1.5 billion more ag products each year to Central America. That is our beef. that is our chicken. that is our pork. our corn. our milk. our potatoes. you name it. at a time when a lot of the world is closed to Americas ag products. E 2100 We have got the most productive agcommunity in the world. but if we keep making things cheaper and faster and better but do not have anyone to sell it to. the price just goes down. We want those \"American need not apply\" signs to be torn up all throughout this world. give our ag community a chance to compete. Watch what we will sell around the world. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1590}
{"speech_id":1090060990,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we ought to start with Central America. a neighbor. a proven neighbor. who cannot only buy our goods and services but is easy to ship to and in the process we are going to continue to help those six countries into stronger democracies. a stronger rule of law. It is truly a winwin situation. I appreciate the gentlemans leader.ship. As a business person. the gentleman from Colorado knows what small businesses and small farmers and small communities have to go through to compete. and giving them a level playing field is good for Colorado and good for America as well. With that. Mr. Speaker. I would like to yield to the gentleman from Texas","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1590}
{"speech_id":1090060994,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from Texas on national security and on our Armed Forces and today in support of our American Texas farmers and businesses as we partner up with Central America. and I appreciate the gentleman very much.","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":280}
{"speech_id":1090061000,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman from California speaking about this issue. because opponents to CAFTA say that does not matter. It would help our trade deficit if we just ignored selling all of our products to Central America. I do not understand how it helps our trade deficit to turn down 44 million new customers. in all of the ag. in technology and small business and manufacturing trade that we have and want to sell to. I would ask the gentleman. how does that help our trade deficit to turn down a growing country and all of those new customers?","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":560}
{"speech_id":1090061001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. obviously. it does not help our trade deficit. it makes it worse. As the gentleman is pointing out. if we lose that. and the gentleman has pointed this out. there are other countries that are seeking to take these markets. China is working very diligently to take these markets. and we cannot allow this to happen. So it is imperative that we move. and we look to be having a vote this week. that we win and we have a big win in this very important area of trade..","speaker_name":"WALTER HERGER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":470}
{"speech_id":1090061008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much for his excellent statement. It is now my pleasure to yield to another colleague who comes across the country from the gentleman from North Dakota . about as far east as you can get from the Dakotas. I think. the gentleman from Maine","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090061010,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much for his eloquent statement. Mr. Speaker. I have had the opportunity tonight to listen to an hour that was presided over by my colleague on the Committee on Ways and Means on the majority side. the gentleman from Ohio . and his fellow Republicans and the statements of my colleagues on the Democratic side. It has been refreshing in this sense. that we have talked about the issues. I very much disagree with the statements. of the gentleman from Ohio and others. and I will get to that. but at least we have been talking about issues. In the last few days. when it comes to CAFTA. that is not what the administration or the Republican majority have been doing. Instead. we have learned about a number of deals that have been cut. one of them relating to dams and locks in return for a vote. or if not in return. that being taken into account if the vote was cast. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11483}
{"speech_id":1090061010,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have heard the administration make statements regarding fabrics. regarding apparel and textiles. They have made commitments that they cannot on their own keep. And if history is any judge. they are unlikely to do so. They have made a commitment. for example. regarding pockets and linings. essentially reopening the agreement. saying that they are going to secure that change. However. the truth of the matter is it would take action by this Congress to do that. and not under Fast Track. and also there would have to be agreement by the six DRCAFTA countries. Regarding a provision of concern to Nicaragua. the administration has made some statement that Nicaragua will more or less back off. However. it is only for Nicaragua to make that statement. And then there has been the same process regarding sugar in order to try to win some votes from people who object to the provisions on sugar. There have been statements about some adjustments that will be made or some further actions that will be taken. Again. they are not in the agreement. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11483}
{"speech_id":1090061010,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is nothing that this administration can really say that it can be assured of producing. Oh. and then I guess it was today I read about discussions relating to agricultural shipments to Cuba and some bargaining back and forth between some of the Members of this Congress and the administration regarding that. So while I very much disagree with the statements in almost every case made by the majority regarding CAFTA. in a way they were talking about issues and they were not talking about bait being offered for people to cast their vote. I want to talk about what is really. as I see it. and my colleagues in so many cases see it. as the overriding issue. Why are so many of us who have worked for expanded trade. who have helped to shape trade agreements opposed to this agreement? There are economic aspects. and one can argue them various ways. I suggest that they be kept to the economic data in perspective. One estimate is that in terms of GDP. the impact of CAFTA on the U.S. would be less than onefifth of 1 percent. As to Central American countries. there is evidence on all sides of the issue. including dislocation. that would occur. But. again. I want to talk about the larger issue. and that is where globalization is today and where it is going. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11483}
{"speech_id":1090061010,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because here - at CAFTA. globalization is at a crossroads. and that is why so many of us who have worked for expanded trade feel that we needed to take a hard look to judge whether this agreement was going to shape globalization so. as was put by President Clinton some years ago. it would level up. not level down. I think the basic assumption of many proponents of CAFTA is. well. that does not really matter because trade is winwin. that there is no possible loss. that trade inevitably works out for everybodys benefit. But for those of us who. I say. have worked and often worked very hard and successfully to shape expanded trade the right way. we believe this does it the wrong way. that you need to shape trade agreements so it is not a race to the bottom. And that is why the issues relating to worker rights are so important. That is what this basic issue is really all about. This is why Central America. Dominican Republic and CAFTA. matter so much in terms of where trade is going. Regarding the CAFTA countries. we are now talking about countries in a region that has. Latin America. the worst income distribution of any region in the world. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11483}
{"speech_id":1090061010,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are talking about within most of the countries immense maldistribution of income. We are talking about immense poverty. There is a weak middle class in most of the countries. It was interesting to read a Wall Street Journal article just a week ago. The headline was: \"In Latin America. RichPoor Chasm Stifles Growth.\" and I quote: \"Because of an abundance of natural resources and a large indigenous population. Latin American nations group up relying on raw materials. cheap manual labor to exploit them. and low government taxation. The system concentrated land ownership and wealth in a few hands. deprived governments of money to spend on education and other incentives. and essentially ordered the incentives for the elite to invest not in human capital or technology. Latin America has also historically relied on monopolies and franchises. leaving few opportunities for entrepreneurs to advance through hard work and innovation.\" If you look at the history of trade agreements. there has been an effort to begin to have them relate to workers. to take into account the capital of workers as well as financial capital. And so in recent years. we had agreements. ","speaker_name":"SANDER LEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11483}
{"speech_id":1090061068,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am a big supporter of CTR. I happened to be in the room on the day CTR was bornby Sam Nunn. I will never forget it. I have followed the program. I have been a supporter I think there is quite a bit9of funding in this budget for CTR right now. I point out. if the Senator is persuaded by the fact that CTR needs the money more than the missile programand I will argue the point strenuously that is not the casethere is quite a bit of money. We are way into the 2005 cycle. As a matter of fact. September is on the horizon. So I hope the Senator could carefully research that point. come back. and if I am in error. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1325}
{"speech_id":1090061068,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would certainly like to hear his views. I point out the current bill is consistent with the Presidents program that allocated $50 million toward this next tranche of the longlead. cumulative money for groundbased interceptors. If you take $30 million out of the $50 million. I assure you. that does considerable disruption to the production line. Then I point out the amount available for construction of associated silos. reduced by $20 million: I wonder if you might take the chance to check on the fact that the Presidents budget in this bill only allocates $13.5 million. to the initial construction of the associated silos. and therefore your $20 million is considerably in excess of the $13.5 million.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1325}
{"speech_id":1090061093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The other amendment has a new number. We have talked about it before. It is the U.S.-China Commission amendment. It is now No. 1476. It is my intention to make a few comments about these two and then to ask for the yeas and nays. We would like to get to a vote on these amendments by tonight. First. the amendment concerning the ICRC. I simply want to clarify some peoples thinking that the ICRC is not the American Red Cross. This is the International Committee on the Red Cross. It has no relationship to the American Red Cross. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090061093,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My first concern is for American troops. The ICRC has been around since 1863 and has been there for American soldiers. sailors. airmen. and marines throughout two world wars. I thank them for that work. Likewise and moreover. I thank all Americans for military service to America. I did have occasion to be in the U.S. Army. It was the best thing that ever happened in my life. In my continuing preeminent concern for American troops. however. I am compelled to note some concerns and pose some questions about a drift in focus of the ICRC away from its core principles in its mission statement. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090061093,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. I fear the ICRC may be harming the morale of* our American troops by unjustified allegations that detainees and prisoners are not being properly treated. For example. an ICRC official visited Camp Bucca. a theater internment facility for enemy prisoners that is. as of January 2005. being operated by the 18th Military Police Brigade and Task Force 134. near Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. As of late January 2005. the facility had a holding capacity of 6.000 prisoners but only held 5.000. These prisoners were being supervised by 1.200 Army MPs and Air Force airmen. According to the Wall Street Journal. citing a Defense Department source. the ICRC official told U.S. authorities: You people are no better than and no different than the Nazi concentration camp guards. I ask unanimous consent that this entire article be printed in the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks about the ICRC.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090061107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think 10 minutes would be fine. I was going to make. an argument on an amendment that will be presented. I dont know where it is before us. I do have a couple of amendments I would like to propose. I think for the debate on those two amendments and a floor statement. I probably need 10 minutes.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":312}
{"speech_id":1090061144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will briefly describe amendment No. 1426. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation. That amendment one that I described at some length on Friday. It has to do with the joint inquiry of the two Intelligence Committees into the terrorist attacks of September 11. 2001. It has to do with the 28 pages in this joint inquiry that have been redacted and classified as top secret. The American people should see these 28 pages. The chairman and the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee at the time said they believe the American people should see these 28 pages. The Government of Saudi Arabia said the American people deserve to see these 28 pages. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10254}
{"speech_id":1090061144,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This book went to the White House for publication. The White House redacted it and classified it as top secret. I have read the 28 pages. My colleagues have had an opportunity to read them. My former colleague from Florida. who was chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. described the question of whether the hijackers on 9\/11and 15 of the 19 were Saudi citizenswhether the hijackers received support from foreign interests and. if so. what kind of support. which foreign interests. The American people have a right to see this. I hope the Senate will finally vote on asking the President to declassify these pages and give the American people the right to understand what is in those 28 pages. Again. the chairman of the Intelligence Committee and the ranking member. a Republican and a Democrat. believed at the time those 28 pages should not have been classified. I will now turn to amendment No. 1429. It deals with waste. fraud. and abuse in contracting in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10254}
{"speech_id":1090061144,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it deals especially with Halliburton. but not exclusively with Halliburton. I have offered this amendment previously as well. It is unbelievable to me the billions and billions of dollars being spent. A substantial portion of it is being wasted. We know that. and yet no one seems to care or do much about it. Let me show some charts. if r may. This is a chart of someone who testified before a policy committee hearing I held. This fellowyou cannot see his facethis fellow in the blue striped shirt testified. He was in Iraq when this picture was taken. This is Saranwrapped bundles of 100dollar bills. some millions of dollars- in 100dollar bills. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10254}
{"speech_id":1090061144,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He said in this particular area they often played football with these Saranwrapped bundles of 100dollar bills. What was he doing with bundles of 100dollar bills? The area where this cash was stored. subcontractors in Iraq were told: Bring a bag because we pay in cash. bring a bag. Show up here and want to get paid for whatever you are doing? Bring a bag because we pay in cash. Let me talk for a moment about the five hearings we held. We heard about cash transactions that were unrecorded. $9 billion that was unaccounted for. \"Uncle Sam Looks into Meal Bills: Halliburton Refunds $27 Million as Result. \" A company that was a Saudi subcontractor doing business through Halliburton billed the Government for 42.000 meals a day. but they only served 14.000 meals to our troops. Let me say that again. They were charging the Government for 42.000 meals served every day to our troops. they were only serving 14.000 meals. This was not the first time Halliburton has been questioned about this. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10254}
{"speech_id":1090061144,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This was in February 2004. Also in February 2004. \"Halliburton Faces Criminal Investigation.\" They focus on efforts to solicit bids that transport fuel to Baghdad. Prices Halliburton charged for that work were substantially higher than the cost of trucking in fuel from Turkey. Pentagon launches criminal investigation for possible fraud. \"ExHalliburton Workers Allege Rampant Waste.\" Said one employee: They did not control costs at all. Their motto was do not worry about costs. It is cost plus. Henry Buntingwho testified. incidentally. before one of our Policy Committee hearingssaid that they spent $7.500 a month to rent ordinary vehicles. cars and trucks. when the vehicles could have been rented for less than $2.000 a month through the Internet. He also held up some towels. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10254}
{"speech_id":1090061177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I read from the letter: We strongly support your proposed amendments to the Defense Department Authorization bill concerning detainee policy. including requiring all interrogations of detainees in DOD custody to conform to the U.S. Armys Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation (FM 3452). and prohibiting the use of torture and cruel. inhuman and degrading treatment by any U.S. government agency. It is now apparent that the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo and elsewhere took place in part because our men and women in uniform were given ambiguous instructions. which in some cases authorized treatment that went beyond what was allowed by the Army Field Manual. Administration officials confused matters further by declaring that U.S. personnel are not bound by longstanding prohibitions of cruel treatment when interrogating nonU.S. citizens on foreign soil. As a result. we suddenly had one set of rules for interrogating prisoners of war. and another for \"enemy combatants.\" one set for Guantanamo. and another for Iraq. one set for our military. and another for the CIA. Our service members were denied clear guidance. and left to take the blame when things went wrong. They deserve better than that. The United States should have one standard for interrogating enemy prisoners that is effective. lawful. and humane. Fortunately. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090061177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"America already has the gold standard in the Army Field Manual. Had the Manual been followed across the board. we would have been spared the pain of the prisoner abuse scandal. It should be followed consistently from now on. And when agencies other than DOD detain and interrogate prisoners. there should be no legal loopholes permitting cruel or degrading treatment. This is signed by GEN Joseph Hoar. LTG Robert Gard. LTG Claudia Kennedy. MG Melvyn Montano. RADM Don Guter. RADM John Hutson. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090061177,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"BG David Brahms. BG James Cullen. BG Evelyn Foote. BG David Irvine. BG Richard OMeara. et cetera. and all of these people. including General Hoar. served as Commander in Chief United States Central Command. These are very credible people. If we had chosen. we could have gotten many more signatories to this amendment. We are Americans. We hold ourselves to humane standards of treatment no matter how terribly evil or awful they may be. To do othQrwise undermines our security. and it also undermines our greatness as a nation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090061177,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are not simply any other country. We stand for a lot more than that in the world: a moral mission. one of freedom and democracy and human rights at home and abroad. We are better than the terrorists. and we will win because we are better than they are. The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They dont deserve our sympathy. But this is not about who they areit is not about who they are. It is about who we are. These are values that distinguish us from our enemies. President Bush understands that the war on terror is ultimately a battle of ideas. a battle we will win by spreading and standing firmly for the values of decency. democracy. and the rule of law. I stand with him in this commitment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090061177,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By applying to ourselves the basic standards we rightly preach to others. I believe we will only increase our effectiveness as the worlds ultimate champion of liberty. I thank Senator WARNER and Senator GRAHAM and others who have shown an interest. Senator WARNER has had a series of hearings for a long period of time. I believe we can do a great service for the military and for the country if we adopt this simple twoparagraph amendment that basically says that prisoners will be treated according to the Army Field Manual. which. by the way. is the tradition of treatment of prisoners for many wars. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090061191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if I could reply to my good friend. you are absolutely right. And I know that chapter as you do and have studied it. But under the law. the Secretary of Defense is still the head of the Department. and as such I suppose he can alter the field manual of the Army and make it less in the present form and in the revised form in due course. But I think it is important we have a clear chain of authority and accountability. I look up the chain. and there are the laws established by the Secretary of Defense as opposed to those who might be involved in drawing up the Army Field Manual. I presume the Secretary of the Army is at the top of that pyramid. But that is the reason I put in this amendment. I say to my good friend from Arizona. I hope we can sort this out before final passage and possibly amend it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1041}
{"speech_id":1090061191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will withdraw mine because I want you to take the lead in every respect on this important amendment. If I might add. I say to my friend from Arizona. there is another important amendment you needed to get completed.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1041}
{"speech_id":1090061202,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first of all. I congratulate Senator MCCAIN. I do not think there is anybody in this body who speaks with greater authority on the subject matter he has spoken to in this amendment. I commend him for the distinction he is making. It is a critical distinction. In addition to the fact that the field manual is there for everybody to see and has historic meaning. the difference between the McCain amendment and the one which was offered by the Senator from Virginiaanother differenceis that the field manual is a public document. You can read what is in the field manual. The Secretary of Defense memoranda too often have been classified \"unavailable.\" We have been spending sometimes months and years trying to just find out what is in those memoranda. So there is a very important difference between these two amendments in a number of regards. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1514}
{"speech_id":1090061202,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I very much believe that the first amendment. amendment No. 1557. is the way which is most consistent with our values. It makes it very clear. in public. what the authorities are and what the standards and criteria are. The contrast between that and something amorphous. which gives the Secretary of Defense a power he already has anyway. which is to issue regulations but to do so in secret and in a classified way. leads to more vagueness. more uncertainty. more conflict. more inability of Congress to perform oversight. So I commend the Senator from Arizona for this amendment. I believe the differences between these two amendments are significant.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1514}
{"speech_id":1090061259,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. with all due respect to the chairman. I dont think that is going to quite work because the Senator from Alabama needs 10 minutes. And if you are using your 9 and I only have 2. that doesnt get it done. I ask unanimous consent that I have 3 minutes to discuss my amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090061272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are operating under an oiginal 1hour agreement that was modified to give 10 minutes to the Senator from Alabama. I think under the original 1 hour the Senator from Virginia has time and the Senator from South Carolina has time. Would I be correct?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090061397,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator would allow me to ask. is this a modification of the Thune amendment? Is this the Thune amendment? This sounds similar to an amerdment I heard discussed earlier as maybe one that was being suggested or considered by Senator COLLINS. It is not clear to me.-","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":286}
{"speech_id":1090061439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is another very important step forward. drawing on the very profound. remarks made earlier today by our distinguished colleague from Arizona. The three of us have worked together. I want to clarify one aspect because when I looked at the Senators earlier draft. it appeared to me that a military judge being given to an unlawful combatant appearing before an administrative review board would give that individual more due process than accorded a lawful combatant. a.POW. My understanding is the Senators modification now embrades that concern. and I want to make that clear to our colleagues.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":613}
{"speech_id":1090061458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is absolutely right. It uses the terms the Senator has just uttered and makes it a statutory prohibition to engage in that conduct. It takes what the President said. we are going to treat people humanely. gets the Congress involved. and we are putting parameters around what we do with foreign terrorists. noncitizens. We can interrogate them. but we are not going to change who we are as a people. and the interrogators tell us that the Army Field Manualas we were down there a week agogives them all the tools they need to aggressively pursue the interrogations. You really dont get things out of torture. They do not believe it is good practice. to begin with. so you are absolutely right. There will be a prohibition in law as well as rhetoric.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":753}
{"speech_id":1090061490,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under the Survivors Benefit Plan it does. However. there is another part of the law that says survivors shall receive a second benefit. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. to attempt in one small way to make those survivors whole for all the sacrifice their loved one has given. But. no. because of a problem with the current law. they cannot get both. One offsets the other. the long and short of which is that a young widow of a private or corporal or sergeant cant make it with what the U.S. Government is going to give her unless we rectify this inequity in the law.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090061546,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to remember and honor Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel Healy of Exeter. NH for his service and supreme sacrifice for his country. Daniel exhibited a willingness and enthusiasm to serve and defend his country by joining the United States Navy. He was dedicated to a cause much greater than himself. demonstrated by his decision to join the U.S. Navy SEALs. one of. the most challenging. rigorous. and elite fighting organizations in the history of the world. Navy SEALs are named after the environment in which they operate. the Sea. Air. and Land. and are the foundation of Naval Special Warfare combat forces. They are organized. trained and equipped to conduct a vari-. ety of Special Operations missions in all operational environments. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3915}
{"speech_id":1090061546,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SEAL training is extremely demanding. both mentally and physically. and produces the worlds best maritime warriors that live by the motto of \"the only easy day was yesterday.\" Daniel knew that he would be continually challenged and surely would face dangerous assignments when he signed up for this premier fighting organization. He was a stellar example of todays elite warriors that are upholding the values of freedom and democracy around the world. Daniel graduated from Exeter High School in 1986. and answered the call to serve our great Nation when he enlisted in the Navy on June 5. 1990. He attended Basic Underwater Demolition\/ SEAL School and Basic Airborne School from 19911992. and then was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE for four years. After attending a year of extensive language training in California. Daniel was assigned to SEAL Delivery Team TWO in 1998 and was most recently stationed in Pearl Harbor. HI. again with SEAL Delivery Team ONE. Daniel dutifully and confidently led a training platoon in submerged delivery vehicles. He was deployed to the Middle East in March of 2005. for what should have been a sixmonth tour. Tragically. on June 28. 2005. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3915}
{"speech_id":1090061546,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Daniel made the ultimate sacrifice for this great Nation. Daniel and 16 other service members were killed while conducting combat operations when the MH47 helicopter that they were aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad. Afghanistan in Kumar Province. Throughout his career. Daniel earned a series of awards which testify to the dedication and devotion he held for his fellow SEALS. the Navy. and his country. Daniels hard work and peiseverance contributed greatly to his units successes and placed him among many of the great heroes and citizens that have paid the ultimate price for their country. Daniel was recognized throughout his distinguished career by receiving the Navy\/Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Joint Meritorious Unit Award. Meritorious Unit Commendation. three Good Conduct Medals. and three National Defense Service Medals. He also attended the Basic Airborne School and was a graduate of language training at the Defense Language Institute. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3915}
{"speech_id":1090061546,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Monterey. CA. Daniel was truly an exceptional special operations warrior with more than 15 years of service and an unparalleled dedication to serve his county and fellow Navy SEALs. Daniel was also a noble and selfless family man. being a compassionate husband and father of four. He leaves behind a family proud of all that he had * accomplished throughout his distinguished life and career in the military. His valor and service cost him his life. but his sacrifice Will live on forever among the many dedicated heroes this Nation has sent abroad to defend freedom. My condolences and prayers go out to Daniels family. and I offer them my deepest sympathies and most heartfelt thanks for the service. sacrifice. and example of their Navy SEAL. Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel Healy. ie was respected and admired by all those around him. and continually performed above and beyond all expectations while in U.S. Navy. Because of his efforts. the liberty of this country is made more secure.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3915}
{"speech_id":1090061551,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed into law for the purpose of increasing access to .higher education for all citizens of the United States and to strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions to better serve their communities. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act during the 109th Congress presents a powerful opportunity for the Nation to address the higher education needs of our constituencies and it is for this reason that I rise today to introduce the Improving Educational Opportunities for All Act. This bill will make changes to definitions located within title II. teacher quality enhancement grants. and title V. the development institutions sections of the Higher Education Act. When the Higher Education Act was an unnecessary bureaucratic regulareauthorized in 1998. Congress re- tion that constrains Hispanic serving sponded to the Nations critical need institutions abilities to implement profor highquality teachers by creating grams designed to provide long range grants to help States invest in the re- solutions to Hispanic higher education cruitment. preparation. licensing. and challenges. Currently. there are no support of teachers. Title II of the Government authorized means to colHigher Education Act. the teacher lect student financial data. and. alquality enhancement grants initiative. though some information can be exencourages States to improve the qual- trapolated from student financial aid ity of their teaching force through forms. it is not enough information to such reforms as strengthening teacher complete the title V forms. certification standards. holding insti- The bill I am introducing today will tutions of higher education account- improve the HSI eligibility requireable for preparing teachers with strong ments by allowing applicants for title teaching skills and knowledge of their V funding to satisfy the 50 percent lowcontent areas. and reducing shortages income Hispanic student population of qualified teachers in highneed criterion with appropriate evidence of areas. I believe that these grants have student eligibility for title IV. needarea Iey beetve that theetnthe based. aid. The revised title V section been very effective in meeting their will retain the requirement that to be goals. but I also want to make sure eligible for title V funds. an institution that this money is targeted to ourmuthvanerletofedyshigestnee loal ductio agncis. must have an enrollment of needy stuhighest need local education agencies. dents. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6724}
{"speech_id":1090061551,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. rather than condiThe changes I am proposing to title tn g r q ation uondth H o th HiherEduatin At wll ntioning grant qualification upon the II of the Higher Education Act will en- cumbersome requirement that instituhance the definition of high need local tionsove erent thi ispic tions prove 50 percent of their Hispanic education agencies to include local students are low income. it will allow education agencies thast have a high institutions to qualify for title V percentage of students who are minor- money if 50 percent of the students are ity or of limited English proficiency. receiving needbased assistance under residing in rural areas as defined by title IV or a substantial percentage of the Bureau of Census. or have high per- the students are receiving Pell grants. centages of Naive American students. Another unnecessary regulation Nationwide. studies show the most under title V is the minimum 2year disadvantaged children are the ones wait out period after the termination most likely to be taught by the newest. of a grant period before eligibility to leastqualified and lowestscoring apply for another grant. Title Vs 2teachers. We need to attract good year wait out period impedes Hispanic teachers who are committed to their Serving Institutions efforts to impleprofession. and reward teachers who ment continuing programs with long are qualified and want to teach in range solutions to Hispanic higher eduareas of most critical need. We need cation challenges. Eliminating the 2teachers to be wellprepared to teach year wait out period will be of great all students to the highest standards importance to equipping our Nations and I hope that the changes I am pro- Hispanic serving institutions with the posing will help States develop and im- continuous funding that they need to plement programs to meet these needs. best answer complex challenges. In Another positive addition to the 2000. Congress eliminated the wait out Higher Education Act. has been the period for tribally controlled colleges creation of title V grants to developing and universities. Alaskan Native and institutions. Title V of the Higher Edu- Native Hawaiianserving institutions. cation Act is the primary vehicle used Historically Black colleges and univerto target urgently needed funds to His- sities also do not have a wait out pepanic serving institutions. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6724}
{"speech_id":1090061551,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"HSIs. HSIs riod. It is now time for us to eliminate use grants under this section to the wait out period for Hispanic servstrengthen academic quality. improve ing institutions. institutional management. and in- Hispanic serving institutions provide crease financial stability. These grants the quality education essential to full are essential to institutions that pro- participation in todays society. Many vide and increase the number of edu- students in my home State of New cational opportunities available to His- Mexico have benefited from the acapanic students. demic excellence that Hispanic serving Undet current guidelines. in order to institutions seek to provide. Title V qualify for a grant under title V. an in- grants are intended to provide assiststitution must. have at least 25 percent ance to these less advantaged. develfull time. Hispanic undergraduate stu- oping institutions. However. by convodent enrollment. and not less than 50 luting the application process. Conpercent of its Hispanic student popu- gress is preventing these institutions lation must be low income. Title V from applying for grants and obstructgrants are awarded for 5 years. with a ing their development. minimum 2year wait out period after. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6724}
{"speech_id":1090061551,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know that the chairman and rankthe termination of a grant period be- ing member of the Health. Education. fore eligibility to apply for another Labor and Pensions committee have grant. been working very hard on the reauThe first change I am proposing is a thorization of the Higher Education change to title Vs current \"50 per- -Act. I appreciate their efforts. and hope cent\" lowincome assurance require- they will consider making the changes ment. I believe that this requirement is I am recommending. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6724}
{"speech_id":1090061568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this evening the Senate will agree to a resolution expressing. our condolences to the people of Egypt for the deadly terrorist attacks that swept the resort of Sharm elSheik this past weekend. Hundreds were injured. and probably when it is all over. more than 100 will have died after terrorists detonated four large bombs in a crowded hotel in this seaside resort. Among the dead was an American. Kristina Miller. of Las Vegas. NV. Kristina was a daughter of Nevada and a citizen of the world. A 1996 graduate of Durango High School. Kristina was remembered. by her friends as goodhearted. popular. and always adventurous. She was in London on July 7 when the terrorists struck the mass transit system of London. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1392}
{"speech_id":1090061568,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She survived those attacks unscathed and decided to go to Egypt. on vacation when these tragic attacks occurred at the resort she chose to go to. Acts of terror. such as that which took her life. are a tragedy no matter where they occur. but the loss of one of our own spreads personal sadness across Nevada and the entire country. They also generate a sense of resolve and solidarity to hunt down and to bring to justice the thugs responsible for these heinous acts. I am glad the Senate will speak with one voice in condemning these barbaric acts. and I personally extend my deepest sympathy to the victims. especially the family and friends of Kristina Miller.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1392}
{"speech_id":1090061634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we come back for a final week before our recess with a number of important items. many of which are the culmination of many months of work. It will be a challenging week in order to accommodate the range of issues. I will mention a number of those that will be addressed. I do hope all of our colleagues will consider the importance of addressing each of these and doing it in. a timely way that respects peoples schedules and gets us out at the end of this week. It is going to be a real challenge. but it can clearly be accomplished if we all work together in a collegial and civil way as we go. This morning we will resume debate on the Defense authorization bill. Under the order. there will be 20 minutes remaining for debate to be used on the Collins and Lautenberg amendments on contracts. Following that time. we will proceed to a series of votes. We will be voting on the Collins amendment. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2067}
{"speech_id":1090061634,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Following that. we will vote in relation to the Lautenberg amendment. Following that. we will vote in relation to a Boy Scouts amendment. That will be followed by a cloture vote on the pending Defense authorization. If cloture is invoked. we will stay on the Defense bill until that is completed. something I am very hopeful we will be able to do shortly. If cloture is not invoked. we would proceed to a cloture vote with respect to the motion to proceed to the gun manufacturers liability bill which we also will address this week. These cloture votes will allow the Senate to complete these two important measures. In addition to that. we have a number of additional items. including the conference report on energy. the conference report on highways. and then there are a number of appropriations conference reports that may become available in addition to these measures. We are looking at the issue on Native Hawaiians and a death tax issue. We have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time. We clearly will be working through Friday of this week and. if it means going into the weekend to complete the Work. we are prepared to do that.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2067}
{"speech_id":1090061660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me raise an issue and ask a question. We have spent time in this Chamber trying to address an immediate shortfall in veterans health care funding. Senator MURRAY has brought this to our attention. We have yet to see this. resolved. We have gone back and forth about whether we are going to provide adequate funds now for our veterans. Is it not true that one of the amendmentsand I know this is true because I offered an amendment that would address this situation long termwhere instead of coming back and forth constantly trying to figure out whether we are going to have the veterans funding year to year so our veterans do not stand in lines. wait months to see a doctor. and not receive what they need. isnt it also the understanding of the Democratic leader that my amendment that would address permanently the issue of veterans funding. therefore guaranteeing that when our brave men and women come home from the wars. end their service. and become veterans. that they would be assured we will keep our promise to them as it relates to full funding of veterans health care. is it the Senators understanding that this amendment would also fall. we would not have the opportunity to address this issue in this bill?","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1239}
{"speech_id":1090061810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in strong opposition to S. 397. the socalled Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Like its predecessor which the Senate soundly rejected last year. this bill is one of the most bla.tant special interest giveaways that I have seen during my time in the Senate. At a time when more than 7.5 million Americans are unemployed and our Nation faces a deficit of $333 billion. war in Iraq and Afghanistan. inadequate homeland security funding. and now a Supreme Court vacancy. to me the Republican leadership choosing to devote our precious time to a bill that would deny victims of gun violence their day in court and protect the gun industry is a travesty. The gun lobby argues that this legislation would put an end to frivolous lawsuits that claim gun companies should be liable simply because their guns are used in crimes. In fact. the bill would bar virtually all negligence and product liability cases in State and Federal courts while throwing out pending cases as well as preventing future cases. The bill would provide this sweeping immunity to gun dealers. gun manufacturers. and even trade associations. Interestingly. the NRA modified the bill so that this year they dont appear to be granting themselves legal immunity as they did the last time around. Thetrack record for this bill in the last two Congresses has. thankfully. been one of failure. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11377}
{"speech_id":1090061810,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can only assume that the gun lobby is hoping that the third time will be the charm. The gun lobby and its allies in Congress had to abandon their effort to pass similar legislation in the 107th Congress. after the Washington area sniper attacks terrorized an entire region. Then last year. in one of the more bizarre twists in recent Senate history. the National Rifle Association instructedthe Republican leadership to kill the bill after a majority of Senators voted to add reasonable gun safety measures--to require background checks at gun shows. renew the assault weapons ban. and require child safety locks to be sold with handguns. It is a good thing that the Senate defeated this bill because it would have thrown out the civil lawsuits filed by the families of the victims of the sniper attacks. even though the Washington State gun dealer who had the Bushmaster sniper rifle in his inventory could not account for that weapon or more than 230 others. Instead. the families of the victims won a $2.5 million settlement from Bulls Eye Shooter Supply and Bushmaster. the assault weapons maker who negligently supplied Bulls Eye despite its abysmal record of missing guns and regulatory violations. At the heart here is not activist courts making law. The heart of this is people who have been harmed by weapons. innocent people. people such as the victims of the Washington snipersomeone walking to their car from the Home Depot and being shot and killed. a bus driver waiting to take his rouids in the morning. having a cup of coffee. reading the paper. with a wife and children at home. shot by snipers. Where did they get those weapons? They got them through the negligence of a licensed gun dealer. This legislation would effectively prevent those families from recovering damages. compensation for the loss of a husband and father. the loss of a wife. This is not about activist judges making law. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11377}
{"speech_id":1090061810,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is about shutting the doors to the courts of America. mostly State courts. to prevent* those who have been harmed by the negligence of others to be made whole. That is what this is about. That is why it is so wrong. With respect to the sort of activism of public policymaking. we all recognize in this body that Federal law is one aspect. but State law is also important. In fact. most tort law is based upon State law. State assemblies make up State laws. They decide causes of action. They decide defenses. They do a lot of those things in conjunction with litigation in their courts. This legislation preempts all 50 States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11377}
{"speech_id":1090061810,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This says to the State of Georgia. the State of Alabama. the State of Rhode Island. the State of Michigan. you cant have the ability of your citizens to go to court. Even if you believe it is appropriate and right in your State courts. we are preempting you. That is also wrong. In addition to the monetary settlement for the victims of the families that were the victims of the snipers. in the settlement. Bushmaster agreed to inform its dealers of safer sales practices that should prevent other criminals from obtaining guns. something Bushmaster had never done before. What you have is a situation of negligence. and this negligence can extend not only from the dealer but to the manufacturer. This legislation not only would deny the right of a victim to come forward and ask for compensation. but also to reform the system. We have to recognize. too. that there are elaborate rules for the governance of weapons and firearms and tobacco. an agency of the Federal Government. But this is one industry that is virtually not subject to any product liability. any consumer product safety rules. any other type of regulation. This legislation would undercut ways in which a court could do justice. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11377}
{"speech_id":1090061810,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because the Senate rejected this legislation last year. these victims and their families had their day in court. and at least one manufacturers commercial practices were improved in ways that benefit all Americans. What could be more helpful to all of us if a manufacturer takes the time and the effort. appropriately. to inform his dealers about appropriate practices in selling weapons. about avoiding selling weapons to those people who might be trafficking in weapons. avoiding selling weapons to those people who might be irresponsible and reckless in the use of those weapons? That can only benefit all of US. But despite all of these things. we find ourselves again in a familiar situation. one in which the NRAs pet project is again being granted a virtually direct. nonstop ticket to the Senate floor. The Senate Judiciary Committee has held no hearings on this legislation. and no committee markups were ever scheduled. The bills supporters knew it would be difficult to withstand the kind of scrutiny that might result in careful. deliberate. and thorough committee hearings. so they brought it straight to the Senate floor. Here we are today. Now it is up to us make sure that there is a full and vigorous debate. including not only amendments to deal directly with aspects of this legislation but also to address other issues with respect to violence in America and gun safety. If we are going to grant blanket legal immunity to the firearms industry. it is imperative that we address inadequacies in other areas with respect to gun safety legislation. Mothers and fathers across America go out of their way every day to protect themselves and their children from harm. How unsettling it must be for these families to think that the gun industry. which is already exempt from Federal product safety regulations that apply to childrens toys. pharmaceuticals. and virtually every other product in this country. may now receive legal protection that no other industry enjoys. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11377}
{"speech_id":1090061816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there still remains a very serious problem and a very serious threat to gun manufacturers in the United States. Sure. a lot of these cases have not been successful because they are so bogus. so contrary to classical rules that a person is not liable for an intervening action done by a criminal. an intervening criminal act. I will add. when I was a U.S. attorney. an individual walked off a veterans hospital grounds and was murdered. They sued the VA hospital for wrongful death. I defended on the theory that the hospital could be liable under certain circumstances. but there was a strong principle of law which I cited that an intervening criminal act is not foreseeable. You are not expected to foresee that someone will take a lawful product and use it to commit a crime or that they would commit a crime. This is a settled legal principle. We are eroding these things and we end up with all kinds of problems. That is one of the things disrupting our legal system. particularly if there is a political cause here. a group of people who absolutely oppose firearms in any fashion. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11155}
{"speech_id":1090061816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mayors in major cities are encouraging these lawsuits and pushing them. We end up with some real problems. * Let me share with our colleagues this letter from Beretta Corporation. It was mailed out in 2005 by Mr. Jeff Reh. general counsel. written to the Vice President of the United States. He says a few weeks ago the District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued a decision supporting a DC statute that those manufacturers of semiautomatic pistols and rifles are held strictly liable for any crime committed in the District with such a firearm. Ithad not been used until the District of Columbia recently filed a lawsuit against the firearm industry in an attempt to hold firearm makers. manufacturers. importers. and distributors liable for the cost of criminal gun misuse in the District. The court of appeals. sitting en banc. dismissed many parts of the case but did rule that: Victims of gun violence can sue firearm manufacturers simply to determine whether. that companys firearm was used in the victims shooting. and if so. they become liable. He goes on to say that such a decision \"will make firearm manufacturers liable for all costs attributed to such shootings. even if the firearm involved was originally sold in a State far from the District of Columbia and to a lawful customer.\" If you sell a gun to somebody in Minnesota and they bring it to DC and some criminal uses it to shoot somebody. the gun manufacturer now becomes liable for that Beretta or Smith & Wesson or whoever made it. They go on to say this decision \"has a likelihood of bankrupting not only Beretta. but every maker of semiautomatic pistols and rifles ince 1991.\" There are hundreds of homicides committed with firearms each year in. DC. and others are injured. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11155}
{"speech_id":1090061816,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And the defendants. under this bill. would have no defense that they originally sold the pistol or rifle to a civilian customer. So they ask that this legislation be supported. Without it. companies like Beretta.. Colt. Smith & Wesson. Ruger. and dozens of others. could be wiped out by a flood of lawsuits emanating from the District. This is not a theoretical concern. The instrument to deprive the United States citizens of the tools through which they enjoyed a second amendment freedom now resta in the hands of trialjawyers in the District. Equally grave. control of the future supply of firearms needed by our fighting forces and law enforcement officials and private citizens throughout the country also rests in the hands of these attorneys. We will seek Supreme Court review of this decision. but the result of a Supreme Court review is not guaranteed. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11155}
{"speech_id":1090061816,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Your help might provide our only chance of survival. It is the principle of the thing we are concerned about. first and foremost. Do we believe that a manufacturer who complied with the law and who sold a gun in Minnesota or in Kansas and sold it lawfully. according to the rules of the State of Alabama or Minnesota and Federal Government rules. and that gun ends up inthe District of Columbia. they now become liable for an intervening criminal act? That is not a principle of law that can be defended. according to justice or fairness. But we are in that mode now of using the courts to effect a political agenda that goes beyond what the Congress and elected representatives are prepared to vote. In effect. it would bankrupt these companies and may be able to prohibit people from even having firearms or certainly denying them a place to go buy a new firearm and ultimately denying them the right to purchase firearms. So that is what we are concerned about. We are not trying to overreach here. We are trying to eliminate this political abuse of the legal system to effect a policy decision not subject to being won in the legislative branch. Under this bill. I think it is very important to note that you can sue gun sellers and manufacturers who violate the law. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11155}
{"speech_id":1090061816,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is crystal clear in the statute that this is so. To start off. one of the first things it says is an action can be brought against a transfererthat is. a sellerof a gun by any party directly harmed by the product of which the transferee is so convicted for violating the law. It also says this in paragraph 2: These are actions that are allowed to be maintained by this legislation and are not constricted.-An action brought against a seller of the gun for negligent entrustment for negligence per se. It is some sort of negligent act that gave the gun to the customer. We will leave it at that. No. 3. an action can be brought against a manufacturer or seller of a qualified product. or gun. who knowingly violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the product when that was the proxi-. mate cause of the injury. such as the 12 guns being sold and mentioned by Senator REED earlier. I suspect that violated a law. It is certainly a violation of the law for a person to knowingly or negligently entrust a gun to someone when they believe or have reason to believe that it is a straw purchase. That would be a violation of the law. You have to produce an ID. sign a statement. say it is your gun. say you have not been convicted of a crime. say you are not a drug addict. where your residence is. and other laws that States and communities may have. such as waiting periods. before you can pick it up. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11155}
{"speech_id":1090061840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. my message to the families of these five outstanding leaders and to all of the Boy Scouts in Alaska and around the world is simple: Please know that the Senate and. indeed. the Nation grieves with you on this very difficult day. I thank you. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":290}
{"speech_id":1090061843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"legislation to make crystal clear that Scouts will be able to participate actively on our military facilities as they have for so many years. Along with Senator REEDa graduate of West Point he isI serve on the board of West Point with him. Senator REED chairs that board. I remember one of the briefings we had about the young people who graduate from West Point and go on to a military career. They said the two groups of graduates that had the highest reenlistment rate. the two groups that made the Army a career in the highest percentage. were children of former military parents and Eagle Scouts. There is some connection there. a connection in terms of duty and honor and commitment to country and to our creator in a way that is special. The Scouts and our military do share some ideals. I thank the Chair for allowing me to share these remarks. I appreciate the Senator from Alaska so much for her tribute to these fine leaders who gave their lives in service to the young men under their supervision. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1028}
{"speech_id":1090061847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. earlier today. Chairman SPECTER of the Senate Judiciary Committee convened a very important hearing addressing one of the host urgent matters confronting our Nation. that is. the need to fix our broken immigration system. I want to speak a few minutes about a proposal that I have made. along with my colleague from Arizona. Senator KYL. together representing two border States. ones that perhaps have the most experience with this issue because of our proximity to the border with Mexico. In summary. this bill strengthens our border enforcement while it comprehensively reforms our immigration system. Unfortunately. the ongoing immigration debate has too often divided Americans of goodwill into two campsthose who are angry and frustrated by our failure to enforce the law. and those who are angry and frustrated that our immigration laws do not reflect reality. I have learned that those two groups. both of whom deeply care about America and are committed to building a system that works. share more in common than they or many other people actually realize. The only groups who benefit from the current system are human smugglers. unscrupulous employers. and others who profit at the expense of people who are trying to come into this country and work through illegal channels. Unfortunately. we know that those channels are being investigated and potentially exploited by those who want to come here to do us harm. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12006}
{"speech_id":1090061847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The reality is we need both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws. It is my opinion that we. in the past. have not devoted the funds. the resources. or the manpower necessary to enforce our immigration laws or to protect our borders. No discussion of reform is possible without a clear commitment toand a substantial escalation ofour efforts to enforce the law.. Over a series of months now. as chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I have come to believe that increased enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. Any reform proposal must both serve our national security and our national economy. It must be capable of securing our country. but it must also be compatible with our growing economy. As I mentioned a moment ago. as chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration. I have worked closely with Senator KYL. who chairs the Terrorism Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. to conduct a thorough review of our Nations immigration laws. We have covered a wide variety of subjects. and we have had the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of experts. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12006}
{"speech_id":1090061847,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"From an analysis of how the immigration system failed on 9\/11. to the role of our neighboring countries in raising living standards in their home countries. our hearings have laid a foundation upon which we have developed a comprehensive solution. one that will not result in yet another immigration crisis some 10 or 20 years down the road. We all know our immigration system has been broken for many years. First. the volume of illegal immigration continues to increase. According to the Pew Hispanic Center. there has been a dramatic increase in illegal immigration since 9\/11. approximately 30% since 2000. That same organization estimates there are approximately 10.3 million illegal aliens in the United States currently. Over the course of the 1990s. the number of illegal aliens increased by half a million a year. almost matching the number of visas that Congress has made available for legal immigrants. Last year alone. the Border Patrol detained roughly 1.1 million aliens who had come across the border. Professionals I have talked with on my travels to Texas and along the border. people whose experience and professionalism I trust. estimate that we are only detaining perhaps one out of every three or one out of every four people who are coming across our borders illegally. Second. and for me the most alarming. is the information that suggests that terrorists and other criminals. including smugglers. are aware of the holes inour system. Theymay beand I am confident that they arelooking at ways to exploit these weaknesses. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12006}
{"speech_id":1090061847,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In recent visits in McAllen. TX. and Laredo. TX. I learned from people who have been long familiar with the movement of people back and forwards across our borders that the nature of illegal immigration has changed dramatically. The number of aliens from noncontiguous countries. sometimes called OTMs--in other words. people from countries other than Mexicohas doubled in the last year alone. Already this year the Department of Homeland Security has apprehended about 100.000 aliens across the southern border who are from noncontiguous countries. While many of these individuals are coming from countries that you would expect. countries in Central and South America. many come from countries that have direct connections with terrorism. For example. we know that the Border Patrol has apprehended at least 400 aliens from countries with direct ties to terrorism. Former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Admiral James Loy. stated that \"entrenched human smuggling networks and corruption in areas beyond our boarders can be exploited by terrorist organizations.\" He went on to state that \"several alQaeda leaders believe operatives can pay their way into the country through Mexico and also believe that illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons.\" I believe the vast majority of the people who come to this country. even those who come outside of our laws. come here for tinderstandable reasons. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12006}
{"speech_id":1090061847,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is. people who have no hope and no opportunity where they live see this. tremendous beacon of opportunity that America represents. and they want to come here to work and provide for their families. At the same time. we have to acknowledge that our porous borders represent a national security vulnerability which can also be exploited by international terrorists. We know the current system benefits smugglers and all too frequently leads to the deaths of immigrants whose only crime was trying to find a better life for themselves and their families. Indeed. the greatest hazard to people who come to this country to find work is the fact that they have to. under current law. resort too often to an illegal entry into the country. They turn their lives over to people who care nothing about them and who are willing to leave them to die under the most extraordinarily bad circumstances. They must work for employers who can exploit them because they know they cant report labor law violations to the authorities. And they suffer criminal acts. such as domestic violence. and they must endure these acts because they believe they cant report the crime to law enforcement. authorities or else they risk deportation. I believe a reform proposal must encourage aliens to participate in the legal process. to live within the law. Ultimately. after they have completed their time of work in this country. most will return home to their countries and to their families and to contribute to their societies in their homeland. And those who decide to live permanently must enter through the legal process. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12006}
{"speech_id":1090061871,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is amazing how we have reached this point in Senate business today. We started this day debating the Department of Defense authorization bill. It is hard to imagine A more important bill for this Senate to consider and conclude this week. We are going to be gone for 4 or 5 weeks. The idea was. we would take the important amendments and decisions to be made about our military. our men and women in uniform. their benefits. their equipment. and make the decision this week before we went home. Then a decision was made by the Republican leadership to interrupt the debate on the Department of Defense authorization bill and move to the pending bill. What is this bill? It is a bill that is characterized as \"the gun industry immunity bill.\" What does it mean? It means that those who are pushiplg for this bill want to carve out one.industry in America and say that the people who run the businesses that make the firearms and sell the firearms cannot be held personally responsible for their wrongdoing. Thats right. If you and I get in an automobile going home from work. are negligent in our driving the car in any respect. and there is an accident. we are held personally responsible. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11256}
{"speech_id":1090061871,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the business down the street from where you live sells a product that is defective or dangerous. the person who owns the business. the person who made the product can be held personally responsible. It is really part of life that we are responsible for our wrongdoing. The legal system of America says even people who are powerless have their day in court to hold accountable the businesses and people who have been guilty of wrongdoing. Now comes to the floor the proposal by the Republican leadership that we take one industry in America and say that it cannot be held personally responsible for its wrongdoing. Why in the world would we be doing this? How powerful must the group be that pushes through the legislation that says they will be treated as an exception in the whole American body of law? You know the group. They are well known. The gun lobby. the National Rifle Association. They are so powerful that they pushed the Senate away from the Department of Defense authorization bill in the middle of a war. Think about that. How could you move the Senate from considering a bill to help the men and women in uniform in the middle of a war? The only way you can do it is if you are a powerful lobby that snaps and Senators jump. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11256}
{"speech_id":1090061871,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what this is all about. Before we adjourn at the end of the week. the Republican leadership wants to make certain that if we cant keep our word to our troops in the field. we keep our word to the lobbyists downtown for the gun lobby. We carve out a piece of American law and say they cannot be held personally responsible. Their businesses cant be held responsible for wrongdoing. - Is it because there is some huge problem in the gun industry? Are there businesses that sell guns that are about to go bankrupt because of all the lawsuits that are being filed against them? Not at all. Listen to this. On June 29. 2005. the huge American gunmaker Smith & Wesson said in a press release: We expect net product sales for fiscal year 2005 to be approximately 124 million dollars.. a 5 percent increase over the $117.9 million reported for the last fiscal year. Firearms sales for the next fiscal year are expected to increase by approximately 11 percent over the last year. Then March of 2005. Smith & Wesson also said: In the nine months ended January 31. 2005. we incurred $4.535 in legal defense costs. net of amounts received from insurance carriers relative to product liability and municipal litigation. Four thousand five hundred thirtyfive dollars? Does that sound like a crisis in the gun industry that would cause. us to move away from considering the Department of Defense authorization bill? Listen to this from another gunmaker. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11256}
{"speech_id":1090061871,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. March 11. 2005. from the gunmaker Sturm. Ruger: It is not probable and is unlikely that litigation. incjluding punitive damage claims. will have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the company. These companies are doing very well. They are making a lot of money. They are selling a lot *of guns. They arent being sued. It isnt costing them a heck of a lot of money when they are sued. Why are we doing it? Why would we give this unprecedented sweeping immunity to any industry in America. let alone an industry that makes firearms? This bill closes the courthouse doors to victims with legitimate lawsuits. It says: If you are a victim of a gun dealer or a gun manufacturer who sold a gun in commerce. where they might have known or should have known that it was going to be used for bad purposes. you cant go to the courthouse. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11256}
{"speech_id":1090061871,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The door is closed. Sorry. That is the way it is going to be. The gun industry is going to be treated like royalty. They are above the law. During the debate on this bill during the last Congress. the supporters said a lot of cases about.victims were frivolous. We were told all these companies were on the verge of bankruptcy. None of that turned out to be true. Two highprofile cases settled. These settlemdnts would not have occurred had this bill been enacted last year. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11256}
{"speech_id":1090061874,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yes. Mr. President. we have had a long discussion today about the legislation. I think some of the points the Senator from Illinois made are very pertinent. First. there is the erroneous presumption that people who would be sued would be sued because of the actions of others. when in fact the negligent suits lie in showing that first an individual had a duty to someone elsea victimand that duty was not fulfilled. Essentially. that is the essence of negligence. If you cannot show that. you cannot get into court. This is not about somebody being punished or imposed upon for the actions of others. It goes right to the actions of the individualsthe seller. manufacturer or. in this case. trade associations. There is a perception also. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7091}
{"speech_id":1090061874,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think. that has been given that the legislation as drafted actually provides exceptions that will cover the meritorious suits. the ones that should be before the court and eliminate the frivolous suits. In fact. that is not the case. As Senator DURBIN pointed out in the situation with respect to the Washington. DC snipers. there a gun dealer in Washington State was grossly negligent. He had 230 unaccounted for weapons and they should have been accounted for. He allowed a teenage boy to walk in and pick up a sniper rifle off the counter and walk out and didnt know it was missing until itwas discovered to be the weapon of the assassins here in Washington. DC. That suit would have been barred by this legislation if it had passed. The two police officersLemongello and his partnerresponded to a call and they were in a shootout. They were seriously hurt. both of them. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7091}
{"speech_id":1090061874,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It turns out that the criminal firing that gun got it from a gun trafficker who walked into a store. a gun dealership. with another woman as a straw purchaser and acquired 12 weapons for cash and walked out the door. In fact. they were so obvious that the gun dealer called ATF and said he sold them the weapons. but watch out for them. which is negligent to me. Both cases were settled. Those cases would be thrown out. The lives of all of the families in Washington. DC. have already been totally changed because of the loss of their loved ones. Conrad Johnson was a bus driver. waiting to go on his bus run. and he was shot. leaving a wife and children. They would have been out of luck because they could not have brought a suit like this. And there were others. We all lived in fear ourselves. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7091}
{"speech_id":1090061874,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We drove around here looking over our shoulders wondering whether the assassins were out here in Washington. DC. One woman who was an employee of the FBI and was walking in the parking lot of Home Depot in suburban Virginia was shot. Those families. those victims. could not have come to the court of justice if this bill passed. There are other suits that are pending today. There is a case in Massachusetts. where a young man. Danny Guzman.. an innocent bystander. was shot and killed in front of a nightclub in Worcester. Six days later. police recovered a 9 mm Kahr Arms handgun without a serial number behind an apartment building. near where Mr. Guzman was shot. In fact. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7091}
{"speech_id":1090061874,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am told a 4yearold child discovered the weapon first. Ballistic tests determined that the gun was the one used to kill Danny Guzman. This gun was one of about 50 guns that disappeared from Kahr Arms manufacturing plant. Some of the guns were removed from the plant by employees that Kahr Arms hired despite criminal records and histories of drug addiction. The case is being pursued now. The issue is not what Mr. Guzman did. It is what this company failed to do. They failed to have background checks on employees who handled weapons. They failed to have security devices that would monitor if these weapons would be taken out of Kahr Arms. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7091}
{"speech_id":1090061888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of amendment No. 1406 that authorizes the Secretary of Defense. in the event of an overseas emergency. to transfer $200 million in defense articles. services. training and other support to the State Department to address the crisis. The funding would be used by the Office of Stabilization and Reconstruction at the State Department. a new office that has been created to organize the civilian side of the military\/civilian response in postconflict situations. The authority provided is permissive. It does not require such a transfer. The Secretary of Defense requested the authority contained in this amendment in his submission of legislation to be considered by the Congress. The Department of Defense needs a capable civilian partner that is prepared to go into hostile environments to assist the military in stabilizing a postconflict situation. It also needs to be able to hand off a stabilized situation to civilian leadership. Without such a capacity. the military ends up performing tasks that civilians could and should be carrying out. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090061888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a consequence. the resources of the Armed Services are stretched thin and deployments of military personnel have to be extended beyond expectations. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has for some time been deeply involved in building the capacity of the State Department to play a leadership role in this area. Through legislation. hearings. and meetings of a policy advisory group of experts. we have called for the organization of a corps of civilians who are willing and able to undertake difficult missions in wartorn countries. The Office of Stabilization and Reconstruction. led by a Coordinator. Ambassador Carlos Pascual. is now up and running and doing an excellent job. My amendment reflects continued Senate Foreign Relations Committee attention to the issue. On June 16. we held a hearing on stabilization and reconstruction entitled \"Building Peace in a Hostile Environment.\" Ambassador Pascual participated as did two witnesses from the Defense Department. Ryan Henry. Principal Deputy in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and LTG Walter Sharp. Director of Strategic Plans and Policy at the Joint Staff. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090061888,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"James Kunder. Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near East. testified on behalf of USAID. Both Defense Department witnesses urged the committee to support the transfer authority contained in my amendment. Mr. Henry stated that it is in the Defense Departments interest to help the Stabilization and Reconstruction office \"fill the gap in its ability to deploy in a crisis.\" General Sharp said that General Myers. the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. supports such a request because it would \"greatly improve Ambassador Pascuals ability to rapidly deploy in a crisis.\" As most Members know. the foreign affairs budget is under considerable pressure. The Senate has just finished debating H.R. 3057. the StateForeign Operations Appropriations bill. The 302(b) allocations for this bill were some $1 billion below the Presidents request. On the House side. the corresponding amount is some $3 billion below the Presidents request. When conferenced. the appropriated funding levels for foreign affairs will once again fall short of the amount that the President of the United States says he needs to conduct a strong foreign policy at a time of great complexity and danger. Tight budgets yield painful compromises. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090061888,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During consideration of H.R. 3057. Senators CORZINE and DEWINE offered an amendment to appropriate $50 million to support African Union peacekeeping efforts in Sudan. They took the funding from the Conflict Response Fund that is to be used in emergencies by the new Office of Stabilization and Reconstruction. The amendment was accepted. That development has made the passage of this amendment to the Department of Defense bill even more crucial. The amendment does not make the transfer of services and other support automatic. Rather. the Secretary of Defense is authorized to transfer the support only if he determines that an emergency exists that requires the immediate provision of such assistance. He must also determine that such assistance is in the national security interests of the United States. The Department of Defense has asked for the authority. It recognizes that coordination between the State Department and USAID during international emergencies can actually save money and lives. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090061888,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It reflects a new kind of cooperation between the military and the civilian component of our Government that a number of Members have spent much time and effort trying to promote. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the amendment.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4681}
{"speech_id":1090061934,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Forestry. Conservation. and Rural Revitalization be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. July 26. 2005 at 10 am in SR328A. Russell Senate Office Building. The purpose of this subcommittee hearing will be to discuss how farm bill programs can better support species conservation.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090062002,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Chicago used to be known as the Candy Capital of the World. Unfortunately. sugar makers. food processors. and other sugar users have been driven out of the city by high prices. Despite all of my other misgivings. I had hoped that CAFTA would provide us with some relief. But. unfortunately. to let in only 151.000 metric tons of sugar from CAFTA countries over a 15year period will not put a dent in sugar prices. It will not help the candy makers and food processors in Chicago: Therefore. I shall vote against CAFTA and urge all of my colleagues to vote likewise. \u0095","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":580}
{"speech_id":1090062003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in just a few moments the Space Shuttle Discovery is due to lift off from its.pad in Florida. Last year. Mr. Speaker. I was a member of the House Committee on Science. and in that role I want to acknowledge the wonderful work of the scientists and technicians and the crew of the Discovery who uphold the great tradition of our space program. Barely 1- month into my first term in the 108th Congress. we lost the Space Shuttle Columbia over Texas. We felt the concussion from that blast in my north Texas district. Mr. Speaker. the return to flight was pursued in a careful. methodical fashion with a mission of strict adherence to safety. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090062003,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On momentous occasions like today. we remember those who sacrificed their lives. and we honor them by continuing Americas quest to observe and learn from our galaxy and universe. May God guard those -members while they lift. off from Florida and see them safely home.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090062022,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I find it ironic that the gentleman from New York would call this bill controversial. Perhaps there may be some envy as opposed to who gets credit. and I apologize for mentioning his name if that is his concern. What we do not want to do is engage is unnecessary bashing. as it has been said. This is a responsible bill. Some of the other measures. and we saw that in the hearings that the Committee on Ways and Means has had over China and other trade concerns. this bill is backed by hearings notwithstanding what the gentleman from New York","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":612}
{"speech_id":1090062089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the gentleman from Arizona for his hard work on this legislation. On April 16. 2005. Mr. RENZI introduced H.R. 1618. which would create a traumatic injury protection program similar to what was enacted in Public Law 10913. On June 16. the gentleman from Arizona testified before the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. and his comments helped shape the bill which we are currently considering today. The gentleman from Arizona is a strong supporter of our Nations servicemen and women. and I appreciate his input. I would also note that I have had continuous dialogue with the gentleman from Arizona . and I deeply appreciate his passion. In having grown up in a military family. he has great understanding of the sacrifices of the men and women who wear the uniform. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":963}
{"speech_id":1090062089,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona .","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":963}
{"speech_id":1090062124,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we will soon. I think. hear from our chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs. and Related Agencies. who will be speaking on this. I know that the error that was made is being taken hare of in this legislation. in 2005 with $1.5 billion. and in 2006 with another $1.5 billion to make the entire $3 billion. Every year. Mr. Speaker. we have raised benefits for American veterans. and rightly so. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090062124,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some 68 percent of our veterans are from World War II and Korea. and we know when we go out on the plaza and see the monument to the World War II veterans the sacrifices paid. We all have relatives who served in World War II. and we know they saved this world with their dedication. We know also how much our other veterans give to this country. those who fought in subsequent wars right up through the current time with our own children fighting in Iraq. So all of us want to provide the materials and the health care benefits for our veterans. and this amendment will be one of the steps in providing that. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090062134,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for yielding me this time and for his leadership on behalf of our Nations veterans. leadership which has sorely been lacking in this House.. This administration and this Congress has insulted our veterans community repeatedly in the last few months. insults which I hope we will remedy with todays motion. The head of the Office of Management and Budget actually had the nerve to testify before the Committee on the Budget that over the last 3 years the Veterans Administration had received $.5 billion more than it actually needed. more than it actually needed. when we have waiting lists which the gentleman outlined. when we have nursing and medical vacancies. when we have maintenance backlogs. when we have people waiting a year for an appointment for a dentist. and months and months for surgeries that are needed. OMB told the veterans that we have more than what was needed! Then the Secretary of our Veterans Administration testified before committees of this Congress that we got it wrong because we had a bad mathematical model. We had a mathematical model that did not take into account the fact that there was a war going on and thousands of troops were coming back with significant injuries and with posttraumatic stress disorder. We did not know a war was going on. so we underfunded the VA. That is an insult to our Nations veterans. that we did not know a war was going on. and we did not provide the money. Many are suffering today as a result of that decision. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3371}
{"speech_id":1090062134,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. Mr. Speaker. when we had a chance to help the veterans before our last recess. the chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs said. we can only give $975 million. that that was the right number. while the Senate did $1.5 billion. which we are now instructing our House to accept today. We could have had this money flowing to our veterans centers weeks ago. This could have been signeot by the President several weeKs ago. yet in my hometown of San Diego. we have 1.000 people on a waiting list just to have their first appointment. We have maintenance backlogs and nursing shortages. and we cannot get them the money because we did not have the right numbers. said the veterans chairman. Well. we had the right number all along. my colleagues. The Independent Budget. .a professional document prepared by our veterans service organizations. had the numbers exactly right. The mathematical model could have been tested against this. and we could have had the proper support for our Nations veterans. So everybody who talked about our Nations veterans when we had Memorial Day. when we had our July 4th celebrations. and we will hear it on November llth as we have heard today. that we all support our veterans. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3371}
{"speech_id":1090062134,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. let us show it by the proper votes! The Democrats in this Congress have tried at every level. on the Committee on the Budget. on the Committee on Appropriations. in the Senate. in.the House. and we tried on the floor of this House to give the Independent Budget numbers the force of law. but we were voted down on pure partyline votes. So I hear that everybody supports our veterans. but when the votes come. the majority party is not supporting our Nations veterans. Let us pass this instruction motion. Let us honor our veterans and give the veterans the support they need. especially when they come home from war.","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3371}
{"speech_id":1090062138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my support for the Senatepassed amendment to include $1.5 billion to the veterans budget. After the budget shortfall was announced. both sides of the aisle in the Senate came together to take immediate action to address the issue. They passed a $1.5 billion emergency funding amendment to immediately get the funds to the people who need it. our veterans. ..The Republican leadership of the House decided to sit on their hands and wait for President Bush to pull out of the air a nurmber. .That. number was $975 million. This House passed that funding level and left for the July 4 recess. However. it turned out that the Bush level was $300 million short of funding veterans health. We know that budget is underfunded by more than $3 billion. that is B. billion. All Members need to do is read the independent budget. Every year they release their priorities. and every year the VA is short of funding to complete its mission. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1695}
{"speech_id":1090062138,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While we were sitting on our hands. the three surgical operating rooms at the White River Junction in VAMC was closed on June 27 because the heating and air conditioning system was broken. The communitybased outpatient clinics needed to meet veterans increased demand for care in the North Florida and South Georgia VA health care system was delayed due to fiscal restraint. As of April in Gainesville. Florida. there were nearly 700 serviceconnected veterans waiting for more than 30 days for an appointment. Let us get past the $1.5 billion for veterans health care. let us just stop all of the talking and put our talk into action. Pass this motion to instruct and get veterans the health care that they need and deserve today.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1695}
{"speech_id":1090062153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the Motion to Instruct Conferees to accept the Senate position to provide an additional $1.5 billion for Veterans Medical care under H.R. 2361 the Interior Appropriations Bill. This motion to instruct will remedy the shortfall in veterans health care for this year. Clearly. we have an obligation to our veterans that is not being met and can not go another day allowing this deficiency in Veterans Medical care to continue. The sad fact is that it has been 33 days since the Bush Administration acknowledged a $1 billion shortfall in Veterans Medical care for FY 2005. Every day we see more and more veterans turned away and health care rationed across the country because the VA lacks the resources it needs to care for veterans. Every day we dont act. is another day that a veteran who bravely served our Nation is shortchanged. To remedy this situation more than three weeks ago. the Senate unanimously passed a $1.5 billion bill. But the amount offered by House Republicans did not match that passed in the Senate. meaning money has not gotten to VA medical facilities and veterans will continue to wait in lines for health care. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090062153,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has been nearly one month since this shortfall was first acknowledged. and yet Republicans continue to fail our veterans. Veterans and this Nation as a whole can not wait another day for this shortfall to be addressed. waiting any longer would be a travesty. The truly sad facts demonstrate that the shortfall in veterans health care funding has resulted in some VA. medical facilities no longer scheduling appointments for veterans. others not filling vacancies of medical and nursing staff. and others having to close operating rooms or not replacing basic medical equipment. such as hospital beds. Right now. there are more than 50.000 waiting in line for medical appointments. with more than 100.000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking health care. But instead of remedying this situation as quickly as possible. Republicans continue to reject proposals that would give veterans the resources they so desperately need. This spring. Democrats attempted to add $1.2 billion for veterans health care on the $82 billion Iraqi supplemental. And last September. Democrats sought to provide a $2.5 billion increase over the Bush budget for veterans health care. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090062153,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over the last month. House Republicans have voted four times to block consideration of amendments offered by Democrats to add the needed funds for VA health care. It is time that we as a body unite to defend those brave Americans who risked their lives to defend our great nation. I urge all Members to support the Motion to Instruct.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090062162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I reserve the right to object. Mr. Speaker. I express this reservation .in order to take a couple of moments to again express my disquiet about this legislative appropriation bill. I had originally intended to offer a motion to instruct conferees. but in the interest of time and comity. I will not do that. But I. under my reservation. want to make a number of points about funding contained in this bill. This bill contains another large amount of taxpayers dollars to pay for what is euphemistically referred to as the Capitol Visitors Center now being constructed on this end of the Capitol. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090062162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my view. that project has become a story of spectacular mismanagement and colossal government waste. and I feel obligated. as often as I have the opportunity. to object to the way this project has been handled and to object to what it is going to produce. The cost of the Capitol Visitors Center. which was first estimated at $95 million. has now ballooned to well over $500 million. and there is no end in sight to the escalation in cost. My second objection is that. for this money. we are getting a pitiful allocation of space to the major needs of the Congress and an outrageous. wasteful allocation of space to areas that I think represent far lowergrade needs. The current design of that Capitol Visitors Center. the House space under that project. provides for approximately 87.000 square feet of space. of which only 3.200 square feet is for hearing rooms where public business can be conducted. The major need of this Congress. if we are going to expand the size of this building. is to have rooms that are sufficiently large so that we can have conferences with the Senate and do our legislative business. Instead. the primary usable space in the House portion of this project is for. in essence. a media center or a propaganda center. It is to make the Congress comfortable with television. So we are going to have this elaborate. twofloor. ornate. stateoftheart media center. communication center. propaganda center. whatever you want to call it. but we will have tiny rooms for conference committees and very little additional usable space. In short. what I think we will have in the end is an opulent Taj Mahal. abundance of show space. but we will have a shortage of usable working space. I think that is regrettable given what the taxpayer is going to be asked to spend. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090062162,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would also say again that I find it incredible to hear the changing justifications for the new theater which is going to be in the visitors center. There is a huge 450seat theater which is being built at a cost of many millions of dollars. When I asked why we need another room of that size. I was told. well. because it is a place where Members of Congress can bring large constituency groups. I do not know how many Members of Congress bring 450 people into a room in the Capitol. but if there is a Member who has ever tried to do that. I have never met him. Secondly. we were then told. well. actually this will be good space for the House of Representatives to meet in when its existing House Chamber. the room that we are in now. is refurbished and reengineered and redecorated. The only problem with that. Mr. Speaker. is that we already have a room. the Ways and Means Committee room in the Longworth Building. which was built for that purpose. to serve as a backup House Chamber. and which was just redecorated at a cost of many. many dollars. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090062162,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is beautiful. It ought to be sufficient. In addition to that. there is yet another Chamber being built for the House offcampus. which I cannot talk about because it is classified. So we are going to have two backup Chambers at a cost of an enormous amount. ] 1300 And when we really dig into what . this room is really supposed to be for. we discover that in the original budget justifications. what it was designated as. is being an additional theater for the Library of Congress. So those are some of my objections to this bill. and I believe that this is the last chance that we have to get the leadership of this House and the Architect of the Capitol to at least change the way the space is being designed so that it is more usable. more efficient. and more useful to produce legislative products rather than propaganda press releases out of a media center. Mr. Speaker. I withdraw my reservation of objection.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090062221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans courtesy in permitting me to speak on this rule. I rise in support of the approach that has been taken. I add my praise for the gentleman from Virginia . for the gentleman from New York . for the gentleman from Illinois . for the gentleman from California . for people who have labored long and hard dealing with the first post office update in over a third of a century. What we have before us is a carefully balanced effort to update and modernize this critical service. I became involved with this effort when I first came to Congress 10 years ago. dealing with one specific element of focus. and that is to make sure that the post office. the local post office. which is the cornerstone of a livable community in small neighborhoods. in smalltown America. in downtowns. that those 38.000 postal facilities in every way were assets to the community. Sadly. what we found was a litany of efforts in the past where the post office basically did not play by the rules. It was idiosyncratic. Local landuse decisions were turned into political footballs. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090062221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We had a series. of efforts where the post office unfortunately ignored environmental regulations. local needs and desires. We set about to fix that with legislation that basically would have required the post office to play bythe same rules as the rest of America. I will say over the course of the 10 years. working with some of the colleagues that I mentioned. working with the Board of Governors of the Postal Service. working with three Postmasters General and others who are active in this effort. that we have come a long way. In fact. in many areas of the United States. we have seen examples where the post office has taken seriously its responsibilities and has been a model player providing that essential cornerstone. It is important that this not be idiosyncratic. It is important that this approach. this way of doing business. must be codified into law so everybody can be protected. One of the reasons I support H.R. 22 is because it does just that. It requires the post office to obey zoning. planning. environmental regulations. It will be better for the post office. it is better for our communities. But I want to go a little beyond that. because as I have been involved. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090062221,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have been struck with the importance. not just in bringing up the physical facilities of 38.000 postal offices around the country. but to be active in terms of the change that is taking place. The United States Postal Service occasionally comes into criticism by people who are concerned about it. but the fact is the post office handles onehalf of the mail in the entire world. They collect only onequarter of the revenue. they have less than a fifth of the work force. they are more than three times as productive as postal services around the world. and their rates are lower than any other of the developed countries. It is also important that we are ready for the changes that are cascading down upon the Postal Service. The status quo is not tenable. This legislation recognizes that. I strongly urge. however. that as we come forward with a range of amendments that they be rejected. I appreciate that they are wellintended. Some of them in other contexts I may be interested in. but this is part of this carefully crafted balance. It is important that we not upset the apple cart. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090062221,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It does not take much to derail it. It has been a hard pull to get to this point. I strongly urge that we support making the post office a full partner. that we resist amendments that would upset the balance. and that we can all be. after the approval of H.R. 22. the modernization. so that we can be about the business that is going to have to go on from here. Because there is more work that.-is going to be done. Controversy is not going to go away. Luckily. this legislation provides a platform that is going to help us all do this important work.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3928}
{"speech_id":1090062222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. A lot of the leadership that has been talked about. making sure that this bill is a carefully crafted bill. is true. But there are also a lot of people who played a big role in making sure. that the elements and the people who are a part of the dialogue and a part of the things that were necessary to make sure this balanced bill was brought forward were important also. Mr. Speaker. the gentlewoman from Michigan . the chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs for the Committee on Government Reform. has played an integral role in making sure that not only her footprint was on this and hand print was on this but. also. in particular. that other people who had a vested interest. most of all the taxpayers of this country. were also involved. Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan .","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090062223,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I rise to support this rule. and I am very proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation. I did serve on the postal panel and the Committee on Government Reform as well. This is really the first real reform of the United States Postal Service since the 1970s. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4683}
{"speech_id":1090062223,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"America succeeds and America prospers because America evolves. Our Nation evolves. We are always striving to leverage our economic. our technological. and our political advancements to improve our entire Nation. Much of what might have been good in the 1970s is clearly not good enough fa the 21st century. especially when it comes to communications. and the United States Postal Service. with a uniquely critical means of communicating in our Nation. unfortunately. is laboring under a business model that was built in an era that predates the Internet. that predates email. and even fax machines. Any private sector business would have been put out of business. But the United States Postal Service today. and these are some staggering numbers. actually delivers 200 billion pieces of mail each and every year. it delivers to 130 million households. and it is the center of a nearly $1 trillion industry. But the competition is growing. of course. Revenues are at risk. its workforce. unfortunately. is aging. and so is its equipment. Yet these are all the same kinds of challenges that so many businesses today face. I was very proud to cosponsor and to update and to upgrade this legislation. which does all of that. for our Postal Service. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4683}
{"speech_id":1090062223,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act modernizes the Postal Services infrastructure and its financial framework. and at the same time. it also maintains its traditional benefit. the best benefit I think. and that. of course. is 6day. universal service. H.R. 22 provides the postal office with firmer financial ground. and it mitigates the needs to constantly raise postal rates. It ensures those that live in Americas rural communities that they still have very close access to a fullservice postal center. What is more. equally as important. I think. is it preserves the right for collective bargaining for our postal workers. Our postal employees have a record of achievement of ontime delivery performance. and many of us. I think. were reminded of how much we take them for granted after the anthrax scare. In fact. I remember it was a commercial that was playing that .was put out by the Postal Service that had that Carly Simon song in the background. Let the River Run. and it really. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4683}
{"speech_id":1090062223,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think. was a very powerful ad that reminded us all of how important our postal employees are. The men and women of the United States Postal Service stood then and they stand now in harms way sometimes. because they have dedicated themselves to serving all of us. They certainly deserve the right to bargain collectively to protect the financial future of their families. This bill also serves as the framework that will help the United States Postal Service to become a model. quite frankly. as a governmental agency to be both costeffective and costefficient. to help them to create a business plan. to negotiate the best business practices with its customers. and it allows for. them to focus on a term. customer service. that is not exclusively a concept that is exclusively in the private domain. it can also be in the public domain aswell. This bill embraces concepts like work sharing. in which the Postal Service embarks in a partnership with private companies offering postage discounts to businesses who help the Postal Service prepare and move our mail. flexibility that the private sector enjoys and that they employee as part of its competitive business mix. This bill essentially allows the United States Postal Service to operate like a business. -which will clearly benefit all Americans. So I do want to thank everybody who worked so very hard on this piece of legislation. It is a very important piece of legislation. I want to personally recognize the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman DAVIS). who just made some remarks earlier. I have watched him work tirelessly on this bill. as well as the gentleman from New York . who has been a leader in postal reform for a very long time. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4683}
{"speech_id":1090062223,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think this is a great piece of legislation which also demonstrates very clearly how bipartisanship can work very well on the floor of this House. It certeinly has done that. I commend all of the Democratic Members who have worked very hard on this aswell. and I would urge my*colleagues to support this rule and urge them to support this critical piece of legislation as well.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4683}
{"speech_id":1090062230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as you know. this bill is about the taxpayer. It is also about hightech areas that depend upon a Postal Service that works properly. And our next speaker is from one of those areas. a hightech area that is important to this country in not only manufacturing. but also delivery of goods and products. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia .","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":383}
{"speech_id":1090062277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. small employers today have a difficult problem. They are trying to keep their business alive. They are trying to make enough money to hire and grow their business and at the same time trying to provide affordable health insurance. About 60 percent of the 45 million people who have no health insurance work for small businesses of some sort. But what happens to those small employers in most of these State risk pools? They are in the small group coverage area. and guess what happens? There may be a provider or two that will offer them insurance. They are stuck in a small pool. and they pay the highest rates of any group that is out there. unless. unless. one happens to be selfemployed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4358}
{"speech_id":1090062277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us say that they were a realtor. and as a realtor they are selfemployed. they are not an employee of a company. and they try to buy health insurance for themselves out in the open market again in these small State risk pools. Here it comes. $1.500 a month. $2.000 a month. And. my goodness. if they are sick. they will not get it at all. So what we have been proposing now for some 10 years. and the House has passed this on a bipartisan basis at least five times. is to allow businesses and selfemployed individuals who belong to bona fide organizations to group together for the purposes of health insurance. Why should a realtor who belongs to the National Association of Realtors not have an opportunity. whether their State association or the national association wants to put together a package of plans and allow them to choose one of those plans that might fit the kind of coverage that they want. why would we not want to do this? We have heard all this shtick about all these plans are lousy. they are lowcost coverage. No. These plans would look exactly like the plans that big compani6s and unions offer today. Everybody in America wants to work for a big company or a union. Why? Because they have got great health benefits. And why do they have great health benefits? Because that is what their employees and that is that their members want. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4358}
{"speech_id":1090062277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People do not want to go out and buy lowcost coverage that does not cover anything. That does not accomplish anything. So when we look at the opportunity for small businesses to go out and to be able to purchase health insurance for their employees. just like a big company or just like a union under the same set of rules. the same set of rules for small companies that big companies have today. we should not let the perfect become the enemy of the good. This will not solve the problem of all 45 million of the uninsured. but it will help millions of Americans who work for small businesses have a better opportunity at getting good health coverage at competitive prices. We have heard an awful lot of talk about it does not have this mandate. that mandate. that mandate. And why do big companies who do not have to have any mandated coverages under ERISA. why do they provide those? Why do they have breast cancer screening? Why? Because it makes sense to screen for this to detect it early and to deal with it. Why do they have these benefits that are not mandated? Why? Because they make sense to find out early in the illness. These small companies are going to have the same types of highquality plans that big companies have today .without State mandates. because what happens is every State has a mandate. Some of them have as many as 30 mandated benefits that drive up the cost of health insurance and drive. the number of uninsured up as well. But companies that offer a lot of these benefits. they do so with. as an example. a breast cancer benefit that covers the whole counitry. one size. not 50 different States done in 50 different ways that they have to find out exactly how it is going to be covered in each of those 50 States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4358}
{"speech_id":1090062277,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have no doubt that the policies that will be offered by these association health plans will. in fact. be highquality policies at very competitive prices. As I said before. this bill has passed the House on a number of occasions with broad bipartisan support. and I expect that will occur again today. So I would ask my colleagues to stand up and vote. We hope that the other body will eventually take this bill up and move it and to help reduce the number of uninsured Americans that we have.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4358}
{"speech_id":1090062279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 525. the Small Business Health Fairness Act. but in strong support of meaningful measureslo help small businesses offer affordable. quality health care coverage to their employees. For many businesses in my congressional district and across the country. the rising cost of health insurance is a growing crisis. Currently. many small businesses devote significant resources to offer health insurance to their employeesmoney they could have otherwise invested -in their businesses. Others have had to reduce or drop coverage entirely. While I agree that we must find a solution to this problem. H.R. 525 is not the answer. for several reasons. First. supporters of H.R. 525 claim the legislation would reduce the number of uninsured. However. a recent Urban Institute survey states that the number would actually increase. because some small employers in the Stateregulated market would be forced to drop coverage when premiums increase as a result of the creation of Association Health Plans. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2810}
{"speech_id":1090062279,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"AHPs. Second. AHPs would be exempt from State rules that limit how much and how often premiums can be increased. making it likely that premiums would go up rather than down. In fact. the Congressional Budget Office estimates that AHP legislation would result in higher premiums for 80 percent of small employers. and as many as 100.000 sick people would lose coverage because they would not be able to afford the increases. Finally. AHPs would mean that consumers would lose important health benefits. such as treatment and care for diabetes. child immunizations. cancer screenings. and preventive care. Consumers would lose Statebased patient protections such as direct access to specialty care. emergency care. and the right to an independent. external review of denied medical claims. Instead of this flawed bill. I support the substitute offered by Representatives KIND and ANDREWS. This legislation would expand the health care options available for small businesses by building on the efforts of many State governments that are providing health care plans specifically for small businesses. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2810}
{"speech_id":1090062279,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under the substitute. Federal and State health insurance pools would be created for small businesses to band together to purchase coverage. Participating businesses would be able to defray the costs of their participation through a 4year tax credit provided under the legislation. By grouping small compahies in healthcare pools. this bill would give small firms some of the same advantages large corporations have in trying to keep costs down. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Small Business Health Fairness Act. and instead support real relief for small businesses trying to meet the health care needs of their employees by voting for the KindAndrews substitute.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2810}
{"speech_id":1090062280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 525. the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005. Today we face a problem. An estimated 45 million people are without health insurance. The number of uninsured has risen in almost every year since 1989 and is expected to continue its rise in the near term. Most people in the U.S. who have health insurance obtain it through their employer or a family members employer as a workplace benefit. Due to the rising cost of health coverage. small employers are far less likely than larger employers to provide health insurance to their workers and almost half of the uninsured work for. or are family members of employees who work for. small employers. The Small Business Health. Fairness Act would not address this problem. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090062280,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a former small business owner. I understand the need for employers to offer benefits like health insurance to attract the best employees. I also understand the desire to offer benefits to employees to reward them for their efforts in making their business a success. Small businesses are a vital part of our economy. and it is critical that we provide them with affordable heath coverage that not only covers their employees. but helps reduce the ranks of the uninsured in our Nation. Unfortunately. the association health plans created by H.R. 525 would actually reduce health care benefits and coverage. In fact. the Congressional Budget Office estimates that only 600.000 of the 45 million uninsured would receive coverage as a result of this bill. The CBO also found that almost 75 percent of workers would actually see their premiums rise. These numbers are evidence that this legislation will not address the problem. The bill raises numerous other concerns as well. It would create an uneven playing field where Federal law would provide one set of favorable rules for employers who join association health plans and a different. less favorable set of rules for those who do not. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090062280,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Association health plans would be exempt from most State benefit requirements. including those that ensure access to emergency services. mental health services and cancer screening. They would be free to choose healthier individuals who are cheaper to insure and leave behind those most in need of health care coverage. Finally. association health plans under this bill would be allowed to license themselves in a State with looser consumer protection provisions than the State they offer coverage in. leaving consumers open to fraud and abuse. These loopholes will not address the problem. However. today we will offer a real solution to this problem. The substitute amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin. Mr. KIND. and the gentleman from New Jersey.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090062289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. an issue I often hear about from my constituents is concern about the high cost of health insurance and the need for affordable insurance coverage. We all know health insurance premiums continue to increase substantially each year. As such. many small businesses are unable to afford health insurance for their employees. Furthermore. for those who can afford insurance for their employees. rising costs make U.S. products more expensive. harming U.S. competitiveness and costing American jobs. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. but the financial viability of many small businesses is being hurt by the escalating costs of health insurance. This hurts job creation and economic growth. The U.S. Small Business Administrations Office of Advocacy found that administrative expenses for small health plans make up about 35 percentof total costs. This is not good for small business owners. their employees. or the American economy. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2841}
{"speech_id":1090062289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress must address this problem. which is why I support H.R. 525. the Small Business Health Fairness Act. By passing H.R. 525 Congress will be leveling the playing field between small businesses. the selfemployed. and large corporations. This allows organizations of individuals and businesses to enter into Association Health Plans. AHPs. Under AHPs. small business can pool their resources and purchase group health care similar to the way large corporations do today. They can get better bargaining power in terms of costs and benefits for their employees. It gives workers. who do not have health insurance today. the opportunity to obtain health insurance coverage. Whether it is a small business a trade association. a farm bureau. or a local community organization that is seeking to purchase more affordable health insurance. this legislation will help them. They can join together with other groups and purchase health insurance at much more affordable rates and have better negotiating power with insurance providers. It is generally reported that there are over 40 million people in America without health insurance at any given time. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2841}
{"speech_id":1090062289,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to the Congressional Budget Office. a more accurate estimate of the number of people who were uninsured for all of an entire year is 21 million to 31 million. Regardless. almost 60 percent of those individuals are employed by a small business. As health care costs increase. fewer employers and working families will be able to afford coverage. and more Americans will be without health insurance. Those who work for small businesses should have the same type of access to health insurance that their counterparts in large corporations already enjoy. I urge Congress to pass H.R. 525. Congress must pass this bipartisan legislation to give much needed relief to American small businesses. farmers. and hard working families.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2841}
{"speech_id":1090062292,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the Kind\/Andrews substitute and in strong opposition to H.R. 525. the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005. We have the opportunity to give small business owners and employees meaningful access to affordable and comprehensive coverage by adopting the Kind\/Andrews substitute. Or. by passing H.R. 525. we can give access to cheap. flimsy insurance policies that will not provide meaningful protection and leave those who need better coverage far worse off. All of us are concerned about the high cost of health insurance. particularly for small businesses. We all agree that we need to allow small businesses to band together to achieve economies of scale in purchasing coverage. The Kind\/Andrews substitute would give small businesses the ability to pool together through a Small Employer Health Benefits Plan. It would provide premium assistance to make coverage affordable for small business employers and employees. The Kind\/Andrews substitute will guarantee that insurance policies are not worthless paper but provide meaningful access to benefits. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6829}
{"speech_id":1090062292,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What the Kind\/Andrews substitute will not do is preempt State consumer protection lawslaws that have been enacted by State legislatures on a bipartisan basis in response to reallife problems in the insurance market. .The Kind\/Andrews approach would benefit employers and consumers. The socalled Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005 would not. In fact. this illconceived bill would make the current situation worseadding to the ranks of the uninsured. reducing benefits. and leaving small business workers with insurance policies that do not provide the care that they and their families need. There are three fundamental problems with this billall of which stem from the decision to preempt State laws and leave no other protections in their place. First. the bill will not significantly reduce the number of uninsured and may actually make this crisis worse. It would preempt State insurance regulationallowing association health plans to cherry pick healthy small businesses. Small businesses with older workers. persons with disabilities or chronic conditions. and women of childbearing age -would face higher premiums. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that only 620.000 uninsured workers would buy these new. barebones policies but that 75 percent of currently insured small business employees20 millionwould see their premiums increase. National Small Business Uniteda group whose reason for being is to promote the interests of small businessesopposes the bill because it would increase health \"insurance premiums for small employers by up to 23 percent and cause some to drop coverage altogether. A Mercer Consultants study in 2003 found that it would actually increase the number of uninsured by 1 million. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6829}
{"speech_id":1090062292,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The CBO says that up to 100.000 of the most medically needy workersthose with chronic. ongoing conditions or disabilitieswould be among those losing coverage. Second. the bill would take away protections from consumers victimized by fraud and abuse. All 50 States and the District of Columbia have passed tough laws to stop abuses in the small group health insurance market. Again. these laws would be preempted. The U.S. Department of Labor is not going to have the will or the resources to respond when consumers are injured by benefit denials. AHPs go bellyup. or fraud is committed. AHP policy holders and health consumers would be left in a regulatory blackholewith no place to turn if they are defrauded. cheated. or denied benefits. Thats why the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and 41 attomeys general oppose this bill. Third. the bill would preempt basic benefit requirements and patient protections. allowing AHPs to drop coverage for preventive services. screening. mental health and other critical services. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6829}
{"speech_id":1090062292,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CBO estimates that 8 million workers with health coverage today would lose benefits under H.R. 525. In Illinois. we have enacted benefits that include mammograms. pap tests. minimum mastectomy stays. colorectal screening. diabetes education and supplies. pre- and postnatal care. mental health parity that goes beyond inadequate federal requirements. and access to cancer drugs. We have a prudent layperson rule to ensure access to emergency services. direct access to OBGYNs. and a ban on HMOs \"gagging\" doctors in their communications with patients. We have prompt payment rules for providers and fair marketing requirements. We require that insurance companies cover newborns. Those protections would be preempted under H.R. 525. Many of us who previously served in State legislatures fought for those benefits because private insurance policies refused to cover items like mammograms. maternity care. diabetes education. prosthetics. or chemotherapy. We had constituents whose insurance companies refused- to cover their babies. arguing that conditions developed in the mothers womb were \"preexisting.\" Dropping those critical benefits will not make health care more affordable. it will simply shift costs to employees and their families. And. despite having socalled insurance. if workers cannot afford to pay those costs on their own. they might as well be uninsured. That is why groups from Consumers Union to the American Diabetes Association. from the National Mental Health Association to the NAACP oppose this bill. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6829}
{"speech_id":1090062292,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also want to point out that women have a tremendous stake in this debate. Nearly all womenowned firms are small firms. most with fewer than five employees. Women are half of all workers at very small firms. And women are the beneficiaries of many of the State benefits enacted because private insurers refused to cover critical servicesmammography. pap smears. reconstructive surgery following mastectomies. contraceptive services. breast and cervical cancer screening. diredt access to OBGYNs and nursemidwives. and osteoporosis screening. A bill jhat raises premiums to womenowned small businesses and cuts womens health services is no solution. Finally. I want to respond to the arguments of the proponents of H.R. 525 that something is better than nothing. As I have mentioned. for at least 8 million people. the something that would be provided under this bill would be a policy with lower benefits than they have today. for at least 20 million it would be a policy with higher premiums than they pay today. That is hardly a good deal. But there is a more important issue at stake here. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6829}
{"speech_id":1090062304,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as the number of uninsured Americans continues to increase and health insurance costs continue to rise by double digits annually. it is clear that something must be done. I commend our friends across the aisle for coming up with a plan they think works. While I have great respect for the gentleman from New Jersey (Ranking Member ANDREws) and the gentleman from Wisconsin. . I have to disagree with them. Their substitute will have the unintended consequence of raising. not lowering. costs for small businesses trying to offer health insurance. It will impose new mandates on employers and saddle the American public with yet another government program to fund. ","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2476}
{"speech_id":1090062304,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The proponents of the plan claim that the new \"small employer health benefits plan\" is modeled after ours here in the Federal Government. Unfortunately. unlike the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan. health insurance provided under the Democrat substitute would be subject to more than 1.500 State mandates that make up 15 percent of the rising costs of health insurance. That increased cost would likely be funded by higher taxes. adding another burden to small businesses. And on top of that. the substitute would force small businesses to deal with a host of new mandates. Their substitute mandates employers provide health coverage to every employee who has been employed for more than 3 months. It mandates that employers pay 50 percent of -the health care premiums for employees. It mandates that they cover the dependents of their workers. More mandates are supposed to lower costs? The Democrat substitute just does not make sense. In contrast. AHPs utilize the strengths of the employerbased system. the private market. competition. economy of scale enjoyed by large union and employer plans. and ERISAs preemption of State mandates. to lower costs. ","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2476}
{"speech_id":1090062304,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. AHPs are supported by our Nations small businesses. The NFIB. the National Retail Federation. the National Association of Wholesalers and Distributors. the National Restaurant Association. Associated Builders and Contractors. National Association of Homebuilders. the United States Chamber of Commerce. and others are strongly supportive of this legislation. I hope my colleagues will join me in offering assistance to our Nations small businesses and their workers by supporting AHPs and- opposing the Democrat substitute. Mr. Speaker I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2476}
{"speech_id":1090062317,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think the Rules Committee has made a terrible mistake here. and not the usual Rules Committee sort of mistake. because they have actually allowed to come to the floor a substitute that is so clearly superior to the AHP bill it is amazing. Now. let my friends on the other side understand. I am not against AHPs. I am an original cosponsor of the gentleman from Texas legislation. AHPs would be an improvement over current market conditions. which are appalling. But this plan put forward by the gentleman from Wisconsin and the gentleman from New Jersey is better than AHPs. and let me describe some of the ways. First. the gentleman from Louisiana","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":663}
{"speech_id":1090062323,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"for yielding me this time to speak in support of this substitute. the Small Employer Health Benefits Program. which will provide a real solution for many of the fortyfive million Americans without health insurance. Mr. Speaker. our health .care system is broken. To live in a country as great and as wealthy as ours. and to have millions of hard working. employed Americans who cannot afford quality health insurance is inexcusable. My friends from across the aisle would like the Arnerican people to believe that Association Health Plans are the only available option to relieve the burden of increased health care costs on small business owners. However. the fact remains that Association Health Plans not only ignore the unique needs of small businesses. but will actually undermine our insurance system by allowing healthy individuals to opt out. We shouldnt be making policy only for the fortunate. We should be making policy for everybody. The proposed substitute. the Small Employers Health Benefits Program. would provide the same access to health benefits as the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. FEHBP. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090062323,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we are not ready to provide an overall solution to the Nations health care crisis. then why dont we at least extend small businesses the courtesy of providing a plan that meets the same requirements that Members of Congress and their families currently enjoy. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are right about one thing. small business owners are facing a crisis. Now lets provide them with a solution.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090062335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. we do not know the cost. It is going to be out of reason. I believe. And while AHP legislation will be implemented quickly. this Democrat substitute might take years to get up and running. In addition. the funds are subject to appropriations. And if an appropriation did not go through or did not provide enough funds. small employers and their workers would be left hanging. ","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1236}
{"speech_id":1090062335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me make myself clear. I believe our Nations employersponsored health care system is a success story. Employers provide coverage for the vast majority of our Nations population. 131 million Americans obtain their coverage from private employers. The Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Department of Labor through our oversight of ERISA have jurisdiction over employersponsored health care. So I support using the employerbased system to address the problems of the uninsured. FE 1730 However. the way to do that is to build on the success of the current system by utilizing the strengths that enable large employers and unions to offer Cadillac health plans. AHPs are the way to do that. Vote down this amendment. Vote for AHPs. Mr. ","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1236}
{"speech_id":1090062370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Further reserving the right to object. Mr. Speaker. I would like to make a few comments about H.R. 3423. the Medical Device User Fee Stabilization Act. which is being considered today. I am the lead Democrat. along with my colleague. on the committee. the gentleman from Pennsylvania . who is also my neighbor across the hall from me in the Cannon House Office Building. In 2002. former Representative GREENWOod and myself introduced the Medical Devices User Fee Modernization Act. It passed the House unanimously. and it was signed into law by the President. The goal of the bill was to eliminate FDAs backlog in approving new medical devices so that doctors and patients could more quickly benefit from them. While the law required device manufacturers to contribute toward FDAs cost in evaluating and approving new devices. the program was contingent on the Federal Government paying its fair share. If Federal funding did not reach the trigger level. the program would be eliminated. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090062370,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation fixes the trigger so that the user fee program can continue. Specifically the bill will reduce the rate of user fee increases to the singledigit range for the remaining 2 years of the program. It will help small medical device companies. whichis very important. because the small companies operate differently under different circumstances than the larger ones. The small device companies. it helps them to afford the cost to submit new medical devices for FDA review and approval. And finally. the bill will enhance labeling and tracking of reprocessed singleuse devices. So this legislation before us only authorizes the program for 2 more years. It really is a significant accomplishment. and it allows us to now concentrate .on making the device approval process even better in 2007. And I know that both of my colleagues. both the gentleman from Georgia . the subcommittee chairman. as well as my colleague. the gentleman from Pennsylvania . are committed to that. I want to thank Ryan Long with Chairman BARTONS staff. John Ford. who is seated her6 to my left. with Ranking Member DINGELLS staff. and for Vanessa Kramer of my staff who has worked so hard on this. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090062370,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is because of all of them and their hard work that this bill has successfully reached the floor today. Mr. Speaker. I withdraw my reservation of objection.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090062382,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Chairman. Members of the House have worked over a decade to reform this important part of our national culture and economy. I am truly pleased to serve in this Congress which is moving this historic reform forward. I also want to commend the gentleman from New York . the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman DAVIS). and the gentleman from California and their dedicated staffs for their commitment to postal reform and for the bipartisan cooperation to work for its passage. The gentleman from New York. deserves particular recognition for his leadership and perseverance with regard to postal reform. Postal reform is a- significant issue for my congressional district as it is for much of America. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4625}
{"speech_id":1090062382,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I represent one of the primary postal hubs in the Midwest. the great city of Chicago. In addition to the 12.000 postal employees who deliver mail daily to 1.2 million homes and businesses in the Chicago area. we have many respected companies like R.R. Donnelley. the largest printing company in North America. that are clients of the Postal Service. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2005 modernizes the postal system. helping it remain healthy and affordable well into the 21st century. This bill is a delicate compromise that has gone through a series of processes of hearings. meetings and negotiations. We have worked extensively and effectively with administration representatives to address their concerns. There is something in this bill for everyone. It may not be everything that interest groups desire. however. as the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman TOM DAVIS) has said. it is our best chance at solving the structural. legal and financial constraints that put the Postal Service at risk of catastrophe. As the Comptroller General recognized this past January. comprehensive postal reform is urgently needed. The Postal Service historically has accumulated billions of dollars in debt and currently has massive unfunded liabilities. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4625}
{"speech_id":1090062382,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Declining first class mail volumes. high infrastructurerelated costs and rigid statutes necessitate reform. It has been 35 years since comprehensive postal reform occurred. It is our responsibility to protect our treasured national asset before it is in crisis. The time for reform is now. H.R. 22 has many highlights for the Postal Service. It provides the ratemaking flexibility and incentives needed to operate as an efficient business. For businesses it provides rate stability. fair competition rules. financial transparency. and procurement protections needed to predict costs and operate on a level playing field. For consumers it preserves universal service. maintains highquality standards. and eliminates unfair mailing costs so that they have an affordable and reliable means of communication. For workers it protects collective bargaining and offers whistleblower protections that are needed to ensure safe employment. For taxpayers it ensures the viability of a national asset and removes the threat of a taxpayer bailout of the Postal Service due to financial insolvency. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4625}
{"speech_id":1090062382,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are just some of the provisions that will go a long way to helping the Postal Service better serve its customers. compete fairly with the mailing industry and contribute to our Nation. In addition. I am pleased that the bill requires a study of the number of contracts with women. minorities and small businesses. and that it protects our domestic airlines from outsourcing of jobs to foreign carriers. I represent many members from each of these groups. and it is important that our reforms treat them all fairly. I reiterate that this bill is the best option to protect our treasured national asset before it is in crisis. I know that the issue of classifying singlepiece parcels as competitive or marketdominant has caused a good deal of anxiety for many parties affected by postal reform. I look forward to addressing this issue in conference. And at this time. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4625}
{"speech_id":1090062382,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to enter into a colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Government Reform Committee. the gentleman from Virginia . Mr. Chairman. section 404 of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act alters paragraph 2 of section 401 of title 39 of the U.S. Code. This section pertains to the rulemaking authority of the United States Postal Service. Obviously the 4ssue of fairness in rulemaking by the Postal Service affects a number of businesses in my district. I would like to ask the distinguished chairman to clarify how rulemaking by the Postal Service should consider the circumstances within the postal sector.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4625}
{"speech_id":1090062393,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. today. obviously. represents a critical step in what has to this point been a journey of more than 10 years. a decade -and a half of hearings and meeting. of negotiations followed by more hearings. more meetings. more negotiations. to rewrite and rewrite again and again a piece of legislation that will serve as the first true serious reform of the sector known as the United States Postal Service. that since 1970. In that length of effort. Mr. Chairman. that incredible commitment to .the issue speaks directly to the critical importance of the Postal Service of this Nation and the complexity of this system that each and every day and each and every year delivers some 206 billion pieces of mail going through 38.000 postal facilities to 143 million addresses in virtually every community in every State in this Nation. 6 days a week. day in. day out. week in and week out. So since 1775 this is the service that American people and American businesses alike have come and grown to expect. Universal service at a uniform price. no questions asked. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5740}
{"speech_id":1090062393,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No one in this country. Mr. Chairman. goes to his or her mailbox or his or her local post office wondering if the mail will be there. It is always there. It has always been there. But the true question. the question that this bill seeks .to answer with a resounding yes. I might add. is will the mail always be there? I am concerned that truly without this legislation the answer might well be far different than that resounding yes. Postal service of today is far removed from that of 30 years ago when reform was last enacted. Unlike then. the mail stream of today has diminished by such things as emails and faxes and cell phones and text messages. largely electronic means of communication that replace mail. They replace stamps. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5740}
{"speech_id":1090062393,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And thus they replace the revenues necessary to operate our key mail delivery system. Some ask. if people are choosing to communicate in different ways. why do we need to change things at all? Some even go so far as to suggest that the time of the Postal Service has passed. that we ought to let the private sector take over. But the fact is. Mr. Chairman. for all the challenges the Postal Service of the 21st century faces. it still retains its traditional place as a key cog in how American businesses conduct their affairs and how Americans all across this land communicate. The postal business sector of this Nation. as we have heard the distinguished chairman of the full committee clearly state. represents a $900billionayear industry. with 9 million jobs. and more than 8 percent. nearly 9 percent. of our entire Nations economy. The fact is. Mr. Chairman. if the . Postal Service did not exist here in 2005. we would have to invent it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5740}
{"speech_id":1090062393,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why more than 200 major companies in this country have strongly endorsed this measure. 200 companies representing the lifeblood of the economy of this Nation. That is why virtually every major labor organization within the Postal Service has endorsed it. why even those companies that compete against the Postal Service have endorsed H.R. 22. including United Parcel Service. including FedEx. and others. Now. I have no doubt there are going to be those who believe they have a better idea. those who will say they can improve this bill by adding or diminishing its provisions. And. Mr. Chairman. speaking honestly. as someone who has been involved from day one for more than 10 years. probably some. if not all. of these critics may be right. But what I would urge my colleagues to resist this day is the understandable temptation to make the perfect the enemy of the good. This bills formation.has taken more than a decade for some very good reasons. It is. frankly. based upon the complexity of the system itself. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5740}
{"speech_id":1090062393,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have considered those interests of the people who manage it. those who man it. the businesses that rely upon it. those who compete against it. those who depend upon it. so many interests whose input and whose needs are all carefully balanced in this bill. Perfection? No. perhaps not. but a solution nevertheless. a solution to the challenges that provide the United States Postal Service with the necessary tools to operate in a manner that most of us expect. like a modern. flexible. nimble business competing on a fair playing field. operating in an efficient and professional manner. Mr. Chairman. at the risk of sounding immodest. I am very. very proud of this legislation. I am proud of its vi\"sion. I am proud of its construct and its provisions. but I afn truly prouder still of those organizations and those special people. those individuals involved in those organizations and in this reform effort that have been there from the start. They say a year in government and politics is a lifetime. and if that is true. 10 years has to approach infinity. But through it all. we have had special people devoted to extraordinary efforts in a singularly vital cause. And our thanks. and clearly my thanks. are owed to so many to even begin to list at this moment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5740}
{"speech_id":1090062395,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. -I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his extraordinary leadership on the Task Force for Postal Reform. on which I have served. and I rise in strong support of it. It has been a long and difficult journey which has brought us here today. well over 10 years. and I thank everyone who has been involved in this bipartisan effort to reform the way the Postal Service currently operates: the gentleman from Virginia . our chairman. the ranking member. the gentleman from California . the gentleman from New York . the gentleman from Illinois . and their hard and dedicated working staffs. This is very strongly supported legislation. It is a balance that we have achieved. We urge everyone to vote for it and to vote against the amendments that will be coming forward. It is supported by many Of the unions. APWU. the Letter Carriers. the Postmasters. and the postalreliant businesses. some of whom are located in my district. the Magazine Publishers of America. the direct marketers. the financial services. In fact. there is a coalition of many. literally hundreds. of businesses. and the 21st Century Postal Service Committee has issued a statement of support along with the over seven union statements in support of this bipartisan legislation. As we know. this is incredibly important to our economy. with more than 9 million workers worldwide. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3355}
{"speech_id":1090062395,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They generate over $900 billion annually of our GDP. and represent nearly 9 percent of our overall budget. If we fail to act on this very pressing issue. the public and the postalreliant businesses surely will face higher postal rates in the near future. With the Postal Service facing billions of dollars in debt over the next few years. this Congress. 2 years ago. passed bipartisan legislation that reduced the PostalServices contribution to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund after it was determined that it had been making overpayments. This reform was expected to help the Service reduce its debt to the Treasury by approximately $3 billion each year and to keep rates stable until 2006. It also created an escrow account designed to ensure that the Postal Service uses these savings wisely. The bill before us today releases that escrow account and will help us to keep our rates stable. Earlier this year. the Postal Service filed a request with the Rate Commission for yet another increase of 5.4 percent. It would be the fourth increase since 2001. and it is critical that we release these monies in the escrow to delay this rate increase. Mr. Chairman. this legislation relieves the Postal Service and postal customers of the $27 billion burden in military service payments by returning that responsibility to the Treasury. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3355}
{"speech_id":1090062395,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After all. every other agency has this responsibility in the Treasury. and Postal should also. This legislation also creates a Postal Regulatory Commission with authority to create a modern system for postal rate regulation. Mr. Chairman. a number of magazines have gone out of business because of rate increases. and so this legislation is vital to bur economy. Mr. Chairman. I submit for the RECORD the material I referred to above regarding the unions in favor of this legislation. and also a listing of numerous companies and organizations in favor of the legislation: [From the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service]","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3355}
{"speech_id":1090062407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. although we may be living in the age of technology and more than a few of us cannot live without our email. the United States Postal Service continues to serve a key role for both personal and business communications. With 9 million jobs and $900 billion in annual commerce dependent on services provided by USPS. consideration of this reform package could not come soon enough. In recent years. the U.S. Postal Service has struggled to perform its core mission of providing affordable mail service 6 days a week to every American. Today. the Postal Service operates under the same set of rules established in 1970. yet the service now delivers nearly 21\/2 times more mail to almost twice as many homes. Rising costs and financial losses. coupled with rate increases meant to remedy a declining fiscal situation. have left the Postal Service in a position that threatens the longterm viability of mail as an affordable. effective business communications channel. I am pleased H.R. 22 protects universal service while taking steps to alleviate the seemingly constant threat of rate increases by modernizing rate regulation and by freeing up $73 billion in civil service retirement savings that have been held in escrow. Accountability and transparency are of particular interest to me as there continues to be unresolved questions surrounding the unfair and inconsistent application of a postal regulation more than 5 years ago. This particular issue is one I have championed for some time. and while I am disappointed that we were unable to reach a resolution before the bill reached the House floor. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2262}
{"speech_id":1090062407,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I look forward to working with the committee and the Pennsylvania Senators on the issue of postal reform legislation moves into conference. Comprehensive legislation is 10 years in the making. and without the passage of this bill. we are putting in jeopardy millions of American jobs and the future availability of affordable mail service. the repercussions of which will be felt well beyond the mailing industry. In the last session of Congress whbn I was a member of the Subcommittee on Postal Reform and the Committee on Government Reform. we worked on this bill. I am pleased it has come before us. and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 22.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2262}
{"speech_id":1090062420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentlemans desire to see that the Postal Service takes into account the impact on local communities. I share his desire for a comprehensive evaluation of all issues regarding the realignment and consolidation of postal facilities. including individual impact on our local communities.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":315}
{"speech_id":1090062437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. please include the attached exchange of letters between\"Chairman DON YOUNG of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Chairman F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER. Jr.. of the Committee on the Judiciary. Chairman BILL THOMAS of the Committee on Ways and Means and myself.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090062486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of the time. I will go ahead and wrap up. Labor costs consume 80 percent of the Postal Service revenue. whereas UPS and FedEx spend only 56 and 42 percent of their revenues on labor. I know there are differences. It is a little different animal when we are talking about first class mail delivery. and what FedEx and UPS do. but 80 percent versus 56 and 42 percent respectively. I think we ought to be questioning ourselves. what are they doing that we are not? What can we do so we will not have either more money Out of the general fund or a rate increase? Whether it is paid by the consumer with monopoly service or the taxpayer is the same. It is both money coming out of the taxpayers or consumers pockets. And I do not want to be here. like I said. 4 years from now talking about another rate increase or talking about more money from the general fund because we simply have not done anything about making sure that competition drives improvement in service and it controls cost. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1712}
{"speech_id":1090062486,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know that from everything we know about the economy. We know that from education reform. We know that in other areas as well. Competition and choice controls costs and improve quality. This is what we are trying to jumpstart here. That is the purpose of this amendment. As the gentleman from Indiana mentioned. this is hardly revolutionary. A fraction of 1 percent would be allowed to actually test this proposition. that maybe competition would help control cost and improve quality. a fraction of 1 percent of all of the sites out there. of all of the systems running. So this is a very modest amendment. I think it is important. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1712}
{"speech_id":1090062498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I join my chairman in opposing this amendment. It sounds like the gentleman from Texas has some vision of postal reform. Well. I just think that is great. except we cannot pass it. The alternative to this. as the chairman has pointed out. is going to be the existing system and undesirable increases on rates. So what is the amendment before us? It is not a different version of reform of the Postal Service. It would micromanage the Postal Services use of money that is now in an escrow and will tell them they have to use most of that money to prefund health benefits. Well. we say they must use some of that money for that. but if they shift the money for that purpose. then to run the Postal Service they are going to have to ask for an increase in rates. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090062498,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why in amendment would certainly be opposed by all the people who use the Postal Service. the mailers. the enterprises. the businesses in this country that rely on the Postal Service for their success. Now. the amendment does something else. and I just have to underscore it. As the chairman of the Committee on Government Reform mentioned. it would require the Postal Service to pay for the pensions for those who served in the military before they went to work for the Postal Service. If you were in the military and went to work for any other agency of government. that agency would not be required to pay for your military pension. They might be required to pay for the pension accrued from service in that agency. Why should the Postal Service have to pay for the military pensions? It does not make sense. And the consequence of it would be that the Postal Service would have to ask for an increase in rates because they have this extra financial burden to pay for military pensions. That is why this amendment is one that I think it to be a poison pill for the legislation. You could imagine the groups that oppose this legislation like the National Association of Manufacturers and NFIB and others opposing this because they do not want higher rates. I urge opposition to the amendment.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090062502,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr: Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for his work on this amendment and. of course. our chairman of the Committee on Government Reform. who has worked so diligently on this bill and for years has worked to be able to move it to the body. Mr. Chairman. you know. we are hearing a lot about the military benefits. From my service on the Committee on Government Reform. I think I remember that there was in 2003 3103 billion overpayment in pension benefits that was refunded to the Postal Service. and as a part of that agreement they were made responsible for the military pension costs of the employees. And this bill would reverse those provisions. I think it is also worthy to notice that the gentleman from Texas has pointed out in 1971 the reform efforts put in place at the Postal Service. it would be a selffinancing agency. and with that mandate they were given certain exemptions and advantages such as tax and antitrust. And they are obliged and obligated to manage their finances in a manner that covers its full costs. We must continue to encourage the Postal Service to be selfsufficient and not be subsidized by the taxpayer. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1211}
{"speech_id":1090062502,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the amendment.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1211}
{"speech_id":1090062503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just note for the record that we did agree at that point as a condition of releasing overpayment by the Post Office Department into pension funds that they. for a temporary period of time. fund the military for CSRS retirees. But we awaited studies. and the Presidents own commission. which has been quoted here. came back and recommended that in point of fact the post office should not be making these payments. that it should to go to the general fund side of the ledger. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York .","speaker_name":"SUSAN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":53.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":603}
{"speech_id":1090062504,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. a couple points with respect to the gentlewomans comments about the 1971 legislation. She is right. but she is also a little behind because that is why we are making changes. H.R. 22. in fact. applies antitrust provisions against the Postal Service. overturning the 1971 bill. We require taxes paid on the business computations for the competitive products portion of the Postal Service. again overchanging the 1971 bill. So that is what this is all about. I am glad I had the opportunity to update the gentlewomans perspective on that. The 6ther thing I would note is that. again. this would be the only Federal agency treated in this manner. the only Federal agency. And there is really no justification for it: I have heard a great deal about budget scoring. and I cannot speak as to the author of this amendment. but I suspect he along with others including myself. stood in the well of this House many. many times and spoke about the moronic perspective of scoring when it came to tax cuts. We did not want that kind of scoring. the same kind of scoring that is applied here. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2232}
{"speech_id":1090062504,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We wanted dynamic scoring. and if we were dynamically scoring. I think we would be referring to the statistics provided by others including. the Envelope Manufacturing Association that says if this amendment were to pass. it would result in the loss of $64 billion in tax revenues from those firms that use the Postal Service for mailing and such that pay sales taxes and others. 245.000 jobs would be impacted just in the first year. and 3.5 million jobs would be impacted over 10 years. all of whom. are taxpayers. So if we are dynamically scoring. as all of us who were so strongly in support of it when it came to the tax cuts. this would not be even an issue. Let me just state. here is what the Postal Service says about this particular amendment: \"If the Hensarling amendment is adopted. the Postal Service will be in worse financial situation then it occupied before the CSRS overfunding was identified and corrected. If the Hensarling amendment is adopted. the total of these four payments would be $97 billion over the next 10 years.\" That is a tax on the American mailing public. and I think we ought to resist this amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2232}
{"speech_id":1090062512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I urge opposition to this. First of all. the Postal Service is selfoperating. What it raises. it spends. The increased money that was added was because of the anthrax issue. It was a national security issue. This amendment is bad for the economy. We are talking about 8 percent of GDP now having at least a 2 percent increase. In fact. under this amendment. it would not just be a rate increase. this would be basically a rate shock to Americans. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":617}
{"speech_id":1090062512,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would be far in excess of that. This hurts Americans competitiveness. it is bad for the economy. and I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":617}
{"speech_id":1090062554,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the early morning hours of May 14. 2005. two Denver police officers were working security at a restaurant when Raul Garcia Gomez cowardly shot them both in the back and fled into the darkness of the night. Detective Donald Young was killed.. Detective John Bishop. was also shot in the back. but he survived. Gomez snuck out of Denver and the United States and sought safety in his country of Mexico to prevent being prosecuted for first degree murder and attempted murder. Without dealing with the issue of Mexicos reluctance .to extradite their citizens who have committed murder in the United States. Gomez had already been given a getoutofjailfree card in Denver because of absurd policies called \"sanctuary laws.\" In Denver. Gomez had been stopped previously three times by local police for\" traffic offenses. Each time he presented a Mexican drivers license. Each time he had no proof of insurance. and each time he was released even though he was here illegally. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090062554,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Had he been an American citizen. the fact that he had no insurance for the third time would have resulted in him being arrested and hauled off to jail. We seem to discriminate against American citizens for the benefit of illegal aliens. Anyway. the reason Gomez was released instead of deported: sanctuary laws. They are laws that stop police from arresting and detaining illegals that are here in the United States. Therefore. law enforcement officials cannot do anything to a person they discover is illegally here in the country other than let them loose back in society. In fact. some cities prohibit police from even inquiring into a persons legal status in the United States. Socalled sanctuary laws prohibit officers from \"initiating police action where the objective is to discover the alien status of the person.\" It would seem to me. and common sense would dictate. that police should know who is in the United States illegally. Have these cities not heard of the war on terror? This order was created in Los Angeles and has been adopted in the major cities in the United States. In these cities. if an illegal immigrant is caught for a minor violation. police cannot detain this individual for immigration violations despite the fact these people are committing a Federal offense by their presence in our country. This handsoff policy is absurd and these cities protect people who are illegally in the United States. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090062554,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. because of lack of enforcement of immigration laws. these sanctuaries and safe havens in the United States are growing. Some U.S. cities have actually implemented policies that provide and require these safe havens for illegal people. Mr. Speaker. in these selected hideouts. immigration laws are not enforced. These cities do not require and even some prohibit employers from reporting the illegal status to Federal officials. Creating these secret hideouts encourages illegal immigration. and Americans pay the price. Americans always pay.. Officials in Houston. Texas. recently have implemented policies restricting coordination with local police and Federal authorities regarding immigration laws. And even recently the Governor of Maine has announced an executive order forbids the State from enforcing Federal immigration laws. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090062554,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is a serious problem and the cities that have adopted these sanctuary hideouts undermine the security of this Nation. encourage illegal immigration and promote lawlessness. All of this at the expense of Americans. However. some cities faced with the cost of free social services to illegals have a different approach. The latest is Police Chief Garrett Chamberlain of New Ipswich. New Hampshire. He is charging illegals with criminal trespassing and arresting them. After all. they are trespassing on American soil. Part of the problem is there are too few Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents within the interior of the United States. There are less than 2.000 people enforcing the immigratiofi laws of people who are illegally in the United States and in the interior. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090062554,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there are more than 800.000 law enforcement officials in the United States. They take a pledge to protect and serve every day. and they are tasked with the important job of keeping our communities safe from those outlaws who terrorize the streets. They watch out for our country. our kids. our families. and our great land. Novel idea. let these 800.000 officers help capture illegals that come across each day while they are on the police beat. They should be allies with the Federal Government and assist the Federal Government in efforts to protect our country from illegal immigrants that violate our law and disrespect the borders. Police help is essential to homeland security. Local law enforcement. those first responders are the ones that encounter illegal aliens once they have snuck into our country. These sanctuary hideouts are not the answer. There should be no sanctuary for those who violate the law. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090062570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight in strong support. of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. known as CAFTA. This trade agreement will help boost American exports. create more American jobs. help fuel economic growth. and. perhaps more importantly. help preserve the economic liberties of the common American citizen. Now. those favoring protectionism tonight have cited several fallacious arguments for rejecting CAFTA and other free trade efforts. Some argue CAFTA will hurt business and jobs. The opposite is true. Even more than previous free trade agreements. U.S. producers have so much to gain under CAFTA. You see. our U.S. markets are already open to Central America. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2058}
{"speech_id":1090062570,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Eighty percent of imports from the six CAFTA countries already enter duty free. Since our markets are already open to goods from these countries. CAFTA will level the playing field like never before for American exports. CAFTA could expand U.S. farm exports by $1.5 billion a year as prices of U.S. wheat and other crops are free from tariffs. Manufacturing and\\information technology could see exports increase by $1 billion annually when duties are removed. And the list goes on and on. A vote against CAFTA is a vote against new American jobs. Another argument used by those who oppose trade is concern for the trade deficit. but as I just pointed out. our markets are already 80 percent open to the CAFTA countries. It is their markets that are mostly closed to us. Therefore. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2058}
{"speech_id":1090062570,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CAFTA can only help ease the trade deficit. Now. other people argue that CAFTA will somehow increase illegal immigration. The opposite is. of course. true. Most illegal aliens do not come to America because they love hot dogs. baseball. and apple pie. They come quite simply because they are poor. and they need to feed their families. Trade with these Central American countries will help make the Central American countries more prosperous. Greater Central American prosperity will lead to fewer desperate workers. which in turn will lead to fewer illegal immigrants than would otherwise come over.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2058}
{"speech_id":1090062585,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there has been a great deal of happy talk lately from the Bush administration and its supporters about the state of the American economy. To hear them tell it. you would think that some kind of. supplyside miracle has taken place in the past few months and that the economy is now performing so well that jobs are plentiful. workers are well paid. that the budget deficit is being slashed in half. and that the trade deficit. which happens to be the largest in history. is nothing to worry about. C1 2300 Of course nothing could be further from the truth. and all we have to do is go out and talk to our constituents to know that. Tonight my colleagues and I want to set the record straight on the economic policies of the Bush administration. We want to look at the real record of job creation. the continued presence of unemployment. the failure of wages to keep up with inflation. and the widening disparity between the haves and the havenots which is tremendously troubling. We will document how ordinary workers have been shortchanged in this economy. which has gone through the most protracted job slump since the Great Depression. This chart summarizes the point well. The Bush administration has the worst job creation record of any administration back -to Herbert Hoover. This chart shows the average rate of job creation by this administration. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5261}
{"speech_id":1090062585,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For most of his term. President Bush was the only President since President Hoover to actually lose jobs. Now he is at least in positive territory. but with a very anemic job growth of just 0.2 percent per year. Compare that with the 2.4 percent annual job growth under President Clinton. which is more than 10 times greater. Compare this from the Clinton administration back to the Hoover administration. The Bush administration and its supporters will not take responsibility for the failure of their policies. Instead they keep saying the same thing over and over again: tax cuts. But the Bush administrations economic program has not created an economy that works for Americas ordinary citizens. and they have mortgaged our future. Responsible analysts have shown that the Bush tax cuts were poorly designed for generating jobs and putting people back to work in the wake of the 2001 recession. They had very low \"bang for the buck\" in terms of job stimulus in the short run. but they were so massive. they created a legacy of large budget deficits and mounting debt that will be a drag on the economy in the long run. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5261}
{"speech_id":1090062585,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President Bush has squandered the hardwon fiscal discipline achieved in the 1990s. He inherited a 10year budget surplus of $5.6 trillion and turned it into a stream of deficits. This chart shows what has happened so far. This chart shows that when President Bush took office. the Congressional Budget Office was projecting that the budget surplus of $236 billion in 2000 would grow to over $433 billion in 2005. In fact. the latest projection from the administration is that the budget will have a deficit of $333 billion this year. In their midsession review. the administration proclaimed this a major improvement because they had projected an even larger deficit in their January budget. But $333 billion is still the third largest deficit in the history of our country and a far cry from the $435 billion surplus that was being projected at the start of the Bush administtatidn. The administration is portraying a future of declining deficits over the next few years. but that is not what responsible analysts say. They observe instead that special factors were probably the reason for the jump in revenue this year. and they point out how much is left out of the budget projections. including the ongoing cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and a fix for the alternative minimum tax. We have become a Nation of debtors. relying on the rest of the world to finance our budget deficits and the rest of our excessive spending. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5261}
{"speech_id":1090062585,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year we had to finance a record current account deficit of $668 billion. and that deficit was even larger at an annual rate in the first quarter reaching 6.4 percent of our gross national product. * Foreign governments are holding large quantities of our public debt. putting us at risk of a major international financial crfsis if they should decide that the benefits of holding dollars are no longer worth the risk. Mr. Speaker. our future prosperity depends on increasing our national savings and making wise investments. It depends on being ready for the retirement of the baby boom generation and the pressure we know that will be put on the budget. But how is the Bush administration preparing us for this future? With more deficits and more debt. They want to make the tax cuts that have gotten us into part of this mess permanent. and they have a plan for priVatizing Social Security that would cut benefits substantially and add even more to our debt. We need a better plan. Mr. Speaker. in the remainder of our time. we will look more closely at the realities of this economy and the failures of the current economic policies. including the weak labor market that continues to be a major characteristic of the Bush administration economy. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5261}
{"speech_id":1090062585,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield to the gentlewoman from California . an economist by training.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5261}
{"speech_id":1090062607,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the stars have aligned. Senator FRIST has agreed to a vote on drug reimportation. That is how we recognize health care reform and Health Care Week and make a dent in skyrocketing health care costs. Now we are getting somewhere. I should nothave to remind Members of this body that in the last Congress here in the House we passed reimportation with a bipartisan majority. It is time now for an upordown vote in this House. In the very week we are debating health care reform. only 1 week. I might add. what is conspicuously absent? The one item which actually would help control costs of drugs and pharmaceutical products. the reimportation. providing Americans with a 50 percent reduction in the price of their prescription drugs. Springfield. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1320}
{"speech_id":1090062607,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Massachusetts saved $6 million in the first year they began importing prescription drugs. But we cannot have any of that here in the peoples House. No. We get to vote on protecting drug companies like Merck. who make Vioxx. from any public redress for misleading the public. George Orwell would appreciate that. Americans can no longer afford doubledigit increases in prescription drugs. Mr. Speaker. it is time we give them a break and a vote on reimportation of pharmaceutical products. That is the right way to make progress on controlling healthcare costs. 2","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1320}
{"speech_id":1090062612,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. NAFTA is the template on which this CAFTA agreement has been forged. Let us use the documented results of NAFTA to predict what will happen if Congress passes this latest flawed trade agreement. Workers will see a decrease in real wages. The statistics are very clear. Number 2. CAFTA cannot reduce the number of immigrants. In fact. quite the contrary. What we have had in Mexico. for instance. as our prime example is 1.3 million agricultural jobs were lost to NAFTA. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1091}
{"speech_id":1090062612,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Look at the commitments. look at the promises by the past administration. by this administration. and what we have done is increased immigration across the borders. Some of our friends are talking out of both sides of their mouths. The gap between the rich and the poor will increase. The redistribution of wealth upward will be exacerbated here in the United States under CAFTA. because more family wage jobs will be sent overseas. replaced by lowwage. WalMarttype service jobs. Get it? Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. If CAFTA passes. doom will be the operative function of this Congress.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1091}
{"speech_id":1090062626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. CAFTA has received a lot of criticism from many on the other side. but sometimes critics can be wrong. Does free trade present challenges to consumers and workers? Absolutely. Is it the death knell for manufacturers or textile makers? By no means. I believe American workers. American products. American ingenuity can compete with any other nation on the planet. and free trade enables us to do it. In so doing. it lowers costs for consumers here and actually creates jobs. That is right. hundreds of thousands of jobs are insourced to this country. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1053}
{"speech_id":1090062626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have all dealt with the pain of local factories shutting down and businesses closing. and it is tragic whenever it happens. But the fact is that even without free trade. businesses close. Free trade makes sure we have a flow of capital and jobs coming into the Nation. So should we compete in the global economy or let it pass by? I think we should compete. I choose more and better jobs for our constituents. And. Mr. Speaker. this is also a matter of national security. Vote for CAFTA.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1053}
{"speech_id":1090062648,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I am very disturbed that the gentleman from Pennsylvania. the last speaker. has introduced partisanship in this. I chastised both administrations. Democrat and Republican. as giving away the kitchen sink. We gave it away. We gave it away in the Free China deal. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":742}
{"speech_id":1090062648,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We gave up article I. section 8 of the Constitution. what we learn in the eighth grade: commerce belongs in the House of Representatives. not on the Presidents desk. And. second of all. the jobs that we have gained and the jobs that we have lost in our dealings with China make very interesting reading because we have lost highwage jobs. and we have gained those jobs that pay far less. Look at the data.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":742}
{"speech_id":1090062650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as I listen to my Republican colleagues talk about this rule. I understand why the Republican leadership is bringing forward a closed rule. because if we had an open rule. we would end up with a very good bill that would do something about enforcing our laws against China. I listened to the gentleman from Pennsylvania talk about this being the key trade vote of the year. and I think we should understand that the Committee on Rules is responsible to make sure that we have a fair and open debate by the manner in which they propose rules. There has never been an opportunity to offer a single amendment to this bill anywhere along the process. whether in the subcommittee. the full committee. or here on the floor. Mr. Speaker. I understand that Trade Promotional Authority gives the right of the administration to submit a tradenegotiated bill to the Congress after consultation and after a mock markup on an upordown vote. I just did not know that we had given the Republican leadership the right to bring out any bill they wanted to with an upordown vote without having democracy work. That is what this rule represents. and it is shameful. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090062650,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Pennsylvania","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090062666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this is a huge week for the Congress. a big week for the House of Representatives. We are passing out major postal reform for the first time in years. a highway bill that has been in the -making for over 2 Congresses now. an energy conference report that has also been in the making for over 2 Congresses now. the opportunity to have at least one and perhaps as many as three appropriations conference reports behind us as we enter the August district work period. and a Central American Free Trade Agreement. as well as a bill that gets tough with China. that finally holds our administrations feet and the feet of. either partys feet to the fire. and requires that they monitor and enforce the existing trade agreements that have been enacted by this Congress. E 1145 This bill has been called a smoke screer. it has been called a fig leaf. it has been called a number of demeaning terms. But at the end of the day. this is a real worthwhile enforcement tool that gives Members the opportunity to show the folks back home where they are on fair level trade with China. The application of U.S. countervailing duty law on nonmarket economies is not an empty gesture. A system of comprehensive monitoring of Chinese compliance with their trade obligations on intellectual property rights. market access for our American goods. services. and agriculture. an accounting of the Chinese subsidies. increased transparency so that we know what the government ownership is. we know what they are subsidizing. we know how much. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090062666,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those are more than fig leaves. Mr. SpeAker. It requires reporting by Treasury to define the currency manipulation and to analyze the effect of what the Chinese did with their new exchange rate mechanism this week. That is not a smoke screen. A $6 million a year increase above the Presidents request. up to almost $45 million a year for the general counsel and an office of monitoring and compliance. That is not an empty promise. That- is a real meaningful resource to improve our ability to track the Chinese subsidy and the potential manipulation of the global marketplace that is out of compliance with our trade agreements. The suspension for 3 years of the availability of bonds for new shippers in antidumping cases. Meaningful. meaningful reform. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090062666,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And funding for the ITC and an ITC report on the sensitivity of U.S. trade and jobs to the currency policy. something that on a bipartisan basis we have heard a great deal of angst about from Members of Congress. That is a reflection of what is going on in the countryside that there are genuine fears out there about currency manipulation. This bill gives us an opportunity to get our arms around how extensive that is and what effect the reforms and the step forward the Chinese Government made this week will have on our .economy and our employment base. This is an outstanding bill. Mr. Speaker. We have debated it now. this is the second day. first on the suspen- posed acquisition of Unocal Corporation by sion calendar. admittedly with the be-. the China National Offshore Oil Corporation. lief that it would garner twothirds (8) China continues to violate many of the support from this Chamber in the belief commitments it made when it joined the supt feryome td Chare in the beief World Trade Organization in 2001. that everyone would share in the need (9) Chinas inadequate enforcement of into crack down on Chinese abuse of tellectual property rights is resulting in intrade agreements. that everyone would fringement levels of 90 percent or more for agree that we need to put as many nearly all forms of intellectual property. and tools in the tool kit as possible to en- cost American companies more than force and monitor their compliance. to $2.500.000.000 in lost gales in 2004. bring about that transparency so that (10) Chinas industrial policies discrimithe world community can see what is nate against foreign firms and products. (11) The Government of China continues to going on. can see where there are dis- heavily subsidize its manufacturing sector tortions. can see where there is manip- through tax incentives. preferential access ulation. and now it is back today for a to credit and capital. subsidized utilities. straight upordown vote. and other measures. Yesterday. it got 240 votes. Today. I (12) Since 1994. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090062666,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"China has kept its currency hope it gets even more. Yesterday pegged at approximately 8.3 renminbi to the there were 19 Democrats who supported United States dollar. which has caused the it. There were five Republicans who op- renminbi to become undervalued against the posed it. It is a bipartisan effort. bipar- dollar by as much as 40 percent. harming exports of United States goods and services to tisan angst. bipartisan support. I urge China and providing an unfair advantage to the Members to pass the rule and the Chinese exports to the United States. underlying bill. (13) Current policies of the United States The material previously referred to have failed to advance and protect the interby Mr. McGOVERN is as follows: ests of American workers. farmers. and busiPREVIOUS QUESTION FOR H. RES. 387 H.R. nesses in the United StatesChina trade rela3283.-UNITED STATES TRADE RIGHTS EN- tionship. failed to address effectively Chinas FORCEMENT ACT unfair trade practices and market access In the resolution strike \"and (2)\" and in- barriers to goods and services and its poor sert the following: record at protecting intellectual property \"(2) the amendment in the nature of a sub- rights. and failed to stem or reverse the stitute printed in Section 2 of this resolution unsustainable United States trade deficit if offered by Representative Rangel of New with China. York or a designee. which shall be in order (14) It is critical that the United States dewithout intervention of any point of order or velop and implement a comprehensive and demand for division of the question. shall be coherent set of policies to address Chinas considered as read. and shall be separately unfair trading practices and failure to abide debatable for 60 minutes equally divided and by its commitments as a member of the controlled by the proponent and an oppo- World Trade Organization. nent. and (3)\" SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF COUNTERVAILING DU-","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090062677,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Speaker. There is some confusion. I have tried several times today to file the energy conference report. Because of technical glitches. every time we get right to the lip of the cliff. we have to do one little more thing. So I apologize for any confusion. Mr. Speaker. I am here today multihatted. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":778}
{"speech_id":1090062677,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to working on energy. my committee has also been working on health care. The bills that are under suspension. the five bills in the House and the Senate. are all moving to make health care better and more affordable and also more understandable for the American people. My excellent subcommittee chairman. the gentleman from Georgia . has worked very hard on this on a bipartisan fashion. The ranking member. the gentleman from Michigan","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":778}
{"speech_id":1090062719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I rise in support of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill. and I know that this is a bill that my good friend. the gentleman from Florida . has been working on for at least 5 years. And so now I am happy to see it finally come to the floor and will become law. hopefully. Americans have the best doctors and technology in the world. yet it is reported every day that more than 250 Americans die because of preventable medical errors in hospitals alone. The cost of preventable medical errors is estimated between $17 billion and $29 billion annually. Mr. Speaker. we must acknowledge that any error that causes harm to a patient is one too many. While our health care system may never be perfect. we must strive for the best care for pur Nations patients. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090062719,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am happy that this legislation begins to improve the ability to connect information about errors and nearerrors between doctors. researchers. and patients. However. as I have stated for years. a key step to improving care should be also the passage of meaningful patient protections under Federal law. When insurers and employees are concerned about the cost of health care. the quality of patient care can be jeopardized for the bottom line. This breeds improper care. and it breeds medical error. [] 1230 In this light. this legislation is an important first step. This bill will encourage the creation of patient safety organizations that providers will contract with tO provide patient safety information to a national patient safety database. While I will concede that I wish we were mandating more in this legislation about reporting errors and getting that information to patients. I stress that this is an essential. important first step. The bill helps develop a culture of safety that encourages information sharing. When an error occurs. it is important to learn from it so as to not repeat it. We need to get everyone comfortable with reporting errors and near errors. and this bill begins to do just that. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090062719,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill presents us with an opportunity to stand up for patients. and I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting it.","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090062781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to voice my deep concern over the rights of women in Iraq and urge adoption of this resolution. I am very pleased to join my colleagues. the gentlewoman from Texas and the gentleman from Nebraska who are my cochairs in the Iraqi Womens Caucus. I know they share my unwavering commitment to ensuring the success of our efforts to stabilize Iraq. As we speak. the Iraqi Constitution is being drafted. and preliminary drafts are being circulated around Baghdad and in the United States. This is the real test of our efforts to bring democracy and stability to Iraq. My colleagues and I have spent countless hours in Iraq. in Jordan prior to the January 30 election. meeting with women candidates. and here in Washington meeting with some of the winners of Iraqi women whose rights are now apparently under attack from extremists in their own country. The attempts by fundamentalists to insert Sharia. a restrictive form of Islamic law. into the constitution. represents an aggressive and intolerable assault on womens rights. The current transitional administrative law states thatIslam is to be considered a source of legislation. but not the only source. and that discrimination against an Iraqi citizen of gender is prohibited. .But current drafts of the new constitution. provide legal rights for women as long as they do not violate Islamic law. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2199}
{"speech_id":1090062781,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many Iraqi women fear. as we do. that enshrining Sharia would sharply curb womens tights in matters such as divorce. family inheritance. travel. professional opportunities. and other areas. One draft of the constitution also lifted the requirement that at least 25 percent of the Iraqi parliament be women. We cannot allow these drafts to be the final word on August 15. We cannot being liberty and freedom to only half of Iraqs population. the men. We owe to it the American men and women in uniform who have lost their lives and to the people of Iraq that we do all we can to protect womens rights in that country. Today we have an opportunity to demonstrate that Americans will stand strong in support of Iraqi women and their efforts to fully participate in their new democracy. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2199}
{"speech_id":1090062783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time and for his extraordinary leadership on human rights for people around the world. And I know that he joins his voice. his strength. his wisdom in working with the Iraqi Womens Caucus to do absolutely everything to protect the women in Iraq. Todays USA news report has an article that states that the government may designate Islam Sharia as a main source of legislation in the country according to a draft. This is incredibly troubling that the rights of women may be turned back. It would be a terrible step for the women if their rights are actually restricted under this new constitution. This resolution which we are sending to the government is tremendously important. and I would like to be associated with the comments on both sides of the aisle. Just last week. we met with women leaders from Iraq. Two of them were official members of the government. and they were major leaders in their communities. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3631}
{"speech_id":1090062783,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They expressed their tremendous don6ern. and they appealed to us to keep their names confidential. showing the fear that they feel for retaliation. I have corresponded with several Iraqi women. One was murdered. another one had a tremendous threat on her life. and they are working with incredible strength for their country and for the rights of their families. I would say that any country that protects their women is a stronger country. and Iraq will be a stronger country if women are able to preserve their position. One of the women we met with was a professional. and she had been denied her job. Under Sharia. women will lose many of the rights that they already have. As one of them said to me. and I quote: \"It is horrible. We are concerned. You must do something. The time is now.\" August 15 they will be coming forward with the final draft. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3631}
{"speech_id":1090062783,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They will be voting in October. and we must move forward. Just yesterday. along with 40 of my colleagues. I sent a letter to President Bush urging him and the State Department .to do everything they possibly can to encourage the drafters of the constitution to include specific rights for women. thereby ensuring their equality and their full participation in the new Iraq country. Under the former regime. they were educated. participated in the workforce. and played a role in the government. And since the end of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship. women have served and are serving in the national assembly as cabinet members and in local governments across their country. I have had the opportunity twice to visit Iraq. td visit our soldiers. to meet with officials. and always to meet with women leaders. They are concerned. They are working hard. and with likeminded men are trying to preserve their role. If they lose their position in the constitution. it will be incredibly difficult to reverse that. So it is critically important. and it would be a tragic irony if women now began to lose ground. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3631}
{"speech_id":1090062783,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There might be full participation and equal treatment under the law for women in Iraq. and I know that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I hope they will join the Womens Iraqi Caucus in expressing our strong support and solidarity with the women of Iraq as they fight for the rights to which they are entitled. I would just like to close that it would be really a tragedy beyond words if women lose their standing in the constitution and lose the firm grounded protection of a constitution. This is critically important. I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this important resolution. Mr. Speaker. I include the following for the RECORD: [From USA Today staff and wire reports.]","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3631}
{"speech_id":1090062840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I normally am in agreement with my friend. the gentleman from Pennsylvania. when it comes to antidumping and countervailing duty laws. We have worked together to try to improve those laws. But I disagree with him in regards to this legislation. Madam Speaker. I disagree with the gentlemans assessment of this legislation. I think it is an inconsequential bill. I do not believe it will do very much one way or the other. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6699}
{"speech_id":1090062840,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will certainly not hold China accountable. There is nothing in this bill that would hold China accountable for its violations of its international trade obligations. So. Madam Speaker. let me try to get the Members to focus on what. ip in this bill and not what people who may be coming to this well say is in this bill. I would urge my colleagues to please read the legislation that is before us. It is not the original bill that was filed by the gentleman from Pennsylvania . a bill that was supported by the industry. that would have extended couhtervailing duty laws to China and nonmarket economies. Instead. what this bill does in section 2 is a \"sense of Congress.\" Now. a sense of Congress resolution is exactly that. It expresses our concerns. but takes no action. The first section that takes any action at all in changing law is section 3. and section 3 does deal with the countervailing duty provisions. It extends countervailing duties to nonmarket economies. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6699}
{"speech_id":1090062840,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is good. Countervailing duties are -imposed when a country inappropriately subsidizes its products that go into international trade. And China and nonmarket economies should be held to our countervailing duty laws. Unfortunately. they are not today. The problem is that the amended bill then puts 2 hurdles in being able to apply those countervailing duty provisions. It first does what is known as doublecounting and prevents from using on the countervailing duties the import and export subsidies by the country involved. Now. that is a different standard than we have for market economies. where you only have to doublecount export subsidies. The change here is dramatic. and that is why the industries that are affected by the countervailing duty statute that we would hope would help in regards to China oppose this provision. Nu Car. which is one of the companies that asked us to apply the countervailing duty law to China. has written us in opposition to this section. because it will not help them remedy the situation of subsidized product coming from China into the United States. That is why the Committee to Support U.S. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6699}
{"speech_id":1090062840,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Trade Laws. the committee of business groups that have joined together in order to strengthen our antidumping and countervailing duty laws. oppose this section. It will not help companies that are hurt by subsidized. manufactured product coming into the United States. That is section 3. That is why I say. you try to help in one respect. but you take it away by putting obstacles in the way. You also put a second test that is not currently required. a certification of compliance of international law. That is not required today for a market economy violation for us td file a countervailing duty claim. That is section Let us go to section 4. Section 4 deals with the new shipper review amendment. Well. here we have a problem with Chinese exporters who are not getting an adequate security when they come into our market. You provided a temporary fix for 3 years. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6699}
{"speech_id":1090062840,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should do it permanently. It should be done permanently. Going to section 5. section 5 talks about monitoring compliance with the Peoples Republic of China with iirternational trade obligations. Read what is here. There is no action. There is review. but no action. We should not be doing this now. the review. The administration does this already. There is nothing new that is added to the requirements that we are going to be able to take action against China for violating intellectual property rights or access to market for services. or access to market for goods. We should be taking action under our safeguards in that regard. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6699}
{"speech_id":1090062869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Therefore. where H.R. 3283 says that \"the Commerce shall ensure that the application of CVD law is consistent with the international obligations of the United States.\" am I correct that Commerce. which administers both U.S. antidumping law and U.S. countervailing duty law. may reach this determination of consistency on its own?","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":329}
{"speech_id":1090062880,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the English bill. which will only create more red ink with Red China in our global trade. Our job and trade\" deficit with China is exploding with more jobs being lost every day. Our red ink in jobs and trade give new meaning to the name \"Red China.\" We need strong and effective laws to make China follow the rules to which we hold everyone else responsible. This bill does not give us those strong and effective rules. Instead of demanding action. the Republican bill calls for more reports. more studies. and more dialogue. It fails to include real solutions proposed by members on both sides of aisle. These include strengthening remedies for American industries hurt by export surges caused by Chinese imports and requiring the administration to take action to bring down Chinas trade barriers. Further. the English bill actually adds new loopholes that gut the effect of the bill. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2652}
{"speech_id":1090062880,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill would harm U.S. trade laws by giving direct effect to the World Trade Organization to impose its decisions against U.S. laws and would create harmful precedents on U.S. sovereignty. I support subjecting China and other nonmarket economies to our subsidy laws. But this bill actually places restrictions on the Department of Commerces ability to go after those very illegal government subsidies. In fact. this bill may give China an advantage in this situation. This bill places a greater burden on the U.S. Department of Commerce than current U.S. law or WTO rules to protect the U.S. against unfair competition from Chinas subsidies. By further limiting counting of subsidies. this places China in a special category above all other trading partners. It also places such a burden on the agency that the costs of doing this far outweigh the gains. There is a provision in this bill that says that DoC must ensure that trade law is implemented consistent with U.S. international trade obligations. This hasnt appeared in U.S. trade law before and could give the WTO special influence over U.S. law. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2652}
{"speech_id":1090062880,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Are we an independent Nation or are we but a client State for multinational giants? This bill fails to address the real problem of our growing deficit with China. In fact. sadly. it appears that this bill is simply a cover for some Members to vote for CAFTA later today. They can say they spoke out about our widening trade deficits. but actually then make them worse by voting for CAFTA. I ask Members to consider their conscience.. Why use this fig leaf of a bill that will lead to more job loss. poorer working conditions and more misery for working people in the U.S. and in China. and ultimately with Central America.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2652}
{"speech_id":1090062922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the Help Efficient. Accessible. LowCost. Timely Healthcare Act of 2005. commonly referred to as the HEALTH Act. If it seems like you have seen me speaking on this before. that is because I have. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090062922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The House of Representatives has done their part and passed this muchneeded legislation several times during my service in Congress. It is my sincere hope that the other body will answer the call of millions of Americans who have been impacted with the loss of their doctor and help rein in an outofcontrol medical liability system. I am very optimistic we can achieve this goal. primarily because my home State of West Virginia has passed very similar legislation. If West Virginias Legislature and Governor can put politics aside and work for the common good. then this Congress should be able to do the same. Five years ago the medical liability climate in West Virginia reached a fevered pitch. Countless physicians. especially specialists. were beginning to leave the State. their home State. because of the prohibitively high cost of insurance premiums. Our largest trauma center was forced to close because of lack of physicians. Many of these physicians were orthopedists. OBGYNs. and neurologists. and for a rural State with already limited access to specialists. this was a critical blow to health care accessibility. Individuals throughout the State were extremely concerned about the ability to find a doctor. keep a doctor. and about the doctor that they love and trust leaving the practice of medicine. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090062922,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thankfully. the leaders in West Virginia enacted sensible reforms that have stabilized our healthcare delivery system. As a matter of fact. the hospitals in West Virginia have said one of the biggest benefits to this legislation. very similar to the legislation we have today. is that it stabilized the situation so they can now recruit and retain physicians in the State of West Virginia.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090062938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I oppose this rule. and I oppose this overreaching bill. A lot of people on the other side of the aisle are trying to claim that caps on awards for victims of medical malpractice will help doctors. Some are claiming that caps on awards will even help patients. The other side has one crucial fact wrong. Capping medical malpractice awards does not mean insurance rates will fall. A recent study. looking at premiums over the last 5 years. found that claims payments have been stable while premiums have more than doubled. In fact. malpractice insurers total premiums were three times higher than total payments in 2004. If we want to decrease medical malpractice insurance costs for doctors. let us talk about that. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1690}
{"speech_id":1090062938,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us talk about reducing medical errors by improving hospital resources and funding for graduate medical school education. Or let us talk about investigating insurance companies pricing practices. But to pretend that this is medical malpractice awards set by juries and judges who have actually listened to victims grievances. to put the blame for rising insurance costs on victims. that is not only cruel. it is completely false. If we want to cap medical malpractice awards. let us call it for what it is: a gift to the insurance industry at the expense of innocent victims. This bill hurts patients wrongly injured or killed by bad doctors. does not lower medical malpractice rates for the so many good doctors out there. and really only benefits the insurance companies. The other side would rather drive a wedge between two noble professions: doctors and lawyers. I say that is wrongheaded. Vote down this rule. and more importantly. vote down this bill.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1690}
{"speech_id":1090062979,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. let me just say that this rule is in compliance with the 1974 Trade Act. which calls for an upordown vote on these agreements. And I also believe that it is very important to note. as my colleague has just pointed out. that for more than a decade. on every single trade agreement that has come before this House. we have had 2 hours of general debate. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":484}
{"speech_id":1090063005,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman yielding me this time. and I rise tonight to support this rule and also the underlying document that we will vote on later on tonight. We have heard it is important for national security issues. and it is. Strengthening these six democracies. fledgling though they may be. makes America a safer place to be. We have heard that it is good for immigration control. and it is. Prosperity and jobs created in Central American countries will lessen the pressure of those folks trying to percolate up through Mexico and trying to get into America to get a job here. We have heard it is good for trade. and it is. Our manufacturers and producers will no longer pay the tariffs and duties we are currently paying. Manufacturers like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and breakfast cereals will now be able to be sold in these Central American countries with that trade. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1458}
{"speech_id":1090063005,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It seems odd to me if I have a job. and a group comes. to me and says we want to help you get a better job. we want you to earn more and we want the labor standards to be improved. but we want you to keep that job. well. that is the kind of idea I would like to have help with. But if I have another side that says I want to help you with labor standards and I want to help you have a better job. but in the meantime I want you to be unemployed. that does not make a lot of sense to me. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to vote for this rule and the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1458}
{"speech_id":1090063070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President Reagan said it best: Trust. but verify. On CAFTA. that is all we are asking. I think most of us believe that the Central American governments want to prove that they can play by the rules in the international marketplace. but before we agree to open up Americas markets. and that means Americas jobs. to fierce competition. we must know that the rules will be followed and enforced. Trust. but verify. An agreement that merely says enforce your own existing laws fails President Reagans test. The truth is if the American public knew that we were about to open up Americas markets to further international competition based solely on the good faith of our competitors. they would run us out of Washington. Just as no consumer today would buy or sell a house on a handshake. neither should we open our markets with one. When we shook hands with China and allowed them to receive favoredtrading status with America. did we expect that they would respond by pirating Americas goods or by paying industrial wages of 60 cents an hour? That is the kind of cutthroat competition that CAFTA will permit. but this time that kind of distorted competition will live and breathe in our neighboring Central American countries. not 6.000 miles away. ","speaker_name":"XAVIER BECERRA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090063070,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Will the Central America countries feel the pressure to trade under Americas standards or Chinas standards? Mr. Speaker. no one wins in a race to the bottom. The vast majority of people in the Central American countries. the workers. the farmers. the small merchants. would not win. and certainly U.S. businesses will not win in the long run. Mr. Speaker. it is better to lift all boats so we can trade as partners and as equals. I recognize the importance of trade in our hemisphere. I have supported every piece of legislation for every trade agreement that has come before me in my 12 years in Congress. Regrettably. this is not a trade agreement I can support. It does not reward work. in America or Central America. It is not an agreement that- deserves our vote. ","speaker_name":"XAVIER BECERRA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090063070,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vote \"no\" on CAFTA.","speaker_name":"XAVIER BECERRA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090063086,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I represent the family farmers of the Red River Valley. They are descendants of the families that broke the prairie of the northern plains and are now raising sugar beets as part of an industry that they have grown with their own sweat and tears. This industry from the farmers to the workers in the processing plants today amounts to an economic impact of $2 billion to $3 billion and nearly 30.000 jobs in our rural region alone.","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090063100,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is possible to enjoy the many benefits of trade extolled here tonight without having a race to the bottom on working conditions. It is possible to enjoy the benefits of expanded trade without endangering our environment. It is possible to enjoy trade without yielding our sovereignty by granting foreigners more legal rights than Americans will have under this agreementspecial preferences that these foreigners can use to undermine our health and safety laws. It is possible to have a modern 21stcentury trade policy. which recognizes that we cannot measure the benefits of trade solely on how many widgets move across the border while forgetting what happens to the workers and the air we breathe and the water that we drink. But it is impossible to accomplish any of this when the negotiators for our side come from an administration that cares as little about workers in America as those in Honduras. an administration that views the environment as just something to exploit. I am against CAFTA because. basically. I am against protectionism. I reject an administration that protects polluters. that protects corporate wrongdoers. that protects those who think that arrogance alone can represent an effective foreign policy. I am proud to stand with the NAACP and LULAC and the League of Conservation Voters and so many Americans. who say we need a new trade policy. not yet another failed foreign policy from a narrowminded administration.","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1460}
{"speech_id":1090063128,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. As a mill worker at Great Northern Paper Company for over 30 years. I rise in strong opposition to CAFTA. Two days after I was sworn in as a Member of Congress. I learned that the very mill that I worked at. that my dad worked at for 43 years. my grandfather before him for 40 years. filed bankruptcy and was shutting down. The reason? Unfair trade policies that have devastated our industry. Job loss is something that we Mainers know all about. In Maine. in the wake of NAFTA. we have lost 23 percent of our manufacturing base in the last 3 years alone. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MICHAUD","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":986}
{"speech_id":1090063128,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The unemployment rate in certain areas is over 30 percent. CAFTA takes most of the language right out of NAFTA. It only has promises of more job losses. Business organizations. family farms. church groups. Republicans and Democrats are united in opposition to CAFTA. I ask my colleagues tonight. do not sell the American people out for some backroom deal. Our workers deserve more.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MICHAUD","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":986}
{"speech_id":1090063130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker. there are many reasons to oppose the CAFTADR deal. But I want to talk about one reason that has not gotten much attention. the inclusion of tobacco products. Mr. Speaker. tobacco is a unique commodity. killing millions of people around the globe each year. Trade agreements are supposed to benefit consumers by spurring competition and reducing prices for beneficial products such as wheat. computers. and auto ports. While increased trade may offer a range of benefits for exporters and importers alike. these benefits do not apply to tobacco products. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1410}
{"speech_id":1090063130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reducing tariffs on cigarettes. other tobacco products. or removing public health measures that ihay run afoul of trade agreements rules on nontariff barriers is going to result in increased smoking rates. needless preventable deaths. and disease. That is a fact. Tobacco products were excluded from the tariff schedules in the U.S.-Jordan and U.S.-Vietnam free trade agreements negotiated under the Clinton administration. . 2230 This administration has done an aboutface including tobacco products in the U.S.-Chile agreement at the behest of Philip Morris. This unfortunate turn of events should not be repeated. I urge my colleagues to reject the CAFTADR trade agreement. It is bad for workers. it is bad for the environment. and with the inclusion of tobacco products. it is bad for health.","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1410}
{"speech_id":1090063155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume to note that when the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means indicated that the speech and debate clause of the Constitution allowed us to distort the truth. I had no idea where he was coming from. But I now trqly.understand why he opened up the debate that way. Mr. Speaker. I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California . our gentle minority leader. who made certain that we did not make this a partisan issue. who struggled hard to keep this agreement and to try to get it open so that we could have input and have a bipartisan agreement. and who will close on behalf of the minority.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":667}
{"speech_id":1090063160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to the Dominican RepublicCentral AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. DRCAFTA or CAFTA. This trade agreement will eliminate thousands of American jobs without raising the quality of life for Central Americans and Dominicans. It is an agreement written to raise profits for multinational corporations at the expense of workers and the environment in the U.S. and the CAFTA countries. CAFTA should be renegotiated or voted down. There is wide. bipartisan opposition to this bill here in the Congress because it endangers workers and jobs in the U.S. and abroad. it endangers our economy and it endangers the environment. Opposition to congressional ratification of this flawed agreement also runs deep outside of the Congress. throughout this country and the other signatory nations. The public as well as labor leaders. environmentalists. economists. and business owners and the clergy all strongly oppose the measure. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4450}
{"speech_id":1090063160,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hundreds of thousands of Central Americans have taken to the streets to protest CAFTA. I strongly support increased global trade for the United States. However. when negotiated. I believe free trade agreements should place human and labor rights and the protection of the environment on an equal par with the rights of capital. While CAFTA provides extensive protections for goods and capital. it provides no new protectioos for workers or the environment. and allows the signatory nations to do nothing more than enforce their own laws on labor and the environment. Implementation of CAFTA would further the failed experiment that was NAFTA. As a result of NAFTA. my home State of Illinois has suffered the loss of over 100.000 jobs. The Nation hds lost almost 1 million jobs due to the displacement of production that supported them prior to the implementation of NAFTA. Free trade agreements like NAFTA and PNTR for China perpetuate the race to the bottom in the global economy. They lower working and living standards for workers in other countries and kill jobs in the United States. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4450}
{"speech_id":1090063160,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CAFTAs effects would be no different. The labor provisions in CAFTA are intentionally unenforceable. Violations of core labor standards cannot be taken to dispute resolution. The commitment to. enforce domestic labor laws is subject to remedies weaker than those available for commercial disputes. This violates the negotiating objective of current U.S. trade law that equivalent remedies should exist for all parts of an agreement. Further. the \"enforce your own laws\" standard allows countries the opportunity to rewrite and weaken their labor laws to attract investment. Instead of pursuing policies that undermine the rights and security of U.S. workers and workers in other countries. the United States should lead the world by example through a trade policy that improves the lives of individuals and does not just add to the profits of major corporations. Our policies should benefit workers here in this country. create and sustain jobs and help our small and mediumsized and familyowned businesses grow. CAFTA will not accomplish those goals nor will it offer better opportunities to the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic. The abysmal working conditions in Mexico should serve as a sign of what CAFTA will bring to Central America and the Dominican Republic. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4450}
{"speech_id":1090063160,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Mexican middle class that was supposed to arise as a result of NAFTA is missing. I visited Ciudad Juarez on the tenth anniversary of NAFTA. Instead of finding a thriving Mexican middle class. I found workers living in the packing crates of the products that they were manufacturing. The poverty rates and disparities in wealth in Mexico have actually grown since NAFTA. CAFTA would just spread those conditions further south by offering multinational corporations new opportunities to profit off -the backs of lowwage workers. I dispute the attempts by free trade proponents to reduce the debate to a choice between \"free trade\" and \"no trade.\" \"this agreement\" or \"no agreement.\" We can do better. We can achieve our economic objectives and moral responsibilities through responsible trade. And we can and should go back to the drawing board and fix CAFTA if we want to protect workers and the environment and give the people of the DRCAFTA countries the chance for a better future. I urge my colleagues to vote no on CAFTA so that we can renegotiate this flawed trade agreement.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4450}
{"speech_id":1090063166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there are various good reasons to vote against CAFTA. but the first is enough and its basic: this is not a good deal. The U.S. is running unprecedented trade deficits-$618 billion last year. $195 billion this year in the first quarter alone. And the deficit worsens every year. weakening our economy and our independence. Virtually every trade deal the U.S. has made- has resulted in far more imports than exports. Yet we keep creating free trade zones in the blind faith that the market will optimize the outcome. Central American countries are paFt of the Carribean Basin and already enjoy wideopen access to our markets by virtue of tariff Item 807. the Generalized System of Preferences. the Carribean Basin Trade Partnership Agreement. and the UruguayRound of GATT. which has removed all quotas on textile\/apparel imports. Far from being disadvantaged. these countries enjoy preferential access now. In fact. the Caribbean Basin countries as a group already export more to the U.S. than Mexico and import less. The CBI countries shipped $2.6 billion in apparel exports to the U.S. versus $1.6 billion in apparel shipments from Mexico. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090063166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During the most recent quarter. CBI countries imported $655 million in fabric from the U.S. Mexico imported $809 million. Overall. in 2004 our textile\/apparel trade deficit with Mexico was $3.765 versus $5.669 with CBI countries. CAFTA purports to be based on a rule of origin adopted from NAFTA. NAFTA provides that for textile and apparel goods to move freely among Mexico. Canada. and the U.S.. they must be made from the yarn stage forward in these three countries. CAFTA follows the same rule. but carves out so many exceptions that the exceptions swallow the rule. Here are some of the exceptions to the rule of origin that CAFTA allows for textiles and apparel: Only the component that gives the garment its essential character is subject to the rule of origin. Nonessential components are excepted. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090063166,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Textile or apparel goods that contain fabric or yarn deemed \"in short supply\" in the U.S. are treated as originating in CAFTA. regardless of origin. This opens the door to more Chinese components entering the U.S. dutyfree. Denim. wool. cotton. and manmade fiber woven products from Mexico and Canada. are permitted under the rule of \"cumulation.\" Cumulation allows countries that have free trade agreements with us to supply component parts to CAFTA countries without affecting dutyfree treatment. This opens the sale of U.S. yarn and fabric to competition and increases the likelihood that transshipped textiles from China will enter the U.S. duty free. For the first 10 years. CAFTA grants Tariff Preference Levels (TPL) to Nicaragua. for up to 100 million square meter equivalents of outofregion cotton or manmade fiber garments. These goods come into the U.S. at nominal duties. This exception represents 2\/3 of Nicaraguas current capacity and opens another back door to Chinese imports. The origin of collars. cuffs. and linings is not considered when determining the origin of the apparel goods. This allows the use of Chinese collars. cuffs and linings. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090063166,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CAFTA allows Central American countries to use components from anywhereincluding Chinato make pajamas. bras. and boxers and import them dutyfree. The import. of these goods from China has been found disruptive to our markets. So. they are subject to \"restraints\" under. a special \"safeguard\" agreement with China. By allowing dutyfree access to the U.S. for these goods. CAFTA allows China a route around the \"safeguard\" restraints. Heres another oddity about CAFTA. CAFTA benefits are retroactive to January 1. 2004. Manufacturers will receive duty rebates if CAFTA is ratified. Under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act. garments made in the region from U.S. yarns and fabrics already receive dutyfree treatment. The only manufacturers who will benefit from retroactivity are the ones who want to use nonU.S. fabric as part of the single transformation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090063166,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TPL. or cumulation loopholes. Retroactivity is essentially an invitation from the U.S. government to manufacturers to start using nonU.S. fabrics immediately. The U.S. has been unable to make labor and environmental standards a condition of free trade for GATT\/WTO members. though they -should be. Otherwise. free trade becomes a race to the bottom. Our goal should not be just to expand markets. but to raise liv-. ing.standards. All CAFTA says is that a country must enforce its own laws. CAFTA sanctions the status quo. doing nothing for labor or environmental laws. All in all. CAFTA strikes a poor bargain. China is now making trade deals worldwide. using as leverage the largest emerging market in the world. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4876}
{"speech_id":1090063168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. after much deliberation. -I decided to cast my vote against the Central American Free Trade Agreement. After careful review. I have concluded that the benefits of CAFTA are likely to flow to a few powerful economic special interests at the expense of working men and women in the United States and\" Central America. It is my hope that a no vote will encourage the President to go back and renegotiate the labor and environmental provisions of CAFTA so that everyone. not just a few special interests. will experience the rewards of free trade. The Bush Administration offered as one of its reasons for negotiating this agreement that the growing economic prosperity in Central America as a result of CAFTA would pull Central Americans up from poverty to become enthusiastic consumers of American goods. But by not sufficiently addressing the issue of weak labor protections throughout Central America. the Bush Administration neglected an important tool that could help make this dream a reality.. According to the Administration. CAFTA adequately addressed labor concerns by requiring that each country enforce its own labor laws. Ordinarily. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090063168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would not object to this. Similar language is included in some of the other FTAs I have supported in the past. But what is troubling about CAFTA is that. while Central American countries may indeed have worker protections on the books. they have a dismal record of enforcing them. This became clear to me while researching the human rights records of CAFTA countries. I was disheartened to learn that while the constitutions of each CAFTA country provides for rights of workers. bureaucratic impediments. ineffective legal systems and insufficient resources have precipitated a culture of neglect that has left workers vulnerable to exploitation by employers. In Guatemala. the law prohibits retribution for forming or participating in trade unions. But. enforcement of these provisions is weak. Employers often circumvent the Labor Code or simply ignore judicial pronouncements aitogether. In El Salvador. there have been repeated complaints that the government prevents workers from exercising their constitutionally recognized right of association by employing excessive judicial formalities and denying unions legal standing. In Honduras. the Labor Code expressly prohibits retribution by employers for trade union activity and blacklistingbut such violations continue. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090063168,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Administrations response to objections about the dismal enforcement records of Central American govemments is that CAFTA contains penalties to discourage such activities. While CAFTA does contain provisions crafted to encourage enforcement of labor rights. these provisions fall short of the strength needed to reverse years of indifference and systematic neglect. CAFTAs enforcement mechanism centers on a strategy of financial penalties. Each time a party is found guilty of violating a workers rights. that country is assessed a fine. This approach has been employed in earlier agreements with few objections. But in CAFTA. such an approach is problematic. My principal concern is that only the U.S. has the standing to bring a case against a CAFTA country. NGOs and other international institutions. who are often the most knowledgeable about the labor conditions in these countries. are forbidden from seeking redress on behalf of workerswhich means that only the U.S. government will be able to take issue with labor violations under CAFTA. Given our poor history of forcing compliance with labor laws among our trading partners. I am not convinced that this approach will adequately protect Central American workers. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090063168,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Equally troubling is the requirement that countries found to be in violation pay the fine back to themselves instead of to the United States. This hardly seems like a penalty at all. Unfortunately. CAFTA would turn the labor conditions in some Central American countries from bad to worse. The Caribbean Basin Initiative. which currently governs U.S. trade relations with Central America provides for periodic opportunities to reconsider and renegotiate its provisions---including its labor provisions. That creates a mechanism where. over time. we can press for improved labor conditions. But the labor provisions in CAFTA would preempt the CBI process. Once passed. CAFTA can only be changed if each individual country agrees to the change. Over the years. unions have helped bring scores of Americans into the middlo class.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090063224,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I just came from our Republican Senate cloakroom doing an interview on this important piece of legislation. and I thought that in the course of that interview there was an interesting comment made by the person on the other end of the line: Why are you doing this nbw? And I thought it would be important for me to put it in the appropriate context because there is a tremendous number of important .issues before the U.S. Congress at this time that the American people are highly concerned about because we are headed toward the end of the week. As the leader said a few moments ago. we are headed toward the August recess. which means Congress. in its traditional way. will take the month of August off for personal time and family vacation as do many Americans. and we reconvene after Labor Day. So why now are you addressing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. S. 397? It was stated in the context that the Senate really can only chew gum or dribble a ball. but it cant do both. What I think is important for those who might be listening to understand is that we can chew gum and dribble a ball at the same time. and probably keep multiple balls in the air. That is exactly what the leader is doing at this moment. Last night. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11185}
{"speech_id":1090063224,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I signed. and I think the Presiding Officer signed. a document that we are very proud of that has been 6 years in coming to the desk of the President of the United States. and now comes to this President because of his very clear urging. and that is the national energy policy. Yes. the Congress of the United States has completed its work on a national energy policy. and we believe we can take up the conference report now on the floor of the Senate during the remainder of the week before we recess. and we hope that all of our colleagues would let us step back for a moment from this legislation to do so before we move to final passage. It is very possible that we could also do the transportation conference repbrt. We have ::extended the legal au thority under. the TransportationAct Stimes -while the Senate. and the House did. ts .-Work... and. I hope. we would not -extend. it anymore. So. clearlj.. there are multiple things we can do. and I trust we will do. before we adjourn for the August recess. But I think the Presiding Officer and I would agree that whefn our President came to town. now. nearly 6 years agoand I remember President George W. Bush elect in the leaders office saying: While I spent a good deal of the campaign time talking about education and a variety of other issues. I am here now to talk about national energy. And the first thing I am going to do as a Presidentelect and a swornin President is to name a task force headed by the Vice President to recommend to the Congress the development of a national comprehensive energy.policy. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11185}
{"speech_id":1090063224,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He did. but we did not. He pushed. but we could not produce. He continued to push. and now we have produced. and finally we have a comprehensive energy policy before us. So I would say to those listening and to all of our colleagues. I hope we can dribble a ball and chew gum at the same time and get all of this work done before the August recess. If reasonable heads prevail. we should get it all done by late Friday night. But the leader also said we do have Saturday. and we will get our work done. By early afternoon today. we will be on S. 397. the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act. What I would like to do at this time is read a letter that we sent to Majority Leader FRIST that we think sets into the right context exactly why we are here today and tomorrow debating this important legislation. The letter goes something like this: Dear Majority Leader FRISTand this was sent on July 12. signed by a great many Senators. .Democrats. and Republicans alike. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11185}
{"speech_id":1090063224,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MAX BAUCUS. who is my cosponsor of this legislation. and I. along with a .good man r pthers. We said: In the early days of World War II. President Franklin Roosevelt. foresaw that America \"must be the great arsenal of democracy.\" Americans rose to that challenge. producing unprecedented quantities of arms. not only for U.S. forces but also for our allies around the world. That tradition continues during today. during our Global War on Terror. In 20042005. the United Statesthe only major world power without a government firearms factory of its ownI said. in earlier statements this morning. we are the only major world power where the Government does not own a firearms factory. They are all owned by private citizenshas contracted to buy over 200.000 rifles. pistols. machine guns. and other small arms for our soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines. In addition. the U.S. Army alone uses about 2 billion rounds of ammunition each yearabout half of it made by private industry. Those guns and ammunition are made in the U.S. and provide good jobs for hardworking Americans. Those .un. manufacturipg facilities and amiu imit1n fabilities mre spread across the U elH d Stites. .pfortu~.elyo our rnpitary spppliers are if \"dan1qr. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11185}
{"speech_id":1090063224,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Antigun- activists have taken to The courfh tb -p6bmdte theiragenda of more ~estric ~e gun7&ontroh. The very same companies thatiarmourinen and women on the front line against terrorism have been sued all over the country. where plaintiffs blame them for the acts of criminals. These lawsuits defy all the rules of traditional tort law. While many have been rejected in the courtAnd that is many of the lawsuits. some 24plus filed. about half of them now rejectedeven one verdict for plaintiffs would risk irreparable harm to a vital defense industry. These are some of the reasons I have cosponsored S. 397. the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This bill would protect Americas small arms industry against these lawsuits. while allowing legitimate. recognized types of suits against companies that make defective products. or against gun dealers who break the law. I was very clear earlier today that S. 397 sets that out in clear fashion. The letter goes on to say: We urge you to help safeguard our \"great arsenal of democracy\" by bringing S. 397 to the Senate floor before the August recess. and working to pass it without any amendments that would jeopardize its speedy enactment into law. That is why we are here today. because a substantial majority of the Senate has urged our leader to bring this important legislation to the floor. We have asked the Senate to be flexible. as is typical in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11185}
{"speech_id":1090063267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend the Senator from Vermont for his elQquent remarks. I will talk about the legislation before us. the gun liability legislation. The legislation before us cannot be all things. It cannot be an effective barrier against litigation to protect the gun industry and. at the same time. be a way to protect legitimate rights of citizens who have been injured or killed by guns. It is not both. it is one of them. It is carefully. cleverly worded legislation to immunize the entire gun industry from virtually any type of liability. There are. perhaps. minor exceptions. but the most important. compelling cases we have seen in recent yearsthe case of the DC snipers. the case of Police Officers Lamongello and McGuire in New Jersey. and the pending case of Kahr Arms in Worcester. MAwould be barred. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11615}
{"speech_id":1090063267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I dont think that is a mere incidental coincidence. They will be de-. liberately barred. Thankfully. the first two cases were settled after the Senate rejected this legislation last year. The families of the victims of the Washington area snipers had their day in court and were able to go forward. and a settlement was reached. Officers Lamongello and McGuire similarly had the opportunity to press their cases. and a settlement was reached. but the Kahr Arms case. is still pending in court. One of the sweeping aspects of this legislation is that it does not merely attempt to set the rules prospectively. as we go forward. to say these cases would not be heard by a court in the U.S.. it literally walks in and tells people who have filed casescases that have survived motions for summary judgment. cases which judges. looking at the facts and circumstances and the -law. have said at least can go forward to trial and juryit would take those cases and throw -them out of State courts and out of Federal courts if they have been filed. Lets take a look at the Kahr Arms case. It is the case of Guzman v. Kahr Arms. It was filed under the wifes nameHernandez. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11615}
{"speech_id":1090063267,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe. It involves Danny Guzman and Kahr Arms. A lawsuit was filed by the family of 26yearold Danny Guzman of Worcester. MA. who was fatally wounded with a 9 mm handgun that was stolen from the Kahr plant by a drugaddicted employee who had a criminal record. The manufacturer. Kahr Arms. operated the factory without basic security measures to protect against theft. such as metal detectors. security mirrors. or security guards. Guns were routinely taken from the factory by felons the company had hired without conducting background checks. The gun used to kill Danny Guzman was one of several removed by Kahr Arms employees before serial numbers had even been stamped on them. rendering them virtually untraceable. Some point has been made about the fact that it is illegal to erase serial numbers. These people were able to get the weapons before serial numbers were imprinted upon the weapons. so that law would not apply at all. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11615}
{"speech_id":1090063267,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The guns were then resold to criminals in exchange for money and drugs. The loaded gun that killed Mr. Guzman was found by a 4yearold behind an apartment building near the scene of the shooting. Thank goodness that 4yearold didnt decide to test the weapon himself or herself. Had Kahr Arms performed background tests or drug tests on prospective employees. or secured its facility to prevent theft. Danny Guzman might be alive today. A Massachusetts court held that the suit states a valid legal claim for negligence. but this bill would throw the case out of court. denying Dannys family their day in court. Again. this is the Congress reaching into a State court and telling that judge. we dont care what your law says. we dont care what 200 years of legal precedent in Massachusetts or any .other State in the country amounts to. This suit should be stricken. taken out. thrown out. This legislation is sweeping and it is unprecedented. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11615}
{"speech_id":1090063267,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It deals a serious blow to citizens throughout this country. while enhancing dramatically the legal protections for the gun industry. Now. the bills proponents repeatedly say you cannot hold someone responsible for the criminal actions of anotheras my colleagues have said. the intervening criminal actions of another. First of all. that is not what this case is about. And. frankly. .that is not the law. I am surprised that my colleagues who are attorneys would come down and make such an erroneous statement about the law. A memorandum by a professor at the University of Michigan Law School points out that in the restatement of tortsthis is as in all lawthis is the basic summary of the status of the law in the U.S. with respect to torts. Section 449: If the likelihood that a third person may act in a particular manner is a hazard or one of the hazards which makes the actor negligent. such an act. whether innocent. negligent. intentionally tortious. or criminal. does not prevent the actor from being liable from harm caused thereby. This is black letter law. There is no special exemptionfor the criminal act of another if you fail in your duty to the public. And the duty here with respect to Kahr Arms is to secure dangerous weapons and to have employees who are responsible. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11615}
{"speech_id":1090063273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. Mr. President. reflecting on yesterday. if we had invoked cloture yesterday. we would have been able to complete the Department of Defense authorization bill. We were unable to invoke cloture. I made it clear at that time at some point we would return to the Department of Defense authorization bill. a very important bill. At the same time. we have about five pieces of legislation we have to address over the next 72 hours. We need to move on. as we will shortly do. Also. the chairman and ranking member will have the opportunity over the next few days and weeks to take these more than 200 amendments. look at those amendments and see how many are absolutely necessary. based on their judgment. and then we can come back and address the issue of defense. Finally. I ask that the Democratic leader consider my request from yesterday so that at any time determined by the majority leader. in consultation with the Democratic leader. then the Senate resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090063279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will not object. My feeling is. I regretted the fact we got off the Defense billparticularly because of its importance to our national securityto go on to this gun liability bill. I am not going to object to the leader coming back. As one who has an amendmentI know many of our colleagues were eager to focus on those amendments. We will expect to hear from our leader as to when the leader will do that. Further reserving the right to object. is it the intention of the leader to permit amendments to the gun liability bill so we will. now that we are on that legislation. at least be able to talk about and offer amendments on the gun liability legislation?","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":676}
{"speech_id":1090063288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tomorrow. the Senate will continue its consideration of the gun liability bill. Under an agreement reached this evening. we will debate and vote on the Kohl amendment on trigger locks. That vote will occur before lunch tdmorrow. As a remainder. firstdegree amendments must be filed by 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. We will have a cloture vote on the pending legislation. and we will announce the exact timing of that vote tomorrow.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":428}
{"speech_id":1090063358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Correct me if I am wrong. but I cited statistics between 1993 and 2003. There were 10 million lawsuits brought in the United States for wrongful death under the tort system. Of those 10 million. we have been able to find 57 in 10 years. 57 cases brought against gun manufacturers and gun dealers. Is the Senator telling me those are frivolous. 57 lawsuits out of 10 million? Is that a crisis in litigation?","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":406}
{"speech_id":1090063449,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleagues for allowing me to take a few moments for an important recognition for Arkansans. Today I rise to pay tribute to two very distinguished Arkansans. first to the new and undefeated. undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Jermain -Taylor. Jermain Taylors skill in the boxing ring is only one reason for me to recognize him on the Senate floor. Jermain is one of boxings rising young stars. He is known for his skill and his power in the ring. but he is also known for his grace and humility outside of the ring. On July 16. Jermain. a Little Rock native. thrilled the people of Arkansas when he stepped into a ring in Las Vegas. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2124}
{"speech_id":1090063449,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"NV and took the middleweight championship of the world from Bernard Hopkins. Jermains victory that night was the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice that began when he was just a small boy. When Jermain was 5. he had to take on the responsibility of being the man of the house after his father left the family. Even at that young age. he took responsibility for his younger sisters without hesitation. At the age of 13. he made his way into Ozell Nelsons gym and. though he lost his first sparring session. he enjoyed the challenge and believed he would improve. and he could improve with hard work. He did. and in 1996 he won the U.S. Under 19 Championships. In 2000. he won a bronze medal while representing his country in the Olympic Games held in Sydney. Australia. Shortly thereafter he began his pro career. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2124}
{"speech_id":1090063449,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By all accounts and by every measure. Jermain Taylor is a great fighter. but he is an even better person. He has been described as humble. determined and one who knows that family comes first. In short. he embodies the best of what being an Arkansan is all about. He is a self described country boy with country values. Being an old farmers daughter myself. I can vouch for the fact that there is nothing wrong with that. Thousands of Arkansans traveled to Las Vegas to support their local hero. Chants of J.T. and the calling of the hogs could be heard throughout the fight as Jermain outworked and outboxed his opponent.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2124}
{"speech_id":1090063452,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my sympathy over the loss of SGT Jason T. Palmerton of Auburn. NE. a Green Beret in the U.S. Army. Sergeant Palmerton was killed by small arms fire while on foot patrol on July 23 in QalehYegaz. Afghanistan. He was 25 years old. Sergeant Palmerton was born in Hamburg. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1395}
{"speech_id":1090063452,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"IA. and grew up in Nebraska. He graduated from Auburn High School in 1998 and enlisted in the Army in 2002. Sergeant Palmerton was assigned to the 1st Battalion. 3rd Special Forces Group based in Fort Bragg. NC. and had been in Afghanistan for 6 weeks. He had learned Arabic and was working as a communications specialist. Sergeant Palmerton will be remembered as a loyal soldier who had a strong sense of duty. honor. and love of country. Thousands of brave Americans like Sergeant Palmerton are currently serving in Afghanistan. Sergeant Palmerton is survived by his mother Denise Brown. of Auburn. father Steve Palmerton of Norman. OK. sisters. Elizabeth Schlange of Auburn. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1395}
{"speech_id":1090063452,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Amanda Palmerton of Omaha and Chelsea Palmerton of Norman. grandparents. Herman and Alice Moenning of Lincoln. and Thomas Palmerton of Brownville. and fiance Shelley Austin of North Carolina. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time. America is proud of Sergeant Palmertons heroic service and mourns his loss. I ask my colleagues to join me and all Americans in honoring SGT Jason T. Palmerton.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1395}
{"speech_id":1090063465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will take a few minutes to pay tribute to a group of people whose tireless. dedicated service to those in need too often goes unnoticedNorth Dakotas and our Nations health care providers. As I travel around North Dakota. I frequently stop in to visit hospitals. clinics. and nursing homes. I am continually impressed by the quality. compassionate care that I see being provided by doctors. nurses. allied health professionals. and other medical staff. as well as by the administrative and support staff. Rural America depends on its small town hospitals. its tertiary hospitals. on physicians and nurses. nursing homes. those who provide emergency ambulance services. and many others to provide a seamless system of care. There are a range- of challenges facing rural health systems. from difficulty recruiting and retaining staff and inadequate reimbursement to rising costs and reams of paperwork to fill out. Despite these challenges. our health care providers do an admirable job remaining focused on providing quality care. Our hospitals. nursing homes. and clinics are also important engines driving North Dakotas economy. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090063465,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Health services account for 8 percent of North Dakotas gross State product. And health care providers are often among the largest employers in a rural community. representing. about 15 percent of direct and secondary employment. In short. a strong health care system is an important part of our rural infrastructure. and the people who make up that system have my deep respect and thanks. Over the years. we have determined that rural electric service. rural telephohe service. an interstate highway system through rural areas. and rural mail delivery. to name a few services. make us a better. more unified nation. The same is true of rural health care. and I will continue fighting for policies that reflect rural health care as a strong national priority.*","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090063480,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I introduce the \"Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurse and Physician Assistants Access Act of 2005.\" This legislation would change Federal law to expand feeforservice Medicaid to include direct payment for services provided by all nurse practitioners. clinical nurse specialists. andphysician assistants. It would ensure all nurse practitioners. certified nurse midwives. and physician assistants are recognized as primary care case managers. and require Medicaid panels to include advanced practice nurses on their managed care panels. Advanced practice nurses are registered nurses who have attained additional expertise in the clinical management of health conditions. Typically. an advanced practice nurse holds a masters degree with didactic and clinical preparation beyond that of the registered nurse. They are employed in clinics. hospitals. and private practices. While there are many titles given to these advanced practice nurses. such as pediatric nurse practitioners. family nurse practitioners. certified nurse midwives. certified registered nurse anesthetists. and clinical nurse specialists. our current Medicaid law has not kept up with the multiple specialties and titles of these advanced practitioners. nor has it recognized the critical rolephysician assistants play in the delivery of primary care. I have been a longtime advocate of advanced practice nurses and their ability to extend health care services to our most rural and underserved communities. They have improved access to health care in Hawaii and throughout the United States by their willingness to practice in what some .providers might see as undesirable locationsthe extremely rural. frontier. or urban areas. This legislation ensures they are recognized and reimbursed for providing the necessary health care services patients need. and it gives those patients the choice of selecting advanced practice nurses and physician assistants as their primary care providers. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2561}
{"speech_id":1090063480,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1986. the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment released a report requested by the Senate Appropriations Committee. This report. \"Nurse Practitioners. Physician Assistants. and Certified Nurse Midwives: A Policy Analysis.\" found the quality of nurse practitioner care to be as good as or better than care provided by physicians. By passing this legislation. we honor the commitment of these frontline health care professionals by ensuring they receive the respect and reimbursement they have earned. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2561}
{"speech_id":1090063481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr President. I. rise today to introduce legislation with Senator DEWINE which will close a loophole in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). By clarifying this statute. a States right to prevent unwanted forms of gambling in the State will be protected. The current laws governing Indian gambling are ambiguous when outlining which types of gambling are allowed. The provision in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. IGRA.. that determines permitted gambling activities defines casinostyle gambling as Class III. including slot machines. blackjack. craps. roulette. some lotteries and parimutuel racing. This class of gambling activity on Indian lands can only be. and I quote. \"located in a State that permits such gaming for any purpose by any person. organization or entity.\" It is unclear whether this means that the statutory language should be read and applied in a classwide or categorical sense or whether it should be read and applied on an activitybyactivity basis. District and circuit Federal courts have both considered this question. In 1991. a District Court in Wisconsin ruled that if a State permits.one type of class III gaming. then all other types of class III gaming can be conducted in that State under the IGRA. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3172}
{"speech_id":1090063481,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On the other hand. in 1993 and 1994. the Eighth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals construed the language of the IGRA to mean that class III gaming in a particular State is limited under the Federal law to the specific activities that are permitted under that States laws. In July 2005. the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals revealed that these uncertainties continue when it ruled in favor of the Northern Arapaho tribe in their efforts to build a casino. with \"Vegas Style\" gambling in Wyoming. In this instance. the tribe argued that it is entitled to offer full Class III gambling because the State allows casino style activities for social or nonprofit purposes. In Ohio. gambling for commercial purposes is prohibited by the State Constitution. However. parimutuel racing.and lottery are both permitted as well as charitable gambling on a very limited and controlled basis. The bill I am introducing today will clarify that Class III gambling under IGRA applies only on an activitybyactivity basis. rather than in a classwide sense. I have been a long time supporter of a ban on casino gambling and have taken steps to keep casino gambling out of Ohio. As Mayor of Cleveland and as Governor of Ohio. I worked to inform Ohioans of the negative impact casino gambling has on our families and our economy. leading to gamblings defeat at the polls. These initiatives proved to be successful and have kept legalized gambling under control in Ohio. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3172}
{"speech_id":1090063481,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My introduction of this legislation comes at a time when the progress weve made is in danger of being compromised. Across the country. Indian tribes are looking to expand gambling and even looking at a State like Ohio where gambling is illegal. The distinction in my bill is necessary to help control the explosive growth of tribal casinos nationwide. I call on my colleagues to join us in cosponsoring this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3172}
{"speech_id":1090063483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Subcommittee On National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has scheduled a field hearing to gather information regarding invasive species. Specific areas of interest include challenges and needs of the National Park Service. existing legislation. legislative solutions. and use of partnerships for managing invasive species in and around National Parks. The hearing will be held on Tuesday. August 9. 2005. at 10 a.m. in the Kilauea Visitors Center auditorium. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Hilo. HI. Becaue of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1074}
{"speech_id":1090063506,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management. Government Information. and International Security be authorized to meet on Wednesday.- July 27. 2005. at 2:30 p.m.. for a hearing regarding \"Whos Watching the Watchdog? Examining Financial Management at the SEC.\"","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090063584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tomorrow. the Senate will continue its consideration of the gun liability bill. Under an agreement reached this evening.. we will debate and vote on the Kohl amendment on trigger locks. That vote will occur before lunch tomorrow. As a remainder. firstdegree amendments must be filed by 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. We will have a cloture vote on the pending legislation. and we will. announce the exact timing of that vote tomorrow.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":430}
{"speech_id":1090063761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this rule to allow for the consideration of the conference report on the fiscal year 06 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. And I intend to intend to vote for the conference bill. Although I am critical of several aspects of this billincluding the low overallspending levelwithout a doubt this process has been fair and open. Because of the low allocation. there are some problem areas. But the overall conference report is well worth supporting. With the addition of $1.5 billion in spending for Veterans health care attached to this bill. I believe that this conference report will get widespread support in both the House and the Senate. The conference agreement contains another year of healthy increases in National Park Service operations funding. ","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1491}
{"speech_id":1090063761,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do wish that the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund was higher. I also wish that the Conference Report had retained the extra $10 million in NEA funding that the full House approved in a floor amendment last May. It is important to point out that this agreement contains successful compromises on the issue of pesticide testing on humans and on federal funding for the Martin Luther King. Jr. Memorial to be built on the National Mall. Again I want to reiterate my strong support for this rule and the conference report on the fiscal year 06 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. And I want to thank Chairman TAYLOR and his staff for including the minority throughout this process.","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1491}
{"speech_id":1090063774,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. an individual that has worked extremely hard on this legislation along with the ranking member. the gentleman from Michigan . and deserves a great amount of credit for bringing this legislation forward.","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":317}
{"speech_id":1090063782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his very diligent and hard work on the Rules Committee. but also his hard work in terms of addressing the issues relating to this energy conference report. Once again. and I want to talk a littl bit about the substance. this administration and the Republican leadership. I believe. quite frankly. have put the profits of their friends in the energy industry ahead of the needs of the American people. ahead of the needs of our economy and our environment. Instead of reducing high gas prices. and I know in California we have some of the highest gas prices. and these gas prices are squeezing businesses and consumers at the pump. This bill. unfortunately. provides over $12.8 billion in giveaways to the oil and gas industries who are now making excessive profits and squeezing our consumers in terms of gas and oil prices. Instead of encouraging the development of renewable energy and putting the United States economy at the forefront of the green revolution. this shortsighted bill. and that is what I say it is. it is very shortsighted. it will only increase our dependence on foreign oil. It will further subsidize corrupt and oppressive regimes throughout the world. It also puts our troops on the front lines. quite frankly. of our energy policy. Instead of protecting our environment and our health by taking modest steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions and increase vehicle gas mileage. this bill would allow oil and gas companies to further pollute our skies. our water and our environment without paying the consequences. The health of the American people. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2573}
{"speech_id":1090063782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe. is quite at risk as a result of this bill. We need a comprehensive energy bill with a vision for the future that embraces ingenuity. reduces our chronic addiction to fossil fuels. fights global warming. which we all recognize is a huge problem. Just look at the weather changes this year. Last year. We have got to address global warming. This bill could do that. It could help us address pollution. It could help us protect our planet. But it puts our economy unfortunately on the wrong path rather than on the path to longterm sustainability. While I want to commend our ranking member for at least making this bill much better than what it was. from what we remember when it left this body. it is still a bill that I believe forces us to rely on foreign energy sources rather than move us toward energy independence. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2573}
{"speech_id":1090063782,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for the time. Unfortunately. I am going to have to vote against this bill.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2573}
{"speech_id":1090063810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. After several years of trying. the time to pass this vital legislation is now. The President has waited patiently since his first week in office. We need to pass this today. Blackouts have affected our country. gas prices are crippling family budgets. and foreign energy resources have our Nation beholden to overseas interests. We have not built a new nuclear power plant in a generation. Additionally. we must begin to harness new energy sources for new potential. This bill wisely addresses all of these things. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1409}
{"speech_id":1090063810,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Taken together. the provisions in this legislation will .diversify and increase our energy supply in a careful and measured way. It deserves passage. Now. it does not have everything in it that every Member wanted. This has been a long fight. and we all owe a great deal of gratitude to the gentleman from Texas (Chairman BARTON) for his patience over the last 5 years as he has tried to guide us to an energy policy for this Nation that we have not had certainly since I have been in Congress. It is time now to do that. I thank personally the gentleman from .Texas (Chairman BARTON) for his fair and evenhanded way. as he has beenjust now. giving time to the gentlemai from Massachusetts . who obviously opposes the bill. But the rest of us in here need to pass this legislation today. I urge us all to vote \"aye.\"","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1409}
{"speech_id":1090063837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the gentleman from Florida and 1 would like to engage the gentleman from California in a colloquy. First of all. we want to thank the gentleman for his willingness to work with the entire Florida delegation to reach an agreement that will allow the States to increase control of their waters. Included in H.R. 6 is a provision ordering an inventory and analysis of oil and natural gas resources in the Outer Continental Shelf. Many are concerned that this inventory is merely a precursor to drilling off Floridas coast against the wishes of the Governor and our two U.S. Senators and the Florida delegation. Currently. there is a moratorium against drilling in this area. over here. until 2012. and these areas called the stovepipe and bulge. here and here to 2007. The top of the Stovepipe is about 16 miles off the coast of Pensacola. home to a large amount of military operations. Mr. Speaker. can we have the chairmans assurance that he will continue to work with the Florida delegation to find a solution that encourages and ensures that drilling or exploration will not occur in the areas off the Florida coast against the wishes of the State?","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090063911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Chairman BARTON on his leadership in driving this legislation to the finish line. This comprehensive energy bill is a vision. H.R. 6 aims to boost domestic sources of energy. increase the use of clean renewable power. and diversity the nations energy portfolio. This legislation will not completely solve our dependence on foreign oil overnight. but it puts in place a number of tools to do just that. I applaud the increase of the use of biofuels. especially ethanol. to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012. This is important to our Nebraska farmers as well as a benefit for all Americans.","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090063917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. after some late nights and a lot of hard work. I am pleased we have a conference report on the energy bill today. The House of Representatives has passed energy legislation five times. only to have the bills die. Keeping the lights on should not be a partisan issue. Filling up a gas tank should not be a partisan issue. Today we are finally voting to send this comprehensive plan to the Presidents desk. With gas prices soaring. I want to thank Chairman JOE BARTON for his hard work on this much needed legislation and for working with me to include a provision in this bill to curb the production of boutique fuel blends and address this issue headon. The current gasoline supply includes specially formulated boutique fuels which are required by law in certain communities. ","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1635}
{"speech_id":1090063917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When supplies are limited. gas prices rise quicklysometimes overnight. For example: Missourians can fill their gas tanks up in Springfield and drive 31\/2 hours to St. Louis. When they get there. theyll be filling their tanks up with a completely different type of gasoline. But if St. Louis ever runs short on their boutique fuel. gas stations there cant sell what consumers could buy back in Springfield. This conference report caps the number of these special fuel blends and allows communities faced with a shortage due to unforeseen circumstances. such as a refinery fire. a waiver to use conventional gasoline. This plan relies on simple economics: If we create a larger market for a greater amount of gasoline. well help drive prices down. This proposal moves the country one step closer to lowering the skyhigh price of gas for consumers.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1635}
{"speech_id":1090063921,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to the conference report on H.R. 6. President Bush and the Republican majority have pushed this legislation on the premise that we need it to solve our energy problems. that we need it to wean ourselves from our dependence on imported oil which poses a threat to our economic and national security. Sadly. the bill we have before us today fails to do that. Today we import 58 percent of the oil we consume. and projections predict that we will have to import 68 percent to meet demand by 2025. Experts indicate that at best. this bill would only slightly slow that rate of growth of dependence. rather than actually decrease our dependence on imported oil. We cannot continue to increase our consumption of fossil fuels. By definition. these fuels are finite in supply. They will run out some day. plain and simple. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2913}
{"speech_id":1090063921,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And as long as we continue to rely on them. we are going to be faced with an impending crisis. The bill gives billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to encourage oil and gas production. but these will not do much more than high gasoline and natural gas prices already do to stimulate domestic production of fossil fuels. The energy industry is already the most profitable industry in. fhe nation. incentives should not be necessary. This bill could have really done something to reduce our consumption of oil by increasing fuel economy standards for vehicles. but it fails to do so. Increasing standards is the single biggest step we could have taken to reduce our oil dependency. This bill could have really done something to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by including a renewable portfolio standard. which would have required the use of sustainable energy sources. but it fails to do so. Instead its subsidies and tax breaks encourage more of the same old thingfinite fossil fuels and nuclear power plants whose waste we do not know what to do with. Instead of encouraging energy conservation. renewable energy use. and curbs on emissions that damage our environment. the bill creates new exemptions in some of our nations bedrock environmental laws. like the Clean Water Act. the Safe Drinking Water Act and the -National Environmental Policy Act. The bill also repeals the Public Utility Holding Company Act. which was instituted to protect the interests of consumers. In the wake of Enron. this is the wrong direction to go. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2913}
{"speech_id":1090063921,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the bill rejects the wishes of State officials by granting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission new authority to approve the location of terminals to handle the imports of liquefied natural gas. To solve our energy problems in the future and reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy. we need a truly visionary energy pol-* icy that employs renewable energy sources and encourages energy efficiency and conservation. This bill does not provide that vision. and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2913}
{"speech_id":1090063924,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Chairman BARTON. thank you for the way you managed this difficult process. Being an outside conferee on a bill this size can often be an exercise in futility. But throughout this Conference. you and your staff remained responsive and helpful. Also. I also want to commend all the conferees for working hard to listen to each other and cqmpromise when appropriate. There are two sectioni of this bill which I am particularly excited about from an acquisition policy point of view. First is the section authorizing the continued use of Energy Savings Performance Contractsthese contracts have. over recent years. provided agencies with an effective tool to rapidly improve the energy efficiency of their buildings without increasing costs to the taxpayer. Some have suggested limitations to this program. but such limitations will translate into reductions in the energy efficiency of government facilities. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2513}
{"speech_id":1090063924,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my opinion. that is heading in the wrong direction and Im happy to see such limitations were not included in the final bill. Second. this legislation authorizes the use of Other Transactions for the Department of Energys critical research and development efforts. These arrangements support research and development without using standard procurement contracts. grants or cooperative agreements. Other Transactions authority has been used successfully in the Department of Defense for years to great effect. I appreciate the Science Committees willingness to work with me and the Senate tocraft language that allows the use of this valuable tool where appropriate. It is a shame when the government is denied a technological advance simply because our standard acquisition policies are not suitable for the development of cutting edge solutions. Finally. I want to note that the conference has decided to include a request for a report on China and the CNOOC offer to acquire Unocal. This report will be conducted simultaneously with the regular review conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States. The report will essentially develop the same information required by the CFIUS review. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2513}
{"speech_id":1090063924,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In other words. the Conference has decided to duplicate the review process. The conferences time would be better spent studying our Nation and how we plan to secure our energy over the next 50 years instead of worrying about the actions of our most valuable trading partners. With this one exception. the Energy Policy Act is a step in the direction of answering those questions.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2513}
{"speech_id":1090063965,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 10 years ago. like so many States. Wisconsin was facing a medical liability crisis. not just because medical liability premiums were soaring. not just because insurance carriers were discontinuing the sale of medical liability insurance. -but because too many physicians felt forced to leave their practice. leave their specialty. or leave the State for a more affordable State. But 10 years ago in Wisconsin. we figured out a reasonable answer. I led the fight to create a new medical liability system where injured parties receive every single dollar of economic damages to which they are entitled. But where there is a modest cap on noneconomic damages. things like pain and suffering. loss -of society. loss of companionship. you know what? It worked. We hear a lot about studies here. We know as a fact in Wisconsin it worked. In a short period of time. Wisconsin became one of only six States not to have a medical liability crisis. ","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2027}
{"speech_id":1090063965,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a result. as the State medical society reported. physicians. especially those in highrisk specialties. actually moved into our State from States like Ohio and Pennsylvania and Florida and Illinois. It worked. But. sadly. Mr. Speaker. my State recently lost its way. Even though by any reasonable measure our reforms work. the Wisconsin courts struck them down. We can only hope that Wisconsin enacts a new medical liability reform act. But until then. we should pass the HEALTH Act. It will not only help Wisconsin doctors and patients but those in every State facing a medical liability crisis. This bill is Statefriendly. ","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2027}
{"speech_id":1090063965,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It does not preempt State reforms. If a State like Wisconsin has a cap on noneconomic damages. whether that cap is higher or lower. that cap will take effect. More important. it is doctorfriendly. It is patientfriendly. It will help us get a handle on at least a small portion of our health care costs. It will encourage doctors to continue to practice in vital specialties. and it will attack defensive medicine. I urge support for the HEALTH Act.","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2027}
{"speech_id":1090064023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the amendment I sought to offer which was kept out by an objection from the bills manager would have dealt with the section referred to by the gentleman from Indiana. I also. like the gentleman from Indiana. am prepared to vote for. as I have in the past. some restrictions on medical malpractice. But what we have in this bill which has not gotten a lot of attention. and the gentleman from Indiana pointed it out. is a total exemption from punitive damages for drug manufacturers who get an FDA approval even though we have seen flaws in the FDA approval process. What the majority has now made clear. they are insisting that this be taken in whole. The gentleman from Indiana made a good point. an objection to this amendment. and I share his objection. What I do not shafe is his faith that this is going to be taken care of. The gentleman from Indiana. my good friend. was uncharacteristically mellow today in accepting an assurance that this will be looked at. I agree it will be looked at. It will be held up to the light. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3149}
{"speech_id":1090064023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will be turned upside down. and it will be looked at and looked at and looked at until it is signed into law. and then people will still be able to look at it as the law and those drug companies will have that exemption. So what I offer today. and one might have thought under democratic procedures this would have been allowed. was simply to vote on that. I was. in the spirit of bipartisanship. acting on the suggestion of the gentleman from Indiana. Forget about everything said about medical malpractice. the amendment I sought to offer and was blocked from offering by that objection. as we were by the Committee on Rules heavyhandedness. simply would have -allowed this body to decide whether as part of a medical malpractice bill you would give an exemption from punitive damages to drug companies. That is not medical malpractice. That is not related to the core of this bill. The majority will not even allow this to be discussed. I think it is wrong to give that kind of exemption certainly without a lot more consideration. but what is even more wrong is this further abuse of power. The majority simply will not allow .this House. like the gentleman from Indiana. elected representatives of the people. to decide on whether or not we give an exemption to the drug manufacturers. They take medical malpractice. a sympathetic issue. and use it to cloak immunity for the drug manufacturers in part. and then arrogantly refuse to allow the House to vote on it. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3149}
{"speech_id":1090064023,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I will say what I have said before. We are working with the people of Iraq and we are trying to get them to implement democracy. To the extent anyone from Iraq is watching the proceedings here. I would say to them. Please do not try this at home. Please do not. in the Iraqi Assembly. show the contempt and the disregard and the arrogance for minority rights and democratic procedures. and maybe majority rights. I should amend this. They are not afraid of minority rights. they are afraid if we had an open and honest vote on this that a majority would decide not to let the drug companies carry out under that darkness.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3149}
{"speech_id":1090064025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the HEALTH Act. It is called the HEALTH Act for a very good reason. It is going to help a number of people who now are finding it very difficult to have access to health care. We have considered this bill twice in the last Congress. I believe once in the first Congress when I was here. and objecting to this as unfamiliar to Members is simply disingenuous. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1979}
{"speech_id":1090064025,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This issue is so well known. not only to Members. but to the general public. that it scores as one of the most important issues when asked nationwide what we need to address. The- other side of the aisle suggested we deal with bad doctors. bad lawyers. and bad judges. Well. bad doctors. bad lawyers. and bad judges are regulated by the States. The problem is that medical malpractice reform should have been dealt with by the States. but my State of Pennsylvania has not handled the problem. Many States have not acted to deal with this problem and avert further crisis. Patients needing care face a real crisis in access to care. The wait is too long. the cost is tdo high. Physicians are quitting because of the high cost of medical malpractice insurance. From 2003 to 2004. Pennsylvania doctors faced doubledigit medical malpractice insurance increases. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1979}
{"speech_id":1090064025,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The reason: outofcontrol lawsuits. According to the National Medical Practitioners Database. payouts in my State of Pennsylvania have risen from $187 million in 1991 to nearly $500 million in 2003. These excessive lawsuits have gotten so out of control. as I mentioned earlier. that many doctors have quit the practice of medicine. That means patients do not have physicians to even see. Last year I met with a dozen doctors from my district. Of the dozen. nearly all of them raised their hand when I asked them if they had children. One doctor said his wife refuses to allow her kids to study medicine. We need to address this issue. and we need to address it today.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1979}
{"speech_id":1090064040,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time to speak on this important issue today. Mr. Speaker. we. of course. passed this bill some 2 years ago last March. Down in Texas we passed a bill 2 years ago this September and a constitutional amendment that would essentially provide the same type of cap on noneconomic damages that we are discussing here today in H.R. 5. It has been said before that the States are great laboratories for the Nation. If that is the case. let us examine what has happened in Texas in the 2 years since the cap has been passed. When I ran for Congress in the year 2002. we started the year 2002 with 17 insurers in the State of Texas. By the time I took this office at the start of 2003. we were down to two insurers. It is pretty hard to get competitive rates when you have driven 15 insurers out of the market. Since the passage of the Proposition 12 in September of 2003. which allowed a cap on noneconomic damages. we have had 12 insurers come back to the State. which has provided competitive rates. and Texas Medical Liability Trust. my old insurer of record before I left medical practice. immediately dropped its rates 12 percent after the passage of Proposition 12 and then dropped its rates another 5 percent for a total of 17 percent in the first year since Proposition 12 was passed. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2290}
{"speech_id":1090064040,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most importantly. Mr. Speaker. an unintended consequence of the passage of Proposition 12 in Texas was what has happened in private. notforprofit hospitals. The Cristus Health Care System in south Texas. a selfinsured hospital system. realized a $12 million savings from the first 9 months after that proposition was passed. money that was put back into nurses salaries. capital expansion. the very things we want our hospitals to spend money on if they were not having to pay it for noneconomic damages. And. finally. I just cannot let pass the statement about price controls. Physicians have lived under price controls. certainly all of my professional career. for the last 25 years. We have managed. sometimes poorly. But what happens when we have price controls is we end up with lines. and one of the biggest problems we have right now is that doctors are dropping out of practice. and we do not have the practitioners there to provide care for the patients.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2290}
{"speech_id":1090064093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support efforts to address the medical malpractice problem we have in this country today. There can be no doubt that doctors are paying excruciatingly high premiums and as a result. patients.and our medical system are suffering. However. I do not believe that H.R. 5 will do anything to solve this problem. As many of my colleagues have pointed out. this legislation will only lower expenses for the insurance industry and limit compensation for those victims who need it the most. Later in this Congress. I will be introducing legislation to offer an alternative to the idea of caps on compensation. Instead of limiting victim awards. my proposal is to limit the involvement of the insurance industry in the medical malpractice system. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090064093,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Physicians will no longer have to worry about the cost of their medical malpractice insurance. The practice of defensive medicine and its toll on our medical system would be eliminated. In addition. my proposal will ensure that the small number of doctors who are responsible for a large number of malpractice suits. will be critically examined. According to the National Practitioner Data Bank. 11% of physicians are responsible for half of all malpractice payments made between September 1. 1990 and Yesterday. the House of Representatives passed S. 544. an important first step in addressing one of the root causes to the situation we face today. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act will create a -voluntary reporting system for errors and \"near misses.\" This information can then be analyzed so that better medical practices can be established. Mr. Speaker. it is time to address the other root causes of rising medical malpractice premiums. Caps are an old and ineffective solution. My proposal will be a substantive and constructive reform for the entire system. I urge my colleagues to keep an open mind in trying to solve the medical malpractice problems we face today.","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090064099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we can all agree on one thingthe skyrocketing cost of malpractice insurance impacts every doctor and. indeed. every American. But contrary to what this majority has repeated time and again. the reason for these soaring costs has nothing to do with frivolous lawsuits. Indeed. a new report by the Center for Justice and Democracy found that in the last 4 years. the 15 largest malpractice insurers increased premiums by 120 percentmore than doubling premiums. And what about all those frivolous lawsuits supposedly driving those costs? The same report found that claims during that same period rose by just 5.7 percent. In my State of Connecticut. the contrast between claims and rates is even starker. with premiums for our 3 largest malpractice insurers shooting up 213 percent over the last 4 years while claims have incr{ased only 1.6 percent. So. lets call this situation what it is. Mr. Speakerinsurance companies gouging doctors. To inflate their own profits. insurance companies are putting doctors at risk. destabilizing our health care industry and driving up costs for everyone. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3412}
{"speech_id":1090064099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And what is this majoritys response? Granting authority to State insurance commissioners to order refunds for doctors when excessive rates are imposed? Requiring insurance companies to get approval before rate increases? Demanding that States set standards for actuaries to calculate rates? No. Their response: \"blame the patients.\" Limit damages. Drive a wedge between the parties being hurt the most by rising malpractice costs--doctors and patients. At all costs. it seems they are saying. do not hold the insurance industrys feet to the fire on this issue. Mr. Speaker. this debate ought to be about helping doctorsabout doing something meaningful to ensure they can afford to continue practicing medicine. Instead. this bill would insulate insurance companies from having to follow any kind of responsible guidelines regarding how malpractice insurance rates are set. And. as such. this bill will do nothing to actually drive those rates downan admission the insurance industry itself has acknowledged. Noneof this is to say that we do not need to crack down on frivolous lawsuitsindeed. last year I Voted to penalize lawyers who file frivolous suits with a tough \"3 strikes and youre out\" rule. And today. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3412}
{"speech_id":1090064099,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrats wanted to offer a substitute. which would have taken a comprehensive approach to the malpractice insurance crisis. Our bill would have prevented frivolous lawsuits but also required insurance companies to pass some of their savings on to health care providers. as well as providing assistance to the physicians and communities who need it the most. We had also hoped to strike a provision of this bill that would have protected manufacturers such as the makers of Vioxx from liability. But again. Republicans prevented that amendment from coming to the floor today for consideration. And little wonderI would not want to justify why Republicans were protecting the makers of a drug found to be responsible for thousands of deaths either. Mr. Speaker. in the face of premium increases that are 20 times faster than malpractice claims increasesfrivolous or otherwisethis legislation is irresponsible. plain and simple. I urge my colleagues to do right by doctors and families by opposing this bill. Lets come back and pass a bill that will actually address the malpractice insurance crisis.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3412}
{"speech_id":1090064104,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 5. legislation to limit noneconomic damages that victims may seek when injured by medical malpractice. My primary objection to this bill stems from the Congress imposing its will on the states regarding an issue that rests squarely within State jurisdiction. The states are responsible for licensing medical professionals and for regulating the insurance Industry. In fact. the states have had jurisdiction over medical malpractice for more than 200 years. and it should continue to be that way. This legislation would unnecessarily preempt the laws of states that have taken measures to address this issue. At least 30 states have enacted laws with regard to noneconomic damages. so it is unconscionable that anyone would argue that the medical malpractice issue is trapped in a regulatory vacuum. In 2003. the State of Texas saw a need for action on medical malpractice and enacted a cap on noneconomic damages. Having served in the Texas State Legislature. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3660}
{"speech_id":1090064104,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know firsthand that state legislatures are best positioned to determine whether and how to address the medical malpractice siOdation in their individual states. The State of Virginia enacted a different cap that best balances the needs of consumers. physicians and health care institutions in that particular state. The situation is different in each state. and a Washingtonknowsbest approach ignores the hard work and tough decisions that individual states have made. On a substantive level. I oppose this legislation based on two provisions with significant flaws. First. the bill includes a firm $250.000 cap on noneconomic damages without providing for inflation adjustment in future years. While that figure mirrors Californias MICRA law. it is important to recognize that Californias cap has not been adjusted for inflation in approximately 30 years. Further. Californias law was crafted during a time when a $250.000 cap would have sufficed for all but the most egregious jury awardswhich. I might add. the judge has. the discretion to overturn. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3660}
{"speech_id":1090064104,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is certainly not the case in the 21st century. and I object to the Congress placing a price on pain and suffering. A cap on noneconomic damages would create a onesizefitsall figure for each and every case of medical malpractice. Members of Congress do not hear the details ofeach medical malpractice case. Members of juries do. which is why they are best equipped to determine the appropriate noneconomic damages based on the facts of each case. This legislation also contains a dangerous provision that would provide drug companies and device manufacturers with an affirmative defense against punitive damages as long. as their products had FDA approval. This provision presupposes that FDA approval is an airtight process whose integrity need notand legally cannotbe questioned. Considering R7000 cc the FDAs recent track record with regard to Vioxx and other pharmaceuticals that have been removed from the pharmacy shelves. it is clear that the integrity of the FDA approval process has been compromised. Until some serious reforms are implemented at the FDA. the FDA stamp of approval should not provide any company with an affirmative defense against punitive damages. Such a provision would only provide drug and device manufacturers with even less of an incentive to report known adverse events before their products go to market and ensure that their products are as safe as possible. Given these concerns. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3660}
{"speech_id":1090064104,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and leave this issue to the states. which have clear jurisdiction. as well as the ability and willingness tohandle this delicate issue.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3660}
{"speech_id":1090064110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the United States has been blessed with the best system of medicine in the world. But we are having a crisis of access. This problem is not a case of whether a patient has health insurance. You may not be able to find a doctor to treat you. The headlines are replete with stories of women having to drive several hours because they cannot find a doctor to deliver their baby. If you are in a car accident in southern Illinois and need a neurosurgeon. you will be airlifted to another State because there are no neurosurgeons left to treat you. Litigation has escalated and awards have skyrocketed. Multimillion dollar court decisions and jury awards have left doctors with medical liability premiums increase 40 to 50 percent per year. Doctors in certain fields of highrisk fields of medicine can expect to be sued at least once in their career. ","speaker_name":"DONALD MANZULLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1915}
{"speech_id":1090064110,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a result. doctors are retiring or leaving the practice of medicine. Emergency rooms and rural facilities have closed. Many other doctors are moving to States that have taken action to cap jury awards. which stabilizes malpractice costs. I know of one OBGYN in Illinois who left her practice to go back to being a pharmacist where she could earn more money and not worry about malpractice premiums. She explained that after paying malpractice insurance. she and another physician made $50.000. A third doctor made $60.000 and the fourth doctor made $70.000. Their office manager made more than all of them: $75.000. Thirty years ago. California passed comprehensive medical liability reform. According to the Department of Health and Human Services. ","speaker_name":"DONALD MANZULLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1915}
{"speech_id":1090064110,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States that have limited noneconomic damages have seen premium increases by less than 20 percent. States without limits on noneconomic damages have seen premiums increase on average of 45 percent. This is quantifiable evidence that medical liability reform works. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5.","speaker_name":"DONALD MANZULLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1915}
{"speech_id":1090064135,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. This motion to recommit sets up a limitation on malpractice cases being brought. It requires that there be an attorney and health care specialist to submit an affidavit that the claim is warranted. and then in the second part. we establish a national commission to evaluate the causes of rising health insurance premiums. This motion to recommit protects legitimate victims. limits frivolous lawsuits. and gives us a muchneeded opportunity to examine the real causes of the medical malpractice insurance crisis that has this Nation in its grip. I urge my colleagues to support the motion to recommit so that we can deal with medical malpractice insurance as a crisis and not as a giveaway to the companies that have been named throughout this debate. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090064153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 392. 1 call up the conference report on the bill making appropriations for the Department of the Interior. environment. and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2006. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090064157,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support this conference report on the fiscal year 2006 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. and I will vote for it. in just a few minutes. I hope. With the addition of $1.5 billion in spending for veterans health care attached to this bill. I believe that this conference report will get widespread support in both the House and the Senate. After we made a decision to add this $1.5 billion. I contacted back in the State of Washington the veterans hospital in Seattle and the one at American Lake to find out what the backlog was. and I was shocked to find out that there is a backlog of some 2.000 veterans who are waiting to get an initial appointment at those hospitals. So this money clearly is needed. and I am pleased that the other body selected the Interior appropriations to add this $1.5 billion to and that we were able to present it here today to the House. ","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3712}
{"speech_id":1090064157,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are several areas of this bill that I believe are underfunded. however. I believe these funding decisions were the result of an inadequate allocation. Although the majority cannot escape responsibility for this allocation. I believe that we here in the minority have been treated fairly during the process of developing the 2006 Interior appropriations. First of all. I want to thank the chairman. the gentleman from North Carolina . for the decision to provide the Park Service operating budget another year of healthy increases. Over the last 2 years. we have provided more than $100 million in increases for the parks operating budget. and I am very proud of that accomplishment. We really were seeing a decline in some of the parks because they were not able to cover their fixed costs on an annual basis and had to lay off people and were unable to provide the American people with the services that they needed. However. I am disappointed with the overall amount for the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund. ","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3712}
{"speech_id":1090064157,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had hoped that the conference report would end up closer to the Senate mark of $1.1 billion. rather than at $900 million. which is only $50 million above the House mark. Over the last 2 years. this funding has been cut by 33 percent. I am also disappointed that we could not retain the full $10 million increase for the National Endowment for the Arts. which was approved on the House floor in an overwhelming vote. but I am gratified that we could agree to some increase for both the NEA and the NEH. I am glad to see this conference report contains increases over the House mark for both land acquisition and the State grant program. Although these programs are cut from last year. I agree with the decision to restore some of the funding. and I am sympathetic to the argument that. during a year with such a low allocation. it is most important to protect core programs and make land acquisition a more secondary goal. I am deeply appreciative of everyones efforts to resolve the issue concerning the use of humans during pesticide testing. I think the conference report reflects the will of both the House and Senate to stop such tests until the EPA develops regulations reflecting the recommendation of the National Academy of Science and follows the Nuremburg protocols. In addition. these regulations will prohibit such testing on pregnant women. infants. and children. I also want to praise the compromise contained in this conference report on the Martin Luther King. ","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3712}
{"speech_id":1090064157,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jr.. memorial to be built on the National Mall. The conference report contains $10 million that must be matched by private donations. This matching requirement will spur increased private donations and reflects the thinking of the chairman. the gentleman from North Carolina","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3712}
{"speech_id":1090064167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I would like to also submit that our staffs have worked very hard. and the outside organizations that worked in tandem with us. religious organizations. the scientific. environmental community. as well as activists. In fact. the United Farm Workers also submitted a letter of support. This should never have happened. It should never have taken place. the testing of pesticides on humans. and particularly children. So I know that I stand here before you in the Congress to say that this is a good moment for us in this particular time. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker. as cosponsor of this amendment. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5362}
{"speech_id":1090064167,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today to support the application of stringent ethical and scientific safeguards to intentional human dosing studies of toxic chemicals and applaud the inclusion of this language in the InteriorAppropriation bill. This amendment forbids the EPA from considering any intentional human dosing study unless it meets the minimum ethical and scientific safeguards outlined in the February 2004 National Academy of Sciences report and the 1947 Nuremberg Code adopted after World War II. I am submitting copies of the NAS report and the Nuremberg Code into the RECORD. In particular. this amendment prohibits intentional human dosing on pregnant women. infants. or children. and requires the creation of a review board to evaluate the ethical and scientific propriety of intentional human dosing studies before they can be conducted. considered. or relied on. In 2002. the National Academy of Sciences convened a panel to examine the issue of intentionally dosing human subjects with pesticides and other toxic substances. The report of the NAS. published in February 2004. recognized that these experiments can be \"troubling\" and in some cases \"repugnant.\" For this reason. the NAS concluded that to be \"ethically justified.\" a human pesticide experiment must pass \"rigorous scrutiny on both scientific and ethical grounds.\" All of the studies currently pending before EPA are scientifically and ethically suspect and appear to fall far short of the stringent criteria for EPA consideration outlined by the NAS and the Nuremberg Code. and required in this amendment. EPA provided Congress with a list of all human intentional dosing tests under consideration by the agency. An extensive evaluation of these tests shows that they are rife with ethical and scientific flaws and do not approach the standard for acceptability. Representative WAXMAN and Senator BOXER evaluated the serious flaws in these studies in a report released last month entitled Human Pesticide Experiments. which I am submitting into the RECORD. It is also clear that EPAs draft regulation regarding human testing similarly fails to meet the minimum criteria required in this amendment. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5362}
{"speech_id":1090064167,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"EPA circulated internally a draft rule among the agencys various offices on June 20. 2005. EPAs draft rule. slated for proposal next month. would have allowed the systematic testing of pesticides on humans. The draft rule does not comply with the recommendations of the NAS and the Nuremberg Code. and it contains multiple loopholes that invite abuse. The EPA draft is inconsistent with the standards we require in this amendment. EPA originally commenced its rulemaking in response to a wave of industry pressure to permit intentional dosing of human test subjects with toxic chemicals. The pesticide industry has mounted a campaign to expand testing of pesticides on humans in order to weaken health standards. Because of the stricter requirements imposed by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. the pesticide industry has been under growing pressure to reduce the risks that pesticides pose to infants and children. The industry has adopted a strategy to evade these requirements by testing pesticides on a small number of adult human subjects. and then cite .these tests to argue that the chemicals are safe. EPAs proposed rule encourages this strategy and is contrary to the recommendations of the NAS and the ethical guidelines of the Nuremberg Code that -we require in this amendment. I am submitting for the record a June 2005 report titled Flash Report: New EPA Proposal Encourages Human Pesticide Experiments. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5362}
{"speech_id":1090064167,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As outlined in more detail in this report. EPAs proposed rule violates the ethical and scientific safeguards now required by this amendment. by failing to establish a national review panel to prevent abusive experiments. and by failing to provide full protections for children and other vulnerable populations. Furthermore. the EPA draft rule does not clearly require that pesticide experiments comply with even its sub par standards. To the contrary. EPA proposed to accept all experiments as long as they \"substantially\" comply. This provision overtly undercuts the protections in the rule. The vague standard of substantial compliance wrongly sends the signal that EPA will not demand strict adherence to ethical standards in human pesticide experiments. Intentional human toxicity testing has a troubling history that includes manipulation and abuse of the most vulnerable members of society. The amendment that I am supporting today will ensure that EPA may not consider or rely on any intentional humandosing study that does not meet the minimum ethical and scientific criteria recommended by the NAS and expressed in the Nuremberg Code.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5362}
{"speech_id":1090064221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I thank my friend for his very thoughtful comments. And as he was talking about Susans history here. and as I look at the gathered employees here of the House of Representatives. I was thinking during the remarks that the gentleman from Maryland. the distinguished minority whip offered. of the new assignment that we have taken on here in this institution when we established under the direction of the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker HASTERT) and the gentlewoman from California . minority leader. this new commission. the House Democracy Assistance Commission. And we have over the past several months. and are continuing at this time. to proceed with assessments of different countries around the world. and we are working with those Parliaments that are looking to model their work after much of what we do here. Obviously. there are some things that we might do a little differently. But. clearly. the example that Susan has set is one that is a model not just for the future here in the United States of America. but. Mr. Speaker. it should be known that her example is one that can be s~t for these emerging Parliaments. and there are so many of them around the world. because of the great reverence that is held for this institution. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1754}
{"speech_id":1090064221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And as the gentleman from Maryland said very well. the appreciation that exists for all who work at this institution is something that is held by all of us who are privileged to serve as elected representatives of this House. And we do wish you well in your retirement. And we want you to know. of course. from the Speaker and all of the leadership team. as the gentleman from Maryland said. on both sides of the aisle. that you are welcome back to visit us at any time at all.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1754}
{"speech_id":1090064235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I would like to ask the gentleman. and will yield to him for a response to this question: Does the President know that in this transportation bill there is legislation language that will undo a BRAC closing? Is he aware that this language is in this?","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":283}
{"speech_id":1090064258,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the sake of communicating to the Members the situation we are in. I want to first say that I greatly appreciate the cooperation of all colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I appreciate the cooperation and work of the gentleman from Minnesota and the gentleman from Oregon and the gentleman from Wisconsin . We greatly appreciate the institution standing together and trying to make corrections that need to be made in thisbill. I appreciate the hour and everybody coming together and working together for the purpose of fixing this bill. \u0095 We will not be able to fix the bill tonight. We hope to come back at 9 a.m. in the morning and continue work on this very important highway bill. We hope to finish it as early as we can tomorrow. My message to the Members is go home. get a good nights sleep. and we will be back in the morning to finish the work of the House.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":885}
{"speech_id":1090064307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Is it the position of the Senator from Nevada that this is the same kind of research that. as I mentioned earlier. Nobel laureates indicate offers the greatest opportunity for progress in dealing with the kinds of illnesses and diseases that just about every family in America in one way or the other is affected by. and he believes. as I do. that this offers an enormous opportunity for hope and progress in conquering or curing these diseases?","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":445}
{"speech_id":1090064318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the majority leader for his response. I know Senator KENNEDY wants time to make a speech. On the stem cell bill. I say to my friend from Tennessee. the distinguished leader. the clock is ticking. It does have a lot of support. There may be a lot of ideas out there. No bill that ever passes here has 100percent approval by everybody of every. as they say. \"jot and tittle\" in the bill. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090064318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I were to rewrite H.R. 810. I might want to write it differently myself. The fact is a lot of thought was given to it. The disease groups that represent the very ill people in this countrythe Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Spinal Cord Injury Foundation. and a whole host of other groupshave put their stamp of approval on this bill. They want it passed. It just seems to me that the more we dawdle around hereI understand we are in the last couple of days. We have been here all of July. This bill. H.R. 810. -has been sitting here. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090064318,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We could have taken it up at any time. It is this Senators observation that all of a sudden all these other bills are popping up on cloning. chimeras. and others. which I am not saying -are not important issues. but they are separate and aside from this issue. If the distinguished majority leader wants to bring those up at some other time for debate and amendments and bring them up for a straight upordown vote. that is fine. I dont have a problem with that. but dont tie them in with a bill that has strong majority support on both sides of the aisle. strong bipartisan support. as was shown in the House. and one which. if passed. could be sent to the President right away for his signature and which could really open the door so our scientists could get to work on embryonic stem cell research. It seemsI am not accusing anyone of this. but it is the process we go through sometimes--there is a lot of smoke and mirrors going on. and a lot of bills are popping up to confuse thb issue and to try to pull people away from support of H.R. 810. Again. I say to my friend from Tennessee. I hope that we can have some assurance from the leader that when we get back in September that we will take up H.R. 810 and. I say to the Senator from Tennessee. if they want to bring up these other bills at some other time. in some other context. I can assure him this Senator would not object. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090064318,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would have no objection to it. But right now there are objections to bringing them up at the same time. not just on this side of the aisle. but I also understand on the other side of the aisle. It seems to me the clearest way is to bring up H.R. 810 and the cord blood bill and get them out of the way and deal with the others. I hope the majority leader will assure us we will do that when we come back in September.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090064321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join my colleagues in expressing my deep sorrow and regret that the Republican leadership has allowed another month to go by without taking action on the bipartisan stem cell bill approved overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives. Over the last several weeks. Republican leaders in the Senate have ignored the true priorities of the American people. They have denied the Senate the opportunity to provide our troops the protections they need against attack. They have denied the Senate the chance to guarantee funding for veterans health. and to raise the minimum wage. and to allow importation of lower cost medicine from Canada and other nations. And they have stalled and delayed. and twisted and turned. to deny action on legislation to unlock the healing potential of stem cell research. They say there is no time for stem cells. or for the needs of our troops. or our veterans. or working families. Theres plenty of time to protect the makers of lethal assault weaponsbut no time for lifesaving cures. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090064321,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill is right there. Mr. President. right there on that desk in front of you. At any time. the majority leader could walk over. pick it up and have a vote on a bill that would bring new hope to millions of Americans. For years. patients and their families waited for a medical breakthrough to provide new hope for serious illnesses like Parkinsons disease. spinal injury. and Alzheimers disease. Then at last. dedicated scientists made that breakthrough. They discovered stem cells. which can repair the injuries that cause untold suffering and shorten lives. The cruel irony is that just aq medicine was giving patients new hope. the Bush administration snatched it away through needless restrictions on stem cell research. In a few days. on August 9. patients across America will mark the fourth tragic anniversary of that cruel decision. We in the United States Senate had the opportunityno. we had the responsibilityto see that August 9 of this year did not mark 4 years of failure and 4 years of missed opportunity. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090064321,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the Republican leadership would not let us meet that responsibility. They let the first week of July slip by. and then the second. and now the lastall with- no action on this urgently needed legislation. Every day that we delay is another day of falling behind in the race to cure diabetes. cancer. Parkinsons disease. and many other serious illnesses. It is another day for America to lose ground to Korea. Singapore. Britain. and other nations in the competition for global leadership in biotechnology. Most of all. it is another day of shattered hopes for millions of patients and their families across America. Some respond to the failure of the current policy by saying we should explore new ways to develop embryonic stem cells. I agree. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090064321,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets explore the potential of new discoveries in genetics and cell science to improve the ways we can tap the potential of stem cells. But lets not restrict essential research while scientists explore speculative and preliminary theories. Some say we should encourage research on stem cells from the blood in umbilical cords or on adult stem cells from bone marrow and other tissues. Again. I agree. We should seek help for patients wherever it may be found. But it makes no sense to limit medical research to one narrow channel when the Nations leading scientists agree that these alternatives have a more limited potential than embryonic stem cells. As a letter signed by 80 Nobel laureates in February 2001 stated: Current evidence suggests that adult stem cells have markedly restricted differentiation potential. Therefore. for disorders that prove not to be treatable with adult stem cells. impeding human pluripotent stem cell research risks unnecessary delay for millions of patients who may die or endure needless suffering while the effectiveness of adult stem cells is evaluated. The conclusion of an NIH report in June 2001 is clear: Stem cells in adult tissues do not appear to have the same capacity to differentiate as do embryonic stem cells. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090064321,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would be cruel to base the hopes of millions of patients on an ideological conclusion that these experts are wrong. By all means. lets pursue vigorous research on adult stem cells. but lets not deceive the American public into thinking its an adequate substitute for embryonic stem cell research. Legislation should be an expression of our values. and our legislation says loud and clear that we value patients and their familiesnot rigid ideology. It is a travesty that no action has been taken on this lifesaving measure.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090064356,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yesterday. I expressed my concern that some may try to turn the confirmation process for Judge John Roberts into a political circus. After recent media reports. I have become concerned that some of those fears I spoke of earlier in this Senate are coming true. namely. that our friends on the other side of the aisle are going to do everything they can to obstruct the confirmation process of the Presidents nominee to the Supreme Court. Earlier. I spoke of the W shington Post article that. outlined a carefully constructed plan of attack on the Roberts nomination. It was a threestaged battle plan. The first stage was to assert that the amount of consultation from the White House. no matter the amount. no matter how much consultation. was somehow insufficient. But that dog clearly wont hunt. The White House consulted with over 70 Senators. including twothirds of the Democratic caucus and every Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6804}
{"speech_id":1090064356,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The President himself met with the Democratic leader and the Democratic ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. He and his staff were receptive to any and all suggestions our Democratic friends cared to give. Frankly. he has done more than the Constitution requires by far. and more than his predecessors did. No one can say he did not consult the Senate. period. End of story. The second salvo against the Presidents nominee. as told to the Washington Post. was to try to distort and destroy his record and paint him as extreme. This plan. too. has failed. Judge Roberts is one of the preeminent jurists of his generation. He is a top graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard University. He was unanimously approved by the Senate for his current position on the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6804}
{"speech_id":1090064356,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Over 150 of his peers. Democrat and Republican alike. endorsed him for the current position he holds. Andhe has argued. as we have pointed out numerous times. before the Supreme Court 39 times. He is clearly in the mainstream. is fairminded. has a keen intellect. and a sterling record of integrity. So now some of our Democratic friends. as some of us could have predicted. have come to the third and final stage of the attack plan. They are making unreasonable demands for documents about the nominee. Now. the administration has been very generous in releasing documents from Judge. Robertss time in the Justice Department as a special &ssistant to Attorney General William French Smith and his tenure in the White House Counsels Office.. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6804}
{"speech_id":1090064356,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. the Judiciary Committee will receive some 70.000 pages of documents. at the behest of the administration. Let me say again: That is 70.000 pages. turned over. I doubt that our colleagues have pored through those pages already. and yet they are hungry for more. Since the release of these documents. some in the media have hurriedlysome might say recklesslyskimmed document after document. many of them quite complex. looking for any hint of controversy so precious to the demands of the 24hour news cycle. In so doing. they run the risk of simplifying complex constitutional issues beyond recognition. For example. during the last couple of days. there has been a great deal of media attention regarding the arcane issue of socalled \"court stripping.\" a shorthand term describing the issue of whether Congress has the authority to deny jurisdiction to Federal courts. The New York Times writes this morning that: Mr. Roberts consistently argued that courts should be stripped of authority of abortion. busing. school pzayer and other matters. The Washington Post yesterday: Roberts presented a defense of bills in Congress that would have stripped the Supreme Court of jurisdiction over abortion. busing and school prayer cases. The Boston Globe: One memo suggested that [Roberts] supported proposals in Congress to strip the federal courts of jurisdiction over abortion. busing and school prayer cases. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6804}
{"speech_id":1090064356,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Aha.\" say our friends in the media. The media and some of our friends on the other side of the aisle suggest that John Roberts may have taken a position on these controversial issues. The problem is not that this is an oversimplification. The problem is that it is just plain wrong. As a young attorney in the Justice Department. John Roberts was assigned to write a memo advocating that Congress had the constitutional authority to determine the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. This memo was written in response to legislation introduced in Congress proposing to strip Federal jurisdiction on a number of controversial social issues. Now. Mr. Roberts was a constitutional scholar. and he did what constitutional scholars are frequently asked to do: argue a legal theory about congressional authority. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6804}
{"speech_id":1090064364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The number of areas of treatment for human ailments or medical conditions in humans using human embryonic stem cells is zero. So the notion that delaying this CastleSpecter bill is going to hurt current pa- tients is completely false. If we want to help current patients. the keythe keyis to put more research into adult and cord blood stem cell rsearch. If you want to help current patients. you should be ever so careful not to promise impossibilities to these hurting individuals. you should state what the scientists are telling us. that the possibility of embryonic stem cells yielding cures. if everand I really doubt if it ever happensis decades away. And we have had problems in the past with these types or cells forming dangerous and cancerous tissuesa problem which has not yet been worked out. If we want cures. lets go the route where we know we are going to reach our destination. and where we know treatment is true possibility. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":977}
{"speech_id":1090064429,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. what the amendment says is this act does not prohibit a civil liability action from being brought or continued against a person if his own gross negligence or reckless conduct was a proximate cause of the death or injury. We have heard about a number of cases that have been brought to the attention of this body. These are cases where manufacturers or dealers have been held liable for their own misconduct. their own negligence. their own recklessness where the allegation against a dealer or manufacturers had to do with their own behavior. We heard about the tragic DC area sniper shootings case where there was a settlement that was obtained from a gun supplier. called Bulls Eye Shooter Supply. for their own negligence. Mr. President. 238 guns had gone missing from Bulls Eyes inventory. Fifty had been traced to criminal actions since 1997. If this bill had been enacted prior to the DC area sniper shootings. the victims would have been unable to even have their case against that supplier heard in court. And there are many other cases. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4667}
{"speech_id":1090064429,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are so many cases that this is why police officers. police chiefs. and police departments around the country oppose this bill as it is written. We should protect innocent manufacturers and gun dealers. just the way we should protect any innocent party in this country. But we should not protect anybodyI dont care if it is a manufacturer of guns or a manufacturer of automobiles or a manufacturer of refrigerators or a dealer in those products or any other productswe should not protect their -folks from their own reckless conduct. their own negligence. And this bill does that. It does not say that it does that. It says it is protecting folks from the conduct of others. But the bills analysis clearly indicates. when you go beyond the stated purpose. that it is the manufacturers and gun dealers own negligence and recklessness which is immunized.. with very narrow exceptions. If they committed a violation of law. if they have committed a crime. you can go after them. they are still on the hook. If they negligently entrust. knowing that the person to whom they have entrusted a weapon is going to go out and oommit a crime or do something unlawful. they are still on the hook. But if they just left their guns sloppily around the store. or if they hired employees who they knew or should have known were going to illegally sell guns. steal guns. and then have those guns used in a criminal endeavorand these are real casesif that is the- type of negligence or recklessness that is at issue. then they are off the hook. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4667}
{"speech_id":1090064429,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are only kept on the hook. under the language of this bill. if they designed something negligently. if they have negligently entrusted in a very narrow definition. or if they have committed a crime. I want to read excerpts from a letter which has been signed by. I believe. 75 law professors: Dear Senators and Representatives: S. 397 ... described as \"a bill to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers. distributors. dealers. or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages resulting from the misuse of their products by others.\" would largely immunize those in the firearms industry from liability for negligence. This would represent a sharp break with traditional principles of tort liability. No other industry enjoys or has ever enjoyed such blanket freedom from responsibility for the foreseeable and preventable consequences of negligent conduct.... American law has never embraced a rule freeing defendants from liability for the foreseeable consequences of their negligence merely because those consequences may include the criminal conduct of third parties. Under American tort law. they say: ... actors may be liable if their negligence enables or facilitates foreseeable third party criminal conduct. These professors remind us: Thus. car dealers who negligently leave vehicles unattended. railroads who negligently manage trains. hotel operators who negligently fail to secure rooms. and contractors who negligently leave dangerous equipment unguarded are all potentially liable if their conductTheir condctcreates an unreasonable and foreseeable risk of third party misconduct. including illegal behavior. leading to harm. In this amendment. we make it clear that if the conduct of gun manufacturers and gun dealers is grossly negligent or reckless. and if that is a proximate cause of the death or injury of someone else. they are not off the hook. and they should not be. No one in this country should be. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4667}
{"speech_id":1090064429,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No one in this country is. as far as I know. Mr. President. how much time do I have remaining?","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4667}
{"speech_id":1090064439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in opposition to the amendment that has been proposed by the Senator from Michigan and cosponsored by the Senator from Minnesota. While this amendment appears to be innocuous. it would actually gut the very underlying purpose of this legislation. Let me explain briefly. First. the purpose of this bill is to prohibit frivolous lawsuits from being brought against manufacturers or sellers of firearms. lawful proddcts. but which result from the criminal or unlawful use of a firearm. Now. the Senate has many people who have had a lot of experience in the legal profession. and any of us who have had any experience with civil litigation. particularly tort litigation. know that the scope of the discovery. the scope of the litigation is determined by what is pled actually by the person who brings the lawsuit. or the plaintiff. In my experience. and I am confident that it is generally true. in virtually every civil lawsuit where damages are sought. not only is there a pleading of ordinary negligenceor perhaps strict liability if it is a product or manufacturer --but in addition there is an allegation of gross negligence. which is what this amendment would except from the general prohibition against lawsuits against manufacturers of these lawful products for harm resulting from criminal or unlawful use of a firearm. It is clear to me that the litigation expense. the harassment of a lawful manufacturer of this product. would not be avoided. In fact. one of the very purposes of this legislation would be undermined if this amendment were agreed to. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4982}
{"speech_id":1090064439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I urge my colleagues to oppose it. as I do. The fact is. in America today. we are less competitive globally because of a variety of reasons. but it can be summarized this way: our tax policy. our regulatory policy. our lawsuit culture. the cost of health care. just to name four items. But the fact is. because of our litigation culture today in this country. we are less competitive with other countries around the world. and we are seeing the exodus of jobs in America because. simply stated. manufacturers and producers of other lawful goods can do it cheaper and more efficiently elsewhere. That is a threat to our economy and our prosperity that weenjoy. in this country. This is actually true in the case of gun manufacturers. For example. one such manufacturer is located in the small town of Eagle Pass in my home State of Texas. A company by. the name of Maverick Arms. Inc.. assembles Maverick and Mossberg brand firearms there and is one of a group of companies that is in the fourth generation of family ownership that dates as far back as 1919. Maverick employs approximately 150 skilled workers in Eagle Pass. as well as supplying other work to other vendors. Maverick and its parent company. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4982}
{"speech_id":1090064439,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mossberg. cannot withstand the continued onslaught of frivolous litigation against this manufacturer for merely doing what lawful manufacturers domaking a legal product but in this instance one that is misused by a criminal. They know if they get caught up in the litigation. too often emotions run high. reason and rationality is suspended. and these manufacturers become not only sued but actually on occasion held responsible for the acts of criminals. I certainly respect the distinguished Senator from Michigan. and I was just thinking. of course. his State is known in particular for manufacturing automobiles. It strikes me that automobiles can be used safely or unsafely. but certainly no one would claim that General Motors or any other manufacturer of an automobile should be held responsible if someone decides to take that automobile that is operating in completely good condition and decides to run over somebody and kill them or cause them physical harm. For the same reason. firearms can be used both for lawful purposes and safely or they can be misused. For the same reason we would say General Motors or any car manufacturer would not be responsible for the criminal use of an automobile. so should manufacturers of firearms not be held responsible for the criminal acts or misuse of their lawful product. We know in the end that what this is all about is trying to drive gun manufacturers out of business. Unfortunately. that means American jobs are being threatened. Eventually it means that the second amendment rights of lawabiding citizens are compromised. I wish we would focus more of our efforts. as we have in the recent past. on criminals. the people who misuse firearms. the ones who cannot lawfully own or sell firearms. and leave those who are making a lawful product that can be and is used safely day in and day out out of the picture. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4982}
{"speech_id":1090064439,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. the effect of this amendment. I submit to my colleagues. is to undermine the effect of the entire bill which would protect these lawful manufacturers from frivolous litigation when their product is misused by a criminal and causes harm to some person. So I urge my colleagues to reject it. and I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4982}
{"speech_id":1090064446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I. thank the Senator. I thank the Chair. Let me get back to the Levin amendment which is our pending business. This amendment was tabled last year. and it should be again defeated or tabled. It is an amendment which would. in effect. be a poison pill for the entire bill because. in effect. what it says is if you allege gross negligence or recklessness. then the exemption the bill provides evaporates. So you are a lawyer. All you do is allege gross negligence or recklessness and. bingo. you are back in court again. So it totally undercuts the purpose of this legislation. Secondly. last year the bill didnt contain a definition of gross negligence or recklessness. This year that was corrected. at least after a manner of sp~aking. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3799}
{"speech_id":1090064446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But what definition do we have of gross negligence. for example? The bill provides that we turn to section B of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. The definition of gross negligence under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act is totally different from the case law definition of any State in the Union. It is totally different from the settled or standard concept of gross negligence in tort law. Let me illustrate the difference. Under this bill. the term would mean: Voluntary and conscious conduct. including a failure to act by a person who at the time of the conduct knew that the conduct was likely to be harmful to the health or well being of another person. That is not gross negligence. Blacks Law Dictionary captures the essence of the definition. It defines gross negligence as the intentional failure to perform. a manifest duty in reckless disregard of the consequences as affecting the life or property of another. And it consists of the conscious and voluntary act or omission which is likely to result in grave injury when in the face of clear and present danger of which the alleged tortfeasor is aware. And the standard. obviously in comparison to the Levin standard to be inserted into the statute this year. is quite different. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3799}
{"speech_id":1090064446,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even if the judge were to look to the standard itself. he would find that that standard is significantly different than the usual concept of the term and does not rise. in any meaningful way. to what any of us who have practiced tort law would understand gross negligence to mean. Third. this is a highly regulated industry by law. by Federal law and State law and even some local laws. And most of the acts that would meet the definition of gross negligence would already be in violation of law. And if they are in violation of law. they are not exempted from this legislation. We dont try to exempt any gun manufacturer for conduct which is in violation of law. So by. definition that would be an exemption from the provisions of the bill. if it becomes law. and therefore would not need to be included. The bottom line here is that if there really is a problem. that is to say. the conduct is so bad that it is a violation of law. no lawsuit is precluded under our bill in any way. And if it doesnt rise to that level. then it should not be considered to be within the concept of gross negligence under that term as it has always been applied in tort law. The definition that is to be substituted this year is clearly not a definition most of us would deem appropriate under these circumstances. So in fact if the gross negligence or reckless conduct of a person was the proximate cause of death or injurythat is the allegationyou are in court irrespective of this bill. and clearly it totally undercuts the purpose of the bill. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3799}
{"speech_id":1090064446,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So. Mr. President. I urge that our colleagues vote against the Levin amendment or table it. as was done last year. and recognize that this is designed to totally undercut the bill and. for that reason. would not be an appropriate amendment to be adopted.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3799}
{"speech_id":1090064471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I missed it. I think the fact pattern goes along the lines of a criminal goes in with a girlfriend or some other person and tries to purchase a weapon. What responsibility would someone have there? If the dealer or the seller or the person in question had a reasonable opportunity to know a crime was afoot. or this was a sham deal. then I argue the bill would cover it under negligent entrustment. But here is what we would not want to do. in my opinion. You wouldnt want to hold the seller or the distributor liable if he had no reason to understand that a criminal conspiracy by two people he is not responsible for was about to happen. Because that would beunfair. But if he had a reason to know. a reasonable opportunity to know. then that would be a totally different scenario. That is a classic example of what we do not want to do. If a person. about to make a sale. should have known something was afoot to violate the law. they can be held responsible. But if you as a dealer are a victim of a criminal conspiracy you had no part or knowledge of. we are not going to make you responsible. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1282}
{"speech_id":1090064471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the essence of this bill. Because to do so would undo legal concepts that stood 200 years. would put people out of business. and makes no sense. I yield back to Senator CRAIG.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1282}
{"speech_id":1090064473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over the last good number of years. lawabiding gun manufacturers in this country producing a legal product to the market. lawabiding gun dealers performing within the confines of the Federal firearms licensing process. have spent over $225 million defending themselves from the very arguments the Senator from Michigan would like to have continued. The Senator from South Carolina has well spelled out that there is a duty and there is a responsibility. But if that duty is taken beyond your ability. to know it. to understand it. to be able to act against it. then you ought not be responsible. We have gotten ourselves into a very litigious society. So in a way it has cost our society more than almost any other society in the developed world today. Why? Because we would like to. shove blame off onto someone else. When society wrongs society. it has to be somebody elses fault besides the one who perpetrated the wrong. So we have attempted to reach back through law. time and time again. As a resultwe have heard it. whether it is the cost of an automobile or whether it is the cost of a firearm today or whether it is the cost of almost any consumer productit is going to cost you more because somewhere the producers have to mount large amounts of money to pay their legal fees to fend off someone looking for an excuse to -blame someone else for the action of someone who should have been responsible for themselves.. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3798}
{"speech_id":1090064473,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the essence or the underlying construction of what has brought us to the floor today. This argument will not -be argued in behalf of gun manufacturers. Over the course of the next several years it will be argued in behalf of a lot of lawabiding. producing Americans who have simply grown tired and fed up with the idea that they always have to be sued although what they are doing is legal. even though they are within the law. That is because somehow somebody used what they have made illegally. and as a result they should have known and they are responsible because surely the person who perpetrated the crime cannot be held responsible because society either produced them or the environment in which they became irresponsible was a societal responsibility. Oh. my goodness. where do we rest the blame? I think many of our parents suggested that we were responsible for our actions and we wonld have to pay the price. But the argument here is quite the opposite. that someone who might have a deep pocket somewhere down the road. because what they produced is a legal product for the market which was then used in a criminal act. should pay that price. And the criminalnot suggesting they would go free. but certainly suggesting they cant afford to pay. so someone else ought to pay. and the argument goes on and on. You have heard my arguments over the course of the last 48 hours. We are the only nation who doesnt have a governmentowned weapons factory. It has always been a product of the private market. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3798}
{"speech_id":1090064473,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we choose to run them out of our country. then all of the firearms our men and women in the military use. our law enforcement community uses. our lawabiding citizens own. will be made in some other country. I do not believe that is where our country wants to go. and it is clear that is not where a majority of the Senate wants to go. I do believe the Senate. as reflected by its vote on the cloture motion to proceed and ultimately get us to this bill. is reflective of society as a whole. I hope a majority of the Senate will oppose the Levin amendment. I do not believe you can suggest you are going to correct a problem in one instance and then open another door and allow a death by a thousand cuts. as obviously would occur here. if that case were the one we are arguing. Mr. President. may I inquire as to the time remaining?","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3798}
{"speech_id":1090064527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would ask the Senator from Rhode Island. I am a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. and we are considering two different bills to deal with criminal gang activity across America. which is a serious problem. We are coming down with a variety of different ways to deal with these criminal gangs. to investigate them. to break them up. to arrest them. to make certain they face serious sentences for intimidation of witnesses. for recruiting young people into their gangs. I ask the Senator from Rhode Island. how can a Member stand in the Senate and say they are dedicated to stopping criminal gang activity in America and vote for this bill which allows gun dealers who have clear histories of selling repeatedly to gang members firearms that are being used to kill innocent people? How can a Member say they ard against .criminal gangs but are in favor of. the gun dealers who are providing them with their firearms?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":924}
{"speech_id":1090064529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask a final question. There has been a lot of discussion in the Senate about the fact there is no exception for gun dealers who sell their guns to people who- turn out to be on the FBIs Most Wanted list or those who may be involved in terrorism. As the Senator from Rhode Island is undoubtedly aware. immediately after September 11. we raided one of the alQaida headquarters in Afghanistan and discovered one of their training manuals in which they gave advice to terrorists coming to the United States about buying their firearms in the United States because it was easy to buy a gun in this country. I ask the Senator from Rhode Island. when it comes to the exceptions in this bill. is there any exception such as the one suggested by Senator KENNEPY that would put gun dealers on notice not to sell guns to people who are on the FBIs Most Wanted list so that we would say. you cannot get off the hook and be held. that you are not liable. not responsible for wrongdoing with a weapon if you did not take the time to check the FBIs Most Wanted list when you made that sale.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090064530,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator is again accurate. Unless Senator KENNEDYS amendment is allowed to be voted upon. there is no prohibition against looking at the persons picture on the FBIs Most Wanted list. looking at the person and saying: Have a nice day. Take the gun. Again. one could argue that if that person actually uses the weapon. it might be negligence. but if he or she is a straw purchaser or buying lots of weapons to pass out. they would escape liability.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":450}
{"speech_id":1090064553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. So I have here an amendment that is clearly germane. I regret deeply that I am not able to bring it up such that I and other Senators could debate it and have a rollcall vote. which I would ask -for. and if granted. we could allow each Senator to express his or her views on this amendment. Now. the manager said that we had a debate on the Levin amendment. and I supported the goal of the Senator from Michigan. And I listened to my distinguished colleague from Ohio as he spoke on this general subject. But my amendment is quite different from the Levin amendment. The Levin amendment would cause the gun industry. as some said. to suffer a death by a thousand cuts because it would essentially gut the bill. The Warner amendment does nbt come anywhere near to gutting the bill. I feel.very strongly that of the gun dealers across this country. if we were able to make an assessment and evaluation. 99 percent of them are lawabiding citizens. They not only want to stay within the law. but they also do not want to be a part in any way of the use of a firearm that might be involved in a crime. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5659}
{"speech_id":1090064553,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My amendment is to focus in on those dealers who have. over a period of time. experienced. again and again. the loss of firearms from their inventory. And if it can be factually established that a dealer has a record of practices that for one reason or anotherprobably due to negligenceenables weapons in that dealers inventory to find their way illegally into the hands of criminals. then that dealer should not be granted the benefits afforded by this bill. Nor should such dealers be spared from a closer inquiry into why they have an established record of having guns go out of that dealership that they cannot account for. My amendment does not affect the protection from the frivolous lawsuits that exist under this bill. My amendment only addresses that narrow category of dealers who have a record of. again and again. mismanaging their inventory in such a way that they cannot account for a large number of weapons. More specifically. my amendment does not take away the protections which 99 percent of the gun dealers should be able to avail themselves of. the honest ones. under this bill. I dont do that. My amendment is solely directed at those very fewI repeat. very fewdealers who have established a history of lost or stolen weapons as defined by the Attorney General of the United States pursuant to regulations that my amendment would call upon the Attorney General to promulgate for the industry. My amendment would enable the industry and. most particularly. the small gun dealers to know exactly what are the regulations that should be followed to maintain that inventory and conduct their business so that weapons cannot disappear and. by such disappearance. fall into the hands of criminals. That is what my amendment does. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5659}
{"speech_id":1090064553,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Maybe 1 percent of the dealers would be affected by this amendment. The other 99 percent are accorded the benefits of the underlying legislation. Why cant we in the Senate voice our opinions on this concept? Regrettably. the decision has been made that at this time the amendment cannot be. even though germane. brought up in such a way as the entire Senate can focus upon it. My amendment is not an attempt to gut the bill. Indeed. I recognize the gun industry. as I said last night. needs some reasonable. balanced. measure of tort reform. My amendment is offered in good faith. I say to the Senate. It is not just to protect the possible victims from criminal use of a weapon. but it is to protect the lawabiding gun dealers. If this legislation remains as it. is now. without some type of correction. such as mine. there will undoubtedly be unintended consequences. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5659}
{"speech_id":1090064553,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need look no further than our own backyard. based on the experiences we had here in the Nations Capital and in adjoining Maryland and in my State of Virginia. with snipers committing wanton murder. The snipers illegally obtained their gun out of a gun shop that -the record shows lost over 200 weapons over a period of a year or two. If another such tragic incident were to occur with a gun dealer who had a similar record of irresponsibility. and that -gun dealer was immune from lawsuit. that would cast a very negativer feeling all across America toward the gun industry and the gun dealers. They would be called to task to explain why they supported a law. if this is to become law. that would allow that to happen. My words are one thing. but I want to bring to the attention of the Senate a document that I tind very interesting. In my modest career in the Nations Capital and in Virginia. I have met a number of lawyers in my time. but one whom recently passed onI remember working with him on a number of cases. even when I was in private practiceI will never forget. I go that far back. knowing Lloyd N. Cutler of the prestigious law firm of Wilmer. Cutler. and Pickering. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5659}
{"speech_id":1090064553,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lloyd Cutler was asked by the Brady otganizationJim Brady. we all remember. was President Reagans press secretary who suffered a frightful injury at the time there was an assassination attempt against our President. He and his courageous.wife in the ensuing years have been unrelenting in their efforts to try and have a balance across America between the rights of those who acquire guns under the second amendment--and I strongly support the second amendment of the Constitution. But in any event. on January 15. 2004. Mr. Cutler wrote the organization which asked him to diagnose cases and the basic tenets and provisions of the legislation that is pending today. I ask unanimous consent to print portions of this opinion into the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5659}
{"speech_id":1090064583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will go through the whole schedule shortly. if I can get through the unanimous consent request. Very briefly. we will have a rollcall vote on CAFTA in about 30 minutes. 25 minutes. Whenever we finish that. it would be the last rollcall vote tonight. We will begin voting again tomorrow.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":303}
{"speech_id":1090064602,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. will the Senator yield for just a second? I will be very brief. I know everybody is tired. Senator DOMENICI kept his word on the Energy bill. It was very difficult. The conference was a real conference. They met until 3 oclock in -the morning. Senator DOMENICI has worked very hard on this bill. There are a lot of people who do not like the bill. but it is not because of him. He did everything he could to please Democrats and Republicans. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":574}
{"speech_id":1090064602,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that is why the majority leader and I join in the request that has just been granted regarding Senator DOMENICI. I","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":574}
{"speech_id":1090064656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is obvious that I am two things tonight. First. I am very happy and I am very tired. I do not know which one I am more of. but I am both. I am sure there are many who think differently than I. I hope in the Senate there is an overwhelming number who think as I do. There will be some who do not. But after 6 years of effort in the Senate. and for a time period going back about 15 years. we *have not had an energy policy program of any significance for the United States of America. When I say 6 years. we have been struggling for 6 years to get a current one. and 4 of those years we have produced them and they have failed. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7250}
{"speech_id":1090064656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have not been part of all of that. but I left the Budget Committee. the Senate might recall. after many years. with 2 years remaining to be there. That would have made my 30th year on the Budget Committee. and I still would have been chairman. I left it because this would be a nice challenge. and I thought maybe during the 6 years. as chairman of this committee. I might be party to putting together a bill that might do something about Americas energy future. Everybody should know that the Senator from New Mexico knew that we would not do anything for tomorrow. nothing much. We would not have any answers for people who said. what are you going to do tomorrow morning or next week on the gasoline prices? But I did know that we had a chance of doing something that we could come to the floor and say within 5 to 10 years this bill will create jobs. job security. and clean energy. Now. if that can be done in the complicated maze that we call the energy policy of the United Statesand let me repeat. the reason that we can say to Americans that they have more jobs. they will have job security and have cleaner energy being produced. I almost asked. and I will. who could ask for anything more? I think that is a song or something. but who could ask for anything more? So I start by saying I was very lucky today. I got a call from a reporter for the Albuquerque Tribune. I do not know him very well. but I speak to him occasionally. and I say to my friend from Tennessee. he asked me a neat question. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7250}
{"speech_id":1090064656,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He asked: Senator. people are talking about and maybe nitpicking this bill. and I want to ask you. what do you think things will look like in America with reference to energy 5 to 10 years from now? That was a terrific question because it permitted me to open my remarks tonight the way I should have over the last couple of months. For once. the Congress is going to do something important from which we as a Nation will benefit. not tomorrow but in the next 5. to 10 years. Certainly. we will begin to feel it in a big way within the next 5 to 10 years. One might say therefore that we could have put most of it off. and we probably would have eked along and would have had some difficult times. but we could have said. it will work out. But what we have done is to make sure that where we have the power. we have done something to make it better. I repeat. energy is the reason we have jobs. Energy is the reason we have warm homes. electricity. automobiles. everything we look at. humankindmade movement and activity. based on energy use. That means it is pretty important that we do it somewhat right. Some may say it will all work out. This is a great. powerful nation. everybody will wiggle and do this and do that and it will come out. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7250}
{"speech_id":1090064656,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. believe me. after a year and a half of learning. I think it would have been a real risk for America to say it will all work out. What we have done is very complicated. It is a lot more than people speaking about gasoline prices tomorrow morning. It is a lot more than that. So 5 to 10 years from now. we ought to look back and ask: Did this legislation make a real difference? I am going to start by saying something nobody cares about when they lobby us. but I am going to say that we are going to use less energy per person. per adult. per unit of our economy. sometimes called 6DP. because of the efficiency And conservation provisions here than we would have without it. That means simple things. believe it or not. in an energy bill. such as the appliances in our kitchens. the motors used in manufacturing plants. the buildings we live in. and the houses we live in will be far more efficient and use far less energy 5 to 10 years from now than today. For everything we use less of. we need to burn less coal or produce less energy or electricity or import oil less. More of our electricity will come from renewable energy in 5 to 10 years. such as solar. biomass. wind. landfill gas. wastE. All kinds of things that can produce energy in that manner will be coming on board or be on board. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7250}
{"speech_id":1090064656,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have streamlined the tax provisions. The licensing processes for clean technologies like geothermal have been streamlined so we will get whatever we have instead of letting it be tied up forever. Then we are going to be making great strides toward reducing the carbon intensity of our economy. It is the carbon intensity of our economy that causes significant pollution. and for many it is a source of global warming. My colleagues do\" not have to believe that to vote for this. but what I am saying is that for those who doand I am onethis bill will move us forward so that 5 to 10 years from now we can be sayingwe may have technology that will go after that carbon. One will be new. nuclear powerplants. I say to the Senator from Idaho. if a nuclear powerplant cannot be built in America after this bill is signed. then I think the Senator and I. who have been ardent. devoted fans. will say it cannot be done. I think the Senator will agree with that. Everything that can be done reasonably will be there. The uncertainties will be eliminated. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7250}
{"speech_id":1090064660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. we will be building .new transmission to move electricity around the Nation. When I say \"we.\" dont think the Government is going to do it. We are just going to make sure we give the incentive to get it done. Transmission to move electricity around the Nation. where it is needed the mostthat is going to make our consumption more efficient. This bill repeals an ancient law. Some people wonder why it even mentioned it because it has a funny name -and they would say what in the world does it have to do with energy. but it is called PUHCA. PUHCA. It is from the times when we had our Great Depression. It made it at least more difficult to get money invested in electricity and utility companies than it was in other enterprises. We have repealed that. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8898}
{"speech_id":1090064660,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have made some provisions that mergers will not bd damaged. But this should bring much more capital investment into the utility compantes that make up this powerful institution. this entity called the grid of the United States. Most of us are aware of another thing. which the distinguished Senator. a new Member of the Senate and a new member of the committee. the Senator from Tennessee. LAMAR ALEXANDER. has put much in the public eye when he introduced a bill about natural gas. One of our biggest problems. and we surely ought to be as worried about it as we are about the price of gasoline tomorrow. is our dependence upon imported natural gas. It is such a terrific product. from the standpoint of our ambient air. and it used to be so cheap. as everybody here knows. But what happened is we used it for everything. Now. as we get in trouble with global warming. everybody who builds a plant uses natural gas. Not that it does not produce some carbon. but far less. And the price goes up. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8898}
{"speech_id":1090064660,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it looks as if America. which is paying the highest price of any industrial nation in the world for natural gas. is about to put itself out of business. We could lose the fertilizer business. the plastics business. many manufacturing companies. They are already going overseas. People will come up here and blame freetrade agreements. or low pay overseas. That is not so. We do not have enough natural gas to keep the price steady or bring it down. We must have liquefied natural gas from overseas. It is terrible to admit it. I wish I were here saying we dont. We do. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8898}
{"speech_id":1090064660,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the next 25 years we will have a crisis if that doesnt occur. We have modernized. streamlined. eliminated unnecessary delays in the ports we will be bringing to America that will be the source of distributing LNG. We have eliminated the unnecessary delays. That is terrifically important. Of the five most important things. one might say that would be one of them because we might hit 8. 10. 12. 15one study says 23new ports will be needed to use LNG in inland America. In other words. you locate them and then the gas can be put into pipelines and delivered to Americas users: We permitted that to be done with more dispatch. For the first time. and we know this. since Americans began a love affair with the car. we are going to put in place an ethanol program. I ask for 5 additional minutes. People used to laugh at it. Let me put it this way. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8898}
{"speech_id":1090064660,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not too shabby. to put Americas agricultural industry to work making fuel for vehicles. Some used to say that was foolish. It might have been when crude oil was $5 a barrel. or $10. But it certainly is a gbod investment when crude oil is this expensive because all you are doing is trading the investment in ethanolplants. cement. steel. thousands of jobs. agricultural revitalization:-every dollar you put in that is a dollar you didnt give to the Saudi Arabians or you didnt give to those who are. selling us oil. You spent it here. We have a major new program. 7.5 million gallons mandated out here in the future. So that should be very helpful. in terms of jobs and helping with our importation. We also gave significant credits for hybrid automobiles. I think we all know we had that. We doubled it. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8898}
{"speech_id":1090064719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my opposition to the energy conference report. I thank the managers of the bill. the two Senators from New Mexico. for their diligent effort in. putting together an energy bill. WhileI cannot support the final product. I respect that they have made every effort to make this a bipartisan process and I thank them for their leadership. I voted against the Senate efhergy bill last month because it inadequately addresses several major priorities that should be included in a.sound energy policyreducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. implementing CAFE standards. decreasing greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. and protecting the coastline from offshore energy drilling. Unfortunately. the bill has only become worse in conference and amounts to a missed opportunity to create an effective comprehensive energy policy. This bill does not do enough to lead this Nation toward energy independence and energy security. The bill also does not address an. issue that faces Americans dailysoaring gas prices. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090064719,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A a time when gas prices are skyrocketing and our dependency on oil is steadily increasing. we are voting on a bill that the President himself has said will do nothing to address those prices. The people of New Jersey. and in fact this Nation. deserve a bill that tackles this problem. Im sure all Americans will be disappointed to know that instead of helping them at the gas pump. the bill provides giveaways to the Nations fossil fuel industries. To truly make a dent in our energy independence. we need at least a savings of three to five million barrels of oil per day. yet this bill does not include any oil savings provision. Furthermore. this bill misses an opportunity to effectively reduce this Nations oil use by increasing the fuel economy of passenger vehicles. Indeed. improving fuel efficiency. or CAFE. standards is not only a cost effective way to improve our energy security. but it would be instrumental in reducing soaring greenhouse gas emissions. During the debate on the Senatr energy bill. Senator DURBIN proposed an amendment that would have raised CAFE standards and closed the SUV loophole. both of which would save this country over 101 billion gallons of oil by the year 2016. In addition. the bill does not do enough to encourage the use of renewable energy sources. One of the few good provisions of the Senate energy bill was the ten percent renewable portfolio standard. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090064719,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My home State of New Jersey has been a leader in the area of renewable portfolio standards as it already has a 20 percent RPS. It is about time that the rest of the Nation follow suit. A Feleral RPS is a crucial step in weaning this country from its dependence on foreign oil sources and I am disappointed that this conference report excludes this provision. The bill also includes a seven and a half billion gallon ethanol mandate. Those in favor of an ethanol mandate claim that it will enhance U.S. energy security. In fact. increasing the renewable fuel standard would not significantly reduce U.S. oil imports because each gallon of gasoline blended with ethanol to make gasohol has less energy in it than regular gasoline. Therefore. we need increased petroleum product imports to make up that energy loss. In addition. producing ethanol requires a significant amount of fossil fuel. Worst of all. the ethanol mandate amounts to a new gas tax for my constituents. With the cost of living in New Jersey being one of the highest in the Nation and gas prices at an alltime high. an ethanol mandate is not acceptable for New Jerseyans. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090064719,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am also extremely disappointed that energy conferees voted down an amendment in conference that would have stricken the seismic inventory of the Outer Continental Shelf. This seismic inventory is paramount to opening the door to drilling off the coast of New Jersey. This is a crucial issue for the state of New Jersey. My State is the East Coast hub for oil refining and with three nuclear power plants. many traditional power plants. and hopefullyan LNG terminal in the near future. We have made these contributions to energy production and we have made them without offshore drilling. A seismic inventory threatens New Jerseys way of life. It ig a slippery slope toward drilling that threatens not only New Jerseys environment. but also its economy. Drilling endangers New Jerseys pristine beaches as well as jeopardizes the tourist industry. which generates $5.5 billion in revenue for my State and supports 800.000 jobs. Furthermore. the seismic explosions put our marine life and fisheries at risk. I made my opposition to undermining the moratoria on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf when I spent hours on the floor during the Senate energy debate to defend against amendments that would weaken the moratoria in any way. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090064719,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That effort was suc\u0095cessful. but this inventory that remains in the bill will weaken the current moratoria on drilling. and I am very concerned about the potential consequences. Another major issue that the energy conference report fails to address is climate changeone of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. The science makes it increasingly clear that that greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity are changing the earths climate. The rest of the industrialized world understands the danger of this problem and the United States must catch up. I have long been a proponent of legislation that would counter this problem and encourage reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. My advocacy on behalf of climate change legislation is not limited to the current Congress. Senator BROWNBACK and I led the way to passing a greenhouse gas registry and reporting amendment to the Energy Bills in the 107th and 108th Congresses. The current voluntary programs encourage reductions from only a small group of industry leaders. and have little to no effect on most of the economy. Despite these wellintended programs. greenhouse gas emissions have risen on average one percent per year for the last several years. Our Nation can do better. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090064723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to congratulate Senators BINGAMAN and DOMENICI for their hard woft to develop a bipartisan energy bill over the last several months. When the energy bill came to the Senate floor. Democrats had one goal in mind: enhance our national security by moving America toward energy independence. -_ Together. we were able to achieve some our goals: a renewable electricity standard. the 3year tax credit for renewables. oil savihgs. global warming. and a Federal ban on MTBE. Thats why I voted for the Senate energy bill. Unfortunately. despite our best efforts of our Senate negotiators. the conference rejected all these provisions. I sincerely hoped to have been able to vote for the energy bill con-. ference report. I cannot support the bill. I truly believe we have missed an incredible opportunity to establish a renewable electricity standard. provide help to consumers facing record prices at the gas pump and. most importantly. to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090064723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For these reasons. I will vote against the energy bill conference report.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090064725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to commend Senator DoMENICI. chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. and Senator BINGAMAN. the ranking Democrat. and all the Senate conferees for their excellent work on a number of areas in the conference report agreement on H.R. 6. especially those relating to processing of efiergy permits. I would like to point out one particular provision that will provide a basis for future work to ensure more energy supplies from Federal lands. Section 365 of the H.R. 6 conference agreement outlines a multistate pilot program to improve coordination of energy permit processing in a number of Western States. That section includes a provision to allow a share of the money from Federal oil and gas lease rentals to be used by the Department of the Interiors Bureau of Land Management. BLM. and other agencies to ensure adequate resources for processing and considering applications for permits necessary for natural gas and oil drilling and other operations. As the conference on H.R. 6 was getting underway. the BLM released a proposal that. if implemented. would begin charging fees for permit processing. Called a \"cost sharing\" proposal. it was really a \"cost shifting\" one. And it came at a time when Federal revenues from leasing\" and production of Federal oil and gas as a result of such permits being issued total approximately $1.8 billion each year. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2491}
{"speech_id":1090064725,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In one Wyoming office alone the proposed fee which could be as high as $4.000 for a single application would generate $11 million. far in excess of the offices total oil and gas program budget. I would prefer that producers put this money back into the communities where they are doing business and expand their investment to produce more energy. In the strong belief that the Federal Government has a responsibility to budget and pay for advance environmental work and consideration of the permits necessary to explore and produce on its leased acreage. Senator HATCH and I filed an amendment to prevent the BLM from instituting fees during tIe period of the permitting pilot program. I was pleased that the Houseconferees joined my Senate colleagues in approving that amendment. Now that the Energy bill conference agreement is before us. I hope that my colleagues will agree that in the future we need to provide adequate Federal funding for energy permitting. and that we should continue to prohibit attempts to shift Government costs to the private sector as was attempted by the BLM.","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2491}
{"speech_id":1090064750,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my deep concern about the unnecessary suffering that is occurring in the African country of Niger. Last years severe drought and locust infestation destroyed most of Nigers harvest and the fodder necessary for keeping livestock. As a result. an estimated 3.6 million people including 800.000 children under the age of 5are now facing starvation. Aid workers in the field describe the situation as desperate. and report that children are dying daily and families have turned to a diet of acacia leaves and grass. I urge the administration to continue to respond and to work with other donors to ensure Nigers humanitarian needs are met. In particular. it is crucial that USAID make certain the recently announced $7 million in additional emergency funds go immediately towards alleviating the hunger in the hardest hit areas: the agropastoral regions of Maradi and Tillaberi and the pastoral regions of Tahoua and Zinder. Reportedly. there is a shortage of therapeutic feeding centers and clinics. and weakened villagers cannot manage the travel required to reach them. We also need to address longterm food security issues in the Sahel. where drought and famine regularly afflict these poorest nations. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2099}
{"speech_id":1090064750,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Earlier this year I traveled to three of Nigers neighborsAlgeria. Mali. and Chad. I heard firsthand accounts of how devastating the locust crisis was. and I heard a consensus regarding the need for permanent mechanisms to facilitate crisis response and to prevent emergencies in the future. As the tragedy in Niger demonstrates. even when governments. international organizations. and NGOs are able to anticipate food insecurity almost a year in advance and implement their assistance programs. we can still have a crisis. Unfortunately. it sometimes takes media coverage of already emaciated children to jolt donor countries into emergency action. We need to remain alert and responsive to World Food Program appeals for extra funding before the starvation begins. and we need to stay committed to longterm efforts to improve food security throughout the region.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2099}
{"speech_id":1090064779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am introducing legislation today that would ban additional oil and gas drilling in the Los Padres National Forest. My colleague from California. Senator FEINSTEIN. joins me in this effort. Representative CAPPS introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives earlier this month. Los Padres National Forest is on Californias central coast. stretching from Monterey Countys Big Sur down to Ventura and the western edge of Los Angeles County. Covering alrnost 1.75 million acres. it is Californias thirdlargest national forest and one of the States most visited. Los Padres National Forest is an ecological treasure and a recreational refuge in one of Californias. indeed Americas. most densely populated areas. It provides habitat for 20 threatened and endangered wildlife species. including the spectacular California condor. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1966}
{"speech_id":1090064779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Los Padres also contains unexplored archaeological sites that contain Native American historical artifacts. Yet. despite these facts and strong local opposition to oil and gas drilling in the Forest. the Forest Service announced today that it will open up more than 52.000 acres of land to oil and gas drilling in Los Padres National Forest. While this is far less land than the Forest Service previously considered opening. additional drilling is simply unacceptable. That is why I am introducing legislation to prevent this new drilling. and any future drilling from occurring in Los Padres National Forest. . Additional oil and gas drilling will threaten the pristine and unspoiled lands in the Forest. It could damage or destroy Native American artifacts. And. it could ruin recreational opportunities by contaminating streams and increasing air pollution. My legislation is a critical step toward protecting the irreplaceable natural. cultural. and recreational resources of the Los Padres National Forest. I urge mycolleagues to support this legislation. By Ms. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1966}
{"speech_id":1090064779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. STEVENS):","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1966}
{"speech_id":1090064825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be read three times and passed. the preamble be agreed to. the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc. and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the RECORD. without intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":286}
{"speech_id":1090064837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to. the -preamble be agreed to. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. and that any statements related to this matter be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":259}
{"speech_id":1090064857,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. job growth in the U.S. has increased for 25 straight months with unemployment at 5 percent. lower than the average for the last three decades. And the news just keeps getting better. New home sales hit a record high in June. And that should not come as a surprise. seeing as how more Americans are working than ever beforeover 130 million jobs. But we do not see this on the front page of our newspapers or on the nightly newscasts. The Republican accomplishments of this House speak for themselves. We passed medical liability reform to prevent frivolous lawsuits from forcing doctors out of practice or closing hospitals and leaving patients with limited access to care. We passed Association Health Plans to let small businesses pool their resources together in order to purchase affordable health insurance for their employees. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1209}
{"speech_id":1090064857,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. remember the death tax. the tax that unfairly burdened American families at the most inopportune of times? We listened to Americans. to our constituents. and we voted to repeal that unjust and unfair tax. Mr. Speaker. as we head into the August work period we have a record of accomplishment and we look forward to sharing it with the American people.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1209}
{"speech_id":1090064890,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and let me say that I rise in strong support of this conference report. I would like to say thank you for a job well done to the chairman of the full committee and the chairman of the conference. the gentleman from Alaska","speaker_name":"JERRY COSTELLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":283}
{"speech_id":1090064892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today feeling a little like a skunk at a wedding. or probably more accurately. road kill. I will cast later today what I am sure will be a lonely vote against this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I hope this is the last highway authorization bill we do in this fashion. In 1986. President Reagan vetoed the bill because of what he said were excessive earmarks or projects. I believe there were some 150 in that bill. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1043}
{"speech_id":1090064892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are nearly 6.000 in this bill today. That is no way to spend money. As more earmarks come. fewer dollars as a percentage actually go to critical needs. It is spent in other directions. and it is not the direction we ought to go. Equally troubling in this bill are budget gimmicks. the biggest one being that we rescind on the last day of reauthorization $8.6 billion to bring this under the number that the President said he will not veto. I would submit that nobody actually believes we are going to rescind that money. Let us be honest about this: This is busting the budget. I urge Members to vote \"ng.\"","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1043}
{"speech_id":1090064904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my support for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program provisions contained in H.R. 3 the Safe. Accountable. Flexible. Efficient Transportation Equity: A Legacy for Users Act. While we have made some progress in getting participation by minorityowned businesses in the FederalAid highway and transit programs. we still need the DBE program to encourage further advances in this area. We have seen that when DBE programs end. many prime contractors return to the same exclusionary practices that deny minorities and women the chance to compete for business underscoring the continued need for the DBE program. Let me also make clear that the DBE program is not a quota program. The goals in the program represent a national target for the Department of Transportation. state and local recipients of DOT funding set their own goals for DOT participation in construction projects based on the availability of disadvantaged businesses in their markets. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1995}
{"speech_id":1090064904,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is never an absolute requirement that a particular goal be met. The DBE program is based on a simple premise of equal opportunity. It requires all contractors bidding for Federal highway projects to do so on an equal footing. regardless of gender or of race. Federal highway projects should be awarded to companies owned by individuals who for decades. for decades were effectivelyshut out from this industry. I believe that the DBE program in this bill is needed to open opportunities for women and minorities in the highway construction industry. It is a program important to a wide range of socially and economically disadvantaged persons. Mr. Speaker. time has shown that the DBE program works. It is a program that meets constitutional muster. It is a program that has a rational. national compelling interest. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1995}
{"speech_id":1090064904,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. I stand here today to express my strong support for a program that has proven to be of enormous benefit to countless minority- and womenowned businesses in the country.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1995}
{"speech_id":1090064916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one of the last items negotiated between House and Senate in this Conference Report were pending requests for exemptions from hoursofservice regulations for truck drivers in various industries. I personally believe that safety and economic realities require that there be greater flexibility in the rigid rules and regulations governing hours of service and I was disappointed that many of these exemptions did not receive more positive consideration. One exemption that I supported. but was ultimately not accepted. would provide emergency flexibility that permits the rerail industry to quickly respond to the true emergency needs that arise from railroad derailments and accidents. The failure to provide an emergency exemption for the Rerail Industry will result in a continuing denigration of our ability to protect the lives of citizens living along rights of way. assure highway safety and expedite interstate commerce by quickly clearing train derailments. . Today these emergency responders of the rail mode are often given the Hobsons choice of rapidly clearing wrecks that endangerlives and property and can cost millions of dollars in stacked up traffic or being penalized for violating hours of service. This is neither fair nor is it in the public inteirest. One of the best examples is the Weyauwega. Wisconsin derailment that took place in my own Congressional District. In this case a derailment overturned 15 cars of hazardous material and ruptured three cars of LPG and propane which ignited and threw fireballs 300 feet into the air. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS PETRI","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090064916,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The. derailed train was blocking a grade crossing and emergency responders could not reach a flaming feed mill and storage building. The resuiting fire continued to burn and the entire town was evacuated for over 2 weeks. According to the current rules. driveroperators may not legally be allowed to respond immediately to such an accident. But this is exactly the choice that must be made over and over again by the men and women who work in this industry. The situation these companies and their drivers are placed in is neither fair nor is it in the public interest. The issue here is balancing of hours of service flexibility against the terrible consequences of not responding quickly. The exemption I sought was to provide rerail drivers with exactly the same treatment currently provided tow truck drivers under existing regulation during a declared emergency. As we learned in Weyauwega. consequences of a train derailment can be far more severe than your average highway accident and should be treated accordingly. I intend to continue to work with both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS PETRI","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090064916,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress to provide those who *respond to and rail wrecks with exactly the same treatment as tow truck operators.","speaker_name":"THOMAS PETRI","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090064951,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I shall not take near 60 minutes. but I intend to yield the vast majority of this time back to the Chair so the Chair can recognize my friend. the gentleman from Texas . I appreciate the leadership accommodating me so I can tell to the Members the story. the unfortunate story. of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the state of affairs in the Russian Federation today. Since June of 1987. when President Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and urged Mikhail Gorbachev to \"Tear down this wall.\" through glasnost and perestroika. through monetary reform and trade. the United States has taken an approach towards active engagement toward democratic reform in Russia. As cochairman of the Russia Democracy Group. I am committed to seeing these efforts continue. Today the U.S. looks to Russia as a partner in this changing world. At the same time. the responsibility lies on our shoulders to hold our Russian counterparts accountable as they move towards democracy. Recent events in Russia such as the consolidation of power by the Kremlin. restrictions on the media. and the government seizure of private companies. have raised concerns over the path Russia is taking to freedom. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090064951,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One recent incident in particular draws to mind memories of Russia under the Soviet Union. not the free and democratic society we had hoped it would become. Mikhail Khodorkovsky. who is pictured here to my left. was CEO of the YUKOS Oil Company. the largest company in Russia. In October of 2003. he was arrested at gunpoint and tried for a multitude of politically motivated charges.. The trial. if you can call it that. was completed on May 31 of this year. and Mr. Khodorkovsky was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Recently I. along with many Members of Congress. had the opportunity to meet with one of Mr. Khodorkovskys business partners. Leonid Nevzlin. Mr. Nevzlin. now living in Israel. has also been charged by the Russian courts for his connection to YUKOS. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090064951,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While in the United States. Mr. Nevzlinspoke before the U.S: Helsinki .Commission and confirmed what many of us feared. Russia is quickly moving away from dehiocracy rather than embracing it. Mikhail Khodorkovskys account of the trial and the deterioration of law in Russia is a compelling story that needs to be heard. Following his sentencing. Mr. Khodorkovsky wrote his thoughts from his prison cell as he awaited his departure for the Siberian prison camps. I believe it is important today that I read his profoundly eloquent statement in its entirety. \"Despite obvious lack of evidence of my guilt and a mass of evidence that I was not involved in any crimes whatsoever. the couirt -has decided to send me to the camps. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090064951,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"I do not intend to harshly criticize the esteemed judge. Irina Kolesnikova. I can imagine what sort of pressure she was under from the initiators of the Xhodorkovsky case while she was preparing the verdict. Scores of government functionaries. or just plain selfinterested intermediaries. were ready to bring any amount of money to the court to make sure I was sent to Siberia. \"When it comes right down to it. Kolesnikova is not the problem. The problem is that the judiciary in Russia has turned completely into a mindless appendage. a blunt weapon of the executive. Actually. not so much of the executive branch of power as of several economic groups with criminal ties. Millions of our fellow citizens have seen today that despite our countrys top leaderships statements about the need to strengthen due process. there is nothing to pin our hopes on for now. This is a shame and a stain on our country. and it is a misfortune. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090064951,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"I do not admit guilt. and consider that my innocence has been proven. This is why I will appeal the sentence handed down to me today. For me. it is a fundamental matter of principal to obtain truth and justice in my Motherland. \"I know that the sentence in the criminal case against me was ultimately decided in the Kremlin. Some people in the Presidents entourage insisted that only an acquittal could bring back societys trust in the government. while others insisted that I be locked up for a long time in order to deprive me of the will to live. to be free. and to fight. \"I want to say thank you for the former. and bring attention to the latter that they have not won. \"They will never be capable of understanding that freedom is an internal state of a person. It is precisely those who wish me ill. the ones who have dreams at night of- a Khodorkovsky rabidly thirsting for vengeance. who are doomed to spend the rest of their lives trembling over the stolen assets of YUKOS. \"It is they who are profoundly unfree and will never be free. It is their pitiful existence that is the true prison. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8240}
{"speech_id":1090064987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was in my office last evening about 11 p.m.. as was all the rest of the House of Representatives. waiting for a resolution of some of the concerns on the transportation bill so that we could Vote on it. when we were looking at the \"Drudge Report\" on our screen and we saw there a headline that I could hardly believe. that Senator FRIST had reversed his position on embryonic stem cells and was now advocating the passage of the Senate version of H.R. 810. I thought it would be appropriate today. with stem cells. embryonic stem cells being so much in the news. if we could spend a few minutes looking at what stem cells are and what this is all about. what was Senator FRIST talking about and what is the issue here. I have here on the easel a chart that shows the development. not all of the stages. but it shows the development of the human embryo. It starts with the zygote. The zygote is the fertilized egg. It now has chromosomes. genes from the sperm and genes from the egg. having what we call the diploid number of chromosomes. And that develops through several stages. we will see a little later in another chart. but it goes through the blastacyst stage here and then it goes down to the gastrula stage. And by the time you get to the gastrula stage. the embryo that began as a single cell here just a few days before has now developed into a large number of cells. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10796}
{"speech_id":1090064987,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What is shown here is the embryo and the part of the wall of the uterus to which it is attached. By this stage in its development. the embryo has already now developed four very specific stem cells that will go on to produce a variety of tissues and organs in the body. all of the tissues and the organs in the body. and we see those down here at the bottom. Some of them develop into ectoderm. This is the external layer. The ectoderm becomes primarily two things in the developing baby and in the adult. It becomes the skin and the nervous system and some of the pigment cells. Most of what we are in terms of mass is all developed from the middle layer. or the mesoderm. and from that develops all of your skeletal muscle. all of your skeleton. all of your bones. all of your heart muscle. the red blood cells. the smooth muscle in your intestines and stomach and so forth. Then a third stem cell here ultimately develops into the entoderm. And here we see that this is the lining of the lung. the thyroid gland. and pancreatic cells. nov~here near the mass that is produced bythe mesoderm. but iery important tissues nevertheless. Then ttiere are some very unique cells. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10796}
{"speech_id":1090064987,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are different in the male and the female. They are the germ cells. In the male they produce the sperm and in the female they produce the egg. Some of these stem cells persist even into the adult. In the bone marrow of every adult are stem cells which will produce erythrocytes. your red blood cells. which produce some of your white blood cells. The polymorphonuclear leukocytes will produce those cells that help in clotting. the thrombocytes. And there are stem cells in other adult tissues. And there has been a lot of research for more than three decades now on using these stem cells to see if we cannot cure or help patients with a number of different diseases. And there have been a number of good applications of adult stem cells. They have produced betterment in a number of individuals. in some cases what looks like actual cures. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10796}
{"speech_id":1090064987,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But these adult stem cells are limited in their capability because they are already what we call differentiated. They have already split. and a number of the genes have been turned off. and they now are destined to produce only a certain kinds of cells. What the researcher tries to do at times is to take these adult stem cells and put them in an environment that convinces them that they are not really an adult stem cell. but that they have gone now back to a more primordial state. that they are back to an embryonic stem cell. Here in the blastula we see embryonic stem cells. Of course. the ultimate embryonic stem cell is the zygote: one cell. which will divide again and again and again. and then differentiate. and then finally produce all of the cells of the body. But here in the blastula stage we have the cells already differentiated into two different categories: those cells which are going to produce the embryo. and they are shown here in this inner cell mass. and then those cells which will produce the dissidua. And the dissidua is the cells around this which will become amnion and corion parts of the placenta. In the stage just before this are the cells that can produce the full embryo. I would like now to look at our next chart here because this shows the development of the embryo. and it has. all of the stages there. It starts with the zygote. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10796}
{"speech_id":1090064987,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Here we have the fertilized egg. or the zygote. Of course. this all begins with an ovary. This is only half of the reproductive system of the female. An ovary which every month routinely during the childbearing years will produce an ovum. Here it shows the follicle rupturing and the ovum coming out. Here is the oocyte. And then here are the sperm. and the sperm of course make their way all up through the uterus and the fallopian tube. clear up here to the end of the fallopian tube. And by the way. they actually sometimes get out into the abdominal cavity. Sometimes this egg is not picked up by this little funnelshaped end. and you see part of the funnel here. called the infundibulum. Sometimes that cell does not get out there. and it does not get picked up by the fallopian tube and carried down with the beating of a number of cilia and it goes out into the body cavity. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10796}
{"speech_id":1090064994,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have several unanimous consent requests with respect to our schedule today. Following the time for the two leaders. we will consider the Interior appropriations conference report under a 20minute time limit. Following that debate. we will return to the energy conference report for final closing remarks. At the conclusion of that debate. we will have a series of rollcall votes on these measures. I would anticipate those votes occurring sometime around 10:45 or so this morning. After those votes are completed. we will return to the gun manufacturers liability bill. We have an agreement for a limited number of amendments. with time agreements on each of those. Therefore. we will have votes throughout the afternoon until passage of that legislation. Finally. we will also consider the highway conference report when it becomes available from the House. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090064994,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not yet here. All Senators should be aware that we will have a substantial number of rollcall votes today. as many as 13 over the course of the day. Therefore. we ask that Senators remain close to the Chamber throughout the day to facilitate the votes and our remaining business.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090065008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the majority leader for his statement. I think it is extremely important that he has joined a bipartisan effort in the Senate to make progress on a critically important issue. Senator FRIST and I have our differences politically. but I respect and admire him very much. particularly in his humanitarian efforts as a doctor. All of us in the Senate know while we may be back home ir our States. he is off in some of the poorest places in the world using his medical skill to save lives. It says a lot about him. It says a lot about his heart. as does his statement this morning. The fact he would come out and suggest that we need to move forward in stem cell research is going to give new hope to people who absolutely count on medical research for their future* and for the life and wellbeing of members of their families. I have had roundtable discussions in my State. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2641}
{"speech_id":1090065008,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have invited people who are suffering from diabetes. Parkinsons. Lou Gehrigs disease. and from spinal cord injuries. They have all come forward to tell me how critically important stem cell research could be to making their lives whole and better. Senator FRISTS decision today will move us toward a goal. a very important goal of establishing good lines for pursuing this research. The CastleDegette bill. which -comes from the House of Representatives. provides a conscience clause. It says neither the sperm nor egg dopor can be asked to give up anything they put into the in vitro process without their consent. There must be a conscience clause included in this process. I agree With that. We also must establish that we are opposed to human cloning. which I am. and I dont know of any Senator who disagrees. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2641}
{"speech_id":1090065008,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Human cloning is wrong. and we must draw strict ethical guidelines to make sure we do not cross that line. Also. we never want to see the commercialization of this process. This is about scientific research. It is not about who is going to make a profit. and the CastleDegette bill is very explicit in that regard. My colleague from Kansas raises an important point. It is one he and I can debate and it can be debated for centuries about when life begins. I am not sure we will ever come to the same conclusion. but it is important we talk about it. The thing that troubles me about this debate is that those who oppose stem cell research apparently are not prepared to criminalize in vitro fertilization. They are prepared to allow the process to move forward knowing full well in the ordinary course of events in the laboratory. there will be stem cells that cannot be used to impregnate the woman who is seeking to have a baby.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2641}
{"speech_id":1090065120,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleagues for their hard work on this important legislation. We are here to talk about passing an Energy bill that is not a complete answer to all our energy needs. This is not the end of discussion about energy independence and getting off our overdependence on foreign oil. but it is an important first step. My colleagues need to understand that the provisions in this bill are nutsandbolts important for our energy economy. moving forward. As a Senator who supports this legislation. there are certain technologies. certain investments in this legislation that I hope will win the day and will help us build a different kind of energy economy. based on newer technologies and energy supplies than the ones we have today. But this bill represents a compromise that was forged in the Senate and was fought hard for by my colleagues. both _Democrats and Republicans. when they went to conference. I am proud that it has an extension of renewable production tax credits so that our utilities can continue to invest in even more renewable energy. that for the first time it has a renewable clean energy bond section. so that local governments and public power can make greater investments in renewable energy. that it has an extension of the renewable energy production incentive program for public power. that there are efficiency provisions in the bill for appliances and other types of standards that will save 3.5 quads of energy. That is the same as building 85 powerplants. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2898}
{"speech_id":1090065120,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has a hybrid vehicle incentive provision. It has a biodiesel incentive program. It reinstates the oil spill liability trust fund. which Was going broke and which helps us clean up oil pollution. and taxes those who are the polluters. It has research on the smart grid technology that is going to get us more efficiency in our transmission system. and it has incremental steps to push the States toward better standards on net\" metering. For the Northwest. the electricity title in thislegislation is clearly a victory. and I would say the efficiency title in this bill is also a victory. We are moving closer to the key tools we need to upgrade our transmission system. We will have many more debates about what this body can do. though. to continue to diversify off of foreign oil. But we should take the step today to secure that transmission system and get reliability standards in place. something this body has debated now for more than 5 years. After a Western blackout. after a New York blackout. after people in Ohio and Michigan have been affected. the least we can do is push this legislation to improve the security and reliability of our electricity grid. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation as a first step. a short stroke of success. and get about going back to the broader decisions we need to make truly start moving in the direction toward energy independence.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2898}
{"speech_id":1090065144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I firmly believe our Nation needs a sound and balanced national energy plan. emphasizing a clean. reliable. sustainable. and affordable energy policy. Unfortunately. this bill fails to do that. The Senate sent a good energy bill to conference. and we got back a frog. This conference report fails to reduce our dependence on imported oil. fails to address the threat of global warming. fails to make much needed new investments in clean energy production and fails to provide any help to consumers that are suffering from record high gas prices. Specifically. this conference report does not include the Senates mandatory oil savings clause. which would have reduced oil use by 1 million barrels per day. The bill also deletes the renewable energy standard that would have required utilities to obtain at least 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Increasing the production of electricity from renewable energy sources will help improve the quality of our countrys water and air. Instead of supporting the advancement of renewable energy technologies to create jobs and reduce pollution. we have a bill that gives oil. gas. ethanol. and nuclear companies enormous subsidies. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090065144,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. the bill does not include any provisions to address global warning. Ibelieve we have a responsibility to act now to curb greenhouse gases. thus. I was pleased the Senate bill agreed on the need for mandatory programs to address greenhouse gases. Two major scientific reports released last fall warned that global warming is occurring more rapidly than previously known. and that the effects of such warming trends are widespread. In Vermont. we will also see ecological and economic consequences of these alarming trends. Vermonters working in our ski and maple syrup industries have already reported changes they have been forced to make in recent years to adjust to climate change. This bills refusal to take any steps to combat global warming is not only disappointing. but dangerous to our future generations. One hundred years from now. it may turn out that global warming was the single most important problem that the United States almost totally ignored. At that stage I will not be able to say \"I told you so.\" but some academic scholars might note my timely warmings. Indeed. when I was chairman of the Agriculture. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090065144,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nutrition. and Forestry Committee. I included a provision on the impacts of global warming in U.S. food production in the 1990 farm bill15 years ago. The bill also contains a number of antienvironmental provisions that were not included in the Senates bill. It threatens drinking water by allowing the underground injection of diesel fuel and other chemicals during oil and gas development and exempts oil and gas construction activities from the Clean Water Act. It also includes a seismic inventory of oil and gas resources in sensitive Outer Continental Shelf areas. In addition. I am disappointed that this Energy Bill doesnt take a single concrete step to address the high and rising cost of gasoline for American consumers. The Senate unanimously adopted my amendment to allow the Federal Government to take legal action against any foreign state. including members of OPEC. for price fixing and other anticompetitive activities. It is high time we say. \"no!\" to OPECs illegal price fixing schemes. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090065144,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet. due to opposition from the Bushadministration. under whose tenure the average price of gasoliqe has skyrocketed from $1.45 per gallon to more than $2.30 per gallon. this provision was deleted from the Energy bill conference report. This bill fails on almost every count. Yet. almost unbelievably. it could have gotten much worse. Under the leadership of my friend from New Hampshire. Senator GREGG. we were able to stop the House GOP leadership from letting MTBE polluters off the hook for contaminating our ground water and drinking water. I understand that the conferees came to an agreement which in no way impacts the rights of citizens and local governments to pursue all available State and Federal remedies where there is environmental harm and other injury that results from leakage of MTBE into the ground water. While I was concerned about any effort to alter the subject matter jurisdiction of these cases. I am relieved to learn that they did not do so in conference. I understand that nothing in the current language will alter the substantive law that courts currently apply in these cases and that they will apply to future claims. After a colloquy between conferees on the record. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090065144,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representative STUPAK did not offer his amendment clarifying their unanimous understanding of the relevant section. The amendment that he withheld would have simply added the phrase \"under applicable state or federal law\" to the permissive removal provision. I am told by Senator BINGAMAN that the conferees found this amendment unnecessary because it was clear to them. as it is to me. that the relevant language adopted does not change the substantive law that applies and it does not change the current law that applies in consideration of removal petitions. This administration and this Congress had a real opportunity to produce a bill that would lead the Nation* towards balanced. sustainable. clean energy produption. Instead. we have 1.700 pages worth of policies that will increase our dependence on fossil fuels. provide billions to wealthy energy corporations. and threaten environmental and public health. I do not see how my Republican colleagues can any longer justify their drastic cuts to vital social programs while pushing through this multibillion dollar legislation that does nothing to secure our energy future.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090065152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Am I further correct that it was not your intention that the FTC be given broad rulemaking authority with respect to the goods or services that can be offered to any utility customer. but rather the FTC has the authority to regulate the products or services offered by \"traditional\" utility companies and not financial institutions regulated by the GLBA?","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090065189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I agree with my colleagueSenator BINGAMANthat FERC. if it determines that certain. foreign transactions are covered by the language of section 1289. should provide expedited review and approval to the acquisition of a foreign utility by a holding company that has no retail customers in the United States and other transactions that raise no significant U.S. consumer issues. These types of transactions dont require FERCs scrutiny in order to ensure that American consumers are adequately protected.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":515}
{"speech_id":1090065207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this bill will produce more jobs for our country. more secure jobs. and we will be using cleaner energy in the future. This will happen across America. and it will happen in the State of Wisconsin. Also. I would like to say to everyone here. our electrical system will be safer and more sound. We may very well have nuclear powerplants built anew for the first time in years. Renewable energy will be advanced and enhanced dramatically. Some do not believe ethanol will be a significant contributor to less dependence on foreign oil. They are mistaken. We will. within the next 7 or 8 years. make a major contribution to jobs. stability of the agricultural community. and the production of ethanol as a substitute for gasoline. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090065207,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. we will enhance our supply of natural gas. thus stabilizing the price. which is one of the most significant things for Americas future. If we cannot do that and the reverse happens. we will export hundreds of thousands of jobs. While everyone thinks that the only problem is gasoline. the problem is far bigger than gasoline prices tomorrow morning. it is what will be the state of energy 5 and 10 years from now in the United States. I can tell my colleagues. we will be safer. we will have more jobs. we will have an electric system that is safe and sound. We will have diversity of energy sources and supplies built in our country. spending our money. creating jobs. and much more. Frankly. it is very easy to criticize a bill of this magnitude. and it is very easy to say we did not solve everything. I close by saying there is criticism that we did not do anything to alleviate our great dependence on crude oil. I think we did. Hybrid cars are accentuated and pushed ahead by tax credits. I just explained ethanol. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090065207,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But if anybody thinks right now we can pass inthe Congress a bill to substantially change the American way of using automobiles. I ask them to stand up. and we will .put it on the Senate floor next week and see if they can do it. We cannot order Americans to buy smaller cars. little tiny cars. and we cannot order them to stop buying cars. That will happen. It is going to happen. and we are going to have more efficient ones clearly in short order in this country. but we cannot do everything in. this bill. We have done a great deal. My compliments to Senator BINGAMAN. I am glad this was a totally bipartisan bill. totally open in every respect. I think we have proved that on a major. contentious bill. we can have open. aboveboard. tbtal participation by any Senator who wants to participate. In conference. the same with the press of having all of the amendments and everything we do so they can do what they would like with the American people and yet get an agreedupon bill. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090065207,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a pretty good accomplishment on the part of Senator BINGAMAN. myself. as the leaders in the Senate. and Congressman BARTON and Congressman DINGELL in the House. I yield the floor and thank the Senate for permitting me to produce this bill.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3008}
{"speech_id":1090065212,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we prepare to accept the conference report on the fiscal year 2006 Interior appropriations spending bill. I want to raise an issue regarding the implementation of a pilot project in the State of Utah to determine the feasibility of expanding the oil and gas leasing program to include onlineauctioning of leases. \u0095 There is a very active oil and gas lease trading market in the private sector. Many of these leases are bought and sold online in an auction process quite similar to other auction processes on the Internet. Information about the individual lease sale is made available to the public with accompanying documentation. prices are set and bids are accepted. sales and transactions are completed all online. The system operates very efficiently and expands the opportunity to participate to- potential bidders all across the country. BLM is currently limited to conducting oil and gas lease auctions orally. However. -under the Government Performances Result Act. or GPRA. Federal agencies are allowed to conduct pilot studies to identify opportunities to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their business processes. Under GPRA. a pilot program which tested the feasibility of both oral and online auctions might help BLM increase the efficiency of the auction process and increase the exposure of leases to a broader number of participants. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2316}
{"speech_id":1090065212,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. the BLM does not currently have the capability to implement a program like this. But were they to develop a partnership with the private sector to develop an online component of the oil and gas leasing program. the program becomes much more feasible. With that in mind. I requested funda for the BLM State office in Utah to conduct a pilot program with a private sector partner to develop a potential online oil and gas leasing project and to conduct a series of tests to see if this idea is workable. The Senate included funding for this program in the State of Utah. However. the committee did not specify that BLM should try to identify a private sector partner that has experience in conducting online oil and gas lease auctions. Would it be the opinion of the chairman that BLM should identify and work with a partner in the private sector to proceed forward quickly with the development of a pilot program in Utah?","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2316}
{"speech_id":1090065219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend Chairman CONRAD BURNS and the ranking member. Senator BYRON DORGAN. on their work on this legislation. I am pleased that this conference report includes the full $1.5 billion proposed by the Senate to make up the current 2005 fiscal year shortfall in funding for veterans health care. The Interior bill may seem a strange vehicle for this funding. but it was the first vehicle available once the administration confirmed the funding crisis in VA health care. and I thank the managers for preserving this provision in their conference report. It is critically important that the President sign this conference report into law quickly so that this money can be used to replenish the coffers of the VA and make sure that there is no interruption in the VAs ability to provide medical services to our Nations veterans. Make no mistake about it. this money is needed nownow. We know the VA anticipates an even greater shortfall in fiscal year 2006. and the Senate Appropriations Committee has addressed that problem in the 2006 Military Construction and VA appropriations bill by providing $1.977 billion in emergency funding for VA health care in 2006. The $1.5 billion that is provided in this conference report is specifically intended to address the currentthe current2005 crisis in VA health care funding. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2220}
{"speech_id":1090065219,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The precise amount of the current shortfall remains somewhat murky. The administration. after months and months of denying that a shortfall even existed. first pegged it as $975 million. and then uppeduppedthe estimate to $1.275 billion. The Senate. however. fully mindful of the VAs dismal track record in estimating shortfalls. and wisely skeptical of the administrations fluctuating estimates. voted to include a total of $1.5 billion in this bill. with the provisoget thiswith the proviso that the funds would be available both this year and next. This was in sharp contrast to the House. which provided only $975 million in a separate bill to cover the fiscal year 2005 shortfall in VA funding. It is a victory for our Nations veterans. Hallelujah. It is a victory for our Nations veterans that the conferees agreed on the Senate level of $1.5 billion. but it will be merely a Pyrrhic","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2220}
{"speech_id":1090065248,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have four fundamental concerns with regard to the Energy conference report: it digs us deeper into a budget black hole. it fails to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. it rolls back important consumer protections. and it undermines some of the fundamental environmental laws our citizens rely upon. The conference report includes direct spending of more than $2.2 billion over the 20062010 period. exceeding the amount allocated by the budget resolution. so I hope my colleagues will join me in sustaining a budget point of order. Mr. President. I make a point of order that the pending conference report violates section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":675}
{"speech_id":1090065318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. president. I will close out our side and then the Senator from New Jersey can close. From 1992 to the year 2003and this is only in the area of accidental deaths by firearms--dramatically down. 54 percent. From 2001 to 2003. down 13 percent. That category is not quite what the Senator talks about. but it is from 5 to 14 that makes up 1.6 percent of the total deaths by firearms. again dramatically down. Why? These are accidental. These are not on the streets of America. But out on the streets of America. those are also down because we are enforcing the law and going after the criminal. That is what this is all about. It is not going after lawabiding citizens. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1088}
{"speech_id":1090065318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think the Senator from Alabama put it very clearly. All new law is being treaded upon instead of adhering to consistent. known. wellestablished tort law in America. I would hope my colleagues will support my amendment. the alternative to the Lautenberg amendment. I oppose the Lautenberg amendment. I yield back the remainder of my time and would hope that Senators could conclude their remarks as we move to a vote.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1088}
{"speech_id":1090065357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have listened to the argument of the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts. To hear it. you would say the sky is truly falling. that this world is just falling apart and that everything being done in law enforcement just doesnt work. and that if we dont do what his amendment says. we are going to be for terrorism and everything else in this world. I rise to speak against the Kennedy amendment and for the FristCraig firstdegree amendment. The firstdegree amendment Senator CRAIG just filed would strengthen the penalties for violating the existing ban on armorpiercing ammunition . for handguns. It would also create a study on the effects of adopting a performancebased standard for ammunition. This exact samefirstdegree amendment passed overwhelmingly last year on the floor of the Senate. and I suspect it will again this year. Let me make clear why the Kennedy amendment. without this firstdegree amendment. would be harmful. The Kennedy amendment would ban nearly all hunting rifle ammunition. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3719}
{"speech_id":1090065357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is also opposed by law enforcement organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police. the largest law enforcement agency or organization in the country. The fact is that we have laws in this area that are working. The Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco. Firearms and Explosives. the BATFE. reached the same conclusion in a recent study. The existing laws were adopted in 1986 and prohibit the manufacture and importation. for private use. of handgun bullets made of certain hard metals and specially jacketed bullets. The BATFE found that \"no additional legislation regarding such laws is necessary.\" My friend from Massachusetts believes all we have to do is just keep passing laws and that will solve every problem. The Departments of Justice and Treasury opposed legislation similar to this amendment back when it was first introduced in the 1980s. Congress rejected it then. We ought to reject it now. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3719}
{"speech_id":1090065357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me give a couple other facts that are important. The FristCraig amendment we are offering here today recognizes. as the Fraternal Order of Police points out. that the current law regarding armorpiercing ammunition is working. that is. it states that it is unlawful to manufacture and import. for private use. handgun bullets made of special hard metals and specially jacketed lead bullets. It also requires the Attorney General to study and report on whether it is feasible to develop standards for the uniform testing of projectiles against body armor. The difference that the alternative amendmentthe FristCraig amendment--makes is in the laws message. It says that if armorpiercing amnunition is used to kill a law enforcement officer. then the maximum penalty available is the death penalty. It doesnt get any tougher than that. If armorpiercing ammunition is used in the commission of a crime that wounds but doesnt kill a law enforcement officer. there will be a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years. Lets talk about how this is different. It sends a message to criminals in this country that not only is this ammunition illegal. if they use it to kill law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day for our citizens. families. and communities. they will pay the ultimate price. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3719}
{"speech_id":1090065357,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. we should reject the Kennedy amendment. We should follow what law enforcement in this country says. It does not get any better than the FOP. Last year. the Senate rejected the Kennedy amendment 34 to 63 and instead adopted the FristCraig amendment by a vote of 85 to 12. We should do that again. I compliment my colleague for the hard work he has done on this particular bill. I hope we will all vote for the alternative amendment of Senator CRAIG. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3719}
{"speech_id":1090065361,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have some great friends in law enforcement. They have served their country and States and communities well over the years. We hunt and fish together at various times. I am not hearing them say this is what they would like to see. If you talk to law officers. what they are concerned about is repeat dangerous offenders getting released on the streets. A police officer never knows when he may face someone like that around the corner. at a traffic stop. or in a domestic violence situation. Those are things that concern them. They do feel sometimes that the criminal justice system is too slow. that the punishment and penalties that are imposed by law never get carried out. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2953}
{"speech_id":1090065361,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those things frustrate them. That follows through and is consistent with the letters we havereceived regarding the Kennedy amendment. I am looking at the Law Enforcement Alliance of America letter. which they wrote to Senator CRAIG. This is a very clear and strong message. They represent 75.000 members in support of law enforcement. They wanted to \"add our voice to the growing group of law enforcement representatives who strongly oppose efforts to gut or kill S. 397. the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.\" They refer to this amendment as a \"poison pill\" and object to the term \"cop killer bullet\" as a \"thinly veiled fraud.\" They go on to say: This amendment. along with other amendments. should be identified for what they are: an outright attempt to kill S. 397. Please know that many in the law enforcement community encourage you to continue steadfastly in support of Americas gun manufacturers who provide our officers the tools to return home safely at the end of their shift. Also. the Fraternal Order of Police has written to Senator CRAIG in \"strong opposition\" to the amendment offered by Senator KENNEDY. They say that this will be presented as a \"officer safety issue\" to get dangerous \"cop killer bullets off the shelves.\" Then they add: Regardless of its presentation. the amendments actual claim and effect would be to expand the definition of \"armorpiercing\" to include ammunition based. not on any threat to law enforcement officers. but on a manufacturers marketing strategy. Then they add this. which is interesting: The truth of the matter is that only one law officer has been killed by a round fired from a handgun which penetrated his soft body armorand in that single instance. it was the body armor that failed to provide the expected ballistic protections. not because the round was \"armorpiercing.\" They say: It is our view that no expansion or revision of the current law is needed to protect law enforcement officers. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2953}
{"speech_id":1090065361,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That letter is to Senator CRAIG. No additional legislation is needed to protect law officers. To put it simply. this is not a genuine [law enforcement] officer safety issue. They noted that it had been rejected previouslylast year. 63 to 34. They say it should be rejected again. I thank the Chair.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2953}
{"speech_id":1090065364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have in my hand the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide that bans 14 different types of ammunition today. All we are trying to do is add a 15th. What will the 15th do? It will be limited to copkiller bullets. My friends. the Republican amendment says we should study the problem of copkiller bullets. Our police officers are the ones that are in the line of fire. and we are going to protect them with a study? If you care about fighting terrorism. you will reject the Republican amendment and vote for my amendment to take real action. If you care about protecting our brave police officers. you will support my amendment. They risk their lives for us every single day. This is not about hunting. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":855}
{"speech_id":1090065364,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know duck and geese and deer do not wear armor vests. police officers do. This can save their lives. I hope it will be accepted.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":855}
{"speech_id":1090065410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak against the substitute. This is a complete substitute for the bill. In effect. it guts the bill. It does exactly the opposite of what the bill is intended to do. and that is to stop abusive predatory lawsuits against lawabiding businesses for damages caused by the criminal misuse of their products by others. Senator REED mentioned some terrible situations regarding the -Washington serial killer and said that those victims would not be able to sue the gun seller who was presumed to be negligent. In fact. that gun seller was found to have violated the laws that are required to be met and his license was revoked. So I believe under our billand it would be our opinion under our billthat those people would be able to sue that gun seller. The other side has a legal opinion to the contrary. but we disagree with that. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090065410,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill says. what is not included in this bill is a lawsuit which is brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence. per se. So I think you could have brought that lawsuit. In fact. those lawsuits were settled. What we are talking about is a substitute that appears to bar lawsuits but. in fact. allows lawsuits by cities and counties against firearms manufacturers and sellers if there is a State legislature approving the lawsuit or the State Attorney General brings the suit. So everything that we have been voting on would be reversed. If a State legislature says: We are going to allow a city to sue. the city would be able to sue. We are here not to bar legitimate lawsuits. We are not here to bar lawsuits if a gun malfunctions. What we are trying to do is stop gun manufacturers from having to answer lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit for the criminal misuse of that product. If this anlendment is passed. the bill before us will be gutted and will be of no use. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090065410,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are trying to stop frivolous lawsuits against lawabiding citizens and lawabiding gun manufacturers. It does not stop lawsuits for negligence of the gun itself or violations of the law by the gun seller. I hope my colleagues will see through this substitute and stay with the intent of the billto stop the frivolous lawsuits against the gun manufacturer or the misuse of the product. not the defectiveness of the product itself. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090065436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. the gun industry does play a crucial role in helping to equip the men and women of our Armed Forces. Companies like Beretta U.S.A.. Colt Manufacturing. and others supply a host of weapons and small arms that are vital to our military. This fact is significant because the truth of the matter is that. for a variety of complex reasons. Americas military is increasingly being forced to turn to foreign sources for new technology. We simply cannot afford to lose more and more technical expertise if we want to ensure that our men and women in uniform will always have the best equipment and the best technology in the world. Our national security is dependent on having homegrown talent and expertise. and this legislation will help ensure that we do. Ultimately. it is for these reasons that I have decided to cast my vote in support of this legislation.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":862}
{"speech_id":1090065461,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank you. Madam President. I thank my colleague. I know that the chairman of the committee is anxious to conclude the legislation so I will be brief. I simply reiterate the point that I hope colleagues sincerely consider the points made by the senior Senator from Arizonanot meant to embarrass but to get us to focus on how we could better fund our transportation needs in the country. We are all pretty bright and pretty good on identifying what is necessary. but far better it would be. as he pointed out. to let the States keep the money raised in the States and for them to decide how best to use the money in their own States. It would be much more fair than taxing some States and giving it to residents of other States. Even for the donor States such as ours. instead of getting close to 100 percent of the targeted amount that was provided in the bill in the first year. some are lucky if they get there at the very end of the period of time. There needs to be a fix to this* problem sooner or later. I hope my colleagues again will sincerely consider the remarks of those who regrettably are required to vote against this legislation because of its unfairness and because of the way taxpayer dollars are used for projects. some of which do not even relate to highways or to transportation. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1337}
{"speech_id":1090065477,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for over 2 years Congress has been trying to reauthorize the Federal surface transportation and safety programs that to keep commerce and traffic flowing smoothly across our Nation. The reauthorization bill is long overdue and I am pleased Congress will finally complete this process today. Funding for transportation infrastructure such as roads. bridges and border crossings is an important investment that increases the mobility of people and goods. enhances economic competitiveness. reduces traffic congestion. and improves air quality. Improvements in transportation infrastructure are critical to all of our States. and the Federal highway money that States receive is critical for funding them. In addition. few Federal investments have as large and immediate an impact on job creation and economic growth as transportation infrastructure. The Department of Transportation estimates that every $1 billion in new Federal investment creates more than 47.500 jobs. Unfortunately. the formula that distributes Federal highway funds to States is antiquated and inequitable and has discriminated against Michigan and other states for 50 years since the interstate system was first legislated. Historically. about 20 states. including Michigan. have been \"donor\" States. sending more gas tax dollars to the Highway Trust Fund in Washington than are returned in transportation infrastructure spending. The remaining 30 States. known as \"donee\" States. have received more transportation funding than they paid. into the Highway Trust Fund. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5339}
{"speech_id":1090065477,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This unfair practice began in 1956 when small states and large Western states banded together to develop a formula for distributing Federal highway dollars that advantaged themselves to the disadvantage of the remaining States. Once that formula was in place. they have tenaciously defended it. At the beginning. there was some legitimacy to the concept that large. lowpopulation. and predominately Western states needed more funding than they contributed to the system. It was necessary in order to build a national interstate highway system. However. with the national interstate system completed. the formulas used to determine how much a state will receive from the Highway Trust are simply unfair. Each time the highway bill has been reauthorized. I. along with my colleagues from other donor States. have fought to correct this inequity in highway funding. Over the years. through these battles. some progress has been made. For instance. in 1978. Michigan was getting around 75 cents back on our Federal gas tax dollar. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5339}
{"speech_id":1090065477,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The 1991 bill brought us up to approximately 80 cents per dollar. and the 1998 bill guaranteed a 90.5cent minimum return for each State. This bill will bring us to 92 cents per dollar by fiscal year 2008. During the past 2 years. in its effort to reauthorize TEA21. the Senate has twice passed bills that would have been better for Michigan and other donor States in terms of rate of return than is todays Conference Report. The first Senatepassed bill died in conference due to President Bushs veto threat and his unwillingness to accept the funding levels in either the House or Senate bill. This years Senatepassed bill was modified in the conference with the House of Representatives. The bill before us has less overall funding than either of the previous Senate passed bills and does not go as far as it should go in closing the funding equity gap for donor States. Although I am disappointed we did not do as well as we proved could be done in the two Senate bills. this Conference Report still allows Michigan to make a little progress toward achieving equity. Michigan will go from a current 90.5 percent minimum rate of return on its gastax contributions to the Highway Trust Fund to 91.5 percent in fiscal year 2007 and to 92 percent in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. This bill will provide more than $1.123 billion annually to fund transportation projects in Michigan. $239 million more per year than the prior 6 year highway bill. and will create 61.500 new jobs across the State. Furthermore. the bill provides funding for a number of critical highway related projects in Michigan. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5339}
{"speech_id":1090065477,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am delighted to have helped to secure significant additional funding for Michigan roads and highway related projects which will help make up for the fact that we are a donor State. For example. the bill provides $40.8 million to reconstruct and widen 194 in Kalamazoo. The bill also provides $29 million for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to establish a West Riverfront walkway and greenway along the Detroit River from Riverfront Towers to the Ambassador Bridge. It provides $12 million for the construction of a new atgrade crossing and 175 interchange in Gaylord to reconnect Milbocker and McCoy Roads and a new overpass to reconnect Van Tyle to South Wisconsin Road. It also provides $13.28 million to repave a portion of H53 in Alger County. The legislation we will pass today represents some progress in the ongoing fight for equity for donor states. I will continue to fight in the future. as I have in the past. until we are able to achieve full equity for Michigan. I recognize. however. that we have succeeded in reducing the inequity a little more in each reauthorization bill. and we do so in this bill as well. I therefore will support this bill.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5339}
{"speech_id":1090065483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. Congress is finally completing work on a bill to reauthorize the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century. This bill has been a long time coming and while it is 668 days overdue. for Wisconsin it may have been worth the wait. I am :Weased that Wisconsin will now have a chance to address our States vital transportation needs for the next year and plan its priorities for the next 5 years. I am even more pleased that this conference report builds on the precedent set under TEA21. where Wisconsin. after decades of not getting our fair share. finally started to receive at least as much in highway funding as we pay to the Federal Government. During this summer travel season. the people of Wisconsin should be happy to know that- their tax dollars will be used to improve Wisconsins roads. bridges. trails. rails and transit system. While the bill is not perfect. it goes a long way toward ending Wisconsins decadeslong legacy as a donor State. Historically. Wisconsins taxpayers have received about 78 cents for every dollar we have paid into the highway trust fund. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090065483,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a result. we have lost more than $625 million betwedn 1956 and when TEA21 was passed in 1998. Under TEA21. the previous 6year highway authorization. Wisconsin received approximately 102 cents for every dollar it paid contributed to the highway trust fund through gasoline taxes. I was pleased to work with the Wisconsin delegation to finally turn around decades of our State getting the short end of the stick. and am happy that we are how able to build upon that success. The conference report guarantees Wisconsin an absolute dollar increase of over 30 percent. or about $165 millidn per year. over the last bill and improves our rate of return to 106 cents per dollar paid in over the 5 years of the bill. This will help us make up for the decades where Wisconsin was instead on the losing end of the highway funding equation. I applaud the efforts of Wisconsins delegation in achieving an even greater measure of fairness for Wisconsins taxpayers. Throughout this over 2year process. I have worked closely with Senator KOHL and the entire House delegation to get the best possible treatment for Wisconsin. The conference bill represents a great victory for Wisconsin. largely due to this bipartisan bicameral cooperation. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090065483,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to give special thanks to those members of both bodies who have worked in the trenches as conferees to craft this bill. especially Congressman TOM PETRI. the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways. Transit and Pipelines. As one of the key conferees. he worked tirelessly over the past 2 years or more to come to this agreement and to ensure that Wisconsin was treated fairly. While there are probably some projects in this large bill that may not be priorities for their States or local communities. but instead were proposed by special interests. I dont feel that this is the case for Wisconsin. I worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation when I made requests for funding of specific projects to ensure that they addressed Wisconsins transportation priorities. I think this was probably true for the entire Wisconsin delegation as well. and I want to thank the State Department of Transportation for this valuable advice and support. The projects I requested were chosen to meet a range of State and local needs and span the entire State from our urban areas. with the Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee or East Washington Avenue in Madison. to suburban and rural areas like the Stillwater Bridge linking St. Croix County to Minnesota. or the Sturgeon Bay Bridge and State Highway 57 in Door County. These projects will create jobs in Wisconsin. allow for the more efficient movement of manufactured goods and agricultural products throughout the State. provide access to Wisconsins natural wonders to residents and visitors. and in many cases make the roads safer for Wisconsins families as they go about their daily lives. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090065483,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. while attention has been focused on money for highways and bridges. this bill also includes funds for important safety improvements. transit projects. recreational trails. boating programs and funds to give seniors and the disabled more mobility. to name a few. I was proud to support many of these programs that were ultimately included in the bill. Having fought to secure funds for recreational trails. senior transportation. and various transit projects from the statewide bus funding to the Dane Countys Transport 2020 and the commuter rail extension through Kenosha. Racine and Milwaukee. I can attest that these are as important to many citizens in Wisconsin as the essential highways and bridges. As I noted before. this bill is not perfect. I am concerned about some of the environmental provisions in the bill. particularly those with a potential impact on the Nations air quality. The language modifies current transportation regulations dealing with longrange transportation planning and its impact on air quality. The current rules require that major new road projects must not contribute to violations of air quality standards over a 20year period. The conference report instead mandates that Clean Air Act conformity will be considered over 10 years. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090065483,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill also contains environmental review streamlining provisions that include tight review deadlines and conflict resolutions provisions. I agree with these measures in principle. but I am concerned that the articulated deadlines may not be realistic. On balance. my concerns about these provisions are not enough to cause me to oppose this bill that provides critical tighway funds in a fair manner. I will vote for the bill.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5700}
{"speech_id":1090065493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. it is to fall under the $1.00 rate of return. I my understanding we have 6 minutes. A am one of them. Due to the budgetary constraints as well as balancing the needs of both the donor States with the needs of the donee States. we were unable to achieve any better. Another key component of this bill is safety. This bill goes a long way to saving lives by providing funds to States to address safety needs at hazardous locations. sections. and elements. Safety in this authorization is for the first time given a prominent position. being elevated to a core program. Inadequate roads not only lead to congestion. they also kill people. We average more than three deaths a day in Missouri and I think that a large number of these deaths can be attributable to inadequate infrastructure. Nearly 43.000 people were killed on our roads and highways last year alone. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3558}
{"speech_id":1090065493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am glad that the bill reflects the continued commitment to making not only investments in our infrastructure. but also to the general safety and welfare of our constituents. I am hopeful that the level of funding provided toward the safety program and other core programs is a sufficient amount to address. the growing needs of all states. The passage of this bill comes at a very critical time. especially for my home State of Missouri. We have some of the worst roads in the Nation. with over 50 percent of its major roads in poor or mediocre condition. requiring immediate repair or reconstruction. Environmental issues are also addressed. such as to ease the transition under the new air quality standards. the conformity process is better aligned with air quality planning. as well as streamlining the project delivery process by providing the necessary tools to reduce or eliminate unnecessary delays during the environmental review stage. Another accomplishment of our package ensures transportation projects are built more quickly by bringing environmental stakeholders to the table sooner. Environmental issues will be raised earlier and the public will have better opportunities to shape projects. Projects more sensitive to environmental concerns will move through a more structured environmental review process more efficiently and with fewer delays. This bill also ensures that transportation projects will not make air worse in areas with poor air quality. while giving local transportation planners more tools and elbow room to meet their Federal air quality responsibilities. Transportation planning will be on a regular 4year cycle. require air quality checks for projects large enough to be regionally significant and reduce current barriers local official face in adopting projects that improve air quality. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3558}
{"speech_id":1090065493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Another accomplishment in the bill is allowing local areas to spend congestion. mitigation and air quality funds on the purchase of biodiesel fuel. Soybean based biodiesel provides another market for midwestern. including Missouri. farmers. The clean burning fuel reduces smog forming ozone. soot and hazardous air pollutants. Homegrown biodiesel also decreases our dependence on foreign oil. Its a win for the environment. energy security and farmers. Lastly. jobs. We have all heard the statistics and this bill undoubtedly will create jobs. The comprehensive package here before the Senate today is the key to addressing our Nations needs in infrastructure development and improvement. I am hopeful that other Members of the Senate agree and pass this bill so our State transportation departments can get back in the business of letting contracts.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3558}
{"speech_id":1090065500,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The next votbis on the highway conference reported bill. the last of the evening. the l1th rollcall of the day and the last vote before the. August break. I thank all ofour colleagues for their patience and efforts. We have. been very busy..very productive the last several weeks. We can all. in a bipartisan way. be proud of what we have accomplished. We will return for business on Tuesday. September 6th. with a vote that day sometime around 5:30. That is Tuesday. September 6th. I wish everyone a safe break.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":512}
{"speech_id":1090065519,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I agree with the Senator from New Mexico. I am especially proud of the majority leader whose patience and intelligence and perseverance has helped us through these several months. I am thankful to the Democratic leader for his help in making those things happen. When the Senate reconvenes in September. one of the first orders of business will be the Defense authorization bill. During August. I respectfully suggest that the President reconsider his opposition to legislation that would set the rules for the treatment and interrogation of detainees. I have decided to cosponsor three amendments to the Defense authorization bill that clarify our policies relative to detainees from the war on terror. There has been some debate about whether it is appropriate for Congress to set rules on the treatment of detainees. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6954}
{"speech_id":1090065519,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for me. this question isnt even close. The people. through their elected representatives. should set the rules for how detainees and prisoners under U.S. control are treated and interrogated. In the short term. the President can set the rules. But the war on terror is now nearly 4 years old. We dont want judges making up the rules. So for the long term. the people should set the rules. That is why we have an independent Congress. In fact. the Constitution says. quite clearly. that is what Congress should do. Article I. section 8 of the Constitution says that Congress. and Congress alone. shall have the power to \"make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.\" So Congress has the responsibility to set clear rules here. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6954}
{"speech_id":1090065519,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the spirit of these amendments is really one I hope the White House will decide to embrace. In essence. these amendments codify military procedures and policies. procedures in the Army Field Manual. policies regarding compliance with the Convention Against Torture. signed by President Reagan. and policies the Defense Department has set regarding the classification of detainees. If the President thinks these are wrong rules. I hope he will submit new ones to Congress so we can debate and pass them. I am one Senator who gives great weight to his views on any matter. especially this matter. This has been a gray area for the law. In this gray area. the question is. Who should set the rules? In the short term. surely. the President can. and in the longer term. the people should through their elected representatives. We dont want the courts to write those rules. In summary. it is time for Congress to represent the people. to clarify and set the rules for detention and interrogation of our enemies during the next few weeks. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6954}
{"speech_id":1090065519,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope the White House will tell us what rules and procedures the President needs to succeed in the war on terror. That way. we can move forward together. Mr. President. to reiterate. when the Senate reconvenes in September. one of the first orders of business will be the Defense authorization bill. During August. I respectfully suggest the President reconsider his opposition to legislation that would set the rules for the treatment and interrogation of detainees. I have decided to cosponsor three amendments to the Defense authorization bill that clarify our policies relative to detainees from the War on Terror. There has been some debate about whether it is appropriate for Congress to set rules on the treatment of detainees. but for me this question isnt even close. The people through their elected representatives should set the rules for how detainees and prisoners under U.S. control are treated and interrogated. In the short term. the President can set the rules. but the war on terror is now nearly 4 years old. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6954}
{"speech_id":1090065519,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not want judges making up the rules. So. for the long term. the people should set the rules. That is why we have an independent Congress. In fact. the Constitution says. quite clearly. that is what Congress should do: Article I. Section 8 of the Constitution says that Congress. and Congress alone. shall have the power to \"make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.\" So Congress has a responsibility to set clear rules here. But the spirit of these amendments is really one that I hope the White House will decide to embrace. In essence. these amendments codify military procedures and policies. procedures in the Army Field Manual. policies regarding compliance with the Convention Against Torture signed by President Reagan. and policies the Defense Department has set regarding the classification of detainees. That is right. All three of these amendments uphold or codify policies and procedures the administration says we are following today and intend to follow moving forward. Senator GRAHAMs amendment. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6954}
{"speech_id":1090065553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak in tribute of U.S. Army MAJ Steve Reich. of Washington. CT. who lost his life on duty in Afghanistan on June 28. 2005. He was 34 years old. Major Reich. a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment known as \"The Nightstalkers.\" was killed along with 15 other soldiefs in a helicopter crash in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan. His service to his country will not be forgotten. Steve was respected in his small home town both for his abilities on the baseball diamond and for his caring personality. He was a star pitcher before entering the military. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090065553,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With the rare combination of a blazing fastball and uncanny control. Steve was an AllStar at every level. He pitched in two championship games for Shepaug Valley High School before moving on to West Point. In his debut against the Naval Academy. he pitched a onehitter. He was a member of the U.S. National baseball team in 1993 and played for it in Italy. -Nicaragua. and Cuba. He was rightly very proud of having carried the American flag for the team in the World University Games. He later signed with the Baltimore Orioles farm system and pitdhed two games before being recalled to active duty. Major Reich was as accomplished i the military as he was on the baseball field. He learned to pilot three models of Army helicopter and became a company commander in his regiment. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090065553,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was serving his fourth tour of duty after having already been stationed in Korea. Hungary. Bosnia. and Albania. He was known in his unit for his willingness to serve by example and his composure. something that. no doubt. made him a great leader and kept those who served with him safer. Despite the fact that he was a hero to those in his hometown. Steve was modest. He had won a bronze star for service. but he never told his family what heroic acts he performed to deserve the award. He went out of his way to show his appreciation for the warm welcomes that he received from his community on the rare occasions that he was able to return home. On Christmas. he and his sisters would deliver treats to say thanks to his friends and neighbors. Countless members of his community said that they admired Steves selflessness and that they felt safer knowing that he was watching out for them. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090065553,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His friends and family took greatjoy in the fact that he met and married Jill Blue during the past year. It warmed the hearts of those around him that he found someone to marry because he had always had so little time for a personal life. They said that his wedding day in March was the happiest day of his life. My heart truly.goes out to Jill. who has suffered the kind of loss that is difficult for most of us to comprehend. And I offer my deepest sympathies to his parents. Ray and Sue. and his sisters. AnnM~rie and Megan. whose loss is too great for words.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090065558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express solidarity with the people of Romania in the aftermath of the fatal floods that occurred earlier this month. As a consequence of the heavy rainfalls that occurred in Romania from July 1 to July 17. 2005. 24 people are reported to have lost their lives. and some 800 towns and villages suffered damage to road infrastructure. faymlands. and utilities. The United States and Romania have a strong and continuing relationship. In April 2003. the Senate voted unanimously to bring Romania into NATO. It represented a vote of confidence in the Romanian people and I was honored to witness that expression of American support as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Romanias commitment to the Alliance is evident in its active participation in the Balkans. Afghanistan and Iraq. I am hopeful that Romania will be invited to join the European Union in the near future. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090065558,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United States and Romania cooperate closely in a number of areas. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11. Romania has been fully supportive of the global war on terrorism. Among other actions. it contributed transport aircraft and more than 400 troops to Afghanistan. In addition. Romania permitted the use of its territoryland. airspace and seaportsfor the U.S.-led military action against Iraq. and dispatched noncombat troops to the region. Romania currently has approximately 900 troops in Iraq. and approximately 500 troops in Afghanistan. I commend Romania for its consistent contribution to international peace and stability. Since 1991. it has participated in United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Gulf. the former Soviet Union. Africa. and the Balkans. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090065558,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just yesterday. the Department of State issued a press statement welcoming the decision by the Romanian cabinet to accept approximately 450 Uzbek asylum seekers on a temporary basis as part of the resettlement processing. The asylum seekers had sought initial refuge in the Kyrgyz Republic following the May violence in Uzbekistan. Romania stands as a role model in the international community for those who are committed in words and actions to the United Nations principles.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090065561,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to bring to the Senates attention a troubling development in our efforts to support the reunification of Cyprus. I have recently learned that the State Department is encouraging members of Congress and their staffs to initiate certain visits to the country through an airport in the illegally occupied area of the islandan airport that is not authorized by the Republic of Cyprus as a legal port of entry. In fact. the airport is built on property that was expropriated from its lawful owners following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. As you may know. Cyprus was forcibly divided by an invasion of Turkish troops more than 30 years ago. Today. the United States and the world community recognize that the Turkish invasion was illegal. and that the Republic of Cyprus. which controls 2\/3 of the island. is the only legitimate government of Cyprus. For years. as reflected in our domestic law and echoed in several U.N. Security Council Resolutions. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090065561,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"U.S. foreign policy has refused to give either recognition or direct assistance to the selfdeclared administrative authority in the occupied area. the socalled \"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.\" Indeed. the Foreign Assist\"ance Act of 1961. as amended following the Turkish invasion. has established that the United States supports a free. government for Cyprus. the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from Cyprus. and the reunification of the island communities. On the specific matter of flights into Cyprus. the U.S. is bound by the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. to which both the U.S. and Cyprus are signatories. The Chicago Convention provides that \"[t]he contracting States recognize that every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory.\" including designation of official ports of entry. The Republic of .Cypruss sovereignty over the entire territory of Cyprus has been recognized and reaffirmed by numerous U.N. Security Council Resolutions as well as longstanding U.S. policy. Because the Republic of Cyprus has never authorized direct flights into the airports in the occupied area. and because it has not designated these airports as official ports of entry. entering the country through these airports is a direct violation of the Chicago Convention. Simply put. our State Department should not be authorizing. encouraging. or even condoning such a blatant violation of international law. Moreover. flights into an occupied airport violate local Cypriot law. If Cypriots visit the United States. they cannot just land a plane in the middle of the countrythey must land at an airport that is an immigration and customs point of entry. We would rightly object if a Cypriot landed at an unauthorized airport in our country. and we should not be encouraging Americans to do so in Cyprus. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090065561,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over the past year. I believe the administration has been playing fast and loose with U.S. policy toward Cyprus. and has. at times. been less than forthcoming to me and others who are concerned with the viability of our efforts to facilitate reunification of the island. In late October 2004. officials from the U.S. Transportation Security Administrationover the protests of the Government of Cyprusconducted an inspection of the airport at Tymbou. which is one of the airports in the occupied area. When I expressed my concern to the State Department that such a visit was not appropriate because flights into that airport would violate international and Cypriot law and are inconsistent with U.S. law. the Department assured me that it was not changing its policy toward Cyprus. Instead. I was told that \"the visit ... was a liaison visit to conduct a general review of the aviation security posture and was fully consistent with the TSAs mandate to promote international aviation security.\" It now appears that this visit may have been an early step toward encouraging Members of Congress and staff to land at this illegal airport. This past June. Members of Congress travelled. at the behest and funding of a Turkish Study Group. to occupied Cyprus and arrived at an occupied airport. Concerned that the State Department was permitting a blatant violation of international law and domestic Cypriot law. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090065561,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I raised this issue with the Secretary of State. I have now received a reply letter from Mr. Matthew Reynolds. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. which I will submit for the RECORD. The letter indicates that the State Department has \"authorize[d] U.S. Government officials to travel directly to northern Cyprus using tourist passports.\" It further states. \"[w]e have taken great care to ensure that our steps are consistent with U.S. and international law. Neither U.S. nor international law prohibits U.S. citizens from traveling directly to the area administered by Turkish Cypriots....","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4866}
{"speech_id":1090065578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to offer remarks on the military career of Col. William A. Guinn. U.S. Army. and to offer my appreciation to Colonel Guinn on his years of dedicated service to our country. Col. William A. Guinn has made numerous and significant contributions to the U.S. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5402}
{"speech_id":1090065578,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Army in a career of over 27 years. culminating with his assignment as Commander. Letterkenny Army Depot from July 2002 to August 2005. During the past 10 years. Colonel Guinn distinguished himself. through meritorious service while serving in positions of great responsibility. His leadership and support to members of the Armed Forces. the units and commands in which he served. and local communities mark him as an exceptional leader and contributor to the Armed Forces of the United States. From 1996 to 1998 Colonel Guinn commanded the 123rd Main Support Battalion. MSB. 1st Armored Division Support Command. Dexheim. Germany. In July of 1996. the same month he took command. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5402}
{"speech_id":1090065578,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Colonel Guinn was ordered to begin redeployment of his unit while not losing any levels of support to the MultiNational DivisionNorth. In less than 1 year. Colonel Guinn was again directed to deploy his units into Bosnia as part of the NATO lead stabilization force. SFOR. After 26 months of command duty. Colonel Guinn moved forward and became one of the select few chosen to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. In June 1999. Colonel Guinn reported to the headquarters. U.S. Pacific Command. as a member of the J4 staff. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5402}
{"speech_id":1090065578,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Within his first 90 days. he assumed the challenge of coordinating the United States support in the emerging nation of East Timor. While assisting the U.S. commitment to Operation Stabilize. the Australialed operation to bring peace and stability to East Timor by international forces. East Timor. INTERFET. he planned and executed the first major deployment of contracted support to military forces. Within a year Colonel Guinn would be given another mission of international and U.S. strategic importance when Navy surveillance aircraft. the EP3E BUNO 15651. was forced down in the Peoples Republic of China. PRC. after an inair collision with a PRC Air Force fighter aircraft on April 1. 2001. After the tragic events of September 11. 2001. Colonel Guinn was tasked to coordinate the regional U.S. response in the opening stages of the global war on terror. Colonel Guinns knowledge of establishing forward logistics bases in remote locations was instrumental in establishing a base in Zamboanga for special forces units to train Philippine soldiers in tactics to resist terrorist insurgents. In July 2002. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5402}
{"speech_id":1090065578,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Colonel Guinn took command of Letterkenny Army Depot. LEAD. in Chambersburg. PA. When he arrived. LEAD was still wrestling with the effects of the downsizing and reductions from the base realignment and closing. BRAC. actions. The infrastructure was being shed to comply with the BRAC 1995 realignment and Letterkenny was struggling to define its- future. Because of aggressive and progressive planning. Colonel Guinn has been able to more than double the workload and output of Letterkenny. He developed a strategy to grow the workload. which in turn made the depot a more -competitive and efficient producer of materiel in support of global war on terror. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5402}
{"speech_id":1090065581,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to pay tribute to the life of a distinguished civil servant and friend. Stephen \"Bob\" Stiglich. who passed away early this morning. Bobs love for our State kept him involved in public service up until his death. working to help Hoosiers from all walks of life. I know that he will be greatly missed. Bob was a good and decent man who dedicated his life to public service. From his time in law enforcement to his successes in business to his involvement in Democratic politics. his long career was filled with acts of conscientious service on behalf of friends. family members. and Hoosiers across Northwest Indiana. The contributions he made to the region touched countless lives and his presence and humor will be sorely missed. Bob began his career as an East Chicago police officer. and he never stopped serving the people of Northwest Indiana. It is a rare man who can make such an impact on so many people over the course of one life. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1248}
{"speech_id":1090065581,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hoosiers will miss Bob as a friend. a community leader. and colleague. S9448 k co It is my sad duty to enter the name of Stephen \"Bob\" Stiglich in the official record of the United States Senate for his service to the State of Indiana. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1248}
{"speech_id":1090065595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For their part. Russian law enforcement authorities have made arrests and filed charges. While Russian authorities should be commended for the energy they have shown to date. there are additional steps that would increase the chances that all\" those responsible are held to account. I hope that the United States Government will continue to make clear to Russian authorities that resources such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation are available to assist Russian authorities in the investigation.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":499}
{"speech_id":1090065606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on July 25 and 26. 2005. I was absent from the Senate because I was taking care of an important family matter. During those days. I missed the following six rollcall votes. Rollcall vote No. 206. taken on July 26. 2005. on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 397. Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Rollcall vote No. 205. taken on July 26. 2005. on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1042. National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006. Rollcall vote No. 204. taken on July 26. 2005. on the Frist amendment No. 1342. as modified. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090065606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"to support certain youth organizations. including the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of America. and for other purposes.\" Rollcall vote No. 203. taken on. July 26. 2005. on the Lautenberg amendment No. 1351. \"to stop corporations from financing terrorism.\" Rollcall vote No. 202. taken on July 26. 2005. on the Collins amendment No. 1377. as modified. \"to ensure that certain persons do not evade or avoid the prohibitions imposed under the International Emergency Powers Act. and for other purposes.\" Rollcall vote No. 201. taken on July 25. 2005. on S. Res. 207. \"a resolution recognizing and honoring the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.\"","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090065611,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased today to recognize one of Virginias most dedicated public servants. Delegate Allen L. Louderback. who is retiring after serving three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates. Delegate Louderback has been a strong advocate for lower taxes in Virginia. serving as the ranking majority member of the House Finance Committde. and as the chairman of both the House Subcommittee on Sales Tax Exemptions and the Subcommittee on Tax Preferences. From 2001 to 2003. he also served on the Joint Subcommittee to Reform Commonwealth Tax Structure. In addition. Delegate Louderback served on the Agriculture. Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee. where he chaired the Chesapeake Subcommittee. and sat on the House Committee on Militia. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2090}
{"speech_id":1090065611,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Police and Public Safety. In 2002. he was named Legislator of the Year for the 140member Virginia General Assembly by the Family Foundation. And in 2003. Allen was awarded the -same honor by the Commissioners of Revenue Association. Delegate Louderback is also a member of the Commonwealth Competition Council. the State Procurement Commission. and the State Water Commission. where he chairs the Karst Subcommittee. Prior to his small business entrepreneurship and public service in Luray. VA. Allen worked in Washington. DC.. as an investigator and manager for the U.S. General Accounting Office for 18 years. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2090}
{"speech_id":1090065611,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a manager at GAO. he was the recipient of the Directors Award for his \"outstanding managerial skills\" in 1979. Delegate Louderback earned his B.S. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is a past president of the Luray Rotary Club and the Luray K~iwanis Club. His wife. Nadia. and two sons attend Leaksville United Church of Christ. The 15th District. and indeed all of Virginia. will surely miss .the leadership and talents thht Delegate Allen Louderback displayed in the Virginia General Assembly. I would like to recognize and thank Allen for his commitment to bettering the Commonwealth of Virginia. I congratulatehim on his retirement and wish him many more years of success and happiness.*","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2090}
{"speech_id":1090065614,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I first met Duane Johnson when he came on the baseball field at Wilcox County High School in 1965. We were a small school. I was a senior in a class of 30 and Duane. a juhior. had just moved to * town. Though we had a competitive team. winning our division of the Black Belt Conference that year. we were not particularly talented. While we knew a good bit about baseball. we had not grown up as kids do today. playing wellcoached and competitive baseball from elementary school on up. Duane. however. impressed us at once with his skill and knowledge of the game. I liked the way he handled first base and he could hit too. More importantly. he was never showy but played within himself. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090065614,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We were impressed and liked him. That was quite a few years ago and we have not seen one another since. I dont think. So it was with real pleasure that I read that my old teammate. now the head coach of Patrician Academy in Butler. Alabama. had just completed a sterling season with a 257 record. winning the AISA State Championship. Further. Duane was named AISA \"Coach of the Year\". He has been the head coach at Patrician for 20 years and has been a part of 6 state championships as a Saint. This years team produced two AllState players. Bo Meeks andBrent Bonner. and an honorable mention. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090065614,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Brandon Mosely. Quick to give credit to others. Duane praised assistant coach Jim Archibald to the Choctaw Sun saying. \"We couldnt have done it without him.\" After graduating from Wilcox County High School in 1966. Duane attended Livingston University. now the University of West Alabama. where he played baseball. He is married to the former Nara Gyles. a Choctaw County native. and has three children. Typical of so many of Alabamas teachers and coaches. Duane was a member of the Alabama National Guard and was a veteran of \"Desert Storm\". Our country is deeply indebted those\" civilians who serve in the Guard and Reserve and who are prepared to respond when called upon. Coaches mean a lot to young people and I know that the consistent record of success that Duane has had at Patrician demonstrates his ability to positively impact these young people. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090065614,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All over this country. coaches give their time and attention to boys and girls. introducing them to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat: More importantly. they teach them teamwork. Teamwork is a very important strength of Americans. We have the ability to quickly organize ourselves and function as one whether in business or combat. Such character traits are largely developed on the athletic field. Great teamwork comes from great coaches. Let me close by giving my sincerest congratulations to Coach Johnson and his state championship Saints. They have had a most memorable season and they will be able to savor their achievement for the rest of their lives.e","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090065616,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute to a long time friend and lifelong Alabamian who recently passed away. Mr. L. D. \"Dick\" Owen. Jr. died at the age of 86 following a life dedicated to service. family. his community and his State. Dick has led a remarkable life. As a war hero. he received six Bronze Stars and an Arrowhead. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090065616,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He served asa U.S. Paratrooper during World War II in North Africa and Europe. and in the Far East during the Korean Conflict. As a public official. he was devoted to the environment. agriculture and education. And as a member of the Bay Minette community. Dick was a dedicated public servant to his hometown and served in numerous volunteer positions throughout his life. Born in Baldwin County on April 10. 1919. he attended Baldwin County Schools and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1941. Upon. college graduation. he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and entered Active Duty on In August 1942. Dick attended Airborne School. and after completion of training at Fort Benning. GA. he was assigned to the 504th Paratroop Infantry Regiment. 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090065616,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bragg. NC. He served overseas from May. 1943. until November. 1945. and it was during his service in Europe that he received six Bronze Stars and an Arrowhead for his participation in the invasions into Sicily. Naples. Rome (Anzio). Rhineland. the Aredenes (Battle of the Bulge) and Central Europe. He was awarded the highest Dutch military decoration. the Militaire Willems Order. and also the Belgium Citation Fourogere. while his unit. the 504th. received the Distinguished Unit Citation. Upon his separation from Active Duty. Dick served in the Army Reserves and was recalled to Active Duty in November. 1950. serving at Ft. Jackson. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090065616,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SC. and deploying to Japan and Korea with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. He retired as a Lt. Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1963. Upon retirement from the Army. he settled back in Bay Minette serving on the School Board. as President of the Bay Minette Chamber of Commerce. and as an active participant in the United Fund. the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society. In 1950. he was elected State Commander of the V.F.W. He was appointed to the Alabama Battleship Commission in 1963. a position he held for the remainder of his life. He was also a member of the Bay Minette City Council. was Probate Judge in Baldwin County. and was one of two Alabama members on the Gulf Marine Fisheries Commission. It was not until my time in the Alabama Legislature that I was really able to get to know Dick Owen. He was extremely committed to his positions in both the State House and State Senate. and his constituents were well served by his dedication to them and his devotion to the issues. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090065616,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was elected to the House in 1965 and served two terms before being elected to the Senate in 1970 where he also served two terms. In the Senate. he was Chairman of the Finance and Taxation Committee and Chairman of the Conservation Committee. He also served as a member of the Commerce. Transportation and Common Carriers Committee. the Insurance Committee. the Constitution and Elections Committee: the Agriculture Committee. and the Local Legislation No. 1 Committee. He also held positions on the Interim Insurance Study Committee and was Chairman of the Fishing Reef Committee. During his career. Dick focused his energy on a number of issues. Whether it was agriculture. education. conservation or prison reform. he recognized the importance of these issues to his constituency and the entire State of Alabama. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. he supported development. growth and protection of Alabamas agriculture and forestry industry. He led the fight to keep farm truck prices low. and he favored expansion of the Farmers Market Authority. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5773}
{"speech_id":1090065624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce a bill that addresses an inequity and helps clarify a tax exemption that exists for small property and casualty (P&C) insurance companies under the Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(c)( 15) and 831(b). These small P&C insurers. often originally organized as mutual companies to offer insurance coverage to specific groups. mainly serve rural areas and farming communities that otherwise may not have been able to obtain affordable coverage. This tax exemption helps to provide additional surplos and cash flow for these small companies. The Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004. \"2064 Act\". amended the small P&C insurer exemption because there were concerns that certain investment companies offering only a small amount of insurance could use the exemption to improperly shelter investment income from federal income tax. Now. under current law. the exemption applies only to P&C (i.e.. nonlife) insurance companies if their \"gross receipts\" for the taxable year do not exceed $600.000 and if premiums make up more than 50 percent of those gross receipts. A mutual P&C insurance company also may be exempt if its premiums make up more than 35 percent of its gross receipts and its gross receipts do not exceed $150.000. Additionally. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090065624,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"P&C companies that have direct or net written premiums. whichever is greater. exceeding $350.000 but not exceeding $1.2 million. Income Election Limit. can elect to be taxed under a similar tax structure on their net investment income. While the 2004 Act helped to close a potential loophole. the special provisions for small P&C insurers are in need of further clarificationor reform. The term \"gross receipts\" is not defined uniformly for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code and the Income Election Limit has not been adjusted for inflation since the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Without a clear definition of the term \"gross receipts.\" many unanswered questions remain with respect to determining whether a small P&C insurance company qualifies for exemption under section 501(c)(15). For example. such a company typically invests a large portion of its assets in government bonds. If the gross proceeds on the sale of an asset are included in the measure of \"gross receipts.\" based on a broad cashflow definition of gross receipts. the mere maturation of bonds and reinvestment could cause a small P&C insurance company to fall out of the exemption even though there has been no change in the size of the business and even if the company realizes a loss on the sale or redemption. On the other hand. this arbitrary result would not occur if a definition of gross receipts that includes gains from the sale or exchange of assets is used. Such a definition of gross receipts looks to the size of the business in terms of income and overall profitability. which in turn ties into the reason for the tax exemption. If the Income Election Limit is not adjusted to. keep pace with inflation. the impact could be severe. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090065624,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Take. for instance. a small P&C insurer in my . State that started insuring the local farmers in the- late 1980s. Over the ensuing years. the companys client base changed very little. but the insurance premiums increased gradually to keep pace with inflationary pressures. As a result. while the business itself has not grown in absolute terms. its premium base has. therefore resulting in the loss of the elective alternative and simpler tax on investment income. For the farmers and consumers covered by the small P&C insurer. this loss of the tax exemption or a simpler. more limited tax structure is. certain to mean higher insurance premiums. leaving the client with the choice of cutting coverage or paying higher costs. neither of which is a preferred option. This is the last thing our agricultural community needs. The legislation I am introducing today addresses both of these concerns. This legislation would add definitional language for \"gross receipts\" clarifying that gross receipts means premiums. plus gross investment income. In addition. the proposal simply increases the Income Election Limit from $1.2 million to $i.971 million. and indexes it annually for inflation. According to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. this legislation will help hundreds of small P&C insurance companies nationwide. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090065624,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under this proposed legislation. at least 56 of the 82 small insurance companies in my State will be covered. thereby enabling them to continue providing critical insurance coverage to small businesses across Missouri. With this legislation. we have an opportunity to infuse some fairness into our tax code and at the same time help the thousands of farmers. homeowners. and entrepreneurs covered by small P&C insurers in this country. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation. and I look forward to working with the Finance Committee to see it enacted into law. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090065632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I join my friend and colleague from Arkansas. Senator LINCOLN. to introduce a bill called the Advancing Better Coverage and Care for Childrens Health Act or the ABCs for Childrens Health Act. It is an important piece of legislation designed to help improve the access and quality of childrens health services around the country.\" including childrens hospitals. Childrens Hospitals provide care to hundreds of thousands of children across our Nation every day. They care for the great majority of children who are seriously ill. They are the mainstay of the health care safety net for lowincome children. But. a child who lacks health insurance is still much less likely to have timely access to the medical care they need. Thats not right. Twothirds of the more than 9 million uninsured children in the United States are eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5184}
{"speech_id":1090065632,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They should be enrolled in public coverage when eligible. and we should streamline the eligibility process to make it easier. not more difficult. President Bush said in 2004. \"Americas children must also have a healthy start in life . . . we will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the governments health insurance programs. We will not allow a lack of attention or information to stand between these children and the health care they need.\" The bill we are introducing today would do just that. Our bill would provide the. higher SCHIP federal match to states for children covered by Medicaid at the State option so that States think twice before removing children from the Medicaid rolls during State budget cuts. It also would provide a 90\/10 administrativematch to help states update enrollment systems for children. including technology for \"express lane\" enrollment. the determination of eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP when a child applies for another public benefit. like the school lunch program. and the allowance for enrollment by mail or phone. We also need to do more to help strengthen the system of care to ensure quality and accountability for childrens coverage. Our bill would do this by supporting innovative ideas at childrens hospitals. Quality improvement funding shouldnt just be available to adult hospitals. Childrens hospitals have good ideas. too. and we should support those good ideas. . ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5184}
{"speech_id":1090065632,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Cincinnati Childrens Hospital in Ohio is leading the way in improving care for children with diabetes. cystic fibrosis and other chronic conditions. The hospital is deeply committed to transforming health care delivery to improve dutcomes for children. In 2001. they were selected as one of just seven hospitals in the Pursuing Perfection initiative launched by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. and with this funding from the Foundation. they have made significant progress. They can document improvements in patient safety. in the effectiveness of care. in operational efficiency. in timely access to care. and in more patientcentered care. These are the reforins we need to pursue for children in Medicaid and for all children. Our bill would help Cincinnati Childrens Hospital and our other Childrens Hospitals speed their journey to better. safer. more costeffective care. A hospital that makes the effort to iIaprove care and outcomes for children should be compensated for that effort. We need to advance quality and performance for children in Medicaid. like we are doing for seniors in Medicare. The development of hospital quality measures. testing their ability to gauge effective care and rewarding performance. should apply to all hospitals. including childrens hospitals. Thats why we have worked with the National Association of Childrens Hospitals to introduce a bill that would provide grants to help improve pediatric quality. so that Childrens Hospitals can begin to establish measures for quality care and share what worksand what doesnt workacross hospital services for children nationwide. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5184}
{"speech_id":1090065632,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our bill would provide for a demonstration program in Medicaid to evaluate evidencedbased quality and performance measures in childrens health services. with grants for States and\/or providers in three areas: health information technology and evidencedbased outcome measures. disease management for children with chronic conditions. and evidencedbased . approaches to improving the delivery of hospital care for children. The bill also would provide for a national Childrens Hospital \u0095 payforperformance demonstration program. rewarding Childrens Hospitals. which provide critical access to services and voluntarily participate. for reporting and meeting quality and performance measures. Evaluating the national measures of quality in Childrens Hospitals. their success in capturing performance. and their applicability to payforperformance across States varying methods of payments. would gives States. the Federal Government. and Childrens Hospitals an essential base of information in measuring performance in childrens hospital care. And that is something we vitally need. I urge my colleagues to support and cosponsor this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5184}
{"speech_id":1090065634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation to facilitate the orderly disposition of an 800 acre parcel of Federal property located in Laurel. Maryland. a portion of which is currently used by the District of Columbia as the Oak Hills Juvenile Detention and Commitment Center. The legislation is a companion to a measure which has been introduced in the House by Representative BENJAMIN CARDIN. The Oak Hill Youth Center. located adjacent to the National Security Agency and the BaltimoreWashington parkway. is a detention facility for juvenile offenders from the District of Columbia between the ages of 12 and 21. It has been plagued by facility and management problems for many years. The buildings at the center are in deplorable condition and fail to meet health and safety standards. Overcrowding. mismanagement. escapes. drug use and abuse of detainees at the center have been the stibject of numerous investigations. press reports and lawsuits over the years. and are of great concern to juvenile justice advocates. families of detainees and local residents. alike. Nearly two decades ago. a consent decree stemming from the lawsuit Jerry M. v. District of Columbia. required the District to make improvements at the facility and address the chronic neglect of its adolescent detainees. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3110}
{"speech_id":1090065634,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since the decree. \"sixty judicial orders. 44 monitoring reports and almost $3 million in court imposed fines\" have been issued in connection with the Districts Youth Services Administration failure to fully comply with the decree. according to a July 2001 article in the Washington Post. Last year a report issued by the Districts Inspector Generals office found that. \"many of the same types of problems that resulted in the 1986 Jerry M. lawsuit still exist today . . .\" The report documented numerous security problems. health issues. deficiencies in management. failures to effectively maintain the safety of female youth housed at the center. and drugs being smuggled into the facility on a continual basis. There is a consensus that the Oak Hill Youth Center should be shutdown. A Blue Ribbon Commission on Youth Safety and Juvenile Justice Reform. established by Mayor Williams in August 2000. recommended in its final 2001 report that the Oak Hill Juvenile Detention center be closed and demolished. The Justice for DC Youth coalition. whose members include parents and juvenile justice advocates. has adamantly supported closing the existing Oak Hill facility and replacing it with a smaller. more homelike facility that is closer to the youths homes. This measure seeks to ensure the closure of the facility and the orderly disposition of the property. while addressing the concerns of Anne Arundel County. the NSA. the District of Columbia and all surrounding neighborhoods and residences. Above all. it would serve the youth currently being held at the facility by helping to place them in an environment that is more suitable for successful rehabilitation. I hope this measure can be acted upon quickly by the Congress and ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3110}
{"speech_id":1090065640,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation that will make a necessary clarification to current law regarding the application of the federal medical assistance percentage or FMAP. I am joined by Senator BINGAMAN in introducing this bill. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act. IHCIA. provides for 100 percent Federal medical assistance percentage. FMAP. applicable to Medicaid services \"received through an Indian Health Service facility.\" This definition has created some issues for state Medicaid programs when applying for the full FMAP rate for services provided to Native Americans that are referred by an Indian Health Service facility to a nonIRS facility. North Dakota and South Dakota have been in the courts with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS over this issue. Since last year when CMS determined that the 100 percent FMAP was not allowable for referred services. North Dakota and South Dakota appealed and prevailed in a lawsuit at the district court level. The Federal appeals court has now reversed the district courts decision and affirmed that those states must repay CMS for the excess payments. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2746}
{"speech_id":1090065640,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While the court sided in favor of CMS. the decision states that there is a lack of clarity in the statute pertaining to how referred patients are- covered through the Federal match. CMS disallowed $4 million in payments that South Dakotas Department of Social Services had billed Medicaid through the 100 percent FMAP for Indian patients seen in nonIHS facilities through referrals. At issue is a lack of specificity. regarding how far \"received through\" should extend. The most recent court decision even states \"the statutory language is susceptible to multiple interpretations.\" The legislation I am introducing today will clarify the statute and make it completely clear that any services provided under a state Medicaid plan which are referred by any Indian Health Service facility. whether operated by the IHS or by and Indian tribe or tribal organization are to be covered by the 100 percent FMAP amount. Any previous disallowance of a claim or claims by CMS will be reviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services within 90 days of enactment of this legislation and payments adjusted accordingly if the claim meets. the standards set forth in this bill. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee. of which I am a member. will be considering the IHCIA this fall. It is my hope that this legislation will be considered within the *broader context of the debate on IHCIA. Clearly the Federal government has an obligation to live up to the treaties and responsibilities toc our tribes and all Native Americans. I see this legislation as an extension of the obligation. By Ms. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2746}
{"speech_id":1090065640,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CANTWELL (for herself.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2746}
{"speech_id":1090065656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last year. the Senate passed significant legislation aimed at shutting down tax shelters. We ramped up disclosure requirements that make it easier for IRS to find those who promoted and invested in these deals. We greatly increased penalties. We made law firms and accounting firms resmnsible for their part in perpetuating this distasteful business. Another thing we did was to take a break on interest expense away from participants in listed transactions and those who fail to disclose a reportable transaction. Usually. if the IRS audits your tax return and doesnt tell you about any adjustments to your tax bill within 18 months after the return is filed.. the interest on that tax bill stops. It stops nuntil the IRS does tell you what you owe. It is called \"the 18 month interest suspension rule\" and became law so taxpayers wouldnt have to pay excessive interest if the IRS took a long time to figure out what they owed. But. people who get involved with tax shelters play hide and seek with the IRS. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3828}
{"speech_id":1090065656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They hope the game lasts until the time for auditing a tax return has passed. This means that the IRS often doesnt know a taxpayer has bought into a tax shelter until well after 18 months has gone by. And. this problem is made even worse by those Who sell the shelters. Promoters are supposed to keep a list of those who buy their shelters. The IRS can ask for the listits one way the IRS can find those who get into these bad deals. But. often the promoter wont turn that list over to the IRS right away. Once again. it is well after that 18 month mark before the IRS learns about the investment and can do the audit. It is not right that taxpayers benefit from this 18 month interest suspension rule when the delays are the result of their own. hand. Taxpayers involved in deals that abuse our tax system should not benefit from their own fun and games. That is why we took the interest suspension break away from these taxpayers in last years Jobs Act. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3828}
{"speech_id":1090065656,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we only took it away for interest charges after October 3. 2004. Today. my good friend CHUCK GRASSLEY and I introduce a proposal that takes this one step further and eliminates the interest suspension break for interest charges on or before October 3. 2004. Why should these folks get any break when they have manipulated the system in the first place? The only exception is for taxpayers who have decided to take the IRS up on a published settlement initiative to unwind their transaction. Those taxpayers would continue to qualify for suspension of their accrued interest expense through the October 3 date. The IRS has found these settlement initiatives are a useful way to get these old cases resolved and off the table. I think we should help this process along so the IRS can deal with other aspects of the tax gap. Our proposal also will plug up another unintended loophole in the interest suspension rules. Earlier this year. the IRS ruled that taxpayers filing amended returns showing a balance due more than 18 months after the. original return was filed were also entitled to interest suspensionthis applies to all taxpayers. not just those with tax shelters. Since the IRS wouldnt have any way of knowing these taxpayers even owed more tax. it doesnt make sense to give them a break on interest charges. Over the past several years this country has experienced a scourge of tax shelters. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3828}
{"speech_id":1090065656,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With hard work. we have come a long way in our fight against them. We must be telentless in our quest to wipe them out. We need to remove any incentives that might encourage people to get into these abusive .deals. Our proposal is one more blow in our fight to maintain fairness and integrity in our system of tax administration. We.request your support for this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3828}
{"speech_id":1090065684,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. On July 30. 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law in Independence. MO. There are currently 87 million people enrolled in Medicare. Medicaid. or both. yet we often talk about these two programs with inhuman terms and confusing acronyms. It is easy to forget that Medicare and Medicaid have human faces too. Pauline Goldmann in Las Vegas is one of those faces. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4315}
{"speech_id":1090065684,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Two months ago. Pauline suffered a collapse related to diabetes. She is back at home now. thanks to Medicares coverage of services she needed in a rehabilitation hospital. Without coverage for those services. she would have had to go to a nursing home. Eventually. she would have become eligible for Medicaid. and the Government would have picked up the tab for that costly institutionalization. More importantly. Pauline would have lost her independence and the ability to live in her home and community. She is just one of the 42 million people currently served by Medicare. Before Medicare. about onehalf of seniors could afford private health insurance. Now it is a program that they know and trust. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4315}
{"speech_id":1090065684,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without it. many seniors and people with disabilities would have no health coverage at all. That this is practically inconceivable now is a testament to Medicares success. Over the years. Medicaid has helped ensure that children in poverty have access to the health care services they need. It has made sure that pregnant women get the prenatal care we know is so important for healthy babies. It has helped our senior citizens to pay for the costs Medicare doesnt cover. And it has assisted people with disabilities as they struggle to afford the services they need. In the past 40 years. we have made changes to these programs. For example. we have expanded Medicare to cover people with disabilities and endstage renal disease in 1972. In 1997. we created the successful Childrens Health Insurance Program. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4315}
{"speech_id":1090065684,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And a new Medicare drug program will begin in For years. we worked to add drug coverage to Medicare. but I am afraid Republican leaders fell short in 2003 when they created this new benefit. I am very concerned as we enter this time of uncertainty in the drug benefits implementation. I hope we will have the opportunity to revisit some of the problematic aspects of that legislation so we can make it less confusing and give seniors and people with disabilities the drug benefit they deserve. These are also uncertain times for Medicaid. Republican leaders have demanded cuts to that vital program. To be sure. the cost of Medicaid is growing. and our states struggle with their budgets as a result. But Medicaids problems are the same 5 problems that exist in our health care system as a whole. Medicaids rolls grow as more people become uninsured. and Medicaid faces the same unchecked health care cost increases we all do. Moreover. Medicaid fills in Medicares gaps. covering longterm care and prescription drugs for people eligible for both programs. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4315}
{"speech_id":1090065684,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rather than alleviating those drug costs. th6 new drug benefit continues this costshift to the States. \u0095 As our Republican counterparts look at ways to derive savings from Medicaid. we call on them to eliminate waste or other problems in the program. but also to redirect those savings to Medicaid. We also implore them to reject increases in costsharing for beneficiaries or allowances for changes to Medicaids benefit package. Most of all. we ask them to keep in mind the faces of people covered by Medicaid. Neither Medicare nor Medicaid could perform their missions without the providers who participate in the programs. I thank these individuals and instithtions for the services they provide every day. Their commitment to the health of our citizens is tremendous. and in exchange. we must ensure that they are fairly treated by our public programs. Today. I join my colleagues in submitting resolutions commemorating this important anniversary. Democrats created these two great programs in 1965. They are two of our proudest achievements. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4315}
{"speech_id":1090065713,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to rise today in support of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005. I understand that the Senate will shortly pass this legislation by unanimous consent. and I want to take this opportunity to thank Chairman SPECTER and Ranking Member LEAHY for the efforts to move this bill forward in a careful. collegial and effective matter. I believe the bill we pass today strikes a good balance between our nations need to defend against terrorism. and maintaining our deeply held civil liberties. The USA PATRIOT Act is one of the most consequential laws that has ever been passed by Congress. It made wide ranging. and necessary changes to our intelligence and lawenforcement communities. giving them the tools they need to defeat this Nations most dangerous and insidious enemies. When we passed the PATRIOT Act shortly after September 11. 2001. we recognized that this was very significant legislation. providing new authorities to the Government. Thats why we committed ourselves to vigorous and indepth oversight of the implementation of the Act. In fact. sixteen of the most controversial provisions came with \"sunset clauses.\" which would cause them to expire in December of this year. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6629}
{"speech_id":1090065713,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 2001. I have worked. along with my colleagues on both the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees to carry out that oversight. The result has been literally hundreds of hours of hearings. briefings. and document reviews. We asked tough questions. and got answers. We did extensive research. and .consulted with a wide array of experts. As part of my effort to oversee the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act. I asked the ACLU. in a letter dated March 25. 2005. to provide an update of their October 2003 statement that they did not know of any abuses of the USA PATRIOT Act. On April 4. 2005. the ACLU published a reply to my letter. in which they listed what they described as abuses and misuses of the Act. I carefully reviewed each of the examples provided in the letter. I also reviewed information provided to me by the Department of Justice about each of the examples. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6629}
{"speech_id":1090065713,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And while I understand the concerns raised by the ACLU. it does not appear that these charges rose to the level of abuse of the PATRIOT Act. This conclusion has been borne out by numerous inquiries. hearings and briefings. Simply put. there have been no sustainable allegations of serious abuse of the Act. That said. I believe that we can. and should. make some changes to the PATRIOT Act to ensure it is less likely to be abused in the future. Furtherm6re. I am confident that the expiring USA PATRIOT Act provisions should be retained. The sixteen sunsetted provisions are generally working and should be reauthorized with some of the modifications reflected in the bill we take up today. The bottom line is that the Judiciary Committee was able to do its work. and reach appropriate compromises. This allowed the cmmittee to favorably report this bill by a vote of 180. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6629}
{"speech_id":1090065713,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This type of consensus and bipartisanship is welcome and bodes well for our continued work on these critical issues. This .Nation faces difficult times. We know that there are those already in our country or trying to enter our country who would do us grievous injury and harm unless we can stop themand to stop them. we must find them firstbefore they act. not after they act. Therefore. this bill is necessary and prudent. This legislation would permanently reauthorize 14 of the 16 provisions scheduled to sunset in December 2005 and extend two other provisions. multipoint. roving wiretaps. and the acquisition of business record. until December I believe it was important to extend. rather than eliminate. the sunsets on these two most controversial provisionsthey warrant continued scrutiny. But this legislation does not merely extend the sunsets. It makes improvements to key portions of the act. The bill approved by Committee. and which take up today. went even further in strengthening the USA PATRIOT Act and protecting the civil liberties of Americans. It included the following modifications: Clarifying the rules governing multipoint wiretaps as well as regulating the acquisition of business records in the course of foreign intelligence investigations by requiring that a judge determine that the request is relevant to a national security intelligence investigation. and increases the amount of information that must be provided to Congress to ensure adequate and effective oversight. Changing Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act FISA Tangible Item Orders or the socalled \"library provision.\" tightening the requirement to make it clear that investigators must not only show relevance but also that the request pertains to a known or suspected agent of a foreign power or their associates. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6629}
{"speech_id":1090065713,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Changing Section 213 of the USA PATRIOT Act. Delayed Notification of Search Warrants or \"Sneak and Peak.\" to include a \"7day default\" for delayed notice search warrailts. Extension of this delay is permitted to dates certain. limited to 90 days or less unless the facts of the case justify a longer pe- riod of delay. but only upon showing of facts supporting that request. Changing Section 212 of the USA PATRIOT Act. so that electronic service provider. Verizon. Comcast. etc.. are authorized to voluntarily. i.e.. without a warrant. disclose customer records and the content of communications in an emergency situationwhere delay could be harmful. but without a need to show \"immediacy.\" Changing Section 214 of the USA PATRIOT Act. FISA Pen Registers\/Trap and Trace Devices. in a way that makes them consistent with those used in criminal cases. Changing Section 505 of the USA PATRIOT Act. National Security Letter Protection. clarifying that any person contesting an order to produce a tangible thing. can not only challenge the order. but also any gagorder accompanying it. Taken as a whole. these changes help ensure that these key provisions are used responsibly. in a focused and effective manner and against our Nations enemies. not against ordinary Americans. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6629}
{"speech_id":1090066108,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my thoughts and prayers today. and for the last few days. have been with the people of Louisiana. Mississippi and Alabama and their family members. The Gulf Coast region has experienced what will long be remembered as one of the worse natural disasters in our countrys history. In the weeks. months and years to come a massive clean up will occur and then we will work to rebuild the homes. roads. businesses. and schools affected. But we will not be able to forget the death. the destruction or the emotional toll this terrible tragedy has inflictedon the people affected and across the Gulf Coast. I am glad that we in Congress are providing the Federal Emergency Management Agency with the additional funds required to ensure that the needed rescue and recovery mission continues unimpeded. We have all seen on the television and read in the newspapers about the current situation in the Gulf Coast. The images and stories are heartbreaking and deeply troubling. but they are of people we know and they are our fellow citizens. Many of us know people who live in New Orleans. might have been vacationing there. or were supposed to return to college this fall. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090066108,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are our family members. our friends. and our neighbors. and we cannot let them down. My own sister lives in the heart of New Orleans and as we meet now she still waits for evacuationfor the fifth day without running water or power. The essential role of government is to provide for its citizens in their time of need. Today. we cannot say that we have done a good job in that critical task. Too many of our own people are suffering in horrific conditions and there exists a general state of lawlessness in a few areas and more concerning is that many feel they have been abandoned. If we cannot meet the needs of these clearly desperate citizens in the Gulf Coast. we need to seriously reconsider our budget priorities and what we value as a society. I am troubled that the pleas of regional officials and those from cities like New Orleans for an increased Federal commitment to guard against such storms have not been heeded over the past few years. It is my deep hope that the Federal Government. with the money we are providing today. will ensure that order is restored to the affected region and that no one anywhere in the Gulf Coast is without food. water or shelter. But in the weeks and months ahead we need also to ensure that the proper resources are dedicated to guarantee that a tragedy like this and its indescribable scale is not repeated again. What that means is a commitment by the Federal Government to the people of America to meet their domestic needs. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090066108,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For too long this government has tried to do more with less. it has tried to provide for our people on the cheap. But this week has reminded us that there are too many critical tasks and services that only government can provide and that we ensure that the Federal Government provides the essential funding that these services require. This terrible tragedy has also reminded us of the generous and compassionate nature of the American people. Already the Red Cross has received well over $100 million in donations to the relief effort. People all across America are emptying their coin jars and offering empty rooms to help in anyway they can. I know that this compassion will continue and I encourage all Americans to do what ever they can to help our fellow citizens in their most desperate time of need. However. I am troubled to see instances of greed in this time of desperate need. I have heard already from a number of my constituents who saw the price of gas skyrocket. I. along with other Members of Congress. will be looking into any instances of price gouging. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090066108,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In such a time of despair for so many. price gouging can not be tolerated Once again. I want to express my condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and to share my prayers of hope for those who remain in despair. I know that much remains to be done and I am hopeful that the funding we are providing today will go a long way to meeting the desperate needs of those in the Gulf Coast. The full story of this disaster remains to be told. but I am confident that out of dark moments of this tragedy will come beacons of light for those affected and a serious discussion about our true national priorities.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090066115,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in January I traveled to Aceh. Puquet and Colombo and saw American foreign aid save the lives of tens of thousands of people ravaged by the tsunami. Two weeks ago. I was in Darfur. Sudan and visited refugee and IDP camps in that warravaged area and saw firsthand U.S. taxpayer funds and U.S. leadership saving and rebuilding the lives of hundreds of thousands of Africans. But charity begins at home. Mr. Speaker. and we must leave no stone unturned in our effort to save the lives of Americans. our neighbors. devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Todays appropriation is a downpayment. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":842}
{"speech_id":1090066115,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a beginning of an aggressive humanitarian effort that will take months. even years. to rebuild the lives of those shattered people. Today we say to the suffering. we will do whatever it takes to save lives. to mitigate disease. and rebuild.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":842}
{"speech_id":1090066116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we heard today the majority whip describe a domestic Marshall Plan for rebuilding the southeast United States and particularly the Port of Orleans and the city of New Orleans. I want to just mention how proud I am of the State of Texas. the Governor of Texas. who opened his arms to refugees from Louisiana 400 miles away. We have refugees from Louisiana all over north Texas right now. right next to my district office in Fort Worth. Texas. Last night I spent time with a mother who had been separated from her newborn baby. spent time with a child who had been separated from his parents. truly heartwrenching stories from this area that were so badly hit by the hurricane. I want to thank Attorney General Greg Abbott for his strong stand against price gouging. I want to thank American Airlines for freeing up assets to fly equipment down to New Orleans or to Baton Rouge and to bring people back. I want to thank DFW Airport for stepping up to the plate immediately and offering their assistance. This has been a widespread effort across North Texas. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1265}
{"speech_id":1090066116,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People have opened their hearts. their homes and their wallets. I trust this exercise will continue. I am now glad that the Congress is here and passed this money to help with the recovery. ] 1400","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1265}
{"speech_id":1090066130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on behalf of the people of San Jose. California. I extend our deepest condolences to the thousands who have lost family and friends. and to those who are still searching for loved ones. As the chairperson of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. I want to let the people suffering today know that we care and that we Californians stand with them. The people of California have also faced natural disasters in the form of earthquakes. floods. and fires. I recall the Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 17. 1989. that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. Sixteen years have passed. but everyone who lives in the bay area remembers where they were when the earthquake struck. Americans everywhere stood with Californians. and this gave us the strength we needed to recover. rebound and rebuild. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090066130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As difficult as that earthquake was for us in California. the situation in the Gulf Coast is infinitely more challenging. Homes across the Gulf Coast are gone. People are left with nothing but the clothes on their back. Biloxi. Gulfport. Pass Christian. Bay St. Louis. Waveland. Kiln. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090066130,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Slidell. and other towns barely exist. Our Nation has never had a city in the desperate shape that New Orleans finds itself in right now. The rule of law has broken down. People at the Superdome and the Convention Center are suffering in ways that are just not seen in our country in the 21st century. Mayor Nagin has said that thousands may be dead in New Orleans. This is an unprecedented human tragedy. As a Nation. we must be steadfast and commit ourselves to save these people. We must stand with all of the people of the Gulf Coast and let them know that we are here today to help them get back on their feet. We are here to lend them a shoulder to lean on. We will be with you as long as it takes to get your lives in order. as long as it takes to get our cities back. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090066130,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The people of the Gulf Coast have experienced hell on earth over the past week. They will face challenges in the coming days. weeks and months that are almost unimaginable. People are hungry. sick. homeless. and desperate. The storm has hit everyone hard and it has hit the poor hardest of all. The Federal response to this disaster has been too little and too slow. The situation must change and it must change right now. Last night I flew across our great country to be here today to participate in this emergency session of Congress. It is important that the necessary resources be provided for this disaster. but actual leadership by the administration is desperately needed right now. There are dead bodies floating in New Orleans as we speak. There are tens of thousands of our fellow Americans who have been without the help that they need for this entire week. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090066130,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not believe that our Federal Government is incapable of mobilizing to meet this disaster. The problem is that we have not yet done so as comprehensively as is necessary. Even the President stated today that the response of his administration has been inadequate. There will be plenty of opportunity in the months to come to analyze what we could have done better. but today our task is simply to do better. to engage in a massive mobilization to save the lives of our fellow citizens and to end the chaos that has descended upon New Orleans and other areas devastated by this hurricane. Our Nation stands united with the victims of this ruthless storm. Our fellow citizens from Mobile. Alabama. to New Orleans. Louisiana. need to know that they have our commitment to do all that we can. The bill we passed today is just a start. We will recover. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090066148,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the supplemental appropriation to help the people devastated by this hurricane. As Members can probably tell. I have laryngitis. I may lose my voice again during the course of my remarks. but I feel compelled to speak today at the outset to express my sincere condolence to all those families that have lost loved ones or still wonder where their loved ones are in the wake of this terrifying and terrible hurricane. My heart goes out to all of those that have been impacted. The effects of this hurricane have been devastating. We have seen its physical force. extraordinary winds. the water. the flooding. the wrath of nature in Hurricane Katrina. It has been awesome and terrible in its destruction. but sadness has given way to anger and disbelief as we have seen people stranded on roof tops. as we have seen mothers worry about whether their babies will have enough to eat. as we have seen children worry about their parents medical conditions and the lack of medicine. as we have wondered how this could happen in the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090066148,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"National disasters afflict every part of the globe. but it seems that this national disaster has been compounded by our response and in cases by our lack of response. The images we have seen have been horrifying. We have all wondered how it was that so many people came to be left behind. how it was that we could have assumed that when 20 percent of the population of New Orleans lives under the level of poverty. that everyone would have a means of getting out of New Orleans before the storm. How it is that there are not buses running around the clock to take people away from this terrible place with no food. no water. giving way to lawlessness? I heard today that the District of Columbia is sending 10 buses. and I applaud the District of Columbia. but it will take days for those buses to get there. Why are there not buses around the clock? Why is it that these news crews can go and take this devastating footage and find these survivors. and the relief effort cannot? I. like a great many Americans. do not understand how this is possible in the United States of America. My constituents demand that we move both earth and heaven to bring relief as fast as possible to the people of the Gulf Coast. and we have been bitterly disappointed to see how this tragedy has been prolonged. and we have the most profound questions about how in the richest Nation on earth it can take so long to simply get people out of that disaster zone to higher ground. drier ground. to food. medicine. I do not understand the governments response. I really do not. And yes. there will be plenty of time to ask these questions and we will ask them. But the rest of the country is asking them now. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090066148,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We demand a better response than we are getting. I hope that as some of the officials from FEMA and the National Guard are saying. the calvary is on the way. the calvary is truly on the way. And I hope that effort only accelerates and mushrooms and does not stop until every last person has been evacuated. This has been a devastating week for the United States. We have seen bodies floating through the streets. We have heard the voices of Americans question how their government could leave them in such a place in such a time with such developed mass transportation. without airlifts of food and medicine. without rapid evacuation. This country can do better. This country must do better. I hope and pray we are doing a lot better right this moment. I am proud of this Congress for coming into this session and rapidly approving this aid. and it is incumbent upon this Congress to ensure this aid is delivered ASAP and not another moment goes by with another victim waiting to be rescued.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090066183,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. like so many families. my family has been watching the horrible scenes that we see from Mississippi and Louisiana. and really every day my wife. Leslie. and I talk about how lucky we are and talk about how really the trivial problems in our life are just that. trivial. compared to what is going on elsewhere. Last night. I told her a story that I had not thought about in a long time. that was. that back in 1969. it was August of 1969. three friends of mine from school. Jim Caperton. Doug Young and Sammy Sells. we went down to Jackson. Mississippi. for a school program. and we were there when Hurricane Camille struck the coast. Some National Guard came to our meeting and said. Would any of you volunteer to go down and help clean up after Hurricane Camille? Well. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090066183,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Doug and Jim and Sammy and I decided we would do that. We wanted to help. and we also thought it would be an adventure. So we got in the back of the National Guard truck and started heading down to the coast. As we drove down there. there was just a steady stream of cars and trucks and buses coming the other way. So many folks had all the goods that they could salvage tied down to their car and were coming this way. Then when we got there. it was shocking. I had seen what a tornado could do in my hometown of Murphysboro to a house. and I had seenhow it was torn up. But at that time. what you found is that the hurricane would send in these massive tides. They would tear down anything in their way and then take it all back out to sea. and it was like it had never been there before. and all you might see would be maybe some brick steps here and there to a home. It was. as I say. shocking. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090066183,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The first thing that we were asked to do was to hand out food and water to some of the survivors there. It was. again. shocking to see the desperation on their faces. the unbelievableness of what was happening to them. It really reminds me. there was an old blues song that said something to the effect that the only thing that I own is what is on my back. and I have been wearing those clothes for the last 4 days. That was really the situation of all these people at that time. Then they took us over to a dorm late that night. or what seemed to be a dorm. there was no electricity or water and all the windows were all blown out. and we swept the glass out. turned over the mattresses and fell asleep in an exhaustive state and got up the next day. The next day our job was to sort through clothes that had been shipped from all over the country. We would separate them into womens clothes and mens clothes and different sizes. and we handed out those clothes again to people that were lined up in the only clothes that they had for quite some time. So my wife. Leslie. last night was telling me. we have a fouryearold daughter. her name is Payton. and like all little girls. she has outgrown a lot of her clothes. I have been trying to get my wife to donate them to the church so that someone would get some good use out of them. but Leslie feels like sort of giving up those clothes is like giving up those early years of our daughters life. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090066183,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But last night she said. You know. we need to box these clothes up and send them to Mississippi and to Louisiana. So that is what we are doing. Then I called my mother and I talked with her. and she told me the story that she has told me a lot of times in the past. When she was a little girl. their house burned. and when their house burned. they. lost everything. Back then. when you lived out in the country and your house burned. you did not have insurance. All you had was your neighbors and friends and whatever generosity that they might provide. So. now I think that really we really are the neighbors and friends of these desperate folks down in Louisiana and Mississippi. and we all need to try to find a way to help them. I hope I can help you to help them. For the ones of you that live in the Sixth Congressional District in Tennessee. you can get on my Web site. www.house.govfbart. and we will give you a list of organizations and ways to help. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090066183,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you do not live in the Sixth District of Tennessee. then the Federal Government has set up a Web site. it is www.firstgov.gov. and that is the way that you can help. I think by helping. it makes all of us feel that in some way we are trying to relieve this horrible pain that other folks are going through. They are our neighbors. and we need to help. Here is how you can do it.","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4471}
{"speech_id":1090066201,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senators should be aware that now the vote at 5:30 today will occur on the resolution expressing condolences to the victims of Katrina. I expect that a number of our colleagues will want to speak today on that resolution. and we have provided time to do so between 2:15 and 5:30 today. In addition. following that Vote. at 6 p.m. this evening there will be an allSenators briefing related to our Gulf States. At that briefing will be a number of the Cabinet Secretaries who will be available. That briefing will be in S407 in the Capitol. As I have been stating. it is our intention to move very quickly. responsibly. and aggressively to Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath. This relief is underway. We need to make sure that we are maximally supportive and responsive in a timely fashion. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090066201,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe we demonstrated that last Thursday when we came in in an urgent session to approve $10.5 billion which subsequently became law and was signed by the President. Later todayagain .another manifestation of being able and appropriately responding to the changing eventswe\" will clear a bill known as the Federal Judiciary Emergency Special Sessions Authority which will allow the affected U.S. courts to conduct business under these emergency conditions. Tomorrow. we will pay tribute to the Chief Justice of the United States. William Rehnquist. I will say more later today on the schedule as it relates to the funeral and a Senate resolution relating to Chief Justice Rehnquist. Finally. we will be turning to the Commerce. Justice and Science appropriations bill later this week. That appropriations measure does fund a number of hurricanerelated activities. Earlier today. the Democratic leader and I. Chairman SPECTER. and Ranking Member LEAHY - from the Judiciary. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090066201,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Committee outlined the schedule with regard to Judge Roberts hearings and the nomination process over the next month. Those hearings will begin Monday. September 12. at noon. The committee will report out Judge Roberts no later than Thursday. September 22. We will begin Senate floor consideration the week of September 26. and we will complete action no later than Friday. September 30. I believe that is relatively complete in terms of the changes we have made in response to two very sad and unfortunate events: Hurricane Katrina. a natural disaster which is ongoing. as we all know. and the death of Chief Justice Rehnquist. We will remain flexible in terms of our scheduling in this body to address that natural catastrophe along the Gulf States. We will be acting in a bipartisan and bicameral way. as has been seen to date. in these matters in order to facilitate an immediate response initially to the victims and then ultimately to the recovery and rebuilding of those gulf regions. with the goal of greater prosperity than they have ever seen in the past.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090066225,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Certainly. We welcome you back. And to the people of Mississippi. know that we extend our concern and want to put our good intentions into operation. I come to the floor of the Senate to speak about what has happened to our country and ideas on how we can move forward and make sure this never happens again. I note that the Presiding Officer himself has been a mayor and a Governor. so he knows what these kind of challenges are. Last week on the Senate break. when I saw what was happening in Louisiana. in Mississippi. and in Alabama. I couldnt believe it. I could not believe the devastation that occurred in these communities where entire neighboxhoods were wiped out. that a wonderful city we have all loved and admired and enjoyed. New Orleans. was now under 10 feet of water. that the people of Mississippi all along their coast lost their homes. where with the flyovers all you saw was wreckage. people on a beach and an American flag and a sheet saying: Please help us. And then also this going on in Alabama. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10520}
{"speech_id":1090066225,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We in Maryland know what it is like for a hurricane to hit. Just a few years ago. we survived Hurricane Isabel where we had communities that looked like Baghdad on the bay. So we were very concerned. One thing we had was confidence that hope and help would be on the way. Well. my gosh. this did not happen. I could not believe the slowness and the sluggishness of the response to these communities. that it was the private sector that was on response a lot faster than our own Government. Mr. President. this is just unacceptable.. This failure of Government to be able to respond more quickly and more effectively shows that the people in these States have been doubly victimized. They were victimized by the natural disaster. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10520}
{"speech_id":1090066225,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hurricane Katrina. and now by the response of their own Government. It did not have to be this way. It did not have to be this way. In 2000. a tiptop FEMA was turned to the Bush administration. President Bush appointed Joe Allbaugh to be head of FEMA. We kept the legacy of reform that had begun under President Bush 1 and had started with Andrew Card and myself working on a reform of FEMA. This reform left FEMA in tiptop condition to respond to a crisis of a natural disaster in an American community. I want to recall this to my colleagues. Back in the 1990s. I chaired an appropriations subcommittee called -VAHUD and Independent Agencies. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10520}
{"speech_id":1090066225,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the independent agencies was FEMA. We saw its lackluster performance in Hugo. But when Andrew hit Florida it was a disaster. It was a disaster of proportions from the hurricane and then again the ineptness of FEMA. Well. we went to work. hands on. President Bush 1 sent Andy Card to Florida and he began to work and we on appropriations began to work. and we worked across the aisle on a bipartisan basis to help not only Florida but to take a longer look at the need to reform FEMA. And again. working on a bipartisan basis. reform FEMA we did. We took it from an agency that was focused on the Cold War. was riddled with cronyism both at the National and State Governments. There was a tradition that because FEMA was only organized in the case of a nuclear attack that you did not have to put in professionals because it would not matter. we would all be dead anyway. So there was cronyism. it was unfocused. it was of the Cold war. but again. working on a bipartisan basis. we in appropriations worked with the White House to change it. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10520}
{"speech_id":1090066225,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President Clinton came in. and we kept the reform momentum going. And what did we do? We said. No. 1. that FEMA. first of all. should say goodbye to the Cold War and hello to being a riskbased agency. to take a look at what most American communities would be threatened by. In those days. it was a hurricane. it was a tornado. it was an earthquake. And then for it to go to an allhazards agency. whether it was a train that got stuck in a Baltimore tunnel with toxic fumes that we worried about or whether it was an earthquake in California or a tornado in one of our Midwest States. The other thing we focused on was that- FEMA had to be run by professionals. It had to be run by someone who had dealt with management situations. And that was either a civilian involved in emergency management or possibly someone from retired military. and we asked each Governor to also reform themselves at the State level. We literally upgraded FEMA from the State and local level to the national level. We have had James Lee Witt. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10520}
{"speech_id":1090066232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I in the first day after the hurricane.. rise to join with my colleagues today When a news crew from North Carolina to talk about the devastation in Lou- tried to interview them about their heisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama as a roic efforts. they declined. saying they result of Hurricane Katrina. While Sen- had too much work to do and no time ator LOTT is on the floor. I want to give to stop and talk. my personal condolences to him and We have all heard the heartbreaking his family and all those who have suf- stories of sacrificeof the wife who let fered in Mississippi as well as the other go of her husbands hand as he clung to States involved. the wreckage of their home. giving her My personal deepest sympathies. and own life so her husband Would be able those from the people of Michigan as to be alive to raise their children. We well as our prayers. go outto the fami- salute each and every one of those helies grieving the loss of their loved roes. these. people who put others beones and to the survivors who are fore themselves. who made sacrifices so struggling to cope and to find shelter. others could be brought to safety. food. and medical care in the wake of There are stories about people all this horrendous. this terrible disaster. across our great Nation who are anMy heart goes out to all of our col- swering the call to help fellow AmerileaguesSenator LANDRIEU. Senator cans. In Michigan. families and busiVITTER. Senator LOTT. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11309}
{"speech_id":1090066232,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator COCH- nesses are working together to help RAN. Senator SHELBY. and Senator SEs- victims and families. My alma mater. SIONS. Their constituents are suffering. Michigan State University. and the So are they. and particularly Senator University of Michigan. are collecting LANDRIEU and Senator LOTT. who have donations for the Red Cross at their lost their family homes to this vicious football games. On Saturday. the Unistorm. All of America is hurting with versity of Michigan fans put $40.000 the victims and their families. We are into buckets as they entered the stafinding ways to help and reach out and dium. One anonymous donor put in a make a difference in these critical wad of five $100 bills. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11309}
{"speech_id":1090066232,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some donations times following the hurricane. are big. some are small. but they all Americans are donating record count and the donations are coming in amounts of money. time. and supplies from all kinds of venues. Nineyearold to help those who are displaced by the Rochester Hills resident Megan and her hurricane. The most important thing fiveyearold sister Lauren set up a right now is to make sure we are sav- booth to sell lemonade. chocolate ing lives and that we are providing food chips. and their toys to raise money to and shelter and medical care for the send to the Red Cross. The girls raised people affected by this tragedy. $80. and their parents promised to As has happened with many other match it. States. two jetliners arrived in Michi- These are the stories that matter gan yesterday with the first group of right now. both in the States affected 289 hurricane evacuees. Troops and vol- and all across t~le country: saving unteers at our Battle Creek Air Na- lives. finding shelter. food. medical tional Guard base will provide clean care. and raising funds to help the hurshelter and food and clothing to them. ricane victims. They are the first of many evacuees we But there is also another story to plan to take in Michigan. and I know tell. It is about the Federal Governthis is happening in the States of my ment and our responsibility to all colleagues all. over the country as peo- Americans to be preparedto be preple open their hearts. open their pared not only for this kind of disaster homes. and open their pocketbooks to but for a coordinated response to help save lives and prevent chaos. We must find answers to basic questions that the American people are asking right now as they watch the aftermath on TV. minute by minute. hour by hour. and they say over and over again to themselves: How could this have happened in the United States of America. the greatest country on Earth? How could our country allow people to die without getting them water. food. and medical care? In this time immediately following the disaster. we have an obligation to correct the mistakes in crisis response and we have questions to answer to everyonecertainly to those who have been affected. Are we investing enough in homeland security? I say no. and I have said no since .9\/11. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11309}
{"speech_id":1090066232,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why has the Senate basically ignored the Rudman report from 3 years ago that showed our Nations first responders need additional funding in the amount of $20 billion a year? Senator DODD and I offered th at amendment to fully respond to that report now for 3 different years. I hope we are going to be able to get that done. How much are we to invest to maintain the flood control projects of our Corps of Engineers? Clearly. the current level is not enough. and people have said that it wasnt enough. In 2002. Mike Parker. former Assistant Secretary for the Army for Civil Works. testified before the Senate Budget Committee. of which I am a member. that funding cuts to the Corps budget would have a negative impact on the national interest. Are we stretching our National Guard troops too thin? Thirtyfive percent of Louisianas National Guard troops3.000 soldiersare in Baghdad. Is that too many? Spokesman LT Andy Thaggard of the Mississippi National Guard. which has a brigade of more than 4.000 troops in central Iraq. said this about the hurricane response: \"We need our people.\" Are we heeding the scientific advice that overwhelmingly points to global warming as a possible cause for increased hurricanes? We have important questions to answerserious questions for which we all need to work together to take responsibilityabout how the Federal Government could have better handled the events that unfolded as a result of this catastrophe called Hurricane Katrina. We need to make sure that we are responding quickly. not only to help those in need today but. Heaven forbid. that something happens tomorrow. We have to be ready. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11309}
{"speech_id":1090066232,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have to learn from this catastrophe. from the mistakes and the lack of adequate response. and quickly fix it. That is our job. It is absolutely critical that local communities have the tools they need to communicate. to coordinate. and to respond effectively when disasters hit. They didnt have that in New Orleanswhere the police department and three nearby parishes are on different radio systems. They didnt have enough satellite phones. They had ground and cell phone lines that were taken out with the storm. And the communications systems they did havelike most local communities across the Nationwere not interoperable. They do not work together. Police officers called Senator LANDRIEUS office because they couldnt reach commanders on the ground in New Orleans because they were sharing satellite phones that were in short supply. The result of this lack of interoperability was nothing short of chaos. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11309}
{"speech_id":1090066248,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wanted to spend a few minutes this afternoon if I could and express my sympathy and the sympathy of my family. I know the sympathy of all of us in this Chamber. to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding that occurred particularly in Louisiana. I thank the leadership for giving us an -opportunity today to express ourselves as a national body about this devastatiop that has occurred. There will be a lot of discussion about what happened. what did not happen. the shortcomings of our Government in responding in a timely fashion to this situation. But today is a time to offer our prayers and our sincere and deep sympathies to those who have suffered as much as they have. There will be hearings next week. The President. I gather. has announced an investigation at the executive branch level. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11760}
{"speech_id":1090066248,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think an independent investigation is probably the best way to proceed. Having the Government investigate itself is interesting but not always the best way to get to the bottom of the information we ought to have about what happened. Because we will have events like thishopefully nothing of this magnitudeagain. There will be other events that require our Nation to respond far more expeditiously. far more thoughtfully. far more humanely than we did in this situation. First. it obviously goes without saying that the thoughts and prayers of all of us and the entire country are with the people of the Gulf region at this hour. This is a disaster of unspeakable and unprecedented proportions. and we are still struggling to comprehend the magnitude of this event. Certainly the attacks of September 11. 2001 come to mind in terms of the damage done to life and property. At the same time the devastation wrought by this act of nature is quantitatively and qualitatively different. As we speak here this afternoon. an entire American city. between a half a million and a million people. is uninhabitable. Its mayor tells us it will remain in that state for many months to come. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11760}
{"speech_id":1090066248,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hundreds are believed to be dead and he predicts that the number will soar in the days to comepossibly into the thousands. In Mississippi over 100 are known dead. According to that States Governor. the destruction of the Gulf communities such as Biloxi. Gulfport. and Bay St. Louis is nearly total. Let me be clear and repeat what I said. I said destruction. not damage. Thousands of homes and places of business are a total loss and will have to be completely rebuilt in the coming months. I know that our colleague. Senator LOTT of Mississippi. lost his own home. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11760}
{"speech_id":1090066248,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nearly a million homes in his State have been without power for days. In Alabama more than 400.000 homes and businesses have lost power. Mobile and the surrounding environs suffered severe flooding. In western Florida the situation is similar. The Presiding Officer certainly knows of what I speak. Hundreds of thousands were without power and with scant access to the basic necessities of lifeclean water. sanitary facilities. food. and shelter. The upshot of all this destruction and damage is that millions of our fellow American citizens are now literally refugees in their own dountry. We dont like to use the word refugee and I certainly have stayed away from it. But as you watch pictures of people walking along railroad tracks. along highways. of people perched on rooftops waiting patiently for aid. and enduring deprivation that we have never seen in this country on such an immediate and immense scale as we have in this event. then certainly the word refugee is appropriate in these circumstances. We are receiving reports of looting. shooting. and chaos that has interfered with rescue and relief efforts. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11760}
{"speech_id":1090066248,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We all struggle to remember a comparable amount of destitution and destruction in our Nation. And so far we struggle in vain in that effort. We cannot believe what we are seeing is taking place in our own Nation. our beloved America. Nothing like this has ever happened in the United States. And we are reminded as well that America is not a loose collection of States or regions. We are a single indivisible nation. What happens in one State or region is felt all across our country in the concerns of loved ones. the charitable contributions. and the secondary deprivations that all Americans willexperience as a result of this catastrophe. The Gulf region is a principal source of domestic and foreign goods that are consumed by all of usnatural gas. oil. lumber. poultry. coffee. and bananas. It is the departure point for the export of billions of dollars worth of goods made .in our own Nationcorn. soybeans. wheat. and other commodities. The Army Corps of Engineers tells us it could take as long as 6 months to drain the water from the basin in which the city of New Orleans lies. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11760}
{"speech_id":1090066273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I congratulate Thomas A. Grau. CPCU. who is near the end of his term as the 100th president of the Nations largest insurance association. the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. IIABA. He was elected to IIABAs executive committee in September 1999. and was installed as the organizations president last October. Tom is an executive with the Cogswell Agency in Great Falls. MT. During Toms year as president. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090066273,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"IIABA accomplished a number of milestone -achievements. It soughtand earnedthe honor of a major policy address to its members by President.Bush in April. the association met its goal of having 5.000 agencies on board as members of its Trusted Choice\u00ae branding initiative. and did so 6 months ahead of schedule. It continued its momentum in the area of agency technology and paid off the mortgage on its headquarters in Alexandria. VA. Tom has been active on all levels of the insurance industry throughout his career. From his service as the Independent Insurance Agents of Montana representative. to the chairman of the national IIABA finance committee. Tom has exhibited great vision and direction for this organization. On the local level. he twice served as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Great Falls. Toms experience has not been limited to leadership roles alone. He also has proven instrumental in various insurance industry education efforts throughout his career. and taught many professional accreditation classes. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090066273,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also value Toms commitment to his community. He is active in church and professional organizations. from Optimist International. to the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Boy Scouts. I sincerely thank Tom for his efforts on behalf of IIABA and the positive impact his efforts have had on this organization and his community back home in Great Falls. MT. I wish him and.his wife Cheryl all the best in their future endeavors.e","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090066296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my support for the people affected and harmed by Hurricane Katrina and to pledge my total support for their aid and recovery. There is so much to be done to help the people on the ground. and there is so much to do in Washington to scrutinize and improve Federal policy regarding disaster prevention -and response. and we must undertake that review and those efforts. But I am also deeply frustrated and angry by the Bush administrations failed response to this tragedy and its failure to take responsibility for its own mistakes. According to the New York Times. the administration. led by Karl Rove. has begun a political damage control operation to blame the local officials in Louisiana. the Governor and the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. for the Federal Governments failures. No one can undo the damage that has been done. and I wish we could. We should be putting our efforts into helping these people and repairing that damage. I wish the administration would have put as much energy into an early and timely response. an effective response to Hurricane Katrina. as the energy they are putting in now to developing a political strategy to undermine the local officials who have suffered so much in their own communities.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1262}
{"speech_id":1090066297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I wanted to take this minute and thank the people of my home State of Texas for opening their hearts and opening their State to their neighbors in Louisiana. Almost a quarter of a million residents from the State of Louisiana are now seeking shelter in the State of Texas. In my district in north Texas. truly an unbelievable story has unfolded. The Dallas County Medical Society sent out a fax last week to 3.600 doctors and their membership. 800 members immediately sent back the response: Where do I show up and when? That group put together a response for the hurricane victims that is absolutely unprecedented in my.experience in medicine. In my own district in north Texas. from Gainesville to Denton to Keller. to the City of Fort Worth. shelters have been set up. sometimes at a church. sometimes at a summer camp. sometimes at an old hospital. but these. centers have provided the shelter and the comfort to the victims of this devastating hurricane. And hopefully. we will get them back on their way. get them the help they need and allow them to rebuild their lives. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1231}
{"speech_id":1090066297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I again want to thank the people of the great State of Texas for all that. they have done to help their neighbors in Louisiana.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1231}
{"speech_id":1090066341,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to join my colleagues from Ohio. and particularly our Senator. Serlator VoI4ovICH. and my .other colleagues. And as dean of the Ohio delegation. it is a great pleasure that I rise this afternoon to introduce the Honorable JEAN SCHMIDT of the Second District of Ohio. She has been a lifelong resident of Clermont County. the first woman ever elected to represent southern Ohio in Congress. The diverse Second Congressional District includes seven counties. a lot of Lincoln Day.dinners. stretches. from downtown Cincinnati to the riverside town of Portsmouth in Scioto County. Throughout her career. Congresswoman SCHMIDT has held various roles in public office and has been actively involved in civic and community groups. That is a great background for serving here. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2130}
{"speech_id":1090066341,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She served for two terms in the Ohio statehous6. and according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. she \" . . . proved effective in passing legislation to address her districts qoncerns.\" While serving in the State legislature. SCHMIDT enacted legislation to create jobs. protect Ohios children. %nd ensure access to quality health care. Prior to her election to Ohios statehouse. Mrs. SCHMIDT served 10 years as a Miami Township trustee. In this leadership role. she helped Miami Township to become a worldclass community by initiating a variety of projects and improvements. including creating a 300acre firstclass park system. securing funds for critical road repairs. and attracting 2.000 highpaying jobs for the township. My township could use some of her advice. She also established a 5K run and located a branch of the Clermont County Library. in Miami Township. Congresswoman SCHMIDT resides in Miami Township with her husband. Petdr. and their daughter Emily. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2130}
{"speech_id":1090066341,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She. holds degrees in political science and secondary education from the University of Cincinnati. Her interests include auto racing and longdistance running.. She has completed 56 marathons and still counting. Mr. Speaker. I want to say she is tonight embarking on the greatest marathon of her career. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to welcome Congresswoman SCHMIDT to the House.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2130}
{"speech_id":1090066463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"indicated yesterday there are about 60.000 evacuees who have come to Arkansas with no jobs. no money. no change of clothesnothing. They are counting on us. and we in the Senate are not doing anything. We all care about these victims. This is not a question of who cares the most. But I have. to say. and I raise a flag of concern. tomorrow morning we are going to the Commerce. Science. and Justice appropriations bill. Under the rules of the Senate. you are really restricted as to what you can do on an appropriations bill. This appropriations bill is no different. We can do a few little things to help the victims but almost nothing: SBA loans and maybe a few things for law enforcement. but there is nothing that gets the victims the health care. the housing. the education. or the financial relief they need now. We need to adjust our priorities on the floor of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090066463,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we go to another appropriations bill. the same problems are here. We cannot get to the things that we need to get to. to help these people who are so desperately in need of help. I personally think we should finish the Defense authorization bill. That is what should be called up. Call up the Defense authorization bill. I spoke to the majority leader last week about this and indicated I would talk to Senator LEVIN about how much time he thought it would take. I reported my findings to Senator FRIST. We have to get to the Defense authorization bill. We spent some time on it. a few days. as you will remember. Nothing happened. to speak of. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090066463,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill was pulled. We have hundreds of thousands of people who will be affected by the Defense authorization bill. not only those on the ground as soldiers and marines and airmen and some naval personnel who will be helped. who are on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have to do it for that reason. but we also have to do it for the hundreds of thousands of veterans who are affected by what we do with the Defense authorization bill. or do not do. and right now we are doing nothing. If we brought up the Defense authorization bill. we could do the things that need to be done to help the victims of Katrina. What. obviously. is the game plan around here is we will wait on the Defense authorization bill until we are way down the road. Then people will say you are spending too much time on this and you are bringing up matters that are not in keeping with the. defense of this country. I think the defense of this country is right now. What we have seen happening in the gulf indicates that we need our soldiers and marines. our military personnel. There are about 60.000 of them down there right now. in those three Gulf States60.000. The Defense bill is important. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090066463,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets bring it up. If we brought- up that bill. there are some things we could do. We could. for example. introduce legislation to reestablish FEMA at the Cabinet level so it is no longer the toothless tiger it has become. We could introduce legislation to establish an independent commission to study what went wrong with Katrina. It is going to happen. There will be an independent commission to study Katrina just like there was an independent commission to study 9\/11. The administration fought that and fought that. but it came to be and it was good. Congressman Hamilton and Governor Kean did a wonderful job for the people of America and the world with the work they did. We need a similar bipartisan commission to find out what took place after the storm hit. There is legislation in which some are interestedincluding. it is my understanding. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090066463,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressional Representatives from Louisiana. and I know I have spoken to Senator KENNEDY about thisto have an independent authority for how we are going to spend maybe as much as $200 billion. $150 billion. to do what needs to. be done as a result of that catastrophe. an independent commission like the Tennessee Valley Authority. as an example. so that money is spent in the right way. What about gas prices? Do we need to take a look at that? Do we need legislation to take a look at that? Of course we do. Of course we do. In one quarter. the last quarter. ExxonMobils profits were up to $8 billion. one quarter net profit. British Petroleum. $6 billion. Shell. $5.4 billion. ChevronTexaco. $3.7 billion. Conoco. $3.10 billiontheir profits up 55 percent. Chevron profits up 13 percent. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7534}
{"speech_id":1090066491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was sad to hear of Chief Justice Rehnquists passing. but I want to share my gratitude for his service. He exceeded all but seven Justices by the length of his 33 years on the Supreme Court bench. President Nixon nominated him to be the 100th Supreme Court Justice in 1971. Fourteen years later. President Reagan nominated him to serve as Chief Justice. In his tenure as Chief Justice. he oversaw benchmark cases and events that helped to shape the Supreme Court and the country as we know it today. His efficient management of the Court and careful interpretation of the Constitution provide a good example for future Chief Justices. He was a very learned man. interested in a wide range of topics and pleasant to be around. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2307}
{"speech_id":1090066491,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1952. he graduated first in his law school class at .Stanford. In addition to his law degree. he held master degrees in political science from Stanford and Harvard. He left law school and moved to Washington. DC. to clerk at the Supreme Court. a place where he would eventually spend over a third of his life. At times. our lives intersected. During the impeachment trial of President Clinton. I presided on the Senate floor just before Chief Justice Rehnquist took the presiding officers chairand then I took over each day as he left the chair. I also presided when he was escorted out of the chamber following the end of the trial. I enjoyed reading his book about civil liberties in wartime and his book about the history of impeachments. which I was fortunate enough to get him to sign for me. Now in the wake of his death and one of the worst natural disasters in- U.S. history. the Senate will .soon move to fill the vacancies on the court. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2307}
{"speech_id":1090066491,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People are going through some hard times in our country. Chief Justice Rehnquist knew about hard times. He returned to the bench after being diagnosed and treated for cancer. He fought bravely to finish his job and spurned the rumors of retirement this summer. He stated that he would \"continue as long as his health permits.\"And he did. I admire him for it. We also must continue to do our job by holding hearings and then voting on the Presidents nominees to the court. If we keep the political posturing to a minimum. we should have plenty of time to fill the spot of the man who held it for so long and so well.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2307}
{"speech_id":1090066494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to pay tribute to one of the greatest legal minds of our day: Chief Justice William Hubbs Rehnquist. who passed away late Saturday night. His death is a tremendous loss to our entire Nation. I join my fellow Americans in both mourning his passing and honoring his profound contribution to our country. Chief Justice Rehnquist faithfully served the American people on their Supreme Court for 33 years. Without question. our country owes him a debt of great gratitude. The individual who occupies the center seat on the Supreme Court is not the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. but the Chief Justice of the United States--the one person who embodies our national commitment to constitutional democracy and to the rule of law. Throughout his life. William Hubbs Rehnquist revered the Supreme Court and the rule of law as few people havenot only as our Nations Chief Justice for 19 years. as Associate Justice for 14 years. and as a high Court law clerk. but also a student and a scholar of the Supreme Court. Rehnquist has written numerous books on legal history and the Supreme Courtincluding: The. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7142}
{"speech_id":1090066494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Supreme Court: How It Was. How It Is. Grand Inquests: The Historic Impeachments of Justice Samuel Chase and President Andrew Johnson. All the Laws But One: Civil Liberties in Wartime. and Centennial Crisis: The Disputed Election of 1876. William Hubbs Rehnquist was born October 1. 1924. in Milwaukee. WI. He entered the U.S. Army Air Force and served in World War I from 1943 to 1946. Rehnquist obtained his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and two masters degrees from Stanford and Harvard Universities. He received his law degree from Stanford. graduating first in his class. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7142}
{"speech_id":1090066494,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rehnquist served as a law clerk for Justice Robert H. Jackson. then practiced law in Phoenix. Arizona. President Richard Nixon appointed Rehnquist to serve. first as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel at the -U.S. Department of Justice. and then as Associate Justice in 1972. President Ronald Reagan nominated him Chief Justice in 1986. The Supreme Court enjoyed renewed admiration under Rehnquists leadership. Guided by Rehnquists steady hand. the United States Senate weathered one of the most difficult and controversial moments in our nations modern historythe impeachment trial of a sitting U.S. president. Rehnquist believed that the best judiciary was a restrained judiciaryone that would adhere to the letter of the lawnot to the personal policy preferences of its members. Two areas in particular stand out in my mind as perhaps the most lasting examples of this legacy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7142}
{"speech_id":1090066494,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Rehnquist Court may perhaps best be remembered for the restoration of common sense to our criminal justice system. Many Americans perhaps do not remember the days of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren. The 16 years under Warren. from 1953 to 1969. were nothing short of a heyday for criminals in America. Many Americans probably are familiar with the notion of letting a criminal off on the basis of a \"technicality.\" This notion originated in the years of the Warren Court. The Supreme Court let countless criminals go free because police officers did not say precisely what the Court wanted them to say when they arrested criminals. or because warrants did not say precisely what the Court wanted them to say when the police searched criminals. It is no exaggeration to assert that. at that time. the rights of criminals were placed before the rights of victimsnot to mention before the wellbeing of society in general. This period ended when President Reagan elevated William Rehnquist to Chief Justice. Chief Justice Rehnquist did hiis level best to return our Constitution to its original understanding. an understanding that gives law enforcement officials the freedom they need to protect society from criminals. Over the last decade. we have witnessed an historic decline in violent crime all across America. This is due. in no small part. to the efforts of Chief Justice Rehnquist. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7142}
{"speech_id":1090066494,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The second area. one equally. if not more important than the first. was the effort to restore the federalstate partnership known as \"federalism\" envisioned by our Founding Fathers. Our Founding Fathers believed that States and the Federal Government should be equal partners. Indeed. it was the view of our Founding Fathers that the Federal Government should have limited and enumerated powers. and. in fact. the primary authority to legislate should be left to State governments. I know this might come as a surprise to some. but not all wisdom emanates from Washington DC. State governments. after all. are closer to the people than the Federa.l Government is. Our Founding Fathers realized this fact. Unfortunately. many Supreme Court Justices did not. Over the years. many of these Justices had interpreted the Constitution to give the Federal Government unlimited powers. These Justices characterized everything the Federal Government wanted to do as a regulation of \"interstate commerce.\" This was a fiction. of course. but over the years the Federal Government grew bigger and more powerful. the State governments grew smaller and less powerful. and the American people became less free. Chief Jutice Rehnquist did his part to stem this. tide. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7142}
{"speech_id":1090066495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the death of leadership. He called Chief Justice Williani Hubbs Rehnquist leaves us Rehnquist \"a master\" at enabling the saddened but also grateful for his more Court to \"earn the respect of all who than three decades of service to his take part in its proceedings or are afcountry as a Justice of the U.S. Su- fected by its rulings.\" Justide Ruth preme Court. including 19 years as its Bader Ginsburg said he \"was the fairChief Justice. est. most efficient boss I have ever I first met Chief Justice Rehnquist had.\" when- he was a lawyer in Phoenix. He The admiration he inspired in people spent most of the 1950s and 1960s prac- all across the political spectrum is due ticing law in our State. and raising a also to the superb job he did as the family there with his wife. Natalie. Federal judiciarys top administrator. who passed away in 1991. He made an which is part of the role of Chief Jusannual return to Arizona from 1994 tice. He staunchly asserted the indeuntil last year. to teach a course on pendence of the Federal court system Supreme Court history at the Univer- and fought to see that those who sity of Arizona College of Law. my worked in it were adequately comalma mater. . pensated. Appointed to his seat by President William Rehnquist loved his family. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4486}
{"speech_id":1090066495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nixon in 1972. and elevated to Chief he loved the law. he loved America and Justice by President Reagan in 1986. Ae its history. and he loved the Supreme provided steady leadership at the Court Court as an institution. The courage through turbulent decades. He showed and tenacity he showed. despite sufthat one man of integrity really can fering from thyroid cancer. were typmake a difference. ical of him. He presided over oral algu\u0095 He was a conservative whose philos- ments in the spring and continued his ophy did not always carry the day. es- work on that group of cases until just pecially in his early years on the last month. Court. More recently. there has been It is the right of every citizen to be tried greater acceptance of his notion of bal- by judges as free. impartial. and independent ance between the authority of States as the lot of humanity will admit. and the Federal Government. His decision heped revnt he rght of So said the Massachusetts Constitusions helped prevent the rights of tion of 1780. which influenced the writcriminal suspects from being over- ing of the U.S. Constitution. William emphasized to the point that law eninofteUSCnstuo.Wlia fem entwas ed in dhep oin g itst law enRehnquist was a free. an impartial. and forcement was hampered in doing its an independent judge. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4486}
{"speech_id":1090066495,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His combination job. They curbed the Governments use of strongmindedness and meticulous of racial quotas. deemed by most fairness made him perfect for the posiAmericans to be a squandering of the tion he held. He makes Americans. and moral authority of the civil rights especially Arizonans. very proud. We movement. They reaffirmed the reli- mocrn h i voss. gious freedom clause of the first mourn his loss. amendment. They upheld restrictions on the practice of abortion. again in keeping with the views of most Americans. HURRICANE KATRINA On a personal level. William Mr. McCAIN. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4486}
{"speech_id":1090066495,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. at times Rehnquist had a quick. dry wit and a we come to the floor of the Senate not manner that was warm and courteous. to debate policy but to mark the death He was a straight shooter. devoid of of fellow Americans I am deeply sadpretentiousness. yet deeply learned fn dened to note that this is one such octhe law and many other things. The casion. legacy he leaves includes the histories By some estimates. Hurricane he wrote. namely his four books on the Katrina has taken what may be thouCourt and the American legal system: sands of lives throughout the south\"The Supreme Court: How It Was. How eastern United States. The storm not It Is.\" 1987. \"Grand Inquests: The His- only ended lives but it also displaced toric Impeachments of Justice Samuel hundreds of thousands of our fellow Chase and President Andrew Johnson.\" citizens. They have now been scattered 1992. \"All the Laws But One: Civil Lib- throughout the Nation. hoping to one erties in Wartime.\" 1998. and \"Centen- day return to the homes and lives they nial Crisis: The Disputed Election of were forced to leave behind. Our work 1876.\" 2004. to help the victims of this national tragedy has just begun. and Congress must do all that is necessary to fund essential relief and recovery efforts and help those in need.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4486}
{"speech_id":1090066507,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. Americans continue to be moved by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and its toll on our fellow Americans. from New Orleans and in the Gulf Coast region. particularly in Louisiana. Mississippi. and- Alabama. The human tragedy has brought out the generosity of the American spirit. as people have opened their homes and pocketbooks to families uprooted by the storm. This is a disaster of Biblical proportions. The dimensions of this tragedy almost are beyond human comprehension and the failures by our Government to prepare and to respond run deep and wide. Yesterday the President and the White House spokesman proclaimed that the administration would not play the blame game. This is not a game. This is not some schoolyard spat. It is about life and death and. most important. it is about getting it right the next time. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5372}
{"speech_id":1090066507,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must be about the work of providing continuing relief to our citizens and rebuilding our communities. But we also cannot delay the important task of determining what went so gravely wrong. and holding accountable those responsible for the tragic failures that Americans have seen so clearly on their televisions and read in their newspapers. The next disaster could be tomorrow. It could be a devastating earthquake. It could be a deadly terrorist attack. It Could be another destructive storm. We need an immediate and independent assessment of what -went wrong and what we must do to fix it. Any corporation faced with such devastation and incompetence by its leadership would have its board and its shareholders demanding an independent assessment of the failures and demanding accountability from its leadership. It would not be business as usual. The same holds true for the peoples Government. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5372}
{"speech_id":1090066507,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The people have a right to candor and honesty about the state of their Governments preparedness to protect them. The new Department of Homeland Security. created by this administration. was supposed to protect us. It was supposed to do a better job of keeping us safe. It failed. and more than a million people have been displaced from their homes. a treasured American city is a wasteland. thou* sands have lost their lives. an economy has been shattered with ripple effects all over America. Candor. honesty. actionthat is what we need. The people have a right to know that they will be better protected the next time. Another lesson of this tragedy is that America can ignore the disparities in our society no longer. The powerful winds of this storm have torn away the mask that has hidden from our debates the many Americans who are left out and left behind. We see now in stark relief that so many Americans live every day on the brink of economic disaster. For them any setback becomes a major obstacle to survival. and a hurricane of this force leaves their lives in the balance. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5372}
{"speech_id":1090066507,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These disparities have emerged not out of malice but out of indifference. but they are real and we can neglect them no longer. In August. the Census Bureau re-. ported that the poverty rate in Amerf ica is up and has risen for 4 years. It is now 12.7 percent. with 37 million Americans surviving in poverty. A quarter of all African Americans live in poverty. for Latinos it is 22 percent.. Onefifth of our children. live in poverty. and a tenth of our elderly. Thirtysix million Americans are hungry or malnourished. A third of our children are in families without health insurance. In fact. 45 million Americans have no health insurance at all. And the disparity in incomes has never been greater. with the- rich getting richer and the rest of America. the poor and the middle class. falling behind. People in the middle class are having a harder time. too. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5372}
{"speech_id":1090066507,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Already they were struggling to cope with rising gasoline prices. rising college tuition. and rising costs of health care. Now those affected by Katrina have lost everything: Their homes. their cars. their family photos--everything. We cannot be an America of haves and havenots. We cannot be an America of 50 separate. isolated States. As we rebuild the Gulf Coast. we must also come together to tackle these disparities. We must be a united America. one Nation under God. with liberty and justice for all. And when we say all. we mean all. To address this challenge. our Government must respond in ways that are as good and compassionate as the American people. We cannot jdst fix the hole in the roof:. we need to rebuild the whole foundation. I propose that we create a New Orleans and Gulf Coast Redevelopment Authority. modeled after the Tennessee Valley Authority in its heyday. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5372}
{"speech_id":1090066515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take the next 10 minutes to talk about a couple of different items. Not far from where we are today. the body of our late Chief Justice has lain in repose. and a number of us were privileged to go there earlier today just to say goodbye and to thank him for his service to our country33 years. That is a long time. more than three decades that he has served us. His love for our country. his love for the law and the integrity of our Nations judiciary system was only surpassed by his love for his family and for those with whom he worked. During his time on the Court. he fostered. among other things. real congeniality among the Justicessomething that is not easy to do in that forum or. frankly. in this one. Inreturn. he was held in high esteem by his colleagues who had called him. among other things. \"brilliant.\" \"principled.\" \"generous.\" with \"a good sense of humor.\" something we can never have too much of. He demonstrated great personal strength and courage in leading the Court and this country through difficult and contentious times. continuing his work in the face of everdaunting health problems that would have set most of us on our backs and far out of the courtroom. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1527}
{"speech_id":1090066515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are many judicial hallmarks of his time on the Court. Throughout his tenure on the Court. he staunchly supported the independence of the Federal judiciary and our overall governmental system of checks and balances. We will miss him. but we are grateful that*he was here to serve us for as long as he has.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1527}
{"speech_id":1090066550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the reported bill. prepared by the Congressional Budget Office. be included in the report. At the time of filing of the report. the statement was unavailable. The statement has since been received bythe committee. I ask unanimous consent that the statement be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":406}
{"speech_id":1090066556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Commission. The Great Lakes Commission is a binational agency working to improve the Great Lakes and the region. The Commission promotes the orderly and comprehensive development. use and conservation of. the Great Lakes basin. its tributaries and the St. Lawrence River. Its members include the eight Great Lakes States. Illinois. Indiana. Michigan. Minnesota. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5171}
{"speech_id":1090066556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ohio. -New York. Pennsylvania @nd Wisconsin. with associate member status for. the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Since its establishment in 1955. the Great Lakes Commission has been a pioneer in applying principles of sustainability to the natural resources of the Great Lakes basin and St. Lawrence River. The Commission promotes the paired goals of environmental protection and economic improvement and has built its reputation on an integrated and objective approach to public policy issues and opportunities. When the Great Lakes Commission was founded in 1955. the Great Lakes region was about to gain greater regional and economic importance. St. Lawrence Seaway was close to completion. With a greater influx of commercial activity along the waters. there was a collaborative desire in the region to form an organization whose task would be to promote the development. use and conservation of the Great Lakes Basin while making it possible for the States to derive maximum benefit from its resources. Additionally. the Commission was to serve as an advisory agency of the States and Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5171}
{"speech_id":1090066556,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1954. at the Great Lakes Seaway and Water Resources Conference the notion of creating a State and provincial compact was discussed. In the following year. the eight Great Lakes States all passed legislation to establish the Commission. Congressional ratification did not come until 1968 after jurisdiction over the type of consultation the Commission would be able to provide to both the U.S. and Canada had been addressed. Over the years. the Great Lakes Commission has been responsible for providing a unified voice. quality research. and sound advice for the Great Lakes region. Among its accomplishments are the establishments the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database. the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control. the Great Lakes Information Network. the Michigan Water Corps. and Great Lakes St. Lawrence Mayors Conference. I would just like to share briefly with my colleagues a bit about these great programs. In 1988. the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database was one of the first compilations of its sort. It provides a comprehensive collection of information on the regions water use. including reports. charts and other publications. Today. it is just one of many database and monitoring programs initiated by the Great Lakes Commission. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5171}
{"speech_id":1090066556,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was created in 1991 to prevent further soil erosion and sedimentation from damaging the Great Lakes waters by using educational and financial tools. This program has already saved more than 650.000 tons of soil and prevented 487 tons of nitrogen and 674 tons of phosphorus from flowing into the waterways. The Great Lakes Information Net-* work is an online database that combines economic. environmental. travel. and educational information about the Great Lakes. It is a premier search engine on information regarding the region and has won numerous awards. The Commissions work to establish and maintain such a network is invaluable to those who need data and research on the Great Lakes. Recently. the Michigan Clean Water Corps has also joined the long list of successful programs supported by the Great Lakes Commission. The Clean Water Corps was established in 2003 by executive order from Governor Jennifer Granholmto work in partnership with the Huron River Watershed Council and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5171}
{"speech_id":1090066556,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The goal of the Corps is to provide volunteers with training to monitor and distribute information on the water quality of the waters around Michigan and to provide educational tools to assist in creating an informed public. In 1987. the Commission brought together the regional mayors to meet about Great Lakes issues for the first time. The Commission helped promote the idea that the mayors in the Great Lakes region could unite and be a driving political force. This annual conference also provides a forum for the mayors of the Great Lakes region to share ideas to address the areas problems. These are just a few of the programs that the Great Lakes Commission oversees and implembnts. As they continue these initiatives in the coming years. they will also focus more on sustainability and growth. The Great Lakes Commission is vital for the health and future of the Great Lakes. I would like to thank the Great Lakes Commission for the wonderful work they have done over the past 50 years and congratulate them on reaching this milestone. I hope that my colleagues will join me in expressing that appreciation.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5171}
{"speech_id":1090066560,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to recognize the employees of the Mothers Cookie Company and WAMZFM Radio in Louisville. KY. for their commitment to philanthropy through their participation in a charity softball game to benefit St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. The employees from Mothers Cookie Company assembled a team to take on the WAMZFM Hamz softball team. For the past 2 years. this Louisville radio station has assembled players to compete against area businesses willing to provide a location. umpires. and players to raise money to benefit the St. Jude Childrens Hospital. While the team from Mothers Cookies lost a close game by a score of 78. they won big raising money for St. Judes Childrens hospital. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1694}
{"speech_id":1090066560,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their donation of $1.264.65 was the largest single game donation generated this season. I believe the employees of these two companies -in Louisville are examples of how every American can contribute to the care and maintenance of community by participating in activities that bring. people together. and unselfishly dedicating their time and resources to a worthy cause. Companies that give back to the community and employees who share their time with others form the backbone of the American economy. and are the foundation of a strong neighborhood. The men and women who work at the Mothers Cookie Company not only took the time to raise money for medical research. but also bake more than 60 percent of the Girl Scout cookies in America throughout the year. I commend the employees of Mothers Cookie Company and WAMZFM Radio in Louisville. KY. for their dedication to community service. They are an inspiration to the citizens of Kentucky. and I thank them for their generosity.*","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1694}
{"speech_id":1090066562,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the September 11 Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act and to urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation. On September 11. 2001. the world we live in was torn apart. Each of us. no matter where we lived. shared in the overwhelming sense of loss and grief. We shared our grief with the victims. their loved ones. and their friends. And each of us joined together inthe midst of the devastation to unite as Americans and to show the terrorists that we will not be divided. At that time of grief. we stood together as families. as communities. and as one Nation. We were all personally touched by this outrageous crime. And we stood together to show the terrorists that although they might destroy our buildings. they could never destroy the foundation of our democracy. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090066562,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over the years our Nation has matured. and we have become a vast melting pot of cultures andof people. joining together to create the America of today that we love and cherish. The terrorists sought to destroy our great Nation and the very values upon which our country was built. But they were sorely mistaken. No matter how hard they try. they will never force us to turn our back on our values. And that means that we can never turn our back on the victims of the terrorist attacks or on their family members. On September 11. almost three thousand people were killed. Many of the victims left behind husbands. wives. sons. and daughters. We cannot turn our back on them. We can not allow these attacks. and the terrorists who perpetrated them. to undercut the love of freedom. justice.and community that makes us who we are. Terrorists did not distinguish nondocumented immigrants from documented immigrants or natural born citizens on September 11. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090066562,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On that date. we were all Americans. attacked by a determined enemy who sought to break our spirit and destroy our way of life. That is why I have joined with my colleagues to introduce this legislation. which will provide legal recognition and protection to family members of noncitizen victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Many of our immigrant residents lost loved ones that day. and no person who has faced such personal heartache and hardship at the hands of terrorists should be forced to face deportation. Moreover. these family members should be permitted to remain here to visit the memorials that are presently being built in New York and other locations to honor the victims who perished in the terrorist attacks. In many cases. these memorials will be all that husbands. wives. and children. have left to remember their loved ones. This bipartisan bill will end deportation procedures. and allow husbands. wives. sons. and daughters of noncitizen victims killed in New York. Pennsylvania and Virginia nearly four years ago to apply for green cards that will. allow them to become permanent legal residents. The act will apply to dependents of the deceased victims of the Sep\u0095tember 11. 2001 terrorist attacks as determined by the September 11 Victims Compensation Fund. The USA Patriot Act initially allowed many of these individuals to stay in the country. However. that provision expired on September 10. 2002. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090066562,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Moreover. .many others were never protected by the Patriot Act legislation. All of these individuals today face the prospect of deportation. Although our government has not moved forward with deportation procedures. the status of these families. who have already been through so much. remains uncertain. This Act would provide the permanent relief these families need and deserve. And so I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and in demonstrating to the spouses and children of the noncitizen victims of September 11 that we are all Americans. By Ms. COLLINS (for hefself. Mr. WARNER. and Ms. LANDRIEU):","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090066572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee. Senator DODD. and 47 other Senators and I today submitted a resolution that would allow Senators and Senate staff to make donations of food. clothing. medical supplies. and other needed materials for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Current Senate regulations prohibit any soliciting within Senate buildings. This resolution suspends these regulations for noncash solicitations among the Senate family. It is my hope this resolution will demonstrate the generosity of Senators and staff and will help ease the suffering of the millions of people along the Gulf whose lives have been devastated by this unprecedented disaster. But I think we can do more at this time of crisis. I believe Senators should be able to use Senate facilities to encourage all of our constituents and friends to donate to charities that are working 24 hours a day to help alleviate the suffering caused by the hurricane. and I intend to introduce legislation that will facilitate that effort. This is. a modest effort at time of great suffering. We need to do more right now and not allow inflexible rules to prevent us from helping our citizens at a time of crisis.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090066577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. September 8. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved and the Senate proceed to a period for morning business for up to 60 minutes. with the first 30 minutes. under the control of the minority leader or his designee and the final 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. provided that following morning business. the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 2862. the Commerce. Justice. Science appropriations bill as under the previous order.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":740}
{"speech_id":1090066589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. over the Labor Day weekend. I had the opportunity to go to Baton Rouge not as a Member of Congress but as a physician and to work in the River Center where the evacuees. over 5.000. so many of them were there. and to help provide basic health care needs. What I saw in Louisiana was the best of human. nature: a level of confusion. of course. and some disorganization. but people pulling together and trying to do the best they could in a difficult situation. Mr. Speaker. I would ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle at a time like this. probably the greatest tragedy this Nation has ever seen. to pull together. avoid the temptation to get into a fingerpointing. blaming situation. and let us.see as a result of this the best of the human nature of this Congress. FEMA","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":791}
{"speech_id":1090066601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speak- vouchers. which allowed public school er. I yield myself such time as I may students fn poor areas to use\" vouchers consume. to attend better. and often religious. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support schools. against an Establishment of House Resolution 423 which honors Clause challenge. His support for freeand recognizes the distinguished serv- dom of religion was also evidenced in ice. career. and achievements of Chief his concurring opinion of Elk Grove Justice William Hubbs Rehnquist upon Unified School District v. Newdow. in his death. which he rightly concluded that the Mr. Speaker. the passing of Chief phrase \"under God\" in the Pledge of Justice Rehnquist means that a long Allegiance was not a violation of the -and distinguished career has come to Establishment Clause. an end. William Rehnquist was born on Most recently. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6035}
{"speech_id":1090066601,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chief Justice October 1. 1924. in Milwaukee. Wis- Rehnquist joined Justice OConnors consin and was raised in nearby dissent in Kelo v. City of New London Shorewood. Wisconsin. which currently in which they correctly concluded that lies in the congressional district I am it is a violation of the fifth amendproud to represent. The future Chief ments Public Use Clause when a govJustice attended Kenyon College brief- ernment takes private property and ly before joining the U.S. Army Air gives it to another private entity to Corps during World War II. use for private commercial purposes. Following his career in the Army. Apart from the doctrinal changes the Chief Justice Rehnquist attended and Chief Justice brought to the Court. he graduated from Stanford University. also streamlined the manner in which -where he received a bachelors and the Court operated. His keen intellect masters degree in political science and. and evenhandedness were appreciated a second masters degree in govern- by all of his colleagues. On the 30th anment from Harvard University. niversary of Rehnquists swearing in. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6035}
{"speech_id":1090066601,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At Stanford Law School. the future Justice John Paul Stevens. who often Chief Justice graduated first in the found himself on the opposite side of class that famously included his future opinions from the Chief Justice. colleague. Justice Sandra Day OCon- praised him for the \"efficiency. good nor. It was also at Stanford Law humor. and absolute impartiality that School that the Chief Justice met his you have consistently displayed when future wife. Natalie \"Nan\" Cornell. presiding at our conferences.\" These whom he married in 1953. traits have led observers of all political After graduation. William Rehnquist persuasions to view Chief Justice clerked for Supreme Court Justice Rehnquist as one of the most conRobert H. Jackson for the 1952 and 1953 sequential jurists in our history. When Chief Justice Rehnquist was- diagnosed with thyroid cancer in October of 2004. many of his admirers feared that his tenure on the Court would come to an end. The Chief Justice. however. had other plans and continued to make his presence felt on the Court even as he battled his disease. Unfortunately. last Saturday. Chief Justice Rehnquist lost that battle. and the country has lost a great intellect and a great public servant. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6035}
{"speech_id":1090066601,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His decision to swear in President George W. Bush last January while battlinghis illness inspired millions of Americans. From a personal standpoint. let me say that I first met the future Chief Justice back in 1968 going doortodoor while running for a seat in the Wisconsin Assembly. and when I knocked on his parents door. they introduced me to the Chief Justicetobe. and he and I have kept contact up for a number of years until he passed away. both before he was selected for the Court and I was elected to theCongress. As the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. let me say that I deeply appreciated the Chief Justices invitations to address the twiceyearly meetings of the Judicial Conference of the United States on issues relating to the separation of powers and the interrelationship to how the laws the Congress passes relate to the operation of the third branch of government. I can say that the Chief Justice was extremely responsive when I had complained that the Judicial Discipline statute enacted in 1980 was not being utilized properly and. effectively in terms of disciplining judges in the appeals court and in the lower Federal courts that may have strayed from the bounds of propriety and the ethical standards that we hope all of the judges will uphold. I can say that probably one of. my most profound memories of the Chief Justice was at a Judi6ial Conference meeting on the morning of September 11. 2001. where. because I had the first three bills up on the floor at 10 oclock. the Chief Justice put me on first. At that time the Twin .Towers had both been hit. and the Chief Justice came in. sat down and said. \"Jim. make this snappy. Something bad is going on.\" E] 1030 So myremarks got condensed to a minute and a half and the Chief Justice said. \"There are no questions of the chairman. are there?\" And everybody else in the room got the message. so I was then excused. and when I got here to the Capitol to make the three motions for suspensions of the rules. the Pentagon had already been hit. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6035}
{"speech_id":1090066601,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the Chief Justice. I think. was advised that we were all in danger. he wanted to get the business done despite the danger. and he was able to do that. I think that this shows his character. and it is a way that touched me in an extremely personal way. While the country has lost so much. his family. including his children James. Nancy. and Janet. and his six grandchildren have lost a loving family member as well. I know that the whole House will join me in extending our condolences to his family and our thanks for his great service to this country. I hope that all Members will join me in supporting House Resolution 423 honoring. recognizing. and expressing our gratitude for the distinguished service. career. and achievements of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6035}
{"speech_id":1090066625,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I agree with the gentleman that we are not in an atmosphere where we can properly evaluate and investigate what has happened here. I do think it important to note that. the only way to avoid making mistakes is to look at the mistakes we have made. I do want to say this for the record. It took us a very long time to get bipartisan support for a 9\/11 Commission. Is anybody in this body sorry? What would have happened if history had looked back and said there was no independent commission that looked into 9\/11? In this same way. this natural disaster is the functional equivalent of 9\/ 11 for natural disasters. We need an independent commission to do the kind of job that the 9\/11 Commission did. and I think a fair reading of that report is not that it pointed fingers at anybody. but that it did advise what it is we should do. We should quickly get about the business of appointing a commission equal to the task of doing a credible. unbiased. independent investigation- in the name of the people of the gulf coast who have suffered and in the name of the people of the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1235}
{"speech_id":1090066625,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker.-I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas .","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1235}
{"speech_id":1090066626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana for his leadership. and of course. express our sympathy and concern for the people of Louisiana. Mississippi and Alabama. and I think the Congresswoman is an example of the outpouring of concern across the Nation. having received just recently a number of evacuees. survivors. into Washington. D.C. It is good to know that even people without votes can open their hearts and minds to this great and powerful. horrific incident that has occurred. a tragedy in our lives. Let me first of all say to the members thefamilies. those survivors. evacuees. and those who have lost loved ones. we are. in fact. our brothers and sisters keepers. and through the last 5 days I have been reminded more of the Good Samaritan parable in the Bible than at any other time in my life. We can say that Americans have certainly been the Good Samaritans. but I do want to take this time to acknowledge Houstonians and the people of Texas. There has been such an outpouring of effort. volunteers coming from every walk of life. the mustering together of resources through the county. county judges and the mayor of the city of Houston. The. pictures mayr not have been as pretty as we would have liked. but the immediate response of the Astrodome and the immediate response of the coming together of elected persons and now a facility in my congressional district. the George R. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090066626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Brown Convention Center. and the thought that went into organizing this process was overwhelming. The local responding to the crying out of people who. as I walked. through those aisles of cots and humanity. babies and elderly and the sickly and the strong. each and every one had a thank you on their lips and said that they still had hope. As they lay there. to each of them I asked the question. were you in water? I could not imagine a 1monthold or twins who were 1 month old or toddlers or 9yearolds or amputees who had been in water. but each one had a sense of hope. So to Houston. I want to give. if I could. the enormous gratitude of the American people because you had willing hands. and I might want to acknowledge that the pastors of that community. the religious community of all different faiths. they are on their job. Anyone who is asking the question where are the pastors. where are the religious leaders. they are there. We are hoping they will continue to be there at the will of the people. going in and nurturing and counseling and worshipping as they desire. not putting it on them. but as they desire. I encourage my community to allow all of the pastors into the areas where the people are desirous of them\" to come. but might I. as I offer sympathy. offer these points of concern. We have to have policies today emphasizing the reunification of families. and it is necessary in the emergency supplemental to have the technology that will unite all of the shelters across America so that families can be reunited. I look forward to working on that language that gives the technology and underwrites that cost for local communities. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090066626,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FEMA has to get more personnel on the ground. We qcnnot do it with 11 or 20. We must hire local bfficials. local people. and hire the victims or survivors. They can do it. and train the survivors to do the work that FEMA needs. the intake work. the counseling work or getting the information. We need to declare the area in this impactarea a health crisis because we found E. coli. We have got to declare it a health crisis. We need assistance with law enforcement. and the children have got to have special emphasis. language in the emergency supplemental. that deals with the plight of children not getting. the education. health care. not because it is a desire. but we neel the capacity. Finally. might I say we are. in fact. our brothers and sisters keepers. We are the Good Samaritans. not by words but by deeds. An inquiry of commission is not fingerpointing. it is factfinding so that America knows that the safety net of the Federal Government will never leave her abandoned. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090066626,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the crux of my advocacy and legislation on the inquiry. it is that America will never abandon her people. God bless all of those who are now surviving. and God bless those who have lost their loved ones.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4283}
{"speech_id":1090066633,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume to comment that I appreciate what the gentleman has just said about how much of this was unpredictable. There is no question that that is the case. But. for the record. it must be said that the levee was built to withstand a Category 3 storm. So the Corps of Engineers has been saying. yelling for decades that no one can say we will not ever surpass a Category 3 storm. People will tell you in Louisiana that they have been talking about dodging the bullet for decades because they did not go above Category 3. I hope that when we repair the damage. and it will take billions more than we can imagine now. that we will do what we say we are going to do for the possibility of terrorism. that is tp say. prepare for the worstcase scenario. not the case scenario that we wish for. And the worstcase scenario is finally what Louisiana got. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090066633,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090066636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. -I want to thank my colleague from Lafayette not only for recognizing me but also for his volunteer efforts and his communitys hospitality to so many thousands of dislocated residents of my own district. Mr. Speaker. I want to share with this body that. first of all. the pictures do not do the suffering justice. I have been spending the last several days in the water. in helicopters. in boats. on land. just trying to help bring comfort and trying to bring relief to the people of southeast Louisiana. The pictures do not do the suffering justice.. Yet there are some lessons that we have learned. Many of you have heard me share very specific frustrations about what has worked and what has not worked. Certainly we can learn from the red tape and the bureaucracy where aid could have been delivered more quickly. where relief could have been provided in a more efficient way. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6531}
{"speech_id":1090066636,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But I am not here just to point out what did not work. and there are many examples where red tape and bureaucracy got in the way. I am also here to say a big thank you. I am here to offer on behalf of my district our sincere gratitude to the people of Baton Rouge and Lafayette. to the people of Texas and Arkansas. to the people across the country who literally took in thousands of evacuees. people who were forced. like myself. to leave our homes. The State of Texas took in over 220.000 people. They did not ask how are we going to do this. They literally opened their homes. opened their wallets. opened their hearts to create temporary housing. to create health care. to create opportunities for people to find comfort. I want to say thank you to the medical volunteers that rushed into harms way. I want to say thank you to the first responders. the sheriffs deputies. the law enforcement officials. the Coast Guard officials. Wildlife and Fisheries officials. those that have been working 7. 8. 9. 10 days without relief. without rest. Many of these heroes have no idea what happened to their own property. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6531}
{"speech_id":1090066636,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many of these heroes have been separated from their own families. Yet they worked tirelessly to provide relief to others. I want to say thank you to our National Guardsmen. If ever before we needed yet another reminder of the true heroism of our military. we saw tens of thousands of men and women on the ground in the most dangerous circumstances. thinking not of themselves. but of others. I want to say thank you to the entire communities that pulled together. with the sheriffs. the mayors in my districts. who had so little. and yet reached out to their colleagues to share what they had. literally patching together impromptu communications systems. food supply systems. and other systems. Those that had the least shared the most. I want to say thank you to all these people. We have been reminded again what a great and powerful country America really is. I want to say thank you to the private sector. We called on Ford Motor Company to provide overnight search and rescue vehicles to first responders. and they did that. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6531}
{"speech_id":1090066636,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to say thank you to the bottling companies that sent the water. the food. the supplies. Anheuser Busch and the many other companies. I want to say thank you to Lamar for providing the tarps to cover peoples homes. I want to say thank you to all the companies like Verizon. WalMart and others. the pharmaceutical companies and small businesses that opened their stores. opened their warehouses. provided during this time of need without any concern for compensation. without any concern for anything other than helping their fellow man. I want to thank all those 9mployers that have done so much work to find their missing employees. to set up shelters to truly meet ouir needs during this devastating tragedy. I also want to comment on the amazing spontaneous effort by our faithbased community. Churches all over our State. all over our Nation literally opened their doors. made room in their pews. made room in their sanctuaries for families. One church. Healing Place in Baton Rouge. literally- put up handlettered signs the day of and the day after the hurricane saying: \"If you need water. if you need food. if you need shelter. come here.\" We have private individuals across the State and now even outside the State that organized a network for people with extra bedrooms. extra places in their own homes to take in complete strangers. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6531}
{"speech_id":1090066636,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. in this tragedy we have seen on TV and in national images some of the very worst behavior. And yet these are the very few. those that choose to be obstructionists to get in the way of the relief efforts. a very few who resorted to violence. They were outnumbered greatly by the tremendous number of people who opened their doors. opened their hearts. opened their wallets. Let us not let the images of a small number of people who out of frustration or for whatever other reasons became violent. became obstructionists. let us not let them be the final story of Hurricane Katrina. Let us look to the churches. let us look to the first responders. let. us look to the National Guard. let us look to the communities in Texas. in Arkansas. across the country. that have been so generous. Now I want to say a word to this body about what comes next. We are still rescuing people from the water and off the rooftops. We have an obligation to bring people to safety. We have an obligation to cut through the red tape and bring people housing. make sure that people know where their kids will go to school. how they get their health care. We also have an obligation to rebuild. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6531}
{"speech_id":1090066638,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. it is. indeed with a heavy heart that I rise today in this Chamber to support this resolution. I want to thank my colleague. the gentleman from Louisiana . for his work. During my 15 years in the peoples House. we have confronted many trying circumstances: runaway fires in the West. rolling blackouts across the Northeast. the extraordinary destruction of Hurricane Andrew. the horror of September 11. And the Asian tsunami. But my heart has never been as personally struck and touched as by the tragedy of a disaster as it is now. Just over a week ago when Hurricane Katrina roared ashore. it left wide paths of destruction. unprecedented in American history. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5881}
{"speech_id":1090066638,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The citizens of Mississippi. Alabama. Florida. and my. home State of Louisiana have suffered unspeakable tragedies. Hundreds. pos.sibly thousands. of lives have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of homes have be.en destroyed and shuttered. Thousands of businesses have been closed. at the risk of perhaps never opening again. The images in the news media shocked the American people. but they are only a pale reflection of the devastation experienced by our friends. families. and neighbors throughout the gulf coast region. My hometown of New Orleans. my constituents. friends and family. thought they had once again dodged a bullet when Hurricane Katrina changed course at the last minute. making landfall in another place bordering the city. But we woke Tuesday morning to a heartwrenching discovery. The levee system that had protected New Orleans for hundreds of years had failed. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5881}
{"speech_id":1090066638,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our city was inundated. 80 percent of it. with deadly water. Thousands of lives were lost. many drowned. trapped in their homes. Others were lost trying to escape the fury. Others were lost unnecessarily through neglect. and still others have now survived and are spread far and wide throughout the country. have lost their sense of place and their connection to home. September .7.. .2005 Our neighbors and .families are living in shelters. staying with friends -or family. benefiting from the hospitality and kindness of caring Americans. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed. churches and businesses at the heart of many of .our beloved citys neighborhoods have been flooded and lay in ruins. In sum. Hurricane Katrina was more than a destructive hurricane. It has dealt a death blow to the very fabric and culture of a grand American city and region. Hurricane Katrina has left most of New Orleans. known for its vibrant spirit and vitality. threadbare and melancholy. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5881}
{"speech_id":1090066638,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Louisiana talked about the people of our city. and I want to say something about that too. The spirit of the folks in my city. although beaten down. is still vibrant. If you saw the people who were standing and waiting for help. they were orderly. They were a model of orderliness in most cases. When I went down Friday to see folks at the convention center. they simply said to me. Jeff. help us get out of here. When are the buses coming? The few scenes you have seen of some people taking advantage of people who were there in dire circumstances are few and far between. The image that we want to remember is one of people who endured unnecessary suffering and who stood strongly and in an orderly fashion and dealt with it. I am so proud of our people for having done that. I also am proud of the outpouring of support that has come from around the country. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5881}
{"speech_id":1090066638,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to thank my colleagues for their words of encouragement. for their support. and for their prayers: from the mayor of Detroit. who told us we could bring in 500 families. to just one man from San Diego who offered his small plane to the folks in New Orleans. to pick them up and take them to safety. and one couple from Illinois who called us saying they had just sent their three kids off to college and they had three spare bedrooms for anyone who needed them. The generosity has been overwhelming. It has reminded us that the human spirit is vibrant and that goodwill is abundant in the American peoples hearts. I want to thank all those who contacted my family. my office. to express concern. those who are now telling us they want to help to reach our constituents. to get our constituent services back together. And I want to thank all of you who have worked with us over the Labor Day weekend. I want to thank my CBC colleagues who have initiated unprecedented efforts to marshal resources to help dislocated Louisianans. I want to tell you that the most important thing we can do right now is to make sure that people who are displaced are dealt with with dignity. that they are taken care of properly and their needs are met. and that we try as soon as we can and as well as we can to get our people back home. back to the State of Louisiana. back connected to their way of life. back connected to their culture. back connected to their people. and that We commit ourselves for the long haul to rebuild our city. to rebuild our region. and to rebuild the lives of our people. This is our mission now in the Congress. Also. though we look at all the good things that have happened. it is not inappropriate to ask the question as. to Whether or iiot we could not have done a better job. The President himself has said that the response is unacceptable. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5881}
{"speech_id":1090066646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as the waters recede in New Orleans and as the families impacted by Hurricane Katrina attempt to recover. we must now embark upon the monumental task of helping to rebuild both the infrastructure and vitality of the Gulf Coast communities. We also have begun to reflect on the tragedy. one which many say is one of the worst disasters to strike an American city in our history. The people of Guam would like to express their condolences to the families that have lost loved ones. and to the thousands of people who are now struggling to recover from what can only be described as a humanitarian catastrophe. Families and individuals have been uprooted. homes have been destroyed. and the process of rebuilding will be long and arduous. The communities involved depend upon support from Congress. and we must fully fund every stage of the recovery that is necessary to rebuild homes and lives. We must also ensure that our cities and coagtlines are protected as best as possible from perilous storms. The people of Guam know far too well the toll that hurricanes can have upon a population. Located in what is known as \"Typhoon Alley\" in the Pacific Ocean. our island is annually threatened and sometimes pummeled by typhoons that can have winds upwards of 180 miles per hour. These Super Typhoons have the potential for widespread devastation. but Guam is well prepared to withstand these potentially destructive storms. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2508}
{"speech_id":1090066646,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"From tough building codes to a stratified warning system. Guam is in a state of constant readiness. In fact. at the time Hur- ricane Katrina was intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico. Guam was in a state of readiness as Typhoon Nabi was forecast to make a direct hit. In our case. the storm turned away. but nonetheless Guam was bracing for the worst. There is more our island needs to do to be better prepared for Typhoons. such as burying our power lines and improving our water system. We continue to perfect our disaster preparedness plan and harden our infrastructure. Our community. as well as all communities across the Nation. are now more dependent than ever on the support of the Federal Government to help us prepare for and recover from devastating storms. It is imperative that atrisk areas be better equipped and prepared. from the Federal level to the local level. to deal with hurricanes and other natural disasters. I support House Resolution 425 and urge its passage. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2508}
{"speech_id":1090066646,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Together. let us as a Congress. express the Nations sorrow for the victims of this tragedy.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2508}
{"speech_id":1090066687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I simply want to join in the chorus in support for this bill. It is difficult for us to recognize how far reaching the implications and consequences of Hurricane Katrina have been. And I know. for example. when I mentioned to another individual today that we would be dealing with the Pell grant in the context of the hurricane. this Member did not see any connection whatsoever until I pointed out the consequences. I am very pleased that we are taking such rapid action in this Chamber to deal with the widereaching consequences of the hurricane and recognize that there are so many dimensions of our citizens lives that have been affected by this. I am pleased at this rapid action. I am grateful that this bill is presented to us. I will certainly support it and vote for it. and I hope the other body will give equal consideration and rapid consideration so that we may service our students. ","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1345}
{"speech_id":1090066687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us also remember to continue in prayer for all the victims who have been affected in their lives in so many different ways. and let us continue to work together to ensure that very rapidly we can deal with restoring the Southern States to their positions. their economic position. and. above all. the positions of the families who liVe there so that they may return to their homes..","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1345}
{"speech_id":1090066718,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. just before we left at the end of July. I received notice from the Department of Defense about the death of one of my constituents. Specialist Ernest Dallas. Jr.. in the country of Iraq on July 24. I wanted to take some time this evening. to talk about the life of Specialist Ernest Dallas. Many of the remarks that I am going to make tonight were taken from an article that appeared in the Denton Record Chronicle on July 27. written by Matthew Haag. Mr. Speaker. I think it is appropriate tonight to honor the memory of Specialist Ernest Dallas. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4446}
{"speech_id":1090066718,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was from my district. the 26th Congressional District of Texas. and he was serving his country during Iraqi Freedom. Again. he died on July 24 with three other soldiers when a roadside bomb exploded next to their Bradley fighting vehicle. Specialist Dallas was assigned as a scout in the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad. He was 21 years old. Celebrating and recognizing the life of Specialist Dallas is important. He was a graduate of Fred Moore High School. and he enlisted for a 3year term in the Army in November of 2003 because he wanted to serve his country and he felt he needed the training that he would be provided to meet his future goals. a future that he hoped included a job as a Denton police officer. Specialist Dallas was a loving family member and he always took time to phone home to get his family caught up on news of what was going on with their unit. He was the first Denton. Texas. resident to die in the conflict in Iraq. His first love was baseball. his family said. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4446}
{"speech_id":1090066718,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He startedplaying when he was 9. and he idolized the former Texas Rangers Catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez. In 2000. he decided to forgo baseball and enrolled in the Denton Police Departments Citizen Youth Academy. He turned out to have another dream. He wanted to be a Denton policeman. said his stepfather. Manuel Sauseda. In the program. Specialist Dallas would ride along with Denton police officers. As soon as school let out in the afternoon. Specialist Dallas would race home and get ready to go out with the officers. The program was scheduled from 3 p.m. until midnight when the officers shift was over. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4446}
{"speech_id":1090066718,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But his stepfather said that Specialist Dallas would frequently call at midnight and ask to stay a little longer. and a little longer frequently turned out to be 6 a.m. in the morning. His mother joked that the neighbors must have grown suspicious of the police cars that were constantly stopping by her house and bringing him home. I know what the neighbors thought: that little boy must be in so much trouble. said his mother. Charlene Sauseda. Specialist Dallas family said he always wanted to protect the people he loved. So 2 years after 9\/11. he enlisted in the Army. He said that the attacks inspired him to enlist. He saw how it 4ffected everybody. his mother said. Enough was enough. said Ernie. He wanted to go over there and take care of things. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4446}
{"speech_id":1090066718,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I had the opportunity to sit down with Specialist Dallas family during the August break and they told me of his love of the Police Academy. They told me how he came to love the Police Academy. Specialist Dallas was sometime earlier prone to leadership that was taking him in the wrong direction. He was brought home one afternoon by a sheriffs deputy in Denton. a gentleman I know well. named Greg Levling. who now works for the Dallas Sheriffs Department. Apparently. Specialist Dallas was at that time. at -8 years old. a lookout man for someone who had figured out how to get free pinball games on a pinball machine. Specialist Dallas was to watch and tell if anyone was coming. Well. when the sheriffs deputy came around the corner. Specialist Dallas sang out \"Here comes somebody.\" The sheriff brought him home and his mother said that the sheriffs deputy. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4446}
{"speech_id":1090066723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise one. today to share one of the many inspir- Mr. Speaker. the acts of kindness I ing stories of personal commitment. have witnessed in Katrinas wake make and sacrifice that have occurred in the me proud to be a citizen of this great aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the Nation. Neither waves. nor rain. nor Eleventh District of Georgia in the wind. nor blistering heat can crush the town of Marietta. my hometown. a American spirit. Wherever nature community came together to rescue kicks us down. there are millions of more than 30 hurricane victims from hands waiting to lift us up. the Waldo Boys Home in Louisiana. There are many acts of kindness takIt started when Marlene Murphy. an ing place across this Nation. and I ask employee at InfoMart. a local company. that you join me in praising the selfin Marietta. made a desperate appeal less dedication our citizens have shown to her fellow workers. Marlenes sister in opening their wallets. their homes. and brotherinlaw were counselors at and. most importantly. their hearts. the Waldo Burton Boys Home in New Orleans. They were stranded. along with many of the residents and staff. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10273}
{"speech_id":1090066723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ENSURING THAT MEDICAID IS after floodwaters engulfed that city. AVAILABLE TO HURRICANE Without wasting a bit of time. KATRINA VICTIMS InfoMart employees. led by the com- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a panys president. Tammy Cohen. swung previous order of the House. the geninto action. taking on the cause as tleman from Ohio is rectheir own. The employees brought food. ognized for 5 minutes. clothing. and necessities for the Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker. stranded boys. They notified the Coast Hurricane Katrina put a human face on Guard of the situation. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10273}
{"speech_id":1090066723,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Naval Air Sta- hardship. It reminded us that there are tion Atlantas Captain Sean King and Americans who work hard and pay other leaders in the community quick- their taxes and play by the rules. yet ly organized a mission to rescue these are still hanging on by a thread. It revictims. minded us how easily that thread can InfoMart rented three passenger vans break. In the clearest terms possible. it and a truck. and they started that long communicated the value. both tangible trip to New Orleans. On the way. there and intangible. of government assistwere plentyi of reasons to turn back: 2- ance. mile long lines for gas. police barri- Many people who suffered from cades. and even cars driving on the Katrina have relied on Medicaid. a govwrong side of the interstate. ernment health care program for poor But these volunteers did not for a families. for families who are working second think of themselves or their but do not make enough or have health troubles. They were only focused on insurance. Yet as we return to Washrescuing these boys. no matter what. ington this week after surveying the and I am proud to report that their damage from this terrible storm. Remission was a success. Fifteen boys. publican leaders are pursuing $10 bilaged from 12 months to 15 years. along lion. $10 billion. in cuts to that Medwith 16 staff and family members. were icaid program. in large part because brought back to Marietta. Georgia. they are insisting on more tax cuts for where now they were welcomed by a the wealthiest 1 percent of the people generous community eager to help. of our country. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10273}
{"speech_id":1090066723,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As we saw the poorest in New Orleans. Policymakers have also proposed Cor left behind while those who were more \"tailoring\" Medicaid coverage to fit dri affluent were able to escape. this Con- the health care needs of different bene- the gress. frankly. is mimicking that same ficiaries. That is not an efficient way by process. that same scenario. where we of cutting costs. it is an efficient way are giving tax cuts to the wealthiest of cutting care. It is the wrong decision citizens. while the poorest and the mid- to make. to make this $10 billion Meddle class and .those who are working icaid cut. fait hard and playing by the rules and pay- ner ing their taxes but who cannot afford sai health care. we are leaving them be- REPORT ON RESOLUTION PRO- We -hind. VIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF of t Our Nations leaders must stop blam- MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE the ing the poor for having the same health RULES abh care needs we all do. Helping.the poor Mr. LINCOLN DIAZBALART of for secure health care is not a frivolous ex- Florida from the Committee on Rules. our travagance. it is an expression of our submitted a privileged report (Rept. chi values as a Nation. Health care is ex- No. 109217) on the resolution (H. Res.. I pensive. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10273}
{"speech_id":1090066723,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No one has figured out. espe- 426) providing for consideration of mo- Par cially in this institution. with the tions to suspend the rules. which was the power of the drug companies and the referred to the House Calendar and or- for influence of the insurance industry. no dered to be printed. will one here has been willing to find a solution to contain medical costs with- - loc out stifling medical progress. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a init Our Nations leaders must stop pre- previous order of the House. the gen- rai tending that taking health care away tleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. PETER- ero from the poor solves that dilemma. SON) is recognized for 5 minutes. con They must stop pretending that the (Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania ad- brii poor take advantage of Medicaid. as if dressed the House. His remarks will ap- co enrollees look for excuses to take off pear hereafter in the Extensions of Re- wit work and see the doctor. The Nations marks.) ove leaders must stop pretending that tak- -M ing health care away from the poor will mu: not hurt them. It is a convenient the- MINNESOTANS SUPPORT and ory. It is also patently false. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10273}
{"speech_id":1090066730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. earlier this week we observed Labor Day. We take this important opportunity every year to honor this Nations workers. Tonight I want to shed light on one way that this country can really honor a group of workers that make up almost half of this Nations workforce. and those are our women. Mr. Speaker. the Department of Labor estimates that women will account for 55 percent of the increase in total laborforce growth between 2002 and 2012. However. in 2004 women made up 46 percent of the total United States workers. In that same year 68 million women were either working -or looking for work. Women work in every sector of our economy. They are professionals. managers. nurses. salespersons. factory workers. and business owners. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090066730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More and more women are entering into nontraditional occupations. We are an essential componbnt of the American workforce. Then why is it that a fulltime working woman receives only 73 cents to every dollar received by a man? That figure is worse for women of color. African American women earn .55 cents for every dollar paid to a white male. Hispanic women receive only 53 cents for each dollar earned by a white male. This means that Hispanic women are paid only slightly more than half of what white men earn. Even in jobswhere women make up the majority of the workforce. and that is over 70 percent. men still earn close to 20 percent more than the women. This trend must stop. Anyone would be hard pressed to find statistical evidence proving that women work is less arduous than their male counterparts or that they underperform comparatively. There is no logical explanation why a woman. who is often times still responsible for her children and family. in addition to working full time. should earn less than a male doing the same work. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090066730,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not an issue that is going to go away. Mr. Speaker. Pay inequity is affecting the American family. If women earned the same amount of money as men who work the same hours doing the same job. their families annual income would increase by $4.000 per year. This would cut poverty rates in half. Equal pay for equal work will increase womens spending capability. Equal pay for equal work will empower women to lan for their childrens education and their own retirement. Over 40 years have passed since the enactment 6f the Equal Pay Act. In that time we have only closed the wage gap by nethird of 1 cent per year. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090066730,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is unacceptable. We must do more to correct this disparity.","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2490}
{"speech_id":1090066765,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. it is important the Congressional Black Caucus address these issues tonight because many of the people who are affected by this tragedy are African American and otherwise impoverished or disadvantaged. and they are folks who need to have their concerns given voice tonight. Many of our Members will talk on different issues. I want to talk about the recovery of that area. of our area. and about an economic recovery package for New Orleans and the other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds of thousands of my constituents have been uprooted from their. homes. More. than 100.000 businesses have been shuttered. and possibly thousands of lives have been lost to the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. The extent of the damage. the human toJl. property damage and economic loss is unprecedented in our Nations history. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7361}
{"speech_id":1090066765,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of particular significance. a disproportionate share of the damage in my hometown of New Orleans was meted out to parts of our great city that were already extraordinarily economically disadvantaged. The poverty and economic depression in these areas in no small way were factors in the extraordinary loss of life and property experienced by my constituents. For that reason. it is critically important at this time to come together to ensure that all areas affected by Hurricane Katrina receive the necessary resources to rebound from what could be an economically. devastating blow all across the gulf coast. Now. we are talking about an economic package of $40 billion coming up. We just approved $10 billion a few. days ago. but I think it is important to put the right number before the Congress. At this time. we do not know what that number is. but we know it is a lot larger than $50 billion.. The .Wall Street Journal reports today that through their own analysis they have come up with a figure of $150 to $200 billion. Today. at a press conference. I called on our Congress and our Nation to set aside some $225 billion for this tragedy. $100plus billion for New Orleans alone. I believe it is important to talk about a number that is closer to the right number now so that we will not have the rest of the Congress figuring that we have already fixed the problem with 40 or 50- or $60 billion when we know it is going to be four times that number. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7361}
{"speech_id":1090066765,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So as the Congress moves on various relief packages. I would like to articulate a few principles and policy proposals I believe should guide our efforts and be included in any relief package. First. the urban poor in New Orleans were dramatically and disproportionately affected. as I have said. by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Therefore. our efforts must include provisions to improve conditions to the point that the magnitude of the damage is never again experienced in our great Nation. Second. businesses large and small have been shuttered throughout the region. leading to an economic double whammy. Not only is the region cut off from the goods and services provided by these businesses. but the tens of thousands of employees working for these businesses are cut off from their jobs and their paychecks. Third. the public health effects of Hurricane .Katrina are also extraordinary. In response to the health impacts of the hurricane. we must restore health care access. health care quality. health outcomes and the health care worker force because all Americans deserve equal treatment in health care. A proper investment in health care will improve both the health and economic wellbeing of our region and our country. The legislation we propose ought to address rebuilding the public health infrastructure and ensuring health care coverage. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7361}
{"speech_id":1090066765,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must. therefore. move to immediately counter these difficult challenges. On the economic front. I think it is important to propose measures to jumpstart the economic recovery throughout the gulf coast. and in the long term to improve the lives of hardworking Americans throughout the region. Because there are a number of Federal tax benefits conditioned on the household living situation of the taxpayer. and in light of the extraordinary displacement of citizens throughout the region. I think we should recommend changes to the Tax Code that ensure that displaced Americans are not disqualified from the tax benefits to which they are otherwise entitled as a result of the hurricane. Under current law. there are limits on a taxpayers ability to deduct casualty or disaster losses in ways that would severely affect large numbers of our constituents. Accordingly. I believe we should propose to eliminate any barriers in the Tax Code that Would prevent the devastated families from the tax relief to which they are now entitled. So many of our people who lost their property back home were not home owners. unfortunately. they lived in apartments. They did not have renters insurance or flood insurance. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7361}
{"speech_id":1090066765,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have lost everything. This has to be taken into account as we go about this. One of the most extraordinary effects of Hurricane Katrina ever is the unprecedented destruction of housing in New Orleans. One hundred sixty thousand homes in New Orleans alone. and across the area more than 200.000 homes have been affected by this or destroyed by this hurricane. This is going to take some extraordinary action by FEMA and HUD. and some flexibility in the Community Development Block Grant program and the HOME program to get our region back on its feet. I think we should look at the New Markets Tax Credits program and add $1 billion in 2006 and another $1 billion in 2007 to help with the restructuring there. With our businesses. of course. there are no jobs. and we ought to ensure that we provide businesses throughout the region the tools necessary to reopen and thrive. as well as incentives to provide jobs to the thousands of displaced Americans throughout the region. On health care. we ought to have a declaration of emergency to trigger emergency Medicaid provisions. and we ought to allow our States to therefore simplify the application process and eliminate other barriers to enrollment and participation. We should think about a 100 percent Federal Medicaid match to States directly affected by Hurricane Katrina or States receiving evacuees. and elimination of residency requirements as people are being scattered throughout the country. On Medicare. we ought to waive the late enrollment penalties for affected residents to sign up. for the new prescription drug benefit from October of this year to some other time. if they become newly eligible. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7361}
{"speech_id":1090066774,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I join my colleagues in expressing my heartfelt sympathy to all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and their families. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them as they cope with the aftermath of this enormous tragedy. We stand in solidarity with our brothers. the gentleman from Louisiana . the gentleman froi Mississippi","speaker_name":"DONALD PAYNE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090066782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi for yielding. and also to the gentleman from Louisiana. I want to thank him for his leadership and his hard work 24\/7 in helping communities. your communities. work through this devastation. and also in leading this Congress in an effective response. We stand with the gentleman from Louisiana. Our constituents extend their desire to help in whatever way possible and to help in a very real way. Mr. Speaker. I said earlier. and I have to say this again. that the world is watching. The world is watching as our Nation has been exposed. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5113}
{"speech_id":1090066782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If anyone has ever doubted that there are two Americas. Hurricane Katrina and our governments shameful response have made this division very clear. New Orleans is a city where 65 percent of the population was black. Nearly 30 percent. or one in three. were living below the poverty line. Twentyone percent of the households earned less than $10.000 a year. Eightyfour percept of the people living in poverty in New Orleans were black. People died because they were poor and black and young and old and disabled. The incompetence and the indifference demonstrated by this administration in responding to this tragedy was really quite shocking. but it was not surprising. For some of us. however. this is an America that we know very well. It is an America that has often been swept under the rug by lawmakers and the media. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5113}
{"speech_id":1090066782,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the America that many of us know. and that is why the Congressional Black Caucus and so many in this House fight each and every day against these obscene tax cuts for the wealthy. and Medicaid and housing and health care budget cuts. This is the America that I know. and this is why I have said over and over again that the war against Iraq. based on distortions and false information. did not -have to be fought. We did not have to spend over $300 billion and deplete the resources that could have gone to domestic security. economic security. and taken care of our people right here at home. Each and every Member of Congress should be frightened to death. seeing the lack of preparedness and the unacceptably slow and deadly response by our government. People died who would not have died if our government had responded quickly and efficiently. This is a crime. Each and every Member of Congress has had a glimpse of what could happen in their districts should a natural disaster or. God forbid. a terrorist attack occur in the future. Now Americans have risen to the occasion and asked what they could do to help. And after listening to a very disappointing briefing by Cabinet Members and. however. listening to Members of Congress from affected districts who. in spite of the odds. again have been responding around the clock to the survivors of this devastation in heroic ways. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5113}
{"speech_id":1090066782,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have a few thoughts that I think we should do immediately. Well. of course. we must recognize. first of all. and thank individuals and organizations who have continued with monetary donations and also providing donations of medicine. clothing. bedding. and hygiene articles. But do my colleagues know what? The Federal Government must step up 2to the plate and lead this effort. We must help find temporary transitional housing so that people can live with dignity and respect until they can return home. And we must insist that the Red Cross hire staff. and many of us have had experience working with the Red Cross. they need to hire staff and volunteers who reflect the populations that they serve. such as African Americans and Latino volunteers and staff. They should be brought in. Mental health professionals should also be sensitive to. and they should be of. the diversity of the affected populations and understand the cultural background of those who have been traumatized. And they should understand. quite frankly. that they just left a war zone. and posttraumatic stress syndrome will be setting in. And we must insist that the rebuilding process takes into account the populations who have been displaced. Developers should not just come in and create- a city where no one can afford to return home. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5113}
{"speech_id":1090066782,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There must be affordable housing and goodpaying jobs for those survivors of this devastation. Also. we must ensure that survivors losses are not compounded by financial institutions. Credit card late fees and penalties and mortgages. all of these issues must be addressed. and we must make sure that our Americans are protected from predatory lenders at this time of extreme need. Let me just say. quite frankly. we must not allow military recruiters to take advantage of the misfortune of hurricane survivors. They should not be allowed to access temporary housing and sheltersto recruit the -destitute and the *vulnerable. As the proud daughter of a 25year career military officer. I honor and thank our service men and women for their bravery and service. but I do not believe that recruiting traumatized survivors of this hurricane is the right thing to do. The world is watching. and I thank the gentleman from Mississippi and the gentleman from Louisiana for leading the way.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5113}
{"speech_id":1090066786,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi. I would like to extend my sympathies to all of the persons who have suffered. Mr. Speaker. I am not asking for help for the survivors because they are black. of the black race. I am not asking that they be helped because some of them are of the white race. I am asking for help because they are all of the human race. and that is the race that counts. I believe. ","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090066786,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that we must do something that is critical: We must not continue to call them refugees. Because. Mr. Speaker. these are taxpaying Americans. They have earned the right to be called American citizens who are in need of our- help. So I beg today that we extend the hand of friendship and that this Congress spend whatever is necessary to restore their lives.","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090066790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address the ongoing crisis for those who have evacuated Louisiana. Mississippi. Alabama. and Florida. and to recognize the extraordinary efforts of Texans. And in particular residents of Dallas. For the people along the Gulf Coast. I wish to express my deepest condolences. This devastation has cost many individuals their homes. jobs. belongings. and worst of all their lives. Almost a quarter million evacuees have traveled to Texas. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4269}
{"speech_id":1090066790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Seventeen thousand of which have come to Dallas. This is an extremely traumatic situation. Many of these individuals are looking for missing family and friends. Most do not know if or when they will be able to return home. The one bright spot is the thousands of Americans who have opened their hearts to volunteer time and money. I truly believe it is the personal efforts that make the greatest impact. During this time of tragedy many heroes have emerged. Local residents. churches. and businesses in Dallas have overwhelmingly offered assistance. The efforts of those who are volunteering their time at Dallas area shelters have made an immeasurable impact. In addition. many Texans have offered jobs or opened their homes to evacuated families. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4269}
{"speech_id":1090066790,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that the generous spirit of Texans and of all Americans will help to aid this transition. When these dislocated people retum to their communities. immediate economic opportunities should be given to them first so they can rebuild. Mr. Speaker. we now look towards this Administration to exhibit the same type of sacrifice and humanity that countless Americans and charities have displayed. I question those policies that stretched those National Guard units that could have rendered more immediate aid in New Orieans and elsewhere. First responders have not been given the tools they need. And this Administration drastically underfunded the Army Corps of Engineers. who are responsible for maintaining the levees surrounding New Orleans. It is time to acknowledge our dependence on fossil fuelswhether foreign or domesticwhich set the stage for further economic displacement ahead. It is neither premature nor unpatriotic to raise questions as the federal government recovers its footing after an initially dismal performance. The point is that even though the government is now showing signs of progress. much work remains. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4269}
{"speech_id":1090066790,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cah assure the Administration we. as Members of CSC. will do our best to work with them towards fulfilling our commitment to the American citizens. I will be offering a comprehensive education appropriations bill along with Congressman HINOJOSA. There are currently 160.000 displaced students as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Texas Education Agency predicts that as many as 70.000 displaced students will enter Texas schools this year. This bill sets up a $500 million fund for displaced students within the Department of Education. From this fund. 9tates will receive $3.000 for each displaced student that enters their school systems. This money will provide funding for additional classrooms. teachers. books. and supplies. These young people have been through a traumatic experience and providing a safe stable school environment is vital. I will also introduce a bill that would call on the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the displaced survivors of Hurricane Katrina and first responders receive the mental health services they need. Mr. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4269}
{"speech_id":1090066790,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker and colleagues. think of the incredible stress these people are experiencing. There is anxiety. There is depression. There is a sense of hopelessness. I am a former nurse. and I worked in the mental health sector. I feel strongly that these displaced individuals. many of whom are left with nothing. desperately need mental health services to address the trauma they have endured. This bill will call upon Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to address those needs. Mental health should not be forgotten. Mr. Speaker. the Federal Emergency response to this calamity was disappointing. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4269}
{"speech_id":1090066801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield. I think about one of the last cases the Court decided under his Chief Justice administration. theKelo case. He was in the dissent. and it brings to mind the quote. \"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.\" He did a great deal. He was able to help turn the Court back toward having the Constitution mean what it said. Yet. here again. the Kelo case. he dissented. He was. as you say. very clear. very precise. He had Justices Scalia. Thomag. and OConnor with him on that in dissenting. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090066801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They all four dissented. and yet a mAjority of the Court turned around. said you know what. we are going back to the day of flefdoms and kings and dukes. So whoever is better friends with the ones in power. well. they can just flat take land away from those that have. if they are going to promise to provide more bounty to the ones in power. Phenomenal decision. just an embarrassment. It should be for everyone who sits on the bench anywhere. Yet. to the very end. he maintained his integrity. he maintained his principle. he maintained the clarity of mind to understand not only is that not right. not only is that not fair. not only is that unAmerican. it violates the Constitution.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090066810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think my primary reason for being here tonight was just to not let this mans towering contribution to the judicial process slip away into history. There is an old quote by Dostoevski. He said. \"He who controls the present. controls the past. And he who controls the past. controls the future.\" Of course. as somebody was saying. there are a lot of revisionists out there trying to rewrite history in order to affect the future. but this mans history is very important to our country. I will make a prediction tonight that a lot of the decisions. where he found himself in dissent. in the next 20 or 30 years will turn in the other direction. and we will see that this man was before his time. There is a saying that if you fail without succeeding. if you struggle without succeeding. it is so someone else might succeed after you. And if you succoed without struggling. which I think some of our modernday justices are going to do. it is because someone has struggled and succeeded before you. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2224}
{"speech_id":1090066810,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This man. I believe% is going to be vindicated in society. because he did not find a lot of these hidden things that the gentleman from Iowa talked about. .We have seen judges say that somehow the words in the Pledge of Allegiance. \"under God.\" might be unconstitutional. or that it is unconstitutional to protect a 9yearold girl from Internet pornography. or it is unconstitutional to protect an unborn child from partialbirth abortion. With regard to all of these insane notions. he did not see them. One woman said. Maybe these judges who find all these things ought to be out looking for Osama bin Laden if they are that good at finding things that are not there. This judge saw the Constitution for what it was. He did not try to make a new revolution. He simply tried to affirm the one we already had. I think that tonight we celebrate the life of a man that many justices of the future will stand on his shoulders and look back and say. you know. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2224}
{"speech_id":1090066810,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Judge Rehnquist was right. Justice Rehnquist was correct. The ship of state turns slowly sometimes. but this man had his hand on the rudder long before the rest of us even knew. And I again just wanted to join with all of my colleagues and honor this mans life.","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2224}
{"speech_id":1090066837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It almost brings up the point. whether it is black or white or whatever. number of electoral votes the way this group operates. You know. if you have got a State that has enough electoral votes. we will maybe even be there before anything comes. But if you do not have enough. you know. you are on your own. and we are going to absolutely roll the dice. And as we are kind of creeping into the final few minutes here. I want to just touch upon what the gentlewoman from Florida has just said. that I hope the ultimate point that we can all carry out of this whole tragedy that is still going on for thousands and thousands and thousands of people. and I hope when New Orleans is rebuilt and we are all down there. you know. hanging out again. that the point that we all remember is this: this tragedy highlighted the clear disparity between many people in this country and many others in this country. Whether it is black or white or rich or poor. there is a huge. tremendous rift between those people who have a lot of money and those people who .do not have anything. And we saw it today. or this past week because people were saying. well. why did they not leave? Well. 35 percent of the African Americans. I believe. in the city. did not have cars. Now. regardless of how the whole thing was structured. and we will have arguments about everything else. they were at a clear disadvantage. They were reliant upon someone else. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2650}
{"speech_id":1090066837,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And you go through education and health care and basic skills that kids test on. it is unbelievable how poorer kids do so much worse. And this is going on in Youngstown. in Akron. in Cleveland. in Milwaukee. in Detroit. Pick a city. as the gentlewoman said. And I hope that after all this we realize that that is unacceptable and to give millionaires trillions and trillions of dollars and see what the end result is. whether it -is through kids. education. health care or levees being built. the government has a role to play. and those people who benefit from society have an obligation to meet their responsibility to everybody else. And that is really. I think. the ultimate point in this. And I hope that the reaction to this is the same reaction that we had in 1927 when the big flood hit in 1927. which eventually led to a very progressive era in government and into the 1930s and 1940s and. quite frankly. into the 1980s. So I hope that we all realize that. you know. we are pretty lucky. most of us. But there are some people that we need to reach out to and find ways. to reform government and put the money in the right places to make sure that those people have the kind of opportunity that many others have.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2650}
{"speech_id":1090066842,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this evening I wanted to spend the first few moments reflecting on the crisis in the gulf. I have been privileged to observe nearly 8 decades of life and I will tell you that this is the only time that I can remember that I was looking at television. coming from our country that seemed really surreal to me. I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was not dreaming. because how could it be that in our country. the United States of America. there were people sitting dead in wheelchairs by the sidewalk. there were people.rolled up in sheets dead and others walking by them. there were corpses floating by in the water?There were tens of thousands of people in buildings that they could not leave because water .was around them and they had no food. no water. no bathroom facilities and no power. The situation is better now and it -is improving. and no one is happy with the response of either the local officials. the State officials or the Federal Government. But. Mr. Speaker. this is not the time to look at what went wrong. Now is the time to make sure that these people are all rescued. who are not already out. to make sure that they all are comfortable in housing. to make sure that their needs are met. that their children are in school. There will come a time that is not now. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10578}
{"speech_id":1090066842,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when we will really take a hard look at what went wrong. not to place blame. Because I really believe. Mr. Speaker. that everyone at every level made what they thought was the right decision at the time they made it. Obviously. in hindsight. it was not the right decision and we need to make sure that we learn from this experience so that we do not repeat it when we have another crisis. And there will be another crisis. either a natural disaster or a terroristinduced crisis. Americans are really helping. When a tragedy occurred overseas we poured out ourselves to help in the tsunami and Americans are doing that now for other Americans. And we are learning that sometimes bureaucracy gets in the way because we have people who want to help and they are ready to help and they wait and they wait. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10578}
{"speech_id":1090066842,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What can we do? And they are ready with supplies. We are working very hard. Mr. Speaker. as we clear away these roadblocks in our bureaucracy because we know that what the Bible says is true. that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We are now taking a lot of money from our people and from our children and our grandchildren because we will not be able to pay it back. money we need to help the survivors of this catastrophe. But we must not deny our citizens the satisfaction. the reward. the fulfillment that they get from helping themselves. And so we must continue to work to make sure that bureaucracy does not get in the way of people helping people because that really. in the end. is the best kind of help. Just a little example about how much some of our agencies have done. This is the Coast Guard. They rescued over 23.000 survivors. assisted in the evacuation of another 10.000 from area hospitals. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10578}
{"speech_id":1090066842,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have brought in over 2.600 servicemen and women. called up another 800 Reservists to undertake response operations. They moved over 75 aircraft. 22 cutters. those are. ships. 110 small boats into the disaster area to execute search and rescue. environmental cleanup and to restore navigation to ports. That is very important because a lot of oil moves in there. They dispersed tons of food. potable water and other supplies to survivors. surveyed and replaced dozens of aids to navigation required to reopen 62 percent of the local ports and waterways to deliver critically needed oil. gas and other natural resources. They have begun the environmental remediation on gulf waterways by removing 60.000 gallons of oil. 665 floating containers of unknown liquid. 132 compressed cylinders and 10 petroleum tanks. Mr. Speaker. as a result of this crisis. gas that was already high has skyrocketed higher. and now many people are talking about energy. We started talking about energy and a coming crisis on March 14. Katrina has just hastened and magnified the process that we began talking about then. On March 4. just 10 days before we gave our first floor speech here on this subject. gas was $1.93. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10578}
{"speech_id":1090066842,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By August 29. just before the hurricane hit. it was $2.60. That is a pretty big increase. from March 4 to August 29 a 67 percent increase. In just 7 days from August 29 to September 5. the price of oil jumped from $2.60. this is an average nationwide. more some places. less some others. to $3.04 average. This is an increase .of $1.22 in just 1 year. But. Mr. Speaker. it could have been much worse. We have over 4.000 wells in the gulf. 953 of those are manned rigs and platforms. Only about 20 of those were cut. And. by the way. from those 4.000 wells we get about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. which is just a bit more than a fourth of all the oil that we pump. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10578}
{"speech_id":1090066935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last weekend I went to the floor of the Astrodome to work with some of the evacuees. I have never been so inspired by people of courage and grace and great dignity. On the way home on the flight from Houston to DC. there were 10 evacuees headed for Florida. In the middle of the flight. a young man took out a razor blade and slashed his wrists in a suicide attempt. I. The pilot made the appropriate judg.ment. There were two MTs on board. They saved his life. Actually. it probably was not life threatening. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1071}
{"speech_id":1090066935,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We diverted to Nashville. We made a flight change in response to a problem. Now this administration has to make a change in the flight plan about who and how FEMA is being run. It is a disaster in itself. We need a flight change. and this is not a matter of accountability. There are more hurricanes on the way. FEMAs job in this disaster is not done. We do not have confidence in the people and the organization in the FEMA cockpit. It could crash again. This President needs to change FEMA. and we should be doing it in this debate today. 0] 1015","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1071}
{"speech_id":1090066955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I- Mr. Speaker. our most important appreciate the gentlewomans courtesy task right now is to. help our fellow in permitting me to speak on this bill. Americans rebuild their lives. The task Mr. Speaker. I have come to the floor of this Congress and the task for this of this House repeatedly over recent Nation is to restore communities. help years using this specific example of people rebuildtheir lives and have a New Orleans as a call to arms to retrospection of what happened. We change how we do business. I cannot must pinpoint the errors made prior to tell my colleagues how disappointed I the storm and flooding. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090066955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Failing to ream that we are having before us today spond in a time of need. when fellow a proposal that does not provide an op- Americans have lost their lives. their portunity for this Chamber to ade- loved ones. their homes. failing to requately discuss what is at stake and to spond in a time of need is unacceptdeal with opportunities. able. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina Identifying failures is not pointing. has presented us with an unprece- fingers. It is- pointing the way to imdented opportunity to focus the spot- prove the system for the future. We light of public attention and political cannot solve a problem if we do not concern on how to do not just the best think we had a problem. We can both job of helping the victims of this tragic help Americans. which is our primary storm but in making it less likely that task. rebuild their lives. reestablish others suffer needlessly in the future. their communities. but we must also Preventing future devastation is the for all Americans understand what best way to honor the memory of thou- happened here so as it comes to future sands who have died and respect the crises. future natural disasters. we are losses of hundreds of thousands or able and capable of responding. Bemore who are living. cause saying everything worked well. . But we are not going to have the op- acting PQllyannish is unacceptable. as portunity now to come forward with much as trying to point fingers and important issues that bear on over $50 trying to get political advantage in billion. We need to be debating how the this situation. Federal Government can use taxpayer. We can do this right. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090066955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The American dollars to put people. places. and prop- people ask the Congress to do this erty back in harms way. We should be right. working to make sure that citizens are What does it mean to help people redirectly engaged in the work of dis- build their lives? First. there should be aster recovery and mitigation. plan- universal health care for all children 0 ning the future of their communities to 18. Second. a $3.000 education vouchand putting them to work imme- er for people going to college. GED. diately. the same way I saw when I was continuing their education. A housing in the tsunami region earlier this year. program to get people in the commuIn just 1 week we were already putting nities back to work building their tsunami victims to work on a cashfor- homes. highways and rebuilding all the work program restoring their commu- infrastructure. Lastly. making sure the nities. recently enacted bankruptcy law does We need to clarify the role that the not affect people in that area. freezing Fedeial Government is going to play in their credit at that time so they do not disaster prevention. mitigation. and re- go into bankruptcy. lief because we are throwing billions of These are the types of things that dollars at problems that we could have Congress needs to do to help those taken steps to minimize in the begin- Americans. our fellow Americans. get ning. Congress should encourage and their lives and their cpmmunities back support State and local responsibility together and also taking the time to for disaster prevention. mitigation. and look into what happened here so this recovery. and we must employ natural never. ever. ever happens again. solutions wherever possible. The American people deserve better. We cannot do that today. There is no and in a time of crisis. they lookto reason that we are not able to have a their fellow countrymen and their govrational discussion. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090066955,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope this is the ernment. and this Congress must rise last time the Committee on Rules to the task to do that. Today. the way treats us this way. this is handled is not the right way. We","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090066982,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans courtesy in permitting me to speak and allowing this to move forward. I appreciate his leadership and partnership with the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman OXLEY) and the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman NEY) for the followthrough on the important flood insurance reform that was. as he mentioned a moment ago. enacted this last year. The committee has been focused on making sure that the promise of flood insurance reform is. in fact. realized. While our hearts go out to those who have suffered what has happened in the gulf region. I think the spotlight of this terrible catastrophe will help us follow through on the important work that we have started with the committee and in terms of dealing with the flood insurance program. I acknowledge that what we are doing here today is an important. necessary step. The additional $2 billion in borrowing authority is unprecedented. but the floods are unprecedented. I think we should acknowledge on the floor that this is just the down payment. that the $2 billion. by no .stretch of the imagination. is likely to be enough. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3066}
{"speech_id":1090066982,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are probably going to be back asking for another $2 billion or $4 billion before we are done. but it is important to allow FEMA to move forward at this point. I hope that this will enable us to provide a platform for further reform. I hope. and I appreciate the prodding that the subcommittee did earlier with FEMA and its performance. It is appalling to me that FEMA never pushed forward requesting the mitigation funds that were authorized. Now we have the money in the House version of the appropriations bill. but we need to move forward to see to it that this Congress puts money in place that will move people out of harms way. I hope the committee will work with us to look at other adjustments that may be necessary in the flood insurance program. Certainly the notion that people who live protected by levees. and I use the term \"levee protection\" advisedly. may notneed flood insurance. Well. I think we are seeing an example of where. in fact. they probably do need flood insurance. I think there are other questions that we need to explore. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3066}
{"speech_id":1090066982,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know the Committee on Financial Services is exploring other aspects. and I appreciate consultation with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Ranking Member FRANK). is about issues in terms of the viability of small financial institutions that have been wiped out. Well. I hope that with the same spirit of necessary reform and accommodation. we can look at how we finance the flood insurance. Can we afford to put $2 billion. $4 billion. $6 billion of additional flood losses on the backs of 4 million policyholders? It seems to me from a distance that that would be both unfair and undesirable. I hope that this is the first st(p to be able to move forward with these longerterm reforms. I appreciate the work that the committee is doing.I appreciate moving forward with this expeditiously. but our work has just begun. and I look forward to working with my colleagues on these next important steps.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3066}
{"speech_id":1090067067,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 3672. the TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act. This bill is a modest first step towards assisting the states so severely effected by Hurricane Katrina and the many poor and underserved Americans who rely on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. This bill will extend TANF in a number of ways that will aid those in need along the Gulf Coast and those states who have taken in the evacuees from this disaster. It will extend TANF funding for the entire Nation for the next 3 months and allow States to receive advance payments. Additionally. it will increase TANF funding for Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama by 20 percent. It will also provide flexibility to neighboring states for reporting requirements and in using TANF contingency funds and unspent prior year TANF funding for assisting disaster evacuees. Finally. it waives work requirements and time limits for hurricane victims in need of shortterm assistance. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2653}
{"speech_id":1090067067,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While this legislation is a good first step. its focus is shortsighted and fails to consider the months and years that will be required to return .the Gulf Coast to normalcy. It fails to address the need for child care assistance for evacuees trying to find some form of employment to support their families. There are likely to be thousands of children in need of foster care or family support services and this bill fails to address that need. It also does nothing for the roughly 11.000 jobless workers in the Gulf Coast region who are within 6 weeks of exhausting their regular unemployment benefits. The haunting images we have seen on the news should be a wake up call to Congress that millions of Americans are still stuck in a cycle of poverty. Just last week. the Census Bureau released data that showed income for the typical American family fell by $1.670. 5.4 million more people slipped into poverty. and 6 million more joined the ranks of the uninsured. These are the issues that should be at the top of our priority list in Congress. We are taking a positive step today to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the next few months. However. we need to think long term about the cost and efforts needed to lift up the people in the Gulf Coast. I hope to never see again the images of people too poor or too sick to evacuate their homes in times of an emergency. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2653}
{"speech_id":1090067067,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nor do I wish to see a response so slow or inept that.thousands lived insqualor for days. We should never forget those images and that memory should spur us to improve the TANF program to ensure that no American ever feels forgotten by the United States Government and the people it represents.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2653}
{"speech_id":1090067106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. it was less than 1 week ago that Congress approved $10.5 billion in disaster aid to begin providing immediate assistance to the people of the gulf coast. That emergency supplemental bill was the first of what will likely be several supplementals addressing the urgent needs of our citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina. I plan to be very brief in my remarks. The human needs in the gulf region are all too apparent. The President has promised an unprecedented level of assistance and. once again. Congress is backing that promise with the funding and resources to keep the aid flowing. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2722}
{"speech_id":1090067106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a straightforward supplemental providing $51.8 billion for emergency response and recovery needs associated with this disaster. Our effort today will ensure that there is no disruption in funding for needed relief efforts. We fully expect to be approving still more assistance once we have an assessment of the full scope and costs of this disaster. It is important for our Members to know that we are insisting on proper oversight for those appropriated dollars to ensure that funds are being spent wisely. Specifically. we have added a provision allowing the transfer of up to $15 million from FEMAs Disaster Relief Fund to the Homeland Security inspector general. Congress also will provide that every dollar needed is spent to rebuild. but we will require accountability for every dollar that is spent. The destruction along the gulf coast will require months and even years of intense effort to recover and rebuild. Congress and the Bush administration are fully committed to the rebuilding process. One final thought in closing. I recall vividly the scene of Republicans and Democrats standing on the steps of the Capitol singing \"God Bless America\" on the evening of September 11. 2001. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2722}
{"speech_id":1090067106,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We stood not as partisans or political opponents. but as American citizens united in our grief and resolve. We would all do well to follow that model of comity and civility. Our Buccess in rebuilding in the wake of this natural disaster demands that we tone down our political rhetoric and weigh our words and actions carefully. The lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people are at stake. The temptation to point fingers is great in the aftermath of a tragedy of this magnitude. Regardless of party affiliation. we must all resist this temptation to point fingers when our citizens are suffering and in need. There will be plenty of time to assess how and why this disaster occurred. but not today. not now. We must stand together as we did on 9\/11. united as Americans. to assist our citizens in need. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2722}
{"speech_id":1090067127,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume to mention. as I did in my opening statement. that we have changed this a bit by adding $15 million to make .sure our inspector general is assisting us in making sure that every dollar that will be spent. and it is necessary to help those people who have been affected by this tragedy. that indeed it is our intention to ensure to the American public that every dollar is spent well. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of -my time.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":486}
{"speech_id":1090067130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. \"Mr. Chairman. the Brookings Institution studied this proposal for a Department of Homeland Security and reached the same conclusion as former FEMA Director James Lee With with this observation: \"There is very little daytoday synergy between the preventive and protective functions of the border and transportation security entities in the Department and the emergency preparedness and response functions a consolidated FEMA contributes. There is. therefore. little to be gained in bringing these very different entities under the same organizationgl roof. And the costs are not insignificant. \"FEMA.\" the report says. \"would likely become less effective in performing its current mission in case of natural disasters. as time. effort. and attention are inevitably diverted to other tasks within the larger organization.\" Prior to the time when we enacted the Stafford Act which statutorily established FEMA in 1979. after we had shed its disaster. civil defense role. the Federal Government had had no coordinated or effective response to natural disasters. but FEMA became that response agency. Now. if we move this really effective agency into a big bureaucracy. we know what happens. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3190}
{"speech_id":1090067130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We all know in this Chamber what happens when a small agency gets into a big department and the big appetite for more money to be shuffled around with fungible dollars that can go from one agency to the next and suddenly. FEMAs will just dissipate and fritter away. ir. Chairman. I am in the enviable position of rising In support of the unanimous position of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in reporting out our responsibilities toward homeland security. and that is the committee reported out recommendation to keep FEMA as an independent agency. All right. This is July 2002. Let us fast forward to July 2003. The majority has prevailed. FEMA is a box in the mimmoth bureaucracy of the Department of Homeland Security. Flood waters are swirling around your city. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3190}
{"speech_id":1090067130,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You call for help. You get the Department of Homeland Security. The switchboard sends your call to the Under Secretarys office which looks up \"disaster\" on their organizational chart and sends you to the Congressional Liaison Office. which then promises to get a message back to you in 24 hours. Eventually. they find FEMA. by which time you are stranded on the roof of your house waving a white handkerchief and screaming for help. FEMA. the word comes back. sorry. is looking for suspected terrorists some place in the hinterland of America and will get back to you as soon as we can. This Department of Homeland Security is a bureaucracy in search of a mission. Do not give them FEMAs mission. It is too important to waste on this misguided department. There is that old barnyard saying. \"if It aint broke. dont fix it.\" FEMA aint broke. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3190}
{"speech_id":1090067130,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dont fix it by ruining it and sending it into the Department of Homeland Sccurity. It is nimble.- quick. lean. effective as an independent agency today. Keep it that way. Help your city. help your State. help yourself. help your firefighter by keeping FEMA as an independent. agency where it belongs and has been effective.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3190}
{"speech_id":1090067186,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the gentleman continuing to yield. Entitlement reform is still one of the highest priorities of the House this fall. However. due to the events of the last 10 days. it has been replaced as the number one priority. Therefore. we will likely postpone consideration of these very important reforms for a number of weeks. We are still trying to decide when we might approach this issue. .based upon all the issues that are flooding in from all Members of things that we need to do in light of the disaster of Katrina. So I just think it is probably a little early for us to give specific dates as to when we would go to markup and those kinds of things until we get a better handle on what we need to be doing to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to take care of those victims of Katrina.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090067316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I congratulate the Senator from Iowa for offering this amendment. I know he has been a passionate supporter of Legal Services and quite frankly so have I over the years. having used it when I was a social worker in Baltimore and a child abuse worker. I might add. when many of these children had very little protection. the kind of protection we have now. Legal Services will perform services at multiple levels. One is the traditional services in all 50 States. No. 2. though. they will be very important now to people with Katrina. particularly those who are unfamiliar with paperwork and bureaucracy and applying and all of those things and will need someone to help them navigate. One might ask. why would they need a lawyer? Legal Services offers more than lawyers. and they will be there. I think the Senators amendment is excellent. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1628}
{"speech_id":1090067316,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think what we need to be able to do is find both the will and the wallet to fully support Legal Services. When I think back on what Legal Services has meant.. it often helped people get their lives together. I know in my own case as a social worker. it helped a welfare mother get a divorce from an abusive husband. It helped her be able to clear up all of her credit issues so that she could begin a new life. She got a GED so she could move off of welfare and establish herself. The credit card mess was dueto the abusive husband. So Legal Services. really. in many instances helps families get their lives together. So we look forward to supporting this amendment and working with him on other advocacy issues. I yield the floor. and I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1628}
{"speech_id":1090067367,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join the leadership of Senator REID and Senator LANDRIEU who have announced a package of proposals to be of assistance to the Hurricane Katrina victims so that the millions of people affected by the devastation along the gulf coast can begin to rebuild their lives. The amendment which I have sent to the desk is only part of that broader proposal and deals with the housing situation which now confronts the victims of this tragic storm. Before going into the details of the proposal. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to those in Louisiana. Alabama. and Mississippi who have lost loved ones or who are still searching for family .members. neighbors. and friends. They need to know that the thoughts and prayers of the country are with them during these very difficult and trying times. We know that hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their houses. their jobs. their belongings. indeed. their communities. An effort is now underway in the Congress to come to their assistance. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9675}
{"speech_id":1090067367,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know the road to recovery will not be easy and it will not be short. but we need to undertake these efforts immediately. It was earlier estimated this week by FEMA officials and told to the President that 500.000 to a million people *were rendered homeless by Hurricane Katrina and the deadly floods that followed the hurricane. In fact. yesterdays New York Times reported that as many as a million people are without housing. While the first job was to evacuate people. to get them food and water and to address their medical needs. in other words. to in effect save the lives of those who have been so heavily impacted. I think it is fair to say that the next job confronting us would be to find adequate housing for the survivors of Katrina. The Americans displaced by the hurricane are scattered throughout the country now. I want to underscore the comments made by some of my colleagues earlier about the opening up of the arms of Americans across the country to take people in in this time of emergency and the great need. Families coming out of the gulf coast are in effect living wherever they can find a roof over their heads. with relatives. with friends. with caring strangers who have volunteered to take them in. in sheltersfor example. Houston opened up the Astrodomeon cruise ships or in tents. It is fair to say if one stops and thinks about this for a moment it is. at best. a temporary housing situation. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9675}
{"speech_id":1090067367,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The hundreds of thousands of displaced families need to have access to stable housing so they can send their kids to school. start pulling their lives back together again. which is. of course. a pressing challenge. seek employment and chart out a future for themselves. This amendment. recognizing the overwhelming need for stable housing. proposes an emergency housing voucher program of $3.5 billion. which would provide temporary rental assistance to more than 350.000 displaced families. It eliminatesI should say more accurately. suspends for a limited period of timemany of the requirements and the restrictions that ordinarily apply to the housing voucher program. For example. any person or family displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina would be eligible to receive this much needed assistance. they could get a temporary housing voucher. This is without regard to their income situation. It recognizes the storm hit rich and poor alike and this is an effort to give them some immediate. shortterm help so they can move out of the situation in which they find themselves. The temporary rental vouchers would quickly and efficiently move families into stable housing across the country in the communities to which they have relocated. So it would give them an opportunity. with the voucher that would come to them. to find housing for themselves and their families. They could move out of the shelters. They could move out of temporary facilities. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9675}
{"speech_id":1090067367,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They could cease to live with relatives.. friends or. indeed. strangers. The rental assistance will be flexible and it will be easy to use. It will have payments sufficient so they can find suitable housing. The funds provided could be used anywhere in the country by those who have been impacted by the hurricane whose situation was created by the hurricane to pay for rent. security deposits. relocation expenses and moving expenses back to the affected .areas at the appropriate time. So. if and when the time comes. they could return to their homes if that was the choice. The assistance would be available for an initial period of 6 months. It is limited. A further 6 months is available. an extension. unless the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development finds that the assistance is no longer needed. But the maximum extent of these temporary housing vouchers would be 1 year. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9675}
{"speech_id":1090067367,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would be 6 months. with a possibility of an extension. The emergency program would be administered by HUD. which could operate the vouchers directly or provide the vouchers to local housing agencies. State and local governments or other entities. so long as the vouchers get out quickly to those in need. We have a complicated problem here because the public housing authorities. of course. are locally based. The ones in areas where the people have been displaced are. in effect. out of business. There is no housing there by definition. since people have had to evacuate and leave. .These people have now been moved to different parts of the country. We need to be able to get these vouchers to them and get them to them quickly. We know people want to return to their neighborhoods. but it will probably be months before that is at all possible. Ordinarily. FEMA provides trailers and other housing after a disaster. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9675}
{"speech_id":1090067398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to join my colleagues and all Americans in offerirfg my condolences and my prayers to the residents of the gulf region. These families have suffered grievously. They have lost all of their possessions. They are without homes. without employment. We owe them a great deal of support and consideration. and. indeed. as I say again. all our prayers. As news reports show. there are heroes throughout the gulfthose who helped neighbors survive the hurricane and those who continue to work in the region to help reunite families and restore order. Americans throughout the Nation are opening their homes to hurricane survivors and volunteering their time and resources to meet the needs of evacuees. But while this disaster shows the best that America can offer. it also shows the worst. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2566}
{"speech_id":1090067398,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It shows that the Federal bureaucracy is ill prepared to respond to a natural catastrophe that we knew was possible. It shows the Federal bureaucracy ill prepared to respond to future potential disasters.. It shows a government so tied up in red tape that it is not serving its people at their time of need. In the days. weeks. and months ahead. we will be investigating what went wrong. and there will be plenty of blame to pass around. but we cannot blame the victims of this tragedy as some have chosen to do. Many families in tTe gulf region did not have the resources or means to leave before Hurricane Katrina struck because this administrations economic policy favored tax cuts for the wealthy over programs that -provide economic opportunities for all Americans. Over the last 3 years. poverty has risen in America and the real median income of workers stagnated. We must be willing to look honestly at how budget decisions and tax policy at Federal. State. and local level left New Orleans residents and other communities vulnerable to this tragedy. We must look honestly at how these policies continue to leave millions of Americans vulnerable across the Nation. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the economic. social. and racial divides that exists in America. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2566}
{"speech_id":1090067398,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a Nation we must step back and evaluate our priorities. In my judgment. now is not the time to cut funding for social programs such as Medicaid. food stamps. and community development block grants while the administration pushes to repeal the estate tax. Now is not the time to continue to provide corporate tax breaks. while we must help rebuild a region in the midst of massive deficits as a result of the administrations policies. The damage to the national economy wrought by Hurricane","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2566}
{"speech_id":1090067414,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my good friend and colleague from California. Senator FEINSTEIN. for bringing this issue forward again. She has been dedicated to SCAAP funding. I want to also mention Senator JON KYL from Arizona who has always stepped in when we had an appropriations bill to make sure our States got some reimbursement for their costs of incarcerating illegal aliens. Unfortunately. as Senator FEINSTEIN has said. we have more and more illegal aliens coming into our country and. unfortunately. committing crimes. This is a Federal responsibility. The counties along the border States should not have to fund what is a Federal responsibility. Incarcerating illegal aliens for criminal activities is absolutely a Federal responsibility. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1616}
{"speech_id":1090067414,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I join my colleague. Senator FEINSTEIN. in urging the chairman and ranking member of this subcommittee to accept the House position when we go to conference. Mr. President. $200 million does not cover a 10th of the cost to the border States in reimbursing them for the incarceration of criminal aliens. And $400 million goes a much longer way. I think it is a minimum. All of us realize that illegal immigration must be stopped in our country. We must know who is in our country for security purposes. and we must be able to deport or incarcerate people who are here illegally and commit crimes in our country. I hope the committee chairman and ranking member will work with us to increase the number from the Senate position of $200 million to the House position of $400 million. at a minimum. I thank the Senator from California for bringing this forward once again.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1616}
{"speech_id":1090067453,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Very briefly. Mr. President. this supplemental will be the last vote of the evening and for the week. We will be here tomorrow to continue business on CommerceJusticeScience. Amendments can be offered either tonight or tomorrow. There will be no rollcall votes tomorrow. We will be voting on Monday. Instead of 5:30. it will be a little later than that. We will announce that specific time oh Monday. We will finish CommerceJusticeScience early next week. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":603}
{"speech_id":1090067453,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senators should not wait to offer amendments. Either offer them tonight or tomorrow. We will wrap this bill up in the very early part of next week.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":603}
{"speech_id":1090067479,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am here today to speak about my cherished friend. long time aide. and trusted confidante. Sonny Foster. who died unexpectedly on August 25. I first met Sonny in 1973 when he and I served together on the Urban League Board. Sonny was still a student at Creighton and I was counsel to an insurance company. Sonny loved to tell the story of my first Urban League meeting at the old Logan- Fontenelle Center. When the meeting ended and I went to drive home. Ifound. to my dismay. that someone had helped themselves to my battery. Sonny retold the story the week before he died. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5768}
{"speech_id":1090067479,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With his unique highpitched laugh he said \"We never expected to see him again!\" But I came back and .a friendship began that lasted for more than 30 years! In 1989. when I was planning to run for Governor. some 16 years later. we teamed up. No one ever expected us to win. and we never expected to lose. And we didnt. It was his first time to manage a statewide campaign and my first time as a candidate for office. Of this victory. the Omaha WorldHerald said -in its August 27. 2005 editorial \"Foster put his stamp on the political map of Nebraska by the start of the 21st Centurynot only because of his assistance in planting BEN NELSON firmly in the political firmament. but also in his steadfast efforts to make the Democratic Party a force in his North Omaha base.\" Much has been made of Sonnys firsts. He was the first African American elected to be student body president at Creighton University in 1973. He was the first African American elected to the Omaha Board of Education by district. He was also the first African American to run a statewide campaign in Nebraska. Sonny had a long and distinguished. career in publit service including serving as a legislative aide for Congressman John Cavanaugh and as deputy labor commissioner for Governor Bob Kerrey. When I was Governor. he served in multiple positions in my administration. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5768}
{"speech_id":1090067479,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are indeed significant accomplishments. And it is indeed appropriate that we celebrate them. But you know what Sonny treasured most was breaking the ground for others to followmich more than anything he did on his own. In a very real sense. Sonny lived his life so others could enjoy their own success. Sonny lit the torch and passed it on. We must commit to never let that torch go out because of apathy or inaction. He set the standardit is for others. for us. to now uphold. I had a lot of time to think about what to say about Sonny in the eulogy I delivered at his memorial service hoping to do justice to a most remarkable life cut short by some divine plan which we must reluctantly accept. I started by listing his many qualities: Sonny was brilliant and perceptive. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5768}
{"speech_id":1090067479,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was loyal..honest. trustworthy. dependable. responsible. competent. caring. passionate and compassionate. He was totally trustworthy. Sonny was honest. He would tell you what you needed to know. not what he thought you wanted to hear. This was one of his most endearing qualities. One time I teased him by saying I preferred to be told that my idea was unlikely to work rather than be asked \"who came up with that crazy idea?\" Sonny wasfocused on getting things done. No task was ever too big or important or. too small for him. Stories abound about his tackling impossible immigration cases and solving them. He met my plane when he could have assigned it to someone else. Those 20 minute trips gave us uninterrupted time to talk. to catch up. and to tease one another about one thing or another. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5768}
{"speech_id":1090067479,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then there is Sonnys passion. Everyone has a story about how strongly Sonny Foster felt about each and every cause. He didnt suffer foolishness. He possessed the ability to sort things out. Not bashful. he told you what he thought and sometimes in colorful terms. Most of those terms cannot be repeated here. Some thought Sonny lacked patience. I see it the other way around. His dedication. his devotion to his work. his dogged perseverance manifested itself in bold and bombastic ways. When he cared. you knew it! Underneath the bombast and the passion was a deep well of compassion. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5768}
{"speech_id":1090067493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of the greatest challenges we facenot just in Iowa but all across Americais preserving the character and vitality of our towns. This is about economics. but it is also about our culture and identity. After all. you wont find the heart and soul of Iowa at WalMart or Home Depot out in the strip malls. No. the heart and soul of Iowa is in our. family farms and on Main Street in communities all across my State. That is why we need to be as generous as possible and creative as possible in keeping our downtowns not just alive but thriving. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Im involved in funding many hundreds of programs every year. But the Main Street Iowa programproviding challenge grants to revitalize downtown buildings across my stateis in a class by itself. Its smart. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2965}
{"speech_id":1090067493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its effective. And it touches communities and people in very concrete ways. An example of this effect can be found in the efforts of the citizens of Cedar Falls to restore and reinvigorate their downtown area. Downtown Cedar Falls pursued the Challenge Grant opportunity from Main Street Iowa on behalf of two projects: The Black Hawk Hotel. which is the oldest continuously running hotel in- the state of Iowa. and the Jiva Salon spa building. Both buildings received dramatic faQade improvements that restored the buildings to their intended looks. and a a result contributed to the success of the businesses that occupy them. The hotel also renovated its interior. adding a barber shop. an evening lounge. 24 luxury suites. a deli. and a sushi bar. and the salon now houses a first class spa that attracts a regional audience. Downtown Cedar Falls is a newly rec-: ognized Cultural District by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. and that designation resulted in part from the impact of these two projects along with the other investments encouraged through their initiative. The beauty of the Main Street- Iowa program is that the ideas and initiatives come.from our towns and rural communities. I have been pleased to secure $1.5 million in funding since 2002 for Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants. The Main Street programs of the Iowa Department of Economic Development help provide technical assistance. but. as we have seen in Cedar Falls. success itself comes from local leadership. local teamwork. and homegrown ideas and solutions. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2965}
{"speech_id":1090067493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This project is a shining example of new construction and a catalyst for future projects. When people see one of *the anchor businesses on Main Street being renovated or expanded. this can change the whole psychology of a town or community. It offers hope. It serves as a catalyst for a farreaching ripple effect of positive changes. I congratulate the citizens of Cedar Falls for putting together a winning proposal to secure a Main Street Challenge Grant. Their efforts to revitalize their historic downtown are setting a terrific example for other towns across America. and for that. I salute them.*","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2965}
{"speech_id":1090067502,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am reintroducing a bill to provide help to State and local first responders in purchasing interoperable communications systemsso- that everyone can talk to one another during an emergency. This need has been glaringly apparent for over a decade now. but especially since the 2001 terrorist attacks. It was all the more evident in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The 9\/11 Commission described the inability to communicate as \"a critical element\" at the World Trade Center and at the crash sites. Where multiple agencies and multiple jurisdictiona responded in September 2001. And yet four years after that attack. ouir first responders still cannot talk to each other. Let me mention just one example from the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. National Guard members have compared communications capabilities in New Orleans unfavorably with those in Iraq. Ground commanders for New Orleans have been functioning without the ability to track the location of some units reporting tp them. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3015}
{"speech_id":1090067502,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is unacceptable. Almostr every community I visit in Californiafrom big to smallmentions the need for. interoperable communications for first responders and the need for assistance from the federal government. California suffered from a lack of interoperable communications in the fall of 2003. when communities could not communicate with each other to convey what was happening. with fires that were sweeping through the State. greatly complicating the response. We need to provide funding so that State and local first responders can purchase the technology that makes interoperability possible. We need to do our job at the national level and provide our first responders with the resources to protect our communities in the case ofa terrorist attack. natural disaster. or other emergency. I have tried to get funds for interoperable communication systems as part of the Intelligence Bill. the Rail Security Bill. and the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. The time to act is past. We need to get this done before the next disaster strikes. which is why I am reintroducing this bill. My bill would authorize $300 million for each of the next 5 years to help State and local agencies improve existing communications systems or purchase new systems. This funding would help local agencies purchase equipment for realtime interoperable communication between first responders. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3015}
{"speech_id":1090067502,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Guaranteeing that first responders will have the communications equipment necessary to respond to a future attack is exactly the kind of preemptive action we should have taken after 9\/11 and should be taking now. A report on the needs of first responders by Warren Rudman and Richard Clarke found that fixing this problem would cost $6.8 billion. My bill does not fund this all. but we need to do something. This bill is an important step in fulfilling our federal responsibility to protect our citizens during emergencies. I urge my colleagues to. support it. By Mr. AKAKA (for himself. Mr. REID. and Mrs. MURRAY):","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3015}
{"speech_id":1090067505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking. Housing. and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 8. 2005. at 10 a.m.. tb conduct a hearing on \"Examining the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 and recent market.\"","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":288}
{"speech_id":1090067515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask MikulakiRelevant to list. Nelson (FL)unanimous consent that the following NWS office consolidation. staff members be granted the privilege Nelson . (NE)-Bankruptcy trustee. of the floor during the consideration of ObamaJustice assistance grants 900M. H.R. 2862. the CommerceJustice- PryorFTC Gas prices. ReidRelevant. Science appropriations bill: Jill Sha- ReidRelevant. ReidRelevant to any on piro Long. Allen Cutler. and Gabrielle list. ReidRelevant to any on list. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":575}
{"speech_id":1090067515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ReidDoBatkin. mestic violence. Roberts--FBI Funding. SalazarScience Education funding.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":575}
{"speech_id":1090067661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to speak for a few minutes on one of the amendments the Senate just adopted by unanimous consent. That amendment contained the Combat Meth Act that Senator FEINSTEIN. my good friend and distinguished colleague from California. and I have cosponsored along with 40 other Senators. It is the most comprehensive methamphetamine legislation ever introduced. much less passed by this body. and I want to begin my brief remarks by thanking the Senator from Alabama and his staff for working with us. and the Senator from Kentucky for his good work. I know my friend from California feels the same way. We are very grateful for their efforts in including this amendment in this bill. It was very important to do. It is amazing. since we introduced this bill. the response that we have had within this body and from the law enforcement and the social services community around the country. Senators and America are aware of the fact that methamphetamine is the single most deadly drug threat we have confronted certainly in my time in public life in the 20 years that I have been in legislative bodies. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7556}
{"speech_id":1090067661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As bad as the other drugs are. it is worse than the other drugs. It is almost immediately addictive. Let us send a message out right now: You cannot use methamphetamine casually. If you take it. you are going to get addicted to it. It changes the physical structure of the brain. It causes people to be more aggressive. It can turn some people into maniacs. Law enforcement will tell you other drugs are not as dangerous because they are passive. Methamphetamine causes people to become more aggressive. It changes the physical structure of the brain. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7556}
{"speech_id":1090067661,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It causes people to become more aggressive. It is almost instantly addictive and there is no known medical model for getting people off it. There is no methadone for methamphetamine. I talked to a substance abuse counsellor from Marriville. MO. about this one time. He had been in his line. in his profession. for 16 years. and he said: When I counsel somebody in trying to get somebody off methamphetamine. I just use the 12step program and I rely heavily on the first step. There is a higher power who can help you because that is what it takes to get off methamphetamine. And there are some people who do. It is heroic and miraculous. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7556}
{"speech_id":1090067661,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But we have no known effective treatment. It is the perfect storm of drugs because in addition to all that. methamphetamine. unlike other drugs. is not just sold and consumed in our neighborhoods. which would be bad enough. it is made in our neighborhoods. And the process by which it is made. which is it is concocted in labs. presents by .itself a huge set of problems and causes a huge number of social pathologies which our local authorities have been fighting heroically for years and years. Methamphetamine labs are toxic. The process by which the drug is made and then used is toxic. There are all kinds of toxic chemicals that are being used. So when these meth cooks operate a lab in a home or a van. they create a toxic waste dump. It costs $10.000 to clean it up. Our law enforcement officers have to be trained. not only as law enforcement officers but as environmental experts. because as they take down these meth labs they have to break them down. and it costs a lot of money. not even counting the training costs. Then the chemicals have to be disposed of in an environmentally safe way. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7556}
{"speech_id":1090067661,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That costs a lot of money. Because these labs are out there operating. it presents a whole host of additional dangers to our children. even beyond the fact that their parents or caregivers may be using a seriously deadly drug. because these kids are growing up in homes that are toxic. I have had social service workers in Missouri tell me that when they pull children out of these environments. they have to decontaminate them. sometimes two or three times. because the residue of these toxins is all over their bodies. It is tragic and terrible. I have had law enforcement officers tell me they will go in and the air is so bad they have to wear breathing filters or moon suits. and there are little children running around within a few feet. They have seen cradles next to methamphetamine labs. All of this is a problem with methamphetamine that does not exist with other drugs. as dangerous and as terrible as other drugs may be. Methamphetamine is epidemic. The fact that it is relatively easy to make the drug and the information about it is all over the Internet means that there are. in my State alone. law enforcement tells me. hundreds. perhaps thousands of labs operating in isolated areas. and often in not so isolated areas. The home next door may be making methamphetamine. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7556}
{"speech_id":1090067671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join my Senate colleagues in voicing my unwavering support to help Gulf Coast residents recover and rebuild their communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The $60.5 billion in funding we have passed is a start toward restoring basic infrastructure and the economy. but we have a long way to go. This recovery will require much more of our time. resources and a comprehensive plan. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to do just that. In the last 2 weeks. I have witnessed many good and bad things involving Hurricane Katrina. The generosity and compassion shown by families all over the Nation have redefined the meaning of good neighbor. In Arkansas. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090067671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have Septemb&r 9. 2005 watched as countless charities. individuals from the private and public sector and the faithbased community joined together to welcome their neighbors with unmatched Southern hospitality. I am very proud of the Arkansas National Guard. Many of these Guard members have spent months in Iraq away from their families this year. but they were eager to join the military operation to help rescue Hurricane victims. secure the streets of New Orleans. and maintain order in many of our shelters. I am also pleased that these Guard members have been mobilized under title 32 so that their time counts for purposes of retirement. health care and other benefits enjoyed by their ActiveDuty counterparts. After the initial devastation of Hurricane Katrina. I called my Gulf Coast colleagues to ask how I could help and support their constituents in their time of need. I am working to honor their requests by coordinating logistics for evacuees and helping evacuees in Arkansas resolve problems involving Social Security checks. postal services. and FEMA forms. My office is also working to find housing for evacuees. transport them. reunite families. and assist with translation. As 60.000 or more of their constituents have traveled to Arkansas. I am working to serve their constituents as well as Arkansans. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090067671,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Evacuees should know that as they get their lives back together. they have a home in Arkansas. While the American people were stepping up to the plate. the Government struck out. Our emergency plans failed to meet expectations. I want to focus on helping distressed families now. but in the not too distant future. we need to take a hard look at the failures that occurred in responding to this disaster. Under Senate rules. Senators COLLINS and LIEBERMAN are tasked with leading Government oversight as the ranking members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. As a member of this committee. I can attest to their strong. bipartisan. and tested leadership. The intelligence restructuring bill drafted in this committee. passed by this body. and signed into law by President Bush last year is a fitting example. This same committee ought to pursue its oversight responsibilities on the Governments slow rescue and response efforts. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090067671,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe very adamantly that part of any investigation. and subsequent legislation. must begin with fixing the chainofcommand and bureaucratic breakdowns that occurred before and after the hurricane. If the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is not tapped for this undertaking. then I believe the families of the Gulf Coast. and the rest of the Nation. deserve a thorough review of the mistakes that occurred by an independent body in a setting where politics will not play a role. A primary reason for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. following 9\/11. was to allow for a smooth and immediate rescue and recovery operation when disaster strikeswhether naturally occurring or manmade. But instead of a smooth operation. States and Federal agencies again ran into redtape and confusion. A terrorist attack and a hurricane are. of course. two completely different disasters. but the response efforts are just as critical and necessary. and they translate into saving lives. We have put enormous resources into a national emergency preparedness and response system nearly 4 years after 9\/11. and I am concerned and dismayed that our response to a significant disaster has not been improved exponentially. The Governments failure to respond effectively shows weaknesses in our emergency preparedness not just to Americans but also to terrorists who seek havoc in our country. We must find and fix the discrepancies in the system. look for accountability. and make sure these mistakes are never repeated in the United States again. We owe this to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and. quite frankly. we owe it to the victims of 9\/11. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090067671,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe the problems that occurred before. during and after the hurricane have unveiled something else about America. They have opened up eyes in Washington. DC. and across the country about the abject poverty some families live in. Those left stranded on their rooftops or in the Superdome painted a very vivid picture about the inequities that exist in our country today. and they speak volumes about the transportation. housing and health care available in this country. If anything at all comes from this tragedy. I hope it will be a new focus on our priorities in this body. Before the hurricane hit. the Senate was expected to return from its August recess to vote on repealing the estate tax for wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. and cutting health care services for our poorest Americans. Hurricane Katrina showed that we. as a Nation. are failing to take care of our poor. our sick. and our elderly. Government must do better. and that leadership must start with the President. the Senate. and the House of Representatives. We can start with a number of proposals that have been put forth by both Republicans and Democrats to help the South recover from Hurricane Katrina. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090067674,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On August 31. 2005. Jenifer Royer was punched by a man outside a Fayetteville. AR restaurant. The apparent motivation for the attack was over Royers sexual orientation. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090067674,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Royer suffered both a black eye and a broken nose during the incident. according to police. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that are born out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090067690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. so many Members of this Chamber have stood on the floor this past week to speak about the victims of the disaster. the catastrophe down in the gulf region. to speak of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This morning I would like to spend a few brief moments to talk about some other victims. some very young victims. victims of a disease that is absolutely entirely preventable. This morning I speak very briefly about those young children who are born with a fetal alcohol disorder. The ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month having arrived today. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate observe a very brief moment of reflection to remind women who are pregnant or those who may soon become pregnant that no amount of alcoholnone at allis safe to consume during the 9 months of pregnancy. If we may have a brief moment of reflection.","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":857}
{"speech_id":1090067743,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over the past few days. as we have talked about the heartbreak of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. I have noticed that certain firms have been hired now to go in and provide assistance. One of the firms is the Halliburton Corporation. I have held hearings in the policy committee about this company. because there have been numerous serious allegations of fraud. waste. and abuse involving it. and yet none of the Senates authorizing committees will investigate it. Every time you talk about Halliburton someone says. you are criticizing the Vice President because he used to be president of Halliburton. Well. this has nothing to do with the Vice President. It has to do with the American taxpayers getting bilked by a company that is overbilling. I will not go through the whole list of scandals. We have had hearing after hearing to explore them. because the authorizing committees will not. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3519}
{"speech_id":1090067743,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But this is a company that was paid to feed 42.000 soldiers in Iraq. yet they were only feeding 14.000. That means they are overbilling by 28.000 meals a day. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. It is unbelievable the amount of waste. fraud. and abuse that is going on. And now. when it comes to dealing with Katrina. nobid contracts. once again. win Katrina work. And we hear that Halliburton is now getting millions of dollars to do hurricane related work. I wonder who is minding the store? And when will someone start to care? Incidentally. a woman by the name of Bunnatine Greenhouse was demoted last week in the Pentagon. She was the highest ranking civilian ever in the Corps of Engineers. She rose to that position. getting outstanding reviews all along the way. And then she. spoke up. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3519}
{"speech_id":1090067743,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the good old boy network. when they wanted to award nobid contracts to Halliburton in Iraq. she spoke up. All of a sudden she gets demoted. She spoke up because she said what was going on was scandalous. The American taxpayer takes a bath as a result of all of this. Let me tell you what she has told the Congress. Bunnatine Greenhouse. the highest ranking civilian employee in the Corps of Engineers. who refused to sign the nobid contracts that went under a buddy system to Halliburton in Iraq. says: I can unequivocally state that the abuse related to the contracts awarded to KBR [Halliburton] represents the most blatant and improper contract abuse I have witnessed during the course of my professional career. For blowing the whistle. she gets demoted. This is a woman who has had outstanding reviews by everyone along the way. We have heard from people who worked for Halliburton who testified that the managers of this company said. When U.S. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3519}
{"speech_id":1090067743,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Government auditors come. do not dare speak to them. If you do. one of two things will happen. You will be fired or we will send you to the hot spots where there is active fighting in Iraq. These are people who testified that they are providing food service to American soldiers and routinely serve food. the date stamp of which is expired. and they are told by Halliburton managers. feed it to them anyway. I hope some day. some way. the people in Congress who have the capability to issue subpoenas and hold oversight hearings will finally start doing their job. We ought not go back to the same well for the reconstruction with respect to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The victims of that hurricane need help. They need good help. The American taxpayer shouldnt be taking a bath while that help is given. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3519}
{"speech_id":1090067805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will put on a different hat. I was talking about appropriations. Now I will talk about a drama that is unfolding in the Senate which is the confirmation hearings on Judge John Roberts to go to the Supreme Court and to be the Chief Justice. I rise today to talk about this nomination because this is a decision of enormous consequence. One of the most significant and farreaching votes a Senator can make relates to the Supreme Court. Why? Because it is irrevocable. When you vote for a Supreme Court Justice. that Justice has a lifetime appointment. Unless there is an impeachment. which is rare. it is forever. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090067805,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The hearings are incredibly important. they provide the Senate and the American public with the opportunity to know more about where the nominee stands on core constitutional principles. I urge Judge Roberts to answer the questions that the Committee asks of him. But equally important is completing the picture. The Senate should have access to the full record of the nominee who is going into the hearings. We need to know more about Judge Roberts. We have all met him. We find him personable. We find him smart. We find him capable. But we wonder. what is his judicial philosophy. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090067805,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What will he be like. not only as a member of Court but now as the Chief Justice. Look back to the record. not only the resume but to the record. This is why I am joining with a group of other Senators to urge the White House to release documents on 16 cases argued by the Solicitor General when Judge Roberts was the Principal Deputy Solicitor General. You might ask: Why do you need to know this? This is when then Mr. Roberts played a very important role in shaping strategy. recommending policy. and it is one of the best insights we have into his judicial philosophy. his views. his legal reasoning. We want to know: Where does he stand on an issue such as the implicit right of privacy. on issues related to civil rights. on religious expression. on title IX. on affirmative action. and voting rights. And we want to know because the record before us now raises serious questions about his commitment to womens and civil rights. Prior to any vote. the American people need to know where he stands on these issues. We. the Senators. need to know. too. so we can make an informed. rational decision. The administration has refused to release these documents. even though they did so before. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090067805,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They did it when Mr. Bork was nominated. and they did it when William Rehnquist was nominated. This is particularly compelling since now the Roberts nomination has gone from a replacement of Justice Sandra Day OConnor to replacing the Chief Justice. These documents matter because they represent the views from later in his career when he held his highest political appointment and was responsible for making policy recommendations. These documents will illuminate his beliefs and his approach to the law. and they will help this Senator and others to know where he stands on the important issues. It is the constitutional duty of the Senate to conduct a thorough examination of the nominee. and we can only do it if we hear from the nominee himself through the confirmation processes. and have a complete record before us. We have his resume. he has received his rating from the American Bar Association. but we now need the documents on these 16 cases in order for us to do our homework and to do our due diligence. This is probably one of the most important votes I will ever take. along with my 99 colleagues. We need to know: What type of Justice will John Roberts be? Before the Senate left for its August break. I joined with six of my Democratic women colleagues to launch a website allowing Americans to have a voice in the confirmation process. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090067805,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The American people have a right to be part of the process and let the Senate know what they want Judge Roberts to answer. And we want them at the table. We want them to feel included and have the chance to participate. The Democratic women launched a Web site to allow them that opportunity. We remember how we were shut out during the judicial proceedings on Clarence Thomas. There were no women on the Judiciary Committee. Now there are. But we know what it is like not to have a seat at the table. We know what it is like not to be able to raise our questions. So we established this Web site so the public could ask about issues that impact them every day. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090067857,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I suppose there are Members who think we are in great shape. the air is clean. no problems whatsoever. The fact is. of course. we have significant mercury in the air that is created in the United States. It tends to occur disproportionately in one part of the United States. the Northeast. making the waters. fish. and air unsafe for children and for pregnant mothers. I will speak more on that as we go along. If this rule would actually help. I would be all for it. Lets be serious. If we ever wondered what a mercury pollution rule written by the polluters would look like. now we know. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090067857,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is pretty much it. Some of this rule was copied verbatim. we now find out from some very brave people. It was copied verbatim from the sheets given by the companies most involved in the pollution. Most Americans have a great deal of trust in the Environmental Protection Agency since it was created during President Nixons administration. It is very sad. very appalling to see how they have been captured by special interests. It is regrettable the American people and many of their representatives in Congress have been forced to the conclusion that mercury rules have been so mishandled and so coopted by special interests that this rare effort to override is necessary. We have a simple choice on mercury pollution. Do we follow the administration and the wellfunded special interests who are creating most of the mercury pollution and take several steps backward and thus force the American people to wait at least another decade before cleaning up the toxic mercury spewing out of old powerplants across this country? Do we allow this new rule to allow toxic mercury? So everyone understands what we are talking about. this does not just make the skies darker. This is a substance so harmful that it causes birth defects. IQ loss. and mental retardation. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090067857,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Do we continue to let it poison children and pregnant women. while costing taxpayers billions in health care costs? Shouldnt we heed the proliferation of warnings our States and the Federal Government have had to give to anglers and women. to the general public. about the consumption of fishfish caught not from outside our country but in streams and lakes and rivers all across America? Shouldnt that be enough to shame our Government into action? Should we allow this rule to move forward. the Bush administrations own inspector general says it does not comply with EPA Executive order requirements. Their own inspector general says it does not comply. The Government Accountability Office has said there are major shortcomings in the economic analysis. Or should we uphold the bipartisan work of Republicans and Democrats alike that produced the Clean Air Act. thus protecting the health of pregnant women and children? The Clean Air Act requires EPA to control each powerplant emission by 2008 at the latest. That is the law of the land. Anything less is more pollution. Instead. the administration has turned the Clean Air Act on its head. And this notwithstanding the two previous administrations. Republican and Democrat. that sought to enforce it. Now they have revoked an earlier EPA finding that is necessary and appropriate to require these powerplants apply technology to reduce mercury emissions. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090067857,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By revoking the earlier EPA finding and deciding instead to coddle the biggest mercury polluters. the administration is saying it is no longer necessary or appropriate to adequately control mercury emissions. It is an audacious disregard for the health of the American people. Lets do the rule over. Lets get it right. Look what we have. EPA rules are in orange on the chart and do not meet the clean air requirements. The Clean Air Act is in blue on the chart. That shows how badly they miss it. This rule is going to allow more mercury into our environment than even the current law. If we leave the current law alone. there would be less mercury in our environment. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090067857,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead. the rule gives more pollution for longer than the Clean Air Act allows. The rule is all the more shameful because of the health damage. EPAs own estimate of the number of newborns at risk of elevated mercury exposure has doubled to 630.000. They also found that one in six pregnant women has mercury levels in her blood above the EPAsafe threshold. I love to have people stand up and say we are family friendly around here. Family friendly with 630.000 newborns at risk? One in six pregnant women at risk. that is family friendly? Also. mercury emissions contaminate 10 million acres of lakes and 400.000 miles of streams. which triggers advisories in 45 States warning Americas 41 million recreational anglers the fish they catch may not be safe to eat. One reason the administration has such a lack of candor is the fact we discovered this rule has the polluting industries fingerprints all over it. Their first proposal for these rules lifted exact text provided by the utility industry lobbyists. Of course. when the lobbyists are shut in and the public is shut out. when the scientific and economic analysis was manipulated and where the publics health was ignored. we get a rule like this. The Bush administrations own inspector general and the Government Accountability Office criticized almost every aspect of how EPA drafted this rule. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090067900,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On July 4. 2005. Carl Zablonthy was punched in the face and knocked unconscious by two men in South Beach. FL. The apparent motivation for the attack was Zablonthys sexual orientation. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":906}
{"speech_id":1090067900,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that are born out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":906}
{"speech_id":1090067902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. by raising awareness one moment at a time. we can minimize the harm that drinking during pregnancy causes our most vulnerable populationour children. In February of 1999. a small group of parents. raising children afflicted with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. set out to change the world. That small group started an \"online support group\" which quickly became a worldwide grassroots movement to observe September 9 as International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle was instrumental in having the Senate take notice of this important issue. This year for the seventh consecutive year. communities across the Nation are pausing at the hour of 9:09 a.m. to acknowledge this day. Events are occurring in cities and towns not just across the country. but around the worldfrom Chilliwack. British Columbia to Cape Town. South Africa to Madagascarfamilies are joining together today to raise awareness of fetal alcohol syndrome disorders or FASD. My State of Alaska will observe this day with solemn events in Anchorage. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090067902,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Juneau. Kenai. and Fairbanks. FASD is an umbrella term that describes a range of physical and mental birth defects that can occur in a fetus when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol. It is a leading cause of nonhereditary mental retardation in the U.S. Many children affected by maternal drinking during pregnancy have irreversible conditionsincluding severe brain damagethat cause permanent. lifelong disability. FASD is 100 percent preventable. Prevention merely requires a woman to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Yet every year in America. an estimated one in every 100 babies born are born with FASDthats 40.000 infants. FASD affects more children than Down syndrome. cerebral palsy. spina bifida and muscular dystrophy combined. The cost of FASD is highmore than $3 billion each year in direct health care costs. and many times that amount in lost human potential. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090067902,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lifetime health costs for an individual living with FASD averages $860.000. The indirect financial and social costs to the Nation are even greaterincluding the cost of incarceration. specialized health care. education. foster care. job training and general support services. All in all. the direct and indirect economic costs of FASD in the U.S. are estimated to be $5.4 billion. You can find FASD in every community in Americanative. nonnative. rich. poorit doesnt discriminate. That is why. last February. the U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona again issued another advisory to pregnant women. or women who plan to become pregnant. to completely abstain from all alcohol use. In Alaska. I am troubled to report that we have the highest rate of FASD in the Nation. Approximately 163 Alaskan babies are born each year affected by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. Among our native communities. the rate of FASD is 15 times higher than nonNative areas in the state. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090067902,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And again. FASD is 100 percent preventable. We can save so many children and families so much heartache simply by increasing peoples awareness of what FASD is and how we can prevent it. In fact. prevention of FASD is seven times more cost effective than treating the disorder. That is why Senator TiM JOHNSON and Iand several others from both sides of the aislewill soon be introducing legislation to direct more resources toward this terrible problem. The \"Advancing FASD Research. Prevention. and Services Act\" willdevelop and implement targeted state and communitybased outreach programs. improve coordination among Federal agencies involved in FASD treatment and research by establishing stronger communication with these programs. and improve support services for families and strengthen educational outreach efforts to doctors. teachers. judges and others whose work puts them in contact with people with FASD. Fortythousand American children a year are born with FASD. Our investment today in prevention. treatment and research will save countless in future health costs of this devastating but completely preventable disorder. I ask my colleagues to support the Advancing FASD. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090067902,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Research. Prevention and Services Act. On Fetal Alcohol Awareness Day. we remember all innocent babies inflicted with this disorder and imagine the potential that they could have been but for the damage done by alcohol. I hope that we will continue to pause in the ninth hour of the ninth day each September until fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are eradicated.","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4484}
{"speech_id":1090067924,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this National Flood Insurance Enhanced Borrowing Authority Act of 2005 is another example of the bills we are bringing to the Senate floor and working on in a bipartisan way because we are addressing quickly. responsively. and aggressively the natural disaster hurricane and its aftermath. There have been several of these bills over the last week. and we will continue to address them as they are presented to us and as they come forwardagain. working together in a bipartisan way.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":497}
{"speech_id":1090067956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. WARNER.-you and your fellow Senators from the three States most grievously affected. If you wait a minute. I will give you the following figures. Today. more than 72.000 members of the Armed Forces have been deployed to the Gulf Coast. including 22.439 ActiveDuty. and more than 45.871 members of the National Guardof which over 400 come from my State. I say to the Senator. I went.down Friday in my State to prepare one of the bases to receive the evacuees. But every single State in our Union. including the territories. has contributed their Guard in response to the needs of your community.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090067961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished chairman. I am privileged to serve on her committee. As a consequence of the close relationship between the Department of Defense and the various departments our committeeand I sit on a fewhas over situations such as thisI might note for the RECORD the person from FEMA who appeared before your committee for the briefing was a career employee. I found him to be very qualified. He has some 30 years of experience. I think he shared with our committee some of his most profound thoughts based on some. I believe. 30 years experience. Am I correct?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":588}
{"speech_id":1090068044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me be clear: Similar to everybody else. I want to minimize fuel switching which could drive up the cost of natural gas even further. I. too. want coal to continue to be the backbone of our electricitygenerating sector. Adopting a strong mercury rule. is not inconsistent with either of those goals. It is consistent with protecting the health of pregnant women ahd children. among the most vulnerable members of our society. The fears about the impacts of a strong mercury rule on coal and natural gas are unfounded. I am not aware of credible evidence that shows that powerplants will switch from coal to natural gas in order to comply with a more stringent mercury rule. The Energy Information Administration tried to say that fuel switching will occur. But listen to some of the assumptions they adopted to reach that conclusion. First. they had to assume that natural gas prices would fall to $3\".50 per thousand cubic feet 5 years from now in order to show that it would make economic sense for powerplants to switch from coal to natural gas. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2037}
{"speech_id":1090068044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me tell you how much natural gas cost last week: $12. The week before Katrina hit. it was $9.50. I dont think there is any way natural gas prices are going to be $3.50 5 years from now. I hope I am wrong..but the odds are I am not. Second. the Energy Information Administration had to assume that technology to control mercury does not exist. It does exist. There are already powerplants in the Northeast that have been reducing their mercury pollution by more than 80 percent for the last 5 years. Last month. Coloradobased ADAEnvironmental Solutions was awarded another contract to install new mercury control technologies on two new powerplants being built in the Midwest. The technology has been developed. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2037}
{"speech_id":1090068044,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The technology is being implemented. We can do better than the Bush rule. We can do better than that and we should. We have an obligation to our constituents. and we can do it in a way that balances our needs to preserve coal and to protect the most vulnerable among us.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2037}
{"speech_id":1090068046,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to give my reasons for voting against the socalled LeahyCollins resolution. I believe mercury pollution is a real problem. particularly for vulnerable populations. including children. Given these concerns. I support efforts to reduce mercury emissions from coalfired power plants. which account for 42 percent of U.S. emissions. This is in line with my support for many years for clean coal technologies. which will allow our Nation to utilize our most abundant natural resource in a cleaner. more efficient manner. Debate on this resolution has revolved around two regulatory approachesa maximum available control technology. MACT. rule or a capandtrade rule. I suggest that there is a third option that combines elements of both. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090068046,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A MACT system is enormously -expensive on its own. costing up to $358 billion according to the Energy Information. Administration. compared to $2 billion estimated by EPA for a capandtrade approach. However. a capandtradeonly system is inadequate on reducing pollution levels around specific plants. referred to as \"hot spots.\" The LeahyCollins resolution would tie EPAs hands by restricting. it to a MACTonly approach. Under a third option. EPA could set a national emissions level. based on the best available scieice to protect public health and the environment. and implement a capandtrade system to meet this goal with the addition of measures to take care of hot spots. EPA could require reductions at specific plants. To this end. I have written the Administrator of the EPA urging this hybrid approach. which would meet environmental goals while balancing the implementation costs faced by consumers. I ask unanimous consent that my letter to EPA Administrator Johnson be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090068114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to my dear friend. the senior Senator from Alabama. I agree that we need to make sure that money goes to the people who need it. That is what we are trying to do. We have not had the ability to bring Katrina amendments to the floor and act on them. That is what we need to do. It is niot as if we were working in a vacuum. We have a model we know works. After 9\/11. we worked in a bipartisan fashion and created legislation that was unique. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2008}
{"speech_id":1090068114,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But most important to the families of the 3.000plus people who got killed. plus the fact there were billions of dollars in damages. we did $20 billion worth within a matter of days to get relief to the people of New York. the people of Virginia. So we know howto effectively address issues of concern. We have done that in the past. We relied then on committees to produce legislation through the regular process. I believe .that is what I heard the majority leader say. We are willing to do that. But in following through on that. we have to be able to have some time on the floor to debate and vote on those issues. That is what we need to do. Although there are a few exceptions to this. for the most part. the majority -has not followed this process. and we have not been permitted an opportunity to address these issues on the Senate floor. We have been trying for 2 weeks to do that. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2008}
{"speech_id":1090068114,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So lets empower every one of our chairmen and ranking members to sit down together and see what the committees can produce to address the needs of the survivors in the communities hit by this catastrophe. And then lets commit to give them the floor time to deal with their legislation.. We badly need to do that. Yes. we have had two emergency supplemental appropriations bills for more than $60 billion. but a lot of that money cannot go to the people who need it because it is illegal. We want to refine the law so we can get people the money they need. I apologize to everyone. I know there is a vote pending. I have said enough. I hope I made my point.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2008}
{"speech_id":1090068121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are decimating the COPS program. Chairman SENSENBRENNER. in the House. is no fan of the program. He asked for a study to be done by GAO. It concluded: Use of the COPS grants resulted in less crime. use of COPS grants resulted in more community policing. use of COPS grants resulted in more officers on the streets. This is a time when we need more officers on the streets. not fewer officers on the streets. The idea we are going to deal with natural disasters as well as terrorist attacks by using special forces soldiers and not cops on the street seems to me to be a little silly. We need more cops on the streets. There are 8.000 applications pending. The bill would allow for 25 of those applications to be filled. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090068121,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a mistake. One of my colleaguesit may be.the chairman of the committee. I am not suresaid we have to prove we can end a program. Why do we end a program that is working. and working so well. in the interests of the country? My time is probably up. I thank my friend from New Hampshire for the courtesy of allowing m6 to take a few minutes to speak to my amendment. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090068201,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. nearly a quarter of a million folks from Louisiana are now in Texas due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina. Taking care of these people is a daunting task. but the good people of southeast Texas have risen to the challenge. Today. I would especially like to acknowledge the hard work being done by our faith community. They include the Spring Tabernacle in Spring. Texas. the First Baptist Churches of South Houston. Katy. and Houston. Texas. the Bayshore Baptist Church in LaPorte. the New Life Church in LaPorte. the Second Baptist Churches of Baytown and Houston. Texas. Holy Family Catholic Church in Baytown. the Calvary Baptist Church in Beaumont. and the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090068201,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are many other churches in Harris. Liberty. and Jefferson Counties who have set up shelters that house evacuees numbering into the thousands. Dozens of other churches have started donation sites and food banks that have been so effective that the Houston Area Salvation Army has stated they have plenty of items for these evacuees. Madam Speaker. while the work of these churches is extraordinary. they do not seem to think so. To them. they are doing exactly what they should be doing. They arejust following the good biblical principle of taking care of and loving their neighbor.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090068225,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. On Sunday. we remembered one of the most tragic days in our Nations history. a day in which we lost 3.000 of our relatives. neighbors. friends and countrymen. These people were lost because of the actions of 19 terrorists who sought to inflict pain on our country and bring us to our knees. They did not. Four of these terrorist found out firsthand that America and Americans are not to be taken lightly and that we are people of action. Though the Story of Flight 93 is well known by all. it is a story that bears repeating. On that fateful day. the 40 passengers and crew of a hijacked airplane. made aware through phone calls of the fate of the three other hijacked airplanes. took action to protect lives on the ground. They acted in a way that I am confident the passengers and crew of the three other planes hijacked that day would surely have acted had they been aware of what was happening. The passengers and crew of Flight 93 acted in a way that should make us all proud. ","speaker_name":"BILL SHUSTER","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2968}
{"speech_id":1090068225,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They knew the risks they were facing. yet acted anyway. It is a significant feat what these 40 patriots did. equal to the shot heard around the world in Lexington and Concord or the Alamo in Texas. The very place that Flight 93 went down. I believe. is providence. because it is in proximity to another major event in our history. It is a reminder to all Americans that freedom is not easy. and the event of which I speak of is the Whiskey Rebellion. which occurred in 1794. just the first year of George Washingtons second term. when there was a rebellion in Pennsylvania. George Washington rode to Pennsylvania.. to a town just 10 miles south of Shanksville. Pennsylvania. to put down that rebellion and establish or continue to establish our democracy. It is important for us in America to remember that it was hard 210 years ago to establish democracy. and it.is hard today. So we all need to remember that story of Berlin. Pennsylvania. the Whiskey Rebellion. just 10 miles south of Shanksville. where the first counterattack on the war on terrorism occurred in the skies over Somerset. ","speaker_name":"BILL SHUSTER","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2968}
{"speech_id":1090068225,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pennsylvania. And those passengers of Flight 93 are an example for all Americans to live up to today and into the future. This resolution authorizes the permanent memorial here in the Capitol. to the passengers and crew of Flight 93. whose actions certainly saved lives on 9\/11. Many. including the 9\/11 Commission. believe they may have saved this very building and many of us who work here. It is my expectation that whatever memorial is established Will complement. not compete with the memorial that will be constructed in Shanksville. where Flight 93 eventually crashed. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to bring this appropriate recognition of heroism and bravery to this hallowed building. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my. time.","speaker_name":"BILL SHUSTER","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2968}
{"speech_id":1090068242,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker would like to voice my strong support for S. 252. As a cosponsor of the Houseintroduced version of this bill. H.R. 542. I am well aware of the positive impact the transfer of this land will have -on the University and Community College System of Nevada. Located in Reno. Nevada. this tract of land. known as the Dandini Research Park. is currently restricted under the provisions and authority of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. If this bill were to be signed into law. the *Board of Regents for the University and Community College System of Nevada would like to turn this land into a Universitysponsored research park that would provide sciencebased economic development. technology transfer. and the furthering of intergovernmental. academic and industrial partnerships in Nevada. Madam Speaker. thank you for allowing me to speak on this important bill.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":879}
{"speech_id":1090068271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I- may consume. We support the passage of S. 264. The gentleman from Hawaii . our colleague on the Committee on Resources. has introduced a companion bill in the House. H.R. 843. We commend the gentleman from Hawaii for his hard work to secure authorizations for these important projects. The projects identified in this bill will be eligible for limited financial assistance under the Bureau of Reclamations title 16 water recycling program. Water recycling and desalination projects are proven technologies that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Hawaii. and the Virgin Islands I might add. I want to express our full support for this legislation. and I offer congratulations to the gentleman from Hawaii","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":771}
{"speech_id":1090068302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my heart goes out to those affected by the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina. This disaster has presented challenges we could not imagine only a few weeks ago. A major American city needs to be rebuilt and hundreds of thousands of Americans need to find new homes and jobs. While this is a massive undertaking. this does present a unique opportunity. I happen to think that we should always look for a silver lining in any tragedy that we come across. We can build a better. stronger New Orleans without losing the character and charm that made the city so great and alive. a New Orleans that can serve as a. model for other communities throughout the country. We can build a housing infrastructure that can help end the awful povertycycle that entraps too many Americans. The rebuilding of this greet city will provide jobs to people who desperately need them. However. the administration has already adopted policies that will hurt those that need our help the most. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2789}
{"speech_id":1090068302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration has suspended the law requiring Federal contractors to pay employees prevailing wages. By suspending the DavisBacon Act. the President is shortchanging newly unemployed Americans who are looking to rebuild their lives. Meanwhile. Government. contractors can take advantage of cheap labor and drive up profits. The prevailing wage for construction in the gulf region was among the lowest in the Nation before Katrina. Without. DavisBacon enforcement. residents of the gulf region will be working for less than a living wage. Paying working families less per hour saves taxpayers nothing. All the money earned from shortchanging workers goes into the profit margins of Government contractors. The people who are affected by Katrina deserve the same competitive wage protections as every other American worker. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2789}
{"speech_id":1090068302,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These people are willing to work hard to rebuild their beloved cities and their lives. and it is an insult to pay them a substandard wage. The rebuilding of our gulf coast has the potential to be the greatest economic development project of our time. We -can create 21st century transportation. housing. communications and energy infrastructures for the region. Some might remember during* the Depression when we had the WPA work program. The people of New Orleans want to work. The people of New Orleans want to put their lives back together. Let us give them their pride. Let us at least give them a wage that they can live with. The rebuilding of the gulf coast should create economic opportunities for its residents. not an opportunity to take advantage of people desperate to rebuild their lives. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2789}
{"speech_id":1090068302,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. we have already put the interests of Government contractors before those of the people of Iraq. It would be a travesty to do the same for the people of New Orleans.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2789}
{"speech_id":1090068392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 2 weeks ago. Congress reconvened early to pass an emergency funding bill to meet the immediate relief and recovery needs of the Gulf Coast communities ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Last week. we met the growing humanitarian and economib needs by passing an additional $51.8 billion in emergency relief. This week. Mr. Speaker. with the levee repaired. the flood waters receding. and the immediate funding needs met. the Houses focus must shift to the broader policy implications of the Katrina disaster. Millions of. our countrymen. men. women. and children. have been displaced all around our Nation. That means communities taking on larger populations. schools seating more students. hospitals seeing more patients. businesses serving more customers. roads and public transportation accommodating more travelers. The first responders- and emergency managers on the ground in the affected [ This symbol represents the time of dayduring the House proceedings. e.g.. 5 1407 is 2:07 p.m. region from all levels of government are in charge of the national response in the coming days. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2325}
{"speech_id":1090068392,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress nust look at the coming months and years. Toward that end. last week. the Speaker and Senator FRIST announced their intention to create a bipartisan. bicameral. select committee of senior Members and Senators to review and report findings about the preparations for and response to Hurricane Katrina. Isolated partisan attacks of the bipartisan committee notwithstanding. it will allow and require the Congress to do its constitutional duty to review the recovery and the policies that govern it. The joint select committee will work. as even its shrillest critics must know. Meanwhile. this week. the House is at work developing targeted policies for the ongoing national response. from a bill to protect Katrinas good Samaritans from predatory trial lawyers. to a bill to encourage more charitable giving to the Katrina private relief effort by providing targeted tax relief for the contributors to the recovery. These and other policies will be brought to the floor as they are ready so that the House can respond as quickly and as effectively as possible. Our entire Nation has its work cut out for it. recovering from this tragedy. The House will meet its responsibility. in the aftermath of this emergency. to lead.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2325}
{"speech_id":1090068407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to praise an organization in my district. Georgia 11. that has done a phenomenal job of delivering food. clothing. housing supplies. and even employment to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Rome Kares is a model of coordinated community response. The group has aided more than 100 families who have temporarily relocated to Rome. Georgia. and Floyd County from Louisiana and Mississippi. Rome Kares is a group that distributes an electronic newsletter detailing the items that relocated families need and acts as a clearinghouse for organizations and individuals looking for ways to help. Above all. Rome Kares helps evacuees get set up and settled in their new adopted community. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1096}
{"speech_id":1090068407,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These efforts have been incredibly successful. Rome Kares has delivered gasoline. diapers. water. and .bedding to hurricanestricken areas. and furniture supplies and clothing to local evacuees. Mr. Speaker. in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. we have seen the best of America. and Rome Kares is a model of this generosity and compassion. I ask that you join me in thanking Rome Kares. a","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1096}
{"speech_id":1090068409,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there are so many success stories that are going on around Katrina and yet we always dwell on things that are not so successful. but I want to talk about the Coast Guard and some of the great things that the United States Coast Guard has done in the Gulf area. They have rescued 33.000 lives and evacuated another 9.400 from local hospitals. They delivered tons of food and water to survivors. They have responded to over 650 spills of oil. gas and other hazardous material. They have repaired and replaced several hundred aids to navigation to get ports and waterways reopened to oil. gas and commerce. They brought in over 3.300 servicemen and women and called up another 800 reservists to undertake re*sponse operations. And they have moved over 75 aircraft. 25 cutters. 110 small boats into the disaster area to execute and search and rescue. Their environmental cleanup has been probably the first that has taken place of any government agency. I commend the United States Coast Guard and wish them the best. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090068409,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Keep up the good work.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090068455,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is with reluctance that I rise in opposition to this legislation. I cannot support it. and I am reluctant about that because it has been my intention to work with everyone on the committee to eliminate the problems of this bill. the excesses and flaws that are in it now. and my suggestions have not been received. and the bill has been put together in an extremely hasty manner that I believe will insulate negligent and dangerous behavior that we would otherwise have no inclination to do. I begin by pointing out that we already have a Volunteer Protection Act in the law. passed in the year 1997. which protects volunteers. This bill had hearings. It was carefully crafted and bipartisan in nature. It protects volunteers from their good deeds. but not fromtheir misconduct. This bill. unfortunately. goes much further. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5840}
{"speech_id":1090068455,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the problems that I have referred to and will continue to refer to are the result of the fact that this bill has never had a hearing: in no subcommittee. not in the full Committee on the Judiciary. There have never been witnesses to testify for or against it. There has never been a markup. Nothing. We come today with a measure that has been pulled out of the air. We have not heard from a single interested party as to why the bill is hecessary. We have not received so much as a shred of evidence that there is any shortage of volunteers to assist in Hurricane Katrina as a result of our civil justice system. So I point out to the Members that in the first instance the bill is not limited to protection of volunteers. It would protect many organizations. public and private. that might be involved in Hurricane Katrina. which could be government organizations. It could even protect the Federal Emergency Management Agency. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5840}
{"speech_id":1090068455,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It could protect cities and counties and States. It could protect business entities. This bill is off the charts. And in the past. when we were more carefully considering the matter. we decided not to cover these entities because we did not want to protect firms that retain people who were criminals. We did not want to give comfort to drug addicts who may be working there or even sex -offenders from liability that they might be involved with. This bill creates a green light for all kinds of behavior. that it will now receive a protection. For the life of me. I cannot suggest one reason why we ought to pass this measure. I am not aware of any business or even a nonprofit entity that has asked this committee for relief from liability in order to help 6ut in Katrina. Nobody knows about it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5840}
{"speech_id":1090068455,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a phantom measure that has come out of nowhere. and if it is just to pass the time of day and keep us busy. it is probably doing a great harm to our civil justice system. The bill goes beyond the Volunteer Protection Act to. if the Members can grasp this. immunize gross negligence and intentional conduct. We would immunize negligent and purposeful misconduct. Never in the history of Congress have we ever considered immunizing such actions. Why should we do it today? There is no reason to protect such blatant wrongdoing from such important responsibility. The drafting that I have talked about is so broad. it would protect unlicensed volunteers who are attempting to operate as professionals. This would include individuals who provide medical treatment. without training if something like that were to come along. It could protect people flying airplanes without licenses. Under this measure. an individual could travel to Louisiana without a license to conduct surgery and claim in a civil action that he has a liability waiver coming from this bill. This measure would even go further. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5840}
{"speech_id":1090068455,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would insulate simple traffic\" accidents from liability. A person working around the Katrina disaster could negligently have an accident and injure a child on the way to New Orleans. and the family would be left with no recourse whatsoever. I can imagine that this bill will be brought up in civil cases in ways that we have never had an opportunity to contemplate. So I make a simple proposition. Why do we not just move this bill off the floor. set up the subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary that is anxiously waiting to schedule witnesses for the bill. and have them do their work and bring it to the full committee where it may receive even further amendments and inquiry? It makes no sense to exempt irresponsible people from their own negligence. It would even insulate nursing homes. hello. from civil liability who use volunteers and their failure to .evacuate resulted in death. One could lose their loved one as a result of negligence by a nursing home. and if they raise these protections that are involved in this legislation. the person bringing the action could be left without compensation. We are setting up. whether we admit it or not. a twotiersystem of civil justice. One for the people that were able and could afford to escape Katrina who will have their full right in the civil justice system. just as all people alWays have. but a lesser system for indigent individuals. many of whom. if not most. are. in fact. minorities. who may have. and I hope this is .very few. but some who may have suffered abuse as a result of additional negligence and misconduct. So what we have here is a horrible attempt to insulate volunteer liability. but it has been put together in such a way\" that we have a piece of legislation that I do not think can withstand the reasonable scrutiny of the Members of this body. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5840}
{"speech_id":1090068458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just want to make a response to my friend. the previous speaker. to let him know that the examples that he made are quite logical and quite rational. We think that they should be given protection. But we do not want what is in this bill that goes way beyond that kind of protection. because we would give protection for gross negligence. and it is in that respect that I am opposed to the bill. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to yield 62 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":501}
{"speech_id":1090068467,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. in this case. if the volunteer is hit and has an automobile accident. fully insured. you lose the insurance. the innocent victim is now subject to pay his own medical bills. Where. ordinarily. there would be compensation for the automobile accident. that is lost. These are people who could be in States not even affected. just sitting at a stoplight. Usually. when we have these immunity bills. we provide that the insurance in an automobile accident. the insurance would apply. This would exempt the insurance. I think it is one of the problems of bringing bills like this to the floor without going through committee. I think we could have fixed that.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":687}
{"speech_id":1090068469,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. after listening to the gentleman from Michigan. I am a little bit confused. Because last week. the Congress appropriated almost $52 billion without a hearing. Right before Labor Day. the Congress appropriated $10 billion without a hearing. Today. I had scheduled three Katrinarelated bills for markup in the Judiciary Committee. They were not ready by our 24hour deadline. and the gentleman from Michigan objected to that. so I called off that markup. and we are going to have to do that next week. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090068469,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Otherwise we would have it on the floor much more promptly. The fact of the matter remains that these people need to have the immunity for liability in order that they can volunteer and effectively deliver their volunteer services. The gentleman from Michigan and the other opponents of this bill have come up with a litany of horrors that this bill would allow criminal conduct to be immunized. and that is not the case. This bill specifically does not apply in any way to protect those whose willful. wanton. reckless or criminal conduct causes injury. nor does it apply to those who violate the Federal or State civil rights laws when injury occurs. Now. today we have a chance to cast a vote in favor of our volunteers. our volunteer individuals and those nonprofit organizations who have stepped up to the plate to provide essential relief services to the people who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. or we can send it back to committee and have more hearings. Well. by the time those hearings are over with. I am sure the first series of frivolous lawsuits will be filed. and believe me. the next time there is a disaster. hopefully not of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina. there will be a lot of organizations and a lot of individuals who will be afraid to volunteer to do what they want to do and do what they can do best. because they do not want to spend the rest of their lives in court. Pass this bill.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090068494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my friend from Virginia very much for the time. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3132. the Childrens Safety Act of 2005. I am proud to have been an original cosponsor of this legislation. and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for inctrporating a piece of legislation that the gentleman from Florida and I proposed last year. the Sex Offenders Registration and Notification Act. The gentleman from Florida and I stood with John Walsh. with Ernie Allen. with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. representatives of the Boys and Girls Club as well. and parents of children who have been killed by sex offenders. This Childrens Safety Act of 2005 does. in fact. close the gaps. It tightens the ability to track down where convicted*sex offenders are living and to improve the ways we notify our neighborhoods and our school districts when convicted sex offenders choose to live in our community. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT CRAMER","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2091}
{"speech_id":1090068494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that the gentleman from Floridas legislation and my legislation was effectively included in title I of the bill we are considering today. When watching the news for the past 2 years. it is sickening to see of how many communities. how many neighborhoods. how many parents are terrorized because sex offenders are back in their neighborhoods. . I know from being a district attorney that our States have done a lot to correct the gaps. but more needs to be. done. As a father. Ido not want to see a child of mine victimized in that way. and I want to put myself in the shoes of those parents who had to experience this dreadful victimization. We must support this legislation today because the Childrens Safety Act will increase and tighten supervision of those sex offenders and will enhance uniform notification standards for tracking sex offenders. I strongly believe that this comprehensive bill fi. nally will give law enforcement officers the tools and resources they need to track these criminals and to protect our children and families. fl 1245 Mr. Chairman. I strongly urge my colleagues to adopt the Childrens Safety Act.","speaker_name":"ROBERT CRAMER","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2091}
{"speech_id":1090068501,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3132. the Childrens Safety Act. I would have voted \"yes\" on this legislation. However. I am in New York City on official business for the House of Representatives. I was appoidted by Speaker HASTERT as a delegate from the Committee on International Relations to serve as a representative to the United Nations General Assembly. H.R. 3132 will help to address loopholes in current sex offender notification requirements. so that parents and the public can be armed with knowledge of any sex offenders living and working in their community. This legislation addresses a number of child crime issues. including registration of sex offenders. violent crimes against children. sexual crimes against children. sexual exploitation of children. and protection of foster and adopted children. The Childrens Safety Act was drafted in response to the recent horrific attacks and murders of Jessica Lunsford. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1087}
{"speech_id":1090068501,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sarah Lunde. Jetseta Gage. and others who have recently been killed by sex offenders. I strongly support this bill and look forward to it becoming law.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1087}
{"speech_id":1090068504,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3132. the Childrens Safety Act of 2005. Mr. Chairman. as a father and a grandfather I am often reminded of the dangers that surround my loved ones. Specifically. the growing threat that sexual predators pose to our Nations children and their families represents an area where our criminal justice system has failed the American people. In order to effectively protect our loved ones. we must provide the American public with unfettered access to know who these dangerous criminals are and where they are living. If a picture is worth a thousand words. then a comprehensive nationwide publicly accessible database is worth at least that many lives. I was pleased that Chairman SENSENBRENNER included provisions from my bill. H.R. 95. that would create a national. comprehensive. and publicly accessible sex offender database into this comprehensive piece of legislation. ","speaker_name":"PAUL GILLMOR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2899}
{"speech_id":1090068504,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additionally. I was delighted at the level of bipartisanship that both my bill and todays legislation have received and I would like to personally thank Mr. POMEROY from North Dakota for his leadership and support. Also. I would like to extend my gratitude to organizations like the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and the Safe Now Project for their endorsements of H.R. 95s national database provision. H.R. 3132 directly addresses the shortcomings of our criminal justice system and aims to make our country safer and more secure from those that would prey on our most vulnerable and our most prized assetsour children. With over 500.000 registered sex offenders and countless others which remain unknown. law enforcement and corrections personnel will have additional resources at their disposal to prevent and solve these types of crimes. Additionally. this bill strengthens the criminal code for sexually violent crimes and creates more stringent regulations which convicted offenders must adhere to in order to ensure proper monitoring. Americans have heard the heart wrenching stories of innocent children being harmed by predators. and we must make every effort to ensure that tragedies like these never happen again. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PAUL GILLMOR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2899}
{"speech_id":1090068504,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. today we must come together to make certain that our children grow up in a safe and secure environment and that parents are unafraid to let their children play in the neighborhood because they have the information they need to protect them. Knowledge is power. and today we have an opportunity before us to supply the American public with the tools necessary to protect themselves. their family. and their friends against those that would commit these heinous crimes. I urge all of my colleagues to cast their vote in support of this legislation and collectively answer the American publics call to provide them with additional resources to combat these predators before another life is lost and tragedy befalls another family..","speaker_name":"PAUL GILLMOR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2899}
{"speech_id":1090068535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for his acceptance of the amendment. I would be happy to work on any suggested improvements to the amendment. . I think we have special offices in the Department of Justice concerning Violence Against Women and Cops on the Beat programs. and I think our children deserve no lets.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":315}
{"speech_id":1090068539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. while there are many different grant programs in the Department of Justice providing resources for initiatives fighting violent or sexual assault. we have not found any that are directly and specifically at local law enforcements ability to protect children from sexual predators. This provision takes an important step to make sure that after offenders are prosecuted and released. they are registered and made publicly known. However. it does nothing to prevent the abuse from happening in the first place. nor does it help officers investigate and track down offenders after complaints. So this amendment would not only help fund local sheriff and police units. implementation and enforcement of the registration. but would provide funds to make sure that local units have the resources necessary to pursue child abusers. including additional staff. training of existing personnel. and computers and software necessary to investigate predators who find children over the Internet.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":997}
{"speech_id":1090068597,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. these amendments eliminate section 302 from the bill. Section 302 is extremely problematic. First of all. it includes a death penalty that applies to unintentional deaths. That raises severe constitutional problems that you could be put to death for an unintentional act. We already have penalties for the death penalty for intentional acts. This would add unintentional acts. Over 100 people have been totally exonerated or otherwise released from death row due to erroneous death penalties. and one study showed that 68 of death penalties were overturned as illegal. That does not include the ones where mistakes were made for which the error was socalled \"harmless.\" Other studies have shown that death penalties have been discriminatory against minorities. either affecting the consideration. undue consideration of the race of the defendant or the race of the victim. We. a few years ago. passed the Innocence Protection Act. which provides for effective counsel and case development to be wellfunded. but we have not fully funded that Innocence Protection Act. so until it is fully funded. we should not be passing more death penalties. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3079}
{"speech_id":1090068597,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. section 302 includes mandatory minimums. Let us see what these mandatory minimums are for. Any felonious attack on someone under 113 years of age. That would include a schoolyard brawl which gets bad enough when they start throwing chairs at each other or something like that. If there is no injury in that situation. that is a 10year mandatory minimum. If a dangerous weapon. whatever that means. is used. then you get 15 years. if there is no injury. Now. if there is actually an injury. then the mandatory minimum for this brawl for teenagers fighting teenagers would be 20 years. and if the crime of violence is a more serious offense. then 30 years mandatory minimum. Starting with 10 years mandatory minimum for a schoolyard brawl. Mr. Chairman. is why these mandatory minimums make no sense. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3079}
{"speech_id":1090068597,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the felony has been committed. maybe they should be sentenced to 10 years. maybe 20 years. This says no less than 10 years. even if there is no injury. I would hope. Mr. Chairman. as we consider mandatory minimums that we would look at this as being excessive. Give the judge the discretion to apply a sentence that makes sense. But to have a mandatory minimum to apply in situations where no injury has occurred. no dangerous weapon was involved. 10 years mandatory minimum for teenagers having a fight. this just does not make any sense at all. If an injury actually occurs. it is actually 20 years mandatory minimum. I would hope we would eliminate the entire section 302 to eliminate those mandatory minimums. There are plenty of provisions throughout this bill and throughout the Criminal Code to deal with people who deserve this kind of time. but to have a mandatory minimum in cases where no injury occurred is clearly excessive to be applied in all cases without discretion. whether it makes any sense or not. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3079}
{"speech_id":1090068597,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to remove this section. and I hope that is what we do by adopting the amendment.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3079}
{"speech_id":1090068683,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman.. I rise today in strong support of both the. Pence amendment and the Child Safety Act of 2005. I want to commend the gentleman from Wisconsin for his tireless advocacy Of families and children. While this legislation today is very much about using the force of Federal law to confront child predators. we know that the fuel that fires the wicked hearts of child predators is child pornography. and my amendment. which is drawn from the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 2005. is designed to give law enforcement the tools to stop child pornography at the source. It will fix a glaring loophole in the current law by requiring pornographers to keep records of the names and ages of their subject. proof of identification. This requirement. we believe. will deter the use of underage children in pornography. Additionally. pornographers will be required to allow law enforcement to inspect their records. Failurb to do so will be a criminal offense. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1409}
{"speech_id":1090068683,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We also in this legislation extend Federal jurisdiction to socalled \"home pornographers\" that use downloading on the Internet and digital and Polaroid photography to essentially create an athome cottage industry for child pornography. It is time to protect our children. It is time to enact the Pence amendment. the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 2005 and make it a part of this truly landmark legislation. the Childrens Safety Act of 2005.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1409}
{"speech_id":1090068708,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of wofds. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the hate crimes prevention amendment offered by the distinguished gentleman from Michigan . the ranking member on the Committee on the Judiciary. and I thank him for his strong leadership on this subject. I disagree with the distinguished chairman of the committee. This is not a poison pill. This amendment does nothing to weaken the underlying bill. We all agree we must take strong measures to protect our children from sexual predators. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090068708,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a mother of five and grandmother of five. I appreciate fully the underlying bill and intend to vote for it. This is. Mr. Chairman. another issue. and it.relates to hate crimes. This vehicle is one that gives Congress the opportunity to go on record. -and hopefully in the majority. to reject hate crimes in our country. Hate crimes prevention is long overdue. Hate crimes have no place in America. All Americans have a fundamental right to feel safe in their communities. Federal hate crimes prevention legislation is the right thing to do. and we must do it now. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090068708,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have waited far too long. A year ago. a majority of this House voted to support including hate crimes","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090068777,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me commend the congresswoman for her leadership in this area. Let me commend the Congressional Black Caucus for their leadership. and I also want to commend the American people. because the American people have come forward. the private businesses. the private organizations. What has been blatantly clear to all Americans is that the Federal Government has been missing in action. We have two Americas. It is tragic. We have one black. Yes. I said it. black. African American. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4818}
{"speech_id":1090068777,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One white. One rich and one poor. and the poorest Americans are still the most vulner~ble. We need to ensure that all Americans. regardless of where they live. can find a quality of life and work. This hurricane has put a spotlight on the tragic situation that exists with this administration. and I call it reverse Robin Hood. robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich. I am going to repeat that. Reverse Robin Hood. and I have said it over and over again. Robbing from the poor to give tax breaks to the rich. That has been the policy. There are two things that I want to discuss today. In light of the hurricane. why are we doing away with DavisBacon? And. two. why are we doing away with affirmative action contracting programs? Almost as disturbing as this administrations horrible response to the hurricane is their suspension of all labor rules for hurricanerelated contracts. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4818}
{"speech_id":1090068777,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just like in the past. the Bush administration is taking every opportunity to destroy organized labor but. has taken it toa new level by suspending all affirmative action programs in contracting. This is a new mandate by this administration. and it will do absolutely nothing to ensure quick or better service for those suffering from the hurricanes but will certainly ensure that none of them are involved with rebuilding their homes and communities. The very same people whose tax dollars will be paying for the reconstruction will be shut out of the opportunity to participate in the cleanup. Just like in Iraq. where we never had any oversight. we cannot afford to see the repeat of this situation in the gulf States. And let me say again. Iraq. no oversight. over $1 billion. no accountability. If this had been a Democratic administration. somebody would be in jail. and certainly the Congress would be investigating and investigating. and there would be hearings and hearings and hearings. . Nothing. nothing goes on in the peoples House. The only thing that we do is vote on somebodys courthouse. No discussions about the issues of the day. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4818}
{"speech_id":1090068777,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If it was not for this Congressional Black Caucus. no discussion. As always. President Bush talks the talk. In fact. I have come to the conclusion that our government is a paper tiger. We talk the talk. but we do not walk the walk. He and his political cronies continue their assault on minorities and the working poor. while lining the pockets of their political cronies and filling their campaign coffers. Lo and behold. whom do we see getting the biggest contract in the cleanup of the hurricane? I heard one of my sisters last Tuesday night ask the Secretary. the Secretary that was here. can anybody do any business with the Federal Government other than Halliburton? A $588 billion contract. no bid. no opportunity for anybody else to participate. If I am incorrect. please somebody speak up. None other than Dick Cheneys Halliburton. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4818}
{"speech_id":1090068777,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So while_ the poor in Louisiana. Alabama. and Mississippi suffer from Federal neglect. DICK CHENEY and his cronies keep getting rich. I said it. If Hurricane Katrinas high winds. rain. and furious power. were not enough. the Federal Governments inadequate response to this tragedy just adds gasoline to the fire. I want to take a moment to thank the people locally in my area of Jacksonville. We have sent over 18 tractor trailers full of goods and services. Goods. I asked them to give me their wish list. and evetything on their wish list we filled. And. in fact. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4818}
{"speech_id":1090068800,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you for organizing this Special Order tonight. Becaqse our time is limited. I want to make my remarks. suitably brief. But I want to pick on something that has been a theme of what I have heard from a lot of my colleagues in the last several minutes. We have talked a lot. appropriately. about the question of national will in this country of ours. and I am reminded that several hours ago we passed a resolution on the floor honoring a woman named Rosa Parks who was a seamstress in the city I was born in. Montgomery. Alabama. When Rosa Parks made the decision to stand up by sitting down. by refusing to give up her seat on the bus. my grandmother was a 46yearold woman who lived in Montgomery. my mother was a 12yearold child. And they both vividly remember at times when they were escorted or asked to leave the front of the bus. to go to the back. And in that generation of Americans. there was a certain percentage of people who felt that. well. it is just the way it was. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090068800,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was a certain percentage of people who felt that racial segregation. separating people based on color. was just in the fabric and the atmosphere of what we were as a country. And when the Rosa Parkses of the world asserted themselves. a lot of people dismissed their effort. A lot of people said that it is a quixotic venture. And here we are 50 years later with a whole lot of political power for this community. a whole lot of an ability to stand here and to talk about these kinds of questions. We are a long. long . way from the Montgomery. Alabama that Rosa Parks and my mother and grandmother lived in. What has Changed about that 50 years is our will changed as a country. Our sense of what we would and would not tolerate changed over a period of time. and that which seemed tolerable many years ago. all of a sudden came to be seen as intolerable. It is my sincerest hope. as a Member of this House. that when. our time is long done. when the youngest of us here have left this body. that some group of Americans will look back and they- will say that we managed to take these questions of poverty. impenetrable. cutting. wounding poverty. off the table. that we somehow managed to find a way to build enough of a net in this country that everyone who tries to build a family has a maximum opportunity to do it. that we managed to build enough of a net in this country that when anyone gets sick. that we find a way to give them a quality of care. that we found a way to build enough of a net in this country. so that if there is an ambition in our children. the ambition will always be rewarded. The hope that I have is that we will one day reach a point where these kinds of questions come off the table. just as the question of what side of the bus you can sit in came off the table. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090068800,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we are going to get to that point. it will require a lot more than the reaction to Hurricane Katrina. It will require a lot more than the reaction to the Gulf that was exposed in New Orleans. It will require a sustained commitment to be serious about these questions. It will require a sustained commitment to talk about issues of day care for working mothers. issues of health care for indigents. issues of exclusion for all kinds of groups who have been marginalized in America. But I think those things are within our reach. The reason I think so is because I think that we have the capacity as a country to come back to a vocabulary and a dialogue of national greatness. We have the capacity as a country to talk about a vision that will make America great. that will not simply be based on the force of our arms. that will not simply be based on our intercontinental ballistic missiles. but will be based on the quality of the institutions that we build. E 1730 I will end by mentioning -someone that I know inspired many of my colleagues in this body. Robert F. Kennedy. the Senator from New York who died seeking to change the country by winning the presidency. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090068800,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He often ended his speeches by saying. \"Some men see things as they are and say why? I see things that never were and say why not?\" That has to be the constant challenge of all the Members of this institution who style themselves as progressives. The constant challenge has to be that we will see a range of visions. a range of opportunities and quality of life for our people that we have not previously seen and that we will have a national will to move toward that time. So I thank the gentlewoman for organizing this event. I thank my colleagues for speaking. In the final seconds I have here today. I will simply make the point that all of our citizens in this country ought to understand that we are impacted when some of our people do not share in the same circle of opportunity. but yet they are working and striving and pushing themselves every day to do it. That exclusion and that absence does not just wound African Americans. it does not just wound Latinos. it wounds everyone in this country that shares our national identity.","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090068812,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman for his comments. I cannot add to that closing. but will simply repeat. Mr. Speaker. we are winning the war in Iraq. And. Mr. Speaker. to anyone who is listening in tonight to hear the passion of the gentleman from Texas . to hear the progress on the ground on civil society that the gentleman from Iowa described and to hear about these soldiers and our effectiveness. we have never lost a military engagement in 4 years With this enemy. We have never lost so much as a platoon. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11219}
{"speech_id":1090068812,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are taking the enemy dowfn at a.rate of 30 to one that they are taking down our military personnel. That all spells victory. We are winning in Iraq. But let me leave with one image. As we flew over Baghdad and over Ramadi. 150 feet off the deck. Black Hawk helicopters flanked by Apache helicopters. really scarylooking aircraft. I lost count of the number of men and women and little boys and little girls running from their homes and waving at our helicopter as we sped by. And tlen what broke my heart was to see the helmeted soldier take one hand off that enormous 50 caliber machine gun and extend a gloved hand hurriedly out of the helicopter to wave back to those children and men and women. They were running towards the American helicopters. They were waving at the American soldier. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11219}
{"speech_id":1090068812,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This was not a putup job for some politicians flying through Baghdad. It was hundreds and hundreds and hun-. dreds of people in Baghdad and Balad and Ramadi throughout the Sunni Triangle who were giving the thumbs up in a wave of friendship to their liberators. to the people who are fighting and sacrificing and. succeeding in bringing them freedom and stability. which they so richly deserve. With that I thank the gentleman from Iowa and the gentleman from Texas for joining. me tonight. And I close with the thought we are winning the war in Iraq. Never doubt that. Two DAYS IN IRAQ (By Representative Mike Pence) SEPT. 6. 2005.-Our two days in Iraq began with a prayer and a brief reading from Psalm 91. After a short delay caused by an engine failure. we lifted off in the cargo hold of a C130 aircraft filled with soldiers and materials returning to Operation Iraqi Freedom. On the faces of the soldiers we met aboard the aircraft. most of whom were returning from leave. was the evident anxiety of men returning to battle and sober determination. I overheard one soldier tell a colleague. \"Im here for my family. my kids and my grandkids . . . so they dont have to deal with these guys.\" Upon arriving at Baghdad airport. we donned- the helmets and body armor that would be our wardrobe for the duration of our stay and climbed aboard a Blackhawk helicopter. destination Phoenix Base. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11219}
{"speech_id":1090068812,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Green Zone. Baghdad. The copters moved fast and low across the landscape of this city of several million. Different from my visit to Baghdad in 2004 when the streets were barren. the city sweeping past me below our helicopter was filled with people bustling about and large roads filled with tAffic. The city of Baghdad is no longer the deserted war zone I saw before. Despite the violence of insurgents. Baghdad is alive again. We landed at Phoenix Base in the Green Zone and attended meetings with the Amterican Commander and the American Ambassador for situation reports. In our previous meetings in Qatar. the diplomatic and military authorities spoke of steady progress and a determined enemy. but there was no hint of defeatism or pessimism. As we learned of over 100 Iraqi Battalions deployed with American forces. schools. basic services. agriculture. one is left with the sense that our folks in Baghdad have a plan and are working the plan 2417. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11219}
{"speech_id":1090068812,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As one soldier told me. \"defeat the enemy. rebuild the country and give it back to the Iraqis.\" From our meetings with American leaders. we boarded our motorcade for meetings with the Prime Minister of Iraq and the Ministers of Defense and Interior. three of the most important leaders to the present and future of Iraq. Prime Minister Jaafari greeted us in a formal setting and spent the first 15 minutes expressing the heartfelt condolences of the people of Iraq for the loss of life in Hurricane Katrina. He seemed most determined to convey that the insurgents engaged in violence do not represent the feelings of the people of Iraq. I asked him. \"Who is the enemy?\" and he replied with a litany referring to Beirut in 1983. 911. Sharm El Sheik. as all the work of \"the terrorists.\" He . actually seemed slightly indignant about the question . . . as though anyone. with any common sense. would see that the enemy in.Iraq is simply \"terrorists.\" In our meetings with two government leaders. two moments stood out. The Minister of Interior. a studious. bearded man. said the greatest challenge he faced was \"changing the culture of authoritarianism\" that followed the repressive history of Iraq. As we walked out. he and I spoke further about thig point and I was moved by his ambition for his people to live under a just system of law and not of men. The other moment came when another Congressman asked the Minister of Defense. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11219}
{"speech_id":1090068821,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take a few moments to comment on one aspect of the CommerceJusticeScience appropriations bill. In doing so. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their bipartisan cooperation in getting this bill done. which I believe we can do by tonight. The funding in this bill is critical to the functioning of our Government. and I expect it will pass with strong bipartisan support. Before we cast a lot more votes. I do want to call everybodys attention to one particular aspect of this bill that has. ramifications throughout each of our States that people arle becoming more and more aware of but deserves a lot more attention. and this is the methamphetamine crisis that is raging all across this country. As a physician. as well as a legislator. I am troubled by this growing meth crisis. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9339}
{"speech_id":1090068821,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As we travel across our States and look at the devastation that is caused by this particular drug and the making and manufacturing of this drug. we do need to act. In the last 10 years. meth has become Americas No. 1 drug problembefore marijuana. cocaine. heroin. and any other drug. In Tennessee. we have been particularly hard hit. In 2004. Tennessee ranked No. 2. tied with Iowa and behind Missouri. in the number of methamphetamine lab seizures. A good friend of mine. Sandy Mattice. who is a U.S. Attorney for the Eastern. District of Tennessee. describes meth as \"the worst stuff that we have seen.\" And it 0Printed on recycled paper. has led to some of the worst. most disturbing cases of violence and abuse we have ever seen. Last month. as I was traveling across Tennessee. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9339}
{"speech_id":1090068821,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I heard again and again from people from all walks of life about the devastating impact meth is having on the people of our State. I heard the stories about meth destroying individuals lives and families lives. how mothers and fathers who are addicts abuse their children or each other during the highs as well as the withdrawals from meth. We have heard again how addicts steal from their own parents or even their own children because they are so desperate for money to buy meth. One Tennessee case was so horrific that it made national news and ultimately changed Tennessee law. In June of last year. authorities found 3yearold Haley Spicer at her fathers mobile home in Campbell County. Haley had been burned with cigarettes and scalded with hot water in a bathtub. The fumes in her methaddicted fathers meth lab were so toxic that Haleys eyelids had even melted shut. Haley had to undergo a number of surgeries to open her eyes. She faces a lot more in terms of surgeries and operations to rebuild and reconstruct her nose and repair her ear. Haleys father. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9339}
{"speech_id":1090068821,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tommy Joe Owens. has been convicted on three counts of aggravated child abuse and one count of neglect. Owens. who claims to have never hurt his daughter. faces up to 60 years on each count at a sentencing hearing next month. His livein girlfriend Charlotte Claiborne pleaded no contest to the same charges and will likely be sentenced to 20 years. Haleys case was so disturbing that it led to swift and aggressive legislative action back in Tennessee. This August. the State legislature passed Haleys Law which drastically toughens the child abuse penalties. This was an important victory for the youngest victims of meth. but it addresses the problem after the fact. after meth has led to the violence. It is time for all of us to address what we can do to prevent this meth abuse. Haleys father should be in jail for a long time. but we have to do more. Local law enforcement is crying out for our help. Meth is highly addictive. and it is highly destructive as a substance. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9339}
{"speech_id":1090068821,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Users experience a powerful boost. described as more powerful than any other drug. three times the intensity of cocaine. The high lasts for longer. up to 8 hours. Users take hit after hit on sleepless binges that can last up to 2 and sometimes even 3 weeks. Once sucked in. many users find it impossible to climb out. Take. for example.Lynn Noland. also of Tennessee. Lynn did not plan on becoming an addict. nor for that matter did she plan on becoming what she did. a drug dealer. It started 4 years ago when Lynn was a 36yearold marketing executive and she tried her first hit. One hit became an addiction and she quit her wellpaying job and started trading meth ingredients to support her habit. She would disguise herself as a farmer. put on overalls and put on a ball cap and stop by the coop to be able to purchase ingredients undetected in an unsuspecting way. Another dangerous aspect of meth.is it can be cooked anywhere with storebought ingredients. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9339}
{"speech_id":1090068966,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I know my colleague from Arkansas is fntending to seek recognition in a moment. I wanted to ask the manager and ranking member of the subcommittee. I offered the amendment that deals with trade and weakening of trade remedies. I offered that previously. and I am wondering where that might exist with respect to the vote we might have this evening. I know the manager wants to finish the bill. I want to be helpful in doing that. but I think my amendment is germane. It has been offered. I have debated it. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":575}
{"speech_id":1090068966,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wonder what we might exbect with respect to a vote.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":575}
{"speech_id":1090068975,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DURBIN. INOUYE. FEINGOLD.. DODD. KERRY. and there may be one or two others who have wanted their names added in the last few moments. I thank my cosponsors for all the work they have done. This started with me traveling the State of Arkansas. as many Members have traveled their home States. during the August recess. and everywhere I went people talked about high gas prices. This is putting a strain on the economy. putting a strain on families. hurting not only every section of the country but also every sector of the economy. It is very difficult for the people in my State. and I am sure it is hard for people in other States. to pay record high prices at the gas pump. only to open the business pages and see the oil companies are making record profits. A bad situation has become worse in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090068975,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans have a right to know why gas prices are so high. They have a right to know if there is price gouging occurring. This amendment does not say there is. This amendment requires the FTC to do an immediate investigation into high gas prices to make comparisons and determinations and make sure there is no price gouging occurring. I dont want to say he agrees completely with this amendment. but certainly President Bush has said on ABC. on \"Good Morning America\":. I think it ought to be zero tolerance of peo-. ple breaking the law during an emergency such as this. whether it be looting or price gouging at the gasoline pump or taking advantage of charitable giving or insurance fraud. - That is from President Bush. Certainly. the sentiment is there that if there is gouging going on. we need to know about it. This requires the FTC to do an immediate investigation and come back and report to Congress with their findings within 30 days. I give a special thank you to Senator DOMENICI. We worked very closely with him and his staff. we worked very closely with Senator SHELBY and his staff. and Senators BINGAMAN. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090068975,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CANTWELL. BILL NELSON. and BEN NELSON. Everyone played a role. I give a very special thank you to our friend and colleague from Maryland. Senator MIKUL SKI. She has done yeomans work on this amendment. She and her staffI need to give credit to all the staff. We reached a bipartisan agreement on this a few moments ago. I thank all my colleagues and certainly I look forward to hearing from Senator MIKULSKI on this very important issue on which she has worked so hard.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090069009,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to speak about the Senate amendment No. 1670. offered by Senator DORGAN. Earlier today the Senate held a procedural vote on this amendment. and I want to make clear the reason for my vote. Senator DORGANs amendment would create a Special Committee of the Senate on war and reconstruction contracting. It is modeled on the highly successful committee that former President Harry Truman chaired during his Senate tenure from 19411944. That committee demanded the strictest accountability from defense contracting and thus saved our Government billions of dollars. I agree with the aim of Senator DORGANs amendment. and look forward to supporting legislation in the future that would establish a special committee to review war and. reconstruction contracting. Given the great cost. length and Importance of the war on terrorism. I think it is appropriate to conveneLsuch a special committee to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN CHAFEE","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1984}
{"speech_id":1090069009,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. Senator DORGAN offered this piece of authorizing legislation on an appropriations bill. The procedural vote was whether the Senate should set aside rule XVI. which prohibits such authorizing on appropriations. There is a troubling history of legislating on appropriations. From 1995. when the Senate voted in effect to overturn rule XVI. until 1999. when the rule was established. there was a proliferation of socalled \"legislative riders\" on appropriations bills. No authorizing committees territory is safe without firm lines clearly differentiating between authorizing work and appropriations work. Moreover. from 19951999 many of the riders were aimed at undermining environmental laws. To avoid returning to this practice. I support rule XVI and its prohibition against adding authorizing amendments to appropriations bills. and thus voted to oppose Senator ])ORGANs amendment. Again. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN CHAFEE","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1984}
{"speech_id":1090069009,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I state this to make clear that my vote was to uphold an important Senate rule. and not to oppose Senator DORGANs amendment.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN CHAFEE","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1984}
{"speech_id":1090069150,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I urge all ofmy colleagues to support this fair rule and the bipartisan legislation which provides critical funding to improve our Nations coasts and ports. I think it is very timely that we are addressing this legislation today because the Coast Guard has done an exemplary job in rescuing the many victims of Hurricane Katrina. and we need to ensure. as my colleague has said. that they have the necessary resources to continue their mission. I believe all Members should be able to support thisrule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":735}
{"speech_id":1090069182,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for so many reasons my colleagues on this side of the aisle have articulated. this resolution should be rejected. Because it is neither bipartisan in terms of its authority. nor bipartisan in terms of its power. nor bipartisan in terms of its subpoena power. That will all rest with the majority. The question that must be answered is how is it that FEMA. which 5 years ago was a worldclass agency that was being praised by Republicans and Democrats alike. by local officials. by governors. by mayors. by the international community. who were coming and visiting and taking lessons from FEMA. how in 5 years was that agency so incredibly hollowed out that it could not respond to Hurricane Katrina? This President and this administration made some horrible decisions about putting political hacks and their cronies in charge of the agency that is in charge of the safety of the people of the United States. whether it is western fires. earthquakes. floods. tornadoes or hurricanes. He appointed political hacks. Is he going to investigate that himself. as he says? This. Congress. powerful Members of the Senate and the House. made decisions about using FEMA as a honey pot to take resources out of and divert them elsewhere. The Committee on Appropriations chairmen of both houses. the leadership. the Republican leadership of both houses. are they going to investigate that themselves? That is like asking Enron to investigate corporate ethics. baseball to investigate steroids. DICK CHENEY to investigate energy policy. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2683}
{"speech_id":1090069182,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It just cannot happen. and the American people know that. That is why. when they are asked on this question. 75 percent of the American people want a 9\/11 Commission. They want a 9\/11 Commissiofn because they saw that the 9\/11 Commission was the only way that the citizens of this country were going to get the answers. not the answers the politicians wanted them to get. and that is what this bipartisan. phony committee is about. They want to give you the answers they want you to get. The citizens want the answers to the questions that they want to ask. The power in our democracy is with the citizens. and the citizens want a citizens committee. They want a citizens committee to answer these questions because the questions are going . to have to be asked of a Republican President. a Republican Congress. a Democratic mayor. a Democratic governor. a Republican governor and that simply will not be able to be done. The President has said he takes responsibility. The question that must be asked is: Did he act responsibly as the President of the United States to protect the people of this country? So far. the question is a resounding. no.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2683}
{"speech_id":1090069236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. this debate that we are beginning here is about a very clear choice that is before us. Will we take the responsibility delegated to us as Members of the Peoples House by the framers of our Constitution to ask the hard questions. admit our mistakes and improve our Nations government for the benefit of all? Or will we rely on proxies to do our work for us because we have judged ourselves incapable of carrying out our constitutional duty to ensure that we are. providing for the general welfare. which is what the preamble of the Constitution clearly states we have a responsibility to do. I. for one. believe as James Madison. the father of our Constitution. did. that the Constitution vests this responsibility with us. Iam ready to accept the challenge as a Member of the House of Representatives. I believe that we have already started this work. Last night. in the Committee on Rules. many of my Democratic colleagues asked excellent questions. The gentlewoman from New York . my friend from Rochester. asked very thoughtful and important questions that need to be raised. I noted that the gentlewoman from Sacramento. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1544}
{"speech_id":1090069236,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"California similarly asked some very. very good questions that should be posed to those dealing with the preparation for and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Just yesterday the governor of my State. Pete Wilson. and I should say the former governor of my State. Pete Wilson. testified. I do know very well that we have a new governor. His name","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1544}
{"speech_id":1090069307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. as the House considers the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act. we have the opportunity to commend the men and women of the Coast Guard for their extraordinary achievements in response to Hurricane Katrina. On Sunday. August 28. as soon as the hurricane passed over the Gulf of Mexico. the Coast Guard launched into action. Battling winds that were still blowing at gale force. Coast Guard aircraft immediately began rescuing desperate survivors clinging to rooftops in flooded Gulf Coast coastal communities. After the Hurricane hit the Gulf Coast and as the enormity of the disaster became apparent. every Coast Guard air station in the country began sending helpaircraft or crews or bothto the devastated areas to conduct search and rescue missions. The numbers speak for themselves: across the region. the Coast Guard saved or evacuated 33.500 people. one helicopter crew rescued 150 during a single shift on duty. another crew rescued In New Orleans alone. working day and night for seven days. Coast Guard helicopters saved close to 6.500 lives. 4.700 of them by hoisting people from their perilous perches up into helicopters. Coast Guard crews dodged debris. hacked through roofs and windows. and waded in filthy water to reach survivors. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2712}
{"speech_id":1090069307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Although Coast Guard facilities in the disaster area had been damaged by the storm and floods. and many Coast Guard men and women had lost their own homes. they pushed past all obstacles to carry out their mission. It was not just the members of the air and rescue teams that made this extraordinary effort possible: mechanics worked tirelessly to service aircraft and send them back into the field as quickly as possible. Supply and logistics personnel worked around the clock to restore hurricanedamaged facilities to use. Auxiliary volunteers rallied to the call of duty. As the storm receded. assessments of oil spills and critical infrastructure began. The Coast Guards accomplishments shine all the brighter in contrast to FEMAs lethally slow response. There are many good men and women working for FEMA too. but they were hampered by weak. inexperienced. and ineffective leadership. and by the exodus over the past several years of many seasoned disaster relief experts who could no longer tolerate the disintegration of the agency. With this legislation. we are building upon the strengths and successes of the Coast .Guard. Thank you to Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen for taking over relief operations in the disaster area. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2712}
{"speech_id":1090069307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you to the men and women of the Coast Guard who responded to this disaster from all around the country. from Florida to Seattle. from Boston to my own city of San Francisco. With all our hearts. we thank you.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2712}
{"speech_id":1090069374,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Under the agreement that we have. in committee. we do not support amendments that one or the other side disagrees with. and I support the committee position. I do want to observe. however. that this amendment is relatively benign. Had it been drafted differently. I think it easily could have been accepted. The Coast Guard does have largely this authority. And while the chairman of the subcommittee has expressed a concern about the Coast Guard being drawn afield from its normal mission in looking into onland facilities. actually if the Coast Guard felt there were a problem with their existing authority they could do what the gentlemans -amendment proposes to direct them to do. they could say. look. we think this is a security problem or a safety problem and inspect it. And. in fact. any contractor with an ounce of sense would invite the Coast Guard in and say look at it before we go ahead. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090069374,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do want to observe. however. there is new technology that may make such facilities unnecessary in the short term and long term. During this storm of Katrina in the gulf. an LNG facility offloaded 3 billion cubic feet of natural gas 100 miles offshore because the tanker had on board the new regassification technology that allows it to make the conversion necessary to discharge from the ship. and with 8foot seas. they were able to discharge 3 billion cubic feet of natural gas. With the rate at which natural gas prices are rising. I think we need more of that capability. I certainly sympathize with my colleagues in Massachusetts along Fall River who do not want to see one of these LNG ports in their river. close to human population. with all of the potential. but this is not the appropriate place to make that fix.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090069388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairmen of. the subcommittee and the full committee for their efforts here. First at the outset. let me commend the great men and women of the United States Coast Guard for what they do. In Staten Island and Brooklyn. we are privileged that they are watching the Port of New York and the hundreds. if not thousands. of personnel who dedicate their lives to helping us and saving many and protecting us. And after a very aggressive summer boating season. many of them have been redeployed to the gulf region and serving once again with honor and distinction and rescuing many and really serving full support to the United States Coast Guard. The amendment I have offered today deals with what happened several years ago in Staten Island. On October 15. 2003. the Staten Island Ferry boat. the Andrew J. Barberi. was on a regularly scheduled trip from Manhattan to Staten Island. as it does 365 days a year. bat on that day. it collided with the maintenance pier at the StatenIsland Ferry Terminal. The tragic accident resulted in the death of 11 people. 11 innocent people with over 70 injured. many seVerely. ","speaker_name":"VITO FOSSELLA","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3494}
{"speech_id":1090069388,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite the exceptional report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board. which conducted a very thorough investigation. we still do not know the full story of what happened on that tragic day. The N.T.S.B. concluded a probable cause of the incident was \"the assistant captains unexplained incapacitation.\" The unvillingness of those with knowledge of what happened in. the wheelhouse to talk unfortunately ensures that the full story of that tragedy will never be known. In light of these circumstances. the amendment I have offered today requires that voyage data recorders. or VDRs. not too unlike the famous. or infamous. black boxes that exist in every airplane cockpit. be installed in ferries carrying more than 399 passengers. For a point of fact. that is probably more than 50 ferry boats nationwide. The devices are similar to the black boxes. In addition to recording all communication and navigation data in a ships wheelhouse. the devices can also be used to track vessels en route and determine whether or not a ship is veering off course. which would have arguably prevented this tragic accident as well. In addition to helping determinb whether or not ships may be on adangerous course. the devices also provide critical information in the event of future accidents that will give investigators a more complete understanding of events and in helping investigators understand root causes. such as greatly assist them in offering recommendations for safety improvements. The amendment sets forth very practically to allow these VDRs in passenger ferries of 399 or more passengers. The Staten Island Ferry in and of itself carries tens of thousands people every day. I think it is a commonsense measure. ","speaker_name":"VITO FOSSELLA","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3494}
{"speech_id":1090069388,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. I want to commend the chairmen of both the full and the subcommittee for agreeing to continue to dialogue. to figure out ways we can prevent such accidents from occurring. One of the other issues that clearly happened here was the pilot in control basically provided fraudulent physicals. And we need to find a way that we can effectively protect the public from those pilots. and I would argue physicians that provided false medicals to allow people who really do not belong in a wheelhouse to be responsible for the lives of tens of tllousands of people on a daily basis. I urge support of this commonsense amendment.","speaker_name":"VITO FOSSELLA","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3494}
{"speech_id":1090069458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the majority leader for that information. First of all. on the general proposition for the month of October. we had had discussions last week. and it is clear that the second week of October. it will not be practical to meet because of the various important dates on that week. The first week was somewhat in flux at that point in time. Could the majority leader bring us up to date on where currently the thinking of the leaders office is on where we will be on the first week of October?","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":510}
{"speech_id":1090069484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I guess the gentlewoman from California forgets or has a short memory. I think we came into special session to spend $10.5 billion just a few days after the disaster hit. came back the next week and spent $51 billion to go to immediate relief. We have passed some six to eight bills in the last few days that directly affect people and their ability to get their lives back together. I do not think anybody. and certainly not this House. is dragging its feet on anything. What the gentlewoman is talking about is a process that. frankly. will take months to get the money that we are talking akout in order to build the houses that she wants. and being able to negotiate a few weeks or days to get this bill right and not get it wrong I think is very much the responsible way to proceed.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":787}
{"speech_id":1090069491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. I would simply\" add again that as the gentleman indicated. trying to go regular order. obviously. both sides understand that these. are things we need to move with great dispatch so we can help the people that need help and get it to them when they need the help. We are all for that. On the supplemental. the President has indicated there is going to be a need for another supplemental. Do you know when we might consider such a supplemental. how much that supplemental might be for? And if we start considering it early. while the $52 billion is still available to be expended to assist those. it will give us a little bit of time to go through the process that the gentleman indicates is the best process. I yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":757}
{"speech_id":1090069515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has shown bold leadership. Prime Minister Sharon took: a significant risk to both his political future and personal safety to organize the Israeli pullout of Gaza. Thousands of Israelis were moved from their homes in Gaza to give peace a chance. With no guarantees from the Palestinians. the Israelis moved all that was important to them. moved their home. their goods. including the remains of their families and friends. Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority must show leadership and root out radical terrorist groups like Hamas. Israel took the first step in the hope of developing a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Abbas must confront violence against Israelis. eliminate the terrorist infrastructure. disarm and arrest those involved in terrorist plots and institute democratic reforms in all Palestiniancontrolled areas. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":988}
{"speech_id":1090069515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. Prime Minister Sharon showed bold leadership and courage. Now the Palestinians must act.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":988}
{"speech_id":1090069554,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think my colleague is exactly right. What happened here today. H. Res. 437. is a tragedy. What happened right here on this floor today is a tragedy for the exact reason the gentleman just mentioned. Now. for those people who are at home and who may not completely understand the whole situation. this body is run by the majority party. which is the Republican Party. And the majority party appoints to the committees members to the Committee on Ways and Means. the Committee on Appropriations. the House. Homeland Security Committee. the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090069554,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Export Financing. and Related Programs. and all these different committees and subcommittees. The majority appoints more people to the committee than the minority. so they basically control the committee process in the House of Representatives. Now. some committees have subpoena powers and they can subpoena witnesses. But they will only subpoena witnesses that the majority party wants to subpoena. If the minority party would want to subpoena somebody. they could not because they could not get the power out of the committee without majority party votes. So the majority rules. What is happening in this Congress and in the House and in the Senate is that the Republican Party controls both Chambers. So the Democrats in the minority have no subpoena power. And what has happened over the past few years here. and the great example is the later Clinton years. with Ken Starr. with the House Committee on Government Reform. the Republican Party that controlled this Chamber. they were the ones conducting the investigation into President Clinton because they had the subpoena power and they had the opportunity t6 do it. So what we were trying to say. what the minority party was trying to say. the Democrats were trying to say with H. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090069554,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Res. 437. is this select committee that will oversee and look at how the screwups went about down in the gulf coast should be equal. It should be Democrats and .Republicans both having equal subpoena power to oversee the process. because the record for the majority -party over the past few years has been atrocious. Now. let us look at a couple of things. We have talked here many. many times regarding the war. with the weapons of mass destruction. all the prewar intelligence. Has anybody looked into this in a real way. in depth? Subpoenaed witnesses? Anybody? No. Has anybody been fired? No. How about the Medicare bill that we passed at 3 in the morning. Everyone was told here it was $400 billion. It ends up being 700 or $800 billion after we already voted for it. This majority party does not have the credibility. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090069554,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say to my colleague. the credibility to oversee what is going on here because they are going to do nothing but whitewash this thing. Get out the Brillo pads because we are going to scrub this thing clean. and nothing is going to happen and the country is going to be worse off for it. So. my colleagues. H. Res. 437 is a joke. It is a joke. And there will not be proper investigation. I just could not believe the debate on the floor today. The gentleman from Mississippi . a Democrat who lost. his home. for Gods sake. was here. He is saying. slould he not. as a representative of a State in a congressional district that lost lives and homes and property and everything else. should he not be able to subpoena somebody. just like every other Member of Congress. if I am on that committee? Or should the Democrats. who many lost constituents of the 700some that we lost. and some of those people were actually represented by Democrats. should the minority party not have the opportunity to subpoena somebody? But. no. this thing is going to get scrubbed. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090069554,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Where is the transparency? Where is the equal opportunity? Where is the bipartisanship? What this bill says is there is going to be nine Democrats and 11 Republicans.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3876}
{"speech_id":1090069565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. we have central time in the affected area. eastern time. I know that the President is going to be on 8 oclock central. but he is going to be on at 9 oclock eastern. But. obviously. he will be coming on very shortly. But I think it is important that it is not the words he is going to share with the American people tonight. It is September \u009515. 2005 the action. We have to look at the action or the lack thereof that has been taken thus far. Flying down. reviewing the devastation. talking to families. we have to go far beyond that. We have to make sure that Members of this Congress \"feel what we feel here on this floor tonight. having an opportunity to touch these individuals. And I just want to say. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7935}
{"speech_id":1090069565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is a picture of. I may say. very fortunate individuals. This is a FEMA trailer down in Hancock County. Mississippi. I am standing there talking to one of the FEMA parttime workers. And there is a row of people actually behind us. There are maybe 10 phones in this trailer. But these individuals waited about 2 hours. and that is the short line. to get the assistance. They say that it should be 48 hours. 72 hours when it goes into their bank account. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7935}
{"speech_id":1090069565,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many of these individuals. some of them returned back because they applied 3 days earlier and they still did not receive the assistance. But I think it is important for us to realize. Mr. Speaker. that he mentioned the poll about putting an independent commission together. Because it is one thing to be able to say I will do my investigation and we will make sure that this never happens again and the gentleman from Ohio is my good friend and I am going to make sure that he did what he was supposed to do. I do not think we are going to get down to the real truth about how we can avoid this from happening in the future. the governmental response. also making sure that the nonprofit agencies that we tie in with. that they did what they were supposed to do. As it relates to the evacuation of poor people. there was a bill dropped down today on the Democratic side of the aisle that called for a response plan. an evacuation plan for the poor. for the elderly. for the individuals that need assistance the most. because what we saw in New Orleans. what we saw in Louisiana. what we saw in Mississippi. the individuals that were left behind were the individuals who did not know where their next $5 was going to come from or were waiting on their check to come in or did not have a car to get out. and it is catastrophic. So for us to be the last standing superpower. for us to have a President that we call the leader of the Free World. and for us to allow this to happen to Americans is shameful. That is not what I am saying. That is what weekly periodicals are saying. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7935}
{"speech_id":1090069565,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what the headlines on newspapers are saying. That is what everyday Americans are saying. Some folks say it has a lot to do with the fact that people just did not listen to us. Well. there are a lot of people who did listen. and there are a lot of people that are somewhere else. at a cousins house right now. but their homes are gone. Many ofthem did not even have insurance because their homes were paid for or they could not afford it. Mr. Speaker. the bottom line here tonight is that we cannot allow business as usual or \"the establishment\" to sweep this under the carpet. We are not \u0095 saying that blood is on anyones hands. We are not saying that. What we are saying is that we cannot afford for it to happen again. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7935}
{"speech_id":1090069565,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the bottom line. So I think. Mr. Speaker. before we leave here tonight. we need to make sure that we give the email address out. We need to make sure that Members know on both sides of the aisle that we have a responsibility to stand for these individuals. If somebody wants to do something. I think they need to help these individuals in the South. They need to help these individuals who do not have the means to come to Washington to organize themselves and ask for a governmentsanctioned. funded independent commission to be able to make sure that someones husband or wife does not run out of oxygen because the levees broke and because we could not reach them and that instead they sat in their homes for 3 days and perished. On their memory. on behalf of them. make sure that does not happen again. Like in the charity hospital where 35 or 40 folks perished because the levees broke and we could not do anything. and we come to find out that those individuals did not even drown. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7935}
{"speech_id":1090069717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment is an attempt to apply an offer of financial relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina in very personal ways to answer the questions that hundreds of thousands of. people in the gulf coast region are now asking themselves. by extending current programs or creating. a couple of new ones. Let me be more specific. This amendment would say to folks who suffered this hardship that they can meet their immediate needs for housing and other assistance because we are going to waive the caps and State costsharing requirements under the Stafford Program. It would allow survivors of Katrina to cover rent or mortgage payments. if they are suffering financial hardship. that is. by reinstatement of the mortgage or rental program. It would extend the time that these people.can apply for unemployment insurance to 90 days. It would impose a moratorium on obligations for paying student loans and other payments on Federal loans in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane. It would authorize people to take money out of their retirement plans to keep themselves going without having to pay a penalty. And it would extend and expand eligibility for food stamps and WIC programs. Finally. for victims of Hurricane Katrina and survivors living in the area of hardship. it would extend the bankruptcy protections under current law that would otherwise soon go out of effect with the adoption of the recent Bankruptcy Act. This is the stuff of enabling people to put their lives back together. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090069717,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is very human. it is very personal. it is real. and it is veryurgently needed. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090069735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I further ask unanimous consent that following the disposition of the Lieberman amendment. the bill be read a third time. and the Senate proceed to a vote on passage of the bill with no intervening action or debate. provided further that the amendment to the title then be agreed to. the Senate then insist on its amendment. request a conference with the House. and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate. I further ask unanimous consent that following the first vote there be 2 minutes equally divided between the votes.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":568}
{"speech_id":1090069748,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to discuss an important project by both NOAA and the University of Miami. Virginia Key. FL is the home of two important NOAA programs dealing with the oceans and fisheries and the home to the University of Miami Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Because of their proximity. overlap in focus. and the quality of the research at both NOAA and the Rosentiel School. the two have developed a close. mutually beneficial working relationship. As the Rosentiel School has grown in prominence it has also grown in size to over 500 professors. graduate students. researchers and staff. and can no longer fit in its current facilities. The school had considered relocating. but moving away from Virginia Key would weaken the relationship between it and NOAA. That is why last year Congress found it appropriate to pass a bill authorizing NOAA to grant land to the University of Miami to construct a new Marine Life Science Center in Virginia Key. This new center would be home to both the Rosentiel School and NOAA. staff. allowing their collaboration to continue and to grow. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1672}
{"speech_id":1090069748,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The research performed on marine habitats. fishery economics. ocean chemistry and tropical meteorology will be brought together in a modern facility where it can be presented and shared. Currently. planning is underway to develop this center. and I believe we should assist NOAA and the University of Miami with the design and schematic plans of this joint facility. Once design plans are in place. the University of Miami plans to finance the building construction through nonFederal funds. Once completed. up to 50 percent of the space will be used by NOAA.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1672}
{"speech_id":1090069749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is wonderful to see collaboration between the Federal Government and our Nations top universities. and we should support those efforts whenever possible. In these tight budget times. it is difficult to fund every deserving project such as this one. I will work with the Senator from Florida so that we can find ways to further partnerships like these.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090069763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The people of Florida and the nation owe NOAAs National Weather Service a debt of gratitude for their work last year predicting the four hurricanes that hit Florida and the southeast and this year for their work predicting Hurricanes Dennis and Katrina. The National Weather Service website had more than 9 billion hits during the four storms last year. That site provided vital information to the people of Florida as they prepared their homes and evacuated their families from the path of the hurricanes. For these reasons. I want to thank the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the CommerceJusticeScience approlriations bill. Senators SHELBY and. MIKULSKI. for working with me to ensure that the National Weather Services ability to continue to provide the American people with weather forecasts and warnings through the internet and other sources will not be undermined or limited. I agree with the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Preparedness and Prediction. Senator DEMINT. that the National Weather Service deserves an \"A\" for its predictions about Hurricane Katrina.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090069866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on the nomination of John G. Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States on Thursday. September 15.. 2005 at 9:30 a.m.. in the Hart Senate Office Building Room 216. Witness List Pane I: Stephen L. Tober. Esq.. Chairman. American Bar Association. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3681}
{"speech_id":1090069866,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Portsmouth. NH. Tom Hayward. Esq.. PastChairman. American Bar Association. Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Chicago. IL. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3681}
{"speech_id":1090069866,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pamela A. Bresnahan. Esq.. DC Circuit Representative. American Bar Association. Washington. DC. Panel II: The Honorable Dick Thornburgh. Former Attorney General of the United States. Former Governor of Pennsylvania. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3681}
{"speech_id":1090069866,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Counsel. Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham. Washington. DC. The Honorable John Lewis. United States House of Rkepresentatives. DGA5th District. Jennifer Cabranes Braceras. Esq.. Commissioner. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3681}
{"speech_id":1090069866,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":21,"republican":1,"speech_text":"U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and Visiting Fellow at the Independent Womens Forum. Boston. MA. Wade Henderson. Executive Director. Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Washington. DC. Peter Kirsanow. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3681}
{"speech_id":1090069898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. Mr. President. this is one of several bills we are addressing tonight that reflect the Senates responseto those who have been adversely affected by this disaster. The bill we passed was specifically related to Pell grants. giving the Secretary of Education the waiver authority for students who are eligible for Pell grants. those students who have been adversely affected.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":380}
{"speech_id":1090069919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to express my support for designating September as Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month. It is estimated that leukemia. lymphoma. and myeloma will kill 60.500 people in the United States this year and that 110.000 new cases are diagnosed each year. With more than 700.000 Americans living with blood cancers. it is crucial that we come together to reinvigorate our resolve and continuously intensify our fight for a cure. I am pleased to join the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in encouraging all to put aside time to reflect on what has been achieved so far. in fighting blood cancers. spread lifesaving knowledge. and set our sights on progressive goals to advance our ability to support and treat those living with leukemia and lymphoma. Together. we can push forward critical research and keep the eradication of these diseases at the forefront of dialogue and education in our local and national communities. I applaud the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for its support of treatment and research. Such work is integral to our ability to understand these illnesses and energize our fellow citizens in this very worthy endeavor. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has provided an outstanding model of advocacy and paved the way for others to get involved. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1500}
{"speech_id":1090069919,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased to invite my colleagues to join me in acknowledging Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month.. I hope that you will use this time as inspiration for continued thoughtful leadership on this critical health issue.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1500}
{"speech_id":1090069925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. as I mentioned earlier. the Senate did complete action on and overwhelmingly pass the CommerceJusticeScience appropriations bill. Upon completion of the CommerceScienceJustice appropriations bill. we began consideration of the Agriculture appropriations bill. On Monday. we will resume consideration of this bill and. as always. I ask Senators to come forward and let us know if they intend to offer amendments. Our next votes will occur Tuesday morning. and we will probably begin voting very early Tuesday morning. We will be debating amendments on Monday. however. any votes that are ordered on Monday Will be stacked to occur early on Tuesday morning.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":677}
{"speech_id":1090070019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we will open with a period for morning business for 60 minutes. Following that time. the Senate will resume consideration of the Agriculture appropriations bill which we began last Thursday. While we have no votes today. I encourage Members who intend to offer amendments to notify the bill managers and begin offering their amendments this afternoon. We will stack votes for Tuesday morning and hope to finish this bill early this week.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":458}
{"speech_id":1090070046,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate very much the kind remarks of the distinguished Senator from South Dakota and for his influence in the process of developing the appropriate levels of funding in this bill. We have tried very hard not only to stay within the budget allocation but to try to identify priorities so that we put money where the problems are and we deal with the realities of living on a farm. trying to make a living. trying to meet the needs of communities around the country for rural development projects. There is a wide range of jurisdiction that comes under the authority of this subcommittee for rural development. such as housing for lowincome people who would otherwise not be able to have housing. Also. we have important components in the bill relating to food safety. We are confronted with threats to our country from terrorist groups. so this makes us worry about bioterrorism and being able to develop an infrastructure to protect ourselves against any efforts to contaminate our food supply or to wreak havoc in our communities with other terrorist activities that relate to our food supply and its sources. For that purpose. we have invested in research and other initiatives that will help us more successfully deal with these challenges to. help assure the American public that our food supply is safe. wholesome. and nutritious. In that connection. too. we realize this subcommittee has the responsibility of funding the school feeding programs so that school lunch programs. school breakfast programs. and others maintain healthy diets for children in school throughout our country to bring to them nutritious and safe foods. We just reauthorized in the legislative Committee on Agriculture last year a new law that authorizes the funding of these programs. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7032}
{"speech_id":1090070046,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have new initiatives. such as fruit and vegetable programs that help assure that schools are able to access and provide a wide variety of healthy foods for children in the public school systems of our country. These are very important steps. building upon a legacy by previous committees that have worked on these challenges and expanding the benefits so that more and more students are reached by these programs. We try to make sure the costs of these programs are controlled so that people are not priced out of the system. We want to make sure that in our public schools. there are free and reducedprice lunches available in our schools for those who cannot afford the full cost of these meals. I also want to point out that access to communications systems. to rural water and sewer systems. to modern electricity facilities that are available in rural areaswhere providing such services is much more expensive per consumer than it is in urban areasis made available through Federal programs that help assure access of farm families and others who live in rural areas of our country to these important qualityoflife situations. We have made a tremendous contribution throughout rural America in promoting economic development using business and industrial loans. trying to attract goodpaying jobs to small towns and rural communities. Those programs are funded in this bill. too. I might say for the purpose of showing the commitment. in many of these areas we have increased the funding over previous year levels of funding. The Food and Drug Administration is an independent agency that is funded in this bill as well. Such initiatives as medical device review to assure safety for the consumers. drug safety. and the pharmaceutical products that are supplied throughout our country have to meet standards imposed by the Food and Drug Administration. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7032}
{"speech_id":1090070046,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This year. we are providing an additional $5 million to the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose of helping ensure drug safety. The medical device review account is increased by $7.8 million over last years level. I have mentioned our efforts in counterterrorism and food safety. That is also within the purview of the Food and Drug Administration. and the funding there is $16.6 million above last years level. To help meet those challenges. we have had to make adjustments elsewhere in the bill to keep it within the allocation permitted by the Budget Committee. There is not a specific account in here directed to hurricane victims. The recent hurricane that struck the Gulf Coast States has caused a tremendous amount of damage throughout the Gulf of Mexico StatesLouisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama. I think there are more counties in my State of Mississippi affected by that disaster than any other State. The geographical area was so large. it is just horrible to contemplate the total amount of physical destruction of trees. of growing crops. of poultry facilities. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7032}
{"speech_id":1090070046,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our agricultural and rural community has been hit hard by the effects of this hurricane. When you get closer to the gulf coast. of course. you see total destruction along the coastal areas. The other day when the majority leader led a delegation of 14 Senators to Louisiana. New Orleans. across the Mississippi gulf coast and into Alabama. ending our tour in Mobile. it brought home to all of us that the entire gulf coast area has been devastated. Businesses are gone. Houses are gone. Churches are gone. Schools have disappeared. It is breathtaking and horrible to observe. The point I am making is that while this bill is not a disaster assistance bill per se. there are many provisions in this bill that will help these communities rebuild and recover and will help the people of those areas until they can get their feet back on the ground and back at work and in suitable housing. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7032}
{"speech_id":1090070046,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I mentioned the farmers loan programs that exist. There are also funds in this bill for food stamps. for the Women. Infants and Children feeding program. This is for mothers. to help them care for their children. help to get them off to a healthy start in life. Food safety concerns we have mentioned. Conservation recovery. rural housing programs are all very important components to the recovery effort from Hurricane Katrina. The Department of Agriculture has stepped forward and is making good progress in identifying areas that need special help. Before long. the Senate will take up another supplemental appropriations bill targeted directly to disaster victims. We are in preliminary discussions already with the administration on when that money will be needed. when will it be considered by the Senate. when will the request be submitted. These are issues we are working hard to resolve to be sure that Federal agencies that have the responsibility of responding to this disaster have the funds they need to do it and do it right and to do it quickly. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7032}
{"speech_id":1090070060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the pending Department of Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 2006. H.R. 2744. as reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations provides $86.883 billion in budget authority and $69.248 billion in outlays in FY 2006. Of these totals. $69.535 billion in budget authority and $50.456 billion in outlays are for mandatory programs in FY 2006. The bill provides total discretionary budget authority in FY 2006 of $17.348 billion. This amount is $430 million more than the Presidents request. equal to the 302(b) allocations adopted by the Senate. $518 million more than the Housepassed bill. and $905 million less than FY 2005 enacted levels. I commend the distinguished Chairman of the Appropriations Committee for bringing this legislation before the Senate. and I ask unanimous consent that a table displaying the Budget Committee scoring of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":918}
{"speech_id":1090070097,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. our hearts go out to those who have been affected by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. By now. those who have been displaced by this disaster know that help is available to them. And true to the American spirit. assistance has poured in from people all across this great land. We have seen the Government. at every level. fail in some way to respond adequately to this emergency. Congressional hearings will examine these failures and the reasons for them to make sure that we are better prepared to respond in the future. But there is no need for a review of the adequacy. efficiency. or responsiveness of everyday citizens who heeded distress calls from their fellow citizens. When the history of this disaster is finally written. it will document the fact that the American people rose to the challenge. Because that is what Americans doevery time. without exception. Over the past several weeks we have seen ordinary Americans. on their own initiative. coordinate the donation of goods needed by evacuees. rent UHaul trucks. and drive to New Orleans to deliver supplies. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090070097,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Others have initiated fundraisers and have donated substantial funds to aid the Red Cross and other charities that are on the ground. And still others. like those in my home State of Texas. have literally opened their doors to complete strangers to provide them with food. shelter. and other necessities. so that they can get back on their feet and begin to rebuild their lives. Here in the Congress we have acted quickly. passing emergency relief appropriations of more than $60 billion dollars to get money into the devastated areas so people can be helped and areas can be rebuilt. The President has further proposed sending an unprecedented amount of money and incentives to aid in the rebuilding. I plan to support reasonable efforts designed to aid in accomplishing these goals. However. as we pour extraordinary amounts of money into the affected areas. we must guard against those callous people who may see this as an opportunity to wrongfully enrich themselves through fraud. We all know that the Federal Governments track record at detecting and avoiding fraud is poor. at best. As we begin to funnel what some have said may be close to $200 billion dollars into the disaster areas. we must be vigilant to ensure that these funds go where they legitimately are supposed to go. And we must send the message here and now that the actions of those who may defraud the Government or otherwise illegally obtain a portion of these funds will not be tolerated. That is why I have introduced the Katrina Waste. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090070097,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fraud and Abuse Deterrence Act of 2005. This legislation states that anyone convicted of any crime involving funds appropriated for disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 yearsand up to 20 yearsin prison. As I have said. a staggering amount of money will be. and currently is being sent to this area. The funds will speed the rebuilding of these areas and otherwise help those who are in need of assistance. But the American people will not tolerate misappropriation of these funds. President Bush has ordered that a team of inspectors general review all expenditures to ensure that the rebuilding work is done honestly and wisely. I applaud the President for his stewardship of this money. The bill I introduce today will put some teeth into this oversight. It will say to those who may contemplate illegally cutting corners or outright stealing disaster funds whether by fraud. theft. or embezzlement. that they will be caught. prosecuted. and imprisoned. To those who legitimately need these funds: Your country is here to help you. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090070097,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To those who are inclined to take advantage of the misfortune of others by wrongfully taking these funds: You will be prosecuted. By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090070110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This was the Enzi Workforce Investment Act for victims of Katrina. S. 1718. I mention that only because there were a couple of bills this morning. and then this bill. all of which reflect a lot of activity that is going on behind the scenes. By \"behind the scenes.\" I mean off the floor. in committees with members and chairmen working with their ranking members. There is a lot of work focused on the response and the appropriate support for recovery after Katrina. As several people have mentioned on the floor over the course of today. there were seven Republicans and seven Democrats who represented this body last Friday in New Orleans and along the gulf coast. Mississippi. and on to Mobile. AL. We all learned a lot. We saw a lot. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1342}
{"speech_id":1090070110,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It contributed to our own education. Then. later tonight. a number of us will continue that work as we figure out how best to respond to this catastrophe. this disaster which is ongoing. to respond in a way that will rebuild and reconstruct in very positive ways to help those affected. Our hearts and our prayers and our thoughts and our efforts on the floor all go out to the victims. both those in Mississippi and Alabama and Louisiana and the halfamillion people. predominantly people from New Orleans but also from the gulf coast. Mississippi and Alabama. who are in other States beyond those three.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1342}
{"speech_id":1090070113,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow we will return to the Agriculture appropriations bill. This bill was laid down last Thursday and we resumed that bill today. Unfortunately. Members did not take advantage of their opportunity to offer amendments during those 2 days. I very much appreciate the Democratic leader. on behalf of one of his colleagues. offering an amendment a few minutes ago. I am prepared to tell the managers that if no one comes to offer amendments. we should go to third reading and passage of the bill. We give Senators the opportunity to offer amendments. they say they are going to offer amendments in the future. and they do not come to the floor. That leaves us with the only alternative. which is going to third reading and passage of the bill. We will talk to the committee and see if we can vote on the amendment that the Democratic leader just introduced prior to the policy recess. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1967}
{"speech_id":1090070113,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But having said that. I do need to forewarn all of our colleagues that the managers on these appropriations bills. both the ones over the last 2 weeks as well as the Agriculture appropriations bill we are dealing with. are very patient. They have been very patient. They stay on the floor throughout the day. and they are here many nights and Mondays and Fridays. waiting for our colleagues to offer the amendments that they say they want to offer. It is now time for people to get very serious and come over and. if they have amendments. to offer those amendments. There is no reason to wait for a Wednesday night or a Thursday night to offer amendments. I do ask our colleagues to contact Senators BENNETT and KOHL now. to work through their amendments. We are going to have a busy week. Real progress has been made on the judicial nomination to the Supreme Courtlast week with the hearings and this week at the committee level. Next week that nomination will be brought to the floor of the Senate. and ultimately we will all have the opportunity to speak and vote.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1967}
{"speech_id":1090070137,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last rriday. I joined 13 of my colleagues and went to view the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. LA. and Mississippi. It was a sight which I will never forget. This great bustling city of New Orleans is now a ghost town with hardly any activity other than a few people returning to their homes trying to retrieve lost treasures left be-: hind from the floodtrying to put their lives back together by gathering all of this waterladen debris and -tossing it outside in the hopes they might save their structures. We then went over to Mississippi where it was a stunning scene in village and community and town after townto see subdivisions that have been wiped away. to look down at what appeared to be 50 concrete slabs and to see no evidence of debris but evidence of destruction. all gone. scoured from the Earth by these horrible hurricane winds and waves which consumed some of these communities. A man in Pass Christian in Mississippi told us of the panic that set in when the remaining villagers went to the library with hurricaneproof windows. believing they might be safe. and then. as a 28foot wave hit this library. thinking they all might drown right there in that building at that moment. I cant imagine what. that was like. I cant imagine what it was like for so many who went through this devastating experience. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7960}
{"speech_id":1090070137,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some are trying to coihe to grips with their future and there lives. The President came to the American people last week at Jackson Square in New Orleans and made a speech which I think will be important for generations to come. I was asked to react to it. and I said I think the President has given.us an agenda that we have to followto rebuild the gulf coast. to rebuild the lives and the communities. But I believed then. and I believe now. that the Presidents call for this unity as a nation and this community of caring also has to be called for fiscal responsibility and accountability. We have to rebuild the gulf coast and help Katrina victims rebuild their lives. It is in our national ipterest. It is part of our national. character. We rally as Americans to help our fellow Americans. But I have a real concern.Instead. of the \"Big Easy.\" people are getting a biguneasy. feeling about where -Katritna reconstruction effort is headed and who is in charge. Several published reports say the person heading up the administrations Katrina rebuilding project is none other than Karl Rove. the Presidents longtime -political director. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7960}
{"speech_id":1090070137,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is an incredible suggestionthat Karl Rove will have responsibility for the Katrina reconstruction effort. the No. 1 politician. the No. 1 political operative in the White. House. Have we learned nothing? Consider what happened when Katrina struck. FEMA was not there. Michael Brown is now gone. But how did he get in a position to be in charge of FEMA? It was because of political connections. He didnt have the experience. He didnt have the resume. Her didnt have the skills needed when he faced the greatest natural disaster in our history. What wh~s his claim to this job to head FEMA? His claim was he was a college roommate of Joe Allbaugh. who happened to be the Presidents Chief of Staff and campaign director in Texas who. when he left the FEMA agency to becom6 a consultant. turned it over to Michael Brown. his college roommate. to take overthis little daisy chain of politicians who played -out with disastrous incompetence when Katrina struck. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7960}
{"speech_id":1090070137,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now this administration. instead of moving away from the politicians to the professionals when ft comes to. rebuilding. has decided that Karl Rove is going to be in chargethe same Karl Rove who. just a few weeks ago in a political speech. said the Democrats didnt share the Republicans. zeal for stopping the war on terrorism. the same Karl Rove who wont give us straight answers when it comes to his role in revealing the identity of Valarie Plame. an undercover CIA operative. which disclosure of her identity not only endangered her life but the lives of many other career employees. the same Karl Rove who incidentally will take his mind off of the Katrina reconstruction effort long enough to go to North Dakota on this Saturday night for a big political rally. Is this the person we want in charge of $60 billion or $100 billion in reconstruction funds? I hope not. I hope the. President reconsiders. This is a troubling admissionthat this administration doesnt have leadership to turn to in time of crisis. if the best the President can find is his political adviser. Karl Rove. to deal with the disaster of Katrina. What have we seen so far? The Wall Street Journal said last week: The Bush administration is importing many of the contract practices blamed for spending abuses in Iraq as it begins the largest and costliest rebuilding effort in United States history. We know what happened in Iraqnobid contracts to Halliburton and the buddies of this administration. contracts that have never been investigated bkr this Congress. And here they go again with Katrina and with Karl Rove keepingfhis watchful eye on what is being done . 0 The Wall Street Journal article went on to say: The first largescale contracts awarded to Hurricane Katrina. as in Iraq. were awarded without competitive bidding. using socalled \"costplus\" provisions that guarantee contractors certain profits regardless of how much they spend. It turns out that not only are there nobid contracts. but coincidentally they happen to be going to the clients of Joe Allbaugh. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7960}
{"speech_id":1090070137,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Remember that name? I mentioned him earlier. He was the Presidents political campaign director in Texas who became. the head of FEMA and who left to be a consultant. and is now making certain that his clients get $100 million nobid contracts. When is this going to end? When are we going to have true accountability? Once again. we see the same names coming out of Hurricane KatrinaHalliburton. Kellogg. Brown & Rootthe names of Joe Allbaughs clients who are. once again. coming up With these contracts. If it wasnt bad enough. this mornings Washington Post. on the front page. tells the story of a Bush official arrested in a corruption probe. It says: The Bush administrations top Federal procurement official resigned Friday and was arrested yesterday. accused of lying and obstructing a criminal investigation into Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoffs dealings with the Federal Government. It was the first criminal complaint filed against a government official in the ongoing corruption probe related to Abramoffs activities in Washington. The complaint. filed by the FBI. alleges that David H. Safavian. 38. a White House procurement official involved until last week in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. made repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a golf trip with Abramoff to Scotland in 2002. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7960}
{"speech_id":1090070189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. I respect my colleague from Colorado and I certainly appreciate his. support in working to reopen the borders with the country of Japan. I feel like somebody on a trip asking the question: Are we there yet? For 20 months we have been asking this question: Are we there yet? The senseoftheSenate resolution is perhaps a softer way of saying to Japan. finish this project as quickly as you can so this process does not go on another 20 months. The truth is I think it is time to move beyond our soft talk to harder talk. Perhaps this will help the Japanese Government understand that we are very serious about this continuing nontariff trade barrier against United States beef. It is extremely important to the economy of the State of Nebraska. It is important to the economy of our country. What it boils down to is it is unfair. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090070189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no sound science that justifies the action that has been taken. With two cases of mad cow detected in the United States. one coming from Canada. statistically it is nonexistent in terms of the millions of head of cattle that are sent to slaughter every year. When you look at the situation. you have to ask yourself the question of why has it taken so long. 20 months. for this process. Now. I am at times frustrated by our own bureaucracy. but I think on its worst day. our bureaucracy cant compete with this process that has continued to delay and delay and delay this whole effort to try to reopen the trade between the United States and Japan for cattle. I suggest we can do both. We can pass a senseoftheSenate resolution which perhaps says in its own way that we need to reopen the trade borders and knock down these trade barriers. But I think we also need to say .that we cannot -move forward through the USDA untilnot suggest but: say we cannot move forward until and unless the Japanese reopen their borders to our exports. I think you can do both. I think one is a soft way. but the other sends a strong message. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090070189,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for that strong message. Everywhere I go across Nebraska. I hear people say: How can this be? How can we continue to allow our trading partner to treat us this way? I think the answer is we cannot. and this is the way in which we stop it and we bring it to a head. I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090070281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Utah for his graciousness. and my colleague from Wisconsin as well. I appreciate this opportunity to speak. (The remarks of Mr. CONRAD pertaining to the introduction of S. 1730 are printed in todays RECORD under \"Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.\")","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":309}
{"speech_id":1090070419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while I do not make it a practice to comment on every bill that has been introduced. I am moved to remark on what I consider to be a particularly misguided recent legislative initiativea bill allowing the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA. the very agency charged with protecting the publics health. to waive all. laws under its jurisdictionpublic health and environmental lawsduring the cleanup of hurricane Katrina. The bill. S. 1711. would even allow these waivers Dver local and State opposition. People returning to areas devastated by the hurricane deserve to know. among other things. that their water is safe to drink and that new construction wont put them or their families in harms way by polluting their air or by destroying wetlands that can provide valuable ecological services. Although the legislation calls for up to 18 months of waivers. given the longterm nature of the types of activities involved. the effects of these waivers could be long lasting. The broad approach being pushed is completely unnecessary and puts people and the environmental resources they depend upon at risk. While all of us want to help those affected by hurricane Katrina. there is simply no valid reason to think that we need to erode established environmental and public health protections in order to do so. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1574}
{"speech_id":1090070419,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should be focused not on efforts that could harm the very people who have already faced the unthinkable but on efforts that will safeguard the health of the public and the health of the environment. Anything short of this should be off the table.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1574}
{"speech_id":1090070569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. (H. Res 450) recognizing Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins. Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence. and the contributions of all other women who have worked with NASA following the successful mission of Space Shuttle Discovery on STS114. as amended.","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":319}
{"speech_id":1090070666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. I would just echo some of the comments of the gentleman from Iowa. in that this man. Judge John G. Roberts. is perhaps the most qualified person for Chief Justice. certainly in my lifetime. that we have seen. And if he is somehow castigated by liberals in the Senate and attacked because of his fidelity to the Constitution. then it seems that our only road leads to a judicial oligarchy. and those of us in this body can lock the doors and go home and quit pretending to be lawmakers. because the courts will then prevail over all. It is interesting. because some of the Founding Fathers. and one in particular. Thomas Jefferson. said it this way. He said. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090070666,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"The object of my great fear is the Federal judiciary. That body. like gravity. ever acting with noiseless foot and unalarming advance. gaining ground step by step and holding when it gains. is engulfing insidiously the special governments into jthe jaws of that which feeds them.\" This is not a new concern. Our courts have ruled that the black man was property. Our courts have ruled that unborn children are not human beings. Our courts have ruled that marriage and the family itself may be unconstitutional. Our couits have ruled that it is unconstitutional to protect a 9yearold girl from Internet pornography. Our courts have ruled that that same little girl cannot say a certain prayer in school. Our courts have now ruled that it is unconstitutional for her to say the Pledge of Allegiance. And I wonder. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090070666,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. if those of us standing in this place would look out across the fields of Arlington and ask ourselves. is that why they died. so that we could uphold those kinds of asinine. ridiculous interpretations. of the greatest Constitution that was ever written by man? I think that we are turning a corner. and I think John G. Roberts is going to be a significant part of that. Mr. Speaker. I would like very much to yield to my very good friend. the gentleman from Georgia","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1985}
{"speech_id":1090070671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to express my gratitude for you setting up this hour and providing an opportunity for myself to speak. And as I stand here as a nonlawyer and reflect upon the future and upon this Constitution. I think there is something that young people lose sight of. And I gave a guest lecture at Central College in Pella a week ago last Friday. so that has been about. what. 9 days ago or so. And in that guest lecture. it was on the Constitution. and it lasted maybe an hour and 40 minutes or so. And it was interesting to me that one of the professors there came up afterwards and he said. you have made the Constitution interesting. I had not seen that before. It never occurred to. me that the Constitution was anything but interesting. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3232}
{"speech_id":1090070671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a fascinating document. And if you know the history of it. -there is a piece of it that we seldom talk about here. we often forget. and that is this guarantee. this guarantee of our freedoms and our liberties in this foundational document that is drawn upon the Declaration of Independence. and that our rights come from God. clearly in the Declaration. and we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them are life. liberty. the pursuit of happiness. But those rights are even more clearly defined in the Constitution. the rights that come from God. No man can take them away. because they come from God. And the Constitution defines that. But as we watch this ConstitutiQn get amended with decision after decision by an activist Court. we see these rights be diminished by decisions of the Court. And so I will take us to this question. which is: The Constitution either means what it says or it does not. If it means what it says. then we are constrained by the language. and we are further constrained by the language that was the intent of the original meeting. because the founders cannot be held responsible for an evolving language or evolving values system. or any idea that it should lUe read in light of contemporary values. People try to do that with the Bible and they get off base. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3232}
{"speech_id":1090070671,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Truth. justice. sin. virtue have always been the same. They have been the same 1.000 years ago. 4.000 years ago. and they will be the same 4.000 years from now. But the Constitution is our guarantee. And when we deviate from that language. that strict construction. that originalist. the understanding of the guarantee that the States have all opted into voluntarily. an irrevocable bond that was established at the end of the Civil War. and we understand that guarantee must be maintained through the constraint of the judicial branch. not the activism of the judicial branch. because an active judicial branch of government undermines our Constitution. erodes our rights. If that is the case. then what value has that document whatsoever. if you are going to let the majority of nine justices determine the future of America? We have stepped back from that now with this appointment. We need at least two more to get there. It is a long evolutionary process to see this Constitution reestablished by the Court. We did not get here overnight. We got here over 40 years or longer. It will take at least that long to get back again. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3232}
{"speech_id":1090070671,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But I look for that day.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3232}
{"speech_id":1090070672,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr..Speaker. I want to thank all of these men. You know. it is said in this place that the friends you find here. you can pick your pallbearers out of them. And I certainly feel that way . about these three men. -I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve at this time in history with men that love America. that love freedom. that love their fellow human beings as much as these men do. We have talked a lot tonight about protecting the Constitution. But you know. really. sometimes it is good for us to step back and ask why we are really here. And ultimately we are here because we believe that the miracle of life in America is something that is unique.","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":661}
{"speech_id":1090070674,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I guess he says it so well. there is so little to add. But you know. the umpire kind of corollary has been used quite a lot here tonight. and what some of us have objected to is like in the book. The Judicial Supremacist. when the umpire says strike 2. you are out. And that is what has happened a lot in some of these decisions lately. The courts and some of the activist judges have simply thrown the ConstitutiQn aside.and said that they are not going to follow. it. That is why we are so grateful that John G. Roberts is going to be our next Chief Justice. because he. I believe. will have the erudition and the mentality and the heart to bring the rest of the Court to reaffirm what the rule of law is all about. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1462}
{"speech_id":1090070674,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. again. we talk about the rule of law. But. really. is it not about trying to uphold our fellow human beings? Because if we were willing to let judges drag us into that darkness where this concept of the survival of the fittest prevails. and. whoever was strongest prevails. then it would not matter. But. no. we believe that all people are created by God and have a divine spark in them and that they deserve to be protected and that is what the rule of law is all about. And I just pray that God will continue to give the President of the United States the courage and the insight and the soundness of mind to protect America and the world and this United States Constitution that has given us the greatest Republic on earth.","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1462}
{"speech_id":1090070676,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to appear here tonight on behalf of the Democratic leader to talk about a problem that we have faced for many. many decades in this country and little or nothing is being done about. And actually we have a -very huge problem on our hands. and it is a problem that this Republicanled Congress and the administration has tried to minimize and brush aside for way too long. and that is interoperability. Our first responders. our police. our firefighters. our sheriffs. our National Guard members. emergency medical technicians. cannot talk to each other in time of emergency. or even out on routine patrol. they cannot talk to each other across agencies. across country or across city lines. And they cannot talk to each other. to the State. to the local and Federal Governments for which they serve. We have law enforcement and first responders out trying to do their job. but what they see and what happens before them. they cannot communicate with each other. The issue is called interoperability. Can I talk to the agencies next to me? Can I talk to that firefighter? Can I talk as a police officer to the emergency medical technician who is coming to help me? As a former city police officer. and as a Michigan State police trooper. I can tell you that this is something that the law enforcement community has known for decades. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11902}
{"speech_id":1090070676,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The issue gained national attention after the Oklahoma bombing in 1995 at the. MVrrah Building and again on September.. 11.. Unfortunately after the wakeup calls this country has received. especially after September 11. this adminiqtration has simply rolled over and went back to sleep. until it was once again awakened by the arrival of Hurricane Katrina. Local first responders. government officials. military and National Guard leaders have all said that the inability of first responders to communicate made this national crisis. Hurricane Katrina. much worse than what it should have been. With Hurricane Katrina. we witnessed a complete communications meltdown that stretched from the gulf coast all of the way here to the Beltway. We witnessed the unimaginable horror thit resulted from this meltdown. We saw babies crying. We saw older women weeping. We saw police officers running towards gunfire. unable to describe what is going on and unable to call for backup. because they had no communications. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11902}
{"speech_id":1090070676,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We saw buildings burning because there was no way to notify thefire department and the firefighters who were still in the area. The communications breakdown was so absolute that the director of FEMA said he did not know until Thursday. 3 days after the hurricane. that there were over 25.000 people stuck in the hell that was once known as the New Orleans Convention Center. We know that the inability to communicate contributed to the deaths of 121 firefighters on September 11. We do not yet now how many people died in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. simply because public safety officials could not communicate with one another. But we do know that people died. We have all seen the pictures of bodies covered in sheets at the convention center. That should not have happened. Those people should not have to have died. We could see the frustration on the faces of the first responders. the medical professionals. the police. who did not have the necessary communications to get the job done and to save lives. Despite the difficult conditions and despite the lack of communication. those first responders should be commended for a job well done with the resources this Nation gave them to work with. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11902}
{"speech_id":1090070676,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we owe it to our first responders. We owe them more than just thanks. more than just honors. and more than just promises. For once cannot we just stop the rhetoric. .and I for one am sick and tired of the rhetoric and the empty promises that they will soon have interoperability. they will be able to communicate with each other. they will be able to save lives. as is their sworn duty to do. And that is why I am down here tonight and joined by some of my Democrat collehgues. That is why we have offered amendments. written letter after letter. and introduced legislation to increase funding for our first responders for interoperability. I am not alone. Democrats have been calling for more resources and more funding for your first responders year after year. Unfortunately. our voices. these calls have fallen on deaf ears of the majority party and this administration. In the years since September 11. in 2 years Congress did allocate $260 million for interoperability. $260 million may sound like a lot. but the communications challenges facing this country. as we have ignored it for so long. are such a daunting task that it is estimated it will take $18 billion for this country to finally become interconnected with their communications for public safety and first responders. So you see. $260 million is really only a drop in the * bucket for interoperability. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11902}
{"speech_id":1090070676,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What is more troubling is the last 2 years this administration. has zeroed out any money in the budget for the only grant program specifically designed for public safety communications upgrade. In the last 2 years requests put in it get zeroed out by the administration. And the majority party is obligated to do what the administration has been telling them to do. and they failed to provide any money specifically for first responder communications. Shockingly. the administration continues to request no funding. Even in their most current budget. no fundirg. even though everyone knows and realizes that there is a lack of communications. Interoperability is a problem that must be solved to save lives and to properly respond to the disasters or terrorist attacks here in the country. The Department of Homeland Security has solicited proposals for a $10 billion program to make 80.000 Federal law enforcement officers and agents interoperable. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. they want to take most of the money and make sure the Federal Government can talk to each other. That is a good start. But there are about ten times as many State and local law enforcement officers. 800.000 in the United States. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11902}
{"speech_id":1090070692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are facts. We do not get in the back of the chamber and say this is what we are going to say today. this is the story today. let us look at who said what today in the paper today. We want third party validators. and I am going to tell you what is important here. We did a little work. We have something in the Congress. and I know manyof the Members know. We call it the Congressional Research Service. These are the individuals that are in the Library of Congress.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":471}
{"speech_id":1090070701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We do not need the government to come in here. we will investigate it. You are exactly right. That is what is going to happen. It is going to be the same kind of coverup and whitewash. get out the Brillo pads because we are going to clean this up. We need accountability and I think the American people want it and demand it right now.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":335}
{"speech_id":1090070717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I can say something here. We are taking from the poor to give to the poor. That is exactly what we are doing. My district is one of the poorest in the country. and they say they want to take the $15 million. which is not really a whole lot of money. for projects that are going to increase economic development in a district like mine. and I know my colleagues have some areas in the same way. and shift it to poor people? Well. what have the wealthiest people in the world or in the country been asked to sacrifice in the last 5 years? Nothing. Bill Clinton said he got four tax cuts. This guy makes millions of dollars a year. He gets four tax cuts in the last 3 or 4 years. This President needs to have the guts. and I choose my words carefully. the guts to ask his wealthiest contributors to pony up and actually help the country. This is not partisan. This is not about a particular insurance industry or pharmaceutical industry. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1155}
{"speech_id":1090070717,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is about the country. Can we for once make a decision that is based on the whole country. blue States. red States. everyone included? We are all going to help them. We are even going to ask the wealthiest people.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1155}
{"speech_id":1090070733,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will continue to yield. it is important to understand that there is not the oversight that he talked about earlier tonight and we talked about last week. there is not the oversight of the contractors. We have got Halliburton. The same people that have been the contractors in the war. the same process. the same procedure. is the same thing that is going on down in the Katrina States. So we are taking the workers and we are saying they cannot make the prevailing wage here with 8.8 percent. even lower in some of the States. and then we are also not going to have the oversight of the contractors. So what are the contractors going to do? They are going to. squeeze the worker. They are going to take the money without the oversight. They are going to get everything that they want. And I do not think that the American taxpayer is going to be happy with that. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1242}
{"speech_id":1090070733,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If people have got problems with this. give us a ring here on . the Internet: 30somethingdems@mail.house.gov. Send us an email. We are going to continue this discussion in the weeks and months to come because we are not going to sit by and let thi3 administration steamroll the workers that want to go back and help rebuild their own community.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1242}
{"speech_id":1090070740,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There were four storms last year that came through Florida. Not one of them did he do that. And after Katrina. in a year that is not an election year. he waives the prevailing wage requirements in DavisBacon in three counties. Yet FEMA. his administration. has refused to reimburse and grant individual assistance reimbursement for people who had their homes damaged. looking through their roof at the sky that were victims in Florida of Hurricane Katrina. If they are not going to reimburse people and they are going to have to rebuild themselves or be left out in the cold and not rebuild at all. then what is the burning need to waive DaVisBacon and the prevailing wage requirements in those counties? I guess only to help contractors. only to ensure that whatever building is going on is going to put as much money in the pocket of a contractor and workers be dammed because they really do not matter anyway because it is not an election year. I mean. the way that we can ensure that we prevent this fraud and abuse in contracting is stop the sweetheart deals. stop the monopoly contracts. make sure that we have some bidding and responsible bidding so that we know that the contractors that can actually do the work for a responsible amount of money are the ones that get the contract. We have a funeral and cemetery company that got a contract. a nobid contract. in Louisiana to bury and. I guess. deal with the bodies. and there are so many of them. and this is the same company that was prosecuted for throwing bodies into the forest of a cemetery in West Palm Beach. Florida. Prosecuted. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2851}
{"speech_id":1090070740,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Buried people in the same grave. moved bodies from one grave to another. This is the kind of track record this company has. and now they have been given a solesource contract in Louisiana. I mean is it not time.that we stop the madness in giveaways that this administration has been in lockstep involvement in trying to help corporations as opposed to real people since the day that they walked into the White House? I mean. our legislation that was introduced by the gentleman from California and the gentlewoman from California today would do.several extremely important things. One is it would establish an independent commission to prevent fraud and abuse. I mean. that is essential. We have to have some reviews of the process. We have to review contract awards to ensure that the Federal Government is complying with the competition requirements that there -are. I mean. the implication of potential payoffs is just rampant without that type of review. We have to review whether contract awards are based on merit as opposed to relationships between awardees and Federal Government officials. I do not know if it is any coincidence. but the Vice President is the former CEO of Halliburton. and I would love to see how many contracts Halliburton has","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2851}
{"speech_id":1090070806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it is with great pride that I congratulate Norfolk public schools for winning the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Eightytwo school districts participated. Five finalists were selected. Yesterday the winner was announced: Norfolk public schools. The criterion for this award is significantly improving student achievement and reducing the performance gap. Congratulations to Norfolk. Vir-. ginia. for their hard work. their dedication and their creativity. and a heartfelt thanks to the Broad Foundation for their vision and their commitment to Americas children. These models and programs will be used across America to improve the quality of education for all children.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":686}
{"speech_id":1090070807,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we are united not just in our compassion for the victims of Katrina..but a sincere interest in doing recovery right. Republicans and Democrats. both ends of the political spectrum. can agree that we do not want some Stalinist plan imposed on a manufactured community doomed to fail. We need the courage to be partners respectfully. the wisdom to define the role carefully. the stan~iina to follow through thoroughly. and the integrity to avoid partisanship. We must meet the immediate needs of the refugees affected. but we must restore communities that are stronger. safer. and more sustainable. We must involve all Americans with the skills and concerns starting with locals. wherever they may be. We must make this a model for how to do it right because it is not just about rescuing a damaged region. it is about how to make the Federal Government more effective.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":882}
{"speech_id":1090070810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to the firefighters. police officers. and other first responders who have answered the call of duty and traveled from around the country to the gulf coast in order to help their fellow citizens and communities who have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Many in this country sometimes forget that men and women put their lives on the line everylay seeking not headlines or glory. but the simple satisfaction of helping and saving their fellow citizens. Their brave deeds. good work. and tremendous dedication deserve and demand the grateful respect and recognition of all. And now more than ever. in recent days we have literally seen thousands of firefighters. police officers. EMS workers. and others pour into New Orleans and other devastated gulf coast areas to bolster relief efforts and save hundreds. if not thousands. of lives. I am particularly proud to recognize those who have volunteered from around Ohios 18th District as well as a number of our own United States Capitol Hill police officers who are currently on their way to the gulf coast. These men and women are a shining example of everything that is good about our country today. The least we can do is to honor them and recognize themon the floor.","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1264}
{"speech_id":1090070813,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as we have begun to attempt to rebuild the gulf coast region. tonight the Congressional Black Caucus .and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will host and hold a candlelight vigil on the west steps of the United States Capitol at 8 p.m. As we do that. we hope that it will recommit both this government and our Nation to the survival of the survivors and the rebuilding of their region. Might I also say that I join in offering the immigration relief for hurricane victims legislation that will be on the floor. which is H.R. 3827. that will provide for benefits for immigrants that may have lost those papers or documents relevant to their pending case. and we should be concerned. Finally. as Hurricane Rita comes upon us in the gulf coast. in my city of Houston. might I ask for FEMA to be prepared and on the ground. And might I say to Houstonians and Galvestonians and others. follow the instructions. go to the evacuation sites. and make sure that all of the people of that region are safe. Our prayers are with you.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090070817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to congratulate the people of Afghanistan on the elections they just held. The saying that \"freedom is not free\" rings true for those who defied the Taliban. defieol the warlords. and made history by freely electing their leaders this past Sunday. During the past 4 years. people have forgotten what the Taliban stood for: public executions at soccer stadiums. banning the Internet. music. television and education. preventing women from going to school or work outside the home. A woman caught wearing fingernail polish may have had her fingertips chopped off. This week however. Afghans. 12 million strong. have shown the world that they will not go back to tyranny. they will not take a step back into oppression. and will not buckle when taking on the challenges of democracy. Madam Speaker. Afghanistan demonstrates the most recent chapter in freedoms march. It is a glorious story whose success should be recognized and applauded.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090070829,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank my colleague very much for bringing this resolution forward today. I wanted to thank the Statuary Hall Commission for its work and particularly to recognize the gentleman from New Mexico and his wife. Jill Cooper. who serves on that commission. and thank her for her work. as well as the sculptor. Cliff Fragua from Jemez Pueblo. This has been a great effort on the part of New Mexico. and it completes a collection here in the Capitol that was started in 1864. Every State can provide two statues of people from their States that are significant in the history of their States to a collection that is housed here in the Capitol. This statue will complete that collection for the first time in 141 years of this Nations history. and this new statue will now be here so that the people of the country. the some 2 million visitors who come here each year. can see this collection. PoPay represents a time in New Mexicos history that really shapes our heritage and our culture to this day. As my colleague mentioned. and explained the history of this very important man. when Francisco Vasquez de Coronado came to New Mexico in 1540 and then de Onate came in 1598. they took formal possession of New Mexico for Spain. ","speaker_name":"HEATHER WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3002}
{"speech_id":1090070829,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1598. 7 years before the English landed at Jamestown. New Mexico was permanently settled by a European power. But the way they. treated the Indians at that time was nothing to be proud of. The Indians were forced to work on Spanish grants. They were not recognized in their religion. At that time. Juan de Onate tried to exterminate the Pueblo religion. The treatment of the Indians led to a revolt in 1680 led by PoPay. PoPay is not without controversy. He suppressed others and served as kind of a dictator from Santa Fe for several years until his death. ","speaker_name":"HEATHER WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3002}
{"speech_id":1090070829,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But he did have an important effect on New Mexicos history. because when Diego de Vargas returned in 1692 to New Mexico. the attitude toward the Pueblo people was profoundly different. The Spanish established an office of Indian protection that recognized the territorial integrity of the Pueblos and offered protection from outsiders. Where in other parts of America the Indian culture and territory were all displaced. in New Mexico they were protected. In particular. they allowed the blending of cultures. and while de Vargas brought with him priests and Catholicism was established and proselytized in New Mexico. they continued to recognize and allow the unique Pueblo religion. which is why in New Mexico today. just about two miles north of my home at Sandia Pueblo. is one of the most beautiful. newest Catholic churches in New Mexico on Sandia Pueblo. which also has its own unique traditional religious rights. The blending of cultures in New Mexico is one of the things that makes it unique. PoPays revolt is one of the things that made that possible. It is with tremendous honor that this week we *ill offer this statue from the State of New Mexico and its people to the Capitol collection.","speaker_name":"HEATHER WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3002}
{"speech_id":1090070831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as a cosponsor of the resolution before us. I rise in strong support of its passage and am looking forward to the unveiling of this beautiful statue at tomorrows ceremony in the rotunda. My district is home to 14 of the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. and I am very pleased this moment has finally arrived. Today and tomorrow are exciting days for our. State as we at long last unveil our second statue in the United States Capitol. As every New Mexican knows. we are- proud of our other statue. that of Senator Dennis Chavez. El Senador. the first Hispanic Member of the United States Senate and a champion of civil rights. The statue of PoPay has had a long journey to get here: The journey began in 1997 when State Senator Manny Aragon and State Representative Nick Salazar introduced Senate bill 404 to the New Mexico State legislature which formally nominated PoPay to be the second figure placed in Statuary Hall to represent our State. The bill was .soon passed and signed by the Governor. leading to .the creation of the Statuary Hall Commission and Foundation which was responsible for determining the statues appearance and fundraising. The appearance of PoiPay was a particularly difficult problem because there are no pictures or physical descriptions of him. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090070831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nevertheless. the stunning sculpture that will be unveiled tomorrow gives us a powerful glimpse of who PoPay was. And who was PoPay? Very little is known of this mans life. but he was a native of San Juan Pueblo. soon to officially change its name to what it was before Spanish missionaries arrived in New Mexico more than 400 years ago. Ohkay Owingeh. located in northern New Mexico and which I today have the honor of representing in the Congress. He was by most accounts a religious leader. But in 1680 he organized a widespread rebellion against the Spanish throughout the region on a single day. PoPay is considered to be the leader of the first American Revolution. He has been recognized throughout history as the man who made it possible f6r Pueblo culture to live and to sustain itself through the centuries. The 19 New Mexico Pueblos and Hopi villages in Arizona attribute their ability to continue their traditions and way of life to the efforts of the Pueblo revolt and its leader PoPay. The Pueblo Revolt of 1680. as it is now known. was the single most successful act of resistance by Native Americans. against a European colonial power. It established Indian independence in the Pueblos for more than a decade. and even after Spanish rule was reimposed. it. forced the imperial authorities to observe religious tolerance. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090070831,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ever since the 17th century. the cross and the kiva have existed side by side in Pueblo communities. It is for these reasons that PoPay is being honored with a statue in the Capitol. It is fitting that PoPay is joining Senator Dennis Chavez as our States representative in the Halls of Congress. As one member of the Statuary Hall Commission stated recently. \"The selection of PoPay to be placed in Statuary Hall serves as a unique reminder to the world that two unique cultures can coexist without destruction of their traditional cultural values and beliefs.\" Cliff Fragua. the sculptor who crafted this rendering of PoPay out of a 7foot slab of Tennessee marble. also deserves a word of praise for his beautiful work. Thousands of visitors to Washington. D.C.. each year will see this work and gain a sense of New Mexicos history and our countrys history. I would also like to point out that this statue created by Mr. Fragua will be the first in Statuary Hall created by a Native American. Madam Speaker. passage of this resolution today is a precursor to what will be a great day and celebration tomorrow for our State. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090070831,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am honored to be a part of it. I would also like to recognize my wife Jills role on the Statuary Hall Commission and to thank Chris Romero and Theresa Aguilar of my staff for all the hard work they have put in with the commission during the planning of this event. I would also like to recognize Mr. Benny Shendo. secretary of the Department of Indian Affairs in NeWv Mexico. who will be in Washington for this ceremony. And to close. to thank the gentleman from Ohio and the gentlewoman from California for yielding me the time.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090070862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Committee on Government Reform. I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3667. legislation naming a post office in Los Angeles. California. after Karl Malden. This bill. which was jointly introduced by the gentleman from California and the gentleman from New York on September 7. post office in Brentwood. California after Karl 2005. was unanimously reported by our Maiden. This bill. jointly sponsored by me and committee on September 15. my colleague. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090070862,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representative McHUGH was Karl Malden was born in Chicago. unanimously reported by the Government Reand at the age of 5 moved to Gary. In- form Committee on September 15. 2005. diana. After high school. he attended Mr. Malden. a 93yearold World War II vetand graduated from the Goodman The- eran and Oscarwinning actor. has lived in ater Dramatic School. He met his wife Brentwood. California since 1960. He has at Goodman. and they moved to New served.for nearly 15 years as a member of the York City. my hometown. when Broad- United -States Postal Service Citizens Stamp way called. Advisory Committee. which selects the subKarl began his acting career on jects and design of postal issues. Broadway in 1937 before entering the Mr. Maldens colleagues on the Advisory film industry in 1940. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090070862,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His acting career Committee believe that naming a post office in was interrupted by World War II where his honor would be a fitting tribute to his many he served as a noncommissioned officer years of service to the mission of the United in the U.S. 8th Air Force. When he re- States Postal Service. I agree. and I am very turned from the war. Karl Malden pleased that this bill will make that happen. -moved from Broadway to film. I wish to thank my colleague. RepresentaHis first . appearance on the small tive MCHUGH. Chairman DAVIS. and the memscreen was -the movie \"They Knew bers of the Citizens Stamp Advisory ComWhat They Wanted\" in 1940. and in 1951 mittee for their work to honor Mr. Maiden. I he won the Academy Award for the want to extend a special thank you to Michael Best Supporting Actor in \"A Streetcar Layman. professional staff member to ChairNamed Desire.\" He appeared in over 50 man DAVIS. and Robert Taub. chief of staff to different films. These films included Representative MCHUGH for their hard work in \"On the Waterfront\" in 1954. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090070862,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Polly- getting this bill through committbe to the anna\" in 1960. \"How the West Was House floor. Won\" in 1962. and \"Patton\" in 1970. in Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker. I yield which he played the role of Omar Brad- back the balance of my time. ley. His notable TV appearances in- Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090070862,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I cluded \"The Streets of San Francisco\" have no further requests for time. and and the film \"The Hijacking of Achille I yield back the balance ofmy time. Lauro\" in 1989. and a series of commer- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The cials for American Express in the 1970s question is on the motion offered by and 1980s in which he delivered the the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. nowfamous line \"Dont leave home GUTKNECHT) that the House suspend without it.\" the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 3667. In October 2003. Karl Malden was The question was taken. and (twonamed the 40th recipient of the Screen thirds having voted in favor thereof) Actors Guilds Lifetime Achievement the rules were suspended and the bill Award. Mr. Malden has lived in Brent- was passed. wood. California since 1960 and served A motion to reconsider was laid on for nearly 15 years as a member of the the table. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090070878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak in favor of House Resolution 429. as one might imagine. As has been indicated. on Sunday August 28. 2005. the West Oahu Little League team from Ewa Beach. Hawaii won the Little League World Series in South Williamsport. Pennsylvania. They overcame a threerun deficit to win the world championship by defeating the Curacao team 76 in an extrainning cliffhanger. It was one of the most exciting championship games in Little League history. And I thank many of the Members. Mr. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090070878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. who commented upon it to me when I returned to the House. They enjoyed it as well. The 2005 West Oahu Little League championship team consists of players Layson \"Kaeo\" Aliviado. Harrison Kam. Ty Tirpak. Zachary Ranit. Ethan Javier. Vonn Faeo. Quentin Guuevera. Sheyne Baniaga. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090070878,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Miehael Memea. Zachary Rosete. Myron \"Kini\" Enos. Jr.. Alakai Aglipay. and Manager Layton Aliviado. dugout coach Tyron Kitashima. and first base coach Clint Tirpak. In their quest for the championship. the West Oahu Little League team demonstrated the highest level of achievement. commitment. selfdiscipline. and. sportsmanship. Their achievement has generated enormous pride in their hometown of Ewa Beach. throughout the State of Hawaii. and across the Nation. Aloha. and a wellearned congratula. tions to the world championships: the West Oahu Little League team. And may I conclude. Mr. ","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090070878,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. by thanking the chairman and the good representative from New York for their help in putting this resolution forward and for their support.","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090070885,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in strong support of H. Res. 429. introduced by my colleagues from Hawaii. Representatives ABERCRbMBIE and CASE. to congratulate this years Little League World Series Champions. On Sunday. August 28. 2005. the West Oahu Little League Baseball team was thrust into the international spotlight by winning the Little League Baseball yVorld Series. This victory brought enormous pride to -the United States as well as the Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community. In one of the most exciting championship game in Little League history. athletes and coaches from Eva Beach. Hawaii. primarily of APIA decent. exemplified the American \"candospirit\" with a come from behind victory over the equally talented Little League team from Curacao. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090070885,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For many of the international participants in the Little League World Series Championships. this tournament held in Williamsport. Pennsylvania is their first trip to the continental United States. This was also true for the team from West Oahu. Their dramatic victory is a testament to their determination. courage and perseyerance. Although the championship was ultimately delivered with one dramatic swing of the bat. getting to that position results from tremendous work. commitment and sacrifices made by players. coaches. volunteers. municipal park employees. teachers and most importantly the families of the players. Mr. Speaker. let us encourage our young champions from Eva Beach to keep swinging for the fence. on and off the field and let them be role models for all of us. Mr.\" GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090070892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the American Gold Star Mothers is an organization of women whose sons and daughters gave their lives in the service of their country. It is a group no one wishes to be a member of. but as their children answered the call of duty. so do mothers who are left behind. Grace Darling Seibold was compelled to help others grieve and veterans heal. upon learning of her own sons death in 1918 during World War I. \"Realizing that selfcontained grief is selfdestructive.\" Seibold formed a group of grieving mothers to comfort not only each other but wounded soldiers as well. E1 1130 The group of 25 mothers who bonded by sacrifice and tragedy was formally established as Gold Star Mothers. Inc.. on January 5. -1929. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090070892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Gold Star Mothers organization now consists of over 900 members. The organization assists veterans with benefit claims. families with funeral arrangements. and. of course. mothers with grief. The Gold Star Mothers are a true representation of the many levels of service and sacrifice that exists in the defense of our country. The Gold Star Mothers are a true testament to American patriotism and should be recognized for their sacrifice. Mr. Speaker. I move that my colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives join me in recognizing the establishment of Gold Star Mothers Day. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090070894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my good friend and colleague. the gentleman from Minnesota (Chairman GUTKNECHT). for offering this legislation. It is very timely and extremely important. I also thank him for his sensitivity to our Nations Gold Star Mothers who have suffered so much. I am proud to rise today. Mr. Speaker. to strongly support H.J. Res. 61. which recognizes a group of very. very special women. Americans Gold Star Mothers. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3422}
{"speech_id":1090070894,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These women are from different parts ofour great country and have different backgrounds. are of varying age. hold different beliefs. and practice different religions. Despite so many differences. they share the same experience. Each of these women raised a young man or woman who served their country in the Armed Forces. Their children helped to bring freedom and promote peace and justice for those who have never felt its touch. Sadly. Mr. Speaker. each raised a young man or woman who gave their life for their country. the ultimate sacrifice. These special women. the Gold Star Mothers of America. are members of a congressionally chartered organization.. They are part of a group that had its beginning in the first great conflict of the 20th century. World War I. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3422}
{"speech_id":1090070894,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At the time. service flags were displayed on homes that had family members serving the country and blue stars were displayed for each family member in the Armed Forces. Eventually. as casualties grew. the blue stars were turned to gold stars in recognition of each servicemember who died for their country. In 1936. as my friend and colleague. the gentleman from Minnesota (Chairman GUTKNECHT). said. Congress designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mothers Day. Mr. Speaker. as we know. their loss is unimaginable. their pain is unspeakable. yet these women find the spirit to walk together simply for the benefit of others and to work very hard for the benefit of others. to make sure that each of us remembers the sacrifice of their son or beloved daughter. They have a unique ability to remind us of our noble cause. ensuring that we will forever remember that Americas. freedom originated and is maintained through a constant struggle that is still being fought today. In addition. they remind us that the decision to- send troops into harms way is made with severe consequence. the loss of the precious life of a young American. The way in which these ladies channel their sorrow. their grief. their anger. to further the ideals to which their sons and daughters gave their lives. is truly remarkable. The actions of these women are amazing. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3422}
{"speech_id":1090070894,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have met them for years as a Member of this Congress. Every year we would have them testify before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. and then in meetings afterwards. as well as in my own district and State. and I have met with so many Gold Star Mothers who tell their stories of their son or daughter. often accompanied with tears. But they can also teach us a very important lesson. Mr. Speaker. At a time when overt partisanship seems rampant. while our country yearns so desperately for its people to come together on so many fronts. the Gold Star Mothers represent the very best of American values and ideals. If they. dez spite their grief. can come together to provide so much to other veterans and the community at large. surely we can all take the time to let them know that their country is proud of them and salutes them on their Mothers Day.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3422}
{"speech_id":1090070919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I come from a part of Tennessee where. and I do not think it is unique. that we are losing jobs every day. They are going overseas. They are going to Mexico. My constituents. and I would assume most everyones here constituents. are saying we need more ideas. we do not like what is going on. bring us some ideas. let us have some changes.. So we are limiting ourselves now to four amendments? Four ways to try to bring jobs back into this country? Why in the world do we not have an open rule and find all the ideas. Democrats. Republicans? We have an independent in this body. If he has some ideas. bring it on. If they are bad ones. vote them down. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":946}
{"speech_id":1090070919,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If they are not. then let us vote for them. We need more and better jobs in this country. This is the way to do it. I am really shocked and. I would have to say. offended that we are not given the opportunity to try to find more and better ways to bring jobs to this country.","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":946}
{"speech_id":1090070928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I also rise to oppose this rule because it does not allow this Congress to consider the amendments offered by the gentleman from California to authorize or reauthorize the advanced technology program. Mr. Speaker. in the almost 3 years that I have served in the House of Representatives. I am not sure that I have heard any words spoken on this floor with which I have disagreed more strongly than with the statement of the gentleman from Georgia just a few minutes ago that we were doing enough already to address the problem of manufacturing job loss. I think his exact words were it is simply not true that we are not doing enough. that Congress and the President are not doing enough to address manufacturing job loss. If the gentleman from Georgia thinks this. if any Member of Congress thinks that. I invite them to come and visit my district. I want to introduce them to some of the people who have lost their jobs. ","speaker_name":"R. MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3097}
{"speech_id":1090070928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My State has lost almost 200.000 manufacturing jobs in the last 4 years. They are in industries that have been the backbone of my States economy: tobacco. textiles. furniture. And those were jobs that people depended upon to build their lives around. to support themselves and to support their families. and they are gone. It is not that they have laid off a shift until the economy turns around. The plants are closed. The equipment is sold. The jobs are gone forever. What to do about that was part of the debate about CAFTA. about any kind of trade agreement that we have. And I. voted against CAFTA. but I also agree that that is not the entire answer because it cannot possibly be our Nations economic future to build our economy around lowskilled jobs and laborintensive industries. We have got to -be the most innovative economy in the world. ","speaker_name":"R. MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3097}
{"speech_id":1090070928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When I meet with the workers who have lost their jobs. they do not say. What are you going to do to make the plant reopen? They do ask. Where are the new jobs going to come from and what is Congress doing about it? I certainly do not tell them what the gentleman from Georgia said. I do not say we are already doing everything that can be done. I Say we are doing not nearly enough. but I am working hard to do more. We have got to be the most innovative economy in the world. We have got to be where every new research. where all the new research happens first. and where we turn that research into a commercial application to create jobs. Mr. Speaker. the advanced technology program. ATP. works with industry in this very. very competitive world market. to work with industry to create new technologies. to get them up. to get them running. to get patents. to do a proof of concept. ","speaker_name":"R. MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3097}
{"speech_id":1090070928,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is about the only source of patient capital for many hightech small companies in areas like nanotechnology where we really need to be at the forefront. Most of the debate about jobs. Mr. Speaker. is what are we going to do about jobs between now and the next election. The ATP should be a debate about what are we going to do about jobs for the next generation. Mr. Speaker. I oppose this rule without the Honda amendment.","speaker_name":"R. MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3097}
{"speech_id":1090070999,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 250. and I want to congratulate the gentleman from Michigan and all the members of the Committee on Science on both sides of the aisle who contributed so significantly to this bill. but before I begin to speak about the bill. let me say something about the rule because I was not available to participate in the debate. The Committee on Rules acted reasonably. following my request. for not making the amendments on the Advanced Technology Program in order. We did debate ATP fully in committee. I suspect we will debate ATP again during a motion to recommit. This is not a subject on which anyone has been denied process. But our goal with this bill is to improve the lot of American manufacturers. ATP is a controversial issue that will weigh down the progress on this bill. There is no reason for that to happen. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090070999,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We ought to debate this bill on its merits. which are not contested. and then handle ATP separately. I support ATP. I helped create the program. I will work with the appropriators to try to keep it funded. But I also support this bill. and I see no reason to kill this important bill to allow a political debate on ATP. Now. let me turn to the bill we are actually debating. This bill passed the House by voice vote last year. and this time around we should have enough to get time to get this measure to the Presidents desk. I expect another strong show of support from the House today. It is easy to. see why this bill has garnered such overwhelming *support. It deals with a real problem by bolstering successful programs and authorizing innovative new approaches based on those programs. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090070999,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The problem the bill addresses is the decline of U.S. manufacturing. Our Nation needs a diverse economy. and that economy must include manufacturing. We cannot be wholly dependent on others for the. goods *that enable American families and American businesses to function. Manufacturing provides highpaying jobs and helps us hone our technical edge. Yet the signs of manufacturing decline are all about us. So what can wedo? Well. for starters. we can be sure we are adequately funding programs that have already proven themselves successful at helping domestic manufacturers. This bill does that by authorizing funding for the laboratories of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. for its Manufacturing Extension Partnership. and for the Advanced Technology Education program of the National Science Foundation. All these programs have proven track records. NIST. the Nations oldest Federal laboratory. has long been a reliable partner of the private sector. conducting research needed to keep American industry at the cutting edge of technology. The MEP program. which provides technical assistance to smalland mediumsized manufacturers. has helped ensur6 that smaller businesses can apply the latest advances in technology and manufacturing. knowhow. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090070999,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Every study of this popular program has found that it has saved and created new jobs. And the ATE program has channeled critical funding to community colleges to enable the U.S. to have the technical workforce we need to re-. tain manufacturing jobs. So this bill targets money to programs that have truly made a difference in helping American manufacturing. But we cannot rest on our laurels. because the U.S. manufacturing sector is still not as robust as we would like. So while being mindful of fiscal constraints. and we have to be mindful of that. our bill authorizes pilot efforts to see if programs like MEP can be made even more effective. We create a program that would bring manufacturers .and universities together to conduct research on specific problems of concern to manufacturers. We create fellowships to encourage more students to. pursue research in areas related to manufacturing. In short. this is a targeted. practical bill that will provide real assistance to the Nations manufacturers. For that reason. the bill is endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers. and I urge my colleagues to continue their overwhelming bipartisan support for this meritorious bill. Madam Chairman. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090071054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. this amendment builds upon the good .work that the gentlewoman from Texas does in ensuring that minorityserving institutions have equal access to Federal research and education programs. Our community colleges are at the forefront of educating minorities. and this amendment highlights their importance. This is a good amendment. and I urge its adoption.","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090071079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. we have heard repeatedly today about the importance of supporting our Nations manufacturing industry. One of the most critical elements of our manufacturing competitiveness is a technically trained workforce. My amendment addresses this by increasing authorization levels of the Advanced Technological Education program. This important amendment has the support of the American Association of Community Colleges. The ATE program works with community colleges to develop curricula designed to prepare students for the local job market. This program has been highly successful with only modest funding. This amendment would boost the authorization for ATE from the $55 million currently in H.R. 250 to $70 million. The ATE program is different from other technical and vocational programs dn that it works directly with industry to identify the skill sets students will need to compete and enter the workforce. Arguments have been made that this is too high of a budgetary increase and that this would make the ATE program the highest funded education program in the National Science Foundation. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1734}
{"speech_id":1090071079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. if you look at this. actually the level of authorization in my amendment is well within the NSF doubling authorization levels that passed this House overwhelmingly in 2002. At the same time. there are several programs that receive greater funding in the education directorate at NSF. In fact. authorizing the ATE at $70 million ranks the program sixth. This is a small investment that will provide longterm dividends for our manufacturing industry. I urge Members of this body to support the technological training of our workforce and to vote in favor of my amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1734}
{"speech_id":1090071136,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I come to the floor today to congratulate a remarkable young constituent of mine. Mr. Andrew Stuckey. Andrew is a high school student senior from Longview. Texas. an extremely bright young man who is planning to attend Texas A&M University after he graduates. he also happens to be deaf. He is very involved in SkillsUSA. a national organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical. skilled and service occupations. including health occupations. More than 280.000 students and instructors join SkillsUSA annually. organized into more than 14.700 sections. and 54 State and territorial associations. SkillsUSA has served more than. 8.8 million members. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":967}
{"speech_id":1090071136,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Andrew is a talented drafter and won \"best in show\" for his work in the district competition. He currently serves as a SkillsUSA Texas State Parliamentarian - for 2005 and Mr. Stuckey Is an extremely focused. motivated young gentleman. and I","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":967}
{"speech_id":1090071154,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the whole Nation has been saddened by the terrible and tragic events of Hurricane Katrina. Because of our great concern about this. I would like to read a portion of a story the Los Angeles Times ran just 12 days ago on September 9. The Los Angeles Times said: \"In the wake of Hurricane Betsy 40 years ago. Congress approved a massive hurricane barrier to protect New Orleans from storm surges that could inundate the city. \"But the project. signed into law by President Johnson. was derailed in 1977 by an environmental lawsuit. Now the question is: Could that barrier have protected New Orleans from the damEtge wrought by Hurricane Katrina? \"If we had built the barriers. New Orleans would not be flooded. said Joseph Towers. the retired chief counsel for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans district. \"Towers view is endorsed by a former key Senator. along with academic experts. who say a hurricane barrier is the only way to control the powerful storm surges that enter Lake Pontchartrain and threaten the city.\" \u0095 Still quoting the Los *ngeles story: \"The project was stopped in its tracks when an environmental lawsuit won a Federal injunction on the.grounds that the Armys environmental impact statement was flawed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4004}
{"speech_id":1090071154,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By the mid1980s. the Corps of Engineers abandoned the project.\" The story goes on. but I will just say this: that project. which was stopped by environmental lawsuits. really led or allowed the damage. the horrible events that happened in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. Environmental extremism. Mr. Speaker. has caused almost every highway. aviation. and water project in this country to take three or four times longer than it should and cost about three or four times more than it should. This hurts the poor and the lower income and the working people of this country most of all. Perhaps wealthy environmentalists do not realize how much they hurt people by driving up costs and destroying jobs. but hurt they do. Some projects they are able to stop altogether. This barrier protection for New Orleans is just one of many examples. but certainly the worst. However. some people say the city wasat fault in its response to this tragedy. Some say it was the State. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4004}
{"speech_id":1090071154,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some say it was the Federal response that was too slow. Actually. there were mistakes made at all levels. but most people at all levels responded more quickly and with more money than any other country in the world would have been able to do when faced with a similar natural disaster. We should be proud of how the American people have responded. I doubt there is a fire or police or sheriffs department of any size in this country that has not sent people to the affected area. Private contributions and volunteer help worth billions has been provided. Congress has voted to send $62 billion there. Fortunately. the death toll. while still terrible. was not even close to the predicted 10.000. probably with apparently a few hundred. What should we do now? The best way we can help is for the other body. the Senate. to follow the leadership of this House and pass the Water Resources Development Act. This bill was passed several weeks before our August recess by a vote of 406 to 14 here in the House. We passed it in the House by a similar margin in 2003. but it bogged down in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4004}
{"speech_id":1090071154,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill provides roughly $2 billion for hurricane and flood protection and environmental restoration for the Louisiana coastal region and the gulf coast. No bill before the Congress will do more to protect those areas in the future than this worthy bill. The Senate should not let this bill be bogged down again. It should follow the lead of the House and pass this. very important bill just as soon as possible. No bill does more to provide protection against these tragedies. not only in Louisiana and Mississippi but in other atrisk areas. than does the Water Resources Development Act. I hope everyone will work together to pass this very important legislation just as soon as possible.","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4004}
{"speech_id":1090071181,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If it was not so sad. I will investigate myself. and we will be back in a number of months and give our findings. That would be fine if we did not live in a democracy. But we do live in a democracy. and I think it is important that we call it for what it is. It is a partisan select committee based on trying to find out what happened or what did not happen in Katrina. and it is not bipartisan.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":395}
{"speech_id":1090071218,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think the gentleman is absolutely correct. When we talk about being prepared or always being prepared. that preparation does begin for many of our Coast Guard officers at the academy. Of course then you have the OCS. which is also located at the academy. You have senior officer training. and you have leadership training for the noncommissioned officers in the Coast Guard. So they are prepared. They are prepared to deal with difficult and dangerous situations. They are prepared to deal with fishermen at sea to make sure that our fisheries are regulated. They are preparedto deal with the recreational boaters that we have off the coast of Massachusetts. we have in Connecticut. and I suspect those are off the coast of North Carolina as well. and when those recreational boaters find themselves in difficulty. the Coast Guard is there. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090071218,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They were prepared on 9\/11. and when I went to New York City a few days after the attacks of 9\/11. it was a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor of the Hudson River and a Coast Guard helicopter that was flying overhead. so a very quick and immediate response. On Wednesday of the week of Hurricane Katrina. the day after the levees broke. I received a call from a friend of mine who lived in New Orleans. Louisiana. and he called to ask for my help to intervene in getting some Federal response down there as soon as possible. The next morning when I callgd him back. he said he had received a call from the Coast Guard. that he had callda them andlthey called him back and that two Coast Guard vessels were in the process of clearing the channel up into Louisiana to provide supplies. food. fuel and all of the things that were necegsary. and that they had done it within 24 hours of the breaking of the levees. So it was a Federal response that was immediate and directed to assist people in distress. The results speak for themselves. There were 24.135 lives saved. 33.544 individuals saved or evacuated. And 12.000 of -those were saved by air resources. That means helicopters with long lines down into tree tops and roof tops. which is. by the way. a very dangerous undertaking not only for the individual on the end of the line but for the helicopter pilot and the crew because often they have to hover over power lines or trees where they can strike and crash. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090071218,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But none of those things took place.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090071222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is probably the most unsung rate in the military. The Coast Guard has long been known as the armed service that gets more done for less. I do not mean this as an indictment against our sister services. by any means. but the orphan syndrome as has been pointed out. And this is a good time to mention the Deepwater Project because the Coast Guard needs additional appropriated moneys to address the antiquated equipment the cutters. the helicopters. the aircraft that are in dire need of replacement.","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":502}
{"speech_id":1090071250,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want tp thank the gentleman from Iowa for his leadership and for what he did to organize that congressional delegation visit to Iraq. I enjoyed that and learned a great deal from that experience. along with the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from Texas . I think what we learned in Iraq is that clearly there are problems. and those problems remain. but considerable progress has been made. That progress to me was best exemplified by a man from Pennsylvania named Albert Chowansky. Jr. And Albert Chowansky Jr.. to me. exemplifies the spirit and sense of purpose reflected by American civilians working and serving in Iraq. This man. Albert is a Frackville. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11833}
{"speech_id":1090071250,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Schuykill County native who left the coal regions in late 1970s. at the time a rather depressed area of the State to study engi\"neering at Drexel University in Philadelphia. And this welltraveled engineer is now managing the construction of the Taza power plant near Kirkuk in northern Iraq. and this is that power plant *that I am referring to. We learned a great deal from that visit. But this natural gaspowered plant. which Albert calls MOAG. or the mother of all generators. and it really is. is tangible proof of the positive reconstruction efforts proceeding in Iraq. Visiting Iraq. the four of us. we saw efforts to rebuild a country. not just from a recent war. but from decades in which its people and its natural resources were raped and ravaged by an evil tyrant. Saddam Hussein. As part of this bipartisan fourMembdr congressional delegation that visited Kirkuk. Basra. Baghdad. and Kuwait. we witnessed this and just a handful of the thousands of other coalition construction projects over a few days. You know. many of us marveled at the accomplishments of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11833}
{"speech_id":1090071250,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Army Corps of Engineers under whose auspices much of this massive construction and reconstruction continues. simultaneously fighting an insurgency. reconstructing a nation. and at that particular moment we were there. assisting in the development of a constitution. the drafting and development of a constitution. which is a daunting objective. Security is intense. Most of the time we wore body armor and helmets. and we were protected by\" heavily armed personnel yirtually all of the time. Nevertheless. I left Iraq feeling optimistic and hopeful that the slow gradual pace to normal life in much of Iraq is progressing. not without setbacks and heartbreaking loss of life. but still with purpose and determination. You know. the transporting of this particular MOAG. the mother of all generators. is a story all by itself. Moving a nearly 500ton piece of equipment 600 miles from Jordan across the dangerous A1Anbar Province in western Iraq to Kirkik by convoy is testament to the extraordinary logistical capabilities of the United States military. You know. after a few ineffective. but still very troublesome. mortar attacks that landed near this particular power plant. Albert Chowansky worked with regional ethnic and tribal leaders to form a local work force. equitably distributing jobs to Sunni Arabs. Shiia Arabs. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11833}
{"speech_id":1090071250,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tukomeins. and Kurds. This project is nearly complete. and there have been no more mortar attacks. These are just some of the circumstances under which the reconstruction of Iraqs infrastructure is occurring. But there you have an example of just a guy using his good common sense and. realizing there were some attacks. went out and met with local tribal leaders. talked with them. distributed jobs and .they all worked well together. And just good oldfashioned American innovation working locally to solve a very different. difficult and complex problem. You know. our delegation.also spent time in the southern Iraqi province of Basra at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. We visited the nearby port of Umm Qasr and rode with the Iraqi Navy in speed boatsthrough the harbor. The Iraqi Navy is actually more like a coast guard of about 800 sailors trained by the British Royal Navy and tasked with harbor security and with the protection of the oil platforms in the Persian Gulf. This is just a little picture of a meeting with some of the officers of the Iraqi Navy. myself. and the members of the delegation. But we had a wonderful experience with the Iraqi Navy. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11833}
{"speech_id":1090071250,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And you could just get a sense of the professionalism. and of course they were well trained by. the Royal Navy. Flying with the British Army in a Merlin helicopter. we viewed the marshlands near Basra. And the gentleman from Iowa just referred to those marshlands. These marshes were originally twice the size of the Florida Everglades until Saddam Hussein drained them as retribution to the marsh Arabs who rose up against him after the 1991 Persian Gulf war. Saddam Hussein displaced and killed tens of thousands of these people. at the very least. whose civilization had lived in this ancient homeland for 5.000 years. It may again be possible to grow crops there. although it is unknown if we can ever fully undo the environmental terrorism of the deposed Iraqi leader. Militarily. the Basra province is. relatively quiet and is one of out of 14 of 18 provinces that have seen progress with comparatively less insurgent activity than in Some years of Iraq. The Royal Marines regional. commander. General Jim Dutton. was quite confident in the capability of the Iraqi Army. We spent a fair amount of time with him. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11833}
{"speech_id":1090071283,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this Week. as we celebrate our Constitutions 218th anniversary. we are nearing the exercise of one of the Senates most solemn constitutional requirements and responsibilities. Few decisions the Senate faces are as consequential and enduring as when the Senate decides whether to confirm. by giving its consent. the nomination of a justiceof course. even more so when the nomination is for Chief Justice of the United States. The Supreme Court is different from the lower courts. The Supreme Court is the only Federal court required by the Constitution itself. Actually. the Chief Justice is the only member of the Court expressly named in the Constitution. All other courts are bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court. Its decisions are final. They are unappealable. Only the Supreme Court can modify or overrule its precedents. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12313}
{"speech_id":1090071283,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its power is enormous. The role of the Chief Justice is tolead not only that allpowerful Court but the entire third branch of Government. We have had 43 Presidents in this country. but we have had only 16 Chief Justices--all appointed for life. The distinguished senior Senator from West Vifginia. Mr. BYRD. whose passionate advocacy establisfhed our. Constitution Day commemoration. describes the Constitution very accurately as the soul of our Nation. The. Senates advice and consent responsibilities are at the core of this bodys vital role in our Republic. This. week. we commemorate our Constitution in a time of great challenges. and we are reminded again how resilient bur Constitution is in empowering our Nation to meet each eras challenges. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12313}
{"speech_id":1090071283,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The carefully calibrated checks and balances within our Constitution are essential to that. No branch of Government is intended to be the rubberstamp of another branch. Each day. Americans are fighting and dying in Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been displaced by disasters here at home. Four years after 9\/ 11. with public confidence shattered. we have to embark on a review of why we are still not prepared to respond to a terrorist *attack or foreseen natural disasters. The cost of energygas and home heating fuelscontinues to climb to alltime highs. adding to the cost of other goods. The administration is suspending environmental and worker protections. Poverty and the disparities of opportunity between races and classes continue their insidious rise each year. After having seen recent years of budget surpluses. now the countrys budget deficits are at previously unheard of levelsbetween $300 billion and $400 billion a year. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12313}
{"speech_id":1090071283,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our national debt is at $8 trillion8.000 billion dollars--that is a profligate amount. It can only be paid off by our children and our grandchildren. So Americans need to know their constitutional rights will be protected. that their Government is on their side. and that the courts will be a place of refuge. stability. independence. and justice. The nomination of Judge John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States presents a close question and one that each Senator must carefully weigh and decide. This is a question that holds serious consequences for all Americans today and for generations to come. I have approached this nomination with an open mind. as I do all judicial nominations. There is no entitlement to confirmation for lifetime Seimtnier 21. -2005appointments on iiy>UdirF or an nonihation byany Pfesidiit? bniY cratic or Republican. I have served in the Senate for slightly over three decades. and on the Judiciary Committee for most of that time. I take my constitutional responsibility with respect to advice and consent seriously. I am 1 vote out of 100. but I recognize those 100 of us privileged to serve in the Senate are entrusted with protecting the rights of 280 million of our fellow citizens. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12313}
{"speech_id":1090071283,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We stand in their shoes. We and the President are the ones with a vote in the choice of the Chief Justice of the United States. With this vote. I do not intend to lend my support to an effort by this President to move the Supreme Court and the law dramatically to the right. Above all. balance and moderation on the Court are crucial. I want all Americans to know the Supreme Court will protect their rights and respect the authority of Congress to act in their interests. I want a Supreme Court that acts in its finest tradition as a source of justice. The Supreme Court must be an institution where the Bill of Rights and human dignity are honored. I have voted for the vast majority of President Fords. President Carters. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12313}
{"speech_id":1090071314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. our Founders proclaimed the bedrock principle that we are tll created equal. But everyone knows that when we started. the reality was far different. For more than two centuries. we have struggled. sometimes spilling precious blood. to fulfill that unique American promise. The goals. the principles. and the sacrifices of millions of Americans breathed an everfuller life into our constitutional ideals. The Constitution itself has been the inspiration for this march of progress. The openended principles that our Founders had the wisdom to bequeath us have acquired everdeepening meaning over the yearsa remarkably steady movement toward greater protection for individual rights and liberties. and an increasing assurance that governments at all levels have the authority to defend ordinary Americans from overreaching by those who would discriminate against them or exploit them. We have made much progress. But our work is not finished. and we still look to our elected representatives and our independent courts to uphold those founding principles in each new generation. to continue the great march of progress. to never turn back and never give up our hardwon gains. This was the basic issue in our hearings on the nomination of John Roberts to become our next Chief Justice. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090071314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Would he bring to that high office the values and ideals that would enable our struggle for equality and opportunity for all to continue. or would he stand in the way? The only records made available to us were those of John Roberts as an aggressive activist in the Reagan administration. eager to limit basic values that we have achieved .at great cost and sacrifice over the years. especially in basic areas such as voting rights. womens rights. civil rights. and disability rights. He is an outstanding lawyer who says he could represent clients on any side of a question. As Congressman JOHN LEWIS eloquently stated in our hearings. 25 years ago. John Roberts was on the wrong side of the Nations struggle to achieve genuine equality of opportunity for all Americans. Now. we need to know which side he is on today. We need to know that as Chief Justice of the United States. his sole client would be all the American people. John Roberts is a highly intelligent :nominee. He has argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court and won more than half of them. He is adept at turning questions on their head while giving seemingly appropriate answers. These skills served him well as a Supreme Court advocate. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090071314,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These same skills. however. did not contribute to a reasonable confirmation process. At the end of the 4 days of hearings. we still .know very little more than we knew when we started. In answer to another question about his views. he stated again: I will confront issues in. this area as I would confront issues in any area. . . . and that would be to fully and fairly consider the arguments presented and decide them according to the rule of law. In yet another instance. he pro-! claimed: The responsibility of the judicial branch is to decide particular cases that are presented to them in this area according to the rule of law. And again: I became a lawyer or at least developed as a lawyer because I believe in the rule of law. The rule of laweveryone in the Senate agrees with that. In fact. we have each taken an oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution. and we take that -oath seriously. But it reveals little about how we will vote on the important questions of the day. and what values and ideals we bring to our decisions. Judge Roberts said that a judge should be like an umpire. calling the balls and strikes but not making the rules. But we all know that with any umpire. the call may depend on your point of view. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090071314,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"An instant replay from another angle can show a very different result Umpires follow the rules- of the game. But in critical cases. it may depend on where they are standing when they make the call. The same holds true of judges. As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously stated: The life of the law has not been logic. it has been experience. As Justice Stephen Breyer offered in his confirmation hearing: I always think law requires both a heart and a head. If you do not have a heart. it becomes a sterile set of rules. removed from human problems. and it will not help. If you do not have a head. there is the risk that in trying to decide a particular persons problem in a case that may look fine for that person. you cause trouble for a lot of other people. making their lives yet worse. The rule of law is not some mathematical formula for meting out justice. It is our values and ideals that give it real meaning in the case of the Constitution. not our personal values and ideals but our values and ideals. derived from the meaningof the coiistitutional text. We all believe in the rule of law. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090071314,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But that is just the beginning of the conversation when it comes to the meaning of the Constitution. The Constitution of Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas is a very different document from the Constitution of Justice Ste* vens and Justice Souter. Everyone follows the same text. That is the rule of law. But the meaning of the text is often imprecise. You must examine the intent of the Framers. the history. and the current reality. And this examination will lead. to very different outcomes depending on each Justices constitutional world view. Is it a full and generous view of our rights and liberties and of government power to protect the people. or a narrow and cramped view of those rights and liberties and the governments power to protect ordinary Americans? Based on the record available. there is clear and convincing evidence that Judge Roberts view of the rule of law would narrow the protection of basic voting rights. The values and perspectives displayed over and over again in his record cast large doubts on his view of the validity of laws that remove barriers to equal opportunity for women. minorities. and the disabled. His record raises serious questions about the power of Congress to pass laws to protect citizens in matters that they care about. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090071316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will try and do it in a shorter time. I am also troubled by Judge Roberts refusal to distance himself from his past criticism of the very important Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe that held that the basic principle of equal protection requires all schoolage children to have the same access to public education. including the children of undocumented immigrants. In a very real sense. the Plyler decision is as important to the children of undocumented workers as the Brown decision is to AfricanAmerican children. Yet Judge Roberts strongly criticized the decision. On the day the case was decided. he coauthored a memo criticizing the Solicitor Generals office for failing to file a brief. arguing that these children could be denied public education. Senator DURBIN asked Judge Roberts: Did you agree with the decision . . . then? Or do you agree with the decision now? Judge Roberts avoided the question. saying: I havent looked at the decision in the Plyler v. Doe in 23 years. Senator DURBIN asked: Is this settled law. as far as you are concerned. about our commitment in education Judge Roberts avoided this. saying he had not looked at the case recently. and that when he wrote the memo he was doing his job. So we are left with nothing to reassure us he has changed his mind from his harsh criticism of that opinion in the past. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2806}
{"speech_id":1090071316,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His many statements of support for the rule of law yield no clue about his true convictions on this im portant question today. Finally. a number of -my colleagues on the committee asked Judge Roberts about issues related to womens rights. womens right to privacy. On these important matters. too. he never gave answers that shed light on his current views. No one is entitled to become Chief Justice of the United States. The confirmation of nominees to our courts. by and with the advice of the Senate. should not require a leap of faith. Nominees must earn their confirmation by providing full knowledge of the values and convictions they will bring to the decisions that may profoundly affect our progress as a nation toward the ideal of equality. Judge Roberts has not done so. His repeated allegiance to the rule of law reveals little about the values he would bring to the job of Chief Justice of the United States. The record we have puts at serious risk the progress we have made toward our common American vision of equality of opportunity for all of our citizens. Supporting or opposing nominees in the Supreme Court should not be a partisan issue. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2806}
{"speech_id":1090071316,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my 43 years in the Senate. I have supported more nominees for the Supreme Court by Republican Presidents than by Democratic Presidents. but there is clear and convincing evidence that Judge Roberts is the wrong choice for Chief Justice. I oppose the nomination. I urge my colleagues to do the same.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2806}
{"speech_id":1090071424,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when a seat on the Supreme Court opened in July. I made a promise to the people of California. I promised I would only support a nominee I believed would protect their rights and.freedoms. After much thought. I have coneluded that I cannot in good conscience give my constituents that assurance with the nominee we have before the Senate. Judge John Roberts. In fact. I am very worried that with Judge Roberts on the Supreme Court. the rights and freedoms that have made America a light to the rest of the world could be in serious jeopardy. The question before the Senate is net whether Judge Roberts is a brilliant lawyer and not whether he is well qualified or well spoken or affable or unflappable: He is certainly all of those. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090071424,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But examining his credentials is where our analysis must begin. not end. The American people understand this. In poll after poll after poll. the American people say that before we vote. it is important to know where Judge Roberts stands on key issues that define us as Americans and what kind of country we will leave behind for our children. The next Chief Justice will have the opportunity to steer a deeply divided Court and influence our lives and the lives of our families for generations. In recent years. the Court has issued 5to4 decisions to protect our air. to safeguard womens reproductive health and the rights of the disabled. to give HMO patients the right to a second opinion. to allow universities to use affirmative action. and to guarantee government neutrality toward religion. With so many of our fundamental rights hanging in the balance. it is not good enough. in my view. to simply roll the dice. hoping a nominee will change his past views. It is not good enough to think this is the best we can expect from this President. I simply do. not buy into that reasoning. And no. I dont buy into this reasoning either: Lets support this nominee because the next one might be worse. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090071424,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will tell you why that rationale does not work for me and it will never work for me as long as the Constitution gives me and my colleagues in the Senate an equal role in this process. It fails the bar that I setthe bar that says that I must be able to look into the eyes of my constituents and assure them that I feel confident in this choice. I said I could only vote for a nominee who would protect the rights and the freedoms of the people I represent. I need to be able to look into the eyes of my constituents and to assure them I have made that judgment before I vote yes in their name. I cant do it here. We must demand far more in a nominee because the people we represent deserve no less. I will vote no on this nomination because of what we know and what we do not know about Judge Roberts. Long before President Bush made this nomination. we knew that his model judges were Justices Scalia and Thomas. Now. President Bush isnt known for changing his mind. so that doesnt leave us in a good place if were hoping for a moderate. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090071424,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nor does a reading of Judge Roberts record while he served in the Reagan Administration 20 years ago. In fact. some of Julge Robertss writings raise serious concerns about whether he understands the ugly history of discrimination and injustice in our country. or the proper role of government in injustice and discrimination. Of course. we were told.over and over again by Judge Roberts and by this administration and some of his supporters: Do not pay attention to thosememos. they were written long ago. he was just a young man. he was just a lowly staff attorney. Here is the point: Judge Roberts never backed away from those memos. When given the chance. he said over and over again they were written for someone else. Someone else is not up for the Supreme Court. Judge Roberts is up for the Supreme Court. So to simply say. Yes. I wrote that. but I wrote it for someone else. just does not pass the test. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090071424,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then we try to examine Judge Roberts tenure years later as a top political appointee under the first President Bush. That is when he worked as Deputy Solicitor General for Ken Starr. who was the Solicitor General. Again and again. Senator LEAHY. Senator KENNEDY. Senator FEINSTEIN. all the Democrat Senators on the Judiciary Committee asked for documents relating to just 16 cases that would have shed some light on the way Judge Roberts approaches civil rights. reproductive health. the separation of church and state. environmental protection. and more. The Democratic women Senators asked too. But again and again. the administration refused to turn over the documents. and Judge Roberts refused to help us. The President had access to that information when he nominated Judge Roberts. Why should this Senate a full partner in choosing the next Justicehave anything less? This is not a small point of process. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090071458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Mississippi for coming over to the floor because I know September .21. 2005 there are thousands. of .agricultural producers across the United States who were anxious to hear we are mindful of the disasters they have faced and in the region of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters across our country. I ask unanimous consent that the following cosponsors be added to the amendment I have sent to the desk: My colleague from Illinois. Senator OBAMA. who shares my feelings on the drought that has faced our State. as well as my colleague. from across the Mississippi River. Senator BOND.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090071572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am unaware of any other Senator who is planning to offer any amendment. I dont want to cut- anybody off. but I made it clear during the vote that all amendments have to be offered tonight and all debate take place tonight. We are scheduled for the vote tomorrow morning. My understanding is that the Dayton amendment is still pending. and. therefore. if it cant be disposed of tonight. it would be available for tomorrow morning. The Jeffords amendment is still pending. and if that cannot be resolved tonight. that would be voted on tomorrow morning. Those are the only two I am aware of at the present time. I will suggest the absence of a quorum so we can check the list and see who else might be out there. But I would say to any who are monitoring our procedures on behalf of their respective Senators that the time for offering amendments is getting mighty short. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090071572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We dont want to deny any Senator his or her rights. but I feel we have given fair warning this is what we .will do. With that. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090071590,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. no one has come forward. so we are prepared to close down with the two amendments still unresolved. Dayton and Jeffords. and then move to final passage after those two are resolved for a voice vote or yeas and nays. I assume which will be determined tomorrow. At the moment. the yeas and nays have not been ordered. I want to respect the rights of both of those Senators. While we get together whatever final activity needs to go forward. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":488}
{"speech_id":1090071609,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank Senator BENNETT very much for the sentiments expressed. which are felt similarly by myself and people who are working with me. On the question of Senator FEINSTEIN and Senator CRAIG and others in specialty crops. as you have indicated. we all understand how important this program is across the country. not only in California and in Idaho but in other States. as well. I am aware the House bill includes funding. I will join with Senator BENNETT and we will do everything we can to adopt the House level in conference.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":542}
{"speech_id":1090071617,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while I recognize that the Seniate Committee on Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions. HELP. is overwhelmed in addressing the needs associated with the Hurricane Katrina recovery. the Higher Education Act. HEA. is set to expire on September 30. 2005. I am concerned that with the extension of the HEA until December 31. 2005. we may be sending a signal that we are not planning on acting on the HEA reauthorization bill in the near future. I would like to know if my friend. the chairman of the HELP Committee. could give me his assurance he still intends to make passage of the permanent reauthorization a priority in the next few Weeks?","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":654}
{"speech_id":1090071818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I may. Mr. President. I very much concur with what my chairman has just said. In watching on television. one of the things that has come through to me is the enormous sensitivity of our military toward peoples plights. What is coming back from people is: Oh. they are treating us so well. They really care. I believe that is a real commendation for the American military. thrown into a situation for which they are not necessarily trained. After all. they are trained for war fighting. They have .done amazingly. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090071818,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think from the top. when General Honore went downno nonsense. \"move- that gun down\"there was no doubt who was in command. It was a true command presence and followed down through the ranks in an amazing way. So I just want to say thank you very much to each man and woman who is down there helping people go through some of the worst days of their lives.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090071820,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank Senator FEINSTEIN for bringing that up because there are so many stories. I talked to the FEMA Director yesterday. and he has already gone to the Department of Defense to get a mobile hospital prepositioned in the area where Rita might come so we would have a MASH unit ready to help people who might be injured. He has asked for helicopters. which he is going to get. for evacuation and rescue missions. I do think the military has really stepped up to the plate in Alabama. Mississippi. and Louisiana. They are ready to go and will be going to help the people of Texas where we think the brunt of this storm will hit. The other unsung heroes and heroines of this plight are the men and women of the Coast Guard. The person in charge from the Federal Government for the effort in Texas is going to be the admiral from the Coast Guard because they have done an incredible job. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2556}
{"speech_id":1090071820,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Admiral Allen over in Louisiana is doing a wonderful job. And now we will have other Coast Guard personnel helping with the operation in Texas. So I have been working in the last 24 hours with our State and local officials and our Federal officials to assure that the resources are there. I am convinced everything that can be done is being done and that if you can be prepared. we are prepared. But we all know hurricanes are unpredictable in many ways. and we are in for probably a tough time. We are up to it. We will make sure whatever can be done to ease the pain of people who are in harms way will be done. I thank the Senator so much for her statement and the concern of all of my colleagues. Just as we have stated our concern to our colleagues from Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama. people now realize we have another State to add to the emergency needs of our country. I have no doubt everyone will be there doing everything possible for my constituents in Texas. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2556}
{"speech_id":1090071820,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are going to shortly propose a unanimous consentorequest. I ask any of my colleagues who might hafe amendments to get down to the floor immediately because we know of no amendments other than a couple -we have in the mix. Senator COBURN has one. and we have one from Senator FEINSTEIN for Senator CARPER and Senator BIDEN. Those are the only ones we have been informed would be here. and we are going to dispatch those. So I will ask for a quorum call so we can come back shortly for a unanimous consent request. But if anyone is thinking of an amendment. I would ask my colleagues to address it immediately. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2556}
{"speech_id":1090071828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the expeditious way our leader and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. and Related Agencies has brought this important appropriations bill to the floor. It is. in my opinion. without question. that we ought to try to deal with all of our appropriations bills this year. complete them individually. complete the total process. We have seen the difficult and confusing process of omnibus bills over the last cbuple of years. Clearly. this Congress ought to demonstrate to the American taxpayer that we can coiduct our budgeting and our appropriating process in a reasonable and responsible fashion to move ahead. The chairman of the subcommittee is urging us to come to the floor if we have amendments and address them in a timely fashion. to see if we can complete work on this appropriations bill today. I appreciate that. As chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. I have worked closely with the chairman and the ranking member of this subcommittee to assure that we have adequately funded the Veterans Administration. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090071828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As our colleagues knowand certainly observers have knownwe have had difficulty in effective and responsible projections of costs. As we have seen a ramping up of services to Americas vetelans and as the quality of veterans health care improves. there has been a substantially greater number of veterans who have chosen to use the veterans health care system to provide for their needs. As a result. H.R. 2528 provides $70.71 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs. the highest amount of appropriated dollars in the history of the Department. Of this funding. $34.09 billion is discretionary funding. meaning spent across the spectrum of veterans services. which is $1.26 billion above the administrations request. and $23.32 billion is for medical services which is $1.3 billion above the administrations request. Not only did the administration come in at a higher number. but as the needs changed. Congress came in at an. even higher number. That speaks clearly to our commitment to Americas veterans. as we have always responded to their needs in what we believe to be a direct. straightforward way. The overall budget of Veterans Affairs has risen $22.5 billion or 47.5 percent. with average increases for all veterans at nearly 7.8 percent every year. I am talking about since the Bush administration took office. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090071828,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These in: creases more than double the growth of the entire Federal budget. which has increased by 4.14 percent. I am talkihg about the Department of Veterans Affairs. Anyone who says we. are not meeting the obligation to Americas veterans with unprecedented increases and increases that are substantially more than in other areas of our Federal budget simply hasnt looked at the numbers and the level of health care being provided. Health care funding alone has grown by $10 billion. or 52 percent. during the Bush administration. With that attention and response from the Congress and this President. VA has become a modern health care system. described in recent national publications as the best health care anywhere. Of course. that is exactly why we now see more veterans seeking veterans health care. it is not the health care of last resort. It is the health care of first choice. It is a mod.ern. quality delivery system all of us can be proud of. not only because we are providing it but because it serves Americas heroes in a way that we feel an appropriate obligation to do so. I thank Chairman HUTCHISON for the work she has done. and the ranking member. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090071828,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator FEINSTEIN. for their cooperative effort with us as we have worked our way through this difficult funding process for veterans. The job is well done. The services and the resources provided are responsible and adequate for the serving of Americas veterans. I. am privileged to serve on this subcommittee. to work with the chairman and ranking member to accomplish this task. I also have the unique responsibility of serving as chairman of the authorizing Committee on Veterans Affairs. I am pleased and proud of the work we are doing. not only for Americas veterans today but for those who are soon to become Americas veterans. The brave men and women serving us in the defense of our freedom in the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back. Many of them will be requiring significant services as they have been injured and found themselves in harms way. Of course. that is our responsibility. We will not back from it in any way. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090071828,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Americas veterans or Americas serving men and women soon to be veterans need to know that this Congress has and will continue to address their needs in a responsible fashion. to serve them as we appropriately must. sometimes having to draw priorities but recognizing that those needing the care are going to get the care. the kind that is appropriate and responsible for Americas heroes. Americas veterans. and men and women currently serving in the armed services. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090071850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have a series of amendments that have been cleared on both sides. and I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be temporarily set aside so that I could send these amendments individually to the desk for their consideration.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090071960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the amendment that I am offering today will help to ensure that our veterans have easy access to information about the benefits that they have earned through their service to our country. Each year. the Department of Veterans Affairs publishes an updated version of a handbook entitled. \"Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents.\" which contains useful information about benefits that are available through the VA. I have heard from a number of Wisconsinites who are concerned that this useful handbook is not readily available to our veterans and o County Veterans Service Officers. CVSOs. and others who assist our veterans. It is my understanding that the Department purchases a limited number of copies of this handbook each year that some are distributed to VA regional offices. to VA health care facilities. and to State Departments of Veterans Affairs. Some of my constituents are concerned that some facilities appear to have large stockpiles of this handbook. while others only receive a very limited number. I am also told that distribution of the handbook is largely left up to regional and local VA officials. A number of Wisconsin CVSOs have informed me that they are having trouble obtaining adequate supplies of this handbook. and that they often have to rely on VA health care facilities or other sources to obtain additional copies. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6940}
{"speech_id":1090071960,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I recognize that the handbook is available for download on the Departments Web site and for purchase through the Government Printing Office. GPO. many CVSOs and. veterans service organizations do not have the resources to copy or purchase this handbook in large quantities. In addition. many veterans. particularly older veterans. do not have access toor are unable to usethe Internet and it seems unreasonable to charge them $7 to purchase the handbook from GPO. Veterans who want a copy of this handbook should get oneits that simple. This handbook serves as a tangible reminder of the benefits they earned. and it also serves as a helpful guide for CVSOs. veterans service organizations. and others who work every day to ensure that our veterans receive these benefits. One Wisconsin CVSO tells me that this handbook is very valuable in his work with veterans. some of whom have told him that they have difficulty navigating the VA Web site or easily finding information in the online copy of the handbook. Being able to point a veteran to a specific page in the handbook is an important step in helping veterans to learn about their benefits or to find the answers to many common questions that veterans may have about these benefits. Last year. in response to the concerris raised by my constituents. I asked former Secretary Principi to review the Departments policy for distributing this important handbook. including ensuring that CVSOs have access to this document. I also asked that he look into how to reallocate the supply to avoid a situation in which certain parts of the VA have surpluses while others are scrambling to get these handbooks to veterans wlho are requesting them. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6940}
{"speech_id":1090071960,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also asked that he provide an estimate of how much it would cost to ensure that all CVSOs in the country are provided at least one case of the handbook each year and whether the Departments current annual supply of handbooks could be reallocated to achieve this goal: Finally. I requested that the Secretary provide me with information on the distribution policies of the various VA administrations with re.spect to providing copies of this handbook to individual veterans. including a description of the VAs policy regarding making these handbooks visibly available to individual veterans at VA facilities. In the former Secretarys response. he assured me that \". . . due to the increased outreach efforts initiated this past year. as well as the requests for additional handbooks from external veterans service providers. I am directing my senior leadership to reevaluate their requirements for publication and distribution of the 2005 handbook. Please be assured that county veterans service officers across the nation are included in next years distribution.\" While I was encouraged by the former Secretarys response. CVSOs around Wisconsin tell me that they received only one or two copies of the 2006 edition of the handbook. This meager supply isnot sufficient to use the handbook as a reference and to provide copies to veterans who request them. The amendment that I am offering today would require\u0095 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees a plan to provide an adequate supply of the 2006 edition of the \"Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents\" handbook and all subsequent editions of this handbook to all county veterans service officers in the country. My amendment would also require the Secretary to work with the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers. other veterans service organizations. and state departments of veterans affairs to determine what supply is adequate and to include a cost estimate for providing these handbooks to all county veterans service officers in his report. The report would be due not later than 60 days after the enactment of this bill. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6940}
{"speech_id":1090071960,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some at the VA have argued that this important. handbook was developed as a desk reference for VA employees. CVSOs. veterans service organizations. and others who help veterans to learn about and obtain their benefits. Former Secretary Principis letter to me states that in 2003 \". . . more than 1.4 million copies of the handbook were printed and distributed through the VA system. VA facilities. in turn. distributed handbooks to local veterans support agencies and organizations. responded to requests for the handbooks and- used them as special events such as homeless veterans stand downs. veterans conferences. health fairs. and job fairs.\" While this handbook is indeed a helpful reference for those who work on behalf of our Nations veterans. it is also a comprehensive and handy guide to veterans benefits that many veterans around my State have requested from their CVSOs. And it is evident from the former Secretarys response that thQ VA itself has made this publication available to individual veterans at a variety of events. No CVSO should have to refuse a veteran a copy of this booklet because he or she has been given an inadequate supply. No CVSO should have to tell a veteran that he or she does not have the budget to make the veteran a photocopy of the handbook or that he or she can gain access to it on the Internet or by purchasing it from GPO. I am pleased that this amendment has the support of the Wisconsin Association of County Veterans Service Officers and the Wisconsin Department of the American Legion. I understand that the managers have agreed to accept my amendment. and I want to thank them for their support on this issue. I look forward to reviewing the Secretarys report.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6940}
{"speech_id":1090072000,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to bring the nomination of John Roberts to the full Senate for its consideration. I am quite sure that by October 3. 2005. Mr. Roberts will be sworn in as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States. Today is a very important day for the Senate. I say this because several months ago this body was mired in a partisan judicial battle that many thought would end in a nuclear winter. Very. few people. including a majority of the American public. thought that we would weather the storm and find common ground. But instead of nuclear winter. this body was able to rise above the partisan bickering that has plagued us for some time. and we were able to come to an agreement. an understanding that has allowed the judicial process to move forward. While I do not intend to review that entire agreement. there is one part that is worth noting. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7622}
{"speech_id":1090072000,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It states: We believe that under Article II. Section 2. of the United States Constitution. the word \"Advice\" speaks to consultation between the Senate and the President with regard to the use of the Presidents power to make nominations. We encourage the Executive branch of government to consult with members of the Senate. both. Democratic and Republican. prior to submitting a judicial nomination to the Senate for consideration. Such a return to the early practices of our government may very well serve to reduce the rancor that unfortunately accompanies the advice and consent process in this Senate. I think that in the case of John Roberts. the clause I read has been heeded by this administration. and I applaud President Bush for following in the tradition of past Presidents who have sought meaningful eonsultation with the Senate. For the first time in my short tenure as a Senator. I felt as though bhis administration put forth an effort to gauge where the Senate was on a nomination and acted accordingly. I believe the White House. when working together with the Senate as a coequal branch of Government. will always be able to find a consensus nominee who will faithfully uphold the Constitution and represent the best of our justice system. I think in the case of John Roberts. that was accomplished. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7622}
{"speech_id":1090072000,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is one of several reasons I have decided to vote to confirm John Roberts as the next Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. When President Bush nominated Mr. Roberts. I said then that I felt very strongly the Senate must fulfill its constitutional duty to learn as much about John Roberts judicial record as possible. including his work over the past 2 years since he has been on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of our liberties and freedom. and appointments for these gatekeepers are rare and pivotal. A Supreme Court Justice deserves a high threshold of review. and I think John Roberts was put to the test. I applaud the Judiciary Committee for all of their hard work over the past few months and for the quality of last weeks hearings. The quality of the questions and the ensuing debate were a testament to the important work the committee does and a testament to the valued leadership of Senator ARLEN SPECTER and Senator PATRICK LEAHY. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7622}
{"speech_id":1090072000,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had an opportunity to meet personally with John Roberts. He is someone with whom you can sit down and talk for hours about the law. He is genial and easy to get along with. He is a family man. While these are all wonderful qualities. it is not why I am voting for him. I am voting for Mr. Roberts because he meets the criteria I have set out for judicial nominations. criteria I have used in assessing all judicial nominations that have come before this body. When.looking at the nomination of Mr. Roberts. I first asked: Does John Roberts have the qualifications or credentials to be a judge? I thik the answer to this question is obvious to anyone. and no one in this body will dispute it. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7622}
{"speech_id":1090072000,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Judge Roberts brings with him excellent credentials. He is a brilliant lawyer. and I was very impressed with his- breadth of knowledge of the law. He has also. on multiple occasions. demonstrated a genuine understanding of the law. I was also very impressed with his testimony before the Judiciary Committee. While some of my colleagues and I would have liked for Mr. Roberts to further explain some of his answers and positions. no one can dispute he has the ability to take this most prestigious post. My second criteria: Will Mr. Roberts be of the right judicial temperament? As a lawyer who has argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court 39 times. I believe Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7622}
{"speech_id":1090072029,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it was President Harry Truman who observed. half a century ago. that \"if you want a friend in Washington. get a dog.\" That is perhaps a little harsh. Nevertheless. I note that many of my colleagues in the Congress are dog fanciers. and the Senate is a strikingly dogfriendly workplace. So it is fitting that we pay tribute to a renowned peoplefriendly breed of dog: the Samoyed. Legendary for their beauty. friendly spirit and heroic and historic treks to the North and South Poles. Samoyeds pulled the adventurers of yesteryear to new frontiers. Several hundred Samoyeds and their humans will be pulling into Owensboro. KY. in October for the Samoyed Club of Americas \"Simply Southern\" National Specialty. While I am pleased that these noble dogs and their guardians will be visiting the Commonwealth. it is. sadly. because of Hurricane Katrinas devastation in Biloxi. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5146}
{"speech_id":1090072029,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MS. where the event was originally scheduled to be held. So the SCA Specialty this year is a hurricane evacuee. but in addition to contributing over $10.000 from show proceeds to animal rescue in the devastated region. the organizers look forward to going back to a rebuilt and newly vibrant gulf coast in the future. Samoyed dogs were named for the semi nomadic tribe which developed the breed. Living along the shores of the Arctic Ocean. north of Russia and Siberia. they were one of the earliest tribes of Central Asia. They depended upon their dogs to herd reindeer. protect against wolves. hunt bears. and even keep the children warm as they slept. Their endurance and intelligence made the Samoyed dogs prized members of early European expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. Borchgrevink. Amundsen. and Shackleton in the Antarctic. and Nansen and Abruzzi in the Arctic. counted on Samoyeds to explore the extreme and then uncharted ends of the Earth. The American explorers Fiala and Baldwin also used Samoyed sled teams. Most of the Samoyeds in England and the United States today are related to sled dogs from those expeditions. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5146}
{"speech_id":1090072029,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Among them was Rex of White Way. who was renown as the lead dog on the U.S. Mail sled team that used to run the 64mile mail delivery route from Ashton. ID. to West Yellowstone. over the 7000foot Targhee Pass. Rex was a superb canine athlete and hero. He even learned to parachute on rescue missions that retrieved survivors of airplane crashes and a snowbound train in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Although Samoyeds are a mediumsized dog ranging in weight from 3565 pounds. they are very strong. Rex of White Way broke the world weightpull record in 1953 by pulling 1.870 pounds. Samoyeds have been described as \"by nature . . . not a quarrelsome dog though he will stand his ground for what he feels are his rights. Each Samoyed is an individual. even from one litter. One will be very attentive and obedient while another may be more headstrong and less demanding of affection as long as he knows the house is his castle when he wants it and he owns you.\" One may detect ini that description some symmetry with Senators. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5146}
{"speech_id":1090072029,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The description goes on: He has a keen sense of knowing when you are happy. sad. who really loves him. just tolerates him. dislikes him and he will return his love accordingly. He is a talky dog and with encouragement will voice his pleasures and his dislikes. Some enjoy jokes and ham it up when laughed at while others resent it. He will speak with his paw or nose. Samoyeds today are still pulling sleds. They are also skijoring. pulling scooters. herding. excelling in agility and obedience trials and otherwise exemplify the \"Working\" class of dogs. As therapy dogs. they bring joy and comfort to people in nursing homes and hospitals. Indeed. at least one Samoyed therapy dog that I know of. Gidget (Salishs Potomac Fervour). recently visited Hurricane Katrina evacuees from Gulfport. MS. who are currently residing at the Armed Forces Retirement Home here in Washington. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5146}
{"speech_id":1090072029,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She teams -up with another Samoyed. Samantha. in regular visits with children at Inova Fairfax Hospital in northern Virginia. So these are not just beautiful dogs. they are hardworking dogs. doing great work for many people around the country. On October 24. hundreds of Samoyeds. with their humans in tow. literally as they ar6 prone to pull. will arrive in Owensboro. For some it will have been a harrowiig journey since Hurricane Katrina roared ashore. Sheila and Walter Herrmann. cochairs of the event and residents of Covington. LA. described their hurricane experience: Walter and I were hunkered down for the storm watching tree after tree fall and a tornado touch down and make a disaster of our kennels (the dogs. our own as well as the boarders were safely crated in the safest portion of our house) talking about the national is what helped us get through it. Others involved in beating the odds and making this event happen include: Pam Barbe. Karen Brooks. Diane Dotson. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5146}
{"speech_id":1090072032,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a special day for New Mexicans. Earlier today. Congress accepted the statue of Popay. a man from San Juan Pueblo who played an important role in New Mexicos colonial history. The acceptance of this work marks the 100th contribution to the Statuary Hall Collection. On behalf of my home State. I give special recognition to sculptor Cliff Fragua. from Jemez Pueblo. for a job well done. He should be proud of his work. Cliff is the first American Indian artist to sculpt a statue for the Statuary Hall Collection. I also thank the New Mexico Statuary Hall Commission and Founda ion for all their dedication and tireless effort in making this endeavor a terrific success. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3338}
{"speech_id":1090072032,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"New Mexicos first statue in the collection is that of the late Senator Dennis Chavez. Unlike Senator Chavez. Popay was a leader of a different era. Popay was a leader amon the Pueblo people during the latter part of the. 17th century. He united the Pueblos and led the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. This revolt made apparent the Pueblo Indians desire to maintain their dignity and cultureboth socially and spiritually. The Popayled insurrection against the Spanish conquerors was at its core a basic human and American need to challenge oppressors. Yes. there have been incidences of intolerance in our States more than 400year history. Those early days were hard and oftentimes brutal. Wrongs were done. and the Pueblo- Revoltrepresented with this statuewas the Native peoples response to those hardships. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3338}
{"speech_id":1090072032,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the end. the Pueblo Revolt served as an important lesson for the Spaniards. who returned to NewMexico a dozen years later. The Pueblo Revolt forever shaped the history of the State of New Mexico and the American Southwest. The result of that uprising is still evident today as the Pueblo Indians continue to live a distinct lifestyle. The Pueblo culture of New Mexico draws visitors from around the world. The American people should take the time to visit and enjoy these ancient cultures that are alive today. Their lives give our State its name: \"The Land of Enchantment.\" My own life has been made richer by my many Indian friends. My lifelong friend. Herman Agoyo. and his beautiful family are with us today. As well noted in the history of this event. Hermans leadership has been inspiring and tireless. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3338}
{"speech_id":1090072032,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Herman leads the Turtle Dance at San Juan Pueblo on December 26 of each year. This year. Herman and San Juan Pueblo Governor Garcia will have a special reason to celebrate this beautiful event. This is the year of Popayfrom San Juan Pueblowho is now honored here in our Nations Capitol. Todays Indian Pueblos are a cultural haven from ancient times. However. for all New Mexicans who came after. the revolt taught us an enduring lesson of tolerance and acceptance. It is this lesson that has resulted in New Mexico having one of the best and richest multicultural societies in the United States. As my friend Benny Atencio. of Santo Domingo Pueblo. observed: I strongly feel that the selection of Popay to be placed in the nations -Statuary Hall along with that of the late Senator Dennis Chavez. who was my personal friend. would serve as a unique reminder to the world that two unique cultures can coexist without destruction of their traditional cultural valifes and beliefs. September 22.. 2005 I could not have stated it better.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3338}
{"speech_id":1090072035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with a heavy heart that I wish to announce the death of Sheri Garmon. one of many Idahoans who have died from. cancer that was likely attributable to nuclear fallout. Like others. Sheri spent time and energy bringing awareness of this issue as it related to Idaho. However. Sheri. who was fighting multiple cancers. became a charismatic spokesperson for those suffering from the same fate. Sheri Garmon. daughter of Don and Millie Garmon. was born in Emmett. ID. in 1952. When Sheri was just a baby. just 6 months old. the National Cancer Institute estimates that on a single day. June 5. 1952. she r~eeived 75 rads of iodine131. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3283}
{"speech_id":1090072035,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the equivalent of 10.000 chest Xrays. The exposure came from nuclear testing being done in the Nevada desert. fallout blew over the little valley where Emmett sits. From that day on. Sheris ultimate fate was sealed. But no one knew then what we know now. Sheri grew up healthy and strong. out there on her familys dairy farm. drinking milk from their cows.. eating vegetables and fruits from their garden. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class. and then went on to graduate from the University of Idaho. She became a CPA 4and a mother. Sheri used her education as a Way to provide for her family and pave the way for future achievement for those who knew her. She was always involved in her community and concerned for the welfare of her friends and family. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3283}
{"speech_id":1090072035,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Along the way. Sheri was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She beat it. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctors gave her about a year to live. She wanted to make it to August 20. 2005. to see her daughter graduate from college. While she did pass that date. she will never see Katie married or play with her grandchildren. She did. however. leave a legacy that we have a responsibility to uphold. Sheri is just one of many- unrecognized radiationexposure victims. her story is poignant. but it is echoed throughout her community by many other families who have survived or lost cancer battles over the last 50 years. Sheri played a large role in.bringing the plight of many of her friends and family to the attention of Idahos congressional delegation and general public last year. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3283}
{"speech_id":1090072035,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sheri is survived by her mother Millie and her daughter Katie Klein. On May 11. 2005. I came to this Chamb ber and introduced legislation to amend the. Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. My legislation would make Idaho citizens. such as Sheri. who were exposed to fallout from nuclear testing in Nevada. eligible for compensation under the act. In my introductory statement. I related stories of Idahoans who recounted going outside in the evenings to look at the beautiful sunsets caused by the testing. Unfortunately. and unbeknownst to them. these sjkies were filled with dangerous radiation that elevated their exposure and subsequent risk of developing cancer. I also stated that now is the time to amend the act to make it work for everyone who may have become ill because of radiation fallout exposure. Let us not let Sheris death go unanswered. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3283}
{"speech_id":1090072035,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Join me in supporting S. 998 to amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act so that others who are suffering as Sheri did are given their just compensation and treatment. it is the right thing to do..","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3283}
{"speech_id":1090072037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce legislation to close a loophole in current law that allows convicted murderers to be honored at our national cemeteries. I believe we must preserve our national cemeteries as places of honor for our veterans. Arlington National Cemeteryand all our national cemeteriesare hallowed ground. They should not be polluted by the remains of convicted murderers. In August. I learned of a tragic and troubling circumstance regarding our national cemeteries. The remains of a convicted coldblooded murderer sentenced to two life sentences for his crimes were buried at Arlington National Cemetery on July 27. 2005. This man. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4721}
{"speech_id":1090072037,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Russell Wagner. was convicted of stabbing to death two elderly residents of Hagerstown. MDDaniel Davis. 84 and his wife. Wilda Davis. 80. He was sentenced in State court to two life sentences for these unspeakable crimes. While serving his sentence in prison. Wagner died from a heroin overdose. Because he served honorably in Vietnam. his remains were allowed to be placed in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. even though he committed this terrible crime. This episode has been terribly painful for the Davis family. understandably: they have had to relive the horror of their parents brutal murder. while seeing the man who took away their loved ones being honored as a hero in our Nations most sacred burial ground. There has been community outragewhich I share. The law that allows this disgrace must be changed. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4721}
{"speech_id":1090072037,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Arlington is for heroes. So many Marylanders who served with honor were laid to rest in Arlington. the heroes from every war: men like Navy Diver Michael Steadam. who was brutally murdered by terrorists simply because he was a member of our military. In the Iraqi conflict. 37 Marylanders have died. including two from the same high school who died within weeks of each other. These are the heroes who deserve burial at our national cemeteries. In my 18 years as the head of the VAHUD subcommittee. I was proud to work closely with our Veterans Service Organizations. They are tireless advocates for Americas veterans. I so respect and admire them. I know many in these groups are uncomfortable with the idea of Congress tinkering with the benefits our veterans have earned. I can understand their yellow flashing lights. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4721}
{"speech_id":1090072037,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Promises made to our veterans must be promises kept. For 18 years. I fought every day to safeguard these benefitsand continue to do so. because they represent Americas payment of a debt we owe our brave veterans for their servicea debt that can never be full\u00a7 repaid. But this is murder. Federal law already prohibits murderers frombeing honored at Arlington and our national cemeteries. In 1997. Congress passed a law to restrict burial eligibility. to prevent convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh from beffig buried in a national cemetery following his execution. Under current law. if a veteran is convicted of a capital crime in a Federal court. he or she cannot be placed in a national cemetery. Yet. if someone is convicted of the same crime in a State court. they retain their eligibility to be plaoed in a national cemetery if they are eligible for parole. This loophole enabled the man who murdered Mr. and Mrs. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4721}
{"speech_id":1090072037,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Davis to be placed alongside the heroes at Arlington. I Why did Congress pass what is known as the McVeigh law? Not to further punish the guilty. but to preserve our national cemeteries as places of honor for our veterans. So I.was shoeked to learn that the law we passed in 1997 does not apply in the case of the man who murdered Daniel and Wilda Davis. He was convicted of two life sentences. but because he was convicted in State court. he remained eligible for interment with honors at Arlington National Cemetery. This doesnt make any sense. The purpose of the 1997 law was to protect the standards our military men and women live by: to protect the values they fight and die for. The coldblooded murder of an elderly couple is certainly contrary to those values. I am introducing this bill on behalf of the Davis family. But I am also introducing it on behalf of a Nation at war. Every day across this country. brave young soldiers are being honored and laid to rest in our national cemeteries. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4721}
{"speech_id":1090072042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday. October 6. 2005 at 10 a.m. in room SD366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to evaluate and receive a status report on the Environmental Management programs of the Department of Energy. Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. United States Senate. Washington. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090072042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC 205106150. For further information. please contact Clint Williamson 2022247556. or Steve Waskiewicz at 2022286195.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090072074,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this bill we just passed provides for the continued education of students who have been so severely affected by Hurricane Katrina: I thank my colleague. the Senator from Texas. Mrs. HUTCHISON. for her tremendous leadership on this bill. It is a very important bill and a bill that has been a long time coming. Weespecially *she and her cosponsorshave aggressively worked in this regard to pass this bill. I am happy to yield to her at this time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":460}
{"speech_id":1090072076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thankthe distinguished majority leader for helping us clear this legislation. This is a bill cosponsored .by Senator LANDRIEU and Senator CORNYN. Twentyeight States have taken students. who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. into their hearts. into their arms. into their shelters. and into their educational systems. \u0095 We have been passing legislation that would cut red tape and pay for certain items that are not covered by the law. One of the major areas for which we have not had a precedent is schoolchildren in gieat numbers going into public schools as a result of having to evacuate from an emergency disaster. such as Hurricane Katrina. That has been the case. I We have more than 45.000 evacuee students now in our Texas public schools. As everyone knows. there is no schoQl district that can afford to absorb that number of students without help. The bill we have just passed will allow the money that has already been appropriated to be available for the Department of Education to pay for the extra teachers who are being hired. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2031}
{"speech_id":1090072076,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is limited to children who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. and it also has a sunset. It is just for this school year. So this is not a new law that is going to put the Federal Government into public education throughout our country. But it is going to offset the costs of hiring teachers and buying school supplies for those students who have come to our State and 27 other States with nothing. Today I am very proud of the Senate for passing this legislation to give these 28 States the help they need. The money will flow through the Departnent of Education. The Secretary of Education will have. the authority to take some of the money that has. already been appropriated. by Congress for this purpose. I applaud the Senate for passing this bill. and I look forward to it going through the House and being signed by The President. I thank Senator FRIST so much for the help he has given in allowing the Senate to act quickly on this legislation. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2031}
{"speech_id":1090072138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. fiscal responsibility is one of those tenets of our Republican philosophy. It is something our constituents remind us of every day. A constituent called yesterday following our Operation Offset press conference. She liked what she saw. Her advice was an old adage from her granny: Mind your pennies and your dollars will mind themselves. I said. No. were minding your pennies. the taxpayers pennies. their dollars. This is their money. It is not governments money. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090072138,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to rembmber that. Mr. Speaker. this House under our Republican leadership has passed a 2006 budget that worked to reduce discretionary spending. It is a great step in beginning to rein in the growth of government. I commend them for that. This House has passed tax relief that has led to 3 million new jobs being created. We need to keep that. I want to thank the leadership for that good work and to thank them for.encouraging every Member of this body to work with them to find a way for us to address the needs that our Nation has in response to Hurricane Katrina. I want to thank Republican Study Committee Chairman PENCE for his good work on Operation Offset in providing us with another opportunity to reaffirm that we are the party of fiscal responsibility.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090072215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time and allowing me to participate in this discussion. We know that children who begin kindergarten and first grade prepared both socia4ly and mentally to learn have a much greater opportunity of success. not just in school but in life. Improving the quality of Head Start should be a priority for all of us. One of the greatest challenges of any Federal program is to ensure that hardearned taxpayer money is used only for the purpose intended. and the current Head Start program does not live up to that principle. The need for safeguards and accountability are needed now more than ever. The School Readiness Act addresses financial management weaknesses found in the current Head Start system and publicly documented in various news accounts. There is disturbing evidence that a sizable share of Head Start funding never reaches its target: disadvantaged children. Instead. the money is being lost to waste. financial abuse. and mismanagement. and there are collective media accounts that suggest that the problem is not isolated. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090072215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The director of a Head Start. program in Gardenville. Maryland. was indicted on charges that she stole more than $350.000 from the organization over a 4year period. Imagine if this money were spent on students rather than stolen from Head Start. A former director of a Head Start program in Charleston. West Virginia. was sentenced up to 5 months in Federal prison after admitting he used an agency credit card for a personal trip to the Kentucky Derby and preparing a false invoice for computer repairs. Rather than investing money in student nutrition. this director took this money from school cafeterias and went to the horse races. The executive director of the Kansas City. Missouri. Head Start operation earned a salary in excess of $300.000 annually and drove a luxury SUV. leased in part with Federal Head Start funds. The gentleman has since resigned. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090072215,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Head Startwas never intended to provide for sixfigure salaries and luxury cars. The Department of Justice gained a guilty plea from an executive director of a Lubbock. Texas. Head Start program after he embezzled more than $800.000 over 2 years and diverted part of the money to a local restaurant. Mr. Chairman. it is a priority bf this Republican Congress to ensure that the necessary financial controls are in place to safeguard against these abuses and to protect the publics confidence in this important school readiness program. Safeguards against financial abuse in this bill include an independent financial audit annually. an annual report detailing how their money is spent and the sources of their funding. oversight by a local governance board. and a requirement that administrative costs may not exceed more than 15 percent of the total program cost. Congress must not ignore the evidence that much money invested in the Head Start program currently never reaches the disadvantaged children it is intended to serve. I commend the chairman for his leadership and the leadership of the subcommittee chairman. the\" gentleman from Delaware","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090072219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the School Readiness Act of 2005. I would like to pay particular attention and highlight a provision of the bill granting greater flexibility to Head Start programs wanting to provide Early Head Start to children ages birth to 3. A priority goal of the Head Start program is to reach out and assist as many of our Nations atrisk children as possible in the most effective and responsible manner possible. In continuing with this tradition. I was proud to join with my distinguished .colleagues. the gentlewoman from Illinois","speaker_name":"TODD PLATTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":566}
{"speech_id":1090072235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. kill Head Start? Supporting religious discrimination which was added by the majority to this oth_erwise very good bill is exactly what would kill Head Start. Shame on the gentleman for thinking that it is any other way. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey . a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce..","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":416}
{"speech_id":1090072265,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my support for the Head Start Reauthorization Bill that was sent to this Chamber by the Committee. Head Start is one of the best programs we offer our youngest students. A recent- report on Head Start released by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that Head Start helps close the achievement gap between students of differing socioeconomic. status. Since Head Start was. created in 1965. it has proven to be our most valuable school readiness program in the history of this country. Time after time. we have seen reports that prove students who attend Head Start perform better than those wh o dont. Its important that this body reauthorize this program in a manner that shows bipartisan support for educating our children. I agree with many of the provisions in this bill. such as safeguarding financial abuse and improving disclosure rules. Fraud and abuse of providers of Head Start Programs is indefensible. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1764}
{"speech_id":1090072265,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The money allocated to Head Start programs should be used to educate children. Not for any other purpose. This bill cracks down on those programs engaging in fraud. Also. this legislation keeps current health and nutrition services. which are essential for ensuring children can learn. Young children have a difficult time learning if their basic needs arent met. Providing health care is an essential part of this program. The \"best practices\" provision of this bill will help improve the curricula of our Head Start Program. I urge my colleagues to support this bill as it was reported from Committee. Thousands of children in my district benefit from Head Start and its essential that we reauthorize this program with a bipartisan plan that will help this Program serve more children effectively.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1764}
{"speech_id":1090072272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to offer this amendment which I indicated was drafted on a bipartisan basis. Specifically. the amendment would revise the financial audit language to ensure that financial audit requirements for Head Start programs are consistent with those required under the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1986. that it builds on parental consent requirements included in H.R. 2123 as reported. to further clarify that any health service available to children in Head Start may not be performed without -the prior written consent of the parent. and included a number of technical and conforming amendments. To the best of our knowledge. there is no dispute about this. and the details of it can be discussed at further length if anybody wants. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":846}
{"speech_id":1090072273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the subcommittee chairman. the gentleman from Delaware . for his hard work on this bill. This language has been negotiated. and we have no objections to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090072302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the School Readiness Act. Let me first begin by recognizing the tremendous efforts of my colleagues. the gentleman from Ohio and the gentleman from Delaware in crafting a good bill. As a former teacher and elementary principal. I am aware of the necessity ol a firstrate education and need to ensure that children have adequate skills before entering kindergarten. As chairman of the LaborHHSEducatiori Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. funding Head Start in the amount of $6 billion. this bill will achieve a better use of those moneys. For over four decades the Head Start program has provided comprehensive early childhood development services to lowincome children. By providing educational. health. nutritional. social and other services to the most needy in our society. this program prepares children to enter kindergarten and to improve the conditions necessary for their success in later school and life. Head Start strongly emphasizes the involvement- of families in the local community to ensure that the programs are responsive to the unique needs of each community. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090072302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As you know. in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. the Head Start Bureau has urged all -of its grantees to provide Head Start services to any ditplaced children and families now in their communities. Very important. -so they do not fall behind. As successful as Head Start has been. I believe that the program can be even more successful by maintaining the comprehensive services already provided and enhancing the academic component. Consistent with the goal of strengthening this program. H.R. 2123 will help to eliminate. financial mismanagement by increasing the competitive nature of the current program. The competition requirements are in\"tended to help drive program improvement across the board and to ensure that the $6 billion we spend is spent constructively and wisely. Mr. Chairman. I would like to emphasize that a good education is the cornerstone for success in life and that it is critical to have the basic skills to build the foundation before entering kindergarten. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090072302,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have found a large dropout problem in our innercity schools. in some casesexceeding 50 percent. In fact. the national average is 32 percent. And this is a terrible waste of human resources. In many cases. the stuolents dropping out cannot read at beyond the elementary school level. and see no reason to stay in school when they cannot keep up with the school work. The problems of dropouts and illiteracy do not begin in high school. They manifest themselves in high school. but they begin in elementary and preelementary. These problems begin in the school when the students fall behind their classmates in the early years. because they did not start with the same skill sets. We need to ensure that these students have an equal start. and H.R. 2123 willhelp us in the mission. M4. DELAURO. ","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090072302,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield. 12 minutes to the gentlewoman from California .","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2990}
{"speech_id":1090072303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for offering this amendment. and the gentleman from Ohio for supporting it. Mr. Chairman. helping Head Start centers develop with college students. students who will then help young children when they are learning to read. certainly will help those children. But also it is going to encourage more students at the college level to become and remain Head Start teachers. Anything that accomplishes both of these goals is worth doing. And I support the amendment.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":516}
{"speech_id":1090072340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin . The amendment would temporarily suspend a largescale assessment of Head Start children while needed work is done to ensure that the test is suitable for Head Start children and until we have greater assurances that the results are accurate and used for appropriate purposes. The Head Start National Reporting System developed by the Department of Health and Human Services is a standardized assessment administered at the beginning to all 4- and 5yearolds enrolled in Head Start. During the first years administration. the National Reporting System was completed by nearly 437.000 preschool children participating in Head Start. including 35.000 children with disabilities and 125.000 children with limited English proficiency. The NRS was developed with limited congressional authority and input and has been the subject of great concern by many child development and early childhood advocates. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2257}
{"speech_id":1090072340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was general agreement by early childhood experts on the value of the assessment. and I tend to agree with that. and children are assessed regularly in nearly every preschool program across the country. including all Head Start classrooms. I. too. recognize that early childhood assessments play an important role in measuring childrens progress in key areas such as vocabulary. letter recognition. and early math. as well as other aspects of early childhood development. I also agree with this administration that better data is needed on how well individual Head Start programs are doing in preparing children for kindergarten. However. we have a responsibility to ensure that assessments are conducted appropriately and effectively. And if we are going to do this. we need to make sure we get it right. I want to commend the Secretary for convening panelA to review and take steps to improve the National Reporting System. but I also believe that more time should be taken to make sure we get it right before its data are used to evaluate the progress of children participating in individual Head Start programs. Mr. Chairman. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island .","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2257}
{"speech_id":1090072341,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the most important people in a childs life are their parents. The success of Head Start has been that the parents have been involved at the earliest of ages in their childs development. The amendment by the gentleman from Wisconsin . which I rise to support. is an amendment that simply says let us take the evidence based on how we should approach education for children and let us apply what we know is the best way to include measurements of a child in their formative years of life. What I think all of us saw in the expeditious movement to put in place these tests was the fact that we rushed into it without taking enough time to take a look at it. All of my Head Start teachers have told me that the testing that is currently in place is testing that is not effective and that what would be more effective would be finding out through the National Academy of Sciences what they recommend in terms of the evaluation of those children. [] 1400 So I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin and I want to join him in saying that learning. as\" we know and as the chairman knows so well. does not begin in first grade. It begins at birth. and the parents need to be involved in their childs life. Head Start is about the emotional and social development of a child which can guide their ability to learn literacy all the way down their educational life. They will not learn unless they have the best emotional and social development from early on because they will not be able to sit still. they will not be able to focus. they will not be able to do those things that we are going to be testing them for down the line. With that. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1732}
{"speech_id":1090072341,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce for this time.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1732}
{"speech_id":1090072400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I am offering this amendment on behalf of the gentleman from Mississippi who is unable tobe here this afternoon. Mr. Chairman. this amendment will help some of the -most vulnerable victims of Hurricane Katrina. the children. As a result of Hurricane Katrina. many . families have been displaced from their homes and their schools. This amendment allows displaced families to enroll their children under the age of 5 in Head Start. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090072400,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In Mississippi. 44 Head Start centers were impacted by Hurricane Katrina. 18 centers will be closed indefinitely. and 26 more are in need of repair. Approximately 26.743 children within the State of the gentleman from Mississippi are eligible. for Head Start services prior to Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath. the number is expected to double. In the neighboring State of Louisiana. 117 centers were impacted. 83 remain closed. and 34 centers are providing partial services. In Alabama. 9 centers were impacted. 3 centers will be closed indefinitely. and 6 are in need of repair. This amendment provides a waiver for 6 months for those families that do not have proof of immunizations and income levels to participate in the Head Start program. This 6month waiver authority also permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive the 20 percent local Head Start match requirement. This amendment directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance. guidance. and resources which permits agencies to provide Head Start services to children who have been affected by the hurricane. The total number of Head Start children affected by Hurricane Katrina is approximately 18.000. Since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. more families are now Head Start eligible. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090072400,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you want families to come back and restore their communities. their children need to be safe and healthy in environments where they can learn and play. I understand and appreciate that the majority will accept this amendment and I thifik that is wonderful. I hope that the majority will also join us in the coming days to approliriate supplemental funds for these same children. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090072419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. first. the first half of the gentlemans remarks previously are irrelevant. We are not disputing the importance of including faithbased groups as providers. When this question came up years ago. I was ardently for it. No one is trying to prevent faithbased groups from providing the service. No one is saying that a faithbased using its own money. using private money. using private donations has to pay any attention to the question of hiring if they choose to have only their religious coworkers. The question is if a faithbased group wants to take Federal money paid for by every taxpayer in this country. is it a violation of their religious character to say. with that Federal money. they must not discriminate in hiring? The religious character being imputed to these groups makes me think that we are talking about the constitution of the Iraq. What is this? The Sunnis should not have to hire the Shias? The Shias should not have to deal with the Kurds? What is the principle here? Are we not trying to promote the notion of people living together? What religious group taking Federal money says. \"You know what. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090072419,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to help these poor people. but not with aJew.\" \"I cannot have a Baptist working for me.\" \"no Mormon need apply\"? We are not talking about administering religious services. We are not talking about performing religious rites. We are talking about taking Federal money to perform what has to be. remember. a secular service. We all agree to that. If it were not a wholly secular service. no one would expect us to be funding it with Federal money. And this is the question I have to ask my friends. Of course we want religious groups there. Why is it so terrible to tell Jews that they must associate with Baptists if Federal money is being spent to provide child care services? . 0 1500 What violation of the religious right of a Catholic is to say you have to hire a Methodist? How are Episcopalians being deprived of their religious integrity if they are told that. you know what. whenyou have Federal money in this program. if you hire a Presbyterian. that is okay. I mean. this is fundamental. we thought. in America. Again. we are talking about Federal money. and we are talking about not imputing to religious groups an insistence on bigotry and discrimination in the spending of Federal funds.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2340}
{"speech_id":1090072425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in support of the Boustany amendment. There has been a lot of talk about how it would appear these faithbased organizations are bigoted and maybe even arrogant for wanting to express their views. I think it is the opposite. The government here. absent the Boustany amendment. is being arrogant and bigoted. It could be. if the government wants to take advantage of the location. let us say. of a Hebrew school in downtown New York. that it is the best possible route of caring for people in need in that area. Why wouldthe government think that it is our position. our prerogative. to insist that the Hebrew school hire somebody outside their faith tradition? It is the ultimate of arrogance on the part of the Federal Government. And to those who are concerned about the constitutional issues. may I remind my colleagues the Supreme Court actually ruled on this matter. ","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090072425,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In a 1987 case. Corporation of the Presiding Bishop v. Amos. the Court supported this kind of approach.","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090072438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in the original welfare reform bill by President Clinton. this provision was never in it. Second. it was unconstitutional. and it was never promulgated by President Clinton in the rulemaking. He does not support that provision. If you want to support something that President Clinton believed in. then try fiscal responsibility and start balancing the budget. This is not what he believes. and the gentleman from Ohio knows that. Mr. Chairman.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":457}
{"speech_id":1090072507,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. given that assumption. can the gentleman tell me when he would expect to have on the floor a continuing resolution. in light of the fact we clearly will not have passed most of the appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year? I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090072517,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I would like to recognize our Gold. Star Mothers. a special group of American women who have lost either a son or daughter through service to our country. Although these mothers have experienced a parents greatest fear. they remain dedicated to supporting our military. By helping the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. they are honoring their childs service in a positive way. Gold Star Mothers volunteer in our military hospitals. show compassion to our veterans. and care for the families of servicemembers. Their selflessness and generosity is an inspiration to all of us. *As the father of three sons who are currently serving in the military. I would like to express my appreciation for their support. Gold Star Mothers are making a difference in the lives of thousands of people. On Sunday. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1013}
{"speech_id":1090072517,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to encourage all Americans to take a moment to observe Gold Star Mothers Day in their communities. In conclusion. God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1013}
{"speech_id":1090072524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week I introduced the Fostering Our Future Act of 2005. a bill to help our Nations foster youth by strengthening dependency courts and requiring accountability. Foster care is a critical safety net for half a million abused and neglected American children. It is. however. a system in need of drastic reform and greater support. Twenty percent of all foster kids will be forced to Wait over 5 years fQr a safe. permanent family. Even worse. almost 20.000 older youth age out of the system without the assistance of a permanent family every year. Frequent foster home transfers create turbulence and insecurity that heighten the emotional behavior and educational challenges faced by these youth. The doubling of the foster care population since the early 1980s compounded this problem by creating enormous caseloads and taxing the capacity of foster homes. The end result is that foster kids. through no fault of their own. are more likely to experience homelessness. unemployment. and other life course problems despite their courageous resilience. Imagine what it is like to be 8 years old. neglected by your parents and then taken away from them. living with a family that is not your own. confused by the court proceedings that govern your future. frightened that you might -be transferred to another home and alienated and from your peers who talk about mom and dad. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4512}
{"speech_id":1090072524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Imagine what that feels like. These children deserve better. They should be guaranteed physical and emotional safety. They should have continuing relationships with caregivers and loved ones. They should have an informed voice in the legal decisions made about their lives. And they should enter early adulthood prepared to live a healthy. happy. and productive life. We have a responsibility * to these children to meet these goals. and anything less is unacceptable. Practitioners and policy experts have conducted thorough analyses and advanced proposals to overhaul the foster care system. The most prominent is a comprehensive 2004 report by the bipartisan Pew Commission. and identified several areas where the Federal Government can support these kids by stAengthening the Nations foster care systems. The Pew report found that State dependency court systems are failing to sufficiently track cases. and trained personnel. unlike State child welfare agencies. they did not receive Federal funds to do so. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4512}
{"speech_id":1090072524,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Interagency collaboration and performance measurement. where they exist. are inconsistent. both within and between State systems. and tend to focus on bureaucratic needs rather than outcomes. Finally. these systems struggle to retain qualified dependency attorneys who are often burdened by substantial debt. A recent- survey found that almost a third of those practicing depefidency attorneys graduated law school with over $75.000 in outstanding loans. and 44 percent of them currently owe over $50.000. High turnover among dependency attorneys has led to a dearth of experienced lawyers who have a comprehensive understanding of the system and can maintain valuable relationships with their young clients. The Fostering Our Future Act responds to each of those shortcomings. My lill authorizes grants to State dependency court systems to track and analyze caseloads as well as to train court personnel. These grants are leveraged by requiring thatthe recipient court systems collaborate with the States corresponding child welfare agencies and track a series of critical performance metrics.. The legislation further establishes a loan forgiveness program to attract and retain qualified child welfare attorneys. By encouraging statewide interagency collaboration and datasharing by tracking cases and training court personnel. by ensuring that effective representation is available to children and their families. and most importantly. by focusing on child welfare outcomes. this legislation will keep the needs of children and families rather than the needs of bureaucrats front and center. I commend the child welfare workers of America for the invaluable services they provide and for constantly struggling to get this issue the attention that it deserves. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4512}
{"speech_id":1090072524,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Foster care plays a crucial role in our Nations child welfare safety net. but it is in desperate need of support and reform. \u0095 I call my colleagues to join me in working for the day when all of the Nations children are protected. nurtured. and loved. and I invite you to join me in that quest by cosponsoring the Fostering Our Future Act of 2005.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4512}
{"speech_id":1090072632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I appreciate the leadership of Senator SPECTER in this confirmation process. We stayed on track and. on time better than at any time I can remember. We had a lot of people with a lot of strong views and ideas they wanted to express and they were given plenty of time to do that. We had 30minute rounds of questioning and then 20minute rounds. Some got more who asked for it. Judge Roberts was appropriately forthcoming under certain circumstances and appropriately failing to be drawn into discussions of cases that may come before him. I think things went well. A lot of people doubted whether we would be in position to have a vote this week. but the Senator from Pennsylvania was tireless. He stayed as long as it took. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8815}
{"speech_id":1090072632,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He listened to all of it. chaired the .hearings. and kept us going straight. and made sure on occasion the witness had a chance to answer. Sometimes he was given more questions and interruptions than he was given a chance to answer. The Senator did a great job and I want to thank him for that. I also join the Senator in saying that one never knows what a judge will be confronted with 10. 12. 15. 20 years from now. We might as well get the best person we can get who can deal with those questions that are unanticipated now and who can construct a philosophy of the judiciary that will b& healthy and faithful to the Constitution. to the people who have ratified that Constitution. who have elected the representatives. to be respectful of all of that. and who understands the proper role of a judge. I think Judge Roberts meets every one of those qualities. I think he is an extraordinary individual. Everyone who has been watching the hearings has been very impressed. I think he represents the American ideal of what a judge should be. The President deserves great credit for nominating the best. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8815}
{"speech_id":1090072632,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I asked Professor Fried of Harvard. who is a former Solicitor General of the United States and had himself argued cases before the Supreme Courthe is now. at Harvard teaching philosophy of lawhow would he rank .Judge Roberts as an advocate before the Supreme Court. and he said the best. as so have certain legal magazines that rate the best lawyers in the country. I think the people like him. I think his idea that judges should show modesty and be faithful to the Constitution. his expression that the greatest threat to the Court could be judicial activism. where the people feel the judges are not faithful to the Constitution and are imposing their political views on the people that are not required by the Constitution. that this is a threat to the rule of law because at some point in the future the Court may have to call on the American people to do things they do not want to do. they may not be popular. to be faithful to the Constitution. To erode and give away that good -respect the American people have for the courts and the law would be a mistake. I want to express how strongly I feel that our nominee is an extraordinary individual. I saw on CSPAN today John Roberts former coach and teacher. and he said he was the finest student we had in our school and the fin-. est student the school has ever produced. He did not hesitate to say that. He coached him in wrestling. He played football. He was top academically in the class and cared about those kinds of things. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8815}
{"speech_id":1090072632,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He worked hard and he was honest. He said. I remember when he came up at graduation and they gave the award for the finest student in English. it was John G. Roberts. they gave the one for French. and it was John Roberts. in Latin. it was John Roberts. mathematics. it was John Roberts. He said nobody. none of the students. had the slightest doubt that he deserved those honors and he earned them. because of both his work and his intelligence. John Roberts went to Harvard to do his undergraduate degree. finished Harvard in 3 years. not 4. and was magna cum laude on his graduation from Harvard in 3 years. Then he went to law school at Harvard. likewise did exceedingly well. and was selected for Law Review. which is a great honor for a student in law school to be selected for the Law Review. I suppose. some of us might grumble. but most people would probably admit that the Harvard Law Review is the finest. most prestigious Law Review in the country. His fellow members of the Law Review elected him to be managing editor of the Law Review. which again is an affirmation of their respect for him and his abilities. After law school. he clerked for Judge Friendly. one of the great circuit judges in America. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8815}
{"speech_id":1090072632,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the court of appeals that is just below the Supreme Court. I note that outstanding law graduates apply for these courts of appeal clerkships. There are not that many of them. They are very coveted and only the best students are selected. Judge Friendly. one of the great circuit judges in the last 50 years in the United States. would have been very competitive. Many students would have liked to have clerked for him. He chose John Roberts. After that. I am sure Judge Friendly recommended himor however it occurred. he was recommended to Chief Justice Rehnquist. I believe Justice Rehnquist was not chief at that time but a justice on the Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8815}
{"speech_id":1090072673,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana . the Senator from Florida . the Senator from Texas . the Senator from Kansas . the Senator from North Carolina . the Senator from Nebraska . and the Senator from Texas . Further. if present and voting. the Senator from Louisiana . the Senator from Florida . and the Senator from Texas","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":360}
{"speech_id":1090072687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am astounded by the statement made by the Senator who just spoke. This has nothing to do with the $62 billion. nothing whatever. If there are contract problems with FEMA dollars. we will discuss those and deal with them when this Senate deals with additional appropriations requests related to Katrina. This has nothing whatever to do with that. Those are FEMA dollars. contracts to repair roads and bridges.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":410}
{"speech_id":1090072704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mi. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On June 1. 2004. a man was stabbed by three men outside his home in Seattle. WA. The apparent motivation for the attack was the mans sexual orientation. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":870}
{"speech_id":1090072709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I seek recognition to introduce legislation that will give the public greater access to our Supreme Court. This bill requires the high Court to permit television coverage of its open sessions unless it decides by a vote of the majority of Justices that allowing such coverage in a particular case would violate the due process rights of one or more of the parties involved in the matter. The purpose of this legislation is to open the Supreme Court doors so that more Americans can see the process by which the Court reaches critical decisions of law that affect this country and everyday Americans. Because the Supreme Court of the United States holds power to decide cuttingedge questions on public policy. thereby effectively becoming a virtual \"super legislature.\" the public has a right to know what the Supreme Court is doing. And that right would be substantially enhanced by televising the oral arguments of the Court so that the public can see and hear the issues presented to the Court. With this information. the public would have insight into key issues and be better equipped to understand the impact of the Courts decisions. In a very fundamental sense. televising the Supreme Court has been implicitly recognizedperhaps even sanctionedin a 1980 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States entitled Richmond Newspapers v. Virginia. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12236}
{"speech_id":1090072709,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In this case. the Supreme Court noted that a public trial belongs not only to the accused. but to the public and the press as well. and that people now acquire information on court procedures chiefly through the print and electronic media. That decision. in referencing the electronic media. appears to anticipate televising court proceedings. although I do not mean to suggest that the Supreme Court is in agreement with this legislation. I should note that the Court could. on its own motion. televise its proceedings but has chosen not to do so. which presents. in my view. the necessity for legislating -on this subject. When I argued the case of the Navy Yard. Dalton v. Specter. back in 1994. the Court proceedings were illustrated by an artists drawings. Now. however. the public gets a substantial portion. if not most. of its information from television and the internet. While many court proceedings are broadcast routinely on television. the public has little access to the most important and highest court in this country. The public must either rely on the print media. or stand in long lines outside the Supreme Court in Washington DC in order to get a brief glimpse of the open session from the public gallery. Justice Felix Frankfurter perhaps anticipated the day when Supreme Court arguments would be televised when he said thathe longed for a day when: The news media would cover the Supreme Court as thoroughly as it did the World Series. since the public confidence in the judiciary hinges on the publics perception of it. and that perception necessarily hinges on the medias portrayal of the legal system. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12236}
{"speech_id":1090072709,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When I spoke in favor of this legislation in September of 2000. I said. \"I do not expect a rush to judgment on this very complex proposition. but I do believe the day will come when the Supreme Court of the United States will be televised. That day will come. and it will be decisively in the public interest so the public will know the magnitude of what the Court is deciding and its role in our democratic process.\" Today. .I believe the time has come and that this legislation is crucial to the publics awareness of Supreme Court proceedings and their impact on the daily lives of all Americans. I pause to note that it was not until 1955 that the Supreme Court. under the leadership of Chief Justice Warren. first began permitting audio recordings of oral arguments. Between 1955 and 1993. there were apparently over 5.000 recorded arguments before the Supreme Court. That roughly translates to an average of about one hundred thirty two (132) arguments annually. But audio recordings are simply ill sdited to capture the nuance of oral arguments and the sustained attention of the American citizenry. Nor is it any response that people who wish to see open sessions of the Supreme Court should 6ome to the Capital and attend oral arguments. For. according to one source: Several million people each year visit Washington. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12236}
{"speech_id":1090072709,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"D.C.. and many thousands tour the White House and the Capital. But few have the chance to sit in the Supreme Court chamber and witness an entire oral argument. Most * tourists are given just three minutes before they are shuttled out and a new group shuttled in. In cases that attract headlines. seats for the public are scarce and waiting lines are long. And the Court sits in open session less than two hundred hours each year. Television cameras and radio microphones are still banned from the chamber. and only a few hundred people at most can actually witness oral arguments. Protected by a marble wall fromf public access. the Supreme Court has long been the least understood of the three branches of our federal government. In light of the increasing public desire for information. it seems untenable to continue excluding cameras from the courtroom of the Nations highest court. As one legal commentator observes: An effective and legitimate way to satisfy Americas curiosity about the Supreme Courts holdings. Justices. and modus operandi is to permit broadcast coverage of oral arguments and decision announcements from the courtroom itself. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12236}
{"speech_id":1090072709,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Televised court proceedings better enable the public to understand the role of the Supreme Court and its impact on the key decisions of the day. Not only has the Supreme Court invalidated Congressional decisions where there is. in the views of many. simply a difference of opinion to what is preferable public policy. but the Court determines novel issues such as whether AIDS is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. whether Congress can ban obscenity from the Internet. and whether states can impose term limits upon members of Congress. The current Court. like its predecessors. hands down decisions which vitally affect the lives of all Americans. Since the Courts historic 1803 decision. Marbury v. Madison. the Supreme Court has the final authority on issues of enormous importance from birth to death. In Roe v. Wade (1973). the Court affirmed a Constitutional right to abortion in this country and struck down state statutes banning or severely restricting abortion during the first two trimesters on the grounds that they violated a right to privacy inherent in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In the case of Washington v. Glucksberg (1997). the court refused to create a similar right to assisted suicide. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12236}
{"speech_id":1090072716,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. by d6sign. politicians are largely a reactive bunchour constituents voted us in to our offices to represent their interests. and when they are unhappy we too are unhappy. One issue that certainly makes all constituents ufahappy or even angry is high fuel prices. Therefore. policymakers at all levels of government have been struggling with ways to address high pricessome have advocated for repealing fuel taxes. the Administration reacted in many critically important and helpful ways such as releasing. oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. After Hurricane Katrina disabled a large portion of our refining capacity and Rita threatened an additional 27.5 percent. several members have talked about the need to build new refineries. In May 2004Before the hurricanes. and before EPACT 2005 (The Energy Policy Act of 2005). the Environment & Public Works Committee. which I chair. considered the challenges facing the refining industry. At that hearing. we learned how the industry has been struggling to balance the publics increasing demand for cheap transportation fuels while also meeting legal and regulatory requirements to produce cleaner fuels. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan stated in a May 2005 speech that. \"the status of world refininig capacity has become worrisome. Of special concern is the need to add. adequate coking and desulphurization capacity to convert the average gravity and sulphur content of much of the worlds crude oil to the lighter and sweeter needs of product markets. which are increasingly dominated by transportation fuels that must meet evermore stringent environmental requirements.\" Make no mistake. significant investments have been made to achieving environmental objectiveshowever. investments into increasing capacity have been inadequate to meet demand. and no new domestic refinery has been built since 1976. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6538}
{"speech_id":1090072716,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A critical hurdle to constructing anything these days. especially refineries. is overcoming the. \"NotInMyBackyard\" or NIMBY interests. The President recognized the need to build new refineries while overcoming local opposition when he recommended that policymakers consider constructing on BRAC sites. Building upon what we learned in our hearing while balancing potential local opposition to refineries and answering the President and the publics call. I rise today to introduce the Gas Petroleum Refiner Improvement and Community Empowerment Act or Gas PRICE Act. This Gas PRICE Act seeks to address fuels challenges in the short. mid and longterm range in several key ways. First. the bill encourages communities who are about to lose jobs as a result of BRAC to consider building refineries on those properties. The legislation directs the Economic Development Administration to provide additional resources to communities considering new refineries on those sites. Refineries are not just a good source of high paying jobs. but they are an area of national interest so those communities acting in that interest should be benefited. Second. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6538}
{"speech_id":1090072716,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States have a Significant if not dominant role in permitting existing or new refineries. Yet. States face particular technical apd financial constraints when faced with these extremely complex facilities. Therefore. the Gas PRICE Act establishes a Governor optin program that requires the Administrator to coordinate and concurrently review all permits with the relevant State agencies to permit refineries. This program does not waive or modify any environmental law. but seeks to assist States and consumers by providing greater certainty in the permitting process. Third. the Gas PRICE Act answers the call for increasing efficiency. Todays recent reports show that natural gas prices this winter are projected to increase 75 percent. This bill requires the EPAs Natural Gas Star Program to provide grants to identify and use methane emission reduction technologies. Further. it requires the Administrator to conduct a series of methane emission reduction workshops with the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission to officials in the oil. and gas producing states. Fourth. the supply disruptions caused by hurricane Katrina required EPA to issue fuel waivers to allow the use of conventional fuel in special or boutique fuel areas. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6538}
{"speech_id":1090072716,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill provides that States acting pursuant to an emergency will be. held harmless under the law. Additionally. some members have called for the reduction of the total number of fuels used to increase the overall fungibility. In principle. I agree with my colleagues. however the special or boutique fuel blends address environmental and health needs of each region. Therefore. I have proposed a more cautious approach that will allow for the reduction of fuel blends pursuant to the environmental and consumer preferences in each State. Fifth. policymakers. businesses. and the public have struggled to balance increased demand for transportation fuels against preferences for ever more stringent environmental quality all while preserving low prices at the pump. Most \"solutions\" have focused on technologies that may not be realized for decades or other measures that would hurt U.S. manufacturers. FischerTropsche fuels are the likely answer. FT fuels use petroleum coke. a waste product from the refining process. or domestic coal to produce ultraclean. virtually sulfur free diesel or jet fuel. and are price competitive at $38\/ barrel of oil. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6538}
{"speech_id":1090072716,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Gas PRICE Act requires EPA to establish a demonstration project to use FischerTropsche. diesel and jet. as an emission control strategy. and authorizes EPA to issue up to two loan guarantees to dedmonstrate commercial scale FT fuels production facilities using domestic petroleum coke or coal. Of course. Congress should have taken many actions in anticipation. of the current refining capacity crunch over last several years. Yet. as I indicated earlier. elected officials in large measure react to the will of their constituents. The good news is that we are not too late to make sure that the economywide stifling high prices are only temporary. The Gas PRICE Act that we are introducing today can go a long way in addressing the nations short. mid. and longterm fuels challenges. Furthermore. it does so by empowering local communities and States. establishing greater regulatory certainty without changing any environmental law. improving efficiency. and establishing a future for the use of ultra clean transportation fuels derived from abundant domestic resources. By Mr. DOMENICI (for himself and Mr. BINGAMAN):","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6538}
{"speech_id":1090072761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. President. SCHEDULE Mr. President. shortly. we will resume consideration of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States. Last night. we locked in a consent which provides for the final vote on confirmation. That vote will occur at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. Today. we have controlled time to allow Senators to come to the Chamber to give their statements on this extremely important nomination. As usual. we will recess from 12:30 until 2:15 for the weekly policy luncheons. As mentioned last night. the Appropriations Committee is expected to report the Defense appropriations bill tomorrow. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090072761,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We expect the Senate to begin consideration of that bill on Thursday following the Roberts nomination. I also remind my colleagues that we need to pass a continuing resolution by the close of business this week. Finally. I once again alert all Members that we are working under a very compressed schedule. Next week. we will need to accommodate the Rosh Hashanah holiday. and therefore we will be stacking rollcall votes for midweek. Given this schedule. it is extremely important that we use our time wisely. both this week and obviously next week as well. Therefore. Members should anticipate busy sessions Thursday and Friday of this week. Friday will be a working day as we make progress on the Defense appropriations bill. Senators should plan their schedules accordingly. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090072858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will read part of one paragraph: . No one involved with the Administrations Supreme Court nomination process has reviewed the documents you request. The decision not to disclose the internal deliberations of the Solicitor Generals office is made by the Department as a matter of principled regard for preservation of the Solicitor Generals ability to represent the United States effectively. So for anybody to suggest that somebody had something to hide is to ignore the facts. This letter was widely distributed. Every Senator should know that the administration had not even looked at the material. so they obviously could not be hiding something. There has been some referencer would almost even refer to it as guilt by associationthat John Roberts worked in the Reagan administration. I remind my colleagues that this is the Reagan administration which was reelected with. as I recall. 59 percent of the vote and 49 of our 50 States. I would be pleased to debate any of my colleagues in this Chamber about the record of the Reagan administration. and I can say in advance that I will take the affirmative .side of that debate that it should be defended. John Roberts has nothing to apologize for because he worked for President Ronald Reagan. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9121}
{"speech_id":1090072858,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to express in a more formal way my support for Judge Roberts. So much has already been said about his intellect. his character. his qualifications. his experience. his eloquently expressed commitment to the rule of law. and I certainly agree with all of those who have been impressed with those qualities. I believe these are the qualities that should govern this bodys advise and consent role. In other words. that intelligence. character. experience. and commitment to the rule of law are the qualities we should be looking for in a nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts as well. We should not be looking. to how this particular nominee might rule in a future case. We certainly should not play a bargaining process with the nominee. in effect saying. if you will tell me how you will rule on these future cases and if I agree with that. then I will support your confirmation. That would. of course. undermine the impartiality and the independence of our courts. and it is improper. I noted recently that fellow Arizonian Justice Sandra Day OConnor spoke in Arizona and she said judicial independence is hard to create and easier than most people imagine to destroy. Well. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9121}
{"speech_id":1090072858,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think she .is exactly right on that. Judge Roberts made a similar comment during his opening statement. He said: President Ronald Reagan used to speak of the Soviet constitution. and he noted thatit purported to grant wonderful rights of all sorts to people. But those rights were empty promises. because that system did not have an independent judiciary to uphold the rule of law and enforce those rights. We do. because of the wisdom of our Founders and the sacrifices of our heroes over the generations to make their vision a reality. In other words. that rule of law is what lies at the foundation of the American system of ordered liberty. Judges owe their loyalty to the law. not to political parties. not to interest groups. and they must have the courage to make tough decisions. however unpopular. Consider. for example. how Judge Roberts answered a question of whether he would stand up for the little guy. He said: If the Constitution says that the little guy should win. the little guy is going to win. ... But if the Constitution says that the big guy should win. well. then the big guy is going to win. because my obligation is to the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9121}
{"speech_id":1090072858,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the essence of the rule of law as enforced by independent judges. doing what the Constitution and the law demand. regardless of the political or economic power of the parties. Indeed. that is the best way to ensure that the voice of the little guys will. in fact. be heard. Judge Roberts often spoke of the rule of law during his hearing. Considering this additional excerpt. he explained that he used to represent the U.S. Government before the Supreme Court when he was the Deputy Solicitor General. and then he stated: But it was after I left the Department and began arguing cases against the United States that I fully appreciated the importance of the Supreme- Court and our constitutional system. Here was the United States. the .most powerful entity in the world. aligned against my client. And yet. all I had to do was convince the Court that I was right on the law and the government was wrong and all that power and might would recede in deference to the rule of law. That is a.remarkable thing. It is what we mean when we say that we are a government of laws and. not of men. It is that rule of law that protects the rights and liberties of all Americans. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9121}
{"speech_id":1090072858,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the envy of the worldbecause without the rule of law. rights are meaningless. I was struck by this comment when I heard Judge Roberts make it. because it reminded me of my earlier career as a private attorney practicing before the State and Federal courts. including the Supreme Court. Parties. be they corporations or civil plaintiffs or governments or criminals. all put their faith in judges to adhere to legal principles and make decisions based on the rule of law. not based on what they personally believe to be right. Parties have disputes that require a neutral arbiter who is beholden to nobody. and who will not be dissuaded from doing his duty. no matter what the cost. As Judge Roberts later emphasized. \"This is the oath.\" This is what the Constitution and an independent judiciary demand. Of course. it is equally important to understand what judicial independence is not. Judicial independence does not mean the judge has the right to disregard the Constitution or the statutes passed by legislatures. Judicial independence does not mean that because of a lifetime appointment. the judicial role is unconstrained by precedent and by principle. and judicial independence is not an invitation to remake the Constitution or the laws if it does not lead to the result the judge prefers. Nor is judicial independence an invitation to the judge to legislate and resolve questions that properly belong to the democratic branches of our Government. no matter how wise a particular judge might be. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9121}
{"speech_id":1090072869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice to the Supreme Court. I note. as did the Senator from Texas. this has been a relatively smooth process. We should all be glad for that. It has been one that maybe has taken a little bit longer than some would have hoped. Everything seems to take longer in the Senate. Maybe that is part of the process. It is a process that is straightforward and clear. This is a life appointment. and for that reason alone it should be a process that is very deliberate and thorough. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7559}
{"speech_id":1090072869,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is unfortunate that some people have used the deliberate nature of the process to accentuate the dramatic. There has probably been an excess of hyperbole and an excess of rhetoric probably on both sides of the aisle as we consider this nomination. This is something that has been done before. it will be done again for decades to come. The Senate approves nominations foi. the judiciary all the time. It should be something we are accustomed to and feel comfortable in doing and do in the natural course of things rather than deal with the rhetoric and the hyperbole and sometimes the partisan tactics we have seen. even in this nomination. albeit it has been relatively smooth. The hearings are a case in point. One would expect the bulk of nomination hearings to be taken up by testimony from the nominee to be a Justice. to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme. Court. the bulk of the hearings to be taken up by that nominee answering questions or responding to queries. For those who did watch the hearings. they would agree the bulk of the hearings seemed to be taken up by very lengthy. and at times selfindulgent speeches by members of the committee. I dont think that serves the institution particularly well when we view the nomination process or these hearings as an opportunity to talk about ourselves. to talk about our view of the world. to talk about what we want. rather than. to talk about what the country or the judiciary needs. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7559}
{"speech_id":1090072869,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We seekand I think opponents and supporters of Judge Roberts would agree with this statementindividuals who are wellqualified to serve on the bench. I argue. to the chagrin of ideologues on both sides. we have found just that in John Roberts. I say to the chagrin of people on both sides because in the past the smallest perceived or argued concern about an individuals qualification would be used as a screen or as a justification for voting against a nominee. In the absence of that decoy. the truth is laid bare that the only reason to object to such a qualified nominee is on partisan or ideological grounds. Judge Roberts is eminently qualified. I. dont need- to describe his unbelievably strong record not just as a judge but as an individual bringing cases before the court. He has very distinguished experience in the private secto. as well as Harvard Law School. In. recognizing this individual is among the most qualified ever to come before the Senate. his opponents are forced to recognize that their vote against him is simply because he fails their litmus test of partisan ideology because he refuses to tell legislators how he is going to vote on cases that are yet to come before the court because he believes that Justices should decide cases and not write the law. There are some Members who have already stated their decision to vote against him for just these reasons. But those are the very reasons. or the very principles. that should be the foundation of an independent and impartial judiciary. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7559}
{"speech_id":1090072869,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So when John Roberts opponents. when those Senators who are going to vote no. say: He is well respected. well qualified. has a great record on the bench. a great academic record and great experience. but I am going- to vote against him anyway. they are saying. I am going to vote against him because he does not fit my view of ideology because he has not committed to vote a particular way on a particular case. That is to say. I am voting against John Roberts because I do not want an impartial or independent judiciary. That is a wrong and. in fact. dangerous view of what the judiciary should be. They are opposing a capable. accomplished. wellqualified individual. and in doing so they are casting a vote against an independent and impartial judiciary. Those who will vote would take to this floor and say: No. that is not the -case at all. we are for an independent and impartial judiciary. But I cite for them the very example. the very testimony that was cited earlier by the Senator from Texas. She spoke about a question that concluded in the Judiciary Committee: Will you vote for the little guys? That very question indicates that someone had already presupposed what the best vote was for that case. hypothetical or not. And if you are looking for a judge who agrees with your presupposed verdict in a case. or your presupposed vote in a case. then you have no interest in an impartial or. independent judiciary. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7559}
{"speech_id":1090072869,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is very difficult to argue the contrary. This is not just a slippery slope. this is a dangerous precedent to set--left or right. liberal or conservative. To ask any judge. whether it is for the Supreme Court or for the Federal judiciary or the appeals court. to sit in front of a room of elected legislators and ask them about the position that they would take in cases that they are yet to hear is to stand up in front of your constituents. to stand up in public and say: I dont want an independent judiciary. I do not want an impartial judiciary. I just want someone who will commit to me to vote a specific way. That is not what any judiciary should do. That is not how judges should comport or handle themselves. and that means that I will not always agree with cases and decisions rendered by the Supreme Court or my judge or Justice. but it means that as an elected official or as an American feeling confident that instead of looking for a biased judiciary. a judiciary that handles its job like a politician selling votes to get where they are. I can sleep at night knowing that I have cast votes consistently for an independent. impartial. wellqualified judiciary. I think if you talk to the Republicans who are in the Senate who voted nearly unanimously for Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg. they will argue that is exactly what they had in their mindsnot casting a vote for a judge that would vote a particular way but voting for someonewho at the end of the day they recognized was capable. was well qualified. and therefore would bring those skills and that capability to the judiciary in a direct and impartial way. Judge Roberts. in his testimony. summarized the importance of this approach quite well. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7559}
{"speech_id":1090072894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I risV in support of Judge Roberts to be the next Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. That probably comes as no great surprise to anyone who has followed my career. but I think my reasoning hopefully will illuminate a little bit as to the difference between my passions as a Member of the Senate and as a legislator and my duty as a Senator to confirm nominees to the courts of this country because I do see them as different. My job as a Senator is to be a passionate advocate for the things I believe are best for my State. for the constituents I represent. and best for the country and ultimately the world. I come here. as my colleagues have noted on occasions. with a fair degree of energy and passion and commitment to those causes. When I approach the issue of nominations. particularly to a position of this import. judicial nominations. I come with a different agenda. A court is not a place for zealous advocates to impose their will upon the American public. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8151}
{"speech_id":1090072894,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not a place for people who believe their views as judges are superior to the views of the democratically elected officials in this countrybetter put. that their views are better than the peoples views because we are. in fact. accountable to the people we represent. When I look at the confirmation process for judges. I try to step back and use a different criterianot whether I agree with the judges points of view on a variety of different issues but whether I believe the judge can carry out the role of a judge. It is interesting in this debate that we have heard here in the Chamber and we have been hearing across this country now for the better part of 3 or 4 years since we have been locked up in the judicial confirmation battle that it has been a battle about ideology. It has been a battle about interpretations of the Constitution and rights derived from that Constitution and whether they will be upheld -or whether they will be struck down or whether they will be modified. I believe that is an unfortunate debate. It is unfortunate that those who are applying or have been nominated for judicial positions are put in the positions of now being questioned as if they are running for political office. under the scrutiny of someone who is running for political office and make judgments about public policy as opposed to what the traditional role of the Court has been up until the last 40 or 50 years. just to decide the case before them in a narrowly tailored fashion. to do justice to the parties. in concert with the Constitution of this countryapplying the law in this narrowly tailored fashion to come up with a just result for the parties in the case. In the last 40 or 50 years. that type of justice has been rarer and rarer to find in our decisions. particularly on the Supreme Court. As I come here. I again dont come here as a conservative. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8151}
{"speech_id":1090072894,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A lot of my supporters have said I am not sure Judge Roberts is a conservative. My response is. I am not sure either. Further. I an not sure it matters. What I am sure of is Judge Roberts will be a good judge. will be someone who sits and judges the case on the merits of the arguments as they apply to the Constitution of this country. and will do so in a way that comports with the great tradition in the last 40 or 50 years of the American judiciary. I am confident of that. I think if there is anything that those on both sides of the aisle would say it is that Judge Roberts understands the limited role of the courts. When Judge Roberts came into my office shortly after he was nominated. he stunned me. I have met with a lot of nominees who wanted to be judges from Pennsylvania. from the circuit courts as well as district courts. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8151}
{"speech_id":1090072894,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This was my first opportunity to meet a fnominee for the Supreme Court. I have been here 11 years. and this is the first nomination for the Supreme Court in my 11 years here in the Senate. But having met many people who wanted to aspire to be judge. he was the first nominee I met with who used terms such as \"humility\" and \"modesty\" when describing the role of a judge in his role in the judicial process. Words such as \"judicial restraint\". again are not hallmarks of this judicial debate we have been engaged in now for the last few years. That may give some pause to conservatives who would like to see an activist conservative reversing lots of decisions conservatives are concerned about which the Court has passed down in the last few decades. But to me. it gives me comfort to know this is a judge who will apply the law. who will not seek to replace the role of the legislature. or the President. State legislatures. and the Governors. township supervisors. county councils. but that he will do justice with the facts before him in the case in solving the dispute that has been presented to him. As I said. we have had far too little of that kind of justice over the last few years. As a result. I have written and spoken about the concern I have in this country that the judiciary is taking an ever increasing and dominant role in our society and in our Government. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8151}
{"speech_id":1090072894,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are supposed to be a government that has checks and balances. When you talk about checks and balances. most people think about Republicans and Democrats. Of course. checks and balances were written long before there were such things as Republicans and Democrats. Checks and balances are the remainder of power between the branches of Government. one to check the other to make sure this finely tuned and crafted document. the Constitution. that establishes these three branches would stay in equilibrium. There were concerns at the time about a strong President running roughshod over the Congress and the judiciary and a strong Congress doing the same. Very few had concerns about the judiciary. particularly Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. He showed very little concern about a judiciary getting out of control. One exception to that was Thomas Jefferson. It was not at the time of the writing of the Constitution but years later. after a few court decisions had been handed down which gave power to the courts. which I am not sure many of the writers of the Constitution envisioned. But having given them power as a result of earlier court decisions. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8151}
{"speech_id":1090072910,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to share with my colleagues the memory of one of the worlds heroes. Mr. Simon Wiesenthal. who died on September 20. 2005. at the age of 96. Simon Wiesenthal was a Holocaust survivor who dedicated his life to honoring its victims by bringing its perpetrators to justice. By fighting against intolerance and genocide everywhere. he worked tirelessly to see that \"never forget\" would someday mean \"never again.\" We in California have a special bond with Simon Wiesenthal because the Simon Wiesenthal Center is based in Los Angeles. Founded in 1977. the Wiesenthal Center preserves the memory of the Holocaust and continues the work of Simon Wiesenthal by fostering tolerance and understanding through community involvement. educational outreach. and social action. Today. the center also includes the worldrenowned Museum of Tolerance. Simon Wiesenthal was born on December 31. 1908. in western Ukraine. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090072910,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He received his degree in architectural engineering from the Technical University of Pragu6 in 1932. After graduation. he worked as an architect in Lvov. Poland. In 1936. he married his high school sweetheart. Cyla Mueller. Three years later. Germany and Russia signed their nonaggression pact and partitioned Poland. As a result. the Soviet Army occupied Lvov and began purging Jewish professionals. Simon was forced to close his business and work in a bedspring factory. Many of his family members were imprisoned or killed. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090072910,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Simon tried to save his family from deportation by bribing the Soviet Secret Police. However. he and his wife were sept to the Janwska concentration camp and then to a forced labor camp for the Eastern Railroad. By 1942. nearly 90 members of his and his wifes family perished. Simon was able to help his wife Cyla escape through the Polish underground on false papers. However. after escap-. ing the forced labor camp in 1943. Simon was captured and sent back to Janwska. When the Soviet Army advanced on the German eastern front. he was forced to join SS guards on a march westward. The march ended in the Mauthausen concentration camp. Simon narrowly survived when Mauthausen was liberated by the Americans- on May 5. 1945. At 6 feet tall. he weighed 100 pounds. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090072910,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In late 1945. Simon and his wife were reunited. Both had believed the other to be dead. In 1946. their daughter Paulinka was born. Simon spent the rest of his life tracking down Nazis and working to bring them to justice. He said that in various ways he helped bring 1.100 former Nazis to trial. Of these were Adolf Eichmann. who supervised implementation of the \"Final Solution.\" Karl Silberbauer. the. Gestapo officer who arrested Anne Frank. and Hermie Braunsteiner Ryan. who supervisedthe killing of hundreds of children at a Polish camp. Mr. Wiesenthal prepared evidence on Nazi atrocities for the war crimes section of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090072910,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Army. He headed the relief and welfare organization. Jewish Central Committee of the United States Zone of Austria. After the Nuremberg Trials. Simonopened the Historical Documentation Center in Linz. Austria. to assemble evidence for future Nazi trials. The center was eventually relocated to Vienna and continues to gather and analyze information on German war criminals and neoNazi groups. thousands of former Nazis are considered still atlarge throughout Germany today. For his courage and commitment to justice. Mr. Wiesenthal has been honored with many awards. including: the U.S. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4243}
{"speech_id":1090072917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to salute Mark Salo. who is retiring this fall after more than 31 years as the head of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties. PPSDRC. A pioneer and visionary in the field of reproductive health care. he is a great champion of womens health and freedom of choice. When Mark Salo began working with San Diego Planned Parenthood in 1974. it comprised one small clinic who~e 12 employees provided 5.000 patient visits a year. Today PPSDRC is the secondlargest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the Nation. With an annual budget of $35 million and 400 employees who provide more than 200.000 patient visits. The San Diego\/Riverside affiliate has been a pioneer in the expansion of medical services to include vasectomies. tubal ligations. prenatal care. and mifepristone. PPSDRC oversees an Emmyawardwinning teen theatre and a variety of innovative teen outreach programs. It offers local midlife services. male and female sterilization services. and a thriving prenatal practice. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090072917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mark has reached across the border from San Diego to build a Planned Parenthood of truly international scope by developing and funding a binational program in northern Baja California. Mexico. PPSDRCs \"Mexico Fund\" supports five medical facilities in the poor colonias around Tijuana and funds contraceptive programs in the foreignowned manufacturing plants known as maquiladoras. Over the years. Mark has also become the most visible public advocate of reproductiverights in the San Diego region. He represents Planned Parenthood through telev4sion news. interview shows. debate forums. newspaper commentaries. and live radio appearances. - I know that everyone who values womens health and reproductive freedom will join me in saluting Mark Salo and sending him best wishes for a wellearned. active retirement.*","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090072925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. September 27 at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1701. a bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to improve the reclamation of abandoned mines. and S. 961. a bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to preauthorize and reform the abandoned mine reclamation program and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":535}
{"speech_id":1090072976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the complex institutional framework established by our Founding Fathers. members of all three branches of our national government take an oath to support the Constitution. However. it falls uniquely to the Supreme Court of the United States to expound and interpret the Constitution and the laws passed pursuant to it so that our governing law remains true to the basic principles upon which the Nation was founded. The Senates role in giving advice and consent to the nomination of the men and women who serve on the Supreme Court for a life tenure is amongst the Senates most important constitutional responsibilities. The argument is made by some that the President is entitled to the confirmation of his or her nominee unless that person is shown to have a serious disqualification. On the contrary. it is my view that the Senates duty to advise and consent on nominations is an integral part of the Constitutions system of checks and balances among our institutions of government. Nomination does not constitute an entitlement to hold the office. Although all Presidential nominations require the most careful and independent review. judicial nominations differ from nominations to the executive branch in two important respects. Within the constitutional framework. the judiciary is a third coequal branch of government. independent of both the executive and legislative branches. Those who sit on the Federal bench receive lifetime tenure and are to render independent judicial decisions. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5067}
{"speech_id":1090072976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In contrast. appointees to the executive branch are meant to carry out the program of the President who nominates .them. and they serve only at the pleasure of the President or for limited tenure. The bar must. therefore. be set very high when we consider a judicial nomination. especially when the nomination is to the Supreme Court and. as in the matter pending before the Senate. to the position of Chief Justice of the United States. While qualificationg and intellect are important criteria. obviously. in considering a nomination to the Supreme Court. the Senate must also take into consideration the judicial philosophy and constitutional vision of any nominee for appointment to the Supreme Court. As Chief Justice Rehnquist. for whom Roberts clerked. wrote in 1959. well before he went on the Court: [U]ntil the Senate restores its practice of thoroughly informing itself on the judicial philosophy of a Supreme Court nominee before voting to confirm him. it will have a hard time convincing doubters that it could make effective use of any additional part in the selection process. Inquiring into a nominees judicial philosophy does not mean discovering how he or she would decide specific cases. Rather. it seeks to ascertain the nominees fundamental perspective on the Constitution: how it protects our individual liberties. ensures equal protection of the law. maintains the separation of powers and checks and balances. The Constitution is a living document. Its strength lies in its extraordinary adaptability and applicability over more than 200 years to conditions that the Framers could not have anticipated or even imagined. The confirmation process provided Judge Roberts with an opportunity to outline his general approach to the Constitution in critical areasamong them. the rights and liberties guaranteed to our citizens. the extent of Congresss power under the Commerce Clause. and the balance of power among the three branches of government. Regrettably. he declined to do so. saying that he does not have an overarching judicial philosophy and comparing the role of a Justice to that of an umpire. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5067}
{"speech_id":1090072976,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The New York Times put it succinctly in an editorial: In many important areas where Senators wanted to be reassured that he would be -a careful guardian of Americans rights. he refused to give any solid indication of his legal approach. The uncertainty arising from the hearings is compounded by the refusal of the administration to provide documents from Judge Roberts service as principal Deputy Solicitor General. which members of the Judiciary Committee had requested in the course of carrying out their constitutional responsibility. As a result. we must try to infer his underlying philosophy and views from the earlier documents made available to the committee. Those documents are not reassuring. I am deeply concerned that the documents we have from John Roberts raise questions -about his approach and his thinking on such basic issues as voting rights. affirmative action. privacy. racial and gender equality. limitation on executive authority. and congressional power under the commerce clause. Given the importance of the position of Chief Justice. in deciding whether to give consent to this nomination it is essential that it be an informed consentan informed consent. As the New York Times editorial pointed out: That position is too important to entrust t6 an enigma. which is what Mr. Roberts remains. I will vote against confirming John Roberts to be the Chief Justice of the United States. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5067}
{"speech_id":1090073058,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. just to make a couple of gentle points. the effort has been. at least on the record. as not. I do not want to say fighting against injustice. but a record of fighting against justice. particularly in the case of the effort to free Mumia AbuJamal. I think most of us know about that particular case. And I am concerned about a role model. I am concerned about young people a generation or two from now. When they go back by that post office in Berkeley and look at the name on the post office. they are going to ask what were the principles that. brought this about? And I contend that those principles would be running contrary to American values. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":766}
{"speech_id":1090073107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the second lady of the gulf named Rita came across the shore of Texas and Louisiana. howling her winds and bringing her thundering rain this past weekend. Like her sister storm. Katrina. she took aim at the lowlying towns and the energy capital of the world that is located in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Nine of the 26 refineries in Port Arthur. Texas. alone were shut down. These refineries in and around Port Arthur refine 27 percent of the Nations gasoline. Sixty percent of the Nations gasoline is refined from.New Orleans to Corpus Christi. Texas. Offshore drilling rigs were also shut down. and the startup time is still undetermined. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090073107,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Being a target in the hurricane alley. these refineries and oil rigs are vulnerable to nature. That is one reason why the United States must explore opening up new oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico. off the coast of Florida. off the coast of California. This is a national security issue. and we must. with proper environmental safeguards. drill in these areas so that the energy does not cease because of the anger of the ladies of the gulf.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090073123,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding to me. and. for her steadfast support of womens issues. and particularly the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. She has been a leader in this area and. as she said. she legislates from the heart on this issue. I appreciate her and all of the bipartisanship that has been shown in the reauthorization of this bill. In the \"5 years since the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 was enacted. we have made remarkable gains towards stopping .domestic and sexual violence. But the Violence Against Women Act is due to expire at the close of September and it is time for Congress to renew its commitment. Since its inception in 1994. VAWA funding has provided tremendous resources and protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in my home State of West Virginia and nationally. Violence against women programs provide increased training for police. prosecutors. and court officials. and greatly improves the response of the criminal justice system to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073123,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These programs have been successful at providing victims with emergency shelters. hotlines. and supportive services. In my hometown of Charleston. West Virginia. we have a domestic violence shelter that is run very well by the YWCA of Charleston. West Virginia. It is professional. it is safe. and it is that harbor for women and families who are subjected to the violence that occurs in so many of our families and in domestic situations. Due to the Violence Against Women Acts worthy accomplishments. many more victims are now referred for services. and demand has steadily risen for the services provided by the grants. The Violence Against Women Act has helped transform the perception of domestic abuse as a situation that should be dealt with in the home. It has moved it to a serious crime that should be addressed in the courtroom. What used to be considered a family matter is now -a crime. This bill is a crucial part of this perception change. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073123,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At issue now is more than just a reauthorization. Rather. Congress has an opportunity to make a statement by expanding and improving VAWA Acts passed in 1994 and 2000. This years reauthorization builds on the successes. just what we want to see when we are reauthorizing legislation. to find out what is working. build on that. andremove those elements of a law that maybe are not working or not working as we had thought they might. Reauthorization of VAWA will improve the help victims receive from the Department of Justice in several ways. One of its more important provisions gives grants to States to ensure victims have better access to trained attorneys and lay advocacy services. such as the one at the YWCA in Charleston. West Virginia. This means griefstricken victims of violence. stalking and sexual assault will receive vital professional support in the moment they need it the most. This support can make all the difference in the time of tragedy. Domestic violence. unfortunately. strikes everywhere. among the rich. the poor. within urban and rural communities. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073123,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a West Virginian. I have been especially sensitive to the needs of rural communities. That is why I am pleased that the reauthorization of VAWA will expand assistance to rural areas through amendments made to the rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement assistance program. The Department of Justice is authorized to award 3year grants for education. training. and services to combat violence against women in rural areas. All told. $50 million in funding each year from 2006 to 2010 is authorized and will go to VAWA programs that address rural domestic violence. dating violence. and sexual assault. And when it comes to grants that address sexual assault. rural communities are guaranteed to receive a minimum of 25 percent of the funds allotted. In addition. when we reauthorize VAWA. the Federal Government will be sending a strong message to the criminals who have committed violence against women. Reauthorization will permit the doubling of applicable penalties for repeat Federal domestic violence offenders. This bill also addresses the accessibility of funding and program dollars for colleges. As the motherof a college student. a young woman college student. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073123,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know that the area of sexual assault and dating violence is something that is ever present on the mind of every mother of a young daughter in college. E 2000 So this bill recognizes that and will help strengthen our institutions to deal with this problem. This October will be the 19th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I cannot wait for the day we no longer need a month to recognize domestic violence. For years. we in Congress have told women that domestic violence is not their fault and is no cause for shame. I believe we have the opportunity this year to redouble our efforts. to say that domestic violence is not just the victims problems. it is Americas problems. That means we in Congress must demonstrate to all Americans that it is..incumbent on us as a Nation to stop this violence. This year. let us usher in Domestic Violence Awareness Month by reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida . She and I worked together oh both funding issues and strengthening Floridas laws to protect the victims and to make sure that the perpetrators were swiftly and adequately punished for their deeds. She cited the rate of violence against females declining between 1993 and 2004. It has declined and we are glad that that occurred. However. until the violence is entirely wiped out. I do not think there is a person in this body on either side of the aisle who will rest. Too many people continue to be abused and victimized by family members whom they should be able to trust. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11547}
{"speech_id":1090073126,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Before we voted this evening. I spoke to a person in Tallahassee who confided about the abuse that the daughters in the family sustained. When you realize it has absolutely no economic boundaries. that it happens in the best of families. the wealthiest of families. those middleclass families and those families who are on the lower economic spectrum. you realize how pervasive. unfortunately. it is in our society. A study was released by the U.S. Department of Justice in June 2005 that reports that roughly 22 percent of murders in 2002 were perpetrated by family members actually against family members. This study also shows that women are much more likely than men to be victims of domestic violence. In fact. threequarters of violence victims are female while threequarters of domestic violence perpetrators are male. The study also found that family members are also responsible for the murders of an astounding 43 percent of female victims. I think we can all agree that these statistics are totally unacceptable. Love should not hurt. nor should it kill innocent victims. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11547}
{"speech_id":1090073126,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sometimes we are in a grocery store or at an event and you come across a woman who you may see bruises on and a black eye. and there are some warning signs that I think every American should be looking for. Some of these warning signs are. for example. if the persons partner acts controlling and puts her down in front of others. That is one sign. Another sign is that he is extremely jealous of any attention she gets or perhaps she may get quiet when he is around and seem afraid of making him angry. Your friend or the person that you may know casually may become increasingly isolated and is seeing less and less of friends and family. Your friend may cancel plans at the very last minute. The perpetrator may also control her finances and her behavior and also her social life. You sometimes see him violently lose his temper. striking or breaking objects. Sometimes she has unexplained injuries or the explanations she offers just do not add up. Sometimes she has mentioned violent behavior that she has experienced. but she kind of laughs it off. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11547}
{"speech_id":1090073126,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When I am back in the district. I carry a card with me that gives the telephone number of the domestic violence shelter. I will give it to people when I suspect a case of domestic violence. No one has ever been embarrassed that I gave it to them. Some women just quietly and discreetly tuck it in their purse. and I can only pray that they use it at a later time. We are fortunate that we do have some excellent domestic violence shelters in Florida. They are run very. very well. Of course. they are always running low on money. especially around the holiday times because that is when the domestic violence has a tendency to increase as a result ofthe stresses of the holidays. Very often those domestic violence shelters can use financial support from members of the community. Over the last 10 years. we have learned from VAWA what methods are effective in combating violence against women. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11547}
{"speech_id":1090073126,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That learning process is why VAWA of 2005 not only reauthorizes the effective provisions of the existing law but it adds some new provisions to strengthen and improve the law. VAWA 2005 incorporates the best practices of States and expert opinions. The provisions in this new bill include new grants for court training and improvements. This program improves the courts response to adult youth and minor domestic violence. dating violence. sexual assault and also stalking cases. There is a provision for access to justice for teens. This program encourages crosstraining and collaboration between the courts. domestic violence and sexual assault service providers. youth organizations. violence prevention programs. and law enforcement agencies so they may establish and im.plement policies serving youths age 12 to 24. [] 2015 There are additionally in this excellent legislation new penalties for stalking violations. The measure strengthens antistalking laws by including stalking over the Internet to the current list of violations and doubles the prison sentence for repeat offenders of interstate domestic violence violations. Interstate violation of protection orders or interstate stalking violations. Certainly. the Internet can be used these days to benefit a stalker and this portion of the legislation is long overdue. The national stalker database is also reauthorized through 2010. . ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11547}
{"speech_id":1090073232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Virginia for his wise counsel through the process of bringing together 13 other colleagues to bring about a confirmation process and nominatioil process that has worked. Now we are on the eve of this confirmation vote on the 17th Chief Justice of the United States. The question is. what is next? We also have another Supreme Court vacancy to fill. I hope the President and the White House will continue to reach out and seek the advice of our colleagues so we can face- that nomination with the same kind of input we did in the case of Judge Roberts. Let me say that the late Senator from Nebraska Ed Zorinsky said on so many occasions that in Washington there are too many Republican Senators and too many Democratic Senators and not enough United States Senators. I can say as the gang of 14 got together. there were less Republicans and less Democrats than there were United States Senators. anxious to work and bring about a resolution to the judicial impasse. but also to pave the way for where we are today and where we are going to be tomorrow and where we are going to be in the next confirmation process. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090073240,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is really a privilege for me to spend a few minutes visiting with the Senate about Judge Roberts. He is p.obably the most analyzed and evaluabed Supreme Court nominee ever. Based on my study of his record and my discussions with himwhich- have certainly not been extensive but have been enough to help me get a feel for the manI believe that he will turn out to be one of the best Chief Justices ever. We have learned a great deal about who he is. We know about his extraordinary -professional accomplishments. We have seen the overwhelming bipartisan support that he has earned from his colleagues in the legal profession. We heard from John Roberts himself on the rule of law. on the judicial role. and the kind of service he intends to provide to the Nation as Chief Justice should the Senate confirm him. I said before he is one of the most analyzed and evaluated Supreme Court nominees. He spent almost 20 hours before the Judiciary Committee while Senators asked him 673 questions. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090073240,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senators then asked him 243 more questions in writing. And I am sure he thought the bar exam was a struggle. Judge Roberts provided nearly 3.000 pages to the Judiciary Coinmittee. including his published articles. congressional testimony. transcripts from interviews. speeches. and panel discussions. and material related to the dozens of cases he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Judiciary Committee obtained more than 14.000 pages of material in the public domain. And as if all of that were not enough. the committee obtained a staggering 82.943 pages of additional material from the National Archives and both the Reagan and Bush Libraries regarding Judge Roberts service in those administrations. If you total that up. there was more than 100.000 pages of material on a 50yearold nominee. whibh amounts to 2.000 pages for every year of his life. What did all that. material reveal? Simply put. that Judge Roberts is one of the finest nominees ever to come before the Senate. His professional record speaks for itself. but I am going to speak about it for a minute. He was an excellent student. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090073240,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He graduated from HarvardI can forgive him thatin only 3 years as an undergrad. I am a University of Chicago lawyer myself. He became the top graduate in law school and became editor in chief of the Harvard Law Review. He served as clerk for Judge Friendly. who was. by consensus. one of the greatest circuit. court judges ever. He served as clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquist. He went on to become Deputy Solicitor General of the United States. He became one of the top partners in one of the top law firms in the country and argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court. In 2003. he was confirmed unanimously by this Senate to be a judge on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. We learned a lot about him as a person as well. He embodies the idea of being fair. being thoughtful. and being capable. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090073240,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He is certainly hard working. He is certainly brilliant. He managed his testimony before the Judiciary Committee without a note. He is a man of integrity. he is honest. and he is devoted to his family. Those are the qualities we want in the men and women who serve our Nation on the High Court. They are the kind of qualities that will move America. forward and move the judicial branch forward. and more on that in a minute or two. He has proven beyond any doubt that he has the qualifications. the temperament. the knowledge. and the understanding to serve as Americas next Chief Justice. I was particularly impressed by the humility he showed through the process. I think it is very important that judges have a judicial temperament and. for me. that begins with the idea of service. When you are a judge. the people.who come before you have to treat you with respect because of your position. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090073240,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You should conduct yourself. in that position so they want to treat you with respect. they feel that is owing to you. not just because of your office but because of how you conduct yourself in office. I would hazard to say even those who will oppose his nomination for other reasons would agree that he has that kind of a temperament. He wants to be on the Court because he loves the law. and he wants to be a judge because he wants to serve the United States of America. Those are the right reasons to want to be on the Supreme Court of the United States. We have had this opinion ratified by the individuals who know him the bestby his colleagues on the bar. Democrats and Republicans alike. who have overwhelmingly supported his elevation to the Supreme Court. I think it is very important when you look at judicial nominees to make certain they have support from people from all parts of the political spectrum and all parts of the jurisprudential spectrum. A point I made on other occasions on this floor about judicial nominations is that it is misleading in a way to talk about a judicial nominee being in or out of the mainstream of American jurisprudence because the truth is. there is more than one mainstream. Lawyers are divided over which jurisprudential theory ought to guide judges in interpreting statutes and interpreting the Constitution. They may differ as to theories or constructs. if you will. as they approach different parts of the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8218}
{"speech_id":1090073276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To repeat. Judge Roberts understands the proper role of an unelected Supreme Court Justice in a democratic Nation. Ours is not a nation where nine judges sit in a marble edifice and decide what is good for us. Nor is it a Nation conceived on the premise that these nine unelected judges should be primarily policymakers. Rather. our notion of justice and law is based on consent of the governed. You can read it in the Declaration of Independence. Obviously. were unelected. lifetimetenured judges to depart from the text of the Constitution. depart from precedent. and get into a mode of sort of freewheeling ad hoc public policymakers. they would have departed in the extreme from the framework laid down by our Founders and from the framework ensconced in our Constitution. I will vote to confirm this nominee. I hope my colleagues will do likewise. I hope further that my colleagues. who have already stated their intention to filibuster the next nominee. will wait until the President has in fact named a nominee to succeed Justice Sandra Day OConnor. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1313}
{"speech_id":1090073276,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is just possibleit is just possible they will be surprised and they will find the President has. indeed. selected another nominee in the mold of John Roberts. who will be overwhelmingly confirmed as Chief Justice of the United States. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1313}
{"speech_id":1090073278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on behalf of Judge John G. Roberts nomination to serve as Chief Justice of the United States. The Members of the Senate may disagree on many legal and political issues. but I am confident a majority of the Senate will agree that Judge John Roberts should be confirmed. He has provided the Judiciary Committee with the story of his life. He has answered questions on a wide range of issues. In the process. he has demonstrated the ability. the temperament. and the wisdom to serve as Chief Justice of the United States. The process of providing advice and consent on a Supreme Court nomination is one of the Senates most significant constitutional responsibilities. although it is not something we are called upon to do very often. Eleven years have passed since the Senate last exercised its duty to provide advice and consent to the President on his selection of a Supreme Court nominee. 19 years have passed since the Senate last considered a nominee for Chief Justice. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4251}
{"speech_id":1090073278,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By now. all Senators and most Americans have come to know the impressive life story of John G. Roberts. Jr. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University and an honors graduate of the Harvard Law School. He was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating from law school with high honors. Judge Roberts served as a law clerk to a judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and as a law clerk to then Associate Justice Rehnquist on the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also served as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the United States and as an associate counsel to President Ronald Reagan. After those years of public service. he spent 3 years in private practice at a wellrespectejd law firm. specializing in civil litigation. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4251}
{"speech_id":1090073278,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Judge Roberts then returned to public service as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States. During these years of service at the Department of Justice and as a lawyer in private practice. Judge Roberts argued 39 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. His performance before the Court earned him a reputation as one of the Nations premier appellate court advocates. Two years ago Judge Roberts was unanimously confirmed by this Senate to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. This circuit court is considered by many to be the Nations second highest court. Judge Roberts is a devoted husband. a dutiful father of two young children. and he is a good and honest man. I closely followed the Senate Judiciary Committees hearings on his nomination to be Chief Justice. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4251}
{"speech_id":1090073278,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is clear to me that he is the right person for this very important responsibility. Judge Roberts has served with distinction in every job he has ever had. His record is compelling evidence that he would be an able and thoughtful member of the Supreme Court. and that his experience and his respect for the rule of law demonstrate he would be an outstanding Chief.Justice of the United States. The quality and correctness of opinions and decisions by the Supreme Court will depend upon the conscibntious application of reason and the rule of law by Chief Justice Roberts and his colleagues on the Supreme Court. I think Judge Roberts fully understands the role of the Supreme Court Justice and is totally qualified to discharge the duties of Chief Justice. I believe he will be fair to all and. in the application of the rule of law. impartial and unbiased. This is serious business. The members of the Federal judiciary are charged with the responsibility of protecting our rights as American citizens. adjudicating our grievances. promoting order and justice. and serving as stewards of the rule of law. The Chief Justice of the United States is the highest ranking official in the judicial branch of our Federal Government. He is in charge of the management and administration of the highest Court in the land. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4251}
{"speech_id":1090073278,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe Judge Roberts has what it takes to be an outstanding Chief Justice. I congratulate the President for his selection of Judge Roberts and I commend the President for his nomination. His nominee will be in an important position in our Government. I am pleased. indeed. that I will be able to vote in favor of his confirmation by the Senate.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4251}
{"speech_id":1090073311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am in the Senate to mention that there is ongoing discussions between the Senator from Iowa. Mr. GRASSLEY. the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Finance. and a number of Members who have been concerned about S. 1716. the Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005. I fully support the desire of the Senator and members of the Committee on Finance to provide health care relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We have noted that it has about a $9 billion price tag. and we have been in ongoing discussions which I believe will bear fruit with the Senator. from Iowa. It is important to know that the administration also objects to S. 1716. and I ask unanimous consent the letter from Secretary Leavitt be printed in the RECORD. There being no .objection. the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows:","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090073336,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. just this past May. I stood at a gas station in. Salt Lake City and announced the introduction of S. 1039. the Gas Price Reduction Through Increased Refining Capacity Act of 2005. By standing near a gas pump charging $2.25 per gallon. I thought I was making a strong statement about the high price of gas and the need for greater refining capacity in our country. That was only a few months ago. but hurricanes Katrina and Rita have since exposed the vulnerability of our Nations refining infrastructure. and the gas prices in May now seem like the good old days. I am pleased. that the energy bill signed by President Bush this summer included the principal concept of S. 1039that of providing a strong tax incentive to expand refinery capacity by allowing the cost to be written off immediately. Unfortunately. because of budget restrictions. my legislation had to be cut. I have long been concerned that our shrinking number of refineries and their proximity to our Nations coasts pose an unacceptable risk to our economic and strategic security. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073336,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thought cutting S. 1039 was a mistake at the time. and now I am hoping Congress will remedy that mistake. Today. I rise to reintroduce those portions of my refining capacity legislation that were left out of the energy bill and call upon my colleagues to help me finish what was begun. with my original bill. My new legislation. the Refinery Investment Tax Assistance Act. would enhance the incentives made in the energy bill by increasing the shortterm incentive to add new and expanded refining facilities and by removing the obstacle of long tax depreciation schedules that refineries face. For those refiners able to commit to installing new refining equipment before 2008 and to have that added capacity built by 2012. my original bill would have allowed a complete writeoff for investments in new refining equipment in the first year. As passed by Congress. though. this provision was cut for budgetary reasons to allow for expensing of only 50 percent of the costs in the first year. The legislation I am introducing today would enhance that to allow for the full 100 percent expensing in the first year. Now. more than ever. we need to use every possible means to increase the security of our fuel supply. This bill would also restore another very important provision of S. 1039 that was dropped out of the energy bill as a cost savings. This provision would help to remove some of the disparity the refining industry faces in our current tax system. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073336,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most manufacturers in our country are able to depreciate the cost of their new equipment over five years. Refineries. on the other hand. are strapped with a full 10year depreciation period. This unfair treatment of our refining industry acts as a longterm obstacle to new investment in increased capacity. The current 10-. year depreciatioii schedule for refiners is unwarranted. and it is past time that we level the playing field on depreciation for this critically important sector of our energyindustry. On September 6. in the aftermath of Katrina. Mr. Bob Slaughter of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He said that an important solution to our energy crisis would be to \"[e]xpand the refining tax incentive provision in the Energy Act. Reduce the depreciation period for refining investments from 10 to seven or five years in order to remove a current disincentive for refining investment. Allow expensing under the current language to take place as the investment is made rather than when the equipment is actually placed in service. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073336,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Or the percentage expensed could be increased as per the original legislation introduced by Senator HATCH.\" I think it is important to recognize that. over time. this legislation will not cost the U.S. Treasury one dime. It would allow refineries to change the timing of the depreciation of their equipment. but not the amount. And. we should keep in mind that when this bill leads to more refineries and increased capacity. we will have also increased the tax base. I want to throw my full support behind the proposals recently announced by House Energy and Commerce Chairman BARTON and House Resource Committee Chairman POMBO. which would take other approaches to increase the number of refineries in our Nation. From both a national security and an energy security perspective. I especially endorse a proposal by Chairman POMBO to locate more refineries on public lands near oil resource deposits. Such a move will make our Nation more secure from attacks from terrorists and from Mother Nature. I understand that Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee Chairman Pete Domenici is promoting similar proposals on the Senate side. And I applaud these men for their leadership. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073336,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have learned that when it comes to our Nations energy security. refining is where we are the most vulnerable. It is not the time for half measures. but bold immediate action to establish a secure and independent refining program in this country. I hope my colleagues will join me in my efforts to achieve this goal. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5227}
{"speech_id":1090073370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that Valerie Frias and Katherine Hutchinson. two Judiciary Committee staffers. be granted floor privileges for the duration of the debate on the nomination of John G. Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090073379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the Hutchison amendment at the desk be agreed to. the committeereported amendments. as amended. if amended. be agreed to. the bill. as amended. be read a third time and passed. the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":326}
{"speech_id":1090073383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the committeereported substitute be agreed to. the bill. as amended. be read a third time and passed. the amendment to the title be agreed to. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090073402,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as in executite session. I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaty transmitted to the Senate on September 28. 2005. by the President of the United States: Protocol Amending the Tax Convention with France (Treaty Document No. 1094). I further ask unanimous consent that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time. that it be referred. with accompanying papers. to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed. and *that the Presidents message be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":565}
{"speech_id":1090073429,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want the RECORD to be spread with my appreciation for the statements made today by Senator BAUCUS. Senator LANDRIEU. and Senator DURBIN regarding this most important issue. We saw with Katrina that we have in America a safety net that has some holes in it. We saw in graphic description some of the people fell through that safety net. That is what this is all abouthelping medically. The poorest of the poor in our country are helped by Medicaid. That is what this is all about. For those people who are watching this. who are listening. this is an instance where there is a bipartisan measure that is now before the Senate that should pass. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090073429,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Finance Committee. under the direction of Senators GRASSLEY and BAUCUs--Republican and Democratcame up with this most important piece of legislation. They did it. They worked it out. No one can challenge the conservative credentials of either of these Senators. They are both fiscally sound. They do good work for their Finance Committee. There are a few people on the Republican side of the aisle who are holding this up. It is not right. No one wants to waste money for Katrina. No one wants to waste money with the billions of dollars that will be spent with Katrina. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090073429,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would be happy if Congress selected someone to be a czar to make sure the money was spent properly. But here we have people who are waiting. This is going for 5 months. They will be waiting for the most simple medical measures that would help themand help the States that are taking care of them. The State of Arkansas alone has 60.000 evacuees. most of whom. in some way or another. their family member. would qualify for some part of this. It is the right thing to do to help States such as Arkansas.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090073455,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize a very special family in my district. Billy Jack and Anne Barrett and their six children recently experienced a lifechanging event. They were chosen to receive a brand new home from the television show \"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.\" I was amazed at the amount of work that went into replacing the Barretts small family 101yearold farmhouse with a 4.000square foot twostory home. complete with red school house that Anne Barrett. Will use to continue home schooling the children. The Barretts were selected for opening not only their hearts but their home to troubled children. In addition to their own two biological daughters. they adopted four highrisk teens who had been deemed unadoptable. They had seen the potential in these children and decided they would not give up on them as so many had. The Barretts may not have the financial means or space to undertake their new responsibility. but with Christian values. love and horses. they have produced a wonderful family. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1249}
{"speech_id":1090073455,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to thank Keller Homes. Extreme Makeover. and the more than 6.000 people who volunteered to make this daunting challenge a reality. I would like to commend the Barrett family for the example that they set for all of.us.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1249}
{"speech_id":1090073473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I watched the testimony of former FEMA Director Michael Brown yesterday. By any measure. it was a shameful and disgraceful performance. More disgraceful is the revelation that after being appointed to a position for which he was completely unqualified. after doing a horrific disservice to his fellow citizens in Louisiana and Mississippi. after embarrassing our country in the take from the Speaker.s table the bill eyes of the world. he is still on the pay- making appropriations for roll of FEMA. the Department of Homeland Security \u0095 But after hearing Michael Browns for the fiscal year ending September 30. hearing yesterday. the need for an 2006. and for other purposes. with a independent commission is even more Senate amendment thereto. disagree to glaringly obvious. The American peo- the Senate amendment. and agree to ple are demanding it. And why are they the conference asked by the Senate. demanding it? Because we have seen The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. that the Department of Homeland Se- SHAW). The question is on the motion curity is fundamentally flawed. It is offered by the gentleman from Kennot working. and we need to know why tucky . and we need to know what to do to fix The motion was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on it. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1655}
{"speech_id":1090073473,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just the scale of the disaster alone. the table. it is important to never repeat that again in our country. The amount of MOTION TO INSTRUCT OFFERED BY MR. SABO money alone justifies that we do an Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker. I offer a ooindependent investigation. $200 billion tion to instruct conferees. don The Clerk read as follows: of our taxpayers money is going down TeCekra sflos","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1655}
{"speech_id":1090073478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would hope that Congress would not repeat the mistakes that it has already made with respect to the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. We all remember what happened after 9\/11. The Congress. in kneejerk fashion. passed. the proposal to create a new Department of Homeland Security. a gargantuan agency. Up until that time there were 133 agencies that had something to do with homeland security. So what happened is that the Congress and the White House. in its infinite wisdom. took 22 of those 133 agen7 cies. lumped them together in a huge bureaucracy. They did not include the FBI. they did not include the CIA. the two agencies most connected with dealing with terrorism. They took 22 agencies. lumped them together in a huge bureaucrhcy. set up many layers ofbureaucracy within that: 6rganization. and dumped FEMA into that organization. Up until that time. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4323}
{"speech_id":1090073478,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FEMA had been one of the stars of the previous administration under James Lee Witt when. for a change. that agency had been professionalized and depoliticized. But now what has happened is that since FEMA has been buried in homeland security. we have seen six separate reorganization plans for the Department of Homeland Security. We have had a number of directors. and now we have Mr. Chertoff sending us a letter raising two points that I find almost laughable. In his letter opposing this motion. Mr. Chertoff says that his proposal was formed after intensive consultations with preparedness professionals. The problem is we do not know who those professionals were and what they recommended because it all happened behind closed doors. It was an inside job. People who thought they knew better than anybody else got together with a proposed plan. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4323}
{"speech_id":1090073478,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that plan needs to have some critiquing from the outside. from professional people. before it goes into effect. Secondly. Mr. Chertoff says in his letter. \"No . structural changes were made to FEMA prior to Hurricane Katrina.\" Does he not consider dumping FEMA into a huge bureaucracy where there are many layers that you have to go through before you can reach the Presidents phone. does he not think that is a major reorganization? Does he not think that taking away the grant program from FEMA is a major reorganization? He may not think so. I think they are. What I would simply suggest is that instead of. in a kneejerk fashion. approving the reorganization plans of the gang that has demonstrated they cannot shoot straight. instead what we ought to do is get Chertoff down here in hearings before the committee. We ought to have Chertoff testify about his view about what happened. why we had the failures. what happened within FEMA. what are the faults within the agency. and let us have a detailed discussion of the problem. I would submit while I am sure this subcommittee can do a reasonable job of that. I think the country would feel far better off if we had an independent commission looking at the entire problem. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4323}
{"speech_id":1090073478,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The distinguished subcommittee chairman says if Members like the status quo. then vote for the Sabo motion. Quite the contrary. The purpose of the Sabo motion is to make certain that the people who are the status quo on this issue have somebody else looking over their shoulders before they make yet another unaccountable decision. This is too important to leave to the people who screwed it up the first time. Before we buy any more reorganizations on this level. we ought to bring those people down here. talk to them nose to nose. Mr. Brown was the Presidents appointment to FEMA. Mr. Brown testified yesterday that he inherited a robust organization when he was appointed FEMA director and. that the Department of Homeland. Security had stripped the agency of authority. positions. and dollars. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4323}
{"speech_id":1090073478,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We ought to bring them both down here. facing each other face to face. so they can have it out on the outsidenot behind closed doors. but on the outside so we can get to the bottom of what the problem is. For Congress to just. in a kneejerk fashion. pass whatever reorganization program the Homeland Security director sends down to us is patently irresponsible. It is once again. neglecting our oversight duties. The problem is we do not pay the price when a mistake is made. the public does. and the best way to avoid that is to pass the Sabo motion.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4323}
{"speech_id":1090073488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the gentleman from Minnesota began this discussion by saying we need smart. experienced and independent people to take a hard look at the problems Katrina exposed and identify solutions before we move organizational boxes again. I cannot agree more. This motion to instruct is timely. and I urge Members to support it. The truth of the matter is. what Congress needs to do is what we were taught as children. and that is to count to 10 and take a deep breath when there is a problem. Listen. we are not playing pin the tail on the elephant or the donkey. We are dealing with tragic consequences of our fellow Americans. Before shuffling boxes. we need a clear. unambiguous plan for disaster preparedness. not something prepared in a back room. We are 4 years out from 9\/11. and obviously are woefully unprepared for disaster. The majority is going forward with a 5month. $500.000 investigation into what Went wrong in Katrina. and that should complement an independent investigation into what went right and what went wrong. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1470}
{"speech_id":1090073488,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How do we do what the gentleman from Kentucky says? How do you integrate the military. how do you integrate the faithbased institutions. how do you integrate the volunteers? Where is the national registry for physicians? We have not settled the issues from last years. storms and we continue to use the term \"Katrina.\" but there was an Ophelia and there is a Rita. and Americas problems are continuing. Pass this motion to instruct.","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1470}
{"speech_id":1090073550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Cuba is a country that has a people with a diverse culture. a rich heritage. a people who came as pioneers. people who came and sought their freedom and built a future. This rich and diverse history was suppressed 46 years ago under a dark veil of Communist rejection of all freedom. of rights. of dignity and liberty of the individual. I think it is important that this resolution pass. and I rise today in its support. I cannot stress enough how important it is*that human rights and human dignity be afforded to the citizens of Cuba who live in oppression under a brutal. tyrannical dictator who cares more for his own power and the advancement of his family and his cronies than his citizens who are starving and are neglected of the basic rights and privileges and necessities that we take for granted in this country. He stands against those things that we represent. and my family has seen that firsthand. My wife Pat has helped many Cuban families who have made literally the pilgrimage to freedom. in a heartbreaking decision to leave their home country. to leave all that they love. lose all of their worldlS possessions. except for their dignity. their self respect. their faith and. ultimately. maintaining cohesiveness in their family. to come seek a new life here. awaiting that day when they may return to their land and live in freedom. Unfortunately. some in the international community see fit to recognize Fidel Castro as a power with whom to negotiate and placate. We must remember one thing. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090073550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Still. today. even in old age. he is a dangerous man. He is an enemy of freedom and has sought on many continents to suppress that throughout his entire career of leadership of his tyrannical government. He is a suppresser of faith. the ability of his people and peoples elsewhere to express their faith in God. to practice their religion and. ultimately. he is an enemy of the future. an enemy of freedom in this hemisphere of no greater value than anyone else. On July 14. the government of France invited Castro to the French Embassy in Havana to celebrate Bastille Day. but courageous members of Cubas democratic opposition were not invited. so they chose to peacefully protest the French decision. On the morning of the protest. Cuban security forces stormed the homes of those planning to. deifhonstrate and arrested at least 20. This type of dictatorial behavior cannot be tolerated for any length of time whatsoever. Think about it: a dictator invited to a celebration of liberation of people and. at the same time. suppressing his own people from peacefully expressing their views. It is illogical and it is illogical for the French to accept this. For too long. the international community has danced around Castro and his Communist state. while the people live in oppression or risk their lives attempting to escape. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090073550,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not just the 20 individuals who were simply planning to protest who were arrested. Protestant Christians in Cuba are facing new regulations on house churches that can restrict religious freedom. In order to suppress one house church. I know personally of a case where a pastor was arrested on the pretext of practicing medicine without a license simply because he prayed for one of his parishioners in the house church. Imagine for a moment a place where the government supervises church services. and if an agent of the government arbitrarily decides that the church is breaking government regulations. it can shut it down. Imagine also a place where the government say that two house churches of the same denomination cannot exist within a mile and a half of each other. and imagine a place where human rights activists are taken into custody for simply commemorating the tragic deaths of 35 people who were killed when the boat they were fleeing in was rammed by authorities. Imagine all of that. and you will be imagining Castros Cuba. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical and important resolution for the message that it sends.","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090073595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it seems that many Members of this House must really be dissatisfied with their jobs. Instead of being legislators. they seem to want to be Federal judges. Every Member. like every citizen. is entitled to express an opinion on any ruling by any court. That is what our system of government is about. What concerns me is that too many people here seem to think it is the job of Congress to order courts to decide cases certain ways or to consider issues that we want them to consider. The gentleman from California should read his own resolution. His resolution does not ask the Supreme Court to -decide between the Ninth and Fourth Circuit views. It asks them to decide that the Fourth Circuit is right and the Ninth Circuit is wrong. It asks for a certain specific direction. \u0095 We have considered bills here to take away certain Federal court jurisdiction because some Members do not like certain court decisions. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4671}
{"speech_id":1090073595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have heard threats against judges. against the courts. even statements by some who have said that they understand the murder of judges. This resolution is not binding. and it is probably as innocuous as they come. but it is part of a greater campaign of delegitimizing the independent judiciary. by implication our system of checks and balances and our system of government. Courts are supposed to rule on cases that come before them. to call them as they see them. to dftide what the Constitution means as the court sees it. as Judge Roberts recently told the Senate regardless of popular opinion. That is their job. It is not our job to pressure the court to decide the case a specific way. If we do not like a court decision. we can amend the law. We can start a constitutional amendment if we disagree with a court decision. I am more than a bit concerned that Members seem to want to decide this case for themselves. but I am more concerned by the constant assertions by Members and some courts that the phrase \"One Nation Under God\" is not a form of religious expression. As the gentleman from Virginia mentioned. constitutionally the only way. since it is clear that we cannot have an establishment of religion. since the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court for the last 40 years says that we cannot mandate a prayer. that we cannot mandate that children in school should say a prayer. we cannot lead an organized prayer in a public school. as I have said repeatedly on this floor. there will always be prayer in the public schools as long as there are math tests. but we cannot have organized prayer where an agent of the State. namely the teacher. says this is the prayer you shalr say. That is an establishment of religion. and it is against the first amendment. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4671}
{"speech_id":1090073595,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The only way around that is by saying that the phrase \"under God\" in the Pledge of Allegiance does not mean anything. It is a mere patriotic expression. It is not religious. It does not mean anything. I think that is sacrilegious. Frankly. it violates the Second Commandment: \"Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.\" Maybe we should have the Ten Commandments here. so people can take a look at it every so often. Frankly. references to God are inherently religious. and it is a sin to use the Lords name for any other purpose. It is a religious expression with which not all people. including people of different religions. might agree. It is not out of the question that a court could reasonably conclude that this sentence is a religious expression. that it is inherently coercive when the government makes it part of every school day. That is what the Ninth Circuit did conclude. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4671}
{"speech_id":1090073595,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not the job of Congress to tell the court what to decide. and certainly not the job of Congress to tell the court that God is not religious. If God is not religious. then nothing is religious. I know most people will look at this vote and think it is a vote on whether or not you support the Pledge of Allegiance. whether or not you are loyal. in fact. to this government. or whether or not you are a person of faith or whether you support God. It is unfortunate that we have to politicize this issue in this way. and that is the real reason for this resolution. since it is totally innocuous. is not binding and has no effect. But it is even more unfortunate that there is so little respect for our system of government and such enthusiasm for delegitimizing the judiciary every time someone disagrees with a court ruling. That is very dangerous. The future of our Nation depends on the preservation of our system of government. the preservation of the independence of the courts. and not on the text of the Pledge that children are asked to recite in school.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4671}
{"speech_id":1090073598,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume and point out that out of respect for the judicial branch and because the passage of this resolution will actually make It less likely that the Pledge will be found constitutional by the judicial branch. we should defeat this resolution.. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090073637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of provisions of my bill. H.R. 3188. the Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act. which are included in the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. These immigrant provisions reflect hard. bipartisan work of many Members of Congress. and I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his leadership on this issue. This bill is a good start. It would help immigrant women who need to leave their abusive spouses by preventing their deportation while their application is being considered. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1817}
{"speech_id":1090073637,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would provide them access to work permits. so that they can get a job on their own and gain economic security independent of their abusers. In addition to spouses. this bill would also protect battered children. as well as parents. from abusive family members. However. we can do more. For example. this bill does not include provisions which would allow battered victims access to health insurance. food and other benefits required to escape their abuser. I will work hard to include these provisions in the final bill enacted. As a first generation American and someone who represents an immigrant rich community in Chicago. I understand the unique challenges immigrant women face. \"My neighbor called the police. but I did not sign thereport out of fear. said a Mexican immigrant and mother of four at a press conference I held in Chicago. She said she stayed with her abusive husband for 13 years to be with her children. This is the voice of women across the country that need our help to get out of the cycle of abuse. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1817}
{"speech_id":1090073637,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This Congress must remain vigilant in its fight to protect one of the most vulnerable populations in this country. I challenge my -colleagues to make the fight against domestic violence a top priority.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1817}
{"speech_id":1090073669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of several important programs that will be reauthorized in H.R. 3402. The Department of Justice Authorization Act. The two programs that Id like to highlight are the Commu nity Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). Both COPS and SCAAP provide critical resources that help local law enforcement do their job.","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":406}
{"speech_id":1090073690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in objection to the Managers Amendment. which would weaken the Violence Against Women Act. After months of bipartisan negations. H.R. 3402 came out of committee as a balanced bill that sought to help ALL women who are victims of violence. With the removal of racial and ethnic minorities from the STOP grants section. we will be denying the significant problem of violence in ourminority communities. Unfortunately. domestic violence in our minority population is a substantial problem that is vastly underreported. If we wish to eradicate violence in our communities we must proceed with policies that address cultural and language barriers. Our governments commitment to minorities is being questioned by many. Passing this amendment sends a clear message that this Congress. does not care about sexual assault and domestic violence in our communities of color. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":952}
{"speech_id":1090073690,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on this amendment.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":952}
{"speech_id":1090073833,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise today to offer an amendment that would implement legislation that expands the current Federal criminal ban on fake police badges to include the uniforms. identification. and all other insignia of public officials while preserving language in the bill that cracks down on the growing problem of counterfeit police badges.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":398}
{"speech_id":1090073854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for his hard work and do the same to urge my colleagues to support this motion to recommit so that this body will take an important step to addressing the concerns of all consumers in the country. particularly those in rural America. We need to take steps to be able to define price gouging. with the FTC having the authority to do that. and then to investigate these thousands of complaints that have come into the Energy Department in the past many weeks. As cochair of the Rural Working Group for the House Democratic Caucus. we know what the impact of. high fuel costs has been for rural Americans. those that drive many miles to get to their jobs. those that are trying to harvest crops this fall. This is an important step because inaction is inexcusable. and accountability is absolutely necessary. It is no longer a sufficient answer to say. well. price gouging is difficult to define. itis hard to prove. This is the importance of this motion to recommit. so that we can take a step to allow the FTC to promulgate a rule .defining the price gouging and the market manipulation that we believe is taking place and to help overcome the skepticism. especially in rural America. about the role of multinational oil companies who are taking measures that are not allowing the market to operate fairly and efficiently and effectively.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1394}
{"speech_id":1090073882,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman and my friend for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 178. which I did author. the purpose of which is to bring attention to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis to asmany people as humanly possible. This is known as IPF. I would like to start. of course. by thanking all of the IPF patients. survivors. advocates who have come to Capitol Hill this week to just simply make us aware of this disease. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3064}
{"speech_id":1090073882,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know the story these brave individuals have to tell because it is one that I have lived. I was very fortunate to be correctly diagnosed with IPF when I was in the early stages of the disease in 1998. diagnosed right here in this Capitol. IPF is too often rhisdiagnosed in the critical. critical early stages. I was blessed to have a loving family. who saw me through the difficult times as this disease progressed. I was fortunate enough to receive a single lung transplant late last year that spared me from further harm from the disease. I am incredibly grateful to have the best nurse I could ask for in my loving wife. Gloria. I am thankful for the opportunity to join a community of terrific folks who want nothing more. nothing - more. than to bring needed attention to this relatively unknown disease. IPF is a progressive and generally fatal lung disease. It is marked by the inflammation and the scarring of the delicate lung tissues and hinders the lungs ability to transport oxygen to the .rest of ones body. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3064}
{"speech_id":1090073882,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While my colleagues have seen me come back from the effects of IPF since my lung transplant. a transplant is really not a treatment. and it is certainly not a cure. A transplant is a medical decision of last resort in the face of an irreversible disease whose causes remain a mystery for us today. Unfortunately. a lung transplant will not work for every patient. in every case. and as I well know. organs are very much in short supply in this Nation. Mr. Speaker. in an era in which medical science can do much. there is no reason why we cannot give hope to the 83.000 Americans currently living with this disease and the 31.000 that are diagnosed each year. The reason the number of current patients remains so low despite over 30.000 new cases each year is that far too many of those with IPF face severe disability and death within a few short years. In fact. two thirds of IPF patients die within 5 years of developing the disease. That is why this resolution is so important. H. Con. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3064}
{"speech_id":1090073882,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Res. 178 will bring awareness. I hope. to the severity of this. devastating disease by encouraging the President to recognize IPF Awareness Week. It will also recognize and encourage the need for further research. further research. into IPF in the hopes of finding a cause and a treatment and a cure. Over 50 of our colleagues have already cosponsored. Mr. Speaker. this important resolution. and I urge this body to join with me in taking the first step toward a cure by passing this reso-. lution to bring more attention to IPF in Washington. our capital city. and in our Nation.","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3064}
{"speech_id":1090073941,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in projects on innovative models of HIV 2 days. the Ryan White CARE Act will care and service delivery. among othdr expire. and though it will continue services. under its current authorization. as this As a physician who has treated peolandmark and lifesaving Act expires. ple living with HIV and AIDS. I know it is almost as though a light expires as well how critical these services. espewell. a light of life and hope for the cially access to medications that slow hundreds of thousands of Americans the progression of HIV to AIDS. are to who have depended upon it. improve the quality of life of those We all know how disproportionately with AIDS. are to the health and wellthe HIV\/AIDS epidemic has. and con- being of and the care of people living tinues to. affect the African American with it. community. .In fact. since the begin- The CARE Act. though. is particuning of this epidemic. African Ameri- larly important to the community that cans have been hardest hit. This is not is hit the hardest. year after year. the only due to adverse lifestyles but also Afriban American community. About largely due to the poor level of serv- half of all Ryan White CARE Act cliices. lack of insurance and the intrac- ents are African American. table poverty where too many people of More than eight in 10 clients at the color are trapped. Title IV clinics who receive important As shocking as the statistics are one medical care. case management. child year. they get worse the following care and other services. are people of year. color. the majority of whom are AfriNearly half of all people living with can American women. children. youth HIV and AIDS in the United States are and families. African American. and the AIDS case We must recognize that when the rate for African Americans is 9.5\u00b0times Ryan White CARE Act was created and that of whites. passed. the face of the HIV\/AIDS epiAbout six in 10 children to HIVin- demic. the unmet needs of those living fected mothers are African American. with HIV disease. and the medical Sixtyfive percent of the AIDS cases management of HIV and AIDS were among young people. 13 to 19 years of much different than they are today. age. are in African Americans. Furthermore. great strides in medAIDS is the leading cause of death ical technology have slowed the. profor African American women. 24 to 34 gression from HIV to AIDS. allowing years of age. people with HIV disease to live longer. This epidemic creates generation healthier lives. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4500}
{"speech_id":1090073941,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The CARE Act should gaps in black families. leaving children be authorized in a manner that allows to be reared by grandparents or other it to fully respond to the health and guardians. and the startling number of health care needs of those most at risk for. or those who currently are. living with HIV and AIDS. Because of this. any funding less than $3.1 billion is simply not acceptable. That is equivalent to what we spend every month in the war in Iraq. What it costs to make the Republican tax cuts permanent for 1 year is more than 10 times the amount needed to help ensure that a child born to an HIVpositive mother has a chance at life. One might be moved to ask why this crisis. which has taken so many lives. ruining so many families and having such a detrimental social and economic impact on our communities is being responded to in such an inadequate manner. if one can say it is being responded to at all? It is not the absence of urgent need. The numbers are there. Neither could it be due to lack of resources. We have seen this administration in times bankroll solutions to others and more expensive crises- without hesitation. The reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act and adequate funding of this and all of the other health care programs that would improve the health of the poor. the rural or people of color. are not all that happening for one reason. the absence of political will. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4500}
{"speech_id":1090073941,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I do not want us to lose \"sight of the fact that this Act gets its name from a brave little boy who was not only a pioneer but an inspiration. I did not know Ryan. but I do know his mother. Jeanne. and so on her behalf and on behalf of the patients I have served. and all of those infected with HIV or who have AIDS. their families. as well as all of the dedicated care providers. I ask that we not let this lapse in our moral responsibility be prolonged. Let us do the work we are entrusted to do and reauthorize and modernize an even stronger. better Ryan White CARE Act.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4500}
{"speech_id":1090073956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to read from that statement that I read to the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus Education Brain .Trust about Katrina and how education initiatives could be important. The Katrina hurricane disaster has highlighted the continuing permanent disaster of national and local policies which neglect the basic needs of poor Americans. To focus specifically on education. please be advised that the New Orleans scho61 system is rated presently as the very worst among numerous struggling urban systems. From this current tragedy. there is a challenge for all Americans. In concert with the citizens of New Orleans and Louisiana. there should be a multilevel effort to redesign and rebuild a 21st century model education system. In concert with the citizens of New Orleans and Louisiana. there should be a national effort. a multilevel effort. to redesign and rebuild a 21st century model education system in New Orleans. New standards would could be set for physical facilities constructed to serve as emergency centers as well as schools. Now. every school. whenever there is a natural disaster. the first facility utilized. if nearby. is a school. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11414}
{"speech_id":1090073956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why do we not better equip schools to handle emergencies? Why do we not recognize in the building of schools that they should be built so that they are adaptable for disasters. whether they are natural or manmade? Why can schools not be built so there are storage places for extra equipment and supplies and beds? Why can schools not be built so they have the best of modern communications equipment. so they will not be isolated. so they can communicate with the police and thie National Guard. et cetera? Why can we not have that all built into the system? It would not cost very much more. It is a way to combine the homeland security dollars with the rebuilding dollars for New Orleans. New standards could be set for physical facilities constructed to serve as emergency centers as well as schools. In my district. I had an organization come and ask for help with the funding for a new visitors center. It is the botanical garden. They are building a huge new visitors center. They wanted help from the Federal Government. I said. why the Federal Government? They said well. it is a major economic facility. et cetera. I said maybe in the construction of your visitors center. you are in the center of Brooklyn. with a large population. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11414}
{"speech_id":1090073956,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Brooklyn has 2.7 million people. You are a public facility. You could be one of the places we could depend on in case of a disaster. New York. as a city. is considered a highrisk city. so we are in a high risk area. Why not build in your new center some extras which can be used in the case of an emergency. a natural disaster or a terrorism attack? They accepted that. The architects went to work. They have their proposal and are proposing and begging for funding to help them with that process. I am asking for money from the Committee on Homeland Security. It could be a good model. because every new public facility should take into consideration the fact that it may be needed in the future to help respond to an emergency. and in the process of its construction it would not be exceptionally unusually expensive. to build in someextras. All of the equipment for electrical wiring and communication services automatically would be placed at a higher level in such a new building. on roofs. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11414}
{"speech_id":1090073956,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the problems that flooding does is when you have electricity hooked up in the basement. along with connections to gas. is that the natural disasters result in impairing electricity early in the process. Why do we not put our electrical wiring and switches and facilities higher in our buildings? Schools could lead the way. In addition to regular phone. computer and fire alarm* communications. every school should be equipped with a shortwave radio or whatever is necessary to establish communications with various other entities in homeland security. Of equal importance to the physical features. funding should be provided for the guarantee of the opportunity to learn for every student. using the standards that already are in place in numerous suburban school districts across the country. You ge*t in a big debate when you say we are going to establish some standards so every student has an opportunity to learn. How much is that going to cost and how can the Federal Government afford that and what is it? If you go tp most suburban schools. it is already in existence. They provide the money necessary to guarantee the opportunity to learn for all their students. The decent libraries are there. with the right number of books. current and useful books. The laboratories for science teachers are there. The physical education facilities are there. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11414}
{"speech_id":1090073956,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So we should build into the new schools what New Orleans schools have not had. all of those opportunities to learn. If necessary. a program of aid to families with children in schools could supplement the education funding in order to systematically attack the problem of inadequate home and family support. In addition to the problems of poverty and weak home structures. the students who go back to school in New Orleans are going to be victims of trauma. They have had experiences which are very traumatic. They are going to have numerous problems that deserve some extra support. and we should build that in. It may come from the Department of Health and Human Services. which has a program called Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Why not Aid to Families With Children in School as another separate program related to the experience of a child in school? Attendance and the regularity of parents going to meetings. a number of things could be done which would encourage a new mindset among family members and community members regarding education. That is not a physical feature. but it is an important opportunitytolearn feature. The greatest benefit to the people that the government can provide to the survivors of Katrina is a comprehensive support program which educates a generation of children to take new positions in their new City of New Orleans and the Nation. because. I repeat. it is td the Nations advantage to have as many of its human beings educated as best as possible. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11414}
{"speech_id":1090073963,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield. It gets.worse. I was watching the hearings yesterday. FEMAs responsibility is to coordinate the response of the Federal Government in a natural disaster. They literally are the point agency. and all of the agencies in the Federal Government are basically brought under their direction. So what was Mr. Browns response to. I think it was a question from the gentleman from Connecticut . about what he did to coordinate the disaster response. His answer was that he told the mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana that they should issue a mandatory evacuation. and they did riot listen. according to him. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1750}
{"speech_id":1090073963,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was the sum total. That is what he kept repeating. That was the sum total of his response to the question of how did he coordinate the vast resources that FEMA has at their disposal and every agency in the Federal Government: that he picked up the phone and called two people and told them to evacuate New Orleans. Well. I do not know about you. but if I had at my disposal the Department of Homeland Security. the Department of Energy. the Department of Health and Human Services. the Department of Housing and Urban Development. and the list goes on. I think that I could probably think of a couple more things to do besides make two phone calls. This was the biggest natural disaster in American history and his response was to make two phone calls. Now. that may have something to do with the fact that his only previous experience was running the Arabian Horse Association. I do not know. but I would think even with a clean slate. and not knowing almost anything. not being an expert in disaster response at all. I would think I could do a little bit more than make two phone calls.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1750}
{"speech_id":1090073979,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Brownies previous experience was being head of the Arabian Horse Association. I saw him attempt to defend himself at the hearing the other day. and he outlined his vast array of experience being tha assistant to a city manager. essentially a glorified intern. But. to me. I just feel like there needs to be a couple more lines on the resume when it comes to the man who directs the response of the Federal Government to natural disasters. Let us take if it was just the Congress or just Michael Brown heading up FEMA where the cronyism stopped. ThenI could say. you know. occasionally that is going to happen. But let us look at the gentleman who was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs at the Food and Drug Administration. The Food and Drug Administration is charged with assuring the safety of everything from new vaccines and dietary supplements to animal feed and hair dye. They are the one that approve medicines and say whether medication can go on the market. So Mr. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3713}
{"speech_id":1090073979,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Scott Gottlieb was named the Deputy Commissioner. and he was 33yearsold. This is the 30something Group. so we are not going to be critical of that. But this is a person who got his medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. and his previous experience prior to taking this job at FDA. and they declared him a \"noted authority\" who had written \"more than 300 policy and medical articles.\" his biography neglects the fact that many of those articles that he wrote criticized the FDA for being too slow to approve new drugs and too quick to issue warning letters when it suspects one already on the market might be unsafe. I think if you asked the family members and people whose loved ones died from taking Vioxx and some of the other inhibitors that people have had horrendous reactions and even deaths from because some of these drugs have been raced to the market too quickly before they have been fully vetted by the FDA. I think they might take issue with the fact that the person in charge of that is slightly less than qualified. His previous experience before that was to be the editor of a popular Wall Street newsletter. the ForbesGottlieb Medical Technology Investor. in which he offered such tips as \"three biotech stocks to buy now.\" This is the deputy commissioner of the FDA in charge of medical and scientific affairs. If it was just the FDA. if we were going to stop there and it did not go further than that. I might be able to write it off. But then let us go travel over to another agency. We have another agency. the -Office of Management and Budget. in which an exlobbyist with minimal purchasing experience was overseeing $300 billion in spending. until his arrest last week. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3713}
{"speech_id":1090073979,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The person who was in charge of procurement for the Office of Management and Budget was responsible for $300 billion in spending until he got arrested. So you can see where we go. You peel back layer after layer after layer. So we are not casting aspersions randomly here.. We are not just being partisan. There is a culture of corruption that is pervasive. and. my god. we have an opportunity in the next 13 months to take our message to the American people and help tell them that we are going to come and restore their confidence. that we have got competence and we have got integrity and we know how to make sure we can expand access to health care. * Our priorities are straight. We know that the Federal Government can do something about gas prices. and not just have the President stand behind a podium and say. \"You know. if you dont have to drive. please dont.\" That is their conservation policy. So before I go further than I should. I am going to turn it over to the gentleman from Ohio .","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3713}
{"speech_id":1090074058,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to support the nomination of Judge John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Roberts is a man of integrity whose reputation is irrefutable. He has been widely praised for his affable and humble personality as well as his integrity and intellect. Judge Roberts is already greatly respected by his colleagues and current Supreme Court Justices who know him as a leading advocate before that Court. I believe that Judge Roberts is eminently qualified for this position. He earned both his bachelors degree and his law degree from Harvard University. In fact. after earning his bachelors degree summa cum laude. he managed to earn his law degree magna cum laude while serving as the editor of the Harvard Law Review. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090074058,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Following graduation. Judge Roberts earned a clerkship on the Supreme Court for the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Since that time. Judge Roberts has had a long and distinguished career of service to this country. including serving as an attorney in the Office of the Solicitor General. Most recently. he served as a judge on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. widely considered the second most powerful court in the Nation. During his service on the court. he has been consistent and fair. Judge Roberts has also been a private practice attorney representing the full range of clients before the Supreme Court. He has argued before the Supreme Court 39 times. an impressive record even if you do not consider the fact that his client prevailed in 25 of those cases. In fact. Judge Roberts is widely considered by his colleagues to be one of the most accomplished attorneys to argue before the Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090074058,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For some time I have been concerned that our judiciary was being overwhelmed by activist judges who attempt to legislate from the bench. They appear to make decisions based upon political philosophy and twist the words of our Forefathers and of Congress to serve their ideological goals. We do not need judges who will make their own laws and interpret the Constitution based on one political philosophy or afiother. Rather. we must insist on judges who maintain a fair and judicious tonejudges who rule without the influence of ideology or personal opinion. After 20 hours of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. I believe the Nation learned a great deal about how Judge Roberts views the judicial role and what kind of service he will provide the Nation as Chief Justice. Judge Roberts is a skilled lawyer who understands and respects. the Constitution. I believe he understands that the role of the judiciary is to interpret the lawnot make law. It is clear from his testimony that his goal will be to fairly and effectively interpret the Constitution and the law without prejudice and with the utmost respect for the rule of law. I commend President Bush for his continued efforts to put judges in place who respect the rule of law. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090074058,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe that Judge Roberts is a shining example of this type of jurist. and there is no doubt in my mind that he should be confirmed as our countrys 17th Chief Justice. and I am proud to support his nomination.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SHELBY","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090074063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Judge John Roberts is indeed an outstanding choice to be the 17th Chief Justice of the United States. He is one of our Nations top legal minds. and as. the American public has learned. he is a man of great intelligence and skill who will serve our country with the same integrity that has been the hallmark of his professional career. In fact. it is hard to think of anyone who is more qualified to lead this Nations High Court. Soon after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law. where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. Roberts clerked for thenAssociate Justice Rehnquista man he learned much from and deeply admired for 25 years. He went on to work in various legal capacities in the Reagan administration and later went into private practice. Just 2 ago. the Senate confirmed Roberts for a seat on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. In his distinguished career. including his tenure as a government lawyer. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090074063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Roberts has argued a remarkable 39 cases before the Supr:eme Court. The issues at the heart of these cases have spanned the legal spectrumfrom healthcare law to Indian law. environmental law to labor law. and many. many other areas of the law as well. In his Senate confirmation hearings last week. John Roberts reinforced that he will be the kind of Chief Justice America needs and deserves. Undergoing hours upon hours of questioning. Judge Roberts maintained a steady. even temperament. He politely and respectfully answered more than 500 questionsand amazingly without much of a glance at notes. Most importantly. Judge Roberts revealed a great deal about how he views the judicial role. He emphasized that he is committed to the rule of law. not to his personal preferences or views. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090074063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He emphasized his belief that judges are not politicians or legislators and that the role of a judge is limited. I wholeheartedly agree with Judge Roberts assessment of the appropriate role of judges. and I am confident that he will strictly uphold the law and not attempt to legislate his own personal views from the bench. .I can think of no vote more important. save a declaration of war. than giving advice and consent to a nominee for Chief Justice of the United States. This has been a fair process. and the Judiciary Committee held extensive and meaningful hearings. Over the course of the last week. the Senate has conducted a spirited debate on the qualifications of John Roberts to be the next Chief Justice. And today. we will give him an up or down vote. I am very pleased that my colleagues have proceeded expeditiously on the nomination of Judge Roberts. as it is of utmost importance that this nations High Court have a new Chief Justice before the start of the Courts fall term. For many in this Chamber. todays vote will be the only time in their entire Senate careers that they provide advice and consent on a nominee to be Chief Justice. I commend my colleagues who have risen above the normal daytoday politics of this institution. But still. there are some of you who question how Judge Roberts will vote on specific cases in the future. Others of you may also be swayed by the passions of partisans. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090074063,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But none have questioned Judge Roberts integrity. None have questioned his temperament. None have questioned his intellectual ability. And none have questioned his qualifications. These are the traditional measures the Senate has looked to when evaluating a judicial nomination of this importance. I would ask that my fellow Senators look to these timetested standards and vote to confirm John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States.","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3594}
{"speech_id":1090074074,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as I announced on this floor last week. I intend to vote against the nomination of Judge John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States. In my meetings with John Roberts. I found him to be a very nice person. I like him. I respect his legal skills. I respect much of the work he has done in his career. For example. his advocacy -on the environmental side of the Lake Tahoe takings case several years ago was remarkably good. He decided the law did not look too good to him. so he figured the way to win the case was to argue to the Court the facts. and he did that and he won the case. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9112}
{"speech_id":1090074074,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I admire his legal skills. as I think everyone in this body does. But at the end of the day. I have had many unanswered questions about the nominee. and because of that. I cannot justify a vote confirming him to this lifetime position. Each one of. the 100 Senators applies his or her own standard in carrying out the advice and consent clause of the Constitution. That is a constitutional role that we have. I know that elections have consequences. and I agree that Presidents are entitled to a measure of deference in appointing judicial nominees. After all. the Senate has confirmed well over 200 of President Bushs nominees. some of whom possess a judicial philosophy with which I disagree. But deference to the President can only go so far. Our Founding Fathers gave the Senate the central role in the nominations process. and that role is especially important in placing someone on the Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9112}
{"speech_id":1090074074,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If confirmed by the Senate. John Roberts will serve as Chief Justice of the United States and leader of the third branch of the Federal Government for decades to come. He will possess enormous legal authority. In my view. we should only vote to confirm this nominee if he has persuaded us he will protect the freedoms that all Americans hold dear. This is a close question for me. but I will resolve my doubts in favor of the American people. whose rights would be in jeopardy if John Roberts turns out to be the wrong person for the job. As I have indicated. I was impressed with Judge Roberts the first time I met him. This was a day or two after he was nominated. I knew that he had been a thoughtful member of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals for the last 2 years. But several factors caused me to reassess my initial view. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9112}
{"speech_id":1090074074,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most notably. I was disturbed by memos that surfaced from John Roberts years of service in the Reagan administration. These documents raised serious questions about the nominees approach to the rights of women and civil rights. In the statement that I gave last week. I gave some specific examples of the memos that concerned me. I also explained that I was prepared to look past these memos if the nominee\" distanced himself from these views at his Judiciary Committee hearings. He did not. I was so disappointed when he took the disingenuous stance that the views expressed in these memos were merely the views of his client. the Reagan administration. Anyone who has read the memos can see that their author was expressing his own personal views. When I saw Senator SCHUMER throw him the proverbial softball in these hearings. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9112}
{"speech_id":1090074074,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I waited with anticipation for the answer that I knew would come. This brilliant man. John Roberts. certainly could see what Senator SCHUMER was attempting to do. He was attempting to have John Roberts say: Well. I was younger then. It was a poor choice of words. If I offended anyone. I am sorry. I know it was insensitive. I could have made the same point in a different manner. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9112}
{"speech_id":1090074144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that there be a period of routine morning business between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. today. Senators have been invited to the White House to attend the swearing in of Judge Roberts. Buses will be provided for transportation. We will not conduct business during the period of that important event.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090074160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say to my friend. if he will yield further. I appreciate it. I would like to work with him on this. and I think our staffs have been. but again I am not certain when we are going to get to the appropriation on that. That is what I dont know. When will we ever get to an appropriation on that? I say to. my friend. I dont know. As I said. there is a logic in what he is saying. I am saying because of the problem of avian flu. because it could be so imminent. I dont think we have any days to wait. That is all I am saying.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":524}
{"speech_id":1090074188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like the Senator from Illinois to respond to the fact that Hurricane Katrina and now Hurricane Rita has given us another lesson of just how thin and delicate this oil supply and refinery pipeline is. so that the least little disruption in it--a hurricane or the shutting down of a refinery. ini this case. five or six refineries that are shut down. or. Lord forbid. a terrorist act. the sinking by a terrorist of a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulfany one of these things could absolutely disrupt the world that is so thirsty for oil consumption. and could send our gasoline prices not shooting through $3. but could be sending it through $4 and $5 and $6 a gallon. Would the Senator comment on that?","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":730}
{"speech_id":1090074191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Responding to the Senator from Florida. through the Chair. the nation of Brazil decided. years ago. they were tired of their vulnerability to foreign energy sources and they said: We are going to make a national mission of energy independence. By moving toward homegrown fuels and conservation. they have reduced their dependence on foreign oil to less than 15 percent. while the United States depends on foreign oil. consuming over 60 percent at the current time. And most of it. as the Senator said. goes into the cars and trucks we drive. The Senator raises an issue that is near and dear to my heart about the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks. A little walk down memory lane: In 1975. when the price of a barrel of oil went up from $3 to $5. to $12. America went into a panic and Congress said: We have to do something about it. The average fuel efficiency of cars and trucks in America was about 18 miles a gallon. So we put in a Federal Government mandate that the auto manufacturing compknies had to have an average fleet fuel efficiency of 28 miles a gallon. which they had to reach over the next 10 years. They had to move from 18 miles a gallon to 28 miles a gallon over the next 10 years. They screamed bloody murder. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3461}
{"speech_id":1090074191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They said: It is technologically impossible. The cars and trucks we build will not be safe. And you are forcing America to buy foreign vehicles. We ignored them. We said: Do it. We believe you can. If we have to order you to do it. we are going to order you. We ordered them to do it. and in a matter of 10 years they reached the goal of an average fleet fuel efficiency of 28 miles per gallon. The year was 1985. It has been 20 years since then. and we have done nothing except watch the truck exemptionwhich we converted into SUVscreate this new breed of heavy. fuelinefficient vehicle such as this godawful Hummer. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3461}
{"speech_id":1090074191,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you want to drive a Hummer. for goodness sakes. join the Army. In this situation. these fuelinefficient vehicles have dominated our market. and our average fuel efficiency in America has gone from 28 miles a gallon in 1985 to less than 22 miles a gallon today. We are importing more and more oil to drive the miles we need. So I offered an amendment on the floorand the Senator from Florida. I am sure. remembers itand said: Is it too much to ask the auto manufacturers to increase the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks in America by 1 mile a gallon each year for the next 10 years so we can get to 32 miles a gallon? The Senator knows what happened. We had resistance not only from the automobile companies but their workers. Do you know what they said? They said: It is technologically impossible. The cars and trucks you want us to build will not be safe. And you are going to force foreign manufacturers on American consumers. They will not .have any place to go. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3461}
{"speech_id":1090074191,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the same story we heard 30 years ago. The amendment was defeated. But today I think if we called it up for reconsideration there would be a few more votes. People are understanding you cannot control your fate and you cannot control your pocketbook if you are spending $100 every time you drive into the service station to fill the tank of that SUV. So I think folks are more sensitive to it. I have written to the big three manufacturers. to their CEOs. and said: Listen. it is time to sit down and get serious. The American consumers.want a more fuelefficient vehicle. You know you can do it. How can we work together to achieve it?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3461}
{"speech_id":1090074196,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we close this outunder the previous order. at 4 oclock we will be in other businessI will continue my drumbeat on a daily basis about the need for energy independence. I know what our people in Florida believe. They feel very strongly about it. Before I engaged in the colloquy with the Senator from Illinois. I had intended to talk about some specifics of the use of ethanol and the manufacture of ethanol and how that could help us ween ourselves from dependence on foreign oil. I shall pick that up on another day. but I will continue this daily. trying to sound the alarm for this country that if we dont do something. we will rue the day that we did not. I am told that we might have a couple of more minutes here. I will go ahead and close out some of my comments. As the Senator from Illinois and I discussed in our colloquy. it is true that transportation is where we are consuming most of our oil. If you want to do something about lessening your dependence on foreign oil. go to the place where we consume most of it. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2367}
{"speech_id":1090074196,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is in our personal vehicles. One thing that we have to do is pursue alternative fuels to petroleum. Gasoline and diesel. petroleum products. accounted for over 98 percent of transportation motor fuels sold in the year 2004. Only 2 percent are from alternatives to petroleum. We need to increase that 2 percent. and it can come from many different sources of alternatives to petroleum. such as ethanol. As the Senator from Illinois and I discussed. corn is clearly a basis for ethanol. But with the advance of technology. there are many other sources as well. Cellulose and glucose are two. Glucose. sugar. we raise a lot of sugarcane in Florida. They do in Louisiana. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2367}
{"speech_id":1090074196,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We raise a lot of sugar beets throughout the Midwest and the West. That is a source of ethanol. It was one of the things that I pushed for. at the time of the discussion of CAFTA. to get the administration. through the Department of Agriculture. to start the study on making ethanol from sugarcane. I will pick up in the future with a discussion of ethanol made from sources other than corn. as I bring to the attention of the Senate how much this is getting to be an emergency situation that we are depending on oil. And of that oil. almost 60 percent of it comes from foreign shores. That is not good for this country. We have to change that. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2367}
{"speech_id":1090074234,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of the minor procedural problems we have around here with an emergency clause is this has to go through several layers of clearance. It is not a higher pay grade. it .is a different pay grade. it is a different responsibility. The distinguished floor managers are working on that. We have the budget committees and others who have to act on it. I appreciate very much the work of Chairman STEVENS and Senator INOUYE. I hope we will be able to resolve this very shortly. We have two of the best leaders in the Senate handling this bill. Whatever needs to be done I assure my colleagues will be done. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":652}
{"speech_id":1090074307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise this evening to share the very sad news that Sam Volpentesta name many of us in Congress know wellpassed away last night at the age of 101. Here in our Nations Capital. Sam was a near constant fixturealways searching for new ways to help his beloved community of the TriCities to move forward. To fully appreciate Sams contributions. you have to understand something about the geography and history of my State. The TriCitieswhich are Richland. Pasco. and Kennewickare located on the Columbia River in the southeastern region of Washington State. From the Hanford nuclear facility. to the pristine beauty of the last freeflowing stretch of the Columbia River. to the many varied agricultural and business challenges. the TriCities are diverse and very unique. Located across the Cascade Mountains from Seattle and other population centers. it could be pretty easy for these three communities to have their needs overlooked. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3200}
{"speech_id":1090074307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. Sam made sure that never happened. Whenever something important was happening in the TriCities. I could always count on Sam to show up in my Senate office to share it with me. even if I didnt know he was coming. I vividly remember many years ago when the chair of the Energy Committee cut funding for the construction of HAMMER. HAMMER is -a worldclass training facility located in Richland. WA. Well. I like to think I am always on top of the issues affecting my home State. but- Sam kept me on my toes. I showed up at my office one morning at about 7:30 a.m. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3200}
{"speech_id":1090074307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Guess who was already there. standing there. waiting for me outside my door. Sam Volpentest. Although Sam may have only had about an inch or two on me. that mans passion could move mountains. And on that day. his passion was for building HAMMER. Well. I didnt want to mess with Sam. so I marched right into that Energy Committee chairmans office. and I fought side by side with Sam to restore those cuts. And we won. I was proud to stand with Sam at the HAMMER groundbreaking ceremony in July of 1995. Sam was 91 years young at that time. I still have that shovel on display in my office as a reminder of what we can all do if we have passion and heart. and if we work together. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3200}
{"speech_id":1090074307,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just look at HAMMER today. It is a firstrate facility that keeps Hanford workers safe. HAMMER has created jobs. It has created economic opportunities and development. and it has the potential now to be a Homeland Security training center for first responders across the country. Our entire country owes Sam a debt of gratitude for all he has done for so .many people. During my years in the Senate. I have worked with a lot of people. But no oneno onehas come close to matching Sams energy. his commitment. and his success. Sam has been a role model to me and to all of us who want to spend our lives giving something back to the communities we care about most. I thank him for helping me be a better representative for 4ll the people of my home State. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3200}
{"speech_id":1090074307,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sam was a oneperson Chamber. of Commerce. He was a visitors center and he was a cheerleading squad all wrapped into one. Sam Volpentest was the heart and soul of thegTriCities. He was one of a kind. Sam will be dearly missed. but he will not be forgotten.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3200}
{"speech_id":1090074321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am honored to recognize three outstanding Massachusetts communities. each of which has been chosen by Armericas Promise as one of the \"100 Best Communities for Young People\" in this Nation. The communities of Barnstable County. Brockton. and Cambridge. have demonstrated outstanding civic leadership for our children. Community leaders. businesses. teachers and Government officials work together in these communities to give their children both the tools and the opportunities they need to succeed. I am very proud that such exemplary communities can be found in my home State. Barnstable has an impressive record of civic involvement. Not only are community leaders active in the lives of their youth. but they encourage their children to participate in community activities. Over 40 percent of the households in Barnstable have young people participating in community service. and this is. in large part. a reflection of the extensive programs in area high schools such as Junior State of America. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3972}
{"speech_id":1090074321,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mentoring. Peer Leaders. and National Honor Society. In the Barnstable middle school communities. initiatives such as Schools for Success. which works with underachieving youth in the Barnstable Middle School to improve academic achievement and social skills. have evolved and flourished. The community involvement extends outside of the school systems as well with organizations such as Childrens Cove. a program run by the Barnstable County district attorneys office. the State department of social service. and Cape Cod Health Care. together with other community partners to assist children who have experienced sexual abuse. In Brockton. successful community organizations work tirelessly to provide their children with every oppor-. tunity to fearn. grow. and remain both physically and mentally healthy. The Brockton After Dark program otganizes several different activities each weeknight at seven locations across the city. including basketball games. open swim time. tennis. soccer. performing arts. and open mike nights. By keeping vulnerable youth off the streets. the program contributpd to a significant drop in crime. The Target Outreach initiative. directs atrisk youth to positive alternatives offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs by recruiting children to club activities as a diversion to gang activities. In its first 2 years. the program far surpassed its enrollment goal. In 20042005. 179 members of the Brockton High School Key Club. a partner in Brocktons Promise. completed 3.800 hours of community service in Brockton. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3972}
{"speech_id":1090074321,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Together. the mayor. the district attorney and the chief of police have organized successful Kids Road Races. youth field trips to the local Brockton Rox baseball game. and much more. The city of Cambridge has also illustrated its dedication to improving the quality of life for its youth and their families. In 1997. Cambridge introduced the Agenda for Children. which consisted of more than 50 meetings with over 600 community members to bring the citys health. human services. schools. police. and library departments together with nonprofit providers and the Cambridge Community Foundatiogi to help improve the quality of life for its youth. In addition. the Neighborhood Service Project provides youth with an opportunity to work with their peers targeting a variety of issues from teen pregnancy to multiculturalism. The Cambridge Prevention Coalition. partnering with other organizations. has developed a Peer Leadership Program which creates teen leaders mobilized around substance abuse issues. All in all. Cambridge has over 150 programs within the city limits attending to the needs and services of youth and their families. What I have given here is just a small sampling of the incredible programs occurring in the Commonwealth. I applaud these three cities on their recognition by Americas Promise. encourage them to continue their great work and I hope other communities will follow their example.*","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3972}
{"speech_id":1090074326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr: President. for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following .nomination lists which were printed in the RECORDS on the dates indicated. and ask unanimous consent. to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretarys desk for the information of Senators.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":329}
{"speech_id":1090074335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to talk about an. issue that is very important to me. very important to my constituents in Maryland and very important to government workers and retirees across the Nation. I am reintroducing a bill to modify a cruel rule of government that is unfair and prevents current workers from enjoying the benefits of their hard work during retirement. My bill has bipartisan support and had 29 cosponsors last year. With this strong bipartisan support. I hope that we can correct this cruel rule of government this year. Under current law. a Social Security spousal benefit is reduced or entirely eliminated if the surviving spouse is eligible for a pension from a local. State or Federal Government job that was not covered by Social Security. This policy is known as the Government Pension Offset. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090074335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is how the current law works. Consider a surviving spouse who retires from government service and receives a government pension of $600 a month. She also qualifies for a Social Security spousal benefit of $645 a month. Because of the Pension Offset law. which reduces her Social Security benefit by 2\/3 of her government pension. her spousal benefit is reduced to $245 a month. So instead of $1.245. she will receive only $845 a month. That is $400 a month less to pay the rent. purchase a prescription medication. or buy groceries. I think that is wrong. My bill does not repeal the government pension offset entirely. but it will allow retirees to keep more of what they deserve. It guarantees that those subject to the offset can keep at least $1.200 a month in combined retirement income. With my modification. the 2\/3 offset would apply only to the combined benefit that exceeds $1.200 a month. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090074335,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So. in the example above. the","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090074338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LANDRIEU. and CLINTON. the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2005 (CPEHA). This legislation would reauthorize and amend the housing titles of the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. Specifically. our bill would realign the incentives behind the Department of Housing and Urban Developments homelessness assistance programs to accomplish the goals of preventing and ending longterm homelessness. During the past several weeks. stark pictures of the reality faced by many in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have made more of the country aware of the daytoday pressures faced by those who are homeless.. Unfortunately. as many as 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness each year. Ten to 20 percent are homeless for long periods of time. Many of these Americans have severe disabilities. Many have worn a uniform for our country. with the Veterans Administration estimating that at least 500.000 veterans experience homelessness over the course of a year. Statistics regarding the number of children who experience homelessness are especially troubling. More than one million children experience homelessness each year. that is one in ten poor children in the United States. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090074338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have learned that children who are homeless are in poorer health. have developmental delays. and achieve less in school than children who have homes. Many of those who are homeless have a simple problemthey cannot afford housing. Using the most recent census data. 56 percent of extremely lowincome families are paying more than half their income for housing. Between 1990 and 2000. shortages of affordable housing for these families worsened in 44 of the 50 States In 2000. it was estimated that 4.6 million units of lowincome housing would need to be created in order to take care of this problem. As rents have soared and affordable housing units have disappeared from the market during the past five years. even more working Americans have been left unable to afford housing. So why should the Federal Government work to help prevent and end homelessness? Simply put. we cannot afford not to solve this problem. Homelessness leads to untold costs. including expenses for emergency rooms. jails and shelters. foster care. detoxification. and emergency mental health treatment. It has been almost twenty years since the passage of the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. and we have learned a lot about. the problem of homelessness since then. There is a growing consensus on ways to help communities break the cycle of repeated and prolonged homelessness. If we combine Federal dollars with the right incentives to local communities. we can end longterm homelessness. ","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090074338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bipartisan legislation will do just that. It will reward communities for initiatives that prevent homelessness. promote the development of permanent supportive housing. and optimize selfsufficiency. The Community Partnership to Help End Homelessness Act of 2005 will set us on the path to meeting an important national goal. I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this bill and other homelessness prevention efforts. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the Community Partnership to Help End Homelessness Act of 2005 be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JON CORZINE","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090074389,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is my privilege- today to introduce to my House colleagues our guest chaplain. Father Kevin Gormley. pastor of the St. Peter Catholic Church in Marshall. Missouri. Father Gormley was born in Ireland and studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College and Seminary in Dublin. Following his ordination in 1964. Father Gormley came to the United States. Since that time. he has spent 41 years serving in the parishes of Central Missouri where he is -widely known. highly respected. and very. much loved. Father Gormley became an American citizen in 1975. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090074389,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In July. 2000. he became the pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Marshall. Missouri where he currently serves and resides. Father Gormley also serves as pastor of Holy Family Church. Sweet Springs. Missouri. and as the administrator of St. Peter School. Father Gormley also serves the community as a member of the Ministry of Alliance and as the Catholic Chaplain for the Marshall Habitation Center. I thank Chaplain Coughlin for his kind invitation to Father Gormley to offer the opening prayer. and would like to thank Father Gormley for traveling to our Nations capital to be with us today.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090074398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask to remove my name from H.R. 3824 if the report has not yet been filed. If it has been filed. I would ask that it be placed in the RECORD that if the managers amendment is not approved. I will be voting \"no\" on H.R. 3824. Let me say. Mr. Speaker. I also want to add to the questioning of the response dealing with Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":981}
{"speech_id":1090074398,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is imperative that committees of the House. particularly the Committee on Homeland Security. move forward with questioning how those who were in desperate need were. responded to and how the chain of command performed. The question was always who was in charge. I raise the question as well. whether there was sensitivity or .sensibilities in contracting with the cruise line. $246 million. to house individuals who had already been in water beyond belief. I would ask that that be investigated because those cruise ships are now sitting empty. and we are paying $1.000 a week for empty cruise ships.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":981}
{"speech_id":1090074434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the gentleman. from California tries to make the substitute and the bill that is on the floor sound the same. but there are major differences. and we should recognize that. First of all. let us talk about some of those differences. The bill before us is a huge giveaway to big developers. It creates a program where the burden is on the government to disprove. It basically does not put a dollar amount in the bill. because they are afraid of the dollar amount because it is an entitlement program for landowners that want to gut the Endangered Species Act. But the estimates are 10. 20. 30. 40 billion. Who knows how much this is going to cost. Our bill. the substitute. does not do that. It is modest. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090074434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It says we should work with private landowners. It sets up a program so that the government goes out and works with those landowners to accomplish the goals of the Endangered Species Act. The majority bill. and this is another major difference. changes the Endangered Species Act in a radical. radical way. especially with the adoption of the managers amendment. The substitute reforms the Endangered Species Act. while protecting the core provisions of that magnificent environmental law that has been on the books for 30 years. At the end of this. we have not respected this institution by the way we brought the bill before the floor. the way we have worked in committee to put it on a rocket docket and speed it through. speed it through this process. We need to slow down. We need to take a look at this and work in a bipartisan way. I urge my colleagues to defeat the rule.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090074561,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I rise as a Member probably more affected by this law than anybody else in the United States Congress. I probably represent more critical habitat in the coastal counties of Monterey Bay than anybody. That is the Big Sur. Carmel. Pebble Beach. Santa Cruz region. That critical habitat has made us a lot of money on what is watchable wildlife. Watchable wildlife is the largest business. fastestgrowing business in the United States. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2434}
{"speech_id":1090074561,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of all the sports in this country. watchable wildlife exceeds them all. This bill undermines the greatest economic asset we have. which is our natural things by creating a new issue on takings. You argue the bill is broken because the administration has not been able to administer it. Well. it is not the bill that is at fault. it is the United States Congress and the President of the United States that are at fault. I am on the Committee on Appropriations. and in 2003 the Fish and Wildlife Service said it needed approximately \u0095$153 million to address the critical backlog of listings of critical habitat. yet the President only asked for $18 million. This is the way to kill an organization. You do not fund it. and say. look. the law does not work. you have a backlog. So let us take the law. Every city councilmember. every city supervisor in the United States ought to wake up and look at this law because now they give full development rights under this law. If you do not like the way the law is. you have trees in your backyard that the government says. the commu-. nity says you ought to preserve. you do not have to worry about that now because you can say that is a taking. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2434}
{"speech_id":1090074561,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pebble Beach. cut all of your cypress trees and pine trees. which are the Monterey cypress and the Monterey pines. because now instead of beautiful scenery. you can build hotels all over that land. And if they do not allow you to do that because of the trees. the government will pay you. Mr. Speaker. guess what. the government has no money. It cannot even pay the bureaucrats that are responsible for carrying out the law. This bill is a gun to the head. This bill says if you do not grant that development. by God. government. you have to pay it. The lawyers say. government. you have no money. you better grant the request. This is a full development rights. It is an attack on Americas greatest heritage. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2434}
{"speech_id":1090074561,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It endangerswild and scenic species.","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2434}
{"speech_id":1090074563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in Washington everything looks perfect on paper and people hate to admit they made a mistake. but the truth of the matter is how it works in Feal life is completely different. and we have a responsibility to make those changes. I strongly support this recovery act and thank the gentleman from California for his leadership and thegentleman from California for his hard work. My east Texas district. which was hit very hard by Hurricane Rita. is jam packed with trees. The piney woods are our heritage. They are our economy. and they provide habitat for the red cockheaded woodpecker. among other endangered species. But for decades. responsible landowners have been afraid that the Federal Government would swoop in and take their livelihood away for the sake of this bird due simply to the outdated and unsubstantiated burdens of the Endangered Species Act. Americas farmers and ranchers and private property owners in east Texas have spent long enough fearing the Federal Government. Unfortunately. current law has created incentives for landowners to destroy species habitat to rid their properties of liability. I strongly support this measure.","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090074571,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I serve a very rural district. a lot of landowners. Currently. a landowner with an endangered species on his -land often sees the species as a threat to his survival. That is not good for the species. and it is certainly not good for the landowner. It is not working. It is largely adversarial. H.R. 3824 provides incentives for landowners to preserve endangered species. and this will help the species. and it will help people as well. In 1978. 50 miles of the Central Platte River in Nebraska was designated as critical habitat for whooping cranes. Only 3 to 4 percent of the whooping cranes visit the Platte River annually. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1418}
{"speech_id":1090074571,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The great majority of whooping cranes never see the Platte River. never visit it at all. and so many have questioned this designation because this designation has led to a cooperative agreement between Nebraska. Colorado. and Wyoming involving thousands of acres of lands. hundreds of thousands of feet of water to support critical habitat. and it is still not complete after 8 years of spending millions of dollars. So we have case after case after case like this where this thing simply is not working well. Hopefully. applying the best available current science required by this legislation will improve this process. I think it will. I thank the gentleman from California (Chairman PoMBo) for his efforts. as well as the gentleman from California . and ask support for H.R.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1418}
{"speech_id":1090074600,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the legislation offered by the gentleman from California and would like to give you an example of why this bill is needed. Seven years ago. the Fish and Wildlife Service contacted my office to state they were going to list the Prebles meadow jumping mouse as a threatened species. It wasnt even a surprise. State and local authorities had known the mouse might be listed for years. And. at first. it didnt even seem like it would be that much of a problem. The mouse was a nocturnal animal that dwelt within a hundred feet of either side of streambeds. The Front Range of the Rockies could also claim at least three government reservationsthe U.S. Air Force Academy. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2870}
{"speech_id":1090074600,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rocky Flats and Warren AFB in Wyomingwhich offered the mouse almost untrammeled range in which to roam. But over the course of the next seven years. the lines moved. Now the mouses range extended beyond the stream beds. sometimes by miles. Habitat had to be protected. not only where the mouse had been found but also where it might be found if indeed a threeinchlong rodent could travel several miles to get there. Over the past seven years. the State of Colorado spent approximately $8 million to preserve the mouse. Counties up and down the Front Range spent even more money to acquire open space and to develop habitat conservation plans. few of which. to my knowledge. were ever completed or even begun. This is not even counting the impact to private property owners. not knowing whether they could use or develop their property. And after all this. all the money spent. all the needless planning and contention. it turned out the Fish and Wildlife Service was wrong. The Prebles meadow jumping mouse was not threatened. It wasnt even a separate subspecies. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2870}
{"speech_id":1090074600,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A scientist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science stated this and the scientist whose 1954 work led to the original listing. agreed with the new data. And so the delisting process started. Hopefully. well see it completed sometime in the near future though there is some evidence that Fish and Wildlife is taking its time in doing so. But meanwhile. the states of Wyoming and Colorado and its Front Range counties and cities and residents are out at least $8 million and probably more for no good reason. After all this time and expense. nothing has been produced. That is why this bill is needed. If we are going to undertake these massive landplanning schemes. then the Feds ought to be sure of their facts. If they are going to mandate conservation planning and land setasides. then maybe they ought to send the money along to do that. The states. counties and cities have other things they could spend their tax dollars on. The ESA. as it currently stands. does nothing but keep attorneys and interest groups busy and needs reformed. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2870}
{"speech_id":1090074600,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I say. lets try this approach. I urge your support of H.R.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2870}
{"speech_id":1090074606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my strong opposition to the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005. Despite the deceptive title of this bill. it is a -measure designed to weaken the protections secured under the landmark Endangered Species Act (ESA). While scientists are uncertain about the exact rate of extinction. they estimate that it is probably thousands of times greater than the rate prior to human civilization. In 1973Congress enacted the ESA to address this problem of species extinction.-The ESA is a comprehensive legal measure that is used to identify and protect species that are determined to be the most at risk. Under this law. once a species is designated as either \"endangered\" or \"threatened.\" powerful legal tools are available to aid in the recovery of the species and to protect its habitat. Without these strong federal protections hundreds of species including the bald eagle. grizzly bear. Florida panther. and the manatee would all be extinct. The bill we are debating today is flawed in many ways. but I am particularly concerned with its removal of habitat protection from the Endangered Species Act. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3181}
{"speech_id":1090074606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Habitat destruction. degradation. and fragmentation is the most significant cause of species extinction. This legislation blatantly ignores the integral role habitat plays in the survival of a species by eliminating the designation of \"critical habitat.\" Without this special designation. our governments ability to recover species will be severely undermined. It is disconcerting that some of my colleagues do not value saving our unique natural treasures. but it is appalling that they refuse to acknowledge that the Endangered Species Act is about much more than saving a unique species. It is undeniable that the world in which we live is an intricately connected environment that is suffering from human abuse and neglect. The loss of a spe: cies interrupts the life cycle of the ecosystem it was part of and alters our environment in ways far beyond this isolated event. The Endangered Species Act is a vital tool in preventing and reversing these life cycle disruptions before they ripple out and cause further damage to our natural communities. We all agree that this law should be revisited and improvements to the law should be implemented. I. understand the concems of my colleagues that this law has been abused at the detriment of their constituents rights. However. I believe there are ways to balance the needs of development and property rights with the need to protect the health of the environment which we all share. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3181}
{"speech_id":1090074606,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead of working towards a true compromise. we are considering legislation that is based on the fallacious premise that environmental protection requires a tradeoff with private interests. It. takes a very shortsighted. short term view of our world and our economy. It ignores the long term damage catering to these private interests will have on our future. The Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 severely hampers the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation that will result in far reaching and detrimental impacts.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3181}
{"speech_id":1090074618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. I rise to deal with the section of the managers amendment that covers the manatees. Buried in this managers amendment in dry language is a contest between Florida developers on the one hand and Florida manatees on the other. In this Republican Congress. guess who wins. the developers or the manatees? It is not even close. This is an unprecedented move to exempt a single type of. activity. dockbuilding. from a key provision of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. After losing in court. some boaters and marine contractors have come to Congress asking for special favors so they can continue their development without addressing the impacts on the endangered manatee. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2922}
{"speech_id":1090074618,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not only bad policy. but it also undermines recovery efforts by the State of Florida and the Fish and Wildlife Service. By way of background. this section would allow those applying for dock permits to simply prove that their activities would not. quoteunquote. jeopardize. would not jeopardize the continued existence of endangered and threatened marine mammal species as mandated by the Endangered Species Act. section 7. Today. under existing law they must prove that their activities would have only a negligible impact on these species as mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. section 101. This simple change in wording lowers our national standard for protection of this wellloved species. Why? Because no single dock is likely to jeopardize manatees. but a whole succession of docks is likely to do exactly that. This amendment clearly targets manatees in Florida. but we really have no idea what kind of precedent or implications this would have for other critically endangered marine mammals. Now. it did not take long for the developers to get here. They lost a lawsuit on July 13. 2005. against the Fish and Wildlife Service in which the court found that the Marine Mammal Protection Act does in fact apply to dockbuilding activities that would lead to incidental take of marine mammals. and specifically manatees in Floridas inland waters. This amendment. therefore. is rushed into this particular bill. just part of the managers amendment. it would undermine the process that has gone on for several years that the State of Florida and the Fish and Wildlife Service have engaged in to recover manatees in Florida. It would completely shortcircuit the progress made by the State and those Federal agencies. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2922}
{"speech_id":1090074618,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. the minority and majority have already reached agreements and passed a version of the Marine Mammal Protection Act out of the Committee on Resources. and this amendment flies directly in the face of that process. So here is the situation: Florida developers are not pleased by a court case in July. They rush in here. they get a provision in this bill to make sure that they win and the Florida manatees lose. Bad policy. bad politics.","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2922}
{"speech_id":1090074638,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman. I say to my friend from West Virginia. I appreciate all the work that he and his staff put into this bill. This was an important thing for us to go through. and I think that we produced a good bill at the end of that. I know that there are issues in the underlying bill that we disagree on. and we probably always will. I will tell the gentleman. as we continue to work forward. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":996}
{"speech_id":1090074638,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will continue to work with the gentleman as this bill moves through the process. continue to work with the gentleman and try to work out whatever differences that still exist under the bill. The gentleman from West Virginia operated under good faith with me. I believe I did the same thing with the gentleman throughout this entire process. and I pledge to the gentleman that we will continue to work together to produce the best possible bipartisan bill we can to deliver to the Presidents desk. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":996}
{"speech_id":1090074658,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the substitute. It is bipartisan. It is supported by Members of Congress from every part of the country. It is not only a unique and valuable bipartisan piece of legislation. but it is one that will work. Like the underlying bill. the substitute would repeal the current requirement that the Secretary designate critical habitat for endangered fish. wildlife and plants. before formulating a plan for species recovery. In order. however. to maintain a strong ESA. the substitute gives a strong definition of what is meant to jeopardize continued existence of the species. Science is the core principle of ESA and we direct the Secretary to issue. and regularly revise. guidance on the acceptable scientific measures. The substitute also creates a Science Advisory Board to peerreview controversial decisions and offer other assistance when necessary. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2410}
{"speech_id":1090074658,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The substitute is going to provide a helping hand to landowners. dedicated funding for technical assistance to private property owners. a conservation grants program for landowners who help conserve the species on or near their property. assurances that private citizens can get timely answers fromthe Fish and Wildlife Service. and reporting requirements so that we know how many applications are really going unanswered. and most importantly. why. The substitute directs the Federal Government to work with the States on a far broader and more cooperative manner than either current law or the Committee on Resources bill. The substitute directs the Secretary to first determine whether public lands are sufficient to protect and save the species. if we could protect the species. and save the species in our public lands. in our national forests. our national BLM lands. and in our parks and wildlife refuges. we should do so without placing the burden on private landowners. Mr. Chairman. this amendment represents a broad bipartisan and fiscally responsible effort to move this process forward in a manner that can not only get an overwhelming vote of support in the House. but which can move on to the Presidents desk for signature in the same manner as the original Act. I urge my colleagues .to support the substitute. and I say that it will be not only a successful undertaking. but one which will be much more in the interests of the landowners and of the species that we are trying to protect and preserve.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2410}
{"speech_id":1090074660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the chairman not only yielding me time but. more especially. I appreciate all the work that he has done in this. We heard over and over in the hearings that Democrats really appreciated the way in which the gentleman reached out and started from scratch and negotiated with them. Everything was honest. open. above board and that the gentlemans example was one to be emulated by people that wanted bipartisanship. Of course. we get to the floor and I am hearing some different things now. But nonetheless I also want to thank those Democrats who. with an open mind and with a regard for fairness. have assisted the chairman in trying to put together a good bill. Now. it seems to me what this comes down to is a couple of differing philosophies here. On the one hand. you have a philosophy that says private property ownership rights are important and on the other says King George. before we had the revolution. did not have such a bad system. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2824}
{"speech_id":1090074660,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you were a suokup.to the king. if you paid homage. kind of like the Kelo decision. you were the better friend of the government. then the government was going to treat you good. Never mind your private property rights. We will tell you how you can use your property. We will tell you what you can be compensated for and how and when. Now. under the substitute amendment. it is pretty clear you do not get an honest answer from the government. Do my private property rights violate or infringe upon some endangered species? Will it amount to an inappropriate use? Well. maybe it will and maybe it will not. We do not have to give you an answer. but you will have to buy a permit and then under the bill. the chairman has come up with you get a straight answer and you get it quickly. And if you do not get it within 180 days. then you have got your answer as a matter of law. Under this substitute. all property owners can find out is if they need to be having a habitat conservation plan and if they do. well. gee. the government will help you fill out the application in begging to see what you can do with your own property. We give you a straight answer yes or no under the original bill. and that is how it should be. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2824}
{"speech_id":1090074660,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The substitute amendment is going to stick the private property owners with the fees. And. boy. I tell you what. when I hear this word \"entitlement\" as if it is going to somebody that is not entitled to something. I tell you. entitlement has a different connotation here. But under this bill. under the original bill it is not an entitlement the way most people see it. If you own property and it is taken away from you. you cannot use it the way you want to because some Federal entity says you cannot. By golly. under our system of law. the wayour Constitution is written. you ought to be compensated for it. That is America.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2824}
{"speech_id":1090074707,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. first of all. to respond to my colleague from Washington. a simple deed restriction takes care of that. They do not go through this and pay and pay and pay and pay. They put it in the deed when they cut the deal. and they pay fair and just compensation for taking somebodys property. That would be stupid to do that over and over. They do that in the deed. and that is a restriction that carries with the property. Let me talk about a couple of the differences between these two plans and why I support the underlying Pombo bill. Among other things. section 10. page 18. they give 3 years. the government. to come up with a recovery plan. Our plan says 2 years. So if they want to recover species. we say get it done in 2 years with the recovery plan. they say 3. ","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2370}
{"speech_id":1090074707,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If my colleagues want to talk about spending. they create a new science board. GS15s. section 20 in the bill. $1 million a year. CBO says we will compensate private property owners to the tune of maybe $6 million in the first 5 years. That is all they score out. This. $1 million a year for bureaucrats. and private property owners are left carrying their own costs. That is not fair and right in America. So if the Members want bigger bureaucracy. pay GS15s here in Washington. a total of $1 million combined over the year. and they get just as much as we are talking about trying to help out the private property owners. And if they ask the government for some sort of safe harbor for entering into a habitat conservation program. basically they get back a written determination under our provision that prevents them from being prosecuted. from the governments coming back and doubletiming them. saying. yes. go ahead and we will not prosecute if you do everything you said you were going to do. Under the alternative. as I read it. whatever they do. they would have to get an incidental take permit and then they still do not have any kind of protection from the governments coming back again after them. So what we are trying to do is create cooperative partnerships with private landowners through new conservation programs and give certainty over 10-. 20-. and 30year periods to recover species and set up recovery programs that would come together in 2 years. not 3. and provide for compensation when somebody loses their farm or a portion thereof just as if a highway ran through it.","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2370}
{"speech_id":1090074714,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"district and Mr. BACAS district. in your district. Mr. MILLER. 0l 1630 If you do not do something to protect the property owners. those stories are never going to stop. The act has been a failure in recovering species. Now we can all agree. When it comes to protecting private property owners. regardless of what all the hot rhetoric is. what the underlying law says is that if you meet State and local zoning laws. if you go through the process of getting that approval. then you have something. If you are a farmer farming your land and they tell you that you cannot farm your land anymore. you can get compensated for agriculture land. If you are a developer who has gone through the process. gotten your land zoned and they tell you you cannot use it. then that is what you get compensated for. But once land has that restriction on it. whoever buys it cannot come back again and say they want something else. because they know it is restricted. ","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1202}
{"speech_id":1090074714,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So this argument is totally out of line and off base. We protect private property owners. That is what leads to recovery. The substitute just does not. Vote against the substitute. support the base bill. and let us move on with some decent legislation.","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1202}
{"speech_id":1090074746,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we talk about all the Members from California. occasionally some Members there think the westernmost county is Hawaii. of California. but I think those of us either from California. the far west in general. and even further west. out in Hawaii. have seldom. if ever. complained about having to make the votes in late afternoon on a Monday or a Tuesday or a Thursday or whatever. But I would just plead for this. and I appreciate the gentlemans yielding to me. but if the gentleman could give those of us west of the Mississippi the opportunity to come and vote. say after 4:30. or about 4:30 or 5. we can do it. Other than that. it really changes the entire day and night. in my instance the night before. because I come directly from the plane to vote. and many Members of the California. Oregon. Washington. and even some of the other western States who have interconnections they have to make north and south before they come east have to do that. That is the only reason we ask about that. Maybe we could start a little earlier on Friday and still accommodate what needs to be done. But it is not selfindulgent. it is really a practical question of scheduling.","speaker_name":"NEIL ABERCROMBIE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1169}
{"speech_id":1090074804,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I take this time to talk a little bit about a great American leader who is winding up his tenure as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America. and that is. of course. General Richard Myers. General Myers had his last appearance before the Committee on Armed Services today. and I was reminded of all the many wonderful appearances that he has made in advising not only the President and the Secretary of Defense but also the membership of both of the Houses of Congress with respect to the United States and our military requirements. I was looking over the statements that were made by the President and others in 2001. really just a few days after 9\/11. when General Myers was nominated for this position by the President of the United States. and I thought I would read that statement that the President made. I am quoting the President. George W. Bush. who said then in 2001: \"Today I name a new chairman of the Joint Chiefs. one of the most important appointments a President can make. 1 E 1830 \"This appointment is especially so because it comes at a time when we need great leadership. Secretary Rumsfeld and I thought long and hard about this important choice. and we enthusiastically agree that the right man to preserve the best traditions of our Armed Forces. while challenging them to innovate. to meet the threats of the future. is General Richard B. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10644}
{"speech_id":1090074804,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Myers.\" The President went on to say. \"General Myers is a man of steady resolve and determined leadership. He is a skilled and steady hand. He is someone who understands that the strengths of Americas Armed Forces are our people and our technological superiority. and we must invest in both.\" Now. later. after the President had made that nomination. a number of people weighed in on this. commentators in the main weighed in on this nomination by the President and one. in one of the discussions. General Richard Hawley. retired. was asked about General Myers. He was asked to give his take on this particular appointment by the President. He said. \"Well. Dick Myers has wonderful credentials at the tactical. operational. and the strategic level. He has had diplomatic assignments. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10644}
{"speech_id":1090074804,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think perhaps as an example when he was at U.S. Space Command. he really helped our combatant commanders understand how to fully. integrate our space capabilities into their operations. And- he also helped particularly those of us in the Air Force. but also I think others who work in defense issues understand what the potential is of our space forces to contribute in the future of our operational success.\" Now. of course. after that initial nomination and confirmation by the Senate. General Myers was thrust into this role. this very demanding role at a time in which we were engaged in a shooting war in Afghanistan on the heels of 9\/11 and. shortly thereafter. combat operations in Iraq which have been ongoing. Through all of that. General Dick Myers has truly been a steady hand. He has been thoughtful. he has been able to handle the exigencies. the emergencies of the moment and. at the same time. look over the horizon to the problems that may face us 5 or 10 or 15 years down the line. All the while he was operating or maintaining this understanding of our operational requirements in a combat sense. General Myers has been there when we have had national emergencies. I remember the hail of firestorms that we had in California. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10644}
{"speech_id":1090074804,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had massive parts of our State literally on fire. and we desperately needed help. I remember the bureaucracy that we had in California in those days. and the fact that the State of California had not requested that our military capabilities. our military aircraft. that have a tremendous capability to put out forest fires. they had not requested that those be brought in because. in their words. they wanted to use all the contractors that they could before they went to the military. While that was happening. much of California was burning up. . I remember the decision that General Myers made to not wait on the bureaucrats in California. but to send these units. these emergency units out to California. and his reasoning was. by the time the planes got there. California would understand that they. in fact. needed some help in putting those fires out. Sure enough. before that first unit landed at Point Magoo. the State of California had. in fact. decided that they were not going to be able to put this one out in an expeditious fashion. and they requested the aircraft that General Myers had already sent. So it was an example of a leader who understood how important it was to act quickly. Now. he has acted quickly as an adviser to the President and the Secretary of Defense. He is not in the chain of command. The combatant commanders go directly up to Secretary Rumsfeld and the President when they are receiving their orders for the prosecution of a war. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10644}
{"speech_id":1090074804,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But General Myers advice on operations. on moving troops. on putting together a plan to handle the challenges of things like these improvised explosive devices. to handle rotations. this tremendous stress on our forces as we move forces in and out of theater. and as we bring the Guard and Reserve in and we match them up with the. active duty forces and have them in the present combat situation in Iraq and in Afghanistan. have the Reserve and Guard forces working sidebyside with the active duty forces to the point in which they cannot be distinguished. one from the other is. to a large degree. a function of General Myers leadership. So he leaves us with his last appearance before the House Committee on Armed Services today. and he is going to enjoy hopefully a little free time with his wonderful wife. Mary Jo. I know that we will be calling on him to give us his great judgment in the future. because he is a great American with lots of integrity. lots of respect from all sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill in both bodies. and also a great deal of respect from those people that work and serve this country every day. wearing the uniform of the United States. We are going to call on General Richard B. Myers many times. A wonderful. wonderful American. Now. I would also like to talk very briefly about another great American. and an American family. I was reminded about this family when General John Kelly came in and we discussed someof the challenges that we are facing in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10644}
{"speech_id":1090074907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me try to explain as briefly as I can what the House did. The House sent over to us a continuing resolution that says we will continue funding programs from last year at last years level. or the lower of what the House had passed earlier in their budget. For most programs. that doesnt mean much. This is a continuing resolution until when? November. November 18? Most education money goes out next year. So for 2 months it doesnt mean it is a big deal. Two or three monthsmaybe through December when we will finally adjourn. However. there is one program that is deeply affected by what the House did. It is called the Community Services Block Grant Program. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090074907,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This money goes out quarterly. It is used quarterly. It means tomorrow the community services block grant will be cut 50 percentnot next year. tomorrow. In real dollars. this isnt some phony baloney stuff. What is even worseas I took the floor last night. I did not know thisin 1990. an amendment was put on and agreed to on the Community Services Block Grant Program. It is a trigger formula. It is a little bit complicated. but I will try to explain it. It says if the total funding for a fiscal year exceeds $345 million. each State shall receive not less than onehalf of 1 percent of the total amount. It protects small States. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090074907,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"OK? However. if thb funding is less than $345 million. then no State shall receive less than onefourth of 1 percent. Here is what the House did. Last year. it was $336 million. and the House cut it back to $320.6 million. That is the level it was at in 1986. What does that mean for Alaska? Alaska is one of 13 Statessmall Statesthat will be cut 75 percent. not 50 percent. Thirteen StatesAlaska. Delaware. Hawaii. Idaho. Maine. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090074907,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Montana. Nevada. New Hampshire. North Dakota. South Dakota. Utah. Vermont and Wyomingare not cut 50 percent. The total allocation for those States would fall from $3.356.645 to less than $800.000. I say to those of you who are from those 13 States. if you believe the LIHEAP Program is important in your State. you ought to pay attention to this amendment. The LIHEAP Program in Alaska. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090074907,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hawaii. North Dakota. South Dakota. Utah. Vermont. and Wyoming. for all intents and purposes. will cease next weekOctober. November. maybe December. So small States are hurt the worst. You might ask. What is this Community Services Block Grant Program? What are we talking about here? Who does it serve? It serves the poorest of the poor. 6.5 million Americans. 2 million children. private food banks that rely on the space. refrigerators. and transportation supported by the community services block grant and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will be affected. Housing. weatherization assistance. emergency shelter. rental assistance. the food stamp programs. homedelivered meals. emergency food banks. senior day care. senior centers. foster grandparents. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4665}
{"speech_id":1090074923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Alaska. Look. we may make the House uncomfortable. but I plead with my colleagues. I plead with my colleagues. dont let this happen. Dont. in our haste to leave here and go home for the weekend. shrug our shoulders and say. well. someone will take care of it. Dont let our reticence or our reluctance to make the House come back and do what is right cause us to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the poorest in our country. I plead with my colleagues. lets do the right thing. Lets adopt this amendment. The House can come back later today. They can fix it. They can make it right. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090074923,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It may be a little bit uncomfortable for them to get on an airplane and come back here. but think about the discomfort of the poor in our country. think about that elderly person who needs the LIHEAP program. Think about their uncomfortableness. They need us. Lets not turn our backs on them at this point in time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090074935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. that ends the debate. Six weeks is a short time in the fiscal year the way we function around here. but it could be a very long time for people who need money to keep their bodies and souls together. Let me direct a question to Senator HARKIN. The Senator from Alaska. having yielded the floor to me. how about Senator STEVENS idea of the States making up the shortfall. on the assurances from the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the President pro tempore and Senator HARKIN and myselfthe ranking member and chairman of the subcommitteethat we will provide the additional funds when we go to conference so that any shortfall will be made up. that we will exercise our very best efforts and think we can be successfulwe have some leverage. too. in conferencethat the moneys will be paid in the interim and the shortfall will be made up?","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":854}
{"speech_id":1090074983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have not been notified by any Senator that they wish to offer an amendment to the Defense bill today. It is my understanding later today there will be an agreement that all amendments in the first degree to this bill should be filed by 5 oclock Monday. Under the circumstances. since other Senators wish to speak on nongermane matters. unless there is someone who wants the floor right now to talk about defenseI am informed there may be an amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":469}
{"speech_id":1090075039,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I was forced to place a hold on H.R. 3408 that will reauthorize for 5 years the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999. LMPR. I introduced S. 1617 with Senator HARKIN that will extend the act by one year. S. 1617 passed this body by unanimous consent during the first week of September. Now here we are at the last minute trying to pass the House version before an important GAG report is released. Last year. Senator HARKIN and I requested a GAO investigation into the accuracy of reported prices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are so close to having this report released that Congress should extend the LMPR by 1 year. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090075039,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My bill could be easily taken up by the House and prevent LMPR from expiring. This would allow the report to come out and give Congress time to evaluate the recommendations. There have been several concerns regarding the administration of the program ranging from late filed reports by packers and inadequate oversight at USDA to ensure compliance and enforcement of the law. I have heard from enough livestock producers to know that there can be improvement to this important law. I am trying to protect the interests of producers and have stated before that only those entities that fear transparency should be fighting for a 5year extension with no consideration for GAOs pending conclusions.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090075041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to urge my colleagues to work with me and all those who support the belief that only through strong leadership will government be able to respond to the needs of its citizens. This week. I participated in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on dealing with the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I want to share a statement made by the Honorable Dan Coody. Mayor of Fayetteville. AR. who said: Ive always believed that any program or process will succeed or fail based on the leadership in that program. And I think that from the very top to the very bottomspeaking at the micro levelthere needs to be a system put in place where we hire the most qualified. most knowledgeable people for the jobthat want to do the joband put them in a position where they can lead. Mayor Coodys remarks underscored my expectations that Federal agencies must be led by experienced and qualified senior leaders in order to ensure that agencies meet their mission. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5409}
{"speech_id":1090075041,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The same evening as our Committee hearing. I was privileged to present the 2005 Service to America Medal Federal Employee of the Year award to Orlando Figueroa. the Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs. Science Mission Directorate. at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Mr. Figueroa led the Mars Exploration Rover Project to success under technical challenges and time constraints. He and his team at the Mars Exploration Rover Project created a mobile science lab was used to conduct remote exploration on the surface of another plant. which allowed the exploration of regions beyond the original landing site. This fantastic accomplishment has produced a wealth of scientific discoveries revealing Mars as a potential habitat. and I told Mr. Figueroa that to me. these discoveries spark the imagination. fuel the human spirit. and inspire us to pursue even greater things. Mr. Figueroa exemplifies leadership. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5409}
{"speech_id":1090075041,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Federal Government is fortunate to have a cadre of career executives selected for their leadership. who are members of the Senior Executive Service. SES. To become a member of the SES. a candidate must possess the following five executive qualifications: leading change. leading people. being results driven. having business acumen. and building coalitions or having communication skills. SES candidates demonstrate these qualifications through experience in key executive skills such as leading others to rapidly adjust organizational behavior and work methods. supervising and managing a diverse workforce. developing strategic human capital management plans. establishing performance standards and plans. managing the budgetary process. overseeing the allocation of financial resources. and developing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal groups and external groups such as Congress. the Office of Management and Budget. and the White House. These qualifications and experiences help ensure that the Federal Governments senior executives have the ability to establish a clear vision for the organization and to drive others to succeed. Political appointees are not required to meet these qualifications. however. but it would be difficult for any agency head to succeed without them. A recent Princeton University review. authored by Mr. David Lewis. underscored the need for political appointees to have such skills. He used the Program Assessment Rating Tool. PART. to analyze the relationship between political appointees and Federal manager performance. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5409}
{"speech_id":1090075041,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As my colleagues know. PART was designed by the Administration to measure program performance at Federal agencies. A PART review helps identify a programs strengths and weaknesses to inform funding and management decisions aimed at making the program more effective. Mr. Lewis found that programs run by politically appointed managers receive systematically lower grades than those run by career managers and that the varied backgrounds of political appointees do not always translate into them being successful managers. Mr. Lewis research shows the need for greater management experience and subject matter expertise for political appointees. Comptroller General David Walker said in a September 21. 2005. interview with Federal Times that \"for certain positions. given the nature of the position. there should be statutory qualification requirements for any nominee.\" I agree. Looking at the shortfalls in leadership at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the high number of political appointees at FEMA for the size of the agency. it is obvious that the political appointeeladen management structure may have created numerous problems. especially in the area of recruiting and retaining top emergency services personnel and the inability to stay focused on the agencys core mission of disaster preparedness and relief. There must be trust and integrity in Government and most of all in our leaders. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5409}
{"speech_id":1090075041,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The crises we face at home and abroad demonstrates the need for highly qualified individuals to lead our Government. There must be the right people. at the right place. at the right time. with the right skills. This is especially true at Federal agencies who need senior leaders. with management skills and subject matter expertise. More importantly. there should be an institutional loyalty and cultural sensitivity in working for the American people as a Federal employee.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5409}
{"speech_id":1090075045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator WYDEN and I are introducing legislation today to change a provision in law that was attendant to the emergency supplemental passed recently dealing with hurricane Katrina. That provision in law increased the amount of money that would be available to be spent on a Government credit card from $2.500 to $250.000. That is right-$250.000 for purchases on a Government credit card. Here is what a Government credit card looks like. There are about 390.000somewhere in that neighborhood390.000 Government credit cards in the country. I have three GAO reports that describe substantial abuse and misuse of these Government credit cards. The proposal that passed this Congress attendant to the hurricane emergency relief says that on these credit cards. the limit will go from $2.500 to $250.000. Let me describe for a moment what the GAO found in various investigations. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090075045,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What has been charged to a Government credit card? Hiring prostitutes. gambling. breastenlargement surgeryyes. it was for a girlfriend of somebody who had a Government credit cardcigars. mounting a deer head. jewelry. wine. and the list goes on. Now the limit goes to $250.000. We aim to take it back to $2.500. It will still have the emergency capabilities that existed since 9\/11 which will allow a $15.000 limit under emergencies. We had a hearing at which a professor from GW Law School who is an expert in this area of Government procurement testified. Here is what he said about the $250.000 credit card limit: The potential for abuse is staggering. Everybody knows that: \"The potential for abuse is staggering.\" If you dont believe it. take a look at the GAO reports with respect to the abuse when the limit was $2.500. Now it is $250.000 for a credit card purchase? Who is going to stand up for the interest of the taxpayers? This fellow. Mr. Safavian. was the top contracting officer for purchases of the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090075045,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He just said several weeks ago about the $250.000: This guidanceThat he and OMB would provideThis guidance helps make sure that adequate management controls are in place to ensure that taxpayers dollars are spent efficiently and responsibly In support of disaster victims. Meaning the new $250.000 on credit cards will be spent efficiently and responsibly. That is from David Safavian. Director of the Office of Procurement and Policy. The problem is. Mr. Safavian was arrested by the FBI on September 19 and charged with lying to an ethics officer and so on. He is the guy who gave us the assurance that taking the credit card from $2.500 to $250.000 will be just fine because there are all these limits in place and it will be spent wisely and efficiently. Yes. and the Moon is made of green cheese. Who is going to believe this. especially when we have the GAO reports that show past abuses with even the $2.500 limit. which includes the hiring of prostitutes on Government credit cards? It includes breastenlargement surgery on Government credit cards. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090075045,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When on Earth will people wake up and start thinking? So Senator WYDEN and myself are today introducing legislation to say. How about lets sober up and think through this the right way on behalf of the American taxpayers. We want to help hurricane victims. no question about that. But I do not want people walking around with credit cards that have a $250.000 limit that say U.S. Government on them. in a way that the GAO says puts us at risk and in a way that Government procurement experts tell us is very dangerous for the American taxpayer. I am pleased to do this with my colleague. Senator WYDEN. For the past several years. Senator WYDEN and I have taken a look at a whole range of wasteful issues. I might just say that Senator WYDEN and I. a while back. found deep in the bowels of the Pentagon there was a plan to create what was called a futures market for terrorism. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090075045,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think they were preparing to spend another $8 million on it. And. yes. they were going to actually have a futures market for terrorism so that people could make wagers buying futures contracts on things such as how many American soldiers will be killed in the next year. will the King of Jordan be assassinated within the next year. One could actually wager and make money by betting on those kinds of things. Senator WYDEN and I blew that wide open. The next day. both Secretary Rumsfeld and the President said they did not know it was going on. They shut it down and it is all over. In my judgment. that was unbelievably stupid as a public policy. whoever allowed that to happen. It is now shut down. A lot of bad things happen in circumstances where no one is watching. In this case. with credit cards that have a $250.000 limit. there is something fundamentally wrong with that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4906}
{"speech_id":1090075054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I join with Senator SNOWE. the chair of our committee. and our colleagues. Senators LANDRIEU and VITTER. to introduce a bill to help small businesses that have been damaged. physically and economically. by one or both of the hurricanes that have destroyed the gulf region over the past four or five weeks. Our colleagues should feel very comfortable voting for this bill. The need is undeniable. based not only on what we see on television every day and read in the papers but also based on the testimony of small businesses and governors at hearings held in the Senate. in our committee last week. and this week before the Finance Committee. Further. 96 Senators voted for very similar legislation 2 weeks ago. This bill is very similar to the amendment (S.A. 1695) that Senator LANDRIEU and I offered to the fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce. Justice. and Science. and that passed the Senate by a vote of 96 to 0 on September 15 as part of the compromise amendment (S.A. 1717) that I put forth with Senators SNOWE. LANDRIEU. and VITTER. We offered those amendments to the appropriations bill because relief for small businesses had not been provided for in the two emergency supplementals. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3792}
{"speech_id":1090075054,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Two bills. worth some $63 billion. and nothing designated for small businesses. It is through the Small Business Administration that disaster loan assistance is available. not just for businesses but for homeowners and renters. and it is through the Small Business Administration that the Federal Government provides the full complement of assistance to the small businesses in our Nation. The SBA is indispensable to the recovery of the gulf region after Hurricane Katrina. Ifthe administration is not going to provide small business relief in the emergency spending bills it sends to Congress. this is absolutely appropriate. We have got to get into law. and to fund. relief for small businesses before Senators go home for a week break in October. These folks have waited too long. We have got to get people back to work. Since Hurricane Katrina hit. the gulf has had the extreme misfortune of being hit by Hurricane Rita. And this bill reflects the damage caused by going a bit further to take care of those small businesses. too. It also incorporates provisions requested by the administration. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3792}
{"speech_id":1090075054,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. at the request of the administration. the bill authorizes the Small Business Administration to make economic injury disaster loans nationwide to any small business directly and adversely impacted by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. The bill limits eligibility of economic injury disaster loans to those small businesses suffering economic losses because of the spikes in gasoline and natural gas and heating oil related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. That is consistent with all other provisions in this bill. We also increased the amount of funding for grants to the States from $400 million to $450 million. to reflect the increased damage and delays in recovery caused by Hurricane Rita. We also repeal some contracting provisions enacted as part of the second supplemental that were antismall business and would have resulted in millions of contracting dollars lost for small businesses that should be getting Federal contracts to rebuild the area. The small businesses dont just need loans. they need work to get revenue flowing again and to hire again. creating local jobs. Mr. President. I extend great thanks to my colleagues. Senators SNOWE. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3792}
{"speech_id":1090075054,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LANDRIEU. and VITTER for their work on this bill. I think we have demonstrated to a weary public that we can work together. and I hope that our colleagues in the Senate and in the House and the President will join us and vote to make this law and to fund it. By Mr. BINGAMAN:","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3792}
{"speech_id":1090075055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the \"Medicare Beneficiary Assistance Improvement Act.\" This legislation would improve what are referred to as the Medicare Savings Programs. which includes the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary. QMB. and Specified Lowincome Medicare Beneficiary. SLMB. and Qualifying Individual1 (QI1) programs that provide costsharing assistance for lowincome Medicare beneficiaries through the Medicaid program. It would also make permanent the QI1 program. which expires today due to inaction by the House of Representatives to extend the program. The QI1 program was established as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and was authorized for 5 years. In 2002 and 2003. extensions of the program were included in various continuing resolutions. The program was further extended through passage of Public Law 108448 in 2004. through todays expiration date. There is no reason that the Congress must participate in this annual last minute scramble to try and extend the program for a few months or a year. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8476}
{"speech_id":1090075055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a disservice to the States. who must watch the Congress closely to constantly prepare to send out disenrollment notices and layoff staff. even though they are relatively certain the program will be extended. But. more importantly. it is a disservice to those that need this important assistance. as many of those enrolled worry this benefit will be taken away and many of those never enrolled never are told of the benefit since States and advocates are spending their time trying to get the program extended rather than conducting outreach. While I remain very hopeful that the Congress will pass an extension of the QI1 program for an additional period in the coming week. I am introducing the \"Medicare Beneficiary Assistance Improvement Act\" today in the hope that Congress will end this process of temporary extensions and permanently authorize the program. as provided for in this legislation. To reiterate. lowincome senior citizens and disabled Americans nationwide should not be subjected to the constant risk of losing crucial health care benefits. Furthermore. the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS. the Social Security Administration. SSA. and the States should be spared the administrative burdens and cost associated with reauthorizing the program each yearsometimes more than once in a year. Furthermore. the bill proposes several improvements to the Medicare Savings Programs and application processes that will make these lowincome benefits both more efficient to administer and more accessible to the individuals who need them. It would also seek to simplify the process and make the Medicare Savings Programs more understandable to lowincome senior citizens and people with disabilities. as well as State and Federal Government officials. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8476}
{"speech_id":1090075055,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In New Mexico. over 1.500 lowincome Medicare beneficiaries receive the QI1 benefit. which saves them almost $1.000 in Medicare Part B premium outofpocket costs annually. Unfortunately. according to estimates made by the Medicare Rights Center using Census Bureau data. over 11.000 are likely to be eligible. Many are completely unaware of the assistance this program offers. The same is true among those of us that created the three different Medicare Savings Programs. In fact. I am almost absolutely certain that few of my Senate colleagues could accurately explain how any of these programs work and that is precisely the problem with them. They are intended serve our Nations most vulnerable. lowincome citizens with their Medicare costsharing burdens. but do so in a very complicated manner that few can understand. It is no wonder that many of our Nations elderly and people with disabilities that qualify for this assistance do not participate. For example. the QI1 program is Federal grant payment to States for the purpose of paying the Medicare Part B premium. which is $78.20 per month in 2005 and will increase to $88.50 per month or over $1000 per year in 2006. for individuals with income between 120 and 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Through this Federal grant. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8476}
{"speech_id":1090075055,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States must pay the full amount of the Medicare Part B premium for qualifying individuals but may cap or otherwise limit enrollment if the State projects that further enrollment will result in exhaustion of their State allotment. Six States had enrollment this year that would exceed their allotment so were forced to cap funding. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS. responded to this problem with a rule on August 26. 2005. that reallocated unspent funding from some States to those that had exhausted their funds in order to eliminate the enrollment caps in the States of Oregon. Arizona. Mississippi. Louisiana. Alabama. and Connecticut. Three days later Hurricane Katrina hit three of the six States and now their entire health care systems are in chaos. and Congress has failed to act to address their need. While that has gained a great deal of much needed attention and deserves even greater attention from the media and public. the House of Representatives yesterday failed to extend the QI1 program and went out of session for the week even though it expires today. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8476}
{"speech_id":1090075055,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senators GRASSLEY and BAUCUS were working with the House of Representatives on a last minute extension through the introduction of S. 1718. but it failed to move in the waning hours of the fiscal year and the House of Representatives took no action whatsoever. Even though CMS has apparently notified the Congress that it can continue to run the program for a few days. the failure of the Congress to take action in a timely manner to ensure that disenrollment notices are not sent out by the States to an estimated 185.000 lowincome Medicare beneficiaries nationwide is absolutely unacceptable and also is deserving of attention and media scrutiny. Furthermore. while the QI1 program has always played an important role in helping lowincome Medicare afford health care coverage. the QI1 program would. in the future. play an important role in helping lowincome Medicare beneficiaries access prescription drug coverage through Medicares new drug benefit. Enrollment in the QI1 program is supposed to automatically qualify a person for the Medicare Part D drug benefits lowincome subsidy beginning on January 1.2006. To briefly describe the most critical aspects of the legislation. Section 2 of the bill simply provides for one unified name for the Federal programs that offer cost sharing and benefit assistance for lowincome Medicare beneficiaries. Rather than separately referring to the QMB. SLMB. and QI1 programs. the bill provides one common name for all of these programs. the \"Medicare Savings Programs.\" Low enrollment in these assistance programs is in large part due to the lack of knowledge and understanding of the programs or benefits offered. This simple change has been pilot tested with Medicare beneficiary groups and found to elicit a positive response and interest from Medicare beneficiaries. Section 3 of the legislation would make permanent the QI1 category by incorporating these individuals into the SLMB category at the State Childrens Health Insurance Program enhanced matching rate. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8476}
{"speech_id":1090075106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By way of historical context. I would like to point out the following: There is an unbroken record for the last 45 years of Senate history that the Senate has passed an annual Defense authorization bill. The Senate and House have come to a conference agreement on and the President has signed that conference into law as the National Defense Authorization Act. Only once before has the chairman of the Armed Services Committee had to resort to the rare parliamentary procedure of proposing that that bill. the entire Defense authorization bill. be placed upon another legislative matter. That was in the year 1988. Time is short. We must be reasonable in the amount of time we have been debating both the authorization bill and the appropriations bill. I ask for my colleagues consideration and restraint in offering amendments to the appropriations bill. as well as to the authorization bill. hopefully. to achieve the unanimous consent agreement. which I hope will be offered in the next few days. to enable the authorization bill to become a freestanding bill with a designated number of amendments. with designated time agreements. and a clear estimate for both the Republican and Democratic leaders as to the number of days that would be required for completion. That will all be set forth. hopefully. in the next few days in a UC request. We must be aware of the importance of the measure. the authorization bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10153}
{"speech_id":1090075106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers. sailors. airmen. marines. guardsmen. Active Reserve and National Guard.- and countless civilians who support military. diplomatic. and humanitarian operations are serving valiantly in Iraq. Afghanistan. and other locations to secure our national security. This bill would provide them a broad range. literally a millionplus individuals in uniform and civilians. with better equipment to do their daily jobs and enhanced quality of life for themselves and their families- through pay raises and benefits and the like. For example. without this bill being acted upon by the Senate. we could not increase the death gratuity to $100.000. which the Senate strongly desires. for survivors of military members whose death resulted from wounds. injuries. or illnesses incurred under combatrelated conditions or in a combat operation or a combat zone. We could not increase TRICARE benefits for the children of survivors. We could not provide the military services with the authorities for bonuses and other incentives needed to meet. the troublesome recruiting situation today. We could not implement . new assistance to school districts with significant enrollment increases in militarydependent students to stop troop relocations. crbation of new units. and realignments under the BRAC Commission and. above all. the annual pay raises which the Congress provides for the men and women. In addition to the above. the threat reduction program. which is designed to keep nuclear materials and expertise away from terrorists. would expire. Weapons systems costs would increase because multiyear procurement au-. thorities would not be enacted. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10153}
{"speech_id":1090075106,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Special acquisition authorities designed to facilitate the rapid procurement of technologies to prevent casualties from terrorist roadside bombs. or IEDs. would fail to go into effect. Military construction and family housing programs would be jeopardized. including over $1.5 billion to fund projects in support of communities that will be affected by the 2005 BRAC round. if that is eventually becoming law. These are a few of the essential authorities contained in the legislative provisions of this years bill. something that I am proud to say the Senate Armed Services Committee has worked on since January of this year and resulted in 278 legislative provisions as contained in this bill. I respectfully ask my colleagues to support my efforts and that of Senator LEVIN in bringing the Defense authorization bill to the floor. As I said. I rise on -behalf of myself and Senator LEVIN to announce that we have taken what I consider extraordinary action by - filing two amendments to the pending bill. It is with great reluctance that I propose these amendments to the Defense Appropriations Act. But I do so only with the interests of the men and women of our armed forces at heart. . The first amendment consists of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006--including not only the version of the bill unanimously reported out of the Armed Services Committee on May 17. but also 31 amendments added to the bill when it was on the floor in July. Senator LEVIN and I. with our respective leaders. are trying to work out a unanimous consent agreement that would return the Defense authorization bill to the floor as a standalone bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10153}
{"speech_id":1090075106,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. in the absence of that agree-. ment. we have to leave open the option of including this bill on another legislative vehicle. The Defense authorization act is just too important to our soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines and the national *security of our country for the Senate not to complete action on the bill. If we cannot do this as a standalone bill. we need to find another way to bring this bill into law. The second amendment -we are offering today contains additional amendments that are agreed and ready to be included in a \"managers package\" to the Defense authorization act. I offer this amendment to illustrate to my colleagues the significant progress that has been made on this bill so far. This new managers package contains 80 amendments on behalf of 67 Senators. Together with the action already taken on this bill in July. our colleagues can clearly see that nearly every U.S. Senator has made an important contribution to the Defense authorization act. I am committed to making this \"managers package\" the first amendment to be considered to the Defense authorization bill once it is taken up as a separate bill. We are not finished reviewing proposed amendments. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10153}
{"speech_id":1090075106,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The committee is still working through a number of amendments that I expect would be included in a second managers package. Since January 1961. the Senate has passed an annual Defense authorization bill. Each and every year. for 45 years. the Senate and the House have come to a conference agreement on and the President has signed into law a National Defense Authorization Act. Only once before has the chairman of the Armed Services Committee had to resort to the rare parliamentary procedure of proposing to put the entire defense authorization bill on another bill. This occurred in 1988. As the custodian of this important piece of legislation. I find I am left with very few options this year to ensure Congress can adequately support our troops by passing this bill. I. with my friend CARL LEVIN. am willing to do whatever it takes to pass this bill. Time is short and we must be reasonable in the amount of time we spend debating this bill. I ask for my colleagues consideration and restraint in offering additional amendments to this bill and to support a unanimous. consent agreement to limit the number of contentious amendments that may require time to debate on the floor. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10153}
{"speech_id":1090075127,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great pride that I rise today too honor and commend the service of a true West Virginia hero. LCPL James R. Sargent of the United States Marine Corps was one of many West Virginians who courageously fought in the Vietnam War. Lance Corporal Sargents service was a testament to West Virginias long storied patriotic tradition. A tradition that can be traced back to the .days of George Washington. and one that is very much alive today. In the spirit of West Virginia patriotism. I praise Lance Corporal Sargent for his honorable service and contribution to our country. On October 7. 2005. after having been declared Missing in Action for over 37 years. LCPL James R. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2025}
{"speech_id":1090075127,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sargent will finally be laid to rest at Arlington National- Cemetery. -Lance Corporal Sargent was listed as missing on May 10. 1968. as his platoon provided artillery support in defense of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group camp known as Ngok Tavak. The Marine detachment was attacked by a prepared and wellequipped Viet Cong and North Vietnamese battalion of troops. For their bravery in battle. Lance Corporal Sargents platoon received the Meritorious Unit Commendation from then Secretary of the Navy L.F. Chapman. Jr. .Lance Corporal Sargent was a native West Virginian from Anawalt in McDowell County. Like so many West Virginians. past and present. Lance Corporal Sargent heeded the Nations call for service. and they deserve our gratitude and deep respect. I am honored to be able to pay respects to this brave West Virginian and his family and friends. After many years full of questions and grief. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2025}
{"speech_id":1090075127,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that Lance Corporal Sargents loved ones may finally have much deserved closure and peace of mind. His surviving family. friends. and fellow veterans should all be proud of his service. patriotism. and commitment to his country and its defense. For that matter. all Americans should be.proud. I ask that we all take a moment to remember all of the American soldiers who gave their lives in service to their country.*","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2025}
{"speech_id":1090075153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow we will return to the Defense appropriations bill. Moments ago. we locked in the filing deadline for amendments. That will give the two managers a better idea of what tb expect on the bill. We are not encouraging Members to file amendments. but* Members will have until. 10:30 tomorrow morning to file their first degrees. Senators are reminded we will have stacked votes later in the day on Wednesday. and we will remain in session this week until we complete the bill. We have other work to complete this week. including the pensions legislation. so I ask for everyones cooperation in advance as we move forward on these two items.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":657}
{"speech_id":1090075317,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor today to condemn the terrorist attacks in Bali -this past weekend that murdered over 20 people and injured scores of others. I ask. my colleagues to keep the innocent victims of the attacksand their families and friendsin our thoughts and prayers. I The indiscriminate murder of men. women. and children in Bali by suicide bombers underscores the viciousness of ideological extremists. Young men and women wooed to the dark side of religious fanaticism should not be fooled that paradise follows their suicide. At the end of the day. there is only death and destruction. During these turbulent times. the people of Indonesia should know that they do not stand alone. As we share common principles of freedom and human rights. the worlds democracies stand with you. I encourage President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to let America and other nations know how best we can help in the aftermath of the attacksand what assistance we can provide to counter terrorism in Indonesia. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1244}
{"speech_id":1090075317,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the war against terrorism. your struggle is our struggle. I close by saying that like the Bali bombings in October 2002. the ripple from this weekends attacks are felt on the shores of all free nations. Indonesia does not stand alone.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1244}
{"speech_id":1090075369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The second part of this amendment should not be objectionable to anyone since I am actually not proposing anything new. The prohibition against cruel. inhumane. and degrading treatment has been a longstanding principle in both law and policy in the United States. Before I get into why the amendment is necessary. let me first review the history. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. adopted in 1948. states simply: No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. to which the United States is a signatory. states the same. The binding Convention Against Torture. negotiated by the Reagan administration and ratified by this body. prohibits cruel. inhuman. and degrading treatment. On last years DOD authorization bill. the Senate passed a bipartisan amendment reaffirming that no detainee in U.S. custody can be subject to torture or cruel treatment. as the U.S. has long defined those terms. All of this seems to be common sense. in accordance with longstanding American values. But since last years DOD bill. a strange legal determination waa made that the prohibition in the Convention Against Torture against cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment does not legally apply to foreigners held outside the United States. They can apparently be treated inhumanely. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4065}
{"speech_id":1090075369,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the administrations position. even though Judge Abe Soafer. who negotiated the Convention Against Torture for President Reagan. said in a recent letter that the Reagan administration never intended the prohibition against cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment to apply only on U.S. soil. What all this means is that America is the only country in the world that asserts a legal right to engage in cruel and inhuman treatment. But the crazy thing is. it is not even necessary because the administration has said it will not engage in criel. inhuman. or degrading treatment as a matter of policy. What this also means is that confusion about the rules becomes rampant again. We .have so many differing legal standards and loopholes that our lawyers and generals are confused. Just imagine our troops serving in prison in the field. The amendment I am offering simply codifies what is current policy and reaffirms what was assumed to be existing law for years. In light of the administrations stated commitment. it should require no change in our current interrogation and detention practices. What it would do is restore clarity on a simple and fundamental question: Does America treat people inhumanely? My answer is no. And from all I have seen. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4065}
{"speech_id":1090075369,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Americas answer has always been no. I travel a lot around the world. usually at taxpayers expense. Everywhere I go. I encounter this issue of the treatment of prisoners and the photos of Abu Ghraib and what is perceived in the world to be continued mistreatment of prisoners. It is harming our image in the world terribly. We have to clarify that that is not what the United States is all about. That is what makes us different. That is what makes us different from the enemy we are fighting. The most important thing about it is not our image abroad but our respect for ourselves at home. Let me close by noting that I hold no brief for the prisoners. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4065}
{"speech_id":1090075369,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do hold a brief for the reputation of the United States of America. We are Americans. We hold ourselves to humane standards of treatment of people. no matter how evil or t6rrible they may be. To do otherwise undermines our security. but it also undermines our greatness as a nation. We are not simply any other country. We stand for something more in the world. a moral mission. one of freedom and democracy and human rights at home and abroad. We are better than these terrorists. and we will win. The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They dont deserve our sympathy. But this isnt about who they are. this is about who we are. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4065}
{"speech_id":1090075369,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are the values that distinguish us from our enemies. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4065}
{"speech_id":1090075375,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is an honor to serve in the same body with the Senator from Hawaii. a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. and with the Senator from Arizona because of his distinguished service in Vietnam. Whenever the Senator from Alaska. a pilot in World War II. who devoted most of his career here to understanding our defense policies. urges caution. I try to listen and pay attention. But I rise today in support of the amendment by the Senator from Arizona to the Defense appropriations bill. and I ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":556}
{"speech_id":1090075401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank Senator STEVENS for allowing me to do this. I appreciate that we have a busy day. I totally understand where he is coming from about the interrogation amendment. I come out on a different side. This amendment degls with the combat status review procedure at Guantanamo. Bay. I think it is very necessary. I think it strengthens what the administration is. trying to do when it comes to enemy combatants. I think it helps the administration incourt and is good policy for the country. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8328}
{"speech_id":1090075401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No.-1. I totally agree with the President that a member of alQaida should not be given Geneva Conventions status. I say to my friend from Alaska that Senator MCCAINs amendment doesnt confer Geneva Conventions status on enemy combatants. It standardizes the interrogation techniques. The Army Field Manual has a section for lawful combatants. those covered under the Geneva Conventions. and it will have a provision for unlawful combatants. A1Qaida should not be given Geneva Conventions status. The Geneva Conventions and the signatories to the convention set the rules for the conduct of war. An unlawful enemy combatant is someone who goes around the battlefield without a uniform. doesnt represent a nationa terrorist. for lack of a better word. They do not deserve the protection of the Geneva Conventions because they are cheating. But they do. in my opinion. deserve what the President saidnot so much because they deserve it but because it is about who we are. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8328}
{"speech_id":1090075401,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The President said even enemy combatantsmembers of alQaidawill be treated humanely. When We capture somebody on the battlefieldthroughout the world because the whole world is the battlefield in the war on terrormost of the people we are dealing with are not part of the uniformed force. not like the Iraqi Army. The President said early on these people will be humanely treated but they will not be given Geneva Convention status. He is absolutely right. When we catch someone. say. in Afghanistan. who is a member of alQaida or some other terrorist network. certain people. once screened. go to Guantanamo Bay. The people at Guantanamo Bay have been participating in the allegations. or they have been participating in terrorist activities. supporting terrorist organizations as an unlawful enemy combatant. They are not uniformed soldiers. We are reviewing everyone that comes to Guantanamo Bay to see if they deserve the status \"enemy combatant.\" The term \"enemy combatant\" came out of World War II when we had a Supreme Court case recognizing that term for German saboteurs who landed. I think-. in Florida and were trying to do sabotage throughout the United States. These six or seven Germans were not in uniform. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8328}
{"speech_id":1090075401,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They were tried by a military commission. We have a military commission at Guantanamo Bay that I totally support. And I think enemy combatant status was a result of that Supreme Court case. They were given that determination. What we are trying to do is streamline interrogation techniques to deal with both lawful and unlawful combatants. That helps our troops. gives them guidance. The second thing we are doing with my amendment is legitimizing. through congressional action. what the administration has done at Guantanamo Bay. The administration. in my opinion. has put together a very good. thorough process to look at each person that comes to Guantanamo Bay to determine whether or not they should be classified as. enemy combatants because if they are classified as enemy combatants. they can be detained indefinitely and taken off the battlefield. The due process rights afforded an enemy combatant have been up tb the Supreme Court. and the Supreme Court. for the most part. has blessed the procedure. There have been some concerns expressed by the Court. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8328}
{"speech_id":1090075401,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My amendment tries to. one. legitimize what the administration has created at Guantanamo Bay in terms of a review process to determine who is an enemy combatant and who is not. We made two small changes. We have learned in the past that sometimes people have been because of a single statement made. while in the hands of a foreign agency. a foreign country. .that was given under duress. The amendment says that if a civilian is to determine enemy combatant status in a statement from a foreign interrogation. you have to prove that the statement was not unnecessarily coerced. Most Americans. I think. agree with that. and the people at Guantanamo Bay agree with that. Second. the civilian who will determine from the appeal process whether or not the enemy combatant status. which is reviewed annually. should be held. would be appointed by the Senate as a Presidential appointment. Gordon England is doing it now. and he is a Presidential appointee. That continues the trend. I think it would be good to have the Senate involved. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8328}
{"speech_id":1090075512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the very distinguished Senator from the great State of Alaska for his statement. I thank the very great Senator from the State of Alaska for his statement and his support. I also thank our colleague on this side of the aisle. the other manager of the bill. Senator INOUYE. for his support. Incidentally. may I say I guess I am the only remaining person in Congress who voted for the entry of both Alaska and Hawaii into the Union. Praise God. I did that in each case. These are two fine Senators. two of the greatest.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":540}
{"speech_id":1090075523,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I know there is a reluctance. and I understand it. by the managers of the bill to have .an amendment on a subject that does not fit neatly and squarely and automatically under the bill. As they know. the number of legislative opportunities here are very few now. and we are on the appropriations track. This amendment has been authorized already. so it is authorized. The question is what we are going to do to effect it. This is an amendment to deliver $3.1 billion of emergency fundingI emphasize \"emergency\" fundingto the LowIncome Heating and Energy Assistance Program. The tight natural gas market and the devastating impact of the recent hurricanes have resulted in what everyone knows and feels in their pocketbooks are unusually high fuel prices and very high fuel price forecasts for the foreseeable future. According to the Energy Information Agency. families are going to pay about 77 percent more for natural gas in the Midwest. 18 percent more for electricity in the South. and 33 percent more for heating oil in the Northeast. Heating oil costs for the average family using heating oil are expected to hit about $1.066 during the upcomtng winter. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4420}
{"speech_id":1090075523,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is $403 more than last winter. and it is $714 more than the winter heating season of 2003Rapidly rising energy costs have an incredibly negative impact on the ability of low- and even middleincome but fixedincome individuals to be able to meet their demands. High prices are forcing working families to choose warmth over other basic necessities. or in the South. in certain seasons. obviously. cool. Those are tough choices to make. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association found that 32 percent of families sacrificed medical care last year in order to be able to meet those prices. 24 percent failed to make rent or meet mortgage payments. and 20 percent went without food for at least a day. We have a whole bunch of people in America who are giving up food or rent or medical care in order to be able to pay for the home heating oil. Hurricane Katrina is a stark reminder of precisely what happens when the Government does not prepare ahead of time for disaster. We have an opportunity now to prepare ahead of time. If we do not act now. families are going to be forced to choose between medical care and heat during the winter. That is just around the corner. In November. it begins to get cold in a lot of States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4420}
{"speech_id":1090075523,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is. having to choose between a Warm house or a full stomach for your children is not a choice anyone in America. the wealthiest nation on the face of the planet. wealthiest industrial nation. ought to welcome. The number of households receiving what is known as the LIHEAP assistance has increased from about 4.2 million in fiscal year 2002 to more than 5 million this year. which is the highest in 10 years. LIHEAP applications are expected to increase very significantly this winter. Yet the funding levels for LIHEAP are not keeping pace. LIHEAPs buying power is significantly less than when it was established. According to the Governments Consumer Price Index. what cost $100 in 1982 cost just shy of $200 in 2004. Using the CPI calculation for inflation. that means that a $1.8 billion appropriation for LIHEAP in 1982 should have been a $3.7 billion appropriation in 2004. LIHEAP currently serves less than 15 percent of those people who are eligible in the country. I understand this amendment can be blocked procedurally. -I know that. I hope that will not happen. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4420}
{"speech_id":1090075523,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a bipartisan amendment. It is not my preference to attach it to this bill. but it is our only option with the recess coming up in a few days. After the comments of the Secretary of Energy this week that the administration hs no plans of asking Congress for more money. we have no choice but to say this is on the congressional agenda. this is on our radar. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment to add $3.1 billion for LIHEAP in the fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill. It is emergency funding. It does not require an offset as a result. It is an emergency. It is the amount We have authorized. It represents the amount we need. It is critical funding to avoid a looming but absolutely preventable crisis for millions of American families who have been hard hit by the additional costs of fuel oil and the diminishing affordability of home heating oil as the winter approaches. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4420}
{"speech_id":1090075535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have come to the floor to talk about Iraq as well. I come each and every week. The reason I came the first week was that back home in Illinois someonesaid: I watch a lot of CSPAN. Why dont you talk about the war in Iraq? Why doesnt anybody come to the floor and talk about the men and women dying over there? Shouldnt that be brought up every day in the Senateour sons and daughters. husbands and wives. the bravest and best are dying every day in Iraq? I thought to myself: How can we be in the middle of a war and go about business as usual on Capitol Hill? We should be talking about this every single day because the war goes on every single day. This morning. the Pentagon released these figures as of 10 oclock: 1.942 Americans have been killed in Iraq. 14.902 have been wounded. I have been to these hospitalsWalter Reed. the veterans hospitals back in the Midwestand I have seen these brave men and women who have come home wounded and. trust me. many of those wounds are extremely serious. They have come home with amputations. serious head injuries. and psychological scars. Since the Iraqi elections last January. which were greeted by all of us with a great deal of praise for the bravery of the Iraqi people. since those elections took place. 507 of these American soldiers have died. 507 funerals in America. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11267}
{"speech_id":1090075535,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The numbers. keep climbing. Some -days it is one at a time. Other terrible days it is five or six. Mr. President. 1.942 Americans killed in Iraq. almost 15.000 wounded. So I will keep coming to the floor to address this issue. to make sure we never forget these men and women and the sacrifice that they. their families. and people who love them make every single day. I dont want to pretend for a moment this was brought -up to me over the weekend. I dont want to pretend for a moment this is the only death and suffering in Iraq. There are innocent Iraqi people who die every day as well. We cannot even put a number on it. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11267}
{"speech_id":1090075535,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I saidto my staff: Go to the United Nations. go to the Red Cross. go to some group and tell me how many Iraqis have died since our invasion of Iraq. They cannot come up with a number. -Some estimates are very different. The Brookings Institution. which is recognized as a nonpartisan research organization. puts the estimate between 14.000 and 24.000 Iraqis who have been killed since the start of the war. Others have estimates that go much higher. We dont know. We dont know how many innocent pebple have died as a result of this war or how many died because of criminal violence. Iraqis still die every day. Just this last week. we had three coordinated car suicide bombs that went off in a single marketplace. You have seen the photos. You have seen the people. crushed with griefthe mothers. the friends. and fathers. standing next to the mutilated corpses of these victims. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11267}
{"speech_id":1090075535,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These bombs that were detonated recently were staggered to explode at different times so they killed as many innocent people as possible. This is a tactic we have seen over and over again in Israel. Now it has come to pass in Iraq on a regular basis. It is despicable. it is depraved- condtict..It is an example of inhumane cruelty. These attacks on American soldiers and on the innocent Iraqis underline the importance of our mission there and the need for us to be prepared to bring this to the right conclusion. We need to have better training and equipment of the Iraqi security forces and Iraqi police. They must not only have the capability to defend themselves. they must have the will to .defend themselves. Last week. General Abizaid. Commander of the Central Command. and General Casey. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11267}
{"speech_id":1090075535,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Commander of United States and coalition forces in Iraq. testified before Congress. They disclosed a piece of -information that had been classified for a long period of time. but they finally brought it out to the American people. and we can speak to it on the floor. It is a piece of information we have known from our classified briefings for some time. and it is this: Of over 100 battalions of Iraqi Army forces in existence today in Iraq. exactly 1 battalion is ready to fight independentlyi out of over 100. That is -an incredible number. Billions of dollars that we put in there. promises to the American people that Iraqi soldiers will stand and fight so our soldiers can come home. and as of last week. these two generals testified in open session that one battalion is combat ready as an independent force. President Bush has said over and over: As Iraqi forces stand up. we will stand down. There is only one Iraqi battalion. That is about 1.000 soldiers. Only 1 battalion standing up. 146.000 American soldiers standing up. They are trying to bring peace to a country that is obviously not ready to defend itself and may not be for a long time. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11267}
{"speech_id":1090075661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the McCain amendment on interrogation standards because it protects our troops. Major General Fay. in his investigation into the role of military intelligence in the prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib. found that DoDs development of multiple policies on interrogation operations for use in different theaters or operations confused Army and civilian interrogators at Abu Ghraib.\" This confusion over what standards applied contributed to the horrific abuses of detainees. This confusion has put our troops at risk of being subjected to abusive treatment should they ever be captured. Senator MCCAINs amendment would protect our troops by establishing a single. uniform standard for interrogations. This is consistent with the recommendations of Major General Fay. Senator MCCAINs amendment also requires that detainees in U.S. custody shall not be subjected to cruel. inhuman. and degrading treatment or punishment. This is consistent. with the high standards to which our military is trained. with how we expect our soldiers to be treated if they fall. into enemy custody. with our international obligations. and with our cherished values as Americans. I urge my colleagues to support the McCain amendment.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090075673,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. my last word on this. before we come on the 6 minutes before the vote at 7:30. will be this: There are two packages of amendments before the desk. Under any normal procedure. Senator INOUYE and I would review those amendments. We have not seen them. We have not even gotten a copy of them. Normally we would have had a copy of them. at least. But we do not know how many of those are in conflict with our own bill. The two Senators have acted as managers of a part of our bill because they offered their bill as an amendment. What procedure is this? How can we assure the Senate what is in this bill? How can we even be prepared to go to conference on this bill when we do not know what is in those two packages? There are three portions here. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2135}
{"speech_id":1090075673,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know what is in the part A. which was part of the authorization bill. but these amendments. we dont know what they are. We may .have already accepted some of them. I do not know. But I think it is really a strange procedure that anyone would suggest. by offering an amendment. that control over the bill go to members from other -committees and. in doing so. they clear amendments that we will have to defend in conference. theoretically. as Members of the Senate. but we do not know what is in them. No one knows what is in them. Normally. a package like that. if they had their bill out Ot bir5...2005 here. the Defense authorization bill. they would have a bill in front of us. wouldnt they? As a matter of fact. I think the rules require it. But now there are amendments offered at the desk. and I do not think they have given anyone a copy of the amendments. . I think this procedure violates the rules of the Senate. I am not going to get into the problem of that yet because we are going to vote on germaneness. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2135}
{"speech_id":1090075673,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Germaneness does not eliminate the points of order we may hive against those. amendments later. But as a practical matter this is a really odd procedure. and one that is bound to. as the Senator from Hawaii said. lead to processes in the future that will be totally unmanageable. I urge the Senate to think about this as we approach the vote at 7:30 p.m.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2135}
{"speech_id":1090075684,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. rising energy prices could financially wipe out workingclass families and seniors this winter. We are about to see an extraordinary runup in prices that imperil the ability of many families simply to keep their homes warm during this coming winter. In New England. the average cost for a family using heating oil is projected to hit $1.666 during the upcoming winter. This represents an increase of $403 over last winters prices and $714 over the winter heating season of 20032004. That is an extraordinary increase in the cost families have to spend to heat their homes. For a family using natural gas in the Midwest. prices are projected to hit $1.568. representing an increase of $611 over last years prices and $643 over the price of the 20032004 heating season. The Mortgage Bankers Association. looking at this data..expects steep energy costs could increase the number of missed payments and lost homes this year. So we have observers who are fearful that this huge energy shock could cause families to. indeed. lose their homes n In America. no family should be forced to choose between heating their home or putting food- on the table for their children. No senior citizen should have to decide to either buy lifesaving pharmaceuticals or pay their electric bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090075684,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But. unfortunately. lowincome working Americans are facing these decisions this winter. In some respects. this is a tidal wave. not of rising water but of rising energy prices which is a consequence of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. For this reason. Senator KENNEDY. Senator KERRY. and I offered an amendment to the Defense Department .appropriations bill to provide $3.1 billion in emergency funds for the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program. known as LIHEAP. This funding will provide our Nations most vulnerablelowincome families. seniors. and disabled individualswith affordable energy this winter. Again. we saw and were shocked as a nation to see rising waters imperil the most vulnerable in our society on the gulf coast. Well. these rising energy prices will do the same thing by threatening the most vulnerable people through the Northeast. through the Midwest.- through every area of the country that anticipates cold weather this winter. I urge my colleaguesto join us to secure $3.1 billion in additional LIHEAP funding. In September. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090075684,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I. along with over 20 of my colleagues. both Republicans and Democrats. sent a letter to the President urging that he include additional funding for LIHEAP in a supplemental appropriations bill for Hurricane Katrina. We sensed. as he sensed. that one of the consequences of Katrina was a severe shock to our energy sector with complementary iricreases in prices. So I believe it is appropriate to deal with this issue now. We are waiting not only for the supplemental for Katrina. but also dealing with it on this particular appropriations bill. On Monday. I was dismayed to learn that President Bush currently does not have plans to request additional LIHEAP funds this year. States are bracing for a crisis caused by a lack of affordable energy. and this funding will ensure lowincome families and seniors will have safe. warm homes this winter. President Bush. I strongly urge that you reconsider. The warning has been issued. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090075684,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Will you once again ignore a looming crisis facing America? In addition to LIHEAP funding. there are other steps that Congress and the administration need to take to address our Nations high energy costs. First. we need to pass Senator CANTWELLS Energy Emergency Consumer Protection Act to ban price gouging at the October 5. .2005 gas pump in the wake of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Second. we need to pass Senator DORGANS Windfall Profits Rebate Act which imposes a temporary windfall profits tax on big oil companies and uses the revenues to provide a rebate to American consumers to help offset the higher cost of oil and gasoline products. Total energy spending for the Nation this year will approach $1 trillion. 24 percent higher than in 2004. Energy will claim the biggest share of U.S. output since the end of the oil crisis 20 years ago. Oil and natural gas companies are making record profits. while energy prices are overcoming and overtaking workers salary increases. This is wrong. We also must fix those bankrupt energy policies that provide oil and gas companies with billions of dollars from the Federal Treasury for production. These tax breaks should be repealed to pay for LIHEAP and conservation programs that help American energy consumers. not big business. The Federal Government must lead by example also. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090075684,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President called on Americans to reduce their energy consumption and conserve oil. I know American families are up to this challenge and will respond. But Americans have the right to expect. that their President and their Government will also make sacrifices. The President should implement a Federal savings target to demonstrate a serious commitment to improving our Nations energy security. He should set a 40percent savings target for Federal agencies by 2020. Over the past few years. the Federal Government has reduced its petroleum consumption by less than 1 percent. We can and we must do better. As a nation. we must step back and evaluate our priorities. Now is not the time to cut funding for social programs such as LIHEAP. Medicaid. and food stamps that support working families and seniors while the President and Members of the Senate continue to push for irresponsible tax breaks. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5838}
{"speech_id":1090075839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I shall divide my time equally with my colleague Senator LEVIN. ranking member of the committee. Mr. President. the question of gerinaneness has already been. in a sense. ruled on by the Parliamentarians who said in their judgment it is germane. The question is simply do we or do we not at this time. when our Nation is at war. bring up on the appropriations bill section A of the authorization bill? I simply say to my colleagues. I trust youI trust you to look at this extraordinary circumstance in which we are a nation at war. needing this bill to send a message. And I trust you that the amendment process will not be abused and that we can in a reasonable period of time accommodate those amendments that might be offered as seconddegree amendments. and that your bill can go forward with the vitally needed appropriations funds. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":870}
{"speech_id":1090075960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. is the record clear about my making a point of order to the Stabenow amendment? If not. I renew the point of order under 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act. The amendment requires spending in excess. of the committees 302(b) allocation for the fiscal year concurrent resolution of the Budget. and I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":334}
{"speech_id":1090076006,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. like all proud Americans.. I share my colleagues concern for the safety and well being of our troops. IED attacks are a very real threat to our troops and it is our responsibility as Members of Congress to help protect our brave men and women fighting overseas. I will work in conference to ensure that we can maintain the Senates funding level to puirchase CROWS for our troops.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":394}
{"speech_id":1090076019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to pause in the Senates business today to recognize the passing of a great American who we in Minnesota are proud to call our own: Pulitzer Prize winning poet and playwright August Wilson. He died yesterday at the age of 60. August Wilson spent a good part of his adult life in Saint Paul. MN. which is my home. He worked for a time at the Science Museum of Minnesota. writing educational scripts. As his work became recognized and his fame spread. he continued to be seen around Saint Paul. working in coffee shops and other such places. sketching out ideas on the backs of napkins. In his many plays. Mr. .Wilson brought his audiences back time and again to the neighborhood where he grew up. in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2684}
{"speech_id":1090076019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"PA. Through a series of 10 plays. he traced the AfricanAmerican experience through the ten decades of the 20th century. The first. \"Jitney.\" about a city taxi station. was written in Saint Paul. Decades ago. the poet T.S. Elliot wrote that. \"Poetry is not an assertion of the truth. but making that truth more fully real to us.\" America struggles with deep divisions on matters of race. The tragic events in the gulf coast have brought that home to us. How desperately we need the kind of expression of the truth that August Wilson brought to a large audience. Facts are important. but we have all experienced the frustration of not seeing our set of facts \"carry the day.\" Psychologists have even determined that we use one part of our brain to process the ideas of political candidates we support and a different part of our brain when we are listening to the views of one we dont. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2684}
{"speech_id":1090076019,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead wrote a line I like: \"People aint gonna learn what they dont wanna know.\" But we hold out the hope the art can find a way through our defenses and make truth fully real to us. When Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe. author of \"Uncle Toms Cabin.\" legend has it that he said. \"So this is the little woman who started this big war.\" It is a special honor that August Wilson will have a theater on New Yorks Broadway named in his honor. The Minnesota connection in that is the theater has previously born the name of Virginia Binger. the late wife of Jim Binger. one of Minnesotas great citizens. The eight Wilson plays that made it to Broadway were nominated for more than 50 Tony awards. Talking about the blues in a way that could just as well have been applied to his own writing. he said: \"You dont sing to feel better. You sing cause thats a way of understanding life.\" We recognize the history and forces which shaped the life of August Wilson and we honor his life long effort to make the truth real.*","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2684}
{"speech_id":1090076062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this resolution conceriis a request for testimony. documents. and representation in related criminal trespass actions in Concord District Court in the State of New Hampshire. In these actions. 6 defendants have been charged with criminally trespassing on the premises of Senator JUDD GREGGS Concord. NH. office on June 2. 2005. for refusing repeated requests to leave :Senator GREGGS office at the end of the business day in order to allow the office to close. Trials on the charge of trespass are scheduled to commence or about October 18. 2005. The State has subpoenaed a member of the Senators staff who witnessed the defendants conduct. The enclosed resolution would author\u0095ize that staff member. and any other employees 9f Senator GREGGS office from whom evidence. may be required. totestify and produce documents in connection with these actions.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":867}
{"speech_id":1090076070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to say a few words about the issue that the Senator from Louisiana is going to talk about. but I do not want to take any of her time away from her. I know it is late in the evening but if I could. I will say a few words before leaving the floor. I hope that my Senate colleagues who are following this debate and 6onversation. as well as those who are viewing these proceedings. -understand what my colleague from Louisiana. Senator MARY LANDRIEU. and her colleague.. Senator ViTTER have been through. They have faced a disaster virtually unprecedented in modern American history. Having been through a few minor disasters and floods in my area. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6052}
{"speech_id":1090076070,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cannot imagine the stress that they have been under to serve the public. which is their responsibility in the Senate. Though I do not know Senator VITTER as well. nor have I known him as long. I can certainly attest to his concern for the people of Louisiana. I can speak personally about the concern of Senator LANDRIEU. From the moment I got her on the telephoneand. it was not an easy taskwhile she was still fighting flood waters in her hometown of New Orleans. until this moment today. she has been consumed with one focused objective. what she can do to spare the suffering of the people she represents and to rebuild and recover from this terrible disaster. I visited New Orleans a few weeks ago with a bipartisan delegation. met with her as well as Commander Allen. who is heading up the FEMA effort now. as well as Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin. many of them local officials. It is clear now that they have * faced challenges that most public servants do not dream of. The reason we are here tonight is because she is reaching the end of her patience. I have talked to her during the course of this day. and I know what is boiling up inside of her. The thought that we would leave Washington. the capital of our Nation. for a week or 10 days and be back in our home States is a real concern to her because she knows while we are gone. people in Louisiana will continue to suffer.because of our inaction and our unwillingness to respond to the basics. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6052}
{"speech_id":1090076070,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Look at what has happened so far. The administration announces initially nobid contracts to some of the most recognizable big hitters in Washington. corporations that always seem to win when others are facing misfortune. The administration says it is going to cut the wages for construction workers who are going back to work to rebuild in Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama. exactly the opposite of what these families need to get back on their feet. The administration has refused to come forward with the emergency housing that is needed for so many of these people who are literally at their wits end. trying to keep their families together. living in the most extreme circumstances. This Senator from Louisiana has been on the floor repeatedly. appealing to both sides of the aisle. but particularly to the majority. for help with health care for the people who have been displaced. Someone lucky enough to have health insurance when Hurricane Katrina hit may have lost not only their home but also their job and their health insurance. and now they are adrift. Senator LANDRIEU has been working with Senator GRASSLEY. a Republican. and Senator BAUCUS. a Democrat. to make certain they have health care coverage. It is not enough to say if they show up in an emergency room. somebody will probably take care of them. Is that what you .would like your medical future to be for you and your family? That is not what Senator LANDRIEU wants and that is what she is fighting to change. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6052}
{"speech_id":1090076070,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have also seen the suggestion we cut back on cash payments to people who have no job. may not even have access to the unemployment checks or whatever they are entitled to at this moment. I think one of the worst and crowning blows is this notion that somehow every penny we put into rebuilding America. rebuilding the Gulf Coast StatesNew Orleans. Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabamahas to be paid for by cutting other programs that may help poor people. Today the Agriculture Committee is considering cuts in food stamps. $500 million or $600 million in cuts in food stamps .so we can provide help to Hurricane Katrina victims. So we will literally take food from the mouths of babies and mothers and families across America to give them to the babies and mothers and families of Hurricane Katrina? Is that what it has come to in America? The suggestion we would cut Medicaid. the health insurance for the poor and elderly and disabled in America. so we can provide that same Medicaid. that same health insurance for the poor and elderly and disabled and dislocated in Hurricane Katrina. is that what it has come to in America? I think what troubles me the most is the situation here where there is an insistence by some of my colleagues that every penny we spend investing in rebuilding the Gulf Coast States has to be met by a cut in spending for the most vulnerable people in America. None of these people who are insisting on this match of cut for spending said that when we were talking about rebuilding Iraq-$18 billion. without a single dollar of it set off against any cut in spending. Not one of them brought up this idea of cutting spending to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people in America. But when it comes to the most vulnerable. those helpless victims of this hurricane in those States. they are demanding this setoff that. frankly. will make life more painful and difficult for vulnerable people all across America. This is a real test of who we are and what we stand for. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6052}
{"speech_id":1090076070,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we are truly in this together. if we are going to .be unified as a nation and react as a community and as a family. we can do better. America can do better. I salute the Senator from Louisiana. I will turn the floor over to her. thank her for her leadership. and say this Senator and many others will fight with you to the bitter end to make sure the people you: represent understand that they do not stand alone. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6052}
{"speech_id":1090076076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is with great pride that I welcome my homelown pastor from the First United Methodist Church in Prescott. Arkansas to the United States House of Representatives. the Reverend David Kassos. and his wife. Donna. Each and every week I travel to our Nations capital to represent the people of Arkansass Fourth Congressional District and this great country. Each and every weekend I travel home to Prescott. a small town of about 3.600 people. and- worship with my family at the Methodist church I have called home for much of my life. It is this church. where my father grew up and where my children are being raised. that keeps me grounded and instills in me the small town values I was raised on and still believe in. It is the lessons that I learn from this church that help guide me in the decisions I make in the United States Congress. My faith is profoundly important to me. and Reverend Kassos is not only my spiritual advisor. he is my friend and he is my fishing buddy. It is a tremendous honor to have him serve as our chaplain today in the United States House of Representatives.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1103}
{"speech_id":1090076077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo. acrossthe border from Laredo. Texas. crime has skyrocketed as disciplined drug cartels have turned up their battle for total territory control over this chief entry point into the U.S. Our open border policy encourages drug dealers to lead organized efforts to infiltrate the United States in their fighting over this territory. So far this year more than 135 people have died. seven police officers have been killed and 44 American citizens @D Printed on recycled paper. have been kidnapped in this treacherous town. Mr. Speaker. I have a recent newspaper article from Nuevo Laredo that shows a police officer. a policewoman. that was set on fire in the streets of Nuevo Laredo trying to enforce the law. The reason that there is chaos. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090076077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. is because these drug cartels are trying to come into the United States. They are fighting over territory. Because the United States basically has no policy in protecting our borders. there is chaos on the border. Mr. Speaker. the border is a perilous place. How many more people have to die? How many more Americans have to be kidnapped in this border town before we protect our borders?","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090076083,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. throughout the past 4 years General .Richard Myers has served our Nation with distinction and honor. While serving as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. he has overseen some of the most challenging times in our Nations history. After leading our troops to conquer terrorists in Afghanistan and to liberate the\"October 6. 2005 CC nation of Iraq. his tenure has been marked with great accomplishments in the global war on terrorism. American families are safer because of his service. Last week. President Bush described *General Myers as a kind and humble man who believes in serving a cause greater than himself. As a member of the .National Guard during his term and a father of three sons currently serving in the military. I have had the unique opportunity to personally witness General Myers commitment to promoting freedom. I am very grateful for his service and his sincere dedication to our troops and the American people. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1126}
{"speech_id":1090076083,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As he begins the next phase of his life. I am honored to congratulate him for a job -well done. In conclusion. God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1126}
{"speech_id":1090076113,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Again. I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois for bringing this legislative initiative before the House. On behalf of Chairman YOUNG of the full T&I committee and subcommittee chair Mr. SHUSTER. the gentleman from Pennsylvania. who chairs the Economic Development and Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee. I am pleased to present this legislation. and ask at this time for the Houses consideration and adoption of the resolution.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":508}
{"speech_id":1090076117,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make emergency airport improvement project grantsinaid under title 49. United States Code. for repairs and costs related to damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":280}
{"speech_id":1090076199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of this legislation and commend the sponsor of the legislation. the gentleman. from Louisiana . for his tireless work and dedication for providing housing relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Residents of the rural gulf region have been especially affected by the devastating impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While media attention in the aftermath of these catastrophes has been focused on the urban disaster. particularly New Orleans. rural communities in- the region. and individuals and families who are assisted by rural housing service programs. face a challenging road. Rural areas are often plagued by poverty. high numbers of substandard homes. affordable housing shortages. costly development. and inadequate access to mortgage loans. RHS. through its programs. provides direct loans. guaranteed loans and grants to help families obtain and maintain affordable housing in those rural areas. Because so many rural families in the gulf region have left their communities. either because their housing is now in ruins or because they have settled in another community. it is extremely important that RHS has the flexibility to provide assistance to these families who have been displaced from rural gulf communities. The legislation we are considering today will enable RHS to continue to meet the needs of rural families who have been displaced by the hurricanes. This legislation will temporarily give RHS the necessary funding options it needs to keep families in the program in the wake of this disaster. In short. this important revision will give RHS the ability to convert to vouchers funds tied to a rural housing project that is no longer habitable due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4017}
{"speech_id":1090076199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"RHS will have the authority to reprogram funds in either HUD section 8 vouchers or RHS- vouchers authorized under title V of the Housing Act of 1949. This legislation is designed to provide temporary housing relief for families affected by the hurricanes and upon enactment will be effective for 6 months. Next. H.R. 3895 will expand the flexibility of RHS by temporarily eliminating the current limitations regarding the number of vouchers that can be issued and where they can be used. Again. this is a temporary suspension. to be in effect for 6 months upon enactment. which reflects the need for timeliness and efficiency in securing housing for rural families under RHS programs. Finally. this legislation amends the single family housing guaranteed loan program by expanding refinancing to include loans for housing repair and rehabilitation. Currently. repair and rehabilitation costs cannot be financed from refinanced guaranteed loans. This legislation will also allow refinancing of loans from borrowers who are not currently in the USDA single family housing program. [D 1600 While these authority changes to the singlefamily housing program are not limited to disaster situations. they will be very helpful in assisting families affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. H.R. 3895 will help ensure that housing assistance continues to be available to those of the neediest individuals and families in the rural gulf region. who have already suffered greatly -in the aftermath of the hurricanes. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. and. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4017}
{"speech_id":1090076199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. point out that the committee. once. again. has worked effectively through these issues. these three suspension calendar votes. in anticipation. as the gentleman from Louisiana pointed out. and my friend from Massachusetts mentioned. with a goal of looking at a longterm solution to this problem that is one that will not gd away and will be over a period of years. as the gentleman from Louisiana pointed out. I want to say to the members of the committee and to the House that this committee stands ready to do what is necessary to bring. relief to those regions in a fiscally responsible manner. I have every reason to think we will do exactly that.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4017}
{"speech_id":1090076212,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself sucl. time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. today I rise in support . of H.R. 3896. the Hurricane Katrina Emergency Relief CDBG Flexibility Act of 2005. Many local officials are quite familiar with the provisions of the CDBG block grant program. which enables local communities to meet needs at their discretion. Within the body of the existing rules that govern the applicability of these funds. however. there is a provision that restrains the utilization of money for certain purposes to no more than 15 percent of the total funds made available. For example. the prohibited areas are limited areas and are known as public services. would include activities such as crime prevention. If a community wished to spend more than 15 percent of its block grant on crimerelated services. it would be prohibited from doing- so now under the current rule. Further defined under the definition of public services are homebuyer down payment assistance. fair housing counseling.. health services and child care. So in the affected area of the Katrina disaster. if a community wished to help individuals get access to homeownership with a homebuyer down payment assistance program. they would be limited in the scope of those funds to only 15 percent being made available for that \"activity. This bill merely lifts temporarily that 15 percent limitation on CDBG block grants. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090076212,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is a very good way to provide needed resources within local communities to meet the needs as they best see them. Of course. the grant is still subject to all the normal review and processes. so there is accountability for utilization. but it simply creates more flexibility within local governments to meet the needs of the communities as a result of these dire circumstances. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090076230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to pay tribute to Simon Wiesenthal. a tireless champion of justice for the victims of the Holocaust and for all humanity. As a survivor of the Holocaust. Simon Wiesenthal called his life a miracle. One often wondered whether it was by strength. providence or simple luck that he survived 12 gruesome concentration camps. but when . he emerged from Mauthausen. liberated by American troops. he pledged to dedicate his survival to the fight for justice for Nazi victims. He began with painstaking detective work in the War Crimes Section of the U.S. Army. gathering documentation to be used in the prosecution of the Nutemberg trials. His meticulous archival research became a key building block for the Yad Vashem archive in Jerusalem. And when the Iron Curtain fell and the allied powers tired of tracking Nazi war criminals. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5508}
{"speech_id":1090076230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Simon Wiesenthal pressed on. He helped locate Adolf Eichmann. the architect of the Final Solutiodi. who was put on trial and hanged in Israel. \u0095 Hid efforts also led to the capture of Nazi- war criminals living here in the United States. His. success inspired the creation of the Office of Special Investigations at the Justice Department to seek their denaturalization and deportation. For Mr. Wiesenthal. the pursuit of war criminals and hate groups was an integral part of Holocaust remembrance. The genocide of millions could not be mourned properly while the murderers walked free. The cry of \"never again\" could not be fulfilled if the world did not act against neoNazis and other extremists who continue to foment hatred and violence. I am especially proud that my district in Los Angeles is home to the Simon Wiesenthal Center. a leading voice in Holocaust education and the fight against antiSemitism. racism. and extremism. With offices around the world. the Wiesenthal Center has actively worked with UNESCO and the OSCE individual nations and regional institutions to fight increasing antiSemitism in Europe and expose hate groups on the Internet. The centers Museum of Tolerance opened in 1993 and has welcomed over 4 million visitors to its. permanent collection on the Holocaust and contemporary exhibits on Rwanda. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5508}
{"speech_id":1090076230,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sudan. and the former Yugoslavia. \u0095 These programs are all part of Simon Wiesenthals legacy as a hero to the victims of the Holocaust. the survivors. and future generations. As we mourn his passing. let us reaffirm our commitment to honor his courage and conviction and continue his lifes work. Mr. Speaker. I rise to pay tribute to Simon Wiesenthal. a tireless champion of justice for the victims of the Holocaust and for all humanity. As a survivor of the Holocaust. Simon Wiesenthal caned his life a miracle. He often wondered whether it was by strength. Providence. or simple luck that he survived 12 gruesome concentration camps. But when he emerged from Mauthausen. liberated by American troops. he pledged to dedicate his survival to the fight for justice for Nazi victims. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5508}
{"speech_id":1090076230,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He began with painstaking detective work in the War Crimes Section of the United States Army. gathering documentation to be used in the prosecution of the Nuremberg trials. His meticulous archival research became a key building block for the Yad Vashem archive in Jerusalem. And when the Iron Curtain fell and the allied powers tired of tracking Nazi -war. criminals. Simon Wiesenthal pressed on. He helped locate Adolf Eichman. the architect of the \"Final Solution.\" Who was put on trial and hanged in Israel. He tracked down the Gestapo officer who arrested and deported Anne Frank to prove wrong the early Holocaust deniers who claimed her story was untrue. His efforts also led to the capture of Nazi war criminalsliving here in the United States. His success inspired the creation of the Office of Special Investigations at the Justice Department to seek their denaturalization and deportation. To date. OSI has won 101 cases. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5508}
{"speech_id":1090076230,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its most recent victory came in August when a U.S. - H8676 District Court in Chicago revoked the citizenship of a member of a Nazisponsored Ukrainian unit that decimated the Jewish community of Lvov. For Mr. Wiesenthal. the pursuit of war criminals and hate groups was an integral part of Holocaust remembrance. The genocide of millions could not be mourned properly while the murderers walked free. The cry of Never Again could not be fulfilled if the world did not act against neoNazis and other extremists continuing to foment hatred and violence. I am especially proud that my district in Los Angeles is home to the Simon Wiesenthal Centera leading voice in Holocaust education and the fight against antiSemitism. racism and extremism. With offices around . the world. the Wiesenthal Center has actively worked with UNESCO. the OSCE. individual nations and regional institutions to fight increasing antiSemitism in Europe and expose hate groups on the Internet. The Centers Museum of Tolerance. opened in 1993. has welcomed over 4 million visitors to its permanent collection on the Holocaust and contemporary exhibits on Rwanda. Sudan. and the former Yugoslavia. Thousands of students. teachers. and law enforcement officers have participated in the Museums \"Toolsfor Tolerance\" program to combat hate crimes. prejudice. and bias in our own communities. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5508}
{"speech_id":1090076236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. just to conclude. I. would especially like to thank the gentleman from California . as I said earlier. a Holocaust survivor himself. for his very -clear and unambiguous statement in support of human rights globally. but especially as it relates to a very disturbing trend with regards to antiSemitism. and for his eulogy today. on the floor. to his dear friend. Simon Wiesenthal.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":448}
{"speech_id":1090076239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 248. a resolution honoring the memory and legacy of Simon Wiesenthal. a man known as the \"conscience of the Holocaust.\" Wiesenthal was relentless\" in the pursuit of justice for victims of the Holocaust and the eradication of antiSemitism around the globe. Born on New Years Eve in 1908. Simon Wiesenthal spent the bulk of his life fighting for those who. like him. had suffered unspeakable wrongs at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators across Europe. He was interned at the Janwska concentration camp in 1941 and survived twelve different camps until his liberation from the Mauthausen camp in 1945. From that moment until his passing on September 20. 2005. Simon Wiesenthal dedicated his life to fighting for those who perished in the Holocaust. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090076239,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was a man of indomitable spirit and courage. and even greater was his resolve after the war. Almost immediately after leaving Mauthausen. Simon Wiesenthal set out to collect and prepare evidence for the War Crimes Section of the United States Army for use in the Nuremberg trials. thus beginning his lifelong work as a Nazi hunter. Over the past 60 years. Wiesenthals research and investigative work led tothe capture and conviction of more than 1.000 Nazi war criminals. including the infamous Adolf Eichmann. Simon Wiesenthal was the recipient of countless awards. including honorary British Knighthood. the Dutch Freedom Medal. the French Legion of Honor. the World Tolerance Award. and the Congressional Gold Medal. When some of Wiesenthals fellow survivors asked him why he decided to become a Nazi hunter. he looked down at the flames of the Sabbath candles from that particular Friday evening and said. \"My dear friends. do you know what I see in the glow of the candles? I see the souls of our six million brothers and sisters. And one day when our lives are over. they will come to all of us and they will ask us. what have you done? You. my dear friend. will tell them that you went into construction to build homes. And you will say you went into the jewelry business. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090076239,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And you became a manufacturer of clothes. But I will have the privilege of saying to them. I have never forgotten you.. Mr. Speaker. we will never forget Simon Wiesenthal and his many years in pursuit of justice for victims of the Holocaust. I thank the gentleman from California for introducing this resolution. and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090076240,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we honor the life of Simon Wiesenthal. a man who dedicated his life to the search of fugitive Nazi war criminals. The ideals of truth and justice guided his effort to fight antiSemitism and as we mourn. we are reminded of our commitment to these ideals as part of our duty to humanity. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 248. which we are considering on the floor today. Simon Wiesenthal was bom on December 31. 1908 in Buczacz. Galicia. then part of the AustroHungarian Empire and now part of Ukraine. He received a degree in architectural engineering in 1932 from the Technical University of Prague. and in 1936 he began working at anarchitectural office in Lvov. he did not. however. continue his career in architecture. Three years later. with the partition of Poland and the flood of the Red Army in Lvov. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090076240,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Simon Wiesenthal began losing family members to German brutality. After escaping several neardeath situations himself. in 1945 Simon Wiesenthal was liberated by American forces from the concentration- camp of Mauthausen in Austria. After almost giving up. Simon Wiesenthal regained his strength and redefined his lifes task as a quest for justice. He did not vow to fight for vengeance. Instead. the goal of his noble cause was to create a historical memory that would prevent any repetition of the horrible atrocities committed during the Holocaust. He was instrumental in tracking down fugitive Nazis. and a significant component of his mission was to pressure governments around the world to continue their pursuit and persecution of war criminals. The Simon Wiesenthal H8678 co Center. an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust carries on his legacy. Simon Wiesenthal was committed to the remembrance of those who he feared would be forgotten. and today we become committed to remembering him. While in Vierna in 1993. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090076240,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Simon Wiesenthal said. \"To young people here. I am the last. Im the one who can still speak. After me. its history.\" To continue his mission. we must not forget this history. We must continue to fight for.the same principles that defined Simon Wiesenthals objective. It is troubling that even today one of the most notorious sentiments of the Second World WarantiSemitisn--has yet to be eradicated. It is our duty to combat antiSemitism and all religious bigotry whenever and wherever it arises. When asked why he chose to search for Nazi warcriminals instead of continuing a career in architecture. Simon Wiesenthal responded: \"Youre a religious man. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090076240,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You believe in God and life after death. I also believe. When we come to the other world and meet the millions of Jews who died in the camps and they ask us. What have you done? there will be many answers. You will say. I became a jeweler. Another will say. I smuggled coffee and American cigarettes. Still another will say. I built houses. but I will say. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090076240,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I didnt forget you.\" And today. we must unite to say that we will not forget Simon Wiesenthal and we. as strong and responsible human beings. will carryforth his mission.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3102}
{"speech_id":1090076267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 2 minutes. and I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding the balance of his time. I rise in support of this legislation. which reauthorizes the QI program. This program helps lowincome Medicare beneficiaries cover the cost of the Medicare premium. Without this. many elderly Americans would sink below poverty as they attempt to pay for doctor visits out of pocket. That not only places individuals at risk. it is inefficient from a fiscal perspective. For- lowincome beneficiaries who cannot afford the Medicare premium. Medicaid becomes the insurer of last resort. Absent the QI program. more elderly Americans and individuals with disabilities would need Federal and State assistance through Medicaid in addition to their Medicare coverage. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2055}
{"speech_id":1090076267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Investing in premium assistance now saves both Federal and State dollars in the future. And there is untapped potential in the program. Uncertainty surrounding funding for this program has had a dampenifig effect on enrollment. States are hesitant to reach out to eligible individuals. resulting in artificially low enrollment figures. It is in the public interest to address this problem in the future. but extending QI1 is a necessary first step. and I am pleased the bill takes that step. This legislation also extends. the transitional Medicaid program. or TMA. and provides health insurance to families as *they move from welfare to the workforce. It is a public health initiative and a jobs initiative which I strongly support. It is my strong preference to make these two programs permanent rather than having Congress repeatedly reauthorize them sometimes multiple times in a year. I hope we can work with the gentleman from Georgia and others on a bipartisan basis to secure a permanent authorization. In the meantime. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2055}
{"speech_id":1090076267,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased the House is taking up this legislation. and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington . a member of the Committee on Commerce and very knowledgeable about health care issues.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2055}
{"speech_id":1090076287,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker. the rule before us today is the standard rule for the consideration of a conference report. It waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration and provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5987}
{"speech_id":1090076287,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This rule. brought to the floor today by the gentleman from Kentucky . the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. funds- our most important Federal programs aimed at securing this Nation against terrorist attacks. It provides $30.8 billion for the operations and activities of the Department of Homeland Security in fiscal year 2006. an increase of $1.4 billion above fiscal year 2005 and $1.3 billion above the Presidents request. The conference report agreement reflects the DHS organizational structure recommended by the Secretary on July 13. 2005. and does not create any new aviation security fees. This legislation secures our homeland first and foremost by protecting our borders and revitalizing immigration enforcement. It provides nearly twothirds of the overall budget for the Department. $19.1 billion for border protection. immigration enforcement and related activities. This represents an increase of $1.2 billion over funding in 2005 and $490 million over the Presidents request. These funds are used to support cuttingedge technologies for highrisk cargo screening. to expand cargo inspection at foreign ports. and to support a robust revitalization of immigration enforcement along our borders and around our Nation. Among other security enhancing measures. this funding includes $1.8 billion for border security and control. funding an additional 1.000 Border Patrol agents. When combined with this years supplemental appropriations. 1.500 new agents will be hired in 2006. It provides for $3.4 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. funding an additional 250 criminal investigators and 100 Immigration Enforcement agents. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5987}
{"speech_id":1090076287,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When combined with this years -supplemental. 568 new ICE agents and officers will be hired for year 2006. It provides $41 million for border security technology. including surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles. $562 million for Air and Marine Operations to maintain the integrity of our borders and aerospace security. as well as drug interdiction. $94 million for the Institutional Removal Program. including an additional 100 agents. $40 million for implementation of the READ ID Act. $5 million to train State and. local officials and officers to enforce immigration laws. $1- billion for immigration detention custody Qperations. and $135 million for transportation and removal of illegal immigrants. This conference report also recognizes the active role that the Department of Homeland Security must play in disaster mitigation and relief efforts. It prioritizes spending on Federal response capacities as well as increased planning and coordination with the States. To accomplish this. it includes $1.77 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund. $20 million for Urban Search and Rescue Teams. $20 million for FEMA catastrophic planning. $22 million for the National Incident Management System. $200 million for the Flood Map Modernization Program. a requirement that DHS develop guidelines for mass evacuation plans. and a requirement that DHS reports on the status of catastrophic planning in each of our 50 States. This conference report also provides $3.3 billion for first responders. in the form of performance grants to- highthreat areas. firefighters and emergency management. Since September 11. 2001. $32.1 billion has been provided to first responders. including funds for terrorism prevention and preparedness. general law enforcement. firefighter assistance. airport security. seaport security and public health preparation. This conference report includes funding of over $1 billion for highdensity urban areas. including $765 million for urban. area grants. $150 million for rail security. $175 million for port security and $65 million for other infrastructure protection. $655 million for firefighter grants. $400 million for State and local enforcement terrorism prevention grants and $185 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants. Finally. this conference report provides $1.5 billion for -the research and development of leadingedge technologies and $625 million to protect our critical infrastructure and key assets. These funds will be used to test and transition these technologies for use by Federal. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5987}
{"speech_id":1090076287,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"State and local officials. It will also support ongoing efforts to develop secure communication- systems with Federal. State and local entities and continue efforts with the private sector to implement protective measures around this important infrastructure. To accomplish this. the bill includes .$538 million to develop radiological. nuclear. chemical. biological and high explosives countermeasures. $110 million for the research and development and testing of antimissile devices for commercial aircraft. $318 million to .start up the new Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to help coordinate global nuclear detection and tracking. $14 million to identify and characterize potential biological terrorist attacks. and $93.3 million for cybersecurity technology. Mr. Speaker. I could spend a lot of time listing the many strengths of this bill and the thoughtful and threatbased way that- it funds the prQgrams that keep American families safe. Instead. I want to take time to strongly support this legislation with an open rule. I commend. my colleagues on the Committee on Appropriations for their hard work. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5987}
{"speech_id":1090076290,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman from Massachusetts was very kind to enunciate and talk about the contributions that have been made on both sides of the aisle. Republicans and Democrats working together in an effort to make sure that Katrina is taken care of. I also take him at face value that he will not vote for this because there is not enough spending in the bill. There is not enough money that is-.being spent. and he outlined that money that he wants to spend. The majority party does need to make sure that the bill that comes forth is balanced and one that maintains the priorities of this country. So we on this side are standing- up in strong support of this not only wellbalanced bill but really will allow equal distribution as we see the needs of this country and the spending and to control that which we do. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":976}
{"speech_id":1090076290,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California . the chairman of the Committee on Rules. [] 1800","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":976}
{"speech_id":1090076297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we all know that the current system for distributing grants isfundamehtally broken. I applaud the fact that this bipartisan conference report gives the secretary of Homeland Security the flexibility to distribute more money based on risk rather than population. While I would like to see a much greater percentage of funds allotted exclusively on risk.- at least this conference report finally addresses an issue on which many of us have spent years on both sides of the aisle working to remedy. I find it inexplicable that just as we improve the methods of monetary distribution. just as we improve the way first responders can get what they need. we limit the availability. the pool of needed resources. In fact. if it were not for both folks on each side of the aisle. we would have accepted the administrations plan. which would have been 4 percent less .than what we have and no increase. whatsoever. Mr. Speaker. I think you should know today that the New York subway system is under high alert. We need to understand what the ramifications of that are. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090076297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The FBI is working in concert with the New York City Police. This is the first time they have had very specific place. very specific time ramifications. Yet the coordinated and timed bombings in London and Madrid. the latest example of the fact between 1998 and 2003. there were approximately 181 terrorist attacks on rail and transit targets. Since 9\/11. despite the fact that passenger- rail systems in the United States carry five times as many passengers each day as do the airlines. only $250 million of the estimated $6 billion needed has been invested in improving rail and transit security. Congress continues to provide woefully inadequate appropriations. Only $150 million was appropriated for rail and transit authority. Mr. Speaker. I think we should all be aware of this. It took a bipartisan effort to get us this far. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090076297,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to understand what is .going on in New York City today. and I know this is not going to change the dollar figure. the dollar amount of this legislation. I would simply ask my brothers and sisters on both sides of the aisle to take note that this is serious business. We need to continue this hard work.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090076310,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administrations Registered Traveler program. Like many of my colleagues. I was shocked to learn last month that the TSA has discontinued the Registered Traveler pilot program operating at five commercial airports. While TSA claims they need time to evaluate the pilot program before expanding. I contend they have been slow to act and. as a result. are* depriving the traveling public. particularly frequent travelers. a more efficient. effective and safer manner of proceeding through airport security. TSA has been running the pilot programs since the summer of 2004. Each one was advertised to be 90 days in duration. at which point decisions about further deployment would be made. However. we find ourselves now over a year since these pilot programs began with TSA still saying they need additional time to evaluate it. ","speaker_name":"GREGORY MEEKS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3772}
{"speech_id":1090076310,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not buy it. This is a classic example of the Federal Government being slow in making critical decisions about a program which we know to be a success and a program that we know also makes us safer. Oct6ber 6.\/2005 CO Now. the TSA is continuing to operate a -sixth pilot program at Orlando International Airport that they launched this past June. The Orlando pilot is different from the five pilots that have been shut down in that it is a publicprivate partnership that is run in conjunction with the airport. its vendor and TSA. I believe this publicprivate partnership is the way to go. as it will allow the private sector to add additional strengths to the programs. such as offering greater flexibility in meeting the needs and customer expectations. making rapid decisions on capital investment. and customizing programs based on intimate knowledge of the local market. The Registered Traveler program has promise. and I believe in it. However. due to the manner in which the pilot programs were structured and the lack of decisionmaking at TSA. this program is in jeopardy of not getting off the ground at the national level. First and foremost. there are too few meas. qrable benefits at the security checkpoint for individuals enrolled in the Registered Traveler program. Why does TSA collect a list of personal data on an individual and then subject him or her to a security threat assessment and provide so few measurable benefits? I contend that if the Federal Government knows who you are by running your information against terrorist watch lists and other government databases. then they should provide more meaningful benefits at the security checkpoint such as not having you take off your shoes or not having you take off your coat or perhaps allowing nonticketed individuals back to the gates. as we did prior to 9\/11. where they have our fingerprints and our eye retinas to make sure that we are safe going through. These are common sense benefits that can and should have been granted to individuals who sign up for this program. ","speaker_name":"GREGORY MEEKS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3772}
{"speech_id":1090076310,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With not providing real benefits such as these. TSA is running the risk of killing this program before it is even started. [ 1830 I am also extremely concerned with this language contained in the DHS conference report that provides a monopoly in my view to one organization to be the central collector and aggregator for biometric data necessary for the background vetting of the Registered Traveler program like other programs. This is not the approach we should be headed in in the United States Congress. We should be promoting competition. growth and an even playing field. And with a publicprivate partnership like the publicprivate partnership taking place in Orlando. the American people will win. and the options and competitive environment will be what we need to make us safer.","speaker_name":"GREGORY MEEKS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3772}
{"speech_id":1090076314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this bill fails us on chemical plant security. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. there are 23 States. including my home State of New Jersey. which has seven such plants where a worstcase release. of chemicals could threaten more than a million people per incident. And a part of my district. in northern New Jersey. is home to the area commonly referred to as the most dangerous 2 miles in America. an area between Nevark Liberty Airport and Port Elizabeth that is home to a number of chemical plants. The New York Times recently reported that one plant in this area that possesses chlorine gas \"poses a. potentially lethal threat to 12 million people who live within a 14mile radius.\" Now. the attacks of September llth made each of us realize that terrorism had entered a whole new realm. one in which our Nations assets. infrastructure and people could be used against us. That is why the Menendez amendment to the House homeland security appropriations bill. which passed with the support of 224 of my colleagues. sought to improve the security of that area of chemical plants across the country by providing $50 million to State and local governments to enhance the security of those plants and the communities that surround them. This money could have been -used to equip and train first responders. provide assistance and guidance to chemical plant officials to implement best management practices to improve security or to increase law enforcement presence and patrols -around chemical plants. As a matter of fact. just this past week. there was a chlorine incident in a pool plant that strangulated traffic in the New YorkNew Jersey metro area. Unfortunately. the Republican controlled conference committee chose to delete the amendment from the entire conference report. Hurricane Katrina should have taught us the importance of addressing the problems we know we face before disaster strikes. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3106}
{"speech_id":1090076314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The chemical plants that dot northern New Jersey are the Lake Ponchartrain of our region. and this Congress just decided to cut funding for the equivalent of levees that would protect our people: And not only did the conference committee on homeland security delete that amendment increasing funding for chemical security. it also cut State and local preparedness grants by $585 million. a full 19 percent lower than the level in the last fiscal year. This Congress had a chance to address a looming problem.before it.*as too late. The decision to cut funding for chemical security is an astonishing abdication of Congresss responsibility to keep our families safe. And just while New York City at this very moment -has heightened transit security because of a critical threat of bombing on the subway system. this bill woefully underfunds transit security. While my colleagues focus on undocumented immigration in this homeland security bill. they allow the Nation to be unprotected from attacks on our chemical plants. transit systems. ports and the ability of our first responders to. respond. That is a Federal Government that is failing to secure its people.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3106}
{"speech_id":1090076345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member. my good friend and leader from Minnesota for many years. Mr. Speaker. I am disappointed that the conferees included a provision that would protect from liability airports that choose to opt out of the Federal screening program. as well as protection from negligent acts committed by private security screeners. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act. which was the fundamental law. allows airports to opt out of the Federal program and replace Federal employee screeners with screeners employed by a private company under contract with TSA. but the language of that provision was written very carefully to ensure that we would have one level of security for all airports. A small number of airport operators believe that they will have greater control over security if they opt out of the Federal program. but the Aviation Security Law requires . that private screening companies contract directly with TSA and be supervised by TSA to ensure that our Nations security remains one level and a FederalGovernment function. The liability provisions of this conference report should not be interpreted to change the reality that -October.6.02o5 the Federal Government hasdirect responsibility for airport security. .Furthermore. in my reading of the language. this provision does not -relieve an airport operator.of liability in a case involving a breach of security for any act or failure to act by the airport operator or 4ts employees which constitutes negligence.. gross negligence. or intentional wrongdoing. In a situatibn where the airport orairport employees knew thata screening company was not doing an adequate job. but failed to take action to notify TSA. or .if an airport employee were part of a scheme to commit a terrorist act. then my interpretation of the language in this conference report is that the airport. nonetheless. would be liable. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090076345,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since the terrorist attacks on September 11. 2001. the Federal Government has spent billions on aviation security. and little on transit and rail security. even though five times as many people take trains as planes every day. Over 9.6 billion transit trips are taken annually on all modes of transit service. with people using public transportation vehicles over 32 million times each weekday. Since September 11th. the transit industry has invested more than $2 billion of its own funds for enhanced security measures. Railroads have also strengthened security. Amtrak has added police and dog units and removed large fixtures from their platforms. but the railroads and the transit industry cant do it alone. Even with the investments made by transit agencies. the documented transit security needs total more than $6 billion. far more than the $150 million provided in the conference report for rail and transit security grants (the same arpount provided in FY2005). Amtrak alone has requested $100 million in security upgrades and nearly $600 million for fire and lifesafety improvements to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor in New York. Maryland. and Washington. D.C. Transit agencies have requested $2 billion from Congress. yet the conference report provides only $10 million for intercity bus security grants. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090076345,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Securing our Nations transit and rail facilities is a formidable task. but Congress must get it done. The London bombings and the terrorist train bombing in Madrid. Spain in 2004. which killed 191 people and wounded more than 1.800 others. show that there is a clear needmore than ever beforeto strengthen transit and rail security. The London and Madrid bombings were just the latest in a series of attacks on trains worldwide. Between 19.98 and 2003. there were 181 attacks worldwide on trains and railrelated targets such as depots. ticket stations. and rail bridges. resulting in an estimated 431 deaths and several thousand injuries. It is clear that Federal leadership and Federal resources are required to address the needs of a reliable. safe. secure. mass transit network. just as has been used in establishing a secure Federal aviation network. But despite recent attacks. Congress is again shortchanging our.transit and rail industries. One hundred and fifty million dollars for such a vast network isnt enough. Its not enough to protect passengers. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090076345,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its. not enough to secure our most vulnerable infrastructure. The American people deserve better.. .","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090076374,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today the House is considering the conference agreement on H.R. 2360. the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for FY 2006. I am pleased by some of the provisions in this conference report. but I am also troubled by a number of other provisions. We had several days to prepare before Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coastmuch longer than we will have before a potential terrorist attack. But the administrations incompetence meant that extra time was almost wasted and lives were lost. In April. we had a successful terrorism response exercise in New Jersey called TOPOFF 3. bringing together Federal. State and local authorities to respond to simulated terrorist attacks. What we need are more exercises like these. not fewer. more and better planning. not less. But this conference report cuts predisaster mitigation by $50 million over last year and by $100 million from even the administrations request. If we had spent money ahead of time--if we had prepositioned assets in the gulf coast region before Katrina struckwe could have saved lives and billions of dollars. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090076374,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As our Nation faces a variety of threats. both manmade and natural. we need to think seriously about these cuts. After watching the Federal Emergency Management Agency seriously mishandle their response to Hurricane Katrina there is a clear need to restructure the Agency. However. we will rlot be doing that today. This legislation does .nothing to reform FEMAit doesnt improvethe leadership. it doesnt return staffing levels to- the highs \"of the 1990s. it doesrt even require :that FEMA report -directly -to .the president. FEMA -is the Federal -Governments first line of defense and responseto disasters.. and- it needs. to be reformed. And this bill doesnt provide the money either. This conference report. even. cuts funding forFEMA by. 12 percent from last years funding level.- . It also slashes funding for state and local preparedness grants by $585 million below FY 2005 levels. We know that New Jersey is a target for terrorists. In a bioterrorism attack just after September 11. 2001. postal workers in Hamilton were sickened with anthrax. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090076374,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year. the Prudential Plaza building in Newark was named as a target after an Al Qaeda laptop computer containing information on the building was found in Pakistan. And. of course. four of the 9\/J1 hijackers passed through Newark Liberty International Airport and 700 residents of the State were killed on that terrible day. Funds for State and local preparedness are crucial to keep New Jersey and our Nation safe. The police officers who notice something suspicious. the community leaders who develop evacuation plans. the first responders on the scene immediately after an attackthese people are local authorities. and we .need to give them the tools they need to do their jobs. There have been two major terrorist attacks in the West since September 11. and both have been aimed at mass transitthe March 11. 2004 Madrid bombings. and the July 2005 London bombings. But the President did not request any specific funds for mass transit. Fortunately. the conference agreement adds $150 million dollars for transit security. New Jersey Transit. the Nations third largest transit authority. with 220 million riders a year. 40percent inbound to New York City. runs 8everal trains and buses through my district. Princeton Junction. located in my district. is the fourth busiest station in New Jersey Transits system. We need more funding for mass transit. and this is a start. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090076374,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This conference report also begins to address one of our greatest vulnerabilities to terrorism. one that the Bush administration continues to ignore. It allocates $30 million for initial programs for better screening of passenger stowed luggage on commercial flights. The conference report also provides for adequate independent oversight of Secure Flight. the next generation of the air passenger prescreening program. This will allow us to balance security and privacy. It also provides $655 million- for fire grants. $155 million more than President Bush requested. As we all know. our local fire departments are the backbone of our first responder network. Fire fighters are some of. the first to arrive at disasters. be they natural or manmade. I am glad that the conference report provides much needed funds for fire grants. New Jersey is home to what terrorism experts call the \"most dangerous two miles\" in Americathe chemical plants. highways. and railroads that lie between Newark Liberty International Airport and the Port of. Elizabeth. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090076374,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And in a 14mile radius around the site. there are 12 million people living and working. The House earlier this year voted to increase funding to help secure these sites. But the conference report does not include this desperately needed funding increase. Rather. it contains only $95 million for the necessary chemical countermeasures that would help secure indiistrial- materials. andJ provide safety and pea6e of mind tomillions of New J rseyans. - - -f -E ... . . - . Mr Speaker. -this :bll: leaves .too much urdone. Cutting fundihg for- lbcal preparedness and first responders is more thanenoughjustificatiornlbirNew Jerseyans.tooppose this bill. October 6.. 2005 We cando better -ih planning for disasters. reforming FEMA. and assisting state and local governments. And though the conference re.port does more for transit and air cargo screening. these efforts are just downpayments on what will be a longterm project.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090076375,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we are considering appropriations for The Department of Homeland Security. which was created with one mission in mindto help protect the country. Unfortunately. it seems that not all of the agencids within the Department take that mission as seriously as they should. The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. CIS. is responsible for processing petitions for immigration benefits. This includes petitions for green cards. visa issuance. asylbm status. and marriage benefits. The adjudibation process must be thorough and secure to ensure that those who want to harm America are not allowed to enter the country. Mondays. Washington Times included a disturbing article about a Congressional briefing by an internal CIS investigator that highlighted alleged corruption and dysfunctional practices at the Agency. If true. these practices would comprise a threat to national security. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1392}
{"speech_id":1090076375,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to the article. the allegations include CIS employees exchanging immigration benefits for sex. being influenced by foreign governments to provide benefits. and not having access to the appropriate systems to do background checks on those applying for benefits. When an agency receives Federal funding it is obligated to do everything in its power to complete its job. The Department of Homeland Security needs to better protect our country from those who would do us harm.","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1392}
{"speech_id":1090076380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the conference agreement on H.R. 2360. the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006. This is not a perfect bill. I believe that we are acquiescing too readily to yet another restructuring plan. allowing the Department to yet again reshuffle boxes on its organizational chart without adequately establishing in hearings that the proposals. will actually make this country. safer.- No amount of structural reform. which inherently muddles missions and produces chaos among employees. can substitute for professionalism. expertise. and strong leadership. I am also concemed that. given our woefully inadequate 302(b) allocation. we have had to shore up funding for the Departments essential activities at the expense of our support for state and local law .enforcement agencies and first responders. State and local governments continue to be on the front lines of any effort to respond to natural disasters and acts of terrorism. and yet we have funded them significantly below both last years level and the Administrations request. At a time when the Administration .is trying to shift blame to state and local governments for the chaotic overall response to Hurricane Katrina. wehave not provided them with adequate resources to get the job done. That said. I believe that this bill does a reasonably good job of addressing our most pressing homeland security needs. ","speaker_name":"JOSE SERRANO","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2915}
{"speech_id":1090076380,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I especially want to highlight a provision that directs the Department to allocate the bulk of first responder grants on the basis of threat and risk. While I do not believe that our task in this Congress will be finished until 100 percent of the Departments grant funds are allocated on the basis of risk. this conference report is a noteworthy step in the right direction. In addition. I am pleased that the conference report includes measures to ensure accountability in the way that the Department spends these appropriations. especially with respect to emergency supplemental funding for Hurricane Katrina. The Departments initial reports to Congress. required by law. have lacked detailed specifics on how the Department has been spending the $60 billion that this Congress has provided since the hurricane first hit. While the American people fully support our commitment to providing relief to the victims of Katrina and Rita. they also expect this Congress to make sure that the Department spends their tax dollars effectively and responsibly. In closing. I would like to thank subcommittee Chairman ROGERS and Ranking Member SABO for their hard work on this critical bill. We all knew that the creation of the department would create a considerable management challenge. and today. as we pass the third appropriations bill funding the department. I would like to applaud their leadership on this subcommittee for making sure that many of these concerns have been addressed.","speaker_name":"JOSE SERRANO","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2915}
{"speech_id":1090076383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the Conference report on H.R. 2360. the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2006 because I am concerned about some of the areas where.it falls short. but moreso because I believe it is the wrong vehicle to make the structural changes to the Department of Homeland Security that Secretary Chertoff laid .out in his Second Stage Review without the appropriate congressional scrutiny. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee. I am very disappointed that the Conference Report. even though it provides more funding that the Presidents original request. makes. a number of significant cuts in very important First Responder and Disaster Preparation programs at a time when we can ill afford to. I also see no sign that the deficient public health system on which every and any response will depend received the funding it needs to be brought up to a basic standard in every community in this country. This Conference Report fails to make Homeland Security the priority it ought to be. The rob from Peter to pay Paul that we are seeing in the Congress Katrina\/Ophella\/Rita response. continues. and badly needed increases for border security come at the expense of money for such items as first responders. disaster relief and port security. The result is that America will be far less safe than it needs to be. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3748}
{"speech_id":1090076383,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. as someone who represents an area which as seen more than its share of devastating hurricanes. and is home to some sites of critical national infrastructure. I am particular concerned about some of the proposals set forth in Secretary Chertoffs reorganization which would split FEMAs preparedness and response functions and leave FEMA solely as a disaster response agency reporting to the Secretary. It is because of this concern and others why I joined Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member BENNIE THOMPSON and other members of the Committee in introducing the Department of Homeland security Reform Act of 2005 .to offer solutions where the administrations reorganization plan creates more problems. I also have grave concerns that what this reorganization does is continue to concentrate power in the White House. We see that in every Department. even at the NIH. and it is a dangerous trend that we as a coequal branch of government should not let happen. Our bill would strengthen FEMA creating a strong Directorate of Preparedness and Response that includes an intact. strengthened FEMA with a Director and Deputy Director who must have an extensive background in emergency or disasterrelated management. It will also include a new Assistant Secretary for Preparedness who will head a consolidated version of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness. which is presently an isolated entity located in the Secretarys office. We also establish a military liaison within the. Directorate who will assist with the coordination of DOD and DHS preparedness and response efforts. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3748}
{"speech_id":1090076383,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker we have seen what can halipen to a community which has been impacted by a disaster. as we did with Alabama. Mississippi and Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. when there is weakened and ineffective FEMA. and where the Department does not provide leadership or clear Jines of authority. This Conference Report does nothing to fix the deficiencies of FEMA that came to light as a result of the Gulf Coast disasters which is the last thing we should be doing. We could accept this report because it is late in the year. and there are some good parts to it. but the security of each and everyone in this country is at stake. and this is not good enough. I urge my colleagues to oppose this conference report and send it back.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":3748}
{"speech_id":1090076415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. tonight I think we need to speak about the partisanship that is not just encountered here in Washington. D.C.. not from the people just here in this body. but the partisanship we have seen from a prosecutor down in Austin. Texas. It is part of a coordinated strategy that those on the other side in this House have. It is a coordinated strategy of character assassination. A couple of months ago I spoke before the House. and I outlined a few .simple things. I said the Democrat leadership has led their party on a campaign against Republicans. against the Republican majority of this House. through a conspiracy of character assassination and misleading attacks. The U.S. News and World Report wrote back in April: \"Democratic strategists. confident that voters are increasingly fed up with the Republican establishment. are planning an allout attack on what they call the abuse of power by the Republicans.\" I said at the time the liberal magazine. the New Republic. published an article entitled: \"How Democrats can Overthrow- the House.\" this -House. Madam Speaker. and I quote from that article: \"Democrats should consider fighting back by extraparliamentary means. going beyond the standard parameters of legislative debate. and attacking Republicans not on issues. but on ethics. character. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4568}
{"speech_id":1090076415,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In other words. it may be time for Democrats to burn down the House in order to save it.\" Those are not my words. Madam. Speaker. Those are the words of the liberal New Republic outlining the Democrat strategy to take the majority in this House. \"Burn down the House in order to save it.\" they say. Well. at the time. a lot of people thought that what I was outlining was something that was far off. that maybe it would not happen. that maybe we would have some highminded individuals on the other side that would say enough is enough. This is not the right strategy for America. it is not the right type of political discourse we should have in this country. But. no. no. no. we saw this just a week ago with a partisan prosecutor in Austin Texas named Ronnie Earle. After impaneling seven grand juries. he was able to come up with one charge. conspiracy. conspiracy against our majority leader. our Republican leader in the House. Well. as it turns out. those charges. not only were they false but they also were basedon a statute that was not in effect at the time that they claim. these events happened. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4568}
{"speech_id":1090076415,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What we saw was a partisan prosecutor that was so focused on scoring political points that it did not matter what the law said. and so on Monday. he came up with a new charge based on new evidence. he claims. After going through seven grand juries. Madam Speaker. after going through 2 years of investigating our Republican leader. intent on taking him down. they said in 2 days they came up with new information and came up with a new charge. It is an amazing thing that has happened. The American people have heard it before by watching the TV. They know the details of this. But I want to outline what a former U.S. Attorney from the Southern District of New York. Andrew McCarthy. outlined. He said. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4568}
{"speech_id":1090076415,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Ronnie Earle. district attorney of Travis County. Texas. has no business wielding the enormous power of prosecution. A matter of national gravity is being pursued with shocking ethical bankruptcy by the district attorney. by Ronnie Earle. If Congressman DELAY did something illegal. he. like anyone else. should be called into account. But he. like anyone else. is entitled to procedural fairness. including a prosecutor who not only is. but also appears to .be. fair and impartial.\" Those are the words of a former U.S. Attorney. Madam Speaker. I will enter this into the RECORD. Madam Speaker. also McCarthy adds. \"Ronnie Earle is a disgrace to his profession and has done grievous disservice to thousands of Federal. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4568}
{"speech_id":1090076415,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"State and local government attorneys. prosecutors of all persuasions whose common bond is a goodfaith commitment to the rules. but who will now bear the burden of suspicions fostered by Earles excesses.\" Madam Speaker. you may say that is just a columnist talking. But what does the liberal Austin American Statesman say? It says: \"Ronnie Earle has created a circuslike investigation alleging Republican campaign funding illegalities. but he has not proven it.\" Madam Speaker. we see the Democrats agenda is to burn down this House by attacking our leaders on baseless accusations. and they will stop at nothing until they bring down our majority. Madam Speaker.. I include for the RECORD the article by Andrew C.McCarthy:","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4568}
{"speech_id":1090076436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to join my colleagues tonight on an issue that is very important. And I found many of your comments so apt and so very pertinent. I am an orthopedic surgeon. at least I was before I came to Congress. and I have a number .of friends in the orthopedic surgery field who practice in Pennsylvania. They are clamoring for young orthopedic surgeons to come to Pennsylvania. My understanding is that there are no orthopedic surgeons under. the age of 35 in Pennsylvania. None. And if that is the case. as it is. I think. in that specialty and in others. this is a crisis that we have that will take a generation or more to solve. unless we act now. So I thank the gentleman for the information that he gave. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9560}
{"speech_id":1090076436,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As I mentioned. I am an orthopedic surgeon. and I am also a thirdgeneration physician. So as the gentleman from Texas mentioned. the old time country doctor. well. that old time country doctor was my grandfather. Some of my earliest memories are of going with my grandfather on his rounds on the weekend. And rounds for him did not- mean going to the hospital and seeing patients. They meant going to patients homes. And I will never forget the wonder and the faith and really the love that was communicated to him as he visited so many of those patients homes. My grandfather never thought about malpractice insurance or liability insurance. They never dreamed of it. Never had to. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9560}
{"speech_id":1090076436,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My father practiced for .a number of years and saw so many changes. and I saw him lament those changes over a. period. of time. And I guess now. the question is not as physicians across our Nation. it really is not whether they will be sued. it is when. It is when they will be sued. And when you think about that as a matter of policy in our soci[SE October 6. 2005. ety now. when will physicians be sued. a physician being sued. and you think aboutthat man or that woman who is doing their doggonedest just. to take care of people. and you think about what they have to deal with every single day. when they are thinking about the next time that they will be sued. or if they will be sued or when they will be sued. it changes how they relate to patients. It changes how they relate to their job. It changes how they relate to their commitment to the work that they do. And so we have a situation that must be addressed. And it is imperatrve. The \u0095 citizens of our country know that it has got to be addressed. Here is some polling that was done by Harris earlier this year. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9560}
{"speech_id":1090076436,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It says 78 percent of Americans express concern that the skyrocketing medical liability costs could limit their ability to get the care when they need it. And. I think. as my colleagues have said. the question really is not the cost of malpractice or the cost of liability isurance to the doctors. The question is the access to quality care for patients. That is the consequence of all this. It is not that there is more money. although it is important that there is more money going into something that really is not resulting in any better care for anybody. But the real question is we are limiting the access of quality care for patients across this Nation. You say. well how does that happen? Well. I want to share with you a couple of examples. as we all have. My good friend from Georgia was an OBGYN doctor for years and years. and delivered. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9560}
{"speech_id":1090076436,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think. 5.000 or more babies. And right now we have more counties in the State of Georgia and more counties. frankly. in the Nation that have no cpverage by an OB doctor. no coverage to deliver babies. greater in more counties now than we had 10 years ago. So we are going in the wrong direction. And you say well. now why is that? Did they forget how to deliver babies? Well. certainly not. That is not the answer. The answer is that OB doctors. in the field of OB. delivering a -baby is defined as a highrisk procedure. Delivering a normal baby is defined. for insurance purposes. as a highrisk procedure. And there are more and more. because of the liability crisis. there are more and more OB doctors who no longer do highrisk procedures. Therefore. they no longer deliver babies. which is something that those men and women trained to do. That was their craft. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9560}
{"speech_id":1090076445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. yes. and of course. the good judge certainly knows this. I am sure The has seen it in his courtroom many times. But the issue that is brought up a lot of times is. well. gosh. you are about to take away an injured persons right to a redress of their grievances. you are going- to take away their day in court. That is absolutely not true. and I aln October 6. 2005- CO so glad that the gentleman from Pennsylvania brought that to our attention. -We are talking about in the major provision of this bill. which is patterned. modeled after the California bill on tort reform in the late 1970s that stabilized the market and health care delivery system in that State. is a cap on socalled pain and suffering awards or what we call noneconomic. at some figure. In our bill. it is $250.000. Some States have addressed that. and maybe it is $350.000. In some instances. if there are more than one defendant in a case. and I can tell my colleagues and I know my two colleagues here with me this evening know this. but in almost every case there are multiple defendants. So let us say the cap on noneconomic was $350.000. and you had two or three defendants. then that award in itself. not counting any economic damages. is over $1 million dollar.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1245}
{"speech_id":1090076458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I know the President put forth a task force with his homeland security adviser as the head of it. He mentioned this in an announcement. and I assumed that it would be something where this task force would actually have some findings which would come back to not only the Congress but to the American people. So I checked out the White House Web site. at WhiteHouse.gov. if any of the Members in their offices want to go on to that Web site to find out what is there and what is not there. This is actually the front page of the Web site. It has a lot of things on here. It talks about what the President is doing. about press briefings. and a number of other things. such as the war on terror. There is a little box down here that says Hurricane Relief Efforts. You click on that and then move over to this particular page here. - 2245 Madam Speaker. it *goes on. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090076458,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President is hugging emergency management personnel in Texas. That is fine. We want to commend those Americans who are doing what they are supposed to be doing. It talks about a number of things. speeches in the news. Federal Government Hurricane Rita preparedness. It goes on further down the page. which is the first page if you are looking at it on the computer. President Bush declares a state of emergency for the States of Louisiana and Texas. It goes on and talks about his major speeches. Madam Speaker. the point is that the President mentions nothing about this review. what went wrong. where it went wrong. and why it went wrong. We know that hurricanes and natural disasters are acts of God. but we also know in the case of Hurricane Katrina. and I can tell Members there are some who came to the Capitol today saying that in the case of Hurricane Rita. and we will be voting on the energy bill tomorrow. one Member said it is the worst bill we have seen in 7 months. and I can tell Menibers there are some real issues that are going on in that bill that we will talk about a little later. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090076458,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I think it is important that the American people understand that I believe we are not taking. this issue seriously. The 9\/11 Commission came out saying that many of their recommendations were not enacted. such as intraoperability to allow emergency workers to talk to one another. We had Coast Guard people who could not talk to the 82nd Airborne. We had local police officers who could not talk to one another because we did not do what we were supposed to do years after 9\/11. I can tell Members. the number of Democratic amendments to come up with intraoperability to make sure that emergency workers can talk to one another was voted *down on a partyline basis. I want to make sure that everybody understands what is not going on here in Washington. This is not only national security. it is responding to the Federal taxpayer in the way that they deserve. the State. local and Federal response. But we will never know because this Congress would not allow an independent commission to take place. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090076458,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield to the gentleman from Ohio .","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3051}
{"speech_id":1090076459,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I appreciate the words of the gentleman from Florida . I think we need to be absolutely clear. that after all this time when we are talking about the committee that passed out of this House. this is a committee. 11 to 9. Republicans 11. Democrats 9. and what we are arguing from our side of the aisle. why not have an independent commission like for 9\/11. That was a commission that worked. that solved problems. and that was bipartisan. Why would we not want that to happen again. We have seen time and time again. over the past 5 years in particular. when there was no check on the Republican7 power in the House and the Senate. that time and time again we have been getting bad information from the leadership here in the House of Representatives. the Republican leadership. We have been getting bad information. If you want to talk about the war. bad information. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090076459,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why would we want the Republican majority in Congress to oversee the information and the intelligence and everything else that came from the war. It is the fox guarding the hen house. And when we talk about the Medicare prescription drug bill. it started out $400 billion. That is all it is going to cost. Then we find out months later it was $700 billion. Why would we want the majority party who originally gave \u0095 us the bad information to then oversee the investigation into the bad information that they gave us in the first place. After Hurricane Katrina. after one of the great national and natural disasters in the history of the United States of America. decimated FEMA. terrible response on all levels. there is plenty of blame to go around. Federal. State and local. why would we want the party who is in charge to oversee their own investigation. Give the American people an honest assessment of how things worked and what the mistakes were. because at the end of the day. this is about fixing the problem because that could have been. that very well could have been a biological attack in New Orleans. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090076459,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the response was terrible. So why would we want the Republican majority to oversee the Republican mistakes and expect at the end of the day that we are going to get an honest assessment. It just does not make any sense. Madam Speaker. I want to welcome the gentleman from New Jersey to the 30something Group.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090076473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Save their political appointments for the ambassadorships with a lot of beachfront property. That is where they put their political people. And we understand that happens. Do not put them in charge of FEMA. Do not put them in a position where if they do not like the science. then change the science.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":300}
{"speech_id":1090076493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. if my colleagues do not mind me jumping in here. lest people think that we are just on the Floor here pointing fingers and only being critical. we have our own alternative proposal. the democratic alternative to the energy bill tomorrow. People might think that we as Members of Congress are somehow different than our constituents. I am just a minivan mom. I do not drive a big old SUV. I drive a mini van. I wish I could drive a car that was smaller. but I have 3 little kids who have to be striapped into a car seat. I have 6yearold twins and a 2yearold baby girl and I. like most moms. do not have much of an alternative -in terms of making sure I have a car that is safe. that is big enough to haul them and all their soccer stuff and Brownie stuff and baseball stuff. just all their stuff. That is what parents across this country deal with every single day. Last week and the week before and the week before that. I paid $45 to $50 to fill up my tank. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2223}
{"speech_id":1090076493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whenever I end up spending $45 to $50 on anything. I swallow hard. When you have to do that once a week. there is a problem. We make an okay income as Members of Cofngress. Think about the people who are struggling paycheck to paycheck. Tomorrow on this floor. we are going to offer a real alternative to the energy bill. We are going to offer an alternative that puts some bark into the Federal Trade Commissions bite. We are going to give explicit authority to the FTC to define. for the first time. price gouging and what it is and how to penalize for it and make sure that there are factors that can be determined. We are going to make sure that everybody in the supply chain. including home heating fuels. deals with price gouging measures. We are going to make sure that it is not just one end of the chain. the energy chain. but the whole thing. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2223}
{"speech_id":1090076493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are going to establish a strategic refinery reserve. Our substitute would increase our Nations refinery capacity by establishing a strategic refinery reserve. Madam Speaker. we are taking real steps in our proposed alternative tomorrow which. of course. is not going to pass because the Republicans much prefer their industryladen benefits package. which is the best way to describe this bill.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2223}
{"speech_id":1090076583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I very much respect the Senator from Oklahoma. He is a man who is a watchdog on the taxpayers money. and so am I. I know he is very conversant on a variety of issues. It is one of thoseoccasions I must rise in opposition to the Senators amendment. . Congress. several years ago. authorized the Defense Travel System with the aim of saving taxpayers dollars. and that makes a great deal of sense to make sure that .travel administration by the Department of Defense has greater scrutiny. In fact. as I understand it. they have found by doing it this wayand it is only being field tested. it is not fully implementedthose who are traveling at firstclass and tickets being paid for where travel wasnt used. This system is actually helping save the taxpayers money and also identifying when Government workers are flying at a higher cost than they ought to. I am told that it is now used at a littfe bit more than half of the Department of Defense 11.000 sites by nearly 700.000 uniformed and civilian personnel. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3219}
{"speech_id":1090076583,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It appears. from what I have looked at. that DTS has not only met but exceeded its original objectives. It is not fully put in place. It is being field tested. As a practical matter. we would like another year or so to see it fully implemented. I am told that it has handled more than a million transactions. and it is well on its way to saving the projected $56 million a year for the American taxpayers. As to efficiency and savings. any GSA solution will strip away what are planned savings and actually increase operations costs. This is the information I have been trying to gather. on this since Senator COBURN offered the amendment. It would actually increase operation costs from $40 to $60 million annually. Senator WARNER used the figure of $65 million. Regardless. there would be an added cost. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3219}
{"speech_id":1090076583,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One thing the Senator from Oklahoma mentioned is that the Department of Defense does not actually own this software system and that what the Department of Defense. though. has done is it has appropriate license rights to the DTS software system in accordance with Federal acquisition regulations. While there are these allegations from outside parties that criticize the DTS program on the basis that the Government failed to obtain title to the DTS software. what is ignored is that the Federal acquisitions regulations provide that in the vast majority of Federal contracts. the Government does not take title but instead it is given a license to the software. And the Department of Defense has secured appropriate license rights to all the developed software and thirdparty software products used by DTS. The Senator from Oklahoma stated that this contract may violate the very laws that were put on the- books to try to maintain competition in contracting. I.dont know whether it was an assertion or a conclusion. I respectfully disagree. The legality of the restructuring of the DTS contract has been challenged in court. From what our research has shown. no court has found that the entire restructured contract was illegal. It simply stated no part of the contract. as currently configured. has been found by any court to be illegal. Maybe it will be in the future. and we will see.","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3219}
{"speech_id":1090076791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there are discussions going on concerning the future of this bill and what time we may be able to vote and dispose of the bill. I did try to go to third reading to make sure we would not have amendments coming in here at the last minute that would require Members to come back into the Senate to vote at this time. I want to state that I do not have any problem with the exchange between the Senators from Louisiana. They do have a very difficult proposition. I am not going to get into that at this time. But I will say this: The arrangement that the jtinior Senator has made is much better than we got after the great earthquake in Alaska in 1964. I think people ought to realize that while the numbers of people involved in this great disaster from Katrina and the. disaster of Ritawe -have had massive disasters such as our earthquake and our great flood and the typhoons in Hawaii. This is not something that is new. The number of people may be greater. but the type of disaster is not any greater.. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090076791,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would hope we would have a chance to finish the conversations that the leadership is having and we can find some way to deal with this situation and let people know what time. ald if. we are going to be allowed to vote on this very important bill that should go to conference before we go home. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090076810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to offer a bill that would require hospitals to disclose their charges for the most common procedures and drugs. - This bill recognizes that consumers seeking routine hospital\" services need to know what they are paying so they can make educated decisions about their own health care. This legislation aims to give Americans that information in a user friendly format. Specifically. the bill would require hospitals to regularly report to the Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the amount they charge for the 25 most commonly performed inpatient procedures. the 25 most common outpatient procedures. and the 50 most frequently administered medications. The Department would then post this information on the Internet for easy access. Under the current system. patients often have no idea what they will be charged until they receive a bill. This is a problem because hospital charges vary significantily based on facility and procedure. Some hospitals charge onehundred and twenty dollars for a chest xray while others charge more than fifteen hundred. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2217}
{"speech_id":1090076810,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Uninsured patients and those who pay with cash are often surprised with unexpected hospital charges because there is no way for them to know what they will be charged up front. No other industry expects consumers to commit to buying before they know the true cost. Patients should have access to price information before they commit to a procedure. This bipartisan bill is good for the uninsured and for consumer driven healthcare. Individuals cannot be expected to get comfortable making their own health care decisions unless they know how much they will be expected -to pay for different services. I am grateful to Senators RICHARD DURBIN and JOHN CORNYN for joining me as original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation. I am also pleased that Representatives BOB INGLIS and DAN LIPINSKI have introduced companion -legislation in the House. They recognize that information is power. and this bill is an important step in empowering Americans with the tools to be smart consumers. I urge my Senate colleagues to support this bill. -I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2217}
{"speech_id":1090076813,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I join my colleague and the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senator DOMENICI. in introducing three bills. by request. to make necessary changes to law regarding the U.S.-affiliated islands. As Chairman and ranking minority member of this committee. Senator DOMENICI and I have a special responsibility for matters relating to our fellow U.S. citizens who live in the territories of the United States. While the people of the territories are U.S. citizen or nationals. they lack full voting representation in the U.S. Congress. Their problems and concerns are just as deserving of attention as are those of U.S. citizens who live in the 50 States. and it is the committee on Energy and Natural Resources which has the responsibility for considering island issues that are brought to our attention. and for making recommendations. as appropriate. to the full Senate. The committee is also responsible for authorization and oversight of U.S. financial assistance to the freely associated states of the Republic of Palau. the Federated States of Micronesia. and the Republic of the Marshall Islandsthree sovereign nations that were formerly administered by the U.S. as districts of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. While not under U.S. sovereignty. these nations enjoy a unique relationship with the U.S. which developed following the Pacific battles of World War II and which continues to be based on our mutual interest in security. democracy. and economic development. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3463}
{"speech_id":1090076813,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The first bill being introduced. the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act of 2005. would make several changes to the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act. CFAAA. of 2003. (Public Law 108188) which was enacted in December 2003. That law continued the -close relationships that were established in 1986 between the U.S. and the Federited States of Micronesia. FSM. and between the U.S. and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. RMI by revising and extending U.S. financial and program assistance until 2023. Final consensus- was not reached in 2003. however. on continuation of U.S. disaster assistance programs and services to the FSM and RMI. Instead. section 105(f)(1)(A) of the CFAAA directed the Secretary of State. in consultation with FEMA. to negotiate disaster assistance -agreements with the FSM and RMI. report to Congress on the outcome of the negotiations. and make recommendations to Congress on any necessary changes to law. On August 19. 2004. the State Department transmitted new agreements regarding disaster assistance to Congress along with the legislative language needed to bring them into effect. Generally. these agreements provide that FEMA and USAID will jointly consult on disaster damage assessments and on disaster declaration recommendations. FEMA will provide all disaster recovery funding consistent with past policy and practice and transfer those funds to USAID which will then administer all disaster response and recovery activities. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3463}
{"speech_id":1090076813,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition to approving these new disaster assistance agreements. this bill would make several other conforming. clarifying. and technical amendments to the CFAAA of 2003. The second bill being introduced today would convey submerged lands. out to 3 miles. to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. CNMI. and hopefully resolve a long standing dispute between the U.S. and the CNMI over the extent of the CNMIs territorial limit.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3463}
{"speech_id":1090076862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management. Government Information. ahd International Security be authorized to meet on Thursday. October 6. 2005. at 2:30 p.m.. for a hearing regarding .\"How Does the Federal Government Lease Needed Space?\" THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection. it is so ordered.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090077025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My friend from Iowa is correct. For the past several years. the Center for Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research has conducted research on the internal mechanisms and most effective treatment of gulf war illnesses and other undiagnosed postdeployment illnesses. This research has been funded by Congress and overseen by the U.S. -Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and its peerreview process. Continued funding for this program will enable the continuation of research into a variety of ill.nesses reported by personnel upon returning from the gulf war.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":557}
{"speech_id":1090077062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the they have done in the .gulf. coast Senate this year. we have considered States. They exemplify a working this homeland security bill during two agencyone that does its job without very different times of crisis. When the fanfare and complaint. and which probill was on the floor of the Senate in duces tremendous results in the numJuly. the reprehensible train bombings ber of lives that were saved rescuing in London had just occurred and there over 33.520 peopleas many as they was a desire to increase funding for rail have over the past 8 years--stranded by security. Now. we consider this con- Hurricane Katrina. Their superior ference report during the immediate work day in and day out is well recogaftershock of two damaging hurricanes nized. This conference report provides in the gulf coast. which demolished en- a total of $7.86 - billion for the Coast tire cities and towns. And there has Guard for fiscal year 2006. been a call and an urgency to provide As clearly as we saw the top performFederal financial help. We have met ance of the Coast Guard -during that call through significantvery sig- K.Atrina. the problems in FEMA connificantsupplemental emergency tinue to be highlighted. And this Coinfunds. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4828}
{"speech_id":1090077062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While these funds need to be mittee intends to conduct an in depth monitored to make sure they are spent analysis -of the Department and this wisely and prudently. it is appropriate agency. At this time. putting more money in this bill. on top of the $60 bilto help get the people .in these areas lion in emergency funds already proback on their feet. And it is important vided and the funds that will soon be to remember that this is an emergency. cing n the next plmentlbi and emergency needs are being ad- coming in the next supplemental. is not the solution. dressed through tens of billions of dol- I continue to also be concerned about lars that have been approved. the vast amount of unspent funds in The conference report we are consid- the Department. particularly the $6.2 ering today addresses the Department billion in unspent funds for State and of Honeland Security asa whole. It is local grants. For thatreason. this bill an amalgamation of 22 Federal agen- limits funding in those areas. As a part cies and it encompasses the broad spec- of the National Preparedness Goal. trum of homeland security needs. But State and local jurisdictions are underfirst and foremost. the Department taking a review of their essential capamust be focused on the national secu- bilities. to determine what has been acrity of our country. complished with the funds provided so The conference report before us far. The results of this analysis will be builds on that. It is threatbased and used to inform future funding deciprovides total appropriations of $31.9 sions. billion for the Department of Home- Interoperable communications reland Security. directly focusing on two mains a significant priority. One of the of the most vulnerable areas of our hurdles facing communities attempthomeland security: weapons of mass ing to achieve thisgoal is that not all destruction and border security. of the technical standards. known as As a country. we pride ourselves on Project 25. are finished. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4828}
{"speech_id":1090077062,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some standbeing an open and democratic society ards continue under development. that affords tremendous freedoms to Overall. this conference report repits citizens. Unfortunately. there are resents a responsible and targeted apterrorists who wish to prey on that proach to homeland security funding. trust and openness and to harm and Were we able to fully meet every need? kill massive numbers of innocent civil- No. given fiscal constraints. we focused ians to attack our way of life. There is our limited resources on eliminating absolutely no question that if a ter- the most serious and detrimental rorist gets control of a weapon of mass vulnerabilities of our homeland secudestruction. be it biological. nuclear. rity. And we have made a significant or radiological. it will be used against accomplishment in beginning to adus and against the fundamentals of dress the major threats facing our naWestern civilization. This conference tional security as a whole. This conreport provides over -$2.4 billion for ference report demonstrates our strong WMD and terrorism prevention and commitment to shoring up our napreparedness. including funds to assist tional security. making the DepartState and local jurisdictions. ment of Homeland Security a better Similarly. because we seek to par- -agency with a more coordinated and ticipate in an open and vibrant world. cohesive approach. and ensuring we are our borders are incredibly porous and focused on the emerging threats of access into this country is easy. Re- today rather than on yesterdays probgrettably. that openness is no* a lems.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4828}
{"speech_id":1090077080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have never forgotten that. I am so grateful because he helped to shepherd through the Congress the money that New York needed immediately to meet its needs. I am someone who believes that in a time of natural or manmade disaster. Americans rally around each other. We take care of each other. We provided funds from all over the countryto help New York rebuild. just as we did after the Northridge earthquake in California. just as we did after hurricanes in Florida. just as we did after forest fires in the West. just as we did after the great floods in the Middle West. There has never been a disaster of the dimension of what we are facing along the gulf coast. I believe I have a small bit of understanding and empathy because of what we went through in New York for what my colleagues. Senator VITTER and Senator LANDRIEU. are facing. But what is becoming clear to me is that there is an effort underway to make the recovery along the gulf coast much more diffibult than it needs to be. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090077080,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have been stunned at some of the demands that I hear coming from some of those in the Congress about what is expected from the people along the gulf coast and what kinds of funds can be made available to them. Like many people. I have been. touched. moved. and impressed by the passion and eloquence of my friend and colleague. the senior Senator from Louisiana. Ms. LANDRIEU. She has valiantly fought for the people who placed their trust in her to come to this Capitol and represent them in good times and bad. We are in a bad time. The people in Louisiana and along the gulf coast need champions. But no matter how eloquent a single Senator is or two Senators might be from a single State. they need support on both sides of the aisle and on both ends of the Capitol. We are about to be presented with legislation that for the life of me I cannot understand. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090077080,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation in law discriminates against the gulf coast. It says. for the first time ever. we will put conditions on the Federal money that goes through FEMA to the people and businesses of the gulf coast.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090077088,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I came from a meet\"ing where a number of business executives along the gulf coast are desperately trying to figure out what they are going to do. Enter gy in New Orleans has just taken bankruptcy. They said if they have to put the costs they are accruing into the rate basewhich they have to do under these circumstancesrates are going to rise 200 percent. What are people with no jobs and no businessesand we will not even give them an unemployment compensation extension. we will not pass the Medicaid emergency application processwhich we used in New Yorkgoing to do? We had a onepage Medicaid eligibility program that got people back into a position where they could get their health needs met. We are not doing any of that for people along the gulf.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":754}
{"speech_id":1090077139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I done. We need to find ways to make have shown all the pictures I can show -that recovery go right. for the week. I have done all the talk- Yesterday. my committee held a for the wee do n all today.Buth alk r hearing where we heard from energy ing I can do for today. But I can prom industry witnesses who have been imise you this. This~talking will continue and these meetings will continue and pacted by the hurricanes. The main this debate will continue. It is not message of that hearing was we are in going away. troubled energy times. particularly on going awad p othe natural gas front. The CEO of DOW The leadership of the House of Rep- Chemical Company painted a very resentatives needs to be put on notice bleak picture for American industry. that this debate is going to go on for a Our industries that rely on natural very long time. until we get relief. re- gas both as a fuel and a feedstock have covery. respect. and the dignity that hard choices before them about how we deserve as American citizens from and where they will base their operLouisiana to Texas to Alabama to Mis- ations. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090077139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the U.S.. natural gas prices sissippi and the people whom we rep- are close to $14. In China. it is less than resent. Black and White. rich and poor. $5. In Saudi Arabia. it is about $1. If we young and old. small and large busi- translated gasoline prices to the level nesses alike. and our faithbased com- of increases faced by natural gaswe munity. get the respect it deserves would be seeing $7agallon gasoline at from the floor of this Senate and the the pump right now. Congress of the United States. and gets At DOWs St. Charles petrochemical the help it needs to get through and re- complex that I saw in Baton Rogue. I build. learned that every $1 increase in the I assure you that we will rebuild this cost of natural gas means an additional coast. We will rebuild the gulf coast. It $35 million a year in fuel costs for that was paid for by a great President. single facility. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090077139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our manufacturers have President Jefferson. at 3 cents an acre to compete in global markets. At those in 1803 where he borrowed money. He prices. they cant. knew what he was borrowing money The energy bill we just passed took for. He had a good reason to borrow it. some good steps forward to address and he bought the Louisiana Purchase. these challenges but did. not secure Andrew Jackson came and defended it. more natural gas supply that we have His statue never went underwater. available right here at home. We will rebuild this region all In the area on the Outer Continental through the gulf coast and into Lou- Shelf known as the nonleased portions isianathe ports. the energy infra- of Lease Sale 181 which is not under structure. turn our lights on again. and moratorium. but which we are not alkeep the lights on all over America. to lowing leasing. there is approximately try to keep peoples bills as low as we 7.2 trillion cubic feet of gas. Iii the can and keep their heat on this winter. areas more than 100 miles from any which is approaching. Even if you do state coastline. 2 resources are estinot give us one penny. even if you do -mated to be approximately 6 trillion not. lend us money. we have been self- cubic feet of gas. reliant for over 300 or more years. The This area can be leased administrapeople here are pretty tough and it tively. without any legislative action. takes a lot more than this to beat our At our committee hearing and during spirit. yesterdays press conference I urged The bill is gone. It is the best we the administration \"to reconsider this could do. It is not the best we could policy in light of our Nations natural have done. but it is what we have. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090077139,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We gas crisis. which has seen a 121percent will live with it. but we will not stop price increase in just 1 year this debate. I will continue to work to cure more I yield the floor. domestic energy supplies. but in the I suggest the absence of a quorum. short term all the witnesses the com-","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4003}
{"speech_id":1090077162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I hereby submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report prepared by the Congressional Budget Office under section 308(b) and in aid of section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. as amended. This report meets the requirements for Senate scorekeeping of section 5 of S. Con. Res. 32. the first concurrent resolution on the budget for This report shows the effects of congressional action on the 2005 budget through September 30. 2005. The estimates of budget authority. outlayg. and revenues are consistent with the technical and economic assumptions of the 2006 concurrent resolution on the budget. H. Con. Res. 95. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090077162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The estimates show that current level spending is over the budget resolutfon by $3.145 billion in budget authority and over the budget resolution by $101 million in outlays in 2005. Current level for revenues is $447 million above the budget resolution in 2005. Since my last report for fiscal year 2005 dated September 29. 2005. the Congress has taken no action that has changed budget authority. outlays. or revenues. This is my final report for .fiscal year 2005. I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying letter and material be .printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1204}
{"speech_id":1090077166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor Navy Pilot LCDR Thomas. E. Blake of Spencer. NE. Lieutenant Commander Blake was a selfless and honorable man whose commitment and service to his country were exemplary. As a 1990 graduate of SpencerNaper High School. Blake went on to earn a bachelors degree from the University of NebraskaLincoln in 1994. Blake was an 11year veteran of the Navy. and had been stationed at Sea Control Squadron 32. based at Jacksonville. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1264}
{"speech_id":1090077166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Florida for the past 6 months. On September 21. 2005. LCDR Thomas Blake died at the age of 33 when an S3B Viking jet crashed near Jacksonville Naval Air Station. killing Blake and LCDR Scoot Bracher of Malverne. NY. Blake was the -naval flight officer and mission commander on the flight. Lieutenant Commander Blake is survived by his wife Jessica. a native of Gretna. NE. Thomas and Jessica are the parents of a 2yearold son. and Jessica is expecting their second child soon. I would like to offer my sincere condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Lieutenant Commander Blake. His noble service to the United .States of America is to be respected and remembered by all. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1264}
{"speech_id":1090077166,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every American and all Nebraskans should be proud of the service of brave military personnel such as LCDR Thomas E. Blake.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1264}
{"speech_id":1090077169,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to inform my colleagues as to why I missed voting on the motion to table Senator COBURNS amendment No. 2005 to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. 2006. At the time the vote occurred. I was attending the funeral of -a longtime employee and friend. Shawn Bentley. Should I have been present. I would have voted in favor of tabling the amendment. which would not have changed the outcome oftha vote.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090077179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to bring attention to the appalling human rights abuses against women in Pakistan and to express my dismay with the recent comments of President Pervez Musharraf that rape in Pakistan has become an opportunity for women of his country to make money and emigrate. Victims of rape and domestic violence\" in Pakistan and around the world are offended by these irresponsible remarks. On September 13 President Musharraf stated the following in -an interview with the Washington Post: \"You must understand the environment in Pakistan . . . This has become -a moneymaking concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa to Canada for citizenship and be a millionaire. get yourself raped.\" President Musharraf subsequently denied making these remarks. but the paper posted an audio link of the interview on its website. confirming that he had in fact been accurately quoted. These comments arecompletely unacceptable. They are especially so considering the fact that rape and other acts of violence against women in Pakistan are a longstanding problem. The U.S. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4812}
{"speech_id":1090077179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"State Departments Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2004 reported that one out of every two Pakistani women last year was the victim of mental or physical violence. That is an astounding number. Additionally. the report states that husbands frequently beat and even occasionally kill their wives and that many females are disfigured by intentional burnings or attacks with acid. So called \"honor killings.\" when husbands murder theif wives for alleged infidelity or other acts deemed to impugn the mans honor. also continue to be a problem in Pakistan. Yet the perpetrators of these crimes often escape punishment. Pakistani human rights organizations documented 1.458 cases of honor killings last year. and many more likely went unreported. A study by Human Rights Watch estimates that a woman in Pakistan is raped every 2 hours and that approximately 7090 percent of women suffer from some form of domestic violence. The terrible stories of two Pakistani rape victims have been vividly -portrayed in moving editorials by New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof. From Kristof we first learned about Mukhtar Mai. who was gangraped in 2002 on the orders of a council of tribal elders. and also about Dr. Shazia Khalid. a Pakistani physician who was raped in January 2005 by a military officer in her place of employment. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4812}
{"speech_id":1090077179,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These stories are tragic. But equally troubling is the cruel reality that many rape victims in Pakistan are pressured to drop charges by the authorities. as was the case for Dr. Khalid. Many who courageously decide to press forward are ostracized. beaten or even jailed on charges of adultery or fornication. What we are witnessing is an archaic and twisted judicial system where too often the victims are punished and the culprits go free. This practice of blaming and then abusing the victim ts a disgrace. At a time when the Bush administration is embracing President Musharraf and giving Pakistan huge amounts of aid on account of his support for the administrations policies in Afghanistan. it should use its influence to press Musharraf to act immediately to address the rampant abuse of Pakistani women. This includes abolishing the Hudood Ordinances. a harsh penal code introduced in 1979 by thendictator General Zia ulHaq to Islamize the legal system. Unfortunately. President Musharraf has taken few concrete steps to protect women from this discriminatory and backward legal system. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4812}
{"speech_id":1090077179,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we consider the .plight of women in Pakistan and the tremendous obstacles they must -surmount. the U.S. must take a hard look at the consistency of our own policies. especially with respect to advancing human ctober 7.\"2005 rights around the globe. I was troubledto hear that the State Department declined to react to Musharrafs comments. When asked about the interview by a member of the press. a Government spokesman skirted the issue by stating that \"The United States Government speaks out very clearly that violence against women. wherever it may occur. is unacceptable. And around the world. where this is a problem. we make a point of speaking out against it.\" Unfortunately. the- administration is not practicing what it preaches. The administration missed an important opportunity to speak out againsta reprehensible allegation that women are using rape in order to make money and emigrate. In his inaugural address last year. the President stated that \"all who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression. or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty. we will stand with you.\" I urge President Bush to live up to his promise to promote democracy and advance human rights and to not ignore the women of Pakistan.*","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4812}
{"speech_id":1090077189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President..I rise today to recognize the many years of.service Norman \"Norm\" L. Kirkham has provided to the people of southern West Virginia. For the last 19 years. Mr. Kirkham has held the position of executive director of the West Virginia Region I Planning and Development Council and worked tirelessly on various projects during the 10 years prior to that. This organization is a nonprofit public agency that coordinates with the Federal. State. and local governments to provide comprehensive planning for the coalfields of southern West Virginia. After numerous years of working with the citizens of McDowell. Mercer. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3925}
{"speech_id":1090077189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Monroe. Raleigh. Summers. and Wyoming Counties to improve their quality of life and develop the regional economy. Norm is retiring effective October 31. 2005. Many of Norms colleagues praise him. for his active role as the driving force behind the scenes. turning proposed plans and ideas into economic realities for southern West Virginia. One such eiample is a project to bring a new Federal prison to McDowell County. West Virginia. Over the last decade. I have worked alongside Norm to help develop a site for the prison and secure approval for the prison. As a result of his relentless hard work and determination. the new Federal prison will create 350 highpaying jobs in an area that desperately needs them. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3925}
{"speech_id":1090077189,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am enormously proud to have worked with Norm on this and so many projects. During his tenure as executive director. Norm has helped to secure funds to provide flood relief to the floodprone valleys and riverbanks of southern West Virginia. enhanced the water systems in towns such as Princeton. Welch. and Union. and lobbied for grant money to support senior citizen centers. In addition to advancing specific economic development projects. Norm has helped ease access to technology. sewage. and other forms of infrastructure throughout southern West Virginia. Without a doubt. Norm has contributed a great deal to his agency and to the people of southern West Virginia. His contributions are even more impressive when one considers the dire need for economic development .in the southern West Virginia coalfields. Traditionally. the ecohomy of southern West Virginia has relied heavily on the coal industry. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3925}
{"speech_id":1090077189,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through coordination and planning. Norm and his agency have helped diversify the regions economy and tremendously enhance the infrastructural needs that are vital to development in southern West Virginia. Many sucbessful economic development sites can be attributed to Norms dedication to promoting and developing economic prosperity for every person and family in his region. Public servants in his line of work normally do not receive the recognition they deserve. Our State needs more people like Norm who dedicate their entire professional careers to ensure that people have adequate employment. roads. water. sewage. and other services and infrastructural needs commonly taken for granted: Always modest and never in the limelight. .Norm is firmly rooted in rural Summers County where he inherited the values that make southern West Virginia a unique and wonderful areaservice to community and nation and dedication to family and neighbors. Through his hard work and integrity. Norm has earned the respect of every local official in southern West Virginia. Federal and State officials. Governors. past and present. and the Members of the congressional delegation. In retirement. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3925}
{"speech_id":1090077189,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Norm can more fully devote himself to what he cherishes most in lifehis family. his Summers County farm and his community. He will surely be missed at Region I and throughout all of West Virginia. but he leaves a career of good work that will last generations. I will sincerely miss working with Norm but I suspect even in retirement. some very worthwhile community projects are going to find themselves in need of a seasoned volunteer just like him. Regardless. I wish him the very beste","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3925}
{"speech_id":1090077195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. on behalf of myself and Senators WARNER apd COBURN. to introduce a bill establishing an Under Secretary for Policy within the Department of Homeland Security. This legislation would meet a critical need of the Department: an official at the highest level of the Department to develop co herent strategies -and provide comprehensive policy guidance for responding to the full range of threats to our homeland. This past spring. soon after being confirmed as the second Secretary of Homeland Security. Secretary Chertoff conducted a toptobottom review of the Department. As Secretary Chertoff said at the launch of this \"Second Stage Review.\" the Congress created the Department of Homeland Security \"to do more than simply erect a big tent under which a lot of different organizations would be collected.\" Instead. the purpose of the Department is to integrate the capabilities and achieve unity of effort among a wide range of agencies and entities that are involved in protecting our homeland. In July. Secretary Chertoff announced the results of the \"Second Stage Review\" and proposed several organizational changes aimed at further integrating the Departments many components. Chief among. these proposed changes was the- creation of a Senateconfirmed Under Secretary with responsibility for policy development across the Department. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3022}
{"speech_id":1090077195,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thus. in keeping with Secretary Chertoffs proposal. this legislation would create an Under Secretary for Policy who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. This Under Secretary would serve as the Secretarys principal policy advisor and enable the Department to develop comprehensive policies and strategiesacross all of the Departments componentsto meet homeland security challenge. The Under Secretarys responsibilities would cover four key areas: policy development. strategic planning. international affairs. and private sector outreach. The policy development and strategic planning functions are new. while the international affairs and private sector outreach functions are transferred from other parts of the Department in order to consolidate the full range of policylevel functions under this Under Secretary. We need no better reason to take up this bill than the tragic events of a month ago. Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster. but the devastation. suffering. and deprivation left in the wake of this powerful storm were compounded by the failure of all levels of governmentlocal. State. and Federalto prepare and respond in a unified. integrated way. Moreover. the capabilities needed to have dealt with Hurricane Katrina are in many instances the same capabilities that are needed to protect America from terrorism. The governmental failures highlighted by Hurricane Katrina are evidence of the need for greater integration and unity of effort within the Department. At the heart of this integration. the Department needs a stronger emphasis on policy development and sfrategic planning to meet the full","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3022}
{"speech_id":1090077197,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today- to introduce the Gasoline Affordability and Security. GAS. Act. With the average price of gasoline at $2.86 a gallon in Pennsylvania and the national average even higher. conditions are ripe for Congress to critically examine why prices are rising and act to address those factors we can control. While we have little influence over OPEC. events in oilexporting countries or growing demand in other nations. we can take steps to expand our shrunken refining capacity. diversify our transportation fuel supply and reduce demand. Though critical for our Nations energy security. the benefits of many Federal policies will take some. time to realize. For this.reason. my bill combines consumer protection provisions with proposals incentivizing innovative technology and conservation. Consumers are understandably concerned that they are being taken advantage of at the pump. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2533}
{"speech_id":1090077197,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My bill will protect consumera by distinguishing retailers engaging in predatory business activities from those simply responding to market conditions beyondtheir control. Under my proposal. the Federal Trade Commission. FTC. is directed to define \"price gouging\" and set rules that they will have the authority to enforce. This provision would be effective in times of a declared energy emergency and would not be limited to a specific geographic area in which a major disaster occurs. My. constituents can vigorously attest to the fact that the effects of a natural disaster on gasoline prices are not confined to that region. The damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has affected consumers pocketbooks nationwide. And tobetter inform consumers. the FTC will be required to make available a list disclosing the name of any entity penalized under the Federal price gouging prohibition. Twentyeight States currently have price gouging laws on the books. In an effort to further assist States to tackle this issue. the GAS Act also directs the FTC to create a task force that will aid any state requesting assistance with the investigation of potential price gouging. and provide technical assistance in reviewing or establishing state price gouging laws. High prices are often not the result of price gouging. and consumers have a right to know what theyre paying for in a gallon of gasoline. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2533}
{"speech_id":1090077197,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This information is available through the Energy Information Association. EIA. But because many Americans do not have Internet access or may not be able to easily extract this data. my bill encourages the EIA .to disseminate. in a","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2533}
{"speech_id":1090077250,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate is prepared to ratify two important treaties. the InterAmerican Convention Against Terrorism. and the United Nations Convention AgainstTransnational Organized Crime. As a former prosecutor. I believe these treaties will provide important tools in our war against terrorism and organized crime. However. as chairman of the Senate Steering Committee. and as a United States Senator. it is my job to carefully review all legislation and treaties to ensure that they are consistent with our Constitution and in the best interest of the United States. In reviewing these treaties. there were two matters I felt needed further clarification. First. the issue of extradition. I be\u0095lieve it is important that if we are going to enter into an extradition arrangement. it strengthen our hand with respect to nations. such as Mexico. who have refused to extradite violent criminals to the United States for prosecution. It serves no purpose to enter into treaties with no teeth. Second. the International Criminal Court: The position of the United States has been firm in opposition to any expanded powers of the International Criminal Court. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2104}
{"speech_id":1090077250,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These treaties were silent on the ICC. They did not explicitly permit the ICC from exercising jurisdiction over matters. nor do they prohibit it from doing so. Were I not absolutely certain that these treaties would provide no mechanism for an overzealous ICC prosecutor to assert new jurisdiction. these treaties would not be ratified today. However. based on an exchange of correspondence with the United States Department of Justice. I am satisfied that there is absolutely no way the ICC may assert any new jurisdiction based upon these treaties. I received this letter by fax within the last few minutes. and it is on this basis that I am permitting these treaties to proceed. I am confident that these treaties are in the interest of the United States. and this correspondence will serve as legislative hist6ry with respect to the concerns I just addressed. I ask unanimous consent that the abovereferenced letters be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2104}
{"speech_id":1090077288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for purposes of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to my dear friend from New York . pending which I yield myself suchtime as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090077301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the rule and the underlying bill and commend Chairman BARTON for his exceptional and timely work on this legislation. But I also rise. Mr. Speaker. to say. while we respond to the energy crisis that was revealed by Hurricane Katrina. it is also vital that we respond to the fiscal crisis that was laid bare by the hurricane as well. For what began as a hurricane of nature very quickly became a hurricane of spending here on Capitol Hill: $60 billion appropriated in 6 days. paid for by sinply adding to the national debt. Now. some of us thought we should pay for the big cost of Hurricane Katrina by cutting JBig Government. and this week. with the leadership of President George W. Bush and the leadership of the Republican majority in Congress. we are beginning to do just that. Last night. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2291}
{"speech_id":1090077301,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker HASTERT unveiled a bold plan to cut billions of dollars from every branch of government to offset the extraordinary cost of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. And while the details take shape that would save tens of billions of dollars tfirough an acrosstheboard spending cut. through additional entitlement savings. through a Presidential recision package. the first time in this.administration. by reopening the Budget Act with a Budget Act amendment. the first time Congress has done that since 1977. and by ending nearly 100 outdated Federal programs. we are beginning that process as well. So I rise today to say on behalf of House conservatives we are pleased. but not content. We are encouraged. but not satisfied. For while the debate has been difficult at times. the work of cutting government spending to offset the extraordinary cost of Hurricane Katrina willbe harder still. With more hurricane spending right around the corner. I rise humbly to challenge my colleagues in the House and. Mr. Speaker. I rise to challenge my colleagues in the United States Senate to be strong and courageous and do the work. 1J 1000 Let us have the courage to make the tough choices. to find the means to pay for the cost of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath through reductions in government spending. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2291}
{"speech_id":1090077301,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us do the work of rebuilding our gulf coast with the compassion and the fiscal discipline that the American people expect from a Republican Congress.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2291}
{"speech_id":1090077311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one of the things that you can say about the way in which the national Republican Party has handled Americas energy problem is that they are being very consistent. and that goes back to the first moment when they controlled both the Congress and the White House. when the President. charged by the Bush administration to develop an energy policy. did the natural thing for them. brought in the energy companies to tell them what kind of policy we should have. That attitude is reflected in this bill. as well as the one that this Congress passed last -July. They are both deferential to the energy companies at the expense of the American people. Everything goes to the energy companies. nothing goes to the American people. The energy companies last year. the oil companies. made record profits. more than $125 billion. One corporation alone made more thafn $25 billion in profits in 2004. Their profits in 2005 are even higher. while the American people struggle to get back and forth to work because of the price of gasoline and as they will struggle- this winter to heat their homes to try to stay safe and secure. Lives will be lost because of the way in which the national Republican Party is handling this energy problem. In order to justify gasoline being sold at $3 a gallon under a free. open market. you would have to have oil priced at $95 a barrel. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2101}
{"speech_id":1090077311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we do not have a free and open market. even though the Republicans claim we do. We have a market that is controlled by the oil companies. for the oil companies and against the interests of the American people. and all of that is conspired and entered into by the national Republican Party. in the White House and in this Congress as well. That is what we are seeing here today in the context of this legislation: More for the oil companies. less for Americans. Struggle. struggle. struggle for the American worker. struggle. struggle. struggle for the American family. while huge profits are given to the oil companies over and over again. It has got to stop. Defeat this rule. defeat the bill. pass the Stupak substitute.","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2101}
{"speech_id":1090077315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first of all. at the appropriate time. I will enter some extraneous information into the RECORD. Mr. Speaker. it is very clear when we look at what has happened in the last few years where we have had a number of mergers of oil companies. the top five oil companies. I believe. now dominate more than a third of the market. As a result. we see that prices keep increasing as market concentration increases. This is a clear example of what happens when monopolies dominate an economy. We have high prices. and we also have manipulation of supplies. increased profits. and now we have price gouging. With this manipulation of supply. we are also seeing an attempt today to attack our environmental laws. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2121}
{"speech_id":1090077315,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That puts us in a position where we sacrifice not only the standard of living of many Americans to the oil companies but now we are sacrificing the environment itself. I think that many Americans are already aware that one of the reasons that we are in Iraq is because of oil. I mean. very few people would dispute that now. There were no weapons of mass destruction. they are not going to have a democracy there. but the administration is preparing to stay there for the long haul. and it is because of oil. Oil is corrupting this government. Oil is costing us peace in the world. Oil is putting us on a path to economic ruin. Oil is dominating this political process right now. We need to take a new course. We can start with the windfall profits tax. but we have to go beyond that. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2121}
{"speech_id":1090077315,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to look at alternative energy. the power of the sun. Sunlight is a disinfectant in many ways. but it is also a powerful energy source. We need wind power. we need geothermal. we need to tap all available technologies to take us in a new direction where the globe itself is not at stake. What a disgrace it is that we put the lives and the existence of the Gwitchin Indians in Alaska at risk for more oil. What a disgrace it is that we violate peoples human rights for more oil. What a disgrace it is that we are not taking a new direction. not just to save the planet. but to save democracy. Vote down the bill. \"","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2121}
{"speech_id":1090077324,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Republican leadership has done it. They have turned the House of Representatives into a banana republic. We have a bill on the floor today that had no hearings. It had no subcommittee markup. It was rushed through the committee without any attempt to find a compromise. A few hours ago. in the dark of night. the bill was rewritten. There is not one Member who really understands everything that is in this bill or understands what this bill will really do: But there are dozens of cronies and special interest lobbyists smiling this morning because they know the fix is in. The Republican leadership is so scared of open debate and the democratic process that they will not allow the bills provisions to be debated or amended. They only will permit one amendment to one of the most antienvironmental. backward. and intellectually dishonest bills that has ever come before the House. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090077324,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And that may not be the worst of it. because the Republican leadership is trying to do all of this in the name of Katrina. America watched with horror as this hurricane struck. The damage was immense. and so was our responsibility in Congress to do all we can to help those who have been displaced rebuild their lives. But that is what makes this legislation so shameful. At a time of desperate need and profound responsibility. the response of Washington Republicans is crass opportunism. The bill will not help a single victim of Katrina. It will do nothing to help lower gas prices. Instead. Washington Republicans are using the devastation caused by the hurricanes to stampede Congress into undermining our environmental laws. Exploitation is an ugly word. but that is what this is. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090077324,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would urge Members to vote against the rule and. more importantly. vote against this bill. It is a shameful piece of legislation. It is the legislative equivalent of price gouging. and the American people deserve better. and we can do better.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090077326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I hope the American people are watching this debate. and if they are watching this debate on TV. I hope they have a video recorder. because they need to record this debate. When you are talking in your church or in your home or where you work about high fuel prices. you can play this and let people see why we have the prices that we have right now. why they are going to be paying more for home heating oil. why they are paying more for gasoline. because this side of the aisle over here does not understand the problems that we have in this country. I Play it. listen to it. You are an individual out there. You can car pool if you want to. If you want to buy a car that gets 50 miles to the gallon. they make them every day. You can go buy them by the hundreds. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090077326,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you want to buy a car that gets 10 miles to the gallon. that is up to ypu. You are an individual. and you have individual responsibilities. Let us quit blaming the people who are trying to be leaders in this country and put us on the right track for an energy policy.","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1049}
{"speech_id":1090077334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is an important piece of legislation that the gentleman from Texas has brought forward today. I urge support of the rule. I urge that we reject the arguments we have heard from the prophets of pessimism. This is an important piece of legislation to keep the economys infrastructure in place for sustained economic growth- and for the lifestyle that this great Nation has become accustomed to. and so we would ask all colleagues to support the underlying legislation as well as the rule.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":504}
{"speech_id":1090077342,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was regrettably delayed in a meeting at the Pentagon. and was unable to be oh the House Floor for rollcall votes 515 and 516. Had I been present. I would have voted \"yea\" on rollcall 515. the rule providing for consideration of the bill H.R. 3893 and \"yea\" on rollcall 516. approvingthe Journal.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":310}
{"speech_id":1090077361,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker. the bill before us today was rushed through the committee. It did not receive a single legislative hearing: It would weaken environmental protections but would do nothing to reduce the price of gasoline. There has been much attention given to the fact that our Nations refinery capacity is limited. but there has been no substantial evidence presented to conclude that the reason for this shortage is difficulty in siting or obtaining the environmental permits necessary in order to build a new refinery. In fact. there has been some evidence that suggests the reason for the thinrefinery capacity is that refiners are reluctant to build new facilities since they are enjoying record profits under the current regime. The bill before us would seek to increase refinery capacity by easing environmental requirements and providing additional Federal authorities for siting new facilities. Based on the evidence before us. that would be the wrong remedy. ","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1777}
{"speech_id":1090077361,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is a better approach. Later today I will be joining with our colleague. the gentleman from Michigan . in offering a substitute for the bill. Our substitute would address the refinery capacity issue by creating a strategic refinery reserve. The new rdserve would build on the success of the strategic petroleum reserve and would provide the Nation with a reserve refinery capacity that could be used in times of national emergency to increase the supply of gasoline and minimize supply disruptions and price spikes. Given the choices that are before us today. the substitute that the gentleman from Michigan and I will be offering. is far more likely to address our real gasoline supply problems than the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1777}
{"speech_id":1090077363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 1976 was a great year. We built our last refinery in this country. and I graduated from high school. That is too long for that to occur. Our domestic demand for crude oil averages 21 million barrels a day. We refine only 17 million barrels a day. That means we import gasoline. People understand we have a dependence upon foreign oil. What they do not understand and find incredibly ridiculous is that we import refined product just making us more dependent on the industry. This is a great piece of legislation. and anyone from coal country ought to support it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090077363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Coal to liquid. fisher trove technology developed during World War II is evident in production in South Africa today. What we have done in this bill is we have taken the definition of refinery and added coal to liquid. which means we can harvest the great coal reserves of this country. We can turn them into clean fuel and use that clean fuel to reduce our demand for foreign oil. We are also able to disburse our refinery assets around the country so we are not held hostage by having 47 percent of our refineries in hurricane alley. This bill is a tremendous step forward in decreasing our reliance on foreign oil. new technology. diversifying our refinery portfolio. and I ask all of my colleagues. to join me in support of this legislation.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHIMKUS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090077417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. these are very hard times for energy consumersfrom people on fixed incomes filling up their tanks to multibillion dollar chemical October 7. 2.005 companies facing soaring natural gas feedstock costs. I think we did a good job with the energy bill. which cannot provide immediate relief. but will allow prices to stabilize in the future and to become more affordable over time. If the global market gives us $60 per barrel oil. we are going to pay a lot for gas. People say there is no global spare oil capacity. . Well. there is a lot here in the U.S. but we arent allowed to use itthat is why I support expanded oil and gas production offshore in the OCS. Limited refining capacity is leading to higher prices. but it is not the refiners fault. We have 12 refining companies that make over 500.000 barrels per day. That is more competitive than the software operating system industry. the airline industry. the semiconductor industry. and many others. In the refining business. historical profits are well below averagethats why no one invested in expansion until recently. when margins improved. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090077417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Throughout this process. I have been concerned with both parties approach to consumer protection on gasoline prices. The original refinery bill had no FTC authority to protect consumers. only a study. However. I am grateful to Chairman BARTON for making significant improvements to the committeepassed version of this bill. The Stupak substitute goes even further by expanding . refining capacity and applying tougher and clearer consumer protection standards to this bill. It is clear that some prce increases should be investigatedespecially given price spikes in Atlanta that topped $6 after Hurricane Katrina. But. I object to singling out the energy industry. If we need the FTC to investigate price spikes for gasoline during emergencies. it should have the authority to investigate price increases for any necessity during an emergency. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090077417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should cover water supplies. financial services. clothing. food. and other things we need to survive in the modern world. I also dont agree with critics of this bill who call it a giveaway to the energy industry. When the refining industry has historically low returns and lots of pollution control investments to make. there is not much we can do to force them to expand capacity. I am particularly grateful to Chairman BARTON for eliminating the New Source Review reform provisions in the committeepassed version of the bill. That language had the potential to hinder our efforts to improve air quality in Houston. My constituents are extremely concerned with air pollution in our district. and we are working on solutions with the help of both industry and residents. The elimination of this provision greatly improves this bill and ensures that it will do no environmental harm to the Houston area. which.has long struggled to contain air pollution and smog. The courts and the EPA are working to reform New Source Review. a highly complex and controversial program. and it is wise for Congress to let them address this issue. For my part. I am thankful for the Chairman accepting my amendment to respond to the crisis that brought us heregasoline shortages and prices spikes after Hurricane Katrina and now Rita. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090077417,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment added an Energy Assurance title to the bill to require the Department of Energy to review. approve. and offer recommendations of the fuel supply.segments of State evacuation plans. The amendment also specifically authorizes critical energy facilities like refineries to request direct help from the Department of Energy during- a federally declared emergency or disaster. It is in the national interest for refineries not to go down. and if they do. to get back up quickly. The Department of Energy. is authorized to provide assistance with generation capacity. water service. critical employees. ensure raw materials can be accessed. and any other necessity. Neither the base bill nor the Stupak amendment is a perfect answer to our problems with refining capacity. However. it is clear that the American public is feeling an energy pinch and is looking to Congress for action. At this time. some amount of positive action is better than no actionwhich is why I will ultimately support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090077421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I in opposition to this rule and this legislation This legislation is a corruption of special ergy interests. it displays an abject disrec for human health and the environment. ar fails completely to find consensus to addr the impending energy crisis. \u0095 Today. we have the opportunity to lead help the people of this country in a gent and lasting manner. Instead. we. are turning our back on people and are catering to the selfinterest the highest bidders. History will not look favorably on the acti of this administration and this Congress. Confirmation of this criticism is containe todays rule. The rule corrects an overreach by sc within the oil and gas and electric utility inc tries. It seems the majority could not muster votes to perpetrate a complete gutting of Clean Air Acts New Source Review pr sions. Under the pretext of lowering the cos building new refineries by waiving certain e ronmental laws designed to protect the pul a few b~d electric utilities operators triec hitch a ride and enact what they have b trying for years to achieve: enable their o coalfired powerplants to operate without a ing modern emission controls to reduce ha ful emissions. Given the refinery industrys high profits cash reserves. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11693}
{"speech_id":1090077421,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I find it hard to believe that need to endanger the publics health to crease refinery capacity. but why should e tric utilities be granted the same exemp from the New Source Review provisions? Despite the full support of the Bush admi tration. the utility companies goals have b blocked by the courts and enforcement acti by the Justice Department which has cor ued to uphold the law and prosecute violat The bill approved by the Energy and C. merce Committee would have enabled rE eries and utilities making physical chan that do not increase emissions above a rr imum level the plant could have theoretic once emitted to be exempt from the IN Source Review requirements. The late Senator John Chaffee. w crafting the New Source Review provisic stated: [O]lder plants are operating well be their maximum capacity. To allow a rel bished utility to emit at its old poten levels could permit an almost twofold crease in emissions. * * * So this amendmn could permit a powerplant. even one wli its emissions directly affected a natic park. for example. to refurbish or add a i boiler. to double its NOL] and particul emissions. triple its SO2 emissions and cc these S02 emissions by purchasing all ances and never have to demonstrate w impact this would have on visibility or ot air quality standards. Similarly. a pov plant * * * could increase emissions in on these nonattainment areas and neither h to demonstrate air quality impacts nor required to offset these increases of en sions as they are required to do under ex ing law. Beyond making it easier and cheaper to crease refining capacity and to prosecute - price gouging. what does this legislation d( wean our dependency from oil and fron growing worldwide shortage in oil? Nothing. rise In fact. this rule blocks us from even considering what is clearly one greatest opportunities en- to reduce the countrys dependence of inlard ported oil. id it My colleagues Representatives BOEHLERT ess and MARKEY had an amendment that this rule does not allow us to consider that would reand quire auto manufacturers to improve the fuel jine efficiency of. their automobiles by raising the Corporate Fuel Economny Standards (CAFE) the for SUVs and minivans. s of Had the current Presidents father adopted tougher CAFE standards. put us on a gradual ons path to 27 miles per gallon for light trucks and 34 gallons for cars. we would have displaced d in all oil we import from the Persian Gulf today. Of course we would still be importing oil )me from thePersian Gulf. but our economy and ]us- our transportation sector and todays auto manufacturers would not be reeling from the the consequences of $60 barrels of oil and $3.00 the gallons of gasoline. ovi- We are an oilbased economy. with about 60 percent of our oil imported from abroad. I of While coal. uranium and some renewable nvi- sources such as wind and hydro comprise a lic. majority of the fuel used to generate elecI to tricity. most of our economy is dependent or een exclusively reliant on oil. from fertilizers for agIder riculture. plastics for manufacturing to gasoline idd- and diesel for transportation. .rm- You would think that. in light of world events and the vulnerabilities Hurricane Katrina and and Rita illuminated. we would have a different bill. we World oil supplies have tightened. the price of in- oil has shot up to over $60 a barrel and many lec- of our foreign sources of oil. the Middle East. tion in particular. but Africa and Venezuela as well. have grown even less stable. nis- This bill. while better than what was apeen proved by the Energy and Commerce last ons week. is woefully deficient and heads our itin- country in the wrong direction. It rushes us ors. closer to the day oil shortages occur and sets Om- us backward on our ability to address it. )fin- Oppose todays rule and oppose this bill. ges Mr. WOLF. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11693}
{"speech_id":1090077421,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. Hurricane Katrina lax- may not only have been one of the most deally structive natural disasters in our nations hisJew tory. the argument could be made that Katrina was the perfect storm in exposing our nations hen vulnerabilities in supplying oil and gas to meet ons. our energy needs. There is absolutely no doubt that our counlow try must becbme energy independent. Today fur- we rely on foreign sources of oil to supply 60 tial percent of our energy needs. We are at the in- mercy of the Oil Producing Export Countries. Lere Disruption in our energy supplywhether .nal through OPEC polices to reduce production. aew disruption in domestic drilling and shipping .ate caused by hurricanes. or limited refining carver pacityenergy security is a matter of national Ow- security. hat I understand the serious impact that rising her fuel prices have on the everyday lives of peo.era of pie and the strength of our economy. It is an ave issue which impacts everyone who drives or be uses oil and every sector of our economy. We nis- must find ways to improve conservation of oil ist- resources. increase domestic production and oil refining capacity. Progress also needs to in- be made in developing alternative fuels as for well as making the machines we use more ento ergy efficient. i a The argument has been made that our nations ability to refine both imported and domestic sources of oil is limited because no new oil refineries have opened in the United States in almost 30 years. Additionally. just under half our refinery capacity or 47 percent is concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11693}
{"speech_id":1090077421,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If every refinery is operating at full capacity. 17 million barrels per day are refined. however. demand averages at 21 million barrels a day. The legislation before the House today. H.R. 3893. the Gasoline for Americas Security Act of 2005. attempts to increase refining capacity through provisions to encourage new refinery construction and streamline the regulatory path to build new refineries. among other provisions. Mr. Speaker. I am giving the benefit of the doubt to Chairman BARTON and the Energy and Commerce Committee on this bill and I will vote for it. albeit reluctantly. to help move the process forward. But I believe we need more debate. especially on the issue of making certain we maintain strong environmental protections for clean air and water and endangered species when siting refineries. and I am hopeful that the House can negotiate with the Senate to come up with a more balanced bill. I am glad to see that the provisions modifying the New Source -Review Program and the New Source Performance Standards Programs. which would reduce protections against pollutants. were removed from the final version of the bill. I also am pleased that.the bill authorizes the president to have a refinery permitted. constructed and operated for the sole consumption of the United States Armed Forces. It is absolutely necessary that we do everything possible to ensure that our ability to defend our citizens is inhibited by a simple lack of oil and refined gas. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11693}
{"speech_id":1090077421,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If our nation ever hopes to reduce its dependence on imported oil.-we also must increase automobile fuel economy standards. I was very disappointed that the Rules Committee failed to make in order an amendment to H.R. 3893 to increase Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. I enclose for the record a copy of the text of the letter I signed with Representatives . BOEHLERT. SHAYS. GILCHREST and others to the Rules Committee. We must have fuel efficient automobiles that do not waste gasoline. I support boosting CAFE standards for U.S. auto makers to 33 mpg over 10 years (by 2015). consistent with the findings of the National Academy of Sciences. in order to save 10percent of the gasoline the nation would otherwise consume by 2015. The current standard of 27.5 miles per gallon has been in effect for nearly two decades despite proven technology that promises to stretch engine efficiency to much higher levels. I believe such a reasonable approach is needed to put U.S. auto makers on notice that they must work to. produce more fuel efficient vehicles. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11693}
{"speech_id":1090077525,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I observe that we are operating in a. 5minute vote. and we are now nearing 20 minutes for this vote to have been completed. Mr. Speaker. where does the poiht at which at the discretion of the Chair is n6 longer being used for the convenience of the Members but instead in order to abuse the discretion that the Chair has in keeping-","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090077594,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Further reserving the right to object. and I thank the gentleman for that explanation. Ear-. lier this week. under the leadership of our chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. the gentleman from Tennessee . 10 House Members traveled to the three principally affected Gulf States to see firsthand the effects of Hurricane Katrina. We met with officials in Baton Rouge at the Joint Operation Center for New Orleans and then on through Mississippi and Alabama. during which session the gentleman from Louisiana","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":571}
{"speech_id":1090077625,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to honor the millions of Americans of German. heritage and their ancestors who emigrated from their native lands to come to the shores of this country. The first German American Day was declared by Ronald Reagan back in 1983 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first group of Germanspeaking settlers who arrived in the American dolonies. German settlers and immigrants have played a vital role in our Nations history since its very beginning. Great American icons. too. people like Babe Ruth. Lou Gehrig. and Casey Stengel in sports. and John Steinbeck. Kurt Vonnegut. and the inimitable Doctor Seuss in literature claim German heritage. Madam Speaker. I urge the House to pay tribute to this Great German American Heritage Month. to the many Americans of German descent who continue to contribute to the vitality of my State of New Jersey and to these United States of America.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":914}
{"speech_id":1090077626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to offer my condolences to the loved ones of those who were lost in the Lake George. New York. boating accident and offer my heartfelt sympathy to those who survived. Seven of the individuals who perished were from .my\" hometown of- Livonia: Caryl and William Gilson. Louise and Charles Greenwald. Margaret and William Nadvornik. and Marge Perry. Avid members of the Livonia Travel Club. these fine people had contributed to their community and their country as mothers. fathers. grandmothers. grandfathers. veterans. volunteers. and friends and neighbors. Truly. they will all be missed. Madam Speaker. I ask my colleagues. to join me in expressing our sorrow and offering our assistance to all involved in and affected by this tragedy.","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":765}
{"speech_id":1090077645,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. when the ladies of the gulf. Katrina and Rita. came barreling through recently. we learned many lessons. Unfortunately. in the aftermath we learned that the gulf coast oil and natural gas production can be easily disrupted to the detriment of the Americans. Although there were around 2.900 platforms pelted in the path of the ladies of the gulf. very little environmental impact resulted. In the wake of these hurricanes. the need for American petroleum and -natural gas and dependence on ourselves has become evident. The United States must be more selfsufficient when it comes to energy. The United States imports 60 percent of its crude oil from foreign countries. In doing so. we are subject to the illegal price fixing cartel known as OPEC. The Gulf of Mexico ig responsible foronethird of the domestic oil production and 22 percent of the domestic natural gas production. We learned from Katrina and Rita. oil and natural gas production can be disrupted to the detriment of consumers throughout the United States because production is too concentrated in the gulf coast region. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090077645,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To correct these problems. I have introduced H.R. 3811. This legislation would allow for safe oil and natural gas exploration along the Outer Continental Shelf. This bill would do away with all appropriation moratoriums and executive orders that limit leasing activities. while maintaining environmental safeguards. It is imperative that the United States begin drilling in other parts outside of the gulf. Madam Speaker. as my colleagues can see from this map. there is a wide range of areas where we can drill. Right now. the United States drills right here off my home State of Texas and Louisiana. yet. there is crude oil still in the Gulf of Mexico. on the east coast and. yes. Madam Speaker. even off the sacred coast of California. It is imperative that we think and consider drilling in these areas. Since the 1980s. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090077645,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress has been placing appropriations moratoriums on drilling on all of these red areas that are outlined on this map. They are doing so by withholding leases. It started in California. and now about 90 .percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is off limits to energy developments. All these people on these coastal States want cheap gasoline. they want natural gas. but they say do not drill in our neighborhood. Madam Speaker. this is hypocritical. This does not make sense. It violates common sense. In this Outer Continental Shelf. there are about 300 cubic feet of natural gas and more than 50 billion barrels of oil yet to be discovered. enough to replace current imports from the Persian Gulf for 60 years and produce sufficient natural gas to heat 75 million homes for 60 years. Madam Speaker. it would seem to me that opening up these areas would be the obvious choice. We are the only major industrial power in the world that has this silly rule about not drilling off our own shores. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090077645,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They drill in the North Sea. and around the world. and yet. they do so safely. My bill would allow the Department of the Interiors Mineral and Mining Service to begin processing these leases. This would bring in additional lease revenue to Americans. Right now. Americans are receiving in this blue area $7.5 billion a year in lease revenue. Imagine what we could get from these red areas if we allowed drilling in these areas. It is important that we use some common sense. Americans worry about skyrocketing energy prices and want solutions. The decision on where to drill is going to have to be made and made soon. This is a price issue. but it is also a national security issue. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090077645,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hurricane season is not over and it will be back next year. It is inevitable that more storms will come down hur-","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090077804,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in May. Senator JEFF BINGAMAN and I. with the encouragement of the Senate Energy Committee Chairman. PETE DOMENICI. asked the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine the following question: What are the top 10 actions. in priority order. that Federal policymakers could take over the next decade to help the United States keep our advantage in science and technology? That was our question. To answer the question. the academies assembled a distinguished panel of business. government. and university leaders. headed by Norm Augustine. the former chair of Lockheed Martin. The panel also included three Nobel Prize laureates. The panel took our question seriously. and I intend to do everythihg within my power to take their recommendations seriously. Tomorrow. the Energy. Committee will take the first step in that response by holding a hearing to hear from Mr. Augustine and the Academies. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6580}
{"speech_id":1090077804,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will be the first opportunity Congress will have to hear their answer to our question. This hearing is primarily about brainpower and the relationship of brainpower to good American jobs. The United States produces almost onethird of all the wealth in the world. in terms of gross domestic product but has only 5 percent of the worlds population. We are a fortunate country indeed. The. Academies explained this phenomenon in this way: . . . as much as 85 percent of measured growth in U.S..income per capita is due to technological change. This technological change is the result. in the reports words. of an outpouring of: . . welltrained people and the steady stream of scientific and technological innovations they produce. The United States has taken extraordinary steps to help create this outpouring of trained people and new discoveries that have given us such a disproportionate share of the worlds wealth. We have in our country almost all of the worlds great research universities. We have a unique array of 36 Federal research laboratories. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6580}
{"speech_id":1090077804,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"More Americans attend college than people in any other country. and the colleges they attend are. the best in the world. We have had. until at least recently. a system of K12 education unsurpassed in the world. Government support for all these enterprises has been massive. In 2001. the Federal Government spent $22.5 billion for universitybased research in science and engineering. This year the Government will provide 60 percent of American students with grants or loans to help them attend the college or university of their choice. The Federal Government will. spend nearly $17 billion on grants and workstudy programs and will provide an additional $52 billion in student loans. In my last year as Governor of Tennessee. and I am sure it must have been as true in Ohio as well. or.nearly true. half of State dollars and a. larger proportion of local tax dollars went to support education. Our freemarket environment encouraged innovation and enterprise. as well as billions of dollars invested in corporate research. Finally. to top it all off. while we have been outsourcing jobs. we have been insourcing brainpower572.000 foreign students attend our colleges and universities. Onehalf of the students in our graduate programs of engineering. science. and computing are foreign students. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6580}
{"speech_id":1090077804,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are three reasons I put this - question to the National Academies. First. Congress is facing huge budgetchallenges over the next decade as we grapple with restraining the growth of entitlement spending. I did not want tight budgets to squeeze out the necessary investments in science and technology that create good jobs. Second. as the Augustine report details. there are worrisome reports from all sides in the new competitive world marketplace that the United States will have to make an even greater effort to keep our high standard of living. To put it bluntly. people in India. China. Singapore. Finland. and Ireland know very well that since their brains work similar to our brains. if brainpower is the secret weapon to produce good jobs. then there is no reason they cant have .a standard of living more similar to ours. They are working to develop better trained citizens and create their own stream of discoveries. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6580}
{"speech_id":1090077804,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Third. I wanted to ask this question to those who should know the answer. Members of Congress are not the best ones to guess what the first 10 things we should do are. in the next 10 years. to keep our science and technology edge. This panel represents the best of those brains. Congress is not efficiently organized to deal with broad recommendatibns such as these. I intend to work with my colleagues to see that all of the recommendations in the report are introduced and given a fair hearing in various committees that have jurisdiction. I see the senior Senator from Missouri and the Senator from Ohio. Both of them have been leaders in this body on this very question of how do we keep our secret weapon. our brainpower advantage. in order to keep good jobs. But what should happen is that President Bush should make this report th6 subject of his State of the Union Address and the focus of his remaining 3 years in office. This challenge cries out for executive leadership. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6580}
{"speech_id":1090077847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am very pleased that the Senate is now considering the TransportationTreasury bill. formally known as H.R. 3058. It is the appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation. Treasury. the Judiciary. Housing and Urban Development. and related agencies for fiscal year 2006. This bill covers areas such as infrastructure. public housing. and the judiciary that are critical to millions of American families and to keeping our economy strong. For our country to reach its full potential. we need to invest in the priorities that are in this bill. Today. many people do not feel very secure about the future. They feel as though they are one slip away from losing their job. or they are worried about the fact that they will not be able to retire or to pay for a tripto the doctor if their child gets sick. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11007}
{"speech_id":1090077847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To make America strong again. we need to invest at home. We need to invest in our communities. in our schools. in our people. and in our infrastructure. That is what the bill now before us does. In the last few months. we have seen how important it is to have a strong and.reliable infrastructure. Tonight I want to offer my colleagues an overview of what this bill funds and some of the most important investments. but first I want to note that several things have changed since last year. As my colleagues know. our Senate subcommittee has changed significantly. Last year. three separate appropriations subcommittees were responsible for funding the agencies that are now in this bill. Even so. the Senate did not have the opportunity to debate and amend any of the appropriations bills that funded these agencies. Since then. the Appropriations Committee .has been restructured. As a result. this bill was crafted by one new and very much larger committee. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11007}
{"speech_id":1090077847,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We now have 19 members. Only the Defense Subcommittee is as large. Fortunately for all of us. we have Senator BOND as our very able chairman. Senator BOND has demonstrated his skill and fairmindedness time and again during his leadership of the former VA Subcommittee. This year. he continues to demonstrate his leadership. and the proof is in this bill. It was reported unanimously by both the subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee back in July. In addition to the changes we witnessed. in the last year. we have seen dramatic changes in the 12 weeks since we marked up this bill. First and foremost has been the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More than 1 million people were forced to evacuate the region. including lowincome citizens who remain eligible .for housing assistance from HUD. Today. because of the devastation. even more people are eligible for Federal housing assistance. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11007}
{"speech_id":1090077847,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Other Federal agencies.that are funded in this bill have responded to the hurricanes. In the Department of Transportation. the Maritime Administration has deployed ships. from the -Ready Reserve fleet to the gulf to assist in recovery efforts. DOT personnel have also been involved in the effort to obtain trucks and buses to move personnel and equipment. Amtrak assisted in the evacuation of storm victims from both New Orleans and Houston. The hurricanes showed us that we need workable plans to evacuate large numbers of lowincome residents who depend on public transit. I truly hope the Department of Transportation and FEMA are hard at work on those plans. In the judiciary. Hurricane Katrina has required the emergehy relocation of 36 Federal judges and more than 400 staff. The New Orleans office of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has been abandoned. s have the Federal District and Bankruptcy Courts forEastern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi. Another change since we marked up this bill in July concerns energy prices. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11007}
{"speech_id":1090077847,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Back in late July. the average price per gallon .of regular gasoline was $2.27. Today it is more than 25 percent higher. Gas costs more than $3 a gallon in many parts of our country. High gas prices are hurting our families. our businesses. and our communities. This price spike is already causing revenues to our Federal and State transportation trust funds to diminish. That could have a serious impact on the ability of our States to finance their highest priority road projects. The recent spike in fuel prices has also further undermined the financial condition of the Nations airlines. Since we first marked up this bill. another two major U.S. carriers and One regional carrier have entered bankruptcy. That threatens the longterm availability of air service to the communities across the country and to. tens of thousands of jobs. Also. since we first marked up this appropriations bill. we passed the authorization bill and made significant progress on Amtrak reform. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11007}
{"speech_id":1090077848,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my distinguished colleague and good partner very much for .her kind words. Surely this bill was an interesting and challenging bill because it brought so many new agencies together. The Senator from Washington has had much greater experience in the Transportation appropriations area. Her input in that area and all the other areas was invaluable. I share her views that this is a good bill. As I stated earlier. I hope we will come forward with amendments as soon as possible. I know the Senator probably watched. as I did. the Seahawks magnificent victory yesterdaytruly awesome. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090077848,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As far as the Cardinals. Chris Carpenter pitches tonight and there is hope. So there .is.still a smile on my face. We are both in a good mood. Ifyou wish to have amendments favorably reviewed. please come. bring them down. Even if my Cardinals continue to win. as it gets later in the week we will be getting short of time and short of patience. So we will very much appreciate haVing those amendments now. For the information of all my colleagues we hope are watching. there will be a vote at 5:30. This is a vote that is on a technical change in the underlying legislation to allow the Federal Government to recapture funds from a multifamily housing project owner who skims rent off the project and- leaves the project in default to be paid for out of FHA funds. out of public funds. and thus pockets the rents. This is a situation that was certainly not foreseen. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090077848,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a very undesirable situation where. -in effect. the money from the taxpayer is going indirectly into the pockets of an owner of a project who has taken rent money instead of applying it to the mortgage. There is a vote at 5:30. We hope Members will come forward with their amendments. I hope we can wrap up these amendments by Wednesday night to get ready for the World Series. for whosoever happens to be in it at the time. I still have my hopes. I see no other Member seeking the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090078005,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we must have both had our eyes drawn to the same article in USA Today that ran where it talks about the debate brews. Has oil production peaked? As my colleague has pointed out. there are those that would advocate that say we have not reached the peak yet. that I think one of the authors or one of the people quoted in here says we have run out of oil five times since 1890 and we always find additional sources. But it also goes on to say that the only debate should be over when we peak. not whether we will or will not peak. It is going to happen. And as we have .seen over the last 12 months. especially the last 6 months. all of the indications are that we are going to continue to feel significant stresses with oil prices and the demand for oil. With gasoline at one time having been close to $3 a gallon. now being back in the $2 and a half range. you know. we can see that perhaps at least for the short term some of the problems have been alleviated. But that only provides us what I believe is a short window. a very small window of opportunity for Congress and the United States to address this issue. We know that our demand is going to continue increasing. We know that global demand is going to continue increasing. especially for two significant countries like China and India coming onstream. their demand for fossil fuels is going to increase dramatically. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6512}
{"speech_id":1090078005,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With increased demand. probably static production. we know that we are going to continue seeing increases in the pressure for the prices of fossil fuels. You know I chair the Intelligence Committee. One of the things that I look at this as. I think this is a national security issue. We are extremely vulnerable. Today we import about 60 percent of our fossil fuels. Who do we import from? Well. we import from our southern and our northern neighbors. We get 16 percent of our imports from Canada. We get almost exactly that same amount from Mexico. And after that. we have got to be really careful in terms of how we describe these countries. but the next three countries. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6512}
{"speech_id":1090078005,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Saudi Arabia. roughly 15 percent. Venezuela. Hugo Chavez who has shown himself to be not a great friend of the United States. we get about 13 percent from Venezuela. and we get about 11 percent from Nigeria. and then you know a much lesser extent from a whole long list of countries. But it becomes a national security issue. because at any particular given time. if. these countries believe. or their leaders believe that they want to hold us hostage. they have the potential to perhaps do- that. So it is a national security issue. It is an economic issue. I agree with my colleagues and the comments made by my friend. the gentleman from Minnesota . earlier that we ought to establish a goal. with Ia firm implementation date of when we will be energy independent. We ought to define exactly what that means and then we ought to develop those strategies to get there. \u0095 You know. he talked about ethanol. My friend. the gentleman from Maryland has talked about various conservation- methods. There is probably no single magic bullet to solving this crisis. but if we push a whole range of efforts forward at the same time. there is no reason why by 2010 we could not be using 10 percent of our gasoline. or that all of our gasoline would be a 90\/10 mix. 90 percent gasoline. 10 percent ethanol. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6512}
{"speech_id":1090078005,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We just need to have a will to make it happen. Ford and GM. you talked about the SUVs. the interesting thing today about the automobiles that are being produced. I believe that every automobile being produced today can burn a mix of 90 percent gas. 10 percent ethanol. It is not a technology problem for the automotive companies. As a matter of fact. everybody who is driving a relatively new car. something that has been produced in the last 5 to 7 years. can burn a 90\/10 mix. The 6ther interesting thing is all of the SUVs. the bigger vehicles with the bigger engines. because of some quirk in technology that my colleague from Maryland or my colleague from Michigan can maybe- explain to me exactly how it works. but all of the larger engines today can burn a mix of 85\/15. and that is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. So the industry hag come a long way. They have come a long way in moving forward on hybrids. And as much as I .am against mandates. this may be an area. because I do not believe the oil companies. as I have talked to folks in my district who produce biodiesel. who produce the ethanol and these type of things. and I am asking if these are things are more economical to produce than fossil fuels why do not we see a richer mix of these fuels available at the pump? And the answer is very clear. It is not we use now is just going to take more a priority for the oil companies. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6512}
{"speech_id":1090078005,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They corn than there is out there to do that. do not want to make it happen. They Let me give you a real quick example like selling fossil fuels and making sig- of the energy density of these fossil nificant profits. Maybe it is time for us fuels. One barrel of oil. the refined to mandate that some of these prod- product of which will cost you a little ucts move forward so that we can fa- over $100 will buy you the work output cilitate the type of change that we of 12 people working all year for you. really need. We have some difficulty getting our Technology has moved forward. You arms around that. Imagine how far one know. we need alternatives. It is a na- gallon of gas or diesel fuel takes whattional security issue. It is only going ever you drive. from a big SUV that to become a larger national security gets 8. 10 miles a gallon to I drive a issue in the future. Prius that gets 45 miles per gallon. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6512}
{"speech_id":1090078006,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank with less than 25 cents worth of elecyou very much. You mentioned tricity. So in terms of fossil fuel enprioritizing. And. you know. if we are ergy. we are worth less than 25 cents a going to avoid a really rough landing day in terms of work output. here. we need as a country. indeed as a So that is the challenge we have. world society. we need to have a men- Now ethanol is nearly as good as gasotality like the Manhattan Project or line. But as I showed on the chart beputting a man on the moon. This is a fore. it takes an enormous amount of big. big challenge. fossil fuel input to produce the ethanol. I just wanted to note your observa- You know all of these are solutions. tion about we would reach peak oil. I but I tell you. none of them will work com actothis e wo rchspea o- Iwith the amount of energy that the come back to this chart for just a oo- world is presently using. particularly ment. This is only since 1630. We had a in the United States. lot of recorded history about. what. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10712}
{"speech_id":1090078006,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now me turn now to the gentleman 4.000 years before that of recorded his- from New York . I know tory. Out of 5.000 years of recorded his- that he has had a longtime concern tory we have been about 100 years in about energy and particular concerns the Age of Oil. and we are probably that we ought to be getting more mileabout half way through the Age of Oil. age from our motor vehicles. There is a little argument whether it is 50 percent through. 40 percent through 0 2045_ the Age of Oil. But we are roughly half- Mr. BOEHLERT. I thank. the genway through the Age of Oil. And during tleman from Maryland . this Age of Oil. now we have permitted You will notice during this presenthe worlds population to grov to al- tation the colleagues of the gentleman most 7 billion people. have constantly. as I have. referred to We will come down the other side. him as doctor. The reason we do so is This will reach a peak. It will come out of respect for his background. his down the other side. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10712}
{"speech_id":1090078006,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What will we do as knowledge. because that Ph.D. that he we come down that other side? Now we has indicates he is a very distinguished can avoid catastrophic consequences of scientist. So he is not just talking this. but we really must anticipate about some pet theory or some gut rethem to do that. Let me go back for action. He is talking about facts. scijust a quick moment to the analogy of entifically produced evidence. and I apthe thinnest sheet of paper has two plaud the gentleman for that. and I sides. want to compliment all of my colThe argument for ethanol is great. leagues for participating in this special and we need to go to ethanol. But I just order. want to dissuade people from believing In sum and substance. I think the that this is the solution to our prob- viewers might say. what do I take out lem. We are barely able to feed the of this tutorial? It has been a great world today. Tonight I understand academic exercise and the gentleman maybe a fifth of the world will go to from Maryland has prebed hungry. sented a compelling case why we We are just barely able to maintain should all be concerned about peak oil. the quality of our topsoils. Now taking But if you are watching this in your corn does not degrade that. because we living room someplace across America are taking the corn off anyhow. But you might say. what does it mean to ethanol will be a really meaningful me right now? What does it mean to contribution when we have drastically my family right now and what can I do reduced our total need for energy. be- about it? cause to produce enough ethanol to z Let me suggest something that evmake a dent in the amount of energy eryone can do. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10712}
{"speech_id":1090078006,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They can write their I Representative in Congress and urge their Representative to support CAFE standards. What are CAFE standards? Corporate Average Fuel Economy. CAFE. That is where you get the acronym. That is. the Federal Government should require the automobile industry. the manufacturers of automobiles. SUVs. light trucks. all of these vehicles that traverse our Nations highways which we are so dependent on. we should require them to be more fuel efficient. We have tried mightily to convince our colleagues of that basic fact using some of the facts that the gentleman from Maryland made in his presentation about peak oil. pointing out that we have 25 percent of the worlds energy consumption but we have only 5 percent of the population and only 2 percent of the worlds oil reserves. yet we are consuming 25 percent of the worlds energy output. Now. something is wrong there. I would suggest we are on a collision course with disaster and we have to do something very meaningful about it. We are consuming 21 million barrels of oil a. day in the United States. 21 million. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10712}
{"speech_id":1090078006,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We import 14 million barrels of oil a. day. So we are starting every single day with a couple of problems on our hands. Number one. if we are importing 14 million barrels of oil a day and oil is costing $60. $65 a barrel. that means we start each and every day somewhere in the neighborhood of $750 million. threequarters of a billion dollars in the hole. in the red in our balance of trade deficit. And ironically. we are sending. as you have heard from previous speakers. so much of that money to countries where we are not quite certain what they are doing with the money. And the saddest part. as we have heard from our chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. some of that money that we send abroad to purchase this oil from less than enthusiastic embracers of our democratic ways. ends .up in the hands of people who are trying to undermine everything that is so dear to us that we cherish. So. in effect. you could make an argument that we are helping to sponsor terrorism by sending so much of that money abroad to countries that do not really give two hoots about our way of life. and some of that money ends up in hands that are intent on doing us harm. That is established. That is a fact. That is not just a pet theory. Now. in addition -to creating further pressure on our balance of trade. sending all. of this money abroad. we are also doing something that is mind boggling to me. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10712}
{"speech_id":1090078035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would yield-. I want to say. because I have been here longer thanthe gentleman. and he has already told me that many times. the fact of the matter is I remember when the Democrats were in the majority. I was here from 1988 to 1994 when we were in the majority. The core of our being in the majority was oversight. That is what we did. That was our life blood. We spent more time on oversight than anything else.. I remember specifically in my committee. the Committee on Energy and Commerce. every one of the subcommittees had oversight on health care. environment. consumer issues. energy. you name it. That was our MO. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":759}
{"speech_id":1090078035,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For all practical purposes. the Republicans have eliminated any real oversight. So you are absolutely right.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":759}
{"speech_id":1090078037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Overseeing the Federal Government. but see. the issue that is so difficult here is the fact that this is our main job. and we are not doing it. It takes a while to get a culture. If it is corruption. it comes and it goes. When you have a culture of corruption and -cronyism. that means two things. Someone has not been overseeing. the rules. Someone has not been saying listen. no. I am sorry. We have the Department of Transportation. This is what you are supposed to be doing because we are the oversight committee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. and we have oversight over you and we are elected by the American people to make sure that your tax dollar is being spent in the appropriate way.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":717}
{"speech_id":1090078059,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Where is the outrage? Where is tle outrage? They are outraged about Harriet Miers? Wait a minute. here is a woman who has a distinguished legal career. And I do not want to give the whole Supreme Court thing here. because that happens on the other side of the Capitol. but here is a distinguished lawyer. Now. I am not so convinced that she may be the best Supreme Court Justice pick. but. my goodness. to be outraged at that? How about being outraged at both? How about that? Be outraged at both. Be outraged about Harriet Miers. and be outraged about this too. My goodness.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":575}
{"speech_id":1090078065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. we are going to do our best. If you are not watching baseball tonight and you were watching the 30something Dems. our email is the 30somethingdems@ mail.house.gov. We have been getting a ton of emails lately. so do not be afraid to drop us an email. We appreciate everybody who is listening and watching. and I appreciate my colleague fighting through a cold to be down here with us.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":389}
{"speech_id":1090078181,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to voice my support for amendment No. 2062 offered by my good friend JON KYL. to revoke the scheduled 1.9 percent salary increase for Members of Congress. As a cosponsor of this amendment.. I believe that at this point in time it is not fiscally responsible or appropriate- for Members of Congress to increase our pay. The Federal Government is currently running a $7.9 trillion budget deficit. I do not believe that it is in the best interest of the United States or the American taxpayers for Members of Congress to vote in favor of a congressional pay raise. The annual cost of living adjustment for Members of Congress is determined by a formula which automatically takes effect unless Congress prohibits or revises it. which is what I hope my colleagues and I will accomplish today. Under the annual Member pay adjustment procedure. Members are scheduled to receive a 1.9percent increase in January 2006. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1970}
{"speech_id":1090078181,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With the growing national debt. skyrocketing budget deficit. and increased Federal expenditure.s expected as a result of the hurricanes this year. it is essential that we exercise fiscal restraint and avoid unnecessary and wasteful spending. We should first start with ourselves and set an example for others to follow. I have been and remain a strong a proponent of smaller government. a balanced Federal budget. and rower taxes. Today. I am in my home State of Georgia with the Secretary of Agriculture. Mike Johanns. working to develop and promote. new technologies which will increase agricultural production and expand job growth. For this reason. I am unable to be present for the vote. I encourage my colleagues to seize this opportunity and demonstrate personal leadership in bringing the Federal budget deficit and spending back under control by supporting this amendment. I have consistently opposed a pay raise for Members of Congress throughout my tenure in Congress and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment..","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1970}
{"speech_id":1090078235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is very interesting to hear this speech on energy. There were a couple of things my -colleague from Illinois said that I agree with. No. 1. energy prices are a xeal probltm. No. 2. LIHEAP needs to be reviewed by the appropriate LaborHHS appropriations subcommittee. No. 3. the good things we are doing in ethanol and biodiesel need to continue. No. 4. maybe he did not say it on the floor. but he and I both agree on the St. Louis Cardinals. That is about the extent of the things I could find on which we agree. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11135}
{"speech_id":1090078235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me go through a few of them. First. all of us are paying more at the gasoline pump. This is having a conservation impact. People are driving less. Everybody is thinking about how they can take fewer trips. Certainly we are in our family. I believe the statistics show that people are conserving more. Talk about turning back your heat during the winter. we are one of those familiesI think it is 57 percent of the families in the United Stateswho heat with natural gas. That thermostat is not going to go down a couple of degrees. it is going to go down more than that. We are going to be pulling out the sweaters. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11135}
{"speech_id":1090078235,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are some people who cannot do anything about it. There are workers whb have to travel on jobs. There are small businesses that are trying to keep their businesses going. There are famers who have to keep up with those prices. This is a real concern for our economy. For small businesses that will be hit by increased costs of energy for operating their business. my colleague seems to want to add a minimum wage increase. When your margins are being squeezed by energy costs. what happens if the minimum wage goes up? Those young people. the people just starting out in the business. the people who might be getting minimum wageand it is down around 6 percent of workers these daysare probably going to be the ones let go. The people who need to get a start in the process. who need to get a job. are the ones who are going to lose their jobs because the minimum wage is going to put a further squeeze on the profits of small businesses. To see a requirement that they pay a higher cost for entrylevel workers is either going to eliminate existing jobs or certainly stifle the creation of new jobs. For those people on minimum wage. for those families. we have the earnedincome tax credit. we have all forms of assistance and this is proper. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11135}
{"speech_id":1090078235,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to help those people get started because a significant number. an overwhelming number of those starting with the minimum wage get a 10percent increase at the end of the first year. They have to learn to work. and that is how they get started. Lets go back to the problems we have with energy. We have real problems in energy that came about even before Katrina and Rita hit our refineries and hit the gulf coast. We concentrated our petroleum production mainlyin the gulf coast region around Texas and Louisiana. Why? Because too many people said. No. you cant drill here. In other places where we have oil and gas. they are being prohibited fromdrilling. People say we cant drill for natural gas off the coast. and I say. Why not? We have to do so in an environmentally sound manner. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11135}
{"speech_id":1090078235,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to protect the environment. But siting a natural gas rig 15 miles out in the sea. if it is done in an environmentally sound way. is not threatening the way of life of people along our coast. The occupant of the chair and I happen to come from a State where we mine a lot of lead. Lead mining is environmentally difficult. Everybody knows the problems lead can cause. but lead is absolutely critical in many of the goods we produce. computers. and other things. So we produce much of the lead in the United States because. we have 90 percent of the lead that exists in the United States. I have told some of my friends who do not want to drill for natural gas in their States or off their shores. we in Missouri would be happy to trade you our lead for your natural gas. You can mine for the lead and we will be happy to pump the natural gas. Natural resources have to be developed where they are found. Ten years ago. we passed a bill authorizing the opening up of that small portion. and only a fraction of that small portion. set aside in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for the development of natural resources. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11135}
{"speech_id":1090078241,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there is another issue which is timely. one that is growing in interest and intensity across America. that is. the challenge of avian flu. Public health officials have been worrying about this for the last several years. But an avian fluepidemic is not yesterdays news. Sadly. it may be tomorrows news. It is our duty to prepare for it today. Poultry have been susceptible to various strains of avian flu for a long time. Public health officials started to get worried when avian flu was noted in Indonesia. Romania. and other countries as well. This form of flu may be transferrable to humans. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3630}
{"speech_id":1090078241,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what is being monitored very carefully. Unfortunately. humans do not have a natural resistance to this form of the flu. Remember that in previous flu epidemics they usually warned that the people who needed flu shots would be children. the elderly. and people in a compromised health situation. They are the most vulnerable for most ordinary flu strains. In this particular case. everyone is vulnerable. None of us have a builtin resistance. It is unlike a typical flu that makes you feel bad for a few days and then you are back up and going strong. This. sadly. attacks fast and hard and kills. Over half of the people who have been diagnosed with avian flu around the world perished because of that exposure. Last week we learned the virus is not just in Asia. but it has been found in Turkey and Romania. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3630}
{"speech_id":1090078241,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Romanian officials reacted quickly and believe they have done what needs to be done to eradicate the spread of flu in their area. But Romanias Danube Delta is one of Europes largest bird reserves. Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds are expected to arrive in the coming days. It is possible. maybe likely. that -some of these birds will be carriers of avian flu. If this H5N1 flu mutates into a form that transmits easily from person to person. we have been told to expect the worldwide pandemic that. could kill tens of millions of people. Dr. Andrew Pavia of the Infectious Disease Society of America said: We may sound like we are hyperventilating. but in our heart of hearts we know this is a serious possibility. That is why we added $3.9 billion to the Defense appropriations bill. If we are going to prepare for a pandemic of avian flu. we cannot wait. We have to start now. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3630}
{"speech_id":1090078241,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I join my colleague from Illinois. Senator BARACK OBAMA. as well as Senator HARRY REID of Nevada. and many others in introducing the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Act. which lays out the necessary steps to prepare this country for the flu: It would take immediate steps to improve surveillance of this infectious disease so we can track it around the world and begin to contain it immediately. Second. it expands current research and development at the National Institutes of Health to exhaust the possibilities for developing effective vaccines and antiviral drugs. Third. it creates a Director of Pandemic Preparedness in the Executive Office of the President. The Director will oversee the response of States and all involved Federal agencies so that we coordinate what we do. that we are organized. and we set out to save as many livqs as possible. We do not want the respoilse of Hurricane Katrina to be repeated if we face this avian influenza. Avian influence is not anew thing. but it is not yesterdays news. An avian flu that develops into a pandemic flu is virtually certain to be tomorrows news. Lets enact the pandemic preparedness legislation and move immediately. today. before this Senate goes home. to prepare for this possible. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3630}
{"speech_id":1090078266,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is an amendment to reform the judiciarys ability to procure things. It is a procurement authority. The amendment actually establishes greater parity for the judicial branch by giving it the same procurement authorities that were given to the executive branch through acquisition reform legislation in the 1990s. We found this saved money. It gives the taxpayers a better bang for their buck. They can procure over several years. Currently. the judiciarys procurement authority is limited when compared to the executive branch. This limitation increases the cost of doing business. Specifically. these limitations are on multiyear contracting. severable services contracts. and the timing of contract payments and. thus. prevent the judicial branch from taking advantage of the best prices offered for some goods and services. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1292}
{"speech_id":1090078266,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As an example. a typical information technology contract will extend for several years. It is far more efficient for the executive branch and it is more efficient for the judicial branch to be able to make these contracts over several years. Simply put. this amendment gives the judicial branch authority it should already possess. and I believe makes good business sense for the American taxpayer. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1292}
{"speech_id":1090078276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I submit the following notice in writing: In accordance with rule V of the Standing Rules of the Senate. I hereby give notice in writing that it is my intention to move to suspend paragraph 4 of rule XVI for the purpose of proposing to the bill H.R. 3058 amendment No. 2078. (The amendment is printed in todays RECORD under \"Text of Amendments.\")","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":361}
{"speech_id":1090078285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Experi-: ence Works is a national nonprofit. organization dedicated to helping seniors get the training and assistance they need to find good jobs in their communities. Each year. Experience Works uses its Prime Time Awards program to recognize exemplary older workers. This year. two Iowans have been honored. Dwight Hauff of Sioux City. who is 100 years old. has been selected for a national award as Americas Oldest Worker. And Milt Roth of Waterloo. who is 87. has been selected as Iowas Outstanding Older Worker. Mr. Hauff is the owner of a chain of sporting goods store$ that includes Hauff MidAmerica Sports. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2657}
{"speech_id":1090078285,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dakota Sports. Inc.. and the Iowa Sports Supply Company. He opened his first sporting goods store in Sioux City in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression. For 73 years. Mr. Hauff has supplied schools. athletic leagues. and businesses with quality. sports equipment and apparel. In the 1960s. Dwight served as president of the National Sporting Goods Association. He is a past president of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. and is a current member of the Iowa High School Girls and Boys Athletic Association. At age 100. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2657}
{"speech_id":1090078285,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Hauff is still going strong. He spends 6 days a week at his sporting goods store in downtown Sioux City. where he is a much respected and. beloved member of the community. Mr. Roth is the owner and operator of Roth Jewelers. which his father founded in 1931. and which is now the second oldest retail business in downtown Waterloo. During the Second World War. Mr. Roth served in the U.S. Army and was initially assigned to the Ariiored Cavalry Unit at Fort Riley. KS. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2657}
{"speech_id":1090078285,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He attended Officers Candidate School. was commissioned as a lieutenant. and served with an ordnance unit in the European Theater. After the war he returned to Waterloo. and took over ownership of Roth Jewelers from his father. These days. Well into his ninth decade. Mr. Roth still regularly puts in 40 or more hours a week at his store. He remains very much engaged in his community. where he has served on the Allen Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. and has been an active member of the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce * and the Kiwanis Club. He has been a generous supporter of scholarships. local colleges. and the performing arts. Someone once said that we make a living by what we get. but we make a life by what we give. Dwight Hauff and Milt Roth have been blessed with work that they love. and. in return. they have given so. much to their communities. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2657}
{"speech_id":1090078285,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I congratulate them on their richly deserved honors from Experience Works. And I wish them many more years of continued service.0","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2657}
{"speech_id":1090078300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will beheld on Tuesday. November 8. 2005. at 10 a.m.. in Room SD366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The -purpose of the hearing is to review the progress made on the development of interim and longterm plans for use of fire retardant aircraft in Federal wildfire suppression operations. Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. United StatesSenate. Washington. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":940}
{"speech_id":1090078300,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC 205106150. For further information. please contact Frank Gladics (2022242878). Dick Bouts (2022247545). or Kristina Rolph (2022248276) of the Committee staff.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":940}
{"speech_id":1090078307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. October 18 at 3 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to consider our national capacity for producing technological innovation and the importance of. this innovation to our global economic competitiveness. The Committee will hear testimony describing the results of a recently released National Academy of Science report on this same topic.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":495}
{"speech_id":1090078311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on October 18. 2005 at 2:35 p.m.. to conduct a legislative hearing on S. 1772. the Gas Petroleum Refiner Improvement and Community Empowerment Act.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":259}
{"speech_id":1090078321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on theJudiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Executive Nominations\" on Tuesday. October 18. 2005. at 2:30 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Witness List Panel I: Members of Congress. Panel II: James OGara to be Deputy Director for Supply Reduction. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Julie Myers to be Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Department of Homeland Security. Emilio Gonzales to be Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":614}
{"speech_id":1090078321,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Department of Homeland Security.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":614}
{"speech_id":1090078362,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. -Speaker. tomorrow will mark the 4year anniversary of our troops deployment in Afghanistan. In honor of their service and their memory. Democrats and Republican colleagues of mine have been reading their names. the names of those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.. into Nation will never forget their sacrifice. Prior to the summer recess. a number of us have read a little over 1.800 of their names into the RECORD. Since that time in July. an additional 188 have fallen. To date. 244 American .service men and women have perished in the Afghanistan theater of combat. Additionally. 1.957 members of our armed services and fellow citizens have died fighting in Iraq. We owe these brave men and women and their families a debt of gratitude that can never fully be repaid. At the very least we must pay tribute to our fallen servicemembers. Staff Sergeant Jefferey J. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090078362,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Farrow Private Lavena L. Johnson Sergeant Arthur R. McGill Corporal Steven P. Gill Petty Officer Third Class Travis L. Youngblood Sergeant Bryan James Opskar Sergeant Jason T. Palmerton Specialist Jacques Earl \"Gus\" Brunson Specialist Ernest W. Dallas. Jr. Staff Sergeant Carl Ray Fuller Sergeant James Ondra Kinlow Staff Sergeant Jason W. Montefering Sergeant Milton M. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090078362,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Monzon. Jr. Sergeant Christopher J. Taylor Sergeant John Frank Thomas Private First Class Ramon A. Villatoro. Jr. Specialist Adam J. Harting Staff Sergeant Michael W. Schafer Specialist Adrian J. Butler Captain Benjamin D. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090078362,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jansky Specialist Edward L. Myers Specialist John 0. Tollefson Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons Corporal Andre L. Williams Private Ernesto R. Guerra Sergeant First Class Victor A. Anderson Sergeant Jonathon C. Haggin Staff Sergeant David R. Jones. Sr. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090078362,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Private First Class Jason D. Scheuerman Sergeant Ronnie L. \"Rod\" Shelley. Sr. Private First Class Robert A. Swaney Specialist James D. Carroll Corporal Jeffrey A. Boskovitch Lance Corporal Roger D. Castleberry. Jr. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090078387,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when I am at home and speaking to groups. I oftentimes ask them. the constituents that I am talking to. have you heard any good news lately on the radio or heard any good news on television or have you read any good news in the newspaper? Most often the silence is deafening. But we do not have to look far for gopd news. either here at home or around the world. Much of that good news is directly related to the actions of Americans. That certainly has been true with -the outpouring of support and relief for our fellow citizens who have been victims of recent hurricanes and other natural disasters. and this past Saturday the world witnessed not just good news but great news. The - election in Iraq this past weekend was a phenomenal event. a remarkable step toward an independent. sovereign. democratic nation. What good news this is. This is a momentous event. a huge step forward. and toward the .approaching day when we will be able to bring home our service men and women. Did you hear the good news. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3888}
{"speech_id":1090078387,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker? Listen to some of the voices. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Boylan in Baghdad said: \"Nationwide security was a resounding success. with all of the 13 recorded attacks aimed at election targets failing.\" Prime Minister Ibrahim alJaafari. talking about TV coverage. said: \"I have seen pictures of citizens who are proud to be shown on camera having voted. There were no such pictures from these places in the last election. The victory for Iraq is that they are voting.\" Listen to -the voices. Mr. Speaker. Abdul Hussein Ahmed emerged from a polling station in the southern city of Najaf with his purple inkstained finger raised aloft and he said: \"Five members of my family were killed by Saddam and his people but now with this * constitution everyone is equal under the law.\" Listen to the voices. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3888}
{"speech_id":1090078387,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Razifa Hussein Abdullah arrived at the polling station with tears in her eyes. Her husband. Hussein Salim. leaned on her for balance as they walked. They had returned several months ago from exile in Iran where they had fled during the IranIraq war of the eighties. \"We . suffered a lot.\" she said. \"and today I came to get revenge for all of these years I stayed away from my country to feel that I am an Iraqi again. It was a dream to get rid of Saddam and today is another dream come true.\" she said. There is the quote from this poster. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3888}
{"speech_id":1090078387,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Listen to the voices. \"I voted then for Saddam. of course. because I was afraid. but this time I came here by my own choice. I am not afraid anymore. I am a free man.\" Some editorials have finally recognized. the importance of this occurrence. The New York Post said. \"The referendum results vindicate U.S. policy and are a giant step toward regional peace.\" The New York Times. yes. the New York Times. said. \"What lve know already and cant fail to be impressed by is that large numbers of Iraqis of all persuasions turned out in defiance of terrorist threats to decide their constitutional future. They have exercised a basic democratic right that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago.\" Even the New York Times. Mr. Speaker. oftentimes we are too close to the happenings of the day to appreciate their gravity and I think we are just a little too close now. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3888}
{"speech_id":1090078387,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This past Saturday was a red letter date in the history of the world. and the naysayers notwithstanding. this is a day and a time to celebrate and congratulate. I am proud to be an American. I am.proud of and humbled by the selfless acts by so many of our fellow citizens in Iraq. In the 1800s. de Tocqueville said that America is not good because it is great. it is great because it is good. It is that goodness that continues to strive for liberty for all. What a momentous time we are in as we celebrate and witness that march of liberty around the world. Mr. Speaker. it is good news. Lets spread that good news.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3888}
{"speech_id":1090078398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this morning I note that Republicans in Congress have created a culture of corruption and cronyism at the expense of the American public. Instead of helping our senior citizens. students. veterans. and working families that are struggling every single day and see high prices at the gas station and high home heating costs. Republicans are demanding an additional $15 billion in cuts for a budget reconciliation plan. Republicans I. understand want to cut the Federal low income heating program knownas LIHEAP at a time when families are expected to pay double and triple compared to last years heating home costs. Republicans also plan to cut Medicaid and Medicare at a time when the number of people without health insurance has grown to 5 million people in 4 years. Republicans plan to cut higher education when we know that the cost of education and to send our .kids to college is more than 20 percent higher than it wasa few years ago. Republicans are demanding all these drastic cuts to help pay for the reconstruction of Katrina. Why arent we asking the wealthiest people in the country who have been given tax credits and giveaways and somehow make them accountable to help with this?","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1206}
{"speech_id":1090078400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Mark Twain once observed that mankind is the only species that feels shame or needs to. That thought crossed my mind when I was reading about this\" corrupt effort to punish Ambassador Joe Wilson who told the truth and blew the whistle on the administrations misinformation about the Iraq war. Apparently in the grand jury testimony Judith Miller -said. \"She agreed to Libbys request to be cited in stories as a former Hill staffer. a rather deceptive description for the Vice Presidents Chief of Staff.\" Well. the Los Angeles Times got it right. It was deceptive. and there was a reason. Anyone who would participate in any way to punish an American for blowing the whistle on the Presidents misstatements should feel shame. Obviously. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090078400,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Libby did feel shame and that is why he hid from the public. or attempted to. that he was actually part of the administration that attempted to punish an American for telling the truth. We should not wait for the grand jury. This President should root out the corruption and discharge the people responsible for these misdeeds.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090078430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 492) mourning the loss of life caused by the earthquake that occurred on October 8. 2005. in Pakistan and India. expressing the condolences of the American people to the families of the victims. and urging assistance to those affected.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":313}
{"speech_id":1090078471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I. yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. S. 55 is identical to H.R. 774. which I introduced earlier this year. S. 55 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to accept a conveyance of 5.9 acres and in return convey approximately 70 acres to the MacGregor Ranch Trust in order to consolidate trailheads and improve visitor access in Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the National Park Service. Rocky Mountain National Park is the fifth most visited park in the system. With the popularity of Rocky Mountain National Park. the park officials must continuously find ways to improve visitor access and enjoyment. For this reason. Senator ALLARD and I introduced the Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2005. ","speaker_name":"MARILYN MUSGRAVE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090078471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a straightforward piece of legislation. and it is legislation that is needed to enhance enjoyment and ease of access to a popular trailhead. S. 55 would convey three strategic pieces of land to the park system from the MacGregor ranch. a historic working cattle ranch that is located within the boundary of the park. The new parcels of land would be used to .build a new parking lot and road to offer improved access for the public. while protecting the historic integrity of the ranch. The MacGregor ranch would. in turn. receive muchneeded grazing land. I believe this is a longterm solution for both the park and the MacGregor ranch. Madam Speaker. S. 55 is supported by the majority and the minority. and I urge passage of the bill. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MARILYN MUSGRAVE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090078523,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Chicago for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3853. legislation which would designate the postal -facility in Parkdale. Arkansas. which is located in Arkansas Fourth Congressional District. the \"Willie Vaughn Post Office.\" This bill has the unanimous support of the Parkdale City Council and its mayor. and I would like to personally thank them for their help with this: Mayor Glenda Wells. and to the City Council. Louis Mitchell. Mark Hawkins. Paula Files. and Evora Parker. Willie Vaughn. known to friends and family as \"Uncle Dude.\" spent most of his life giving back to this small town located near the Ashley and Chicot County line in southeast Arkansas. just a few miles north of Louisiana. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090078523,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vaughn is an active member of his local church. helping not only to build the church but also serving in many leadership positions over the years. I can think of no person more deserving of this prestigious honor than Willie Vaughn. Mr. Vaughn embodies the definition of \"giving back to your community.\" At 101 years of age. Mr. Vaughn has spent a lifetime. or one might say over a century. workingto. -improve .Parkdale through dedication to the CME Church. as a civil rights leader working to remove racial barriers. lending an ear to friends and family throughout the community. throughout southeast Arkansas. and. yes. throughout America. He did so as a school bus driver. as a farmer. as a devoted husband and father. It isevident that Mr. Vaughns commitment and dedication to his church. to civil justice. and to community service has made a lasting impact on the Parkdale community and its people. Willie- Vaughn has served as a role model to many. young people who grew up inthis small.town of 377 people. people like - the gentleman from Illinois","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090078527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I urge gentleman from Georgia Carolina Farm Bureau. Mutual Insurall Members to support the passage of each will control 20 minutes. ance Company on its 50th anniversary. H.R. 3853. I have no further requests for The Chair recognizes the gentleman 0 1430 time.- and I yield back the balance of from South Carolina . my time. GENERAL LEAVE I recognize the mutual insurance","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":385}
{"speech_id":1090078544,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume before calling on the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania. . I want to point out. Madam Speaker. to the gentleman from Florida. my good friend. regarding this particular legislation. S. 397. we have in this body. notJust in the 109th this year. passed very. very similar. almost identical legislation. and there were some 11 amendments I think offered during the markup in the Committee on the Judiciary. Those were defeated. In fact. at least one member of the committee from the other party. from the minority party. voted against most of those amendments and voted in favor of favorably reporting this bill. This bill also was passed in the 108th Congress. H.R. 1036. I think the vote on that particular bill was 285 to 140. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":848}
{"speech_id":1090078544,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":848}
{"speech_id":1090078548,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in response to the gentleman from Massachusetts I want to point out that this bill prohibits lawsuits against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm or ammunition or notforprofit trade association for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm or ammunition. But it provides. as I said in my opening remarks. Mr. Speaker. five exceptions to this liability protection. including. and I will just mention one in response to my good friend from Massachusetts. An exception would -be for an action against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence. per se. for example supplying a gun or ammunition to a person when the seller knows or reasonably should know that the buyer possesses an unacceptable risk of physical injury to himself or others. As an example again. the D.C. snipers were successful in court on these grounds.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":866}
{"speech_id":1090078562,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. despite their best arguments against free enterprise. personal responsibility and the protection of lawful commerce. critics fail to provide an alternative solution to the problem without compromising our liberties and second amendment rights. Just as a car is a tool for transportation. an ax is a tool for cutting trees and shrubs. prescription drugs are tools for better health. a firearm is a tool for hunting and selfdefense and protection of our citizens. Any of these tools used in an irresponsible manner and used contrary to their attending purpose can hurt and. yes. even kill others. But a gun by itself. Mr. Speaker. cannot commit a crime. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2084}
{"speech_id":1090078562,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It takes an individual to use the product illegally and irresponsibly. The protection of Lawful Commerce -in Arms Act is a bill to curb our lawsuitfriendly and. yes. sometimes abusive society and to protect lawabiding citizens from individuals who avoid responsibility and undermine the good faith of our legal system. Frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers threaten the survival of the gun industry. the jobs it creates. and our constitutional right to purchase. keep and bear arms. While many cases are dismissed. it only takes one bad ruling to sink a company and to send ripple effects across an entire industry. Although Americas first gun manufacturer. Springfield Armory. went out of business in 1968. we still have to protect Americas remaining lawabiding companies who conduct business in a responsible and in a lawful manner. It would be a tragedy for a Nation with such a rich and innovative history in manufacturing to have our police and military carry over foreignengineered firearms. We need to protect the American firearm industry. We need to restore responsibility and end these frivolous lawsuits. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2084}
{"speech_id":1090078562,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I encourage passage of this rule and passage of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2084}
{"speech_id":1090078569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I want to applaud him for maintaininga size 36 over the -years. and I will decline to share my dress size with the Nation. Mr. Speaker. I rise to support the rule and the underlying bill. H.R. 554. also known as the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act. and sometimes fondly referred to. as the gentlewoman from California said. the Cheeseburger Bill. Mr. Speaker. our Nation is a Nation of freedom. Liberty. individuality. and personal choice are all critical ingredients. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2284}
{"speech_id":1090078569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A recipe for selfreliance. individual responsibility. and choice has been handed down from generation to generation. That is why it is so distasteful to see a handful of greedy people trying to strike it rich by attacking the American food industry. The blameobsessed legal system has increasingly tried to poison the restaurant business with frivolous lawsuits. Our food industry actually employs about 12 million people. It is the Nations largest single private sector provider. It provides a legal product. and it provides it in a legal way. And now. because of the avarice of a few. it has become a huge target with a huge bullseye on its back. Mr. Speaker. most restaurants are small businesses that contribute to their community in literally countless ways. What is more. many of them are too small to defend themselves against outofcontrol. deeppocketed trial attorneys who want to file lawsuits against them. who see them as just another target. perhaps see them as just another ATM machine. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2284}
{"speech_id":1090078569,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud to support this rule and proud to support H.R. 554. which prohibits profiteering from groundless claims about weight gain. to protect our vital food and restaurant industry. to. help defend our economy and American jobs. and to support the fundamental tenets of our Nation: personal choice. liberty. and freedom. Mr. Speaker. I am obviously a pretty good customer of the restaurant industry. but I also recognize that with democracy comes responsibility. the responsibility of citizens to make the right decisions for themselves and the responsibility of a government to stop those who seek to hurt fine American businesses for a drivethru. fast windfall. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2284}
{"speech_id":1090078589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. due to a previous commitment. I was absent from legislative business on Monday. October 17. 2005 and Tuesday. October 18. 2005. Had I been present. I would have voted accordingly: -On rollcall No. 521. approving the Journal. I would have voted \"nay\". On rollcall No. 522. passage of H. Res. 457. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":755}
{"speech_id":1090078589,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would have voted \"yea\". On rollcall No. 523. passage of H. Res. 491. I would have voted \"yea\". On rollcall No. 524. passage of H. Res. 494. I would have voted \"nay\". On .rollcall No. 525. passage of H.R. 1409. I would have voted \"yea\". On rollcall No. 526. passage of H. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":755}
{"speech_id":1090078589,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Res. 492. I would have voted \"yea\". On rollcall No. 527. passage of H.R. 3549. I would have voted \"yea\". On rollcall No. 528. passage of H.R. 3853. I would have voted \"yea\".","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":755}
{"speech_id":1090078613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. down in the depths of the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico lies some old Spanish galleon with unrecovered gold. but there is another type of gold in the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. black gold. We call it crude oil. There is also white gold there as well. We call it natural gas. These natural gold reserves are energy for todays Americans and we need to drill for these gold reserves. According to the Department of Energy. families across the United States will experience winter heating bills that will be up to 50 percent higher for those who heat with natural gas. This alarming data is yet another reason for us to open up the Outer Continental Shelf and begin drilling for more natural gas and oil off our own coastlines. The socalled global warming will not keep Americans warm this winter. We have got to become more selfsufficient when it comes to energy. natural gas and crude oil. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5202}
{"speech_id":1090078613,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It borders on the absurd to.continue to be held hostage by foreign countries and foreign oil and ignore the billions of barrels that have yet to be drilled off the United States .coastline. Mr. Speaker. I have introduced H.R. 3811 to help relieve our energy woes and help stop U.S. dependence on for-\" eign oil. This legislation will allow for safe oil and natural gas exploration along the Outer Continental Shelf.This bill would do away with all the moratoriums and executive orders that limit leasing activities while maintaining environmental. \u0095 Right now 90 percent of our coastline is off limits to drilling because the Federal Government prohibits it. In this chart. Mr. Speaker. I show the three places off the coast of Texas. Louisiana and Mississippi where we drill. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5202}
{"speech_id":1090078613,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All the red here. these are sacred places where we cannot drill for oil. Maybe Texas. Louisiana and Mississib0pi ought to. join OPEC. In any event. Mr. Speaker. we have got to drill off these other areas because there is oil and there is natural gas in these areas off our Outer Continental Shelf. It is a myth. Mr. Speaker. that we cannot drill offshore safely. The bestexperts in the world are from the United States and they know how to drill safely. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5202}
{"speech_id":1090078613,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a myth perpetrated on the American people by environmental extremists. No one wants polluted waters. I certainly do not. but we can have both safe. drilling and environmentally correct drilling as well. Let us look at some of the facts. Mr. Speaker. This chart shows pollution from oil. crude oil. Most of the pollution that is in our oceans comes from nature itself. from seepage on the bottom of the ocean. About 63 percent comes from hature. 32 percent comes from jet .skis and oil runoff from American soil. 3 percent comes from those tankers .that are bringing crude oil in from the Middle East. and way down here 2 percent of the pollution of crude oil comes from offshore drilling. It is a myth to think that we cannot.drill offshore in a correct. an environmentallS correct way. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5202}
{"speech_id":1090078613,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The National Academy For Sciences has furnished this information. The American public needs to know the truth about offshore drilling. If coastlines like Florida are worried about the environmental threats. maybe they should stop people from using jet skis and boating because more than a quarter -of the spills come from just that. But maybe we should do some research. According to the Department of Interior. since 1985 more than 7 billion barrels of oil were produced in Federal offshore waters. with less than .001 percent spilled. That is a 99.99 percent record for clean operations. My Jeep leaks more. oil than this. Katrina and Rita hit the coastline very hard. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5202}
{"speech_id":1090078632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us explain what we are talking about. In the press today there was an email exchange revealed between the spokesperson of FEMA and then Under Secretary Brown where he was appalled that Secretary Chertoff had made him. I think it was the point person. I forgot the title he was given. in the aftermath of Katrina. But he looked at it as a slight. an insult. and somehow a demotion from his position as Under Secretary. In the devastation and aftermath of Katrina. is that what we want the FEMA Director to be worried about. what he is called?","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":545}
{"speech_id":1090078639,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not random. It is a way of doing business here in Washington. D.C. Unfortunately. it is affecting the entire country and in some cases it affects some parts of the world that we are also concerned about. and there are also parts of the world we are concerned about outside of Iraq. I think that is important to point out. I just want to mention something that the gentleman from Ohio talked about. this H.R. 3764. which is the House bill that will create this independent commission just like the 9\/11 Commission. The only difference between the bill we see by the gentleman from Ohio. House Resolution 3764. and the 9\/11 Commission is the fact that it says the independent Katrina commission versus the 9\/11 Commission. * 1915 So it is language that we all understand and eventually.- like the 9\/11 Commission. the majority side came around and voted for it. Some did. * I think it is also important for us to understand that -independent commissions are not a new phenomenon to the way to deal with issues in correcting wrongs that took place or possible mistakes that could have happened. For instance. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2123}
{"speech_id":1090078639,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I mention the 9\/11 Commission. which is. the most respected commission that came after 9\/11. Also. if we look at the commission after the Challenger space accident in 1996. the Presidential commission that looked into the NASA program and things that we needed to look at. And also in the aftermath of the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979 there was an independent commission. and numerous independent commissions established by the White House after plane accident tragedies to make sure that we do not make the same mistakes and correct issues that might have contributed to loss of life. After the attack on Pearl Harbor. there was another independent commission. These independent commissions are given authority to go out and make sure that we do not continue to repeat some of the same issues that we are seeing right now. We are seeing a repeat on issues that are facing Americans time and time again. Now. I want to say to the gentleman from Ohio on H.R. 3764. how many Republicans are on that bill?","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2123}
{"speech_id":1090078664,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I agree. We want to take the country in a new direction. in another direction. Since 1994. the Republicans have held this Chamber. The President has been in for 5 years. They have controlled the Senate on and off for a good while over the past decade and a half. We want to take the country in another direction. because ifyou look at the leadership. I just believe that because of the lack of experience they just are not governing. They just do not know how to govern. When.you look at the increased poverty rates. when you look at wages. when you look at what is going on with companies like Delphi and General Motors. when you look at the health care crisis in this country. when you look at the poverty crisis. the cuts for school funding and local communities. libraries being cut. prisons and jails that cannot handle the load that is coming in. in every single aspect here. reducing our dependence on foreign oil. every single aspect here has been the ball has been dropped. We want to take the country in a new direction. in a better place. with the changes that I think the Democratic Party wants to provide. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1476}
{"speech_id":1090078664,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you want to email us. it is 30somethingdems@mail.house.gov. and let us know if you want to .be a citizen cosponsor of the independent Katrina commission. which we think would be the best way in a nonpartisan. bipartisan way to try to address the issues. and I thank my good friend from Florida for the opportunity to join both my colleagues here tonight.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1476}
{"speech_id":1090078738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. according to its own mandate. the Armed Forces Network is supposed to provide political programming that is characterized by fairness and balance. and should provide \"reasonable opportunities for the presentation of conflicting views on important controversial public issues.\" Now. the Bush administrations Pentagon has ignored that mandate. choosing to air Rush Limbaugh as its only daily political programming. This is the same man who spent weeks condoning and trivializing the abuse. torture. and rape of Iraqi prisoners. Should this be the only political voice that our soldiers hear daily around the world? On Monday. our soldiers were finally supposed to hear a differing voice. liberal radio talk show host Ed Schultz. However. the Pentagon called to inform Schultz minutes before his debut that they were pulling his show. Why? They did not give him an answer. Schultz tried to explain this decision to his. listeners. saying on Monday that the Pentagon does not want dissenting voices or any other kind of speech unless it is going to be promotional for them. Madam Speaker. perhaps more than anyone else our troops abroad deserve to hearall political opinions from home. Remember. this is a democracy.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090078753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I want to thank the President of the United States for speaking out so forcefully yesterday with Secretary Chertoff and reiterating that they are determined to protect our borders and to prevent or stop the uncontrolled flood of illegal immigration into this country. This is a lawandorder issue. I just returned form a visit to the Rio Grande River. and you do not need to go to Baghdad to see the war on terror. Nuevo Laredo is essentially a ghost town. Laredo is under siege The largest inland port in the United States. Laredo. is in a state of war. It is besieged by . narcoterrorists who are equipped with the very best weapons and best equipment: The sheriff and the local authorities are outgunned and overmatched. Our Border Patrol is outgunned and overmatched. October 19. 2005 . ","speaker_name":"JOHN CULBERSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090078753,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CO Mr. President. thank. you. sir. We need you. with the stroke of a pen. please reinforce the Border Patrol. Help our local law enforcement auithorities defend the peace and prosperity of the United States or our way of life may. indeed. change. Thank you. Mr. President. The American people are way beyond the tipping point in frustration and outrage at the unprotected borders and this flood of illegal immigration. and we are very grateful to you. sir. for stepping up to protect our borders.","speaker_name":"JOHN CULBERSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090078781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my concern that we are again dealing with a notion that there is a crisis in our courts with obesity lawsuits. H.R. 554. the socalled \"Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act\" is a measure that seeks to give federal immunity to food manufacturers. sellers. and advertisers for obesityrelated claims. The reality is there is only one such pending suit in the entire. country. so I am hard pressed to see why we need to take up this measure today. especially since there are so many other important issues we need to address. I do not think it is. the role of the United States Congress to intervene in every individual and private issue in America. Our Natibn is plagued by childhood obesity and heart disease. and we should be looking into real solutions to this problem. we should not be focusing our efforts on getting rid of one lawsuit -currently pending against a fast food outlet. Furthermore. the language in H.R. 554 is so broad it would cut off legitimate claims against thp food industry. even where the industry acted to deceive the public and even where it violated State or Federal law. For instance. those in the food industry who fraudulently or deceptively market or sell lowfat products that are not really lowfat should be held accountable but this measure would let them off the hook. Lawsuits aimed at unscrupulous tactics help to change the behavior of the bad actors in the industry we should allow our legal system to process these legitimate cases. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1708}
{"speech_id":1090078781,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. our legal system has multiple procedural safeguards to ensure that frivolous litigation is thrown out and that meritorious claims are preserved. That is why I oppose H.R. 554.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1708}
{"speech_id":1090078837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. those who support this bill argue that food manufacturers should be sheltered from lawsuits claiming that their products cause someone to become obese. I can understand their reasoning. because there is a sense of personal responsibility involved. But what my amendment would do is to limit that language so it is not so broad as to include what are called \"dietary supplements.\" because some of these products are not like food. They are not reviewed by the FDA. They are not even subject to FDA intervention. unless they can show real harm being done. and we have had examples of ephedra and andro that have been withdrawn from the market because they caused serious injury. or DHEA. which is a steroid precursor. The bill authors would say that they want to protect from lawsuits when people say they have gained weight or there is obesity or health conditions associated with a persons weight gain or obesity. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3430}
{"speech_id":1090078837,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Imagine you are overweight .and suffer from high blood pressure because you are overweight. and you decide to try losing weight by taking a dietary supplement product. But what you do not know is that the product you are taking contains a potentially dangerous stimulant. and instead of helping you lose weight. the product causes your blood pressure to go even higher and makes you really sick. If this bill passed.. you could not sue the dietary supplement company even if the product did not have a warning label. even if the companies received thousands of adverse event reports that they have kept hidden. even if a professional medical society and experts have concluded that the product is dangerous. and even if the company has never tested the product to see if it is safe. Removing the threat of liability for dangerous dietary supplements would be a grave mistake. Despite evidence that supplements containing ephedra are dangerous and have caused heart attacks or strokes or death. it took the FDA years to act to take higherdose ephedra supplements off the market. Th the meantime. some dietary supplement companies . stopped making ephedra products because of the mounting litigation. Without having to take responsibility for their products. manufacturers could be free to sell dangerous substances to the public. The threat of a lawsuit- could have a real impact here. and it is not one simply of personal responsibility. We are seeing now a new generation of weightloss products marketed as dietary supplements that have stimulant ingredients that may be similar to ephedra. According to a recent study.. these new products may raise blood pressure and heart rate. making them potentially dangerous particularly to those people who already have heart disease. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3430}
{"speech_id":1090078837,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. it is perfectly legal for a dietary supplement manufacturer to sell these products without testing to see if they are safe and without warning cofisumers of potential adverse effects. This bill. as it is drafted. is a license. for reckless behavior by dietary supplement manufacturers. I do not know if that is what the authors intended. I tend to think they probably did not look at that issue. It allows them to sell dangerous products to Americans without ever having to take responsibility in a court of law. and our amendment would close the dietary supplement loophole. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3430}
{"speech_id":1090078937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our Coast Guard in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Coast Guard again demonstrated just how well they live up to their Latin motto. which means: \"Always Ready.\" Several days before Katrina made landfall. the Coast Guard activated emergency response plans. while maintaining communications with both the Atlantic and Pacific commands and headquarters in Washington. As the disaster drew near. if something did not work. the Coast Guard modified its plans to meet the needs. The first images we as Americans saw on television depicting this disaster were those of Coast Guard helicopters rescuing stranded citizens from rooftops amid rising flood waters. In the face of high winds- and flying debris. daytime temperatures nearing 100 degrees and downed utility lines. our brave men and women heeded the call of duty to perform selfless acts of courage. . During aroundtheclock flight operations over a 7day Period. our Coast Guard helicopters operating over New Orleans saved an astonishing 6.470 lives. They also helped to save thousands of other victims by delivering tons of food and water to those who could not be evacuated immediately. In all. the Coast Guard rescued 33.5.00 people in its response to Katrina. six times the number of people it rescued in all of 2004. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2410}
{"speech_id":1090078937,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am extremely proud of the Coast Guard air crew rescue swimmers. many of whom trained at the Coast Guard Aquatic Training Facility. located in my congressional district at the Coast Guard station in Elizabeth City. North Carolina.. The Coast Guard rescue swimmers faced some. very adverse conditions. including flooded houses and buildings. steep slippery roofs. foul and contaminated water. and the need to hack through attics with axes or break out windows to free the survivors. Despite these obstacles. these brave men and women saved many American. lives. The Coast Guards responses to Katrina and Rita should serve as a model for our governmental agencies and our first responders in the face of future disasters. These brave menand women succeeded in keeping these devastating events from becoming even greater tragedies. -I thank the Coast Guard for their dedicated service. and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating them and supporting my future efforts to upgrade their training facility in my congressional district.","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2410}
{"speech_id":1090078946,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr: Speaker. at the present time we are conducting some talks. WTO negotiations. involving the European Union. I would like to call attention to some figures that I think * most people are not totally aware of. First of all. if you compare the United States economy with the European Union. the United States economy is $11.7 trillion annually and the European .Union is $9.4 trillion. So they are pretty comparable. The import tariffs we have on goods coming from the European Union into the U:S. are 12 percent. and tariffs on U.S. goods going into the European Union are 30 percent. So we have comparable economies and yet a tremendous disparity in tariffs. This led to an agricultural trade deficit of minus $6.3 billion last year. which was the biggest deficit that we had with any entity that we were trading with for agriculture. On export subsidies. the EuropeanUnion provides $3 billion and we* provide $31.5 million. so they are roughly 100 to 1 on money they spend on subsidizing their exports to other countries. As far as farm subsidies per acre are concerned. the United States subsidizes agriculture at $38 per acre with the European Union at $295 an acre. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3535}
{"speech_id":1090078946,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So this is a tremendous discrepancy. . One other set of data I wish to point out is that we have had two cases of BSE. or mad cow disease. in the United States. The European Union has had 189.102 in the European Union in the last 10. 15 years. Yet the European Union excludes our exports of beef into the European Union. our pork. our genetically modified crops. such as corn. and also poultry. So we are really having a very difficult time with the European Union when you look at all these figures. .Currently. we are having some preliminary WTO talks where we are looking at some ways to try to fix world trade. and I want to point out a couple of things. First of all. we are proposing that the United States reduce farm subsidies 60 percent. which would mean that we would drop our subsidies from $19 billion a year to roughly $17.5 billion a year. and at the same time we are proposing that theEuropean Union.rpduce agricultural subsidies to 83 percent. which would be a decrease from $80 billion down to $15 billion. That is a big drop. but still the European Union would be Subsidizing doible what the United States doei. The European Union has rejected this offer at the present time. I think it is important that -people realize what happens in the next round of WTO talks will have great implications for the next farm bill which will be written in 2007 and go into effect in 2008. We are apt to see a move toward conservation types of payments. away from traditional types of payment. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3535}
{"speech_id":1090078946,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will have to be concerned about developing countries like Brazil. Brazil has land valued at $250 to $500 an acre. They have enough rain and topsoil to produce- two. crops a year. Their labor is 50 cents an hour. They can pretty well bury us if we do not provide some subsidy for our agriculture. Lastly. I would like to issue a warning. We saw what happened to our petroleum industry. We found we could buy a barrel of oil from OPEC a few years ago for $10 a barrel. We began to get more and more from OPEC. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3535}
{"speech_id":1090078946,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. we are pretty well dependent on foreign sources of oil. We cannot afford to let this happen to our agricultural economy. Certainly changes are . in order. but I think it is important we proceed cautiously because we do not lose our food supply to foreign sources. which would be even more devastating than losing our oil supply to sources abroad.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3535}
{"speech_id":1090078955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman is so right. and I appreciate the opportunity to weigh in on this issue. This issue of scoring. as the gentleman is talking about. it reminds me of course of the debate during the Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act that we passed in December of 2003. Of course. that part D will go into effect and the modernization pieceis already in effect for Medicare. but part D. the prescription drug part. will start January 1. But all we heard and continue to hear. particularly from the other side and for those naysayers who keep wanting to talk negative about really a very good program that is going to be a Godsend for our neediest seniors. I talked about this on the floor. my colleagues I know heard me last night. But the talk. the emphasis is on the cost of part D. and the cost estimate is based on the number of seniors that participate ultimately. I do not think anybody really knows\" Mr. Speaker. what that number Will be. but at one point it looked like the CBO said. well. it is going to be $400 billion additional Medicare cost over a 5year period of time. Then those numbers were revised. andthen we were hearing as much maybe as $750 billion. That is the scoring that the gentleman from Pennsylvania is talking about. and my colleagues understand what he means. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3848}
{"speech_id":1090078955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You get no credit for the -fact that many people who sign up and. yes. there will be an additional Medicare cost for them on this part D program. but the fact that they are able to take those medications. they can finally afford to take that statin to lower their cholesterol and that medication. that insulin to lower their blood sugar or whatever antihypertensive to lower their blood pressure.. guess what. we get less spending on part A. the hospital part. when you end Up in the emergency room with a stroke because you could not take your medicine. or you end up on the operating table for your coronary bypass or maybe even worse an amputation or a kidney transplant. and then you have this huge cost to the physician under part B. The truth of the matter is. and what the gentleman was emphasizing. is that you get -no credit for saving those costs. not to mention the fact that it is so much more compassionate to spend money on prevention rather than treatment. particularly when the treatment sometimes. is not very successful and a person could ultimately be in a nursing home for years and disabled for the rest of their lives. I will take it a step .further before turning it back over to my colleague. It is the samething. this scoring issue. in regard to the tax cuts that this Republican leadership has effected over these past 3 years. The scorers. the CBO. the number crunchers say. well. these tax cuts. the elimination of the marriage tax penalty. increasing the child tax credit from $600 an infant to $1.000 a child. giving small business men and women an opportunity to more rapidly depreciate investment in bricks and mortar and creating new jobs. all of these things. elimination of the death tax. no taxation without respiration I firmly believe in. .the scorers said that was going to cost us $1.3 trillion. My colleague remembers that. And a lot of people said. oh. we cannot afford that. What are we doing cutting taxes? Well. after about a year and a half. when we looked at our revenue stream. what was the result? We had about 225 billion more dollars. which on the scoring side we get no credit for. So the gentleman is so right. So many of these things that we are talking about tonight in this hour. these innovations. these community health centers that the President has funded. recommended. and feels so strongly about. on the scoring side you get no credit for. but we do save money. as the gentleman points out. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3848}
{"speech_id":1090078955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And just think. also. it is the compassionate. conservative thing to do for the American people.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3848}
{"speech_id":1090078973,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I think the gentlewoman will agree that the essence of Americas opportunity and the essence of opportunity is a good education. and what we are seeing in this budget is diminishing money every year for education. For example. the signature program of the Bush administration was No Child Left Behind and many voted for it on the assumption that there would be. yes. more accountability. higher standards but there would also be more money. And now. 2006. the difference between what was authorized and expected to be committed to this program and what is aatually being made available in this budget is about 8. $9 billion. The number the gentlewoman gave was a cumulative number since the adoption of the bill. In addition. in order to make what is provided for the additional Title I funding available. the Bush administration has proposed to cut or kill about 48 educational programs. A lot of them are small programs. but they are the Eisenhower Science and Math Program. We just had a blue ribbon commission say we need to be investing more in science and math education if we are going to make it to the future and sustain our style of living. So we see a faint hearted commitment in name. in slogan. No Child Left Behind. but the dollars do not follow the children to the extent that we all expected when we voted for the bill in the first place. no question about it.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1390}
{"speech_id":1090079013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that build- have adequate child care so they will ing block that we talk about. edu- actually get off the welfare rolls and cation. being ready for the work force get to -work. That got shot down. is very. very important. Let us talk Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker. if about going into the work force. This the gentleman will yield. we need to Republican Congress has talked about clarify who we are and they are. creating jobs. has talked about growing Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I appreciate that. the economy and. at the same time. ","speaker_name":"DAN BOREN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1503}
{"speech_id":1090079013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. I thank the they are cutting programs that are gentlehan. The Republicans on the very vital to creating jobs. Let me talk - committee who have a majority of the about them right now. folks on the committee shot all of The small business 7(a) loan program those democratic amendments down. is very important to my constituents. The Democrats offered to have a living wage. The Democrats offered to crease money for child care so that can go out into the work force and c tribute to the economy and pay ta) Now. our friend from Oklahoma sa well. even the program where lowcome people want to strike out their own and they want to start ti own business. that program is gett cut. What do you propose these people Is there an answer on- that side? TI are talking about this long and disi guished record of helping people. H4 What do you mean? The poverty rat going up. wages are stagnant. and i harder to get into school. and tuit has doubled.","speaker_name":"DAN BOREN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1503}
{"speech_id":1090079020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am so glad that the gentleman used that example and the other examples that he has been using. Tomorrow in the Energy and Commerce Committee we are going to have a hearing on- the health and social costs associated with drug use. particularly methamphetamine use. And I just have the statistics because I am getting ready for the hearing. In 2000. researchers estimate the annual health and social costs associated with drug use. particularly methamphetamine use\/ was approximately $116 billion. $15 billion of which was attributed to health care costs. A lot of the things that we talk about here. particularly health care. are actually preventative. And so the Republicans think that somehow they are saving money. They are not saving anything because they are going to drive people. as the gentleman says. he is talking about methamphetamine. they are going to create a situation where the problem is going to even get worse and it is going to cost us more in the long run because the people that are impacted are going. to get sick.. I was thinking of the gentlemans dad again. and I do not want to keep bringing it up. But one of the things that the Republicans are talking about doing. this $10 billion in Medicaid cuts through reconciliation. the gentleman from Oklahoma pointed out that we are not just talking about poor people and indigent people here. we are talking about working people. Maybe you call them the working poor or middle class. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3291}
{"speech_id":1090079020,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not know what the word is. lower middle class. The Medicaid cuts that the Republicans are tafking about mostly impact senior citizens who go to nursing homes. because what they are proposing to do is to make it more difficult for the spouse who is left behind to keep their home or to keep their car. They want to make the guidelines so that.they take the money from those very people in order for them to be able to continue to stay in a nursing home. And I remember. I was thinking again about the gentlemans dad. because one of the things that he did was the socalled Boren Amendment. I do not even know if my colleague remembers that. but that was the one that said that the nursing homes had the ability to seek redress if the Federal Government was not providing enough-. funding for nursing home care. because what happened is that the quality of that care decreased and people became sicker. and so he wanted to have some enforcement mechanism to make sure that the quality of care in the nursing homes was still good. When the Republicans came in. they wanted to repeal that. of course. and they did repeal it ultimately. So these cuts. they directly impact people. not just indigent people. I am not saying we should not be worried about the poor. we obviously do. But a lot of the people who may not necessarily be aware of the fact that they are going to be directly impacted. middle class people. senior citizens. they are going to be impacted by these health care cuts. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3291}
{"speech_id":1090079020,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even the student loan programs. These are not just student loan programs for poor people. these are middle class kids that are struggling. These cuts impact the majority of Americans. I mean. that is a fact. And I appreciate the fact that all of you are bringing that out. because I think it is very important. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3291}
{"speech_id":1090079024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was getting to cronyism. because there are a lot of Cs that are flying around this Chamber. including the first letter of the word Chamber. The gentleman from Oklahoma and I are freshmen. we just got here. we have been here 10 months. We have conversations on the floor all the time about how astonishing it is that this institution has a pall cast over it. that there is a shadow cast over this place by the culture of corruption. the cronyism. the ethical challenges that some of our Members face. the cronyism in the administration. the appointments of people who are not qualified for the job that they were hired to do. It is time to return this government back to the honest people. back to the people who are in it for right reasons. back to the people who went into public service to make the world a better place. not to line their supporters pockets. with all due respect. That. is literally what I have watched this place become both as an outsider and now as someone who his become a Member of this body.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1018}
{"speech_id":1090079028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman mentioned before Medicaid. Medicaid is a matching program. 50 percent Federal. 50 percent State. So if the States do not get the 50 percent from the Federal Government. they have to make it up themselves or drop the people completely. I know we are almost done so I would like to yield to the gentleman from Ohio because he is going to give us the 30Something information.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":386}
{"speech_id":1090079086,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I intend to offer two amendments to this legislation. I take a moment now to offer the first of those amendments. While I do that. I thank my colleague from Missouri and my colleague from the State of Washington for their work on this piece of legislation. This is an appropriations subcommittee bill on which they have done an excellent job. I appreciate that. I will offer an amendment at the completion of my comments. The amendment deals with the issue of contracting. particularly contracting in Iraq. and also now contracting in this country for reconstruction of the Gulf States that were hit so hard by Hurricane Katrina and then Rita. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10987}
{"speech_id":1090079086,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will talk about the reason I am offering this and point out I have offered it previously. and I lost in the vote that was conducted in the Senate. However. I have previously indicated I do not intend to be discouraged by losing a vote. I will ask the Congress to reconsider by having another @ote. and I will do it again following this if I am not successful. Let m describe the circumstances that bring me to the conclusion we need a special committee of the type that Harry S. Truman led when he was a Senator. Incidentally. he was a Democrat Senator who had the Senate establish what was called the Truman Committee to investigate waste. fraud. and abuse in defense spending back in the middle of what became World War II. the middle of the Second World War. With a Democrat President. a Democrat Senator was doing investigative hearings about waste. fraud. and abuse with respect to spending in the area of defense. He uncovered billions and billions and billions of dollars of waste. Good for him. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10987}
{"speech_id":1090079086,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure it was not pleasant for the White House because Senator Truman was a member of the party of the President at that point. Nonethieless. he did what he believed was important and right for this country. It was very important to have done. These days we have something happening with respect to the country of Iraq. We have a war in Iraq. We also have reconstruction programs for the country of Iraq paid for by. the American taxpayers. We have contracts that are solesource. nobid contracts given to some very large corporations. We have tales of horror about the waste of the taxpayers money. and nobody seems to care verymuch. We also now have similar tales with respect to contractingagain. nobid. solesource contractingwith respect to the reconstruction and the response to Hfurricane Katrina and Rita. Let me describe just a few of these. if I might. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10987}
{"speech_id":1090079086,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. let me talk about contracting in Iraq. We have a substantial amount of contracting in Iraq. nobid contracts. that are worth billions of dollars. I have held six or seven hearings on thissubject. It ranges from the small. a fellow holding up a towel. a hand towel. because he worked for Halliburton Corporation. which was suppose to buy towels for our troops in Iraq. He holds up a hand towel-- and says: I was the purchasing agent and was supposed to buy towels for the .troops. But the company wanted their logo imprinted on the towels. which nearly doubled the price. So .the American taxpayer paid twice the price. or nearly twice the price. for these towels because the company wanted the logo on the towel. He said they were paying $7.500 a month lease on SUVs in Iraq. $85.900 brand new trucks were left by the side of the road because they had a flat tire and torched. $85.000 trucks discontinued to be used and left by the side of the road because they had a plugged fuel pump. and therefore . torched. These purchasing agents were told it didnt matter. these are costplus contracts. It does not matter that money is wasted. they could spend what they wanted to spend. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10987}
{"speech_id":1090079086,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were told the good old AmericAn taxpayer will pick up the tab. We had a man named Rory in charge of food service. a supervisor at a food service area in Iraq. Rory described what his instructions were from Halliburton. His instructions were: If a government auditor comes by. you get out of there. You refuse to talk to a government auditor. If. you -talk to an auditor that comes by to try to evaluate What is going on. one of two things willhappen to you. You will either be fired. or you will be moved to an area in Iraq that is under active. hostile action. Those are your choices. Rory decided to tell what was going on. He said they were feeding soldiers who did not exist. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10987}
{"speech_id":1090079137,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I think probably the most efficient way to do this is let me yield the floor to the Senator from Maine. When she concludes. I ask the Senator from Montana be. recognized. At the conclusion of the comments of the Senator from Montana. if I can be recognized again. I will finish my statement.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":308}
{"speech_id":1090079158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. reserving the right to object. and I apologize for taking additional time. I know Senator REED is due to be recognized by consent as soon as this lengthy and. in my opinion. unnecessary discussion is complete. It is important to note this bill does not take the funding out of FEMA as has been represented. We suggested that.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":342}
{"speech_id":1090079230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator very eloquentlypointed out the fact that we havent seen an increase in the minimum wage in 9 years. Inflation has eaten away from that $5.15 as costs and prices have gone up. Is the Senator aware of the increase in the minimum wage that has taken place. for example. in Great Britain? They have -the second most successful economy in Europe. Ireland being No. 1. They were at $8.56 an hour. This year they have gone to $8.85 an hour. Next year. in. October. they will likely go to $9.44 an hour. From 1999 to 2003. Great Britain has .brought more than 1.8 million children out of poverty. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1214}
{"speech_id":1090079230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what has happened in another economy that says that the increase in the minimum wage and providing at least aliving wage for individuals is not adverse to the economy. It is important to an economy. And most importantly. it has beencrucial to lifting children out of poverty and avoiding the kinds of circumstance that we have seen after Katrina. Why is it that they can understand. this and be so successful. and we. 9 years later. are still on the floor of the Senate for an hour and a half. and I bet we will still be unwilling to provide an increase of $1.10 for some of the hardest working Americans?","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1214}
{"speech_id":1090079278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if you are interested in an increase in the minimum wage. this is not the way to go. We offered an increase in the minimum wage which was two pages. His amendment is 87 pages. and in that 87 pages includes 3. at least. very important items that are going to shortchange American workers. First. it changes the eligibility of those who are going to be covered and eliminates 10 million workers who are covered today. Secondly. it eliminates overtime. It is called flextime. but the decision whether it is going to be flexible will be decided by the employer. and therefore you are going to find that for the average worker in this country earning $44.000. $3.000 in overtime Will be eliminated. Finally. this legislation effectively preempts 31 States that have a tip credit program. On page 21: Any State may not establish or enforce their tip credit.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":866}
{"speech_id":1090079381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. not having had a chance to review the entire workings of.the amendment. this is a very serious legislative amendment. Unfortunately. this is not the appropriate place to raise this legislation. It is more appropriately concerned with the Energy Committee or other committees. I. therefore. raise a point of order that this is legislation on an appropriations bill. I believe now the Chair has a copy of the amendment. I raise an objection under rule XVI that this is legislation on an appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":520}
{"speech_id":1090079405,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to pay tribute to a Minnesota hero and an American hero. Robert Sparboe. who passed away last week. If anyone around the world wanted to know why this is the greatest country in the world. Iwould tell them: Take a look at the life of Bob Sparboe. He is proof -positive that the surest path to success is.working hard in a free society. .Bob. Sparboe found his success in the egg business. He went from a $5.000 investment after the Korean war to a $260 million operation employing 600 people in four States. If anyone in the sound of my voice has ever eaten an egg in a Midwestern restaurant. you are one of his customers. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090079405,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has presided over 10 million hens laying over 2 billion eggs a year. I often wonder from where Americans are getting their values. I sure hope it is not from overhyped rock stars. movie stars. and. media creations. One of the values of our State of Minnesota is people are usually only one generation or one set of relations removed from the farm. We learn what farmers know. there are four seasons to life: planting. growing. harvesting. and -resting. Not much of value is produced by people who cram. There are seasons and rhythms to life that must be understood and respected. Bob was a wealth of wisdom. Here are a few of his gems collected from an article written honoring him last year: The smartest thing you can do is hire someone who is more capable than you are. Its better to have an average plan with superior execution than a superior plan with average execution. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090079405,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A good leader creates leaders out of his followers. And a really good leader creates moral agents. Leadership is about coping with change. Management is about coping with complexity. You need to adopt the attitude that \"I will succeed. not only in spite of my limitations. but because of them.\" We get pretty full of ourselves in this city. imagining that we are running the world. But all the success our Nation achieves comes. from the hard work. risk taking. and character of regular folks like Bob Sparboe. who achieve beyond their wildest dreams. His life was the American dream incarnate. We offer our condolences to his family and friends. And we are grateful to have had the privilege to know a person of such great character. drive and wisdom. Mr. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090079405,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I ask that the following statement from former United States Senator Rudolph E. Boschwitz be printed .in the RECORD. The statement follows: Picture a young Bob Sparboe. just back from the Army.. his head full of dreams. eager to start his own business eager to make his first deal. and there he was young Bob sitting across the desk from the. banker in Litchfield. Minnesota. Bankers always appear in this kind of story as a scowling. unfriendly. bunch of fellows. Bob never commented about that. but he needed $1.400 for just 21 days. Scowl or not. the banker must have had some doubts. The normal borrower didnt come in for a 21day.loan. Bob eventually solved the problem by buying the banksomething he never would have believed that day many years ago. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090079405,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He got the loan. He made the deal. And he paid the banker back on time. His head was full of dreams. And one of the endearing and enduring elements of Bobs life was that he never stopped dreaming. Ambition didnt fade as he aged. And he lived his everenlarging dreams to their fullest. Not only with regard to his business. but with his wonderful family as well. Not everybody knew Bob and I would occasionally introduce him as a man who had six million chickens laying eggs and doing so with regularity. Not too long ago. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090079418,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be au-. thorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. October 19 at 10 a.m . . \u0095 The purpose of this meeting is to consider reconciliation legislation and any other pending calendar business which may be ready for consideration.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090079520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this morning we learned that a 23yearold mother threw her three children off a pier in Sanh Francisco killing them all. Apparently she heard voices that told her to commit this unthinkable act. Mr. Speaker. we do not know yet whether this woman suffered from a most severe form of postpartum disorder known as postpartum psychosis. We do know that postpartum depression and psychosis can emerge even a year after a childs birth. That is why for the last three Congresses I have introduced the Melanie Blocker Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act. H.R. 1940. My bill would direct funds to researching this misunderstood disorder. and it would also provide grants for services and care for mothers who suffer from postpartum depression. I urge all of my colleagues in the House to cosponsor this important bill. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1082}
{"speech_id":1090079520,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What happened in San Francisco happens way too often in this Nation. and we must do what we can to prevent similar tragedies in the future. The mothers of America desperately need this Congress to recognize this deadly malady and pass H.R. 1940.","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1082}
{"speech_id":1090079543,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary for his help in bringing this bill to the floor. He has been a leader on this bill in shepherding it through the Committee on the Judiciary time and time again. I also want -to thank my colleague from Virginia for introducing this bill with me through the last three sessions of Congress and all the other Members who have strongly supported the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act over the years. Mr. Speaker. this is a bipartisanbill. Almost the same bill passed this House on this floor 285 to 140. Over 60 Democrats supported it. This legislation will stop baseless lawsuits against gun manufacturers or dealers based on th6 criminal or unlawful thirdparty misuse of firearms. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4596}
{"speech_id":1090079543,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This may seem like an obvious idea. After all. would we hold a car company responsible if a driver gets drunk or reckless and hits somebody with a vehicle? Of course not. This is the United States of America where we are responsible for our own actions. but yet these frivolous lawsuits against a vital. legitimate and perfectly lawful industry have continued unabated for the last several years in the simple hope of bankrupting this industry. . This is a commonsense. logical piece of legislation whose time has -come. The States. the courts and the American people have decided again and again that these harmful and baseless lawsuits are unfair and must be done away with. If anyone does not believe me. let us take a look at this map. It shows that 33 States. or twothirds of the United States. have laws prohibiting these same frivolous lawsuits. These States consider it fair and just to prevent these junk lawsuits. I am proud to say my home State of Florida is one of those States. The bill we are considering today is designed to simply mirror these States and what they have done to provide a unified system of laws United Stateswide. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4596}
{"speech_id":1090079543,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There have also been dozens and dozens of lawsuits at the local. State. and Federal levels which have rejected this theory that gun manufacturers should be held liable for what violent criminals do with their lawful products. I havethree charts here which list in detail these cases. It is really quite impressive the number of these frivolous lawsuits that have been rejected out of hand. If my colleagues would bear with me. I would like to focus on a recent case in this last chart which is circled. This case took place in the County of Los Angeles. California. The cities of Los Angeles. San Francisco. and -12 other California municipalities filed lawsuits against 28 manufacturers: six distributors and three associations. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4596}
{"speech_id":1090079543,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This was a mammoth case and they lost. They appealed it. and it was unanimously upheld by a lower court and the appellate court. I would remind my colleagues that this is an idea that has been enormously popular with the public. also. A March 2005 poll conducted by the Moore Information Public Information Research Company showed that a remarkable 79 percent of the American people believe that firearm manufacturers should not be held legally responsible for violence committed by armed criminals. The fact of the matter is that there are several pending lawsuits which continue to abuse the judicial system and would threaten legitimate. lawful businesses. including in New York City and right here in the District of Columbia. We must also consider that just the mere threat of these suits or taking the first couple of legal steps to defend these suits simply can be enough to force some of the smaller companies out of business. As one proponent of this tactic once bragged. we are going to make the gun industry die a \"death by a thousand cuts.\" This legislation will end these coercive and undemocratic lawsuits. I remind my colleagues and those who are watching at home that this legislation is very narrowly tailored to allow suits against any bad actors to proceed. It includes carefully crafted exceptions to allow legitimate victims their day in court for cases involving defective firearmi. breaches of contract. criminal behavior by a gun maker or seller. or the negligent entrustment of a firearm to an irresponsible person. In conclusion. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4596}
{"speech_id":1090079543,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker.. I am pleased that we are voting on this bill. It has been a 6year effort. It is with a great deal of satisfaction to the 257 bipartisan cosponsors that this bill. H.R. 800. as amended by the Senate and passed by the Senate two to one. 65 to 31. is poised to pass in this Congress as a bipartisan law. I urge my colleagues to join with us -in voting for this piece of legislation. \u0095","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4596}
{"speech_id":1090079556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me mention that the gentleman from Maryland has a long and prominent history in knowing the laws of this Nation in his earlier life. and as well rendering them in the proper manner. And I want to follow the comments that you made about the amendments offered in the committee. and as well make mention of the fact of the kind of complete reckless. if you will. lacking of sensitivity. to putting forward real balanced legislation. \" In our dissenting. views. the Democrats of this committee mentioned courts around the country. and by the way. there are views about gun safety across the aisle. But courts around the country have recognized that precisely the\"types of cases that would be. barred by this bill are. grounded in wellaccepted legal principles. including negligence. products liability and public nuisance. These courts have held that those who make and sell guns. like all others in society. are obligated to use reasonable care in selling and designing their products and that they may be liable for foreseeable injurious consequences. The courts have answered this question. They have rejected frivolous lawsuits. And those that have merit they have accepted. I offered an amendment that would exempt from the scope of the bill any lawsuit brought by a plaintiff who was harmed as a result of an unlawful transfer of a machine gun. semiautomatic assault weapon. or largecapacity ammunition feeding device. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090079556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These particular arms. illegal. And therefore the manufacturer does have some liability in it. And this latest offering of the bill. the gentlewoman from California and myself offered a bill that would exempt law enforcement officers. This bill does not even exempt law enforcement officers. And even in this climate of homeland security. it is well known that our first responders need to be protected by the reckless use of machine guns and AK47s. And this legislation turns a blind eye to reality. It turns a blind eye to the shooting of children. It turns a blind eye to the sniper in Washington. to the Philadelphia mother. I ask my colleagues to vote against this. legislation. This is not the second amendment. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090079556,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the NRA free legislation.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090079559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I will include in the RECORD the following letters in opposition to S. 397. Letters from the ABA. letters from two former directors of the ATF. a letter from a number -of nationally recognized organizations. and letters from a number of law professors. Mr. Speaker. a moment ago. I raised the scenario of a terrorist getting denied access to an airplane because they are on the terrorist watch list going down to a local gun shop and saying. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4524}
{"speech_id":1090079559,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You. know. I am on that watch list. can I get some guns? And under this legislation. that individual would be allowed to purchase those guns. I have read the bill. and that is why I offered the amendment in committee. And what the bill says very clearly under negligent entrustment is essentially if the gun dealer knows or should know that the person to whom the product is supplied is likely to use the product in a manner involving unreasonable risk of physical injury. Now. we all might say common sense tells us that that would cover a person on the terrorist watch list. But you know what. that is not what the explanation was in committee. In fact. I have the committee transcript here. and the gentleman from Utah stated that the reason that they did not want to adopt the amendment was not because the bill already covered that scenario. The real reason was they have questions about the reliability of the terrorist watch list and whether or not someone who is on the terrorist watch list is legitimately put there. Well. here is the question. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4524}
{"speech_id":1090079559,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the terrorist watch list is good enough to deny someone access to an airplane becauge that will put the public safety at risk. why is it not good enough to deny someone a firearm who goes down to the local gun store? We have tried to make it a condition that people who are on the terrorist watch list cannot purchase weapons at gun stores. The Attorney General in testimony before our committee said maybe we should think about that. We have not passed that as a Congress. And so for the chairman of the committee to say that the gun store owner will be assumed to know that person is a danger. when the United States Congress and the Judiciary Committee have refused to make that decision. it is just plain wrong. The Congress has not gone on record saying that someone on the terrorist watch list should not get a gun. Why should we expect a gun dealer and seller to do that? So this does open a loophole that would allow exactly the scenario I talked about. It would close the door on lawsuits by the victims of the snipers in this area. The letters I submitted for the RECORD from law professors and others -make it absolutely clear that that is what this does. Look. we have got a system for bringing lawsuits. We heard from the author of the bill. the gentleman from Florida . a number of cases that were filed that he said were frivolous. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4524}
{"speech_id":1090079559,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most of those cases were in fact dismissed from the courts. The system is working. Frivolous lawsuits were dismissed. But what this legislation would do is to change the rules. It does not have to change the rules to protect the ones that were dismissed. they have been dismissed under the existing rules. So why are we changing them? Because we want to deny people who bring legitimate suits today. people like the families of the sniper victims. people like the officers from New Jersey. the police officers. who I must point out. again. and emphasize obtained settlements in those lawsuits. We want to close the courthouse door on them. I would just ask a very simple question. Mr. Speaker. my colleagues. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4524}
{"speech_id":1090079559,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have a bill here saying we are going to protect the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. which in fact changes the rules to make what is today unlawful. lawful. Why do we not go about the business of passing legislation to protect the victims of gun violence rather than that small handful of badapple gun dealers who wrongfully and negligently help put the guns in the hands of killers in this country and allow them to go on the kind of rampage that leads to the death of so many people. The killers are in jail. Thank God for that. But why should someone whois known to be negligent. who the ATF found to be negligent and later closed the gun shop. why should that person not be liable for their contribution to the negligence and to the deaths and sufferings that were faced -by those families? Let us get about protecting the victims. Mr. Speaker. the material I previously referred to is as follows:","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4524}
{"speech_id":1090079565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to S. 397. the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. My opposition to the measure is based on my belief that it is overly expansive and overarching. This bill rohibits civil liability lawsuits against gun manufacturers from being brought in Federal or State court. My congressional district is beset by gun violence. I believe that gun- owners. manufacturers and dealers must assume responsibility for the wanton gun violence that is being perpetrated as result of the willful neglect of gun dealers who cast blind eyes to illegal and irresponsible gun sales to minors. felons and potential terrorists. It appears to me that we are unwisely and gratuitously insulating gun manufacturers from bona fide civil lawsuits. This bill protects gun manufacturers but does absolutely nothing to protect innocent victims of gun violence. I am also concerned that we have prohibited suits from being brought in both Federal and State courts and that police officers shot in the line of duty are barred from filing lawsuits. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1520}
{"speech_id":1090079565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For the families of fallen offices. their only recourse to obtain compensation for the loss of their loved one is through the civil lawsuit process. I contend that it is vital to preserve the right of citizens to\" seek redress through civil lawsuits for any harm they experience by virtue of the neglect and irresponsibility of gun manufacturers and dealers. I urge my colleagues to vote. \"no\" on S. 397. and to support the rights of potential victims of gun violence.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1520}
{"speech_id":1090079595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I would ask the gentleman: the bill which you just indicated would be on the floor next week and you asked for amendments to be filed in a timely fashion is a very important bill. It came out. as you pointed out. with overwhelming bipartisan support. I think you said 657. Since that time. it is my understanding that there has been some change in the bill. In particular. I refer to the provision which deals with the ability- of those who may receive dollars under the provisions of the bill for the purposes of constructing affordable housing. that if they receive Federal funds that they will he unable to thereafter participate in encouraging voter registration drives or getting more people on the rolls to vote. That issomething that I think the whole House ought to address. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1812}
{"speech_id":1090079595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe the ranking member is going to ask that that be struck from the bill so that there not be a preclusion on voter registration drives or participation. The Catholic Conference is very concerned about that. I would presume a number of faithbased organizations are very concerned about that provision. I may have a discussion briefly with the acting majority leader on that issue as well. But can the gentleman tell me whether or not he believes the Rules Committee will allow the gentleman from Massachusetts to offer an amendment which7 would put the bill back in the position which 65 people in the committee supported at the time it was reported out. I- thank my colleague for yielding and would ask him if he can give us some thought on that issue. which we feel very strongly about. and hope that that amendment can be protected and made in order by the committee and that we will have a full and fair debate on the floor of the House with reference to that amendment.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1812}
{"speech_id":1090079603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate my friend yielding to me. I listened particularly carefully to the gentleman from Texas answer after the gentleman from Maryland said he might ask me the same question. I am not sure I can improve on his answer to any extent. I think that is the purpose for the Committee on Rules hearing to make that case. I believe there will be amendments allowed. I know there is a wide discussion that this new fund. a fund we have never had before. if we do create that fund. can be part of the solution to the impact of Hurricane Katrina and Rita and maybe even Wilma. So. assuming that Wilma creates a housing problem as well. for that to be included there would have to be some amendment. as the gentleman suggested. even though the bill. when it came out of the Committee on Financial Services weeks. I believe now even perhaps months ago. with a large vote. does need some adjustment because of circumstances that have occurred since then that both the ranking member and the chairman would be supporting. ","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1219}
{"speech_id":1090079603,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But that is the purpose of that hearing. and I thought that the gentleman from Texas made the case well. tha the Committee on Rules will listen to those -arguments and make that determination.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1219}
{"speech_id":1090079649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act of 2005. Over 50 years ago. the PickSloan Act initiated a major flood control and reclamation project along the Missouri River Basin. The construction of dams and reservoirs flooded hundreds of thousands of acres in South Dakota. dramatically altering the basi)ns landscape and the rivers flow. The American Indian communities inSouth Dakota were some of the most severely affected bythis project. Five of the nine. Lakota. Dakota. and Nakota reservations in South Dakota. border the Missouri River. The Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation is in north central South Dakota and among the largest reservations in terms of land base. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4154}
{"speech_id":1090079649,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For generations the Lakota bands which comprised the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe camped in the river valley and shaped their way of life to match the contours of the land and the flow of the river. This was no less true after the Plains Indians were confined to the reservations in the late 19th century. The fertile river bottomlands remained at the center of their society. providing the tribes best crop land. pastures and wildlife habitat. as well as an important source of timber. Perhaps even more significantly. the fertile bottomlands remained central to many of the tribes cultural and spiritual practices. At the outset of the PickSloan Project. the United States Government used its eminent domain power to seize large tracts of the fertile Indian bottomlands. Payment for these takings was typically haphazard and piecemeal. Time and again. the government failed to fairly compensate both tribal and individual land owners for the loss of their property. One such landowner is Freddy LeBeau. Freddy was born and raised on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. While serving 4 years in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4154}
{"speech_id":1090079649,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Navy in the South Pacific during World War 11. he arranged to purchase 200 acres of land along the Missouri River. In Freddys own words he explains. \"We live in a poor county. and if I can pay taxes on that land and help the county in that small manner. I would be glad to do that. I thought I was an asset there fighting for my country. and I would remain an asset when I came home in a small way and pay taxes on my land.\" Following his service. Freddy returned home and for a time he was able to work his land. raise horses and cattle and start a family. The PickSloan Act changed all that. The Ohio jlam and reservoir flooded over 100.000 acres of Cheyenne River Sioux lands. including Freddys home. He and many other tribal members were forced to move their families to higher ground and begin again. Like many others. he did not receive a fair price for his loss. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4154}
{"speech_id":1090079649,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And at 83 years old. this World War II veteran says. \"I am still looking for a place as good as the place that I lost.\" Congress has already acknowledged this injustice and only a few years ago passed. legislation to provide just compensation by creating. the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Recovery Trust Fund. While this action was commendable. it left one important group behind. tribal members who lost privately owned land. elders now. who owned deeded land at the time it was taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Current law actually prohibits the tribe from using existing funds to compensate these individuals. . The tribe has recognized this shortcoming and has worked to craft a solution that requires no new expenditures. no new expenditures. and guarantees that the affected tribal elders and their families can be justly compensated for lands taken over a generation ago. The leadership of the Cheyenne River Sioux .Tribe. a united South Dakota congressional delegation. and the moving testimony of private landowners like Freddy LeBeau have all contributed to the introduction of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act. This bill would correct a historic wrong and compensate tribal members who have been left behind and treated unjustly for many years. At 83 years old. Freddy and 33 other tribal elders are still waiting for just compensation. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4154}
{"speech_id":1090079649,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge this swift consideration and passage of this bill.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4154}
{"speech_id":1090079660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman will yield for just a moment. In this profession of ours. we like to make predictions and. of course. we like to be right. I will make a prediction now. one that we have discussed before. and I hope I am wrong. I hope I am totally wrong. News flash: Making a prediction. I hope I am wrong. When this war settles down to something other than it is. because we are going to be there for at least 10 or 12 years. but when it settles to something less or different than what it is now. there will be many of us coming to the House floor putting in legislation to say those folks coming back need spe-","speaker_name":"JOSE SERRANO","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":613}
{"speech_id":1090079692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a few there. minutes we will resume debate on the President Abbas is here to discuss Transportation. Treasury. and HUD ap- ways to move the Middle East peace propriations bill. We had a full day yes- process forward. and how both sides terday. with amendments being offexed can fulfill their obligations under the and voted on and. therefore. we made roadmap. very good progress. I believe the two Less than 2 months ago. Israel commanagers are looking to wrap up the pleted its disengagement of settlers bill soon. and iC is possible we could and soldiers from all 21 settlements in complete action on the bill during to- the Gaza Strip and four settlements in days session. I strongly believe we can the northern West Bank. The disdo just that. engagement was conducted in a smooth We have several Senators coming to and generally peaceful manner. This the floor this morning to discuss their was a bold and courageous move by amendrtents. and I hope the two man- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. agers can work with the amendment Now President Abbas and the Palessponsors or schedule those amend- tinian Authority face the challenge of ments for votes. Senators should ex- creating a secure and stable environpect votes throughout the. course of the ment in Gaza. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4593}
{"speech_id":1090079692,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is vital. it is critical day. As I mentioned all week. if we that they succeed. The Palestinian peocannot finish the bill today. we will be ple need to feel tangible improvements voting on the bill tomorrow. But I--in their everyday lives. in their daily would encourage people to allow us to welfare. and they need to see that only finish today. peaceful dialog and negotiation can We will have done. after we complete lead to a more prosperous future. this bill. 11 appropriations bills. I While coordination between the. thank once again Chairman THAD Israelis and Palestinians during the COCHRAN for his tremendous leadership. disengagement was not ideal. it did as well as his entire committee. in exist. Prior to the withdrawal. Israeli leading forth on these appropriations and Palestinian security officials bills. We do have one remaining bill. worked to ensure a peaceful disengagethe LaborHHS appropriations bill. and ment and to establish a basis for reI plan on going to that bill following turning to the roadmap. the completion of the Transportation- Recently. however. events in the Treasury bill. I thank my colleagues West Bank and the Gaza Strip have taken a turn for the worse. Rocket attacks on Israel continued to be launched from the Gaza Strip. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4593}
{"speech_id":1090079692,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the last 9 months. 219 Palestinians have died in internecine clashes. In the West Bank city of Ramallah. Hamas has claimed responsibility for abducting and killing an Israeli settler after issuing demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners. This past weekend.. three Jewish settlers were killed and five were wounded in shootings in the West Bank. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has claimed responsibility for these attacks. These events threaten to derail the peace process and to move bothsides backward. We have reached a critical juncture in the Middle East peace process. The Israeli disengagement from Gaza offers a tremendous opportunity to get the peace process and the roadmap back on track. To succeed. both sides must fulfill their responsibilities. but this requires a secure environment in order to act. For the Palestinians. this means ending incitement. dismantling the terrorist groups. and disarming the militias. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4593}
{"speech_id":1090079692,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is what I will impress on President Abbas when I meet with him later today. The violence must be renounced. and it must end. Making progress on theseissues can set the stage for Israel to move forward on the release of Palestinian prisoners and relieving restrictions on travel. I commend President Abbas for his leadership. He has made measurable progress in advancing internal reforms in the Palestinian Authority. More is clearly needed. though. and more must be done. For example. the PA security forces must be reformed. unified. and given the mandate to enforce the rule of law and establish order in the West Bank and Gaza. President Abbas needs and deserves our continued support. and the Congress has provided the funding to help the Palestinian people and make reform a reality. The United States remains committed to President Bushs vision of two democratic states. Israel and Palestine. living side by side in peace and security. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4593}
{"speech_id":1090079692,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will continue to work with both parties to fulfill their obligations under the roadmap toward a true and lasting peace. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4593}
{"speech_id":1090079709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank my colleague from Michigan. We worked with her on her original amendment. I think this amendment is now a good amendment. Obviously. the objective is one that we all share. and I believe with this modification. the concept that my colleague has put forth is a good one. We are willing to accept it on this side.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090079715,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. if there is not someone else wishing to speak. I will expand on what is happening as it relates to Michigan now and why this is so important as an amendment. I thank colleagues for working with us and helping us to modify the amendment and to accept it today. What is important for all: of us. but particularly in Michigan now. as we are the heart and soul of manufacturing. is. as we see our President. our Secretary of Treasury. moving forward in discussions with China and Japanthe President is going next month to China and Japanthat we send with him the strongest possible support.which this amendment does. for us saying we need to enforce all of our trade laws. We need to make sure we are leveling the playing field. and we are giving every possible fair advantage to American workers and to businesses. Unfortunately. we have our trading partnerssome of our trading partners right nowwho are. in fact. violating our trade laws which is costing us jobs at home. especially in the great State of Michigan. This amendment will send a very important message that we want things like illegal trade practices regarding currency manipulation t6 stop. The Presidents upcoming trip is a very important time. Currently. Chinese and Japanese trade policies are costing us jobs. including our middleclass families. because of the fact that they peg their currency in a way that means it costs us more to sell to them than it costs them to sell to us. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7180}
{"speech_id":1090079715,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my State. I have heard from so many businesses saying that the cost differential has made a huge difference in their being able to successfully compete oii bids for contracts or to sell their products. We know that has been happening. and we need to stop it. We need to enforce our trade laws. We also need to crack down on the counterfeiting of American manufactured goods. We need to stop the pirating of intellectual property. We have the great brainpower. We are developing all the new ideas and the new patents. It is not rightin fact. it is illegalfor other countries to be able to take that information and make products that compete and undercut us and cost us jobs. Last week. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7180}
{"speech_id":1090079715,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Delphi. which is our Nations largest autoparts supplier. declared bankruptcy. threatening 15.000 jobs in Michigan and more than 33.000 across the country. In terms of assets. this bankruptcy is the largest ever in the United. States. surpassing the reorganizations of Kmart and WorldCom. .The Delphi bankruptcy should serve as a wakeup call to all of us in the Congress. in the administration. and in the country. to the fact that we can no longer tolerate unfair trade practices and that we need to tackle the cost of health care and what is happening on pensions and make sure our workers do not lose their pensions in the process of all of this happening. Unless we put a stop to the unfair trade practices. our economy will continue to spiral downward. and I believe we are in jeopardy of losing our way of life. I dont say that lightly. I dont say that to be melodramatic. But when we have people working at Delphi being told that now in order -to compete internationally. they have to take possibly a 63percent pay cutthat has been in the news. possibly a 63percent pay cutwe are not talking about just cutting back on wages. We are talking about changing ones entire way of life. In the great State of Michigan we make things and we grow things. and we do it very well. We have been at the forefront of the economic engine of our country. just as all manufacturing has been. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7180}
{"speech_id":1090079715,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But if we are going to say it is acceptable now for people to make $10 an hour and that somehow we cant help it. we are going to lose manufacturing in this country. and we are not looking at what we can do to save our way of life. We have to say that every trade agreement is one that creates a race up. not a race down. and that we are going to enforce every trade agreement. We are going to make sure other countries are not stealing our patents. are not creating counterfeit parts. are not manipdlating their currency or doing other things that cause us to have a disadvantage in the marketplace and to lose jobs. I believe so strongly about what needs to happen as it .relates to manufacturers. I have concerns when I hear comments such as: We are notgoing to be able to manufacture anymore. We will have to do something else. An economy has to be based on mdking things. creating things. not just a service economy. We have to have a foundation based on manufacturing. Has manufacturing changed? Of course. it has. I invite any colleague to come join me on any plant floor. and they will see something that is clean and quiet and computerized. with highly skilled workers. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7180}
{"speech_id":1090079715,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course. it has changed. Of course. it is high tech. But it is still there. -and it needs to be there.-If we are not serious about enforcing our trade laws. creating the right kind of trade laws. we are going to lose it and our way of life. That is not acceptable. That is why there is nothing more important to me than fighting for our jobs and our manufacturers and making sure that we maintain the high standard of living that has created this great country. That is what this is all about. Let me mention one area that is so important to Delphi. That is the area of counterfeit autoparts. We know that right now. according to our auto suppliers nationally. we are losing $12 billion every year to counterfeit autoparts. That equates to about 200.000 jobs. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7180}
{"speech_id":1090079717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I will take a few minutes to talk about some events that are extremely importantnot on this billbut I think it is important to follow up some excellent remarks made by my colleagues from Colorado and South Carolina yesterdayI have -a great professional and personal interest in itand that is to recognize a milestone in a very significant event in the global war on terror. the war against Islamofascism. This is extremely significant. and yet I do not believe the media has given it the attention it deserves. Mhe milestone is an achievement that the world would not have thought possible 2 years ago. and it occurred this past Saturday. on October 15. as the people of a free Iraq voted in a national referendum on their national constitution. This is a significant milestone no matter the outcome of the vote. the people of a free. Iraq have voted on a framework of a nation. That is a significant milestone against tyranny in our time. It is my hope that the constitution will pass. and*years from now the people of Iraq and their children and grandchildren will know that this was a time when the nation was founded in freedom. similar to our forefathers. who were children in 1776. told their children and grandchildren after them. The vote on the referendum occurred with surprisingly little violence. It drew an encouraging voter turnout. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11356}
{"speech_id":1090079717,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This proves that the Iraqi people and U.S. forces continue to make great strides toward peace and toward defeating both terrorists and insurgents in Iraq. I say terrorists and insurgents because both are active in Iraq. and they are distinct groups. While there remains some Sunni Baathists who would like to bring back Saddam and who could generally be called insurgents. there is an evergrowing number of terrorists flooding into Iraq to fight what they see as the ultimate jihad. legitimated by their extremist interpretation of Islam. Iraq has become their Armageddon. as will become evident from my remarks in a few moments. and they are simply terrorists. With regard to the referendum. I commend U.S. Ambassador Khalilzad for his tenacity and efforts in the constitutional process in his final days leading up to the referendum that enabled Sunni. Shia. and Kurds to come together for a vote. Early reporting indicates the constitution will pass. but we have to wait until all the votes are counted to make the final call. I believe thd constitutions passage will deal a heavy blow to . the Sunni -Baathist insurgents who are waging an \"all or nothing\" fight to regain control of Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11356}
{"speech_id":1090079717,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It now seems more clear than ever that the insurgents have to join in the political process if they are going\" to have any hope of a future in mainstream Iraqi civil and political society. . While I am pleased to see some moderate Sunni elements joining the political process. we must be watchful of violent groups that may try to expand their sphere of influence by establishing political platforms in order to legitimize their sinister ideologies. We have seen this happen before in other areas of the world. such as Sinn Fein in the Irish Republican Army. As the saying goes: Fool me once. shame on you. fool me twice. shame on me. Let us not be shamed by militants who momentarily trade. in black handkerchiefs that hide their faces for fine suits simply to gain a stake in the political power of their nation. Critics of this adininistration. along with other naysayers. are -convinced that several of the constitutions provisions are politically divisive because they grant the Kurds and Shia unfair advantages over the Sunnis regarding Iraqs oil and other resources. I note that our very own United States operated under the Articles of Confederation for about 7 years. until we were able to draft and ratify a constitution. and that Constitution has been modified. and significantly so. over the years. We are often too impatient in our fastpaced. modern world. but let us not forget that democracy takes time and requires patient. deliberate action. Until Iraqs liberation in April 2003. Iraq suffered under a ruthless dictator whose kleptocratic regime offered its people little more than fear and terror. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11356}
{"speech_id":1090079717,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. for the first time in over 30 years. we can say that the Iraqi people are courageously embarking 6n their own journey toward political selfdetermination and individual freedom. and for that I applaud them and am greatly satisfied. On Tuesday of this week. the Wall Street Journal had -an oped piece by Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute. It is titled. \"With Freedom Comes Politics.\" Iraqis now see the fruit of foreign investment. A year ago in Baghdad. Iraqis drank water and soft drinks imported from neighboring countries. Now they drink water bottled in plants scattered across Iraq.... Cameras and reporters do not lie. but they do not always give a full perspective. Political brinkmanship devoid of context breeds panic. Beheadings and blood sell copy. but do not accurately reflect Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11356}
{"speech_id":1090079717,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Political milestones give a glimpse of the oftenunreported determination that Iraqis and longtime visitors see daily. Bombings and body bags are tragic. But they do not reflect failure. Rather. they represent the sacrifice that both Iraqis and Americans have made for security and democracy. The referendum. refugee return. real estate and investment show much more accuratelyand objectivelyIraqs slow and steady progress. Madam President. I will insert that article in the RECORD because that exactly reflects the views of the young men and women I know who are serving in Iraq. They see our national television too often focuses on \"if it bleeds. it leads.\" If there is a tragic loss of an American life. that is the only headline. nothing about the progress. But there is progress being made. and this election showed it. My satisfaction with the progress in Iraq is not without reservation. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11356}
{"speech_id":1090079762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join Senator BOND in strongly opposing the Coburn amendment and the numerous other amendments he has filed with the same type of philosophy. as he calls it. in the Senate. I join with my colleague from Missouri. the chairman of this committee. I. like him. go home every single weekend to Washington State. which is 2.500 miles away from the Nations Capital. I. like the Senator from Missouri. do not believe the bureaucrats sitting in Washington. DC. -know what is happening on the ground in my home State 2.500 miles away from here. I am out there. I am out in every community. talking to people. listening to them. knowing what their concerns are. knowing what they are developing within their own communities. within their own cities. within their own capabilities. to help stimulate the economy and to do good things. It is my job to be their partner in that. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10007}
{"speech_id":1090079762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I tell them that all the time. You get it going on the ground here. you develop the projects. you get the consensus within your own communities. -and I will do what I can to get some small part of help from the Federal Government. That is how I. like most Senators in the Senate. am sent projects. Last year. I was in Yakima Valley and talked to our farmers out there. This is a remote community. They are struggling with putting together a clinic. I talked to them. They developed the ideas at the local level and put together a building. a job training center. to assist our States large farmworker community to help further their education and acquire some critical new skills. This was an important project for them. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10007}
{"speech_id":1090079762,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was able to come back here and partner with $500.000 from the Federal Government to help stimulate that project to make sure it was going to succeed. Another time. I was traveling in KingCounty. talking to community leaders there who were working to fund a Greenbridge community center in the heart of an exciting Hope VI project that is bringing affordable housing and economic development to one of the poorest communities in King County. I came back here. It is my job to represent a State that is thousands of miles away from here.- and I flew back and said I will do my part to help with this important project. And we were able to get $500.000. Today. the Senator from Oklahoma has targeted another project that I sat down and discussed with local community leaders. I didnt come up with this. This came from the heart of my local community because they are. working very hard in an urban core in the city of Seattle to turn a brownfield into a hub of activity. It- is a project that is stimulating jobs and investments. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10007}
{"speech_id":1090079762,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is exactly what this EDI program is intended to do. We didnt need to cut investments. to clean up brownfields to produce jobs. We need more projects like this. If the Senator from Oklahoma wants to look for a culprit for the fiscal situation in this country. he should look into the billions and billions of dollars in tax cuts that have been granted to multimillionaires in this country. and he should look at additional tax cuts his party wants to implement in future years if he wants to find incredible savings. To take apart a Senators projects. who worked very hard. as I have and as the Senator from Missouri has. the Senator from Rhode Island. the Senator from Mississippi. and the Senator from Nebraska have done with their pr6jects and numerous other Senators who have gone home like we have. lis.tened to the leadership in their communities. heard their projects. filtered through them as we have had to because we do not have a lot of money in these accounts. and said these are the ones we will partner with you at the Federal level and put into this bill. The Subcommittee on Transportation. Treasury. the Judiciary. Housing and Urban Development. and Related Agencies. under the leadership of my capable colleague from Missouri. Senator BOND. has been respectful and responsive to requests of Senators who have come up with projects. Contrary to the representation that some Members have made in the Senate. these EDI projects we are talking about are -not the centerpiece of our efforts of community development in this bill. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10007}
{"speech_id":1090079762,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. they are far from it. The funding for these EDI projects that the Senator from Oklahoma is targeting amounts to less than 8 percent of the overall funding we provide in this bill for HUDs community development fund. In fact. my colleagues should remember that President Bushs budget looked to take the Community Development Block Grant Program out of this bill and fund it in the Department of Commerce while cutting its funding by more than a third. Senator BOND and I fought to continue the funding for the CDBG Program in our bill because we all heard from our local communities how important these funds were for development across the country. The Senator from Oklahoma now comes to the Senate with a series of amendments targeting a few States to pick out individually named projects and eliminate those projects funding. We are not going to go down that road. There are criteria that pertain to the funding for the project that I have. for the project the Senator from Oklahoma has. the project from Nebraska. the project from Missouri. the project from MAississippi. the project from Rhode Island. and the other projects- on which he has amendments. There are criteria for these. They are not random. These funds have to be used for capital expenses rather than operating costs. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10007}
{"speech_id":1090079778,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. apparently the NebraskaOklahoma game. which is to be played later this month. is occurring today. I have a great deal of respect for my colleague from Oklahoma and his desire to watch the Treasury and to establish priorities. but I will put up my credentials for watching the priorities and for watching the spending as well. The Community Development Fund Program has been put in place to deal with. this priority. In Washington. DC. there can be many priorities. The business of the Senate. the business of government runs on numerous tracks. not a single priority. There are many priorities. and it is up to us to balance those priorities. But in balancing the priorities. we must keep in mind that the community development funds are designed so that Members of the Senate can go home and listen to the communities as to what they need and what will work best for their development. for their particular needs. It is an opportunity to get away from what happens in Washington so very often: nameless. faceless. hired bureaucrats who make a decision about what a community needs rather than the elected officials who. in consultation with the communities. are then able to help establish those priorities. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090079778,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are many priorities. and this is a priority as well. a priority for one of the crown jewels of the plains. the Jocelyn Museum. an art museum that is largely funded by private funds. as my colleague has suggested. But I think that partnerships between public and private entities are not only commonplace but necessary in order to continue to have the fabric of life that this represents. This is not choosing against other priorities. I think my colleague knows that the Katrina victims will be taken care of. I think he knows that other priorities will be met. but that we must. in fact. balance all the priorities that we are faced with in deciding here in Washington. DC. In assisting communities with their development. these funds were made available for projects just like this one and the other ones that are in question in Washington and Rhode Island. So to suggest there is something inappropriate about this in terms of priorities is unfortunate. It is unfortunate for a number of reasons. No. 1. we are not here challenging decisions made for grants that might be established by the bureaucracy which. on their face. seem to have more credibility even though. in my opinion. they have less credibility. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090079778,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. we have to recognize that this priority has met the test of what is necessary to help this private institution in dealing with a public school to make available for that public school athletic facilities and an exchangeonce again. a publicprivate partnership that was created. That publicprivate partnership preceded this publicprivate partnership. and this is an opportunity to continue those kinds of relationships. I go to Nebraska and I listen to my communities. I listen to the leaders. And based on what they tell me their needs are. I am able to come back and ..October 20. \"2005 S11614 co: try to establish these kinds of funds available. then make them available for those needs. I object to singling out one or two or three of these projects as though there is something inappropriate about their priority. There is nothing inappropriate about their priority. I reserve what remains of my time.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090079847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak in support of the amendment offered by Senators COLLINS and REED to add $3.1 billion in emergency funding for the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program. I emphasize this is. indeed. emergency funding. not to come out of something else but emergency funding because it really is a crisis. During the cold winter months. LIHEAP is indispensable for lowincome families. people with disabilities. and seniors on fixed incomes. Last Friday. I held a roundtable discussion in Hiawatha. IA. to hear firsthand from some of these citizens. They are not just concerned about high home heating costs this winter. they are right now almost in a state of panic. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090079847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They told me they face a choice between staying warm and cutting back on necessities. such as medical care and prescription drugs. Their testimony is backed up by hard data. According to a statewide Iowa survey. more than 20 percent of households receiving LIHEAP report going without medical care or prescription drugs. More than 10 percent reported going without food in order to pay their heating bills. and those numbers are going to skyrocket this Wvinter. Last winter. about 86.000 Iowa households received an average of $317 in LIHEAP assistance. Most years. everyone who applies gets some level of assistance. but this year we are headed for big problems. As I learned in Hiawatha. the applications for home heating assistance have jumped by 50 to 70 percent this year. The director of the local Community Assistance Program that administers LIHEAP in that part of Iowa told me that LIHEAP funds are likely to be exhausted by midJanuary. right in the dead of winter. Community services agencies all across America are being deluged with calls from panicked senior citizens and others who dont know how they are going to pay their bills or heating bills. Many have had their utilities cut off and cannot make pastdue payments to get them turned back on. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090079847,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Others are being threatened with cutoffs just as we head into winter. This is something I learned in Hiawatha. but not too many people here *know. The Catch22 situation is this: If your -gas or electricity has been cut off. then you do not qualify for LIHEAP. Lets say you are someone who has a past bill that you have not paid. they say. We are not going to deliver your home heating oil. you cannot qualify for LIHEAP. So we are facing a real crisis. We know what the price of fuel oil has done and what the price of natural gas has done. In Iowa. I heard that heating oil has doubled since last year. and natural gas has gone up by almost 50 percent. It will not be unusual to have a $400 or $500 increase in an average heating bill this winter. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090079847,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For an elderly person. a lowincome family. and people with disabilities. that is not a problem. it is acatastrophe. It boggles my mind that in the face of this overwhelming need. President Bushs budget proposed to cut LIHEAP funding by nearly 10 percent. We have been given abundant warning that local LIHEAP funding will be running out. as I said. as early as the middle of January. -But earlier this month. we voted down an amendment to provide a boost in emergency funding. Last week. a reporter asked- the Secretary of Energy. Mr. Bodman. if the administration plans to ask Congress for more funding for LIHEAP. given the big runup in energy costs. Secretary Bodman answered: At least at this point in time. thats not on the agenda. LIHEAP may not be on Secretary Bodmans agenda. and it may not be on the Presidents agenda. but it is on the Senates agenda. We have an obligation to do the right thing. to make sure our senior citizens and those with disabilities are not left out in the cold. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090079847,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. we have to do the right thing. We have to do what is fair. We know what has happened to the price of heating oil and natural gas and electricity. We know from the past how many people use LIHEAP and depend on it. It does not .take a genius to calculate that we have to come up with more money this year or people are going to get cut off. What are we going to do? Are we going to wait until January when all of a sudden we get reports about people being cut off? And we will not even be heie. we will be out of session. I suppose we will come back the third week of January. We can do better than this. We have to do better. America can do better than this. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090079899,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have offered a seconddegree amendment that deals with a subject that has been on everyones mind. It has been in every newspaper in the country. It is about almost $500 million for bridges in the State of Alaska that. although they may be needed. are priorities. as we have discussed today. that are very low on the totem pole in terms of the needs of the country. I would also state. as I have earlier today. that we find ourselves in a significant difficulty- as a nation. We had the worst natural disaster to hit our country we have ever experienced. We are in a war. We added $600 billion to our national debt this last year. That is not our national debt. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3496}
{"speech_id":1090079899,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is our childrens and our grandchildrens national debt. That is over $2.000 per man. woman. and child. In this country this year we added to what they are going to have to pay back. compounded at 6 percent over the next 30 yearg. $30.000 to $40.000. I think it is important. for us to look back at history a little bit to help us get redirected in terms of our prior-. ities. There was a President.who faced tremendous difficulties in our Nation. His name was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He made a lot of great decisions for our countryenabled us to win World War II through his leadership. But less well known is FDRs decision to slash nondefense spending by over 40 percent between 1942 and 1944. Among the programs that were eliminated entirely were FDRs own prized creations. By 1944. such pillars of the New Deal as the Civilian Conservation Corps. the National Youth Administration. and the Work Projects Administration had been abolished. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3496}
{"speech_id":1090079899,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1939. those three programs had represented oneeighth of the Federal budget. Roosevelt and the Congress of his day knew what to do in an emergency. Indeed. he chose to begin the reordering of budget priorities long before Pearl Harbor. In October 1939. 1 month after Hitler invaded Poland. Roosevelt wrote Harold Smith. his budget director. ordering him to hold budgets for all Government programs at the present level and below. if at all possible. The next month he told him the administration would not undertake any new projects. even laudable ones. He told reporters that the next year his policy would be to cut nonmilitary programs to the bone. He kept his word. Between 1939 and 1942 spending for nondefense programs was cut by 22 percent. Everyone realized that no matter how popular or deeply entrenched the program. the Nations priorities had to change. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3496}
{"speech_id":1090079899,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe we find ourselves as a nation at that point in time again. With the catastrophe we have seen to our gulf coast. with the war in Iraq. with the energy crisis. and with the budget deficit. it is time for us to change our priorities. The seconddegree amendment does not save the amount of money I wanted it to save. but it does save $75 million. and it takes that $75 million and sends it to the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge. It eliminates two bridges that should be very low priority in terms of the infrastructure- of .this country. All the money that is not taken from those bridges can be reprogrammed. portions of it can be reprogrammed to the State of Alaska for things they and their elected representatives would .deem might be more important. I think it is important also to know what the people of Alaska think. I ask unanimous -consent to submit for the RECORD quotes from letters to the editor and editorial opinions from the major newspaper in Alaska on the status of these two bridges.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3496}
{"speech_id":1090079954,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the EnsignAllenDeMint amendment. the language requires the IRS to continue the Free File Program. which was dreated in 2002 as a public\/private partnership between the IRS and a group of tax software companies called the Free File Alliance. This partnership has increased electronic tax filing by improving access to filing and making tax preparation and filing easier for taxpayers. This language is not meant to disrupt or override current negotiations or the new agreement. It is critical that the Free File Program and other IRS taxpayer services continue to evolve to meet the needs of taxpayers across the Nation. .I ask unanimous consent that I be added as a cosponsor.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":682}
{"speech_id":1090080105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as part ofa managers package. I send to the desk amendment- No. 2182 from Senator LEVIN on the use of funds for Federal contracts with expatriate agencies. amendment No. 2080. Senator SANTORUM. to modify provisions relating . to certain Federal contracts. amendment No. 2122. to allow disabled and nondisabled tenants to keep their Section 8 contracts for properties postforeclosure. by Senator SCHUMER. as modified. amendment No. 2083. as modified. by Senator DEWINE. to appropriate $6 million for the new car assessment program. an amendment on behalf of Senators FRIST. DOLE. and BOXER to provide funding for Habitat for Humanity. an amendment on behalf of Senator MURRAY relating to the Spokane region highspeed rail corridor study. an amendment on behalf of myself to eliminate the GSA authority to retain proceeds from the sale or other conveyance of real and personal property. an amendment on behalf of Sezjator NELSON making appropriations for the Department of Treasury for the Financial Crimes- Unit. an amendment on behalf of Senator LoTT and Senator LAUTENBERG relating to Amtrak. an amendment on behalf of Senator LAUTENBERG on the owners and operators of airports certified under section 44476. two amendments on behalf of Senator LANDRIEU. one to make funds available for conducting a study and submission of a report relating to catastrophic hurricane evacuation plans and another amendment to set aside funds to provide grants to local governments to address increased transportation demands in communities that have experienced significant population growth. an amendment on behalf of Senator COLEMAN to improve the safety of allterrain vehicles. and on behalf of. Senator COBURN. we. wish to include amendment No. 2084. Senator COBURN has an amendment on improper payments. and I would ask that he or his staff provide us copies of those amendments and that they be included in the managers package.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1934}
{"speech_id":1090080109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are working our way quickly toward final passage. I just wanted to take a minute and thank our chairman. Senator BOND. from. Missouri. who has done a remarkable job with a. very complex bill that has numerous agencies with it. the first time the Senate has considered a bill with Transportation and .HUD and Judiciary. I wish to compliment him and his staff and thank all of our staffs for the tremendous work they did in moving this bill forward. I thank the Chair.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":484}
{"speech_id":1090080160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last month people from across the country converged on Washington to send Ia clear message to Congress in opposition to drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sadly. yesterdays action by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee flies in the face of that grassroots movement. And on top of this. the committee failed to accept commonsense amendments that would have required that drilling in the Arctic follow the same rules as drilling in all other wildlife refuges. insisted that oil taken from the refuge stay in the hands of Americans. and guaranteed what Senators have been told all alongthat 50 percent of the revenues from leases would go to the Federal Treasury. despite public suggestions by Members of the Alaska delegation that the State would sue to get 90 percent of all revenues. There is no doubt that as a nation. we face tough questions about our energy policy. Sacrificing one of Americas greatest natural treasures. however. to access a supply of oil that may not last more than a year. wouldnt be available for many years to come. and would decrease gas prices by only a penny at its highest production. is simply not the answer. A responsible. wellthoughtout national energy policy that moves us away from.our dependence on a finite resource such as oil is the answer. and I regret that we dont have such a policy. To support our energy needs. care for our citizens. encourage a vibrant economy. and meet our stewardship responsibilities to future generations. we must take a variety of steps. including investing in American ingenuity. advancing our commitment to conservation. and increasing our use of renewable sources of fuel. As we .now move from the committees reconciliation recommendation to floor debate of the larger budget reconciliation package. I will work to make sfire that. we do not discard the legacy of protecting the Arctic Refuge that dates back to President Eisenhower in 1960.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1955}
{"speech_id":1090080170,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to pay tribute to Bill T. Teague upon his retirement as president and chief executive officer of Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Houston. TX. Mr. Teague is a State. national. and international leader in blood banking and transfusion medicine management. During his 31year tenure. the nonprofit Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has become one of the most respected blood banking facilities in the country. currently serving more than 220 healthcare institutions in the 24county Texas gulf coast and east Texas regions. Prior to this position. he served as director of the Community Blood Bank in St. Petersburg. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1382}
{"speech_id":1090080170,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"FL. and director of the Travis County Medical Society Blood Bank in Austin. TX. A past president of both the South Central Association of Blood Banks and the American Association of Blood Banks. and a former treasurer of the American Blood Commission. Mr. Teague is also active in a number of professional organizations. He has received numerous honors throughout his eareer and has been recognized. due to his involvement and service. as a leader in the Houston community. Mr. Teague has dedicated both his professional career and personal time to generating blood donations and encouraging others to give the gift of life. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his accomplishments and wishing Mr. Teague well in all his future endeavors.e","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1382}
{"speech_id":1090080172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to discuss- an issue of great importance that receives far too little attention. Acrogs the country. more than 6 million children live in households headed by either a grandparent or another relative. About 2.5 million of these children live in homes without either parent present. Regardless of the myriad reasons children enter relative care whether it is the death of a parent. neglect. or substance abuse it is never the fault of the child. I commend grandparents and other relatives who step forward to care for these children. keeping them out of foster care while providing safe. stable homes. often at greatpersonal and financial sacrifice. Jackie Hope of Denver. CO. is one such grandmother. She became a secondtimemother at the age of 53 when she quit her job to be a fulltime parent to her newborn grandson. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2001}
{"speech_id":1090080172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jackies daughter became addicted to crack cocaine and left Jackie to care for her four children. Times got even harder for Jackie when her husband of 38 years died and his retirement benefits ceased. Jackie was left to care for her four grandchildrens growing needs with even less money. Today. Jackie is well known in the Denver community as a strong advocate for grandparents and other kin raising relatives children. She was a leader in advocating for more financial and emotional support for the thousands of other people who find themselves in the same situation. Although it.. has been physically. emotionally. and financially taxing. Jackie never complainsshe simply continues to work hard to provide a better life for herself and her graiidchildren. Grandparents and other relative caregivers such as Jackie often provide the children in their care the best chance for a -loving and stable childhood. Unfortunately. their hard work and dedication often goes unnoticed. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2001}
{"speech_id":1090080172,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today I offer my formal acknowledgement and deepest appreciation for the ongoing service of these caregivers to our country and to our Nations most valuable asset. our children.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2001}
{"speech_id":1090080177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce. along with Senators BROWNBACK. CLINTON. SANTORUM. and DURBIN. the Children and Media Research Advancement Act. or CAMRA Act. This bill is essentially identical to S. 579. which we introduced earlier this year. except that it houses our program within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) rather than in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. We have reviewed the programs and activities within CDC that address issues relating to medias impact on children. and we believe that CDC is a logical home for our legislation. There is an urgent need to establish a Federal role for targeting research on the impact of media on children. From the cradle to the grave. our children now live and develop in a. world of mediaa world that is increasingly digital. and a world where access is at their fingertips. This emerging digital world is well known to our children. but its effects on their development are not well understood. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12655}
{"speech_id":1090080177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Young people today are spending an average of 6 and a half hours with media each day. For those who are under age 6: two hours of exposure to screen media each day is common. even f~r those who are under age two. That is about as much time as children under age 6 spend playing outdoors. and it is much more time than they spend reading or being read to by their parents. How does this investment of time affect childrens physical development. their cognitive development. or their moral values? Unfortunately. we still have very limited information about how media. particularly the newer interactive media. affect childrens development. In fact. we have not charged any Federal agency with ensuring an ongoing funding base to establish a coherent research agenda about the impact of media on childrens lives. This lack of a coordinated governmentsponsored effort to. understand the effects of media on childrens development is truly an oversight on our part as the potential payoffs for this kind of knowledge are enormous. Consider our current national health crisis of childhood obesity. The number ofU.S. children and teenagers who are overweight has more than tripled- from the 1960s through 2002. We think that media exposure is partly the cause of this epidemic. Is it? Is time spent viewing screens and its accompanying sedentary life styles contributing to childhood and adolescent obesity? Or is the constant bombardment of advertisements for sugarcoated cereals. snack foods. and cady that pervade childrens television advertisements the culprit? How do the newer online forms of \"stealth marketing\". such as advergaming where food products are embedded in computer games. affect childrens and adolescents. purchasing patterns? What will happen when popup advertisements begin to appear on childrens cell phones that specifically targ6t them for the junk food that they like best at a place where that food is easily obtainable? The answer to the obesity and media question is complex. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12655}
{"speech_id":1090080177,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A committee at the National Academy of Sciences is currently charged with studying the link between media advertising and childhood obesity. Will the National Academy of Sciences panel havi the data they need to answer this important question? A definitive answer has the potential to save a consid) erable amount of money in.other areas of our budget. For example. child health care costs thaf are linked to childhood obesity issues could be reduced by understanding and altering media diets. Or -take the Columbine incident. After two adolescent boys shot and - killed some of their teachers. classmates. and then turned their guns on themselves at Columbine High School. we asked ourselves if media played some role in this tragedy. Did these boys learn to kill in part from playing firstperson shooter video games like Doom where they acted as a killer? Were they rehearsing criminal activities when playing this game? We looked to the research community for an answer. In the violence and media area. Coigress had passed legislation in the past so that research was conducted about the relationship between media violence and childhood aggression. and as a result. we knew more. Even though much of this data base was older and involved the link between exposure to violent television programs and childhood aggression. some answers were forthcoming about how the Columbine tragedy could have taken place. Even so. there is still a considerable amount of speculation about the more complex questions. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12655}
{"speech_id":1090080177,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why did these particular boys. for example. pull the trigger in real life while others who played Doom confine their aggressive acts to the gaming context? We need to be able to answer questions about which children wider what circumstances will translate game playing into reallife lethal actions. Investing in media research could -potentially reduce our budgets associated with adolescent crime and delinquency as well as reducereallife human misery and suffering. Many of us believe that our children are becoming increasingly materialistic. Does exposure to commercial advertising and the \"good life\" experienced by media characters partly explain materialistic attitudes? Were not sure. Recent research using brainmapping techniques finds that an adult who sees images of desired products demonstrates patterns of brain activation that are typically associated with reaching out with a hand. How does repeatedly seeing attractive products affect our children and their develotping brains? What will happen when our children will be able to click on their television screen and go. directly to sites that advertise the products that they see in their favorite programs? Or use their cell phones to pay for products that they want in the immediate environment? Exactly what kind pf values are we cultivating in our children. and what role does exposure to media content play in the development of those values? A report linked very early television\" viewing with later symptoms that are common -in children who -have attention deficit disorders. However. we dont know the direction of the relationship. Does television viewing cause attention deficits. or do children who have attention -deficits find television viewing experiences more engaging than children who dont have attention problems? Or do parents whose children have difficulty sustaining attention let them watch more television to encourage more sitting and less hyperactive behavior? How will Internet experiences. particularly those where- children move rapidly across different windows. influence attention patterns and attention problems? Once again. we dont know the answer. If early television exposure does disrupt the devel.opment of childrens attention patterns. resulting in their placement in special education programs. actions taken to reduce screen exposure during the early years could lead to subsequent reductions in childrens need for special education classes. thereby saving money while fostering childrens development in positive ways. We want no cild left behind in the 21st century. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12655}
{"speech_id":1090080177,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many of us believethat time spent with computers s good for our children. teaching them the skills that they will need for success in the 21st century. Are we right? How is time spent with computers different from time spent with television? What are the underlying mechanisms. that facilitate or disrupt childrens learning from these varying media? Can academic development be fostered by the use interactive online programs designed. to teach as they entertain? In the first six years of life. Caucasian more so than African American or Latino children have Internetaccess from their homes. Can our newer interactive media help ensure that no child is left behind or will disparities in access result in leaving some behind and not others? The questions bout how media affect the development of our children are clearly important. abundant. and complex. Unfortunately. the answers to these questions are in short supply. Suchgaps in our knowledge base limit our ability to make informed decisions about media policy. We know that rrfedia are important. Over the years. we have held numerous hearings in these chambers about how exposure to media violence affects childhood aggression. We passed legislation to maximize the documented benefits of exposure to educational media. such as the Childrens Television Act which requires broadcasters to provide educational and inforinational television programs for children. \" Can we foster childrens moral values when they are exposed to prosocial programs that foster helping. sharing. and cooperating like those that have come into being as a result of the Childrens Television Act? We acted to protect our children from unfair commercial practices by passing .the Children Online Privacy Protection Act which provides safeguards from exploitation for our youth as they explore the Internet. a popular pastime for them. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12655}
{"speech_id":1090080198,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimodis consent that the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs be.authorized to meeting during the session of the Senate on Thursday. October 20. 2005. at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on U.S. Foreign Policy. Petroleum. and the Middle East.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":277}
{"speech_id":1090080332,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at the outset. I thank the distinguished majority leader for calling this bill to the floor. In the past. we have had difficulties scheduling the LaborHHS bill. Sometimes this very important appropriations bill has not received full Senate action. So I thank Senator FRIST for arranging the business of the Senate to take up this bill. I also thank the majority leader for his exhortation of Members to be organized. to bring their amendments to the floor. This is a very complicated bill and one where we expect a great many amendments. One of the institutional problems of the Senate has been that when a bill is pending. the Senators do not come forward promptly with amendments to move the bill along. For countless hours. we have sat on this floor with the two lights on in a quorum call. which is our technical way of saying. you do not have a quorum of Senators on the floor. a majority. but what it really is. is a delaying practice. when there is nobody present to carry forward the business of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11974}
{"speech_id":1090080332,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In consultation with the majority leader. I announced last night. while a majority of the Senators were present. that we were going to be pressing ahead on amendments. and that I was going to urge the leader to go to third reading. which is a technical word for final passage. if amendments were not offered. Senator HARKIN. the distinguished ranking member. whom I thank for his cooperation on this billhe and I sent out a letter stating the same thing. The scourge of the Senate is the quorum call. where we do not transact the business of the Senate. But when this bill moves into next week. there will be a press by the managersby Senator HARKIN and myselfto move to third reading or final passage. if Senators do not come forward to present their amendments. Mr. President. this bill contains the largest appropriation of any bill to come before the Senate. including the Defense bill. It calls for expenditures in excess of $604 billion. That includes the payments for Supplemental Security Income payments at the Social Security Administration. Medicaid. and Medicare. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11974}
{"speech_id":1090080332,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When it comes down to the discretionary spending. this bill contains $145.693.000.000. It is an extraordinarily difficult bill to structure because it involves three of the most important Departments of the Federal Government: Health. Education. and Labor. When we talk about health and education. we talk about the two greatest capital assets our country has. Without health. we cannot function. Without education. people cannot move ahead to attain their potential. So we are talking about rock bed issues of great importance to the American people. The Department of Labor fundihg. similarly. is very important. providing for workers safety. for the arbitration and adjudication of disputes between management and labor. to have a cohesive workforce and labor peace. which is indispensable to move ahead on the work of our country. We have an extraordinary staff in Bettilou Taylor and Jim Sourwine on the majority side. and Ellen Murray on the minority sidea staff which is veteran and experienced. having served for more than a decade with great expertise in the field. Senator HARKIN and I have worked on a bipartisan basis. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11974}
{"speech_id":1090080332,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Very frequently. you see clash and clamor and arguments and distension and disagreement and bickering. That does not happen with the work of this subcommittee. We have changed the gavel. When it passes from his hands to mine. or mine to his and back. it is a seamless transfer because we have a common objective and we work together. But that does not assist us very much when we take a look at the kind of funding we have in our tight subcommittee allocation. When you have $145 billion to work with and the many lines which must be funded. it just does not go very far. There is a great concern about Federal expenditures. and it is a justified concern. We do spend too much money. Our deficit is too high. and our national debt is too high. But it is a matter of establishing priorities. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11974}
{"speech_id":1090080332,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my judgment. having been in this body. now in my 25th year. and being on the Appropriations Committee for all of those years. the priorities ought to be directed differently. When you talk about health and education. the two fundamental capital assets in our society and our daily lives. the funding is simply inadequate. Nevertheless. with the professionalism of our staffs and with the work Senator HARKIN and our Full Committee Chairman Senator COCHRAN. along with the cooperation of all other members of the Senate. we have amalgamated all of their priorities into this bill. The highlights of the bill have been summarized in a comprehensive statement prepared by Bettilou Taylor. In the course of this relatively brief presentation. I will summarize the highlights. This budget contains $29.4 billion for the National Institutes of Health which is $1.050 billion over last years budget. This is a tough item to increase by more than $1 billion. but we have done it with a very sharp pencil. We have done it because the National Institutes of Health has the greatest opportunity to improve the health of Americans. During the tenure that Senator HARKIN and I have chaired this subcommittee. we have increased funding from $12 to $28 billion. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11974}
{"speech_id":1090080347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. October is Breast Cancer Month. and I wish to honor my wife. who is an 18year survivor of breast cancer. I dont often speak about this. but October is the month to raise money and bring attention to the plight of those who have breast cancer. most often with the idea in mind of adding to research for a cure of breast cancer. My only opportunity to participate in this. besides a few remarks I make. is the second Saturday of October in Des Moines. IA. they have a 5K to raise money. Sixteen thousand of us participated in that 5K fundraiser in Des Moines. IA. I have nothing to brag about because it took me 28 minutes 6 seconds. but I was glad to have the opportunity to help raise money for the cause. This morning. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3812}
{"speech_id":1090080347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to read a speech for my wife Barbara Grassleytoday happens to be her 73rd birthdayabout her personal challenge with breast cancer. Today is my wifes birthday. and it is fitting that we celebrate her victory over this. Barbaras story is a familiar one. She had many busy years raising our five children. helping run the family farm. particularly during those years that I was in the State legislature. busy participating in community and church activities. and even at age 50 going back and finishing her BA degree at the University of Northern Iowa. Barbara never worried about her own health. Then one casual visit to do a free cholesterol screening led to a doctors visit for a physical exam. It was an appointment that changed her life. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. Just 10 days later. she had a modified radical mastectomy at Covenant Hospital in Waterloo. That was 18 years ago. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3812}
{"speech_id":1090080347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are fortunate that her breast cancer was detected early. We know with certainty that early detection can dramatically increase a womans chance of defeating breast cancer. That is true for women like Barbara who have a family medical history working against them. Parenthetically. I think five out of six of my wifes aunts on her mothers side had breast cancer as well. The need for routine mammograms cannot be repeated too often. Baseline mammograms and regular screening are key to saving the lives of the thousands of women who develop this disease each year. As her husband and as a Senator. I follow closely the legislative commitment made to breast cancer research. education. and prevention. I am proud to be cosponsor of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3812}
{"speech_id":1090080347,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill before the HELP Committee would allow the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to develop centers across the country. These centers will help conduct research on the environmental factors that may be related to breast cancer. I hope the HELP Committee will consider this bill as soon as possible. In the meantime. we must focus our efforts on finding a cure. In the past week. there have been breakthroughs on cancer research. Every day. we get one step closer to overcoming this disease. This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I hope men and women will take the opportunity to talk to their loved ones about getting a mammogram and preventing breast cancer. I hope we can continue to raise awareness of this disease for the sake of every mother. spouse. sister. daughter. and granddaughter in this world. I remind people especially of the luck of my wife going to that early detection. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3812}
{"speech_id":1090080347,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She went for just one of these community screenings. She didnt go to the doctor with any idea she would have anything wrong. she just went there and there were some questions raised. Every opportunity you have to take a quick one. if there is something wrong that can lead to the routine mammogram. you should do it because that surely made a difference in my wifes condition at the time. Early detection is so important. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3812}
{"speech_id":1090080381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate turned to the LaborHHS appropriations bill and final appropriations bill for this fiscal year. Next week. we will continue work on this bill. We plan to complete action on it as quickly as possible. On behalf of the leader. I remind our colleagues to notify the bill managers if they have amendments to offer. and the leader urges them to offer amendments early in the week. As previously announced. Senators should expect a full week and plan their schedules accordingly. We will have at least one vote on Monday at 5:30 p.m.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":558}
{"speech_id":1090080398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the United States will very soon vote on a resolution urging the international community and the Government of Sudan to end genocide in Darfur. Since March of 2003. more than 181.000 people have died in the Darfur region. Darfur and the country west of SudanDarfur is in the western part of Sudan and the country west of that. Chad. and the neighboring towns in that region. One hundred eightyone thousand people have died of violence and disease. They are dying of malnutrition. More than 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. many times without their families. and remain scattered in these refugee camps in the Darfur region and in Chad. I have had the opportunity to travel to Sudan many times and to the Darfur region. last year to Chad. Along the border. there are a whole number of refugee camps. each with anywhere from 6.000 to as many as 12.000 people. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4630}
{"speech_id":1090080398,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When you go into these refugee camps and you sit down on a little mat with all these little makeshift tents with 8.000 people who have had to leave their homes. you hear the stories of murder. the stories of rape from young women. You hear those stories of violence. many with descriptions of the Government of Sudans jeeps driving through these villages as they are pushed forward. I have heard the stories myself. I have talked to enough people on the ground to know that this is. indeed. genocide and that it is time for us. the international community. to do something about it. I have said basically that same thing on the floor of the Senate for the last year. many of us have. It is embarrassing to have to come back to the floor to say it once again. The Government of Sudan has failed to take credible steps in terms of ending this genocide. There has been a lot of talk. but we dont see any action. It was clear. as I was there. as it is now. that the death toll is going to increase. It is going to increase unless we have stronger action. unified action. but not just by the Government of Sudan. because they are not going to act. but the entire international community against Khartoum. where the Government of Sudan is centered. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4630}
{"speech_id":1090080398,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Bush and former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Senate have all declared that the Darfur crisis is. in fact. genocide. It was the Senate that officially condemned it as genocide. Once again. we see no real response by the international community. This past Friday. the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that the situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan is getting worse. Where is the international communitys response? Innocent civilians continue to be targeted by the Sudanese Government in Khartoum and its allied Janjaweed militias. The Janjaweed have even caused the United Nations to temporarily suspend some of its relief activities in many areas of Darfur. In the words of the High Commissioner. the situation is \"extremely nasty. with ugly events.\" Last month. 400 Janjaweed Arab militia on camels and horseback attacked a refugee camp killing 35 people. wounding 10 others. More than 80 homes were burned to the ground. On October 8. an African Union convoy was ambushed in the southern part of Darfur. Four Nigerian soldiers and two civilian contractors were killed. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4630}
{"speech_id":1090080398,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The very next day. a group of rebels abducted 38 African Union soldiers in the border town of Tine. threatening the African Union to stay out of the territory. Today there are fresh reports of heavy gunfire over the weekend in half a dozen towns in the region. The African Union forces deployed to the Darfur region have done a professional job and deserve praise for their determination. But they are up against ruthless opponents who attack and maim and kill their opponents. Nearly 200.000 civilians are dead. 2 million more displaced and suffering. The violence must stop. Those who are responsible for genocide for these war crimes against humanity and these criminal acts must be brought to justice. I urge the United States to renew efforts to implement additional sanctions on the Government of Sudan through the United Nations Security Council. I also support an expansion of the size and mandate of the African Union mission in Darfur. and I encourage my colleagues to continue to support its efforts. Time is running out. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4630}
{"speech_id":1090080398,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We cannot wait and see. The international community must live up to its declared responsibility to protect innocent citizens targeted for genocide. The credibility of the international community is at stake. Even more important than that are the hundreds of thousands of innocent people whose lives now hang in the balance. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4630}
{"speech_id":1090080429,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. that is the only amendment which this manager has to offer at this time. It is 3:22. We have 2 hours 8 minutes before the 5:30 vote. There are frequent occurrences on the floor of this Senate where 8 minutes is valuable. and sometimes 2 minutes. Somebody asked unanimous consent on Thursday night for an additional minute. but it was objected to. Objection was withdrawn with 5 minutes to argue about whether we would have a minute. We have a lot of time. We could get some important work done if Senators who are now returning from their home States will come to the floor and offer amendments. In the absence of any Senator seeking recognition. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":696}
{"speech_id":1090080460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join the majority leader. The President has made a wise decision. I respectfully say. in choosing Sandy Mattice. by scholarship. by experience. by integrity. by background he should be an excellent judge. I should say. also. that he follows an excellent judge. Al Edgar. We are contemporaries. We grew up at the same time. same age. in towns close to one another. Sandy Mattice has big shoes to fill. but he will fill them well. he is wellqualified. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":631}
{"speech_id":1090080460,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I salute the President for his outstanding appointment and I join the majority leader in expressing my pride in the nomination and look forward to his confirmation.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":631}
{"speech_id":1090080513,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today the Senate returned to the LaborHHS appropriations bill. the final appropriations bill for this fiscal year. Indeed. I thank my colleagues for participating and so systematically going through each and every one of these appropriations bills with this being the last. The two managers are here and are ready to roll up their sleeves on this bill and to keep it moving along. Chairman SPECTER was here all Friday. last Friday. and all day today. It is now time for Members to come forward with their amendments and not put this off. not postpone. not delay until later in the week. We are going to finish the bill this week. If cloture becomes necessary. we will file that motion at the necessary time. I hope and expect that tomorrow will be a full day with amendments and votes.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090080561,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the request was made to have the amendment which is pending accepted by a voice vote. It is really in the nature of a technical amendment. The amend.ment reduces Federal administrative costs for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by $15 million with no cuts coming from oversight 5.nd enforcement. This reduction is necessary to bring the LaborHiIS bill into compliance with its allocation ceiling. Concerns have been raised that this reduction would reduce the funds available to administer the new prescription drug program. This is not the casethe reduction will come from administrative overhead. supplies and contracts. We had talked about having a vote on it this morning at 10:30. but in light of the\" request that we not vote on that .amendment but vote on the Durbin amendment. that is acceptable to this side. As I said before. Senator STABENOW has asked for 5 minutes. and we are prepared to yield that time. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1777}
{"speech_id":1090080561,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we want to put all Senators on notice we. .are anxious to proceed with the bill. and I will expect to start on the Durbin amendment at about 10:24 and expect to vote on it sometime between 10:45 and 11. Senator HARKIN and I. backed by the leaders. have said that we are going to d6 our best to enforce 20minute votes. 15 and a 5minute extensioh. So all Senators should know when we start the Durbin vote that it will be limited to 20 minutes to the extent that Senator HARKIN and I can prevail on that. When we finish the Durbin vote at about 11:15. we would be pressing to have amendments filed. We have a. long. complicated bill. There is an amendment lined up at 2:15. but if we are to move this bill along and to avoid pressing for third reading and final passage. we want to avoid lengthy quorum calls. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1777}
{"speech_id":1090080564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Illinois for yielding. Before proceeding to his amendment. I would like to commend the Senator from Michigan and the Senator from Illinois for their comments about the great leadership of Rosa Parks to the civil rights movement. and to associate myself with those comments. I thank the Senator from Illinois.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":333}
{"speech_id":1090080574,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say to the chairman. I believe this amendment may be noncontroversial. I do not know if there will be any time taken in opposition to the amendment. I would certainly be prepared to agree at 10:45 the vote would take place. if that would be appropriate. and then I would explain the amendmetit.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":296}
{"speech_id":1090080593,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleagues for the promptness on that vote. The report was made to cut off the vote at 1 minute 6 seconds in excess of the 20 minutes. which is pretty good for voting in this Senate. Wewill hold the votes to 20 minutes. We have the Senator from Massachusetts lined up to offer an amendment on Pell grants. We anticipate voting on it at 2:15. but they will have time before the customary adjournment at 12:30 for the policy luncheons to start debate on another amendment. I have talked to a number of Senators about offering an amendment if that opportunity presents itself. We do want to push ahead. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":629}
{"speech_id":1090080642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. 3 years ago today a chartered plane crashed in. northeastern Minnesota killing Minnesotas senior \u0095 Senator. Paul Wellstone. his wife Sheila. and their daughter Marcia. Also on board were Mary McEvoy. our State Democratic Partys associate chair. Tom Lapic. a longtime Senate staffer. a young aide. Will McLaughlin. and two pilots. There were no survivors. They were flying. to Minnesotas famed Iron Range to attend afriends fathers funeral when the plane crashed just before landing and before Senator Wellstones reelection just 11 days away. Paul and I were political allies and personal friends for over 20 years. and he was my colleague and mentor during my first 2 years in the Senate. In 1982. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090080642,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Paul was the Democratic FarmerLabor or DFL candidate for State auditor in Minnesota. while I was its candidate for the Senate. We both lost. Eight years later. we switched. Paul ran for the Senate. I ran for auditor. We both won. In between. we officed and worked together on energy and economic development programs for the Governor of Minnesota and beqame good friends. When Paul ran for reelection to the Senate in 1996. I agreed to be his. finance chair. Paul hated -fundraising as much as I did. so we made quite a team. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090080642,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fortunately. Pauls great popularity in Minnesota and his nationwide reputation as champion for important. progressive causes prevailed. and he won a decisive reelection victory. Four. years later. Paul helped me win my election to the Senate. Everyone who knew Paul and Sheila Wellstone knows that they were extraordinary. unmatchable. and irreplaceable. Marcia. Mary. Tom. and Will were very accomplished and special people in their own rights. and their losses were as searing to their families and friends as Pauls and Sheilas. Senator Paul Wellstone was unique. He was the leader. the heart. and the soul of Minnesotas Democratic Party. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090080642,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He had more passionately devoted followers. supporters. and political organizers than anyone else in Minnesota. perhaps more than anyone in our States political history. for Paul Wellstone was truly a man of. by. and for the people. especially. as he jokingly referred to himself -and to them. the little fellers. He stood for. spoke for. and worked for the many against the powerful. the wealthy. and the narrow special interests. In 1990. he pulled one of the greatest political upsets ever by defeating a wellentrenched Republican incumbent. despite being outspent by 7 to 1 and being 40 percent behind in the polls at Labor Day. He came to Washingtoh. immersed himself in the work of the Senate. and over his 12 years. won respect and friendships on both sides of the aisle. Whether they agreed or disagreed with Paul. everyone knew that he truly believed his position was right. that he passionately cared about the people he was trying to help. and that he had the unflinching courage of his convictions. He also had the oratory eloquence to win skeptics to his side and the genuine good humor to keep even his opponents his friends. He used his skills. his terrific mind always absorbing new ideas. his nationwide network of friends and advisers. his growing seniority in the Senate. and his passion and persistence to accomplish much more than time permits me to recount. During his first term. he authored and passed the landmark \"gift ban\" legislation that virtually eliminated all lobbyist gifts to Members of Congressand staffers. He was an original cosponsor of the McCaiAiFeingold campaign finance reforxiitill. In Pauls own words. he said: I am proud to be a politician.because I believe strongly in democracy. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090080642,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My father. a Jewish immigrant from Russia whose family had to move from -town to town because of czarist persecution. taught me to cherish free elections and the idea of \"government of. by. and for the people.\" But I am not proud of the current state of campaigns and politics in our country. The ethical issue in our time is that money has come to dominate politics and the democracy my father so deeply believed in is so severely compromised. Campaigns match imagemakers against imagemakers. pollsters against pollsters. and millions of dollars against mhillions of dollars. It is a superficial. trivialized politics of attack ads. manipulated advertising and 9 second sound bites. Most importantly. money corrupts the process. This is a much more serious corruption than the wrongdoing of a single individual. This is the kind of corruption which results in too few people having too much wealth. power. and say and too many people being denied a voice. It is the politics of democracy for the few. not democracy for the many. Paul also worked tirelessly for years in partnership with Senator DOMENICI to enact mental health parity. requiring that mental illness be treated similar to any other illness. This important cause pitted Senators WELLSTONE and DOMENIcI against very powerful and profitable special interestsinsurance companies and forprofit health providers. whose profits increased by not providing or not paying for needed health care services. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090080678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been around the Senate for a long time. and I have been serving West Virginia -for a long time. I have seen many seasons in my time in this Senate. and I know thatwith each season comes its challengeS. There is strength and beauty in West Virginia winters. but the impacts of recent hurricanes and other energy challenges will test. our ability to meet our needs this coming season. These colder temperatures mean that West Virginians and Americans in many regions of this country will be struggling to heat their homes. I know. as winter approaches. many West Virginians will be faced with tough choices about whether to use their pays checks to heat their homes. to fill their cars with gasoline. or to buy winter clothes for their children. I sympathize with those who have to make these tough choices. andthese hardworking Americans deserve some measure ofrelief. I strongly support the Reed\/Collins amendment.-We need to fully fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2117}
{"speech_id":1090080678,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This program is critical for those in my State and across the country who will be facing a tough winter. Colder. winter months. coupled with the simultaneous challenges of an increase in poverty. a growing elderly population. and everincreasing home heating costs. will make this - program crucial. The LIHEAP program fills the gap for the poorest and most vulnerable of our citizens. allowing them the sanctuary of a warm home. something to which each and every American is entitled. More than 130.000 households benefit from this program in my State. Households. including many in West Virginia. that heat with natural gas are expected to pay an average of $350. or 48 percent. more for home heating this winter than last. This increase will leave many West Virginians even more vulnerable and forced to make tough choices. Therefore. I support this amendment. as I have when it has been previously offered on other fiscal year 2006 Appropriations bills. I cannot stand by and let the throes of winter leave the most vulnerable in my State out in the cold. and I urge my colleagues to support it. IRAQ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2117}
{"speech_id":1090080701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a grim moment for America: 2.000 of our young courageous people have perished in Iraq2.000. From the years 1961 to 1965those are the years in Vietnamwe got over 2.000 death notices sent to homes across the country. There is a lot of pain across the country. yes. for those who lost loved ones. but across this Nation of ours people are wondering what is it..when do we get to see our people coming back home. because it certainly does not have the appearance of a matter resolved. I have often thought that some me- morial shguld be present in this body as these casualty numbers are reported. But as we were denied the opportunity to have some reminders of this catastrophe displayed in the Rotunda or a busier place. I decided to put a memorial to those lost in Iraq at the front door to my office. I have been overwhelmed by the interest shown by passersby. We have their pictures up thereand their names and the communities they come from. There are more numbers coming. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5981}
{"speech_id":1090080701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We update the list regularly. the pictures regularly. Every casualty is a life cut .short. families torn apart. Outside my office we have this memorial to the fallen heroes. You look at those faces and see how young are the people who died. When I started the Senate memorial I hoped major .combat- would soon be over and our casualties would be minimal or eliminated. but major combat has dragged on and the memorial display unfortunately has grown and grown. It has gotten to the point where the memorial takes up mbst of the space outside my office. I encourage my colleagues to visit these memorials. There is one in the Longworth House Office Building in front of the office of Representatives RAHM EMANUEL and WALTER JONES. I encourage my colleagues to visit these memorials and pay tribute to these troops. As we reach this grim. milestone today. it is critical that we examine the situation we are facing in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5981}
{"speech_id":1090080701,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President made a speech today. We heard it on TV. He basically said lets keep on doing what we are doing. We heard the usual rhetoric about spreading freedom. I do not think we need any more slogans. I remember the Presidents slogan on the -aircraft carrier when he said. \"Mission accomplished.\" Mission accomplished? -The President declared that major combat operations were over. This was inMay 2003. Since then we have lost 1.855 of our people. As the debacle on the aircraft carrier proved. slogans are only as good as the banners they are written on. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5981}
{"speech_id":1090080701,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we dont need more slogans. We need a plan. We need a plan that will provide relief to our troops so they are not shouldering all of the burdens in Iraq. The President and his team ignored the wise advice of the State Department and alienated our usual allies before the war. and did it with incredible arrogance and ineptitude. Last year. President Bush scolded my colleague Senator KERRY. while debating this issue. alleging that Senator KERRY forgotI put this in quotes-\"forgot Poland.\" But even Poland is pulling out of Iraq now. With the exception of British troops in Basra. we are essentially going it alone across the rest of Iraq. As our troops go it alone. they have to live with President Bushs taunt to our enemies when he said: \"Bring em on. Bring er on.\" Mr. President. have they sufficiently .brought them on? That was said in July of 2003. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5981}
{"speech_id":1090080701,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What the troops on the ground need is less talk and more of a plan that defines our specific goals. They want to know exactly how many Iraqi troops need to be trained before our soldiers can begin to come home. We hear stories about these trained battalions. -trained units that are made up of Iraqi soldiers. But. when you get the other side. people who have knowledge from the front. they tell us there are far fewer Iraqis trained than are presented to us from the administration. What we hear from President Bush over and over again is that we need to complete the mission. But we are not told what the mission is. Today. I hope every American will pause and reflect on the price that has been paid by our very brave service people. Their courage is above questionbut the administrations policy in Iraq is not. The American people have a right and a duty to demand answers from our Government. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5981}
{"speech_id":1090080721,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want the majority leader to understand how much I appreciate his breaking up his schedule to come here to offer this unanimous consent request. I appreciate it very much. As I indicated a short time ago. the solemnity of this occasion is significant. I want the record to reflect that we have reached. as has been said here several times today. regrettably. a milestone in Iraq. that is these 2.000 killed. Frankly. Mr. President. it is no longer 2.000. It is now 2.002. -. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6172}
{"speech_id":1090080721,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There has beenand will continue to beheated debate about our involvement in Iraq. about the flawed prewar intelligence that some say existed. and it appears pretty certain at this time. the selling of the war by administration officials. the poor planning. and the ideologically driven attempt by the President and others to reshape the Middle East through the force of arms. These debates will go on. and they should. That is what our country is all about. But todayright now this minuteI think it is appropriate to set the debate aside and reflect on this solemn mark that we have -reached so that we can pay tribute to the heroic services and the sacrifice that each of these brave Americans made to our Nation. A few months ago. I was able to travel along with a number of my colleagues to the Middle East where I spent time with scores of Nevadans serving in Iraq. Any one of us who traveled to the region meets with U.S. troops and comes back so impressed and so proud of the men and women who serve our country. Many are young. as Senator- DURBIN has so graphically described. just out of high school. and this is their first time out of the country. Others are more senior. having served in the first Gulf war or in Afghanistan. Most were given short notice. yearlong deployment. and were serving. away from family. children. spouses. palents and friends. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6172}
{"speech_id":1090080721,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Nevada Guard unit that I spent time with was tasked with transporting critical supplies from Kuwait through Iraq and into Baghdad to support combat forces. These were dangerous. missions. carried out with the real possibility of an attack by Iraqi insurgents. I also met with some young Marines from Nevada who were assigned to protect U.S. facilities in the fortified Green Zone. Eager. enthusiastic. and with a great sense of spirit. these young men took pride in their duties. and we took great pride in them. But there can be no question that the effort in Iraq has taken. a huge toll on Americans. and on Nevadans. So far. 13 Nevadans have died in this conflict. But the number 13 does not tell the whole story. Let me take just a minute. I will be brief. But I would like to. as my dear friend. the junior Senator from Maryland. outlined. tell you just a little bit about these 13 Nevadans. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6172}
{"speech_id":1090080721,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Marine LCpl Donald Cline. Jr.. of Sparks as the first Nevada soldier to die in Iraq. During the initial invasion of Southern Iraq. LCpl Cline was killed in combat while assisting injured soldiers on March 23. 2003. He left behind a wife and two sons. Dakota and Dylan. . Marine ILT Frederick Pokorney of Nye was killed in action on March 23. 2003. He -left behind a wife and a 3year old daughter. Lieutenant Pokorney was the first Marine from Operation Iraqi Freedom to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Sgt Eric Morris of Sparks was only six weeks into his tour of duty when he was killed by a homemade bomb on .April 28. 2005. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6172}
{"speech_id":1090080721,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his bravery. Marine Cpl William.I. Salazar of Las. Vegas was killed on October .15. 2004. in a suicide bomb attack. Corporal Salazar was the first Marine combat photographer to be killed in action in more than.35 years. He died on his fathers birthday. Marine PFC John Lukac of Las Vegas was killed on Obtober 30. 2004. when his convoy was attacked. The son of- immigrants -who escaped Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Private Lukac had been interested in joining the Marines sinc.e the age of 12. LCpl Nicholas Anderson of Las Vegas died on November 12. 2004. when his Humvee crashed. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6172}
{"speech_id":1090080772,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on the ReedCollins LIHEAP amendment. I want to speak to all of my colleagues. but mostly I want to address my comments to iny colleagues from the South and the West. I thank Senator JACK REED and Senator SUSAN COLLINS for their cosponsorship of amendment No. 2194. bringing forward the issue of LIHEAP funding. We all know that LIHEAP funding has decreased in real dollars for over a decade now. Senators REED and COLLINS have shown true leadership in offering their amendment. Hopefully. we will vote on it today. They have shown national leadership with what they are trying to accomplish. In the face of rising energy prices. the poorest among us have been hit the hardest. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3890}
{"speech_id":1090080772,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are paying about $3 at the pump right now. We have had a record hot summer in many parts of the country. Their utility bills -have been going -up and up. Lowincome families need our help. I believe we can do better. We can think of ways to help our lowincome constituents and lowincome Americans. The ReedCollins amendment can do that. It adds $3.1 billion to the core LIHEAP program. This is what Southern and Western Senators need to understand. I dont want any of my colleagues to be surprised when the amendment comes to the floor for a vote today. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3890}
{"speech_id":1090080772,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that all their staff who are listening will please advise their bosses accordingly. This money will go to LIEEAPs core program. When I say \"core program.\" that means it will not be designated as emergency funding for the Department of Health .and Human Services. Why is that significant? It is significant for this basic reason. By giving the money to the core program instead of HHS. the amendment helps put lowincome heating applicants in Southern and Western States on better footing. Let me explain. In the past. Health and Human Services has had discretion. When we put emergency funding there. they have had discretion on how they spend it. .Their track record has been very clear. They seem to prioritize areas of the country that are heated with home heating oil. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3890}
{"speech_id":1090080772,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we are trying to do is put the money into the core program. which means it goes into the formula that has been long established in Federal law. which means in States all across AmericaStates such as Arkansas in the South and the Westpeople who are going to be facing record high prices for natural gas this winter will receive some relief. Unfortunately. when we get emergency funding. many of the States are not helped as much as the formula would help them. I am not disputing at all that the Northeast and the Midwest face very harsh winters. more so than the South and some parts of the West. But we have lowincome citizens in our States. too. who need to heat their homes this winter. I believe it is a more effective and better way to put money into the core LIHEAP program. sending it through the formula. rather than leaving it to the discretion of HHS. I am happy to join Senators REED and COLLINS in this effort. It is a bipartisan effort. I want my colleagues to understand that. In my view. it is better than past proposals. It is better because it is more equitable in its distribution. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3890}
{"speech_id":1090080772,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is bipartisan. Southern and Western Senators have a chance to help the people in their States with -this vote. It will help people all across America. This amendment also recognizes the high cost of natural gas this winter. All the experts who have looked at this say natural gas is going to be at a record high price for consumers this winter. It acknowledges the high cost of other forms of energy to heatour homes. I dont want my colleagues to be surprised when this comes to the floor for a vote at some point this afternoon or tonight. I would hate for any Senator to vote against this and then later learn that this is their best opportunity to help their constituents during this very cold and expensive winter. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3890}
{"speech_id":1090080845,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today - rise to express my concern about avian influenza and Americas preparedness for a global pandemic. While I do not want to add to peoples fears about this issue. reports of the lethality of the H5N1 strain must be taken seriously and we need to make sure that we are taking appropriate measures to prepare for a possible pandemic. As we all well know. migratory birds are steadily carrying thle vian flu virus from throughout Southeast Asia and Siberia to Romania. Turkey. and now Greece. International health officials predicted that this spread could happen. and it should be no surprise that this disease is taking this course. In the 20th century alone. three influenza pandemics swept throughout the world. most notably the 1918 flu pandemic. which took 500.000 lives. Our knowledge of disease and hygiene has improved. dramatically since then. and our ability to ready ourselves has subsequently advanced. but our risk for a pandemic remains a danger. Scientists and public health officials throughout the world have warned that a flu pandemic will take place. have alerted governments to the -possibility of pandemic through the avian flu. and have watched as little has been done to prepare for the occurrence. Despite the warnings of the inevitability of pandemic. research into influenza vaccine and therapy has been continually underfunded. as have our programs that would provide emergency health care relief in a time of crisis. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3867}
{"speech_id":1090080845,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hurricane Katrina illustrated our lack of preparedness for a true disaster. and the Governments failure to quickly bring relief to our friends along the gulf coast should send a resounding message that we must b6tter prepare for an emergency in the future. That emergency could well be the avian flu pandemic. Let us not be caught unaware. While there is no guarantee that this will occur this winter. next winter. or even the year after that. scientists tell us that it is only a matter of time. and we should use that time to build our stockpiles of vaccines and medicines. and to support global initiatives to help prevent the spread of the disease through containment strategies and alerts. Although the avian flu does not yet transmit from human to human. this type of virus is capable of rapidly mutating and becoming highly infectious among people. With the seasonal flu season approaching. the risk of a human strain emerging increases. as the opportunity for the virus to drift among species and mutate is augmented. If a pandemic ensued. the threat would obviously not be distributed evenly across the population. The young and elderly would be at most risk. as would immunocompromised people and people suffering from malnutrition and inadequate basic health services. We know this. we are aware of the problems. and we must take action to ensure the health and safety of the most vulnerable. Guaranteeing safety means taking responsibility for all of our communities responses and plans. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3867}
{"speech_id":1090080845,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that I was able to join many of my colleagues in sending a letter to President -Bush on October 4. 2005. that urged the administration to release a finalized Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Plan. which the World Health Organization has deemed essential to planning a strategy in the case of a global pandemic. I am eagerly waiting for this plan to be released. as I believe it is of extreme importance to the American people. I -am also pleased that the Senate approved a measure to add $3.9 billfon- to the Defense Departments budget for the purchase of vaccines and medicines to treat avian flu. and I hope to see the House agree to this in conference. This was an important measure to help prepare Americans. -particularly those most vulnerable. against the ravages of a fatal disease. While we do not know when or where this pandemic may develop. we mustwork to prepare now.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3867}
{"speech_id":1090080856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management.. Government Information. and International Security be authorized to meet on Tuesday. October 25. 2005. at 2:30 p.m. for a hearing regarding \"Guns and Butter: Setting Priorities in Federal Spending in the Context of Natural Disaster. Deficits and War.\"","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":346}
{"speech_id":1090080872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. with the passing of Rosa Parks. the Nation has lost a courageous woman. a true American heroine. and an icon of the civil rights movement. All of us mourn her loss. Half a century ago. Rosa Parks stood up not only for herself but for all future generations of Americans. Her quiet resoluteness in the face of segregation inspired America. transformed the civil rights movement. and roused the moral conscience of the Nation from its long slumber on - civil rights. We will never forget her. and our hearts and prayers today are with her loved ones. On December 1. 1955. Rosa Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery. AL. on her way home by bus from her work. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2164}
{"speech_id":1090080872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under the law at that time in Montgomery. and in many other places in the South. Rosa Parks. as an African American. was ordered to give up her seat for a white passenger when the bus became crowded. She refused. was arrested. and lost her job as a result. But her courageous act prompted the African American community to begin a boycott of the Montgomery bus system. which eventually broke the back of the Jim Crow rules in the system. and Montgomery buses were desegregated the following year. Her later life continued to demonstrate her quiet moral resolve and her extraordinary commitment to doing what is right. She continued her civil rights work after moving to Detroit in 1957. working with the office of Congressman JOHN CONYERS for over 20 years. and later starting the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development. a nonprofit organization that motivates youths to reach their highest potential. In 1996. Rosa Parks was honored by President Clinton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and she received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. I join my colleagues from Michigan. Senators LEvIN and STABENOW. in support of a resolution honoring the life and accomplishments of Rosa Parks. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2164}
{"speech_id":1090080872,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Her courage. dignity. and determination symbolize the best of America. the spirit of patriotism that challenges us whenever we fail to live up to the highest ideals of our society. Today. as we mourn the. passing of Rosa Parks. we are reminded how much has been accomplished because of","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2164}
{"speech_id":1090080873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we learned last night of the .passing of one of this Nations greatest Civil Rights heroes who will always be remembered for her steadfast leadership for equal justice. When Rosa Parks peacefully refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery public bus in 1955. her solitary act of courage for the cause of equality became a defining moment in -American history. It was Mrs. Parks steady courage and unflinching character that helped set in motion changes that moved the. hearts and minds of the American people. She clearly demonstrated the need for our country to live up to one of ourfounding principles. that all men are created equal. America is a much better place today because of the strength of this quiet seamstress from Tuskegee. My thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Parks family during these days of sadness. I would encourage young Americans to visit the Rosa Parks Library and Museum in Montgomery to learn about her life. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090080873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is my hope that the spirit of Rosa Parks continues to live on in America and that this Nation and its leaders never forget the important lessons about decency and equality of opportunity for all. I know that her spirit will live on in my life.","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090080900,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to -pay homage to Private First Class Jose M. Rosario from Estate Campo Rico on my home island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands who was killed in Iraq last week. Private First Class Rosario joined the Army shortly after completing high school with the desire to serve his country and with the dream. whispered only to his older sister Ruth. of one day becoming an attorney. He told his family how much he loved his job. the adventure of it. and most of all the fact that he was making a contribution to our Nation. They have all attested that he was happy fulfilling his mission as a member of the Fifth Squadron. Seventh Cavalry Regiment. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090080900,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First Brigade Combat Team of the 42nd Infantry Division. Like so many of the now 2.000 men and women who have given their lives for their country in the Iraq war. -Private First Class Rosario Was young. just 20 years old. and with a dream of a brighter future. He died. along with Army Specialist Russell Nahvi of Ar\u0095 lington. Texas. and Sergeant Arthur Mora. Jr. of Pico. California. when their uparmored humvee was hit with indirect fire while on patrol in Balad. Iraq. And while his lifetime was short. Jose served his country with courage and with distinction and he has made his family and the entire Virgin Islands community very proud as he helped to make the entire Nation a better place by his sacrifice. Our prayers are with his mother Gregoria and all of the family. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090080900,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we in the U.S. Virgin Islands along with our sister territories send more men and women per capita to serve in our Armed Forces. and Virgin Islanders have served in every war and conflict from the Revolutionary War forward. Our Virgin Islands National Guard has been proud to serve and do so with distinction around the world. They currently have several units in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Bob Thompson. a good friend of mine and chief of medicine at the Governor Juan Luis Hospital. just returned from a tour in Iraq. Sixteen members of the 620th are scheduled to return home later this week. The 652nd Engineering Company is currently serving in Afghanistan and will be there for another 6 months. While home in August I attended a deployment ceremony where the 610th and the 640th companies of the Virgin Islands National Guard. many of them young women. were preparing to leave for Iraq. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090080900,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are currently at Fort Bragg being processed and the 107 men and women of the 610th are to depart in early November. The 640th will follow them shortly thereafter. In addition. Dr. Hinman. the State Surgeon of the Virgin Islands National Guard. is at Fort Bliss processing for his 90day rotation. and we have an MP security team at Fort Leonard Wood. all preparing to also go to Iraq. I pray that they will all return safely and -whole. I also play that the President will begin now to bring all of our troops home. With our population of just over 110.000. the U.S. Virgin Islands has already lost five young men before Private First Class Rosario. Daniel Wyatt. whose family splits their time between Wisconsin and St. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090080900,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Croix. and who spent what he called the best 2 weeks of his life in St. Croix before heading overseas. Shane Goldman. whose -memorial I attended and who had a tree and a small monument placed at Club St. Croix. a place frequented by his father and which he loved to visit. Private First Class Jason Lynch from a large St. Croix family and the nephew of a close friend of mine Betty Lynch. a child I knew as he was growing up. Staff Sergeant Kendall Thomas. slightly older than the others. from St. Thomas and I believe serving his second tour. We are proud of the men and women who have given their lives in service to their country. We are particularly proud of Private First Class Jose M. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090080910,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Americans are writing us. sending us emails. calling us. stopping us at the grocery store and at the high school football game on Friday night. and they are telling us that they want to see us reduce government spending. They support us on the $35 billion in reductions already part of the 2006 budget plan. and they support our effort to begin eliminating 98 programs that have shown little. if any. results. They appreciate the Speaker of this House making fiscal responsibility a part of his economic agenda. putting .that at the heart of our economic security of this Nation. But. our constituents do not appreciate that not one Democrat in this House. not one. has stood up to support our effort to get that 2006 budget savings from $35 billion to $50 billion. Americans do not appreciate that the Democrats are refusing to call for acrosstheboard cuts. They will not even support a 1 percent reduction. not even 1 percent. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1171}
{"speech_id":1090080910,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the liberals in this House had their way. we would be spending billions of dollars more every year. I hope the American people will reach out and let them know that they would like to see Federal spending reduced.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1171}
{"speech_id":1090080934,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from Florida for yielding me this time. I think I will thank him twice during this speech for what he has been able to do. which was to bring this bill to the floor quickly. along with my friend from Illinois. As he mentioned. the American Spirit Fraud Prevention Act will double the penalties that the Federal Trade Commission can levy against individuals who commit fraud during times of Presidential emergencies or disasters if .the offending action is associated with our response to the disaster. This would be the thirdtime that I have introduced this bill. It has passed Congress on two previous occasions. and I sincerely hope that it will pass again today. . Americans have opened their hearts and their wallets over and over again in the last 4 or 5 years. donating $2.2 billion in the wake of September 11. $1.3 billion for the tsunami victims. and as of now. over $1.7. billion for Katrina aid. In. 2004 alone. charities raised $248.5 billion in the United States. Americans should be proud that we can come together as a country over and over again even though oftentimes we haveto dig a little deep in order to help people who are in trouble. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3037}
{"speech_id":1090080934,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My hometown of Peterborough got together and. adopted a town in Mississippi. We will raise close to $50.000 for this little town in Mississippi by the end of this week. I think thatis enormously admirable. The money contributed is carefully accounted for. and it goes to the exact place it needs to go. However. there is fraud. I understand that the Nations first Internet charity fraud case involving Hurricane Katrina .has been uncovered. An individual has been charged and a Federal indictment is pending for creating a consumer Web .site that asked that donations be made on line. purportedly to support humanitarian airlift operations to get victims out of Louisiana. Two people in Los Angeles set up a table outside a big box department store in .Burbank and displayed fliers that read. \"Help now. American Red Cross relief for Hurricane Katrina.\" It had no connection whatever with the Red Cross. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3037}
{"speech_id":1090080934,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. as was mentioned before. Federal officials do have some power to prosecute those engaged in fraud. but if we double the penalties at times when Americans are most likely to be wanting to give without doing the proper research that is necessary before any gift is made. I think we will create an extra element of deterrence. I want to thank again my friend from Florida and my friend from Illinois as chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce. Trade. and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce for allowing this bill once again to come to the floor of the House. I want to thank Chairman BARTON and Ranking Member DINGELL as well. Mr. Speaker. it is time to pass this bill out of the Congress. pass it through the Senate and send it to the Presidents desk. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the committee and in the House and the. Senate and White House to make sure this happens quickly.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3037}
{"speech_id":1090080995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 484. which seeks to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives. resources. and support for youth in highrisk situations. I would like to thank the leadership for allowing this resolution to come to the House floor as it highlights a very tragic and very importaht issue. Runaway and thrownaway episodes among our Nations youth are serious and widespread. with one of every seven children and youths in the United States running away or being turned out of the home before the age of 18. A recent study by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention estimates that nearly 1.7 million youth experienced a runaway or thrownaway episode in a single year. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090080995,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the Nation is astounding. with studies suggesting that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million young people live on the streets of the United States of America each year. The primary factors of running away or being thrown away are severe family conflict. abuse. neglect. and parental abuse of alcohol and of drugs. In the wake of massive loss of life and property after the recent natural disasters. we can expect these numbers to rise. We must congratulate service providers for their response to the increased numbers of displaced youth as a result of these terrible tragedies. In the district I represent in southern Nevada. the statistics are similar. In 2003. the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported 4.527 runaways. There were approximately 3.500 children who required emergency shelter. 1.800 of these children were placed in foster care. In addition to that. the Clark County School District estimates 3.500 of our students were homeless. These astonishing .statistics highlight the need for our support of those very important programs that seek to prevent these types of incidences. Many of the conditions that lead young people to leave or be turned out of their homes are preventable through interventions that strengthen family and support youth in highrisk situations. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090080995,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Successful interventions are grounded in partnerships among families and communitybased human service agencies. law enforcement agencies. schools. faithbased organizations. and the business community. The National Network For Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard are collaborative since 2002 in cosponsoring National Runaway Prevention Month during the month of November. National Runaway Prevention Month is a public education initiative aimed at increasing the awareness of issues facing runaways. as well as making the public 4 aware of role they play in preventing youth from running away. As a result of this collaboration. communities across the country have undertaken a range of activities to commemorate National Runaway Prevention Month. Preventing young people from running away and supporting youth in highrisk situations is a family. community. and national concern. Please join us in encouraging all Americans to play a role in supporting the millions of young people who have run away. who are at risk of doing so each year. H. Res. 484 supports efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives. resources and supports for youth in highrisk situations. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090080995,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090081042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. recent events in the State of Ohio makes it urgent that this Congress address .issues that relate to the automotive industry. Delphis recent bankruptcy filing may result in the closing of spveral Ohio plants that provide thousands of jobs. General Motors sharp cutbacks in health care benefits for UAW members and retirees as well as Fords announcement of sharp job cutbacks beginning in January of 2006 possibly affecting at least one major auto production facility make it imperative that we come together to do everything we can to help protect -Americas automotive industry. And we are doing that in Ohio by organizing not only our elected officials and our labor officials but the business community in coming together to address the challenge to one of our States largest employment sectors that can only be met by a coordinated effort of our entire delegation. The automotive industry is in a state of crisis. We are cooperating to bring together all of the resources possible to make sure that we protect the jobs of autoworkers as well as all the allied unions who work with them and to make sure that one of Americas great industries has the strength to endure.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1184}
{"speech_id":1090081058,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues in the entire House today for adopting H. Res. 485. supporting the goals of Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week. which is this week. helps bring together local communities for antidrug abuse education and other prevention efforts. I would like to thank all thd members who cosponsored this resolution. .and Chairman JOE BARTON of the Energy and Commerce Committee. and Chairman NATHAN DEAL of the Health Subcommittee for their assistance in bringing it before the whole House. Regrettably. as this resolution was added \u0095 to the schedule only last night. I was in my Congressional district and was unable to be on the House floor today to express my support for my own bill. However. I am very pleased that we were able to pass Red Ribbon Week. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5711}
{"speech_id":1090081058,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Twenty years ago. in March 1985. Special Agent Enrique Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Agency. DEA. was kidnapped. tortured and murdered by .drug dealers in Mexico. Red Ribbon Week began as a local commemorative effort Agent Camarenas- hometown of Calexico. California. Congressman DUNCAN HUNTER and Camarenas high school friend. Henry Lozano. created the Camarena Club to preserve the agents legacy. The National Family Partnership later formalized Red Ribbon Week as a national campaign. an 8day event proclaimed by the U.S. Congress and chaired by then Presideht and Mrs. Ronald Reagan. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5711}
{"speech_id":1090081058,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Red Ribbon Week is -dedicated to helping preserve Agent Camarenas memory and further the cause for which he gave his life. the fight against the violence. of drug crime and the misery of addiction. By gathering together in special events and wearing a red ribbon during the last week in October. Americans from all. walks of life dem\"onstrate their opposition *to drugs. Such events include organizing drug prevention events and schools distributing educational materials to young people about the dangers of drug abuse and other activities designed to promote healthy choices. Approximately 80 million people participate in Red Ribbon events each year. I would also like to use this opportunity to urge that our leadership soon act on antimethamphetamine legislation. legislation with broad bipartisan support. I hope that after this legislation is pdsAged. it is then applied to the Commerce. State. Justice appropriations bill and any other appropriate appropriations bill that we have not yet passed. rather than languishing with a few hundred bills over in. the other body. We need results. not just more posturing. not just talk. actual money and actual policy in the fightagainst methamphetamines. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5711}
{"speech_id":1090081058,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope the appropriations conference committees do not undo the will of the House. as we added methamphetamine funding in a numberof appropriations bills. including adding $25 million to the national ad campaign specifically. designed for methamphetamine prevention. not a reallocation of other. committee money. We had an offset. it was money specifically in the ad campaign for - antimethamphetamine advertising. Also. that this $25 million not be diverted to other types. on marijuana and other issues. -it is for methamphetamine advertising. It is very important. it was bipartisan and it was overwhelming. We need to do these things. We have not had a lot of bipartisanship in this House. but in thisbattle against methamphetamines. we have that. The same on steroids. I have been a longsuffering White Sox fan for over 50 years at this point in my life. I am thrilled they are in the World Series. This is a time that we should move the ONDCP. the socalled drug czar bill through. which has been held up because even though it passed unanimously through the committee. which was not an easy process. we have a very divided Government Reform and Oversight Committee. but we were unanimous on trying to address the problems of steroids. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5711}
{"speech_id":1090081058,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rafael Palmeiro thumbed his nose at this Congress. as did Mark McGwire. and then.the reaction of the Baltimore Orioles when he actually went to testify. they said he was not welcomed back in their locker room because he named other players. If there is any doubt in our minds that Major League Baseball will never solve the problem of performanceenhancing drugs. it is that scene in the Baltimore locker room. If their club mentality is to punish the players who finger the dealers. who punish the trainers who identify and cooperate with law enforcement. it will never be fixed internally. We can sit here and twiddle our thumbs and be bullied by different organizations that do not want this. but it is time during Red Ribbon Week for us to stand up and say we are going to do something in a bipartisan way on methamphetamine. We are doing to do something on steroids.. and we will bring these bills to the floor and we will find out how to make them law. That is how we can recognize Agent Camarena. a DEA agent who was shbt by law enforcement officials on the other side of the border. one of the most tragic events that led to this whole.national campaign. What we can do here in Congress. in addition to speaking out in our district. working with events. as I am going to be at South Side High School in Fort Wayne this Saturday. They are going to have a poster contest and a basketball eventr to try to get kids in other programs and keep them off the streets. We need to do that as Members of Congress. but we are legislators. What we need to do is pass the bills that the House has already spoken out on regarding methamphetamines. pass the bills that have unanimous backing on steroids and stop holding it up. getting it done. even if a few powerful people want to stop it. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5711}
{"speech_id":1090081063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Americas economy has an internal rot that threatens our actual indepefidence as a republic. I want to talk about that tonight. and I rise to draw attention to the astronomical and growing current account deficit that grows every day. This is a chart that shows the trade deficit that has been getting worse and more and more red ink every year. In the year 2004. that deficit rose to $668 billion of more foreign imports coming into our country than our exports going out. This red ink drags down economic growth. results in job loss. wage stagnation and actual cuts now in peoples benefits for health and. retirement and. indeed. wages themselves.. This deficit has been clearly increasing. Again. just in the first half of this year. by almost 20 percent more at $394 billion. This represents the equivalent of 2 billion more dollars perday or $1.5 million more per minute in foreign debt. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5063}
{"speech_id":1090081063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are literally cashing out America. The tourniquet gets tighter each year. and Americans can feel it..Wages do not go up. your health benefits are more expefisive. everything costs more. and you seem not just to be running in place. but running and falling behind. Given the rising cost of oil imports. a significant increase over last years record high figure is an absolute certainty this year. According to one report. the higher price of oil could add an estimated $60to $90 billion more to the Nations trade deficit in 2005. Unbelievable. America. wake up. Americas independ- ence is at stake. This deficit not only represents lost jobs in our communities. more and more each day. it is a very real threat to the economic security of our country for the future. The fundamentals are seriously out of whack. Curiously. our sky high and growing trade deficit results in a growing U.S. debt held by foreigners. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5063}
{"speech_id":1090081063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These foreign investors now hold over half of the publicly traded U.S. securities. and that number has been growing in recent years to the highest in American history. If you look. this is just a listing of some of the countries that own a piece of the rock. a piece of America: Japan. with holdings of nearly $700 billion. Europe. $427 billion. China. Hong Kong. nearly $300 billion this year. That is the fastest growing. That number is going up astronomically. The oil exporting countries own over $134 bil- lion of us. all down the list. If a large number of those investors decided to sell off those public securities at the same.time for any reason. or even a portion of them. whether it was due to a sudden. lack of confidence in our economy orto a coordinated political offensive. America would face a widespread financial crisis. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5063}
{"speech_id":1090081063,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are in uncharted waters. In addition to this insecurity. job losses due to increased imports are a reality in every one of our communities. One estimate suggests for $1 billion of trade deficit. we lose 20.000 more jobs in this country. Delphi. and its struggles. are not a fairy tale. In my community in Ohio. workers and businesses. are losing out as we struggle to save production. Companies like LaZBoy. companies like Clay. reforming firms. Delphi most recently. Ford Thunderbird. so many companies are literally struggling or have closed their doors. As Princeton economist Paul Krugman noted last week. when corporate executives say they have to cut wages to meet foreign competition. workers have every right to ask. why do we not cut the foreign competition instead. During prior decades. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5063}
{"speech_id":1090081063,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"America held a surplus in automotive parts. But last year. we had turned that surplus into a trade deficit of over $24 billion. and that deficit grows even more this year. That is why I am now drafting a bill. the Balancing Trade Act of 2005. It would require the President to renegotiate trading relations with a country. if Americas trade deficit with that country reaches more than $10 billion for 3 consecutive years. This initiative would .require action on the $45 billion deficit we alreadyhave with Mexico. a country we enjoyed a small trade surplus with when NAFTA passed in 1993. It would require the President to take action in the face of deficits. like our October 25. \"2005 Octob& 25. 2005 current $162 billion deficit and growing deficit with China. which has -almost doubled since PNTR was passed in 2000. just a short 5 years ago. Each new trade agreement. while expanding U.S. markets so slightly. has broughtin a flood of new imports that cancels any gains we make. Not only cancels. but pushes -us further behind. resulting in the ownership of the rock by foreign investors. The only action we have seen so far in this administrations efforts to expand the flawed NAFTA in two more countries in this hemisphere was through* CAFTA. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5063}
{"speech_id":1090081082,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it has to be paid. It is obligatory. There is no way around it: You have got to pay it. otherwise the bonds default and the country is in bankruptcy. We cannot let that happen. Let me touch on the package that .we expect to come to the floor to show what our concern is and why we are here at this hour of the day talking aJout the package that the Republicans are putting together to bring to the floor ostensibly to pay for some of the costs for Hurricane Katrina but truly. truly to offset additional tax cuts of $106 billion. Originally. as the gentleman from Virginia knows. because this is his committee and he can comment further upon it. the Higher Education Act had to be amended this year and was to be amended so that student loans would enjoy fixed rates. not variable rates which would go up as interest rates go up as they are likely to do in the near future. That decision has been discarded. It is gone. Next. origination fees. The frontend fees that students have to pay to take out a student loan were to be lowered. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090081082,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not anymore. not with the latest cut. What we are looking at are the barest component parts of this bill called the reconciliation bill that is coming to the floor. It went directly from the Committee on the Budget to the committees of jurisdiction. like the Committee on Education and the Workforce. and they said cut so much money from programs in your jurisdiction. So where did the Committee on Education and the Workforce cut? They turned to student loans. the most significant part of their budget. and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090081104,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here is a good account. Defense. for reasons we all understand. has gone up substantially from the year 2000 to the year 2011. This is a projection. It will increase from about $300 billion to $600 billion over that period of time. When the President talks about the increase in spending as if he is laying the blame on the Congress. and in truth most of it is coming in defense accounts. and all of it has been requested by the President of the United States. We have appropriated. I voted for it. I do not think you send troops in the field and give them a tough mission to do and not back them up. But let us be honest where the spending increases he decries are really coming from. They are coming from defense. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1716}
{"speech_id":1090081104,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This layer right here was what was planned for defense in January 2001. This red layer is what the Bush administration added to it in the way of policy. It is mainly new equipment. personnel and things of that nature. This is the cost of Iraq. Afghanistan and future war costs here. also. the cost of waging the war on terror. but it does not include homeland security. This is cost risk because the Pentagon typically has overruns in its programs. CBO said it is reasonable to. assume they will. miss their targets by at least this amount. When you put all these layers together. you see a budget increase from $300 billion to $600 billion over a 10-. year period of time. At the same time all of this is being done. more or less deliberately. stacked on top of each other. we are having substantial tax cuts. When you put together these two factors. the defense spending increases and the tax cut decreases. you begin to see the emergence of the deficits that we are struggling to deal with today.-","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1716}
{"speech_id":1090081124,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for his leadership in Operation Offset. It was an interesting story he told about how you take the change out of your pocket and put it in a jar to benefit your grandchildren. Recently. as my colleagues might have read. the Democrats have launched something called the Campaign For Change. and now I suddenly understand what it is all about. It is taking your grandchildrens change away from them to fund the massive government spending that they want to go to and continue to grow. They want to grow big government. They believe in more government and less freedom. We believe in less government and more freedom. And how much government is enough? How much spending does it take? Madam Speaker. as my colleagues can see from this chart. Washington is now spending $22.000 per household. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090081124,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a chart that starts in 1990. goes to the present. and we see that spending has gone from over. roughly a little over $18.000 per family to now $22.000 per household. This is the highest spending in inflationadjusted terms since World War II. It is one of the highest levels of spending in the entire history of America. Yet. it does not seem to be enough. In the last 10 years. again. mediau family income has grown about 38 percent. Yet Federal spending on international affairs is up 57 percent. space and technology. 46 percent. natural re-* sources. 49 percent. agricultural spending. 206 percent. commerce and housing .redits. 74 percent. transportation. 95 percent. community and regional development. 83 percent. Madam Speaker. the list goes on and on and on. This is not a debate again about how much the American people and we as a society are going to spend on education. how. much we are going to spend on housing. how much we are going to spend on nutrition. It is a debate about who is going to do the spending. The Democrats want government to do the spending. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090081124,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They want Big Government to take that money away from American families. throw it into a wasteful bureaucracy and have a few pennies come out on the other end. We want to empower the American family. We want to protect their budget. We want tohelp them realize their American Dream. We want them to be able to send their kids to college. We want them to be able to put a roof over their heads. That- is really what this debate is all about. Now. Madam Speaker. I am very happy that we have been joined by a member of the Republican leadership team. a leader in helping. put together Speaker HASTERTS plan to help offset this Katrina spending with lower priority spending. to help us start this process called reconciliation. which is Washingtonspeak for reform. someone who is very admired by the entire conference and Congress. the gentleman from Georgia .","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2766}
{"speech_id":1090081129,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. the reason why I asked. that before the gentleman leaves is today. in agriculture appropriations. we haa probably about a 1H9088 - CO hour debate on the State of Texass right to privatize part of its food stamp distribution. One of the things that is ridiculous about the proponents of this. and they are all the liberal Democrat faction. is that States should not be able to have the right to privatize something without permission of Congress. because I guess here in Washington people know more about Texas than the good folks down in Austin. I understand Pennsylvania. Florida. and New York are also looking at these privatization plans. It is just a distribution method which they found to be more effective. Madam Speaker. when I think about the private sector. which they fear so much. I think about companies like AOL and UPS and Home Depot and Cingular Wireless. When I think about the Federal Government. I think about the IRS. the Immigration Service. FEMA. and the post office. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4548}
{"speech_id":1090081129,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet here are these folks who are defending the Federal Government and saying that they should not get involved with the private sector. But that is just one amendment that we are fighting that saves taxpayers dollars that we want to make sure that States have the right. But there are some other examples of savings that we are trying to get out of this budget. One of them was one that the gentleman from Texas and the gentlewoman from North Carolina supported. and that is the elimination of the mounted police unit here in Washington. D.C. The Capitol Police had horses for horse patrol. They were not patrolling parades or anything like this. but the horses were brought in from a 60mile round trip every day so that they could parade around. walk around the 95acre Capitol campus. The cost of that not only was $200.000 just to bring them in. but it was $50.000 to clean up the manure that these horses left on the Capitol grounds. Now. any casual observer of Washington knows that we have our own manure around here and we do not need horses im-. ported so we could have more of it. but that is an example of something we have eliminated. Another thing that we eliminated from the budget was the exchanges with the historic Whaling and Trading Partners program. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4548}
{"speech_id":1090081129,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a $9 million program that was specialized for the folks in Hawaii. Massachusetts. and Alaska. and it was for competitive cultural grants to study the history. of whaling. $9 million. and it was a competitive process. but it only went to three States. so there was not a heck of a lot of competition in it. Then another one is the Robert Byrd Scholarship program. $41 million. Now. the Byrd scholarship program on the surface. it sounds like -a good idea. helps people go to school. it pays $1.500 for a college education. The only problem is we already have a Pell grant. Pell grants pay $4.100 to do the exact same thing. Then there is the Advanced Technology Program. The Advanced Technofogyf Program was to spur research and development of technology in small businesses. Well. the only problem is. 35 percent of the money. and it is a $136 million program. by the way. 35 percent of the money went to Fortune 500 companies such as IBM. General. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4548}
{"speech_id":1090081129,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Electric. and General Motors. hardly small business innovation. Then when the General Accounting Office investigated the whole Advanced Technology Program. they found that all the research dollars that were going on were already being done by the private -sector. not. costing the taxpayers any money. and the duplication was impossible to eliminate. I am going to yield back. because I know the gentlewoman from North Carolina wants to speak. But I want to say that in the appropriations Vrocess. the four programs that I have mentioned. we have eliminated approximately 90 such programs. duplicative. ridiculous. and unnecessary. We have fought back about $61 billion in the last 3 years of spending increases which the gentleman from Wisconsin . the ranking member. and the Democrats have rallied behind year after year. $61 billion. and these are from the people who tell us we are spending too much money. I agree we are spending too much money. but their solution is to spend $61 billion7 more than what we are doing. So there are a lot of things that are going on in the Committee on Appropriations. We want to offset the cost of Katrina. We think the fat is in the budget to do so. and we stand bbhind the good work of Operation Offset. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4548}
{"speech_id":1090081129,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for giving me a few minutes.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4548}
{"speech_id":1090081137,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from Ohio. Before I begin to comment. let me say that over the past..several months I have had. a chance to .observe- the gentleman and the gentleman from Floridaw and the gentlewoman from Florida . They -have done an. extraordinaryjob in reviewing what is happening in America. -.: I \" It is an honor to join the 30Something Group. I think in terms of honesty. I would have to disclose that I am a bit over 30. In fact. if you allow me. I am two members of the 30Something Group because in one body you get 30 times two and maybe a little more.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":576}
{"speech_id":1090081181,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not a big fan of LNG. Right now we need everything we can get. and it. is okay in a pinch. But we buy it from Libya. Algeria. Nigeria. Russia. Do we want to go down the same road we went down with oil. of buying another part of our energy portfolio from countries that do not have real stable governments. that are not exactly good friends of ours. in fact. who are working to form a cartel as we speak. so they can. their terminology is. so we can get a fair price for our natural gas? When you have an abundant supply of your own. I think it is just not an appropriate polic:r. to be going -to foreign countries. and you haveto. build the -most expensive ships. *known to man. You have to build these very controversial ports. I do not know about the ports in the gulf. you- may. but we have a port in Baltimore that I do not think has gotten above 63 percent capacity in utilization. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090081181,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not understand that. When can you buy gas in other countries for $2 or $3. liquify it and bring it here in a ship? Why the ships would not be lined up and why that port would not be accepting all of the gas it could. because it is pretty profitable to go from $2 to $14. but for some reason it is not happening. C5 2340 I have. not been able to get answers on that. but I have asked a lot of people and I do not know whether the ports in the gulf. are they running wide open.","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1372}
{"speech_id":1090081252,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am here this morning to talk about a dangerous flaw in the Medicare prescription drug program that is about to take effect. This flaw is a ticking time bomb for more than 6 million Americans. for our communities and our health care providers. That fuse is going to detonate on January 1. We cannot allow lowincome seniors and the disabled to lose their direct coverage. We cannot leave our doctors and hospitals and nursing homes unprepared for. the biggest change in decades. And we should not be pushing hundreds of thousands of people who need care onto our local communities. We cant wait. We have to fix this problem today. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11418}
{"speech_id":1090081252,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I will be offering an amendment later this morning. I have been working with Senators ROCKEFELLER and BINGAMAN to address the immediate crisis. I thank them for their leadership. I have also introduced my own bill to protect our most vulnerable. It is the Medicare HEALS Act. S. 1822. I have been traveling around my State. I have been meeting with people in Seattle. Lakewood. Yakima. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11418}
{"speech_id":1090081252,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Aberdeen. and Olympia. I want my colleagues to know. everywhere I go. people are angry and confused. And they are very worried. with good reason. One senior told me: Everyone I have talked to is totally confusedmy doctor. my pharmacist. even the Medicare numberyou are supposed to call. Another one said: If we cant understand this. this whole [Medicare] plan is going to fail. Everywhere I went. people were confused. There were questions that I couldnt answer. When I turned to the doctors sitting next to me. they didnt know the answer. And neither did the pharmacists or the patient advocates. If Senators and doctors and experts do not understand this. how can we expect an 80yearold person with serious medical problems to understand this complicated new program? We cant. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11418}
{"speech_id":1090081252,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So we need more time and more resources to make this prescription drug plan work. One person I met with said: Please give us more time. Give us the chance to understand this so we dont make a mistake when we sign up. One panelist told me: Taking away something from those that need it the most . . . is not the American way. I couldnt agree more. That is why I am here this morning to talk. about this. and that is why I -will be offering an amendment shortly after we go -to the bill. I have many concerns with the Medicare prescription drug law. I voted against it in 2003. because I believed that seniors deserve better and that America can do better than that. I am concerned about the complexity.. the coverage gap. whether needed drugs will be covered. I am concerned about retirees losing the good coverage they have today. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11418}
{"speech_id":1090081252,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I am concerned about the late enrollment penalty that is going to punish seniors who need more time to pick the right plan. I am working with many other Senators to address all of those concerns. But today the most urgent problem is the way the new law treats our most vulnerable people. people with low incomes. the disabled. and those facing serious medical challenges like AIDS. This law takes away the critical drug coverage these people have today and puts them into a new program th*at could charge them more money in exchange for less drug coverage. If they dont sign up for a plan. they are randomly assigned one. Either way. the prescriptions they need may not be covered. Because these Americans are living on the financial brink. an interruption of their drug coverage or. a new copayment could keep them from getting the drugs they need to live on. The people who are being affected dont know what is going to happen. The doctors and pharmacists. they dont understand it either. This entire mess is going to burst into the open on January 1. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11418}
{"speech_id":1090081261,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the distinguished Senator from Iowa and I have been conferring on our schedule this morning. We have a number -of amendments lined up. The first amendment will be offered by Senator BYRD on title I. scheduled for 10 oclock. We are pretty close to being on schedule. There may be some intervening business. I want to take this opportunity to urge our colleagues to come to the floor and offer amendments. A cloture motion was filed yesterday with advance noticeto Mll Members. It will be voted on tomorrow. Under the rule. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":705}
{"speech_id":1090081261,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Members have until 1 oclock today to file amendments. At the moment. we have openings in the afternoon. So we urge our colleagues to come forward with their amendments.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":705}
{"speech_id":1090081510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. recently the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent to 42 million Medicare beneficiaries this handbook. \"Medicare & You.\" to describe a myriad of plans providing prescription drug coverage. There are an enormous number of plans in Minnesotaover 40 plans. I have tried to go through the book myself. I have had my staff try to explain it to me. I think I am a reasonably intelligent American. but this is extremely complicated and it will be very challenging to many Medicare beneficiaries. That is going to be compounded by the fact that there is a very serious error in the tables that will apply to 17 million Americans whose incomes are low enough that they qualify for partial subsidy for their premiums. The question in the column heading is \"If I qualify for extra help. will my. full premium be covered?\" Under every single plan. the answer is listed as \"yes.\" That is incorrect. Only about 40 percent of the plan offerings--those with premiums below the regional averagewill be covered. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1433}
{"speech_id":1090081510,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The other 60 percent will be only covered up to that amount. and anything above that the beneficiary has to pay. but that is incorrectly described here. Yet CMS refuses to correct the error by a subsequent mailing. My ameiidment requires them to do so and would transfer such funds as necessary from their administrative accounts so it is offset. It is essential to all beneficiaries and the integrity of the plan.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1433}
{"speech_id":1090081537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is the first time I have seen this amendment. This is setting up a congressional commission on expanding social service delivery options. I have no problem with that. But the way it is spelled out and everything. I would ask the Senator from Pennsylvania. the author of the amendment. has this been brought up before the authorizing committee? Has there been any hearing on this? Has there ever been a hearing on this. or has the authorizing committee acted on this at all? This is authorization on an appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":542}
{"speech_id":1090081569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this has been cleared with Senator HARKIN. It relates to the Diversity Visa Fairness Act and strikes the language that allows aliens to only be eligible for immigrant visas during the fiscal year in which they apply. and makes the applicants eligible for immigrant visas despite the end of the fiscal year.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":321}
{"speech_id":1090081588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that at 4:05. there be 10 minutes equally divided with respect to the two pending LIHEAP amendments. provided further that following that time. the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the following amendments: Senator REID. 2194. Senator GREGG. 2253 as modified. Senator DODD. 2254. Senator CLINTON. 2292. Senator COBURN. 2232. \u0095provided further there be no seconddegree amendments in order to the listed amendments prior to the votes. and prior to the vote it be in order for Senator SPECTER to modify the Gregg amendment on his behalf. And I further ask there be 2 minutes for debate equally divided between each of the votes listed after the first vote. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":792}
{"speech_id":1090081588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask that after the first vote. the votes be 10 minutes instead of 15 minutes.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":792}
{"speech_id":1090081646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.President. I simply note that this amendment increases the funding for the lowincome assistance program by $1.27 billion. which is the number 41 Senators asked for the amount of increase. That means the program will effectively have been increased by about 48 percent. It will allow for the program to be held harmless. and. in fact. it will probably put extra money into the program beyond holding it harmless. In addition. this is paid for. so we are setting priorities. We are not passing this additional spending on to our children through debt. which means it is not subject to a point of order. In addition. it is the responsible way to approach this. As a practical matter. if you expect to increase the funding for lowincome assistance programs. this will be your best vote to doit because this will only take 51 votes. the other votes took 60.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":855}
{"speech_id":1090081925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to pay tribute to a great American. former Congressman Edward Roybal. who passed away. on October 24. 2005. at the age of 89. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family. especially to his daughter. my friend and colleague. Congresswoman LUCILLE ROYBALALLARD. As -his friends and family gather to pay tribute and celebrate Eds remarkable life. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in paying tribute to the memory of this outstanding public servant. Ed Roybal devoted over 50 yearsof his life to public service. 30 of those years as a Member of -the House of Representatives from 1962 to 1992. During that time. Ed was a steadfast advocate on behalf of those without a voice. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090081925,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His long and distinguished career in public service began in 1942. Having returned to Los Angeles. upon completion of military service. he became a director of health education for the Los Angeles County Tuberculosis and Health Association. In 1949. he established the Community Service Organization to advocate for the rights of minorities in the areas of housing. employment. and education. That same year. he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council where he served until 1962. When Ed was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1962. he was the first Hispanic from California to serve in Congress since the 1879 election of Romualdo Pacheco. During his three decades of service in the House. Ed worked tirelessly to protect the rights of minorities. the elderly. and the physically challenged. Together with Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas. he championed the 1968 Bilingual Education Act to assist the Nations schools in meeting the educational needs of children who come from nonEnglish speaking homes. Later. he worked to establish a Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for Spanish- speaking people. Ed Roybal was a national leader for the Latino Community. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090081925,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1976. he became one of the founding members of Octobdr 26. 2005 the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and served as its first chairman. Ed also played an important role in the passing of legislation to outlaw age discrimination. and he worked for numerous benefits and opportunities for those with handicaps. Ed also continued to champion healthcare issues throughout his career in Congress. He led efforts to fund Americas first AIDS research and treatment programs and was instrumental in renewing legislation to provide medical service to people with Alzheimers disease. In recognition of his leadership on health care issues. the county of Los Angeles opened the Edward R. Roybal Clinic in East Los Angeles in 1976. Over the course of .his life. Ed cofounded several other organizations to increase civic participation of Hispanics. including the National Association of Latino Elected Officials and the Mexican American Political Association. Ed Roybal was a true leader and pioneer for the City of Los Angeles. the State of California. and for the national Latino community. I feel very lucky to have known him. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090081925,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know my colleagues join me in extending to his family our deepest sympathy and condolences. He will le greatly missed.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3119}
{"speech_id":1090081936,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in recognition of Veterans Day to pay tribute to the men and women that have served our country as members of the U.S. Armed Forces. I join my colleagues and those across Michigan and our country in reflecting upon the meaning of this day and the service of our fellow Americans. I often have the pleasure of meeting with Michigans proud community of veterans. I have also been privileged to welcome home members of our armed services and the Michigan National Guard and reserves serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. These men and women are a credit to.our great State. their communities. and their families. Americas men and women in the military give their time. and in many cases life and limb. to serve our country. Todays soldiers. sailors. airmen. and marines are tomorrows veterans and we owe them our gratitude for their service.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090081946,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I intend to move to suspend rule XXII with respect to germaneness for consideration of my amendment which expresses the Sense of the Senate that the Secretary of the Treasury should ensure that existing Federal employment preferences for disabled veterans and Federal policies promoting opportunities for other disabled persons are carried forward as a part of any tax collection contract program.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":412}
{"speech_id":1090081959,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Revisiting Proposals to Split the Ninth Circuit: An Inevitable Solution to a Growing Problem\" on Wednesday. October 26. 2005 at 2:30 p.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Witness List Panel I: Circuit Judge Diarmuid OScannlain. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Portland. OR. Circuit Judge Richard Tallman. U.S. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090081959,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Seattle. WA. Chief- Judge Mary Schroeder U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Phoenix. AZ. and Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Pasadena CA. Panel II: Circuit Judge Andrew Kleinfeld U.S. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090081959,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Fairbanks. AK. District Judge John Roll. U.S. District Court. District of Arizona. Tuscon. AZ. Circuit Judge Sidney T. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090081959,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thomas. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Billings. MT. and Chief Judge Emeritus Marilyn Huff. U.S. District Court. Southern District. CA. San Diego. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090081959,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CA.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090081983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. October 27. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3010. the LaborHHS appropriations bill. and the time until 10 a.m. be equally divided between the majority and minority. I further ask unanimous consent that at 10 a.m.. the Senate proceed to a vote on the motion to invoke cloture. I further ask that Senators have until 10 a.m. to file seconddegree amendments.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":671}
{"speech_id":1090081996,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. every day on the floor. we have much spirited debate. Often there is some agreement. But I think there is one thing that every Member of this Chamber can agree. the needless loss to waterborne disease of a child every 15 seconds. Four children will die before I finish my 1minute here this morning. This sum is a tragedy that we must and should act to avert. The good news is it is something we can change. We can make water and sanitation. a cornerstone of United States foreign aid policy. We have legislation moving through our House International Relations Committee. passed unanimously. that would make this important change. There is legislation on the other body. encouragingly introduced by both the majority leader and the minority leader. that is parallel in nature. Yesterday. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1146}
{"speech_id":1090081996,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman HYDE and I invited each Member of the House to join over 60 other bipartisan cosponsors to add their names to H.R. 1973. the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. This critical bipartisan legislation will enable the United States to fulfill our international obligation and prevent this tragic. unnecessary loss of life around the world.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1146}
{"speech_id":1090081999,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I rise in opposition to the proposed Republican budget cuts and the .harmful impact that will have on women across the country. The Republican budget slashes Medicaid by $10 billion. a vital program for the health and welfare of women of all ages. It provides essential care such as -family planning. breast and cervical -cancer treatment. and care for disabled women to more than 16 million women. including approximately 10 million women of childbearing age. In California alone. in my State. over 3.7 million women of all ages are enrolled in Medicaid and 1.3 million Medicaid beneficiaries are recipients in Los Angeles County. Medicaid ensures that women receive a full spectrum of maternity coverage. including prenatal. labor. delivery. and postpartum care. Medicaid is one of the largest sources of funding for women over the age of 80 living in nursing homes. covering nursing home costs and longterm care services. These facts demonstrate that Medicaid is a significant health safety net program for women. The proposed Republican budget cuts billions from Medicaid. I urge my colleagues to reject the Medicaid budget cuts and to provide full funding for women and their children and for the vital safety of children. EJ 1015","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1256}
{"speech_id":1090082014,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are soon going to debate how we pay for the relief for the devastating hurricanes that hit our gulf coast. There are only three ways: Either. number one. we are going to raise taxes yet again on the American people. number two. we are going to pass debt on to our children. or. number three. we are going to moderate the growth of the Federal budget so that families do not have to moderate the growth of their budget. Now. you have heard the Democrats claim that somehow the Republicans want to cut. slash. and burn the Federal budget. Since I have been on the face of the planet. the Federal budget has grown seven times faster than the family budget. How much Federal Government do we neeol? And even if we offset all of this hurricane spending. what most people view as mandatory welfare spending will end up growing at 6.3 percent. instead of 6.4 percent. Compassion for the poor is not measured by the number of government checks you print. It is measured by the number of jobs you create. Under tax relief policies and economic growth policies. of this administration and this Republican Congress. we have created over 4 million new jobs so that families can go out and do their spending and create their American Dream..","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1244}
{"speech_id":1090082030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is right out there in front of everybody: Republicans are good on policy and. evidently. the Democrats do not like the politics. The policy is what this Financial Services Committee is all about.. That is why they produced this great bill. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes at this time to the gentleman from Florida who serves on that committee.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":360}
{"speech_id":1090082035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as- I may consume. I am very disappointed that the gentleman from Maryland referred to this as a closed rule. when in fact he knows it is not a closed rule. The gentleman from Maryland understands that what we have done and undertaken in this rule is the opportunity that would allow any Member. but in particular a Member of the minority. a chance to vote on a managers amendment. a motion to recommit. and certainly final passage.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":470}
{"speech_id":1090082044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman from Texas for yielding. I rise in support of the rule. rise in support of the bill. and I also want to note that governmentsponsored enterprise reform is way overdue. and it does pose a systemic risk to our financial system. Also I want to commend- Chairman OXLEY. Chairman BAKER and also Ranking Member FRANK for all of the work they have put into bringing this bill to this point. Mr. Speaker. I would like to discuss briefly an amendment that I had offered. that was adopted by the committee by voice vote back in May. That amendment adds an important disclosure requirement to ensure that shareholders are fully informed on the charitable giving practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. ","speaker_name":"PAUL GILLMOR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1472}
{"speech_id":1090082044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The language would authorize the Federal Housing Finance Agency to require that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac make publicly available each year the total value of contributions .made to nonprofit organizations during the previous fiscal year. and it would also request specific disclosures on donations to insideraffiliated charities. The -hou~ing GSEs. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. were established by congressional charter and give special privileges to provide a service to the American people by creating a secondary mortgage market and increasing liquidity.. Given their unique status and responsibility to improve access to the housing market. it is both their shareholders and the publics right to know how these profits are being spent.","speaker_name":"PAUL GILLMOR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1472}
{"speech_id":1090082055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to. the. rule on H.R. 1461. It adds an antiminority. antifamily provision that was not included in any of the sections of the legislation I supported in committee. The rule will prohibit nonprofit groups involved in voter registration and getoutthevote activities from receiving money from the affordable housing fund created by the bill. It will negatively impact good civic organizations in my district such as Amigos del Valle. National Council of La Raza. and Catholic and faithbased organizations.. This rule is strongly opposed by large Latino groups. including NALEO. LULAC. NCLR. and.others. ","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090082055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The newly added provision is included in the managers amendment and appears to be aimed at suppressing the civic engagement of low- and moderateincome and minority families. I respectfully urge that these provisions be removed before the amendment and bill come to the House floor for a vote. I will insert at this point in the RECORD two letters to Speaker HASTERT. One is dated October 24. 2005. by NCLR. LULAC. and the League of United Latin American Citizens. The second. letter is from the Jesuit Conference. and that letter is signed by the Reverend Bradley Schaeffer.","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090082059,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support for the underlying bipartisan bill on GSEs. but in strong opposition to the rule that was put in at the last minute. a provision that prevents any nonprofit recipient of a housing grant from conducting nonpartisan civic voter registration. This is an outrageous. undemocratic provision that imposes restrictions on promoting the most fundamental of our civil liberties. the right to vote. Of all our rights. this is the one that our Founding Fathers held most dear. What in the world are we doing today in this Congress in an attempt to limit this great right on which our country was founded? Restricting the right of nonprofits in this way violates these organizations first amendment rights. Voter ID. civic awareness. civic activities are protected by the first amendment. Yet this provision forbids any nonprofits from even applying for a grant if they have encouraged voting in the recent past. There is absolutely no justification for preventing nonprofits efforts to encourage civic activities such as voting. Many faithbased organizations. including the Catholic Church. the Presbyterian Church. the American Jesuit Conference. have come out in opposition to this provision. and I will place in the RECORD at this point a. list of these organizations that have come out in opposition to this provision.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1342}
{"speech_id":1090082149,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am very proud of the committee print of H.R. 1461. legislation designed to improve the regulatory structure of the Government Sponsored Enterprises. GSEs. I am pleased that two amendments I offered at markup are part of the bill. One of my amendments preserves the minority component of the single family housing goals relating to underserved areas. with a major improvement in its implementation. My other amendment provides protection from liability for a GSE that makes reports to its regulator concerning transactions involving fraudulent loans or financial instruments.-This provision was modeled after the protection from potential liability for such reports that banking institutions currently have under the Bank Secrecy Act. . . H.R. 1461 also contains a muchneeded expension of Fannie and Freddies affordable housing goals. The legislation directs each company to establish and manage an affordable housing fund to promote affordable housing and assist victims of .Hurricane Katrina. The GSEs would devote 3.5 percent of after tax profits to the fund beginning in 2006. which increases to 5 percent annually beginning in 2007. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7653}
{"speech_id":1090082149,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1989. in the FIRREA legislation. we created a similar Affordable Housing Program in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. The AHP requires the FHLBs to devote 10 percent of each years net profits as grants for affordable housing projects sponsored by their member financial institutions. The AHPs success can be measured by the fact that today it constitutes the largest private source of funding for affordable housing and community development projects. In my hometown of Chicago. the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicagos AHP plays a key role in local efforts .to address the housing needs of low- and moderateincome families by providing financial assistance for rental and owneroccupied housing. assisted living facilities. senior housing developments. homeless sheltersand group homes. In 2004 alone. the Chicago FHLB awarded $32.1 million of subsidies to 109 projeats in Illinois and Wisconsin. and another 15 projects in other States. As aresult. 5.680 housing units were created or rehabilitated. of which 58 percent were for very lowincome households. Another $10.4 million was funded in downpayment assistance to help 2.278 families buy their first home in Illinois or Wisconsin. While these figures are impressive. numbers do not quite tell the whole story. Let me describe one AHP project in the Humboldt Park\/ West Town area of Chicago to provide a better sense of the impact these programs can have in their local communities. Joly Hernandez and Jose Rodriguez. with their children Imani and Albert. lived in Chicagos Humboldt Park\/West Town community. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7653}
{"speech_id":1090082149,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Like many. they wanted a larger apartment. but could not afford the higher rent due the dramatic rise in the cost of housing in the area. In the 1990s. with increlsed recognition of Humboldt Park as an attractive. artistfriendly neighborhood and historic district. -property values soared. and affordable rental housing was lost to speculators and developers of expensive luxury condos and singlefamily homes. In 1994. Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation. BRC. a nonprofit. communitybased affordable housing developer and property.. manager began the arduous task of planning the Harold Washington Unity Cooperative to address the loss of affordable housing in the Humboldt Park\/West Town area. Despite the increase of new construction and housing renovation in the area. a few pockets remained undeveloped. BRC knew that if the vacant land and neglected buildings were not immediately claimed for affordable housing. more longtime residents would be displaced. A project was planned to develop 87 housing units in 18 buildings over 10 sites in a formerly blighted fourblock area bordered by Kedzie Avenue. Albany Avenue. Chicago Avenue and Ohio Street. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7653}
{"speech_id":1090082149,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All 87 units in the Cooperative will remain affordable to households earning 50 percent or less of the area median income for at least 15 years. The total cost of the project was almost $14 million. The Chicago FHLB. working through Bank One. which sponsored the projects application. provided an AHP grant of $500.000. In addition. the project received financing from CDBG funds through the City of Chicago. Trust Funds from the Illinois Housing and Development Agency. Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Illinois State Tax Credits. an Empowerment Zone grant. a Tax Increment Financing. TIF. loan and first mortgage financing. Ten years after its original conception. the Harold Washington Unity Cooperative stands as an enviable display of community pride. determination and opportunity. Because of the hard work and dedication of BRC. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7653}
{"speech_id":1090082149,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Joly.. Jose and their two children now live in a new home in their old neighborhood. They also belong to the Bickerdike Residents Council and feel a strong sense of community and camaraderie with their neighbors. Extending this program to Fannie and Freddie is long overdue. has overwhelming bipartisan support. and I look forward to similar success stories once this legislation is implemented. Those of us on the Committee have worked very hard to ensure that the fund can only be used for affordable housing purposes. It cannot be used for political advocacy or lobbying either by the receiving entity or a third party affiliated with them. It cannot be used for counseling services or tax preparation or travel expenses. administrative costs or anything -that is outside of the GSE charter. It can only be used for affordable housing purposes. But apparently that was not enough for a small minority of radical conservative members. who insisted on inserting a provision restricting nonpartisan civic activities by nonprofits. This language would prohibit nonprofit organizations (as well as any affiliate of the nonprofit) \u0095 from using their own funds.to engage in nonpartisan voter registration or getoutthevote activities. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7653}
{"speech_id":1090082273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman. simply stated. the amendment would ensure a continued independent public voice in the corporate governance of Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac. and the Federal Home Loan BaAks. The amendment also has had bipartisan support in the Committee on Financial Services. It additionally now has the support of the National Association of Homebuilders and the National Association of Realtors. The bill before us would make a dramatic change in the board structures of the three governmentsponsored enterprises. and this issue deserves a public debate. The charters of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac presently require that the boards of both enterprises shall at all","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":719}
{"speech_id":1090082276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I just wanted to add my voice. The ranking member of the subcommittee has spent a good deal of time focused on the corporate governance of these GSEs. He is one of the best students ever in the House. This is a very thoughtful and. I think. whcilly constructive amendment. It does not detract from any of the purposes that we have. In fact. I think it would enhance them. and I hope the amendment is adopted. .","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":426}
{"speech_id":1090082340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my heartfelt congratulation to the Delegate from the District of Columbia. I rise to pay homage to the honorable. Rosa Parks. a woman who I honored in this Chamber when I first came to Congress with a resolution creating the Congressional Gold Medal for Mrs. Rosa Parks and a big ceremony that was held in the rotunda. Throughout that ceremony. she retained a great deal of humility and appreciation and said to me. I do not deserve this medal for myself. but I deserve it as it is necessary for all the people of the United States to understand the struggle. the fact that while I sat there. it brought attention to the United States that even though we had written years ago. liberty and justice for all people. it still had not come through to -fruition. My heart hurt tonight when you passed the legislation that would deny notforprofits the right to register voters. That was the most insidious inclusion in the housing bill that I have ever seen in all the week that we celebrate the life of Rosa Parks. who strove hard for voting rights and voting registration. that we would take it away from them. especially during this time of year. Rosa Parks is very near and dear to me. ","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4461}
{"speech_id":1090082340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She represents what many of our beautiful people of color represent in the United- States of America. I would hope that if we are sincere about recognizing the life -and the work of a woman who lived not just because. but lived for a cause. one of which was voter registration and voting opportunities for all people. that we would withdraw that insidious part of that bill that denies notforprofits to register voters in a nonprofit. nonpartisan way to enable them to be able to vote in elections. That is so important. We do it for places across the waters. and there is no better way that we can salute Mrs. Parks than to allow free and open registration for \"people in the United States of America. I would encourage that we do that. I thank the Delegate from the District of Columbia for allowing me the opportunity to take a little part of this celebration of a Federal building in Detroit to express my sentiments and respect for a woman that I loved dearly and appreciate the long life that God granted to her. Today we pause to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Rosa Parks. the Mother of Americas Civil Rights Movement. It was on a bitterly cold day in December 1955 when an unknown seamstress in Montgomery. ","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4461}
{"speech_id":1090082340,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Alabama forever changed the course of American history. In the face of vicious racism and entrenched segregation. Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Her quiet courage inspired a 381day bus boycott that brought the issue of legal segregation into the national consciousness and launched the beginning of the modem civil rights movement in America. Today. her simple act of defiance continues to symbolize the power of nonviolent protest. Rosa Parks actions on that bus a halfcentury ago marked only the beginning- of what became a lifelong fight for equal rights. Along with her husband Raymond. she was an active member of the NAACP. serving first as secretary and later as adviser to the NAACP youth council. For over 20 years she faithfully served the people of Detroit on the staff of my colleague. Congressman JOHN CONYERS. In 1987 she established a training school for Detroit teenagers known as the Rosa and Raymond. ","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4461}
{"speech_id":1090082340,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Parks Institute for SelfDevelopment. The Institute is noted for developing a special program for young people age 1118 called Pathways to Freedom. Children in the program travel across the country tracing the Underground Railroad. visiting the scenes of critical events in the civil rights movement. tracing their heritage. and learning aspects of Americas history. Five years ago I had the. privilege of introducing. legislation that authorized President Clinton to award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. Standing in the Capitol Rotunda as such an extraordinary: woman received the Nations highest civilian award was one of my greatest honors as a Member of Congress. and as an American. In keeping with her humble manner and unerring devotion to justice. Mrs. Parks used the occasion to call on the Nations youth to continue her struggle until all people have equal rights. Rosa Parks was an American hero. While we honor her life here in Congress today. may we honor her legacy by always remembering that justice is a right we must never take for granted.","speaker_name":"JULIA CARSON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4461}
{"speech_id":1090082350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this motion. I think it is important for conservatives and Republicans to speak up at this moment because they did not speak up back in the- 1950s when they should have. I think that this is a fitting moment for this conservative to offer his apology to all those who were -active with Rosa Parks in. the civil rights movement for not being as supportive asI should have been as well asother conservatives who I know. At that time many conservatives were blinded by thestupidity of the arguments presented to us called \"States rights.\" which was a bunch of balohey. and we know that now. We know that the people who really were offering that argument. many of them had evil hearts and sinful hearts. and that they hate their fellow human beings and were trying to just oppose the -efforts to perfect our country and to make it what our Founding Fathers and Mothers dreamed it would be. a land of liberty and justice for all. Rosa Parks and the other activists in the civil rights movement at that time were doing their part to try to make our country better. to try to live up to its ideals. So as we name this Federal building.. as we talk about this tonight andhonor this great lady. I think it is fitting for those Republican conserv\u0095atives to realize we did not do what was right backthen. ","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1705}
{"speech_id":1090082350,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We recognize it. and we will make sure to do what is right in the future. I thank the people who have spoken today. I thank the gentleman from California for reminding us of what hypocrisy really was. and that we really should not be hypocrites in our lives. and we should speak out strongly for wonderful people who gave their lives trying to make this country a better place:","speaker_name":"DANA ROHRABACHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":46.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1705}
{"speech_id":1090082352,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"York. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for her comments and the comments of all of our colleagues tonight on both sides of the aisle. I continue to supp6it this bill. as I know everybody intlis Chamber does. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN KUHL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090082360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution today to commend the great State of Israel on being selected as the Vice President of the 60th UN General Assembly. When Israel became a vice president last month. the significance of Israels first selection to the vicepresidency in 53 years was noted by all. It Is a reflection of each nominating countrys confidence in Israels commitment to peace in the Middle East. and a reflection of Israels continued relation building with Muslim states throughout the region. When I traveled to Israel this past August. I was able to witness firsthand Israels true dedication to achieving peace through a two state solution with the Palestinians. I believe that Israels selection to the vicepresidency is a true testament to Israels continued growth as a key country in the worlds march towards peace. Once again. I congratulate Israel on its selection and current service as a vice president and look forward to the future as Israel continues to be a central figure at the United N4tions.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1030}
{"speech_id":1090082382,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from California. and I appreciate the work that you. all have done. I rise in strong support of this legislation and also to commend everyone on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol who helped develop this legislation in the recent months. The legislation before us will correct an unintended.consequence of the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. Under that 2000 act passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law.4y President Clinton. the United States will soon find itself unable to manage many of its investments in space and unable to continue to develop and conduct vital scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station. Under that 2000 act. by next April. NASA would be severely limited in its ability to maintain an American scientific crew on the ISS. let alone monitor the billions of dollars in investments that the American people have made in the program. The bill before us will carve outan exemption in the 2000 act for NASAs relationships with Russian companies that build and maintain the vehicles and machinery that provide the services that help us in our partnership with them on the International Space Station. Among the most critical of these relationships are those that allow American astronauts access to the Russian Soyuz. a crew rescue vehicle. docking components for our own spacecraft. and other critical equipment and services. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090082382,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United States permanent presence in 9pace today depends on our ongoing partnership with the Russian Federal Space Agency and other international partners. The Presidents new vision for space exploration depends on Americas investment and involvement in the ISS sothat we can develop the science necessary to prepare our astronauts for longterm exposure to microgravity and radiation. The experiments planned in coming years aboard the ISS can only be conducted in space. and NASAs future missions to the Moon and Mars depend on -those experiments. Meanwhile. the potential gap between the retirement of the space shuttle and the deployment of NASAs new crew exploration vehicle would. without this legislation. leave the United States without continual access to space at a time at the end of this decade when we need it the most. This bill ensures NASA has the flexi-. bility it needs to meet Americas chal-: lenges in space. I urge all Members to support it.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090082386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Committee on International Relations. and a member of the Committee on Science. and as a member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. and. in. fact. the ranking member of International Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee. I am well aware of the conflict of two goals of the Federal Government. One of those is to meet our obligations to the international space station.- The other is to use every device possible to try to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to try to prevent Russia from assisting in that process. For me. these goals are not of equal weight. The supreme goal and objective and obligation of the Federal Government is to protect our people. Iranian nuclear weapons could be smuggled into our cities. and I would say that we should adopt no legislation and leave on the books current law that puts one objective. and that is limiting Iranian nuclear weapons. as the sole objective that is embodied in our statutes. But. in fact. some balance is going to be struck. and it is not going to be the overwhelming balance that I would strike. a balance in favor of doing everything possible to limit Iranian nuclear weapons development and giving far less weight to -meeting our international space station obligations. I want to take this opportunity to commend the ranking member and the chairman of the Committe6 on International Relations and of the Committee on Science and the gentleman from California for doing a very good job of trying to narrowly tailor this legislation. to try to balance those two goals in not the way I would. but in a way that I have to concede is reasonable. And for that rea\"son I will not ask for a recorded vote on this bill. ","speaker_name":"BRAD SHERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090082386,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I recognize that if this bill does not pass in this form. it is as likely to get worse as it is to get better because. in fact. my colleagues have labored very effectively and have taken some input from me to create a bill which is tailored to the twin objectives. Now. I would hope the day would come when the President of the United States could certify to this Nation that Russia is doing everything possible to help us prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and in any case was not helping Iran to develop those terrible weapons. But until that day comes. present law says that we cannot contract with agencies of the Russian Government space program no matter what for various spacerelated activities. As I understand this bill in its final revised form. and I see most of the principal authors of the. amendment to it here on the floor. and I know the rest will correct the record tomorrow if I misstate anything. but I Would yield to anyone here to correct me if I am wrong. the bill in its present form creates a very limited exception to present law. It allows NASA to contract with Russian Government space agencies only when those agencies are the only available seller of goods and services necessary to meet our obligations to the international space station. There are two important aspects of that understanding. One is the language that I said. the only available seller of essential goods and services. That is to say this bill does not authorize us to turn a blind eye to Russian space agency cooperation with the nuclear plans of Tehran just because the Russian space agency is the. cheapest or the most convenient or a few days faster. It allows us to ignore those important Iran nonproliferation goals only when it is absolutely necessary and only when necessary to meet our own obligations to the space station. not obligations of other countries. ","speaker_name":"BRAD SHERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090082386,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To reiterate. not only is this bill limited to situations where it is necessary. not merely convenient. for us to contract with the Russian space agency. but it is also a requirement that we are meeting our obligations to the international space station. not- a circumstance when we are paying the Russians to meet their own obligations or the obligations of some other country. So I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. And to put* it in context. I think this bill does a good job of striking what is the best balance we are likely to see in this legislative process between our goals.","speaker_name":"BRAD SHERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4202}
{"speech_id":1090082406,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to recall the life of Sam C. Smith. former mayor of Cartersville. Georgia. president of Century Bank. and a lifelong community activist who leaves behind an everlasting legacy of service to his hometown. Sam is survived by his wife. Connie Hill Smith. and his three children. Ginny. Taylor. and Drew. Sams untimely death this past weekend is deeply felt by the entdre Cartersville community. and I would like to share some of his accomplishments here today. Sam lived life with a passion for everything he did. and he worked tirelessly for the betterment of. his community. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4042}
{"speech_id":1090082406,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Never a man with small dreams or goals. Sam served as mayor of Cartersville from 1998 to 2002. and his tenure exemplified the kind of work that can be achieved when a citys leader is committed. involved. and enthusiastic about making his city a better place to live. .However. Sams involvement in his community far outdates his rise to mayor. Sam Smith was a true fixture in Cartersville. and his shoes will be hard ones to fill. This is a man who earlier today was laid to rest less than a mile from the place where he was born 58 years ago. After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in finance. Sam quickly became a shining star for the Bartow County -community.. In 1972. he was named Cartersvilles Outstanding Young Man- of the Year. and. in 1979. he was named one- of five Outstanding Young Men in the State of Georgia by the Georgia Jaycees. These. early accolades were followed by years *of service to the community that honored him. At the age of 26. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4042}
{"speech_id":1090082406,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sam became president of Bartow County Bank. making him the youngest bank president in the State of. Georgia. His distinguished tenure lasted for 20 years. More recently. he cofounded and served as president of Century Bank. the position he held at the time of his death. Sam Smith exemplified that \"personal banker\" we value in a bank. So many people remember Sam as a banker who gave them their first loan. their first job. or that first vote. of confidence in their new home or business. Sam was also intimately involved in community organizations. He served as president of the CartersvilleBartow Chamber of Commerce in the early 1980s and as chairman of. the Georgia Bar Association Committee on Fee Arbitration in the 1990s. At the time of his death. Sam was chairman of the Independent Bankers Associations Bank Services Committee. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4042}
{"speech_id":1090082406,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sam Smiths community involvement weit well beyond the financial sector. He helpedbring a new Georgia. Highlands College campus . to Cartersville. and was an active memberof Sam Jones United Methodist Church. and was an avid supporter of Cartersvilles high school athletics.. Just. 12 days ago I was honored to be his guest at the CartersvilleCarrollton football game. Sam knew every Purple Hurricane by first name. Last night I attended Sams wake. and I was reminded. of the impact a leader can have on the community he serves. Everyone shared words of praise. joyful memories. and personal stories I know will be told for many years to come. It is fitting that the current mayor of Cartersville. a job Sam .held with such honor. eloquently captured the spirit of Sam Smith this week. Cartersville mayor Mike Fields commented. \"I cant think of anybody else who cadrd more about this city than Sam Smith. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4042}
{"speech_id":1090082406,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Very few people put as much heart and soul into the city than Sam. His accomplishments speak for themselves. but it will take an awful lot of effort from a lot of folks to replace what he did.\" Madam Speaker. the residents of Cartersville. Georgia. were fortunate to have Sam leading their community. He made Bartow County a better place to live. to do business. even cheer on a local baseball team. It was a privilege to know him. and his presence will be deeply missed. . Madam Speaker. todayBartow County said goodbye to*a favorite son. I offer my condolences to his family. his friends. and his beloved community. I know that while Sam Smith is no longer with us. his legacy will continue for many years to come.:","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4042}
{"speech_id":1090082436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for his .statement and for his service and for all of the wonderful people that he represents. I add my thanks to folks that wear the uniform. They are our very best citizens. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Fort Benning. Georgia . who has done such a wonderful job on the Armed Services Committee and then moved on. but still has us in his heart. I thank the gentleman for all of the help that he gives.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":450}
{"speech_id":1090082465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. Americans honor the life and legacy of Rosa Parks. Born in Tuskegee. Alabama. in 1914. Rosa Parks would become one of the most influential names in Americas Civil Rights movement. In December 1955. in Montgomery. Alabama. after a long day.of work at a local department store. Rosa Parks paid her fare and took a seat on the bus. When she was asked to move to the back of the bus so that white passengers could take her seat. she refused. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1011}
{"speech_id":1090082465,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Through her quiet yet courageous action. Rosa Parks will forever remain a lasting example of dignity and nonviolent protest in the quest for equality. By refusing to go to the back of the bus. she moved Americaforward. And by refusing to stand up and yield. she empowered future generations to stand up for themselves and their civil liberties. Rosa Parks not only helped change the laws of our country. she helped transform the hearts and minds of the American people. which has helped lead America closer toward the goal of a truly colorblind society.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1011}
{"speech_id":1090082486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. that is the only way we are going to get. better. We were calling directly to the FEMA director about this individual assistance. You call the 800 number. and the folks of Texas and Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama. I think they kind of know about that FEMA 1800 number. I am going to put it to you this way. We had to talk to the director. Obviously. I am going to tell you something. I am going to be the first one to tell you. when Michael Brown left. well. he did not leave. he is still on. and I want to talk about that. when Michael Brown was removed. it is almost humorous. but it is sad. when he was moved from the director to whatever job he has now. at the same pay rate. okay. you are rewarded for not doing your job under this whole culture of corruption and cronyism. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10287}
{"speech_id":1090082486,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because I can tell you right now. folks know that if you were at the helm of the ship and you did not know what to do or how to do it and you did not have the credentials. that you were not only fired. but you were fired yesterday. not. hey. you know something. you are doing a horrible job. but we are going to pay you at the same rate the day before we knew that you were not capable of doing the job. and not only that. we are going to extend you. because under this whole thing of cronyism. this is what we do. It will be okay- if it was a private company somewhere that decided todo that for a member of that company. because it was in their prerogative. It is their money. they make their own money. But when you are using the taxpayers money to commend cronyism and incompetence. I have a problem with that. I do not think I need to be a Democrat or Republican to have a problem with that. I just need to be an American taxpayer that has a big problem with that. How does this happen? It happens because it bubbles up from the bottom to the top. or I am going to say from the top it bubbles down from the top to the bottom. If the President is doing it. it is okay for the department heads to do it. if the department heads can do it. assistant secretaries can do it. if assistant secretaries can do it. area regional coordinators dan do if. if regional coordinators can do it. it can go all the way down to the person that is making the decision in FEMA to foot drag or not. because they are okay. Because if you are going to preserve a Michael Brown in the Federal Emergency Management Agency. then guess who also is being preserved around here? I mean. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10287}
{"speech_id":1090082486,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cannot even imagine for the folks not under the spotlight that are being preserved and rewarded under this culture of corruption and cronyism. And I do not use this corruption and cronyism lightly. because there is a big cloud over Washington. D.C. right now about outing CIA agents. and not a mumbling word from the Congress about it. Not a mumbling word. I can tell you one thing: If there was a Democrat in the White House and the Republican Congress. as it .is right now. we would have to hold Members of Congress back from the gates of the White House. under this whole thing of outing a clandestine agent working to find out more about weapons of mass destruction to harm this country. So. I say to the Congresswoman. this goes a lot deeper than just .the regular Potomac twostep that is going on in Washington. It has gone to a whole other level. The reason why we were on him on individual assistance to get better. it is because we are a part of trying to make- FEMA right. We are a part of trying to make our government work. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10287}
{"speech_id":1090082486,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we work and when we call and when we plead with Members of Congress and we talk to the department heads and say. listen. grant individual assistance. We already.know we are eligible. Just do it so folks will know we are responding. \"Well. we are doing assessments of the assessments. and I havent heard back from the people that went out in the field.\" Let me tell you. Mr. Speaker. thank God for the National Guard: I talked to them. They said listen. anyone from FEMA. who needs to do anything about getting us more. we will fly you down. we will do whatever we have to do. You could go up in a helicopter in 5 minutes and counts 800 homes and it is over. But. no. this Congresswoman here had to get in a car with a gentleman. andI commended those frontline workers when I first started this hour. I think the first responders should be commended. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10287}
{"speech_id":1090082486,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are the individuals that do what they are supposed to do. I think the FEMA folks on the ground are trying to do* the best they can. They were going out. trying to do whatever they have to do to make it happen. Let us be happy for them. police officers. National Guard. But. you know something? It comes down to the management of making it work. If you go to a Burger King or McDonalds. I am not picking on them. a fast food establishment. and things are not moving the way it is supposed to be moving. I cannot be inad at the guy on fries. I have to be upset with the manager standing there with a tie on looking important. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10287}
{"speech_id":1090082488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congresswoman. the issue is the fact that if folks would say. well. why are the Democrats not doing something? They may well. I do not know. maybe they are saying what they should be doing and they are not doing. Guess what? I just want to remind the Members just in case. Mr. Speaker. someone bumped their head and has a little amnesia going on. the Republicancontrolled Senate. Republicancontrolled House. a -majority. okay? A Republicancontrolled White House. That is legislative. and executive branch. all right? They are in control of this government. The bottom line is in the minority. as it relates to the rules. they cannot agenda bills here on the Floor. they cannot call committee meetings. They cannot even get votes to take place here on this floor. and within the time that it is supposed to take place. especially when the majority is not on the prevailing side. because it is bad policy that they are passing. All we can do is make sure that not only the Members know exactly what they are doing. not only fight them in committee as it relates to amendments to try to make bills better and shame the majority into accepting those amendments so that the bill and the legislation could be better. or we can have better oversight over Federal agencies to make sure what? That the American people get their taxpayer dollars worth of accountability out of those Federal agencies. and even sometimes out of individuals that are within the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7919}
{"speech_id":1090082488,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So when that does not happen. we are at the point that we are now: a brick wall. A brick wall of just saying. listen. I am in the majority. and guess what? Live with it. It is not personal. it is just business. And believe it or not. it would be okay if things were properly managed in the Federal Government. It would be okay if we did not have White House folks outing. or rumors of well. the Vice President told his chief of staff who the agent was. the CIA agent was. and somehow it got out to a reporter. and then now her life is in jeopardy. and we have lost someone who had the opportunity to go to the other side where many of our intelligence officers could not go to find out where or how individuals possessed weapons of mass destruction to what? To protect our country. and someone thought because of politics. that they should out her. Okay? It would be okay. Congresswoman. but guess what? It is not. We have one of the highest deficits in the history of the republic as we stand here in the 109th Congress. We have an emergency management agency\/homeland security agency that cannot perform in the way that it is supposed to perform. let alone the public assistance that is supposed to go to local governments after these disasters to be able to replenish their dollars so that they can provide for who? The people thatwe represent -and the Americans that are counting on us to respond in their time of need. let alone the fact that goodness. we cannot even get water and ice right and food. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7919}
{"speech_id":1090082488,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we cannot get that right. then how can we count on. if we are under the gun of a terrorist attacks. and we do not know what area is safe. can we breath the air. can you drink the water. when is the next attack taking place. at least we have an opportunity with a natural disaster to say. we can see a storm coming. we can prepare for it as best we can. and say this is what we need to do and folks get in place. You get a terrorist attack. you do not get a warning. The terrorist did not call you up and say hey. guess what? We are going to carry out a terrorist attack in maybeanother month so we want to make sure you guys are ready. So unless we scrutinize our system that we have now. it will not be better and we will not be prepared. That is far beyond politics. And it should be -far beyond cronyism. And you would say. as much as we talk about cronyism which is. in reality. we do not need to paint a picture there.- just open your local paper. Just turn on the television. It is covered with corruption and cronyism. I mean I do not even need to waste time on that. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7919}
{"speech_id":1090082488,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just need to say \"that for us to get better. either the majority is going to say. you know something. we are going to do what we are supposed to do. even if it embarrasses some of our friends in and outside of our party. because this is what we have to do. And that is not happening right now. We have a committee right now. a partisan committee that has been created. more Republicans than Democrats. that is are supposed to be asrsigned to the committee. I am glad the democratic leader and other folks here on this side of the aisle have said. you know something? We are not going to participate in Operation I Have Your Back. You Have Mine. We are not going to participate in. you know something? We have lunch together and I am going to make sure that you are okay and you look good. because we are friends. and what time are we going to play golf? We are not going to participate in\u0095 turning our. backs on those victims of Katrina and storms after Katrina who are counting on some assessment. true assessment. an independent assessment of what took place so it would never happen again. The fact that water. ice. and food cannot be distributed in Florida right now or is .spottily distributed in Florida right now. and yes. I am pretty sure things are getting better before they get worse. but I am going to tell you. if we cannot do that. then how in the world can we sit here with a straight face and say. well. the White House is doing a review of what went wrong with Katrina so that we can correct the future. when it is not even stated on their website of who is- on this committee or what is going to happen with the findings. or where are we going to go from there? .And in the House. we have a partisan committee that is calling folks up. that is supposed to put together a report by February. Congresswoman. So I guess we are supposed to take that and say. we have it right now. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7919}
{"speech_id":1090082488,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Oh. I am sorry. I go back to my example. My name is KENDRICK MEEK and I know we had some missteps and I have done possibly something wrong or something. but maybe I need to. I will tell you what. I am going to do a review of myself and I will be back and I will give you a report of where I went wrong. It is just not going to happen. And even on the other side of the building here. they are having some sort of evaluation of what took place. We need an independent Katrina commission. Congresswoman. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7919}
{"speech_id":1090082503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When it comes to making tough choices in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Madam Speaker. Presidential leadership will make the difference. Yesterday in remarks before the Economic Club of Washington. DC. the President of the United States called on Congress to \"redouble our efforts to be wise about how we spend your money.\" The President went on to say. \"We can help the people of the gulf coast region recover and rebuild and we can be good stewards of the taxpayers dollars at the same time.\" He called on Congress to reduce unnecessary spending. to identify. offsets. and pledged again to offer spending rescissions to provide the emergency relief. in his words. in a fiscally responsible way. President George W. Bush yesterday encouraged Congress to push the envelope when it comes to cutting spending. and his strong leadership will make the difference. Congress should heed the call of President Bush to rebuild with generosity and fiscal responsibility in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":994}
{"speech_id":1090082505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. have you seen the headlines: Bird Flu Anxiety Spreads Across Europe. Bird Flu Could Kill 150 Million People. WHO Warns of Dire Flu Pandemic. Media should report facts. not create panic. Unfortunately. today many of the stories we see and read are short on facts and long on panic. It is time we brought some sanity to all the sensationalism. No one should doubt the potential of the bird flu. However. responsible people are working diligently to be certain that we are prepared for any threat and are able to respond quickly. Certain facts are important to keep in mind. This Avian flu virus has been around since at least 1997. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1148}
{"speech_id":1090082505,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not a new phenomenon. The CDC states that \"the current risk to Americans is low.\" So there is cause for concern. but not panic. Our real concern should be expanded. We need to address our ability to respond to any infectious disease. Providing incentives to U.S.-based companies for vaccine production and building a routine adult immunization program are just two of the positive steps we should take. Importantly. these actions should move forward in an environment of concern. not panic. - 1015","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1148}
{"speech_id":1090082509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today. as we near the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. to emphasize that we must continue doing everything possible to help women across our country suffering from breast cancer. This Congress must remain committed to increased breast cancer research and ensure that necessary laws are in place so that no woman is forced to fight breast cancer and red tape at the same time. I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act that I sponsored together with the gentlewoman from Connecticut . One hundred and fiftyone cosponsors in the House have recognized the importance of passing this bill. but we need more support. Together we can improve treatment coverages and access to inpatient care for the more than 200.000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The widespread commitment to fighting breast cancer was seen in so many amazing community efforts this past month. I particularly want to recognize the outstanding efforts of Lillian Jones and our Hudson Valley chapter of the American Cancer Society. They organized our very successful Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Central Valley. New York. ","speaker_name":"SUE KELLY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090082509,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Also deserving of tremendous praise are Willa Wright and the Putnam County chapter of ACS and so many other groups in New Yorks Hudson Valley who continue to unite to fight breast cancer. Congress must unite and fight breast cancer right along with them.","speaker_name":"SUE KELLY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090082521,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Madam Speaker. House Resolution 508 is a structured rule. It provides for 1 hour of general debate. equally. divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. It waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. and it provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as read. It makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. It provides that the amendments printed in the report may be offered only in the order printed. may be offered only by the Member designated in the report. shall be considered as read. shall be debatable for the time specified in the report. equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. shall not be subject to amendment. and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. This resolution waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report. and it provides one motion to recommit. with or without instructions. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6281}
{"speech_id":1090082521,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 508 and the underlying legislation. H.R. 420. the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005. First. I. want to commend the gentleman from Wisconsin .- the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. not just for the underlying bill but for a number of recent bills aimed at strengthening our legal system by protecting peoples rights under the law and -shielding them from frivolous proceedings. Additionally. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas . the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Courts. the Internet. and Intellectual Property. for sponsoring H.R. 420. Madam Speaker. over the past couple of weeks. this House has taken several important steps to reform our legal system. to relieve our overburdened court dockets and drastically reduce the number of costly frivolous claims against innocent and legitimate businesses. On October 24. we passed and sent to the Presidents desk S. 397. the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005. by a vote of 283 to 144 in the House. I might add that in the spirit of bipartisanship. 59 Democrats and one Independent joined 223 Republicans in passing this landmark legislation that refocuses liability for gun violence on the actual criminal. the person who pulled the trigger. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6281}
{"speech_id":1090082521,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additionally in this House. 226 Republicans. along with 80 Democrats. passed H.R. 554. the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2005. This bill- also reaffirms the need for individuals to take responsibility for their own actions and not expect someone else to foot the bill for the adverse health consequences of their own gluttony. Today. Madam Speaker. we have another prime opportunity to pays meaningful legislation to- strengthen our court system even further and to protect the falsely accused. The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 will go a long way to curb the actions of individuals who would seek to abuse our courts by gaming the judicial system. Last week. there were probably millions of people across this country who tuned in. ticket in hand. to see if they had won a $340 million Powerball jackpot. Unfortunately. there are also people who look to the courts. legal briefs in hand. as if it were the Powerball lottery. However. Madam Speaker. it is the American people and small businesses that pay the ultimate price for frivolous lawsuits and this type of jackpot justice. They pay for it through higher prices for goods and services. they pay for it through diminished quality of products. they pay for it through loss of economic freedom. and they pay for it through a clogged court system that has been turned into an ATM for junk lawsuits. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6281}
{"speech_id":1090082521,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. the current tort system is estimated to cost American people well over $200 billion per year. Clearly. the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 is a bill that is sorely overdue. sorely needed and. I might add. was approved by this House in the last Congress by a vote of 229 to 174. With respect to the underlying bill. it would amend Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure by restoring the mandatory sanctions for the filing of frivolous lawsuits. This bill would requirethat courts impose an appropriate penalty *on attorneys. law firms. or parties who continue to file frivolous lawsuits. Also this bill would eliminate the \"free pass\" provision that allows attorneys to avoid sanctions if they withdraw their frivolous claim after a motion for sanctions has been filed. Madam Speaker. H.R. 420 also would prevent forum shopping by requiring that personal injury cases only be brought in those jurisdictions either where the plaintiff. the defendant or a related business resides. or where the alleged injury or surrounding circumstances occurred. This act would also institute a threestrikesandyoureout sanction that would -suspend an attorney from practicing in Federal court if a Federal judge determines the lawyer has violated Rule 11 on three or more occasions. H.R. 420 clearly emphasizes that personal responsibility is not just some catch phrase that applies only to some people. such as a fastfood connoisseur. a firearms owner. a consumer or. indeed. a doctor. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6281}
{"speech_id":1090082521,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Personal responsibility and professional accountability should be the rule for th6se in the legal field. too. and that is why this House should pass this bill. In closing. Madam Speaker. I would just emphasize that House Resolution 508 is a straightforward rule and H.R. 420 is a straikhtforward bill. Simply put. it just makes sense to stop and punish the willful abuse of our legal system by the slashandburn tactics of frivolous lawsuits. As always. I look forward to the consideration of this rule. and I ask my colleagues to support it and the. underlying bill. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6281}
{"speech_id":1090082549,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. many of us who have been privileged to serve in this great institution for some time have been through this process many times. This is not the first or second or third. We have had BRAC after BRAC. But I could not agree more with my distinguished colleague from Colorado who observed this was the best BRAC of all. We are finally getting it right. This was the least political. most professional BRAC we have ever had. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6146}
{"speech_id":1090082549,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that is a tribute to Chairman Principi and all of the distinguished members of the panel: Admiral Gebman. General Newton. former Congressman and colleague Jim Bilbray. Phil Coyle. Sam Skinner. General Turner. Jim Hansen. another former colleague who served with great distinction. and General Hill. This reads like a Who Who list of distinguished Americans who are providing a very important service for our Nation. The fact is DOD had too much physical inventory. It is costing DOD to maintain that physical inventory. It is costing the taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6146}
{"speech_id":1090082549,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So understand.ably they wanted some realignment. adjustments. and there had to be winners and losers. As someone who has been on both sides of that issue. let me say I know what it is like. I can feel the pain of the losers. But I would say to those who are on the short end of the recommendation. one. you should have confidence that the recommendations were made once again by the least political. most professional BRAC we have ever had. a BRAC whose individual members. including the Chairman. were available not just to have a courtesy photo opportunity. but to hear out those of us who had presentations before that Commission. They asked pertinent questions. They had onsite visits. They were very. very serious about their important work. and they were not alone. The highly dedicated and very competent professional staff of BRAC was even more accessible. You can understand when you get on the phone and you try to get a conversation with Chairman Principi or General SoandSo or Admiral SoandSo. a lot of people want to talk to them. I must say that I was fortunate to be able to talk to each and every one of them. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6146}
{"speech_id":1090082549,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I had quality time. But the fact of the matter is the staff followed through once again with onsite visits. and that was so very important. The dedication and determination demonstrated by the Commission. its accessibility for individual members. their willingness to listen produced a product that I think we can all be proud of. Let me once again address those who represent communities who are not treated favorably by the BRAC recommendations. I have been through that before with a magnificent Air Force base that dissolved back as a result of the 1993 Commission report. and in 1995 it actually closed down with a couple of exceptions. And there were some people in the community at large who wanted to write the economic obituary for that community. Rome. New York. and the surrounding areas. There were others. a lot of us. not just me. the mayor. the county executive. local officials. business communities. that were determined to make the best of a bad situation. 0J 1130 Today. that oncevibrant military installation. Griffis Air Force Base. is now a very vibrant business and technology park with upwards of 4.000 people gainfully employed there. but part of that installation involves an Air Force research laboratory which was set off as a containment area as a result of the decision to close the base in 1993. and the people at DOD and everywhere were wondering would this work. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6146}
{"speech_id":1090082549,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has worked in spades. and now the Air Force research laboratory. incidentally operating out of a $25 million stateoftheart new facility. is the center of excellence for the entire Air Force in command.. control. communications. and intelligence technology. It is an information directorate. and it not only services the Air Force well but it services a whole wide range of other activities. It is serving so well. So BRAC looked at that and made the decision that some operations that had been located there should be transferred elsewhere in line with the overall scheme of the Air Force to consolidate like operations at a central facility. Some moved out. some moved in. The net result is maybe a gain of 15 to 25 jobs for Rome. New York.- I am not supporting the BRAC because we have got 15 or 25 jobs. I am supporting the process and what it did and what it produced. Let me tell my colleagues another stor3f. At. that same business and technology park. we now have a defense finance accounting service. and that employs exactly 382 people. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6146}
{"speech_id":1090082580,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am proud to follow my neighbor from Texas . Ellington is in his district. but I am the next closest Member. I rise to expressmy disapproval for the recommendations of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure and urge my colleagues to support the gentleman from Illinois resolution. of which I am a proud cosponsor. This is the most illadvised. illtimed round in base closure history. We currently have men and women fighting in two countries. and we passed three large supplemental requests. and the fourth likely in the next few months. We are in the process of closing bases overseas and bringing them home. Given these uncertainties. we cannot know what our base needs or our threat needs will be for the next 5. 10 or 20 years. Ellington is home to the 147th Air National Guard Wing. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6508}
{"speech_id":1090082580,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Texas Air National Guard Wing. Houston is the fourth largest city in our Nation. It is our home and has a huge petrochemical complex that accounts for nearly half of the Nations base petrochemical production. The Houston ship channel in the Port of Houston handled more foreign tonnage than any other port. We have the Texas Medical Center and NASAs Johnson Space Center. One of the most vulnerable targets in the area is the petrochemical complex. along with these other assets. Yet the base closure commission on a close vote decided to close Ellington. Now. what they are doing is they are saying that we are going to provide service from San Antonio. Texas. The problem is that is 23 minutes away. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6508}
{"speech_id":1090082580,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we know. an airborne attack on a refinery complex could seriously disrupt our Nations energy supply. causing major nationwide economic impacts. An attack on a chemical plant could result in a hazardous release and thousands of casualties. Currently our 147th Air Wing provides air security in the area. and the solution from the Pentagonis rotating several planes to fly on alert out of Ellington. which provides a- much smaller deterrent than having a full squadron. What would happen if we had multiple planes that are attacking different facilities? I urge a \"yes\" vote on the resolution. Mr. Chairman. I rise to express my disapproval with the recommendations made by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. and to urge my colleagues to support this resolution. This is the most illadvised and illtimed round in the history of Base Realignments and Closures. We currently have men and women fighting in two countries. we have passed three of the largest supplemental requests in our Nations history with a fourth likely in the next several months. and we are in the process of closing bases overseas and bringing troops home. Given these uncertainties. we cannot begin to know what our basing needs will be 5. 10. or 20 years down the road. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6508}
{"speech_id":1090082580,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. instead of postponing this round of closures for 2 or 3 years like many members of the House and Senate supported. one of the most contentious rounds of BRAC was pushed through. Like many other communities across the country. the district I represent was affected by the Defense Departments plan to consolidate Air National Guard units. leaving one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country less prepared to resp6nd to a terrorist attack. Houston is the fourth largest city in the Na-. tion. and is home to a petrochemical complex that accounts for nearly half of the Nations base petrochemical production capacity. The Houston shipping channel and the Port of Houston handle more foreign tonnage than any other U.S. port. Also. we have NASAs Johnson Space Center. and the Texas Medical Center. One of the most vulnerable targets in the area. and possibly the country. is the petrochemical complex. a tremendous complex that stretches the length of the Houston Ship Channel and continues along the coast through Beaumont. Texas. We have seen in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita the negative effects caused by disruptions in our oil supply and refining capacity. and leaving this area unprotected is leaving the door open to a terrorist attack on this critical infrastructure. The Port of Houston is the second largest petrochemical complex in the world. and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. which produces over 35 percent of the Nations gasoline at a great many refineries. Numerous chemical plants also line the channel. producing a number of volatile compounds. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6508}
{"speech_id":1090082580,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the U.S. Coast Guard. 7.600 deep draft vessels arrive each year. and 60 percent of those ships carry sensitive oil\/ chemical cargos. An airborne attack on the refinery chemical complex could seriously disrupt the Nations energy supply. causing major nationwide economic impacts. An attack on a chemical plant could result in a hazardous release with thousands of casualties. Currently the 147th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard provides air security in the area and could respond to a threat on the complex or at the port in minutes because of the close proximity. Rotating several planes to fly on alert out of Ellington. provides a much smaller deterrent thanaving a full squadron permanently stationed. there. and would not provide enough planes to respond to multiple attacks on multiple targets in the area. Meanwhile the closest full squadron would be in San Antonio. and would take approximately 23 minutes longer to respond to a threat than the F16s at Ellington can currently provide. In addition to providing security for the Houston area. the 147th is capable of providing precision strikes. close air support. offensive counter air. defensive counter air. and suppression of enemy air defenses. The area around Ellington also provides the 147th with excellent training airspace. including overwater airtoair training on the Gulf of Mexico allowing them to perform supersonic flights and lights out training from the surface to 50.000 feet. Terrorists have proven their intent and capability to attack ground targets with multiple aircraft and retiring the 147th Fighter Wings F16s leaves Houston vulnerable to an attack. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6508}
{"speech_id":1090082584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have come to the same conclusion -as the great gentleman from Ohio . I have just probably been at it longer. Article I. section 8\"of the Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to provide for the national defense. It does not make us generals. it does not make us admirals. We do not tell admirals how to sink ships. we do not tell generals how to takes hills. We do. hopefully. provide sound business decisions for them. The whole concept of BRAC is taking that decisionmaking process away fromthe people who begged for the job and were given the job by the citizens and delegating it to some other people. I did not run for Congress to delegate my responsibilities. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5609}
{"speech_id":1090082584,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I take them very seriously. The service Secretaries would come before our committee. for years they have come before our committee and said. We have too many bases. Every single service Secretary. The gentleman from Hawaii and I would respond to the service Secretaries. Name one base that you want to close. Just one. The same service Secretaries who said they wanted to cancel the Crusader. who said they wanted to cancel the Arsenal ship. who wanted to cancel the Joint Strike Fighter. the same guys who have no hesitation on canceling things.. and making tough decisions. never .naned one base that they wanted to close. We followed that up with a very simple question: In the three preyious rounds of BRAC. can you name one weapons system. that you have bought with those savings? Can you name one additional benefit that you have given to the .troops? Can you name one good thing that came out of this? Never once could they answer that question. You see. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5609}
{"speech_id":1090082584,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BRAC saves no money. What people miss in all of this is that when a base is closed. the local communities then come to Congress. as they should. and say. Look. you have just put all my folks out of work. We at least want the property back. And in every instance Congress has given that property back to the locals. so there is no savings of selling off the property. As a matter of fact. it gets worse. because our Nation has to live by the same lawsas everyone else. If an individual pollutes a piece of property. they have to clean it up before they can sell it. To date. our Nation has spent $15 billion cleaning up properties before we gave them away. The gentleman from Ohio makes an excellent point: every time you lose a base. you lose a capability. The worst of Hurricane Katrina hit my congressional district. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5609}
{"speech_id":1090082584,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was very fortunate to be friends with Admiral Mullen. the Chief of Naval Operations. I was very fortunate to be friends with General Steven Bloom. the head of the National Guard Bureau. In my frantic calls to them in the aftermath of the storm begging for their help. their first response was. Where can I put my people? Name a barracks. name an airfield. name a place where I can put my people so they can help the people of Mississippi. Every time you lose a base. you lose a place to put those people in the event weather. whether it is a tsunami in the Pacific. a hurricane in Mississippi. g flood or earthquake on the west coast. a flood in the Midwest. you lose a capability to. help the American people. We are at war. Goodness gracious. we have 140.000 Americans fighting and dying in Iraq. We have another 20.000plus in Afghanistan. Did anyone see these wars coming? The truth of the matter is. in my time in Congress we have had a war in Panama that no one saw coming. we have had two wars in Iraq that we really did not see coming. we had a war in Bosnia that no one saw coming. So when you close a base. you close it forever and 3fou lose that capability to respond to future contingencies. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5609}
{"speech_id":1090082584,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Above all. when some new weapons system comes along. you lose a place to deploy it. Right now our Nation is buying 30.000 acres in North Carolina. and some people in North Carolina think it is a great idea and some people think it is a terrible idea. We are spending a heck of a lot of your money buying land in North Carolina so we can build a base to land F18s. the newest version of the F18. when they come off the carriers. Then we have to buy the land and build a runway. And everyone who has served knows it does not end with the runway. You have to have a fire station. barracks for the enlisted. barracks for the single guys. family housing for the married folks. you have to have commissaries. 3 ou have to have fun things for the guys to do when they are off duty. because we are trying to attract young people like you to come serve our country. All of these things cost money. and we are going to build all these -things in North Carolina at great expense to the public. With you we already had all those things. We had all those things that we are getting ready to buy and build in North Carolina in Jacksonville. Florida. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5609}
{"speech_id":1090082596,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the remaining time. Several Members have spoken eloquently about the fact that this is our job. Mr. TAYLOR did an excellent job of that. Mr. ABERCROMBIE did an excellent job of that. that we ought to be making these decisions. that we- should not turn it over to a commission. I would agree with that wholeheartedly. except this is a job that we simply cannot seem to do. We did not close a major base in this country from the 1970s until the BRAC process began. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":671}
{"speech_id":1090082596,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I did not like supporting the BRAG process wheil the BRAG process was first introduced. but I saw it as the only way that we could ever deal with the question of excess inventory.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":671}
{"speech_id":1090082603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. we did. following the introduction of the BRAC process. but we did close that. But we basically do not have the power to do that. because if I have the power to close Mr. SKELTONS base. he might vote to close my base. and we keep going around the room like that. and we are unable to do it. So the BRAC process has worked for better or for worse. I see both sides of it. I chaired a committee that oversees the BRAC process. I do not want any more BRAC processes like this. But I would remind my colleagues again that if we vote for this resolution. and this resolution passes today. and we turn down this BRAC process. we will be back here in this room a year from now or 2 years from now. probably more like a year from now. we will be back in this room dealing with another BRAG process. and we will have the same arguments as we are having here today. Now. it may be different people. ","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1749}
{"speech_id":1090082603,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Maybe some of the people that are dissatisfied today will be satisfied at the next round. butwe would all have to go through this again next year or the next. And we would. all of our communities that have any base connected to them would have to go through this again. I am not sure we would get any better results. no matter what process we use. than we have today. Some would be happy. some would be un-. happy. some would complain. some would want it to go just like it is. I think we would end up with the same kinds of results as we have today. So while I agree that this is not a perfect process. I do not think we want to go through it again next year. . I would ask each of my colleagues to vote against this resolution. and let us proceed to make the best we possibly can out of this for the defense of this country.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1749}
{"speech_id":1090082619,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 65. a resolution of disapproval of the 2005 base closure and realignment recommendations. I am proud that my state delegation--commonly referred to back home as \"Team Connecticut\"-was successful in saving Sub Base New London from closure. Together our congressional delegation. Governor Rell. members of the New London communityand military experts put together an airtight case for the survival of the base. As a result. the commission realized what Connecticut knew all along: That Sub Base New London is not only a critical asset to our State. but a vital part of our current and future national security. The members of the 2005 BRAC Commission were given an extraordinary responsibility and performed their duties in a thoughtful and responsible manner. However. they. were given the job of examining a flawed proposal based more on achieving the bottom line then ensuring the security of our Nation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5482}
{"speech_id":1090082619,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If passed. H.J. Res. 65 would put an end to the current BRAC processone that I have long believed to be the wrong process at the wrong time for our Nation. Since 2002. I have voted in the Armed Services Committee and on the floor to either repeal or delay BRAC 2005 because I have felt all along that the process had serious flaws. With 150.000 of our men and women in uniforhn serving overseas in the Middle East. continued operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and failures to meet recruiting goals. now is not the time to close or realign major portions of our military infrastructure. We should not be closing and consolidating bases and infrastructure here in the States now. when in another two years we may be bringing a significant amount of troops and equipment back from Europe and other forward deployed locations and we would have to spend more money again to reopen or recreate space for them. We should not be closing or realigning before the completion of the Quadrennial Defence Review (QDR). which projects the threats our nation will face and guides our force structure for the next two decades. The Commission simply and rightly called conducting BRAC before the completion of the QDR \"inverse\" and \"illogical.\" This is simply the wrong time for BRAC. The final report before us for consideration includes a wideranging realignment of the Air National Guard that was completed without the input or consultation of our State Govemors and Adjutants General. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5482}
{"speech_id":1090082619,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rather than conducting an inclusive processas in the case of .the Army National Guard recommendationsthe Pentagon chose to craft their Air Force proposal by shutting out the very people that both the law and common sense dictate need to be included in changes to State Guard units. As a result the final Air Force recommendations disproportionately impact the Air National Guard. with 37 of the final 42 Air Force recommendations making changes to Air Guard units in States across the Nation. Governors and Adjutants General widely opposed this plan. citing the impact on recruiting and retention of Guard members. lack of consultation. and reduced availability of personnel for vital State emergency response and homeland security functions. Although.the Commission ultimately approved a scaled down version of the Pentagons Air National Guard plan crafted in the final days of their work. the final BRAC report states that the lack of coordination between the Pentagon. Governors and Adjutants General \"unnecessarily cost the Commission additional time and resources and damaged the previously exemplary relationship between the Air National Guard and the Air Force.\" This misguided recommendation hits home in my district and State. where the 103rd Fighter Wing at Bradley Air National Guard base is slated to lose their\" A10 Warthogsleaving Connecticut as the only State. in the Nation without an air national guard flying mission. In presenting our case to the Commission. our message was simple: The Pentagon not only used flawed data that did not take into account many of the unique capabilities of Bradley. but failed to consult our Governor in major changes to our States militia. While Adjutant General Thaddeus Martin. the staff of the 103rd and the State delegation made a strong case for Bradley. the base was unfortunately included in the final realignment plan. The men and women of the \"Flying Yankees.\" and indeed all themembers of the Air National Guard. deserve better than an adhoc transformation plan that has the potential to seriously impact the future of these citizen soldiers and their mission. In late August 2005. I joined Connecticut Governor Rell. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5482}
{"speech_id":1090082619,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Attorney General Blumenthal and Senators. DODD and LIEBERMAN in filing suit to prevent the realignment of the Bradley Air National Guard base. We were forced to take this action because the law is simple and clear: the Bradley A10s cannot be removed without the consent of our Governor. Regardless of the result of todays vote. Connecticut has the law on its side and I am confident that we will secure the future of the \"Flying Yankees.\" One of our most important duties is to provide for the defense of our Nation. We should not be closing and realigning our bases at a time when our nation is engaged in the Middle East and faces unprecedented threats from abroad. Rejecting BRAC 2005 is simply the right thing to do for- our men and women in uniform. the security of our nation. and for the future of our Air National Guard. I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 65.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5482}
{"speech_id":1090082663,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the ranking member. and I thank my good friend and colleague from Texas . There are many opprtunities that we have to agree. I believe in his unabiding commitment to the integrity tothe judicial system. That is why I rise to quote him when he says that there is a premise that we all deserve justice and that justice. in essence. shoult not be denied. He agrees with that.- and I agree with that. Frankly. however. this legislation is not merely a denial of justice. It is an obliteration. a complete destruction of justice. It is interesting in the backdrop of the United States promoting democratization in Iraq. challenging Iran. and now with the proceedings against Saddam Hussein and the very basis of our dependence upon a fair and impartial judicial system that will allow lawyers to be able to petition for their client or defend their client. that we would stand here on the floor of the House today and in essence create the lawsuit elimination legislation rather than the suggestion that We are preventing abuse. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10873}
{"speech_id":1090082663,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me tell you what this legislation intends to do. This legislation intends H9314 to ride roughshod over States- rights. forcing State courts to enact burdensome procedures and even stripping their jurisdiction over certain cases. That means that. in essence. it forces State judges within 30 days of a case being filed to conduct an extensive and lengthy pretrial hearing to determine whether Federal Rule 10 must be imposed. We already know that Federal Rule 11 has given the court system an effective tool to ensure. if you will. that if there is frivolous activity in the courthouse. or a lawyer files a frivolous case. that lawyer can be sanc\u0095 tioned. This now protects foreign corporations at the expense of consumers. Why? Because you may.be able to sue in a State court. but the State court may not have jurisdiction over that foreign corporation. leaving -the victim of products liability. the victim of a terrible heihous accident left without remedy in a State court. It makes sanctions mandatory rather than discretionary. It undermines the Federal judiciary system and the court system. It says to our judges that although you have gone to the highest litmus test. confirmation on the Federal bench. elections and bar scrutiny. we are telling you that we are going to pierce your courtroom and we are going to take away the rights of Rule 11 where you have discretion and we are going to simply tell you to throw a lawyer out. Then for myself as an African American and someone whose very existence is based upon the privileges that Thurgood Marshall had. and many other lawyers. to go into the courthouse. and at that time and era in the early 1940s and 1950s. speak language that could have been considered frivolous. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10873}
{"speech_id":1090082663,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would suggest thatjust in a general sense. whether or not this particular legislation speaks partidularly to that issue. there are many times in our history where lawyers may be considered frivolous because they are speaking a language that opposes society. The question of an equal education under Brown v. Topeka might have been frivolous. I do not want to have a Federal law that suggests that you cannot go into the courthouse. This bill allows judges to .order individuals to reimburse litigation costs. including attorneys fees. by specifically stating that reasonable attorneys fees should be taken into account when assessing the amount of the sanction. That means that the poorer client is going to be thrown out. This is supposed to help small businesses. At the same time. it may be the small business that is a petitioner. They may think their case is legitimate. For example. what about this lawsuit for one business against another. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10873}
{"speech_id":1090082663,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is frivolous lawsuits. when you had Enterprise. a very big company. filed a lawsuit against RentAWreck of America. a tiny rental company. and Hertz Corporation and threatened to file lawsuits against several other rental car companies that used the phrase. \"pick you up.\" claiming that \"Well pick you up\" is Enterprises slogan. Then there was a whole bunch of other lawsuits around who will pick you up. and who is not picking you up and why you are being picked up. We could label frivolous lawsuits. across the board. It should be left to the judges in Rule 11. This legislation removes the safe harbor provision of the rule which allows an attorney a period of 21 days to withdraw an objectionable pleading. That undermines justice. Maybe the lawyer made a mistake and therefore we do not have that opportunity. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10873}
{"speech_id":1090082663,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would simply say this is a bill that has no basis in need. and we should unanimously defeat it.. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the base bill before the Committee of the Whole H.R. 4571. the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005 and state my support for the substitute offered by the Gentleman from as California. Mr. SCHIFF.. As I mentioned during the Committee on the Judiciarys oversight hearing on this legislation during its iteration in the 108th Congress and reiterated in my statement for the markup. one of the main functions of the Congress before it passes legislation is to analyze potentially negativeimpact againstthe benefits that it might have on those affected. The base bill before the House today does not represent the product of careful analysis. In the case of H.R. 4571. the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act. the oversight functions of the Judiciary Committee allowed us to craft a bill that will protect those affected from negative impacts of the shield from liability that it proposes. This legislation required an overhaul in order to make it less of a misnomerto reduce abuse rather than encourage it. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10873}
{"speech_id":1090082672,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I was listening to the gentleman framing the question. and the gentleman framed the question I think in the way that we should ask our colleagues for them to give us an answer. I think what the gentleman has suggested in his very detailed and eloquent presentation. there is a judicial system in place that is functioning and functional. We should take the Boy. Scouts oath. make your camp better than you found it. Therefore. if there are issues that we can improve in the judiciary. let us do it. But I am just looking at some information here that tells me that Federal litigation is. in fact. decreasing. A 2005 report issued by the U.S. Department of Justice says that the U.S. district courts in some areas. of course. fell 79 percent. fell 79 percent. the cases. the tort cases. between 1985 and 2003. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1733}
{"speech_id":1090082672,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. tort actions in the U.S. district courts went down from 29 percent from 2002 to 2003. so it fell 28 percent. In addition. over the last 5 years. Federal civil filings have not only decreased 8 percent. but the prefilings that are personal injury cases has also declined. State litigation is decreasing. The numbers show they are decreasing. Lawsuit filings are decreasing. As I said. tort filings have declined 5 percent since 1993. Contract filings have declined. I do not particularly consider that a good omen. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1733}
{"speech_id":1090082672,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like people to legitimately feel they can go into the courts for their remedies. But the question is. it is not broken. and here we are putting heavier burdens on the court system that literally shuts the door closed to a number of individuals. and I think that is completely unacceptable for the responsibility of this Congress.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1733}
{"speech_id":1090082694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consurhe. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this substitute amendment. And I have to point out that this same substitute amendment was defeated in the last Congress. Mr. Chairman. where to begin. I will begin with the title of the first section of the substitute. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4732}
{"speech_id":1090082694,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is entitled. \"Three Strikes and Youre Out.\" But the title of section 1 does not reflect the text it contains. In fact. the substitute provides that following three violations of its provisions: \"The court shall refer each such attorney to one or more appropriate State bar associations for disciplinary proceedings.\" The substitute does not say the attorney shall be suspended from the practice of law. However. the base bill explicitly provides for such a sanction. Specifically. the base bill. states that after three strikes: \"The Federal district court shall suspend that attorney from the practice of law in that Federal. district court.\" The base bill contains a substantive threestrikesandyouareout provision that will prevent attorneys who file frivolous lawsuits from getting into the courtroom. The substitute. merely requires that repeat offenders be reported to State bar associations. But it gets worse. Not only are filers of frivolous lawsuits not out after three strikes under the substitute. but the substitute even changes what constitutes a strike under existing law. Currently. Rule 11 contains four criteria that can lead to a Rule 11 violation. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4732}
{"speech_id":1090082694,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The substitute references only three. Currently. Rule 11 allows sanctions against frivolous filers whose denials of factual contentions are not warranted on the evidence or are not reasonably based on a lack of information or belief. The substitute removes this protection for victims of frivolous pleadings under existing law. In addition. the substitute for the first time. without penalty allows defendants to file papers with the court that include factual denials of the allegations against them that are not warranted by the evidence and not reasonably based. Instead. the substitute provides additional protection for defendants filing frivolous defenses that are not warranted by the evidence and not reasonably based. EJ 1445 This is a step backward for victims of frivolous lawsuits under both State and Federal law. So the substitute not only undermines the clarity of the three strikes and youre out rule. it purports to establish. it dramatically expands the potential for eien more frivolous lawsuits. Furthermore. the base bill provides that those who file frivolous lawsuits can be made to pay all costs and attorneys fees that are \"incurred as a direct result of the filing of the pleading. motion. or other paperthat is the subject of the violation.\" The substitute does not include that critical language which is necessary to make clear that those filing frivolous lawsuits must be made to pay the full costs imposed on their victim by the frivolous lawsuit. The proponent of this amendment. claims that the antiforum shopping standards in H.R. 420 regarding where a personal injury lawsuit can be brought are somehow unfair. even though they are the very same standards contained in the vast majority of State venue laws. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4732}
{"speech_id":1090082694,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. the gentleman from Californias own State venue law provides as follows: \"If the action is for injury to person or personal property or for death from wrongful act or negligence. the superior court in either the countywhere the injury occurs or the injury causing death occurs or the county where the defendants. or some of them reside at the commencement of the action. is the proper court for the trial of the action.\" Insofar as foreign corporations cannot be sued in some limited circumstances in this country. that is not the fault of H.R. 420. nor is it the fault of Californias venue law. It is a result of the Supreme Courts interpretation of the Due Process Clause. Mr. Chairman. the substitute does not provide for three strikes and youre out. It provides for three strikes and you get referred to a State bar association that can continue to let the offending attorney practice law. The Democratic substitute weakens existing law that protects plaintiffs from defendants that file frivolous denials that are not warranted by the evidence and not reasonably based. This substitute amendment includes provisions that are unconstitutional and penalizes those who would challenge those unconstitutional rules. That is more than three strikes against the substitute. Mr. Chairman. and I urge my colleagues to return it to the bench and vote yes for the jobprotecting and jobcreating Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act when it gets to final passage. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4732}
{"speech_id":1090082699,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. before I recognize my colleague from Texas. I want to respond to a couple of points made by my other colleague from Texas. that is. comparing the strength of the three strikes and youre out provisions in the substitute and base bill: The three strikes language in the Democratic substitute would apply to frivolous proceedings that are filed in any court. The base bill. on the other hand. would apply the three strikes provision only to the specific court in which the violation occurred. That is a narrower provision of the base bill. Similarly. my substitute provides for the referral to the appropriate State bars for disciplinary proceedings. including disbarment after the third strike. With the first violation there is the required payment of costs and attorneys fees. With the second. the attorney is held in contempt with a monetary fine. And then the third provision of referral to the State bar for possible disbarment. compared to the base bill which calls for a 1year suspension only in the specific court where the three violations. occurred. The violations have to occur in the same court. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2243}
{"speech_id":1090082699,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you move from one court where you are sanctioned to another to another. the base bill seems to have far less strength and applicability than the substitute. Second. I wanted to rebut the claim that the substitute will somehow promote litigation more than the base bill. In fact. when you ask the judges who have operated under both systems. the one that is proposed by the base bill and the one that is proposed by the substitute. the courts were quite clear that the earlier form of Rule 11. which we would go back to in the base bill. spawned a cottage industry where someone would file a Rule 11 motion. the opposing counsel would file a Rule 11 motion on the Rule 11 motion. and then you would have litigation over whose Rule 11 motion should succeed. In fact. in 1993. the Judicial Conference remarked that the experience with the amended rule since 1993. since we got away from what the base bill would take us back to. has demonstrated a marked decline to Rule 11 satellite litigation without any noticeable increase in the number of frivolous filings. Mr. Chairman I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2243}
{"speech_id":1090082700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague from California for yielding me time. I rise in opposition of H.R. 420 and in support of the substitute. This bill would not do anything to reduce frivolous lawsuits. In fact. my concern about it is it is unnecessary. and it will infringe on States being able to manage their own court systems. Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was amended in 1993 to its currenb state because it was being abused by defendants in civil rights cases who filed a series of Rule 11 motions to harass the men and women who challenged discrimination. Until now there has been no demonstrated problems. with the current version of the rule. Usually this type of change in civil procedure goes through a process of the Rules Enabling Act. But in this instance we have decided to circumvent the United States Judicial Conference and the United States Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2455}
{"speech_id":1090082700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have taken it upon ourselves tb decide what is best for the judicial system. The Lawsuit Reduction Act would amend Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and revert back to that pre1993 status. By doing this. again. we take away States discretion to impose sanctions on improper and frivolous pleadings. This would eliminate the current safe harbor provision. permitting the attorneys to withdraw improper frivolous motions within 21 days after they have been 6hallenged by an opposing counsel. Additionally. this bill dictates where plaintiffs can file a personal injury lawsuit against a corporation in a State court. Do we really want to get into the jurisdictional battles in our States? Reverting back to the previous Rule 11 would make people less likely to challenge unjust laws because they are putting themselves at risk for being harassed. At the time some people thought Brown v. Board of Education was a frivolous lawsuit. but it did not look like it had a chance until the Supreme Court recognized that separate was not equal. If we had this strict version of Rule 11 back then. maybe Brown v. Board of Education would have never made it to the Supreme Court. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2455}
{"speech_id":1090082700,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill is another example of Congress intruding on States rights. Our system of government is designed to keep our judicial system separate. particularly our State judicial system. We simply do not have the right to tell State and county courthouses across the Nation how to enforce sanctions in their courtrooms or where the plaintiff may file a lawsuit in the State courts.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2455}
{"speech_id":1090082745,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of S. 37. Senator FEINSTEINS companion bill to my H.R. 312. This bill authorities the Breast Cancer Research Stamp through 2007. Without thii legislation. this successful program would end this year. October is *Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As it comes to a close it is important to reflect on what is being done in the way of prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Senator FEINSTEIN and I have proposed to extend the deadline of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. so that it will be available for purchase for two more years. Senator FEINSTEIN and I have been collaborating to bring awareness to this everpresent","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":649}
{"speech_id":1090082791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate his yielding to me. Just so that we can go back. and. obviously. he has outlined why we have a need for this independent commission. I think it is important that we go back and we explain what is actually happening here right now. We have been asking for this thing for how long now. months? Almost 2 months we have been asking for an independent commission. We want to go back. Democrats and Republicans. and look at what happened with Katrina so that we can stop and prevent these things from happening. We are not doing a good job in this country of administering emergency services. And we have the Republicans in charge of the House and in charge of the Senate. in charge of the White House. in charge of FEMA. in charge of the whole executive branch. and we keep having these missteps and these failures. and no one is figuring out what in the heck we are doing wrong because the committee down here that the Republicans have appointed only gives subpoena power to the Republicans. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090082791,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So we have the Republicans overseeing the Republicans. And I think we might as well put Ed Gillespie in charge of the committee down here to oversee what is happening. the head of the RNC. because this has become political. And what we want to say to the American people. Mr. Speaker. is that Democrats want an opportunity to govern this place because our friends on the other side do not know how to govern. They have been in charge now in the House since 1994. They have control of the Senate. they have control of the White House. and they do not know how to govern: And we need to be prepared for not only natural -disasters. but potential terrorist. attacks -to the United States of America. And we need to do what we did with the 9\/11 Commission. an -independent commission. independent of all of the nonsense that happens in this body that has gotten us to a point where the Republican majority does not know how to govern. Get an independent commission with an outside Democrat and an outside Republican. bipartisan. where they can subpoena people. oversee what happened for Katrina. oversee Wilma. oversee Rita. and figure out what we need to do. because at some point. at some- point. something is going to happen in America that is going to be more tragic than these natural disasters. and we are not going to know how to respond. And our- kids and our grandkids are going to look back and the American people are going to look to this body and say. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090082791,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What have you done to prevent this? What have you done to improve the emergency management execution in the United States of America? And we are saying on record here five times a week sometimes with the 30something Group we want an independent commission. We do not want politics involved. Do the right thing. And we are asking people at home to contact us. housedemocrats.gov\/ katrina. and become a citizen cosponsor of H.R. 3764. become. a citizen cosponsor. and I think we have over 40.000 citizen cosponsors for this. Get on this Website. housedemocrats.gov\/katrina. become a citizen cosponsor so that we can become prepared for a possible ter-. rorist attack that may happen in the United States. another natural disaster that may happen in the United States. We will be ready. and then down the line we will be able to look back. and there is always room for improvement. We watch the game film the next day. and we see what we did right and what we did wrong. but at the end of the day. we can say we have done our job. We have put the microscope up to the problem. We have looked at it. put the sunshine on it. and figured out what we did wrong. And it takes courage. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090082791,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I mean. it is not easy to be selfreflective. It is not easy to critique oneself. And that is what we are asking this Congress to \"do. have the courage to do the right thing: Get an independent commission here.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3861}
{"speech_id":1090082814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our Web site is www.housedemocrats.gov\/katrina. Become a citizen cosponsor to the independent commission so we can reform government the way it needs to be done. And 30somethingdems@mail.house.gov.. We have been getting a ton of emails lately and a lot of support. over 40.000 citizen cosponsors for the independent commission for Katrina. Help us change this government. Help us help the Democratic Party take this country in a new direction. a better direction. and help us get rid of this Republicancontrolled government that does nothing but corporate Welfare and create a welfare state in Iraq at the expense of the American worker and the American taxpayer.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":663}
{"speech_id":1090082823,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlemans leadership and sharing his insights with us. I would like to try to amplify a couple of his points. Again. there is a big debate and all of a sudden the Democrats are claiming to be the party of fiscal responsibility. They are claiming something that they have claimed for 50 years. that somehow the Republicans when we try to reform government. that we are engaging in massive budget cuts that will hurt the poor. . Mr. Speaker. we are engaged in this process in Washington known as reconciliation. which is really a Washington term that means. that we go back to our committees and say find a way to do it better. Let us be more accountable. IJet us be more respectful of the family budget and figure out a way to do things better in the Federal budget. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5251}
{"speech_id":1090082823,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So we have something that is known as mandatory spending. which includes a lot of the welfare programs. Mr. Speaker. as we attempt to reform a number of these programs. as we attempt to get better health care and October 27. 2005 - CO better housing at a lower cost. look at what we are trying to do. In the next 5 years. if we are successful in this plan. and so far our colleagues on the .other side of the aisle. the Democrats. have said that none of them are going to help us. at the end of the day what we call mandatory spending is going to grow\" at 6.3 percent a year instead of 6.4 percent a year. That is the massive budget cut? First. there is no cu t. Only a. liberal Democrat or an accountant for Enron would call 6.3 percent increase in the -growth of mandatory spending a cut. All we are trying to do is reform programs. make them more accountable to the American people. and slow the rate of growth. People are entitled to their own opinions. but they should not be entitled to their own facts. Even after we do this. we will end up spending more of the peoples money next year than we did last year. When you think about the charges that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are lodging. we should also remember that these were the very same people who said that welfare reform would be horrible. that it would be the end of the world as we know it. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5251}
{"speech_id":1090082823,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had such quotes like from the Democrat leader in the House at the time that a million children would be forced into poverty. One of the Democrat leaders in the Senate said that if we have welfare reform. we will have trauma that we have not known since the .cholera epidemics. and the rhetoric went on and on and on. Mr. Speaker. what happened? I can tell Members what happened. Case loads fell in half and millions and millions and millions found jobs. hope. and opportunity. The poorest 20 percent of singlemother families had a 67 percent increase in their earnings once we had w.elfare reform. Millions were able to leave the rolls. Child poverty fell when we reformed the welfare programs. and 1.4 million children have been lifted out of poverty due to welfare reform. So we kind of have to check the source. Reforms can work. and they must work for the American people. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5251}
{"speech_id":1090082823,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are so many different ways that we can improve health care and housing and do it in a way that saves American families money. Right now we could save $1.5 million a year inMedicaid if we just based drug payments on actual acquisition costs. We could save 2 to 3 billion a year if we would stop improper payments for States that do not qualify for the payments. Mr. Speaker. if we would pass a simple. meaningful medical liability reform bill. we could save 5 to 10 percent on the cost of health care in America. In 2003. the Federal Government can now not account for $24 billion that was spent. and yet the Democrats say we cannot reform government. The Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2001 in the last year of the Clinton administration spent $3.3 billion paying out money to people who did not qualify for the program. That was 10 percent of their entire budget. yet the Democrats tell us there is no room for reform in the Federal budget. The Advance Technology Program spends $150 million annually subsidizing private businesses. 40 percent of which. goes to Fortune 500 companies. Yet the Democrats tell us there is no room for reform in the Federal budget. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5251}
{"speech_id":1090082823,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was a time quite recently when Medicare would spend five times as much on a wheelchair as the Veterans Administration. Same model and manufacturer. Why? Because one would competitively bid and the other would not. and so they just wasted that money. Yet the Democrats would tell us that somehow we are hurting Medicare recipients when we cease to pay five times as much for a wheelchair as we should have. Fortunately. we have caught that one. and we have remedied that. but we have 10.000 Federal programs spread across 600 agencies. There is so much room for reform. When families are working hard to make ends meet. we need to be leaders in finding reforms in the Federal budget. I am very happy that tonight we are joined by one of the great deficit hawks and fiscal hawks that we have in the United States Congress. a real leader in helping root outa lot of the duplication and waste and fraud. a lot of the abuse that we find in the Federal budget. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5251}
{"speech_id":1090082832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I guess this is a little bit of a digression. but it isa case in point. I mean. there is this whole bizarre concept of free trade based on an economist who has been dead over 200 years that only the United States Government. under the tutelage of these multinational corporations is following. much to our detriment. Our trade deficit this year is headed towards $700 billion. That means we are borrowing almost $2 billion a day from overseas. 40 percent of that from the Chinese. to buy things made in China and other countries that used to be made here. That is not a sustainable model. That ultimately undermines our standard of living. We are piling up huge overseas debts. But even worse than that. and that is just all under these bizarre theories of free trade. the race to the bottom and all things are a result from that. we are not even really practicing what President Clinton and- President Bush are so fond of calling rulesbased trade. We are going to have rules. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090082832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. there are rules. The rules say that the Chinese cannot pirate things. Guess what? The Chinese pirate millions of dollars a year worth of U.S. dollars. The gentleman mentioned furniture. I have a little furniture manufacturer. a highend furniture manufacturer. in my district. He called me up and said. I have a little trade problem. I thought. that is a little weird. but okay. and I went to visit. Well. it turns out the Chinese delegation came over to look at his plant. they liked his stuff. they offered him more money than he could ever imagine he would ever have to buy his company. The only condition was he had to unbolt all the machines and all the production lines. send 3 managers to China for 6 months. and then they would send him a 20 percent cut for -the future. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090082832,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course. he would not have workers or a company anymore. He agonized. and he said no. Well. the Chinese said. okay. fine. They went to Seattle and. from a furniture store there. bought a copy of everything he made. and the next year a Chinese Communist Governmentsubsidized company produced a clone of everything this company in Oregon makes and were selling it for 40 percent less at the furniture show. That has also happened to a hightech company in my district. My staff was in an extraordinary phone call with the Bush administration. the Commerce Department. saying. will you not help these companies fight the piracy? And they said. no. we will not do that. We are not interested. These are the people who cloak themselves with small business. except if the Chinese want to steal the small businesses. that is okay with us. We are not going to do anything about it. because it might upset some of the big deals going on between GM to move all of their manufacturing to China. or Boeing to move all of their manufacturing to China. or IBM. you know. the big companies. So small business gets written off. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090082832,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So not only are we losing the big manufacturiig firms. our small firms. our innovators. are being pirated by the Chinese. The administration will do nothing about it. We are borrowing almost $2 billion a day. This is a crazy thing we are doing to the future of our Nation. and they want to tell us how great it is. Remember. it was the Presidents own economic advisor who. in the Presidents economic report a year ago January. said that outsourcing. that is. exporting U.S. jobs overseas like Delphi or GM or others. is yet just the latest and greatest new manifestation of the advantages of free trade.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090082834,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Remember how they have sold this. how they sold CAFTA. NAFTA? It was. -we are opening up markets for U.S. workers and U.S. products. We want to put Americans to work. We want to create wealth in this country. NAFTA. Bill Clinton said. was going to bring 400.000 jobs to America. He was off by a few. It actually exported 1.2 million jobs from America to Mexico. so he was off by a little bit there. Bill Clinton talked about how all the Mexicans were going to buy our goods. The total buying power of Mexico is less than the purchasing power of the people of New Jersey. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":865}
{"speech_id":1090082834,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If they spent every peso they earned on U.S. goods. which. of course. they have .to eat and provide housing. they could not do that. The .same thing with CAFTA and the same thing with China. These workers who work in the plants that are producing these products. they cannot afford to buy them.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":865}
{"speech_id":1090082840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To be totally fair. the last administration was pathetic on this issue. too. I first uncovered this issue during the Clinton administraSE H9353 tion. I thought they would be happy to hear it. They could help American consumers. They were big rulesbased trade guys. They said. no. no. they didnt believe it. I had further legal analysis done and the legal analysis said. Yes. you can clearly file a claim. They are clearly violating the rules of OPEC. You cant constrain supply of a commodity in international trade if you are in the World Trade Organization to drive up the price. only for conservation. purposes. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2301}
{"speech_id":1090082840,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They certainly cant make that case. But the Clinton administration would not do it. I have heard. well. maybe the Bush people. he understands oil. the Vice President understands oil. they will get tough and take on OPEC. They are tough guys. And so I contacted them. I have gotten a- form response from the Trade Representative and the Commerce Department. I have introduced legislation here in the House which the Republican leaders refuse to schedule which would mandate the President file a complaint against OPEC. Free trade. you have got to realize. only works one way. It only works to stick it to American .workers. It doesnt work for American consumers. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2301}
{"speech_id":1090082840,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are not going to use free trade rules to go after OPEC. They are not going to use free trade rules to go after the company -in China that cloned my furniture company. They are make a little feint at it. They are saying. Oh. were going to go to the WTO and ask them to look at whether the Chinese are pirating things. All they have to do is pick up the Trade Representatives report or Pat Choates book and they can read page after page after page of documentation of the Chinese stealing American products and goods and jobs. But they have only filed one complaint. This administration. 5 years in office. has filed one trade complaint against China. to be totally fair. on behalf of a pharmaceutical company. That is the only one they have filed. The thousands of small businesses and big businesses are being ripped off. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2301}
{"speech_id":1090082840,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"OPEC who is ripping off everybody and driving businesses out of the United States of America. they wont take them on. but they did file a complaint on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry in China.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2301}
{"speech_id":1090082859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning the time until 10 a.m. will be equally divided for debate prior to the cloture vote. That cloture vote is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. promptly. We * This \"bullet\"- symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. will be on the LaborHHS appropriations bill. We started that bill now 6 days ago. last Friday. Senators have had ample opportunity to debate and offer amendments. Therefore. I expect that we will invoke cloture this morning. Once cloture is invoked. the chairman can begin the process of bringing that bill to a close. If we work together and Members are reasonable with their requests for amendments. we will be able to finish the bill tonight. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1362}
{"speech_id":1090082859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we are unable to get passage of the bill tonight. then we would return to session tomorrow and stay on the bill with votes until completion. That gives added incentive for people to finish it today. but we will be here tomorrow to vote if we do not finish it tonight. .Today we may also receive the Agriculture appropriations conference report from the House. and I will be talking to the Democratic leader about the scheduling for consideration. Finally. we have some Executive Calendar nominations ready for Senate action. including a couple of judges. We need to dispose of those nominations as soon as possible.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1362}
{"speech_id":1090082882,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. this amendment addresses a problem that is quite unprecedented with respect to the funds that were appropriated originally from thfs body following the attacks of September 11. The funds were part of the original emergency appropriation passed by the Congress and signed by the President. The money addressed in this amendment is intended for use for medical services and related matters on behalf of first responders. construction workers. and -others who worked at Ground Zero. who were in a variety of ways injured. whose health was impacted. often leading to employmentending disabilities. The people who gave so much in the immediate aftermath of those attacks include. of course. those who lost their lives and also those who as part of the rescue and recovery operations suffered longlasting physical and mental damage. A number of those people have not been able to return to work. They are suffering from ailments ranging from physical disability. loss of limbs. loss ofthe use of limbs. They have suffered an incredible range of lungrelated and breathing diseasesasthma. respiratory dysfunction. Others have suffered greatly from the stresses they confronted. particularly working on what was called \"the pile\" day after day after day. some who worked out at Freshkills. the formerly very large landfill on Staten Island where the remains of so many who lost their lives. including the debris from the cleanup. were taken and deposited. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090082882,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Detectives worked there hour after hour after hour recovering evidence. and often that evidence included. tragically. body parts. Many of these people who were directly impacted continued to work as long as they could. They tried to return to some semblance of normalcy. Unfortunately. they often could not continue. The money that -was directed to be used for their medical and employmentrelated needs was caught up in some of the efforts to deal with the budget currently. and an unprecedented rescission of these funds previously appropriated was called for. On both sides of the aisle. in the Senate as well as the House. we have a number of our colleagues who understand completely the need for these funds to be reinstated and available for the purposes they were intended. Certainly. the Governor of our State. the mayor of our city. along with representatives of many of the workers. the police officers. detectives. the firefighters. the construction workers. and others who were adversely impacted because they responded to th need for their services.and their heroic efforts. are all united in our effort on both sides of the aisle at all levels of Government to make sure that what was promised is fulfilled. I greatly appreciate the chairman of the committee and the ranking member working with us over the last \u0095 weeks to make sure we correct this unprecedented rescission. I believe the amendment has been agreed to by the chairman and ranking member. I hope we are Rble to move forward with that expeditiously today. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090082882,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a righting of an inadvertent wrong. I dont think the full intent and understanding of what these funds were for was perhaps appreciated. but there seems to be a great willingness. which I greatly appreciate. on behalf of the majority-","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090082896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This money has been counted on to meet the needs of so many of these workers. through the workers comp system. through the health care system. We fought very hard to make sure there was a sufficient amount of money for the diagnosis of the various physical and mental ills that people suffered after 9\/11. I was very grateful we were able to do that. People are being diagnosed. They are being given some help. Unfortunately. without this money. that help cannot continue. After 9\/11. we learned that many of the people who were involved in the horrible bombing in Oklahoma City years before were finally coming to ask for help. that they had been suffering in silence. Often there had been terrible memories that interfered with their ability to continue\" working. This is something that we know from experts is. unfortunately. a very longterm. slowmoving problem. that not. everybody suffers the same way immediately. There are those for whom it takeslonger to. come.to grips with what has happened.* We are seeing that We are seeing still people who for the first time fo to a physician. for the first time ask for help. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090082896,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have worked closely with the fire department over the last 4 years and they have been absolutely superb in trying to make sure that help was available. people knew about it. but they are the first to tell you not every one of the firefighters was ready -to ask for it. They had to be convinced it was OK to do. So having this money reinstated will fulfill the promise we have made to all of these men and women that we are not going to forget them. we are going to take care of them. that when they are ready to ask for help. they will get help. and that the resources will be available for them to get that help. It is very heartening. and I obviously understand weare going to have a challenge in the conference committee. but all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the House. particularly those who serve on the Appropriations Committee. are part of this team and are working hard to make sure their leadership- understands what our leadership does. which is that this is keeping faith with the people who kept faith with America. a lot of brave and heroic and very extraordinary human beings who ran toward danger instead of away from it. I am very grateful that this will be in the Senate bill and we will be able to go with a united front on behalf of the Senate joining with those in the majority and minor-. ity in the House to make sure we provide this funding as soon as possible. I appreciate all the hard work we have seen from the chairman and the chairmans staff. from the ranking member and the ranking members staff. This was a challenge they undertook because they supported what we were trying to do and understood how significant it was to correct this situation. I also appreciate the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member of the full committee who have similarly been very supportive in helping us work out a solution to this issue. I can only hope that when we get to conference the House will understand and accept how we have worked this out and give us a chance to make our case. I believe it is a worthy case. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090082896,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has bipartisan support. I think the House will see that and understand it. . I am grateful to everyone who has helped us get to this point. Mr. President I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090083064,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are now in a position to move to a number of amendments on which there is agreement. As we review the bidding here. there are prospects for several more rollcall votes. It is. as usual. impossible to tell whether we will need the rollcall votes. We are calling the Senators rather than identifying them on the flooridentifying them on the floor is the next stepbut Senators know who they are. where they are on the prospect of rollcall votes. and they ought to come to the Chamber because we have had many inquiries as to when we are going to conclude this bill. We. are getting very close:","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090083065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I call up amendment No. 2324 on behalf of Senators Warner. and Allen. This amendment expresses the sense of the Senate that the Administrator of the -Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services work with the Commonwealth of Virginia to resolve their Medicaid issues. I urge adoption of the amendment. It has been cleared with Senator HARKIN.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":355}
{"speech_id":1090083123,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. again we are very close to finishing up this appropriations bill. There may be one or two other amendments. I am hopeful Please come. I have been deceived by people saying they have a plane to catch. they have this or that. But those who have any amendments. if they havent been over hereotherwise. I defer to my distinguished chairman.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":351}
{"speech_id":1090083133,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend the Senator from California for offering this amendment on afterschool funding. I agree with her about the importance of the program. It is a line of community support which I have recognized forseveral decades since I was district attorney for Philadelphia. since I saw firsthand the high incidence of crime committed during the -hours between the time students leave school and the time they see their parents. Senator HARKIN and I have been very -solicitous about this program and have made.very substantial increases going back to 1998 when we added $39 million. in 1999. we added $160 million. in 2000. we added $253 million: in 2001. we added $392 million: in 2002. we added $154 million. We took a program which was funded at $40 million in 1998 and we brought it right up to the billion dollar mark. It is a tremendous program. One of the grave difficulties of managing this bill is to oppose so many amendments which are good. We had to oppose Senator BYRDS $5 billion for title II. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1470}
{"speech_id":1090083133,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator KENNEDYS addition to Pell grants. Senator DODD on daycare. Senator CLINTON on special education. and so it goes. If you want to amass a terrible voting record. be chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor. Health and Human Services and Education. It is a great place to do it. I wish we had more of an allocation. I know how sincere the Senator from California is about this program. I very much regret being constrained to oppose it.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1470}
{"speech_id":1090083146,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I speak on my amendment. briefly I will comment about Senator BOXERs amendment. Senator BOXER and I have worked long and hard on afterschool programs. something in which I passionately believe. We worked to try to have this program increased without adding to the deficit. so we had an offset. It was","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":322}
{"speech_id":1090083205,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. very quickly. this is a verybig bill. It is very- important -for millions of people in this country. The management of this bill has been spectacular. Senator SPECTER and Senator HARKIN should be congratulated. They did a very good job in a short timeframe. We should all recognize the outstanding job the two of them did.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":337}
{"speech_id":1090083210,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman. I have heard from my States superintendent that MSP grants have gone a long way in Ohio to support programs the Ohio Science Institute. which is a statewide professional development opportunity for science teachers of grades 310. and the Ohio Mathematics Academy Program. which is a statewide professional development opportunity for mathematics teachers in similar grades. As the chairman and many of my colleagues are aware. I am a fiscal conservative and understand the deficit and funding constraints we face. Yet. in light of the National Academys report and other studies that point to our Nations declining rank in science and math students. I dont know of too many other programs that deserve our focus and investment more than those that will prepare our children to compete in the global marketplace. I thank the chairman for his commitment to science and math education programs as we move to conference on this appropriations bill. I hope his commitment to quality science and math education will extend even further down the road. as we prepare our budgets for the next fiscal year.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090083218,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to express my appreciation for the chairmans efforts. and those of the subcommittee ranking .member. Senator HARKIN. in working to ensure the health and wellbeing of Americans everywhere. As you know. a .S11992 silent health crisis is currently affecting Americas men. On average. American men live shorter and less healthy lives than American women. Men lead in each of the 15 major of death in America except Alzheimers and have a life span of almost 6 years shorter than their female counterparts. While this health crisis is of particular concern to men. it is also a concern for women whose fathers. husbands. sons and brothers feel the physical. financial and emotional effects of poor health. Mens health is also a concern for employers who pay the costs of medical care. and lose productive employees. In addition Federal. State and local governments must often absorb the enormous costs of premature death and disability. including the costs of caring for dependents left behind. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3728}
{"speech_id":1090083218,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are a number of ailments of particular concern to men. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States among men. accounting for 33 percent of all cancer cases. An estimated 230.000 men will be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone. and approximately 30.000 will die. Prostate cancer. unfortunately. is not the only health threat facing men. Over 8.000 men. ages 15 to 40. will be diagnosed this year with testicular cancer. and 390 of these men will die of this disease in 2005. Fortunately. many of these conditions are treatable if detected early enough. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and thanks to early detection and treatment was able to- beat the disease. I had prostate specific antigen. PSA. tests and other recommended tests every 3 to 6 months after my surgery. Last year. my doctors detected a slight rise in PSA. and I underwent successful radiation treatment. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3728}
{"speech_id":1090083218,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because I caught and treated the onset of this disease early on. I was able to beat it. again. Appropriate use of tests such as PSA exams and blood pressure. blood sugar. and cholesterol screens. in conjunction with clinical exams and selftesting. can result in the early detection of many problems and in increased survival rates. Unfortunately. many men are not taking the steps necessary to protect themselves and their families from these devastating conditions. Statistically. women visit the doctor far more often than men. Too often. men fail to get routine checkups or health counseling. and they often ignore symptoms or delay seeking medical attention when sick or in pain. In addition. when men do seek care. embarrassment can often prevent them from openly discussing health concerns with their physicians. To increase mens health awareness I have introduced legislation to establish an Office of Mens Health under the Department of Health and Human Services. This office would be based on the Office of Womens Health. currently operating within HHS. which has done a fantastic job of assisting women in identifying and battling many conditions common to women. Educating men. their families. and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems can result in reducing rates of mortality for malespecific diseases. as well as improve the health of Americas men and its overall economic wellbeing. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3728}
{"speech_id":1090083218,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While an Office of Mens Health is not a cureall. it will assist men to focus on many health problems that can be treated successfully if diagnosed early. Prevention and early detection can only happen with increased public awareness. something the proposed office hopes to provide. I yield to the distinguished chairman to elaborate on this point.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3728}
{"speech_id":1090083243,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. to express my extreme disappointment at the acceptance of amendment 2315 to the Labor and HHS Appropriation yesterday. My disappointment stems from the fact that I objected to considering amendment 2315 both verbally and by letter. And my objection was ignored. Senator SPECTER. the manager of the bill. acknowledged the mistake. and promised to respect the. Finance Committees jurisdiction. However. a Member on the other side refused to allow the mistake to be rectified. an unfortunate and unfair action. For the past several Congresses. I attempted to work with the appropriators and other Senators to ensure that theydo not encroach upon the jurisdiction of the Finance committee. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1118}
{"speech_id":1090083243,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. the practice continues as it did yesterday. These provisions are not without consequence. They are often written without clear knowledge of all the relevant facts. As a result. problems often occur as they are implemented. I really appreciate the fact that Senator SPECTER is willing to work with me on this issue and I fully expect that the provision will be taken out during conference.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1118}
{"speech_id":1090083246,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Labor. Health and Human Services. and Education Appropriations bill is the last of the regular fiscal year 2006 appropriations bills to come before the Senate for consideration. Last year. seven of the regular appropriations bills. including the Labor. Health and Human Services bill. were not debated individually by this body but rather they were inserted into one large. unamendable omnibus package. As I have said on many occasions. the processing of regular appropriations bills in such a manner is not the way the Senate is supposed to operate. I am always very disappointed when the Senate resorts to appropriating by omnibus bills. We are the Senate. This is the Senate. A deliberative body it is supposed to be. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7631}
{"speech_id":1090083246,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year. the Labor. HHS. and Education Appropriations bill was included in the omnibus package. This is a different year now. This year. the Labor. Health and Human Services. and Education Appropriations bill was fully debated here on the floor and amended as a standalone bill. What a difference. This bill has been on the floor all week. and Senators have enjoyed their right to debate and amend such important language. I thank the distinguished manager of the bill. and the distinguished Senator who acts on this side of the aisle to help manage this bill. Senator SPECTER and the distinguished Senator from Iowa. Senator HARKIN. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7631}
{"speech_id":1090083246,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is such a comprehensive bill. It covers a lot of programs and activities of the Governmentthree Departments. and the Social Security Administration. When you include mandatory spending. this bill funds nearly 25 percent of the Federal budget. This bill impacts every citizen in this country in one way or another. Just think about it: labor issues. health issues. human services issues that provides basic humanitarian services for the neediest of our citizens. as well as education issues. As we complete our debate on the Labor. HHS. and Education Appropriations bill. I want to extend my appreciation to the subcommittee chairman. Senator SPECTER. and the ranking member. Senator HARKIN. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7631}
{"speech_id":1090083246,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are a good team on this bill. They have been working together on this subcommittee for so long that they seem to sometimes complete each others sentences. They hold numerous hearings throughout -the year. They gather knowledge from a wide array of experts throughout the country. That is what they do. This subcommittee pours over. the testimony. over the reports. the studies. and other related data throughout the year. and its recommendations are reflective of that careful and thorough review. I have never seen a chairman of a committee more fair than Senator SPECTER has been. Every Senator who wanted to call up an amendment had an opportunity to do so: Senator SPECTER did not seek to cut off any amend-* ments. No. He was very fair. very considerate. very courteous. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7631}
{"speech_id":1090083246,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And look what a wonderful job he and Senator HARKIN have done on this committee. My thanks. my congratulations to both of them. .I also extend my thanks to their fine staff. Those staffers worked hard. I appreciate their dedicated service to the Appropriations Committee and to the Senate. I will take 1 minute. or maybe i little longer. to comment -briefly about the upcoming supplemental request which I understand the White House will be transmitting to the Congress tomorrow. This will be the third disaster relief supplemental related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This request is expected to iliclude $17 billion for various programs and agencies on top of the $62 billion Congress has already approved. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. the Congress approved both of the Presidents supplemental requests. In each case. Congress approved the bill within 1 day of receiving the request. with no debate and no amendment. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7631}
{"speech_id":1090083280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if I might. in no way was .this meant to show disrespect for the Senator from Virginia. We have worked very properly together. I was simply rising this evening to indicate that the. original -way to resolve this by including the Senators amendment in the House bill is not something that is acceptable to other colleagues. That was the desire of the Congresswoman: whose idea it was to name the building in her district. She feels very strongly about this. and I was indicating that for the RECORD. I dont wish to have more confusion. I very much appreciate the Senator from West Virginia allowing me a moment. But in no way was this meant to show disrespect for my colleague. We have worked very well together.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":726}
{"speech_id":1090083355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today as a Senator. as an Illinoisan. and as a proud resident of the South Side of Chicago to congratulate the Chicago White Sox for winning the 2005 World Series. As my fellowSouth Siders know. it has been a long time coming. A little bit of history: Founded in 1900 as the Chicago White Stockings. this years team reachedthe World Series for the first time since 1959. and this is a 59style cap that I have here with me. Over a century of White Sox fans have cheered for superstars such as Luke Appling. Nellie Fox. Carlton Fisk. Luis Aparicio. Harold Baines. and. of course. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5021}
{"speech_id":1090083355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Big Frank Thomas. But we havent savored the sweet taste of a World Series championship since 1917until now. Back in 1917. Woodrow Wilson was President. and the Great War was raging in Europe. The White Sox were a bright spot in tough times. The Sox won last night the way they have won all seasofiby playing aggressively. scrapping for every base and every run. When Juan Uribe threw to Paul Konerko for the final out. it was fitting that the ball beat the runner by only half a step. The four games against the Astros were decided by a total of six runs. Winning by the skin of your teeth has been our style. Win or die trying. that is our motto this year. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5021}
{"speech_id":1090083355,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I congratulate my colleague from Texas. The Houston Astros were an outtanding team. But it just so happened that this year they ran into the buzz saw of the Chicago White Sox. I congratulate Jermaine Dye. who is the World Series MVP. But I am sure he will be the first to say that everyone on this years team deserves a part of that award. This is a team with sd many great players but no undisputed leader on the field. I dont claim to be a baseball expert or particularly unbiased on this matter. but this is one of the most balanced and selfless teams any of us have seen. A team of unlikely heroes. -Scott Podsednik. who hadnt hit a home run all season. stepped up and hit two in the playoffs. including the walkoff winner in game two on Sunday. Willie Harris. who barely played in the playoffs. got a pinch hit to get on base and bring home the only run last night. Geoff Blum. a former Astro. who got a pinch hit homer in the 14th inning to give us the margin of victory in game three. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5021}
{"speech_id":1090083355,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the pitchingfour complete games to close out the American League Championship Series. An 11 and 1 record in the playoffs. 15 scoreless innings to finish the World Series. Before the season started. the Sox were a consensus .500 team. Even as we built and maintained the best record in the American League all season. there were many doubters. Towards the end of the season. we hit a rough patch. and * the doubters grew louder. They said Cleveland had more playoff experience. They said even if we held on to make the playoffs. we would get embarrassed in the first round. But during the stretch run. manager Ozzie Guillen and his \"kids.\" as he calls them. were calm and relaxed. Even as Cleveland came on strong and our lead in the Central Division dwindled. Ozzies kids continued to play pranks on each other in the clubhouse. and continued to run hard on the basepaths. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5021}
{"speech_id":1090083355,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Once the playoffs started. there was no looking back. That difficult September was gone in an instant. We silenced the doubters by sweeping the World Champion Boston Red Sox. We silenced theAngels during the ALCS in five games. And we swept the Astros in four games. I had the privilege of attending game one of the World Series on Saturday. and the fans in and around the park were a crosssection of the city. There were plenty of folks old enough to remember the 59 team. Almost everyone remembered the 2000 team that made the playoffs. A few were even alive in I dont want to belabor this issue. I know those of you who had to listen to Red Sox fans last year may have gotten a little weary of those of us who have all this pentup energy when we finally win the championship. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5021}
{"speech_id":1090083357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from the State of Illinois who i\u00a7 truly a White Sox fan from the South Side of .Chicago. We have town meetings every Thursday morning. and from the beginning ofthis baseball season. he has -been rooting for his White Sox. As his fellow Senator from Illinois. I want to congratulate him and the White Sox organization. Say it is so. Joe. Eightysix years after the 1919 Black Sox scandal. and 88 years after they beat the New York Giants in the 1917 World Series. the Chicago White Sox are bringing the World Series crown home to Chicago. It is amazing. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2494}
{"speech_id":1090083357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The ghost of Sholeless Joe Jackson can finally rest in peace. Last night. the White Sox completed their magical World Series quest with a 10 win to complete a fourgame sweep over the Houston Astros. But as Senator OBAMA has said. they were close games. Some of them broke records for their length and the hard battle that they brought to the mound and to the field. White Sox fans from my home State of Illinois and all around the world are rejoicing as the White Sox nation will cherish this victory for decades- to come. The South Side of Chicago is the gladdest part of town. If you go down there. you better be aware that the White Sox won the World Series crown. I congratulate the White Sox players. their manager. the valiant Venezuelan. Ozzie Guillen. pitching coach Don Cooper. What an amazing performance by the pitching staff. and so many White Sox stars turned coaches such as Tim Raines. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2494}
{"speech_id":1090083357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Greg Walker. Harold Baines. and Joey Cora. general manager Kenny Williams for putting together this magical team. himself a former Sox player who made key moves not only in the off season but during the season. such as adding closer Bobby Jenks. just 24 years old. pitching in double As just a few months ago. And there he stood on the mound last night pitching those 99- and 100mileanhour fast balls. But during the season. general manager Kenny Williams also added game 3 hero Geoff Blum. To the owners and my friends. Eddie Einhorn and Jerry Reinsdorf. congratulations for 25 years of dedication to their great moment of victory. Everyone in the White Sox organization richly deserves this World Series victory. The Sox organization has made citizens of Chicago and the State of Illinois proud by bringing home this crown. And to those generations of White Sox fans who stayed faithful to their team even in the darkest days. I say rejoice. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2494}
{"speech_id":1090083357,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Chicago White Sox are world champions. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2494}
{"speech_id":1090083486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on Mon- on the floor beginning Monday. Tuesday we begin consideration of the def- \u0095 day. Wednesday. and Thursday of next Printed on recycled paper. week. Social Security. which is the largest of these mandatory programs. is set aside. It cannot. nor should it be. considered in this legislation. It cannot be. So realistically. the universe of Federal spending that we will be dealing with over the next week is limited to 33 percent or about a third of all Federal spending. That is where the focus will be. The deficit reduction legislation we will be considering over the week is the culmination of a process that began in February. when the President gave us his budget. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090083486,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Presidents budget included proposals to reduce the Federal deficit over the next 5 years by slowing the growth in Federal spending in this area of the Federal budget. Again. of the overall Federal budget. we are talking about a third of it that we will be addressing. The Presidents budget came over and said: We are going to slow that spending growth by $26 billion. The congressional budget resolution we adopted back in April. similarly agreed that slowing that growthand there is still going to be growthin mandatory spending was an essential part of achieving not only. deficit reduction but. not unrelated. being able to sustain ecoiomic growth. We want to achieve deficit reduction. but we want to be able to sustain economic growth. So to accomplish that goal. our 2006 budget laid out a process that has not been used in about 8 years. I believe it was in 1997 that we last had a spending deficit reduction package. a reconciliation process used -on the spending side of the equation. It has been 8 years since we have used this process. The budget we adopted directed eight authorizing committees in the Senate and in the House to make changes in laws within their jurisdiction to achieve a total of $34.7 billion in savings over the next 5 years. That is what the budget Cold those eight authorizing committees to come up with. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090083486,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Subsequent. to passage of our budget in the spring. we have had big. unanticipated spending demands that resulted from the worst hurricane season in the Nations history. All of that placed added attention on spending and on Government spending. We responded to that appropriately. in a bipartisan way. by. agreeing to delay consideration of the reconciliation process in early September so that we could focus on hurricane response and on the demands and on what the people who have been so directly affected by those hurricanes deserve. We have addressed the needs of thegulf coast families affected by the storms. We continue to address them. We did. indeed. in legislation last night. We will continue to do so in the future. Indeed. within this reconciliation legislation. while at the same time meeting the goal of deficit reduction. we do so while also providing the needed medical attention. the education attention. and other Government. benefits to the victims of those hurricanes. We also recognize that because of the additional spending demands being placed on the Federal Government. we needed to do more in terms of deficit reduction itself. the deficit reduction we defined preKatrina. that we did need to do more. In late September. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090083486,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I. along with the chairman of the Budget Committee. wrote to the chairmen and ranking membersof the eight reconciled committees. the committees that will be responding with their proposals *next week. asking them each to consider how they could come up with increased savings. I am proud of the effort put forth by each of these eight committees. They have come forth with specific recommendations. Now that is what we are bringing to the floor of the Senate. They increased deficit reduction by nearly 13 percent so rather than $35 billion. as required by our initial budget proposal from the early part of this year. the legislation approaches about $40 billion. just under but almost $40 billion in savings. I thank and applaud members of the various authorizing committees whohave come forth with those increased savings. I would be remiss if I did notpoint out that in many instances. the additional savings were accomplished on a bipartisan basis in many of the committees. Forty billion dollars in savings over the next 5 years is less than 2 percent of the $26 trillion in mandatory spending that will occur over the next 5 years. It is tough to accomplish that. We willbe debating that over the course of the week. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090083486,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But in truth. it is only 2 percent of the $2.6 trillion in mandatory spending that is going to occur over the next 5 years. There will be some who think this legislation does not go far enough to reduce spending. I personally would not disagree. There will be others who will come into my office saying it goes too far. I do disagree with them. Both proponents will have an opportunity. over the course of consideration of the bill. to amend the legislation to achieve whatever their objectives might be. I will be laying out that schedule later today. Regardless of that debate. no one will deny that this is the first real effort in 8 years to slow down growth in mandatory spending. The chairman of the Budget Committee. Senator GREGG. and the ranking member. and the eight reconciled committees are to be congratulated for making the tough and difficult decisions they had to in bringing this bill to the Senate floor. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7643}
{"speech_id":1090083531,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. oiler the course of the weekend. the Capitol will be busy. As people know. on Tuesday of this week. civil rights icon Rosa Parks passed away in her Detroit home at the age of 92. Throughout her life. she was a champion. an activist. a true hero. and has left a legacy that all of us will carry forward and pass on to our children and future generations because of that simple actnot so simple act. but that dramatic act of refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus that was the was the catalyst for that historic civil rights movement that and remade our Nation. Last night. it Was our honor in this body to pass a resolution to allow the remains of Rosa Parks to lie in state on Sunday and Monday in the Capitol Rotunda. The House is expected to ratify a similar resolution today.-Citizens from all around the country and really all around the globe. I am sure. will come to pay their respects. Rosa Parks will be forever etched in history as a testament to how one person with courage can literally change the world. Although shortly we will be Closing. at this time. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090083547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the destruction of Israel in a speech in Tehran. He said. \"There is no doubt that Palestine will soon wipeoff this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world. Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of Islamic nations fury.\" Mr. Speaker. this saberrattling. rogue tyrant. terroristtalking head of state and his comments are yet another example of his menacing threat to all people. Now Iran. with nuclear capability. is a real concern to not only free Israel. but to the free world. Irans neighbors should be on careful watch. Hopefully the people of Iran will keep this firebrand.. drugstore gunslinger under some control. The United States must reaffirm its commitment to the nation of Israel 09 Printed on recycled paper. and to the destruction and defeat of international terrorism. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1065}
{"speech_id":1090083547,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Mr. Ahmadinejad needs to mind his words. because words mean something. and he should mind his manners and use some common sense in what he does. That is just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1065}
{"speech_id":1090083549,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. why do the evil acts of terrorists receive more attention in the media than the victories of American soldiers? Our men and women in uniform are skillfully tracking down and killing terrorists throughout Iraq. but we rarely read about their accomplishments in the media or hear about their successes on the nightly news. As U.S. troops risk their lives daily to protect American families. their victories deserve our attention. Earlier this week coalition forces killed Abu Zaid and Abu Hassan. two al Qaeda terrorists who personally assisted in beheadings and were responsiblefor attacking Iraqi and coalition security forces. Fortunately. these murderers have met the fate of leading al Qaeda terrorists in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. By eliminating these monsters. coalition forces have saved the lives of countless Iraqis and Americans. The American people deserve to know about the triumphs of our troops and their efforts to protect American families. In conclusion. God bless our troops. and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090083551,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to join my colleagues and this Nation in honoring the passing of American civil rights hero Rosa Parks. Looking .back from our modern vantage point. it is difficult to imagine that an individual could exhibit. so much courage and inspire thousands to rise up in protest merely through an act so simple as refusing to give up her seat on a bus. In many ways this entie country is fortunate that a white man looking for a place to sit on that bus on that particular day set his sights on Mrs. Parks and not. someofie else. A middleaged African American woman. clearly tired after along days work. how could anyone have known that she would have the strength of spirit to look up that fateful day in 1965 and essentially say enough is enough? For if the exhausted and fedup seamstress had not been among the African Americans askeid to move. if someone else had asked and complied. there may not have been that seminal event which would crystallize an entire movement. One might say that Mrs. Parks simple act of bravery preceded and. in fact. set in motion the many acts of courage of another civil rights hero. Dr. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2096}
{"speech_id":1090083551,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Martin Luther King. When a conference of black Baptist ministers met to discuss how to react to Mrs. Parks arrest. they elected a young Dr. King as their president. When they decided that the strong and sympathetic figure of Mrs. Parks had given them the impetus they needed to act. the modern civil rights movement was born. Thus came the very successful 380day boycott of Montgomery buses and the famous lunch counter sitins. And ultimately. thus came the Supreme Courts decision which struck down the remaining segregation laws once and for all. -It took Rosa Parks to help accomplishthe \"goals of Abraham Lincoln to bring equality for all Americans. . Mr. Speaker. it is just and right that schoolchildren in America have long been taught the name of Rosa Parks as that of one of Americas foremost heroes. ","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2096}
{"speech_id":1090083551,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even now that she has passed on. I have little doubt that she will con\u0095tinue to be properly recognized for all of her contributions to our Nation.","speaker_name":"GERALD WELLER","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2096}
{"speech_id":1090083569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for what she says. I know she is very much on the side of doing this in the right way. and confronted with particular facts. you have to deal with things. So I do believe that a rational food aid policy will include some flexibility on buying the food in an emergency. time and everything else. but I certainly agree it should not come at the expense of the overall program.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":428}
{"speech_id":1090083591,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman and I thank the ranking member for. bringing this very important resolution to the floor. Mr. Speaker. the words this week from the President of Iran were shocking but. unfortunately. not surprising. \"Israel must be wiped off the map ... and God willing. with the force of God behind it. we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism.\" These are words of hate. the words not of a legitimate world leader but of an enemy to peace. to freedom. and to the United States. That Irans corrupt ruling elite have their. boot heel on the neck of moderate reform is not a secret. Nor is Irans obsession with the development of nuclear weapons with Which to destroy Israel any hope for freedom in the Middle East. nor is Irans membership in and sponsorship of a psychopathic cult of violence and murder that is right now a clear and present danger to the safety of every citizen of the United States. Israel. Iraq. and every other democracy on Earth. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090083591,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This weeks rhetorical outburst. repugnant as it is. Mr. Speaker. is simply a verbal expression of the ayatollah regimes most basic political aspiration. the destruction of Israel and the extermination of the Israeli people. That regime. clinging both to power and the past. will one day fall to a new generation of Iranians. devout in their faith. tolerant in their politics. and free -in their hearts. The democratic opposition to the ayatollahs is the future. and a bright one at that. They deserve our support as much as the Tehran regime deserves our scorn and suspicion. This weeks outburst. a direct threat to our ally and our interests. *must be condemned in the fiercest terms and backed up by a renewed commitment by this House and this Nation to develop substantive policies to bring about desperately needed political reform in Iran.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090083593,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. anyone who held out hope that despite his reputation as a hard liner that Irans new president. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. would adopt a more statesmanlike posture in office. has been bitterly. tragically. and unequivocally set straight. The Iranian dictator has instead chosen the role of international outlaw. With his remarks 2 days ago that Israel must be wiped off the map. the Iranian strongman showed utter disregard for human life and for the central principle of. the United Nations and the modern international system. Ahmadinejads outrageous remarks were reinforced today by massive demonstrations in Iran that further threaten to ignite tensions in a volatile region of the world and undermine the fragile Israeli\/Palestinian peace negotiations. What makes Ahmadinejads remarks all the more disturbing is that trey come at a time when Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons that could make his harsh rhetoric a reality. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1710}
{"speech_id":1090083593,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How can the world stand by while an outlaw nation attempts to gain nuclear weapons? How can the world stand by while an outlaw nation announces its despotic intentions to annihilate millions of people? Should Iran one day act on. its murderous intent.. how can the. world claim surprise? As our ranking member. the gentleman from California . points outs. sometimes a madman means exactly what he says. The world must unite to condemn these threats and this episode must- stiffen the resolve of Europe and the United Nations to ensure that Tehran will never. never acquire nuclear weapons. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for the leadership in offering this. resolution. and I am proud to sponsor it.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1710}
{"speech_id":1090083606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. three generations ago. Adolph Hitler threatened to kill the Jews of Europe. When he made that statement. the gullible. the pseudosophisticates. the appeasers thought that it was only oratory. Earlier this year we commemorated the liberation of Auschwitz. where a million of those whom Hitler promised to kill were. in fact. destroyed in the gas chambers. in: the nightmare -of that concentration camp. We now have a similar statement from an equally deranged but serious leader of a nation. He is calling for the destruction of another 6 million. this time Israelis. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1017}
{"speech_id":1090083606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The civilized world must understand that these are not oratorical statements. but plans for action. We need to prevent Iran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons. and we must do everything in our power to have this insane. megalomaniacal regime replaced by a regime of responsibility which would be part of the civilized world. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1017}
{"speech_id":1090083618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution and join my colleagues in condemning the vile statement made this week by Irans president. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. when he called for Israel to be \"wiped off the map.\" Such words are not empty rhetoric but poison aimed at inspiring hate. violence and terrorism. The fact that these words were spoken before an audience of 4.000 students is a dark and ominous demonstration of the current Iranian presidents pathological leadership. Israel is a sovereign democracy in which. free people deserve the right to live in peace and without fear of terror or threats. While this dangerous manspeaks venom. the people of Iran must be reminded that the people of the U.S. and the entire Congress stand in strong support of Israel. As Israel exists today. so will it exist one hundred years from now. and I hope. a thousand years from now. as a strong and inseparable partner of the American people. Irans president is the voice of hatred and moral corruption. It is a voice not to be ignored. but guarded against. ","speaker_name":"BETTY MCCOLLUM","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090083618,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The people of Iran are not served by this voice and neither is the civilized world. President Ahmadinejad must be placed on notice by all nations of the world and all voices of civility and dignity--the people of Israel are our brothers and sisters and such a threat is not only a threat against Israel but against the entire world community. Collectively we seek peace. but we also deserve security. the U.S.. Israel and all nations that reject these virulent sentiments.","speaker_name":"BETTY MCCOLLUM","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090083631,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Texas. for his statement. I am pleased to join with him today as we complete the work on this years Agriculture appropriations bill. the first in my capacity as ranking member of the agriculture appropriations subcommittee. \u0095 . It has been a pleasure to work with Chairman BONILLA and his staff to put together this bill. as well as with Chairman LEWIS and Ranking Member OBEY in an effort to get here today. I want to say thank you to the subcommittee staffs for their hard work. It truly is yeomans work. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2648}
{"speech_id":1090083631,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that the staffs met for several weeks to iron out the differences between the House and Senate bills. We certainly appreciate all of their hard work. This has been a privilege. When I chose to sit on this subcommittee 9 years ago. I did so because I have always believed that the issues overseen by this -subcommittee speak to the core responsibilities of the Federal Government. This is the only subcommittee where farm policy. rural development. conservation. nutrition programs. food safety. drug regulation and public health all come together. As such. it is my belief that the bill that we discuss today is more than a list of programs and funding levels. It is a statement of values. principles and priorities. So when we discuss this bill. I believe we think of it in those terms. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2648}
{"speech_id":1090083631,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should remember that farm programs. international trade promotion and advocacy that help our farmers across the country sell our products may have profound implications on our Nations overall economy and quality of life. The research programs at USDA are critical to our efforts to protect our agriculture products. our national herd and our public health. Indeed. there are many aspects of the bill that I am very proud of. particularly in the area 6f rural development. Whether it is affordable housing. clean drinking water or sewage systems. access to remote educational and medical resources. we know that rural America faces serious economic development challenges. And I believe the Presidents budget failed to address those challenges. decimating majay rural development programs. And despite our hard work. the overall figure remains below the level of last years House bill. well below the 2004 level. and I am afraid that the funding shortfall in this bill will lead to longterm problems with rural infrastructure. But together we made real headway in reversing those cuts. Indeed. I am proud of the work we were able to accomplish with respect to affordable housing in rural America. We were able to keep the House level on section 502","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2648}
{"speech_id":1090083679,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my friend for yielding. And let me thank Mr.- CONYERS for outlining the schedule for the Nation to remember an extraordinary life. I. of course. remember very well when we honored Rosa Parks here. and. having learned so many things about her that I frankly did not know just within the last few days. her level of political activism in the 1940s and the kinds of things that she had done. it is very appropriate. and I know the Speaker has done everything that he possibly can to ensure that we do recognize this great life and. of course. by having Rosa Parks body lie in state here in the Capitol. I think that is a great testament to an extraordinary. life. As we look at our legislative schedule. Mr. Speaker. let me say that we have the very important goal of dealing with legislation that is emerging from the committee chaired by Mr. SENSENBRENNER. and Mr. CONYERS is the ranking minority member. And that legislation which I mentioned earlier. dealing with the issue of eminent domain. is a high priority. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1435}
{"speech_id":1090083679,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I can assure my friends on both sides of the aisle that we will do everything that we possibly can in looking at the exigencies of the schedule as it relates to Mrs. Parks funeral in Detroit to accommodate Members when it comes to management of the bill on the floor and votes themselves as they take place. So we will do all that we can to address as well as we -possibly can those very understandable issues.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1435}
{"speech_id":1090083680,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for those comments. In light of the fact that the Speaker is arranging for the aircraft to get Members there. I presume that they will schedule votes consistent with the leaving and the returning of Members from the funeral. That is my presumption. I understand that is a little bit up in the air. but we certainly hope that can be done. As the gentleman observes. Members on both sides of the aisle I am sure will be attending. I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":472}
{"speech_id":1090083686,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure that all of us want to work this out. and I appreciate that comment. Let me go. if I might now. to appropriations conference reports. They are not listed here. other than obviously we anticipate that there may well be appropriations conference reports. Do you know which ones we might expect next week and when they might be considered? I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":368}
{"speech_id":1090083690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. we have been talking about budget reconciliation now for a number of weeks and the possibility of a budget amendment bill coming to the floor. Over the last 2 weeks that has not come. But. as you know. committees are marking to a figure substantiglly above .the current budget resolution which was adopted by the House and the Senate. Can you tell me whether or not we are going to have a budget amendment .bill on the floor either next week or the week after. and whether or not we will have a reconciliation tax bill on the floor in the near future?","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":584}
{"speech_id":1090083691,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let mesay that obviously we are continuing to work on our quest to put into place for the first time since 1977 an amendment to the budget which would call for substantial. reductions in spending. particularly in the mandatory area and possibly in other areas. We are continuing to work on that. and we would like to do it. but while we are not absolutely certain that that vote. an amendment to the budget. would- take place. we are. as the gentleman correctly said. continuing to work on the reconciliation process. Now. it is my understanding that we have had eight committees that have already reported out their measures. and we are going to continue to do everything that we possibly can to ensure that we bring about a kind of fiscal responsibility that the budget resolution calls for. and as the gentleman said correctly. Mr. Speaker. exceed that if we possibly can. Because trying to rein in the reach of the Federal Government is a high property for us. and we are working. we hope in a bipartisan way. because I know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are regularly talking about the problems of deficit spending and all. and we share that concern. We hope that as we proceed with this reconciliation process that we can move a package that will get here to the floor to do the work. So whether or not we have a vote that amends the budget resolution. we are focused on the reconciliation process itself. To the gentlemans last question on the tax aspect of reconciliation. that continues to be an item that we are working on. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090083691,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know that the gentleman from California of the Committee on Ways and Means and the gentleman from New York are Working on that. the ranking member. We at this juncture do not know exactly what shape that will take. but it is something that we do anticipate completing.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090083694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. the gentleman says any time is a good time to talk about fiscal responsibility. We have Rosa Parks that we need to really address and that is critical. but I do not want to let it go. The gentleman has made a mistake. but it is a mistake that is made regularly. and it is a misrepresentation. In fact. if the gentleman will look to the record. if you use honest nominal numbers. the 1982 DoleReagan tax increase was larger. larger than the 1993 revenue enhancement. or tax increase. as you call it. which tried to pay for the things we were buying.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":568}
{"speech_id":1090083705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me say that. obviously. border security and immigration reform continule to be very high priorities for this majority. and I believe there is bipartisan concern about the issue of our national security. and border security is part of that. Immigration reform is something that I believe we need to address. We are going to continue to do everything that we possibly can to ensure that we address the issue of immigration reform before we adjourn this session of Congress.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":488}
{"speech_id":1090083717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. further reserving the right to object. I thank the gentlewoman so much for that extraordinary tribute to such an extraordinary woman. Mr. Speaker. the next speaker that I am asking to come forward is the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. one who spoke the other night of how he was inspired by the works that she had done. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina . EJ 1230","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":413}
{"speech_id":1090083718,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding. We all are under the disadvantage of never having enough time. We could speak the rest of the day. the rest of the week. the rest of the month. the rest of the year. next year. and we still could not say enough things to give praise to Rosa Parks. who meant so much to us. I want to be very brief and I would simply ask. if I may. to take a part of the RECORD that was done in Special Orders the night before last and graft it into this section of our RECORD SO that it will appear here. The Congres: sional Black Caucus. headed by the gentleman from Alabama and the gentleman from Michigan of Michigan. the two States to which Rosa Parks had the most concrete and physical connection. led that Special Order. and a number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus came and spoke. including myself. Mr. Speaker. I would ask unanimous consent that we make that a part of the RECORD of today.","speaker_name":"MELVIN WATT","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":960}
{"speech_id":1090083728,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. whether it is appropriate to object and reserve the right to object. of course I am not objecting. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from California for yielding to me. And might I offer how grand it is in a time such as this to have her appropriately placed in such a leadership role. Her role tracks the specialness of this day and the reason we stand. which is to honor a woman of greatness. Rosa Parks. and to support the resolution of the Senate that asked of this body the opportunity for her to lie in honor. I am very proud to have been an original cosponsor of the House resolution. authored by the gentleman from Michigan . but we are even more gratified to be able to take the Senate resolution agreed to by the Senate last evening and place it at the desk for its agreement. I too want to focus as much on her life and legacy as I do on this resolution. because even as we speak in glorified terms on the floor of the House. I know that there will be the sense of wondering about the interpretation of lying in honor and the reason thereof. So many of us in our lifetime have had the privilege of weaving in and out of the life of Rosa Parks. either by being mere beneficiaries in the academic institutions that we have been able to journey through or in the sheer presence by being alongside of her or with her. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5877}
{"speech_id":1090083728,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am honored in my adult life to have had her come through the United States Congress to be in meetings with her and. with a smile on my face. to even have a picture taken with Rosa Parks. I say that because these are small measures of the association that many of us have had. but we treasure it because of the enormity of her life. So the reason I think this resolution is so key is because rather than call her a hero or shero. she is iconic. This is a singular moment in history that really stopped the world because we will be asked. she is lying in state and there are a number of others. what is the precedent being set? So I want to classify this as iconic. When Rosa Parks sat down. the world stopped. America was no longer the America as we knew it. the fact that it was a single. very petite woman with not a large voice but a smiling spirit that stopped the wheels of segregation in America. They were churning. They were violent. They were intimidating. They were very frightening. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5877}
{"speech_id":1090083728,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were inhibiting. They were stopping the Bill of Rights. And Rosa Parks felt that she too born in America. yet two- thirds of a person as a slave. she thought it was appropriate for her to be able to acknowledge the fact that colored people. black people. Negro people no longer needed to take the back of the bus. the back of America. the back of the rights. the back of the Constitution. the .back of the Bill of Rights. And it was Rosa Parks who sat down and challenged that bus driver. who may have been on that day. December 1. simply a bus driver in Montgomery. Alabama. but he stood as the sheer brick wall of segregation in America that we had not been able to pierce. But yet that day sprung forth this Montgomery improvement association and the complete boycotting for some 300plus days. the litigation. civil rights litigation. that ultimately resulted in the breaking of the segregation of buses and accommodation in Montgomery. Alabama. that then led to the journey toward the Civil Rights Act of 1964. as my colleague has mentioned. and the 1965 Voter Rights Act that occurred and broke open through her singular act the wall that had stopped America from being America. by dividing us through the heinous divisiveness of race. Now. race still matters in America. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5877}
{"speech_id":1090083728,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But where we are today. 40 and 50 years past. the act that she created put us where we are today. That is why this resolution should be categorized as iconic. signaling a single moment in history that so very few of us can ever account for. And let me just say these few remarks. I feel a kinship with her because I worked for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the time that she was a board member. during the life span of Dr. Ralph David Abernathy. shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Jr. I served on the Select Committee of Assassinations in this House as a young lawyer. investigating the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. two catastrophic American tragedies that impacted the lives of those of us who lived at that time. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5877}
{"speech_id":1090083728,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For anyone who lived. we asked the question -whether America could survive. But we were comforted by the fact that a lady named Rosa Parks still lived and carried forward that simpleness and simplicity that if I could stop America in her tracks and change her from a segregated divisive and unruly kid. if you will. then we could survive and overcome these catastrophic events. So today I rise in support of this resolution alongside the story of her very important history. But I rise because it is a glorious day in this body. a historic day. that an African American woman. known most of her life as a colored woman. whose ancestors came first from the bottom of the belly of a slave boat. can now lie in honor because Members of Congress from the bowels of the Deep South. of Alabama. Georgia. Louisiana. South Carolina. North Carolina. Texas. where the segregation line was drawn. will in unanimous consent agree that she should lie in state because we will agree that her singular action was one that moved America to the part of America that we would hope that she could be. And we move this day to honor her and make this final commitment that we have not arrived yet. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5877}
{"speech_id":1090083731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. continuing my reservation. the last speaker that we have today is one who was a former Governor of American Samoa. As has been said. Rosa Parks did. not just impress those of us who are African Americans. but she inspired all Americans. I yield to the honorable gentleman from American Samoa","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090083742,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. many people too easily forget that the rights and privileges we enjoy today did not come easily. They did not come without struggle. without suffering. without sacrifice. The passing this week of Rosa Parks should remind all of us that freedom does not come free. It comes. partly. because a middle aged African American woman in Montgomery. Alabama was tired from yet another long days work as a seamstress. She was too tired to give up her seat at the front of the bus to a white manas the racist Jim Crow Laws of the time required her to. Her simple act of defiance insptred a city. inspired a movement arid inspired a nation. And her courage inspired me to get more deeply involved in the struggle for civil rights in jour country. -Mr. Speaker. freedom is not free. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1270}
{"speech_id":1090083742,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It must be earned and nutured by the courage and commitment of patriots like Rosa Parks. Mr. Speaker. Rosa Parks has helped make our nation a fairer. better country for all Americans. no matter their race. creed. sex. or national origin. It is right and fitting that this Congress of the United States recognize the contribution to our nation made by Rosa Parks. I am honored to support this concurrent resolution authorizing her body to lie in honor in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1270}
{"speech_id":1090083754,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this past week. we saw the numbers mounting of deceased soldiers who have died on the battlefield in the war in Iraq. That number now reaches 2.000. We saw the memorial services. the funeral services for the soldier that represented that number. As we watch a.number of activities occurring with respect to Federal criminal proceedings. we know that the justice system will proceed on its own. But I call now for the United States Congress and the leadership 6f this Congress to begin investigatory hearings as to the origins of the Iraq war. Where did the intelligence come from? Who made the decisions? Was the intelligence forced? Was it represented to be the truth? We have a constitutional responsibility to determine what representa-. tions were made to the United States Congress and whether or not those representations were true and whether or not we made the decision based upon truth. I call for the investigations now.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":943}
{"speech_id":1090083779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on Wednesday. the new President of Iran made comments that chillingly confirm the hate. intolerance and militant intent to destroy Israel and her people that is shared by too many in the Arab world. Speaking to 4.000 students at a conference called \"The World Without Zionism.\" the Iranian leader declared. \"Israel must be wiped off the. map.\" He went on to say. \"Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic Nations fury.\" This Congress and the American people and all civilized. freedomloving people around the world must emphatically and unequivocally denounce these poisonous comments as outrageous incitement to international criminal acts. Mr. Speaker. as my colleagues know. we just passed a resolution a little over an hour ago unanimously expressing that sentiment. All who seek international security. stability and respect for the rule of law must collectively and publicly reject these comments of the President of Iran. and not only reject them. but condemn them as well. The silence in. too many of the Arab capitals loudly. testifies to the sympathy with which such despicable remarks were received. I am pleased. however. very pleased. that the prominent Palestinian negotiator Mr. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2932}
{"speech_id":1090083779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Erekat reportedly told the media. \"We have recognized the State of Israel. We do not accept the statements of the President of Iran. This is unacceptable.\" That was said by one of the major Palestinian leaders. I congratulate him for those comments. It is that spirit that will allow us to pursue peace on the roadmap set forth by President ]push. However. I am compelled to ask. where is the public outrage among other responsible respected leaders in the Arab world? Mr. Speaker. I have been to Israel 8 times. 3 times in the last 2 years. and on each of those most recent visits. our Israeli allies have expressed increasing concern about Irans support for. terrorism and its continuing effort to develop and acquire nuclear weapons. : The President of Irans -dangerous comments only confirm our worst suspicions and fears about the Iranian governments intentions and malevolence. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2932}
{"speech_id":1090083779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These remarks must inspire a renewed commitment by the United States and by our allies to do everything within our power to prevent Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Those who rationalize acts of terrorism against Israel should reassess their opinion as to why Israel must be ever vigilant and must take all measures necessary to respond to terrorism and ensure the safety. security and sovereignty of its peopleand its land. Mr. Speaker. we were right today to overwhelmingly and unanimously express our outrage at the President of Irans suggestion that Israel would be wiped off the map. Peace will be possible in the international community only if the international community overwhelmingly. emphatically and without any tempering rejects and severely criticizes such comments when they are made.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2932}
{"speech_id":1090083808,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Florida who is down in Florida with his constituents. Send us an email to 30somethingdems@mail.house.gov. Send us an email. let us know your thoughts. We want to take this country in a new direction. change the way we are going. and put the country before the party.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":314}
{"speech_id":1090083892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join Arkansans in mourning the loss of Rosa Parks. known throughout the Nation as the \"Mother of the Freedom Movement.\" As people line up to pay their respects to Mrs. Parks in the Capitol Rotunda today. I cannot help but remember the incredible impact she had on our Nation. Rosa Parks is the first woman to lie in the Capitol Rotunda. which is a testament that her actions are just as significant today as they were in 1955. Mrs. Parks once remarked that her show of defiance to move to the back of the bus was simply because she was tired of being humiliated. tired of following archaic rules forbidding her from sitting in the front of a public bus or entering public buildings through the front door. But. history will remember Rosa Parks for shaking Americas conscience and changing the course of our Nation for the better. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10958}
{"speech_id":1090083892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Parks courage to sit down for equal rights ignited others to stand up for theirs. Reverend Martin Luther King. Jr.. stood up to call for equality and justice for all Americans. inspiring and organizing thousands of activists to stand up with him. Four students in Greensboro. NC. sat in at a Woolworths lunch counter. standing up for their right to be served. And. Daisy Bates led the Little Rock Nine to stand up for their right to an equal education. The Little Rock Nine taught America that \"separate\" was not \"equal.\" Nine Black studentsErnest Green. Elizabeth Eckford. Gloria Ray Karlmark. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10958}
{"speech_id":1090083892,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Carlotta Walls LaNier. Minnijean Brown Trickey. Terrence Roberts. Jefferson Thomas. Thelma Mothershed Wair and Melba Pattillo Bealsdefied hatred and threats to attend the allWhite Central High School for a better education. Of Rosa Parks battle for equality. Minnijean Brown Trickey said: I dont think until the bus boycott we had a sense of our power. . . . The general feeling was if she could do it. we could do it. She was really a heroine to us. She was an ordinary woman and we were ordinary kids and it seems we had a relationship. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10958}
{"speech_id":1090083892,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a former student of Central High. I can attest to the influence Rosa Parks and the Little Rock Nine continue to have in the hallways today. We know that Rosa Parks inspiring story lives on in the pages of every history textbook across America. Her legacy also endures at the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development. which she founded in Detroit. The center offers career training and encourages teens to stay in school and take advantage of the opportunities available to them. I am just one of millions of Americans who admired Rosa Parks tenacity and lifes work. She earned countless accolades and awards for her efforts in the civil rights movement. including the Congressional Gold Medal Awardthe Nations highest civilian honor. In honoring Mrs. Parks with the Medal of Freedom. President Clinton reminded us that: Freedoms work is never done. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10958}
{"speech_id":1090083892,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are still people who are discriminated against. There are still people that because of their human condition are looked down on. derided. degraded. demeaned. and we should all remember the powerful example of this one citizen. And those of us with greater authority and power should attempt every day. in every way. to follow her lead. Although Rosa Parks served as a catalyst to get the wheels turning in the civil rights movement. our journey is not completed. We can honor her memory by continuing her work to stand up for equality and justice for all Americans. Still. this was the reality of more than 100 years of history. Change was not favored. It had been and would be resisted. Of course. while the South was open and notorious about its segregation policies. research in recent years has shown that there were places all over this great land that secretly or overtly discriminated against those of African decent. But in the South. discrimination was not only openly acknowledged. it was the law of the land. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10958}
{"speech_id":1090084017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I had. as a matter of courtesy. yielded the floor so the Senator from Maryland could speak. he said for 10 minutes. It has now been a half hour. Cooperation does help in this institution.. Cooperation also helps on bills such as this. -The Senator from North Dakota has taken considerable time to talk about the reduction in the deficit in the 1990s and the fact that we went into surplus. claiming it as an action of. the Democratic Party. The deficit reduction which occurred during that part. there was another player inthat. and that was the Republican Congress which essentially asked President Clinton to pursue a course of a balanced budget. And with some reticence. the final agreement was reached. and a balanced budget bill was passed. It was passed in cooperation. There was cooperation from Republican membership with a Democratic President. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3587}
{"speech_id":1090084017,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would be nice if we had that cooperation today from our Democratic colleagues. I find it uniquely ironic that they have decided to oppose a bill which reduces the deficit by $35 billionthat initially was the demand. it was a proposal put forward. now it is up to $39 billionon the representation that. well. they cant support this bill because there may be a later bill that gives tax relief. You cant have it both ways. You cant claim you are for deficit reduction and for reducing the debt and then vote against the one opportunity you are going tO have to do so. The one opportunity is this bill. This isnt a tax relief bill. There are no tax relief proposals in this bill at all. This is not a bill that in any way harms people of lower incomes. In fact. the vast majority of the new spending in this bill is directed specifically at lowincome students and patients on Medicare and assisting both of them. The Medicaid proposals in this bill were crafted by the Finance Committee to make surb they focused on making that program more efficient. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3587}
{"speech_id":1090084017,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will actually. if the language in this bill passes. have an impact on the pharmaceutical industry but not on lowincome individuals who benefit from Medicaid. In fact. because it has significant expansion of.the flexibility of Governors to deal with Medicaid. most of the Governors you talk to. any that are sort of good managers. are saying they can do a lot more. They are going to be able to deliver a lot more Medicaid services to a lot more people as a result of the language in this bill. even though it saves money in the Medicaid accounts. because they are giving Governors more fle.Kibility. This is a bill which actually produces significant improvements in the delivery of services in this country to lowincome individuals. especially those who wantto go to college. those who are benefiting from Medicare. and those who are benefiting. from Medicaid. At the same time. it reduces the deficit by $39 billioh. or $35 billion if the amendment I just offered happens to be passed. To say that you are not going to vote for this bill because there may be some bill coming down the road that gives tax relief to people is not consistent. and then to argue that you are for deficit reduction on top of that. This is your opportunity to vote for deficit reduction. This is it. This is the only vote you are going to get--at least in this exercise of reconciliationto reduce the deficit. So vote for this. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3587}
{"speech_id":1090084017,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And if you are not happy with the Lax relief package. vote against the tax relief package. Take the good. which you allegedly claim you want. which is deficit reduction. and reject what you consider to be bad. which is the tax relief package coming later:","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3587}
{"speech_id":1090084066,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reserving the right to object. and I will not object. I do want to. for the record. indicate we have hada number of requests that we move to delay the offering of this amendment. I will not do that. Senator ENZI has been a very responsible member of the committee. He has every right to offer his amendment. The fact is. if he were delayed at this point. he could offer his amendment later. So those who are seeking to delay might force him into the voteathon. but I believe Senator ENZI. vho has been a fully responsible member of the committee. deserves his opportunity to offer this amendment. and I will not object.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090084088,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Key facts about the Intelligence Committees phase II. June 4. 2003: Intelligence Committee commits to bipartisan review of the deeply flawed intelligence on Iraq WMD phase I. February 12. 2004. Intelligence Committee commits to phase II investigation looking at five areas. including whether the administration exaggerated and manipulated intelligence. July 9. 2004. committee publishes phase I report on the intelligence agencies mistakes on Iraq. Senator RoCKEFELLER says publicly that phase H is as yet unbegun. Republican Chairman ROBERTS says it is one of my top priorities. July 11 on \"Meet the Press.\" Republican Chairman ROBERTS says: Even as Im speaking. our staff is working on phase II and will get it done. Fall of 2004. House Intelligence Committee. after no follow- through on the -Iraq WMD investigation. the House announced on May 2003 no final report. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090084088,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Republican Committee Chairman Porter Goss is selected as CIA Director. Regarding the question of the Valerie Plame leak. Goss previously said: \"Show me a blue dress and some DNA and I will give you an investigation.\" November 2004. we had the Presidential election. lAlarch 2005. the Presidents handpicked WMD Intelligence Committee says the intelligence agencies got the intelligence dead wrong. but. says that under the Presidents terms of reference we are not authorized to investigate how policymakers used the intelligence assessments they received from the intelligence community. March 31. 2005. Senator ROBERTS says it would be a monumental waste of time to replow this ground any further. Replow? April 10. 2005. on \"Meet the Press.\" Senator ROBERTS commits to Tim Russert that the review will get done. September 2005. committee Democrats file additional views to their authorization bill blasting the Committee for failing to conduct phase II. There have been letters written to the committee. A press release was issued even saying they were going to go forward with this. Mr. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090084088,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. enough time has gone by. I demand. on behalf of the American people. that we understand why these investigations are not being conducted. And in accordance with rule XXI. I now move that the Senate go into dlosed session.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090084103,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. President. I think the best face I could put on thisafter this unfortunate situation which was totally unexpected by myself. or my staff. or the Republican members on the committee. for that matter. the Republican leadershipis that we have agreed to do what we already agreed to do. that is. to complete as best we can phase II of the Intelligence Committees review of prewar intelligence in reference to Iraq. I think it is very important to point out that the Intelligence Committee has had an absolutely outstanding record working with Senator RoCKEFELLER and my colleagues across the aisle to produce the original review in regard to the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate prior to the military activities into Iraq. and also as to whether Saddam Hussein had reconstituted his weapons of.mass destruction. That was a 17to0 vote. We had some differences. but that report came out. It was a good report. It was a seminal report. As a matter of fact. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9065}
{"speech_id":1090084103,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I take pride in saying that it was a bipartisan effort that was agreed to by the 9\/11 Commission. by the WMD Commission that was later formed. and made about 93 or 94 recommendations to the administration of which probably 93 to 94 out of 95 have already been implemented. So we worked in a bipartisan fashion to do that. We also at the same time-=and I am basically quoting from the statement the vice chairman and I made on February 12 of 2004agreed we would go to something called phase II. There has been a lot of talk about phase II. What is phase II? Why is it that has been delayed. if in fact it has been delayed? There was some talk on the floor that got a little personal. and I regret that. It seems to me it was rather convenient because it was only yesterday our staff was working with the staff of the minority indicating that not this week but next week we would spend as much time as possible. 5 or 6 days. to complete our work in regard to phase I. It isnt as though it has been delayed. As a matter of fact. it has been ongoing. As a matter of fact. we have been doing our work on phase II. It is. difficult. as I will indicate in a minute. while I go through these provisions on what we agreed to do. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9065}
{"speech_id":1090084103,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it seems to be a little convenient all of a sudden to go into a closed session of the Senate and call for a full Senate investigation of phase II when the committee is already doing its work. I think that basically is an unfortunate stunt. I would call it something else. but I think probably I will simply leave it at that. Let me tell you what phase II is all about. Again. let me point out that we took a look at whether Saddam Hussein did reconstitute his-..weapons of mass destruction. That took us a long time. It is a 511page report. It is a seminal report. It is a good report. and it signifies what we can do in the committee when we at least let one another know what is going on and we work in a bipartisan fashion. This is what phase II is all about. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9065}
{"speech_id":1090084103,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what we will begin as we have planned to do and what our staff has indicated tothe other sides staff in regard to what we were going to do as of next weekthat we will start next week. and we will hope to continue that effort. We will cancel all other hearings until we can reach some sort of an accommodation. Now. if we can do this on the WMD report. certainly we can do it in regard to phase II. My good friends across the aisle are people of good faith. We had stronM differences of opinion then. I suppose we will have it in regard to phase Il as well. We have seen that happen time and time again. As a matter of fact. we brought up phase II on May 17 of this year. The biggest issue is as follows. There are five things in phase II: Whether public statements and reports and testimony regarding Iraq by U.S. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9065}
{"speech_id":1090084103,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Government officials made between the gulf war period and the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom were substantiated by intelligence information. In other words. the public statements made in the administration and the public statements made by public officials. whether they be in Congress. whether they be in the administration. or whatever. Congress. because 7e voted for regime change and we voted to go to war. Obviously. the administration. because they looked at the intelligence and thought our national security was in danger. we went to war. Were the public statements backed up by intelligence or were they backed up by flawed intelligence? We have that material. We were supplied about 300 to 400 names by my colleagues across the aisle from all sorts of statements made by people in the administration. We took a good look at what Members of Congress have said about the same intelligence. I must say. at this point. some of those statements are even more declarative and more aggressive than those made in the administration. That is the big issue: the use of intelligence. Whether somebody in theadministration or somebody in the Congress made a statement that they thought was based on intelligence that was later proved wrong and somehow we are suppose to get in their head and ask: Why did you make that statement? Is that credible? On May 17. in the spring. we started down the list of statements. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9065}
{"speech_id":1090084126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not just yet. Thank you. The whole idea of community has been lost. Unfortunately. I think it is because there has been this attitude created. a sense or a feeling that makes Americans afraid to share. What does that mean? -It just means. we are all concerned about \"me.\" .. But what","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":283}
{"speech_id":1090084147,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me say here that for those people who dont see everything that is going on in the Chamber.: we just had a Democrat apologize to a Republican. and a Republican apologize to a Democrat. Everything here is not everybody at each others throat. And I say that to the public at large. because we do get along even though we disagree sometimes. Anyway. I had this reconciliation package come out of my committee. and we are going to it now. And in the provision that we passed we were able to include what I consider a downpayment of what the Senator from Arkansas and the Senator from Louisiana want to accomplish. In their judgment. it is not enough. but it is moving the ball down the road in a way I hope that will get some help to people who need it. This provision in the reconciliation legislation then makes that downpayment to respond to the health care needs of lowincome families affected by Hurricane Katrina. This is a placeholder for spending on the hurricane victims because I believe it is extremely important that we address the needs of those so affected. The legislation provides $1.8 billion to protect Medicaid benefits in Alabama. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090084147,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Louisiana. and Mississippi. The legislation provides targeted temporary relief to parishes and counties affected by the hurricane. The legislation reimburses States fully at 100 percent of their share of Medicaid costs for any claim paid for medically necessary health care for evacuees. This Federal Medicaid funding increase is temporary. It begins on August 28. 2005. the day the hurricane hit. and ends on May 15. 2006. This is targeted relief for 1.9 million people. It focuses its assistanceto the people who need it the most. I want to be clear. I would prefer to do our full bill on the Senate floor outside the reconciliation process in what we call emergency measures. I remain deeply disappointed in the people who -have stood in our way. and they are on my side of the aisle. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090084147,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my judgment. this administrations stand as well on this has just been plain wrong. and I have said that in committee. and I have said that in news conferences. Would I like to do more? Certainly. But to flo more means that you must pay for it. Frankly. I am concerned about how the Senator from Arkansas is paying for this amendment. While I support taking funds out of FEMA to pay for Katrina relief. doing so on a reconciliation bill is not germane. So. Mr. President. the provisions in the reconciliation bill provide assistance for the next 8 months for 1.9 million people. and that is a very good start. It is crucial that we do it this way. and we will get it done this way. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090084147,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At least this much will get done. I encourage my colleagues to support this provision in my bill and. consequently. I ask them to vote against the amendment by the Senator from Arkansas. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2827}
{"speech_id":1090084195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the information of our colleagues. because we have a half dozen Senators or more on this side who have asked to have time to speak on the bill. let me send IGRS~bkNil ORb -SN. a message in tils way. if I can. to our colleagues and th.:staffwho are liStening. Obviously. the events of this afternoon have blown a hole in the time on the budget bill. What was the game plan before this afternoon has clearly been altered. Now. we have tried to lay out a schedule of amendments. as the chairman has just indicated. Next. we will go to Senator INHOFE. Could Senator INHOFE give us a picture of how long he might require?","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":635}
{"speech_id":1090084208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to make a couple of observations. I happen to be one of the very first Members of the Senate to go down after Katrina to Louisiana and Mississippi. In fact. actually. we went all the way from New Orleans to Alabama in a helicopter. The devastation that took place is incredible. It reminded me a little bit of the tornadoes we have seen in Oklahoma. The difference is a tornado normally will affect about 5 square mile s as opposed to a couple thousand square miles. I certainly wouldnt want anything that I say to imply that we are not deeply sympathetic to the problems of the people of Louisiana and Mississippi. and to a lesser degree in Alabama. But I have to observe. as I have been listening to this debate. that you can always pour more money on a problem. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7820}
{"speech_id":1090084208,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is something we have seen in government forever. The Senator from Montana outliied a lot of things on which we need to spend more money. as did many others over here. You can always do that. I would question whether it is the Federal Governments responsibility to take care of everything that happens when a disaster occurs.- We didnt expect that in Oklahoma. and I dont think it should be expected. For one thing. we couldnt do it. The other day. there was an oped piece by the senior Senator from Alaska. Mr. TED STEVENS. He talked about the 1964 earthquake and the devastation. He actually had to go outand repair his own house and do a lot of this work. and not even 10 percent of that was taken care of by the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7820}
{"speech_id":1090084208,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have a mindset now that somehow the Federal Government has deep enough pockets to take care of all of these problems. Frankly. it is just not right. It is not true. You cant have it. We are going to have to get a handle on this thing. and I want to help. * I can say them in a relatively short period of time. I have been working on a solution to this problem with an amendment for quite some time. I have actually wanted to offer it previously on appropriations bills. But to do that. I would have to initiate a program of. negating paragraph 4 of rule XVI of the rules. I dont think that is appropriate. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7820}
{"speech_id":1090084208,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has been done three times in the last couple of weeks by three of the Democrat Senators. I dont criticize them for it. but I think if I do this on the Republican side it would be the first time that procedure would have been exercised. and it would not be appropriate. Last Thursday or Friday. toward the end of the week. I had a colloquy on the floor with Senator FRIST. and we specifically discussed bringing up the amendment that I have in mind on the budget reconciliation bill. I am not November 1. 20057 CO naive. It could be that there will be a budget point of order against it. It doesnt really make any difference. We are going to get a vote on this bill. This is a very simple solution to a very complex -problem. I understand a bill is going to be introduced which is going to eliminate all earmarks. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7820}
{"speech_id":1090084208,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That sounds real good. There is a big population out there that thinks this is going to solve the problem. But it doesnt solve the problem. I mentioned this the other day when my junior Senator brought up a bill to do away with a bridge up in Alaska. I said: Look. you are looking at something where one of the few things that really works well in Washington is the way we handle the Transportation bill. What we do is determine by a formula that no one thinks is fair. Because you always want more in your own State. you take into consideration highway mortalities. the number of road miles. the donee status. and then you come up with a formula. That formula will allocate to the States an amount of money. This money. I might add. is money that has been paid in taxes at the pumps so that it goes to improving our transportation system.. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7820}
{"speech_id":1090084233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me go ahead and conclude. First. I have a great deal of respect for- the Senator from North Dakota. but I disagree with him. Let me point out a couple of things that I believe are not correct. The Senator from North Dakota said a lot of these amendments were dealing with the same thing. They are not. If you look at them. each one has a subject matter. They are not dealing with the same thing. Secondly. he said they are offset. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090084233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would ask the Senator from North Dakota if he can name one that is offset. You cant because these are not offset. The budget analysts said all of these were not offset amendments. They were amendments that were offered. and they were offered by Democrats. And when you add up all the money that is in these amendments that they have offeredI believe most ofthese were rejectedit would have been an additional halftrillion dollars. It is very clear they are offered by the Democratic Senators. I -started off my remarks by saying we are in a unique situation now. Fortunately. the recession is behind us now. That is not a factor. But this President had to rebuild a military. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090084233,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then 9\/11came. He had to get involved in a war. Then we had a couple of disasters that were almost unprecedented. I said at the beginning of my remarks. this is not something we can handle in 1 year or even maybe 2 years. But nonetheless. we have to do something specific to get into this thing and to get this thing done. and there is a way of doing it without overly complicating it. That is my amendment. I would like to also respond to the Senator from North Dakota in his statement about tax cuts. I agree with the Senator from Iowa. they say over and over again that we want to have tax cuts. as if you are cutting revenues when this happens. There was a very great President of the United States that was elected in 1960. His name was John Kennedy. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090084233,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Kennedy. in 1962. saidand these are his ekact words. I dont have to read it because I memorized it: We have serious problems in this country. We are going to have to increase revenue. If. you want to increase revenue. then you have to reduce marginal rates. and that will happen. He reduced marginal rates and. sure enough. the revenues did increase. Then along came President Reagan in 1980. President Reagan started the 8year period that had the greatest mar-. ginal rate tax cuts of any 8year period in the history of America. If you take the total amount of money and add up the marginal tax rates in 1980. it was $244 billion. In 1990. it was $466 billion and almost doubled in that decade that was the greatest number of tax cuts .in the history of this country. I know Democrats dont like to cut taxes. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090084233,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But you can increase revenue by cutting taxes. we have proven over and over again. It happened after World War I. It happened during the Kennedy administration. It happened during the Reagan administration. and it has already happened during the Bush 2 administration. *We can sit around and talk about these things. The bottom line is. if we want to do something about it. there is going to be a vote.. You will have a chance to register your belief as to whether or not you want to do something about the deficit. It has already been suggested there will be a budget point of order. That is fine with me. That means there has to be 60.instead of a majority. to get it passed. At least at that time. when that vote takes place. the American people will know who in this Chamber is serious about reducing the deficit. about cutting spending. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090084244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have the floor now. Senator. Lets be factual here. That chart is a complete concoction. That is all there is to it. That takes amendments that were offered for 1 year. multiplies them by 5. doesnt count the offsets. In the budget resolution. we offset our amendments. We paid for them. That is an offset. When you pay for things around here. that is an offset. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090084244,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that is a new idea around here. but that is what we are offering in our amendment. paygo. We say. you can have new tax cuts. The Senator from Iowa says. we are going to kill all the tax cuts. No. we are saying if you want more tax cuts. ybu have to payfor it. If you want more spending. you have to pay for it. That is what paygo is about. That is what Democrats have offered in this fight. We have offered the paygo amendment. It used to be in place. We used to have it. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090084244,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We used to have that authority. We used to have that budget discipline. If you want to have new tax cuts. pay for them. If you want newspending. pay for it. . In addition to the fact that I listed 10 amendments that were offset that dont show up on their chart as offset. that chart is false on every single one of those amendments. In addition to that. they have taken 1year appropriations amendments and multiplied them into 5year amendments. Please. those werent our amendments. Those are a concoction of what our amendments were. I hate to say this. but our friends have lost sight of the fact that they are in control. These deficits and debt didnt skyrocket under our watch. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090084244,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our friends control the White House. They control the Senate. They control the House of Representatives. They have since 2000. And the debt of the country has gone up from $5.7 trillion to $7.9 trillion. And under the budget that is being consideredand this legislation is part of that packageit is going to go up to $11 trillion. They have raised the debt of this country in 6 years by almost $6 trillion. It wasnt Democratic spending because your side has been in control. Every dime of this spending occurred on your watch. Every dime of this increase in debt is your responsibility. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090084244,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These have been your budgets. These have been your plans. These are your deficits and your debt. You have stacked it up on the American people. I repeat: It took 42 Presidents. 224 years to run up a trillion dollars of external debt. debt held by foreign countries. foreign investors. This President has exceeded it. exceeded a trillion dollars of additional external debt. debt held by foreigners. This President exceeded it in 4 years.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090084271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would -presume the seniors are going to have to pay some of the cost of the Part B premium. As I said before. they are paying 25 percent of it. As I note. working Americans are being asked to pay tens of billions of dollars to support that benefit. In many instances. seniors who are receiving the benefits are moderate- and highincome seniors who have higher incomes than those working Americans who are working at a restaurant as servers or who are working on a factory line or working at a garage or who are working in maybe even a minimum wage job and are being asked to bear the burden of the HI insurance costs. So it does seem reasonable and I think most seniors view it as reasonable that they pay 25 percent of the cost of their Part B premium. Yes. that adds up. if you take all the seniors in Americathere are a lot of themto a fairly significant number. So I would agree with that.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090084283,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a dedicated public servant and a dear friend. former Connecticut Governor. William ONeill. I had the honor of serving the people of Connecticut alongside Bill ONeill for over 15 years. during which time we shared many of the same views and principles about the future of our great State. When I first took office in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1975. Bill ONeill was the majority leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives. And. in December 1980. asI was preparing to take the oath of office as a newly elected U.S. Senator. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4185}
{"speech_id":1090084283,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bill ONeill became the new Governor of Connecticut. replacing the beloved Ella Grasso. who had resigned for health reasons. Bill ONeill had a rermarKable ability to connect with the citizens of Connecticut. He was a pragmatic leader. but he also took pains to be forwardthinking. As a result. not only did Bill serve one of the longest gubernatorial tenures in Connecticut history. he also had one of the most influential. Bill ONeill understood the immense value of education to both the future of our State and the entire Nation. He fought to pass the Education Enhancement Act. which. among other things. improved the quality of Connecticut teachers and -improved student performance. He oversaw the consolidation of the four \"State\" collegesEastern. Western. Southern. and Central Connecticut State Universityinto a stronger unified system. And he funded cri tical capital improvements on campuses throughout Connecticut. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4185}
{"speech_id":1090084283,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He invested in a strong transportation infrastructure. In the aftermath of the tragic collapse of the Mianus River Bridge. soon after he became Governor.. he responded not with a quick fix but by making longterm investments that have served Connecticut and the rest of the northeastern United States for decades and that will continue to do so for years to come. He made these commitments despite the devastating effects of the Reagan administrations budget cuts. He looked. to impact Connecticuts longterm needs. and. as a consequence. he repaired Connecticuts roadways. overhauled the bus and train lines. and modernized Bradley International Airport. Bill ONeill worked hard to protect the environment. He strictly enforced the Clean Water Act. instituted reporting requirements for toxic substances used in manufacturing. and set aside large tracts of land to be used for the benefit of the general public Governor ONeill was also dedicated to bringing the best public servants. regardless of background. into our State government. He nominated the individuals who would become the first woman chief justice and the first AfricanAmerican justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court. And he appointed the first woman attorneji general and treasurer- in Connecticut history. Bill ONeill will be honored this week on the 15th anniversary of his retirement from public service at Central Connecticut State University. where there is a professorship in \"Public Policy and Practical Politics\" endowed in his name. The athletic center at Western Connecticut State University. where I recently had the honor of delivering remarks with former President Clinton. also bears the name of the former Governor. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4185}
{"speech_id":1090084283,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is fitting and appropriate that Bill ONeills name graces these fine institutions of higher learning and others throughout the State of Connecticut. and that he is being honored with this ceremony. Bill ONeill has served this country for over 50 yearsas a fighter pilot during the Korean war. as a sixterm member of the Connecticut House of Representatives. as Lieutenant Governor. and as the Governor of Connecticut for more than a decade. At a critical time in our States and our countrys history. Connecticut was fortunate to have the leadership of this remarkable patriot. His wisdom. his vision. and his ability to accomplish concrete changes for the good of the people . of our State set a standard for public service that inspired me and I know continues to inspire those of us who believe in the value public service. Bill ONeill is a true public servant and has been a longtime friend. I wish him. his wife Nikki. and his family my best wishes on this wonderful occasion.*","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4185}
{"speech_id":1090084319,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to objectI do not intend to objectI ask to modify. the unanimous consent request to speak for up to 20 minutes. and I would also like to ask. with the leave of the Chair and the ranking minority Member. that Senator NELSON be allowed up to 2 minutes. I think he had one additional comment that he wanted to make about his proposal.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":351}
{"speech_id":1090084327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. America can do better than making a policeman walking the beat pay a higher Federal tax rate than someone who makes their money on capital gains and dividends. Unfortunately. the Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform today sent to the President a recommendation that will widen the gap between our middle class workers and the fortunate few. I am a Democrat who believes in markets. I believe in wealth creation. I believe in entreprpneurship. but I also believe in what Henry Ford said. He. of course. was the great industrialist. He made it clear that he wanted to make money and he wanted to do well but he said: For me to make money. my workers have to have enough money to be able to buy my cars. What concerns me tonight is that the middle class. the folks who are hurting. have gotten short shrift once again from the special advisory panel on tax reform. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11413}
{"speech_id":1090084327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are the folks. the middle class folks. who are walking an economic tightrope. balancing their medical bills against their energy bills. trying to set aside money to save for retirement and health. They are the ones who deserve a break. I heard mention tonight that Democrats. Senators on my side of the aisle. were not interested in cutting taxes. Well. I proposed last week to cut taxes for millions of middle class people and folks with incomes up to $150.000 by eliminating scores of exemptions. deductions and special interest breaks that exist on both the individual side of the code and the corporate side of the code. What we saw today is the special advisory panel on tax reform wanted none of that. They did not want to make those kinds of tough choices that step on the toes of special interests. powerful interests with big lobbies. Instead. what they did is take it once again out of the hide of middle income people who would be asked to give up tax breaks and support for concerns such as child care. When we already have a big gap between those who work for wages and those who make their income on capital gains and dividends. how can it be that it is now proposed to widen that gap? I think we \"would be well advised to look back to 1986. when the late President Reagan worked in a bipartisan way with Democrats. .both with the Senate and the other body. to come up with a proposal that I think--certainly its foundation would be very appealing now. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11413}
{"speech_id":1090084327,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It makes sure that all income is treated equally. That is what this country has always been about. I do not want to soak anybody. I do not want to discriminate against anybody. But I do not think it is right for workers to have to pay a higher effective tax rate than those who make their money on capital gains and dividends. Income ought to be treated the same. That is what the country is all about. It seems to me that the advisory panel on tax reform missed a big opportunity today when they widened the gap between those who work for wages and those who make their income from wealth. If one looks at the tax panels recommendations. in effect. they throw three strikes at the middle class and they lob softballs to the special interests. The first pitch is a slider that shifts a sizable tax burden away from those at the top to the middle income taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11413}
{"speech_id":1090084327,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is followed by a fast ball that takes away many of the deductions and credits such as those for child care and medical needs that middle income Americans have come to rely on. The third pitch is a changeup. The plan may look revenue neutral. but when it flies across the plate. it adds billions of dollars to the budget deficit and will force middle class Americans and their children to pay for tax cuts for the fortunate few. Under this special advisory panel plan that was proposed today. the middle class simply strikes out. Certainly. those who are at the top are going to enjoy the grand slam that is offered by the panels plan. The panel would cut their tax rates. those at the very top. once again and there is not the kind of massive housecleaning of the tax system either. I proposed in my legislation. S. 1927. the Fair Flat Tax Act of 2005. that everybody pays their fair share. not just cutting the tax rates for the fortunate. making up for it by having the middle class subsidize those tax breaks. but mine would treat all income equally. To carry out our proposal. we include a new. simplified 1040 form. one page. 30 lines. for every individual taxpayer. There are three brackets rather than the current system. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11413}
{"speech_id":1090084327,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under my proposal the brackets are 15. 25. and 35. and we create a flat corporate rate of 35 percent. This plan is more fair because .it would no longer disproportionately favor the most affluent at the expense of the middle class. Certainly. the tax breaks that my legislation calls for step on toes. I pay for those middle class tax cuts. The proposal has been scored by the experts at the Congressional Research Service. I pay for the middle class tax cut by eliminating scores of tax breaks that are now in the Code for individuals and businesses. Certainly. some of them are going to object. already have. It seems to me that it is worth it to make a radical statement about tax laws. and that is that America can do better than a twotiered tax system which forces a policeman to pay a higher effective tax rate than an investor who makes his income on capital gains dividends. What is fair about taxing a firefighters hardearned wages at a higher percentage than acorporate executive? Under the current Federal Tax Code. all income is not created equal. and under what the panel proposed today to the President of the United States. the equality gap between the middle class and the fortunate few is going to grow. Under the proposal that was sent to the President today. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11413}
{"speech_id":1090084360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the House Government Reform Committee. I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 3548. legislation naming a postal facility in Pearl River. New York. after the late Heinz Ahlmes er. Jr. This measure. which was introduced by the gentleman from New York . a Democrat. on July 28. 2005. and unanimously reported by our committee on October 20. 2005. enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire New York delegation. Heinz Ahlmeyer. a native of New York. grew up in Pearl River. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1675}
{"speech_id":1090084360,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He attended Rockland Community College and graduated from New Paltz College. Upon his graduation. he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. While serving on his first tour of duty in Vietnam. Marine Second Lieutenant Heinz Ahlmeyer was on a rec6nnaissance patrol in the Quang Tri province on May 10. 1967. when he and three other Marines came under fire. It was presumed he was killed in action. but because of heavy enemy fire. commanders felt it was too dangerous to retrieve the bodies. In January of this year. the military notified his family that. through DNA. his remains were found. giving family and friends closure. And on May 10. 2005. Marine Second Lieutenant Heinz Ahlmeyer was interred with honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1675}
{"speech_id":1090084360,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the spirit and legacy of this Marine. Naming a post office in his memory is a small token of the appreciation that we can show. Mr. Speaker. I urge swift passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may come consume to the gentleman from New York . the sponsor of the bill.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1675}
{"speech_id":1090084387,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues for bringing forth this resolution. It would be great to have the opportunity to visit all of those for whom we name pst offices. but I think if you really knew Al Quie. you would know that he would be a standard against which we would judge the others. A lothas been talked about the great things he has done in public service as well as for the community. I first got a chance to interact with him when I started to get involved in the process of politics in 1978 when he ran for Governor. What an amazing man he is. The last two times I saw- Governor Quie were in church and in a prison. You might think that is a little bit unusual combination. but he really has brought his faith to those that are in prison and really dedicated himself to that. This is a person that not only served in many capacities in the State legislature. as a U.S. ","speaker_name":"MARK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090084387,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congressman and as Governor. but through his work with Prison Fellowship and the Minnesota School Readiness Business Advisory Council. helping people be prepared for school. he has committed himself to the community. It has already been mentioned about the fact that he has just a gem of a spouse. Those that meet Gretchen know how much that contributes to his strength. If you are known by your fruits. their five children. Fredric. Jennifer. Daniel. Joel and Ben. speak highly of them. A true leader. a man dedicated to his faith. family State and country. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090084387,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am pleased to support this bill. pleased to support a bill to name a post office after someone who makes -Minnesota nice personified. Denison. Minnesota. deserves to have their post office named after Governor Quie. I applaud my colleagues for bringing this forward.","speaker_name":"MARK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090084403,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I regret that I missed two votes on November 1st. 2005. Had I been present I would have voted \"yes\" on both H.R. 3548 (the Heinz Ahlmeyer Jr. Post Office Building Designation Act) and H.R. 3989 (the Albert Harold Quie Post Office Designation Act).","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":260}
{"speech_id":1090084433,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today is All Saints Day. It is a rather remarkable day. In the 18 years. 17 years -I have been -in the Congress. I have never seen the other body go into secret session to try and find out the truth of anything. The fact that they had a session over there where they closed the doors to try and get at the truth tells you how bad this situation is. This mornings New York Times has an article. an editorial by Nicholas IXristof. Now. he is a neocon. certainly from the right. no question about it. bu lie says. his title is. \"What Did Cheney Know and When Did He Know It?\" He asksseveral questions which. I think. although many people do not have the opportunity to read the New York Times. they ought to know about it. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090084433,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Did you ask Scooter Libby to undertake his inquiries about Ambassador Joseph Wilson? Why did you independently ask the CIA for information. about the Wilsons? Did you know that Mrs. Wilson was a covert officer? Did you advise Mr. Libby to leak information about Mrs. Wilsons work in the CIA to journalists? When Mr.- Libby made his statements in the inquiry. allegedly committing perjury. were you aware of what he was saying?\" Finally. and I think this is the question that really needs to be dealt with: \"Was Mr. Libby fearful of disclosing something about your behavior in the summer of 2003?\" This goes on to suggest that if he did so. \"was it a misguided attempt to try and protect you? The alleged lies shielded you.\" meaning Mr. CHENEY. \"by indicating that the information you gave him about Mrs. Wilson instead came from reporters and not from him.\" Now. this is a question that the American people deserve an answer to. Several years ago we sat in this body and listened to a State of the Union address. and the Vice President of the United States sat right up here on the H9454 Cor dais. behind the President of the United States. knowing that what the President was saying was not factual. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090084433,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He knew that. How can the President of the United States explain to the American people how he sent people out to find out all this information. found it out. and still was allowed to come before the American people and the Congress and the diplomatic corps and the Supreme Court and the whole administration- and tell them something that was not true. Now. what this event does. and they may try and brush this off as a minor technicality. or it is just perjury. well. we impeached or. tried to impeach President Clinton over just perjury. and that was about a sex act. No one died. Two thousand people have died. our people. untold numbers of Iraqis have died. and 10.000 of our people have come home badly. badly wounded. It has cost us $240 billion. money that we did not use to fix the levees in New Orleans or other places in this country where there are problems today. 0i 2000 The question that comes up again and again: Is there no limit in this administration to what will be said or done to promote this war and to protect it? Will they say anything? Is there any limit on what they will bring here as evidence? The fact is that we hear -there is a terror alert. If you look at those terror alerts. they always follow some disaster someplace to get peoples mind off it. What has happened this week since the President was made aware of the fact that we had an indictment of. the Chief of. Staff to the Vice President of the United States? That man works in the White House or in the Executive Office Building right next to it. What do we have? Well. we certainly have a lot of things here. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090084433,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We today had a big expos6 about a flu epidemic. Now. did that just happen yesterday? That has been going on for a long time. The President said he had a flu shot. That flu shot had nothing to do with the avian bird flu from Asia. That is this years strain of virus. We get them every year. Everybody gets a flu shot every year. They have nothing to do with this pandemic we are talking about. Yet the President makes a big expos6 in the White House. And the fact is that this kind of thing to divert peoples attention will continually be done to keep them from focusing on the disaster of this morally bankrupt war we are in in the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090084433,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for us to call an end to this. The President has no plan to get out of it. We have no plans. There are no benchmarks for anything. They are going to stay there. and they intend to stay there. As long as there is chaos. they will be able to justify staying there. and that is what they want. They have wanted chaos. . Why did they disband the army? Why did they disband civil service? Why did they not prepare? Because they were","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090084469,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is Colonel Larry Wilkerson. a Republican. former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. Let me just say. and this is an understatement. this is disturbiig. But this is the atmosphere. this is the context. this is why we find ourselves in the situation where it fs an embarrassment and it erodes the image of the United States. Whether you supported the war or you did not support the war. it is eroding the image of the United States all over the world. not just in the Middle East. not just in Europe. but in Latin America and in Asia.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":553}
{"speech_id":1090084486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. RYAN. I believe you have the next hour. sir. We are running out of time. What I am going to do is. if you could. we want to get that Web site so we can click over and have more time so that we can continue to talk about this issue. I am pleased that the Members who have been following this issue for a very long time on behalf of the American people are here. If you can give the Web site. I would appreciate it. real quick.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":429}
{"speech_id":1090084492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the gentleman from Massachusetts said we-.are eroding basic freedoms here. And if you do not believe that. if you do not believe all of these facts that we are giving to the Speaker and to the American people and to our colleagues through thirdpaity validators. if you weaken the Central Intelligence Agency. all you have done is weaken a country. That is all you have done. And through the leak. through the outing of Joe Wilsons wife. and outing BrewsterJennings and Associates. the small Boston company that was a front company for the CIA. you also out every contact that this woman has established over a 20plusyear career. All of her contacts over 20some years thatmaybe she could go back to and elicit and solicit information from them. she cannot any longer.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":779}
{"speech_id":1090084495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just keep asking myself where is their outrage. where is their shame? Why are we the only ones that appear upset about this? Why by their deafening silence does it seem as though they are sanctioning the activity that is going on in the White House? Sanctioning the corruption. sanctioning the cronyism and the culture that has been established here? And it would be one thing. you could say. all right. we are going to compartmentalize. many people compartmentalize things. There are many Americans that may say. you know. foreign policy is not my concern. Of course. everybody in America cares about the loss of life. and I am sure that there is not one American that does not feelsadness over how many troops we have lost. but let us say you have Americans that can compartmentalize the foreign policy and comfort themselves by saying. I know. I think what has gone on is awful. but they are making up for it. The administration makes up for it with their fabulous domestic policy with the way they are taking care of things at home. Are we satisfied with the direction we are going? Tonight in south Florida.. today all day and tomorrow it is expected again to be pouring down rain. I have 90yearolds. the gentleman from Florida and I have 90yearolds and older sitting in squalid apartments tonight with molding wet carpeting. with holes in their roofs who are not getting the assistance they need because FEMA is a disaster of an organization. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4019}
{"speech_id":1090084495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is supposed .to be a disaster relief organization. They are a disaster all by themselves. I want to tell you what my 6yearold daughter said this morning. We were watching TV. I was getting ready and I was watching the news and she was in there with me. And she said. Mom. is Hurricane Rita coming? Because 6yearsold do not know the difference. Rita. Wilma. They just hear the names on TV. and there is not a lot of clear understanding. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4019}
{"speech_id":1090084495,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I said. No. Hurricane Rita is long gone. You can imagine a 6yearold living in Florida. There is a lot of fear of the concepts of- hurricanes and one after the other after the other keeps coming down the pike. So my telling her that Rita was long gone and there was no need to worry anymore. that satisfied her. The report on the news about hurricanes in general went on for a few minutes. and I was not near the TV so I could not hear exactly what they were saying. but all pf a sudden she said. Mom. I know what it is. hurricane FEMA is coming. I laughed. and I explained to her what FEMA was and tried to help her understand. that FEMA is supposed to be an agency that gets us ready when a hurricane is coming and takes care of us after a hurricane passes and makes sure that people are okay again. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4019}
{"speech_id":1090084495,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I Mr. DELAHUNT. A point that you made earlier and you referenced the natural disaster. and I am thinking of Katrina. Weare talking about whether America is safer today than we were prior to 9\/11. and we all know and I am sure the American people that are listening to our conversation here tonight appreciate this. that those levees in New Orleans. they could have been sabotaged. They could have been victimized by a terrorist cell. It did not necessarily require a natural disaster. But here we are. We have spent billions and billions and billions of dollars on homeland security. and where are we? We are nowhere. But the American taxpayers are picking the bill up. As we discussed last week. not only are the American taxpayers spending money here and not effectively. not effectively. this has been an administration that spends the American taxpayers dollars. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4019}
{"speech_id":1090084495,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But. by the way. we are also spending money to rebuild Iraq. But rather than. like every other major donor country in Iraq that loaned the money to the Iraqi government and said we will give you good terms but pay us back. this White House. in an act of unparalleled excess. in my judgment. made it a giveaway program: Welfare for Iraqis. but nothing for Americans. I mean. up is down and down is up. This is the Alice in Wonderland administration.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4019}
{"speech_id":1090084499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to just follow up a point that the gentleman from Washington made about the rationale for the war. They did know. they meaning the cabal that was described by the Chief of Staff to Colin Powell. The cabal knew that they needed the threat of the mushroom cloud. N&zmkbr :. .2 065 What is fascinating is that after the release of the initial report of the Senate Intelligence Committee. the chairman of the committee. a Republican. Senator ROBERTS from Kansas. and JAY ROCKEFELLER. the senior Democrat on the committee. said that they doubted that the Senate would have authorized the President to go to war if senators had been given accurate information regarding Iraqs programs on the weapons of mass destruction. The direct quote of the Republican chairman was this: \"I doubt if the votes would have been there.\" That is Senator ROBERTS. They would not have their war if they had opened up and provided all of the information. I am sure some of you read Bob Woodwards book. the reporter for the Washington Post. where he quoted Secretary of State Colin Powell as describing the Vice President as having a war fever. He is out of control. This is what Powell is saying. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1511}
{"speech_id":1090084499,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You talk about thirdparty validations. It is as if he had a war fever. and here we are today. rampant corruption in Iraq. We are losing billions of dollar over there. but. as the congresswoman says. the most tragic aspect of this is that. we are less safe. and. painfully. we have lost more than 2.000 American men and women. \/","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1511}
{"speech_id":1090084529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I Federal agents. it is very difficult for cannot help but think. when I talk him to prove his case because he canabout commitment and sacrifice. I just not get to the truth. And I think in my experience. just reading cases like this. if one really wants to get a prosecutor upset. as my two friends here probably know much better than I. start lying to him. And I think the end is not yet in sight. and it is going to be very interesting to see how Karl Rove ends up in this whole deal. And We know that there have been misleading statements and outright lies to the press and the American people. So to \u0095 our friends at home: 30somethingdems@mail.house.gov. They can send us an email. and we will continue to try to organize these facts and.let everyone know that the Democratic Party wants to put the country before our own party as we have before.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":864}
{"speech_id":1090084652,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 4061. the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act. This bill helps the VA construct a balanced. responsive and accountable system to manage information technology at the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs. The Department Chief Information Officer will be given the control and resources necessary to manage information technology departmentwide. Measures of effectiveness across the administrations will- be tracked and should demonstrate that VA has become a more effective organization. The CIO. will have control of the budget. assets. personnel and systems necessary to achieve this success. Also under the bill. as the gentleman from Texas noted. a Deputy CIO will be assigned to each of the three administrations. In this capacity. they are the principal advocates for the business and mission needs of their respective administrations at all levels of use. from senior managers to endusers throughout the field. The Deputy CIO will be responsible to the Department CIO for IT system alignment and related matters but will otherwise be in control of day~today. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1460}
{"speech_id":1090084652,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"IT operations in their respective administration. I. too. would like to congratulate Chairman BUYER. Ranking Member EVANS. their staffs and all Members who worked hard on working out this improved IT management system for the VA. I am glad to be a cosponsor of this bill which will help our veterans.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1460}
{"speech_id":1090084708,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I work with your ranking member. We are good friends. Ask the gentleman from West Virginia if we have been fair. The next time you see him. ask him. The next time you see him. ask him. and ask him if the two ought to meet. We would not be able to deal With this issue. We would have to cut FBI. embassy security. NSF. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":493}
{"speech_id":1090084708,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NASA. NIST. NOAA. That is where we would get it from. and we would get it to give it to the bankers. [From the Business Courier. May 27. 2005]","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":493}
{"speech_id":1090084735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank sponsor of this resolution. my friend from the Chicago City Council. my friend in the civil rights movement. my colleague here in the Congress. the Congressman from the Seventh Congressional District. Congressman DANNY K. DAVIS. for the lead that he took in terms of this particular resolution. the sponsoring of this resolution. and I want to thank him for all the work that he does on behalf of not only his constituents but the constituents of Chicago and the constituents of the Nation. Mr. Speaker. it is proper that I would follow a Cubs fan because for a long time the Cubs have been known throughout the Nation as being Chicagos team. and that moniker was earned because the entire Nation sympathized with the Cubs. They have lost so much and they have lost for such a long time that they have really kind of endeared themselves in their losing manner to the Nation. and so. therefore. the Nation has responded to them accordingly. But I stand here now to say to the Cubs fans and to all of the Nation really that there is a team in Chicago now that has earned the respect and the love and the endearment of all the citizens of the City of Chicago. We are not Chicagos team. because of sympathy. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6029}
{"speech_id":1090084735,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are Chicagos team because the Chicago White Sox have instilled a sense of pride in Chicago. Indeed. the Chicago White Sox are now the pride of Chicago. Mr. Speaker. I rise to congratulate the White Sox for their dominant. excellent performance in the World Series and the playoffs. how they conducted themselves. both as professionals and how they conducted themselves as superior and supreme athletes. They made us all proud. particularly those of my constituents who share. as Congressman DAVIS said. share the ethos and share the pride and share the workman mentality of the City of Chicago with the Chicago White Sox. The Chicago White Sox team epitomizes the lunchpail approach. the lunchpail mentality that I would like to think all of my constituents represent. This is the team of the little guy. This is the team of the unheralded heroes. This is the team that fights based on- heart. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6029}
{"speech_id":1090084735,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have got big hearts. not big names. but they have got big hearts. and their big hearts won the World Series. Mr. Speaker. this win that we were able to experience over the last few days really united the City of Chicago unlike it has been united in recent memory. I remember back in 1959 I was a 13yearold lad. living in Cubs territory. and although all of my friends and my teachers and everybody. all those who I was associated with. they all were diehard Cubs fans. but Chicago. the White Sox. kind of captured my imagination. I became a Chicago White Sox fan at 13 years old when they were in the American League pennant race. and since that time I have been following the team closely. I have become friends with Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn and Kenny Williams. and it just gives me a sense of pride. gives myconstituents a sense of pride just to know that within the neighborhood that we all reside in that we have a world championship team there. We have a World Series team there. Mr. Speaker. the black and the white is all over the Citk of Chicago. When I got off the plane last week from Washington here. the whole entire airport was an avalanche of black and white all over the airport. and people from far and near were coming trying to buy some of the White Sox logos and some of the White Sox tshirts and some of their paraphernalia. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6029}
{"speech_id":1090084735,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am just so proud of this particular team. It is really a shot in the arm for those of us who work hard every day. those of us who do the right thing. those of us who really just put our hearts and our minds and our spirit out on the field. Sometimes we come back victorious and sometimes we do not come back victorious. but we still go out and approach our daytoday activities with the kind of zeal and with the kind of understanding that this is fair. This is fair. We go and put everything. our guts on the ground. and if we do that. then sometimes we are able to be victorious. The Chicago White Sox have really cemented the fact that if you just work hard you do not have to be the big names. you do not have to have the dazzling system. All you have to have is an organization of people from the elevator operator to the janitor all the way up to the president of the company. the owners of the company. If you have that kind of organization and you really. really have a single focus. you have the power of a madeup mind. you can accomplish and you can be victorious. The Chicago White Sox have shown that with the power of the madeup mind that they could be victorious. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6029}
{"speech_id":1090084735,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. they started out this year saying they had one thing on their mind. that they were going to go to the World Series. and they did it. We are proud of them. They have shown the way. and I am just so grateful to have the opportunity to come and to speak on behalf of this resolution. So I want to congratulate the Chicago White Sox and their entire organization. Lastly. Mr. Speaker. before I take my seat. I just want to say to my colleague from the Seventh Congressional District and to others. we will try to db all that we can to ensure that this franchise. that this organization. that this World Series champion has what it takes in order for them to continue on with their success. I want to let the world know that we will be erecting a new public transportation system. a metro system. that will have a stop there at the White Sox field there. U.S. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6029}
{"speech_id":1090084895,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think it is known that the environmental damageto the region has been done. that leaks and .clean air issues are prevalent in the area. that oil companies are being fined for those violations. and that we cannotr just go about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and think we are solving our problems. In fact. I would like to show my colleagues a copy of a map of what we are talking about. Here is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here is the rest of northern Alaska. One can see the various designations of existing Federal and State leases. The active Federal leases are in yellow. This is the area under discussion. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1829}
{"speech_id":1090084895,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So all the rest of Alaska in this particular area--in yellow and red. and even in this beige. proposed Federal leasing plana lot of territory that is already involved in oil and gas production. Why not leave this last slice of Alaskas Northern coast alone and pristine? A Washington resident. just to give my colleagues an idea. actually took some pictures of this area of the wildlife refuge. One can see it is a very pristine area with wildlife and streams running through it. We can imagine why someone wanted to .preserve this area and why it is so important to the United States. This happens to be. in my mind. a pretty infamous picture because when my colleague. Senator BOXER. and I were on the floor discussing this issue a few years ago. there was a copy of this picture that was at the Smithsonian. part of an exhibit done by a Washington photographer. a retired Boeing engineer who visited this area and took some pictures and had a public display at the Smithsonian. As soon as these pictures were used on the floor of the Senate. somehow his exhibit was sent to the basement of the Smithsonian and got a lot less attention because somehow. I guess. this picture","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1829}
{"speech_id":1090084942,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of Senator CANTWELLs motion to strike the provision to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ANWR. for drilling from the Budget Reconciliation Aft. Let me be clear: I am opposed to drilling in the- Arctic. I am also opposed to attaching this provision to the budget reconciliation bill. ANWR is a prominent national issue. arousing the deep passions of people on both sides. Regardless of ones view on the issue. the question of whether to open the refuge to drilling warrants an independent debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The refuges coastal plain. which is what would be opened up for drilling. is the ecological heart of -the refuge. the center of wildlife activity. and the homeoto nearly 200 wildlife species. including polar bears. musk oxen. ahd caribou. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090084942,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. the Senate is going to vote to open ANWR in the most environmentally harmful way. Rather than protecting this unique habitat. the legislation before us directs the Secretary of Interior to open the Refuge for drilling based upon an environmental analysis conducted 18 years ago. in 1987. This environmental analysis was controversial when it was originally published. It was then challenged in court in the early 1990s. However. the claims were dismissed because at the time. Congress was not actively considering legislation to drill.the Arctic Refuge. As a result. this. legislation would bypass the environmental process that all drilling projects must undergo. It would also waive the normal judicial review requirements. In other words. the Senate is going to authorize openingthe Refuge. and is going to make sure that there are absolutely no impediments to drilling. including the normal course of environmental and legal review. This is simply unacceptable. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090084942,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And why are we destroying this refuge? The Department of Energy estimates that opening the Refuge would lower gasoline prices one cent per gallon 20 years from now. Lets not fool ourselves: Opening the Arctic Refuge will not lower energy prices. If we were serious about helping people with rising energy costs. we would be talking about helping lowincome Americans pay their heating bills this winter. Yet the Senate continues to vote. down fully funding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIREAP. If we truly wanted to bring down gasoline costs. we would be talking about increasing fuel economy standards in our heaviest. most polluting vehicles. Yet. instead. we are talking about opening one of our Nations last pristine environments. This giveaway comes at a time of record profits for the oil industry. Late last week. the .oil companies reported their third quarter profits. The top five oil companies reported huge profit increases in the third quarter of 2005: ExxonMobil reported third quarter profits of $9.92 billion. an increase of 75 percent from the third quarter in 2004. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090084942,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ConocoPhillips reported third quarter profits of $3:8 billion. an increase of 89 percent from the third quarter of Shell reported third -quarter profits of up $9.03 billion. an increase of 68 percent from the third quarter of 2004. ChevronTexaco reported third quarter profits of $3.6 billion. an .increase of 12 percent from the third quarter in 2004. and BP reported third quarter profits of $6.53 billion. an increase of 34 percent from the third quarter in 2004. -.If Congress is truly serious about addressing the issue of high gasoline prices. then we need to take a look at why oil companies continue to make increasingly high profits and how they can reinvest those profits into improving our Nations energy infrastructure. Gas prices will not be lowered by opening the Refuge. At its peak. oil production from the Refuge would only be about 1 percent of world oil production. \u0095 It. is not worth damaging the Nations only Refuge for less than 1 percent of the worlds oil output. This Refuge encompasses a complete range of arctic ecosystems and that provides essential habitat for many species. It is clear to me. that drilling would not give us energy security and would. in fact. carry huge environmental costs. And this country does not even need this source of oil in order to reduce gas prices. The most effective way to reduce gas prices is to increase fuel economy -standards. In a 2001 report. the Congressional Research Service wrote. according to the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fuel Equivalents to Potential Oil Production from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ANWR: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) says that a technologydriven projection for cars and light trucks could increase fuel economy by 3.6 milesper gallon by 2020. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090084942,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fuel economy improvement through the first 20 years would generate average daily oil savings equivalent to four times the .low case and threefourths of the high case projected for ANWR oil production. Extended through 50 years. the fuel economy savings would range from 10 times the low case to more than double the high case for ANWR. And that is an extremely modest assumption for the technology that exists today to increase fuel economy standards. Imagine if we implemented a 30 percent increase in fuel economy standards. which is technologically feasible. according to BusinessWeek. September 26. 2005. If this Congress were serious about increasing our energy security. reducing our dependence on oil. and lowering gas prices. we would be working on legislation that woull increase fuel economy standards. not trying to drill our way out of the problem as we are doing today. We need to find real solutions to the problems of high energy prices. energy security. and global warming. We should be encouraging -energy efficiency. promoting the development of new and alternative fuels. and supporting the invention and commercialization of new vehicle technologies. This provision accomplishes not even one of these goals. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting Senator CANTWELLs motion to strike the provision to open ANWR to drilling.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090084993,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to inform colleagues. I will not be able to agree to such a unanimous consent request. I want everybody to know we. will not be able to agree to waive this throughout the process. We might agree to waive it for Senate consideration. but we would have no assurance this would not be altered. There is no way to guarantee it might not be altered.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":366}
{"speech_id":1090084997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me say that the problem. ny counsel informs me. is other provisions could affect this one and I cannot agree to waive all budget points of order throughout the whole probess on this amendment. We can conclude debate on this issue right now. and we are not going to vote on it until later. So maybe there is time to work through this. I want to make it clear. I have been informed by counsel I could not agree to a waiver at this point.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":439}
{"speech_id":1090085033,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I seem to be hearing that it .is because Of the condition of the bill right now. that the time has not expired. et cetera. Is the Parliamentarian ruling because of the time situation or giving us an actual ruling now on application of the Byrd rule to this amendment?","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":267}
{"speech_id":1090085046,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will use 30 seconds. I intend to raise a point of order against this amendment unless it is clearly ruled at the time the vote takes place that the Byrd rule will not apply to this amendment here on the floor of the Senate now. during consideration of this bill. or when the bill comes back as a conference report. I reserve the remainder of the time.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":353}
{"speech_id":1090085129,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished senior Senator from Georgia. my dear friend. I appreciate his guidance and I associate myself with his remarks. The distinguished Senator from.North Dakota made an. admittedly tongueincheek analogy about55 dead farmers. To change this program in midstream could put a lot of family farmers in the South on life support. and that is not tongueincheek. It would not only cripple the agriculture economy of communities across the Nation. but it would have a most devastating effect on farmers in my State and in the Southeast. Make no mistake. adoption of this -amendment would result in many traditional family farms going out of business--plain and simple. We had this debate in 2002. when we passed a carefully crafted farm bill. We debated farm payment limits extensively at that time. and it is absolutely wrong to seek to change those rules in midstream. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1659}
{"speech_id":1090085129,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That debate takes place in 2007. when the bill is up for reauthorization. Our farmers have made business decisions based on that farm bill. They have had signifi6ant investments based on that farm bill. We cannot pull the rug out from under them in midstream. This amendment punishes the farmer whose livelihood depends solely on the farm. In my part of the country. a farmer must have a substantial operation to make ends meet. Why would we seek to punish family farmers at a time when they have made large ilivestments in order to become competitive in an international marketplace? Now is not that time. Mr. President. on behalf of farmers in my State of Georgia and across the Southeast. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Grassley amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1659}
{"speech_id":1090085141,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I welcome this opportunity to cosponsor this amendment offered by Senator GRASSLEY and Senator DORGAN. Again. lets be clear why we are here debating this amendment. It is because the Presidents budget proposal called for taking away substantial funding that had previously been dedicated to agriculture and nutrition assistance. Accordingly. the congressional budget -resolution requires cutting $3 billion out of programs in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture. Nutrition and Forestry over the nest 5 years. These cuts could come from farm income assistance. conservation. Federal nutrition assistance. or several other mandatory programs. Fortunatelyand I commend the chairman of our committee. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090085141,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator CHAMBLISS. for thishis mark did not cut Federal nutrition assistance. and neither does the committeereported measure. although such cuts are probably almost certain after we go to conference with the House. Along with many ofmy colleagues. I opposed the cuts to agriculture from the time President Bush proposed them because I do not think they are justified. Three yearsago we crafted a new. bipartisan farm bill. which the President praised and signed into law. We were given a budget allocation to deal with it. We stayed within it. The farm bill has in general been working as intended. In fact. in for fiscal 2002 through 2005. since the bill was signed. our Federal commodity programs are estimated to have saved the taxpayers of this country $14 billion compared to the cost estimates right after the bill was enacted. We have spent $14 billion less in those 4 years than We were entitled to spend in the farm bill. So now we have the budget reconciliation bill before us. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090085141,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I dont believe there is any justification for cutting any funds out of agriculture. but the fact is. the budget resolution requires it. Congress is going to cut funds. The question is. how are we going to do it? Howare we going to do it? Well. .I am supporting the GrassleyDorgan amendment because it contains a much more equitable and sound way to achieve the $3 billion in cuts over the next 5 years. Basically. the amendment says. there will be a more reasonable set of limits on the amount of Federal farm program payments that any one individual is able to draw from the Federal Treasury. By obtaining the savings in this way. the burden of budget cuts on the vast majority of Americas farmers and ranchers will be lessened. Now. my colleaguesSenator GRASSLEY. Senator DORGAN. and othershave described very well how farm commodity program payments are heavily concentrated on a relatively small percentage of Americans who control our Nations largest farm operations. They have described how these operations can be reorganized. manipulated. using various partnerships. corporations. and entities. to skirt the payment limitations that are supposedly in the law now. Again. let me remind my colleagues. the GrassleyDorgan amendment we have before us is basically what the Senate adopted in the debate on the 2002 farm bill. by a vote of 66 to 31. This amendment was adopted in the farm bill. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090085141,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course. it was rejected in conference. because of strong opposition from the House dont you know. but we adopted it here. The GrassleyDorgan amendment tracks the proposal in the Presidents budget. Again. this amendment Senator GRASSLEY and Senator DORGAN have offered is not onerous. It provides for a basic overall payment limit on all benefits of $125.000 an individual. If you have a spouse. that could be $250.000 for the couple. That is a pretty generous amount of money from the Federal Government to support a farmingoperation in anybodys book. So this is a modest proposal. The other thing this amendment does is it cuts through all the confusion and murkiness about the \"threeentity rule.\" This amendment would track payments through to the actual individuals who receive the benefits. and then apply the payment limitations directly and straightforwardly. Now we will know exactly who is getting what. This amendment will establish a stronger requirement of active personal management of a farm or ranch before. an individual is eligible to receive farmprogram payments. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090085141,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reasonable payment limitations in the GrassleyDorgan amendment are a better. fairer way to obtain the budget savings. Those savings are then applied in this amendment to mitigate the most damaging aspects of the measure reported by the committee and which is in the bill before us. The GrassleyDorgan amendment delays for 1 year the 2.5 percent acrosstheboard reduction in commodity program payments and benefits which applies to all recipients. One other thing this amendment does is it lets us go back and lessen the cuts to the farm bills conservation title. What it does is it restores conservation funds that the bill before us would take out of the Conservation Reserve Program. It gets us back up to 38.45 million acres. close to the farm bills 39.2 million acres. So this amendment supports conservation. It also puts money back into the Conservation Security Program. which was cut by some 30 percent in the. measure reported by the committee. That is on top of cuts already imposed on the Conservation Security Program in previous legislation. So again. the GrassleyDorgan amendment is fairermore fairthan the bill before us. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5489}
{"speech_id":1090085143,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me wind up with a couple of responses to some of the comments -that have been made. First. Senator DORGAN got up and said we had one farm that had gotten $37 million over 5 years. That is preposterous. It is wrong. It is simply incorrect. The Senator from Arkansas made it very plain there is one cooperative that has 9.000 members. called Riceland. The entity which Senator DORGAN was talking about was not an individual farmer. There is no provision in the current law that would allow such payments to be made. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090085143,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is simply wrong. Secondly. there was a statement made that 55 dead farmers received payments. Let me tell you what happened so the American people understand. A farmer goes into the Farm Service Agency at the beginning of the year. and he fills out a form. That form says how much he is going to plant of each. specific crop. They then know what paymentsthey qualify for. Those checks are sent out during different times of the year and even into the next year after the farm season is over. It is unfortunate that 55 farmers died during that year before they got their checks. I am sorry about that. But those farmers were family farmers. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090085143,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their families deserve that income because that family member was actively engaged in farming at the time he went into the office and made the application. I kind of resent that. We talk about the fact that wewant to continue the family farm. The way we can continue the family farm is to take those folks who do unfortunately pass away and eliminate the. estate tax. But. unfortunately. our friends on the other side dont agree with us about that. Let me just say the commission to which Senator GRASSLEY referred. and others have referred. was a commission created in the 2002 farm bill made up of farmers from Kansas. Texas. Mississippi. Illinois. North Dakota. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090085143,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Iowa. Georgia. Arizona. as well as USDA. That commission made strong recommendations that we should not change this payment limitation provision during the course of this farm bill. That is a discussion that should be held in the next farm bill debated in 2007. I submit that is when it ought to be. I urge my colleagues to vote against the amendment.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2194}
{"speech_id":1090085164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. President. me just say about all of the talk al how this formula is sort of invio and we dont want Congress to in way change it. the underlying bill . it doesnt apply to Alaska. We are writing into this bill there is goin be no cut in Alaska regardless of v the formula says. So all I am sayin lets at least do something to le the extent of the burdein we are put on these other 30 States that I am. t ing about. I dont think that is too much change. The underlying bill changes the formula with regard Katrina victims. which is appropri 100 percent Federal matching funds Katrina victims under Medicai think that is entirely appropriate. have changed this formula five or times in the last few years. It woul. appropriate to do this again. I thin is the right thing to do. It will not help our States. but it will help people our States are trying to si through the Medicaid Program. have a great many in New Mexico. have over 400.000 people in our S who depend upon Medicaid. It is a lutely essential that the State.have resources. including Federal resour to provide the services. to continu provide the services for the chilc and the adults who are eligible ui that Medicaid Program. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1498}
{"speech_id":1090085164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I believe this is good legislat This is a good amendment. I hear that the offset would be extra burden on the States. CBO E this is a savings for the States. I this offset saves money for the Sta So. in fact. I think it is a good am( ment. I urge my colleagues to sup] the amendment. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1498}
{"speech_id":1090085229,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I assume the Senator from New Jersey will take the 62 minutes. The Senator from Oregon wished to speak on the bill generally. It does not appear there will be a number of people speaking in opposition. After the Senator from New Jersey uses the 6 minutes. I suggest yielding part of the opposition time. should no one come in opposition. and I will yield that to Senator SMITH from Oregon. That is not a unanimous consent request. that is a game plan.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":451}
{"speech_id":1090085321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak in opposition to this amendment. This amendment puts what we call a hard date only 2 months after the January 28. 2008. auction required by the bill. That is when the auction will commence. It is too soon to move immediately to a hard date in April. The auction could take weeks to conduct. and even after it ends. there are several months necessary for the FCC to decide to whom to award the final licenses. Without the licenses. new wireless providers cannot build their systems. so a tremendous amount of spectrum would not be in use during this period of time. Importantly. the auction proceeds will not be available until the final licenses are issued. That would mean consumers would face having their analog TVs shut off before the converter box program could be implemented. as is suggested by our bill. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4607}
{"speech_id":1090085321,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"American consumers will have to pay more to watch television if this amendment is adopted because the analog cutoff date Senator MCCAINs amendment requires is premature. The General Accounting Office and the Consumers Union estimate there are 20 million U.S. television households that rely upon overtheair reception for their television signal. Broadcasting systems are ready to convert. but we cannot get this done until we have the converter sets so they can continue to watch their TVs. Their old sets will not respond to the converted signal. Overtheair reliant households disproportionately represent Americas most vulnerable. Lowincome - senior citizens are disproportionately dependent on overtheair TV. 43 percent of Latino households rely. solely on analog television. and AfricanAmerican households are 22 percent reliant. We have picked this date based upon the recommendations .of the Congressional Budget Office to maximize the return from the sale of the spectrum. It is money that is necessary.That is why this portion of the bill is hereto raise money. To the extent the money is not used for consumer boxes. a provision in our bill requires all money not used raised by the spectrum goes to reduce the deficit. It is a major deficit reduction concept. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4607}
{"speech_id":1090085321,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Having the hard date out to 2009 is going to raise more money. We need that additional money to add to the interoperability portions of the reconciliation bill before us. The April 7 date is simply too close. as I said in the beginning. to the auction date of January 28. There has to be time between the auction date and the hard date to ensure that the communications capability is there. the settop boxes will be there. and that a portion of the television spectrum reserved for the first responders is going to be the first date available. Moving this date is not going to make it available sooner because of the time delay that will take place after the auction on January 28. It is just not physically possible to have a hard date that close to the auction date because of the time necessary- to compute the value of these offers. to go through the process of accepting the high bids and having the people bring forth the money to assure they are sound. The whole concept of this bill has been to maximize the return. The House date is December 31. 2008. Ours is April of 2009. We moved it there to get away from the Christmas season. to get away from things such as the Super Bowl. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4607}
{"speech_id":1090085321,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The longer it goes. the longer people will -buy new digitalready televisions and will not have to rely upon the transpondersthe settop boxes. we call themthat will be purchased with this money. Our combination is. if we- carn get this bill passed this year. we will have Christ.mas 2006. 2007. and 2008 before we get to the point where we have to.buy these settop boxes. The more sets sold to new purchasers. the less it will cost to buy these boxes. I do hope the Senate will see the wisdom in what we have done. We are working plosely with House Members on this issue. We believe we will reach an accommodation on the time. and it will be a 2009 date. I urge the Senate not to adopt the McCain amendment because it will destroy the process we are in. a very calculated process of ensuring that the auctions take place. and then following those auctions. there is enough of a period to satisfy the goal of raising the money in order that we may get to the total transition through the settop boxes. 8911. interoperability. and all the things that. follow in the amendment. For those who read our amendment. it is partially amended by the McCain provision. I dont know if there is anyone else to speak in opposition. but I urge the Senate not to adopt the amendment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4607}
{"speech_id":1090085321,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. is there any time left?","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4607}
{"speech_id":1090085385,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. it is an estimate. I appeal to let us go to conference and work this out. I favor putting as much money as possible into debt reduction. but there are some people who are going to have to have help in these disaster areas beyond- the moneys we have already provided in the other systems. That argument will come to the Senate. I intend to support the concept of using a portion that we have earmarked. $250 million. and there is a move for that to become $1 billion. We are not spending the money. We are authorizing expenditures up to this amount. What is not expended for the programs goes to debt reduction. That is very important for the Senator to remember. If the Senator wishes to comment on my comments. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":751}
{"speech_id":1090085385,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will yield. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":751}
{"speech_id":1090085424,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Chair would let me know when there is 1 minute remaining. In a bipartisan way. our Health and Education Committee. under the leadership of Senator ENZI. has found some $2.7 billion that can be used for education. Under the Landrieu amend.ment. $1.1 billion of that will be used to reduce origination fees that help students all over the country. The rest. $1.6 billion. would be used to help the 370.000 children who have been displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina. This will be the only opportunity in the Senate to help children who have been displaced from their education. This is the only opportunity for the Senate to take action. On August 29. when that hurricane came through the gulf and flooded Louisiana and caused havoc along the coast. schools were decimated. Hundreds of thousands of children have all been displaced. Schoolspublic. private. and also churchrelatedhave welcomed these children into their midst. across the Nation. This amendment is oneshot. onetime. temporary assistance to those schools that are accepting displaced children and need support: There are some who have said: We cant do this because this is a voucher program. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2384}
{"speech_id":1090085424,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have been opposed to vouchers because we have scarce resources. And if we have scarce education resources. .we ought to use them for public schools. We dont have that choice today. There are no public schools. This was an equal opportunity disaster for children. Protestant. Catholic. Jewish.. across the gulf. We have one opportunity. only one opportunity. to provide some help. and it is our amendment. We provide all kinds of protections to ensure this aid is temporary and for the schools that opened their doors to displaced students. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2384}
{"speech_id":1090085424,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is about children. It is simple. These children. these schools. need assistance. I reject those arguments that say this is a foot in the door. I was around here when we passed Medicare. and they said: This is socialized medicine. That was poppycock then. It is poppycock now. Let us help those children. Lets say for those children who were impacted by this disaster. let us provide help to the schools that have opened their arms to embrace these children for a limited period of time. I thank the Senator from Louisiana for sponsoring the amendment with my distinguished colleagues on the Education Committee and myself. and I urge the Senate to approve the amendment.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2384}
{"speech_id":1090085437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. more and more our countrys fight against HIV\/ AIDS is being hindered because we are not focusing enough of our resources on treating individuals who have been diagnosed with HIV so we prevent their illnesses from progressing to fullblown AIDS. This is especially true for those with lowincome who may lack stable access to potentially lifesaving pharmaceutical treatments and other health care services. While Medicaid is an important provider of health care to vulnerable Americans living with AIDS. they generally must be disabled before they can qualify for coverage. In a sense. we require them to become sicker before they can get treatment. and that is simply not right. Fullblown AIDS is an incredibly costly illness and it has much more of an impact on an individuals quality of life than HIV. That is why it is important for us to focus our resources on providing early treatment to individuals with HIV. Earlier this year. I. along with 27 of my colleagues. filed legislation that would have allowed states the option of providing Medicaid coverage to lowincome individuals who have been diagnosed with HIV. The initiative. known as the Early Treatment for HIV Act. or ETHA. was modeled after the successful breast and cervical cancer. benefit added to Medicaid program several years ago. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4438}
{"speech_id":1090085437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My amendment would provide the care in the same \"early is better\" fashion. so that more HIV cases are prevented from reaching the point of fullblown AIDS. Like the breast and cervical cancer benefit. ETHA would provide States the incentive of an enhanced Federal Medicaid match to extend coverage to those individuals living with HIVthe same rate that is paid to them to operate their SCHIP programs. Realizing the tight budget constraints we are currently facing. I have restructured my original ETHA proposal into a 5year demonstration project that is capped at $450 million. States will apply to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to offer Medicaid coverage to lowincome individuals who have been diaghiosed with HIV. This scaled back version would provide Congress and CMS the opportunity to learn more about the costsaving benefits of providing treatment to those with HIV in the early stages of their illness. It is expected that in addition to Medicaid. other Federal programslike SSI and Medicarewill realize significant longterm savings by preventing individuals from being disabled by fullblown AIDS. Additionally. with more and more states having financial difficulties with their AIDS Drug Assistance Programssuch as North Carolina. Nebraska. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4438}
{"speech_id":1090085437,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Missouri and Minnesotait is important that we provide alternative methods of delivering treatment. to those individuals with HIV\/AIDS who may be living in poverty. Most importantly though. the assistance authorized by this proposal will help individuals with HIV lead healthier. longer lives. so that they can remain active participants in both the community and the workforce and improve their chances of living to one day see a cure for their illness. As I mentioned. the cost of this amendment is $450 million over 5 years. That amount would be offset with a .8 percent increase in the brandname prescription drug rebate. I realize that the package already includes an increase in the drug rebate. but the additional request made in this amendment. less than one percent. will have an enormous payoff in the longrun. I dont believe its too high a price to -pay for the benefits that ETHA will provide the Federal and State governments. as well as individuals living with HIV. Mr. President. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. I understand that there is concern over keeping the underlying package that was passed by the Finance Committee intact. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4438}
{"speech_id":1090085437,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I assure you that this amendment will not affect the bottomline savings Chairman GRASSLEY and other membersincluding myselfworked so hard to achieve in title VI of the Deficit Reduction Act. In fact. in the longterm. my amendment should increase savings to the Federal Government by providing targeted. effective care to those individuals who genuinely need it. which will help them maintain active. healthy lives. That is a strategy I fully support. I will be working with the leadership as the debate moves forward today to schedule a vote on this amendment. At the appropriate time. I ask for my colleagues support on this bill that is not only fiscally responsible. but the right thing to do.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4438}
{"speech_id":1090085483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have listened to this debate with interest. There are a few things perhaps to get on the record so we have it clear if someone wishes to go back in historic fashion and look at all this and saywhat really happened. I would like to make a few comments to that. extent with respect to countryoforigin labeling. Conferences are for the purpose of resolving differences. The Senate had no statement at all with respect to countryoforigin labeling. so the Senate bill would have allowed the law to go forward in the way that many of the speakers here tonight have asked. The House bill would have killed it--not delayed it.- killed it. The House voted overwhelmingly to eliminate countryoforigin labeling. . We had to come up with a compromise. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090085483,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We could either have the Senate positionthat it goes forwardwe could have the House positionthat it diesor we could have something in between. In the spirit of most conferences. we came up with something in between. We have not killed the program in this conference report. We have delayed the implementation. So the Senate did not get what it wanted. which was full speed ahead. The House did not get what it wanted. which was to kill the program. We have a compromise. I think we should understand that so those who say. We caved in to the House. the House did it to us. without any consultation\" or conference with the Senatewell. understand that is not true. We arrived at a compromise between two very different positions. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090085483,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It does not satisfy the people in the Senate. and it probably does not satisfy the people in the House. Now. Iwill say from a personal point of view. I am getting tired of this debate. It came up when I becamechairman of the subcommittee the first time. We have had to deal with it several times now. I think this is an issue that should be resolved in the authorizing committee: I think the authorizers should come to the conclusion it is a good idea and we should go ahead with it or they should come to the conclusion we made a mistake in the farm bill and we should kill it. They should not ask -us in the appropriations process to make the decision that the authorizers need to make. The point has been made here that the date we set on this. with this compromise between the House and the Senate. carries. to a point beyond the expiration of the current farm bill. That is true. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090085483,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That means the .authorizers will have an opportunity. before. we visit this issue again on the Appropriations Committee. to make their decision. The authorizers will have an opportunity to either reendorse the idea or to kill it. So I say to those who feel so strongly on both sides: .Talk to the authorizers when it comes up in the farm bill and make the decisiondo: we really want to go ahead with this or do we really want to kill it?-and not ask those of us in the appropriations- conference to have to deal with. it. Get it off our plate and put it in the place where it belongs. I make one other comment. As I have looked at the issue. I find myself on the side of those who think it is a mistake. I have no pressure from consumers who want a label on meat that says where it comes from. I do not think they would paythat much atten tion to it. The history of countryoforigin labeling for virtually every other product is that consumers are mildly interested but that it does not significantly affect their purchasing. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090085483,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If someone really believes this would. make meat more attractive to customers. he or she has the opportunity to put that label on right now. A voluntary program would make it available everywhere. But if someone wants to promote Iowa beef. they .have the opportunity right now as a marketing device to say. This is Iowa beef. without having to go through all of the regulatory requirements that are connected with this law. So once again. this is an issue that the authorizers should look at. This is an issue that those of us who have been forced to deal with it are tired of. We hope this is the last time we will have to deal with it in an appropriations bill. Mr. President. I ask unanimous con-. sent that a letter sent to me from the USDA Acting General Counsel regarding sections 794 and 798 of the fiscal year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Act be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090085491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The October 31 issue of Time magazine contains a brief and extraordinary article about the Coast Guards brilliant efforts to assist the devastated people of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. when the Federal agencies were so incompetent in their efforts to provide relief. As one local official noted. the Coast Guard \"was the only Federal Agency to provide any significant assistance for a full week after the storm.\" The Coast Guard deserves great credit for its superb performance and I ask unanimous consent that this article may be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":571}
{"speech_id":1090085494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I would like to honor Werner Fornos. who is retiring after 23 years as president of the Population Institute. Across his long and productive career. Werner has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Marylanders and people around the world. Werner has been a dedicated public servant. He and I served together in the Maryland House of Delegates from 19661970. As a delegate he fought many important legislative battlesto protect the States natural resources. to strengthen civil rights and to ensure open government. He served as Marylands Manpower Administrator and as Assistant Secretary of Human Resources. At the Federal level he served as Special Assistant to the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for labormanagement relations and Deputy Assistant Manpower Administrator. * Over the past three decades. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1967}
{"speech_id":1090085494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Werner broadened his focus to the international arena. fighting to expand access to voluntary and affordable family * planning information. education. and services to couples across the globe. He has spoken to college and university audiences and service and community organizations in all 50 States and has addressed virtually every major international population and development conference. He has written numerous opinion articles for newspapers and magazines worldwide. and is the author of the book. \"Gaining People. Losing Ground.\" His numerous awards and honors include the Humanist of the Year Award of the American Humanist Association. the University of Maryland University College Alumnus of the Year Award. Germanys Order of Merit. the highest distinction granted by the German Government. Rotary Internationals 2005 Service Above Self Award. and the 2003 United Nations Population Award. Werner Fornos efforts for more than a quarter of a century have aimed to provide a better quality of life for people everywhere. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending his extraordinary record of achievement and public service.*","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1967}
{"speech_id":1090085508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as United States Senators. we are well aware of the rising cost of health care and the difficulty of health care access in rural areas. Through the improvement of health information technology. we will see overall productivity and quality improvements to our health care system. New technologies make the system more efficient and effective by diagnosing diseases sooner. providing preventive and ongoing managed care. Today. I am proud to be joined by my friends. Senators BAYH. CORNYN. and LUGAR. in introducing the Critical Access to Health Information Technology Act to help Critical Access Hospitals compete for health information technology grants. Our legislation would give smaller rural health hospitals a competitive edge for health information technology grants. A health system technology infrastructure should be encouraged and facilitated as broadly and rapidly as possible to help reduce medical errors. improve quality of care and reduce rising health care costs. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3554}
{"speech_id":1090085508,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A recent American Hospitals Association study shows that while 9 out of 10 hospitals are using or considering using health information technology for clinical uses. most cite cost as a major impediment to broader adoption. especially for small or rural hospitals. The study suggests that the use of health information technology in caring for patients is evolving as hospitals adopt specific technologies based on their needs and priorities. size and financial resources. The Critical Access to Health Information Technology Acf creates a grant program administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in conjunction with State agencies for improving health information technology in our Nations rural areas. In addition. this legislation supports the next generation of coding system. ICD10. that will modernize and expand Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services capacity to keep pace with changes in medical practice and technology. ICD10 was developed as an improvement to ICD9 which has not been updated since 1980. The adoption of ICD10 will allow for far more accurate. detailed and descriptive coding. and will allow the system to adapt as future changes are warranted. The transition to ICD10 is timesensitive. as the number of available ICD9 codes is rapidly dwindling. Earlier this Congress. I. along with Senator PRYOR. introduced the bipartisan \"Rural Renaissance II Act.\" This is a bipartisan piece of legislation. based on earlier legislation introduced last year. which would establish a privatepublic partnership to provide bonds that will finance grants that will fund key rural development projects to address critical rural infrastructure problems. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3554}
{"speech_id":1090085508,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased that Chairman GRASSLEY has agreed to include our Rural Renaissance Act II in his tax reconciliation package later this year. These bonds will be made available to small rural communities of 50.000 or fewer for: water and waste facilities. affordable housing. community facilities. including hospitals. fire and police stations. and nursing and assisted living facilities. farmerowned valueadded agriculture or renewable energy projects. including ethanol. biodiesel and wind. distance learning and telemedicine and high speed internet access and rural teleworks projects. I urge my fellow colleagues to join me in ensuring Critical Access Hospitals have the opportunity to keep pace with health information technology by supporting the Critical Access to Health Information Technology Act. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3554}
{"speech_id":1090085526,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. November 2 at 2 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1541. to protect. conserve. and restore public lands administered by the Department of the Interior or the Forest Service and adjacent land through cooperative costshare grants to control and mitigate the spread of invasive species. and. for other purposes. S. 1548. to provide for the conveyance of certain forest service land to the city of Coffman Cove. Alaska. S. 1552. to amend public law 97435 to extend the authorization for the Secretary of the Interior to release certain conditions contained in a- patent concerning certain lands conveyed by the United States to Eastern Washington University until December 31. 2009. H.R. 482. to provide for a land exchange involving Federal lands in the Lincoln National Forest in the State of New Mexico. and S. 405. a bill to provide for the conveyance of certain public land in Clark County. Nevada. for use as a heliport.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1102}
{"speech_id":1090085556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as all Members of this body know. the Federal Government is about to begin one of the biggest expansions in Federal entitlement programs in our countrys history. In a few weeks. the senior citizens of our country will be eligiblefor a muchneeded prescription drug benefit. and I rise to talk about that program tonight. I am particularly troubled about the fact that the Federal Government. in launching this program. is not going to be a smart shopper. You would think. after Katrina. given the huge hemorrhaging in our Federal.budget. this would be a top priority for the Federal budget. to shop smart. to squeeze every possible bit of value out of the money that is being spent for critical programs. such as purchasing prescription drugs for senior citizens. Unfortunately. that is not the case. At a time when the costs for this program have escalated from about $400 billion to over $530 billion. with a 10year estimate for this benefit projected to cost over $720 billion. what is locked into current law is an inability to get the best value for the purchase of those medicines. It is well understood all across the country that anybody who goes shopping in the private sector tries to get the most for their dollar by stressing their bargaining power. Certainly. the senior citizens of this country have a whole lot of bargaining power. You would think it would be the position of the Federal Government to try to take advantage of that bargaining power in order to strike the best deal for older people and taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11270}
{"speech_id":1090085556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Notice that I emphasize the words \"bargaining power\"-not price controls. not rules set in Washington. DC. a onesizefitsall approach. nothing that would discourage innovation among pharmaceutical companies. but simply bargaining power. Of course. that is what all the smart buyers do in the private sector today. Take. for example. a big timber company in my part of the world. They represent a lot of workers. They go out and bargain with pharmaceutical companies. insurance companies. and others. They get the most for their dollar. The small company. on the other hand. doesnt have that kind of leverage and. to a great extent in this country. individuals and small companies basically end up subsidizing the big companies and people with clout in the marketplace. Again. nobody is talking about price controls. We are talking about economics 101. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11270}
{"speech_id":1090085556,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you are buying in volume. if you have the opportunity to use marketplace forces to get the most for your dollar. you try to do it. You try to use the powerful forces of economics 101. which is the market power of bulk purchasing. Unfortunately. that is not going to be done in the area of purchasing prescription drugs for older people in our country. beginning the first of the year. In fact. what the Federal Government is doing is essentially turning on its head the principle of smart shopping. What the Federal Government would be doing. unless the Congress steps in. is pretty much like somebody going to Costco and buying toilet paper one roll at a time. The Federal Government isnt using its bargaining power to hold down the cost of medicine. At a time when prescriptions are one of the fastest growing forces in American health care. that defies common sense. Some errors are- known as errors of omission. others are known as errors of commission. The fact that the Secretary of Healthand Human Services is prohibited from using the power of bulk buying to hold down the cost of medicine f6r seniors is. in my view. one of the most outrageous errors of commission in the history of health care legislation. The Medicare prescription drug statute didnt forget to give the Secretary of Health and Human Services bargaining power to hold down the cost of medicine. the statute specifically told the Secretary he could not have such authority to get a fair deal for older people. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11270}
{"speech_id":1090085556,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So what we have at a time when the cost of the program is going through the stratosphere. at a time when seniors are trying to decide whether to sign up. is we have a statute that denies the Secretary of Health and Human Services the same marketplace tool that any consumer has in our communities across the countrythe power to leverage bulk purchasing to get a better price. Federal law now denies the Secretary of Health and Human Services what hundreds of other Federal officials havethe power to get a better price for the taxpayer. The Congress did not tell the Army they had to go out and buy one tent at a time for our soldiers in Iraq. The Congress didnt tell the Federal Emergency Management Agency they had to buy one mobile home at a time for hurricane victims. But unbelievably. Congress told Medicare they have to go out and buy one drug at a time as it relates to other people. So Medicare cant do what any savvied shopper in our country does. which is use their leverage in the marketplace to get lower prices. I think it is outrageous to have this double standard that prohibits Medicare from doing what all the other consumers in America can do. and it is time. in my view. to fix that. Tomorrow. the Senate will have a bipartisan opportunity to do just that. Senator SNOWE and I. along with Senator MCCAIN and Senator STABENOW and a number of others. will offer an amendment that will lift the outrageous restriction on the Federal Governments ability to bargain. and under our bipartisan amendment the Secretary of Health and Human Services would have the authority to negotiate for lower drug prices. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11270}
{"speech_id":1090085556,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I particularly wish to thank Senator SNOWE. She and I have worked on this a number of years. Both of us voted for the prescription drug legislation. We have the welts on our back to show for it. and even the night of the vote we said we were going to come back and try to improve this. particularly to improve it in a way that would make sense for older people and for taxpayers. So we see our bipartisan amendment as an effort to followup on the promise we made to our citizens back home. I thank Senator SNOWE. who is always trying to find common ground. bipartisan common ground. which is. of course. the only way you get important work done in the Senate. I also want to say a special thanks to Senator McCAIN. who is constantly focused on ways to expose waste. get more for the taxpayer dollar. and also Senator STABENOW of Michigan. Senator STABENOW has spent enormous amounts of time on a whole host of issues advocating for older people and the cost of prescription drugs. and I am convinced that this issue would never have gotten the visibility and the attention that it warrants were it not for Senator STABENOWS focus on it. I also would like to say the same about Senator FEINSTEIN. She and I agreed on the night of the vote that we were going to join Senator SNOWE in a bipartisan effort to get a fairer and better deal for older people. and I thank her as well for all of her effort. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11270}
{"speech_id":1090085563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over the past couple of weeks prices at the pump have been steadily fallingthank goodness. After the shock of paying nearly $3. sometimes over. soinetimes well over $3 a gallon. families are finally getting some relief when they are filling up their cars or trucks. automobiles with gas. Gas prices are finally back to preKatrina levels. -And that is the good news. The bad news is that prices are still much higher than they were a year ago. Americans are paying significantly more to fill up their cars. their automobiles with gas. And as we all know with winter right around the corner. home heating costs threaten to literally break the family bank. Meanwhile. Americas oil companies are making multibillion dollar profits. record profits. You could not miss the news last week that oil companies posted these recordbreaking profits with one company posting the biggest profit in U.S. history. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6451}
{"speech_id":1090085563,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So while Americans have been reeling from Katrina. standing in long lines at the pump. at gas stations following Katrina and the other hurricanes and their cutting back on the necessities of everyday life. what they see are oil profits that are booming. going off the chart. And we have constituents naturally calling and writing and emailing saying. Why? How could that possibly be? Literally. what they see is pumping gas and watching the little figures come up higher and higher and higher. seeing money go out of their pocket and then going home and turning on the news and seeing that the coffers of oil companies. that same money going into the gas tank almost being in the coffers of these large oil companies. and they are asking why. I think these are legitimate questions. and Americans do have the right to know what is going on. Is this the way the market works and. if so. what are those dynamics? They need to know why those gas prices and those oil and natural gas prices are so much higher than they used to be at the same time these profits are off the chart. That is why last week I asked Chairman DOMENIcI and Chairman STEVENS to hold a joint hearing to be able to answer those basic questions. Next week. \u00b0several executives will be coming in from some of the biggest oil compalfies to explain. We may well learn that there are no sinister reasons behind all OPrinted on recycled paper. this. but I think we all agree that our free market works best when we all know and we all follow the rules of the road and all have confidence in that system. That is what the focus of those hearings will be. If there are people abusing the free enterprise system to advantage themselves or their businesses at the expense of everyday Americans. they need to be exposed and- they should be ashamed. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6451}
{"speech_id":1090085563,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Next weeks hearings will help shed light on this very important matter. Meanwhile. the Senate is also working to strengthen and secure Americas energy supply. Indeed. we are doing it. in part. in the bill that we will be voting on over the course of today. Last summer. the Senate passed a comprehensive energy plan that looked. in terms of framework. at production. at consumption. at conservation. at alternative uses of fuel. at nuclear. at hydrogen. at the investment of science and technology to make fuel use more efficient. and that was a good first step. But we have a lot more to do. When you go home and you are talking to constituents and you say: What if I told you that most of the oil that you are pumping into your gas tank comes from overseas. from foreign sources. from countries that are very specifically hostile to the United States. and what if I told you that the United States has barely 45 days worth of oil on hand in our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve. the answer is obvious. You would want to diveisify your energy sources. you would want to move toward energy independence. and that is exactly what we need to do. Now. if I told you that in the United States we have untapped oil reserves comparable to all of the oil in Arizona. California. Oregon. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6451}
{"speech_id":1090085563,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Washington. Idaho. Montana. Wyoming. Colorado. Utah. New Mexico. North Dakota. and South Dakota combined. you would want to find it since it is here and get it to the American people. Well. we do have that resource. It is in Alaska under the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6451}
{"speech_id":1090085563,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ANWR. We. all know ANWR is the Nations single greatest prospect for future oil. The Government estimates that ANWR contains approximately 10.4 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil. At peak production at this one site could be produced more oil than any other U.S. State. any other State in this country. Texas or Louisiana. from this one site. In 1968. the Federal Government estimated that Prudhoe Bay held 9 billion barrels of oil. To date. Prudhoe Bay has produced 13 billion barrels and it is still producing. Now. more than ever. we need -to recognize the need to strengthen Americas oil supply and now we have the opportunity to do that. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6451}
{"speech_id":1090085582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as a member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. I rise today to speak in support of the Agriculture appropriations conference report. I would particularly like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee. Senators BENETT and KOHL. for including $7 million in the bill for specialty crop funding. Americans tend to forget that California is the largest agricultural producing State in the Nation. Of the top 10 agricultural producing counties nationwide. 8 are located in California. We export more crops than any other State. and I am proud to say that 97 percent of our farms are family owned. As aresult. I supported the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act. legislation to boost the marketing of highly nutritious fruits. vegetables and other specialty crops to American consumers and international markets. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090085582,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The legislation provided. for the first time. a dedicated source of funding to promote the marketing of specialty crop products. Specialty crops are fruits and vegetables. tree nuts. dried fruits. and nursery crops. including floriculture. Farms in the Golden State produce more than half of the Nations fruits. vegetables and nuts from just 3 percent of the Nations farmland. While California accounts for about 13 percent of national cash receipts from agriculture. it receives only about 3 percent of direct government payments to agriculture. These funds. while open to all 50 States. will help California specialty crop farmers. As the globalization of markets continues. it is becoming increasingly difficult for United States producers to compete against heavily subsidized foreign producers in both the domestic and foreign markets. United States specialty crop producers also continue to face serious tariff and nontariff trade barriers in many export markets. The funding for specialty crops will promote the marketing of specialty crops and improve access to foreign markets and competitiveness. I am extremely pleased that we were able to include $7 million for crops that are so vital to our Nations food supplk. -In addition. I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member for including other projects that will benefit California. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090085582,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They include: $1.35 million for the California County Pest Detection Augmentation Program. These funds will help California counties increase highrisk pest exclusion inspection activities of new shipments of plants. seeds. fruits. vegetables. and animals. Pest exclusion is critical to a successful agricultural industry because it is more effective and less costly to prevent the introduction and establishment of potentially haimful exotic pests from the local environment than it is to eliminate them. $24.25 million for the Glassywinged Sharpshooter\/Pierces Disease Control Program. The glassywinged sharpshooter is an invasive pest that spreads bacteria that kills grapes. almonds and tree fruits. This funding will be used to develop the resources to eliminate the spread of the disease. $200 million for the Market Access Program. This nationwide program provides funding to promote the export of American agricultural products. $1.929 million for Exotic Pest Disease Research at the University of California. The Exotic Pest and Disease Research Program funds research to combat a wide variety of exotic organisms that have invaded or could invade California. Recent successes in the program include determining the origin of avocado thrips found in Ventura and Orange countiescausing an $8.7 million annual loss to growersand identifying natural enemies to control the thrips and replace pesticides previously in use. A similar approach is being developed for the Avocado Lace Bug. In addition. the program has funded work on such organisms as Sudden Oak Death. red imported fire ant. and Medi-. terranean fruitfly. $20 million for the Farmers Market Nutrition Pfogram. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090085582,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The program provides nutritional information and supplements as well as healthcare referrals to lowincome mothers and pregnant women.-The Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides coupons to participants to use to buy produce from small farmers. and nutrition information is provided through the local Farmers Market Nutrition Program agency. $3.076 million for the Sudden Oak. Death Control Program. Funding will be used to continue researching Sudden Oak Death Disease. which infects and destroys oak and tanoak trees. $401.000 for Ozone Air Quality Research by the San Joaquin Valleywide Air Pollution Study Agency: A multiyear. intensive air quality study is needed to meet the requirements of Regional Haze State Implementation Plans anticipated after 2008. This study would build- upon the Central California Ozone Study and the California Regional Air Quality Study. These new studies will include an ozone filed study. data analysis. modeling performance evaluations. air quality and meteorological modeling improvements. and a retrospective look at previous State Implementation Plan modeling. This bill -is extremely important to ensuring a safe and secure domestic food supply. I would like to again thank the chairman and the ranking member for all of their hard work on this bill. The question is on agreeing to the conference report. The clerk will call the roll. The assistant journal clerk called the roll.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090085723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Opening the refuge is not the answer to solving our countrys energy needs. We cannot drill our way out of our energy problems. We need to focus on real solutions not gimmickssolutions that decrease our dependence of foreign oil. protect the environment and help consumers at a time when the costs to fill up their gas tanks and heat their homes are at all time highs. If we open the Arctic Refuge for oil and gas drilling. it would provide only about a 6month supply of oil and would not even be available for 10 or more years. That means that drilling in the wildlife refuge would not affect our current oil and gasoline prices nor will it reduce our countrys dependence on f6reign oil. Even in 10 or so years when we might get the.oil. drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will help little if at all. Rather than trying to get a couple of months of oil supply in 10 years. we need to address the most pressing. issues facing our country now: our growing dependence on foreign oil. skyhigh oil and gas prices. and global warming. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4172}
{"speech_id":1090085723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is what I have been fighting forreal solutions to real problems that would help todays consumers and tomorrows energy needs. That is why I fought to include an amendment to the Commerce. Justice. Science Appropriations bill that would provide a million dollars to the Federal Trade Commission to immediately investigate claims of price gouging. While oil companies and refineries report record profits. American consumers shouldnt have to scrimp to buy gasoline to go to work. or church or to buy groceries. I also cosponsored a bill that would place a federal ban on price gouging for oil. gasoline and other petroleum products during times of energy emergencies. To drive this point home. I sent a letter to the chairwoman of the FTC. expressing my concern over the consolidation of oil refineries. resulting in the lack of competition. I also recently sent a letter to President Bush urging him to convene a White House summit of oil and gas company CEOs to insist that they lower their skyhigh gas and home heating oil prices. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4172}
{"speech_id":1090085723,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are some of the Presidents closets political supporters and friends They are also the same men and women who the President called on to write the administrations energy policy in 2001. If the President can call them in to help themselves. he should call them back to help ordinary Americans. Another letter called on the oil and gas company CEOs to temporarily halt unnecessary exports of any home heating oil products that they are currently sending abroad. We cannot expect Americans to pay over $1.000 to heat their homes this winter when U.S. companies are exporting billions of gallons of refined heating oil and propane. We need to find solutions for tomorrows energy needs as well as those facing Americans today. I introduced a bill that would provide tax incentives for energy efficient hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. which was included in the Energy bill. I also voted for a proviso in the Senate energy bill that would have required utilities to generate 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources. In addition. I supported a provision in the bill that requires the Federal Government to get at least 7.5 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2013. I also supported an amendment that would require the U.S. to reduce foreign oil imports by 40 percent in 20 years Just last week. oil companies reported record third quarter profits. some more than 85 percent higher than last year. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4172}
{"speech_id":1090085723,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As Americans struggle to fill their gas tanks and -pay high home heating bills. the oil and gas companies are filling their pockets with historic profits. -And now. here we are. in the Senate. giving them the opportunity to drill in federally protected land. This is. not a time to reward oil and gas companies with the promise of more profits. We need to give these companies the opportunity to be patriotsnot profiteers. They need to join us by holding down prices. investing in renewable energy. serving the needs of Americans and conserving as much as possible. Together. America can do better.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4172}
{"speech_id":1090085741,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I congratulate my friend from Oregon for his fine work. Briefly. as a very strong supporter of exploring for oil inthe Arctic. one of the big reasons we are doing it is to enhance our national security and our own domestic oil supply. which is why I support the amendment I am cosponsoring.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090085795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the work the Senator from Mississippi and the Senator from New Jersey have done on this bill. It is absolutely true that this does represent some significant additional. reforms for Amtrak. In discussions with Senator LOTT from Mississippi and others. I do believe there is an opportunity to do a lot more. Unfortunately. the House has not really undertaken any reform effort at all. and that is certainly one of the concerns that I have. that this not be a deadend process. that we do more in this bill to deal with long distance routes that lose $200 or $300 per passenger on every single car that rides on those long distance routes and labor constraints that the management of Amtrak has said they want to have modified and adjusted so they can operate more effectively and more efficiently. These items are not in this legislation. although it does represent a step for ward. -I look forward to continuing to work to improve the legislation. but I certainly cannot support its adoption on this reconciliation bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1047}
{"speech_id":1090085813,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to point out for the edification of our colleagues that we still have a lot of amendments to go. The estimate is in the high teens or potentially low twenties. At the pace we are going. we are not going to get them all done today. and we are going to be here on Friday. I ask. Mr. President. if we can be advised as to how long the last three votes have taken. If we could hear from the clerks. approximately how long? We do not have to be precise. How long have the votes taken?","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":501}
{"speech_id":1090085820,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a few short weeks some of our most vulnerable Americans. our sickest and poorest. socalled dual eligibles. are going to be shifted from Medicaid to Medicare. We have a train wreck coming. Medicare is going to randomly assign these people to a plan which they may not know about and which might not cover their lifesaving drugs. Doctors. hospitals. and pharmacists are scrambling. These prescription drug policies themselves have not defined the drugs the:e are going to cover. My amendment simply gives a 6month transition for those people so they do not get lost in this switch. I support Medicare coverage for these dual eligibles. but I cannotand I dont think we shouldsupport turning these people away at the drugstore. This amendment does not delay the implementation of the Medicare drug benefit. It simply assures thousands of our most vulnerable Americans that they will not be lost in the transition from Medicaid to Medicare coverage. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090085820,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank Senator ROCKEFELLER and my cosponsors. and I urge adoption of this amendment.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1048}
{"speech_id":1090085846,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am opposed to this amendment because the fees for L visas would raise funds but would do nothing to fill very important jobs in the United States. The existing plan submitted by the Judiciary Committee imposes a fee. but it extends the HlB visa and recaptures the visas which were not used in the last 5 years.. There are very careful safeguards so that U.S. jobs are not lost. I understand the position of the dis tinguished Senator from West Virginia. the position of the unions. but I believe their concerns are misplaced and that there is a real need for these positions of highly skilled professionals. Ph.D.s. advanced degrees. Therefore. with due respect to my colleague from West Virginia. I ask for a \"-no\" vote.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":738}
{"speech_id":1090085976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a fourpart amendment. The first part would provide for a screening. for aortic aneurysms. offered by Senator BUNNING and Senator DODD. The second part of the amendment would allow for the purchase of electronic mobility equipment for our seniors. something Senator VOINOVICH has been working on. as opposed to having -a longterm lease. The third part is offered by Senator THOMAS. which has to do with rural mental health care under Medicare. And finally. the piece I have been offering is on colorectal screenings. We passed that benefit back in 1997. As a result of that payment of the benefit for screenings. we have only seen a 1percent increase in screenings. This is an attempt to try to increase that by allowing for the payment of the predoctor visit as well as the part B deductible.. I ask unanimous consent to add Senator LANDRIEU as a cosponsor of the amendment.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":897}
{"speech_id":1090085991,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this bill will hurt programs that exist today that help children. people with AIDS. a host of people. I received this information not from the Clinton administration but from providers in my_ own community. Christian Brothers who deal with children. social workers who deal with adults.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090086088,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take this opportunity to say how deeply concerned I am over the wrong priorities in the spending reconciliation bill that is before us today. The United States faces a Federal deficit of $331 billion for fiscal year 2005 alone. according to the Congressional Budget Office. This is a complete turnaround from when President Bush took office just under five years ago. He inherited record budget surpluses and turned them into record deficits. Unfortunately. that has not stopped Republicans frofn pushing relentlessly for the wrong priorities and irresponsible policies. As a result. we now have encountered years of record deficits that have contributed to $3 trillion added to our countrys debt. Moreover. under President Bushs watch. American debt to foreigners has doubled. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090086088,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Japan holds $680 billion of our debt. China holds $240 billion. and the Carribean Banking Centers hold over $100 billion. Increasingly. our fate is in the hands of their central banks and investors. We must take action so that we dont put this burden on our Nations future generations. The budget reconciliation process was designed for such a situation: to give Congress the tools necessary for deficit reduction. Reconciliation could have offered us the opportunity to work across the aisle to take responsible steps toward reducing the deficit. Instead. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are pushing for the wrong priorities. Take for example their opposition to Senator CONRADS commonsense amendment on fiscal responsibility. His amendment. called paygo. would have reinstated a rule meant to stop Congress from worsening the deficit. It was my hope that it would have once again served as a check against irresponsible spending or new rounds of tax cuts at a time when the Nation cannot afford them. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090086088,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleagues across the aisle say that tough choices are needed to get our fiscal house in order. I agree--we should balance the federal budget just as every American must balance theirs. unless a natural disaster or other national crisis demands it. Anytime Congress wants to raise spendingor lower revenueCongress should pause and be required to stand up to vote and defend its action. That is what this amendment would have required. but Republicans voted against fiscal responsibility. Today. we are debating the spending reconciliation bill for fiscal year 2006. but it is only half of the equation. This bill makes $39 billion in cuts to critical spending programs. Many of these cuts will directly hurt low- and middleinbome Americans. The bill takes away Americans access to health care and affordable housing and jeopardizes their pensions. The bill attacks important conservation efforts by cutting funding and opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. But the bill stays silent on lowering energy prices for working families who can no longer afford to pay their monthly gas bills. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090086088,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Simply put. it leaves too many Americans out in the cold. In several weeks. the Senate will be taking up a tax reconciliation bill. That bill will. cut taxes by $70 billion. with an average giveaway of $35.500 for those making more\" than $1 million each yeir. Those with incomes between $50.000 and $200.000 would get just over $100 on average. The difference is striking. but not so much as the fact that this will all be done under the Senates procedure of reconciliationwhich was designed to lower. the deficit. not raise it. These tax cuts will undermine the cuts that the bill is making today to critical spending programs and will add an additional $31 billion to the deficit. This is irresponsible. Its just another example of how the President and his allies in Congress have the wrong priorities. amid not the best interest of America. at heart. What is most frustrating is the knowledge that the final budget will likely be even worse than what we pass in the Senate. The House of Representatives plans to cut $50 billion in critical services. including student loans. food stamps. child support enforcement. foster care. and health care. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090086088,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. these cuts will. not go to lowering the deficit. Instead. they will finance another round of tax cuts at a time when we also have staggering energy costs. a war in Iraq. many unfunded education needs. an exploding population of seniors. and an unprecedented relief and rebuilding effort stemming from Katrina. I believe we must work together to realign priorities so they reflect those of the American people. Working together. we can do better. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this misguided bill.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4605}
{"speech_id":1090086105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. pursuant to section 313(c) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a list of material in S. 1932 considered to be extraneous under subsections (b)(1)(A). (b)(1)(B). and (b)(1)(E) of section 313. The inclusion or exclusion of material on the following list does not constitute a determination of extraneousness by the Presiding Officer of the .Senate.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":420}
{"speech_id":1090086133,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This* week - we have honored the memory of Rosa Parks. a woman whose quiet stand for her individual rights reverberated across this country. We often discuss how far we have to go as a country in terms of race relations. Thinking of Rosa Parks reminds me how far we have come. In 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery. African Americans in the South could not eat in the same restaurants. go to the same colleges. sleep in the same motels. be cared for in the same hospitals or compete on the same sports teams as other. Americans. Rosa Parks actions that day in Montgomery helped spark a movement that changed our country forever for the better. Condoleezza Rice. one of the bright minds leading our *country today. rightly noted at the memorial service in Alabama. \". . . that without Mrs. Parks. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1558}
{"speech_id":1090086133,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would not be standing here today as Secretary of State.\" Rosa Parks and those who took up the call inspiredme. too. As editor of the student paper at Vanderbilt University. I wrote editorials urging desegregation of that school in 1962. We made great - progress in those days. as we continue to do today. Our Nation has always been a work in progress. ever since our Founders signed the Declaration of Independence declaring that \"all men are created equal.\" Were still working to achieve that noble goal of recognizing our equality. But thanks to Americans like Rosa Parks. weve come a long way. Rosa Parks courage has earned for her a noble place in the history of our Nations struggle for equal opportunity. We will miss her.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1558}
{"speech_id":1090086169,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Friday. November 4. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then proceed to the consideration of S. 1042. the Defense authorization bill. as under the previous order. I further ask unanimous consent that during Friday and Mondays sessions. amendments may be debated and then set aside with the time reserved for use at a later time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":603}
{"speech_id":1090086178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. on this day 212 years ago. the Father of Texas. Stephen F. Austin. was born. Austin. only 27 years of age. organized. financed. and led the first legal colony of Americans to settle a portion of Mexico called. Tejas. or Texas as we call it. In 1822. 300 families entered Texas. this fantastic frontier on the plains of civilization. Although the settlers were loyal to Mexico. a new Mexican Government soon began abolishing the civil rights of the colonists. so Austin went to Mexico to voice concerns over the abuses. but he was imprisoned for over 2 years. After finally being released. Austin and other Texans decided to go their own way. Texas declared independence from Mexico. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1134}
{"speech_id":1090086178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thousands of welltrained Mexican troops poured into Texas to stop the rebellion. The outnumbered Texas volunteers and settlers fought and died at the brutal battles of Goliad and the Alamo. but ultimate victory occurred at the battle of San Jacinto in 1836. Austin and others. like Crockett. Travis. Bowie. and Houston. finally won the day for freedom. Texas was free. a new nation. a new republic. The rest. they say. is Texas history.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1134}
{"speech_id":1090086188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to once again express my deep concern about this war in Iraq. which is a violent. endless quagmire. Those of us who dissent on this war support our troops. We honor our troops. We respect our troops. In fact. one of the things that we have tried to do is urge the other side of the aisle to provide budgets that actually support our troops when they come home. It is shameful that our veterans budgets get slashed each and every year. If Members of Congress are going to send young menand women over to Iraq to fight in this war. we had better make sure that when they come back they have the resources they need to get on with their lives. We have lost 2.000 Americans in this war. There is no end in sight. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1109}
{"speech_id":1090086188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There have been no weapons of mass destruction. There was no imminent threat. There was no nuclear threat. There was no tie to al Qaeda. This war has nothing to do with the War on Terror. In fact. it has diverted important resources from the overall war on terror. We need to get our priorities straight. We need to focus on the war on terror. Let us end this war in Iraq.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1109}
{"speech_id":1090086218,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend for yielding. I rise in support of the motion. Mr. Speaker. I left the Armed Services Committee hearing a moment ago and I heard Command Sergeant Major Citola in a very eloquent discussion of the troops in Iraq say that we are a Nation of laws. It was heartening to hear that. Then the report from The Washington Post to which the gentleman from Wisconsin refers is a dagger in that thought. Our men. and women in uniform are serving with tremendous distinction around the world in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3423}
{"speech_id":1090086218,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Afghanistan. the Horn of Africa. Korea. Germany. and many other places. and they deserve the best protection and support we can give them. We in Conigress are tasked with ensuring these troops and our veterans have all they need. They deserve the very best. Part of our job comes in providing them with the best equipment. training. and benefits. Another part is providing oversight of the policies of the administration. One of the questions that I had earlier was when the Armed Services Committee did not adopt a subcommittee on oversight or investigations. Hearken back to the days when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. David Jones. raised the issue that the Joint Chiefs of Staff is not working well and that there is a lack- of jointness within our military. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3423}
{"speech_id":1090086218,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was the committee on investigations under. the gentleman from Alabama. Bill Nichols. that worked for some 4 years and came up with the landmark law that we now call GoldwaterNichols. That was oversight. By oversight. we must ensure that our military forces are employed appropriately. when there are problems. that they are investigated fairly and properly. as they were in Chairman Nichols work. I have supported calls for more vigorous investigations of the failure in prewar intelligence on weapons of mass destruction and for a likely postwar situation in Iraq. I have also supported a Trumanlike commission to look at contracting problems in Iraq. Unfortunately. those efforts have not been undertaken. and they. sadly. fell on deaf ears. In my own Armed Services Committee there have been many efforts that have been undertaken in a bipartisan manner. This is good. A noble example is our joint effort to ensure that more uparmored Humvees and other force protectiop equipment reached the field despite the failure to plan adequately for their needs. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3423}
{"speech_id":1090086218,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is a very positive step we did. Yet even in our committee. we need to do better when it comes to oversight in key areas of our policy relating to Iraq and the war on terror. Notably. I feel there must be additional policy and additional oversight of our treatment of detainees in theaters around the world. The question I have. Mr. Speaker. in regard to the article to which the gentleman from Wisconsin refers. was there any connection between what the allegations are by the CIA and the Department of Defense or anyone therein. That. I think. is a matter of oversight and one that we need to at least have a briefing or a hearing thereon. Increased oversight will allow us both to understand the systematic causes of these cases of abuse. the right solutions to be enacted into law. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3423}
{"speech_id":1090086218,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is our job. The Constitution charges the Congress with raising and maintaining the military. and you cannot raise and maintain unless you oversight. unless you understand the problems that we can cure by law. That is our job. And I think we could do a much. much better job.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3423}
{"speech_id":1090086223,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this issue. I am pleased .to join the gentleman from Missouri in saluting our troops. Wherever they are serving. at home or abroad. we owe them a deep debt of gratitude for -their courage. for their patriotism. for the sacrifices they are willing to make for our country. We are very. very proud of them. and when they come home. we want. to honor their service by giving them what they need as veterans. and those needs will be large. Mr. Speaker.- I strongly support the motion to instruct offered by the gen.tleman from Wisconsin . We -must provide those we send in to fight\u0095 in Iraq with everything they need to serve. to keep them safe and so that they can return as safe as possible. It is tragic that more than 22 years after the invasion of Iraq. that long a time. we are still encountering such appalling needs in the area of force protection. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4324}
{"speech_id":1090086223,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"History will not treat kindly those who embarked on a war of choice without making sure that our troops were properly equipped. Not enough body armor. not enough jammers for protection against explosive devices. not enough armored vehicles. not enough overhead cover systems..the list goes on and on. Once again. Congress must deal with the consequences of the Bush administrations bad planning. We have had to do it before in the appropriations bills. and we are -doing it here today with the gentleman from Wisconsins motion to instruct. Congress has a responsibility to find out why so many things about Iraq have gone so terribly wrong. This Republican coverup Congress has never lived up to the oversight responsibility to ask the questions. One of the essential elements of the force protection. for example. is good intelligence. Our Nation spends billions of dollars each year on intelligence programs and activities. and when they do not produce timely and reliable intelligence. we make the American people less safe. and Congress has a duty to find out why. The intelligence used as the justification for the administrations decision to go into war in Iraq was wrong. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4324}
{"speech_id":1090086223,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. that was wrong. I said at the time that the intelligence did not support the threat that the administration was describing. but. nonetheless. the intelligence that they were iusing was wrong. - Given the enormous consequences of that decision. more than 2.000 American soldiers have been killed. more than 15.000 wounded. many of them permanently. more than a quarter of a trillion dollars spent. and enormous damage done to the reputation of the .United States in the eyes of the world. The cost of lives and limbs and taxpayer dollars and reputation is enormous. Congress has an obligation to identify and correct the problems that led to the production of false intelligence. Our troops are at risk until that is done. and yet. as we address other force protection issues. there is no sense of urgency to undertake a thorough review of what went wrong with the intelligence. -Neither the issue of the quality of the intelligence nor the. equally important issue of whether intelligence was politicized have been investigated by this Congress. That is why shortly I will offer the House a chance to do more for force protection than provide the $50 million in this motion to instruct. as important as that money is. Democrats have continually asked for investigation of prewar intelligence. and those requests have been repeatedly denied. The same is true for requests to investigate the other matters related to the war in Iraq: The prison abuse scandals. the nobid Halliburton reconstruction contracts. the misuse of classified information to discredit administration critics. Each of these matters has national security implications that need to be examined. particularly on the issue of going to war and the conduct of war. Congress has an*obligation to make sure that decisions were made properly and that these decisions are based on truth and trust. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4324}
{"speech_id":1090086223,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Until the Congress examines fully issues like whether intelligence was politicized. we have failed in a fundamental way to protect our troops and maintain a level of trust with the American people. I urge the House to support both the Obey motion to instruct and my subsequent resolution on Iraq.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4324}
{"speech_id":1090086226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. because the Republicanled Congress has not conducted any investigations of abuses by the Republican administrations decision to go to war in Iraq. and because the over 2.000 American soldiers have lost their lives and more than 15.000 have been wounded. therefore. pursuant to rule IX. I rise in regard to a question of privileges of the House. and I offer a privileged resolution.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":394}
{"speech_id":1090086263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is no comparable provision that I am aware of. and that is why I think it is important for the House to insist on this language. a position that I know the Chairman will stoutly defend. and we will have unanimous support on our side. We will have a bipartisan position.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":288}
{"speech_id":1090086311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. the power of eminent domain should never be abused to take. private property for the private benefit of another. and I agree with the concept of the bill. but it is very poorly drafted. It goes too far and not far enough. It will permit many of the abuses and injustices of the past. while bankrupting State and local governments. It would allow highways to cut through communities and all the other public projects that have historically fallen most heavily on the poor and powerless: It does nothing to protect displaced renters. They get no compensation. no day in court. but absentee slumlords. they get their day in court. It allows a taking to give property to a private party \"such as a common carrier. that makes the property available for use by the general- public as of right.\" Does that mean a stadium? It seems to me that is privately owned. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2588}
{"speech_id":1090086311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is \"available for use by the general public as of right\" at least as much as a railroad. you can buy a seat. Does that mean a shopping center? You do not even need a ticket. So this would not even prevent the use of public domain. apparently. for sport stadiums and shopping centers. The World Trade Center. on the other hand. could not have been built under this law. It was publicly owned. but leased as office and retail space. Affordable housing. like the Hope VI program would be prohibited. Local governments under this bill would risk all their economic development funding for 2 years. even for unrelated projects. The financial cloud this would place over all cities would ensure that they could never issue a bond. for any\" purpose. and companies doing business with the city would face the threat of bankruptcy. If we really want to help property owners. we should give them the right to stop the taking before it happens. This bill makes them wait until after the condemnation and offers them no damages. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2588}
{"speech_id":1090086311,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People do not want to bankrupt their communities. They want to keep their homes. This bill does not do that. I will offer an amendment that will at least change this part of the bill and solve that problem. A bill to prevent takings for improper purposes makes sense. It does not make sense to say that if the government makes a mistake. instead of giving private injunctive relief in advance to prevent that mistake to help the property owner. you put a cloud on the future finance of the State or city as they can never issue bonds for any purpose. Let us protect property owners but not destroy our communities. We should do this right.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2588}
{"speech_id":1090086317,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the question before us today is not really whether we agree or disagree with the Supreme Courts interpretation of the term \"public use.\" but. rather. who we stand with and what we stand for. Do we stand with large private developers or with ordinary private citizens? Do we stand for government assistance for the powerful economic interests. at the expense of ownership of small interests? Let it be clear. this debate is about condemnation of property. Will we condemn our constituents by allowing their land to be taken without just cause? Will we condemn small business owners by allowing their stores to be removed simply because a big developer has a different idea for what the economy should look like? Or will we stand with our constituents. and condemn the idea that their property can be sacrificed for the sake of a big corporate companys development plans? The Declaration of Independence . holds that all people are endowed with the right to life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Supreme Courts Kelo decision would limit the right to the pursuit of happiness to large corporate developers at the expense of small businesses and private citizens. We must take a stand today and reaffirm the unalienable rights of citizens and stand for our constituents and declare that everyone has the right to pursue happiness. and we cannot and will not take that right away. I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with our constituents to support this bill.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1487}
{"speech_id":1090086333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman. this is a rare moment in this town when we have a major issue that has widespread bipartisan support. I want to thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota. my original partner in this cause. who just spoke about this and gave a little history as to how we got this bill rolling several months ago. and also Chairman GOODLATTE under whose jurisdiction this bill originally fell. the STOPP Act that we filed. -because so many of the programs that we are talking about here today that are funded come through the Agriculture Committee. We would not have been able to come this far without this partnership with","speaker_name":"HENRY BONILLA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":680}
{"speech_id":1090086355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. today the House passed H.R. 4128. a bill that makes states and local governments ineligible for Federal economic development funds for 2 years if they exercise eminent domain in the name of economic development. Protecting the rights of individual property owners is of the utmost importance. However. there are certain circumstances when the best interest of a town is served by the -responsible use of eminent domain. As a former City Council Member. I know how effective this tool can be when it is used judiciously. In my State of Califomia there are restrictions on local governments use of eminent domain to ensure that situations like that of Kelo v. City of New London do not happen. We have to trust local authorities to use this power responsibly and respectfully and only when it truly benefits the community at large and when property owners are fairly compensated. By restricting the use of eminent domain. we take away our local governments ability to serve and improve their jurisdictions. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1287}
{"speech_id":1090086355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the leaders of our neighborhoods and towns. we must trust they know best how to use the resources and assets that are available. Mr. Chairman. by restricting the use of eminent domain we have in fact impeded our local governments ability to make necessary progress.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1287}
{"speech_id":1090086428,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. wow. light bulbs burnt out. paint peeling. those are scary. things that the chairman has said would be used. for eminent domain. But not in America. That is not what the eminent domain preKelo has been in America. The 49 States who have definitions of harmful effects that are in this amendment are from States that have litigated over this issue and -that have taken into consideration the issue of property rights. the issue of the property rights of individuals that live next to abandoned factories. the people who have children that are in neighborhoods that have property that is near them that has an impact on the public health and safety. The ability for them to enjoy their property and to enjoy it where they are living next to public health and safety threats are what the amendment would rise to. E 1615 It does .not permit anybody to take any property because a light bulb is burned out. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2028}
{"speech_id":1090086428,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. again it is based on 49 States and the exact language that is used by them in defining harmful effects. The chairmans own States language includes. from Wisconsin. dilapidation. obsolescence. sanitation. light. air. These are not terms of burnedout light bulbs. These are issues where they rise to the level of a safety and health threat to the individuals of the communities. of the people whose properties are next to them. It is not Kelo. We all believe that Kelo has gone too far and that an individuals property rights of his home should be protected. But similarly. the home that stands next to a property that ig abandoned and is a health threat or the property that is next to a factory for which there are health and safety issues for a community needs to be addressed. Fortynine States have passed legislation permitting eminent domain in public safety and health threats. Certainly we should acknowledge this and not take away from these communities the preKelo rights of eminent domain. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2028}
{"speech_id":1090086475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin and the gentlewoman from California for this opportunity to present this amendment. I believe this amendment is acceptable to the chairman and the gentlewoman from California. Chairman SENSENBRENNER and Congresswoman WATERS. thank you for this opportunity to present my amendment to H.R. 4128. the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005. I will not spend much time describing my amendment. which is acceptable to the Chairman and Congresswoman WATERS. because the concept is simple. My amendment will require all Federal agencies and departments to submit a report to the Attorney General verifying that all rules. regulations. and procedures of that agency are in compliance with the provisions of H.R. 4128. ","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1969}
{"speech_id":1090086475,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is a saying in business: \"what gets measured gets done.\" H.R. 4128 is an important and timely bill. and it will do a great deal to help protect private property rights in this country. My amendment will strengthen H.R. 4128. by making sure that the practices and procedures of Federal agencies are quickly and uniformly brought into compliance with the new law. My amendment will require all Federal agencies and departments to review their practices with regard to eminent domain. and to submit a report to the Attorney General verifying that all rules. regulations. and procedures of that agency are in compliance with the provisions of H.R. 4128. This amendment will help to make the transition clearer. and will introduce an added dimension of accountability into the process. As a believer in responsible govemment. I always have and will continue to hold our bureaucracy accountable for knowing the law and following it correctly. This simple reporting requirement will ensure that it is done in a timely fashion. H.R. 4128 is a good bill. and my amendment will help to ensure that it is enforced quickly. uniformly. and fairiy.","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1969}
{"speech_id":1090086591,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for giving me an opportunity to share this time with her. -Mr. Speaker. I have\" been to Iraq twice. December of 2003. shortly after Saddams cal~ture. then again in February of this year. On each of those trips. they are bipartisan trips. many of the Members. of course. that have been to Iraq and Afghanistan and the theater of operations are members of the Armeli Services Committee. But I think many other Members. of course. have been as well. One of the best opportunities. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090086591,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. is to meet with -troops. soldiers. men and women from your own State. indeed when possible from your own congressional district. and to have an opportunity to talk with them and. more importantly. that they have an opportunity to talk with us. The one thing that I can tell you that I never heard was. Congressman. it is too hot over here. It is too.dry over here. It is too dusty. It is too cold. I cannot sleep. I do not like the food. Congressman. can yoh not use your political influence somehow to get me out of here. Of course. many of those soldiers. as we heard from the gentlewoman from Virginia about the corporal who was serving his third rotation in Iraq. had that premonition in harms way. knowing that they possibly could be paying the ultimate sacrifice. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090086591,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"None of them are asking us to get them home. Last week. when the gentleman from California had an hour. just as we are doing tonight. I had an opportunity then as well to say a few words. I made a feeble attempt to recite that famous poem. In Flanders Fields. I will not try to do that again tonight for my colleagues. because I think all of you know it maybe even better than I do. But in the last stanza. though. it says. take up our quarrel with the foe. to you from failing falling hands: we pass the torch. Be yours to hold it high. for if you break faith with us who die. we shall not sleep though poppies grow in Flanders Field. What they are saying. and our colleagues tonight. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090086591,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. have said this repeatedly. we cannot break faith with these men and women. 2.000 plus who have lost their lives. maybe 8.000 or so who have been injured. some. yes. severely. The worst possible thing that we could do would be to pack up and come home. literally bring them home against their wishes. They would have no choice in that matter. if we listened to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. You know. you hear them. Mr. Speaker. talking about how much they support the troops and all of that. I do not doubt that. I am not going to stand up here and suggest that they are not patriots themselves and that they do not .care for our troops and they do not want to arm them and make sure that they have the equipment they need. I do not doubt for a minute that they support that. .. -But they are using our goldiers.: our brave men and women.. these youngsters that we are talking ab6ut heretonight.: as pawns really tocdntinually\" criticize -and --undermine theC Commander in .Chief. the coach. the Vice President. the Secretary of Defense. the Secretary of State. indirectly the gentleman from California (Chairman HUNTER). because they .want to undermine this team so that they. in the next election. are in charge. Really. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090086591,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think we all need to realize that. that there is a lot of politics here. and it is a dirty rotten shame that our soldiers. our brave men and women. are being used as pawns in this political process. God forgive them. We owe more to these troops than that. And I feel very strongly as a member on leave of absence from the Armed Services Committee to come at any opportunity I have got to take a few minutes and to stand up before my colleagues in this body and say. no. we will not forget you. you soldiers. you men and women who maybe in high school were not the football or track stars. cheerleaders. many of you decided to put off going to college and enjoying the football weekends so you could serve your country. Some of you may have been pushed around. kicked around by the schoolyard bully who does not know anything about a fair fight. but you had the courage to go and to serve this country as an allvolunteer military. whether you are active duty. Guard or Reserve. and I have seen them all in fhe theatre of operations at the tip of the spear. We owe them so much. and I am proud to stand up here as part of this team tonight. . I really compliment the gentlewoman from Virginia for leading this team and. for the gentleman from California and my other colleagues that we have heard from and others.who are going to speak. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4619}
{"speech_id":1090086598,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment to share a .perspective that I think is often lost in the freedoms we enjoy. the freedom to meet in this Chamber. the freedom to reflect upon the great decisions that have been made here through the generations. The decision to enter into a war. to provide freedom and the maintenance of our union. the decision to free peoples in Europe and ultimately preserve our security at hom. On December 7. 1941. President Roosevelt stood in this Chamber and declared that December 7 was a day of infamy. He shared that this unprovoked attack which moved the United States to war. eventually into Europe as well. In the Korean War. we stopped Communist aggression. In Vietnam. the American 13eople responded. During Operation Desert Storm. the American people responded. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11241}
{"speech_id":1090086598,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In this Chamber in September of 2001. President Bush responded to an attack that was not brought about. my friends. by some nebulous global war on terror. I think it is important that we understand this war is not about some nebulous terrorist concept. This is about Islamic extremism that chooses to impose itself on the world. These people who largely act as agents of states. these nonstate actors do not follow the teachings that they purport. Yet if we look more deeply. we see that they are seeking to be true to their interpretation of that religion. In every generation there is a call upon that generation to defend the freedoms that have been purchased at such a tremendously high price. To maintain the union of our country and to free those who were enslaved cost 600.000 soldiers. In World War II. 444.000 soldiers gave their lives to provide freedom. and now we are engaged in a great struggle. a generational struggle that has been imposed upon us. I think that it is important that we understand that the freedom that our minority leader had today to say. frankly. entirely inappropriate things about our national leadership. the freedom that all of us have to disagree. the freedom that all of us have to offer alternatives. the freedom that all of us have to protest. the freedom that reporters who sometimes distort the truth and. in fact. in many cases do not even report the truth but fabricate it. all comes down to the men and women Who have answered the call to duty. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11241}
{"speech_id":1090086598,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is always the same. It is always the minority in the country that does that. Those who believe that there is something bigger in this country than individual selfishness and covetousness of the moment. that tiere is something worth risking all to protect because of those who come behind us. because they understand they are part of something bigger than themselves. bonded to something of greatness. I want to thank tonight those Marines of the Second Marine Expeditionary Force. the soldiers of the Third Infantry Division. the solders of the 101st Infantry Division. of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Afghanistan. of the Tennessee and Louisiana National Guards who are rotating back into the United States. and all of those soldiers who are moving in and out. the Marines who are moving in and out. our airmen and sailors who support this effort. because you understand that you have accepted the call of the generations that is so important that many people do not realize. The freedom we enjoy in this Chamber was brought to us by 10 percent of the population of this country who chose to rebel against tyranny and stand for a principle that was higher than dignity of the individual.. the rights and freedom of the individual. and that was purchased not simply in a declaration. but to getto the Constitution that gave us the government we have today was purchased in a great price in blood. I am convinced that if todays cynical media had to cover the Normandy invasion. the greatest invasion in history that defeated the greatest tyranny in history up to that point. had it been reported by todays media. todays cynical media. todays profitdriven media. Mr. Speaker. I believe we would have lost that war. Because the Nation would have called for a pullout because there was risk associated with that. because things did not seem to go well. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11241}
{"speech_id":1090086598,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because when unforeseen circumstances that always come up in war. and anybody who has served in the military. let alone in this Chamber. unexpected things happen. I find those who have not served who are the great experts on military history do not really understand what they are talking about. Rather than commending our soldiers who have adapted to a fluid situation and the great things that have been done to support them. they provide criticism of why could that not have been anticipated? It is simple. my friends. We are fighting -an adaptive and motivated and. frankly. evil enemy that has a religious doctrine that stands and flies in the face of everything on which this country was founded. on which the Constitution was based. that respects the rights of the individual. the dignity of a man. the dignity of a woman to pursue opportunities in the way in which they define. And when somebody wants to impose an attack upon this Nation. and one that was planned long before September 11. and attempts that were made long before September 11. we have no choice but to yield or to respond. and we have responded. Comments that have been made by my colleagues on the other side that talk about casualties. I can speak with some authority on that issue. having buried some of my friends. I find it interesting .that they want to talk about numbers. which dishonors those who serve. I did not see- any of my colleagues who talk about these numbers standing with me as. I buried a friend of a friend who was killed in Al Qayyim in June over at Arlington Cemetery. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11241}
{"speech_id":1090086598,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They were back here at PAC fundraisers and going to receptions and making pointless statements in this Chamber about things they know nothing about. More than that. I would suggest to you that these same people who want to talk about numbers and these liberal reporters who do not care about this Nation. who do not care about the price that was paid for the freedoms that they enjoy. where were you for the last 25 years? Where were you when 16.000 American soldiers died between 1983 and 1996 in service to this Nation? Where were you when 24.000 American men and women gave their lives between 1980 and 2004? Your comments. frankly. are despicable. dishonorable. uninformed. unhistorical. antiintellectual and. frankly. unAmerican. But I respect your freedom to make those statements. because they were purchased with the blood of all of those who served. I would suggest that in this body that the liberal reporters who watch and our enemies who watch and the soldiers who watch and those Who want to speak against this from their positions of ignorance and political convenience. who use our soldiers: You learned your lessons during the Vietnam War. Now you use our soldiers in a aishonorable way as human shields to advance an idea that stands in contravention to the freedoms that have been purchased at such a high price. I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have been here for many years and like to speak with false authority: Where were you when my friend Ken Maddock was killed from Task Force 160? Where were you when my classmate from West Point. Mike Scott. died? Where were you when Lee Border died or Brian Haller died in the 101st Airborne Division? I saw no requiems in this Chamber. I saw no requiems on television for them. It was not politically expedient. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11241}
{"speech_id":1090086601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I truly believe that history will name this generation. And until they do. I have decided I am going to call them the Freedom Believers. because I think there is no greater gift that we give to our children and to our grandchildren than freedom. And so I thank them. and I thank the speaker for the opportunity to be here tonight.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090086637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the .gentleman will yield. I am just so impressed with my friend from Nevada. and I really do mean that so sincerely. to come here and to acknowledge that the vote that was taken 3 years ago was a mistake because the American people and Members of Congress were misled. It is that simple.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090086668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think the Republican Party. after they give the $16 billionin subsidies. will head out to shakedown street. K Street. where all the lobbyists are. and they will say. hey. we just gave you $16 billion in public taxpayer money. and average people. middleclass people. people who need LIHEAP. who have high heating costs and everything else. they took that public money. they gave it to the oil companies. the oil companies are going to make tremendous profits and have made tremendous contributions to the Republican Party. E 2115","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":543}
{"speech_id":1090086669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to say quickly just today. news flash from the Budget Committee. happened over there in the Cannon Building. really nice building named after Speaker Cannon. who used to walk around here smoke cigars and all and is well known. But I can tell you this. There is a heating program that is out there tor help poor people. Since we are talking about these big companies that are making all of these big profits. it would have increased the funding to provide for the Low Income Home Energy X.ssistance Program from $1 billion to $3.093 billion. That would impose a temporary windfall- profits tax on the oil companies to assure that the amendment is deficit neutral. Now I am going to tell you something. You want to talk about this budget is keeping not only everyday Americans in the cold but is definitely keeping poor people in the cold. But I cannot tell you. when you say. can you explain it to me. well. I cannot explain to you the reason why we have CIA agents being outed. not only one but a number of them. I cannot explain to you the reason why we still have Michael Brown on the Federal taxpayer dollars. on the dole. at the same salary he was making preHurricane Katrina. and why the Secretary of Homeland Security extended not only the 60day contract they had with him but another 30 days. saying we have to learn something from him: \/ I cannot explain to you why the majority side puts together a report talking about cutting. and I am going to tell you. we gave the Web site out earlier. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3240}
{"speech_id":1090086669,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is thirdparty validators. cuts to Medicare. cuts to Medicaid. cuts to student loans. cuts to food stamps. cuts to school lunches for poor kids. I cannot explain to you why. I cannot explain to you why veterans have to wait so long for assistance. I cannot explain to you why that was the case. I cannot explain to you why this administration. after this Congress acted. with many Members on this side pushing for military families to be reimbursed for equipment they had -to buy for their loved ones while they were in theater to save their lives. to give them the Kevlar and the vests that they needed. I cannot explain to you why the Defense Department waited for the regs for that program for them to even get the money back. back in February. Senator DODD from Connecticut had to write the Defense Department. who is a Democrat. had to threaten them to write the regs. and they finally wrote it. I cannot explain to you why. This is to reimburse military families for equipment they bought. husband. wives. what have you. I cannot explain to you why. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3240}
{"speech_id":1090086669,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But one thing that I can tell you.. that it is important that we illuminate these issues so not only the Members know that we know what they are doing on. the majority side but the American people know. Now I am going to say back for the one Republican that voted with Democrats on this budget. on the backs of the American working class. on the backs of retirees. on the backs of those that wake up every day and try to provide for their children. provide for their family. I am glad that he voted with us. Maybe. just maybe. this hour is working on- the conscience of some. Real quick. since we are going out of time. you want to give the site out? Then we can close out.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3240}
{"speech_id":1090086675,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before I pass this microphone overto my good friend and colleague. the gentleman from Arizona . I cannot help but express some of the frustration with sitting here and listening to this. I am really grateful that the American people do not have the same sentiment that I have heard tonight on the floor of Congress. When I go to the coffee shop and to the break room in my district. I do not hear anything like this rhetoric that I have heard here tonight. When I hear that we have cut food stamps. I was involved in that. We did not cut food stamps. What we did was we changed the regulations so you have to be on some other kind of benefit so - there was less fraud. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090086675,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is $1 billion of fraud going into the wrong people in food stamps just in the last year that I have a report. We only touched about 20 percent of the fraud. Mr. Speaker. Fuel prices. Help us open up drilling on the outer continental shelf. Help us drill in ANWR. Let us develop the energy that we have in this country. and we will not be looking at $3 dollar fuel. We know who is to blame. It is the environmental extremists. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090086675,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And if Exxon Mobil made $10 billion in the last quarter. let us take a look and see where they invest it. If they invest it in that drilling. the American people will reap the benefits. There are a whole series of things here tonight. Mr. Speaker. and that frustrates me greatly. But I wanted to talk a little bit about the immigration issue. I would ask my friend. the gentleman from Arizona if he would pick that issue up.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090086678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Iowa . and I thank the gentleman from Arizona for their comments here tonight.. I certainly learned a lot from -both gentlemen and appreciated what they had to say. particularly on the immigration -issue. I want to talk a little bit before talking about illegal immigration about something that ocaurred just the other day in the Rayburn Building. We had a meeting of the Immigration Reform Caucus. and both the gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from Iowa are members of that and it is chaired by the gentleman from Colorado . who has dorie yeomans work on behalf of that group. We were anticipating hearing from someone from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services Now. as you know. the Department of Homeland Security is the secretarial agency. and underneath that agency is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. And they are charged with doing a number of different programs. one program of which is the FAST program. ","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4303}
{"speech_id":1090086678,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that is involving temporary adjudicators that have been hired to make citizenship and permanent residency decisions. And I agree that the backlog is long and needs to be addressed. But I want to emphasize. I think it is better to take extra time. make sure the investigations are done. have law enforcement personnel there with the investigations to make sure no criminals or terrorists or others that would do us harm come through one of these programs. Another program is the Focus program. and that involves segregating and reviewing hundreds of pending applications for immigration benefits where there are specific concerns about potential ties to terrorists or terrorist organizations. And this gets us to what occurred in the House office buildings just the other day. I was coming to the Immigration Reform Caucus meeting anticipating hearing from a law enforcement officer at that meeting and voicing his opinions and letting us have the opportunity to ask questions about the.agency and about how they handle these programs where they make decisions on permanency. residency. citizenship. and granting decisions for these persons who want to come to the United States of America. The handlers of that person would not let us ask questions. I hope that situation can be rectified and that the Immigration Reform Caucus and other members on different committees will have the opportunity to ask the questions that we want to ask. because. while illegal immigration is probably the number one problem facing the United States of America. we need to be sure that legal immigration is handled in the appropriate way and that programs like FAST and programs like Focus have the appropriate oversight and that the right questions are asked. I Would like to take a few minutes now to focus on the illegal immigrationproblem. ","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4303}
{"speech_id":1090086678,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to thank. again. the gentleman from Iowa and the gentleman from Arizona for being here tonight talking about this issue. They have been in the trenches for months and years. and this problem is not getting any better. It is only getting worse. But I am thankful because more Members of the House of Representatives are focusing on this problem. We have more Members than ever before introducing legislation addressing different aspects of the problem. Today. the gentleman from California introduced legislation that does many things. It is backed by groups such as the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform. and having mentioned that group. I would also like to thank U.S. Border Control for their efforts in combating illegal immigration. Numbers USA for their efforts against illegal immigration. ","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4303}
{"speech_id":1090086678,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But our focus today was on a fence all along the southern border. We have a fence now between California and Mexico south of the city of San Diego. That fence has provided a great barrier to drug smuggling. to terrorists coming into this country. and to stopping the illegal crossing. We were able to see a picture of prefence days and then see a picture of postfence days. The fence has improved the environment significantly in the San Diego area. and it has enhanced our border security. What we need to do now is extend the fence from San Diego to Brownsville. There would be port of entries along the fence. but. by doing this. the security that the gentleman from Arizona","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4303}
{"speech_id":1090086707,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is also another welfare state: Iraq. We have forgotten to even bring this up tonight. but there is a welfare state in Iraq. And as they are cutting programs in the United States on student loans. do we know what they are doing in Iraq? They rehabbed 2.717 schools in Iraq. They trained 36.000 teachers in Iraq. As they are cutting Medicaid and Medicare in the United States. they have trained 2.000 health educators in Iraq. 3.2 million children vaccinated in Iraq. 110 priinary health care centers built in Iraq. We have a welfare state in Iraq right now that is being funded by the American taxpayer at the same time that the Republican Congress is cutting funding for the United States citizens that live right here in this country. So they take your public tax dollars and they give $16.5 billion of it to the oil companies. $100 million of it to the pharmaceutical companies. do nothing to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals. they give between $200 billion and $300 billion to the welfare state in Iraq and. at the same time. they are cutting programs here in the United States of America. That is just corrupt. They put their party before the country. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1317}
{"speech_id":1090086707,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want to take this country in a new direction. change what is going on in this country. and createsome independence from shakedown street.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1317}
{"speech_id":1090086714,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. we are paying for their education in China. We are paying for roads. 6.000 miles of roads in Iraq. 5.000 units of affordable housing. Mr. Speaker. in Iraq. We are paying for. you know. primary health care centers in Iraq. and you know what we are doing in the United States? We are cutting everything. We built a beautiful dam. a magnificent dam. an absolute ultimate in terms of engineering to prevent flooding. And we are familiar now with floods. Clearly. the people in New Orleans. Mr. Speaker. are very. very familiar with floods. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":869}
{"speech_id":1090086714,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was a problem with a levee in New Orleans in terms of the structural defects. But the one that I am talking about. the dam that I am talking about. that engineering marvel that we built with taxpayer dollars. American taxpayer dollars. was not built in. New Orleans. It was built in Mosul. Iraq. Where are our priorities?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":869}
{"speech_id":1090086854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are also concerned about Colombia. and we are concerned about increased assistance from the teiTorist network throughout the world. the Iranians. Chavez in Venezuela. Castros Cuba. We are concerned about their support. for the narcoterrorists in Colombia. and that is why it is so important to provide assistance to the democratically elected government of Colombia.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090086870,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the rule and in support of the conference report. the Foreign Operations and Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2006. At -this time. I want to commend the chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee for the very. fair and bipartisan manner in which he has brought this bill forward. I will save my comments on the substance of the conference report for the general debate. However. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090086870,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do want to make clear that we had a tough job taking this bill through conference. The very low initial allocation in the House was compounded by a low conference allocation that cut the Presidents request by $2 billion. I would have preferred to increase funding levels for many of the important programs contained in this bill. including refugee assistance. However. I do think this conference report represents a fair. bipartisan. bicameral compromise. The chairman conducted this process in an inclusive manner. and I do commend him for it. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and to -support the conference report on H.R. 3057.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090086898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"_Mr. Speaker. I- thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me this time and for her leadership. along with that. of the chairman of the subcommittee. for the collaborative efforts in improving Americas foreign policy. This bill. more than any other I think. sets the tone and the pathway for Americans yet not born. Our relationships around the world help us to create a harmonious world. if that is possible. and one that applauds democracy and looks toward the United States in a collaborative and friendly manner. I rise as well tothank the committee for its work in Haiti and particularly the dollars that will be utilized for a speedy and transparent election. In a delegation that I joined just a -few weeks ago. we met with the interim prime minister. interim president of Haiti. to talk about the importance of secure elections. to talk about the importance of releasing political prisoners- and allowing those individuals who are seeking to run for the highest office in Haiti to be allowed to be on the ballot. These dollars for Haitian elections are absolutely imperative. but also the instructions. if you will. the cajoling of the government to ensure that there are safe and free elections. We all have watched the horror in Pakistan as now the mounting numbers rise to upwards of 80.000 people that may be dead. Some of the areas are impassable. and it is hard for aid toreach those areas. but there are still people there who will be subjected to the bitter cold. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5265}
{"speech_id":1090086898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I applaud the language that is in the legislation as given to me by Congresswoman LOWEY that suggests we should be concerned about the devastation and as well to seek to reprogram a number of dollars. particularly possibly dollars from the $300 million in economic assistance. I would ask the State Department and the President. working with the Pakistani Government. to move those dollars as quickly as possible to begin to solve the problem of the bitter cold and the lack of housing. And might I also ask for support in the Millennium Fund. I had hoped that the Millennium Fund could have been higher. but I am grateful for the work .that has been done in that area. And I also join the ranking member of the full committee in -the hope that the torture amendment. will be considered. because I believe the torture amendment equates to a dignified American foreign policy. Let me simply close by saying that there is certainly good dollars in the Global Fund and work on the malaria and tuberculosis dollars. but I hope as we look to. the future we can raise those dollars. because that speaks to the quality of life for people who cannot speak for themselves or help themselves. Again. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for the work they have done on this legislation. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5265}
{"speech_id":1090086898,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in support of the Conference Report to H. R. 3057. the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for FY 2006. In so doing. I congratulate the chairman and ranking member of the full committee as well as the chairman and madam. ranking member ofthe subcommittee for their diligence in pulling together a comprehensive compromise among the many global initiativeswhich is no simple challenge. While I shudder to see 20.percent of the $20 billion allocated for military assistance compared to a little over 1 percent to fight global HIV\/AIDS. I am pleased to see the commitment shown by both Chambers to play a key role in .the relief and reconstruction of Pakistan. India. and other Himalayan areas affected by the massive earthquake. In particular. I applaud the $365 million outlay for \"Intemational Disaster and Famine Assistance\" account and the $300.000 outlay to Pakistan in the \"Economic Support Fund\". account. As we are all fully aware. on Saturday. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5265}
{"speech_id":1090086898,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"October 8. 2005. an earthquake registering a 7.6 magnitude struck Pakistan with the epicenter being near. Muzaffarabad. the capital of Pakistani Kashmir. This earthquake was. the strongest to hit the region in a century and has severely stretched the resources of ihe Pakistani Government. In addition. according to the most recent reports. the death total has exceeded 73.000. Unfortunately. the mountainous terrain coupled with the approach of winter and bad weather has drastically halted relief operations to the tens of thqusands ofinjured survivors and the estimated two million people who have been left homeless. -. In addition to the massive destruction of homes. the earthquake has also damaged sanitation systems. destroyed hospitais and left many victims with no access to clean drinking water. thus. making survivors more vulnerable to disease. Due to these conditions. measles and waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea could spread quickly among survivors. Measles. deadly for children. are already endemic in the region and only 60 percent of the children are protected. Interestingly enough. it has been reported by the United Nations that donor fatigue is part of the problem in a year plagued by tsunamis. hurricanes and famine. Sixty countries pledged $1.3 billion in assistance to Pakistan. but that aidis not necessarily cash or readily available. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5265}
{"speech_id":1090086898,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In closing let me note that we must continue to support the relief efforts in Pakistan. So much more needs to be done during this tragic time.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5265}
{"speech_id":1090086911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. due.to obligations in my district. I was unable to vote on the Conference Report on H.R. 3057. the Foreign Operations. Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006. However. had 1 been present. I would have voted \"yea\" on the Conference Report on H.R. 3057.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":303}
{"speech_id":1090086918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I missed recorded votes today in order to be with my family in California for an unexpected family emergency I would like my intentions made known for my constituents in the 11th district. Had Ibeen present. I would have voted \"no\" on rollcall No. 569. the Conference Report on H.R. 3057Foreign Operations. Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006.","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":398}
{"speech_id":1090086931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Allthree of those bills that I mentiofed. the Energy and Water conference report and the Science. State. Justice. and Commerce conference report. and Military Quality of Life. they are all in conference as we speak. It is our hope that those conferences will be completed and those conference reports will be filed in the House. We cannot anticipate exactly when their work will be completed. We jlst want it to happen as expeditiously as possible.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":448}
{"speech_id":1090086933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield. as I think the gentleman heard in my announcement. I announced that it is our anticipation. we anticipate that we will consider what we call the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. and it is a measure which we will be working on next week. Late next week or the middle to the latter part of next week. we anticipate a vote here in the House on that very important measure that is designed to try and reduce the deficit and reform government and ensure that we can do the very important work that the American people sent us here to do.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":572}
{"speech_id":1090086950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I would like to share a letter that I will be sending to President Bush next week. I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in signing this important letter. because it is time for Congress to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home. Here is the letter: Dear Mr. President. Despite 2 years of warfare. including the deaths of over 2.000 soldiers and *injuries to 15.000 others. Iraq remains as unstable as it was when you declared an end to major combat operations in May of 2003. We need to face the fact that the situation in Iraq is not improving. nor will it improve as long as our troops remain there. Because the presence of over 160.000 soldiers in Iraq and on Iraqi soil is the main catalyst fueling Iraqs insurgency. The time is long overdue for the U.S. to change course in Iraq and bring our troops home. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3517}
{"speech_id":1090086950,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To transition from war to peace. we recommend that your administration immediately make four pivotal policy changes in Iraq. First: engage in greater multilateral cooperation with our allies. Second: pursue diplomatic nonmilitary initiatives. Third: prepare for a robust postconflict reconciliation process. And. fourth: withdraw the U.S. armed Forces. Multilateral cooperation.. The United States must engage the international community. including the U.N. and NATO. to establish a multinational interim security force for Iraq. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the -United Nations. for example. is well suited for this task. Diplomatic nonmilitary initiatives. The U.S must pursue a diplomatic offensive. shifting its role from that of Iraqs military occupier to its reconstruction partner. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3517}
{"speech_id":1090086950,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This means giving Iraq back to the Iraqi people. working with them to rebuild their economic and physical infrastructure and creating Iraqi jobs. The U.S. must also engage the United Nations to oversee Iraqs economic and humanitarian needs. renounce any desire to control Iraqi oil. and ensure that the United States does not maintain lasting military bases in Iraq. Postconflict reconciliation. Establish an international peace commission to oversee Iraqs postwar reconciliations. This group would include members of the global community who have experience in international peacebuilding and conflict resolution and would be tasked with coordinating peace talks between Iraqs various factions. Withdrawal of the U.S. Armed Forces. The cost of the war in Iraq. both human and financial. has been staggering. Tragically. the American and Iraqi lives lost and the billions of dollars spent have failed to actually make our country safer from the threat of international terrorism. To end the war iR Iraq. save lives. and prevent the U.S. from spiraling even further into debt. the U.S. must withdraw its Armed Forces now. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3517}
{"speech_id":1090086950,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. after Iraq holds its December parliamentary elections. the countrys leaders will be responsible for charting Iraqs course. The inter- national community. including the United States. can then provide nonmilitaristic support to ensilre the sufficiency of Iraq. We look forward to your response to our recommendations. and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss them with you further. Mr. Speaker. I will send this letter to the President in the coming days. Not only is it long overdue from the Bush administration to end the war in Iraq. it is long overdue for this body. the Congrbss of America. to do our part in ending the war in Iraq. I urge all of my colleagues to lend their signatures to this timely. important letter.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3517}
{"speech_id":1090086971,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Scooter Libby was the chief of staff of the Vice President of the United States who has been indicted under five counts: two -counts of making false statements. two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. So the- Vice President on June 12 told Mr. Libby about Joe Wilsons wife. Then 2 months later. in September. the Vice President is on Tim Russert. Okay.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":375}
{"speech_id":1090086985,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The next one is: The committee is not sure they have those records. They could be archived. And the fourth one: The committee does not have records for previous years. and previous records may be at the National Archives. Now I am going to put the majority on notice right now. If those sub\u0095poenas. which I believe were sent out and issued.under the Clinton administration. are in this Capitol. and I do not know of any subpoenas. but if they are out there. and I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. if they are in this building. somebody better get an intern and run them over to the National Archives because we are on our way over there. This issue of covering up this whole thing. this thing of I got your back if you have mine. enough of it. People want change. We are trying to bring about that change. and we are being stymied. We are being locked out of information. One Member said. this is the peoples House. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090086985,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I question that at this time. I question that because I think. and I am coming in for a landing here. I think there are some people that are very. very worried about the facts we are bringing to light to the American people and to Members of Congress. letting them know that we know what is going on in the back halls of Congress. Right now. like I said before. as it relates to governance. the country is going through some hard times. and there are some folks on the majority side that are not willing to govern on behalf of the very Americans that sent us here to represent them. In this House. we have to be elected. Not one Member of this House has been appointed. In the Senate. you can be appointed by a Governor if someone leaves early in their term. But in the House there has. to be a special election. So whether it is Democrat or Republican. you are elected. There is one Independent. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090086985,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By virtue of the fact we have been elected to come here. we have been federalized to make sure we stand up on behalf of everyday Americans. So the hypocrisy that is going on in the House as relates to oversight. I am saying this on behalf of CIA agents right now worrying about whether their government is going to out them. and I am saying this. on behalf of national security. which I serve on two committees which deal with this very issue. Our integrity and how other countries see us and how individuals that want to go into the clandestine service. that want to serve in the CIA. I want them. I want the best and brightest to come. but I do not want them to think or anyone in the State Department to think if they get on the opposite side of an administration that they will go after their wife. We have not even talked about that. Because Ambassador Wilson had something to say outside of what was on the script of the White House. and they could not get him because he is a person that dotted his Is and crossed his Ts. they decided to go after his wife. We are going to go after your wife. To women in this country. you need to be concerned about that. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090086985,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Someone cannot get to your husband. but:they are going to come after you. We need to disabuse ourselves of that.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090086986,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. you bet your sweet bippy they are worried. They are worried you are asking for those documents. Because there are those on the other side of the aisle that would try to lead people to believe that we are just a bunch of malcontent Democrats who are standing on the floor complaining about something inconsequential. It is just -the same old. same old. Not true. Look at the reasoning and the motivation that was behind the outing of a covert CIA agent and of the planning and machinations that were going on in the White House to conceal and deceive the American people about what their plans were. It was all about making sure that they could have their way in going to war in Iraq. That is what it all boiled down to. And the consequences of that motivatioh are that now we have more than 2.000 American soldiers. men and women. who are dead. who lost their lives because this administration was hellbent on being right. facts be damned. It made no difference to them that all the evidence mounting showed that they were wrong. that there were no weapons of mass destruction. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2080}
{"speech_id":1090086986,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was obvious there was no other reason to go into Iraq.other than the President and his people decided we should. long before September 11. With all the documentation that has come out now pointing to the fact that. soon after the President was elected in 2000. it had been decided that they were going to go to war in Iraq. and what they have been doing for the last few years leading up to our entering Iraq and since then is assembling the factsaround their deci\u00a7ion. Then subsequent to our entry into Iraq and it being discovered there were no weapons of mass destruction. in part because Joe Wilson went there to Niger and demonstrated factually that that was not the case. subsequently they have had to prevaricate. They have had to lie. because. oops. it was shown that not only were they wrong but they were deceitful. Can you think of any more heinous an act than deceiving the American people and the world on the ultimate sacrifice that Americans are asked to make for their country?","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2080}
{"speech_id":1090086987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentlewoman would yield. that is a tremendous point. They have deceived and misled the American people. Then. when the Democrats want to change things and try to take things in a new direction. people say. well. we were all dealing with the same intelligence. So we say. well. let us go and look at the intelligence. When we say let us try to fix this problem together in a bipartisan way. because there is so much at stake here. we get stymied. Senator REID had to shut the Senate down the other day on behalf of the American people so that we could get a good. solid overview of the intelligence. We are not saying this just to say it.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":644}
{"speech_id":1090087030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. created a net increase in jobs here in Speaker. with all due respect to the the United States. -This report found gentleman from California. you are the that offshore outsourcing resulted in chairman of the Rules Committee. You the creation of more than 419.000 jobs. spend as much time restricting the compared to the 162.000 technology jobs Democrats ability to offer amend- that have been displaced from the ments and act in a bipartisan fashion United States. So when people look at and provide input to the policies that the fact that. yes. some jobs have gone are forced through this Congress than overseas. they forget to look at the ahyone else in this Chamber. There is fact that we have had a surge in job absolutely no bipartisan effort made creation that is in fact a byproduct of here. . socalled outsourcing. The chief econo-","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":843}
{"speech_id":1090087042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The next .entrepreneur. the next business person. the next person that is going to go out and create wealth. And that is the whole thing with the Democrats. We are trying to convince. the Republican Party that together America can do better for all of us.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090087052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we are here going to say is that the emperor truly does have not clothes. If you remember that story. everyone in the kingdom in that story refused to acknowledge that the emperor was buck naked because they were worried about the consequences.. They wanted to make sure that nothing happened to them. Well. we are not afraid. We are not afraid. It needs to be highlighted and underscored. What they are doing to the American people needs to be brought out. and we are saying do notbelieve us. This is not what KENDRICK MEEK and DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ are saying or TIM RYAN or any of the other Members that have come to this floor to share angst and concern. We are saying look at the third party validators that we have saying the exact same thing. We are saying look at the religious leaders who are \"urging and who just yesterday came to the Congress to urge the congressional leadership not to put forth these drastic cuts that are going to hurt people. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5341}
{"speech_id":1090087052,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is from todays Washington Post. This is not a quotation from someone else. This is in the story on the budget cuts. It says. With so many controversial provisions. the House measure is forcing Republican leaders to scramble for support in what could be the most difficult vote of the year. Well. I would agree. This should be the most difficult vote of the year. When you are cutting. peoples food stamps. when you are cutting their childrens ability to get free and reduced lunch. when you are cutting $4.9 billion from child support programs that help people collect money from deadbeat dads. yeah. I would guess that is a tough vote. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5341}
{"speech_id":1090087052,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lord. I would hope so. It goes on to say. Some Republican moderates are balking at cuts t6 antipoverty programs.. especially in light of the $70 billion tax cut that could come to a vote soon after the budget bill. more than wiping out that bills deficit reduction. Well. here it is. It isnot what DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ and KENDRICK MEEK are saying. The article describing the budget cuts. the reconciliation bill. specifically says that there is no deficit reduction in what they are doing. What they are doing is to try to preserve the tax cuts for the wealthy. make sure that their right wing. that their right flankdoes not go absolutely ballistic. because that wing of the party does not care about taking care of people. They are trying to make sure they preserve what they have and what the upper echelon has. Let us talk about because if you do not believe the Washington Post. you think it is paper that is off the mark. let us just go through what some of our religious leaders are saying. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5341}
{"speech_id":1090087052,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not talking about- liberal religious leaders or progressive religious leaders. We are talking about mainstream religious leadership that came here yesterday and joined in prayer at the Capitol. They included Reverend Dr. Bob Edgar. who is the general secretary of the National Council of Churches of the United States. Jim- Wallis of Sojourners magazine. Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center. and Eleanor Giddings Ivory of the Presbyterian Church. Let me go through a couple of things that they said in urging the Republican leadership not to do this. not -to harm and cause harm to the people that this budget will affect. Reverend Jim Wallis: \"As this moral battle for the budget unfolds. I am calling on Members of Congress. some of whom make much out of their faith. to start some Bible studies before they cast votes to cut food stamps. Medicaid. child care and more that hurt the weakest in our Nation.\" Rabbi David Saperstein: The budget reconciliation package with its $50 billion in program cuts and $70 billion tax cuts giveaway is morally unjustifiable. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5341}
{"speech_id":1090087052,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reverend Eleanor Giddings Ivory of the Presbyterian Church: I am here today to express concern for the Federal budget reconciliation packages under consideration in the House and the Senate. Our Nation is about to balance its budget on the .backs of the poor. Is that a moral thing to do? Clearly the answer is. no. it is not. Let me just tell you. I was so moved by Rabbi Sapersteins comments in their effort yesterday. He. as is the practice of many of our religious colleagues on both sides of the aisle but particularly because the Republican leadership and its Members like to use their faith so often to underscore how they have injected values into government. Rabbi Saperstein urged our colleagues and said that they ought to remember that the Bible urges us to \"deal thy bread to the hungry.\" not. \"steal thy bread from the hungry.\" He asked us to remember Proverbs stern. warning: \"Do not steal from the weak because he is weak and do not oppress the poor in the gate.\" \u0095 I could go on. but there have been many more than just the religious leaders that were here yesterday who have urged this Congress not to take these actions. It not only will harm people. cause grave harm for people who have already been on the brink. it will not improve anything. It does not reduce our deficit. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5341}
{"speech_id":1090087053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I think it is very evident that nowhere in this budget is it talking about cuts in tax breaks to special interests. There is nothing in here that says that we are going to make sure that we tell billionaires that we have some things that we need to do here in this government and we can no longer give them that. tax break. We are not saying it to special interests. but we are saying it to those who cannot fight for themselves. We are saying it to not only students. but we are saying to parents that if the majority side have their way. they need to go out and meet with their college fund adviser because you will bepaying more for higher education so that your children will be able to be a part of this workforce or what is left of it and has not gone to China and other countries. I think it is also important to understand that child support. like Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ said. has been cut in this budget. and now over on the Ways and Means on the committee side is $8 billion as it relates to the cuts over 5 years. The cuts come where? Human services. child support and foster care. So I want -to warn States. including my State in Florida. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090087053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to warn you. you are going to have to deal with enforcement of making sure that single moms are able to get money from deadbeat dads or vice versa. You are going to be responsible as it relates to kids that are orphans to find some sort of shelter when they have to go into a foster home environment because the Federal Government. we are not partners with you anymore because we are trying to clear the way so that we -can keep our promise to billionaires and special interests here in Washington. D.C. I want to also put the States on warning. every State. red. blue or purple. I am giving you forewarning that you are going to see the largest what we call devolution of taxation in the history of this country. where we back out of the responsibility of being a part of making sure that we have vibrant communities and making sure that we treat people like they are supposed to be -treated because you are going to have to make the cuts because you have to balance. You have to balance your budget. . So what we hand down with the philosophy that if you are middle income in this country. if you are not a billionaire or a millionaire. good luck. Good luck on health care because we do not have health care. real health care here in the United States. There is story after story about small businesses telling folks to go sign up for Medicaid because they cannot afford to give them real health care. Sign up for Medicaid. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090087053,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But guess what. I want to say this to the small businesses. There is a $10 billion cut in this budget. So. guess what. that option is no longer going to be there if the Republican majority has their way. If they continue to have their way. it is okay for them to go into what is left of a poverty. if you want to call it. health care program out there for people that need health care to be able to make sure that they provide tax cuts. not for you. small business person. not for you. company of 100 or. 200 people or company of 500 people. not for you. Republican. Democrat or Independent. but for the individuals that have the ear apparently of the majority at this particular time. We know that -this is the peoples House. and I have said it before and I will say it again. It is supposed to be the peoples House and we are the only body here in Congress. the Senate you can be appointed if it is in midterm. but only in the House of Representatives is it that you have to be elected. That is in every State. and no one can touch that. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090087053,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If a Member was to say I resign today or I am moving on to something or I am appointed to this position. you do not see someone here tomorrow. There is a special election set. and the local people in that district will vote to replace that individual that left Congress. So I think you could not get closer to the people of the United States than we should be here in the Congress. and I will tell you this. that I am very. very concerned about what is being done here in Washington. D.C.. right now. I am going to just show this quick chart because I showed it at the beginning. but I just want to keep reminding folks. Folks feel that. oh. they are alarmists. Some people walking around here in the Capitol. they are saying something and what is the problem. What is the problem? There is no problem. What are you talking about? Things are great. You know. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090087053,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had lunch today. did you? But when it comes down to security and financial security. 42 Presidents. and I am going to say it again and I am going to keep saying it. 42 Presidents. $1.0 trillion loaned from foreign holdings. and this is from the U.S. Department of Treasurythat we have gone to other countries to borrow money. World War I. World War H. you name it. Depression. all 42 Presidents. one President $1.05 trillion in 4 years.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090087057,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am coming right back. I am not going into Iraq. This is an example.\" That is fine that the Senate came together. three Democrats. three Republicans. who will come together with a report on the intelligence piece. Okay. Okay. Do we have a strategy for success? Well. we do not have that answer. Do we have a strategy of when we will be able to have American men and women come back home? Well. you know. we are fighting a war against terror. a global war. and we have got to go after the terrorists. Okay. But what is our strategy? Well. we do not haye one. So we are spending billions and billions of dollars of the taxpayers money in Iraq at this particular time. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3153}
{"speech_id":1090087057,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is not about the troops. it is about some other things that we are trying to accomplish. What is the strategy? Well. there is no strategy. and why are you asking. by the way. Why are you asking what is the strategy? I am on the Armed Services Committee. and folks say. do we have an exit strategy? Democrats and Republicans have asked that. And I want to say that on the minority. the majority. of the minority of the members over there. in the majority. have asked that question. along with several members on the Democratic side. because we want to know exactly where we are going. Are we going to be in Iraq as long as there is a small insurgency? So that is the issue when it comes down to oversight and governance and making sure that we do what we need to do. So I just wanted to mention that because the ideas that we have. the ideas as relates to payasyougo. the ideas as relates to being energy efficient by 2010. 2012. those ideas cannot surface in this Congress because the majority has their foot on those ideas. So when folks come to the floor and say what is the problem. I guarantee when that budget comes up next week. and there is talk on the other side of. I wish our friends on the Democratic side would join us in this budget resolution that is coming to the floor. well. I have to say this to the Republican majority: I hope that Republicans join you on it. because that seems to be a problem. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3153}
{"speech_id":1090087057,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Every time there is a major bill that comes to the floor and it is a 15minute vote. that 15minute vote turns into a 2hour vote. Why does it turn into a 2hour vote? Not because Members cannot make it from their offices to the floor. No. it boils down to whose arm can be twisted. who can be pushed into a corner. and who can be pushed into voting for an unjust budget to clear the way for special interests and for billionaires. So. Mr. Speaker. if someone wants to impress the American people that the budget is so good. let us follow .the House rules and do the vote in 15 minutes. Do the vote and do not have the Members standing here at 3 a.m. in the morning saying. well. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3153}
{"speech_id":1090087057,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. they said it was a 15minute vote and we are now on 90 minutes. When are we closing the board? I think the reason why the voting board was not closed. and probably will not be closed next week. is that as long as the majority is not getting their way. they are going to change the spirit of the rules of the House of Representatives. and that \"is the problem too.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3153}
{"speech_id":1090087072,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. that is very well said. I think the description and comments by the Senator from Florida demonstrate our responsibility to respond appropriately and smartly to natural disasters. If we look at our response to hurricanes and natural disasters in the past. I think we have done SO. It is sometimes frustrating because we cannot do everything. and a lot of people think the Federal Government has a responsibility to come in and solve all the problems. Our challenge in responding to all these natural disasters is to respond quickly. responsibly. smartly. working hand in hand with the locals. I very much appreciate the Senators attention to one other natural disaster we must face.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":696}
{"speech_id":1090087098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent to be an original cosponsor. as I have been consistently on the Senators amendments. He *ill recall that our first meeting was when I was Secretary of the Navy when he returned from Vietnam. So our relationship on this issue has a long history. and I firmly believe it is in the best interest of the Department ofDefense that this manual be the guide for our men and women of the U.S. military. I commend the Senator.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":441}
{"speech_id":1090087104,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. with regard to the McCain amendment on which I spoke in favor. I have an obligation as manager of the bill to present views of those who differ in some respects with Senator MCCAIN and myself. I ask unanimous consent that the remarks made by Mr. Stephen Hadley. National Security Adviser to the President. on Wednesday. November 2. be printed in the RECORD. The material is taken directly from a transcript. which I presume is authentic.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":452}
{"speech_id":1090087112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I followed that statement with great care. I commend the Senator. I think he articulated the key issues. He used the word \"compromise\" and keeping an open mind. I wish to assure -those who are following this that our group that supports Senator MCCAINs amendment have taken careful consideration of the continuing need to collect our intelligence. first and foremost to protect our troops and. of course. first and foremost to protect our citizens back here in this Nation. from terrorists or other attacks. It is a balanced approach that we have tried to take on this. a careful one. thoughtfully moving each step of the way and entertaining carefully the views of others who have views different from our own.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":726}
{"speech_id":1090087116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to discuss the incredible achievements of the workers at the Department of Energys Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site and to offer an amendment on the behalf of these workers. Rocky Flats is located just a few miles northwest of Denver. Co. and for over four decades. this facility was the Department of Energys dedicated site for manufacturing plutonium pits for the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. This -highly classified production facility was run by over 8.000 Coloradoans who worked day and night for most of the cold war and used some of the most dangerous substances known to man. including plutonium. beryllium. and uranium. The workers at Rocky Flats were devoted to their .job and believed in their mission. They risked their lives on a daily basis. but did so with the knowledge that their efforts were contributing to the security of our Nation. When plutonium pit -production ended in 1991. it was unclear what ole these workers would play in the cleanup of Rocky Flats. They could have walked away from the job. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12073}
{"speech_id":1090087116,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet the workers at Rocky Flats were not ready to quit. They saw a new challenge in front of themthe cleanup of Rocky Flats. Their task was anything but simple.. Five large plutonium processing facilities._ encompassing over a million square feet. were highly contaminated with dangerous radioactive material. The contamination was so severe that these buildings were ranked among the top 10 most contaminated facilities in the Department of Energy nuclear weapons complex. I. however. had faith in the workers at Rocky Flats. I am pleased that. the workers at Rocky Flats have not disappointed us. The cleanup at Rocky Flats was declared completed on October 12 of this year. a full year and 3 months ahead of schedule. We must keep in mind that most of these workers had to literally develop an entire new skill set. They went from manufacturing plutonium pits to dismantling over 1.400 highly radioactive gloveboxes. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12073}
{"speech_id":1090087116,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They tore down buildings while wearing stiff environmental protection suits. They cleaned up rooms that were so contaminated that they were forced to use the highest level of respiratory protection available. Listen to some of the Rocky Flats .workers accomplishments: . All weapons grade plutonium was removed in 2003. More than 1.400 contaminated glove boxes and hundreds of process tanks have been removed. More than 400.000 cubic meters of lowlevel radioactive waste has been removed. All 802 facilities have been demolished. All four uranium production facilities have been demolished. All five plutonium production facilities have beendemolished. All 360 sites of soil contamination have been remediated. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12073}
{"speech_id":1090087116,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The last shipment of transuranic waste was shipped this past April. Completion of the cleanup1 year -and 3 months ahead of schedule. Just as important. these workers were extraordinarily productive even though they knew they were essentially working themselves out of a job. With the completion of the cleanup and the closure of Rocky Flats. they knew they would have to find employment elsewhere. There was no guarantee for a new job. Despite knowing they were going to lose their jobs. the workers at Rocky Flats remained highly motivated and totally committed to their cleanup mission. Given the sacrifice and dedication demonstrated by these workers. .you would think assisting those workers who lose their retirement benefits because of the early completion of the cleanup would be a top priority for the Department of Energy. After all. these workers saved the Department billions upon billions in cleanup costs. Last year. however. it became clear that the cleanup at Rocky Flats would be completed much earlier than anyone expected. The workers were supportive of early closure. but were concerned .that some of their colleagues would lose retirement benefits because of early closure. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12073}
{"speech_id":1090087116,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I shared their concern and requested in last years Defense authorization bill that the Department of Energy provide Congress with a report on the number of workers who would not receive retirement benefits and the cost of providing these benefits. After a lengthy delay. the Department of Energy reported that about 29 workers at three cleanup sites would not receive pension and\/or lifetime medical benefits because of the closure. and the cost of providing benefits to these workers. according to DOEs report. was just over $12 million. To my dismay. the Department of Ehergy report was woefully incomplete. I was informed later at least 50 workers would have qualified for retirement benefits had the Department of Energy bothered to include those workers who had already been laid off because of the accelerated closure schedule. This means as many as 75 workers at Rocky Flats will lose their pension. medical benefits or. in some cases. both because they worked faster. less expensively. and achieved more than they were supposed to. They not only worked themselves out of a.job. but they also worked themselves out of retirement benefits and. most importantly. medical care. Workers such as Doug Woodard and Leo Chavez now find themselves with either severely reduced benefits or no benefits at all. Doug started work at Rocky Flats all the way into 1982 and was responsible for monitoring radiation contamination at the site. He missed qualifying for medical benefits by less than 2 months. For Leo Chavez. who worked at Rocky Flats for 17 years. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12073}
{"speech_id":1090087139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I miss the leadership on the committee and the committee. I like to stay involved in many of the issues the committee is still working on because of the importance of the many military installations in my own State and because it is good for the country. I have some problems with the amendment- proposed by Senators LEvIN and REED. The first is it is reducing a program that has already been reduced at $1 billion by the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2006 and over a longer period of time. from 2006 to 2007. for a total of up to $5 billion in this very vital program for our Nations security. The other concern I have is. the money they are taking here is going to another program that hasnt spent all the money we gave it last fiscal year. I dont see a need. when they havent spent all their money in the previous year. I talk about the program itself because I think sometimes this amendment brings up where we are going in missile defense and some of the questions there. I understand the amendment eliminates $30 million for long lead funding for groundbased interceptor missile defense and then $20 million for associated silo construction. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3258}
{"speech_id":1090087139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Currently. we have nine ground basedinterceptors emplaced to protect the United States against a longterm limited ballistic missile attack. The $50 million is supposed to be transferred to what we call the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. which is fully funded in the bill we have before us and is $7 million more than we had last year. My understanding is the same program last year had $107 million in unobligated funds remaining after the 2005 fiscal year. So an additional $1.6 billion is funded for DOE nonproliferation programs in addition to this. I think we have pu6 plenty of money in that area. We do have a need in missile defense. and we should not back away from our plan or obligation to develop missile defense because of threats that we potentially could have from countries such as North Korea and Iran. for example. This amendment unnecessarily delays by 1 year the fielding of the groundbased interceptors scheduled for 2009. We simply cannot afford to delay it any more because we do have real and imminent dangers as based on the testimony from General Cartwright. Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3258}
{"speech_id":1090087139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do believe North Korea is a threat. We have already had testimony a number of years back from the Director of Intelligence that missiles launched out of Korea have the capability of reaching our west coast. Now North Korea is ready to flight test another .ICBM that many of us feeland we have been informedwill reach the United States. Iran may have such a capability in 2015. according to the DIA. So we are facing a real threat. We have already acted on this issue in the Defense- appropriations bill. The long lead funding for groundbased interceptors 31 through 40 was included in this years fiscal year 2006 Defense appropriations bill. And in the report language. the bill added $200 million to the budget request \"to maintain the production. schedule for groundbased interceptors.\" With this amendment. we are backing off of that commitment we put in the appropriations bill. I dont think we should run counter to the Defense appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3258}
{"speech_id":1090087164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wonder if the Senator will yield a few minutes to me before he departs the floor? There are evolving aspects with regard to the underlying goal of this amendment. as he and I speak. on information which is circulating which goes to how the administration dealt with these issues. I am going to reserve until Monday exactly the approach the Senator from Virginia is going to take. I wish to consult with a number of my colleagues in that connection. But I wish- to point out two things. The Senator from Michigan said we should facespeaking. of course. to the committee but also the United States and colleagues in the Senatethis issue square on. I know my distinguished friend and colleague of so many years would say. by virtue of him and me being the two principal cosponsors of the McCain amendment. that we are within the rights of this committee facing certain aspects of this issue head on as it relates to the future conduct of this country. I also hope at some point in our debate that we can address the very valuable contribution that two individuals. together with the staff and a third member of the commissionnamely. former Secretary of Defense Schlesinger and former Secretary of Defense Harold Brown. Each of those extraordinary menand I have been privileged to know and work with each of them quite closely through the years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090087164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Actually. I served under three Secretaries of Defense when I was in the Navy Department as Secretary. and one of them. thelast. was Secretary Schlesinger. He remains to this day one of my closest confidantes. and advisers on a wide range of issues. Harold Brown. my colleague. the Senator from Michigan. will recall. I sponsoredand I think the -Senator from Michigan joined me when I was on the Intelligence Committee in an overall review of our intelligence. The first chairman of that commission was a distinguished former Member of Congress. Les Aspin. and then. following his untimely death. Harold Brown. I was the one who recommended he take over the work on that commission. on which I was privileged to serve as a member. A lot of things have been done to address the issue. which is the goal of this amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090087164,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. I am going to reserve until Monday just how I am going to further approach this issue. but I wanted to bring those two points up should the Senator from Michigan wish to comment on either.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090087263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this afternoon. we will have a period for the transaction of morning business until 2 p.m. At 2 p.m. today. we will resume consideration of the Department of Defense authorization bill. On Friday. we turned to the Defense bill *under the provisions of the earlier consent agreement. We had six amendments offered. with one of those being adopted by voice vote. We expect further amendments and debate during todays session and. as we announced Friday. we will vote at 5:30 p.m. in relation to a Defense authorization amendment. The chairman and ranking member will be here throughout the afternoon today. and we will alert all Senators when that 5:30 p.m. rollcall vote is locked in. We expect to finish the Defense authorization bill on Tuesday or possibly Wednesday of this week. with rollcall votes each day. This week. we will also consider any of the available appropriations conference reports. The conference report to accompany the Foreign Operations bill is at the desk. and we hope to schedule that measure either today or tomorrow. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090087263,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We look forward to another full week of business before completing bur work prior to Thanksgiving.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090087266,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak in support of Senator LEVINs amendment to create an independent commission to investigate the policies and practices relating to the treatment of what we have come to call detainees but what are. in fact. prisoners being held by the Government. I am proud to be a cosponsor of that important amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it as well. Letme say a word. initially. about the use of language. We sometimes use language without focusing on the implications. of that language. Unfortunately. in the case of this discussion. we. have fallen into the practice of re\"ferring to these individuals at Guantanamo and elsewhere as \"detainees.\" Of course. the suggestion that someone. is being detained isa lot less onerous or implies a lot less o a taking of that persons freedom than the phrase \"being imprisoned.\" The truth is. these individuals are being imprisoned. The amendment that Senator LEVIN has offered would have an independent commission evaluate the current practice of indefinitely imprisoning individuals at Guantanamo without ever charging them with a crime in either Federal court or under a competent military tribunal. This commission would then report back to Congress and give us recommendations on whether we should change existing law or change policy on this set of important issues. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090087266,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The current practice of holding detainees or prisoners indefinitely. without affording them basjc due process rights. has been widely criticized in this country and throughout the world. For a country such as ours that has consistently advocated for the rule of law. the policies of the current administration are nothing short of a major embarrassment. Since September 11 of 2001. the administration has asserted extraordinary new powers with respect to the imprisoning of individuals suspected of being involved in terrorism. The President has argued that the Government has the authority to indefinitely imprison any person that he. the President. determines to be an \"enemy combatant.\" They have that authority whether or not the person is a U.S. citizen. Of course. our Government has also forcefully opposed any judicial review of the Presidents determination in that regard. There are over 500 people who are currently being imprisoned in Guantanamo. Many of these individuals have. been held for over 3 years without being afforded the ability to challenge the basis for their detention. The administration has developed a new category of detainee. the \"unlawful enemy combatant.\" and they have argued that neither the laws of war nor traditional criminal laws apply to these individuals. In essence. we have created a new type of prisoner who is unable to seek the protections of the Geneva Conventions or to take advantage of the rights afforded to individuals in this country under our criminal justice system or under the criminal justice system that applies in our military. Under the current procedures. every Guantanamo prisoner is reviewed by a combatant status review tribunal to determine whether the Department of Defense believes that individual is an \"enemy combatant.\" If a person is found to be an enemy combatant. they may be held indefinitely. although they are entitled to go before an administrative review board once a year to prove that they are no longer a threat. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090087266,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of the approximately 500 prisoners at Guantanamo. 4 individuals have been charged to date. The remaining 496 or so have not been charged. Serious concerns have been raised with regard to the rights we are affording these prisoners under the current procedures for processing the prisoners. I have repeatedly raised concerns regarding this approach. I believe that it challenges our historic commitment to the rule of law. I have never advocated that the Department of Defense release these prisoners but. rather. have said that they should be tried in the criminal justice system or they should be tried in the military justice system. but they should be tried somewhere and be given an opportunity to challenge the basis for their detention. I believe it is appropriate to ensure that they do not indefinitely remain in .a state of legal limbo and are afforded basic due process rights that allow them to assert their innocence. Last week. on November 1. there was an article in The Washington Post that highlighted some of the problems that occur when people are imprisoned indefinitely without recourse to any viable legal process. According to the article. there have been 36 attempted suicides at Guantanamo. Clearly. when people are desperate and have no hope. they turn to drastic measures. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090087266,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that article be printed in the RECORD following my comments.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090087332,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I. too. must reluctantly oppose this amendment. I have come throdgh significant base closings in my State and am going through them right now. I know exactly what the Senator from Maine is referring to. There are many occasions when land needs to be granted to a local economic redevelopment authority at no cost. There are many cases like that. but there are other uses that have to come *first that she would not allow for. including such things as parks or schools. conveyances for those public purposes which it seems to me must come first if we are using Federal property and deciding what to do with Federal property. In terms of the priority list. it seems to me public purposes such as parks and schools should have priority over the economic redevelopment. as desirable as that can be. But there is another problem with that amendment. and that is it does not provide discretion. It makes it mandatory that the land always go free to a local reuse even though that land may have tremendous value and the proceeds we have been able to obtain. which are not great. nonetheless have been there to help us clean up property which we want to turn over to local governments. We have huge cleanup costs. We have been able to obtain money for the resale of land. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090087332,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That money has gone into thecleanup of these bases before they are turned back to the local authority. I have nothing but understanding for the Senator from Maine- in the situation she and her State face. We have a number of facilities which have been realigned in my home State which have value. In one -case. we have a property wherea buyer is willing to purchase it if we could- get the military to negotiate with that purchaser. That would be money which would come. to the Federal Treasury. The buyer is willing to pay to the Federal Treasury. Instead. the Air Force prefers to. auction the property. The question is whether. under all the circumstances that exist. it is fairer to auction that property or to negotiate with a private buyer with whom the Government- had long been negotiating. Without getting into that issue as to which is faireran auction or a negotiated saleneither one of them would be permitted under the amendment of the Senator from Maine. It would have to go for nothing to somebody even though you have a buyer outthere who wants to pay for it. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090087332,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should not take such an absolute position on the disposition of these properties. There will be occasionsand I happen to agree with the Senator from Mainewhere property should be turned over to a local development or -redevelopment authority for free. That is true. But there are also occasions where the property has tremendous value. where the Government. as our dear friend from Virginia has said. has invested an awful lot of money in this base and where it has great value and where those dollars .are needed in the Treasury. in part to pay for the cleanup of property before it is turned over for any other use. I dont see why we would want to write an absolute rule into the law which says that the property must be given away to a local reuse authority rather than there should be an effort made to obtain fair compensation for it. It does not say that there always must be compensation. it says that there will be an effort t6 seek fair compensation. There are certain ways of building discretion and flexibility into that. We have another situation where we have a significant piece of property that will be available as a result of this last round of base closures. This property has immense value. I dont know that we can come close to equating it to the Presidio in San Francisco. bu t it has. nonetheless. immense value. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090087332,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The question is. What will the military do with this property? It is my belief that the military should keep it because part of the base that was kept open and not realigned needs the property for its own use. But the military may decide it does not need that property. It may decide that property is expendable and can be surplused. Then what? Under the Senators amendment. extraordinarily valuable property which any developer would like to get their hands on and pay for it and pay the National Treasury money for must go for nothing to a local redevelopment authority. We cannot get any financial benefit from that land no matter how valuable if it goes to a local redevelopment authority. That is too rigid. That is too inflexible and deprives the Federal Treasury of desperately needed money. including money for cleanup. We have a huge cleanup bill for these properties. We cannot simply give away the opportunity to recoup some funds for the Federal Treasury from highly valuable land. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090087332,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have lost a lot of bases in my home State. All three of our Strategic Air Command bases have been closed. We have lost other facilities. as well. I know firsthand what a complicated process this is. I do know. as the Senator from Maine says. there are occasions when property under all the circumstances should go to a local redevelopment agency without reimbursement to the Government. but there are other occasions when land is extraordinarily valuable -and when people are willing to pay for that land where. if it is not going to go for a public use and it will be put up for private redevelopment. there should be some recouping to the National Treasury. I am afraid this is too rigid. and I cannot support it.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5389}
{"speech_id":1090087441,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator LINCOLN makes a good point. While I support the Finance Committees goal of encouraging accountability and incentivizing the collection of Medicare bad debt by skilled nursing facilities. I do see the need to differentiate between debt owed by individuals and debt owed by States. I believe this conference should consider this point as well.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090087448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Court Security Improvement Act of 2005. This bill is in direct response to the tragic events that occurred in Chicago on February 28. 2005. On that day. the husband and aged mother of Judge Joan Lefkow I November .7. 2005 CO were. shot and killed in their own home. The perpetrator. as described by Judge Lefkow. was an angry litigant. These attacks on Federal judges are not as isolated as one might think. Federal judges receive on average 700 inappropriate communications or threats each year. and three Federal judges have been assassinated in the last 25 years. Shortly after the Lefkow murders. on March 14. 2005. I wrote to the Director of the United States Marshals Service to find out what security measures were in place and what additional measures could be instituted. particularly offsite security measures. following this terrible tragedy. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4915}
{"speech_id":1090087448,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On March 14. 2005. Assistant Attorney General William E. Moschella responded on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service. stating that Attorney General Gonzales and Director Reyna are reviewing all aspects of judicial security. both at judicial facilities and offsite. but no specifics were offered. and no specifics have yet to be received. On April 5. 2005. the Judicial Conference of the United States wrote to the President about the issue. Stating that \"attacks such as these strike at thecore of our system of government.\" the Judicial Conference asked that immediate actions be taken to improve judicial security. particularly outside of the courthouse. On May 6. 2005. I met with Third Circuit Judge Jane Roth. who chairs the Committee on Facilities and Securities for the Judicial Conference. to discuss security issues. Congress quickly responded and passed the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense. the Global War on Terror. and Tsunami Relief. which was enacted on May 11. 2005. The Act provided $11.9 million to the U.S. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4915}
{"speech_id":1090087448,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Marshals Service for \"increased judicial security outside of courthouse facilities. including priority consideration of home detection systems in the homes of Federal judges.\" and as a result home intrusion detection systems will soon be available to every Federal judge who wants one. But we must do more. On May 18. 2005. I chaired a full Judiciary Committee hearing entitled \"Protecting the Judiciary at Home and in the Courthouse\" and it is evident from this hearing that much more needs to be done in the area of judicial security. The responsibility of protecting our Federal judiciary and the halls of justice rests primarily with the U.S. Marshal5 Service. but we heard compelling testimony that coordination and cooperation is sorely lacking between the Federal judiciary and the agency principally charged with its protection. Not only does the U.S. Marshals Service arrogantly fail to coordinate and cooperate with the Federal judiciary. serious questions Were raised regarding the efficacy of its existing security programs. For example. a report issued by the Inspector General of the Department of Justice in March 2004 found that the U.S. Marshals Services threat assessments are \"untimely and of questionable validity.\" and that the U.S. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4915}
{"speech_id":1090087448,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Marshals Service has \"limited capability to collect and share intelligence. and lacks adequate standards for determining appropriate protective measures.\" This legislation would enhance judicial security in several respects. The legislation- would statutorily require the U.S. Marshals Service to cooperate and coordinate with the Judicial Conference regarding judicial security on a continuing basis. The legislation also would provide new criminal sanctions on individuals who harass or intimidate judges either by -filing false or malicious liens against judges or by knowingly posting personal information regarding Federal judges on the Internet with the intent that such information be used to harm them. The legislation would extend the Judicial Conferences authority to redact sensitive personal information from judges financial disclosure forms so that such information cannot be used for harassment or intimidation purposes. The rampage in Atlanta reminds us that the issue of judicial security is no less of a compelling problem for State and local courts. where approximately 32.000 State and local court judges sit compared to approximately 2.400 Federal judges. This legislation would address these State and local issues by authorizing grants for court security and witness protection. In conclusion. there is no doubt that the rule of law is the backbone of our. civilized society. The ability of the judiciary to determine the rule of law without fear or favor is an indispensable prerequisite to our democratic society. Our judges personal security. along with judicial independence. must be safeguarded at all costs. and I believe this bill is an important step toward providing those safeguards.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4915}
{"speech_id":1090087505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1973. the Water for the Poor Act of 2005. a much needed statement of Congress concern for one of the worlds most fundamental problems. - Mr. Speaker. according to the Worid Health Organization. one billion people around the world live without -access to clean water. and 2.6 billion40 percent of the worlds populationcannot access basic sanitation. While the front pages of our newspapers recount the horrors of conflict .and displacement and the risk of potential influenza pandemic. the silent epidemic of waterbome illness continues to sicken and kill around the world. Most of us here take having an unlimited supply of clean water for granted. but for billions of people the everyday question of water access means the difference between hope and misery. and even life and death. If we make the commitment to help more people around the world gain access to potable water. we can help societies become more productive by making them healthier. We can ensure the education of more girls who had previously spent hours a day carrying water. And we can save the lives of children who would have died of easily preventable diseases before maturity. Mr. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090087505,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is also important to point out in this context that some people struggle to access water right here in the United States. In my district of El Paso. Texas and along the entire United StatesMexico border. unincorporated and underserved settlements called colonias regularly lack access to clean and affordable water. As we pass H.R. 1973 today. I want to remind my colleagues that we must continue funding North American Development Bank programs. such as the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF). that help finance essential services infrastructure on both sides of the border. Mr. Speaker. I ask that all of my colleagues join me in supporting this important legislation.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090087532,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 444. Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education. Unfortunately. ovarian cancer is a serious and underrecognized threat to womens health. According to recent studies: Ovarian cancer. the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers. is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women living in the U.S. Ovarian cancer occurs in 1 out of 57 women. It is expected that 22.220 women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2005. An estimated 16.210 American women will die from ovarian cancer in 2005. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3561}
{"speech_id":1090087532,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All females are at risk for ovarian cancer. Fortunately. ovarian cancer is very treatable when it is detected early. but the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. Ovarian cancer may be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are sometimes subtle and may be easily confused with those of other diseases. In cases where ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the ovaries. more than 94 percent of women will survive longer than five years. Only 19 percent of ovarian cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed in the early stages. The chances for fiveyear survival for an advanced stage diagnosis is approximately 29 percent. The overall 5year survival rate for all stages is 44 percent. It is important that we create additional public awareness of ovarian cancer by educating doctors and women about the disease. By doing this we can save lives. Currently. studies show that most people do not know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3561}
{"speech_id":1090087532,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many include. abdominal pressure. bloating. or discomfort. nausea. indigestion. orgas. constipation. diarrhea. or frequent urination. abnormal bleeding. unusual fatigue. unexplained weight loss or gain. shortness of breath. Symptoms are subtle. persistent. and usually increase over time. Early recognition of symptoms is the best way to save womens lives. Without increased education about ovarian cancer. many women and their doctors will continue to ignore or misinterpret the symptoms of the disease. Recognition of women who are at higher risk for developing ovarian cancer is also imporlant. Risk factors include: increasing age. personal or family history of ovarian. breast. or colon cancer. and not bearing a child. Ninety percent of women diadnosed do not have a family history that puts them at a higher risk for ovarian cancer. In closing let say that research on ovarian cancer is drastically underfdnded relative to its high mortality rate. In 2002. the NCI allocated only about onefifth as much money to ovarian cancer research ($93.5 million) as to breast cancer research. ($522.6 million). and onethird as much as to prostate cancer research ($278.4 million). two diseases whose mortality rates are proportionally extremely lower than ovanan cancer. Early detection of ovarian cancer is possible. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3561}
{"speech_id":1090087532,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In a national study done by Dr. Barbara Goff of ovarian cancer patients. 95 percent of women had experienced symptoms prior to their diagnosis. We need national awareness among the medical -community and among women themselves that ovarian cancer is not a \"silent disease\" the label it was given years agothere are symptoms that can lead to early diagnosis when the disease is beatable and treatable. Yet. each and every day women with this disease are treated for incorrect conditions in the pelvic and abdominal region. with a full 30 percent being treated for the incorrect condition before receiving the eventual diagnosis of ovarian cancer Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3561}
{"speech_id":1090087588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman. One of the ways that our Nation needs to be dealing with this potential and other issues is to have a better health care system overall. The gentleman mentioned Hurricane Katrina. and I would like to use that as a steppingoff point to talk about some of the work this Nation needs to be doing in some of the things we are doing. When Hurricane Katrina hit and. subsequently. Hurricane Rita. we saw something we had not really been prepared for. not only the huge devastation of 90.000 square miles. almost double the size of Pennsylvania. but we also saw hospitals were closed. records were destroyed. physician offices were inaccessible and patients were inaccessible. Patients by the hundreds of thousands traveled around the country. many without their medications. without their medical records. and in some cases not even knowing what their medications were. We had to essentially reinvent for many of them a system of health care. Now. let me take this on another smaller role here too with regard to individuals. When a person goes to their own physician. many times you have what I refer to as 21st century medical technology kept track of in a 19th century system. and that is paper and pen records. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090087588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now I have seen these myself through many years of working in hospitals and in my own practice settings where you write your notes down. and when lab results come. you stick them in the chart. and it could be for a typical patient perhaps the pile of papers could be much thicker than this. Yet. when a person goes to the hospital. it is not unheard of. for example. I was talking to someone at one hospital. and I would be interested to hear if my colleagues experiences are the same. But say a woman showed up in an emergency department in labor. Some notes may be made there. She then may go up to the delivery area to deliver. After that. she goes to recovery and her baby goes to pediatrics. And each time separate mounds of medical records are made. which may not really be collated together for hours. sometimes days afterwards simply because of what is happening there. not to mention her own medical records from her own obstetrician back home. That is the way the system operates every day. Let us take another scenario. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090087588,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Take a single mom who has a son who has asthma. And perhaps because of whatever housing. perhaps she is on Medicaid. low income. and she finds a situation where she has to move to a different part of town and it becomes difficult for her to get across town to see her other doctors. so she goes to a new doctor. And they have to essentially reinvent what has been done for this child or call for those records and have them shipped over. Now. if one has the luxury of days. sometimes that can be done. with the situation of establishing new relationships with new physicians and new nurses. But you also have the situation. if the child goes into acute distress with something like asthma. of showing up in an emergency department and having to have all the medical staff there trying to track down what is the childs medical history. what prescription drugs is he on. are there any particular allergies he has. if he is on other medications will there be drug interactions. what is his blood type. Even the most basic information is important to have. but they do not have it. Now. in some hospitals around the country we see some changes being made. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. where I am from. is one that is doing this. but there are other centers. at Northwestern. and other States have this. where they are emerging towards the technology- of electronic medical records and electronic prescribing. I want to talk a little about how that is done and show some things that are being done on Medicaid. Imagine going to a medical office and filling out a clipboard with your name. address. phone number. your medical history. and allergies. if you can remember it all. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090087588,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Very often. it is tough. Certainly my colleagues in Congress. I think we would all be hardpressed to remember every doctor we ever saw. every medication we ever took. or every diagnosis that was ever placed in our chart. but it is important information. Add to that every xray we have ever taken. every lab test that has ever been done. Those are oftentimes lost to the ether. Some studies have indicated that perhaps as much as 14 percent of medical records are missing. some important information. important enough that it would change the direction of what the provider would diagnose or call for treatment in those cases. and in some cases. physicians say major changes in how they would diagnose. Perhaps a patient was set up for a blood test and they never showed up for the blood test. Or perhaps they did -show up. and the information was never forwarded to the physicians office. Or if it was forwarded. maybe it was misfiled or placed somewhere else. A whole host of things can go wrong when you are dealing with reams and reams of paper filings. 0I 2045 Then the moment of truth comes when the. doctor needs it. where is the -information. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090087588,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If it is missing. they may have to call for repeat tests or write a prescription and then find out that it causes problems with the patient. which can cost lives as well as money. It is estimated that 150 million times a year pharmacists call physicians to doublecheck medications. Perhaps they cannot read their handwriting. or doublecheck the decimal point on the medication dosage level. or perhaps to say Mr. Smith is on another medication from another doctor which is identical. or it is one that would have a bad drug interaction with this other medication. That is a grave concern. how do we fix this. Well. by using electronic medical records. the medical record could actually be placed on a computer. perhaps in the physicians office. In some cases. individuals can carry their own. I brought a sample. smaller than a stick of gum. This is a 64bit memory chip. It happens to be on a key ring. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090087603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. if the gentleman would yield. the gentlemanis. exactly correct. Let me use some numbers to tell you about the way the situation exists. - Today. we use about 22 trillion cubic febt of natural gas a year. The estimates are that by 2025 that we are going to need 30 trillion cubic feet. Now. we are able to have a supply that just about equals that annual consumption. but we do not have any large pockets. And. in truth. the amount of wells. the numbers of new leases have declined significantly in the past 7 or 8 years. So we really do need access to the dramatic deposits. and the Outer Continental Shelf. Keeping in mind that we use 22 trillion cubic feet. the Outer Continental Shelf has about 400 trillion cubic feet. the most dramatic source of natural gas that is available. I know that when my father worked for Humboldt back in the 1960s and 1970s. they were saying that oil in our particular town. and gas. would be gone by 1980. That seemed to be so far out in the future. And then the 1980s came and went. we were seeing those declines the gentleman was talking about. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2761}
{"speech_id":1090087603,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But in truth we are finding new stimulation techniques. But the stimulation techniques cannot keep up with the increasing demand. What we need is access to more sites with more gas. And it has been a disappointment that the regulatory agency that is in charge of this. the Department of the Interior. has not found ways to really encourage those leases. Right now. I do not think that the Department of the Interior requires any particular .office to describe the amount of natural gas or oil that they produce. Now. that is curious because our entire -economy is based on these things. and we do not even measure them. So I have made suggestions. and we still hope that they will be listened to. that we begin to hold these field offices of the Bureau of. Land Management. the BLM offices. accountable for the amount of contribution they make to the national energy plan. the amount of contribution of oil and gas reserves they have available and that they are actually producing. and the number of wells where they are finding good. safe environmental ways to drill. Instead. what we are finding is that for a 3month period we shut down all drilling because we have some prairie chicken that they say breeds in that season and the sound of the rotary rigs might interrupt the breeding process. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2761}
{"speech_id":1090087603,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. that is not what I know to be true about the typical breeding process. The sound of nothing tends to interrupt that. but maybe the male prairie chicken is particularly sensitive. But in truth we are finding reasons to justify actions that are tied to the past. and our entire economic future is at stake. I yield back to the gentleman if he has other observations.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2761}
{"speech_id":1090087620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bulk purchasing power. somestudies say. would at least save 10 to 15 percent. I have seen some people say it could save up to 20 percent. So you take $700 billion and you take 10 or 15 or 20 percent of that. you are talking upwards of saving the American taxpayer over the course of the next few years $140 billion that could go into Katrina relief.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":353}
{"speech_id":1090087651,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just one quick statement. We want to remind everyone that tomorrow is election day in many places. Virginia. California. New York. New Jersey. We want to urge our generation to come out in the record numbers that they came out during the 2004 elections.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090087690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to the Republican \"budget reconciliation. I believe this process has nothing to do with reconciliation. Instead. we have an ideological devastation of the future of families. children. students. the poor. and the elderly in this country. It would look at these cuts: education. $14 billion. nutrition. $844 million in food stamp cuts. Medicaid. $10 billion. veterans. not addressing the real needs of veterans in this country. foster care. $577 million. SSI and TANF. $8 billion. child support. $5 billion. These cuts that are being asked for by the Republicans in the reconciliation are a direct result of their policies. policies that are giving tax breaks to corporations. tax cuts to the very wealthy. a $1billionaday war. and a borrowandspend fiscal policy that the Republican Party has instituted. The backbone of this Nation is its families. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1024}
{"speech_id":1090087690,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The door of opportunity has to remain open for all families. There is always room at the inn. I urge a \"no\" vote on the reconciliation.","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1024}
{"speech_id":1090087693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address Irans growing threat to our allies in the Middle East and to Americas national interests. The Iranian president recently said Israel should be \"wiped off the mal.\" This malicious language must not be ignored. especially considering Irans longstanding support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah. and its unlawful nuclear ambitions. Terrorist groups supported by Iran are operating today in Gaza.. the West Bank. and Iraq. undermining the regions quest for democracy and threatening the lives of innocent civilians. Irans radical government seeks to develop nuclear weapons. If Iran gains nuclear capabilities. millions of innocent Israelis. as well as our allies in the Middle East. will be jeopardized and our hopes for Middle East peace will be lost. Mr. Speaker. we must not abandon Israel. leaving them to stand alone against this imminent threat. The United States must lead. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1051}
{"speech_id":1090087693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With our allies. in eliminating Irans support for terrorist groups and requiring Iran to fulfill nuclear nonproliferation agreements.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1051}
{"speech_id":1090087700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. parents and students should take note: College may soon get a lot more expensive if House Republicans get their way. This week. they plan to bring a budget reconciliation bill to the floor that cuts $14 billion in- Federal student aid. the largestcuts in the programs history. Included are nearly $8 billion in new charges that will raise the cost of college loans through new fees and higher interest for millions of American students and families. For the typical student borrower already saddled with over $17.000 in debt. these new fees and higher interest charges will cost up to $5.800 more. Financial barriers should never prevent a qualified student from going to college. and that is why America has long since made the commitment to help all Americans afford a higher education. Studies show that financial barriers alone will prevent over 4 million high school graduates from attending a 4year public university over the next decade and prevent another 2 mil. lion from attending college at all. Mr. Speaker. the wrong priorities in this Republican budget reconciliation will put college out of reach for millions of American students. It should be rejected.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1182}
{"speech_id":1090087701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my community .has the fastest growing senior population in the United States. I also have numbers of doctors that are telling me they can no longer afford to care for their Medicare patients because of the Medicare reimbursement being so bad. We know that we have to fix this Medicare reimbursement for our doctors so they will continue to be able to afford to treat our senior citizens. In the Senate reconciliation that they are introducing. they have a $10 billion fix so we could help the doctors. so they can continue to take care of our senior citizens. In the House version. they are saying they are not going to include the $10 billion. and the doctors are going to have to take care of themselves. But the misery about this and the hypocrisy is the Republican leadership is telling the doctors. Dont worry about~ it. Were not going to put it in the budget reconciliation so that you can continue taking care of senior patients. Were going to put it in LaborHHS. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1205}
{"speech_id":1090087701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. we have already passed LaborHHS. and there is no $10 billion for the doctors. So that means that we are perpetrating a fraud on the doctors. the patients. and the seniors in this country. and we need not to do that.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1205}
{"speech_id":1090087724,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my good friend and colleague from New York for yielding me time. I would like to pay special tribute to the Democratic leader. Ms. PELOSI. for offering this bill. I have the great privilege of representing the City of San Francisco along with Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker. during the Gold Rush of 1848. so much preciousmetal was found in Northern California that thq United States was compelled to build a mint in order to melt the gold into coins for ease of transportation across the United States. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090087724,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The construction of our Mint in San Francisco was authorized in 1852. and it was completed just 2 years later: But soon the Mint outgrew its humble beginnings. and in 1874 a new building was erected in the style of an ancient Greek temple. The walls of stone would allow the Mint to withstand one of the most devastating earthquakes the United States has ever experienced. On April 18. 1906. at 5:12 in the morning. San Francisco woke to the earth shaking like never before. The Old Mint was one of the only buildings left standing and the only financial- institution that could still operate. TheOld Mint became a refugee village and distributed aid to those who had lost everything. As fire devastated the city. the Old Mint was saved by the quick and courageous work of the San Francisco Fire Department. a tradition the San Francisco Fire Department has maintained throughout its long and distinguished history. Like San Francisco. the Old Mint quickly rebuilt itself from the devastation of the 1906 earthquake. and. by 1934. the Old Mint had housed onethird of all gold and coin money for many nations. ranging from Japan and China to the Philippines and most nations of Latin America. In 1937. the San Francisco Mint moved to its current facility. but the Old Mint. remained under the Department of the Treasury until 1957. and the magnificent structure lay in proverbial mothballs until 1973 when the San Francisco Historic Society started renovations on the Old Mint to restore it to its previous grandeur. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090087724,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am proud to be a cosponsor and strong supporter of this important legislation that would allow the Old Mint to become a museum. showcasing the importance of the Mint in the history of the City of San Francisco. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090087754,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am proud to show my appreciation for the National Guard. the Reserves. and their employers. This resolution. H. Res. 302. recognizes those employers who accommodate the 1.1 million members of the National Guard and other reserve components. They make it possible for our country to be protected and defended by our patriot volunteers. This resolution acknowledges all employersfrom the smalltown family business to the public sectorthat have provided a stable job to more than 460.000 members of. the National Guard and Reserves who have been called to duty since September 11. 2001. These employers have provided our reservists security in payment. healthcare and benefits. Reservists have been called up to serve in great numbers in order to assist with natural disaster relief on the homeland or in support for the global war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10185}
{"speech_id":1090087754,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud to say my district is home to recipients of theASecretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. This award was created to recognize employers who provide exceptional support to reservists. One recipient of the Employer Support Freedom Award. Enterprise RentaCar has locations throughout my district from Pleasanton to Stockton and my hometown of Tracy. Enterprise received recognition for extending full salary and benefits for the entire length of mobilizationregardless of how much they receive in military pay.. I would also like to mention the sacrifice of Give Every Child a Chance.. a nonprofit located in Manteca. California. One of their employees. Oscar. is a military policeman in the Army Reserves. Oscar has served his country in Iraq and then in Egypt for a total of 16 months. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10185}
{"speech_id":1090087754,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While Oscar was serving in Egypt. they temporarily replaced him with existing staff. They wrote to me that. \"[while] it was a very chaotic month. we knew when we hired Oscar he had a commitment to serve our country. and we accepted that commitment as part of our dedication to the United States of America.\" National Guard members and members of Reserve forces comprise about 46 percent of our total available military manpower. With such a significant proportion of our Nations defense dependent upon those who maintain careers in addition to their military service. a cooperative relationship between service men and women and employers is indispensable. . This support for a healthy relationshi5 has been prevalent from the United States Chamber of Commerce. - and local Chambers throughout my district. I would like to commend the Department of Defense. specifically the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for their cooperation with civilian employers. Other strong supporters include SBC Communications. Inc. and veterans groups like the American Legion. Some employers in Californias Eleventh Congressional District giving benefits to reservists are: A.G. Edwards & Sons. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10185}
{"speech_id":1090087754,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Inc. Albertsons. Allstate. Bank of America. Best Buy. Cingular Wireless. Citigroup. Contra Costa County. County of Santa Clara. Dow Chemical Company. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10185}
{"speech_id":1090087754,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Enterprise RentACar. Exxon Mobil. Federal Express. Harley Davidson. Home Depot. Lockheed Martin. McDonalds Corp.. National Park Service. (Contra Costa County) Office of the Sheriff. Oracle. PG&E Corp.. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10185}
{"speech_id":1090087779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I risein support of H.R. 3825 authored by the gentleman from Pennsylvania . This bill would designate this post office in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania as the Clayton J. Smith Memorial Post Office. Building. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":357}
{"speech_id":1090087779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania .","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":357}
{"speech_id":1090087780,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. The inscription on the front of the James Farley Post Office in New York City states the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service: \"neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift -completion of their appointed rounds.\" Clayton J. Smith. otherwise known as \"C.J.\" to his friends and family. was one of these dependable couriers for the Postal Service. For 9 years. Clayton was a diligent letter carrier who worked out of the Post Office at Crafton. Pennsylvania. That was until June 23. 2003. when he was completing his route near the CraftonIngram Shopping Center. He never finished his route that day. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1704}
{"speech_id":1090087780,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was shockingly killed in a tragic accident. He was only. 45 years old. Among the family members by whom he was survived include his mother Jean Smith and his two sons. We wish his entire family the very best in the future and can only empathize how difficult the rebuilding of their lives has been over the last 22 years. It is with great somberness that I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I sincerely hope naming the Post Office at 770 Trumbull Drive in Greentree in Clayton Smiths honor will be a meaningful tribute to his life. his family. his friends. and his colleagues in the Pittsburgh area. In so doing. we not only honor his memory but the service of all letter carriers and dedicated employers of the Postal Service. I appreciate my Pennsylvania colleagues for joining me as cosponsors of this legislation to facilitate its advancement and thank the distinguished chairman TOM DAVIS of the Government Reform Committee for bringing this bill to the floor today.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1704}
{"speech_id":1090087816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII and by direction of the Committee on Appropriations. I move to take from the Speakers table the bill making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation. Treasury. and Housing and Urban Development. the Judiciary. District of Columbia. and independent agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2006. and for. other purposes. with a Senate amendment thereto. disagree to the Senate amendment. and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":503}
{"speech_id":1090087915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I find it absolutely fascinating. and I know being married to a doctor that doctors are about the worst politicians in the world. They do not understand this political process. But they have gravitated over to the Republican side of the aisle when they were talking about tort reform. although it is my opinion as a doctors wife. the other side never had any intentions of passing meaningful tort reform for the doctors. They just kept them hanging on a string. This. which is the AMAs number one priority. to make sure that the doctors are getting appropriately reimbursed for treating Medicare patients. senior patients. this is so much worse for the doctors. And they are still playing games with the doctors. playing games with the seniors. playing games with the American public by saying .wink. wink. we will take care of you later. Let us take care of the docs and the senior citizens now when. we should. in front of full view. in the daytime. in the light of day. and let us stop this nonsense of trying to sneak money in through the back door. It is disgusting and shameful.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1090}
{"speech_id":1090087917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I appreciate the opportunity to speak out on this poorly named reconciliation bill which will expand the Federal deficit and does enormous damage to people in this country. When 8.2 million children in America do not have health insurance. cutting Medicaid iswrong. When millions of children in America are abused and neglected. cutting child protection is wrong. When millions of children do not have access to early childhood programs. cutting child care is wrong. Let us go back over these areas. Medicaid. the House bill would allow States to charge lowincome working families substantial new premiums and copayments in order for their children to participate in the Medicaid program. access health care services. or obtain prescription drugs. While the House bill would permit States to impose costly. new fees on nearly all Medicaid beneficiaries. those most likely to face significantly higher premiums and copayments are the 6 million children who receive their.health care through the Medicaid program and whose families have income just above the poverty line or above 133 percent of the poverty line for children under six. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3322}
{"speech_id":1090087917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most families with incomes just above the pov-. erty line are working families struggling to get by. Let us turn to child support and faster care. CBO projects that the cuts in Federal Child Support Enforcement funding will mean that an additional $24 billion in child support will go uncollected. In this Congress we have been so proud in the past that we have finally been able to create a system in this country so that deadbeat dads will be forced to pay the child support that the courts have ordered them to pay. Now. in this Republican budget. they have decided that they are going to reduce dramatically the support for child support funding. In addition. the House ldget reconciliation bill would reduce Federal supports for children in foster care and for grandparents and other relatives who are taking care of these children. This cut comes at a time when the overall child welfare system is struggling to address the needs of over 800.000 children in need. When you look at this package. it is beyond belief. Their food stamp cuts. reductions in food stamps. that will. mean 225.000 individuals. according to the Congressional BudgetOffice. most of whom live in lowincome working families. will be cut off the food stamp program. Basically. when you take this whole package together. you have a reconciliation bill described as a deficit reduction bill which increases the deficit. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3322}
{"speech_id":1090087917,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But what we are really talking about here is sacrifice. We have been saying for years that if you do trillions of dollars of tax cuts mostly for the wealthiest people in this country. when you spend a billion and a half dollars a week in Iraq. the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are simply borrowed money. finally. the Republicans say we have to sacrifice. And the people at the head of the line to sacrifice are our children. the disabled. people from lowincome families. that is Who the Republicans want to sacrifice to pay for the tax cuts to.pay for Iraq and to pay for Katrina. [ 1430 There is no more immoral set of priorities in this country than what we see in this bill today and what we see in the Republican agenda in the House.","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3322}
{"speech_id":1090087975,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. first of all. let me thank my friend and colleague for allowing me to take this 5minute special order before his 1 hour. I will be brief. but I rise for an issue of severe concern to me. Mr. Speaker. As someone who has spent 19 years working on defense and security issues in this Congress and currently serves as the- vice chairman of the Arfied Services and Homeland Security Committees. I have to report to my colleagues continuing efforts to try to find out what happened before 9\/11 and. unfortunately. have to report that we are being stonewalled. In fact. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090087975,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I cannot use any other term but the appearance of a coverup. Just a few moments ago. I questioned one of the cochairs of the 9\/11 Commission. Lee Hamilton. why the Commission has not yet responded to a letter that I sent to them on August 10 of this year. which I will enter into the RECORD at this point. Hon. THOMAS H. KEAN. Chairman. Hon. LEE H. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090087975,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"HAMILTON. Vice Chairman. 9\/11 Public Discourse Project. One DuPontCir- cle. NW.. Washington. DC.","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090087977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. milliois of Americans are worried sick about their retirement nest eggs. and they are demanding decisive action by Congress. In just the last 2 weeks. two national publications have featured cover stories on the peril Americas workers and retirees are facing.On October 31 of this year. the issue of Time magazine has a stinging anthology of missteps and foibles of the Congress in -the regulation of private pension plans. The cover story that is pictured here on this cover of Time magazine. called. \"The Great Retirement RipoffMillions of Americans who think they will retire withbenefits are in for a nasty surprisehow corporations are picking peoples pocketswith the help of Congress.\" That is the status of the American workers pension system today. It is a. system that is in peril. and it continues .to be in peril because of the lack of action by this Congress. For 3 years. we have been warning the President and this Congress that we must take decisive action to strengthen unfunded pension plans. Back in July of 2002. 1 wrote Secretary ONeill and Secretary Chao. urging them to take action after private pension underfunding quadrupled $25 billion to $111 billion. I wrote to them that \"The implications of such massive shortfall in pension funds are staggering. for pensioners. taxpayers and for private companies themselves. As part of your agencys statutory duties. as overseers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. it is incumbent upon you.\" Mr. and Mrs. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4425}
{"speech_id":1090087977,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Secretary. \"to ensure that private pension plans continue to be properly and adequately funded. and that the economic security of employees and taxpayers is no further endangered.\" What do you think happened since I wrote that letter back in July of 2002? Private pension plans underfunding has quadrupled again to nearly $450 billion. The pension plans of hardworking men and women in this country. the pension plans that they are basing their retirement plans on. the pension plans that they are relying on for the future care of their spouses and other members of their family are underfunded by $450 billion. The deficit at the PBGC. the agency that is supposed to guarantee these pensions should these companies go out of business. should these. pensions be put into default. they are. in fact. now at greater risk of having to pay out billions of dollars to make up the shortfall. In fact. they are at risk of whether or not the PBGC can continue. given the amount of shortfall that exists in Americas pension plans. Since we wrote the Secretaries back then and since the quadrupling of the underfunding. hundreds of thousands of employees at U.S. Airways and United have lost billions of dollars in promised benefits. What has this Congress done about this? Absolutely nothing. It- took -years for the Bush administration to get a reform plan up to the Congress. and it has not lifted a finger to push for the passage of that plan. Where is the leadership on behalf of Americas working families? Where is the sense of urgency to protect billions of dollars in promised retirement benefits that are now threatened? After years of costly delay. finally the House and Senate committees have passed legislation out of committee. but there is an ugly truth about the bills that many of you do not know about. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4425}
{"speech_id":1090087977,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the Members of Congress voted on these bills. they were not given the facts about what these bills really do: What is the impact of these bills on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. what is the impact on the companies who we were raising the premiums for. what is the impact on the taxpayers. and what is the impact on Americas workers and their retirement plans. When we voted on one of these socalled pension bills last spring. the committee Democrats voted \"present\" because we had no information on the legislations impact. A few weeks ago. several weeks after the committee voted. we asked the PBGC and CBO what. infact. are. the real impacts? What they have told us is that it has \"made the situation worse. that the bill that was passed inthe committee actually hastens the pension crisis. Here is what the Congressional Budget Office wrote us in October of this year: \"H.R. 2830.\" the pension bill. \"would increase PBGCs 10year net costs by $9 billion. or about 14 percent. compared with what it would be under current policy.\" So we made the problem for the guaranty corporation worse with this bill.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4425}
{"speech_id":1090087982,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact of the matter is. as pointed out in these articles. people no longer having pensions or people being in for a nasty surprise. the fact of the matter is. for 5 years the Bush administration. the Republican Congress. have simply stood back as the American middle class standard of living for retirees is dismantled. it is -threatened. is devastated. however Members want to describe it. That is what they have done. They have suggested this is okay because you can ask Secretary Chao until the cows come home anything about it. she cannot answer a single question. expresses no concern. could provide no information about the pension bill. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation refused to provide us. the information before we voted. After we voted. they said. You made the prol~lem worse. And from the Congressional Budget Office. You made the problem vorse. So I guess that the policy of the Republican Congress and the Bush administration is that millions of Americans will lose their hold onthe a clicass the moment they retiie..The rioment they retire. they will lose their hold. We have tried to encourage a younger generation to save. to provide for their retirement. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1617}
{"speech_id":1090087982,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot get a hearing on things that would dramatically change. if not these retirees livelihoods. it would certainly change the livelihood for younger workers in this country. It is a sad day that we do not do this. Tragically. there are going to be millions more cover stories like this as millions of Americans lose access to the retirement they were planning for for the care of themselves. their families. and their children.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1617}
{"speech_id":1090087984,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about what I think is really the issue of the day. and that is energy. Energy runs this country. Energy is what we use to get to work. Energy is what we use to run our homes. Energy is what we use to manufacture and process things. Yes. it all started 5 miles from where I live many years ago when Drake Well discovered oil. That is about 150 years ago.. Energy then became the major component of the industrial revolution in this country and the world. and oil was king. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090087984,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Oil still plays a major role. I am not so sure it is king. but Drake Well was the beginning. Then we got into the World War I and World War H. era. and coal was kink. America is probably the Saudi Arabia of coal. We have coal in the West and coal in the East. The eastern part of .the country furnished both soft and hard coal that fueled the Industrial Revolution. In recent years. we have had a shift from coal to natural gas. Now natural gas has always played a role. The major share of American homes are heated with natural gas. The majority of small businesses are heated with natural gas. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090087984,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Natural gas plays a huge role in manufacturing. I think that is the one that is least understood. This morning we had a hearing held by a group of American employers who employ millions of Americans. It was the American Chemical Association. American Forest and Paper Products Association. the National Association of Manufacturers. and 13 other agencies. Agriculture Energy Alliance. American Plastics Council. It goes on and on. rubber manufacturers. Fertilizer Institute. All of these people today had one message for Congress: Solve the natural gas problem that is forcing us out of business. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090087984,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The use of natural gas has been skyrocketing. I can show Members a chart that shows it. The red is the growing use of natural gas. We are right about at this point here. and it is only going to get worse because we have expanded the use of natural gas in this country. particularly for the generation of electricity. Onefourth of our natural gas now generates electricity. and that figure continues to grow. We now have an inadequate supply because as we have simultaneously increased the use of natural gas. we simultaneously locked .up the major areas of this country that are rich in natural gas. We only have about 3 percent of the worlds oil at our access. and we import about 60 percent of our oil. That is a path we cannot follow. We need to be veering from the use of oil everywhere we can because it is not that we are buying it from friends at a fair price. Just a few years ago. natural gas was less than $2 a thousand and oil was $10 a barrel. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090087984,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That went on for decades and that prevented other types of energy from competing because those prices were so cheap that we just became complacent as a country. not realizing that somewhere down the road. the price of these energy fuels could really be harmful to this country. Well. we are there today. We recently passed an energy bill that does a lot of things for the future. It does a lot of things for wind and solar and biomass and ethanol and the list goes on and on. hydrogen fuel cells. but they are all long term. There are incentives in that bill for promoting it. . 1700 But it did little to promote natural gas. There were a couple of incentives for deep drilling. but in my view. natural gas is the crisis of the day. We have heard an awful lot on television about gasoline prices. Every newscast for weeks talked about the highest gasoline prices in history. and at one point after Katrina we were over $3. $3.25. unheardof prices. and they have settled down now about a buck now. They are $2something or $2.30 or $2.25. depending on where one lives. but they had come back down. At one point gasoline prices had doubled over a 5year period. and that was all the news. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090088008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would really appreciate my colleagues trying to get that information out. Again. I think it is important as this debate proceeds over the next few days and weeks ahead. some believe a vote could come as early as Thursday. that people back home. families. students. leaders in education. contact their Members to let them know this is not the way to address the financial needs in our country.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":394}
{"speech_id":1090088011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we try to do in this 30something time. we do a lot of talking. ut we also want to show people with thirdparty validators and with the specifics blown up in postersize form so that they have it both in graphical depiction as well as in description from us individually. So that was just showing my colleague that while he goes through just exactly what these cuts in student aid do. we have that up for the folks at home.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":425}
{"speech_id":1090088023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that is what our generation is going to change when we- take -the country in another direction. It is time for us to start saying that we want the best and the brightest to.come and work for our government. There used to be a day and age when government service. assisting your country. coming from the private sector for.a few years and helping out and giving your time and talents to the government was a respected endeavor.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":439}
{"speech_id":1090088070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But they want $4 billion from the State of Louisiana. and the State of Louisianas annual budget is $8 billion. So half of it would go to the Federal Government so that Louisiana can get relief from their Federal Government. That just does not make sense.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090088128,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on the progress America ismaking in the global war on terrorism and in particular on the progress being made in Iraq. Recently we passed a solemn benchmark. Two thousand of our servicemen and women have paid the ultimate price in defense of freedom. A vocal minority contend that these casualties were in vain. They claim we are in Iraq for all the wrong reasons. Further. they say that since there have been no weapons of mass destruction uncovered in Iraq that the administration obviously lied to get Americans behind the - initial war effort. I think it is important that we take a few minutes to recall the world in which we lived prior to taking military action against Saddam Hussein in 2003. The previous administration was quite clear in their belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8781}
{"speech_id":1090088128,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ThenPresident Clinton said: Saddam rejects peace and we have to use\" force. our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraqs weapons of mass destruction program. Clintons National Security Advisor. Sandy Berger. said of Hussein: He will use those weapons of mass destruction again. as he has ten times since 1993. Even after he left office. Al Gore stated: We know that [Hussein] has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout the country. Madeline Albright said: The risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use -nuclear. chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face. Let us all remember. Iraq had been in blatant violation of 17 separate United Nations resolutions dating back to the first Persian Gulf Warresolutions which required Iraq -to reveal prohibited WMD and missile programs to U.N. inspectors. American and British war. planes were continually fired upon while enforcing U.N.-mandated \"no- fly zones\" in Iraq. -In 1993. terrorists detonated a bomb in the garage of the World Trade Center in an attempt to toppie this symbol - of capitalism. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8781}
{"speech_id":1090088128,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1996. the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. housing an Air Force Fighter Wing. were attacked by terrorists. Nineteen U.S. servicemembers lost their lives. Hundreds were wounded. In 1998. the U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were bombed by terrorists. Hundreds lost their lives. In October of 2000. the USS Cole was attacked by terrorists while refueling in Yemen. Seventeen sailors lost their lives. Many more were injured. And. of course. we all remember the day the Pentagon was attacked and the World Trade Center was leveled by terrorists crashing commercial airliners into both structures on 9\/11. resulting in more than 3.000 of our fellow citizens being killed and America finally waking up to the reality that is terrorism. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8781}
{"speech_id":1090088128,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The terrorists had no reason to believe that we would respond to 9\/11 because we had not responded in the past. At that time. every country in the free world believed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein did nothing to dispel those beliefs. He had actually used chemical Weapons on Iranians and on his own citizens. President Bush could not risk Americas future on the hope that a dictator like Hussein. with a track record that included grotesque human rights abuses. aggression against his neighbors. and the harboring and funding of -terrorists. could be reformed or indefinitely contained. In fact. the Senate chose not to risk Americas future either. This body voted 7723 in favor of the resolution allowing President Bush to use force in Iraq. Those voting in the affirmative included the thenDemocratic Leader of the Senate. the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee and the Democratic nominee for President in the 2004 election. I have a few quotes I would like to read. Senator JAY ROCKEFELLER. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8781}
{"speech_id":1090088128,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. October 2002: There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years . \u0095 : We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction. He obviously had access to the intelligence that the President had. Senator JOHN KERRY. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. October 2002: When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to useforce. if necessary. to disarm Saddam Hussein [it is] because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.... Senator HILLARY CLINTON. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. October 2002: In the four years sihce the inspectors left. intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein. has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock. his missile delivery capability. and his nuclear program. He has also given aid. comfort. and sanctuary to terrorists. including alQaeda members ... ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8781}
{"speech_id":1090088244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. if the Senator would allow me to respond. let me propose an idea which I have proposed to Armed Forces Radio. I said. What about putting someone on from this side with a progressive talk show that would counterbalance this? The answer apparently is. no. So would that not suggest that they are censoring this side of the aisle. censoring this side of the political debate? Is that not censorship?","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":402}
{"speech_id":1090088247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is an unbelievable assertion. I have great respect for the Senator from Virginia. but it is unbelievable. I. too. drive down the road. and on my radio. for example. would listen to Rush Limbaugh. very entertaining. very smart. It is a program a lot of people listen to. What he does is he relentlessly kicks the living daylights out of the opposite party. Is that found on NPR? The implication and the suggestion on the Senate floor and elsewhere that N~vember 8. 2005 * NPR is some sort of leftwing political show is absolute rubbish. I am sorry. It is absolute nonsense. I am so tired of hearing it.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":606}
{"speech_id":1090088264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. if I could say to my friend from Virginia. for a point of clarification. there was some discussion about this amendment and the fact that. since there are two approaches here. one is a sense of the Senate and one is my approach. perhaps it would be better if we could have sidebyside votes. that Mr. INHOFE would go first and I would go second. Does the chairman envision that?","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":408}
{"speech_id":1090088277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I read the Inhofe amendment. all it says is that: The Secretary of Defense may appoint an individual to serve as ombudsman ... to act as an intermediary between the staff of the American Forces Network and the Department of Defense. military commanders. and listeners to the programminj of the American Forces Network. That is all it says. It doesnt say what his duties are. My amendment specifically says that the ombudsman will do these things: Appointed by the Secretary of Defense for a term of 5 years. not engage in any prebroadcast censorship. conduct regular reviews of the integrity. balance and fairness. respond to program issues raised by the audience regarding the networks programming. refer complaints to AFR management..make suggestions regarding ways to correct imbalances. and prepare an annual report both to the SECDEF and Congress. So my amendment spells out what the ombudsman should do. The Inhofe amendment does not.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":943}
{"speech_id":1090088335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since I am on my time. the Senator can get his own time to respond. That is why we need to codify it. I think the Senator has put his finger on it. That is why our amendment is necessary. It takes the DOD directive. what is in writing. and codifies it and makes it law. That way there wont be any confusion. That way we will know whether they are living up to their own words. Secondly. putting in an ombudsmannot \"may.\" what the Senator says in his amendmentwill do the following: That person will be appointed by the Secretary of Defense. not engage in any censorship. conduct reviews of integrity. balance. and fairness. respond to program issues raised by the audience. make suggestions regarding ways to correct imbalances. and. most importantly. prepare and present an annual report to the Secretary of Defense and Congress on whether American Forces Radio is satisfying its mandate to provide fair and balanced political programming. The Senator. by his own words. shows why this is necessary. All of a sudden we hear there is a policy. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1491}
{"speech_id":1090088335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not written down. We have never heard of it before. Yet we know what is happening. I repeat for emphasis: On the 33 stations around the world. we have 100 percent Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura and James Dobson. and zero percent of any kind of progressive radio. I dont care how you cut it. slice it. dice it. or excuse it. this is unfair. This is censorship. This is propagandizing our troops. They deserve better than that. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1491}
{"speech_id":1090088403,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator will yield. I have great respect for the Senator. I am interested in what he said. Let us confer a little bit and think a little bit about this during the two votes that are about to take place. Perhaps we can find out what the Senator from Nevada and the Senator from Virginia have in mind. Perhaps we can work out something that will be in the best interest of the country. I would like to think about that. I thank the Senator. Lets just hold it in abeyance for a little while until after the votes. and then we will come back to it.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":566}
{"speech_id":1090088451,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I understand we will now proceed to a brief colloquy between -colleagues on both sides of the aisle with regard to the Levin amendment. That colloquy should. in total. not exceed about 10 or 11 minutes. and then we will proceed to a rollcall vote. At this time. shall we ask for the yeas and nays on -the Levin amendment?*","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":337}
{"speech_id":1090088475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I stand in opposition to theamendment for many reasons which I have stated on three previous occasions. including early this morning addressing this amendment. The distinguished Senator from Delaware talked about looking forward to our troops. I draw the attention of colleagues to Defense Department directive No. 3115.09 issued on the 3rd of November of this year in which they set forth the new regulations and rules with regard to treatment of prisoners. The directive provides overarching policy to the Department. It codifies existing departmental studies. including the requirement for humane treatment of captured or detained persons during intelligence interrogation and questioning. assigns responsibilities for interrogation planning and training. and establishes requirements for reporting violations of the policy regarding humane treatment. Section 3443 is a directive addressing some specific abuse detailed in past investigations. The directive specifically requires the Central Intelligence Agency interrogation must follow Pentagon guidelines when questioning military prisoners and that a DOD representative be present. Further. this release should be followed by the revision of the Department of the Army Field Manual which is the subject of the McCain. amendment. which I strongly support. on interrogations which this Senate overwhelmingly directed become the U:S. standard as part of the amendment proposed by Senator MCCAIN. Our Government collectively is moving in the right direction to correct the .problems of the past. clearly. such that the whole world knows how our Nation stands against this type of abuse that occurred in the past. I strongly urge -our colleagues not to start up another commission in the middle of our war in Iraq and Afghanistan. and for the next year or 18 months begin to go over the material which this Senate time and. time again has addressed in. debates. on which our Committees on Foreign Affairs. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2133}
{"speech_id":1090088475,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Intelligence. and Armed. Services have reviewed this question with some dozen investigations conducted by our Government. largely the Department of Defense. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2133}
{"speech_id":1090088512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in opposition to the amendment. I bring to the attention of our colleagues that the CTR Program. of which our distinguished colleague from Indiana. Mr. LUGAR. was the principal author and sponsor. is fully funded at the budget request of $415.5 million. There still remains an unobligated balance of $107 million from the 2005 funds. So this category of our important work is fully funded and moving ahead on its schedule of expenditures. In contrast. the Missile Defense Program this year took a $1 billion cut as part of the internal DOD budget deliberations. and missile defense is also reduced by $5 billion over the period 2006 to 2011. By adopting the Reed amendment. we would havea fracture in the longlead funding. resulting in a production break which. on the assumption it would be restarted. would cost the taxpayers another $270 billion. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1489}
{"speech_id":1090088512,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I say to my colleagues. I have a sheet here that shows how three consecutive times this Chamber has voted basically on this amendment and defeated it. A $500 million cut by Senator LEVIN was defeated in June of 2004 by 56 votes. followed by a Boxer amendment limiting deployment of groundbased interceptors. defeated by 57 votes. and a Reed amendment again defeated by 53 votesincidentally. all of those having home measure of bipartisan support. So we are revisiting the same issue. I strongly recommend to my colleagues that this amendment not be adopted. Have the yeas and nays been ordered. Mr. President?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1489}
{"speech_id":1090088526,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have spent quite a bit of time talking about this amendment. This does amend sections 1201 and 1204 of title XII. to provide our Government with new authorities to fight the global war on terror. We have initially had some concerns. both from the other side and from a couple of the other committees. We have worked out the compromise. and that is what this modification is. In an effort to accommodate my colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee and my colleagues across the aisle. we have made some modifications to our original amendment. These modifications provide a sunset for this authority on September 30. 2007. They provide for some limitation of DOD authority in section 1201. subject to existing law in the foreign relations and foreign appropriations act. With these modifications. I think that it is going to be a great help to the administration. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":968}
{"speech_id":1090088526,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that Senator LUGAR be added as a cosponsor of my amendment.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":968}
{"speech_id":1090088549,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would say to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. frankly. they are not being used today by our military and that is the problem. Therein lies the problem. We just saw President Bush down in the Summit of the Americas. and they had riots down there and they used these very agents to control the crowds. Even when they had problems at Abu Ghraib prison. these riot control agents were not allowed to be used because people were afraid to use them. Can you imagine. if you are a first lieutenant or you are a sergeant and you are out there and you know that these things have been allowed in the past. but now the State Department and the military are putting stuff out and there are questions. you are not going to use the thing that may be the most effective at saving lives of the personnel around you. as well as the civilians. because you could be accused potentially of violating the Chemical Weapons Treaty. We are handcuffing the very personnel that this Senate is supposed to be trying to protect. That is why I believe. as the Senator has correctly pointed out. that this amendment is consistent with the very examples that you pointed out that are in the Executive Order No. 11850 that was signed back in 1975.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1253}
{"speech_id":1090088550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I Want to make clear I presume the amendment of the Senator clarifies some ambiguity. which ambiguity acts as a deterrent on our forces today from using it. Once the ambiguities are set aside. then we can proceed to utilize these agents. provided it is consistent with the Executive Order 11850? Have I. correctly stated that?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":326}
{"speech_id":1090088587,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to briefly discuss an amendment that was offered to the Defense Authorization bill yesterday by the Senators from Colorado. I voted against this measure. and I did so with some res\"ervation. If approved by this body. this amendment would have provided retirement benefits to government contract workers. who. by no fault of their own. now find themselves denied of pension and lifetime medical benefits that they were expecting to receive. In fact. the tragedy. of their situation is that because of these workers efficiency. they are actually being denied pensions and health insurancein this case. they are clearly victims of their own success. As the Senators from Colorado explained. the Federal Government had given employees of Kaiser Hill Company until December 15. 2006 to complete their Work decontaminating and demolishing the former nuclear weapons facility at Rocky Flats. However. because Kaiser Hills workers finished their work a .year ahead of schedule. they are being penalized under the terms of their contract. Like countless other Federal contracts. the arrangement for Rocky Flats workers used a numerical formula for determining who would receive lifetime benefits after the works completionif the sum of an employees age and years of employment at the nuclear weapons plant added up to 70. the worker would be fully eligible for these benefits. But with Kaiser Hill declaring the job complete 14 months before their deadline. over 70 workers who would have qualified for these benefits could not. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3392}
{"speech_id":1090088587,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend the Senators from Colorado for offering their amendment. They have every right to be troubled by the way workers in their State have been affected by this contract. And I share their deep concern that rather than be rewarded for their good work. the workers of Rocky Flats are actually unable to obtain the benefits that they had expected. Under terms of such a coitract there is absolutely no incentive for workers to perform as effectively as these fine KaiserHill employees did. I cannot disagree with that notion at all. Nonetheless. yesterday. I felt compelled to vote against the amendmentnot because it was offered without the best of intentions. I believe that the workers of KaiserHill deserve to be commended for their quick and thorough work. However. I am afraid that if we are to single out these workers contract. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3392}
{"speech_id":1090088587,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress would be creating an unfair standard that would help one segment of the Nations Federal contracting workforce while leaving the rest without any similar support. If this amendment had been approved. I would be concerned about benefiting some to the exclusion of others who might be deserving of similar consideration. I believe that we ought to revisit the issues facing these workers in the context of other Federal contract employees who might be in a similar situation. I stand ready to work with my colleagues from Colorado as well as others from other States who share my concern about these workers. who have been penalized due to no fault of their own. I believe that the Senators from Colorado have identified a critically important problem with formulas being used to regulate benefit disbursements in Federal contracts. And I hope these issues will be revisited to ensure that we are rewarding good and efficient performance and providing American workers the benefits that they deserve.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3392}
{"speech_id":1090088590,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the last 4 years I have been talking about the unfair and painful offsetof the Defense Departments Survivors Benefits Plan against Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. or DIC. This offset mistreats the survivors of our service members who die on active duty now and our 100 percent disabled military retirees who purchased this benefit attheend of their careers. It is wrong. we know it. and we have got to. fix it. Taking care of widows and orphans is a cost of war. I have reminded the Senate of the Good Books words. that in Gods eyes the true measure of our faith is how we look after orphans and widows in their distress. And they are in distress. We are in a violent struggle around the world with brutal and vicious enemies. Sadly. American troops are lostevery day. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7633}
{"speech_id":1090088590,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must never forget that the loved ones left behind by our courageous men and women in uniform bear the greatest pain. Their lives are forever altered. their futures left unclea r. They suffer the enduring cost of the ultimate sacrifice. and the Nation that asked for that sacrifice must honor it. The Department of Defense has provided the Senate several objections to our amendment. For the benefit of my colleagues. I would like to answer each objection. First. just because the Pentagon objects to the amendment does not mean we should not act. The Pentagons objections have not stopped Congress from correcting military benefit inequities before. They should not stop us now. The Pentagon objected to TRICARE For Life. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7633}
{"speech_id":1090088590,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the Congress supported it anyway. The Pentagon objected to concurrent receipt for disabled military retirees. And the Congress supported it anyway. Last year. the Pentag6n objected to eliminating the age62 SBP benefit reduction. And Congress. fixed that inequity anyway. I remind my colleagues that it is Congress responsibility to ensure our widows and retirees are treated fairly. We are the ones who must recognize that the Nation has an obligation to those who give their lives for our country. The Defense Department argues that a VA Disability Benefits Commission is studying this. so we should not take any action. There is no indication whatsoever that the commission is actively looking at either of the issues addressed in my amendment. We understand that they are about to ask for a 1 year extension. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7633}
{"speech_id":1090088590,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is that nothing will come out of that commission until at least fiscal year 2009. That is too late to help the World War II and Korean era retirees who should already be \"5aid up\" in their SBP. We dont need to study these issues for several more years. The inequities are clear. The Defense Department argues that SBP and DIC are fully funded and that the offset is consistent with other Government programs. They are not fully funded from the beneficiaries perspective. because one offsets the other. The fact that other Government programs have offsets is irrelevant when you consider the sacrifices of military members and widows for the rest of the country. This same argument was used to argue against concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation. but the Congress rejected it 2 years ago. When military duty causes the disability or death of a servicemember. all comparisons with other Government programs seem hollow. The Defense Department argues that they refund the premiums for the SBP that is not paid to the widows of our 100 percent disable retirees. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7633}
{"speech_id":1090088590,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know a thing or two about insurance. When someone buys an insurance policy and then dies. no insurance company in America could get away with saying. \"sorry. were not going to pay. heres a refund of your premiums.\" Not only that. but the Government does not even pay interest on the refunded premiums. However. let a widow get an overpayment from the Government. and the Government insists on collecting interest from her. These widows are rightly saying \"keep your premium refund. give me the benefit we purchased.\" The Department of Defense argues that the law lets widows assign the SBP benefit to their children and. in fact. draw both their VA and SBP benefits. This is not true for the vast majority. It applies only to widows who have children and only to those whose husbands were killed since November 24. 2003. It does absolutely nothing for more than 90 percent of widows affected by this inequity. Even for those widows with kids. who do have the option. it poses a terrible choice. If they assign the benefit to their children. they lose it completely after their children reach age 18. or 22 if they go to. college. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7633}
{"speech_id":1090088614,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor to introduce this bill. which repeals. a provision in the 1977 reauthorization of th6 Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972a provision which unduly restricts our ability to get States on the west coast the petroleum supplies they need. In the last several weeks. some of our colleagues have participated in press conferences. sent out news releases. and come to the floor to talk about the impact of high energy prices. They have expressed concern about the effect these prices are having on- our economy. our consumers. our businesses. and our national security. I share their concerns. In fact. for over 3 years. I have been urging the Senate to deal with this situation. It took bne of the worst natural disasters in the history of our Nation for many to evaluate our energy policy. While the circumstances are tragic. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3701}
{"speech_id":1090088614,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am glad our. colleagues are taking a closer look at this. The plan our colleagues now support aims to achieve the right goal. but it offers the wrong solution. Their plan calls for energy independencea goal which I support. But they tout conservation as the only way to reach this goal. This approach would put us on the wrong course and fail to solve the larger problem. Our country is in the midst of an energy crisis. and w6 cannot conserve our way out. To suggest otherwise does a great disservice to all Americans. We dont need a hollow plan. we need results. We cannot get out of this crisis by blaming Americanswho are just trying to live their lives. run their businesses. and get to and from workfor the situation we are in. This is not solely a consumption problem. much of this crisis stems from misguided policies which have locked up our lands and prevented us from building new refineries. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3701}
{"speech_id":1090088614,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The only way to become energy independent is through a combination of initiatives. Conservation. is one part of the broader solution. But we also need to develop renewable and alternative sources of energy and invest in nuclear power and we must develop our domestic oil and gas resources which exist on Federal lands. The end to this crisis lies in the balance between conservation and development. Yes. I believe that Americans need to conserve our energy resources. but this alone wont solye our energy crisis. To suggest it will is to greatly mislead the American public. We need to get serious about our. energy policy. My good friend and colleague. Senator DOMENICI. has told us we must expand on the Energy bill. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3701}
{"speech_id":1090088614,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I agree with Senator DOMENICI. and I look forward to working with him on an energy policy for this country that makes sense. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita exposed a weakness in our domestic production and refining capability. weakness some of us have been warning about for years. All Americahs have been hit with higher energy prices in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Some colleagues have expressed concern that this situation was compounded by price gouging. Senator INOUYE and I. along with our colleagues on the Commerce Committee. are evaluating several bills pertaining to that issue. In the coming days. we will be moving forward to address some of those concerns. In the process of reviewing these concerns. the claims by those on the west coast were of particular interest to me. Due to current restrictions in the MMPA. it is almost impossible for companies to expand their refineries to increase supply. The provision repealed by my bill is currently impacting the largest refinery on the west coast. affecting more than 300.000 gallons of fuel per day. I introduce this bill to enable us to get petroleum resources to west coast States quickly and urge my colleagues to support this initiative.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3701}
{"speech_id":1090088768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If I could respond to the last question. No. not Federal employees involved in Medicare and Medicaid. the other situation. We are talking about Federal employees on Federal military facilities. We are trying to protect the parents rights in this. which the chairman did not dispute. but others may dispute. and we still need to provide another procedure for the child to go outside the parents rights. I think. this is important. and we have tried to make it workable within the military system. I thank the Senator.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":516}
{"speech_id":1090088950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yes. the Senator the standard. Again. there is no intenis correct. And what we say is. if you tion here to bypass the rules. It is to do it. the least that ought to happen is. cofifirm clearly that if you talk about you ought to learn enough of a lesson this. we are not saying you go to jail. that we are going to remove any access We are not saying anything else. But to classified information if you do it you certainly should no longer have acknowingly. cess to classified information.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":489}
{"speech_id":1090088967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. President. very simply. this amendment seeks to clarify what the policy of the United States has been since 1975. that our military would be able to use riot control agentsin this case tear gasfor defensive purposes. That has been the policy of the United States. But because of some interpretations. our military is not able to use tear gas. They do not take it with them. they do not train with it. and in many cases tear gasjust as police forces use it all over the worldwould save civilian lives as well as lives of the members of our military. This is absolutely a critical amendment to save lives of Americans and for those civilians who. when our military kills themand unfortunately these things happenit makes us look bad as a country. This is a critical amendment that we need to adopt.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":801}
{"speech_id":1090089018,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Presiding Officer. Mr. President. I have just gotten this amendment and Iam looking it over. It is not unlike similar provisions that have been before the Senate. As a matter of fact. it has been passed by the Senate but dropped in conference. Here is the problem based on. again. very modest military experience of my own. but a lifetime of association with the men and women in the military. I have come to learn the importance of pay. Pay to an individual is a tremendous symbolism. I remember when we advanced from private to private first class or. in my case. from seaman to seaman second class. seaman first class. and so on. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1870}
{"speech_id":1090089018,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I got $4 a month in ofie pay increase. I remember. in World War II. And then the wife at home often is struggling to make ends meet. Boy. that pay is important. Picture that today we have a total force concept. It is not Reserves serving over here and regulars serving over here. Fortunately. we mix. The units are merged together. When we go to Iraq. as all of us go now. we will find Reserves and regulars performing the same duties commensurate with their rank and their technical experience. Reserves and regulars are subject to the same threat to life and limb from an IED. from the missiles coming in. subject to the same arduous hardships and living conditions both in Iraq and Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1870}
{"speech_id":1090089018,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then along comes this amendment. no matter how wellintentioned. and suddenly the Reservist gets a significant amount of money in addition to his monthly pay to the regular who is serving right with him. living in the same tent. eating the same food. and taking the same risks. For those of us who have had the opportunity to serve in the ranks. that begins to breed tension and inequities. You dont want those types of tensions as these young men and women are courageously performing their military duties. This is my concern.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1870}
{"speech_id":1090089021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. I have the greatest respect for the Senator from Virginia. who served his country not only in the Navy but as Secretary of the Navy. and also as the longest serving Senator in Virginia. Didnt the Senator from Virginia break the. record recently?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090089034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In which all. of us have -participated. We have seen the parts that emerge and the parts that do not. and it is always a little mystery as to what emerges and what does not emerge. My understanding is that clearly is a precedent for treating all employees. Everybody is activated the same way as Federal employees. That is No. 1. So I think that is a good argument for the amendment. But also the cost of this amendment. it seems to me. given the qualification period of 6 months. as I understand it. the cost over 5 years would be $295 million which would be a little under $60 million a year. is that correct?","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":611}
{"speech_id":1090089074,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There !comes a time every now and then to reflect on the past with a sense of humor. When I was a young Senator many years ago.* one of the Senators predecessors was Russell Long. His expertise was in the area of taxes. How many times. I ask my good friend from Michigan. would I hear him in these vigorous floor debates come over and say: We will drop it in conference. accept it?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":381}
{"speech_id":1090089120,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have this vote. We are making great progress on this bill. I will be consulting with the leadership. There is a possibility we would like to continue tonight. but with regard to further rollcallvotes. we will have to consult our respective leaders to determine that. We will do that as quickly as possible so as to convenience Senators. But this bill will go on tonight. It may - well be we debate amendments and stack them for the morning.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":458}
{"speech_id":1090089122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. I have to get my leader. I have to tell you. I know he came on and off the floor. Mr. President. the managers wish to advise the Senate that this will probably be the last rollcall vote tonight. But we will continue to debate amendments and stack them for a time agreed upon by the two leaders for tomorrow morning.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":321}
{"speech_id":1090089124,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if I could have the attention of the Chamber for 60 seconds. The last amendment by Senator CHAMBLISS received 99 votes. We all joined in supporting it. It was a good amendment. This amendment. which I am offering. I think is better. Here is why. Under the amendment offered by Senator CHAMBLISS. you could reduce the age at which you are eligible as a reservist to start receiving your retirement based on the time you spent mobilized. activated. This amendment says you could reduce it by the time served in the Reserve. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090089124,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Right now. no matter when you start. how long you serve. you cannot draw the first dollar in retirement until you are 60 years old. Under my amendment. if you have served 25 years in the Reserve. you could start drawing it at age 55. which is the common retirement age for civil servants. for Federal employees. My amendment is endorsed by the National Guard Association. the Military Officers Association. and the Reserve Officers Association. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to add Senators Corzine and Landrieu as cosponsors.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090089243,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to introduce legislation that would provide a tax credit for home energy costs to low- and middleincome taxpayers. This legislation will help those who are struggling to simply heat their homes as winter approaches and while fuel prices remain so high. Home heating oil in Maine is $2.52 per gallon. up 59 cents from a year ago. Kerosene prices average $2.95 a gallon. 75 cents higher than this time last year. Some projections have a gallon of heating oil reaching $3.00! And I am told that rolling blackouts on cold days this winter may be a possibility because of a high demand for electricity. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. heatPig costs for the average family using heating oil are projected to hit $1.666 for the upcoming winter. This repregents an increase of $403 over last winters prices and $714 over the winter heating season of 20032004. Should colder weather prevail. these costs will surely increase. especially for States like Maine. So understandably. my constituents are asking how they will be able to afford to pay home heating oil bills that are 30 percent more expensive than last year. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4158}
{"speech_id":1090089243,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a crisis that has arrived. Heating ones homeis a necessity of lifeso much so that 73 percent of households in a recent survey reported they would cut back on. and even go without. other necessities such as food. prescription drugs. and mortgage and rent payments. Churches. food pantries. local service organizationsthey are all deeply concerned. and the leaves have barely fallen from the trees. In order to help low- and middleincome families heat their homes this winter. I am proposing a tax credit for home energy costs up to $500. The credit would be available to married couples earning less than $100.000 and single taxpayers making less than $50.000. My legislation Also directs the Treasury Departm*ent to assist individuals to adjust their withholding amounts for 2006. which will immediately increase take home pay. -Without adjusting their withholding. taxpayers would not benefit from the credit until they file their taxes sometime in 2007. possibly long after energy prices have returned to a normal level. As a result. this is*a crucial provision to ensure that these individuals and families get a helping hand exactly when they need it most. Finally. any unused credit amount could be carried back to the prior two taxable years or carried forward to future taxable years. It is critical that those who would benefit from the home. energy credit are not at the same time required to shoulder the burden of the cost of the credit through an increase in the national debt. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4158}
{"speech_id":1090089243,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This credit should be paid for. and it makes sense to me that costs of the credit should be financed by those who profit the most by high energy prices. namely large oil companies. I am concerned that while many individuals are forced to make the choice of heating ones home or meeting the other basic necessities of life. large oil companies are showing record profits. Therefore.. the Home Energy Cost TaxAssistance Act includes an offset provision to disallow the tax benefit that large oil companies with revenues in excess of $1 billion in 2005 receive by use of theLastIn. FirstOut (LIFO) tax accounting method. Instead. these companies would be required to use the FirstIn. FirstOut (FIFO) method of accounting for 2005. Put another way. the proposal would scale back a tax provision that allows oil companies to take an enormous tax deduction when prices are sky high and allows them to boost aftertax profits even further. As big oil companies show record profits on the backs of ordinary Americans. they have less of a need for such a tax break. and I believe it is fair to scale back this tax break in order to lend a helping hand to lowand middleincome workers. It is critical that Congress act to help low and middle income Americans absorb thd increased home energy costs associated with the drastic increase in price of fuel. Temperatures are falling. prices are rising and we must move swiftly. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4158}
{"speech_id":1090089243,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the text -of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4158}
{"speech_id":1090089280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I must say to the distinguished Presiding Officer. the war reserves stockpile for Korea. I dont know if that includes me with it or not. I did spend a period of time over there in 1951 and 1952 in the winter with the Marines. Likely I will be here again tomorrow morning to pursue the authorization bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090089292,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. tomorrow the House is planning to vote on Americas future. The budget vote will decide who wins. who loses. The Republican budget does not reflect Americas priorities. Where else would you protect corporate welfare like $16.5 billion in handouts. taxpayer handouts to oil and gas companies. and all the while throwing Americas children over the side. A Republican Congress. of course. Where else would you cut $9.5 billion from childrens health care affecting 6 million children. while helping protect big oil and gas companies. Where else would you cut 330.000 children from child care assistance while protecting big HMOs. Where else would you cut 40.000 children from nutrition programs while protecting Americas polluters. Where else would you cut $14.3 billion in student college aid. the single largest cut in the history of the student aid program. A Republican Congress. but of course. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090089292,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are not the right priorities for America. They are not Americas priorities for its future. Madam Speaker. we should cut spending. but we should not jeopardize our future by cutting programs for our children. It is time we made a change. It is time that we choose our priorities. We can do better. not protecting Big Oil at the expense of taking Americas children and throwing them over the side.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090089300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I stand united with my fellow Blue Dogs in protest of this reckless budget vote that we will be taking this week. I have said time and time again that our budget is a moral document and it is about our priorities and values as a nation. Let us be clear about this budget reconciliation and what it will do for America. It will pay for tax cuts for the rich on the backs of our Nations poorest. including lowincome seniors who receive help from Medicaid. It abandons rural America by proposing $1 billion in cuts to ag commodity programs. It takes aim at valuable research and conservation programs that will help farmers to stay on the land. And in a time when everyone is con- cerned about rising energy prices. this bill cuts funds for renewable energy programs. Yet none of these savings will go towards balancing the budget. Together we can do better. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1128}
{"speech_id":1090089300,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to return to responsible budget principles that- include payasyougo spending. We need a balanced budget amendment. And we need a Federal budget that is honest with the American people. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on this budget reconciliation.","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1128}
{"speech_id":1090089318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I cannot vote for this reconciliation plan for one very simple reason: Now is not the time to be cutting taxes for the wealthy in our country when the people of the ravaged gulf coast region receive silence and burdensome loans. I join my fellow Blue Dogs in opposition to this plan. Do the math: $54 billion in spending cuts minus $70 billion in tax cuts equals a $16 billion increase in the deficit. We give tax cuts to the rich and continue to run up the deficit. but continue to send loans to the people who need their government the most in the gulf coast region. Our government mustr do just as President Bush said in Jackson Square. whatever it takes to rebuild. I agree with the President on rebuilding. But let me be clear. Cutting taxes for the wealthy while loaning money to the devastated communities along the gulf coast is the wrong course of action. Let us start sending real help to the people in need and stop sending millionaires refund checks.","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":977}
{"speech_id":1090089338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me close as I began today by pointing out to my colleagues that this conference report prohibits funding from being used by the United States Government for torture. We need to make this the absolute policy. of our country. Friday is Veterans Day. and we need to do everything -we can to honor our veterans. but we can honor our veterans in part by. doing everything we can to protect the soldiers who are now on the field. and that must mean making torture something that this country will never be part of. I am horrified. quite frankly. by the behavior of the White House on this issue. They attempted to try to undermine what Senator MCCAiN has tried to do in the Senate and what some of us have tried to do here. in the House. Those who believe that torture should have no place in America or American society are frustrated by what the White House is trying to do. We are a much better country. The U.S. Army Manual bans torture. prohibits it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090089338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And one of the reasons why is because those who are in the military understand that it jeopardizes the lives of Americans. of American soldiers. How do we demand that the international laws be respected and that if one of. our citizens was taken as a prisoner that they not be abused or tortured if it is not the policy of this country to prohibit torture in any shape or form? We need to do better. Mr. Speaker. I will just conclude by saying that I urge my colleagues to support this bill. We do not have any problem with the rule. But I would also urge my colleagues. once this bill is passed. to join with those in the Senate in a bipartisan way to prohibit torture once and for all. This should not be part of America. We are much better than this. We do not stand for that. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090089338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And if the White House does not get the massage. we need to force the issue and to send them a bill that in fact has this prohibition in it. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1937}
{"speech_id":1090089427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the chairman for those kind words. I guess I would like to reciprocate by saying that I have worked with a great many people in the House and no one has been more responsive and more interested in matters dealing with law enforcement and children than the chairman. So we really appreciate it. I am sorry .that Wisconsin got beat. but everybody has got to lose sometime. Of course. Barry Alvarez is a good friend of mine. too. I ripe in support of the conference report. and I would like to particularly thank Chairman WOLF for restoring some of the Byrne grant funds. As *many people know. Byrne grant funds were zeroed out in the Presidents budget. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2533}
{"speech_id":1090089427,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was a tremendous effort to get any money back in there for Byrne grants. And for those who do not know. Byrne grants basically support local law- enforcement as we attack the methamphetamine problem. The gentleman from Tennessee talked about meth a little bit earlier. and I would like to just take a second to show people graphically what has happened in regard to this problem. -In 1990 there were two States. California and Texas. that each had more than 20 methamphetamine labs. The rest of the country was relatively free of this problem. Then we look at what is present in 2004. and we see the spread of methamphetamine from west .to east. just a few States in the northeast that are preserved to some degree from meth. and that will soon change. I am certain. In most of these counties in most of these States in the western and the central part of the United States. more than half of the jail cells are now occupied by meth addicts or people. who have had methrelated crimes. I would say more than half of the child deaths. child assaults. foster care cahes in these regions are due to methamphetamine abuse. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2533}
{"speech_id":1090089427,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So we really appreciate the restoration of these funds. It is not what everybody would like. but it is certainly going to keep these law enforcement people going for a period of time. Also. this conference report provides funds to clean up toxic material from meth labs. which is much needed. Above all. it encourages the Drug Enforcement Agency to establish a methamphetamine task force. Currently. we do not feel that the DEA has a comprehensive plan to attack the problem of methamphetamine. which is really covering the Whole country and is certainly becoming more and more of a problem on the east coast. So this part of the bill is excellent. I appreciate the chairmans work. I would like to thank him one more time for his efforts.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2533}
{"speech_id":1090089429,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to begin by saying that I think that our ranking member. DAVID OBEY. has stated well the concerns that many of us have with respect to some provisions of the bill that would. in this case. cut legal services to the poor.. and the stripping of the Sanders amendment was certainly a problem because that amendment would have prevented the search of library reading records by PATRIOT Act law enforcement. So I understand the concerns that have been expressed. On balance. though. I rise in support of the bill. and I am going to tell the Members why: because I think that there is an element in this bill that is so important for this country because it affirms the notion that the first \"A\" in NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. \"aeronautics.\" is critical to the agencys success. And in that connection I want to thank Chairman WOLF and I want to thank Ranking Member MOLLOHAN for their hard work and their support to that end. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3122}
{"speech_id":1090089429,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have been working for the better part of this year to make certain that aeronautics was recognized as being critical. and without the help of the entire Ohio delegation on both sides of the aisle.. without the help of Chairman WOLF. without the help of Ranking Member MOLLOHAN. we would* not be here at this exact moment pointing out that this bill represents a victory for aeronautics. Aeronautics research and development has drastically improved our national security. our air safety. our economy. and our environment. NASAs field centers. such as the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. are where tire actual basic research is done. There we will find unique research facilities. some of the best scientists and engineers of our time. and a track record of discovery for the public good that is the envy of the world. One of the secrets to NASAs success has been its dual emphasis on both space and aeronautics. A successful space program is heavily dependent on a strong aeronautics program. Indeed. we cannot get to space without first navigating the atmosphere. and yet thebudget for fiscal year 2006 attempted to drastically cut funding for aeronautics research. Recovery from that devastating loss would have taken decades and billions of dollars. That is why I am so grateful. to the chairman and to the ranking member and all of my colleagues for the work that they have put into the bill and showing that the members of the subcommittee share the deep affinity that I have and that others have in appreciation for a healthy. balanced National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This recognizes that a healthy NASA requires strong field research centers like NASA Glenn. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3122}
{"speech_id":1090089429,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Strong field centers. in turn. are dependent on their physical facilities and. more importantly. their talented workforce. The bill protects the jobs and facilities from cuts that are driven by what accountants want instead of scientific need and instead of engineering knowhow. This bill stands in defense of aeronautics. and it is a nod to the crucial role that aeronautics plays in so many facets of our daily life.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3122}
{"speech_id":1090089439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I see the .gentleman from Texas . and if he would not leave the floor. I just wanted to comment on what he was commenting on. so I yield myself such time as I may consume. In the report on that Commission. and Mr. DOGGETT spoke to me about it. what you said did not kind of jibe completely with regard to our conversation. But the statement accompanying the conference report says. \"Within the amount for the water quality program. the conferees recommend that the Commission increase funding for the Lower Rio .Grande Flood Control Project above the $2.2 million contained in the budget request.\" So we did ask for them to go above the request. Secondly. we say \"Studies by the U.S. section of the IBWC conclude that. Rio Grande Valley levees are deficient in height. gedlogically flawed. and structurally unsound. The conferees expect the administration in the upcoming budget cycle to request sufficient funds to address these needs. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1305}
{"speech_id":1090089439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Also. the conference directs that $250.000 be made available for the Rio Grande Canal Project.\" This is an increase over the construction amount. Secondly. we plan on doing a letter. because the country of Mexico is involved. Texas ought to be involved. but by torching something. it does not always get it done. I think it has to kind of come together.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1305}
{"speech_id":1090089482,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3665. as amended. It is only fitting that as November 11th approaches and we prepare to commemorate another Veterans Day. we are meeting here today on the House floor to discuss and pass this legislation. which is intended to honor the courage and sacrifice of the nations veterans. I would like to thank Chairman BUYER for his support of this bill. I also want to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee. JOHN BOOZMAN and STEPHANIE HERSETH. for their work in developing and moving this important legislation to the floor. The housing. employment and homeless provisions contained in the bill are very important and should be enacted into law. Madam Speaker. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. Our servicemembers. veterans and military families sacrifice greatly. ","speaker_name":"LANE EVANS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1094}
{"speech_id":1090089482,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is our responsibility to care and provide for them upon their return from service as we do when we send them off to war. I strongly support this measure. Madam Speaker. and I urge all my colleagues to vote for its passage.","speaker_name":"LANE EVANS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1094}
{"speech_id":1090089515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I think it is important for the Members to note that the motion to instruct deals specifically with the \"lone wolf provision and sunsets that. The lone wolf provision was not passed as a part of the PATRIOT Act in October 2001. but was included as a part of the intelligence bill which was enacted into law a little bit less than a year ago. So as a result. the committees and the public have not been able to have as extensive oversight and for as long a period of time as the other 16 provisions that were sunsetted in the act which the President signed in October 2001. So I think it is appropriate to have a sunset on~the lone wolf provision simply because we do not have the experience of being able to examine what the Justice Department has done with this new and expanded authority. On the other hand. let me say that we are negotiating with the Senate at the present time on what the length of the sunset is. and I think that the sunset on this provision will be longer than 4 years. and the sunset on the otler two provisions that were contained in the Housepassed bill will be shorter than the 10 years that the House of Representatives placed in the bill. which was passed and sent over to the other body. Having said all of this. I would like to make a couple of points. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6155}
{"speech_id":1090089515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First of all. finding out what a Department or an agency of the executive branch is doing is entirely the prerogative of the committee that has the responsibility for the oversight and of its Chair. I have been extremely vigorous. since the enactment of the PATRIOT Act. in doing oversight over what the Department of Justice has done relative to that law. and I am hapty to say that most of the oversight letters that have been sent to the Attorney General havq been cosigned .by the gentleman from. Michigan . ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. We have been kind of like tough school marms with the Department of Justice because when they were late and when they were nonresponsive to the questions. we required the Department of Justice to come up with responsive answers. and those responsive answers we placed on the committees Web site so that anybody with Internet access could be able to find out what the questions were and what the answers were. with the exception of responses that were classified and which were sent to the Intelligence Committee rather than to the Judiciary Committee. In addition to the oversight which was done. the original PATRIOT Act requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice to report twice a year to the relevant committees of Congress the number of civil liberties violations that have been found against the Department of Justice as a result of its exercising the increased and new requirements and powers in the PATRIOT Act. We have received those reports by the Inspector General of the Department of Justice on a regular and on a timely basis. and. the answer to how many civil- liberties violations have been proven is none. Repeatedly they have said there are no civil liberties violations that the Inspector General has been able to uncover. Further. I resisted a premature repeal or extension of the sunset prior to this Congress because I felt it was important that the oversight be done for as long a time as possible so that the Congress will be able to look over the shoulder of the Department of Justice and find out whether or not they were doing it the right way or whether or not they needed a tap on the shoulder from Capitol Hill for improvements in their methods of operation. When we did get to this Congress with the oversight being completed and the sunset approaching. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6155}
{"speech_id":1090089515,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I fulfilled the promise that I made to the public and anybody who asked that we would be doing a sectionbysection review of the expiring sections of the PATRIOT Act. The House Committee on the Judiciary had 12 separate hearings on the PATRIOT Acts sunset provisions. There were minority witnesses at all of the hearings except the one where the Attorney General and the one where the Deputy Attorney General appeared to testify. There was plenty of time for questions by every member of the committee. As a result of all of those hearings. we found that all but two or three sections of the PATRIOT Act were essentially noncontroversial. Nobody was complaining about an abuse of power. Nobody had proved abuse of power. Nobody had alleged an abuse of power. And as a result. the Housepassed bill eliminated the sunsets for those sections ofthe PATRIOT Act for which there was no complaint at these extensive series of hearings. and that is good policy. And if it is not good policy. then the message that is given downtown as well as to the public is that our oversight really does not make any difference. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6155}
{"speech_id":1090089515,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the oversight shows they have been doing a good job. they ought to be rewarded. Getting rid of the 14 of the 16 sunset provisions that were contained in the original PATRIOT Act does not mean that the Justice Department is not going to have the committee looking over its shoulder. We will do that. but. again. that depends upon the priorities of the committee and. the. priorities of its Chair. And as long as I am the chairman of the committee. there will be vigorous oversight of the Department of Justice. not only on how they are handling the PATRIOT Act but how they are handling all of the other laws that the committee has oversight jurisdiction over. Because the motion to instruct only relates to the lone wolf provision and I believe that because we have had a much shorter period of time in viewing how they have dealt with the lone wolf provision because it was passed 3 years after the original PATRIOT Act was enacted into law. I think this motion to instruct is a proper one. although I do think that the difference between 4 years and 7 years still should be negotiated with the Senate. But because the gentleman from Virginia is 95 percent to where we ought to be. I am going to vote for it. and maybe he will be a little bit more flexible with the other 5 percent. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6155}
{"speech_id":1090089524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. first of all I want to associate myself with the comments made by my colleague from California and also to state for the record that I support the motion to instruct. I also would like to thank the. chairman for his comments today regarding the motion to instruct. I ran on a platform of freedom like most people did in this Congress. And I believe it was Ronald Reagan. and I am paraphrasing. who said freedom is a fragile thing that must be defended by each generation. And that is what I am hereto do. That is what I am here to do today. I believe that we ought to look for other or additional sections of this bill to sunset. but I am happy to see that this Congress is taking a hard look at the provisions and the sections that have already been mentioned to ensure that the freedoms that our families enjoy and the people in this country enjoy so .much will be protected. I also understand the arguments that have been made about the oversight of the committee. and. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"CONNIE MACK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1220}
{"speech_id":1090089524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know that as the chair of that committee that will be done. My concern is for future generations and to make sure that none of the freedoms that Americans enjoy today. will ever be taken away from them in the future.","speaker_name":"CONNIE MACK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1220}
{"speech_id":1090089526,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the motion to instruct. This bill makes permanent the most dangerous and intrusive provisions of the PATRIOT Act. 14of the 16 previously sunsetted provisions. The remaining two sunsetting provisions are renewed for 10 years. Tenyears is not a sunset. Ten years is quasipermanent. These provisions are particularly worrisome because they expand the powers of the police to pry into the privacy of ordinary Americans. to go into their homes. into their papers. into their Internet records. their telephone records. their medical records. their bank records. Reinstating the sunset is about accountability. The breadth of these provisions providing for roving wiretaps. for sneakandpeek searches. for invading. library privacy and section 505. expanding the use of national security letters invites abuse. The administration assures us. the chairman assures us that these provisions have not been abused. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3218}
{"speech_id":1090089526,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But how do we know? It is all secret. We were told repeate dly that section 215 we should not worry about. it is rarely if ever used to demand library records. Now we know why. The Washington Post revealed last Sunday that the FBI issues more than 30.000 section 505 national security lettersa year. many to libraries for \"preliminary investigations and threat* assessments\" before -deciding whether or not to launch an investigation. These tens of thousands of invasive government demands for sensitive and private information which never even go before a judge have resulted in the collection of probably hundreds of millions of personal facts regarding innocent Americans. innocent American residents. citizens. and businesses. And the Bush administration has decided to file all this personal information in government databases even if no basis is found for a real investigation and they will not even rule out selling this information to private conditions. Sunsets have been the major check. albeit probably inadequate checks. on abuse of the PATRIOT Act. They mean that at least every 4 years Congress is required to look at the law again. to revisit it. and has the opportunity to ask tough questions on the use or abuse of these powers. and most important. the administration cannot stonewall these questions except for every 4 years. -We should have to look into these burdens on our civil liberties at least one in four years and ask are these powers being abused. should they be fine tuned? Should they be narrowed? Have we made the right balance between security and liberty? What can we do to ensure that our constitutional rights are not violated? I wish. Madam Speaker. that this motion to instruct were broader than it is. that it kept all the sunsetting provisions from being made permanent. The FBI will still have all the powers it needs. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3218}
{"speech_id":1090089526,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will simply have to hold itself accountable to Congress and the American people every 4 years about how these powers are used. Why is that so terrible? I call on all my colleagues. Democrats and Republicans. liberals and conservatives. to begin to safeguard the national security. not adequately. but to begin to safeguard the civil liberties of all Americans by voting for this very. very skimpy .motion to instruct.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3218}
{"speech_id":1090089538,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. first of all. I want to commend the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Florida for partnering with us and structuring this motion to instruct conferees. I want to express appreciation to the gentleman from Wisconsin for his constructive comments and for his support of the motion to instruct. The motion to instruct promotes accountability. It assures that we remain in a strong position in our oversight function. Recent history clearly shows that in the absence of a nearterm sunset we will not get answers to our questions about how controversial law enforcement powers are being used. ","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1549}
{"speech_id":1090089538,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the absence of a nearterm sunset. we cannot ensure that civil liberties are being protected. This is not a matter about what the Department of Justice has done in the past. and I differ with the gentleman from Wisconsin on this matter. This is all about what the Department of Justice may do in the future. And having nearterm sunsets will ensure that we can perform oversight over that performance. Sunsets do not prevent law enforcement from using- the broad powers the PATRIOT Act confers. but sunsets promote accountability. They ensure we get the information necessary. to conduct oversight and to make decisions about whether powers that are subject to abuse should be contended. I Adopt this motion. let us adopt the: Senates 4year sunsets and. in doingso. further the cause of protecting Americans civil liberties. Mr. Speaker. I urge approval of the motion to instruct.","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1549}
{"speech_id":1090089552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. Let me simply say that I think we will continue to have discussions as relates to mandatory minimums. I think this bill has great purpose. I think it is important. however. for us to raise those issues. I will conclude by saying that we have a long way to go in the criminal justice system. and I hope that we will also bring to the floor of the House this whole issue of early release for those who are languishing in prisons. I hope the Good Time Early Release bill for nonviolent prisoners in our Federal prisons who are over 40 years old will have an opportunity for full debate. because they all go handinhand.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":654}
{"speech_id":1090089556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the legislation under consideration today represents a vast improvement over the version of the bill as originally introduced. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of Democratic members .on the committee. it now offers grants to state courts so that they can make meaningful enhancements to courtroom safety and security. It provides the US Marshals Service with an additional $100 million. over the course of the next five years. to increase ongoing investigations and expand the protective services it currently offers to mem-. bers of the federal judiciary. And it authorizes the Attorney General to establish a grant program for states to establish threat assessment databases. Even with.these valuable. improvements. however. the bill still suffers from two fatal flaws. Specifically. its inclusion of 16 new mandatory minimum sentences and. its establishment of one new death penalty eligible- offense. Mandatory minimums have been studied extensively and have been proven to be ineffective in preventing crime. They also have been proven to distort the sentencing process. and waste valuable taxpayer money. With more than 2.1 million Americans currently in jail qr prisonroughly quadruple the number individuals incarcerated in 1985its hard to see how anyone can continue with such a deeply flawed strategy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2655}
{"speech_id":1090089556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. this country incarcerates its citizens at a rate 14 times that of Japan. 8 times the rate of France and 6 times the rate of Canada. We spend an estimated $40billion a year to imprison criminal offenders. we choose to build prisons over schools and we fail to provide inmates released from prison with the necessary tools and assistance for a successful reentry into society. Thanks to mandatory minimum sentences. almost 10 percent of all inmates in state and federal prisons are serving life sentences. an increase of 83 percent from 1992. In two states alone. New York and California. almost 20 percent of inmates are serving life sentences. Weve also noted the numerous problems that exist with regard to the death penalty. Namely. that all of the available evidence cleariy demonstrates that the current system is flawed. defendants rarely receive adequate legal representation and that its application is racially discriminatory. There are now over 100 Americans -that have been sentenced to death. only later to be exonerated. Proving that many of the people convicted and sentenced to death are actually innocent. In the end. tpe few grants that this bill purports to offer in the area of witness protection and court security cant make up for its two fatal flaws. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2655}
{"speech_id":1090089556,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to oppose this measure.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2655}
{"speech_id":1090089613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am happy to support this amendment. I think it plugs a hole in the original bill. and we certainly want to do whatever we can to prevent people from going into gangs and from being threatened if they are witnesses and are sworn to tell the truth. the whole truth. and nothing but the truth in criminal trials involving gang members.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":348}
{"speech_id":1090089624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. The gentleman from New York is absolutely correct in that there was an oversight in that State and local courts would not be eligible for the four grant programs that the gentleman outlined in his remarks. This amendment corrects the oversight. and I am happy to support it and hope that the committee adopts it.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":368}
{"speech_id":1090089702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman of the Rules Committee for taking time this evening to honor Muftiah. because as some Members know. when we came here in 1994. which is the class I was elected to. not one of us had ever really served as Speaker pro tem because we had been out of the majority for 40 years. For those of us who have had the privilege of acting as Speaker pro tem. we have relied almost exclusively on the Parliamentarians to give us good advice. to share with us the importance of chairing the House in a way that dignifies this body. by following the rules. doing it in a fair and bipartisan way. and for the kind of opportunity that I think Muftiah has provided to those of us who have had this privilege. we are very. very grateful to her. As one who was a former staffer of 17 years for two previous Members. one who served as the longestserving Republican leader. Bob Michel. in the minority we relied a great deal on the Parliamentarians to help guide us through meeting the challenges of trying to get things done as a minority party. Muftiah was certainly a part of that team that really helped us do that. Then coming into the majority party and serving with great privilege and honor as Speaker pro tem. I can tell .you that Muftiah was extraordinary. in her ability to help us get through some very. very important legislation not only for those of us in the majority party. but for the country. We could not have done it without her great assistance and great knowledge. ","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2521}
{"speech_id":1090089702,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She is an extraordinary person. outside of the work she does here in the House and aiding all of us who sit in the Chair. .but in her own personal life. as the mother of four children. having a spouse. and having to work long hours. As one who has served here as a staffer. I can tell you that the staff does not get enough credit for the good work that goes on around here in helping us do the work that we do. In particular. the Parliamentarians do an extraordinary job in making sure that things are done correctly. by the book. and Muftiah has certainly been a part of a great team and will be greatly missed. Muftiah. thank you for the wonderful. wonderful. good. solid advice and the professional manner with which you have distinguished yourself in this House of Representatives. I know it is very difficult to walk away. Mr. Speaker. we owe her a great deal for what she has done for those of us who havehad the privilege of presiding and for her great advice. Good luck and Godspeed. We are very grateful to you.","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2521}
{"speech_id":1090089717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it has been said that \"never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier.\" said by Zell Miller about the American fighting men. I rise today to honor a young American marine from my southeast Texas district. Marine Staff Sergeant Russell Slay. who valiantly served the Nation in Iraq and who died doing so. He was a member of the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. North Carolina. Russell Slay grew up in my hometown of Humble. Texas. As a student at Humble High School. he played football and was in the band. After he graduated from Humble High School. he started working. but quickly realized that he needed something more in his life. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4454}
{"speech_id":1090089717,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His high school friend Jason Tucker had joined the Marine Corps. and he had made the decision to join him and fight for his country. His father. Roy. a retired Houston police officer and a longtime friend of mine. said of his son. \"Russell wanted to be somewhere that would teach and inspire him.\" During his 10year military career. he was trained to drive armored vehicles that carried combat troops from ships to beachheads during amphibious attacks. During his first tour of Iraq in 2002. Slay took part in overtaking Baghdad. He had been in charge of a section of four armored allterrain vehicles. He left for his second mission on Upon receiving his orders to report for a second tour in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Slay told his family and friends that he did not think he would make it back. A year ago today. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4454}
{"speech_id":1090089717,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Russell Slays perceptive premonition became a reality. He was the 100th Texas member of the Armed Forces to be killed in Iraq. And. by the way. Mr. Speaker. one out of every 10 Americans wearing the uniform today is from the State Texas. Russell Slay was 28 years old. He died in combat with seven others in Fallujah when his armored vehicle was attacked bJ terrorists. His funeral was a moving memorial to him as a devoted father. son. and friend. More than 450 people paid their respects to a man that was remembered for his engaging spirit and his love of life. Family and friends expressed that Slay was nothing short of spectacular. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4454}
{"speech_id":1090089717,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His sense of humor was contagious. He was a loving.-loyal. and dedicated father. He left behind a 9yearold daughter. Kinlee. and a 5yearold son. Walker. At the funeral. Marine Captain Mike Evans read letters that Slay had prepared for his children in anticipation of his death. He told his daughter. Kinlee: \"I love you and never knew what life was before you were born. You will always be Daddys little girl.\" He encouraged her to have the best life possible and to be sure that she went to college. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4454}
{"speech_id":1090089717,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said: \"Daddy will always be with you and watching out for you. Hugs and kisses. Ill miss you.\" He also wrote to his son. Walker. and told him that watching him grow up was \"like reliving his own youth. He said: \"Youre the best little man there ever was. Be a studious son and stay in school. Always be a man. If you make mistakes. stand up and say so.\" Russell Slay encouraged his son to have children of his own so he too could feel the joy and happiness that had been brought to him. He insisted in his letter that his family know how much he loved them. and he wrote: \"I promise you my family was my last thought. Dont mourn for me. but celebrate my life.\" Nineyearold daughter Kinlee spoke at her fathers funeral. and through tears she talked about playing cars with her dad and brother and shopping at WalMart. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4454}
{"speech_id":1090089731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to encourage- all Ahieriians to take the time to prepare an advance directive. November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. and this month should serve as a reminder for individuals to take the time to discuss with their loved ones important.endoflife and medical decisions. As -people discuss their endoflife health care wishes. there are two legal documents that can help. The first is a living will. Living wills are probably the most recognizable and familiar document to aid individuals in communicating their wishes. However. Mr. Speaker. today I would like to draw the attention of the American public to a different type of advance directive. a medical power of attorney. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4453}
{"speech_id":1090089731,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A medical power of attorney. or health care proxy. allows you to ap-. -point a person whom you trust to serve as your health care agent. Each State government has a medical power of attorney form that a citizen can fill out and have witnessed. This then authorizes. the appointed agent to make health care decisions on an individuals behalf. Mr. Speaker. people should not be scared away by these forms. they are written in plain English. and they are very easy to fill out. I have brought with me an example from my home State of Georgia in order to illustrate how easy this process can be for the American public. The form is simple and straightforward. and is only 6 pages long. I have highlighted two sections for us to look at today. First is the portion where you identify yourself and then name your power of attorney. and I call my colleagues attention to the first poster. It may be a little bit difficult to read from the hack of the Chamber but basically. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4453}
{"speech_id":1090089731,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Georgias statuary short form durable power of attorney for health. care. And the instructions. again. pretty simple. Print the date. print your name and address. print the name and address of your agent. It is that simple. This authorizes the individual to act for you and. as my colleagues can see. in Georgia. you have the opportunity to initial the statement also. This is the second poster. Mr. Speaker. to check the box really that best reflects your wishes. and there are three. It is just a simple. initial process. The first one is. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4453}
{"speech_id":1090089731,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not want my life to be prolonged. nor do I want lifesustaining or deathdelaying treatment. et cetera. The second check box: I want my life to be prolonged. and I want lifesustaining or deathdelaying treatment to be provided. under certain circumstances. And then the last box. and again. a simple check: I want my life to be prolonged to the greatest extent possible without regard to my condition. the chances I have for recovery. or the cost of the procedure. It is as simple as. that. Hi0113 In addition to State government and public health departments. many organizations and hospitals around the country have advance directives available for patients and loved ones who may find themselves facing these tough decisions. Mr. Speaker. executing living wills and powers of attorney are so important. I plan to introduce legislation next week that encourages all Americans at all stages of life to prepare these advance directives. My legislation will offer a onetime. refundable tax credit to those individuals who prepare an advance directive. The refundability of this tax credit is essential in incentivizing lowerincome Americans. who often are unaware or unable to adequately prepare for endoflife medical decisions. -to prepare advance directives to ensure that their wishes are honored and valuable health care resources are used where they are needed and Wanted. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4453}
{"speech_id":1090089731,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it has been shown that medical care at the end of life consumes almost 15 percent of our countrys health care budget and nearly 30 percent of the Medicare budget. In addition. according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. it has been estimated that hospice care and advance directives can save between 25 and 40 percent of health care costs just during the -last month of life. Mr. Speaker. the Federal Government needs to provide an incentive to the American people to have these conversations and to take these important actions. It is not only in the best interests of patients and families. but also our countrys health care system and the American taxpayer. Mr. Speaker. I would like to encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4453}
{"speech_id":1090089762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for hosting this event tonight and for inviting us here to tell the American people exactly what is in this bill that we will all vote on tomorrow. I know that she joins me as a Republican in our belief in smaller government. personal responsibility. and accountability. This deficit reduction bill is an example of this philosophy. This bill creates a planned reform and savings for taxpayers. It is important that we set priorities and that we make tough choices. I also know the gentlewoman from Tennessee would agree with me that how we spend taxpayer dollars is one of our greatest responsibilities as Members of Congress. and that we need to spend smarter and wiser. It is unfortunate. Mr. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3084}
{"speech_id":1090089762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. that this plan is being misrepresented. Just Monday of this week it was represented on the House floor by Mr. MEEK. and this was in regards to veterans care. who said. and I quote. \"because the majority side has made a 5year cut of $14 billion.\" -That same night Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ said. and I quote \"There is a proposal to cut $600 million in veterans health care.\" Mr. Speaker. the reality is in this deficit reduction bill there are -no cuts proposed for veterans health care. In fact. inthe last 5 years. funding has increased by 50 percent. In fact. the Veterans Committee was not asked to participate in spending reform. We recognize. we appreciate. and we value the service of our military members and our veterans. and we know that their health care and their benefitsare critical and very. very important to them. On November 2. this House unanimously approved H.R. 4061. the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3084}
{"speech_id":1090089762,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This Act combines three information technology programs into one. Currently. benefits. health. and burial claims are handled by three separate IT departments. This was commonsense reform to turn these into one and will save the Federal Government $1.7 billion simply by turning three programs into one. This is exactly the type of example which shows we are redesigning government. reforming programs. and saving taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker. billions have been spent on IT systems by both the VA and Department of Defense. and these agencies still cannot share medical information. This is corrected in H.R. 4061. The result of this reform is not only to save taxpayer dollars. but it .provides a seamless transition for our servicemembers and makes the process easier. I know the gentlewoman from Tennessee is happy to hear that: save money. do it easier. and do something that makes sense. The Department of Deiense and the VA will be able to share information on health records and claims for disability benefits. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3084}
{"speech_id":1090089762,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Also understand that these necessary responsible reforms arecritical to be sure that important programs remain in place and are able to sustain themselves. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for sharing her time with me today and being able to talk just before Veterans Day about the wonderful service of our veterans and our. military.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3084}
{"speech_id":1090089800,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are just saying stop. The VFW is telling the Republican Party. Mr. Speaker. stop. Look what you are doing. You are hurting veterans. I mean. the executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars does not just say I am going to send a letter to Congress today.. Mr Speaker. Stop it. You are going to hurt veterans. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090089800,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And at the same time. you are giving tax cuts to people who make $1 million a year or more. You are giving $16 billion in subsidies to the oil companies. You are giving handouts to the pharmaceutical companies. the wealthiest corporations in the world. And you are cutting veterans benefits. What is going on here?","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090089801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I think what is going on is that there is a misunderstanding on the part of the Republican leadership when they speak of patriotism. Patriotism is not about a parade. It is not simply respect for the flag. It is about treating the men and women who go -to war for us. who serve the country with respect. That is what patriotism is about. We hear a lot about patriotism on the floor of this House. and I am sure that those words are uttered with great conviction and sincerity. But I guess what we are trying to convey is that patriotism is not just rhetoric. Remember what Franklin Delano Roosevelt used. to say during World War II? Shared sacrifice. Who is sacrificing for our veterans? Those that receive this egregious tax benefit who are among the most affluent in America. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":914}
{"speech_id":1090089801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I daresay if those people were inquired of. .one by one. they would say. Take that tax break. I want the veterans to be respected.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":914}
{"speech_id":1090089869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not want that either. I am not ready. But if I pass out here and I die. the Governor in Ohio will call a special election and people will run for my seat and have to get elected here. That is the bottom line. This is the peoples House. We directly represent the people in our district. And we have the ability in this Chamber to oversee every other aspect of the government. But our Republican friends refuse to investigate the CIA leak. They refuse to have an independent or create an independent investigation. This has become so political here that we cannot get straight answers on how to fix the way our government runs.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":630}
{"speech_id":1090089887,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me just you have a point of order to the Speaktell you what they are doing. . er. that is waived. you are out of order. Presently. they would say it is reduc- What do you mean point of order? If ing the deficit. but what they are not something was found in the rule book saying within another 2 weeks. we are tomorrow that violates the- rules of going to give people that make over this House and I want to make a point half a million dollars a year the biggest of order. you cannot make it because it tax cut they have ever seen. One Mem- has been waived by the Rules Comber described it on that side as we are mittee. going to help the productive people Number 4. provides that all amendhere in the United States. we are going ments printed in the Rules Committee to help the productive people. So I report accompanying the resolution guess that means. American worker. if shall be considered as adopted. you make between $34.000 and $54.000 Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Withand you get an $840 tax cut. you are not out a vote? necessarily in that group of the half a Mr. MEEK of Florida. Without a million folks. vote. Should be considered as adopted. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5368}
{"speech_id":1090089887,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want you to go further on that That means it is already adopted. What chart. but just before we get too far are they meeting for? What is the 2 away from what the Rules Committee hours on both side? Why debate it? We did tonight on a partyline vote. you did it because we are in the majority. hear Members come to the floor and and guess what. we have the power to other Members say. oh. well. we are for do that. They are ietting the rules. fairness. we do not know why the They think they are muzzling the Democrats will not offer their alter- Democratic side. They are muzzling natives. they have nothing but com- the people that sent us up here to repplaints. it is almost unAmerican. resent them. That is what they are I am going to tell you what is un- doing. That is the reason why this stuff American. Mr. Speaker. and I am going happens at night here. to tell you what is limiting the voice of Number 5. this is not my order. Mr. the Democratic side over here. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5368}
{"speech_id":1090089887,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is from the Rules CoinThe rule that was passed from the mittee. Waive all points of order Rules Committee just moments ago in against provisions in the bill as amenddarkness. there was not a television ed. They have already. in their opinion. camera in that room. When we start adopted this bill. When I say \"they.\" I talking about the back halls of Con- am talking about the Republican magress. it is our job here in the 30 Some- jority. When we talk about power. thing Working Group. good or bad. we when we talk about an abuse of power. are supposed to expose what happens in Mr. Speaker. that is what we are talkthe back halls of Congress. ing about. Let me just read this. This -is not I want to say it again. just in case something that I printed. This is what someone missed it. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5368}
{"speech_id":1090089887,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not what we the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. are doing. Mr. Speaker. This is what WASSERMAN SCHULTZ) just pointed out the Republican majority is doing on on H.R. 4241. what they call the Deficit the Rules Committee. Reduction Act of 2005. even though it is Number 6. provides one motion to reincreasing the deficit by $20 billion and commit. with or without instructions. change. I did not put these in order. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Now. Number 1. closed rule. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5368}
{"speech_id":1090089887,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Closed rule is that an opportunity for us to amend means that we cannot even offer an -the bill or change it? amendment to this Act when it comes Mr. MEEK of Florida. No. to the floor. democrat or Republican. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. What Let me just keeping going here. This does that let us do? gets interesting. Mr. MEEK of Florida. That is just an Two. provides 2 hours of debate in attempt by the individuals that have the House. equally divided and con- problems with this bill to recommit it trolled by the chairman and ranking back to committee. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5368}
{"speech_id":1090089971,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the cuts to education. health care. housing and nutrition programs that we will consider later today once again expose the real agenda of the majority. This reconciliation package presents a simple choice. either care for the poor. the sick and the hungry. and help students attend college. or cut taxes for the wealthy and give yet another handout to the oil industry. The choice seems almost too easy. but yet again. our friends on the other side of the aisle will sacrifice the moral principle of caring for your neighbor in favor of funneling billions in tax breaks and government handouts to the most well off. These are the priorities of the majority. Increase our debt. punish the least among us. and line the pockets of the wealthy. I urge my colleagues to oppose this misguided and immoral reconciliation package.","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":835}
{"speech_id":1090089978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this year is the 40th anniversary of Medicare. Medicare has come a long way. Initially. it started off as a hospitalization policy. Later we added physician benefits and physician visits and even some tests. Now we have put the third leg of that stool on. and we are going. effective January 1. to add prescription drugs to Medicare. making Medicare now a full health care policy for our seniors. The reason that Congress did this was because many times the physicians would prescribe prescriptions for our seniors. yet they would have to make a decision between buying food or the prescription. Congress did not think .that was a good idea. and so effective .January 1. seniors will have a prescription drug option. The sighup begins next Tuesday. November 15. ","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090089978,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We encourage seniors to begin to go shopping. I held a town hall meeting in Abilene. Texas. on Monday at the Rose Park Senior Center and encouraged our seniors to go shopping. One of the things that was so important about this new process was that we allowed seniors the ability to make their own choices and brought competition in it. I urge our seniors to look very closely at this new great prescription drug benefit that has been provided for them.","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090089985,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. later on today. the House is going to vote on a budget reconciliation package and. from what we are hearing. up is down and down is up. We are supposed to be here to be lowering the deficit. I am concerned about the deficit. We should not be burdening future generations with our consumption today. Yet the package being put forth today by the majority. the package of spending cuts. but also tax cuts. is going to end up with an increase in our deficit of $16 billion. That is not right. Look. deficit reduction is hard to do. It requires some tough dhoices. The only way. in my opinion. that this Congress is going to take on those tough choices is if we put in a set of rules that force us to do it. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090089985,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Blue Dog Democrats have a 12point plan that will put those provisions in place: a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. real payasyougo rules. Those are just two of the 12 provisions that would require this Congress to come together and make those very tough decisions. and they will be tough. let us not deny it. Mr. Speaker. if we want to show fiscal responsibility. if we want to do right by future generations. we will come together in a bipartisan way. That is not what is happening today. It is very unfortunate. I encourage my colleagues to vote down this package today. LI 1030","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090089987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a budget. is about planning. It is about the future. And for me the idea of the future is intertwined with my granddaughter. Anna. who is 2 years old. We all have someone like that.. someone for whom we want to build a better tomorrow. but to do so we must address the real challenges our Nation faces. including an everincreasing debt. Unfortunately. the package that we are dealing with today passes more debt on to future generations. my Anna and your Anna. while making it more difficult for working families to achieve the American dream. This does not reflect the values and priorities of our constituents. The American people want courage. leadership and shared sacrifice and we are giving them a bill that is shortsighted. narrowly targeted and driven by ideology instead of goodpolicy. We could really do better.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":834}
{"speech_id":1090089996,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from Maryland for yielding and would say that the House will convene on Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. for morning hour and 12 noon for legislative business. We will consider several measures under suspension of the rules. A final list of those bills will be sent to Members offices by the end of the week. Any votes called on these measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. For Wednesday and the balance of the week. the House will consider additional legislation under suspension of the rules. as well as two measures under a rule. H.R. 1065. the United States Boxing Commission Act. and we anticipate either the budget or the tax reconciliation package on the floor next week. We also anticipate that the House will consider up to four additional appropriations conference reports as those reports become available. We have every reason to believe that those could all be available next week. and if they are. all of the appropriations bills will be passed individually and. with the exception of the defense and homeland security bills. the collection of the others. individually and under last years spending limit.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1152}
{"speech_id":1090090003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. The current CR. as you know. runs out on Friday. First of all. presumably. we anticipate another CR coming. I am sure we have to have another CR at least for some agencies. How long do you think that CR would run? I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":258}
{"speech_id":1090090013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me then go to that question about when is the end. As I understood from our previous colloquies. we are going to be out Friday for at least 14 days. that would be the Thanksgiving week and the week thereafter. And then if we need to come back. am I. correct that we are still looking at coming -back the week of December 5? I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090090053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. tomorrow our country is going to be celebrating Veterans Day. Together. across the country. we will be honoring the servic6 and sacrifice that so many Americans have made to keep all of us safe and free. Tomorrow. in the State of Washingon. I am going to join with local veterans at a breakfast for the. Compass Center. which provides services to homeless veterans. I will be at a. \"Service of Remembrance\" at the EvergreenWashelli Memorial Park in Seattle. and I will visit the Washington Soldiers Home in Pierce County. I am looking forward to those events and the chance to share my thanks with those who have sacrificed so much. Veterans Day is not just a ceremonial holiday. It is not just an occasion for us to thank others for what they have done for us. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8384}
{"speech_id":1090090053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is also a time to ask if we have done enough for those who serve our country. And that is a very timely occasion today with so many veterans coming home from places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. and with an aging veterans population that needs more care today. So today I ask: Are we keeping our promise to. those who served our country? Do our politicians and our budgets reflect the great debt that we owe to so many veterans? I want to try to answer that question by looking at how we treat our veterans who need health care and how we budget for* their needs and how we treat our Guard and Reserve members. First of all. we recognize we have an obligation to those who serve us. When they signed up to serve our country. we agreed to take care of them. They kept their part of the bargain. and now we need to keep ours. In my home State of Washington. we have made a tremendous contribution to that effort. I am sad to report that 102 servicemembers from Washington State have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our Nation in this war in Iraq. They have earned a place of eternal honor in a rollcall of freedom. We owe them and. their families a debt that can never be fully repaid. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8384}
{"speech_id":1090090053,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many other veterans have come home to us with serious injuries. both visible and invisible. They need our help as well. Today. more than 6.500 Washington State citizens are serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Since 2001. more than 1 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. and of those 20.000 have been from my home State of Washington. Back in March. I traveled to Iraq and Kuwait. I had the opportunity to meet with a number of our Washington State National Guard who are serving our country there. I saw firsthand they were all operating under tremendously difficult and dangerous conditions. I also saw how every one of them was professional and fully committed to completing their mission. We need t6 do right by everyone who serves us because we made a promise and because it keeps our military strong. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8384}
{"speech_id":1090090053,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The way we treat our veterans today affects our ability to recruit new soldiers tomorrow. But dont take my word for it. Listen to what George Washington once said: The willingness with which our ypung people. are likely to serve in any war. no matter how justified. shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country. Those are the words of George Washington. They are just as true today as When he said them. Lets look at how well we are keeping our promise. starting with health care. We can all be proud the VA provides some of the best health care available anywhere in America. We have a great health care system in the VA. .but we dont fund it like a priority. Every year it is a struggle to get Congress to provide the funding that is needed. That is why we need to make veterans health care spending mandatory so it is not subject to budget games every year. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8384}
{"speech_id":1090090053,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This year we had a big fight to make sure veterans did not lose their health care. Starting last February. I began warning that the lines were growing at the VA and we needed to do more. I pointed to the many veterans who were returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan who needed care. Three times I offered amendments to boost VA funding in the Senate. And three times they were voted down. For months the VA and the administration assured us that everything was fine. But then in June we learned that the VA was facing a massive shortfall of $1 billion. Again. I introduced a bill to provide the $1.5 billion in supplemental that the VA needed for funding. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8384}
{"speech_id":1090090299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Is it my understanding \"(e) No court. justice. or judge shall have that upon the disposition of the next jurisdiction to hear or consider an applicapending tion for a writ of habeas corpus filed by or on amendment. this will be the behalf of an alien outside the United States business? (as that term is defined in section 101(a)(38)","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":333}
{"speech_id":1090090335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am always concerned that when they speak of terrorism we are constantly adding new things to our laws to show how we are opposed to terrorists. Maybe it would be easier to just to pass a resolution 100 to 0 saying we are all opposed -to terrorists. Of course. we are. I also remember when it was written and attributed to Benjamin Franklin at a time when he and other Founders of this great Nation faced the hangmans noose. Had they failed in their efforts to create a democracy instead of trade. their liberties for security deserve neither. We should go very slowly when we want to make changes on the great rift. The distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee is absolutely right. We should -oppose this amendment. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1710}
{"speech_id":1090090335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We made a major change in the habeas corpus laws a few years ago when we were looking at that to see how that works. This is not the time nor the place nor the bill to willynillythat is really what it ismake this change in thehabeas corpus law. There are just too many things going onwhether it is the reports in the press about us using secret prisons that had been abandoned by the old Soviet Union following criticism of every President. Republican or Democrat. in my lifetime. that we are now using that. to questions that are raised and appropriately raised about Guantanamo. I have heard it said here that the Red Cross has available to them all prisoners. that the press has available to them all prisoners--we have found that isnt soand prisoners are spirited out in the middle of the night to these secret prisons. Let us stand as a country that believes in the rule of law. I hope we stand with the senior Senator fromPennsylvania in opposing this amendment.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1710}
{"speech_id":1090090337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator from South Carolina would defer to the managers. I would like to address the Senate in connection with a unanimous consent request. My understanding is that it has been cleared on both sides. I ask unanimous consent that it now be in order for Senator GRAHAM to offer a perfecting seconddegree amendment. I further ask unanimous consent that at 4:30 the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Graham seconddegree -amendment. further. that following that vote Senator BINGAMAN be recognized and it be in order for him to offer a motion to strike. further. that the Senate proceed immediately to a vote on the motion to strike. Finally. I ask unanimous consent that if the motion to strike is agreed to. it be in order for Senator GRAHAM to offer a further amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090090550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to my colleague. we have some cleared amendments we can do. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the previously agreedto amendment- 2485 be modified with a technical correction. I send that modification to the desk. I understand it has been cleared on both sides.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":286}
{"speech_id":1090090557,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. noting that tomorrow is Veterans Day. I rise to discuss an amendment which will make it clear that returning combat veterans of the National Guard and Reserve will receive -the same consideration as other combat veterans when applying for a Federal job. I am offering this bipartisan amendment along with Senators VITTER.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090090558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"and DAYTON. - Since the time of the Civil War. veterans of the Armed Services have been given some degree of preference in the consideration process for employment with the Federal Government. This usually takes the form of an additional 5 points added to the score received by a veteran on the test they must take to qualify for- the job. If the veteran is disabled. he or she receives an additional 5 points for a total of 10 added points. This program is known as \"Veterans Preference.\" The way the law readQ now. veterans applying for a Federal job can receive preferential consideration if they served on active duty during a war in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized and have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions. Unfortunately. the term \"separated\" is not defined in the Veterans Preference law and this lack of clarity has had the practical effect of causing some veterans. who saw combat as mobilized members of the Guard or Reserve. to be denied the veterans preference they had earned. That is exactly what happened to an Army reservist from my own State of Illinois. Earlier this year. I was contacted by a young woman serving in the Army Reserve as a military police officer. Her name is Kylene Conlon. Since 9\/11. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5603}
{"speech_id":1090090558,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Kylene has been mobilized twice. The first time she spent nearly a year in Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. The second time she spent a full year in Iraq. Upon her return she learned that the United States Marshals Service was hiring.- When she requested an application. she was informed that the hiring program was open only to those eligible for Veterans Preference. She provided copies of her two different Department of Defense forms verifying her overseas service over two major mobilizations. yet she was told that that was not good enough for veterans preference. She was told that she had to have a discharge. But Kylene did not have a discharge certificate. which she would receive after ending military service because she had not quit the Army- Reserve. She had come home from Iraq and gone back to attending weekend drills and annual training periods. She had two Department of Defense forms 214 which stated that her type of separation was a \"release from active duty.\" To be given a discharge Certificate. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5603}
{"speech_id":1090090558,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Kylene would have to quit the Army Reserve. She was stunned. She could not believe that the Federal Government would require her to quit the Army Reserve before being able to receive the veterans preference she had earned. So. she came to my office for help. I sent a letter to the Marshals Service in the Department of Justice to ask why Kylene Conlon was being denied veterans preference. They wrote back. Here is what their letter said: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers the veterans preference program for the Federal Government in accordance with statute and regulation. Unfortunately. service as a member of the Army Reserve does not qualify for veterans preference. The OPM VetGuide states \"to receive preference. a veteran must have been separated from active duty in the Armed Forces with an honorable discharge.\" Ms. Conlon has not been discharged from the Army. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5603}
{"speech_id":1090090558,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every word of that letter was 100 percent true. OPM administers the program according to the law. OPMs guide requires a discharge. Reservists completing a mobilization and returning to parttime status dont receive discharges. Therefore. reservists were being deemed ineligible for Veterans Preference. I knew right then that the law had to be changed. My staff checked into this and found that it was that vague word \"separated\" in the current Veterans Preference law that was the problem. Somebody could read that word and assume it means only \"discharged\" and so they had. That was not Congresss intent. Elsewhere in Federal law. rather than the term \"separated.\" one finds the phrase \"discharged or released.\" Thats a better phrase. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5603}
{"speech_id":1090090558,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It covers both those who end fulltime. active duty service completely with an honorable discharge as well as reservists who are released after a tour of active duty and go back to reserve duty. Troops leaving the military altogether are given a discharge. Reservists who are simply ending a period of active duty and reverting to their previous parttime reservist status are given a release from active duty. The measure which I introduce today clarifies title 5 by replacing the vague. term \"separated\" with the clearer and more precise phrase \"discharged or released.\" While this may seem a small change in wording. it will have an important effect. It will make it absolutely clear that a member of the National Guard or Reserve who serves honorably in a war. campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized can receive full access to veterans preference in Federal hiring. We want these honorable veterans to receive this preference without any pressure or incentive whatsoever to terminate their valuable -service in the reserve components of our Armed Forces. This change in the law is merely a clarification to avoid future errors of interpretation as have occurred in the past. It will have no effect on previous grants of veterans preference and it will in no way limit or reduce future considerations for veterans. preference eligibility. The rmeasure is endorsed by the Reserve Officers Association. I am very grateful to the managers of the Defense authorization bill for agreeing to accept this measure as an amendment. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5603}
{"speech_id":1090090559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I support the extension of the Defense Departments program ensuring that its Federal contracting process in no way supports or subsidizes the discrimination that has long been a problem in the contracting business. The extension of the program through September 2009 is needed to help achieve that goal. The Senate Armed Services Committee has learned a great deal about the effects of discrimination in denying contracting oppor.tunities for minorityowned businesses. The ugly reality is that contracting has long been dominated by \"oldboy\" networks that make it very difficult for African Americans. Latinos. Asians. and Native Americans to participate fairly in these opportunities. or even obtain information about them. Years of congressional hearings have shown that minorities historically have been excluded from both public and private construction contracts in general. and from Federal defense contracts in particular. Since its adoption. the Defense Department program. called the 1207 Program. has helped level the playing field for minority contractors. But there is still more to do. as the additional information we have received since the program was last reauthorized makes clear. Ever since the program was first adopted in 1986. racial and ethnic discriminationboth overt and subtlehave continued to erect significant barriers to minority participation in Federal contracting. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3359}
{"speech_id":1090090559,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In some cases. overt discrimination has prevented minorityowned businesses from obtaining needed loans and bonds. Prime contractors. unions. and suppliers of goods and materials have preferred to do business with White contractors rather than with minority firms. We have seen repeated reports of bidshopping and of minority businesses being denied contracts despite submitting the lowest bid. The Departments decision to award a growing number of defense contracts noncompetitively has had the unfortunate effect of excluding minorityowned businesses from a significant number of contracting opliortunities. Nobid contracts also hurt Whiteowned businesses. but they disadvantage minorityowned firms in particular. These problems affect a wide variety of areas in which the Department offers contracts. and the problems are detailed in many recent disparity studies. including: City of Dallas Availability and Disparity Study. Mason Tillman Associates. Ltd. (2002). City of Cincinnati Disparity Study. Griffin & Strong. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3359}
{"speech_id":1090090559,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"P.C. (2002). Ohio MultiJurisdictional Disparity Studies. Mason Tillman Associates. Ltd. (2003). Procurement Disparity Study of the Commonwealth of Virginia. MGT of America. Inc. (2004). Alameda County Availability Study. Mason Tillman Associates (2004). City of New York Disparity Study. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3359}
{"speech_id":1090090559,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mason Tillman Associates. Ltd. (2005). We are also mindful that the data contained in the Department of Commerce benchmark study supports. the need for efforts to improve contracting opportunities for minorityowned businesses. The 1207 Program helps to correct these problems of discrimination without imposing an undue burden on Whiteowned businesses. Small businesses owned by White contractors are eligible to receive the benefits of the program if they are socially or economically disadvantaged. All of us benefit when recipients of Federal opportunities reflect Americas diversity. and I am proud to support the reauthorization of the 1207 Program.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3359}
{"speech_id":1090090567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to pay tribute to 20 young Americans who have been killed in Iraq since October 7. This brings to 477 the number of soldiers who were either from California or based in California who have been killed while serving our country in Iraq. This represents 23 percent of all U.S. deaths in Iraq.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090090572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am aware of this provision and have been alerted by the State Department that they would prefer that the Secretary of State take the lead in coordinating this strategic plan. given Secretary Rices .jurisdiction over this matter. Had this provision been offered to the fiscal year 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. I can assure my friend that it would have been included as a requirement for the State Department to fulfill.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090090578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor the memory -of Paula Yeager. a distinguished Hoosier and executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation. who passed away yesterday following a 7year battle with cancer. Over the years. I have valued Paula counsel and advocacy on behalf of conservation in Indiana. After studying business at the Un iversity of Nebraska. Paula began a career as a travel agent. Eventually. this career brought her into close contact with John Denver. a singer who shared Paulas respect for the importance of nature and dedication to wildlife conservation. The two became close friends and their friendship inspired Paula to use her remarkable talents to make a difference in conservation. This dedication led Paula to pursue an opportunity as executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1469}
{"speech_id":1090090578,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In that role. she reinvigorated the organization as she worked with likeminded groups to advance initiatives and become effectively engaged in the political process at both the State and Federal level. Paulas efforts have been recognized across Indiana. She has twice been recognized with the President Award from the Indiana Wildlife Federatton and was named Conservationist of the Year in 2001 by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. While I know that this is a difficult time for Paulas family and many friends. my thoughts are with her husband John and their two children Stephanie and Corey as they remember her life of leadership..","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1469}
{"speech_id":1090090582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor our Nations veterans for their service and their sacrifice. We will celebrate Veterans Day tomorrow. and I am proud of the improvements we have made in providing benefits and care to our countrys heroes. In the past 10 years. since I first came to Congress. the veterans budget has increased by 77 percent. an annual average increase of over 7 percent. The VAs health care budget has increased over 85 percent during this time. We have also enacted a fix to the concurrent receipt problem and made groundbreaking progress with computerized health records at the Veterans Department. I am proud of these efforts. but I certainly understand the need to do more to stay ahead of the curve. I also want to detail the recent growth in the veterans population in .North Carolina. Our States veteran population has increased by over 100.000. to 780.000 veterans since 1980. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090090582,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This growth rate comes at a time when the number of veterans in- the United States is decreasing. Veterans are moving to the State because many of them were stationed there while on active duty. and they have moved back because of the quality of life in North Carolina. I have two bills I have introduced today that I believe will improve the services we currently provide to our veterans. The first is the Services to Prevent Veterans Homelessness Act which makes grants to nonprofit and -faithbased organizations to provide services to extremely lowincome veterans who are in permanent --housing. The goal is to keep them from becoming homeless. The services provided for in this billfron vocational counseling and personal finance planning to hedlth and rehabilitationwere designed to address the root causes of homelessness. The VA estimates on any given night as many as 200.000 veterans are homeless and as many as 400.000 are homeless at some point during the year. We also know that 45 percent of the homeless veterans have a mental illness. and 50 percent have some sort of addiction. The cost of this bill is $25 million annually. a small sum to help the poorest of our veterans. In North Carolina alone. over 43.000 veterans live below the poverty line. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090090582,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill- would allow the VA to partner with nonprofits in order to help poor veterans escape the root causes of homelessness. I urge the Senate to consider whether we are doing enough on this issue.. More importantly. I invite my colleagues to study this bill and to become a cosponsor. Next. I -introduced the Veterans Outreach Improvement Act which authorizes the Secretary of Yeteraps Affairs to partner with State and local governments for outreach to veterans. This bill provides grants to State veterans agencies and county veterans service offices to help them with outreach and claims development and to provide education and training of officers. The bill would also authorize $25 million annually for this outreach program. County veterans service officers are charged -with assisting veterans and their dependents in seeking benefits as a supplement to the work being performed by the Department of Veterans Affairs..They are overseen by the Division of Veterans Affairs in North Carolina and receive accreditation from organizations approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Many veterans need assistance in filing claims in order to make sure that the claim is accurate and complete. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090090582,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"County veterans service officers and officials from State veterans agencies are often the officials who can actually sit down face to face with a veteran to develop a -claim and to send it to the VA. This bill makes the VA a partner in that outreach process. On the eve of Veterans Day this year. I join my colleagues in honoring veterans across this country for their heroic service to our Nation. By Mr. HARKIN (for himself. Mr. LUGAR. and Mr. OBAMA):","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090090586,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to address an issue that I know my constituents in Wisconsin are worried about. indeed. something that all Americans should be concerned about. On Tuesday. the Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced the most recent outlook for home heating costs. For the average family. the cost of heating oil will increase approximately $325. And for families relying on propane. they can expect to pay an increase of about $230. I would like to stress that this is the average. in some areas. the prices could be much higher. And while these increased costs will place an undue burden on all sectors of the economy. the heaviest toll will clearly be on middle and lowincome families. Yesterday. executives from several major oil companies were called to Capitol Hill. to defend the nearly $33 billion they earned last quarter. The .answers they gave. for why Americans could expect to pay significantly more to heat their homes this winter. often were directed at the economics of supply and demand. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4521}
{"speech_id":1090090586,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips argued that prices are \"a function of longerterm supplyanddemand trends. and lost energy production during the recent hurricanes.\" John Hofmeister. the President of Shell Oil Company. told Senators that the industry is doing everything in its power to \"supply shortfalls.\" Given the testimony of Mr. Hofmeister. I find it surprising to note that currently. American companies are actually exporting products that could be used for home heating. According to the EIA. between January and August 2005 more than 48 million barrels of refined product was exported out of the U.S. This amount is 24 times the size of what is stored in the Northeast Heating Oil Reserve. While some of this went to both Canada and Mexico. large quantities were also sent to Argentina. Chile. France and Peru. \" I believe my constituents would be shocked to hear that while~the oil companies are blaming high prices on low supplies. they are also reaping the benefits of exporting home heating oil abroad. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4521}
{"speech_id":1090090586,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why. on November 4th. I. along with 11 of my colleagues. wrote to several of the major oil companies and refiners. asking them to voluntarily halt all unnecessary exports of products that could be used for home heating. Such action would not be without precedent: in 2000. some refiners. including Shell Oil. voluntarily suspended heating oil exports after consulting with then Energy Secretary Richardson. We have not yet heard a response from any of the companies. I remain hopeful that these companies will help American consumers by temporarily suspending their unnecessary exports. Yesterdays hearing. however. did not inspire confidence in the companies to act on behalf of consumers rather than profits* That is why I am introducing the Stop Heating Oil Exports bill today. My legislation would grant emergency powers to the Energy Secretary to halt all unnecessary exports in the face of a serious price spike or supply shortfall. It is that simple. If the Secretary finds that demand will heavily outpace supply. then he or she should be able to stop exportsthereby temporarily improving supply. and preventing a major price spike. such as the one we can expect this winter. Yesterday. the oil companies cautioned those of us in Congress against policy changes that would amount to longterm involvement in energy markets. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4521}
{"speech_id":1090090586,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would assure these executives that my legislation is a simple. shortterm answer that is designed to protect American consumers. The companies have a chance todo the right thing. to increase supply and avoid the significantly increased home heating prices that have been forecasted. I believe that in the future. if they fail to use such an opportunity. the Energy Secretary should have the power to intervene on behalf of consumers. I would remind my colleagues that in 2000. as many as 4 refiners voluntarily suspended exports. citing \"market conditions\" and the desire to ensure adequate supplies of home heating oil for the winter. And I would remind the President of Shell that his company was one of them. Americans across the country could face potentially lifethreatening conditions this winter. when temperatures drop and home heating prices soar. I believe that the oil companies have it in their power to prevent such a crisisif they fail to use it. I believe it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to protect American families. I ask unanimous consent that the text of our legislation be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4521}
{"speech_id":1090090594,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Conmittee on Agriculture. Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during th session of the Senate on ThursdayNovember 10. 2005 at 9 a.m. in 328A. Senate Russell Office Building. The purpose of this committee hearing will be to consider the nominations for Chief Financial Officer and Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service at the United States Department of Agriculture.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":442}
{"speech_id":1090090624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As in executive session. I ask unanimous consent the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaty transmitted to the Senate on November 10. 2005. by the President of the United States: Protocol Amending the Convention with Sweden on Taxes on Income (Treaty Document 1098). I further ask that the treaty be considered as having been read a first time. that it be referred with accompanying papers to the Committee on. Foreign Relations in order to be printed. and that the Presidents message be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":530}
{"speech_id":1090090688,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it has been very heartening to see. such overwhelming support for this important bill. Counterfeiting is a threat to America. It wreiks real harm on our economy. our workers. and our consumers. This bill is a tough bill that will give lMw enforcement improved tools to fight this form of theft. The bill is short and straightforward. but its impact shohltd be profound and farreaching.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":400}
{"speech_id":1090090697,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. p resident. on Monday. the Senate *ill continue its consideration of the Defense authorization bill. Under the agreement reached this evening. we will have debate on only a few remaining amendments. We will complete action on those amendments and proceed to passage of the bill with a series of votes that will start on Tuesday morning. We will have a vote on Monday. Under the order just entered. we will vote on the Energy and Water appropriations conference report at 5:30. We will also complete action on the State. Justice. Commerce appropriations conference report next week.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":585}
{"speech_id":1090090782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont know if anyone has done an analysis of our trade deficit. What percentage does the Senator believe is directly attributable to unfair trade practices on behalf of the Chinese? It is one thing to be outworked. If people work harder than you do and are smarter than you are. shame on you. But I believe. as the Senator does. that a lot of the market share that we are losing in the trade deficit explosion has to do with Chinese Government policy when it comes to trade behavior rather than just simply outworking the American worker. What is the Senators view on that?","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":574}
{"speech_id":1090090819,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. 1. we have a fundamental difference. I do not want everyone to have habeas rights. I do not want the enemy combatant alQaida terrorist to be able to go in our courts and start to sue our own troops. I dont want it. I dont think people in this body want it. I do not think the American people want it. I want alQaida members to be detained in armed conflict. They should not have due process rights beyond what the Geneva Conventions ever envisioned. As to Senator BINGAMANs amendment. he talks about they cant base claims on living conditions. but listen to this: Whether the status determination was supported by sufficient evidence and reached in accordance with due process of law. provided that statements obtained through undue coercion. torture. or cruel or inhuman treatment may not be used as a basis for the determination. and consideration of lawfulness of the detention of such alien. You could drive an army of trucks through those legal exceptions. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090090819,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What it would do is legitimize this request by a Canadian detainee. who threw a grenade and killed an American medic. in moving for a preliminary injunction forbidding the interrogation of him or engaging in cruel. inhumane. or degrading treatment of him. In other words. under this amendment. that claim stands. He could come in and ask a Federal judge: I want you sitting there while they interrogate me. And we are turning the war away from military people to Federal judges. We cant do that. We will compromise our own defense. our own freedom. As to the people at Guantanamo Bay who are going to be charged with a crime. I am working with Senator LEVIN to come up with a military commission model we all can be proud of. There are 490 enemy combatants down there who are not going to be charged with crimes. and if we allowed them unfettered freedom to have courts. to have judges control military interrogation and get into the bowels of running this warnot only has it never been done. but I challenge anybody to bring one case down here where an enemy prisoner has been able to go into Federal court and complain about their detention. Once you have a combatant charged with a crime. you are working with 490 of them who are going to have unfettered access under 2241 unless Congress acts. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090090819,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you want to stop this kind of litigation and not turn over the war to Federal judges. then you need to tell the courts that 2241 does not apply. No law in the history of armed conflict has allowed this to happen and it needs to not happen now. Twelve people have been released down there under the procedures we already have. and they have gone back to try to kill us. Nothing is perfect. Nothing is perfect. We may let some people go who go back to the fight. but what we are going to do is we are going to have a process we can be proud of that fairly determines who an enemy combatant is and who is not following the Geneva Conventions law of armed conflict. We are not going. with my amendment. to turn the alQaida member into an American citizen suing us for anything they can think of about due process of law and as to where they have been detained. This is a fundamental moment in terms of values in the law of armed conflict. The American value system is being maintained by due process and then some. The American value system that you can allow people who are trying to kill you unfettered access to the Federal courts to sue your own troopsif that becomes our value. we are going to lose this war. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090090860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague. I am pleased to join with my colleague from Tennessee in this effort. I commend our colleagues from around the country who joined us. including our friend from South Carolina. the most recent cosponsor of this legislation. One out of every eight babies in our country is born prematurelythat is 1.300 infants every day and over 470.000 every year. The problems associated with prematurity are legion. We are making incredible advances in how we treat these children. but we need to do a lot more. I am not going to go to great length here except to commend my colleague from Tennessee and tell him how much I have enjoyed working with him on this issue. This is a critically important issue. It is the kind of issue that deserves more attention. We hope to get that attention with these efforts. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090090860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend him for his leadership. I am pleased to be a partner in this effort. and I am grateful to my colleagues for joining us in this endeavor.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090090862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my strong support for the amendment offered by Senator LEVIN from Michigan. I was pleased to work with a number of my colleagues on this amendment. including Senator LEVIN. Senator BIDEN. Senator HARRY REID. Senator KERRY. Senator FEINGOLD. Senator KENNEDY. Senator DURBIN. and particularly Senator DODD. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8909}
{"speech_id":1090090862,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator DODD and I had the privilege of traveling together through Iraq just about 3 weeks ago. Our trip was very illuminating. His participation is one I deeply appreciated. We all understand that there are over 160.000 American troops in Iraq. They are serving magnificently. and they have paid a difficult price for their service. We have lost soldiers and sailors and airmen and marines. We know how important it is to succeed in Iraq. But the American people are concerned. A Pew Research poll conducted last week found that those polled believed that Iraq was the most important problem facing the country today. A second poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal. however. found that 64 percent of those polled disapproved of the way President Bush is handling this situation in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8909}
{"speech_id":1090090862,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the heart of that. I believe. is a sense that there is no plan. There are slogans-\"Stay the course.\" There are slogans-\"When the Iraqis stand up. we stand down.\" But a slogan is not a plan. and the American people and this Congress should demand a plan. That is the essence of the Levin amendment. We are not collectively a Commander in Chief. We should not presume to think so. He is responsible for such a plan. and he has to provide. not just to us but to the American people. a sense that there is a plan that is leading to an outcome which is successful in a timeframe which is feasible. What the American people are seeing. however. is chaos without a plan. I did not vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq. At that time. my concerns were. after the initial decisive military victory. that we would be swept up in a difficult situation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8909}
{"speech_id":1090090862,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what has come to pass. I thought the cost would be huge then. but I did not expect that we would enter the phase after military operations. the conventional attack. with essentially no plan. That was a surprise to me and a surprise to so many others. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. when a lieutenant colonel briefed war planners and intelligence officers in March 2003 on the administrations plans in Iraq. the slide for the rebuilding operations or phase 4C. as it is known in the military. was simply this: \"To be provided.\" We are still waiting. We are still waiting for a plan that works. that is measurable. and that will give the American public the confidence that our course ahead will lead to success. We all know in February of 2003 when General Shinseki was asked about the troop strength we needed there. he said several hundred thousand soldiers. He was dismissedand that is a kind word for the treatment he received. Secretary Rumsfeld said the estimate was \" . . . far from the mark.\" Secretary Wolfowitz called it \"outlandish.\" In fact. it was very accurate. very perceptiveprophetic. indeed. because after our initial entry into Iraq. after the first days of fighting. it became more and more obvious we needed more troops to. among other things. secure ammo dumps that were prolific throughout the country. Perhaps we have lost that window where more troops will make a difference. but we certainly have not gone past the point where a good plan will make a difference. and we need that good plan. The Congressional Research Service has summarized dozens of reports and articles. cataloging mistake after mistake. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8909}
{"speech_id":1090090862,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In their words: The lack of reconstruction plan. the failure to adequately fund reconstruction early on. unrealistic application of U.S. views to Iraqi conditions by. for example. emphasizing privatization policy. the organizational incompetence of the CPA. changing deadlines ... Et cetera. et cetera. et cetera. I could add. a very unwise deBaathification process and the disestablishment of the Iraqi army. But the litany goes on and on. It was ad hoc. off the cuff. It was not a plan that worked and it is not working today. We need this plan. That is what the Levin amendment calls for. Give us a plan. Not just us. but give the American people a plan. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8909}
{"speech_id":1090090899,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the attention of my colleagues to this regional issue regarding the Fish Passage Center and would like to make a few comments to clarify the intent of the language. This language is not about treaty rights. this issue is about ensuring accurate data is used in recovering the species. Removal of funding to the FPC does not mean the current functions will disappear. It is my understanding that other institutions in the region now perform most of the data collection and dissemination that is performed by the FPC. Reduced redundancies mean increased efficiency and effectiveness in the regional fish and wildlife program. The end result is a more focused program and the region moves forward toward recovery of the species. While BPA has contracted the FPC for the last 20 years. many questions have arisen regarding the reliability of the technical data. The Northwest Power and Conservation Councils Independent Scientific Advisory Board. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1670}
{"speech_id":1090090899,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ISAB. issued a report in 2003 in which it raised serious questions about the FPCs analyses. The ISAB said FPCs \"basic model and methods of presentation are now inadequate to make confident predictions for management. and other interpretations of the accumulated data are needed.\" Clearly. I am not alone in questioning FPCs reliability. Data cloaked in advocacy create confusion. False science leads people to false choices. We do not have to choose dams or salmon. They can. and should. continue to coexist. I am confident the BPA and NPCC will work with the region. both States and tribes. to ensure a seamless transition of functions. I thank the chairman for allowing me to speak on this matter.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1670}
{"speech_id":1090090902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite this importance. the Department of Energy has not requested full funding for this project in the Presidents Fiscal Year 2004. Fiscal Year 2005 and Fiscal Year 2006 budget request as originally proposed in the report to Congress entitled \"Disposition of Surplus Defense Plutonium at Savannah River Site. February 2002.\" The funding shortfalls will add to the existing 3year delay caused by the negotiations between the Russian and U.S. Governments regarding liability for the project. However. with agreement between the U.S. and Russia on liability. the administration has no reason not to request full funding in next years budget. It is vital that in the next budget the administration proposes fully funding the MOX program at a level that will bring this project closer to its original schedule.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":807}
{"speech_id":1090090904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Never hesitant to support missions in support of our national defense. the residents of South Carolina took considerable risk by allowing shipments of defense plutonium to be sent to the Savannah River Site from Rocky Flats and other DOE sites in advance of the construction of the MOX plant. In addition to supporting DOEs efforts to consolidate plutonium and accomplish the goals of the plutonium disposition program. this agreement greatly assisted DOEs efforts to expeditiously close Rocky Flats. resulting in considerable cost savings for DOE. In a sign of good faith to the State of South Carolina. language was negotiated between the State of South Carolina and the Federal Government that required the Department of Energy to convert one metric ton of defense plutonium into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors by 2011 or face penalties of $1 million per day up to $100 million per year until the plutonium is either converted into the fuel or removed from the State. It has never been the intention of South Carolina to receive penalty payments. the residents of the State simply sought reassurances that weaponsgrade plutonium would not remain at SRS indefinitely. South Carolina would not have accepted plutonium without this statute. However. until the plant is operational. it is critical to maintain the protections provided in Section 4306 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act. 50 USC 2566. This is the reassurance the Federal Government gives to South Carolina that it is DOEs intention to see this project through.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1528}
{"speech_id":1090090916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My understanding is that the conference amount for nuclear physics may not provide sufficient funds for the RHIC facility. Because of the increased power costs and other factors. I am advised that without an increase in funding it is possible that there will not be any experimental operations in this fiscal year. I think we can all agree that is a bad and unintended outcome.","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090090917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. you and Senator REID. the ranking member. have long been strong supporters of our national labs and specifically the work done at the Jefferson Lab and Brookhaven National Lab. The questions that we collectively pose relate to how we can repair the unintended damage done by this funding level. It is my understanding that the actual bill only provides funding for the Office of Science and that the Department has wide discretion to reallocate those funds among the various programs. Does the Department of Energy have the flexibility and authority to move funds around or to reprogram funding to help to alleviate situations such as this?","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":654}
{"speech_id":1090090950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. and I will not object. I wish to inform Senators that when we return to the bill. I know the distinguished colleague from Michigan and I are going to debate the two amendments that are pending relating to Iraq. one submitted by this side of the aisle and one by that side of the aisle. and then such discussions as the Senator from South Carolina and the Senator from Michigan may have on the habeas corpus issue. will that be dealt with at all tonight?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":484}
{"speech_id":1090090983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to commend the Senator from South Carolina and my colleague from Michigan whom I have worked with these many years. If the Senator from South Carolina will retake his seat for a minute while the chairman speaks. I wish to say I thank my distinguished colleague because I look upon the work by Members of the Senate toward a resolution of these very difficult issues regarding prisoners taken in this series of conflicts. seeing what we have witnessed. in terrorism. where there are no clear precedents. in many ways. in history for this nonstatesponsored aggression. As we witnessed in the tragedy in Jordan. it is not restricted to Iraq and Afghanistan. As General Abizaid has briefed the Senate and. indeed. briefed the American public on television. this is a worldwide movement that goes all the way from Spain to Indonesia. And you do not know where they will hit next or whom they will hit or by what means they will hit. But I do believe as .to the work initiated by our distinguished colleague from Arizona. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1571}
{"speech_id":1090090983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MCCAIN. which you and I worked with him on. this matter. which you and Senator LEVIN have worked on. and to a limited extentI am supporting youI have had a voice. this isand I say this with great respect to the President and the administrationa coequal branch of Government. the Senate. The Congress has a very clear mandate in the Constitution that we shall take care of the men and women of the Armed Forces. And this is part of that. So I say to my good friends who have worked on this. well done. You are profiles in courage.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1571}
{"speech_id":1090091008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first let me thank my good friend from Connecticut. particularly for his repeated reference to a Senator from Michigan whom- we all hold in such huge esteemparticularly Michigan. but it is not limited. obviously. We just put his portrait out in the reception room. one of the two Senators we have added in that reception room. I believe there are only seven Senators whose portraits are there. One of them is now Senator Vandenberg. I quote him often for many purposes. including the bipartisan foreign policy that he espoused. As the Senator from Connecticut pointed out. he also urged us to give our very best thinking and not to worry about being mischaracterized or being challenged in terms of patriotism because all of us. I believe. agree that when we give our best assessment of the path forward. the success in Iraq. that we are all acting in the best of faith. I know every colleague I either know of or do not know of is operating in the best of faith. total support for our troops. total support for their families. -and how we can best succeed in Iraq. I believe we have to make some changes in our course. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5797}
{"speech_id":1090091008,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment explicitly suggests some of- those changes in course. It will hopefully make it more likely that we will succeed in Iraq. One thing I know for sure. and that is that unless .the Iraqis take hold. unless they put their political house in order. unless they do what this amendment says in both versions. that they make the political compromises and the tough political decisions that are necessary for them to be unified against the insurgency. unless they do that. there is no chance that they are going to succeed.- against this insurgency. They must come together politically. That is what this amendment says. This amendment provides that they also must understand that we are not there for an unlimited period of time. because if they do -believe that we are -there for an unlimited period of time. they are less likely to make the political compromises which must be made for them to unite against the insurgency. That is the reason the message is so important. Are we there for an unlimited -period of time. as long as you need us? Is that the right message? Or is the right message that we are not there for an unlimited period of time. we are not setting a date for departure. but we are putting you on notice. folks. you need to get your political house in order so that you can defeat. with our assistance. that insurgency. And without that kind of coming together. that military success is either unachievable or far more difficult. That is the purpose of this amendment. and that is why the few words that were in this version. which the Senator from Virginia would change. are important words. to let the Iraqis know that the American military forces are not going to be there indefinitely. because. again. if they think we are there as long as they need us. which is the way the administration has phrased it. it is less likely that they are going to make the very difficult compromises that need to be made in order to put together a modified constitution around which all Iraqi factions can rally. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5797}
{"speech_id":1090091008,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is one of the purposes of this amendment. The other purpose is on the reports. which already. in this amendment which has been agreed to by my friend from Virginia. this amendment as written and as agreed tothere is no change to thisrequires a schedule for meeting conditions. It requires a listing of variables that could alter a schedule. It requires that reasons be provided for any subsequent changes to that schedule. What is one of the conditions? One of the conditions is that there be a campaign plan that must be met to provide for the transition of security responsibility to Iraqi security forces. So that is one of the stated conditions. that there be this campaign plan provided to the Congress. and that plan provide for. the transition of security responsibility to Iraqi security forces. . Three times we make reference to a schedule and we make very clear the conditions which must be laid out as to which conditions need to be met when. including what are the number of the battalions in the Iraqi Armed Forces that can operate independently or take the lead in counterinsurgency operationsall that seems to be agreed to. We have a schedule. We have to lay out the conditions. One of the conditions is how many battalions of Iraqi Armed Forces need to be able to operate independently. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5797}
{"speech_id":1090091008,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We lay all of that out. But then in the last paragraph. when we use the words \"estimated dates\" rather than \"schedule.\" for some reason the use of the words \"estimated dates\" creates a problem. Maybe it is not the words \"estimated dates.\" maybe it is the words \"phased redeployment.\" but I would again remind my colleagues that. in our sense of the Senate. we set forth a goal that. in order to succeed in Iraq. we have to have significant transition in the year 2006. with Iraqi security forces taking the lead. thereby creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of the United States forces. That is a goal stated and apparently agreed to by my good friend from Virginia. There is much in common here. I think the Senator from Connecticut is right. There is clearly a sense we have to do some things here to make it more likely that we are going to succeed in Iraq. That has to be everybodys goal. regardless of what our positions were going in or how critical we are of the way this war is run. Our goal is to maximize the chances for success in Iraq. But our amendment does have some differences. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5797}
{"speech_id":1090091008,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should not paper over those differences. There are two differences. which the Senator from Virginia has pointed out and I have pointed out. I guess that is where it is going to rest when the Senate votes tomorrow.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5797}
{"speech_id":1090091012,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank Chairman WARNER and ranking Member LEVIN for their leadership in bringing the fiscal year 2006 Defense authorization bill. S. 1042. to the floor and shepherding it through to final passage after months of unfortunate delays. Due to procedural limitations associated with the managers amendment which included my amendments. it was impossible to have original cosponsors added. The following Senators are cosponsoring certain of my amendments: Senators CHAFEE and DEWINE would like to cosponsor my amendment to provide for mental health counselors under TRICARE. S.A. 2456. Senators NELSON of Florida. TALENT. ROBERTS and HARKIN would like to cosponsor my amendment to require a report onpredatory lending directed at members of the Armed Forces and their depend-","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090091023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce. Science. and Transportation be authorized to meet on Monday. November 14. 2005. at 11:30 a.m.. on Implementing Legislation for the Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Conservation and Management of the Alaskachukotka Polar Bear Population.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":380}
{"speech_id":1090091035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today the Senate stand in adjournment until 9:45 a.m.. on Tuesday. November 15. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period of morning business for up to 30 minutes. with the first 15 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee and the final 15 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. further. that the Senate then resume consideration of S. 1042. the Defense authorization bill. I further ask that there then be 30 minutes of time equally divided between the Senator from Michigan and myself. between the bill managers. followed by a series of stacked votes as under the previous order. I further ask that there be 2 minutes equally divided prior to each vote. I further ask that following the vote on passage of the Defense bill. the Senate stand in recess until 2:15 p.m. to accommodate the weekly policy lunches.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090091078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the world economy continues to develop. populations and economies grow. and energy demand continues to rise. it is imperative that we diversify our supply of energy. Nuclear power provides approximately 20 percent of our Nations electricity needs and it is a clean air alternative to fossil fuels. The safety record of our commercial nuclear industry is a positive story and one that we need to share. In an era where resources have become increasingly scarce and expensive. it is unfortunate that nuclear power hasntseemed to be a part of the readily accepted solution. We have not been building nuclear power plants in the past 20 plus years because of environmental and safety concerns and this is a trend that I feel must be reversed. I feel these concerns and that opposition to nuclear power are simply a result of a lack of information. Today I offer an amendment that will provide objective data for the public to see. Specifically.. my amendment calls on the Department of Energy to report to Congress on the technologies for advanced nuclear power reactors and the potential for safety enhancements as a result of those technologies. This amendment will build on the nuclear provisions in the recently passed Energy bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090091078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Specifically. the extension of Price Anderson insurance. incentives for nuclear power production. and support for the construction of new nuclear reactors are positive policy developments. In addition. there are several security related provisions regarding security exercises. worker screening. and minimum facility standards that will further enhance the safety and security of our nuclear facilities. However. I feel there is information that would help many understand -the safety spectfully to. vote against the amendrecord of the industry and the poten- ment. The last paragraph in the Levintial enhancement of that through new Reid amendment looks like a timetable technology in the future. for withdrawal. It may not be the inI believe we must expand our nuclear tention-. but I fear that is the message power output as part of a comprehen- it will send. That is a message I fear sive energy policy and it is my hope will discourage our troops in the field. that this study helps the public better will encourage the terrorists. and will understand the safe and reliable con- confuse the Iraqis tribution nuclear power can make. .Senator WARNER has come along and I thank the Senate for including this accepted most of the Levin amendment amendment. except primarily eliminated that last","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2545}
{"speech_id":1090091164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when the Senator from South Carolina says the Supreme Court of the United States can take certiorari. it is at variance with the plain language of the statute. The statute says: The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia shall have exclusive jurisdiction.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090091236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Sdnator SHELBY and I have worked on a bipartisan basis to bring this bill back to the floor as a conference report. We are in agreement withthe principles of the bill so we are able to bring the bill forward. On our side. we estimate that we have three other speakers. We note the Senator from Minnesota is in the Chamber and he wishes to speak. There are two others whom we expect to speak. This is a new subcommittee. The VAHUD Subcommittee on Appropriations was dismahtled and farmed out to different subcommittees. so .some parts came to the Commerce Committee and the Justice Committee. and now we call it the Science Committee. It has a fantastic jurisdiction. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11409}
{"speech_id":1090091236,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its jurisdiction is focused on saving lives and saving livelihoods. It is about investing in innovation through science and technology for our countrys future. and it is about looking out for our communities and justice \u00a7ystem. Despite a tough allocation. I believe this bill. as completed. is fair and we have done the best we could. The Commerce Department oversees many agencies. some of which are very important Federal labs such as NOAA and the National Institute of Standards. The Department of Justice is on the front line. It funds the FBI. DEA. the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco and Firearms. the U.S. Marshals Service. and the U.S. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11409}
{"speech_id":1090091236,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Attorneys. These are not just agencies. these are men and women who every single day are trying to find thosepeople who are often criminals in our country. those who have committed terrible acts of arson. In my own home State. they detected the sniper who held the capital region at bay a few years ago. It is our U.S. attorneys. Americas DAs. who are prosecuting drug dealers. organized crime. and whitecollar crime. and also chairing the task forces on homeland security. The Justice Department tries to protect us from terroristsand protect our neighborhoods and our communities. It also provides grants to State and local law enforcement and helps fight gang violence. This year. this bill provides $21 billion to the Justice Department. That is $800 million more than last year. The Justice Department accounts for almost 50 percent of the entire cost of our bill. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11409}
{"speech_id":1090091236,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The FBI. with tremendous responsibility to fight both crime andto find terrorists. will receive $5.7 billion. This is a $500 million increase over last year. It will focus on things such as counterterrorism. in which we then try to use this as a domestic agendy to fight terrorists. We also remember we have other obligations. particularly for missing and exploited children. We are working very closely with the President of the United States and our Attorney General to make sure we have a hotline and a way to identify those sexual predators who have been released. from prison who come back to our communities. and also to recover missing children and to prevent abduction and sexual exploitation. whether it is on the Internet or in our communities. They -are doing a great job. Also. they have been used to identify those children who were missing after Katrina. So we not only look for the kids on AMBER alertas terrible and as chilling as that could bebut after the hurricanes hit we could not find a lot of our children. Moms and dads put their children on some of the last buses leaving Louisiana and now. thanks to. the way we work. we have helped bring about family unification. At the same time. we have a new menace sweeping our country and that is gangs. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11409}
{"speech_id":1090091236,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have certainly seen an increase in my own home State. We are providing Federal funds for initiatives. particularly focused in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County. \u0095 Our way of fighting gangs is going to follow a threepoint strategy of suppression. intervention. and prevention. We believe this bill will work with law enforcement in our communities and community support groups to do. that. At the same time. we have substantial funding to deal with the methamphetamine scourge that is sweepiig our country. Many of my colleagues have spoken about that. While we are busy fighting criminals. though. we also have to protect the judges as we bring those criminals to justice. We are all aware of the great threat thlat often happens to our judges as they try to do their duty. So we have increased the funding for the Marshals Service to capture fugitives and protect judges in our Federal court system. Just this past week. the marshals captured a convicted murderer who escaped from a prison in Texas. Where we had a tough fight was in State and local law enforcement. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11409}
{"speech_id":1090091261,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will close and give the floor to Senator STEVENS for whatever purpose brings him here. We believe what happened on the floor of the Senate is significant. We said there must be a change of course in Iraq. we cannot continue. This failed policy brought us to this point. We owe it to our servicemen and their families and the American people to have a plan for success that will. bring stability to Iraq on a timely basis. give them re- sponsibility for their own future. and start to bring American troops home. Our critics say we vant to cut and run. No. we want to stop the loss of life by Americans in Iraq. We want to make sure the Iraqis know it is their responsibility for their future. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1649}
{"speech_id":1090091261,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I certainly believe. as others do. that someone such as Ahmed Chalabi is one of the reasons we made fatal errors in the beginning of this invasion of Iraq. He should not be treated as a hero. I didnt vote for this war. In the fall of 2002 when we were debating use of force. I offered an amendment to defend the United States from an imminent attack by Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. That amendment got to the heart of the matter with the intelligence of weapons of mass destruction so cloudy. It would have raised the threshold for war. It failed. Now we have to move forward making certain that we keep in mind first and foremost our commitment to our troops and our commitment to our mission. This is a historic vote today with the adoption of the Democratic amendment as changed by Senators WARNER and FRfST. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1649}
{"speech_id":1090091261,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I sincerely hope this vote will mean a change in policy to bring our troops home safely. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1649}
{"speech_id":1090091263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Illinois for his courtesy. I do intend to attend the ceremony to eulogize the former Sergeant at Arms of the Senate.. (The remarks of Mr. STEVENS pertaining to the introduction of S. 2012 are printed in todays RECORD under \"Statements on Introduced -Bills and Joint Resolutions.\") \u0095","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":322}
{"speech_id":1090091288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today is the opening day for the new Medicare prescription drug plan D. and it is a day of great concern across America for millions of senior citizens who want to get it right. They believe. as I do. that Medicare should include a prescription drug benefit. It is almost hard to believe that a program that has been in exiUence for 40 years basically does not provide prescription drug coverage. but it started in a day when there were not that many prescription drugs and they were not as good. Today. we realize that often taking the right medication can make a person independent. strong. and living the life they want to live and avoiding doctors care and hospital care. So it is certainly the thing to do. We have known it for a long time. We have talked about it for a long time. We debated it over 2 years ago and decided to pass this approach to Medicare prescription drug benefits. I do not think we could have dreamed up a more complicated approach for a benefit that is basically pretty straightforward. Many of us thought the plan we passed here in Congress was just a sop or a favor for the pharmaceutical industry. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11009}
{"speech_id":1090091288,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They wanted to be able to -offer plans all across America and say to seniors: Come and figure out which one is best for you. Well. the problem. of course. is that there are hundreds and hundreds of plans across America. And now senior citizens. some of whom are not in the best shape physically. are forced to make a call. A fellow in Springfield. IL. told me about his 80yearold mother who called him really concerned. She said: You know. I am supposed to pick.a.prescription drug plan. and they tell me to go to the Internet.. What does that mean? You see. threefourths of senior citizens have never logged on. they have never been on the Internet. They go to the traditional sources of information that you might expectsomeone they trust. She went to her son and said: Chn you help me through this? And her son came to me and said: Senator. what have iou done to us? I just took a look at the Internet. and my mom has 40 choices. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11009}
{"speech_id":1090091288,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I now have to line up her prescription drugs and figure but which plan covers. those drugs and how much they charge. and then I have to figure out which plan will work with the drugstore that she is comfortable with. the one she trusts. I have to put that all together and make a decision for her. and I better do it quickly. I have until May 16. and if I wait until after that. then I am going face a penalty. She is lucky. She had her son to call. Some seniors dont have anybody to call. But there are people calling them. Do you know who is calling them? The insurance companies that want to seil these plans. some of the pharmaceutical companies. some of the drug companies. they are calling the senior citizens and telling them: We have a deal for you. And many of these people. bewildered by what they are facing. r.eally dont know where. to turn. You cant walk into a drugstore in my hometown of Springfield. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11009}
{"speech_id":1090091288,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"IL. without having somebody go up to a senior citizen and say: Let me talk to you about this prescription drug benefit. Think about that. Some people have knocks on the door and phone calls with folks saying: We have the best plan in the world for you. In fact. the Attorney General of Illinois. Lisa Madigan. had a press conference with us a few weeks ago. They are finding evidence of rampant fraud when it comes to companies that are sadly taking advantage of our seniors. They are calling them and saying: Incidentally. will you give us your Social Security number so we can log you into the system? These people unwittingly give their Social Security number that can open up so many elements of their personal life they should not be advertising and publicizing. How did we ever reach this point? Is this the best we can do? I dont think so. When it comes to helping our seniors with a real prescription drug benefit. America can do bettera lot betterthan what we are asking the seniors to go through rightnow. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11009}
{"speech_id":1090091288,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"American seniors are confused about this plan. and Congress needs to give them at least more time to figure it out. Let me show a chart that explains part of it. \"Understanding How the Benefit Will Be Administered.\" They asked seniors: To the best of your knowledge. do seniors in the traditional Medicare Program have to sign up with a private plan to get the new Medicare drug benefit or not? Yes. 35 percent. no. 32 percent. dont know. 33 percent. Do seniors have to enroll in a Medicare PPO or HMO to get the new Medicare drug benefit or not?. Yes. 17 percent. no. 40 percent. dont know. 42 percent. According to a poll released by the Kaiser Family Foundation last week. twothirds of seniors dont even know they have to choose a private plan. Onethird of seniors think they are going to get their drugs through Medicare. and that is wrong. That is the proposal we suggested on the Democratic side of the aisle to make this simple and straightforward. a Medicare plan Where the Federal Government would bargain with the pharmaceutical companies to get bulk discounts and low prices. saving seniors money and saving taxpayers money. But the pharmaceutical companies wanted no part of it. They want to be able to .charge the highest prices they can. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11009}
{"speech_id":1090091299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to speak -for up to 40 minutes as in morning business and that the time be equally divided between myself and the Senator from South Carolina. and that we may be permitted to engage in a colloquy during that time.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090091311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I say to Senator SANTORUM. as he can tell. I was originally hesitant to yield to our distinguished Democratic colleague. but I am now so grateful thatthe Senator did yield because it made the case of why we need to guarantee benefits and why we need to stop the raid on the Social Security surplus. Practically all the information that .we heard is untrue as it relates to my bill. but the misleading information is the best case for the Guarantee Act .that Senator SANTORUM has proposed. It is so important. when people are getting untruths and so much misinformation that is intended to confuse them. that we reassure the American people that regardless of how we change Social Security to benefit future workers. that we are not going to change anything about the benefits of anyone who was born before 1950. I am honored to be presenting these ideas with Senator SANTORUM today.. There is no one in this Congress andprobably no one in this country who has done more to protect Social Security for this generation or the next than has Senator SANTORUM. I am also supporting this Guarantee Act because Americans know that we have a problem with Social Security. It is disingenuous for any Member of the Seflate to suggest otherwise. So we must guarantee in the face of these folks knowing we have a problem. but we also must begin now the process of fixing the Social Security system so it will be there for younger Americans. We can do that by. first. stop spending Social Security on other things. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7314}
{"speech_id":1090091311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what we are doing right now as I speak. Novemberl- 15. 2005 Americans -know why we have a problem with Social Security. Maybe Senator SANTORUM can add more later since he has done so many townhalls. There are many Congressmen and Senators who have gone out to talk about Social Security. and they have had many people stand up and say. Social Security would be fine if you folks in Congress would stop spending Social Security on other things. They figured out that every dime that comes in for Social Security that is not needed for todays retirees is spent on other programs. If we could look at the next slide. since the mid1980s we have had $1.7 trillion of Social Security taxes that have come in that were not needed to pay benefits. Our colleagues will say that that is safe and sound in the trust fund but. frankly. if there is one fact that is true on this floor tonight. it is that every dime has been spent on something else. Not one penny has been saved for Social Security for todays retirees or for tomorrows retirees. What we are proposing is to stop that raid on Social Security. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7314}
{"speech_id":1090091311,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are not proposing a comprehensive change in the Social Security system. In fact. Americans would see. no difference in the Social Security system. What we would start doing is to take the money that is hot needed for Social Security today and save it so that it would not be spent on other things. Here is the proposition: Between now and 2017. we are going to- spend another $775 billion of Social Security money on other things unless we pass this Stop the Raid on Social Security bill. We can see. it year to year. This year it isalmost $70 billion that came in for Social Security that was spent on other things. Next year it- will be well. over $80 billion. and it will continue until it disappears in 2017. At that point. there will not be enough Social Security taxes to pay benefits. and we will have to start moving money. from the general fund to- make sure every American gets their Social Security check. The Stop the Raid bill would take all of this money. $775 billion. and put it in Treasury bills so that it could not be spent on other. things. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7314}
{"speech_id":1090091311,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Instead of the government owning it. the people who send the money for Social Security would own it. My Democrat colleagues oppose ownership. They do not want the American people to own their own Social Security system. They want the Government to. own it. and they want the Government to continue to spend it on other things. We want to stop that raid on Social -Security. The Democrats. as we have heard tonight. will say that if we stop spending this Social Security money on other things. it is going to increase the deficit. Again. that is not true. All it does is make us ho~nest with our accounting. Right now. the $1.7 trillion we have already spent. and this 775 billion additional dollars is spent without any recognition that we are creating a debt. If we save this money in Treasury notes where there is no risk to the American people. we have to start counting it as debt if.we continue to spend it. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7314}
{"speech_id":1090091311,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a secret slush fund that Congress has used for many years1.7 trillion plus $775 billion. Congress.- every year. spends this money on other things and does -not count it as debt. If we start saving it for Social Security. it will be a debt ifwe continue to spend it. Only in Washingtonand I am afraid only my Democrat colleaguescould say that saving money qreates a debt. I am afraid only a Democrhtic colleague at this point could say that saving $775 billipn of Social Security money for Social Security actually weakens the program. Their intent is to oppose ownership by the American people who should own Social Security. Their intent is to spend this $775 billion on something else. I have heard my Democrat colleagues over the last couple of weeks talk about stopping the raid. They want to stop the raid by increasing taxes. They have said that they stopped the raid. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7314}
{"speech_id":1090091364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. November 15. at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate and receive a status report on the environmental management programs of the Department of Energy.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":321}
{"speech_id":1090091427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as of today. a bipartisan majority of the House has cosponsored the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equity Treatment Act. This marks the fifth year in a row that the majority of our colleagues have supported ending this arbitrary insurance limit on the treatment of a whole category of what this poster makes clear are neurological. physical diseases. In the last 5 years. more than 150.000 Americans have lost their lives to suicide: 90- percent of them with serious mental illness. In the last 5 years. American employers have lost over $150 billion of productivity to depression alone. That is more than the GDP of 28 different States during the same period. In the 5 years. well over 60.000 American families have been broken apart by the absence of insurance because the only way for parents to get treatment for their children is to turn the custody of those children over to the State. And. in those 5 years. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1132}
{"speech_id":1090091427,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the leadership of this House and the committees of jurisdiction have yet to even give this bill an up and down vote. We need a vote on the Paul Wellstone Equity Act for mental health insurance.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1132}
{"speech_id":1090091449,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I the National Park System certain sites thank the gentlewoman for yielding. in Williamson County. Tennessee. reMr.. Speaker. my legislation would lating to the Battle of Franklin. as enable a longawaited transfer of prop- amended. erty from the Bureau of Reclamation The Clerk read as follows: to the YakimaTieton Irrigation Dis- H.R. 1972 trict in central Washington. This Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Reptransfer involves the conveyance of ap- resentatives of the United States of America in proximately 9 acres of Federal property Congress assembled. as well as a few associa~d structures. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. These facilities are already dedicated This Act may be cited as the \"Franklin Nato purposes related to the irrigation tional Battlefield Study Act\". district. With this conveyance. the dis- SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. trict will be able to use district funds In this Act: to make needed improvements for the . (1) SECRETAR Y.-The term \"Secretary\" means the Secretary of the Interior. future. The irrigation district has fully (2) STUDY AREA.-The term \"study area\" repaid its obligations to the United means the cities of Brentwood. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2948}
{"speech_id":1090091449,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Franklin. States related to these properties. and Triune. Thompsons Station. and Spring Hill. the bureau is no longer interested in Tennessee. their daytoday management and up- SEC. 3. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. keep. (a) IN GENERA.-The Secretary shall conduct During hearings before the Resources a special resource study of sites in the study Committee earlier this year. the ad- area relating to the Battle of Franklin to deterministration expressed its support for minethis legislation and noted that this (1) the national significance of the sites. and (2) the suitability and feasibility of including transfer allowed the bureau to focus its the sites in the National Park System. limited resources where they are more (b) REQUIREMENTS.-The study conducted urgently needed. In my view. this is an under subsection (a) shall include the analysis example of local problemsolving at its and recommendations of the Secretary onbest. (1) the effect on the study area of including Mr. Speaker. I commend the staff of the sites in the National Park System. and the irrigation district and the Bureau (2) whether the sites could be included in an of Reclamation for their work on this. existing unit of the National Park System or other federally designated unit in the State of This legislation would not be before us Tennessee. today without their cooperative efforts (c) CONSULTATION.-In conducting the study over the last few years to negotiate under subsection (a). the Secretary shall consult this agreement. I also want to thank withV appropriate Federal agencies and State and hocal gqvernment entitie. a d :(2) interesed groups aridt organizatidnis. (d) APPLICABLE LAw.-The study required under subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91383 (16 U.S.C. laI et seq.).","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2948}
{"speech_id":1090091458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1972. the Franklin National Battlefield Study Act. It is fitting that we protect this piece of American history by preserving this battlefield. home to the Battle of Franklin. As Roberts Hicks and Julian Bibb of Franklins Charge put it best: \"What happened on the late afternoon and evening of November 30. 1864. was an epic display of courage and valor as troops on both sides gave their lives for causes they believed worthy and just. But the battle was much more. In essence. the Battle of Franklin was one of the most significant events in national unity. peace. and the end of slavery.\" The Franklin battlefield might -be one of. the smallest battlefields in the United States. but it is also among the bloodiest. A staggering 9.000soldiers were killed or wounded at Franklin. including the largest number of generals ever lost in any American battle. It was the largest infantry charge ever conducted in North America. In the 5 tragic hours that make up the Battle of Franklin. more men died in those 5 hours than the 19 hours on DDay. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2538}
{"speech_id":1090091458,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eleven Congressional Medals of Honor were earned at the Battle of Franklin. The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission designated Franklin as one of just 45 principal battles having a direct. observable impact on the direction. duration. conduct. or outcome of the war. Marking the beginning of the end for the Western Theater of the Civil War. it is now listed among the countrys Top 10 Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields by the Civil War Preservation Trust. I strongly support Representative BLACKBURNS legislation to correct this injustice. The Battle of Franklin is considered the beginning of the defeat of the Confederacy. I applaud the efforts of Save thb Franklin Battlefield. Incorporated. Mayor Miller of Franklin. Franklins Charge. the Williamson County Historical Society. interested city and county leaders. and leading preservationists and conservation organizations that have sought to make this legislation a reality. It has been a delight to work with the gentlewoman from Tennessee on this particular issue. which is in her home district. a county that we both share. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2538}
{"speech_id":1090091458,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe it is our duty to preserve this historical battlefield. and we are bound by the respect and homage we must pay for those who died to preserve the Nation we hold go dear and revere today. But this ia also for our children and grandchildren who will now be able to experience a chapter in our Nations history in a way that a textbook cannot provide.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2538}
{"speech_id":1090091466,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume... Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3507 is a noncontroversial bill to transfer two parcels of public land to the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians. Located in Riverside County. California. these lands total 991 acres in size. The lands subject to the transfer are currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management. but they contain archaeological. cultural and wildlife resources that are extremely valuable to the tribe. In the last Congress. the Resources Committee held a hearing on a similar bill to transfer the same lands. ","speaker_name":"MARILYN MUSGRAVE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1680}
{"speech_id":1090091466,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In this hearing. both the tribe and the Interior Department testified that these lands belong in Tribal ownership. After reporting that legislation. it. was learned that -the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had certain concerns relating to the management and use of the lands. and Congress adjourned before the problem could be resolved. These concerns have been addressed through a memorandum of understanding between the tribe and the Fish and Wildlife Service. and the sponsor of last years bill has introduced H.R. 3507 to reference the MOU. Becau~e the lands are part of the Pechangas ancient heritage. the tribe has adopted a resolution to zone them for conservation purposes. To reinforce the Tribes intent. this bill requires the tribe to use the properties only for the protection and preservation of cultural. archaeological and wildlife resources. The Pechanga Tribe should be commended for seeking to care for lands that are so important to preserving the heritage of its tribal members. In this spirit. I urge riy colleagues to support H.R. 3507. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARILYN MUSGRAVE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1680}
{"speech_id":1090091542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 856. I commend the gentleman from Nebraska for introducing this legislation. as well as for many of the other creative ideas and thoughts that I have seen and heard him express in the Education Committee. I also want to commend my colleague from Texas for yielding to me and for the leadership he displays as the ranking member on one of our subcommittees. I think that coordination. while it does not necessarily appear to be earthshakiig or earthshattering. is a tremendous concept that is greatly needed. Unfortunately. many of our programs operate in isolation. Unfortunately. there are instances where there is duplication and things. oftentimes get missed. When we can bring together all of these tremendous resources we have at our disposal so they are coordinated in such a way that the recipients become the .beneficiaries of this coordinated approach. then I think it will tremendously aid in the development of our young people. It is a great piece of legislation. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090091542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a great idea. It is a great concept. I simply want to add my voice to those who are in support of it and urge that we support it.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1157}
{"speech_id":1090091554,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise to support H.R. 288. recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. now known as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. or by the acronym IDEA. I am proud to join our committee chairmen. chairman of the committee of the whole. Mr. BOEHNER. and the chairman of one of the subcommittees. Mr. CASTLE. as well as our ranking members. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2717}
{"speech_id":1090091554,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MILLER and Ms. WOOLSEY. to commemorate this important occasion. I remember the hope that was ushered in with the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. As a member of the Texas State Board of Education at that time. I chaired the Gommittee on Special Populations which oversaw programs for migrant children. bilingual education programs for limited English proficient children. gifted and talented programs and programs for children with disabilities. In those days. it was a struggle to provide even basic access to schools for children with disabilities. We have come a long way. IDEA currently serves an estimated 269.000 infants and toddlers. as well as 679.000 preschoolers and 6 million children ages 6 to 21. There has been a dramatic reduction in the number of children with developmental disabilities who must live in State institutions away from their families. The number of children with disabilities who complete high school with standard diplomas has also grown significantly since the enactment of IDEA. ","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2717}
{"speech_id":1090091554,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. the number of children with disabilities who enroll in college as freshmen has more than tripled since the enactment of IDEA 30 years ago. Although we have come a long way. we still have a way to go. The Federal Governments promise to schools across the country was to share 40 percent of the cost of providing free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities. Today. in 2005. we are only halfway there and seem to have lostour momentum. In 2004. IDEA reauthorization authorized full funding by the year 2011. Unfortunately. the Presidents -fiscal year 2006 budget proposal for IDEA. part B. was $3.5 billion less than the authorized level for fiscal year. 2006. The House fiscal year 2006 bill is about $3.9 billion less than the authorized level. Mr. Speaker. it seems to me that if we continue to increase IDEA funding at the same percentage as the increase between fiscal year 2005 and the 2006 House bill. we will never reach full funding. ","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2717}
{"speech_id":1090091554,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As. we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this landmark education and civil rights act. let us redouble our commitment to keeping our congressional commitment and promise in 2004 to. fully fund IDEA. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RUBEN HINOJOSA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2717}
{"speech_id":1090091603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to pay my respects to Edward R. Roybal. Congressman Roybal was a true leader. He opened the doors for Hispanics and minorities in so many ways. He was the first Hispanic to serve on the City Council for the City of Los Angeles. He should have been the first to serve on the County Board of Supervisors. He went. on to be elected to the Congress of the United States. where he distinguished himself as a courageous defender of minorities. senior citizens. and the poor. As the Chairman of the Select Committee on Aging. he defended Social Security and Medicare. both of which are now under attack. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1234}
{"speech_id":1090091603,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He also worked to expand access to health care and improve longterm care. He. was a gentle man. He was a man of impeccable integrity. He was a man whose face reflected what he really cared about and who he really was. I will never forget those. huge eyes and the way he looked at you. You knew you had to handle yourself a certain way in his presence. You had to handle yourself in a proper way.. He was a very dignified man. I shall never forget how I felt each time I was in his presence. and a testament to who he was and what he cared about certainly is reflected here today in his daughter. LUCILLE ROYBALALLARD.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1234}
{"speech_id":1090091683,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have anhour as the designee to talk about. the subject that I want to bring to my colleagues. but I think I need to take at least a few seconds of my time from this side of the aisle to express my and our heartfelt sympathies to our colleague. the gentlewoman from California . on the death of her father. I spent the last 15 minutes listening to their special hour and learning about that great. great American who represented the State of California so well in this body for 30 years. and I want to express my sympathy to my colleague from California. Mr. Speaker. today. November 15. is a historic day and not just- because it is my wife Billies birthday. which it is. Happy birthday. honey. But really the historic aspect of today isthe rollout and the signup today for the first of a 6month window of opportunity for our seniors to voluntarily sign up for the Medicare part D prescription drug plan which this Congress made available to them in December of 2003. So indeed. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090091683,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. November 15. is indeed a historic day. I hav6 seen clips of the original signing of the Medicare legislatinn back in .1965 when President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed that bill into law. Actually. the very first person to sign up for the other voluntary part of Medicare. the part B which is applicable to the physician care and outpatient testing. not the hospital part but the vbluntary part. the first individual to sign up for that was former President Harry Truman. that being 40 years ago. Here we are now finally. Mr. Speaker. after all of these years. offering something that was. left out of that original program. I guess for a fairly good reason. Maybe back then. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090091683,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was a freshman in medical school. I barely knew who was happening. but there was not","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090091696,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was in the grocery store the other day. and I wanted to buy a loaf of bread. I had not been in this store before. This store must have had 30 or 40 different types of bread. Every roll. shape. flat. cut. everything. I said I just want some whole wheat bread. They helped me find it. I thought this sort of reminds me with some .of the choices with theMedicare plan. If anything. yes. there are many choices. but it is important to keep in mind that by working with somebody on the Web site or on the phone. and many pharmacies and senior centers offer this. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090091696,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ultimately the issue is this: that a person should not just compare the cost of a drug. what is .this drug going to cost. but what is it going to cost me over a years period of time. We looked. for this hypothetical person Jane. what does it cost. for a- year because in some cases people may say if there is coverage up to $2.250. and if my drugs cost $3.000. they may ask. do I have to pay $3.000? And the answer to that is?","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090091736,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In that vein. we actually have an email from one of the folks out there in blogger land who wants us to talk about and ask the question. Mr. Speaker. are the rules that have been enacted for the operation of our U.S. House of- Representatives constitutional? And if not. what is the remedy for that? There is a person from Vermont..Can a lawsuit be brought about legal or unconstitutional House rules? In other words. all Americans must have representation in their government. Mr. -Speaker.. and if Democrats are ignored because of House rules. not allowed hearings likethe ones you are talking about. not allowed to offer an amendment on the House floor to legislation when we. are duly elected in the same way. putting our pant legs on one at a time just like they do. or a skirt. like I do on occasion. because of House rules that give full power to a majority political party. half the coqntry does not have representation in the daytoday business of our own government. That is the bottom line. We are shut down. And this is not about whining. This is not about. gee. we cannot get in our say. This is about that we were duly elected just like every one of the other 434 Members of this body. and it is not like that in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090091736,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senate. In the U.S. Senate. the minority is treated with respect. Itdoes not always go their way. but they can at least make an impact.. It is truly enough. What is more unfortunate is how the Republican leadership in this Chamber misrepresents how the process works here. as if we are allowed to call hearings whenever we want to or have subpoena power in the Katrina committee that was created a few weeks ago. They really. consistently. at least since I have been here from the beginning of this year. if you recall during the Schiavo case. facts were not relevant. They just made it up if it suited their argument.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090091861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a pleasure to. work with the Senator from Georgia. I wish to talk about a piece of this amendment. Before I do. I thank Chairman ENZI and Ranking Member KENNEDY for the work they have done on this bill. I represent Minnesota. Big 10 football. big ground game. not fancy passes. The Senator from Wyoming is not a rabbit. not -fast on his feet. but. boy. is he solid. steady. and consistent. This is a great bill. There is a piecd particularly important to the folks in my State and actually throughout the country. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3871}
{"speech_id":1090091861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is not just about my State. Pension reform provisions relating to the airline industry take the burdens off the taxpayers. That is what this is about. Let me be clear. when airlines cannot meet their pension Obligations. thePension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. PBGC. is saddled with the responsibility. Who is the PBGC? It is the American taxpayer. That is who is saddled with the responsibility. In my State alone. Northwest. Airlines is struggling to meet its obligations and make good on their promises of pensions to its employees. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3871}
{"speech_id":1090091861,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Minnesota has almost 22.000 people who depend on Northwest Airlines pensions. As the Senator from Montana said a minute ago. this is about promises made and about promises being kept. The Federal law defining underfunded defined pension benefit plans is seriously broken and must be fixed. A number of airlines have already terminated their defined benefit plans in bankruptcy and transferred them to PBGC. Other carriers may well suffer. the same fate. I am not going. to go into detail as to why it happenedstock market declines. low interest rates. September 11. record oil pricesbut as a result. * the deficit reduction contribution rules - kick in. They require that Northwest and other carriers make massive additional contributions to its defined benefit plans that they cannot afford. It is difficult to overstate how profoundly these DRC rules have impacted the funding of pensions. it would be akin to telling homeowners with 30year mortgages that if the value of their homes drop below 80 percent of the purchase price. for whatever reason. their loan will be accelerated such that the balance will become due in 3 to 5 years. This is a problem. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3871}
{"speech_id":1090091861,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Common sense is not in play. This amendment provides common sense to pension laws. This amendment provides somprotection to the taxpayers. This amendment provides protection to the employees. They should get what they have worked for. Promises made. promises kept. Northwest has worked with the labor unions. They developed a.proposal contained in this compromise bill allowing them to proceed in a way to stop adding to the underfunding of airline plans by requiring airlines and. their affected unions to freeze their plans. ceasing future benefit accruals. and protect the PBGC by_ freezing the PBGC guarantee. It would fix the broken DRC rules by extending the term of the pension \"mortgage\" from its current 3to5year amortization period to a longer amortization period. Under this proposal. retirees and plan participants would receive the benefits they earned to the date of the freeze. * Retirees would be protected. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3871}
{"speech_id":1090091861,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. the PBGC will be in better shape financially since its liability will be capped. and each airline payment that an airline makes to the plan will reduce that liability. The bottom line is this: Northwest and other airlines are not seeking a subsidy. they are not seeking a bailout from the Government. Just the opposite. They are asking for a responsible alternative to current law that lets them pay their pension liabilities versus shifting those obligations on to a Government agency. It is the right thing to do. It is a fiscally responsible thing to do. It is the right thing to do for the employers and taxpayers. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3871}
{"speech_id":1090091871,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I give my reasons to my colleagues for why they should support this legislation and why it came out of my committee. there are several thankyous I would like to give. first to Senator BAUCUS because this is truly a bipartisan bill that came out of committee. In fact. I think it came out totally unanimous. Over a period of many months working with Senator BAUCUS. we were able to put something together to get that kind of bipartisan support. Then later on. the HELP Committee reported a bill. There was extremely great cooperation between Senator ENZI and Senator KENNEDY with Senator BAucus and me. I do not say this tongueincheek. I say it as a matter of fact: I think if one can get Senator ENzI and Senator GRASSLEY together on one side of the aisle and Senator BAUCUS and Senator KENNEDY together on the other side of the aisle. there ought to be something that ought to pass this body. I also lend compliments and support for helping move this bill along to Senator MIKULSKI and Senator DEWINE because they had a very controversial amendmentthey may not \" have thought it was controversialand we were able to work out some understandings beyond the action on this floor to accomplish that. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10177}
{"speech_id":1090091871,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So we would not be here today doing this bill without Senator MIKULSKI and Senator DEWINES cooperation. I thank the Senator from Maryland for that. and Senator DEWINE as well. I am very pleased that the Senate now is turning their attention to what we call the Pension Security and Transparency Act. 2005. It is a bipartisan bill. and I support it. I think every Member of the Senate ought to be proud to support this bill and. of course. only a rollcall will show that. This is a bill that is about one -thingimproving the retirement security of all Americans. It will improve Americans retirement years in many. different ways. Much of the public focus on this legislation has been on the comprehensive- pension funding reforms that are in the legislation. Those reforms are very important. but before I talk about those. I wish to spend a couple of minutes talking about other important provisions in the bill. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10177}
{"speech_id":1090091871,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. 1. the bill represents a completion of the postEnron retirement plan reform that I have worked out with my good friend Senator BAUCUS. Democrat ranking member. We all remember that when Enron spiraled into bankruptcy and the value of that companys stock evaporated. Enron employees had 401(k) plans locked in Enron stock. They had no chance of diversifying their .401(k) portfolios. and they were blocked from selling Enron stock at the time top executives we re cashing that stock out with big gains for them. This bill would say- that Enron practice is unacceptable for any company in the future. Employees should not be forced to stuff their 401(k) plans with company stock. Diversification is the most fundamental principle of sound investment strategy. The bipartisan legislation before us today then guarantees that employees have the right to diversify their 401(k) accounts. This bipartisan bill also seeks to increase savings by adopting new rules to promote automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10177}
{"speech_id":1090091871,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Very often. I am afraid. the hardest dollar to save is that first dollar. Once people begin to save. it can become a habit that lasts a lifetime. Automatic enrollment means that saving that first dollar will be easier. less redtape. and it means that millions of Americans then will be saving many times more than what they save today. Obviously. every month we get statistics on savings that say Americans are almost. throughout the entire globe. the ones who save the least. The bipartisan bill before us today also simplifies retirement plan rules. making it easier and less burdensome for employers to give retirement plans to their employees. These types of changes will be particularly helpful to small businesses. which are often discouraged from sponsoring a retirement plan because of the costs. administrative costs particularly. and the redtape burdens. The bipartisan bill before us today would allow small businesses to combine a defined benefit plan with a 401(k) plan. and they would do this into one simple plan called DB(k). This type of combined plan will give employees the best of both worlds at the same time. Speaking of combining the best of both worlds. the bipartisan bill we are considering today provides longneeded clarifications that cash balance and other types of hybrid pension plans are not inherently age discriminatory. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10177}
{"speech_id":1090091871,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hybrid pensions combine positive features of both the traditional pension plan and the defined contribution plans. These plans have long provided meaningful retirement benefits to employees. Today we will help to lift the cloud of legal uncertainty over these plans. At the same time. we also ensure that the rights of participants are protected and that the plans truly do meet the needs of todays mobile workforce by requiring faster vesting of employees benefits in those particular plans. Finally. then. I will refer to the pension funding changes in this bill. those things that really have gotten the most attention and maybe are somewhat controversial. This bill honors a promise that we made way back in 1974. before I came to Congress. when the law governing plans. called ERISA. was enacted. That promise was made that the pensions of rankandfile employees should not depend on the finanOial solvency of their particular employer. ERISA. the law. says that it is OK for a nonqualified pension of senior management to be exposed to the companys risk of bankruptcy. But then when it comes to the rankandfile employee. people who probably had as much to do with making the company as the manager. people who worked hard all their lives in hopes of a good retirement. and a pension being a part of that good retirementthose peoples golden years should not be ruined because of their employer fallingon hard times. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10177}
{"speech_id":1090091876,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first of all. I point out this is a classic example of how we can work together to get an agreement to move needed. necessary. balanced legislation. There have been a lot of glitches along the way. but there has been persistence by .the Finance Committee and by the HELP Committee to report out the legislation. to have hearings. to listen to the arguments from the administration. from the private sector. from those who are experts in this field of the PBGC. I am very proud of the work that was done by the chairman of the Finance Committee. working hand in hand with the ranking member. Senator BAUCUS. to get the legislation passed and to allow an amendmentin which I was very interested dealing with the airline pension situation. They could have said \"dont do it\" or \"we will do it later.\" but they allowed the process to work its way through. Then. also. I have to give tremendous credit to the chairman of the HELP Committee. Senator ENZI. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5630}
{"speech_id":1090091876,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He did not give up on it. He was dogged and he was working on trying to get this unanimous consent agreement on how we consider this legislation. and our leadership on both sides of the aisle were able to come together. There were a lot of people who had amendments they wanted. They had objections. there were holds here. holds there. yet here we are. So I hope we can look at this and see if we cannot do this again in the futute. There is no question we need reform in this area. There is real exposure across the board. American workers all over this country. and management. and the leadership in the administration or in the PBGC are very worried about where we are headed with these pensiofis. Are we going to keep our commitment to the workers and to the people involved in these pensions? We have an exposure. according to an article this morning in the newspaper. this PBGC organization. of approximately $26 billion. Where are. we heading in this regard? Part of the problem with regard to pensions is the requirements that the law places on them are inverted. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5630}
{"speech_id":1090091876,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you get into difficulty. if you are losing altitude. your payments to the agency. PBGC. go up. making it more likely you are going to continue to plunge into the ground. Conversely. if you are doing well. you pay less. How did we ever allow the law. to get into that shape? Reform clearly is needed. If we do not do it. and do it in the right way. more companies are going to go into bankruptcy and are going to wind up dumping their pensions. The people who earned these pensions or had agreements for their pensions are going to get less than they thought they would get or in- some cases even less than they should be getting. We can debate whether or not these. pensions have been too inflated. but we have to transition. I personally think we have to get away from these defined benefit plans. We have to go to the defined contribution plans. But I think this legislation is a good compromise. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5630}
{"speech_id":1090091876,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need it and we certainly should get it done before we complete this session of Congress. I also congratulate Senator COLEMAN from Minnesota for working on the aviation provisions. and especially Senator ISAKSON. the great Senator from Georgia. for his efforts to stay behind this legislation and to offer the amendment that is going to be voted on before we complete the legislation. The language in the bill says airlines that freeze their defined benefit plans can amortize any funding shortfalls over a 14year peridd. That was a compromise agreement. The chairman had some concerns about what that number would be. The language we hav6 from Senator ISAKSON is slightly broader than that. broader than the base bill. It allows airlines that freeze their. plans and airlines that prefund their plans 20 years over which to amortize their funding shortfalls. I think that is the right number. I would like to have seen it more than 14. I support this amendment. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5630}
{"speech_id":1090091876,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I must say that I know it is critical to some of our airlines that we have this language. I have worked on the language in. the pension reform package on airlines. I have worked on supporting this amendment. and I have worked on checking the votes. I want the REcORD to show. in case there is a voice vote. that I believe there are probably over 80 votes in the Senate that would be for this amendment. I want to make it clear for the future and for the RECORD and for the conference that this amendment is going to be handled in the way it is going to be handled because of the overwhelming support it has. We could have a lot more resistance to it by the leadership. but they continue to be reasonable in their handling of this legislation. I support the Isakson amendment. I certainly believe it will be accepted by an overwhelming indication of support in the Senate. and that is the way it should be. I believe. as a result of this legislation. that .companiesparticularly airline employeesthe PBGC. and ultimately. most importantly. the U.S. taxpayer will be better off. This bill is not perfect. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5630}
{"speech_id":1090091914,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask levels of Government was nothing unanimous consent to speak for such short of shameful. and the victims of time as I may consume remaining for Hurricane Katrina. as well as all Amerthe Democratic side on the pension icans. deserve to know why that rebill. and then for an additional 20 min- sponse was such a colossal failure. Who utes as if in morning business. was in charge? Was it the President.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":420}
{"speech_id":1090091990,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on the floor today. First. I thank Chairmen GRASSLEY and ENZI and Ranking Members BAUCUS and KENNEDY in crafting this important legislation. The pension issues we take up today are notoriously complex and could have a significant financial impact on both American families and American businesses. The leaders of the committees have done an impressive job in bringing us to this point. and I congratulate them on their efforts. One of the issues we address in this legislatiofh is the validity of the socalled hybrid plans. Hybrid plans whether cash balance or pension equityare a modern form of defined benefit plan that combines -the best features of defined contribution plans. such as 401(k)s. with the best features of traditional defined benefit programs. Hybrid plans keep defined benefit plans relevant for workers in our contemporary. mobile economy. Inoeed. these hybrid plans have been popular with both employers and employees. and today an estimated 8.5 million workers. are earning secure retirementbenefits through these plans. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090091990,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For the past several years. these hybrid plans have been called into question. These turn of events came about when one of our Federal district court judges determined in the infamous Cooper v. IBM decision that the hybrid plan designs are illegal because they pay compound interest. Somehow. this judge believes that it is age discriminatory for employers to pay interest on their employees pensions. I. for one. have found hisposition hard to fathom. The judge reached this .conclusion despite the fact that the Internal Revenue Service had approved interestpaying hybrid plans for 15 years and despite the fact that every other court addressing the issue found that these plans satisfy the age discrimination rules. In classic fashion in our litigationhappy society. this lone and misguided court decision has spawned a string of copycat class action suits. In these suits. plaintiffs assert hundreds of millionseven billionsof dollars in \"damages\" (over and above the benefits they have earned under the planto \"correct\" compound interest. So. the issue we need to address in the legislation before us is to make clear that this lone judge got it wrong and that the IRS and all those other judges got it right. Compound interest in a defined benefit pension is not illegal. and the hybrid plarf designs satisfy our age discrimination rules. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090091990,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The legislation before us makes this important clarification but unfortunately only with respect to the future. While addressing the hybrid issue prospectively is constructive and must be done. failing to clarify the legal regime for the more than 1.500 or so existing hybrid plans and their 8.5 million or so participants will have a number of seriously adverse consequences:","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090092018,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator for allowing us to have this time. I have a unanimous consent request to make for the RECORD. This has been approved by the rrfajority leader and minority leader. I ask unanimous consent that the consent agreement relating to S. 295. which is a bill about China currency. which was entered on July 1. be modified so that it is applicable under the same terms including any days in December that the Senate is in session but under no circumstances no later than March 31. 2006. with all other provisos remaining. At this time. I yield. to my colleague. from New York.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":601}
{"speech_id":1090092024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend my colleagues from New York and South Carolina. This is an appropriate way to handle this issue. Clearly China pegging their yuan to the dollar has caused immense dislocations. It is also fairly clear that a 27percent tariff on Chinese products coming to the United States is an untenable position and it would not be the right action for the United States Congress to. enact legislation which would enact a 27percent tariff on Chinese goods coming into the United States that. in effect. is a 27percent tax on products that American consumers would otherwise be purchasing. Having said. that. it is a problemthat is. the Chinese failure to let their currency float. They did let it float a. little bit by a couple percentage points not long ago. but most all observers agree that is not enough. To some degree. this issue is tied to Chinese banking reform. Chinese financial institutions have asked the United States and other countries for advice on how to reform their. system. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5527}
{"speech_id":1090092024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are too many nonperforming loans in the Chinese banking system. which is related to Chinas inability thus far to let its currency valuate totally freely. There will come a timeand the time is probably sooner rather than laterwhen this will become an issue and it will come to a head. Right now is not the time. The Finance Committee clearly takes this issue very seriously We in the Finance Committee will pay great attention to the degree to which this measure..the -SchumerGraham amendment. should be taken up and passed or modified be-. fore reporting it to the floor. Waiting until the end of March of next year certainly is appropriate. I say to everyone concerned with this issue. we will act in time. and hopefully it is a time when it is an accommodation rather than a confrontation. It is up to both sides of the Pacific. franklyChina and the Statesto recognize that we have to get a resolution here. We are two great countries. It is by far better for each country to gauge each other appropriately with eyes wide open. It is not appropriate for either country to sort of stiffarm each other. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5527}
{"speech_id":1090092024,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are here. We are on the world scene. China is on the world scene. China has a huge interest. of course. in Chinas development but also a huge interest in the stability of the U.S. economy. And vice versa. we do. too. in China. .I urge.real leadership in both countries to try to find a solid resolution so we can avoid confrontation. I again thank my friends from New York and South Carolina for their statesmanlike approach to this. namely. not pressing the issue abruptly but rather agreeing to postpone. until March 31. the next deadline. Mr. President. I would like to turn to .the bill before us. The Book of Proverbs counsels: \"Do not quarrel with a Ndfemnber 1 6.2005\/ co man for no cause.\" One might rephrase that for modern times: \"Know when to take yes for an answer.\" That is how I feel about- this tax bill before us today. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5527}
{"speech_id":1090092024,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last Tuesday. when the chairman of the Finance Committee gave notice of his intention to hold a markup on the tax reconciliation bill. I thought that we were going to have a knockdown. drugout fight over capital gains. dividends. and the budget deficit. Now it appears that we are going to have an entirely different debate. When Chairman GRASSLEY first raised the issues of this tax bill with me. I told him: If you take capital gains and dividends out of the bill. I can support it. And the chairman and now the Finance Committee have taken capital gains and dividends out of the bill. And now I do support it. I am .willing to take \"yes\" for an answer. I am gratified that the chairman and the committee have chosen to forgo the capital gains and dividend provisions that they once contemplated. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5527}
{"speech_id":1090092024,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is a fundamental change. And from this side of the aisle. that is a welcome change. The job of a committee chairman is a large part of brokerage job. A committee chairman tries to do the most that he can with the votes that he hasI compliment the chairman of the FinanQe committee for being among the best at counting the votes. AndI think that the bill that the Finance Committee brings before us today represents the moderate consensus of the Senate. For many reasons. the bill before us today is not all that I would have preferred. It is not always the case. as with any Senator. -I would have preferred that we had handled this tax cut legislation outside of the reconciliation straightjacket. I would have preferred that we had done more to address the immediate needs of the people affected by the hurricanes that ravaged the gulf States. I would have preferred that we had done more to address active financing. the provision that we have to help our companies be competitive with companies overseas. And I would have preferred that the committee would have paid for the tax cut in this bill. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5527}
{"speech_id":1090092061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First 6f all. BusinessWeek is not a conservative publication. Anything that is not liberal you consider conservative on that side. Secondly. the fact of the matter is. I have been making a pretty good case that it is pretty tough to get permits and get past the environmentalist roadblocks. It is in my State and every other State that has energy. Thirdly. I mentioned the coal that has been locked up because of the machinations of the Clinton administration. the last administration.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":485}
{"speech_id":1090092087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. I may not use all that time because we made our points. But I want to join with my colleague and friend from North Dakota. Let me say at the outset I have a great friendship with my colleague from Utah. We have done legislation together over the 24 years we have served together in this body. He has been here a little longer than I have. I enjoyed that relationship. I am somewhat stunned when my colleague from Utah becomes as exercised as he was over the oil industry and its profits. They have done very well. There is no reason to be upset about the oil industry. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4999}
{"speech_id":1090092087,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tlie profits they recorded in the space of 12 weeks are unprecedented in American history. I began to wonder whether my colleague from Utah had even read the amendment the Senator from North Dakota and I offered. It very simply says that. with the profits when oil is in excess of $40 a barrel. you either pay an excise tax which would rebate to consumers to the tune of about $65 million a day. which could be meaningful to families who will be paying much higher costs this year. or reinvest this money. these additional profits. into increased production or developing alternatives the industry says it wants to do. That is what the amendment says. We have watched the industry shut down 176 refineries in 25 years. One company brags about how profits are up 50 percent. and ttey themselves reduced production by 3 percent. In any class in 101 economics. when you reduce supply like that. obviously it gives a justification for increasing price. They admit it in their annual reports. I didnt make up that quote. I am quoting one of the major integrated .companies in its message to its shareholders: Profits are up 50 percent. we reduced production by 3 percent. . ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4999}
{"speech_id":1090092087,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then I hear my colleague from Utah talking about some. environmentalists as if somehow they had shut down the refineries or they were responsible for reducing refinery capacity. It is the oil November 1.6. 2005 industry itself that has been closing refin eries.. . .. : . There -are not going to be many more opportunities because we are about to adjourn here. We will not be back until the middle of January. This may be the one opportunity we have to express ourselves on whether we think the industry .ought to be doing a better job when it comes to. increasing production and providing some relief for the people out there who will be paying these increased 6osts. This is not an excessive request. It is one that goes right to the heart -of what we have talked about. what we talked about during the consideration of the Energy bill. In fact. as I pointed out earlier. we provide literally billions of dollarsin tax breaks for the industry to go out and do some of the things the Senator from Utah talked about. I voted against that Energybill. not because there were not some things I liked in the bill but. frankly. because I thought those tax breaks were unnecessary. When you are recording $9 billion. almost $10 billion in profits in 12 weeks. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4999}
{"speech_id":1090092087,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why do you need a tax break? But when the integrated companies report more than $32 billion in profits in - 12 weeks and we turn around and provide billions of dollars in tax breaks. I didnt understand that. But that is what we decided to do. Here we have a chance to say: Listen. you got these additional profits. Put them into energy production or provide a rebate to the people of this country who are going to be paying these increased prices. It is one chance here to decide which side you are on. As I mentioned earlier. we tried to get LowIncome Home Energy Assistance increases for the poorest of our poor. the elderly on fixed incomes. and that has been denied over and over again despite amendments even in the last few days and weeks to provide some relief. That has been repeatedly voted down. What about providing. some relief for people who are going to be paying these additional costs? That is what we are trying to do with this. amendment. I commend my colleague from North Dakota. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4999}
{"speech_id":1090092087,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know some people say. It is a futile effort. why do you even bother? We bother because we think it is right to stand up l4ere. Other Congresses in other timeswhere are the Harry Trumans today? We are in the middle of a war right now in the Middle East. He stood up as a Member of this body and he called it profiteering. and he was not accused of being a populist. We celebrate Harry Truman today as someone who had the guts to stand up and tell the truth. whether people wanted to hear it or not. We ought to tell the truth now. These companies are making excessive profits at the expense of our economy and hardworking. honest people. They look to us to provide some help. That is what we exist for. in part. to make sure you dont have unrestrained activities that will do damage to the average person or average btisiness out there trying to make ends meet. I again urge our colleagues to support this amendment. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4999}
{"speech_id":1090092126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to recognize the contributions of Virginia Rose to Lovelock. NV. After serving the city of Lovelock for 35 years. Virginia retired as deputy city clerk on Virginia has proudly lived in Lovelock all her life. As a young woman. she established a strong work ethic on her familys dairy farm performing. daily chores with her nine brothers and sisters. She continued her hard work as an office clerk for the city of Lovelock from 1961 to 1968. In 1977.. Virginia returned as a deputy city clerk and spent the next 28 years as city clerk and treasurer. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090092126,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Virginias colleagues at the city describe her as a highly motivated and gracious leader who knows how to organize and accomplish what needs to get done. Virginia continues to serve her community today through active participation in her church. the Pershing County Alumni Association. the Pershing County Democratic Committee. the Lovelock Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. the Sierra Swiss Club. the Lovelock Community Singers. and several other organizations. Well liked and respected.by her community. she has been honored on numerous occasions since 1964. Most recently. she received the Northern Nevada Women of Achievement Award and the Diocese of Reno Outstanding Christian Service Award. Virginia would likely describe her greatest honor as mother to Kim and Timothy and grandmother to Sarah. Adam. Lauren. and Caroline. She shares in this joy with Glenn. her husband of 46 years. \" I have known Virginia for many years. While she is considered a pillar in the Ldvelock community. she modestly describes her. contributions as a privilege. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090092126,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Her dedication. diligence. and exceptional work has improved the lives of her fellow residents. I hope that you will join me in acknowledging Virginia Rose for her service to the Lovelock community on the occasion of her retirement from the city of Lovelock. SERVICE","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090092136,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of my longtime friends. Patricia Patterson. and I were recently discussing the life and service of a great American. and I wanted to take a moment and bring to the attention of my colleagues this American success story. Al Casey passed away on July 10. 2004. after a lifetime -of contributing strong leadership and a gregarious disposition to numerous companies. communities. and organizations from across the country. After putting himself through Harvard. Al enlisted in the Army during World War H. Following his military service. he returned to Harvard business school. earning a graduate degree in finance. Al. loved Harvard. and his friendships there opened doors and enriched his life throughout his long career. Als first job was in New York for Railway Express. He and Ellie. his wife of more than 40 years. then moved to San Francisco with -the Southern Pacific Railroad. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3167}
{"speech_id":1090092136,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Al later worked as President of the Times Mirror Company and the Los Angeles Times for 8 years. before moving to possibly his most visible corporate assignmentCEO of American Airlines. His philosophy. \"you dont have to be mean to be tough.\" carried him to success in most of his professional endeavors. especially with American. where Al provided aggressive leadership. When he came to American Airlines. he had already established a reputation of high ethical behavior. This. combined with his ability to laugh at himself. secured for him the cooperation and loyalty of his employees. Following his retirement from American Airlines. Al began a relationship with SMUs Cox Business School as a faculty member. His teaching career was interrupted to rescue First International Bankshares as it emerged from bankruptcy. Later. he served as Postmaster General of the United States under President Reagan. Al enjoyed this tour immensely. even signing letters to close friends as \"Big Stamp.\" He returned to teaching. only to be- tapped in 1991 by President George H.W. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3167}
{"speech_id":1090092136,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bush and Alan Greenspan. Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank. to pilot the Resolution Trust Corporationwhich was charged with disposing of financial and real estate assets left behind in the wake of failed savings and loan companies in the 1980s. It was a massive -undertaking that no one thought could be done. Al worked for 18 months and was able to lead the RTC in disposing of almost all of the assets by the time the Clinton administration took office. Al had a positive outlook on life and genuinely desired to know about the triumphs and tribulations in the lives of friends and coworkers. He supported countless community and civic organizations and was committed to iinprovifig the cities and neighborhoods where he lived and worked. The effects of his steady guidance and endless enthusiasm for life have been felt in major corporations. in professional associations. in government organizations. and in the personal lives of many Americans. Albert Casey coined \"Caseys Law.\" which holds that \"if anything could go right. it should.\" I was honored to know Al. and I thank you. Mr. President. for the opportunity to commemorate such a fine man. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3167}
{"speech_id":1090092136,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He is certainly missed and fondly remembered.*","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3167}
{"speech_id":1090092137,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to pay tribute today to Michael 0. Hill. superintendent of Assateague Island National Seashore. Mike is retiring after a long and distinguished career in the National Park Service. and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation and especially for the outstanding job he did in managing and enhancing Assateague Island National Seashore since coming to Maryland in Throughout his 33year career with the National Park Service. Mike Hill has distinguished himself through his commitment and dedication to managing and protecting some of our Nations most precious treasures. Beginning as a seasonal employee at Sequoia National Park in 1973. Mikes career quickly took him through a variety of increasingly challenging posts. from his first permanent position as a horse patrol ranger at Petrified Forest National Park to management positions in parks all over our country including Channel Islands National Park. Shenandoah National Park. VA. and Biscayne National Park. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3331}
{"speech_id":1090092137,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FL. In 1990. he was selected for the 2year Bevinetto congressional fellowship program. where he worked with the National Park Service and Congress to better manage our national parks. In 1993. he became superintendent of Petersburg National Battlefield. and in 2000 he was selected for his present. position at Assateague Island National Seashore. Over the past 5 years. I have had the opportunity and privilege to work closely with Mike on several initiatives to protect the natural resources at Assateague and to enhance visitors experiences at the seashore. I know firsthand the great leadership and expertise he brought not only to these initiatives. but equally important. to supporting and encouraging one of the finest staffs of park professionals in the countryat a time when all our parks are operating with only twothirds of the needed funding and personnel. Under Mikes direction. the integrity of the northern 7 miles of the National Seashore has been restored after decades of unnatural erosion. plans have been advanced to develop a new barrier island visitors center to accommodate the increasing number of visitors to the park. and partnerships with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. the Maryland Coastal BayProgram. and the State and local governments have been strengthened. Mikes dedication to the stewardship of the National Park System has earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues. park visitors. and community residents. alike. His passion for Assateague was evident even in his voicemail: \"I cant take your call right now. With any luck. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3331}
{"speech_id":1090092137,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Im out on the Island.\" It is due to that commitment that visitors to Assateague and other units of the National Park System will benefit from his labors for years to come. I want to extend my personal congratulations and thanks for his many years of hard work and dedication to the principal conservation mission of the National Park Service and join with his friends and coWorkers in wishing him and his family well in the years to come. It is my firm conviction that public service is one of the most honorable callings. one that demands the very best. most dedicated efforts of those who have the opportunity to serve their fellow citizens and country. Throughout his career. Mike Hill has exemplified a steadfast commitment to meeting his demand.*","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3331}
{"speech_id":1090092150,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. constituents across the country in rural areas face serious health care issues. not only in terms of illness but also in lack of easily accessible services. One out of every five Americans lives in rural areas however only one out of every ten physicians practice in rural areas. Forty percent of our rural population lives in a medically underserved area. With access to care an average of thirty miles away. rural areas have much to gain from the ability to access healthcare information at a distance. We depend on our farmers and ranchers--they are the lifeblood of America and take care of the essentials in our lives such as feeding us and clothing us. We should make sure to take care of them as well. Today. I am proud to be joined by my friend. Senator BINGAMAN in introducing the Remote Monitoring Access Act. of 2005 to overcome the barriers to more rapid diffusion of innovative mew technologies that will improve quality and access to care for Medicare beneficiaries. by implementing changes in Medicare feeforservice reimbursements. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4877}
{"speech_id":1090092150,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our legislation would create a new benefit category for remote patient management services in the Medicare physician fee schedule. Under this category. Medicare would cover physician services involved with the remote management of specific medical conditions. New technology that collects. analyzes. and transmits clinical health information is in development or has recently been introduced to the market. The promise of this remote management technology is clear: better information on the patients conditioncollected and stored electronically. analyzed for clinical value. and transmitted to the physician or the patientshould improve patient care and access. Remote monitoring technology is also emerging to extend the provision of health care services to areas where there is a shortage of physicians. This technology allows physicians to monitor and treat patients without a facetoface office visit. thereby increasing access to physicians for patients living in rural areas. In its March 2001 report. \"Crossing the Quality Chasm.\" the Institute of Medicine stated that the automation of clinical and other health transactions was an essential factor for improving quality. preventing errors. enhancing consumer confidence in the health care system. -and improving\" efficiency. yet \"health care delivery has been relatively untouched by the revolution in information technology that has been transforming nearly every other aspect of society.\" Three major areas in which remote management technologies are emerging in health care are the treatment of congestive -heart failure (CHF). diabetes and cardiac arrhythmia. Despite these innovations and their ability to improve care. many new clinical information and remote management technologies have failed to diffuse rapidly. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4877}
{"speech_id":1090092150,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A significant barrier to wider adoption and evolution of the technologies is the relative lack of payment mechanisms in feeforservice Medicare to reimburse for remote. nonfacetoface management and disease management services provided by a physician. Under existing Medicare fee schedules. physicians generally receive a fixed. predetermined amount for a given -service. The cost of devices used or supplied in the service is usually bundled into the payment. and payments are primarily provided for facetoface interactions between the physi.cian and patient. The payment structure creates at least two problems for the wider adoption of patient management approaches using remote management technology. To overcome the barriers to more rapid diffusion of innovative new technology for Medicare beneficiaries. changes in Medicare feeforservice reimbursements are necessary. This legislation would create a new benefit category for remote patient management services in the Medicare physician fee schedule. Under this category. Medicare would cover physician services involved with the remote management of specific medical conditions. The quality of care provided through remote management would allow physicians to qualify for bonus payments conditioned on specific quality measures. This legislation directs the Secretary. through the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) to develop standards of care and quality standards for the remote management services provided for each medical condition covered. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4877}
{"speech_id":1090092150,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"AHRQ would develop these standards working in conjunction with appropriate physician groups. The Secretary is also given the authority to develop guidelines on the frequency of billink for remote patient management services. I urge my fellow colleagues to join me in ensuring rural Americans have the access to remote monitoring and the opportunity to keep pace with health technology by supporting the Remote Monitoring Access Act of 2005. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4877}
{"speech_id":1090092152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. our. dependence on foreign oil is sapping Americas power and independence as a nation. It is urgent we begin now to diversify the fuels we use to power our vehicles or risk ceding our national power to the rulers of faraway deserts. distant tundras. steaming rain forests or offshore. drilling platforms half a world away. I rise today as part of a bipartisan group of 10 Senators who represent the American Northeast. South. Midwest and West to introduce the Vehicle and Fuel Choices for America Security Act. We chose this title because nothing less. than our national security is at stake. Besides myself. the rest of the \"Gang of Ten.\" or the \"Energy Security Ten.\" as some call us are Senators SAM BROWNBACK of Kansas. EVAN BAYH of Indiana. NORM COLEMAN of Minnesota. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11777}
{"speech_id":1090092152,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LINDSEY GRAHAM of South Carolina. KEN SALAZAR of Colorado. JEFF SESSIONS of Alabama. BILL NELSON of Florida. RICHARD LUGAR of Indiana and BARACK OBAMA of Illinois. And we expect even more of our colleagues from both sides of the aisle will be joining us soon. I hope that in the future we all look back on the day this bill was introduced as the beginning of a major shift in our national security strategy. I hope that history will say we saw a challenge to our national security and prosperity and then met it and mastered it. A recent report by the International Energy Agency. IEA. sums up the urgent need for our legislation. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11777}
{"speech_id":1090092152,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the IEA. global demand for oilnow about 85 million. barrels a daywill increase by more than 50 percent to 130 million barrels a day between now and 2030 if nothing is done. The industrialized worlds dependence on oil heightens global instability. The authors of the IEA report note that the way things are going \"we are ending up with 95 percent of the world relying for its economic wellbeing on decisions made by five or six countries in the Middle East.\" Besides the Mideast. I would add that Nigeria is roiled by instability. Venezuelas current leadership is hostile to us and Russias resurgent state power has ominous overtones. In fact. we are just one wellorchestrated terrorist attack or political upheaval away from a $100abarrel overnight price spike that would that would send the global economy tumbling and the industrialized world. including China and India. scrambling to secure supplies from the remaining and limited number of oil supply sites. History tells us that wars have started over such competition. Left unchecked. I fear that we are literally watching the slow but steady erosion of Americas power and independence as a nationour economic and military power and our political independence. We are burning it up in our automobile engines and spewing it from our tailpipes because of our absolute dependence on oil to fuel our cars and trucks. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11777}
{"speech_id":1090092152,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That dependence on oiland that means foreign oil because our own reserves -are less than 1 percent of the worlds oil reservesputs us in jeopardy in three key waysa convergence forming a perfect storm that is extremely dangerous to Americas national security and economy. First. the structure of the global oil market deeply affectsand distortsour foreign policy. Our broader interests and aspirations must compete with our own need for oil and the growing thirst for it in the rest of the worldespecially by China and India. As a study in the journal Foreign Affairs makes clear. China is moving aggressively to compete for the worlds limited supplies of oil not just with its growing economic power. but with its growing military and diplomatic power as well. Second. today we must depend for our oil on a global gallery of nations that are politically unstable. unreliable. or just plain hostile to us. All that and much more should make us worry because if we dont changeit is within their borders and under their earth and waters that our economic and national security lies. Doing nothing about our oil dependency will make us a pitiful giantlike Gulliver in Lilliputtied - down by smaller nations and subject to their Whims. And we will have given them the ropes and helped- them tie the knots. We can take on this problem now and stand tall as the free and independent giant we are by moving our nationand the worldon to energy independence. by setting America free from its dependence on oil. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11777}
{"speech_id":1090092152,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is only one way to do this. We need to transform our total transportation infrastructure from the refinery to the tailpipe and each step in between because transportation is the key to energy independence. Barely 2 percent of our electricity comes from oil. Ninety six percent of the energy used to power our cars comes from oilliterally millions of barrels of oil per day. This is unsustainable and dangerous. The Vehicle and Fuel Choices for America Security Act aims to strengthen Americas security by transforming transportation from the refinery to the tailpipe and each step in between. thus breaking our dependence on foreign oil. We start by making it our national policy to cut consumption by 10 million barrels a day over the next 25 years. First. we need to rethink and then remake our fuel supplies. Gasoline is not the onlyportable source of stored energy. Tons of agricultural waste and millions of acres of idle grassland can be used to create billions of barrels of new fuels. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11777}
{"speech_id":1090092153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce the Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Disclosure Act with my colleagues. Senators KERRY. DORGAN and DAYTON. This important legislation will require Medicare beneficiaries enrolling in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. PDP. or Medicare Advantage Drug Plan. MAPD. with a potential coverage gap to sign a short. easy to read. statement indicating that they are aware of the potential loss of coverage. Yesterday. 42 million Medicare beneficiaries became eligible to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. scheduled to start on January 1. 2006. However. too many seniors are understandably confused about this complicated change to Medicare. and I fear that many may sign up for drug plans without understanding the major pitfalls. of the program. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3269}
{"speech_id":1090092153,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The biggest pitfall in the drug plan is the notorious \"coverage gap\" also known as the \"donut hole.\" In the coverage gap. beneficiaries pay 100 percent of prescription costs after they exceed a certain level of outofpocket spending and before protection kicks in against catastrophic drug expenses. They also continue to pay 100 percent of their monthly premiums. We need to make sure that seniors are aware of the threat that the coverage gap poses. and it should not be hidden in a mountain of paperwork. My legislation would require plan providers to have beneficiaries sign the following certification before enrollment: I understand that the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or MAPD Plan that I am signing up for may result in a gap in coverage during a given year. I understand that if subject to this gap in coverage. I will be responsible for paying 100 percent of the costs of my prescription drugs and will continue to be responsible for paying the plans monthly premium while subject to this gap in coverage. For specific information on the potential coverage gap under this plan. I understand that I should contact [prescription drug plan] at [toll free phone number]. The bottom line is that. after months of trying to explain this new drug benefit to Medicare beneficiaries. many do not understand the ramifications of the coverage gap. Unfortunately. millions of Medicare beneficiaries may learn about the coverage gap the hard waywhen the pharmacist at the cash register tells them sometime next year that they are suddenly required to pay the full cost of their prescriptions. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3269}
{"speech_id":1090092153,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. a study by the Commonwealth Fund found that 38 percent of Medicare enrollees are likely to experience this costly interruption in care. Moreover. the benefits must be renewed each year. meaning that the coverage gap repeats itself if beneficiaries reach the coverage gap again. A recent survey by the Kaiser Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health found that only 35 percent of people 65 and older said they understood the new drug benefit. In addition. the numerous media stories in recent days contain anecdotal evidence that illustrates the. confusion around the new drug benefit. I therefore urge my colleagues -to support this bill. Only with such a clear. separate disclaimer will seniors have a fair opportunity to be warned of the risks posed by this gap in drug coverage. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3269}
{"speech_id":1090092188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me begin by commending my colleague from Kentucky. I am pleased to be the lead sponsor with him on this resolution and he rightly points out that there are a number of -colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have been very supportive of this effort. In fact. I think we might leave this open this evening so that others who wish to be cosponsors may do so bef6re this evening is complete. I want to particularly thank. in this Chamber this evening. Senator KERRY of Massachusetts who was very interested in this issue and announced his strong.support early on of recognizing Rosa Parks. I also want to thank Representative JESSE JACKSON of the House and others on the House side who are also interested in this issue. The House sponsors have taken a different approach to authorizing a statue of Rosa Parks. but that bill has not yet been brought before the House for debate. The action we take today is one way that we can guarantee that Congress can\" authorize. and immediately have funds to pay for. the commissioning of this statue. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6987}
{"speech_id":1090092188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly support the efforts of my* colleague. Senator MCCONNELL. to expedite this legislation. I was honored to attend the funeral services here in Washington. DC for Mrs. Parks. The words spoken that day by numerous people were far more eloquent than anything I could add at this particular juncture. But I was struck by the fact that this woman. who refused to give up her seat. who caused a nation to stand up and take note. was physically a rather diminutive. quiet individual who had a long interest in civil rights. Her nonviolent act of defiance was not just a coincidental act. She had been involved in the civil rights movements and had worked with the NAACP and other organizations for. sometime. But as Vhe Senator from Kentucky points out. on that particular day. she was just not going to tolerate any longer a behavior that was so repugnant to the founding principles of this democracythat was a denial of everything we stood for as a nation. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6987}
{"speech_id":1090092188,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With full recognition of the .conkequences. her course of action precipitated a yearlong boycott in Birmingham of the public bus system. And that was a great sacrifice for- the people of the city at that time. To sustain that effort for over a year is really quite a remarkable and significant effort. It all began on that day some 50 years ago when this wondelful American lady. on her own. decided to take an action that would awaken the interest and collective conscience of a country to recognize. and acknowledge. the great scar of segregation that still existed in some parts of our Nation. And we realize that we have perhaps not yet reached that perfect union that our Founders intended and that each generation of Americans must be newly challenged to achieve it. Rosa Parks was that challenge.for her generation and by her solitary. nonviolent act. she changed the course of human history. This is a long journey. It has been a painful one for many but because of people like Rosa Parks. we are getting closer to -our Founders goal of a perfect union. And that is why it is not only important to preserve and honor her legacy for future generations. but to hold her up as an example of what can be achieved when we challenge ourselves to do better. She is an example to those oppressed in nations around the world that one person. in standing up for what is just and right. can make a difference. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6987}
{"speech_id":1090092188,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nelson Mandela once called her \"the David who challenged Goliath.\" People of nations. across this globe owe a debt of gratitude to this remarkable woman for her courage that day. for her determination. and for the inspiration she has provided. Now. when visitors come to the Capitol. they. too. can be inspired bythis heroic American whose courageous act sparked the flame of liberty and equality for African Americans and minority groups in this country and around the world. Oprah Winfrey spoke at the funeral services about what it meant to her as a young black woman to hear about Rosa Parks and what she had done. By honoring Rosa Parks with a statue. placed in the most public. places of honor in the Capitol. we will have a living symbol of that hope that Rosa Parks brought to millions of young black children 50 years ago. And so generations of children can pass by her statue and be inspired by her story and courage and identify with her greatness. We honored Rosa Parks by allowing her remains to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. I was priveleged to have been a part of that most appropriate effort. It was an unprecedented event and the first time that a woman had been so recognized. There have been others who have been so honored because of theirservice as President. or as a general or distinguished military officer. or some connection. to the Congress. but only once before had we honored a private citizen. To recognize this extraordinary lady was a.noble act and a proud achievement of the leadership of this Congress. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6987}
{"speech_id":1090092188,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Both Democrats and Re-. publicans took time to honor this symbol of freedom by paying their last respects to her in the most. public of places. the Capitol Rotunda. And the American people were invited in to share in her struggles and triumphs and pay their respect to this great American. too. The statue of Rosa Parks will be placed in a very hallowed location in the Capitol. The site has not yet been established. but it may be that location will be in the National Statuary Hall. This resolution authorizes. and indeed requires. that the Joint Committee on the Library consider that oktion. But it must be in a prominent place where the public can be inspired by her. where Congress and staff can be reminded of her act of courage and her challenge to our leaders to do better. And each of us will be reminded of the opportunities in our lives to make a difference.. Maybe not with the same dramatic. results as Rosa Parks achieved with her act. but every single citizen of this country will know that he or she has an opportunity to make a difference. in a moment of challenge. to rise and to be courageous. to stand up for what is right. It is a wonderful lesson for the younger generation to be reminded that one person can make a.difference. I often cite individuals who have made a difference. such as the mother who lost a child as a result of a drunk driver and went on to found an organization in her basement called Mothers Against Drunk Driving. or Lech Walesa. or now Rosa Parks. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6987}
{"speech_id":1090092189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is important that today the Senate is honoring a true national hero. Mrs. Rosa Parks. As you know. I introduced legislation to honor Rosa Parks with a statue in National Statuary Hall. I thank the chair of the Rules Committee. Senator MCCONNELL. and the ranking member. Senator DODD. for amending their legislation to designate Statuary Hall as a venue for a tribute to this great American. I think it is important we ensure that the memory of Rosa Parksis honored by placing a statue of her in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090092189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Capitol so future generations can understand her monumental efforts for civil rights and know the importance of living by her example still today. I thank Senators MCCONNELL and DODD for working with me and amending their resolution to ensure that Statuary Hall is considered as a possible location for the statue of Mrs. Parks. I also thank the numerous Senators who supported my legislation. S. 1959. I am supporting Mr. MCCONNELLS and Mr. DODDs measure today because I believe it is paramount that we honor Rosa Parks in our Capitol. but I want to be very clear that her statue should be in Statuary Hall. On November 3. 2005. I introduced legislation to place a statue of Rosa Parks in Statuary Hall in the Capitol. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090092189,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a location of great. significance. particularly on this occasion and particularly with this individual. While there are memorials for prominent African Americans in the Capitol Collec* tion. none of those are located in the hall that gives a statebystate account of our countrys history. In the struggle for civil rights. some were called to stand up to Bull Connors fire hoses and police dogs--some to stand up to Klan terrorismand some to stand up to stite sponsored acts of violence. But some were called simply to sit downat lunch counters in Greensboro and Nashville and Atlantaor on a bus in Montgomery. This simple action of peaceful opposition to existing rules had a significant impact on the lives of all Americans. Her act of courage on December 1. 1955. inspired a movement that eventually brought about laws to end segregation. ensure voting rights. end discrimination in housing. and create a greater equality throughout this Nation. It should be noted that I have been working closely with my colleagues in the House of Representatives. particularly with Representative JESSE JACKSON JR. from Illinois. whose bill has over 175 cosponsors to honor Rosa Parks in Statuary Hall. It is identical in content to my original bill. S. 1959. to ensure that Mrs. Parks statue is placed in Statuary Hall. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090092189,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the House passes Representative JACKSONS bill. it is my intention to bring that legislation up for a vote in the Senate to ensure that her memory is enshrined in the most hallowed halls of our Government. This week. Representative JACKSON and I began a national week of action to pass our legislation honoring Rosa Parks with a statue in National Statuary Hall. Our goal is to have Congress pass both bills by December 1. 2005the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks courageous decision not to move to the back of the bus. Rosa Parks was one of our greatest American heroes. a woman whose quiet courage changed a country. She. deserves the highest honors this country can give. I can think of no better way to honor the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks brave act against injustice than by passing legislation that ensures that schoolchildren. Members of Congress and presidents visiting the Capitol can see how highly our Natien thinks of her. and that we need to follow her example of refusing to go quietly to the back of the bus.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090092219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. November 17. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business for up to 30 minutes. with the first 15 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee and the final 15 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. further. that the Senate then re-. sume consideration of S. 2020. the tax relief reconciliation bill. and that there be 10 hours equally divided for debate remaining under the Budget Act for the consideration of the bill.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":820}
{"speech_id":1090092227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to set the historical record straight. As my colleague JEB HENSARLING recently stated. \"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. but not their own set of facts.\" Prior to the war. Members of Congress had access to the same intelligence as the administration did. and it was determined that Saddam Hussein posed a serious threat to the United States. The 2002 resolution authorizing the use of force received overwhelming bipartisan support. but now some make it seem otherwise. Charges being leveled at this administration that somehow prewar intelligence reports vere manipulated are false and unworthy of this body. The facts are clear. The 2004 Senate Intelligence Committee report stated that there was no evidence of manipulated intelligence in relation to Iraqs weapons of mass destruction capabilities. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1064}
{"speech_id":1090092227,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bipartisan RobbSilbermann commission in 2005 reached the same conclusion. Attempts to distort these facts are an attempt to revise history. Doing so undercuts the efforts of our troops and undermines our national security.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1064}
{"speech_id":1090092239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 16 years ago today. in the dead of night. the Salvadoran Armys U.S.-trained Atalacatl Battalion entered the grounds of the University of Central America in San. Salvador. pulled six Jesuit priests from their beds. marched them out onto the lawn behind their residence. put highpowered rifles to their heads and shot them dead in cold blood. A few minutes later. these same soldiers discovered the Jesuits housekeeper and her teenager daughter hiding in the house and murdered them as well. A bipartisan commission appointed by the Speaker of the House and chaired by our former colleague. Congressman- Joe Moakley. investigated this heinous crime. identified the killers. and the Commissions report became critical evidence in the prosecution and conviction of the priests killers and. I believe. in creating support for the U.N.-brokered negotiations that ended ElSalvadors 12year civil war. . Mr. Speaker. I knew -these priests. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1440}
{"speech_id":1090092239,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was proud to call them my friends. Let us take a moment to remember their courage and to remember the bipartisan work of this House under the leadership of Joe Moakley that helped El Salvador forge a pathway topeace. Let us- never forget the names of those who were murdered on November 16. 1989: Father Ignacio Ellacuria. Father Ignacio MartinBaro. Father Segundo Montes. Father Armando Lopez. Father Joaquin Lopez y. Lopez. Father Juan Ramon Moreno. Celina Maricet Ramos and Elba Julia Ramos.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1440}
{"speech_id":1090092277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. H.R. 1036. the Copyright Royalty Judges Program Technical Corrections Act. amends certain technical aspects of the copyright act that were substantively amended. by Congress enactment of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004. It is appropriate to note the efforts of Chairman LAMAR SMITH and Ranking Member HOWARD BERMAN of the Subcommittee on Courts. the Internet. and Intellectual Property. who worked so hard to ensure passage of the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act last year. Enactment of the legislation came only after 20 years of successive efforts to streamline. modernize. and deconflict the role of the U.S. Copyright Office in administering the various compulsory licenses contained in title 17 of the United States Code. \u0095 Before discussing the specifics of this bill. I would like to -offer some background. By their nature. statutory changes in this area are complex. Proposed changes inevitably affect a number of preexisting and carefully negotiated balances that potentially impact the public and a wide variety of stakeholders. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4318}
{"speech_id":1090092277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The various compulsory licenses were authorized at differing times. and each is shaped in response to the unique circumstances of commercial licensors and licensees. Nevertheless. each is intended to benefit the public by reducing the transaction costs of certain types of protected works and each requires the Copyright Office to assume certain administrative functions. which may include rate setting. roy alty collecting. and royalty distribution functions. It is the interplay between these administrative and adjudicative functions. some of which are fiduciary in nature. that created potential conflicts for the CopyrightOffice. This problem was addressed in the Reform Act by authorizing the establishment of three copyright royalty judges. or CRJs. who operate independently of. the Copyright Office. The CRJs are empowered to consider arguments from participants in contested distribution proceedings. resolve factual disputes. land order distributions. In contrast. the role of the Librarian of Congress and the Copyright Office is limited in such cases to largely ministerial functions such as advising the CRJs and participants in proceedings on certain matters within. the substantive expertise of the office and actually effectuating the disbursement of funds in response to a CRJ order. The ad hoc enactment of various compulsory licenses also contributed to a perpetuation of certain inefficiencies and inconsistencies that could only be addressed properly by creating a comprehensive and predictable schedule for ratesetting and distribution proceedings. By enacting the Reform Act last year. Congress took important steps toward protecting the public. the Copyright Office. licensors. and licensees with a more stable and cohesive administrative and adjudicatory construct. But a clear articulation of the respective roles of the Copyright Office and the new CRJs is fundamental to the success of the new system. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4318}
{"speech_id":1090092277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. as enrolled. the law inadvertently provided in some places that the Librarian was charged with \"authorizing\" the distribution of funds. This language could be interpreted to imply that Congress intended the Librarian to retain a role that clearly had been intended to be exer.cised by the new CRJs. H.R. 1036 corrects this error to ensure that the Reform Act operates as Congress intended. The Copyright Royalty Judges Program Technical Corrections Act includes further noncontroversial stylistic. technical. clarifying. and conforming changes that have been carefully considered and reviewed by Members and staff on both sides of the aisle. the Register of Copyrights. copyright owners. and many of the commercial users who are the beneficiaries of the licenses. When the copyright royalty judge. or CRJ. system is fully implemented. disputes among participants will be settled in a more predictable. rational. and consistent manner. decisions will be improved by the\" involvement of judges required to possess r elevant subject matter expertise. and significant cost savings and efficiencies should accrue to participants.. I urge Members to support this bill. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. 0l 1115","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4318}
{"speech_id":1090092278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I want to thank the chairman for his able leadership in moving this bill forward expeditiously. One of the major accomplishments of the Subcommittee on Courts. the Internet and Intellectual Property last Congress was to see the Copyright Royalty Arbitration Royalty Panel reform bill from its inception to ultimate passage. The original bill accomplished much with a general overhaul of the administrative construct by which copyright royalties are determined and distributed based up the compulsory licenses authorized by the Copyright. Act. H.R. 1036. the Technical Corrections to the Copyright and Distribution Reform Act of 2004. which I introduced with.. the chairman of. the subcommittee. makes a number of technical corrections. Some provisions merely change spelling and punctuation. others correct crossreferences. paragraph numbering or editorial style in copyright law. The corrections not in the aforementioned categories are merely technical as well. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1806}
{"speech_id":1090092278,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those changes include amending the statute to correctly identify the roles of the copyright royalty judges and the librarian of Congress in authorizing and distributing royalty payments. In addition. the bill addresses the omission of CARP decisions serving as precedent. establishes consistency for written direct statements and written rebuttal statements and provides fee waiver for those claiming less than $1.000. I want to thank the Copyright Office. the legislative counsel and a number of outside groups for their assistance in noting many of the errors. and then their help in drafting this bill. H.R. 1036 is an important step toward achieving clarity. I .urge my colleagues to join in supporting H.R. 1036. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1806}
{"speech_id":1090092308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds. _ Madam Speaker. my two friends on the other side of the aisle are obfuscating the real issue that is involved. I do not think John Adams and James Madison ever thought of first. third. and fifth graders being asked the questions that were recited by the gentleman from Pennsylvania . the author of the resolution. The. question here is whether this decision is right or wrong. It is wrong. and that is why the resolution ought to be passed. Madam Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania .","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":552}
{"speech_id":1090092312,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the remaining time. Madam Speaker. a few points. I think the gentleman from Pennsylvania made compelling points about the stupidity and the danger of this kind of a survey. I have no argument whatsoever about the right of parents to have an important say in the education of their children. The most fascinating thing about this argument is my friend from Texas","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":391}
{"speech_id":1090092328,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume.. H.R. 3351 addresses a number of minor noncontroversial tribal issues in one legislative package. H.R. 3351 contains 11 proposed amendments to our current law to assist tribes with matters that are relatively small in nature but very important to Native Americans across our Nation. Specifically. this legislation makes technical corrections to laws relating to Native Americans. and Alaskan natives by reauthorizing certain Native American programs. clarifying statutes relating to particular tribes and approving a 99year land lease for certain tribal lands. H.R. 3351 makes these beneficial changes in areas relating to tribal sovereignty. culture and areas with potential to encourage economic development. Numerous tribes will be able to move forward on projects that will help to strengthen their tribal government and better illuminate their history and culture. Each year. Congress passes a bill like this relating to technical corrections. and. thankfully. we have been able to utilize the consultation of many tribal leaders in examining this legislation. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1277}
{"speech_id":1090092328,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope we can now act in a bipartisan fashion. I look forward to the support of this Congress for H.R. 3351. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1277}
{"speech_id":1090092408,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues for considering this resolution today. and let me commend my chairman and my ranking member for their quick and decisive work on this issue. Mr. Speaker. aircraft carriers are the backbone of our naval forces. We have seen their profound impact and flexibility in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and during tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia. and in other locations. The bulk of our carrier force is comprised of nuclear carriers which must be refueled and refitted every 25 years. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3661}
{"speech_id":1090092408,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This process takes approximately 2 years. and carriers are refitted back to back. With that said. Mr. Speaker. the minority has reviewed this bill. and I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4326. This bill is necessary because this Congress. the House and Senate both. have as of yet been unable to finish either the defense appropriations bill or the defense authorization bill. I regret to inform the House. Mr. Speaker. that today. a full 47 days after the start of the current fiscal year. we have left the Department of Defense without a budget and without an authorization from Congress. This occurs even as the men and women of our military are deployed at numerous locations around the world fighting a war. I mention these facts. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3661}
{"speech_id":1090092408,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. because the bill we consider today is intended to correct just one of the thousands of problems created by our inability to complete our work. The United States Navy has long planned to begin the process. of refueling the USS Carl Vinson this week. The Vinson is a Nimitzclass nuclearpowered aircraft carrier which has served this Nation with great distinction since she was commissioned back in 1982. She is named for a fine Member of this body. a Democrat. I might say. from the State of Georgia. who- chaired the House Armed Services Committee. . Possibly the Vinsons finest hour came on October 7 of 2001 when she launched the first U.S. air attacks in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Over the next 72 days. the Vinson launched over 4.000 combat sorties in support of U.S. and Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan. It goes without saying. Mr. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3661}
{"speech_id":1090092408,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. that these air strikes led directly. directly to a very successful outcome. Today. however. the Navy finds itself in a peculiar bind. It cannot proceed to refuel this ship. which will allow it to operate for another 25 years in defense of this country. withoutan authorization from Congress. What does this mean? Mr. Speaker. it means that up to 1.700 workers at the Newport News shipyard in Virginia could be laid off as early as next week. To give these workers pink slips would be an utter travesty. Mr. Speaker. and for this reason. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. It must be said. however. that the pasgage of this bill is an entirely inadequate substitute for passage of the fiscal year 2006 defense authorization and defense appropriations bills. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3661}
{"speech_id":1090092408,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I mentioned. there are literally thousands of military programs affected in ways. both large and small. by the fact that Congress has not completed its work. While I am pleased that we can save many good jobs in Virginia today by passing this bill. I cannot be satisfied. At a time of war. we owe it to all of the members of our military and we owe it to the Department of Defense to see the defense authorization and appropriations bills completed. Mr. Speaker. as I travel to visit our troops next week. I would like to visit our warfighters with the satisfaction of knowing that we have passed the 2006 defense budget. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3661}
{"speech_id":1090092491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise in- opposition to H.R. 1065. the United States Boxing Commission Act. This is a big government bill that creates a new Federal agency- that provides for more regulation and is not selffinancing as has been intimated. The top of page 13 of the Energy and Commerce Committees report uses a CBO estimate that says: \"Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1165 would cost $5 million in 2006 and $26 million over the 200612010 period.\" [ 1615 That means that we are adding $26 million to the deficit to regulate one sport. That is not right. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2913}
{"speech_id":1090092491,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Judiciary Committee received the sequential referral of this bill to consider several provisions within the legislation. The Judiciary Committee has long been involved in issues relating to professional sports. including oversight of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Major League Baseball. and the NCAA. Many are concerned and have raised serious questions about the commercial and legal aspects within the sport of professional boxing. As a. result. some have urged the creation of a FedH10347 . eral boxing commission to regulate this sport. The legislation would accomplish that goal. Although the creation of the U.S. Boxing Commission itself does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee. significant provisions relating to title 18 of the U.S. Code. which is the criminal code. and the authority of the Attorney General and the commissions executive director are within the committees purview. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2913}
{"speech_id":1090092491,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the markup of this bill. the Judiciary Committee adopted a technical change to ensure that the use of administrative subpoenas comports with existing title 18 provisions. Additionally. as amended by the committee. the legislation will now allow a designee of the Attorney General to represent the commission in j .dicial - proceedings rather than requiring the Attorney General himself to do so. Finally. the Judiciary Committee amendment removed the authority of the commissions executive director to make unilateral determinations regarding violations of this act or to bring action in Federal court. This means that such determinations will be required to be made b:i the. full commission before action can be taken. Although these Judiciary Committee amendments improved the legislation. the committee reported the bill with no recommendation. no recommendation. as a result of the concerns of many Members on. both sides of the aisle regarding the underlying merits of the legislation. I share these concerns and do not support the goal of the legislation. Notwithstanding the fact that there are wellfounded concerns surrounding the support of boxing. I believe that the creation of a boxing commission is .unnecessary and urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2913}
{"speech_id":1090092493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am aware of some concerns raised by the Governors office in New Jersey about this legislation. where they are concerned about What they say is the erosion. of State authority. So I want to be very clear about this and once again read from the bill and read an additional section from it: \"Section 9. Noninterference with Boxing Commissions. Paragraph a. Noninterference: Nothing in this act prohibits any boxing commission from exercising any of its powers. duties. or functions with respect to the regulation or supervision of professional boxing or professional boxing matches to the extent not inconsistent with the provisions of this act.\" By that we mean anything that has more enforcement powers. We are just setting a floor and the States can exercise all their powers. duties. or functions in addition to that. And \"b. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1817}
{"speech_id":1090092493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Minimum. Standards: Nothing in this act .prohibits any boxing commission from enforcing local standards or requirements that exceed the minimum standards or requirements promulgated by the commission under this act.\" A State like New Jersey that contends that they are doing a good job. we say go ahead and do it. We Welcome that. We acknowledge that. and we hope that they will continue to do it. But the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of States. despite the passage of the acts of 1996 and the Muhammad Ali Act in 2000. are not doing that. and that is why most people associated with this sport including State commissioners. including State commissioners have weighed in in support of this legislation and look forward to the Federal Gov6rnment seeing that boxing alone is not without some kind of national standards. and that is why this commission is so important. Mr. Chairman. . reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1817}
{"speech_id":1090092527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the gentleman from California named this the Archie Moore Criteria for Rating Boxers. Sothe reason that he called this amendment the Archie Moore criteria for rating boxers is because Archie Moore. also known as the Old Mongoose. held the light middleweight title for 10 years. By the time of his retirement. after 197 fights. Archie had compiled a truly unassailable sports record of 145 knockouts. All of this is even more remarkable when one considers that he spent a large part of his career. approximately 16 years. traveling to an unending string of boxing honky tonks open to fighters who could not break into the big leagues. Archie did not get a title shot until he turned 39. a time when most boxers retire. There were many barriers preventing great boxers like Archie from rising through the ranks. One primarily being a broken rating system for boxers. It is the job of the sanctioning organizations to rate boxers and to designate a champion-. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2747}
{"speech_id":1090092527,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sanctioning organizations make their money by sanctioning champion fights..The higher a fighter is rated. the more likely it will be for him to get high paying fights. especially championship fights. However. often rankings are not based on objective talent or winloss records. rather. boxers who belong to certain promoters may be highly ranked regardless of skill and ability. A fighter could be the best in his weight class. but if he is not associated with the right people he may not be ranked and thus lose his chance to further his career. Previously. Congress passed legislation under the Mohammed Ali act to require all sanctioning organizations to develop credible and consistent ratings criteria. However. there are still problems with the system. For example. one of the sanctioning organizations had a dead man ranked in the top 10.of a super middle weight division for 4 months. During the 4 months in which the dead man was actually ranked. he moved up in the ratings. going from Number 7 to Number. This is just one incident on a long list of problems associated with the ratings system conducted by boxing sanctioning organizations. Obviously. something is wrong. and something ought to be done. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2747}
{"speech_id":1090092527,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment will require the Boxing Commission to establish guidelines for rating boxers. These guidelines must be followed by organizations that sanction boxing events. My amendment does not strip boxing sanctioning organizations from ranking boxers: however. it does require them to adhere to a set criteria established by the Boxing Commission. Boxing will never be the sport it once was until the rating system is made more legitimate and respectable. which is why I am asking you to support my amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2747}
{"speech_id":1090092621,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when it comes to U.S. immigration policy. who is really in charge? Is it Mexico Cityor Washington. D.C.? On almost a daily basis. Mexican officials seem to interfere with the immigration matters and U.S. laws. Mexican officials on both sides of the border are righteously indignant about American policies pertaining to the security of our border. Many American officials are oblivious to the problem as well. There is a continuous moaning and groaning rhetoric . complaining we should not prevent illegals from entering the sovereign United States. I want to make it clear again that I fully support immigration. legal immigration. It is not fair to America. nor is it. fair to those who ire trying to enter our country lawfully that every year thousands of people enter our country illegally. We must stop sending the wrong message -to the world that we will wink at illegal immigration. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092621,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It appears to me that the leaders of Mexico give lip service to our immigration and border security laws. Mexico must stop encouraging illegal entry to the United States and the disrespect for the dignity and sovereignty of this country. So I ask. When it comes to U.S. immigration policy. who is in charge? Is it Mexico City or is it Washington. D.C.? Let me give you some examples. I will start with our open borders. You know. our government does not acknowledge the term open borders or porous borders. but that is exactly what we have. I have recently visited the United StatesMexico border and witnessed firsthand the lax security inplace there. It takes very little effort for illegals to cross or hire someone to cross them into the United States and enter this country illegally. Some estimate that 5.000 people a day cross illegally into our country. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092621,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some of them even do it with the help of the Mexican Government. The Foreign Ministry of Mexico distributes a pamphlet called \"Guide to Crossing the Border.\" I haveshown this on the floor before. It is produced in English and Spanish. and it is essentially a book of sneaking into the United States. The Mexican consulates encourage this illegal conduct as well. Their purpose is not to help their citizens break American law. but that is What occurs. Passing out these guides is a disgrace to our laws and encourages illegal behavior. This lone act of a document showing people illegally how to come into the United States is a disrespect for Americas borders and encourages the daily invasion of illegals into the United States. So once again I will ask the question. When it comes to United States immigration policy. who -is in charge? Mexico City or Washington. D.C.? Consulates also hand out matricula consular cards Which illegals use for identification purposes. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092621,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This card resembles a drivers license and has become widely accepted as a form of identification to get services at U.S. banks. car dealerships. and American insurance companies. Even in some States they are allowing individuals to purchase or get a drivers license based on this document. The consulate issues these cards to people who are illegally in the United States. This. is an absurd policy because these people are in our country illegally. yet we are helping them set tip a residence in our country. The Mexican Government has heavily lobbied the Federal Government of the United States to. use these cards as identification cards. but so far the Federal Government does not do so. So Mexican consulates are going to local communities and local governments and trying to get them to accept this document. And some do. unfortunately. This is just one more example of blatant disrespect for American law. yet we do nothing about it. We give illegals and the Mexican Government another pass. When it comes to the United States immigration policy. who is in charge? Is it Mexico City. or Washington. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092621,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"D.C.? The answer is becoming more and more blurred. Let me give you another serious example. In Los Angeles during the past year. the Mexican Government has provided over 100.000 Mexican text books to 1.500 schools. In fact. according to a recent Houston Chronicle editorial written by Heather. McDonald. the sixthgrade Mexican history book celebrates the Mexican troops who fought against Americans during the MexicanAmerican War. The book refers to the enemy flag as the flag of the United States and says that the wars consequences were disastrous for Mexico. So -is this what we are going to teach American school children? Has political correctness gone so far that we now refer to Old Glory as the enemy flag? And why do we allow the Mexican Government to inundate our kids with Mexican text books anyway? This is very disturbing. The Mexican Government should spend more time enforcing their own rule of law and fighting corruption in Mexico and less time undermining our rule of law. \"Mexico has many advantages and natural resources. Perhaps they should take advantage of these to improve their own country so residents will quit leaving. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this morning at a breakfast. Chairman Alan -Greenspan was talking to a group of us. and he made mention of the fact that one of his concerns about those of us who were members of the baby boomer generation. despite the fact that we may have lavish pensions or Medicare. Social Security awaiting us upon retirement. that. we may suffer because there are not enough of those in the generation coming after us to provide the things that we may want. and of course one of those things we may want will be physicians to take care of us in our old age on Medicare and Social Security. Well. there is an event happening at the end of this year that I think is particularly pernicious to the upcoming crop of young medical students and physicians. and that is a planned 4.4 percent negative update. that is. a pay cut for doctors who provide care for Medicare patients. As a Member of Congress. and as a physician. I can strongly empathize with the medical community. particularly the younger medical community as they face an impending 26 percent cut in reimbursement over the next 6 years. law already in place. cuts already programmed to happen unless this Congress takes action. Medicare payments are already lower than the cost of delivering the care. Medicare payments do not pay the freight for overhead in a doctors office. According to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association. a tremendous number of physicians. 38 percent. responded that they. would be forced to reduce the number of Medicare patients that they accept. based on the 4.4 percent reduction that\" they face just for this coming year. [] 1845 This data is reflective of the first installment of a series of cuts. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4720}
{"speech_id":1090092626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is of great concern to me. as access to health care is crucial for the Medicare population. We have seen the rollout yesterday of the availability to the part D Medicare prescription drug benefit. and many of us. myself included. have argued on the floor of this House that the Medicare prescription drug benefit is crucial to providing 21stcentury medicine to our seniors. But if we have no \u00b0 doctors present to write the prescriptions. then all of the prescription drug benefit in the world will be of no benefit to tomorrows seniors. It is not just that we have doctors dropping out- We have doctors restricting the types of services that they might offer to Medicare patients. and we have doctors restricting where they might go into practice. Well. in addition. based on these reduced reimbursement rates. doctors will be less able to invest in things that we are asking them to do. things like information technol6gy and necessary and uptodate medical equipment. All of these combined factors will negatively impact the quality of care that our seniors receive. Simply put. we are driving doctors out of the Medicare system. and we can no longer afford to do that. Now. one of the proposed solutions deals with what is called Pay For Performance. and true. we should explore the concept of Pay For Performance by addressing whether this system is an improvement over the current one. It is important to establish the true quality.indicators. and this is best done in conjunction with the specialty societies themselves. with the doctors themselves who will be delivering the care. What are the goals of Pay For Performance? Well. the number one goal is better clinical outcomes. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4720}
{"speech_id":1090092626,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In partnership with that. we\" want improved. patient satisfaction. and that goes hand in hand with improved physician satisfaction. The fact is. Mr. Speaker. that doctors will support a concept like Pay For. Performance if they believe in what it is trying to accomplish. but if it is just simply empty rhetoric. doctors will be among the first to recognize that and will abandon any attempts by Congress to drive a concept like Pay For Performance. Ultimately. if Pay For Performance is structured appropriately and the cost of delivering care comes down. well. that is good. We save some dollars in the Medicare part B system. but that money cannot be used to offset other debt. It has to be put back into the system and reward those doctors who have improved quality and lowered costs. Well. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4720}
{"speech_id":1090092626,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. fortunately. in my committee. in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. we are going to hold a hearing on physician reimbursement tomorrow. and it is timely. I am grateful to the chairmen. both the full committee chairman and the subcommittee chairman . for having this hearing. We are going to have good panels of witnesses present to receive our questions. and I think it is timely that my committee be involved in that discussion because. after all. that is the jurisdiction where this particular argument resides.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4720}
{"speech_id":1090092646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Ross for yielding to me. I appreciate my fellow Blue Dog from Arkansas putting this very important time together for us to talk to the 6ountry about what we all believe is a very important matter. Mr. Rosss grandparents. I am sure. just the same as my grandparents. grew up in the Great Depression. And I am sure that they had experiences very similar to mine. and those experiences instilled in them a great sense of fiscal responsibility. My grandfather. in fact. always used to tell -me. and I cannot even count the times that he told me. ","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5193}
{"speech_id":1090092646,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"If you spent more than you took in. you would go broke.\" Wise words. Too bad that the leadership of the Republicancontrolled Congress seems to have forgotten this most basic rule of fiscal management. By all adcounts. the mentality of our grandparents and their generation has been lost. As the gentleman said. later this week. maybe as early as tomorrow. the House will consider the first of two bills the Republican leadership will bring to the floor under the auspices of reducing the deficit. The only problem is that this socalled deficit reduction package actually adds billions to the deficit. hastening a fiscal crisis brought on by the systematic mismanagement of our countrys finances. Our deficit has now passed $8 trillion. and we see right there on that sign that the gentleman has got next to him. that poster. the number 8 trillion. I am surprised we can even breathe a number that big. all those zeros. I did not even know what 8 trillion was until I came up to Congress and I saw that number. And I am sure the American people would be astonished if they realized just how much in debt they were now. And. incredibly. something I heard from the gentleman from Tennessee . who I think is with us tonight. earlier this week he told me that this administration has now borrowed more money from foreign governments and banks than the previous 42 United States Presidents combined. ","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5193}
{"speech_id":1090092646,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even using the projections from the budgets adopted by this Republicancontrolled Congress. the deficit will grow by over $167 billion over the next 5 years. Bottom line. this Republicancontrolled Congress has proven itself utterly incapable of responsibly managing the Federal Treasury. Rather than use what little funds we have to pay down the deficit and help those in need. many of my Republican colleagues seek another round of tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans that will drive our country even deeper into debt. This budget package that is being offered is nothing more than .H10378 CO smoke and mirrors. It is not .about making sacrifices to reduce the deficit. It is about carving out space for everlarger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by cutting programs that help seniors. students. and lowincome families. The very principles that our -men and women are fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan. defending the ideals of our country and -helping those in need are on the chopping block this week. The* message from the Republicancontrolled Congress is clear: under our leadership the rich get richer. the poor get poorer. and the middle class shrinks all the while. Lowincome families in my home. State of Kentucky depend on Medicaid for health care. ","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5193}
{"speech_id":1090092646,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thousands of children in Kentucky schools depend on school lunch programs for their only hot meal of the day. 0\u00952000 And over 50 percent of college students in Kentucky rely on some type of financial aid to pay for their college expenses. It is simply immoral to turn our backs on those families in need and students striving to get ahead. Not to mention the cuts to child support programs that will hurt families across our country. and the fact that at a time when the USDA must turn away threefourths of farmers wanting to participate in conservation programs. cutting Federal funds is going to put an even larger strain on our farm families. certainly the farm families in Kentucky who are doing everything they can just to make a living. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to oppose this misguided and immoral budget reconciliation package and instead use this as an opportunity to step back and examine the financial state of our country. Instead of leaning on the poor as a means of cutting taxes for the rich. we need to get serious about addressing the deficit. Foreign lenders such as China own 40 percent of our total debt. At some point. America must pay back the money it owes. ","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5193}
{"speech_id":1090092646,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Republican leaders on the other side of the aisle pride themselves in cutting taxes for the American people. But their irresponsible budget practices now are nothing more than a tax increase later. Continuing to make irresponsible financial decisions now only adds to the burden we are leaving to the coming generations. This Congress must take immediate action to put our fiscal house in order. and I commend you. Mr. Ross. and I commend the other Blue Dogs for your steadfast efforts to ensure that the American people understand what is happening to them and the fact that their fiscal house is not in order. You are doing a great service for. this country. and I urge my colleagues to join with the Blue Dogs and examine the budget reforms that we have proposed.","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5193}
{"speech_id":1090092652,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I feel very privileged and honored to.be here with my fellow Blue Dogs. Our debate is going out across the country thanks to CSPAN. and I think it is very important that we .understand that. the American people have awakened. All of the polls show it. The American people are glued in to what is happening here in Washington. and right they should be. I want to start off by saying that so that individuals who are tuning in who would like to know just what are the Blue Dogs. more than anything else. we pride ourselves on being. first and foremost. good stewards of the taxpayers dollars. We provide the sterling leadership in the Democratic Party for responsible fiscal responsibility. For 5 years. we in the Blue Dog Coalition have been begging and pleading that this Congress develop a plan to pay as you go. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092652,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker..5 years ago when the Clinton administration left office. we had a surplus. Billions and billions and billions of dollars were left in surplus. Now 5 years later. under the Bush administration. we are trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars in debt. Make no mistake about it. our debt and our deficit is the number one problem and issue facing the survival and the future of our democracy. And. we are concerned about this national debt. But at a time when we are expressly concerned about it and pushing forward for responsible measures onthe Democratic side. it is the height of hypocrisy. it is the height of being insensitive. it is the height of indeed smoke and mirrors for this Republicanled Congress and this Republican President to. under the guise of giving a tax cut for billionaires and millionaires across this country. say he wants to cut spending. Cut spending of the most vital services. the most important needs in this country. as a matter of fact. in the history of this country. in this 20th century. We have just been hit with the worst hurricane season in modern times. Katrina was the worst that anybody can remember. Billions and billions -and billions of dollars worth of damage. an entire city. entire region almost totally destroyed. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092652,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 250.000 American citizens without homes. We all remember those pictures. down in New Orleans. in the flood. Our hearts went out to those people. Well. our hearts must continue to go out to those people. And the reason it is the height of hypocrisy is here is the President of the United States and this Republican controlled Congress. who says that they want to offset a $70 billion tax cut for the wealthiest -people in this country on the backs of those poor victims of this hurricane. On the -front page of the Washington Post this morning. the answer from FEMA is to throw 150.000 American citizens who have become homeless on the street. The answer from The White House and the answer from this Congress has been to cut the very programs that will help these victims the most. The most effective programs that have helped them has been the food stamp program. And under this budget. this Republican held Congress. and this President proposes to cut food stamps by $850 million. Not only at a time when we have people who are homeless. without jobs. without hope. but according to the Agriculture Department. just this year alone. we have added 2 million more citizens to the hunger roles. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092652,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Republicans answer. cut the very program that has been designed to help them by $850 billion. Medicaid. Under this budget planned by the Republicans and President Bush. they want to cut Medicaid by $12 billion. when 45 million Americans. mostly senior elderly citizens. are going without any kind of health insurance. And our farmers? Cut them by $2 billion. Farmers who have been devastated by the flood. who have been hurt by the flood. Now is not the time to cut the farmers. And our veterans. $3 billion. Lord knows. We have not been doing right by our veterans. We have cut them. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092652,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have cut them. We have cut them. And the Presidents answer is. cut the veterans. This Republican Congresss is to cut the veterans. Is that not a reason why they have had difficulty in getting the votes? Why they have had to pull the bill last week? And the American people need to wake up and understand and put the calls in to your Republican congressman to let them know that America does not want to cut the basic services for the needy while trying to add a $70 billion tax cut for the millionaires and the billionaires. They do not need the money. But the children do. This budget will cut childrens nutrition by $2 billion and $5 billion in child support. Heating oil is cut at a time when the oil companies are getting record profits. and their \"execputives are sitting fast. Student loans. $14 billion. at a time when going to college costs so -much. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6034}
{"speech_id":1090092667,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. other side. Speaker. I have in front of me a docu- He saw this in field after field. He ment called Peaking of World Oil Pro- rationalized if he could add up all the duction. Impacts. Mitigation and Risk fields in the United States and guess as Management. As I look at the second to how many more we were going to page. it says this report was prepared find. he could then estimate when the as an account of work sponsoredby an United States would peak in oil proagency of the United States Govern- duction. He made that estimate in 1956. ment. That agency was the Depart- and he said that the United States ment of Energy. and the organization would peak in oil production about that was funded to do this work was 1970. SAIC. a very prestigious. scientific or- As itturned out. he was right on targanization. get. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10337}
{"speech_id":1090092667,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You can see here from the graph. Dr. Robert Hirsch was a project lead- this peak in 1970. The smooth curve er. He was supported by Roger Bezdek lere is his prediction. The more ragged and Robert Wendling in this very im- curve. or the actual data points. and portant work. It was submitted in Feb- you see that right on target. it peaked ruary of 2005. in 1970. What I would like to do this evening The red curve here is the curve for is to go through the salient points of the Soviet Union. now Russia. They this socalled Hirsch report. Remem- kind of fell apart with their dissolution. and they did not reach their potential. so there is going to be a second kind of a much lower shorb peak here. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10337}
{"speech_id":1090092667,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Russia has already peaked in their oil production. Mr. Speaker. more than half. of all of the oilproducing countries in the world. some 25. I believe. have already peaked. Their peak oil production is already behind them. The next chart shows a schematic that helps us understand this. perhaps a little better. This represents a 2 percent exponential growth in oil. Now. all the oil that was produced was used. For the first part of the curve the production of oil and the use. of oil are the same thing. Obviously. you are not going to produce oil that you do not use. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10337}
{"speech_id":1090092667,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you need more oil. and it can be produced. your price indicators will mean that more oil is going to be produced. So for this part of the curve. we have used the oil as fast as we produced it. At some point in time. it will peak. It peaked for the United States in 1970. M. King Hubbert said it w6uld peak for the wQrld about now. Actually. he said a few kears earlier. but he could not have known of the Arab oil embargo and the world oil price hike spikes which sent the world into a recession. which reduced thfe demand for oil. That moved the peak a little forward. We believe. many observers believe. that we are peaking about new. or will shortly be peaking. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10337}
{"speech_id":1090092667,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I hope that the message that is in this document. peaking of world oil production. and the things that I am going to say. I hope they are wrong. Because if they are not wrong. we in United States and the world is in for a very rough ride. By the way. we can make this a very sharp peak or a very gradual one. by simply changing the scale on the abscissa and the ordinate. This represents a 2 percent increase in oil use. It is 2 percent of what it was last .year. so it keeps growing. it grows what we call exponentially. With a 2 percent growth. it doubles in 35 years. Since this point is half of that point on the ordinate scale. this represents 35 years. 0] 2100 So you see that some years before we actually reach peak. and we believe that we mly be hereat this point. but a few -years before you reach peak. you actually are not producing as much as you would like to use. Just a very few years ago in 1998. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10337}
{"speech_id":1090092670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Committee of Conference. Conference report on H.R. 3010. A bill making appropriations for the Departments of Labor. Health and Human Services. and Education. and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2006. and for other purposes (Rept. 109300). Ordered to be printed. [Filed on November 17 (legislative day.","speaker_name":"RALPH REGULA","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090092711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to strongly urge this House to act before the end of the year to protect middle. class families from the al-. ternative minimum tax. When a 1993 tax increase failed to adjust the AMT exemption amounts for fun stu S Am col tin vot ign edu Am vot RE (1 ask dre vis Spc one has at ation. what was intended to be a on highincome taxpayers -became a that punishes the middle class. If middle class exemptions are not exded for 2006. the numbers of New rkers forced to pay the alternative iimum tax will more than quadruple .6 million families next year. [ake no mistake about it. these are Idle class taxpayers that would be rehended by the AMT because we e not changed the law. Many of m live in the Hudson Valley that I resent. his is an unfair tax on middle class dson Valley residents who would be red to pay an average of $4.000 in taxes next year. This is money Idle class families need to pay their i bills and put their own family ds in order. The last thing we uld be doing is forcing middle class ilies in New. York to send more of ir money to Washington. D.C. et us do the right thing for the midclass. ","speaker_name":"SUE KELLY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090092711,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us extend the AMT exptions before the end of this year.","speaker_name":"SUE KELLY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090092724,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the First Lady of the Gulf. Katrina. unloaded her wrath on Louisiana and Mississippi. thousands of people fled to my home State of Texas. This evacuation brought in not only good fo]ks but it brought .in registered sex offenders to the communities and. neighborhoods of southeast Texas. Now. 21\/2 months later. many child molesters remain unaccounted for. lurking in the shadows. some waiting to attack again innocent children. The Houston Chronicle reported yesterday that almost 300 known sex offenders from Louisiana have moved to the Houston area alone since Hurricane Katrina. None of them have been accounted for. Some of these sex offenders registered with FEMA and received Federal disaster assistance. So FEMA has an address and a location of these registered sex offenders. but they will not .release the names to local law enforcement. They are citing privacy reasons. This defies common sense. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1356}
{"speech_id":1090092724,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sex offenders gave up their privacy rights when they decided to rape and molest children. It is for this reason today I am filing legislation giving FEMA the authority and the duty to release this information about registered sex offenders to local law enforcement officials. The public has a right to know who these people are. Our children are in danger. and there should be no red tape when it comes to their safety. Thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1356}
{"speech_id":1090092745,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that was the ploy of your party. That is not mine. but I would take the time to keep Congress here. What we are talking about is Congress going on vacation. Congress going away for 2 weeks. have Thanksgiving at home. while we are taking food out of the mouths of kids and depriving students of loans through the reconciliation bill. -borrowing $1.3 billion a day on behalf of the American taxpayers and getting them by another $39 billion. That is what we are talking about. On the reconciliation vote. if you would bring the reconciliation bill up as an open rule. you know that is a closed rule. too. You are negotiating cuts only with your side of the aisle. You do not intend to get a single Democratic vote. and the biggest cut dn the bill is student loans. the party of opportunity. The second biggest cut in the bill is Medicaid. dump those problems on the States and deprive people of~needed health care. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090092745,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then. of course. we have the cuts in food security and other things in that bill. But we are not going to be allowed to offer amendments to cut Star Wars. the return to the Moon for $100 billion. corporate farm subsidies. tax giveaways. We will not be allowed to offer any amendments during the consideration of that bill. I would stay here through next week and have debate day after day and go through a series of amendments up or down on bringing some fiscal responsibility to this Congress.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090092839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank you for the opportunity to say a few words about why I think this bill is a bill that says that the best days of this country are behind us. not before us. I call attention to some statistics. statistics that say the high school dropout over the course of their life will earn $260.000 less than a graduate. This legislation. I think. does very little to support more students graduating from high school when it cuts afterschool programs by 25 percent. If you spread that across 23 million high school dropouts in this country. that adds up to $50 billion a year less in taxes. So if we are really concerned about generating more taxes. we ought to be investing in our people. not taking away the kinds of resources that contribute to their ability to become greater taxpayers in this country. Mr. Speaker. $1 invested in preschool leaves $7 saved in welfare. health care and criminal justice. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090092839,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets invest in our people.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":942}
{"speech_id":1090092840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. A previous majority Member said today that this bill represented fiscal responsibility. The fact is the Republican Party will provide. over the next decade. $1.2 trillion in tax cuts to people who make over $1 million a year. Yet in this bill. they will freeze student loans. they will allow people without health care to increase in number by 2 million. they will provide the first cut in education in a decade. they will cut safe and drugfree schools by 20 percent. and they will slash the Presidents initiative for math and science education. In the teeth of the fact that they have given $14 billion in subsidies to the big energy cpmpanies. they then say to lowincome people who have to pay those higher prices. \"Sorry. Despite the fact -youre going to have a huge increase in home heating costs. were not going to give you a dime in additional money in this bill.\" That is what they do. What we are going to see today in the reconciliation bill and in this bill is a double whammy on the most vulnerable people in this society. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1701}
{"speech_id":1090092840,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is wrong morally and it is wrong economically. We hear a lot of talk on this floor about preserving life. Yet this program is going to cut maternal and child health care by 20 percent below the 2001 level. How is that going to encourage women to carry their babies to term? This bill falls far short of our responsibilities in meeting the growing economic and social needs of this country. It ought to be defeated. We should not put tax cuts for millionaires ahead of providing basic education. basic health care and basic job protection to Americas working people. I urge a \"no\" vote on the conference report.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1701}
{"speech_id":1090092850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to the Labor. Health & Human Services and Education Appropriations bill before us. This bill quite simply fails to address the priorities of the American people. My concerns about specific cuts in this bill are many. It cuts funding for No Child Left Behind. an already vastly underfunded mandate. it fails to offer even the small increase in the maximum Pell Grant that was established in the House bill. and it sets a funding level for the National Institutes of Health that would decrease the number of federal research grants for the second year in a row. The consequerces of this. bill are farreaching. Major cutbacks in the areas of education and health care will have a tremendous economic impact on our Nation. \" I would like to speak briefly about what my constituents have told me is important to them. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2742}
{"speech_id":1090092850,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rhode Islanders. like all Americans. are concerned about health care. I have heard from many of them in recent weeks. ir opposition to the devastating cuts to the Title VII health professions programs. While the Administration has made it clear that Community Health Centers are a priority to them. this bill nearly eliminates the very programs that health centers rely on to recruit nurses to work in areas that are facing acute professional shortages and train medical students to work with underserved populations. With 45 million uninsured Americans. we cannot afford to eliminate programs targeted at meeting the needs of the uninsured or remove the support systems that exist for those doctors and nurses who.are serving in areas where there is a shortage of professional health services. Rhode Islanders are also concerned about unemployment. With 7.4 million unemployed Americans. this conference agreement cuts critical services for the unemployed. including job training grants and unemployment insurance offices. Adult Training Grants. which provide training and related education and employment services to economically disadvantaged adults. are cut by $31 million--providing the lowest level of funding for these training grants in a decade. Youth training grants. which offer states the opportunity to develop onthejob training and provide exposure to a wide variety of promising career paths for disadvantaged youth are cut by $36 million. offering 12.000 less atrisk youth the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and find meaningful employment. When Congress passed H. Con. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2742}
{"speech_id":1090092850,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Res. 95. the Budget Conference Report. the Republican leadership set the stage for these devastating cuts. This legislation makes it clear that tax cuts for the wealthy will continue to be paid for by slashing programs that Rhode Islanders depend on. I urge my colleagues to reject H.R. 3010.","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2742}
{"speech_id":1090092852,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the Conference Report on H.R. 3010. The fiscal year 2006 LaborHHSEducation Appropriations report before the House today shortchanges Americas children. its families. its workers and its most vulnerable citizens. The LaborHHSEducation bill embodies our priorities and values as Americans. In it. Congress provides the yearly resources needed to .keep our families healthy. our children educated. our workers employed. and our most vulnerable citizens a productive part of our society. This bill is arguably one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress addresses each year. Chairman REGULA understands this responsibility. He understands that this is \"the peoples bill\". and he has worked hard to distribute the limited resources he was given in a fair and conscientious way. ","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7046}
{"speech_id":1090092852,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So my \"no\" vote today should in no way be seen as a lack of respect or appreciation for the efforts of RALPH REGULA. the chairman of the Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee. Chairman REGULA and the staff of the subcommittee have worked within this tight budget allocation to address the needs and priorities of our states and communities as best they could under the circumstances. For example. the conference report includes increases in two. critical areas to help infants and their families. The first is the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions folic acid national education program. This program has been instrumental in the prevention of birth defects by encouraging women of childbearing age to take the recommended amount of folic acid daily. thereby decreasing the rate of neural tube defects. The second increase is for the Health Resources and Services Administrations newborn screening program for early identification of infants affected by certain genetic. metabolic. hormonal and or functional conditions for which there are effective treatment or intervention. In addition. for the first time. this bill also includes programmatic funding for the national media campaign to fight underage drinking. which is being conducted by the Ad Council. I thank the committee for helping our country make progress in these critical public health areas. The presence of these and a small number of other positive programmatic funding levels. however. is simply not enough to warrant approving this conference report. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7046}
{"speech_id":1090092852,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the constraints placed on this bill by the budget priorities and decisions of the Republican leadership are not worthy of this House and the values of the American people. I voted against the House bill when it came to the floor in June precisely because it fell soshort of meeting the needs of Americas children. families and the most vulnerable among us. I had hoped that the bill would be improved in the conference. It is unfortunate. however. that in this conference agreement. the way they chose to improve overall programmatic funding from the original House Bill levels was to take resources away from other priorities and community needs. This report and its funding decisions do not stand in isolation. They reflect the misguided priorities of a Republican leadership that has continually put the interests of the wealthy and the privileged before the needs and priorities of working and middleclass Americans. This LaborHHSEducation conference report is a direct result of an economic agenda of tax. cuts for the wealthiest Americans. and it weakens Americas future by underfunding key education. health and human services programs. If approved. this bill Will impose cuts to essential programs important to Americans in at least three major areas. First. this conference agreement significantly shortchanges our nations workers. The bill cuts labor programs $430 million below the FY 2005 levels. ","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7046}
{"speech_id":1090092852,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Training and employment services for the 7.4 million Americans who are unemployed are funded well below the FY05 levels. This includes a $31 million cut to Adult Training Grants. a $36 million cut to Youth Training Grants. and a $141 million cut to Unemployment Insurance Offices. The U.S. Employment Service Office. which matches job seekers with job openings. is slashed by 10.5 percent. and the report freezes funding for dislocated and older workers. In addition. the bill slices International Labor Affairs. the program that helps eradicate abusive child labor practices and protect worker rights. by 21 percent. Secondly. this report is simply a reaffirmation of the Administrations hollow commitment to education. slashing the No Child Left Behind funds by $784 million below the FY 2005 level. It cuts the Education Technology Block Grant program that provides access to technology in schools by a shocking 45 percent from last years level. It reduces the Even Start program supporting services for low literate and lowincome families by 56 percent. And as a final point. it shortchanges our children with disabilities by funding IDEA at $4 billion below the Republican promise to put special education on a fast track to full funding. Finally. the report is particularly devastating to the health of Americans. ","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7046}
{"speech_id":1090092852,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some of its most significant cuts are directed towards the critical programs that provide a health care safety net for the uninsured. The conference agreement provides $34 million less than the House passed bill and $89 million less than the Senate bill for grants to Health Centers for services to the uninsured. The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant is cut by 3 percent. reducing its true per capita purchasing power by almost 20 percent below the FY ?002 level. The conference agreement terminates the Healthy Communities Access Program that makes grants to local hospitals. health centers and providers so that they can provide better integrated systems of care for the underinsured and uninsured. Lastly. as if cutting services wasnt enough. the conference agreement virtually decimates the Title VII Health Professions Training programs. cutting overall funding from $300 million in FY 2005 to $94 million in FY 2006. Mr. Speaker. these drastic reductions to critical programs are not necessary. Ranking Member DAVID OBEY has consistently laid out a commonsense approach to this problem. By simply reducing the tax break for those with incomes greater than $1 million. we could add funding for No Child Left Behind programs. maintain college affordability by increasing the money for Pell grants. shore up our health safety net programs. and rebuild our public health system to respond to pandemics and possible- terrorist attacks. But these fiscally responsible efforts by Mr. ","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7046}
{"speech_id":1090092902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Rochester. New York . pending which I yield myself such time as Imay consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":271}
{"speech_id":1090092905,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I once said that budgets are moral documents. They reflect our choices. our priorities and they most clearly define our values. as a government and as a Nation. Todays 5year budget reconciliation is no different. and that is exactly why the Republicans in the House are worried. They are worried that the American people will see that they have sold out our American values. . So it should come as no surprise that it has taken a week of intraparty fighting in the Republican Conference and one false start to get the bill to the floor. Why? Because they cannot muster the votes in their own party to get this budget passed. One of mry Republican colleagues captured it best -in yesterdays CQ Daily when he said. \"If the Republican Party cannot stand for responsible spending. then we stand for nothing at all.\" I agree with him on that point. and as this Republican leadership continues to flail and flounder. there can be only one conclusion drawn from this budget reconciliation. that this majority has come to stand for nothing at all. except for making the rich richer while the rest of America pays the bill. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090092905,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because at its core. that is what this budget does. and it is what the budget was intentionally designed to do. cut vital programs and increase the national debt in order to create tax cuts for the rich and the superrich. I and many of my colleagues in this body. both Republican and Democrat. see nothing at all responsible about this agenda. and neither will the majority of the American people. This budget reconciliation is not worthy of the ideals of this Nation. If it gets out of the House tonight. this Congress should be ashamed. Republicans call this the Deficit Reduction Act. when very shortly they will actually increase our alreadyobscene deficit by another $5 billion by passing the tax cut bill. Republicans will claim on the floor tonight that they are reducing the deficit. but it is a deception. Do not be fooled by their Enronstyle accounting. The majority deliberately chose to separate this bill from its planned package of $56 billion in tax cuts for the rich. more than half of which goes to the superrich. those with incomes over $1 million a year. Without missing a beat. they are trying to finance the tax cut. as well as the skyrocketing debt. on the backs of the poor. the disabled. the elderly. and the middle class. As a result. working Americans will pay more and get less. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090092905,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For instance. the budget will cut student aid programs by $14.3 billion. which will make college more expensive. or totally unaffordable. for yrou and your children and will ensure that literally millions of students will not have the means to achieve a higher education. Until earlier this evening. they were even planning to cut the school lunch programs for poor children and food stamps for needy families. I would ask. whose values are these? They certainly are not mine. and they are not the values of the hardworking families that I represent. which leads me to a very important point that I nped to make here today. Three months ago. a stunned Nation watched as the national horror that was Hurricane Katrina unfolded on our television screens. No one could believe that this kind of widespread suffering could happen here in America. It was asobering moment for this Nation. It was the moment that we understood that America had forgotten our moral responsibility to provide for the security and welfare of all our fellow Americans. I would ask my friends in the -majority. in the wake of that realization. how can we cut the very programs that the victims of Hurricane Katrina will depend on to rebuild their lives? So that the richest among us can be even richer? Unfortunately. *this majority sees fit to pull what little these victims have left right out from under their feet. The result of this budget will be the denial of affordable medical service to those who have nowhere else to turn and the creation of unprecedented health care premiums -for those who can least afford them. Child support services are cut as well. making it harder for working parents to raise their children. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090092905,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would ask my fellow citizens. have we learned nothing? Is this the America that you believe in? Last year alone. the salary of the major corporate CEOs increased by just an average of 30 percent. This year. the oil companies are making the highest profits in history. In fact. over the last 4 months alone. Exxon Mobil has earned just shy of $10 billion in profits. and middleclass Americans at this time can no longer afford to fill their cars with gas. As the winter approaches. middleclass families in the Northeast are having to choose between paying their skyrocketing heating bills and buying food for their families. and it is only November. All the while. the majority is making it harder for your children to go to college and more expensive to get decent health care for your family. I cannot think of anything less American than this. I cannot think of anything more out of touch with the values of our families. After all. no responsible parent in America would fail to provide their children\" food and clothes or an education just so they could afford to buy a boat or take a trip. but that is the moral equivalent of what this majority seeks to do here today. and it is a subversion of every value we hold dear. because as Americans we meet our responsibilities. We take care of our families. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090092905,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We pay our bills.-and we should demand the same thing from this Republican government. That is why I am asking my colleagues to oppose this rule and strongly oppose this bill. because the budget sells out America. I would ask. if we accept this. what will be next? If we say that it is acceptable to slash education. health care. trade protection. senior medical coverage. affordable housing. student loans. foster care and family planning. if we agree to abandon all fiscal responsibility and further increase the already record national debt. just so that we can orchestrate one of the biggest giveaways to the rich. then what will be next? I know if we band together America can do better than this. We can do better than turning the American Dream into a privilege for the few. instead of a right for all. We must do better. and we need to start today by rejecting this bill. Mt. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6369}
{"speech_id":1090092915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I .thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I believe that I will agree with our Democrat colleagues on very little this evening. but one thing I do agree on. Mr. Speaker. is that this is a debate about values. We value the family budget. They value the Federal budget. We value accountability. We value efficiency and rooting out waste and fraud and abuse. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090092915,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They value more government. more bureaucracy. more dependency. And that is the difference. Mr. Speaker. We all know that there is a fiscal hurricane coming towards America. The General Accountability Office.said if we do not start this process of reforms and start it today that within one generation. we will have to double taxes on the American people. Mr. Speaker. that is simply unconscionable. Oui friends on the other side will say we simply cannot cut government spending. Well. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090092915,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish. in fact. that we were cutting government spending. but instead. the Federal budget is going to begreater next year than last year. Mandatory spending is going to be greater next year. than last year. Food stamps will be up. Medicare will be up. Medicaid will be up. That is falsehood.. They tell us there is no waste. fraud. abuse. duplication in the Federal budget. Yet this is a Federal budget that in the past has paid five times as much for a wheelchair in one bureaucracy than another because one would competitively bid and the other would not. This is a bureaucracy that has paid VA benefits to dead people. And the list goes on. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090092915,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will hear from the other side that tax relief is somehow the problem for all of our fiscal woes. Yet we have cut taxes and tax receipts are up and 4 million jobs have been created. And. finally. we will hear about compassion. Mr. Speaker. But where is the compassion in doubling taxes on our children in one generation. taking away jobs. taking away hope. taking away opportunity from those who are most vulnerable. those who do not vote. and those who are not yet born? There is no compassion in that. Mr. Speaker. We must pass this reform package.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090092977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I certainly thank him for his leadership on this vital issue. Mr. Speake. everybody is aware of the classic \"A Christmas Carol\" by -Charles Dickens. In it we are all familiar with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Mr. Speaker. let me tell you a little bit about the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for America if we follow the Democrats plan and ignore the opportunity to reform government spending and achieve savings for the American family. Chairman Alan Greenspan has said. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090092977,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a Nation we may have already made promises to coming generations of retirees that we will be unable to fulfill. The Brookings Institution. not exactly a bastion of conservative thought. has said. Expected growth and mandatory programs. along with projected increases in interest on the debt and defense. will absorb all of the governments currently projected -revenue within eight years. leaving nothing for any other program. The Government Accountability Office has said that in order to balance the Federal budget in just one generation. total Federal spending would have to be cut in half or Federal taxes doubled. Federal taxes doubled. November 1)72005 Now. we have heard our friends from the other side of the aisle say. well. your tax relief plan was all wrong. It is the source of all of our fiscal woes. Mr. Speaker. what does that mean? That means they want to bring back the death tax so that somebody has to visit the undertaker and the IRS on the same day. It means they want to cut the child tax credit as families are struggling to put food on the table. to put gas in the car. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090092977,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They want to bring back the marriage penalty and punish people who fall in love. They want to raise taxes 50 percent for low income families. take away the 10 percent bracket. And according to the Heritage Foundation. their program of tax increases will cost over 400.000 jobs. turning paychecks into welfare checks. Ultimately. Mr. Speaker. this is what the future looks like. Doubling taxes on the American people as time goes by. What does that mean for a family of four? It means their transportation program is cut $1.300. A years supply of gas they are taking away from the American family. Family housing will be cut $2.700. a choice between owning a home or renting a home. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090092977,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Food. $1.300 will be cut from American families with their double the tax plan. 3 months of groceries. Recreation budget cut. $900. There went the family vacation. They talk about compassion. There is no compassion there. MrSpeaker.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2547}
{"speech_id":1090092993,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. in the brief time Ihave allotted. I want to talk about one of the important reasons why. this bill needs to be enacted. and that is with regard to the reforms we have in Medicaid. Currently. Medicaid provides medical care for 53 million Americans at a cost exceeding $300 billion each year. It is a great program. but Medicaid is already the biggest item in many State budgets. exceeding elementary and secondary education combined. If unreformed. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1678}
{"speech_id":1090092993,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Medicaid will bankrupt every State in as little as 20 years. absorbing 80 to 100 percent of all State dollars. Because of these stark realities. the bipartisan National Governors Association has stated that serious Medicaid reforms are needed. The Deficit Reduction Act. which we vote on tonight. takes an important step in that direction by slowing the rate of growth in this valuable program. Currently. Medicaid grows at a rate of 7.7 percent per year. as indicated by this chart. making it one ofthe fastest growing programs in the .government. The plan included in this. legislation tonight reduces the Medicaid rate of growth over the next 10 years from 7.7 percent a year to 7.5 percent annual growth rate. While this is a very small .change. the bill includes necessary reforms to address the problem before it is too late. The. plan provides greater flexibility for our States and its governors. Under the current program. governors cannot tailor Medicaid benefits to meet the needs of the people. Under the new plan. they can. ","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1678}
{"speech_id":1090092993,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The most irresponsible thing we can do at this time. Mr. Speaker. is to do nothing. I urge the Members to vote for this bill.","speaker_name":"ROGER WICKER","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1678}
{"speech_id":1090093001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 75 percent of the socalled savings from Medicaid come from higher cost sharing. reduced services. or barriers to sick people getting care and old people and people just scraping by having their needs met. But mostly they come from kids. Fully half of the people affected by the reduced benefits will be children. and many of them will be children with special needs and disabilities. These are the kids with spina bifida. cerebral palsy. These are the kids with developmental disabilities and autism. These are the kids with mental illness. These are the children that need a full array of medical support and rehabilitative services. These are the kids where the care demands are endless. where families need help to support them and care for them. Parents of special needs children know that. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7660}
{"speech_id":1090093001,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They know that the idea of cost sharing for these kids so that they do not overutilize services is ridiculous. One of Medicaid strength for all children. but particularly special needs children. has been the benefit known as EPSDT. or early and periodic screening. diagnosis and treatment. That is a lot of words for one simple concept Screen kids early. Find and diagnose their health problems. Give them the care they need. Give them eyeglasses. Give them mental health services. give them physical therapy. Make them into the healthiest individuals possible. Let them realize their full potential. But this bill changes that. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7660}
{"speech_id":1090093001,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It takes away these services for millions of kids with family incomes just above the poverty line. It takes away benefits. It imposes premiums and cost sharing that we know will be Parriers to care. In fact. CBO estimates the savings because people will not get the care they need. What kind of sense does this make? I urge my colleagues to vote against it. Mr. Speaker. this bill. the socalled Deficit Reduction Act. is not about reducing the deficit. If that were the concern of the majority. they wouldnt be cutting taxes for the wealthy and adding to the deficit for all Americans. This bill is not about taking on the special interests who can afford to give up some of their corporate welfare. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7660}
{"speech_id":1090093001,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You dont see provisions in this bill that take away overpayments for HMOs. You dont see any provisions asking the big drug companies to give *a fairer price to Medicaid. This bill isnt about helping Childrens Hospitals or providers that serve the uninsured get better support. Instead. -this bill requires them to take inadequate payments when managed care enrollees end up in their emergency rooms. This bill asks them to absorb lost dollars because they either have to eat the cost of copayments that poor kids and persons with disabilities cant afford to payor else turn them away without giving them the medical care they need. What this bill is about is putting the burden of reducing Medicaid expenditures on those least able to bear it. Fully three of every four dollars this bill \"saves in Medicaid come from higher costsharing or reduced services ir barriers to care for the people who need help the most. Who are we talking about here? This is going to have the greatest effect on lowincome children. Fully half of the people affected by the reduced benefits will be kids. And many of those children are children with special needs and disabilities. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7660}
{"speech_id":1090093001,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are kids with spina bifida and cerebral palsy. These are kids with developmental disabilities and autism. These are kids with mental illness. These are children that need a full array of medical. support and rehabilitative services. These are kids where the care demands are endless. where families need help to support them and care for them. Parents of children with special needs know that. They know that private health insurance. even if they could get it. doesnt have the services these kids need. They know that the idea of costsharing so that services arent overutilized for these kids makes no sense. One of Medicaids strengths has been the benefit known as EPSDT. or early and periodic screening. diagnosis and treatment. Thats a lot of words for one simple concept. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7660}
{"speech_id":1090093014,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I have heard a lot of screaming from the Democrats from the extreme left saying that they are mad. and even some personal -insults tonight which is. frankly. unfortunate. I think it is because Democrats. I guess they think if they say it loud enough and scream loud enough. they can hide and drown out the facts. Mr. Speaker. we have heard tonight. they loudly scream against the high deficit. and then they do not want to do anything to reduce the deficit. Right here we heard leaders of the Democratic Party loudly criticizing tax cuts. Those are horrible. ","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090093014,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But let me quietly quote what they said just 2 days ago about some tax cuts. Let me quote. for example. the gentleman from New York about a $10 billion tax cut over 5 years offered just 2 days ago. He said: I ask that the amendment be passed by unanimous consent. So 2 days ago he liked that tax cut. But wait. there is more. The gentleman from Washington . who we heard a little while ago screaming to try to drown out the facts. said 2 nights ago about tax cuts: Mr. Chairman. I do not think anyone is going to oppose this cut. like the bther ones. Mr. Speaker. they cannot speak from both sides of their mouths.","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090093019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. -Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds. Mr. Speaker. I would say to the gentleman who said our budget is locked up. well. here it is. It is right here on \u0095the table. We introduced it several months ago. It will go t6 balance in the year 2012 and accumulate about $200 billion less debt than theirs. As for tax and spend. his is tax and borrow. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":483}
{"speech_id":1090093019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. For the last 4 years. the debt ceiling has been raised four times by $3.15 trillion under your administration and your watch.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":483}
{"speech_id":1090093045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as chairman of the Telco Subcommittee. I want to focus for a second on the DTV provisions. Last year the- Congress passed the 9\/11 Commission Report Implementation Act. which contained a sense of Congress saying that the Congress must pass comprehensive DTV hard date legislation this session and that any delay would delay the ability of public safety to get muchneeded spectrum . for inter6perability. Mr. Speaker. today we are taking a significant stride towards fulfilling that commitment that we made to public safety. The legislation before us sets a hard date of December 31. 2008. for the end of the DTV .transition. at which point the broadcasters will return their analog spectrum. Setting such a hard date will enable public safety to get access to that spectrum for interoperability. spectrum that it was promised way back in 1997. It will also enable the auction of the remainder of that spectrum for advanced wireless services. Moreover. it will give consumers adequate notice and time to get ready for the transition and this legislation sets aside a portion of the spectrum proceeds to fully fund a robust digitaltoanalog converter box program. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1670}
{"speech_id":1090093045,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The legislation also included a provision that I helped author with the gentleman from New York . the gentleman from New York. and the gentleman from New York to set aside $500 million of the spectrum auction proceeds to assist State and local public safety agencies in acquiring interoperable. communication systems. That amendment enjoyed widespread support within the public safety community. I would urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we can..in fact. see this provision enacted.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1670}
{"speech_id":1090093078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is true that dogs collect fleas. and so do large fiscal year bills. This bill is no exception. I want to talk about one of those fleas infesting this bill. One of the worst infestations in this bill is a provision slipped in in the dead of night. like many of these things happen. that will essentially give away Americas most pristine areas in our national forests to the special interest friends of the majority party. There is a provision in this bill that will allow places that have been \"patented for mining.\" to be essentially given away to these special interest companies that can take our most pristine national forests. somewhere between 300.000 and 20 million acres. and .H10632 give it away to special interests. give it away to special interests and increase the deficit at the same time. What will happen with that property? Anything the special interests of the majority party wants. It is not about mining. There is a provision in .this bill that will allow your special interest friends to come into the Mount Baker National Forest in Washington. the national forest in Colorado. the national forests of California. take that property. pay the taxpayers nickels. literally nickels. and take that property away from the people that want to enjoy those national forests right now. It is bad enough that that bill will leave future generations $1 billion of debt. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2041}
{"speech_id":1090093078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You would think you would give them the Cerces to take their kids out to be able to have a picnic. in the national forest. portions of which will be gone because .you want to feed the rapacious appetites of your special interest friends. This is a tipoff of American taxpayers. It is unfair to the kids that want to go up to the national forests and enjoy this property. There is no excuse for it. You are doing it in thedead of the night. You ought to be ashamed. There is nothing sacred to the Republican Party except tax cuts. You would sell anything in America to finance your tax cuts. The Washington monument could be next. This is a shame.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2041}
{"speech_id":1090093101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for the time. 1984. it was Good Morning in America. the economy was growing. President Reagan was President. Bob Dole the Republican the majority leader of the United States Senate. and big deficits. big deficits. big deficits. big deficits. big deficits. big deficits.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090093141,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 4145. a bill to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Rosa Parks and to place the statue in the United States Capitol in National Statuary Hall. Mr. Speaker. Mrs. Rosa Louise Parks is widely recognized as the mother of the civil rights movement. She did the unthinkable on December 1. 1955. when she refused to give up her seat on that bus in segregated Montgomery. Alabama. However. it was this simple act that inspired a young reverend. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090093141,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Martin Luther King. Jr.. to lead a 381day boycott of that citys bus system. thus providing the spark to ignite the civil rights movement. Before she provided the inspiration for the civil rights movement. she was already working to break down the decades of Jim Crow laws by being an active member in the local Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. In 1992. she explained why. she did not give up her seat that day. \"The real reason of my not standing up was I felt that I had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long.\" In the aftermath of the boycott. Mrs. Parks and her husband found it difficult to find work and endured a hostile environment in Alabama. Therefore. she and her husband Raymond Parks moved north to Detroit in 1957. A year after my colleague from Michigan. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090093141,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Representative JOHN CONYERS. was first elected to the House. he made the brilliant decision to hire Mrs. Parks as a legislative aide. She worked for him until her retirement in 1988. By then she. had founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for SelfDevelopment. This nonprofit organization is committed to working with Detroits youth to build leadership skills and inspire them to continue her work on civil and human rights. She spent the remainder of her lifes work focusing on this organization. In 1999. the United States Congress first honored Mrs. Parks in .the Rotunda of the Capitol by awarding her with the Congressional Gold Medal. our Nations highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. Just 2 weeks ago. -the United States Congress honored Mrs. Parks in the Rotunda again by allowing the Nation to pay its final respects to this great and unique American by allowing her remains to lie in honor in the Rotunda. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090093141,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United States Congress should eternally recognize the significant contribution she made in advancing civil and human rights in this country. Mr. Speaker. I can think of no better way than by commissioning a statue of Mrs. Parks and placing.it in National Statuary Hall. I want to commend JESSE JACKSON. Jr.. of Illinois. MIKE ROGERS of Alabama. and all the Members that have signed on to this impor-\" tant house resolution. I want to thank our ranking member. JUANITA MILLENDERMcDONALD of California. for her work on this to expedite it and the Speaker of the House and his staff and the staff of House Administration on both sides to make sure that this moved as fast as it could here. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090093141,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is important. because I think that Rosa Lee Parks did something for every American in this country that day. I think it is something that. we all recognize changed the entire nature of the country. I think that placing the statue in Statuary Hall is a great and deserving honor. Again I want to thank JESSE JACKSON. Jr.. and MIKE ROGERS for this fine resolution.","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3382}
{"speech_id":1090093187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will take some time this morning to talk about why we need new clean air legislation. It has been some 15 years since Congress passed the last revisions to the Clean Air Act. No one disputes the fact that we have made significant environmental progress since that time. but our work is not over. Powerplants continue to blow pollution that causes smog and other air problems irk our cities and our communities. Unless we require powerplants everywhere to reduce the amount of pollution they emit. we will continue to be faced with poor air quality and its dangerous side effects. The idea of reducing pollution from powerplants is not new. We have been discussing it for years. In fact. when President Bush first ran for the White House. he promised. in .2000. to make new clean air legislation one of his top environmental priorities. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11630}
{"speech_id":1090093187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since I came to the Senate in 2001. we have seen a number of proposals on how to proceed. Senator JEFFORDS offered his Clean Power Act. The President offered his Clear Skies Act. I. along with Senators CHAFEE. GREGG. and ALEXANDER. offered a proposal that we call the Clean Air Planning Act. I have always believed that our proposal. the third proposal. is the right one. While I agree with the principles laid out in the bill by Senator JEFFORDS. I fear it will be too costly and its goals technolokically unachievable. By contrast. the Presidents plan is too weak and would do nothing to reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide. which we believe contributes to global warm: ing. What we crafted in response to these two proposals was a middleground approach. one that achieved the objectives of the Jeffords bill without relying on the command and control philosophies of the past. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11630}
{"speech_id":1090093187,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is an approach that reduces pollution further and faster than the President has visualized. while giving utilities the flexibilities they need and the incentives they need to get the job done right. Since we first. introduced that bill some 3 years ago. I have tried to get the EPA to conduct an objective scientific analysis of it and how it compares with other proposals. We were repeatedly denied. Earlier this year. the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee tried to push through the Presidents Clear Skies bill. I again asked for an analysis of our proposal and the other proposals. and we were denied. The administration told me I had all the information I needed and there was no reason to further debate it. I told them without that information we could not negotiate. On March 8. Clear Skies was voted on in our committee and it failed on a 9to9 vote. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11630}
{"speech_id":1090093187,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Soon after the failure to pass out Clear Skies. President Bush nominated Stephen Johnson to be the new head of EPA. Stephen Johnson had impeccable credentials stemming from his long. distinguished career within the agency. In essence. Mr. JOHNSON represented the best person for the job. But when he came before our committee to have his nomination approved. I voted against him. I think I was the only one: Then I placed a hold on his nomination. something I have. never done in my 5 years in the Senate. I dont have a problem with Stephen Johnson. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11630}
{"speech_id":1090093187,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had a problem with the way the administration was politicizing EPA and keeping the agency from doing its job in providing the information that I and others were requesting. I believe we need this information in order to enable us to craft the best possible clean air bill. I didnt think it was too much to ask that we have a detailed. uptodate modeling on how our bills would affect the economy. the health of our public. and our environment. My hold was eventually overridden. I think by two votes. But to my surprise.. my pleasant surprise. once Stephen Johnson became administrator. he offered to model the economic. the health. and the environmental impact of the various clean air proposals. I say right now on the floor that I very much appreciate Stephen Johnsons willingness to grant my request. It says a lot about what kind of man he is. and that he is willing to break through the logjam in trying to meet our yearslong request. Last month. on October 27. Stephen Johnson and some of his senior leadership from EPA delivered the analysis they have done. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11630}
{"speech_id":1090093200,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. first I thank the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Finance. Senator BAUCUS. for his leadership and for the extraordinary amount of work he does to make the work of the Committee on Finance as responsible as it can be. There are many provisions in the underlying bill that has come out of the Committee on Finance that I support. I think they are broadly supported extensions of expiring tax provisions that ought to be extended. I salute the chairman of the Committee on Finance. Senator GRASSLEY. for the good job he has done in putting together this package. While I agree with many of the specific provisions. I have one. profound area of disagreement. That profound area of disagreement is that this package is not paid for. Theresult. if we pass this package. will be to deepen the deficit. to add to the debt. when we already have record deficits and we. already have runaway debt. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11067}
{"speech_id":1090093200,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleagues are going to have to answer the question. Why shouldnt we pay for these tax provisions? Why shouldnt we cover the cost? Why shouldnt we prevent the deficit from being expanded? Why shouldntwe prevent the debt from being deepened? That is the question posed by my amendment. It takes many of the provisions in the Committee on Finance hill. the expiring tax provisions. and extends them for 1 year. It pays for them fully. It is very important to remember the history. How did we get in the position we are in today? My colleagues will remember this very famous chart that the administration and the Congressional Budget Office presented back in 2001. This part of the chart I call the fan chart showed the range of possible outcomes if we didnt change any budget policies. This range of possible outcomes from a best case scenario. to a median scenario. the midpoint between the range of possible outcomes is the prediction line adopted. to the worst case scenario. These were the projections given to us if we just did nothing. My colleagues on the other side said: No. this is too conservative-. this range of possible outcomes. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11067}
{"speech_id":1090093200,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They said: Dont you understand. if we have tax cuts we will get more revenue so we will be above the midpoint of the range. We might be even above the best case scenario. The problem with that theory is that it did not work out in reality. Here is what happened in reality: This red line is far below the worst case scenario outlined by the Congressional Budget Office in 2001.. I have caught the chairmans attention. He will remember the chart very well from 2001. what the Congressional Budget Office said was the range of possible outcomes. The Congressional Budget Office adopted this midrange of the estimates as their projection. Many of my colleagues on the other side told me. when I said we shouldnt be betting on a 10year forecast: Kent. you are way too conservative. Dont you understand if we cut taxes we will get more revenue. We will be above the midpoint of the range of possible outcomes. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11067}
{"speech_id":1090093200,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now we can go back and we can check what has actually happened. That is this red line. It is below the worst case possible outcome. Far below it. So this notion that the tax cuts were going to generate more revenue and were going to prevent massive deficits proved to be wrong. It is very simple. This is not theory. This is not ideology. This is reality. This is what really happened. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11067}
{"speech_id":1090093200,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can look at it in a different way. This chart looks back to 1980. the relationship between spending and revenue of the United States expressed as a share of gross domestic product. Why do we do it that way? Why do we do it as a share of gross domestic product? Because every economist says that is the appropriate way to compare spending over time and revenue over time because it takes out the effects of inflation and growth. so we are comparing apples to apples. Here is what the line shows:. Spending in the 1980s was between 21 and 23.5 percent of gross domestic production. During the 1990s. interestingly enough. during the Democrat administration. the spending came down as a share of gross domestic production each and every year. the 8 years of the Clinton administration. So at the end of that time we were below 19 percent of gross domestic production on spending. Since that time. spending has gone. up to approaching 20 percent of gross domestic production now. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to blame Democrats for spending. But Democrats have not been in charge during this period. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11067}
{"speech_id":1090093257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will be happy to use my time at this point if that will help the managers. Mr. President. the question before us is. What is our vision for .the future? If this chart shows your vision of the fiscal future of the country. vote against my amendment. If you think the answer to our fiscal future is just to add more and more to the debt. then vote against me. If you believe it is time to get our fiscal house in order.at least to begin steps to get our fiscal -house in order. vote with me. If youbelieve the underlying budget makes sense. here is what the underlying budget does. For the next 5 years it adds to the debt. going from just under $8 trillion to over $11 trillion. It is going to add over $3 trillion to the debt over the next 5 years. If you think that is a mistake. then supportthe alternative thatI am offering. which says: Yes. we will provide the hurricane disaster relief. yes. we will provide extensions of the expiring provisions on alternative minimum taxin fact. we will protect 600.000 more taxpayers than the chairmans mark. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1957}
{"speech_id":1090093257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we will provide the R&D tax credit. the State sales tax deduction. the college tuition deduction. the WelfaretoWork and Work Opportunity Tax Credits. the teacher classroom expenses deduction. the leasehold improvement and restaurant depreciation. and all other traditional tax extendersbut we will pay for them. How do we pay for them? We take the offsets that are in the chairmans mark that are loophole closers that shut. down abusive tax shelters. and we add additional tax shelters and loophole closersending a loophole for oil companies that lets them avoid taxes on foreign operations. ending the tax benefit for the leasing of foreign subway and sewer systemsagain. I say to my colleagues. why would we ever permit that?-require tax withholding on Government payments to contractors like Halliburton. and renewing the Superfund tax so that polluting companies pay for cleaning up toxic waste. \"","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1957}
{"speech_id":1090093285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What is so staggering is. when these big oil companies are charging record prices. making record profits. they are being given record tax subsidies that they show up and tell the American people they do not want. So I intend to speak on .this after the distinguished Senator from California is done. But she has an excellent amendment. I say to the Senator. you have characterized their testimony correctly.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":407}
{"speech_id":1090093286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Oregon. In essence. Mr. President. this is the biggest handout to the biggest corporations in Americaas a matter of fact. in the world. We should not be giving them a tax break so they can do their jobto drill for oilwhen they certainly do not need it. Again. let me be clear: this is a tax credit for the major oil companies only. It should not surprise anyone to learn that these same oil companies effective tax rates were well below 35 percent. In 2001. their tax rate was 17.3 percent. in 2002. 5.6 percent. in 2003. 13.3 percent. This averages out to 13.3 percent over the 3year period. By contrast. 14 industries have higher effective tax rates. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090093286,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The health care industry is 22.3 percent. the financial industry. 19.7 percent. pharmaceuticals pay 21.6 percent: the chemical industry. 20.8 percent. the computer industry. 16 percent. tobacco and food industries. 23.8 percentand on and on and on. and yet the oil companies pay very little. So not only are these energy tax incentives taking money out of the Treasury. they are also allowing oil companies to lower their effective tax rate so that less money actually flows from them into the Treasury. That is unacceptable. They say they do not need it. The President says they do not. need it. And this would essentially correct that situation. When this tax bill was considered. the Finance Committee recognized this fact and repealed the amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures for the major integrated oil companies. It also changed the way oil companies with gross receipts over $1 billion can account for their oil inventories. The amendment I offer today takes one more step in taking away unnecessary tax breaks for the oil and gas industry. So. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090093286,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this amendment. I thank the cosponsors.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090093333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the immediate aftermath of - Hurricane Katrina. there was an enormous urgency. not only in Congress but all across the Nation. to respond to the needs of the people of the gulf coast region. Although the sense of urgency appears to have subsided. unfortunately. somewhat in Congress. that sense of urgency remains all too real for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are still dealing with the loss of jobs. the loss of family. and the loss of homes that too many Hurricane Katrina survivors have suffered. I am pleased the bill we are debating today includes tax relief for those affected by Hurricanes Katrina. Rita. and Wilma. I am fully supportive of those provisions. I also believe that before we go home for Thanksgiving to enjoy our homes and our families. we need to take some meaningful action to help those who might not have as much to be thankful for. Nearly 2 months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the people of the gulf coast. we are seeing that our Government is still leaving too many Americans behind. Let me give some examples. This week. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8244}
{"speech_id":1090093333,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FEMA is telling 150.000 evacuees who are currently in hotels that they have to be out of their hotels in 15 days. Imagine. someone has lost their home. and they have 15 days to get out of the shelter they arecurrently in. Yesterday. we heard a story on NPR that shelter residents in Iberville. LA. will soon be transitioned to a tent city when the shelter closes. Thats righta tent city. Thousands in Mississippi are currently living in twoperson tents. without running water or adequate heat.. because FEMA has not provided the mobile homes they promised. There are concerns that contractors participating in the gulf coast reconstruction are exploiting immigrant labor. There are stories from Mississippi and Louisiana of immigrant laborers being lured to the gulf by promises of good pay. only to be stiffed their salaries and charged for their temporary housing. In addition to these storieswe are hearing enormous complaintsand I am getting them in Illinois. despite the fact that I do not represent the regiohthat local companies are being shut out of the reconstruction bidding process. According to the Washington Post. companies outside the States most affected by Katrinahave received more than 90 percent of the Federal contracts for recovery and reconstruction. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8244}
{"speech_id":1090093333,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ninety percent of the contracts have gone to companies that do not maintain a place of business in the affected States. This is unacceptable. The American taxpayers and this Congress provided $62 billion for the reconstruction effort precisely so that the people of the gulf coast region. including some of the most vulnerable citizens of our society. would be left behind no more. Yet right now we have no idea where that money is being spent. how that money is being spent. why it is not being spent on fixing the problems I mentioned and why FEMA is still sitting on nearly $40 billion that has not been spent at all. Now think about that. The managers of this bill have been struggling with the fiscal constraints we are trying to deal with and we have $40 billion that is not spent and we do not know where the other $20 billion has gone. There is absolutely no accountability to this process at all. no accountability to the taxpayers and no accountability to the people who need this help the most. I am a freshman in the minority party. I am accustomed sometimes to not knowing what is going on around here. but this is. unfortunately. one of those situations in which I do not get a sense that neither the majority party nor the administration has a clear idea of how our money is being spent. The Hurricane Katrina contracting process has been rife with problems from the very beginning. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8244}
{"speech_id":1090093333,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rather than use the reconstruction process to help companies and workers in the regions most affected. we are seeing many of the prime contracts going to the largest contractors in the country. These are the same contractors that received reconstruction contracts in Iraq and with only a few exceptions they are not the folks whose businesses were harmed by the ravages of the storm. Small businesses are not being given a fair shake to bid on these projects. and it is unclear how many contracts have been provided to small businesses. Meanwhile. minority contractors have been left almost entirely out of the contracting process. The Congressional Black Caucus has proposed good legislation to address some of these problems and I hope the Senate will consider it. if it passes the House. But let me be clearthis is not simply partisan complaining or political point scoring. At a hearing held on November 3. 2005. the inspector general of the Homeland Security Department. a Bush appointee. said about the reconstruction process: Obligations are being made at a rate of $275 million a day in an unstable environment and in an expedite d manner. When you mix it all together. it is a potentially perfect recipe for fraud. waste. and abuse. The GAOs preliminary observations indicate that the Army Corps of Engineers $39 million purchase of portable classrooms may have resulted in the Army Corps paying more than necessary. The GAO will continue to monitor the reconstruction contracts. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8244}
{"speech_id":1090093333,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I I am certain that we are going to keep on seeing these stories surfacing almost daily about how taxpayer money is being wasted. while the people who are supposed to be helped are not getting what they need. One of the most egregious examples of this potential waste. fraud. and abuse is in the Governments refusal to rebid $400 million worth of nobid contracts that they already promised they would rebid. Immediately following Hurricane Katrina. FEMA awarded four $100 million nobid contracts for reconstruction efforts. Acting FEMA Under Secretary Paulison made the following statement to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs* Committee -orf October 6. 2005: I have been a public servant for a long time. and I have never been a fan of nobid contracts. Sometimes you have to do them because of the expediency of getting things done. I can assure you. we are going to look at all of these contracts very carefully. All of those nobid contracts. we are going to go back and rebid. That is what Under Secretary Paulison said before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee a month ago. These contracts have not been rebid. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8244}
{"speech_id":1090093335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was asked by the Senator from Massachusetts to read that. just to get it into the queue. At this stage I am not speaking on it. and I am not asking for any additional action on it. I just wanted to get it in. If it is a problem. I am willing to defer.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090093336,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All things considered. Mr. President. I think it proper not to agree to the request at this point because the Senator from Massachusetts already spoke to us about an amendment of his. and that is in the queue. In fairness to other Senators. I dont want to inconvenience other Senators.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":285}
{"speech_id":1090093380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the cooperation I have had with Senator BAUCUS in working out some differences on this bill. which he has enunciated very well. I look forward to. hopefully. getting done what he said before we get this bill through the Senate tomorrow.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090093424,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in opposition to Senator DORGANS windfall profits tax amendment. This amendment seeks to punish oil companies with a punitive tax on profits when oil prices go above $40 per barrel. This amendment is shortsighted and extremely bad fiscal policy. First. this bill already includes a $4.923 billion tax penalty on large integrated oil companies. The Dorgan amendment would simply add on to the penalty currently in this bill. The belief persists that the oil companies profits are \"extreme\" or \"excessive.\" However. this belief is unfounded. Yes. most oil companies did have recordsetting profits during the 3rd quarter. But history has clearly shown that the oil industry is \"boom or bust.\" One needs .look no further than my home State of Kansas. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2344}
{"speech_id":1090093424,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the 1970s and 1980s. the economy in Kansas was tied directly to the oil and natural gas industry. As their profits spiked or fell. our economy would do the same. I say this to prove that I have firsthand knowledge of how volatile the oil industry is. We need not tax a single industry simply because it had a good quarter. Even a recordsetting quarter is not reason to add a windfall tax. This is bad policy and sets a negative precedent: This clearly puts a disincentive in the marketplace for American companies. in all sectors of our economy. to not perform their best. This is not the signal we want to be sending in a competitive. global economy. Building upon the fact that the oil industry has many fluctuations. a windfall tax on profits would reduce needed private investments in energy infrastructure. If the industry is not allowed to benefit during periods of high prices because of a tax on profits. there will be precious little incentive to invest in domestic production. These investments lead to more production. which in turn lead to lower prices. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2344}
{"speech_id":1090093424,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A windfall lrofit tax would disrupt the normal cyclical movement of the energy industry. Finally. a windfall profits tax would harm the numerous individuals who have. invested in the energy industry through pension plans and mutual funds because this new tax would reduce capital gains and dividends payments. Mr. President. I believe it is clear this amendment would do much more harm than good. It is shortsighted. market distortirig. and sets a bad precedent for every industry in our economy.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2344}
{"speech_id":1090093440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. the Senator is. offering an amendment which purports to respond to what some executives had to say about whether they needed or wanted the tax provisions in the Tax Policy Act we passed. These provisionsthe principal onesare 50 years old. They are not part of the energy package. They have been there for 50 years. upon which the energy companies rely when they drill expensive holes and invest expensive amounts. It has to do with the amortization of costs. Some of it is. intangible. meaning it is not a product because part of the cost is- intangible. Part of the cost that goes into producing these is seismic information and tl~e like. That is why it is called that. But these were not adopted in the energy package. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":948}
{"speech_id":1090093440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have been part of the production of energy in the United States for eons. We want more production. and we come along and take those away. It seems to me this is the wrong time. and it is not germane.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":948}
{"speech_id":1090093555,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. a little bit out of order here. but under the previous order. Senator SANTORUM and Senator BYRD were to speak after the disposition of the pending amendment. At this point I have learned Senator SANTORUM and Senator BYRD wish to speak at a later point. I ask consent that the pending amendments be laid aside so Senator FEINGOLD may offer his amendment. that is. after the disposition of this amendment.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":418}
{"speech_id":1090093820,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I offer this amendment on behalf of myself. Senator KERRY. and Senator SNOWE. This is an amendment that will create a tax credit for small businesses. to encourage them to offer employees health insurance. By \"small businesses.\" I have defined that in the amendment as employers with 50 or fewer employees. In my State. one of the biggest problems I hear that small employers complain about is their inability to cover the high cost of health care. This is a nonrefundable tax credit for the pur chase of health insurance by the employer. The tax credit would range from 30 percent to 50 percent of the cost of a qualified health insurance expense. with smaller employers getting the largest credit. This is absolutely essential if we are going to expand health care coverage in the country. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":958}
{"speech_id":1090093820,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is fully offset. I urge my colleagues to -support this amendment and add it to this legislation before we complete final passage. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":958}
{"speech_id":1090093879,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment would provide a Federal tax credit to farmers for 30 percent of their 2005 energy costs up to $3.000 per farmer. Qualified energy costs are those for fuels. utilities. fertilizers. heating and drying. used in farming. businesses of taxpayers during calendar year 2005. As my colleagues know. farmers have been especially hard hit by soaring eneigy pfices. In addition to sky. rocketing energy costs. many farmers have been hit with higher transportation costs. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. American farmers desperately need relief. The estimated $3 billion cost of this measure is more than offset by closing the tax loophole that gives a foreign oil and gas income tax credit for. oil companies that provides $4.1 billion over 5 years. I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":805}
{"speech_id":1090093953,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. it is my intention that the provision should not affect the ability of charities to borrow to purchase life insurance. particularly where the people insured are officers. directors. employees or in some cases established donors of the charity that benefits.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090093969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I oppose the tax reconciliation bill now before us. This bill illustrates the cynicism of the whole reconciliation process this year. which. at the end of the day. is just a vehicle to short circuit a full Senate debate on the Presidents unfair tax cuts. The fiscal year 2006 budget resolution instructed the Finance Committee to report up to $70 billion of tax cuts. Only half of those tax cuts were to be. offset by reconciled spending cuts. so the net effect of reconciliation would be to add to the budget deficit. In the current economic and budget environment. there is no justification for enacting tax cuts that increase the deficit and must be paid for by adding to the debt. For various reasons. the bill before us does not contain the full $70 billion of tax cuts. Most notably. it does not include provisions to extend the temporary capital gains and dividend tax cuts passed in 2003 and set to expire in 2008. It would be wise and prudent budget policy to abandon the effort to extend those debtfinanced tax cuts. which go to taxpayers in the highest income brackets. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090093969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But what you see is not what you are going to get. Those provisions will be back. In fact. the Majority Leader has said he will not bring a conference report to the floor that does not include an extension of the capital. gains and dividend provisions. Even without any capital gains and dividend provisions. this tax bill provides benefits mainly to upperincome taxpayers. An analysis by the Joint Economic Committee democratic staff finds that about $43 billion of the tax cuts can be allocated by family income group. Of those. about 80 percent would accrue to the 20 percent of families with the highest incomes. That fraction will rise when the extension of the capital gains and dividend tax cuts is added in conference. \"What you see is not what you are going to get\" is a phrase that also applies to the spending piece of reconciliation. There is much to criticize in the Senates $35 billion spending reconciliation bill. but any conference bill that comes before us is likely to be far worse. with much larger cuts to benefits that middle- and lowerincome families rely on that will be way out of all proportion to any tax cuts they might receive. The Senate can take a step toward restoring fiscal discipline by voting down this tax reconciliation bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090094001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I introduced a bill last month. S. 1816. that is vitally important to manufacturing businesses and the workers they employ in Puerto Rico. My bill extends the benefits of the manufacturing deduction. enacted last year with the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. to apply to manufacturing operations that are conducted in Puerto Rico and are subject to full U.S. tax. The new manufacturi*ng deduction means that U.S. businesses operating in any of the 50 States will pay tax on their manufacturing income at 32 percent. Without the manufacturing deduction. U.S. businesses operating a branch in Puerto Rico will pay tax on their manufacturing income .at 35 percent. This difference in tax treatment creates a disincentive for U.S. companies to conduct manufacturing operations in Puerto Rico. distorting manufacturing location choices and putting Puerto Rico at a disadvantage in terms of attracting and retaining investment. My bill makes sure that manufacturing in the 50 States and manufacturing in Puerto Rico will be taxed at the same 32 percent rate. This will level the playing field for operations in Puerto Rico and operations in the States. I have a number of constituent corporations that operate in my State and have operations in Puerto Rico. and this provision is important to them. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1702}
{"speech_id":1090094001,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I realize the proposal cannot be added to the budget reconciliation tax bill at this time but am hopeful it will be considered and enacted this year. I want to applaud Ways and Means Committee Chairman BILL THOMAS for introducing H.R. 4323. which includes this extension of the manufacturing deduction to Puerto Rico. I look forward to working with Chairman THOMAS to get this important provision enacted.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1702}
{"speech_id":1090094005,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to acknowledge National Adoption Day on November 19. 2005. With over 118.000 children available for adoption out of the U.S. foster care system. I think it is crucial to celebrate those lawyers. social workers. officials. and. most importantly. parents who help get many children out of foster homes into adoptive families. National Adoption Day was started in 2000 by the Alliance for Childrens Rights. the Freddie Mac Foundation. and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and helped complete foster care adoptions in nine jurisdictions. National Adoption Day continued to grow and in 2001 completed adoptions in 17 jurisdictions. In 2002. the Casey Family Services. Childrens Action Network. the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and Target became National Adoption Day partners and helped 34 cities across the country finalize 1.350 adoptions. -In 2003. 3.100 adoptions were completed. National Adoption Day 2004 was the biggest celebration to date. finalizing the adoptions of more than 3.400 children from foster care. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2773}
{"speech_id":1090094005,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It seems quite appropriate that as we celebrate Thanksgiving. we also celebrate the formation of new families through adoption. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption. I am committed to assisting children in the United States to find stable. loving and permanent homes. Additionally. I support the goals of National Adoption Day to encourage others to adopt children from foster care. to build stronger ties between local adoption agencies. courts. and adoption advocacy organizations. and to continue to research and learn more about families wanting to adopt and the children waiting to be adopted. I am also proud that Members of the Senate continue to support ways to make adoption easier and more affordable. Since the cost of adoption can be very high. we ought to do what we can to lessen this initial burden for the exceptional people who. provide caring homes for children. Adoption proceedings and legal fees for some domestic adoptions can cost more than $40.000. To ease some of this burden. Congress adopted a $10.000 tax credit for adoption expenses. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2773}
{"speech_id":1090094005,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we ask individuals to care for and adopt children. we must provide some relief from the financial burdens associated with that care. The adoption. tax credit is an effective vehicle to provide this relief. The commitment of adoptive parents in South Dakota and throughout our country to provide children with safe. permanent. and loving homes will. of course. have a positive impact on their lives. As we celebrate National Adoption Day on November 19. 2005. I call on my colleagues to continue supporting efforts to make adoption easier for parents. children and other important players in the adoption process.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2773}
{"speech_id":1090094009,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add neW categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On October 22. 1998. in Madison. WI. Johnny L. Ellis attacked a man in what police say was a hate motivated crime. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090094009,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The victim. a man dressed in womans clothing. was hit over the head with a full 40ounce bottle of malt liquor. causing the bottle to break. Mr. Ellis then stabbed the victim in the stomach with the broken bottle. causing a wound that required 55 stitches. Throughout the ordeal Mr. Ellis referred to the victim as a \"heshe.\" I believe that our Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. in all circumstances. from threats to them at home. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a major step forward in achieving that goal. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090094020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Ed Fountain Park Ex-. pansion Act. This legislation would transfer approximately eight acres of Federal land to the city of.Las Vegas to allow for the expansion of one of the citys most popular parks. Ed Fountain Park is one of the best known and wellused parks in the city of Las Vegas. Located in a mature part of the city. adjacent to the citys oldest golf course. Ed Fountain Park has provided recreational opportunities for generations of local residents. For many years it has been home to Pop Warner football practices. youth soccer games. and family picnics and reunions. On any given day or night. a multitude of activities are taking place at the park. many of which are associated with the numerous nonprofit organizations that utilize the parks re.sources. The city of Las Vegas contacted my office several months ago to express their desire to expand Ed Fountain Park by acquiring land adjacent to the park that served as the site of the local administrative offices for the Bureau of Land Management. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2945}
{"speech_id":1090094020,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BLM. and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The property was vacated by both Federal land management agencies several years ago after they relocated to a larger. multijurisdictional facility in the northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley. The property to be acquired by the city is technically classified as part of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is currently under the jurisdiction of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The parcel in question. however. is many miles away the actual wildlife refuge and sits as a vacant urban lot. The former administrative offices that were housed on the land were placed there many decades ago when this area was considered to be in the outskirts of town. Now. after years of unprecedented growth. this land is surrounded by wellestablished neighborhoods. The site also contains a single empty historical structure that would be part of the conveyance. Were the property under the jurisdiction of the BLM. as is usually the case in the Las Vegas Valley. the property could have been transferred administratively under the authority of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. But because it is the property of the Fish and Wildlife Service. legislation is needed to trahsfer ownership of the. property from the Fish and Wildlife Service to the city. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2945}
{"speech_id":1090094020,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation provides the city with maximum flexibility to use the parcel to expand Ed Fountain Park. to build new athletic fields. to develop a community center. or any combination of these uses. All of these potential uses are in the public interest and provide important justification for conveying the land to the city at no cost. I look forward to working with the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee to move this legislation forward in a timely manner. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the .RECORD.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2945}
{"speech_id":1090094025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing a bill that would create a National Methamphetamine Information Clearinghouse (NMIC). This webbased source of information would promote sharing of \"best practices\" regarding law enforcement. treatment. environmental. social services. and other programs to combat the production. use. and effects of methamphetamine. The purpose of the NMIC is to make a onestop shop. where all the \"best practices\" in the fight against meth can be foundinformation from law enforcement. treatmentbased organizations.- social services and environmental agencies. It will be a website providing information that agencies and organizations submit. describing what has worked in their local communities. The people who have had success with addressing meth and methrelated issues will be providing this information. Additionally. there will be information and links regarding available grants f6r establishing and maintaining antimeth programs. The NMIC will serve two distinct populationslaw enforcement and the broader community. The NMIC will contain a restricted access section where law enforcement will be able to post their successful strategies. training techniques. and conference notes so that other law enforcement will be able to get ideas and incorporate them in their own jurisdictions. The unrestricted portion of the website will include resources for other agencies and the public at large. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090094025,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For example. child protection agencies might post techniques on dealing with meth orphans. community health centers might post treatment options that provided them with some success. and environmental groups might post tips on cleaning up the toxic waste. So. a landlord or hotel owner whose property was used as a meth lab and who wants to be able to rent out the property again. or the mother who wants to figure out if her child is a meth addictand what to do if she is they would all be able to find useful information on the site. One of our challenges in the fight against meth is finding those who need assistance and connecting them with those who can helpand that is exactly what this clearinghouse can do. Many people and organizations that have had some success in controlling0 meth are more than willing to share the techniques they found that work. if only they knew who needed the information. And. there are those who are just starting to attack the meth problem in their communities and need guidance as to how to make that start an effective one. The NMIC can help bring those groups of people together and enhance everyones ability to fight the plague of meth. NMIC will be housed under the auspices of the Department of Justice and will -be governed by an Advisory Council comprised of 10 members from a variety of agencies and organizations. It is this Council who will monitor the submissions to the Clearinghouse and make sure that the information found on the site is accurate. uptodate. and useful. The bill I am introducing today provides the basic outline of this idea. and over the next two months. I will be working closely with law enforcement and community groups to modify and improve the Clearinghouse before we move forward with this legislation next year. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090094025,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I look forward to that process and encourage all of my colleagues to join me in this effort to combat the meth problem. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090094037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Coinmittee on Agriculture. Nutrition. and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday. November 17. 2005 at 10 a.m. in 328A. Senate Russell Office Building. The purpose of this Committee hearing will be to consider the role of U.S. agricultute in the control and eradication of avian influenza.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":387}
{"speech_id":1090094077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate just passed a bill that takes a major stepmajor step--to bringing health care into the information age. finally. This bill. the Wired for Health Care Quality Act. reflects the hard work by Senator ENZI. to whom I will turn the floor over shortly. myself. Senator KENNEDY. Senator CLINTON. and many others. This bill will do as much as anything we have done in this Congress and the last Congress and the Congress before that to cut waste and inefficiency out of our health care system. What the bill does is encourage the use of secure and interoperable health care records. electronic records. electronic medical records. This has a huge benefit for every American. It reduces waste and inefficiency. It reduces medical errors. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090094077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It improves the quality of health care. It reduces health care costs throughout the system. raising quality. When you lower costs and you raise quality. by definition. you improve access as well. This bill will help empower patients to become full partners in what we all have as a vision. and that is. a patientcentered. providerfriendly. consumerdriven system that will be driven by information. and be driven by choice. and be driven by control. Patient privacy is protected. This secure exchange of lifesahing information improves efficiency throughout the system. It will allow. for the first time. because there are interoperable standards that are set. the exchange of infomation. which will seamlessly help integrate health care delivery from the time a patient first presents to see a physician or a nurse to ultimate discharge and treatment. So this really is a pivotal moment. I encourage the House to act quickly on the legislation. Again. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090094077,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Senator ENZI for his leadership. Without it. this moment simply would not be possible. I thank Senator CLINTON who has stressed. from day one. the importance of haxing quality injected into this bill. and Senator KENNEDY. I thank them all for their commitment to this effort. I thank the staff who have worked many hours: Andrea Palm. Katy Barr. Steve Northrup. and David Bowen. and many others. Mr. President. I do want to at least turn to my colleague to thank him and so he can make a few comments because this is truly historic legislation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090094077,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And although it is mighty early in the morning nowlate at night or early in the morningthis really is a historic time for health care and health care delivery.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090094080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate has passed legislation that can help transform our health care system and save lives. The Wired for Health Care Quality Act will improve the use of lifesaving health information technology in hospitals and doctors offices across the country. In so doing. we will improve the quality of care. lower administrative costs. and reduce medical errors. \u0095 This legislation is being considered by the Senate because of the leadership and commitment of the chairman of our Health Committee. Senator ENZI. He made health information technology a priority for our committee. and he has guided this legislation to the Senate floor. Successful legislation takes creative thinking and hard workand Senator ENzI has supplied an abundance of both to this measure. I also thank our partners in this legislation. Senator FRIST and Senator CLINTON. As a surgeon. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7232}
{"speech_id":1090094080,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator FRIST knows firsthand the importance of making sure that doctors have the information they need to provide the best possible. care for patientsand that they get that information in time for it to be of value. It is inconceivable that in the 21st century. doctors are asked to treat patients in life or death situations without knowing their medical histories or even the medications they are takingbut that happens every hour of every day in hospitals and emergency rooms around the country. Senator FRIST has been tireless in his commitment to correcting this unacceptable situation. Senator CLINTON has done an excellent job as well. She has championed better studies of. the comparative effectiveness of medications. she is dedicated to improving the quality of care for every patient. and this legislation owes much to her abilityr and commitment. This legislation is urgently needed. because we live in a new era of medical miracles and rapid changes in medicine. Modern electronics have given doptors implantable pacemakers to save patients from sudden cardiac failure. The sequencing of the human genome offers extraordinary opportunities for new cures and better treatments. But there is another medical miracle to add to the list. Modern information technology can transform health care as profoundly as any of these discoveries. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7232}
{"speech_id":1090094080,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have a moral responsibility to make the miracles of modern medicine available to every Americanbut we have failed to meet that responsibility. Costs are crushing our health care system. Premiums are going through the roof. The ranks of the uninsured grow every day. Families are forced to choose between paying the cost of health care or paying for food. rent. and college tuition. That is not the American dream. Information technology alone cant solve these problems. but it can help substantially.. Electronic medical records. Software to- warn if a treatment could harm a patient. Computer prescribing. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7232}
{"speech_id":1090094080,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These and many other applications of information technology can save lives and dramatically reduce costs. Despite the wonders of modern medicine. too many patients today are harmed by preventable mishaps. They waste hours and face new risk when tests must be duplicated. because a crucial record is locked in anothqr archive. Too many doctors only guess at the right course of treatment. because they dont know a patients medical history. Millions of patients are needlessly put at risk. and billions of dollars are wasted.. When so many Americans are already struggling to afford health care for their families. it is profoundly wrong to. squander more than half a trillion dollars each year on administrative expenses. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that better use of information technology will save $140 billion every year. Such savings would produce a technology dividend worth over $700 on the cost of an average familys insurance policy. That is like getting 1 month free every year. Other nations are already using this extraordinary technology to cut costs and save livesbut America lags behind. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7232}
{"speech_id":1090094080,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cant continue to allow the high cost of health care to price American goods and srvices out of the global marketplace. The need to invest in this technology is. urgent. In the words -of Secretary Leavitt. \"Every day that we delay. lives are lost.\" The time to act is now. The bill before us will improve care. save lives and make health care more affordable for every American. The need to reduce medical errors is especially urgent. It is already 6 years since the Institute of Medicine reported that medical errors cause 98.000 deaths every year. According to the National Patient Safety Foundation. 42 percent of Americans have been affected by a medical error. either personally or through a friend or relative. One out of every three of those affected said that the error had a permanent negative effect on the patients health. The exact figures may bethe subject of debate. but it is undeniable that preventable deaths occur in our health care system all too often. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7232}
{"speech_id":1090094160,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask the leader. if I could. please. I understand. I want the. leader to know. we have passed 21 pieces of legislation. I take him at his word. It has been very hard to follow as these things have moved so quickly. in some cases. and not so quickly in others. But I want to make a point and ask the leader that. Because we pass legislation does not necessarily mean it has been effective. Sometimes Congress has a way of passing legislation. but that is not any guarantee it is actually working. As the Senator from Tennessee knows.the members of the Louisiana delegation. joined at times by. members of the Mississippi delegation. have consistently said that money given to FEMA is not making its way to the hands of people in businesses. As the leader knows. the housing money has been very difficult for people to get. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090094160,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Shelter has been very difficult to get. housing has been very difficult to get. Many of our businesses that have appied for loans that are authorized have not yet received a response from FEMA or the Small Business Administration. For the record. I say it is not the quantity of legislation but the quality of legislation. and that is why this supplemental Senator COCHRAN has been crafting is so important. We think this may be the first major piece of legislation that actually gets money into the hands of people who can do something with it other than having it sit in bank accounts while people are suffering and trying to get their lives back together. I understand the Senator from Tennessee is aware of these great needs. He himself has been down to our State. and we are appreciative of that. But that is the point. If I could get a comment about the importance ofthe supplemental. that would be of some comfort to the people of the gulf coast.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090094163,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator has been very patient. I realize we have to move forward. But if he would grant me a few more questionsone or two. I understand those pieces and those packages. because of course we are folloWing them very carefully. But I want the record to reflect that this morning. as we break. there was $70.9 billion appropriated and $30 billion is still sitting in a bank somewhere in a FEMA account. So we -have allocated $40 billion. I would judge from the controversies and reports that much of that money was squandered in -many ways that we know. and used in an inefficient manner. But I would call to the attention of th6 leader that we have not passed an emergency education bill which would cover tuition for children. 370.000 children who are today displaced from the school they were in the week before Katrina and Rita. Those 370.000 children have not yet received word fiom this Congress if their tuition will be covered. That is not done yet. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4386}
{"speech_id":1090094163,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have not passed a comprehensive health care piece that allows people with no job. no home. no school. and no church to think that they could show up at a hospital over the holidays and get their health care covered. That has not passed yet. We have not passed any loans to our governments in Louisiana that would allow them to operate and pay for police and fire over the holidays because the loan package we passed was inoperable because they cannot pay the money back in 3 years. So for the record. we have no real health care relief. no significant elementary and secondary care relief. our universities are teetering on bankruptcy and closure. and our medical schools are having difficulty. The dean of LSU Medical School took a job out of our State. It was announced this week. I dont blame him for leaving because he doesnt see any help on the way. It is one of the great medical schools in the country. Finally. FEMAto pour salt on the wound. to make sure we were all having just the very best Thanksgiving we could possibly haveannounced that they are going to make us homeless for the holiday and has announced that on December 1. everyone who is in a shelter or a hotel in the countrythey do not have an accurate number. so they do not know how many. and if they do not know how many. how are they planning to help them? But believe me. there are thousands who are now going to be put on the streets and will be homeless for the holidays. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4386}
{"speech_id":1090094163,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just tell my colleagues aA respectfully as I can that when we are sitting around our tablesand I will be at a different table. and many people from Louisiana will not be at the table which they usually are to have Thanksgiving dinner. I will be at a different table. Senator LOTT will be at a different table. .and. perhaps Senator COCHRAN will be at a different table. But as we sit around our tables. there will be thousands and hundreds of thousands of families who have no table to pull up to. They are in shelters. they are on the street. and they are crowded into apartments that they can barely afford with no hope and no plan. I will sayit for the last time. We are not dealing with a regular hurricane. We are dealing with an unprecedented natural disaster caused by the collapse of a Federal levee system that was not invested in. not maintained. and not funded. It is a disaster for the region and for the Nation. I cannot say this more emphatically or more passionately. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4386}
{"speech_id":1090094163,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have tried to be a team player. We have tried to be cooperative. We have tried every strategy. We are running out of strategies. I want my colleagues to know that while I will allow this resolution to go forward today. if we do not come back in December and pass a robust supplemental that reflects the values of this bodynot what MARY LANDRIEU wants in it. not what Louisiana thinks it deserves. although we think we are entitled to say what we deservethat reflects the values of the men and women who serve in this body whom I know so well from having worked with them. if we dont have a supplemental and -ifvve dont get some action on our levee system so people can have confidence to come back. and a few other emergency items that we need. we will not be going home for Christmas. We are going home for Thanksgiving. but we will not be going home for Christmas until the people of the gulf coast understand they have a home they can go to. if not this Christmas. some Christmas. soon.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4386}
{"speech_id":1090094293,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I believe what we bring before the Senate today is a product worthy of our support. The conference report has been crafted under two different approaches. What I believe has emerged is not only a good compromise but also makes strides in both oversight and policy. What has emerged is a solid recommendation. I thank my chairman. Senator COCHRAN. for his leadership. This subcommittee faced some extreme budgetary shortfalls. and without his leadership. and basically allocating more resources to this committee. we would not be able to bring this conference report to the Senate today. I also especially thank my ranking member. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6847}
{"speech_id":1090094293,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator FEINSTEIN. for her constant support and willingness to work together. I thank her staff as well: Christian Evans. B.G. Wright. and Chad Schulken for their hard work and professionalism. along with my great staff. Tammy Cameron. Dennis Balkham. and Sean Knowles. It has been a team effort and I appreciate that so much. The military construction portion of our bill provides $6.2 billion for military construction. $5.1 billion of which is for Active Component construction. and $1.1 billion for Reserve Component construction. It also includes $4 billion for family housing. There is $1.75 billion for BRAC implementation and cleanup for both 2005 and prior rounds. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6847}
{"speech_id":1090094293,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The conference agreement also provides necessary services for our service men and women and their families. not only enabling them to effectively do their jobs. but also providing an improved quality of life in our military communities. This is important for many reasons. Of course. it is the right thing to do for our military. It is also thesmart thing to do with our tax dollars. In this time of war and frequent deployments. recruiting and retention. maintaining a ready and available workforce is very much on the minds of our military leaders. We often say. in this era of an All Volunteer Force: You recruit individuals. but you retain families. The qualityoflife improvements that make our military communities great places to live are crucial in the retention of military families. Within this conference report before you. we fund projects that will improve the lives of those families. We fund 11 family housing privatization projects. which will provide highquality. marketstandard housing for nearly 15.000 military families. 39 barracks projects that will get our single soldiers. sailors. airmen. and marines out of sub.standard living conditions. or. in some cases. off ships and into firstrate facilities. and schools. child development centers. and family support centers that will ensure our servicemembers children and spouses are cared for. are included in this bill. These improvements make it easier for troops to deploy. to focus on their daytoday jobs. while giving them the peace of mind that comes with knowing their families and homes are taken care of. so they can give their attention to the job we are asking them to doprotecting America. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6847}
{"speech_id":1090094293,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The conference report provides the first piece to the most recent BRAC round. With the funds provided. it places priority on those funds which are critical to carrying out BRAC. while providing the necessary financial oversight of the resources provided. For our veterans. we have fully funded the Presidents request for veterans benefits and health care. This has not been easy. House and Senate conferees have provided $22.547 billion for medical services. which includes $1.225 billion in emergency funding to fully meet the Presidents amended request for medical care for the countrys veterans. This conference has strongly responded to the VAs recent budgetary shortfall by putting in place stringent financial reporting requirements in an effort to avoid the repeat of budget crises witnessed this summer in VA health care. We have fully funded the request for medical facilities and infrastructure. totaling $3.3 billion for fiscal year 2006. We have created three Centers of Excellence for mental health care. while at the same time fully funding health care for post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health care throughout the VA. The conference has funded medical and prosthetic research at $412 million. which is $19 million more than the Presidents request.. This is important because we know many of our troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from loss of limbs. to a greater extent than we have seen before. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6847}
{"speech_id":1090094293,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So we want the research to make sure the prostheses they have make them fully ambulatory and able to function in the rest of their lives. The conference takes the unprecedented step of providing $15 million specifically dedicated to Gulf War Illness research for this year and the next 4 fiscal years. fulfilling the Research \"Advisory Commissions recommendations on Gulf War Illness. This is a disease for which we must determine the cause so we can treat the one in six who returned from the Gulf War with these symptoms and protect future service men and women from contracting this disorder. The conference report before you today establishes a new account within the VA dedicated to information technology systems. Not only does this new account provide for increased oversight and consolidated information technology efforts within the VA. it codifies the new position of a VAChief Information Officer and subsequent reorganization. I believe this is a critical step toward helping the VA achieve success in medical recordkeeping and medical record availability. Its HealtheVetelectronic patient records project paid great dividends during the recent hurricanes. In fact. the conference report has also responded to the recent hurricanes by providing the VA authority to establish an Assistant Secretary for Disaster Preparedness. something which will enable the VA to better respond to future disaster situations. Finally. we have provided $1 million over the Presidents. request for the American Battle Monuments Commission for an environmental study to save the eroding monument at Normandy Cemetery. All in all. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6847}
{"speech_id":1090094351,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to 1 hour of debate in relation to the conference report to accompany H.R. 3058. the TransportationTreasuryHUD bill. provided further that Senator COBURN be in control of up to 30 minutes of debate. I further ask consent that the two managers have up to 15 minutes each and that following the use or yielding back of the time. and when the Senate has received the conference report. it then be agreed to. with the motion to reconsider laid upon the table.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":518}
{"speech_id":1090094358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Congress has a moral obligation to make difficult decisions about spending priorities as we fight the war on terror. recover from natural disasters. and struggle to shore up .Medicare and Social Security. Last year in fiscal year 2005 our national debt increased by $538 billion. or $1.738 per man. woman and child in this country. The American people. therefore. are justifiably outraged when Congress engages in an earmark spending freeforall. Pork projects tend to be allocated outside of the regular prioritysetting debate that governs the rest of the budget process. This is wrong. Members of this body should not be asking what right one Senator might have to question another Senators projects. Instead. we should be listening to the Ameri6an people who are asking what right we have to force them to finance questionable projects in all 50 States. Every pork project should be balanced against other national priorities. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12209}
{"speech_id":1090094358,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pork is not a civil right for politicians. This bill contains more than 1.100 earmarks. Some of those earmarks include: $150.000 for the Alaska Botanical Garden in Anchorage. Alaska for expansion and renovation of its infrastructure. $750.000 for the construction of the Tongass Coast Aquarium. $100.000 to the city of Guntersville. for renovations to the Whole Backstage Theater. $250.000 for the Greenville Family YMCA for child care facility acquisition. renovation. and construction in Greenville. Alabama. $200.000 for the Hayneville Lowndes County Library Foundation for construction of a new library in Hayneville. Alabama: $250.000 for the Cleveland Avenue YMCA for facility expansion in Montgomery. Alabama. $150.000 to the El Dorado Public Schools in El Dorado. Arkansas for the expansion of a recreational field. $200.000 for Audubon Arkansas for the development of the Audubon Nature Center at Gillam Park in Little Rock. Arkansas. $350.000 to the City of Douglas. Arizona for facilities renovation of the Grand Theater. $350.000 to Valley of the Sun YMCA in Phoenix. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12209}
{"speech_id":1090094358,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Arizona for facilities construction of a YMCA. $250.000 to the City of Banning.. CA for city pool im- Court in Powell County. Kentucky for provements. $350.000 to the City of the construction and development of a Beaumont. CA for the construction of park. $100.000 to the City of Louisville. the Beaumont Sports Park. $350.000 to Kentucky for construction of a playthe City of El Monte. California for ground in Shawnee Park. $600.000 for construction of a community gym- the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet to denasium. $250.000 to the City of Lan- velop a visitor center at the Big Bone caster. California for installations re- Lick State Park. $500.000 for the Audulated to the baseball complex. $150.000 bon Nature Institute for the Audubon to the City of Long Beach. California Living Science Museum and Wetlands to develop an exhibit to educate the Center in New Orleans. Louisiana. public on the importance of ports. $100.000 to Greenfield Community Col$200.000 to the City of Placerville. Cali- lege in Greenfield. Massachusetts for a fornia for Gold Bug Park renovations. feasibility study. $280.000 for the City $100.000 to the City of San Bernardino. of North Adams. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12209}
{"speech_id":1090094358,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MA for the renovation California for Renovations to National of the historic Mohawk Theater. Orange Show stadium. $125.000 to the $260.000 for the City of Lawrence. MA City of Tehachapi. California for design for the redevelopment of the Lawrence and construction of a performing arts InTown Mall site. $200.000 for the center. $350.000 to the City of Yucaipa. American Visionary Arts Museum. California for development of the Maryland $350.000 to the City of SagiYucaipa Valley Regional Sports Corn- naw. Michigan for renovation of the plex. $250.000 to the Lake County Arts YMCA of Saginaw. $250.000 to Walsh Council in Lakeport. California for ren- College in the City of Troy. Michigan ovation of the Lakeport Cinema to a for a library expansion. $500.000 to the Performing Arts Center. $175.000 for the City of Cape Girardeau. Missouri for San Francisco Fine Arts Museums. the construction of a new school for CAY for M.H. de Young Memorial Mu- visual and performing arts at Southseum construction. $350.000 to the City east Missouri State University. $200.000 of Bridgeport. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12209}
{"speech_id":1090094358,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Connecticut for reloca- to the City of Meridian. Mississippi for tion of the Music and Arts Center for the construction of the Mississippi the Humanities to a nowvacant de- Arts and Entertainment Center. and partment store. $300.000 to the Univer- $750.000 to the City of Pontotoc. Missity of Hartford in Hartford. Con- sissippi for construction of the .necticut for facilities construction and Pontotoc County Sportsplex. renovation of the Hartt Performing Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President. I Arts Center. $250.000 for the Town of want to congratulate subcommittee Southbury. CT. for renovations to the Chairman BOND and Ranking Member Bent of the River Audubon Center. MURRAY for successfully concluding $200.000 to Lake County. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12209}
{"speech_id":1090094364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I regret seriously that .I was not here at the beginning of the statement made by the distinguished Senator from West Virginia. Senator BYRD. I was in an interview. as a matter of fact. My staff came to tell me the Senator was speaking about the article I gave- to him that my. daughter Lily wrote. I have come to the floor to thank him for his courtesy and generosity in speaking about that article. Lily is one of my six children. the last of my children. As the Senator from West Virginia indicated. she is in law school at Boalt Hall. She wrote her thesis at Stanford about the history of this Capitol. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090094364,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I gave a copy of that thesis to the Librarian of Congress. James Billington. and he passed it on to the National - Capitol Historical Society. They determined they would print part of it in their current bulletin. which pleased me very much. I shared that with the Senator from West Virginia. as any proud father would. particularly with the Senator from West Virginia because of our great friendship and the time we have been here together. He is the senior Senator on his side of the aisle. and I am now the senior Senator on this side of the aisle. I will forever be his junior in terms of not only age but service and the admiration I have for him. I knew Senator BYRD would .be interested in the way Lily described this Capitol. its history. and its importance to this country. It is a beautiful article. I think. and I am doubly proud of her and extremely pleased that he would take the time and do us both the honor of putting that article in the RECORD. I invite my friends and colleagues to read that article. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090094364,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lily had a different life than most of my other five children. She literally grew up here from the time she was a very small baby. and came to the Senate quite often and sat on my shoulder when we were in conference meetings. Senator BYRD has always been very gracious about coming to her birthday parties which we held here during the 8 years I was the whip on this side of the aisle. All of our family has such a great admiration for the Senator and for his great history. I think many people do not realize that he is not only the most senior Senator. but he is the only Senator who went through both the university level and law School level while serving in the Congress. He has a prodigious memory. I think of times when. for instance. we were at the U.S.-British Parliamentary Conference when I encouraged the Senator to tell us some of his memories of serving in the Capitol when we were with our fellow legislators from -the Parliament of Britain. We have great memories of that. I also have a memory of the time when we were in West Virginia when one member of the Parliament made the mistake of sayihg that Americans didnt know much. about the history of our mother country and those who have served Britain and their monarchy. Senator BYRD proceeded to tell us in detail about every single person who ever served in that position. including the husbands and wives of the monarchs of Britain. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090094364,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have so many great. memories of service with Senator BYRD. I have already ordered a copy of the transcript and the tape of this presentation to send to Lily. I can think of no nicer birthday present to me than that the Senator from West Virginia would honor my daughter and the article she has written about the place we both love. the Capitol of the United States. I thank the Senator very much for his courtesy.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3460}
{"speech_id":1090094411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I was proud to serve on the Education Committee when it recommended the original Education for the All Handicapped Children Act in 1975. and I am proud to join. Senator ENZI today as a sponsor of this resolution. which recognizes the major impact of the law on the lives of disabled children and their families across the Nation. by guaranteeing the right of every disabled child to a free public education. We]know that disabled does not mean unable. Children with disabilities have the same dreams as every other child in America to grow up and lead a happy and productive life. We know that- IDEA helps them fulfill that dream. It sayschildren cannot be cast aside or locked away because they have a disability. Those days are gone in Americahopefully forever. Children with disabilities have rights like every other child in America. including the right to learn with other children in public schools and prepare themselves for the future. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4465}
{"speech_id":1090094411,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But even as we celebrate 30 years of continuing success in the education of disabled children. we continue to hear objectibns to the acts high cost. its paperwork. and the burden of litigation. Those are important considerations. but we cant let them overwhelm the vast benefit of IDEA. The act is about disabled children and their rights. It is about their hopes and dreams of living independent and productive lives. It is about parents who love their children and struggle for them every day against a world that is too often inflexible and unwilling to meet their needs. It is about teachers who see the poteptial inside a disabled child. but dont have the support or training they need to fulfill it. IDEA is our declaration as a nation that these children matter and that we will do all we can to help their parents and teachers and communities achieve their education goals. That is why the government should make a clear commitment to provide adequate funds for special education. What is needed is a solid education plan. for each child. a way to chart the childs progress. and a way tohold schools accountable if they fall short. That is not placing an unfair burden on schools. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4465}
{"speech_id":1090094411,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the correct expectation of a decent school system in America. Brown v. the Board of Education struck down school segregation by race and said that all children deserve equal access to education under the Constitution. But it wasnt until the passage of the Education for the Handicapped Act in 1975 that the Brown decision had real meaning- for children with disabilities. Only then did we finally end school segregation by disability and open the .doors of public schools to disabled children. Only then did the Nations 4 million disabled- children begin to have the same opportunities as other children to develop their talents. share their gifts. and lead productive lives. We must never go back to the days when disabled . children were denied public education. when few if any preschool children with disabilities received services. and when the disabled were passed off to institutions and substandard schools to be kept out of sight and out of mind. We have made immense progress since those days. Six and a half million children with disabilities now receive special education services. Almost all of them96 percentare learning alongside their nondisabled fellow students. The number of young children With early development problems who receive childhood services has tripled in the past 30 years. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4465}
{"speech_id":1090094411,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More disabled students are participating in State and national testing programs. Graduation rates and college enrollment rates for disabled students are steadily rising. The opportunities for further progress are boundless.. We know far more about disability today than a quarter century ago. We have much greater understanding of childhood disabilities. and how to help all such children to learn and achieve. We are finding out more and more each year about the power of technology to enable these children to lead independent lives. It means they can communicate with others. explore the world on the Internet. and move in ways we couldnt have imagined 5 years ago. much less in 1975 when the law was first enacted. I hope all ourcolleagues will join us in recognizing the extraordinary role of IDEA in protecting the rights and broadening the opportunities available to children with disabilities. Lets work together to renew our commitment to IDEA and fulfill its great promise of hope for the future.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4465}
{"speech_id":1090094413,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. -I want. to take some time to discuss the importance of preventing tax increases that are scheduled to occur over the next several years. The budget resolution conference agreement reached in April provides reconciliation protection for $70 billion of tax reductions over 5 years. with the direction that the allocation be used to prevent tax increases during the budget window. This sent a signal to investors that capital gains and dividends tax rates would be extended through 2010. I am disappointed that the legislation approved by the Senate does not meet that expectation. Fortunately. the bill approved by the Ways and Means Committee in the other body does. and I pledge to all investors that I will continue to work for that outcome. Indeed. the Senate majority leader pledged that he -would not bring the bill back from conference without an extension of these investment tax rates. Similarly. the administration released its Statement of Administration Policy on the bill. which urged Congress to extend the lower rates for capital gains and dividends. noting. \"These extensions are necessary to provide certainty for investors and * businesses and are essential to sustaining longterm economic growth.\" The tax reconciliation bill is intended to prevent tax increases by extending \"widely applicable\" tax provisions. My colleagues might find it interesting that more taxpayers benefit from the lower rates on dividends and capital gains than benefit from any of the provisions included in the tax reconciliation bill approved by the Senate. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9120}
{"speech_id":1090094413,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For example. nationwide. fewer than 8 million filers were helped by the AMT holdharmless provisions in 2003. while more than 30 million filers reported dividend income and more than 22 million reported capital gains Income. Nationwide. 17 percent of all tax filers reported capital gains in 2003. the most recent year for which statistics are available. Of all filers reporting capital gains income in 2003. 30.1 percent had adjusted gross income under $30.000 compared to just 8.7 percent who had AGI of $200.000 or more. In Arizona. 18 percent of all filers reported capital gains income. and of those reporting capital gains income. 32 percent had AGI under $30.000. The story is similar for tax filers reporting dividend income. Nationwide. 23 percent of all filers reported dividend income in 2003. Of all filers reporting dividend income in 2003. -30.6 percent had AGI under $30.000 compared to 6.9 percent who had AGI of $200.000 or more. In Arizona. 22 percent.of all filers reported dividend income and. of those filers reporting dividend income. 32 percent had AGI under $30.000. But beyond the number of taxpayers. who have benefited directly. the most important thing to know about these lower rates that were enacted in 2003 is that they are working. At the lower rates. the tax penalty imposed on the additional investment earningsthe reward from taking on additional riskis smaller. and thus makes the risk more attractive When investors get to keep more of their reward. they are encouraged to invest more. with more investment. businesses have an easier time attracting the capital they need to expand. create new goods and services. and also create more jobs. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9120}
{"speech_id":1090094413,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is all of this additional economic activity that creates economic growth. All Americans have benefited as the economy has rebounded with the help of these tax policies. Whether you embraced these lower rates at the time or not. everyone must now acknowledge that since the 2003 tax relief legislation was signed into law. gross domestic product has grown by more than 3 percent for 10 straight quarters. most recently expanding at a 3.8percent annual rate in the third quarter. The United States remains the fastest growing. major industrialized country in the world. Business investment had fallen in nine consecutive quarters before the 2003 bills passage. but cutting taxes on capital helpedreverse that decline. In the last nine consecutive quarters. business investment increased at a 6.9percent annual -rate. The strong economy has had a very positive effect on the Governments finances. as more revenue is flowing into the Treasury even at the lower tax rates. As a share of the Nations GDP. the 2005 deficit was 2.6percentdown from the. 3.6percent share in 2004. In fiscal year 2005. taxpayers sent $274 billion more in revenue to Washington than the year before and $100 billion more than the Congressional Budget Office predicted. Clearly the American taxpayers are doing their part. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9120}
{"speech_id":1090094413,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet some of my colleagues claim that we cannot afford to keep these lower rates. even though they have spurred economic growth. because we are still running a deficit. If We are to keep these tax rates. they argue. we must raise taxes someplace else. What they are seeking is a flawed form of budget discipline called paygo or payasyougo. I am consistently rated one of the most fiscally responsible Senators by nonpartisan watchdog groups. but I dont support paygo because it has nothing to do with budget discipline when applied to taxes. The fact is. paygo simply does not work. Americans are not undertaxed. our problem is that Congress spends too much. and paygo will do nothing to control the fastest growing part of the Federal budget: mandatory spending. Paygo only applies to new spending or tax cuts. it does not apply to existing mandatory programs that grow unchecked year after year without Congress acting. Mandatory spending will grow from just over half of total Federal spending this year to twothirds of total Federal spending by 2015. and paygo will do nothing to control it. So paygo is a false solution that is designed to prevent us from extending tax cutsfrom making sure tax rates do not increase automaticallybut that does nothing to prevent spending from increasing automatically. I talked earlier about the extension of the dividend and capital gains tax rates that I expect to be added to the reconciliation bill in conference. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9120}
{"speech_id":1090094413,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also want to mention some of the provisions that are already in the bill. It extends for 1 more year the increased exemption amounts for the alternative minimum tax that are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Clearly. Congress must address the problem of the AMI in a comprehensive way. but until we can agree on a solution we must not allow the increased exemption amounts to expire. If we allow these exemption amounts to fall back to their pre2001 levels. millions of middleincome American families will get hit by the AMT. The bill also prevents the AMT from eroding certain credits. The tax reconciliation bill also includes an extension of the increased small business expensing amounts. Under current law small businesses can deduct the cost of qualified investments in the first year they are made. up to $100.000 indexed for inflation. After 2007. this amount will drop back to $25.000. The bill extends the increased amount through 2009. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9120}
{"speech_id":1090094418,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to express my deep concern regarding recent news reports about piracy off the coast of Somalia. As we all know. Somalia has been without a central. recognized government for well over a decade. It has been over 3 years since I chaired a series of hearings in the Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee on weak and failing states in Africa. one of which focused on the dire situation in Somalia and inadequate U.S. policy there. Years later. U.S. policy is still stagnant. I am sorry to report. and the danger persists. as these news reports indicate. The time is long overdue for the U.S. to make a longterm commitment to addressing this potential trouble spot. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4088}
{"speech_id":1090094418,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have consistently urged the Administration to be vigilant in focusing on weak states as part of the global fight against terrorism. All the characteristics of some of Africas weakest states--manifestations of lawlessness such as piracy. illicit air transport networks. and traffic in arms and gemstones and people--can make the region attractive to terrorists- and international criminals. Regrettably. Somalia is still not on the administrations radar. Accordingto recent press reports. pirates off the coast of Somalia are building strength and growing comfortable in expanding their attacks. Despite a lull in pirate attacks over the last 2 years. in just the last 6 months there have been 25 attacks off the coast of Somalia. according to the International Maritime Bureau. Attacks are no longer confined to the coast but reportedly include raids on ships hundreds of miles from the coast of the Indian Ocean. The resources and the audacity of the pirates appear to be growing. The attacks pose a tremendous threat -to stability and economic development in the region. including neighboring countries such as Kenya and Djibouti that rely on maritime trade and tourism. The more organized the pirates become. and the more lucrative their crimes. the more we are faced with another potential front in the fight against terrorism. one involving a Stateless network of some of the worst international actors. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4088}
{"speech_id":1090094418,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The State Department 2004 report on counter terrorism in Africa states that the Somaliabased alIttihad alIslami. AIA. \"has become highly factionalized and diffuse. and its membership is difficult to define\" and that \"some members are sympathetic to and maintain ties\" with alQaida. State Department officials also acknowledge that AIAI is financing basic civil society needs in Somalia. including schools and basic health care. The international community is failing to empower Somali civil society. Without our attention and support. how long do we expect this community to refuse basic human needs funded by terrorist organizations? And what are the consequences of groups like AIAI being perceived by the Somali people as generous benefactors? The U.S. must work harder at providing an alternative to such extremist influences in Somalia. We can no longer insulate ourselves from weak states. We must engage. It is in our own national security interests that we work to strengthen institutions and empdwer civil society in weak and failing states in Africa in order to curtail opportunities for terrorists and other international criminals. A multifaceted approach is necessary for the future of Somalia and for the future of our own campaign against terrorism. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4088}
{"speech_id":1090094418,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot stand by as terrorist threats cross borders and destabilize the Horn of Africa. The international community must intensify its maritime vigilance. The U.S. longterm policy should include coordinating with regional actors in Africa and the international community to aid positive actors working in Somalia. build institutional capacity and legitimacy. promote national reconciliation. and sever community dependency on terrorist funding for basic services. These are difficult challenges. but Somalia is not hopeless. A transition government and opposing factions are requesting international mediation and attention. They are asking us to act. and we must answer the call. for their sake as well as ours. .CSBG","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4088}
{"speech_id":1090094443,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation cosponsored with Senator HARKIN that would begin to rebuild Americas schools. If approved. the Investing for Tomorrows Schools Act would enable states to develop State Infrastructure Banksa flexible and inexpensive way to finance school construction and renovation. This approach offers an innovative solution to the urgent problem of fixing deteriorating schools. Every dollar invested to create State Infrastructure Banks would be reused to support project after project in the form of loans and credit support. According to the National Center for Education Statistics. three in four schools in America need assistance to come into \"good overall condition.\" Repairs and modernizations will cost. according to the National Education Association. $322 billion. New York State has a greater need than any other stateestimated at $51 billion. Just in New York City. schools are estimated to need $21 billion. The citys schools are so old that they would nearly qualify for social security. averaging 61yearsold. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8047}
{"speech_id":1090094443,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Acute need for school repair and modernization exists nationwide.. Need is estimated at $33 billion in California. $25 billion in Ohio. $22 billion in New Jersey. $13 billion in Texas. and $10 billion each in Illinois. Massachusetts. Michigan. Pennsylvania. and Utah. Nationwide costs add up to $322 billion. \"In 2005. an estimated $19.6 billion was spent nationwide on school construction. At that rate. it will take more than 16 years to modernize school buildings. Last year in New York. $984 million was spent on school construction. At that rate. it will take more than 50 years to modernize New Yorks schoolsand thats assuming that in the meantime we dont need to build more new schools and that no schools fall apart! When students attend schools in disrepair. the consequences are all too clear. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8047}
{"speech_id":1090094443,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"An article from 2004 in the Pough- school buildings hampers today s most keepsie Journal described how. in Hyde promising and innovative efforts to Park. New York along the Hudson boost student achievement. River. ventilation problems at the 45- Charter schools hold the promise of yearold Franklin D. Roosevelt High expanding the supply of highquality School sickened students and staff public schools. especially in disadvan-.. causing watery eyes. headaches. nau- taged communities. But most charter sea. and dizziness. I would like to in- schools have limited credit histories clude this article in the CONGRESSIONAL and lack access to public school faciliRECORD... State Infrastructure Banks ties or traditional funding streams would make funding available to ad- such as bonds. One in three charter dress environmental hazards including school operators report that school poor ventilation and bad air quality. construction costs are a major obstacle They would help more schools become to their schools sucbess. healthy and highperforming. The No Child Left Behind Act promAn article in Newsday newspaper de-. ised that children in underperforming scribed -how. in Hempstead New York. schools would have the opportunity to on Long Island. Prospect Elementary. transfer to better public schools. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8047}
{"speech_id":1090094443,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But a 100yearold school. was closed in the in many communities. more students fall of 2003 after administrators discov- seek transfers than are spaces availered a rodent problem. mold in the caf- able. In New York City last year. 33.000 eteria. and a crumbling chimney in a students applied to transfer out of classroom. underperforming schools butonly 7.000 The Marguerite Golden Rhodes Ele- could be accommodated. mentary School was closed after state Charter school operators should have education officials found a gap between access to affordable financing for where the paint on the walls ended and school construction. Schoolchildren where the ceiling beganan indication promised public school choice should that either the wall or the ceiling was be able to exercise that right. Innovamoving. tive reforms should not be .blocked by Hempstead High School was closed inadequate school buildings. for a week. after a blackboard fell off a In 2004. an editorialist for Newsday wall exposing asbestos left over from a newspaper on Long Island wrote. botched cleanup in 1990. ld like to in- \"School construction is one area where clude this article in the CONGRESSIONAL the federal government could do more. RECORD. Little . . . has been heard on the subThe school closures worsened over- ject since the late 90s--thats a shame. crowding. as parents Celia Ridely and . . . Money must be found to keep Olive Warner pointed out to Newsday schools safe. functional. and welcoming and the New York Times. With schools- places.\" in such poor condition. is it surprising Senator HARKIN and I agree. Thats that just 38 percent of students in why today we are introducing the InHempstead graduate from high school? vesting for Tomorrows Schools Act. At In Washingtonville. 54 miles north of the heart of our proposal is the creNew York City. the roof over a class- ation of State Infrastructure Banks. r6om in 44yearold Taft Elementary which would improve financing for collapsed. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8047}
{"speech_id":1090094443,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fortunately the cata- school construction. This financing strophic collapse occurred in August of mechanism has been used since the 2004. before the school year began. and Reagan Administration to help local no one was injured. communities fund water treatment and Unfortunately. the Ushaped joist clean water facilities and transporwhicl contributed to the collapse was tation projectd. For example. my own popular in school construction across State of New York received $2.48 billion New York and throughout America in Federal support for its Clean Water from 1900 to the early 1970s. Many of State Revolving Fund between 1989 and these schools are still in operation. 2004. It leveraged that money into more New Yorks Department of Education than $10 billion of loans to local comtook the precaution of advising school munities. districts to check similar joists to For example. State Infrastructure make sure they are in good condition. Banks would offer school districts a The lack of funding for school con- flexible menu of loan and credit enstruction can lead school districts to hancement a~sistance. such as low input off maintenance. Paul Abramson. a terest loans. bondfinancing security. consultant based in Westchester Coun- loan guarantees. and credit support for ty. New York told a school construc- financing projects. which result in tion website. \"What happens. unfortu- lower interest rates. nately. is [that] school districts cut State Infrastructure Banks would down on maintenance.\" not strain Federal Treasury or the Barbara KniselyMichelman of the American taxpayer. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8047}
{"speech_id":1090094446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased today to announce the introduction of legislation designed to improve our workplace health and safety. The Senate Committee on Health. Education. Labor andPensions. that I Chair. has a broad range of responsibilities. None of them is more important than the oversight of our occupational safety and health laws. In the past decade or so we have witnessed steady -progress toward safer and healthier workplaces. For example. in 1992. approximately 9 out of every 100 American workers suffered a workplace injury. By 2003. that injury rate had been cut nearly in half. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11335}
{"speech_id":1090094446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over the same period we have seen more than a 20 percent decline in the annual rate of fatalities from workplace injuries. As encouraging as this progress is. however. it should not be cause for anyone to become complacent. The number of worklrelated deaths and injuries remains unacceptably high. For example. last year. despite the efforts of all concerned. some 4.4 million workers suffered workrelated injuries. with 1.3 million of those injuries involving lost work days. Such workplace injuries -continue to bring hardship to employees and their families and to impose significant burdens on .our economy. We need to continue our efforts to improve workplace safety. * If we are to be successful in our efforts we must be prepared to cast aside old assumptions. be willing to embrace new ideas. and be candid enough to agree on some fundamental realities. First amonj these realities is that the overwhelming number of employers are concerned about the welfare of their employees and are fully prepared to comply with laws aimed at enhancing their.safety on the job. The notion that employers care little about worker safety. or are prepared to sacrifice worker health in the pursuit of higher profits is a dangerously inaccurate myth. It is dangerous because it promotes and perpetuates an adversarial relationship between employers And government safety agencies at the very time that we need precisely the opposite. Cooperation. not confrontation is essential in making our workplaces safer. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11335}
{"speech_id":1090094446,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is fortunate that most employers Want to do thetright thing since without the cooperation of the employer community there is little realistic hope of continuing to improve workplace safety. That is the second fundamental reality we must accept. Where the vast majority -of employers are committed to establishing and maintaining a safe workplace. it makes little sense to perpetuate a system built largely on a system of inspections and sanctions. Any system aimed at fostering workplace safety that relies principally on such measures is not only improperly focused. it cannot. as a practical matter. even hope to achieve its intended goal. Simple mathematics makes it clear that we cannot inspect or sanction our way to greater job safety. Today. the total number of OSHA inspectors. including those employed by the states. as well as those employed by the Federal Government. is less than 2.400. Each of these individuals conducts an average of about 40 inspections a year. In other words. there will be less than 100.000 work sites inspected by State and Federal OSHA combined in any given year. At the present time. there are well over seven million worksites in the United States. At current inspection rates. we would need nearly 170.000 OSHA inspectors in order to inspect all U.S. work sites just once a year. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11335}
{"speech_id":1090094446,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. since most industrial accidents occur in a split second. and since. many are caused by unsafe acts rather than unsafe conditions. even an army of inspectors could not adequately address the issue. It is my view that any practical approach to addressing the issue of workplace safety must recognize these realities and be designed to encourage and assist employers in achieving this endnot merely punish them for failing to do so. For these reasons. the legislation that I have introduced today contains a number of provisions designed to enhance voluntary compliance. and to provide technical assistance to the vast majority of employers that strive every day to ensure the health and safety of their employees. Thus. these bills contain provisions that encourage employers to engage the services of highly qualified thirdparty safety consultants to assist them in creating safer workplaces. The legislation also seeks to extend the benefits of such worthwhile initiatives as the current Voluntary Protection Plan to smaller employers. and it increases the level of government outreach and technical help to employers seeking assistance in making their workplaces safer. It also provides for increased training of OSHA personnel and fosters a greater understanding of specific workplace safety issues through a unique crosstraining and exchange program between OSHA and the business community. These last two initiatives are predicated on the common sense notion that the more we know and the more we collaborate toward a common goal. the more likely it is that we will achieve the desired rbsult. While I believe that the interests of workplace safety compel us to -dramatically increase our efforts at encouraging voluntary compliance. we. cannot be unmindful that the Occupational Safety and Health Act is a regulatory statute. and that. like all regulation. there are points at which the process becomes adversarial. I certainly believe there should be a less adversarial process. however. when it does occur I believe it needs to be fair and regular. In the regulatory context. the power and resources of the Federal Government can be overwhelming. particularly to small businesses. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11335}
{"speech_id":1090094446,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to make sure that the adversarial playing field is a level one. and that the legitimate expectations of fairness and regularity of process are adequately met. For this reason. the bills which I have introduced today contain a number of provisions aimed at ensuring this result. Thus. the bill provides for the recovery of attorneys fees by small businesses that prevail in litigation against the government in an OSHA claim. and- codifies procedural flexibility and fairness in the issuance and processing of disuted claims. The legislation also recognizes that no one. least of all employees. are well served by lengthy delays in the resolution of contested claims by increasing the size of the .Review Commission and making additional changes designed to insure the issuance of more timely decisions. The legislation also returns the Review Commission to the status of a fully independent adjudicatory body as envisioned in the original OSHA legislation by insuring that its decisions are accorded appropriate legal deference. The legislation also injects some much needed flexibility into the administration and enforcement of the statute by permitting the use of alternative. sitespecific compliance methods. giving inspectors a degree of compliance discretion. and encouraging the promptcorrection of certain nonserious violations. In addition to these changes that are based upon procedural and regulatory fairness. the legislation also contains provisions designed to address the root cause of many industrial injuries. and others aimed at bringing a muchneeded measure of simplicity and uniformity to our workplace safety laws. In the first instance.. for too long we have held the onedimensional view that work conditions and employer practices are the principal. if not exclusive. factors in workplace safety. The reality is that unsafe individual behavior also has an extraordinary im_ pact. For example. it is estimated that 47 percent of all serious workplace accidents. and 40 percent of all workplace fatalities involve drugs or alcohol. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11335}
{"speech_id":1090094451,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to be\" introducing the Indian Medicaid Health Act of 2005 with Senators BAUCUS. DORGAN. MURRAY. CANTWELL and JOHNSON. This legislation addresses a number of technical but critically important provisions within the Medicaid Program that devote special attention to Native Americans. the Indian Health Service. IHS. tribal health organizations. and urban Indian health organizations. These provisions would: No. 1. codify protections that American Indians and Alaska Natives have obtained over the years in the Medicaid program. such as the requirement that states consult with tribes and tribal. health organizations prior to seeking a federal Medicaid waiver. No. 2. clarify that American Indians and Alaska Natives are notsubject to additional cost sharing or benefit limitations within Medicaid that will result in nothing more than a costshift from the Medicaid program to IHS or tribal health providers. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3085}
{"speech_id":1090094451,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No. 3. codify critically important provisions that provide protections against states or the federal government taking Indian property or tribal lands in exchange for medical services delivered through Medicaid. and. No. 4. eliminate certain inequities such as the lack of 100 percent federal matching payments within Medicaid for care delivered to Native Americans at urban Indian health clinics. American Indians and Alaska Natives continue to suffer enormous disparities in the health and medical care they receive. It.should not come as a surprise to anyone at the Federal level that health care funding for American Indians and Alaska Natives. AI\/AN. is well below what it should be and. consequently. Native Americans- received rationed health care services that deny them access to the quality and medically necessary health care services. However. year after year. budget and appropriations amendments are offered to more fully fund healthcare for Native Americans but both the administration -and Congress routinely fail to. provide adequate funding. The result is a continued and growing divide between the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives compared to that of the general population. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3085}
{"speech_id":1090094451,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"USCCR. held meetings in Albuquerque. NM. and visited the Gallup Indian Medical Center in 2003 as part of a factfinding mission to review the current disparities in the health status and outcomes of Native Americans. What they found served as a basis for the release of their report in September 2004 entitled Broken Promises: Evaluating the Native American Health Care System. The opening line in that report reads. \"Today. in Indian Country. healthrelated problems and the lack of adequate health care are the enemy.\" This is in large part due to the fact that the IHS operates on just 57 percent of the budget it needs and had more than $3 billion in unmet needs in 2003. USCCR cites estimates by the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS. that per capita health spending for all Americans at $4.065. while IHS spent about $1.914 per person and average spending on Navajo patients is just $1.187.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3085}
{"speech_id":1090094563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. yesterday was the most significant day in the war in Iraq since we first began our attack. As President Bush is learning that our few allies are withdrawing their troops. Congressman JACK MURTHA has publicly concluded it is time to bring our troops home. Despite attacks by some who never had a hint of his military service. whose own mismanagement. not just of the information that got us into this effort. but whose inept mismanagement of the war itself left us with fewgood options. JACK MURTHA- remains the single most knowledgeable and respected Member of this House dealing with military affairs. I have not seen eyetoeye with JACK from the beginning. when I opposed attacking Iraq. to a statement I just posted. after weeks of thought. for a more gradual withdrawal. But I and every Member who is thinking honestly about this sad episode will reconsider my conclusion because of JACK MURTHAS courageous and heartfelt statement. He is the only Member of Congress who has earned the right to be listened to... Hlogii E Printed on recycled paper.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1063}
{"speech_id":1090094564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Officer Brian Jackson loved his job. He had been a member of the Dallas Police Department since 2001. He moved to Dallas from his hometown in Rhode Island because he wanted to \"be a big city cop.\" But in the early morning hours of last Sunday. the last 15 minutes of his shift. Officer Brian Jackson. 28. responded to one last call. His shift was basically over. but he agreed to answer one more emergency. It was not only his last call of the night. but it was his -last call ever. Officer Jackson was responding to a domestic disturbance call when he was murdered.. allegedly by an illegal alien from Mexico named Juan Lizcano. But this crime could have been avoided. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090094564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This illegal alien had been arrested twice in the last year. but because of safe haven sanctuary laws in Dallas. he was never deported. Because of these preposterous laws. a dedicated police officer. husband. and friend lost his life. Officer Jackson and his newlywed wife had just returned from a delayed honeymoon in Hawaii. Americans are dying because the government does not protect our borders. This is yet another example of our Nations flawed immigration policy. This ought not to be.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090094602,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing. I would like to associate myself with the remarks df my colleague Mr. EDWARDS. especially regarding our staff who have done a really great job and worked through all of the issues with us. They do so much of the detail work and just leave a few things for us to resolve. We are very grateful for that. To the veteran service organizations. I have often said pressure is a good thing. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":851}
{"speech_id":1090094602,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need that. It creates a dynamic- tension within this legislative process. and it is always constructive. We may not agree on every single detail. but for the most part we are on the same page. And lastly to our Nations soldiers. Active Duty sailors. airmen and to our marines. thank you for your service. God bless you. and come home safe and sound.. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":851}
{"speech_id":1090094743,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my remarks were not directed at any Member of the House. and I did not intend to suggest that they applied to any Member. most especially the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania. I therefore ask for unanimous consentthat my words be withdrawn.","speaker_name":"JEAN SCHMIDT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":262}
{"speech_id":1090094753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I close this debate by thanking the various Members of this body from the chairmen who have shepherded these legislative initiatives to the conferees whose hard work has given this House the opportunity to move our legislaive agenda forward. While this process may not be perfect. Mr. Speaker. it is at the end of the day a process in which Members can work together through coripromise and long hours to complete the work of the American people. This is good governance.. and. Mr. Speaker. good governance is- never easy. but it never should be. This is serious work and the American people deserve every ounce of our attention and every ounce of our labor to see their agenda realized. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090094753,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. I would like to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090094838,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time. I want to be honest with a lot of people in this House. My father served this Nation for 34 years. He has been friends with JACK MURTHA for 20 years. Our families have known each other for over 20 years. JACK MURTHAs resolution calls for a redeployment. Jack Murthas Web site talks about redeployment. DUNCAN HUNTERs resolution talks about immediate withdrawal. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1813}
{"speech_id":1090094838,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are two separate issues. B6th men do not impugn each others character. The media may have taken Mr. MuATHAs idea and spun it into immediate withdrawal. and that message may not be the message that.our troops need to hear from this Congress. We need to be straight. and wee need to be honest with each other. Leading up to this. there have been individuals who have .come down here and have been insightful. We have got some tough guys in the House who want to say that this President manipulated prewar intelligence. Sandy Berger said. Saddam Hussein will use his weapons of mass destruction and he will use them again probably 10 times. Madeleine Albright said. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1813}
{"speech_id":1090094838,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He jeopardizes stability in the region with weapons of mass destruction. The WMD Commission said they found no evidence of manipulation. and the 9\/11 Commission said they found no evidence of manipulation. Those are facts. JACK MURTHA is a great man and a patriot. DUNCAN HUNTER wants to send a message to our troops that says we are not saying we have to immediately withdraw. We need to come back after Thanksgiving. we need to think about it and go through what our strategy is in Iraq to best protect our boys and girls and to bring peace and stability to the region. And it needs to be thoughtful. But tough guys coming down here saying that this President manipulated evidence is a baldfaced deception.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1813}
{"speech_id":1090094840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the last week. two Vietnam veterans. one Democrat. one Republican. one in the House. one in the Senate. came to the same conclusion: the present course is not succeeding and is not working. Both have different solutions and different recommendations. Senator HAGEL has his. Congressman MURTHA has his. Senator MCCAIN has his. Congressman SKELTON has his. But what all of them have in common is that the present course is not succeeding. Doing","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":458}
{"speech_id":1090094845,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time. I appreciate the opportunity to address this House and the opportunity for us all to sit and listen to this debate. I hear a couple of different numbers. 25.000 *ounded but 15.000 wounded coming from the same side of the aisle. I am wondering if that is indicative of some of the other statistics that we have heard. But I ask this question: Why have I not heard any objections to our operations in Afghanistan? Twentyfive million people liberated and freed antl standing on free soil. voting for their own freedom and their own national destiny. a cost of 200. American lives. Nobody set a value on that. How many is too many in Afghanistan? Twentyfive million Iraqis free. voting on free soil for the first time in their real lives. and what does this mean to America? It means that we have erased some of the habitat that breeds terror. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1807}
{"speech_id":1090094845,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Do we not understand this greater mission here is to eradicate that habitat so Arab people can breathe free and that free people do not go to war against free people? Could we look at this broader mission of 50 million people freed? 2.200 American liVes. tens of thousands of other lives. We have not been attacked in this country .since that date for a lot of good reasons. You cannot separate. the mission from the troops. You cannot sit here and say. I support the troops. Mr. President. we ought to bring the troops home. I do not support their mission. You cannot ask somebody to put their life on the line for your freedom and not support their mission. but tell them that you support the troops. Further more. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1807}
{"speech_id":1090094845,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I sat in Kuwait City and watched on television as Moqtada alSadr said. \"They will go home the same way they did from Vietnam. Lebanon. and Mogadishu.\" We must stay the course.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1807}
{"speech_id":1090094854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds. Mr. Speaker. I remind the gentleman from North Carolina that this resolution is not an attack on any Member of this body. This resolution is about an attack on those Islamic Fascist terrorists who would destroy the men and women who are defending this country. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":363}
{"speech_id":1090094866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a little over 24 hours ago. an American military hero suggested to this country that this Congress should debate the policy. the current policy in Iraq. He had some suggestions on how that policy should be changed. He believed. as we believe him. that he was doing this for the sake of our troops. for the sake of our country. for security in the Middle East. and the security of this country. In those 24 hours. he has come under -unrelenting attack. characterizing him as an individual. as. a Member of Congress. as to his motives. as to what he proposed. as opposed to what he said he proposed. Those attacks came from the President of the United States.. from the Vice President of the United States. from the Speaker of the House. and from so many Members of this body who challenged his patriotism. challenged his character and chal\u0095lenged his integrity because he simply dared to kick open the doors of Congress and suggest that we debate the pressing question of this Nation that the people of this Nation want us to debate. Not that he would win that debate. but that he wanted that debate to take place. and that for that. all of his years of service to this country were openly challenged and mischaracterized and slandered. I do not know where we went wrong. I do not know where We went wrong because I went through the debates in this Congress in Vietnam and Central America. and Mr. MURTHA and I could not be on more opposite sides of those issues. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090094866,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And many people I served with in the history of this Congress. but never in those debates did people assassinate the character of one another. We challenged the evidence. we challenged the assumptions. We challenged what was said. but we never ever. ever. did this to -one another because -we respected one another. having differing views coming from different parts of the country with different backgrounds. [ 2106 Where did we go wrong? Maybe tonight Mr. MURTHA gave us another gift. Sometimes when you hit bottom. you change the ways you do business. Maybe Mr. MURTHA gave us this. After all that he suffered over this last 48 hours. maybe this Congress will be a better place. because everyone sitting in this Congress knows who knows JACK MURTHA what has been said about him in the last 24 hours could not be further from the truth. That man is a hero. That man is a hero to this Nation. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090094866,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You know it and the whole Nation knows it","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090094879,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Army Captain Joel Cahill was buried in Arlington Cemetery today. Captain Cahill was killed in Iraq by an improvised explosive device. He grew up near Omaha. He leaves behind Mary his wife and their two little girls. Army Specialist Darren Howe was laid to rest in Beatrice. Nebraska last week. He died of wounds from an explosive device that hit his personnel carrier. Badly burned. Specialist Howe drove to safety. then helped his men out of the rear. He was 21 and left behind his wife Nakia and their two small children. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1273}
{"speech_id":1090094879,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I spoke with JoDee. Darrens mom. in what had to be some of her most difficult hours following Darrens death. She had the gentleness of spirit. humility of heart and pride of her sons work to thank me and the Congress for the decisions that have been made. saying: We support what you are doing. Iraq is a faraway land remote from the traditions and culture of the Great Plains. the boyhood homes of Joel and Darren. Yet I am certain that in that isolated place where they gave their lives. these men understood what was at stake. That they fought for something bigger than themselves. something that transcends the snapshot of a political debate. They fought out of duty to country. they fought to defend. they fought for the soul of the free world.","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1273}
{"speech_id":1090094897,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to oppose this resolution. I have been in this body 19 years. and I did not support setting artificial dates to remove our troops from Bosnia. Somalia. Kosovo. East Timor. Macedonia and all the other times that we have deployed our troops. In fact. even when we were told .back in 1997. the year after we entered Bosnia. that our troops would be home by Christmas. I did not rise to bring them home. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090094897,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We were told in Christmas of 1998 they would be home and Christmas of 1999. The fact is we still have troops in the Balkans. They have been there 10 years. even though it was not part of the original plan. Mr. Speaker. all of us support our troops. but I want to tell my colleagues. in my 19 years I learned a lesson of supporting the troops from the gentleman from Pennsylvania. He took me under his wing when I came here as a freshman 19 years ago. I have traveled with him around the world. I have seen his personal dedication to the men and women who serve. Now. there are many others in this body on both sides of the aisle that we can say the same thing about.. but I want to stand up as a Representative from the other side of Pennsylvania and tell the story. of JCK .MURTHA who epitomizes what our militarys all about. I wish I could say I have been to Landstuhl. a medical facility in Germany. as many times as JACK MURTHA has been there. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090094897,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish I could say that weekly I would go over to Walter Reed Hospital and meet with the troops as JACK MURTHA has done week after week after week. I wish I could say I have gone and held the hands of th wives and the children of the sailors at Bethesda as. JACK MURTHA has done. Mr. Speaker. I wish I could say that I have done all that. but I cannot. JACK MURTHA is one of a kind. He is an example for all of us in this body. and none of us should ever think of questioning his motives. his desires or support for our American troops. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090094897,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also want to say I have been here 19 years. I have been here with Republican and Democrat Presidents. Yes. JkCK MURTHAs been there. He stood up when Bill Clinton tried to cut the funding for our troops. and he stood with us on some very tough votes. He stood up with us on the tough policy questions. He was with us on missile defense. He was with us when others in his party would not be with us on defense and security issues. On some very tough leadership spots JACK MURTHA was there. and for the 5 years that President Bush has been President. I cannot count on my.hands the number of times JACK MURTHA has stood with our President in supporting our troops in supporting more money. in supporting the policies that give us the kind of capability that we need. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090094897,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are in a sad state today. We are in a tough time with our troops. They are wondering what isgoing on back here. It is not about JACK MURTHA trying to undermine anyone. just as I and others would not Hi1006 have tried to do that in the other 40 deployments in the 19 years that I have been here. bdit it is wrong. Mr. Speaker. that a gentleman with the reputation and leadership of JACK MURTHA should have to wait 5 months to get a response to a letter expressing his concerns to the administration. That is not right. So. Mr. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3518}
{"speech_id":1090094906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me read another letter. \"We are Gold Star parents. Our son was killed October 18. 2003. south of Kirkuk with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. You and I talked for about 90 minutes on the phone in early 2004. I have spent the better part of 2 years when our men and women are faced 1\\. lobbying for improved body armor.\" . with something very similar. to Do Members remember. we sent the We should be here tonight talking of Th troops to war without body armor? We our strategy of victory. defined by our niz found the body armor. We found the perseverance to an enduring freedom apo shortage and uparmored the Humvees. throughout the world. To discuss with- . ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090094906,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress found it. and we put the drawal from Iraq tonight before our lett money in the bill. mission is complete is the wrong strat- \"1 .We believe the best way to support egy at the wrong time. Why? Because fro] the troops is through a responsible and freedom is on the move. in wellthoughtout foreign policy.\" We. the people of the United States. our Not stay the course. but a thought we are a great Nation with a great vi- was out. and this is from a woman whose sion. We seek to preserve the blessings dis son was killed. of liberty for our citizens and for all mi \"We do not have that policy today in those around the world who recognize was Iraq. By staying in Iraq. we have be- the Godgiven rightof freedom. come occupiers instead of liberators.\" Today our Nation is truly engaged in sai And 80 percent of the Iraqis think that. an epic struggle for freedom in Iraq. pla: \"Today we are called unAmerican Whether you believe how we got there int because we are obligated to disagree is true. the struggle among us is. evi- ple with the President. We want better for dent here tonight. What we do not at our sons comrades. It is our obligation want is what Mr. HYDE referred to as th. to stand up and be counted to support our enemies to take advantage of our the the troops. to speak for those that are weaknesses. The painful lessons. offe not free to speak for themselves. to use whether it was Vietnam or Lebanon or and their bravery and sacrifice wisely. You. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090094906,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Somalia. North Korea. Iran. al Qaeda. \"1 sir. are a man of our heart. God knows they watch. and it is part of what they hay why the rest of the Democratic Party want to do to envelope our weakness. han is not rallying around you. but we are. You see. Clausewitz had it right. He pus Even as we stand alone. it is the right said. The use of our military force is Mis thing to do. Our support is unequivocal the instrumentality of a political deci- eve for you on matter in this dangerous sion. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090094906,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We then expect our military to it V and lonely time.\" act on the field of battle with great fro","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090094929,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there isconcern on the floor tonight about the way in which this resolution was brought up. The gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. MURTHA. is one of the finest members of this body and has given his heart to our nation and his wisdom to this Congress. But underlying concems about the process tonight. is the critically important issue regarding the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq. The United States commitment to a sta.ble and democratic Iraq is essential for the future of the region. for the larger war on terrorism and for the Iraqi people. In my ten trips to Iraq. four times outside the umbrella of the military. Ive had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of Iraqis and can tell you with some certainty about their greatest fear . . . It is not the suicide bombs and other terrorist attacks brought against their countrymen. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5367}
{"speech_id":1090094929,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the concern that the United States. which has helped give them a. taste of freedom and democracy. will leave them before they are ready to fend for themselves. Tonight we have the opportunity to proclaim. \"We will not leave you.\" When I hear the critics on this floor or in the news media say our policy is a disaster. that we are in a mess in Iraq. I think of the transfer of power in June 2004. the election in January 2005. the referendum this past October and what I believe will be a huge success in December with the election of a permanent Iraqi government. I am in awe of what the Iraqis have accomplished in such a short period of time. Regretfully. the administration has done a very poor job explaining to the American people why we are there and when and how we intend to leave. but this does not mean we_ dont have an exit strategy. We have a strategy but regretfully it has had to be amendedmore than once. The United States strategy is to assist the Iraqis in creating a secure environment so they can develop their new democratic gov- The key at this point is to recognize the emiment with a competent police. bordei patrol WMD threat proved not to be a compelling raand army to defend that government. Amer- tionalization for the war and emphasize inican forces will be reduced when enough Iraqi stead the moral and philosophical case for security forces can take our place and their overturning a repressive and cruel regime and new government is fully functionin6. replacing it with a constitutional democracy. Havent we learned from the 1983 bombing This latter emphasis need not suggest or of the marine barracks in Beirut that if we imply that all repressive regimes are fair game leave without finishing the job those that wish for intervention. nor that regime change is the us harm will.come at us again? principal American way. nor that other rationDidnt we learn any lessons from the attacks ales for intervention dont exist. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5367}
{"speech_id":1090094929,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it is the against our military personnel in Saudi Arabia case for intervention that shows the most conand our diplomats in Africa and our sailors on cern for the Iraqi people as they look both to the USS Cole? And didnt we learn that the their past and to the new challenges of Al Islamist extremists would come at us again Qaeda. when they attacked the Twin Towers. the Pen- Accordingly. in todays circumstances. my tagon and attempted to attack our Capitol on advice. as one who voted against authorizing September 11. 2001 ? military intervention in Iraq. is for the AdminisYes they will be back again and again and tration to emphasize its commentment to deagain. mocracy not as a rationale for continuing the If we leave Iraq without completing our mis- war. but as the reason for disengagement. sion. what type of message will this send to Let me amplify. the people who need our help? To them and All Americans. however wary they may be the rest of the world the message will be clear of the political judgments that have to date ift.you put up a strong enough resistance. been made. should concur that the world is the United States will eventually tire of its ef- better off without Saddam Hussein and that it forts and leave before its missionis accom- is positive that a dictatorial regime is being replished placed with a democratically elected governJOHN MCCAIN was correct when he asked ment. The cost of the undertaking may have the same questions during debate of the De- been too high and the results cunterproducfense Authorization bill: \"Are.these the mes- tive in t and t ret cnterprouc sages we wish to send? Do we wish to re- many ways. but before the international spond to the mllions who braved bombs and situation worsens further. the administration threats to vote. who have put their faith and would be wise. perhaps noting with pride the trust in American and the Iraqi Government. elections to be held under a constitution this that ournumber.one priority is now bringing December. announce that a new sovereign our people home?\" circumstance allows for comprehensive troop Mr. Speaker. although some may feel other- drawdowns next year. The more definitions wise. this is a serious debate about a serious and forthright the plan the better. but announcissue. I strongly urge all members to vote ing a precise time table is less important than against this resolution and against the .pre- making firm commitment to leave. with articumature withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. lation of a clear rationale for so doing. If we","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5367}
{"speech_id":1090094952,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for over 2 years. the Bush administration has failed to offer the American people a truthful and meaningful dialogue on the war in Iraq. We have lost thousands of troops and we have spent billions of dollars. and yet the President refuses to offer a credible strategy for success. The President has misled the public* and he refuses to acknowledge the truth of the reality in Iraq. Hundreds of Members of Congress and millions of Americans have voiced very serious and very real concerns with the decisions being made by the White House. Although I voted against the war. once the President took us to war. I have supported the men and women in uniform who are serving our Nation. However. I continue to believe that unless we have a clear strategy. we will continue to see the loss of American lives in Iraq with no end in sight. Unfortunately. today. instead of having a legitimate debate about strategy and consequences. the majority has chosen to waste the time of this body and the American people by bringing forth a blatantly political resolution that is difficult to take seriously. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2969}
{"speech_id":1090094952,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleague from Pennsylvania. a Vietnam veteran decorated with two Purple Hearts and a Member of the House for three decades. Mr. MURTHA. yesterday offered a well thought out. principled resolution calling for the redeployment of the forces in Iraq at the \"earliest practicable date.\" In addition. despite what some in the majority have characterized during todays debate as cutting and running. Mr. MURTHAS resolution calls for a continued military presence in the region through the deployment of a quickreaction force and an overthehorizon presence of U.S. Marines. Also. the resolution states that the U.S. shall continue to pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomatic means. It is important to note that the word \"immediate\" does not appear anywhere in Mr. MURTHAs resolution. Yet we find ourselves today debating a resolution introduced by the chair of the House Armed Services -Committee that calls for the \"immediate withdrawal\" of American troops. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2969}
{"speech_id":1090094952,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact that this was introduced by the House Armed Services Committee and the fact that he along with colleagues in the majority will be voting against his own resolultion demonstrates not only the lack of clear ideas from their side of the aisle but also a lack of willingness to have a true debate. Today. the majority once again shunned their responsibility in having an open debate on the war in Iraq. and instead they and the President continue to attack those who disagree with them by questioning their patriotism. Rather than engaging in an open dialogue to debate the issue. the majority chose to engage in personal destruction and politicized the issue by voicing empty rhetoric. They chose to question the patriotism of those who have served in uniform and who have honorably served their country. And they chose to continue to hide from the American public the facts of this war.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2969}
{"speech_id":1090094963,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. yesterday my colleague from Pennsylvania. a man whom I deeply respect and admire for his lifetime of service and sacrifice to the Nation. made a serious statement about the prosecution of the war effort by the President. His speech yesterday morning and the resolution that he introduced -were heartfelt expressions that he no longer believes that We can stay the course in Iraq. Mr. MURTHA believes that the continued presence of American troops in Iraq has retarded Iraqi efforts to unify the country and -that Iraqis will not take the necessary steps to restore security as long as American troops remain in the country in large numbers. But instead of addressing the serious deficiencies in the Administrations military strategy. the majority offers this counterfeit resolu tion that precludes any debate on how we can improve our chance of success in the war effort. Although there are differences. within our caucus as to what our course of action in Iraq should .be. we are united in our belief that the present course being followed by the administration is not working. and we must find a new course. But how have the VicePresident and the Republican Majority in this House treated the sincere misgivings of a man who has shed blood for his country and been a staunch supporter of our men and women in the military? They have launched a vicious smear attack on","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1382}
{"speech_id":1090094984,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it has been a meaningful and historic night. But it still deeply concerns me that there are Members of this body that have been constantly misinforming the public about prewar intel-. ligence on Iraq and demanding timetables for troop withdrawal. They seem to bQ wholly unaware of the dire consequences of even talking about pulling our troops out. let alone demanding it. Our brave men and women in uniform have always fought desperately to preserve those unalienable rights of life. liberty. and the pursuit of happiness endowed by the Creator Himself. And that is exactly what they are doing now in Iraq. and we should all be deeply grateful for that. Mr. Speaker. one of the things that I am so desperately worried about is whether the people in this body and in this Republic truly understand what we are facing. not only as a Nation. but as Western Civilization. The question we must ask ourselves is not whether we can win this war. We must win this war. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090094984,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The question now is what will happen if we do not. Mr. Speaker. I am so concerned that this Nation does not yet understand that we are at war with an ideology. an ideology that threatens the existence of the Free World. This war did not begin on 9\/11. This war began many years ago when certain Muslim extremists embraced a divergent Islamist dogma that dictates that all infidels must die. Our Nation was first attacked during its very early beginnings in the late 1700s by the Barbary terrorists of the day. More recently. we were attacked in 1979 in Iran. Our embassy and our marine barracks were attacked in Beirut in. 1983. The first World Trade Cen-. ter attack was in 1993. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090094984,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. and we still did not wake up to what was happening at the time. Our military complexes and soldiers have been targeted throughout the world. The Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996. Our embassies were blown up in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. We witnessed the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Mr. Speaker. 1 year later on September 11. terrorists murdered nearly 3.000 American :civilians on our own soil. and I wonder tonight have we forgotten that. Since then our soldiers and our contractors have been kidnapped and executed. their bodies mutilated and dragged through the streets. And we are not alone. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090094984,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. This has taken place throughout the H11028 cc world. In Serbia and Bosnia. soldiers. POWs. and civilians were beheaded by mujahideen. In Beslan. Russia. 186 children and 158 teachers and parents were slaughtered in a terrorist assault against a grade school. And just weeks ago. Mr. Speaker. in Indonesia. three young girls on their way to school were attacked and beheaded by Muslim extremists. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090094984,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their names. Mr. Speaker. their names were Theresia. Ida. and Alfrita. Churches are being attacked. Pastors have been kidnapped. tortured. and beheaded. And it seems there is not a day that goes by without a suicide or a car bomb attack in Iraq. We have witnessed the horrific bombings in Spain. London. Indonesia. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090095063,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to honor the public service of Erie County Legislator Jeanne Z. Chase. who has served the residents of the Erie County Legislatures 12th Legislative district. which currently includes thetowns of Boston. Brant. Eden. Evans. Hamburg. and North Collins. since her initial appointment in 1997. and who will leave the Legislature at the conclusion of her current term at the end of this year. Jeanne Chase has been. above all else. someone dedicated to the sound and effective representation of her constituents. all of whom are also residents of the 27th Congressional district. It is her commitment to her constituents and to her community at large that has always impressed me about Jeanne Chase. and it is why I am delighted to honor her service to Erie County today. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090095063,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jeanne Chase is a lifelong resident of the Town of Evans. A graduate of Immaculata Academy. and SUNY Fredonia. Jeanne worked in the private sector for many years. before seeking appointment to the 12th district seat upon the resignation of thenLegislator. Bert Villarini in 1997. Jeanne defeated a wellknown and wellfunded challenger in her first election in 1997 and won reelection to her seat in three succeeding elections. Jeanne Chase is a longtime member of the Legislatures Public.Safety committee. and has always placed the safety of her constituents as a top priority. As Chair of the Legislatures Public Safety committee from 2002 to 2003. Erie County moved forward with the construction of the stateoftheart Public Safety Cam.pus. which. when completed. will become the communications center and focal point for all police. fire and emergency services in our region. A longtime supporter of crime victims rights. Jeanne has supported initiatives that increase protection for crime victims throughout New York State. and worked -to establish a Domestic Violence Satellite Office in the Southtowns. ","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090095063,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jeanne has seen many public accomplishments but cites as her greatest accomplishments her family. Husband Rob and daughter Chelsea are proud of Jeannes service to her constituents. and we are as well. Jeanne Chase has chosen not to leave public service. She is applying her experience in the field of real estate to her service as Town Assessor in the Town of Evans. I am proud and grateful. Mr. Speaker. to call to the Houses attention the dedicated public service of Erie County Legislator Jeanne Chase. and I am certain that the whole House would join me in offering to Jeanne and to her entire family wishes of good luck and Godspeed in the months and years to come.","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090095153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to work with local interests to study possible projects to stabilize groundwater levels in San Joaquin County. California. I appreciate the efforts made by Chairman PoMBo. the author of this bill. to accommodate the concerns of neighboring water users. Specifically. language in Section 2 of H.R. 3812 was carried forward from the 108th Congress to allow the participation of the East Bay Municipal Utility District and other stakeholders as this project moves forward. Mr. Speaker. we have no objection to passage of this legislation.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":604}
{"speech_id":1090095207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules andpass the Senate bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental funding and other services that are necessary to assist certain local school districts in the State of California in providing educational services for students attending schools located within Yosemite National Park. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. to adjust the boundaries of Redwood National Park. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"GEORGE RADANOVICH","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":537}
{"speech_id":1090095259,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I wish to thank the gentleman from New Jersey . who has been like a consistent drum beat on these issues of humanity and preservation of life throughout this world. I want to again thank him for championing another cause that will help. unfortunately thousands. at least in this country. of individuals when we know that there are millions throughout the world. But at least here in this country. this. act. if we are able to reauthorize it. will continue to help many people who are trying to get themselves back on their feet. To the gentleman from New Jersey","speaker_name":"XAVIER BECERRA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090095270,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of House Resolution 438. Which I am proud to cosponsor. Mr. Speaker. I want to begin by thanking the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from Illinois for their initiative in drafting this measure. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090095270,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me also thank the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations and the House leadership for moving this resolution to the floor so rapidly. Mr. Speaker. as the current session of the General Assembly of the United Nations winds toward a close. there are still important decisions to be made. Will the United Nations reform itself along the lines suggested by the United States. indeed. by this House? Many of these reforms are supported widely among the member states of the U.N. and even in some parts of its bureaucracy. Or will it continue along its way. wasting money and political capital on what lawyers might call \"larks and detours\"? Among the most wasteful of the activities of the U.N. is its incessant use of funds and time on Israelbashing resolutions and institutions. While these were never good ideas. and have been opposed by all American administrations. any excuse for supporting them has simply disappeared with the changes in the situation on the ground in the Middle East. The resolution carefully catalogs the abysmal record of the United Nations onesided criticism of Israel over the decades. I will not repeat the details that are covered in the resolution. but it is enough to say. enough is enough. It is time to bring this unacceptable behavior to an end. The United Nation has legitimate work to do. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090095270,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It should not sully its hands further with this onesided agenda which serves no useful purpose. but only prevents it from doing good where it might be able to do so. Mr. Speaker. I ask the administration which has been working on these issues energetically to increase its efforts to correct this situation. including through the elimination of Palestinian offices and commissions that serve to fuel the antiIsrael bias and the resolutions that they always consider. I included such a mandate in the U.N. Reform Act. the Henry Hyde bill. and I look forward to working with the administration toward this goal. When our current permanent representative to the United Nations. Ambassador John Bolton. was Assistant Secretary of State for organizational affairs during the administration of the first President Bush. he executed a masterful strategy aimed at the repeal of the infamous Zionism is Racism resolution of the General Assembly. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090095270,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have every confidence that given his energyand the backing of the Department. he will have success in carrying out the agenda outlined in -this resolution before us. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to render their strong support for this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090095281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker I rise in support and as a cosponsor of H. Res. 438. which urges member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United Nations General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving conflict in the Middle East. Israel is a critical strategic ally of the United States and is the only true democracy in the Middle East. The United States and Israel are built on a common set of core democratic principles and operate under the rule of law. The United States and Israel must continue to work closely together to eliminate terrorism and foster the spread of democracy and eco-. nomic prosperity throughout the Middle East. The state of Israel. founded shortly after the Holocaust. serves as a safe haven and strong voice for Jews around the world. The Charter of the United Nationsadopted after the end of World War IIstates that the U.N. was founded to \"maintain international peace and security\" and \"develop friendly relations among nations.\" The Charter also states that \"[this] Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.\" Unfortunately. Mr. Speaker. the United Nations has utterly failed to live up to the principles and obligations of its charter when it comes to its treatment of Israel. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090095281,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The United Nations has a long history of singling out Israel for unfair. biased. and onesided criticism and treatment. Let me mention just a few examples. Israel is the only country that has three special committees set up to support propaganda against it. Israel is the only country that has had its own agenda- item dealing with its alleged human rights violations in annual meetings of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. in contrast to all other countries which are combined into a separate agenda item. Israel is the only member nation of the United Nations that has consistently been denied full admission to its regional grouping. which violates the U.N. Charter guarantee of \"sovereign equality\" and denies Israel the right to fully participate in all U.N. functions. Out of the ten emergency special sessions called by the United Nations General Assembly. six have related to Israel. During last years session of the U.N. General Assembly. the body adopted a total of 71 resolutions by roll call vote. 21 of which (roughly 30 percent) criticized Israel. These resolutions are biased and onesided. and I am disappointed that the U.N. has not focused its efforts on condemning and bringing an end to Palestinian terrorist attacks launched against Israel. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090095281,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. I want to cite the recent bipartisan task force report issued in June 2005 entitled \"American Interests and U.N. Reform: Report of the Task Force on the United Nations.\" The report. authored by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. found that \"systematic hostility\" against Israel is \"routinely expressed. organized. and funded\" within the U.N. system. which treats Israel as a \"secondclass citizen.\" Mr. Speaker. the United Nations has a critical role to play in the 21st century in its role as peacekeeper. election monitor. and humanitarian relief provider. The U.N. has also made great strides in promoting the rule of law and democracy. Unfortunately. the U.N. to date has not played a constructive role in resolving conflict in the Middle East. and the U.N. allowed itself to be hijacked by those with a political agenda. I have also written to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and expressed my concerns about antiSemitic statements made by U.N. officers. and have urged him to follow the lead of the Helsinki Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in combating antiSemitism. I hope todays resolution will cause the U.N. and its member states to reevaluate. their attitudes toward Israel and to reflect on how they can use the U.N. to make a constructive and meaningful contribution to international peace and security. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4094}
{"speech_id":1090095283,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this resolution offers support for our closest ally. Israel. and calls upon member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly criticize Israel. Israel is the only memberstate in the UN that is prevented frdm belonging to the regional grouping which it geographically belongs in and is. therefore. prevented from participating in much of the ordinary work of the UN. Israel cannot vote for or be elected to many of the UNs central organizations. Just as troubling as being denied full membership. however. is the disproportionate number of resolutions passed in the UN that unfairly criticize Israel. AntiIsrael resolutions are often adopted in agencies. and on issues which have no relevance to the work or mandate of these organizations. Additionally. the Commission on Human Rights routinely adopts a grossly disproportionate number of resolutions concerning Israel. Of all condemnations of this agency. 26 percent refer to Israel alone. while states such as Syria and Libya are rarely criticized. Another egregious example of bias against Israel is the fact that the UN has repeatedly held Emergency Special Sessions of the General Assembly on Israeli construction in Jerusalem. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2147}
{"speech_id":1090095283,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Emergency Special Session was originally conceived in 1950 for emergencies like the Korean War. however in the last two decades. these special meetings have only been held regarding Israel. Emergency Special Sessions were not convened over the genocide in Rwanda. ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. or with regard to the other major world conflicts. Since joining the United Nations on May 11. 1949. Israel has been singled out time and again for disproportionate criticism. underrepresented on important committees. denied full membership in regional groupings and constantly attacked by a bloc of Arab states and their supporters. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this resolution to once again reaffirm our support for Israel. and to urge members of the UN to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly criticize Israel and prevent Israel from fully participating in the UN.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2147}
{"speech_id":1090095384,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia . a fellow member of the 37member strong fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition. for joining me here on the floor this evening. as we will do every Tuesday night. to talk about the Nations debt and deficit and what it means not only for todays generation but for our children and grandchildren and for future generations. And. again. Mr. Speaker. I remind the Members that outside the office of every Blue Dog Member of Congress. every fiscally conservative Democrat in the Congress. there are 37 of us. We are 37 strong. And as one walks the Halls of Congress. it is easy to spot a Blue Dog Member because beside their front door next to that welcome mat is a poster that will demonstrate and remind the taxpayers of this Nation of a number that unfortunately changes and goes up every day. Today. the U.S. national debt. when we went to work this morning. was $8.121 trillionandsomechange. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2985}
{"speech_id":1090095384,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. for every man. woman. and child that is a citizen of this country. for us to get this Nation out of debt tonight. they would have to write a check for $27.000. Our Nation is spending a half billion dollars every single day in this country simply paying interest on the national debt. Give me 3 days interest on the national debt. and I can finish I49 through the western side of Arkansas. Give me 4 days interest on the national debt. and I can finish 169 across southeast Arkansas. These are priorities that will continue to go unmet until we get our Nations fiscal house in order. And that is why we are here. to try to bring about some accountability within our government. We are not here to point fingers or to criticize this Republican Congress for the fact that they have given us the largest budget deficit for the last 42 years ever in our Nations history. Again. we had a balanced budget from 1998 through 2001. This Republican administration. this Republican Congress has given us the largest budget deficit ever in our Nations history for 5 years in a row. As Blue Dog Democrats. we are sick and tired of all the partisan bickering that goes on in our Nations capital. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2985}
{"speech_id":1090095384,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It should not matter if it is a Democratic idea or a Republican idea. It ought to be about is it a commonsense idea and does it make sense for those who send us here to be their vpice and to represent them. So this discussion. this debate here on the House floor is not about pointing fingers. It is about accountability. It is about accountability to the American citizens. It is about accountability to the taxpayers. And this Congress is not being accountable when it has driven up the largest deficit ever in our Nations history for the 5th year in a row and given us the largest debt ever in our Nations history. I am pleased to yield to not only a fellow member of the Blue Dog Coalition but a real leader in the Blue Dog Coalition. one of the cochairs of the Blue Dog Coalition. and that is the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2985}
{"speech_id":1090095390,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as the gentleman was talking. I recall when I was an intern in -this body for Congressman Martin Frost from Texas. 26. 27 years ago. I sat here and listened to the Republicans rail against the Democrats saying that they were fiscally irresponsible. And yet since that time. their deficits. when they have been in control. the White House and now in control of everything. have just exploded. I wish they would go back and read those and listen to those old tapes. I am sure CSPAN still has them back in the old archives. and remember what they said when they were in the minority. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia .","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":633}
{"speech_id":1090095408,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas for allowing me to speak out of turn. I appreciate it very much. Hl1086 cc Mr. Speaker. it is with great sadness that I rise to pay tribute to a great friend and great American. Peter E. Haas. Senior. for a lifetime of leadership. Peter Haas. who. with his brother Walter. led the renowned blue jean empire Levi Strauss. died at the age of 86 on December 3 in San Francisco. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2983}
{"speech_id":1090095408,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His extraordinary life will forever serve to enrich the lives of all of us living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Known for his integrity. honesty and modesty. Mr. Haas was distinguished in the business world for his unyielding commitment to corporate ethics and for championing blue collar workers. Mr. Haas was born in San Francisco in 1918 to Elise Stern Haas and Walter A. Haas. Senior. the third generation of his family to lead the family business. Mr. Haas great granduncle. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2983}
{"speech_id":1090095408,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Levi Strauss. created blue jeans as working pants for gold miners in the 1850s. Mr. Haas graduated from UC Berkeley in 1940 with a bachelors degree in economics and from Harvard Business School in 1943. In 1945. he joined his brother Walter at Levi Strauss. commencing a 60year career. In 1953. Time magazine named the two brothers Leaders of Tomorrow. Peter Haas focused on the companys operations and finance. while his brother Walter focused on marketing and advertising. Peter Haas served as president of the company from 1970 to 1981 and chief executive officer from 1976 to 1981. In 1981. Financial World magazine named Mr. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2983}
{"speech_id":1090095408,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Haas Chief Executive Officer of the Year. Under their leadership. the Haas brothers leadership. the company experienced massive growth and expansion. As the baby boomers hit their teenage years. they capitalized on the growing popularity of blue jeans. With the first Levi Strauss manufacturing plants in southern States. Mr. Haas took a stand against segregation. refusing to allow separate working areas for black and white workers and demanding equal treatment for all employees. His ethics did not hinder the companys success. In 1945. Levi Strauss consisted of three small factories in the San Francisco Bay Area and $2 million in denim sales. By the time Mr. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2983}
{"speech_id":1090095408,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Haas left his position as board chairman in the late 1980s. sales had reached $3.1 billion in 50 countries. Mr. Haas used his business sense and financial success for public service. working with numerous foundations and service organizations. including the San Francisco Foundation. the Jewish Community Federation. and the United Way. Through the Miriam and Peter Haas Fund. he contributed millions of dollars to the arts. public policy programs. and health and human services. The Haases gave millions to provide highquality. early childhood development programs to lowincome families. Peter Haas served as a UC Berkeley Foundation trustee for 12 years and was the universitys most avid donor and fundraiser. He and. Walter built the Haas School of Business in honor of","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2983}
{"speech_id":1090095415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me just share a few more charts with my colleagues. because I think these charts just speak loudly. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. and these charts can say it so much better than I can. This shows again the jobs as it relates to the unemployment rate since the tax cuts took effect. So again. we have jobs that we see in this line down below here. the green line as it heads up. unemployment rate in the red line. and time across the bottom. So the tax cuts take effect right here. Job growth is relatively low. Continued upward increase in the amount of jobs. And in terms of the rate of unemployment. topped off in early 2003. and since then. has been steadily declining. In fact. we are now at an unemployment rate in this Nation of 5 percent. which many economists will tell you is full employment. that people are changing jobs or moving or from between one position or another. that 5 percent unemployment is virtually full employment. The unemployment rate right now is less than. less than the average unemployment rate for the 1970s for the 1980s. and everybody remembers the boom time in the 1990s. for the entire decade of the 1990s. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090095415,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Less than the average rate right now for those decades. So I think that demonstrates clearly exactly what happens when you decrease taxes. And the wonder and the beauty of our economy is that it responds so consistently and so clearly and really so quickly. Let me share one more chart. because I think that oftentimes. we have the other side talking about the spiraling deficit and how the tax decreases add to that deficit. Well. in fact. what has happened over the past number of months and years is that the deficit in fact has decreased. With a decrease in taxes. the deficit has decreased. And over the past 18 months. what we have seen is a30 percent decrease in the deficit. In fact. this year. a $138 billion decrease in the deficit. So I want to thank my colleague once again for providing this time. but I think it is important that the American people appreciate that the responsibility that we believe we have in Congress is to make certain that individuals have more money in their pocket. are able to determine greater their destiny. to decrease the size of government. and that all of those things play into increasing the ability of the market to increase jobs and increase the productivity of our private sector and economic development.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090095423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois for his leadership on these issues. He has been hosting sessions across this country with regard to issues that impact exoffenders and the African American male population in our country and in some of the territories. Reentry is an issue of common sense and of public safety. I am not on the floor just as a Member of Congress. As my colleague said. I have served as a general jurisdiction judge handling criminal felony cases. even death penalty cases. and also as the elected prosecutor in Cuyahoga County. Ohio. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6271}
{"speech_id":1090095423,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have been working on community reentry issues or prisoner reentry issues in Cleveland for 25 years. I served on the board of the Community Reentry Program in the city of Cleveland. While county prosecutor. I implemented a Pretrial Diversion Program. as well as the Municipal Drug Court in the city of Cleveland. And people said. Why as a judge or a prosecutor are you working on these issues? We must collectively. law enforcement. judges. prosecutors. correctional officials. address this issue. Otherwise. we will continue to spend tax dollars incarcerating and continuing to incarcerate individuals. We need to contemplate that while they are incarcerated that they have an opportunity to train. that they have an opportunity to be educated. I know a lot of people think that going to prison is like being in a hotel. I guarantee it is not like being in a hotel. even though we used to call our county jail the \"McFall Hilton.\" McFall was our sheriff. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6271}
{"speech_id":1090095423,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is nothing. as many contemplate. And while they are there. we need to work on issues to give them skills once they hit the streets. The programs that I spoke about implementing. the Pretrial Diversion Program. the Municipal Drug Court. and some of the community reentry programs. are still in existence. We need to contemplate that prisoner reentry is not a Democratic issue. it is not a Republican issue. It is a commonsense issue. The facts are clear that meaningful reentry programs significantly diminish the chances that exoffenders will return to prison. They save taxpayer dollars and increase public safety. So why not invest in enhancing reentry programs in order to end the cycle of recidivism? That is exactly what the Second Chance Act does. Before I discuss the legislation. and I am going to leave that to some of my colleagues as well. I just want to give a few statistics. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6271}
{"speech_id":1090095423,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2002. 2 million people were incarcerated in all of the Federal and State prisons. Each year. nearly 650.000 return to communities nationwide. Twothirds of them are expected to be rearrested. The State of Ohio has one of the largest populations of exoffenders reentering the community. with about 24.000 exoffenders returning to their respective communities annually. Of those exoffenders. about 6.000 will return to Cuyahoga County. my county. and almost 5.000 will reenter in the city of Cleveland. which is the largest jurisdiction in my congressional district. Statewide. about 40 percent of exoffenders will return to prison. In Cuyahoga County. about 41 percent. Such high recidivism rates translate into thousands of new crimes each year and wasted taxpayer dollars which can be averted through improved reentry programs. H.R. 1704. the Second Chance Act of 2005. allocates $110 million toward a variety of reentry programs. One of the main components is the funding of demonstration projects that will provide exoffenders with a coordinated continuum of housing. education. health. employment. and mentoring service. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6271}
{"speech_id":1090095423,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This broad array of services will provide stability and make the transition of exoffenders easier. and in turn. reduce recidivism. One of the things that we have found over the years in our community reentry programs is a lack of housing for exoffenders. An exoffender comes home to a family and the family says. \"I cannot take you in. You need to be somewhere else.\" An exoffender comes home and does not have access to drug treatment programs and maybe no access to mental health programs. We found that statistically. inmates in many of the prisons not only have a drug problem. they have a mental health problem. And when they hit the streets. they often selfmedicate because they are not involved in any psychiatric program that provides them the necessary drugs to able to help them work through their issues. This is the first of a kind piece of legislation that is critical to the success of exoffenders but is also critical to the success of our communities. We need to focus on these issues and begin to break down the barriers. E 2245 It is important because there are groups that are committed to reentry on the ground. for example. the Community Reentry Program in my city. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6271}
{"speech_id":1090095437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to address my colleagues and the people in this country. There are some important issues before us. as there always are in this Congress. and sometimes I have a little difficulty sorting between which of those issues it is that I would like to speak to my colleagues about. Mr. Speaker. Tonight. I would like to address the subject matter of the future of this country. the future of the Middle East. the future of this global conflict. this assault on Western civilization that comes from radical. militant. Islamic extremists. the will of the United States of America. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090095437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. to stand up and defend the cause that our Forefathers have fought so hard for and to preserve not just our freedoms which are essential and worth the struggle and worth the sacrifice. but our very safety and lives are at risk. Mr. Speaker. We need to understand this war that we are in. We need to understand our enemy. and as I listened to the debate here on the floor a couple of weeks ago on a Friday when we debated the resolution to immediately pull out of Iraq. it occurred to me that there were a lot of people actually on the floor of this chamber. Mr. Speaker. that I thought did not have a longterm view for the future of the United States of America or the free world for that matter. I want to raise a point. and I want to then continue to illustrate that point. I have brought in a picture and a poster to help with that point. This is not the number one villain in all of Iraq or all of this war against radical. militant extremists. but this is Muqtada AlSadr. who is actually a Shiite leader. an individual we have heard quite a lot about. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090095437,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He got into the military business and brought his militia to bear against U.S. and coalition military . forces and Iraqi military forces and with mixed results I think we can say at best. I made a number of trips over to Iraq. and what we do is we go into Kuwait and then usually leave very early in the morning to go into Iraq in the morning. In the evening. I was sitting there. and I had turned on my television set in the hotel in Kuwait and turned it to Al Jazeera TV because watching Al Jazeera TV tells me a lot about what people are seeing in the Middle East and across the Arab world. As I watched that television. it was Arabic audio. but it had English I call them subtitles. On that date. which was June 11. 2004. this particular CODEL. I watched the television and saw Muqtada AlSadr come on there. and I heard him say in Arabic. with the English subtitles underneath. just what you see here. Mr. Speaker. He said. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090095437,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"If we keep attacking Americans. they will leave Iraq. the same way that they left Vietnam. the same way that they left Lebanon. the same way that they left Mogadishu.\" Now. what does that mean? It means that the word has been spread throughout al Qaeda world that Americans do not come and stay till it is over. that they will pull out. and that we are not committed to this cause. He would like to convince his followers and those he would recruit to be his followers that Americans are prepared at any moment to pull out of Iraq. . That is far from the case. Mr. Speaker. and this is the cause where we must stay. and we must carry this message across this world to our coalition partners. to our soldiers that are over there. those soldiers that have just not too long ago celebrated a Thanksgiving in foreign soil again. and again to our allies but especially to our enemies. This language. this statement. that Americans do not stick to it. is a thread that goes through many of the writings and the statements of al Qaeda leaders. I believe I can find that in a Google search in words phrased a little bit differently but the same meaning. out of Osama bin Laden. out of Zawahiri. out of Zarqawi. and that coupled with Muqtada AlSadr. That message has been sent. It keeps getting sent. It is echoed out off Al Jazeera. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090095437,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That means whoever is watching Al Jazeera hears this message. Many of them believe this message that America is not going to stay until the job is done. We had a debate on this floor. Mr. Speaker. and that vote took place in the fall of 2002. It authorized the President to use force to enforce the United Nations resolutions. all for a good cause. That is how a free Nation should do this. We should have a free debate. and it ought to be an open debate. The people in this country should engage in this debate and carry their message to their Members of Congress and let that echo in these chambers. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090095525,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a reporter from a major news organization in the United States who is now stationed in Iraq made the statement the other day that if he wrote a single story that was positive about what was going on in Iraq. he would have to fight with his editor to get it published. Is it any wonder that we have such a negative attitude in America about the war and the way it is going? I think it is time for a little reality During the last week of November. 526 insurgents were detained or killed and 104 weapons caches were discovered during 355 combined operations. And in those operations. 30 percent of them were conducted independently by Iraqi security forces. As of November 16. 2005. a total of 211.700 Iraqi security forces have been trained andequipped. The number includes 99.500 Ministry of Defense forces and 112.200 Ministry of Interior forces. Thirty Iraqi Army battalions have assumed primary control of their own areas. and on and on it goes. Mr. Speaker. There is a lot of good news out of Iraq. and we ought to begin to listen to it.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1054}
{"speech_id":1090095542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 583 is a closed rule providing for 2 hours of debate in the House. equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. It also provides that pursuant to section 151(f)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion. Lastly. section 2 of the resolution provides that during consideration of the bill. notwithstanding the operation of the previous question. the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to a time designated by the Speaker in consonance with section 151 of the Trade Act of 1974. Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 583 provides for the consideration of H.R. 4340. a bill to implement the United StatesBahrain Free Trade Agreement. in accordance with trade measures negotiated under the Trade Promotion Authority. Former United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick signed the United StatesBahrain Free Trade Agreement on September 14. 2004. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3116}
{"speech_id":1090095542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the agreement. all bilateral trade and consumer and industrial goods will be duty free. and 98 percent of U.S. agricultural exports will be duty free. Tariffs on the remaining products. such as alcohol and tobacco. will be reduced to zero within 10 years. It is important to highlight that labor obligations are included at the core of this agreement. and they meet objectives set out by Congress. In addition. Bahrain has introduced labor reform laws to make its laws fully consistent with the International Labor Organization. The United States must recognize the fact that 96 percent of the worlds population resides outside of our country. That 96 percent represente a marketplace for U.S. goods and services that we cannot reach without proper trade agreements. My home State of Washington is one of the most tradedependent States in the Nation. and our economy depends on free and fair trade. From hightech to agriculture. and from manufacturing industries to other businesses. Washington State and our Nation is in a position to benefit from having more trading partners. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3116}
{"speech_id":1090095542,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the United StatesBahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act would be the fourth trade agreement reached between the United States and a Middle Eastern country and is an integral part in creating a Middle East free trade area. This agreement is important in bringing stability to the Middle East region and sending a strong signal to countries in that region about the benefits of closer economic and political ties with the United States. Approving this agreement is another step in the right direction toward integrating fair trade policies and economic reforms with our national security interest in supporting a more stable and prosperous Middle East. Both House Resolution 583 and H.R. 4340 were reported by their respective committees by a voice vote. Accordingly. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 583 and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3116}
{"speech_id":1090095564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have not been a supporter of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program because I believe it creates safety problems which outweigh any security benefits. Without any disrespect for the individuals participating in the program. I rise to remind my colleagues that there is still a lot of work left to do to improve aviation security. On Monday. the 9\/11 Commission released its Final Report on Commission Recommendations. The Commission gave aviation security low to failing grades ranging from \"C\" to \"F. Three priority issues we must work expeditiously to address in the coming months include: suicide bombers at the checkpoint. checked baggage screening and screener staffing.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":691}
{"speech_id":1090095608,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4311. which would reauthorize a crucial judicial security measure. Under the Ethics in Government Act. judges and other highlevel judicial branch officials must file annual disclosure reports. In the 105th Congress. we enacted the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998. which allows the Judicial Conference to redact statutorily required information in a financial disclosure report where the release of that information could endanger the filer or his or her family. This provision was extended for 4 years in the 107th Congress and is due to explreon December 31 of this year. H.R. 4311 would permanently extend this important component of Federal judicial security. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3036}
{"speech_id":1090095608,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation was recently passed on the House floor on November 9 by a vote of 37545 as a provision of H.R. 1751. but since the other body has not taken up that bill. I have introduced this freestanding measure. Judges today face a number of threats from convicted criminals seeking revenge against those who have presided over their trial to defendants seeking to influence a judge during a trial. In some cases. Federal judges and their families have been subject to more than just threats. as has been demonstrated by the murder of Judge Joan Lefkows husband and elderly mother in their own home by a former plaintiff in Chicago earlier this year. Since the authority was enacted in 1998 and renewed in 2001. Federal judges have been able to request the temporary redaction of some or all of the information on their disclosure forms. The Marshals Service must agree that the- information on their disclosure forms could be used to harm the judge or his or her family in order for it to be redacted. Disclosure information might seem to some to be an unlikely source of useful information to someone looking to harm a judge. That is a flawed assumption. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3036}
{"speech_id":1090095608,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For example. the fact that a judges daughter has received a scholarship from a particular college must be reported on that judges disclosure form. This information can then be used to identify the location of the judges daughter. Under this existing authority. judges are still required to make semiannual disclosures and are only allowed to redact information during the time in which a threat exists. Once the threat ends. the information is once again made public. The GAO undertook an audit of this authority in 2004 and found minimal issues. As a strong proponent of government openness and oversight. I recognize the impact of redaction- authority. However. I also recognize that judges should not be forced to put their lives on the line or those of their families simply by doing their jobs. This fair and impartial administration of justice requires freedom from fear and intimidation. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3036}
{"speech_id":1090095608,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation helps protect judges and their families from fear of reprisal. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3036}
{"speech_id":1090095632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 196) recognizing the anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment and encouraging the American people to educate and instill pride and purpose into their communities and to observe the anniversary annually with appropriate programs and activities.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":334}
{"speech_id":1090095693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to join my colleague from New York in strong support of the Stealth Tax Relief Act. a bill which ensures that the tax cuts that have allowed middleclass families to keep more of their income over the past 4 years will not be undermined by the socalled alternative minimum tax. I am cochairman of the Zero AMT Caucus. Our objective is to eventually repeal this tax. But for the moment. we are strongly supporting this bill. The evidence is overwhelming that the Republican tax cuts have helped families cope with economic uncertainties and played a significant role in stimulating the economic growth that has been in place since the 2003 tax cuts. growth that continues today as we saw in this past quarter when GDP grew at a healthy 4.3 percent rate. Yet over this prospect. the AMT. which the other side when they could. never adjusted for inflation. hangs like a sword of Damocles. threatening to wipe out tax relief and incentives for growth currently in the Tax Code. If we do not move with this legislation. the AMT will suddenly fall on 11 million taxpayers. hitting them with an average tax increase of $1.520. If we do not act. married couples will see their AMT exemption snap back from $58.000 to $45.000. while single individuals will see their AMT exemption drop from $40.250 to $33.750. ","speaker_name":"PHILIP ENGLISH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2631}
{"speech_id":1090095693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I use these figures to make clear to everyone. these are not wealthy people. These are middleclass Americans who would be slapped with a very steep tax increase that they would not know about until tax day when they learned that the tax exemptions that they thought they could take. the same tax exemptions we intended them to take. would no longer apply. [] 1300 This legislation comes at a critical time. As we begin to examine options for fundamental tax reform that will promote economic growth long term in our country. we need to extend AMT relief for this coming year and ensure that the middle class is not facing a tax increase. This will buy us time to truly reform the AMT and I hope eventually to repeal this perverse and complicated tax provision. I hope the other side will set aside their sterile arguments about distributional effects and eschew populace poses. We have already seen some rhetoric on the floor about fig leaves and tax cuts. This is not a tax cut. This legislation provides an avoidance of a tax increase. a tax increase that the other side could have fixed when they were in the majority and never did. We need to step up to the plate and make sure that this mistake does not happen. that this tax increase does not fall on the American people at this very critical time.","speaker_name":"PHILIP ENGLISH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2631}
{"speech_id":1090095723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am a cosponsor of this legislation and I rise in strong support of H.R. 4096. the Stealth Tax Relief Act. A couple of years ago. I got a call from my daughter who asked. \"What is the AMT and why is it sneaking up on people like me?\" As a proponent of tax reform. I hear phrases like that every day describing the AMT as part of \"a tax code so out of control that now it is sneaking up on the middle class and threatening it with an unintended stealth tax.\" And while that phrase might indicate that the code is an animate entity. it is also a fact that \"the AMT. since its enactment in 1969. has been significantly modified in 1971. in 1976. in 1977. in 1978. in 1982. in 1986. in 1990. in 1993. and in 2001.\" These facts send a clear reminder that we have created a complex. convoluted monster of a tax code that is constantly being amended with special provisions targeted to treat Americans differently. The intentional harm that the current code is causing in terms of lost economic growth is bad enough. Now it appears we have to worry about the unintentional harm the code inflicts as well. The AMT is a case study of our chaotic codeit forces Americans to perform two tax calculations. using two completely different set of rules. and its so difficult to urderstand that most taxpayers have to hire someone to figure it out. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LINDER","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090095723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And the reason we have the AMT is because the code is used to promote various goals through preferential tax treatment. Because people were taking advantage of those incentives. and reducing their income taxes. the AMT was created to make sure wealthy people didnt reduce their income taxes too much. Now. it threatens the entire middle class. Mr. Speaker. I support every effort to improve this tax system and I strongly support","speaker_name":"JOHN LINDER","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1776}
{"speech_id":1090095779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First. I would like to thank the gentleman from Louisiana for joining me in introducing this important piece of legislation. I also want to thank the chairman of the committee. Mr. THOMAS. and our ranking member. Mr. RANGEL. for their efforts in bringing this bill to the floor. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4979}
{"speech_id":1090095779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also would be remiss if I failed to thank both the Republican and Democratic staff of the committee for their extraordinary bipartisan effort to put this tax relief package together. And I want to do something which is a little bit out of order. and that is to thank someone who is not properly a Member of this body. our mayor of New Orleans. Ray Nagin. who is here with us today. He has. as much as anyone. pushed this House and this Senate and our Congress and our President to make sure that our region is not forgotten. and I want to thank him for his presence here in the Chamber. Mr. Speaker. the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 provides much needed aid and comfort to the victims of hurricanes Katrina. Rita. and Wilma across the gulf coast and provides a muchneeded shot in the arm to the many thousands of businesses that have been shuttered. suffered serious damage. or have seen their customer bases erode significantly or disappear in the wake of horrible storms. The economy of the gulf coast and particularly that of my home State of Louisiana has been severely compromised by the ravages of two terrible storms. One of our Nations largest and most economically important cities. the city of New Orleans. was evacuated and commercially shuttered for most of the fall. Even today. as New Orleans slowly regains her footing. most of her citizens remain in a hurricaneforced exile as the citys businesses struggle to rebuild and to make a fresh start with a significantly diminished customer base. extraordinary costs of repair and reconstruction. and a distressed infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4979}
{"speech_id":1090095779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the cities. parishes across the gulf coast. and counties across the gulf coast are struggling to recover from a deluge that laid them low. My constituents and those of my gulf coast colleagues. howe er. are a resilient people. They have confronted natural disasters before. and they have emerged triumphant and stronger still. I have every confidence that the same is true today. With the right tools in their tool box. New Orleanians and our neighbors in Louisiana. Mississippi. Alabama. and Florida will rebuild and recover and a brighter future will emerge. Today. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4979}
{"speech_id":1090095779,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. with the passage of this important piece of legislation. we provide the entrepreneurs of the gulf coast a sturdy set of tools with which to jumpstart our recovery. We also address an unprecedented housing crisis with unprecedented resources to rebuild and rehouse the thousands whose homes are damaged or destroyed by these vicious storms. We also are keenly aware of the financial crisis that the States. our cities. our parishes are confronting. In order to ease those burdens. this bill also provides several important tools to give our hometowns access to the capital they need to survive in the short term and thrive over the long run: $500 million in tax credit bonds to meet debt service needs. $3 billion in partially guaranteed genreral obligation bonds. and $7.75 billion in private activity bond authority. I am confident that by properly leveraging these tools. the States. our cities. parishes. school boards and others will emerge from the hurricane stronger than before they struck. Mr. Speaker. with the passage of this act. businesses in New Orleans and surrounding parishes will enjoy tremendous tax advantages for the next few years that should give them the boost they need to survive and a little leg up to get ahead over the longer term: expanded section 179 expensing for small businesses. bonus depreciation. expenses for demolition and cleanup costs. including brownfields cleanup. an enhanced rehabilitation tax credits. and increased net operating loss carryback among others. By affording these tools to be combined with effective economic planning. the House today greatly enhances the opportunity for a great. but shattered. community to rebuild. not just to recover. but to become more survivable. more sustainable. more equitable. and more prosperous over some time. but all at once. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4979}
{"speech_id":1090095779,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the efforts of my colleagues in providing the relief we need in the gulf coast have been unparalleled to any I have witnessed during my tenure in Congress. For that I am extraordinarily grateful. However. we still have a long way to go before we achieve the full recovery that I know we all want. I look forward to working with each of you in the coming weeks and months as we rise to the challenge of ensuring that. like the Phoenix of myth and fable. New Orleans rises from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina as a bright shining model of American ingenuity and opportunity. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4979}
{"speech_id":1090095790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I too share the pain of those families that were impacted by the terrible storms in the Gulf Coast. having been there within 24 hours after the devastating storm. seeing it firsthand and helping those families. But I stand today to talk about the equitability of this particular proposal. There is a number of industries that have been impacted from all walks of life. but there are close to 50.000 families that are being impacted by a carveout in this legislation. 50.000 hardworking moms and dads trying to take care of their kids. I believe in equitable treatment. and the gaming industry that has been carved is not asking for special treatment. They are asking to be treated like every other business. And as a Member of this body. I believe firmly that States do have rights. and I believe that local communities have rights. and they have made decisions to allow these businesses to. prosper as they are a big part of their economy. As my colleague from Nevada said. close to $800 million a year into their economy and close to 50.000 jobs. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090095790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. I stand here asking for equitable treatment for a taxpaying business that is approved by State and Federal laws. and they too should be treated equally. I am extremely disappointed. and I believe when we start a carveout process.- it is a slippery slope for this Congress to be telling local governments and State governments who should be receiving these tax credits.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090095836,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman posed the question. and I am happy to respond to that question. and then I will continue with my statement. On average. jobs that are focused on exports into new markets. which is exactly what these agreements are all about. exactly what these agreements are all about. on average. these jobs focused on exports pay about 17 percent higher wage rates than those that are focused on jobs that are merely designed for domestic consumption here.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":456}
{"speech_id":1090095838,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If I could reclaim my time. let me- just say that it is fascinating to listen to my friends on the other side of the aisle who. when we were in the midst of our debate just a few minutes ago on the alternative minimum tax. they were very strong proponents of making sure we bring about reform so that people who are in that wage rate that goes all the way up to $342.000 a year get relief under the AMT. So I believe that if you look at the jobs that have been created. if you look at the wage rates that we have right now in the United States. if you look at the standard of living in the United States of America juxtaposed to other countries in the world. it is very clear that the United States of America is the single greatest Nation on the face of the Earth. and it is in large part due to the fact that we have over the last several years put together a wide range of trade agreements. And I would argue that building on the Central American Free Trade Agreement. this Bahrain trade agreement. which is what we are talking about at this moment. I believe is very. very critical to continuing that kind of growth. Now. let us look at the issue of the global war on terror. My friend from Wisconsin raised that. Now. one of the things that is essential as we seek our opportunity to try and turn the corner on the threat of terrorism. we need to focus on economic growth throughout the Middle East. A former Defense Department official said to me when we were talking about the aftermath of September 11. 2001. that if we had seen a percentage point or two more growth in Afghanistan and Pakistan. we might have been able to diminish the threat of September 11. Why? Because there is a sense that somehow those involved in international terrorism are simply doing this in the name of Allah. All one needs to do is look at what Mohammed Atta and his cronies were doing before perpetuating the most heinous act on our soil on September 11 of 2001. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3296}
{"speech_id":1090095838,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not as if they were worshipping Allah. I recall their being in south Florida and Las Vegas. Nevada. leading up to that. meaning the focus on economic opportunity is something that we need to realize can help diminish that kind of terrorist threat there. And that is a very important part of what this agreement is about. Now. I have to say that realizing that the rule of law. the expansion of parliamentary elections. all of those kinds of things which can help. diminish that kind of threat are critical. and that is a very important part of this agreement. So as I listen to my friends on the other side of the aisle. and I am happy to say this agreement is enjoying strong bipartisan support. but as I listen to those on the other side of the aisle who are opposed to this agreement. it is very unfortunate that so many of them do not recognize the tremendous growth that my friend from Florida. the chairman of the Trade Subcommittee. just went through: the 4.3 percent GDP growth. a 5 percent unemployment rate. 215.000 jobs created last month alone in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. and all of the other challenges that we faced. that these have come about in large part due to the trade agreements that we have put into -place. And why? Because we are opening up new markets around the world. And I thank my friend very much.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3296}
{"speech_id":1090095854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I would also like to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Maryland. I think he spoke quite eloquently about the importance of this agreement to the region. When the history of the Middle East is written. I think the historians will view this trade bill as an important stepping stone towards the development and imposition of democracies and stability in that part of the world. which is very much in our best interest. Bahrain has been a great ally through many. many years of troubling times. and times when it was not necessarily easy to be friends with the United States if you are in the Middle East and if you are an Arab country. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2029}
{"speech_id":1090095854,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But they have stood with us. Our Naval base there is quite important. I think it is important that we try to do everything we can to do business with our friends. They have proven to be a great friend of the United States. We have visited with the ambassador from Bahrain who is a delightful man who is a great salesman for his country. I believe that this is a significant vote. This is not just a flea on an elephant. as Mr. STARK stated. This is an important ally in which we are going to have a free trade agreement. I would urge all Members to vote yes on this most important issue. because I think a message must be sent out loud and strong that we are supporting free trade when we have a good agreement drawn. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2029}
{"speech_id":1090095854,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This has been drawn and approved in a bipartisan way. This is good for the United States. It is not only good for Bahrain. but it is good for the United States. I would also like to thank Mr. CARDIN. Mr. RANGEL and other Mdmbers from the other side of the aisle. as well as Mr. RYAN and Chairman THOMAS. and all of those who have worked hard to bring this along. and of course staff on both sides of the aisle. Congress cannot operate without staff. and I would like to thank them for what they have done in putting this agreement together. Mr. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2029}
{"speech_id":1090095855,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise -in opposition to H.R. 4340. the Bahrain Trade Agreement. Although our trade with Bahrain is limited. this agreement is a symptom of what is wrong with our Nations trade policies. I firmly believe that we should have a thorough review of the impact of these free trade agreements so that we can create a national trade policy that protects the American manufacturing industries. We need an American trade policy that encourages the export of American manufactured goods. not our American manufacturing jobs. .Mr. Speaker. that is why I have introduced H.R. 4407. a bill to impose a 2year moratorium on negotiating or conclusion of any additional free trade agreements. As our trade deficit continues to set new records. we should call a timeout on this headlong rush into these free trade agreements. Our current domestic trade policy encourages the closing down of American factories and moving them . overseas. usually to a country where wages are low and environmental standards are lower. This race to the bottom has real consequences. and its time to stop negotiating bad trade deals that make American jobs our leading export. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2647}
{"speech_id":1090095855,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For years. the American people have been promised that bilateral and regional trade agreements would throw open the doors of international markets eager for American goods. However. in the 10 years following passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). which I opposed. millions of American jobs have been lost. threatening entire industries that were once bedrocks of this country. And China and Japan continue to manipulate their currencies without any significant pressure from our government. tilting an already uneven playing field further away from America. Nearly three million manufacturing jobs have been lost since the Bush Administration took office in 2001. In 2004. the United States had a record $162 billion deficit on goods trade with China and a $617 billion trade deficit on goods and services worldwide. Eliminating tariffs and allowing companies to exploit foreign labor has destroyed entire American industries and has resulted in the highest American trade deficit ever. placing America at a huge economic disadvantage. Mr Speaker. our current trade policies have failed the American worker and the average American family. We cannot continue to the hemorrhaging of our manufacturing jobs and expect our economy to be strong. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2647}
{"speech_id":1090095855,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote no on this free trade agreement with Bahrain. and any free trade agreements in the future. until we can create an American trade policy that is in the best interests of the American people.","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2647}
{"speech_id":1090095856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the House of Representatives is today considering a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and Bahrain. I support this agreement. and will vote in favor of the required implementing legislation. I also anticipate this agreement will enjoy strong bipartisan support in Congress. In general. I have advocated free trade and open markets because I believe that American businesses and workers can compete and win in the global economy. Furthermore. I believe that increasing global interdependence presents our Nation with an opportunity to promote democratic reform. the rule of law and respect for basic human rights. The agreement provides that all bilateral trade in consumer and industrial products will become dutyfree immediately. as will 98 percent of U.S. agricultural exports. with the remaining tariffs phased out over 10 years. Textiles and apparel trade will also become duty free immediately for products that contain American or Bahraini yarn. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090095856,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Key U.S. service sectors that will benefit under the agreement include audiovisual. express delivery. telecommunications. computer and related services. distribution. healthcare. services incidental to mining. construction. architecture and engineering. Furthermore. on the issue of intellectual property rights. the Agreement requires each government to criminalize enduser piracy. providing strong deterrence against piracy and counterfeiting. Beyond the economic benefits that will accrue to the United States. this agreement is an important opportunity to bring increased development. prosperity and stability to a key ally and strategic partner in the region. Not only has Bahrain supported and participated in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. as well as the first Persian Gulf War in 1991. the country has also served as the host to U.S. Naval forces in the Middle East for more than 50 years. This free trade agreement will further strengthen the already close US.-Bahrain relationship. I have and will continue to support free trade agreements that strike the balance of expanding markets for American companies. while also providing a level playing field for American workers and improved living and working conditions for foreign workers by guaranteeing fair wages and basic workplace protections abroad. I am confident that these goals will be met with respect to Bahrain. in part thanks to a number of labor reforms that have been recently implemented by the government. I will consider future trade agreements one at a time. taking into consideration the specific labor and environmental conditions that exist in the countries we seek to trade with. as well as the provisions included in the agreements to protect workers--both here and in the other countriesand environmelntal concerns. I will determine my position as those agreements are finalized.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090095859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the United StatesBahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. Passage of this FTA will help strengthen our relationship with Bahrain. building a more secure and productive future for our countries and citizens. As a cochair of the New Democrat Coalition. I have long believed that when instituted correctly and fairly. trade agreements open up foreign markets to U.S. goods. create new opportunities for companies and their employees. and lift the standard of living for people in the country with whom we are trading. As our nation leads the worid into the 21st century. we should not shy away from opportunities to guide and expand global trade. U.S. goods exported to Bahrain totaled $302 million in 2004. constituting .03 percent of total U.S. merchandise trade in 2004. Of that total. Wisconsin exported over $4 million in goods last year to Bahrain. with the majority. of the exports in machinery and manufacturing. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2951}
{"speech_id":1090095859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that The U.S.-Bahrain FTA will provide substantial market access for U.S. services providers. including financial services. One hundred percent of bilateral trade in consumer and industrial products will become dutyfree immediately. and 98 percent of U.S. agricultural product exports to Bahrain would be immediately duty free. with 10year phaseouts for the remaining items such as alcohol and tobacco. .Moreover. securing a FTA with Bahrain is a positive foreign policy and national security step for the United States. Bahrain has been a strong and stable state in the Persian Gulf region and a friend to the United States. The U.S. Navys 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain. and the United States has recognized the importance of our relationship with this country by establishing a joint U.S.-Bahrain Defense Cooperation Agreement and designing Bahrain as a \"Major NonNATO ally.\" This FTA strengthens relations with one of our proven strategic allies in an unstable region. Further. it is critically important that trade agreements are balanced and fair for workers and companies. I am pleased. therefore. that Bahrain has agreed to take the additional steps necessary to comply with. basic international labor standards that are integral to ensuring that the benefits of globalization are broadly shared among the people. Bahrain has committed in writing and with a clear and immediate timetable to amend all provisions of its labor laws that are not consistent with basic International Labor Organization* (ILO) standards. In addition. the United States Trade Representative has committed to report periodically to Congress on Bahrains fulfillment of its agreement and is prepared to invoke Article 15.6 procedures if Bahrain fails to carry out these commitments. Again. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2951}
{"speech_id":1090095859,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am happy to support this FTA with Bahrain today. It is in our best interest to engage Bahrain and complete this bilateral free trade agreement. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4340.","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2951}
{"speech_id":1090095922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when our former colleague. Mr. Cox. was nominated by the President to become the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. it obviously created an opening in one of the most beautiful congressional districts in the entire country in Southern California. and we are very pleased that our new colleague who has just been sworn in. JOHN CAMPBELL. was elected. JOHN CAMPBELL has an extraordinary history in California. As I look around the Chamber. Mr. Speaker. at our colleagues. very few of them actually have roots in California. The fact of the matter is JOHN CAMPBELL has roots that extend deeper than. frankly. anyone that I know. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1225}
{"speech_id":1090095922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our State is a little more than 150 years old. and yet in 1860. the year that Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. JOHN CAMPBELLS great grandfather was elected to the California State legislature. So 145 years later. we have JOHN CAMPBELL now coming to serve in the United States House of Representatives. to me the greatest deliberative body known to man. Mr. Speaker. on behalf of all of our colleagues from California. from both sides of the aisle. it is a great privilege and honor for me to congratulate and to welcome our new colleague. Mr.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1225}
{"speech_id":1090095951,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Lance Corporal Roger Wayne Deeds. who served in the Second Marine Division from Camp Lejeune. North Carolina. Corporal Deeds died November 16 while searching for insurgents in the town of Ubaydi. Iraq. He was killed by small arms fire as he returned to the scene of combat to rescue a fellow Marine. Corporal Deeds spent iiis favorite years in Truman. Minnesota. where his mother. Joyce. still lives. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090095951,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Roger Deeds leaves behind a 16monthold son and a 7weekold daughter that he never met. He lived in Goldsboro. North Carolina with his wife. Sarah. Mr. Speaker. it is with great sadness that I honor the memory and the service of this brave American. It is fitting to offer tribute on a day already set aside for remembrance. The anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor that took place on December 7. 1941. Much like the brave soldiers who fell that day. Corporal Deeds made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090095951,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust our Nation into a terrible world war. Today we find ourselves in the midst of war once again. a very different kind of war. 64 years ago. in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt in this very Chamber addressed the country. His closing thought is as appropriate now as it was then. He said. \"With confidence in our Armed Forces. with the unbounding determination of our people. we will gain the inevitable triumph. so help us God.\" We owe Corporal Deeds a debt of gratitude we can never repay. He chose to set aside the safety and comfort of a life spent at home in order to defend freedom for people who will never know his name. He now takes his place in that long line that Douglas MacArthur said has never failed us. I thank the Deeds family for giving their loved one to this service. ","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090095951,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope it brings some comfort to know that the thoughts and prayers of thousands of Minnesotans are with them. May God have mercy on his soul. May He continue to bless America and all who defend her. E0 1900","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090095977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentlewoman pointing out some of the specific provisions of H.R. 4297 that we will be dealing with tomorrow. I served in the Georgia State legislature. and we worked for years to try to get tax deductibility for teachers for their outofpocket expenses. I do not know a single teacher that does not spend some of their own money to kind of fill the hole. to provide some of those items in the classroom. especially in the elementary grades. that make so much more valuable the education that our children receive. As I understand it. a no vote on H.R. 4297 means you do not want to allow for those deductions. you want to increase taxes on teachers if you vote against this bill? Is that accurate?","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":726}
{"speech_id":1090095986,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And it is just so important that everybody realize this connection between preserving tax relief. preventing a tax increase and preserving our jobs. Again. over 4 million new jobs created in this economy since we passed tax relief. Why would we want to go back? Why wovld we want to take that tax relief away and pass a huge tax increase. because that affects real people all across America. Let me give you another example. I talked earlier about the fact that we are enjoying the highest rate of homeownership in the history of the United States of America. I mean. home ownership. part and parcel of the American Dream. Well. somebody has to go out and help renovate those homes and build new homes. And one of those gentleman is in my congressional district back in Texas. a gentleman by the name of Gil Travers of Travers and Company. He is a home builder. Prior to us passing the economic growth legislation with the tax relief. he had just a handful of workers. but once we passed the tax relief. he had to hire extra workers. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1557}
{"speech_id":1090095986,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He hired a lady named Jan. who was unemployed. to help him clean up some of his job sites. She got so busy that she had to hire two people who were unemployed to help her clean up the job site. a gentleman by the name of Calvin and another lady by the name of Christy. all because of tax relief. And yet this week the Democrats want to raise taxes on Travers and Company Home Builders. They want to jeopardize the pay checks of Jan and Calvin and Christy and replace them with welfare checks. and they call that compassion.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1557}
{"speech_id":1090096017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"From September 11 of 2001 to today. has anything changed in terms of our preparedness for a major terrorist attack such as we experienced in New York and here in Washington? Has anything changed according to the 9\/11 report of any consequence. of anything substantial whatsoever?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":279}
{"speech_id":1090096019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are excellent points. I think your idea about taking your one ticket and allowing a victim of Katrina and the natural disasters that befell our gulf States. invite them to come and sit in this gallery is an excellent concept. We as a group ought to consider asking our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to allow these seats to be filled by American citizens who have had tieir lives disrupted and their futures placed in doubt and listen to this President tell them that things are good in America and that their government is helping them. Maybe that might prompt some action. Mr. Speaker. Because just recently. 2 nights ago. there was on one of the networks a story about Americans living in cars waiting to go into trailers. How long do we expect our fellow citizens to endure that kind of an existence? We can feel sorry for those all over the globe that experience poverty. that experience tragedy in their lives. but our first obligation is to our own citizens. When we speak of nationbuilding. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1643}
{"speech_id":1090096019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. lets start building America again. That is where we should begin. In terms of your points regarding our lack of preparedness for a terrorist attack. lets be very candid. Those levees that were breached in Louisiana. they were breached because of natural forces. forces of nature. They very well could have been breached by a terrorist attack. And what did we see? We saw a lack of preparation. Mr. Speaker. that offended every American and really. I would suggest. shook the rest of the world because they saw an America that they did not realize existed. an America that was illprepared to take care of its own people.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1643}
{"speech_id":1090096066,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The thing that is amazing. I know you were sort of hinting at the holiday analogy there. I cannot help. this is the 2 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. or Hanukkah. too. I cannot help thinking of the analogy. I try not to necessarily throw religion into the debate.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":273}
{"speech_id":1090096075,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if I can. what we have here. the issue has been discussed in the news ill many venues across the country. about whether the prewar intelligence was hyped. distorted. and whether the American people were misled by the White House. by the Secretary of Defense. by the Vice President. Let me pIut that aside for a moment and suggest that this rosy scenario. this euphoric. unrealistic picture that is now being painted about the realities that exist currently in Iraq is also distorted. is also misleading. As the gentleman from New Jersey","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":549}
{"speech_id":1090096178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the latest economic numbers show that the Republicans progrowth economic policies are working. In November. the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index rose almost 15 points from the previous month. which bodes well as we enter the holiday shopping season. The White House has projected that the economy would record a growth rate of 3.5 percent for 2005. In addition. the number- of Americans filing firsttime job claims fell to a new 7month low. and the unemployment rate is holding steady at 5 percent. Finally. nearly 4.5 million jobs have been added in the last 2V2 years. This encouraging economic news demonstrates that the Republican plan of low taxes and restrained Federal spending is a winning combination. Last month. we passed the Deficit Reduction Act. which is a plan to help reform government and yield savings for American taxpayers. Democrats. on the other hand. continue to push their taxandspend policies. a plan which is neither good for the family checkbook nor the American economy. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1127}
{"speech_id":1090096178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Republicans will continue to push for progrowth policies to ensure that all Americans can realize the American Dream.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1127}
{"speech_id":1090096189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. well. just in time for the holidays. the Republicans have prepared a bevy of treats known as tax cuts favoring those who earn over $300.000 a year. One of the most delectable is a 60 percent tax cut in the tax on stock dividends for millionaires. It costs $13 billion in revenue foregone. unfortunately. But with new found concern about the deficit. the Republicans are going to pay for that tax cut for the millionaires by raising fees and interest rates on students who are struggling to get an education. What a sweet trade. More tax cuts for billionaires as they trickle down on the students who are struggling to live the American dream.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":655}
{"speech_id":1090096190,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. workers throughout our country have over 4.25 million reasons to agree that the American economy continues to improve under Republican leadership. Since President Bush signed the Jobs and Growth Act of 2003. the news about the economy has been overwhelmingly positive. 4.5 million new jobs have been created. The unemployment rate is lower than the average of the past three decades. The economy grew at 4.3 percent over the past 10 quarters. Tax receipts increased by $274 billion in just one year after the tax cuts. the largest increase ever due to economic growth. As the Republican Congress continues to pass legislation that will decrease the tax burden upon American workers and eliminate excessive government regulations. our economy will continue to flourish. We will work hard to ensure that the American people. not the Federal Government. have control over their hardearned money. In conclusion. God bless our troops. we will never forget September 11. and the lifetime of service of the late Governor Carroll Campbell.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090096217,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. unless we enact H.R. 4297. Americans will receive a most unwelcomed Christmas gift from the Democrats: a huge automatic tax increase. This will cost families billions of their dollars and jeopardize millions of their jobs. We cannot sit idly by and let the Democrats do this. Tax relief has already created more than 4.4 million new jobs. but if you raise taxes. you start taking these jobs away. Mr. Speaker. let me tell you about a few of the jobs from my east Texas district that could be lost if the Democrats succeed in their tax increase plan today. Let me tell you about Hugh Dublin who owns East Texas Right of Way in Tennessee Colony. Texas. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2819}
{"speech_id":1090096217,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He specializes in the landleasing business. Due to tax relief. his company has grown from two fulltime employees to four fulltime employees and four parttimers. His two new fulltime employees are named Dan and David. They were unemployed. but now they are able to start new careers in a growing business. The Democrats want to raise taxes on Hugh Dublin and his small business. They want to jeopardize Dans and Davids paychecks and replace them with welfare checks. and they call that compassion. Eddie Alexander owns Triple S Electric in Henderson County. Texas. They are an electrical contracting business. For the first 31\/2 years he was in business. it was just him and one parttime helper. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2819}
{"speech_id":1090096217,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since the passage of the Presidents economic growth plan. he has been able to hire two more additional employees named Jarad and John. both of whom were out of work but both of whom now provide homes for their families. The Democrats now want to raise taxes on. Eddie Alexander and his small business. They want to jeopardize Jarads and Johns paychecks and replace them with welfare checks. and this they call compassion. Gill Travers owns Travers & Company. They are a home building company in Athens. Texas. Thanks to the housing boom created by President Bushs tax relief plan. Travers & Company has had to hire three new workers. Jan. who was previously unemployed. was hired to help clean up the job sites. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2819}
{"speech_id":1090096217,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Business is so good she had to turn around and hire -Calvin and Christy. They were unemployed. too. The Democrats now want to raise taxes on Gill Travers and his small business. They want to jeopardize Jan. Calvin. and Christys paychecks and replace them with welfare checks. and this they call compassion. Mr. Speaker. tax relief has created over 4.4 million new taxpaying jobs of the future. 4.4 million hardworking Americans can now provide for their families this Christmas. More than just providing food and shelter. these jobs are providing newfound hope and opportunity. The Democrats would take all of this away. We cannot go back. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2819}
{"speech_id":1090096217,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must prevent this massive Democrat tax increase. We must support jobs and support the rule for H.R. 4297.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2819}
{"speech_id":1090096231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. much of the rhetoric coming from the majority in defense of this sinful package is pure fiction. So let us discuss it in those terms. You know. Charles Dickens has written perhaps one of the most famous pieces of fiction discussed at this time of year. the holiday season. A Christmas Carol. The lesson of Christmas Carol. Scrooge. this miserly man. very. very well fixed financially that chose not to give to others. And we know that in the course of this beautiful story the ghosts of Christmas past help him reflect upon the paucity of his life. and in the end he has a new spirit of community. helping others. including the Cratchett family. with the crippled son. Tiny Tim. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3390}
{"speech_id":1090096231,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I think that what the majority wants to do is rewrite the Christmas Carol. It is probably going to be titled \"A Christmas Carol II. Revenge of the Scrooge.\" And in this Christmas Carol. Scrooge. sittihg in his mansion. contemplating his wealth. wants more. And rather than be challenged as to the paucity of his inclination. we have a Republican majority. bought and paid for. that is all too eager to placate the most selfish whim of Mr. Scrooge. And so. as the story unfolds. there is more and more for Scrooge. and taking. from the very beginning. a low base. less and less for Mr. Cratchett who loses his job when it is outsourced overseas. tries to find something at minimum wage which has not been raised since 1997. and Tiny Tim. Tiny Tim is left out all together. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3390}
{"speech_id":1090096231,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us ask ourselves some basic questions about this. After passing a $31 billion tax reduction yesterday out of this House. do we really want to add an additional $56 billion without having it paid for? Look at this. This shows that we are north of $8 trillion in accumulated debt. that the average share is $27.000 of debt per American. You know. another Christmas story talks about naughty children getting a lump of coal in their stocking. Well. this majority gives every child $27.000 of debt. debt that will fall on their shoulders when the baby boomers retire with this debt woefully unpaid. The second question. do we need it? You know about half of this package today. for all the talk about how desperately it is needed. does not take effect until 2009 and 2010. Existing Tax Code makes the very provision that they are talking about in 2006. in 2007 and in 2008. It is there for the next 3 years. They are talking about driving us deeper in debt today. cutting programs that help people today so that we can deal with something that happens in 2009 and 2010. Next question. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3390}
{"speech_id":1090096231,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Is it fair? Well. in looking at who gets what under this bill. you know. most of the people in this country. 55 percent. earn less than $40.000. They will come out on average $7. $7 per under this dividend and tax cut provision. One out of 500. one out of 500 taxpayers. the most affluent of the 500. one out of 500 get nearly half of this bill. And they will average. per taxpayer. more than $30.000 back. So in this Christmas season. we are hammering on programs that help those who need help. We are passing a tax package that gives nothing. virtually. to most under this capital gains dividend tax cut provision. and we are absolutely loading it up for the wealthiest few in this country. This is Christmas Carol II. This is Revenge of the Scrooge. This is totally bad policy. and it must be stopped. I urge a no vote on this rule.","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3390}
{"speech_id":1090096287,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we have the opportunity to pass a bill that I believe will provide a powerful tonic for continued economic growth as a precedent for social justice. Since 2003. when much of the current tax policies were enacted. our GDP has seen its fastest growth in 20 years. averaging a robust 4.4 percent growth per quarter. This growth. Mr. Speaker. is attributable in part to reduced rates on capital gains and dividends. I would like to highlight who in the real world is receiving these reduced rates and. therefore. whose taxes we will be raising if we fail to extend these existing policies. Mr. Speaker. 54 percent of those families receiving dividend income had incomes of less than $75.000. and they received an average of $1.400 in dividends. Today. families with incomes under $100.000 have more than $20 billion in dividend income. ","speaker_name":"PHILIP ENGLISH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090096287,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2005. an estimated 10.3 million families in the 10 and 15 percent tax brackets will save on their taxes because of the existing tax policies. So the rhetoric that this tax relief only benefits the wealthy is vacant. ideological posturing. To let these rates expire would simply be a tax increase on the productive sector of the American economy. Not only would the lapse of the reduced rates impose a tax increase. it would particularly discourage equity ownership among working families. among whom we have seen a 91 percent increase in stock ownership. To turn back the clock on our tax policies that have benefited American workers and encourage more American workers to own a stake in their future is simply the wrong thing to do. Mr. Speaker. those who oppose this legislation are asking for a perverse tax increase on the seed corn of our economy and are suggesting that we impose a drag on economic growth at a time when we need it the most. We cannot afford not to pass this legislation today if we are serious about growing our economy.","speaker_name":"PHILIP ENGLISH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090096296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I had an old law professor. and he once told me. if you dont have the facts going for you. raise your voice. I never understood it. but I do now. Mr. Speaker. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Mississippi to share with us what economic growth means to him under this bill.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090096314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. we have now come to the conclusion of this debate. and I want my colleagues to know that if you are looking for some of the things that are worthwhile that are in the majoritys bill. we have an opportunity in the substitute to take care of it. But if you really believe this is the time for America to give a $20 billion tax cut to these people who will not be affected until 2009. why would they want to give this incentive to less than 5 percent. 1 percent of the richest people that we have in our country. and do it in this Christmas season? So you have an alternative. You can take care of the wealthy in years ahead. since this dbes not expire this year. or you can do what they have not done and that is to take care of those people who find themselves subjected to an alternative minimum tax only because the majority has not seen fit to give them relief in a decade. And so as this number has increased. instead of taking care of them in the bill that is before us. they have decided to just send a message over there to tell the Senate if you would like. by unanimous consent. and if no one objects. then you can take care of the AMT problem. We. do not do this as Democrats. We take care of it up front. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3010}
{"speech_id":1090096314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We take care of the military. we take care of those people from Hurricane Katrina. and we take care of the job credits that are important. We take care of those things that are important in our substitute. In this holiday season. we really do not believe that you ought to take $10 billion out of health care for the poorest people in this country. We do not believe that you should. in order to pay for this bill. that you should cut food stamps. We do not believe that students that have been getting help from this great government of ours should be adversely affected to pay for this tax cut. So we ask you to really consider in this holiday season these families that have kids in foster care. these families that are having their benefits not being received because we are letting them down. You just weigh this and ask. is there any equity involved in this? If you want to give these tax cuts. why do you not wait until the thing expires? Perhaps we will have a new Congress. Perhaps there will be new equity. Perhaps it can be discussed. Perhaps the committee members. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3010}
{"speech_id":1090096314,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrats and Republicans. would come together and find out not what is just good for the wealthy. but what is good for the strength of this great Nation of ours. One of the greatest threats to our national security is poverty. One of the greatest threats to our national security is the inability to get an education. The people who died in Hurricane Katrina did not die because of their color. The hurricane was color blind. But they died because they were poor. Why can we not invest and make certain that all Americans. black and white. Republicans and Democrats. can this holiday season say Congress did the right thing and not the political thing?","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3010}
{"speech_id":1090096358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. you say one thing for political cover. and then you do another thing for your friends. That is what we are doing here today. Just last month the Speaker said. \"I will tell you that the most meanspirited thing we can do is leave our children with a debt they cannot pay.\" That came from the Speaker. That did not come from our side. That is the authority of the majority in this House. Well. the words were right. But. you know. the Speaker knows. and I know him well. he went to a college where you know about the Bible. And there is a Bible verse that says. by their deeds ye shall know them. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2658}
{"speech_id":1090096358,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is the deeds out here that really make the difference. Now. the difference between what happened yesterday and what is happening in the gentleman from New Yorks bill is very simply this. Yesterday you sent a signal. You sent a press. release. You sent a message out up into the ether knowing. absolutely knowing. it would not pass. because it is not protected in the Senate. You know that. You know how to run this place. You can confuse the people. but you cannot confuse anybody who knows what is going on in here. The fact is that the gentleman from New Yorks proposal is one that puts it in law and protects it so that we can do something about the AMT. Let me say something about the AMT. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2658}
{"speech_id":1090096358,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I bet you most people listening to this do not know what AMT stands for. It stands for alternative minimum tax. It was put in in 1986 because there were people at the top of the scale who were not paying one single penny of tax. So it was decided in this body that everybody who benefits from the United States of America should pay some taxes for a civil society.. The failure to index that tax has allowed it to creep down to people making $75.000 or $100.000. and suddenly. instead of being a few people at the top. it is now 14 or 20 million. depending on how you want to figure. That was never the intent. From 1994 to the present. you have allowed it to go from covering 200.000 people to 14plus million people. You want to use that as an excuse for trying to get rid of the tax structure. And we know that it was intended and you know it was intended to tax everybody in this country. The repeal that you tried to put through here under Clinton was an attempt to let the top off taxes at all. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2658}
{"speech_id":1090096358,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You simply wanted to give them an internal tax holiday if they could figure out how to manipulate the tax structure. The average janitor does not have a way to manipulate the system. And that is why the gentleman from New Yorks is the only honest way if you want to protect the middle class. I urge your vote for the alternative minimum tax proposal.","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2658}
{"speech_id":1090096362,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. over the last few days we have seen a flurry of tax cuts on the House floor: three yesterday. another one. a big one. today. And over the last 6 months. four other bills have been enacted that have tax cuts and concessions built into them. for example. the Energy Policy Act. By breaking all of those tax cuts into small pieces and by burying them in other bills. not tax bills. the audit trail very quickly becomes hard to follow. It is hard to see the forest for the trees. Hard to see in the aggregate how all of these different tax cuts add up. So let us look at the revenue scorecard over the last 6 months. bearing in mind that every delay of revenues cut is a dollar added to the deficit. First of all. the highway bill: $500 million. The Energy Policy Act: $6.9 billion over 5 years. The Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act: $6.1 billion over 5 years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2867}
{"speech_id":1090096362,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Stealth Tax Relief Act. the 1year extension. or patch. to the AMT adopted yesterday: $31.2 billion. Todays bill: $56.1 billion. The bill. we adopted yesterday. a miscellany of small tax cuts. but it adds up to $153 million. And finally the Gulf Opportunity Zone Tax Act which was passed yesterday: $7.1 billion. The total amount of all of these tax cuts comes to $108 billion. So if you pass this bill today. the total impact that you will have taken with todays vote and recent votes comes to 108. But wait. it is not over yet. Because there is a provision in this bill. a provision in our substitute. a provision in yesterdays bill that indicates something has got to be done about the alternative minimum tax. We are going to have to fix the alternative minimum tax. If you fix it for 5 years. not 1. the aggregate effect of this fix. of all of the other tax cuts along with it. comes to $301 billion over 5 years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2867}
{"speech_id":1090096362,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the sum total that these tax cuts will add to the deficit. $301 billion if you fix the AMT next year and the following years the same way we are fixing it this year. So the net effect on the deficit is $301 billion in all political reality. So every Member here who is in earnest about the deficit should be on notice. You have a choice: you can vote for the underlying bill and add $301 billion to the deficit over the next 5 years. or you can vote for this bill and provide middleincome tax relief and not add a dime to the deficit. Here. in effect. is what your choice is. We stand at a crossroads today that CBO has depicted as follows on this particular chart. You can take this path here with $319 billion. or you can take this path here. and by 2015. we can be nearly out of deficit. On the other hand. you can take the path that this bill would take. and you will be $640 billion in deficit in 10 years. The Democratic substitute is morally and fiscally far and away the better choice. particularly if you want to balance the budget and eradicate the deficit.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2867}
{"speech_id":1090096366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. here we are just 2 weeks after House Republicans claimed that they were restoring fiscal discipline to the federal budget considering a tax bill that will make our deficits worse and drive our Nation even further into debt. In 5 short years. the Republican partys failed economic policies have instigated $1.57 trillion in budget deficits and added $3 trillion to the national debt. By the way. during the last 4 years of the Clinton administration. we added not a nickel to the national debt and all 4 years we had a surplus. Even Alan Greenspan. the chairman of the Federal Reserve. is sounding the alarm. He recently said. \"We should not be cutting taxes by borrowing.\" That is what we are doing. But with this bill Republicans are doing precisely that. Now the Republican response will be as predictable as it is wrong. They will claim that tax cuts pay for themselves. but at long last can we dispense with this supplyside snake oil. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2714}
{"speech_id":1090096366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last month the incoming chairman of the Federal Reserve told the Senate. \"I think its unusual for a tax cut to completely offset the revenue loss.\" That is President Bushs appointee to the Federal Reserve. And the Comptroller General of the United States. David Walker. recently stated. \"Anybody who says youre going to grow your way out of this problem. (deficits and debt) would probably not pass math.\" Even the Presidents Council of Economic Advisers admitted in 2003. \"Although -the economy grows in response to tax reductions. it is unlikely to grow so much that lost tax revenue is completely* recovered by the higher economic activity.\" That is why we have $1.75 trillion in additional deficits in 5 years and $3 trillion of additional debt. So my Republican friends can stop pretending that the tax cuts in this bill will somehow magically pay for themselves. You are suggesting cuts twice as large as you were prepared to cut in spending. They will not. Finally. let me say that this tax bill perfectly illustrates the Republican partys misguided priorities. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2714}
{"speech_id":1090096366,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its centerpiece is the capital gains and dividend cuts from 2008 to 2010. Who do you think benefits from that? Certainly not those making less than $50.000 a year. They will receive 3 percent of the capital gains tax cut. The fact is 80 percent of the capital gains tax cuts go to those with incomes more than $200.000. and more than 50 percent goes to those with incomes over $1 million. Meanwhile. this majority has refused to address the alternative minimum tax within this bill. thereby exposing nearly onethird of taxpayers making between $75.000 and $100.000 to higher taxes next year. I urge my colleagues: Vote for fairness. Vote for fiscal sanity. Vote for the Democratic alternative.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2714}
{"speech_id":1090096379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Very briefly. since the tax rate on capital gains and dividends was reduced in May of 2003. the economy has grown at an average rate of 4.1 percent. 4.4 million new jobs have been created. government tax receipts have increased 10 percent annually. Now we are coming to a situation in 2008 where the capital gains rate is going to go up to 20 percent. dividends go back to ordinary income. What effect is this going to have on the economy to all of the sudden have that increase that we are looking at? The question has been. and I think it has been raised. as to what is the hurry. why do it. We want them to be able to have a tax rate that people can count on. one that people can look into the future asfar as they could. I would like to extend it even further than that. but under reconciliation we are limited to the budget window. I think this is a good bill. I ask all the Members to reject the substitute and support the base bill.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1001}
{"speech_id":1090096392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is ob- Kap Ken] vious the gentleman from New York Kild wants to make sure you do not hear Kilp this. Kin Koc As I said. you do not need 12 minutes Lan to say this: If you vote \"yes\" for the Lan Democrat substitute. you are increas- Lars ing taxes over 5 years by $40 billion. Lars That is the single largest tax increase since they were in the majority Adet in 1993. Akit Alex","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":392}
{"speech_id":1090096409,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I do not need to mention yesterday or the 414 who voted to fix this problem. I would tell my friend from New York that you only need 60 votes outside of a reconciliation to pass this. But I do want to mention 1985. The Tax Reform Act of 1985. under their watch. said this: \"Other regular tax itemized deductions such as those for State and local taxes paid and for certain investment expenses. are not allowed for minimum tax purposes.\" I assume they did that knowingly. They were the ones who did it. In 1993. they passed the largest tax increase on the American people and had a chance to adjust it again. then. I will say that we have made progress today. This is an appropriate motion to recommit. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090096409,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It does not.kill the bill. The gentleman from Massachusetts said this is about upper income groups. In fact. there was an editorial recently that said it is between the rich and the very rich. But I do want to mark the landmark comment of the gentleman from Massachusetts who said this was about middle income people. And on page 2 of the motion to recommit. \"For purposes of this paragraph. the term threshold amount means $100.000 and $200.000 in the case of a joint return.\" So $200.000 is now middle income. I believe that is correct. They are the ones who have always said those are the very rich. Now. the other thing you need to understand. it is this business of how many people are going to fall under the alternative minimum tax. Do you know why? The reason. in 1994 that there were so few people who fell under the alternative minimum tax is because the regular tax was so high. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090096409,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What has happened in 2001. 2002. 2003 and 2004 we have driven down the rates. And because we have lower taxes. there are more people who fall under the alternative minimum tax. Do we need to address it? Of course. But the vote today is far more fundamental than that. This vote. if you vote yes. gives money to rich people to spend on consumption. Surely. you know that pure consumption does not move the economy very much. What they want to do is deny people the opportunity to invest and to save to supply fuel to the engine of the economy so we can continue with the lowest unemployment rate and the highest productivity rate than we have seen in years. This vote is very simple. A yes vote. consumption. not much bang for the buck. A no vote. investment and savings and a lot of bang for the buck. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090096409,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Vote no on reconciliation. yes on the bill. If we have limited dollars to spend. spend them for the highest and best purpose.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090096423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"(during the Kell reading). Mr. Speaker. I would like to Kell: raise a point of order. I know that we Ken are talking about a previous Member. King King but is it in order for them to impugn Klin the integrity of the House or of a pre- Kirk vious Member by making statements Klin Kno] like that in a resolution of this type? Kolt","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":328}
{"speech_id":1090096453,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my friend for yielding. This is an important topic for us to deal with. Pension security is incredibly important to Americans and their future. We believe we have a good bill from the Ways and Means Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee that has been put together. But I also understand that because both bodies have to be involved. it is highly unlikely that whatever we do would find its way to the Presidents desk this year. At the same time. circumstances might allow us to move that bill next week. But I would not put that on the list of things that we are almost certain to do. but certainly it is on the list of things we are looking at to see if there is a way we can go ahead and advance a House position so that our friends on the other side of the Capitol can move on this issue as well. and early next year. we could come to conclusion on an issue that is so critically important to so many Americans and their families.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":955}
{"speech_id":1090096501,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am so glad that Mr. RYAN set the pace here and he laid the foundation for continuing our discussion as it relates to responsibility. I can tell the Members the ideas that we had here on this floor as it relates to sensible tax policy that will not drive us further into debt. What happened today on the floor. not because of our votes. but because of the majority vote. the Republican majority. they took this country further into debt. 0] 1700 They made it so we are going to have to change our board here. because we are going to be borrowing more money from foreign countries. Mr. Speaker. because of the deficit. I will say this again. President Bush. with the Republican majority. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2940}
{"speech_id":1090096501,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I guarantee you he could not do it by himself without the Republican majority here in this House. has borrowed a recordbreaking. mindboggling $1.05 trillion in the last 4 years. more than 42 Presidents prior to the President taking office. 42 Presidents. Republican and Democrat. Some of the gentlemen here on this board were once members of the Whig Party. But I can tell you they were only able to achieve borrowing from foreign nations $1.01 trillion over 224 years. This is the same majority and the same President that says that .we know exactly what we are doing as it relates to putting this country on the right track. Well. I can tell you. Members of the Congress. that I am very. very concerned. We used to have a discussion about future generations and putting the burden on their back. We are putting the burden on this generations back. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2940}
{"speech_id":1090096501,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is going to cost more for kids to go to school. It is going to cost more for parents to send their children to school. It is going to cost more for those young Americans that would like to educate themselves to be able to save enough money to be able to go to college. because we cut it by $14.3 billion. So I .think it is important that we take all of this into account. But what I would also like to say. Mr. Speaker. in my opening comments. I cannot help but commend our Democratic leader for her privileged resolution here today. outlining a culture of corruption and cronyism and incompetence in Washington. D.C. I think it is important that we say that out loud so that individuals understand that we must not only police ourselves in how we conduct business. but what we are doing when we haveinvestigations. unprecedented here in this Congress and investigations over in the White House. dealing with national security breaches. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2940}
{"speech_id":1090096501,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important that we make sure that the American people know exactly what is going on and that we take appropriate action in a bipartisan way. Right now we are not taking any action. There is discussiofi about action. And I just want to commend the gentlewoman from Florida and the Speaker about having ethics training here in the House. I just wanted. to say that. That is something. That is something. That is better than what we had yesterday.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2940}
{"speech_id":1090096559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Iowa . I have to say that probably there is no way to explain what a precious honor it is in my life to be able to stand on this floor with people like Mr. POE. and Mr. KING and the gentleman that stands on the Speaker podium tonight. Mr. MCHENRY. These are people that I believe are Valley Forge Americans. and we are all very fortunate in this country to see them in this place. Mr. Speaker. our brave men and women in uniform have always fought desperately to preserve those unalienable rights of life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness that is endowed by the Creator himself. And that is exactly what they are doing right now in Iraq. and we should all be deeply grateful for that. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4384}
{"speech_id":1090096559,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. One of the things that I am desperately worried about is whether the people in this body and in this republic itself truly understand what we are facing. not only as a Nation. but as a western civilization. The question we must ask ourselves is not whether we can win this war. we must win this war. The question now is what will happen if we do not. Mr. Speaker. I am so concerned that this Nation does not really understand that we are at war with an ideology. an ideology that threatens the existence of the free world. This war did not begin on 9\/11. This war began many years ago when certain Muslim extremists embraced a divergent Islamist dogma that dictates that all infidels must die. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4384}
{"speech_id":1090096559,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our Nation was first attacked during its very beginnings in the late 1700s by the Barbary terrorists of the day. And more recently. we were attacked in 1979 in Iran. Our embassy and our marine barracks were attacked in Beirut in 1983. The first World Trade Center attack was in 1993. Mr. Speaker. and we still did not wake up to what was happening. Our military complexes and soldiers have been targeted throughout the world. The Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996. Our embassies were blown up in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. We witnessed the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4384}
{"speech_id":1090096559,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And Mr. Speaker. just 1 year later. on September 11. terrorists murdered 3.000 American civilians on our own soil. And I wonder. have we actually forgotten that? Since then our soldiers and contractors have been kidnapped and executed. their bodies mutilated and dragged through the streets. And we are not alone. Mr. Speaker. This is taking place throughout the world. In Serbia and Bosnia. soldiers. POWs and civilians were beheaded by Mujahadin. In Beslan. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4384}
{"speech_id":1090096559,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Russia. 186 children and 158 teachers and parents were slaughtered in a terrorist attack against a grade school. And just a few weeks ago. Mr. Speaker. in Indonesia. three young girls on their way to school were attacked and beheaded by Muslim extremists. Their names were Theresa. Ida and Alfreda. Churches are being attacked. Pastors have been kidnapped. tortured and beheaded. -and it seems there is not a day that goes by without some suicide bomber or some car bomb attack in Iraq. And we have witnessed the horrific bombings in Spain and London and Indonesia and Jordan and Israel. And just today. ","speaker_name":"TRENT FRANKS","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4384}
{"speech_id":1090096562,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for his comments. He did bring up another war that I did not include in this when he mentioned the Cold War. The Cold War went on for perhaps 45 years. beginning shortly after World War H and ending. I am going to say. November 9. 1989. when the wall went down in Berlin. And it took about 2. 22 years for freedom to echo all the way across Eastern Europe. But the liberation that took place at the culmination at the Cold War. and it was a glorious victory. We say a bloodless victory. and I have stood on this floor and called it a bloodless victory. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10685}
{"speech_id":1090096562,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it was not without price. The mutually assured destruction. the millions of men and women that needed to be mobilized. the capital that had to be poured into the research and development to be ahead of the Soviet Union it came to the arms race. and not just the price in treasure .but the price in blood as well. There is a price in blood as a price to be ready. Mr. Speaker. and we do not often talk about it. I asked the Pentagon to put some numbers together for me so I had a sense of that. I wanted to know how many of our soldiers in uniform die in the line of duty not at the cause of combat but perhaps at the cause of an accident. a training accident. for example. an onduty accident. an in uniform onduty accident. And I had them look back through a whole number of years. and I put that together and I boiled it down into a figure that I could at least commit to memory so that I could put it into proportion and talk about it in a way that made sense. The number that they gave me worked out to be an average of 505 American lives lost every year during peaceable activities in uniform. deaths as a price to be ready to go into combat. Five hundred and five Americans a year. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10685}
{"speech_id":1090096562,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. that is the average that takes place during the 1990s up until the year 2001. The average prior to that. during the Cold War. I do not know that number. and their records were not very available. But I would suspect it would be greater. not ress because we have more safety. not less. and we had more people in uniform. not less. But I took that number and just said 500 a year. and as the gentleman from Arizona was talking. I multiplied it across the 45 years of the Cold War. And the number I came up with was 22.500 American lives. That gives us a sense of the magnitude of the price of winning the Cold War. not to add the treasure. That is the blood. That is the sacrifice. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10685}
{"speech_id":1090096562,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is a price to be ready. There is another whole price out here that is paid for our freedom that is never acknowledged by the pessimists on the other side of the aisle. and that is that price to be ready. And it is measured in this victory in the Cold War. 22.500 lives perhaps. A quick scratch here on the paper is all that supports that statement and some good information to support it. But with that number of lives. hundreds of millions of people were liberated in the aftermath of the Cold War. When the Iron Curtain descended down across Europe and those people lived for 45 years behind the Iron Curtain in a kind of a world where we were in full technicolor and they were living in black and white. it gives us a sense of how bad it was where they did not have free enterprise. did not have opportunity. did not have freedom. And today they do. And. by the way. the most recent people who have achieved freedom are the ones that cherish it the most. They are the ones that are the most eager to be part of our coalition forces in Iraq to defend the freedom of the Iraqi people. So this price for freedom has been great. but the value has been astonishing. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10685}
{"speech_id":1090096562,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The pessimism on the other side of the aisle has been stupendous. And I have brought some posters along to talk about what happens when we send a pessimistic message from this Congress. from the leaders of this country. from the people who are viewed. at least on the other side of the ocean. as the quasileaders of the United States of America. And I will start with Muqtada alSadr. This individual here. Mr. Speaker. decided to put his own militia together. Sadr City. Baghdad. in a region south of Baghdad. And his militia attacked coalition troops. American troops. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10685}
{"speech_id":1090096565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reason I think it is important that we are down here right now at 7:15 on a Thursday night when most Members have gone home is because we are talking about the future of our country. This is to run the deficit up another $30 billion in order to give tax cuts primarily to those millionaires. 45 percent of tax cuts that we passed today will go to millionaires. Fortyfive percent. Now 45 percent of taxpayers are not millionaires. but they are going to get 45. So it is totally disproportionate to the average income in the United States of America. Here is what we have been doing before today as far as the tax cuts go. And if you have made $441.000 and up. you have got on average $87.000 back. $87.000 back. And today the average millionaire is going to get $32.000 more back. And that is so you are talking about\" a millionaire getting well over $100.000. $130.000 because this is the average: $130.000 back in tax cuts. You are talking about borrowing money from the Chinese Government. from the Japanese Government. from the Saudi Arabians in order to pay for this. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1137}
{"speech_id":1090096565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We do not have money. We are not running a surplus right now.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1137}
{"speech_id":1090096570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have to put more into this and we have to do more with this. Matter of fact. I want to make sure that staff get this on. It is factual. Matter of fact. it is from the department of the U.S. Treasury so this is not fiction. This is third party validators. I am going to possibly get this on my Web site if it is not already on there. on my House Web site. to make sure the American people understand what is happening to them. $1.05 trillion this President has borrowed along with this Republican Congress here in this House and over in the Senate. Fortytwo Presidents before this President. $1.01 trillion. 224 years. 1776 to 2000. I am going to say that again. year 1776 to the year 2000. $1.01 trillion borrowed from foreign Nations. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2254}
{"speech_id":1090096570,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"From this government. one President. one Republican majority. $1.05 trillion. Oh. we know exactly what we are doing on the majority side. They say. oh. yes. the Democrats. they do not have any thoughts on balancing the budget and making our country more sound financially. we have all the great ideas. Well. guess what. the great ideas have countries like China. Saudi Arabia. Japan. just to name a few. their hand in our cookie jar. They have a piece of the American pie right now. not because they took it. It is because the Republican majority gave it to them on a silver platter. The Republican majority is saying we can go to war. we can Nation build in a foreign land. we can also give tax cuts to billionaires and millionaires and give the American people peanuts in a tax cut. The first time in the history of this country. there is a lot of recordbreaking things that are going on here. and it is not all good. $1.05 trillion. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2254}
{"speech_id":1090096570,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in money that foreign Nations that we borrowed from foreign Nations. That is making history in the wrong way. I do not see anyone coming to the floor on the majority side saying guess what we have done. $1.05 trillion. we have borrowed more than 42 Presidents before this President and before this Republican House. we have done that. We have done it. We have accomplished that. No one is cheerleading about that. No one is willing to talk about that. So. if we want to level with the American people. let us tell them the truth. Go on to the U.S. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2254}
{"speech_id":1090096570,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Treasury Web site.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2254}
{"speech_id":1090096575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And to take the analogy even further with the business. how can you just keep going on borrowing. borrowing. borrowing. borrowing. borrowing? That is all we are doing right now. This is the national debt today. $8.120 trillion. That is a lot of money. $8 trillion.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090096699,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I think advice and consent for somebody who has gone through the nomination process. the recommendations. through the Judiciary Committee. hearings. recommended to this floor. I would argue. not written in the Constitution. but under advice and consent. you cant vote with your hands in your pocket. You cant say yes or no.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090096734,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the majority leader. I hope my PA system is on here. This country is a great country. but it has never perfected a good PA system. I think this one is working. May I say to the distinguished Senator. on vote No. 37. 106th Congress. on the nomination of Richard A. Paez to be U.S. circuit judge. vote on cloture on March 8. 2000. the distinguished Senator from Tennessee. Mr. FRIST. voted to filibuster. The question was on a cloture motion to end a filibuster. Cloture was agreed to by threefifths vote. but the distinguished Senator from Tennessee chose to exercise his right. and he voted against cloture. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":795}
{"speech_id":1090096734,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He voted to filibuster. So the worm turns. The day may come when the Senator may want to filibuster. He will never find me on the side of saying I will cut off your right to talk.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":795}
{"speech_id":1090096790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Equal Access to Medicare Act of 2005 to combat the growing practice of health care often called \"concierge\" medicine. As my colleagues may recall I introduced similar legislation in the past two sessions of Congress to deal with the growing problem of doctors shutting down their practices and opening new ones. only accepting those patients willing to pay a membership fee. These fees range from $60 to $15.000 annually. By charging these extraneous and unwarranted dues or requiring patients to purchase nonMedicare covered services. doctors can shrink their practices. maintain a high profit margin. and continue billing Medicare. all on the backs of low and middleincome beneficiaries. This is a dangerous model that causes significant disparities in the care available to Medicare beneficiaries. A doctor receiving Medicare reimbursement should not be allowed to turn away Medicare beneficiaries who cannot or choose not to pay membership fees or fees for other nonMedicare covered services. My bill simply prevents Medicare from providing payments to doctors who charge their patients membership fees or any other incidental or extraneous fees. or who require the purchase of nonMedicare covered services as a condition for the provision of Medicare covered services. Since the introduction of this bill in 2001. the practice has been expanding with versions in many States. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2389}
{"speech_id":1090096790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to a recent GAO report. the number of physicians practicing concierge medicine has increased by more than 10 times in the past 5 years. As an increasing number of Medicare beneficiaries voice their concerns. it is time for Congress to act. Should this practice proliferate. a doctor shortage for low and middleincome Medicare beneficiaries is likely. exacerbating an already ailing health care marketplace. I must emphasize that this bill does not interfere with the ability of doctors to limit the size of their practices or to be adequately compensated. it simply applies the same standard private insurance companies apply to their providersthat doctors may not select patients based upon willingness or ability to pay an entrance fee. I hope my colleagues will join me in helping Medicare keep its promise of accessibility to seniors who have paid a lifetime of \"premiums.\" I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2389}
{"speech_id":1090096842,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in speaking to conferees this afternoon in relation to the deficit reduction or the budget reconciliation process. this is an issue. that. frankly. most Senators probably have not heard all that much about. Everyone agrees that the reconciliation act. or Deficit Reduction Act. is an attempt by Congress to rein in spending and to build the appropriate budget in this climate. This .legislatiofi makes tough cuts in important programs in all areas of Government. While nearly all programs are taking their lumpsif you will. sucking it up a bitCongress is. ironically. considering increasing spending in a bill whose sole purpose is to decrease spending. The Senates version of the Budget Reconciliation Act. or Deficit Reduction Act. includes a provision renewing the Milk Income Loss Contract Program. also known as the MILC Program. which currently expired in September of this year. The CBO has scored this renewal in costs to the taxpayers of $1 billion over a 2year period. In other words. half a billion a year. This deserves much more attention than it got. in the Senate. The MILC Dairy Price Support Program was included in the 2000 farm bill to create a permanent direct payment program to the dairy producers. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4231}
{"speech_id":1090096842,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the farm bill debate. USDA warned that the new program would run counter to the old dairy price support program in place since the 1940s. Analysis by the USDA in August of 2002 concluded that the MILC Program would cause overproduction. thereby lowering farm prices to producers. forcing the government to purchase the excess until prices stabilized. However. Congress ignored the USDA warning and authorized the program to last until September of 2005. enough time to see dairy producers through the tough times back in 2002. Now. after over $2 billion in taxpayerfunded programs. some in the Congress have easily forgotten about the agreement to sunset a prograni. When we sunset a program it is the intent of Congress to conclude it. Let me give some examples of how -distorted it has become if the program is in support and in relation to production in our country. Idaho dairy production is now 4th in the Nation and one of the top economic drivers in the economy of my State. During the 20032005 period. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4231}
{"speech_id":1090096842,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Idaho received $39 million in MILC payments. enough to be ranked 12th in total payments received in the program. yet they are fourth in production in the Nation. In comparison. California received $149 million over the same time. is ranked fifth in total payments and. of course. California is the No. 1 milk producer in the Nation. There seems to be no relationship. I guess some hands are just too sticky to let money pass just because the law is 3 years old and ready to expire. My point is this: It is important to understand just what this program does and what the $1 billion for one program means in the overall picture. It has become market distorted. It provides little to no parity to all producers. It encourages inefficient overproduction in milk and it sends the exact opposite signal to our trade negotiators trying to sell the rest of the world on the idea that the United States is willing to cut domestic subsidies and amber box payments. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4231}
{"speech_id":1090096842,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Regarding the WTO negotiations. our United States Trade Representative and USDA Secretary and many others are currently attempting to negotiate in the latest Doha Round getting started in Hong Kong as we speak. It is clearly important we send a message. It is also important when we sunset a program after having found out it is* market distorting. we ought to do just that. instead of pump it up again while we are asking all other programs that are federally expended to reduce their overall expenditures. to reduce the budget deficit and to bring this budget under control. I hope our conferees. as they negotiate the budget deficit reduction act. or the budget resolution. would decide not to fund the MILC Program. adhere to the sunset provision provided and allow a program to die as this program effectively did by the sunset in September of this year. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to have printed for the RECORD articles in opposition to the MILC Program and also an article from the Wall Street Journal.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4231}
{"speech_id":1090096894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the national security letters are stronger in the conference report than they were in the Senate bill. The conclusive presumption in the conference report is more protective than the language in the Senate bill on conclusive presumption. The conference report picking up the Senate bill provisions improves the civil liberties protection from existing law by the explicit right of the recipient to go to court to quash or to make the disclosure to the target.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090096900,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me be brief with one comment about 30.000. I urge the Senator from Wisconsin to get a classified briefing and not to take the facts of the Washington Post. because the Washington Post is totally wrong. I am not at liberty to tell the Senator what the facts are. although I asked the Department of Justice to put those facts before the public. Too much is classified. and I think this is inappropriately classified. I would like to be able to detail it. Let me talk about the delayed notice provisions. Existing law provides for notification of the target in a reasonable period of time. which could mean anything. The Senate bill called for 7 days. the House bill. wanted 180- days. and we got 30 tional provision. which is justified. so days. \u0095 they can evaluate his objection to the I suggest in the totality of the legis- national security letters where the lation that we are in the 85 to 15per- conclusive presumption is tighter in cent range. 85percent Senate provi- the conference report than in the Sensions. 15percent House provisions. and ate version and other protections. and the 15 percent which the House has the protections on delayed notice. sodoes not impinge on civil liberties. I called -sneak and peek. and wiretaps. wouldnt take 1 percent if this were an and then especially on sunset. inappropriate impingement on civil lib- The debate is very illuminating and erties. The 30 days can be extended by does more than the speech I gave yesa court on cause shown for specific rea- terday. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7288}
{"speech_id":1090096900,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is nothing as dull as a sons. speech on the Senate floor and nothing With respect to the wiretap provi- as lively as a little debate. This Senate sion. I joined the Senator from Wis- has very little debate. very little exconsin in opposing the roving wiretaps. change of ideas where Senators come I have never liked wiretaps. When I was and in a respectful way pose questions district attorney for Philadelphia. this and in a respectful way give answers to issue came up for consideration of our illuminate rather than obfuscate. no body. and I was the only one of 67 coun- tablepounding. ty district attorneys to object to wire- I thank the Senator from Wisconsin tapping. for what he has done this year on the Since I can only be brief here. I committee and for his thoughtful apwould invite my colleagues againI proach here. albeit wrong. albeit not know I am not going to persuade the persuasive and should not carry the Senator from Wisconsin. In talking day. I thank him for his contribution. about the late notice and talking about Without yielding the floor. .J ask the wiretap provisions. I want my col- unanimous consent I may yield to the leagues to look at the details as to how Senator from Wisconsin without losing we have protected against random se- the floor. lection on the specification. a descrip- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. tion of the person who is to be wire- CHAMBLISS). Without objection. it is so tapped. and showing that the person ordered. subject to the wiretap is likely to try Mr. FEINGOLD. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7288}
{"speech_id":1090096900,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am to avoid the wiretap. thoroughly enjoying this. and I came The final comment I have to make is out here and described the Senator about sunsetting. The House put in a again as valiant on this issue. But I am provision for a 10year sunset. The Sen- getting a little worried as we start reate put in a provision for a 4year sun- viewing each of these provisions. The set. The House wanted the compromise Senator from Pennsylvania voted for of 7 years. halfway between 4 and 10. every single one of these provisions The Senate conferees insisted on a that I have talked about as part of the compromise at 4 years. The House said Senate version. There was a reason we it was not much of a compromise. not drafted it that way. - when they were at 10 and the Senate When the Senator properly puts me was at 4 years. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7288}
{"speech_id":1090096900,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the White through my paces on each of these House for assistance in working this issues and I identify my remaining obdetail out. We did so on the expecta- jections and he minimizes the objection that by working the sunset to 4 tionskeep in mind he already voted years. we would have a number of Sen- for those very provisions. he voted for ators signatures on the conference re- exactly these provisions in the Senate port and a number of House signatures bill. So when I point out on section 215 on the conference report. that a general relevance standard is I am not going to wash that linen in not a sufficient protection and he public as to what happened but only to agrees on the record that was troubling say that our ability to review this bill to him. it seems to me that is a valid at 4 years is a mighty potent weapon to issue to be concerned about. keep law enforcement on its toes. With regard to the sneakandpeek knowing it is going to be subject to re- provision. the Senator did not vote. view in that period of time. when he voted in the Senate. for 30 I have pledged privately and publicly days permission for a sneak and peek and again in the Senate yesterday to and a 90day extension after that. he have extensive and piercing oversight voted for 7 days. because the Senator as to what law enforcement does. I from Pennsylvania knows as well as think the Senator from Wisconsin will any Member in this Senate that the agree on the point that in the year I idea of a sneakandpeek search in the have been chairman. there has been first place is a very troubling exception real oversight. We have called for it to the fourth amendment protection and done a. job here. that every American has against unThe debate has been very useful. I reasonable searches and seizures. This dont have any questions to pose to the is a very narrow exception. When the Senator from Wisconsin. I am glad he Senate voted in the Senate. he did not is here to respond so the other side can vote for 30 days. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7288}
{"speech_id":1090096900,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He did not vote for a be articulated and so my colleagues period of time that is overfour times can make their own evaluation as to larger than 7 days. he voted for 7 days. the weight of the objection of the Sen- To now suggest this is somehow a trivator from Wisconsin to section 215. ial concern is not consistent with.eiwhich is very limited to that one addi- ther the Senators record on this particular legislation or consistent with his apparent cosponsorship of the SAFE Act in the past. This debate is valuable. but when the Senator actually lists these all together as he has done. the only thing I can agree with him on is--and I am gratefulthat the sunsets have been preserved. That is positive. Let me say. the Senator cosponsored the SAFE Act. He knows some of the things we are sunsetting potentially permit the violations of the rights of innocent and lawbiding Americans. A sunset is only a secondary level of protection that essentially says. Look. peoples rights might be violated now. but at least we .will have a chance to change it later. The idea of simply prevailing on the sunsets. which allow violations to continue without .changing the substance of the law to protect Americans rights and civil rights liberties. is not a sufficient reason to vote for the conference report. But I do look forward to further exchange with the Senator on this as the week goes on. I thank the Chair.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7288}
{"speech_id":1090096902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Wisconsin. The last comments made the argument better than I have during the course of the last hour when he chastises me for agreeing to 30 days when I voted for 7 days but the House bill has 180 days. That is a reason to vote against the bill. He has made my case. When you take up an issue about what is fair and .appropriate and adequately protective of civil rights as to when the target should b6 notified as to a surreptitious or secret search of his apartment. and you have an existing bill which says a reasonable period of timewhich could be anythingand the Senate comes in at 7 days and -the House comes in at 180 days. there is no real concession on civil liberties. The House made a concession of 150 days. from 180 to 30. The Senate made a concession of 23 days. from 7 to 30. I ask the other 98 Senators whether this is a meritorious argument. a weighty argument. or more of scintilla. That is an expression we use in the law when the item has virtually no weight. In the conimon law. they talk about a peppercorn being adequate for consideration. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1358}
{"speech_id":1090096902,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But thisis a scintilla. Maybe this is not even a scintilla. to say a concession from 7 to 30 days is meaningful. I am glad the Senator from Wisconsin made that as his final. persuasive. overwhelming argument because that illustrates the flimsiness of the considerations.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1358}
{"speech_id":1090096925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are trying. as the Senate and as a Congress. to wrap up the business for the Government this year. A major part of that effort is to complete the budget process. Included in the budget were two directions to the Congress. which were voted in by a majority of the Congressregrettably. very few people from the other side of the aisle supported itand one of the directions was. for the first time in 8 years. to attempt to bring under control the rate of growth of entitlement spending. Anybody who looks reasonably at the Federal Governmentand lets take an independent view here and the view specifically of. Chairman Greenspan. who recently gave a speech in London where he pointed out that the biggest concern he has from the standpoint of fiscal policy was the burgeoning costs of the Federal Government which were being driven by entitlement spending. and which would explode as the baby boom generation began to retire in 2008 and become an untenable burden for the children of the baby boom generation and their children as they have to pay the taxes or costs of supporting that retired generation which is so large. This bill. in what I consider to be the first act of fiscal responsibility of significance in the last 8 years. moved legislation that said the Congress. for the first time in 8 years. will address the issue of entitlements. Now. the savings being projected in the bill were not that dramatic and they continue to be not that dramatic. They are large numbers. obviously. but in the context of the total spending on entitlements. they are not that large. For example. the savings that are being projected in the area of Medicaid are about $10 billion over 5 years. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11240}
{"speech_id":1090096925,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But what you have to understandand that is a big numberis over that period. Medicaid will be spending approximately $1.4 trilliontrillion dollars. So we are actually asking for less than a onetenth of 1 percent reduction in the rate of growth in Medicaid. and Medicaid during that period will grow at 40 percenta 40percent growth rate over those 5 years. down from 41 percent. assuming we make the $10 billion reduction over the 10 years in the rate of growth. The total deficit reduction bill was to be somewhere in the range of $35 billion to $50 billion. depending on which bill was taken from which House. It left the Senate at $39 billion and left the House of Representatives at about $50 billion. $51 billion. something like that. I am not sure. In any event. it is going to fall somewhere between those two numbers. We as a Congress hopefully can pass legislation that accomplishes that goal which starts to reduce the rate of growth of entitlements and reduces the debt of the Government to at least $40 billionhopefully more than that. $45 billion. $46 billion over the next 5 years. This is the responsible thing to do. and it will be the first act of significant fiscal responsibility in which we have participated in a while around here as we continue to pass in the entitlement areathere has been significant fiscal responsibility in the nondefense discretionary area executed by the Appropriations Committee under. again. the budget which essentially froze nondefense discretionary spending and put in place what is known as caps so we can enforce them. Ironically. none of these proposals for fiscal responsibility put in place have received any significant support from the other side of the aisle. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11240}
{"speech_id":1090096925,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the budget passed this Congress. I dont think any Members from the other side of the aisle voted for it. When the reconciliation bill passed this Congress. * two Members from the other side of the aisleI appreciate it very muchthe Senator from Louisiana and the Senator from Nebraska voted for it. but other than that. no one else on the other side of the aisle voted for fiscal responsibility or an attemptto reduce the rate of growth of the Government. So this has become a lifting exercise in which. for all practical purposes. Republican Members of the Congress appear to be ready to participate. Yet today we are hearing from the other side of the aisle that .they want to instruct the conferees of a bill. against which they votedthey voted against the budget. which was the underlying billinstruct the. conferees how the conference should occur. I find that to be a touch inconsistentto be kind. a touch inconsistent. a big touch inconsistent. to be honest.. Here they are. folks who have not voted for any fiscal restraint and. in fact. as we moved through the appropriations process have suggested that we add $500 billion of new spending to the Fedbral Government under the appropriations process. which is not. by the way. impacted under this deficit reduction bill because this is entitlement activity. the two accounts being separate. appropriations being onetime annual expenditures of the Government. entitlements being programs which people have a right to and. therefore. they can go out and receive funding. They may be veterans. they may be lowincome individuals. they may be studentsthey have a right to receive funding. It goes on independent of annual legislation. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11240}
{"speech_id":1090096925,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As I said. the other side of the aisle not only has not supported the efforts of fiscal responsibility by voting for either the budget or the vast majority. with the two exceptions I mentioned. not voting for a deficit reduction bill. but now come forward with a series of what are going to be instructions to the conferees as to how the conferees. should act after they voted against passing the bill and moving forward with the legislation. Chutzpah is an understatement for that type of approach. Lets just take one or two examples and discuss them for a second. For example. the Senator from Rhode Island was talking about LIHEAP. Theye is significant irony in the position of the Senator from Rhode Islandsignificant. irony. To begin with. he voted against the one proposal that we could have passedwhich was fundedwhich would have funded LIHEAP to keep people protected from the increase in oil costs. It was paid for. That amendment was offered by myself. It was paid for with an acrosstheboard cut in the LaborHHS bill. It would have fully funded the LIHEAP account at a level which would have held harmless everybody who receives LIHEAP money. lowincome energy assistance. because we all realize the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program is a critical program and there is going to be significant stress. especially in the Northern States. as a result of the increased costs of the price of oil. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11240}
{"speech_id":1090096925,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And yet this was opposed. When this opportunity came along. it was opposed for political reasons. if nothing else. I suspect. because they wanted to make a claim that they were going to fund LIHEAP at a level that was significantly higher than what CBO and what the Energy Department and what everyone else said was needed. including the Health and Human Services Department. to hold the program harmless. to keep the people funded who needed to be funded. That increase. which was required. was a $1.2 billion increase. You dont have to listen to me to believe that. Take a look at the letter the Senator from Rhode Island sent out asking that the funding in LIHEAP be increasedit was signed by I- think 44 Members of the Senatebe at a level that held harmless the system so people who receive money under LIHEAP would get the money they needed. What was the number in that letter? The number was $1.2 billion. But suddenly. in order to promote an agenda which had nothing to do with making sure the people were held harmless but had a lot to do with maybe headlines. we find the number being asked for is another $1.5 billion on top of that. It is not paid for. not offset. Just run up the debt and put money into an account far in excess of what that account needs to do the job right. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11240}
{"speech_id":1090096976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce the Agricultural Employment and Workforce Protection Act. My home State of Georgia is one of the most diversified agricultural producing States east of the Mississippi. The livelihood of many of my constituents and many Americans across the country depends on the quality of the crop. the bounty of the harvest. and the health of the live-. stock. In drafting this legislation I am introducing today. I was guided by four principles: .. 1. Preventionif we do not stem the tide of illegal immigrants coming into our country then there is no point in Congress attempting to have a positive impact on our immigration pdlicy. Strict enforcement of our immigration laws is essential and we should demand no less. 2. Protectionthe United States has always been a welcoming. country to immigrants. and many nonimmigrants are admitted for temporary periods to perform necessary jobsparticularly in the field of agriculturethat employers cannot fill. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6950}
{"speech_id":1090096976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. any temporary worker program must provide adequate protections for American jobs. Employers should not view alien workers as a way to get cheaper laborit is not fair to Americans willing to work hard and looking for a wellpaying job and it is not fair to the aliens who are exploited by working for substandard wages. 3. Accountabilityif Congress. through reform legislation. provides employers with an avenue to obtain legal temporary workers. there should be no tolerance for employers who hire illegal aliens. We all know that many illegal immigrants come to the United States seeking employment. Employers who flaunt the rule of law by hiring illegally are hampering our efforts to secure the border by providing incentives for people to illegally come to the United States. and they must be held accountable. -4. CompassionWe are a Nation of immigrants and immigrants have made many. wonderful contributions to our countrynot the least of which is helping ensure there is a stable supply of food in the grocery stores for all Americans. We need to ensure that those workers who come to the United States on a temporary basis to perform agricultural work are not exploited and are treated with fairness and respect. The best way to show compassion for illegal immigrants is to stop illegal immigration. I know the Senate is planning to take up debate on comprehensive immigration reform early next year. and I think it is important that we engage in this discussion. The purpose of my legislation is to ensure that reform for the agricultural community is included in whatever reforms Congress considers. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6950}
{"speech_id":1090096976,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The agricultural sector of our economy has been historically plagued by illegal immigration. We already have an avenue for agricultural employers to obtain legal temporary workersthe H2A program. However. many agricultural employers do not use the program because its bureaucracy is difficult to navigate. it is costly. and it is litigious. In addition. it excludes certain occupations from agriculture. My legislation provides needed reforms to the H2A program. provides for the creation of a temporary blue card program. establishes an H2AA worker program for crossborder commuter workers. and. above all. provides for increased border security. First. it mandates that the Department of Homeland Security establish and present to Congress a comprehensive plan for increased border security and stricter enforcement of our Nations immigration laws. including detailed strategies. timelines. and estimated costs. Until such time the Secretary presents and Congress approves the plan. some interim measures would apply. Second. the legislation streamlines and modernizes the H2A program. H2A is not a new guestworker program. It has been around for many years. but underutilized because of its high costs. red tape. and risks of drawn out litigation.. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6950}
{"speech_id":1090096976,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To increase the use of the program. the bill expands the definition of \"agriculture\" to include industries that have been excluded from use of the program previouslyindustries such as poultry. seafood. and meat processors. landscapers. and reforestation contractors. The bill also bases the definition \"temporary\" on the du-. ration a worker is allowed to be in the United States rather than tying it to seasonality. Some agricultural occupations. like poultry producers and dairy producers. do not follow seasons but require workers year round. If these employers in occupations previously excluded from the H2A program were offered a viable alternative to an illegal workforce. I have no doubt they would seize it. Third. my legislation creates a crossborder commuter worker program. called the H2AA program. This program is modeled after the H2A program. but recognizes that many farms located close to the Canadian and Mexican borders seek to employ workers who prefer to live in their home countries and simply come to the U.S. each day. The H2AA program exempts farmers who employ these H2AA workers from the housing and transportation requirements of the H2A program. and requires those who use it to enter and exit the United States each day. It allows these agricultural operations to attract workers who live close to the borders but do not desire to move to the United States. Finally. my legislation establishes a blue card program. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6950}
{"speech_id":1090096976,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a temporary program that provides for the transition\" of employees who are currently here in an undocumented status filling needed jobs. To qualify for a blue card. aliens must have worked at least 1600 hours in agriculture in 2005. have never been convicted or a felony or a misdemeanor in the United States. and must have a petition filed on their behalf by their employer. Only after a background check is conducted by the Department of Homeland Security would these blue card workers be allowed to work in the United States for a period of 24 months before they must return to their home country. The blue nard allows employers who are currently utilizing an illegal workforce to transition their workforce into a legal one by having their employees leave the country and return on the legal H2A temporary worker program without experiencing a complete work stoppage. There is no amnesty with the blue card programall workers must return to their home country. The underlying premise of any guestworker program and explicitly provided for in my proposed legislation is that United States employers should not be allowed to utilize a guestworker program unless and until they have actively recruited American workers and are unable to find enough to fill needed jobs. We dont want to stifle American businesses but more impontantly we dont want to disadvantage American workers. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting practical needed reforms for the agricultural community and I look forward to the time early next year in which this vital issue will be debated here in the United States Senate. By Mr. ALLARD (for himself and Mr. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6950}
{"speech_id":1090097028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on this day 2 years ago. United States soldiers found the king of tyranny. Saddam Hussein. hiding in a hole like a rat near Tikrit. Iraq. His trial recently started. and it is more public than some American trials because it is carried on international television. He pontificates about how he is unjustly treated. He tries to portray himself as an honorable person. This is the same dreadful demon dictator that tortured and murdered his own citizens and caused years of chaos and calamity in his own country. Witnesses in the trial have described rapes. beatings. and electric shock torture carried out by his relentless regime. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1201}
{"speech_id":1090097028,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the news stories focus on his outrageous court behavior instead of his years of vicious violence and mayhem. The people of the world deserve a record of his atrocities. not the senseless stories of his bad courtroom attitude. his disruptions. and his disrespectfhl and disgraceful demeanor. The caged rodent known as Saddam Hussein can protest all he wants. but even the likes of him now receives a fair trial. Justice will soon be served. and he will be punished like the rat that he is. We call this justice system democracy. Thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1201}
{"speech_id":1090097030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. another 2year anniversary that we observed this week is the passage and signing of the Medicare Modernization Act. A part of that act which really has not received the notice that it deserves is the part that expanded health savings accounts to more Americans. A lot of the restrictions were removed. and these changes allowed more people to be covered by health savings accounts that resulted in more coverage. coverage for people. and more choices for those people with insurance products. Mr. Speaker. I know this. because I had this before coming to Congress. and at that time there were only two companies that offered MSAtype coverage in my State. Now. the field has grown so that many companies offer coverage. and the prices for health savings accounts have dramatically reduced in my area. Today. Chief Deputy Whip Cantor is going to be introducing a bill that is going to remove some more restrictions that will allow for the adaptability for what are called flexible spending accounts and health reimbursement accounts so they can more seamlessly interact. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1150}
{"speech_id":1090097030,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is good legislation. and I urge my colleagues to look into it. .","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1150}
{"speech_id":1090097052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 487. which supports the goals and ideals of Korean American Day. I would like to recognize my colleagues Representatives DAVIS. RANGEL. CAPUANO and ROYCE for their leadership on this bill. As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). I am proud to stand here to honor the accomplishments and contributions of the Korean American community. On January 13. 1903. the first wave of Korean immigrants arrived in Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2671}
{"speech_id":1090097052,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Like all immigrants. they arrived in this country with hope that they would find opportunities and a better life for themselves and their children. After World War II and the Korean War. two separate streams of Korean immigration took place. The first included those searching for political and educational freedom from the war. The larger stream. occurred after the 1965 Immigration Act. which abolished the \"national origins\" quota system and allowed for family reunification provisions. After being hardened through years of war in Korea. these immigrants felt determined to build better lives and thrive in the United States. For Korean immigrants. the American dream of building a better future for their families is alive and well. Korean Americans make this dream a reality through a focus on entrepreneurship. Korean American entrepreneurs have successfully developed businesses in all parts of our cities and suburbs. The path to the American dream has not been easy for Korean Americans. The community has faced language and cultural barriers. discrimination and racism. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2671}
{"speech_id":1090097052,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Despite these obstacles. the Korean. American communitylike so many other immigrants who arrive in this countryare. helping to make and keep America strong. The Korean American community has made lasting contributions to our society through a variety of professions including business. education. and the military. They have made significant contributions in medicine and the sciences such as the South Korean- researcher Hwang WooSuk. a national hero in Korea for backtoback world firsts in embryonic stem cell (ESC) research. Additionally. the Korean American community provides a bridge for the U.S. in building a stronger relationship with Korea. As a nation. we are benefiting from the knowledge and talent from their contributions. Today. there are over 2 million Korean Americans living in the United States and Korean immigration remains an important part of our nations history. The contributions through their culture. talents and knowledge continue to add to the diversity of this great nation. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2671}
{"speech_id":1090097052,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I tirge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2671}
{"speech_id":1090097106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield as amended. was passed. . myself such time as I may consume. A motion to reconsider was laid on H.R. 125. introduced by the gen- the table.. tleman from California . authorizes the construction of a ground REMOVING -CERTAIN RESTRICwater recharge and pumping project in TIONS REGARDING MAMMOTH the lower Santa Margarita River Basin COMMUNITY WATER DISTRICT. in Southern California. If constructed. CALIFORNIA the project could provide muchneeded water to the local water utility district Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker. I move to and to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps suspend the rules and pass the bill base for its military training needs. to remove certain restricThis project would augment the local tions on the Mammoth Community water districts water supply. would re- Water Districts ability to use certain lieve future additional demands for property acquired by that District costly and limited imported water sup- from the United States. plies. and would set aside and preserve The Clerk read as follows: valuable environmental habitat. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1297}
{"speech_id":1090097106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This H.R. 853 project is an excellent example of local Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repand Federal agencies working together resentatives of the United States of America in to secure safe and dependable water Congress assembled.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1297}
{"speech_id":1090097120,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 975. introduced by the gentleman from Colorado . would provide consistent enforcement authority to the Bureau of Land Management. the National Park Service. the United *States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service to respond to violation of regulations regarding the management. use. and protection of public lands under the jurisdiction of these agencies. Additionally. this measure includes two technical corrections to drafting errors. I would like to recognize and thank Chairman GOODLATTE and the House Agriculture Committee for its cooperation on this bill. H.R. 975 shares bipartisan support. and I urge its adoption. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":743}
{"speech_id":1090097135,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis. Missouri. as a unit of the National Park System.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090097140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the majority has already explained the purpose of H.R. 452. which was introduced by my friend and colleague from Missouri . The gentleman from Missouri is to be commended for his efforts to preserve this memorial and museum. which was built to honor those who lost their lives in service to our country. It is our expectation that the study authorized by H.R. 452 will help determine the most appropriate means to preserve and maintain the Soldiers Memorial and thus .help to continue to honor the sacrifice of those who have fought and died for our country. Mr. Speaker. we support H.R. 452 and urge its adoption by the House today. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":749}
{"speech_id":1090097144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me take this means to share my support for H.R. 452. a bill introduced by my good friend and Missouri colleague. Congressman LACY CLAY. I was pleased to cosponsor this legislation. which would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of including the St. Louis Soldiers Memorial Military Museum as a part of the National Park System. T rough the years. the people of St. Louis and the surrounding area have visited the St. Louis Soldiers Memorial to pay tribute to the selfless sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. Originally constructed to honor Ameri cans who lost their lives during the first World War. the: monument was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt. in 1936 and opened to the public in 1938. Since that time. the memorial has held a unique place in the history of our state and our country. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090097144,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As such. it seems fitting that Congress authorize the Interior Secretary to determine whether the St. Louis Soldiers Memorial should be included in Americas inventory of national monuments. I hope my colleagues agree and will support this sensible legislation offered by the gentleman from Missouri. Mr. CLAY.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090097296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have over 15 persons including myself who have asked to be included in this Special Order. that is. celebrating the 50th year of service of the Dean of the House of Representatives JOHN DINGELL of Michigan. and I am very pleased and honored to lead this discussion. I would. encourage all of the Members to share this time as expeditiously as they can and insert the rest of their materials or remarks into the RECORD. Let me begin. Mr. Speaker. by pointing out that the first Member of Congress I ever met in my life was JOHN DINGELL. namely. because he was my Congressman. Further. our relationship and family went back before because my father knew JOHN DINGELLs father. Further. we shared contiguous districts across the entire span of my service. and many of our constituents were mutual and frequently. according to the whims of the Michigan legislature the lines that changed from time to time. and frequently my constituents became his as his became mine. This is a particularly moving event for me because it did not take long for me to realize that one of the more formidable legislators of the 20th century was the same person who worked so hard for my family as his constituents and for the congressional district he represented. but more for all of the citizens of this country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2720}
{"speech_id":1090097296,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The legislative prowess and the ability with which he exercised his leadership as chairman of a major committee and the many different and important pieces of legislation have been recounted already tonight and at other *events. But I merely want to say that JOHN DINGELL is the Renaissance man of the 20th century in the Congress. the man for all issues. the leader for all challenges. and the person who has created a friendship and a relationship with. as far as I can tell. every single Member of the House of Representatives who has served with him during these 50 years. So this celebration is absolutely in order. The fact that it has been so widely recognized and so movingly responded to. not only by Members of Congresslbut by those across the country. it is no easy task to win the admiration and love of the labor movement and yet retain the respect of the corporate economic system leaders of this great country. And so it is with great pleasure that I begin this recounting of our memories. of our relationships. of our legislative successes with the Dean of the Congress. And it seems fairly clear to most of us that he will soon be able to exceed the staying power of those several Members who exceeded him in 50 years of service. I am. of course. one of those looking happily and proudly toward that day when that occurs. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin . the ranking member.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2720}
{"speech_id":1090097327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commend the service of one of our. most distinguished members. Mr. JOHN DINGELL. Today we honor the \"Dean of the House\" as he celebrates 50 years of service to the people of the state of Michigan and of this country. We also celebrate his wonderful spouse Debbie Dingell. During his tenure in the House. Representative DINGELL has fought for access to affordable healthcare. a strong econory. and the protection of our environment. He authored the 1990 Clean Air Act which is credited with cleaning up the air we breathe. while preserving American competitiveness. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1550}
{"speech_id":1090097327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Additionally he has championed laws that address Americas most pressing needs like the ChildrensHealth Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Mammography Quality Standards Act. He has worked tirelessly for the people of Michigans 15th District. He established the first international wildlife refuge in North America to protect thousands of acres of natural habitat in both Michigan and Canada. He worked with officials in Wayne County to save local taxpayers more than $350 million of the cost to stop pollution of the Rouge River and has been relentless in his efforts to limit the importation of Canadian waste into Michigan. Representative DINGELL is truly a leader and trailblazer within the House of Representatives. He not only leads by example but sets the example by which we all strive to emulate. On behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. I thank you Representative DINGELL for your leadership and wish you continued success.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1550}
{"speech_id":1090097332,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is an honor to address the House once again. I would like to thank not only the Democratic leader but the Democratic leadership for allowing the 30Something Working Group to come to the floor again not only to address the Members but also interested parties in how our country conducts its business and how we operate this government that the Ameripan taxpayers have allowed us to oversee.. There is a lot going on. Mr. Speaker. I must add a lot of it is quite discouraging when we start looking at how we are conducting business here in Washington. D.C. But I think it is very important and very appropriate for not only Mr. DELAHUNT but Ms. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090097332,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"WASSERMAN SCHULTZ and also Mr. RYAN of Ohio to come to the floor to share with the American people things that the Democratic side of the aisle are working on to improve their lives. I can tell the Members try. day in and day out. not only in the committees but here on the floor working on behalf of Americans. protecting Americans here at home. dealing with issues as it relates to implementing the recommendations. of the 9\/11 reports. As Members know. the 9\/11 Commission has given this government failing .grades across the board of implementing some of the projects that they would like to see implemented to protect Americans. Also. we have been standing up for Americans that have served in harms way. veterans. making sure that they are able to get improved health care benefits. But in this particular budget that the Republican majority passed. we know the lines are going to get longer and services. are going to be cut back or veterans are going to have to paj more. We released a report today dealing with Hurricane Katrina. In the same week that the Republican majority. Mr. Speaker. is going to pass a budget on thetacks of working Americans to give millionaires tax breaks. we still have families living in tents.* Tents. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090097332,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While we are kicking others out of hotel rooms. we are giving tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires. And I think it is important that we understand what is happening right now in the moment. I do not want to wait for the book to come out. Mr. Speaker. I want to do something about it before one can write the book. And if they are going to write a book. it is going to talk about Americans and Congress came together. Hopefully. we can get some of our Republican colleagues in a bipartisan way to save the American taxpayer and to save the Americans that are in need right now. There is a lot of concern and focus on what is going on hundreds and thousands of miles away as it relates to a group of individuals that we have done quite a bit for recently in Iraq. Americans simply ask for. not just Democrats in the House but also the Senate has asked the President for a clear plan as it relates to dealing with the issue of Iraq and our troops and making sure .that we can bring families together in the very near future. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090097332,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important that we continue to hit on these issues. I do not know what the American children- and families have done to the Republicaii majority. but I can say that if they passed this budget. what the majority would like to do on the backs of Americans and in the same week give the wealthiest Americans an unprecedented tax break in the history of this Republic. I think it is something. that the American people are going to have to evaluate. The Democrats. on this side. we are trying very much to protect access to health care for Americans. Not a mumbling word. not a mumbling word. from this Congress on this issue of -the health care crisis here in Congress. But I am glad that the 30Something Working Group does not find it robbery to come to the floor to bring light to. these issues and make sure that not only. Independents. Republicans and Democrats know what is happening here .under the Capitol Dome but also know what is not happening. And with that. I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Florida","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090097417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. therefore. Senators can expect three votes beginning at 11:45 today. The remaining motions will be debated this morning and this afternoon. and those votes will be scheduled for Thursday afternoon at approximately 3:30. Today we expect the PATRIOT Act conference report to arrive from the House. If we are unable to reach consent for a limited debate time. then I am prepared to file cloture on that conference report. I do hope we can come to a consent for the debate time. If not. cloture can be expected. If that is the case. that vote would occur Friday morning. The LaborHealth and Human Services appropriations conference report may also be available to the Senate today. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1597}
{"speech_id":1090097417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will be consulting with my colleagues about scheduling that vote as well. In addition to the items I have mentioned. there is a number of other legislative and executive items that remain. These include the Defense authorization conference report. the Defense appropriations conference report. As I have said over the last several days on the floor. I urge all Members to remain available and to adjust their schedules accordingly for the remainder of this week and into this weekend. and perhaps beyond as we schedule our final business of this year. We will make every effort to conclude our work as quickly as possible. but it will require the patience and cooperation of all Senators. As all of my colleagues understand. there is a lot of coordination with the House of Representatives with bills going back and forth. I thank everyone for their help in advance as we move forward on these matters.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1597}
{"speech_id":1090097487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I support Senator CARPERS motion to instruct reconciliation conferees to reject the House TANF provisions. Assisting needy families is too important an issue for this Chamber to cede its legislative authority to the House of Representatives. The TANF Program affects millions of American children and families. It deserves a full and fair debate. The reconciliation process does not permit that debate. Reconciliation is not the place for policy changes. The right starting point for Senate debate is the PRIDE bill. PRIDE is not a perfect bill. But it is a reasonable bipartisan effort that addresses childcare. transitional medical assistance. and certain educational opportunities. .Mr. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5783}
{"speech_id":1090097487,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. we should have a full debate on the PRIDE bill. We should consider what the evidence actually says about moving people from welfare to Work. from dependence to independence. from poverty to prosperity. We should have a full debate about what is really required to provide all Americans with equal opportunity. Unfortunately. reconciliation does not permit that debate. Worse yet. the House provisions are based not on evidence and experience but on ideology. The cynical increase in the work hour requirement. for example. is a Federal mandate with no basis in the reality of what works to promote work and reduce poverty. The data shows that people meeting the current 30hour requirement work about 35 hours now. That is a bit more than the national average for \"full time\" work for all employees. whether they receive TANF or not. Indeed. among all mothers with children under the age of 6. only 43 percent work as much as 35 hours. People who dont meet the 30hour TANF requirement nowfor whatever reasonare not going to work more just because the requirement has been increased. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5783}
{"speech_id":1090097487,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What will happen is that Congress will punish the States and reduce State flexibility to do what works. In my own State of Illinois. we are committed to moving people off welfare and into work. And Illinois is not cynical about it. This isnt about pinching pennies but about providing opportunity. Illinois is serious about the need for work. Tens of thousands of families have worked their way off assistance. But we understand why people find themselves in need of assistance. We have adopted flexible rules to accommodate families where the wage earner was medically unable to work. where a spouse or child was disabled. where the worker was finishing up a training program. Illinois requires work but allows people to work part time while they take care of their obligations. And to get mothers out of their homes and into the workforce in a productive way. we have improved the child care subsidy system. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5783}
{"speech_id":1090097487,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have invested in it. And you know what? People in Illinois have not lingered on TANF. If they could work their way off the program. they have done so. Unfortunately. the House TANF provisions which raise participation rates to 75 percent will make it harder for States to deal with family sickness. the realities of raising children. and natural disasters. To avoid penalties. States will have to find makework activities even for TANF recipients who are working full time. Another problem is that raising work hours and participation rates will increase the need for childcare well beyond the funding provided in the House bill. Childcare funding makes work possible for many women. If we want people to work and be responsible parents. we have to worry about who will care for their kids. Under the House proposal. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5783}
{"speech_id":1090097487,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States will be forced to fund other activities that will leave them with less money for childcare. That makes no sense. The House TANF provisions make it harder for States to support working families. I urge my colleagues to reject those provisions in reconciliation. and I look forward to an honest debate about TANF and the PRIDE bill here on the Senate floor. I also rise today to speak in favor of the motion to instruct offered by Senator KOHL. This motion expresses the Senates view that the Senate conferees should not accept the cuts to the child support program that have been proposed by the Committee on Ways and Means in the House of Representatives. The child support program is an effective and efficient way to enforce the responsibility of noncustodial parents to support their children. For every public dollar that is spent on collection.. more than four dollars are collected to support children. That is a good return on our investment in families. Moreover. these families are then less likely to require public assistance and more likely to avoid or escape poverty. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5783}
{"speech_id":1090097516,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate reconvenes at 2:15. the following Senators be recognized to speak as in morning business: ROBERTS. 30 minutes. MIKULSKI. 15 minutes. CARPER. 30 minutes. I further ask unanimous consent that if a Republican Senator seeks recognition between Senator MIKULSKI and Senator CARPER. my request be so modified.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":363}
{"speech_id":1090097599,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to recognize the professional dedication. vision and military service of GEN Leon J. LaPorte who is retiring from the U.S. Army after 37 years of dedicated service. It is a privilege for me to recognize the many outstanding achievements General LaPorte has provided the Army. and our great Nation. General LaPorte was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1968 upon graduation from the University of Rhode Island. He was commissioned an armor officer and served in numerous positions of increasing responsibility to include the position from which he will retire. General LaPortes contributions throughout his career have made an historic impact and greatly improved our Nations security. General LaPorte assumed command of the United Nations Command. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090097599,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Republic of Korea\/United States Combined Forces Command. and United States Forc6s Korea on May 1. 2002. On October 1. 2005. General LaPorte became the longest serving U.S. commander in Korea. Earning this distinction is a tribute to his performance and the excellent relationships he fostered with our Korean allies. General LaPortes tenure has been highlighted by several very crucial periods in the alliance. During his time in command. we have witnessed multiple North Korean maritime violations and numerous DMZ and airspace incursions. These threats to the security and sovereignty of Korea led General LaPorte to develop deterrent options and force enhancements that provided increased deterrence against aggression. Despite the tremendous implications involved. General LaPorte remained unflappable and skillfully designed military force packages that could be deployed against anticipated threat scenarios to address the uncertain politicalmilitary situations. General LaPorte has been a principal participant in the fastpaced bilateral military and political discussions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090097599,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"General LaPorte earned the reputation as a wellrespected ambassador for the United States. He developed and maintained close ties with the military and civilian leadership of the Republic of Korea in partnership with the U.S. Ambassador to Korea. He is credited with fusing a lasting bond between the two nations. General LaPorte is a soldiers soldier. Throughout his career foremost in his thoughts and his actions have been initiatives in the best interest of the soldiers. civilians. and family members. These priorities are reflected in every decision he makes. He expects those serving below him to do the same. This was never more evident than when he deployed with the 1st Cavalry Division. Fort Hood. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090097599,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"TX as the Chief of Staff in October 1990 during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and more recently during the deployment of one of his battalions to Iraq in support of OIF. General LaPorte was tireless in ensuring that each soldier was properly prepared. trained and equipped for the mission and that every family was cared for by a Family Readiness Group. The reenlistment rates in his units demonstrate the love. loyalty and dedication of. those who served under General LaPorte. During his illustrious career in the Army General LaPorte has been nothing less than brilliant. General LaPorte is a great credit to the Army and the Nation. As he now departs to share his experience and expertise with the private sector. I call upon my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize his service and wish him and his wife Judy well in their new endeavors..","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3436}
{"speech_id":1090097601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take this opportunity to recognize a dedicated law enforcement official at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. NCIS. David L. Brant. who is retiring after 28 years of service to the United States. Culminating a law enforcement career spanning over 30 years. Director David Brant has announced his retirement from Federal service effective December 9. 2005. Following graduation in 1975 with a masters degree in criminology from Indiana State University. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090097601,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Brant began his law.enforcement career as a police officer with the Dade County Metropolitan Public Safety Department in Miami. FL. Two years later. he accepted an offer from the Naval Investigative Service and began his service as a special agent assigned to NISRA Norfolk. VA. During his 4 years in the Norfolk area. Mr. Brant served in four different NIS offices and also completed an assignment as special agent afloat aboard the USS Independence. For 13 years. Mr. Brant served NCIS in a number of assignments in the United States and the Philippines. and he earned an appointment to the Senior Executive Service as Assistant Director for Counterintelligence in 1994. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090097601,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Brant served in that capacity until he succeeded Roy IDNedrow as Directorof the NCIS in .May 1997. Mr. Brant has been widely recognized within the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense. as well as within the Federal law enforcement community. for his innovative and transformational approaches to enhancing law enforcement and counterintelligence capabilities. He has led NCIS in developing and implementing operational strategies. across all of the agencys mission areas. which serve as models for others to follow. Additionally. Mr. Brant established the Counterterrorism Directorate and built the Multiple Threat Alert Center. MTAC. specifically to enhance the ability of the NCIS to counter threats facing the Navy and Marine Corps. Other noteworthy accomplishments during Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090097601,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Brants tefiure include the creation of both the NCIS Contingency Response Field Office. CRFO. to improve the capacity of NCIS to deploy agents to meet naval requirements in highthreat environments like Iraq and Afghanistan. and the Deployment Support Office. DSO. to better support those personnel once they are deployed. Mr. Brant has also led the creation of the Law Enforcement Information Exchange. LInX. Program. wbioh has brought local. State. an 0law enforcement agencies tqgetteff great effect in support of naval force protection and crimefighting in the Hampton Roads area and other parts of the country. He has partnered NCIS with the FBI on Joint Terrorism Task Forces. and assigned agents to Defense Department Force Protection Detachments. FPDs. around the world. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090097601,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Moreover. he has been an outstanding spokesman for NCIS and the Department of the Navy in senior level law enforcement. counterintelligence. and counterterrorism venues around the world. Most of all. Mr. Brant appreciates that what makes NCIS a truly great agency is the quality of its people. He routinely fought to ensure that agents. analysts. and support personnel alike had the equipment. training. and support required to do their jobs. Under his leadership. NCIS gained civilian arrest authority and built a reputation as a firstclass law enforcement agency. He established the Directors Advisory Board. DAB. to provide him with direct feedback for the field on emergent issues. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4589}
{"speech_id":1090097639,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on behalf of the majority leader. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9 a.m. on Thursday. December 15. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then proceed to the conference report to accompany the LaborHS bill. as under the order.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":468}
{"speech_id":1090097666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. hundreds of seniors in my district showed up to five town hall meetings I hosted over the past month to explain the Medicare drug benefit. For as much interest as my constituents demonstrated. they are just as confused and frustrated by the daunting task. as President Bush put it yesterday. of understanding and then choosing a drug plan from the dozenp of plans with different premiums. deductibles. copayments. and lists of covered drugs. Through no fault of their own. seniors are already encountering delays in their applications. Consequently. many will not receive their drug cards until after the signup deadline. But we should not be surprised by a benefit whose flawed design was the result of ideology prevailing over practicality. It is up to us here and now to make sure seniors understand their benefit and receive. without further delay. the affordable. lifegaving drugs they deserve. The first step should be extending the deadline by at least 6 months. I urge my colleague& to support this simple measure. Seniors should not be rushed or penalized as they make this very important decision.","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1120}
{"speech_id":1090097719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today. in opposition to the PATRIOT Act reauthorization conference report. As a former Federal prosecutor and New Mexicos Attorney General. I am familiar with both the needs of law enforcement to pursue -suspects and a strong supporter of law enforcement. I am also a strong supporter of civil liberties and believe that -our Constitution mubt be guarded against encroachment even in the name of security. On October 24. 2001. a justified sense of urgency resulted in an unjustifiably rushed vote on the PATRIOT Act. FE 1200 Many of us had little. time to study the bill which -became law. A bipartisan bill was junked by the majoritys Rules Committeein the middle of the night. - Since this legislation was enacted.over 385 cities. towns. and counties in 43 States passed resolutions concerning the PATRIOT Act. In New Mexico -alone. 10 cities and four counties have adopted resolutions calling for reform. I have received thousands of letters from Americans worried about excessive government power without judicial oversight. I had hoped during the conference committee Senate provisions granting more congressional oversight and constitutional protections would have been kept in this bill. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2319}
{"speech_id":1090097719,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senate version contained greater restrictions on the governments power and required higher standards for recorddemands. However. the conference report is more of the same. It extends for 4 years two of the most controversial provisions of the bill. including the section granting law enforcement authorities unprecedented powers to search library and bookstore records without probable cause or the need for search warrants. This bill also makes permanent 14 provisions of the PATRIOT Act that were set to expire this year. This bill has serious problems. National security letters are out of control. with no meaningful oversight. It has been reported that 30.000 national security letters are issued everyyear. these letters allow the government to collect almost limitless sensitive. personal information without judicial approval. We should target this government power against terrorists. not against innocent Americans. I will vote against this bill today. not because I oppose the PATRIOT Act in its entirety but because I believe that the needs of law enforcement can be met without eroding our liberties.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2319}
{"speech_id":1090097721,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the crippling reach of methamphetamine abuse has become the Nations leading drug problem today. and this is according to a survey by 500 sheriffs departments in 45 States. It is cheap to buy. It is easy to make. It is available everywhere. It is highly addictive. Oftentimes it. is addictive after just one use. So it is currently replacing cocaine and heroin .in many parts of the country. It leads to increased crime. child abuse. increases in the jail population. In many parts of the country. almost 40 to 50 percent of the jail population is due to methamphetamine abuse. However. the main problem anymore is not the momandpop meth lab out in the countryside. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090097721,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the superlabs. Right now 60 to 85 percent of the meth in the United States is coming from superlabs in Mexico. and this is really hard to trace. It is hard to get at. The one thing that is needed to make methamphetamine is pseudoephedrine or ephedrine. and this is manufactured in only six or seven locations around the world: Czechoslovakia. Germany. China. southeast Asia and so on. This bill would make it more difficult for meth manufacturers to obtain the psdudoephedrine necessary for producing the drug in these superlabs. H.R. 3199 includes language the House passed earlier as part of the Foreign Operations authorization bill. It identifies and publicizes the five countries which have the highest rate of diversion of pseudoephedrine to manufacturers of m~th. We can get the invoices from these manufacturers. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090097721,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Department of State could then use its existing authority to reduce or eliminate -U.S. foreign aid to those countries which are most contributing to the meth problem. This is one thing that gets peoples atteiltion. when you take their foreign aid away. because they are producing meth that is being used in these superlabs. It is a good bill. It gets to the source of the problem. I want to thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER and particularly Chairman SOUDER for their hard work on this bill. and I urge support of the underlying legislation.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090097735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I will close this debate by again thanking Chairmen SENSENBRENNER and KING for their work on this important conference report. This bill is a testament to jour open legislative process. Conservatives. liberals. moderates. Democrats. Republicans. Independents. the ACLU. the* Department of Justice and various other organizations have all had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns on the underlying bill. I believe. Madam Speaker. the final product is solid and legal. does not violate our constitutional rights guaranteed by the fourth amendment. and will serve as an important framework to fight terrorism. protect civil liberties and thereby further strengthen America. Again. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":965}
{"speech_id":1090097735,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support both the rule and the underlying bill. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":965}
{"speech_id":1090097770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam isting import. export. and wholesale Speaker. I yield myself such time as I regulations of meth predursor chemimay consume. cals. including import and manufacMadam Speaker. the gentleman from turing quotas to ensure no oversupply Michigan talked about the conclusive leads to diversion. and regulation of presumption provisions on national se- the wholesale \"spot market.\" It recurity letters that are contained in the quires reporting of major meth preconference report. as well as the re- cursor exporters and importers. It quirements that have been changed rel- would hold them accountable for their ative to section 215. which is the busi- efforts to prevent diversion to meth ness records or library provisions. production. It toughens Federal penI would just point out that both the alties against meth traffickers and NSL provision and the section 215 pro- smugglers. It authorizes the Meth Hot vision in this respect were the lan- Spots program as well as increases guage in the Senate bill that passed funding for drug courts. drug endanunanimously. And everybody here has gered children programs. and programs been saying that the Senate bill is to assist pregnant women addicted to great and the conference reporA is not. meth. In addition. it has EPA environBut if the Senate bill was great. now mental regulations. they are attacking two provisions in I want to thank Democrats and Rethe Senate bill. They cannot have it publicans for all their bipartisan effort. both ways. What we did in the con- This is something we did in a biparference report is responsible. tisan way. This is odr best chance to With respect to section 215. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2484}
{"speech_id":1090097770,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish really get ahead of this epidemic that that the Library Association had read swept from Asia to Hawaii to Caliit. because it requires the statement of fornia. the Northwest to the Plains. to facts in an application to the court the Great Lake States. is headed into that issues the 215 order to show rea- the East and is into North Carolina. sonable grounds to believe that the South Carolina. Pennsylvania. and New records are relevant to an authorized York and headed to the Atlantic investigation. The Senates language. Ocean. This is our attempt. a massive coordinated multicommittee that took many chairmen to do this. Seniators TALENT and FEINSTEIN of the!-Senate to dd this. \"I Jhhnk Chail4di SF5NhENBRENNER. I tehahk the leade\\slitV. because this is a big day for those df us who have been fighting the antimeth cause.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2484}
{"speech_id":1090097773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"said. to say that libraries are totally sacrosanct. The bad part is that the FBI can get all this private personal information without any proper or adequate judicial review and then can tell them. shut up. do not tell the victim about it. and that gag order also operates without any real judicial review. That is the real issue. Secondly. the gentleman from Wisconsin is attempting to do something. I think. improper. and that is. he tells us you cannot change the PATRIOT Act. There are good things in this bill. things we need. which is true. but you have got to take it or leave it. because your 3month extension I will not allow to go through. We will blackmail this House. If you do not pass the bill as is today. if it expires. there will be blood on your hands. because he and his side of the. aisle will not allow a 3month extension. Well. if there is fault. if there is real danger by not extending the PATRIOT Act. it is on that side of the aisle by refusing a 3month extension so that we can get it right. This country should not be subjected to that kind of blackmail. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090097773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senate has real questions. Many liberals. many conservatives. have real questions about this bill. It should be worked out. and if it takes an additional 3 months. let it be. But we. this House. should not be told. take it or leave it. because if you do not take itthe way it is. we will not permit a 3month extension. there will be dangers to the Republic. Without a 3month extension. there will be blood on your hands. That is not the way to legislate. That is not proper procedure. That: is not rdspectful of the Constitution. It is not respectful of the people of this country. It is not respectful of the Members of this House.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1719}
{"speech_id":1090097781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the PATRIOT Act Conference Report. Due to concerns about civil liberties infringement. I voted against the original PATRIOT Act in 2001 and the House PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Bill earlier this summer. \u0095 The democratic fabric of this country was founded on checks and balances but the PATRIOT Act contains neither. In 1775. one of our Nations true patriots. Benjamin Franklin. said \"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.\" This legislation tramples on the essential liberties that our Founding Fathers wanted to ensure. They understood that lowering our civil liberties standards would not ensure safety. but it would undermine the relationship of this proud democracy with its citizens. I believe that the Founders of this country would be rolling in their graves to hear the claims this Administration and Republican Leadership make in the name of safety from terrorists. Do you really feel safer knowing that the government is allowed to investigate personal records without you knowing? Do you feel safer knowing that the government can issue blank wire tap orders without identifying the line. place or person it wishes to investigate? Do you really feel safer knowing that if you or your neighbor were accused that documents used against you would not be. subject to judicial review? Do you really feel safer that your library records can be considered intelligence in an investigative report? I can not with a clean conscience. support this bill which gives government unnecessary access to the lives of innocent Americans and tramples on their civil rights. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1792}
{"speech_id":1090097781,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge a \"no\" vote on this piece of legislation that flies in the face of our forefathers.","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1792}
{"speech_id":1090097792,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I support this PATRIOT Act conference report. and appreciate the time and effort Chairman SENSENBRENNER has put into bringing it to the floor. We know Americans will continue to be a terrorist target as long as we stand for freedom and democracy. That lesson was learned on September 11. 2001. We must do everything legally possible to protect Americans from attack. This conference report helps law enforcement officials prevent. investigate. and prosecute acts of terror. The original PATRIOT Act was a long overdue measure that enhanced our ability to gather crucial intelligence information on the global terrorist network. It passed by a margin of 981 in the Senate and 35766 in the House. But certain provisions of the PATRIOT Act expire at the end of this year. This conference report renews many of those provisions and improves on the original legislation. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1747}
{"speech_id":1090097792,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It makes permanent the ability of law enforcement officials and intelligence officials to communicate about ongoing investigations. It also makes permanent provisions that allow the government to do its job by obtaining warrants and gathering information during terrorism investigations. America is a safer country today than before September .11. 2001. because of the PATRIOT Act. Over 200 people in the United States have been charged with crimes tied to international terrorist investigations and have been convicted or have pled guilty because of the PATRIOT Act. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies must continue to have the powers they need to protect all Americans. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report. Also. I am placing in the RECORD an oped that appeared in the Washington Times on December 13. titled \"Preserving the PATRIOT Act.\"","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1747}
{"speech_id":1090097797,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I am very pleased with the conference report. H.R. 3199. to renew the PATRIOT Act: I want to thank and compliment all the conferees and the administration for bringing this about. By renewing this measure. we are continuing to provide our law enforcement agencies and the administration with many of the critical tools needed to combat global terrorism and protect America. Provisions of the PATRIOT Act have already been instrumental in warding off further terrorist attacks since 9\/11. and they are responsible for helping to keep us safe here at home. In addition. the bill includes an added provision. which I authored. offering a new tool to attack the growing phenomenon of narcoterrorism. with the proceeds of illicit drug funding and financing feeding the Foreign Terrorist Organizations. FTOs. and supporting acts of terrorism. Passage of the PATRIOT Act conference report Will enhance Federal criminal law to effectively address the current reality. according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. of illicit drugs being linked to nearly half of the designated FTOs around the globe today. In this measure. my provision makes narcoterrorism. which involves both the illicit drug trade and support for terrorism. a Federal crime. and provides tough penalties that match the nature of such deadly and dual criminal activity. Our hardworking Drug Enforcement Administration will no longer be challenged to produce evidence of a nexus of these illicit drugs to the United States. if there is prbOf that the illiqit drugs 6upportFTOs or acts of teirorism . ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2074}
{"speech_id":1090097797,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"J. . In Afghanistan. most of the heroWINir illieit drug production goes to Europe. r&ther than here. and much of the profit then finances and supports anticoalition terrorists and attacks on our forces there. My provision will give us the tools to attack that drugrelated support for terrorism and further protect America. our troops. and coalition forces on the -ground in places like Afghanistan. Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the PATRIOT Act conference report.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2074}
{"speech_id":1090097806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker.l support our action today to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act. Within weeks after the horrendous terrorist attacks of 2001. Congress responded with the PATRIOT Act. providing our law enforcement and intelligence communities with muchneeded tools to track down terrorists. sever their communications and funding networks. and prevent future attacks on our citizens. As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. I was proud to help write the antiterrorist financing provisions of this act. Millions of dollars in terrorist assets have been frozen or seized since 9\/11. We have broken up suspected terrorist financing networks. including one in my home State of Ohio. The terrorist financing tools included in the act were further supplemented by the intelligence reform legislation approved in the wake of the 9\/11 Commissions report. As a former special agent of the FBI. I know that other sections of the PATRIOT Act have proven just as vital in assisting law enforcement combat the new threat of international terrorism. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090097806,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased that this reauthorization makes permanent all but a few of the acts expiring provisions. but regret that the 4year sunset for the remaining authorities was made a part of this final product. Including any sunset sends the wrong signal to our law enforcement agencies. indicating that our trust in them is incomplete at a time when their services have helped prevent further terrorist attacks. They should have our full support and every reasonable tool we can. give them to help fight the global war on terror. One of the provisions still subject to a sunset deals with the use of roving wiretaps. As one of the few Members of Congress who has conducted undercover surveillance. I can tell you now that the need for roving wiretap authority will not expire in 7 years. Tying intercept authority to an individual suspect rather than a particular communication device is simply common sense in this era of throwaway cell phones and email. Further. there is absolutely no evidence that wiretap authority or any other USA PATRIOT Act provision has been used to violate the civil liberties of Americans. Congress recognizes the delicate balance between deterring terrorist activities and preserving the freedoms we hold so dear. I know beyond a doubt that terrorists make no such distinction.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090097843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member. Mr. OBEY. and I thank him and applaud him for his steadfast voice on behalf of those who need a voice on the hill. who always speaks up on behalf of those without a voice. And I want to thank the chairman for his steadfast work trying to make the best of a bad situation. You know. Mr. Chairman. I think that when you got on to that Republican bus and you were trying to find a seat up front for the peoples bill. a seat up front for education. a seat up front for health care. a seat up front for human services. all the front row seats were already taken. l 1445 They were taken by the tax cut bill. they were taken by the corporate loophole bill for energy companies. and they were taken by the big pharmaceutical giveaways. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2484}
{"speech_id":1090097843,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I tell the chairman. in many respects. just like Rosa Parks. whose life we celebrated just recently. you were told to take your peoples bill to the back of the bus. Right now. Mr. Speaker. that is just where all of our Nations priorities are. at the back of the bus. These are priorities that ought to be at the front. These are priorities. like education. that are going to lead our country to the future. We are talking about a war now in the Middle East. We are going to have another war on our hands. It is an economic war. We used to use our military for political and military hegemony. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2484}
{"speech_id":1090097843,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. for us to have political hegemony. we need intellectual power. Our military analogy is our young people need to have textbooks. not tanks. They need to have pencils. They need to have schools that are not falling down on them. They need to be able to go on to higher edtication. But. unfortunately. Mr. Speaker. this bill represents thesingle biggest cut in higher education that we have ever seen in the history of this country. Imagine that at a time when our Nations economy demands that our soldiers. our men and women who were trying to make a living for themselves. are. being taken hostage because they do not have all the protective gear that they need. They do not have an education to wrap themselves around so that they. can go out into that economic workforce and be protected and know that they can make a living for themselves- in this newworld economy. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2484}
{"speech_id":1090097843,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I thank the chairman for doing the best job that he could. but I am sure. as he knows. the peoples bill. unfortunately. in this budget took a back seat to many other bills that. unfortunately. I do not believe it should have taken a back seat to.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2484}
{"speech_id":1090097850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 4 minutes. Mr. Speaker. one of the -previous speakers on the majority side of the aisle said that we have limited resources. we have to make priority choices. That is absolutely right. The problem is with the priority choices that the majority has made. They are fond of pointing to the fact that we have had extraneous expenses such as Katrina. and they say that is why we have to squeeze bills like this. But. in fact. under. actions already taken by the majority party in this Congress. over the next decade they will provide $1.2 trillion in tax cuts for persons who make more than $400.000 a year. the top 1 percent of earners. and -they have done virtually all of it by borrowing money toprovide those tax cuts. I would point out that that $1.2 trillion is more than five times as much as the Federal Government willspend by anybodys estimate on repairing Katrina. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090097850,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would say that also the actions of the last week. when they added $70 billion to the tax breaks that they are providing. again with 50 percent going to the top 1 percent. demonstrate what the values and what the priorities of the majority party would be. If we ask the average family in this country what they need in order to be able to deal with their own problems. I think what they would say is they need help to see to it that they have adequate access to education fo? their children. I think they would say that if somebody loses a job..they need help to get decent retraining. I think they would ask for fair. treatment in the workplace. I think they would ask that their family have decent health care. And I think seniors would ask that they be provided a secure retirement with adequate medical care and help to pay their drug costs. The fact is that. this bill fails on virtually all tests. I would say also. as the gentleman from Maryland indicated. we did try to. do one additional thing for senior citizens. Because of the incredibly confusing prescription drug program which seniors are being asked to sign up for. because that program is so incredibly confusing. we tried to get the majority to consider a 6month delay in the deadline that seniors have to meet in signing up for that program. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090097850,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That motion failed on a partyline vote. unfortunately. on a 77 vote. I would hope that before this Congress ends. the Congress will recognize that that program is so incredibly convoluted that there must be a delay in the signup deadline so that seniors have more time to make what could be a very confusing and devastating choice if they make the wrong choice. Having said that. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle for the work that they have done on this bill. It has taken a good number of good people to produce what I think is a bad product because of the allocation. but. nonetheless. I appreciate the hard work and I appreciate the enduring friendships that we have across the aisle. E 1500 Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090097850,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I assume this is the last time I will speak on the floor before Christmas. so I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas and a happy new year. and enough blessings so that you will reconsider some of the mistakes in this bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3225}
{"speech_id":1090097857,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the newer. but not better. LaborHHSEducation appropriations conference report. Less than a month ago. the Members of this House rightfully. defeated the previous version of this conference bill. Unfortunately. the Republican Majority did not get the message that Americans do not want Congress to cut $1.5 billion in critical programs. Like their previous bill. the Republicans continue their assault on health care programs. Even with nearly 46 million uninsured Americans. 800.000 of whom were added last year alone. the Republicans provide virtually no funding for new Community Health Centers beyond those approved last year. They also propose cutting grantsfor immunizing children. responding to disease outbreaks and improving care for people with chronic diseases. Unbelievably. the Republicans did not stop there. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3278}
{"speech_id":1090097857,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just. one year after failing to have enough flu vaccine available and with the impending pandemic of avian flu. this bill cuts $100 million of funding for flu preparedness. Also. just one day after President Bush acknowledged that the current Medicare prescription drug benefit was- c6nfusing. this bill ensures that help will be even more difficult to come by. It cuts by $60 million the funding used to pay for helping seniors choosing their new Medicare prescription drug benefit. \" Cutswere not limited to health care programs. This bill also cuts No Child Left Behind funding. education technology programs and special education programs. The Education for the Disadvantaged Program receives the smallest increase it has ever received in 8 years. negatively affecting 3.1 million lowincome children. It is no wonder Republicans pushed so hard to privatize Social Security earlier this year. With the poorly educated workforce the Republicans are surely creating. there may be too few highlytrained workers to pay into Social Security to take care of my Republican colleagues and me in our retirement. Beyond education. this bill will literally leave people out in the cold. Consumers are expected to pay 44 percent more for natural gas and 24 percent more for home heating oil this winter. yet Republicans failed to increase funding for programs that provide home heating assistance for lowincome seniors and children. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3278}
{"speech_id":1090097857,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are. regrettably. many more worthwhile programs the Republicans have targeted. Programs to train workers for high skill. high paying jobs are cut $125 million. job search assistanceis cut $89 million. state -unemployment insurance and employment service offices are cut $245.million eliminating help. for..1.9million people.. The.lntemational babor Affairs. Bureau-. tasked. with protecting American workers from being undercut by child and slave labor abroad. is being cut .$20 million. Based on the Republican efforts to cut employment services. youd never know this Administration has overseen the lowest rate of job growth since Herbert Hoover. America can do better than a bill that cuts education. health care and labor programs especially while Republicans work to propose tax breaks for the wealthiest among us. This bill clearly shows the misguided priorities of the Republican Majority. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting \"no\" on this harmful and dishonorable bill.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3278}
{"speech_id":1090097870,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I. may consume. and I rise today in support of the bill before us. I want to commend Chairman GOODLATTE for this fine work. and I also want to thank the subcommittee chairman and the ranking member . who have done an excellent job in helping us put this bill together. In addition. Mr. GRAVES. Mr. BARROW and Mr. MARSHALL. all. members of the committee. have worked very hard on important issues related to energy markets. ","speaker_name":"COLLIN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3101}
{"speech_id":1090097870,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the bill before us makes important progress thanks to their efforts. Mr. Speaker. during hearings held in the Agriculture Committee. there was substantial discussion regarding the potential of the effects of the Zelener decision. In that case. the CFTC sought to use provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act to put an end to the deceptive sales practices being employed by one company in the marketing of retail foreign exchange contracts. The case was thrown out. however. because the defendant prevailed in court with his argument that the product he was offering was not technically a futures contract and. therefore. not the jurisdiction of the CFTC. The ruling was upheld in a Federal appeals court. and the Solicitor General declined to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Some of our -witnesses who testified about the Zelener decision expressed concern that it will have farreaching effects. Other witnesses were more concerned that a broad response to the decision would have harmful unintended consequences. The Presidents Working Group on Financial Markets advised the Agriculture Committee to adopt a relatively modest response. and that is what is included in this bill. Mr. ","speaker_name":"COLLIN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3101}
{"speech_id":1090097870,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I believe the remedy included in this bill will restore the CFTCs ability to ensure that similar perpetrators of deceptive schemes involving foreign exchange trading can be policed effectively. However. because the scope of this fix is limited to foreign exchange contracts. we need to be prepared for the possibility that a similar problem will arise in other product areas. Because the future in this area is so uncertain. we are counting on the CFTC to monitor developments carefully to determine whether or not in fact criminals are using the Zelener reasoning to avoid detection and prosecution. In their letter to the Agriculture Committee. the Presidents Working Group did not explain clearly why they are so sure that the modest fix is sufficient to solve the problem. Hopefully. the Working Groups members will join us in monitoring -future cases and will be open to developing policy changes quickly that may be necessary to protect our Nations investors. Mr. Speaker. the futures industry is an important segment of our economy. Adequate regulation and investor protection must be balanced with the need to allow businesses to promote responsible innovations. Passage of the bill before us today will help us ensure that -the Commodity Futures Trading Commission can continue to protect Americas investors without excessively impeding progress. ","speaker_name":"COLLIN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3101}
{"speech_id":1090097870,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"COLLIN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3101}
{"speech_id":1090097890,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4473. the Commodity Trading Commission Reauthorization Act. And I support the underlying bill. and I salute the chairmans efforts to reauthorize the CFTC. But I do have a little concern with the specific section of the bill dealing with natural gas price transparency. Title II of the bill contains new regulatory burdens on the trading of natural gas. such as future contracts. overthecounter transactions and cash market purchases. While these provisions will place unwarranted and openended regulatory burdens on legitimate business activities. they will in no way reduce Volatility or lower the price of natural gas. See. the Commission currently has full authority now to examine and oversee the futures market and to request complete trading information from any participant in the futures market if it suspects price manipulation is occurring. But the bill now. with that provision. would shift the regulatory intervention away from fraud manipulation to an undefined standard that is not based upon law but is based upon legitimate movements in natural gas prices. I would just urge the conferees. when this bill goes to conference. not to add any new missions to the responsibility and take away from the core responsibilities of the CFTC.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1287}
{"speech_id":1090097931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would just like to point out to my friends on the other side of the aisle that Mr. GILCHREST has spent a great deal of time in working with leadership on this issue. recognizing that there is a process problem here in that the Oceans21 bill that we all want to see passed. is in the jurisdiction of quite some number of committees. For example. the Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction with regard to issues involving runoff. The Armed Services Committee has obvious jurisdiction over issues involving the Navy. The Transportation Committee is where the Coast Guard subcommittee is housed. The Resources Committee. obviously made up of Interior members I might add. has great jurisdiction here. as does the Financial Services Committee and the Education Committee..: What Mr. GILCHREST is attempting to do here. and I support his effort very much. is to have a bipartisan commission made up that can work with leadership to work it through this morass. this maze of standing committees. If we do not do that. the sure bet is that this bill in this term is going nowhere.","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1087}
{"speech_id":1090097945,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank and praise Chairman LoBiondo for his steadfast. consistent. constant advocacy of the Coast Guard because that has been very important here in Congress and very important to the Coast Guard. I rise to commend the Coast Guards outstanding response to Hurricane Katrina and support the Coast Guard Hurricane Relief Act of 2005. Recently. more than ever. the Coast Guard has demonstrated its unique multimission role as the worlds premiere maritime service. The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina along our gulf coast had been well documented. One of the best stories to emerge from this disaster has been the heroic work of our Coast Guard. Hurricane Katrina ravaged Coast Guard stations in Gulfport and Pascagoula. Mississippi. and looters wrecked part of its New Orleans base. E 1715 But that did not stop the Coast Guard from sending out rescue helicopters. cutters. and small boats on dangerous and \"exhausting missions to save lives and clear waterways after the hurricane ravaged the gulf coast. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090097945,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By August 30. the Coast Guard had rescued some 1.200 people even though continued gale force winds made air and sea operations extremely hazardous. In the first 5 days after Katrina hit. the Coast Guard surged 30 cutters. 38 helicopters and over 5.000 personnel into the affected areas. In addition to searchandrescue operations. these assets also provided vital security. logistics. and communications support to the areas hardest hit by the storm. At the height of Katrina rescue operations. over 33 percent of the Coast Guard aircraft were deployed to the affected region. As a military. multimission maritime service. the Coast Guard performs a unique blend of humanitarian. law enforcement. regulatory. and military. missions. The service plays a critical role in providing maritime security. maritime safety. protection of natural resources. and national defense services. As chairmanof the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice. Drug Policy and Human Resources and a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. I am very aware of the critical role performed by the Coast Guard in drug interdiction and homeland security. In this past week alone. the Coast Guard. in partnership with the Federal law enforcement agencies in the Department of Homeland Security and Justice. and the Department of Defense. seized over 10 tons of cocaine bound for our shores. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090097945,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fiscal year 2005. the Coast Guard seized over 300.000 pounds of cocaine. worth approximately $9.7 billion. This was another record year of drug seizures. and the Coast Guard plays a critical role in interdicting these enormous loads before they reach our cities. As Hurricane Katrina has made abundantly clear. our country needs a strong and robust Coast Guard. and Congress needs to ensure that we are putting the right tools and equipment into the very capable hands of Coast Guard men and women so that they may continue to deliver the robust maritime safety and security America expects and deserves. The Coast Guards Deepwater recapitalization project plays an absolutely critical role in building a more ready and capable 21stcentury Coast Guard equal to the challenges we face today and anticipate tomorrow. It is vitally important to our national drug control strategy and our national security. as well as protecting our Nations citizens from natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. that the Deepwater project be accelerated and that there be more Coast Guard ships and aircraft to respond to the many critical missions of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guards motto. \"Semper Paratus.\" Always Ready. has been earned through the courage and actions of each member of the Coast Guard. I am very eager to support the Coast Guard Hurricane Relief Act of 2005 and urge this vital legislation be hopefully unanimously adopted.","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3826}
{"speech_id":1090097950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this bill. As this bodys only licensed mariner. I understand the lengths to which our Nations mariners and vessel owners go. to obtain or renew their required licenses and documents. This bill will allow merchant mariners and vessel owners in the gulf region to continue normal operations under existing merchant mariner documents. licenses and certificates of vessel inspection. The bill will also allow the Coast Guard to continue its recovery of documents that were damaged by flood waters at the Regional Examination Center in New Orleans necessary to issue renewed licenses and documents in the future. The Coast Guard has done a remarkable job to restore most services in the gulf region despite suffering significant damage to Coast Guard facilities. However. as a result of coastguardsmens tireless effort to protect the safety and security of our coasts many servicemen were called to duty when otherwise they would have been on leave. This bill assures that any member of the Coast Guard that was involved in the re-. sponse efforts along the gulf coast will retain accumulated leave up to 90 days that would otherwise be lost. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1518}
{"speech_id":1090097950,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lastly. this bill commends the men and women of the Coast Guard for their heroic and selfless service in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita this year. I urge all members to join me in supporting the- Coast Guard and the Merchant Mariner community for their continued efforts to restore normal and safe operations along our gulf coast.","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1518}
{"speech_id":1090097958,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"who is ever a great friend and colleague when it comes to anything dealing with human rights and. in particular. on human trafficking. I also want to thank our Republican leadership. particularly Majority Leader BLUNT and MIKE PENCE. who were original cosponsors. along with almost 100 Members of the House. both sides of the aisle. that have joined in to make this legislation possible. I also want to thank a number of staff members who were instrumental in getting this bill to the floor: Eleanor Nagy. Director of Policy for the Africa. Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee of the committee I serve as chairman. Maureen Walsh. to my left. General Counsel of the OSCE. or Helsinki Commission. - Renee Austell. Jack Scharfen. and David Abramowitz. Again. David and I worked with Joseph Reese. way back when the first bill was enacted. and he did yeomens work on writing provisions and working with us. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1219}
{"speech_id":1090097958,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. King as well for his great work. Katy Crooks from the Judiciary Committee. And Cassie Bevin from the Majority Leaders Office. There are just so. many people who have corroborated on this. and I want to thank them for their tremendous work. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1219}
{"speech_id":1090097968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey with mixed feeling because he has made enormous contributions to this body over many years. and soon he will be leaving us. So while I deeply regret we will not have in the coming years his brilliance and insight and energy and dedication. .I am pleased we will see him across the campus in the other body.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090097972,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"on their leadership of the International Relations Committee. I also commend the gentleman from New Jersey for his introduction of this outstanding piece of legislation. I speak because I have a constituent in my community. a woman named Oprah Winfrey. who almost every week sends me a letter talking about this issue and urging that Congress must do as much as it can to bring some help to those individuals throughout the world who are victimized. and so I am strongly in favor of the passage of this bill. I want to thank my constituent for keeping me abreast of the issue by at least writing me once every week or two about this issue.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":639}
{"speech_id":1090097989,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. $peaker. I think that it is important that we make it very clear that we are opposed to the use of torture. period. As a matter of fact. the basic law of the land already says that we are opposed to torture.. And so I have no problem with the gentlemans motion as it relates to that issue. But I must tell you that. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1264}
{"speech_id":1090097989,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am really offended by a provision in this amendment that we are talking about that guarantees to terrorists. and understand who those terrorists are. that guarantees to terrorists the same rights under the Constitution of the United States that our lawabiding constituents enjoy. Tlat offends me. And I just do not think that. we ought to be giving a terrorist the same protection of our Constitution that you and I have. Not just part of our Constitution. not just one or two amendments or two articles or sections. the entire Constitution would apply to those terrorists. So that does offend me. But I understand that the Presidents office is in serious negotiations with Senator MCCAIN. and we hope that a reasonable agreement on this issue will be reached so that we can get on with this important Defense Appropriations bill that we in the House passed 6 months ago.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1264}
{"speech_id":1090098065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I could not imagine growing up that some day I would be on the House floor debating the merits of Christmas. and I certainly have great respect for my colleagues and their concern. But what is great about America is we can debate Christmas on the House floor. But let us talk about a few other things that we do in this House that I am very proud that we have done. We have recognized Korean Americans and the symbols. We have recognized Filipino Americans. ideals. very special weeks that we recognize here on this House floor numerous times. Pancreatic cancer. campus safety awareness. As a matter of fact. one of our next bills this evening is American Jewish Month. And that is what is great about America. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1457}
{"speech_id":1090098065,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We can have this debate about Christmas. but. certainly there are thousands of Americans and there are thousands of people around the world that believe in this tradition. I too say \"happy holidays\" in respect to Chanukah. I say \"happy holidays.\" but I also will say \"Merry Christmas\" because that is what December 25 is about. Again. I appreciate my colleagues and I think that their point is being well considered. I have great respect for my colleagues across the aisle. but I think it is a very cherished national holiday. and I would certainly encourage that we support this. as we have many other symbols and different groups in this country. because that is what Congress is about.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1457}
{"speech_id":1090098187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to the leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing this resolution to the House floor before we adjourn for the year. I especially want to thank Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairman BURTON. . Subcommittee Ranking Member MENENDEZ. House International Relations Committee Chairman HYDE. Ranking Member LANTOS. Majority Leader BLUNT. Democratic Leader PELOSI. Speaker HASTERT. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4894}
{"speech_id":1090098187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rules Committee Chairman DREIER and all of their staffs. Mr. Speaker. on December 2. 1980. Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clark and Ita Ford. : Ursuline Sister Dorothy .Kazel and Cleveland lay missionary Jean Donovan were brutally violated and murdered by members of the Salvadoran national guard. The guardsmen who pulled the triggers and their immediate superior. a subsergeant. were tried. convicted and imprisoned in 1984 for these heinous crimes. although they were later released in 1997 and 1998. But I am not here today to recall these tragic events. I am here to remember and honor their lives. These four courageous American women dedicated their lives to the safety and welfare of others. to the poor and the desperate of El Salvador. especially the women and children left homeless and destitute by the violence and the war of that era. It is the way that they lived their lives and the work that they carried out that has proven to be so inspirational to so many people in the 25 years since their death and especially the young people who. are looking for role models. both secular and spiritual. to guide their own futures. I had the privilege to spend December 1 through December 6 in El Salvador and to participate in the many 25th anniversary events organized by -the Maryknoll Sisters and other Salvadoran- and American religious leaders honoring the lives of these four wonderfil women. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4894}
{"speech_id":1090098187,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was a member of a delegation coordinated by the Washington office on Latin America and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Our delegation -joined over 200 other Americans and an equal number of religious representatives from throughout Central and South America and elsewhere. During our 5 days in El Salvador. we walked in the footsteps of these women. We visited small rural communities where they lived and worked. We met with the campesinos. the priests and the sisters with whom they labored. We attended mass. and we worshipped at the site where their bodies were found. iJ 2145 And we listened to the members of their families and their religious orders tell stories of their lost loved ones that brought these women vividly and joyously to life for all of us. While it was a time of sorrow and remembered grief. it was also a time of celebration.- for these four American -women are remembered with great love and affection by the Salvadoran people and by so many Americans across our country. Their spirits burn bright and have served to inspire many others. including young people. to lives of service. Who now remembers those who brutalized and murdered them. unless it is with a shudder? Several 25th anniversary events were held here in the United States during the December 2 weekend in cities as diverse as Kansas City. Boston. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4894}
{"speech_id":1090098187,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cleveland. Seattle. Detroit. and Milwaukee. Across our country we will also find community \u0095 centers. neighborhood health clinics. and groups that provide counseling for youngwomen and mothers dedicated to these four women. We will find libraries. schools. and scholarly centers named in their honor and books. films. plays and music created to celebrate their lives. In El Salvador. throughout Latin America. and even around the world. it is common tO come across communifties and humanitarian projects named after Maura Clarke. Jean Donovan. Ita Ford. and Dorothy Kazel. I have been very privileged to get to know some of the family members of these women. and I have long been a friend of the Maryknoll Sisters. A finer group of peoplb one simply cannot find. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4894}
{"speech_id":1090098187,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is for them. the families. friends. and colleagues of these four church women that I am proud the House is acting on this special remembrance of their loved ones who have. been lost to them these past 25 years but who always remain. as they say in Spanish. \"presente\" in their hearts. minds. and souls. I believe these four American women represent the very best our country has to offer. They represent the best values and ideals. not. only of the American people but. of all people. My recent time in El Salvador inspired .me. It reenergized met It reminded me that we must remain committed to continuing the church. womens legacy by helping the poor and disadvantaged of El Salvador develop their communities and create a more hopeful future for all. I urge my colleagues to approve of H. Res. 458 and to remember the very special lives dedicated to service of Maura Clarke. Jean Donovan. Ita Ford. and Dorothy Kazel.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4894}
{"speech_id":1090098249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would first like to commend. my good friend and colleague. JUANITA MILLENDERMcDONALD. for introducing this important resolution. Her leadership on behalf of all CambodianAmericans is greatly appreciated. Mr. Speaker. 30 years ago. one of the saddest chapters in world history began to unfold in the nation of Cambodia. With the victory of the Khmer Rouge. millions of men. women and children were forced from their homes into the countryside and prison labor camps throughout the nation. They were told they faced \"reeducation.\" Instead they suffered crimes against humanity that became a genocide. Entire categories of Cambodians were immediately marked for torture and execution by the Khmer Rougeeducated Cambodians. wealthy Cambodians. individuals associated with the previous government. even Cambodians who wore glasses. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2731}
{"speech_id":1090098249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thousands of innocent people were herded into Phnom Penhs infamous S21 prison. Once behind bars. they were tortured by the Khmer Rouge until they confessed to their socalled crimes. After the.confessions were duly recorded and the photos of the doomed were taken and filed away. the imprisoned individuals were summarily executed. When the killing was over 4 years later. over 1.7 million Cambodians were dead. Many had been executed. hundreds of thousands more were victims of starvation and malnutrition. Some Cambodians were fortunate enough to escape the madness and brutality of the Cambodian Genocide. making their way as refugees to various Southeast Asian nations. Nearly 150.000 Cambodians ultimately resettled in the United States. and today. there are more than 200.000 Americansof Cambodian descent. As Cambodians build new lives in the United States. it is appropriate and timely for the Congress to recognize the victims of the Cambodian Genocide. and to welcome the establishment of an international criminal tribunal to bring longoverdue justice to the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide. Mr. Speaker. the international tribunal establishedfor Cambodia is not a perfect institution. and only time will tell if those who carried out. the genocide will be brought to justice. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2731}
{"speech_id":1090098249,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It remains our profound hope that the work of the tribunal will be carried out according to international standards of justice. Mr. Speaker. nearly 1 in 7 Cambodians lost their lives during the horrible 4 years of Khmer Rouge rule. With passage of this resolution. we remember the innocent victims of the genocide. and hope that justice prevails.Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I yield as much. time as she might consume to the gentlewoman from California . my dear friend and distinguished colleague. the author of this important piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2731}
{"speech_id":1090098404,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we will begin consideration of the LaborHHS conference report directly. with Senator HARKIN controlling the first 90 minutes. At the conclusion of that time we will return to the PATRIOT NOTICE If the 109th Congress. 1st Session. adjourns sine die on or before Decerfber 20. 2005. a final issue of the Congressional Record for the 109th Congress. 1st Session. will be published on Friday. December 30. 2005. in order to permit Members to revise and extend their remarks. All material for insertion must be signed by the Member and delivered to the respective offices of the Official Reportersof Debates (Room HT60 or S123 of the Capitol). Monday through Friday. between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. through Thursday. December 29: The final issue will be dated Friday. December 30. 2005. and will be delivered on Tuesday. January 3. 2006. Both offices will be closed Monday. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090098404,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"December 26. 2005. None of the material printed in the final issue of the Congressional Record may contain subject matter. or relate to any event that occurred afterthe sine die date. Senators statements should also be submitted electronically. either on a disk to accompany the signed statement. or by email to the Official Reporters of Debates at \"Record@Sec.Senate.gov\". Members of the House of Representatives statements may also be submitted electronically by email. to accompany the signed statement. and formatted according to the instructions for the Extensions of Remarks template at http:\/\/ clerk.house.gov\/forms. The Official Reporters will transmit to GPO the template formatted electronic file only after receipt of. and authentication with. the hard copy. and signed manuscript. Deliver statements to the Official Reporters in Room HT60. Members of Congress desiring to purchase reprints of material submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record may do so by contacting the Office of Congressional Publishing Services. at the Government Printing Office. on 5120224. between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. TRENT LOTT. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090098404,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Act conference and have a period of debate for the next 2 hours. We will recess at approximately 12:30 until 2:15. for a weekly policy luncheon. At 2:15 we will have another block of time equally divided until 3:30. At 3:30 we have a stack of rollcall votes ordered on the remaining four motions to instruct conferees relative to the spending reduction bill. Those will be the first votes of the day. After that fourth vote. conferees will be named .to that reconciliation measure. We will likely schedule additional votes in that 3:30 sequence and we will announce those votes as they are ordered: I will have more to say on schedule as we proce6d over the course of the day. both for the remainder of the day. this evening. this week. and possibly this weekend. In the meantime. I will continue to. remind Senators and ask that they do remain available over the course of the day and keep their schedules flexible for these votes. I yield.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090098411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. under therule. I have 90 minutessome of it has already been used up in the quorum callto speak on the Labor. Health and Human Servicds. Education. and Related Agencies appropriations bill that is now before the Senate. I again ask any Senator who wants to come over and speak on this time to try to be here before 10:30. I would be glad to yield time to Senators who want to come over and talk about this bill and why this bill should not be passed. At this time of the year when we are seeing all the festive holiday decorations. Christmas trees. all the lights around. there is a certain mood about Christmas. It is a mood of being generous and understanding that it is the season for giving. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10883}
{"speech_id":1090098411,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is the season for thinking about those who may be less fortunate than ourselves. It is also the time of the year when most families of means get together and think about their giving. how they are going to support charities or charitable giving toward the end of the year. It is true in churches all over the country and many nonprofit organizations. This is the time of year when people decide to give money to the churches. to everything. the Salvation Army. to all kinds of nonprofits. It is the time of the year when we remember \"A Christmas Carol\" by Charles Dickens. the wonderful stories about \"A Christmas Carol\" played in high school plays and theaters all over the country every year at this time. Charles Dickens \"A Christmas Carol.\" the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. \"Bah humbug.\" remember that? That is his familiar saying about Christmas. \"bah humbug\"-this tight man. ungenerous. miserly. stingy. with no feelings of compassion whatsoever to those less fortunate. We all know what happened in \"A Christmas Carol.\" He is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past and the Christmas future. He then begins to see clearly that who he has been and what he has stood for is wrolg. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10883}
{"speech_id":1090098411,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The wonderful thing about Charles Dickens and \"A Christmas Carol\" is. at the end. Scrooge becomes compassionate and generous and changes his ways. It is a wonderful story for this time of the year. If only life in Congress imitated that. if only Congress could fol low the example of Ebenezer Scrooge in the final act of the play. I am sorry to say. in terms of the appropriations bill before us. the bill that funds those things that lift people up. that help the poorest in our society these days. to reach down. to give everyone hope. and try to make our society a little bit more.fair and more justthat is what is in this bill. That is what this bill is about. But. sad to say. in this bill. as it is before us. Ebenezer Scroogethe first Ebenezer Scrooge. the one before he changed in the final actis in this bill. Scrooge reigns in this bill. My friend and distinguished senior member of the Appropriations Committee. the Senator from Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10883}
{"speech_id":1090098411,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DAN INOUYE. once said of the Defense appropriations bill that it defends America. The Labor. Health and Human Services. and Education bill. he said. is the bill that defines America. I have thought about that over the years. He said that a long time ago. I have thought about that over the years. as I have been chairman of the subcommittee and ranking member. and chairman and ranking member. Both Senator SPECTER and I have changed places on this subcommittee now I think going back over 15 years. I have thought about that. that this is really the bill that defines America. So how do we want to define America? As the haves with the beautiful Christmas tree. with all the lights. nice cars. warm clothes. good food. who send their kids to the best schools. live in the best neighborhoods? That is America? That is it. that is America? And then down below we have people barely scraping to get by. who dont know how they are going to pay the heating bills in the winter. the elderly. disabled. the poor. those who want to get job training. they have lost their job. but they want to work and are looking for job training assistance. families with meager means who want their kids to get a head start in life so they want to send their kids to a Head Start Program so that their kids. too. will have a decent shot at the American dream. or families who are low income and have poor schools to go to and so they want to at least have good teachers and good facilities and good programs and textbooks and things for their kids so that their kids. too. can get up on that ladder of success. or families who live in lowincome areas who have no health care insurance. have no health care. and the only thing they have to go to is the community health center for their health needs. and that is there for them. I dont know. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10883}
{"speech_id":1090098411,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What kind of America do we want? Do we want an America where at least at this time of the year we think generously? In this beautiful country that We have. all of the riches that we have. can we not find it in our hearts to pass an appropriations bill. that at least. at least. does not back down from where we were before? You would think that would sort of be the minimum. You would think at least at this time of the year we would say. well. we are not going to do any more for lowincome people. but we are not going to cut them back any more either. You would sort of think that would be the bottom line. Sad to say. of all of the appropriations bills that this Congress has passed this year. this is the only appropriations bill that is cut below last years level. This bill. the one that funds education and health. the one that reaches down to help lowincome people. this is the one that is cut. the .only one. the only one that is cut. Please. someone explain this to me. Interior appropriations. Transportation appropriations. Agriculture appropriations. Military Construction and Veterans. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10883}
{"speech_id":1090098492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to be courteous to my dolleagues who wish also to speak. so I will briefly address a couple of the points raised. First. I never suggested that the ability. allowed under the conference report. to hire a lawyer to challenge an NSL is an improvement. I am for that. I dont know that is some great show of benevolence on the part of the Federal Government that now for the first time you will actually be allowed to contact a lawyer if you are served with a national security letter. So I appreciate that. But this is about much more than that simple fact. Judicial review is important. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1760}
{"speech_id":1090098492,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But to have a meaningful judicial review you have to have at least a threshold. that the recipient of a NSL may actually be able to achieve. I suggest that the showing of oppressive or abusive behavior by the Federal Government. the showing of bad faith. is simply too high a threshold to make that judicial review process meaningful.. Finally. I come back to the suggestion that if this bill fails on cloture. we will not have a bill. and portions of the PATRIOT Act and the lone wolf provision will expire. I do not take that to mean that the Senator from Pennsylvania will not support a 3moftth extension. I hope and I believe that he would in such an event. I hope and I believe that the House would support such an extension of the expiring provisions because having them remain in place on a short term basis of 3 months or 6 months. is much more important than having these provisions expire. If those who do not agree with my .opposition to cloture on the conference report really think they will have no bill. then obviously their arguments that the PATRIOT Act is a very important piece of legislation dont have credibility. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1760}
{"speech_id":1090098513,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As my friend knows. I think virtually everything the Senator from Pennsylvania does is meritorious. I am troubled. though. about where we are with the national security letters. Yes. they existed for years. but. they were greatly expanded with the PATRIOT Act. We know that. I am also concerned as we consider this kind of legal language that there will be a chilling effect on the exercise of the right to counsel. and I get that again without being able to go into the details because of my examination of the issue. I am not going to debate the Senators goodfaith efforts. they have always been to try to strike a balance. But I am concerned that something that even the Governmentthe executive branch admits this is a tool that should be used carefully. at a time. as I said. when you open the morning newspaper and every day you see another effort to not strike this balance. I think we ought to stay at this national security letter issue and deal with concerns raised here with respect to secrecy and exercise of right to counsel. My good friend from Pennsylvania and I have worked together on so many issues. and I want him to know of my desire to. do it and my respect for his ability to get into some of these technical questions in a fashion that is almost unparalleled.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1281}
{"speech_id":1090098552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first and foremost. I want to say that I have the utmost respect for the Senator from Pennsylvania as a leader and mentor of all of us. Second. I disagree with his conclusions with respect to the protections for civil liberties because when there is a secret court and the leadership of the FBI essentially in charge of giving those protections to these kinds of provisions in the PATRIOT Act. it is not going to the point where we need to go to protect 6ur civil liberties. I yield. the floorland I thank my good friend and colleague from Pennsylvania.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":568}
{"speech_id":1090098559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will not ask for any more time. then. except to say at a later time I will tell the story of Zacarias Moussaoui and how the PATRIOT Act helps to resolve the situation we couldnt resolve with Zacarias Moussaoui. either. and had we done that. he may not have been involved in the 9\/11 activities.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":296}
{"speech_id":1090098564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague from Vermont for yielding. I am glad I have been able to follow my colleague. my friend and associate from Arizona. and to say to him: Senator. you are wrong. You are just flat wrongthat this Senate or this Congress is going to allow the PATRIOT Act to expire. I find it fascinating. if not almost humorous. that I am on the floor defending the position of JON KYL and my chairman. ARLEN SPECTER. who brought a bill to the floor which brought unanimity to the Senate. that they accepted. that the House rejected. in part. and that they are now saying we should not revisit it again. It is a phenomenally unique responsibility. Folks. when we are dealing with civil liberties. you dont compromise them. and you dont let the bad guys win. The Senate of the United States and the Congress and this President will not let the bad guys win. But we are sure not going to compromise civil liberties. How do you do it? The check and balance that has always been within the law is what we strive for today. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4570}
{"speech_id":1090098564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When I began to become involved in the PATRIOT Act. looking at its reauthorization. I knew it would be an uphill battle. I knew it would be an uphill battle because Americans have grown to be frightened. But now they have grown to be emboldened when they recognized that some of their freedoms were and are at risk. I began to work. as did some of my colleagues. And out of that. knowing it must be reauthorized. we produced a piece of legislation. I must say Chairman SPECTER took us seriously. I am pleased he did. The Judiciary Committee took us seriously. I am glad they did. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4570}
{"speech_id":1090098564,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Out of .that commitmentcame a work product of which all of us were very proud. And it passed the Senate unanimously. I think those charges are simply untrue. that somehow we wanted to destroy the act or that we wanted it to expire and go away. I know the rest of the country doesnt believe us anymore in that sense because they now understand the importance of the balance W9e are striving to create. I also find it very unique that we are talking about and focusing on a very small part of the PATRIOT Act itself. It is not sweeping change we are proposing. It is not sweeping. change we hope to achieve by opposing cloture and asking the House to reconsider the work we have done. Is it an impossible task and is it a leap too far? Not at all. Look at the House vote yesterday. Two hundred and twenty four voted for the conference report we are now considering. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4570}
{"speech_id":1090098564,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That isnt the important vote. fellow Senators. The important vote was the 202 who agreed that we ought to agree with the Senate on what they had accomplished. That is simply 13 short of a majority in the House. Rarelyand we know that. those of .us who have been around a whfiledo you ever get the House to agree with the Senate as much as the House agrees with the Senate on this issue. I am very confident. if the Senate revision of the PATRIOT Act and the reauthorization provision we provided. which passed the Senate unanimously. had been on the floor of the House yesterday and that had been the document being voted on. the vote would not have been 224. it would have been 240 or 250 or possibly 300. It is very possible that they would have been able to achieve that kind of broader support. Why? For all of my colleagues who have joined the debate today. and this is why I think the issues we aretalking about are so important. If we had wanted to kill the -PATRIOT Act. we would not have gone as far as we have to work with the chairman and the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee to finetune it and to make sure those safeguards are in place. Americans clearly understand we are at war. That does not need to be restated on the floor of this Senate. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4570}
{"speech_id":1090098564,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Blood has been spilled on our soil. and we know that. We recognize the very important task at hand. and the authority we have given our security organizations and our intelligence and law enforcement organizations in this area. But it is incumbent upon me. and it is incumbent upon all of us. to make sure that we dont gray or in some way make it easier for free citizens to have their rights violated. either by accident or if by a rogue investigator who found he or she could use the privilege granted here to somehow leverage a situation of a free citizen. And that is not what we are about. There is so much to be said here. and my time is very limited. I ask unanimous consent that the \"Dear Colleague\" letter that many of us sent out yesterday to our colleagues that breaks down part by part what we have done be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4570}
{"speech_id":1090098565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me. for a moment. touch on something I think is important. This issue has spread beyond these walls and beyond this building. The Idaho Legislature. my legislature in Idaho. by a resolution. a house joint memorial and a senate joint memorial to the Congress. asked that we support the SAFE Act. The SAFE Act was the passage of amendments that the Senate Judiciary Committee incorporated within our version of the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act that passed this body unanimously. From the beginning. those of us who have concerns about PATRIOT have hadan uphill battle. PractiCally before the ink was dry on our billand certainly well before any committee had reviewed itwe faced a veto recommendation. Before they even read our reform proposals. some of PATRIOTs defenders charged us with wanting to repeal the law and do away with all the tools it provided law enforcement to protect our country against terrorism. Those charges were not true when we began. and theyre not true today. We are not trying to undo PATRIOT. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090098565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If some Senators still believe that. well. the rest of the country does not. .S13624 CO: Most of PATRIOT isnt even at issue todayjust a small part of the law is up for renewal. Of that small part. we are only focusing on a few controversial and very important provisions. And even for those few provisions in th6 small part of the law up for re-. newal. we are asking for modest checks and balandes. not repeal. And we have even been flexible about what shape those reforms should take. We introduced the SAFE Act. offering one way to \"fix\" what we saw as problems. but in the end. we accepted a Senate Judiciary Committee bill that took a couple of different approaches. Here is an interesting reaction: When we are dealing with constitutional freedoms. just a little can make all the difference. Some are saying that we are asking for so little. we should just drop it altogether. Our point is that it would take very little to close the gap and provide the assurances we are seeking. Our ask is very doable. The conference on this bill was squeezed into the very end of the year. changes were being made in the conference agreement even up to the day of its filing. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090098565,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We believe a limited timeframe would allow further discussion and an opportunity to get beyond whatever political issues are in the way. Some of us have even introduced legislation that would extend the expiring provisions of PATRIOT for 3 months. for this purpose. Furthermore. its worth emphasizing that our concerns are not about insignificant or technical issuesthey relate to what happens when innocent Americans come within the sphere of surveillance in antiterrorism investigations. Regardless of what Americans think about the PATRIOT Acts effectiveness. they also care about preserving their freedom within the fight against terrorism. Let me read the resolution passed by the Idaho State Legislature earlier this year on the subject:","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2956}
{"speech_id":1090098677,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the case. I think. to be made is whether we can address this particular bill. where 100 percent of the body is for it. It will save lives today and tomorrow. There is a whole range of bills. We have the embryonic stem cell bill and we heard about the cloning bill. There is the alternative embryonic stem cell bill. We have about six or seven bills which I have tried to bring to the floor under a unanimous consent request objected to by the other side. where we bring each of these bills separately. freestanding. to the floor. That has been objected to by the other side of the aisle. Since that time. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2096}
{"speech_id":1090098677,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have committed that we will be addressing these bills early next year. I cannot give a specific date. I cannot even tell people what we will be voting on tomorrow morning in this body. given our schedule. But the commitment is to address these issues in the early part of next year. If we dont pass this now. people will be suffering who are waiting for transplants if they cannot find a suitable match. Yet if we were to pass this bill with this registry. the registry will put together a public inventory of 150.000. One person waiting for a transplant that is lifesaving for otherwise untreatable diseases or treatable by a traditional bone marrow transplantwe will have 150.000 units then in a registry where you go to a computer and get a match and that transplant can take place. You can match as many as 80 or 90 percent of the people who are waiting today if we had this registry. The neat thing is that these units are available not within months but days. For transplants. people usually have to wait months. but this is the sort of thing where once you have the registry. you wait not months but days to get the transplant. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2096}
{"speech_id":1090098677,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One last point is that with these cord blood transplants. .outcome is better than with the traditional bone marrow transplants with more mature cells. Cord blood cells are less mature and less pliable than the more adult cells for traditional bone marrow transplants. With that. I am disappointed that we have heard this objection tonight.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2096}
{"speech_id":1090098679,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I echo the disappointment of the leader and will make a couplb comments on the debate we have already had. I know it is not in the leaders power to bring up .a bill that is unamendable. It is possible for the leaderand the leader has -made speeches in support of having the embryonic stem cellto bring up a bill. but when it comes before the body. it can be amended any number of ways. So it is not possible for any leader to be able to give the guarantee that has been asked for today. Another important part of this debate is that we dont just have the 100 Senators in this body agreeing. that this is important. necessary. and immediate legislation. we also have the House agreeing that this is important. necessary. and immediate legislation. This is something for saving lives now. This isnt a big thing to go into the research area. This is treatment that is readily available. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5853}
{"speech_id":1090098679,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have preconferenced this bill already with the House. so it is not a matter of debate or discord between the House and the Senate. I am noticing at this time of the year that therd is quite bit of that. There are more fights between the House and Senate than between the Republicans and Democrats. I hope we can get all of the debate resolved that we have before us. This is one that ought to only take a few minutes. and it could be done yet today and to the President for signature tomorrow because of the preconferencing we have done. That is unusual for a bill. If any one of the stem cell bills were able to be even unanimous consented within this body. we would be able to take it up as we have a number of bills. such as the pension bill. which was not easy. To have one come up with absolutely an upordown vote isnt going to happen around here. I know we were looking forward to the debate. We expected it. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5853}
{"speech_id":1090098679,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then a little thing called Katrina happened. The time we would have been debating that. we were debating lives in a little different manner. trying to come up with solutions. We still have some of those outstanding. Time for debate here is a very precious think. particularly as we are winding up a session. I appreciate the leader saying he would definitely bring it up early next year. I know that is about as strong a commit.ment as anybody can make around this body. While we are on this bill. I want to express my support for its passage. and. I want to particularly commend Senator HATCH for his work on it. In fact. the base bill we worked with was Senator HATCHS bill. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5853}
{"speech_id":1090098679,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He brought a lot of us along with him on getting an understanding of what this does and what it could do. and he not only had the experience with the bill he submitted. but has been working on this in various stages for years. He has a tremendous body of knowledge he was willing to share and able to share. That is what brought everybody into the picture. He worked with Senators BURR. ENSIGN. DODD. and REED to develop the HELP Committee .product that nowalso the House can support. I appreciate his efforts. as well as the others within the HELP Committee. to reach this delicate compromise. I also thank my colleagues who were critical to legislation. which would be Senators KENNEDY. BROWNBACK. KYL. and others. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5853}
{"speech_id":1090098679,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They played a significant role. Given that this is a preconference agreement with the House. I appreciate the work of Representative C.W. BILL YOUNG and Chris John. Chairman JOE BARTON. and others in the House who have worked with us to help develop this language. to take the contentiousness out. to get it to the point where it is now. One of the unfortunate things with preconferencing and unanimous consent is that without the wild debate on things. the media normally doesnt pick up when something significant happens around here. This is one of those *issues that is so critical. and we need to get it to the people who need it now. We ought not have a contentious debate just for the sake of getting the word out that we have done it. This is something the media ought to latch onto. if it gets completed. and help us get the word out that it has been done and get it into place. The compromise we passed out of the. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5853}
{"speech_id":1090098720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Santa Ana River Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2005. This legislation authorizes Federal assistance through Title XVI for projects developed by local communities to reduce their dependence on water from the Colorado River. It helps California develop safer and more reliable water supplies. Congressman GARY MILLER along with Congressmen CALVERT. DREIER. ROYCE. Cox and ROHRABACHER introduced similar legislation ih the House. Their bill passed the House in October. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2891}
{"speech_id":1090098720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The projects in this bill will increase the regions water supply by 200.000 acrefeet annually and are prototypes for providing water supplies to new communities throughout the arid Western States. The Orange County Water Districts Groundwater Replenishment System is an innovative approach to reuse water resources within one of the most populated counties in the Nation. Seventytwo thousand acre feet of reclaimed water will be produced annually for indirect potable use. This is enough water to meet the needs of more than 300.000 people each year. This bill authorizes $51.8 million for the groundwater replenishment system. just 10 percent of the actual cost of the project. Another project in the bill expands desalination facilities in the Chino Basin. providing a fourfold increase in the ability to desalinate groundwater supplies. The Chino Basin groundwater desalters will be the primary drinking water supply for 40.000 new homes in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. This legislation also authorizes $40 million to construct regional brine sewer lines tha will enable our communities to safely dispose of the brine generated from the \"desalted\" groundwater supplies. In order to naturally treat the regions water and remove contamination from the Santa Anna River. I am also seeking Federal support for the construction of wetlands. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2891}
{"speech_id":1090098720,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This concept holds the promise of efficiently improving the quality of our groundwater supplies without costly control technologies. The creation of a Center for Technological Advancement of Membrane Technology will foster research efforts to improve membrane design and testing. Research conducted at this facility will help develop technologies to increase the stability of our water supply. I believe the evergrowing demand for water throughout Southern California can be satisfied through local supplies. Regional watershed plans. coordinating water use throughout multiple jurisdictions. are a critical tool to reach this goal. All of the projects in this legislation were developed on a regional basis and the Federal cost share of each project is less than 20 percent. I am pleased to introduce this legislation as it holds the key to providing a roadmap for other communities efforts to meet the challenges posed by a scarce potablewater supply. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2891}
{"speech_id":1090098775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Americans purchase 68 percent more prescription drugs today than they did just 10 years ago. and at the same time. retail prescription prices have risen three times the rate of inflation. How can people afford the medication they need? Some propose price controls. others want the government to pay. but let us also give the power to the patient. Whether we are buying groceries or clothes or cars or even airline tickets. when consumers can compare prices they can drive those prices down. Why not do the same for presciiption drugs? Today. many State governments are setting up Web sites for .consumers to compare drug prices in their area. These Internet sites help patients to shop smarter and get more affordable choices. One study found that Web sites offering drug comparisons can save patients as much as 40 percent. Congress should support publicprivate partnerships for sharing online information to help lower these costs for consumers. I urge my colleagues to learn more about how informed consumners can lower their costs on prescription drugs by visiting my Web site at murphy.house.gov.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1114}
{"speech_id":1090098809,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of this rule and the underlying bill. I believe this piece of legislation is one of the most important pieces of legislation that we will take up in the 109th Congress. and I do not believe it is getting an adequate level of public attention considering the enormity of the significance. In my 11 years in the House of Representatives. I have seen more and more the movement of our economy into a global economy where our U.S. corporations are increasingly finding themselves having to compete no longer with other domestic corporations. but foreign companies that operate under very. very different rules in their domestic country of origin. and particularly as it relates to pension plans. What I am getting at. Madam Speaker. is that we desperately need to modernize our pension laws and probably most importantly. more than anything else. we have seen tragically. in recent years. many workers come to their retirement years to find that their pellsion plans are insolvent. that the company that had guaranteed them a retirement is bankrupt. and increasingly that these pension plans are underfunded. Now is this a perfect bill? No. There is no bill that comes through a legislative process as complex as this involving two committees that anybody can label as perfect. But this is moving us in the right direction. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1958}
{"speech_id":1090098809,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are going to go to conference with the Senate and what is going to emerge is going to be a good bill. I think this is a very good product. Chairman BOEHNER and Chairman THOMAS deserve a great deal of credit for the effort and hard work they have put into this. I believe this is going to have ramifications for protecting our workers and making our companies more competitive in this global marketplace so we can increasing compete effectively and create jobs and protect jobs and defend the hardworking American people who are depending on these retirement plans to be there in their retirement years.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1958}
{"speech_id":1090098814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to commend the distinguished chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee for putting together a wellbalanced bill to reform our Nations outdated pension laws. Putting this bill together has been a long and difficult process. and the Chairman should be commended for his perseverance and diligence. Our Nations pension laws have not undergone comprehensive reform for over 30 years. Unfortunately. the recent examples of United Airlines and Bethlehem Steel show that this system is broken. We cannot have a situation where companies continually underfund their pension plans. go bankrupt. and then transfer their pensions to the PBGC. Workers lose the.money they were depending on for retirement. and American taxpayers are expected to pick up the slack for companies irresponsibility. H.R. 2830 will help ensure that workers pensions are better funded. It changes current law to require plans to be 100 percent funded. If plans are underfunded. this bill will force companies to make up their shortfall in 7 years. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090098814,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 2830 will also help stabilize the PBGC by raising the premiums companies pay for the PBGCs protection. Further. by requiring employers that terminate their pensions in bankruptcy to pay an annual premium of $1.250 per participant to the PBGC for the 3 years after they emerge from bankruptcy. this bill makes terminating pension plans a less attractive option for employers. Companies who want to dump their pensioris to escape bankruptcy and raise their bottom line will have a tougher time doing so. Furthermore. the Pension Protection Act will help stop the unacceptable practice of labor and management negotiating for pension benefits that both sides know are unaffordable. If a pension plan is underfunded. it will not be able to increase benefits or pay shutdown benefits unless it pays for such benefits immediately. I would also like to commend Chairman BOEHNER for his efforts this week to reach an agreement with the United Auto Workers union over their concerns with the bill. Mr. Chairman. I have the largest manufacturing district in the country. and many union members let me know their concerns with this bill in its original form. Unfortunately. this bill would have allowed some companies to freeze their employees pension benefits and limit accrualseven if they had the money to fund them. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090098814,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The agreement that Chairman BOEHNER reached with the UAW requires companies to use all the money in their plan before they can freeze benefits and limit accruals. This will prevent companies from gaming their funded status in order to deliberately trigger these benefit restrictions. Again. I thank Chairman BOEHNER for his hard work writing a bill supported by such a broad coalition of both labor and management groups. and urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090098855,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time. -Mr. Speaker. today the House will debate legislation attempting to address immigration in our country. the challenges of which are extremely complex. Unfortunately. this legislation focuses entirely on border security and cracking down on illegal immigration. It fails to truly address the underlying issue of why people. risk long boat rides in cargo containers. open rafts. extreme temperatures crossing deserts and risking death to come to the United States. This legislation overlooks the multifaceted nature of immigration and sadly ignores the fact the immigration system is broken. Individuals waiting years to receive a visa is not an uncommon occurrence. nor is it rare for someone who came to the United States legally for work or to study to wait years at a time to bring their spouses. children. and loved ones to this country to join them. What we cannot forget is that these are real people. My grandparents were immigrants. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090098855,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So many people from California. Florida. North Carolina. Texas. New York. I could go on and on. are immigrants. We should take a breath and hold for a moment before we rush this. What we do to address our broken immigration system must be thoughtful. Like many of our districts. my hometown of Sacramento has an immigrant population. and in Sacramento that population includes many from Russia and the former Soviet Union. I am currently helping some of my constituents to bring their 13yearold son back to the United States. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090098855,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Seven years ago. this constituent legally came to our country. This past June. the family traveled to Russia for vacation and -on return was shocked to learn that their sons eligibility had been canceled. Their son was barred from reentering this country with his parents. We are working as fast as we can to correct what seems to be a mistake and reunite this family Until then. this young boy must remain in Russia. As a mother and grandmother. I cannot fathom what this family must be going through. nor can I understand how we have not reformed a system that would allow this separation. We must not put families in a situation. where they feel they must make a decision to enter legally or illegally or separate their families. We must reform our immigration system to end backlogs and to help reunite families. As I said before. this is a multifaceted issue of which family unification is only one component. There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090098855,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They came here illegally in search of a better opportunity. to work on farms and restaurants. hotels. and hundreds of other service jobs. Whether we like it or not. they are part of our economy and fill a needed gap in our labor force. That is why the chamber of commerce. the business community. the immigrant community. and the President all support a guest worker program. That is the only way to end the incentive to enter the United States illegally to find work. and bring out of shadows the illegal immigrants already here. This legislation. however. ignores these issues. That is not to say it is without some needed provisions. I support increasing the number of border patrol agents and port inspectors as well as adding radiation detection equipment at all of our maritime ports. However. on the whole. it is filled with illconsidered provisions. What makes this worse is that there is no reason why we need to rush this through in the last days of the session. It is clear there are many questions surrounding this legislation. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090098855,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The action we take on immigration will reverberate across the country and affect peoples lives. We need to know its full implications before we proceed. It is not clear that we need to do this now. The American people deserve clarity now. I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090098863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague across the aisle from Florida for yielding me this time. I rise in part because I disagree. with the previous speaker in the well on many points dealing with the immigration question and border security. But I rise to oppose the rule precisely because of our disagreements. I rise in reluctance. but these are the circumstances in which we confront this. Here we are rushing toward the Christmas holiday break and at the last nanosecond of the llth hour. we are going to debate tpis important question. The American people deserve more. No. there will not be unanimity on this question. Illegal immigration threatens our sovereignty. our security. and our reverence for the rule of law. ","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090098863,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It discriminates against American workers. particularly those who struggle to survive at the lowest rung of the economic ladder. E 1230 It also locks illegal aliens into a -permanent underclass to be exploited and discarded. It demands that we give serious deliberative attention to the question of illegal immigration on our economy. on the health care system. our public school system and our criminal justice system. Because it is so important. we need more time to deliberate and debate and make the right choices. Vote no on the rule.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090098868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This rule will bring to the floor a bill which is an insult to the intelligence of the American people and an insult to the intelligence of this body. We can have all kinds of debates. guest worker. no guest worker. birthright citizenship. no birthright citizenship. fence. no fence. These are legitimate arguments to have. But a bill that the Speaker of the House. the chairman of the Rules Committee and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee know cannot solve the crisis of illegal immigration. they know from the start. that they bring up and ask this body to pass in order to tell the American people they are doing something about a problem they know cannot be solved by the bill they are presenting is insulting the intelligence and trying to con the American people. This rule should be rejected for that reason. In this bill is an employereligibility system Which is a critical component of a comprehensive approach to dealing with illegal immigration. How are you ever going to impose effectively an employerverification system where every person who is hired\" and every person who is now working has to be verified by the Social Security Administration when you have 11 million people in this country. almost all of whom are working except for the children. almost all of whom are working in undocumented fashion for an employer. the heart of the perishable fruit and vegetable industry. the heart of a number of other industries in this country. and expect that system to pass. This is a con. There are only two things going on.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1541}
{"speech_id":1090098881,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will draw this first debate to a close by again congratulating the Committee on the Judiciary. Chairman SENSENBRENNER. as well as the- Committee on Homeland Security and Chairman KING for bringing this comprehensive bill before the House today. As I stated in my opening remarks. the problem of illegal immigration poses multiple threats and must be addressed in multiple ways. and I am pleased that this bill before us today goes a long way and is a great first step to attacking the problem. both from the supplyanddemand sides of the equation. as well as from the security side. Mr. Speaker. through both strengthening our borders and diminishing economic incentives for illegal immigration. we stand a much better chance of truly reducing this problem in a meaningful way. And. yes. we do intend. in an expeditious manner. to address the issue of a solution for the existing 11 million illegals. most of whom are working hard. to support their families. Again. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1326}
{"speech_id":1090098881,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this rule so we can move forward with the initial consideration of the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1326}
{"speech_id":1090098906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As you and I are both aware. the airline industry continues to amass losses as the industry strives to become more dynamic. both externally and internally. Losses during the last 4 years have proven that the business model used by legacy carriers is outdated but under duress by highfuel prices and post9\/11 repercussions. A primary component playing into the equation of legacy carrier viability is the pension systems currently in place. The current model of defined benefit pension plans and the rules associated with it have come under scrutiny as two legacy carriers. making up approximately 20 percent of the domestic airline market. recently terminated their employee pension plans. There are no winners when airlines default on their pension plans. Employees now are planning for a retirement with a fraction of what they were originally promised. and further. the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. the government agency and guarantor of all pension plans. is put more and more into the red. and taxpayers are exposed to greater risk. Eventually. the point will be reached when taxpayers have to bail out the PBGC if no action is taken. With these concerns in mind. I would ask the chairman to agree to work with me and the gentleman from Minnesqta to develop a process. as the Senate has done. to provide airlines with the flexibility needed to fund their defined benefit pension systems over a long amortization period. I believe it is critical that we join with the Senate in this effort and through the conference process to develop final legislation that contains industryspecific reform for the airlines.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1622}
{"speech_id":1090098922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on this important piece of legislation for several reasons. Paramount. it will help an industry that badly needs our help at a very critical time. and the only way we can help the airline industry is to get it into conference. There are a lot of things that may be right with this bill. there a lot of things that may be wrong with this bill. but the only answer and the logical and most responsible thing that we need to do is to vote \"yes\" and send the bill to conference. allow the process to work. I appreciate Mr. MILLER who has worked very diligently with me and understands my concerns. I represent an area that has probably more airline employees maybe than any other district. I represent Delta Airlines. We all knowthat Delta Airlines is in a bankruptcy fight. fighting for.its very life. and the two most critical issues that they need help on is doing something to lower the high cost of fuel. which we have problems with and how we can do it. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2807}
{"speech_id":1090098922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are all kinds of questions. But there is one thing we can do. and that is to help them with relief of their pension plans. So I urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on this important legislation. Mr. Speaker. .this is a comprehensive pension reform bill that will protect workers retirement incomes. give companies a longer window to make underfunded plans whole. and will help protect U.S. taxpayers from taking on the liability associated with future plan terminations. Now Im asking your help to help my people in Georgia. One area that remains to be addressed in conference are major airlines pension plans. Delta Air Lines employs thousands of men and women in my district who rely now or plan to rely in whole or in part on retirement benefits provided by Delta. Without a change in current law that allows Delta and other air carriersthat have defined benefit plan obligations. like Northwest. Continental and American. to make their pension payments over a longer period of time20 yearsits certainly a possibility that some or all of these pJans will be terminated. benefits reduced and liability shifted to the taxpayer. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2807}
{"speech_id":1090098922,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These carriers want to honor their obligations. but need to be equipped with the tools to have a fighting chance to do so. And getting this pension bill to conference is our only hope. Although we are not addressing this specific need today. I strongly support continued pursuit in conference of an airline specific provision similar to that passed by the Senate. extending the payment period for these carriers to 20 years. Help us get this bill to conference. Lets help Delta and all the airlines who need our help so much. I want to thank Chairman BOEHNER for your hard work in making this reform bill a reality. and look forward to working with the conferees.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2807}
{"speech_id":1090098936,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker. when United Airlines announced it was going to go into bankruptcy. the Democratic members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce planned an ehearing so those people who were most affected by the termination of that plan and the bankruptcy of that company would have an opportunity to talk to their representatives in Congress. We were. not going to have a hdaring on this problem. and these people could not come to. Washington and testify. So we opened up the Internet to them. and we received thousands of replies from people telling us their life stories. The amazing thing about it was how many of these people were Qsing their retirement to care for another member of their family. It could be *a spouse with an illness. it could be a child. a grandchild. and all of a sudden. half of their pensions were evaporated into the bankruptcy of United Airlines. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6868}
{"speech_id":1090098936,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Kenneth Schmidt. a longtime employee of United from Goodyear. Arizona. wrote. \"Dear Congressman. I had worked at United for 38 years when I retired in February of 2003. My job as a mechanic was always a source of pride to me. I worked midnights for many years. and in doing so. I missed many of my family gatherings and holidays. This was what I chose to do in life. and I did it with no complaints. But now I am faced with large cuts in my retirement benefits. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6868}
{"speech_id":1090098936,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My retirement should be a time .for taking it easy. traveling and enjoying my golden years. If this cut happens. both my wife and I will be forced to reenter the work world. probably full time if our medical insurance is also affected. This is a sad time in this country for all the workers who are relying on a pensibn to ease their lives and make this time relaxing and enjoyable. The stress thatis being created by the turn of events is not healthy for anyone. Please try and help all retirees and future retirees out of this most unfortunate set of troubles.\" What the problem is is that this legislation does nothing for the Kenneth Schmidts of the world. he and his family. It does nothing to keep companies from simply making a business decision that they can throw the company into bankruptcy. get rid of the retirebment and health care obligations to retirees and move along. This is not some unusual practice to bring shame upon a company. The steel companies did it. The airlines have done it. There is a question of whether the automobile industry will go this way. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6868}
{"speech_id":1090098936,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is really not completely about their pensions. It is about a decision of a business plan. It is about competitionand a change in the marketplace. But the fact of the matter is that. at the end of the day. there is no showing. United did not have to show that for these pension plans they would be a solvent company. In fact. the people from the PBGC wrote and said that they thought the flight attendant plan could be salvaged. and in fact. maybe the others could. But the decision was .made and -they went into bankruptcy without a hearing on that issue. Companies should have to exhaust all of their attempts to try to save the retirement plans of these Americans. these people who have worked hard. Remember. these pension plans. they traded pay. They traded health care benefits. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6868}
{"speech_id":1090098936,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They traded vacation days for this pension plan. That was the agreement and the guarantee. Now. unilaterally. the company gets up and walks away from it. And to rub salt into their wounds. there were pilots required by the laws of this Nation to retire earlier. They take an additional hit on their pension. because they are early retirees. not because they wanted to stop flying but because the law says they have to retire. So we have pension plans that could have been salvaged and people who are being punished because of the Federal law in terms.of their early retirements. and this bill does nothing to fix that. We do that in our motion to recommit. We address the concerns of the flight attendants. We address the concerns of the early retirees. and we address the concerns of the airlines. but it does not do that in the majority bill because they want to go off and use those people as trading chips. the retirement nest eggs of these hardworking Americans. in the conference committee. I urge Members to vote against this legislation. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6868}
{"speech_id":1090098955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in Texas. gray skies could mean a twister. a hurricane. or just a lot of rain. To avoid disaster. we want a reliable weather forecast. The same when we go to the doctor. a diagnosis before taking necessary action. And the same should also be true of our economic health. Families that work hard to earn a pension depend on it for retirement security. But too many suddenly find that their pension funds are drained. denying them of the dignified and comfortable retirement for which they have worked a lifetime. In addition to the many other problems identified here today by my Democratic Ways and Means colleagues. this bill lacks a pension disclosure requirement that would empower workers to understand just how strong or weak their pension plans really are. Having to wait until a retirement funds bankruptcy is announced in the newspaper is a little too late for employees to take any remedial action to be able to protect them.selves. . Both the Government Accountability Office and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation recommend that employees be provided information far beyond the provisions of this bill. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090098955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important that we not leave the employees in the dark with corporate employers blocking the light switch. A majority of the House voted to allow the Federal Government to comb through library records yesterday. Why can employees not be allowed full access to their own pension information today?","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090098986,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in reluctant support of the Pension Protection Act of 2005. H.R. 2830. I commend the authors of this bill who worked with elements of the union movement to craft legislation designed to address some of the issues affecting the employerprovided pension system. Key stakeholders in Michigans 13th Congressional District support the bill that we will consider today. Organizations like General Motors. Ford Motor Company. the United Auto Workers Union. building trade unions. Northwest Airlines. airline pilots. flight attendants. and more have contacted my office to express their support for the bill. The leadership of my party has pointed out that the bill has several major shortcomings. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090098986,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My leadership argues that H.R. 2830 does very.little over the longterm to strengthen traditional. defined benefit plans. Had the majority permitted Members on my side of the aisle to amend the bill. I am sure that our suggestions would go a long way to improving the legislative product before us. We. however. are being denied that opportunity. and I must decide what best represents the interests of the income security needs of my Southeast Michigan constituents. After careful examination. I have decided to support the passage of H.R. 2830. but with the hope that it will be improved when a compromised is reached with the other body. My district is the center of the world automotive industry. As my colleagues know. the economic condition of the GM. Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler is under stress. The workers employed in local plant sites throughout the Nation feel their future income security is threatened because their pensions are dependent on the financial health of companysponsored plans. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090098986,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All in all. this bill strengthens funding for employer pension plans and includes reforms advocated by companies and unions who participate in multiemployer pension plans. Therefore. I vote for this bill with hope that it will move the process forward to address the pension concerns of the airline industry and airline employees and the concerns of our steelworkers. who take exception with shutdown provisions of the bill to address the pension needs of companies in total \"shutdown\" status.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090099028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Ladies and gentlemen. let me say from the outset that we on this side. the Democrats. believe that a strong border security policy is an absolute necessity for this Nation. We must ensure that terrorists cannot lurk in the shadows of our society and do us harm. Let us begin with that. Now. if you will look at the dissenting views in our report on this neasure. there may be 20 to 40 different reasons that we do not like the bill. So rather than take all that time up. what I want to talk about is the one that offends me the most. and that is the criminalizing of unlawful presence. Now. this. alone. should turn away a majority of the. House. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2636}
{"speech_id":1090099028,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are roughly 11 million undocumented individuals in the United States who. under sections 203 and 201 of this bill. would be subject to mandatory detention if convicted of a crime of being unlawfully in the United States. First time in history. Are you ready for this? These individuals would be mandatorily retained without regard to whether the person is a flight risk or poses any danger. Reentry after removal would also ba another aggravated felony. and these provisions would result in a permanent bar to reentry and no chance of a waiver whatsoever. Now. criminalizing unlawful presence by an incarcdration of more .than 1 year is. to me. over the top. Millions of immigrants could be impacted and would suddenly be unable to apply for relief if they had been convicted of unlawful presence. Any immigrant who overstayed a visa and was convicted would be permanently barred from any form of immigration relief. Families who have been living and working in the U.S. for years would suddenly be ineligible for immigration relief that they would otherwise be able to receive. Virtually anyone who overstayed a visa could be guilty of an aggravated felony and thus ineligible for release. Now. the last thing I want to mention before I reserve the balance of my time is to state what we do need. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2636}
{"speech_id":1090099028,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I have taken a little time to come around to this. We do need a program for the 11 million people in this country who are out of status to a system of earned legalization. This is the only rational solution that I can bring to you today. my colleagues. The President of the United States. who I seldom quote. has said that without a comprehensive approach that includes earned legalization. we will not solve the problem. Otherwise. these millions will remain in this country. in the shadows. and we will not know what they are doing and who they are and where they are going. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2636}
{"speech_id":1090099049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman.-I_ thank Chairman. SENSENBRENNER and Chairman KING of New York for their extraordinary efforts on this bill. I do rise in support of H.R. 4437 today. We do have a border crisis on our hands. and it is time that we do something about it other than talk. The chairmen have done a great job in bringing this forward. Everywhere I go in my district. Democrats. Republicans. everyone is united in the belief that our border enforcement is out of control and we have to give our border agents the tools they need to protect this great Nation. My constituents see \"this truly as an issue of national security and of grave importance to our country. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1871}
{"speech_id":1090099049,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is one we cannot wait to handle. We have to do. something to secure those borders. I am especially pleased to see that the Judiciary Committee has inserted several items on the bill that I had worked on while I was a member of the committee. During the 108 and 109th Congress. I introduced the Federal Contractor Security Act to tackle the problem of illegal entrants working for Federal contractors at critical infrastructure sites. at sites that are sensitive to our national security. And now the bill makes it mandatory for all employers. including Federal contractors. to use the worker verification system. This is a system that employers can use at no charge. at -no charge. and provide the sense of security that is needed by American citizens that the individuals working are indeed who they claim to be. The legislation removes the guesswork about a workers status and separates illegal entrants well before a business has invested time and money to train them. Again. I want to thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER and Chairman KING of New York. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1871}
{"speech_id":1090099049,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to thank the leadership for their work and encourage support of H.R. 4437. This is s6mething that is good for business. It is good for our Nations security.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1871}
{"speech_id":1090099051,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this very poorly drafted bill. I learned long ago in my legislative career that you should not enact laws that you cannot enforce. This bill has some good provisions. but it also has a lot of bad provisions. If there was ever a moment. I think. in legislative history of congressional hypocrisy. it has got to be right now. Just a few minutes ago we voted to recognize and support the symbols of Christmas. This bill steps on the spirit of Christmas for 11 million people in America who are ilow being given a Christmas present. being told they are H11806 Co \"criminals.\" Not only are all the undocumented people made instant criminals. sp are theiy. churches. so are tl~eir neighbors. and. so are the leople tht. support them and employ them. Mr. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1894}
{"speech_id":1090099051,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. this bill declares war mostly on Mexicans because they are the vast majority of undocumented people in the United States. They are people that are already here. working. living in our communities. Who are these people? They may be your town heroes. They may be the latest valedictorian in your high school. They might have been the star of your football team or other sports team. They may have been the next scholarship winners. They may be some of Americas brightest. our future. And yet now. by caveat. they are criminals. Some cut your lawn. some clean your house. some harvest your food and thatis the food that we pray over. This bill makes criminals out of innocent children. their mothers and their fathers. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1894}
{"speech_id":1090099051,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You cannot enforce this bill. I think. without a revolution. That is why the Chamber of Commerce. the American Bar Association. the Association of Builders and Contractors. the Episcopal Church. the International Association of Firefighters. the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. and many other areas oppose this legislation. -I ask for a \"no\" vote on a badly drafted bill.","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1894}
{"speech_id":1090099075,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Chairman. there are a number of major provisions in this bill. and let me speak of one that has been referred to on both sides of the aisle. some in support and some not in support. Section 407 which is the expedited removal section. this was adopted in the markup in the Homeland Security Committee. The question of expedited removal was one that we explored in our subcommittee. The specific context of our hearing involved the growing number of illegal border crossings by what is referred to by the service as \"other than Mexicans\" or \"OTMs.\" Let me explain what this is. Most people who come across the border illegally from our adjoining countries. either on the north from Canada or on the south from Mexico. accept voluntary departure. They agree to voluntarily go home and agree that they do not go through the various processes involved. We cannot do that with those people who are not from those countries because neither Mexico nor Canada would accept them. So we have to have an acknowledgment from the country from whence they came. their home country. that they are. in fact. residents of those countries or citizens of those countries. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090099075,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That requires us to detain those people for some period of time. That requires detention space. and the subject that has been discussed before. the idea of catch and release was created as a result of insufficient detention space and insufficient resources dedicated to that proposition. After that was revealed by the press earlier this year. the administration responded by trying out a couple of pilot projects in certain sectors. Instead of catch and release. it was retain them and then have expedited removal. They found that to be successful. and so they have expanded it to the entire southern border.Our bill mandates that not only be a temporary policy but a permanent policy. Yes. it does extend within 100 miles of the border. and it is limited to 14 days. That is. people who have been here less than 14 days. even though the underlying law allows it to be done for a 2year period of time. it does not limit it to 100 miles from the border. This is a border security bill. and we limit it in that fashion. It is directed at those who have come here. We even had the incident of a large number of people from Brazil this past year coming up. and we found that not only did they come across the border but instead of running away from our immigration officers. they ran to them. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090099075,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They ran to them to surrender. and they ran to them to surrender so they could be cited so they could actually get the citation which said you have entered this country illegally. you have to show up for your hearing 90 days hence. And 90some percent did not show up. My question is. why did the 6 percent show up? If you look at it. we have created a system with every incentive to come back. That has turned around because of the pilot project. What this bill does - is jnandates . it. It is commonsensical. It is the right thing to do. It helps us take a right step in the right direction.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090099085,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 3 minutes. It is interesting that in the face of a massive failure of administration of oui border security. the Congress responds not with enhancing the remedies and its personnel so that we can enforce the law. but instead comes up with a bill to dramatically change the law. . I mentioned earlier. we have cited and released individuals who never showed up. 80 percent of the time or better. And what did the administration do? They just kept doing it. That is the definition of insanity. doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Well. changing the law is not going to change the fact that this has been a massive failure of administration. Making 11 million people without their papers aggravated felons is not going to remedy the failure of the administration at the border. The gentleman from Michigan mentioned that there was a provision that could criminalize churches. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2894}
{"speech_id":1090099085,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. it is section 202 in the base bill. It. provides that people who assist those who do not have their papers could be guilty of a crime and. in fact. requires the seizure of property. We know that some of our churches that are helping the homeless do not ask for papers when they hand out the soup. In this bill it requires seizure of their church properties. I want to mention another provision I touched on earlier. and that is section 404 of the bill. It does not make any sense at all when we are talking about the need to secure our borders. which every country has a right and an obligation to do. to reinstate the exclusion of legal persons based on the place they were born. There is a sad part of American history. In 1882. the 47th Congress of the United States passed a bill called the Chinese Exclusion Act. and that bill haunted this country. really. into 1943. It provided that people from China could not come. In section 404. we are de facto reinstituting the Chinese Exclusion Act because we are sipying that countries that do not cooperate with us. currently the State Department tells me it is China. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2894}
{"speech_id":1090099085,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vietnam. Ethiopia and Cuba. then we have the ability to exclude people who are born in those countries. Let me just give you an example. I have a lot of Vietnamese Americans in my district. Do you think the Communist government in Vietnam cares if we do not let a refugee. from their country into the United States? Do you think that the communists in China really would be concerned if a Chinese citizen was escaping from China. because they are facing a forced abortion in China? Do you think that enhancing the Communist governments of Cuba. Vietnam and China is really about securing our Nations borders? I think ncit. This bill is defective in so many ways that a wide number of groups have opposed it. The minority leader. Ms. PELOSI. will submit the list for the RECORD. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2894}
{"speech_id":1090099115,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my friend from California for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this bill. Nothing is more important than good border security for our national security. Nothing is more important than enforcing the law of the land. And we cannot go on indefinitely with immigration laws that nobody pays any attention to. Yes. indeed. this is a bill that is courageous. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1263}
{"speech_id":1090099115,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is bold. Certainly. it iscontroversial. But it is a step in the right direction. and it moves this issue forward. What I am most particularly interested in is the committees acceptance of a provision that Congressman NORWOOD and I brought to the first responders bill that would allow States to use homeland security funds. State police. local police and so forth. to round up illegal immigrants and de-. liver them to the Feds. In New Hampshire. we spent over $650.000 in State police funds last year doing Federal duties and $200.000 from the Marine Patrol on the sea coast. I think this is a provision that adds flexibility to a bill that needs to be passed in this Congress. Mr. Chairman. my constituents and constituents all over the country are crying out for a just law to end this process of having undocumented illegal aliens working and flaunting the law.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1263}
{"speech_id":1090099122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to this measure. Border security is a critical component of our nations security. but we cannot have true border security without addressing comprehensive immigration reform. As U.S. Homeland Security Department Secretary Chertoff pointed out. \"[t]he problem of immigration is one thats been with this country for 20 years. So we are digging ourselves out of a hole which it took 20 years to dig ourselves into.\" During the past twenty years. Congress has been taking an enforcement only approach which has put us in the \"hole\" that Secretary Chertoff referenced. If you want to get out of a hole. the first step is to stop digging. - The Border Security bill we have today will only worsen an already broken immigratioh system and it represents the latest in misguided enforcement only approaches. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2590}
{"speech_id":1090099122,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the past few years we have passed the Patriot Act. the Real ID act and now we are further expanding a big brother form of government by taking up this flawed bill.To fix our immigration system we must uphold American values by reuniting families. providing earned legalization for immigrants who have proven to be law abiding members of society and as the president has said. develop a guest worker program.. Reuniting families is of particular concern for Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Our family preference immigration system has not been updated in more than a decade. and an increasing number of families face periods of separation of up to twenty years. Family reunification is impeded by immigration backlogs and by outdated quota systems. The backlog for processing children of permanent residents to come to the U.S. is unconscionable if we are a nation that truly believes in family values. Earned legalization is important to the many Asian Americans who are here workinj hard. paying taxes and need a chance to adjust their status. A- fair. efficient and sensible guest worker program is also needed to provide a labor supply for American employers. Again. the real solution requires a comprehensive approach. not a border enforcement only measure. H.R. 4437. a bill that deals with enforcement only. ignores the reality of our current immigration challenges and will not be an effective way to address the security of our nation and the well being of our people. The time has come for Congress io make immigration reform a priority. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2590}
{"speech_id":1090099122,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress is long overdue in passing immigration laws that meet the real needs of families and businesses while reflecting Americas tradition of embracing the contributions of immigrants.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2590}
{"speech_id":1090099165,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman very much. Let me just say. Mr. JOHNSON is a good friend from Texas. and I know that this sense of Congress reflects the attitude of the people of Texas and America that we should enforce the immigration laws. I am going to enthusiastically join and support him on this idea of enforcing the Nations immigration laws. But what I do want to indicate is that this is building on some enforcement laws that we have had. and that is that. over the years. we have enacted 20 enforcement laws in the last 20years. We have increased the Border Patrol budget by a factor of 10. but it has not been enough. We have tripled the number of agents. but we need to do more. and we have created a Department of Homeland Security. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1444}
{"speech_id":1090099165,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we have not been able to do is write real. if you will. effective immigration law that brings in the comprehensive nature of immigration law which provides. if you will. an earned access to legalization and the building up and the securing of our borders by the enhancement of our Border Patrol agents. for example. scholarships. recruitment. There is another amendment coming up about making sure that clothing comes from the right country. I think this is a good amendment. but I think that we can do better by looking at this from a comprehensive perspective and building and writing the kinds of laws that would be effective. if you will. to ensure that we are enforcing those laws.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1444}
{"speech_id":1090099168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for introducing this amendment to this fine legislation. He recognizes that the failure to control and to prevent illegal immigration into the United States increases the likelihood that terrorists will succeed in launching a catastrophic or harmful attack on the United States. His amendment is a message to the executive branch: Please enforce the laws that we have now to stop illegal immigration. They will listen to the gentleman from Texas with his stature and patriotism: It will be a fine message.","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":560}
{"speech_id":1090099182,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. once again I stand in opposition to this legislation. This is not bomprehensive legislation. We all believe that we could have stronger enforcement not only on our borders but also stronger enforcement in reference to what happened to immigrants. but basically this legislation is not a comprehensive educational law reform or immigration reform. It basically is deplorable legislation. It violates the 13th and 14th amendments of the Constitution. We are abolishing the Constitution that protects us. How can we alter the Constitution? I must remind our colleagues that we are talking about individuals who have a human face. a senior. an adult. and a young child. So this legislation. instead. will say the 11 million undocumented workers are felons. are felons. Is that what America wants. to arrest and lock up 11 million immigrants? Are we going to have detention camps. concentration camps? What are we going to do with these 11 million individuals who would be designated as undocumented individuals? What happens to children of individuals that will be labeled? They will be labeled. and they will have to carry that label the rest of their lives as either a felon or an individual who has a misdemeanor. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090099182,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When you- have that label. you carry that label with you the rest of your life. and you are asking us to be productive individuals. What happens to those individuals that every day of their life some individual will tell them. well. you are the little individual. you are the criminal. We see a little white person looking. a little brown person stereotyping them and says. you are a felon. you are here in this country illegally. They had nothing to do with them being out here. Let me tell -you. this legislation is horrible. it is terrible. it is deplorable. We must stop this kind of legislation. We must develop comprehensive legislation. We must not have concentration camps. we must not kick our students out of school. What happens to a lot of our kids who are in our schools because the legislation will label them as a criminal? ADA funding that goes to our schools. what happens? Who arrests them? Are we aiding and abetting? When we go to church and we see someone in our church or a pew right next to us. do we then turn in someone because we assume that you are an undocumented? We will begin to do more profiling. We will begin to identify more individuals like myself and others to say. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090099182,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Are you legal or not legal here in the United States? And people who look a different color will not be asked to prove their identity. This legislation is horrible. We should not support this kind of legislation. We should protect our Constitution.","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090099229,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill will not work because local officials are not trained. They do not understand the difference between those who are undogumented or citizens. We are putting an unfunded mandate on it. We are keeping crime victims from reporting the crimes to local law enforcement. We are breaking community policing. and we are putting this heavy burden. and we are not securing America. Provide resources to the Border Patrol and you will secure America. Provide technology and you will secure America. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":581}
{"speech_id":1090099229,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vote \"no\" on the amendment.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":581}
{"speech_id":1090099250,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LEE. of Texas. Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all. I. too. have respect for the gentleman from Texas. but I think he should read the bill and see that the bill already has a secure alternative program in place. This amendment does not require the Secretary of Homeland Security to be advised or the program to be structured by a number of groups that he might consult with. It only allows the Secretary to seek advice. Also. this provides only the ability to set criteria for the different secure alternative programs that might be put in place. that might help the elderly. the infirm. the sick and children. And I give an example. ","speaker_name":"JESSE JACKSON","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":976}
{"speech_id":1090099250,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1996. the INS contracted with the Vera Institute of Justice to run a 3year demonstration program in New York. It was effective. and it worked. These are the kinds of suggestions that could be handled by the secure alternative program amendment that I offer. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JESSE JACKSON","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":976}
{"speech_id":1090099264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I agree. again. with the gentlewoman from California. I am worried about her pessimism in all this as to whether we can get these kinds of reports or not. [ 2015 But I think it is important to do this. I think it is very important that we ask this Department to come forward with this information. This basically is. again. a study after 2 years. They have got to give us the report. But. by God. we have got to hold them to it. too. I just think we have to know how these systems are working. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1255}
{"speech_id":1090099264,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not think there is any question that the systems we have been talking about tonight on a couple of occasions could work. but they do not work because the Department has not been able to implement very well what they are prescribed to do by law already. We are not asking them to do anything different here except to do some reporting. In that case. we can start to make decisions about what is working or not. So I understand exactly what she is saying and understand her frustration. as a matter of fact. and in spite of that frustration. she is supportive and I appreciate that also. Mr. Chairman. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York . the chairman of the committee.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1255}
{"speech_id":1090099270,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I appreciate that. Before recognizing my colleague. I just wanted to mention that on Mr. CASTLES amendment there are several other issues that I think we need to consider. assuming they are going to pay any attention to this at all. which I have questions about. We do have expedited removal provisions. and the datakeeping is not very good there. I would note also that part of our problem is that not only do we have inadequate enforcement at the border. we are just not enforcing the laws at the border. but we do not have the personnel to actually adjudicate matters once we have apprehended people. Now. the expedited removal at the border. it is controversial among some. but I think not at points of entry. Judgments can be made. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090099270,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are problems that the General Accounting Office has told us relative to asylum. \u0095the application asylum laws. that do need to be addressed. But it is not at all clear that these numbers are going to be folded into this. and I think we ought to be aware of that. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090099271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman. You have made some very valid points. and I would rise to support Mr. CASTLES amendment. but I would appreciate if he would recognize kome of the dilemma that we face. One of my colleagues from Texas. Mr. ORTIz. was one of the first Members. I think. to raise the question of OTMs. which your amendment in part would give us some answers to by providing information for those undocumented aliens who would be coming through the southern border who were not from contiguous countries. One of the issues that all of us are concerned about is the route of terrorism that might occur and might be utilized by individuals coming from places other than Mexico. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090099271,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As you well know. over the years. unfortunately. we have had a gap in our enforcement. and those individuals have been released on their own recognizance. My concern is as you have this thoughtful amendment. and I ask you to consider this. we. frankly. do not have the detainee space. detention beds. and the enforcement. internal enforcement officers. and also Border Patrol officers. even though this is a report. to deal with the large numbers of those who are coming in that we have been able to ascertain. In fact. 110.000 OTMs have been released last year due to lack of detention facilities. Legislation that I offered asked for 100.000 detention beds. So I just raise that with the gen-\" tleman. I think the amendment is thoughtful. but we still are without the resources to do what we need to do on these particular detainees or undocumented aliens.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090099272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. let me just respond for a moment. if I may. to the gentlewoman from Texas. I do not disagree with what you are saying. Part of the reason to get reports is to understand exactly where the problems are. do we have insufficient detainee and foot patrol officers and a whole variety of other things. for all that matter. judicial personnel or whatever it may be. to take care of some of the problems that exist. It is fine to make the initial detention. but if you cannot do anything with it. you have not really achieved much in terms of perhaps preventing terrorism. So I do not disagree at all. and that is part of my goal. I do not disagree with the gentlewoman from California. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1206}
{"speech_id":1090099272,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think there are a lot of holes in all this. and I do not expect immediate. strong. good reports. As a matter of fact. I think we are going to have to prod to get some of these reports. But I think it is going to give us information that is helpful. That is the reason we have come forward with the amendment. probably to underline a lot of what you are concerned about and saying in terms of what we have to improve with respect to this whole situation.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1206}
{"speech_id":1090099282,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of this amendment offered by my colleague from Florida. Shockingly. thousands of women who cross the U.S. border illegally from Mexico are promised safe passage in return for sex and money. These women are not given safe passage. but rather become the trophies of criminal rapists as they hang the undergarments of their victims on the border fences. But human trafficking and sexual exploitation impacts every corner of the globe. and the United States must lead an intensive. multilateral effort to stop it. Last year. an estimated 27 million people were forced into slavery around the world. I have heard the heartwrenching stories of women and children. young girls. who are tricked. kidnapped. and sold into sexual slavery. These crimes occur in many forms. from sex trafficking to involuntary servitude. Women. even young girls. are told they will be taken out of the country where restaurants and hair salons need workers. ","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090099282,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When these girls enter the country. their identification is taken away and there is no restaurant. no salon. only brothels. Furthermore. these girls are commonly told they must pay a debt for their transportation into the country. and they are forced to sell their bodies to pay off this debt. Our borders must not become the avenues for pimps. traffickers to make millions of dollars. These victims are left with insufficient housing. no access to social services. no education. or job opportunities. Sex trafficking rings are frequently linked to corruption. and law enforcement in some regions are even bribed to ignore these sex slavery rings. This must stop. Mr. Chairman. this amendment before us today takes the necessary first step not only condemning the exploitation of people along our borders but also strongly urges immediate action to prevent such abuse from occurring in the future. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment and condemn this lawlessness on our borders.","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090099355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. it is our constitutional responsibility to exercise oversight. and I want to say to the gentleman who just spoke. the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. this side of the aisle believes that you. have been more bipartisan and are trying to include both sides in the deliberations. and we believe that is the correct way to do it. and we congratulate you for that. This issue. of course. came up after your bill passed. so it could not have been offered in your bill because the issue was not known. It asked for a report to the Defense Committee as well. That is the bill that we are discussing. It is. I think. very relevant. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1702}
{"speech_id":1090099355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would hope that every Member would vote for this motion. Quite simply. this motion would instruct conferees to agree to a Senate provision. passed 829. that requires the director of the National Intelligence Agency to provide members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees with a detailed report of any clandestine prison or detention facility where detainees in the global war on terrorism are or were being held. This Congress ought to know that information. The Intelligence Committee ought to know that information. Indeed. in my opinion. perhaps all America ought to know that. I say to my colleagues. whether you are troubled by recent revelations that the United States operates a clandestine prison or prisons on foreign soil or not. and I am one who is troubled by it. you should not quarrel with the proposition that the Members of this Congress have a constitutional obligation toconduct oversight on the administrations conduct of this war. That is what makes America different.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1702}
{"speech_id":1090099410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First of all. Mr. Speaker. the allegation that somehow this is a political thing is troubling. given that this provision that is being discussed by the gentleman from Missouri is part of the Senate defense bill. It is why it is on the floor. Our side. regardless of what we think about the specific provision. has every right to have a motion to instruct on a provision that is in one of the two bills. With regard to the provision that is not in either bill. which is the one with regard to the Channel Islands National Park. the allegation that somehow I am against veterans or against veterans with disabilities. by that rationale every national park in the country. we should say. is open for hunting by all veterans with disabilities. The point is. this is a national park. Under the Reagan administration. $30 million was paid to make this part of the national park with a management plan that is being followed. Now. perhaps Mr. HUNTER has the right idea with this plan. ","speaker_name":"VICTOR SNYDER","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090099410,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not know. We have had no hearings about it. I know that it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the House Armed Services Committee. but to make an allegation that somehow I am opposed to veterans. I do not hear anyone suggesting we take the entire National Park System and because we are at a time of war we should open all the national parks for hunting.","speaker_name":"VICTOR SNYDER","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090099451,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the poet Longfellow once wrote: \"Thy. fate is the common fate of all. into each life some rain must fall.\" How true this is. We know that calamities will come to our Nation. We know that terrorists are trying to attack us again and that Osama bin Laden wants to strike us with weapons of mass destruction. We know that in years to come hurricanes. earthquakes. tornadoes. and other natural disasters will devastate our shores. our towns. our homes. and most terrible. our very lives. We must prepare. not only with a strong military and good infrastructure but also with a reserve of funds to cushion the impact to our economy and to meet the needs of the victims. Part of being prepared is doing what many families know as saving for a rainy day. America has seen both prosperity and depressions. periods of unbridled growth and periods of stubborn stagnation. We have seen strong budget surpluses and huge budget deficits. While any economy has periodic cycles of expansion and contraction. we know that fiscally irresponsible policies of an administration or a Congress can abbreviate an upturn or prolong a downturn. Today. a lack of revenue. uncontrolled spending and faulty planning have put our national debt so high that putting our fiscal house in order seems out of reach. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090099451,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am here to tell you that it is not out of reach. It will take time. but it is possible and it must be done. The Blue Dog Coalition has put together a comprehensive 12point plan to make needed reforms to our budget process. and one of these critical reforms is the creation of a rainyday fund to set aside money for good times to pay for disasters. which we know will eventually come. Madam Speaker. as you know. unlike the Federal Government. States must balance their budgets each year. In tough times States must raise revenue or cut spending. And generally. they cannot put these decisions off for another year or another generation. But many States have been resourceful. Fortyfive of them. including my own home State of California. have created their own rainyday funds. These funds are still small. too small and the States are in poor fiscal health. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090099451,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But they have begun the process. of planning for their own rainy days. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. since 2001. States have used around $30 billion from their rainyday funds and general fund balances to help offset more than $250 billion in deficits. Even during these weak economic times. States must continue to maintain and- grow the viability of their rainyday funds. In California we understand only too well that an earthquake. wildfire. or other calamity can strike our State without notice. and these funds will be crucial to helping Californians deal with the crisis. The Federal Government must also be prepared for the Nations next crisis. but. sadly. we are not. Even today. this Congress struggles with the unprecedented task of rebuilding the gulf coast after the worst natural disaster in our Nations history. Because the Federal Government failed to make the proper investment into the levees protecting New Orleans. one of our prized cities now lies in ruins. If we had had the foresight to establish a national rainyday fund prior to Katrina. immediate fiscal decisions of this Congress could have been so much less painful. the cuts so much less devastating. and we would not have to go so far deeper into debt to come to the aid of our fellow citizens. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090099451,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Imagine also that if Congress properly invested each year into the rainyday fund. the interest from this fund could be used to make needed infrastructure improvements. the same type of improvements that could have saved the city of New Orleans from such devastating flooding. Congress has so far provided more than $62 billion in emergency funds to respond to Hurricane Katrina. but we know that so much more will be needed. So much more was spent after September 11 and still our Nations needs. are not met. Let us do what we encourage all of our children to do and save for the future. I encourage this Congress to take a strong look at the Blue Dogs 12point plan and establish a rainyday fund.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4155}
{"speech_id":1090099479,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it was truly great to have the 56th Brigade home this past weekend from Iraq. Commanded by Colonel James \"Red\" Brown of Lindale. Texas. they did a great thing this past year. It was the largest deployment of troops from the Texas reserve unit since World War II. This was not just a difficult year in their own and their families lives. it was a historical year for the ages. Many believe that the area Iraq occupies was where mankind had its beginning. There. in the cradle of mankind. Iraq. had an historic election of representatives to write a constitution. It drafted and approved its constitution. and now today. because of the efforts of so many military members. including the 56th. that area elected its first true representatives to lead a democratic form of government. There are those who have said it is a quagmire in Iraq and it is a mistake for us to be there. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4482}
{"speech_id":1090099479,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some made these statements because of personal heartache. Some. on the other hand. were made from partisan political motivation. and some from disdain for our president and a desire to see his efforts fail. even though it risked world stability and national security. But our soldiers were there. They know they have done a great thing. They have seen the admiring faces of Iraqi children that were never present in Vietnam. They have heard gratitude from many there in Iraq. our soldiers have. We have not heard as much here. They not only fought. protected and defended. the 56th. for example. built a school and other important infrastructure improvements. They also saw the frantic efforts of terrorists who were terrified that democracy and the people will begin to rule over them and their oppressive dictatorial ways. They kept many terrorists occupied there. rather than here in America. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4482}
{"speech_id":1090099479,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some say that the freedom. democracy and liberty they were fighting for and the evil they have fought against simply was not worth it. My friends. it is worth it. and they are our heroes. They and their families have sacrificed for us. and we are grateful. My friend from Lindale. who is also a %Texas Aggie and a citizen soldier. Colonel Brown. is an American patriot. He and his distinguished command Sergeant Major Chambless led a band of great American patriots. and they led them well. . The quote from the 1800s by philosopher John Stewart Mill certainly applies to our present situation. He said. \"War is an ugly thing. but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4482}
{"speech_id":1090099479,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight. nothing which is more important than his own personal safety. is a miserable. creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.\" Those who have been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and in harms way on our behalf are some of the better people of whom Mills spoke. Today was just an incredible day in Iraq. That for which we have been hoping and fighting happened. The Iraqis elected their first elected officials who will preside for the next years to come. There have been threats this year against any Iraqi who voted on. Those Iraqis who stuck their fingers into the ink knew they were readily identifiable for two to three weeks to any terrorist that wanted to kill them. What courage. We have voters here who will not even go out if it sprinkles or rains. and yet they were willing to risk the threat of death. They. are not out of the woods. They can see the home lights though glowing from where they have gotten. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4482}
{"speech_id":1090099479,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was particularly distasteful though that so many had stepped up their screaming and their histrionics to \"pull out now.\" Have you wondered why the surrender call became so shrill just weeks and days before this historic election? Many of those knew if things went too well. the Presidents numbers might go up.. the Republicans numbers might go up. So. some had good motives. some did not. They risked the national security. Now.\" because of the work of our heroes in Iraq. a great thing happened today. and we are grateful. May God comfort those who have paid with the sacrifice of a loved one in our Nations defense. May God bless our defenders. our champions. our servicemembers. God bless their efforts and keep them safe. And through their valiant efforts may God continue to bless our America. To those in Iraq. I say I look forward to seeing you in just a couple of days.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4482}
{"speech_id":1090099582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would say to my friend. we are very close to being able to have that cleared on this side. In fact. I have been very busy since early this morning. I have not had a chance to check with even my staff on this yet. But I think we are close to being able to do something very quickly. So. therefore. I object.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":323}
{"speech_id":1090099583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me say to Senator REID. I have been working with the Senator and both sides of the aisle. and we are trying to make sure everybody understands what we are doing here. This is very critical legislation to aid the Katrina victims in all the affected States. including Texas. Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama. I hope we can get this agreed to shortly before we get into the extended debate with regard to the other legislation. the PATRIOT Act. So as soon as we could get notification from the Democratic leader. we are ready to proceed. I will be standing by waiting for that opportunity because there are thousands of people waiting for this help. and they need it now. I thank Senator REID. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":835}
{"speech_id":1090099583,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And since he has objected. I will withhold at this time but will be on standby ready to go momentarily. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":835}
{"speech_id":1090099636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I start. with the distinguished senior Senator from Pennsylvania in the Chamber. I totally appreciate what he said about the problems of being the leader on a committee and having to make the decisions of how you are going to get a bill through. I was chairman of the committee when we put through the first PATRIOT Act. I remember the balancing act we went through at that time and how difficult it was to get a bill through. And that PATRIOT Act is this PATRIOT Act. It contains a number of items that I wrote. I also note that throughout. the chairman and I have kept in very close contact. We have spoken several times. I have considered during my 31 years in the Senate that one of the things which has given me the greatest sense of satisfaction is the relationship the distinguished chairman and I have in getting things through. and we have. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4867}
{"speech_id":1090099636,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am concerned because we have come so close on this. *As Senator SALAZAR noted. yesterday was the anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. Yesterday we engaged in debate seeking to protect and reserve those rights under the USA PATRIOT Act. I thank Senators SUNUNU. FEINSTEIN. CRAIG. WYDEN. FEINGOLD. SALAZAR. and OBAMA for their thoughtful remarks. their willingness to work in a bipartisan way which. after all. is the best tradition of the Senate. Let all Members understand. this is a vital debate. The terrorist threat to Americas security is very real. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4867}
{"speech_id":1090099636,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is vital we arm the Government with the tools needed to protect American society and security. At the same time. the threat to civil liberties is also very real in America today. I do read the papers. Todays New York Times reports that over the past 3 years. under a secret order signed by President Bush. the Government has been monitoring international telephone calls and international email messages of people inside the United Stateswith no court approval. no checks and balances. one persons signature and that is it. This warrantless eavesdropping program is not authorized by the PATRIOT Act. it is not authorized by any act of .Congress. and it is not overseen by any court. According to the ieport. it is being conducted under a gec et Presidential order based on: Aecret.1egal opinions by the semeJuStide Departrrient lawyers. the same ones who argued secretly that the President could order the use of torture. . It is time to have some checks and balances in this country. We are a democracy. Lets have checks and balances. not secret orders and secret courts and secret torture. The debate is not about whether the Government should have the tools it needs to protect the American people. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4867}
{"speech_id":1090099636,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course it should. That is why. as I say. I coauthored the PATRIOT Act 4 years ago. That is why the act passed with such broad bipartisan support. When I voted for that PATRIOT Act. I did not think it was an ideal piece of legislation. I knew it would need careful oversight. but I was in favor of most of the PATRIOT Act. I am in favor of most of the PATRIOT Act now. That is why I voted for the bipartisan Senate bill in July. The distinguished chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee got it through our committee unanimously. with Senators from the right to the left voting for it. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4867}
{"speech_id":1090099636,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This debate is not whether it should suddenly expire. Of course it should not. That is why Senators from both par.ties have offered a bill to extend it in its present form for 3 months in order to give us time to either return to the bipartisan compromise we reached. pass the Senate bill. or reach a new bipartisan compromise. Our goal is to mend the PATRIOT Act. not to end it. None of us want it to expire. Those who threaten to let it expire rather than fix it are playing a dangerous game. This is a debate about reconciling two shared and fundamental goalsassuring the safety of the American people and protecting their liberty by a system of checks and balances that keeps the Government. their Government. our Government. accountable. America can do better. And we should. Those goals are not the goals of any particular party or ideology. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4867}
{"speech_id":1090099785,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to congratulate and bid farewell to- my friend and colleague. JON CORZINE. Our world has changed quite drastically since JON first joined the Senate. It has been an honor to work with him on the many issues we were forced to confront following the terrorist attacks of September 11. 2001. We will miss JONs leadership and determination on behalf of his constituents in New Jersey and the American people. While JON has served in the Senate for a relatively short period of time. he leaves an important legacy of leadership on issues ranging from protecting our homeland to crafting legislation that stabilized our financial markets. Rarely in this body does one Senator see the enactment one of their first bills introduced as a freshman Member. But JON did just that when he called for mandatory Federal standards to protect our Nations chemical plants and saw that become law. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2882}
{"speech_id":1090099785,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the entire corporate and financial community was .rocked by pervasive accounting scandals. JON was instrumental in crafting extraordinary changes to accounting oversight that stabilized confidence in our markets when they were teetering. He recognized that Americans were at risk. and he worked tirelessly on their behalf. a legacy that will last well past his last day here in the Capitol. JON also brought to the Senate an appreciation of open and accountable Government. He saw security and accountability as going hand in hand. a way for citizens to know what their chosen representatives are doing to ensure the health and safety of their own neighborhoods and communities. He recognized the need to balance the everchanging need for security with the everlasting principles of openness that make our democracy the strongest in the world. I was pleased to work with him to protect the Freedom of Information Act which the current administration has sought to weaken at every turn of the road. As further testament to JONs leadership and determination. he will certainly be remembered for his work to secure an end to the terrible genocide that the world has witnessed in western Sudan. As- the ranking member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee. I can personally attest that JON repeatedly brought the reality of this terrible tragedy to the attention of all of us. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2882}
{"speech_id":1090099785,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He knew that the solution would not be Democratic or Republican. Instead. he reached across the aisle. demanded a call for action. and spoke eloquently for those without a voice. I will miss my friend JON CORZINE here in the -Senate. I have enjoyed the time we shared working together in this body. Marcelle and I wish him all the best as he moves on to the new and exciting challenges that await him in Trenton. His service to the American people in the United States Senate has been selfless. His departure is a loss for the United States Senate but a great gain for the citizens of New Jersey.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2882}
{"speech_id":1090099825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I remain baffled by the failure today to move forward with the PATRIOT Act. That piece of legislation is exceedingly important. We know for an absolute fact. as Senator KYL and others have pointed out. that terrorist organizations and their movements and activities were not properly discovered by law enforcement because of a failure to share information and other restrictions that fell on those investigators. That has been demonstrated with clarity. In fact. some say had we not had the wall between the CIA and the FBI and they could actually have shared information. we may -have even prevented 9\/11. I say this to my friends in this country. Federal agents follow the law. The law said the CIA. which is out dealing with international terrorist groups and others who want to harm the United States. and the FBI. which is given the responsibility of homeland protection and crime enforcement in this country. were not allowed to share information. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2486}
{"speech_id":1090099825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And they did not do so. It was part of a governmental reform. I think the Frank Church committee thought they were doing something good. but they ended up creating a wall that prohibited the sharing of information that made it far more difficult for Federal investigators to do the job we pay them to do. This afternoon. I saw a lady from New York who was touched by 9\/11. She wants this bill passed. As a matter of fact. she was shocked that it was not. Why is she shocked? It just passed this Senate a few days ago 100 to 0. by unanimous consent. not a rollcall vote. but unanimous consent. without an objection. It came out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 18 to 0. We have a host of libertarians on that committeecivil libertarians and libertarians. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2486}
{"speech_id":1090099825,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman SPECTER is very proud of his heritage of civil liberties. All of us take it seriously in that committee. and it came out unanimously. The bill went to the House. and they passed this very bill that we just blocked. The House passed it with a 75vote majority even though. in fact. the House had to recede and give about 80 percent of the differences in the House and Senate bill over to the Senate side. The Senate bill was clearly the bill that was the model for the legislation on which we finally voted. So we go over to the House. They have some provisions and we have some provisions and there is a good bit of discussion over the issues. Finally. a conference report is agreed to. It comes back over here. and all of a sudden we face a filibuster.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2486}
{"speech_id":1090099836,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak on Iraqs stunning march toward freedom and democracy and Americas efforts to support her progress. I believe. as does President Bush. that it is squarely in our national security interest to help the Traqis build a thriving and healthy democracy. Democracy is the ultimate antidote to terrorism. We all know for democracy to flourish we must defeat the terrorists who still linger in Iraq. The mission facing our country is simple: We must defeat them by standing up the pillars of Iraqs democratic institutions so that country can become a hinge of freedom in the greater Middle East. We know the terrorists cannot defeat us on the battlefield. our military might is absolutely unmatched. We know they cannot defeat our ideas. because when people are given a choice. they will choose liberty and democracy over terror and tyranny every time. So this debate turns on just one simple question: do we have the will to win in Iraq? This summer. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8424}
{"speech_id":1090099836,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"American intelligence forces intercepted a letter written by Ayman alZawahiri. one of the leaders of Al Qaeda. to Abu Musab alZarqawi. the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. In his letter. alZawahiri said that al Qaedas goal was quite clear: \"Expel the Americans from Iraq.\" He went on to say this: [.. [T]he mujahedeen[s] ongoing mission is to establish an Islamic state. and defend it. and for every generation to hand over the banner to the one after it until the. Hour of Resurrection ... The Americans will exit soon. God willing. So the terrorists intent is plain. They are not only dedicated to driving us out of Iraq. they are also dedicated to turning Iraq into a breeding ground for terror and anarchy. We must not let them succeed. That is why I am so concerned about the comments of those who suggest that the battle in Iraq is unwinnable. What signal does that send to the terrorists? What signal does it send to our troops who are putting it on the line every day in Iraq? Here is what Congressman DENNIS KqcINICH. a leader of the House Democrats \"Out of Iraq Caucus.\" said: \"It is time for a new direction in Iraq. and that direction is out.\" Its pretty clear where he stands. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8424}
{"speech_id":1090099836,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And he is not an outlier in his party. The \"Out of Iraq Caucus\" is composed of about 70 Democratic House members. Their goal is Americas complete withdrawal from Iraq. Personally. I dont think it makes sense to set an arbitrary withdrawal date. so the terrorists can circle that date on their calendars and wait for us to leave. It seems tome that -the better course is to determine our troop needs basedon military requirements on the ground. as determined by our military leaders. House Minority Leader NANCY PELOSI herself has endorsed the immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. and claims that her position represents the majority of her caucus. Leader PELOSI endorsed H.J. Res. 73. a resolution that states: The deployment of United States forces in Iraq. by direction of Congress. is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date. So that is the position of the House Democratic Leader. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8424}
{"speech_id":1090099836,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ms. PELOSI. Now. the chairman of the Democratic Party. Howard Dean. has said recently the United States cant even win in Iraq. He says. \"The idea that were going to win this war is an idea that. unfortunately. is just plain wrong.\" Let me say that again. Howard Dean. the leader of the Democratic Party. believes that \"The idea that were going to win this war is an idea that. unfortunately. is just plain wrong. That is Howard Deans assessment of the situation. Chairman Dean later tried to qualify his comments about the unwinnable nature of the battle in Iraq. but no matter what he says now. it still sounds like \"cut and run\" to me. If it is not \"cut and run\" it is at least \"cut and jog.\" Let me be clear. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8424}
{"speech_id":1090099836,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Proponents of immediate\" withdrawal certainly have the right to hold that view. and I believe they do. so with patriotism in their hearts. But I must respectfully question their judgment. Our goal should be to achieve victory in Iraq. not merely to pull out based on an arbitrary date on the calendar. The fact is. we are already on the road to victory in Iraq. The transformation of Iraq from the tyrannical rule of Saddam Hussein to freedom and democracy in just two and a half years is a remarkable success story. It took us 11 years in our country to get from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution. And freedom took another giant step forward yesterday with the elections for the first permanent democratic government in Iraqi history. Of course. the news we have now is still preliminary. But early news reports indicate that 11 million\" Iraqis went to the polls yesterday. once again staining their fingers with indelible purple ink to signify that they had voted. That is an overall turnout rate of over 70 percent. compared to 60 percent here a year ago. which was a good turnout for us. higher than normal70 percent of them going to the polls. proudly holding up their inkstained fingers. many of them not certain they wouldnt be killed by exercising that right to vote. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8424}
{"speech_id":1090099877,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my appreciation to my colleagues for passing for the second time this session. the Violence Against Women Act of 2005. Once again the Senate has spoken loudly and clearly that domestic violence andsexual assault are serious. public crimes that must be addressed. Todays bill is a tremendous compromise measure that merges the comprehensive. Senatepassed Violence Against Women Act. S. 119. with the House of Representatives Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act bill. H.R. 3402. This merger followed hours of bipartisan. bicameral negotiations. Compromises and edits were made. and what emerges is a balanced bill that strikes the right balance between rejuvenating core programs. making targeted improvements. and responsibly expanding the Violence Against Women Act to reach the needs of Americas families. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12907}
{"speech_id":1090099877,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The enactment of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 was the beginning of a historic commitment to women and children victimized by domestic violence and sexual assault. While not the single cause. this commitment has made our streets and homes safer. Since the Acts passage in 1994. domestic violence has dropped by almost 50 percent incidents of rape are down by 60 percent and the number of women killed by an abusive husband or boyfriend is down by 22 percent. Today. more than half of all rape victims are stepping forward to report the crime. And since we passed the Act in 1994. over a million women have found justice in our courtrooms and obtained domestic violence protection orders. This is a dramatic change from a decade ago. Back then. violence in the household was treated as a \"family matter\" rather than a criminal justice issue. Because we took action. the criminal justice system is much better equipped to handle domestic violence. and it is treated for what it iscrimi.nal. The goal of the legislation passed here today is to usher the Violence Against Women Act into the 21st century. With this bill we attempt to look beyond the immediate crisis and take steps to not only punish offenders. but to also help victims get their lives back on track. and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault from occurring in the first place. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12907}
{"speech_id":1090099877,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill contains much to commend. To that end. I will ask unanimous consent to include at the close of my statement a thorough sectionbysection summary of H.R. 3402. but in the meantime. I would like to highlight some of the bills provisions. Title I. the bills backbone. focuses on the criminal justice system and includes provisions to: (1) renew and increase funding to over $400 million a year for existing. fundamental grant programs for law enforcement. lawyers. judges and advocates. (2) stiffen existing criminal penalties for repeat federal domestic violence offenders. and (3) appropriately update the criminal law on stalking to incorporate new surveillance technology like Global Positioning System. GPS. Notably. our bill reauthorizes the Court Appointed Special Advocates. \"CASA.\" a nationwide volunteer program to help children in the judicial system. Children are doubly impacted by family violenceboth as observers of. and recipients of abuse. Court Appointed Special Advocates fit uniquely into the mix of services for victims of violence. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12907}
{"speech_id":1090099877,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Judges overwhelmingly report that children and families are better served by the involvement of a CASA volunteer on their cases. I hope that my colleagues see fit to fully appropriate this effective program. and in the future. raise the programs authorization level. The Violence Against Women Act has always included measures to help law enforcement and victim service providers reach underserved communities. Todays bill goes even further by creating a new. targeted culturally and linguistically specific service grant program. This provision is intended to ensure that the Acts resources reach racial and ethnic communities grappling with family violence and its enormous ramifications. The Violence Against Women Act crafts a coordinated community response thatseeks the participation of police. judges. prosecutors. and the host of entities who care for the victims. Title II helps victim service providers by: (1) creating a new. dedicated grant program for sexual assault victims that will strengthen rape crisis centers across the country. (2) reinvigorating programs to help older and disabled victims of domestic violence. (3) strengthening and expanding existing programs for rural victims and victims in underserved areas. and (4) removing a current cap on funding for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Sexual violence is a crime that affects children and adults across our country. Unfortunately. rape has been a crime shrouded in secrecy and shame. Sexual assault survivors can experience physical and emotional problems for years. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12907}
{"speech_id":1090099877,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Approximately 1.315 rape crisis centers across the country help victims of rape. sexual assault.. sexual abuse. and incest rebuild their lives by providing a range of vital services to survivors. But unfortunately. many rape crisis centers are under funded and understaffed. They are constantly in a crisis mode. responding to the needs of all victimsmale. female as well as childrenand are incapable of undertaking largescale. prevention efforts in their communities. In response to this overwhelming need. our bill will provide increased resources to serve sexual assault victims. It includes. for the first time. a dedicated Federal funding stream for sexual assault programs through the proposed Sexual Assault Services Program. SASA. SASA will fund direct services to victims. including general intervention and advocacy. accompaniment through the medical and criminal justice processes. support services. and related assistance. Reports indicate that up to ten million children experience domestic violence in their homes each year. The age at which a female is at greatest risk for rape or sexual assault is 14. Twothirds of all sexual assault victims reported to law enforcement are under 18. and national research suggests that 1 in 5 highschool girls is physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12907}
{"speech_id":1090099897,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the conference report on the authorization of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is in its final stages of being approved. There are some. things that are still to be worked out. but I am proud to have been the subcommittee chairman of the NASA Science Subcommittee that producedalong with the House. of course. and the full gommerce Committeewhat I think is an excellent authorization of our National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I worked with my colleague. Senator NELSON of Florida. to produce a bill that does envision the flight to space. the flight to the moon again. and then to Mars. It is the vision laid out by President Bush in January of 2004. It is incumbent on Congress to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and also to support it fully so that we will continue the vision that John F. Kennedy had when he said: We will put a man on the moon. Now we can take it the next step and put a man on Mars. a woman on Mars. It is important that we understand that this is important not only because it is a huge feat and victory for the world that we can do this but also because we get so much basic science from making this commitment. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090099897,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It imtroves our quality of life right here on Earth. This conference committee report does authorize funding for NASA at $17.9 billion in 2007 and $18.7 billion for 2008. That gets us on track to fund the shuttles that will continue to build out the space station and also to begin immediate work on the crew return vehicle that will be the next generation of vehicle going into space after the space station has been completed. It is a congressional responsibility to set the parameters for what we do with NASA. and we are taking that responsibility seriously. We believe that we should finish the space station. finish the international commitment that we have made to our partners and .allies who have put millions of dollars in the space station. and so that we can continue the basic science research nec2 essary. not only for us to learn how we can live and work in space for those people who will be going to the moon again and then later to Mars but also for the basic geological findings we know we can find if we explore the Moon and hopefully Mars. And something that was said at one of our Commerce Committee hearings by Dr. Sam Ting of MIT. there is very important physics research that using the cosmic rays to determine how. we might have alternative forms of energy is a very important purpose for the space station to be completed. This report also designates the U.S. portion of the space station as a national laboratory so that we can bring other funds besides NASA funds. besides Government funds into the space station. and that will help make sure we are able to do the most possible research and make the best use of the space station. It demonstrates that Congress puts a great value on the research that can be done aboard the space station and also a great value on keeping our word to our international partners. America must lead in the space exploration and science area. but we must do it in collaboration with other countries. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090099897,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont think we should just consider ourselves competitors with other countries. If we are going to be the leader. we should lead. We should go forward. We should break the barriers. And we should share with others what we have learned for the good of mankind. That is exactly what this bill envisions. \u0095 It also supports aeronautical research. This has been a fundamental part of NASA activities since its inception. It will allow us to continue the great work that has been done in the past. It will assure that we take the next step toward the crew return vehicle that will replace the shuttle at the earliest possible time. We will accelerate that process. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090099897,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am very proud of this conference report. The House and Senate worked together very well. It was a bipartisan effort and a bicameral effort. We are going to see a new impetus for NASA with the support of Congress and the President. That is exactly what this country should be doing at this time. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090099898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am saddened to report the passing of SSG Dan Cuka of Yankton. SD. Staff Sergeant Cuka. a member of the South Dakota National Guard. was killed on December 4. 2005. while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sergeant Cuka was assigned to Yanktons Charlie Battery. 1st Battallion. 147th Field Artillery Unit. Charlie Battery was mobilized in July 2005 and deployed to the Middle East in October 2005. Staff Sergeant Cuka died when multiple improvised explosive devices detonated near his military vehicle in Baghdad. Iraq. Dan is survived by his wife of 5 years. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090099898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Melissa. and their children. Abby and Alex. Melissa remembers him as. \"living each day of his life the way he chose based on devotion to his .family and his passion for the military. We all believe Dan died doing what he strongly believed in.\" He was regarded as taking his military duty very seriously. and his leadership in his battalion reflected that. Dan was a devoted father who would do anything for his kids according to Melissa. \"It wasnt just as a provider. He would get on the floor and play with them. He would take them places and have a good time with them.\" The lives of countless people were -enormously enhanced by Dans good will and service. Although he did not live to see his dreams realized. he continues to inspire all those who knew him. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090099898,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our Nation and South Dakota are far better places because of his life. and the best way to honor his life is to emulate his commitment to our country. Mr. President. I express my sympathies to the family and friends of Staff Sergeant Cuka. I know he will always be missed. but his service to our Nation will never be forgotten.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090099909,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of this bill to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. RECA. to include the States of Idaho and Montana. I am an original cosponsor of the legislation being introduced by Senator CRAPO. The National Academy of Sciences. NAS. recognizes that citizens affected by fallout from atomic bomb testing in Nevada were not only.the citizens of that State or Utah. but also citizens to the north. and east. and throughout much of the world. This bill. consistent studies showing that parts of Idaho and Montana were among the most affected. expands RECA geographically to include these two States. My colleagues and I are in the business of making Idahoans eligible for RECA compensation as expeditiously as possible. Studies that take years will simply not do for citizens who would otherwise be eligible if they lived on the other side of a State line. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1098}
{"speech_id":1090099909,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The NAS recommended that RECA should be overhauled. and I will make .sure this happens. In the meantime. those Idahoans and Montanans who qualify for compensation today should be made eligible immediately. BURMA","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1098}
{"speech_id":1090099918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to honor SGM Frank Yoakum. who serves as the enlisted congressional. liaison for the Chief. National Guard Bureau. Sergeant Major Yoakum is the only enlisted legislative liaison in the Army. facilitating communication flow between the Army National Guard. National Guard Bureau. and elected officials on Capitol Hill. as well as their staffs and professional committee staff. He is on the personal staff of the Chief. National Guard Bureau. He began his military career by enlisting in the Regular Army in September 1971. He was trained in Infantry. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3047}
{"speech_id":1090099918,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Airborne. and Air Defense Artillery assignments. being released from Active Duty in July 1976. In June 1978. Sergeant Major Yoakum joined the Alaska Army National Guard and served in a military technician status as the administrative assistant to the state maintenance officer. and parttime as a flight operations coordinator with the 1898th Aviation Company. Attack. He moved to southeast Alaska and continued his service as a fulltime Scout Battalion Attendant. Adminis-. trative Supply Technician. for Company B. 4h Battalion. 297th Infantry. He served in the Alaska Army National Guard until March 1981. In August 1983. he rejoined the Army National Guard in Phoenix AZ. working as a unit administrator and battalion supply sergeant. In October 1985. he entered Federal Active Guard Reserve status and was assigned to the United States Property and Fiscal Office Guam. where he served as military pay supervisor and logistics NCO. He transferred his membership from the Arizona Army National Guard to the Wyoming Army National Guard in March 1996. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3047}
{"speech_id":1090099918,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Further assignments in Federal AGR status included instructor\/writer. operations NCO. force structure NCO. first sergeant. manpower NCO. training center liaison NCO. G1 personnel policy sergeant major. and congressional liaison. \u0095 Sergeant Major Yoakum holds an associate of arts degree in business administration from the University of Alaska and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from California Pacific University. He is a graduate of every level of NCO educationup to and including the Sergeants Major Academy. Yoakum is a life member of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States and a life member of the Wyoming National Guard Association. He has been inducted into the Honorable Order of Saint. Barbara by the Field Artillery Association and the Order of Samuel Sharpe by the Ordnance Corps Association. As the former congressional liaison for the Chief. National Guard Bureau. my staff and I have found Sergeant Major Yoakum to be an invaluable resource and ally in advancing the interest of the Army National Guard. While his departure will be a major loss to the both NGB and the Federal Government. his new position as legislative director with the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the U.S. is well deserved. It is with admiration that I honor Sergeant Major Yoakum today and congratulate him on his retirement. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3047}
{"speech_id":1090099918,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish him and his family all the best.e","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3047}
{"speech_id":1090099925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In June. a groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Indiana School of Medicine. which was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. concluded that adolescents exposed to high levels of violent media were less able to control and to direct their thoughts and behavior. to stay focused on a task. to plan. to screen out distractions. and to use experience to guide inhibitions. A 2004 metaanalysis of over 35 research studies that included over 4.000 participants. found similar results. It concluded that playing violent video games significantly increases aggressive behavior. physiological arousal and feelings of anger and hostility. and significantly decreases prosocial helping behavior: And according to testimony by Craig Andersen before the Commerce Committee in 2000. violent video games have been found to increase violent adolescent behavior by 13 to 22 percent. Eightysix percent of African American females in the games are victims of violence. And. the most common role for women in video games is prostitutes. Research also demonstrates the oppositereducing exposure to violence reduces aggressive behavior. A 2001 study by Stanford University School of Medicine found that reducing TV and video violence consumption to under one hour per day reduces verbal aggression by 50 percent and physical aggression by 40 percent among 3rd and 4th grade children. Now. if you dont find the scientists compelling. consider a child named Devon Thompson. who shot three police officers after being brought in under suspicion of driving a stolen car. He grabbed one of the officers guns. shot three men and then jumped into a police car. a scene remarkably like one found in the game Grand Theft Auto. When Thompson was apprehended he said \"Life is a video game. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2438}
{"speech_id":1090099925,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Youve got to die sometime.\" In the face of this mountain of scientific and anecdotal evidence. the same company that developed Grand Theft Auto is coming out with a new game called Bully. In Bully. the player is a student who beats up other students in school. Again. I am not here to argue that these games shouldnt be developed or made available. But. I am here to ask. cant we as a society do better by our kids? Cant we give parents the tools to make sure they know what may fall into the hands of their children? That is what this bill is all about and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. By .Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. BURNS):","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2438}
{"speech_id":1090099933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce legislation on behalf of myself. Senator BURNS of Montana and my Colleague Senator CRAIG that would include the States of Idaho and Montana as affected areas under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. or RECA. Since our goals of giving affected citizens in our States the opportunity to receive compensation under RECA. and the challenges faced by our constituents are the same. it is appropriate to combine our efforts toward rectifying the problem. Nuclear testing in Nevada during the 1950s and 1960s released radiation into the atmosphere that settled in -States far away from the original test site. Certain elements of this radiation such as the radioactive isotope Iodine131 settled in Stateg such as Idaho and Montana and found their way into the milk supply. After time. in some cases 25 to 50 years after the fact. this contamination manifested itself as various forms of cancer. leukemia and other illnesses. particularly thyroid cancer. Those affected in this way are often referred to as \"downwinders.\" to denote their location downwind from the fallout. In 1990. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4776}
{"speech_id":1090099933,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress recognized the need for the Federal Government to make amends for the harm caused to innocent citizens by nuclear testing and the Radiation Expogue Compensation Act was passed into law. Unfortunately. the science at the time did not recognize that radioactive fallout did not restrict itself by State lines. This was highlighted in 1999. when a group of Senators. led by Senator HATCH. amended the law to include additional counties in Arizona. During debate on this legislation. Senator HATCH said. \"Our current state of scientific knowledge allows us to pinpoint with more accuracy which diseases are reasonably believed to be related to radiation exposure. and that is \"what necessitated the legislation we are considering today.\" Since that time. even greater advances in science have been made in the area of radiation exposure. When the RECA disparity was first brought to my attention by the Idaho downwinders. I met with them to discuss ways to help them. The National Academy of Sciences staff came to Idaho in 2004 to hear testimony from those affected and ensure that their concerns and comments were included in the process. Their voices were heard. the NAS report released in April of 2005 recognized that. among the 25 counties with the highest per capita dosage of radiation. 20 of those counties are in Idaho and Montana. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4776}
{"speech_id":1090099933,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. Idaho is home to four of the top five counties in this regard. The report also stated that. \"To be equitable. any compensation program needs to be based on scientific criteria and similar cases must be treated alike. The current geographic limitations are not based on the latest science.\" Understanding these facts. it is of prime importance that we rectify the problem quickly. The NAS report recognizes that the RECA program needs to be updated and that affected Idahoans and Montanans deserve equal treatment with those in other States. The report makes several specific recommendations. chief among them that Congress should establish a new process for reviewing individual claims. based on probability of causation. or \"assigned share.\" a method which is used in the courts and for other radiation compensation programs. I am currently working with my colleagues to legislatively address the suggestions made by the NAS report and work out a longterm solution for the challenges currently posed by RECA. We all recognize that this problem requires a twopart solutionexpanding the current RECA program to include those left behind while at the same time working on the longterm fixes recommended by the NAS. These efforts must happen simultaneously and I am pleased that my colleagues are partnering with me on this course. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4776}
{"speech_id":1090099933,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tragically. for some. it is already too late. A longtime advocate for the downwinders. and personal friend. Sheri Garmon. passed away from cancer this summer. Others preceded her and some are sick right now. There are still a number of those affected who are still waiting for the Government to do the right thing and make them eligible for compensation for their injuries. The facts are in and the science shows that they should not have to wait any longer for their rightful opportunity to seek appropriate redress. Lets fix this while we still have some of those who are sick because of Government actions with us.. I would exhort my colleagues to join with me and Senators BURNS and CRAIG to take up this legislation we have introduced today and bring needed fairness to those in Idaho and Montana and extend them eligibility under the current Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4776}
{"speech_id":1090099944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this year marked the 350th anniversary of Jewish life in America. The occasion has been commemorated with festivities and celebrations across the entire country. As this special year draws to a close. I am submitting a resolution urging the President to establish permanent recognition of the contributions the Jewish culture has made to life in America by annually issuing a proclamation for the observance of an American Jewish History Month. Each year. we remember the achievements and contributions made by AfricanAmericans and women to our Nations development by designating February as African American History Month and March as Womens History Month. Similarly. Jewish American History Month would celebrate the legacy of the American Jewish experience and observe the many contributions JewishAmericans have made in the areas of medicine. the arts. science. and technology. * American society is comprised of many cultures. Americans are proud of our history of acceptance and understanding. By establishing a Jewish American History Month. we will present an additional opportunity to raise our Nations cultural awareness and celebrate our diversity. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1529}
{"speech_id":1090099944,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"An identical resolution was introduced in the House by Congresswoman WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. where it was cosponsored by 250 Members and passed unanimously. I hope that the Senate will join our colleagues in the House by agreeing to this resolution. urging the President to annually issue a proclamation for the observance of an American Jewish History Month.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1529}
{"speech_id":1090099968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill. the Terrorism Risk Extension Act. was enacted 3 years ago in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and was intended at the time to provide temporary mechanisms to allow the marketplace to adapt after the economic dislocations that resulted from those attacks on This summer. Treasury Secretary Snow issued a report highlighting the importance of allowing private insurance companies to regain their hold in the\" marketplace. As the report.showed. TRIA successfully bridged that gap created by the September. 11 terrorist attacks and very effectively enabled the insurance marks to stabilize. . The continued presence of the federally backed subsidy risked crowding out private market initiatives and slowing down. impeding the development of private market solutions. That is why I called for an extension of TRIA that was narrow. that was targeted and minimized interference with our markets. The bill wejust passed achieves that goal. The taxpayers exposure is lessened by reducing the lines of coverage subject to the Federal backstop. and the insurance industrys exposure is increased. I am gratified we passed the bill. Over the long term the Federal Government cannot be a substitute for marketbased solutions. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1375}
{"speech_id":1090099968,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Chairman SHELBY and Senator DODD for their hard work on this very important bill. It hasnt been easy. but it has now been accomplished.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1375}
{"speech_id":1090099981,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. that particular bill. the Coast Guard Hurricane Relief Act of 2005. again gives me the opportunity to comment and really praise the tremendous work that was carried out by our Coast Guard in the recent hurricanes. Many of us had the opportunity to tell them directly. both in Mississippi and in. Louisiana. and thank them for their tremendous and heroic effort. We had the opportunity to witness much of that on television over those first few days after the hurricane. But to have the opportunity to look these individuals in the eyes and thank them and shake their hand has been a privilege that some of us on the floor have had. It has been a tremendous job that makes America proud.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":701}
{"speech_id":1090099984,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be read a third time and passed. the preamble be agreed to. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating to the joint resolution be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":256}
{"speech_id":1090100042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4437. the Border and Immigration Enforcement Act of 2005. H.R. 4437 is an enforcementonly approach that fails to provide real family security. real national security. and real economic security for our country. It is neither comprehensive nor realistic. If this Nation really wants to create an effective border security policy. we * need to have a debate that includes a discussion about actual solutions to our problems. which means taking all of the political grangstanding and baiting out of the equation. H.R. 4437 is unrealistic. it is based on fear. and it is finanQially irresponsible and even unconstitutional at times. It joins rank with the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Depressionera repatriation of U.S. Citizens to Mexico. two of our countrys most embarrassing moments. As a firstgeneration son. a nativeborn son of an immigrant that came to this country. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":965}
{"speech_id":1090100042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope we do not close the door to that legacy.","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":965}
{"speech_id":1090100060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California to respond to what the chairman of the Rules Committee had said. let me make clear. nobody is talking about waving a white flag here. What we are talking about is trying to gigure out a way to make a bad situation less bad. The polls have shown clearly that the majority of the Iraqi people want us out of Iraq. When a majority wants something. they usually get what they want. because that is what a democracy is about. We dont know a lot about democracy in this House because we are routinely shut out of being able to have debates and votes on important issues. But the bottom line is that those of us who are advocating that the President set some sort of a timetable are doing so because we think that that is a way to strengthen the situation. to give the new government over there a chance to succeed. I dont believe it can succeed if it is viewed as a puppet of the United States. I dont believe it can succeed with a huge U.S. occupation over there. I dont believe it can succeed with the largest U.S. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090100060,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Embassy in the world over there. I dont believe it can succeed if those are the conditions. And so having said that. let me yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California .","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090100127,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"or Mr. PUTNAM. and I do not know how they want to do it. if they would be willing to. explain to me what the fairness is of not letting this body decide. and J.D. HAYWORTH has one view. HOWARD BERMAN has another view. but decide whether or not on a critically important issue that the President has spoken of the need for. others have denounced. why we cannot have a debate and a vote on that kind of a program.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":411}
{"speech_id":1090100173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H. Res. 612. I honor and support our troops and request an open debate on Iraq on the House floor. Yesterday. millions of Iraqi citizens cast their ballots in national elections to constitute the countrys first fullterm National Assembly since the U.S. invasion. This achievement should be recognized. and I would enthusiastically support a resolution that simply commends the Iraqi people and U.S. troops for their commitment to the democratic process under extraordinary circumstances. Unfortunately. the Republican leadership. once again. refuses to suspend politics at the waters edge. House Resolution 612 seeks to make yesterdays elections a vindication of President Bushs misguided Iraq policies and a basis for continued military engagement in a country that overwhelmingly desires the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Accordingly. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2874}
{"speech_id":1090100173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in opposition to H.R. 612. and I take this opportunity to announce my support for H.J.Res. 73. Congressman JOHN MURTHAs plan for the strategic redeployment of U.S. troops. Those familiar with my record know that I have consistently opposed the Presidents decision to invade Iraq. The war was always predicated on the false premise that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. This Congress was negligent in not demanding more proof of the President and then refusing to hold him accountable for his exaggerated and unfounded claims. His war strategy was equally flawed. He has failed to provide the rsources our men and women in uniform need to be successful. and American lives have been lost as a result. In 2002 and 2003 Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki warned that not enough boots on the ground would lead to a power vacuum that our enemies Would exploit. Tragically. his premonitionsignored by President Bush and his political appointeeshave been borne out. To date. approximately 2.150 brave Americans and an estimated 30.000 Iraqis have been killed in Iraq. and there appears to be no immediate end to the quagmire in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2874}
{"speech_id":1090100173,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a Member of Congress. I have wrestled with whether this \"war of choice\" has become a \"war of necessity.\" but I am persuaded by developments in Iraq that the presence ofU.S. troops is fueling the insurgency. compromising the readiness of our military. undermining respect for the U.S. abroad. and shortchanging domestic priorities. including homeland security. I. therefore. am announcing my support for H.J.Res. 73. introduced by Representative MURTHA. calling on President Bush to immediately redeploy U.S. troops and diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq. I am convinced that the withdrawal of U.S. troops will undercut the insurgency. which relies on popular opposition to the U.S. presence.. I remind my colleagues that. if experience has taught us anything. it is that democracy cannot be forced upon a nation by gunpoint.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2874}
{"speech_id":1090100181,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the resolution. I honor and support the troops in Iraq and ask that we have an honest. open debate on the Iraq war on the House floor. I rise in opposition to this resolution H. Res. 612. I share in the celebration for the successful parliamentary elections that took place in Iraq yesterday. It is my sincere hope that the event marks an important step toward establishing the longterm political stability in the country and the political legitimacy of its government. However. this resolution goes beyond congratulating the Iraqi people for their. bravery and success in yesterdays election. It pays more homage to the Bush Administrations prosecution of the war in Iraq than it devotes to the bravery of the Iraqi voters. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2202}
{"speech_id":1090100181,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Frankly. I have opposed this Administrations decision to go to war from the beginning and voted against extending the President the authorization to use military force against Iraq. I did so because the war aims of this administration seemed confused and I thought we should allow the U.N. weapons inspection team to complete its mission before embarking on a war footing What I resent most about this resolution is that there was no attempt by the majority to work with Members on this side of the aisle to arrive at a consensus resolution that we can all support. I can only conclude that it is interested only in gaining political one upmanship than it is in reaching bipartisan agreement on congratulating the Iraqi people for their progress toward democracy. Additionally. this resolution sends the message that anyone advocating a draw down of U.S. forces 6 days or 6 hours earlier than the president does is imposing an \"artificial deadline\" and proposing a cutandrun strategy. I reject that characterization. What I want to see from this administration is a timetable for training a viable Iraqi security force that would allow for an orderly draw down of our troops. After reading this resolution and listening to series of statements by the President on our Iraq strategy. I am truly concerned that we have no orderly way out of our predicament. It is my conclusion that our current course only continues our openended obligation.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2202}
{"speech_id":1090100222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I mar-. veled at Mr. LANTOSs good comment that this could have been. as I understood the quote. could have been a day for celebration. And I would submit it is a day for celebration. It should be. It is. This is a great day. A great thing happened yesterday in the cradle of mankind. They elected permanent leaders. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1996}
{"speech_id":1090100222,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. there are those Americans who have said that it was quagmire in Iraq We had to get out. It was a mistake to be there. Some made these statements out of personal heartache and tragedy. but some were made purely from partisan political motivation. So when the question is asked. why should the leadership politicize the Iraqi situation. that is exactly the question I have been asking. Why? \u0095Why.? Why.. leading up to this election for the last 6 weeks. the yabbers got more shrill. more hysterical that we have to withdraw? And surely there are some people that are smart enough to know that that risk. the election that people who saw the fliers that said. \"you vote. you die.\" might actually take it more seriously if they thought we were going to withdraw quickly before the ink went off their fingers. So I say to those who said the freedom. democracy and liberty we were fighting for and the evil that we fought against was not worth it. it is worth it. And the soldiers that have been there know it. That is why the retention among the soldiers that have been tq Iraq is way up. I have talked to them. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1996}
{"speech_id":1090100222,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have not heard people ask. why are we still in Bosnia where President Clinton said we had to go? One of my best friends from college. we served in the Army in Fort Benning together. he just got sent to Bosnia. Why is not anybody saying. let us get out of there? Why are the same people not saying. we should have gotten out of Germany to President Truman? We should have gotten out of Japan? Because our leadership made good decisions. and we are safer of it. Thank God for the heroes that have made America better by spreading liberty around the world.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1996}
{"speech_id":1090100260,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. The Republicans do not want any timetables to end the Iraq war because timetables would force the Bush administration to actually cre- ate a workable strategy to end the war. To cover for their lack of strategy and competence in Iraq. the Republicans are accusing others of creating artificial solutions to the quagmire they created. This is ironic since the Republicans have done nothing but provide artificial facts about the reasons to go to war. the progress of the war and the goals of the war. Just about everything President Bush and congressional Republicans have said about Iraq has been proven false. Initially. President Bush and congressional Republicans justified the Iraq War on artificial grounds. Here are just a few examples: Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3208}
{"speech_id":1090100260,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iraq bought enriched uranium from Niger. Saddam Hussein and Iraq were involved in 9\/11. the intelligence about Iraq was accurate. and Congress had the same intelligence as the President about Iraq. Then. President Bush and congressional Republicans provided artificial reasons on the progress of the war. Here are just few examples: The cost of the Iraq war would be low. the United States could use Iraq oil to pay for most of Iraqs war costs. the United States would be welcomed as liberators. the United States has enough troops to keep the peace in Iraq. and the Iraqi insurgency is in its last throes. President Bush and congressional Republicans have consistently created equally artificial landmarks about what defines victory in Iraq. Here are the latest artificial landmarks: Over 2 years ago. President Bush declared \"mission accomplished\" in Iraq on the USS Abraham Lincoln after the defeat of the Iraqi army. the first. Iraq election in January 2005. the passing of the Iraq constitution in October 2005. and the second Iraq election held yesterday. With the passing of these events and the insurgency still going strong. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3208}
{"speech_id":1090100260,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President Bush and congressional Republicans are now creating another artificial definition of victory to justify the United States continued presence in Iraq. This resolution now defines victory as the United States staying in Iraq until Iraqis can provide their own security. After 2 years of training Iraqis. nobody can definitively tell the American people when this is going to happen. The GAO. think tanks and the military itself agree that Iraqi troop readiness is low. their loyalty and morale are questionable. there are sharp regional and ethnic divisions @mong the troopranks. and their reported numbers overstate the real effectiveness of the troops. Such analysis does not exactly provide confidence that continuing U.S. training efforts will be successful or that our troops will be coming home anytime soon. I ask my colleagues how many young American men and women have to die for a war fought for artificial reasons and artificial goals? Our soldiers should not have to be killed while President George Bush fumbles around for a facesaving strategy to end the debacle of the Iraq war. I urge my colleagues to vote against this resolution. It is time for America to end this mistake and bring our troops safely home.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3208}
{"speech_id":1090100267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I strongly object to the procedures under which this resolution is being debated. I voted against those procedures because the House should have been able to have a full and free debate and to consider possible changes in the resolution. For example. Representative LANTOS proposed that we congratulate the Iraqi people on three national elections conducted in Iraq this year. encourage all Americans to express support for the people of Iraq. and express thanks to the members of the U.S. armed forces whose heroism permitted the Iraqi people to vote safely in yesterdays elections. That would have beeh something all Members of the House could support. if the Republican leadership had permitted that to be considered. Still. I will vote for the resolution that is now before us. for several reasons. First. the resolution calls yesterdays parliamentary elections a \"crucial victory for the Iraqi people and Iraqs new democracy.\" I couldnt agree more. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3923}
{"speech_id":1090100267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reports are still coming in and we wont know the results for some time. but its clear that the day was a success in terms of high turnout and low levels of violence. To the extent that increased Sunni participation means a greater political role for Sunnis in the new parliament. we could see weakened support for the insurgency. And the Iraqi people should be commended for their courage in coming out to votenot once. but three times this year. The resolution then goes on to call for a commitment to victory in Iraq. although it doesnt define \"victory.\" I strongly suspect this language was added. not so much to send a positive message to our.soldiers or the Iraqi people so much as it was designed to bolster President Bushs recent speeches in Iraq where the word \"victory\" looms large. Unlike American success in World War II. \"victory\" in Iraq cannot be measured by military success alone. This was achieved when our troops toppled Saddam Husseins regime in 2003. What we can hope for in Iraq is that a responsible withdrawal of American forces can be linked to measurable benchmarks of political stability. This means thatlraqi security forces must be capable of providing for the safety of Iraqis. It means that Iraqs cities and infrastructure are rebuilt and its citizens have access to electricity and clean water. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3923}
{"speech_id":1090100267,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A successful withdrawal strategy means that America will no longer bear the brunt of the burdenthat the U.N.. other international organizations. our allies. and countries in the region will step up to assist with the nationbuilding mission in Iraq. A successful outcome in Iraq is essential because failure in this part of the world could lead to wider war. greater terrorism and a disaster for our national security. To be frank. it is not so much \"victory\" that ought to concern us so much as a need to avoid \"failure.\" Unfortunately. whether we can avoid a failure in Iraq is a question that is not completely in our hands because only the Iraqis themselves can find the will necessary to live alongside each other and to make the compromises necessary to build a functioning government based on an inclusive constitution. For the record. I opposed the Iraq war resolution. but I have resisted supporting an artificial deadline for withdrawing troops. I believe we need a plan that is designed to bring our troops home and make clear to the Islamic world that we harbor no ambitions for permanent bases. Iraqi oil revenues or any military occupation. But how we withdraw is asimportant as when we withdraw. This means giving the Iraqis time to form a permanent government and establish the means for international support. We must exercise deep care in the way our country withdraws because leaving a failed state in Iraq will deeply endanger our country. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3923}
{"speech_id":1090100267,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We were led into war as a divided nation and today we are even more divided. Thats why I led a letter last month to Defense Authorization conferees with my colleagues Rep.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3923}
{"speech_id":1090100286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam.Speaker. I do not object. but I reserve the rightto object. -Madam Speaker. I want to say .to the Speaker and this entire House. to my colleague from Louisiana. Mr. MCCRERY. to the ranking member. CHARLES RANGPL. to our chairman. BILL THOMAS. of the Ways and Means Committee. to all our Members who worked so hard to arrive at this piece of legislation at this time. we are. in our part of the world. extraordinarily grateful to the House and Senate for what it has done here. It will help to get our local government back on our feet and get our businesses incentivized to come back into our area. We believe that it will make a huge contribution to restoring and rebuilding our city. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090100286,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the good work that my colleague has done. and I thank the House.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090100304,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment. I wanted to make a couple of points. First of all. the visa lottery system has been susceptible to fraud. Doing away with it would do away with fraud. Secondly. the visa lottery system does not give visas to people from \"overrepresented countries.\" and that includes Mexico. So no Mexican is eligible to get a visa on the visa lottery system. I think that is discriminRtory. Also. the visa lottery system is unfair because the winners go ahead of spouses and children of lawful permanent residents. including Mexicans. and married sons and daughters of citizens who have waited for visas. in some instances for years. It also is used as a potential for aliens who pose a danger to Americans. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090100304,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think that with all these problems in the visa lottery system. the best thing to do is pass this amendment and get rid of it.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090100316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I want to thank Chairman GOODLATTE and Ms. HERSETH for offering this amendment to eliminate the Diversity Visa Program. This program discriminates against people from Mexico and six other countries. It is susceptible to rampant fraud. It allows 50.000 people to enter the country whether or not they have family ties or needed skills and is unfair to immigrants who play by the rules. Immigrant visas are usually issued to foreign nationals who have connections to U.S. employers or family members lawfully residing in the United States. Under the visa lottery program. though. visas are awarded to immigrants at random without meeting any of these criteria. Most familysponsored immigrants currently face a wait of years to obtain visas. Yet the lottery program pushes 50.000 randomly picked immigrants ahead of those who are sponsored by family and employers. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1014}
{"speech_id":1090100316,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. -we should not have an immigration program that violates the principles of common sense. fairness and nondiscrimination.","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1014}
{"speech_id":1090100400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman. two of the 9\/11 hijackers overstayed their visas. Under the current law. that is just a civil ground of inadmissibility. I think that that should be some type of a crime so that at least they can be detained. The businessperson who inadvertently overstays their visa because the flight is canceled. no problem. no prosecutor is going to prosecute that person because of it. Isee some games being played here. The people who are sayin that this bill is too harsh want to keep these penalties as felonies. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1014}
{"speech_id":1090100400,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not know why that is. I think it will be much better to make them misdemeanors. because at least. that way. we do not have to have the taxpayers pay for a lawyer to defend them if they do not have any money. And we do not have to have the space to incarcerate them in Federal penitentiaries. This amendment makes the bill workable. I believe it is a good amendment. I urge its adoption. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1014}
{"speech_id":1090100417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me an additional minute. To follow up. I support very strongly the Vel6zquez amendment. and I am glad that the chairman and the majority support it as well. It is very important. But as I look at the bill. I find an issue that will take a higher precedence than the problem of the backlog in terms of our constituents and in terms of our congressional offices and I think will put that far in the background in terms of things. that most bother them. because under the Alien Smuggling and Related Offenses provision of the bill that we will be asked to vote on. anyone who assists. encourages. directs. or induces a person to reside in or to attempt to reside in or remain in the United States. knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such person is an alien who lacks lawful authority to reside or remain in the United States. is subject to penalties of up to 5 years in jail if it is not for commercial purposes. If it is for commercial purposes. understandably. it would be tougher sentences. So when a person calls my district office and talks to my congressional staff and says. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1820}
{"speech_id":1090100417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was here on a temporary visa. the date passed. I have an immigration petition pending. is there anything I can do? if my office assists that person or suggests that person go see a lawyer and perhaps if my assistant does. not call the Department of Homeland Security and tell them to pick that person up. my staffer. potentially. is subject to criminal penalties. Congressional staff do not have congressional immunity. That means I am going to have to do all the casework in my district office. I think we need a little correction of the base bill in this particular area of alien smuggling. We are sweeping very widely here. With that. I urge adoption of this amendment.","speaker_name":"HOWARD BERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1820}
{"speech_id":1090100431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank my colleague for bringing this amendment and for yielding me time. He brings an important aspect of enforcement to the table. andthat is interior enforcement. Many people believe that only the problem exists along the border. and that is not true. My State of Georgia. Congressman NORWOODS State of Georgia. is one of the fastest growing in terms of population of illegal aliens in the country. In fact. in my congressional district in north Georgia. two of the five fastest growing populations of illegal immigrants are .in my congressional district. Now. if we want to get serious about enforcement. let us look at what the facts are. You heard Congressman NORWOOD say there are 500.000 criminal aliens in our country that are waiting to be apprehended. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1123}
{"speech_id":1090100431,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In our State of Georgia. one of the fastest growing in illegal populations in the country. I am told we only have three enforcement agents. In our adjoining State of Alabama. they only have one. Are we really serious? Why not tap into the 700.000 State and local law enforcement officers who are available and trained to enforce the law.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1123}
{"speech_id":1090100479,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds to respond. When the tax reconciliation bill with tax cuts is put side by side with the spending reconciliation bill. these two reconciliation bills add $52 billion to the deficit. That is the total outcome of the budget package that you are putting before us over the next 5 years. and that is not all. as I will show in a minute. Mr.Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan .","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090100492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. $24 billion will not go to the children of this country. but 53 percent of the tax cuts that this party put together in the last several weeks will go to people who make over $1 million a year. So $24 billion denied to kids in this country to satisfy the wealthiest 1 percent of the wage earners in this Nation. It lays out very clearly the values and the priorities of the majority party here. Let me just say to you tonight that this Nation has been through a lot in the last several months: the devastation of Hurricane Katrinaand a precarious situation in Iraq. This is not the moment for the drastic cuts the Republican budget calls for. This ought to be a moment of clarity where we realize what priorities are and what is important to us as a Nation. This budget reconciliation. the cuts here. cut access. to health carefor lowincome children and families. college loan assistance. leaving the typical student borrower to pay $5.800 more for college. throws a quarter of a million lowincome families off food stamps. working families trying their best to provide this winter. Those families who make over a million dollars who are going to get the tax cut. they do not need food stamps. They probably have medical bills because they have gout because they are overeating. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2038}
{"speech_id":1090100492,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are not on food stamps. The American people have had enough. With this motion. Democrats are calling to reject the most extreme cuts proposed by the majority that impact our most vulnerable citizens. whether it is stripping protections which guarantee more than 5 million children receive the medical services they need. mental health services they need. optical care. hearing aids. cuts to child support we have been talking about. 40 percent. It eliminates federally funded foster care benefits for grandparents and relatives of abused and neglected children. This bill goes out of its way to make the lives of Americans already living on the margin even more- difficult. It is the wrong direction. Vote for the Spratt motionto instruct. (","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2038}
{"speech_id":1090100494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. As we have heard the budget chairman explain. our friends on the other side of the aisle only use as a measurement- of success how much we spend. not how well we spend. Mr. Speaker. every business in America has to use a model of better produ~ts. at a lower cost. I ask: Which model would we be better off using? Would we be better off if every business in America used as a model of success that if we spend more. we do better? Well. if every business did that. then .every business would be in the same financial condition as the Federal Government. and I would argue they could not provide one job to one American in this country. Or would we be better served if government used the model of better government at alower cost? Mr. Speaker. I think it is a little bit ironic that the debate we are having .today. those who say we do not spend enough also say the deficit is too big. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090100494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we can achieve better government at a lower cost. -and the first step to achieving that is voting \"no\" on this motion to instruct.","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090100498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Sp6aker. I would ask the gentlewoman. if she does not believe that we should do something about the potential cut. getting nearer by the day. of 4.4 percent in physicians reimbursement and in paying for it. what is wrong with going into the socalled Medicare stabilization fund. which is really inducement money to get HMOs and insurance companies that do not otherwise want to participate in Medicare to participate? The money is available. It comes out of the Medicare program. It would be given to physicians instead of insurance companies. But do you not think there will be adverse consequences if there is an acrosstheboard cut in physicians pay of 4.4 percent on January 1?","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":723}
{"speech_id":1090100513,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today. nine days before Christmas. I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct on the spending reconciliation bill. This motion to instruct would eliminate the most egregious aspects of the House reconciliation bill and would reduce the Republican cuts to less than $20 billion. This Congress must not go home for the holidays. leaving a lump of coal in the stockings of the most vulnerable children in this country. That is contrary to the spirit of this holiday season and contrary to the values of this nation. If we adopt this motion. we will send the conferees on this bill a strong message that this should not be the season of \"suffer little children.\" * This motion eliminates the cuts from the House bill that would affect the most vulnerable children in this country: It says no to cuts to our child support enforcement program: so that parents have to fulfill their responsibilities to their children. It says no to slashing food stamps: so -that lowincome children can be properly fed. It says no to cutting health benefits for lowincome children: because we want all children to have access to health care in this country. How can we possibly leave here and as one of our last legislative actions in this Christmas season to be accused of being scrooges to the least among uspoor children? This motion stops the Republican raid on student aid: It would help make college more affordable. reducing interest rates and fees relating to student loans and increasing Pell Grants. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2906}
{"speech_id":1090100513,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This motion eliminates the socalled \"mining reform\" in the bill. which is really a massive giveaway of public lands to special interests: Selling public lands at fire sale prices. That is why sportsmen and women. environmentalists. and Westem govemors oppose this outrageous proposal. This motion ensures that seniors and individuals with disabilities can continue to receive physician services under Medicare: Eliminating the reimbursement cut physicians would receive when treating Medicare recipients. Two days ago. hundreds of faithful Americans descended on Capitol Hill in peaceful protest to stand up for working Americans. our children. the poor. those still hurting from Hurricane Katrina. and our elderly. In the freezing cold. in prayer and song. they called the Republican budget what it isa moral failure. devoid of spiritual hope and nourishing resources. This meanspirited Republican budget takes food from the mouths of hungry children. cuts housing for Katrina evacuees. reduces support for our veterans. and fails to adequately provide health care for our elderly. all to provide tax cuts for millionaires. I commend Reverend Jim Wallis and the pastors and church workers from across our country who marched on our Capitol. By adopting this motion to instruct. we would stand with them in the struggle for a budget that lives up to our American values of fairness and opportunity.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2906}
{"speech_id":1090100574,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chair-. man. I rise in support of the gentlemans amendment. One of the primary mechanisms for the flagrant abuse of our immi ration laws is the use of counterfeited immigration documents. the perpetration of identity fraud. and lying under oath in immigration applications. This amendment significantly strengthens criminal penalties for all of these crimes and will therefore act as a strong deterrent to aliens considering immigration fraud. The amendment also provides that if an illegal alien commits a violent crime or a drug trafficking offense. that the alien should receive a criminal sentence at least 5 years longer than he or she would have received otherwise. If such an illegal alien had previously been ordered deported for having committed another crime. the alien will receive a sentence at least 15 years longer than he or she would have received otherwise. These are extremely important provisions. It is bad enough for an alien to come illegally to the United States. But for such an alien to come here illegally and then perpetrate a serious. if not deadly. crime takes the offense to a whole other level. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1376}
{"speech_id":1090100574,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And for such an alien to return again and commit yet another offense must simply not be tolerated. These aliens deserve to see their prison sentences dramatically increased. This is what the amendment does. and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1376}
{"speech_id":1090100636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the amendment requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on the problems caused by the automated employment verification system. However. I want to point out that this amendment will not fix the problems with the Employment Eligibility Verification System. even though this underlying bill will require all employers and employees to use the system. The GAO has already told us. at the request of Mr. SENSENBRENNER as a matter of fact. that the basic pilot program is not ready for widespread use. H11980 co that the DHS system is badly flawed. that it is unable to detect identity fraud. and this report. after the fact. is not going tochange that. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":735}
{"speech_id":1090100700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the Congress has been negligent in dealing with the challenge of border security. homeland security and immigration policy reform. We must do what is necessary to protect our homeland and implement comprehensive immigration reform. It is time to address these issues in a meaningful way. Unfortunately. this legislation fails to meet* the test. This bill does contain some important provisions that will enhance border security. Indeed. the bill that emerged from the Homeland Security Committee was one that I could basically support.- Unfortunately. the Judiciary Committee put politics over policy and added a number of highly objectionable provisions. Some of these provisions will turn a number of wellintentioned and law abiding citizens into criminals and felons. Other provisions penalize many individuals who have come to this country lawfullybut have. through no fault of their own. become ensnared in a bureaucratic snafu with the Citizenship and Immigration Services where if someone misses a deadline by a day in changing their visa category they can be prosecuted for unlawful presence. Moreover. visitors from other countries who are here on tourist visas but cannot return to their country within -the visa timeframe because of a natural disaster or the outbreak of civil war will be made into criminals. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4073}
{"speech_id":1090100700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill is also flawed in a number of other respects. First. it creates the dangerous illusion that we are addressing the most pressing homeland security issues. when we are not. The 9\/11 Commission recently released its assessment of the progress being made by the Bush administration and this Congress on the adoption of its recommendations. More than half of the grades issued by the commission were Ds or Fs. This bill does not address any of the shortcomings identified by the 9\/11 Commission. As such. it is a fraud on the American people to pretend that this bill significantly enhances homeland security. We are missing an important opportunity to remedy the homeland security failures identified by the 9\/11 Commission. Finally. this bill contains another gaping holethe failure to address the issueof the approximately 11 million undocumented persons that are currently in the United States. President Bush has repeatedly stated that any immigration reform effort must find a way to bring these individuals out of the shadows of our communities. A number of thoughtful bills have been introduced to address that issue. including one introduced by two of our Republican colleagues. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4073}
{"speech_id":1090100700,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representatives FLAKE and KOLBE. On the Senate side. the McCainKennedy legislation contains a number of ideas to address this issue. By refusing to allow a vote on these proposals. we do a disservice to our Nation. Once again. the House is abdicating its.responsibility by failing to squarely meet the challenge we face. * Let me also say a word about the amendment offered to this bill to construct a partial fence along our southwest border. I support the construction of a fence to better secure our border and supported its funding in the Homeland Security Appropriations Act. However. the amendment offered by Mr. DUNCAN doesnt simply provide for a fence. In a typical example of congressional overreaching and micromanagement. the amendment specifies exactly how such a fence will be built and the precise location of each segment of the fence. We are neither engineers nor construction managers nor do we know the best alignment of such a fence. We should simply direct the experts to construct a fence that accomplishes the objective of limiting illegal immigration and allow it to be built in the most costeffective .manner. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4073}
{"speech_id":1090100700,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I believe that this bill contains some positive changes that enhance border security at the same time it leaves a number of gaping holes and includes a number of provisions that take us in the wrong direction. On balance. I believe this is a flawed bill. I hope the Senate will address the serious shortcomings in this bill so we can adopt a meaningful bill that meets the challenges that we face.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4073}
{"speech_id":1090100701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. from the congressional district that I have had the honor of representing over the past 13 years. one can see the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island is a place that has been the gateway to opportunity for millions of new Americans. For me. it is a shining example of the power of the American dream. a place that launched millions down their own road to success. Like millions of Americans. my own parents came to this country fleeing tyranny and searching for freedom. Because of this. the debate that we started yesterday and continue today is of special and personal interest to me. So. America has a proud tradition as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. But unfortunately. our current immigration laws and system have failed us. As a predicate for labor to grow. and for the country to achieve all the things it needs to. we need tough. smart. and comprehensive immigration reform that reflects current economic realities. that respects the core values of family unity and fundamental fairness. and that upholds our proud tradition as a nation of immigrants. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4959}
{"speech_id":1090100701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to aggressively seek to curtail crossings at the border and we need smart enforcement measures that prevent illegal immigration. so that our immigration system is safe. legal. orderly. and fair to all. Our goal should be neither open borders nor closed borders. but smart borders. Now. tough enforcement laws may make us feel good. but they do not do the job all by themselves. Since 1986. we have. tripled the number of Border Patrol agents and increased the enforcement budget 10 times over. but we havent made a dent in the number of undocumented workers who make it here. Mr. Chairman. 1 year ago tomorrow. President Bush signed into law the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. As one of the conferees on that bill. I want to remind Members that it contained 43 sections and 100 pages of immigrationrelated provisions. These tough. but smart new measures include. among others. adding thousands of additional Border Patrol agents. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4959}
{"speech_id":1090100701,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Immigration and Customs investigators and detention beds. and criminalizing the smuggling of immigrants. just as the 9\/11 Commission recommended. I am sure that the American people assume that their government has not only implemented. but also fully funded these tough measures to ensure our Nations safety. Unfortunately. the Presidents budget and the Republican Congress have chosen not to do so. In fact. as part of the fiscal year 2006 appropriations process. the Republican Congress has provided a shortfall of: 500 Border Patrol agents of the 2.000 new Border Patrol agents called for this year by that law. 482 investigators of the 800 immigration enforcement investigators. and 4.130 detention beds of the 8.000 additional detention beds required. So much for being tough. And so much for fully funding what is called for in the bill we are currently debating. I mean. who truly believes that we will fully fund and build the fence along the southwest border of the United States that so many of my colleagues voted for last night? So we are not only passing a variety of provisions that will most likely never.be fully funded or enforced. but we are also criminalizing not only millions of undocumented workers in the United States. but also citizens of this country. Under the guise of a much broader definition of smugglirg. this bill could allow the Government to prosecute almost any American who has regular contact with undocumented immigrants. Certainly alien smuggling and trafficking for profit are activities that need to be sanctioned. and current law. part of last years intelligence reform bill. provides for harsh pernalties. However. under the broad language contained in this bill: A soccer mom whodrives herneighbor to the grocery store. or has a livein nanny could be penalized for \"transporting\". ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4959}
{"speech_id":1090100701,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The church group that provides food aid. shelter. or other assistance to members of its community could be penalized for \"assisting or encouraging\". An aid worker who finds an illegal entrant suffering from dehydration in the desert and drives that person to a hospital could be penalized for \"transporting\". A counselor who assists a victim of domestic violence and her children could be penalized for \"assisting or encouraging\". The landscaper who drives his workers to jobs could be penalized for \"transporting\". A U.S. citizen living with an undocumented spouse could be considered to be \"assisting or encouraging\" her spouses presence. and Last. but certainly not least. our district caseworkers could be penalized for either \"assisting or encouraging\" or even \"transporting\" as part of their official congressional duties. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote against the underlying bill. By doing .so. we then could work not as Democrats and Republicans. or Congressmen and Senators. but as Americans to bring our policies in line with our Nations ideals and values.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4959}
{"speech_id":1090100703,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to express my strong opposition to H.R. 4437. the Border Protection. Antiterrorism. and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. While I believe that immigration reform is urgently needed and must include strong and effective enforcement provisions. this legislation will not solve our Nations immigration problems. It fails to address many of the most important elements of immigration reform. including backlogs in family visas. regulation of the future flow of immigrants. and the presence of a sizable undocumented community in the United States. Instead it harms American families. businesses. and communities. Its impact on the Latino and immigrant communities would also be devastating. Among the many antiimmigrant measures in H.R. 4437 are provisions that would: (1) strip citizenship opportunities that are currently available to legal immigrants. (2) curtail crucial due process rights in immigration proceedings. (3) make it a criminal offense toremain in the country illegally after entering legally. and (4) deputize local law enforcement officials to enforce Federal immigration laws over the objections of many such officials. who believe that this authority undercuts their ability to protect the public safety. This enforcementonly approach has not worked in the past and will not work in the future if it is not combined with measures that address the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country. ","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2601}
{"speech_id":1090100703,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I support and have cosponsored H.R. 2330. the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill sponsored by Representatives JIM KOLBE. JEFF FLAKE. and Luis GUTIERREZ. This bill combines tough enforcement with realistic admission policies. *has bipartisan support. and is workable. All Americans want effective reforms of the Nations immigration laws. not shortsighted measures that appear tough on immigration but do not resolve the underlying problems. Only a comprehensive approach that provides a path to citizenship for current undocumented immigrants. creates new legal channels for future flows of needed immigrants. reduces family immigration backlogs. and protects worker rights will reduce undocumented immigration and bring order to our immigration. system. H.R. 4437 does not take us down the path of real immigration reform. I stand shouldtoshoulder with groups like the AFLCIO. ACLU. AntiDefamation League. U.S. ","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2601}
{"speech_id":1090100703,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chamber of Commerce. Human Rights Watch. Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. MALDEF. and National Council of La Raza. I ask that all my colleagues join me in my opposition to this flawed immigration bill.","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2601}
{"speech_id":1090100706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is absolutely critical that Congress pass meaningful and effective border security and immigration reform. Since the 9\/11 terrorist attacks. Congress has taken significant steps to secure our border and prevent another terrorist attack on our soil. Congress created the Department of Homeland Security. DHS. and a strong Director of National Intelligence. which constituted the largest reorganization of our law enforcement and intelligence services since World War I1. I supported the bipartisan version of the homeland security and immigration reform bill that passed the House Homeland Security Committee last month. As a former member of the committee..I agree that the United States must: move rapidly to establish operation control of all borders and ports. end our \"catch and release\" practice of aliens apprehended crossing the border illegally. effectively organize the border security agencies within the Department of Homeland Security. and promote international policies to deter illegal immigration. I also agree with the former 9\/11 Commissioners. who recently issued a report which concluded that Congress and the administration have much more work to do to make America safer. and gave our Government fair to poor grades for our current level of border security. I agree that Congress and the administration should take immediate action to: produce a terrorist travel strategy to intercept and disrupt their operations. create a comprehensive screening system for travelers. create a biometric entryexit screening system for all land borders. improve international collaboration on borders and document security. and standardize secure identifications. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2591}
{"speech_id":1090100706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am disappointed. therefore. that the leadership of the House of Representatives has failed to allow the House to take up a comprehensive homeland security and immigration reform bill that addresses the pressing vulnerabilities in our border security. The bill before the House. passed on a partyline vote in the Judiciary Committee. is not a balanced. thoughtful approach to the issue. This bill is a punitive bill which is neither enforceable nor workable. This bill has little chance of enactment. Border security is too important and should be included in legislation that can be quickly enacted. This legislation is opposed by a vast number of groups from across the political spectrum. including businesses. labor unions. faithbased organizations. civil rights organizations. human rights organizations. and immigrant advocacy organizations. I therefore ask my colleagues Jo reject this legislation.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2591}
{"speech_id":1090100714,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the Border Protection. Antiterrorism. and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The passage of this legislation is fundamental to the security of our citizens and to reducing the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States. . The number one issue that my constituents contact me about is securing our 1borders and fighting illegal immigration. This bill does both. Among the bills provisions are greater cooperation between border sheriffs and Federal law enforcement. increased penalties for human smugglers. elimination of \"catch and release\" policies. and a requirement that employers screen for illegal applicants. This legislation is the outgrowth of a movement within Congress to address enforcement of our immigration laws prior to looking at any need for temporary worker provisions. I. along with dozens of my colleagues. signed the letter to President George Bush stressing the importance of addressing enforcement first. ","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1885}
{"speech_id":1090100714,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today we accomplish that goal. I want to thank House Judiciary Committee Chairman JIM SENSENBRENNER and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman PETER KING for their hard work in bringing this legislation before the House. but I want to. especially thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER for incorporating my bill. the Criminal Alien Accountability Act. into the broader bill. Providing a strong disincentive to criminal aliens and human smugglers is integral to protecting our communities. and by strengthening penalties for these groups. the legislation effects such an end. We have a great deal of work left to do with regard to strengthening our borders and enforcing our workplace immigration laws. but this legislation is a strong start. I look forward to working with my fellow members of the Judiciary Committee and my constituents as we continue to improve our Nations immigration enforcement policies.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1885}
{"speech_id":1090100774,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. Speaker. And again. I appreciate the privilege to address you. Mr. Speaker. and in turn. address the House of Representatives. This has been a huge week here on the floor of the House of Representatives. We processed a lot of legislation this week. Much of it has been legislation that has been in theworks for a number of years. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10716}
{"speech_id":1090100774,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I think what I will try to do is maybe unravel this coming backwards across the way we passed it and work my way back into the legislation a little bit. But I want to take up first the immigration reform and point out that in this debate that we heard today in this resolution that came forward. which was H. Res. 612. the continuous message from the other side was about being antiimmigrant. antiimmigrant. But it confuses the difference between an immigrant and an illegal immigrant. In fact. I know of no one in this Congress that is antiimmigrant. I know of many Members of this Congress that are pro the rule of law. And that is the distinction that we need to draw the line with. Arid I take us back to where would be if we went back even 10 years. but say go back 25 years. in a time when we did not have very much illegal immigration. It was a smaller percentage of our overall population. it was smaller in numbers. smaller in percentage. and it was not a very significant problem. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10716}
{"speech_id":1090100774,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was something that was somewhat manageable back then. And back in that period of time. if we had been able to control our borders and watched as we needed more employees in certain sectors of the economy. we would have seen a number of things happen that would have resolved this need that we keep hearing from business about labor. They say that if we deported all of the illegals. our economy would collapse. and we cannot get along without them when perhaps 4 percent of our workforce in America is -an illegal workforce. And if we lose 4 percent and retain 96 percent. I cannot believe that this resilient country could not find a way to bounce back from that and accommodate the difference. So I take us back 25 years and ask. what would we do if we respected the rule of law? What would we do if we had borders that were controlled? How would we adjust to demands in a growing economy if illegal labor. cheap labor that pours in from overseas just were not available? . What if the United States of America. instead of being a large portion of an entire continent. what if we were an island? What if you drew the line on the 49th parallel on the north and our southern border on the south and envisioned the United States sitting out alone where illegal labor does not flow across our borders just because of the jobs magnet but in fact has to find an expensive way of transportation to get across a broad ocean? * 2330 Think. for example. of a country like Australia that finds itself in that kind of a circumstance. I take you back to a policy that they had up until 1971. Actually. they did not have a very good name for it. They called it White Australia. and some would be embarrassed about.the name for that now. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10716}
{"speech_id":1090100774,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But that was the phrase that they used to describe their immigration policy. which is they were advancing the idea of European descendents populating the continent of Australia. In fact. I graduated from high school in 1967. and I remember -during those years that I was in college. I saw advertisements come from Australia saying this is a great place to move to. We really need you to come down here. There is a wealth of opportunity in Australia. And I thought about it. And so that advertisement that was there was because they needed more people to grow their economy. In about 1971. they gave up on this mission to some degree. and they changed their policy to allow imrtigrants to come in from Southeast Asia. Now. how does this work politically? We can learn from these lessons here in the United States of America. and that is that it was big business that wanted the labor to come in. and it was labor unions that wanted to keep the labor out because they understood something in Australia as far as back as 1971 that there was a law of supply and demand. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10716}
{"speech_id":1090100774,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That law of supply and demand seems to be missing from the rationale of the people who oppose enforcement of our rule of law with regard to immigration. They do not seem to understand that when we have an oversupply of labor. that drives the price down and that labor is a commodity. like where I come from. corn and beans or cattle and hogs. or gold or oil if you come. from another part of the world. or currency. It fluctuates in the marketplace according to supply and demand. So the island. or I should call it the large continent. and it actually is. the large continent of Australia did not have that option of being able to run open borders and let millions come in to drive their wage price down. They actually had to fight the politics out inside Australia and adopt a policy that brought in immigrants from Southeast Asia and other parts of the world to fill their labor supply. The pressure got great enough that they came up with an economic solution. Well. I submit. Mr. Speaker. that in the United States of America. had we respected the rule of law. had we controlled our borders. the pressure would have been brought politically to do the things necessary to bring in the amount of labor in a legal and a rational fashion. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10716}
{"speech_id":1090100811,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Chair and my friend from Alabama. One quick comment on the PATRIOT Act. Of course. everybody in this body wants to renew the PATRIOT Act. That is not the issue. The issue is the contents of that act and whether this body. ought to have an opportunity to debate some of the differences between the version that came back to us from conference and the one that left the Senate. There are significant differences. There is a bipartisan group that opposes the PATRIOT Act in its current form. We all want to extend that act so there is no gap. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090100811,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nobody wants a gap in coverage. Everybody agrees it should be extended. The question is. should it be extended for a short period of time to give those of us who have questions and doubts about some of the provisions that came back from conference that were not in the Senate version an opportunity to debate and hopefully change some of those versions.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090100830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would tell the Senator from Nevada I take no personal offense but would also state there hasnt been an appropriations bill coming out of this body in 20 years that hasnt had policy changes directed. and attached to it. They all do. If you seriously look at them. there are policy directions on every one of them because the Congress spends all its time appropriating rather than authorizingthe very issue the Senator from Michigan is talking about. Consequently. this- year we are going to appropriate $190 billion on items that are not even authorized. The Senator from Nevada is gracious. I wanted to make sure my point was clear on my position in terms of earmarks and spending. I dont like this process any better than he does. but I am willing to do what we need to do for our country to get it done. I dont want us to corrupt the process. but I will tell you that the process needs to completely be revised in terms of appropriations. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1053}
{"speech_id":1090100830,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We should never be in this position that we find ourselves today. With that. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1053}
{"speech_id":1090100859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Earlier today. Senator FRIST spoke about the importance of preparing our Nation for the serious and growing threat of an influenza pandemic. Members of this body made pandemic flu a priority when it unanimously adopted an $8 billion amendment to combat avian flu offered by Senate Democrats. I hope that Senator FRIST will join me in standing by this commitment and will work to ensure that Congress provides for the full $8 billion America needs to begin addressing this critical issue before we adjourn. The avian flu has spread to 15 countries and killed 70 of the 137 individuals it has infected. Scientists are warning that it is only a matter of time before this virus mutates to a new strain that will allow for sustained humantohuman transmission and cause the next pandemic. The human and economic impact of an influenza pandemic on our Nation would be devastating. According to a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office. a severe flu pandemic could infect 90 million U.S.- residents and 2*million would die. Thirty percent of the workforce would become ill and those who survived would miss 3 weeks of work. This lost productivity and decrease in consumer spending could cause a $675 billion reduction in U.S. gross domestic product and move the Nation into a recession. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2901}
{"speech_id":1090100859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Perhaps the only thing more troubling than the human and economic consequences of an avian flu pandemic is the fact that our Nation is dangerously unprepared to deal with it. We are not dedicating enough resources to global surveillance activi-. ties that allow us to detect and contain an outbreak of avian flu. If we are unable to contain a pandemic overseas. our strongest defense at home will be an effective vaccine. However. our domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity is so inadequate it could take nearly a year. to produce and distribute a vaccine. Effective drugs. that can slow the spread of a pandemic until a vaccine is developed are only available for 2 percent of our population. Finally. all of these problems are compounded by the fact that our public health infrastructure cannot handle a pandemic and the medical community. businesses. and general public must be better prepared for a pandemic. All of these facts are reasons why Congress must immediately address the avian flu threat and why the Senate voted to do just that earlier this year. I am troubled by reports that congressional Republicans are on the verge of approving about half of the amount approved by the Senate. Senator .FRIST rightly pointed. out that the threat of pandemic flu is not and should not be a partisan issue. A pandemic strain of flu will not distinguish between Democrats or Republicans. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2901}
{"speech_id":1090100859,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I hope that Senator FRIST will stand with me and will continue to fight for the full funding level approved by the Senate so our Government may begin to prepare and protect our Nation from this looming threat.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2901}
{"speech_id":1090100881,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and congratulating the 2005 NCAA Division IAA Football National Champions. Appalachian State University. This courageous and athletic group of students. along with their coaches and support staff from Boone. North Carolina. defeated the University of Northern Iowa last night in Chattanooga. Tennessee. by a score of 2116. This marks the first time in history that a tean from ASU has won a.national championship. This championship culminates a tremendous year of Mountaineer football that saw the team finish the season 83. winning the Southern Conference championship before winning four playoff games. including last nights national championship game. Mr. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1808}
{"speech_id":1090100881,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am proud.of this football team and their coach. not just for winning a national championship but for the character and teamwork they display. The Mountaineers have excelled under the leadership of Coach Jerry Moore. the winningest coach in the history of the Southern Conference. He has a talented staff. including Coach Lonnie Galloway. the soninlaw of our colleague from North Carolina. Robin Hayes. I wish my duties in Washington did not prevent me from being in Chattanooga last night with somany Appalachian students. alumni. and supporters. I would have liked to have seen first hand the crushing defense in the fourth quarter. led by Jason Hunter and Marques Murrell. I wish I could have been there to witness in person the courage of quarterback Richie Williams. who played through a painful ankle injury suffered last week in the semifinal game against Furman. Please join me in congratulating the Appalachian State University football team. I am proud of my long history with ASU. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1808}
{"speech_id":1090100881,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud to represent this fine university in Congress. Go Mountaineers.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1808}
{"speech_id":1090100883,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Wake up. America. In addition to giving away the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to the oil companies. the Defense appropriations bill is rumored to contain a massive holiday gift to the pharmaceutical industry in the form of liability immunity for pandemic vaccines. The liability is not the reason for vaccine shortages. especially in the case of avian flu. This giveaway will not result in increased vaccine production. Why does Big Pharma want these liability exemptions? Because there is reason to. doubt the safety of at least one of these vaccines. Chiron. the same company which allowed contamination of half of last years flu vaccine supply. is hoping to use MF59 in an avian flu vaccine. MF59 is a compound that contains squalene. which is on the short list of potential causes for the chronic debilitating illnesses experienced by our veterans of the first Persian Gulf war. At a minimum. this issue must be debated in front of the American people. not slipped in behind closed doors into this large bill. I urge my colleagues to reject this liability immunity.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090100887,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is one issue of great concern that I hear about over and over again when I am back home. the needlessly complicated Medicare prescription drug program. Seniors are confused and frustrated as they attempt to study 60 plans in order to first decide whether to join and then to choose a plan to sign up for. Many are simply giving up. I have already held half a dozen informational seminars on the program and every session has been packed. There is clearly a problem. Congress could and -should make \"the progress better. more affordable. and less confusing by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies.. But the very least that Congress must do is pass a Medicare InformedChoice Act which would delay the enrollment. penalty. prevent beneficiaries from losing their employerbased coverage. and allow seniors to switch plans if they make a mistake. Given the current confusion. it is essential that we allow beneficiaries to take their time. check the facts. and know their options without being rushed to choose. We owe no less to our seniors.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090100890,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Congress is about to go home in a few days either today. tomorrow. Monday. Tuesday. sometime in the next few days. and this House. again. has failed to increase the minimum wage. There are large numbers of people in this country. people with children. often single mothers. sometimes. not usually. adults in their 20s and 30s and 40s who make $5.15 an hour. The Senate finally increased the minimum wage. The House is going to go home sometime in the next few days having. failed to even bring up to a vote an increase in the minimum wage. Since this House floor session began about 16 minutes ago. in that time. a minimum wage worker would have earned about $1.10 or $1.15. A CEO of a Fortune 500 company in this same 16 minutes would have earned about $1.500. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090100890,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we can do a lot better in this body than we have done this year.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090100943,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. While my colleague. Mr. BROWN of Ohio. is my copartner in the issue of health care and. he and I share many things in common. this bill being one of them. and I would disagree with his comments with regard to Medicare part D. I for one am pleased that we are finally offering senior citizens of this country the opportunity to have a prescription drug benefit plan. We can disagree on that. and we will probably have some disagreements in the future. but I do want to thank Mr. BROWN of Ohio and his staff and the others on the minority side for their cooperation in dealing with this issue that is before us today on pathology licensure. I think that it is a bill that we need to act on quickly. and hopefully our colleagues across the way will do likewise.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090100965,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the time. and I rise in strong support of this piece of legislation. I am extremely pleased that we were able to see the Senate finally move it forward and that it is going to move from here on to the Presidents desk. The reason I am very pleased is this is not theoretical. as some treatment modalities that we often talk about in this body. This is real and now. There have been 67 different diseases in humans reported in the medical literature successfully treated with cord blood. So we are not even talking about research anymore. We are talking about clinical applications. Indeed. one of those diseases I am most excited about. and that is sickle cell anemia. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090100965,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I had the opportunity to treat sickle cell anemia in my clinical practice. and I can tell my colleagues here that is one of the most unfortunate conditions to see a young child writhing in pain on a gurney in an emergency room in a sickle cell crisis. And to be told that cord blood stem cells have cured children with sickle cell anemia. I never thought in my life that I would actually see the day when sickle cell anemia could be cured. This bill authorizes funds for the expansion of the existing bone marrow bank. which is a bank that essentially I am registered with. It has my name. and if somebody needs a transplant. they can try to find me and get my blood. but in this case. we are taking the placental blood and the cord blood from 3 million live births a year and creating a bank so . that everybody would have a match and the potential for regenerative medicine would be here and now. So I am very. very pleased that we are bringing this to the floor. I am very glad it is finally going to move on to the Presidents desk. because people will be helped by this now. I am also very delighted to have been part of it. and Mr. SMITH deserves a tremendous amount of credit for his unflagging efforts on this.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090101050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank pass a higher education reauthorization is em- NA the chairman for yielding. I will be blematic of this ineffective Congress. In past tak brief. years. the Higher Education Act was one of cril I realize that this is simply an exten- the easiest to pass. one of the most bipar- icy sion of the Second Higher Education tisan. a bill we could count on. and Act. but I would like to make a couple And with this temporary extension. we have cou of points here. This act authorizes Pell missed many opportunities today. We could T grants and student loan programs. have increased the Pell grant and provided it gui which are so important to so many stu- yearround. We could have significantly in- tan dents to continue their education. As creased aid to minorityserving institutions. We ota part of the reauthorization package could have increased assistance to lowinthat moved through the Education and come and firstgeneration college students. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090101050,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Workforce Committee this year. I was We could have increased loan forgiveness. IV pleased to offer an amendment that We could have eliminated origination fees on its would allow the Secretary of Education student loans. We could have provided child NA to award Pell grants on a yearround care for parents who are attempting to go age basis. back to college. We could have changed the and We think this is very important be- student aid formulas for working students. ahe cause this would allow students to be But. today. we pass a temporary extension. spa eligible for Pell grants during summer We have failed to do any of those.things. and ma enrollment. -The reason this is impor- American college students and their parents oft tahitis that we are going to see a rath- are paying for Congress failure. T er dramatic increase in college enroll- Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker. I yield wil ment in coming years. back.the balance of my time. gui In over 36 years on the college cam- *The SPEAKER pro tempore. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090101050,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The mu pus. I saw some rather significant question is on the motion offered by sci changes in the time that it took for the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. hav people to graduate from college. When BOEHNER) that the House suspend the and I started on the college campus in the rules and pass the bill. HR. 4525. as wor 1960s. most people graduated in 4 years. The question was taken. and (two- NA 4 years. and now a 5 - to 6year grad- thirds having voted in favor thereof) T uation timetable is very. very common. the rules were suspended and the bill cur As a result. with increasing enrollment th r ended and thesill req and also this extended time period. we A motion to reconsider was laid on cos are putting greater and greater stress the table. for on the facilities in colleges and univer- tra sities. vid Therefore. we feel that allowing stu- CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1281. CE dents Pell grants during the summer NATIONAL AERONAUTICS- AND of e which will allow them to go to school SPACE ADMINISTRATION AU- gra yearround and maybe approximate a 4- THORIZATION ACT OF 2005 T year to 4 -year graduation time would Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker. I move Nu be very important. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090101050,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I look forward to to suspend the rules and agree to the rul seeing a reauthorization of the Higher conference report on the Senate bill (S. tify Education Act signed into law in 2006. 1281) to authorize appropriations for can However. for now we must extend the the National Aeronautics and Space gre existing authorization. and therefore I Administration for science. aero- a 8 support H.R. 4525. nautics. exploration. exploration capa- one I thank Chairman BOEHNER for bring- bilities. and the Inspector General. and of t ing this legislation forward. I urge my for other purposes. for fiscal years 2006. T colleagues to support passage of H.R. 2007. 2008. 2009. and 2010. ity 4525 today. The Clerk read the title of the Senate pri","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090101053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I have a variety of speakers here who would like to speak on this bill. and so I am going to be very brief. I first want to concur with Chairman BOEHLERT. who I think did a very good job in laying out the content of the bill and the spirit in which it was put together. I want to rise in strong support of the conference report for the NASA -Authorization Act of 2005. This bill is a result of constructive bipartisan and. bicameral negotiations regarding the future direction of NASA. The issues have been complex. but the conferees have approached them with an open mind and a willingness to compromise. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090101053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important for the authorizing committee with jurisdiction over NASA programs to provide appropriate oversight and guidance to the agency. and I think this bill does that. Of course. I am sure that each of us have additional provisions that we would have liked to have included as well as some that we would have preferred to drop. but nevertheless. I think this bill is a constructive compromise that will serve NASA and the Nation well. NASA is facing significant challenges in the years ahead. not the least of which is budgetary outlays for the agencys programs. I think this bill is a constructive step to assist the agency in meeting those challenges. but success is going to require Congresss active involvement in the months and the years ahead. Finally. before I close. I would like to express my thanks to my colleagues on the House side and. in particular Chairman BOEHLERT. Chairman CALVERT and Subcommittee Ranking Member UDALL for all the efforts they have made on behalf of this bill. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to our friends in the Senate for their bipartisan and bicameral spirit of cooperation they have brought to our negotiations. and certainly without the good staff work on our Science Committee. we would not be here today. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090101053,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has been a pleasure to work with them to craft this conference report. I -would also like to say. again. thanks to the House and Senate staff. as well as to the NASA personnel for their assistance in bringing the conference to a successful conclusion. In closing. I believe this is a good conference report. and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2356}
{"speech_id":1090101055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for the time. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Chairman BOEHLERT for his leadership and guidance. for the great job in making sure that we are here today. and I certainly want to thank Ranking Member GORDON and Ranking Member UDALL for their leadership and support. also. I want to commend the Members of the Science Committee on both sides of the aisle for a job well done. I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas for his guidance and assistance and all his staff working together diligently for long hours to assure that this NASA authorization bill could be accomplished this year. This is the first time since the year 2000 that NASA has had an authorization bill and we have been able to complete it. This bill provides the agency with the rules and tools they will need to succeed. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2489}
{"speech_id":1090101055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a crucial time for the agency as it is going thrdugh a major transition. Our bill represents the first time that the Presidents Vision for Space Exploration has been fully endorsed by both Houses of Congress. When the President sends to Congress his budget for fiscal year 2007. todays backing by the Congress can only help us to increase the support for our Nations civil space program and for the Vision for Space Exploration. We also seek equivalent .strategic plans for aeronautics and science parts of the budget. NASA represents only seventenths of 1 percent of the Federal budget and is an investment in our Nations future. Even in this time of budget deficits. the United States cannot abandon NASAs research and technology and its exploration programs. It is not in the American spirit to shy away from this investment in our global leadership. This bill also authorizes for the first time a competitive prize program at NASA based on the very successful XPrize. This program will allow NASA to award prizes for those technologies that are useful for NASAs mission. This prize program will encourage our best and brightest scientists. engineers and entrepreneurs to pursue -technologies that NASA will need to pursue our Nations dreams of exploration. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2489}
{"speech_id":1090101055,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased that we are doing a 2year bill through 2008. and we in the Science Committee look forward to providing oversight and authorization appropriate when needed. I want to urge my colleagues to vote yes on this truly bipartisan conference report. We owe it to the administration. to our national space enterprise and to the American people to pass this NASA authorization bill this year. -","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2489}
{"speech_id":1090101057,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I. too. join my colleagues in acknowledging the bipartisan nature of this very important conference report. I want to thank Chairman BOEHLERT and Chairman CALVERT on that side of that aisle for their leadership and for their good work and. as. well. my ranking member on this side of the aisle. the gentleman from Tennessee . T2here are \"four key areas that I would just like to highlight in my remarks that are a part of this very important piece of legislation. Number one. we beef up the aeronautics effort of NASA. and we make sure that crucial research and development work continue. and the effect it has on our domestic economy. which is very. very crucial. Second. the Hubble telescope. we will do all we can under this legislation to service the Hubble telescope. and it has truly become the peoples telescope. It is known not only in the scientific community but to lay people on the street. It is a tremendous asset for us today. and it will be in the future. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8393}
{"speech_id":1090101057,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Third. the legislation includes a piece of legislation I authored 4 years ago that deals with remote sensing data. That is the data that we are generating from the fleet of satellites that look down on the earth. and this data can be of great use to our cities. our towns. our counties and the private sector. The bill puts in place a grant program as well as increased access to that data so that it can be used by the American public. Finally. there is a provision that further strengthens the space grant program that brings into the career paths of science and technology mathematics and engineering. those young people who will not only teach the students of the future but who will also come up with the great inventions and the new technologies and new understanding from our great efforts in space and in aeronautics. So. Mr. Speaker. this is an excellent bill. I want to commend it to our colleagues. and I rise in support of this important piece of legislation and would ask every Member to support it. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8393}
{"speech_id":1090101057,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I risetoday to express my support for this conference report. This report reflects the results of productive. bipartisan negotiations that began between House Republicans and Democrats and continued on with the Senate. This is a good conference report. and I would like to thank all the Conferees and their staff who worked on this report. In particular. I would like to thank our Conference Committee Chairwoman KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON. Chairman BOEHLERT. Ranking Member GORDON. and Subcommittee Chairman CALVERT. I have been pleased to see how this group has come together to put- together an authorization bill that enables NASA to take positive steps in each of its mission directorates. I believe that it provides an essential balance between NASAs core missions as well as a timely longterm policy direction for NASA as it embarks on the Moon\/Mars initiative. One of the strengths of this bill is that it highlights NASAs nonexploration related research and ensures that innovative work continues to be done in the Science and Aeronautics programs. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8393}
{"speech_id":1090101057,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To ensure the continued health of each of NASAs core missions. it sets up a budgetary structure that separates NASAs human space flight and exploration accounts from its science. aeronautics. and education a6counts--in effect. it erects a flexible \"firewall\" between the accounts. Turning to some of the programspecific features of the conference report. I am pleased that it encourages NASA to take up three groundbreaking initiatives in subsonic. supersonic and rotor craft R&D under its Aeronautics program. Progress in aeronautics is crucial to the health of the Nations air transportation industry. which in turn is crucial both to the continued strength of our domestic economy and our international competitiveness. That R&D also benefits our quality of life and enhances our national security. We need to encourage it. and this bill does just that. In addition. while the new Exploration initiative at NASA has gotten the most public attention recently. NASAs science programs have continued to be some of NASAs \"crown jewels\"--generating discoveries that have been captivating the American public for decades. For example. images from Hubble have helped us better understand our universe. but they also allow amateur astronomers of all ages to study the wonders of space. In short. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8393}
{"speech_id":1090101057,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hubble has truly become the peoples telescope. and I am gratified that this bill calls for a mission to service Hubble to be scheduled and authorizes funding accordingly. This bill also seeks to make sure that the scientific research on the International Space Station achieves its full potential by ensuring that both exploration and nonexploration related research is performed. Microgravity and life science research can help us better understand the affects of space on the human body. moving forward our efforts in human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. It also has many applications here on Earth. and this bill ensures that the ISS will support diverse esearch goals by requiring that at least 15 percent of all research funds for the International Space Station are to be used for nonexploration related research such as groundbased. freeflyer. and ISS life and microgravity science research. \u0095 I believe it is important that we continue to encourage commercial involvement in our space missions. including through research initiatives. There are several partnerships existing between the science community and industry that perform research on the International SpaceStation. This bill speaks to the need to preserve fundamental. applied. and commercial life sciences and other micro gravity research that allows commercial participation in the research performed on Station. I would also like to highlight another title of this bill that will allow cities and municipalities better access to- remote sensing data. Many cities in our countryincluding in my home state of Coloradoare faced with a real problem of excess growth and sprawl. We now have technologyusing geospatial data from satellitesthat can produce very accurate maps that show information about vegetation. wildlife habitat. flood plains. transportation corridors. soil types. and many other things. This bill includes provisionsbased on legislatiori I had authored several years agothat would establish in NASA a program of grants for competitively awarded pilot projects. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8393}
{"speech_id":1090101061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 1281. the NASA reauthorization bill of 2005. This important legislation will authorize appropriations for NASA for the fiscal years 2006 to 2010. H12132 cc E 1800 It provides guidance for the agency and encourages research. exploration. and education. NASA is important to my State and to the Nation. It has been known for its leadership in space exploration. but I want to point out just a few of the numerous other benefits NASA research has brought to us. Satellites allow instant access to information around the globe. Cell phones. cordless appliances. VELCRO. and Teflon all were developed through our space program. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1559}
{"speech_id":1090101061,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"NASA research has been an integral part of our Nations military efforts as well. Satellite imagery and global positioning systems have beep critical to helping our Armed Forces pinpoint the enemy in battle. Unmanned aerial vehicles allow us to see our enemies without putting our troops in harms way. Perhaps our greatest achievement has been in the field of medical science. In the late 1960s. the Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed digital imaging processing to better view the Moon. Similar technology is now used by doctors to view organs inside the body. CAT scans and MRIs are revolutionizing our ability to detect tumors early and save lives. None of these technologies would be possible without NASA research. The NASA authorization bill is overdue. and I urge my colleagues to support it. I want to thank the leadership both in the House and the Senate for bringing us to this point.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1559}
{"speech_id":1090101067,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman BOEHLERT for yielding me this time. and I commend him and Ranking Member GORDON for the hard work they did. It was a long process moving this piece of legislation through. I also want to commend Subcommittee Chairman CALVERT. I know he worked very hard on this. It is now almost 2 years since President Bush first enunciated a vision to go back to the Moon and on to Mars. to develop a new space vehicle to replace the space shuttle. We in the House quickly recognized when the President put forward this ambitious plan. and it was a wonderful thing the President did in doing this. because many people felt it was the first time since Jack Kennedys original call to go to the Moon by the end of the decade of the 1960s. that it was the first time since then that a President had boldly stood up and proclaimed a vision for NASA. We knew then. Members of the House. that we would need new authorizing legislation. particularly for the process of retiring the space shuttle and bringing a new manrated launch vehicle on line that would have the capability of carrying men and women into space. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1856}
{"speech_id":1090101067,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation is very important. It is very needed. Though I tend to focus mainly on the issues that pertain to the manned space flight program. as the representative of the area that includes Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. this legislation has important sections that deal with our Nations critical investment in aeronautics research and science. and. therefore. it is critically important that we pass this legislation as we move forward next year. The bill calls for additional funding for NASA in the 2006 appropriation. as well as 2007 and 2008. that will fmeet the critical needs for our Nations aerospace industries and our manned space flight program in the years ahead. I commend the work of all those involved.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1856}
{"speech_id":1090101069,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the NASA reauthorization act. I would like to begin by thanking those colleagues who worked so hard to create a bill that is beneficial to the Nation. Chairman CALVERT and Ranking Member UDALL deserve thanks for their leadership in ensuring NASA remains well balanced and healthy. I waint to thank Chairman FRANK WOLF for his support in this endeavor. and also Congresswoman DAVIS. I also want to thank Mr. DELAY.for his support in our efforts to maintain NASA in Cleveland. I would -like to thank members of the Ohio delegation who worked with me to ensure the bills success. I want to stress that there is a lot that happens here where we have partisan conflict. but on this bill we had tremendous bipartisan support in the Ohio delegation. which included STEVE","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":804}
{"speech_id":1090101086,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my friend for yielding. Mark Twain once said: The more you explain it to me. the more I dont understand it. I want to know where the Defense bill is. 3 oclock yesterday afternoon. we ended our conference. By 5 oclock. we filed the necessary signatures. both the Senate and the House. and yet the Defense bill is not even on any calendar whatsoever. This is outrageous. I understand the Republican leadership wishes to put some extraneous matter onto the bill. But the proper procedure was followed. It was a torturous. difficult. but a fair ending. and we signed the report. Yet. the Defense bill is not there. being held up for some extraneous misunderstanding. reason. I just dont understand it. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090101086,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want that Defense bill on the floor. The United States of America wants it on the floor. We have young men and young women in uniform all over this world. Afghanistan. Iraq. and yet we cant get the bill here that authorizes a pay raise. TRICARE for reservists. all the ammunition that they need. the medical care that we need. the policies set forth in the detainee language. all of this that has been worked out. Yet we dont have the bill. I dont understand it. Please explain it to us and to the American people: Where in the world is the Defense bill. the authorization bill?","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090101103,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the time yielded by the gentleman. Mr. Speaker. today the House will vote on legislation that continues the -commitment Congress made in 2001 to safeguard our Nations economy in the event of another catastrophic terrorist attack. Chairman OXLEY and Chairman BAKER and their staffs deserve enormous credit for the hard work throughout this process. because just last week the House passed a bill which presented a balanced and very responsible approach to continuing the TRIA program. It provided for the availability of terrorism insurance. encouraged the development of private capital. and required full mandatory taxpayer reimbursement of Federal assistance granted to the insurance industry. While the House version included more forwardlooking marketbased provisions than the final bill that we have before us today. passage of this legislation nonetheless remains necessary. The potential for another terrorist attack is frightening enough. but hamstringing our Nations ability to recover finally is unthinkable and irresponsible. Without action today. our economy would suffer. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1762}
{"speech_id":1090101103,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill is about more than our insurance industry. Businesses large and small depend upon the availability of this insurance. We must provide certainty to our manufacturers. our builders. our bankers. retailers. Realtors. developers and others. and we are dedicated to securing our country against the physical and economic consequences of another terrorist attack. I appreciate so much Chairmen Oxley and Bakers hard work on this issue. Congressman KANJORSKI as well. Congress must continue to work to find a permanent solution enabling tho private market to better provide terrorism insurance. and I am sure we will continue to seek that solution.","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1762}
{"speech_id":1090101114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Like many of the previous speakers. I. too.. am very disappointed this evening that we.did not have an opportunity to bring some real reform .to this process. The committee. I think. worked very hard in making sure that we move down the road of transitioning this insurance program back to the private sector. which is where it belongs. Unfortunately. the version that we are considering tonight .will not do that. Another thing that is extremely disappointing. I think. *about tonights version is that. in the event of a catastrophic event. the American taxpayers were going to step up in a gap basis but eventually get all of their money back. ","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1551}
{"speech_id":1090101114,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In this particular bill. that will not. be the case. This is an area where the government. I think. stepped in at anappropriate time to shore up the marketplace. the.insurance marketplace. but I think one of the things that is very important is that. as we move forward. while we are going to extend this for a period of 2 years. I think it is important that the committee continue to work very diligently to make sure that we work towards a process working with the private sector. ensuring that we move and transition in a way that really puts this back into a free marketplace. which is where it belongs. . So I want to thank the chairman for his hard work. I know that he shares in the disappointment that we are not really considering the House version. which is a better version. tonight and which was a more fiscally responsible version.","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1551}
{"speech_id":1090101189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am so happy that Mr. -SPRATT came to the floor tonight to share with the Members what is important in this bill. And this was an authorization bill even before it went to conference that a super majority of the Members voted for because they believe that many of those provisions needed to be enacted on behalf of our security. And we hear a lot of talk about what needs to happen now. what the troops need. what our Armed Forces need throughout. rank and file. officers. flag officers. individuals who are interested in being a part of our military. and to be able to send a very strong signal that we support them 110 percent. And for it to be held up for political purposes. and I can tell my colleagues for political purposes because in that 527 bill. there are a lot of special interests that would like to have access. more access than they have right now. to this majority. And it is very unfortunate that it is being held up. Of all things. the Defense authorization bill. It is hard to explain with a straight face. And Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1322}
{"speech_id":1090101189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"RYAN was there in committee when we voted this bill out. and he was here on the floor and also Ms. WASSERMANSCHULTZ. For this to be happening now in the closing days of the session and possibly held off in the authorization bill until 2006 is beyond reproach. in my opinion.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1322}
{"speech_id":1090101199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the gentleman knows. we get the budget the second week in February. -Our hearings start almost immediately in the authorization committee because we have got all four services. we have procurement. personnel. research and development. all kinds of issues that -have to be thrashed out every year. We do not mark up and bring a bill to the floor typically until May. sofietimes until June. Then we wait oh the Senate to get their work done. and usually. if we are lucky. they get theirs done in July. If we are not lucky. theirs gets done in September or October. and we find ourselves playing catctIlp. which is what ide are doing i~i the extreme this year. Nevertheless. it is a yearlong Iprocess. We carefully sift through all these issues. We go back to what we did the previous year and see if it worked. If it did not. we make adjustments. It is an ongoing. continual process. An immense amount of work goes into this. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090101199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You can say the appropriators do the same thing. but their committee is much. much smaller than ours. Therefore. they do not get into all of these elements nearly as deeply as we do. That is why this authorization is so critically important as part of the process.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090101220,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\u0095 SCHULTZ. We have got to stop thinking about the special interests before we think about the average American because that is really what it boils down to. and.those Republicans that you are talking about. I represent a lot of them. Ilive in a town that precinct by precinct. 13 precincts in my town. in this city of Weston. every single one of them is majority Republican registration. I cannot walk down the street without interacting with a Republican registered voter. and by the way. I win every one of those precincts with more than 60 percent of the vote. I.am certainly not a Republican. and the reason that happens is because it happens to be a community that has some wealth. People stop me in the supermarket. on the soccer field all the time and say: DEBBIE. keep the darn tax cut. I do not need the tax cut. It does not help me that much. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090101220,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want my kid to have a good education. I want people to have health care. They understand. They understand that the economy does not boom because the top twotenths of 1 percent of Americans get a tax cut. They understand that it is kids who grow up and can get a good education and who sit across the desk from these constituents of mine. most of whom are employers. who are bosses who are interviewing kids who graduate from high school unprepared for the path that they choose in life because we are not adequately funding education because they come to work sick and have to go home early because we have 45 million people who do not have health insurance. They want to know where this Republican leaderships priorities are. where their Republican party that they have chosen to affiliate themselves with. where their priorities are. because it is not with them. I am not sure what our other colleagues Republican constituents are saying to them. but that is what mine are saying to me. I think we have got to stop being the Congress of the special interests and return to being the Congress of the American people. While we are on the subject of the success of this administration. and you talk about how significant that deficit. and the combination of 42 other Presidents combined. had a bigger deficit. The President does like to talk about the success of the economy and how it is experiencing a resurgence and how we are really in real good shape right now. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090101220,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to just show you a chart that I had made up. It gives you an example of the economic success of America under the Busl administration. Let us go down memory lane. Under the administration of Bush 41. the Dow went up 10.1 percent. Under President Clintons first Presidency. 19.6 percent. Second Clinton Presidency. 12.3 percent. Negative. Three percent under this Presidents first term. now twotenths of 1 percent. Literally. President Clintons Dow went up 225 percent. and under this President. the Dow has gone up 3 percent. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090101220,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not exactly a stellar record in terms of improving the economy. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2966}
{"speech_id":1090101243,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. these $50 billion in cuts. including the $600 million in cuts to orphans and foster care. went to help pay for a $56 billion tax cut. which mostly benefited those earning over $400.000 a year. 50 percent of which went to those earning over $1 million a year. is this correct?","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":280}
{"speech_id":1090101247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I am certainly supportive of tax cuts. targeted tax cuts that help working families. But when we are borrowing money from foreigners. when we are borrowing money to fund a tax cut. that is nothing more than a tax increase on our children and grandchildren because they have got to pay that money back. And no one understands this issue any better than one of the founders of the Blue Dog Coalition. the gentleman from Tennessee . I will yield to the gentleman from Tennessee. and following the gentlemans remarks. we will go through these 12 points one by one until we run out of time this evening. And for folks who happen to be seeing this this evening. do not be confused. This is not recorded. This is live. Congress is meeting on a Saturday night here in our Nations Capital. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090101247,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we are here on the floor to try to hold this government responsible and accountable and restore some common sense and fiscal discipline to our Nations Government because this debt is out of control. And with that. I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090101380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Mr. Bill Pauli for his efforts and contributions to the agricultural industry for his years of service as President of the California Farm Bureau Federation. Although Mr. Pauli is retiring. his dedication and commitment to enhancing the quality of agriculture in the State of California will always remain sincerely appreciated. Mr. Paulis passion for agriculture led him to pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree in agricultural economics and business from the University of Nevada. Reno. He emerged through the industry as a product of some of Californias most celebrated wine grapes and Bartlett pears in his home town of Potter Valley. ","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090101380,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Paulis endeavors also led to the establishment of the awardwinning BrarenPauli and Redwood Valley Cellars. Colleagues. friends. and family alike hail Mr. Pauli as someone who has exemplified genuine concern and dedication to the progression of American farmers. Mr. Paulis advocacy for agricultural issues dates back to the 1970s. He stood before the United States Congress to address farm concerns and served as a member of agricultural organizations such as the State Compensation Insurance Board. North Coast Grape Growers Association and Tri Valley Growers Cooperative. Serving as the President of the states most active and esteemed agricultural organization. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090101380,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pauli established many enduring programs that have revamped the image of the Bureau. Among them are The Farm Bureau Leadership program which has brought vibrancy to the organization. In addition. Ag in the Classroom is highly esteemed as an educational tool. and The Plan to Protect Californias Family Farms has added to .the Bureaus dedication to preserve the efforts of California farmers to provide the highest quality products. In addition to his extensive profile of agricultural issues. Mr. Pauli has been an outstanding member of his commnity. He donates much of his time to protecting- and ensuring the welfare of the residents of Potter Valley and serves as a volunteer chief of the Potter Valley Fire Department. When asked what. he would miss the most upon leaving his post. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090101380,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pauli answered. \"The people. the opportunity to see the people. to see their farms and ranches.\" It is through the efforts of people like Bill Pauli that California is the breadbasketof the world. It is with a great pride and gratitude that I rise to thank and honor Mr. Pauli for his thirtyfive years of commitment and loyalty to the citizens of California.","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2493}
{"speech_id":1090101382,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Spaker. I rise today to recognize the 75th year of existence of the Bright Temple Church of God in Christ in Shelbyville. Tennessee. This fine church in Bedford County has experienced many changes since it first opened its doors in 1930. but the congregations spirit of compassion and fellowship remains the same. In the midst of the Great bepression. Clarence Garfield Bright founded The Church of God in Christ. Eventually. the name was changed in his honor to Bright Temple Church of God in Christ. In the 1950s. the church became home to revivals that attracted evangelists from across the nation. And in 1964. the E2591 church began to hold a prayer service at noon Monday through Friday. a tradition that continues today. ","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1222}
{"speech_id":1090101382,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The church has grown as Bedford County has grown in recent years. Under the leadership of the churchs current pastor. Larry James Crismon. Sr.. Bright Temple has expanded its facilities and opened a community social service facility. Shelbyville is a better place because of the work of the Bright Temple Church of God in Christ and its congregation. I congratulate Pastor Crismon and the congregation for all the good work they have done. and I wish them all the best in the next 75 years.","speaker_name":"BARTON GORDON","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1222}
{"speech_id":1090101394,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the misguided Border and Immigration Enforcement Act of 2005. H.R. 4437 is a misguided bill that will further complicatethe immigration crisis. We. as a country. have not seen a significant change in immigration policy in nearly two decades. even though all Americans agree that current immigration policy is outdated and malfunctioning. The majority of surveys throughout this Nation show that the American people are advocating for a comprehensive and.realistic approach to immigration reform. As Members of Congress we have the responsibility to modernize our laws. to ensure equity. and to learn from the successes and failures of our predecessors. H.R. 4437 fails to meet these standards on all levels. The bill before us today is an insult to the American people who have requested action on the part of their lawmakers. The bill is neither a solution nor even an attempt to understand the immigration crisis. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3682}
{"speech_id":1090101394,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rather. it is a collaboration of the most destructive proposals in Congress. put forth to promote a false impression that we are working to address the problem. What we are seeing here on the floor today is an unrealistic. unconstitutional bill based on fear. As a Representative from Arizona. I have had first hand experience with the negative impacts created by \"securityonly\" approaches to the border and immigration. such as is promoted by H.R. 4437. Arizona. my District especially. has been victim to this inadequate approach that ignores the real needs in our communities. For example. this year my District witnessed 262 deaths on its border. yet H.R. 4437 would do nothing to help alleviate this human tragedy. Though Americans continue to ask that Congress create orderly. legal venues for new immigrants and for safe and legal ways in which immigrants already here can declare their presence. H.R. 4437 does not even come close to fulfilling these requests. In fact. it promotesa shadow culture in which immigrants need and want to hide. which then puts our country at a greater security risk. With one hasty line. this bill makes all immigrants criminals. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3682}
{"speech_id":1090101394,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It turns an immigrationlaw violation into an aggravated felony. Thus. legal permanent residents. who initially may have had an unlawful entry but were able to pursue a legal venue thereafter. would be categorized as felons and prevented from becoming U.S. citizens as the current law. allows. H.R. 4437 also endangers checks and balances and progress that our Nation has made towards equality. With its expansion of expedited removal programs. H.R. 4437 removes important checks that currently protect against erroneous arrests and deportations. In the realm of civil rights. immigrants that are victim to domestic violence would be discouraged from seeking protection in fear of being charged with an aggravated felony. Furthermore. immigrants dealing with Federal agencies or the judicial system would no longer have the opportunity to appeal. thereby weakening even more checks and balances in our government. I am ashamed of the Republican leadership for bringing this bill to the floor. for ignoring the American people. and for supporting a bill that will expand the immigration crisis. Worse than all the harm that this bill would cause is the fact that it fails to include any of the immigration reforms that Americans have asked for. It includes penalties for employers. but no provisions allowing them to attain needed employees. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3682}
{"speech_id":1090101394,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It criminalizes immigrants. but provides no solutions for a legal venuefor entry. As lawmakers. we can do better. We can bring to the floor a comprehensive and realistic approach to immigration that addresses E2595","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3682}
{"speech_id":1090101401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize an extraordinary young woman whose bravery and quick thinking saved her family from a devastating fire. Eightyearold Natelee Brinlee is a hero in every sense of the word. Natelee had been through the Irving Fire Departments Safety House where she learned how to implement lifesaving measures during a fire emergency. When a fire started in her home. Natelee knew to call 911. and alertly woke up her uncle and brother. This heroism saved Natelee. her uncle and two brothers. Natelee Brinlee showed maturity and bravery well beyond her 8 years. The recognition December 17.-2005 she is receiving is imminently welldeserved. and I know this is merely the first step of many bright years ahead.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":730}
{"speech_id":1090101417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. after long deliberation and discussion with the bills author. I decided to vote \"aye\" on H.R. 4437. This bill is far from complete.. and far from being ready to become law. Yet. it has. become clear that Congress will deal with immigration reform through several stages in a long process during the next session of the 109th Congress. I supported H.R. 4437 to begin this process. so we can ultimately achieve comprehensive immigration reform. Among the provisions I believe are instrumental toward achieving such reform are the reforms to secure our borders. Border security is no longei simply an issue of illegal immigration. It is an issue of national security. where we are vulnerable to terrorist infiltration. This proposal offers a comprehensive way to address this threat. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2107}
{"speech_id":1090101417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. I have several concerns with this legislation that must be addressed in order to receive my support for a final. comprehensive solution to fixing our broken immigration system. First and foremost. the provision in H.R. 4437 that makes undocumented alien status a federal felony is totally unacceptable. Prior to the bills passing. I received a commitment from the author. Chairman -SENSENBRENNER. that this provision will be removed. Second. the employer verification system proposed in this bill is unworkable and must be- fixed. Third. a final bill should include the creation of a secure. legal channel by which foreign workers needed to keep the United States economy growing may enter and leave the country. And. finally. we must bring into the open. in a reasonable and fair manner. the millions of immigrants who are living in our communities without any documentation. Failure to address all of these issues will simply prolong our broken immigration system. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2107}
{"speech_id":1090101417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because Congress is so divided on how to achieve comprehensive reform. it has become clear to me that such reform will occur in slages over the course of the next year. I look forward to working with my colleagues in both political parties to make sure the final version of this legislative effort is one we can all be proud to support.","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2107}
{"speech_id":1090101492,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this bill represents a bipartisan and bicameral measure. We have worked with our colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to draft a bill that will assist the State Department in meeting the everincreasing demand for U.S. passports. The 9\/11 bill required that Americans carry a passport when reentering the United States from travel to countries in the Western Hemisphere. This requirement is greatly increasing the demand for passport services. This bill. which has been approved by OMB. will allow the State Department to collect and retain a surcharge of approximately $5 to $8 on each passport. Because the State Department expects there to be a decline in the actual cost of issuing each passport. there will not be an increase in the current price for issuing passports. which is now $97. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1804}
{"speech_id":1090101492,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Presently. the U.S. Treasury receives the revenues from fees charged for the issuance of a passport. As a result of this legislation. the State Department will keep part of the passport fee. The bill narrowly defines the uses permitted of the proceeds from this surcharge. It is for the cost of additional personnel. mailing and similar operational costs that are necessary to keep up with the increased passport workload. The authority for the Department to collect this surcharge will expire in the year 2010. Congress will be able to assess whether this surcharge continues to be necessary. This is an important measure that has been requested by the Secretary of State. and the text has been worked out between the majority and the minority of both the House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. I urge support for H.R. 4501. as amended. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1804}
{"speech_id":1090101542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I agree with what the gentleman from Arizona said. We have made a bipartisan effort on our committee. the Committee on Financial Services. to really address the problem of Indian housing. which has shamefully been. I think. ignored and given inadequate attention by both the executive and the legislative branch. and by both parties. There is more than enough blame to go around. We also need to say. and I am myself a supporter of casino enterprises by Indians. but not every tribe has one. Not every tribe wants one. And we need to deal with the fact that while some people have this image of those tribes which have casinos doing very well. there continues to be some of the worst poverty in America on the reservations and among the tribes. This legislation is very important. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1738}
{"speech_id":1090101542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Arizona and I and others. also earlier this year. had a hearing in which I must say I was dissatisfied with the responses we got. There are questions when you do Indian housing that come out of the land title situation. because of the atypicality by American legal standards of Indian landholding. and we have not had at either the legislative or executive branch or on behalf of either party the attention that the people deserve to their housing needs. This is a step. It is not the end. I am glad we are doing this. But I think I can serve notice. and I know the gentleman from Arizona agrees with me. that next year those people in the executive branch charged with this can be expected to be held to a much higher standard of performance than they have been held to before. We are determined to correct this situation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1738}
{"speech_id":1090101542,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ES 1515","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1738}
{"speech_id":1090101558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentlewoman from New York and particularly want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas for pulling together the support. the vast amount of support on a bipartisan basis to recognize the pain and suffering the Little Rock Nine have given to move this country forward. Mr. Speaker. I have no additional speakers. and I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":415}
{"speech_id":1090101578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. and I want to thank Mr. WELDON from Pennsylvania and all those who have come down here this afternoon to honor just a great lady. a wonderful person. For as long as this building stands. Helens Cafe will be an intimate part of the U.S. Capitol. Emerson said heroism is the quiet obedience to the secret impulse of character. and whenever we walked into Helens Cafe. we had that sense. We could look at Helen and our stress would wash away with her smile. our anxiety about partisan politics or legislation or not getting something done would somehow become a little bit more eased. Her remarks at the Members leaning up against that counter talking about this or talking about that would be. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2666}
{"speech_id":1090101578,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Oh. Lord.\" I can still hear Helen saying \"Oh. Lord.\" Or if you made a comment about her sandwiches were too expensive. of course they were always a fraction of the price of what they would be anywhere else. but if you said something like that. \"Helen. this is a little pricey. I only got a sandwich and a glass of water.\" she said \"Oh. Lord.\" Her stories about her family and her father and the perspective has been given here this afternoon. But can you imagine someone coming here while President Roosevelt was the President. Richard Nixon and Jack Kennedy were Members of Congress. and. it has already been spoken. World War II. the Korean War. the Vietnam War. conflicts around the world with the Middle East. the Persian Gulf war. right on up to the present conflict in Iraq. Her advice to us. and we took it. was. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2666}
{"speech_id":1090101578,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"You need your rest. Rest yourself.\" Can you hear Helen saying that? \"Rest yourself.\" Or if you had a sandwich and you did not want anything to drink she would go around and get you a glass of water. \"You have to wash that down with something. It is too dry. You need something to drink. You need your nourishment.\" How many times did we hear Helen say that? \"You need your nourishment. You work too hard.\" Mr. Speaker. we still talk about Helen in Helens Cafe. And Miss Helen. Pat is doing a great job. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2666}
{"speech_id":1090101578,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She is following your suit. She is set in Helens Cafe because of your gentle. serene example. By the way. I have to say this through the Speaker. if you are heading across the Bay Bridge on that church bus and you are going to do what you like to do in Delaware. you have a standing invitation to stop at my house to play 500 rummy. Now. we might throw out a few pennies there. but there is a standing invitation from all of us. Helen. we wish you Merry Christmas. the best of holidays. and your character. that secret impulse that you left us. will linger here for all time. Thank you. Curt.","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2666}
{"speech_id":1090101579,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I am just going to conclude by thanking the Members for being here today. our ranking members. This could not have happened without Congresswoman JUANITA MILLENDERMcDONALD being here and taking her time to give tribute. and. of course. the other Members. Congresswoman SHEILA JACKSONLEE and Congressman GILCHREST. Especially. of course. I want to thank Congressman WELDON of Pennsylvania for doing this. for giving Helen the honor that she so deserves. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090101579,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Obviously. from everything that we have heard today. I think the whole Nation can understand the feeling we have for Helen and how we miss her being here. Of course. when I conclude. I am going to ask for the RECORD to be kept open because Members are going to want to submit statements for the record to Helen to give her the honor she so deserves. So we wish Helen the best. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California .","speaker_name":"ROBERT NEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":964}
{"speech_id":1090101580,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my very good friend. the chairman of the House Administration Committee. for yielding me time. I was just crossing a television between football games. getting ready to watch the Redskins beat the Cowboys in just a few minutes. and I caught this flower arrangement here. and then started to see these photographs of Helen up. and I said. My gosh. what is going on down here? And it brought back incredible memories for me. As I know my colleagues on this side of the aisle know. I do not know if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know. this is my 25th year here. I have served exactly half the amount of time that the Dean of the House. John Dingell. has served. So I have to tell about my first term. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2478}
{"speech_id":1090101580,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my first term. Helen Sewell was in an incredible ceremony that then Speaker Tip ONeill presided over. She was honored in the Sam Rayburn Room right over there. and she was named the Employee of the Year for the U.S. Capitol. I do not know if it has been stated. but on one of the plaques we have right here out in the hallway. and we do not do this terribly often. we have not done it on an annual basis. and. in fact. after Helen Sewell received that reward. I think we went for a long period of time without honoring another employee of the year. But I listened attentively as my friend from Maryland was talking about Helen making sure that people had enough food and drink in them to be sustained through these long hours of work. I will tell you as I listened to that. I was thinking. a number of us have been working very long hours. and I will tell you I take my hat off especially to the staff. for there has been literally no sleep for a lot of the staff members who are trying to get this very important work that we are proceeding with completed. But Helen would be here ensuring that everyone was very. very healthy. and she was an inspiration to all of us. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2478}
{"speech_id":1090101580,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I heard the bit about the soap operas and all that she followed so attentively. But I thank my colleagues for recognizing Helen. because she was one of the first people I met when I came here a quarter century ago. and she could not have been any nicer to me then. and our thoughts and prayers are with her. I look forward to seeing her cross that Bay Bridge and going to play cards with WAYNE GILCHREST. I think that should be an interesting game when she stops by his house. But I thank my colleagues for recognizing Helen. who has been a great friend to so many of us.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2478}
{"speech_id":1090101624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is correct. As the gentleman knows. I have long supported efforts to protect American businesses and workers from illegal trade practices. Unfortunately. the conferees were unable to come to an agreement that would allow us to include thisimportant language in the final conference report.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":294}
{"speech_id":1090101649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me first start by thanking my good friend Roscoe Bartlett for his tremendous help this year. The bill authorizes five ships. more than the administration asked for. unfortunately not as many as I would like to build. but very. very great help of the gentleman from Maryland on the part of adding an LHA(R) for the Marine Corps to the ship. getting the next generation destroyer. the DDX. started. and adding a Virginia Class submarine to the fleet. Again at five ships. if you figure the typical 30year life of a ship. we are cruising toward a 150ship Navy. That is entirely too small. despite Navy projections that they think they can get the fleet up to about 313 by 2013. But again these are important steps in the right direction. I want to commend the gentleman from Maryland for his help in making that happen. There are a lot of people who have a lot of things they want to say. I want to yield what remains of my time to the gentleman from Georgia","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090101650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would simply add to what my friend from Mississippi has said and others have said that this bill is the culmination of months of work by the committee in a bipartisan way to give.the men and women that we have in uniform. particularly those men and women in harms way what we believe they need in order to carry on their duty on behalf of the United States. I think everybody on the committee agrees with me that everything that we can possibly do to support them we are going to do. I want to compliment the chairman. the ranking member. and other members of the committee for a job well done.","speaker_name":"JAMES MARSHALL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090101662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will continue to yield. the Iraqi Freedom Fund is a fund that includes money for body armor and lots of other equipment. It is a fund that we supply each year. It is a revolving fund that we keep money in so that the warfighting commanders can buy what they need immediately when they need it.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":323}
{"speech_id":1090101669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the combination of institutional incompetence and ideological extremism that has us contemplating this bill at this hour with further important legislation to go. all kinds of stuff gets put in and the regular process gets degraded. I just want to call attention to one wholly irrelevant provision. irrelevant to the defense. The Boy Scouts of America have been found by States and\" cities to be violating their antidiscrimination policies with regard to both sexual orientation and religion. and some cities have said that they do not want anyone who fails to follow their State or citys policy getting free facilities. That I suppose can be debated or not as to whether it is right or wrong. but it does not seem to me that there is any argument for having it in the Armed Services authorization bill in a Congress run by supposed States rights conservatives. a provision that says to every city in America you will let the Boy Scouts use your facilities for free whether or not you think they violate the law against discrimination based on religion or sexual orientation. Now. that is probably going to be found unconstitutional. but I find that to be way beyond the scope of this bill and an example of the degradation of the legislative process that it -is in here.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1287}
{"speech_id":1090101698,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.. I rise in support of the conference report to H.R. 1815. and thank Chairman HUNTER and Ranking Member SKELTON for their hard work. Once again the committee. has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring the security of our nation and the safety of our men and women in uniform. I am extremely pleased that we were able to consider this measure without extraneous and controversial provisions that would have endangered. its passage. Our troops and the ci\"vilian employees in the Department of Defense have performed valiantly and made enormous sacrifices to safeguard the United States. and H.R. 1815 recognizes their commitment by providing muchneeded assistance to them and their families. The conference report includes a pay raise of 3.1% for military. increases certain enlistment and reenlistment bonuses. and allows certain members of the reserves to buy into the TRICARE health care program for themselves and their families. The measure also increases the endstrength of the Army and the Marine Corps. which should help relieve some of the stress on troops who have experienced repeated deployments.. The legislation also contains $50 billion in supplemental funding to provide force protection equipment. such as uparmored Hurfvees and jammers for improvised explosive devices. to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. as well as to replace equipment that has been degraded by the high operations tempo. Though the military has accomplished a great deal with what they have. we have clear indications that we are wearing down our equipment. perhaps faster than we can replace it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2378}
{"speech_id":1090101698,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The investment in this bill is an important step. but we must not forget that it will take billions more to completely reset and recapitalize our force. This bill also contains important language to ensure that Department of Defense does not contract out existing government work without realizing actual cost savings. Earlier in the year. I drew the committees attention to DODs practice of reorganizing or reclassifying existing government work in order to circumvent required contracting rules without demonstrating savings. The language in this measure closes that loophole and goes much farther by establishing much clearer standards about how DOD can contract out work. I thank the chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2378}
{"speech_id":1090101713,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged. from further consideration of the bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 332 South Main Street in Flora. Illinois. as the \"Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building.\" and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090101793,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my good friend from Oklahoma for yielding me this time.. I serve on the Armed Services Committee. and I am proud of the undbrlying bill this rule represents. and that is the way we provide for the defense of this country. with all of the equipment and gear and training and personnel that we have in place. But I want to speak specifically to a provision that is in there relating to the drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. I come from west Texas. where a good slug of the daily production in America comes. from. the area that I represent. and we have been drilling there for a long. long time in a responsible manner. America imports crude oil every day in the millions of barrels. To the extent that we can reduce that dependency on foreign crude. we will improve the national security of this country. We have drilled in ANWR three test wells. and with the best science we have and the best estimates that we have. we should be able to produce between 800.000 and a million barrels a day. Now. if you come from oil country. you know that until you drill it. you do not know if the production is going to be there. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090101793,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But let us say for the sake of argument that that production is there. I believe that our current drilling companies. drilling operators and contractors can do that drilling in an environmentally sensitive and responsible manner. To put the 2.000 acres we intend to drill on in perspective.-if you take the full front page of the Wall Street Journal. every letter on that page. the drilling in ANWR is the equivalent of one letter on that page. Now. I am not trying. to minimize the. responsibility of the commitment to do this drilling in an environmentally sensitive manner. but we will do that in this regard. Drilling in ANWR will improve our daily production of crude oil. it will reduce the amount of crude oil that we will have to buy. and that purchase of crude oil from foreign countries obviously aggravates the trade deficit. So I -speak in favor of the rule and the underlying legislation and encourage my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on the rule and the bill itself.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090101803,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. obviously ergy. That is why we are in this mess ANWR is a controversial issue and it is right now. You cannot continue to opsomething that this House has debated pose every new source of energy that a number of times. This House has anybody comes up with and say that passed it a number of times. It is some- you want to do something about it. what ironic that here. at 2 oclock in I support the rule. Vote for the rule the morning. as Mr. MORAN poiits out. and vote for the underlying bill. that we are hearing that this deserves Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090101803,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I to be debated again. And I guess we yield myself such time as I may conwill debate it again because we have sume. debated it probably half a dozen times I recall the last time ANWR was desince I liave been here. probably 20 or bated that major oil companies said 30 times since the creation of ANWR. they had no interest in ANWR and it We have talked about what we can do was purely speculative whether there is to harness those resources that exist oil there or not. there. The House has spoken a number Mr. Speaker. Iyield to the gentleman of times. It has passed a number of from Ohio for a unanitimes through the House in a strong bi- mous consent request. partisan vote. (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given ANWR today represents the largest permission to revise and extend his repotential reserves of new energy re- marks.) sources in this country. and if you look Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090101803,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I rise in at supply and demand right now we do opposition to this bill. principally benot have enough oil. enough natural cause of the inclusion of the Arctic Nagas in the world to meet what the de- tional Wildlife Refuge. mand is. and that is why the price I oppose this bill for many reasons includkeeps going up. And the oil companies ing: do like that. They like the price to 1. Bad. processWithholding language so continue to go up. And we have Mem- we cant review the bill is antidemocratic. bers coming down here tonight who Adding provisions that would never pass if have always voted against every new brought to a legitimate vote to a must pass bill potential energy source. Everything is antidemocratic. Trying to use our desperathat we have brought to the floor they tion to go home to see our families to extort are opposed to. They are opposed to us into voting for a bad bill is antidemocratic. ANWR. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090101803,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are opposed to anything This abuse of power is a shameful display by that creates new energy in this coun-. a nation that claims to be a paragon of demotry. And yet they are still arguing cratic virtue. about the high price of energy. It is a 2. Improper Defense spending--The bill direct result of their votes. It is a di- spends over $300 billion. Congress could rect re sult of the policies that they spend tens of billions less and do a far better have pushed through for years. And I job protecting our nation. think it is kind of funny when I hear The bill continues the misguided strategy of people talk about using parliamentary buying weapons that provide us no additional procedural rules to get this into this protection. Buying ever more expensive fighter particular bill. jets. massive naval ships. and a missile deA majority in the House supports fense system provides no additional protection opening up ANWR to responsible en- for our nation. No other nation has fighter jets ergy development. A majority in the or naval ships that can compete with our Air Senate supports opening it up. and yet Force or Navy. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090101803,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The claimed ballistic missile they have used procedural rules for 20 threat is grossly overexaggerated. years to stop it from happening. And Yet. the Army is vastly overused because now. in this particular bill. it happens of our war in Iraq. To reestablish the Army. to be included in this. It is not the way we need to cut back of weapoq spending. In I wanted it. I wanted it in the energy response. recent press reports indicate the bill. but they used procedural rules in Pentagon wants to cut troop levels and rethe Senate to stop it from becoming sources for the troops to ensure we can conpart of the energy bill. not once. not tinue spending on unnecessary weapons systwice. but three times. They have used tems. procedural rules to stop it even though In effect. this funding bill forces our troops a majority supported it in both bodies to fight wars against enemy with the wrong of Congress and continue t6 support weapons. The F22. naval ships. and missile that today. defense cannot defeat insurgents fighting a We need to do something about en- different kind of war. We need a different kind ergy in this country. We need to of Army. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10598}
{"speech_id":1090101851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a lot of euphemisms on the other side. such as the cuts in the rates of growth. suggesting that that is just a neutral act when it takes place. They have cut about $40 billion out of this budget in this package that we are going to vote on in a little while. Twelve billion of that cdmes from student loan accounts. and about $7 billion. 70 percent. almost $8 billion of that. 70 percent of those cuts come off the backs of students and their parents. They increase the cost of college education over the next few years by almost $8 billion. That means that students that are struggling to finish their college education. to acquire a college education so they can participate in this economic system. will have thousands of dollars added on to the cost of the borrowing that they must engage in. They must engage in that because the cost of education is outstripping the ability of middle income families to supply that money for that education for those children. So the Republicans idea is to make college more expensive. At a time when we worry whether we will have enough students graduating from college to meet the needs of the economy. their idea is make it more expensive. Yes. the Democrats do have a better idea. and that is to try to open up the access to college and lessen the cost of college. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090101851,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then. if that is not enough. if that is not enough. if you get to the other part of the program like Medicaid. they say they are going to reduce the cost of increase. Well. that cost of increase is done by increasing the premiums and the copayments to the poorest people in this country. Those premiums and copayments is about $19 billion over 5 years. $100 billion over 10 years. Andif it is not enough that they increase your copayments and .their premiums. then they take away the benefits. They are going to take away eyeglasses from elderly people. hearing aids from elderly people. and if Tiny Tim was here today they plan to take away his crutches. That is the Republicans at Christmastime: Take away the crutches of old people. the hearing aids of old people and eyeglasses. because those are the benefits that are listed and the benefits that they plan to cut to the poorest people who need health care. They are going to add on billions of dollars to the States because of the changes in the work requirements. unfunded mandates. So you can talk about slowing the growth. but the growth and the costs to parents of students going to college. the growth in the costs of people who need health care who are poor. the growth in the cost of people who need those services under health care. all of those increases. NoV. maybe that does not sound like a tax increase to you. but if you are poor and you are trying to *pay for your health care and it costs you more. that kind of looks like a tax increase. If you are going to add on thousands of dollars to5tudent loans. that is a tax increase. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090101851,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we have here is one cruel. one Inhumane. one insensitive budget by the Republican Party.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3014}
{"speech_id":1090101856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I share the gentlemans concern about the budget deficit. That is why I am proud to announce that the deficit is $134 billion less than what was estimated a year ago. thanks to the strength of the economy.. I understand his concern about the ongoing growth of mandatory programs. which is why we have in place a deficit reduction package that helps us to get our arms around the fact that twothirds of the Federal budget will be on auto pilot if we do not act. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to yield 31\/2 minutes to\" my friend from Georgia","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":590}
{"speech_id":1090101876,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me this time and for her eloquent presentation of this rule against this terrible. terrible. as the Congresswoman from Florida said. shameful bill. I want to also pay tribute to Mr. SPRATT of South Carolina. our ranking member on the Budget Committee. as I rise in opposition to this rule and in opposition to this bill. Mr. SPRATT. anybody in our country- who cares about fairness. about opportunity. about responsibility. about community is enormously in your debt for the values budget that you put forth and the great and excellent work that you do on behalf of the American people. Thank you. Mr. SPRATT.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":660}
{"speech_id":1090101906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to say that the negative comments that we have just heard from two previous speakers. while they relate to parts of this conference report. they do not relate to the defense appropriations bill. which is the main vehicle that we are voting on tonight. So I would just hope that Members will understand we are at war. we need to. do a lot for our national security. We need to do a lot for the men and women who provide for that national security and wear our uniform and who go to war. and I just hope that we can give them a strong vote of confidence with a strong vote on this bill.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":666}
{"speech_id":1090101955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I did reference you and I may do it again. but I will not yield yet. He came to this floor. and he said he was ashamed. He was ashamed because of a bank scandal. It wasnt handled very well but there were no tax dollars involved. nobody lost anything and the account at Riggs Bank was never overdrawn. But. -my friends. under his administration over the last 5 years. $1.5 trillion in deficits. Now. let me tell you something. Economic performance. these are facts. This is not Dickens or Chaucer or Shakespeare or anybody else. These are facts from your budget book. Average weekly earnings. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2252}
{"speech_id":1090101955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bush I. minus 1.1 percent. Bush II. minus threetenths of 1 percent. Bill Clinton. plus eighttenths of 1 percent. Median household income. Bush I. minus eighttenths of 1 percent. Bush II. minus ninetenths of 1 percent. Clinton. plus 1.6 percent. Poverty. Bush I. went up 1.8 percent. Bush II it has gone up 1.4 percent. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2252}
{"speech_id":1090101955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clinton. down 3.5 percent. Jobs. you talked about jobs. Bush I. plus2.13 million. Bush II. now about 4 million. Clinton. 21 million new jobs average. Now. let me give you the averages. Bush I. 44.500 per month. Bush II. 34.678 per month. Clinton. 228.464 per month. Real GDP. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2252}
{"speech_id":1090101955,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bush I. up 2.1. Clinton. plus3.6 percent. Bush II. plus2.6 percent. Now. ladies and gentlemen. we like a lot of polls. The Dow Jones. that is sort of a poll on economic security. growth. confidence in our economy. Dow Jones under Bush I. up 46.7 percent. Under Bush II. now it has gone up a little bit the last few days. about 1 percent. from the time he took over to now. Now. listen to this. my friends. This is a poll that counts about people who think our economy is doing well. Up under Clinton. remember it was 46 percent under Bush I. 1 percent under this President. under Bill Clinton. 255 percent increase in those 8 years. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2252}
{"speech_id":1090101955,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So in conclusio*n. my friend. I will tell you that on every statistic. the representations you have made have been wrong. I will tell you the last 2 months. the last 2 months. ladies and gentlemen. the deficit in America went up $130 billion. of deficit spending in just the last 2 months. That is the fiscal management that presents this program on the floor today. America ought to reject it. and we surely should on their behalf.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2252}
{"speech_id":1090101967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the conference report for the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Several months ago. when the Committee on Agriculture was given instructions to find savings within the programs under our jurisdiction. we took the task seriously and reported to the Budget Committee a total package that exceeded our original instructions. We did so without the support of our colleagues from across the aisle and found ourselves in a similar situation when the Deficit Reduction Act was brought to the House Floor several weeks ago. Our efforts to try to gain control of mandatory spending have been politicized and demonized by Members of the other party who claimed that this was the wrong time and the wrong way to rein in mandatory spending. If not now. then when? If we continue to stand by and play the passive observer role. in 10 years mandatory will grow to consume 62 percent of the federal budget. I will also note that throughout this process. we have yet to see a comprehensive proposal from the minority. This bill will not solve all of our problems and it isnt a magic solution. but it is a step in the right direction. It is unrealistic to think we can meet the pressing challenges facing our Nation without reducing federal spending and redirecting priorities. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2235}
{"speech_id":1090101967,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additional costs associated with recent disasters further necessitate the need for budget reform. The Agriculture Committee has worked with our counterparts in the Senate to come up with a compromise that contributes to the deficit reduction while maintaining the interests of American agriculture. Our producers rely on our domestic agriculture policy. The 2002 Farm Bill. provided our producers with a foundation they could base their decisions on through 2007. which is when we will reexamine the Farm Bill for reauthorization. It would be irresponsible to rip the rug but from our producers midway through the Farm Bill and I am pleased that this legislation keeps the policies of the 2002 Farm Bill intact. Mr. Speaker. it is not easy to limit or reduce funding for any program. but it is imperative that Instead of cowering away from the problem. we take a stand and vote yes to reducing the deficit and vote yes to responsible spending.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2235}
{"speech_id":1090102009,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Committee of Conference. Conference report on H.R. 1815. A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the Department of Defense. to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2006. and for other purposes (Rept. 109360). Ordered to be printed.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090102034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. there will be a period of morning business this morning. Over the course of this morning. the House has passed both conference reports. the DOD appropriations conference report and the spending reduction reconciliation report. as well. early this morning. The first DOD appropriations passed 308 to 106 and the spending reconciliation 212 to 206 in the House just a few hours ago. As our colleagues know. we have been waiting for House action on those bills so those bills could be sent to this body. They have now completed their work on DOD appropriations. DOD authorization. and the spending reconciliation bill. all three of which we will be addressing.over the next several days. There has been a tremendous amount of work among and between the House and the Senate and among various interested parties. and now we are on the final stretch before the holiday season. It will be a difficult time to get through the next couple of days because of a lot of tension. but I ask for our colleagues understanding and patience as we go through what will be challenging for us as quickly as possible to address these issues. But all of these will be addressed. plus many others. We will be working over the course of the morning to schedule both conference reports. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2624}
{"speech_id":1090102034,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DOD appropriations and the spending reconciliation conference report. I hope we can schedule Defense authorization. which is another bill we have had on the floor and off the floor and on the floor. and Chairman WARNER has done a tremendous job with that bill: We were hoping to do that several days ago. but the House had not acted on it until this morning. It has now been completed. and we are ready to go to that hopefully this morning. Hopefully here in a few mifnutes we will have a short time agreement. and then I will be working with the Democratic -leader to schedule an appropriate time for that vote. On the deficit reduction conference report. as my colleagues know. we have 10 hours for debate before that vote. We want to start that time as soon as we cap. Every hour we put that off is just an hour later that we will get out of here. We Want to get that time started and that debate started as soon as possible10 hours before we vote on the deficit reduction conference report. A number of other issues are outstanding. In terms of judges. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2624}
{"speech_id":1090102034,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not sure exactly when the next vote will be until we work out the schedule this morning. We will not have any rollcall votes this morning. but I think we have told all of our colleagues that from noon on. we may well be voting. We will just have to alert people in terms of the time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2624}
{"speech_id":1090102050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator indicated we passed this provision before. and we had not. And if the Senator is not breaking the rules. why does. he need to create language that explicitly reinstates the rule? He cant have it both wayshave .language that says the rule doesnt apply in this instance but will go right back into effect. It clearl:t is breaking the rule. and the Senator is trying to set a precedent for all this. The aviation bill from the midninetiesI remember that onethey didnt have the votes to put in this special interest provision for Federal Express business. It is something that never passed any committee in the whole Congress. Yes. they violated the rules and abused the rules to get that one done. too. I wouldnt use that as a precedent. It is merely a precedent of the abuse that is occurring here.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":808}
{"speech_id":1090102068,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"quoted in yesterdays Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner. Senator STEVENS said: If the Senate filibuster stops the Defense bill. the legislation will be quickly modified and passed. There is no impact on military finances. If we lose. the distinguished Senator went on to say. we will reconstitute the conference and ANWR will be out. That is the point. I appreciate the honesty of the interview with my friend from Alaska with this newspaper because that is the way it is. If we prevail. that is. those who oppose this being in the bill. on the point of order which will likely be on Wednesday. then the Defense bill -oges forward. No one voting on this point of order will stop the Defense bill. No one voting for cloture will stop the Defense bill. This bill will goforward. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1440}
{"speech_id":1090102068,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is a continuing resolution that takes us to the end of the year. and we need not get that far. If. in fact. we have a majority of the Senators who vote on this point of order and it prevails. then the bill will go forward. jtist as the Senator from Alaska said yesterday in the Fairbanks newspaper. So I would hope that there would come a timewe could go home today. We could be finished today. The Senator from Alaska knows he has the votes to do what he did on reconciliation again. As soon as the new session of this Congress convenes. we could take this out and goodwill would prevail. We would go home tonight. and we would be home 4 or 5 days before Christmas.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1440}
{"speech_id":1090102071,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I agree. I agree tvith the statement the Senator read. I think that is true. I am not accusing anyone of delay. I would be happy to have a time agreement on the conference report. and I would be happy to have a time agreement (in any type of point of order or motion to be raised on the conference report. I will be glad to havea vote on the conference report by voice. vote if it passes. I am anxious to let people get home. I will behappy to get time agreements. and I do believe if we lose we can go back to conference and protect the Department of Defense. I am not accusing anyone of harming the Department of Defense. I am urging people to think about national defense. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":730}
{"speech_id":1090102071,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Would the Senator agree to any type of time agreement?","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":730}
{"speech_id":1090102081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. my colleague from the State of Washington just discussed an issue that is going to be a recontested issue this week. that is. drilling in ANWR and an amendment that allows the drilling in ANWR in Alaska attached to the DOD appropriations bill. I was a member of the conference committee that met yesterday starting at noon. I believe we finished close to 5 oclock yesterday afternoon. We had a pretty aggressive and contentious discussion about this issue. I just want to say that while I believe we need to produce more energy. I supported the Energy bill. I was a member. of the Energy. Committee and am proud to support the Energy bill. It does mean that we need to produce more oil. coal. and natural gas. produce more renewable forms. of energy. move toward a different energy construct. such as hydro and fuel cells. have more efficiency and conservation. I support all of that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4338}
{"speech_id":1090102081,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I said then. and I believe now that opening the most pristine area of our country that has been set aside ought to be a last resort. not a first resort. Deciding to open that now and getting oil from it 10 years from now makes precious little sense to me especially when there are alternatives. But even more importantly. adding this controversial issue to the Defense appropriations oonference report that i$ going to come to the Senate really makes no sense at all. It adds a very controversial provision to a bill that basically is to fund the actions of the Defense Department and support our troops. I do not. for the life of me. understand why this is being done. In order for this to be accomplished. there will have to be a debate in this Chamber. When the conference report comes to the floor of the Senate. which I assume is going to be Wednesday. the debate will ensue. and those who oppose adding this unrelated. extraneous. highly controversial issue to the Defense appropriations bill will make a point of order that it violates the rules of the Senate. and it does. There is no question about that. This is violative of rule XXVIII of the Senate. My guess is. from what I hear. the proponents of doing this will then. after the Parliamentarian and the Chair would rule that this violates rule XXVIII of the Senate. ask that the ruling be overturned and have a vote on appealing the ruling of the. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4338}
{"speech_id":1090102081,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairin effect. changing the rules of the Senate in the middle in order to accomplish doing something that otherwise would violate the rules of the Senate. Well. they are going to do that the Wednesday before Christmas. do it on a Defense appropriations bill. I. for the life of me. do not understand how they think that is justifiable. But as I indicated. it will be controversial and difficult this week as we go through this. One of my cQlleagues who is pursuing this says he has a right to pursue it. Right. indeed. he does. He has a right to pursue it. but it will require. in my judgment. the violation of the rules of the Senate. and therefore the changing of the rules of the Senate in the middle of this process. Doing it not only upholds his right but violates the rights of others in the Senate. in my judgment. It abrogates other rights that exist in the Senate. * I know this is all inside baseball to a lot of people. and foreign language to people if they do not understand the rules of the Senate. but rules are rules. There are rules established for the way the Senate works for a verygood purpose. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4338}
{"speech_id":1090102081,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If. in this circumstance. we decide that in this conference we can take anything. totally unrelated. anything. and stick it on this conference report. bring it to the well of the Senate in a way that is violative of the rules. but then simply by majority vote decide to appeal the ruling of the Chair. it violates the rules and changes the rules and changes them back in a minute. There is kind of an arrogance there that. in my judgment. does not befit the Senate. We will have that discussion at some point later. I wanted to say that I also was a member of the conference yesterday in which we discussed the issue of Katrina relief. that is. relief for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that hit the gulf coast. I said the Senator from Mississippi. Mr. COCHRAN. who comes from that region and who has pushed very hard to represent the gulf region in a very substantial way has been successful in doing that.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4338}
{"speech_id":1090102126,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My point was. if there had been a vote which had invoked cloture so that we could.have completed the business of the PATRIOT Act. we would have a vote on final passage of the PATRIOT Act. and it would have been put into law because a majority of Members were for it. So since the Democratic leader basically led the opposition to cloture. therefore led the opposition to the ability to get to a final vote on the PATRIOT Act. it does seem to me that you are a little bit in the position.right now like the person about 50 years ago in New Hampshire who shot his parents and then. when he was brought before the court on the murder charge. threw himself on the mercy of the court because he claimed he was an orphan. Are you an orphan?","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":734}
{"speech_id":1090102157,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me answer that question. and I will be happy to yield again. I dont believe the Senator heard me use the words \"radical position.\" I have not contended anything is a radical position. What I have said is it would not work. We do want something that will work to protect the American people.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":294}
{"speech_id":1090102174,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to again commend the Senator for reminding the Senate of the substance of the issue. The substance of the issue is that Americans are quite concerned they are going to lose their civil liberties. They certainly want the Government of the United States to in fact prosecute the war Against terrorists. but they dont want our society. because of our protection of civil liberties. to change into some other kind of society. Would the Senator agree that is the substantial majority opinion in this country. to protect our civil liberties?","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":542}
{"speech_id":1090102183,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this resumes our discussion of the PATRIOT Act. which we were discussing before this little interlude. Since much of the attention has been focused on section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. I want to discuss that for a little bit. The Senator from Illinois. for example. was talking about that just before we broke and. specifically. talked about the subject of section 215. which includes financial records. library records. Incidentally. \"library\" is never mentioned in the PATRIOT Act. It is just that library records are included in the general definition of business records. As a result. people have focused on that. So we are going to talk about thatfor just a little bit. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11498}
{"speech_id":1090102183,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As he pointed out. the standard for a court to issue a warrant is relevance. That is the same standard that is used in all the other civil subpoenas. It is a standard that the courts had begun to impose since we did not have a standard within the law itself. Given the fact that is the standard the courts began to imposeand it is a reasonable standardwe amended that into the law. Part of what passed the Senate unanimously was a relevance standard. So there is nothing wrong with having a relevance standard. I would think those who are weary of tliQ application 6f the PATRIOT. Act would agree this was a good addition. It is an additional safeguard to have a relevant standard. What exactly is section 215? That is what I would like to address. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11498}
{"speech_id":1090102183,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What it allows is for the FBI to seek an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court for the production of tangible thingsthat is the definitionincluding books. records. papers. documents. -and other items for an investigation to obtain foreign intelligence information. That is the key. You are before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court. and you are asking for information that pertains to an investigation of foreign intelligence information. That is further defined in the act as information relating to foreign espionage. foreign sabotage or international terrorism. It is impossible to get from the courttalking about getting an order from a judgeanything that isnt relevant to foreign espionage. foreign sabotage or international terrorism. All of this concern about wanting to find out what kind of books you checked out from the library is simply wrong. Anybody who talks about it in those terms and knows what I have said cannot be serious about objecting to section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. Lets put it in context. There are 335 administrative subpoenas authorized for our Government. For example. if you are suspected of Medicare fraud. the Department of Health and Human Services has to issue an administrative subpoena to get information relating to whether you might be guilty of Medicare fraud. such as your business records or somebody elses business records that would perhaps go to proving that case. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11498}
{"speech_id":1090102183,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Or perhaps bank fraud. you could get the bank records that might pertain to that. In none of these other 335 Oases is it necessary to go to a court first. There is only one exception. Under the PATRIOT Act. you are required to go to the FISA Court in order to get a Subpoena with respect to terrorism. One would think that given the seriousness of terrorism and sometimes the emergency nature of it. it would be easier to get a subpoena dealing with terrorism than it would Medicare fraud or. bank fraud. That is not the case. We care so much about civil liberties. we added this requirement that you have to go to court first in order to get the subpoena. This is not a search wartant. This is a subpoena. It is merely a request for information. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11498}
{"speech_id":1090102183,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unlike -a warrant. a subpoena does not allow the Government to enter someones home or business or property to take things. It is -only a request. If the recipient objects to it. the Government has to go to court and defend the subpoena and seek an order for its enforcement. That. too. is where I disagree with my friend from Illinois. There is an ability to say. no. we will not submit the records. in which case the Government has to prove them in court. Most Government agencies already have the authority to issue subpoenas. and there are 335 of them in the code. It is interesting. If Mohamed Atta were suspected of Medicare fraud. then the Department of Health and Human Services could get a subpoena into business records that might demonstrate whether he is connected with that Medicare fraud. It seems to me to be a little bit incongruous not to allow the Department of Justice to go to the FISA Court and ask for a subpoena in the event that they suspect him of terrorism. especially when we have added the other protections in here that the conference report has addedthe relevancy standard and an additional threepart test that makes it clear that it has to relate to foreign espionage or terrorism. Some people say: The section 215 subpoena is a little different because these other subpoenas relate to regulated industries. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11498}
{"speech_id":1090102187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I listened carefully. as others have. to the distinguished Senator from Arizona. I guess we certainly all agree with his last statement about dealing with the evil of terrorism. We are all united in that effort. and all of us are pledged to do so according to the resolution we passed in the aftermath of 9\/11. giving the President extraordinary power and authority to respond to those attacks. We are united in our efforts to deal with terrorism. What we are not evidently as united on is our efforts to protect the Constitution of the United States of America. to protect the rights of individual Americans. On that there is a division between the House and the Senate. I remind my colleague from Arizona. I think it was a couple of hours ago when he -was talking about this subject.that he talked about how we dont want to see the PATRIOT Act further degraded. in other words. somehow implying that if we go back to what we ..passed in the Senate unanimously. we would somehow be degrading the PATRIOT Act. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11044}
{"speech_id":1090102187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We were admonished not to \"hide behind the filibuster.\" that somehow people are hiding behind the filibuster which is the same thing as voting against the PATRIOT Act. With all due respect. I never heard a more absurd or insulting arglument to the rules of the Senate and to the nature of the Senate. In the 21 years I have been here. I have seen Jesse Helms and countless others stand up on the other side. in the minority or otherwise. and employ the rules of the Senate which allow the Senate to take a little bit longer to consider issues. That is always what has separated us from the House and. indeed. which has provided a measure of safety with respect to the legislation we pass for the country. The fact is that what he has termed degrading the PATRIOT Act for many of us is protecting the PATRIOT Act. protecting the Constitution. protecting the country. protecting individual citizens. The fact is the Senate unanimously passed a PATRIOT Act that went over to the House with adequate. bettef protections for the citizens of our country. Let me be more specific about that for a minute. if I may. and I didnt intend to speak about the PATRIOT Act. I intended to talk about this morass we find ourselves in with respect to the Defense appropriations bill and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. and I will talk about that in a minute. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11044}
{"speech_id":1090102187,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I want to talk about the PATRIOT Act for a minute. Every single one of us in the Senate joined together a few months agoin July. I think. preciselyto unanimously allow the PATRIOT Act to be passed. We supported the PATRIOT Act. and we supported it because we know we need to give the President the tools to fight terror and itwould be irresponsible not to do certain things in the current. threat we face to respond appropriately. But we also have an obligation to protect the privacy rights of Americans. Americans all across this country increasingly are concerned about medical records that find their way into the public sector. financial records that are lost. banking records that turn up in public. about the theft of identity. Social Security numbers that are stolen. The constant invasion on the privacy of Americans is something that ought to concern all of us. and there ought to be a balance as we fight terror. : Sure. we all want to take the maximum steps possible in order to prevent another act of terrorism. Who here in their right mind isnt going to do what is reasonable to prevent another 9\/11? This is almost an absurd argument. It is the traditional sort of lets create a wedge. drive a big wedge between the American people and pretend to the American people the argument is about something that it isnt. pretend to the American people that everybody from this line in the United States over doesnt care about the security of our country and pretend that the only people who do are over there. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11044}
{"speech_id":1090102187,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is ridiculous on its face. It is an insult to the American people. We ought to be doing everything in our power to guarantee we dont engage in those kinds of silly arguments. particularly when we are stuck here 5 days before Christmas Eve struggling over reasonableness and then we have a whole bunch of unreasonably. classically political wedgedriving issues. If the same PATRIOT bill was on the floor today that we sent off the floor. every Senator would vote for it. But it is not. and we are being told that somehow we have to rush to judgment and give away rights a lot of people here think are important and worth fighting for because the House insists they have a couple of provisions that were not in our bill. Look at those provisions. The fact is the 215 section the Senator from Arizona was talking abouthere is what it allows. It allows the Government to obtain library. medical. gun records. and other sensitive personal information on a mere showing that those records are relevant to an authorized intelligence investigation. That is it. That is all it requires. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11044}
{"speech_id":1090102187,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the Senate bill. we passed an additional test. We said it has to be relevant. but in addition to being relevant we specifically put in the word \"and.\" It has to be relevant. and one of the three following things has to be shown: It has to pertain to a foreign power or agent of a foreign power. it has to be relevant to the activities of a suspected agent of a foreign power. or it has to be pertinent to a particular effort that is taken against a foreign power. Those are the three tests which we added to the relevancy test. We did that specifically because we thought we ought to protect the rights of Americans. The fact is that requiring it to be pertaining to an individual who is in contact with a foreign government is a specific test that requires either to go further than mere relevancy. It requires the Government to have a cause that is legitimate to be able to go in and invade those kinds of rights. Every Member of the Senate decided that was a worthy test and. unfortunately. that test was dropped. So that small change will actually allow the potential invasion of the privacy of American citizens who may have no connection at all to a suspected terrorist or spy. We think that is an important restriction. That is what we are fighting about. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11044}
{"speech_id":1090102194,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my friend from Alabama. On many issues. we are together. and that is as it should be. On other issues. we. perhaps. do not agree. But I alwaysI alwayshold his opinions in great respect. great respect. I admire him. And I admire the heritage he brings to us from that great State of Alabama. I thank him always for his service.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090102249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator is exactly correct. The President told us there was no concern about the possibility of budget deficits. In fact. the Senator may recall this chart provided by the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget of the President that said this was the range of possible outcomes going forward with the fiscal affairs of the country. They adopted the midpoint of this range of possible outcomes showing very dramatic surpluses. all above the line. dramatic surpluses throughoiit this entire period coming to 2005. Look what actually happened. At that time. the worse case- scenario was this bottom line. We can see for the most part it was all in surplus territory. This is what they said was the best case scenario. They adopted the middle of the range of possible outcomes. I can remember very well our Republican friends saying to me: Dont you understand. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090102249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator. it .will be way above this midrange because the tax cuts will generate greater economic activity and more revenue. Now we can look back and test that theory and \"see what happened in the real world.. Here is what happened in the real world: This red line. it is far below the worst case estimate of what might happen. In fact. it represents massive deficits. the biggest in our history. That is what really happened. Then the President said the next year. in the State of the Union Address: ... Our budget will run a deficit that will be small and shortterm... That was after saying there would not be any deficits. That proved to be wrong.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090102263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to tell the Senator one story. I was in a shopping center over the weekend. and Isaw a bumper sticker on a car. The bumper sticker said:. \"Mr. Bush. we will be forever in your debt.\" Just then. the person whose car that was came along. and I said to them: What was it you were thinking about that the President has done when you say we are going to be forever in his debt? I thought it was for something he had done. The person said: Think about it. I meant exactly what it says. Mr. Bush. we are going to be forever in your debt. Here is the debt. which the Senator from North Dakota is pointing out. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":890}
{"speech_id":1090102263,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the person is right. We are going to be forever in this debt. This is what is being handed to this generation. the next generation. and the generation after that. As the Senator pointed out in the previous chart. they have doubled the debt over this very short time period.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":890}
{"speech_id":1090102337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask -unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet in open Executive Session during the session on Monday. December 19. 2005. immediately following the next vote on the Senate Floor. in the Presidents Room. S216 of the Capitol. to consider favorably reporting the nomination of Vincent J. Ventimiglia. Jr.. to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Legislation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Washington. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":481}
{"speech_id":1090102388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. a couple of things. First. we do not want to delay any votes that will delay when we finally are able to depart. Within the next 48 hours we will have a number of votes. We will work on scheduling so we can let people know with certainty. I have told our people to be around and ready to vote when we decide. I dont want Members staying in New Jersey. New York. California. or Texas waiting for us to give a final time. We need to have people accessible and ready to get back. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":635}
{"speech_id":1090102388,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Having said that. lets try to consolidatethese votes at a time where people can come back. can be here. and we vote all at once or in a series.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":635}
{"speech_id":1090102437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you are concerned about children. the childrens groups are strongly opposed to this. If you are concerned about education. virtually the whole education community is strongly opposed to it. If you care about those in poverty and the problems our needy families face. all those groups that combat poverty are strongly opposed to it. I hope my colleagues will look at what is in this report. listen to the grave concerns of all of these organizations. and join me in strongly opposing this legislation. I hope my colleagues will stand up for the American family and vote against this conference report.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":603}
{"speech_id":1090102522,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are on the Budget Reconciliation Act. But people have come to the floor. as is their right. to discuss other issues: Now we have gotten into a discussion of the PATRIOT Act. I have great respect for the chairman of the Budget Committee. but I must say on this issue I profoundly disagree. The Senator from New Hampshire says there is a majority in the Senate who support the PATRIOT Act provisions that have come back from conference committee. That is true. It is also true that darlier this year on a unanimous vote the Senate version of the PATRIOT Act was approved. The House had very different provisions. and when the conference between the House and the Senate was concluded. they came back with PATRIOT Act provisions that could not command the votes necessary to pass the PATRIOT Act. That is a fact. There are not sufficient votes to pass the version of the PATRIOT Act that came back from the conference between the House and the Senate. and on a bipartisan basisthere were those who supported that version of the PATRIOT Act and on a bipartisan basis there were votes against that version of the PATRIOT Act.. So lets be very clear. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3501}
{"speech_id":1090102522,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now we may face a circumstance in which the PATRIOT Act \"would fail. would not be extended. It is still alive today. It is alive until the 31st of this month. so all the talk that we killed the PATRIOT Actno. the PATRIOT Act has not been killed. The PATRIOT Act is still in force. If we cannot reach agreement on something to make permanent. for goodness sake. in the Nations security interest we should be . able to agree on a time of extension. The Senator from Michigan has offered 3 months. The Senator from New York. Senator SCHUMER. earlier offered 3 months. The Senator from New Hampshire has talked about a year. I dont know which is exactly right. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3501}
{"speech_id":1090102522,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I frankly think 3 months may be too little. I think a year may be too long because w6 do want to keep pressuring our colleagues to actually reach agreement on something that might be more long lasting. But the one. thing on which we should all agree. since every single one of us voted on the PATRIOT Act provisions that passed the Senate back in Julythe one .thing on which we should absolutely be able to agree is we do not allow the PATRIOT Act to lapse. That is one thing in this Chamber. deeply divided. that we certainly should be able to agree on. I hope before this week is ended we have found a way to extend the PATRIOT Act for some amount of time. Lets be clear. There are not the votes sufficient to pass the version of the PATRIOT Act that came back from the House. That is clear. It is also clear that earlier this year this body. on a unanimous vote. approved the Senate version of the PATRIOT Act and that every single Member of this body now wants some version of the PATRIOT Act to go forward. The details have not yet been agreed to. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3501}
{"speech_id":1090102522,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So there is an opportunity in these.final hours to either get the PATRIOT Act in a fashion that can command sufficient votes to pass or that we extend the PATRIOT Act for some period of time so this Nation remains protected. I hope very much the cooler heads are going to prevail here and that we are going to find a way to keep the PATRIOT Act in forcemodified. to be certain. that is what happens. in the legislative process. None of us quite gets all he wants. But we should not be in a circumstance in which it is allowed to lapse completely. With that. Senator STEVENS is waiting to speak. We are ready to turn to the Senator from Alaska.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3501}
{"speech_id":1090102550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. since the New York Times revealed the existence of a classified program whereby the National Security Agency was conducting intelligence operations on alQaida and terroristrelated operatives here in the United States and overseas. there has been a lot of reaction to that revelation. First of all. we know the New York Times had been sitting on that story for approximately a year. and then for some unstated reason decided to release the story the day we were supposed to vote on the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. As a result of a variety of circumstances. but I believe in part that story. we find ourselves in the very strange position of not having reauthorized the PATRIOT Act and having the PATRIOT Act expire16 provisions of it at leaston December 31. 2005. There are some who said when they heard -about the National Security Agencys surveillance of foreign terrorist suspects that this was an illegal usurpation of congressional authority by the President. or otherwise improper. Others have asked questions about the propriety of the program. Frankly. I do think there has been more heat than light generated on this subject. and what I would like to do is spend a few minutes sharing with my colleagues some of the research I have been dble to do over the past few days to try to understand exactly what the Presidents authority is and what procedures apply to the collection of signals intelligence. telephone communications between terrorist suspects in America and abroad. The fact is that previous Presidents have also argued that they had authority that the President of the United States claims to have under the provisions of the Constitution. In fact. in 1981. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12391}
{"speech_id":1090102550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Ronald Reagan signed Executive order 12333. which provided for warrantless searches directed against a foreign power or agent of a foreign power. That was in 1981. So it perhaps should be no surprise the President who immediately preceded the current President. President Bill Clinton. his administration. also argued specifically in testimony provided by Jamie Gorelick. Deputy Attorney General. on July 14. 1994. before the Intelligence Committees. that .the Clinton administration believes and the case law supports that the President has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searche for foreign intelligence purposes and that the President may. as has been done. delegate this authority to the Attorney General. * So we see there is historical precedent for the argument made by President Bush. our current President. that Presidents have some authority to act even without employing the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to protect American lives and to save us against the designs of terrorists who would kill innocent American citizens. It also appears that the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken on a related issue that could be interpreted toconfer authority on the President of the United States. My colleagues recall that in 2001. after the terrorist attacks that occurred in Washington and in New York City and which was thwarted in the fields of Pennsylvania. this body passed a useofforce resolution authorizing approval of the President and the executive branchs use of force to combat and win the global war on terrorism. We recall that not too long ago. when trying to determine the extent to which the Presidents powers extended. the United States Supreme Court decided a case called Hamdi v. Rumsfeld. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12391}
{"speech_id":1090102550,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This involved Yaser Hamdi. who was being held as an 6hemy combatant. and claimed that his detention violated 18 U.S.C. 4001. Section 4001(a) states that \"[n}o citizen shall be imprisoned or otherwise detained by the United States except pursuant to an Act of Congress.\" This is analogous to the Foreign In-. telligence Surveillance Act. which claims that it is the exclusive method by which foreign intelligence may be obtained by use of signals intelligence. Justice OConnors plurality opinion. joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist. Justice Kennedy. and Justice Breyer. concluded that the useofforce resolution was \"an act of Congress\" that authorized Hamdis detention. notWithstanding the argument that it violated 18 U.S.C. 4001. Her rationale. as I understand the opinion. was that because the detention was meant to prevent a combatants return to the battlefield. it was a fundamental incident of waging war in permitting the use of necessary and appropriate force. Justice OConnor. in the plurality opinion. concluded that Congress had clearly and unmistakably authorized detention in the narrow circumstances considered here. Thus. the question seems to me to be. by analogy. whether this useofforce resolution. which authorizes American troops and our military to search out and to detain and. if necessary. to kill terrorists before they come to our shores and kill usthe question is. is the intelligence gathered by the use of this surveillance a fundamental incident ofwaging thewar on terror? And it strikes me that it is. . Inherent in waging war is obtaining actionable intelligence from our enemy or on our enemy. Certainly. I would believe. under the rationale in the Hamdi v. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12391}
{"speech_id":1090102550,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rumsfeld case. that this would be a fundamental incident in waging the war on terror and one authorized by the useofforce resolution in 2001. So we see that President Clinton believed. as did President Reagan. that the President had authority. even outside of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. but another arguable basis of that authority is the resolution that Congress itself passed in 2001. Now. there is one other authority that I think bears on this issue that is important. When the Congress created the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978. it created a special court to consider ex partethat is. \"without the benefit of the other side being there\"-applications for orders to get electronic surveillance. Nov. people have thought: Well. this must be similar to other courts. But the truth is. it is not an adversarial process because we do not let our enemies know we are going to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to get an order so we can find out what they are. doing. But. nevertheless. Congress did create this. what we call a court. for the purpose of considering those applications. But mor6 to the point. the Congress also created an appeals court called the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12391}
{"speech_id":1090102550,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Now. granted. most of the time the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court operates in secret and does so for the obvious reasons that -these are classified operations. We cannot let our enemies know what we know. so we can discover their attempts to hurt innocent American civilians. The Congress understands. and certainly the Intelligence Committees and all the Members of Congress understand. that most. if not all. of this has to operate in confidential or classified circumstances. But in November of 2002. the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Reviewthis appellate court created by Congress under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Actactually issued a public opinion. which was extraordinary. It is the first time since the creation of FISA. the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. that an appeal was actually brought and that the court. actually issued a written opinion. Now. notwithstanding the fact that there is not an adversarial processagain. it is a onesided process by the Government seeking permission from the judges to conduct this important surveillance against foreign agents and international terroristsnotwithstanding that fact. the court invited the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to submit briefs so they might consider their decision with the additional input of these organizations that. by their nature. would argue perhaps rmore limited approach to Government power. Well. all of that I say to point out that in the absence of a controlling U.S. Supreme Court decisionand I mentioned the Hamdi case which is ap-. plicable by analogy to this situation when it comes to the authorization of the use of forcein the absence of a controlling decision on the Presidents inherent power to conduct these operations through a warrantless surveillance. the court created by Congress to be the authoritative decisionmaker of these matters. in 2002. said. on page 48 of this opinion: We take for granted that the President does have that Authority [that is. to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information] and. assuming that is so. FISA could not encroach on the Presidents constitutional power. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12391}
{"speech_id":1090102561,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me say my colleague from New Hampshire. while interesting and articulate. stops a couple of pages short of good research. First. my colleague talks at length about the WTO. I am not sure which direction we would be required to bow to the WTO. Is it the east or the west? The WTO. of course. does not run or manage American public policy and trade. But I do want to say this with respect to the Byrd law. My colleague said \"just a few companies\" benefit from it. The fact is. well over 700 companies benefit from it. So. when one talks about misrepresentation. I will ascribe that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":622}
{"speech_id":1090102561,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I guess. to a mistake.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":622}
{"speech_id":1090102648,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we debate the very important issue of deficit reduction. I want to take a few minutes todiscuss a provision included in the Deficit Reduction Act. It is an issue of great importance and one that many Senators have been working on for more than 3 years. the reauthorization of TANF. the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. As a freshman Member of the House. I introduced the welfare reform legislation that subsequently became the basis for the historic bipartisan welfare reform bill. the Personal Responsibility Act of 1996. Since that time I have viewed welfare reform as a priority issue. an issue of great significance to millions of Americans. Welfare reform has been one of the most successful social policy reforms in U.S. history. The 1996 welfare reform legislation made remarkable headway in helping welfare dependents move toward selfsufficiency. It dramatically reduced State welfare caseloads and child poverty. and it increased welfare recipient employment. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5469}
{"speech_id":1090102648,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Welfare reform is based on the understanding that the two best antipoverty programs are work and marriage. The old welfare system seduced millions of people into poverty by offering assistance on the condition that they not get a job. not get married. and have children anyway. It measured success by how many people it was able to get on welfare. The new system measures success by how many people get off welfare. or never have to go on welfare. The welfare reform bill has been an astounding success. Since 1996. cash welfare caseloads have fallen by more than 50 percent nationwide. The caseload in the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. AFDC. now TANF. has fallen from 4.3 million families in August 1996 to fewer than 2 million in March 2005. States have overhauled their welfare programs to stress work. as required by the reform. and as a result the percentage of working welfare recipients has more than doubled since 1996. The poorest 20 percent of single mother families reported a 67 percent increase in their earnings between 1995 and 2002. after adjusting for inflation. and the next quintile of single mothers saw their average earnings grow by more than $4.000 between 1995 and 2002. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5469}
{"speech_id":1090102648,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Urbw Institute reported earlier this year that single mothers real wages continued to increase during the 20002004 period despite the 2001 recession and terrorist attacks. It is better from every perspective for able bodied people to bring home a paycheck rather than a welfare check. If we fail to pass welfare reauthorization and are forced to extend the 1996 law for the 12th time. millions of families. will remain on the welfare rolls rather than engaged in productive and selfsufficient jobs. Because most States have met the targets of the 1996 law. they now have no incentive to extend the benefits of work to able bodied people still on the rolls. This reauthorization increases the effective welfare work rate target from zero percent to 50 percent in fiscal year 2007 through fiscal year 2010. It achieves this by rebasing the caseload reduction credit to provide credit only for future caseload declines. The reauthorization also contains important provisions encouraging health marriages. Marriage is the cornerstone of the family. The decline of marriage since the 1960s has been accompanied by a rise in a number of serious social problems. Children born outofwedlock are more likely to experience poverty. abuse. and behavioral and emotional problems..to have lower academic achievement. and to use drugs more often. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5469}
{"speech_id":1090102648,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Single mother are -much more likely to be victims of domestic violence. On the other hand. children whose parents choose marriage. and learn how to form and sustain healthy marriages. are less likely to be depressed. repeat a grade in school. and have fewer developmental problems. Not only are healthy mar\"riages good for. the family. they are good for society and our economy. Sjupporting healthy marriage is essential to continuing the success of the original welfare .reform. This reauthorization provides $500 million for healthy marriage promotion over the next 5 years. These dollars will be used to fund communitybased programs to counsel young women about the benefits of healthy marriage and help them and their childrens father build relationship. parenting and communications skills. This program will not just seek to increase marriage rates among target couples. but also will provide ongoing support to help atrisk couples maintain healthy marriages over time and reduce the likelihood of divorce. Although the welfare reauthorization included in the Deficit Reduction Act does not include every provision I had hoped would be included in the reauthorization of the 1996 law. it has a number of important provisions. Welfare reauthorization has been a long time coming. We are rapidly approaching the end of the eleventh extension to the welfare bill on December 31. 2005. and will need to pass a twelfth extension before we leave for the year if we fail to pass the Deficit Reduction Act. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5469}
{"speech_id":1090102648,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This reauthorization contains many of the provisions I included in S. 105. the sonal Responsibility. Work. and Family Promotion Act of 2005. Most importantly it strengthens the work and marriage provisions. the two best antipoverty programs. I hope my colleagues will support this measure .which will. provide many Americans with the resources they need to go from welfare dependency to selfsufficiency.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5469}
{"speech_id":1090102732,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is not what I am seeking to do. I am seeking to do what we have done repeatedly here. I dont understand why all of sudden this is a difficult thing. We have done this repeatedly. When the last speaker is concluded. that if they ask to go into a quorum call. the quorum call be equally charged. We have done this repeatedly. and this is important to our understanding. so we have to get this right. We have done this repeatedly throughout the afternoon.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":457}
{"speech_id":1090102770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The TimesTribune of Scranton. PA. said: ... the prospect of a pandemic is being used by Congress to pander to the pharmaceutical industry. And: Congreps should not use legitimate concerns about a flu epidemic as a wedge to protect the manufacturers from liability. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":322}
{"speech_id":1090102771,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Several other articles that I will go through include the Roanoke Times. that this legislation is in pursuit of secrecy around this issue. The Orlando Sentinel: Drug firms dont deserve virtually unlimited protection against vaccines lawsuits that would shield manufacturers. The Raleigh. NC newspaper: Wrong way immunity. One more. the Las Vegas Sun. titled \"Vaccines and accountability: Bushs proposal to shield avianflu vaccine makers from liability invites health problems.\" I ask\" unanimous consent to have those printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":539}
{"speech_id":1090102791,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there are many provisions within this reconciliation conference report that are deeply troubling to me. but at this point. I want to focus my concerns on provisions that undermine the historic 1996 welfare reform bill. That bill changed the old broken welfare system into a new program -that encouraged people to work their way into selfsufficiency. In 1996. I was an active participant in the controversial but.bipartisan negotiations to boldly change our outdated welfare system. known then as the Aid to Families with Dependent Children. AFDC. Under the old rules. parents were discouraged and penalized from trying to work. In 1996. after contentious but full bipartisan debate by the House and Senate. we passed a bold new program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. TANF. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6730}
{"speech_id":1090102791,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The new rules encouraged and required parents to move from welfare to work. but there were incentives to help parents. and billions of new dollars in childcare so parents could work with the knowledge that their child had childcare. Such supports are essential so that parents can make a successful transition. The historic reform of 1996 also made changes in the child support enforcement programs. and further enhancements were made in 1998 to improve child support enforcement. While progress has been made on both programs. the child support enforcement has been a real success story. In 1996. child support enforcement collected $12 billion. Thanks to the changes in welfare reform. child support enforcement is now collecting $21.9 billion. In the Presidents fiscal year 2006 budget. the Office of Management and Budget. OMB. rated the Federal child support enforcement programs among the highest. most efficient programs in all of the Federal Government. . Despite this record of success. the reconciliation conference cuts child support enforcement by $1.5 -billion over the next 5 years and a $4!9 billion cut over the next 10 years. These cuts are outrageous because States use this funding to track down absent parents. establish legally enforceable child support orders. and collect and distribute child support owed to families. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6730}
{"speech_id":1090102791,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CBO has estimated that this loss in Federal child support funding will result in $2.9 billion in child support going uncollected over the next 5 years and $8.4 billion going uncollected over the next 10 years. The reality is that children and families will be shortchanged. How. in any way. does this lack of investment promote personal responsibility? The answer is that it does notin fact. this provision actually undermines past reforms. I want to express my appreciation to Chairman GRASSLEY for his effort in forging a bipartisan welfare reform reauthorization bill during recent de-. bates. In March. the Senate Finance Committee secured such consensus that it was able to move the TANF reauthorization package on a voice vote. On December 14. the Senate voted 64 to 27 on a motion by Senator CARPER not to include TANF in reconciliation. This amendment was a clear sense of the Senate about the importance of investing in childcare as an essential support for families making the transition from welfare to work. Despite this bipartisan discussion in the Senate. the welfare reform authorization has been sandwiched into a massive reconciliation conference report that we have been given only 10 hours to debate. We have 10 hours to debate on a whole host of issues. many of which. including welfare reforms. have serious problems that were not part of the original Senate bill. Previous Republican proposals were designed to pressure the States to have at least 50 percent of their TANF families in work activities. but. under these earlier discussions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6730}
{"speech_id":1090102791,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States would have 5 years to achieve these new. tougher standards. The reconciliation package that we are forced to vote on now would impose this new. tougher participation rate by 2007. And it gets even worse. Under the conference report. the Department of Health and Human Services will issue new regulations to redefine work activities and how States will be required to verify the hours and activities to avoid serious financial penalties. These new. regulations will be issued- in June of 2006. just a few months before new. tougher standards are imposed. Adding insult to injury. very little childcare money is providedonly $1 billion over 5 years. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the cost to States of this new bill would be $8.4 billion over the next 5 years. which is slightly more than the cost would have been under the House reconciliation bill. CBO projects that some States would not meet the new mandates and would face fiscal penalties as a consequence. This is not fair because it essentially sets up States to fail. It will not promote work. and selfsufficiency among welfare parents. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6730}
{"speech_id":1090102791,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will encourage States to push families off the welfare rolls. West Virginia currently has a 27 percent participation rate. Under these new rules. it would have to reach 50 -percent in 2007. and State officials do -not even know. at this point. what the rules will be. In my own State of West Virginia. Gov. Joe Manchin has said. \"The proposed Federal finding cuts in TANF will greatly impact the families and children who depend upon the childcare. transportation assistance and welfaretowork transitional periods. I urge Congress and the President to reconsider this action. We cannot lose sight of the fact that the individuals affected are those who are the neediest.\" I wholeheartedly agree with West Virginia Governor Manchin. In addition to policy concerns raised by this conference report. the process has been equally unfair. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6730}
{"speech_id":1090102801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reserving the right to object. I direct these remarks as much to myself as to all other Senators. Tomorrow is an extremely important and very difficult day. I ask all Senators to be patient. not be upset if things dont go the way they think they should. It is going to be a hard day tomorrow. With a little bit of good luck. we should be able to finish everything tomorrow. But I hope all Senators would understand that getting to the point where we are is very difficult. And tomorrow. I hope everyone will. as I have said. be considerate of others and try to move through this with the understanding that we are all trying to get out of here. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":822}
{"speech_id":1090102801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Everyone understands that there are a lot of things going on. We are also doing the peoples business. and we need to focus attention on that. I have no objection.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":822}
{"speech_id":1090102817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wanted to take this opportunity today to speak yet again on reauthorization of the PATRIOTAct. I spoke earlier in the day on my dedication to fighting terrorism and in my support for giving law enforcement the tools to fight terrorism. the need and desire to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act. the political games surrounding extension of the PATRIOT Act. and the true patriotism of my colleagues in striving to uphold the Constitution and its liberties. The President acts irresponsibly when he refusesfor purely political purposesto allow the extension of the PATRIOT Act. If the PATRIOT Act expires at the end of 2005. the responsibility lies with the President alone and with those Members of the Senate and the House who rubberstamp his irresponsible direction. We can act today to resolve this impasse over the PATRIOT Act. It simply requires good faith. Surely in the final few days before Christmas we can come together. set aside political posturing. and pass another extension of the PATRIOT Act so that we can continue in good faith to fix it. But what we are witnessing with the PATRIOT Act is something more troublingthe abuse of absolute power. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12257}
{"speech_id":1090102817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is an ageold selfportrait of America that we are a nation and people governed by the \"rule of law.\" Since before the American Revolution. we have held ourselves out to the world as a country and as a people different from all others. We have rejected for our country the tyranny of the powerful. the despotic kingships and the dictatorships that have oppressed mankind throughout its history. The \"rule of law\" also of course includes the \"rules of law\"-how we create laws at every level of government. In our country. the rule of law protects the rights of those not in control of the levers of powerfrom the Bill of Rights to the rules of the Senate. our laws and rules aim to protect those out of power from the abuses of those who are in power. But notwithstanding the ideal of our Nationthat we are governed by. the rule of law and not by the whims of the powerfulall too often in our history the convictions that \"might makes right\" degrades the rule of law. Earlier this year. those in power threatened to break the rules of the Senate to force their will on the Senate. It is happening again this week. I have witnessed over the last few days the naked display of \"might makes right\" and the corrupting influence of absolute power. Instead of an honest debate on differences of opinion between patriots on the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. our commitment to fightfng terrorism is questioned. In the closing hours of the session of Congress. we witness the amazing switch of ANWR from the budget reconciliation bill to the Defense Appropriations bill and the trashing of Senate rules. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12257}
{"speech_id":1090102817,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And why? Simply because those in power believe that might makes right. We have an administration that has admitted it ignored our intelligence surveillance laws because it found them to be inconvenient. When people dare to question the legality of these actions. they are called uhpatriotic and obstructionist. That is wrong. Now Mr. President. let me turn my attention in more detail to the PATRIOT Act. In March of this year. I joined a group of three Republicans and three Democrats in introducing legislation known as the SAFE Act. This legislation would have extended every single one of the expiring portions of the PATRIOT Act. while at the same time imposing reasonable checks on those powers. In keeping with that spirit of compromise. the Senate Judiciary Committee worked tirelessly this spring andsummer to draft a reauthorization bill that could garner broad support. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12257}
{"speech_id":1090102817,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With the participation of two of the original cosponsors of the SAFE Act. memberg of that committee. in conjunction with our colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee. worked together to make tough choices and hammer out a bipartisan. compromise. The legislation passed unanimously out of the Judiciary Committeea group riot known for its ability to achieve complete consensus on many issuesand it passed the Senate with the support of all 100 SenatorsRepublicans. Democrats. and Independents alike. We stood together behind the principle that we can give law enforcement officers the tools they need without sacrificing our basic freedomsfreedoms that Americans are fighting and dying for in Iraq and Afghanistan. freedoms that Americans have fought and died to establish and preserve throughout our history. But. once again. we were faced with the need to find compromisethis time. with the House. And again. my colleagues and I did not expect to get everything we wanted. It is worth repeating that the Senate bill passed with the support of all 100 Senators. while the House bill passed in the face of stiff opposition. It is also worth noting that. in separate votes. a bipartisan majority in the House supported stronger civil liberties protections than were included in the final conference report. Unfortunately. after the House delayed for months in appointing conferees. the conference committee filed legislation that failed to provide the modestbut criticalcivil liberties protections that Americans deserve. Once again. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12257}
{"speech_id":1090102817,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I joined with the cosponsors of the SAFE Actthis time in a final effort to bring the conference committee back from the brink and to pass reauthorization legislation worthy of broad. bipartisan support. Our requests were modest. We asked the conference committee to address four specific provisions: section 215 of the PATRIOT Act itself. which allows the government to obtain sensitive personal and business records without any meaningful limitation and no ability to challenge the permanent automatic gag order. national security letters. which allow the government to obtain certain categories of records without prior judicial approval. again without the ability. to challenge the gag order. the need for periodic congressional review of these authorities. and sneak-. andpeek searches. where the government can wait up to 30 days before notifying the target of a property search. Last week. my colleagues and I introduced legislation to extend the PATRIOT Act by three months to give Congress time to make the final changes to the conference report necessary to protect civil liberties. That proposal was summarily rejected by the majority leadership and by the White House. When we have repeatedly this week attempted to propose extending the PATRIOT Act to allow for necessary improvements. those efforts have been again summarily rejected. When the minority leader even attempted yesterday to propose the Senate simply repass its version of the PATRIOT Act reauthorization. that effort was rejected by the very same Senators who supposedly supported the Senate version the first time around. It is eminently clear that those of us who have worked to improve the PA-\" TRIOT Act over the course of the past days. weeks. and months are entirely focused on extending these important powers as we continue to fight the war on terror. But. given that we have been labeled \"obstructionists\" and told that we are putting the nation at greater risk. it is worth examining some of the arguments over the bills substance in greater detail. Over the past few days. some on the other side of this debate have asserted that the changes we have proposed are unnecessary. because intelligence investigations authorized under the PATRIOT Act are no different from the routine law enforcement investigative activities that occur throughout our Nation thousands of times a day. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12257}
{"speech_id":1090102825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On Aug. 17. 2001 in Reno. NV. police and the F.B.I. arfested Adam Ezerksi for the murders of several gay men in Florida and San Francisco. CA. Ezerksi. a teenager. was suspected of being a serial killer of gay men. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1234}
{"speech_id":1090102825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He confessed to the murder of Anthony Martilotto. a gay man in Weston. FL. who was found dead in a Fort Lauderdale hotel room. Police have linked Ezerksi to another murder of a gay man in.Florida. Ezerksi was discovered while the police and the F.B.I. were pursuing another serial killer of gay men in the San Francisco area. Our Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. in all circumstances. from threats to them at home. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a major step forward in achieving that goal. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1234}
{"speech_id":1090102858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow we are moving to finish our final business. We have several critical matters to dispose of before we break for the holidays. and there will be. as we said earlier. a series of rollcall votes on the deficit reduction conference report starting sometime around 9:15 in the morning. Senators should be prepared for votes throughout the day on the deficit reduction bill. the remaining appropriations conference reports. and other legislative and executive matters which must be disposed of before we adjourn. Again. as we have said earlier. Senators should stay close to the Chamber -throughout the day. It will be a very busy day. and I thank all of my colleagues in advance for their patience. I know this is a very challenging time of year as we juggle planning for the holidays. constituent work. as well as completing our business here.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":862}
{"speech_id":1090102860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimousconsent in the hour that has been specified for debate following disposition of S. 1932 that the 30 minutes under the control of the Democrats be divided as follows: 2 minutes each for Senators FEINGOLD and BOXER. 3 minutes each for Senators BINGAMAN and LIEBERMAN. that Senator BYRD be extended 71\/2 minutes. Senator CANTWEtL would have 12 minutes under her control. That uses our 30 minutes.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090102933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Missouri. Yes. I want to clarify the intent is not to create an additional liability where none exists today. Pharmacy benefit managers mayor may not be liable third parties. It is dependent upon whether they are ultimately responsible for the payment of a claim. It is my understanding that the health plan or employer contracting with the pharmacy benefit manager is ultimately at risk for the underlying claim. so it is my belief this will not create new liability for the pharmacy benefit manager.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":526}
{"speech_id":1090102937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to commend Chairman GREGG on his leadership regarding the Deficit Reduction Act. The Budget Committee has had to make hard decisions and has labored to do so fairly. I have seen firsthand and appreciate the Chairmans dedication to the integrity of this process. On behalf of myself and Senator BURNS. I would like to state for the record our understanding of the effect of the language in the bill regarding repeal of the Continued Dumping Subsidy Offset Act CDSOA. We understand that the bill requires distribution of all antidumping and countervailing duties finally determined. ultimately assessed on any and all imports of merchandise that are entered. or withdrawn from warehouse. for consumption by the deadline of October 1. 2007. Further. we understand that liquidation or assessment of duties need not occur prior to the deadline of October 1. 2007. as a condition of distribution and that the duties ultimately assessed will be distributed regardless of the date on which they are finally determined and collected. In other words. while appeals to U.S. courts or NAFTA panels or other proceedings at administrative agencies may prevent final assessment and collection of the duties owed until after the deadline of October 1. 2007. so long as the imports are entered. or withdrawn from warehouse. for consumption by that date. the duties ultimately assessed will be distributed annually under the processes currently specified in law. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2125}
{"speech_id":1090102937,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. we understand that subsection (b) specifies that the CDSOA shall operate \"as if\" there had been no repeal. meaning that Customs will maintain all existing aspects of the program codified at 19 U.S.C. \u00a71675c. and contained in accompanying regulations. including all accounting procedures. all administrative and other mechanisms. and all infrastructure in place to collect. account for. track. and distribute duties on merchandise entered. or withdrawn from warehouse. for consumption by the deadline of October 1. 2007. And at all times we would expect that collections of duties are to be pursued aggressively by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2125}
{"speech_id":1090102938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is my understanding that my colleague is correct in his interpretation of the language agreed to by the conferees. In essence. the Continued Dumping Subsidy Offset Act will remain in effect for all imports of merchandise that are entered. or withdrawn from warehouse. for consumption by the deadline of October 1. 2007. However. duties collected on products entering on or after October 1. 2007. will be deposited with the U.S. Treasury. Since the WTO has declared the CDSOA as putting us out of compliance with our WTO obligations. other nations have begun to retaliate against our exports. This will bring us into compliance with that ruling and hopefully will bring to an end the sanctions U.S. companies are currently facing.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":732}
{"speech_id":1090102942,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate is wrapping up legislative business shortly. but there are a few expiring tax provisions that have unfortunately not been extended yet. Chief among them is the protection from the onerous alternative minimum tax. or AMT. Both the higher exemption level and the protection for personal nonrefundable credits expire on December 31. and because of this. 17 million taxpayers face a tax increase next year if we fail to act. Further. a great number of U.S. businesses rely on important tax credits. such as the research and development tax credit and the work opportunity tax credit. both of which expire at the end of the year. This is not the first time this unfortunate situation has occurred. but it is my hope and intention that as soon as the Senate reconvenes next year. that we would take up these items and ensure that they are extended without any intervening lapse. Is that also the intention of my good friend from Iowa. Chairman","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":963}
{"speech_id":1090102972,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I hope today the Senate will side with rules. history. and future when it is time for this Senate to go on record as to whether it is okay to break the rules to do something you cannot otherwise get done. My colleagues know I do not support drilling in the Arctic Refuge. But this is not simply a debate about oil. wildlife. and energy policy. The debate we are having and the vote we are about to have is about how this institution and this democracy operate. Some have said there is precedent for violating rule XXVIII. My response is simple: Abusing the process and breaking the rules in the past does not justify doing so now. especially knowing it was a mistake. We worked in a bipartisan fashion to reinstate these very rules in 2000. We did this because these rules are designed to protect all of us against abuses of power. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1470}
{"speech_id":1090102972,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If Senators do not stand up to the current and very troubling tactics we are seeing. what hope is there of stopping future attempts to hijack other legislation to pass proposals that cannot stand on their own merits? There are clearly Members who are determined to open the Arctic Refuge to drilling. I suspect every Member also has a couple of things we desperately want signed into law. However. we have a responsibility to respect the rules and traditions of the Senate. I urge my colleagues to vote against cloture and to vote to uphold the rules of this institution in which we are honored to serve. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1470}
{"speech_id":1090103025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I rise to praise the Senator from Alaska for bringing this bill forward. This bill has a lot of very important language in it obviously dealing with our national defense. dealing with our ability to be energy independent. But there are two items I wish to focus on because if this bill fails. if the cloture motion does not occur. they are going to be dramatically impacted. The first is the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program. There has been a lot of grandstanding in the Chamber over the last few months. with Members coming down here and offering proposals for how they were going to fund LowIncome Home Energy Assistance. otherwise known as LIHEAP. Most of those proposals have come forward without any offsets. have added to the deficit and. therefore. have been subject to a 60vote point of order. and the people offering them knew they were not going to pass. but they wanted to take a position. This is the first bill that will increase LIHEAP. lowincome energy assistance. and allow those people who are going to have a very tough winter to be able to pay for their energy costs. This bill has 2 billion additional dollars for lowincome energy assistance in it. and it is paid for. It is done in a fiscally responsible way. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4103}
{"speech_id":1090103025,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without that money. we will go.back to the LIHEAP funding levels which are traditional here. and we will not be able to pick up the extra costs of LIHEAP. which is lowincome energy assistance. which is a function of increased oil costsa very serious problem for a lot of low income people who are trying to figure out how they are going to be able to heat their homes this winter. So if this bill goes down under the cloture motion. we lose the LIHEAP dollars. and all those folks who have come to the Chamber and claimed they were for LIHEAP will have to explain that. Secondly. this bill has in it a major initiative in the area of defending our borders. $1.1 billion is put into this bill to upgrade the capabilities of the Border Patrol. The Border Patrol needs to be dramatically expanded as to personnel and detention facilities. but neither of those events can happen until the capital needs of the Border Patrol are improved so that the additional agents can be taken care of. We as a Congress have increased the number of agents by 1.500 in the last year. the number of detention beds by 1.000. but we have not addressed the capital needs. They need new helicopters. new cars. new buildings and facilities to house people. They need some issues relative to their training facilities so that we can train more border patrol. All that money is right here. Everybody who has come to this Chamber talking about the need for a better Border Patrol and better capacity to monitor who is coming into our country. well. it cannot be done without a strong Border Patrol. and this bill commits to that. I congratulate the Senator from Alaska for putting in that money. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4103}
{"speech_id":1090103025,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to get it in the pipeline. We need to get it in the pipeline now so that the Border Patrol will have the capital resources it needs to make sure they can move forward with our goal. which is to secure the border so we know who is coming across the border and the people who are coming across the border illegally are apprehended. It is a good bill. There are a lot of good proposals in this bill. But those two itemsgetting energy assistance money out to lowincome individuals who need it. and as we head further into this winter. it is going to be critical that we have that money. and supporting the Border Patrol effort and making sure that our borders are secure through expanding the capital commitment to the Border Patrol with additional helicopters. additional housing. additional motor vehicles. and other physical activity they need down there. training facilitiesare very critical elements of policy in this bill which will be lost potentially and most likely actually if this cloture motion is not agreed to. Therefore. I strongly encourage our colleagues to vote for cloture. I reserve the remainder of my time and yield it to the senior Senator from Alaska.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4103}
{"speech_id":1090103035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I rise following my colleague from Mississippi. to associate myself with his remarks. I see my colleague. Senator VITTER. on the Senate floor. and Senator COCHRAN is not too far away. This is a crucial vote for those of us along the gulf coast who have faced not just two killer storms but multiple levee breaks that have put this great economy of the Nations only energy coast at risk. While we would not design the bill this way if left up to the four of us who have been negotiating this package with the help of many of our colleagues through the process. I add my voice to say it is imperative that we get this $29 billion of direct aid. not to FEMA but directly to our Governors and to our people to give them hope that this region can be rebuilt. Without this. it will be impossible. and they cannot wait another day. I thank my Senate colleagues.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":871}
{"speech_id":1090103048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because they fear going home and somebody says: You voted against the troops. This is not about the troops. We are all supportive of the troops. and we can have the money for the Defense bill. but we should do it according to the rules of the Senate.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090103078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate is a body of process and a body of order. We have rules. These rules separate us from the House of Representatives. The Founding Fathers. visionary as they were. recognized that. That is why this Senate has worked so well. the Constitution. These rules separate us from the House of Representatives. The House is subject to partisan desires of the majority. We are not. For more than 200 years. through Democratic majorities and Republican majorities. the Senate has lived by these rules. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3819}
{"speech_id":1090103078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But twice this yearonce this spring and now todaythe Republican majority has shown us how far they are willing to go outside the rules to get what they want. The first attempt to flex their muscle. to show their power and change the Senate rules. was the socalled nuclear option. This was stopped when courageous Senators. Democrats and Republicans. from both sides of the aisle stood against it. We need to see this same bipartisan courage today. The majority is threatening to break the rules againthat is what this is all aboutbut this time they are holding the U.S. militaryyes. those men and women. as we stand here. are standing up in Iraq and Afghanistanour military is being held hostage by this issue. Arctic drilling. Senator STEVENS is violating rule XXVIII in order to pass ANWR. The Senator knows he lacks the votes to get this boon for special interests passed the right way. so he is willing to break the rules to jam it through. Yes. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3819}
{"speech_id":1090103078,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have worked with Senator STEVENS all the time I have been in the Senate. I have great admiration and respect for the Senator from Alaska. But the bill does not leave just the ANWR provision standing out there like a sore thumb. Another gift to special interests is the drug immunity provision. The legislation was not included in either the House or the Senate versions of the Senate appropriations bill. and conferees were given written assurances it would not appear in the conference report. Yet here it is because House and Senate leaders. in the middle of the night. insisted that the rules be broken to include it. This process is not fair to the Senate. and certainly not fair to the U.S. military. and certainlycertainlynot fair to the American people. It is time we said no to an abuse of power. no to those who seek to abuse the rules in the name of special interests. and no to turning the Senate into the House of Representatives. We have rules for a reason. We have rules in the Senate for a reason. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3819}
{"speech_id":1090103078,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why? To create stability. It creates certainty. These rules serve the majority. and they serve the minority. and they should not be broken because of special interests. They should not be broken because of the powerful. I am going to vote against cloture today. Now. I know there are some in the majority who have threatened various things if cloture is not invoked. But I say. Mr. President. thankfully. we have Senator STEVENS own words to tell us what will happen. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3819}
{"speech_id":1090103078,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here is what the distinguished Senator from Alaska said. the bill manager. He told the Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner. this past Sunday: If a Senate filibuster over ANWR stops the defense bill. the legislation can be quickly modified and passed so there is no impact on the militarys finances. He went on to say: If we lose. then. . . ANWR will be out. It is that simple. Senator STEVENS is a man of his word. as he stated on the floor today. And he said if we dont get cloture. the bill goes back to the conferees. Mr. President. I do not know how this vote is going to turn out. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3819}
{"speech_id":1090103138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if I could have the attention of the majority leader. am I correct in my understanding that the SununuLeahy et al 6month extension of the PATRIOT Act has been included? And that is where we are with the conference report still on the calendar. but the 6 months will be passed?","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090103172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the conference report on the Defense appropriations bill contains $29 billion in disaster relief funding related to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As part of that emergency package. $49 million is being made available to the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reimburse. cleanup costs and facility repair and restoration costs arising from the hurricanes. As the ranking member of the Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee. which has jurisdiction over these agencies. I fully support this appropriation. There are. however. two aspects of the funding provision which concern me. First. the $49 million being provided is less than a quarter of the $220 million in damages suffered by our gulf coast parks and refuges. But not funding these expenses does not make them go away. What I fear will end up happening is that every other park and every other refuge in the Nation is that funds our defense. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4700}
{"speech_id":1090103172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the long run. going to have its 2006 budget reduced as letting that cynical strategy proa way of making up the $170 million liferate will hurt our country and the .Congress is not providing. Every park institution of the Senate. superintendent and every refuge man- So today. when I opposed cloture. .it ager in this Nation is struggling to was not a reflection of my support of keep. up with fixed costs and working our military. I believe in our men and to address the maintenance backlog. women in uniform and believe that this Taking more money away from them is bill should have been passed months simply not helpful. ago. Instead. I opposed cloture because Secondly. I strongly disagree with I believe that we should not use the Dethe instructions that are being given to fense bill as a Trojan Horse to. slip the National Park Service arid the Fish through legislation that would not be and Wildlife Service with respect to able to survive under the normal rules how these funds are to be spent. The of the Senate. funding in this bill is provided through Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4700}
{"speech_id":1090103172,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise to each Agencys construction account. speak about the bill before us today. Under Federal law. that is the only If any of you are wondering why the purpose for which those funds can be American people are so frustrated with used. They cannot legally be spent on thelegislative process. why they beoperational expenses. which are funded lieve that politics always trumps subthrough different accounts. However. stance and nothing ever gets done in the Statement of Managers. which is Washington. this is what they are talkthe report that accompanies the bill ing about. and explains in detail how all of the ap- Every single member of this body propriated dollars are to be spent. ex- wants our military to have the funding plicitly says that the money is avail- and the resources it needs to fight the able for \"unreimbursed overtime war in Iraq and the war on terror. We [pay] and operational costs.\" all agree on that. I think it was a mistake for the ad- Yet somehow an otherwise nonministration to forgo asking for reim- controversial bill gets bogged down bebursement of operational expenses. cause some have chosen to use it* as a Both agencies have incurred substan- political opportunity to slip in protial costs in that area that must be posals they couldnt get passed through tid costsBi that areanistatist err the normal channels of debate and depaid for. But the administrations error liberation. The idea here is to add anyshould not be compounded by having thing you want to a Defense bill. no -Congress encourage a Federal agency matter how surprising or controversial. to violate the law. We could have very figuring that it will pass since no one easily divided the funding between the would dare cast a vote against our operational accounts and the construc- troops. tion accounts. which would have al- They may think this is shrewd polilowed the agencies to properly and le- tics. but it is terrible policy. and it .is gally repay some of their operational disrespectful to both our brave men costs. But that idea was soundly re- and women in the field and the Amer.jected by the majority in the House of ican people back home. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4700}
{"speech_id":1090103172,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representatives. And so we are left Now. I have \"great respect for the with a situation where we are explic- Senator from Alaska. and I also respect itly encouraging Federal agencies to his passion towards the ANWR debate. use appropriated dollars for purposes even if I disagree with his position. But other than what they were intended. I strongly believe that if he and other That. Mr. President. is simply. the ANWR supporters wish to convince us wrong thing to do. of that position. they should do so by","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4700}
{"speech_id":1090103173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I arguing the merits of the proposal joined many of my colleagues in oppos- itself. no.t by sneaking it into a bill ing cloture on the Defense appropria- none of us want to vote against. Not tions bill. Regrettably. I was forced to only does that go against the best tra: try and slow.this bill down because lan- ditions of the United States Senate. it guage unrelated to our Nations de- goes -against the best expectations of fense was inserted into the bill. In a the American people when they sent us cynical attempt to authorize drilling in here. the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Aside from critical defense funding language that in the past has been fili- for our troops. there are other elebustered. was included in the Defense ments of this bill that this country bill. Using our men rind women in the desperately needs to have passed. military as a shield. the ANWR bill was There is funding for gulf coast recovery put in the Defense bill in a parliamen- efforts and resources that will help our tary game of chicken. Supporters of Nation prepare for a possible avian flu drilling in ANWR believed that if they pandemic. I am also pleased that Senincluded this language in the Defense ator MCCAINs amendment opposing bill. opponents of drilling in ANWR torture. which was overwhelmingly would never vote to hold up the De- passed by the Senate. appears in this fense bill. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090103173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were wrong. bill. I donot enjoy opposing a Defense bill Unfortunately. all of this critical while we have troops in harms way. funding is being jeopardized by one but the principle at stake here was too Senators desire to ram through a proimportant. We will be sorry if we set vision that is personally important to the precedent that unpopular provi- him. That is not the way Congress sions can just be rolled into the bill -should be conducting its business. I There will be a time and a place for debate on this topic as there has been before. But now is not that time. Not with 180.000 troops in harms way who need important resources and supplies. not with families from the gulf coast who want a place to go home to. not with the danger of pandemic influenza threatening our shores. Now is the time to respect the legislative process and pass a bill that does not play politics with our troops. so that we can finally return home to our constituents and let them know that we truly did the peoples work. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090103173,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to express my strong support for the reauthorization of the Department of Defense. DOD. 1207 program. The 1207 program is designed to ensure that the DOD Federal contracting process does not support or subsidize discrimination. This program must be extended through September 2009 so that the tremendous progress we have made in leveling some of the playing ground for Federal contracting is not lost. We here in Congress know that there is a long history of keeping out the little guys in government contracting. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. minorityowned and economically disadvantaged companies have had a near impossible time trying to secure some of the billions of dollars of gulf coast reconstruction contracts. Meanwhile. big multinational contractors were given nobid contracts in -the weeks immediately following the hurricane. This double standard is unfortunately all too common.. and it is the duty of Congress to ensure that this discrimination does not continue. Ever since the DODs 1207 program was first adopted in 1986. racial and ethnic discriminationboth overt and subtlehave continued to erect significant barriers to minority participation in Federal contracting. but the 1207 program helps to correct the problems of discrimination without imposing an undue burden on larger businesses. Without programs like the 1207 pro.gram. many contractors would simply revert to their old practices. denying contracts to small companies owned by minorities or the economically disadvantaged. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090103173,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is clear that the 1207 program is still needed to monitor and secure the gains made and perhaps encourage even greater opportunity for these small businesses. I am pleased that this bill includes an extension of this important program. I have a letter from a minoritywoman owned business detailing some of herexperiences with the Department of Defense. and I ask that this letter also be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4371}
{"speech_id":1090103179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the annual Defense Appropriations bill is rightly considered a priority most years. and Congress typically completes its work on this important bill early in the year. This year. however. progress on this bill was suspended largely because of Republican political maneuvering. I. supported the Senate version of this bill. but a very different bill emerged from conference. That conference report was hijacked by the Republican leadership in a cynical effort to try to pass controversial provi-. sions that have nothing to do with our defense. By jeopardizing funding for our brave men and women in uniform. and attempting to circumvent the rules that govern the Senate. those leaders placed their own narrow interests abov.e those of the country and this institution. The most blatant abuse was the insertion into the conference report of a provision that appeared in neither bill to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. I have already addressed the Senate twice this week on why that provision had no place in this conference report and I am pleased that my colleagues have joined me in sending a clear message that we will not tolerate attempts to hold vital funding hostage to unrelated special interest provisions. While we were successful in removing the Arctic provisions. I remain very troubled about provisions included in the emergency funds slated for pandemic influenza preparedness. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10242}
{"speech_id":1090103179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I have long advocated for pandemic influenza preparedness funding. and while I am -pleased that $3.8 billion- is provided for this purpose. I am deeply concerned about the inclusion of farreaching liability protections for health care providers and vaccine manufacturers in this conference report. It is an- abuse of the appropriations process to incorporate such sweeping legal protections into a measure providing funds for the military. The provisions inserted in the conference report would exempt vaccine producers from civil liability for injuries caused -by vaccines. unless the health care provider or vaccine manufacturer acted with willful misconduct. This language is extremely farreaching. Plaintiffs would need to prove that the health care providers or vaccine manufacturers acted intentionally. acted without justification. and disregarded known or obvious risks that the harm would outweigh the benefit. This will be extremely difficult for plaintiffs to establish. Furthermore. disregarding the advice of public health experts. the language fails to provide meaningful injury compensation provisions to help those injured by vaccines. These protections for health care providers and vaccine manufacturers are unparalleled. and it is painfully clear that our leadership in Congress and in the White House is not listening to the concerns of first responders. families. or public and global health experts. They are listening only to the businesses and industries that would use the threat of pandemic influenza as an opportunity to help their own profit margins. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10242}
{"speech_id":1090103179,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I also object to the inclusion of certain provisions of the Hurricane Education Recovery. Act in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill. More than 370.000 elementary and secondary students have been displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Schools across the country. including some in Wisconsin. have opened their doors to these students. I strongly support efforts to assist the schools that are welcoming these students as they continue to work to make this transition and school year go as smoothly as possible. But I am troubled by key provisions of the legislation. For example. Section 107 of the Act would allocate Federal funding to go directly through State agencies to local school districts where displaced students have enrolled in public or private schools. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10242}
{"speech_id":1090103179,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The local school districts. -which are government agencies. would then be responsible for issuing direct payments to public and private schools educating displaced students. Earlier this year. the Senate soundly defeated a proposal to provide vouchers directly to parents with little in the way of civil rights protections. The Senate subsequently passed a measure that. like the measure pow before this body. would have passed taxpayer money to private schools through local public school districts. I had grave concerns about that provision. and I am even more troubled that the provisions before us do not include even the modest attempts at civil rights and other protections that were included in the Senate passed language. While I believe the supporters of this act are wellintentioned. I am concerned that Senate passage of this measure would create a troubling precedent with regard to taxpayerfunded school vouchers. I pppose school vouchers because such programs funnel taxpayer money away from the public schools that this fundfng is intended to support and instead direct this funding to private schools that do not have to adhere to the same Federal. State. and local accountability and civil rights laws and regulations that apply to public schools. I strongly support providing assistance to the students and schools that have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. but we should do so within existing Federal laws that allow local public school districts to provide specific educational services--rather than direct fundingto private schools. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10242}
{"speech_id":1090103179,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. I also object to the acrosstheboard cut to discretionary programs. including education programs. that was inserted in this conference report. The LaborHHSEducation appropriations bill already cuts or allows for only nominal increases in funding for education. This acrosstheboard cut would magnify the damage done by that appropriations bill. which awaits final action. If both the .acrosstheboard cut and the LaborHHSEd appropriations bill are adopted. total Federal education funding would be cut for the first time in a decade. Funding would be cut for No Child Left Behind. at a time that we are still requiring States to comply with testing all students in reading and math in grades 38 for the first time this school year. Title I funding would be cut for the first time in 13 years. hurting children that are currently eligible to receive Title I services. The Federal share of special education costs would be cut for the first time in a decade forcing States and local school districts to pick up the slack. And I regret that the maximum Pell Grant award would be frozen for the fourth year in a row at $4.050. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10242}
{"speech_id":1090103203,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No one really argued that the McCain amendments do create a private cause of action. except that some groups have suggested that the Graham\/Kyl amendment is somehow inconsistent with the McCain amendments. the implication being that the Graham amendment wiped out the forum for bringing some cause of action that otherwise was created. Obviously. if the McCain amendment did. create a private right of action. our amendment would bar the courts from entertaining that action. But the fact alone that the same Congress that adopted the McCain amendment also adopted the Graham\/Kyl amendment tends to confirm. I would think. that the McCain amendments never were intended to create a private right of action in the first place. As a matter of fact. the Supreme Court recently has tightened the standards for spontaneously recognizing such actions in cases where Congress is silent on the matterI believe it was in the recent case of Alexander against Sandoval. The McCain amendments do not state that they create a private cause of action. They regulate the conduct our troops rather than creating rights. And we have alternative means of their enforcementas my colleague mentioned. -through the system of military disciplineand thus we do- not need a private cause of action to be implemented. I would be pretty surprised if. under those circumstances. anyone were to argue that the McCain amendment created a private right of action. So the senior Senator from South Carolina is correct. the GrahamLevinKyl amendment does not take away any cause of action created elsewhere in this bill. because the bill does not create any rights of action. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090103203,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some members have been arguing that the McCain amendment will establish a standard that perhaps could be employed in another cause of action. That is. of course. true. But if such a cause of action is to exist. Congress will have to create it in the future. No cause of action currently available could serve as a vehicle for enforcing the McCain amendment in a private lawsuit. and I think that all the backers of that amendment consistently agree that the McCain amendments themselves did not create a private right of action. Again. it would be strange to construe this Act as intending such a private action when by the same handthis Congress would take away any forum for asserting such action.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090103216,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Where to even begin? The U.S. has been accused before in. its history of imperialistic behavior. but I think that this is the first time ever that a portionof a sovereign nation has been annexed to the United States by the U.S. Supreme Court. Rasul begins with a discussion of two cases that were irrelevant to the question before the court. Ahrens v. Clark and the Braden case. Ahrens had adopted a strict rule that district courts may only hear cases within their territorial jurisdiction. Braden then softened that rule for particular circumstancesfor cases where.a defendant is in prison in one state but under indictment in another. allowing the defendant to bring a habeas action to challenge the indictment in the latter states courts. Neither of these cases has anything to do with enemy combatants. From a discussion of these relatively mundane decisions. the Rasul majority adopts a rather stunning nonsequitir: that \"because Braden overruled the statutory predicate to Eisentragers holding. Eisentrager plainly does not preclude the exercise of section 2241 jurisdiction over petitioners claims.\" It could almost be a rule of construction that when a lawyer says \"plainly\" or \"clearly.\" he usually is identifying the weakest point in his argument. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12311}
{"speech_id":1090103216,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Braden is a case concerned more with the technical aspects of judicial administration than with core questions of the scope of the writ. Eisentrager is different. The Nazi soldiers denied access to the writ in that case did not simply file in the wrong- forumAlabama instead of Kentuckyor at the wrong phase of their sentences. Eisentrager denied review to the Nazi soldiers because they. were Nazi soldiers in the custody of the U.S. military in occupied Germany. It is not a case about how we administer the writ of habeas corpus. but about the power and nature of the writ and who may employ it. I doubt that there was any member of the court who participated. in Braden who believed that the court in that case was destroying the foundation.of Eisentrager. So according to section IIIof Rasul. Braden killed the \"statutory predicate\" for Eisentrager and thats that. No more territorial jurisdiction requirement for habeas courts. Apparently even the Rasul court itself was unwilling to buy this argument. however. because section IV of the opinion goes on to explain that Guantanamo Bay. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12311}
{"speech_id":1090103216,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Cuba is really part of the territory of the United States--something which section III just told us irrelevant and unnecessary to the courts decision. But territorial jurisdiction does mattera point that the court seems to concede.by attempting to annex Guantanamo Bay to the United States. But Cuba is not the United States. Eisentrager should be restored to its rightful place as the precedent that governs litigation attempted by enemy combatants outside of our territoryeven for the special case of Guantanamo Bay. Eisentrager was the law of the land for over 50 years. until Rasul carved a hole into it. Through this act. Congress patches that hole and restores Eisentragers role as the governing standard. We do. this not because. or not just because. Rasul doesnt make sense and is wrong. We do it because Eisentragers reasoning is compelling. and the rule that is established wards off much mischief. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12311}
{"speech_id":1090103216,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me quote two key passages from Eisentrag6r that explain why enemy combatants outside the United States should not have access to U.S. courts: As that court began by noting. there has been: . . . no instance where a court. in this or any other country where the writ is known. has issued it on behalf of an alien enemy who. at no relevant time and in no stage of his captivity. has been within its territorial jurisdiction. Nothing in the text of the Constitution extends such a right. nor does anything in our statutes. Not only has this always been the law. but it should remain so. Eisentrager explains rather clearly and eloquently why we do not let enemy combatants sue our soldiers in our courts: A basic consideration in habeas corpus practice is that the prisoner will be produced before the court. This is the crux of the statutory scheme established by the Congress. indeed. it is inherent in the very term \"habeas corpus.\" And though production of the prisoner may be dispensed with where it appears on the face of the application that no cause for granting the writ exists. Walker v. Johnston. we have consistently adhered to and recognized the general rule. Ahrens v. Clark. To grant the writ to these prisoners might mean that our army must transport them across the seas for hearing. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12311}
{"speech_id":1090103216,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This would require allocation of shipping space. guarding personnel. billeting and rations. It might also require transportation for whatever witnesses the prisoners desired to call as well as transportation for those necessary to defend legality of the sentence. The writ. since it is held to be a matter of right. would be equally available to enemies during active hostilities as in the present twilight between war and peace. Such trials would hamper the war effort and bring aid and comfort to the enemy. They would diminish the prestige of our commanders. not onlywith enemies but with.wavering neutrals. It would be difficult to devise more effective fettering of a field commander than to allow the very enemies he is ordered to reduce to submission to call him to account in his own civil courts and divert his efforts and attention from the military offensive abroad to the legal defensive at home. Nor is it unlikely that the result of such enemy litigioushess would be a conflict between judicial and military opinion highly comforting to enemies of the United States. Other authorities also have emphasized that. the AngloAmerican common law tradition includes no place for habeas petitions filed by enemy aliens in military custody outside our territory..Law Professor Peter Lushing. in an internet posting commenting on the Graham amendment shortly after it passed the Senate. put the matter quite colorfully: \"the guys in the powdered wigs would have flipped over the idea that habeas extends to foreigners we are in combat with who have been captured and are being held by us abroad.\" He concludes: \"the Rasul decision has extended habeas far beyond what anybody alive during the ratification of the Constitution would have envisioned.\" Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr testified on the subject of detainees in the war on terror before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 15 of this year. His testimony made a considerable impact on members of the committeeit persuaded several of us that something needed to be done legislatively to correct the current situation. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12311}
{"speech_id":1090103220,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I see that we are nearing the end of our allotted time. If I could quickly address a few other minor issues and summarize briefly. It is important to note that the limited judicial review authorized by paragraphs 2 and 3 of subsection (e) are not habeascorpus review. It is a limited judicial review of its own nature. All habeas actions are -terminated by this bill. I hope that this change will. also kut to rest ary arguments that extending habeas to prisoners also extends to them some type of substantive rights. I do not believe that suppositionis correct because habeas is a vehicle for asserting rights. not a source of rights. The fact that an individual has access to habeas does not mean that he has any of the rights that he asserts. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090103220,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But in any event. because this bill leaves no habeas in place. that debate need not be rejoined. Also. some have suggested that by vesting exclusive jurisdiction in the DC circuit for the paragraph 2 and 3 appeals. this bill bars even Supreme Court appellate review. That was not the drafters intention. nor do I believe that it is a correct reading of the legislative language. Supreme Court review is implicit. or rather. authorized elsewhere in statute. for all judicial decisions. It is rarely mentioned expressly. In fact. when it is mentioned. it is sometimes to preempt Supreme Court review. Far example. the limit on successive federal habeas petitions for state prisoners in section 2244 bars petitions for certiorari following a threejudge panels decision on a successivepetition application. The clear implication of these provisions is that Supreme Court review is implicitly allowed except where expressly barred. and thus since it is not barred here. it is allowed.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090103221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their untiring work to bring the Defense authorization bill to closure. In doing so. Congress takes a major step in ensuring that America stays true to its fundamental values. By establishing_ uniform standards for the interrogation of Department of Defense detainees. and by ensuring that the United States will not subject any individual to cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. we are better able to wage and win the war on terror. This would not have been possible without the work of the chairman. the ranking member. and other members of this committee. including most notably the Senator from South Carolina. I would also like to thank the President and the national security advisor for their efforts in resolving the difficult issues underlying the amendment. In reaching agreement. we make sure that the world knows that the United States does notand by law cannot engage in torture or cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment. During our talks. the administration raised legitimate concerns about legal claims facing civilian interrogators. Based on these concerns. the bill includes language that will allow accused civilian interrogators--like military interrogatorsa robust defense if a person of ordinary sense and understanding would have believed he was following a lawful directive. It further includes language providing legal counsel to interrogators. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090103221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These provisions are.modeled on provisions drawn from the Uniform Code of Military Justice. With the detainee treatment provisions. Congress has clearly spoken that the prohibition against torture and other cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment should be enforced and that anyone engaging in or authorizing such conduct. whether at home or overseas. is violating the law. Sections 1402 and 1403 of Title XIV of this bill do not create a new private right ot action. At the same time. these provisions do not eliminate or diminish any private right of action otherwise available. It is our intent not to disable that in any way.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090103241,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on the PATRIOT Act Reauthorization conference report. I voted for the original legislation in 2001. Along with 98 of my colleagues. I supported that bill because I decided that on balance. the PATRIOT Act it would enhance our Nations ability to fight terrorism without substantially encroaching on our citizens civil liberties. At the same time. I.and many of our colleagues. understood that aspects of the law should be revisited. For that reason. a number of provisions were set to sunset on December 31. 2005. After careful. bipartisan review of these provisions. it became evidence to many of us that certain improvements are necessary to maintain the balance between fighting terrorism and protecting civil liberties. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7196}
{"speech_id":1090103241,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For that reason. I joined with a bipartisan group of Senators to cosponsor the. SAFE Act. which would have modestly.reformed the 2001 PATRIOT Act to provide procedural safeguards and increase judicial review. In July of this year. the Senate unanimously passed a PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill. While that bill was not perfect. it took significant steps to fix shortcomings in the current law and strength our Nations ability to fight terrorism while still protecting the civil liberties that are the cornerstone of a free and secure democratic society. The House also passed a reauthorization bill. which did not come as close to reaching this goal Conferees were.appointed to work out a compromise. Prior to the Thanksgiving recess. a draft PATRIOT Act reauthorization conference report was circulated by conferees. At the urging of several Senators. Senator SPECTER and others took the conference report back to the conferees to try to negotiate additional modifications. They are to be commended for their efforts to reach a compromise that would earn broad bipartisan support. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7196}
{"speech_id":1090103241,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When the conference was concluded. a number of our colleagues. including Senators- LEAHY. KENNEDY. ROCKEFELLER. and LEvIN declined to sign the conference report due to their exclusion from key negotiations and their conclusion that the conference report failed to sufficiently. meet the dual objective of combating terrorism and defending freedoms. While I believe that the conference report is an improvement over current law. the provisions related to section 215. national security letters. aid roving wiretaps have still given me pause. First. under section 215. also called the business records provision. current law allows the Justice Department to obtain medical records. business records. library records. or other tangible items of individuals by merely showing that the items are relevant to a terrorism investigation. The unanimously agreed upon Senate bill requires that the Government show that a person whose records are sought have some connection to a suspected terrorist or spy organization. Unfortunately. the conference report differs from the Senate version as it maintains the minimal standard of relevance without a requirement of fact connecting the records sought. or the individual. suspected of terrorist activity. Additionally. the conference report does not impose any.limit on the breadth of the records that can be requested or how long those records can be kept by the Government. Under the current PATRIOT Act. an individual who receives a section 215 order to turn over business records is prohibited from telling anyone about the order. This is referred to as a \"gag order.\" The conference report is an improvement over current law as it explicitly grants the right for a suspect to consult with an attorney regarding this \"gag order\" but unlike the Senate version. the conference report also requires an individual who receives a Section 215 order to notify the FBI if he consults with an attorney and to identify the attorney. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7196}
{"speech_id":1090103241,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Second. under current law. the FBI can issue a national security letter\"NSL\"-without the approval of a judge. grand jury. or prosecutor. to obtain certain types of sensitive information about innocent individuals. Similar to a 215 order. the targeted individual is restricted by a gag order. While the conference report does provide the right to challenge the NSL demand. it also requires the court to accept as conclusive the Governments assertion that a gag order should not be lifted. unless the court determines the Government is acting in bad faith. I also find it troubling that the conference report would give the Government the authority to keep all evidence secret from an individual who is challenging a 215 order or an NSL . order. For example. if an attorney wants to challenge an order to turn over the business records of a client on the grounds of attorney\/client privilege. they would not be allowed to see the evidence the Government had requested or the reasoning behind the request. It is also important to note that the recipient of a Section 215 \"business records\" order or an NSL order is usually not the subject of investigation. For example. a doctor could receive a Section 215 order from law enforcement to reveal the medical records of a patient. Under this conference report. that patient would not even receive notice that the Government had obtained his personal information and would never have the opportunity to challenge the use of that information in a trial. Third. I would like to address \"roving wiretaps.\" A \"roving wiretap\" is a tap on any telephone that a suspect uses. moving from one telephone to another. with no particular locational target. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7196}
{"speech_id":1090103241,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under the PATRIOT Act. the FBI is authorized to engage in roving wiretaps without court approval. The Senate bill mandated that a roving wiretap include sufficient information to describe the specific person to be wiretapped with \"particularity.\" \"Particularity\" is a legal term of art describing the place or places- to be searched. the person or persons. thing or things to be seized. the communication to be intercepted. and the nature of evidence to be obtained. The conference report does not include that requirement and it does not require the Government to determine whether the target of a roving intelligence wiretap is present before beginning surveillance. Without this level of specification it ii easy to see how roving wiretaps could be abused to secretly record the conversations of Americans without their knowledge or consent. However. I would also like to note that the conference report is an improvement over current law as it includes a number of comprehensive public reporting and auditing requirements which would help prevent abuse of section 215 orders and to help preserve civil liberties. Additionally. the conference report also maintains provisions from the Senate bill that address the shortcomings of current law. including expressly permitting the recipient of the national security letter or a section 215 order to consult with an attorney. requiring the Government to notify a target of a warrantless search within a set number of days. and limiting the use of roving wiretaps to those cases in which the FBI includes a \"specific\" description of the target and \"specificfacts in the application\" that show the targets actions may thwart conventional surveillance efforts.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7196}
{"speech_id":1090103247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my strong support for the extension of a program that has provided vital support to our Nations dairy farmers. helped to maintain the milk supply. and perhaps more importantly has helped to preserve an important way of life in rural America. The program I speak of is the Milk Income Loss Contract. MILC. Program. which since its inception in the 2002 farm bill has provided a crucial buffer between our Nations hardworking dairy farmers and the rollercoaster ups and downs of the milk market. Americas farmers are the backbone of its rural communities. and as markets. weather. and other challenges become more daunting we must make every effort to support them when they are in need. It is not just for the benefit of our farmers. who work hard yearround. often in the face of unforgiving circumstances. and their families. but for the towns that they help to support and for the health of the land that they steward. Small farms are the big business of rural America. and if it becomes too hard for them to survive. the communities where they are lost will suffer. both economically and culturally. Likewise. as .the economic pressure to develop grows. more and more open space will be lost to suburban sprawl if small farms disappear. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2908}
{"speech_id":1090103247,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Allowing these farms to go under by failing to extend sensible supports like the MILC Program would be bad for the economy. bad for our environment. and bad for consumers. In very few places across the cogntry are the stakes of the MILC Programs survival more starkly apparent than in my State of New York. Agriculture is a dominant industry in New York. and dairy farmers are the bulwark of New Yorks agricultural economy. In light of dramatic price swings and development pressures that are more severe than almost anywhere else in the country. the dairy farmers of my State need the type of support provided by the MILC Program when prices hit rock bottom. New Yorks farmers have received millions of dollars under the program. and I can tell you that that money has made a real difference in helping small family farms pull back from the brink and stay in business. Let me be clear about one thing. While this program provides crucial and timely support. it is not simply a bigdollar bonanza for Americas dairy farmers. Payments under the program only kick in when prices dip below the trigger price of $16.94 per hundredweight. when they are most needed. In fact. in the almost 4 years covered by the program. there were only 26 months in which USDA had to issue payments. There was an entire year. from May of 2004 to May of 2005. where prices were fortunately high enough that support was not necessary. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2908}
{"speech_id":1090103247,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I raise these facts simply to say that anyone who would oppose this program. which provides crucial. targeted assistance to small dairy farms. on the grounds that it is a budget buster or boondoggle is way off the mark.","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2908}
{"speech_id":1090103252,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in opposition to the conference report to accompany the Labor. Health and Human Services. Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This bill does not reflect our Nations shared priorities and isa far cry from representing Wisconsin values. The people of Wisconsin value quality education for their children. affordable and decent health care for their families. and- sound job training for workers. This bill falls short on all three accounts. For the first time in a decade. the LHHS bill cuts total Federal education funding. Funding for No Child Left Behind programs would be cut by $779 million bringing it to its lowest level since 2002. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4768}
{"speech_id":1090103252,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Funding for Title I. which serves lowincome. disadvantaged students and schools across the nation. would receive $9.9 billion below the authorized level. its smallest increase in 8 years. And again. Congress fails to live u5 to its promise to provide 40 percent of the costs of educating students with disabilities: the bill cuts the Federal share of special education spending from 18.6 percent to 18.0 percent. just as our school districts are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Funding for Pell grant awards. which help make higher education affordable for many students. is frozen at $4.050 for the fourth year in a row. funding for Even Start and Education Technology is slashed. and funding for the National Youth Sports Program is eliminated. leaving almost 1.500 Wisconsin young people without summer enrichment programs they have come to count on. The list goes on and on. And education is not the only inveptment shortchanged. Some of the largest cuts in the LHHS bill are in programs that help shore up the health care safety net for people lacking other access to care and that address shortages of healthcare providers in underserved urban and rural areas. The conference report cuts funding for community health centers. which serve the uninsured and underinsured. to a lower level than provided in either the House or Senate versions of the bill. This amount would not allow a single new community health center to open in the coming year. Funding for the Bureau of Health Professions. which helps recruit qualified health professions throughout the country. would be cut by $185 million. including the elimination of geriatric education centers and health education training centers. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4768}
{"speech_id":1090103252,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rural health programs would be cut by $137 million. including the elimination of the healthy community access program and rural emergency medical services. In addition. funding levels have not kept pace with our need for investment in lifesaving biomedical research. The National Institutes of Healths budget would receive a funding increase of less than 1 percent. the smallest percentage increase to NIH since 1970. NIH will have to reduce the numbers of research grants awarded by 355. The bill would provide no increase in Federal funding for Alzheimers research threatening the progress of promising research on that devastating disease. Less money would be available to support new research grants. attract talented. young researchers to the promising- field of Alzheimers research and fund clinical trials to test new drugs to treat the diseaseand this is just one example of the damage to vital research that the LHHS conference report would do. Labor programs are not immune from the slash and burn approach to appropriations embodied in the conference report before us. They are cut by $430 million. At a time when five percent of Americans. and four and a half percent of people from my State of Wisconsin. are unemployed. this bill wrongly reduces adult job training by $31 million and youth job training by $36 million. Instead of helping the unemployed find work and providing training to upgrade the skills of those who have jobs. this conference report turns its back to them. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4768}
{"speech_id":1090103252,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know we can do better for our children and families. I supported the Senate version of this bill. which was bipartisan and passed by a vote of 943. Unfortunately. this conference report falls far short. it is neither bipartisan nor bicameral. and actually provides $1.4 billion less than last years level. In fact. LHHS is the only fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill to receive an overall cut in funding from last year. I want to thank Senators SPECTER and HARKIN for working tirelessly to improve this bill. I also want to thank them for the modest increases they provided in the CMS Survey and Certification program. the ombudsman program. as well as their work to restore Perkins funding. However. I cannot suplport a bill that forces our schools. our health care system. and our workforce to do more with less. I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting this conference report.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4768}
{"speech_id":1090103272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I listened carefully to the Senator from Texas. I think we all agree we have to do something about the AMT. It is a big problem. I. frankly. tell the Senator I have introduced a bill to totally repeal AMT. It is a pernicious stealth tax and should not be incurred. We would like to work with the Senator -to try and find a way to accomplish that.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":361}
{"speech_id":1090103277,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I in Oral Advocacy in the Moot Court have a series of judicial nominations Program. After graduation from law that have been cleared on both sides. I school. Greg spent a year as clerk to ask unanimous consent the Senate im- U.S. District Court Judge Eugene Siler. mediately proceed to executive session Greg was then chosen to join the to consider the following nominations Federal Programs Branch of the Deon todays Executive Calendar: Nos. partment of Justice through the Attor457. 458. 459. 460. 461. 462. 463. 471. and ney Generals Honors Program. He was 472. I furthet ask unanimous consent one of only eleven young attorneys to that the nominations be confirmed. the be chosen nationwide out of hundreds motions to reconsider be laid upon the of applicants for this prestigious table. the President be immediately branch. This branch is well known for notified of the Senates action. and the handling especially complex and preceSenate then return to legislative ses- dentsetting legal cases on behalf of sion. the United States. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3227}
{"speech_id":1090103277,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During his 4 years at DOJ. the Department recognized Greg for his excellent performance with its Special Achievement Award. Greg then returned to Capitol Hill. where he spent 7 years as Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to Representative RON LEWIS of Kentucky. During his tenure. he developed a reputation as one of the Commonwealths outstanding young legal minds. and in 2001. he was nominated. by President Bush as United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Kentucky. a position which he has ably filled for the past 4 years. In the course of his service as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Eastern District. he approves all indictments. all major plea bargains. and is directly involved in all of the major cases involving the United States that come before the court. both civil and criminal. Based on Gregs outstanding record. it should come as no surprise that President Bush nominated him as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern -District of Kentucky on September 13. 2005. I applaud the Presidents choice. and I proudly support his nomination. Gregs high intellect. integrity. character. and devotion. to public service make him an ideal choice for the District Court. Gregs nomination has been widely praised by those who know him best. including two membersof the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. five members of the District Court on which he will serve. and numerous former colleagues. They share my conviction that Greg will be a splendid addition to the federal bench. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3227}
{"speech_id":1090103277,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to his outstanding intellectual and professional abilities. Greg is a devoted family man. I know his wife Jane and his two beautiful children. Cooper and Catherine. are proud of him as he assumes this new position of responsibility. It was clear to me 20 years ago when I hired Greg. even then a young man of great accomplishment. that he would go on to greater success. His confirmation is the result of many years of hard work. great intellect. commitment to public service. and the highest ethical and professional standards. Greg Van Tatenhove will be an outstanding District Court judge. and I urge my colleagues to support his nomination.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3227}
{"speech_id":1090103289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it has been 3 weeks since President Bush signed into law the 2006 spending bill providing funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately. his signature was accompanied by a glaring asterisk. Instead of approving the full amount of funding that Congress provided for veterans health care. the President bottled up $1.2 billion in efnergency funding that the VA urgently needs to make ends meet. Congress added the emergency money to the bill after discovering that the Presidents 2006 budget request for the VA was woefully inadequate. compounding a series of errors in funding assumptions by the adm inistration that led to a massive shortfall in VA funding in fiscal year 2005. The $1.2 billion in emergency funding was not some kind of optional Christmas bonus for Americas veterans. It is money that the VA needs to cover the baseline .cost of veterans health care programs. But that money cannot be released to the VA until the President signs on the dotted line and designates it as an emergency. Unless and until the President acts. the money will simply languish in the Treasury. benefitting nobody while jeopardizing the VAs ability to meet the needs of veterans. Make no mistake about it: without this money. the VA will experience another shortfall in funding in 2006. and veterans will suffer the consequences of diminished services and longer waiting times for health care. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3305}
{"speech_id":1090103289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So why is the President sitting on this money? When Congress passed the VA funding bill. I wrote to the President urging him to release the emergency funding at the same time. thus assuring veterans that health care services will continue uninterrupted for the next year. But for some reason. the President has chosen not to release the emergency money. Instead of sending the VA the full amount of funding that Congress appropriated for veterans health care in. 2006--a total of $22.5 billionthe President has chosen to hold $1.2 billion hostage at the White House. What possible reason could the President have for refusing to relinquish this money to the VA? Does he expect Americas veterans to beg for the money? Could he possibly fail to understand the importance of fully funding the VA health care program? Or could he have somehow forgotten the chaos last summer when the VA revealed that it had at least a $1 billion shortfall in health care funding for 2005. and was facing another gaping shortfall in 2006? What kind of a signal does this send to our Nations veterans. and to our men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? Congress has worked diligently over the past 6 months to clean up the budget mess in the VA. As a result of amendments that I spearheaded in the Appropriations Committee and on the floor. the Senate seized the initiative to provide emergency funding to cover the shorfall that occurred in 2005 and to head off another shortfall in 2006. The administration. by contrast. had to be dragged to the table and only grudgingly owned up to the catastrophic consequences of its sloppy and inept budget estimates. Congress has acted. Now the ball is in the Presidents court. and the clock is ticking. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3305}
{"speech_id":1090103289,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. I again call on the President to immediately release the $1.2 billion in emergency funding for veterans health care that Congress has provided.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3305}
{"speech_id":1090103294,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak in support of the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The scourge of trafficking in women and children was a priority for me as First Lady and continues to be a priority for me as a Senator. Since the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. I have been working to raise awareness of the heinous practice of buying and selling women and children like commodities. I have seen the devastation that it causes. and the lives it ruins. I have met with the families from Eastern and Central Europe. who. with tears in their eres. pleaded with me to help them find lost ones who had been stolen from them. and I have met with the victims. including a 12yearold girl in Thailand who was dying of AIDS after being sold twice by her family. This barbaric practice has caused far too many to exist in a perpetual state of fear and vulnerability. and we must do everything in our power to bring the scourge of trafficking out of the shadows and to the attention of the world. I am proud to say that the United States has. for the past decade. been the leader in trying to persuade the rest of the world to eradicate this abhorrent practice. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090103294,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the Clinton administration increased the antitrafficking activities of our Government through programs at the State Department and the Department of Justice. Congress was developing legislation to eradicate trafficking. We worked with the late Senator Wellstone. his Republican cosponsor. Senator BROWNBACK. and Congressman CHRIS SMITH and former Congressman Sam Gejden.on in the House. to introduce the first comprehensive antitrafficking bill in Congress. This culminated in the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. I believed then. and I believe now. that this is one of the Clinton administrations greatest achievements and one of the most important parts of Senator Wellstones legacy. That law has meant the difference between freedom and enslavement for unknown numbers of potential trafficking victims. and this reauthorization provides us with the opportunity to strengthen its ability to help those who have been trafficked. and I would like to thank Senator BROWNBACK and Representative SMITH. my colleagues on the Helsinki Commission. for their continued commitment to this act since its initial passage. I am proud to see that this reauthorization enhances the 3 Ps strategyprevention of trafficking. prosecution of those that engage in these acts. and protection of the vulnerable individuals who have been traffickedthat we developed in the Clinton administration. It gives the Justice Department the authority to pursue extraterritorial prosecutions of Federal employees or those accompanying them if they engage in trafficking activities. It encourages the prevention of trafficking by requiring organizations or contractors engaged in U.S.-supported peacekeeping efforts to have antitrafficking policies in place. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090103294,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it will protect those who have been trafficked overseas by. increasing funding for programs like residential treatment facilities. But there is still so much work to be done. Although reliable statistics are difficult to find. we know that 800.000 individualsthe vast majority of whom are women and childrenare trafficked from one country to another every year. with 15.000 being trafficked to the United States. The FBI estimates that trafficking generates $9.5 billion annually for organized crime syndicates around the world. I am deeply concerned about the growing domestic commercial sex trade. and I believe that we need to increase funding and target efforts to end all forms of exploitation. Any expansion of our focus must not dilute our commitment to eradicating human trafficking in all its forms in the United States. nor detract from the progress we have made in increasing prosecutions and working withlaw enforcement agencies. We must ensure that our government has all the resources it needs to make inroads against these awful acts on our own soil. In the fight against trafficking in persons. patience simply is not an option. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to end this barbaric -practice in both the United States and around the world. because this is not about politics. but about what we all share: universal freedom and universal human rights.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090103300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today regarding the December 7 Korean Fair Trade Commission. KFTC. decision against Microsoft. A major employer .in Washington. Microsoft is being unfairly penalized by Korea. but this decision goes well beyond Microsoft as the Korean Fair Trade Commissions decision is ultimately a decision against free and fair trade. When the European Commission issued its competition decision against Microsoft in March 2004. I was one of many Members who expressed serious concerns about the decision and its impact on one of Americas most innovative companies and its workers. Like many of my colleagues. however. I was also alarmed at the broader policy implications of the decisionthat Europe would adopt a decision whose negative impact on trade was so clear. and which diverged so markedly from the Department of Justices remedy addressing the same conduct. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2386}
{"speech_id":1090103300,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe that the December 7 decision of the Korean Fair Trade Commission against Microsoft is yet another warning sign that our trading partners are limiting competition in order to benefit their domestic interests. In this case. the Korean Fair Trade Commission not only followed the EUs marketdistorting. anticonsumer approach. but appears to have gone substantially further than the EU -remedies in several respects. The KFTCs decision makes me wonder whether the Microsoft case is not a unique case but instead indicates the beginning of a trend among some of our key trading partners to use competition law as a means to pursue protectionist agendas or advance domestic industrial policy goals. If so. this should be of tremendous concern to every member of this body. Last week I wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Portman about this issue. and I would like to ask unanimous consent to. place that letter into the record. The letter urges Ambassador Portman to work with others in the administrationincluding at the White House and the Departments of Justice. State. and Commerceto develop and implement mechanisms for addressing these issues in a more coherent and effective fashion. At the same time. I urged Ambassador Portman to work with others in the administration to take whatever steps are still available to advance the U.S. persplective in the Microsoft case. so that the anticonsuffier. antiinnovation decisions do not establish a precedent that harms U.S. competitiveness for years to come.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2386}
{"speech_id":1090103302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to honor and praise a longtime member of my staff. Julia Serna. who has served the people of New Mexico admirably. Julia works in my Las Cruces office and has been a member of my staff since April 1993. Julia will retire at the end of 2005. Julias positive outlook is remarkable. and her smile and zest for life is contagious. And her jovial attitude and eagerness to deal with challenges is commendable. So many of those from my home State have come to know and love Julia over the years. Julia has always been known as someone always willing to listen to my constituents and lend a helping hand. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1608}
{"speech_id":1090103302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During her work on immigration and veterans issues. she has gone to great lengths to help a great many people in my home State. Julia is loyal and is one on whom I have come to rely and depend. In that time. we have accomplished much. and I am extremely proud of those accomplishments. She will be greatly missed by me and my staff and by the people of southwestern New Mexico for whom she has worked for -so many years. Most importantly. Julia is my good friend. But the time has come. After over 12 years of service on my staff. I know Julias children Susie. Gabriel. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1608}
{"speech_id":1090103302,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Adolfo. and her grandchildren and great grandchild will be glad to be able to.spend more time with her. As she begins her welldeserved retirement. I extend my best wishes to Julia and her family. Julia. for all you have done for me. and for all you have done for the people of New Mexico. you have my utmost respect and deepest gratitude. Thank you. for a job well done. We will miss those tamales at the office.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1608}
{"speech_id":1090103310,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my strong disagreement with the language in the Defense appropriations and Defense authorization conference reports concerning the tkratment of prisoners being held in Guantanamo Bay. Cuba. Under the McCain amendment. U.S. personnel are prohibited from engaging in torture or cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. I strongly support this. This ban applies to all military and intelligence personnel regardless of where they are located throughout the world. This is a clear statement that the United States will abide by its obligation to follow the law. and it is a step forward in reinstating our Nations moral authority. However. the Graham amendment would undercut much of what we are accomplishing with the McCain amendment in two respects. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9022}
{"speech_id":1090103310,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. it would undercut our commitment to prohibiting the use of torture by allowing evidence produced as a result of torture to be used in military legal proceedings. Second. it would undercut any enforcement of this prohibition bybarring indivfduals from seeking judicial review of the legality of their detention or bringing a suit to stop unlawful treatment. When the GrahamLevin compromise passed the Senate. it had some good language in it. and it had some very troubling language. On the good side. the amendment provided that the Combatant Status Review Tribunals at Gjiantanamo. which are charged with determining whether individuals should be classified as so called enemy combatants. are not allowed to use evidence that is derived through \"undue coercion.\" such as torture. This was an important step forward. We should not be relying on information that is inherently unreliable in deciding whether to indefinitely detain a person. Unfortunately. this provision is now gone. In the conference report the outright prohibition on using evidence derived through torture was replaced with a mere assessment of whether the evidence has been derived through coercive means. such as torture. and whether the evidence has any probative value. I would hope that a military tribunal assessing such evidence would realize that evidence derived through torture is not reliable. However. as drafted. this bill would allow a Combatant Status Review Tribunal to use evidence derived through torture if the tribunal finds that the evidence is helpful. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9022}
{"speech_id":1090103310,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To the best of my knowledge this would be the first time in U.S. history that the United States would be on record as allowing this type of evidence in any type of legal proceeding. This is wrong and a huge step backwards. Furthermore. from a practical standpoint the assessment with regard to whether the evidence is derived though torture is essentially pointless. The conference report states that this assessment is only applicable prospectively. The problem is that of the over 500 prisoners being held at Guantanamo. every single one has already undergone a status hearing to determine whether or not they are an \"enemy combatant.\" Under the existing procedures. there is no exclusionary rule prohibiting the use of evidence derived through torture. Therefore. the Government may be basing its finding that some of these prisoners are \"enemy combatants\" on faulty evidence that is completely unreliable. Let me provide an example of why this language is so problematic. Suppose a person is detained by the U.S. Government and handed over to a foreign intelligence service for interrogation. While U.S. personnel are prohibited from using interrogation techniques that amount to torture or cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. other countries use interrogation techniques. such as electric shock or pullinV off a persons fingerrfails. which do not comply with this standard. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9022}
{"speech_id":1090103310,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ifa person is tortured while in the custody of one of these intelligence services. any statements that the person makes.either incriminating himself or another person. could be admissible in the Combatant Status Tribunal Review. or CSRT. process. Frankly. I. and most people. would confess to nearly anything to avoid the harshest forms of torture. We should not be permitting the use of this type of evidence in any legal proceeding. It is inconsistent to say that we will prohibit the use of torture by odir military and intelligence personnel because it is legally and morally repugnant. but we will allow evidence derived in this manner to be used in our military proceedings. \"We dont do it. but if you do it we will use it.\" is hardly a position of clarity with regard to our Oommitment to uphold the prohibition on torture. or cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. The conference report also limits the ability of a prisoner at Guantanamo to file a writ of habeas corpus. This fundamental right has its foundation in the Magna Carta and is enshrined in our Constitution. Simply. it is the right to go to court when a person is detained by the Government and ask whether or not ones detention is justified. Contrary to how this right was characterized during debate on this bill. this is not about prisoners suing to get access to DVD movies or because they are unhappy with the type of peanut butter that they are being servedthe Great Writ. as habeas is known. is meant to provide a basic check in preventing the Executive Branch from exercising unfettered authority in imprisoning individuals without judicial review. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9022}
{"speech_id":1090103310,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is that mistakes happen. For example. take the recent case of the innocent German citizen wh6 was picked up by theCIA in Macedonia and flown to a prison in Afghanistan where he was held in a secret facility for over 5 months because he was thought to be involved in terrorismhe wasnt. We made a mistake. Judicial review is important in reducing the likelihood that we are wrongfully imprisoning people. and we should have a viable process for weeding out these mistakes. According to news reports. commanders in Guantanamo have estimated that 70 percent of the individuals imprisoned there may be no threat at all. Whether this number is correct or not. it is reasonable to require that there be some meaningful judicial review in place to make sure that we are not indefinitely imprisoning people who pose no threat. If you are going to hold someone indefinitely for years on end without affording them a trial. I think it is fair to allow a person to challenge the basic legality of their detention. The Graham amendment. as it passed the Senate. -restricted habeas corpus. Unfortunately. the conference report goes much further. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9022}
{"speech_id":1090103313,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on Tuesday. December 20. I introduced a simple but important bill that would allow an existing General Services Administration. GSA. program for streamlined Government employee relocations to continue for an additional 4 years. Under a pilot program enacted in 1998. government agencies including GSA. Customs and Border Protection. and the Department of Defense have been able to relocate staff in a more economical manner than what can be done under -the existing Federal relocation regulations. This innovative and cost saving test program. known as the Voluntary Relocation Program. provides Governnient agencies additional flexibility to relocate personnel. to meet mission critical staffing needs and. according to Customs and Border Protection. has resulted in a cost savings of nearly $25 million in their organization alone. I am very pleased that Senators LIEBERMAN and AKAKA have joined me in cosponsoring this legislation. The -Department of Homeland Security began using the Voluntary Relocation Program to relocate hundreds of Border Patrol agents to critical U.S. border locations after the terrorist attacks of September 11. 2001. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090103313,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As part of its new mission to protect national borders from security threats. agents from the Office of Border Patrol. OBP. eagerly volunteered to transfer to border locations deemed most vulnerable. However. these transfers took a long time to process and were very costly under the Federal travel regulations. FTR. According to Customs and Border Protection. CBP. relocation of personnel under the Federal travel regulations typically cost the Federal Government an average of $72.000 per Border Patrol agent move. Understandably. the agencys ability to relocate significant numbers of Border Patrol agents was limited. so customs and border protection. CBP. sought alternative funding sources. Under this voluntary program. employees receive a lumpsum payment to cover relocation costs. rather than submitting expense reports supported by receipts. Transferees that choose to re- locate to a new duty station under the Voluntary Relocation Program manage the details of their own move and are fully responsible for determining how to spend thepredetermined lumpsum payment allocated by the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090103313,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. employees enjoy greater input in how funds are allocated and. transferees have more control over the logistics of their move. To date. the VRP has saved customs and border protection more than $23.500.000 in Border Patrol ageit relocation costs. This Voluntary Relocation Program has provided both the government and its employees with both reduced administrative burdens and increased responsiveness to employees and the organizations mission. \u0095 From April 2004 through September 2005. CBP processed 435 relocations at an average cost of $16.888 per move Interim reports published by customs and border protection on the VRP indicate that participating employees are satisfied with the program and are interested in its continuation. It is antici- . pated that if the VRP program is extended. \"several hundred\" CBP agents will seek to take advantage of the VRP for career ladder promotions within the first year of it being offered. Based upon the promise of the programs early results. the continuation of the VRP test program would benefit national security needs and the agencys mission. I believe that the VRP is an excellent example of how Government can work better and more cost effectively to best serve the interests of the public and government employees. This legislation would allow Federal agencies to provide an additional relocation incentive that would assist them in the accomplishment of their mission. I urge my colleagues to join me. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090103313,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator LIEBERMAN and Senator AKAKA in support of this legislation.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090103320,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to congratulate our national championship football team from Hawaii. the Lihue Patriots. Pee Wee team. which won the Pop Warner Division II National Championship in Orlando. FL. on December 9. 2005. The Patriots are the first from Hawaii to win a Pop Warner national title. The Patriots won the right to compete for the national championship by beating the undefeated East Tampa Bandits. 14 to 6. in a thrilling come from behind victory. In the. championship game. the Patriots shut out the Hollister Vikings from San Jose. CA. 14 to 0. earning the Tomlin Championship trophy for the Pop Warner Division H Pee Wee bracket for 9- to llyearolds. The Lihue Patriots Pee Wee team members are: Darren Acoba. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1613}
{"speech_id":1090103320,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Taran Tani. Bron Dela Cruz. Kekoa Agustin. Kevin Reyes. Kalen Kimura. Henry Rodrigues. Jonathan Butac. Travis Koga. Austin Furumoto. Isaac Ramboyon. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1613}
{"speech_id":1090103320,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"John Das. Rolland FukushimaPeahu. Austin Oshiro. Erin Doi. Dustin FerreiraKashima. Shane Iwata. Shawn Taguas. Trey Smith. Wailea Kerr. Micah Hanano. and Isaiah Prunty. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1613}
{"speech_id":1090103320,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The team is coached by Mario Longboy. Bradley Hiranaka. Eugenio Nacnac. Craig Koga. Ralph Suniga. and Layton Tani. The Patriots are also supported by managers Tyler Manibog. Christie Kashima. and Johnny Pongasi and team moms Lori Koga and Jolly Iwata. I congratulate the Lihue Patriots on their history making victory. and I wish all of them the best in their future endeavors. in life and on the playing field. And I extend the same congratulations to all players and coaches who participated in this years Pop Warner National Football Championships on a job well done.*","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1613}
{"speech_id":1090103337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. nearly three months have passed since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the lives of the good people of our Gulf Coast region. Congress has taken great efforts to address the immediate needs of those affected by the hurricanes and continues to consider how we can assist the longterm needs of these communities. I previously came to the floor with the distinguished Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. Senator LOTT. to discuss the needs for funding to restore the elections infrastructure of the impacted States. including not just those directly hit by the storms but also States that welcomed and provided shelter to those displaced by the storms. As the ranking member of the Rules Committee. I rise today to introduce with Senator LOTT. the Hurricane Election Relief Act of 2005. a bill that authorizes the necessary funding to impacted States.for the purpose of ensuring that they will be capable of conducting the upcoming Federal elections next year. consistent with the Help America Vote Act (\"HAVA). This bill will ensure that impacted States will be able to strengthen the foundation of our democracy and the process by which we build communities. Specifically. this bill provides funding to States to restore and replace supplies. materials. records. equipment and technology that were damaged. destroyed. or dislocated as result of the storms. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is charged with distribution of the appropriate funding to the States. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090103337,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Earlier this month. Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater postponed for up to eight months the elections for mayor and City Council in New Orleans from the scheduled February 4. 2006 date. after explaining that the infrastructure to hold an election is simply absent. Secretary of State Alter noted that polling places must be rebuilt. voting systems must be repaired. poll workers must be located. and a system to process the anticipated increase in absentee ballots must be developed. Following the storms. Ater requested$2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) solely to repair voting machines. To date. he has not received any of the requested funds and there does not yet appear to be a projected FEMA disbursement date for such funds. Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark surveyed the 43 counties affected by the storms in his State and announced that in order to facilitate elections without long lines. Mississippi needs $3.3 million to replace 966 voting machines as well as additional funding to assure that the counties meet the HAVA requirements effective In light of the above. it is essential that we rise and join\" together to ensure that all States. including thosb States impacted by the hurricanes. may conduct timely Federal elections that enable every eligible voter to cast a vote and have that vote counted. regardless of race. ethnicity. language. age. disability or community resources. The health of our democracy depends upon it. As -we approach the end of the first session of the 109th Congress and prepare to return to the comfort of our families and constituents. let us give thanks for the wellbeing of our communities and provide the authority to allocate funding to those States which are rebuilding their communities in the aftermath of these devastating natural disasters. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090103337,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090103341,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation that will help ensure beneficiaries who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. the socalled \"dualeligibles.\" make a smooth and successful transition from Medicaid prescription drug coverage to Medicare Part D. The 6.4 million seniors and disabled Americans who are dually eligible are the most vulnerable members of an already vulnerable population. They are the poorest of the elderly. with incomes of less than $10.000 per year. And they are the sickest of the elderly. with approximately 25 percent residing in a longterm care facility. They have significant health care needs. have often been diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions. and are in greatest danger of being affected by poor implementation of Medicares new prescription drug benefit. On November 15. beneficiaries began signing up for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. and on January 1. the drug benefit actually begins. But this date does not only mark the beginning of a new Medicare drug benefit. For the 6.4 million dual eligibles. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5020}
{"speech_id":1090103341,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"January 1 is also the day that they stop receiving a Medicaid drug benefit. I voted against the Medicare bill when it was before the Senate in 2003 and we are all well aware of the many flaws .and shortcomings: the insurance company slush fund. the \"donut hole.\" the prohibition on the Government negotiating for lower drug costs and on the safe importation of prescription medications. among others. But the short timeframe in which dual eligibles have to complete this transition is one of the most worrisome. There are only 6 weeks between the time when seniors began signing up for the new drug plans. and the date when Medicaid coverage ceases. That. means that dual eligiblesthe poorest and sickest portion of the Medicare populationhave very little time in which to accurately balance the benefits and drawbacks of their prescription drug plan choices. Were giving most seniors 6 months to consider their options of a prescription drug plan. but were giving the most vulnerable only6 weeks. While it would be my preference that the existence of a Medicaid drug benefit be extended beyond January 1 to provide adequate time for the transition. Republicans in Congress have blocked legislation that would do this. leaving these individuals without coverage if their transition from Medicaid to Medicare doesnt happen before the end of the year. In response to the concern over the short implementation period. CMS announced that it will automatically enroll dual eligibles in a randomly chosen prescription drug plan by January 1. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5020}
{"speech_id":1090103341,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CMS reports that at the end of November they had automatically enrolled over 5 million of the 6.4 million dually eligible beneficiaries in a Medicare Part D plan. But this leaves more than 1 million of our poorest and sickest vulnerable to falling through the cracks if they are not enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan in the next several weeks. CMS Administrator Mark McClellan has himself said that some dual eligibles may not be autoenrolled before January 1. when their Medicaid drug benefit ceases to exist. In fact. if CMS is able to autoenroll 95 percent of all dual eligibles. more than 300.000 would still be left without. prescription. drug coverage and access to critical medications. At 98 percent enrollment. almost 130.000 would be left without coverage. These. are unacceptable numbers. \u0095 In light of growing concern that some dual eligible beneficiaries will arrive at their pharmacy counter on January 1 without coverage. CMS has announced a procedure. to allow pharmacies to fill the prescription and a contractor to follow up with the beneficiary to facilitate enrollment in a Part D plan. While I am glad that CMS has taken this step. I am concerned that pharmacies will not be aware of this option and some beneficiaries will still fall through the cracks. In- addition. pharmacies will be charged a transaction fee if they use this procedure and electronically inquire about the status of a beneficiary that comes to their pharmacy counter and isnt sure what coverage they have or if they have coverage at all. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5020}
{"speech_id":1090103341,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The legislation I am introducing today aims to address this problem. The Medicare Dual Eligible Identification and Enrollment Facilitation Act would require outreach and education to pharmacies. . particularly independent pharmacies. and a hold harmless provision for transaction fees that pharmacies incur when they use this procedure. It is critical that we do everything we can to ensure that our most vulnerable seniors do not fall through the cracks and the pharmacies across the country are now our last line of defense. Helping them help these beneficiaries and eliminating fees they Incur for doing so are simple but critical steps we should take to ensure that not a single dual eligible beneficiary is left without prescription drug coverage. I urge speedy passage of the Medicare Dual Eligible Identification and Enrollment Facilitation Act. By Mr. KENNEDY (for himself.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5020}
{"speech_id":1090103455,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act approved by the House on Thursday. December 15. This legislation increases the Governments ability to combat human trafficking and provides greater protective measures for victims of this deplorable crime. I thank my colleagues in the House for working on this legislation in an expedited fashion. and for their leadership in responding to these challenges. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act includes language from the End Demand for Sex Trafficking Act of 2005. a bill that I introduced earlier this year. That bill is important because it expresses Congress commitment to reduce U.S. domestic demand for sex traffickingwhich disproportionately victimizes women and children. It incorporates more stringent provisions to penalize human traffickers. and it enhances protective measures for the victims of trafficking crimes. This is accomplished by establishing Federal grants which could be used to focus on prosecution efforts. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3326}
{"speech_id":1090103455,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. it strengthens and clarifies Federal criminal law. making it easier to prosecute those who transport persons who are then used for prostitution across State lines. And it includes an important oversight element: the Attorney General will be required to release an annual report on best practices for reducing the demand for unlawful commercial sex. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution states: \"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude ... shall exist within the United States. or any place subject to their jurisdiction.\" This provision is unique to our Constitution. Many constitutional amendments protect individual rights against actions by Federal. State. and local governments. But the Thirteenth Amendment is .unique because it provides that slavery and involuntary servitude cannot existneither in public nor private spheres. Yet. even to this day. men. women. and children are trafficked into the United States and coerced into lives ravaged by forced labor and sexual slavery. I join the administration in commending the House International Relations and Judiciary Committees who joined me to address this important TE S14419 issue. Indeed. this bill lays out the terrible facts: as many as 800.000 human beings are literally bought and sold worldwide into some form of slavery or involuntary servitudeapproximately 80 percent are women and girls and up to 50 percent are children. Roughly 16.000 of those human beings are brought into the United States each year. coerced into lives of forced labor or sexual servitude which. of course. is slavery. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3326}
{"speech_id":1090103455,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fact is the current administration has responded to the call by dramatically increasing efforts devoted to providing substantially more resources to combat human trafficking. This has been done principally under the auspices of the civil rights division at the Justice Department. The Department has initiated more than three times the number of trafficking investigations. filed almost four times as many of these cases. and doubled the number of defendants convicted for these heinous crimes than in the prior 4year period. Mr. President. I am pleased this important pieceof legislation has passed. and look forward to working with my colleagues on this very important issue in the future.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3326}
{"speech_id":1090103652,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have a parliamentary inquiry. Mr. Speaker. My parliamentary inquiry is. may I ask of the Chair exactly what it is we are debating and considering at this point. The Chair of the Rules Committee stood up and said. after I gave my opening remarks. that we were in the midst of a debate on the last years rules package. I was wondering if the Chair might enlighten us as to exactly what it is that we are considering.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":416}
{"speech_id":1090103688,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank my colleague from California for yielding. again. to restate what is very important about this coming vote on the previous question. If we defeat the previous question. we can then have anhonest vote on the Pelosi minority bill of rights package. It is a very important thing for us to have an open. bipartisanship debate on opening day of this new Congress. for the new majority to be able to say clearly to the American people that their rhetoric is becoming reality on the opening day of this Congress. For if they do not do that and they do ram down the throats of all Members here on this floor this previous question. then all people will be locked out from offering debates on this House floor. and. from the Republican side. 140 mil.lion Americans who voted for our side of the aisle. their voices will be stifled in this process. So. Madam Speaker. I encourage all Members. both Republicans and Democrats to come together. defeat this previous vote. and then we can move on to an open. fair debate on the minority bill of rights. the Pelosi minority bill of rights. That is a fair thing to do.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090103727,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":23,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the majority. leader for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. House rules allowing for cosponsors have yet to be adopted. Therefore. I would submit this list of cosponsors for House Resolution 6 for the RECORD. Pursuant to clause 7 of Rule XII of the Rules of the House of Representatives. the following sponsors are hereby added to H. Res. 6. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090103727,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":23,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Louise Slaughter. David Obey. John Spratt. Zach Space. Chris Carney. Baron Hill. Heath Shuler. Steny Hoyer. James Clyburn. Rahm Emanuel. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090103727,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":23,"republican":0,"speech_text":"John Larson. Xavier Becerra. Chris Van Hollen. Rosa DeLauro. George Miller. Jim McGovern. Alcee Hastings. Doris Matsui. Kathy Castor. Betty Sutton. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090103727,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":23,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Peter Welch. Gary Ackerman. Tom Allen. Jason Altmire. Rob Andrews. Michael Arcuri. Joe Baca. Brian Baird. Tammy Baldwin. Melissa Bean. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090103727,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":23,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Shelley Berkley. Howard Berman. Marion Berry. Tim Bishop. Earl Blumenauer. Madeleine Bordallo. Leonard Boswell. Nancy Boyda. Robert Brady. Bruce Braley. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4529}
{"speech_id":1090103776,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me just respond to the gentleman from Illinois by saying I know I am from Massachusetts. and you may think I have a funny accent and you have trouble understanding me. But let me repeat what I said before. In order to make the changes on the pension issue that he is asking for. which we all support. it requires a statutory change. And I think the staff over there will help clarify that. We are all for that. In H.R. 4011. which Ms. PELOSI supported that you mentioned was a statute. We are going to do that. Let me just say one other thing to the gentleman. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1059}
{"speech_id":1090103776,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You keep on referring to your ethics reform package as if it was some kind of this monumental change and reform. You didnt ban the K Street Project. which has really resulted in so much outrage across the country. You had a temporary suspension on the issue of travel. and you had no ban on lobbyists gifts. This is real reform. We are going to end the culture of corruption. With that. Mr. Speaker. I yield for the purpose of debate only 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1059}
{"speech_id":1090103865,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Congressman PRICE. I appreciate your leadership. friendship. and support in our first term in Congress and as we begin our second. And I appreciate you pulling together the Official Truth Squad and taking this from an idea and actually making it into reality. After all. that is what this legislative process and indeed this House of Representatives is all about. is taking an idea. a powerful idea and making it happen for the American people. To that end. the Official Truth Squad is here to make sure that the American people know what happens here in these hallowed halls of Congress. And I think it is important. what you point out today from the Democrat leaders words and actions on their opening day and the leadup to taking control of this new Congress. It is indeed a new day here. and the American people kn6w that. And I think what the American people see is that the Democrats worked very hard in the campaign and were rewarded by taking control of this wonderful Congress of us. the peoples House. and they campaigned on a number of things. But one of the key tenants and key principles upon which they ran their campaigns and the rhetoric they used during the campaign was about openness. honesty. and fairness. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5236}
{"speech_id":1090103865,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This openness idea. it is a wonderful thing to talk about and I think it is something that I stand for and I know my colleague from Georgia does as well. and we have worked very hard during our times in public service to provide this for the American people. But it was their number one tenant in the campaign. their number one principle. openness. Well. on the opening day of Congress. we were hoping as the new minority that this new Democrat majority would ensure openness and fairness. And that is why Congressman PRICE and I. along with some of my other colleagues. joined together to offer the minority bill of rights. And what the minority bill of rights is. in essence. is what all fifth graders in America are taught: It is the legislative process that. when you file a bill in this House. it goes to committee or subcommittee. and it is heard. it is debated. it is amended. it is crafted. and there is compromise in the process. All sides. Democrats. Republicans. conservatives. moderates. liberals. they are all heard. And then it comes to this House floor. where it again goes through that very same process of compromise and input. Well. that is what the minority bill of rights is all about. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5236}
{"speech_id":1090103865,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And what we offered as the minority bill of rights and what we offered here on the House floor today with our two procedural votes today. was ensuring that these principles. which then minority leader NANCY PELOSI. now Speaker PELOSI. advocated just 3 years ago. So what we offered was. in fact. the Pelosi minority bill of rights. It is not simply a Republican idea. it is actually the minority leader. now the Speaker. her ideas on the way this place should be governed. And when we offered it here on the floor. it was flatly rejected. So it became clear here on the opening day. the opening hours of this new Democrat majority. the campaign on openness. that they really advocated closed process and they only want their ideas. their few ideas heard. They dont want any input or any dissenting opinion. The bottom line is that Speaker PELOSI thinks that Minority Leader PELOSI was wrong. I think some people call that hypocrisy. some call it ironic to campaign on that. I think it is ridiculous on the opening day of Congress. after a new majority is elected on openness. that they cram down the throats of all the Members of this House a closed rule that does not allow for input. does not allow for amendment. doesnt allow for full. open. and fair debate. on their opening day of their first act as a majority. That is what is so egregious about what we saw here on the House floor. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5236}
{"speech_id":1090103865,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. this type of abuse has never happened before in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives. the idea that you put a rule out. a rule forward that closes off debate on an unknown bill. We cant even see the text of the bills that they are offering in their 100hour proposal. They have closed it off from minority view. Simply because I have an \"R\" beside my name. they believe that I am not able to view it. Well. I have got news for them. I have got news for this new Democrat majority. 140 million Americans voted for a Republican for U.S. Congress. They are not simply silencing a Member of Congress from North Carolina or a Member of Congress from Georgia. they are silencing the constituents who elected me. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5236}
{"speech_id":1090103865,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is not fair. That is not openness. That is not a new.way of operating. In fact. it is a very old way of operating that the Democrats used when they were in the majority before. So I think that we should set aside the first day and be hopeful for a second day and a new beginning. We like second chances as Americans. Lets give the Democrats a second chance.for true openness. input. and dialogue in a bipartisanship basis. not simply use it as a rhetorical device during the campaign. but to actually govern that way. to actually do it. make sure it happens here on this House floor. not for us as Members of Congress. but for our constituents and for the American people.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5236}
{"speech_id":1090103880,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman and I thank my good friend from Georgia for his answer to my rhetorical question. because the answer was the only thing that can be possible as a reason to do it is politics. That is it. That is the only thing that can be possible. There can be no good reason. from a process standpoint. for this House of Representatives not to record those votes. So I appreciate so much your enlightening me and helping me understand why that would have been done. I do know that constituents at home are tired. are tired of decisions that are made up here in Washington based solely on politics. And. in fact. I would suggest to my friends on the other side of the aisle who now find themselves in the majority that decisions like that and being held accountable for those decisions make it so that lives in majorities can sometimes be very. very short. So I appreciate your comments and appreciate your input and would be happy to yield if either of you had anything else to comment regarding the rules. If not. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090103880,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do want to comment a little bit about the process and about why discussion of the process is important. My good friends know and most Americans know we live in the longest surviving democracy ever in the history of man. ever in the history of man. And there is a reason for that. I think people can conjecture about why that is the case. but I think one of the reasons for that is that we as a Nation have respected the process by which we develop policy. And the reason it is important is because everybody that is an elected official. is a representative of the people. has an opportunity to have input into the process. and that process itself not only produces the best product because as you have more people involved who represent more diverse areas. I think you get a better product. but what it does do is it ensures that people trust the outcome. They trust the outcome of not just elections. but they trust the outcome of the process of legislation. And when that process gets truncated or gets cut down or is closed. we use that term \"closed rule\" here. when the American people hear about a closed rule. what that means is that it does not allow your representative at home to be able to offer amendments. be able to have input into what the ultimate work product is. what the ultimate bill. what the ultimate law is. So. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090103880,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. many individuals across this Nation who went to the polls and voted in November have elected people who because of changes in these rules today will not be able to have input into very. very important issues like 9\/11 Commission recommendations and whether or not they are adopted. like stem cell research and whether that goes forward paid for with Federal taxpayer money. minimum wage. an important issue. but it ought to be debated. ought to have opportunity for amendment. and then something that is near and dear to my heart as a physician in my former life along with Dr. GINGREY and my other colleagues is the issue of prescription drugs and the Medicare part D prescription drug program. An extremely complex issue. Extremely complex issue. And today. what the majority party did was say that we will bring within the next week to the floor of this House a bill that. has never been discussed in committee. It has never had a hearing. It has never had anybody in this body be able to offer an amendment officially and have folks vote on it and say \"yes\" or \"no.\" they believe that that is the case. that has never been through that process that results in the best work product that is available for a bill and for ultimately a law. And from the rumors that we hear. and we only hear rumors because we dont have the legislative language. because we do not know what is going to be in that bill. but from the rumors that we hear. the result of that bill will be a decrease in the kinds of medications that are available to the American people. That may go into effect. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090103880,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. if the majority party goes forward with the rule that they adopted today. That may go into effect without anybody in this House of Representatives ever having an opportunity to affect that outcome. J 2145 Some on the majority side would say. well. it has been talked about for a long time. It was voted on. the Medicare prescription drug program was voted on in 2003. got a lot of hearings then. There were a lot of people that talked about it and voiced their opinion on it at that time. That is true. Mr. Speaker. but what hasnt happened is that every single freshman Member of this House was duly elected in their districts and has a right. a right. under our system of government to have input into a bill that comes out of the House of Representatives. Every single freshman will have no input into that bill or into the bill as it relates to minimum wage. as it relates to stem cell research or anything else that was included in the rules package today. Never. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090103880,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That has never been done. as my colleagues said before. never been done in the history. in the history of this Nation. to have that kind of substantive legislation dealt with in a way that does not allow that kind of input. Mr. Speaker. that kind of rule. that kind of process. which is difficult to get your arms around. but that kind of process. I would suggest to you. is an abuse of majority power. Our job. on the miriority side. is to hold people accountable for their actions and for their decisions. It is important that the American people understand and appreciate that thesedecisions that were made on the very first day. which. by and large. are procedural issues. that are difficult to get folks interested in. but they not only set the tone for this Congress. but they set the rules under which we make major decisions that will affect the American people as it relates to their income. as it relates to their security. and as it relates to their health. Nothing. nothing could be more impor tant. Mr. Speaker. this is indeed a historic day. But it is also a day of concern. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7421}
{"speech_id":1090103935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I am introducing The Phone Records Protection Act of 2006. This important legislation would prohibit the sale or fraudulent transfer or use of telephone records and provide tough criminal penalties for violating phone users privacy. The Chicago Sun Times and other news sources have recently reported that online brokers are illegally obtaining cell phone records and selling them without customers knowledge. Telephone companies receive many legitimate requests from consumers and law enforcement officials for access to personal records and the requests are handled expeditiously. However. online brokers have taken advantage of the system and begun selling cell phone records to anyone who requests them. Although current law addresses fraud and identity theft using the Internet. the law does not specifically prohibit the sale of personal information obtained illegally or without the consent of cell phone customers. Consumer and privacy groups have expressed concerns about the access and availability of personal information. Regardless of how a bad actor obtains the telephone records of innocent and unsuspecting customers. the sale of such information should be prohibited. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1836}
{"speech_id":1090103935,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Phone Records Protection Act of 2006 would deter online brokers by prohibiting the sale or fraudulent transfer or use of telephone records. The sale of this information is a violation of individual privacy and also creates the possibility of identity theft. Moreover. the sale of telephone records of law enforcement personnel and public officials could endanger public safety. as criminals and terrorists would be eager to have such information. I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislative effort and cosponsor this legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1836}
{"speech_id":1090103961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the majority leader for his efforts to move the issue of lobbying reform forward. We had a good meeting yesterday amongst other Members. and Senator LIEBERMAN and I and others also. as the majority leader knows. have introduced legislation. There has been input made by other Members. and I know the majority leader joins me in saying we need to put together a bipartisan coalition to address this issue as quickly as possible. We need to sit down with Members of both sides of the aisle in whatever format the majority leader and the Democratic leader decide so we can get to work right away and get legislation done to curb the lobbying excesses that have been brought to light that need to be fixed. At another time I would like to talk with the majority leader about the issue of earmarks. but I thank the majority leader for urging rapid action on this issue. We do have a basis for negotiation. and I hope we will be able to immediately sit down with Members from the other side of the aisle. come to conclusions and agreementssince it is pretty obvious the majority of the fixes that need to be madeand move forward. I thank the majority leader and the Democratic leader for urging rapid action in addressing this issue which is causing us. our image and our reputation to be hurt very badly in the eyes of the American people. I thank the majority leader.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1386}
{"speech_id":1090104021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to support Judge Samuel Alitos confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Alitos 15 years of experience on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and his 15 years serving the Justice Departmeht. including his position as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. make him well prepared to be an Associate Justice on our Highest Court. One of the best insights into Judge Alitos judicial ability is gained from listening to his colleagues on the Third Circuit. Colleagues from both sides of the political aisle praise him for his judicial excellence. Judge Aldisert. a nominee of President Lyndon Johnson. stated before the committee: . We who have heard his probing questions during oral argument. we who have been privy to his wise and insightful comments in our private decisional conferences. we who have observed first hand his approach to decisionmaking and his thoughtful judicial temperament and know his carefully crafted opinions. we who are his colleagues are convinced that he will also be a great Justice. Moreover. after an exhaustive investigation. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5515}
{"speech_id":1090104021,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Steve Tober. chairman of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. declared that Judge Alitos \"integrity. his professional competence and his judicial temperament are indeed found to be of tre highest standard.\" Mr. President. I have to say that anyone who watched Judge Alito at his Senate hearing would agree that his professional competence and judicial temperament were certainly on display. I believe that showed very well why he will be confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. The American Bar Association gave Judge Alito its highest rating. Most important. Judge Alito has a firm belief in the rule of law upon which our country is based. As he stated on the first day of his hearings. \"No person in this country. no matter how high or how powerful. is above the law. and no person is beneath the law.\" Judge Alito recognizes that. in our system. judges interpret the law. but should not create policy. They should not decide what they would like to have the law be. rather. they simply should determine what the law states. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5515}
{"speech_id":1090104021,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said on his second day of hearings: ... it is not our job to try to produce particular results. We are not policymakers and we shouldnt be implementing any sort of policy apenda or policy preferences that we have. During the 2004 Presidential campaign. President.Bush made clear that he planned to nominate to the bench judges who would respect the rule of law. judges who would interpret but not legislate. In particular. he drew attention to his desire to nominate people who would strictly interpret the Constitution. Knowing Supreme Court nominations were on the horizon and knowing the Presidents views. the American people reelected President Bush. With the previous nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts and now with the nomination of Judge Alito. the President is fulfilling his promise to the American people. Now it is time for the Senate to play its Fonstitutional role in the nomination process to ensure the Presidents nominee meets the high standards we set for members of the Supreme Court of our land. Judge Alito isextremely capable. he is highly qualified. and he deserves the support of this body. I wish to also rebut one statement that was made earlier today. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5515}
{"speech_id":1090104021,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe Judge Alito was unfairly criticized for his opinion in Pirolli v. World Flavors. Inc. This was a case involving a mentally disabled man Who claimed he was sexually harassed at work. They have alleged that by ruling against the plaintiff in the appellate court. Judge Alito showed he is \"resultsoriented.\" Their criticisms are unfair and misleading. Judge Alito was not even able to form an opinion on the merits of the case because the plaintiffs lawyer presented an incomplete brief. Judge Alito made clear in his dissent that had the plaintiffs lawyer raised the argument in a minimally adequate fashion. he might well agree and join the majority in voting to reverse. He continued to say: I would overlook many technical violations of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and our local rules. but I do not think -it is tod much to insist that Pirollis brief at least state the ground on which reversal is sought. It is very important to understand that an appellate judge cannot create the facts. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5515}
{"speech_id":1090104021,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The appellate judge cannot argue the lawyers case when he is not equipped with the facts or the reason for the request for a reversal. So I believe it is important that we set the record straight on that. Judge Alito has shown by his manner during the hearing and his 15 years on the bench that he is fully qualified under the constitutional requirements and from every neutral observer with whom I have talked for this position. I hope there will not be further delay. I am so hopeful that the people who would vote against him would at least let us have the vote. He has been thoroughly vetted. He has been thoroughly questioned. The Senate has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility. and I think by the end of this week we should allow Judge Alito to be able to start preparing for the very important cases that are going to come before the Court right away. Let him have the chance to be fully prepared and do the job we are asking him to do. It is the least we should expect of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5515}
{"speech_id":1090104053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I enjoyed my colleagues remarks. We are in the final stretch of considering the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United. States. and by any reasonable objective or traditional standard. Judge Alito deserves overwhelming confirmation. without question. The first reason Judge Alito should be confirmed is that he is highly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. It amazes me that some parties to this debate practically ignore his qualifications altogether. They are so intent on manufacturing a case against this nominee that they brush aside this seemingly minor detail of his qualifications as if it were just an annoyance. After serving in the Department of Justice and as a highly regarded Federal prosecutor. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11933}
{"speech_id":1090104053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Judge Alito has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit since 1990. has participated in nearly 5.000 cases. and has written more than 360 opinions. He has more judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in the last threequarters of a century. The American Bar Association. which conducts perhaps the most comprehensive and exhaustive evaluation of Supreme Court nominees. interviewed more than 300 people who know and have worked with Judge Alito. The American Bar Association. after all those interviews. unanimously gave Judge Alito its highest wellqualified rating. Here. too. it is amazing how some Senators and leftwing interest groups brush aside this ABA rating as if they were dusting the mantel. \" While the ABAs role in the judicial appointment process has been controversial at times. certainly no one has ever charged it with a conservative biasno one. It was my Democratic colleagues and their leftwing interest groups that once lauded the ABA rating as the veritable gold standard for evaluating judicial nominees. The criteria for the ABAs highest wellqualified rating includes Judge Alitos compassion. openmindedness. freedom from bias and commitment to equal justice under the law. Judge Samuel Alito is eminently qualified to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11933}
{"speech_id":1090104053,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The second reason Judge Alito should be confirmed is that he is a man of character and integrity. Anybody watching those proceedings. would have to conclude that. I have been struck. throughout this process. at the level of respect and praise for Judge Alitos character and integrity. how it is directly related to how well people know him. how closely .they have worked with him. Without exception. those sounding the most dire warnings. creating the most negative caricatures. and painting the scariest picture of Judge Alito are those who know him the least or who do not know him at all. We have heard from those who worked with him at the Department of Justice and in the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Jersey. We have heard from Judge Alitos law clerks and fellow judges. and there were dozens of those law clerks from all across the ideological spectrum who were supportive of Judge Alito. Make no mistake. this is not a bunch of rightwing clones but a diverse group of men and women. liberals and conservatives of different religions and backgrounds. They do not agree with him on every issue or. in some cases. they dont agree with him on virtually any issue at all. but they all praise Judge Alito as a man of character and integrity. Judge Samuel Alito possesses the character and integrity necessary to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11933}
{"speech_id":1090104053,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The third reason Judge Alito should be confirmed is that he understands and is committed to the appropriately limited role of the judiciary. Americas Founders established a system of limited Government containing three branches. each with its category of power and ability to check the others. The judicial branch is as much a part of this system of Government and must remain as limited as the legislative and executive branches. The fight over judicial appointments is a fight over whether we should stick with the system Americas Founders established. Some want to change that system because. frankly. it does not give them everything they want. Selfgovernment. after all. can be a little messy and sometimes very frustrating. Letting the people and their elected representatives make the law and define the culture means that. on any given day. certain political interests win and others lose. Some who lose in the political process pick themselves up and try again another day. Others leave the political process behind and go to the courts. trying to persuade judges to impose upon the American people policies and priorities the people would not choose for themselves. or they could never get through the elected representatives of the people. The fight over judicial appointments is whether we should have judges willing to take such political bait. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11933}
{"speech_id":1090104053,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is fashionable in some circles to put the Supreme Court on a pedestal. pretending that a few unelected judges are supposed to lead us to some kind of promised land. During the debates about Chief Justice John Roberts nomination last fall and Judge Alitos nomination now. we have heard all sorts of grand descriptions of the judiciarys role and purpose. The judiciary. we are told. is the engine of social progress. the protector of all our rights and liberties. even the savior of the environment. Yesterday. in the Judiciary Committees businss meeting. the ranking Democratic. member said that the very reason the Supreme Court exists is to be \"a constitutional check on the expansion of presidential power.\" The Senator from Massachusetts. Senator KENNEDY. said the very same thing yesterday. that the Supreme Courts historic role is \"enforcing constitutional limits on presidential power.\" These grand descriptions give the impression that the Supreme Court alone polices our sytem of separated power. hands down decrees about issues. opines on abstract theories. and decides how best to order the universe. It does no such thing. The last time I checked. most of the Supreme Courts cases have nothing whatsoever to do with issues such as presidential power. abortion. religion. or the environment. The Supreme Court does not exist to run the country. right all wrongs. and usher in peace and domestic tranquility. The judiciary is part of our system of limited government. it is not a system unto itself. It is that whole system of government. not anyone part of it. that protects our rights and liberties. checks excessive government power. provides for social progress. and all the rest. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11933}
{"speech_id":1090104079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito. Jr.. to the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the greatest honors and responsibilities of a Senator is a vote we cast to confirm judges. Our role is not one that I take lightly. It is with deep respect for the laws of this Nation and for the highest Court in our land that I stand before the Senate today. As Senators. we are tasked with the specific duty in the checks and balances system of our Government: It is with our advice and consent that a Presidents nominee is confirmed or rejected. This is how it has worked since the Constitution was adopted. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6109}
{"speech_id":1090104079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our forefathers. with great brilliance and foresight. wanted to ensure that no one person wielded excessive power. However. at the same time. it is the President wJo selects a nominee. He earns that power as the elected leader of the United States. President Bush nominated Judge Alito. We are here to consider that nomination. I had the opportunity.to meet Judge Alito and I find he is extremely qualified to join the highest Court in this land. His experience. his temperament. his understanding of the role of the Court and his respect for the law make him an admirable candidate who I believe will serve this Nation well. The single most important factor that went into my decision of whether to support Judge Alito has to do with the Justices role on the Court. The job of the judiciary is to apply and interpret the C onstitution and the laws of the land. Unfortunately. not everyone sees it that way. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6109}
{"speech_id":1090104079,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why judicial activism has become so rampant in this country. In no way is it the judiciarys purview tomake laws. That is clearly the job of legislators. Legislators are to make the laws and judges apply them. Judge Alito understands this principle and has demonstrated so throughout his esteemed career. In his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee he spoke about the limited role of the judiciary. Judge Alito stated it should always be asking itself whether it has strayed over the bounds. whether it is invading the authority of the legislature. for example. whether it is making policy judgments rather than interpreting the law. That has to be a constant process of reexamination of the judges. During Judge Alitos confirmation hearing. Democrats tried to make the case that judicial precedent is more important than the Constitution itself. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6109}
{"speech_id":1090104079,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most Americans believe the words of the Constitution should have real meaning. A strict constructionist approach to interpreting. the Constitution is necessary for the consistent application of our laws. How can we as the legislative branch do our jobs effectively when the judicial branch is free to provide an expansive reading of the Constitution at any moment? I dont believe we can. For this reason. we need judges who value the Constitution first. Precedent is a necessary tool to ensure consistent application of the laws. but precedent should not be held so high that we prohibit judges from revisiting bad precedent. The history of the Supreme Court supports this idea. If bad precedent could not be overturned. Plessy v. Ferguson would still stand and racial segregation would still be legal in this country. That thought is truly reprehensible. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6109}
{"speech_id":1090104079,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Supreme Court. in fact. has overturned its own precedent at least 225 times. That is nearly once per year. I support Judge Alitos nomination because his testimony demonstrates his understanding of the principle that the Constitution. and not precedent. is preeminent. In addition to his clear and committed approach to interpreting laws and not being a judicial activist. I think the testimony and support of his colleagues speaks volumes about what we can expect from Justice Alito. Judge Maryanne Trump Barry has served on the Third Circuit with Judge Alito since President Bill Clinton appointed her in 1999. She also worked in the U.S. Attorneys Office with Judge Alito in the late 1970s. About his service as U.S. attorney. she stated: Samuel Alito set a standard of excellence that was contagiQushis commitment to doing the right thing. never playing fast and loose with the record. never taking a shortcut. his emphasis on firstrate work. his fundamental decency. Judge Aldisert of the Third Circuit. appointed by President Johnson. has worked with Judge Alito for 15 years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6109}
{"speech_id":1090104095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to remember Dr. John Robert Murren. a renowned oncologist. cancer researcher. and a beloved husband. father and son. I first met Dr. Murren 31\/2 years ago. He visited me in my Capitol office with his brother and sisterinlaw. Jim and Heather Murren. In this meeting. they shared with me their vision for a new worldclass cancer research facility in Nevada. Like so many Americans. the Murrens had been touched by cancer They had witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by cancer and were motivated to do something to lessen the toll of this horrible illness. .s such. the Murrens resolved to combine Heather and Jims business skills and extensive network with Johns medical expertise t6 create a cuttingedge comprehensive cancer institute in Nevada. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4299}
{"speech_id":1090104095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2002. .they founded the- Nevada Cancer Institute and built a 142.000 square foot facility in Las Vegas that is dedicated to researching. preventing. detecting. and curing cancer. Dr. John Murren served on therinstitutes board of directors as well as an adjunct faculty member. Dr. Murrens death will inspire ehose he left behind to make the Nevada Cancer Institute even better. John would want this. Dr. John Murrens vision for the Nevada Cancer Institute was based on an impressive medical foundation. He earned his B.A. in chemistry and history from Duke University cum laude followed by his M.D. in 1984 from the LoyolaStritch School of Medicine in Chicago. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at St. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4299}
{"speech_id":1090104095,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vincents Hospital in New York where he was chief resident. In 1988. Dr. Murren accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in medical oncology at the YaleNevW Haven Hospital where he was an attending physician as well as an associate professor of medicine. Since 1992. he had been awarded grant funding to study cancer drug therapies yielding invaluable contributions to the understanding of the effectiveness of cancer drug therapies. particularly chemotherapy. Dr. Murren was the chief of the Yale Medical Oncology Outpatient Clinic and director of the Lung Cancer Unit at the Yale Cancer -Center in New Haven. Connecticut. At Yale. Dr. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4299}
{"speech_id":1090104095,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Murren had the largest clinical practice at the Cancer Center and treated thousands of patients and their families over a distinguished career. His clinical research widely published. He sat on several peerreview boards and was sought out worldwide for his expertise. He was also a member of the board of trustees of the Frisbee Foundation. In. addition to -his clinical. educational. and research endeavors. Dr. Murren served on the Clinical Research Subcommittee of the American Association of Cancer Research and the American College of Surgeons Cancer Committee. He also served as cochair of Novel Therapeutics fQr the American Association of Cancer Research National Meeting in 2001. He was a member of the Research Grants Council in Hong Kong and was an active lecturer and writer. The loss of Dr. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4299}
{"speech_id":1090104095,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Murren will be felt beyond medical and scientific circles. Dr Murren is survived by Nancy. his wife. John. his son. Jean Perkins Murren. his mother. Jim* and Michael. his brothers and Kathie. his sister as well as sistersinlaw-: Heather Hay Murren and Mary Kay Murren and.brothersinlaw George K6ether as well as Jeff and Bill Hughes and wives. family and motherinlaw. Doris Hughes. as well as several nieces and nephews. Dr. Murren will be missed by his community in Fairfield. CT. where he led an active life. He was a parishioner of St. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4299}
{"speech_id":1090104097,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute to Roland Carroll Barvels who died in Iraq on January 18. 2006. Roland was employed with DynCorp International and was assigned to the Civilian Police Advisory Training Team in Iraq. He was helping to train and equip a 350.000member Iraqi security force. Sadly. he was killed when a roadside bomb struck his convoy near Basra. Prior to joining DynCorp in November 2005. Barvels answered his Nations call to duty to protect and defend this great country. After serving for 12 years in the military. he became a police officer. Beginning his career in Minnesota. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1682}
{"speech_id":1090104097,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Barvels eventually served in law enforcement for. nearly 20 years including his most recent position with the Aberdeen Police Department. Friends and former coworkers at the Aberdeen Police Department remember Roland with deep admiration. One colleague remarked. \"During his time at the police department. he diligently patrolled the streets of our city providing safety and security to the citizens in our community. Roland possessed an incredible ability to talk to people and [to] make anyone he talked tofeel at ease.\" Roland Barvels bravely served our country in so many ways. His wife and :children are in the thoughts and prayers of my family during this- difficult time. It is my sincere hope that they will take comfort knowing Ronalds long and distinguished career of protecting those most in need is truly admirable. and his dedication to helping. others is an inspiration to us all. I join with all South Dakotans in expressing my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Roland Barvels. He will be missed. but his service to our Nation will never be forgotten.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1682}
{"speech_id":1090104105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay special tribute to Americas preeminent. pianoplaying patriot. Mr. Roger Williams. Roger is to American music what the Grand Canyon is to the American landscape. Roger has enjoyed decades of success and the title \"Pianist to the Presidents.\" because he has had the honor to perform for eight of our Nations Commanders In Chief. In 2004. Roger celebrated his birthday alongside Jimmy Carter because the two share the exact same birth date. Despite his advancing years. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090104105,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rogers ivorytickling fingers continue to thrill audiences. In November. he broke his own record for marathon pianoplaying with a 14hour performance at Steinway Hall in New York City. The marathon was to raise awareness of the importance of music education and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his classic. \"Autumn Leaves.\" This song is the only piano instrumental that has ever reached No. 1 on the Billboard singles charts. According to Billboard Magazine. Roger is the greatestselling pianist of all time. with 18 Gold and Platinum albums to his credit. He is the first pianist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. and isso farthe only recipient of the Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award. Williams has played the music for soundtracks to films of three generations and in 2004 he released his 116th album. His records \"Born Free.\" \"The Impossible Dream.\" \"Almost Paradise.\" and the theme from \"Somewhere in Time\" are only some of his hits. which span 4 decades. Not only a virtuoso. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090104105,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Roger is also a man of great virtue. He is a champion of music education in all schools and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger named him \"Champion for Youth 2004.\" Roger regularly donates his time afid talent to charitable efforts and nonprofit organizations. including spots on the televised \"Hour of Power\" ministry since 1974. I am grateful that I had the privilege of friendship with Roger Williams. He is a great man. a superlative musician. and a true American. As a musician myself. albeit one who is fairly low on the -pecking order. I commend Roger for his talent. hard work. and dedication to his craft. His music will continue to bless the lives of literally millions for generations.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2208}
{"speech_id":1090104129,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr President. I rise today to introduce a bill to fix an unfortunate application of our current pension rules on church pension beneficiaries. Church pensions are critically important compensation plans that help support over a million clergy members across the country in their retirement. particularly those who dedicated their careers to serving in economically disadvantaged congregations. Some of these pjans date back to the 18th Century. and they are designed to ensure that our pastors and lay staff who are often paid lower salaries have adequate resources during their retirement years. Unfortunately. the Internal Revenue Code impedes the ability of church pensions to recognize these valuable contributions to society with provisions that negatively impact church plans while exempting. other equally important plans. For example. Section 415(b)(1)(B) of the Code limits benefits for a retired church employee to 100 percent of the participants average compensation for his or her highest three years. This limitation penalizes church employees because some church plans allow lowerpaid employees to accrue benefits based on median salaries rather than their own. individual. lower compensation. While the. Code allows exceptions to this general limitation for governmental and multiemployer plans. it does not allow one for church plans. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2736}
{"speech_id":1090104129,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The rationale for allowing an exception for governmental .plans but not church plans cannot be reconciled when one acknowledges the situation in which most ministers find themselves when they retire. For example. ministers often live in parsonages throughout their careers. and they are faced with acquiring housing for the first time when they retire. Not having a significant asset in retirement. such as a housean asset which could be used as collateral and security in time of need. leaves ministers vulnerable in their retirement years and justifies the need for including church pension beneficiaries in an exception to the general limitation. The Code further punishes church pensions by requiring church plans to pay unrelated business income taxes on investments in leveraged real estate. while exempting the vast majority of retirement plans from this very same tax. This unequal treatment is simply unfair. and it is time we correct it. The legislation I am introducing today would rectify this unequal treatment by exempting church plans from the 415(b)(1)(B) limit and the unrelated business income tax. I ask my colleagues to join me today in establishing parity for the beneficiaries of church pensions by supporting this necessary. long overdue fix to the Internal Revenue Code. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2736}
{"speech_id":1090104153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the Presiding Officer of the Senate be authorized to appoint a committee on the part of the Senate to join with the like committee on the part of the House of Representatives to escort the President of the United States into the House Chamber for the joint session to be held at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. January 31. 2006.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090104178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"r thank the distinguished President pro tempore. my friend of over 30 years. The debate has worked out well by going back and forth. showing the usual comity here in the Senate. I began my discussion of Judge Alitos nomination for a lifetime appointment to the Nations highest Court with the same issue I began my questions to Judge Alito and. before that. to now Chief Justice Roberts: That is. the issue of checks and balances on Government power. Obviously. the answers given by Chief Justice Roberts I found satisfactory. I voted for him. The answers by Judge Printed on recycled paper. S146 co Alito. as I will explain further. I did not find satisfactory. It is important because we are at a pivotal point in our Nations history. This is a time of unprecedented governmental intrusion into the lives of ordinary Americans. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090104178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President has attempted to justify secret warrantless wiretapping of Americans. the evasion of legal bans against torture. and the detention of American citizens without due process of law. The Bush administration is making extraordinary claims of essentially unlimited power. There are troubling signs that this nomination is part of that effort by the President -and Vice President to -uphold Presidential claims of unchecked power and to upset the careful balance of our system of government. a system of government that was so carefully crafted by the Framers in our national charter. the Constitution. I have said I do not believe that Judge Alito would be that kind of a careful check and balance against Presidential overreaching. Because of that. I said I would not support his nomination. I dont take this position lightly. There are nine members of the Supreme Court. seven of therni nominated by Republican Presidents. I have voted for eight of those nine. but I will not for this one. I feel that the judges record. his missed opportunities during. the hearings to answer concerns about his record. leaves me towonder whethqr he appreciates the role of the Supreme Court as a protector of Americans fundamental rights and liberties. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090104178,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a test he failed. The Supreme Court has to be a source of justice. It has to be an institution where the Bill of Rights and human dignity are honored. It must be an institution dedicated to the mission embodied in the words etched in Vermont marble above the entrance to the Court where it says \"equal justice under the law.\" It must be an institution which carries on the spirit enshrined in our Constitution. refined following the Civil War. and realized further over the course of landmark decisions in Brown v. Board of Education and Bake# v. Carr. Judge Alitos record and testimony demonstrate that he does not understand the vital role of. the courts in implementing the constitutional guarantees of equal protection and.equal dignity for all Americans. A stark example of his failing the test took place during his confirmation hearing when I asked him a question Senator SPECTER had asked then .Justice Rehnquist at his hearing to become the ChiefJustice. I know. I was at the hearing. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090104178,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The question was a basic one: whether the Supreme Court can be stripped of jurisdictiop to protect fundamental constitutional rights. I asked Judge Alito whether the Supreme Court could be stripped of jurisdiction to hear first amendment cases involving freedom of the press or freedom of religion or freedom of speech. The First Amendment is probably the greatest part of our Bill of Rights. I","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3472}
{"speech_id":1090104193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Irise in support of the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I am supporting Judge Alitos nomination because he is. No. 1. superbly qualified to sit on the Supreme Court. and. No. 2. and as important. he possesses the right view of the role of a judge. the right judicial philosophy. which I think is essential in terms of taking a seat on that high Court. The appointments clause. article II. section 2. clause 2. of the Constitution gives the President the plenary power to nominate certain highlevel officials and. as important. bestows on .the Senate a crucial role. a crucial constitutional role. of advice and consent. Like. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090104193,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope. every Member of this body. I take that cdnstitutiohal duty of advice and consent very seriously. I * owe it as high as any duty to the Louisiana pe6ple I represent. In line with * that. I will neither provide a rubberstamp of approval for all of President Bushs nominees nor will I automatically disapprove any Democratic Presidents nominees for the Supreme Court or any other Federal court. I think I have shown my seriousness of purpose in that regard fn my short time in the Senate. I have studied the* qualifications and legal writings of all nominees to see whether they possess a consistent and wellgrounded judicial philosophy and have the right credentials and qualifications. I was very upfront about being mindful of that responsibility when Harriet Miers was nominated. I looked very carefully at her qualifications and her judicial philosophy and. quite frankly. I expressed some real reservations about that. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090104193,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why. after Judge Alito was nominatecd. I focused on those qualifications and that judicial philosophy just as hard. I met him personally. I watched his confirmation hearings. I read his record. That is the process I used to reach this conclusion. that. No. 1. he is eminently qualified in terms of credentials and background. and. No. 2. he has the right judicial philosophy. the right view of the role of a judge in our society. Lets talk. fir.t. about those basic legal qualifications. Again. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090104193,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Judge Alito is superbly qualified. His academic achievements and his distinguished career make that clear. He has a bachelors degree from Princeton University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. After graduating from law school. Judge Alito began his career in public service as a clerk for Judge Leonard Garth on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and is now a colleague of his on that court. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney. Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General. Deputy Assistant Attorney General. -and U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. He has argued specifically before the U.S. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090104193,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Supreme Court 12 cases. at least two dozen court of appeals cases. direct. relevant and impressive experience in terms of that sort of highlevel litigation. In 1990. President George H.W. Bush nominated Judge Alito for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. and he was confirmed by unanimous consent in this body because of his strong credentials and clear and overwhelming qualifications. Of course. today those qualifications are even greater because he has served as a judge on that circuit court for the past 15 years. After being nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. the ABA rated Judge Alito as \"well qualified.\" That is the highest rating possible. Everyone recognizes the ABA is not some conservative political group by any stretch of the imagination. If its membership has a slant. it is probably to the left. That is the gold standard. that rating of judicial qualifications and credentials. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11592}
{"speech_id":1090104204,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to state my intention to vote against the nomination of Judge Alito to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Let me start by saying I certainly do not doubt Judge Alitos \u0095qualifications. his integrity. his tem-. perament. He has served on the Federal bench for over 15 years. and he. has demonstrated during that time that he is. indeed. a very capable jurist. Nonetheless. after carefully looking at his judicial record and listening to his answers to the Senate Judiciary Committee. it is also clear to me that if confirmed. Judge Alito will move the Court in what I believe is the wrong direction for our country. Judge Alito has been nominated to replace Justice Sandra Day OConnor. She is a moderate who has been a critical fifth vote in cases impacting privacy rights. disability rights. civil rights. the environment. consumer protections. discrimination laws. access to the courts. and campaign finance reforms. among others. It has taken us years to enact legislation aimed ft protecting the rights of all Americans in these areas I have mentioned. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4235}
{"speech_id":1090104204,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Other Justices on the Court. particularly Justices Scalia and Thomas. have pressed to. reverse many of the advances the Congress has made in these areas. They have pressed to limit congressional power under the commerce clause and the ability of Congress to enact Federal civil rights legislation. I fear that Judge Alito will join Justices Scalia and Thomas in this regard. Justice OConnors vote has also been instrumental in ensuring that we do not surrender our civil liberties in times of war. Justice OConnors statement in the Hamdi decision was just quoted by my colleague from Iowa. It was a resounding reaffirmation that the President could not indefinitely detain a U.S. citizen without providing adequate due process. The quote which was just made. and has. been made by many of my colleagues. is that: We have long since made clear that a state of war is not a blank check for a President when it comes to the rights of our Nations citizens. At a time when the President has asserted expansive powers with regard to imprisoning U.S. prisoners without charges. with regard to wiretapping without warrants. with regard. to using interrogation techniques that amount to torture. it is essential that we have Justices on the Supreme Court who are willing to provide.a check on the authority of the executive branch. Judge Alitos record indicates that he may not be the right person to provide this important check. For example. he stated his support in varying degrees for this socalled unitary executive theory. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4235}
{"speech_id":1090104204,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This relatively obscure legal theory has very little support in the mainstream legal community. but it has profound implications for our understanding of the Constitution. Just recently. Congress passed a law reiterating the prohibition on the use of torture. In signing the legislation. the President issued a statement reserving the right to take whatever action he deems necessary as Commander in Chiefin effect reserving the right to ignore the very law which he was at that time signing. The President cited this unitary executive theory as the legal basis for his power to disregard the plain text of the legislation. We need to have a Supreme Court that - is prepared to provide the necessary checks and balances crucial to our democratic system of government. I believe Justice OConnor charted a moderate course in terms of the authority of Congress to enact legislation aimed- at protecting the welfare of Americans and with regard to upholding the rights of citizens visavis their own government. and I believe it is important to maintain that same course. This is not to say that I have agreed with all of Justice OConnors decisions. But her swing vote has helped to maintain a balance on the Court that has kept many decisions within the mainstream. and I believe - Judge Alitos confirmation will sway the existing balance on the Court in a manner that will jeopardize many of the protections afforded to the American public. many of which have been the result of many years of struggle. For this reason. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4235}
{"speech_id":1090104204,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am not able to support his nomination. I yield the floor. and I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4235}
{"speech_id":1090104369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is very distressing and disappointing that we are now looking at a filibuster of the nomination of Samuel Alito to be a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. He has served as a Federal appellate judgeoutside of Washington. DC. not involved in any of the political issues herefor 15 years and during that time has assembled an incredibly strong group of admirers who have testified on his behalf to a degree that exceeds almost anything I have had the pleasure to see as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee where we had hearings on this matter. The American Bar Association interviewed 300 of his colleagueslawyers who have litigated against him. lawyers who have worked with him. judges who have heard him. whom he practiced before. and his colleagues on the bench. An AfricanAmerican member of that ABA teamwho represented the University of Michigan in defending their admissions policy that some called a quota policythat individual said. quote: He was held in incredibly high regard. In fact. I am not aware of anyone who was interviewed that said anything bad about this nominee. He was at the top of his class at Princeton. and the top of his class at Yale Law School where he served on the Law Review. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11095}
{"speech_id":1090104369,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He argued 12 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. There is not more than a handful of lawyers in Printed on recycled paper. this country who have argued even a single case before the Supreme Court. much less 12. Then he was U.S. attorney. prosecuting criminal cases for the United States of America in New Jersey. where he prosecuted Mafia groups and drug dealers and people such as that. He has spent 15 years on the bench. demonstrating day after day the judgment. the intellectual integrity. and honesty it takes to be an outstanding judge. He is a remarkable nominee. His father was an immigrant from Italy. He grew up in New Jersey. and has had the great honor to be one of those sons of immigrants who got to go to the great University of Princeton. He in every way represents the best there is in American law. And more than that. he understands what a judges role is. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11095}
{"speech_id":1090104369,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has expressed this in so many good ways. Without notes. he talked to us in that committee from his heart. He summed up. time and again. question after question. his view that a judge has a responsibility to decide the case that is before them. not to set grand policy for America. but to try the case of the litigants that are before them. Somebody has a complaint. and they are complaining that the law or the Constitution has not been properly followed. and they are asking for relief. The judge decides each case based on the facts. First. a judge must. with intellectual honesty. find out what the facts are. and. then. after the facts are determined. apply the established law to that fact situation and render a decision without regard to any personal or political viewswhether he is a Republican or a Democrat. a liberal or a conservativewithout regard to any personal. social. religious. or other views he may have. Then he renders that opinion. As Alito said. he learned as a judge you should delay making up your mind. It is a habit of mind a judge learns. He hears those facts. he thinks about those facts. and considers those facts and makes up his mindonly after the full matter has been brought before him and has reached its full. ripe point to make a decision. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11095}
{"speech_id":1090104369,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thought that was a very insightful and wise comment he made. We had a unanimous highest possible rating from the American Bar Association. As I read last night. one can easily see the tremendous admiration and respect his colleagues on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals have for him. They were so impressive in the committee. Several of these judges were senior judges. Most of them had served the full 15 years with him on the bench. They have known him. They have seen him in private conferences. They said he is a man of intellectual honesty. He is a man who is fair. unbiased. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11095}
{"speech_id":1090104369,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He never raised his voice. never proselytized for his view. but is a man with incredible analytical ability to get to the heart of a matter and make a just decision. What more could you ask for on the bench? Many of these judges were Democratic appointees. The Third Circuit is not a conservative circuit. It is probably one of the more liberal circuits. It sits in Philadelphia. And to say this man is extreme. outside the mainstream. unworthy of serving on the Supreme Court is in itself an extreme statement. It is not justified. The President made a simple promise in this last election that he repeated at every stop he made: I want a judge who will show restraint. who will follow the law and not make law. who does not see it in their bailiwick to reset the social policy of America. And we have been seeing that type of judgement time and time again. Our colleagues who like what these judges are doing. our Democratic colleagues. apparently. are not happy with Alitos philosophy of judicial restraint. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11095}
{"speech_id":1090104371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Before I yield. I have been making humor here about Senator KERRY over in Davos. Switzerland. calling for a filibuster back here. One of the issues we have with regard to the confirmation of judges is that judges show restraint and be faithful to our law. not \"foreign law.\" There is no doubt that Judge Alito and Justice Roberts do not agree that we ought to be quoting foreign law to justify legal opinions in the United States. Judge Alito said this: I dont think we should look to foreign law to interpret our own Constitution. Amen to that. He said this: Our Constitution does two basic things. It sets out the structure of our Government and it protects fundamental rights. The structure of our Government is unique to our country. and so I dont think that looking to decisions of supreme courts of other countries or constitutional courts in other countries is very helpful in deciding questions relating to the structure of.our Government. Amen to that. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090104371,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He went on to say: As for the protection of individual rights. I think we should look to our own Constitution and our own precedents .... Our country has been the leader in protecting individual rights. Are we going to look to China. Yemen. or Iran on that issue? He goes on to say: I dont think that its appropriate or useful to look to foreign law in interpreting the provisions of our Constitution .... I think the Framers would be stunned by the idea that the Bill of Rights is to be interpreted by taking a poll of the countries of the world. That is the kind of judge we need on the bench. That is the kind of judge President Bush promised to nominate. That is the kind of judge he sent up here. and he deserves confirmation. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090104375,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have spoken before. of course. on this nomination. I want to emphasize some of the points I have made. The Constitution. as we know. gives the Senate a central role in the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice. Nothing in our makeup. nothing in the history of this country assumes that the Senate would be a rubber stamp for the Presidents nominees. After all. it was the Senate that turned down some nominees of George Washingtonthe most popular President and the greatest President in this countrys historybecause it would not be a rubber stamp. It was an overwhelmingly Democratically controlled Senate at the time of Franklin Roosevelt. and it was that Senate that said to Franklin Roosevelt: You cannot pack the Supreme Court. I have said. also. many times that the Senate should be the conscience of the Nation. After all. we are the only 100 people in this country of 295 million Americans who get a chance to vote on lifetime positions to the Supreme Courtpeople who will affect our personal rights for decades to come. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090104375,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. I have voted on every one of the current nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court. I actually voted on some who are no longer there. I approach each one the same way. Is this going to be a Supreme Court Justice for all Americans? That is what I asked about Judge Alito. He came before our Senate Judiciary Committee with a record he has created over the last 30 years. As a judge. and before that as a highranking Government official appointed to a succession of posts by Republican Presidents. Judge Alito seemed consistently to defer to Executive power and to show little empathy for the plight of ordinary Americans. His record also suggested a pattern of saying what he needed to say to get to the next job. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090104375,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Certainly. nothing in his record. nothing in his job application indicated he felt very strongly about checks and balances and the three branches of Government. Now. in the course of this nomination and the hearings. he sought to retreat from his own words. but even trying to retreat. he did not. The hearing provided him with an opportunity to explain his record. It was an opportunity he chose to squander. The Presidents supporters and many Republican Senators on the committee urged him not to be forthcoming. My gracious. the 18 members of that committee are the only ones who get to ask him questions on behalf of all 295 million Americans. and some urged him not to answer questions. He had the chance to answer some of the troubling questions that his past words and actions raised. He had the opportunity to demonstrate that his replacement of Harriet Miers was not what it appeared to bethe President selecting somebody whom he knew he could count on to support Government power and the expansive doctrine of the \"unitary Executive.\" and someone the extreme faction in the Presidents party felt assured would march with Justices Scalia and Thomas in their culture war. So it was an opportunity to answer questionsan opportunity he did not take. The hearings and the whole confirmation process left us with more questions and greater concerns than we had before. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090104375,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have discussed his failure to assure us that he would be an effective check and balance on Executive power. He failed to show me or the American people that when he recited platitudes such as \"nobody is above the law.\" he was not telling us what he thought he needed to say to get one more promotion. When I voted for John Roberts as Chief Justice. a conservative Republican nominated by a conservative Republican. I voted for him because I looked at him and I thought. \"Would George Bush or PATRICK LEAHY. or George Smith or Patrick Jones. get fair treatment? And would we be heard on what the facts and the law would be?\" I believed we would. But I dont have that same confidence with Judge Alito. One question for the Senate is whether Judge Alito takes seriously his promises to the Senate and his obligations to avoid the appearance of impropriety. He had an opportunity to talk about his numerous failures to recuse himself from cases during the nomination period. and he didnt accept that opportunity. In 1990. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090104375,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. Judge Alito came before the Senate. I was here at that time. He was seeking confirmation to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He made a pledgeand they are made under oaththat he would recuse himself from five categories of cases: cases involving three different financial companies with whom he had dealings. cases in which his sisters law firm represented a party. and cases he had overseen as the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey. Someone in that circumstance who would not make such a pledge might not have been confirmed. But I was disappointed to discover that. despite making this explicit promise to disqualify himself in these cases. he failed to disqualify himself in at least four of the five categories from which he had sworn he would disqualify himself. In fact. he apparently failed to put several of the companies on the socalled recusal list. These were companies from which he said he would recuse himself if matters involving them came up before the Third Circuit. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11576}
{"speech_id":1090104382,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the most momentous votes I have cast during my years in this Senate were on two war resolutions. one against alQaida and the Taliban. which I supported. and the other against Iraq. which I opposed. After those lifeanddeath decisions. I cannot recall another vote of more longlasting importance than on the two nominees for the United States Supreme Court: Chief Justice Roberts and now Judge Alito. The statements of my colleagues which I have witnessed have evidenced the utmost seriousness with which we have undertaken this grave responsibility. The Constitution does not prescribe any criteria which a President must consider in choosing his nominees for the Supreme Court. Neither does the Constitution prescribe any criteria by which Senators must consider those nominees and decide whether to vote for or against their confirmations. We must each establish our own measures. search our own consciences. and make our own individual decisions. Most of this process has been appropriately dignified and respectful. as it was with Chief Justice Roberts. I myself was not troubled by the detailed questioning of either nominee during their Judiciary Committee hearings. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12251}
{"speech_id":1090104382,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the one and only opportunity for any Senators to question a nominee in a public forum. before all Senators must decide whether or not to confirm that person to be one of nine Supreme Court Justices for the rest of his or her life. No other public office in this country offers such longevity and almost irrevocable security as Federal judiciary. I want to commend the members of the Judiciary Committee. I certainly want to associate myself with the remarks of Senator STEVENS regarding the distinguished chairman. Senator SPECTER. whose personal courage and integrity are examples for us all. and the ranking member. Senator LEAHY. who also holds himself to those high standards. I have read the transcripts from their confirmation hearings. Their questions. and the extensive research which informed them. brought. I believe. great credit upon them and their committee. Judge Alitos answers were also illuminating about him. although not in the same way as committee members questions. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12251}
{"speech_id":1090104382,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A New York Times headline best summarized for me Judge Alitos responses: It said. \"700 Answers. Few Glimmers.\" Again and again. his answers were evasive. Some were simply not believable. I would find it difficult to support Judge Alitos confirmation. given his past opinions. as expressed during his 15 years as a Federal Circuit Court Judge and also prior to that time as an official in the Reagan administration. I find it impossible to support him. given his recent lack of candor and credibility before the Judiciary Committee. Let me give some examples. On the critical question of whether he continues to believe. as he stated in 1985. that the Constitution does not provide a woman with the right to make her own reproductive decisions. regardless of how they affect her life or her health. Judge Alito would not give an answer. Nineteen times he was asked whether he believed Roe v. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12251}
{"speech_id":1090104382,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Wade was \"settled law.\" as Chief Justice Roberts affirmed during his Judiciary Committee hearings. as \"super precedent\" as the distinguished committee chairman suggested. or simply whether he had changed his 1985 position. He rejected the first two and refused to answer the third. My colleague. Senator SCHUMER. tried seven times to get a straight answer to a very straightforward question: In 1985 you statedyou stated it proudly. unequivocally. without exceptionthat the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion. Do you believe that now? Judge Alitos replies included: I would address that issue in accordance with the judicial process as I understand it and I have practiced it . and: Senator. I would make up my mind on that question if I got to it.... The most Judge Alito would say about Roe v. Wade or the subsequent Casey Supreme Court decisions was that they were precedents. As my sons used to say. \"Well. duh.\" Everyone knows that every prior Supreme Court decision constitutes a precedent. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12251}
{"speech_id":1090104382,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again and againand againJudge Alito invoked this platitude about respect for stare decisis. even though. as Senator COBURN pointed out. precedents have been overturned by the Supreme Court more than 170 times involving some 225 cases. Senator COBURN had the candor to state clearly that he wants Roe v. Wade to be overturned. so I can only assume that his pointed historical references were intended to reassure all with similar views that they could continue to rely on Judge Alito to help form a Supreme Court majority which would reverse Roe v. Wade. Judge Alito is certainly entitled to his personal views and constitutional interpretations. The American people are entitled to know what they are before he is placed on their Supreme Court for the rest of his life. because his views and interpretations will profoundly affect their lives and the lives of future Americans. Unfortunately. Judge Alito denied most of us those answers. It is noteworthy. however. that the Senators who feel most strongly about overturning Roe v. Wade all support Judge Alito and seem comfortable with his nonanswers. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12251}
{"speech_id":1090104398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to. the preamble be agreed to. the motions to reconsider be laid upon table. and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the RECORD. without intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090104433,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I choose to do that. I support the nomination of Samuel Alito. Judge Alito. as we heard in our hearings. and so far in most of the debate on the floor. is a person who is a dedicated public servant. who practices what he preaches: integrity. modesty. judicial restraint. and a devotion to the law and to the Constitution. He understands a judge should not have a personal agenda or be an activist on the bench but should make decisions as they should be decideddo it in an impartial manner. do it with an open mind. and do it with appropriate restraint and. of course. in accordance with the laws and the Constitution. Listening to a lot of my colleagues on the committee. and last week. I am extremely disappointed that we are looking now at an attempt by Senatorsand they are all on the other side of the aisleto delay and filibuster this nominee. It is too bad Majority Leader FRIST had to take the extreme position of filing cloture on this very important nomination. No Supreme Court nomination has ever been defeated by filibuster if a majority of the Senators stood ready to confirm that nominee. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11758}
{"speech_id":1090104433,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. that certainly is not the case here because we already know a bipartisan majority of Senators will vote to confirm Judge Alito if we get to that point tomorrow at 11 oclock. We also know we have had plenty of time to debate this nomination. It is unfortunate that certain Senators will vote against this nominee because they think doing so is a good political issue for them. These Senators are applying a very different standard to what has been the history and the tradition in the Senate of considering Supreme Court nominees. The position being taken by these Senators is that Judge Alito ought to somehow share Justice OConnors judicial philosophy in order for him to fill that seat where she has been for the last 25 years. That sort of thinking is totally at odds with what the Constitution requires. but more importantly than what the Constitution requires. what has been the Senates tradition in the last 225 years. and that is that Judge Alito does not have to be Justice OConnors judicial philosophy soulmate to deserve confirmation by this Senate. Because the Supreme Court does not have seats reserved for one philosophy or another. That kind of reasoning is completely antithetical to the proper role of the judiciary in our system of Government. My colleagues on the other side. then. have it all wrong. There has never been an issue of ideological balance on the Court. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11758}
{"speech_id":1090104433,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If that were the case. do you think President Ford would have nominated Justice Stevens or President Bush 1 would have nominated Justice Soutertwo Republican appointees who have turned out to be the most liberal members on the Court appointed by Republicans? Those Presidents did not think in terms of ideological balance. The Senates tradition. then. has not been to confirm individuals to the Supreme Court who promote special interests or represent certain causes. The Senate has never understood its role to maintain any perceived ideological balance on the Court. To the contrary. the Senates tradition has been to confirm individuals who are well qualified to interpret and to apply the law and who understand the proper role of the judiciary to dispense justice. Recent history. of course. is proof of that because in my years in the Senate. but as recently as 10. 12 years ago. when Ruth Bader Ginsburg was before the Senate. we gave overwhelming confirmation to hera former general counsel of the very liberal group. the ACLU. She replaced a conservative Justice. Byron White. on the Court at that time. The Senate confirmed Justice Ginsburg. Why? Because President Clinton won an election. campaigning on the basis of the kind of people he was going to nominate. and President Clinton did that. That is what the Constitution says the role of the President. the role of the Senate is. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11758}
{"speech_id":1090104433,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. some of my colleagues have said elections have results and the Constitution says the President gets to nominate Supreme Court candidates. Of course. Justice Ginsburg. whether you agree with her or not. had the requisite qualifications to serve on the Court. Right after her. Justice Breyer came to the Supreme Court. a liberal as well. appointed by President Clinton. But the Senate confirmed that Justice by a big vote. The President made his choice. sent it to the Senate. the Senate found him qualified. and he was confirmed on an upordown vote. No filibuster was ever talked about. and no one talked about maintaining any ideological balance on the Court. The Supreme Court. then and historically. is not the place to play politics. The Court is supposed to be. and as far as I know is. free of politics. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11758}
{"speech_id":1090104433,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the Democrats and liberal outside interest groups want to change the rules because they did not win at the ballot box. They want to implement their agenda from the Court. Of course. that is a dangerous path. making the Supreme Court a superlegislature. The Constitution does not presume that. Under our checksandbalances system of Government. we do not want to go down that path. Going down that path will create a standard that will seriously jeopardize the independence of the judiciary and distort our system of Government. a system based upon the judiciary being the arbiter of the war that oftenI should say continually goes on between the executive branch of Government and the legislative branch of Government. Democrats want the Supreme Court to assume an expansive role well beyond what was originally intended by the Constitution and its writers. They want the Court to take on a role that is closer to the role of the legislative branch. which is to make policy and bring about changes in our society. Now. this has consequences when you go down this road. It has brought about the politicization of the judicial confirmation process that we have seen evidenced. particularly on the Alito nomination. but also on the Roberts nomination. or go back 3 years previous to the holding up of several circuit court nominees before this body through the threat of filibuster or not just the threat but the use of the filibuster. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11758}
{"speech_id":1090104437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is an incredibly important time in our Nations history. This is the second Supreme Court nominee to come before the Senate in the past 6 months. We are truly at a time where we are making decisions that will affect our children. our grandchildren. and an entire generation of people. Sandra Day OConnor. the first woman Justice. and often the critical deciding vote. is retiring. as we know. The nominee who will replace her will have the power to change the direction of the Court and. as I indicated. touch peoples lives. affect peoples lives and opportunities for a generation. I take this constitutional responsibility very seriously. as I know my colleagues do. I have closely studied Judge Alitos written opinions. his testimony. as well as the hearing transcript. I commend Senators SPECTER and LEAHY for conducting the hearings in a respectful and bipartisan manner. The Constitution grants all Americans. as we know. the same rights and liberties and freedoms under the law. which is why it is so important that we get this right. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11767}
{"speech_id":1090104437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are the sacred values upon which the United States was foundednot just words. but they are values. they are beliefs. they are the motivation for us as we. together. fight for the things we want for our families and work hard every day as Americans to make sure this democratic process works for everybody. We count on the Supreme Court to protect these constitutional rights at all times. whether the majority agrees or whether it is popular. Every American has the same rights under our Constitution. Judge Alitos nomination comes at a time when we face new controversies over governmental intrusion into peoples private lives. from secret wiretaps conducted without a warrant or the knowledge of the FISA Court. to attempt to subpoena millions of Internet searches at random from companies such as Google. One of the most important responsibilities of the Supreme Court is to serve as a check on excessive Government intrusion into peoples lives. In light of where we are today and the issues that this Court will face. it is even more important to have a Justice who will stand up for Americans. Unfortunately. Judge Alitos record is clear and deeply troubling. When one looks at his writings. his court opinions from over 15 years on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. and when one looks at the hearing transcripts. there is a clear and consistent record of siding with the government. siding with other powerful interests at the expense of American citizens. In case after case. whether it is about job discrimination. pensions. illegal searches. or privacy issues. he has been an activist judge who has tilted the scales against the little guy. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11767}
{"speech_id":1090104437,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Often. he has been criticized by his colleagues as trying to legislate from the bench in order to reach the result he desires. His views are way outside the mainstream. especially in his dissent opinions. There are numerous cases where Judge Alito was the only dissenter. which means he felt strongly enough about his personal views that he objected to what the other 10 judges supported and wrote his own separate opinion on an issue. These dissents give insight into what I believe is an extreme ideology on the most basic of American freedoms. liberties. and rights. Because of his extreme record and after much deliberation. I concluded that Judge Alito is the wrong choice to replace Sandra Day OConnor on the U.S. Supreme Court. He may well. as we know. be the deciding vote on issues that affect our children and grandchildren and an entire generation. His record on workers protections is outside the mainstream. Our manufacturers are struggling in Michigan. as well as across the country. and every day we see announcements of plant closings and filings of bankruptcy. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11767}
{"speech_id":1090104437,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Michigan families are worried. They are worried that they will not have a job tomorrow. They are worried that they are going to lose their pensions and their health care benefits for themselves and their families. We in Michigan need a Supreme Court nominee who will stand with us. stand with Michigans workers and families. and Judge Alito is not that nominee. In Belcufine v. Aloe. a company in bankruptcy did not give its employees the retirement benefits and vacation time they earned before the bankruptcy. Under Pennsylvania law. corporate officers are personally liable for nonpayment of wages and benefits. The employees sued. and Judge Alito sided with the company. saying that the law did not apply once a company filed for bankruptcy. Not only did he side with the CEOs at the expense of their workers hardearned wages and pensions. but he legislated from the bench to get the result he wanted. Judge Greenberg. a Reagan appointee. wrote a strong dissent accusing Judge Alito of trying to rewrite the Pennsylvania law. stating: [W]e are judges. not legislators. and it is beyond our power to rewrite the [law] so as to create a bankruptcy exception in favor of statutory employers merely because we believe it would be good for business to do so. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11767}
{"speech_id":1090104437,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. a colleague indicating that. in fact. Judge Alito was writing law instead of just interpreting the law. In another case addressing pension benefits. the plaintiff had worked in jobs covered by the Teamsters pension fund from 1960 to 1971. had a 7year break in service. and then worked under the fund again from 1978 until his retirement. The majority on the court held that both periods of employment would be counted when you are calculating his pension benefits. regardless of the break in service. If you are working and then you need to take a break. whether it is illness. caring for a loved oneregardless of the circumstanceif you come back to work under the pension system. you work until retirement. all of the years you worked hard should be counted toward your pension. Judge Alito dissented. arguing that the first period of employment. a total of 11 years of hard work. should not count. essentially cutting the workers pension benefits. If his dissent had prevailedand thank goodness it did notworkers across this country would have their pensions cut. even if they worked 30 years in one job. if there was a gap in their employment. That is not right. If you work hard for 30 years. you should get the entire pension you paid in and you have earned. The majority once again admonished Judge Alito for ignoring the plain language of the law and trying to legislate from the bench. reminding him that: Changes in legislation is a task for Congress and if our interpretation of what Congress has said so plainly is now disfavored. it is for Congress to cure. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11767}
{"speech_id":1090104484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. I sat in on the hearings for Judge Alito. I personally interviewed Judge Alito. I talked with him in my office. I sat through the hearings and was able to question him in the Judiciary Committee. I am on the Judiciary Committee. so I sat through those hearings to hear his testimony. I feel as if we had a good chance to take the measure of the man. and he is outstanding. I believe he is going to be an outstanding jurist. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7550}
{"speech_id":1090104484,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He answered hundreds of questions. more than I believe any prior nominee has answered in the history of the Republic. He answered them deftly. He answered them with an encyclopedic knowledge of the law. It was amazing to me to see that he did not have a note in front of him the whole time. and if you asked him any constitutional question on any case at any time in the history of the Republic. he would say here are the facts of that case. here is how the law was decided. this case is still in question or it isnt. He is a brilliant jurist. He wasnt particularly good on international law. and I was particularly glad to hear he wasnt good on law. on what would happen in other countries. He has a long history on the bench which I think is important. For a series of years now. only socalled stealth candidates could be approved. Judge Alito is a man with years of experience on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He has written a number of opinions that we could dissect them and see. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7550}
{"speech_id":1090104484,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People were looking into his background. trying to determine does he lean this way or that way. but he has hundreds of published opinions. and through them we can see which way he leans. He is a known commoditywell known. well respected. and well regarded across the board. I do think where he is going to contribute to the country. the Republic. is in the areas of religious freedom and free expression. This has not gotten much play at all in the media or in much of the hearings. but it is one of the areas he has written the most extensively on and in which he is a legal scholar. He believes in a robust public square. a public square where we can celebrate faith. and where faith can be presented. He believes in this for all faiths and faith traditions. You see that in cases where he has ruled in favor of menorah candles being put forward. Christmas trees. and Muslim police officers being able to dress appropriately to their religion and still be able to be police officers. He believes in a separation of church and state. but he also believes this is a country full of people of faith and that they should. under the free expression clause. be allowed to express and to live that faith and to be able to show it. I think he is very clear and thoughtful. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7550}
{"speech_id":1090104484,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If there is an area of the law that needs clarity. it is this because we have rules and tests all over the country. I think he is going to contribute in this area. This is one of the areas that did not get much review. it did not get much comment. but I think he is going to make a clear impression. and I think he is going to make a very helpful impression for this Nation whose motto. as the Chair looks at it. is \"In God We Trust.\" There is a reason for that. This is a nation of faith. It is one we seek to celebrate. not have an imprimatur from the state saying this is the religion or that is the religion. but rather saying we want you all to be here. have your own faith. be able to celebrate it. and be able to bring it forward in this Nation. I think he is going to contribute greatly in this particular category. The area of abortion got the most review. and it is unknown how he would rule in the case of Roe v. Wade or anything along that line. He did not state an opinion one way or the other. It is an area of open case law. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7550}
{"speech_id":1090104484,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is an area. in my opinion. that is not in the Constitution. There is no constitutional right for a woman to abort her child. I believe it to be a matter that should be decided by bodies such as this. or in States around the country. I remind my colleagues. as they all know. if Roe v. Wade or any portion of it were overturned. the issue goes back to the States. That is the group. that is the body that resolves this issue. It is not something where the ruling automatically shuts everything down. What happens is it goes back and California decides its rules and New York. Florida. Kansas. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7550}
{"speech_id":1090104537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to my good friend from Connecticut. I was surprised to find out he was not a member of the conservative caucus. Now I know. But I would agree with him insofar as the significance of the confirmation vote that will take place tomorrow. There is nothing more solemn. nothing more significant that we have to deal with than confirming judges. whether they are nominated by Democrats or by Republicans. However. I respectfully disagree with the Senator from Connecticut. I look forward to voting for the successful confirmation of Judge Alito. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":734}
{"speech_id":1090104537,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have had a chance to talk about him. I believe he will be a strict constructionist and will do a good job for the United States. specifically for my 20 kids and grandkids.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":734}
{"speech_id":1090104547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as both vice chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. I have been absolutely appalled at the scope and the depth of the villainy associated with the Abramoff lobbying scandal. Inasmuch as Washington recently has become consumed and distracted by the utterly shameful actions of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. I believe that it is essential to understand just how far removed from this scandal Indian tribes are. While a small handful of tribes were represented by Mr. Abramoff and were victimized by his incredibly shady and cynical manipulation of their funds. the vast majority of our Nations 560 tribes and Alaskan Native villages had nothing to do with him or his practices. Less than half of those tribes operate casinos. and only a tiny proportion of those generate the kind of money that would attract the likes of Mr. Abramoff. Most of the tribes that operate casinos are far from wealthy. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090104547,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The myth that all or most gaming Indian tribes are rolling in dough is wildly incorrect. The tribes in South Dakota and many around the country have large land bases and extensive enrolled memberships. Their casinos are often located in remote. rural areas far away from large numbers of affluent customers and set amidst dire levels of poverty and unemployment. The truth is that most of these casinos provide some badly needed jobs and only a modest amount of revenue. The income that remains after payroll expenses are largely then immediately consumed by a huge backlog of financial needs for education. housing. health and economic development within their reservations. While a few Indian tribes were associated with Mr. Abramoff. the fees they paid were far beyond what most tribes could possibly affordand in the end. their hired lobbyist abused both their money and their trust. Clearly. this scandal was a lobbying scandal. not a tribal scandal. The reality in too much of Indian Country is the consequence of chronic poverty: shocking levels of disease. inadequate housing. crime. drug and alcohol abuse. low school graduation rates. hunger. and stressed families. These tribes arent paying Washington lobbyists millions of dollars. but instead are struggling every day to make ends meet and to help restore the dignity of their members. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090104547,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I did not receive any money from Jack Abramoff. I did receive legal contributions from tribes he represented. I am proud of the support Indian tribes and individual Native Americans have extended to me over the years. We must help restore the American publics faith in good. responsible government and preserve participation by sovereign Indian tribes in our democracy.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090104613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in his opening statement to the Judiciary Committee. Judge Samuel Alito asked. \"How in the world did I -get here?\" That rhetorical question raises a serious concern about him. and it has shadowed his nomination from the very beginning. The fact is. Judge Alito became President Bushs candidate to replace Justice Sandra Day OConnor only after the radical rightwing torpedoed the nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers and insisted that someone with Sam Alitos ideology be put in her place. That is how Judge Alito \"got here.\" I continue to believe that Harriet Mi.r7.receiveda raw deal..She is an accomplished lawyer. a trailblazer for women. and a strong advocate of legal services for the poor. Not. only was she denied the. upordown vote that my Republican colleagues say every nominee deserves. but she yas never even afforded the chance to make her case to the Judiciary Committee. I believe radical elements in the Presidents own party demanded that Miers withdraw not because of her lack of judicial experience as some exclaimed but because they were insufficiently confident she would support their extreme agenda. Remember. approximately 40 percent of all people who have ever served on the Supreme Court had no judicial experience. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12410}
{"speech_id":1090104613,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The rightwing distrust of Harriet. Miers and their immediate elation when Judge Alito was named raised my suspicions on the day that he was nominated. Those suspicions were heightened when Alitos 1985 application for a job in the Reagan administration came to light. In it. Alito stated. \"I am and always have been a conservative.\" He spoke proudly of his work on behalf of the extreme agenda of the Reagan Justice Department. his disagreement with landmark rulings of the Warren Court in favor of equal rights. and his membership in rightwing organizations. In effect. the 1985 document amounted to Judge Alitos pledge of allegiance to conservative. radical Republican ideology. I dont propose the Alito nomination is on the basis of a 20yearold job application. Instead. I view that document as a roadmap to Judge Alitos subsequent judicial opinions and speeches. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12410}
{"speech_id":1090104613,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Judge Alitos judicial opinions have been largely consistent with his ideological signals. that is. the signals he sent in the 1985 job application. One of the most prominent and eminent legal scholars in all of America. Professor Cass Sunstein of the University of Chicago Law School. who generally supported the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts. analyzed Aitos opinions and found \"a remarkable pattern\" of \"almost uniformly conservative\" dissents. Professor Sunstein concluded that \"the real question about Alito involves the disturbingly close link between his political convictions and his legal conclusions.\" My concern about Judge Alito falls into three broad categories. First. I fear he will not vindicate the role of the judiciary as a check on executive branch power. Second. he is a leader in the socalled federalism movement which would limit congressional power to pass Qnvironmental laws and remedy other national problems. Third. in disputes between ordinary American citizens and the powerful corporations and government. Judge Alito is oftenand too oftenon the side of the powerful and against the interests of the individual. First. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12410}
{"speech_id":1090104613,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am disturbed by Judge Alltos overall bowing to Executive pressure. bowing to Executive power. At a time when President Bush asserted unprecedented authority over the lives of American citizens and the Republicancontrolled Congress seems too willing to cede those powers to him. I cannot support the nomination of a judge predisposed to giving the President the benefit of every doubt. In matters ranging from domestic spying to the use of torture. the current President has effectively declared himself above the law. Meanwhile. a Congress controlled by the Presidents party has stripped the courts of jurisdiction to hear habeas corpus cases brought by Guantanamo detainees. some of whom have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. In the face of such profound threats to the separation of powers in our Constitution. we need a Supreme Court comprised of independent and impartial judges willing to stand up to imperial Presidencies. Rather than serving as a check on President Bushs abuses of power. I worry that Judge Alito will instead serve as a rubberstamp. Both on and off the bench. Alitos writings and opinions show a record of extreme deference to Executive power. whether exercised by the President or by Federal and local law enforcement officials. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12410}
{"speech_id":1090104613,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even before he was a judge. Alito made a name for himself arguing for expansive Executive power. As a Justice Department attorney. he wrote that the Attorney General should have absolute immunity from lawsuits arising from illegal wiretaps. He also argued on the side of a Tennessee police officer who shot and killed an unarmed 15yearold boy not because the officer believed the boy was armed. but to prevent escape from a petty crime. Alitos judicial rulings on executive power heighten my concerns in this area. In the recent decision of United States v. Lee. he found that an FBI undercover probe that included audio and video surveillance of the defendants hotel suite without a warrant did not violate the Fourth Amendment. The government wins. you lose. In an earlier case in which Judge Alito voted to uphold the stripsearch of a 10yearold girl. thenJudge Michael Chertoff. now President Bushs Secretary of Homeland Security. criticized Alitos views as threatening to \"transform the judicial officer into little more than the clich6 rubber stamp.\" Again. government wins. you lose. Judge Alitos unshakable deference to police officers conducting intrusive searches seems to extend to his view at the power of the President to act unilaterally when setting national policies. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12410}
{"speech_id":1090104647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in support of the nomination of Ben Bernanke. of my home State of New Jersey. to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Once again. New Jersey is honored that the President has nominated one of our own to serve our Nation in such a vital position. Dr. Bernanke has a remarkable record of scholarship. He graduated from Harvard withtop honors and later earned a doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT. Dr. Bernanke then entered academia and has taught at some of the preeminent universities of our Nation. starting at Stanford before continuing at MIT and New York University and eventually ending as the Chairman of the Economics Department at Princeton University. He has also served our Nation with distinction in his roles at both the Council of Economic Advisers and the Federal Reserve. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1798}
{"speech_id":1090104647,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the newest member of the Senate Committee on Banking. Housing. and Urban Affairs. I look forward to working with Dr. Bernanke in ensuring that inflation remains in check. that our Nations deficits are addressed and dealt with in a forthright manner. and that all Americans are able to successfully participate in our countrys economy. He has a reputation of basing his decisions on sound economics. rather than ideology and partisanship. and I expect this to continue in his -new role as Chairman. Mr. President. I would be remiss if I did not also take this time to thank Alan Greenspan for his almogt two decades of service and economic stewardship as the outgoing Chairman. I am quite pleased that the President has nominated my fellow New Jerseyan. Dr. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1798}
{"speech_id":1090104647,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bernanke. to be Chairman of the Federal Reserve and am confident that he will do a good job in his new position. while making our shared State of New Jersey proud. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1798}
{"speech_id":1090104712,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to set aside a few moments today to reflect on the life of SPC Prince Koa Teewia. Prince epitomized the best of our countrys brave men and women who fought to free Iraq and to secure a new democracy in the Middle East. He exhibited unwavering courage. dutiful service to his adopted country. and above all else. honor. In the way he lived his lifeand how we remember himPrince reminds each of us how .good we can be. Born in Liberia in 1979. Prince was separated from his mother when she visited the United States. and civil war broke out in her native country. Due to security concerns. she was not allowed to return to her homeland to be with her children. After his father fled the wartorn region in 1990. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2260}
{"speech_id":1090104712,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Prince stayed with an aunt and eventually found refuge in neighboring Sierra Leone. One by one. his motfier managed to find ways for her eldest sons to join her in the United States. Prince was finally reunited with his parents when he moved to Durham. NC. in 1998 to live with friends and relatives. Shortly after his return. his parents moved to Delaware in the hopes of finding better paying employment. Prince stayed behind in North Carolina with the hopes of furthering his education and to enroll in classes at North Carolina Central Un4versity. Prince Teewia had always wanted to join the military of his adopted homeland and. in 2004. he signed up for the 101st Airborne Division. based out of Fort Campbell. KY. He had been deployed in Iraq for less than a month when he was killed on December 29. 2005. by a roadside bomb that detonated next to the humvee he was riding in. Specialist Teewia was granted full status as a U.S. citizen shortly after his death. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2260}
{"speech_id":1090104712,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This distinction was bestowed upon him because of his honorable service in the Armed Forces and his willingness to pay the ultimate cost while performing his duty in Iraq. Prince was laid to rest with full military honors in Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear. DE. on January 13. 2006. He is survived by his parents John and Rebecca. his maternal grandparents. as well as eight brothers and six sisters. I rise today to commemorate Prince. to celebrate his life. and to offer his family our support and our deepest sympathy on their tragic loss.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2260}
{"speech_id":1090104753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was saddened- today to learn of the death of Coretta Scott King. Her* work and life gave one man great strength and inspired a nation. In a lifetime. suffering and pain can envelop communities and span generations. it can also touch us intimately and immediately. When her husband was assassinated in April of 1968. Mrs. King suffered a world of loss in one .momeit. She persevered with passion and devotion. honoring the movement her husband made so strong. She taught the world that carrying on a great legacy requires more than simply remembering the words of the dead. but requires imkTE S379 buing those words with action. life. leadership. and vision. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":731}
{"speech_id":1090104753,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mrs. King has left our Nation a vital legacy of her own.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":731}
{"speech_id":1090104759,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes~its business today. it recess until 8:35 p.m. tonight. at which time the Senate will proceed as a body to the House of Representatives Chamber for the Presidents State of the Union Address. provided that upon thedissolution of the joint session. the Senate adjourn until 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday. February 1. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be .deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 325. H.R. 4297. the tax reconciliation bill. I further ask consent that following the majority leader. there be a period of morning business for up to 60 minutes. with the first 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee and the final 30 minutes under the Democratic leader or his designee. with that time counted against the underlying statutory time limitation.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1009}
{"speech_id":1090104806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Today we mourn the loss of a dignified and peaceful woman who showed us by example how to pursue change in the world. despite the costs of -that struggle. My friends in the Congress. I have known Coretta King since I went south during the civil rights movement as a lawyer. She was a vibrant. consistent. totally dedicated partner with her husband. She helped him stay strong. especially in the beginning when there were so many threats and challenges to the revolutionary idea that we would start a civil rights movement in the South itself. Many people tried to dissuade Martin from that course. As a child of the segregated South. she agreed that the movement should begin at the seat of Jim Crow. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2513}
{"speech_id":1090104806,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When faced with the loss of her husband. Coretta remained able to advance their vision of a free and equal America. She continued her husbands legacy by devoting her life to advancing racial and economic justice and for the rights. of women. children. the poor. and the homeless. She also fought for employment. education and health care opportunities for all. Most notably. this woman stood for equality and peace. the very virtues to which her husband had dedicated his life. \u0095 It was with Corettas approval that 4 ..days after Martins assassination on April 4. 1968. that I introduced a bill to name a holiday in his honor. Coretta was at the heart of this effort. as well as were .many others to continue the life and work of King. In 1969. I joined Coretta at the King Center in Atlanta to kick off the campaign for a national holiday. She orchestrated a national grassroots movement that urged passage of this legislation and would come to Congress in 1979 and 1980 and 1981 and 1982 and 1983 to testify before the Congress and urge Support of the King holiday. It was with her diligence and perseverance that that holiday bill was passed in 1983 and first observed in 1986. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2513}
{"speech_id":1090104806,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. upon the passing of Mrs. King. we will pledge to continue the King legacy as she has for the past 37 years... As the life and work of the Kings touched millions during their lifetime in this country and around the world. we here in Congress must ensute that their lives continue to impact millions more in the coming years. and that is why I am so proud to join the rest of us in supporting and urging passage of the King resolution. Mr. Speaker. I would now yield to the gentleman from North Carolina . the distinguished chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2513}
{"speech_id":1090104837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to extend my condolences to Martin King. III. Yolanda. Dexter. and Bernice -King. and to the entire King family. I was shocked and saddened this morning when I heard the news as well. I had the opportunity to speak this year at the Martin Luther King ceremonies held annually at Ebenezer Church. And for the first time in many. many years. our queen mother. Ms. ","speaker_name":"CYNTHIA MCKINNEY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090104837,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coretta Scott King. was not there with us personally at the church. but she was looking at the proceedings and the ceremony on television. One thing is fairly clear from the proceedings of the House today. and that is that the King family is loved by this body. by these Members. by the American people. by the African American community in particular. and the progressive community in general because it was the King family and their sacrifices that moved our coutntry forward. They moved America forward. And so. I am so proud to represent Stone Mountain. Georgia. that same Stone Mountain. Georgia. that Dr.. King spoke of in 1963. but today it is represented by an African American Congresswoman. It is represented by me. This country can change. ","speaker_name":"CYNTHIA MCKINNEY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090104837,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This countrys leaders can change. This country can raise to its highest ideals if we have the will to do so. And Dr. King and Mrs. King and the King family continue to shine the light on America finding that will to do the best that it can do. to be the best that it can be. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentlewoman from the U.S. Virgin Islands","speaker_name":"CYNTHIA MCKINNEY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090105042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague from Delaware. Mr. President. the issue that is going to be debated now and voted on later today and perhaps tomorrow is the revenue piece of the reconciliation bill. I know that sounds a little like a foreign language to some people. but we have a process here called reconciliation. One part of that is spending. and the other part is revenue. This is the revenue side. For all of us. the question is. As we legislate here. are we gaining ground or losing ground? Are we moving our country ahead. or are we falling behind? I listened attentively last night to the Presidents State of the Union Address. He described some of these issues. although he did not describe domestic policy in much detail. The first half hour or so was about foreign policy. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10804}
{"speech_id":1090105042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no question that Iraq is very important. The war on terrorism and national security are issues that are very important to our country..But I also believe it is important as well to begin taking care of things here at home. and we have a lot to take care of. I have told my colleagues before about a wonderful man in North Dakota called the Flying Farmer from McCody. McCody is a town of about 80 people. The Flying Farmer from McCody goes out to county fairs and State fairs and he takes an old car he fixed uphe works in a machine shopthen he puts up a ramp and jumps other cars. a daredevil kind of thing. The Flying Farmer from McCody. He jumps cars at county fairs. \u0095 But he is also in the Guinness Book of Records. John Smith. the Flying Farmer from McCody. is: in the Guinness Book of Records. He is in there because he drove a car in reverse 500 miles. averaging 36 miles an hour. I dont know who would want to drive a car in reverse 500 miles or who would want to set a record for a reverse speed of 36 miles an hour for 500 miles. but he owns the record. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10804}
{"speech_id":1090105042,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is probably a perfect metaphor for the U.S. Congresssetting records for going backward. The question for us is. Can we move forward? Can we take this country forward. move ahead. and advance this countrys interests? As we talk now about the revenue side of reconciliation. we are talking about taxes. So let me talk a bit about the tax system and where we are. In recent days. we have had an announcement by Ford Motor Company that they are deciding to cut 30.000 more jobs. They cut 10.000 last year. They are -going to cut 30.000 more workers. This follows on the heels of General Motors. General Motors an-. nounced it was going to cut 30.000 workers. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10804}
{"speech_id":1090105042,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By the way. the top guy in General Motors who is in charge of acquiring parts called all the suppliers of General Motors together. some 300 of them. the CEOs of the parts companies. and said to them this last year: You need to start outsourcing your parts production to China to bring your costs down. The parts for. General Motors. Fordshut down the jobs. move jobs to China. Is our country moving ahead or backward when we see these things? The reason I mention this Ford announcement is Ford announced that at the same time it was cutting 30.000 jobs. from the Washington Post. Ford said: Repatriation of foreign earnings pursuant to the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 resulted in a permanent tax savings of about $250 million. Let me describe that in English. What Ford said is they picked up a quarter of a billion dollars in tax breaks under the act Congress passed that they called the American Jobs Creation Act. They. announced that same day. we are cutting 30.000 people. How is it that Congress passes something called the American. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10804}
{"speech_id":1090105042,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jobs Creation Act and the company that announces it gets a quarter of billion dollars of benefit under that act at the same time tells us it got that benefit that it cuts 30.000 jobs? How does that work? Does that make sense to anybody? Do people who pass this kind of legislation and call it the Jobs Creation Act. do they seem embarrassed when they see this? It is not just Ford Motor. I should not pick on Ford Motor. But HewlettPackard brought $14.5 billion back from abroad and cut 14.500 workers. Colgate Palm6live. MotorolaI could go on. -What was this little scheme called the 2004 American Jobs Creation Act? Here is what it was. It said for those companies which have parked income overseas and have not repatriated their income yet back to this countrywhich when they do. they will owe on it with a credit for foreign taxes paidwe will give you a special deal under this Jobs Creation Act. If you bring your money back to this country. you can pay a 5.25 tax rate. That is one half the tax rate of the lowest income American who pays income taxes. So we said to the biggest companies in the world: If you bring your income back. we will give you a deal5.25 percent. That is the income tax rate you pay. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10804}
{"speech_id":1090105060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. there are other -considerations that come into this. I will put it in this perspective. First of all. I hope what he says could happen. It seems to me that. No. 1. we are kind of in an environment where we believe we are wasting some time. in the sense that we are going through a lot of procedural motions that redebate something that was decided in a bipartisan way by this body back on December 18 on a 64tosomething vote. a very bipartisan vote. Normally. what we are doing now is trying to go to conference. We are faced with a lot of amendmentssome that might be the same as what we dealt with previously. So that is kind of an environment that maybe a lot of us believe we should not have to go through because it is a waste of time. But now that is a fact of life. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1725}
{"speech_id":1090105060,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is how the Senate operates. So as what my friend. the distinguished Senator from Montana. said. it boils down to this: To the extent we can have a massive amount of transparency on what might be offered. with some limit on the number of amendments that might be offered. .and get that settled very soon. then what happened in the sense of him saying we would fill up the tree with amendments. we would not do that. That is what we would like to do. But it seems to me there fias been some inability to know exactly how many amendments might come. from the Democratic side of the aisle. what they were. and the extent to which they were germane versus nongermane. Obviously. the more that are nongermane as opposed to germane makes it even more difficult. If w6 can settle those thingsI know Senator BAUCus and I could settle those things. and we could be oh our way to not filling the tree. So far we have not seen that sort of transparency.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1725}
{"speech_id":1090105079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I intend to bring forward an amendment that will provide additional protections for Medicare beneficiaries during the. first year of the implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. And that first year is right now. since it just started. The amendment expandsthe existing 6month open enrollment period from the May 15 deadline to 6 months later. into December. It is going to give people additional time to do the research to make the best decisions. Secondly. the amendment is going to give to every. beneficiary the opportunity to make a onetime change in the plan enrollment at any point during this calendar year. 2006. Now. why is this important? Well. if .every Senator here has been hearing from their senior citizens like the Senators in Florida have been hearing fromour senior. citizens. you can certainly understand that the senior citizens are very concerned. In many cases. they are confused because of the multiplicity of plans. . As a matter of fact. in Florida. there are 18 companies offering a total of 43 standalone prescription drug plans. Now. each of those plans differs in terms of premiums. costsharing re-. quirements. drugs covered. and pharmacy access. and some of. these plans are very timeconsuming and very confusing. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2522}
{"speech_id":1090105079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So when senior citizens are telling us Senators they are confused and bewildered. we ought to \"be paying attention. Now. in some cases. the senior citizens are frightened. as well. This is because they know that come the deadline of May 15. if they have not selected a plan. they could be penalized 1 percent a month or 12 percent a year. That frightens them. What also frightens them is if they pick a plan by the deadline and then realize they made a mistake. they cannot rectify that mistake for a year. That is the source of great consternation and some fright to -senior citizens. Now. we can easily fix this. Back in November. when we had this bill before us then. I offered this amendment. It got 51 votes.\"It gota.\"majority of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2522}
{"speech_id":1090105079,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But ther. Was a point of order on the budget because there is a minor financial. consequencetothis. So under the rules of theBudgettAct. there las. to be a 60vote iajority to pass such an amendment. We .ot.51 votes. I think we have a good chance to get 60 votes now because of Senators having heard all of the confusion and the bewilderment and t he fright our senior citizens are experiencing. So I will be offering thfs amendment at the appropriate time. Madam President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2522}
{"speech_id":1090105116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the attached Wall Street Journal article. \"Iraqs Future. Our Past.\" be printed into the RECbRD. This article was written by Mr. Rastislav Kacer. Mr. Petr Kolar. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090105116,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Janusz Reiter and Mr. Andras Simonyi.. respectively. the Slovak. Czech. Polish and Hungarian Ambassadors to the United States. I applaud the Ambassadors leadership and the work of the Visegr6d Group. a partnership of their four countries. Emerging out of a shared history of dictatorship. these Central European countries strive for cooperative and democratic development. They deeply understand the challenges of an emerging democracy but champion its ultimate rewards.. Their visioitand experience are strong examples for the country of Iraq and they stand ready to lend a helping hand.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":797}
{"speech_id":1090105122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of the many things one learns as a Senator is that speaking out about autocratic. corrupt -and abusive governments invariably elicits a response. The victims of such regimes. including human rights and prodemocracy citizenswho are often imprisoned and tortured. express their appreciation. Knowfng that they have supporters halfway around the world gives them hope. The officials of those governments and their supporters respond differently. Knowing that they cannot honestlydefend their ill gotten gains and abuse of power. they do what they can do. They attack the messenger. And they do so through distortion and outright fabrication. I have made several statements about the troubling situation in Nepal. a poor country with the most majestic mountains on Earth. which has received too little attention by the Congress. It is .a country struggling against a determined Maoist insurgency that has brought extortion. brutality and false promises of a better future to virtually every province. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6055}
{"speech_id":1090105122,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is a country in which an autocratic monarchy has sought to consolidate its grip on power and take the country backwards after a decade of fledgling democracy. One year has passed since last Feliruary 1 when King Gyanendra dissolved the multiparty government. curtailed civil liberties. and imprisoned political opponents. He has ignored. appeals of the United States. India. and Great Britain. as well as the United Nations. to negotiate with the leaders of Nepals political parties on a plan to restore democracy. When the Maoists unilaterally announced and then extended a 4month ceasefire. the army and the palace rejected out of hand the suggestion that reciprocating could test the Maoists intentions and possibly create an opening for dialogue to end the conflict. What we are witnessing in Nepal is. put simply. a struggle between the discredited. anachronistic past. and the possibility of a democratic future. There is also a third possibility.A Maoist government that imposes its will on whomever\" remains -in Nepal after a mass exodi6.andlwlichihfurthrJ dgtabilizes an already tioubledreion. Predictably. thoge who have enjoyed the undeserved benefits of absolute power and privilege want to hold on to what they have. They seem to believe that the Maoists can be defeated by military force. As desirable as that might be. there is no evidence to support it. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6055}
{"speech_id":1090105122,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those who see the Kings repressive policies as reckless and playing into the hands of the Maoists. hav6 risked their freedom and their lives by calling for an inclusive democratic process. And. as the situation continues to deteriorate. calls for a r~public are growing louder. On January 24 the Maoists ended their ceasefire by triggering bombs in several locations. A few. days later they killed 12 police officers in Katmandu. They have carried out attacks in Nepalganj and other cities. causing civilian casualties. A week ago. in an apparent attempt to derail the controversial municipal elections scheduled for February 8. gunmen who are suspected of being Maoists killed a promonarchy party member in the city of Janakpur. These brutal acts should be universally condemned. There is absolutely no justification for the use of violence to terrorize civilians or to disrupt an election. But neither can it be said that the United States has an effective policy when it appears to amount to little more than blaming the Maoists and repeating over and over that the King should reach out to the political parties. He should. but for almost a year he has refused to do so and absent stronger pressure there is no reason to believe that he will. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6055}
{"speech_id":1090105122,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also begs the question of what is the legitimate role in the 21st. century. for a monarchy that has squandered its moral authority and shown no competence for governing. Three weeks ago. in the. Kings latest attempt to quell mounting public criticism of his failed policies. the palace announced a preemptive curfew and a ban on political demonstrations. Since then. hundreds of prodemocracy citizeis. including several political party leaders. .have been imprisoned around the country. Two weeks ago. the police used tear gas and water cannons to break up a rally in Katmandu. and more political protesters were arrested. The former Prime Minister remains in custody after a widely ridiculed \"trial\" by the Kings hand picked anticorruption commission. The Nepali people want peace. But nearly a year after King Gyanendra. justified his power grab as necessary to .defeat the Maoists. they are stronger and peace is more elusive. As many others have said. tle only viable way forward is through dialogue. including the Maoists. under UnitedNations or other international auspices. with. the clear purpose of developing a broadly accepted plan to restore and strengthendemocracy.To those of Nepals ruling class who. -in various opinion pieces have distorted my words. mischaracteriz6d mly record and questioned my motives. I can only say that. sooner or later they will have to face reality. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6055}
{"speech_id":1090105122,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They could help save their.country. but not if they continue to bury their heads in the sand and malign those whose only desire is to see a democratic. peaceful Nepal. Nepal is a beautiful country.with a remarkable culture. Its people. as resilient as they are. do not deserve the - hardships of caste discrimination. poverty and violence that they endure daily. The Maoists have shown no respect for the rights of civilians. But neither has the King shown that he has. a workable plan to stop Nepals downward spiral. His decision to hold municipal elections has only widened the gap between himself and the leaders of the political parties who were never consulted. who see this latest move as part of a calculated strategy to consolidate his power. and who have said they wont participate. Far more creative and persuasive leadership is uigently needed in Nepal. including from the army. as well as from the United States. India. China and other friends of Nepal. to prevent a tragic situation from becoming a disaster.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6055}
{"speech_id":1090105211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a parliamentary inquiry. if I might. Because of the State of the Union last night. and we always have the tradition of lots of former Members. I have two or three parliamentary inquiries that I would like to ask about the rules of the House governing this debate today. Under rule IV. clause 4. if I might read it. because I think most Members may not have looked at this in a while: \"former Members. Delegates and Resident Commissioners. former Parliamentarians of the House. and former elected officers and minority employees nominated and elected as officers of the House shall be entitled to the privileges of admission to the Hall of the House and rooms leading thereto only if. \"(1) they do not have any direct personal or pecuniary interest in any legislative measure pending before the House or reported by a committee. and. \"(2) they are not inthe employ of or do not represent any party or organization for the purpose of influencing. directly or indirectly. the passage. defeat or amendment of any legislative measure pending before the House reported by a committee or under consideration in any of its committees or subcommittees.\" In Mr. DREIERS prqposal. today. it specifically includes all registered lobbyists. any former Members that- are registered.","speaker_name":"VICTOR SNYDER","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1281}
{"speech_id":1090105269,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I will just clarify again. If former Members of Congress. who are registered lobbyists. being paid to represent interests. are not allowed to even enter the Chamber when we are doing our work hepe on the House floor. it is very clear there will not be a problem. I thank my friend for yielding.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090105291,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I want to close this debateby saying again that we do have a problem that exists. and we are committed to bringing about major institutional reform. Increasing the level of transparency and disclosure is a high priority. We have seen guilty pleas from lobbyists who have done things that are absolutely reprehensible. and we want to do everything that we can. in a bipartisan way. to ensure that those things iever happen again. Every American has the right to petition their government. Every single American has the right to petition their government. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090105291,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not believe that anyone should have an unfair advantage over any other American when it comes to that. That is why what we are doing here today is the right thing to do. Former Members of Congress who are registered lobbyists should not be on the House floor when the House of Representatives is doing its business. Today. we begin the work of the Second Session of the 109th Congress. and it is very apparent that we will be able to enjoy strong bipartisan support for this first step on -the road to reform. There are many other things that need to be addressed. The Speaker of the House has been working on this. I have been working with him on this issue. and he is committed to getting input from Members on both sides of the aisle and to work in a bicameral way with our colleagues who serve in the other body. I have had countless meetings with Democrats and Republicans. I have been listening to proposals. and I believe that we are going to have an opportunity to address those understandable concerns- so that the American people will once again be able to hold this institution .in high regard. It is a challenge. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090105291,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the greatest deliberative body known to man. but I believe that it is our responsibility to do what it is that we are going to do here today.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1899}
{"speech_id":1090105309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. nowhere in the CBO score for this report is there any estimates that States will lose TANF funds for failure to operate satisfactory child support programs. They would score as an additiofial Federal savings if they did. and that is just not there. I think I have answered the gentlemans question. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. .","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":379}
{"speech_id":1090105369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. both of the gentlemen are very eloquent. except they miss the overall point. which is that we are debating the technical amendments to what the House passed long before the Presidents State of the Union speech. The three changes that were made by the Senate. that we are dealing with today and that are different than what we have already voted on as a body. deal with a valuebased purchasing report. a MedPAC report. MedPAO being the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. and medical liability. Three items that. for technical rule Yeasons in the Senate. were stripped. causing the bill to be sent back over here. The timing of this. situated as it is the day after the Presidents State of the Union. is irrelevant to the overall issue. We have already voted on this except for these three changes. . Mr. Speaker. -I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":862}
{"speech_id":1090105371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. just for the gentleman from Florida. you are saying that these cuts that are. being talked about today are imaginary. or are they -real? And I would be happy to yield to the gentleman. Are they imaginary cuts or real cuts? Maybe we have got the wrong bill.","speaker_name":"HAROLD FORD","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":269}
{"speech_id":1090105379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 10 seconds. for the 13 million. families who will have to pay more money for health care. that is a cut. Because that is less money they can use on food that now they are having to use on health care. And these are the poorest people in our country. Mr. PUTNAM. *","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090105381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. It is interesting to listen to my colleagues who talk about the Presidents suggesting we invest in America and somehow they heard government only invest in America. Isnt that interesting? I can tell you that my folks that I represent in Iowa. when they hear invest in America or invest in Iowa or invest in your community. they think that means them. They think that means Americans investing in America. Unfortunately. we actually have people. ladies and gentlemen.- who believe that when somebody says invest in America. what. that means is take money from Americans. take it to WAshington. invent fancy programs. fill fancy white buildings full of bureaucrats. create all sorts of bureaucracy and red tape and paperwork. and have those bureaucrats. with our blessing. invest in America. Now. I do not know about you.. but I heard it a little differently last night. The President and I. and those of us who agree with the plan that we have adopted this year. believe in and trust that people make better decisions about their daily lives and the investment in their businesses and their families and their communities much better than the government can for them. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090105381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have a plan. That plan calls for growing the economy by letting people make those decisions with their money. We talk about money out here all the time as if it is our money. It is not our money.. Ladies and gentlemen. this is the taxpayers money. They are the ones who earn it. They are the ones who sweat for it. They are the ones who are -concerning themselves every day about ensuring that they can support themselves. let alone being able to send a little bit of it out here. And the reason why we believe. and it has worked. that we believe that reducing taxes actually helps us grow the pie is because the facts are in. In the last 17 quarters. as a result of us reducing taxes. our economy has grown. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090105381,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have heard people come out here today to say when you cut taxes it means the government is going to have less money. It is exactly the opposite. I think Tve need some of the Presidents -science and math education for maybe. even some of us. Because every time in our history that we have reduced taxes. the math shows us that the economy grows and actually more revenue comes into the Treasury. Last year was the largest increase in revenue to our Treasury.. in a year when we reduced taxes. Now. you cannot explain that unless you understand basic economics. Our plan calls for growing the economy and reducing spending. and that is exactly what we did thi\u00a7 last year. We held the line on nondefense. nonhomeland security spending. because we wanted to protect our country. but we knew we had to reform spending in the .discretionary accounts. LI 1545 Mr. Speaker. today marks the opportunity to close the books on this process. reform government spending. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090105381,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me remind you what kind of government we have got. In so many instances. we have what I believe is an ineffective Katrina bureaucracy. We saw a little bitof that down in the gulf coast. but what we all know is that same Katrina mentality.and bureaucracy permeates so much of odr bureaucracy .here in Washington. Unless .we constantly are vigilant about ensuring that we reform government at all levels. we arenever going to get our arms around fiscal discipline and fiscal responsibility. Finally. this achieves savings. not cuts. not gouging people. My goodness. the kind of rhetoric you hear out here. We are trying to make a modest.reduction. giving people at the local level. our Govenors -and our authorities at the State level some flexibility so they can deliver a much better product for the people that we care about and are concerned about. These programs need our reform. You cannot assume because you have always done it one way. just continuing it without this kind of oversight and reform will continue to get good results. These programs have gotten good results in many instances. but too many of them are not achieving the results we need. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090105381,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need those results. We canachieve savings. We have a plan to accomplish it. It allows us to do so by growing the economy. and I believe it is a fiscal plan that will continue to get us the success that we have seen. In the last 2 years. we have experienced.$200 billion of deficit reduiction as a result of this plan. I have no doubt we will hear from. one more speaker that will second guess everything that we have done. and I will remind that speaker that the President last night. while they love to quote him about everything else. also said second guessing is not a plan. is not a strategy. If you have got a plan. if you have a strategy. we would love to see it. But thus far we have not seen it. We have a plan. It is working. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4975}
{"speech_id":1090105385,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the third time. I rise in strong opposition to the Deficit Reduction Act . This is a second chance to right a wrong and I urge my colleagues to vote wisely. With a deficit of more .than $300 billion in 2005. there is little question that something needs to be done about the federal budget. But S. 1932 is nothing more than smoke and mirrors because it will actually increase thedeficit. Let me explain. Ive heard loud and clear from my constituents that they do not support this slash and burn budget. They do not want over $11 billion in cuts to student loans or $6.4 billion in cuts to Medicare. particularly at this time when the prescription drug plan is failing miserably. We already have a shortage of doctors on the Central Coast who accept Medicare patients. and this Republicandrafted bill freezes physician payments for doctors who accept Medicare patients. ","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1309}
{"speech_id":1090105385,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This misguided attempt at deficit reduction will further exacerbate our physician shortage. This kind of pennywise pdundfoolish legislation translates into a greater strain on state and local resources. And when our state. county and local governments cannot pick up the slack. families and children will only be left with smoke and mirrors. I urge my colleagues to stand up for middle class Anericans and defeat this bill.","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1309}
{"speech_id":1090105389,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report. The draconian slashes. presently included in the report will cause serious harm to the millions of lowincome children and families. elderly and disabled individuals who rely on Medicaid for essential health and longterm services and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for critical income support. Of particular concern is the impact of Medicaid cuts on persons living with HIV\/AIDS. Nationally. as well as in New York state. Medicaid is the single largest provider of health care for persons living with HIVIAIDS. There are an estimated 72.000 HIVinfected New Yorkers that are enrolled in Medicaid.. This is a critical payer of health care for poor persons living with HIV. The proposed changes to the Medicaid system in the budget reconciliation bill would severely limit the ability of poor people with chronic health donditions to afford medical care and lifesaving medications. ","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2281}
{"speech_id":1090105389,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many residents of the 10th Congressional District of Brooklyn rely on Medicaid to access lifesustaining health care services and medications. I am strongly opposed to the Medicaid slashes because they especially jeopardize the lives of these individuals. who are among the most vulnerable in my district. Also of grave concern is.the negative impact of these slashes on education. This report includes the largest cut to financial aid in history. The significant cuts to the student loan program places an. unfair burden on students and families in pursuit of the American dream of higher education. Many students. especially those studying at public universities like the City College of. New York (CUNY). already face financial hardships. These student loan - program cuts will make it even more difficult for Struggling students to complete their education and will also force them to pay thousands of extra dollars back on their student loans. Clearly. this is unacceptable in our great Nation. I urge all Members of Congress today to stand in agreement and rise up in opposition to this Budget Reconciliation Conference Report. ","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2281}
{"speech_id":1090105389,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The draconian slashes included in the re- port will prove disastrous to the health and wellbeing of the American people.","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2281}
{"speech_id":1090105421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I do not believe that any of us in the backdrop of 9\/11 have changed our attitude about the consistency and the value and the importance and the crucialness of fighting the war on terror. With not enough time to pursue that debate. let me simply say that this extension is crucial for a reasonable response to the needs of the American people to have their liberty protected. And I read very quickly a statement from \"O4 Liberty.\" written in 1859: \"Protection therefore against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough. There needs protection against also the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling.\" .This is an importaht extension. and I wish it were longer because it is crucial that we investigate beyond the infringement on library records. beyond the infringement in terms of wiretapping. is the Presidents NSA terrorist surveillance program and. the lack of use of FISA. 01615 FISA is an effective tool. and as I heard the President use the term. to be hit again. obviously striking at the fear and the hearts of Americans. None of us want to be hit again. but we do want to protect our civil liberties. This extension will allow that very effective debate. and we will get the right way to fix the PATRIOT Act and protectAmerica. One of our Founding Fathers. John Quincy Adams. made the following statement regarding the importance of civil liberties: Individual lilberty is individual power. and as the power of a community is a mass compounded of individual powers. the nation which enjoys the most freedom must necessarily be in proportion to its numbers the most powerful nation. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6001}
{"speech_id":1090105421,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have in my hand a copy of chapter 1 of John Stuart Mills On Liberty. written in 1859. Selections of this chapter are quite fitting for todays proceeding: Protection. therefore. against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough. there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling. against the tendency of society to impose. by other means than civil penalties. its oibn ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them. to fetter the development. and. if possible. prevent the formation. of any individuality not in harmony with its ways. and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of its own. There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence. and to find that limit. and maintain it against encroachment. is. as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs. as protection against political despotism. (emphasis added). We passed the PATRIOT Act in 2001 6 weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11. While the actual bill passed by wide margins in both Chambers ot Congress. I made. the record clearly reflect my strong reservations about provisions that pose serious threats to fundamental freedoms and civil liberties. In my capacity as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. I joined a caucus of members in submitting letters to the administration and to the Department of Justice requesting docuinentation and statements that speak to the protection of individual rights in light of the -potentially dangerous provisions contained within the bill. Congress included in the bill a \"sunset clause\" that provides an expiration date for over a dozen provisions on December 31. 2005 unless we act to renew them. This fact was the impetus behind several hearings held by the committee in the first session of the 109th Congress. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6001}
{"speech_id":1090105421,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the most talked about issues surrounding the PATRIOT Act is the Presidents authority to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance searchesin essence. execute an order that allows the National Security Agency. NSA. to monitor. without a warrant. the international. and sometimes domestic. telephone calls and. email messages of hundreds and possibly even thousands of citizens and legal residents inside the United States. I do not oppose the monitoring of telephone calls and email messages when it is necessary for national security reasons. I oppose engaging in such monitoring without a warrant as the law specifies. We have a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that was established for the sole purpose of issuing such warrants when they are justified. That court should have been allowed to decide whether the telephone calls and email messages of American citizens and legal residents is justified by security needs. Doing this kind of survelirance without a warrant is illegal. The day after this monitoring became public. President Bush admitted that he had authorized it but argued that he had the authority to do so. According to the President. his. order was \"fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities.\" But his constitutional duty is to \"take care that the.laws be faithfully executed\". article II. section 3. the law here clearly establishes welldefined procedures. for eavesdropping on U.S. persons. and the fact: is. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6001}
{"speech_id":1090105421,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President Bush ordered that thoset procedures. not be followed.. Further. from astatutory argument point of view. it is not credible that the 2001 authorization to use. force provides authority for the.President to ignore the requirements of FISA. It is very doubtful that the courts would sustain the President on this basis. From a constitutional standpoint. the President can try to make a case.. although it is weak. that he does have constitutional authority to conduct warrantless wiretaps of American citizens in the U.S.. for national security purposes. Because the Supreme Court has never said he does not have this power. some regard it as an open question.. However. passage of FISA seriously undermines this argument. In closing let me note that this 6week ex.tension is not enoubh time to resolve the important issues that surround the PATRIOT Act. Further I am very disappointed. but not surprised that the Republicans have not been willing to come to the table to meet with us in an effort to come to some middle ground.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6001}
{"speech_id":1090105471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the life. and legacy of Mrs. Coretta Scott King and to add my support to H. Res. 655 honoring the life of this extraordinary woman. As much as w6 loved and respected Mrs. King. her family has suffered an even greater loss. To the King childrenYolanda. Martin Ill. Dexter..and Bernice. know that you have our deepest heartfelt sympathy. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2780}
{"speech_id":1090105471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hailed as the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement. Coretta Scott King had to endure injustices at an early age. Born in Heiberger. Alabama and raised on the farm of her par.ents Bernice McMurry Scott. and Obadiah Scott. she was exposed at an early age to the injustices of life in a segregated society. She walked five miles a day to attend the oneroom Crossroad School in Marion. Alabama. while the White students rode buses to an allWhite school closer by. Yet through it all. young Coretta excelled at her studies. particularly music. and was valedictorian of her graduating class at Lincoln High School. She graduated in 1945 and received a scholarship to Antioch College in YeIlow Springs. Ohio. As an undergraduate. she took an active interest in the emerging civil rights movement. and joined the Antioch chapter of the NAACP. as well as the colleges Race Relations and Civi] Liberties Committees. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2780}
{"speech_id":1090105471,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Her life would be forever changed when she met a young theology student. Martin Luther King. Jr. They were married on June 18. 1953. in a ceremony conducted by Kings father. the Rev. Martin Luther King. Sr. . Coretta Scott King. was very supportive to her husband during themost turbulent days of the American civil rights movement. After his assassination in Memphis. Tennessee. on April 4. 1968. she kept his dream alive while also raising their four children. In her own words. she was \"more determined than ever that her husbands dream would become a reality.\" For more than a decade. she worked tirelessly to have her husbands birthday observed as a national holiday. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2780}
{"speech_id":1090105471,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Her determination would payoff when it was first celebrated in 1986. \u0095 .In 1969. she established the Martin Luther. King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. dedicated both to scholarship and to activism. With fierce determination and undying strength. Mrs. King worked to keep Dr. Kings ideology of equality for all people at theforefront of peoples minds. She picked up the baton when it was dropped by her husbands assassination and continued to move forward in the civil rights arena. In her own wdrds. \"We must make our hearts instruments of peace and nonviolence. because when the heart is right. the mind and the body will follow.\" She exemplified courage. strength. and a deep compassion for justice. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2780}
{"speech_id":1090105471,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coretta Scott King will be remembered as one of Americas greatest treasures and will be forever missed.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2780}
{"speech_id":1090105477,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia . who has shown his interest in the ideals of Dr. King by joining the Committee on the Judiciary in connection with th6 Voter Rights Act extension which is currently under debate.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090105491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Speaker. during the last 2 days. the eulogies that have been given on behalf of Mrs. King hit the nail on the head. This was a woman who became a widow when her husband was tragically assassinated and had very young children. and she could have withdrawn from society and spent all of her time and all of her efforts raising those kids to become grown men and grown women. She did more than that. She knew that it was her destiny to barry on her assassinated husbands legacy. and -that is why we have heard such eloquent speeches on both sides of the aisle on behalf of this resolution which I was honored to introduce. May God have mercy on the soul of Coretta Scott King. and may she join the angels and saints in paradise. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":835}
{"speech_id":1090105491,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I urge the adoption of this resolution.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":835}
{"speech_id":1090105493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the great Coretta Scott King. perhaps best known as being the wife of the Reverend Martin Luther King. was. like her husband. a pioneer in the civil rights field in her own right. Rising from the dust of rural poverty of a small. town in Alabama. she will be remembered as being an outstanding advocate of ra- . cial peace and nonviolent social change. Ms. King was a strong woman. one of the few women leaders in a civil rights movement which. at the time. consisted almost exclusively of men. Mrs. King was one of the first who broke the mold. A mother of four. which in and of itself is more than a full days work. she also was a woman who took on a high profile position in the civil rights movement in a most difficult time of conflict in our country. Soon after the death of the late Martin Luther King. she quickly developed her own voice and even her own causes. Although there was some overlap with her husbands battles. she broadened the civil rights agenda quite a bit. focusing on the inclusion of women in our society here at home. speaking out against the war in Vietnam. and promoting peace internationally. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3572}
{"speech_id":1090105493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She quickly moved on to stand in for her late husband at the Poor Peoples Campaign at the Lincoln Memorial on June 19. 1968. just two months after his assassination. At the Memorial. she spoke not just about the Reverends vision. but also about her own. a vision about gender as well as race. wherein she called upon American women to \"unite and form a solid block of women power to fight the three great evils of racism. poverty. and war.\" She then joined the board of directors of the National Organization for Women. as well as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and became widely identified with a broad array of international human rights issues. rather than being focused primarily on race here in the United States. This broadened .view. she went on to say. was her way of carrying on the legacy of her husband. the great Reverend Martin Luther King. In doing so. she led the effort to memorialize Dr. King. and was the greatest advocate for a national holiday in his honor. which came to fruition on January 20th in 1986. and has been celebrated on the third Monday in January every year since then. She later founded the Martin Luther King. Jr. Center for NonViolent Social Change in Atlanta. an institution dedicated to scholarships and activism. with the purpose of continuing on his work and providing a research center for scholars studying the civil rights era. To the end. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3572}
{"speech_id":1090105493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"King remained to be a most loved woman by all. Often compared to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as a woman who overcame tragedy. held her family together and then became an inspirational presence around the world. Her admirers always said that Mrs. King took on a particularly difficult task. that of. carrying on her husbands work and teachingswith a sense of spirit and purpose that made her more than just a symbolic figure. but a true leader. Indeed. her death is a heartfelt loss. not only for African Americans. but for our Nation. I wholeheartedly believe that the people of our Nation need to work to uphold the legacy of these two brave women and the civil rights movement. which. although it has come a long way. has taken recent strides in the wrong direction under a more than callous Republican leadership. Mrs. King was a most inspirational woman. whose unwavering spirit stepped in to continue the struggle for the ideals of the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. All of my heart and prayers go out to the King family.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3572}
{"speech_id":1090105497,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to remember the life and accomplishments an extraordinary. womanmy friendMrs. Coretta Scott King. I was surprised and deeply saddened to learn of Mrs. Kings passing yesterday morning. Mrs. King and I were friends and confidants for many years. She was an incredible woman--graceful and dignifiedwho showed strength in the face of indignation and tragedy. Coretta Scott King was a committed activist in the civil rights movement even before she met Dr. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1376}
{"speech_id":1090105497,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"King. After they married. she was with him every step of the waysupporting him and promoting the philosophy of nonviolence. Following Dr. Kings assassination. she continued his legacy promoting social and economic justice for all. Mrs. King was determined to make his dream a reality. She did all this while remaining committed to her family and raising her children. Mrs. King made it her mission to spread the message of peace. She was not just an American. but a citizen of the world. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1376}
{"speech_id":1090105497,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As human beings. we are blessed to- have known her compassion and dedication. It has been said that the ultimate measure of a persons life is the extent. to which they made the world a better place. Coretta Scott Kings work has forever shaped the way we treat each other as human beings. Her passing marks the end of an era. It is up to all of us to honor her dedication and continue the struggle for equality.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1376}
{"speech_id":1090105512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I risetoday to recognize the passing of one of the strongest and most inspirational AfricanAmerican women in our countrys history: Mrs. Coretta Scott King.. .Mrs. King was not the person referred to in the clich6 ... she was not the. \"good woman behind a great man.\" She was the determined. intelligent woman who stood right alongside him.. When Coretta Scott married Doctor Martin Luther King. Junior. she had already led an impressive life of her own.. She. had already established herself as a role model. Coretta Scott graduated at the top of her high school.class in Alabama. and was accepted at Antioch College in Ohio. and later at the New England Conservatory .of Music in Boston. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2081}
{"speech_id":1090105512,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She had a scholarship to the music school that covered her tuition. but she- was not too proud to take a jobcleaning stairwells to pay for her (oom and meals. It was in Boston when Coretta Scott met her futurehusbandMartin Luther King. Junior. and her journey as.not only the wifebut the partner of a man who would change the way Americans lived. had just begun. From the Montgomery bus boycott. to outbreaks of racial violence in the streets. to a bombing at the Kings residence in 1956. Mrs. King stood by her and her husbands dreams of racial equality. And with the bad. came the goodMrs. King was there for her Doctor Kings uplifting sermons. his many trips abroad and his- Have a Dream\" speechon the National Mall. -After experiencing such a tumultuous. unpredictable life as the wife of a great civil rights leader. some thought Mrs. King would choose to lead a quiet lifeleaving the spotlight after her husbands untimely death. Instead. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2081}
{"speech_id":1090105512,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coretta Scott King chose to carry on her the fight. Until her health started to fail her -last year. she continued to speak out against injustice. and promote fairness and equality among all men. To quote the late Mrs. King. \"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.\" This is a fitting epithet for the great American. the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement. Mrs. Coretta Scott King.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JEFFERSON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2081}
{"speech_id":1090105548,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am transmitting a status report on the current levels of onbudget spending and revenues for fiscal year 2006 and for the fiveyear period .of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. This report is necessary to facilitate the application of sections 302 and 311 of the Congressional Budget Act and section 401 of the conference report on the concurrent resolution on the budget for fis-. cal year 2006 . This status report is current through January 27. 2006. The term \"current level\" refers to the amounts of spending and revenues estimated for each fiscal year based on laws enacted or awaiting the Presidents signature. The first table -in the report compares the current levels of total budget authority. outlays. and revenues with the aggregate levels set forth by H. Con. Res. 95. This comparison is needed to enforce section 311 (a) of the Budget Act. which creates a point of order against measures that would breach the budget resolutions aggregate levels. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2856}
{"speech_id":1090105548,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The table does not show budget authority and outlays for years after fiscal year 2006 because those years are not considered for enforcement of spending aggregates. The second table compares. by authorizing committee. the current levels of budget authority and outlays for discretionary action with the \"section 302(a)\" allocations made under H. Con. Res. 95 for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal years 2006 through 2010. \"Discretionary ac- tion\" refers to legislation enacted after the adoption of the budget resolution. This comparison is needed to enforce section 302(f) of the Budget Act. which creates a point of order against measures that would breach the section 302(a) discretionary action allocation of new budget authority for the committee that reported the measure. It is also needed to implement section 311(b). which exempts committees that comply with their allocation from the point of order under section 311 (a). The third table compares the current levels. of the discretionary appropriations for fiscal year 2006 with the \"section 302(b)\" suballocations of discretionary budget authority and outlays among Appropriations subcommittees. The comparison is also needed to enforce section 302(f) of the Budget Act because the point of order under that section equally applies to measures that would breach the applicable section 302(b) suballocations as well as the 302(a) allocation. The fourth table gives the current level for 2007 of accounts identified for advanceappropriations under section 401 of H. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2856}
{"speech_id":1090105548,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Con. Res. 95. This list is needed to enforce section 401 of the budget resolution. which creates a point of order against appropriation bills or amendments thereto that contain advance appropriations that are: (i) identified in the statement of managers or (ii) would cause the aggregate amount of such appropriations to exceed the level specifibd in the resolution.","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2856}
{"speech_id":1090105565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as always. I profoundly appreciate the privilege to address this body and on a subject matter before us that we have not had the opportunity to debate and deliberate within this Chamber and one of the broader subjects that I would like to address in this upcoming 60 minutes. Mr. Speaker. is the Presidents Statb of the Union address last night. I have a copy in my hand here. the one I took notes on as he spoke in this Chamber last night. Before I move into that. Mr. Speaker. I would like to address a couple of subject matters that were raised by one of the previous speakers and point out that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. this seems to be something that is debated across this country intensively by the mainstream media. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090105565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It fits within the same category of the PATRIOT Act which we extended at least from this floor today. I sat through in the Judiciary Committee at least part .if not all of the 12 to 13 hearings that we hAd. and we asked continually. give us some names. give us some specific examples of sOmeone who had their rights trampled or abused or usurped under the PATRIOT Act and I say also under FISA. The criticism continues. Mr. Speaker. but I still continue to ask. name.the case. name the individual. give me the circumstances by which these laws that have protected us so well have been abused by anyone this administration or the opening by which that might be done. I have not heard that answer. and I continue to ask that question. This country has not been attacked because we have been prudent in our surveillance. This surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been used by many Pre~idents and only challenged now after it was brought forward in the New York Times. the very morning that there is a PATRIOT Act vote in the United -States Senate. I would question the motives of that newspaper that sat on that story for a year. We need .to continue to ask that question and what was the motive of the paper. and by the way. what was the motive of the Members of this body and the other body when they had been briefed on FISA and those kind of foreign intelligence surveillance. they did not seem to have an objection when they were briefed. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090105565,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They only had an objection when they were briefed by the media. We have a larger responsibility than that. Mr. Speaker. and I would point that out. Also. one of the previous speakers addressed the issue of \"our addition to foreign oil.\" I.would ask those people. help uis use this domestic supply of energy that we have. Let us unlock ANWR. let us unlock the Outer Continental Shelf. Let us develop these don.estic supplies of renewable energies that we have. Let us join together in.a bipartisan effort to grow the size of. this energy pie. So those two in response to the previous remarks that were made. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090105565,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. and then I would also address the idea. the President covered a whole series of subject matters last night. Our national defense is one. Energy is another. Education is anbther. Of course. one of the key components to our national security is immigration. border. enforcement. and here with us tonight to address the border security issue and border enforcement and I expect will have some kind words to say about our brave border patrol is the gentleman from Florida to whom I would be pleased to yield to.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090105588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. the\" burden has been the Americhn burden. the American taxpayer. Mr. Speaker. I must say that it is very important. Mr. RYAN was speaking about this whole honest leadership piece. and I think it is important. We know that we have some Members .that have made some bad decisions. and we are not going focus on that. and past Members. People make mistakes. I am just going to fall on the side that people make mistakes. C 2000 But when you have institutions such as this one that is making mistakes that cost American taxpayer more money. that is when we have a problem. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090105588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. the good thing about this is in the next 9 months the American people Will be able to make some decisions. It is something that we have in the U.S. Constitution. You know. when -you come to the House all of us have to run every couple of years. I call it a time where we are judged by all of our constituents throughout this country.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090105606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The European markets when they opened. they said ha. You know. they were concerned because before the speech it was all of this talk about what he was going to say. Bdt they did not even respond to. whatthe President said. because they did not even take him seriously. So I think it is important that we. understand. that the Members understand. it is not about the President of the United States. It is about what this House is going to do on behalf of the American people. That is what it is about.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":500}
{"speech_id":1090105768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. if I might just take 1 minute. I deeply thankas they say in the other bodythe gentlelady from California. for her noble comments and for her support. The West Virginia delegation in the House and the Senate is pleased at her expressions of support. We are glad to have that support. West Virginia is proud of the California delegation. the delegation that stands with us in this hour of sorrow. I thank the Senator from California for yielding and for her support.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":481}
{"speech_id":1090105795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. through the Chair. in response. I certainly hope so. I believe we are in a position to do so. but it depends on how many amendments we have. Once we start voting. we will keep the amendments very tight. Both the Democrat leader and I said we hoped it would not come to this point to have a votearama. but that is what it will be. I believe we can finish it tonight. The only hesitation is how much cooperation we get from our side of the aisle and your side of the aisle. If we do not finish tonight. we will continue tomorrow until we complete the legislation.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":576}
{"speech_id":1090105811,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My\" friend. from Iowa came to the floor to speak a bit this morning on a couple of subjects I spoke abqut yesterday. Let me again say. I have very high regard for Senator GRASSLEY. We worked together on a good number of issues. I enjoy working with him. But there are times when you have disagreements on policy. and we certainly have that on an issue I am going to talk about. It is an issue he talked about this morning as well. Actually. there are a couple of tax issues. Before I do. however. I want to just make a slight correction to the remarks that were made by the Senator from Pennsylvania a few minutes ago. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10783}
{"speech_id":1090105811,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I heard. him say the Democrats were holding up this .bill on. I guessI think he said a technicality. I think he said it was a technicality. I think that was the impression he intended to leave. obstruct or holding this up on a technicality. I guess the techificality is our interest in offering amendments. I know to some that is not a pleasant thing around here. to have people offer amendments and actually debate them and vote on them. but that is the way the system works. The reason there are not amendments offered--and I would try to offer one right now. but I wouldbe unable to offer oneis because the majority party has done sornething that is called filling the tree. It is a parliamentary procedure to make sure every branch of this legislative tree is filled so that no one is allowed to offer an amendment. For example. while this bill is on the floor. under the rules of the Senate. I should be able to offer an amendment. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10783}
{"speech_id":1090105811,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The majority party decided to fill the tree. as it is called. so no one on this side may offer an amendment. So when my colleague from Pennsylvania said the Democratic side of the aisle is using a! technicalitywhatever. I forget his term exactlyto hold this up. I am sorry that is not what is happening at all. He made a poiht that I share. I think It would be great to work together. I think there ought to be less rancid partisanship and we ought to find ways to work together to do the Nations business. We. after all. represent the same interests. We represent the interests of this country. I hope we represent the L interests of the American people. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10783}
{"speech_id":1090105811,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I b wouldlike to find areas where we can work together. - In this case. however. let me just say r there is no obstruction going on here. L The only obstruction is we are obstructed from being able to offer an amendment which in ordinary circumstances the rules of the Senate would permit. I regret that. I wish the majority party would have allowed me. I would have. offered the amendment yesterday. in fact. and I would offer it right now. I have an amendment to offer. I guess we will vote on it later because you will have to have a circumstance where we can offer the amendment. I suppose the purpose is to allow amendments to be offered when all time is expired so there is no debate that is allowed. I guess that is probably the purpose. But I did want to disabuse anyone of the notion left by my colleague from Pennsylvania that somehow it is this side that is hanging all of this up. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10783}
{"speech_id":1090105811,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It may be inconvenient to have people offer. amendments in the Senate. but there are a couple of fundred years of tradition of this inconvenience. The inconvenience is to be able to offer ideas. debate the ideas in the form of an amendment. and then have a vote. and the vote determines whether the idea that is offered represents public policy that the full Senate will accept. Let me just respond to a couple of things niy distinguished colleague from Iowa has said. Yesterday. I gave a presentation talking about something called deferral. I know most of these things sound like foreign language around here. Deferral of income tax obligations is what it is. If a company does business overseas. an American company does business oversefts and earns income overseas. at some point when it brings those profits. that income back to our country. they will be required to pay an income tax to our country for the income they have earned. They will get a credit. actually. against taxes they paid to a foreign country so they will not be doubletaxed. But when they repatriate that income. as it is called. they have to pay a tax. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10783}
{"speech_id":1090105822,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I came to the floor this afternoon to spend a few minutes speaking in support of the BingamanRockefellerMurray Medicare drug REPAIR amendment that we -will be seeing this afternoon. I came to the floor to urge my colleagues to support this amendment so we can address the immediate crisis facing our most vulnerable citizens. I wish wewere here debating a real fix to the Medicare Modernization Act. but unfortunately the Senate leadership has placed a lot higher priority on tax cuts than on providing reliable access to prescription drugs for lowincome seniors and the disabled. so we are here today debating that. I know the chairman of the Finance Committee was on the floor earlier talking about the relevanQe of this amendment. the BingamanRockefellerMurray Medicare drug REPAIR amendment. but this is the first piece of legislation that we have had on the floor since the rollout of the Medicare prescription I drug bill. Offering this amendment on this tax bill is our only 6ption. I What this amendment does is ensure that our lowincome seniors and our disabledwho are often technically referred to as dualsare at least ensured of a 30day supply of lifesaving. drugs. regardless\\ of any communication or data exchange problem. It simply ensures that States and pharmacies and beneficiaries who have had .to provide coverage to those who have fallen through the cracks in this rolling out of the Medicare prescription drug bill receive just and fair reimbursemenf. Finally. it will end the confusion facing any. of our duals. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6783}
{"speech_id":1090105822,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And for any of my colleagues who have not been out in their States since January 1. I will tell you there is tremendous confusion and conflict and people are falling through the cracks and we need to end that confusion so they know whether. in fact. they qualify for assistance. . Because of the tremendous data and outreach problems. many of these socalled duals have been told they have to meet a $250 deductible before their plan is going to cover their prescription drugs.. If they are eligible today for Medicare and Medicaid. they are as-\" sumed eligible at the. drugstore. I have listened to Secretary Leavitt and CMS Administrator McClellan reassure all of us that they are acting to fix these problems. I am here today to applaud their attention and their commitment and their recognition of the tremendous challenges out there. particularly for our duals. as this prescription drug rollout bill is -occurring. I only wish they. had listened last November when I offered an amendment to provide a 6month transition and predicted the dire straits that we are now in before this was rolled out. I will say they have been responsive since January 1 But all of the steps that have been implemented are worthless if there is no education of our pharmacists and our seniors. or if there .is no aggressive oversight and enforcement. Saying that they are just going to work to ensure the plans honor their commitment is not the same as saying plans will be required by law to honor that commitment. It doesnt do a senior any good to be told we are going to hold plans accountable. and they still do not have any access. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6783}
{"speech_id":1090105822,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are a humber of problems with this flawed structure. but I think it is critical that we address the immediate crisis for those people who have very few options. If anyone on this floor today thinks this is fixed. or these problems are going to go away. I want them to know they are sadly mistaken. I have traveled around my home State of Washington since August. I am not hearing that things are getting any better. I have people come to forums that I am holding where I try to give them information. and every forum I have had. time after time. there are new problems. new challenges: pharmacists are falling through the cracks. doctors who dont know how to deal with their patients. longterm care facilities that are at their wits end. and certainly the mental health advocates who are telling us we have people who could be in serious crisis very soon if we dont address these problems. There is a lot of frustration. There is a tremendous amount of panic for these dual eligibles that they are being denied access to lifesaving drugs. and to lowincome seniors. especially those in group homes. who cant afford the added burden of copayments. It is wrong for us to sit here and say this is going to get worked out. I think it is our responsibility. to stand up today. at our very first opportunity. and make sure we fix this Medicare prescription drug plan. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6783}
{"speech_id":1090105822,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This week. my Governor. as many Governors who have been facing this at home on the ground. joined with me in urging the Federal Government to fix this mess. I want to quote her. She said: All we are asking is dont make these people worse off than they were. Our Governors office. as many Governors offices. has been flooded with calls about this prescription drug plan. She says some of these people are telling her they would rather take their own life than deal with the situation. I have sat in forums in my State where people have said that to me. to my face. as well. These are people with mental health problems.. they are elderly. they are having trouble working through the system. It is too much for them. They cannot deal with the copayments for the first timeand that is not what our country should be about. It does not sound to me like things are getting better and the kinks are getting worked out. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6783}
{"speech_id":1090105822,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress promised in 2005. they promised to people in this country access to affordable prescription drug coverage. It is clear they are not getting that\u0095 today. We know these problems cannot be fixed through some kind of administrative action alone. We here in Congress have an obligation to act and not follow CMS. \" I I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and send a message to those who are living. literally. in fear today that Congress is not going to .wait and we are going to do the right thing I do not agree that this is not the bill to deal with this issue. I wish we had another bill in front of us. I Wish we had an actual fixin front of us. Butwe cannot waitto work through the next several weeks and then the budget process and everything else coming down the pike to deal with this issue. We are talking about real individuals in real commupities who are not getting access to their prescription drugs because 6f the challenges that CMS is facing as this plan is rolled out. and we have an obligation to act. I urge my colleagues to support the BingamanRockefellerMurray drug REPAIR amendment and get a fix in place so peoples lives are not in crisis. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6783}
{"speech_id":1090105840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the pending substitute amendment. I encourage my colleagues to support it as well. I almost need a flow chart to explain how we got here. But because of several events. there is now more room for tax cuts. Yes. you heard right: more tax cuts. We should tread carefully. though. rather than dive in. We have an opportunity to show responsibility. And I think that this substitute does just that. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5474}
{"speech_id":1090105840,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me first explain how we got here. As my colleagues will recall. the tax reconciliation bill that we passed last November included muchneeded- relief for the Gulf States affected by Hurricane Katrina. Congress passed and enacted those incentives separately in December. Further. our tax bill allocation was limited by the fact that the spending reconciliation bill had not been enacted. The House is expected to pass that bill today. clearing it for the President. The bottom line is that this bill can accommodate $18 billion more in tax cuts. We have an opportunity here to show some responsibility. And the responsible thing to do is to pass another. year of extenders. Otherwise. we will be right back here in a few months to pass those extenders. Or since it is an election year. we will be back during a lame duck session considering the same set of expiring provisions. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5474}
{"speech_id":1090105840,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are very popular. bipartisan tax cuts we extend year after year. But we neer have the resources in any given year to make them permanent. This list of annual extenders includes several proven tax incentives. Businesses are encouraged to do more U.S.based research and create highpaying jobs. Longterm Welfare recipients and others who are hard to employ are given job opportunities through an employer credit. And teachers who reach into their pockets to pay for classroom supplies can get a small deduction for their expenses. These tax incentives were all part of . the original Senate reconciliation bill. But in that bill. they were limited to one year. Now. Chairman GRASSLEY and I are pleased to offer this amended version today to extend- these provisions through the end of next year. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5474}
{"speech_id":1090105840,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We will thus provide certainty to businesses. workers. and teachers. * We know we will all vote to extend these provisions. if pressed at the end of the year to do so. We should take this opportunity now to provide these tax incentives through the end of 2007. It is the responsible thing to do. Individual and business taxpayers will be thankful. Mr. President. before us now are a series of amendments. I have a list of 21 Democratic amendments. I have a list of eight Republican amendments. with promises of more amendments on that side of the aisle. depending upon the course we take today. Pending a few moments ago. first was an amendment by the majority leader to permanently extend the child tax credit. That is a very popular amendment. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5474}
{"speech_id":1090105840,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I supportI think most of my colleagues domextending the child tax credit. I daresay that most Senators on both sides of the aisle would probably strongly support extension of the child tax credit. Senator TALENT. the author. however. has expressed his will to convert his amendment to a sense of the Senate. The majority promises to offer the full version later. Because of the Nations record on budget deficits. I would prefer that we paid for the pending amendment. But because of the procedural posture in which we .find ourselves. we will not have that choice. So we.will be faced with an unattractive choice of voting for an appealing tax cut without paying for it or voting against an appealing tax cut. After this amendment from the other side. we have been promised similar votes on measures. to extend marriage penalty relief. estate tax.relief. Social Security tax relief. 10 .lercent tkx bracket relief. and so on. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5474}
{"speech_id":1090105964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I move to waive all provisions of the Budget Act and budget resolutions necessary for consideration of the pending amendment to this bill. and for inclusion of the language of the pending amendment in the consideration of an amendment between the Houses. I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":298}
{"speech_id":1090105980,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. again I raise a budget point of order. I ask unanimous consent it be exactly the same as the previous one on the last two bills. I ask unanimous consent to waive all provisions of the Budget Act and budget resolutions necessary for the consideration of the pending amendment to this bill and for the inclusion of the language of the pending amendment in the consideration of one amendment between the Housesan amendment.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090106062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last year. I joined with Senators ENZI. HAGEL and ALLARD to introduce S. 1562. the Safe and Fair Deposit Insurance Act of 2005. legislation to overhaul and reform this countrys deposit insurance system. I also wish to thank Senator BEN NELSON for joining us as a cosponsor. I have been closely tied to deposit insurance reform for many years. and I am pleased to see that my strong commitment to this issue will result in the enactment of critical reforms that will provide tangible benefits.to financial institutions and their customers. Many of my colleagues on the Banking Committee will recall when I first introduced the Main Street Act back in 2000. We have come a long way since then. The legislation that is now making its way to President Bushs desk is the result of many years of debate and careful deliberation. and has garnered strong bipartisan support along the way. The enactment of this legislation will mark a notable milestone in the history of banking and financial services in this country. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090106062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Deposit insurance is one -of the cornerstones of our countrys financial system. and it is espe.cially critical to our Nations smaller financial institutions and community banks. I am pleased that we are giving the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union Administration the requisite tools to appropriately operate and manage the newly merged deposit insurance fund and assess premiums based on the risks that institutions pose to the system. These reforms were long overdue. It is imperative that the framework of deposit insurance that was established to promote the stability and soundness of our banking system not fall victim to the political process or become static but rather be appropriately reformed and dynamic enough to keep pace with the evolution of that system. The key reforms embodied in the legislation will promote depositor confidence by ensuring that depositors hardearned money. from the funds that cover daily living expenses to funds they are saving for retirement and a rainy day. will continue to be insured against risks over which they have no control.. By merging the bank insurance fund with the savings association insurance fund. we create a stronger and more diversified fund. and eliminate the possibility for disparities in premiums between banks and thrifts. Implementing a system of riskbased insurance premiums will ensure that banks pay based on the risk they pose to the system. and the FDIC will be able to price insurance premiums accordingly. By increasing the level of coverage for retirement accounts to $250.000. we are. adjusting for the real- value of coverage. and will promote financial stability for individual retirees. In the current environment. with the uncertainty surrounding Social Security and pension benefits. it is critical that we provide appropriate coverage for the hardworking Americans who have saved for their retirement and longterm needs. I -would again like to recognize the banking community -in South Dakota for the invaluable and critical role they have played in this process over the past 5 years. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090106062,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I truly appreciate the input and recommendations that I have received from the industry overall. I would also like to thank Chairman SHELBY. and Ranking Member SARBANES for their leadership. Senators ENZI. HAGEL and ALLARD for the many hours of hard work. and former FDIC Chairman Don Powell for his commitment to deposit insurance reform and tremendous leadership.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090106066,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing \"The Medicare Part D Reform Act of 2006.\" This bill is necessary to address some of the major problems in the Medicare prescription drug benefit that took effect on Janqary1 of thisyear. As we all .know. the reaction of our seniors has been widespread disappointment. mass confusion and downright anger. Let me describe some of the problems that I am hearing from people in Michigan about this new Medicare prescription drug benefit. First. many drug companies have previously issued discount cards and are currently providing drugs to lowincome people and seniors at a nominal or no cost. These are individuals usually at 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. which is 19.600 for a single person or $26.400 for a couple. while to qualify for the Medicare lowincome subsidy. their income must be $14.700 for a single personor $19.800 for a couple. Many of these programs are being discontinued. and seniors are losing a","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":961}
{"speech_id":1090106083,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. February 2. 2006. for a committee hearing titled \"The Jobs for Veterans Act Three Years Later: Are VETS Employment Programs Working for Veterans?\" The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10:30 a.m.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":384}
{"speech_id":1090106131,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. President Bush made an announcement of something he calls the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. It is part of the Presidents 2007 budget for the U.S. Department of Energy. In that budget. at a time when there is not much extra money. there is $250 million to deal with the objectives of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. Part of the initiative we have heard about before. It calls for advanced technology for nuclear reactorsreactors from which we can produce clean energy. reactors which are smaller than the reactors that we have today that produce about 20 percent of all the electricity we use in the United States. But I want to call attention to a part of the Presidents proposal which we have not heard much about beforeat least from himthat is the part about reprocessing and recycling the fuel that is used in nuclear reactors. That has been something we havent been doing in the United States for a long time. except in limited cases. and it is something that requires a great deal of attention. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7028}
{"speech_id":1090106131,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My hope is that. while it is a small part of a large budget. the idea of reprocessing and recycling spent fuel from nuclear reactors would have a significant. measured. and careful bipartisan discussion on the floor of the Senate. Even though it is a small part of the big budget. dealing with the issue of reprocessing spent fuel can make a big difference in the solution to a number of large problems. For example. whether we are able to deal with global warming within a generation. the only technology we have. of which I am aware. which will produce large amounts of carbonfree energy which would permit the United States and the world to reasonably hope to deal with global warming in this generation is nuclear power. Even though it is 20 percent of our electricity in the United States today. it produces 70 percent of the carbonfree electricity. Solving the reprocessing and recycling problem which deals with the issue of energy independenceand it has been talked a lot about on both sides of the aisleif we want to be independent of other countries. we have to have ways to produce large amounts of energy in a clean way. And other than conservation and efficiency. nuclear power. in my judgment. is the only way to do that today. A third area has to do with clean air. We have other forms of energy production such as coal. a very important form. but coal still produces large amounts of sulfur and nitrogen pollution. It produces mercury. The idea of recapturing the carbon and the integrated gasification process of making that coalproduced electricity clean is something we still have a lot of work to do on. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7028}
{"speech_id":1090106131,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dealing with reprocessing will have a lot to do with solving the problems of proliferation concerns that we have about other countries getting hold of spent fuel and turning it into material that can produce nuclear weapons. We read about it every day in terms of Iran and North Korea. It has to do with a balance of payments in the United States. Some country is going to produce these advanced nuclear technology powerplants. Russia. for example. might produce 30 or 40 of these. When it does. it will have the technology available to sell those powerplants to India. China. and other parts of the world where they need large amounts of energy which is clean. The United States will be left behind if we are not a part of that process. I have mentioned all of these issues as if they were American issuesglobal warming. energy independence. clean air. proliferation. balance of payments. These are worldwide issues. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7028}
{"speech_id":1090106131,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By one account. 30 percent of pollution in the Los Angeles basin comes from Asia. If India and China arent able to deal with the global warming issue. with the clean air issues. and with the proliferation issue. every American will be affected. Today. there are about 430 nuclear reactors in the world being used to produce electricity. About 100 are in the United States. We have a classified numbermaybe it is about the sameof them which have been used in our nuclear Navy since the 1950s. It is not difficult to imagine a world with 1.000 nuclear reactors. There are 124 nuclear reactors on the drawing board today. or under construction. Until recently. none of those were in the United States. We havent built one new nuclear powerplant from scratch since the 1970s. It is very odd because we have a large demand in this country for large amounts of lowcost. clean energy. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7028}
{"speech_id":1090106131,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We invented the technology. We have used it in our Navy since the 1950s without a single incident. France is now about 80 percent reliant on electricity from nuclear powers. And Japan. which suffered under our use of nuclear weapons. has used nuclear power to produce electricity. Things though are changing. While nuclear power has some problems. so does every other alternative for producing the large amounts of energy that we and the world needs. Coal. which I mentioned. produces pollutants. and no one has yet produced a way to deal with all of the carbon that is produced by coal to make it the strategy for future. Many environmental groupsI am one of those persons who is hopeful about thatbut the idea of recapturing such large amounts of carbon and putting it underground is something we havent able to do yet. Drilling for new oil produces lots of arguments in this body and close votes. Importing oil produces many resolutions and arguments in this body as well. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7028}
{"speech_id":1090106167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. under the order entered on Thursday. this vote will occur at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. We will continue with debate on the motion to proceed today and through tomorrow. I hope cloture will be invoked and we will then be able to begin debate on this important underlying legislation. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":340}
{"speech_id":1090106175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise late in the afternoon. early evening. in remembrance of a great patriotic leader. a person who I think was Americas greatest leader of the 20th century and one of historys alltime adherence advocates and leaders for freedom. individual freedom. liberty. and the advancement of security for free and just societies. The gentleman I am talking about would have been 95 years old today. and that is Ronald Wilson Reagan. I would hope. actually. on future birthdays. the date of the birth of Ronald Wilson Reagan. some Senator will stand in this Chamber and remind Americans and remember Ronald Reagan. his words. his ideas. and his inspiration. Ronald Reagan was one who motivated me to get involved in organized politics. and there are literally tens of thousands of others. There are certain people. though. if one looks through history. whose words are ones you can use. they are just enduring principles. I think of Thomas Jefferson. John Locke. George Washington. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11755}
{"speech_id":1090106175,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"James Madison. Benjamin Franklin. Mark Twainall those great quotes from Mark Twaineven Will Rogers. But in our day. the person for inspiration. to help us decide how to meet the challenges of our day. was Ronald Reagan. President Reagan did leave the White House 17 years ago. For some young people. this seems like a long time ago. President Reagans words and deeds are still so applicable today. He left our world 2 years ago. but we are still living in the wake of the Reagan era. It was Ronald Reagan. lets remember. along with Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II. who fundamentally changed all the dynamics of the Cold War. to bury communism and advance human liberty. While many in those days accepted the perpetual menace of communism and the perpetual servitude of millions of men and women locked behind the Iron Curtain. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11755}
{"speech_id":1090106175,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ronald Reagan did not. His philosophy toward the Cold War was radically different from the elite sages of the establishment. As Governor of California and then also as President. he offered very clear and refreshing ideas. He was asked one time: Mr. Reagan. what is your strategy on the Cold War? He declared: About the Cold War. my view is that we win and they lose. He came into office as President. In his inaugural address in 1981. he called for an era of national renewal. and this was something very important after the years of malaise that we had in the late 1970s. That is exactly what his 8year Presidency turned out to bean era of national renewal for security. for opportunity. and for foundational values. The Reagan revolution reversed the high unemployment. high inflation. economic policies of the 1970s and unleashed the greatest economic boom in American history. His policies proved that low taxes are good for the taxpayers. and they are also good for the economy. with more investment and more jobs and. for those who care about it. generating more revenue for the Government. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11755}
{"speech_id":1090106175,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After his tax cuts started to impact the economy in 1983. the wheels of American commerce started to move again. We saw an explosion of job creation. innovation. and investment. In foreign affairs. President Reagan scrapped the policy of coexistence. He made the advancement of freedom. not containment. into the foundational principle of Americas foreign policy. He rebuilt Americas military strength. He started and initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative which put unprecedented strains on the Soviet economy and their ability to finance their military. He refused to be cowed into silence when talking about our enemy or the evils of communism. He called the Soviet Union an evil empire. Oh. they criticized him. but. indeed. that was an accurate description. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11755}
{"speech_id":1090106175,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was a vocal. tireless champion for freedom. He went to Brandenburg Gate in 1987 and boldly said. \"Mr. Gorbachev. tear down this wall.\" He was criticized. but 2 years later. the Berlin Wall was gone. and 2 years after. the Soviet Union itself was gone. discarded into the \"ash heap of history.\". as Ronald Reagan prophesied during the depths of the Cold War. Today. because of Ronald Reagan. there are literally hundreds of millions of people who were once locked behind the Iron Curtain living in countries we now know as free countriesLithuania. Latvia. Estonia. former East Germany. Poland. the Czech Republic. Slovakia. Hungary. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11755}
{"speech_id":1090106260,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the Chamber this afternoon to support the asbestos reform bill. S. 852. This bill is simply about helping victims. It is about doing the right thing for extremely sick individuals. It is about doing the right thing for very sick people by compensating them quickly and fairly. As we know. this bill addresses the asbestos litigation crisis by removing most cases from the court system and paying claims from a national trust fund. using money contributed by company defendants and insurance companies. Let me say up front that removing cases from our court system is not something we should ever do lightly. Our civil justice system usually works well. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10268}
{"speech_id":1090106260,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our State and Federal courts are a vital part of our system of government. That is where cases should normally be. Our court system. as a rule. ensures a level of fairness and justice for our citizens that is second to none. and I dont like removing cases from that system. But our justice system is not perfect. Unfortunately. we all know that our justice system. in this case. has failed to deal with the asbestos crisis. The system is not adequately protecting the rights of victims. nor is it adequately protecting the rights of defendants. In fact. the system has been overwhelmed by asbestos litigation. The numbers tell the story. The sheer volume of claims is staggering. More than 750.000 individuals have made claims for asbestos exposure. and approximately 300.000 of those claims are still pending. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10268}
{"speech_id":1090106260,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The most recent Rand study estimates that anywhere between 2.5 million and 3.3 million individuals could make claims in the future. Part of the problem is the unusual nature of the illnesses caused by exposure to asbestos. Specifically. there is a long latency period between exposure to asbestos and the actual illness or impairment. In other words. people can be exposed to asbestos for long periods of time but usually dont show symptoms of illness for 25 or 30 years. Not everybody exposed to asbestos gets sick. but our tort system requires a potential victim to file a claim for injury within a year or two of discovering the potential harm. So a vast majority of people who are filing claims are not actually sick at that time. and many may not ever get sick. but to protect their legal rights. they file suit. This enormous volume of lawsuitsagain. many from people who are not ill at that time--crowds court dockets. slows the decisionmaking on claims from those who are sick. and imposes huge costs on defendants. As more and more defendants are pushed toward bankruptcy. actual payments to victims are diminished. Perversely. the process creates a greater incentive to sue immediately because someone who has been exposed to asbestoseven if he or she has no symptomsmay decide to sue now or take the risk that nobody will be left to pay a claim down the road. This increases the problem. and the cycle of excessive litigation and decreasing payments to victims continues. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10268}
{"speech_id":1090106260,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a result. justice is not being served. Many victims wind up with no one to sue and receive pennies on the dollar for their claims from asbestos bankruptcy trusts. That is not right. That is not just. That is not fair to these victims. We have to do something about that. On the other extreme. a few victims receive huge awards or settlements that are. frankly. sometimes out of proportion to their injuries. The bottom line is that very few people are compensated fairly. and more and more victims face a risk of never being compensated at all for asbestosrelated illnesses. It is our responsibility in the Senate to deal with this crisis. We simply must not wait any longer to act. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10268}
{"speech_id":1090106260,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must take steps to help the victims of asbestos exposure. and the bill we have in front of us today does just that. There is another critical problem we have to address with regard to asbestos. and that is the issue of jobs. Not only is the current mass of litigation hurting victims. but it is also causing tremendous problems for the business community and. subsequently. of course. for the creation and retention of jobs. which hurts workers. As more and more businesses are drawn into this endless cycle of litigation. more and more money is being spent on legal fees. These costs. and the uncertainty that engulfs these businesses. make it harder to invest in improving their companies and creating new jobs. In fact. asbestos liability is actually bankrupting many potential defendants. It has gotten to the point where claims are now being brought against businesses that have a very remote connection with the manufacture of asbestos. So the impact of asbestos claims today is simply overwhelmingnot just to some of our Nations largest companies but to our small businesses as well. This is not just some abstract or academic problem. When businesses are harmed. workers are harmed. too. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10268}
{"speech_id":1090106262,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on the asbestos bill and to indicate my support for the cloture motion which will be voted on at 6 oclock this afternoon. For over 15 years now. believe it or not. the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly urged Congress to create a solution to this asbestos crisis. In 1997. in a case called Amchen Products v. Windsor. Justice Ginsburg wrote this: The argument is sensibly made that a nationwide administrative claims processing regime would provide the most secure. fair. and efficient means of compensating victims of asbestos exposure. This is exactly what we are trying to do in this effort. It is true it is not easy to do. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12084}
{"speech_id":1090106262,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is true it has taken many years of hearings in the Judiciary Committee. and it is true efforts to draft this legislation have been ongoing for many years. but I would like to take this opportunity to commend the chairman and ranking member of our committee. Senator SPECTER and Senator LEAHY. for their tireless efforts to develop a true bipartisan compromise. and I know it hasnt been easy. Before discussing the specifics of this legislation. I think it is important to remember what has brought us here and why so many of us have spent hundreds of hours working through the complex issues in trying to develop a nofault administrative solution. As has been stated. the pivotal question before this body is. Will a victim be better off in a trust fund. or will they be better off in the tort system? I believe that overall a victim will be better off in this trust fund. Up to this point. more than 70 American companies have filed for bankruptcy caused by asbestos liability. This has cost the American economy up to 60.000 jobs. Each displaced worker from a bankrupt company will lose on average an estimated $25.000 to $50.000 in wages over his or her career because of periods of unemployment and the likelihood of having to take a new job paying a lower salary. This impact is not limited to workers who lose their jobs. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12084}
{"speech_id":1090106262,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For the workers who are able to keep their jobs at these companies. they can expect an average 25percent reduction in the value of their pensions. And for every 10 jobs lost to an asbestos bankruptcy. a community will lose 8 additional jobs. At least four companies headquartered in my home State of California have been bankrupted from asbestos lawsuits. Additionally. 41 companies with current or former operations in California have been sued or are currently facing lawsuits. They include: Allwood Door Company. Ashland. Atlas Corporation. Bechtel. Bethlehem Steel. California Portland Cement Company. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12084}
{"speech_id":1090106262,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Celotex. Dow Chemical. Exxon Mobil. Federal Mogul. Flintkote. Gencorp. Georgia Pacific. Goodrich Aerospace. Hill Brothers Chemical Company. Honeywell. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12084}
{"speech_id":1090106262,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jacuzzi Brands. JM A\/C Pipe Corporation. Kaiser Cement. Kelly Moore Paint. Metalclad Insulation. National Gypsum. National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. Norton and Sons of California. Occidental Petroleum. OwensIllinois California Container. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12084}
{"speech_id":1090106282,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator from Alabama will yield to me for a very brief comment about his presentation before moving on. I wish to thank him for those comments. I think he has accurately described the serious problem caused by asbestos in this country in terms of injuring workers. injuring people who are exposed to asbestos who are not workers but from materials carried home. the tremendous impact on the economy. the bankruptcies. He has addressed in a very forceful way the spurious. unmeritorious allegation about lobbyists having bought their way on to the floor with this bill. I appreciated all of his speech. but I especially appreciated the passion there. I ask unanimous consent that the printed RECORD reflect the passion. The printer is going to have to figure out some way to reflect the passion.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":816}
{"speech_id":1090106308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They found that the CBO underestimated the number of cancer victims who will likely file claims with the fund. Based on this and other factors. Bates White concluded that the real cost estimate for the trust fund should be double what it now is. During floor debate this morning. the distinguished senior Senator from Pennsylvania. the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. explained what will happen if the trust fund runs out of money. He said: We have within the structure of the bill a vision that the administrator can make a reevaluation going through certain preconditions so if it looks like we will exceed the $140 billion we can make modifications in medical standards and criteria and stay within the $140 billion. In other words. if the fund runs short. fewer victims are eligible or those who are eligible will get less money. So there are real consequences to this underfunded trust fund. It will hurt victims. The only alternative is that taxpayers will be left to fund the shortfall. Even if the trust fund was adequately funded. the claim system established by the FAIR Act is fraught with defects that would prevent many victims from recovering what they deserve. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2810}
{"speech_id":1090106308,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. startup provisions are unfair. As soon as the bill is enacted. the ability of asbestos victims to claim compensation in the court system is cut off. There is no better example of this than what happens to veterans. Also. the bankruptcy court trust funds that are now compensating victims will be shut down. depriving victims of needed compensation. Second. the bill is unfair to victims with pending or settled court cases. Rather than permit asbestos claims to continue in court while the fund is being established. the bill imposes an immediate 2year stay of nearly all asbestos cases. The bills language is so broad that a trial about to begin would be stopped and an appellate ruling about to be handed down would be barred. Third. the sunset process under the legislation leaves too much uncertainty. If the fund fails to operate as promised. instead of allowing victims to return to court. this legislation allows the administrator of the fund to allow or recommend any number of measures he feels important to salvage the program. As Senator SPECTER said this morning. this means that fewer victims may recover. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2810}
{"speech_id":1090106308,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fourth. the bill requires some victims to prove that asbestos was a \"substantial contributing factor\" to their disease. a higher burden than victims must meet in court. where it is sufficient to show that asbestos exposure was a contributing factor. no matter how substantial a factor. I want to make sure Senator SPECTER has time to complete his statement. so I ask the time for the vote. which is now set for 6 oclock. not begin at that time so Senator SPECTER is allowed time to finish his statement.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2810}
{"speech_id":1090106320,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am not going to ask for any additional time. Mr. President. because of the interruptions and the disorderall of which is directedto finish my sentenceto the companies which sustained financial hardship. I made a repeated offer. yesterday and today. in speaking about the bill. inviting any Senator who has a constituent who has a problem to come talk to us. We will try to work to a solution of the problem. And you do not have to have a Senator if you are a constituent. If anybody is watching these proceedings on CSPAN2. come to my office. My staff and I. Senator LEAHY and his staff. and the Judiciary Committee generally. will try to find an accommodation and an answer. The Senator from Vermont is back on the floor. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2752}
{"speech_id":1090106320,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am glad he has come back because I wanted to make this comment about the bipartisanship of the Judiciary Committee. what we haveaccomplished. as a sign for what this body can do. It is an open secret that the rancor and the partisanship and the bickering is at an alltime high in the Senatean alltime high. And there is much talk about the good old days when there was comity and there was collegiality in the Senate. Well. Senator LEAHY and I have restored that to the Judiciary Committee. And we have produced this bipartisan bill on asbestos reform. We do not make any representation that it is a perfect bill or that it is a bill which cannot be improved. We are open for business to improve and change the bill. But that brings me to a New York Times editorial which I think is of note as to what PAT LEAHY and ARLEN SPECTER have accomplished with our committee and what this body can accomplish. This is what the New York Times had to say. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2752}
{"speech_id":1090106320,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In a complimentary line. they refer to the assiduous effort that PAT LEAHY and ARLEN SPECTER made. and then say: That makes it a 21stcentury rarity: a thoughtful bipartisan compromise on a vexing national problem. I think it is a sad day for the Senate. a very sad day. when it is a 21st century rarity that there is a thoughtful. bipartisan compromise on a vexing national problem. We have a great many vexing national problems. I believe they can be solved on a bipartisan effort so it does not become a 21st century rarity. I am glad to see that however we have gotten there. that the votes were present by midafternoon to shut off this filibuster and that we can now go forward to debate on the merits so the American people can see our analysis of the problems and our proposed solutions and our openness to modifications to produce the best possible bill because the system which we have at the present time is an anathema and a travesty and unworthy of the American judicial system. I thank the Chair and yield to my distinguished colleague. the assistant majority leader.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2752}
{"speech_id":1090106335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we had a very important vote today on asbestos. and we will be proceeding to that bill tomorrow. It is a bill that I feel passionately about. a billas I shared with my colleagues who were with me earlier today in Atlanta at the funeralthat reflects. to me. the very best of what this body should be reflecting. that is. compassion for those victims who today are not being compensated. who suffer from asbestos exposure with mesothelioma. with lung cancer. with asbestosis. who today are not getting taken care of. In a sense. they are not getting appropriate compensation. just compensation. either in terms of time in which the decisions are made or in the amount of resources that are to be directed to them. So now is the time for us to address this important issue. It is a jobs issue. We talk about 150.000 people who have lost their jobs. We talk about the 77 companies that have gone bankruptnot as companies but as employers. And when they go bankrupt. thousands and thousands of people lose their pensions and the jobs are lost. Now is our opportunity. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1658}
{"speech_id":1090106335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just yesterday. I know there were a lot of statements made by those on the other side of the aisle that we should stop this bill. it is a bad bill. we should not be addressing it and using postponing procedural moves and delay. But we just cant delay anymore. I am delighted with the outcome of the vote today which shows that this body is ready to take up this important issue. We will be going to that issue tomorrow. and I look forward to addressing. through debate and amendments. an issue that will have a huge impact on peoples lives both right now and well into the future.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1658}
{"speech_id":1090106338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a young man from Arkansas who recently lost his life while heroically serving our Nation in uniform. SPC Dustin Kendall will be remembered by those who knew him as a charming and charismatic young man. who was beloved by his friends and family and had a special gift for bringing smiles to the faces of everyone he met. Growing up with a brother and four sisters. Specialist Kendall spent his childhood as many children do: playing sports. causing mischief. and enjoying the company of his family and friends. As the son of missionaries. he spent his childhood in a variety of places and wherever he ended up. his outgoing and friendly nature was sure to follow. These qualities allowed him to make friends quickly and adapt to new surroundings. and that was certainly the case when his family moved to Bryant. an Arkansas town just south of Little Rock. in 2002. In Bryant. Specialist Kendall worked at a local restaurant. where he became a favorite of the regular customers. while he finished his schooling. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2731}
{"speech_id":1090106338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Later. when his parents moved to Europe to continue their missionary work. he stayed in Arkansas to continue classes at the University of Central Arkansas in nearby Conway. At UCA. he studied business but was considering following one of his passions and pursuing a career in golf. possibly in golfcourse design. As a student. Specialist Kendall joined the U.S. Army Reserve for primarily financial reasons but. over time. came to enjoy his military life and was ultimately considering a career in the Army. Upon signing up for active duty last summer. he was stationed at Fort Carson. CO. before being deployed with his unit to Iraq in November of 2005. In Iraq. Specialist Kendall served with the 68th Armor Regiment of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team. where he served with distinction. most recently as a bodyguard for an Army colonel. Tragically. he was killed on January 15 in Baqouba. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2731}
{"speech_id":1090106338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iraq. when his military humvee was accidentally struck by an American Abrams tank. He was 21 years old. A memorial service was held for Specialist Kendall on January 21. in Summerville. SC. Many of his friends and his family gathered to remember the charming young man with the infectious smile and to honor the brave soldier who had given his life in the fight for freedom. Although words cannot convey the sorrow felt by his loved ones. I hope they may find some solace remembering the way he lived his life and knowing that he touched the lives of so many others. My thoughts and prayers go out to his parents. Brandi Lee and Penelope Jean. his brother and his sisters. and to all those who knew and loved him. His time with us was far too short but his spirit will live on in us forever.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2731}
{"speech_id":1090106350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to cosponsor the bill offered by the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. This legislation would require the Secretary of the Interior to offer for oil and gas lease certain lands within the original Lease Sale 181 Area in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area. The lease sale is to be conducted within 1 year after the date of enactment of the legislation. The original Lease Sale 181 Area was proposed in 1997 by the Clinton administration after negotiations with the late Governor Lawton Chiles. The area to be leased under the bill includes only a portion of the original sale area. and does nothing to affect areas currently under congressional moratoria or Presidential withdrawal. No part of the area to be leased under the bill is closer than 100 miles from the Florida coastline. The socalled \"stovepipe\" portion of the original lease sale area is not included in the area to be leased under the bill. Leasing east of the Military Mission line under the bill can occur only with the prior written agreement of the Secretary of Defense that such area can be developed in a manner that will not interfere with military activities. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2676}
{"speech_id":1090106350,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The area to be leased under the bill is estimated to contain some 6.03Tcf of natural gas and 0.93 billion barrels of oil. In this time of record high oil and gas prices. these energy resources can make a significant contribution to our domestic energy supply. Much of the necessary energy infrastructure is already in place in this region. so production can come online and be marketed in the near term. The lease sale is to take place within a year after the date of enactment of the provision. This time frame is intended to allow full compliance with all applicable environmental laws. It is our expectation that expeditious. but complete. environmental compliance will be undertaken by the relevant agencies. I regret that large portions of this sale area were previously made off limits by the current administration. In 2001. Secretary Norton reduced the size of the area to be offered in Lease Sale 181 from 5.9 million acres to 1.5 million acres. This action took off the table over 61 percent of the gas resources. some 7 Tcf. and 5percent of the oil resources. about a billion barrels. estimated to be in the original area. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2676}
{"speech_id":1090106350,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Directing the Secretary to offer for lease these additional portions of the Lease Sale 181 Area is one thing that the Congress can do to address our energy situation in the near term. It is past time to proceed with leasing the area that would be made available by the bill. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. By Mr. DOMENICI:","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2676}
{"speech_id":1090106362,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday. February 7. 2006. at 10 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to hear testimony on \"The Presidents Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Proposal.\" The following witness is scheduled to testify: The Honorable John W. Snow. Secretary. U.S. Department of the Treasury.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":381}
{"speech_id":1090106435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"of -South Carolina. Mr. Speaker. I applaud the President for submitting a budget proposal that will meet Americas needs while maintaining fiscal accountability and responsibility. He understands that if you are going to ask everybody to tighten lip the pursestrings. you have tobe at.the front of the line. The American people dont expect us to agree on everything. but as Members of this great body they expect us to stop complaining about the issues before usand start working together to find solutions for our children and our grandchildren. I hope someday I am down here. debating the. Government Waste Reduction Act. which would slow the growth of government by 5 percent and reduce the deficit by an estimated $510. billion over 5 years. But until then. I will look forward to working with my colleagues on the Budget Committee. ","speaker_name":"JAMES BARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090106435,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Republicans and Democrats alike. as we move through this process. In submitting this budget. President Bush has set the tone and given Congress .a great starting point. It is now up to us to act.","speaker_name":"JAMES BARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090106438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there has been a lot of news coming from the field of stem cell research lately. but it is all just a new variation on an old theme: Ethical or \"adult stem cell\" research is working. Research thatkills embryos. embryonic stem cell research. is not. While embryonic stem cell researchs leading scientist has been disgraced for his research .fabrications. adult stem cell researchers are announcing new breakthroughs. One research .group recently announced the development of a machine capable of taking adult Stem cells from fat tissue and adapting them to treat other tissue damaged by heart.disease and heart attacks. In a different study released recently. researchers have been able to turn adult muscle stem cells into cartilage. and in animal studies this regenerated cartilage has been used to treat damage caused by arthritis. These studies add to the evergrowing list of treatments and cures that come from noncontroversial adult stem cells. Meanwhile. stem cell research involving the destruction ofhuman embryos continues to be plagued by tumors. rejection. and research scandals. As we address this issue this year. we would do well to keep this in mind. what is working and what is not.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1211}
{"speech_id":1090106462,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. allowing me to wrap up here. As we congratulate this new generation of Steelers who we are excited about. it is a good time to also remember those who got us so many memories in the past: Terry Bradshaw! Lynn Swann. Joe Greene. Franco Harris. Blount. Lambert. Wagner.. and. of course. the. great coach Chuck Noll. They built a team. along with the Rooneys. in which the dynasty was set. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090106462,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And it is an exciting time for Pittsburgh to celebrate. Pittsburghers and everywhere around the world in the Steelers Nation to celebrate the new generation of Steelers. As a Congress we take our hats off to all of the NFL players who work so hard and maintain that tenacity and dignity on and off the field and show what America is about. As I talked to soldiers overseas and saw Steelers banners hanging there as well as many other NFL banners. it was always fascinating for me to see how people from overseas still clung to the hopes that their hometown teams gave them. Indeed. it is a message that goes to people all throughout the world for the Steelers Nation of what it means to be a team that was counted down and out but ended up on top. It is something of a lesson we can .all remember as Americans of what this great team. the Super Steelers. have taught us.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090106472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. .4456. offered by the distinguished gentleman from Arkansas . would designate the post office building in Jonesboro. Arkansas. as the \"Hattie Caraway Station.\" All members of the Arkansas. delegation have cosponsored this legislation. Hattie Wyatt Caraway was born on February1. 1878. near Bakerville. Tennessee. After marrying her husband Thaddeus Caraway. the couple moved on to Jonesboro. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1627}
{"speech_id":1090106472,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Arkansas. - where Thaddeus started his political career by being elected into the U.S. House of Representatives. He served as a Democrat in the House from 1912 until 1921. when .he successfully ran for the Senate. He served in that capacity until he passed away in 1931.. In the same year. Arkansas Governor Harvey Parnell appointed Hattie Caraway to serve out the rest of her late husbands term. She was confirmed by a special election on January 12. 1932. becoming the first woman elected to the United States Senate. .( 1500 While serving as a Senator in 1933. Caraway became the first woman to Senates presiding officer. When Caraway was defeated in her reelection efforts in 1944 by William Fulbright. her fellow Senators honored .her with a standing ovation on the Senate floor. Her service to our country did not go unnoticed. and her groundbreaking accomplishments paved the way for women everywhere. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1627}
{"speech_id":1090106472,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At this time in our history. women had won the right to vote only 25 years earlier. I ask all Members to join me in honoring this courageous woman who helped shape our Nations history by passing H.R. 4456. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1627}
{"speech_id":1090106478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I suspect that we have exhausted our requests for time. but let me just say that I am pleased to join with both these- gentlemen from the State of Arkansas in supporting this legislation. As a former resident of the State of Arkansas. I thought I knew about its history. but this is one that had actually escaped me. I did not know that Hattie Wyatt Caraway was the first woman elected to the United States Senate. I did not know that Arkansas had been the recipient of that act and of that action. and I certainly want to join with my colleagues in suggesting that it is indeed fitting and proper that we name the post office at Jonesboro. Arkansas. after Senator Hattie Caraway. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":787}
{"speech_id":1090106478,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.\u00b0","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":787}
{"speech_id":1090106517,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding me this time. and I rise to recognize the contributions of Catholic schools to Chicago .and to the Nation. Children all across America have benefited from Catholic education. I applaud these schools for their long commitment to education. to a value system and character development. and to developing the kind of lifestyles that students as well as adults need to seek. . There are almost 8.000 Catholic schools nationwide. Illinois is one of the 10 States with the highest enrollment of Catholic students.. with over 181.000 students in 538 schools in the State. In Chicago. as in other urban areas. Catholic schools play an important role in providing quality academic training for children and youth. Indeed. the archdiocese of Chicago is the second largest Catholic school system in the Nation. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2634}
{"speech_id":1090106517,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are 34 outstanding Catholic schools in my congressional district. and I recognize all of them as being outstanding. as a matter of fact. some of the very best schools in the Nation. such as Saint Ignatius Prep. known nationally as an outstanding school. But all of them are outstanding schools. They do an exceptional job. Catholic schools. however. like all other components of education. Mr. Speaker. are facing difficult times. And almost every time I meet with residents and students and staff. we are all trying to figure out how do we keep the resources available to keep these educational institutions intact. .So I would hope that as the year goes bn and as we discuss and debate education. that we will find ways to put as much resources into education as we possibly can. knowing that the investment will pay off in the end. Again. I salute the Catholic schools for their outstanding contributions. and I would like to recite for the RECORD those in my district. which are as follows: Chicago Jesuit Academy. Divine Infant Jesus School. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2634}
{"speech_id":1090106517,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Divine Providence School. St. Bernardine School. St. Edmund School. St. Jerome School. St. Stanislaus Kostka. St. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2634}
{"speech_id":1090106517,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Elizabeth School. St. Helen School. Children of Peace.School. Santa Lucia School. St. Pius V School. St. Therese School. Visitation School. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2634}
{"speech_id":1090106517,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"St. Domitilla School. Ascension School. St. Giles School. St. Luke School. St. Vincent Ferrer School. Old St. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2634}
{"speech_id":1090106529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I wish to submit these comments for extension of remarks. I would like to speak in strong support of H. Res. 657. a resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic Schools and thank Mr. KENNEDY for his good work. As a proud graduate of St. Georges Elementary School. St. John the Baptist High School. and Fordham University. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3244}
{"speech_id":1090106529,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know firsthand the great value of a Catholic School education. Catholic school has been a longstanding tradition in my family. My three sons graduated from Catholic schools prepared for the challenges they -have faced in their professional and personal lives. As we celebrate the 32nd Annual Catholic Schools Week. I am proud to report that Catholic schools continue to play a vibrant and integral role inthe educational and cultural life of our Nation. Today. nearly 2.5 million children attend Catholic elementary. middle and high schools. Minority enrollment is nearly 30 percent and nonCatholic enrollment is over 13 percent of the total. There are nearly 400 Catholic schools in my home. State of New Jersey alone. serving nearly 130.000 students. and many of these schools serve our urban districts. Impressively. the student\/teacher ratio in Catholic schools is 15:1. a ratio which provides teachers the opportunity to truly get to know the individual needs and strengths of the student body. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3244}
{"speech_id":1090106529,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Catholic schools provide a disciplined. multifaceted educational experience for children. A Catholic education merges critical thinking and knowledgebased learning with a spirit of tolerance. empathy and service to others. This unique approach is exemplified in the theme of this years Catholic Schools Week: Character. Compassion. Values. Teaching students to serve their communities and to develop fundamental human values - enhances selfesteem and enthusiasm. brings abstract subjects to life. and empowers students to think about worlds beyond their own. It may also have a significant salutary effect on academic performance. Recent studies have demonstrated that Catholic students consistently perform up to a very high standard on tests assessing reading. writing. math and science abilities. What transpires during the education of each and every child has repercussions beyond the classroom: It will shape the character of the country that we will become. That is why I would like to thank the Catholic Schools of America for the tremendous success they have had in producing a student body well educated and well prepared to take an active role in strengthening our society.. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3244}
{"speech_id":1090106529,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is perfectly illustrated in the generous response that Cathoic schools students have had toward students devastated by the recent hurricane in Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama. Catholic students delivered more than $1 million to Katrina students and opened their hearts and schools to thousands of victims. After the hurricane. New Orleans. with its deep Catholic roots. had 52.000 displaced students enroll in Catholic schools around the Nation. and Biloxi and Mobile had thousands more. This is only one example of the contributions that Catholic Schools are making to our society. I am pleased to add my voice to the chorus of those who celebrate and honor the achievements of these valuable institutions.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3244}
{"speech_id":1090106537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Catholic schools of Pittsburgh. Catholic schools around the country will celebrate National Catholic Schools Week from January 29 until February 4. 2006. National Catholic Schools Week is a week to promote Catholic schools. Every year there is a theme for the week. and schools hold special events for the students and their families. This year about 8.200 schools nationally will -be participating in and celebrating the theme. \"Catholic Schools: Character. Compassion. Values.\" I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring National Catholic Schools Week. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":807}
{"speech_id":1090106537,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute the Catholic schools of Pittsburgh.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":807}
{"speech_id":1090106552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today as the sponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 331 to honor the now 16 West Virginia miners who have lost their livei in coalmining accidents this year. I want to thank the Nation. I want to thank the Nation for their outpouring of concerns. prayers. and sympathy. You have fortified us as West Virginians. On the morning of January 2. an explosion rocked the Sago Mine in. Upshur County. West Viiginia. Thirteen men were trapped 260 feet below the surface. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5738}
{"speech_id":1090106552,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One. Randal McCloy. suffered serious injuries resulting from a lack of oxygen. yet he miraculously survived. Twelve other miners. Tom Anderson. Alva M. Bennett. James Bennett. Jerry Groves. Junior Hamner. Terry Helms. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5738}
{"speech_id":1090106552,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jesse Jones. Dave Lewis. Martin Toler. Fred Ware. Jackie Weaver. and Marshall Winans were killed in that tragedy. Only 2 weeks later. another accident struck at the Aracoma Alma Mine in Logan County. West Virginia. taking the lives of Don Israel Bragg and Elvis Hatfield. Sadly. just last week. Edmund Vance and Paul Moss were killed in separate mining accidents in Boone County. West Virginia. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5738}
{"speech_id":1090106552,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These men made the ultimate sacrifice doing a job that is vital to our Nation. Over 50 percent of. Americas electricity comes from coal. and our West Virginia veins run with an abundance of coal. Mining is the profession most closely identified with West Virginia. not only because of our States abundant supply of the resource. but because of the character of our people. Coal is in our blood. whether we work in the mines or not. our heritage andour souls are coalfired. West Virginians are proud and hardworking people with a deep devotion to our country. Martin Toler. one of the Sago miners wrote to his family while he lay dying in the mine. and I quote. \"It wasnt bad. I just Went .to sleep. Tell all I see .them .on the other side. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5738}
{"speech_id":1090106552,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I love you.\" Simple. powerful words with great meaning. The valor of these miners is. in fact was. with them until the end. The 16 miners who died over the past 5 weeks in our State. mines knew the dangers of their work. They knew that over the past century over 100.000 men have lost their lives in coal mining. but they performed their jobs with reliability and a sense of duty to their families. indeed our country.. Miners know just how important their jobs are. They know how important it is to our economy across the Nation. and they sacrifice for us. Author Homer Hidkam of. Rocket Boys fame. who himself grew up the son of a West Virginia coal miner. wrote and delivered what I thought was an incredible eulogy to the Sago miners. He listed a philosophy of life that exemplifies coal miners and. I think. all West Virginians: we are proud of who we are. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5738}
{"speech_id":1090106573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I do have to say this is one of the oddest motions to instruct that I have seen in my multiple decades in the House for basically one reason: just a few short days ago the House passed by a vote of 234 to 197. a tax reconciliation package which extended the dividend reductions and the capital gains reductions. On the same day. the House passed. outside of reconciliation. the alternative minimum tax assistance that the gentleman has pleaded for by a vote of 414 Members of the House of Representatives. I believe. to 9 in opposition. That was the substantive action of the House on the floor. This motion to instruct. which is nonbinding. requests that the House completely reverse itself from the vote we had just a few days ago. and that is. we do not include dividends in capital gains in tax reconiciliation. but we include the aTternative minimum tax whichwas voted outside of reconciliation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4817}
{"speech_id":1090106573,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I guess I would just ask my Members whether or not it is more important to hang on to the substantive action of the House or -the symbolic gesture on the part of the Democrats. That is not the only strange thing about this motion to instruct. You heard my colleague from Massachusetts and you will soon hear from other Members of very large urban States asking for tax relief for the very richest Americans. After all. by definition. the alternative minimum tax is not applied to fhe lowest. It is not applied to the 10 percent bracket.- It is not applied to the 15 percent bracket. It is applied to the richest among us. And although it is refreshing. it is just ironic that we are going to have Democrats going to the floor pleading to relieve the wealthiest among us from an alternative tax burden. And to do that. they want to deny. the number 17 million was mentioned. as those whor were affected by this. That is everyone who has even a dollar affected. as opposed to 14 million who would get total relief on the basis of this if it were substantive. which it is not. But what my colleague fails to recognize. or chooses not to meltion. is that with the reduction for dividends and capital gains. we also provide for significant tax relief in the investment aspect of dividend in capital gains for those in the 10 and 15 percent bracket going to zero before it .expires. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4817}
{"speech_id":1090106573,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On capital gains that benefits 14 million alone. on the dividends. that benefits 27 million Americans. They want to take those people who want to invest. who are in the 10 and 15 percent bracket. and deny them the opportunity to bootstrap themselves so they can give the richest among us a little bit of relief because large States that have high State income taxes and high State sales tax want to live off the rest of the Federal taxpayers in getting relief from alternative minimum tax. And let me say about the gentlemans example about how we do not seem to be able to figure out how individuals can live if they followed the Federal example of tax cuts. it is very simple. The alternative minimum tax that they ask for in terms of relief are dollars to the richest among us who will spend. who will spend it on consumption. You get a onetime benefit on consumption. In that example. there is no question that American families could never survive tax cut after tax cut if all you did with the money was feed consumption. But what the history of the *investment. of dividends and capital gains meant is that people were able to invest money going to jobs and to productivity which has given ug a bonus back. And if the individual family took that money and invested it. that is the smartest thing. deferring current gratification for future reward. That is exactly what we are doing with the dividends and capital gains. So I am a little startled that my colleagues are bewildered. the difference between a consumptioninsisting tax or an investment insisting tax. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4817}
{"speech_id":1090106573,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One consumes. the other one grows. That is why we are able to continue to see the economy improve as we continue to cut taxes. It depends on which taxes you cut. where you cut them. and how you cut them. What my colleagues are asking for in this motion to instruct is to give more money to rich people to spend and deny those people even in the 10 and 15 percent tax bracket a chance to invest And grow wealth. One is the American way. I do not know what the other one is. So all I would tell my colleagues is. please. we acted substantively. We passed tax reconciliation. I know this motion is not binding. but please make sure you understand what you are doing. You would be reversing investment in favor of consumption. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4817}
{"speech_id":1090106573,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you come from a rich urban State. it probably makes sense to you. If you are from the rest of America. it certainly does not. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4817}
{"speech_id":1090106580,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I.yield myself such time as I may consume. If it is going to tax 17 million new people. why do they call it the alternative minimum tax? These people are already being taxed. It is an alternative way to tax them and was actually put in place when my colleagues on the other side of the aisle were in the majority. The gentleman from Napa Valley. in pleading for some of the richest Americans to get some relief from an alternative system of taxation they put in place when they were a majority and could have dealt with it. literally wants to take money from the 10 and 15 percent bracket. people who are trying to invest and grow a nest egg so that they can have a piece of America like the .people in Napa Valley. The people in the 10 and 15 percent bracket for the first time actually can figure out a way to invest in America. to grow a nest egg. and to. see the ability to have a better tomorrow. But they want to take the money from these people and ease taxes on those people in the upper tax brackets who have now triggered the alternative minimum tax. I said I am in favor of helping relieve the alternative minimum tax. but the plan we have proposed is not trading one for the other. It is not denying the 10 and 15 percent bracket a piece of America. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090106580,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We passed assistance to the alternative minimum tax. It was outside of tax reconciliation. What they want to do is shove that nest eggbuilding approach out of tax reconciliation and move the alternative minimum tax in its place. That is what we are opposed to. We are not opposed to assisting the alternative minimum tax. We are opposed to denying the 10 and 15 percent bracket a chance to invest in America at the lowest possible cost. That is what this is about.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1739}
{"speech_id":1090106648,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was amazed a few minutes ago to have the Office of Management and Budget Director tell me in a committee hearing that the administration is eliminating the $255 death benefit available to widows and widowers under Social Security as a part of itsgreat budget .savings. justified. he told me. because \u0095that death benefit is anachronistic. to use his term. Well. as far as I know. death is still occurring across America. There- are poor widows and widowers for whom $255 is an important contribution toward the cost of a burial. The fault has been in not keeping that $255 benefit with the purchasing power it had for a widow or widower in the 1950s. A benefit thae goes back to 1939 under Social Security is one of the benefits that the President and this Republican Congress in their budget propose now to eliminate. It is wrong and I hope this House will reject this unfortunate move. \" 1930","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":908}
{"speech_id":1090106651,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have read reports. received letters. and seen documentation which verifies that suppression of religious freedom throughout. our Armed Forces is a pervasive problem. affecting military chaplains from all denominations and religions. Of particular concern is an incident involving Army Captain Chaplain Jonathan Stertzbach. This chaplain who is serving our troops in harms way in Iraq was asked by another unit. whose chaplain had to return hometo start chemotherapy after cancer was discovered. to serve the spiritual needs of the units soldiersin weekly movement to an undisclosed FOB (Forward Operating Base). During a mission. tragically. one of the soldiers was killed in action. The. units Commanding Officer asked this chaplain to perform the memorial ceremony because he had bravely served the soldiers and risked his own life. Before the memorial ceremony. the chaplain submitted two prayers for review. The Brigade Chaplain attempted to remove the chaplain from praying at the memorial ceremony because he concluded his prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. The chaplain. adhering to his conscience and faith tradition. said he would not strike the words Jesus Christ. ","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090106651,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The units Commanding Officer intervened. explaining that Chaplain Stertzbach volunteered to serve a different unit outside of his assigned unit and placed his life in harms way to provide for the needs of the units soldiers. The Commanding Officer instructed that Chaplain Stertzbach would pray according to his faith tradition. After the incident. Chaplain Stertzbachs story reached the media. Consequently. his answers to the media and the incident surrounding the memorial ceremony resulted in Chaplain Stertzbachs removal from his chapel. This is unacceptab!e! Since the beginning of our nations military. chaplains have played an integral role. fulfilling the spiritual and emotional needs of the brave men and women who serveand they have always prayed according to their faith tradition. It is in the best interest of our Armed Services and this nation to guarantee the constitutional right of military chaplains to pray according to their faith.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090106662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this administration will go down as the most antilife in modern history. The Presidents budget is a moral document. It should promote life. Yet the Presidents new budget released Monday makes the wrong choices. It irresponsibly hurts future generations and saddles them with gigantic debt. It hurts them. it hurts people. It is irresponsible. Let us start with health care. The Presidents budget will hurt people. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090106662,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a health care budget that is antilife. The Bush budget carves out over $36. billion through 2011 from Medicare. Despite the fact that people cannot afford prescription drugs and costs are exploding. why is he forcing acrosstheboard cuts to future Medicare payments? The chaos surrounding the new prescription drug benefit has already caused undue anxiety and lack of medication to thousands of our citizens too sick and too ill to fight back in lines at drugstores around our country. Seniors 80 years old with Parkinsons disease are being forced to go into drugstores confused without the help that they need. The Presidents budget is antilife. At the s ame time. the Presidents new budget slashes our lead agencies to fight disease. They shortchange veterans health care. Apparently. the Bush administrations idea of honoring service to our country is to make millions of veterans pay huge increases for health care costs that they have earned. The Presidents budget proposal includes legislation that would raise veterans premiums to over 100 percent on prescription drugs. Additionally. the Bush administration has shortchanged the Department of Veterans Affairs. leaving it short of needed funds to take care of the expected influx of tens of thousands of injured and disabled veterans returning from Afghanistan and the Iraq war. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090106662,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His veterans budget is antilife. The Bush budget offers words only and no substance to thrust our Nation into a new era of energy independence. For hardhit consumers. he has offered nothing. His policies. -however. allow the huge oil giants to rack up even. more profits. Take ExxonMobil that just racked up the largest profit of any corporation in U.S. history. $36 billion in profits in just 1 year. Their profits in 1 year were larger than the entire budget of the U.S. Department of Energy. It is interesting to note that Exxons windfall lifted the combined profits of the 2005 oil giants to $63 billion. three times the size of the entire Department of Energy. His energy budget is antilife. There are people freezing and getting flu around this country because they have to set their thermostats down.. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090106662,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His budget is antilife. He refuses to see those people. If the President was serious about helping people. he .would be committed to making our Nation energy independent. He would have made new fuels a centerpiece of his State of the Union address. Instead. his budget eliminates all funding for new fuels to help expand the production of ethanol and biodiesel. His budget cuts renewable energy loans. bioenergy support valueadded to help small companies get a start up. By almost $100 million he shortchanges them. And yet if we look at oil company profits. they have allowed CEOs in those firms to double their salaries and drive up their political contributions by a staggering $450 million in the past 6 years. They know how to cash in. But what a great injustice to the vast majority of people. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090106662,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their heating bills are going up. They are paying for gasoline. They do not have any sweetheart deals in this town to cut their taxes. If you look at the weatherization program. the President is reducing funds there. If you look at the winter heating assistance program. the people applying have reached a 12year high. but his budget is over $2 billion short. $2 billion short of what is needed just to take care of the people that we needed to take care of last year. But the oil companies have a $63 billion profit. just the top three companies. What is wrong with this picture? He has cut first responders. We know he has not gotten help to people affected by Katrina and Rita in the gulf. And this says nothing about how his budget is antilife against the youth of our country and children by causing tuition to go up at all of our schools. The Bush budget fails the moral test.. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4372}
{"speech_id":1090106701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have sort of interchangeably been talking about two different things. There is the debt. and then there is the deficit. Both things are startJing when it comes .to this administrations record. Under this President the deficit and the national debt are out of control.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":270}
{"speech_id":1090106718,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the interesting things when I was over in China in August. they were talking about the engineers. And they have this tremendous advantage on us as far as numbers go. And so we were asking what is the advantage that the U.S. engineers have. And they were saying. well. U.S. engineers they are just the best in the world. they are the most creative in the world. and they work in teams better than any other engineer. any other country. And it is funny. because .this week. and we have talked about this before. but this week we had the school board associations down here. And wouldnt you know. the programs that are getting cut because of lack of funding. No Child Left Behind. the burden that is being pushed. the bonds that need to be noted and the funding that needs to be gathered at a local level in order to fund the local public schools across the country. the programs that are being cut are those programs that teach our kids how to be more creative and how to work in teams better. You hear a lot about the art programs getting cut. the music programs getting cut. the visual arts getting cut. the performing arts getting cut. language arts getting cut in a lot of these schools because they do not have the resources they need. or the school districts or the school systems are not organized the way they need to be organized. And then you also see a lot of paytoplay: $350. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090106718,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. a lot of families do not have an extra $350 to get their kids in activities. And if you have two or three kids. you are talking about a thousand bucks. That is a lot of money. I hate to break it to a lot of our friends on the other side who do not seem to understand this. So the very advantage that we have. we are cutting off our nose to spite our face. And those are the kinds of investments that we need to make. H220 . co: not only invest. but restructure and reorganize the way that our education system runs today. And I think if we do a couple of these things and have the courage to lead. I think we are going to be able to do it. Part of this. too. we need the parents involved. we need the parents to be accountable. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090106718,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need .the parents to be there with their kids. We need to make sure that the parents know that their kids have to do the homework. This is going to be a team effort. This is going to be us doing our job. the parents doing their job. the local school district doing their job. everybody coming together if we are going to be competitive in the 21st century. That is the only way this is going to happen. And I think it is important. one final point here. I think it is important that if we are going to ask kids to get involved in the math and pcience and engineering and chemistry and all these things and areas of studies that we -need them to get involved in. there needs to be a goal. And I think. really. the goal for the next generation is what Mr. BARTLETT was talking about a little while back. about what are we going to do with the alternative enefgy realm. who is going to develop the new and the latest technologies? Is this going to be a national effort? Not in 2025. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090106718,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. Now. You know. we went to the Moon in less than a decade. And it is going to take us 20.years to figure out how we are going to become energy independent so we can get out of these entanglements that we find ourselves in in the Middle East and in other countries.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090106738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. several weeks ago. after a highly classified program was leaked to the media. the President described certain activities of the National Security Agency that he authorized in the weeks following our Nation coming under direct attack on our owi soil by Osama bin Ladens alQaida terrorists. As described by the President. the Vice President. the Attorney General. and experts from the Departmen of Justice and the intelligence community. the terrorist surveillance program at NSA targets very specific international communications of suspected and -known. alQaida operatives in a foreign country who are communicating with associates around the -world and. occasionally. in a limited way. with. individuals inside the United States. The purpose of the program is to collect foreign intelligence in an effort to identify and prevent another devastating attack on our homeland. As we have learned. the terrorist suiveillance program is designed with the goal of preventing terrorist attacks in the United States and protecting the lives of Americans. Given the imperative to reliably and immediately detect -and disrupt the plots of international terrorists who are intent on killing Americans. the President is acting well Within his constitutional authorities. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been. and coiitiques to be. a valuable tool in protecting our national security interests in many cases. However. the world changed on September 11. 2001. demonstrating the importance that the President hAve the power and authority to protect the American people from future attacks of terrorism. Both the Constitution and the Congress grant the President that authority. FISA lacks the speed and agility necessary to fight the war on terror. and its bureaucratic requirements prevent the \"hot pursuit\" of international communications necessary to prevent attacks. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6022}
{"speech_id":1090106738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As vitally important as it is to protect American lives. it is also importantthat Americans rights are protected. That is exactly why the administration has put in place a system of responsible measures to ensure our civil liberties ate also protected. In doing so. congressional leaders from both parties have been kept informed about the program from the start. Furthermore. this prbgram is reauthorized approximately every 45 days to ensure it is still necessary. and that it is being used properly. and the activities conducted within this program are thoroughly reviewed by lawyerswithin the * National Security Agency and the Department of Justice to ensure the program is only \" collecting the international communications of suspected terrorists here in the United States and elsewhere. Their oversight includes assuring an aggressive program is in place to assist the highly trained intelligence professionals at NSA verify that all activities are.consistent with minimization procedures that weed out the identities of ordinary Americans and preserve civil liberties. I note that FISA. which has been the alternative that the critics of this program have looked to as the real program. that should be used. requires a reauthorization every 90 days. Here the President and the administration have taken an additional precaution to protect the privacy rights of AmeriCans by reauthorizing this program approximately eviry 45 days. On September 11. 2001. terrorists operating. covertly inside the United States. and in contact with alQaida members overseas. perpetrated- the worst attack on domestic soil in American history. Osama bin. Laden recently reiterated publicly alQaidas intention to attack us again with operatives hiding within our borders. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6022}
{"speech_id":1090106738,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress identified alQaida as an enemy of this country by passing the authorization for the use of force. authorizing the President to use all necessary and appropriate force to protect our homeland. When the enemy is behind your lines. you must use every lawful tool at your disposal to find and stop them. That is why the President has authorized the terrorist surveillance program. As the 9\/11 Commission pointed out. and as also the joint HouseSenate Intelligence Committee investigation. as well as the report from the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security in the House. which- was filed in July of 2002. reported. two of the terrorist hijackers who flew a jet into the Pentagon. Nawaf al Hamzi and Khalid al Mihdhar. were communicating with members of alQaida overseas while they were inside the United States preparing for the deadly attack of September 11. Regrettably. we did not know this until it was too late. GEN Mike Hayden. the former Director. of the National Security Agency and the Deputy Director of National Intelligence. indi-. cated that had this program been in place before 9\/11. these terrorists could have been detected and identified. Unfortunately. as a result of the public disclosure of this highly classified program. our enemies have learned information they should not have. Our national security has been damaged and Americans have been put at greater risk. In our recent Intelligence Committee open hearing. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6022}
{"speech_id":1090106738,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CIA Director Porter Goss commented that as a consequence of leaks in general. damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission. General Hayden observed that our intelligence capabilities are not immune to leaks in the public domain. It is clear that this is an important program necessary to address the previous flaws in our early warning system that allowed at least two of the 9\/ 11 murderers to live among us. while they plotted our destruction. This vital program makes it more likely that ter.rorists will be identified and located in time to prevent aiother disaster. In fact. that may have already happened. It is a program that is conducted within the Presidents constitutional authority and is subject to review and oversight. It is also clear that continued leaks over this program are degrading our ability to continue to protect the lives of Americans. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6022}
{"speech_id":1090106758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. let me acknowledge the obvious. A lot of Work has gone into this bill. Senator SPECTER. Senator LEAHY. and members of the Judiciary Committee. including Senator HATCH. have spent hours. days. weeks. and months preparing this bill. It is a bill that should have taken a long time because it is a bill that says something very basic and fundamental and. in many ways. revolutionary: It says we can no longer trust the court system in America. It says the court system is inadequate in America to compensate victims. That is a charge not made lightly. I am sure. by the sponsor of this legislation. It is one we should not take lightly on the floor of the Senate because we have established over the course of this Nations history some things which are generally accepted by most Americans. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7520}
{"speech_id":1090106758,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is true that Congress and legislatures write the law. The President and executive branch enforce it. And when it comes to making decisions of how that law applies to our lives. we trust the courts. The decision has been made by those who are pushing this bill that we can no longer trust the courts. The decision has been made that we have to replace our court system with something else. If we are going to step away from a timehonored institution and tradition in America to create an alternative. it is a daunting task. Those of us who have been critical of this legislation are going to hold the sponsors to some very fundamental questions. The first: Can you provide the same level of fairness and compensation in your new system that the courts of America provide today? The answer can be found in responses from victims groups around the country. The victims of asbestos have been writing to Members of Congress saying: Dont pass this legislation. The compensation you will give to the victims and their families is inadequate and unpredictable. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7520}
{"speech_id":1090106758,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those families have come to see me. They have heartbreaking storiesstories of young men and young wonien whose lives were snuffed out because of exposure to asbestos. In not a single case have I ever met somebody who said: I guess I knew I had it coming to me. I decided to expose myself to asbestos. I never ran into a person like that or hearda story like that. The victims of asbestos are as surprised by the diagnosis as they can be. It is no surprise to us when we consider this insidious disease. These flaky fibers which. are breathed into the lungs can sit there like a timebomb for decades. Do you recall the movie actor named Steve McQueen? He died from mesothelioma. He was exposed to asbestos at some point in his life. which later exploded into a fatal lung disease. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7520}
{"speech_id":1090106758,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Earlier this week on the floor. I talked about my former colleague. Bruce Vento. of Minnesota. a Congressman from St. Paul. He was a picture of health and was in the gym every morning. and then he didnt feel well. He went to the doctor. and after a chest xray. they said: You were somehow in your life exposed to asbestos. Now you have mesothelioma and just months to live. Those stories are repeated over and over again about men who worked in asbestos mines who got off scotfree and never developed a problem. but their wives at home. who shook out their work clothes before putting them into the washer. breathed in the fibers and contracted asbestosis and mesothelioma and died. It is insidious. I could spend more than an hour telling you that. since 1934. the companies which have been creating asbestos products have known how dangerous this product is. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7520}
{"speech_id":1090106758,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I could. and maybe I will at some point. go through the extensive evidence of deception and coverup by these companies so that their employees did not understand the serious dangers they were exposed to in the workplace. and the dangers that many of them took home in their work clothes. These victims and their families come to visit melovely young women from the Chicago suburbs with beautiful children. .and they show pictures of families whose husbands were lost in their early forties to mesothelioma. This bill says that compensation for victims of asbestos is capped at $1.1 million. If you happen to be a mesothelioma victim. thats only $1.1 million for medical bills. lost wages. and to raise children. That is a figure which might have sounded pretty large to start with. but it begins to be very modest when you look at individual victims and their families. That is why the victims have come to us and said: Dont replace the court system in America with this approach It is not fair to the victims. Others have come to us as well and said that the way you put the money into the trust fund. which is supposed to pay the victims. is a mystery. We have repeatedly asked the chairman of the Judiciary Committee who is the sponsor of the legislation. to provide us with the documentation. Please show us how $140 billion will adequately compensate the victims of asbestos exposure over the 50year life span of this bill. We are still waiting for the information. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7520}
{"speech_id":1090106785,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Parliamentary inquiry: Does sua sponte apply to this discussion? I withdraw the parliamentary inquiry. When the Senator from Illinois says the chairman had to issue a subpoena. I consider it a compliment. I have had to deal with stakeholders on all sides who have been recalcitrant. We haventI. we. Senator LEAt7Y and Ihavent left any stone unturned. If people who want this bill and are obligated to provide money wont give the information I want. if they are for the bill and they are for the position I am sponsoring. I am going to get tough about it. Iam going to get a subpoena so that Senator DURBIN knows what is going on. and I think the American people. through their elected representatives. will know what is going on. Does the Senator want me to yield? If I can get wider distribution. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":805}
{"speech_id":1090106785,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":805}
{"speech_id":1090106852,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. pending before the Senate is S. 852. which is a bill that has been written to address what has become a scourge in America: asbestosrelated illness and death. We understand that as early as 1934. some of the companieSthat were making products out of asbestos came to realize there was a danger. that some of the employees working around this asbestos ended up developing lung problems and some of them were fatal. Rather than protect the employees or disclose the danger. some of these companies did nothing. said nothing. In fact. there is ample evidence that they covered it up. Theydidnt want their employees to know the dangerous situAtion they were in. They didnt want to end up with liability for their employees illness and death. and they didnt want to lose their profitability. So this secret was kept for a long time. from the 1930s onward. Through World War H. when men and women serving this country were busy building the ships and other vehicles necessary for our troops. they were exposed to asbestos in- many different forms. Asbestos became a very common element that was used in construction and a lot of different products. from brake linings to home insulation. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11471}
{"speech_id":1090106852,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was considered to be a valuable resource that was fireproof and light in -weight. It was somewhat revolutionary.-But during this entire period of time. the development. of asbestos product. the asbestos itself. and the fibers that were floating in the air. breathed in by workers and bystanders and innocent people. were creating minitimebombs in the lungs of the people who were exijosed.They didnt know it. They didnt sign up for it. They were not warned. They only learned much later in -life that they had some exposure and it ended up killing them. I wish the story of asbestos had started and ended long. ago. but it continues to this day. People still turn up with this disease. mesothelioma. the most fatal form of asbestos exposure. similar to lung cancer. but much more virulent in terms of its -devastation on the human body. The persons diagnosed with mesothelioma have limited time to live. Some of them go through harrowing. extraordinary surgical procedures to buy the possibility of a few more months of life. It can strike anybody at anytime. young and old alike. men and women alike. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11471}
{"speech_id":1090106852,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It can strike someone in your family. Mr. President. It can strike E friend. Asbestosis. which is a form of it. is a disease which limits your activities and limits your lifespan. Mesothelioma is a killer. So hundreds of thousands of Americans have come to learn. because of exposure to this product. that they are sick and facing huge medical bills and the prospect of illnesses of great duration or death. and they ask who is responsible. Occasionally. they will find an employer that used asbestos. In some cases. they will find a product they purchased that ended up creating asbestos exposure. and they try- to seek compensation in court. What they are doing is very common in America. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11471}
{"speech_id":1090106852,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People who are guilty of wrongdoing are held accountable in court. Drunken drivers are held accountable in court. People who sell defective products are held accountable in court. People who strike other people and cause injury are held account. able in court. So over the years these hundreds of thousands. maybe millions. of people have asked for their day in court. asked for a judge or jury to decide whether they are entitled to compensation for medical bills. for lost wages. for the family they will leave behind if they are going to die. It is not unusual. These are the types of lawsuits filed every day in America. and we trust our system. The system says that ultimately a judge and a jury will decide what is fair and what is right-. A judge anda jury of the peers of the person who is in the courtroom will decide if compensation is something that should be given. In many cases. it is clear. and large verdicts are given. in some cases. the answers are no. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11471}
{"speech_id":1090106852,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So over the years. as this asbestos exposure has become better known. many of the companies that were deeply involved in making profits with asbestos have faced huge lawsuits from numerous people who have been injured. Some of these companies. because of the lawsuits and other circumstances. have gone out of business. Johns Manville was a big name 30 years ago in America. Now it is a trust fund created to pay asbestos victims. Johns Manville made its fortune. in some part. by using asbestos. But by using asbestos and creating asbestos products. they endangered andharmed a lot of people. Courts across America said: Johns Manville. you are responsible.-you have to pay. That has happened over and over. There are many corporations that wonder if they. too. will face many lawsuits. Some already have. others have not. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11471}
{"speech_id":1090106862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to bring to my colleagues attention a significant -and exciting article that appeared in the Wednesday. January 25. 2006. edition of The New York Times entitled \"Luring Business Developers Into LowIncome Areas.\" as written by Ms: Lisa Chamberlain. I believe my colleagues will be especially interested in this article because it explains how the new markets tax credit. NMTC. can create new jobs. and economic development. in the destitute rural and urban areas. I know that sincere Members of Congress. both Republicans and Democrats alike. recognize the credits ability to transform communities and break the poverty cycle. From the beginning. the credits power to help communities overcome poverty has garnered strong bipartisan support for the measure. . The new markets tax credit is unique among Federal antipoverty initiatives. Its innovative approach uses the Tax Code to encourage longterm capital investments in downtrodden communities identified by the census as historically plagued by high unemployment. low levels of private investment. and stifling poverty rates. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7862}
{"speech_id":1090106862,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The credit provides a modest incentivea 39percent credit against Federal taxes over a 7year periodto lure new private investments to struggling communities. For this credit. developers agree to invest in projects that benefit the community and undertake measures. like charging lower rents. to encourage these projects success. Over the next 10 years. private investors will dedicate over $15 billion in new money to. poor urban and rural areas .in -order to revitalize. develop. and ultimately transform these impoverished. lowincome communities. The programs rate of return. as measured by increased economic development and lower poverty rates. easily justifies its modest costs to the Treasury of $4.5 billion over 10 years. The credits greatest innovation is its ability to create partnerships between the public and private sector that encourage and cultivate investments within a diverse range of businesses and organizations. These investments propel growth by providing funding for small business startups. enable the expansion of manufacturing facilities. and the building of retail. mixed use. commercial and housing developments. The investments also provide communities with important services by creating childcare centers. employment training facilities. charter schools. and community health care centers. I have seen the credits ability to reenergize and save local economies in my home State of Maine. During the 1990s. Maines Katahdin Forest region fell on hard times. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7862}
{"speech_id":1090106862,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One of the areas largest employers. the Great Northern Paper Company. struggled against depressed global paper prices and low financial returns associated with owning trees. Combined. these factors made it extremely difficult to raise the capital necessary to make the mill improve: ments needed to keep the company competitive and retain jobs. Because of a $31.5 million NMTC investment made by Coastal Enterprises. a community development corporation based in Wiscasset. ME. two of Great Northern Paper Companys pulp and paper mills in the Katahdin Forest area were able to stay in business and modernize. This crucial investment resulted in the direct employment of 650 people. The credit also made it possible for Coastal Enterprises to partner with The Nature Conservancy in a -ground breaking arrangement to promote the twin goals of environmental protection and economic development. The credit enabled the Nature Conservancy to purchase 41.000 acres. of Great Northern Paper Companys 341.000acre land base. that contain critical lake and stream watershed lands. As part of this deal. Great Northern Paper Company agreed to place a -perpetual conservation easement on 200.000 of the remaining 300.000 acres they retained. These projects will benefit Maines environment. and economy. for years to come. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7862}
{"speech_id":1090106862,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These Maine examples represent a few of the innovative and revolutionary ways the new markets tax credit is being used nationwide to address local economic troubles. These projects ranges from smaller loans -to help local business owners become more selfsufficient by purchasing their office space to larger ventures like developing a new aircraft repair facility. Additionally. projects also work to address community deficiencies like the building of a much needed shopping center to transform a rundown. major transit stop. Such investments enable companies located in lowincome communities to add jobs. provide more people with needed goods and services. and increase the strength of their local tax base and economies. Competition among applicants for access to the new markets tax credit program is spurring the private sector to reach beyond the minimum requirements of the law in order to secure a tax credit allotment. According to the results of a May 2005 survey conducted by the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition. investors are targeting communities to develop projects with higher poverty and unemployment rates than the law requires. These private investors are also directing capital into low income areas faster rate than required by law. The credit enables the public and private sectors to work together in a way that is truly transforming the Nations most impoverished communities. .Through these partnerships. investors are now deploying their capital in areas where before they never would have invested because the great risks kept flexible capital from being conventionally available in these depressed areas. The credit is seen as one of the most hopeful ways to address the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and Rita on the Gulf States. We in Congress overwhelmingly recognized and supported the power of the credit by dedicating $1 billion dollars in additional funding to projects along the gulf coast financed by the NMTC. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7862}
{"speech_id":1090106862,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many broken Gulf State communities desperately wait for the rebuilding. and renovation. projects the credit will provide. As a bipartisan effort to continue the credits great successes. I am pleased to join my colleague on the Senate Finance Committee. Senator ROCKEFELLER. in sponsoring S. 1800. the New Markets Tax Credit Reauthorization Act. A companion bill. H.R. 3987. has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman RON LEwIs of Kentucky. Our legislation extends the new markets tax credit through 2012. Under current law. the credit. which was enacted in December 2000 as part of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act. will expire on December 31. 2007. I ask my colleagues to enthusiastically support this innovative and necessary legislation. In addition to our legislation. the Senate version of the tax reconciliation measure. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7862}
{"speech_id":1090106863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I join Senators IOMtNIf1 BINGAMA&i. TALENT and ORGAN in sponsorship of legislation instructing the Secretaryof the Interior to develop an oil and gas leasing program for Lease Area 181. located 100 miles off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. As oil and natural gas prices continuously increase. many Americans. especially Montanans. are feeling the strain of increased prices for energy use in their homes and businesses. Montana ag producers are particularly hard hit because the costs of fuel and fertilizer have skyrocketed. While I strongly support the idea of renewable energies. it will take years of research and development before there are practicable and affordable alternatives to oil and natural gas. Development of the Americanowned offshore Lease Area 181 would provide nearly 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas as a near term solution for our countrys growing energy needs. That amount would be enough to heat 5 million homes for 15 years. In order to strengthen American energy security. it is our obligation to use our own domestic resources whenever we can. Offshore drilling has proven to be a safe. reliable. and valuable technology for oil and gas production. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2201}
{"speech_id":1090106863,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lease Area 181 is a phenomenal resource. and time after time in energy committee hearings when we ask expert witnesses for their opinions on how to best stabilize and lower natural gas prices. the answer is. .Open Lease Area 181.\" It is not the entire answer to our energy challenges. but it is an important step forward. I applaud the leadership of the chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for acting on this important issue. Next. I hope we examine the potential for additional onshore resource development. I come from an energy producing state. and I can tell you. without reservation. that Montana stands ready to serve the energy needs of this country. We have oil. natural gas. more coal than any other state. and a great potential for wind energy. I am confidehit that my fellow Senators will see the value in providing a supply of affordable energy from our domestic resources. and hope the Senate acts quickly on this important legislation.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2201}
{"speech_id":1090106870,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr: President. I rise today to honor Bay Vjew Elementary. School. in Proctor. MN. which recently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. Bay View Elementary School. a neighborhood school for 450 pupils in _kindergarten through fifth grade. is truly a model of educational.success. Earlier this year. in their campaign to raise money to construct a boardwalk through their schools greatly prized forest. Bay View pupils collected 2.000 box tops. With the proceeds from the box tops. they were able to pur-: chase $200 worth of lumber for the boardwalk.. When someone absconded with the lumber. however. the children were not foiled by the theft. instead. turning a challenge into an opportunity. Bay View fifthgraders staged a\u0095 publicity event and held placards urging .the thieves to return the illgotten lumber. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090106870,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their skillful tactic. combined with newspaper stories describing how hardthe students worked to raise the money. generated an outpouring of community support. Over $5.000 in contributions from citizens and corporations streamed in. ndt only that. but the lumber was returned. Bay Views school forest. which merited Such avid initiative-. truly offers an academic highlight. serving as an active. environmental learning laboratory for children in all grades. In January. I toured the forest and saw for myself its many opportunities for handson learning. Last summer. eight Bay View teachers used their own personal staff- development days to take part in an Audubon Center training program. learning to integrate environmental education into their daily lessons. Two other notable features are Bay Views artistinresidence program and its studentrun television studio. which affords opportunities to learn livetelevision production skills through a local. *public access television production and broadcast studio. Students daily news broadcasts are televised in classrooms throughout the school. Much of the credit for Bay View Elementary Schools success belongs to its Principal. Jon Larson. and his .dedicated teachers. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090106870,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The children and staff at Bay View Elementary School understand that. in order to be successful. a school must go beyond achieving academic success. it must also provide a nurturing environment where students develop the knowledge. skills. and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty. staff. and children at Bay View Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments. I congratulate Bay View Elementary School in Proctor. Minnesota. for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contribu-. tions to education in Minnesota.e Messages from the President of the United States were communicated to the Senate by Ms. Evans. one of his secretaries.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090106874,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President I rise today to introduce the Hurricane Katrina Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2006. I am proud tointroduce this bill. along with Senators LANDRIEU. DURBIN. and KERRY. to keep a promise the President made to rebuild the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Last week the Senate approved a $70 billion bill laden with tax cuts for the wealthy.and wellconnected. This bill. which costs less than 1 percent as much. uses a proven tool in our tax codethe child tax creditto extend aid to lowincome working families affected by Hurricane Katrina. Currently. the child credit allows families with qualifying children to receive a credit of $1.000.per child against their Federal income tax. Unfortunately. families that earn less than $11.000 get no benefit from the refundable child credit. That means that a child is left out of the credit even if her parent works full time at minimum wage. which has not increased .since 1997. And the child doesnt get the full benefit of the $1.000 credit until her parent earns close to $18.000. or even more if the child has siblings. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090106874,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And if her parents income does not keep up with inflation. for any reason. the value of the credit drops or even disappears. We all know of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. It will be a long time before families on the Gulf Coast can rebuild their lives. ManT of them have seen their homes destroyed. their jobs eliminated. their families separated. and their lives irrevocably changed. Unfortunately. the Federal response so far has been inadequate to .get these families effectively back on their feet. We are now learning of thousands of evacuees getting kicked out of their hotel rooms because FEMA has stopped paying the bills. We can do better for these families. Life was hard for many of them evdn before Katrina hit. Prior to the hurricane. there were over 2 million people living below poverty in the affected States. In some of the affected counties and parishes. more than 1 in 4 children lived below the poverty level. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090106874,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama. for example. more than 900.000 children under 17yearsold were so poor that they got no child tax credit or only a partial- credit. These States had among the highest rates in the Nation of children too poor to get the full credit. This bill will provide necessary assistance to many of these families. The bill eliminates the income threshold that excluded all children in families with less than $11.000 of income. Withthis bill. the children of lowincowe working .parents affected by Hurricane Katrina will no longer be denied the child credit. Its simple: if you work. your kids get a benefit. This bill provides a partial credit starting with the first dollar of a parents income for familieg who lived in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. You work. your kids get a benefit. If you dont work. no benefit. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090106874,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thats a commonsense way to support families with children. especially families that have experienced the huge costpsychological and financialof a natural disaster.. This bill is also. narrowly. tailored and fiscally responsible. It provides shortterm support targeted at families affected by the hurricane. and its costs can. easily be absorbed within the $97 billion already committed to hurricane relief. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. which will enable hundreds of thousands of this countrys most disadvantaged children to see an increase in their credit. Katrina offered a reminder of poverty in our own country. Lets not forget so quickly. We owe it to the American. people to do something to provide a chance for our neediest children to.rebuild their lives with dignity. hope. and opportunity. By Mr. OBAMA:","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3720}
{"speech_id":1090106875,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. -today. I port.\" am introducing new legislation to build I strongly encourage my colleakues on the excellent work my colleagues. to join me in creating this Commission began with the Honest Leadership and to restore credibility to the body- on Open Government Act.. the enforcement of ethics. That bill would close the revolving I am also introducing legislation to door between Capitol Hill and lobbying build on the CLEAN UP Act jobs. It would end all lobbyistfunded that I introduced last month. gifts. meals. and travel. and it would The CLEAN UP Act was written to shine a bright light of monitoring and provide for greater transparency in the public disclosure on lobbyists oper- legislative process and. in conference ations. secret conference committee committees in particular. It has won negotiations and lastminute special- the support of eight of my colleagues. interest provisions. and I hope the Transparency and IntegThese are important steps forward rityin Earmarks Act that I am introthat should be approved by this Con- duoing today will gain their support. as gress and signed into law. The first bill well as the rest of my colleagues. I am introducing now builds on these The Transparency and Integrity in steps by focusing on enforcement. We Earmarks Act would require that inforcan pass all the new ethics rules in the mation about all earmarks. including world. but if we dont establish a body the name of the lawmaker requesting that can monitor and enforce those it and a justification of why they want rules. itll be easy to break them. it. be disclosed 72 hours before they are My legislation will establish a non- considered by the full Senate. partisan. independent Congressional The bill would also place some comEthics Enforcement Commission that monsense limits on earmarks. Memwould investigate ethics violations and bers would be prohibited from advoreport their findings to the public. cating for an earmark if they have a fiThe idea of an independent Commis- nancial interest in the project or its resion to conduct initial investigations is cipient. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8206}
{"speech_id":1090106875,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Earmarks also could not be not new. It is modeled on successful ef- used to secure promises from lawforts in a number of States including. makers in exchange for a vote on a bill. Kentucky. Florida. and Tennessee. Finally. earmark recipients would have Similar commissions in those States to disclose the amount that they spent have a track record of working well on lobbyists in order to get their and making the ethics enforcement project passed. These earmark reforms process much more effective. wont solve every abuse. but the idea is My commission would be staffed with this: if youre proud enough about an former judges and former members of earmark to issue a press release about Congress. and it would allow any cit- it. then you should be able to defend it izen to report a possible ethics viola- to the public. tion by lawmakers. staff. or lobbyists. Several of these ideas are contained It would have the authority to conduct in a bill introduced by Rep. David investigations. issue subpoenas. and Obey. I am grateful for his leadership provide public reports to the Senate on this issue in the House. \" Ethics Committee or Department of I know.this is not the only proposal Justice so that any wrongdoing can be on earmarks before the Senate. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8206}
{"speech_id":1090106875,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I punished accordingly. believe this combines the best ideas To prevent this Commission fronm without creating proceduralroadblocks being manipulated for partisan polit- to legitimate projectsin our commuical purposes. the bill establishes stiff nities. This is a balanced approach that sanctions for the filing of frivolous I believe a majority of the Senate cancomplaints. and prohibits the filiig of and shouldsupport..Thank you. complaints three months before - an election. Although. the ultimate power to rep- SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS rimand members would remain with the Ethics Committees in Congress and the Department of Justice. the new SENATE RESOLUTION 37.0HONCongressional Ethics Enforcement ORING* THE SACRIFICE AND Commission would make these.bodies . COURAGE OF THE 16 COAL MINmore effective by removing political ERS KILLED IN VARIOUS MINE pressure from the initial factfinding DISASTERS IN WEST VIRGINIA. phase of ethics investigations. In addi- AND RECOGNIZING THE RESCUE tion. the Commissions independent ca- CREWS FOR THEIR OUTpacity to issue public findings would STANDING EFFORTS IN THE encourage the Ethics Committees to. AFTERMATH OF THE TRAGEDIES act. Mr. BYRD (for himself. Mr. ROCKEI am proud that this legislation has FELLER. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8206}
{"speech_id":1090106875,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. ENZl. and Mr. KENNEDY) support across the political spectrum. submitted the following resolution. earning the endorsement of both Corn- which was considered and agreed to: moil Cause and Norm Ornstein of the s. REs. 370 American Enterprise Institute. Whereas coal generates more than half of Ornstein said this about my enforce- domestic electricity. providing millions of ment bill: \"This approach to ethics en- Americans with energy for theirhomes and forcement is just the. kind of balanced businesses. Whereas West Virginia is the Nations second largest coal producing State. Whereas an.average of 7.600 pounds of coal per person per year is used in the United States. * Whereas the United States has an estimated 275.000.000.000 tons of recoverable coal reserves representing about 95 percent of all fossil fuel reserves in the nation. Whereas coal continues to be the economic engine for many communities. Whereas coal miners are among the most productive of all American workers. producing 7 tons of coal per miner per day. which results in coal consistently being -the most costeffective choice for generating electricity in the United States. Whereas during\" the last century over 100.000 coal miners have been killed in mining accidents in the Nations coal mines. . ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8206}
{"speech_id":1090106875,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whereas the Nation is greatly indebted to coal miners for the difficult and dangerous work they perform to provide the fuel needed to operate the Nations industries and to provide energy to homes and businesses. Whereas 13 West Virginia miners were trapped 260 feet below the surface in the Sage mine for over 40 hours following an explosion on January 2. 2006. Whereas Federal. State. and local rescue crews worked relentlessly in an attempt to save the miners. Whereas many residents of Upshur County. West Virginia. and the surrounding areas came together at the Sago Baptist Church to support the miners families. Whereas 12 miners. Thomas Anderson. Alva Martin Bennett. Jim Bennett. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8206}
{"speech_id":1090106884,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. PRESIDENT. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday. February 8. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an oversight hearing on Indian Tribes and the Federal Election Campaign Act. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at 2242251.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090106892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the following Judiciary Committee interns and clerks be granted the privilege of the floor for the remainder of debate on S. 852. the Fairne ss in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005: Adam Adler. Jessica Kane. Robert Nbwell. and Raj Parekh.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090107053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I certainly support the very powerful words of my colleague from Alabama. He has pointed out many of the compelling reasons for this program. I rise today to discuss this vitally important program for protecting our national security. and I do so regrettably because thisis an open session on the floor of the Senate. This program. of course. is known as the NSA terrorist. surveillance program. I say I discuss it regrettably because it is to the detriment of our Nation that this program was leaked to the media and has now been discussed openly for months. I submit to you that the year 2005. in intelligence and national security circles. will go down in history as the year of the leak. I will not.repeat the full litany of those leaks. but we have all been. continually reminded about the most damaging one.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":828}
{"speech_id":1090107056,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say thank you to the Senator from Alabama. Let me get back to the remarks. For example. the allegation that the United States is running some secret prisons in Europe has caused European nations and other allies to question their cooperation with us on the war on terror for fear of international retribution. the barrage of books and articles disclosing alleged classified operations. like James Risens book. State of War.\" where he takes every supposed leak he can find and churns it out for profit in a book. and the NSA terrorist surveillance program which tips off terrorists to our early warning program. On February 2. CIA Director Goss testified to Congress and the Intelligence Committee in open session about the damage to our national security. I asked him if these leaks had a significant impact on our capabilities to carry out our mission. And to quote him: I use the words \"very severe\" intentionally. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8139}
{"speech_id":1090107056,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is my belief. He went on to say that foreign leaders chide him that the United States cannot keep a secret and that we have lost the confidence of many in the world who were desiring to assist us in the global war on terror. Do those who leak classified information. with reckless abandon realize they are potentially aiding and abetting the enemy by allowing the enemy advanced warning of how to avoid our defenses as we seek to prevent another 9\/11? Since so .many have taken political advantage of the leak on the NSA terrorist surveillance program. the adininistration and those of us who agree with the concept of the program are now forced to speak openly to defend it to make sure Congress does not throw this vital program out with the bath water while reviewing it. Some say the program is illegal and even unconstitutional. How do they figure? The President has the inherent constitutionkl authority. so held by the courts. to conduct \"warrantless\" surveillance when it is reasonable for the surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes. This is a constitutional principle which has been established for centuries. Go back to the writings of our Founding Fathers. and from our first President. George Washington. to our current. President George Bush. Presidents have intercepted communications to determine the plans and intentions of our enemies. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8139}
{"speech_id":1090107056,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A steady stream of Federal court cases has confirmed this Presidential authority. as .Attorney General Gonzales pointed out on Monday before the Senate Judiciary Committee: In the face of overwhelming evidence for the Presidents authority. opponents retort that the President must then be breaking the law by violating the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. known as FISA. But--and this is important--Congress cannot extinguish the Presidents constitutional authority by passing a law. We in this body cannot take away the powers the .Constitution gives the President. .If the law is read in such a way as to encroach upon his constitutional authority. then I question whether that part of the FISA act would be constitutional. This is not the first time a President has faced the issue of exercising his inherent constitutional powers for foreign intelligence surveillance in view of legislation that could be interpreted as infringing on that authority. In 1940. President Roosevelt wrote to Attorney General Robert Jackson that despite section 605 of the Communications Act of 1934. and in this instance despite a Supreme Court ruling upholding the .prohibition on electronic surveillance. President Roosevelt said he believed he had the inherent constitutional authority to authorize the Attorney General to \"secure information by listening devices direct to the conversation or other communications of persons suspected of subversive activities against the government of the United States. including suspected spies.\" So does the President have carte blanche with respect to foreign intelligence surveillance? The answer is clearly no. Under the fourth amendment to the Constitution. the surveillance has to be \"reasonable.\" and it does not require a warrant. In the context of a war against alQaida and those who would do great harm byattacks on innocent American civilians within our country and with a constitutional resolution authorizing the use of \"all necessary and appropriate force\" to prevent attacks. who is the best to determine what is and isnt \"reasonable\"? When surveying communications in real time. who is best to make that determination? A judge or a lawyer or an intelligence analyst who has spent his or her professional life observing. listening. studying. and tracking the terrorist personalities which make up groups such as alQaida? To me the answer is obvious: the analyst.* Consider this: If someone listened to your voice on a telephone call.. who would be the best person to assess it by the voice intonation and word usage. whether it is your voice on the other end or a lawyer or someone who knows you well? Of course. the answer is the person who knows you. And I submit that the Americans who know these terrorist personalities better than anyone else are the analysts who have spent endless days over the past 4 years studying them. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8139}
{"speech_id":1090107056,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. do the analysts have carte blanche to eavesdrop on international communications coming into or out of the United States to known suspected terrorists? No. Their decisions are reviewed by supervisors. and the program is reviewed by the NSA inspector general. the NSA general counsel. the White House Counsel. and numerous lawyers at the Justice Department who are ready to blow the whistle if they see anybody stepping out of line. The Attorney General also reviews the program. and the President reauthorizes it every 45 days with the determination that alQaida continues to pose a significant threat. Did the President keep the Congress in the dark? No. he didnt. He briefed the Congress in a manner consistent with the practice of Presidents over the past century. He briefed leaders of both parties in the House and Senate and the two leaders on each Intelligence Committee. Democrats and Republicans. These leaders were elected by their constituents to represent them in Congress and elected or appointed by their parties to serve in these incredibly important positions. so if any one of them ever questioned the legality of this program. they had the responsibility to bring the matter to the leadership. discuss it with the administration. and if necessary to cut off funding for the program through congressional authority. The reason the President briefed the Congress was to afford them the opportunity to do exactly that. Did anyone do that? No. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8139}
{"speech_id":1090107056,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was a carefully couched letter written that simply exprdssed concern. There was no followup.. no action taken. and no mention of it at all during subsequent program briefings. according to public statements by those in attendance. Some Members of Congress may feel slighted because they were not briefed on the program. I am on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Do I feel slighted? Absolutely not. To the contrary. I recognize that the President has -to keep these very important programs top secret. which the President is doing to protect my family. my constituents. and myself. That is his responsibility. The bottom line is that I believe congressional oversight is a vital aspect of ensuring the proper execution of matters involving national security. and I believe there was adequate oversight. We are not talking about the U.S. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8139}
{"speech_id":1090107121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when the Senator from Illinois talks about doing it in an honest waywe have done that. We have been honest. When he talks about. if we make a mistake. there will be a lot of human suffering. there is a lot of human suffering right now. It would be hard to structure a substitute system which would have more human suffering than you have now. We. are looking at a system which is totally debilitating and decimating. with the courts clogged and with thousands of people suffering from deadly diseases and not being compensated. When the Senator from Illinois makes a reference to saluting me for trying. I -appreciate salutes of any kind. but I am looking to the possibility of a salute for succeeding. I dont know how this debate is going to turn out or what is going to happen in the final vote. But I do know that for more than 3 decades. nobody has been able to bring a bill to the floor and nobody has been able to move past a determined effort by the minority to block this bill with a filibuster. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4672}
{"speech_id":1090107121,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When that effort failed late in the afternoon on Tuesday. they wanted to withdraw the motion. and we defeated it very soundly. The Senator from Illinois says I have undertaken a Herculean assignment. It is a Herculean problem. I wish Hercules was around to handle it. I would be glad to defer to Hercules were he here. When the Senator from Illinois refers to cutting payments. that does not happen unless the Congress agrees. When the administrator evaluates the trust fund and finds that there may be insufficient funds to pay the claims. the administrator then reports to a committee of 20. selected by the leaders of the House and Senate. and then they make a recommendation. to the Congress. So it isnt a cut without having congressional action. As wise as we niay think we are today. there. will be Senators here into the indefinite future. we hope forever. They will have the wisdom. they will make a judgment. and they will have the determination as to what payments are going to be made. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4672}
{"speech_id":1090107121,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it is not an automatic or easy cut in payments. Bear in mind that the basic remedy is to go back to the tort system. to. go back to court. So the claimants are no worse off under the tort system than they are today. if no plan is adopted. The Senator from Illinois has repeatedly challenged the establishment of the trust fund of $140 billion. Yesterday. he referenced a letter which he sent to me to which he has not gotten an answer. I checked about the letter and I checked about what we did about the questions raised in the letter. hnd the answer was we had a briefing 2 days later. We answered the questions. not by written letter but by a more detailed statement from a brfefing. When the Senator talks about the $140 billion which was established. all the information was available in that briefing. and still is .to the Senator from Illinois about projections based upon experience with asbestos. When we talk about the Bates White .report. that has been thoroughly refuted. They took into account people such as manicurists and taxi drivers who did not have an occupational exposure to asbestos. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4672}
{"speech_id":1090107121,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Congressional Budget Office came up with an analysis of Bates White. and left the Bates White report in ruins. We had a detailed hearing on that as we have had every time an issue has arisen. The Congressional Budget Office then issued a supplemental report showing that Bates White was wrong and their initial figures were correct. On page 8 of the report submitted by the Congressional Budget Office. dated August 25. 2005. they have a chart where it supplements their analysis that there could be costs in the range of $120 billion to $150 billion. and then they come to a net conclusion of the projection at $132 billion. These are projections. they are not guesses. they. are not speculations. but they are not mathematics. either. They are based upon the best information available and they are judgment calls. In the letter from the Congressional Budget Office dated December 19. they included this statement after analyzing a great number of factors: The final outcome cannot be predicted with great certainty. I dont know what can be predicted with great.certainty. I know for many years I was a district attorney prosecuting criminal cases and handled firstdegree murder cases. The death penalty is imposed in America is if it is proved beyond a reasonable doubt. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4672}
{"speech_id":1090107121,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But on a level of great certainty. that is not an attainable level. and I would say almost in any field of human endeavor. I dont want to be too expansive in that assertion. but great certainty is not something you come by in the ordinary affairs of men and government.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4672}
{"speech_id":1090107148,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased to lend my strong support to adding this provision to S. 622 in order to improve the procedures by which the Postal Service consolidates its mail processing operations. The problems local communities are encountering from the Postal Services consolidations hit home for me in Waterbury. CT. Connecticut residents affected by the Postal Services decision to close its Waterbury mail processing center have a right to participate in a process that is TE S943 transparent and open. This new provision in S. 622 will help ensure that. when the Postal Service streamlines its mail processing or logistics network. it gives adequate public notice and takes other steps to be sure that those who are potentially affectedincluding postal customers. postal employees. and other businesses and individuals in the communityhave an opportunity to understand and provide input into the Postal Services decision before facilities are consolidated or closed. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1006}
{"speech_id":1090107202,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will yield the floor.. when Senator SPECTER returns: I will say a couple.of things. First. under this criteria billwhich has good criteria and some very good provisions in itveterans are not going to be able to recover. Veterans dont have anybody to sue. and they would be very much disadvantaged. That is why they oppose it. No. 2. we would still have litigation. and the reason litigation now ceases to be wise is because the defendants are prepared to pay. It is. basically not a question so much of how they are responsiblewhether anybody is respdnsible for damages. they are prepared to pay. but they want to know a predictable amount that they are paying. No. 1. and they want to have it paid fairly. Under this system. if you meet the illness criteria and you are able to proceed with your litigation. one person with asbestosis. who seriously has a disability. maybe is on oxygenas I have known people to be as a result of breathing asbestosthey might get $100 million. literally. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090107202,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Another person may get zero. So I think we have this aberrational way that a certain limited amount of resources would be utilized to help people who are sick. We are at a point now where we have created a circumstance that would allow a fairly even workmens compensation type distribution of it. Secondly. it allows the litigation spasm to continue. Yes. it will take out the bogus claims from people who are not sick and who dont need to be in court. Those claims will be able to be removed. But they Will have large numbers of trials of those who actually are injured by asbestos. and thelawyers on both sides have to be compensated. We know today that those compensation arrangements turn out to eat up .58 percent of the cost of what the defendant companies pay out. In other words. many of these companies that are ii bankruptcy. and many more on the verge of bankruptcy and could- be pushed into bankruptcy. are paying out to victims. but oflly 42 percent of what they are paying out gets to the victims. So I was hoping in this legislationm y vision has always been. how can We not fix this system? How hard is it to take this 60 percent. allow the business community some predictability and certainty over 30 years. and get more money to the victims quicker and faster? If. instead of 300.000 pending lawsuits. lets say. you have now 150.000 pending lawsuits. that is a lot of lawsuits. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090107202,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a lot of lawsuits. And they are.pending by the thousands in certain districts in America. People are not going to get trials right away. They are not going to be able to say I want to have my trial today. I have a serious asbestosis._ I am on oxygen. I may die.soon. or I have mesothelioma. and this is a deadly disease. and the doctors say I only have 9 months to live. and I want to have my case tried. It is not going to happen that way. It is not happening that way now. and it will not under this bill. Therefore. people Are going to die and suffer in poverty for years before they get any payment. whereas. in this bill. we can get the money to the victims promptly and fairly. in an objective way. with plaintiffs similarly injured. similarly situated. getting similar amounts of moneygenerous amounts of money.. As I noted. a .mesothelioma aisle. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090107202,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Trial lawyers. may be for this Gin case gets $1.1 million. Half would be amendment if it can be modified be floo paid within 30 days. without any need cause they see th. medical criteria bill M for an attorney whatsoever. You go in as a way of continuing to bring cases yiel with a medical claim. and if an attor- to court. and to continue with the cur- todi ney is involved. the maximum he could rent structure. I dont criticize the on get is 5 percent. trial lawyers. I dont criticize anybody. tial My colleague from Texas said we I dont criticize the trial laWyers for this modified the attorney fee rule. and. I exercising whatever.rights the current deri was at fault for that. Senators SPECTER system allows. But it is up to the Con-\" neg and LEAHY and others asked we con- gress of the United States to make the not sider the fact that when cases are ap- determination as to what is the appro- blin pealed. they tend to become complex priate public policy. That is a congres- law: and require quite a bit of lawyer time. sional decision to make. fere and we ought to allow lawyers to have Mr. LEAHY. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090107202,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Will the Senator yield for more than that. if the judge approves for a moment? - aroi it. So I thought that was a reasonable Mr. SPECTER: I am delighted to. is n request. We have amended it only to Mr. LEAHY..Mr. President. the Sen- rew that small degree. It is not an opening ator from\" Pennsylvania is absolutely T up of attorneys fees under this bill. right. it will not be a partyline vote. I and I am concerned that some of the pri- hope the Senator from Pennsylvania day mary advantages of a~bestos reform succeeds. It is interesting. the people will would not be availed under this amend- who represent victims and people who now ment. That is why I am reluctantly not dont have legal representation support to able to support it. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5756}
{"speech_id":1090107271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am glad we have finally come to this portion of the argument because it reinforces a lot of things that have been said on this Senate floor over the last several days. It really comes down to a very basic question. the question as to whether this bill has been carefully crafted. whether it contains enough money in the trust fund to compensate the hundreds of thousands of asbestos victims who will have to count on it. -I have raised this issue repeatedly as to the $140 billion figure.. There are reliable estimates of the actual cost over a 50year period of time that almost double the amount of this trust fund. some even higher. Senator KENT CONRAD on our side of the aisle is well respected as the ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee. His background as the head of taxes in his State of North Dakota. his own personal education and experience give him extraordinary credibility when it comes to issues of cost and issues involving accounting. He has made a convincing case to our caucus and to those who are listening on both sides of the aisle that the $140 billion that is part of this trust fund Js not nearly adequate to the task. Of course. if it isnt. what choices do we have? Senator SPECTER suggested on the floor the other day that if $140 billion wasnt enough to pay the victims. then we will pay the victims less. Today when I asked hirn a similar question. he said there are other options. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2254}
{"speech_id":1090107271,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You can say to these victims. if you have taken away their lawsuit that they worked on for a year or two. they have to stop their case in court. Then put them into this new trust fund system. and then the. trust fund syste~n fails them at some later date and doesnt pay them all they are entitled to. you can sayto these victims: You can go back and start over in court now. That is.cold comfort to a family that is doing its best to take care of medical bills and lost wages and burial expenses for someone they love. They have made a point over and over that uhder no circumstances will the Federal Government step in and make up the difference. I guess that verbal assurance is good. but we know there is always that possibility at some later date if this program doesnt work. if it fails. that someone will say. we","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2254}
{"speech_id":1090107285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the efforts of the Labor. Health and Human Services subcommittee to ensure that the -Senate and the public are educated on the important issues. surrounding pandemic flu preparedness. The input of this panel in November was important to this committee as we worked to piovide pandemic flu funding in the December Defense Appropriations bill. The Senate Appropriations. Committee has taken a significant first step in addressing this issue. We will continue to work with the Secretary of HHS and the White House to provide the funding necessary to prepare our country for an influenza pandemic. We realize these efforts require -Federal and local governments.. as well as private industry. working together. I am pleased that these interests are all represented here today.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090107297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute to the Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewals Climate of Trust Program. The councils work in combating ethnic and religious hatred while strerfgthening tolerance and moderation in Russian society has made a great difference in the lives of all the programs participants. In 1998. a wave of antiSemitic activi.ty terrorized the Jewish population in a provincial town in northwest Russia. In response. the Bay Area Council established the Climate of Trust Program. a collaborative partnership between American and Russian police officers. local officials. human rights activists. and ethnic and religious community representatives dedicated to resolving conflicts peacefully and establishing an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect in Russia. It is fitting that the pilot program for the Climate of Trust began in one of the most diverse cities in the world. my hometown of San Francisco. In 2000. representatives of the San Francisco Police Department. the District Attorneys Office. the California Superior Court. and the AntiDefamation League went to Russia to join their counterparts in a seminar on religious tolerance. The participants continued the dialogue when the Russian delegates traveled to San Francisco later that year. In total. seven of these exchanges have now taken place. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090107297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During these meetings. attendees discuss a wide variety of issues including hate crime laws in the United States. how hate incidents are investigated. elements of a hate crime and its impact on the community. diversity in the police department. and community policing. These interactions culminated in the establishment of four permanent regional tolerance centers in Russia. These centers design and implement activities that promote tolerance and effective communication between law enforcement and the community. Organized and run by Russian police officers and community members alike. the centers sponsor hate crimes courses for police cadets to identify and handle ethnic or religious violence and produce a tolerance textbook for high school students. From its modest beginning in 1998. the Climate of Trust has\" grown into a farreaching and effective program. Thousands of Russians. from small town police officers to federal government officials. have attended Climate of Trust seminars and workshops. The success of this program is due in no small part to the hard work of the Bay Area Council. USAID. and. most importantly. the team of American volunteers and their Russian counterparts who have worked together to deL velop new models for promoting tolerance and- diversity. We have all witnessed the tragic consequences of ethnic hatred and religious intolerance. It is our solemn obligation to work together to ensure that tolerance and understanding prevails. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090107297,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend and congratulate. the Climate of Trust Program of the Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewal for their tireless efforts in these areas. and I look forward to working with them again in the future.*","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3038}
{"speech_id":1090107430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on Monday. the Senate will consider H.R. 4297. the Tax Relief Act of 2005 for the third time. Unfortunately. there will be multiple motions to instruct the conferees from the other side of the aisle before we send this bill to conference. Those motions will be offered on Monday. Senators can therefore expect multiple votes on Monday. There are 10 hours available by statute for consideration of these motions. Therefore. these votes will occur later on Monday. I anticipate those votes to begin sometime after 8 p.m. We will then resume consideration of the asbestos bill next week. Pending is the motion to waive the point of order. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1316}
{"speech_id":1090107430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have Senators who would like additional debate. We will be talking to Senators oxi both sides of the aisle to determine the best time to schedule that vote following their statements. Needless to say. there is much work to be done before our next recess. the Presidents Day recess. at the end of next week. Therefore. I expect we will be voting Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. and Friday in order to complete our work. In addition to the asbestos bill and the Tax Relief Act. we need to address the PATRIOT Act before adjourning. It is going to be a long. arduous week. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1316}
{"speech_id":1090107430,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Members for their patience in advance as we move these vital priorities along.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1316}
{"speech_id":1090107466,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator KENNEDY repeats the old demagogic saw about capital gains and dividends being only tax benefits for the wealthy. The facts are very different. I have two charts here which will show how wrong he is. One of these charts deals with capital gains. The other one deals with dividends. Dividends is the first one to which I make reference because. in the State of Massachusetts. you cant have all these wealthy people benefiting from the 15percent dividend tax instead of what he would prefer. the 20percent dividend tax. Dont forget. again. as I referred in my opening remarks. these are year 2003 figures. so it could be a lot more than that right now. but these are the most uptodate Internal Revenue Service figures we have. In Massachusetts. we have 589.897 taxpayers who benefit from the 15percent capital gains dividend. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11306}
{"speech_id":1090107466,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dont tell me that all 589.000 of those are millionaires. Massachusetts may be a very wealthy State. but it doesnt have that many millionaires in it. So somewhere along the line. Senator KENNEDY ought to wake up to the fact that there are a lot of middleincome and common folks in his State who are benefiting from the 15percent tax on dividends instead of having a 33percent increase in that tax and having it go back to 20 percent. My friend from Montana did make a correct judgment that this is not running out right now. But the point is that when you are asking people to invest to create jobs in America. they have to have the longterm view of that investment. If you want to encourage investment to create jobs. people have to know what the tax law is for the long term. not for the short term. The point is. in order to persecute a few millionaires. Senator KENNEDY wants to punish the many. And the many are the 589.000 people in his State who benefit from the 15percent tax on dividends. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11306}
{"speech_id":1090107466,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lets go to the number of people in that State who benefit from the 15percent capital gains tax. There are 212.000 people in Massachusettsagain. I remind you these are 2003 tax year figures because that is the most uptodate we have from the IRS. There are more today. probably. But there are 212.000 people in Massachusetts. taxpaying families and individuals. benefiting from the 15percent capital gains tax. Those are not wealthy people. Again. you get back to the point of whether we ought to persecute the few. the few millionaires he is talking about. persecute them and at the same time punish 212.000 people in the State of Massachusetts. I dont think so. I dont think it is good policy. I hope this Congress is able to have a sensible tax policy that not only includes sensible levels of taxation. but if you look at all the dividends that are being paid out today that wouldnt have otherwise been paid out. you think you would come to a conclusion that is a sensible policy because we have tens of millions of taxpayers deciding how the profits of a corporation are going to be spent instead of a few thousand chief executive officers of those same corporations deciding how it is going to be spent. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11306}
{"speech_id":1090107466,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When millions of taxpayers are making those decisions. it is going to respond to the dynamics of our economic system and create more jobs and important prosperity than when a few corporation executives keep all those profits internal in a corporation making those decisions. I dont think we ought to be persecuting a few to punish the many. When it comes to these motions to instruct. we may have some motions to instruct on this side of the aisle that will set the record straight on what we are trying to accomplish and give people opportunities to vote on good economic policy and good tax policy as well as bad economic policy and bad tax policy that we are getting from some on the other side of the aisle. In 2003. a bipartisan Congress lowered the top tax rate on dividends and capital gains to 15 percent through December 31. 2008. and for low- and middleincome taxpayers to 5 percent through 2007 and zero percent through 2008. I filed six motions to instruct conferees to report back a conference report that includes the extension of these tax rates through 2009 and through 2010. the same as the House of Representatives has. Critics of this policy claim these are tax cuts for the rich that make a budget deficit worse because they want to persecute the few and in the process punish the many. But I filed these motions that are going to tell the other side of the story. that when you have sound tax policy which encourages the economy to grow. we are also going to reduce the deficit. Besides. let me suggest to you that I dont know how it is in other States. but I dont run into very many in my State who are saying I am undertaxed. tax me more. But I run into people day after day in almost every one of my town meetings where they are complaining about the overspending of the Congress of the United States. In regard to the other side of the story and the motions to instruct that I filed. the lower rates of capital gains and dividends have produced several positive effects. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11306}
{"speech_id":1090107466,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They benefited lowand middleincome families in a meaningful way. Cant you see that when you have a very low tax rate for certain lowincome people. as one example? For lowand middleincome taxpayers. it will be 5 percent through 2007 and zero percent through 2008. This is going to encourage people to save to a greater extent. particularly people who have a lower income and dont have the ability to save. These lower tax rates have reduced the tax burden on senior citizens who rely on their investment incomes during retirement. They have contributed to our economic recovery and continue to help the economy grow. They have made capital investments in America more competitive with the capital investment in other countries. With the globalization of the economy. that is something we always have to be cognizant of in this Congress. that you cant have a tax policy that makes our corporations. particularly in manufacturing. uncompetitive with manufacturing overseas. Finally. these tax rates have helped impose transparency and discipline on corporate managers which is critical to protecting investments and workers. I may or may not seek a vote on these motions to instruct. but I want to go through each one of these points which I made so that when Members come over to vote tonight. they will know some of the rationale behind Republican motions. The lower rates on dividends and capital gains have benefited low- and middleincome families in a meaningful way. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11306}
{"speech_id":1090107525,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. 2 weeks ago. in a debate on the Senate version of the tax reconciliation bill. I proposed an amendment to provide tax relief for victims of Katrina. paid for by restricting the extension of capital gains and dividend tax cuts only to people with incomes under $100 million. My amendment would have made all children of working parents in the disaster area eligible for at least a partial credit. For the convenience of my colleagues. I agreed not to demand a vote on that amendment. But I rise again to urge my colleagues not to forget Katrina and her victims who continue to struggle. In a bill with $70 billion of tax cuts. surely we can find $274 million to do something for the most vulnerable members of our society. In the weeks after Katrina made landfall. President Bush vowed to do what it takes to help the region recover. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4703}
{"speech_id":1090107525,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We wanted to believe him. We had witnessed the devastation caused by the hurricane. and we saw the terror of poor families with their lives turned upside down. homes destroyed. jobs and businesses lost. families separated. and lives permanently changed. At the time. the President said: We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. Almost 6 months later. the Governments actions have not matched the Presidents rhetoric. Evacuees are getting kicked out of their hotel rooms this week because FEMA stopped paying the bill. Thousands of temporary mobile homes ordered by FEMA are sitting empty in nearby Southern States. The Federal response continues to be inadequate to get the families back on their feet. We can do better for these families. At a time when we are debating $70 billion of tax cuts. most of which will benefit corporations and people who need help the least. why not set aside a small fraction to help those who need it most? One way to help those who need help the most is to enhance the refundable portion of the child tax credit. Under current law. families who earn less than $11.000 get no benefit from the refundable child credit. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4703}
{"speech_id":1090107525,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That means that a child does not get any benefit from the credit even if her parents work full time at the minimum wage. And the child doesnt get the full benefit of the $1.000 credit until her parents earn close to $18.000. or even more if the child has siblings. As a result. almost 17 million children get less than the full credit. Wouldnt it make sense to recognize the damage wrought by the hurricane and to eliminate the income threshold that excludes the poorest of children from getting the credit? Wouldnt it make sense to say to the children affected by Katrina that they will no longer be denied at least a partial credit so long as their parents are working? The cost of this fix is estimated at $274 million over 2 years. To get a sense of perspective. that is less than onehalf of 1 percent of the cost of this entire bill. It is a matter of common sense and fairnessthe least we can do when we are cutting taxes for wealthy Americans. If we do this. hundreds of thousands of this countrys most disadvantaged children will see an increase in their creditnot as a handout but because their parents work. I hope we dont forget the images we witnessed in the aftermath of the hurricanethe people. their suffering. and the devastation. We shouldnt forget the daily struggles families right now are going through trying to rebuild their lives. Let us not forget our Governments promise to do what it takes for families along the gulf coast. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4703}
{"speech_id":1090107525,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us not forget our duty. as the President put it. to confront poverty with bold action. I urge my colleagues to join me in instructing the Senate managers to provide tax relief for the most vulnerable members of our society. Together. let us urge them to remember the lowincome victims of Katrina and the children and families too poor to benefit fully from the refundable child credit. Obviously. this is a modest piece of legislation. It is a motion to instruct. My suspicion is that even if it passed. other priorities would move to the fore. Let me say in closing that it is shameful. what is happening in the gulf coast right now. I think all of us recognize the scope of the devastation. All of us were embarrassed at the slow response immediately after the hurricane. It has now been 6 months. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4703}
{"speech_id":1090107525,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have not shown the sense of urgency that the American people did privately after the hurricane. I would hope that at least we can send some small signal that we are concerned about the kids who are languishing. who have been uprooted. who arent in the schools they were attending and in the neighborhoods in which they grew up. This is one way to send that signal. and I urge my colleagues to support my motion. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4703}
{"speech_id":1090107617,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise for the purpose of asking unanimous consent to change the names of the sponsors of a motion that I filed. I ask unanimous consent that the Grassley motion regarding the permanence of the child tax credit be identified as Grassley for TALENT and SNOWE.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":273}
{"speech_id":1090107694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. our constituents expect us to not only guard the economic and national security of this Nation. they expect us to preserve the moral security that has made this Nation great. Just the other day. I had the chance to deliver the keynote address at an event for the Tennessee Boy Scouts. Mr. Speaker. in this job we do as Members of Congress.-there are times when you speak to a group and you can just feel that they are doing the right things. The Boy Scouts fit in that category. They are teaching our boys what it means to serve their community. We are a Nation built on shared moral values. Families across the country know that our communities are strong and that this country is strong when those values are respected and protected and preserved for future generations. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090107694,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"House Republicans know this. and we will be working here each and every day to protect this Nations security.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090107697,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this weekend I had the fortune to attend a funeral in a small rural town in the southeast corner of Arkansas of a gentleman who was 101 years old. But the people in that town were all excited and happy because one of our Members. Congressman MIKE Ross. had named the Post Office in that town after this gentleman. Mr. Willie Vaughn. who had worked and been there almost a hundred years. I commend our colleague. Representative MIKE Ross. for making a lot of people in Southeast Arkansas very happy.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":511}
{"speech_id":1090107698,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. since the revelation of the National Security Agencys terrorist surveillance program. we have heard all sorts of hysterics from the other side of the aisle. I think now is the time to separate myth from reality. Allegations that the NSA program is illegal are a myth. The reality is that the Presidents authority to authorize this program is firmly based in both his constitutional authority as CommanderinChief and in the authorization for use of military force which passed Congress after 9\/11. Allegations that the NSA program is a domestic eavesdropping program used to spy on innocent Americans are a myth. The reality is that this program is narrowly focused. aimed only at international calls and targeted at al Qaeda and related groups. There are safeguards in place to protect the civil liberties of Americans. Allegations that NSA activities violate the fourth amendment are a myth. The reality is that that program is consistent with the Constitutions protections of civil liberties. including fourth amendment protections. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090107698,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are people who want you to believe this program is targeting average Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090107701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the headlines announcing one scandal after another have grieved the heart of the American people and have eroded public confidenQe in our national governments comnitment to governing of. the highest moral caliber. The Bible says that righteousness exalts a nation. so the converse must also be true. So Congress is preparing to fight for ethics reform. not because such scandals hurt our party but because they do hurt the Nation. But as we reform our rules of ethics we will do so with the understanding that these are but symptoms of the core problem. The real scandal in Washington. D.C.. is runaway Federal spending. Fiscal and moral integrity are inseparable issues. So it is not enough to change the way lobbyists spend their money. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":997}
{"speech_id":1090107701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. We must change the way Congress spends the peoples money. Only by marrying budget reform and ethics reform can we hope to restore the confidence of the American people in the fiscal and moral integrity of our national legislature. -","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":997}
{"speech_id":1090107730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise in support of H. Res. 629. supporting the goals and ideals of a Day of Hearts. Congenital Heart Defect Day in order to increase awareness about congenital heart defects. I think its fitting that on Valentines Day. we can discuss a resolution that will help protect our hearts. Heart disease can affect every aspect of your life: your ability to work. your ability to get adequate insurance. your ability to exercise or play sports. and your ability to have children. not to mention your ability to enjoy your life and live it to the fullest. Estimates suggest that about 1 million Americans have a congenital heart defect. If time in the hospital and recuperating from heart conditions could be measured in years of life. over 91.000 life years are lost each year in the US due to congenital heart dis-. ease. For inpatient surgery alone. charges for care exceed $2.2 billion every year. Even our most vulnerable and innocent citizens are not exempt from the risk of heart disease: around 35.000 babies are born with a heart defect each year. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2269}
{"speech_id":1090107730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Out of 1.000 births. 8 babies will have some form of congenital heart disorder. although for the most part. these are mild. Severe heart disease generally becomes apparent during the first couple of months after birth. Doctors know to watch for certain clues. including when babies are born blue. have very low blood pressure. breathing difficulties. feeding problems. or poor weight gain. In addition. most minor defects are diagnosed on a routine medical check up. Weve made significant improvements in the treatment of congenital heart conditions. from preventive treatment. to surgery. to research. to education and outreach. In the 1960s and 1970s the risk of dying following congenital heart surgery was about 30 percent and today it is around 5 percent. However. recent statistics show that heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of American women. and heart failure is .on the rise in the elderly. This bill is relevantand timely. and a noble effort to bring much needed awareness and crucial outreach to men. women and children across the Nation. Knowledge can make all the difference in quality of life. and a Day of Hearts is the perfect way to start the conversation and spread the word.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2269}
{"speech_id":1090107817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my friend and colleague. Mr. MATHESON from Utah. who is our distinguished leader of the Blue Dogs. a group. Mr. Speaker. that I am very proud to be a member of. I joined when I first came to Congress in January of 1997. and I am proud of the work that they do in trying to bring to the attention of the country and of the Congress the importance of the economic model and making sure that the government meets its obligations to the community and is willing to pay for those obligations. Mr. Speaker. we live in the greatest country on the face of the Earth. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5933}
{"speech_id":1090107817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I like to tell my constituents back home when I speak to Kiwanis Clubs or civic clubs that we have 5 percent of the worlds- population. That is about one of every 20 people in the world live in America. And we control 25 percent of the worlds wealth. We got into that position in a relatively short period of time. It is less than 230 years this year wehave been a Nation. and we have done it by creating an economic model that is unsurpassed in the world. That economic model really to me. when you break it down. does one_ thing. It always strives to expand the middle class and move as many people as you can out of the bottom rung and into the middle class where they can be productive members of our society. In the process. you narrow the gap between the very rich and the very poor. and that served us well over the years. I remember talking to my parents when I got old enough to register to vote and asked them about why they happened to be registered Democrats. And they said. well. they thought that. coming out of the Depression in the 1920s and 1930s. that the Democratic party under the leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt really laid thq groundwork for making this country the greatest economic and military machine on the face of the Earth. . ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5933}
{"speech_id":1090107817,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Expand the middle.class. Mr. Speaker. to expand the middle class you have to have a welleducated and healthy population. and those are functions that our government has to be involved in. We have to be providing a good educational system for our children. We have to ensure. if we are going to stay competitive in the world. Mr. Speaker. that each generation is better educated than the previous generation. You have to have a good health retirement system. You have to have a good income retirement system. Prior to the implementation of Social Security and Medicare in this country. if you reached the age of retirement. age 65 in America. there was a great chance. over a 50 percent chance. that you would be below the poverty level. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5933}
{"speech_id":1090107817,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Less than 10 percent of our folks today live below the poverty level because of this great economic model that we have created which strives to expand the middle class. Social Security and Medicare were important components of that. Why do I talk about the expansion of the middle class and the economic model? This government has a budget which talks about how it funds its community responsibilities. community obligations. and that budget proposal was just presented by the administration to Congress in the last couple of weeks. And that budget proposal for the coming fiscal year which starts on October 1 proposes to spend $2.47 trillion. Let me say that again. It proposes to spend $2.47. trillion. But its collections to pay for that $2.47 trillion amount to $2.15 trillion. That is a budget deficit of approximately $318 billion. That is after we spend all of the Social Security surplus masking the much larger deficit. But the problems do not stop there. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5933}
{"speech_id":1090107817,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The budget does not even address the costs of the war effort in the Middle East. in Iraq and Afghanistan. in the coming year. It does not address some other issues which we know as a Congress and a Nation that we have to address. such as the alternative minimum tax exploration and some other tax issues like that. So what we have before us as a Congress presented by the administration is a budget that really is not a very useful document for us to start with. Mr. Speaker. my wife and I own a farm. a family farm that has been in my family for over 175 years. And it is not always easy on the farm. It is a small business: And this past. week at home I spent a good part of the week doing a budget. Why do I do a budget? I do my budget to take to my. creditors so they can provide us the funds we need to run our little small business. I spent a good many days on that budget and did the very best I could to present to my creditors just as accurate a picture as possible of what I thought the revenues would be and the expenses would be for the coming year. That is honesty in budgeting. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5933}
{"speech_id":1090107818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate those comments. I do think people should expect an honest budget. I think .we all know we are going to have troops in Iraq during the next fiscal year. and the fact that this budget does not list a dollar to fund that. in and of itself. tells you that this budget is not an accurate reflection of the expenses that this government is going to face in the next year. That is not being honest. That is not being straight with people. We know we are going to incur that expense. We ought to acknowledge we are going to incur that expense. and we. do not do it. and I think that is something the Blue Dogs feel real strongly about in terms of having honesty and integrity in the budgeting process and the budget numbers. Part and parcel of that is that we ought to have planning for contingencies. I suspect when Mr. BOYD was developing the budget for the family farm. for his business. that he had a line item in there called contingency. because you know that something else is going to come up. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090107818,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You do not know what it is going to be. You do not know when it is going to be. It could be weather related. It could be something that you. cannot even anticipate. but you know there is going to be an expense that comes up that you cannot identify today but it is going to happen. You cannot estimate with absolute accuracy down to the dollar what it is going to be. but you know there is going to be something. And based on your experience and based on your judgement you guesstimate what it is going to be. And when you go to your bank. if they are helping you finance it. they want you to do that. *and they are going to work with you to make sure that is a good estimate of what a contingency might be. We do not do that in the Federal Government. but I am sure you do that when you are planning your own budget.","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1824}
{"speech_id":1090107822,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I know this accountability issue \"is one that we are all very concerned about. I saw some reports today that in the FEMA response to the Katrina and Rita disasters and other storms of 2005. which were dreadful and particularly dreadful for the people on the gulf coast. but one of the tools they used to help the folks was a $2.000 credit card that FEMA passed out. I \"read some reports today that many of those. maybe as many as 30 or 40 percent of those credit cards. were received with fraudulent Social Security information. and. also. the expenses on some of those cards were for some very unreasonable items like tattoos and massages and things that we would not think that necessarily the taxpayer ought to be paying for. So we do need oversight. and one of the things that I am hopeful for is the majority party in this body had an election here a week or so ago. and there is a new majority leader on the Republican side here. It is my hope and I am sure the hope of the Blue Dogs that we can work with him in a way that we have not been .able to work with the leaders in the past to try to address some of these issues. because this issue of oneparty rule and lack of oversight into the administrations activities is costing the American people greatly. I think it is time that we addressed it and try to do something about it.","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1350}
{"speech_id":1090107840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"district is the presence of the military that is there. whether it is our men and women 6f the naval forces that are out there working or those in the Air Force who are flying. So from land to air to sea. you have it all covered. and we appreciate your constituents. And.* Mrs. DRAKE. I join you in wishing the families of all of those men and women who are deployed a wonderful Valentines .Day. And I join you in standing here tonight to say \"thank you\" that they are working to be certain that thesechildren grow up in a safe. free. and secure America. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentlewoman. from Virginia.","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":610}
{"speech_id":1090107844,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlelady for her comments and for mentioning the good work that is taking place over in Afghanistan and in Iraq. One of the things. Mr. Speaker. that we are learning more and more about everyday is the fact that. as the military raises up over there. at the same time we are raising up and working to. raise up the economic underpinning of that nation. the governmental underpinning of that nation. the educational underpinning of that nation. and working to be certain that they are indeed ready to take thereins and ready to succeed as they step toward democracy. Mr. Speaker. I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina. Ms. Foxx. She does such awonderful job as she works with her constituents and works with us. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1226}
{"speech_id":1090107844,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Education is her forte. and I love listening to her stories about how she educates and works with her grandchildren and how special and how important they are and the lessons that she teaches them and how privileged they are to grow up in a safe. free land and their responsibility to be good stewards of that citizenship and that opportunity that is presented toward them. I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina for some comments on addressing the global war on terror.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1226}
{"speech_id":1090107860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield for just a moment. today I was at a hearing and the hearing happened to be on China. It was a subcommittee on which I serve as ranking member. and there was a reference made to the Bushdoctrine. Well. I would submit. given that President Bush has accomplished in one term more than all of his predecessors combined in terms of accumulating debt held by foreign nations. some of whom are particularly hostile to the United States. that we should describe the Bush doctrine as one of borrow and spend. not pay as you go. but borrow as you cut taxes. And I made the observation if you connect the dots how are we conferring a massive tax cut. 40 percent of which is reserved for 1 percent of Americans. Who is paying for that particular tax cut? Well. at least a trillion of it -is being funded by Japan. China. Britain. the Caribbean. Taiwan. And listen to this. that tax cut is also being paid for by money borrowed from OPEC. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1221}
{"speech_id":1090107860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"OPEC. That means that we are not just buying our oil from the OPEC cartel. but we are also borrowing money for them to support a tax cut for 1 percent- of our affluent citizens. And then Korea. Germany. Canada and others makeup the difference. This is extraordinary.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1221}
{"speech_id":1090107880,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I heard tonight on CNN earlier this evening that the cost of the 11.000 trailers was upwards of $300 million. So basically what happened is FEMA is so screwed up. okay. because there are not many other ways to put it. They are so screwed up that they bought 11.000 trailers that they moved to Hope. Arkansas. and put them in a field that is full of mud. They sunk in the mud so they are not even good anymore. They will probably have to get rid of them. Real estate people in Louisiana said that $300 million could build 2.500 homes for middleclass people in Louisiana or in the gulf States. It could open up all of the schools in the gulf coast. So when we come down here and we are talking about the debt. the deficit. and the recklessness and the irresponsible spending. reckless abandon for balancing the budget. that is one issue. But another issue is look at the waste. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3023}
{"speech_id":1090107880,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My goodness. $300million to buy trailers that are now sitting in the mud in Hope. Arkansas. instead of actually housing people? You mentioned Speaker Gingrich earlier: He was talking. and I read in the paper the other day. he is as critical of the Republican establishment in this House and in the Senate and in the White House as any of us are. This is not about Democrat and Republican. This is about America functioning as a government in the 21st century with the communication capabilities that we have. with the technology that we have. with the know-. how that we have. To hear afterwards that experts were trying to tell folks in FEMA. and outside of FEMA. what wculd happen if there was a category 3. 4 or 5 hurricane that came into the gulf States. We knew. What we are trying to say here is that the Republican majority in the House and the Republican majority in the Senate. in this administration. Republicans in the White House. do not know how to govern. Now. because the whole philosophy is that all government from top to bottom does not work. it is worthless. it has no value. that is not true. That is just not true. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3023}
{"speech_id":1090107880,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are saying that government needs to get out where it does not work. and it needs to be efficient and effective where it has responsibility. Now. FEMA. for example. who else is going to coordinate between the gulf States and emergency response? Who else is going to protect us with Homeland Security. of which you are a committee member. Mr. MEEK? Who else is going to provide for the defense? Who is going to balance the budget? Government has some responsibilities to invest. All we are saying is do it in a responsible manner. This nonsense is reckless. paying $226 or $230 billion in interest on the money you are borrowing from the Chinese Government. Japanese Government and the OPEC countries. and then basically raising tuition and underfunding No Child Left Be.hind. In Ohio. No Child Left Behind is underfunded by $1.5 billion a year. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3023}
{"speech_id":1090107880,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cutting veterans benefits? Not funding Homeland Security? You know. this is not very visionary on behalf of our brothers and sisters on the other side of the aisle.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3023}
{"speech_id":1090107924,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I urge my colleagues to oppose this motion: Why is that? Essentially. we must choose between extending protection from the AMT tax increase this year for 17 million working famiilies or extending $50 billion in investor tax breaks which do not expire until 3 years from now. after the next Presidential election. That is the choice. This motion says you can have it all. This motion says there is no deficit problem. This motion says: Dont worry. be happy. Our Senate bill. supported by 66 Senators. chose to protect millions of working families from the 2006 AMT hit rather than extending 2009 tax breaks for investors. The truth is. we cannot have it all. There is a deficit problem. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1793}
{"speech_id":1090107924,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Something will have to give. and I wish we could realistically hope the House will be willing to agree to a significant amount of offsets. crackdowns on tax shelters. so we could do more on this tax bill. but I amnot optimistic. I have deep experience with the House. and they will not do so. and that is forcing us to choose. That is why we must choose. Is it the R&D credit? Is it incentives for businesses to hire the hardtoemploy? Is it a true AMT holdharmless? Those are ouri choices. The House. made their: choice. They -chose not to. protect .17- million families. threatened by .tha. AMTjSomeditein. an.wadt uitit 2007.. 2008. nor\" even. 2009.ixCapital. gains can wait. :AMT cannot Wat. Protection from that tax increasethat is. the AMTwhich expires now. must be extended this year. not capital gains. That AMT protection expired in December. and 17 million working families are waiting to hear our choice. I urge my colleagues not to embark on this dangerous course. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1793}
{"speech_id":1090107924,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge them to reject this motion. We have to choose. We cannot have it all. I urge my colleagues to be responsible.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1793}
{"speech_id":1090108042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish to add to those remarks. This morning I met with a number of Tennesseans here in an event we call Tennessee Tuesday. It is a meeting we have every Tuesday. Senator FRIST and I host it for Tennesseans who are visiting Washington. and it is a chance to let them know what we are working on. I. talked with them about asbestos. One of my friends on the other side of the aisle began this debate. which should have started earlier. by saying: Why are we talking about asbestos when we have a war. when we have deficits out of control. when jobs are going overseas. when kids are not learning in schools. when Medicaid costs are rising and prescription drug benefits are not being delivered as efficiently as we would like? Why are we talking about asbestos? I think we have an obligation tosay to the American people. and to ourselves. we know exactly why. we are talking about asbestos.. We are talking about asbestos because it has to do with tens of thousands. maybe hundreds of thousands of American jobs. We are talking about asbestos because it has to do with whether we are going to retain our preeminence as the leader in the world in competitiveness. whether we are going to be able to lead the world in terms of the standard of living we have. We are talking aboutasbestos because we have thousands of Americans who have been hurt and who deserve compensation and who cannot be compensated. Asbestos is right where it ought to be. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2945}
{"speech_id":1090108042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is at the top of our agenda. We have Democrats and Republicans working together to solve the problem. because it is about jobs. it is about Americas role in the world. and it is about Americans who have been hurt and who have no way to be compensated unless we decide to help them. Lets take the first point. The FAIR Act. as we call itand that is a good name for itis about jobs because since the 1980s. more than 70 companies have gone bankrupt as a result of asbestos lawsuits. These lawsuits have occurred because people were working for those companies and they were exposed to asbestos and many of them died or were seriously ill. More than 60.000 workers lost their jobs since the 1980s because 70 companies have gone bankrupt over asbestos lawsuits. If we picked up the paper and read in the morning that 60.000 jobs had gone to China. there would be speeches made all across this Senate floor about whose fault it was. It will be our fault if we do not solve the asbestos problem and 60.000 more jobs are lost. Those are real. goodpaying. manufacturing jobs that will be lost if we do not solve the asbestos problem. My State of Tennessee has its share of those jobs. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2945}
{"speech_id":1090108042,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The auto industry. as an example. has onethird of the manufacturing jobs in Tennessee. We are glad that Saturn and Nissan have come to our state. and that we have gone from a handful of suppliers to nearly a thousand. But those companies. those suppliers. those. jobs are at risk if we do not solve the asbestos problems.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2945}
{"speech_id":1090108305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor also to talk about where we are and. more importantly. where we need to go with respect to theeconomy that impacts all of us in various ways. It seems appropriate to emphasize some of the key points ab6ut the health of our economy. about what is doing very well. and about what we need to be working on now to ensure that this continues. and also to have 20\/ 20 vision\" about where we want to be and what we need to do to get there. I am disappointed about the slowness in our moving this year and a certain amount of obstructionism that seems to be going on in terms of moving forward. Nevertheless. we ought to keep in mind that over the last year. we have been able to accomplish a great deal and the challenge is there to move forward. We have been able to keep the taxes relatively low. which. obviously. is a key factor in our economy. and we need to make sure it continues that way. We have certainly been able to do what is necessary to work toward having a strong health care program in this country. and that is a great challenge for us. We. did do something last year with pharmaceuticals. making them available. and even though the process was a little difficult. now we are seeing great increases in the number of people who are able to obtain pharmaceutical drugs at a more reasonable rate. We have assured that. there Will be more opportunities for job training and training in technologies so that we will have more research and will be able to continue to lead the world in terms of our economy I .think one of the more important things we did last year was to pass an energy bill that gives us some direction iii terms of one of the most important elements of our economy. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7909}
{"speech_id":1090108305,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There were other accomplishments as well last year. We passed legislatioh to end frivolous lawsuits. which has had a great impact on many aspects of our economy. We put some judges in place with a fair process. We need to be reminded sometimes of how well our economy is doing in terms of real growth. The GDP growth experienced in 2005 was at a rate of 3.5 percent for the year as a whole. while inflation remained at 2 percent. So that is very good. Those are very. good numbers. and it is better than what we have experienced over a number of years. and certainly it is exactly what we want to do. Real disposable income rose at 4 percent in December. We are up 1.4 percent for the year 2005. The aftertax income per person has risen almost 8 percent. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7909}
{"speech_id":1090108305,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Real household net worth is at an alltime high. This is good. and we need to make sure we understand that. Retail sales have risen. again.. 7 percent in December and 6.4 percent for the whole year. So that is very good. Employment growth remains high. Employers created 2 million new jobs in 2005. resulting in a less than 5percent unemployment rate at the end of the year.. Since 2003. when the tax cut went into effect. there have been almost 5 million new jobs created. That is a good sign. and we ought to understand it is the impact of that tax cut. Job growth is often affected and impacted. as is the total economy. by what we do with taxes. We have a great deal of controversy about it. of course. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7909}
{"speech_id":1090108305,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When we have the unusual expenses of the war on terrorism and of Katrina. it makes it difficult as we look at our budget. But the fact is the discretionary part of thebudget has been held down. We need to get the job completed in Iraq. complete our work there and reduce that spending and bring our troops home. All of us want to do that. The point I want to make is we have had a very favorable impact from what has been done over the last couple of years. and the thing we are seeking to do right now is continue those tax reducions that will strengthen the economy and continue to lielp. As I said. employment remains high. That is good. Job creation is what we want to do. We have to deal with immigration. of course. Even though we do need immigrants and workers here. we need to be legal. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7909}
{"speech_id":1090108305,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But wehave this job creation thing that we need to continue to work on. One -of the real challenges we have. before us is to deal some more with energy. As I said.last year we passed energy policies that I think were excellent: Now. of course. we have to implement those policies. We dealt last year with the question of alternative fuels in the future. whether we will be able to use wind energy. be able to use bioenergy. be able to use ethanol. all of these kinds of things. Those are future activities. and we will be able to do that. That challenge is to have the technology and the funding for the research to be able to move into those fields. That is something we can do and indeed we must do. Coupled with that is another challenge. Those changes are going to be over a relatively long time. at least several years. where we are faced immediately with shortages and dependence on world production and with costs. We areworking on a budget that will provide funding for doing research in the short term. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7909}
{"speech_id":1090108314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator will yield for one question which I think gets to the concern people have about tax reform. it seems like a zerosum game in this respect: If you end up lowering the taxes paid by someone in order to keep the same return to Government in revenue. you have to raise the taxes for others. So I ask the Senator to step back from his proposal for a minute. Who are the winners and losers?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":413}
{"speech_id":1090108376,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I dont want to interfere with the Senator. I see quite a few pages of remarks there. I dont want to interfere with that. but I understood the Senator from Virginia and the Senator from Arkansas were going to introduce legislation. to be followed by remarks of mine on the bill before us in my capadity as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. which has jurisdiction over this piece of legislation. My remarks will only be 5 or 6 minutes. but I wish to make them now or as soon as the Senators from Virginia and Arkansas have finished.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":565}
{"speech_id":1090108377,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there had been an informal agreement among colleagues. subject to the Senator who is principally on the floor at this point in timeand. I will let him speak for himselfthat we were going to introduce a bill. It would take 4 or 5 minutes for my remarks and 4 or 5 for the Senator from Arkansas. We were intending to do that at the conclusion of the colloquy between Senators FEINCOLD and SESSIONS. Am- I correct on that. the Senator had indicated that we could proceed?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":483}
{"speech_id":1090108415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I understand an agreement has been reached to have the cloture vote on the motion to proceed tomorrow morning and then a cloture vote on the bill on that Tuesday after we return from the recess. I point out the agreement essentially implements the schedule that would have been followed had I required the Senate to go through all the procedural hoops necessary to reach a vote on the White House deal. It. of course. maintains the 60vote threshold for passing this legislation. I thank the two leaders for working with me. I have no desire to inconvenience my colleagues or force votes in the middle of the night. as I understand the majority leader was threatening. I have been trying all day to get an agreement to allow debate and votes on a small number of amendments to this bill. I do not understand what the majority leader is afraid of or concerned about in rejecting this reasonable request. So while I do not object.to the agreement that will be propounded in a few minutes. I hope once we are on the bill tomorrow. I will be able to offer amendments and have them voted on. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1120}
{"speech_id":1090108431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I today speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that .would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On May 17. 2003. Sakia Gunn was fatally stabbed during a confrontation about her being a lesbian. Gunn and four other girls were waiting for a bus in downtown Newark. NJ. when Richard McCullough and another man drove up and asked them to go to a party. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1082}
{"speech_id":1090108431,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the girls responded that they were lesbians. the two men began spewing homophobic insults and McCullough proceeded to stab her. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. By passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.*","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1082}
{"speech_id":1090108439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation that allows small businesses to expense more of their equipment and business assets. which will create incentives to invest in new technology. expand their operations. and most important. create jobs. Small businesses are the engine that drives our Nations economy and I believe this bill strengthens their ability to lead the way. I am pleased to join mr colleague from Mississippi. Senator TRENT LOTT. as we work to move this important initiative for small businesses from legislation to law. As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. I drafted this bill in response to the repeated requests from small businesses in my State of Maine and from across the Nation to allow them to expense more of their investments like the purchase of essential new equipment. The bill modifies the Internal Revenue Code and would double. the amount a small business can expense from $100.000 to $200.000. and make the. provision permanent as President Bush also proposed this change in his fiscal year 2007 tax proposals. With small businesses representing 99 percent of all employers. creating 75 percent of net new jobs and contributing 51 percent of privatesector output. their size is the only small aspect about them. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2746}
{"speech_id":1090108439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By doubling and making permanent the current expensing limit and indexing these amounts for inflation. this bill will achieve two important objectives. First. qualifying businesses will be able to write off more of the equipment purchases today. instead of waiting five. seven or more years to recover their costs through depreciation. That represents substantial savings both in -dollars and in the time small businesses would otherwise have to spend complying with complex and confusing depreciation rules. Moreover. - new equipment will contribute to continued productivity growth in the business community. which economic experts have releatedly stressed is essential to the longterm vitality of our economy. Second. as a result of this bill. more businesses will qualify for this benefit because the phaseout limit will be increased to $800.000 in new assets purchases. At the same time. small business capital investment will be pumping more money into the economy. Accordingly. this is a winwin for small business and the economy as a whole. This. legislation is a tremendous opportunity to help small enterprises succeed by providing. an incentive for reinvestment and leaving them more of their earnings to do just that. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this vital legislation as we work with the President to enact this investment incentive into law. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD..","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2746}
{"speech_id":1090108442,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join with Senator FEINGOLD in introducing the Water Resources Planning and Modernization Act of 2006. This legislation is designed to take a postKatrina approach to Army Corps of Engineers projects. It would provide for a more effective system for selecting and funding Army Corps projects that help to protect our citizens against damage caused by floods. hurricanes and other natural disasters. Last August this Nation witnessed a horrible national disaster. When Hurricane Katrina hit. it brought with it destruction and tragedy beyond compare. more so than our Nation has seen in decades. Some six months later. the Gulf Coast region is still largely in the early stages Of attempting to rebuild and recover and there is a long road ahead. As our Nation continues to dedicate significant resources to the reconstruction effort. we must be vigilant in our oversight obligations and take appropriate actions based on the many lessons learned from this tragedy. \"One area that most would agree deserves needed attention\" 6oncerns the Army Corps system. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4184}
{"speech_id":1090108442,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Funding is distributed in a manner that is not always awardedthe itiost urgent\"projects. Because of this. Citizens can end up paying for unnecessary and irresponsible Army Corps projects with their tax dollars and their safety. It is time for us to take a new approach to how the Army Corps does business. With lessons learned from Katrina. we. can and must shepherd in a new era within the Army Corps that prioritizes critical projects and allows the American taxpayers to know that their money is being spent in an effective and efficient manner. The Water Resources Planning and Modernization Act is the only Corps related measure that has been introduced in the Senate since Katrina tragically struck that truly takes a lessonslearned approach. Any measure acted upon by this Congress regarding the Corps simply must account for the most up to date information available. We owe it to the American public. Historically. Congress has considered water projects costing many billions of taxpayer dollars as essential expendituresregardless of the environmental costs or public benefits. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4184}
{"speech_id":1090108442,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why the modernization procedures in this bill are designed to achieve more critical and costeffective expenditures for Corps water projects that will yield more environmental. economic. and social benefits. The need for these changes has been acknowledged by many for some time. but neve- has the need to spend scarce taxpayer dollars wisely been as crucial as it is now. The Corps procedures for planning and approving projects. as well as the Congressional system for funding projects. are broken. but they can be fixed. The reforms in our bill are based on thorough program analysis and common sense. I commend Senator FEINGOLD for his efforts to build on and improve upon the legislation we have previously introduced. Corps modernization has been a priority that Senator FEINGOLD and I have shared for years but ndver before has there been such an appropriate atmosphere and. urgent need to move forward on these overdue reforms. Provisions of the legislation we are introducing today provide for a process to modify and modernize the Corps planning and approval procedures to consider economic. public. and environmental objectives. Independent review of Corps projects and a clear national prioritization of Corps projects would ensure that the - most beneficial projects are constructed. Effective measures for mitigation of environmental and other damage caused by projects would be required and monitored. With support from Taxpayers for Common Sense Action. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4184}
{"speech_id":1090108442,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"National Taxpayers Union. Citizens Against Government Waste. American Rivers. National Wildlife Federation. Earthjustice. Environmental Defense. Republicans for Environmental Protection. Sierra Club. and the World Wildlife Fund. the bill has broad interest and impact. Water projects that provide economic and environmental benefits to our Nations citizensthe hardworking American taxpayersserve the common good and reflect our common interest in fiscal responsibility. I urge my colleagues to supportthis legislation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4184}
{"speech_id":1090108442,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By Mr. BUNNING:","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4184}
{"speech_id":1090108487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say to Senator SPECTER. thank you for that- clarification. As you are aware. there has been overwhelming support for this legislation. It has been very heartening to see such overwhelming support for this important bill. Counterfeiting is a threat to America. It wreak~s real harm on our economy. our workers. and our consumers. This bill is a tough bill that will give law enforcement improved tools to fight this form of theft. The bill is short and straightforward. but its impact should be profound and far reaching.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":522}
{"speech_id":1090108488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At this point. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Representative JIM SENSENBRENNER. chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. and Representative JOE KNOLLENBERG for their leadership in the House with regard to H.R. 32. In January of 2005. Representative KNOLLENBERG introduced H.R. 32 in the House. When the bill was in committee. he fostered negotiations between the Department of Justice. the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. and the International Trademark Association to ensure that it passed the House. I would also like to thank my colleague Senator LEAHY. ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. and Senators ALEX-","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":637}
{"speech_id":1090108495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been pleased to work with Senator COLLINS to draft and reach agreement on this legislation to provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The package that the Senate is passing today does not contain everything that I would like. but I think the provisions of this bill. will make a real difference for the families and their communities. I The challenges facing our country in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are like nothing we have faced in modern timesif ever. This legislation has four parts. First. this measure will provides an additional 13 weeks of Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance for those who lost their jobs because of Hurricane Katrina. thereby extending the duration of benefits from the current 26 weeks to 39 weeks. More than 46.000 gulf coast workers were left jobless as a result of Hurricane Katrina. and this legislation is urgently needed. as these workers will run out of their 26 weeks of Federal assistance starting Marsh 4. Those who qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. or DUA. generally do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits. They mostly include the selfemployed. like fisherman and small business owners. who make up a vital sector of the economy in the gulf coast. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4497}
{"speech_id":1090108495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their weekly DUA assistance. which corresponds to the amounts provided in regular unemployment benefits in the States. is modest. at best. In Louisiana. for example. the weekly DUA benefit averages jdst $100 a week. The version of this legislation that I proposed on the Senate floor on September 15. 2005. would have also increased the minimum DUA benefit to $135 a week. or half the national average* unemployment benefit. and that was retained in our bill reported out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. the compromise amendment now before the Senate leaves the benefit levels under current statute unchanged. The fact that so many families remain unemployed almost 6 months after the storm is. a grave reminder that we as a Nation still have far to go to realize our promise of hope to the proud people of New Orleans and rest of the gulf coast who suffered the worst natural disaster this Nation has ever known. Extending these limited benefits by 13 weeks. just as we did for the families left jobless after the events of September 11. is the least we can do to allow these disjlaced. families some wmeasurg of. seFrlty.sl hViey. ip .ok tor work. while facing. mo.nting.expenses andcountless other challenges in rebuilding their lives and their communities. In the current amendment. we added language in section 2(a)(2) clarifying what we understand to be the Qurrent law regulating the DUA programthat an individual is not eligible to collect DUA at any given time if the individual is. at the same time. eligible to receive any other unemployment benefits available under Federal or State law. Individuals whose regular unemployment benefits expire may then be eligible to receive DUA if no other Federal or State jobless benefits are available. However. under no circumstances can they collect more than the 39 weeks in total benefits. This proi.ision is consistent with current DUA law as applied by the U.S. Department of Labor. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4497}
{"speech_id":1090108495,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are simply extending the benefit period from 26 weeks under current law to 39 weeks. Two. the second provision in the bill would allow communities to be reimbursed for buying certain supplies in bulksuch as linens. cots. or toiletriesand giving them out to individual victims of either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Third. the bill expresses the sense of Congress that international students should not be deported solely due to their inability to fulfill the terms of their visas as a result of a national disaster such as Katrina. Fourth and finally. the legislation requires that the Secretary of Homeland Security must establish new inspection guidelines saying that inspectors who determine eligibility for FEMA assistance may not enter into contracts with those for whom they perform inspections. This bill does not make all of the changes to disaster assistance programs that I would have liked. But that is the nature of compromise. In my opinion. the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program. in particular. needs further strengthening. I hope there may be an opportunity in the future to consider further improvements. But I am very pleased that we have been able to make very meaningful improvements that will help families weather this terrible storm.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4497}
{"speech_id":1090108498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. February 16. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge. the morning hour be deemed to have expired. the Journal of the proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then begin a period of morning business for up to 30 minutes. with the first 15 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. and the second 15 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. provided further. that following morning business. the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2271. as under the previous order. I further ask that the time until the cloture vote at 10:30 a.m. be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees. *","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":875}
{"speech_id":1090108533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. I rise in support of the resolution before us. S. Con. Res. 79. because this resolution is a reinforcement and a restatement of longstanding U.S. policy to prohibit direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority except under such strict and specific circumstances in furtherance of U.S. foreign policy and our security objectives. It has long been U.S. policy to bring both sides of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict to the negotiation tables and to work out a peaceful compromise. For years. we supported Abu Mazen economically and politically. hoping and praying and wishing that it would strengthen the moderate con*stituency that does exist in the Palestinian territories. Yet time and again we have repeatedly asked the Palestinian leadership to dismantle the Islamist terrorist infrastructure in its midst. to disarm these jihadists. to promote tolerance and to accept Israel. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3562}
{"speech_id":1090108533,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But this was not to be. The U.S. has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on programs to address the needs of the Palestinian people. Those include work programs. infrastructure projects. in addition to humanitarian aid. aimed at providing food. sanitation services. and medicine to the Palestinian people. We have done all of this. Mr. Speaker. in an effortto foster the conditions that would bring about peace and security for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people. Last summer. Israel underwent a sacrifice of historic proportions by withdrawing from Gazx. Why did Israel do this? Israel withdrew from Gaza in hopes of making progress toward a peaceful solution to this conflict. Yet. despite all of these efforts. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3562}
{"speech_id":1090108533,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hamas. an Islamist extremist jihadist entity. was allowed to participate in the recent Palestinian elections and. -as all of us know. won control of the Palestinian government. U.S. monetary and political investment has produced little. if anything. in return. In fact. soon after these Palestinian elections in January. Hamas placed disturbing videos on its Web site. videos which glorified bloodshed and terror. One of the clips included a farewell scene between a mother and her Palestinian terrorist son as she helps him dress for his suicide mission against Israel. Another clip is of two Hamas terrorists expressing their message to the Jews. And the first terrorist says: \"My. message to the loathed Jews is that there is no God but Allah. We will chase you everywhere. We are a nation that drinks blood. and we know that there is no blood better than the blood of the Jews. We will not leave you alone until we have quenched our thirst with your blood and our childrens thirst with your blood. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3562}
{"speech_id":1090108533,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will not leave until you leave the Muslim countries.\" The second Hamas terrorist made the following statement: \"In the flame of Allah. we will destroy you. blow you up. take revenge against you. and purify the land of you. pigs that have defiled our country. This operation is revenge against the sons of monkeys and pigs.\" These horrific clips. again. were posted on an official Web site of the entity that now controls the Palestinian Authority. Hamas victory in the parliamentary elections poses a direct threat to U.S. strategies for regional stability. We must not and cannot allow taxpayer funds to directly or indirectly assist or support in any way Hamas or any other Palestinian terrorist groups that glorify blood. bloodshed and terror and use violence as a political tool.- We must take immediate steps to prevent any further manipulation of U..S. assistance to the Palestinians.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3562}
{"speech_id":1090108539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. and yield myself as much time as I may consume. A few weeks ago. the Palestinian people stunned the world by giving majority control of the Palestinian Legislative Council to Hamas. an entity determined to be a foreign terrorist organizations by both the United States and the Europe Union. Some may point out that the Fatah partys fragmentation combined with the nature ol the electoral system chosen by the Palestinian Authority led to this strong Hamas majority. We will be discussing these and other explanations for Hamass victory over the coming weeks and months. But they do not change the reality that 74 out of \"132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council were won by an organization that not only preaches the destruction of Israel. but has sent suicide bomber after suicide bomber to kill innocent civilians. including young children. and that has been implicated in the deaths of Americans. Mr. Speaker. the resolution we are considering today is simple and to the point: There should be no money for the Palestinian Authority as long as its legislature is controlled by a party that is both a terrorist organization and advocates the destruction of Israel. This is not some plot to effect regime change--this is merely to send a message that the civilized world does not tolerate and will .not -support terrorists This .-resolution means no. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5674}
{"speech_id":1090108539,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"American funding .for the. Palestinian Authority as long as Hamas controls the legislature. since there is absolutely no credible sign that Hamas intends to change its ugly charter or do anything else to demonstrate that it now accepts Israels right to eist. Mr. Speaker. our action on this resolu-* tion today will not be the final word of the Congress on this issue. We will return to it again and again. Last week. our colleague from Florida. Congresswoman RoSLEHTINEN. and Iwith over 50 of our colleaguesintroduced H.R. 4681. the Palestinian AntiTerrorism Act of 2006. and I am confident that it will soon be brought to the floor. H.R. 4681 puts legislative teeth into the resolution we are considering today. It would.-among other things. prohibit by law the funding .of a Palestinian Authority controlled by a terrorist organization. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5674}
{"speech_id":1090108539,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the basic thrust of American foreign policy is to fight terrorism globally. and it is selfevident that the United States will not fund an organization such as Hamas that continues to advocate and carry out terrorist acts in the Middle East. Nor will we fund a government which is controlled by a terrorist organization or in which major institutions. such as the legislature. are controlled by a terrorist organization. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. In December. the House of Representatives overwhelmingly adopted House Resolution 575 by a vote of 39717 which warned that there would be serious consequencesincluding financial consequencesfor U.S.-Palestinian relations if Hamas were to take over the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Speaker. not one thin dime of American taxpayer money should be devoted to supporting a terrorist organization. Nor should one thin dime be devoted to making a terrorist organization look good. Our desire to support strictly humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. of course. will continue unabated. But we should not fund major projects. whatever their purpose. Such projects would only make a Hamas government look like a success story. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5674}
{"speech_id":1090108539,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They would be taken as evidence that Hamas can defy the international community and continue to receive financial support. while supporting terrorism. rejecting Israels right to exist. and spitting on preexisting IsraeliPalestinian agreements. Mr. Speaker. that is why the RosLehtinenLantos legislation will put severe restrictions on all Palestinian assistance that is not strictly for humanitarian purposes. The notion that an organization hellbent on destroying the sole democratic state in the Middle East should be receiving or exploiting U.S.-taxpayer funds is simply unacceptable. We will be relentless in isolating and fighting terrorists. Hamas officials and their representatives will not be given visas to visit the United States. American officials will not deal with Hamas representatives unlessand this is a major unlessunless they publicly and without reservation recognize the right of the democratic State of Israel to exist. renounce terrorism as a. means of achieving their goals and objectives. and accept all previous IsraeliPalestinian agreements. And we will fight direct assistance to a 11284 Cc terroristcontrolled Palestinian Authority through any international institution. Hamas must understand that their ability to deal with the United States and to be accepted in the community of civilized nations rests on a thorough repudiation of their hateful policies. Governments have made such changes in the past. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5674}
{"speech_id":1090108539,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Organizations and movements have made such changes in the past. And certainly. Hamas has that opportunity. But if Hamas does not clearly take full advantage of this opportunity. our legislation will soon come into effect and we will prohibit American funds. If Hamas does take advantage of this opportunity and definitively and unequivocally meets these requirements. then our government would be willing to deal with it. continue assistance. and work to see that the longsuffering Palestinian people have a better life in the future. Otherwise. I fear the Palestinians and prospects for Middle East peace will face a long. difficult winter that could be measured in years* not months. Mr. Speaker. I support this resolution. and I urge all my colleagues to do likewise.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5674}
{"speech_id":1090108546,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Palestinian elections last month provided the Palestinian Authority an incredible opportunity to take the necessary step in the IsraeliPalestinian peace process. However. Hamas continues to incite violence and advocate for the destruction of Israel. The resolution before us today states that the United States will not support sending tax dollars in the form of aid to a.terrorist government. This resolution sends the message that America does not do business with a government that calls for the total destruction of one of our allies. Hamas. for its part. continues to support the killing of Israeli civilians and denies the legitimacy of the state of Israel. Hamas has a choice. they can renounce violence. govern and work towards peace. or they can choose violence and the consequences that follow. Last fall. I sent a letter toPresident Abbas calling on him to institute clear criteria for participation in Palestinian elections. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1282}
{"speech_id":1090108546,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Groups or individuals such as Hamas who support violence. racism. intolerance and hatred should have no right to participate.in democratic elections. Mr. Speaker. I do not see President Abbas working towards peace. This resolution reiterates that America does not deal with terrorists. I urge Members to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1282}
{"speech_id":1090108636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the special interests may have gained access to the Capitol. but the Am6rican people are paying for it. My colleague from Oregon talked about the prescription drug bill. It is a classic example when you see what happens to seniors across all of our dis.tricts who are not more than confused but have to fill out more than 30 pages of forms to get a single drug. where the drug.companies or HMOs or insurance companies that are providing the plan can switch drugs like that at any moment. but they cannot switch out. The basic tenet of business is to take care of the customer first. If this was designed with the customer in mind. it really does come as a surprise. But I will tell you what is happening in the industry of healthcare specifically as we talk about the pharmaceutical industry and the prescription drug bill is happening in the energy area. The energy industry last year spent $87 million to lobby the United States Congress. Now what did they get for that $87 million? They got $14.5 billion in taxpayer support to drill for oil. We arepaying ExxonMobil. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4998}
{"speech_id":1090108636,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Texaco $14.5 billion to drill for oil when energy is at a little over 60 bucks a barrel. For their $87 million of investment. they got taxpayers to fork over $14.5 billion. And we pay at the pump nearly 3 bucks a gallon. the highest price in a long time. and yet we also pay on April 15 with tax breaks for big oil. Texaco. ExxonMobil. Chevron. and all the other big oil companies. BP Amoco. They also got a waiver in the lost revenue from royalties. that they are supposed to pay about $7 billion in royalties for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. We also support them with another $2 billion for deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. So $87 million has gotten big oil companies $14.5 billion in taxpayer support. passed on $7 billion in royalties that they own. and another $2 billion on top of that for deepwater drilling. a little north of $20 billion. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4998}
{"speech_id":1090108636,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You cannot get a return on your investment like that even on Wall Street. but that is just one area where the American people are paying for the type of access that the special interests have. There is a for sale sign here on the Peoples House. and for the last 5 years that for sale sign has allowed any special interest access and the American people are paying for it. When the Speakers gavel comes down. it is intended to open the Peoples House. not the auction house. and for the last 5 years it has been nothing but an auction house here. My colleague talked about the prescription drug companies. They are going to get. over the next 8 years. an additional $139 billion in profits that they would not get. a 25 peroent. 28 percent increase in their profit margin. They spent about $173 million lobbying the United States Congress. They got $139 billion in additional profits. The HMOs and the private insurers got an additional $130 million they would not have seen any other way if it was not for the prescription drug bill. And what did our seniors get? Plans in which none of them can figure it out. total confusion. drugs that are being dropped. some drugs that are skyrocketing. When they used to pay 4 and 5 bucks. they are now $150. and other drugs have dropped. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4998}
{"speech_id":1090108636,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Absolute confusion and plans that are locked in for 1 year. All the while. what else do they get? We cannot negotiate prices just like Sams Club does when they do bulk purchasing. We cannot allow our seniors access to Canadian and British drugs and drugs from Ireland and France and Germany so they can get competition from free trade and choice. and we cannot allow generics on the market quicker so that they can compete with name brand drugs. In every step of the way. that prescription drug bill avoided and outlawed the very principles of a free market. all in favor of creating a captive market for the prescription drug companies. and. once again. the taxpayers and the seniors are supporting and literally backstopping the prescription drug companies and HMOs and insurance companies. We taxpayers are paying for it. As my colleague said. the bill was sold here on the floor for $394 billion. Before the ink was dry. it was reported to cost $790 billion. twice the actual cost. There are some in government that knew that was what it was going to cost. So all of the taxpayers now are going to have to pay $800 billion over 10 years. and the pharmaceutical companies. HMO companies. and private insurance companies are going to walk off with huge profits. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4998}
{"speech_id":1090108636,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And all the while what has happened to the. American people? Energy is up. in the last 2 years. 78 percent. Gasoline. Health care costs are up 58 percent. On average for a family of four. $3.600 over the last 5 years. College costs are up 38 percent. yet we may end up cutting college aid. Mr. Speaker. I would like to note that we have a for sale sign on the front of the lawn here at the peoples -Capitol. and this November this election should be to return that gavel to its rightful owner. the American people.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4998}
{"speech_id":1090108661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Georgia very much for inaugurating the Truth Squad here tonight. I think it is high time that many of us came here to the %yell and shared the truth against many of the negative things that have been said night after night after night on this floor. I am very positive about our country. It is the greatest country in the world. and it is the only place I know of where people are dying to get into. We need to make sure that the positive things about this country are talked about. I want to talk a little bit tonight about the important role this Congress is going to continue to play in balancing our budget by spending our constituents money wisely and by putting our national priorities in order. I also am looking forward to exposing this hypocrisy that has been exhibited here night after night by people who are quick to lament our Nations problems. but unwilling to take positive. action towards solutions. The Congress must become a better steward of the taxpayers dollars. and we must do it now. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4953}
{"speech_id":1090108661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our constituents deserve to send less of their hardearned dollars to Washington and spend more on their families. businesses. and dreams. By cutting spending and cutting taxes. we will allow citizens to have more time with their families because they will not be having to work so much. Our constituents meticulously budget their dollars at their kitchen tables. and we owe it to them to do the same thing here in Washington. It is. their dollars we spend. not ours. Cutting Federal spending is not an easy thing to do. We have seen this even as freshmen. However. it is the right thing to do. and my colleagues who join me here tonight recognize this important distinction and important responsibility to do what is right over what is easy. We had the chance recently to slow the growth of Federal spending. and I am proud that this House did the right thing by passing the Deficit Reduction Act. However. those very same Democrats who come here night after night and complain about the deficit were unwilling to roll up their sleeves and get to work to actually solve the problem. They had their chance to contribute to a solution with the Deficit Reduction Act. but they took theeasy way out by voting against the bill. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4953}
{"speech_id":1090108661,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Deficit Reduction Act is one of the longterm solutions for the future that we are supporting. It is easy to hand out money willynilly. However. it is not easy to find areas to reduce chronic spending. but reduce Federal spending we must. and we must demand more accountability for that spending. My constituents work hard. and more of them are working than ever before. More people are working all over this country than ever before. They have adapted to our clianging economy. and as a result of sound economic policy. more of them are in good jobs than ever before. We have reduced the tax burden on American workers and small businesses. and our economy is strong. The money coming into the Federal Government has increased dramatically. but. unfortunately. the money we spend has increased dramatically. also. It is the taxpayers money we spend. and we must be responsible. meticulous. frugal and effective in the ways the Federal Government spends this money. As this Congress takes up the fiscal year 2007 budget. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4953}
{"speech_id":1090108661,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope my colleagues will maintain that mentality. We have made great progress with the Deficit R6duction Act. but -we must do much more to transition from deficit reduction to deficit elimination. I also call on the Democrats to contribute to the solution and to do the right thing by finding commonsense ways to reduce Federal spending. While we are here tonight to expose some blatant hypocrisy by the quicktocomplain Democrats. I would also like to invite them to start doing the right thing. I would love to see some Democrats join us in calling for reduced spending. I would love to see them back it up with a vote for reduced spending. It is not the easy thing to do. but it is the right thing to do. E1 1945 It is unfair to leave our children and grandchildren with massive debts resulting from overspending. The Presidents budget is a further attempt to help spare younger .generations from debts that they do not deserve. but we must keep making progress with what the President outlined. \u0095 Mr. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4953}
{"speech_id":1090108661,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I would like to thank my. colleagues for joining me tonight in highlighting this important issue. I am really proud to be a part of the Truth Squad. made up only of House Republicans. and I would like to reiterate my hope that Democrats will join us in doing the right thing. however difficult. by slowing Federal spending. I look forward to working with them to. restore fiscal accountability and restraint so we can continue to trim and soon eliminate the Federal deficit. Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. PRICE for hosting this hour. and I am looking forward to many more evenings of our presenting to the American people the facts about our economy.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4953}
{"speech_id":1090108689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield. he is absolutely right to use the word \"investment.\" That is where the growth comes from. and it is probably worth taking a moment to talk about the difference between. authorization and appropriation. Authorization is what the Congress says we need to do for- the coming years. Appropriations is whether you are going to put some meat behind it. Rhetoric is cheap. The National Science Foundation was supposed to be. according to the majority. on a doubling path. It is not. As I just told you. it is actually decreasing. No Child Left Behind. as Mr. MILLER pointed. out. is $55 billion behind what was authorized. in other words. what was determined to be necessary to carry it out. Now. let me put this in terms of a typical classroom has been shortchanged about $25.000. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1032}
{"speech_id":1090108689,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. ask a teacher what ihe or he could do over the last few years with an extra $25.000 for teacher training. for -special programs. for technology. for what it takes to have what we have demanded through No Child Left Behind.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1032}
{"speech_id":1090108701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just want 10 seconds. too. The Republican side says. trust me. I guarantee. you that the President cannot do it by himself. He needs this Republican Congress to do it. and they have given him everything that he has asked for. This President. who is socalled conservative. oh. we want to watch spending. has not vetoed one spending bill. This is the biggest borrowandspend administration almost in the history of this country. Here is the chart to prove it. It is. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":860}
{"speech_id":1090108701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President. not by himself. his picture is here. We should have the Republican Conference here because they helped him make this history. Unfortunately. it is bad for Americans. There was $1.05 trillion borrowed from foreign countries. $1.05 trillion that he has done and accomplished in 4 years. Fortytwo Presidents. including his father. were not able to accomplish that goal.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":860}
{"speech_id":1090108736,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am closing in a minute. Mr. RYAN. because we have been talking ab6ut this. I admit to guilt. and I am willing to help the government. All of a sudden. all of a sudden. Mr. Speaker. the Republican majority says. you know. we are done. The K Street Project is no longer in existence. As a matter of fact. this little thing that we call K Street. what are you talking about? I do not know what you are talking about. We are just going to rip it up. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":833}
{"speech_id":1090108736,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not anything that we really care about. We are going to do away with that. It is almost like. as I would say. Mr. RYAN. and as I will yield to you. the fi Abuary 15.2006 CO game warden cannot be the lead poacher. I will say that to you right now. I think it is important that we be upfront with the American people because they are paying a hard. strong corruption tax. Mr. RYAN.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":833}
{"speech_id":1090108768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And at that time unless the debt limit is raised or the Treasury Department takes authorized extraordinary actions. we will be unable to continueto finance government operations. Now. that is where we are. Because of that number. my friends. because of that number and that number. the government will shut down unless we go out and borrow more money. That is irresponsible. I have got a friend back home. I wont give his last name. His first name is Dave. He is a banker. He consistently addresses this issue as we talk. how the country cannot keep going on and on and on borrowing this kind of money without putting the burden on the next generation. For those people who dont think this .matters. your share of your tax revenues are going to pay off the interest on this debt. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":908}
{"speech_id":1090108768,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And those payments are going to the Chinese government and the OPEC countries. Mr. MEEK. That is a shame. That is a dirty shame.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":908}
{"speech_id":1090108868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 341. a resolution that I had the pleasure of drafting with my -good friends. the distinguished chairman of the House International Relations Committee. HENRY HYDE. and our ranking member. Congressman","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":313}
{"speech_id":1090108911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaket. the first thing I want to say is to my good friend. JOHN BOEHNER. congratulations .on his election as majority leader. It is a great honor to be selected by your colleagues in the House. of course. but of your own party to be one of its leaders. JOHN BOEHNER has. of course. been a leader in his party for many years now. chairman of a major committee. sponsor of one of the hallmark pieces of legislation the Bush administration points to as a great success. He worked in a bipartisan- fashion on that bill. I look forward to working with him. I know our side of the aisle looki forward to working with him. I want to congratulate him on his election. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1335}
{"speech_id":1090108911,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Leader. let me ask you about a couple of things. and I will mention the PATRIOT Act. I know you are not sure what that status is. There are a couple of pieces of legislation. three pieces of legislation. that we do anticipate in the relatively near future. I wonder if you might comment on them. I know we are not meeting next week and will not be back until the 28th of February. The tax reconciliation conference report. I talked to Mr. RANGEL about that this morning. His understanding is the conference is ongoing. Might. you have any idea of when the tax reconciliation conference report. assuming it is approved. might come to the floor? I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1335}
{"speech_id":1090108912,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to thank my colleague for yielding. and I thank you for your kind words of success. It is an honor to have been chosen as the new majority leader. Some of you can recall some words that I said earlier. When I won. I felt like the dog who caught the car. I have my teeth on the bumper. Maybe they are just around the bumper today. I want to thank my colleague for his kind words. The House will have. a dis-","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":413}
{"speech_id":1090108983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They were impressive fellows. And let me tell you something. Doc. They look like Texas sheriffs. You have that image. They all look like that. But they are concerned about border security as well. and it is more than just the terrorists that are coming over. It is the narcoterrorists that are coming in. But one of them not too long ago took this photograph. His deputies took this photograph. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090108983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a photograph in the Rio Grande River taken from the Texas side looking over to the Mexican side. In this. you have a raft. You see there are six or seven individuals who are all dressed in black camo outfits. armed with AK47s. You will see one of them right here. an AK47. On their backs they have backpacks which were later determined to be cocaine. bringing it to the United States. And who are these people? It turns out that probably these individuals are Guatemalan mercenaries hired by the drug cartels to bring drugs into the United States. It is an epidemic. it is a border war. and it is a violent war. So I would just hope that we in Congress can make sure that we enforce the rule of law. enforce the first obligation of government. which is to protect the public. Public safety is our number one concern. Let me just conclude by saying that we should make sure that people throughout the world know that this country believes in freedom and liberty because of all of the benefits. of it. whether you are here in the United States or some other country. like Iraq or Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090108983,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Kennedy said it probably better than anybody when he made the comment that let every nation know that. whether it wishes us well or ill. that we will pay any price. we will bear any burden. we will meet any hardship. we will support any friend. and we will oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty. He couldnt have said it better.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090109017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will tell you the reason why I was a little delayed here. Mr. RYAN. is we had two individuals. one from General Services and another from the Department of Homeland Security. We are about to move into what we call this American Shield Initiative. Whidh is along our borders using technology to protect America from illegal immigration. We set out with an initial program. Mr. Speaker. similar to the one that is about to start now. In that program. there was a quarter of a billion dollars wasted because of incompetence. A quarter of a billion dollars. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090109017,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. let me tell you. a quarter of a billion dollars.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090109045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You know what? If this was a sexual escapade there would be hearings all over the place. But this is about $9 billion in taxpayers dollars that is gone. and no hearings. No one is getting there. In fact. here comes the report. I dont even know what I just did with it. Here comes the report. the article about the $9 billion. Paul Bremer says and the Pentagon disputes the Inspector Generals report. Not. we better find out what happened because we do not want it to happen again and we are the guardians of the public tax dollars. We have got to make sure what happened never happens again. That is not what we get from this outfit. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1389}
{"speech_id":1090109045,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We get: It was not us. It wasnt me. I dont know. What did you say? I cannot hear you. And these guys say. Inspector General. watchdog groups. $9 billion unaccounted for. The Pentagon says. We disagree. Well. then where is it? Show it to us. We are not wiretapping you. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1389}
{"speech_id":1090109045,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How do I know? Howdo I know? Because you told them? You are the same group that told me that the war was only going to cost the American taxpayer $50 billion and now we are up to $400 billion. and you said we would be greeted as liberators. and that never happened. And you said we would use the oil for reconstruction. That never happened. Mr. Speaker. Why should we believe anything that is coming out of this administration or the Republican Congress right now? It cannot be trusted.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1389}
{"speech_id":1090109050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is a corruption tax that is being levied on the American people because you pay for the end result. The American people pay. Mr. Speaker. at the end of the day. When a Medicare negotiator. the head of the Medicare program. is negotiating the Medicare prescription drug program that costs $700 billion and at the same time is negotiating his lobbying job that he is going to go to when he is done working for the Federal Government and the Medicare prescription drug plan is a mess. When the oil industry gets $12 billion in corporate welfare and they have the highest profits they have ever had. setting records. and who pays at the end of the day? The American consumer. And we cannot get enough money to people who are trying to get heating oil and lower gas costs. So from the budget to the execution of Katrina and the war. failing to balance the budget. borrowing money from China and Japan. giving away corporate welfare to the oil industry and the .health care industry at the cost to the American taxpayers. two of the most profitable industries in the world. and at the same time when members of this administration are not only negotiating that bill but are negotiating personal contracts for themselves. there is something wrong here and we need to fix it. And the Democrats have a plan because if it were not for their behavior. we would be able to implement our Innovation Agenda that would go on and create millions of jobs in this country. We would incentivize research and developmefit with our R&D tax credit that we have in here. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2067}
{"speech_id":1090109050,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We would be able to double the funding for the National Science Foundation for more research and development that the private sector could come in and benefit from. We could do all these things. but we need to ask the American people politely but forcefully we want a chance to govern this country because we have the ideas and commitment to make this happen. Mr. Speaker. other Members of this House can get a hold of our information and our charts that we have used today at www.housedemocrats.gov\/ 30something.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2067}
{"speech_id":1090109138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join the chairman of the Finance Committee. Senator GRASSLEY. in commending our Finance Committee staff on the report that we release today. This report deals with an important public safety matter. The Food and Drug Administration approval process has long been considered the gold standard in this \"country. We rely on the FDA to review drugs and to review medical devices. We rely on the FDA to tell us. by providing a seal of approval. that drugs and devices are safe and that they are effective. While all drugs and devices carry some risk. some are more risky than others. But if the FDA determines a drug or device is safe to bring to the market. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4066}
{"speech_id":1090109138,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans generally feel we can use the treatment without undue concern. We Americans rely on the FDA to ensure that manufacturers provide sufficient warnings of their products risks so that health care providers and patients can make informed health care decisions. The FDA has a complex approval process. A review team. including scientists. doctors. and specialists. surveys all the data and makes a recommendation regarding whether to approve a drug or device. The review team then forwards its recommendation to management for review. This process can be lengthy and intense. Last year. concerns were brought to the Finance Committee regarding how the review process had unfolded in the case of a device known as the VNS Therapy system. Cyberonics makes the VNS system and was seeking approval of the device for use in patients with treatmentresistant depression. Chairman GRASSLEY and I asked our committee staffs to look into what had gone on. The Finance Committee has the responsibility for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs and the millions of Americans who.receive health care. including the use of safe and proper medical devices. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4066}
{"speech_id":1090109138,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Medicare and Medicaid only pay for drugs and devices which FDA has approved. So approval affects patients budgets and the Federal budget. as well. In the case of the VNS Therapy system. the FDA review team was comprised of more than a dozen FDA staff. including doctors. scientists. safety officers.. and statisticians. This review team unanimously recommended against FDA. approval. The team argued that the data were insufficient to justify approval and that additional premarket testing was in order. Three levels of management concurred with the teams recommendation. The uppermost managerthe Director of the Center for Devicesdisagreed. With thestroke of a pen. he overruled the analysis and conclusions of his staff. and he approved the device. Now the FDA seal of approval has been attached to that VNS Therapy system by one person. over the objections of several technical experts who studied the device. Without this report from the Finance Committee. the public would not know that the team of scientists and doctors who reviewed this device did not believe it should be approved. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4066}
{"speech_id":1090109138,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without this report. there would be no way for providers and patients to make fully informed health care decisions because they would not be aware of all of the risks. In short. we present this report out of a concern for public safety. We believe that doctors and patients considering this device should know that it was approved over the objection of a team of seasoned scientists. Itis important for the public to know what the FDA scientists and doctors thought about the risk to which patients would be exposed. The FDA has not made public any information regarding the level of scientific dissent. So I am glad we have this report. I am greatly concerned about this unusual turn of events at the FDA. I hope this is not a sign of things to come. I hope that FDA approval can remain the gold standard. and \"1 hope Medicare and Medicaid can continue to pay for FDAapproved products knowing they are safe. I thank Chairman GRASSLEY for his work. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4066}
{"speech_id":1090109138,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has worked diligently. as he always does. particularly when wrongs should be exposed. I appreciate it when we can work together to improve the efficacy and safety of American health care. I yield the floor. -","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4066}
{"speech_id":1090109192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday. Chairman SPECTER introduced a bill I cosponsored to provide relief for the Federal judiciary from excessive rent charges assessed by the General Services Administration. GSA. for the use of courthouses and other spaces occupied by the courts across the Nation. Since 1986. the Federal courts rental payments to GSA have increased dramatically. with the percentage of the judiciarys operating budget devoted to rent payments escalating from 15.7 percent in 1986 to approximately 22 percent in 2004. If no changes are made. this percentage is expected to continue to rise sharply. This legislation brings these rent charges under control by capping the rent charges at GSAs actual costs of operating and maintaining accommodations provided to the judicial branch. by specifying that certain capital costs. taxes. and administrative fees shall not be included in GSAs rent charges. and by establishing a means for repayment over time for the future costs of repair and alteration projects performed by GSA. As the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I have been concerned about the adverse effect of these rent paym6nts on the administration of justice. On May 13. 2005. a bipartisan group of 11 members of the Judiciary Committee. including Chairman SPECTER and myself. sent a letter to GSA asking it to exercise its authority to exempt the judicial branch from all rental payments except those required to operate and maintain Federal court buildings and related costs. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090109192,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"GSAs response has not been adequate. As set forth in that letter. the excessive rent paid by the judiciary will exacerbate severe personnel shortages by forcing more cuts and could also have impacts on courthouse security. The rent relief provided in this bill will help ensure that the judiciary continues to have the tools it needs to carry out its unique and vital function.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090109224,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation to curb meth use in the United States. We have often been told that an ounce of- prevention is worth a pound of cure. but this adage is particularly true with methamphetamine addiction. But the problems associated with meth do not end with a onetime highthey are only just beginning. All too often. we hear horror stories about the change in the brains chemical composition that results from meth use. Theres no guar-","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":470}
{"speech_id":1090109239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday. February 16. 2006. at 10:30 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to hear testimony on \"Administrations Trade Agenda for 2006\".","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090109245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. February 16. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in the Senate Dirksen Building Room 226. Agenda I. Nominations: Timothy C. Batten. Sr. to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia. Thomas E. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1605}
{"speech_id":1090109245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Johnston to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia. Aida M. DelgadoColon to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico. Leo Maury Gordon to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade. Carol E. Dinkins to be Chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Alan Charles Raul to be Vice Chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Paul J. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1605}
{"speech_id":1090109245,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"McNulty to be Deputy Attorney General. Steven G. Bradbury to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel. Reginald Lloyd to be U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. Stephen King to be a Member of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States. II. Bills: H.R. 683. Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2005 SmithTX. S. 1768. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1605}
{"speech_id":1090109245,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A bill to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings Specter. Leahy. Cornyn. Grassley. Schumer. Feingold. Durbin. S. 829. Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005 Grassley. Schumer. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1605}
{"speech_id":1090109245,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Cornyn. Leahy. Feingold. Durbin. Graham. DeWine. S. . Comprehensive Immigration Reform [Chairmans Mark]. S. 489. Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act Alexander. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1605}
{"speech_id":1090109293,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take a moment to recognize Senator SALAZAR. who just read Washingtons Farewell Address to the people of the United States. This is an honor that is bestowed alternately between Republicans and Democrats on alternate years. By his selection to deliver Washingtons Farewell Address. we are all very proud. We feel. by honoring him. you honor the people of Colorado. We thank the leadership in the Congress for bestowing that honor on my colleague from Colorado. as well as the people of Colorado.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":511}
{"speech_id":1090109299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor today to reflect on the tremendous dedication and sacrifice that our countrys soldiers exhibit every day. In particular. I want to call to my colleagues attention a personal portrait of a young man who laid down his life defending freedoma freedom this country has known for centuries. and that the people of Iraq have recently embraced. While words cannot soothe the anguish of those who knew and loved him. they can help explain the heroism of his sacrifice. and so we pause today to remember and celebrate the life of SSG William A. Allers. III. Sergeant Allers was accustomed to combat situations. as the battlehardened veteran of more than 150 combat patrols and 50 security escorts while serving in Iraq. In fact. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6837}
{"speech_id":1090109299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sergeant Allers served valiantly in more than 25 combat engagements in his time there. On Tuesday. September 20. 2005. a Kentucky National Guard armored Humvee ran over an improvised explosive device on a dusty road near Al Khalis. Iraqa dangerous city located within the Sunni Triangle. known as the hideout of killers and criminals who kidnap innocents for ransom. The Guard unit was patrolling the streets of this city. located about 40 miles north of Baghdad. when they were attacked. Three soldiers from the distinguished 617th Military Police Company were in the Humvee. Of the three. two were injured. and Sergeant Allers was killed. He was 28 years old. For his service to a grateful Nation. Sergeant Allers was awarded the Bronze Star. the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6837}
{"speech_id":1090109299,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He had also received the Army Commendation Medal and the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal. His commanding officer. Captain Todd Lindner. made clear to all that the 617th Military Police Company had lost an outstanding soldier. \"Bill worked hard to keep high morale in his team.\" Capt. Lindner said. \"and was a catalyst for the morale in our entire company.\" To fully appreciate the impact Bill Allers had on those around him. however. it helps to know something about how he grew up. Billy. as he was known as a kid. was an adventurer. His father. William Allers II. has said that if there was a puddle of water. you would find Billy playing in it. A neighborhood friend of Bills added. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6837}
{"speech_id":1090109299,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"if you [went] to look for Billy. you found him up in a tree.\" Through this sense of adventure. Billy earned his childhood nickname. One day when Billy was about 4 or 5. his dad brought home a truckload of mushroom soil for the vegetable garden. Out of pure luck. this pile was deposited at the end of the long driveway of the Allers homeand to Billy and his best friend. it had all the makings of a great jump ramp. Before Mr. Allers had time to finish a glass of ice water inside the house. the two boys lined up their Big Wheels. sped down the blacktop and launched themselves nearly six feet into the air. Ever since that intrepid stunt. whenever they were seen together. the two were called the \"Dukes of Hazzard\" Boys. Billys father jokes that this experience taught him that his son was a true \"country boy.\" Growing up. Bill Allers impressed people not only with his daredevil Big Wheel jumps. but also with his big heart and ability to lead others. During Bills 4 years on the Fallston High School track team. in Fallston. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6837}
{"speech_id":1090109299,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MD. where he grew up. his strength of character began to shine through. His high school track coach put it this way: \"As we went through the 4 years. he molded into a leader. and he wanted to be part of the team. and he wanted the team to do as well as possible. and [he] would always encourage the younger participants when he became one of the seniors.\" Coach Greg Thompson went on to say. \"He was selfless. He just was for everyone else and he wanted to see everybody else excel. And he wasnt worried about himself.\" A truly gifted athlete. Bill mastered the high jump. He was also the \"anchor\" of the twotwenty and fourforty relay teams. meaning he was the one to carry the baton for the final stretch toward the finish line. If the relay team was behind. they trusted Bill to make up the ground and win the race. Bill took pride in his team and his role on it. and he worked very hard to become the best competitor he could be. Evidently. he mastered that too. because Bills relay team won medals at the Maryland High School State Championships in 1994. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6837}
{"speech_id":1090109322,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to announce to the Senate the arrival in this world of Laura Dale Duffield. Miss Duffield was born to her parents Cara and Steven this last Friday. and is reported to weigh over 7 pounds. Her father. Steven. is the Judiciary Policy Analyst and Counsel for the Republican Policy Committee. which I chair. I would like to take a moment to note for posterity some of the events taking place in the world at the time that young Laura joins us. Most important among the matters recently before the Senate. I think. is the confirmation several weeks ago of the nomination of Samuel Alito to be a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In the fall of last year. the Senate also confirmed the nomination of John Roberts to be the Chief Justice of the United States. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090109322,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Steven played an important role in both confirmations. supplying Republican Senators with information and draft speeches about the nominees. and even staffing me on the Judiciary Committee during the nominees hearings. This is the first time that there has been a change in the membership of the Supreme Court since 1994before Lauras parents even began law school. Chief Justice Roberts replaces Chief Justice Rehnquist. who originally had been appointed to the Court in 1971. in between the time that Lauras parents were born. Justice Alito replaces Justice OConnor. who had been appointed to the Court when Lauras parents still were in grade school. In the years to come. we of course will have many opportunities to evaluate these two new Justices and their impact on the law. At the present time. based on what I saw ofthese nominees at their hearings before the Judiciary Committee. I think that they give us reason to be hopeful about the future. I think that we can reasonably expect both nominees to usher in a new era of the rule of law in this countryto restore the Supreme Court to its intended role. of declaring what the Constitution means in light of how it was reasonably understood when it was enacted. For many years now. Americans often have felt powerless at the hands of a Court that has pursued its own political agendaan agenda without a basis in the text. structure. or history of the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090109322,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am optimistic that in the years to come. the Supreme Court might play a less prominent role in American life. and might allow the American people and their elected representatives a more prominent role in making the laws that govern them. This year also marks the 5th year since the terrorist attacks on the Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon. Those attacks still set much of the national agenda. from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the legislation that we are considering in the Senate. On the day that Laura was born. last Friday. the headline in the Washington Post was. \"Patriot Act Compromise Clears Way for Senate Vote.\" I will include this news story in the RECORD following my remarks. Last December. the PATRIOT Actan important antiterrorism law that enhances investigators ability to detect and disrupt terrorist plotswas held up in a legislative filibuster. Occasionally. the Senate takes to heart its intended role as a brake on legislative action and throws one of its periodic tantrums. But fortunately. just in advance of Lauras arrival. the impasse over this indispensable law has been cleared. Finally. this moment in time also is marked in this place by legislative action on a slew of reforms to our civiljustice and bankruptcy laws. an attempt to reform our immigration system and control our border. and an attempt to reverse the verdict of the Civil War by authorizing Native Hawaiians to secede from their State. Mention of these projects. however. serves only to highlight their insignificance relative to the arrival of a new child in the world. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090109322,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I doubt that Steven even will remember the laborious policy papers that he produced on all of these topics as he watches Laura grow older. I congratulate Steven and Cara on the arrival of their daughteron the fact that there is now one more person in the world whom we will all call \"Duffield\"-and I wish them good fortune in caring for and cultivating their new charge. I ask unanimous consent that the following Washington Post news story be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4274}
{"speech_id":1090109355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on todays Executive Calendar: Calendar Nos. 286. 294. 521. 522. 524. 526. 527. 528. 544. 545. and 546. Finally. I ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed en bloc. the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table. the President be immediately notified of the Senates action. and the Senate then return to legislative session.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090109503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Monday. February 27. 2006. at 2:30 p.m. for a briefing on the Dubai Ports World purchase of Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection. it is so ordered.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":328}
{"speech_id":1090109588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is hard to put in words what f feel as I listen to my good friends. HARRY REID and ARLEN SPECTER. BILL FRIST and MITCH MCCONNELL. saying such nice things. They are friends. We work together. HARRYI should say. following Senate protocol. the distinguished Senator from Nevada. Senator REIDwas kind enough to first and foremost mention my wife Marcelle. There is no conceivable way I could have accomplished any of this without Marcelle. She has been my guiding light for well over 40 years. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4326}
{"speech_id":1090109588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nothing I have done could I have accomplished without her. Senator SPECTER was kind enough to hold up the picture of the latest member of our clan. Patrick Lucas Jackson. I think of that because I came here holding the actual pictures in my mind of my three children. Kevin. Alicia. and Mark. and their spouses. Carolyn. Lawrence. and Kristine. but also the pictures of four wonderful grandchildren: Roan. Francesca. Sophia. and now Patrick. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4326}
{"speech_id":1090109588,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To have them mentioned I realize there is another generation. and I hope their children will be proud of what their father does. but I especially hope the grandchildren. who will be the hope of our future. will feel the same way. BILL FRIST. the distinguished Republican leader.- and Senator MITCH MCCONNELL. the distinguished deputy Republican leader. were kind to speak of the landmine issue and things we worked out togetherboth of them being Senators who have done so much in that same area. Sometimes we deal in issues people look at as just local issues or issues that affect only a few. What we have done in this caseSenator MCCONNELJ. who was so good to move to name the war victims fund the Leahy War Victims Fundis something I will never forget. Senator FRIST. who voluntarily goes into parts ofAfrica and elseWhere to use his medical skills. We talk of these kinds of thingsthe landmine issue. things Senator MCCONNELL and I have done to bring medicine to parts of the world that never see it. efforts to eradicate polio. childhood diseases. to bring to people the ability to actually feed themselves. The people we help dont contribute to campaigns. When Senator MCCONNELL and I pass a bill here on the floor. they dont know who we are. They do not know whether it is Republicans or Democrats. None of them know that. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4326}
{"speech_id":1090109588,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We will never meet most of them. but we like to thinkI like to thinkwe have made their lives better. We speak of what we bring to this body. We all come from different backgrounds. It is not just our political background. it is how we are raised. it is what our faith is. And if we believe in the best of what we learned when we were being raised or the best of what it is we believe in. then we have to help these people who will never be helped otherwise. and I have been proud to do that. I like to think what was instilled in me by my parents. Howard and Alba Leahy or in Marcelle by her .parents. Phil and Cecile Pomerleau. brought about some of this. or just the upbringing in the special little State of Vermont. I will close with this. I didnt expect to say anything. but I was kind of overwhelmed by what was said by a dear friend like ARLEN SPECTER. whom I have known since we were both prosecutors. a job that some days we think was the best job we ever had. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4326}
{"speech_id":1090109588,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It made me reflect on what a great honor it is for allkof us. Republicans and Democrats and Independents. to serve in this body. Only 100 of us get a chance to do it at any one time. and someday we will be replaced by others. What an honor it is to be here and what a responsibility it is. I have seen the Senate go through many changes. but j have also seen the personal Telatiojnships the press doesnt see. the public doesnt see. the.personal relationships we have built across the aisle and with each other. When we do. the country is .better. the Senate is better. and peoples lives are better.I must say that I was awed and humbled the first day I walked on the floor as a 34yearold to be sworn in. where 30 minutes before I was the States attorney sitting in a county in Vermont and 30 minutes later was then the junior Senator from Vermont. I still feel that same awe every time I walk on this floor. The day I stop feeling that awe. I will stop walking here. With that. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4326}
{"speech_id":1090109630,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on February 19. 2006. our Nation lost a great lawyer. educator. advocate. and public servant. Janet Altman Spragens was a lifelong resident of Washington. .DC. and a professor at American Universitys Washington College of Law for 33 years. I met Janet when she was a young graduate student at Northwestern University and taught social studies at my alma mater. Maine South High School in Park Ridge. IL. She was a Wellesley graduate. and as I was making choices about where I would go to college. she urged me to consider Wellesley. I am grateful to Janet for helping me make that important decision in my life. . Janet went on to law school and developed an expertise in tax law. She used that expertise to benefit our Nations underserved taxpayers by advocating for them in Congress and. in 1990. founding the Federal Tax Clinic. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1283}
{"speech_id":1090109630,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The clinic continues to operate today and the American Bar Associations Tax Section called it one of the earliest and most successful lowincome taxpayer clinics in the country. Janet Altman Spragens made a difference in the lives of many Americans who never will have the pleasure and privilege of knowing her: I join her family and friends in mourning her loss and ask that her obituary in the Washington Post be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1283}
{"speech_id":1090109673,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. February 28 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony 6n the Bureau of Reclamations Reuse and Recycling Program (title XVI of P.L. 102575).","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":308}
{"speech_id":1090109748,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 1728. introduced by Congressman Russ CARNAHAN of Missouri and amended by the Resources Committee. would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the feasibility of designating the French Colonial Heritage Area ink eastern Missouri as a unit of the National Park System. This area contains some of the only existing examples of the French colonial period settlement in North America dating to circa 1785. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090109748,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I reserve the bMance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090109769,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time. The. SPEAKER pro tempore . The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. H. Res. 677.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":260}
{"speech_id":1090109778,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from Texas and also the gentleman from Florida for allowing us the time to speak here on this very important event. not just for El Paso and not just for Texas but for our whole country. for a whole -generation of players and those that have benefited from their accomplishments. I rise today in strong support. Mr. Speaker of H. Res. 668. a resolution that celebrates the 40th anniversary of Texas Westerns 1966 NCAA basketball championship. recognizing the groundbreaking impact of that title game victory on diversity in sports and. of course. on the impact. as my colleagues have stated. of civil rights in America. I am proud to have introduced this bill and honored to have the opportunity to speak in this Chamber today about the importance of what a basketball team and a coach achieved 40 years ago. This afternoon I want to thank Leader BOEHNER and Chairman McKEON and Ranking Member MILLER for their support in bringing this very important legislation to the floor. On March 19. 1966. the Miners of Texas Western. which is now UTEP. led by Coach Don Haskins. defeated the University of Kentucky at Cole Field House in College Park. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090109778,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maryland. This significant championship game gave the NCAA basketball championship at a crucial time.to Texas Western College. At a time when the bitter politics of racism dictated to many coaches around the country who got to play. Coach Haskins started five black player in the NCAA basketball championship game. the first time in America that this country had seen an allblack starting lineup in -a major championship contest. In 1966. as a strengthening civil rights movement met poisonous political dispute and violence. the Miners were clearly able to demonstrate to a Nation and the sports world the virtue of desegregation and equality. As the athletic establishment abided by that unwritten rule that said. play two on the road. three if you are really behind. referring of course to black players. Coach Haskins looked past the color of the players skin and concentrated on winning games and eventually the national championship. Years later Coach Haskins would say. .I just played my best guyslike any coach would do.\" That simple principled courage changed the course of American athletics and provided an important advance in the struggle of civil rights in our Nation. The Texas Westerns championship was an .event defined by many as the Brown v. Board of Education of athletics. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090109778,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Like many whose lives were constrained by their appearance and background. I found extraordinary significance in that 1966 game. I was a Texas Western student during the fall semester of 1965 and had an opportunity to see these great players play. Shortly thereafter. I was drafte into the Army and eventually went on to fight in Vietnam. In March of 1966. I was still in El Paso. only stationed at Fort Bliss doing basic training. For those of us who were in the military at the time. the hypocrisy of Americas racial policies were very clear. We saw a country that would not hesitate to send black .and Hispanic soldiers to fight and die in foreign wars. but would not fight for us back at home. Coach Haskins and the Miners victory helped reveal to a nation the absurdity of racism and the futility of segregation. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090109778,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I returned from Vietnam and chose a career in public service and a career in which my successes followed from my abilities and my own hard work. Of course. I found that life does not abide by that perfect rule of a game like basketball. but I remain inspired today by -Texas Westerns win. and I know that I would not have had the opportunities I did have had it not been for the courage of people like Don Haskins and his Miners. Today. a university. a city and a country are improved by the achievement of that 1966 team. Soon after that championship. Texas Western became the University of Texas at El Paso or. as we call it now. UTEP. and its basketball program continued to thrive under Coach Haskins until his retirement. as my colleagues have said. in 1999. Coach Haskins eventually led UTEP to 32 winning seasons. seven Western Athletic Conference championships. four Western Athletic Conference tournament titles. and 21 postseason appearances. Last year. the Miners won 27 games. 16 at our own Don Haskins Center in El Paso. named after the great coach. and they also earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. This year. they are again near the top of their conference. a testament to the enduring tradition of college basketball success created by Don Haskins. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090109778,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The university itself has been transformed from a small mining school into a hub of academic excellence and worldclass research. El Paso. long proud of its Miners and its NCAA championship. has enjoyed the attention of a nation this year. as millions of Americans have fallen in love with the Miners through therecently released film \"Glory Road.\" which is currently being shown around the country. It is especially important for us to honor the 1966 Miners today on\" the eve of their accomplishment. here shown in that championship game against Kentucky. We must revise our historical injustice. the injustice of a group of men being judged by who they were. not how they played. At the time. the Texas Western Min- ers were denied an opportunity to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. but just last week I want to commend President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush .as they honored this team at the. White House. shown here in this photograph with the President. the original members of that 1966 championship team. So this afternoon I want to congratulate Coach Don Haskins. Bobby Joe Hill. Orsten Artis. Togo Railey. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090109783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me thank my dear friend from Texas. Congressman HINOJOSA. and of course. allow me to add my very. very. very sincere congratulations and appreciations to my friend and Representative from El Paso. the Honorable SILVESTRE REYES. Forthose of you who are trying to get your eyes and your ears focused on this debate. let me just remind you of a celebrated movie by the name of \"Glory Road.\" Today. we have the opportunity to celebrate the real deal. the real thing. and that team was known as Texas Western. now known as the University of Texas at El Paso. Just think of 40 years ago. 1966. or 2 years after the 1964. Civil Rights Act. 1 year after the 1965 Voting Rights Act and 3 years after the tragedy of the four little girls in Birmingham. This was a tumultuous time in Americas history. and so the. idea of a coach. albeit tpae right idea. to place on the court of a basketball championship game five black boys. young men. to be able to play against the favored team. the University of Kentucky. was in itself a shocking. shocking occurrence. But yet Don Haskins. a courageous or just a wise leader. decided to put his best foot forward. and out of that came the 1966 Texas Western team. Might I congratulate all of the players: Bobby Joe Hill. Orsten Artis. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5855}
{"speech_id":1090109783,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Togo Railey. Willie Worsley. David Palacio. Dick Myers. Harry Flournoy. Louis Baudoin. Nevil Shed. Jerry Armstrong. Willie Cager. and right from the great city of Houston. now the fourth largest city in the Nation. David \"Big Daddy\" Lattin. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5855}
{"speech_id":1090109783,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are delighted to be able to join my colleagues from Texas to say that we are proud of that measure of civil rights history. We salute certainly the wisdom. of Don Haskins.. and remind America that sports and the playing field. whether they be courts. or tennis courts. whether they be the NFL playing field or whether they be the baseball field or the soccer field. we know that sports generate character and integrity. but it also develops teamsmanship. So the idea of the youngsters of America today playing on the playing fields ofathletic America hopefully will create the new civil rights movement. And as a city that just experienced the All Star Game. I can tell you the whole game of basketball certainly represents diversity as we have our young men. and many of those who have come from foreign lands. but it also is an opportunity for young men and women to work together. I want to congratulate the manager of this bill. Congressman HINOJOSA. and congratulate Congressman REYES. for their wisdom in saluting these young men. and I am delighted to have been. an original cosponsor. -Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the proposed bill. H. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5855}
{"speech_id":1090109783,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Res. 668. \"Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Texas Westerns 1966 National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Championship victory.\" \u0095 On March 19. 1966. Coach Don Haskins and his Texas Western College Miners advanced to the. NCAA Championship game against the segregated. allWhite University of Kentucky Wildcats. Coach Haskins made the decision to put in. an allBlack starting lineup. something that had never been done before. He made the announcement prior to the game and was thought to be a fool. It was the notion at the time that a team had to have at least one White player on the lineup to have a shot at winning a game. let alone the National Championship. Coach Haskins and his TW Miners shattered that school of thought with their triumphant win against the Wildcats. The victory on the court was not only a victory for the Miners. but a victory for civil rights. When Coach Haskins made the decision to start an allBlack lineup. he did so not to make a statement about racial equality. but in his own words to \"play my five best players- Race didnt matter to me.\" The teams win was much more than simply a win on the basketball court signaling that a change had taken place in collegiate sports. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5855}
{"speech_id":1090109783,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bold step taken by Don Haskins accelerated the pace that athletic teams were being integrated throughout the South. The teams success -did not come without a price. After the win Coach Haskins received over 40.000 hate mail letters. illustrating the climate of hostility towards African Americans in the South during that -time. The teams accomplishments both paralleled and.contributed to the landmark events being made in the civil rights movement at the time. Basketball historian Neil Isaacs has called it the \"Brown v. Board of Education of college basketball . . . Since that time. no pretender to basketball eminence has ever drawn a color line in its recruiting.\" I am proud to say that one of the most influential players on the team. David Latin. hails from my districi of Houston. The massive 67\" Center. paved the way for the team. scoring 16 points in the title game. As a testament to Latins skill. he advanced to the NBA as a firstround pick to play for the San Francisco. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5855}
{"speech_id":1090109784,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 668 to give recognition where recognition is long overdue. With this resolution. Congress applauds the groundbreaking significance of the 1966 NCAA DivisionI mens basketball championship in which Texas Western upset the heavily favored University of Kentucky. That year. the Miners had an allBlack starting lineup. a first in a national championship competition that helped change the perception of Black athletes. Texas Western Coach Don Haskinsand his players may not have set out to change history. but they did. The 1966 championship game helped pave the way for integration of athletics. opening sports to the civil rights movement. often being dubbed. the Brown v. Board of Education of sports. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GONZALEZ","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1489}
{"speech_id":1090109784,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The next season. the Southwest Conference was integrated. and in 196768. Vanderbilt broke the Southeast Conference color barrier. Unfortunately. it has taken decades before Coach Haskins and his players achievements have been recognized. In 1966 there were no trips to the White House or appearances on the Ed Sullivan show. both customary for national champions. The team did not even receive national championship rings until their 20year reunion in 1986. It is time to recognize the profound contribution to the civil rights movement that this.game spurred. and to recognize the 1966 NCAA Division I mens basketball champions. the Texas Western Miners. I urge my colleagues in joining me in supporting this bipartisan legislation.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GONZALEZ","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1489}
{"speech_id":1090109785,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the 1966 Texas Western Mens Basketball Team. Their NCAA championship victory over Kentucky forever changed college athletics. Even though it had been over a decade since Brown v. Board of Education. many colleges had lagged behind on implementing integration into their athletics programs. In 1966. college basketball players were often recruited on the basis of their skin color rather than playing ability. Texas Western coach Bob Haskins did not succumb to pressures to start his White players. He simply played his best players regardless of skin color. This resulted in the first time an allBlack starting lineup participated in a major athletic championship contest. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1419}
{"speech_id":1090109785,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The impact was felt throughout the country when littleknown Texas Western upset legendary allWhite Kentucky. Perhaps most important in this victory was the stereotypes and misconceptions that were broken down. For many. the assumption remained that Black players would not be skilled or smart enough to successfully compete against White players. Bob Haskins and Texas. Western proved on a national stage that Black players can win and are as smart and talented as their White counterparts. The 1966 Texas Western mens basketball team opened the doors for schools that had stalled in implementing integration policies into their athletics programs. breaking down barriers and forever changing college athletics.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1419}
{"speech_id":1090109821,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I cannot rise to the heights of CHARLiE RANGEL. but Irise in tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen. For years. it seems we- have considered bills honoring the contributions of these heroic airmen. It is about time this one passed and passed with huge support. Their achievements in support of our efforts in World War II have inspired books and movies. They have earneddecorations and awards fof valor that are too numerous to cite. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2177}
{"speech_id":1090109821,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As Mr. RANGEL noted. 992 graduated from pilot training at Tuskegee. 450 went overseas to North Africa and Italy. some 150 died either in training or in combat missions. And yet. though they were shot down. not a single bomber. as Mr. RANGEL noted. among the many they escorted was ever shot down. While their accomplishments have been recognized by the military. the military in truth cannot adequately honor allof their accomplishments because these men fought and won other battles that were not military in nature. They defied those who thought they lacked the intelligence. the skills. the courage. even the patriotism to fly and fight. Their courage in the air is legendary. but their courage on the . ground and in our society made their achievements in the air all the more meaningful. and remarkable. Today. the impact of the Tuskegee Airmen reaches far beyond the skies of Italy and North Africa. Their service led to social changes in. our country that include the integration of our Armed Forces. In 1948. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2177}
{"speech_id":1090109821,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981. directing equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the armed services. President Trumans order ended racial segregation in the military and was a major step towards ending racial segregation in the United States of America. Today. we recognize the Tuskegee Airmen for valor in battle. but also for accomplishments that succeeded. that transcended the battlefield like Executive Order 9981. The Tuskegee Airmen. the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332d Fighter Group. not only deserve the Congressional Gold Medal. they will add luster. to it. I salute the Tuskegee Airmen and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2177}
{"speech_id":1090109828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 1259. authorizing the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to the Tuskegee Airmen. At a time when their country did not see fit to protect their rights. these brave young men non6theless served valiantly on behalf of all American citizens. During the Second World War. AfricanAmericans were essentially secondclass citizens in American society. and unfortunately this characterization did not end at the waters edge. Not permitted to train as aviators with their white comrades during World War II. 992 15rave young men completed pilot training at Tuskegees Moton Field. at the school founded by Booker T. Washington. 450 of these airmen were sent overseas for combat assignment. and 66 .gave their lives during combat flights. The Tuskegee Airmen populated the famed 99th Fighter Squadron and saw combat duty in North Africa. Others joined the 332nd Fighter Group. which flew missions from bases in Italy. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090109828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Still others served similarly important roles as mechanics. gunners. and engineers. Among these brave airmen are several individuals whose stories begin or end in the 12th Congressional District of New Jersey. As a young man. Robert Griffin worked at the local airport in Princeton. New Jersey. washing and refueling\" airplanes. earning just a few precious minutes of flying time per week. Though the Air Force would not train him as a fighter pilot due to his race. he eventually found a home at the Tuskegee Institute. becoming one. of the first black flight mechanics.. He later served In the U.S. Air Force after integration. and flew refueling and support missions for 13 years. A current resident of Ewing. New JerseyRetired Lieutenant Colonel Edward Harrisreceived his pilots license from Tuskegee Institute and Tuskegee Army Air Base in 1944. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090109828,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He served 27 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired as commander of the 2017 Communications Group at McGuire Air Force Base. He subsequently served in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. and currently resides in Ewing with his wife Delores. Mr. Speaker. the Tuskegee Airmen are true testament to the selfless sacrifice and brave service that the U.S. Armed Forces seek fo instill in its soldiers. sailors. and airmen. I rise in support of H.R. 1259. and commend all those who would stand tall for their country before* their country would not stand tall for them.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090109869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the clock is ticking on the 109th Congress and still we have done nothing to stop illegal guns from getting into the hands of criminals. I am not proposing anything new about laws or a ban on certain weapons. but helping our States enforce the current law that prevents criminals from buying guns. NICS. the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. is the database used to check potential firearms buyers for any criminal record or history of mental illness. In large. NICS has been a success. Since 1994 more than 700.000 individuals were denied a gun for failing a background check. The background check goes back to the 1968 Gun Control Act. and that would basically be what we are enforcing. However. the NICS system is only as good as the information that the States provide. Twentyfive States have automated less than 60 percent of their felony convictions into the NICS system. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4171}
{"speech_id":1090109869,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That means that 40 percent of people are not in the System that should be denied guns. In these States many felons will not turn up on the NICS system and would be able to purchase guns with no questions asked. In 13 States domestic violence restraining orders are not necessarily put into the NICS system. Common sense would dictate that you do not sell\"a gun to someone who has been served with a restraining order. Thirtythree States have not automated or do not share mental health records that would disqualify certain individuals from purchasing a gun. Sadly. this particular loophole in the NICS system cost two of my constituents their lives. On March 8. 2002. Peter Troy purchased a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle. He had a history of mental health problems. and his own mother had a restraining order against him as a result of his violence. It was illegal for him to purchase a gun. but like so many others. he simply slipped through the cracks in the NICS system. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4171}
{"speech_id":1090109869,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Four days later Peter Troy walked into our Lady of Peace Church in Lynbrook. New York. opened fire and killed Reverend Lawrence Penzes. and Eileen Tosner. \" Peter Troy had no business buying a gun. and the system created to prevent him from doing so failed. It is only a matter of time before the systems failings provide larger tragedies. We must fix the NICS system. While we lay the responsibility for the NICS system on the States. many of our States budgets are already overburdened and will have even fewer resources if the Presidents budget passes as is intact. which is why I introducedH.R. 1415. the NICS Improvement Act. This legislation will provide grants to States to update the NICS system. States would be able to update their NICS database to include felons. people with certain mental and emotional disabilities. and domestic abusers. We need the NICS Improvement Act to become law. and we need more bills like this to pass. These are ideas that impose no new restrictions open gun owners. but give the government the tools to ensure existing laws are enforced. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4171}
{"speech_id":1090109869,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. the NICS Improvement Act already passed this House in the 107th Congress by a voice vote. It came through the Judiciary Committee with no dissenting votes. The bill had the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. .Unfortunately. the other body never acted upon the bill. This is commonsense gun legislation we can all agree on. This bill will save lives while not infringing on anybodys second amendment rights. Mr. Speaker. I call Congress to act quickly on H.R. 1415. We can prevent tragedies throughout this Nation. Certainly we hear the NRA talking all the time about enforcing the laws on the books. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4171}
{"speech_id":1090109869,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can do this if we enforce the laws on the books. If we bring up the NICS system the way it is supposed to be. we can save lives. One thing that people dont talk about. with the injuries and the deaths that we see in this Nation from daily gun violence. it is costing our medical system. our health care system over $2 billion a year. That is money that can certainly be better spent on other health care issues. Mr..Speaker. I am hoping that the House will see its way to take this important information. bring the NICS system up to where it should be. and let us save lives. H420 cc","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4171}
{"speech_id":1090109903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield. I think it really is a goodpoint that you are making that we have been utilizing adult stem cells for a long time. for many years. and whether we are talking about cells that are obtained from bone marrow or from blood. even. of course. some umbilical cells. But as the gentleman points out. there have been some real great success stories reported: cancers. including ovarian and testicular cancer. leukemia. Hodgkins disease. stroke. heart disease. Parkinsons disease. as the gentleman mentioned. juvenile diabetes. Crohns disease. an inflammatory disease of the bowel which can be so devastating. And I think RoSCOE BARTLETT. the gentleman from Maryland. mentioned .maybe 58. in total. success stories. But the earliest cell. I think. has the greatest potential. and that is basically the point that the congressman is making and why his bill. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2217}
{"speech_id":1090109903,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 3144. to provide funding. very necessary funding. to do the basic and applied research starting in animal models to show that you indeed can take these. again. not totipotential but pluripotential. so not another embryo. but something that has gone beyond that stage that does not have the capability in and of itself of becoming a human being. That is what we want to say to the prolife community. So we are taking. though. the very earliest beyolfd that stage cell. and there is no telling what tissue it can develop into. whether we are talking about brain tissue and trying to treat people. God rest his soul. -like qhristopher Reeves or other people with spinal cord injuries. or someone with severe Parkinsons disease or Alzheimers or juvenile diabetes where you create islet cells that you can transplant into a persons pancreas that. because of a genetic defect. has no islet cells. So that is really. I think. the answer. to say why it is worth the effort. why it is absolutely worth the effort. First and foremost. you do not have to take human life for the betterment of other human lives. and we want to build on the success of utilization of adult stem cells and go that extra mile. and this is what this bill will do. allow us to do thebasic research. fund it with Federal dollars so we can get to that point.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2217}
{"speech_id":1090109917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker. It is interesting. I mentioned earlier that I spent some time with some seventh graders in my district. and when we are with these young students. as my colleague mentioned. they are looking to us to demonstrate leadership and to also act like the adults thekr would expect us..to act like and demonstrate some fiscal sense. When I talked to them about the $27.674 of the national debt that they each share. they were saying. well. then. how come you guys keep spending more than you have? And I said. because we are not adhering to the rules we once did before that forced us to do that. that forced us to make tough decisions. And we talked about how in their family budgets .they have to make those decisions. Sometimes going to the movies fits in the budget and sometimes -it doesnt. But Mom and Dad try to make sure that they are not spending more than they have personally so as to avoid getting into debt. They understood what that meant in their families. and they were. frankly. pretty shocked. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2088}
{"speech_id":1090109917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it is not just the kids that are worried. I talk to businesses in my district. and they are very concerned. They understand that deficits matter. Not everybody understands it. but business people understand that access to capital fuels their growth. and that while at this moment interest rates have been kept down. that cant last forever while we become even more dependent on foreign capital to float our spending habits. So business people have concerns. My colleague also mentioned the debt tax. and I think that is an important issue that most people dont appreciate. -I have one charthere. and I dont know if my colleague has this up there. but I dont think people realize that net interest is projected to be at such a higher rate than education spending. than homeland security spending. and than veterans benefits in the Presidents 2007 budget. And when they realize those are the priorities that we are making and those are the decisions we are making. and as more people understand this. they are going to become even more frustrated.","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2088}
{"speech_id":1090109948,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. our nations history is interwoven with the accomplishments and contributions of African Americansfrom Hank Aaron. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to George Washington Carver. W.E.B. Du Bois. and Maya Angelouand because of their efforts our nation is stronger. The African American community recently lost two of its leaders and as we mourn the passing of Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King. we should be reminded that we must continue the civil rights work they devoted their lives to. What better way to celebrate the legacy of these leaders and all of those who have worked to ensure racial justice than by reauthorizing the expiring portions of the Voting Rights Act. The struggle for civil rights continues today and we must make certain that all citizens not only have the right to vote. but that their ability to vote is protected. Although the Voting Rights Act has been essential in protecting the voting rights of minorities. additional safeguards are necessary to ensure that every citizen is included in the election process. I remain committed to furthering the causes of the Civil Rights Mbvement and will work hard in the coming months to guarantee the right to vote for every citizen. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1371}
{"speech_id":1090109948,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that this month we will celebrate the lives of all of the strong and determined men -and women who have worked to ensure equality for all Americans.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1371}
{"speech_id":1090109949,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. celebrating Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect upon the innumerable contributions that Blacks have made to the advancement of American society and culture. People of color whether from the homeland in Africa. the Caribbean. Latin America or North America. they have been more than instrumental in shaping the social complexion of America and humanity. It was CarterG. Woodson in 1926 who initiated \"Negro History Week\" in the United States to promote \"a better understanding of the contributions\" of Blacks to human civilization. This noble effort 80 years ago has been successful in informing people all over the world about the numerous contributions of Blacks. It has also aided in reshaping and negating distortions that historians have in many cases intentionally promulgated. Black History Month. continues to amplify accurate depictions and narratives about a myria& of global endeavors. These undertakings have drastically improved the daily lives and landscape of the world. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3282}
{"speech_id":1090109949,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Individuals such as Pianky. the military genius and Black King of Nubia who conquered Egypt around 700 BC. Antar. the AfricanArabian poet and story teller. and Abram Hannibal. the soldier and commander of 18th century Russia to Chaka who led South Africa until his assassination in 1828 all exemplify and indicate historic contributions to society. \"Their presence and deeds underscore an essential reality: Blacks have been part and parcel of world history. from exploration and revolution to scientific and other achievements.\" Other notable achievements encompass pioneering the making of iron. valuable works of art. carved stones into historic ornaments and statues. the conversion of oilbearing plants for both medical and dietary purposes. Early contributions also include developing cereal and transformation of a wild plant into cotton which led to the art of weaving. Additionally. people of color are among the earliest farmers who produced wheat. groundnuts. yams and watermelon. Other accomplishments within the past 150 years. include performing .the first open heart surgery. produced scientific evidence of cell life and metabolism. pioneered in blood plasma preservation. invented the. inhalers used by rescue workers at disaster sites. created communication devices that allowed conversations between fast moving trains. invented machines that allowed for the mass production of shoes and improved the efficiency of lUbricatihg systems used in large industry today. This impressive list is not exhaustive of all the global contributions of people of color. However. it illustrates the vital contributions to America and the world. As we think about democracy in this country. people of color have been at the fore in pursuing \"A .more perfect Union.\" Consider Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on a bus. which sparked the Montgomery County Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement. Also. it would be hard to think about American Democracy without Martin Luther King Jr. and his leadership and dream to bring the ideals of democracy into reality for all Americans. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3282}
{"speech_id":1090109949,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In his 1970 essay. \"What America Would Be Like Without Blacks.\" Ralph Ellison argued that \"Whatever else the true American is. he is somehow Black.\" [CaribEditorial. Feb. 7. 2006]","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3282}
{"speech_id":1090110161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am proud to say that I have recently discovered. almost literally in my own backyard. an Iowan who has received an honor of national significance. Mr. Edward Thomas. the head football coach at AplingtonParkersburg High School. is the recipient of the 2005 NFL High School Coach of the Year award. He was honored with tickets to Super Bowl XL as well as monetary awards for himself and his football program. Coach Thomas has been coaching for 34 years. 31 of those at AplingtonParkersburg. His overall record at AplingtonParkersburg is 249 wins and 58 losses. He has guided his teams to the State playoffs 15 times. winning2 State titles and has won 15 conference or district championships during that time. In his 34 years of coaching. he has won such awards as the National Federation High School Football Coach of the Year in 2004. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090110161,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Northeast Iowa Coach of the Year 5 times and was inducted into the Iowa High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1990. With an enrollment of almost 300 at AplingtonParkersburg. Coach Thomas has produced 4 active NFL playersDetroit Lions defensive end Jared DeVries. Jacksonville Jaguars guard Brad Meester. Kansas City Chiefs center Casey Wiegmann and Green Bay Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman. Coach Thomas also teaches life lessons and Christian principles while emphasizing the adversity and teamwork of football as a reflection of life in the real world. As Aaron Kampman put it. \"He strives to make men better through the game of football.\" Kampman also stated. \"You get goosebumps playing for the guy. the essence of playing under the lights on Friday night he brought that to the forefront.\" While the AplingtonParkersburg Falcons are rivals to my hometown team. the DikeNew Hartford Wolverines. I am very proud that an Iowan has been honored in this way. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090110161,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I offer my sincere congratulations to Coach Thomas on this most prestigious honor and wish him continued success.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090110162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor Kimmie Meissner. a great Olympian and the pride of Bel Air. MD. We in Maryland are so proud of Kimmie. Sixth at the Olympics at the age of 16 is a monumental achievement. Like many of my colleagues. I was glued to the television set to watch our U.S. athletes in Torino. I was so impressed with Kimmies performance. I only wish I could have been there to lead the applause for our hometown girl. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090110162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She may have come in sixth in Torino. but she came in first in the hearts of the people of my great State. But. Kimmies accomplishments didnt begin in Torino. She began her figure skating career 10 years ago at the age of6. At the age of 6. She has been a true student athlete for almost her entire life. balancing her school work with her training. Kimmie goes to Fallston High School in Harford County every day. and when school is over she drives to Delaware to train for her second shift as a competitive figure skater. Kimmie shows maturity far beyond her years. both on and off the ice. She supports the Leukemia Society and the Johns Hopkins Hospital -Childrens Center. taking time out of her life to visit with sick young people. On the ice. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090110162,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Kimmie couldnt have a better attitude. She says her motto is. \"enjoy what you do. do what you enjoy.\" I can think of few young people who have such a thoughtful approach to life. At 16 years old. she has the brightest future of anyone of our Olympic skaters. and I cant wait for the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. March is Womens History Month and the time when we celebrate the achievements and struggles of women in America. Frequently. we point to those who have come before us and who have paved the way for current advances. But it is only right and proper that in this 2006 Womens History Month. we salute young Women like Kimmie and the honor she brought the United States with her talent. skill. and sportsmanship. Thank you. Kimmie. for making us so proud. Thank you for representing all that is good and true about Americas young people. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090110162,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And though I cannot tell a salchow from an axel. let alone a loop from a lutz. even I could recognize your grit. grace. and promise of an even more glittering future.*","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090110178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health. Education. Labor and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. March 1. 2006 at 3 p.m. for a hearing on \"Fighting the AIDS Epidemic of Today: Reauthorizing the Ryan White CARE Act.\"","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":286}
{"speech_id":1090110180,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday. March 1. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing tiled \"The Department of Homeland Securitys Budget Submission for Fiscal Year 2007.\"","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090110184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Judicial Nominations\" on Wednesday. March 1. 2006 at 2 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Witness List Panel I: The Honorable LARRY CRAIG. United States\" Senator. [RID]. The Honorable MIKE CRAPO. United States Senator. [RID]. Panel II: Norman Randy Smith to be the United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Patrick Joseph Schlitz to be United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":544}
{"speech_id":1090110186,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a hearing entitled. \"The Nomination of Eric Thorson to be Inspector General of the Small Business Administration\" on Wednesday. March 1. 2006. beginning at 2 p.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090110200,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Terrorism. Technology and Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Immigration. Border Security and Citizenship be authorized to meet to conduct a joint hearing on \"Federal Strategies to End Border Violence\" on Wednesday. March 1. 2006 at 9 a.m. in Dirksen 226. Panel I: The Honorable Paul K. Charlton. United States Attorney. District of Arizona. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090110200,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Phoenix. AZ. David Aguilar. Chief of Border Patrol. Customs and Border Protection. Department of Homeland Security. Washington. DC. and Marcy Forman. Director of Investigations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090110200,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Department of Homeland Security. Washington. DC. Panel II: The Honorable Larry A. Dever. Sheriff of Cochise County. AZ. The Honorable Wayne Jernigan. Sheriff of Valverde County. TX. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090110200,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lavogyer Durham. Manager of El Tule Ranch. Falfurrias. TX. and T.J. Bonner. President of the National Border Patrol Council. American Federation of Government Employees. AFLCIO. Campo. CA..","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":999}
{"speech_id":1090110217,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the last few moments. we adopted a resolution which is historic in nature. It relates to the Negro Leagues and preNegro Leagues baseball in America. Anyone who loves baseball as I do and followed. the great documentary prepared by Ken Burns on the history of baseball must have been struck by howmuch the history of baseball is associated with the resolution of the issue of race in America For too long. baseball. similar to much of America. was segregated. Now that it has become an integrated sport. we have seen some tremendous athletesBlack Americans. Hispanic Americans. White Americans. those from other countriescoming. together to make it a more exciting sport than it has ever been. I think we realize now what was lost for so many decades. while those who labored in Black baseball. the Negro Leagues. were relegated to secondclass status despite the fact their talents were as good or sometimes better than those who played on all White baseball teams. Jerry Izenberg. a sports writer for the Newark Star Ledger. wrote of the stars of Negro Leagues Baseball: They took Americas game and weaved a kind of magic with it that most of America never bothered to seenot for lack of talent and surely not because of the way they played itwith a fire in the belly and joy in the skills. that motivated them. America loved baseball. but segregation turned America blind. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090110217,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The psyche of the White men who owned Major League Baseball and most of those who played the game couldnt get past the matter of skin color. One of the greatest players ever. the legendary Satchel Paige. spent most of his careerin the Negro Leagues. In his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1971 he said: Oh. we had men by the hundreds who could have made the bigleagues. by the hundreds. not by the fours. twos or threes. Aint no maybe so about it.\" Satchel Paige said. I did.have the honor to meet him one day. He was in Springfield watching a baseball game. I still remember it. He was seated next to Minnie Minoso. whom I will refer to a little later in these remarks. Most of those players never got that chance. But now. 17 more players and 5 executives from the Negro Leagues and preNegro Leagues baseball Are getting some long overdue recognition. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090110217,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This week. a special commission appointed by Major League Baseball acted to heal another of segregations scars by voting to induct the 17 into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I am pleased to join baseball fans around the world in congratulating these new Hall of Famers: Negro Leagues baseball players Ray Brown. Willard Brown. Andy Cooper. Biz Mackey. Mule Suttles. Cristobal Torriente. and Jud Wilson. PreNegro Leagues players Frank Grant. Pete Hill. Jose Mendez. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090110217,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Louis Santop. and Ben Taylor. . Negro Leagues club owners Alex Pompez. Cum Posey. and J.L. Wilkinson. And preNegro Leagues. team owner and baseball writer Sol White. Also among the new Hall of Famers is Effa Manley. coowner with her h.usband of the Newark Eagles and the firstwoman to join the Hall of Fame. Effa Manly was White. but she married a Black man and chose to pass herself off as Black. She was active in the civil rights movement and promoted AntiLynching Day at Eagles games. in the 1940s. Similar to many. I am surprisedI am really disappointedthat two names were not on the list I just read. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090110217,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of the 39 Negro *Leagues and preNegro Leagues stars considered for inclusion in the Hall of Fame this week. only two are still living: Mini Minoso and Buck ONeil. I cant explain why neither one was selected. No matter how the committee voted. Minnie Minoso and Buck ONeil will always be Hallof Famers to baseball fans in Chicago and around the world. Let me tell you about them. Saturnino Orestes Armas \"Minnie\" Minoso is one of the most popular players in Chicago White Sox historya seventime AllStar and threetime Golden Glove winner. He was nicknamed \"the Cuban comet.\" the first Black Latino in the major leagues starting in 1949 with the Cleveland Indians. Two years later. he became the first White Sox to break the color line. He hit a home run in his first atbat with the White Sox and went on to be named American League Rookie of the Year in 1951. leading the league in stolen bases and triples. Over his cireer. he led the league in being hit by pitches .10 different timesan indica.tion. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090110257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution. which honors the career of one of this Nations most respected jurists. Associate Justice Sandra Day OConnor. Not only did Justice OConn6r leave an indelible impression on the law but also on the legal profession itself. As an Associate Justice. Mrs. OConnor had a welldeserved reputation for being the swing vote on seminal cases. From .campaign finance laws to -affirmative action and sexual orientation discrimination. many Supreme Court lawyers tailored their arguments to her because of her ability and willingness to see the complexity of the issues that came before the court. She also left her mark on the diversity of the legal profession. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1836}
{"speech_id":1090110257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When she graduated from law school in 1952. ranked no less than 3rd in her class of 102 students. gender discrimination kept her from jobs at law firms. This was a time when women comprised only 4 percent of law graduates. Instead. she turned to public service and embarked upon a stellar career as a State prosecutor. State legislator. and State judge. It was in her capacity as an Arizona Court of Appeals judge in 1981 that Justice OConnor came to the attention of the White House. President Reagan nominated her to fill the seat of Justice Potter Stewart. On September 21. 1981. the Senate unanimously confirmed her to be the *102d Justice of the Supreme -Court and the 1st female justice in history. With Justice OConnor as an example. the ranks of female lawyers have grown tremendously in this country. In 1981. the year of her appointment. women made up 35 percent of law.students. In 2004. they made up approximately 50 percent. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1836}
{"speech_id":1090110257,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would be impossible to overstate Justice OConnors role in that achievement. I thank her for her service to our country and wish her the best. I urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on this resolution.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1836}
{"speech_id":1090110259,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support ofH. Res. 357. honoring fellow Texan and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor. As the first woman inducted into the Supreme Court. Sandra Day OConnor broke through gender barriers and a glass ceiling that had existed for almost two centuries. Her outstanding. service to America and the Supreme Court serves as a role model not only to women. but to anyone who was told they couldnt do a job based on bias and neg-. ative perception. Throughout her life. Justice OConnor continually rose above prejudiceforming her own law firm when no one would hire her. and becoming the first woman to hold the position of majority leader in the Arizona State Senate. Sandra Day OConnor became one of the most powerful women in U.S. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1212}
{"speech_id":1090110259,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"History. Instead of rebelling against a maledominated society. Justice OConnor sought to change the world by working within the system. Her decisions on controversial cases such as abortion. affirmative action. the death penalty. and religious freedom have changed the American landscape and will continue to impact us far into the future. I commend Justice OConnor for her years of service and for serving as a role model for so many Americans.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1212}
{"speech_id":1090110276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. last summer. I was honored to be invited to address the NAACP convention. which was held in Milwaukee. and I got a very good reception in talking about. reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act. which mycommittee will be dealing with shortly. as well as overturning the Supreme Courts erroneous decision in the case of Kelo v. City of New London. -Connecticut. which basically said -that there were no constitutional protections against a municipality using eminent domain to take a persons private property simply because the city fathers -and mothers decided that there would be a way to get more tax revenue out of that piece of land. That bill has passed the House of Representatives and is currently pending in the other bpdy. and I hope we can have eminent domain reform passed during this session of Congress.. as well as the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Mr. Speaker.- I submit for inclusion at this point in the RECORD the speech that I gave to the NAACP convention in Milwaukee on July 10. 2005. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090110276,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Good evening. Thank you for this opportunity to talk briefly about two important issues facing us right now: an extension of the Voting Rights -Act and the Supreme Courts recent 54 decision in the Kelo case. which held that the government can use \"economic development\" as a reason for taking private property. Among my proudest moments was accompanying members of the NAACP and Dr. Marsha ColemanAdebayo for the signing of the No FEAR Act. legislation that aims to stamp out discrimination in federal agencies. The bipartisan passage of No FEAR. the first civil rights legislation of the 21st. century. should serve as a model for future civil rights bills. On August 5.2005. the United States will celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most significant pieces of legislation enacted during the 20th Centurythe Voting Rights Act. This profound legislation pushed back againist those unwilling to treat all citizens as equals and restored the dignity aid equality that our Constitution is intended to preserve for all citizens. Our democratic system of government has as its most fundamental right the right of its citizens to participate in the political process. Adopted 135 years ago. the 15th Afnendment ensures that no American citizens right to vote can be denied or abridged by the United States or a State on account of race. color. or previous condition of servitude. As far too many here know and have experienced. some government entities have not only been unfaithful to the rights and protections afforded by the Constitution. but have aggressivelyand sometimes vioL lentlytried to disenfranchise AfricanAmerican and other minority voters. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090110276,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In his momentous speech delivered to Congress on March 15. 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson stated. \"[e]xperience has clearly shown that the existing process of law cannot overcome systematic and ingenious discrimination. No law that we now have on the. booksand I have helped to put three of them therecan ensure the right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it. In such a case our duty must be clear to all of us. The Constitution says that no person shall be kept from voting because of his raceor color. We have all sworn an oath before God to support and to defend that Constitution. We must now act in obedience to that oath.\" Seeing the Voting Rights Acts impact compelled me in 1982 to lead the House Republican effort to extend it for 25 years. This effort wasnt easybut then again. very important things never are. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090110276,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While I proudly display in my Washifigton office one of the pens President Ronald Reagan used to sign this extension. the fruits of this effort can best be seen on the faces of those not only participating in the political process but actively leading it. In the 1960s. all major civil rights legislation was passed with strong bipartisan support. Lately. this. has not been the case as some have tried to use the issue of civil rights -to obtain a partisan advantage. This is both wrong and shortsighted. The stakes have not been higher in the past 20 years. In 2007. several key protections contained in the Voting Rights Act will expire. including the federal oversight protections provided by Section 5. I am here to tell yoif publicly what I have told others privately. including the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. Representative Mel Wattduring this Congress we are going to extend the Voting Rights Act. I am not alone - in the Congress in supporting an extension. indeed. House Speaker Dennis Hastert last week stated that reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act is high on his list of issues the House will address this Congress. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090110276,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Soon I will be introducing legislation to extend the Voting Rights Act. Just like its .enactment and its 1982 extension. this bipartisan effort will succeed. Ladies and gentlemen. while we have made progress and curtailed injustices thank to the Voting Rights Act. our work is not yet complete. We cannot let discriminatory practices of the past resurface to threaten future gains. The Voting Rights Act must continue to existand exist in its current form. I also want to mention my strong opposition to the Supreme Courts recent 54 decision in the Kelo case. which held that the government can use \"economic development\" as a reason for .taking private property from one small homneowner and gi ing it to a large corporation simply because the corporations greater wealth will bring the government more tax revenue. As the NAACP so correctly noted in its .brief filed with the Supreme Court in the Kelo case. \"The takings that result [from the Courts decision) will disproportionately affect and harm the economically disadvantaged and. in particular. racial and ethnic minorities and the elderly.\" The noxious practice endorsed by the Courts Kelo decision has generated bipartisan opposition. Last week. I introduced H.R. 3135. the \"Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005.\" with the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee. .Mr. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090110318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. earlier today the Education -and the Workforce Committee had a subcommittee hearing dealing with the mine safety issues aroufd the recent tragedies that happened in the Sago mine disaster in January of this year. Unfortunately. that hearing was arbitrarily gaveled to adjournment at a time before members could have exercised their rights to ask questions of -the witnesses that were there from the Mine Safety Administration. - the United Mine Workers. and the mine association of the companies. Had we had the opportunity without the arbitrary adjournment of the hearing. we would have tried to ask the Mine Safety Administration how they have come to delay and weiken and scrap the 18 regulations that were put forth to protect the miners in the coal mining industry of this Nation and. in fact. regulations that may very well have been able to save the miners. the 12 miners who died in the Sago mine disaster. But we were not allowed to ask that question because of the adjournment by the chairman of. the committee. We would have asked them whether or not*they have ignored the requirements of the law that no standard put in place be. less protective than the existing standard. as they have continued to chisel away at the safety standards for the miners working in deep coal mines of this Nation. meeting our energy demands for this Natioh. for the miners and their families.-who every day make the decision to go into the mines in this hazardous occupation. We would have also asked them whether or not..when they see the failure of the regulations to protect these miners. whether or not this shift of enforcement and the loss of enforcement personnel to a compliance assistance philosophy to work voluntarily with the mining companies. whether or. not that led to this mine accident. especially when this particular mine. the Sago mine. had 208 violations in 2005. It is clear that the owners were interested in maximizing their profits and not complying with safety. laws. and it is clear that the penalty system that we have in place does not deter repeat violations. .because the Sago mine. had many repeat violations. serious violatiQns of the safety rules dealing with combustible gases in the mine and the protection of these miners. We would have also tried to ask them whether or not they felt that Congress had exercised its oversight authority. since this was the first oversight hearing on mine safety in 5 years.. We would have also asked them to stop shutting out the public in the decisionmaking proce\u00a7s. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090110318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We would have asked the administration to open up all of itsrecords. including the inspectors notes. to public scrutiny around the Sago mine disaster so that we can be able to do the work to determine whether or not we could have prevented this disaster that took these lives. We also would have made sure that they would have put in place commonsense rules dealing with the ability to communicate with the miners who were in the mine. We now think we are learning that it might have.been possible for those miners to walk out of the mine had they known where they were and had we been able to communicate with them. And wlile communications devices are available.. they are used in some American mines. they are used in some Canadian mines. they are used in Australian mines. they are not very well used. if at all. in the U.S. coal mining industry. and yet the government has done nothing to try to push this technology so we could have had communications with these miners. 0.].1600 Also the idea of locators. so that we would have been able to send a message to these miners about what their situation was and what they might have done to prolong their lives. because we now know they were down in that mine for a very long time waiting to be rescued. but that did not happen. As we heard from Amber Helms. the 23yearold daughter of Terry Helms. who died in the explosion. he died in the explosion. she asked us why if she can set up a Web page in her computer. if we can communicate to the solar system. if -we can communicate around the world. why couldnt we havecommunicated to her father and those other men down in that mine that lost their lives? Why wasnt this put in place when the cost of the itens to protect their lives ranged from apparently $20 to $200? It means nothing in terms of the profits of these mines. the revenues they generate and. the overriding concern for the safety of their miners. But. no. we didnt have a chance to ask these questions. because after one round of questioning. the chairman decided that enough was enough. that we were not going to have the opportunity to ask the Mine. Safety Administration. Where have you been for 5 years on the issue of rescue chambers in mines and the protection of these miners. and when are their families going to get these answers? Well. they didnt get them today. and apparently they are not going to get them from the Congress for a very long time. This Congress has been blind to the need to maintain even the protections that already exist under the law. It was not long ago that some members of our committee. including its former chairman. were actively seeking legislation to abolish MSHA and NIOSH andto cut back critical enforcement provisions. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090110318,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under that legislation. 3 outof the 4 mandatory annual inspections at every underground mine would have been eliminated. Inspectors would have needed a warrant before entering mine property. Only miners in unionized mineswould have had the right to accompany inspectors as they examined the mine. The circumstances in. which an inspector could shut down an unsafe section of a mine would have been restricted. Mine operators would not have had to pay fines for typical citations as long as the hazards were abated. And on and on. That legislation was defeated. But that apparently hasnt deterred Administration officials from trying to gut MSHA anyway. Now theyre just dismantling it and taking it out the back door. where they think no one is watching. Well. we are watching. and legislation must be enacted to ensure that changes are made. changes that make the safety and health of these mine workers a priority. and that prevent the industry from being allowed to get away with further abuses. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090110318,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to commend my colleagues. Congressman RAHALL of West Virginia. and the West Virginia delegation for their prompt hearings and action on these issues. on February 1st. they introduced H.R. 4695. the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006. which enhances and reinforces the original purpose of the landmark Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. as amended by the Federal Mine - Safety and Health Act of 1977. This legislation is a vital step in this process. and an effort that I am hoping will be a catalyst for change. Ambers testimony. and the powerful and courageous testimony provided by all The witnesses at the forum is documented on DVD. I strongly urge all members of this subcommittee to watch the footage. of the forum. and the incredibly important questions posed by these witnesses. questions that have unfortunately. been asked before. but that have not been answered. not by the administration. and not by MSHA. As Amber said: I understand that nothing that I say today or nothing that happens in the future is going to bring my Dad back. But my Uncle Johnny. my Uncle Mike. my cousin Rocky. as well as every other miner that is underground and every other son whos getting ready to go into the coal minesbecause thats where the jobs are in West Virginia and maybe some .of these other stateswe can prevent their families from going through this. We owe it to Amber and every other American who has lost a loved one in a mining accident to learn what more we can do to make mines safer. And then. just as Amber says. we must take action to prevent more familibs from going through the hell that she has had to go through.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7928}
{"speech_id":1090110331,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my constituents in Minnesota and I are overwhelmingly opposed to the administration handing over daytoday management of six U.S. ports to a company. owned and operated by the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Speaker. this port management deal poses a very real risk to national security. as many experts have pointed out. As the former Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. Clark Ervin. said last week. \"It is true that our Coast Guard would remain in charge of port security. But that means merely setting standards that ports are to follow and reviewing their security plans. Meeting those standards every day is the job of port operators. They are respofisible for hiring secur*ity officers. guarding the cargo and overseeing its unloading.\" As andther security expert put it. you cannot separate port security from port management. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090110331,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our ports are on the front lines of our homeland defense. and terminal operators play a key role. It is undisputed that under the contract to manage the .six U.S. ports. Dubai Ports World would handle shipping arrivals.. departures. unloading at the dQcks. ald many other securityrelated functions. The UAEowned company would be responsible for keeping cargo containers secure from the time they are unloaded from foreign ships until the containers are taken away on trucks. In addition. terminal operators work with port security plalis that contain sensitive security information. They are responsible for securing the perimeter of the terminals and they conduct security training for dock workers. Mr. Speaker. the fundamental qhestion is this: Do we really want a company owned by a foreign government that has been a home base for terrorists. do we really want that company in charge of these functions? I think not. Moreover. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090110331,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. we also know the United States Coast Guard conducted an intelligence assessment of Dubai Ports World and its owners in the United Arab Emirates. As a result of that December 13. 2005 intelligence assessment. the Coast Guard warned: \"There are manyi intelligence gaps concerning the potential for DPW assets to support terrorist -operations that preclude the completion of a thorough threat assessment of the merger.\" The intelligence assessment also stated: \"The breadth of the .intelligence gaps also infer potential unknown threats against the large number of potential vulnerabilities.\" Mr. Speake. this Coast Guard assessment -raises serious questions on the overall security environment at DP World facilities. the background of some personnel and foreign influence on company operations. As a cosponsor. Mr. Speaker. of H.R. 4807. authored by Chairman Peter King of our Homeland Security Committee. I strongly support this critical legislation that would allow Congress to block the ports deal following the current 45day investigation. 6 Mr. Speaker. the security of our homeland must be our highest priority. That is why we need to pass this important legislation:","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2979}
{"speech_id":1090110334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to express niy strong concern about the Bush administrations agreement to allow. a United Arab Emirates company. Dubai Ports World. to manage operations at several U.S. seaports. including the Port of Baltimore in my home- State of Maryland. Let me first emphasize that the Untied Arab Emirates is a valued ally in the war against terrorism. and I sincerely appreciate their contribution to the war effort.. Unfortunately. some pundits and supporters of this deal suggest that bipartisan criticism of the port deal stems from racism or xenophobia or even politicalyear grandstanding. I reject these arguments. These are the same pundits who were quick to say that Congress was lax in its oversight and failed to connect the dots after a terrorist attack. The sole issue here is national security and connecting the dots before the facts. Let me be clear. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090110334,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not oppose foreign ownership or operation of U.S. ports. per se. However. I do think that in any case of foreign ownership or operation of sensitive U.S. assets. we need to scrutinize these deals that could threaten our national security. That should have happened in this case. In cases involving foreign ownership. and national security. -the Committee on Foreign Investment in. the United States provides for a secondlevel 45day seiurity review. Despite concerns expressed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard. that did not occur. Only now. after this controversy has erupted. has the administration agreed to review the deal. Why are both Democrats and Republicans raising objections? Here are the facts that give us pause: first. the United Arab Emirates honors an Arab boycott of Israel. thereby discriminatiiig against a valued U.S. friend and ally. Second. al Qaeda used the bank system in the United Arab Emirates to execute the 9\/11 and the 1998 African Embassy bombings. Third. the United Arab Emirates was one of three countries that recognized Afghans brutal Taliban regime. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090110334,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Four. the 9\/11 Commission reports indicated that Osama bin Laden regularly met with United Arab Emirates officials in the camps in Afghanistan. Reports suggest that bin Laden may jhave. in fact. been tipped off by friends in the United Arab Emirates. Simply put. the United Arab Emirates record on terrorism is in fact mixed at best. ahd serious questions need to be asked about whether this company should be allowed port management. I Let us talk about specific concerns. Last week Joseph King. a former Bush administration official at Customs. said in a Washington Post interview that peoples fiational security fears about the deal are well grounded. He goes on to point out that under the deal. this company would have carte blanchelike authority to obtain hundreds of visas to relocate managers and other employees to the United States. Using appeals for solidarity or even threats of violence. al Qaeda operatives could force lowlevel managers to provide these visas to al Qaeda sympathizers. According to recent articles in a December 13. 2005. intelligence assessment of the company and its owners. the United Arab Emirates. by the Coast Guard warned: \"There are many intelligence gaps concerning the potential for Dubai Ports World or P&O assets to support terrorist operations that preclude\" the completion of a thorough threat assessment. EJ 1630 \"The breadth of the intelligence gaps also infer potential unknown threats against a large number of potential vulnerabilities.\" That should give us pause. Additionally. the Department of Homeland Security initially objected to this deal. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090110334,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What are these intelligence gaps? How big are they? Have they been resolved? All questions we cannot answer right now. Let me say this. The administrations announcement of this deal is chillingly akin to the administrations prewar intelligence on weapons of mass destruction. There the administration selectively tailored intelligence to support the invasion that it desired from the very beginning. Here. the administration seems to be ignoring. deliberately ignoring. red flags and cherrypicking positive intelligence to support approval of a ports deal that it already wants. Let me conclude. Thankfully. Congress has put the brakes on this deal. We will be taking a long. serious and hard look at this arrangement. Unfortunately. the Bush administration has already made up its mind to support the deal even before a serious review has begun. and that is not in the best interest of the United States.","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4493}
{"speech_id":1090110336,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this Dubai ports deal will probably go through even though these types of contracts should be given to Americanowned companies. But the deal will probably be approved with Congress passing some meaningless. feelgood limitations or restrictions and increasing funding for port security. The deal will probably go through because. one. it involves $6.8 billion and it is almost unheard of to stop a deal involving big money like that. Secondly. the President and the entire administration are pushing it as hard as they can. Third. the columnists and commentators are all piling on using words like \"overreaction. racism and bigotry.\" Even though this is namecalling. rather than discussing the merits. most elected officials are going to do anything possible to avoid being called a racist or bigot or even that they are overreacting. There are legitimate national security concerns here. The United Arab Emirates may be a strong ally now. but these things change. Our government considered Saddam Hussein as an ally all through the 1980s and supported him in a big way monetarily and in other ways. While I am concerned about national security. my main concern about this deal is economic. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3045}
{"speech_id":1090110336,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have far too many foreign companies operating our ports. These are some of the best and most lucrative contracts we have. They should be going to Americanowned companies. If we give all these lucrative. bigmoney contracts to. foreignowned businesses. most of the profits and most of the top jobs will go to people from those countries. At some point we need to start putting our own businesses and shareholders and workers first. After all. the first obligation of the U.S. Congress should be to the American people. It is also .of some concern that this deal is not with a private company. but with an organization owned or controlled by the Government of the United Arab Emirates. Let me emphasize. I have nothing whatsoever against anyone from any foreign country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3045}
{"speech_id":1090110336,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am certainly not antiArab. I think it is sad that a Britishowned company was running these port operations. and I am not antiBritish. I think we should be friends with the Arabs and the British. and I believe we should have trade with~all countries. But I would want foreign countries to be buying things from American companies and vice versa. And I would like to see American ports. which are some of the most important infrastructure assets we have. to be run and controlled but American companies and American citizens. I do not believe the Chinese or the Japanese or many other codntries would let us run their ports. And most of these contracts to operate businesses on these ports are not advertised widely at all. Most are sweetheart. insidertype deals. I believe there are many American business people who would jump at the chance to do this business if they just knew about these opportunities. Let us start putting our own people first once again and stop giving all this port business. to so many foreign companies or especially not to foreign governments.","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3045}
{"speech_id":1090110352,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this week Kansas City and our entire metropolitan area celebrated our hometown hero. Buck ONeil. a Hall of Famer in our hearts. It is clear that the baseball Hall of Fame has made a terrible. shameful error in not inducting Buck on this ballot. As one of the Halls own officials said. \"The Hall ofFame is not complete without Buck ONeil.\" Buck is the reason 17 members of the Negr6 Leagues will be inducted this summer. Without his national visibility as an ambassador of the Negro Leagues. they would not have this honor. Without his efforts. very few would know the intimate details of segregated baseball in the United States during the 1930s..1940s. and even into .the 1950s. Buck. the classy man that he is will never complain about not being elected to the Hall. In fact. when told by reporters that he had not made it. he smiled and said. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11315}
{"speech_id":1090110352,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Thats the way the cookie crumbles.\" And so. on behalf of a community in tears. and a 94year-. old baseball legend. I will stand and complain. The omissidn of Buck ONeil was wrongheaded and an insult to Buck. the Negro Leagues. and baseball fans everywhere. Buck ONeil is a man who has done more than anyone to popularize and keep alive the history of the Negro Leagues. The fact that he was not voted into baseballs Hall of Fame is a wrong that only Major League Baseball can make right. and I hope they will make it right next year. This humble man. who is careful not to slight. has. in fact. been slighted. apparently by a single vote. by a group who looked shortsightedly at his batting average. but not at what he has done for the game of baseball. There is one thing for sure: Bucks exploits on the baseball diamond were not steroidaided. At a time when the game of baseball is in search of credibility. there is a need for a living symbol of all that is good and wholesome about the sport. Who better than Buck ONeil? Think about the few people who would come to a baseball stadium and get excited about the opportunity to be near Buck ONeil. If given an opportunity. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11315}
{"speech_id":1090110352,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Buck ONeil could be one of the greatest ambassadors in the history of Major League Baseball. It is rare that an entire community rallies around a single persoin. but our community loves Buck. what he stands for and his indomitable spirit. Once again. Buck ONeil is teaching us that disappointments are to be cremated. not embalmed. Bucks baseball career spans seven decades and has helped make him aforemost authority on baseball history and one of the games greatest advocates. I have never met a man who loves baseball and his community more than Buck ONeil. but more than that. Buck loves life. And for that inspired love. Buck is adored .by all those who know him and all who have heard him. Literally. hundreds of .thousands of people have been touched by Bucks kind smile. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11315}
{"speech_id":1090110352,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has traveled the country teaching children and adults about the Negro Leagues. baseball and life in general. Many of you may know his voice as the one in Ken Burnss documentary on baseball. We know him as. the man you can find sitting behind home plateat Kansas City Royals baseball games talking to everyone. who stops by to say hello. As Kansas Citys mayor. I was inspired by ONeil to revitalize 18th and Vine. the historical center for black culture and life in Kansas City from the late 1800s to the 1960s. It was the hub of activity for African American homeowners. businesses. jazz and baseball enthusiasts. One .block from. the district stands the Paseo YMCA building. which was built as.a black YMCA in 1914. It served as a temporary home for baseball players. railrbad workers. and others making the transfition to bigcity life. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11315}
{"speech_id":1090110352,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I intend to introduce a resolution calling for the commissioner of baseball to give a special recognition to Buck ONeil at the All Star Game. I will nominate through a bill Buck ONeil for the Congressional Gold Medal. This week Kansas City and our entire community celebrates our hometown hero. Buck ONeila HallofFamer in our hearts. It is clear the Baseball Hall of Fame has made a terrible shameful error in not inducting Buck on this ballot. As one of the Halls own officials said. \"The Hall of Fame is not complete without Buck ONeil.\" Buck is the reason 17 members of the Negro Leagues will be inducted this summer. Without his national visibility as an ambassador of the Negro Leagues. they would not have this honor. Without his efforts. very few would know the intimate details of segregated baseball in the U.S. during the 1930s. 40s and even into the 1950s. Buck. the classy man that he is. will never ball players. railroad workers. and others makcomplain about not being elected to the Hall. -ing the transition to big city life in the Midwest. ","speaker_name":"EMANUEL CLEAVER","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11315}
{"speech_id":1090110379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I just want to say to the gentleman. one. how much I agree with you. And two is we are not saying that government is the only answer in many situations. It is not. In many situations it needs to get out of the way. Maybe it does need to be a bit smaller. But it has responsibilities. and .certain responsibilities are not being met under this administration because of an utter and total disrespect for government in general. and this outfit comes with the same old ideas that are not applicable today. and this is the kind of execution of government that you get. You get 11.000 trailers in Hope. Arkansas. with nowhere to put them.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":637}
{"speech_id":1090110385,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is good to be back with my 30something friends and to engage in this dialogue. What we have been asking for months is. where is the outrage? Where was the outrage about issue after issue that has come to light -since Hurricane Katrina wreaked the devastation that it did? I mean. just by way of example. in the Davis committee report that was just issued. where were the top White House officials on the day Katrina struck? Now. we knew in advance of Katrina. and I live in south Florida. where the hurricane center is. We had days of watching Katrina approach the gulf coast. So it. is not like we did not know a category five hurricane was approaching the gulf coast. On the day Katrina struck. President Bush. we know. was on vacation in Crawford. Texas. Vice President CHENEY. a little known fact. was fly fishing at his ranch in Wyoming. This was on the day Katrina struck. Chief of Staff Andrew Card was vacationing at -his lakefront summer home in Maine. and Homeland Security adviser Francis Townsend was also vacationing in Maine. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1630}
{"speech_id":1090110385,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. why would they leave a relatively junior official in charge of the situation room in the White House when you have a cat five hurricane bearing down on probably -what -they knew. they knew. was the most vulnerable region in the country when it came to hurricane preparedness and what they knew would likely be the aftermath? Why did President Bush and other top administration officials insist that the levees did not break flntil Tuesday when now we know. with the Davisreport and with Mr. Browns revelation. that he told them the day Katrina struck. the night that Katrina struck?","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1630}
{"speech_id":1090110389,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know what the House rules are. and I know what they constrain us from doing. but they knev. And that is what Michael Brown testified. They knew. He told them. And now he is free from the constraints from working for the administration. and let us acknowledge that the four of us have been fairly critical of Mr. Brown. We meted out our own share of criticism of his performance. But now that he has been freed of his ties to the administration. and we all acknowledge that when you work for an administration. unfortunately. sadly. with this administration in particular. loyalty to your dying day is supposed to be the most valuable. particularly if they are continuing to sign your paycheck. He made it clear when they were no longer signing his paycheck. 60 days after he was supposedly no longer with the Department. that he issued -warning after wafning to Secretary Chertoff. to the President. He indicated that he personally spoke with the President.and told him that there was a levee break. that there was significant damage and he sounded the alarm bells. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1271}
{"speech_id":1090110389,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the President was on vacation in Crawford. Texas. The Vice President was fly fishing in Wyoming. Homeland Security adviser Francis. Townsend was in Maine. and his chief of staff was at home in Maine.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1271}
{"speech_id":1090110434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you so much. Congresswoman SCHMIDT. I appreciate you coming and joining us tonight. Your stories are always spellbinding and very moving. And the story that you tell of your experience with your daughter on that fateful day is chilling. It brings back all the memories that all of us have and how thankful we all should be. are. can be of the incredible job that the first responders are doing all across this Nation. all across this Nation. So I thank you very much for coming and being with us. One of the privileges that we have. Mr. Speaker. as- you well know. is to gain certain information. to be briefed on certain things that are happening around the world and certain activities that the American Government and American Defense Department are doing. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10384}
{"speech_id":1090110434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some of those things we can share. some of them we cannot share. but what I can share with the American people is this certainty. The fact that since 9\/11 we have not had a major terrorist attack on the United States is not a mistake. It is not a mistake. It is not just by chance that we have. as Congresswoman SCHMIDT said. been able to awaken each morning and not really think about the possibility that it might happen again. There are men and women all across this Nation who are performing heroic tasks day in and day out. and we all should be. incredibly grateful and appreciative of their efforts. I was pleased also to hear Congresswoman SCHMIDT bring up the NSA domestic terrorist surveillance project that is ongoing. a project that has been denigrated by many folks. a project that is frankly having an incredible effect on our national security and our ability to protect ourselves. It is a program that was put in place by the doing. having done. and are doing now President -and the National Security around the would. Agency. And Congress. the appropriate 0 1830 individuals in Congress. were informed. were in the loop. were given informa- So here are a couple of quotes from tion. were told about it. and now some Prime Minister Berlusconi that he gave have kind of changed that story. before Congress today. He said. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10384}
{"speech_id":1090110434,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. But when it came to light in the pub- I am still grateful to the United States lic and there were discussions about for the.high price in lives you continue whether or not it was the right thing to pay in the fight against terrorism to to do or the wrong thing to do. it ap- assure our common security and defend peared to me that it was one of those human rights around the world. As I issues that. as .Congresswoman will never tire of repeating. when I see SCHMIDT said. our constituents believed your flag. I do not merely see the flag in strongly. So I started asking. of a great country. Above all. I see a I hold a lot of town hall meetings. symbol. a universal symbol. of democand I do a lot of speaking to a lot of racy and freedom. groups back home. and when I do I of- _ What an incredible picture he draws tentimes ask them. I said. if you had. of what I feel in my heart and I know the opportunity as a nation. as the that so many of my constituents feel American Government. to know where about the symbol of our Nation and terrorists were in terms of the use of a about the incredibly important work phone line. if you could know that and that we are doing as a Nation. To have you were able to detect When they were a leader of another country stand up making a telephone call from their and say proudly that he believes home or from their cell phone into the strongly in the work that the United United States. would you want to know States is doing to fight terrorism and what was going on in that conversa- to commit once again his nation to tion? that fight was just incredibly inspiring. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10384}
{"speech_id":1090110434,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I promise you I have Prime Minister Berlusconi also said. not had a single soul tell me that they History has shown that the aspiration do not think that that is what the gov- to democracy is universal and that libernment ought to be doing. In fact. erty and democracy are contagious. what they say is. if we were not doing It is just a reaffirmation of what we that. if we were not doing that. then we have talked about for the past number would not be living up to our respon- of years and how imiportant this war on sibilities that we have as a government terrorism is and how important it is to to do probably the most important plant the seeds of democracy around thing that we do day in and day out as the world. This is what we are doing. a Federal Government. -and that is to and what that does is make it so that protect our homeland. to provide na- we as a Nation are more secure. We are tional security. not only more free. but we are more seSo I am certain that the support that cure as democracy moves around the we see for this program is universal world. around the Nation. And we are not Here are a couple of other quotes talking about listening into an Amer- from thePrime Minister. He stood here ican citizen call to an American citizen just in this Chamber today and said. call domestically. Remember what we Only democracy can provide liberty are talking about. We are talking and only liberty can guarantee that inabout known terrorist cells. known ter- dividuals will be able to develop their rorist phone numbers. a known ter- talents. channel their energies. achieve rorist identity having communication their dreams. and conquer prosperity. with someone in the United States. - The only possible road is to work toMr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10384}
{"speech_id":1090110434,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud that we gether to spread democracy. have the capability to. detect that kind Is that not an inspiring message from of communication. and I believe another world leader? The only posstrongly. strongly. that my constitu- sible road is to work together to spread ents. what they tell me is. consistent democracy. with what folks believe around the Na- . This is the final portion of his speech tion. and that is that we ought to con- that I would like to share with you. tinue that .program and. we ought to Mr. Speaker. and with the Members make certain that we are doing what once again of the House and frankly we can do to protect our homeland. with our citizens. This was incredibly We have also the opportunity so moving. Many of us had tears in our many times to hear from world leaders. eyes as he closed. and he said. Allow and today was a day that I will not for- me to conclude by sharing with you a get very soon. We had the Prime Min- brief story. It is the story of a young ister of Italy. Silvio Berlusconi. come man who had just graduated from high and he gave an address to a joint ses- school. His father took him to a cemesion of Congress. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10384}
{"speech_id":1090110441,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is one Sunni province that went from something like a 2 percent voter turnout in January 2005 to December 15. 2005. having over a 60 percent voter turnout. Lots of people risking lives to go to the polls and very enthusiastic about it. When you think about the 300 political parties. when here we worry about Democrats versus Republicans. but 300 different political parties electing 275 members of a new parliament to serve now for 4year terms. it is going to take awhile to have a coalition government put together. Usually those things take two or three months to happen. But what I saw when I was over there is people wanting to put down the gun and pick up the pencil and pick up the paper and say lets move from the battlefield to the legislative chamber and debate this. There are so many challenges to starting a new nation. but what they need right now is the world community behind them. They do not need world criticism behind them. I think sometimes our disagreements with the administrations foreign policy has led us to be antiIraqi people. and I do not think .the critics of the administration intend it to be that way. but that is the way it comes out overseas. So I think we have to say. you know. Democrats and Republicans. and Republicans versus Republicans. can disagree on our foreign policy in Iraq and the war on terrorism. but we have to stand behind the Iraqi people. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1718}
{"speech_id":1090110441,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is in everyones interest for Iraq to succeed. And this is the point we are at. We cannot go back and say. well. this is what we should have done in 2003. this is what we should have done here and there. You have to take the situation as it is today and from this point on how are we going to move through the future.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1718}
{"speech_id":1090110452,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Texas so very. very much for jnlightening us. And I think the takehome message here is that port security is border security and border security is national security. And that is something I think that the American people understand very. very clearly. And I appreciate you bringing the information about the U.N. votes. We have got. if you look at it. in fact. there are not many nations on the face of the Earth that support us as we would like them to in the United Nations. and we look forward to bringing that information to light. Mr. Speaker. I am honored to be a part of the Official Truth Squad. a group that comes down here almost every night and -tries to bring some positive information about the United States. who. tries to shed light on issues that are so often distorted here in the House Chamber. The most important thing is. I think. that we all are truly blessed to live in this wondrous Nation. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090110452,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a nation that has given more freedom and more liberty and more prosperity to more individuals on the face of the. Earth than any Nation in the history of mankind. and it is our privilege. it is our privilegeto represent a portion of that Nation here in the House of Representatives. I once again appreciate the opportunity to .share some thoughts with my colleagues here in the House. and look forward to coming back at. some point in the future. And I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090110468,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentlewoman would yield. I thaAk the gentlewoman for taking this time and for making the remarks that she did. I was in my office working and listening to your presentation. and not only did you lay out a cogent case why this deal with Dubai World Ports1 makes no sense at all in terms of the security interests of our country. but also the other reasons that you pointed out in terms of their role. in terms of the boycott on Israel and all the other issues of concern there. But as I left my office. you were also talking about the fact that we have a port -security system that still has an awful lot of holes in it. The number of containers. we. were told by the CIA that the most likely attack on America would be in a dirty bomb or weapon of -mass destruction inside of a container. Now. 4 years later. we still find ourselves where we are inspecting those containers once they arrive in Florida or the San Francisco Bay area in mydistrict. which is far too late. So even if you thought it would be a good idea to outsource the ownership of these ports to a foreign entity. you certainly would not do it when you have the kind of port security systepm that we have in place today with so many. so many flaws in that system. There has been a lot of suggestions about how to get this done. There are ports around the world engaging in very serious screening of these containers. but not all of the ports from which we receive cargo. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2510}
{"speech_id":1090110468,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I just wanted to join the gentlewoman in her remarks. because I think there are two issues here. One..this is a real bad deal and doesnt make any sense. People in my district were stunned when the President would say one day he was going to veto it and the next day he hadnt been told about it. He was so well informed he was going to veto it. but not well informed enough to discuss it. because he hadnt seen the deal. Then. secondly. they think about the problens that we are having trying to secure this worldwide traffic in containers. and they just think that somebody has lost their mind in terms of starting at this point the outsourcing of these ports to foreign ownerships and then. of course. to a countryowned company that has a lot of questionable activities in its background with respect to terrorigm and other items. I just want to thank the gentlewoman for raising these issues. I think it is important. and it is important that they continue to be raised during this 45day period. Thank you and the other 30Somethings for doing this.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2510}
{"speech_id":1090110541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning we have 30 minutes set aside for a beriod of morning business. Following that 30 minutes. we will resume postcloture debate on the PATRIOT Act conference report. We had five procedural yotes on or in relation to the PATRIOT Act yesterday. concluding with an 84to15 vote. Given that overwhelming vote. it is now time for the Senate to take a final vote on this conference report. That vote is scheduled for 3 p.m. today. We will divide the time equally until that time. After the vote on. the adoption of the PATRIOT Act. we will proceed to a cloture vote on the issue of LIHEAP. I hope we can proceed to the LIHEAP bill and come to a resolution on that measure before the close of the week. In any event. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090110541,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am confident we will proceed to that measure and work toward a vote on the LIHEAP issue. We will update Senators this afternoon after the two votes later today.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090110550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to talk about some of the recent developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have a lot of activity today. There is a hearing in the Foreign Relations Committee. as well as some dissidents who are in town to talk about the state of affairs in Iran. As many of my colleagues know. the Iranian Governments track record with respect to supporting acts of terror inflicted upon innocent persons and inflicting damage on peaceful relations among Middle Eastern countries is abysmal. Irans bad activities in the Middle East and. candidly. bad actions in the worldat the head of the list. from my perspective. is promoting terrorism activities and Islamic fascism ideology that undergirds that terrorist activity in the Middle Easthave secured a designation by the U.S. Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism. Iran supports terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah. the entity behind the 1983 suicide terrorist attack against U.S. military and civilian personnel in Lebanon. Hamas is another organization that they are now supporting. the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. and the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestineGeneral Command. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7805}
{"speech_id":1090110550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All of these are reprehensible organizations that the Iranian Government is directly sponsoring as a state sponsor of terrorism. Additionally. Iran has been implicated in the 1996 attack on U.S. military personnel at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. \u0095 Irans reach into Iraq. which many 6f. us have been complaining about for a couple of years and which is now being recognized by our Government. by our Department of State. and which is now being recognized by the worldIran is one of the fomenters of terrorism within the country of Iraq. Irans connection to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the organizations Badr Brigades means that Iran has a hand in shaping the allegiances of both Iraqs police and military forces. Irans human rights violations. in addition to their terrorist activities. are no less chilling. The State Department reported that the Government of Iran engages in widespread use of torture and other degrading treatment and the Iranian Government continues to discriminate against ieligious and ethnic minorities. They do not discriminate as to who they discriminate against. Other Muslim sectswhether Sunni or Suffi or Jews or Christians. they discriminate against them all. Irans record of degradation of women is appalling and should not be tolerated by the international community. Iranian women are severely oppressed and their voices are constantly suffocated by the government. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7805}
{"speech_id":1090110550,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are numerous examples of Iranian women who have been arrested and severely beaten for the simple fact they are females. One example is Dr. Roya Toloui. a womens rights activist and the editor of a publication that is now banned in Iran. She was arrested last summer in the wake of a 2005 July demonstration in the town of Mahabad. Dr. Toloui was held in prison for 66 days. While she was there. she was raped and she was tortured. Though she has since been released from prison. Dr. Toloui is in constant fear of rearrest and of death. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7805}
{"speech_id":1090110550,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The State Department also noted Irans continued restrictions on workers rights.. In short. the Government of Iran oppress its people and terrorizes the world and is a threat to the security of this country and to the security of democracies throughout the West. The one additional aspect that has now taken a lot of press is Irans pursuit of nuclear capability. This is very unsettling when you have a regime with this kind of track record to be in pursuit of nuclear capability. Iran. of course. is permitted to pursue peaceful nuclear research under the terms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Its record on transparency and the- true purpose of its program. obviously. is very much in doubt. In November of. 2003 the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran has been developing an undeclared nuclear enrichment program for 18 years and had covertly imported nuclear material and equipment. Furthermore. the IAEA reported that Iran had conducted over 110 unreported experiments to produce uranium. metal. and separated plutonium. and had possession of designs clearly related to the fabrication of nuclear weapons. In 2005. in August. following the election of President Ahmadinejad. Iran announced that the ongoing negotiations under the terms of the 2004 Paris agreement. the agreement that suspended activities brokered by the EU3. were. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7805}
{"speech_id":1090110550,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"satisfactory\" according to Iran. Then they announced they were resuming the conversion of raw uranium into gas for enrichment. In January of 2606. Iran removed the IAEA seals on the research enrichment plant in Natanz. Recently. the IAEA board voted 27 to 3 to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council. and in so doing noted Irans many failures and. breaches of its obligations to comply with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Irans aggressive behavior and concealment of ongoing nuclear activities can only lead to one conclusion. and that is that Iran is seeking to enrich uranium to use for nuclear weapons. . In response to this nuclear gambit. I believe we needsmart sanctions for the U.N. to impose. For example. the U.N. should consider imposing a travel ban on Irans leaders. banning international flights from Iranian air. banning the transportation of cargo carried by \"Iranian Governmentowned ships. and possibly to pursue legal action against Iranian leaders responsible for human rights and terrorism abuses. as well as executions. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7805}
{"speech_id":1090110596,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have had a chance to listen to the debate on the PATRIOT Act in my office. I had not planned to speak. But hearing continued attacks on the President on security issues. particularly port security. while some from the other side seem intent on stopping one of the most important security pieces of legislation we have. the PATRIOT Act. compelled me to come to the floor to straighten out the facts. It is important that we have an honest and fair debate. I appreciate those on the othet side who have participated in the debate in an honest way. But I have heard enough of my colleagues from the other side use information and perhaps take different positions than they did only a year or so ago. I am compelled to point some of these things out. I will give one example. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4795}
{"speech_id":1090110596,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This week in a. Commerce Committee hearing. we were talking about port security. Senator BOXER said: Our ports are a soft target. Al Qaida told us that when we found that out through [their] documents.. : . . So you take the Dubai situation plus our lack of action on security.. And Im going to oppose this deal. That is fair enough unless we put it in perspective. This week. Senator BOXER actually voted to filibuster the PATRIOT Act. which is dedicated in large part to security in our ports. An entire title of the PATRIOT Act is focused on port security. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4795}
{"speech_id":1090110596,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Originally introduced as the bipartisan Reducing Crime and Terrorism in Americas Seaports Act of 2005. title III strengthens criminal sanctions and takes a number of steps to improve our Nations ability to secure. our ports and to thwart terrorism. Yet Senator BOXER voted to filibuster the enactment of this essential port security provision the day after lamenting the vulnerability of American ports. The- truth is. to anyone who has watched this over time. very often our Democratic colleagues. with all due respect. block the very thing they blame Republicans forin this case. blaming. the President. Not only did Senator BOXER vote to filibuster the PATRIOT Act. but after the 9\/11 attacks. Senator BOXER was one of four Democratic cosponsors of a bill that would have specifically permitted noncitizens to serve as airport security screeners. Senator BOXER cosponsored legislation to allow noncitizens to do for air travel what essentially the Coast Guard does for port security. Now she wants to block foreign companies from using American workers to manage our port terminals. It is difficult to reconcile the two positions. Republicans want a fair and nonpartisan. 45day security .review and a good but honest debate. It is not fair or honest to take a position this week that was very different than one that had been taken before. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4795}
{"speech_id":1090110596,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To Republicans. port security is not a passing political issue but a cornerstone of our commitment to protect the American people. That is why Republicans are working to pass the PATRIOT Act. We demand a fair and impartial 45day security review of the proposed acquisition of the P&O Navigation Company of Britain by the Dubai Ports World. I dont mean to be unfair tcr Senator BOXER. but it is an example of folks maybe taking a different position. trying to blame the President for something. in fact. that they have blocked in the past. This is from an editorial in the Los Angeles Times. February 26: ... Now there is a Republicanin the White House. and- of all the grandstanding surrounding the -Dubai Ports World deal. fnone tops Boxers performance. She said last wedk that she would support legislation preventing any foreign firm. stateowned or not. from buying port operations. Memo to Boxer: 13 of the 14 container terminals at the ports of [Los Angeles] and Long Beach. the biggest port complex in the United States. are run by foreignowned companies. She later told The Times that she meant such deals should get greater scrutiny. not be banned. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4795}
{"speech_id":1090110596,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Still. this is the sort of proposal one would expect from a Senator from a landlocked state like Vermont. not one where international trade plays a vital role in the economy. The article goes onto talk about the 180degree switch of opinions. Again. I dont mean to pick on one Senator. My plea to the other side. and my side as well. as we look at this vital issue of security in our country. dont look for political opportunities to blame one side for something we actually created ourselves. On the security issue. there is no better example of colleagues who have blocked security in\" many ways and now are attempting to suggest the President is not strong on security. President George Bush is the world leader in the war on terror and has probably done more to secure the borders of our homeland than any President or any Member of Congress. It is time we give him that respect. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4795}
{"speech_id":1090110602,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to engage the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Senator SPECTER. in a colloquy regarding the intent of the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005. Section 701 of the PATRIOT Act of 2005 establishes restrictions on the sales of precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine. As you know. the methamphetamine abuse and trafficking problem is growing in our country. and this legislation will help to combat the epidemic. The methamphetamine control provisions of the act are intended to address those precursor chemicals sold without a prescription. I know that Chairman SPECTER and I agree that exempting pseudoephedrine products provided via a legitimate prescripti6n is critical. Physicians and other health care providers sometimes prescribe pseudoephedrine products in amounts that could violate the daily and monthly limits included in this legislation. Patients who need more pseudoephedrine than the law would allow need the option of getting pseudoephedrine under a prescription. and Senator SPECTER and I agree that the methamphetamine provisions should not impede the care of legitimate patients. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1526}
{"speech_id":1090110602,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our new requirements focus on products purchased outside the current prescription process. We are seeking to stop the bad actors from manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine and have no desire to prevent proper patient care. .Many States that have enacted laws to combat the methamphetamine epidemic have also included this type of exemption. It just makes sense.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1526}
{"speech_id":1090110619,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to comment on section 507 of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act conference report. This section originates in a bill that I introduced earlier in this year. S. 1088. the Streamlined Procedures Act. Section 507 is based on subsections (b) through (e) of section 9 of S. 1088. My Arizona colleague. Representative FLAKE. took an interest in this matter and sought to offer this provision as an amendment to a court security and policeofficer protection bill last November. Mr. FLAKES version of the provision is printed in House Report 109279. it made a number of improvements to the original version in section 9 of my bill.Section 507 of the present conference report reflects most of Mr. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1042}
{"speech_id":1090110619,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"FLAKEs improvements. such as the simplification of the chapter 154 qualification standard. which obviates the need for separate standards for those States that make direct and collateral review into separate vehicles and those States with unitary procedures. and Mr. FLAKES enhanced retroactivity provisions.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1042}
{"speech_id":1090110664,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator from Maine has made a very passionate plea and one with which I tend to agree. I am a supporter of this program and a supporter of making the formula even more fair for the Southern States that have very high energy costs as welldifferent but high. But would the Senator agree that another way to bring down prices of oil and gas would be to increase the supply of oil and gas into our country? Would the Senator at least acknowledge that is another way to help people?","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":481}
{"speech_id":1090110666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. I dont want to take any more time. I am going to support bringing this bill up because I believe. as the Senator outlined. it is an emergency and something we need to do. But I want to say for the Record that there are other ways we can lower the price. Louisiana and the gulf coast is prepared to do that. I hope. as we move on with this debate. we can get to that issue as well.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":401}
{"speech_id":1090110704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me add to the words spoken by others. With all due respect. we hear people talking about deficit financing. and I could not agree more. Twenty years ago I offered a payasyougo bill that got 12 votes in the Senate. We ought to be doing that. With all due respect. we have people in deep trouble. people not in a position to have resources to take care of themselves. Those here who live in the Northeast or the Midwest and the upper tier States understand this problem. I cannot say how many times I have voted when matters affected the South or the West. 6r when other parts of the country were devastated. I do so proudly. I tell my constituents in Connecticut that they are Americans. they are hurting. they need our help. and I give them my vote when they are in trouble. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1408}
{"speech_id":1090110704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I find it astounding when I listen to Members who say my constituents cannot get help in their time of need. That is what we are asking. It is cold where we live. We have a month and a half of winter left. The Senators from Maine are asking for little consideration. The next time some Senator from some part of the country says they have a problem in the gulf States. we will not hear the Senators from Maine saying: I -am sorry. we cannot deficit finance that. We will take care of our people. That is what we are. asking you to do today: Help us take care of our people. Support this. please. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1408}
{"speech_id":1090110722,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me briefly describe what the amendment does. I appreciate the fact that most of my colleagues are leaving. and we will have to have the debate next week. Since the budget point of order was not sustained. we are going to proceed to the consideration of the addition of $1 billion to the LIHEAP funding for lowincome energy assistance. Of course. in the colder States. that generally takes the form of assistance in the heating oil bills to heat their homes. We have. however. in other States a crisis in the middle of the summer when it is so hot that folks have a hard time paying the air conditioner bills. The issue is essentially the same. It has been pointed out by one individual that more people actually die as a result of heat than cold. In any event. we are pleased to see $2 billion already having been spent for the lowincome energy assistance program in those colder States. What we are talking about here is the addition of another $1 billion. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3009}
{"speech_id":1090110722,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are saying. as to this other $1 billion. it should be spent pursuant to the formula in the law. What our amendment does is to say take this additional $1 billion. spend it pursuant to the formula under the law. That formula is broken into two parts. The first is $250 million and the second is $750 million. The formula for the first $250 million disburses it a certain way. and for the last $750 million. it disburses it somewhat differently. That formula actually ends up getting money to all Of the States but in a dif.ferent mix than the first $2 billion. which is socalled contingency funding. which was almost all given to support folks in the Northeast part of the. United States. in the colder part of the country. The problem is that by the time we get to the summertime. almost all of the money is used. and anybody who needs it for airconditioning assistance. of course. has nowhere to turn. Last summer. when we had the recordhigh temperatures in Arizona. we found that there was no money. We finally located about $183 million. if memory serves me. and by the time we located that funding. it.was virtually too late to do very much good. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3009}
{"speech_id":1090110722,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the reason. at this point in the year. if we are going to spend an additional billion dollars. we need to .spend it pursuant..to a formula under which all States can receive funding. that it is distributed fairly and spread out evenly so that the States that have airconditioning problems will receive the benefit from it just as those States that have problems with the cold. . Mr. President. I suspect there is little point to further debating this amendment at this time. I hope that when Members return. we will be able to vote on this amendment. If we are going to add the additional billion dollars. at least lets do it in a way that is more fair. I think something like 38 States lose -ander the proposal of the Senator from Maine. and they would actually be made more whole if my amendment is adopted. I hope at that time we will act favorably on this amendment.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3009}
{"speech_id":1090110724,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the proposal Senator KYL has offered. I do believe it represents a step toward fairness. But I do reiterate that I believe the budget point of order should not have been waived. and that we actually spent. under -this proposal that has been cleared so far. another billion dollars this year than we had within our budget. That is a bad thing. It is those kinds of steps that get us into real trouble in spending. We have my colleagues who say they care about spending. oh. they care about spending. But time and time again. when a vote comes up that actually has something to do with our deficit. they are AWOL. I thought it was amusing that not long ago. a Senator referred to a vote he cast 15 years ago as if that is going to prove he is frugal. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9457}
{"speech_id":1090110724,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have a vote right now. This was the vote. This was a clear vote. It had to do with whether we had any intention to be disciplined in the way we handle money. They say: Well. we need this money. But the truth is we have had the warmest January on record. This has been a very mild winter. For that. we can be most thankful. Is this an emergency? Well. what happens next year if it really is an average or cold year and We dont have this billion dollars? It has already beenspent this year. And they say the heating oil prices dont fall. they go up. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9457}
{"speech_id":1090110724,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They say the heating oil prices will go uip again next year. Where are we going to come up with that billion. dollars? We dont even have a proposal here to offset it. With regard to the funding formula we have seen. if we can fund this billion dollars in the way that has been proposed. my State. which suffers from a lot of hot daysand in small houses and in mobile homes that are not cooled. people do die. That is a tough time. If we are going to have this fund. it is only fair that the poor people in my State have a chance to participate in it. not just a select group. So I just return to the fundamental principle. We are indeed moving a piece of legislation that spends $1 billion more this year than we authorized in spending. The fact that it came from next years money doesnt answer the question. We are spending a billion dollars more than we were authorized to spend under our budget. What good is a budget if ke dont adhere to it? What we have is some taxandspend people here. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9457}
{"speech_id":1090110724,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They vote against tax cut extensions. they vote to raise taxes. and they vote to raise spending. That is what it is about. They say they are frugal. They say they are responsible. Those of us who are trying to contain spending and maintain a low tax rate for the American people. they say somehow we dont care about our people. That is not correct. We are at a point in time when our Federal budget is allowing for an increase in spending every year. and we will see again this year a very sizable increase. We will have before the Budget Committee an effort to contain just a little bit the growth of entitlements. Do you know what I am hearing. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9457}
{"speech_id":1090110724,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President? I am hearing we dont have the votes in the Budget Committee to even have a modest containment of spending on entitlement programs. which is where the growth isabout $870 billion for discretionary spending and $1.2 trillion for entitlements. The discretionary budget this year will come in almost flat this year. with little increase. But entitlement spending is going up at about a rate of 7 percent or so. It is just driving our deficits. We cannot even begin to discuss that. apparently. because people want to raise taxes and spend. They want to tax and spend. It is not the right way to go. That is not what this country was founded on. When you look at the Europeans who have done tax and spendlook at Germany. with 11.5 percent unemployment. and France has 9.5 percent unemployment. That is what the statist Socialist economies produce. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9457}
{"speech_id":1090110744,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to be joined by my colleague and cosponsor Senator SUSAN COLLINS as we introduce the Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Reduction Act of 2006. For years now. I have advocated for providing seniors with meaningful prescription drug coverage. Seniors in this country should never have to choose between their meals and their medications. Unfortunately. Congress created a Medicare prescription drug plan that is confusing and contains a huge coverage gap. These are some of the reasons that I did not support the legislation that created this program. But this flawed plan is what passed. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090110744,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our job now is to help seniors by fixing the underlying law. I have spoken with Medicare beneficiaries across Florida and they are understandably concerned about the new prescription drug benefit. One issue of great concern to Floridians is the large gap in coverage called the \"doughnut hole.\" The Medicare drug benefit contains a large coverage gap during which beneficiaries continue to pay premiumsbut get no drug coverage at all. For most plans. Medicare will pay 75 percent of initial drug costsup to $2.250 after a $250 deductible. But then the program pays nothing until drug expenses reach $5.100. This lack of coverage for drug spending is often called Medicares doughnut hole. More than onethird ofall Medicare beneficiaries are projected to have drug spending that falls in the doughnut holes range. according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Millions of beneficiaries will pay premiums yet receive no coverage during this time. This is simply unacceptable.. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090110744,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In response. we are introducing the Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Reduction Act of 2006 which will reduce the impact of the doughnut hole on Medicare beneficiaries. Our bill allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries for lower drug prices. Unfortunately. the law that created the new Medicare drug program actually prohibits the Secretary from using the purchasing power of over 40 million seniors to negotiate for lowers prescription drug prices. The savings generated from allowing negotiations would then be applied towards reducing the doughnut hole. providing more drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. Arecent analysis was conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Hospital Finance and Management on the Medicare doughnut hole. They concluded that \"the gap in coverage could be completely eliminated if Medicare paid the same prices as the Veterans Administration. or Department of Defense and 75 percent of the gap could be eliminated if Medicare paid the same prices as the Federal Ceiling Price.\" Our bill gives the Secretary authority similar to entities like the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense. to negotiate contracts and obtain the lowest possible prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. Allowing the Federal Government to utilize market forces to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices and using these savings to alleviate the impact of the doughnut hole is a commonsense approach to providing Medicare beneficiaries with affordable prescription drugs. This issue boils down to just one goalhelping seniors. We urge all of our colleagues. from both sides of the aisle. to join us in this effort to help lower prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090110746,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing the \"War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2006.\" This bill cr6ates criminal penalties for war profiteers and cheats who. for illgotten gain. would exploit the United States Governments taxpayerfunded war and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and elsewhere around the world. I am pleased that Senator DORGAN has also included this legislation in the \"Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2006\" that is also being introduced today. I previously introduced this legislation in 2003. It came to be cosponsored by 21 Senators. including Senators","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":595}
{"speech_id":1090110770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. March 2. 2006. to hear the legislative presentations of the Fleet Reserve Association. the Air Force Sergeants Association. the Retired Enlisted Association. the Gold Star Wives of America. and the Military Officers Association of America. The hearing will take place in room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090110807,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Sam Houston from Virginia was born this day. March 2. 1793. He was unique among all Americans. He. grew up in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. He befriended the Cherokees as a kid. He fought the British in 1814. He stood with Andrew Jackson and was wounded three times fighting Indians. He became a lawyer. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090110807,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Member of Congress. and a Governor of the great State of Tennessee. More than enough for one life. But then he left for Texas and quickly got passion about Texas independence. On his birthday. March 2. 1836. he was one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. General Sam was made commander in chief of all Texas armies. and on the plains of San Jacinto his outnumbered volunteer army defeated the invaders. Texas was free. General Sam became President of the Republic of Texas. and when Texas joined- the Union. he became Governor and U.S. Senator. He is the only American in history to be Governor of two different States. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090110807,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His example was a majestic story of bravery. boldness. and brashness. Mr. Speaker. his last words before he died were \"Texas. Texas. Texas.\" Sam Houston. the stuff real Americans and real Texans are made of. And. Mr. Speaker. thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090110810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Congress should not allow the secretly decided backroom United Arab Emirates port deal to go through. It must be stopped. and House Republicans should stand up to the President in the name of national security. Our ports are not for sale to the highest bidder. This deal shows once again the lengths the Bush administration will go to bend the laws to their advantage. The administration failed to conduct a 45day investigation that is legally required. This. in itself. should be enough to stop this deal. The national security implications are simply too important to ignore. And. unfortunately. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":984}
{"speech_id":1090110810,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House Republicans have neglected our vulnerable ports since 9\/11. Over the past 4 years. House Republicans have opposed and defqated Democratic efforts to increase funding for port security. Right now. only 6 percent of cargo coming into the U.S. is being checked. producing a large hole in our homeland security. I would hope that we can make port security a top priority.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":984}
{"speech_id":1090110815,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when I opened up my local paper the other day. I was troubled by a letter to the editor. This gentleman was lamenting the fact that he and his wife were losing a longtime doctor because the physician could not afford to remain in business. What is even more troubling is that none of this is a surprise. Every day more and more doctors across the country are watching their malpractice rates skyrocket. These premiums are going up as -the insurance companies are being forced to pay higher and higher awards for malpractice lawsuits. Doctors need to be held accountable. yes. However. there is also a need to recognize the institutional abuse that is far too often perpetrated in our courts by personal injury lawyers and the frivolous lawsuits they introduce. These lawsuits do not just affect doctors. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1228}
{"speech_id":1090110815,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are affecting patients all across the country who either lose access to their doctor altogether or are cared for by a physician who has been intimidated into practicing defensive medicine. While everyone is talking about rising health care costs. let us not forget to recognize there are a number of different ways to lower those costs. and starting with lawsuit abuse reform would be a genuine first step.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1228}
{"speech_id":1090110832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I just want to say that I mentioned 9\/11 because I think there is a standard here. a kind of control group. I mentioned that we had had to extend unemployment benefits twice during 9\/11. This was a terrorist attack. 3.000 people killed. Thank God. the entire City of New York was not wiped out. Compare. however. that disaster. as tragic as it was. with wiping out an entire city. the whole city gone. all means of employment gone. now being slowly revived. ","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090110832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I think we will have some appreciation for the American heart. We knew what to do on 9\/11. We will be there for people as long as you need us. And the wonderful thing about unemployment benefits is. they go -straight to the person. And. of course. what unemployment benefits do. because the people who get them spend them for necessities in their communities. so what unemployment does at the same time is. of course. to help the community. the economy of the community where the unemployment benefits are being spent. This is very good money for very desperate people. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio .","speaker_name":"ELEANOR NORTON","chamber":"H","state":"DC","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090110840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to come to the floor today to speak on behalf of people of the gulf region of New Orleans. of Mississippi. of Alabama who have in many ways been dismissed. marginalized. even violated. I rise in strong support of the passage of S. 1777. Six months after Hurricane Katrina. life for Louisiana and Mississippi residents remains an uphill battle. Houses have not been rebuilt. Many are stillwithout gas. electricity. and other needed utility service. and those who once resided in the New Orleans ninth ward are still unable to return home. and other areas also. Yes. some help has been given. however. much more needs to be done. There has been a lot of talk in the news about how America is not a country that will cut and run. Yet that is what we are doing to Hurricane Katrina survivors if we do not extend the services they so desperately need. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1874}
{"speech_id":1090110840,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If passed. S. 1777 will extend the muchneeded unemployment assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The unemployment rate of the hurricane survivors has reached epidemic proportions. This effect is compounded by the fact that the affected areas had some of the countrys highest unemployment rates prior to the storm. Six months have already passed. although it seems the desperate images of survivors Was just yesterday. As a result. providing unemployment assistance for survivors for up to 39 weeks is not only desperately needed but it is the right thing to do. S. 1777 will waive the $25.000.00 limitation faced by individuals and household under existing law. As we have seen many individuals and families have to rebuild their entire lives from nothing. A recent media report chronicled the life of one woman whose sole possession after Hurricane Katrina was one dining room chair. The amount of funds these individuals receive needs to be evaluated on a casebycase basis.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1874}
{"speech_id":1090110846,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of S. 1777. the Katrina Emergency Assistance Act. This bill would extend jobless unemployment benefits for 165.000 survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for 13 weeks. In August. 2005. Hurricane Katrina laid waste to our Gulf Coast region. including the City of New Orleans. and devastated other villages and towns in Louisiana. Mississippi and Alabama. The extent of. the devastation was unprecedented in our Nations history. I have repeatedly expressed my outrage at the failure of our Federal Government to adequately respond to this disaster. Without this legislation. victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster will lose their unemployment assistance this Saturday. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090110846,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under current law. Federal emergency unemployment assistance expires 26 weeks after the emergency occurs. Congress must act now to ensure that these victims continue to receive our support as they attempt to rebuild their lives and their communities. While I support the legislation before us. this is only a first step for Congress. Many of the Katrina survivors have also lost their homes and belongings. They are continuing to look for employment in the region. Congress needs to take a bold step and enact a comprehensive approach to help the people and the region recover from this natural disaster. I have cosponsored H.R. 4197. the Hurricane Katrina Recovery. Reclamation. Restoration. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090110846,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reconstruction and Reunion Act of 2005. introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus. I urge the*House leadership to bring up this legislation immediately. This legislation would take important steps toward fully restoring the Gulf Coast and reuniting evacuees with their families. The bill addresses the needs of evacuees in the areas of health. education. housing. community rebuilding. voting rights. business. and financial services. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. and again urge the House leadership to immediately allow the House to vote on H.R. 4197. the comprehensive Hurricane Katrina recovery legislation.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090110859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"daughter and her granddaughter. And I am in the same category. She certainly looks a lot younger than I do and a lot prettier. Mr. Speaker. but I have grandchildren as well. Those are legitimate concerns. However. I will point out that fish is an excellent source of nutrition for mothers. expectant mothers. pregnant mothers. and young children. It is a wonderful source of protein and polyunsaturated fats. Those of us who have had little heart problems in the past understand that it is much more healthy to consume fish than red meat. not that an occasional steak should be denied anybody. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090110859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. But it is true. as the gentlewoman says. that the mercury content is a concern. and I have done some reading on this issue. I talked just last night. Mr. Speaker. I had an opportunity to discuss this issue with the pediatrician who took care of my children. my adult children. and who now. this same pediatrician. Dr. Larry Clements in Mari.etta. Georgia. of Kenmar Pediatrics. is taking care of my grandchildren. and I asked about this issue. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090110859,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And certainly there is a concern about mercury levels in certain fish. but also in my reading and in talking with Dr. Clements found out what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about it. found out what the EPA says about it. and found out what the FDA says about it. The FDA has guidance and guidelines right now that says to these women that fourtenths of a microgram per kilogram per day is a safe consumption level. And so this idea of the FDA being oblivious to the concerns about mercury. organic mercury. that the fish consume and then it gets into the blood stream of the mother. that it actually crosses the blood brain barrier. the placental fetal barrier and gets into- the blood stream of a child and can adversely affect their neurological system. the FDA is certainly not oblivious to that. The gentlewoman from Florida has an amendment that we will discuss thoroughly. thoroughly. and give careful consideration to her amendment and other similar amendments that Mrs. Matsui is talking about when we do this next week. And that is one of the reasons we wanted to divide up the general debate and the debate on those important amendments because of what the gentlewoman just said. So it is very possible that the California guidelines in regard to this concern or the Florida guidelines about mercury levels will very likely be incorporated into the national standards. Because. for goodness sake. what is good and safe for her grandchildren. I know my good friend would want the same safety standards for my grandchildren in Georgia. for example. -So I think she makes a good point. and I dont object to that at all. but I feel like this national- standard will take care of that. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090110859,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090110888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman .for that information. Mr. Leader. as you know. we have been considering the rule for the food labeling bill. It is my understanding we are going to be limited to general debate. It is also my understanding that the reason we are not completing the bill is the Rules Committee has had some issues with reference to exactly the way in which we are going to consider the bill and the amendments. Mr. Leader. as you know. this bill has had no hearings. None. As you further krnow. there are States who are very concerned. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1224}
{"speech_id":1090110888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a matterof fact. I think I have gotten a letter indicating there are 36 attorneys general around the country. Republican and Democrat. who have concerns with this bill. Mr. Leader. I would hope that the leadership on your side would convey to the Rules Committee the necessity to have. A. open debate. and hopefully. as well. significant possibility of amendment. I do not know whether it would be an open rule or certainly. I hesitate to use this word. but a liberal rule which will allow significant amendments to be considered by this House. again. in light of the fact that it has had no hearings whatsoever as it comes to this floor. I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1224}
{"speech_id":1090110907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the leaders information. Again. in closing. I wouid ask the leader if he would use his good offices on the food bill because there is substantial controversy around the country. as well as on the House floor. on that bill to provide for as full a consideration and amendatory process as possible. I appreciate the leaders attention to that.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":353}
{"speech_id":1090110912,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 4167. the National Uniformity for Food Act. The manufacturing and distribution of the things we eat and drink is now a national industry. CocaCola. which is based in my home State in Atlanta. Georgia. for instance. is shipped to every corner of the country and throughout the world. Many believe that it is just common sense for these types of food manufacturers and distributors to have one labeling standard for the country. not 50 standards for 50 States. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090110912,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"More importantly. in order to make informed choices. consumers need consistent information. When a food warning is supported by science and consumers need. to know it. the same warning should be applied to food everywhere. H.R. 4167 achieves that result. With a mobile society. inconsistent warning requirements are guaranteed to confuse. When it is a matter of health and safety. a little confusion can have catastrophic effects. A person in North Augusta. -South Carolina. for example. can walk into a store and buy a product with no warning label. The same person could walk across the street to a store in Augusta. Georgia. and buy the same product but have a warning label attached. Does this make any sense? Of course not. It does not make any more sense to the shopper than it makes here in the House today. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090110912,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When people need to be warned that a food product may hurt them. everyone needs to be warned. Uniformity in food regulation and labeling is not without precedent. Meat and poultry are regulated under uniform standards. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 requires uniform nutrition labeling. If consistency in nutrition labeling is warranted. consumers should certainly have the benefit of consistency in warning labels of the food they eat. Some have rightfully argued that Statespecific circumstances might necessitate a warning unique only to their State. This bill acknowledges that fact by inviting States to assert their unique problems and ensure that they will get a fair and fast response from the Food and Drug Administration. I would also like to dispel some of the misinformation that opponents of the bill have been perpetuating. In no way will this bill hinder the ability of States to respond to public emergencies. If a State feels there is an imminent public health threat that must be protected by requiring manufacturers and distributors to put a warning label on their product. they can doit immediately. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090110912,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All this bill requires is they tell th6 FDA of the threat. That is something they should .be doing anyway and in most cases are already doing. Additionally. this bill does not affect a States ability to issue its own notification to the public. to embargo a product. or to issue recalls when they deem that necessary. Finally. this is mostly a question about food safety. but there is a broad economic aspect to it too. Making consumers deal with 50 different labeling requirements is not without cost. In effect. it divides America into 50 different markets where each of the products cost the consumer just a little more to buy. The men who wrote our Constitution decided that letting each State wage trade wars with its neighbors was a terrible idea. so they outlawed it by putting the Federal Government in charge of interstate commerce. It is hard to see the Framers changing their minds today so that one big market for American food can revert to 50 little markets where consumers pay more and get less. Consistent requirements will lead to consistent results for those who make our food. and consistent information will lead to consistently better and safer choice for our consumers. H530I I urge my colleagues to support I.R. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3797}
{"speech_id":1090110917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the chairman and I want to thank our 59 Democrat cosponsors. I want to thank the gentleman from .New York and the chairmen. Chairman BARTON and Chairman Deal. for the work that they have done on this very important piece of legislation. I will say today that you will see great political theater. and I have the greatest respect for the gentleman from California and normally the great substantive debate that is put forth. but what we are going to see today are a lot of halftruths. or no truths at all or not even getting close to what this bill really does. If you truly care about the health of the pregnant woman who is driving from Michigan to Florida to Illinois to meet family members all through that journey. then when she goes to that store to pick out some food. the label for her safety and the safety of her child ought to be the same. It shouldnot be any different. the science that says that Illinois ought to label a safety provision in food. I cannot think of anything more important than the safety of our food ought to be the same. Because you know what? Science in California or science in Alaska or science in Florida is no different. The periodic tables are the same in Michigan as they are in Florida. as they are in Maine. as they are in New York. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3238}
{"speech_id":1090110917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If it rises to that level where somebody with good science- and scientists who care passionately about the safety of food and yhat we put in our bodies. to say we- better tell people about this safety hazard. if it is good enough for one States children. it is good enough for 50 States children. Matter of fact. one of the examples that my good friend mentioned about the Florida citrus example is not preemptive .because it has nothing to do with food safety. You are going to hear this again and again and again today. that we are somehow doing something awful and not letting them protect their citizens. That simply is not true. Matter of fact. if they have a standard based on good science that says. hey. we think that this food ought to hrve this warning label. then come to the FDA. show us the science. so we canshare it with the rest of the country. Is that not the right thing to do? Do you not want to protect the children of all our 50 States? Absolutely you do. So I will say to you. let us subside with the political theater. the halftruths. the scare tactics and say we are going to embrace what we know is the right thing to do. a single standard. It is very much a commonsense issue. You are not going to find any family in America who thinks we ought to have 50 States and 50 different organizations trying to determine what is safe in our food and what is not. The same way we do with nutritional labeling. we went through and said the Federal Government better set some standards if we are going to have a consistency in all 50 States. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3238}
{"speech_id":1090110917,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was widely supported. as this bill is bipartisanly supported. We said. hey. we better set an organic standard so we can tell all of America that we have got one standard that rises to the ability to label it as organic. Today. we are saying food safety rises to that same level. Every American. every mother. understands it. I am sure my colleague\u00a7 on the other side will as well.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3238}
{"speech_id":1090110949,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time .as I may consume. I just want to read a portion of a letter from Tommy Irvin who is from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. And he said. \"The bill is craftily written to disguise its true effects on our authority to protect consumers. Both vague and broad in scope. this legislation will. in reality. go far beyond the stated purpose of uniformity. The real effect of this legislation will be the deregulation of the United States Food Industry.\" Madam Chairman and my colleagues. we have at the Federal level. the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture has a dual mission: to protect consumers from unsafe agriculture products. particularly meat and chicken. But they also have the obligation to bolster the agriculture industries in this country. And they always have this tension about who to respond to first. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3665}
{"speech_id":1090110949,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We also have the Food and Drug Agency. and they regulate food additives and the food supply that the USDA does not cover. Well. as Representative ROSA DELAURO mentioned. \u0095 H536 we ought to have one food agency. but we have never been able to do that because people fight over their turf. Well. while the Federal Government is fighting over its turf. this bill would take away the jurisdiction from the States to protect their own people. and that is why we never hear a bill labeled as the \"usurpation of power in Washington to take away from the States the ability to protect consumers of food.\" They do not call it that. They call it the \"National Uniformity Bill for the Food Product.\" or something along those lines. They always have a very nice sounding label for legislation. \" Well. do not be fooled by the label that this bill has. because it misleads the consumer and the American public into thinking we are doing something to protect them. when I fear it is going to make them weaker. Madam Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregoni (Mr. Wu). Mr. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3665}
{"speech_id":1090110949,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"WU. Madam Chairman. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. especially under these circumstances where I am not completely decided about this legislation. I have a sincere inquiry for my friends on the other side of this debate. and I realize that there are Democrats .and Republicans on both sides of this debate. Given my background in securities law. if one wants to sell securities across this country. there is one layer of regulation at the Securities and Exchange Commission. but you have to run the securities through the blue sky laws of every single State in the United States. Similarly. there is banking law at the Federal level. but if you want to do. say. furniture lending and consumer lending. you have to do compliance work under consumer protection laws for every State in the Union. I used to do this kind of legal work when I was in the private sector. I had not intended to participate in the debate today. but. quite frankly. I was eating. And as important as securities and insurance and other issues are. it seems to me that Americans truly care about the safety of what they are eating and the ability to know what it is that they are putting down the hatch. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3665}
{"speech_id":1090110949,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I am truly curious about the folks on the other side of this debate. What is it that distinguishes the food industry so that it does not have to. say. like the securities industry. comply with both Federal and State law. or with furniture lending. comply with both Federal and State law? Because it seems to me that the food industry is pretty healthy in this country and making good money. and we do not need to give it. if you will. an artificial boost. I would be happy to yield to someone from the other side.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3665}
{"speech_id":1090110968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I rise today in support of H.R. 4167. the National Uniformity for Food Act. Food safety labeling standards currently vary from state to state. which has created a patchwork of different and inconsistent requirements. H.R. 4167 would amend the Federal Food. Drug. and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to provide for national. uniform food safety standards and warning requirements. I am cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation because it will enhance consumer protection through coordinating and harmonizing federal. state. and local food safety requirements. Consumers deserve the same high level of protection against unsafe food regardless of where they may live. While H.R. 4167 would provide for national. uniform food safety standards and warning requirements. the legislation. however. does not affect state authority in several areas that are traditional local food enforcement matters. including: freshness dating. open date labeling. grade labeling. state inspection stamp. religious dietary labeling. organic or natural designation. returnable bottle labeling. unit pricing. and statement of geographic origin. Further. states would be exempted from national food safety standards to respond during times when substantial concerns are raised about the safety of food. I support H.R. 4167 because it provides these important exceptions to national standards. which will ensure authority of states in traditional local food enforcement matters and allow states to act if presented with an imminent food safety crisis. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1714}
{"speech_id":1090110968,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Food safety labeling standards are an important public health issue. and I support H.R. 4167 because it will provide uniform. national standards to ensure greater consumer protection.","speaker_name":"DENNIS MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1714}
{"speech_id":1090111012,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congresswoman Foxx. thank you so very. very much for coming and joining us today and really painting a wonderful picture. Mr. Speaker. I do not know if you heard all of the items that Congresswoman Foxx ticked off there. but this is positive news. This is great news. This is good. good news. Consumer confidence increasing. incomes up across the Nation. average real aftertax income per person has risen 7.9 percent. retail sales increased. manufacturing continues to expand. durable goods orders on the rise. new orders for durable goods increased 1.3 percent in December with new orders for machinery rising 6.5 percent. the highest level since the series began tracking that in 1992. That is good news. Productivity growth is strong. Productivity increased 2.3 percent and has grown 3.2 percent. at that annual rate. since the end of 2000. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090111012,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is good news. Construction rates up. alltime high. Again. remarkable. Remarkably good neis. And that is what the Official Truth Squad is all about. coming to the floor to give honesty to the debate. Truthful numbers. Real numbers. Because. it is important that people have that in order to make decisions. Something that has been alluded to a number of times as we have had our discussion here today is the effect of tax decreases. I call them fair tax decreases.- Some people call them tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090111012,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I guess. I call them fair tax decreases. And what they will say is. we cannot have any more tax cuts. We cannot have any more tax decreases or even keep what we have. That is what the other side says. we cannot allow you to keep your money because government needs it. That is the way the line goes. But what is the effect of tax decreases? What is the effect from an economic standpoint? Well. again. a picture paints it better than anything I could ever say. Down here is the year 2000 all the way to 2005. The vertical line there. the vertical dotted green line is when the tax decreases. the Jobs and Growth Act. went into effect. And the red line is revenue coming in to the government. how much money the government is receiving based upon the taxes. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090111012,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. remember. revenue going down here from 2000 to 2003. decreasing money coming into the government. So what do the President and the Republican Congress do? Well. they decrease taxes. A fair tax decrease. That is what happened here. Then what happens? Revenue increases. Money coming into the government increases. That seems counterintuitive. but that is what happens. President Kennedy knew that. That is what happened when he had his tax decreases. President Reagan knew that. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090111012,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what happened when he instituted his tax decreases. And what happened with President Bushs tax decrease? Same thing. You would think there was a trend there. Mr. Speaker. You would think that. in fact. if you decreased taxes. you would increase governmental revenue. Well. that is the secret. That is what happens. And why does that happen? Because as we have talked about. the economy flourishes. The economy flourishes when you put more of the peoples money in their back pocket and in their purses. and not in the governments purse. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6321}
{"speech_id":1090111017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from Virginia for yielding to me. My colleague from Virginia. you have done an excellent job in outlining what the problem is. . I like to use charts as I describe What the problem is. Our previous speaker indicated. the Truth Squad. as to what the truth is. I would like to point out exactly what he is talking about because this chart shows the deficit back through the Ford. Carter. Reagan. Bush. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8125}
{"speech_id":1090111017,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clinton administrations. up to a surplus and what has happened in the last 5 years. When they talk about bragging about fiscal responsibility from the Republican side. this is the line they are talking about. the one they -are bragging about right here. When they ask what the Democratic plan is to get us out of this mess. I would say. Mr. Speaker. the Democratic plan is this blue line right here. *That is what we had under President Clinton. My colleague from Virginia will remember in 1993 the first budget passed under the Clinton administration. It passed without a single Republican vote. House or Senate. and we took that budget and took it up to a surplus. In 1995. when the Republicans came in and took control of Congress. they passed a different kind of budget. and President Clinton vetoed that budget. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8125}
{"speech_id":1090111017,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. they threatened to close down the government if he did not sign those tax cuts. and he vetoed it again and the government was shut down. President Clinton would not sign an irresponsible budget. And as a result. we have almost a straight line up into a surplus. When President Bush came in. everything collapsed. They stopped paying for tax cuts or paying for spending cuts. Payasyougo dissolved. and here is what you have. And this is the line they are bragging about. Now. unfortunately. it is going to get worse before it gets better. The President says that he wants to cut the def-\" icit in half in 5 years. That is a fairly. what I would say. modest goal. taking into consideration the fact that you had a huge surplus to begin with to say that you are only going to clean up half of the mess. but the fact is he cannot even do it if we make the tax cuts permanent and do other things that he has suggested. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8125}
{"speech_id":1090111017,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And they are passing. This is the line we are going to follow for the next 10 years. Deep into deficits. This green line is the promise. which is not much. but the red line is what we are going to probably do. This little blue line up here is an interesting line because that is the budget from this administration in 2003 before they continued cutting taxes. They showed that by now we would be up into surplus. 2003 is significant because that is after 2001. After the war we still had projected. before we continued to mess up the budget. we were supposed to be in surplus now. but here we are deep in the ditch. In fact. as my colleague from Virginia has indicated. we had. when this .administration started. a projected $5.6 trillion surplus for the following- decade. We have dropped almost $9 trillion to. the same year. a $3.3 trillion deficit. a turnaround of $8.9 trillion. Now. let us put that number in perspective because it is a big number. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8125}
{"speech_id":1090111017,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you add up everybodys -individual income tax. what everybody pays on April 15. every individual. what your individual tax is. it averages year by year to be about $800 billion. An average deterioration in the budget. almost $900 billion. deterioration in the budget. And when you talk about the war. the gentleman mentioned less than $500 billion. 0.5. Talk about Katrina. $200 billion. we might want to pay for the Katrina aftermath. 0.2. An $8.9 trillion deterioration. you cannot blame it on 0.5 and 0.2. And since that happened.. it looks like you would have changed course somehow to accommodate it. No. you kept going straight. But you cannot blame 0.5 and 0.2 on a $9 trillion deterioration. Now. the Truth Squad indicated a blank slate of the Democrats who voted for the spending cuts in 1991. That is true. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8125}
{"speech_id":1090111019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield further. not only that. and the way the question is framed. it is significant. because the overwhelming portion of the tax cuts are going to people that make more than $200.000. There is one tax cut that goes into effect this year. colloquially known as PEP and Pease. dealing with standard deductions and other kinds of deductions that cal be made. To make a long story short. it only affects the wealthy. If you are making more than $1 million. you get out of this tax cut. when it is fully phased in. about $19.000. If you are down between $75.000 and $100.000. on average you will get $1. If you are under $75.000. you get zero. This shows how we are going to spend $20 billion a year when this thing is fully phased in. It would seem to me this is how we get into deficit. with those kinds of cuts. $20 billion a year. lets put that into perspective. All the BRAC base closings that you suffered in Northern Virginia and I suffered in Hampton Roads. Virginia. all of the BRAC closings. we will be lucky to save $20 bil-. lion over 20 years. $20 billion a year. when people under $75.000 dont get a dime. people over $100.000 might g~t $1. $100.000 to $200.000 might get $25. over $1 million. $19.000. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1522}
{"speech_id":1090111019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is how we are. spending $20 billion a year in that tax cut. It seems to me before we pass tax cuts like that. we *ought to get the budget straight. Lets not be down here in the dumps talking about more tax cuts. particularly when they are weighted overwhelmingly toward the wealthy.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1522}
{"speech_id":1090111029,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the Presidents budget is fiscally irresponsible and cuts services vital to American families. I rise today in opposition to the Presidents proposals to cutting funding for homeland security. I represent the Port of Philadelphia. the worlds largest freshwater port and one of the Nations strategic military seaports. Over 3.000 ships load and offload at the Port of Philadelphia each year. making it one of the busiest ports on the Atlantic coast. and the fourth largest port in the United States for the handling of imported goods. In addition to the port. the greater Philadelphia region is home to other critical transportation economic infrastructure. such as a large portion of Amtraks northeast corridor. SEPTA and PATCO highspeed lines. and major highway infrastructure. Situated around this transportation hub are almost 5.7 million people. These factors led to the Insurance Services Office. which assesses risks for the insurance industry. to conclude that Philadelphia is among the 10 cities most vulnerable to a terrorist attack. Madam Speaker. the Presidents cuts to port security and first responder funding will adversely affect the ability of Philadelphia and cities across the Nation to protect those who live. work and visit the city. to protect them from traditional and emerging threats. Specifically. the Presidents budget slashes funding by 25 percent for first responders. ","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3035}
{"speech_id":1090111029,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are the very dollars that allow American cities to equip. hire and train police officers and firefighters. The Presidents budget eliminates funding for law enforcement terrorism prevention. and the Presidents budget eliminates funding for port security grants which were created by Congress in 2002 as a means of directly funding the installation of security perimeters. surveillance technology. and other very important counterterrorism measures at our ports. These cuts come at a time when the administration is allowing our major ports. including Philadelphia. to be managed by Dubai Ports World. a UAEowned company. a company located in a country whose key agencies. including security axd monetary agencies. al Qaeda has claimed to have infiltrated since 2002. While the President justifies this decision by saying that the Federal Government. notDubai Ports World. will be responsible for security. he has proposed to eliminate funding for port security by the Federal Government. Neither justification nor the Presidents proposals will make Americans safer. My colleagues. while it is good that the Nation is finally focused on the critical issue of securing_ our ports. our rhetoric and our passion about Dubai must be matched by the funding necessary to keep our ports and our citizens safe. That is why when the House Budget Committee votes on the Presidents proposed budget in the coming weeks. I will lead the fight to restore these and other harmful cuts to port security. The security of our Nation depends on our making the right investment and the right funding choices to protect America. I yield back.","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3035}
{"speech_id":1090111038,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my good friend from Florida. the son of one of our most distinguished Members. who is rapidly becoming a leader in his own right. I mentioned to him that yesterday I stood transfixed at the television set watching his speech on the floor. and it brought up the issue of security. And I trust the gentleman will underscore the national security implications of this budget deficit. because the only way that we are able to spend so profligately. get away with it. is that we have found people who are willing to buy our debt. Not here. but overseas. And for some reason. China seems just as happy as they could be to increase the amount of American debt that they hold by 300 percent over the last 5 years. Billions of dollars they hold. and all they have to do is to say. we do not think that we are going to buy your debt in the manner and to the extent that we have in the past. and our stock market. our economy would crumble. Imagine putting this country into that kind of vulnerability where we are dependent upon a communist nation buying our debt just so we can continue this misguided fiscal- policy. I thank the gentleman for his leadership. and I look forward to watching him and reading his statement in the You have been terrific on this. Thank you. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1287}
{"speech_id":1090111038,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman MEEK.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1287}
{"speech_id":1090111041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You are welcome. I must say. Madam Speaker. it is an honor to come to the floor once again. I know that the Membersappreciate the information that we provide to not only the Democratic Members but also Members of the Republican side. the majority. I think it is also important for us to point out issues that are working against Americans and those issues and bipartisan pieces of legislation that are working for America. And we have to see more of that. I think it is important for us to also reflect on the fact that right now more than ever we need to have a forward lean in getting our fiscal house in order as we start moving through this budget process and also making sure we come clean with the American people on all fronts. This afternoon we are going to not only talk about our fiscal house but we are also going to talk about making sure we are straight with the American people. The whole reason we come to the floor is there are so many disturbing things that are happening in our country. I am not talking about everyday Americans. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2385}
{"speech_id":1090111041,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am talking about those who are elected to come here and represent. need it be a lack of oversight or need it be something that the executive branch has done. that this Congress. the majority side has rubber stamped. Here on this sidewe have a number of examples of how we have tried to put America back on the right track. not only in leveling with them on homeland security leveling with the American people as it relates to protecting our ports and our airportt and seaports. but also as it relates to .the dollar. A lot has happened in the last 4 years. and we have to share that information with them. I am so glad my good friend and also a part of the 30something Working Group. Mr. ARTUR DAVIS from Alabama. is continuing on. I know you were part of the last hour with the Budget Committee. I appreciate the work that you all have done thus far. the work that you are doing. looking at what the President has done. I was hoping maybe you could shed some light on when we start talking about the President during the State of the Union. We were both here. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2385}
{"speech_id":1090111041,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He talked about innovation. He talked about it. and when he released his budget. I heard the talk. but I did not see the walk afterwards as it relates to the fiscal situation. But I appreciate your work. on the committee. and maybe you can shed some more light on this. sir.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2385}
{"speech_id":1090111048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. All of my colleagues points are so powerful that they inspire other thoughts and ideas that just want to tumble out of you. So let me go back a little bit to what you. were saying. because you make a very important point. I think there has been an interesting flip between where our party was at one point and where the Republicans are at this point. We are all fairly young guys. This is a little bit before our time. but we hit a zone as a party in the 1970s and 1980s where we would make decisions as a party and sometimes they would not be smart decisions. But we. frankly. couldnt and wouldnt defend them. We would just say to the American people and some folks in our party would say to the American people. you know what. trust us. We have the facts. we are diligent. we know what is right. we have more information than you do. so you ought to just trust us. And. frankly. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2849}
{"speech_id":1090111048,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. MEEK. that didnt work terribly well as a strategy- for our party and people started to lose confidence in us. And they started to think. well. we put you there. so you have to tell us more. you have to level with us more. Now. what have we seen in the last. several weeks. essentially. when everybody all over the country is saying. why cant we find a country that doesnt have a history of terrorist ties to help police our ports. pretty simple question? What do they say? They say. trust us. They say we have got the facts. we have got information you dont have. we know more than you do. let us do our jobs. Trust us. And they have said it before. They say it with these budgets. They say. yes. there is a lot of stuff in here nobody understands. and they bring them to the floor and we get a few hours to look at it. But they say. trust us. we have the information. we have the facts and we know what is right for the American people. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2849}
{"speech_id":1090111048,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I am sure a lot of folks are probably thinking right now that they did that back in March 2003. and they said. no. you dont have all the intel. you dont have all the evidence. but we do. Trust us and we will get us in and out of this war real quick. And if you doubt that. well. trust us. This \"just trust us\" politics took us from having. what was the number we had.- it was 292. was the maximum we got to. We had 292 seats here at one point. but we lapsed into the \"just trust us\" politics and now we are down to 203. Well. I think now they are the \"justt trust us\" folks. and they have started to move down the scale in the numbers. and I think they are going to be moving from around 231 to about 208 or 209 or so in not too long. The American people put us here. We get whatever little authority we derive from the Constitution and from them. So we do owe them candor. we do owe them explanations. we do owe them a sense of direction. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2849}
{"speech_id":1090111048,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not enough to say. just trust us. is it?","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2849}
{"speech_id":1090111090,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"that is domestic borrowing. So of all these. of this debt of the money we are borrowing. it is almost 100 percent from foreign countries. Piece by piece by piece. It is not just the ports. It is not just the ports. Mr. MEEK. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. It is our future. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":348}
{"speech_id":1090111090,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is this country that is getting mortgaged. and we have to pay interest on that.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":348}
{"speech_id":1090111092,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. because. you know. the concept of the debt and the deficit is kind of hard to get your mind around sometimes because the numbers are so big and the concepts are somewhat complex. So we always try. in our 30something hours. to translate these concepts into what it means to everyday people. So let us just talk about the interest payments on the debt that we owe to these countries that Mr. MEEK slapped up on our Nations map. What we could do with the money. just on the interest payments. just the interest payments on the debt that we pay for veterans: we could be spending about $35 billion. billion with a B. more money on services for our Nations veterans. We could be spending about $20 billion on homeland security. Billion with a B. Certainly we could dedicate all that money to port security. because we spent about $18 billion since 2001 and 9\/11 on airport security. I think we could probably equal it out just with the interest payment on the debt. Let us take a look at education. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090111092,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are seriously underfunding the No Child Left Behind Act and preventing children from getting themselves prepared for the path that they choose in life. And we could take just the interest payments on the debt and spend that on education. That would be about $75 billion for education. Or we could continue to spend it on the interest. which is now at $250 billion. Let us take it a little bit further and translate that even more specifically. What else could the government do with the interest that the country pays every day on this publicly held debt? We could invest $1 million a day in every single congressional district. Now. I think all 435 of us could find something good we could do to improve the quality of peoples lives with $1 million a day. We could provide health care to almost 80.000. 79.925 more veterans in this country. And we know each of us in our districts hears from our veterans about the pitiful health care services that they are receiving and the struggle that they have in just getting an appointment to get health care from the Veterans Administration. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090111092,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can enroll 60.790 more children in the Head Start program. which we are going in the wrong direction in right now and enrolling fewer because we are not funding it adequately. Or we could improve thd solvency of Social Security. which this President has said is in crisis. We have differed with his definition of crisis. but even if it is half as big a problem as he says. we can improve Social .Security solvency by almost half a billion dollars. just by using the interest that this Nation pays on the national foreign debt that other countries hold. Now. if you went to a town hall meeting in each of our districts and asked our constituents. and the three of us have a diverse constituency. We represent all different kinds of folks between the three communities that we represent. Universally. they would prefer thatthat money be available to be spent on these items rather than making interest payments on debt that we owe to foreign countries.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090111102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we have been saying for a long time in the 30something group. we have got to try to convince. Madam Speaker. the Republican majority to start putting the country before their own political party. and I think we would be okay. The. Web site. www.housedemocrats.gov\/30something. Madam Speaker. for all the Members who want to access this. All the charts that you saw here tonight. Madam Speaker. are accessible on this Web site for Members to access. To my friend from Florida. I thank you for the opportunity to be here with you.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":531}
{"speech_id":1090111209,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then. on pensions. my staff said that you mentioned pensions. perhaps trying to stack the issues for downtown interests. the majority decided to play games. What are you even implying? We finished this bill on November 15 on this floor. We completed it. The House finished it a month later. We have been waiting to go to conference now. for I guess 3 months. My distinguished colleague knows it is the majority that ultimately sets the ratios. The ratio has been crystal clear for weeks now. and now the argument seems to be shifting that there are outside interests dictating all this. when I have been crystal clear for weeks now on what those ratios will be. What is the . implication. that \"there is somebody outside dictating what we are doing?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":749}
{"speech_id":1090111247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to recognize and honor the achievements of the Peace Corps. This year marks the 45th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. Over the last 45 years. the Peace Corps has been one of the enduring symbols of America abroad. The Peace Corps has helped create opportunities and hope for people throughout the developing world as it has projected a positive image of America. In 1961. President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. Since then. over 182.000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 138 countries. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1737}
{"speech_id":1090111247,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These volunteers have provided extensive assistance and expertise in agriculture production. business development. education. healthcare. and resource conservationmaking significant improvements in the lives of individuals and communities around the world. As we continue to face the challenges of the 21st Century. the mission of the Peace Corps is more vital than ever. Volunteers continue to offer support and development assistance to countries around the world. They are finding common ways to address global challenges such as endemic poverty and HIV\/AIDS. Today. Peace Corps volunteers. including 50 from my State of Nebraska. bring their communities an enhanced understanding of foreign cultures and traditions. building bridges of friendship between people that transcend borders. language. and religion. I congratulate the Peace Corps on its 45 years of achievement and accomplishment and thank the over 182.000 Peace Corps volunteersincluding our Senate colleague CHRIS DODD for their good work and important contributions to making a better world. Thank you. (At the request of Mr. REID. the following statement was ordered to- be printed ini the RECORD.)","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1737}
{"speech_id":1090111311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate begin consideration of Calendar No. 367. S. 2349. the lobbying reform legislation. I further ask consent that following the reporting of the bill. I be recognized in order to offer a substitute amendment. and following that action. the bill be open for debate only during todays session.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":342}
{"speech_id":1090111318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me go through the Rules Committee bill and talk about some of the more important aspects. I wont go into all the details because Members will have a chance to review what we reported last Tuesday. and now it will be in the RECORD. When I complete my comments. Senator COLLINS or Senator DODD will be ready to speak. We will be able to make it very clear what we have done..Some of these things do need to be explained a little bit. First of all. with regard to earmarks. we do know that there has been an explosion of socalled earmarks. This is where you put provisions. money. language in an authorization. appropriations. or a tax bill. I remember a few years ago it was maybe a few hundred. I remember the highway bill back in the eighties. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11232}
{"speech_id":1090111318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think. it had 157 earmarks. and the bill we passed last year had thousandsI dont even know how many but thousands. I want to be the first to say I dont think that is totally inappropriate. I do think we need to have some better disclosure. I do think we need to think about how we do these earmarks. have some rules that make it clear who is doing what and for whom. So that is what we have tried to do with this legislation. Some people will come to the floorand I presume somebody might even offer an amendmentand say that earmarks are prohibited. I will fight that with every ounce of energy in my body. Some people might maintain that should be better left to the executive branch. Why? Why should some bureaucrat who lives in Maryland or Virginiaand I say that term lovinglywho works at HUD or the Department of Transportation or the Department of Defenseit doesnt matter what departmenthow do they know more about what is needed in terms of roads or housing or National Guard in my State of Mississippi or more than the Senator from Maine knows about what the needs are in her State? So I think it is ludicrous to maintain only the executive branch is pure. By the way. do you think the executive branch does not have earmarks? The distinguished Presiding Officer noted an earmark for Pascagoula is not really an earmark. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11232}
{"speech_id":1090111318,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is something clearly understandable and identifiable. and I am perfectly willing to identify it for the benefit of my constituents or anybody else who would like to take a look at it. With regard to the executive branch. I have seen articles that point out some of the earmarks. For example. with the Department of Energy. the Office of Management and Budget always picks their projects they like. that the Corps of Engineers would do. but not others which might involve locks and dams or flood control projects. So it is OK for them to do it but not us. What about what the Constitution says? Article I. section 9 of the Constitution. which deals specifically with spending. states: No money shall be drawn from the Treasury. but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.... So it is not up to the President alone. Congress has always had the final say on this issue of appropriations. and I am sure Senator BYRD would have something to say about this. Again. there is a limit to what is reasonable. and I think we have kind of lost a grip in that area. We do need to have some controls. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11232}
{"speech_id":1090111318,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It needs to be open and fair. It needs to be identified in the record. I have become more and more concerned particularly about the practice where items can be added in conference that were not considered by committee or in either body. whether it is language in a tax bill or appropriations bill or a highway project in an authorization bill. and there is no way to really get at it. That is why in the Rules CommitteeI worked with Senator FEINSTEIN in particular. and Senator HAGEL. and Senator DODDdeveloped a procedure that will allow Members to remove items from conference reports that were never considered by either body. Under the committees bill. if a point of order regarding the item is sustained. the offending provision would be removed. but the entire conference report would not fail. It would then be sent back to the House. minus the offending provisions. I emphasize again. think about what was happening. The Senate did not include a provision. The House did not include a provision. They go to conference. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11232}
{"speech_id":1090111318,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the end of a session. it is an omnibus appropriations bill. and. voila. all these things show up in a tax bill or an omnibus appropriations bill. If it comes back to the floor of the Senate on short notice. with maybe a couple of hours to review it. if you make a point of order and you succeed. the entire conference report is taken down and it has to start over again. not just go back to the House for final action. That is a scary situation. I remember attending a meeting one time where some language was being discussed that had not been in either bill that meant billions of dollars. I remember going back and saying to my thenchief of staff. Dave Hoppe. that this is dangerous. we should not allow this sort of thing to happen. Under this provision. if you garner the supermajority 60 votes. it cannot be taken out. I actually preferred a simple majority. More and more around here everything takes a supermajority. not a simple majority. I thought 51 votes would have been sufficient. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11232}
{"speech_id":1090111337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my strong support for the bipartisan Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act which was reported out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last Thursday and which forms a significant part of the combined Homeland Security Rules Committee bill that we are starting to consider today. It is a pleasure to join in an unusual foursome. comanaging these two bills. It is always a pleasure to work with Senator LOTT and Senator DODD of the Rules Committee. And I am also delighted to work with the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. Senator COLLINS. With these two bills we now have the opportunity to vote on what I believe is the most significant lobbying and ethics reform in a generation. That means we in Congress now have a once in a generation opportunity to help restore our tattered reputation with the American public by moving swiftly and strongly to enact these proposals into law. By ensuring full transparency for the legislative process and those who work within it. this legislation will directly answer many of the questions that have been raised about the relationship between Members of Congress and lobbyists. about the role of money in public debate and deliberations. and about whether results in Washington go to the highest bidder or to the greatest public good. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12474}
{"speech_id":1090111337,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill draws back the curtain to let the sun shine directly and brightly on the lobbyistlawmaker relationship for all to see. clearly and easily. I thank my good friends. colleagues. and partners. Senators MCCAIN and COLLINS. for the work they have done to bring the legislation to the Senate. Senator MCCAIN. along with his Committee on Indian Affairs. and its ranking member. Senator BYRON DORGAN. conducted a hardhitting investigation into the activities of the disgraced lobbyist. Jack Abramoff. helping to expose his criminal activitiesin particular. his odious exploitation of Indian tribes. On the basis of that investigation. Senator MCCAIN then introduced the Lobbyist Transparency and Accountability Act. which I proudly cosponsored. Then Chairman COLLINS took up the banner in our committee and. based on Senator MCCAINs bill. we drafted legislation and quickly brought it before the committee for markup. The bill we debate today is the product of those efforts. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12474}
{"speech_id":1090111337,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senate Democratic Leader HARRY REID and Senator BARACK OBAMA of Illinois have played critical leadership roles in pushing reform forward by introducing very strong legislation. the Honest Leadership Act. which earned the support of 41 Members of the Senate and really helped lay the groundwork for us here today. The backing of virtually the entire Democratic caucus helped move this significant legislation to the floor. and I am proud of that. In fact. this proposal from our committee contains most of the proposals laid out in the Honest Leadership Act. I look forward to supporting amendments to restore other provisions of the Honest Leadership Act that were left out of the legislation before us today. Finally. thanks to Senator Russ FEINGOLD of Wisconsin. who history will note was the first in this 2year session to introduce lobbying reform legislation. He did it last year. Senator FEINGOLD is always a reliable ally when it comes to raising the public interest above special interests. The abuses to which these bills respond. I want to stress. are the exception to the rule. Almost always lobbyists comply with the law and provide Congress with valuable knowledge and expertise. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12474}
{"speech_id":1090111337,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whether they represent corporations. unions. trade associations or nonprofits. or the public interest groups that have actually lobbied us to pass this legislation. lobbyists are instrumental to the work that goes on here on Capitol Hill. The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of such work when they enshrined. in the very first amendment to our Constitution. the right of all people \"to petition the government for redress of grievances.\" We have to remember this when we legislate in this critically important and constitutionally elevated area. Lobbyists and the people they represent are exercising a constitutional right. and we have to. therefore. be careful. as we have been in this bill. to respect that right. Nothing in the bill that has come out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. or the Rules Committee. for that matter. improperly intrudes on the peoples right to be represented in Washington. But there is an equivalent right of the public to a functioning form of government. and that must also be respected. That is precisely what our bill does. by building on previous efforts in this area. The Supreme Court. long ago. made clear that the first amendments guarantee of the right to petition the Government did not confer a right to do so in secret. In the 1954 case of United States v. Harris. the Court upheld the constitutionality of lobbying disclosure requirements and said those requirements were consistent with the first amendment. Let me read a passage from that decision: Present day legislative complexities are such that individual members of Congress cannot be expected to explore the myriad pressures to which they are regularly subjected. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12474}
{"speech_id":1090111337,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet the full realization of the American ideal of government by elected representatives depends to no small extent on their ability to properly evaluate such pressures. Otherwise. the voice of the people may all too easily be drowned out by the voice of the special interest groups seeking favored treatment while masquerading as proponents of the public weal. This is the evil to which the Lobbying Act was designed to help prevent. Those words could not be truer today. when millions and millions of Americans. whether they realize it. are represented in our Nations capital in some way by lobbyists. not just by those of us who are privileged to have been elected as Members of Congress. Whether they are teachers or steel workers. whether they are law enforcement officers or seniors. whether they are veterans or veterinarians. small business owners or big business executivesand the list of categories in this richly and extraordinarily pluralistic society could go onpeople from all walks of American lifemillions and millions of themhave paid representation in this city. That is lobbying. In fact. as I suggested before. some of the strongest proponents of lobbying reform are registered lobbyists themselves. lobbying Congress to enact reforms such as those we are discussing today for the honor of their profession and. I might say. for the honor of Congress. The number of lobbyists in Washington has exploded over the last decade. These are interesting numbers. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12474}
{"speech_id":1090111381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Pres unanimous consent that McConnell Menendez Mikulski Murray Nelson (FL) Nelson (NE) Obama Pryor Reed Reid Roberts Rockefeller Salazar Santorum now resume consideration of S. 2320. the LIHEAP funding bill. and that the Kyl amendment be temporarily set aside so I may offer a firstdegree amendment. It is amendment No. 2898. I further ask that following my statement on the amendment. the Senate then proceed to a period for morning business. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":507}
{"speech_id":1090111417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to introduce legislation today that establishes a constitutional line item veto. which would allow the President to reduce pork barrel spending and save taxpayers billions of dollars. Congress has an opportunity this week in our debate on lobbying reform to take ethics reform seriously and take action to rid the federal budget of special interest projects. Giving the President the ability to target projects placed in the budget at the last minute at the request of a single lawmaker is a step in the right direction and a critical move toward needed transparency. It is no secret that President Bush and I do not agree on many policy matters. but I fully support giving him this line item veto authority and I applaud the Presidents comments earlier today. I hope that Congress immediately takes up and passes this legislation. and I hope that President Bush will be able to use this new veto authority soon to get tough on wasteful spending. Under the Republicanled House and Senate. porkbarrel spending has skyrocketed. Nearly $30 billion a year is being spent on projects that have never even been debated. For fiscal year 2005. appropriators added 13.997 projects into the 13 appropriations bills. an increase of 31 percent over last years total of 10.656. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3226}
{"speech_id":1090111417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the last two years. the total number of projects has increased by 49.5 percent. The cost of these projects in fiscal year 2005 was $27.3 billion. or 19 percent more than last years total of $22.9 billion. Billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on things like research to enhance the flavor of roasted peanuts and the infamous \"bridge to nowhere.\" We have the largest deficit in American history and Congress and the President must take action to get spending under control. In 1996. the Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law the \"Line Item Veto Act\". P.L. 104130. Two years later. however. in Clinton v. City of New York the Supreme Court concluded that the method used to give the President line item veto authority was unconstitutional. The Court noted that presidents may only sign or veto entire acts of Congress. The Constitution does not authorize them to enact. to amend. or to repeal statutes. We can restore the line item veto and be consistent with the Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3226}
{"speech_id":1090111417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The key difference between what I am proposing and what the Supreme Court struck down is the legal effect of the Presidents actions. The \"Line Item Veto Act\" allowed the President to cancel provisions in their entirety. but the Supreme Court rejected this arrangement. The Line Item Veto Act of 2006 is different. It will empower the President to suspend provisions until the Congress decides to approve or disapprove of that suspension with an up or down vote. The provisions are not cancelled out of the legislation. I believe this change addresses the Supreme Courts concerns. I agree with President Bushs comments earlier today. it is indeed time to bring this important tool of fiscal discipline to Washington. D.C. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the Line Item Veto Act and I look forward to President Bush using this authority to reign in porkbarrel spending. By Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3226}
{"speech_id":1090111417,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"COLEMAN:","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3226}
{"speech_id":1090111419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Wednesday. March 8. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 2078. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments of 2005. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at 2242251.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":350}
{"speech_id":1090111426,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I look forward to the U.S. Senate passing this resolution and designating the week of March 1317. 2006. as National Safe Place Week. I thank my colleague Senator FEINSTEIN for her work on this issue. I would also like to the other cosponsors of this resolution: Senator DURBIN. Senator COCHRAN. Senator LAUTENBERG. Senator INHOFE. Senator MIKULSKI. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3686}
{"speech_id":1090111426,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator CRAPO. Senator LANDRIEU. Senator SALAZAR. Senator CLINTON. Senator RUNNING. Senator LINCOLN. Senator DEWINE. Senator INOUYE. Senator LIEBERMAN. Senator FEINGOLD. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3686}
{"speech_id":1090111426,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator DODD. Senator SNOWE. Senator BOXER. Senator MURKOWSKI. Senator JOHNSON. and Senator KOHL. This action will recognize the importance of Project Safe Place and send a message that we will keep working to protect our children. In countless hours of selfless work. volunteers truly do make a difference every day. and in passing this resolution. the Senate will be applauding the tireless efforts of the thousands of dedicated volunteers across the nation for their many contributions to the youth of our nation through Project Safe Place. Events of the day may turn our attention overseas. but it is essential to remember those who are fighting an ongoing battle right here at home. This battle has been raging for generations and consists of fighting to protect this Nations most valuable resource: our children. Young people are the future of this Nation. they need to be both valued and protected. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3686}
{"speech_id":1090111426,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sadly. however. as my colleagues know. this precious resource is threatened daily. I come to the Senate today to talk about a tremendous initiative between the public and private sector that has been reaching out to youth for over 20 years. Project Safe Place is a program that was developed to assist our Nations youth and families in crisis. This partnership creates a network of private businesses trained to refer youth in need to the local service providers who can help them. Those businesses display a Safe Place sign so that young people can easily recognize a \"safe place\" for them to go to receive help. The goal of National Safe Place Week is to recognize the thousands of individuals who work to make Project Safe Place a reality. From trained volunteers to seasoned professionals. these dedicated individuals are working together with the resources in their local communities and through their ties across the Nation to serve young people. Because of Project Safe Place. this all happens under a wellknown symbol of safety for incrisis youth. Project Safe Place is a simple program to implement in any local community. and it works. Young people are more likely to seek help in locations that are familiar and nonthreatening to them. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3686}
{"speech_id":1090111426,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By creating a network of Safe Places across the Nation. all youth will have access to needed help. counseling. or a safe place to stay. However. though the program has already been established in 42 States. there are still too many communities that dont know about this valuable youth resource. If your State does not already have a Safe Place organization. please consider facilitating this worthwhile resource so that young people who are abused. neglected. or whose futures are jeopardized by physical or emotional trauma will have access to immediate help and safety in your community. To create more Project Safe Place sites in Idaho. the staff in several of my State offices have completed the training to make them Safe Place sites. and now have the skills and ability to assist troubled youth. In the coming years. Project Safe Place hopes that every child in America will have the opportunity to connect with someone who can provide immediate help by easily recognizing the Safe Place sign.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3686}
{"speech_id":1090111435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday. March 7. I further ask consent that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then resume consideration of S. 2320. the LIHEAP funding bill. for 1 hour of debate equally divided between Senators SNOWE and ENSIGN or their designees. further that following that time. the Senate proceed to a vote on the motion to invoke cloture. as under the previous order.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":630}
{"speech_id":1090111444,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I expect that vote to occur sometime shortly before 11 a.m. this morning. If cloture is invokedand I hope it will bethen we will be working toward an agreement that will allow us to finish the bill as quickly as possible today. We will be returning to the lobbying reform bill today. We will begin considering amendments. Therefore. in addition to the LIHEAP bill. we will have votes in relation to the amendments to the lobbying reform bill. I also expect the Senate to recess from 12:30 until 2:15 for the weekly party luncheons. I say again to all colleagues who want to finish the lobbying bill this week that we certainly want to allow adequate time for Members to offer amendments. I urge Members to come forward early. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1114}
{"speech_id":1090111444,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We would like to lock in a filing deadline as soon as possible. As a matter of fact. I hope that we could lock in a filing deadline for today and therefore give our managers their best opportunity to schedule consideration of the amendments as soon as possible. Again. we expect to be working into the evening each night fn an effort to finish the bill as soon as possible.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1114}
{"speech_id":1090111470,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I rise to respond to my friend and colleague from Arizona. We are in agreement on the idea that the money should go where it is needed. What I would disagree with is that there is nothing left for those from other States. warm weather States. That is not what we are dealing with here. Two things aboutLIHEAP: One. it is not just another Federal acronym. it is a lifeline. I held hearings on this in St. Paul. where I heard from a woman named Lori Cooper. a working professional wife. mother of a 21monthold baby. It is about scraping by on salary alone. and even with assistance paying the heating expense. it was a real hardship. We had a senior named Lucille Olson who told a story of the struggle to balance the cost of high health insurance and prescription drugs with everrising heating bills that represent about 30 percent of her monthly income. We are not talking about a Federal acronym. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3715}
{"speech_id":1090111470,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a helping hand. You may hear some of my colleagues contending that a warmerthanusual winter has somehow lessened the need. It may be a mild winter by Minnesotas standards. but certainly not by Virginias. It was about minus 19 in St. Paul a couple weekends ago. If it is only 25 degrees. mild by Minnesotas standards. you still have to put about an extra 40 something degrees in there to heat your home so seniors and working people can live there with some measure of comfort. We have 60 percent of all LIHEAP households in Minnesota heating their homes with natural gas. The price of natural gas has risen severely. It is a severe winter by national standards. LIHEAP is designed to soften that. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3715}
{"speech_id":1090111470,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have heard it firsthand. I I want to make clear the bill\\which I cosponsored would designate an additional $250 million for formula funding. But due to the nature of the formula governing allbtments to States. this additional formula funding for Minnesota would provide a negligible increase. The 25\/75 split is exactly the same split the Senate appioved a few. months ago in the Deficit Reduction Act. What we do is we change the date assistance is available from 2007 to 2006. Again. 25 percent of -the funding goes to predominantly warm weather States. This is about emergencies. It is about meeting the needs of emergencies. I have to say that we have been -there. Senators from the northern States have been there when there has been flooding and tornadoes and hurricanes and other crises around the country. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3715}
{"speech_id":1090111470,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We haveht divided up -regions. We didnt do that with Katrina and Rita when they swept across the gulf. We didnt do it in areas of Florida hit hard by hurricanes. We didnt do it in western States affected by wildfires. We are one great Nation. We come to the aid of those in need. This is about those in need. It is a severe winter where they cant afford the cost of natural gas. a lifeline. a helping hand. not an acronym for a program. The Senate has a tradition of putting aside its regional and partisan divisions. When Americans face desperate situations. the Senate comes together in the name of the same Nation with the spirit of cooperation. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3715}
{"speech_id":1090111470,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have heard the President speak eloquently about the spirit of America. of what it is all about. That is what we are asking for today. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have already made natural gas prices worse. In northern States such as mine. this is about hardship. I have seen the faces of those who need this assistance. those who work hard to get back on their feet. to build a better life. A dramatic increase in heating costs like those experienced in Minnesota this year is a cruel burden. They deserve a lifeline. a helping hand. Please support me in providing increased LIHEAP assistance designed to meet the needs of those who need it most.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3715}
{"speech_id":1090111481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last year. we had a debate on increasing LIHEAP funding. but we had to pay for it last year. We paid for it by allowing drilling in ANWR. The ANWR provision got stripped out in the Senate. So the amount of money to pay for LIHEAP was no longer present. I would like to see drilling in ANWR. I think it is important to diversify our energy supplies in America. The money would have been there and people would not have had objections. I agreed to that last year. This is purely deficit spending even though the proponents of the bill say it is not because of the phony budget games that are played around here. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":932}
{"speech_id":1090111481,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But because it is deficit spending. we are going to try to make sure that the money is spent fairly across the United States. That is what this whole debate is going to come down to in the next day or two. Mr. President. with that. I reserve the remainder of our time. and I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":932}
{"speech_id":1090111495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation. I realize I need to talk very rapidly. I understand that the Senator from Oklahoma listed earmarks that the Senator from Maine and I have jointly sponsored. I want to tell my colleagues that I am very proud of those projects. and I will stand here and defend every single one of them. But the fact is. that is irrelevant to the debate before us right now. I think it is so unfortunate to see this breakdown as certain States in certain parts of the country oppose what is .a program that is absolutely essential to those of us who live in colder States. I supported all of the aid for Hurricane Katrinas victims in the gulf region. I routinely support programs that benefit other regions of the country. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1145}
{"speech_id":1090111495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is unfortunate and unfair and very disappointing for colleagues to oppose a program simply because it doesnt benefit their region as much as others. . This is a program that is a matter of literally life and death to those of us representing lowincome and elderly constituents. I realize my time has expired. I urge my colleagues to support the motion to invoke cloture.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1145}
{"speech_id":1090111511,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I awakened this morning to some very. very sad news: the death of Dana Reeve last night at the age of 44. With her death. I lost a dear friend and our American family lost a very. very special member of our family. The world will remember Dana in many waysas a fine actress. as a tireless advocate for spinal cord and embryonic stem cell research. and as the wife who stood by her husband through incredible adversity. I will remember her as a person of extraordinary grace and decency. always thinking of others. passionately committed to making a difference in the world. Over the years. I was privileged to get to know and to work with both Dana and Christopher Reeve. Whoever coined the phrase that \"life is unfair\" must have had the Reeve family in mind. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4608}
{"speech_id":1090111511,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But these two people faced adversity with unflinching courage. They taught us the most valuable of lessons. Christopher taught us how to transcend suffering and to live life to its fullest and to make every moment count. Dana taught us about the true meaning of love and commitment and loyalty. Together. Dana and Christopher Reeve expanded access to new treatments and therapies for countless thousands of paralyzed Americans. Through their Christopher Reeve Foundation. they were tireless advocates for medical research. Dana Reeve was also a superb politician. and I mean that in the best sense of the word. She knew exactly which committees to target. which levers to pull. which elected officials to cultivate and pressure and plead with. She also knew how to go over the heads of certain political leaders who got in her way. by taking her case directly to the American people. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4608}
{"speech_id":1090111511,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is how Danaand Chris. toodid so much to put embryonic stem cell research front and center on the national agenda. That is how she rallied support for spinal cord research. But Dana spoke up passionately for all people living with disabilities. She spoke up for Parkinsons and ALS research. She advocated for more generous funding for the National Institutes of Health. Of course. she wanted a cure for her husband. but she fought for a cure for others as well. including all those children whom she and Chris met with spinal cord injuries. And. my friends. so must we. We must fight also. Dana continued full speed ahead because of her drive and determination. because of the incredible work of all the dedicated people at the Christopher Reeve Foundation. And now Danas work must continue full speed ahead because of our commitment and determination. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4608}
{"speech_id":1090111511,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must continue because we have an unfinished agenda. As long as misguided leaders deny our best scientists access to embryonic stem cells. we have an unfinished agenda. As long as people with disabilities are forced to live in nursing homes because Medicaid will not cover home care. we have an unfinished agenda. As long as there is hope for a cure to spinal cord injuries. Parkinsons. ALS. and other diseases. we have an unfinished agenda. If we have just half of the commitment and tenacity and courage that Dana Reeve and her husband had. then we will complete this agenda. Helen Keller. who knew plenty about adversity and disability. said something that applies very much to Dana Reeve in her last months. \"Life.\" said Helen Keller. \"is either a daring adventure. or nothing. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4608}
{"speech_id":1090111511,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.\" That is the Dana Reeve I will always remember and cherish. Even when her husband was gravely injured and then taken from her. even a few months after that when she was cruelly stricken with lung cancera person who had never smoked in her entire lifeshe never gave up her fight for a better world and a better future for other people. especially those struggling with disabilities. Dana Reeve was an extraordinary person. apassionate advocate. a wonderful mother. a loyal. committed. loving wife. As I said. she has taught us a lot about what commitment really means. We are grateful to God for the many gifts she shared with the world. We are grateful for all she has done to enrich our lives and to instruct us in how to live. Today. we grieve her passing. May. she rest in peace. and may her work continue. Just on behalf of the Harkin family. Ruth and I and our children send our condolences to Will and to all the other members of the Reeve family. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4608}
{"speech_id":1090111541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DODD. and -FEINGOLD. Democrats. as well as myself. a Republican. coming together to address this very crucial issue. We are about to put this legislation on the floor of the Senate. hopefully. very soon. later today. I encourage all of my colleagues--Republicans and Democrats aliketo again come together for an important debate. to make a proposal about how to improve this legislation but to support the underlying bills which include major systemic.reform. That is what I am going to do. That is why I joined this working group from the very beginning. That is why I participated in the discussions and debate which led to .the bills coming to the floor. In addition to that. I am going to do what I mentioned a little while ago. participate in the debate on the floor and make some proposals to strengthen the bill. to make it even better before we report it out from the Senate. In doing that. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6886}
{"speech_id":1090111541,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am going to make three specific proposals in areas whichI think weneed to address that are not in the underlying bill. I again want to outline those three proposals very briefly. The first has to do with an unfortunate scenario which has happened in the past of spouses and children of Members of Congress. House Members. Senators. getting a paycheck off that Members reelection campaign. This has happened in the past. It is not some theoretical issue.-In fact. family members have made substantial sums in the past in some instances off the campaign of the family member who is also a Member of Congress. I talk to folks back home in Louisiana all the time. When these circumstances made the newspaper a few months ago. I can tell you what the universal reaction was. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6886}
{"speech_id":1090111541,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The universal reaction was this is abuse. There was no discussion about what these family members were doing. werent doing. what hours they were lobbying. werent lobbying. The universal reaction was this was a way for the Member of Congress to basically increase his family income through the political process and is an abuse. I think the solution is really -simple. I will have an amendment that proposes that solution. It is simply this: Ban it. to say a Member of Congress. the House. or the Senate cant have a spouse. cant have a dependent child on the campaign payroll. That is the simplest way to address it. That is the most direct way to address it. That will put the whole issue to rest for once and forever. Certainly. the huge majority of Members should embrace this idea because it would never cross our minds. quite frankly. a huge majority of Members. to do this. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6886}
{"speech_id":1090111541,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us put this potential abuse and real abuse in the past to rest forever. I encourage all of my colleagues. Republicans and Democrats. to support this floor amendment. The second floor amendment addresses another very important area of campaign finance that has also been in the news. that is. with regard to Indian tribes. Again. this is not some theoretical discussion. This is not dreaming up a problem. This has been at the heart of the recent scandals and controversies which bring us to where we are today. \u0095 In my opinion. a central problem is the fact that in current law Indian tribes. with regard* to campaign contributions to Federal candidates. are treated in a whole different way than similar entities such as corporations. such as labor unions. With regard to corporations and labor unions. there are very clear and very strict laws that apply in terms of how those entities can raise PAC money. campaign funds that they can turn into political contributions and the overall limit that applies to a single corporationa single labor union with regard to political contributions that election season. Those rules dont apply to Indian tribes. When it comes to Indian tribes. those rules I just referenced are out the window and basically no rules apply. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6886}
{"speech_id":1090111541,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no governance of how tribes collect and raise funds to give to political candidates. In fact. with so many having very lucrative casinos now. what they do is real simple. They write a check out of the casino operation and fund the entire political operation from which they give campaign contributions. Corporations cant do thatabsolutely not. Labor unions cant even do that. I think the rules should be the same for Indian tribes. Likewise. the limits on campaign contributions should be the same as well. There should be an aggregate. an overall limit for what a specific tribe can give to Federal candidates just as there is for corporations through their PACS. just as there is for labor unions through their PACs. Again. I will offer a floor amendment that is pretty darned simple and pretty easy to understand. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6886}
{"speech_id":1090111575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is enough to respond.. The Senator from Nevada is incorrect with respect to my amendment and the way in which States it would benefit. Twentynine States would gain under my amendment. Unfortunately. the information the Senator is providing is inaccurate. as was the chart distributed last week that fundamentally misrepresented not only how _this funding was distributed. but the fact is it was done on the basis of an emergency. If all 50 States had the benefit of the emergency funding. it is because emergencies existed in those States. That is th6 point. It is at the discretion of the President to distribute and release that funding in order to enable the President to respond immediately to any natural disasters or emergencies. That is what it is all about. I Under a formula for funding. States would receive it irrespective of whether an emergency occurred in their States. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1317}
{"speech_id":1090111575,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So 29 States would gain under my amendment. It is unfortunate that we are where we are. talking about this. in that fashion. because the Senator released a chart last week that suggested this is the historical pattern. If it is the historical pattern. it is because there were emergencies. It wasnt distributed just for the sake of distributing it that way. It was done because there were emergencies in those particular States.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1317}
{"speech_id":1090111616,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Redford Avenue Presbyterian Church on 100 years of worship and service to the community. This milestone was recently commemorated with 2 days of events. culminating in a dance and dinner celebration that took place on March 6. 2006. This momentous occasion provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on Redfords rich history and to remember the integral role Redford has played in the community over the years. Redford Avenue Presbyterian Church was established in March 1906 by a small congregation that served what was then known as the Sand Hill in Detroit. The churchs membership grew rapidly. and as a result. in 1929. a separate addition was built to accommodate the larger congregation. Unfortunately. in 1945 the sanctuary was completely destroyed by a fire. However. this tragedy provided an important opportunity for the congregation and community to work together to rebuild the church. and by 1954. a new sanctuary. educational wing and fellowship hall was constructed. By the late 1960s. the membership had grown to more than 3.600 people. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2201}
{"speech_id":1090111616,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. Redford Avenue Presbyterian Church has a smaller congregation but has maintained its strong spirit. deep faith and unwavering commitment to serve and minister to the greater Detroit community. For the last 30 years the church has run a daycare center that helps to meet the needs of many working parents in the community. In addition. Redfords educational -building is currently being leased to a charter school and is also used by a local division of Sea Cadets. Redford Avenue Presbyterian Church also continues to make its building available to many groups and organizations in the neighborhood. Considered a cornerstone of the community. Redford consistently provides meeting space for groups such as Narcotics Anonymous and Metro Detroit Deaf Senior Citizens. And. for 1 night each January. the church opens- its doors to house. feed. clothe. and minister to the homeless. I know my Senate colleagues will join me in congratulating Redford Avenue Presbyterian Church and wish its members. volunteers. and ministerial staff many more years of fellowship and service.O","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2201}
{"speech_id":1090111624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on -Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing on March 14. 2006. entitled \"GSA Contractors Who Cheat on Their Taxes and What Should Be Done About It.\" The March 14 hearing will be the third hearing on Federal contractors with unpaid tax debt. In February 2004. the subcommittee held a hearing entitled \"DOD Contractors Who Cheat on Their Taxes. which examined the IRS failure to collect $3 billion in unpaid taxes owed by contractors doing business with the Department of Defense. DOD. and getting paid with taxpayer dollars. In June 2005. the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled \"Civilian Contractors Who Cheat on Their Taxes\". which identified an additional $3.3 billion in unpaid taxes and demonstrated that the problem of tax delinquent Federal contractors is not confined to DOD. Because of the potential revenue that could be collected by the Federal Payment Levy Program from nonDOD contractors. the subcommittee expanded the coverage of the inVestigation to include contractors at other Federal agencies who receive Federal contract payments and are delinquent in paying their taxes. In the continuing investigation of Federal contractors who do not pay their taxes. .the subcommittee plans to hold a hearing on March 14 on the General Service Administrations contractors who are tax delinquent. Federal contractors who owe taxes are still allowed to do business with the Federal Government. The hearing will explore the extent to which these contractors are tax delinquent and what can be done about it. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1967}
{"speech_id":1090111624,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. March 14. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information. please contact Raymond V. Shepherd. M. Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1967}
{"speech_id":1090111630,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resourbes be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate and on Tuesday. March 7 at 9:30 a.m. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to discuss the goal of energy independence.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090111665,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am getting a bit tired of hearing some of my colleagues in the Democrat Party mislead the American people into thinking our economy is in poor shape. Here are the facts. plain and simple. Our economy has been growing for 17 straight quarters. The National Association for Business Economics predicts the economy will grow at a 4.5 percent rate in the first quarter of 2006. After inflation. disposable incomes increased 2.2 percent in the last 12 months. The Federal Reserve reported that the median net worth of U.S. households increased 1.5 percent between 2001 and 2004. Januarys unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent. which is the lowest monthly rate since 2001 and lower than the average of the 1970s. 1980s and 1990s. There have been 29 consecutive months of job gains. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":931}
{"speech_id":1090111665,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. no amount of spin from the left can change the fact that our economy is growing stronger every day under Republican leadership.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":931}
{"speech_id":1090111668,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there are some days that it probably is a little depressing to be a mainstream media reporter. In their world. our economy is sinking and the war on terrorismis absolutely hopeless. Thankfully. in the real world. Americans know that we have drastically impacted al Qaedas ability to attack us. and our economy is booming. Yes. it is booming. We are expecting growth this quarter somewhere around 4 percent or more. and that means jobs. We have creited almost 5 million new jobs and had 3 years of strong. solid economic growth. When you compare our economy to Europe. to most nations. we are in an amazing era. Unemployment is below 5 percent. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":885}
{"speech_id":1090111668,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is outstanding. and it is a shame that the mainstream reporters just cannot get the story right. Our tax policies reduced the burden of taxation on Americans. and they have responded as they always do. by creating new jobs.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":885}
{"speech_id":1090111680,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise in supportof H.R. 3934. legislation that would designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 80. Killian Road in Massapequa. New York. as the \"Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Building.\" I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to Jerry Fiorenza than to name the post office in Massapequa where he worked in honor of him. I am proud to have introduced this legislation and to have the supportof the entire New York delegation. Jerry. a native of Brooklyn. worked for the Postal Service for nearly 30 years starting as a postal assistant and rising to serve as postmaster in Hewlett. Massapequa Park. and Massapequa. He also served as president of the National Association of Post Masters. NAPUS. and was deeply involved in his community serving as a member of the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce. the Sons of Italy. the Columbia Association. and American Legion Post 1066. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090111680,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2001 Jerry was selected as Massapequas Man of the Year: . Jerry was also a devoted husband to his wife. Carol. and loving father to his two children. Michael and Jessica. He is truly missed by so many on Long Island. I urge the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 3934 to honor Jerry Fiorenza. a public servant and community leader.","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090111758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today. the House considers S. 2271. The USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act. I opposed the original 2001 PATRIOT Act because it failed to strike an appropriate balance between giving law enforcement agencies the tools necessary to protect Americans from terrorism and maintaining the freedoms that protect America from tyranny. Like the 2001 bill. the PATRIOT Act reauthorization conference report is unacceptable. and the amendments proposed by S. 2771 again fall short of the mark. Last year. the Senate unanimously agreed to legislation striking an appropriate balance between security and liberty. That bill offered an. opportunity to fight terrorism. effectively without giving up\" our rights and freedoms. By contrast. S. 2271 would make minor changes to the PATRIOT Act. and the final result falls well short of the standard set by the Senate legislation. We should insist on real PATRIOT Act reform that protects both our safety and our freedom. Until then. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1217}
{"speech_id":1090111758,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cannot support fig leaf legislation intended to cover up the basic problems of the PATRIOT Act. You not only have to do the right thing. you have to do it in the right way. This act and these amendments do neither.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1217}
{"speech_id":1090111792,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 681. supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week. Engineers have helped make our country great. from their service in the American Revolution to developing key modern industries such as aerospace and energy. I would like to honor and recognize the more than 2 million engineers in the United States and the contributions that they have made to. our country. Engineers combine imagination and creativity with math and science training to solve problems. Engineers in the past have helped us to build boats to cross. the seas. railroads to take us West. and the Internet to communicate with the world. Today. we need the innovative capabilities of engineers to confront the new challenges before us. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090111792,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Engineers will help America develop energy independence. find solutions to confront global climate change. and make our Nation more secure. But there is. a growing concern that America is falling behind other countries when it comes to engineering. U.S. students continue to score below international averages on math and science tests. In 2004. China graduated more than six times the number of engineers that graduated in the United States. The National Academy of Sciences recently released .a report entitled. \"Rising Above the Gathering Storm.\" which raised questions about Americas future technological competitiveness. This report. echoed by President Bush in his State of the Union address. emphasized the need for government to take a number of actions. including addressing the poten-","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090111794,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 681. a resolution recognizing the importance of engineers and supporting National Engineers Week. From the grandest of skyscrapers to microchips and the smallest of medical devices. engineers continue to design and construct products that are vital to our daily lives and our Nations economy. Unfortunately. American students today are losing interest in engineering. The National Academy of Sciences report. \"Rising Above the Gathering Storm.\" notes that. \"after secondary school. fewer U.S. students pursue science and engineering degrees than is the case of students in other countries. About 6% of our undergraduates major in engineering. that percentage is the second lowest among developed countries.\" We need to get American students at all levels back into science and engineering classes. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2222}
{"speech_id":1090111794,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our Nations continued global and economic leadership depends on our ability to inspire the next generation of engineers. H. Res. 681 recognizes and supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week as an important part of educating and btflding a competitive workforce for the 21st century. For example. National Engineers. Week exposes students that might otherwise never - dream of a career in a technical field to opportunities in engineering through programs such as the \"Future City Competition\" (a contest for middle school student teams to design a visionary city) and the \"Global Marathon For. By and About Women in Engineering\" (a 24hour long series of presentations intended to attract young women into the engineering workforce). During this week. students and professionals at all levels will be motivated to explore the vast opportunities open to them in the field of engineering. In conclusion. I would like to thank the National Society for Professional Engineers for its ongoing efforts to educate children and adults about the importance of engineering. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2222}
{"speech_id":1090111794,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would also like to thank Congressman INGLIS and Congressman LIPINSKI for their leadership on this important issue. I ask that you join me in recognizing the importance of engineering in our daily lives and the positive impact of National Engineers Week by voting in favor of H. Res. 681.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2222}
{"speech_id":1090111848,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"probably in his opening remarks talked a little bit about one of the issues that I want him to address in regard to electronic medical records. or health IT. if you will. information technology. I was recently in Antarctica. and I was able to take my American Express card. actually. no. one of my bank cards. and swipe it and get U.S. dollars to buy some souvenirs. But God help me if I had been hit in the head in Antarctica by a snowball and couldnt speak to the doctors. because they wouldnt know a thing about my health care record. I know that Dr. MURPHY and others have taken a leadership role on this particular issue. So I want to just go ahead at this point and begin allowing my colleagues to talk about some of these issues that are so hugely important. Dr. MURPHY has already made some remarks and will speak further about health IT. Dr. MURPHY is on the Energy and Commerce Committee. where the Health Subcommittee does so much work on Medicaid and other issues. as I previously have cochaired the Healthcare Pubic Affairs Team.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1042}
{"speech_id":1090111863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Mr. BOUSTANY so much for being with us this evening and for pointing out the rising cost of health care and what we need to do about it. I particularly appreciate what you said about transparency. In the final few minutes. I am going to talk a little bit about the health savings. accounts that the President has promoted and increased the amount of money that can be put aside. very much like an IRA. but this would be an IRA for health care. Because you are absolutely right. we use the expression. and maybe it is really apropos for health care. skinning the game. They are going to be better consumers. People do a great job shopping for an automobile or an appliance or new flatscreen television set. and they may go to eight different stores. discount big box stores. trying to save an extra fifty bucks on a plasma TV. And people do. that. and I do not blamethem. We can do that in health care. too. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4426}
{"speech_id":1090111863,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think Mr. BOUSTANY is absolutely right. There will be a day when we do have electronic medical records throughout the system. Secretary Leavitt is totally committed to this. and Dr. Brailer. as our good friend Mr. MURPHY said at the outset of the hour. but will also need to be done as everybody is interconnected. every medical office. every clinic. whether it is the size of Mayo or Rochester or whatever. or maybe just a twodoctor shop. everybodys information about their patients is interconnected so that we know what their needs are and also the information that physicians. their pricing information. what does an OB\/GYN typically charge for a routine hysterectomy or delivery or cesarean section. what does a vascular surgeon charge for the procedures that they do. We call those endarterectomies. put in a graft to go around a blocked vessel. What does a general surgeon charge to take out a gallbladder through laparoscopic. or appendix or thyroid? There are more than one.good doctor in each community. I do not know about cardiothoracic surgeons. They are in short supply. but there are lots of us OB\/GYNs and general surgeons that do a good job. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4426}
{"speech_id":1090111863,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People will oneday in the near future. because of what we are doing. the efforts of this Republican majority and this President. who is totally committed to making sure that we continue to have the best health care system in the world. we will see the day that in a secure environment. people can look on a Web site and know exactly what the differences are and shop economically for not the cheapest health care but the bestpriced hearth care and good health care. We talked a little bit at the outset of the health savings account issue. I think that this is a wonderful opportunity. I wanted to show maybe one last poster in regard to that. because we hear a lot of criticism sometimes here on the floor of this Chamber. and sometimes out in the halls and maybe indeed sometimes back home in our districts. say. oh. you know. the health savings account. they are just. here again. something for -the rich. and you Republicans only care about the people that have lots of money. Well. look. Mr. Speaker. at this health savings account. not just for the healthy and wealthy. Seventythree percent of those who have established. and there are about 3 million now and we predict within the next couple of years 10 million. and it is growing rapidly. 73 percent have families with children. Fiftyseven percent of these holding health savings accounts are over age 40. 35 percent are from households with four or more people. 40 percent are high school graduates or have technical school training as the highest level of education. Also. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4426}
{"speech_id":1090111863,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I might say parenthetically. some of these folks are the most successful because they are hardworking and work by the sweat of their brow. 40 percent did not indicate any prior coverage. So this is something for everything. and for those who do not want that. the President has talked about refundable tax credits. to purchase health insurance for an individual. When I say refundable tax credits. I mean somebody that. because they are a lower economic earner and they do not typically pay taxes. they do not get any advantage from a deduction. So we actually give them money. A refundable tax credit means you give them money for the sole purpose of purchasing health insurance. These are some of the things that we wanted to talk about. The gentleman from Louisiana. I would be glad to yield to him for a comment.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4426}
{"speech_id":1090111872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is great to be with you. Mr. ROss. and with my colleagues from the Blue Dogs and our distinguished cochairman. I think this startling information that you have just made known to the American people speaks to the fundamental issue at hand. and it is. in one .word. security. Financial security. We cannot have national security if we do not have financial security. We cannot even have homeland security if we do not have financial security or health care security. Whatever our security is. it is anchored in financial security. With security comes the word \"confidence.\" and you have just shattered that realization by bringing this information to the forefront and revealing how badly we need to restore the confidence of the Ainerican people for this governments ability to handle their financial security. But I will tell you something that really adds and complements what you have brought to the American people tonight. because I have a bit of information that ought to be startling as well. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090111872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we look at this report. as we basically see firsthand that the books have been cooked. so to speak. by this revealing document. which almost doubles the $319 billion deficit. because now we know it is $760 billion deficit by the words of the Treasury Secretary. but let me add this to this important discussion we are having this evening. I do not believe the American people know that this President. President Bush. has borrowed more money from foreign governments in his 5 years than all of the preceding 42 Presidents in the history of this country. I know the American people are shaking their heads and asking. is he saying what I think he is saying? Let me repeat it. President Bush has borrowed more money from foreign governments in his 5 years. since 2000. since he first took office. than all of the preceding 42 Presidents from 1789 to 2000. 211 years. Here are the figures. From 1789 to the year 2000 of our Nations history. 42 U.S. Presidents borrowed a combined $1.01 trillion from foreign governments and foreign financial institutions. according to the Treasury Department. And now. just in the last 5 years. President Bush has borrowed a staggering $1.05 trillion. larger than thb total from all the previous 42 Presidents. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090111872,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If that does not tell you we have a crisis here. I do not know what does. And you combine that with this information that our cochairman has brought to us about how the books were cooked. and. in fact. according to the more accurate accounting procedure. it is more than $760 billion. It is remarkable. It is phenomenal. The American people deserve the truth. We have got to give it to them because. as the Bible says. you should know the truth. It is the truth that will set you free. We are going to set America free tonight.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2775}
{"speech_id":1090111883,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. it takes a lot of skill for this administration. this Republicanled Congress. to give us the largest budget deficit ever in our Nations history while also managing to cut all the programs that matter to people at the same time. How do they do that? By tacking on tax cut after tax cut. Following us this evening. I am pretty confident that the other side will show up. which I think probably is an indication that we are making progress here in getting our message out about trying to restore some fiscal discipline and common sense to our Nations government. and they will probably talk about how we had an opportunity to cut. to cut. $40 billion in spending and how we voted against it. But what they will not tell you is that it was $40 billion in cuts to the most vulnerable people in our society. Medicaid. eight out of 10 seniors in Arkansas are on Medicaid. One out of five people in Arkansas are on Medicaid. Cuts to Medicaid. cuts to student loans to the tune of $40 billion. followed by what are we doing this week and next week? About $90 billion in additional tax cuts for those earning over $400.000 a year. I wasnt real good at math back in high school or college. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1674}
{"speech_id":1090111883,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. but the last time I checked. $90 billion in tax cuts from borrowed money because we dont have a surplus and $40 billion in cuts from the poor. the disabled. elderly and college students equals $50 billion in new spending. Only in Washington would you entitle a bill that increases the national debt by $50 billion the Deficit Reduction Act. Yet that is exactly what we will probably hear more about tonight. just as we did last week. I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee-.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1674}
{"speech_id":1090111892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman is so right in his assessments. We do need to be borrowing money from foreign central banks and foreign investors. And. in fact. I believe it should be an American company that manages our ports. And with the cuts. we know what has happened in terms of our country becoming way too dependent on foreign oil. And yet. if we are not careful with the proposed cuts to agriculture. we are going to become dependent on foreign countries like Brazil for our food and fiber. Let me tell you. Mr. Speaker. I submit to you that having a safe dnd reliable source for food and fiber here at home from Americas farm families is every bit as much critical to our national security as oil is. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2040}
{"speech_id":1090111892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. the gentleman from Georgia made some good points. And. you know. this is not partisan debate. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It may be the first time in 50 years the Republicans have controlled the White House. House and Senate. It may be the Republican leadership that has given us the largest budget deficit ever in our Nations history for the sixth year in a row. But it is not a Democrat or Republican issue. it is an American issue. because this debt. this reckless spending. affects all of us as citizens of this country and as taxpayers. And. Mr. Speaker. we are all citizens of this country. first and foremost. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2040}
{"speech_id":1090111892,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But to validate what the gentleman from Georgia is saying. again I quote from David Walker.. the Comptroller General of the United States of America. found on page 28 of the Financial Report of the United States Government for 2005. \".Continuing on this unsustainable path will gradually erode. if not suddenly damage our economy. our standard of living. and ultimately our national security.\" He goes on to say. \"More troubling still. the Federal Governments financial condition and longterm fiscal outlook is continuing to deteriorate.\" And I cannot thank the gentleman from Tennessee enough for making the people of this country aware of this littleknown document. *I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2040}
{"speech_id":1090111893,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. you know the 9\/11 Commission did a great job in their report. It became a best seller. It was in bookstores all over America. because everybody in America wanted to find out what really happened on that terrible day. You know. this is a lot like the 9\/11 Commission report. because it is very readable. and it needs to be in every bookstore. in America. And yet hardly anyone in Congress has seen it. hardly anyone in the Senate has seen it. Everybody needs to read this document. because it is the annual report for America. .It reveals the terrible truth that the real 2005 fiscal deficit for America was not $319 billion. it was $760 billion. And every living American worker already today owes $375.000 apiece. That is what this document says. It. is not thick. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1343}
{"speech_id":1090111893,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you do not find it in the bookstore yet. and it will be months probably before that happens. take it off the Web site. Look . at the BlueDogDemocrats.dot.com. If you do not trust our Web site. go to www.gao.gov. that is the Government Accountability Office. or download it from the U.S. Treasury Web site. But this is a truly startling and amazing document. and hardly anybody even knows it exists. So I encourage folks not to take our word for it. go look at it yourself and see what you think about the fiscal finances of our country after you read this book.","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1343}
{"speech_id":1090111915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe President Bush was in office then. In May of 2003. the debt limit was increased by another $984 billion. with a B. In November of 2004. the year of the election. $800 billion. We have a $781 billion increase pending now. with a total increase of $3.015 trillion. When President Clinton was in office. I was in the State legislature then. for a time until you were elected to Congress you were too. we had a system in place called PAYGO. payasyougo. which it is my understanding is similar to the way people prefer in America to run their households.- where you do not spend money that you dont have. unlike what is going on under the Republican leadership where they appear to enjoy spending like drunken sailors and \"no\" doesnt appear to be possible under this administration. unless. of course. it is to talk about continuing tax cuts for the wealthiest. We say. \"yes\" to that. We say \"yes\" to anything politically that they want to advance. The \"no\" is to people who cant afford health care. cutting Medicaid. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6774}
{"speech_id":1090111915,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The \"no\" that they propose to say is to people who are struggling to pay for higher education. So. if we went back to PAYGO rules. which we have proposed time and again and they have rejected. time and again. then we would be again in a situation where it wouldnt be necessary to increase the debt limit because we would be only spending money that we have. Here is another third party validator. 2006. in this budget resolution. of course it was defeated. 228 Republicans voted against it. it was defeated 264165 when we proposed to return to the payasyougo rules. Then again last year. it was defeated 232194 and 224 Republicans voted against it. So. to me to break this down in more simple terms. because PAYGO and billions and trillions and debt limit is something that if you are not dealing with it on a daily basis.it is somewhat difficult to understand. one of the things we like to do here is break things down for people that may be listening into regular terms. into the things that they deal with every day. .So.I thought. Mr. Speaker. it would be a good idea. because a billion is a very big number. a billion is a hard concept to grasp. because mostpeople dont deal in the billions when they are dealing with their everyday normal activity. so lets try todefine what a billion is in the way that people think about things in their daily life. Broken down. a billion hours ago. for example. humans were making their first tools. in the stone age. That is how much a billion hours ago was. if you are thinking about what a billion means. Lets think about what happened a billion seconds ago. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6774}
{"speech_id":1090111915,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A billion seconds ago it was 1975 and the last American troops had just pulled out of Vietnam. That is how big a billion is. We are in 2006. That was 30 years. 31 years ago. A billion minutes ago it was 104 A.D.. Mr. Speaker. and the Chinese first invented paper. That is how long ago it was. if you think about a billion in terms of minutes. Then a billion dollars ago. under this administration and under the Republican leadership. a billion dollars ago was only 3 hours and 32 minutes at the rate that the administration and this Republican Congress spends money. So we have a billion hours ago. it was the stone age. a billion seconds ago. it was 31 years ago. a billion minutes ago. it was 104 A.D. and we were first talking about the invention of paper. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6774}
{"speech_id":1090111915,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But under the Republican leadership and this administration. a billion. dollars ago was only 3 hours 3Z minutes at the rate of spending under this administration and the Congressional leadership. It is just astonishing. it really is. if you think about it. broken down in this way. All the American people want is their confidence restored. All they want to see is that the people here in this Chamber are using their heads and applying some common sense and thinking about the budget and the money that we spend in the way they would like to think about their own household budget. spending the money that we have. spending it wisely. spending it on things that they care about. not giving away the store. which unfortunately.- it appears to be the direction that we have been going in. We are giving away the store in so many ways. Like the port deal. for example. We represent Miami. both of us. I represent Fort Lauderdale. I have both Port Everglades and the port of Miami abutting my district. I went down to the port of Miami. you and I have both been there. it is one of the six ports that the Dubai Ports World deal impacts. and for the people that I have talked to in our community and the calls and communications I have been getting. -it defies logic. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6774}
{"speech_id":1090111915,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They really just cannot believe that the President does not understand why people are so deeply concerned that we would have a foreign governmentowned c6rporation running the terminal oberations at six of our major ports. This is not just any government. this is a government that just 5 years ago was involved directly. indirectly. in both tangential and more substantive ways in the 9\/11 attacks. fl 2310 There were 58 references in the 9\/11 Commission Report to the United Arab Emirates and their involvement. either through allowing the 9\/11 financing to be funneled .through their banks. or just the fact that two of the 9\/11 terrorists lived in the United Arab Emirates. But the astonishing thing is that there were no national security reviews triggered under the law when the administrations committee that reviewed these deals took a look at it. There were no alarm bells set off. And that is even more astonishing because it is not even like we are checking the Vast majority of containers.and goods that come through our ports. Less than 6 percent. if you. take a look at this chart. less than 6 percent of U.S. cargo coming through our ports is physically inspected. Mr. Speaker. Ninetyfive percent is not inspected. 5 percent is inspected. And that is in spite of the fact that Democrats have repeatedly proposed increasing the funding so .that we can ensure more of the cargo coming through our ports is inspected. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6774}
{"speech_id":1090111919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The question. Mr. Speaker here is. does the Republican majority have the will and the desire to make the kind of change we need to take or make to protect this country? The will and the desire. Now. the will may be there. but the desire is questionable. And I think it is important. because there are other priorities that .the Republican majority. and I would say some of them join in with some of us DAmocrats. very few. unfortunately. it is in the single digits. because we are not able to promote some of things that we need to promote. to protect this country. Now over the weekend. there were a lot of pundits out there talking about. wow. you know. this thing may very well change. this thing meaning the U.S. House of Representatives. the U.S. Senate. because the Republican majority. Mr. Speaker. has fumbled the ball time after time again. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5318}
{"speech_id":1090111919,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since this is now NCAA time. they have lost the ball when they were supposed to shoot a shot on behalf of protecting this country. The other team is taking it the other way. I think it is important to get in the spirit. We have to break this thing down so that we all understand. Some people say we need to put the cookie on the bottom shelf so that everyone canreach. I think it is important. I am using a metaphor. but I think It is important that everyone understands. Folks are wondering why we are alarmed. Now I can tell you. I speak here with great confidence. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5318}
{"speech_id":1090111919,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. because I have the facts here not fiction. I think it is important. Mr. RYAN. that we share. with people that on January 29. 2005. during a meeting of the House and Senate conferees. our ranking Member on Appropriations. Mr. OBEY. offered. along with Senator BYRD. one of the as you can see. So as Mr. MEEK is going longestserving. Senators over in the to start reading this stuff. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5318}
{"speech_id":1090111919,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. SpeakSenate. offered an amendment to in- er. this is billions. crease funding for port and container Democrats were trying to put amend: security by $300 million. ments on that were like $150 million. The house conferees defeated the We are not even trying to increase it amendment along party lines. When we all that much. But we are saying we say along party lines. I want to make tried a billion. We tried $500 million. sure the Members understand. That [] 2320 means Republicans voted one way against that. increasing the funding so Mr. MEEK of Florida. We are trying that we can be able to do what was to work in a bipartisan way. said. secure the containers more. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5318}
{"speech_id":1090111919,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. There Can we get that container chart up is a $6 billion gap between what the here. because I want to make sure. just Coast Guard says they need and what in case the Republican majority. some the Republican Congress appropriated. of the Members have their television Mr. RYAN of Ohio. You are making a turned down. that they are able to see strong point here. Mr. MEEK. what we are talking about. Because I Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5318}
{"speech_id":1090111922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I now. because on this subject. Mr. just want to make a point here. The Speaker. we have been on top of it. The last chart that we had up said that the record speaks for itself. Fiscal responCoast Guard is saying they need a $7 sibility: we have been on top of it. On billion increase in -funding. Now you securing America: we have been on top are reading these amendments. of it. On innovation: there is not an","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":424}
{"speech_id":1090111945,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. www. House Democrats.gov\/ 30something. That is www.HouseDemocrats.gov\/ 30something. Members of Congress can go to this Web site and access all of the charts. see our thirdparty validators. and see why we are so alarmed at what is going on here in our Nations capital. I yield to my good friend. Mr. MEEK.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":317}
{"speech_id":1090112069,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. my colleague from Delaware has asked to be recognized. Before he does that. I am going to send a modificationan amendment on behalf of myself. Senator SANTORUM. and Senator OBAMA to the desk and ask for a modification to be accepted of that amendment. I ask unanimous consent to temporarily lay aside the Reid amendment for purposes of considering this amendment and then we will go right back to the Reid amendment.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":431}
{"speech_id":1090112110,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise briefly to support the amendment offered by Senator REID. I also support the amendment that was introduced by Senator DODD and Senator SANTORUM. of which I am a cosponsor. But let me focus on the particular provision in Senator REID:s bill. the honest leadership bill. that I think all of us should pay attention to. and that is the provision which closes a loophole that would still allow Members and staff to receive free meals from lobbyists up to $50 in value. On my way over to the floor. I passed a couple of security guards and Capitol police. I asked them how often lobbyists had bought them a meal. Surprisingly. they said none. I talked to the young women who help us on the elevators on the way up. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2593}
{"speech_id":1090112110,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I asked them: Has a lobbyist ever bought you a meal? The answer was \"no.\" In cities and towns all across America. it turns out people pay for their own lunches and their own dinners. people who make far less than we do. people who cannot afford their medical bills or their mortgages or their kids tuitions. If you ask them if they think that people they send to Congress should be able torack up a $50 meal on a lobbyists time. what do you think they are going to say? You ask them if they think we should be able to feast on a free steak dinner at a fancy restaurant while they are wbrking two jobs to put food .on the table. I dont think we need a poll to find out the answer to that one. I want to be clear. In no way do I think that any of my colleagues or staffers would exchange votes for a meal. But that is not the point. It is not just the meal that is the problem. it is the perception. the access that the meals get you. In current Washington culture. lobbyists are expected to pick up the tab when they meet with Members or staff. It is understood by all sides that the best way to get face time with a Member is to buy them a meal. You. dont see many Members eating $50 meals with constituents who- come into town to talk about issues on their minds. or with policy experts who are discussing the latest economic theories. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2593}
{"speech_id":1090112110,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most of these meals that are taken are .with lobbyists who are advocating on behalf of special interests. It diminishes perceptions. and it is something that I think has to stop. Let me close by saying this. If people are interested in meeting with lobbyists or having dinner with lobbyists. they can still do so. It is very simple. You pull out your wallet and pay for it. I strongly urge we support the Reid amendment. In addition. I strongly support the DoddSantorum amendment. of which I am a cosponsor. I yield my time.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2593}
{"speech_id":1090112144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Costofliving increases. If we could see the amendment. I will be gladlet me start and then he may offer that. I ask unanimous consent that our colleague from Arizona. Senator MCCAIN. and Senator LIEBERMAN be added as cosponsors to the SantorumDoddObama amendment. I believe that is what my colleaguewas interested in being heard on.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":332}
{"speech_id":1090112156,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my colleague would withhold. maybe we can temporarily set this aside if Senator INHOFE wanted to go forward with his amendment. He can explain his amendment. If the Senator would withhold a minute. Madam President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090112170,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. this amendment is very simple. I have always felt that the greatest single hypocrisy every year is when Members come up and vote to exempt Members of Congress from a costofliving increase. The hypocrisy comes in when all the press releases hit the home State and they talk about how great this is. saying they are great reformers and then. of course. it is defeated and they end up taking the increase anyway. Basically. what thi s does is say if you vote in favor of an increase by voting against an exemption of Congress. then you are not entitled to the increase. It is as simple as that. I say this. too: I love the Kennedys and the Rockefellers. but I dont think you should have to be a Kennedy or a Rockefeller to serve in this body. I can think of many people. such as Senator Dan Coats--Democrats . and Republicans alike would hold him up and say there is a guy who was an outstanding Member and he had to quit because of his kids getting up to college age. and he knew he would be able to make. enough money to send them to school outside of serving in the Senate. If there is ever any transparency in stopping hypocrisy. that is what this would be. I am glad to have this in the mix. and when the appropriate time comes. I will call for a vote. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090112170,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It doesnt necessarily hrave to be a rollcall vote. I will leave that up to the leadership. With that. I yield the floor..","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090112172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank my colleague for his patience this morning. He has been here a long time. He had several amendments he wanted to offer. Again. having been here as many years as I have been. I have voted for and against costofliving increases. deliending on whether I thought they were appropriate. Many times I voted for them and other colleagues voted against them. To their credit. some of our affluent Members have voted for pay increases when they clearly could have avoided it. I mention my colleague from Massachusetts. I know in my experience here. on every occasionthere may be some exceptionhe has voted for them when he believed pay increases were warranted. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1551}
{"speech_id":1090112172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even though he may not have needed it himself. he understands that not everybody is equal when it comes to financial situations. I havehad those feelings myself. I voted against these pay increases and then having blinked when it comes to taking the pay increase. If you feel that Strongly about it and you think it is the wrong thing to do. nothing prohibits .you from turning- in your pay increase. You can write a check to the Department of Treasury and they will accept your check. People leave in their wills their hardearned dollars to the Federal Government. On several occasions I have read that people have actually done that. Nothing- prohibits Members from doing that. So I am very moved by what my colleague from Oklahoma is saying. and we may want to wait until we have disposed of the Reid amendment so you can talk to colleagues as to how they feel about it.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1551}
{"speech_id":1090112219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. is the Senator from Louisigna speaking on the same issue? If you would defer. Senator JNHOFE has become one of the lead cosponsors of this amendment. I think you would probably like to be heard in sequence. Then the floor would be open for questions.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":265}
{"speech_id":1090112220,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at this point. after the Senator from Oklahoma has spoken. it would be my intention to very briefly wrap up the case for the WydenGrassleyInhofe amendment. We would yield our time at -that point. and we are going to ask for a recorded vofe.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090112270,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the FiveSeven handgun. manufactured by the Belgian firearms company FN Herstal. was reportedly designed. to provide military and law enforcement personnel with a small. lightweight. and accurate pistol that was powerful enough to kill or seriously injure enemies wearing body armor. A January 2000 cover article in the popular American Handgunner magazine profiled the handgun and predicted that. for obvious reasons. \"neither the gun nor the ammunition will ever be sold to civilians.\" Unfortunately. the American Handgunner article was wrong and FN Herstal made the FiveSeven pistol available to private buyers in 2004. These highpowered firearms clearly have no sporting purpose and pose a great threat to the lives of our law enforcement officers According to the FN Herstal website. the FiveSeven weighs less than 2 pounds fully loaded and measures only 8.2 inches in length. making it easily concealable. A statement which previously appeared on the website boasted \"Enemy personnel. even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters. Kevlar helmets and vests as well as the CRISAT protection will be penetrated.\" This statement has since been removed. Ballistics tests conducted by the American Handgunner for their January 2000 article provided evidence of the armorpiercing capabilities of the FiveSeven pistol. In the tests. ammunition fired by the FiveSeven successfully pierced level IA Kevlar body armor and penetrated 6 inches into ballistics testing gelatin behind it. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. level HA Kevlar body armor is the kind commonly worn by law enforcement officers. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3785}
{"speech_id":1090112270,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The already lethal nature of the FiveSeven handgun was amplified when Congress failed to renew the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. allowing it to expire on September 14. 2004. Among other things. Congresss inaction resulted in the legalization of previously banned highcapacity magazines. including the 20 round clip currently sold with the FiveSeven. The law enforcement community is rightfully concerned about the FiveSevens ability to kill law enforcement personnel. even while they are wearing protective body armor. Last year. a coalition of law enforcement groups including the International Association of Chiefs of Police. the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives issued a warning to their members about the threat posed by FiveSeven handguns. Bernard Thompson. director of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. warned regarding the FiveSeven: No one is safe from a weapon like this. Police body armor wont offer protection if a criminal has this pistol. In addition. the legislative director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. Steve Lenkhart. called the FiveSeven \"an assault rifle that fits in your pocket.\" In response to concerns raised by law enforcement officials and others. Senator LAUTENBERG. introduced the Protect Law Enforcement Armor Act on March 3. 2005. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3785}
{"speech_id":1090112270,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Among other things. this legislation would prohibit the sale of the FiveSeven pistol and its ammunition to private buyers in the U.S. Unfortunately. despite the continuing threat posed by this highpowered pistol to our law enforcement officers. Senator LAUTENBERGS legislation has yet to receive any consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee in the year since it was introduced. We should not ignore the concerns of our law enforcement officers with regard to the FiveSeven pistol and other militarystyle firearms. Congress should take up and pass commonsense legislation banning the sale of these. dangerous weapons because of the threat they pose to the safety of our communities and those who work so hard each day to protect them.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3785}
{"speech_id":1090112328,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights. a group of mostly elitist east coast universities and law schools. moaned and groaned all the way to the Supreme Court. claiming they should not be forced to allow United States military recruiters on their campuses in order to keep their Federal funding. Monday the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against their ridiculous rant. In a time when our Americans in uniform are fighting a global war on terror. these arrogant elitist intellectuals are making a mockery of national defense by not allowing recruiters in their historic halls. These schools willingly take billions in Federal dollars. but reject the military that protects them. At Yale University. officials are actually willing to accept a foreign student that served as spokesman and former diplomat for the Taliban. It is a shameful and sad day when Americans willing to risk their lives for their country are kept off their campus. but an alleged former terrorist operative is welcomed with open arms. At least the Supreme Court got it right this time. Unfortunately. Yale University did not. Thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1147}
{"speech_id":1090112332,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the front page of Mondays Washington Post barried a heartwrenching- story about sex trafficking in the Washington. D.C.. area. The story detailed unspeakable tragedies. including the story of a 14yearold girl forced into sexual servitude in order to meet her pimps demand of earning him .$500 a night at $50 per sex act. Oddly enough. that wasnt the only frontpage story Monday that mentioned pimps. Right above that story. The Post also reported that the song \"Its Hard Out Here for a Pimp\" was honored with an Oscar this year for being the best original song in a movie. Should we really be shocked to read of the sexual horrors taking place on our streets when our most popular cultural awards show is handing out awards for songs that glorify prostitution and sexual violence? This is outrageous and disgusting. Music that glorifies the men responsible for such atrocities. like exploitation of women and children. should be condemned. not celebrated with an Oscar.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":984}
{"speech_id":1090112345,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it has to be said. now that we are going to consider another budget. that this has been the most irresponsible fiscal management of the Federal budget that we have ever seen in our Nations history. When you consider the fact that of all the 42 Presidents that preceded this President. if you added all of the debt that was bought by foreign nations. none of it comes close to the amount of money that we have now borrowed from foreign nations. almost half of our debt. China. particularly in the last 5. years. has increased their debt holdings of American securities by 300 percent. But beyond that. when you look at who have been the beneficiaries. you see that there has been smaller job creation in this administration than in any Presidential administration since the days of Herbert Hoover. who experienced. of course. the Great Depression. Madam Speaker. we need to change this budget around. and not in the direction that the majority wanlts us to turn. Madam Speaker. it has to be said. now that we are going to consider another budget. that this has been the most irresponsible fiscal management of the Federal budget that we have ever seen in our Nations history. . When you consider the fact that of all the 42 Presidents that preceded this President. if you added up all the money borrowed from foreign countries it is cumulatively less than the amount of money that this President on his own has borrowed from foreign nations. almost half of our outstanding -debt is now held by foreign countriesyou have to reach that conclusion. China. particularly in the last 5 years. has increased their debt holdings of American securities by 300 percent. But beyond that. when you look at who have been the beneficiaries of this national indebtedness. you see that it is not the working class..There has been Smaller job creation in this administration than in any Presidential administration since the days of Herbert Hoover. who presided. of course. over the Great Depression. The beneficiaries of this indebtedness has been the leisure class through tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2219}
{"speech_id":1090112345,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we need to change this budget around. and not in the direction that the President and the majority of this Congress wants.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2219}
{"speech_id":1090112351,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within This bill renames the Bureau of Reclamations pumping- plant in Tracy. California. as the C.W. \"Bill\" Jones Pumping Plant. Mr. Jones was a legendary water leader in California for decades. He was appointed to the State water commission in 1968 by Governor Ronald Reagan. and served as director of the Firebaugh Canal Company for over 40 years. and as president of the DeltaMendota Water Authority for over 20 years. Throughout these years. Bill Jones was directly involved with the Central Valley Project. and I believe it is fitting that a major unit in this project be nahned in his honor. After his passing in 2003. the California water community pursued this legislation with the blessing- of the Jones family. to pay tribute to his longstanding work on California water issues. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090112351,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan .bill. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090112457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman and include my statement for the RECORD: I want to thank the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Mr. SENSENBRENNER. for bringing this bill to the House today. It is an important bill that will help protect children and our communitys safety. One section of this package includes H.R. 4894. legislation I introduced. that will provide our school districts with another tool- in their extraordinary efforts to bring highly qualified staff to our classrooms and schools.. By providing our school districts with direct access to criminal information records. we can help ensure timely and complete information on prospective school employees. This provision will allow local and state educational agencies to access national criminal information databases and will ensure that schools have the information they need when hiring teachers entrusted with our children and our classrooms. Teachers are unparalleled in the role they play in childrens lives. Most teachers uphold the highest standards of conduct. and they deserve the trust they haveearned in educating our children. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2324}
{"speech_id":1090112457,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. particularly in rapidlygrowing communities. a lack of good information may leave schools vulnerable and could endanger our students. This is a common sense opportunity to give states and local schools the tools they need to ensure safety in our schools. This package also includes legislation I introduced. H.R. 4732. The Sergeant Henry Prendes Memorial Act of 2006. This legislation states that whoever kills. or attempts to kill or conspires to kill. a federally funded public safety officer while that officer is engaged in official duties. ghall be imprisoned for no less than 30 years. or life. or. if death results may be sentenced to death. A public safety officer in this legislation means an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity. as a judicial officer. law enforcement officer. firefighter. chaplain. or as a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew. This is a common sense legislative package that will help keep our children and those who protect our communities safe. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and. again. applaud the Chairman for his leadership on the underlying legislation. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2324}
{"speech_id":1090112457,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. insert the following article on Sergeant Prendes into the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2324}
{"speech_id":1090112459,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to add my strong voice today in support of H.R. 4472. the Childrens Safety and Vi6lent Crime Reduction Act of 2005. I also want to thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER for his solid effort in making sure that this House is once again on record in working to protect our children and our families. I am pleased that an amendment that I offered to the original legislation last year. which was adopted with a unanimous vote. is included once again in todays final bill. My amendment requires the GAO to study the feasibility of implementing on a nationwide basis a tough annual drivers license registration requirement that my home State of Nevada has imposed on sex offenders. Just last month. it was reported that there are almost.2.000 convicted sex offenders living in Nevada thatare out of compliance with these registration requirements. Something must be done to fix this problem. It is nationwide. This bill takes a hugq step forward in protecting the most vulnerable among us. our children. 0l 1145 I strongly urge my colleagues .to support this critical bill and send a message to all thatpreying on our children will not be tolerated anytime. anywhere.","speaker_name":"JAMES GIBBONS","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1173}
{"speech_id":1090112465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the chairman for making sure that our children are safer. The days of child predators playing hide and seek are over in this country. No longer will they be able to hide in our communities and seek out our children as their prey. The national registration in this bill will help protect our children so that when child molesters leave our penitentiaries and move about from State to State. we will be able to keep up with them. As many Members of the House. I am the parent of four children. three grandchildren and twd on the way. I have met with parents who have lost their children to child predators who left penitentiaries and preyed against them. Mark Lunsford and Marc Klaas both came to Washington to talk about the loss of their children to these criminals. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1109}
{"speech_id":1090112465,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to have a response. and the first duty of government. which is to protect the public and to protect our childrei. is the greatest cause that we can be involved in. As a member of the Victims Rights Caucus that was started with KATHERINE HARRIS and JIM COSTA. we support these efforts and applaud this act.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1109}
{"speech_id":1090112469,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 4472. the Childrens Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act. Once again. this Congress is attempting to address. very serious and complicated problems with a law that substitutes the talking points of \"tough on crime\" politicians for the wisdom of judges. prosecutors. treatment professionals and child advocates. As a father and someone who has fought for better foster care. education. and health care for children. I object to this illconceived legislation that is as much an attack on our independent judiciary as it is a bill to protect kids. Many child advocates themselves oppose this bill because kids in grade school or junior high will be swept up alongside paroled adults in sex offender registries. Many caught in registries would be 13 and 14 year olds. In some states. children 10 and under would be registered. This bill creates new mandatory minimum sentences. which impose the judgment of Congress over every case. regardless of the circumstances. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2868}
{"speech_id":1090112469,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Judicial Conference of the United States and the U.S. Sentencing Commission have found that mandatory minimums actually have the opposite of their intended effect. They \"destroy honesty in sentencing by encouraging plea bargains.\" They treat dissimilar offenders in a similar nianner. even though there are vast differences in the seriousness of their conduct and their danger to society. Judges serve a very important role in criminal justice. and Congress should not attempt to do their job for them. Finally. this bill expands the death penalty. which is not a deterrent. costs more to implement than life imprisonment. and runs the risk of executing the innocent. Nobody. especially the parents and victims of sexual abuse who have contacted me on this issue. should confuse my objections to this bad policy with indifference to the problem of child sex abuse in this country. It is a huge problem. affecting millions of American children. Recent news stories prove that the registry system isnt working well. I support aspects of this bill. including a strengthened nationwide registry for pedophiles. with strict requirements for reporting changes of address .and punishments for failing to report. I support establishing treatment programs for sex offenders in prison. background checks for foster parents. funding for computer systems to track sex crimes in.volving the Internet. and. at last resort. procedures for committing sexually dangerous persons to secure treatment facilities. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2868}
{"speech_id":1090112469,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. I cannot violate my Constitutional duty to protect our independent judiciary nor can I support extreme. dangerous policies. so I will vote against this bill. I hope that. working with the Senate. we can improve this legislation and implement the policies that everyone agrees are needed without the unintended consequences of the bill in its current form.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2868}
{"speech_id":1090112489,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill and particularly to congratulate the gentleman from Pennsylvania . who is its primary sponsor and who has carefully shepherded it forward at a very sensitive time in U.S.-Ukrainian relations. Mr. Speaker. I strongly support this bill especially when taken in tandem with economic and political reforms made by the Ukraine. as well as the efforts of our negotiators to put together a solid WTO market access agreement. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of passage of this bill on the heels of the other body passing a similar measure under unanimous consent. Just 2 days ago an agreement on market access was signed between the U.S. and the Ukraine. This. agreement is an excellent start to fostering a continued growth between our two countries. We recognize that some frictions remain. but this agreement. along with the Ukraines accession to the WTO. will better enable us to resolve these frictions expeditiously. and in a mutually beneficial manner. ","speaker_name":"PHILIP ENGLISH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1647}
{"speech_id":1090112489,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Granting permanent normal trade relations. along with steps already taken to make government loan guarantees from the ExportImport Bank available to U.S. exporters to the Ukraine. will significantly increase U.S. investment in the Ukraine. Granting the Ukraine permanent normal trade relations status will not only complement the difficult economic reforms that have been made. It will also support and reinforce the democratic reforms. being made by President Yushchenko. \u0095 It is vital that Congress move forward and reaffirm our commitment to the Ukraine. to its reforms. both democratic and economic. Mr. Speaker. I urge passage of this bill.","speaker_name":"PHILIP ENGLISH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1647}
{"speech_id":1090112560,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the Democratic motion to instruct conferees. You know. I voted for a bill that will strengthen pension plan funding. I want pension plans to have the right amount of money. to pay benefits as promised. It is crazy to require overfunding. but it is also crazy to allow more time for them to recover. I mean. if. in fact. those plans were well managed. as the gentleman just said. we wouldnt be in this fix we are in. Too many. companies make bigger promises than- they can pay for. and they dump their underfunded pension plans on the PBGC. We are facing an ocean of red ink at the PBGC. and we need to be sure that companies put their money where their mouth is. ","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090112560,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think that since we marked up our bill. we have heard from many sources that some of the bill needs to be modified in conference. We need to go to conference without restrictions. We need to be able to negotiate with our dolleagues from the Senate to get a great bill signed into law. This Democrat motion would weaken the House bill. and I cant support pretending that plans arent healthy. We need to be very clear with the pension plan sponsors and employees who are expecting benefits out of these plans there needs to be adequate funding to make good on the private promises. Unfortunately. fewer Americans every year are lucky enough to have one of these defined benefit plans. We are backed up by the Federal Government. We need to strike the rikht balance in pension funding rules so that the correct ainount of money is there to pay benefits. The House bill is pretty close to the right answer. We should oppose the Democrat motion to undermine the good work of this House that was. passed by a vote of 294 Members. and let us work with the Senate for a great bill.","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090112564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is yet another example of the government under this majority in the House. and the Senate and the Republican White House of failing to live up to its role to protect the American people from circumstances beyond their control. We have troops over in Afghanistan and Iraq that are not protected in the manner in which they should be protected. We have people down in Louisiana and Mississippi and other areas affected by the storm. Katrina. who are not getting the attention and the protection that they deserve and their situation warrants: Here we have a failure of the government to step forward and to protect the American working family. who has paid into pension funds. expected them to be protected. expected something to be there after 20. 25 or 30 years of work and contributing to these funds. only to find out that management people. CEOs. whlk into bankruptcy court and somehow wipe out the workers interest while they end up with golden parachutes and protection for benefits once they come out of bankruptcy. Mr. Speaker. Mr. MILLER and I and others have been fighting this issue for the working people for some time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090112564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In committee we offered an amendment that would allow the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. that corporation. an entity which would protect workers. We wanted that to intervene earlier to be able to work with companies to make sure that they first exhausted all of their possible remedies by permitting them to terminate plans and go into bankruptcy only after they had done that. We presented a substitute for this bill. but we werent allowed to have a vote on it. Our colleagues in the majority. I think. speculate or wera. afraid that Members of their party would have joined in this motion. because it would have improved the bill. Companies should first have to exhaust every possible remedy to create financing and be creative in order to save and restore pensions before they are allowed to go into bankruptcy court and wipe them out while enhancing the position of the CEOs and other management people. fl 1345 We are fighting here. Mr. Speaker. to protect the retirement security of American families. We are protecting benefits of airline employees and seeking to encourage retirement savings. Both the Congressional Budget Office and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation say that H.R. 2830 would actually add to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporations deficit. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090112564,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They say the bill would actually chase companies out of the defined benefit system. that traditional benefit system that people have come to rely on. and it would leave workers with fewer choices actually than the plans for retirement that they have now. .This - motion to instruct conferees would at least address some of those issues. Mr. Speaker. It would protect the pension benefits of airline employees by asking to support the Senate provision. to keep American and Conti: nental and Delta and Northwest from terminating their plans at the expense of employees and taxpayers. giving them additional time to actually work on their plans. It would support the Senate provision to provide full Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation retirement protections for pilots that are forced to retire at age 60. As Mr. MILLER says. they are getting a doublewhammy now. and they should not have to face that situation. The motion would also make permanent the Saver Tax Credit. urging conferees to accept the House provision for the credit that provides a matching. contribution for low- and moderateincome workers. and make sure that that provision. which is used now by 5.3 million people both in 2002 and 2003. to continue on. and support the House provisions to split the tax. refund for automatic forwarding to a retirement account and to provide for the protection of traditional plans. dropping new funding provisions in either the House or Senate bill that would encourage companies to terminate or freeze. Mr. Speaker. all those things are necessary to improve this bill. and I ask for support for the Miller amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4052}
{"speech_id":1090112570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would feel a whole lot better about this debate if it were being carried out in 0tober or November and we had a chance to actually make some permanent changes in pension law prior to the first of the year. We are now in March. Frankly. we have been very lucky that the real world hasnt reacted in a way that would make our job even that much more difficult. The gentleman from New Jersey. in his usually scholarly fashion. has laid out what we ought to do. I would like to remind the gentleman that the House bill contains the Savers Credit. We put it in. We obviously support the Savers Credit. Why there is a need now to reaffirm the fact that we support the Savers Credit is beyond me.. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3228}
{"speech_id":1090112570,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The House has voted for it. It is the House position. Do you need to then put another nail in it? But. interestingly. you only .mentioned that. You didnt mention the other really good provisions that are in there. I think they all should be given equal weight and we should support it. In terms of the airlines. the House bill is silent on airlines. I think that is. frankly. the smartest position we should be in. Do you think that based upon the conferee. the gentleman from Michigans statement. that we arent vitally concerned about airlines? I think what we ought not to do is to begin drawing lines in the sand. And. by the way. they arent even lines in the sand. because this particular bill has no bearing of any meaning to the conferees. It is basically a political statementon the part of the minority in which they wish to select certain provisions and highlight those over others. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3228}
{"speech_id":1090112570,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You have every right to offer it. we have every responsibility to reject it. because it means then other provisions that you chose not to pick. which you were not successful on. should not be dealt with in conference. and that isnt the way the world works. The majority will carry forward. not just the Savers Credit. but the other good components in the bill. You can be assured that we are very. very concerned about airlines. We are so concerned that we didnt spend time spinning our wheels on the floor trying to determine who should be rewarded and who should not. We are going in there with total flexibility to try to solve the problem. and we will do the best we can to address the problem. I will just have to tell you that to the degree we play political games. as indicated by the gentleman from Massachusetts speech in terms of class warfare. once again we may run the chance of failing in the conference. We cannot afford that chance. And if we are successful in conference. we are going to have to convince the administration to sign the bill. This is the time to be prudent. to. turn down that wick of partisan rhetoric. get serious about trying to begin to solve an institutional. demographic. and economic structural problem. I want to go to conference with maximum flexibility in taking the House position and solving the other problems that need to be solved. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3228}
{"speech_id":1090112570,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Please. You have every right to offer it. We should reject it. Let us get on to the conference so we are dealing with real issues instead of imagined political ones that continue to seem to be the primary motivation of the minority party in this House.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3228}
{"speech_id":1090112601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. as I say. this process has been going on for over 4 years. I do not know that there have been any reports of people harmed in any way by- the process. and. again. I think this is just a competitive issue between a company that has herbal food or herbal products they are using and they would rather those be used. and. sure. ban the other process and remove competition. Mr. Speaker. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":462}
{"speech_id":1090112603,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I agree with the gentlewoman and the gentleman from Michigan. but I want to speak about the previous question. which the general public really does not understand. But if we defeat the previous question. we get an opportunity to offer an amendment to this piece of legislation. Because so few pieces of legislation are passing this body. we have to take the Opportunities you get. and I appreciate that the chairman of the Appropriations Committee Mr. LEWIS has stated that he will insert language in the sup.plemental appropriation bill this afternoon. a supplemental for the war in Iraq and hurricane recovery. that will block the takeover of major American seaports by a Dubai company owned by the United Arab Emirates The Appropriations Committee will mark up that supplemental spending bill today. and it may be considered on. the House floor next week. but the Amerigan people should harbor no illusions. We have absolutely no idea when the other body will take up this spending bill. Moreover. we have no idea of whether the Senate bill will even Include a provision that addresses the vital national security issue of who owns our ports. In fact. just today. Senator STEVENS. who chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. is quoted as saying. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090112603,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"I believe it ought to go through the 45day review.\" So they are not going to take it up very soon. Mr. Speaker. every Member of this House has the opportunity right now today to go on record as opposing the management of American seaports by a company owned by a foreign government. Now. it is not owning the seaports. but managing those seaports. and there is no excuse for not doing so. We have the opportunity. If we defeat the previous question. that will be our intent. to offer an amendment to this bill. send it to the Senate. which will preclude ownership of the management of- the ports of America by the Dubai corporation owned by the state. I urge every Member. oppose the previous question on the rule in order to allow consideration of language bldcking the port deal. Furthermore. I urge the American people to not lose sight of the bigger issue. This administration and this Republican Congress have failed to do what is necessary to protect our homeland and our people from attack.- Just last week Steven Flynn. a formerCommander of the Coast Guard and an expert on homeland security. testified before the House Armed Services Committee. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090112603,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"My assessment.\" this is the Commander of the Coast Guard. now retired. \"My assessment is that the security measures that are currently in place do not provide an effective. deterrent for a determined terrorist organization intent on exploiting or targeting the maritime transportation system.to strike at the United States.\" Five years after the catastrophic attacks of September 11.. there is simply no excuse for these continuing vulnerabilities to our -national security. Today. by voting \"no\" on the previous question. we have an opportunity to say no to the management of Americas ports by governmentowned entities. Vote \"no\" on the previous question.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090112661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 4167. the National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005. As a senior member of the House. Agriculture Committee. and a cosponsor of this legislation. I support H.R: 4167. to establish a uniform system of food safety and labeling requirements. This legislation is both timely and necessary for security and consistency in a global food economy. Currently. the United States operates under alabeling standard that continues to vary from -state to state. with each state being able to create and enforce their own labeling requirements. This creates uncertainty. confusion. and possible danger to the health and wellbeing of the consumer. with one state requiring a certain warning label on a product. and another setting a compldtely different -standard. H.R. 4167.will create a single standard for food nutrition and warning labeling based on the high safety standards that are set by the United States Food and Drug Administration. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2409}
{"speech_id":1090112661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This will be a national standard that will be applicable to all states. This legislation will continue to allow the FDA to work with states collaboratively in establishing food safety policies and standards. I understand the concerns some have raised about H.R. 4167. and I voted for several amendinents to make clear that I support reliable standards for food safety and public health. Specifically. the Cardoza amendment requires FDA to expedite state petitions involving a food -notification requirement for health effects dealing with cancer. reproductive issues. birth defects. or information to parents or guardians concerning childrens risk to a certain food. In addition. the Rogers Amendment prohibits H.R. 4167 from taking affect. until after the Department of Health and Human Services. in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security. certifies that it will pose no additional risk to the public health or safety from terrorist attacks to the food supply.. Finally. I support the Wasserman Schultz amendment to prohibit federal law from affecting any state law. regulation. prohibition. or other action that establishes a notification requirement regarding the presence or potential effects of mercury in fish and shellfish. H.P. 4167 iscommon sense legislation that was designed to create uniformity and consistency in labeling to help and protect the American consumer. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2409}
{"speech_id":1090112662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4167. the National Uniformity for Food Act. This bill puts commercial food industry interests ahead of the rights of consumers to be warned about food safety issues. The National Uniformity for Food Act would preemot all state food safety labeling protections. even if those protections have no effect on interstate commerce. The bill also bars.states from limiting particular toxic chemicals in food. even if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not set standards for those chemicals. For example. the current California requirement for pointofsale warnings about high mercury levels in certain fish would be elitninated if this bill becomes law. This bill is especially detrimental in states like California that have gone to great lengths to protect consumers through strong food safety labeling requirements. Requirements like Californias Proposition 65 have greatly reduced exposure to toxic chemicals in food. Californias food safety laws should be a model for the nation. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1731}
{"speech_id":1090112662,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead. the grocery and commercial food industries have used their influence in the halls of Congress in an attempt to destroy these laws. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer. the National Association of State Departments of AgricuLture. and many consumer groups oppose this bill. Mr. Lockyer said in a letter to the California delegation that the National Uniformity for Food Act \"would greatly impede our ability to protect the health of Californians. bbth under Proposition 65 and under other laws that could be adopted by the voters or our legislature.\" I urge my all my colleagues to stand up for consumers. not corporations. by voting nq on the National Uniformity for Food Act:","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1731}
{"speech_id":1090112705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the gentlemans amendment. Several of my colleagues have raised valid concerns about the importance of warning labels for specific serious health issues. including birth defects and cancercausing agents. I believe the language in the gentlemans amendment improves the underlying bill by allowing for an expedited review process by the FDA. If a State identifies a health issue fitting the critical categories listed in the amendment. then a warning is necessary. and this amendment allows FDA to enact the warning nationally. not just in the State that proposes it. granting* greater consumer protection everywhere. and if the FDA approves a States request fora warning. it is important for consumers not just in that State. but all States. to have that information. As I said during the general debate .on this bill. we have the worlds safest food supply. the lowest cost to its consumers. and every American benefits from a system of national food safety standards. This amendment and the underlying bill builds on the record of success that we have had in this system by extending the same approach to food safety standards that is used by USDA and other agencies. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important amendment and to oppose any amendments that would gut this bill.","speaker_name":"COLLIN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1342}
{"speech_id":1090112747,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the previous amendment was. a good amendment. It provided for a onetime certification. That was important to do. The only requirement is the Secretary of Health and Human Services consults with the Department of Homeland Security to certify that the bill will not pose additional risks from terrorist attacks before it goes into effect. That. is worthwhile. That is why I supported that amendment. It doesnt require them to consult with the States. look at different approaches the States -may be using. What we are proposing to do is to go even further in the area of protection against bioterrorist threats. My amendment allows the States to retain the authority to decide what is .important in preparing for and responding to terrorism threats. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2684}
{"speech_id":1090112747,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If a Governor or State legislature certifies a State action in this regard. it is not going to be preempted. The States will be able to make those decisions on bioterrorism. should. God forbid. such a thing happen. As the Nations first responders to bioterrorist attacks. State and local governments have worked to have effective programs that can respond flexibly should a nightmare occur. These State food safety officials have stated repeatedly that they are deeply concerned that H.R. 4167 will undermine the States ability to effectively prevent and respond to bioterrorist attacks. The States learned from Hurricane Katrina that it is illadvised to rely on Federal agencies to solve their problems when a disaster occurs. Under H.R. 4167. even with this last amendment. the States will be in exactly that position. because they will have to rely on the Federal Government. Under the bill. H.R. 4167. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2684}
{"speech_id":1090112747,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States will be required to go through a bureaucratic Federal process merely to protect their citizens. Even in the case of an imminent hazard. States must make a series of findings. and even then are only authorized to establish a requirement which could be interpreted to require the passage of a new law or promulgation of new regulations. In the face of a determined terrorist threat. this burdensome approach seems highly unwarranted and potentially disastrous. My amendment will go a long way to addressing these shortfalls. It is an amendment that State food officials think is merited. and they have warned us about any weakening of their ability to respond to any bioterrorist threat. That is what has become the basis for this amendment. I strongly urge support for the Waxman amendment and hope that this amendment will supplement the Federal requirement that the Rogers amendment is putting into place. I urge support for the Waxman antiterrorism.amendment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2684}
{"speech_id":1090112817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to offer this motion to recommit. My motion protects the rights of States to notify consumers about carbon monoxide treated meat. poultry and fish. Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct your attention to these pictures. Which meat do you think is older? The red meat on top. or the brown meat on the bottom? Both are the same age. Both have been.sitting in a refrigerator. side by side. for 5 months. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3145}
{"speech_id":1090112817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the meat on the top has been packaged in carbon monoxide which causes the meat to look red and fresh long into the future. The meat on the bottom has not. and it is brown and slimy. Like I said. the meat on the top is 5 months old and looks as good as new. but it is not. If you consume it. you could become severely ill from a foodborne pathogen like E. coli. and possibly die. Packing meat in carbon monoxide without labeling is consumer deception at best. and at worse it could become a major health threat. The FDA. without looking at any independent studies. has determined it has no objection to allowing meat to be packaged in carbon monoxide. The FDA merely reviewed the meat industrys carbon monoxide proposal. By allowing the injection of carbon monoxide in meat NOT VOTINGli DiazBalart. M. RosLehtinen Evans. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3145}
{"speech_id":1090112817,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Salazar Gonzalez Sweeney Norwood and seafood packaging. the meat indus.try stands to gain $1 billion a year because as meat begins to turn brown. consumers reject it. Color is the most important factor the public uses to determine what meat they buy. according to studies dating back to 1972. Yet the FDA. in making its decision. only looked at information provided to it by the meat industry. It did not do its own independent research or studies. It did not solicit any public comments. Currently States may pass their own laws to notify consumers that their.meat may be packaged with carbon monoxide and may not be as fresh as it appears. But those laws will about be overturned if this bill becomes law. My motion to recommit is simple. It allows States to act regarding consumer notification of carbon monoxidetreated meat. poultry and fish. Is this really the standard we want for our country for the public health and safety of food. which have been primarily left to the States? We should not tie the hands of the States who want to protect the health of their citizens from this deceptive practice. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3145}
{"speech_id":1090112817,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The National Farmers Union. Consumer Federation of America. the Center for Science in the Public Interest all agree on the States right to label this food should be protected. One more prop. Take a look at this Coke can. Differing States have different deposit amounts on it. States like Michigan has 10 cents. States like Massachusetts. Maine. Hawaii. 5 cents. According to this rule. there is no uniformity. every State does it a little differently. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3145}
{"speech_id":1090112817,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will still exist. but underneath the Rogers amendment. we cant protect our meat from carbon monoxide. Why do we have to have -one standard here. but when it comes to returning the deposit. we would have standards and we dont worry about uniformity? Lets passthe motion to recommit. I yield 1 minute to the Democratic leader.","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3145}
{"speech_id":1090112830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speak night to talk about foreig of critical United States in assets. A numberof peop lowed the controversy re Wu UAE control over a number of critical Young (FL) American ports. 0 Now. there is certainly some room Sweeney for concern there. as many of us have Thomas spoken previously. The UAE was very closely tied to Ihe perpetrators of the 9\/11 attacks. They wee one of three governments in the world that recognized the Taliban. .s announced They have reqently been useful and helpful to the United States of Amerwas laid on ica. but the history is not great. and people may have been embedded years ago in their goyernment who would control it. it is not a private entity. (ATION who would be not friendly towards the nt on Wednes- interests of the United States. So there al reasons. My is concern there. Rollcall vote 27 And the concern is even compounded H.R. 4167- by the fact that we do not know who axman Amend- owns the ships. The U.S. has bound all vote 29 on itself through international agreeEshoo Amend- ments that allow secret ownership of all vote 30 on ships under flags of convenience. coundment to H.R. tries that barely exist or do not exist. the Motion to Liberia. Malta. who is very happy to rollcall vole 32 make money on this. but turns a blind 67-\"aye.\" eye. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5904}
{"speech_id":1090112830,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Osama bin Laden could own a fleet of ships. We are not allowed to know. But they can dock here in United ION PRO- States. RATION OF We have done nothing about that. We NATIONAL do not know who crews the ships. They ICY REAU- can buy papers in the Philippines and 2005 in International Maritime OrganizaCommittee. tion School that the U.S. has been ommitreote forced to recognize by being part of esolution (H. this agreement. And. again. we do not know who these people are. sideration of So we do not know who crews the uthorize the ships. we do not know who owns the ntrol Policy ships. we do not know what is on the o the House ships. They have to send us a manifest printed.. and tell us what might be on the ship. It is an electronic transmission or a SENATE piece of paper. That does not mean that is what is really on the ship. nate by Ms. . ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5904}
{"speech_id":1090112830,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We do not track the ships from port announced to port. so they could have stopped sed with an somewhere. Even if they do not have P concurrence nuclear bomb on board when they left a bill of the Singapore. they could have picked one up on the way. And then we do not he Trademark have the equipment that we need on ution by blur- this side of the ocean. So that is a tremendous concern. If you add on the concern of the ownerIS ship of Dubai. it reaches even higher proportions mpore (Mr. But I also rise to talk about somethe Speak- thing else the Bush administration is January 4. trying to do. For them commerce is evorder of the erything. National security is second bers will be or tertiary in terms of their concerns. ch. They are- trying to reinterpret the meaning of the word \"control.\" They said. when Congress said forIREIGN eigners cannot control United States PORTS airlines. Congress did not mean conore. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5904}
{"speech_id":1090112830,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under a trol. In fact. in their world. they are se. the gen- saying. well. foreigners could control DEFAZIO) is U.S. airlines. they could only just control them commercially. but they er. I rise to- could not safety and security. n ownership If you have fofeign management. forfrastructure eign ownership. how do you wall off le have fol- safety and security? So they are progarding the posing. by administrative rule. sometime later. this month or early next month. to defy the dictionary and legal interpretations of control and say Congress did not mean what it said. Now. if you think there is an outcry about the ports. wait until we are sending U.S. troops overseas on what is called part .of the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet. The large planes that our airlines fly are actually part of our Reserves. and we fly our troops with these planes over to the Mideast and other trouble spots around the world. Wait until we are asking U.S. troops to get onboard a plane being flown by a pilot from Dubai or from Indonesia or somewhere else around the world. This would be an extraordinary national security problem. in addition to losing domestic air service. Because what is happening here is airlines like United. who have been -managed into the ground by overpaid CEOs. and others are looking to sell themselves out to foreign airlines. Their first choice is Lufthansa. but they may well go with the UAE. and then to cut off most of their domestic service. shed the widebody planes and bring in foreign pilots to do the overseas routes and provide minimal domestic service. So not only are we putting at threat our national security and the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet. we are also putting at risk the American public and we are certainly degradingthe capability of providing the service we need to have a system of universal air transport which serves our economy and the businesses in the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5904}
{"speech_id":1090112830,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a colossally bad idea with the Bush administration trying to do it in back rooms by pretending that when Congress said foreigners cannot control our airlines that we did not really mean it. If the Bush administration persists ini this. 6 months or a year from today. we will be here on the floor of the House if this Cohgress does not preempt this. which they have thus far refused to do. If they do not preempt. this. we will be back here arguing about the UAE or Indonesia or some other country taking over a major U.S. airline and the assets of our Civilian Reserve Air Fleet. We should preclude that. Next week when we bring up prohibition of ownership of critical infrastructure assets. airlines should be part of that bill. There is big resistance from the administration and some of the leadership. The membership has to overcome that and do what is right for the American people and national and economic security.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5904}
{"speech_id":1090112860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman from Florida and both of my colleagues. Mr. Speaker. I am just so pleased to be here this evening joining with my 30something fellow Democratic women in honor of Womens History Month. I look forward through the course of the next partial hour to talk about sufferage. such an important part of womens history. and getting our right to vote so that the three of us can be standing here today having the support of so many women in the constituents -that we represent. being able to exercise our voting privileges on this House floor because of the importance of the sufferage movement in this country. I also look forward to talking about some unique perspectives I would like to share. representing a rural district. about rural women and the role that they played in sufferage for womens history and getting the right to vote. some of the unique challenges they face for employment opportunities. health care for rural women. and also to spend some time talking about Title IX and its importance for all women. I am very honored t6 be here tonight. as I mentioned. and I want to reiterate the thanks. that Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ and Ms. SANCHEZ gave to our leader. NANCY PELOSI. who herself became such an important- part of womens history in being elected the first woman as the Democratic whip. followed by the first woman to be elected leader of one of the political parties represented here in this House of the people. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090112860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To be joining all three of them tonight is particularly important as we. share our ideas on issues important to women in honor of Womens History Month. I also think it is importaht throughout the next few minutes for each of us to share what brought us here in the first place and how we benefited from the women who paved the way before us. I am a farm girl from South Dakota. The small town near where I grew up on the farm. population less than 100. Houghton. South Dakota. is a long ways from. the House of Representatives. But I would venture to H764 CO guess that some of my experiences reflect some similarities of my two colleagues and other women that we work with here in the Congress. Many women serve in the Senate and our State legislatures. our county commissions. school boards and city councils. and we hope one of these days. the White House. Now. I was born on a farm and ranch. third generation in the family. and my dad. like his dad before him. continues to work and farm a ranch in the northeastern part of South Dakota. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090112860,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Butwhile farming and .ranching were our livelihood and our profession. we had another passion. and that was State government and politics. My grandfather served as Governor in the late 1950s. my grandmother served as Secretary of State in the. 1970s. and my dad was in the State legislature. As my mom likes to say. it wasnt just in the blood. it was part of the genetic code. And so when we share these experiences. either with our own children or our nieces or our goddaughters or our cousins. I think it is important that we make it part of the dinnertable conversation. as I would imagine the three of us had in many respects. It is one thing that I think has substantially changed for our generation. I think for earlier generations of women. they maybe didnt have the exposure or the .influence and the encouragement to be part of the debate aboutpublic issues and to be encouraged to seek public office. As I travel across my district. as I am sure my colleagues do. you see these young girls. 8 years old. 9 years old. 10 years old. and they come up and they want their parents to bring them to an official meeting or some other public event and they tell you they want to serve in Congress someday or they want to run for Governor. And it is so heartening because it reminds us of the importance of so much of what we are doing for them and for younger girls and women to know that they can do it too. Now. when I was first getting involved. so much attention was given to my dad and my grandfather. but it was. my grandmother who was the first to get involved. before she ever became aHerseth. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090112860,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She ran in the Great Depression for superintendent of county schools. back in the mid- to late 1.930s. She paved the. way. She wasnt going to let conventional wisdom get in her way. She ran at a time when it was so difficult and she used her salary. it was an elected position in South Dakota. and she used that salary to hell) put her two nieces through college. She would share with me stories about serving as superintendent of county schools. the importance of education. and then serving as first lady and secretary of state. and she had an extraordinary influence on my life. That is why I think it is so important for all of us to know that these are precious gifts we have. been given by women who have paved the way before","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN","chamber":"H","state":"SD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4826}
{"speech_id":1090112865,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"fornia. If I could just add. one of the things. and you are raising excellent points. women have so many challenges. Young women have so many challenges today. Young mothers have so many challenges today. such as ac-. cess to affordable health care and access to quality and affordable child care. Women disproportionately have lowerpaying jobs that pay minimum wage. and we have not seen a raise in minimum wage to keeppace withinflation. Really oftentimes I talk about the glass ceiling because there are still so many opportunities denied to women in the upper echelons of our workforce. but many women are just struggling to get up off the floor because they are working minimumwage jobs and trying to raise kids. They are the heads of households. They face all of these challenges. And one of the best ways for women to get ahead. and this is something my immigrant parents really instilled in all of my brothers and sisters. I come from a family of seven. they said education is the key to opportunity in this country. you. need to go to college. ","speaker_name":"LINDA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":39.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090112865,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When they told me this it was a - pretty radical notion for a traditional Latino family to say not just the boys need to go to college. but the girls also should go to college. One of t he ways I financed my education was with Pell grants and students loans. loans which I am still paying back today. 0 2030 I still owe on my student loans. I make out that check every month. But it was the best investment I could have made in myself. because it opened the doors of opportunity. When you talked about the President. his priorities being so out of place and opposite of what they should be. the first thing that jumped to my mind was they want to cut student aid programs. They want to freeze the maximum Pell Grant. Many young women who want to go to college rely disproportionately on Pell Grants and student aid to finance that and make that dream happen. Yet they are slashing that. which is. again. one of the best investments you could make. If you talk about a young woman who is bright. she gets into college and cannot finance a college education. you are talking about not just making it that much harder for her to access these economic opportunities. but lets look at this realistically. If she is earning less because she is not able to get a college education or additional training. she is contributing less in the tax base in terms of our economy. ","speaker_name":"LINDA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":39.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090112865,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is such a wise investment to help people further their education and careers. because they become higher income earners. they pay more into the tax base. they spend more in their communities to help stimulate the economy. Yet we have an administration and a President who thinks nothing of making the biggest cuts to the student loan program in the whole programs history. Now. more than ever. we should think about investing in young women. not foreclosing those opportunities for them.","speaker_name":"LINDA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":39.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2907}
{"speech_id":1090112866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You are so right. You are choking off womens opportunities at every level. Whether we are talking about the freezing of Pell Grants. this President has proposed freezing funding for Head. Start. Head Start. the place where disadvantaged kids. kids who it has been proven in study after study get their opportunity to succeed in school in a Head Start program. 19.000 kids would lose their opportunity to participate in Head Start.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":430}
{"speech_id":1090112878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. so much for joining us. Normally when we do our 30Something hour. Madam Leader. we thank you in absentia for the opportunity to spend the time during this -hour talking about the things that are a priority to our generatiof. So it is a privilege to be able to personally thank you for this opportunity that you give us each night. It is an honor to serve under your leadership.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":388}
{"speech_id":1090112886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because. Mr. Speaker and my friend from Georgia. people are reinvesting their money. They have more money to spend. That is a direct result of the tax cuts. In fact. we need to make these tax cuts permanent. and I think the people of this country would like to see that also. Despite this growth in revenue. we have seen an even greater growth in spending. and this has got to stop. The fact is we can and have cut back on discretionary spending in this Congress. but in order to. really return our budget to fiscal sanity. we have no choice but to tackle serious entitlement reform. On this flo6r. our colleagues from the Democratic Caucus. the other side of the aisle. complain about the deficit. Yet when this Republican Congress and our Republican leadership took a stand to modestly reform entitlements and modestly curb the rate of growth and spending in the Deficit Reduction Act. no Democrats voted for that bill. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090112886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Where were the socalled deficit hawks and the Blue Dog Democrats? Where were the Democrats in the 30Something Group who say they would do a better job of taming the deficit? When it came time to make the tough choices. their votes did not match their rhetoric on the deficit. In fact. .when it comes to offering solutions. attacks and hollow rhetoric are all we hear from the other side. What we do not hear from the other side is a plan of action. What we dont hear from the other side is a set of principles. What we do not hear from the other side is a strategy for securing our Nation while expanding our economy. These are truths. and sometimes the truth does hurt. Republicans. in contrast. have a plan for leading this Nation. The Republican Study Committee today released its proposal for balancing our budget. a recommitment to the contract on America. That budget recognizes that we must take serious steps to tame our budget deficit. If the Democrats had a plan. which they do not. their plan would include hefty tax hikes on American families and American job creators. and that is the only truth that can come out of that. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090112886,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You cannot be unwilling to cut spending and expect the deficit to go away. Our budget recognizes that we do not need more revenue. We have never had more revenue. But we still have to make tough choices. In a world of tough choices we can raise the price of the buffet or we can curb our appetites. With our waistlines bulging. the choice is clear. We must go on a spending diet until our pants fit again. We have a plan for trimming down the budget. We have a plan for continuing our economic growth. We have a plan for strengthening the economic security of American families. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090112886,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I think that plan should include making these tax cuts permanent so people can afford to plan their future and to know what is ahead of them.","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090112888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tomy friend from Georgia. my mother always told me that actions speak louder than words. And anybody can go anywhere and say anything. but when you are given an opportunity to take those words that you spoke and put them into action. and for the American people to be able to see that you are sincere in what you are saying. your votes should match what your words are. As we know. as all of us have been in politics. and I see the gentlewoman from Tennessee has joined us here. but in politics you can tell your constituents anything in the world. but they will know honestly how you feel when you vote. And that is what they should do and we should all be held accountable for our votes. And hopefully we will. Hopefully the truth will come out. I just appreciate so much you taking the time to do this and all the efforts that you have put forward to get the good Republican principled message out: that we are about American families. We are about them having more money in their pockets that they can use on discretionary spending for their families and to be able to plan for their future. Thank you very much.","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1116}
{"speech_id":1090112891,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is their money and they deserve to spend it as they please. Thank you so much for your participation. We are talking about the economy tonight in the Official Truth Squad and trying to bring some light to some of the wonderful things that are happening in the economy and put statistics down where statistics ought to be and show the truth. We are joined tonight by Congresswoman BLACKBURN from Tennessee. We are so pleased to have you join us again on the Official Truth Squad and share some of your perspective on the United States economy right now.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":555}
{"speech_id":1090112892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding and for his leadership and the energy that he is putting into being certain that we communicate the message from our Republican agenda. Thank you for this. and thank you and the freshman class for tackling this project and being certain that we aretalking about the things that are happening in our economy and the good news that is there to share. A couple. of points that I would like to make tonight as we are talking about the economy and the growth in the economy is Mr. WESTMORELAND was just talking about leaving more money with American families. with all of our constituents. with their families. That is. what one of our goals is. to be certain that we take less from those paychecks. so that the family. when they sit down to work out their budget. they have more that they are working with. I think that it is an absolute travesty that the single largest item in a familys budget is taxes. How did we get to this. that the largest item a family is left with is taxes? More than food. housing. clothing. transportation and education. more than lessons for children. How did we get to the point that it is taxes? How wonderful that we could make decisions in 2003. we had the opportunity to vote to roll back some of those taxes so that we take less. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090112892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is time that we end the Federal Government having first right of refusal on your paycheck and let you and your family have that paycheck and make those decisions of what to do with those hardearned dollars. When we talk about womens issues. all issues are womens issues. Economic issues are definitely womens issues. One of the things that I hear regularly. wherever I am in this great and wonderful land. is that wherever you have the fastestgrowing sector of that town. of that county. of that areas economy. most likely it is going to be womenowned small businesses. and I think that is so exciting that that entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. One of the first issues that wonen will raise with me are taxes. the overburdensome nature of taxes. the cost of compliance for small businesses. how they would love to be growing that business. but with the taxes. with compliance costs. then they have less to spend in growing that business. So as we look at extending our tax reductions. as we look at being certain wedo not raise taxes. that they do not go up. that we hold what we have in those tax reductions. it is so important that we realize that that benefits so many American women who are starting those businesses and are realizing the American dream and those gifts and opportunities and .prosperities for their themselves and for their families.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2688}
{"speech_id":1090112942,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the same party that in 1994 said that they were going to pass a balanced budget amendment to make sure that they balanced the budget every year. It would be a constitutional amendment. And here we are. 12 years later. and they are borrowing money like drunken sailors from the Japanese. the Chinese. and from all kinds of foreign countries. Look. of all the money that we have borrowed. almost all of it is from foreign countries. That is the money we have borrowed. That is the mbney we have borrowed from foreign countries. And I am sure the Members. Madam Speaker. cannot even see this. This is the money we have borrowed from domestic interests. Look. it is a joke.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":677}
{"speech_id":1090112953,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But your point is. and the point we have to make here is. there is a radicalism in this Republican leadership. that they have reached new heights. Schiavo. South Dakota. the Alito confirmation. There is just a growing list. And now this port deal. where the President literally saw nothing wrong with allowing a foreign governmentowned corporation to take over the port terminal operations at six major ports. No alarm bells were set off to trigger a national security review. a 45day national seQurity review that can be triggered under the law. It defies logip.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":563}
{"speech_id":1090112973,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. DELAHUNT. the point is the issuezis so much bigger than this one port deal. This is emblematic of the tremendously significant problem. You cannot say even if this problem gets addressed. this port deal gets addressed. which it should. you cannot say. okay. we are done. It is so much deeper than that. Democrats have been constantly fighting for increased port security. and Republicans have not. plain andsimple.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":418}
{"speech_id":1090112974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Time and time again. Madam Speaker. if Members would like to get ahold of any of the information.all of the charts we had here tonight are available on our Website. www.HouseDemocrats.gov\/30something Also. Madam Speaker. my old high chool. the John F. Kennedy. Eagles. bowed out of the high school tournament tonight. They lost to Campbell Memorial High School. and I just want to say what a great year they had. My brother happens to be the assistant coach. I wanted to give a shoutoutto the John F. Kennedy basketball team.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":525}
{"speech_id":1090112975,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. let me just conclude by saying we should not ever mislead the American people. We know and they know who is in charge. here in Washington. When I hear comments that Would suggest that Democrats are in any way impeding or obstructing this Congress. my response is that is absurd. The Republican Party is in control.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":329}
{"speech_id":1090112983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the privilege to address you. Mr. Speaker. and address this United States House of Representatives. I have a series of issues. on my mind here tonight. As I listened to some of this discussion. I promised myself to discipline myself and speak to the subject matter I came to the floor to address. and that. Mr. Speaker. is the issue of immigration. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11133}
{"speech_id":1090112983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. I w ould say that we have a history of immigration in this country that certainly goes back to the very beginnings of the colonization of the 13 American original colonies. America certainly is a nation that has benefited greatly from immigration. so that is why the Founding Fathers and the ratifiers of our Constitution put into this Constitution the directions to the United States Congress. Mr. Speaker. that we establish immigration policy. That immigration policy is the responsibility. the constitutional duty and the province of the United States Congress. and throughout the decades. and now centuries of immigration. that policy has been established by Congress. and we. for the most part. have adhered to those amounts and values that were reflected. As I look back across those two centuries.I think there was a time in the early part of the 20th Century when there was a significant and massive amount of immigration that came in. much of it through Ellis Island. there was a real effort to settle a land that did not have a lot of population in it. The region I represent in Western Iowa is one of those areas. as most of America is. I will say west of the East Coast. In fact. the population peaked out in my home county in the year 1912. much of it because of immigration. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11133}
{"speech_id":1090112983,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since that time. it held steady for quite a while and has actually reduced in my agriculture county because we found ways to get the same amount of work done with less people because we have machines now to do a lot of that farm work that wasnt being done any way except by hand. So immigration has been certainly the only way that this continent could have been settled. As I look around the United States. that is the case for most of us. Mr. Speaker. I should back up to about 1924. That was a watershed year for immigration. That was the year in the aftermath of World War I. after the huge numbers of immigration had poured into theacountry. after my ancestors arrived here in a legal fashion. I would point out. In 1924. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11133}
{"speech_id":1090112983,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress made a decision that they wanted to slow immigration down significantly. They wanted to do so so there would be an opportunity to have a time period where there could be an assimilation into this American culture. There was a concern that the picture of America would be different if the immigration kept continuing to refuel the cultural values that came from mostly Europe in those days. Mr. Speaker. Our predecessors in this Congress understood that there is a limit to how much immigration a nation can prudently accept. They understood that there is something called a unique American culture. an overall civilizational culture here. that is the sum total of the values of all the subcultures that come into America. They understood that we needed to. have come on values. and one of those common values was a common language. They understood that we needed to have a common sense of history. a sense that we were pulling together. all pulling that same wagon together. not riding in it. but pulling together toward a common destiny. Those things that bind a nation together. our commonalities. common sense of history. a common sense of similar religions for the most part. a common language. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11133}
{"speech_id":1090112983,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"English the official language. an opportunity to chase ones dreams. an opportunity to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. And part of this American dream is to leave this world a better place for the. succeeding generations and for each generation to have more opportunities than the preceding generation had. That has been a true fact. I believe. for every generation of Americans. Each generation has had more opportunity. and it is because. this American work ethic. this culture that we have. has always striven to provide for more opportunities for the next gpneration. So in 1924. they dramatically shrunk down the legal immigration coming into this country and they stalled immigration throughout. that period on from 1924. on through the Second World. War. on through the 1950s. up until about 1964 when they passed an immigration .act that began to open up immigration in a larger way here in the United States. That was perhaps a .40 year hiatus from significant immigration numbers. and that was the period of time by which actually two parts of two generations were assimilated into America and there became a distinction here in this country. very much commonality. We lost our sense -of what was the country that our ancestors came from. we lost our sense of ethnicity. and We absorbed this American ethnicity with this great dream we. are all created in Gods image and there is not a distinction between his creation. and we could all come here and thrive and prosper together and all under one flag. Well. so in 1964. perhaps 1965. when immigration laws were changed. it began to open this up. and it was opened up in a way that they didnt realize at the time I dont think the kind of numbers that would be coming. but it began to set a new set of parameters. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11133}
{"speech_id":1090113044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to recognize an outstanding young man. his supportive teammates and an inspirational performance on the basketball court. In a matter of just 4 minutes. Jason McElwain and the Greece Athena High School Trojans showed us all the power of dedication. teamwork and perseverance. Jason also placed his heart and soul into helping the Trojans as team manager. and although never getting a chance to play. became an indispensable teammate. Jason has also been challenged every day by autism. a disability that. while difficult. has not undercut Jasons goal or his support for the team. In turn. Jasons teammates. led by Coach Jim Johnson. have embraced him and believed in him. becoming his greatest_ friends and supporters. This teamwork and mutual respect was never clearer than on the night of February 15. With only 4 minutes remaining in the final game of the regular season. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1492}
{"speech_id":1090113044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jason made his remarkable debut for the Trojans. He went on to make six 3pointers and finished with 20 points. A true hero and the true meaning of the word teamwork was discovered that night on the hardwood in Greece. And 2 weeks later. that teamwork propelled the Trojans to the very top as they won their sectional championship. Jasons perseverance and his teammates support serve as a great example to us all. Mr. Speaker. in recognition of their remarkable achievement. I ask this honorable body to join me in honoring Jason McElwain and the Greece Athena High School Basketball Trojans.","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1492}
{"speech_id":1090113095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act. and I was pleased that the House Judiciary Committee adopted two amendments that I offered and that they are part of the base bill. Street drug markets. such as open air drug dealing at the corner and at drug houses. are a serious public safety problem. Often located in poor. minority. and disadvantaged communities. they cause severe harm by easing initiation into drug use. supporting addiction. and by drawing youth into the drug trade. My first amendment. which is designated Sec. 14 of H.R. 2829. provided for demonstration programs by local partnerships to shut down illicit drug market hotspots by deterring drug dealers or altering the dynamic of drug sales. This provision authorizes funding for demonstration programs that seek to coordinate an effective intervention using a credible. deterrent message. This would encourage criminal justice agencies to collaborate with researchers and social welfare agencies to analyze local conditions and develop strategic. problemsolving interventions. Such an approach was proven successful in High Point. NC. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5503}
{"speech_id":1090113095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Upon identifying the drug market and its small group of active dealers. law enforcement carefully monitored and . documented drug activity and probation\/parole violations through surveillance and drug buys. Offenders with any violent criminal history were immediately arrested. Nonviolent offenders. on the other hand. were confronted by law enforcement. city officials. service organizations and their families with a strong deterrent message. They were given a choice between facing immediate legal action or ceasing dealing and receiving rehabilitative services. Consequently. the drug market promptly collapsed with minimal police intervention or crime displacement. Within one year of implementation. the drug crime rate of High Point fell by 34% and the violent crime rate was cut in half. Sec. 14 of this bill authorizes $10 million for the next three years to fund demonstration programs supporting these interagency collaborations. The agencies would be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the strategic intervention. and the Director would be responsible for submitting to Congress a report identifying the best practices in drug market eradication. My second amendment. which is designated Sec. 15 of H.R. 2829. provided for demonstration programs by local partnerships to coerce abstinence in chronic harddrug users under community supervision through the use of drug testing and sanctions. This provision authorizes funding for demonstration programs that seek to reduce the use of illicit drugs by chronic harddrug users living in the community while under the supervision of the criminal justice system. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5503}
{"speech_id":1090113095,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Approximately 80 percent of the Nations cocaine is consumed by a relatively small group of chronic users (approximately 4 million). Threequarters of these users are under the supervision of the criminal justice system. By deterring these users. we would be able to reduce the nations cocaine consumption by 60 percentand these numbers are similar for other hard drugs. such as heroin and meth. Coerced abstinence is a highly effective means for targeting these users. This model is based on predictable. frequent drug testing and known. nonnegotiable. immediate. graduated sanctions. For example. a system where a participant is tested every 72 hours and a dirty test led to an immediate. unpleasant sanctionfor example. 8 hours in a jury box or 24 hours in jail. Participants are simultaneously offered incentives such as drug treatment or other rehabilitative services. An ongoing example of this model is being used in Hawaii. where substance abuse violations are common. with meth being the drug of choice. In October 2005. one year after the program began. program participants had an 83 percent reduction in positive test results (from 21.9% for control group to 3.8% for program participants) and an 87 percent reduction in missed appointments for testing (from 10% for control group to 1.3% for program participants). This level of effectiveness we cannot ignore. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5503}
{"speech_id":1090113095,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For this reason. Sec. 15 of H.R. 2829 authorizes $10 million for the next 3 years for demonstration programs that administer drug tests to individuals at least twice a week and swiftly impose a known set of graduated sanctions for noncompliance. The program must include a plan for monitoring the progress toward reducing the percentage of positive drugs and missed testing appointments. and the Director would be responsible for submitting to Congress a report identifying the best practices in reducing the use of illicit drugs by chronic harddrug users. I commend the Office of National Drug Control Policy for publicly committing itself to the goal of reducing illegal drug use and abuse in the United States. However. I also call on the Director to increase the allocation of funds dedicated for treatment and demand reduction efforts. which have shown to be very successful in reducing drug use. To achieve this national drug control policy that efficiently reduces drug use and abuse in the United States. we need strategies that are as smart as they are tough. This requires that we remain open to evidencebased programs and respond with innovation. I commend ONDCP for the progress it has made. ask that the Director consider these recommendations and will support this legislation. H.R. 2829. to the reauthorize the Office.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5503}
{"speech_id":1090113099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to H.R. 2829. the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization. Other than the TSA making grandmothers take off their shoes and infants discard their milk bottles prior to boarding airplanes. the War on Drugs might go down in history as the most ineffective program in the history of the United States. We spend over $40 billion per year on the drug war and at least another $30 billion to keep over one million Americans in prison on drug charges. Yet. study after study shows that drugs are as readily available as ever and drug use rates have remained unchanged for the last decade. Incarcerating one person costs at least $30.000 per year. while a comprehensive residential drug treatment program costs about $7.000. Treating drug addiction as a criminal rather than medical problem is not only scientifically unsound its a waste of money. If were going to spare no dollar in the war on drugs. then lets have quality education and afterschool options for every child in America. And lets reverse the diabolical and failed policy of denying college loans to students with prior drug offenses. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090113099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans with drug problems obviously need morenot feweropportunities to change their lives for the better. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this senseless. wasteful Office of National Drug Control Policy. Lets redirect these dollars to programs that work rather than \"tough on crime\" soundbites and countless useless government reports that do nothing to reduce drug use or addiction.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1538}
{"speech_id":1090113149,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I also strongly support this amendment. I appreciate the gentleman from Arkansas being one of the first Members to really push us to focus on methamphetamines. His district has been hard hit. Early on it was featured in People magazine. We did a congressional hearing in our subcommittee in his district where we heard from everyone. from drug court to people who were working directly with children and the impact on children. At another hearing in Minnesota. at the request of a number of Members. we heard in Ramsey County. which is St. Paul. that they went from zero to 80 percent of the kids in child custody in the welfare department being addicts of meth. From nothing to 80 percent. in 6 months. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":954}
{"speech_id":1090113149,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When methamphetamine hits your area. it takes over and overwhelms your juvenile systeis. overwhelms the child custody system. and overwhelms the criminal system. I very much appreciate this amendment. I thank the gentleman for yielding.","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":954}
{"speech_id":1090113172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of this bipartisan amendment which will strengthen the Office of National Drug Control Policys. and in turn our nations. efforts against methamphetaminethe deadliest and most devastating drug that faces our communities today. As a founding member and CoChair of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine. commonly know as the Meth Caucus. I have seen our Caucus membership enrollment grow just as the meth epidemic has grown. From a couple dozen Members representing Western states in 2001 to 140 today. the Meth Caucus membership hails from all regions of this country and across the political spectrum. Even the Senate has established their own Meth Caucus which is modeled after the House caucus. Each of these Members recognize the meth epidemic that is ravaging our communities on so many levelsfrom its toll on individual users. to the significant social costs it thrusts onto our law enforcement. prisons. hospitals. social and child welfare systems. and the environment. As Mr. CHABOT stated. the amendment. through commissioned studies and reports. will provide information critical to assisting the -Administration and the Congress in developing necessary and uptodate policies to address the meth epidemic. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2399}
{"speech_id":1090113172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. the amendment would create -an online National Methamphetamine Information Clearinghouse to serve law enforcement and the broader community with a forum for sharing of \"best practices\" information regarding successful antimeth programs and activities. -These measures will only strengthen the reauthorization bill and ensure that the Federal response to the meth epidemic does not waver. I would like to express many thanks to Congressman SOUDER for his support on this amendment. He has been. with his staff. relentless in their work to improve federal drug control policy and I appreciate their readiness and eagerness to involve the Meth Caucus -in their activities. I also want to thank Congressman CHABOT and his staff fer shepherding this important amendment to the floor. and also my fellowMeth Caucus CoChairs. Representatives CANNON. LARSEN and BOSWELL and their staff for their constant vigilance on this issue and. their efforts .to make this one of. the most proactive and effectiye Caucus in the House. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the amendment and the reauthorization bill.","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2399}
{"speech_id":1090113231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I strongly. by the way. support this amendment. Ms. JACKSONLEE talked about a recent Washington Post article from February 10 describing how girls are trying alcohol and drugs at a higher rate than boys. and then she went on to talk about the national survey on drug use and how it found that some 730.000 girls between the ages of 1217 started smoking cigarettes in 2004. and it got compared with 565.000 boys. and then the 675.000 girls starting to use marijuana compared to 577.000 boys. It seems that there is something going on here that we definitely need to look at. I know the chairman will work in conference to try to make sure that we address all of these problems. I would definitely support the amendment.","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":732}
{"speech_id":1090113309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. and I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland for his kind words and his bipartisanship on this issue. It truly is bigger than any one party. Also. I want to again thank the chairman for coming out to Arizona and seeing it firsthand. and I will end with this message: What alcohol did to our Native Americans in the late 1800s is now. what is occurring with the methamphetamine pandemic across Indian country in our Nation. These gentlemen and their commit tees stand in the gap to stop that. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":598}
{"speech_id":1090113321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I consultation with the drug czar. it yield myself the balance of my time. must also be with all of those people who are out there dealing in the area of prevention. dealing in the area of interdiction. addressing our children. dealing with methamphetamines and so on. Mr. Chairman. I yieldback the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ELIJAH CUMMINGS","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":332}
{"speech_id":1090113368,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today. it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Monday next. and further. when the House adjourns on that day. it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. March 14. 2006. for morning hour debate.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090113371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was not present to cast my votes on rollcall votes 34 through 38 earlier today. March 9. 2006. Had I been present. I would have voted \"aye\" on the Chabot amendmentrollcall 34. \"aye\" on the Hooley amendmentrollcall 35. \"no\" on the Paul amendmentrollcall 36. \"aye\" on the Rehberg amendmentrolical 37. and \"aye\" on final passage of H.R. 2829rolcall 38.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM JENKINS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":364}
{"speech_id":1090113384,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. so a back room deal has been cut for the UAE takeover of a number of U.S. ports. Now. just what does it mean? They do. not say they are going to sell their interests. They say they are going to transfer their interests to a U.S. entity. So they are going to set up a whollyowned and controlled subsidiary in Delaware and claim that somehow this resolves the issue? Besides that. the issue is bigger than the UAE takeover of the U.S. port fa cilities. It is about other foreign takeovers of our assets. The administration is still rushing ahead to allow foreign airlines to control U.S. airlines. and there are a host of other areas where our infrastructure is up for sale. Congress still needs to act and put in place rules to bring about the vholesale selloff of America and its security interests.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":812}
{"speech_id":1090113420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Official Truth Squad tonight is going to continue the theme that has already been addressed by three of our friends. Mr. OTTER from Idaho. Mr. BISHOP from Utah and Mr. GARRETT from New Jersey. They have been talking about our history. They have been talking about the philosophy of America and who we are and what we are and what we stand for. So for the next few minutes we will be discussing our history. the American Revolution. the people who lived before us. whatthey thought. what they wrote. and what they said. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":760}
{"speech_id":1090113420,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have with me tonight my friend from Texas. .another freshman. Mr. CONAWAY from West Texas. and he is going to start out discussing our heritage and giving us some truth about who we are. what we are. and what we stand for.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":760}
{"speech_id":1090113425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is great to be here. We have a lot to talk about again. as we wrap up another week of business here at the Capitol. \" There are a lot of issues facing our country. and I had a lot of meetings this week on different issues: education. folks in about manufacturing. about the local economy and the problems that they are having with pension and health care. I think if you look at what is happening in the country. you will see that most Americans either intellectually or in their gut realize that the country is going in the wrong direction. So our plan tonight. as we come here several nights a week. is to try to let the American people know that we are moving them forward.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":692}
{"speech_id":1090113460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This President has not vetoed one spending bill. not one. So to say Congress needs to get its act in order. Congress is spending and the President is okaying it. Then the President puts his budget. and this Republican Congress gets out the rubber stamp. all at the expense of the next generation who are going to have to borrow and pay interest on this money to pay it back. Ultimately at the end of the day. Mr. Speaker. it weakens the country.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":445}
{"speech_id":1090113463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Communist China. $249.8 billion of U.S. debt tbey have purchased. We owe them. Japan. the island of Japan I must add. the island of Japan. not as big as the United States. but we owe them a whopping $682.8 billion. We owe them. The American people owe them. And we owe them because of the policies of the Republican majority and the White House. Now. Mr. RYAN. let me say this. I do not care what party an American is affiliated with. if it is Republican. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1213}
{"speech_id":1090113463,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrat or Independent. or someone who does not vote at all. The bottom line is you are going to receive the tab for this. You are. not your childrens childrens children. You are. They are going to pay their fair share. but I guarantee if this Republican Congress continues to head down the track that it is heading down now. more countries will be on this map. Like I said last night. when creditors call your house for you to pay them. they call you by your first name. They disrespect you from the beginning. They do not say. Mr. RYAN. maybe you can pay us whenever you feel like it. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1213}
{"speech_id":1090113463,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No. they say. TIM. you are going to pay this bill now. These are the terms. and if you do not do it. this is what we are going to do. Mr. Speaker. I can see folks saying","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1213}
{"speech_id":1090113464,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the same time. my friend. the Republican majority is borrowing and spending and borrowing and spending. They are not borrowing it from Sky Bank in downtown Warren. Ohio. They are not borrowing: it from National Citibank. Ii 1845 They are borrowing it from these other countries. And at the same time. at the same exact time. Mr. Speaker. this Republican Congress has given $6 billion in corporate welfare to the energy companies. primarily the oil companies. which are having their most profitable quarter. one after another. one after another. $22 billion to the .health care industry. Mr.. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1138}
{"speech_id":1090113464,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Corporate welfare. So what the Republican majority is doing. my good friend. is they are borrowing money from. the Japanese. the Chinese. and OPEC countries. and they are then taking that money that they are borrowing and then they are giving it in. corporate welfare to the most profitable industries in the world. And at the same time. tuition costs go up. local property taxes go up. no investment into afterschool programs. the significant kinds of investments that we need to allow our kids to be competitive in a global economy.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1138}
{"speech_id":1090113483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. prior to the distinguished Senator from Maine leaving the floor. I want to express my appreciation to her. Senator LIEBERMAN. Senator DODD. and Senator LOTT for their work on lobbying reform. We are going to complete this legislation. it is just a question of when we complete the legislation. It is something we need to do. and the American people want us to do it. Even though I am sure everyones patience was tested yesterdayI have managed bills and I know how difficult it is when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and somebody throws up a light and you can no longer. see the endwe will complete the legislation. I am hopeful and I am confident we can do it on a bipartisan basis.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":713}
{"speech_id":1090113525,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the focus today. as we look at reforming lobbyist .activities. is trying to show that there is an honest face within the Senate and within the Congress. We. must continue with those activities. However. at the same time. we are looking at a situation that worries more than 70 percent of the American people today. There is no doubt about it. this deal is done. Today. Dubai Ports World owns shipping terminals throughout the United States and in my home State of New Jersey. Frankly. it is an outcome we are all trying to prevent. and we need to do whatever we can to reverse it. I am not sure it is possible. despite the positive words from colleagues across the room. That is why I am a cosponsor of this amendment. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9805}
{"speech_id":1090113525,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know the port area very well in my State of New Jersey. It is called the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is the second busiest container port on the east coast. Millions of tons of cargo pass through it. It is strictly located to be near markets. It is less than 2 miles from the Newark Airport. one of the busiest in the country. and stretches almost to the shores of New York. 2 miles of land that the FBI says is the most dangerous 2 miles of territory in America for a terrorist attack. The reason goes beyond the confluence of all kinds of activities. It also is an area where there is lots of chemical manufacturing. chemical transportation. and warehousing of chemical materials. And it is said that if an attack were successful in that area. we could be looking at millions of deaths. And we want to transfer the operation of that terminal container. the second biggeSt in the harbor. to Dubai? People are saying it is good business and something that we have to do in the interests of foreign trade and international economies. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9805}
{"speech_id":1090113525,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Dubai Ports deal has been mishandled by the administration from the beginning. President Bush gave the deal a casual \"thumbs up\" when it deserved the highest scrutiny. As a matter of fact. it wasnt even brought to the attention of senior Cabinet officials. Or if it was brought to their attention. they forgot it. they did not remember it. Instead of a real investigation. the administration issued a document called a Statement of No Objection. We have heard the Presidents determination to have this go through. even suggesting that he. would veto it if there were any attempt to block the transaction. It is a simple statement. the Statement of No Objection. issued by the Treasury Department that said: No problem. go ahead and take over these terminals in our country. Frankly. it was an irresponsible move. On September 11. longshoremen. people employed on the docks at Port Newark. could see the smoke rising from the World Trade Center across the river. Indeed. throughout New Jersey. people looked to the sky in disbelief. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9805}
{"speech_id":1090113525,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And now. the President is telling these people. my constituents. not to worry? That is not good enough. The Bush administration has been playing a shell game on this issue from the very beginning. First. they said no thorough investigation was necessary and approved the deal. What they were saying. basically. is \"mission accomplished.\" \"All done.\" We have heard that before.. and we know the consequences that came after that. There was a public outcry. Now the administration is supposedly conducting a thorough investigation. Frankly. it is a meaningless gesture. The deal is done. The deal is closed. Its final moments are today. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9805}
{"speech_id":1090113525,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So now the Ports World Company from Dubai owns those terminals. Before this new investigation even began. President Bush announced he had made up his mind. Last weekhe said: My position hasnt changed. That throws out the possibility of a truly objective investigation. This is not simply a 45day investigation. It is a 45day stall while the administration hopes the American people will forget about the problem and they can go ahead with the business they plan. But we will not forget what happened on September 11 and we will not forget how much energy. resources. and prayers we devoted to keeping that kind of an incident from ever happening again in America. an attack that wounded us forever. We will not forget how the administration tried to rubberstamp this deal. Our constituents are alarmed. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9805}
{"speech_id":1090113577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Would it be possible. since this issue is one that many Members care aboutin fact. the Vote of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday was 62 to 2 on a similar provi:sion. and I know there is talk of a resolution of this matter without ever going to the bill. But if we can agree that next week or so we might allocate an hour or two to do that. my view is we can move forward today and clean up this lobbying reform issue quicklyby agreeing to an hour or so next week to deal with this issue. if necessary. and we can move through this bill. I think. by tonight.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":568}
{"speech_id":1090113579,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the. leader. I was suggesting that. if necessary. if we could agree to an hour or two after this bill is consideredand you may be right that. we would not have tothen we might get to this reform bill today. That is all it would take to do so. We have taken the position that extraneous matters should not be on the bill. My -fear is--and I say this having been around here a quarter of a centuryonce you bump this off. the budget issue next week. immigration. and a recess for a week or two. we will not get back to this. If we dont stick to this. other matters can take overanother explosion somewhere in the worldand this institution finds itself dealing with a issue that would not be the lobbying reform issue. I have seen it happen so many times. Here is an opportunity. I say with all due respect. to give us that assurance. if necessary. and let us get back to the bill.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":885}
{"speech_id":1090113582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the leader for responding to several questions. I appreciate that very much. I dont disagree. In fact. this may be very good news that we have heard in the last hour or so about the port security issue. Like all of us. I think the leader said it well. The devil can be in the details here. We are going to want to examine what was included there. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2546}
{"speech_id":1090113582,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I understood. my colleague from New York and the Democratic leader were willing to forgo offering this amendment that Senator SCHUMER has proposed on this bill for the simple assurance that. if necessary. they would like the opportunity to bring this up at a later time. Many of us applauded that decision. In fact. the Democratic leader offered a unanimous consent request that would have done that. it would allow us to get back to the reform bill. I see a number of my colleagues hele. My. colleague from Maine knows as well as I do these things can slip. and .once they start to slip. other matters can overtake us. and we dont get back to the matter. We have seen it on asbestos and other matters. I am worried that will happen if we allow too much time to pass before we get back to the legislation. I made the appeal earlier today to reach some accommodation among the leaders so we will be allowed to go forward with this bill that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee worked so hard on and the Rules Committee worked so hard on. We did our job. I think we can get this done in fairly short order. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2546}
{"speech_id":1090113582,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleague from Georgia was involved. as well. iii the Rules Committee trying to put this together. Again. I make the plea. I dont think there is any necessity at this juncture for the Schumer amendment to come up on this bill. but I think my colleagues can understand why the Senator from New York would like some assurance down the road. if necessary. that we can get to this particular proposal. It is not an extraordinary request. We do this all the time. That would allow us to move forward on this bill and try to keep extraneous matters off until we have completed the bill. I thank the majority leader for responding to my questions. I am dis-. appointed. to put it mildly. that we are. not going to get to this bill. I raise the concern. having been here for some time and having watched the process work. that if we dont proceed quickly on this measure. then my fear is that we will not get back to it. and the window of opportunity to have done something on these critical issues will have been lost. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2546}
{"speech_id":1090113604,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will express some anxiety about the fact we are not moving - forward with legislation we need to be considering. Interestingly enough. I came from a briefing upstairs by the -Secretary of Defense and the general from Central Command. It reminds Members of the things out there that we need to deal with. Members go home to their States and people talk about issues that are of interest to themwhether it is the economy. energy. budgets--and yet we find ourselves going day after day Without being able tQ move forward to the topics that are of prime importance. Cer-.. tainly. we should have the opportunity to talk about whatever people want to talk abolt. We should have the opportunity to discuss and debate issues. to come to conclusions on issues. but we need to come to a conclusion. It is embarrassing to see what has happened today. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4041}
{"speech_id":1090113604,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had an opportunity to move toward to resolve one of the issues we had before the Senate. the lobbying issue. which needs to be resolved. I dont happen to think it is the biggest issue in the world. but we were in the process of finding ways to get to it in a bipartisan effort that collapsed because of one effort to derail what we are doing. I think we need to take a long look at ourselves. It would be good -if we had a little time to lay out on a list those issues that are most important. the topquality issues. and then really focus on those issues. I think to bring up something here that is totally unrelated to the lobbying reform issue. which simply caused us to be stalled on an issue that is being resolvedwhether it is the 45day period. whether it is the agreement that has. come forth sincethere was no real reason to bring this up on the floor at this time except to obstruct moving forward. I guess I am becoming sort of upset with the fact that we are not able to move forward. I think some of these things are pretty partisan issues. simply wanting to get this group out because there is sornething going on in the House to resolve that hard issue. and they do not want to be left behind. It is political. I am sorry. but that really is not what it is about to be on the Senate floor. So I will not take any more time. ex-. cept. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4041}
{"speech_id":1090113604,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I guess. to express my frustration when we do have important issues to deal with. There are a lot of issues out there that are so important. We are talking about energy and how we get some issues resolved so we can deal. in the long term. with energy. which is a big issue for us not only because it is energy but because it affects everyone every day. It affects jobs. It affects the economy. I think one of the issues we need to be doing and continuously working on ishealth care so it is available for everyone and is affordable. We can make some changes there. there is no question. We need to make sure we are doing all we can in taking a long look at what is happening in the Middle East. and that we can get our job completed in Iraq. and make sure we do not end up being singularly involved with Iran. Those are some of the issues. I am. of course. very impressed with the way this system works and very impressed with the way this Senate works. but I do find sometimes that I -think we get it all jammed up for reasons that are not really part of what we are here designated to do. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4041}
{"speech_id":1090113604,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I just wanted to share my frustration with that \"and hope we can work with the leaders on both sides of the aisle to find some ways for us to address. those issues that are before us for the American people. to do the job we are assigned to do and have the responsibility to do. and to move forward. It is frustrating to be here but once a day. for example. when there are lots of issues out there. Lets decide them. lets vote on them. lets get on with it. instead oflook at this place. empty. .empty most of the day because v*e have an obstruction in the system. So. Mr. President. I hope we can find some ways to remedy the situation. And I certainly would like to be a part of finding those remedies. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4041}
{"speech_id":1090113626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my support -for a fair and competitive rail system. Our agricultural economy cannot operate the way it should. We cannot receive the materials we need at a decent price and we cannot distribute our products at a fair price. We need to work on Federal rail policy that encourages competition. Farmers. businesses and consunieri would all benefit from this policy. Montanas rail infrastructure is controlled by a single rail carrier controlling over 96 percent of all rail miles. over 95 percent all grain elevator and terminal sites. and moving more than 95 percent all wheat from the State. There is more control by a single railroad in Montana than any other State. The rail carrier controls and dictates the rail rates in all movements from. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090113626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Montana eastbound or westbound. As a result. agricultural shippers in some parts of the United States are paying the highest rail freight rates in exchange for sporadic and unreliable service. Its unacceptable. And its not right that our Montana producers are expected to do business under these conditions. Our shippers need a clearly defined means for securing reliable service at a reasonable rate. Its fair. And its the right thing to do. Agricultural shippers are unique because the party that bears the cost of rail transportationthe farmeris not the party that negotiates the rate for that transportationthe grain elevator. Further. the farmer has no ability to pass on the costs associated with transportation to the customer. To ship a 26 car shipment of wheat from Medicine Lake. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090113626,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MT. to Portland is $3.42 per mile. To ship a 26 car ship.ment of wheat from Commerce City. CO. to Portland is $2.61 per mile and Atchison. KS. to Portland is $2.34 per mile. Montana rates are 31 percent higher than more distant points going to the same market because of lack of competition. Consider this example: A bushel of spring wheat sells for approximately $4.10. More than $1.00 of that amount. or up to onethird of the price a farmer receives. goes to pay for rail transportation. Stated another way. the average wheat farmer is working for the railroads up to four months out of the year. We need to establish a national rail policy that encourages competition that helps both producers and consumers alike. Im committed to doing all I can to promote competition and to help our Montana producers. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090113626,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On Captive Rail Day. I urge my Senate colleagues to join together and work on legislation that will create a more fair and competitive freight rail system.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2536}
{"speech_id":1090113675,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. March 1. the Senate proceed to executive session and an immediate vote on the confirmation of Calendar No. 520. Leo Gordon to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade. provided further that following that vote the President be immediately notified of the Senates action and the Senate resume legislative session.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":400}
{"speech_id":1090113681,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to our colleagues. we have a number of items to complete next week before the March recess. This afternoon. the Committee on the Budget. under The firstrvote of next week will occur unanimous consent the Senate stand in the leadership of Chairman GREGG. or- on Monday at 5:30. This vote will be on adjournment under the previous order. dered reported a budget resolution that an Executive Calendar item. There being no objection. the Senate. we will take up for floor consideration at 5:42 pem.. adjre ti on ay. on Monday at 10 oclock. In addition to at 5:42 p.m. adjourned until Monday. the budget resolution. we will have to ADJOURNMENT UNTIL MONDAY. March 13. 2006. at 10 a.m. address the debt limit and other Execu- MARCH 13. 2006. AT 10 A.M. tive Calendar items. We will have a full Mr. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090113681,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"McCONNELL. Therefore. Mr. week. and Members should expect some President. if there is no further busilate nights. ness to come before the Senate. I ask E323.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090113828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I listened to the very able Senator from Kentucky. His description of this budget does not quite fit the budget I have seen. both in the Senate and in the committee. He talks about deficit reduction. There is no deficit reduction here. Lets be clear with people. There is no deficit reduction. He talks about the deficit reduction bill offered last year by the Republicans. They called it \"deficit reduction.\" but there was no deficit reduction. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10849}
{"speech_id":1090113828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They cut taxes $70 billion. cut spending $40 billion. Do the math. That did not reduce the deficit. It increased the deficit. Is the deficit going to be lower this year after their deficit reduction bill? Or is it going to be higher? It is going to be higher. There is more deficit after their deficit reduction bill of last year. Not only is there more deficit. but there is a whole lot more debt. Let me say to my colleagues. here is what is happening under our colleagues fiscal plan. Here is what is happening to the debt of the country. When President Bush came in at the end of his first yearwe do not hold him responsible for the first year because that is operating under the previous years Presidencyat the end of his first year the debt was $5.8 trillion. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10849}
{"speech_id":1090113828,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the end of this year. the debt will be $8.6 trillion. If this budget is adopted. this 5year budget. at the end of the 5 years the debt will be $11.8 trillion. And they are talking about deficit reduction? Where? Where is it? Show me. Show me where they are reducing the deficit. This is the debt of the country. The debt is skyrocketing under their plans. Now the Senator talks about their deficit reduction plan of last year. This is last year. The deficit was $319 billion. one of the biggest ever. In fact. in the 5 years of this Presidency. he has hadcount themfour. when this year is complete. four of the biggest deficits in the history of the country. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10849}
{"speech_id":1090113828,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In dollar terms. the four biggest. Last year. the deficit was $319 billion. The Congressional Budget Office says if this budget is agreed to. this year the budget will be $371 billion based on the Presidents proposal. Actually. the proposal in the Senate is a little worse. at $371 billion. Is $371 billion more of a deficit than $319 billion or less? This is after their big deficit reduction plan. There is no deficit reduction. What about going forward? What will happen going forward? Here is what will happen. going forward. to the debt of the country. They say the deficit will go down each and every year of this budget. Well. not quite. The last year they say it blips up a little. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10849}
{"speech_id":1090113828,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They claim the deficit will be going down. But. of course. they have left out some pretty big things. They have left out any war costs past 2007. They have left out any cost to fix the alternative minimum tax passed this year. Over 10 years. that costs $1 trillion to fix. That is a big item. They have left out the associated interest costs of those items. which is \"other\" on the chart. They have also left out the money they are taking from Social Security each and every year of this budget. all of which gets added to the debt. all of which has to be paid back. So when we add it all up. here is how much the debt is going to grow under the plan before the Senate: In 2007. it will go up $680 billion. Not the deficit they are talking about of $319 billion. the debt will go up $680 billion. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10849}
{"speech_id":1090113894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. at the very outset. let me say I have closely followed Senator CONRADS remarks on the budget. It is something I have done each year he has served as the ranking member on the Budget Committee. As always. I found his presentation to be both clear and insightful. For anyone who cares deeply about fiscal responsibility. as he does. the picture he has painted of Americas fiscal condition is deeply troubling. I express my own deep appreciation to Senator CONRAD. as I think people all across the country should do. for seeking to focus attention on this important problem. Day by day. we have different issues which grab the headlines and the publics attention. but. meanwhile. this deteriorating situation of America moving further and further down into a fiscal box goes on. The implications of that are very far reaching. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11390}
{"speech_id":1090113894,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator CONRAD has sought to call our attention to that. to focus our attention upon it. and to make us come to grips with this challenge. I commend him for what I think has been a very important public service. As we set out to consider the budget for fiscal year 2007. I think it is necessary for all of us to recognize the budget resolution is. in a very basic sense. the most important document we will deal with in this Congress. The budget contains within it literally hundreds and hundreds of decisions that are critical to our national life. Each time it comes before us. it puts to us the questions: What are our values? What are our priorities? What are we trying to accomplish as a society? It is within the budget that we set our priorities. We make these judgments: how much of our resources to commit. how much to raise through the taxing system. how large a deficit to run. All of these are very basic questions. and the priorities set among these programs determine the direction of our national life. Now. I think in order to judge the current budget and to develop some informed and responsible answers. we need to place that budget in the fiscal and economic context in which the Nation now finds itself. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11390}
{"speech_id":1090113894,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You do not need a very long memory to recall that a few short years ago. under President Clinton. as he was moving through his second term. after we. the President and the majority in Congress. had made some very hard choices on taxes and spending. restraining spending and raising some taxes. primarily on upperincome peoplewe were able to turn around the Nations fiscal status. In 1998. the Federal Government reported its first surplus in the budget since the 1960s. When President Bush took office. we were in our third straight year of a surplus in the Federal budget. and we were projecting surpluses over the next 10 years of $5.6 trillionfive and a half trillion dollars in surpluses projected over a 10year period. Obviously. this was a pretty healthy position to be in. It would have. of course. allowed the Nation to pay down the large national debt that had been accumulated as we moved through the 1980s and into the 1990s. But in what I predict history will write as a gross irresponsibility. President Bush. in effect. squandered the projected surpluses by instituting irresponsible and reckless tax cutstax cuts whose overwhelming beneficiaries were those at the very top of the income and wealth scale. These were not broadbased tax cuts. These were tax cuts whose benefits. upon analysis. were seen to be focused very much on the top few percent of the income scale. When the President submitted his first budget proposal. he asserted: We can proceed with tax relief without fear of budget deficits. even if the economy softens. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11390}
{"speech_id":1090113894,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"We can proceed with tax relief without fear of budget deficits. even if the economy softens.\" The following year. with a budget already in deficit. the President advocated for yet another tax cutyet anotherpromising that \"our budget will run a deficit that will be small and short term.\" In fact. the Presidents budget that year. 2002. stated the deficits would be so short term that todayas he was looking aheadthe Government would be back in surplus. Now. lets look at what has happened. Exactly the opposite of what the President predicted has happened. Under the irresponsible fiscal policy that this President has pursued. we have run deficits each and every year since 2001. In 2002. the deficit was $158 billion. President Bush inherited a surplus in 2001 of $128 billion. The three previous years had had surpluses as well. and then there was a $158 billion deficit in 2002. The deficit rose to $378 billion in 2003. rose again in 2004 to $413 billion. fell slightly in 2005 to $319 billion. and is now projected to go back up again in 2006 to $371 billion. Far from being small and short term. these deficits are at record levels. This chart shows the deterioration in the Nations fiscal position over the last 35 years. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11390}
{"speech_id":1090113894,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we see. the budget went into the red more and more and more. In fact. in 1992. we had the previous record deficit of $289 billion. Then there were the years I referred to when we came out of deficit and ran a surplus. Now we have dived back into deficit. thanks primarily to the excessive tax cut and other factors. including the slowing of the economy and the involvement in Iraq. We ran a record deficit in 2004 of $413 billion. What an extraordinary deterioration in fiscal position to go from here to there. The deficits would be even larger if we were not using the Social Security trust fund each year to mask the cost of the Presidents policies. When we do a unified budget. we include in it any surplus or deficit in the Social Security trust fund. and the Social Security trust fund has been running a positive balance. That offsets the picture of the deficits. but it is not a totally accurate picture. The President has submitted a budget this year that would cause our Nations fiscal health to continue to deteriorate. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11390}
{"speech_id":1090113907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I then ask unanimous consent that immediately following the budget vote scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. the Senate proceed to the consideration and an immediate vote on the resolution of censure that will be submitted by the Senator from Wisconsin without any further intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":314}
{"speech_id":1090113989,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Chair for this time. Mr. President. on behalf of my wife Millie and my entire family. I rise to express our sincere sympathies. our deepest condolences. and our warmest aloha to my dear friend and my colleague. Senator DANIEL K. INOUYE. for the loss of his lovely wife Maggie. who passed away this afternoon. Over the past year. whenever I spoke to Senator INOUYE. I would ask him about Maggie. and his reply to me was: She is a trooper. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1143}
{"speech_id":1090113989,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She is doing the best she can. And that really sums up it so well about Maggie. Maggie was definitely a trooper. She was a wonderful. wonderful lady who served our country as a Senate spouse for the past 40plus years. Maggie was a classy woman who was well respected everywhere she went. She had a heart of gold and will definitely be missed by the people of Hawaii and the families here in Washington. DC. My thoughts and prayers go to Senator INOUYE. to his son Kenny and his wife. their extended family. and all of the Inouye staff here and in Hawaii. We stand waiting to do whatever we can to help in this difficult time. We will miss Maggie. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1143}
{"speech_id":1090113989,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"May Maggies soul rest in peace.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1143}
{"speech_id":1090114007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this evening the Senate will consider another lifetime appointment to a circuit court. The nominee is Leo Maury Gordon. who is nominated to serve on the U.S. Court or International Trade. Mr. Gordon is the courts longtime clerk. and he is very familiar with its important work. I urge all Senators. Republican and Democratic. to support this nomination. His confirmation will bring the total number of judicial appointments since January 2001 to 232. including the confirmations of two Supreme Court Justices and 43 circuit court judges. Of course. 100 judges were confirmed in the 17 months that Democrats were in the Senate majority. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090114007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the other 45 months. 132 judges have been confirmed. Ironically. under Democratic leadership. the Senate was almost twice as productive as under Republican leadership. It is most regrettable that this President has not fulfilled his promise to the American people to be a uniter. Nor has he fulfilled his pledge to complete his work in advance of vacancies and to make nominations promptly. Judicial vacancies have grown to more than 50. and the White House has failed to send a nominee for more than half of those. Some of those vacancies have been sitting empty for more than a year. Over and over the White House has missed the deadline the President established for himself. and today. half of the judicial vacancies. 27. are without a nomination. Onethird of those vacancies are already more than 180 days old. and onethird of the judicial emergency vacancies are without a nominee. If the White House would eliminate its partisan political and ideological litmus tests from the judicial nominations process and its emphasis on rewarding cronies and focus only on qualifications and consensus. the job of selecting nominees and our job of considering them for confirmation would be much easier. That is what this confirmation demonstrates. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090114007,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Recently we have seen the President withdraw a circuit nomination after information became public about this nominees rulings in a number of cases in which he appears to have had a conflict of interest. At a minimum. this case reinforces a point about this White Houses poor vetting process for important nominations. A number of nominations by this President have had to be withdrawn. Among the more well known are Bernard Kerik to head Homeland Security and Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. which were withdrawn for different reasons. It was. as I recall. reporting in a national magazine that doomed the Kerik nomination. When we are considering lifetime appointments of judicial officers who are entrusted with protecting the rights of Americans and when we are reviewing important law enforcement officials. it is important to be thorough. Unfortunately. this White House seems more interested in rewarding cronies.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2822}
{"speech_id":1090114036,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak in support of a bill that I am introducing today. the Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act of 2006. I first introduced the Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act in 2003 to address what I saw as a significant threat to the security of our Nation. Money laundering is an issue of profound importance to our national security because it undermines financial stability by infiltrating and using legitimate financial institutions to hide the illegitimate source of these funds. Money laundering also affects our national security simply because money is the motivating factor for so much of the criminal activities that affect our daily lives. from shoplifting and petty theft to drug trafficking and multimillion dollar stock frauds. We also know that money laundering is a key tool for terrorist groups because it fuels their ability to spread murder. fear and destruction throughout the world. One of the 9\/11 Commission Report recommendations stated that. \"Vigorous efforts to track terrorist financing must remain front and center in the U.S. counterterrorism efforts.\" The Commission expressed its concerns about terrorist financing and \"the need to crack down on terrorist organizations and curtail their funding.\" I strongly share the Commissions concerns and support their recommendations that they provided in their final report. However. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8306}
{"speech_id":1090114036,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am very concerned about the 9\/11 Commissions Final Report Card. released on December 5. 2005. which gave the U.S. Government an A- for our \"vigorous efforts against terror financing.\" After the release of the 9\/11 Commission Report and nearly 4 years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. our Government is still too illequipped and fraught with infighting to rate an A- for its efforts. While we have made significant strides in identifying the methods used to earn. store and move this money. we are still far behind the curve on shutting down the flow of illicit financing permanently. Billions of dollars continue to be funneled to terrorist and criminal organizations after being laundered for these organizations around the world. Therefore. we must continue to increase the pressure we put on these organizations until we reach the point where their everchanging money laundering methods are no longer convenient. profitable or effective. The legislation I am introducing today includes several provisions that will strengthen our current money laundering laws by streamlining a number of statutes. clarifying language in the current law and closing loopholes that are often exploited by criminal organizations. As our new antimoney laundering laws have proven to be effective and make money laundering through traditional financial institutions more difficult. criminals are forced to shift methods to launder their illegally gained funds. As these criminals change their tactics. so must we. Allow me to tell you about some of the key changes that this bill includes to meet these challenges. To begin with. under current law there are over 200 \"specified unlawful activities\" or \"SUAs\" that serve as predicate offenses for money laundering charges. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8306}
{"speech_id":1090114036,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As criminals continue to alter their methods of laundering illegal funds. this list of required \"SUAs\" is sure to grow. My legislation will eliminate the need to continually update the statutes by consolidating the growing list of \"specified unlawful activities\" to include all offenses punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year. This legislation also recognizes the global aspect of money laundering by including foreign offenses that would be illegal money laundering offenses had they occurred within U.S. jurisdiction. This bill also simplifies current law by allowing the government to charge money laundering acts as a \"course of conduct.\" Currently. in most circuits. courts are required to charge each money laundering transaction as a separate count. This legislation allows. but does not require. courts to charge a series of money laundering offenses as a \"course of conduct.\" This change would reduce the time and expense currently incurred by courts that are required to charge and prosecute each separate violation of the money laundering laws. As new laws have made money laundering through traditional financial institutions more difficult. criminals are turning to riskier methods of moving their money. One growing area is bulk cash smuggling. and as such. this bill increases the penalty for bulk cash smuggling to 10 years. In addition. many \"money service businesses.\" or \"MSBs\" have also come under increased scrutiny because of their suspected role in moving funds from the United States to terrorist organizations throughout the world. Another provision of my legislation amends Section 373 of the USA PATRIOT Act regarding money service businesses to read \"illegal\" instead of \"unlicensed\" to ensure that the law covers any money service business that promotes unlawful activity as a course of business. Another money laundering technique is for couriers to carry checks that are complete except for the dollar amount. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8306}
{"speech_id":1090114036,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under this approach the couriers attempt to avoid U.S. Customs reporting requirements through the movement of monetary instruments that are in bearer form and are worth over $10.000. Even though the blank checks are in bearer form. they argue that the value being left blank is not over $10.000 and does not need to be reported. Once they and the blank check reach their destination. all they need to do is to fill in the amount. whatever that may be. and have it negotiated. This legislation removes any confusion as to whether this act is a violation of the reporting requirement. This bill would resolve this issue by clarifying that a check in bearer form. with an amount left blank shall be deemed to have a value equal to the highest amount in the bank account that it is drawn upon while the check was being transported. or when the blank check is cashed or intended to be cashed. My legislation eliminates confusion or ambiguity about the definition of \"commingled funds.\" and structured transactions. \"Commingling of funds\" is a method often used by criminals to disguise illegal money from legal money by mixing the funds together in one account. \"Structured transactions\" is a method used to circumvent our monetary transaction reporting requirements by breaking monetary transactions into several smaller dollar amounts so as to avoid a Government reporting requirement if the transaction had been only one transaction with a value over $10.000. Plus. this legislation clarifies extraterritorial jurisdiction to include money laundering acts that have an effect in the United States. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8306}
{"speech_id":1090114036,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Often. money couriers are intercepted before they reach the collection point but are released because they claim that they didnt know that the money was derived illegally. My bill ensures that the courier can no longer be released from responsibility in the money laundering chain by claiming ignorance about how the money was derived. which means the law enforcement agency can get both the courier and the money off the street. Finally. this bill updates counterfeiting statutes to keep them current with new technology and devices. such as holograms. that are used to produce counterfeits of U.S. obligations and securities. The battle against terrorism and organized criminal groups must be fought on many frontsincluding the financial front. We know that we have made strides in this area as evidenced by the money launderers use of different techniques. As important as it is to learn what techniques these criminals use. it is just as important to act upon this knowledge. If we can shut down the flow of illegal money. whether generated by drug sales or in support of terrorist activities. I believe we will make a significant impact on the demise of these criminal and terrorist groups. This bill is important to identifying particular criminal and terrorist financing operations and putting them out of business. I urge my colleagues to support my legislation and strengthen our national efforts against the continued threat of terrorist financing and financial crimes. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8306}
{"speech_id":1090114065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are going to have a very busy day tomorrow and. indeed. a very busy week. We need to work through amendments on the budget resolution. At 3 p.m. tomorrow. we will have a series of votes on amendments. Senators should plan to be in the Chamber for six backtoback votes. Senators who are planning to offer amendments should be working with the two managers. Senator GREGG and Senator CONRAD. Senators should expect full days and some late nights and should plan their schedules accordingly. There will be additional votes tomorrow after the stacked votes at 3 p.m. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":760}
{"speech_id":1090114065,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. as I said earlier today. we will complete action on the budget resolution this week. and we absolutely must address the issues surrounding the debt ceiling as well.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":760}
{"speech_id":1090114123,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the Senator from North Dakota \"telling us what I am saying. I do. wish the Senator from North Dakota had brought forward a budget so we could see what he is saying and what their side thinks they should do. Right now their budget is a blank piece of paper as an overall document. and it has been for the last few years. But if we look at what they did in committee. I think you can get an idea. They proposed amendments which would have increased discretionary spending by almost $19 billion and mandatory spending by $127 billion. That is a lot of new spending. And they raised taxes by about $130 billion. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090114123,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a lot of new taxes. So there is no discipline on their side of the aisle relative to controlling the rate of growth of this Government. In fact. just the opposite. They want to expand the rate of growth significantly and they want to raise taxes on the American people to accomplish that. That las always been their position and we are going to see amendment after amendment offered to this budget which will essentially increase spending. We have already got a few in line here. I think Senator KENNEDY is going to offer one for $6.5 billion as the next amendment. or one of the coming amendments here. . There are others coming down the pike. They are all going to be paid for by raising taxes. The position of the other side of the aisle on this. although they manage to keep it a little foggy because they dont put forward their own budget. is pretty clear. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090114123,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They want to increase and grow the size of this Government significantly and they want to raise taxes to do that. What the paygo amendment does is raise taxes. You cant deny this. There are only three items of any significance that they are going to impact in this budget. My budget has no new entitlement spending in it so .paygo wont apply to any entitlement spending. It has a lot of entitlement spending presumed in it because entitlement spending is. of course. a big part of the budget. But none of that entitlement spending is affected by paygo because. as a practical matter. paygo will be exempting those entitlement accounts. This reflects what were the amounts of tax increases offered from the Democratic side in committee when we marked this bill up: $133 billion. and the amount of new spending. $127 billion. It puts in stark terms how much new spending was proposed in committee by the Democratic membership. and new taxes. Now they want to use this vehicle of paygo to essentially repeal the tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090114123,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what they are trying to do. The only items. as I mentioned. that are going to be impacted by this paygo language will be the extension of the tax cuts. What tax cuts will need to be extended in the next 5 years? There are the rates. there are capital gains and dividends. and there is the death tax. Those are the big ones. Also maybe State and local deductibility in that category. I am not sure. That may be extended further than this window. But in any event. those are the big ones. They are saying to a person whose rates go up: Your rates are either going to go up or taxes are going to have to be raised somewhere else to keels them at their present level. This argument that you are going to cut spending around here. and to raise taxesI would love to see the other side of the aisle come forward with that proposal. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090114123,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I might be willing to do that and there might be two other people on this side of the aisle who might be willing to do that. but I have not seen a proposal from the other side of the aisle to cut spending anywhere. The Senator from North Dakota argues that this budget adds enormously to the debt. It adds a lot les to the debt than anything the Senator from North Dakota has presented because he is not willing to fieeze nondefense discretionary spending. He has not put forward a budget that reduces debt. What this budget at least does is put in place discipline on the discretionary side of the ledger. It sets a cap-$873 billion. As long as you have that cap you have something around here to enforce so you can limit spending. It doesnt do as much as I would like to do on the entitlement side. but at least it puts in place a mechanism for us to have a point of order should entitlement spending get out of controlshould more than 45 percent of an entitlement account. which is supposed to be an insurance account. end upcoming out of the general treasuryand I understand they are going to try to repeal that point of order. And then they claim they are for budget discipline? The inconsistency of their position is reflected by the facts on the ground and the facts on the ground are pretty clear. The only thing this paygo amendment will affect is taxes and It will force tax increases and it will make the extension of the tax cuts much more difficult to accomplish. which will be a tax increase. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5247}
{"speech_id":1090114149,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this conventional exercises of one kind or amendment is a rather simple one. It another far more in the 1990s than we had to do in the Cold War decades in very highly skilled people. There is no the years before. such thing as a \"grunt\" anymore in What happens when you have fewer Americas military. Today. you have people and you use them more? You highly skilled people. and we owe it to stress the force. you stress the people. them. and we must pay them accordyou stress the equipment. you increase ingly. the operation and maintenance budg- Personnel costs are now $17 billion ets. more per year. adjusted for inflation In an era when we thought we would than in 1999. Seventeen billion dollars be able to save money on defense. we more comes out of the hide of the rest actually had to spend more. and in- of the budget. creasingly the urgent crowded out the China is 5 to 10 years ahead of schedimfportant. ule in what we figure would be a rearMoney was put in O&M in order to mament process. I am not sayihg China keep the tip of the spear sharp. if you needs to become an enemy of the will. while the rest of the spearrusted. United States. I hope that doesnt hapWe. took. for many years as a prac- pen. I believe it need not happen. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9937}
{"speech_id":1090114149,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But tical matter. a procurement holiday. they are clearly attempting to develop We did not buy the equipment we need- a military capability to exclude the .ed to buy to recapitalize the platforms. United States from the Western Pawhich is what we in the Armed Serv- cific. should she choose to do so. And ices Committee call the weapons. the the thing that is more likely to encourtrucks. the support equipment that the age them in that ambition than anymen and women in Americas military thing else is the reality or even the use. perception of American weakness. In the 15 years from 1975 to 1990. we In addition. we now have the new typically bought 78 scout and attack generation of platforms coming on helos. In the years from 1991 to 2000. we line. Remember. platforms are ships. bought. on average. seven. Whereas. we planes. tanks. trucks. and other kinds would buy 2.083. tanks. artillery. and of support equipment. other armored vehicles. we bought. on For the generation of platforms that average. 145. In some cases we acquired the new generation of servicemen and about 10 percent of the platforms that women are going to be using to replace we had bought in the 15 years previous the old ones. it is essential that we to 1990. As a result. the capital equip- complete the development of these proment that the military is using is old. grams and that we buy out the platLet us talk about some of our air- forms that we have proposed to buy. craft: B52 bombers are 44 years old. C- The DDX destroyer and the Joint 130 transports. 33 years old. and KC135 Strike Fighter combatsystems. which tankers. 431\/2 ears old. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9937}
{"speech_id":1090114149,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I could give is the heart of Americas Army. its Fsimilar statistics for the other parts of 22. airtoair superiority fighter. the the services as well. new aircraft. carriers. the submarines The number of ships we have is going which are essential to our national dedown. In the 1980s we aimed at a 600- fense strategy both for intelligence and ship Navy. and we are now below 300. If also in the western Pacific. all of these we continue at the current ship- are coming online in the next few building levels. we will get down to 200 years. Even with the Presidents submitted or below. That is not consistent with proposal. we cannot purchase the rethe national security of the United quired new generation of platforms. States. For all of these reasons. I have been But what happened? The Bush admin- urging for monthsin fact. my advoistration took over. and to thpir credit. cacy on this point goes back to 1993. they raised Defense spending above in- when I was a new Congressman in the flation. There were modest increases in HouseI have been warning that. we the early part of this decade. and part needed to spend more on defense. of the hope was we could recapitalize I need to point out to the Senate that the infrastructure and make up for this is an obligation of the United that procurement holiday. For a lot of States we cannot escape. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9937}
{"speech_id":1090114149,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is similar reasons. that didnt happen. The oper- to the basic capital assets of a comational tempo continued to grow. pany. You have to keep it up. It is not We all know about the military em- optional to allow the military equipployment level in the global war on ment that our men and women use to terror. There has been what we call age and eventually to collapse. We are mission creep in other areas as well. going to pay this bill. The longer we Think about the tsunami that occurred wait. the bigger the bill will be. about a year and a half ago. It was That is one of the reasons why the inAmerican military forces that were the vestments which the President has prostructure through which we delivered posed and which this Congress has prothat relief. vided in the last 5 years have not been We have increased the homeland se- enough even to allow us to tread water. curity mission. the international hu- We have continued to slip backward bemanitarian relief operation. special op- cause we did not do what we needed to erations. ongoing training operations. do in the 1990s. The operational tempo was at a his- What do we need to do now? There toric high. and that ate up a lot of the are a number of us on both sides of the increases. aisle who are proposing. first of all. to Personnel costs: We have great men restore the number the President has and women in the military. They are proposed. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9937}
{"speech_id":1090114149,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to see us go above that in this fiscal year. about $3 billion moe than what the President has proposed. That is the -amount that the Department of Defense said it needed for fiscal 2007 in the fall of 2004. That was the last budget projection we got from the Department of Defense that was unaffected by the stricture of the OMB. I think we need to go to that point. I said that in speeches on the floor of the Senate last fall. A number of us sent a letter to the President urging him to submit a budget at that number. That is about $443 billion apart from the spending on the Department of Energy that is also included in the defense budget. Then I think we need to take next year for a searching and honest review of what the Defense. budget needs to be in the near future. I am not the only one who has proposed that. There are a number of Senators on both sides of the aisle and the Armed Services Committee who suggest that we need a systematic increase in the Defense budget. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9937}
{"speech_id":1090114162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. I thank the Senator and admire very much the sincerity with which he confronts these budgetary problems. Perhaps in view of the Senators question. it would be good for me to emphasize the point I made during the speech. There are certain functions of the Government which. if we do not perform at least at a minimal level. have the opposite effect that people want when they seek to reduce the deficit. This is one of them. These bills must be paid. and the longer we wait to pay them. the more they will cost.. For me. it is deja vu all over again. I said this in the 1990s. We were successful as a Congress in the 1990s in\" the latter part of the decade in getting more money into the budget above what the Clinton administration requested. but .he did not get enough in. So those bills which were not paid have accumulated. with compound interest. at very substantial amounts. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2082}
{"speech_id":1090114162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is true that an increase which is slightly above inflationary rates. which would have been adequate if we had doneit in the 1990s. is not adequate anymore. And if we do not do something of the nature I am talking about nownot just with this -budget but next years budget as wellthen the bill will grow and grow and grow. and 2 and 3 and 4 years from now. it will be even greater. My friend and the Senator from New Hampshire are going to have an even bigger problem to confront in trying to deal with the budget deficit. It is not an option to not sustain the national defense. To the extent America is perceived as weak. much less to the extent that America is weak. it promotes instability and conflict in the world. Apart from the threat to human freedom. I will say to those who are concerned about the budget. that is very bad for -the deficit. That is really - negative for the deficit. Let us sustain the national defense. I -encourage the Senator to continue working with his friend and my friend from New Hampshire to solve these other structural problems in the deficit and would be happy to support some bipartisan resolution. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2082}
{"speech_id":1090114162,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us not take it -out on defense. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2082}
{"speech_id":1090114166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Given the time available. I did not speak as long as I could on this subject. but the Senator is referring to what the Pentagon calls resetting the force. In other words. after a war. we pay through the supplementals for the equipment that is actually destroyed. But a lot of the equipment is not destroyed. it is either left there or it suffers what a business would call accelerated depreciation. It comes back. but it only has a few years of useful life. The Senator is correct. we have that bill to deal with. as well.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":522}
{"speech_id":1090114171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will not take the whole 11 minutes. I will do the Senate that favor. anyway. First of all. the Senator is tremendously knowledgeable about the budget. I respect very much what he is saying. I am pleased he recognizes the importance of the underlying thrust of the amendment. My understanding is the function 920 line has about $11 billion in it so what I am calling for is a reduction of about a quarter in our overhead expenses. travel expenses. That has been done in the past in order to fund important programs. We are in agreement that there is a shortfall in defense. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3944}
{"speech_id":1090114171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nothing is more important across the board right now than sustaining at least the Presidents request. I argue. and perhaps will argue further in this process. that we need to do a little. more this year. but we should at least do this. and we can do this with a reduction in overhead that occurs all the time in the private sector. I think we should. Now. the Senator mentioned various efficiencies we can use to make the money go further. I have been a strong supporter of those on the Armed Services Committee. I think there are efficiencies we can gain in terms of leasing and other kinds of measures. I would not want to leave the floor this morning leaving the Senate with the impression that is going to be enough to meet the obligations we have before us for national defense and national security. Remember. we are talking about the security of our homes. our families. our jobs. Remember what the attack on 9\/ 11 did to the economy. We just saw numbers about how revenues were off in the early part of the decade. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3944}
{"speech_id":1090114171,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. that was not unrelated to the fact we were attacked. I am not saying we would not have been attacked had we been stronger throughout the 1990s. I am saying that right now. we are too far out on a margin of risk. The further you go on that margin of risk. the greater instability. the greater the lack of confidence in the world. and that hurts our economy. I said substantially the same thing a couple years ago when we were debating the highway bill. I was arguingin favor of bonding for infrastructure investment. Investment in defense. like investment in infrastructure. is not an optional expenditure of the Government. We have. if you want to look at .it this way. a deficit in the national defense. As bad as the budget deficit is. I would argue the deficit in the national defense is worse because that deficit imperils both the national security and the economic security of the United States. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3944}
{"speech_id":1090114171,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So we need to make some tough decisions. I agree with the Senator when he says that. We can at least take this decision now. This amendment is offered on a bipartisan basis. And this concern is bipartisan in the Armed Services Committee. When we had what we call our posture hearing. looking. at the posture of defense. Senator INHOFE. Senator DAYTON. Senator MCCAIN. Senator LIEBERMAN. and I all raised the issue of whether. going forward. we needed a structural increase in the national defense. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3944}
{"speech_id":1090114171,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are not\" asking for that here. We are not asking for that this year. We want to do a study of this issue. We want to look at it in a searching -and bipartisan way and then report back. I * hope next yearearly next yearto the Senate on what we need to do. But. right now. we need at least to give the .President what he has asked. I would hope we could find a way to go a little further than that in this budget -and give the President what he asked for in the fall of 2004. before the Office of Management and Budget got at the Defense projections. That is why I am offering the amendment. I very much appreciate the spirit in which the Senator has responded. I hope he can stretch a point and perhaps find a \"yes\" vote for this amendment. and then debate. in as bipartisan a fashion as possible. the other structural issues we are dealing with with the deficit. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3944}
{"speech_id":1090114175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even though I think using section 920 is the wrong way to. go. The Senator indicated he has been informed there is $11 billion in the 920 accounts. I just direct the Senators attention to page 29 of the concurrent resolution on the budget. If the Senator would direct his attentioh there and go down the table to allowances. 920. I think the Senator would see there. in fact. is no money in section 920. In fact. section 920 is $500 million in the hole. There is no $11 billion there. That is the problem we have. There is no $11 billion there. Section 920 is actually $500 million underwater. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1139}
{"speech_id":1090114175,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This will just put itfurther underwater. which will require an acrossthe%-board cut in these other areas: homeland security among them. law enforcement. veterans benefits. defense. Actually. we do not know what the appropriators will do. So I just say that for the information of my colleagues. who may have some sense that there is money in this account. that there really is not. Mr. President. is the Senator prepared to yield back his time? Because I would be willing to yield back our time in the interest of trying to get back on schedule.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1139}
{"speech_id":1090114189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am very pleased to join my colleague from Massachusetts in sponsoring this important amendment. I want to recognize that the Senator from New Hampshire is a longtime champion of education programs and. indeed. under President Bush. education programs have received considerable additional spending. But we can and we should do more. There is no greater investment in the future of this country than to invest in the education ofour young people. This amendment would restore cuts and increase funding for absolutely critical education and job training programs in this budget. Let me talk about some of those programs. Lets begin with the Pell Grant Program. Pell grants go to our neediest families. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090114189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The average income of a family whose student is receiving a Pell grant is only about $16.000 a year. We are proposing to provide a $450 increase in the Pell grant maximum award. That would increase it from $4.050 to $4.500. The maximum award has not been increased for 4 years. while the cost of higher education has skyrocketed. Lets look at tle impact oh students. In 1975. the year I graduated from college. the amount of the maximum Pell grant award was sufficient to cover approximately 80 percent of the average costs of attending a public 4year institution80 percent. Today it covers less than 40 percent of those costs. That disparity means that higher education is further and further out of reach for too many lowincome students. Lets talk about the impact of another program. It is the TRIO Programs. the aspirationsraising programs. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090114189,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know firsthand what a difference these programs make in my home State of Maine where too few families have experience with higher education and. thus. their children find higher education to be something unknown or something they are not sure they can handle. These. aspirationraising programs give the mentoring assistance. the encouragement. the help that is needed so that talented young people realize that higher education is within their grasp. The Upward Bound Program is a wonderful program that has -changed so many lives. Just yesterday. I talked with a student from the University of Southern Maine who told me that but for the TRIO Programs. he would not today be in college.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090114193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in opposition to the amendment. The senior Senator from New Hampshire I think has laid out a very strong case for why this amendment fails to enact the kind of basic fiscal restraint. basic fiscal responsibility that is essentialessential in this particular time and place in our countrys history. but I think essential at any time exercising that financial responsibility on the behalf of the taxpayers. I I wish to talk. though. about the broad failings of this amendment. and I am concerned that we are going to see similar failings in amendment after amendment offered in this debate. This amendment fails on a nuimber of counts. First. to pick up on the point that was made by the committee chairman. there is a complete failure to recognize the additional funds and resources that are already part of this\" budget. the additional funds in -the education account that have been made available for vocational education. for TRIO. for Perkins. depending on what the priorities and desires and goals of the committees of jurisdiction are. By offering this amendment. the suggestion is that those resources mean absolutely nothing in this debate. that we cannot possibly get the job done with the allowances made in those areas. and I think that suggests either a lack of leadership within the Congress or the Senate on those particular areas. a lack of confidence in the committees of jurisdiction to do their job. or a lack of homework being done to understand how much has been made available in the last several years and what resources are actually available. Second. this amendment carries with it a suggestion that under no circumstances should any program in the education accounts ever be eliminated or redirected to better use those resources elsewhere. I think anyone outside of Washington who hears that statementthat no program should ever be eliminated. no funds should ever be redirectedwould -think that cannot possibly be so. people within Washington. within the beltway. within the Senate cannot possibly think in those terms. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4740}
{"speech_id":1090114193,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But. unfortunately. this amendment makes plain they do think in those terms and. in fact. some legislation now being proposed in this very area creates 10 or 15 new education programs without looking at what exists currently and trying to find a way to better use those dollars. It is uifortunate because it does those who are in the greatest need of these kinds of programs. support. and services an injustice because we dont want to do the hard work of oversight. of looking at when programs were.created and how funding can be better used. In the case of TRIO. for example. which has been mentioned. it is a worthwhile program. it is a program I have supported. but I have always made clear that I am willing to look at other programs in the Department and redirect funds and redirect resources to make sure a worthwhile effort such as TRIO gets the resources it needs. So. one. there is no regard made for the resources that are actually in the budget. * Two. there is the suggestion that we couldnt possibly ever modify or eliminate a program to get more resources into the areas targeted by this amend ment. Three. there is the suggestion that we couldnt possibly redirect resources in any other part of the budget to education. that we wouldnt want to touch something politically sensitive such as agricultural subsidies. such as spending subsidies for fossil fuel. oil and gas research and development. which we greatly expanded in the Energy bill that was passed last year. No effort has been made to honestly identify areas that should be a lesser priority than those targeted by this amendment. Fourth is the assumption that seems all too common. that if we want to spend more money. we should just raise taxes. We can talk about loopholes all we want. but the fact is. it is a tax increase. .and they are tax increases that may have been passed in the United States Senate but were not signed into law. -were not -supported in the other body. and -have little or no likelihood of evermaking it.through. So I think throwing out a tax increase in an effort to make an amendment budget neutral when you know those resources are never going to be delivered is deficit spending. pure and simple. It is wrong. it is not fiscally responsible. and it should be rejected. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4740}
{"speech_id":1090114193,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Budgets are about setting priorities. We can do a better job. a more honest job of setting priorities. I am always willing to look at redirecting resources. whether it is from within the Department of Education to things that should be a priority. whether it is from other programs to this. If we are not willing to do that. we shouldnt be willing to vote for amendments that blow the budget caps.","speaker_name":"JOHN SUNUNU","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4740}
{"speech_id":1090114199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the KennedyCollinsMenendez amendment. It is an amendment that sends an important message to our Nation. Yes. budgets are about values and priorities. We tell our children in this country that education is a fundamental value that is of the highest importance. and then we submit a budget that speaks of much different values than that which. -in fact. we hold up to our children. If this amendment is passed. it says: If you work hard. if you are aiming for a goal. we will help you achieve it. It says no matter the happenstance of where you were born. the station in life into which you were born. we will give you the opportunity to fulfill your Godgiven -potential. That is what this amendment says. It says we are willing to make the investments necessary in our young people to strengthen our countrys future. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090114199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. the budget before us does none of those things. I sat as a member of - the Budget Committee listening through this process and. I must say. eventually cuts have to come from someplace. The suggestion .that everything is in the education budget that we have had in the past is simply not reality. At the end of the day. we are still over $700 million short in higher education than from where we were. It does nothing to increase the maximum Pell grant. and we can see from this chart no matter what we talk about in terms of how we try to portray the numbers. there is one unmistakable fact: In the cost of attendance at a 4year college institution. at a public college. versus the ability of what you can maximally achieve with a Pell grant. there is a huge gap. and that gap has continued to grow. So what we are telling our young people is. yes. education is a value. ahigher education. college education degree is incrediblyimportant for your own fulfillment. for the Nations success in a global economy. but. sorry. we are just largely not going to help you. You are going to have.to do that on your own. You are going to have to borrow and graduate under a mountain of debt. That is not a value that I think Americans share. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090114199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They want. to see the fulfillment of their childrens potential realized. So this does nothing to increase the maximum Pell grant. which will be frozen for the fifth year. and will decrease the actual real dollars in values as it has over the last 4 years. Itdoes nothing to increase workstudy grants. which will mean 1.000 fewer students. will receive awards next year. It would take away lowcost loans in terms of the underlying budget for nearly a half million lowincome students. loans that are forgivenforgivenfor those who are serving in vital public service sectors such as teachers. nurses. law enforcement. or military officers. It will mean -that more than 1.5 million lowincome students would lose out on early intervention and college preparation programs that help make sure they are enrolled in and graduate from college. That is why I am proud to be offering this amendment with my distinguished colleague and a tremendous leader on education. Senator KENNEDY. I am also glad to be joined with Senator COLLINS in this effort. This amendment provides a real opportunity to change the course of events for our Nation and to meet our competitive future.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090114210,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the Senators passion. I just wish he had been there when we voted on the deficit reduction bill and we put $9 billion in student assistance and increased the Pell grant concept $8.000 per studenit. students with low income to pursue academic careers which are needed in this country so we could be more competitive. As I have mentioned before. the numbersare pretty staggering. what we put into education accounts. and this budget puts in another $1.5 billion over what the President suggested. although again it is not binding. Nothing we do in this budget is binding in a specific account. The only binding number we have and we should keep is that top line on the issue of how much we are going to spend as a Government. I would say not only is it important to pass along good education to our children. but it is also important to pass along a healthy economy to them and a nation which they can afford to live in. But raising their taxes as this amendment does is not going to make us more competitive or make them have a better lifestyle. It means they end up paying more taxes. Not living within your budgets is not a good idea for government. it is not a good idea certainly for students. and I think this amendment sets a bad precedent. It establishes a precedent of saying. well. we will just blow the cap off with either higher taxes or more debt. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1941}
{"speech_id":1090114210,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a very inappropriate approach and certainly unfair to those kids who want to go to college and have a country they can afford to live in and bb able to make a decent living in and not have to pay too much in taxes. This amendment. in my opinion. is excessive.- inappropriate. and clearly. as a result of busting the budget. is not constructive to fiscal responsibility and to maintaining fiscal discipline here at the Federal level. Now I would yield back the remainder of my time. I understand the next amendment will be offered by the Senator from Rhode Island.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1941}
{"speech_id":1090114228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President.\" first I want to congratulate the Senator from Rhode Island. I think this is a good amendment. and it is done the right way. He has basically come to the conclusionand a lot of us agreethat IDEA could use some more money. that there is an unfunded mandate. There are some issues here. of course. as to whether. like a dog chasing its tail. we can ever catch up with the level of Federal funding that should be in IDEA because some States in some ways are overcoding too many kids in the system. But that is a debate for another time. We have already tried to address that in the most recent IDEA reauthorization. But his initiative of putting $2 billion into this account is an appropriate one and he has done it the right way. He basically says within the budget we are going to set the priorities working with a spending cap. He is saying let us do it as an acrosstheboard cut and put the additional money we would have into the IDEA account. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3613}
{"speech_id":1090114228,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a legitimate way to approach this 920 act because it actually delivers the message which the Senator from Rhode Island wishes to deliver. and as it is executed the Appropriations Committee would actually get the money over there into that account with an acrosstheboard cut. The argument which is made is. Well. this has no substance because the 920 account is going to be left up to the appropriators as to whether they would take the approach of the acrosstheboard cut. which is equally applicable in moving this budget. other than the top line cap number. The top line cap number. which is $873 billion. is the only number in this budget that has force of law. Everything else below that-$400plus billion that we have allocated in this budget theoretically to defense. an extra $1.5 billion we put into education. the money we put into health care. the money we put into environmental protectioiall of those are suggestions essentially to the approptiate committee. which is the Appropriations Committee in this context. in the discretionary account. They may or may not follow it. But I think the Senator from Rhode Island is bringing this forward in a way which is responsible. staying within the caps provision increase. and proposing an acrosstheboard cut to pay for it. He is giving responsible suggestions to the Appropriations Committee. which is all the budget does. anyway. It gives suggestions. and they have no binding effect other than the top line cap number. as I mentioned before. I congratulate him on the proposal. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3613}
{"speech_id":1090114228,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Considering the cards which we played. which were dealt relative to the budget. he is doing it in the proper way. We all recognize that there is a certain illusoriness to all of these numbers because they do not have the force of law. But even the amendment offered by Senator KENNEDY has no impact other than to raise the cap by $6.5 billion. It doesnt raise taxes. He claims it does. But we have no authority to raise taxes in this resolution. and we are certainly not doing anything that would legally bind the Finance Committee to raise taxes. All lie is -doing is raising the caps by $25 billion. That could be spent on defense. all of it. if the Appropriations Cornmittee wants to do that. He is suggesting that it be spent somewhere else. The Senator from Rhode Island is at least doing it the right way. which is living within the spending priorities which will make the Government fiscally responsible on the discretionary side of the ledger. but within those let us allocate some more money or IDEA. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3613}
{"speech_id":1090114228,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has a good proposal. It is the way it should be done. I congratulate the Senator from Rhode Island.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3613}
{"speech_id":1090114234,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there is no question that the Senator from Rhode Island has touched on an important subject with this amendment. which is the fact that the Federal Government has never fully lived up to the commitment to special education as initially made. We have made dramatic progress under this President. especially in comparison to the prior Presidency. We are almost up to 20 percent of funding. But there was an original commitment of 40 percent. Certainly every community in New Hampshireand I am sure Rhode Islandfeels they have to pick up a Federal share from here and take it from some other part of the education which they think is important in order to pay the Federal share of special education.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":711}
{"speech_id":1090114271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With regard to what my friend from Hawaii has done today. I remind my colleagues that there has already been an increase in this budget since a year ago. We are basically prioritizing our money to be spent where it is supposed to be. If you look at the total budget growth. it has grown from about $72.6 billion to $74.9 billion in the last 5.years. an increase of around 50 percent. The result is a 69percent increase in veterans health care since President Bush has taken office. So we are not Underspending. We are just not doi\"ng a very good job of assigning our priorities where the money should be spent. We asked the VA to look at their costs to give us some idea of how they are being more efficient now. The reporting of the VA has become a lot better. It gives us a better handle on where we should be slpending those dollars. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2371}
{"speech_id":1090114271,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My amendment does not shortchange any veteran. We just have to do a better job in our priorities. We have asked the VA to be outcomeoriented. and the outcomes have been improved. Access to health care has increased. The quality of care has increased. Patient satisfaction is up to 83 percent. That was unheard of just 4 or 5 years ago. By asking for increases over and above. basically we are doing nothing more than engaging in a bidding war. I can use the auction method pretty easily because that is where I cut my teeth. I dont mean to make light of the process. but we have to draw the line somewhere. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2371}
{"speech_id":1090114271,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am a veteran. I respect the effort to take care of veterans. In our State of Montana. we now have outpatient clinics that are taking care of our veterans. not just at Fort Harrison but at several other locations where veterans do not have to travel long distances either to get their drugs. be a part of their prescription drug programs or to get their health care. What we are doing with this amendment is putting the money right back into the system where it should be spent. We are paying for it with no impact on the budget and without raising taxes. I think my good friend from Hawaii raises taxes with his amendment. I thank him for his diligence and his love for veterans. I dont have any opposition to that. What we are doing right now is talking about how we approach taking care of these fine young men and women who find themselves needing medical care that they can get nowhere else in America. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2371}
{"speech_id":1090114279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to my friends. the Senator from Montana and the Senator from Idaho. that we agree that veterans need quality care and services. but we differ on how much to provide for this care and who is eligible. I believe all veterans deserve access to quality care. I also believe that we must make this a priority. I say again to my friends. VA health care should grow. and that is not a bad reality. We spend exorbitant amounts on these men and women while they are in active service. They deserve our care when they are done serving. The budget has gone up. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1300}
{"speech_id":1090114279,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets think about what we have. purchased with that budget: hundreds of new clinics. hundreds of thousands who never had insurance and who can now come to the VA for worldclass care. a leading research program. and a system where care is second to none. Lets not deny that health care costs money. We agree on that. Indeed. there is an increase in the VA budget. but it undercounts the number of returning service members. It does not do enough for mental health. and it flat lines rehabilitation care. As I have said. we are pleased that the Presidents budget is much better than last years. This is not a bidding war. this is getting it right. Mr. President. I yield the remainder of my time on this amendment to Senator MURRAY.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1300}
{"speech_id":1090114308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wonder if I might take a few moments to speak in opposition. if.it is all right with the Senator from Washington. and then also there are a couple of other housekeeping issues I would like to deal with. No. 1. I ask unanimous consent that the remaining time on the Burns amendment on both sides be yielded back. I have checked with the other side. and they agreed.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":381}
{"speech_id":1090114333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to speak in support of Senator AKAKAS amendment to provide an additional $1.5 billion in funding for veterans healthcare. As our Nation struggles with a growing healthcare crisis. we can all agree that the VA healthcare system serves as an example for how healthcare should be provided. In addition. through its medical research programs. the VA is frequently responsible for great strides in medical science that contribute significantly to the quality of.healthcare services across the country. We owe it to our service members. our veterans. and our Nation to be honest about our needs. and to provide funding adequate to meet those needs. While this budget represents an improvement in terms of VA healthcare over last years budget. it continues to propose revenuegenerating policies that would increase costs for our Nations veterans and serve to drive many of those veterans out of the system. For example. the administration has once again prdposed to raise premiums and copays for Priority 7 and 8 veterans. Butwe all know the impact these policies will have on veterans in our Statesover 27.000 veterans in my State of Colorado alone would be forced out of the system. This amendment. which I am proud to cosponsor. would add $1.5 billion in funding for VA medical services. and would offset that increase by closing corporate tax loopholes. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1930}
{"speech_id":1090114333,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would ensure adequate funding for VA healthcard without increasing costs for Priority 7 and 8 veterans. and Would provide needed resources for the specific areas of mental health. readjustment counseling and rehabilitative care. At a time when some of our veterans are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. it is important that we stand up as a Senate in full support of our veterans. Our veterans deserve better. They deserve our support of Senator AKAKAS amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1930}
{"speech_id":1090114357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in support of this amendment offered by my colleague from Missouri who has played a leadership role in trying to tackle a very difficult problem that is impact ing various parts of our country. It is unfortunate the parts of our country that have seen this problem have to come to the Senate and wage this battle to convince people who have not had this problem occurring in their communities how important it is. I say that because if we do not fight meth and combat it on a nationwide basis. we will see the meth problem continue to grow across the country. That is why this particular amendment is so important. Two weeks ago we took an important step in combating this crisis by passing legislation to actually authorize a comprehensive program to combat meth across the country and in the Hot Spots Program. In Washington State. we have seen methamphetamine grow. first being the second State in the Union with the number of meth drug labs. Only with a comprehensive approach by law enforcement. prevention. and a variety of people in the community were we able to lower that ranking frofi second in the country down to fifth in the country. While we have made some progress. unfortunately. we pushed the problem to ourneighboring State to *the south and Oregon became the No. 1 spot in the country for meth labs. As we have lowered the number of meth labs being discovered in Washington State. we also saw a different effect taking place. an actual increase in the number of deaths related to methamphetamine. We saw . the superlabs coming in. in bigger and stronger positions. trying to continue to move this deadly product through our communities. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090114357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What the .Combat Meth Act does is provide resources to State and local Governments. law enforcement and investigative teams in shutting down labs. investigating the violent crimes. educating the public. and helping children impacted by this terrible product. In one county alonethe Presiding Officer will understand because it is a neighboring county to his Statein the city of Spokane. 96 percent of identity theft and 70 percent of burglaries are related to methamphetamine. During the bust ofmeth houses in Spokane County. police find children at least 50 percent of the time. This is a problem that is much more comprehensive in the impact it is having on communities than people realize. When we have a meth house in a. community. it not only impacts that particular neighborhood and community. but it impacts law enforcement who also have to come in and investigate and clean up the drug labs. We know of law enforcement officers injured from trying to fight this problem by not having the proper equipment when going into these locations. This is a problem that is not small or isolated or one that is going to be fought and won in 1 years battle. That is why we need to support this amendment today and continue our efforts. not just authorizing but actually appropriating the resources to fight this problem. We must continue to be true to what we have said. that we believe this battle is worth fighting and that we are going to provide the resources to do so. I applaud my colleague from Missouri for his leadership on this issue. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090114357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure the people of Missouri. as in Washington State and other places throughout the country who have this problem. know -how important it is to battle this issue. It is important we realize a comprehensive approach.. is showing success. In Washington. we have seen a comprehensive approach has actually educated more people and the public to understand how one use of \"methamphetaminecan be so addicting and lead to such a devastating result. for individuals. families. communities. and to everyone impacted in its path. I applaud my colleague from Missouri for his leadership. I am glad to join him in this bipartisan effort. I also congratulate Senator FEINSTEIN who has made this a priority. and to our budget leader for his help in this issue. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090114371,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague. I congratulate Senator TALENT and Senator CANTWELL for their leadership on this amendment related to methamphetamine use and theepidemic of that use in my State and in many parts of the country. I have had a series of meetings with law enforcement and local officials throughout New Mexico over the last .year. During that time. one thing rings loudly and clearly: That is that the chief law enforcement problem facing many of our communities in New Mexico is methamphetamine use. not just the use itself but all of the resulting crime that occurs by virtue of people using this terrible drug. The addiction is very difficult to shake once you become addicted. We have done way too little to alert young people in our country. as well as adults. about the dangers involved. We see catastrophic. - tragic results in many of our communities. This funding will help. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1059}
{"speech_id":1090114371,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will allow the Federal Government to assist local law enforcement to some extent in coming to grips with this. I compliment the Senators on this amendment.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1059}
{"speech_id":1090114450,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is -the amendment which I offered on behalf of myself. Senator LIEBERMAN. and Senator WARNER. This amendment raises the top line for Defense in the number which the President requested to an approximately $3 billion increase. It is paid for. In time of war. the minimum we ought to do is have the Defense top line at the number which the President requests. It is a bipartisan amendment. I ask the Senate for its support.","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":441}
{"speech_id":1090114527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think that is an excellent idea. I thought we would be in the safe range. but if there is some possibility that 3:30 will not be a time when those two Senators will be present. I ask that the suggestion by the Senator from North Dakota be agreed to.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090114618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will yield 2 minutes qff my time. even though I disagree vogiferously with their position. but out of the kindness of -my heart. I yield a minute to the Senator from New York. the senior Senator from New York. so they can make their case. which is only worth about 2 minutes. anyway.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":285}
{"speech_id":1090114661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my distinguished colleague and friend. the distinguished Senator from Geor.gia. for his leadership on this amendment. It has been a privilege to work with him during the last couple of years. I appreciate his deep commitment to this program. It means a great deal because it demonstrates very clearly to our colleagues that this is a bipartisan commitment. as demonstrated by the cosponsors for our amendment. I ask unanimous consent to add Senators HARKIN. ROCKEFELLER. NELSON of Florida. .BIDEN. and DURBIN as cosponsors of this amendment.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":564}
{"speech_id":1090114689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a sec-\" ond we are going to go to the Senator from Ohio. who is going to speak relative to the resolution. But I want to quickly respond. The Senator from Washington has proposed an amendment which raises the cap. and it raises taxes. There is a better way to do it. The better way is Senator SANTORIUMS amendment. which will come tomorrow. which says we identify CDBG as a priority. and within the caps we find the money for CDBG recognizing we may have to do an acrosstheboard cut of other accounts. That is the right way to do this. It sets priorities. The Senator from Washington is the ranking member on the appropriating committee which will have responsibility for this. Historically that committee has always funded this account. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090114689,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have always found this to be a priority. and they have always found the money to do it. I do not think that history is going to change this year. I do think Senator SANTORUM has the right way to do this. We should not be passing a taxandspend amendment. which is what this amounts to. At this point. I will yield back the remainder of the time in opposition to the Murray amendment and yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090114734,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Monday. March 14. 2006. at 10 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to hear testimony on \"Administrative Challenges Facing the Social Security Administration.\"","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":279}
{"speech_id":1090114738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Consolidation in the Oil and Gas Industry: Raising Prices?\" on Tuesday. May 14. 2006 at 10:30 a.m. in Dirksen room 226. Panel I: Tom Miller. Attorney General for the State of Iowa. Des Moines. IA. David Boies. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1203}
{"speech_id":1090114738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Boies. Schiller and Flexner LLP. Armonk. NY. Joseph M. Alioto. Partner. Alioto Law Firm. San Francisco. CA. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1203}
{"speech_id":1090114738,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Severin Borenstein. E.T. Grether Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy. Haas School of Business. University of California. Berkeley. CA. and Tom Greene. Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of California. Sacramento. CA. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1203}
{"speech_id":1090114738,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Panel II: Mr. John Hofmeister. President. Shell Oil Company-. Houston. TX. Mr. Ross Pillari. President and Chief Executive Officer. BP America. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1203}
{"speech_id":1090114738,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Inc.. Chicago. IL. Mr. James Mulva. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. ConocoPhillips. Houston. TX. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1203}
{"speech_id":1090114781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. . Mr. Speaker. Senate 2064 introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Indiana. Senator LUGAR. would designate the Post Office in Francesville. Indiana. as the\" Malcolm Melville \"Mac\" Lawrence Post Office. Mac Lawrence was a true leader in every sense of the word. After graduating from Purdue University in 1943. ","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090114781,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mac was drafted into the Army and. with the First Medical Battalion. he participated in the DDay landing at Normandy. For his heroics as an Army medic in World War II. Mac was awarded the Silver Star for valor. two Purple Hearts. and two Bronze Stars. After the war. Mac and his wife moved to Francesville. Indiana. where they were again teaching at the* Francesville High School in 1946. He taught vocational agriculture and industrial arts and was greatly admired by his students for his dedication to his craft and for his encouraging and optimistic nature. After 30 years of service. he retired as administrator of the high school. whose students he spent a large part of his life educating. In addition. his service to his community did not go unnoticed. He served on the Francesville library board. was active in the Future Farmers of America. and participated in 4H for 25 years. ","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090114781,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Macs service to his country. State. and community were unparalleled. and I ask that all Members come together and honor this pillar of the Francesville. Indiana. community and pass Senate 2064. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of. my time.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090114793,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I very.much appreciate the attendance of Mr. RENZI on the floor and his very gracious remarks. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4841 is legislation I introduced to -make a technical correction to the map reference contained in Public Law 10994. the Ojito Wilderness Act. This technical correction is :necessary because of an error made by the Bureau of Land Management in the printing of the map to accompany Public Law 10994. The original map failed to include 1.035 acres of land that all parties agreed would be acquired by the Pueblo of Zia as part of the original legislation. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090114793,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I appreciate the cooperation of Chairman POMBO and ranking member RAHALL of the Resources Committee in expediting the consideration of this legislation. H.R. 4841 is truly a noncontroversial measure. and I urge its adoption by the House today. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090114835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. on March 6. 2006. the Supreme Court of the United States. in unanimously deciding in favor of the governments position in the case Rumsfeld v. the Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights. Inc.. sent an emphatic rebuke to those who would view opposition to military recruiting as a form of protest. The military recruiting process Within our colleges and universities is an important pillar of our national security that we can ill afford to cavalierly cast aside because of a policy disagreement. The Supreme Courts decision upheld the Solomon Amendment named for the late U.S. Representative. Gerald Solomon. and stronglyT supported from its inception in 1994 by our colleague. the gentleman from California . ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090114835,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Solomons and Mr. POMBOS initial objective was simple. No institution may deny access to recruiters. to students and student information. or student access to Reserve Officer Training Corps. or ROTC programs. without forfeiting their Federal grants and other funding. Under a number of modifications over the years. the language ruled on by the court requires access to military recruiters that is at least equal in quality and scope to the access provided to any other employer. While the law initially put only Department of Defense funding at risk. the current law. upheld by the courts ruling. would allow the funding from eight agencies to be withheld. including the Department of Homeland Security. the Department of Transportation. the Department of Energy. the Department of Education. and the Department of Health and Human Services. The group. representing a number of law schools and professors. had persuaded the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia that the Solomon Amendment violated the Unconstitutional Conditions Doctrine. because it forced a law school to choose between surrendering first amendment rights of speech and association and losing Federal funding for its university. At the center of the debate was the objection of certain organizations to the Department of Defense policy that denies military service to dpen homosexuals. The Supreme Court decision discredited the case by clarifying that the Solomon Amendment regulated conduct and not speech. and that it was clear that the policy on homosexuals was a government statementand not .the policy of the law schools. The decision also noted that the Solomon Amendment presented no risk to the freedom of association of the law schools since there was no capability for recruiters to become .part of an institution and actively hijack the public perception of the institutions views. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090114835,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. House Concurrent Resolution 354. offered by the gentleman from California . is a celebration of a wise and just decision by our Supreme Court and a strong statement of Cofigressional support for the Solomon Amendment. The Solomon Amendment expresses the inherent wisdom of its author and the finest traditions of our Nation. In Mr. Solomons view. barring military recruiters was an intrusion onFederal prerogatives. a slap in the face to our Natiolas military personnel. and an impediment to a sound national security policy. Mr. Speaker. the Solomon Amendment really does work to protect the future of our Nation. Today. there are only three small law schools that have chosen to deny recruiters access to campuses and student information. They simply do not require Federal funding to survive. and they have chosen toprotest the Department ofDe-\" fense policy on homosexuals in the military as is their right. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090114835,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But for the overwhelming majority of colleges and universities. the worthy messages of patriotism and service to Nation are being heard by Americas youth and they are stepping forward to confront our enemies in this long war -against terror. Mr. Speaker. I commend Mr. POMBO for introducing this resolution. It is imperative that everyone in our Nation understand the importance of military recruiting and the unequivocal committee support of the Congress for the Solomon Amendment.. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090114908,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise in strong support. along with my colleagues. of this bill. H.R. 4944. the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2006. The bill amends a Haphazard Tariff Schedule. HTS. of the United States. to cut certain rates of duty on -a variety of products and to make technical amendments to trade law. The body typically considers such a miscellaneous trade bill during every Congress. and while the practice may be routine and have minimal costs. these provisions do make vital changes that are important to our businesses. farmers. workers. retailers and. of course. our consumers. This year. in addition to cutting tariffs. there is a provision that clamps down on the illegal import of tobacco products by clarifying certain laws and increasing coordination between the U.S. Customs and statewide enforce-. ment officials. Smuggling is a problem that affects every State. especially those with significant ports such as Florida. and cuts into the States and Federal tax and duty collection.. Mr. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1475}
{"speech_id":1090114908,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. H.R. 4944 enjoys broad and bipartisan support. I would like to recognize the hard work of the members and staff of both parties for their hard work on this legislation. Each provision included in this legislation has been thoroughly vetted for support. and it has been made public record for some time. The legislation we now consider raises no objection from either party and has to be determined to be administratable upon enactment.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1475}
{"speech_id":1090114964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would yield for just a moment. I would like to note that during the Christmas break. because I am a senior member of the Science Committee. I went down to Antarctica to our experiment station down there at the South Pole. That is about as far away as you can get from any factory that is burning fossil fuels. The CO2 you measure there is going to be probably lower than the CO2 any place else. and it will fairly represent the base for CO2 increase. and they will give you a chart there. they have now been following this. charting this for a number of years. They will give you a chart which shows exactly what you said. that the CO2 is rapidly increasing. They have done corings of the ice pack there. and it goes back for tens of thousands of years. It is a desert down there with about 2 inches of precipitation a year. but it has been accumulating so long that the ice is almost 2 miles thick in the middle of the continent. up about 10.000 feet. When we go back to those corings. they can find the CO2 level of the atmosphere. because ice is totally impervious to CO2. and it is trapped there. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090114964,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They can find the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. and they can judge from the pollen and so forth what the temperature of the Earth must have been. because there was more growth. They have found that every time in the past that there was an increase in temperature this was accompanied by an increase in carbon dioxide. You are exactly right. They have now been measuring this. I think. in the best place of the Earth to measure it. That is at the South Pole. which is as far as you can get away from any place where they are burning fossil fuels. I thought this would be interesting. It would just emphasize what you have been saying that the CO2 is increasing in our atmosphere. I yield back to you again. sir.","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090114975,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"in the Disaster Recovery Caucus. one of the main issues will be to confront this catastrophe. this crisis that impacted Hurricane Rita victims as well. to be able to rely upon paying insurance and not having to read the fine print to be able to find out whether or not I am going to be covered or denied. In fact. in going throughout the region. I did not find one person that said. oh. yes. my insurance has covered me. There was one denial after another. one lawsuit after another. Two women that I spoke to said they were still waiting for recovery. This issue needs to be confronted by Congress. DemociFats are taking the lead on this issue. We welcome the joining of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle because we rise today to focus on the needs of people. and we need to rush toward victory by helping individuals who are suffering. Let me also say that today we Stood together to speak against this question of the eviction of almost 40.000 families. we believe. tomorrow. If the Secretary of Homeland Security. the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security can hear our voices on the floor tonight. we are pleading with an extension of that eviction date. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090114975,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What will be said is we have extended it. In fact. I am looking at a time line hear that. talks about October 25. November 15. December 15. November 23. December 12. January 9. and it says FEMA requires all evacuees staying in hotels and motels register for an authorization code by January 30. and then they went on to February 7 and then January 13. They were going to be kicked out. and now it has been extended. Let me say one simple sentence. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090114975,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why dont we extend the time to remain in place. if necessary. until the anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita tragedies. Why not just do that. I want to conclude by mentioning these items. and I see we are joined by","speaker_name":"CHARLES MELANCON","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090115096,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is the deadline amendment on the Medicate prescription drug. Medicare Part D. that the Senate has heard about now over the course of the last 6 months. Each time we have been in a parliamentary procedure where we have been able to receive a majority of votes. in excess of 51 votes. but because of the parliamentary procedure we have found ourselves in. a 60vote majority was required. Not so today. This amendment can pass with a simple majority vote. according to how many Senators are here. whatever is the simple majority. It is an amendment all of our Senators have been hearing a lot about. As we have gone home to our States. clearly every Senator has received an earful from senior citizens of their States in which the seniors have not only implored but in some cases begged for an extension of the May 15 deadline for signing up for the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Why? Why are senior citizens confused and bewildered and. in some cases. frightened? They are confused because they are facing a multiplicity of plans. For example. in my State of Florida. 18 companies are offering 43 standalone plans. 43 prescription drug plans that a senior citizen is to try to make a determination about which is the best for them according to the prescription drugs they need. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8186}
{"speech_id":1090115096,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are confused and bewildered and. in some cases. frightened. Why are they frightened? Because they know if by the deadline they dont make a choice. they are going to be penalized 1 percent of the overall drug premium prices p~r month or 12 percent a year. Indeed. the Congressional Budget Office. in determining what is the cost of this amendment over 5 years. has taken that into account and has said it is going to be an additional cost on average to a senior citizen of 6 to 7 percent. Our senior citizens cannot afford that. So they are frightened. They are also--frightened in knowing if by the deadline they are confused and they pick a plan hastily in order to satisfy the deadline. they know if they happen to choose the wrong plan. they are stuck for a year. That causes considerable consternation and fright. because the medicines they take often are life giving. And thank the good Lord. we have progressed to the point that now the miracles of modern medicine through prescriptions have become an opportunity for us to have a much higher quality of life. A lot of the ailments that afflicted us 20. 30. and 40 years ago that had to be dealt with in a hospital by surgery and hospital procedures today can be taken care of. in large part. by prescription drugs. Naturally. senior citizens are confused. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8186}
{"speech_id":1090115096,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are bewildered and. in some cases. they are frightened. Every one of the Senators here has been hearing from their folks back home who are saying: Help us. Yet this body has taken a position. We are looking out for Medicare instead of looking out for the people Medicare serves. It is the beneficiaries of Medicare. the senior citizens of this country. we ought to be looking out for. So we have had this issue twice in front of us with a majority vote. We are going to have another opportunity today. The stakes are high because simply we need to provide our seniors with the time and the resources tlfey need to make an informed decision. In some cases. this is a matter of life or death. especially for those who are frail. How do we expect an artificial deadline to be handled with someone who has the onset of dementia? Further complicating matters. the Medicare prescription drug benefit has been marred by implementation problems. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8186}
{"speech_id":1090115096,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These appear to be widespread. and they are clearly adversely affecting vulnerable beneficiaries. How many news stories have all of us read that talk about the senior citizen who is distraught because they go to the pharmacy and the pharmacy says: Yout particular prescription is not on the formulary of the new plan. We saw that in what is called dual eligibles. in the shifting of Medicaid recipients over to Medicare. Hopefully that is going to be worked out. but it is all a part of this implementation of a new program that is having difficulty. Hopefully we will get it right. but we need to give senior citizens a break and not hold them with the guillotine over their head with an artificial deadline of May 15. If we pass this amendment by delaying the late enrollment penalties and giving every beneficiary a chance to change plans once during the first year of the prescription drug benefit. then we can make sure our citizens are not going to have to make hasty decisions. This amendment that I offer on behalf of a bipartisan group of Senators. including Senator SNOWE of Maine. instructs the Senate Finance Committee to extend the annual open enrollment period under the Medicare prescription drug program through all of 2006 without imposing a late enrollment penalty and to allow a onetime change in the plans at any point in 2006. We are going to hear some Members oppose this amendment by saying that the Congressional Budget Office recently rescored the cost of extending the deadline. When the amendment was here before us a month or so ago. CBO had scored it at about a $300 million cost over 5 years. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8186}
{"speech_id":1090115096,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CBO now says it is going to cost $2 billion over 5 years. It is important to note that the new score by CBO is mainly due to the fact that the enrollment program has gone so poorly. The new cost reflects the fact that 10 million fewer people will be signing up for the drug benefit than previously estimated. That is not the senior citizens fault. Why should they be penalized by saying this is going to cost more when. in fact. it has had such a problem in its implementation and it is not quite as attractive to seniors as the administration had once thought? According to CBOs new estimates. if we extend the deadline for signing up through all of 2006. 1.1 million more beneficiaries will sign up before the end of the year. In addition. 10 million beneficiaries will pay .lower premiums because they will have fewer penalties. So on the one hand. CBO is saying it is going to cost more because the enrollment program has gone so poorly. but on the other hand. the Congressional Budget Office is saying. indeed. if we extend it. we are going to have more beneficiaries sign up. over a million more. they are saying. will sign up if we extend the deadline. And they are saying the beneficiaries who sign upthey are estimating 10 millionwill pay lower~premiums because they will have fewer penalties. What Senator would want to vote against this amendment and. therefore. increase the cost to the senior citizens? By opposing this amendment. if. indeed. the chairman of the Finance Committee. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8186}
{"speech_id":1090115128,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I only want to clarify two things. One. if I said there were no complaints at my town meetings about the program. there were. but I found a great deal of people who had enrolled very satisfied and also satisfied with the process. The second thing is. it has to be a policy decision by Congress to do what I want to do. so it is still. up to Congress to make this decision. I would be willing to make this decision if it was made first. but your amendment is up today. So it is still a choice we are making. March 15. 2006 COIl -I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":561}
{"speech_id":1090115142,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will not take all of that time. Let me say this: I voted for the Medicare prescription drug program. I voted for it because I think it will help a substantial number of my seniors. Also. that legislation contained provisions to make Medicare reimbursement for rural hospitals more equivalent to what urban hospitals receive. In my State. under the -old law. our hospitals were receiving about onehalf as much to treat the same illness as a more urban hospital. That was in part corrected in the Medicare prescription drug legislation. Let us be frank. The handling of the Medicare prescription drug implementation has been a fiasco from beginning to end. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090115142,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think every one of us has heard loudly and clearly from our States--I certainly have. I have done nine meetings in my Stae. including hosting Secretary Leavitt. on this question. It has been botched. The implementation of the Medicare prescription drug bill has beeh botched. On the day. the initial day. I have never seen such chaos. You couldnt get through on the phones. You couldnt get through on the Internet. You couldnt get accurate information. Cards .werent in peoples hands. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090115142,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They automatically enrolled those who were eligible for both Medicare and. Medicaid in plans that often didnt cover the drugs that they were on. That is a fact. This was very badly handled by the administration. as badly- handled as anything that I have seen in 20 years representing my State in the Senate. It was an absolute fiasco. That is a fact. The question is. What do we do to try to improve the circumstance? The Senator. from Florida. who has a very large elderly population. has made one constructive suggestion. He has said lets extend the deadline. Let me just say. in my State. 37 or 38 percent of the people who are eligible have signed up so far. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090115142,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have over 100.000 people eligible and only 37.000 have signed up and about half of those were automatically enrolled. So the true signup. the voluntary signuI5 is very low. It is clear we need more time. One of the problems is there are so many plans that it just confuses people. There are 41 plans in North Dakota. In. all of the meetings I have had. people have said to me: Senator. how can you make any sense out of this. especially since. when you go to the phone lines you cant get an answer. when you go to the computer. the Internet sites. you cant get an accurate answer? I think the Senator from Florida is responsible in saying we ought to extend the deadline. According to the department. we now know that some 10 million people will not have signedup in time. That means they will start to have penalties imposed on them. Ten million seniors. many of them frail and elderly. will start to be penalized because they cant make sense out of this profusion of plans and this confusion. Senator NELSON has a very. straightforward approach. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090115142,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He extends the deadline. The Senator from Iowa has an alternative. His approach is to give the department that ..has botched this signup the decision about whether the deadline is extended. That is a very clear choice. Do we really want the decision whether the deadline is extended to be made by the people who made a hash of this programs implementation? Or are we going to take responsibility and extend the deadline so 10 million people arent penalized through no fault of their own. I think that choice is very clear.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090115170,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wish to take a moment to explain the differences between the MurraySarbanesLeahy CDBG amendment and the amendment offered by Senators SANTORUM and COLEMAN. The amendment we offer facilitates restoring thege CDBG funds by increasing the budget cap by closing tax loopholes that the Senate has already supported closing. in previous votes. This. in turn. makes real money available to the Appropriations Committee to be able to spend for next year. Increasing the cap is important because the budget resolution we are considering assumes domestic spending will be capped at the same level as the Presidents request. Simply put. the budget resolution assumes that funding for CDBG will be reduced by the sameamount as the president has proposed. which would be a cut of $1 billion from fiscal year 06 levels. A separate amendment offered by our colleagues. Senator SANTORUM and Senator COLEMAN. also supports an increase of funding for CDBG. but it would do so by asking the Appropriations Committee to impose acrosstheboard cuts on all other domestic programs. Speaking as an appropriator. I can tell you that all their amendment will do if it passes is to tell the Appropriations Committee that the Senate supports CDBG. But that will not be enough to guarantee that the committee will hear and provide the TransportationTreasuryHUD. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090115170,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TTHUD. Appropriations Subcommittee with a higher allocation to increase funding for CDBG. My colleagues should note that thb SantorumColeman amendment is the same as the CDBG amendment that passed last year. However. because it provided no additional funding to the Appropriations Committee. the TTHUD Subcommittee received an allocation that was inadequate to fund all of the programs within its jurisdiction. CDBG was the program that was on the chopping block. suffering cuts of more than $400 million. So if my colleagues want to simply signal their support for CDBG funding to the Appropriations Committee. then they should vote for the SantorumColeman message amendmeit. Unfortunately. if they choose to d6 that and that amendment passes at the expense of our amendment. they will find that when it comes time to write the TTHUD appropriations bill. they will have failed to protect this important program from further cuts. The choice is clear. Those who want to vaguely express support for the CDBG Program can support the other amendment. which is a nice sentiment. like a Candygram. But for those who also really want to get the job done. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090115170,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge support of ouiramendment. I challenge each Member to go back to their States and to take stock of the benefits that communities have reaped through CDBG investments. I challenge each Member to visit with their local community action groups and hear how they use the community services block grant to support the neediest in their communities. These programs fill a real need and have proven results. A cut of $1 billion in Federal funds. which is proposed in this budget resolution. will result in the loss of at least $9 billion in matching funds from local and State governments and nonprofit and private sector .investments. I fail to see the wisdom in dismantling programs that are so vital to our communities. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the MurraySarbanesLeahy amendment and express their real support for these important programs.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3351}
{"speech_id":1090115177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that at 1 oclock today the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the Murray amendment No. 3363. to be followed by 2 minutes of debate and a vote in relation to the Santorum amendment No. 3050. provided further that following the vote on the Santorum amendment. the Senate recess until 3 p.m. in order for the Senate to proceed to the House for the joint meeting.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":401}
{"speech_id":1090115294,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. the Senator from Pennsylvania correctly anticipated my concern about his amendment. not the additional funding for Amtrak. I completely agree with the Senator from Pennsylvania. and I agree with the Senator from West Virginia on the desirability of providing that additional $550 million. There are two very different ways to do it. One is the approach of Senator BYRD. whidh is to close additional tax loopholes. I commend the Finance Commiftee. They have done an exceptionally good job over the last several years of working to shut down some of these very abusive tax loopholes. I salute the chairman of the Finance Committee for his interest in doing that. I salute his very professional staff for the work in that regard. We all know there is more tobe done. I have offered just two that would easily cover this expenditurein fact. cover it many times over. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090115294,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One is what is going on in the Cayman Islands with this incredible scam of compahies saying they are doing business there when they are not. They are doing business there. or claiming they are doing business. in order to escape income taxes in this country. Why are they in the Cayman Islands? Because the Cayman Islands is a wellknown tax haven. There are 12.700 com-. panies. headquartered in a fivestory little office building in the Cayman Islands. That is a scam. It ought to be shut down. It would save tens of billions of dollars if it were. That is what Senator BYRD says should be done to finance this additional money for Amtrak. The Senator from Pennsylvania says take money out of function 920. The problem with that is there is no money in function 920. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090115294,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I refer my colleagues to page 29 of the concurrent resolution on the budget. If you go to page 29. what you see going down to function 920it is called allowancethere is no money there. In fact. it is $500 million under water before we ever started. We have had a whole series of amendments offered on the other side today to take money out of that account to pay for things. There is no money. If we want to talk about \"funny mQney\" financing. as the chairman of the Finance Committee did. that is it. That is ittaking money from an account that .has no money. That is the whole problem with this budget. This whole budget takes money we dont have. The result is we keep running up the debt. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090115294,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am told that Senator LAUTENBERG is on his way to the Chamber to address this issue. I inquire how much time is left on this amendment.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090115335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Stabenow amendmefnt would pencil in $5 billion for interoperable radio equipment into the budget resolution but provides no money for the first responders. But when the junior Senator from Michigan has been given opportunity to vote for real money for police and firefighters. she has repeatedly voted no. Not only has she voted no. she actively worked to kill funding for the first responders. The Senate budget reconciliation bill last year included $1 billion in hard dollars for grants to States and local governments for new interoperable radio equipment. Michigan would have received a portion of that money for its police and firefighters. but the Senator from Michigan voted no. The col ference report on the budget reconcil ation measure dedicated $1 billion fc spectrum auction proceeds for inte: operable equipment for first resporn ers. Again. the Senator from Michiga voted no. Fortunately. she lost that vote. T1 bill with $1 billion was signed into laN and money is now being made availab] for important grants. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1656}
{"speech_id":1090115335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the Defense appropriatior conference report was considered la. December. I added another $1 billic for interoperable communicatior equipment. That was long after Hurr cane Katrina had revealed to all of i the importance of communicatioi equipment in a disaster. The measui included another $1 billion for grani to highrisk cities. such as Detroit. T1 Senator from Michigan helped fil buster that bill. and then she supportE efforts to strip money out of the mea ure and led the charge against tho. funds and was successful in deletir the money. You cant have it bot ways. I oppose the Stabenow ameni ment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1656}
{"speech_id":1090115387,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will speak to Senator GRASSLEYS amendment. What Senator GRASSLEY is suggesting is we give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to extend the signup time for senior citizens. and if we extend such signup times. there will be no penalty against the senior citizens. It is an excellent amendment. I hope it will be supported.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":344}
{"speech_id":1090115400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment is what Senators have been hearing from their senior citizens. They want to extend the deadline. My amendment would put it in law that the deadline is extended. Why be for a program instead of being for the people? They are confused. They need more time. They are bewildered and. in some cases. knowing that that 1 percentamonth penalty is hanging over their heads. they are frightened. They are also frightened if they choose the wrong program. then find out they cant get the prescription drugs they need for their quality of life. I urge Members to vote for the amendment.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":605}
{"speech_id":1090115422,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. once again the White House has proposed a level of -funding for Amtrak that will result in bankruptcy for the company. endangering rail service in every region of the Nation. Two amendments have been offered to increase Amtraks funding to a level of $1.45 billion. My amendment. which is fully paid for. would provide the additional funds necessary for the Appropriations Committee to approve $1.45 billion for Amtrak. The amendment offered by the distinguished Senator from Pennsylvania pretends to pay for the increase by cutting something called function 920 allowances. It assumes deeper cuts for education. for lowincome home energy assistance. for border and port security. and for our troops. I urge Members to show supportreal supportfor Amtrak by voting for my amendment.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":795}
{"speech_id":1090115459,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday I offered an amendment to the budget resolution with the Senator from Maine and the Senator from New Jersey that would have increased funding for several education and training programs and raised the maximum Pell grant to $4.500. Regrettably. by a vote of 50to50. the amendment was not adopted. More than 100 educational organizations supported. the KennedyCollinsMenendez amendment. and yesterday. I submitted to the RECORD several of the support letters we received from these organizations. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD additional letters from the American Association of Community Colleges. the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships. the National Association for College Admission Counseling. the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium. and the National Education Association.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":893}
{"speech_id":1090115465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the Committee on Finance be discharged from further consideration of H.J. Res. 47. the debt limit extension. provided further that the Senate immediately proceed to its consideration With 1 hour of general debate under the control of the chairman or.his designee. 2 hours of general debate under the control of the ranking member or his designee. and the only amendment in order be the following: Baucus. study on foreign investment. 20 minutes equally divided. I further ask consent that following the use or yielding back of time on the bill and amendment. the resolution be set aside. provided further on Thursday. prior to the first votes on the budget. the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Baucus amendment. and following the disposition of the amendment. the joint resolution be read the third time and the Senate proceed to the vote on passage of the joint resolution. with no intervening action or debate. I also ask all timeconsumed during this bill count against the time limit under the budget resolution.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1066}
{"speech_id":1090115467,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent the Senate resume consideration of the budget resolution at 9 a.m. tomorrow. provided further that the time from 9:30 to 10:30 be equally divided between the chairman and the ranking member. I further ask at 10:30 a.m. the Senate proceed to the votes in relationship to the following items: the Baucus amendment to the debt limit. the passage ..of the debt limit. the Conrad avian flu amendment. the Burr avian flu amendment. I further ask consent that following these votes the Senate resume debate on the budget resolution until 1:30. with the time equally divided.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":591}
{"speech_id":1090115471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is important for colleagues to know what we are doing We are going to go to votearama starting at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. Prior to that time.. we are going to have some time for additional amendments until the votes at 10:30. As the chairman has indicated. at 10:30 we will have votes on the debt limit. We will then have votes on the avian flu amendments that were put off from this evening. After those votes are concluded. we will go back to amendments until 1:30. Now. what .does that mean? That means we have very restricted time tomorrow morning. We have very restricted time after the votes tomorrow. until 1:30 for additional amendments. The only way people are going to get time is if. they take very short time agreements. That is the only alternative we have. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1568}
{"speech_id":1090115471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. I explain to my colleagues. I apologize. but the fact is. our time for budget discussion has been dramatically reduced this year because of extraneous events. It is just a fact. The debt limit was put into this. the joint session. these series of meetings that are important bipartisan meetings at the White House. The chairman would agree that we have had probably the most difficult time managing this budget because there is so much less time available this year. I ask for colleagues to understand if they want time they are going to have to take very short time agreements tomorrow. otherwise. they will be in a votearama. Again. I thank my colleagues for the great cooperation sb many have shown throughout the day. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1568}
{"speech_id":1090115507,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I cannot help but make a few comments on the speech we just heard. noting thQ fact that over $500 billion in new spending was offered. of which over half was voted for by the ranking member. on the Committee on Finance last yearnew speiding unpaid forand has the. audacity to talk about the President getting us into this fix. I mentioned earlier. this Senate and the House. the Congress. got us into this fix. The bills start in the House. they come to the Senate. and the irresponsible spending that has gone on has been a compilation of many factors. But most of it rests upon the Members of the Senate who refuse to make the hard choices in terms of spending. I also note during last years appropriations cycle. I offered amendments that were called sunshine amendments to make sure we knew what was in the bills we were voting on. I also note that the ranking member voted against those both times they were offered. It is disingenuous to claim lack of responsibility. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090115507,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is all of our responsibility. The Nation does not want to hear Congress pointing fingers. They want a solution to the problem. That solution comes through by restraining the discretionary accounts. rather than offering another $200 billion or $300 billion this year of new spending that is unpaid for. It also comes through working the hard issues of changing the entitlement programs of Medicare. Medicaid. and reforming Social Security. like the President of this body has led on in the past. The record should be clear that actions speak much louder than words. The actions of the ranking member of the Committee on Finance do not match up to the words that were just spoken. The responsibility lies on all. All are guilty of not doing what is in the best longterm interests of this country. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090115507,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what has to change. We can play the political games. We can point fingers. But the fact is. I take responsibility for that. and every other Member of that Senate who has been here since 2001 should. September 11. 2001. when the economy failed. went through the tank. Since then we have been trying to build back this economy. Quite frankly. the economy is in the greatest shape it has ever been in. in terms of growth. productivity. jobs. Whatwe do need to address and will address in the future is changing health care overallso people can have access to affordable health care.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090115524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor the life of Robert Maxcy of Waldoboro..ME. who passed away this weekend at the age of 76. Bob served 56 yearsin the Waldoboro Fire Department. including the last 42 years as its chief. and I would like to recognize his lifelong devotion to public safety. Chief Bob Maxcy was born on November 17. 1929. in Thomaston. ME. the son of the late Earl and Ruth Maxcy. At age 14 he began his service as a firefighter at the Thomaston Junior Fire Department. This was the beginning of his outstanding career in service to both Maine and the Nation.. Upon his graduation from Thomaston High School. Chief Maxcy served honorably with the U.S. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090115524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Air Force from 1947 to 1950. During his service. Chief Maxcy attained the rank of gunnery sergeant. When he returned to Maine in 1950. ChiefMaxcy became a firefighter with the Waldoboro Fire Department. In that same year. he married his loving and devoted wife. Muriel. By 1964. Chief Maxcy had established himself as a leader in the department and was appointed chief of the Waldoboro Fire Department. a position in which he served for 42 years. Beyond his dedication to his department. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090115524,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chief Maxcy also was a leader in the community and the State. as evidenced through his participation in the Waldoboro Firemens Association. Knox County Firemens Association. Maine State Federation of Firefighters. and the Lincoln County Fire Chiefs. Chief Maxcy was truly an honorable Maine man. In addition to his success as a community leader and firefighter. he will be remembered for his love of his family. the outdoors. and the Red Sox. Chief Maxey is survived by five children. Deborah. Marcia. Marc. Dee. and Daryl. his brother. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090115524,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Harlan. his sister. Marilyn. his grandchildren. great grandchildren. nieces. and nephews. Chief Bob Maxcy will be greatly missed. I offer my sincere condolences and prayers to Chief Maxcys family.*","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1891}
{"speech_id":1090115538,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. March 15. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on PostPalestinian Election Challenges in the Middle East.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090115571,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Republican majority has carefully guarded the economic and national security of this great Nation. Our tax policies have helped create over 4.7 million new jobs in 30 months. and that is incredible progress. On the national security front. we are taking apart the al Qaeda network piece by piece. The PATRIOT Act. our call monitoring program. our aggressive action in the Middle East. each of these actions are making it more and more difficult for terrorists to operate on U.S. soil. Mr. Speaker. President Bush deserves a great deal of the credit for this tough stanc6 on terrorism. The Senate Democrats are talking about censuring the President. though. They are opposed to his aggressive approach to fighting terrorism. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":929}
{"speech_id":1090115571,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But I hope that the Democrats in this body realize America wants us to do everything possible to defend our homes. our communities and this Nation. and that is what the President is doing.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":929}
{"speech_id":1090115596,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me first reply to my good friends. the gentleman from Indiana and the gentleman from Texas. who spoke earlier about their concern about the rule. I remind them both. and as I will remind repeatedly everyone on this rule. we have an open rule today. If my friends on the other side of the aisle have sometfiing they object to. for instance they could strike title II of this particular bill. and. frankly. it would go right back to committee. so there is no need to bring down the rule. The mechanisms are in place. the processes are in place for the House to work its will. I would also remind my friends on both sides of the aisle that this bill ultimately. not the rule. but the bill itself. is ultimately about providing for the needs of American forces in the field in combat today. now. We can debate whether the war was wise. whether it is conducted well.. at our leisure. They need what they need immediately. and we should respond to their needs. regardless of what our opinions are where the war is concerned or regardless of what our opinions are in terms of procurement or spending. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4881}
{"speech_id":1090115596,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I say the same thing with respect to our fellow citizens along the gulf coast. They need help now. This House has responded generously twice already in supplementals. This is the third one. We will be back here again without a doubt dealing with that item. I do not think for procedural questions. particularly when we have an open rule. we should risk slowing down things that our troops in the field need or that our fellow citizens in need along the gulf coast require. My good friend from Wisconsin. and he is my good friend. made the point which I do not want to leave uncontested that this. quote. President had engaged in the worst military blunder in American history. That is a remarkable statement. considering the Vietnam era where we had Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyn!? don Johnson commit us to a war. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4881}
{"speech_id":1090115596,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fact is this war has the lowest casualty rate in American history. and the stakes are enormously high. Were we to lose in this particular endeavor. there is no question that our enemies around the world would gather strength. It would be seen as a victory for terrorists. it would be seen as a lack of will on the part of the United States. I think the stakes here are worth it. I have .been to Iraq on five occasions. and one can always be critical of specific things. I do not think you can be criticalof our forces in the field. Their. performance is brilliant. And. honestly. let me say a word here on behalf of the Iraqi people. We did ask them to rise up in 1991. and we did not do a thing. Thousands of them were slaughtered. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4881}
{"speech_id":1090115596,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now we have come again. We have helped them liberate themselves from one of the worst tyrants certainly in the history of their country and certainly in regional history. and they have asked our help to stay and work through a difficult process. They have demonstrated their bravery again and again and again in three different elections where they came out to vote under very difficult circumstances. They demonstrate their bravery in the field in their commitment and their willingness to take on an increasing range of responsibility. Even when I am occasionally frustrated with politicians in Iraq. as I sometimes am frustrated with ourselves in this body. I stop and remember they are exceptionally brave peopie. My colleagues and I may worry about losing an election. Most of us do not worry about losing our life by engaging in a political process to make our country free. I think when people make that kind of sacrifice in the pursuit of democracy and freedom. they deserve the support of this body among all bodies in this world and certainly this country. Let me add. frankly. one other point on Katrina. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4881}
{"speech_id":1090115596,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know many of my colleagues have had the opportunity and taken the opportunity to go down and visit the gulf coast. Personally. I certainly have done that. and I would just tell all my friends that have concerns about the expenditure of funds in that particular area. and sometimes I do as well. go look at the damage. It is massive. It is massive. Again. we had a very critical and I think very good report issued by a special committee of this body. chaired by my good friend. distinguished chairman of the Government Reform Committee. TOM DAVIS. that was unstintingly critical. I remind my friends on the other side of the aisle. unfortunately. they did not participate in that. They chose -to think it would be a sham. and clearly it was not. There are mechanisms and means for us to look at and learn the lessons of Katrina and apply them and let the chips fall where they may in the process. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4881}
{"speech_id":1090115656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my good friend the distinguished minority leader of the House Appropriations Committee. Mr. Chairman. a lot of us on this side and virtually everyone on the other side are going to vote for this bill. but we should do so with considerable reservations. First of all. twothirds of it goes to fund the Iraq War. even though. after 4 years. there is still no end in sight. You wonder if this is not more good money going after bad or at least after a mission that has yet to be defined. We will now have spent $490 billion from fiscal year 2001 through fiscal year 2007. Mr. Chairman. the cost of the entire Vietnam War. adjusted for inflation. was exactly the same cost that we have now appropriated. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5789}
{"speech_id":1090115656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. Chairman. the most crediblepoll that was just taken showed that threequarters of the American. troops believe that we should withdraw within the year. and over half said it should be within 6 months. Even more telling. a poll that was conducted on January 28 of this year among Iraqi citizens showed that 82 percent of Sunnis and 69 percent of Shia want U.S. troops withdrawn immediately. These are the people that we are trying to save for democracy. and in fact. the majority of both Shia and Sunnis believe that the U.S: will hurt. that is their worl \"hurt.\" Iraq over the next 5 years unless it withdraws immediately. Mr. Chairman. we need an exit strategy that is going to work and that has the support of the people were trying to help. Now the other reservation we have is over the way in which this money is being spent. We are told that about $8.8 billion has been used inappropriately of Iraqi reconstruction funds that we appropriated. It is unaccounted for. according to the Inspector General in Iraq. There are 50 investigations going on. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5789}
{"speech_id":1090115656,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A Halliburton subsidiary just acknowledged. admitted. that they overcharged the government by $63.million for a contract. We need a Truman Committeetype investigation. It saved the American taxpayer tens of billions of dollars in the 1940s. It was rejected in the full committee. but it should be made part of this bill. Now another major part of this bill deals with Hurricane Katrina. I was just down there in Louisiana. Mr. Chairman. on my own tab. for what it is worth what I learned about the contracting process down there is just stunning. It makes you wonder whether we should be providing any money unless we can get a handle over the way the money is spent. Let me give you a thinlyveiled hypothetical example. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5789}
{"speech_id":1090115656,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One contract. for example. we give it to & prime contractor to fix roofs for $25.000 a roof. Eighty percent of it goes to a subcontractor. then 60 percent to another subcontractor. to another subcontractor. and. finally. it gets down to a company that actually puts the roof on for $1.200 a roof. You do the math. Mr. Chairman. Virtually all of the money goes to these contractors who never banged a hammer on a nail.. andyou know how we found out about it? Because the actual undocumented aliens who did the work contacted a FEMA person on thefield. wondering how they were going to get paid. You go figure. Mr. Chairman. Another contract went for debris removal. prime contractor. subcontractor. down again through reiterations. finally goes to the company that is already doing the very work for the City of New Orleans for a fraction of the cost but they never saw 90 percent of the money.. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5789}
{"speech_id":1090115656,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are things a Truman Committee could look into and fix. Beyond the need for more oversight qn the contracting process of the Federal Government. Mr. Chairman. we have some other issues that should have been part of this bill. The members of the full committee in the last omnibus appropriations conference had put the bill to bed. finished it up. when the majority leader of the Senate came over and Added 45 pages providing liability exemption for drug companies. I] 1245 We wanted to rectify that by striking the language we never approved. That was not done. The third issue that we debated in full committee. and unfortunately it lost. was to give Medicare recipients an extra 7 months within which to make a decision as to whether to participate in. Medicare part D. If Medicare senior citizens dont sign up by May 15. they have to then wait for another 7 months and they will pay an extra 1 percent a month. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5789}
{"speech_id":1090115692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. there has been a great deal of dialogue in the last few weeks about this issue of Dubai Ports World controlling U.S. ports. What I would like to do with this amendment. Mr. Chairman. is to explain what the Dubai Ports World issue is. and in the process. hope my colleagues will vote in favor of this amendment which strikes the section of the supplemental appropriations bill. the section 3011. I would at first liketo give some frame of reference as to what it means to be the Dubai Ports World. which basically has purchased P&O. a British firm. that works with scheduling for the loading and unloading of cargo at our Nations ports. The Baltimore Sun. which is a newspaper in Maryland that represents the Port of Baltimore. one of the largest ports in the United States. says the following: \"Potentially lost in this uproar is a clear understanding of what a stevedore company does.\" Stevedore. that is what the Dubai Ports World is going to do. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090115692,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are going to employ stevedores. For the record. its employees. of Dubai Ports World. do not touch any cargo. No employee of the Dubai Ports World touches cargo. They are not in charge of port security. They do not oversee shipping manifests. That means they dont know what is in the containers. Stevedores. which is what the Dubai Ports World is going to be. are the middle managers who tell longshoremen. who are Americans. who are employed by the ports. who are employed by the State and local governments that control the ports. the longshoremen are the ones that load and unload the cargo. . Dubai Ports World will be able to tell them when that ship is going to dock and how to unload it. USA Today. many foreign companies. including one from Singapore. China and Taiwan. are doing business today at U.S. ports. leasing some terminals. to schedule the loading and unloading. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090115692,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"General Tommy Franks. this is what General Tommy Franks says about this particular issue: I personally believe that we have no greater ally in seeking a resolution of problems in the Middle East. the Palestinian issue. the Israeli issue. than we have found in the United Arab Emirates. Finally. Mr. Chairman. this quote. and there are quotes from every major newspaper in this country. this is a quote from The New York Times: \"Dubai is not a democracy. and it is not without its warts. But Dubai is a bridge of decency that leads away from the failing civilization to a much more optimistic. open and selfconfident society. Dubaians are building a future based on butter. not guns. private property. not caprice. services more than oil and globally competitive companies. not terror networks. Dubai is about nurturing Arab dignity througl\\ success. not suicide. As a result. its people want to embrace the future. not blow it up. Dubai. the United Arab Emirates. We have a difficult. nearly impossible situation in Iraq. difficulties in the Arab world. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090115692,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Who do we need most to bridge the gap of the lack of knowledge? Who do we need most in the Arab world to connect and bridge that gap between the United States and that culture? It is the United Arab Emirates. It is time for us to recognize that this is an ally that we need to integrate with the United States as far as global issues and global terror issues are concerned. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3380}
{"speech_id":1090115698,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Chairman. this has been a very frustrating day. I can remember when this place used to be a legislative body. Now it has unfortunately become 99 percent a political institution. and even the politics of the institution doesnt seem to be working out too well on either side of the aisle. What we have before us now is a holy picture debate. This is a Potemkin amendment. It is aPotemkin debate. and it is another example of how Congress has been reduced. to dealing in symbols rather than dealing with substance. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090115698,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have had this country in a frenzy about the Dubai involvement in American ports over the past couple of weeks. The Appropriations Committee had a vote. and by vote of 62 to 2. the committee adopted an amendmefit by the distinguished chairman of the committee. Mr. LEWIS- which shut off the ability of the Dubai company to make their purchase of American port facilities. We tried. in the committee. to make that action more rational by also establishing a process under which we would have a regularized notice to our government every time such a transaction is being proposed. The committee saw fit to turn that down: We are now out on the floor. What is going on now is that there is such a frenzy to have every single member of the House also on record on this issue. that we now have a faux debate going on. As I read this. the only purpose of this debate today is to allow every Member of the House to cast a vote. It is what I call a holy picture vote. and it means that when the votes come. this amendment is going to be overwhelmingly defeated. The only purposes I see that will have been accomplished by taking this time. is that Members will then have a vote in their pocket that they can take home and brag to people about. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090115698,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I admire the gentleman from Maryland and his willingness to be a sacrificial lamb on the amendment. I know that one or two people on this side of the aisle. such as Mr. MORAN. share his view. and I admire them for their courage. I have to say that I really am frustrated to see on this. and a number of other amendments today and tomorrow. this House is going to deal with these issues in a symbolic manner. rather than discussing it in a thorough. systematic way that might bring some additional credit to the House. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090115716,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. while I understand the sentiments and the security concerns of the Members here today on this ports issue. I feel strongly that free trade is a core American value that is worth fighting for. I look forward to making the case for free trade and for economic engagement with our moderate Arab allies here today. But first. lets consider what we are and are not voting on today. The U.S. Congress cannot stop this sale. as this provision would seek to do. We simply do not have jurisdiction beyond our shores. In fact. the sale has already happened and the shareholders will be paid over the next couple of weeks. While I appreciate the desire of Members to stop the sale. the fact is that this language does nothing of the sort. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7620}
{"speech_id":1090115716,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Im not sure what the goal is. The language certainly does not stop the purchase byDubai Ports World. and--even more importantdoes nothing to improve the security of our ports. I would argue that this provision does not improve our security but will damage us economically. militarily. and diplomatically. It seems as if we are operating in a factfree zone here. The facts are that companies based in many other countries are already managing most of the Nations ports. Will we be seeking to overturn these contracts next? The fact is that no American company chose to bid on Peninsular and Oriental. There is only one American company large enough to take on this kind of. contract. and my understanding is that firm is already at capacity. Would we simply wish an American ports management company into creation? Lets talk a little about port security. We know that no matter who manages port operations. the U.S. Coast Guard. the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7620}
{"speech_id":1090115716,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Customs Service. and U.S. longshoremen- continue to be responsible for port security. the checking of cargo. and the handling of cargo. Stephen Flynn of the Council on Foreign Relations testified before Congress: \"We need to khow whats in the box more than we need to know who is moving them around a container yard.\" So if our concern truly is port security. why are we not focusing on supporting that overall effort? The fact is that Dubai Ports World is of course involved with the Jebel Ali port. one of the largest and among the most advanced ports in the world. According to The New York Times. it is the worlds 11th largest port and annually handles more than 7.5 million containers. many of them going directly to and from the United States. On a number of issues. they have cooperated with the U.S. government to allow for our inspections. Robert C. Bonner. formerly with Customs. was quoted in The New York Times: \"Dubai has acknowledged the absolute importance of securing cargo against terrorists.\" On cargo security. we ought to be concerfied about whats being onloaded in foreign ports just as much as we are concerned about whats being offloaded on our shores. Once a dangerous ship arrives. its far too late for concern. So if we trust Dubai Ports World on the first crucial half of a cargo transactionthe loadingwhy would we not trust the company to be involved in U.S. cargo operations in a strictly management capacity? Nonetheless. the company has moved forward to sell the operations to a U.S. buyer. DPW announced yesterday it has retained credible. wellknown legal and financial. firms to handle this transaction. The company has agreed to abide by a voluntary commitment to hold U.S. ports separate until the sale is complete. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7620}
{"speech_id":1090115716,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And still. it seems that its not enough. I would ask: What more would we have DPW do? When will this be dead enough to satisfy the U.S. Congress? The action. I am sad to say. sends exactly the wrong message to the world about the climate for international businesses in the United States. It sends the wrong message about our willingness to engage in transactions that create growth and jobs here at home. It tells the world that we are an unreliable trading partner. While we are sometimes obsessed with the socalled \"outsourcing\" of American jobs abroad. why are we not similarly concerned about our ability to \"insource\" jobs through foreign direct investment? Moving to the military aspect of our relationship with Dubai. today we may blatantly insult a moderate Arab ally that has generously allowed the use of its port and airfield facilities for our military. General Peter Pace. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. has called the U.S. military relationship with the. UAE \"superb.\" Dubai provides servicing and port security that is good enough for the U.S. Navy. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7620}
{"speech_id":1090115716,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I worry how that relationship will proceed in the future. and I believe that this entire affair will end up as diplomatic disaster for the United States throughout the moderate Middle East. Lawrence Lindsey recently wrote in The Wall Street Journal: \"The UAE isnt any old Arab country. It sits astride the Strait of Hormuz through which a fifth of world oil passes. Iran sits on the other side .... From a global perspective. efforts by the U.S. Congress to alienate the IJAE at this time look about as sensible as Russian roulette.\" There are many other respected voices who have spoken to the economic. security. and global issues raised in this controversy. Robert Samuelson. the renowned economist. wrote recently in The Washington Post about how this action will damage American interests. In addition to the damage done to our relationship with the UAE and other allies in the Middle East. Samuelson holds the view that it has Weakened worldwide confidence in the dollar. Samuelson concludes. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7620}
{"speech_id":1090115725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I am disappointed that the Rules Committee has not allowed me to offer my amendment to strengthen the CFIUS foreign investment review process to this bill. Americans deserve a rigorous review of foreign investments that could affect our national security. We all know now that the Bush administration was sleepwalking through the review of the Dubai Ports World transaction to acquire shipping terminals at six major U.S. ports. We should fix the process. Never again should we find that the President and. the Secretaries of Homeland Security. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2992}
{"speech_id":1090115725,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Treasury and Defense are unaware of a foreign takeover of a critical U.S. asset until after it is approved. The bill kills the Dubai Ports World deal. It does not. however. deal with the larger problem of an inadequate foreign investment review process. An amendment I offered in committee would have fixed the problem for the future. My amendment would strengthen the CFIUS process in the following ways: all transactions that result in foreign control of any person engaged in interstate commerce would be required to undergo a full review to determine whether it affects U.S. national security. Today. foreign firms voluntarily. let me say that again. voluntarily notify us of these transactions. I believe notification must be mandatory to ensure that our government knows about all such transactions. *My amendment would also retain the Secretary of the Treasury as the chairperson of the committee. Under my amendment. the President would be required to approve or disapprove all transactions. Today. if the President takes no action. the transaction is automatically approved. My amendment would extend the CFIUS review period to the full 75 days. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2992}
{"speech_id":1090115725,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Current practice allows most transactions to be reviewed within 30 days. with an additional 45 days of review only if flags are raised. The amendment would also require the Congress to be notified of Presidential decisions. Furthermore. Congress could overturn approvals within .30 days by a joint resolution. Today. Congress is notified of a CFIUS transaction only when the President disapproves one. and we discover about approvals. like we did in the most recent case. through the press. Under my amendment. the administration would also be required to report to Congress on foreign ownership of all U.S. critical infrastructure within 90 days of enactment of this bill. Today. no one really knows how much of our critical infrastructure is in the hands of foreign companies and foreign governments. If we fail to fix the deep flaws in the CFIUS process. our Nation will be vulnerable in the future. We should not take that chance. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2992}
{"speech_id":1090115725,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should act now to strengthen the foreign investment review process. I would hope the gentleman from. California. the distinguished chairman. would not insist on his point of order so the House may have a vqte on this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin .","speaker_name":"MARTIN SABO","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2992}
{"speech_id":1090115767,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise. and I will be very brief. in support of the gentlewoman. the ranking Democrat on the HouseAdministration Committee. which has jurisdiction over elections. who I understand will be offering an amendment which I offered in committee dealing with the challenges to the fivestate region struck by Katrina and by Rita as it relates to the administration of elections. - As we know. New Orleans has an election coming up within the next 30 days. Other jurisdictions have elections. I tried to offer $5 million in the committee through the EAC. I want to say that the gentlewoman. I appreciate her leadership on this issue. I support her amendment. I hope it is made in order. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090115767,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope it is not objected to. And I hope that we can see it adopted. I want to tell the gentlewoman as well that Mr. KNOLLENBERG and I have been discussing this. because FEMA has said that they cannot spend. under the Stafford Act. certain expenditures which are required to administer the elections. particularly in New Orleans. because that is upon us. but in other jurisdictions as well. They did .pay for the loss of machines. They did pay for the loss of ballot boxes and other paraphernalia necessary. but they have said. under the Stafford Act they cannot pay for the election expenses in either Alabama. Mississippi. Louisiana. The gen.tlewomans amendment speaks to that and I would certainly bein support of it. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090115767,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I plan to vote for the emergency supplemental appropriations bill that we are considering today. H.R. 4939 will pay for supplies and materiel that our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan desperately need to carry out their mission. The supplemental will also provide much needed resources to GulfArea States that were ravaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. However. this bill is not perfect. I am disappointed that the appropriations committee did not address a problem that has come to light in recent weeks with respect to voting in States that suffered the brunt of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. On August 29. 2005. residents in Gulf Coast States endured one of the most devastating natural disasters in our nations history. Tens of thousands of voters were displaced. One month later. hurricane Ritacaused additional widespread damage to voting infrastructure in GulfArea States. An extraordinary amount of the Gulf regions election infrastructurevoting machines. polling places. and voting materialswere destroyed or severely damaged by the destruction wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090115767,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In Louisiana alone. over 250 polling places in the States coastal parishes were destroyed. To make matters worse. tens of thousands of people were forced to temporarily resettle in cities and towns throughout the United States while their communities are rebuilt. Many if not most of these displaced people have every intention of returning to their communities as soon as conditions allow. In the meantime. they are determined to maintain as many ties to their communities as they can. Understandably. they would like to participate in elections that will be held this year in their communities. Unfortunately. FEMA has proven ineffective at delivering assistance to election officials in hurricanestricken States who are busy mounting what may be the most extensive and expensive voter outreach. education. and absentee voting program in the Nations history. According to FEMAs narrow reading of the \"Robert T. Stafford Act.\" the agency is only empowered to make reimbursements to States to replace destroyed voting machines. but not for outreach to displaced voters. In other words. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090115767,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FEMA can pay to replace damaged or destroyed voting machines. but It cannot pay to help States plan and execute the voter outreach and voter absentee programs that will be crucial to maintaining electoral continuity in 2006. As a consequence. of the roughly $3.8 million in claims that the State of Louisiana has so far submitted for reimbursement. forexampie. only $1.2 million have been approved by FEMA. During markup of this bill last week. I offered an amendment that would have provided funds to the election assistance commission to help States pay for the entire range of activities that are crucial to running fair. accurate. and secure elections in 2006. I regret that my amendment was not accepted. and I regret that the bill before us today does not include a provision specifying that under the Stafford Act FEMA is authorized to reimburse States for a wider range of election activities than the agency insists. Let me be clear: I do not blame this omission on partisanship because there is nothing partisan about the issue. Democratic. Republican. and Independent voters in the Gulf States all endured last years trauma. However. I am very pleased that Chairman KNOLLENBERG recognizes the significance of this issue and has agreed to work to address. it in conference. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5160}
{"speech_id":1090115798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the gentlemans amendment. and I understand and I am pleased that the chairman is going to accept it. because ICAP is one of the few overwhelming success stories with respect to Iraq reconstruction. Since 2003. ICAP has worked with communities in all of Iraqs 18 governorates to empower ordinary Iraqis to determine. implement and monitor reconstruction and development in their communities. We all talk about how Iraqis need to run their own country. choose their own government. fight their own battles. make their own priorities. ICAP is aimed at accomplishing just this goal. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1348}
{"speech_id":1090115798,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its implementing partners have trained more than 620 Iraqi staff members. In: turn. they have trained over 17.000 community action group members. And ICAP partners do not contract with multinational corporations to get their work done. Only Iraqi contractors carry out ICAP projects. So. as we move forward. ICAP can be an excellent complement to the new provincial reconstruction teams being established throughout Iraq. The gentlemans amendment would ensure that ICAP does not run out of funding this summer. as it certainly will if no further resources are provided. So it would be a shame to end this program prematurely. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1348}
{"speech_id":1090115798,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I- urge my colleagues to support this amendment.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1348}
{"speech_id":1090115820,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. With great respect for my colleague. I rise in opposition to the gentlemans amendment though I think he raises a valid concern. I just returned from Colombia. and I think there is a real .need to boost the Colombian governments interdiction efforts. I think. in fact. I think that greater focus on interdiction may well be more effective than our current emphasis on eradication. However. I think the responsibility for funding this program lies first and foremost with the Colombian government. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090115820,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President of Colombia was in Washington just a few weeks ago and met with Chairman KOLBE and me. He did not indicate to us any pressing need for this assistance. In fact. I believe the State Department is seeking to reprogram funds away from Colombian aviation programs and the Colombian national police to finance the demobilization programs. *That said. I do agree thaf the gentleman raises an important point. I think it is time that we look at a different mix for funding for Colombia. one that boosts spending on alternate development and interdiction programs and reduces funding for eradication programs which I think are ineffective at best. However. I think this amendment is better considered in the -context of FY 2007 appropriations process where a more comprehensive discussion of the Colombia program can take place. and I think that is what is really needed here. There is no emergency requirement for the funding. It does not belong in the supplemental. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090115820,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Therefore. I do urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090115862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"as our important subcommittee chairmafl. and the conferees to address.a serious threat to the lives and livelihood of tens of thousands of Texans who call home an area along the southernmost tip of our country that encompasses three congressional districts. Consistent with the rule under which this bill is being considered. thesedollars would simply go to the State Department. But I believe in conference you would be able to clarify. consistent with tonights debate. that it is designed to upgrade the Federal levees along the Rio Grande that are. under the exclusive control of the International Boundary and Water Commission. an agency within the State Department. Exactly 1.018 days ago. the administration received what was really an alarming report from within its own State Department that our Federal levees along the Rio Grande are up to 9 feet deficient in height. geologically flawed. structurally unsound. and would overtop along some 38 river miles. We know that the time to make repairs is when the sun is shining. not when the flood is coming. The kind of","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090115878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I would tell the body. this really is not foreign aid. You cannot pick up the newspaper without seeing the threat that Iran is to the Nation. This is a priority of the administration. but a priority of everyone who cares with regard to changing the government that we have in Iran. I do not know how you put it. but it is not aid. Iran is a threat to the United States. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090115878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Is that a fact? I think you would have a very hard time finding anybody who says. no. it is not a fact. It is. Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. I have seen some reports that say it may be within 18 months to 2 years of having an nuclear bomb. The Iranian government is intent on destroying Israel. The Iranian government is the one who funded the bombing of the Marines barracks in 1993 where 241 marines died. They fund Hezbollah. They are the ones creating the problem in Lebanon. They are the ones involved in the funding and the blowing up of the American embassy in Beirut. the first embassy and the second embassy. We need to do everything we can to change the government and get information to the people. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090115878,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So what the administration is trying to do is to have some public diplomacy. to basically do what Democrat administrations and Republican administrations have done during the Cold War: public diplomacy. exchange programs. change their government through peaceful means. This is not foreign aid. I would say on behalf of anyone who thinks that Iran is a danger. please. I would urge a \"no\" vote on this amendment.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090115924,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I must say to the gentleman that I do have similar questions that are very much like this in northern California. critical circumstances. and it just is not appropriate in the portion of this emergency bill. Because of that. I wouldhave to oppose the gentlemans request.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090115983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. let me just join Mr. BRADY in his analysis. What we are talking about is people. not places. and that is that the funds be able to support the people wherever they are. And Texas is certainly not in any way rejecting the role that we have had the opportunity to play. In fact. we welcome it. But. frankly. it is quite. necessary to provide the resources. I will have a subsequent amendment on this very question. and I rise in support of Mr. BRADYS amendment so we can provide the resources where the people are until they return home. of which we are certainly supporting their desire to return home. but while they are where they are we believe these funds on education and housing are crucial.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":712}
{"speech_id":1090116017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I am truly sorry we cant make as much progress on this bill tonight as I had hoped we would be able to make. but I find some of the reasons for that to be quite interesting. And. Madam Chairman. I am going to ask unanimous consent that we might move to another amendment by Mr. MELANCON at the end of the bill.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":316}
{"speech_id":1090116062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the distinguished Chair. I thank also the chairman of the subcommittee. Mr. WOLF. for his generosity. Let me just be brief. but also be very pointed. We have a number of difficulties in the gulf region. for many of us who serve on the Homeland Security Committee had the opportunity to travel on several occasions to the region. most recently. with Speaker HASTERT and Leader PELOSI. and heard a number of concerns. One of the major concerns. of course. was the pending election in New Orleans. Louisiana. on April 22. dealing with a number of challenges to ensure. one vote. one person. This amendment simply argues against any Federal dollars being used to prohibit the legal voting of any dis-. placed persons. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1691}
{"speech_id":1090116062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope in the course of this amendment passing through. that we will find at least support in the Department of Justice to assist with the number of issues deal with absentee balloting. dealing with satellite voting. dealing with making sure that the precincts are in place and also making sure that many of the thousands of individuals living in Houston. Texas. who claim Louisiana as a residence and New Orleans as their residence. are facilitated in their right to vote. I would hope that no dollars be utilized by the State. by the local authorities and FEMA to- thwart or prohibit anyone from voting on that day or any days after in Alabama. Mississippi. Texas and Louisiana and other impacted States. With that. let me ask my colleagues to support this amendment to ensure one person. one vote. and to ensure the utilization of the Voter Rights Act in protecting the rights of individuals to vote. Madam Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1691}
{"speech_id":1090116209,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. yesterday we heard the new president of Liberia. Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. discuss the challenge her country faces from the greatest threat to human healtlfin the world. It wasnt AIDS. tuberculosis.- even the people shot and bombed in armed conflict. It was the needless death from waterbourne disease. It is why one half the people who are sick today are ill. It has claimed more lives than all the wars in human history. Today we start the World Water Forum in Mexico City. Currently. the State Department is at work preparing a plan for the United States to meet its commitment to safe drinking water and sanitation around the world. I hope our Congress reflects upon our responsibility to prevent this needless death. and that we step up to adequately fund these important programs in our foreign aid budget.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":839}
{"speech_id":1090116212,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the Old West shootouts continue in Texas. The border war has moved from the rural vastness and wide open spaces of the Rio Grande River to the big city. Gunfire in the fourth largest city in America occurred this week in urban. Houston. A blazing gun battle ensued between rival human smugglers. or coyotes. as we call them. fighting over turf. The outlaws were fighting over the precious cargo of illegal aliens. After the bullets stopped. 21 people were arrested. The Houston Chronicle reports. the battle for human cargo occurred at i drop house where illegals are stored. \"They are held until relatives pay the ransom to set them loose in America.\" according to officials. It is reported the fees coyotes charge for smuggling individuals is anywhere from $1.500 to $70.000. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090116212,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Criminals make a profit off of illegals who unlawfully enter the United States. Agents report there is more money in smuggling illegals into the United States than smuggling drugs. Until America secures the open southern border with Mexico. the lawlessness on the border will spread and breed more lawlessness in urban- Americans. Americans and our government must have the moral will to protect the sovereignty of this Nation. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090116268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. during rollcall vote No. 53 on the Jefferson amendment. H. Amdt. 719 to H.R. 4939. to increase by $1.900.000.000 funds for Community Development Block Grants. I was on a leave of absence due to illness. Had I been present. I would have voted \"aye.\"","speaker_name":"SUSAN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":53.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090116279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"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 material on the further consideration of H.R. 4939 and that I may include tabular material on the same.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090116323,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the bill. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the gentlemans amendment. I understand the point he is making regardiig the concept of splitting bills. however. . the direct result of this amendment. if it were to pass. and I hope it doesnt. would be to strip all the money out that we need to restore military facilities and veterans facilities in that region. In fact. this bill. title H. includes $184 million to replace military facilities at bases in the gulf coast damaged by the hurricanes. such as a fire crash rescue statio n at Keesler Air Force Base. It also includes funds to replace the Veterans Hospital in New Orleans. Eliminating this title puts these facilities and our military personnel at greater risk. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":884}
{"speech_id":1090116323,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For those reasons. Mr. Chairman. I strongly oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":884}
{"speech_id":1090116343,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. There has been a lot of discussion. about :what this bill does and ivhat it does not do. What it does do is not take away Katrina funding. but what it says is let us break this bill into two pieces the way that the President of the United States sent this bill over to us. giving an opportunity for Members to express their. opinions about our current defense policy. giving Members of Congress the ability to talk about and express their opinions about how they feel about Katrina .policy and how it is going today. One of the things that this amendment does. Members would be able to come back for debate on Katrina and have a separate vote at that particular time. What we need to understand is this is no small sum of money. This is $92 billion as of the last count. and with the amendments. it is probably going to be more. We also know that $92 billion is in excess of 10 percent of our discretionary spending for 2006. ","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090116343,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it makes good sense for the American soldiers. the young -men and women that are defending our Nation. that are executing the war on terrorism to have a separate vote. It makes good sense for the people in the devastated areas because of the hurricanes that we have had. for us to have deliberative talks and discussions about what is good policy for Katrina. But lets dont leave the third set of people out that this body is charged to represent. and that is the American people. We need to make sure when we are making policy in this building and in this Chamber that it is good for the people in America. The American people are looking to us. and quite honestly. the people back in the 19th Congressional District of Texas are concerned about our spending. They question how much is an emergency and what is an emergency. Quite honestly. Mr. Chairman. I think that combining these bills today is not good policy. and I urge my colleagues to come down and give a positive vote. vote for this amendment. vote for our soldiers. vote for the people in Katrina. but also vote for the American people. ","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090116363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. -in the days and weeks after first Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. it became very clear that the lack of communications was one of the biggest obstacles to a rapid recovery and a rapid rescue effort in the face of these awful disasters. The purpose of the amendment that I offer today is to use $2 million for the Department of Defenses Technical Support Working Group to deploy in hurricaneaffected States existing technology that provides wireless. interoperable. mobile. bncrypted broadband communications for first responders. National Guard. Federal response personnel in the case of future disasters or in the case of the temporary absence of communications. FEMA has already been tasked with identifying and providing existing commercially available capabilities in time to provide responders with this capability before the next hurricane season begins. The capability exists and needs to be rapidly deployed. The purpose for my amendment is to use $2 million for the working group to deploy in these areas existing technology. Federal. State. and local law enforcement and first responder agencies were limited in their ability to respond to Hurricane Katrina because they couldnt communicate. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090116363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The House Select Committee on Katrina identified this as a key failure at all levels. The Select Committees recommendation states in part that the Department of Homeland Security should establish and maintain a deployable communications capability to quicklygain and retain situational awareness when responding to catastrophic incidents. My amendment takes a step in the right direction and. importantly. does so before the Wxt hurricane season. which starts June 1. We must provide responders with the capability to talk across agencies. within their agency when customary communications systems like phones are disrupted or destroyed. This is not. obviously. a cureall approach to solve our Nations interoperable problems. but it is one solution that provides a stopgap system that allows responders to talk to each other using- their existing hardvare from mobile or fixed locations when existing systems arent available. FEMA has already been tasked with this responsibility before the next hurricane season. The capability exists and needs to be rapidly deployed. This amendment does not require additional Federal dollars. It simply provides $2 million and directs the Department of Defense and its technical support working group to work with FEMA using funds Congress has already planned to provide FEMA to identify and deploy the capability. From a personal perspective. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090116363,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I can state. being on the ground in the days and weeks after Katrina and Rita. this was one of the biggest gaps in our Federal. State and local response. the inability to have interoperable communications.","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090116400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I certainly have a great deal of respect for my colleague on the other side of the aisle. but I think it is a bit misplaced to compare the salaries which you and I make. which I think is $165.000 a year. to every malady known to man. Because if we are going to do that. there is not enough money in the Federal Treasury to make that happen. So I would disagree that that is a very goodanalogy. We will also consider in this Chamber in a little While a suspension bill that will add a billion dollars in funding to LIHEAP. In fair disclosure. I intend to oppose that as well. But if for no other reason. in order to simplify the world and make it easier on the conferees. my amendment would strike this section out of the bill so that when we go to conference with it. the $1 billion that will be in the suspension bill. I suspect it will get approved. and this $750 million. there would be no confusion that this $750 million is not tacked on top of the $1 billion. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1347}
{"speech_id":1090116400,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think the analysis has not been made. The pride has gone up less than 50 percent and this funding would increase support by well over 100 percent. from a billion to a billion. So I want to respectfully disagree with my colleague and ask my colleagues to support this amendment to strike this section from the bill. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1347}
{"speech_id":1090116500,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. with this bill. we will now have spent as much money in Iraq as we did in Vietnam. If you adjust for inflation. it is now just about the equivalent. It seems to me that spending almost half a trillion dollars of the taxpayers money is indefensible unless we are willing to see to it that that money is spent as well as we can possibly accomplish that fact. I guess it boils down to this: if Members are happy with reading day after day about stories that are published about waste and fraud and ripoffs by contractors in Iraq. if they are tired of reading about the insider deals and the singlesource contracts for work to be done in Iraq. if a Republicancontrolled Congress cannot bring itself to conduct a really vigorous investigation of a Republican administration. then they ought to vote \"no.\" But if you think that we ought to be doing now exactly as we were doing in World War II. when Harry Truman conducted the kfnd of investigation the gentleman from Massachusetts mentioned. if you think we ought to replicate thateffort. then you vote \"yes.\" I would submit that the Roosevelt administration was not damaged by the investigations done by the Truman Committee. they were strengthened by it. because that meant they had more resources available to get the job done in defeating the Japanese and defeating the Nazis. I want to congratulate the gentleman from Massachusetts for the leadership that he has shown on this issue. Mr. Chairman. I urge an \"aye\" vote.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1483}
{"speech_id":1090116552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we all know. the recovery process in the gulf area continues to be ongoing. Victims are still digging out from debris. and many are. unable to even get back to their homes and businesses. Unfortunately. these problems have been compounded by the failure of the SBA to provide disaster assistance to these victims. I offer this amendment today to en-. sure that the thousands of homes and business owners in the gulf area are not unfairly denied the opportunity to file for a disaster loan. This amendment will give the victims of the hurricanes in the gulf the time they need to assess their. situation and make informed decisions about applying for disaster loans. Without this change. the SBA. by imposing an arbitrary deadline. will cre-","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090116572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. while the House will begin debating the budget. resolution in the coming weeks. this amendment offers the first vote on one of the initiatives introduced in the Presidents 2007 budget. This amendmerits provides Members the opportunity to send a clear message that victims of disasters should not be subject to additional and unnecessary burdens by the Federal Government. Buried in the Presidents budget submission was a proposal to raise the interest rates on SBAs disaster loans. This initiative will eliminate the current caps on interest rates and allow for the SBA to charge higher rates on disaster loans. This could mean that interest rates go up by as much as 50 percent. The end result will force those who had their homes or businesses destroyed to pay for our budget problems here in Washington. I offer this amendment today to ensure that we stop this wrongheaded proposal in its tracks. It puts Congress on record making it clear that an attempt to create additional hardships on disaster victims will not be tolerated. Given all the missteps by FEMA and SBA in the gulf. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2361}
{"speech_id":1090116572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress should not be adding- to the problems of those hit by a natural disaster. Findings by the General Accounting Office. various inspector generals and congressional panels have revealed the numerous ways the Federal Government has failed our citizens in the gulf. By supporting this amendment. Congress will be saying that we stand together in these difficult times. I am a firm believer in balancing our spending priorities. but this proposal is beyond the pale. I find it hard to believe. particularly given all the wast6ful spending in Washington. that the only place to find funding is on the backs of disaster victims. Whatever happened to compassionate conservatism? The effect of the administrations proposal will mean increased costs by thousands of dollars for disaster victims. It is alarming that despite all the problems with the management of the disaster loan program the only change the President offered in his budget was to increase the cost on disaster victims. We agree that changes need to be made to the disaster loan program. but this is not one of them. By voting for this amendment. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2361}
{"speech_id":1090116572,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress expresses its commitment to rejecting this bad idea. I urge a \"yes\" vote on this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of any time.","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2361}
{"speech_id":1090116575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. I would simply note. given what the gentleman just said. that is exactly what we have done with Iraq. Every dollar of the Iraq war has been financed through a supplemental appropriation. That is th6 way the administration has been able to hide from the taxpayers the full longterm cost of this war. That is the way they have been able to avoid systematic oversight. They put it in a supplemental. and then it is a mustpass. hurryup. pieceatatime operation. Eventually you get the whole pie. but you get it in pieces. and the public doesnt know what the total picture is. So I would simply say that I was kind of amused by that comment because the administration is way ahead of all of us. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090116575,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They decided a long time ago that they are going to supplemental the Congress to death. and they put every possible dollar they can into supplementals. They have yet to spend $1 in a regular defense appropriation bill for Iraq. So I just find it interesting that one person is expected to live up to a standard that the administration itself wont live up to.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090116604,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First. I would like to thank the gentleman from Maine for working with me on this amendment and for his leadership and for being here to speak on this today. This amendment is not about .the war. although I offered an alternative to keep us out of Iraq when this war began. This amendment is not about bringing our troops home. although I believe we should do that and do it right away. This amendment is not about holding the President accountable for misleading us into an unjust and unnecessary war. although he should. Mr. Chairman. the amendment I am offering is very simple. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090116604,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would provide that no funds would be used under this bill to enter into military base agreements between the United States and Iraq. Stating this will clearly indicate that the United States has no intention of making military bases permanent. Mr. Chairman. cant we all agree on that right here and now. that we should not be in Iraq permanently? Unfortunately. this administrations position is unclear. The President shares our views and said as much. I thought. On April 13. 2004. President Bush said. \"As a proud and independent people. Iraqis do not. support an indefinite occupation. and neither does America.\" But just yesterday. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090116604,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"General Abizaid. the general in charge of U.S. troops in Iraq. told a Defense Appropriations Committee that the U.S. could end up having bases in Iraq. So I think we need to be clear. The aim of my amendment is to simply codify the sentiment that the President and many of our constituents and many of us strongly believe here. As we stand here today. the United States has renewed a bombing campaign against the insurgents. the largest assault since the invasion. and this is taking us in exactly the wrong direction. Destroying villages in the hopes of routing out insurgents only creates more insurgents. In adopting this amendment. we can take the target off our troops backs by sending a strong and immediate signal to the Iraqi people. the insurgents. and the international community that the United States has no designs on Iraq. This very simple point is supported by a poll conducted by the University of Marylands Program on International Policy Attitudes earlier this year. They found that 76 percent of Iraqis believe that the United States will -maintain bases in Iraq permanently even if the newly elected government asks the United States to leave Iraq. Mr. Chairman. we need to be on record that we .must not have permanent military bases in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090116604,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time. 1 [1 1645","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090116613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in December 2004. I requested the Congressional Research Service to compile a report on military construction in both Iraq and Afghanistan. On April 11. 2005. I received the final report. Here is what it said: th Congressional Research Service found projects that suggest a longer term U.S. presence in Iraq. These included $214 million for the Balad Air Base and. $49 million for the Taji military complex. This is the first congressional report that identified specific locations in Iraq where the U.S. is possibly constructing a permanent military presence in Iraq. At the appropriate time. I1 will enter this in the REcORD. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1606}
{"speech_id":1090116613,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now I want to know. did anyone here vote to establish permanent bases in Iraq when they voted to invade that country? Did anyone here vote to send U.S. troops permanently to Iraq? Werent we going to war on the belief Iraq had weapons of mass destruction? Werent we going to war on the belief that Iraq was an imminent threat of a mushroom cloud the administration warned about? All that proved to be false. If the President had told you he wanted to spend over $300 billion and 2.300 American lives. plus tens of thousands of maimed servicemembers to build new military bases. permanent -deployment of U.S. troops in the Mesopotamian Valley. would anyone here have supported that? I dont think SO. That is why this administration had to fabricate a pretense for the invasion. and that is why you have to support the Lee amendment today. Do not allow this illconceived warto lead to a permanent deployment of troops in Iraq. Bring them home. Close down those bases.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1606}
{"speech_id":1090116701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to pay my respects to Eleanor Slater. a great friend who passed away this week. Known as the grande dame of Rhode Island Democratic politics. Eleanor blazed trails for many people in our state. but especially for women. She began her distinguished political career in 1958 as a Representative in the Rhode Island General Assembly. and championed issues such as mental health. fair housing and especially issues affecting senior citizens. Always thinking of the next generation. she was a great advisor to many former and current politicians. including myself. Congressman PATRICK KENNEDY. and Senator JACK REED. She had the foresight and belief that I could run for Secretary of State and win that race. which I did. She served as an honorary chair on many of my campaigns and taught me valuable lessons that I still carry with me today. While I am sad to say goodbye to such a wonderful woman. at 97 years old. we should celebrate Eleanors long distinguished life. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1074}
{"speech_id":1090116701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eleanor. you made a difference. May God bless you and keep you safe in His care.","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1074}
{"speech_id":1090116807,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise on the Senate floor today to not only offer this amendment and talk about it. but to speak on an amendment of another Member of the Senate. an amendment that also focuses on the avian flu. Our country faces threats. some of which we know and some of which we dont know today. One real threat is the threat of pandemic bird flu. The President of the United States was ahead of the curve on this with a proposal to the Congress of over $7 billion for advanced development of vaccines. for the preparation the country needs to go through. and for the stockpiles of antivirals and countermeasures. The fact is that Congress has responded to his request. This year the budget resolution highlights the fact that the Presidents request of $2.3 billion of taxpayers money is in this budget resolution. My colleague from North Dakota. for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect and who has helped. along with Senator GREGG. to move this budget resolution through this body. has asked we increase that amount by $5 billion. -If for 1 minute I thought $5 billion would make America safer. I would be on the floor as a cosponsor of that amendment. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3839}
{"speech_id":1090116807,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the reality is. we are at a point where we are absorbing all the money we can. given where we are in this process. Ijust left a hearing with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. My direct question to him was: The Presidents budget asked for $2.3 billion. Is that sufficient for 2007? He looked at me and said: senator. where we are in the development of vaccines. where we are in our need for stockpiles. that amount fulfills everything we can do in preparation. So I urge my colleagues not to support the amendment for an additional $5 billion of taxpayers money to potentially go into a black hole. I remind my colleagues that the way this is funded is to raise taxes on the American people. We have used tax loopholes for corporations to fund many items suggested in amendments on this floor. The fact is. once again. the American people realize this is a covert way of raising taxes on them. My amendment does something very simple. It creates a reserve fund. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3839}
{"speech_id":1090116807,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has been described as hollow because it has no money. I believe the American people demand that we bring fiscal responsibility to this institution. to the Congress of the United States. I dont want to tie the -hands of individuals within the agencies if they see a need for something. but the creation of this reserve fund allows them to do it in a budgetneutral way. I believe this will be overwhelmingly supported because. in fact. it doesnt spend any new money. but it provides the flexibility and authority to those who are charged with addressing this threat. The amendment establishes a reserve fund. and that can help to rebuild our domestic vaccine industry. support advanced development and acquisition of needed drugs and vaccines. strengthen the public health infrastructure. and increase surveillance and outbreak containment.. We are at a point in this Congress where we have the opportunity to reauthorize the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act. and we are considering legislation on advanced development of vaccines and countermeasures against chemical. biological. or radiological and natural threats. There are many issues that we have to decide exactly how we are going to handle. But to throw money at them is. in fact. not the answer today.. Those who are charged with the responsibility of making sure this country is prepared. in fact. have sufficient funding today. I urge my colleagues to vote against the Conrad amendment. to vote for the Burr amendment. and to make sure this administration is able to carry out what has been a wellplanned preparation for a known threat to this country and. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3839}
{"speech_id":1090116807,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I might add. to the world. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3839}
{"speech_id":1090116864,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. President Thomas Jefferson said: I place economy among the first and most important government virtues. and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared. That was President Thomas Jefferson. Today the Senate is considering a bill to increase the Nations debt by $781 billion. If adopted. it would be the fourth such increase in the 5 years this administfation has been in office. I will be opposing this latest request. and I hope that people on both sides of the aisle will do the same. Any objective analysis of our countrys fiscal history would have to conclude this administration and this rubberstamping Republican Congress are the most fiscally irresponsible in the history of our country. In fact. no other President or Congress even comes close. When this administration came to office. the Federal Government was running large annual budget surpluses that were projected to continue as far as the eye could see. These projected surpluses were so large that the Congressional Budget Office esti-. mated the Federal Government would pay off allits publicly held debt by the year 2009. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5857}
{"speech_id":1090116864,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. Alan Greenspan. then the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. and other economists expressed concern that these surpluses would be so huge they risked unsettling the financial markets. Because of the reckless fiscal policies .of this President and the Republicancontrolled Congress. 2009 will be a year to recognize President Bushs multitrilliondollar redink special. Over the past 5 years. rather than running record surpluses and reducing record amounts of debt. our. Nation suffered record deficits and debt increases. In fact. when it comes to deficits. this President owns all the records. The three largest deficits in our Nations history have all occurred under this administrations watch. The deterioration of the Federal Governments finances is the direct result of the misguided priorities of this administration and this rubberstamping Republican Congress. These deficits have resulted in an unprecedented and dangerous borrowing spree. The total debt during this spree has grown by trillions of dollars. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5857}
{"speech_id":1090116864,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President Abraham Lincoln said: As an individual who undertakes to live by borrowing soon finds his original means devoured by interest and next no one left to borrow from. so must it be with government. 0. if the Republican President and Republicandominated Congess had followed the advice of Abraham Lincoln. The legislation on the floor today will push the Nations borrowing limit to nearly $9 trillion. Compounding matters. the Presidents most recent budgetmuch of which Senate Republicans have placed before the Senate this weekwould make matters substantially worse. leading to $12 trillion debt by 2011. just as the first wave of baby boomers is beginning to retire. Not only is debt exploding at the worst possible time. increasingly we are borrowing from foreign lenders. Since this administration took office. .U.S. debt financed by foreigners has more than doubled. increasing by well over $1 trillion. That is more foreignheld debt in 5 years than the Nation accumulated in the first 224 years of this Republic. By contrast. during the last 3 years of the Clinton administration. we paid off hundreds of billions of dollars of debt. including $200 billion in debt to foreign lenders. . Given the explosion of debt.in recent years. it is long past time for Washington to change the course and adopt a new fiscal policy. After all. the future of our economy and our Nation is at stake. The Comptroller General of the United States. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5857}
{"speech_id":1090116864,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"David Walker. told the Senate Budget Committee recently: Continuing on this unsustainable fiscal path will gradually erode. if not suddenly damage. our economy. our standard of living and ultimately our national security. If my Republican friends believe that increasing. our debt by almost $800 billion today. and more than $3 trillion dollars over the last 5 years. is the right thing to do. they should be upfront about it. They should explain why they believe more debt is goQd for our economy. How can the Republican majority and this Congress explain to their constituents that trillions of dollars of new debt is good for our economy? How can they explain that they think it is fair to force our children. our grandchildren. and our great grandchildren to finance this debt through higher taxes? That is what will have to happen. Why is it right to -increase this Nations dependence on foreig: creditors? They should explain this. Maybe they can convince the public they are right. I doubt it. because most Americans know that increasing the debt is the last thing we should be doing. After all. I repeat. the baby boomers are about to retire. Under the circhmstances. any credible economist would tell you we should be reducing debt. not increasing it. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5857}
{"speech_id":1090116864,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. on debtThomas Jefferson. These are his words: And to preserve our independence. we must not. let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and libertyor profusion and servitude. That was President Thomas Jefferson. Democrats will not be making arguments to support this legislation which will weaken our country. The President -often speaks of personal responsibility. In a speech before AfricanAmerican leaders earlier in his administration. the President stated that a President is judged not by the words he speaks but by the work he leaves behind. By that benchmark. the President and this Republicancontrolled Congress will not be judged kindly with respect to the stewardship of our Nations finances. We are being asked to do what should not be asked of us. to increase the debt to almost $9 trillion. I hope everyone walking down to these desks today will understand what they are doing. what they are doing to our country. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5857}
{"speech_id":1090117080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator HARKIN and I have submitted this amendment. joined by 27 cosponsors. which would add $7 billion to the fund for education. health. and workers .safety. This account has been decimated since fiscal year 2005 with a loss of some $15.7 billion when we consider the cuts and the failure to have an inflationary increase. Health and education are the two major capital assets of the country. We have gone beyond the fat. beyond the muscle. beyond the bone. and into the marrow. This funding will help us a little. not really enough. We ask our colleagues to support it. I yield to Senator HARKIN.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":614}
{"speech_id":1090117195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the especially hard work of the Senator from North Dakota in reducing the number of amendments. I just wish we had been a little more successful because we will be here until 2 oclock in the morning at the rate we are going.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090117245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this amendment is one Senator SMITH and I are offering to delete section 406 from the budget resolution. Section 406 does for direct spending legislation exactly what the Senate determined not to do with discretionary spending about an hour and a half ago on the Inhofe amendment. It says that for any bill that contains direct spending. a 60vote point of order can be raised against it. That includes the Defense bill. the farm bill. a tremendous number of bills that we try to pass through the Senate every year. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and delete that section from the budget resolution. I yield the rest of my time to Senator SMITH.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":674}
{"speech_id":1090117268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. -this is the widows or orphans amendment. You have already voted on this. 92 to 6. last fall. It is eliminating the offset between two different programs taking care of widows and orphans. It is a cost of war. just as providing equipment and ammunition. It is a cost of war to take care of our widows or orphans. On the one hand. the service member pays for taking care of the survivors in the survivors benefit plan. On the other hand. the Veterans Department takes care of the dependents indemnity compensation. But those two are offset in current law. This eliminates the offset. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090117268,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge you to support the widows and the orphans.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090117309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. -Senator SANTORUM and -I come to the floor today to offer our amendment to increase funding for global AIDS by $566 million. raising the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. TB. and Malaria for fiscal year 2007 to $866 million. This amendment would raise the U.S. contribution to the fight against global AIDS to $4.8 billion in total for bilateral and multilateral programs combined. This money is desperately needed. This year we mark the 25 anniversary of the discovery of AIDS. A generation has been born and come of age since then. Twentyfive years ago. the Centers for Disease Control published what turned out to be one of the first descriptions of acquired immune deficiency syndrome in a short article in a weekly report. That article described five cases of pneumonia. It stated that these five cases \"suggest the possibility of a cellularimmune .dysfunction.\" AIDS did not yet have a name. but it had an identity. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8917}
{"speech_id":1090117309,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the quarter century since those first cases were diagnosed. roughly 70 million people have been infected with HIV. More than 22 million have died. More than 12 million children in Africa alone have been orphaned. Last year. 3 million people died. and 5 million people were newly infected. Every 60 seconds. there are five more deaths from AIDS and nine more infections. Over the next decade. an estimated 50 million more people will contract HIV. Those numbers are devastating. But the trajectory of destruction that AIDS has followed over the last quarter century can be changed. It is changing.- In the last decade. new research and new international efforts have begun to alter that deadly equation. Antiretrovirals mean that an HIV\/ AIDS diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. if one can get access to the drugs. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8917}
{"speech_id":1090117309,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Successful programs in Africa and elsewhere have convinced doubters that you can administer ARVs under extremely difficult circumstances. Effective prevention strategies in countries such as Uganda offer hope that the epidemics relentless spread can be slowed. But millions who are infected receive no treatment. and tens of millions more remain at risk. The United States is a world leader in the battle against global AIDS. And the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. TB. and Malaria is one of the most effective and widest reaching weapons in our arsenal. The amendment that Senator SANTORUM and I are offering today seeks to ensure that we maintain that leadership and maintain the extraordinary leveraging potential of our contribution. For every dollar that the United States has provided to the Global Fund. the rest of the world has contributed two more. The U.S. Leadership Against HIV\/ AIDS. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8917}
{"speech_id":1090117309,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tuberculosis. and Malaria Act of 2003 linked U.S. contributions to the fund to those of other contributors. We believe that the United States must live up to the commitment we have made to reach our onethird match. We .also believe that it is very much in our interests to do so. As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has stated. \"HIV\/AIDS is not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude. it is also a threat to the stability of entire countries and to entire regions of the world.\" I strongly support fully funding the Presidents request for bilateral HIV\/ AIDS programs. These programs are vitally important. The Global Fund is a complement to our other HIV\/AIDS programs. not a competitor with them. The Global Fund offers unique leveraging opportunities. It also expands our reach. well beyond PEPFAR focus countries. thus giving our assistance breadth and depth. The Global Fund reaches 130 countries around the world. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8917}
{"speech_id":1090117309,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It provides onequarter of all donor HIV\/AIDS spending. twothirds of all donor TB spending. and half of all donor spending on malaria. As of December 2005. the Global Fund was providing voluntary counseling and testing to 3.9 million people. The Global Fund is currently supporting community outreach efforts to 7 million people. It is- providing antiretroviralsARVs--for 384.000 people. The fund has also provided 7.7 million bed nets to prevent malaria and treated 1 million cases of TB through directly observed therapy. Malaria and TB kill 3 million people a year. There are proven. costeffective solutions to prevent and treat these diseases. and the Global Fund helps provide them. The Presidents request included $300 million for the Global Fund. But this level of funding falls far short. It falls short of -our previous contributions. it falls short of our commitment. and it falls far short of the actual need. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8917}
{"speech_id":1090117334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last year the Senate by an overwhelming majority74 Senators voted to support the Energy Policy Act. A number of programs. projects. and activities within that act were not contained in the Presidents budget. What this does. it supports an energy reserve fund paid for by ANWR receipts. In other words. ANWR is in the bill. and we allocate part of the receipts in a reserve fund to the Secretary of Energy to pay for various projects that were already voted on by the Congress that we thought were good projects. Therefore. this would fund $150 million a year for 5 years from the ANWR receipts. I think we should do it. I urge the Senate to adopt this. It is a good way to use the funds. an appropriate way. and I believe it would add to the validity of our Energy Policy Act and make those things happen more quickly. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090117397,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. every year the Senate considers a budget resolution that sets forth the blueprint for the Governments spending and revenues. Unfortunately. the budget we are considering this year continues the administrations policies that have led to the deepest deficits and debt in American history.- It also reflects the wrong priorities by cutting important programs like education and Medicare to fund large tax cuts which mostly benefit the richest among us. The result of these irresponsible fiscal policies is that we are passing on a huge burden to our children and grandchildren and threatening our economic security. Our Nation is currently $8.2 trillion in debtthats over $27.000 per personand this astounding number is only getting worse. Earlier today the Senate voted to raise the Federal debt limit for the fourth time in 5 years. meaning weve increased our debt by $3 trillion since 2002. A sensible budget resolution would try to curb this unsustainable trend. unfortunately. this budget moves in the wrong direction. Under this budget. the national debt would grow to $11.8 trillion in the next 5 years. Continued deficits will mean rising longterm interest rates and slower economic growth. Continued deficits will make it more expensive.to buy a house. pay for college. or pay off credit card debt. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4350}
{"speech_id":1090117397,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Alan Greenspan recently warned that. if left unchecked. deficits \"would cause the economy to stagnate or worse.\" Continued deficits will also mean the continued use of the Social Security Trust Fund .to cover the funding shortfalls. Instead of changing course. however. this budget proposes to make the administrations tax cuts permanent. Over 10 years. the cost of making tax cuts permanent would be approximately $2.8 trillion. or $3.3 trillion when the added interest payments on the debt are included. Although the cost of the Presidents tax breaks are as large as the entire budgets of the Departments of Agriculture. Labor. Education. Veterans Affairs. Transportation. Justice. Interior. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4350}
{"speech_id":1090117397,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Energy. State. HUD. and EPA combined. his budget cuts critical programs which are a. small percentage of the deficit problems his tax breaks create. On a positive note. I was able to get an amendment included in this budget to provide $140 million to the Advanced Technology Program to support costshared industryled research and development of cuttingedge high risk technology with broad commercial potential and societal benefits. America has lost nearly 2.8 million manufacturing jobs since January 2001. We should be doing all we can to promote programs that help create jobs and strengthen the technological innovation of American companies and produce the systems that are defending our national security. I am also pleased that the Senate agreed to my amendment to add $6 million to the budget for the establishment of new Northern Border Air Wing sites. Northern Border Air Wings have been operational in New York and Washington since 2004 and I look forward to the opening of additional sites in Michigan. North Dakota. and Montana in the coming years. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4350}
{"speech_id":1090117397,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These sites will help improve critical air and marine interdiction capabilities along our Northern Border. I am also pleased that the budget includes an important amendment that Senator STABENOw and I offered that will improve inspections of trash trucks entering the U.S. from Canada.. These trucks pose a threat to our secu-. rity and the environment. and this amendment is a critical step towards reducing these risks. I am also pleased that the Senate adopted an amendment to the. budget resoldtion to fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP. at its full authorized level of $5.1 billion. This amendment would increase the LIHEAP funding for 2007 by $3.318 billion and offset the increased spending by closing corporate tax loopholes. The Senate has voted on five previous occasions to support full funding for the LIHEAP program. and I hope that this time the conferees on the budget resolution will retain this amendment. Full funding for LIHEAP will ensure that States are able to serve more people in need of assistance during both the cold winter months. While there are certainly some positive inclusions in this budget package. it is entirely too fiscally irresponsible and shortchanges too many important programs for me to vote to support it.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4350}
{"speech_id":1090117402,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. HELP Committee. I can say that we I filed an amendment that would in- purposely generated additional savings crease funding for basic research at the with the intent that a portion of the National Institutes of Health. and re- savings would be returned to students store cuts made under the Presidents in the form of grant aid. budget to critical R&D programs. It Accordingly. the committee created would have been fully offset by closing two programs for Pelleligible stutax loopholes. But I faced opposition dents. We allocated $2.25 billion for from my Republidan colleagues and -it SMART grants to target aid to stuwas not accepted. dents who study math. science or a This budget and the Presidents critical foreign language. We also alloAmerican Competitiveness Initiative cated $6 billion to the Provisional make no new serious commitments to .Grant Assistance Program. or ProGAP. invest in R&D. The PreSident would These increases in th6 Pell grant prohave you believe that he is ificreasing gram are critical. given that tuition our investment in R&D when it barely has increased rapidly. keeps pace with projected inflation. To This year alone. tuition rose by 7.1 fund the increases at the National \"percent at public colleges and 5.9 perScience Foundation and other in- cent at private universities. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090117402,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet students and families have seen no growth in the Pell grant program in the past 4 years. the maximum Pell award has been stagnant at $4.050 since fiscal year 2003. ProGAP would have immediately provided current Pell recipientswith a $4.500 maximum grant. However. when the Deficit Reduction Actoreturned to the Senate from conference with the House. ProGAP had been eliminated and was replaced by Academic Competitiveness grants. The majority will claim to have increased grant aid for needy students through Academic Competitiveness and SMART grants. However. the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that less than 10 percent of Pelleligible students will be able to. take advantage of the Academic Competitiveness and SMART grants in 2006. The percent of eigible students rises slowly. from 10.3 percent in 2007 to a paltry 13.5 percent in 2010. Given the existence of both Academic Competitiveness and SMART grants in the conference bill. adopting my amendment would have allowed us to help both needy Pell students and target math and science programs. The intention of the committee was for the savings generated from changes to the student loan programs go towards deficit reduction and student. aid. Not only did the final bill significantly reduce the aid going to students. the savings are clearly going for tax cuts that will not help the families we sought to help in the bill we passed in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090117402,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. even with the savings generated through the Deficit Reduction Act. the tax cuts cost more than the savings we generated. The newest tax cuts yet again result in an increase to the deficit. Currently only onethird of the U.S. workforce has a postsecondary edu- cation. but it is estimated that 60 percent of new jobs in the 21st century will require a college education. Workers who have attended college on average have higher incomes and lower rates of unemployment than those who dont. And those- with a college education also are more likely to have jobs with benefits like health care. retirement and pensions plans. My amendment would have restored our original intent of the Senate by redirecting the savings generated by the HELP Committee into the pockets of needy students. not the pockets of the wealthy benefiting from the tax cuts. Mr. President. I withdrew my amendment -after we had a huge victory for educationthe overwhelming passage of the SpecterHarkin amendment which would provide $7 billion in increased funding to health and education programs. As an appropriator. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090117402,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know first hand how critical that funding will be for education programs in fiscal year 2007. But we must all fight to retain that funding when the budget resolution is conferenced with the House. We should not accept a final budget resolution that does not contain the funding provided through the SpecterHarkin amendment. .While I withdrew. my amendment today. I will continue to fight for increasing Pell grants and student aid. We -can do better than level funding for our nations needy college students.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4362}
{"speech_id":1090117409,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as a member of the Budget Committee. I am deeply disappointed that the budget we are considering and the one proposed by the President last month will make finding adequate funding for so many of our Nations domestic priorities exceedingly hard to achieve. Budgets are about prioritieshardworking South Dakota families know that because they have to make priorities in their family budget every day. Unfortunately. .the President and the Republican leadership in Congress fail to make investments in key programs that assist average. hardworking Americans. Federal education mandates are woefully underfunded. Yet the Presidents budget proposed the largest cut to Federal education funding in the Department of Educations 26year history. Further. for the second year in a row. the administration proposed a 5percent acrosstheboard cut to crop and dairy payments for producers. As well. the Presidents budget included $16.9 billion in cuts to Medicaid and about $35 billion in cuts to Medicare over 5 years. While I am pleased the Senate budget resolution does not contain all of the Presidents budget cuts. we cannot continue to try to balance the budget on the backs of students. farmers and ranchers. and seniors. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3117}
{"speech_id":1090117409,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While the administration is advocating cuts to important domestic programs. it is estimated that the cost of the Bush tax cuts for those making over $1 million annually will be more than $41 billion in fiscal year 2007 alone. Despite what the leadership likes to say about their budget. this is not a fiscally responsible budget. I think it is time we put our Nations finances back in order. This budget assumes that the deficit for fiscal year 2007 will be $359 billion. and decline to $177 billion in fiscal year 2011. However. these assumptions omit items like the cost of extending expiring tax cuts. fixing the alternative minimum tax. AMT. the ongoing war costs. and the spending of the Social Security. and other trust funds. When these costs are included. the Nations debt will increase by morethan $600 billion every year over the next 5 years. To put this in perspective. consider how much U.S. debt is held by foreigners. It took 224 years and 42 Presidentsall of our Presidents from Washington to Clintonto have $1 trillion in debt held outside our country. In just 5 years. that foreign debt level has more than doubled. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3117}
{"speech_id":1090117409,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe one of the best ways we can restore fiscal responsibility is to reinstate the payasyougo rules that were in effect from 1991 to 2000. The paygo rule simply means that if you want additional mandatory spending or tax cuts. you have to pay for them by offsets or obtain a supermajority vote to pass them. Unfortunately. the Senate failed to adopt a paygo rule to the budget resolution yesterday on a tie vote of 5050. Instead. we are being asked to support a budget that I dont think reflects the values and priorities of a majority of South Dakota families. and does not restore fiscal responsibility. I will continue working in a bipartisan manner to make improvements in the fiscal year 2007 budget and restoring our Nations fiscal strength.","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3117}
{"speech_id":1090117456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to recognize Dr. Joe Aguillard. who will be inaugurated as the eighth president of Louisiana College on March 23. Dr. Aguillard has been serving as president of this Christian liberal arts school since January of 2005. Joe Aguillard has been on faculty at Louisiana College since 2000. but his personal history with the college is a long and storied one. Both of Dr. Aguillards l5arents attended Louisiana College and met at the liberal arts school. He and his wife also met at Louisiana College. and all three of their children have attended their parents alma mater. On top of having a close connection to Louisiana College. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1908}
{"speech_id":1090117456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. Aguillard also has a -proven academic track record. In addition to a bachelors degree from Louisiana College. he also has two masters degrees from McNeese State University. as well as a doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Aguillard previously held the positions of chair of the Division of Education. coordinator of the Department of Teacher Education. and Associate Professor of Education. Joe Aguillard is a top notch educator whose ability is sure to lead Louisiana College to its greatest days. Under his leadership the Teacher Education Department has consistently received high marks from the Louisiana Board of Regents. among others. He also led a group of Louisiana College education students in researching and writing the curriculum for the Heart of Spain art exhibit at the Alexandria Museum of Art in 2003. and that curriculum was used by teachers and their students around the world. Dr. Aguillard has maintained a lifetime commitment to learning and educating. and his contribution to the state of Louisiana is greatly appreciated. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1908}
{"speech_id":1090117456,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I come to the Senate floor today to join the students and faculty of Louisiana College in personally commending Dr. Joe Aguillard and wishing him great success in his new post..","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1908}
{"speech_id":1090117464,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing the reauthorization of the Automated Defibrillators in Adams Memory Act. or the ADAM Act. This bill is modeled after the successful Project ADAM that originally began in Wisconsin. and will reauthorize a program to establish a national clearing house to provide schools with the \"howto\" and technical advice to set up a public access defibrillation program. Every 2 minutes. someone in America falls into sudden cardiac arrest. By improving access to AEDs. we can improve the survival rates of cardiac arrest in our communities. In my home State of Wisconsin. as in many other States. heart disease is the number one killer. Ninetyfive sudden deaths from cardiac arrest occur each day in Wisconsin alone. Overall. heart disease kills more Americans than AIDS. cancer and diabetes combined. Cardiac arrest can strike anyone. Cardiac victims are in a race against time. and unfortunately. for too many of those in rural areas. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5612}
{"speech_id":1090117464,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Emergency Medical Services are unable to reach people in need. and time runs out for victims of cardiac arrest. Its simply not possible to have EMS units next to every farm and small town across the Nation. Fortunately. recent technological advances have made the newest generation of AEDs inexpensive and simple to operate. Because of these advancements in AED technology. it is now practical to train and equip police officers. teachers. and members of other community organizations. An estimated 163.221 Americans experience outofhospital sudden cardiac arrests each year. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation using an automated external defibrillator. AED. -can more than .double a victims chance of survival. By taking some relatively simple steps. we can give victims of cardiac. arrest a better chance of survival. Over the past 6 years. I have worked with Senator SUSAN COLLINS. a Republican from Maine. on a number of initiatives to empower communities to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5612}
{"speech_id":1090117464,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have pushed Congress to support rural first responderslocal police and fire and rescue servicesin their efforts to provide early defibrillation. Congress heard our call. and responded by enacting two of our bills. the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act and the ADAM Act. The Rural Access to Emergency Devices program allows community partnerships across the country to receive a grant enabling them to purchase defibrillators. and receive the training needed to use these devices. This program is entering its second year of helping rural communities purchase defibrillators and train first responders. and Im pleased to say that grants have already put defibrillators in rural communities in 49 States. helping those communities be better prepared when cardiac arrest strikes Approximately 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. Every minute that passes before a cardiac arrest victim is defibrillated. the chance of survival falls by as much as 10 percent. After only 8 minutes. the victims survival rate drops by 60 percent. This is why early intervention is essentiala combination of CPR and use of AEDs can save lives. If we give people in rural communities a chance. they may be able to reverse a cardiac arrest before it takes another life. Unfortunately. the President zeroed out the funding for the Rural AED program in fiscal year 2007 after the program was cut by 83 percent last year. I am very disappointed that this program has been eliminated in the Presidents budget. and I will do everything in my power to restore funding to this program. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5612}
{"speech_id":1090117464,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Heart disease is not only a problem among adults. A few years ago I learned the story of Adam Lemel. a 17yearold high school student and a star basketball and tennis player in Wisconsin. Tragically. during a timeout while playing basketball at a. neighboring Milwaukee high school. Adam suffered sudden cardiac arrest. and died before the paramedics arrived. This story is incredibly tragic. Adam had his whole life ahead of him. and could quite possibly have been saved with appropriate early intervention. In fact. we have seen a number of examples in Wisconsin where early CPR and access to defibrillation have saved lives. Seventy miles away from Milwaukee. a 14yearold boy collapsed while playing basketball. Within 3 minutes. the emergency team arrived and began CPR. Within 5 minutes of his collapse. the paramedics used an AED.to jump start his heart. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5612}
{"speech_id":1090117464,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not only has this young man survived. doctors have identified his father and- brother as having the same heart condition and have begun preventative treatments. These stories help to underscore some important issues. First. although cardiac arrest is most common among adults. it can occur at any ageeven in apparently healthy children and adolescents. Second. early intervention is essentiala combination of CPR and the use of AEDs can Save lives. Third. some individuals who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest can be identified to prevent cardiac arrest. After Adam Lemel suffered his cardiac arrest. his friend David Ellis joined forces with Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin to initiate Project ADAM to bring CPR training and public access defibrillation into schools. educate communities about preventing sudden cardiac deaths and save lives. Today. Project ADAM has introduced AEDs into several Wisconsin schools. and has been a model for programs in Washington. Florida. Michigan and. elsewhere. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5612}
{"speech_id":1090117472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the \"Energy Diplomacy and Security Act.\" legislation that recognizes energy security to be a foremost concern for United States national security. and would realign our diplomatic priorities to meet energy security challenges. Energy- issues pose a multitude of challenges for United States national security. foreign policy. economy. and environment. Meeting these challenges requires a rigorous and farsighted policy to move us toward a sustainable energy future. which will include international partnership. The bill calls upon the President to improve the focus and coordination of Federal agancy activities in international energy affairs. The bill further would ensure that cohcern for energy security- is integrated into the State Departments core mission and activities. and to this end. it calls for the creation of a Coordinator for International Energy Affairs within the Office of the Secretary. I The bill calls upon the Federal Government to expand international cooperation on energy issues. The bill seeks to enhance international preparedness for major disruptions in oil supplies. A particular priority is to offer a formal coordination agreement with China and India as theydevelop strategic petroleum reserves. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2986}
{"speech_id":1090117472,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This would help draw them into the international- system. providing supply reassurance. and thereby reducing potential for conflict. The bill also calls for extension of petroleum supply disruption to developing nations which are most vulnerable. *The bill would also stimulate regional partnerships in the Western Hemisphere. Most of our oil and vir-. tually all of our gas imports come from this Hemisphere. The bill would create a Western Hemisphere Energy Forum modeled on the APEC energy working group. This would provide a badlyneeded mechanism forhemispheric energy cooperation and consultation. and would promote private investment in the Hemisphere. Finally. the bill would enhance international partnerships with both major energy producing and consuming countries. We must engage major oil and natural gas producing countries. Not working with major oil and gas exporters will lead to unproductive political showdowns and conflict. Strategic energy partnerships with other major consuming countries are also crucial for our national security. Energy security is a priority we hold in common with other import dependent countries. and partnership with the worlds largest consumers will increase leverage in relation to petrostates and speed our own conversion to sustainable energy sources. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2986}
{"speech_id":1090117472,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to seeking new avenues of cooperation. the billwould give focus to existing bilateral energy dialogues. which have lacked clear objectives and political backing. I look forward to working with mycolleagues and the Administration to pursue a foreign policy that meets the grave national security challenges posed by the global energy situation. By Mr. NELSON of Florida (for himself and Mr. MENENDEZ):","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2986}
{"speech_id":1090117477,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce a billthe \"Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act\"-to establish grants to 20 school districts. across the country. Through competitive grants. these districts would be offered new resources in return for systematic reforms and measurable results. Today. in my own state. out of every 100 AfricanAmerican or Latino males in the Chicago schools at age 13. only 3 or fewer will continue on to earn a degree from a 4year college. The chances of success fo a young man of colorin many of our urban school districts are the same as the chance of a soldier in Napoleons Grand Army surviving in .the dismal march to Moscow. That. is considered a great historical folly. a waste of a generation of young talent. How will we be judged? Today. a good education is parceled out to some and denied to others. handed down. as a privilege. from generation to generation. A good education is denied not only to children of color in our cities. but also to children living in poverty in our rural areas. Today. 6 million middle and high. school students are reading with skills far below their grade level. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090117477,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Half of all teenagers are unable to understand basic fractions. and half of all 9 year olds are unable to perform basic multiplication or division. We now have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized country. This is a folly and a failure. that hurts us all. As we continue in this failure. other nations are moving ahead of us. We know that China and India are training more skilled engineers. who are developing new technologies and innovating in ways that result from their investments in educition. We live in a world where few American jobs are secure. anld we know that to compete successfully. we must better educate our students. All our students: urban and rural. black and white. rich and poor. In fact. Americas richest untapped source of talent may be in our underserved cities and poor rural areas. among students now trapped in inadequate schools. The best strategy for maintaining Americas economic preeminence is to give more students the knowledge and the skills to innovate. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090117477,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To achieve this. our schools. too. must innovate. That is why today I am introducing the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act. We need to make sure there is an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective principal in every school. We need to make sure teachers are not distributed in a way that disproportionately places inexperienced and untrained teachers in classrooms with students who need the best teachers. We need to help young teachers get the training and coaching they need. and make sure that experienced teachers have the career opportunities that make use of their talents. giving the best ones a chance to train younger teachers. and a reason to stay .in their schools and take on added roles. Many schools do this and achieve encouraging results. The Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act would apply lessons from these successes. with school districts from across the country becoming seedbeds for further reform. Innovation Districts will focus on teacher recruitment. training. and retention. using successful residencybased programs as a model. They would offer performance pay increases to highperforming teachers. and financial incentives to teachers willing to work in low income schools. Innovation Districts would partner with local universities. charitable foundations or community institutions to develop. execute. and evaluate their reforms. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090117477,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most importantly. Innovation. Districts would look at new ways to do things better. identify current prac.tices that prevent them from innovating. end show us that if we are willing to support and rethink our schools. all our children can learn. all our. chil-. dren can compete. and our schools can be the best in the world. I I hope my colleagues will support this important legislation. By Mr. DURBIN:","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3965}
{"speech_id":1090117482,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Mine Safety Enforcement. Reporting and Training Act. This bill will raise the minimum fine for safety violations from $60 to $500. require coal mine operators to pay fines up front. require a public yearly report of fine payments. and double funding for education and training grants to States from $10 million to $20 million. . . I The recent tragic events in West Virginia and Kentuckyhave captured the Nations attention and exposed the serious dangers our miners face every day.. Safety violations often result in injuries that cost miners their health. livelihood or lives. Safety inspectors have advised me that the fines need to be tougher when a company violates our safety laws and that we need to put more resources into training inspectors. The vast majority of fines issued in 2005 were under $100. Unfortunately. many multimillion dollar mining companies view these fines no worse than a minor -speeding ticket. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3172}
{"speech_id":1090117482,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hopefully. raising the minimum fine from $60 to $500 will prompt these companies to get serious. about making safety improvements. . Many coal operators are taking advantage of the current system which allows them to withhold payment of fines levied against them while negotiating to reduce the amount of those fines. From 2001 to 2003. more than twothirds of all major fines were reduced from the original amount imposed by safety inspectors from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). MSHA reports that of the fines. that are appealed. the average reduction is 47 percent. Moreover. since 2001. almost half of all fines have not been collected. Federal records also show that in the last two years the federal mine safety agency has failed. to hand over any delinquent cases to the Treasury Department for further collection efforts. as is supposed to occur after 180 days. I believe that a public report card of fine payments gives. us the chance to grade these companies and make necessary changes before we have another tragic accident on our hands. Over the years. funding for education and training grants has steadily declinedseriously impacting .the agencys ability to meet the training needs of individual States. Nationally. MSHA awards up to $10 million in grants annually. and like many other states. my home state of Illinois has witnessed a reduction in grants in the past ten years. which is especially troublesome during a time of revived coal mining activity. - State regulating agencies. such as the Illinois Office of Mines and Minerals. uses the funds it receives from MSHA to purchase safety vehicles. rescue training equipment and to help train. new coal mine employees. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3172}
{"speech_id":1090117482,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not only are state mine agencies unable to purchase new equipment as old equipment wears out. but state agencies are having trouble purchasing modern mine rescue training equipment. Ihope that my colleagues will join me in this effort to increase enforcement efforts. public reporting of violations. and education and training grants for the benefit of our coal miners across the country. Our coal miners deserve no less. I ask unaninfous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3172}
{"speech_id":1090117485,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I seek recognition today to introduce a bill to regulate electronic surveillance programs designed to gather intelligence for national security purposes. On Friday. December 16. 2005. the New York Times reported that in late 2001. President Bush signed a highly classified directive that authorized the National Security Agency to intercept communications between people inside the United States and terrorism suspects overseas. And so the debate began. Did the President have the authority to authorize this program? Did it violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Actor FISA? Had Congress independently granted the President this authority? Did he have these inherent powers under the Constitution? Lawyers and laymen throughout our couhtry have debated the issue. The Senate Judiciary Committee initiated two hearings on the legality of the NSA program and. pursuant to our oversight function. brought in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and seven leading scholars and experts to testify. After questioning General Gonzales for some 7 hours. and the panel of scholars for hours more. we were still left troubled by two competing concerns. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8438}
{"speech_id":1090117485,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On the one hand. we are a Nation at war. On September 11 we suffered the worst attack on civilians in our countrys historyby an enemy like none we had faced before. The more we learn about this enemy. the more we learn about a cruel and brutal opponent who will stop at nothing to terrorize and harm our country. This is an enemy that knows -no honor. It seeks to inflict everescalating violence on defenseless civilians. This is an enemy that knows -no mercy. It beheads innocent aid workers and journalists and proudly broadcasts these murders for the world to see. This is an enemy that knows no bounds of decency. It recruits women and children to strap bombs to their bodies and blow themselves up. knowing that American soldiers are likely to come close to help them.. This is an enemy that is patient. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8438}
{"speech_id":1090117485,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It infiltrates our borders and waits quietly for an opportunity to attack. Most frighteningly. this is an enemy that is capable. It roams the globe. organizing terrorist cells along its path. It has the ability to master and exploit modem -technology and organize attacks on America from anywhere on the globe. On the other hand. we ar6 a Nation that believes in the rule of law. We are a people .that hold dear the rights and liberties enshrined fnour Constitution. Although we recognize the threat we face. ie are not willing to sacrifice our rights and live in a state of perpetual fear. Our enemy is the enemy of freedom. and we will not give that enemy the satisfaction of making us give up. the very freedom we cherish. The question remains. what is a society like ours to do? I do not agree with those who contend that. tlie current FISA law is just fine. When the FISA bill was enactedin 1978. we faced a very different enemy. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8438}
{"speech_id":1090117485,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That enemy did not attack on our soil. that enemy was organized into nation states that we could negotiate with. that enemy did not use terrorist tactics on our civilian population. And in 1978. we were grappling with very different technologies. We were worried about telephone and telegraphs. not email. cell phones. handheld computers. and Internet @hat rooms. Accordingly. the Congress passed a law in 1978 that required casebycase warrants. warrants that identified individual persons and places. warrants a lot like those a prosecutor would seek in a routine criminal investigation. These casebycase warrants. -however. simply may not be sufficient today. when we are in a time of wgr and we need to track an amorphous enemy that moves quickly and is often able to evade detection. At the same time. I do not agree with those who insist that we are facing an entirely new situation. and that the checks and balances our nation has -long embraced are now outdated. I think these advocates are wrong when they insist that the best we can do is to give the Executive Branch a blank check and hope that it will do the right thing. I believe that there is a middle ground. I believe it is possible to provide the President with the flexibility and secrecy he needs to track terrorists. while providing for meaningful supervision outside of the Executive Branch. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8438}
{"speech_id":1090117485,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It may be surprising to some. but I think we can get some insight from. of all places. a Senate hearing. Lets step back and survey the situation. The country had recently discovered that the NSA had secretly worked with major communication companies for years. We learned that initially the program focused on certain foreign targets. but it grew to cover communications from U.S. citizens. Amid accusations that the President had violated the Constitution and Federal statute. a .Senate Committee called the Attorney General to testify and address the \"serious legal and constitutional questions . . . raised by the program.\" If this sounds familiar. it should. It is what took place in November 1975. when the nation discovered a secret NSA program to monitor telegraph messages. and a special Senate Committee called Attorney General Edward Levi to testify. That hearing. like the hearing the Senate Judiciary Committee held last -week. elicited discussions on the importance of preserving civil liberties and upholding the Bill of Rights. and the need to protect national security and preserve secrecy in foreign intelligence. That hearing also elicited Ia possible solution. During his testimony to the Church Committee on U.S. Intelligence Activities. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8438}
{"speech_id":1090117509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Constitution. Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. March 16. 2006 at 1:30 p.m. in Dirksen. Senate Office Building Room 226 on S.J. Res. 12. the Flag Desecration Resolution.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090117659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while the managers of the lobbying reform bill sort through some of the amendments and because we have some Members who want to speak on other subjects today. I now ask unanimous consent that there be a period of morning business until 3 p.m.. with Senators to speak for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":308}
{"speech_id":1090117662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this week. if there are no obstructionist tactics. the Senate will begin debate on protecting our country and fixing a broken immigration system. Since last fall. when I announced the Senate would take up this issue. the Judiciary Committee has spent over 5 weeks. and. as of today. they are in their sixth markup on it. I thank Chairman SPECTER for his leadership throughout this process. during these six markups over the last 5 weeks. The Judiciary Committee members and their staff have worked long and hard under his guidance. As we speak. his committee is in session trying to finish the task set out for them. I. as leader. appreciate that and appreciate their efforts and the tremendous work they have done thus far. America needs secure borders. Right now. we do not have them. Every day. thousands of people violate our frontiers. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7915}
{"speech_id":1090117662,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not know who they are and quite often we cannot stop them. As a nation of immigrants which honors the rule of law. we must secure our borders to make America safe. so we can fix our countrys immigration system. We are a nation of immigrants. We all came from somewhere else. and we have all benefited from Americas uniquely inclusive ethos. But America is also a nation of laws. Our laws bind and protect us. They transform us from seekers into citizens and are the very foundation of our democracy. A nation that cannot secure its borders cannot secure its destiny or administer its laws. The situation along our southern border now ranks as a national security challenge second only to the war on terror. Before we left for last weeks recess. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7915}
{"speech_id":1090117662,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I introduced the Securing Americas Borders Act. or SABA. so that the Senate would be able to take up border security and interior law enforcement and allow the Senate to focus on comprehensive illegal immigration reform. It includes a number of commonsense. consensus measures that improve security along our physical border. crack down on human smugglers. simplify the process of deporting wrongdoers. and make it easier for employers to confirm their employees legal status. And many of its provisions are built from ideas in the 9\/11 Commission report. Why should we act and why should we act now? Well. every day we delay we discover new facts that show us waiting makes America less safe and less secure. To take just one example. in January. officials discovered a massive tunnel stretching nearly a half a mile from Tijuana to San Diego. We do not know how many. or who. snuck in through this tunnel. We do not know what materials came into our country. or when. through this tunnel. When people break our laws and come through our borders. we do know that mixed in with families looking for a better life are drug dealers. human traffickers. terrorists. and common criminals who cross into our country. Increasing our border security reduces that threat to our country and to our citizens. The danger is not only to America. there is danger to those who try to cross our borders as well. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7915}
{"speech_id":1090117662,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unofficial data collected along the Arizona borderthe only area for which we have informationshow that nearly 225 people died along the border in 2005 alone. About 10 percent perished under circumstances that suggest foul play. And we all know the terrible stories of those who prey on vulnerable migrants. who charge outrageous prices to smuggle them across the border and then. often. abandon them the moment trouble strikes. That is wrong. We must act. And we will do so over the next 2 weeks. We need better enforcement and more manpower on the ground. Last year. the Senate led the charge to provide funding to hire 1.000 additional officers. more equipment. and more detention beds. This was a start but only a start. My proposal adds nearly 15.000 more officers over the next few years in a sustained and focused effort to buttress the 20.000 already deployed to work on border issues. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7915}
{"speech_id":1090117662,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It also requires new investments in unmanned aerial vehicles. cameras. and sensors. and a comprehensive national border security strategy. It establishes the longterm project of building a virtual barrier to cover every mile of the 1.951mile long border with Mexico. This will both make America safer and reduce the number of people endangering themselves trying to come into this country. In addition to physically strengthening the border. the bill makes it easier for the Department of Homeland Security to catch people who violate our immigration laws. It enhances the collection of biometric data about who enters the country and allows the Homeland Security Department to set up additional border checkpoints. The law creates tough. new penalties for human smugglers and document forgers. And under this bill. terrorists. dangerous gang members. and others with serious criminal connections face expedited removal from the United States. But my bill doesnt just draw on the common sense of the American people for its provisions. it also looks to the 9\/11 Commission report for guidance. Many of the bills provisions reflect the guidance of that commission. For example. the commission recommended that we consolidate border screening systems. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7915}
{"speech_id":1090117737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce legislation that would address the crisis that faces small businesses when it comes to purchasing quality. affordable health insurance. This isnt a new crisis. Nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured. and weve now experienced double digit percentage increases in health insurance premiums in four of the past five years. Last year. I introduced the Small Business Health Fairness Act. S. 406. which would allow small businesses to pool together. through national Association Health Plans. also known as Small Business Health Plans. SBHPs. to offer uniform health insurance products to their employees. Small businesses would receive the same benefits currently enjoyed by larger employers and union plans under Federal law. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090117737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am encouraged by the considerable progress that has been made on SBHPs in this Senate. I would like to commend Senator MIKE ENZI for his continuing commitment to the SBHP issue. and for markingup SBHP legislation in the Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions Committee. Plain and simple. the Senate must take upand pass--SBHP legislation to provide small businesses with muchneeded. longawaited relief. While I continue to believe that SBHPs are a crucial solution to the small business health insurance crisis. we in Congress must look for other means by which to encourage small businesses to offer health insurance. I believe that we should do this by: 1. providing targeted tax incentives that encourage the smallest businesses to offer health insurance. and 2. using the tax code to inject muchneeded competition in dysfunctional State small group markets. The Small Business Health Insurance Relief Act of 2006 would achieve both of these objectives. First. I propose a targeted tax credit that would encourage our Nations smallest businesses to offer health insurance as a workplace benefit. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090117737,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Study after study tells us that the smallest businesses are the ones least likely to offer insurance and most in need of assistance. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. of the working uninsured. who make up 83 percent of our Nations uninsured population. 60.6 percent either work for a small business with fewer than 100 employees or are selfemployed. Small businesses in my own State of Maine have it particularly bad. Last summer. the Maine Center for Economic Policy. MECEP. reported a 15 percent average premium increase for small businesses in Maine over the past three years. The MECEP report also highlighted several other alarming trends: Half of the small businesses surveyed raised deductibles over the past three years. Over one quarter have either increased copayments or reduced coverage. or have delayed pay raises to cover increased costs. Eight percent of Maines small businesses have dropped health coverage entirely. Furthermore. coverage trends for small businesses are getting worse. not better. According to the Kaiser Family Foundations Employer Health Benefits 2005 Annual Survey: only 47 percent of the smallest employers. those with 3 to 9 workers. now offer health insurance as a workplace benefit. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090117737,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is down from 52 percent in 2004. and 58 percent in 2002. In sharp contrast. 98 percent of larger businesses. those with 200 or more workers. offer health insurance as a benefit. The targeted tax incentives in my bill would help ensure that our Nations smallest businesses can offer health insurancein the same way that larger businesses currently do. My legislation targets small businesses with 50 or fewer employees because these are the small businesses most desperately in need. The maximum tax credit under the proposal would be $1.500 for single coverage and $3.000 for family coverage. The tax credit would phase out as a business increases in size. Notably. my proposal is neutral between types of insurance: small businesses and their employees can choose what works best for themtraditional employersponsored health insurance or health savings accounts. HSAs. Under my legislation. a small business with five employees would be eligible for a perparticipant tax credit of $3.000 for a family health insurance plan. and a potential total tax credit of $15.000. Small businesses cite escalating cost as the number one impediment to providing health insurance. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090117737,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Putting $15.000 in the hands of a small business owner could certainly help to overcome this barrier. My proposal would also allow small businesses to establish cafeteria tax plans so that they can provide their employees with nontaxable benefits. Under current law. many larger businesses and the Federal Government enable their employees to purchase health insurance and other qualified benefits with taxfree dollars. However. small businesses face difficulty in offering cafeteria plans because they must satisfy strict nondiscrimination rules under the tax code. Although these nondiscrimination rules serve a legitimate purpose. many small businesses simply cannot satisfy those mechanical rules because. through no fault of their own. they have relatively few employees and a high proportion of owners considered highly compensated individuals. This makes it difficult for small firms to offer benefits through a cafeteria plan. It is vital that we allow small businesses to offer their employees nontaxable benefits so that they can effectively compete with their larger counterparts. Small businesses are the engine that drives economic growth and job creation. and it is critical that we put them on an equal footing with large businesses in the quest for talent. Second. my legislation also would provide a necessary reform of the State small group health insurance markets. Plain and simple. there is no competition in the small group market. and coverage and affordability are real problems. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090117739,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold two days of hearings on March 28 and 30. 2006. \"Neutralizing The Nuclear And Radiological Threat: Securing the Global Supply Chain.\" On March 28. the Subcommittee will focus on the domestic and international deployment of radiation detection equipment. as well as U.S. Government efforts to prevent radiological or nuclear terrorism. Three Government Accountability Office Reports will be released at the March 28th hearing. These reports include: 1. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Radiation Portal Monitor Program. RPMP. to install Radiation Portal Monitors. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2083}
{"speech_id":1090117739,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"RPMs. at U.S. Ports of Entry. 2. the Department of Energy Second Line of Defense program to install RPMs at key international border crossings and ports. and 3. the successful importation of radiological sources across the northern and southern border. On March 30. the Subcommittee will focus on the security of the global supply chain and update the May 2005 hearing. The Container Security Initiative and the CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism: Securing the Global Supply Chain or Trojan Horse? A Subcommittee staff report on global supply chain security will be released at the March 30 hearing. In addition to examining forthcoming reports. the hearings will examine the other programs that form our layered defense against nuclear terrorism including the Container Security Initiative. the Megaports Initiative. and the CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism. Moreover. these hearings will examine the role of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. a new office created within DHS to coordinate global nuclear detection architecture. The Subcommittee hearings are scheduled for Tuesday. March 28 at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday. March 30 at 10 a.m. in room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information. please contact Raymond V. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2083}
{"speech_id":1090117739,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Shepherd III. Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. at 2243721.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2083}
{"speech_id":1090117760,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. March 28. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business for up to an hour. with the first 30 minutes the under control of the Democratic leader or his designee. and the final 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. provided further that the cloture vote scheduled on the motion to proceed to the border control bill be postponed until 2:15 p.m. tomorrow.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":729}
{"speech_id":1090117779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to pay tribute to Erma Ora Byrd. the wife of our esteemed colleague. ROBERT C. BYRD of West Virginia. It has always warmed my heart to watch the Senator from West Virginia speak of his wife -in conversation. of which we have had many. or as he has stood on this Senate floor. He has mentioned her name. and whenever he mentioned it. he immediately got this glow on his face in reverence to his friend. his wife. his love of nearly seven decades. Love of this magnitude should be celebrated. And their marriage of 69 years should be celebrated. As a matter of fact. recently. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4273}
{"speech_id":1090117779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I talked to Senator BYRD about his marriage. and he said: I just hope that we can celebrate 70 years of marriage. Well. they did not get to 70 years. They got to 69. plus. And although her body failed her this past weekend. and their time together on this Earth ended. the love they sharedSenator BYRD and Ermathat love is timeless and that love is forever. ROBERT BYRD is known throughout the country for his intellect and .his patriotism. for his devotion to this country. to the State of West Virginia. iis reverence for the Constitution. and his reverence for the Senate. But as famous as he is. and as eloquent as he is. and as far as he has gone in this Senatehe has been the leader here. he has been the chairman of committees herehe never would fail to share the credit for his many accomplishments with his wife. who inspired him and humbled him. Erma never sought the spotlight. nor. according to ROBERT. would she allow her husband to bask in it for any longer than absolutely necessary. She strived to be a model of duty and serviceservice to ones family and service to ones country. Erma Byrd has always been by her husbands side. ever since they were married. both of them at the age of 19. Imagine: the age of 19. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4273}
{"speech_id":1090117779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their love never waned. It is as strong now as it was on the very day they said their wedding vows. And I would posit that it has actually grown deeper. far deeper. That love is a bond that will never be broken. and even in her death her spirit will remain by his side to guide him on. Erma had been struggling with illness for the past several years. God ended her battle. allowing her to be at rest. Although Ermas. struggle with illness is over. and the deep pain that ROBERT felt as he watched her struggle with this illness is over. we should all know that he needs us now. his friends and his colleagues. He needs us to be his friend as he grieves for the loss of his soulmate. Although we mourn her loss. we must not forget to also celebrate the rich. full life she made with her husband. her children. and her grandchildren. The good Senator from West Virginia has always had a penchant for poetry. especially when it was used to help him describe Erma. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4273}
{"speech_id":1090117779,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So in closing. I will quote a poem by Charles Jeffreys that the Senator himself has used to describe his marriage to Erma: We have lived and loved together Through many changing years. We have shared each others gladness And wept each others tears. I have known neer a sorrow That was long unsoothed by thee. For thy smiles can make a summer Where darkness else would be. Like the leaves that fall around us In autumns fading hours. Are the traitors smiles. that darken. When the cloud of sorrow lowers. And though many such weve known. love. Too prone. alas. to range. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4273}
{"speech_id":1090117779,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We both can speak of one love Which time can never change. We have lived and loved together Through many changing years. We have shared each others gladness And wept each others tears. And let us hope the future. As the past has been will be: I will share with thee my sorrows. And thou thy joys with me. When ROBERT BYRD spoke these words. he meant them deeply in his soul toward his one love. And so my husband joins me. and our family joins me. And I know all of our colleagues feel this way: We offer our thoughts and prayers to ourdear friend Senator BYRD. to his family. and to the good people of West Virginia during this difficult time. I know my friend ROBERT will dedicate his future in the Senate not only to the people of West Virginia. whom he serves so proudly. but to his incomparable soulmate who so inspired him. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4273}
{"speech_id":1090117790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the Chamber today to address the ethics bill that has been pending before the Senate for the past three weeks. It has. now been exactly four months since Duke Cunningham resigned from #the House after pleading guilty to bribery. tax evasion. and mail fraud charges. It has now been almost three months since Jack Abramoff pled guilty to defrauding Indian tribes. In the aftermath of both guilty pleas. Members on both sides of the aisles in both Houses of Congress brought forward good proposals to change the culture that led to these scandals. and yet here we are on March 28th with a halffinished ethics bill in the Senate and even less in the House. I knbw there are many important issues facing our countryhealth care. education. the war in Iraq. and. as I just mentioned. immigrationbut it is equally important that we as Members of Congress consider how we are going to deal with the cloud of corruption that hangs over the Capitol and how that affects the issues which are important to the American people. For that reason. I sincerely hope the leadership of both parties will be able to reach an agreement to bring this bill back to the floor before our next recess. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6521}
{"speech_id":1090117790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The American people are tired of a Washington that is only open to those with the most cash and the right connections. They are tired of a political process where the vote you cast isnt as important as the favors you do. And they are tired of trusting us with their tax dollars when they see them spent on frivolous pet projects and corporate giveaways. It is not a game that is new in this town. It is not particularly surprising to the public. People are not naive about the existence of corruption. They know it has worn the face of both Republicans and Democrats over the years. So the hope is that we could finql a bipartisan solution to the problem. Before the recess. we made some progress on the ethics bill. I was pleased to join with Senator DODD on an amendment to ban Members and stLff from accepting meals from lobbyists. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6521}
{"speech_id":1090117790,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And when we get back to the bill. I will be joining Senators SANTORUM. MCCAIN. LIEBERMAN. and FEINGOLD in offering an amendment to define the way- we reimburse corporate jet travel. I would like to spend a few minutes talking about this amendment. During the past 5 years. Members of Congress. Presidential candidates. and political parties have used the corporate jets of 286 companies a total of more than 2.100 times. Despite the fact that a single flight of these jets can cost tens of thousands of dollars. the average reimbursement rate has only been about $1.700 per trip. So far. politicians have gotten away with this because current law only requires us to reimburse the cost of a firstclass ticket on these charter flights. not the actual cost of operating the plane. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6521}
{"speech_id":1090117790,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But since we are usually the only passengers on the plane who dont work for the company. this rule is effectively giving us thousands of dollars in unwarranted discounts. This has to change. Let me say this to my colleagues: Although I discontinued the practice earlier this year. I have used corporate jets in the past. I know s6me of the other proponents of this amendment have done the same. I know how convenient these charters can be. I know that a lot of my colleagues. particularly those from large States. will oppose this rule change because it makes it significantly more difficult and costly to interact with their constituents who live in less populated parts of their States. So I am not unsympathetic to these concerns. There are many parts of Illinois in which there is no commercial air service. But this isnt about our convenience. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6521}
{"speech_id":1090117790,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is about our reputation .as public servants who are here to work for the common voter. not the highest bidder. We all know that corporations are not allowing us to use their jets out of the kindness of their hearts. It is yet another way that lobbyists try to curry influence with lawmakers. One lobbyist told USA Today about the advantageb of allowing Members of Congress to use his jet. He said: You can sit down and have a cocktail and talk casually about a matter. rather than rushing in between meetings on Capitol Hill. A lobbyist for a telecommunications company is quoted as saying that providing a jet to a lawmaker \"gives us an opportunity to form relationships. to have a long stretch of time to explain issues that are technical and complicated. If it wasnt useful. we wouldnt do it.\" The vast majority of the people we represent dont have the money to buy that access and form those relationships. They dont have the ability to fly us around on their private planes. In fact. they are having enough trouble paying the mortgage and their medical bills and their kids college tuition. And they expect us to listen to their issues with the same concern we would any lobbyist or corporation with a jet. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6521}
{"speech_id":1090117865,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. along with my colleague from Illinois. in a bittersweet moment. One of our dearest friends from Illinois. Congressman LANE EVANS. announced today that he will not be seeking reelection next term. Since the day he arrived in Congress more than two decades ago. LANE EVANS has been a tireless advocate for the heroes with whom he served and the countless other veterans who bravely defended this country. When Vietnam vets were falling ill from Agent Orange exposure. he led the effort to pass Agent Orange compensation. Just recently. he led the fight to make sure the children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were born with spina bifida would be taken care of as well He was one of the first in Congress to speak out about some of the h6alth problems facing Persian Gulf war veterans and has fought for benefits for them ever since. He fought to expand benefits to women veterans. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090117865,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He worked to help those veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress syndrome. and also worked to make sure there is a roof over the heads of the thousands of homeless veterans in our country today. LANE EVANS has fought these battles for more than 20 years. and even in the face of his own debilitating disease. Parkinsons. he has had the courage to keep fighting. Today. veterans across America have this man to thank for reminding America of its duty to take care of those who have risked their lives to defend ours. Today. we all thank LANE EVANS for his courage in reminding us of this. His voice is going to be missed in this town. but I am sure it will continue to be heard wherever there -are .veterans who need help or vulnerable people across America who are looking for a hand up. not a handout. Just a personal note: I dont know many people who are more courageous than LANE EVANS. who has worked tirelessly. despite extraordinarily challenging physical ailments. He is one of the most gracious. best humored. and hardest working people that I have ever seen. I remember when I first started my own campaign for the Senate. he took me around on a tour of his district. By the end of the day I was worn out because he was indefatigable in terms of his efforts. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090117865,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I consider him not only a dear friend. but I think it is fair to say that had he not supported me early in my election campaign I would not be here today. So I think this is an enormous loss for the Congress. but I know all of us will continue to draw inspiration from LANE EVANS. and I am glad that he will continue to be my friend for many years to come. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090118013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. earlier today. my colleague from Alabama. Senator SESSIONS. alleged that I have a \"hold\" on the Intelligence Authorization Act. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know that in the heat of debate on the Senate floor. words can sometimes come out faster than a Member might intend. so I harbor no ill will toward my colleague. But in the interest of accuracy. I wish to set the record straight. . Last autumn. many of us were shocked to.read allegations in the press of secret clandestine prisons operated around the world by the CIA as part of the war on terror. Congress has a responsibility to perform oversightrin all things. including the intelligence communitys conduct in the war on terror. In discussing this amendment last fall. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090118013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I said. and I repeat today. no one is passing judgment on whether these alleged facilities should be closed. We are simply saying that Congressand specifically the duly established intelligence committees of the House and Senateneed to know what is going on. On November 10. 2005. I offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Director of National Intelligence to provide a secret report to the Intelligence Committees of the House and Senate on the operation. past or present. of these alleged facilities. It would also have required a report on the planned disposition of those allegedly held at these facilities and a determination as to whether interrogation techniques at these facilities were consistent with U.S. obligations under the Geneva Convention and the Convention against Torture. In debating this amendment. I was delighted to work with my colleague. Senator ROBERTS. the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. and his vice chairman. Senator ROCKEFELLER. to perfect the text of the amendment so they could support it. It passed with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 82 to 9. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090118013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"About 1 month later. the House of Representative voted 228 to 187 to urge","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090118027,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce a bill that will offer small businesses greater flexibilitk in complying with their tax obligations. This legislation is one of a series of proposals that. once enacted. will reduce not only the amount of taxes that small businesses pay. but also will reduce the administrative burden that saddles small companies when trying to comply with the tax laws. The proposal that I am introducing today will permit startup small business owners to use a taxable year other than the calendar year if they generally earn fewer than $5 million during the tax year. Before I talk about the specifics of this particular provision. let me first explain why it is so critical that we begin evaluating how we can reduce the administrative burden of the tax code. As is wellknown small businesses are the backbone of our Nations economy. According to the Small Business Administration. small businesses represent 99 percent all employers. employ 51 percent of the privatesector workforce. and contribute 51 percent of the private sector output. Yet. despite the fact that small businesses are the real jobcreators for our Nations economy. the current tax system is placing an entirely unreasonable burden on them when trying to satisfy their tax obligations. The current tax code imposes a large. and expensive. burden on all taxpayers in terms of satisfying their reporting and recordkeeping obligations. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5278}
{"speech_id":1090118027,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The ptobem. though. is that small companies are disadvantaged most in terms of the money and time spent. in satisfying their tax obligation. For example. according to the Small Business Administrations Office of Advocacy. small businesses spendan astounding 8 billion hours each year complying with government reports. They also spend more than 80 percent of this time on completing tax forms. Whats even more troubling is that companies that employ fewer than 20 employees spend nearly $1.304 per employee in tax compliance costs. an amount that is nearly 67 percent more than larger firms. These sttistics are disturbing for several reasons. First. the fact that small businesses are being required to spend so much money on compliance costs means they have fewer earnings to reinvest into their business. This. in turn. means that they have less money to spend on iaew equipment or on worker training. which unfortunately has an adverse effect on their overall production and the economy as a whole. Second.. the fact that small business owners are required to make such a. sizeable investment of their time into completing paperwork means they have less time to spend on doing what they do bestnamely running their business and creating jobs. Let me be clear that I am in- no way suggesting that small business owners are unique in having to pay income taxes. and Im certainly not expecting them to receive a free pass. What Im asking for. though. is a change to make the tax code fairer and simpler so that small companies can satisfy this obligation without having to expend the amount of resources that they do currently. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5278}
{"speech_id":1090118027,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For that reason. the package of proposals that I have introduced will provide not only targeted. affordable. tax relief to small business owners. but also simpler rules under the tax code. By simplifying the tax code. small business owners will be able to satisfy their tax obligation in a cheaper. more efficient manner. allowing them to be able to devote more time and resources to their business. Specifically. the proposal that I am intioducing. today will permit more taxpayers to use the taxable year most suitable. to their business cycle. Until 1986. businesses could elect the taxable yearend that made the most economic sense for the business. In 1986. Congress passed legislation requiring partnerships and S corporations. many of which are small businesses. to adopt a December 31 yearend. The tax code does provide alternatives to the calendar year for small businesses. but the compliance costs and administrative burdens associated with these alternatives prove to be too high for most small businesses to utilize. Meanwhile. C corporations. as large corporations often are. receive much more flexibility in their choice of taxable year. A C corporation can adopt either a calendar year or any fiscal year for tax purposes. as along as it keeps its books on that basis. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5278}
{"speech_id":1090118027,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This creates the unfair result of allowing larger businesses with greater resources greater flexibility in choosing a taxable year than smaller firms with fewer resources. This simply does not make sense to me. My bill changes these existing rules so that more small businesses will be able to use the taxable year that best suits their business. Importantly. these changes. will not reduce the amount of taxes a small business pays by even one dollar. The overall amount of taxes a qualifying small business pays will remain the same. This bill simply permits more taxpayers to use a taxable year other than the calendar year and makes tax compliance easier. This bill is good policy and common sense. I look forward to working with the bills cosponsor. Senator LINCOLN. in providing small businesses with more flexibility in meeting their tax obligations. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5278}
{"speech_id":1090118083,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Roll Call reports that the Democrats are going to unveil an \"ambitious security plan\" tomorrow. Well. bless their hearts. If they have not noticed. those of us on this side of tatives the aisle have been focused on the issue and passing security legislation for more than 5 years now. President Bush has made national security his priority mission. House Republicans have been talking about it for months. We have been working with our. leadership on it. They consider national security priority number one. not a political tactic to trot out 7 months before an election. We passed the PATRIOT Act to target terrorists. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090118083,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Democrats voted against it. We passed the REAL ID Act to make it harder for potential terrorists to use valid Stateissued identification documents. They opposed that. We are pushing a border security bill to strengthen our border control. and Democrats in the Senate are threatening a filibuster. Mr. Speaker. Americans are going to see right through their lastditch effort to look engaged on security.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090118091,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to call your attention to an extraordinary young woman from South Florida. Arielle Chikovsky. As a young girl. Arielle learned that she suffered from Ushers Syndrome. a genetic disease which causes the hearingimpaired to lose their eyesight. Yet Arielle has not let her condition detract her from her daily life. Remarkably. last year. at the age of 22. Arielle graduated from lawschool. Arielle is a finalist in the American Eagle Live Your Life Essay Contest. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090118091,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If. named the winner. she plans to donate the $25.000 reward to Hope for Vision. Hope for Vision is a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases. I congratulate Arielle. who sets an example for everyone she encounters. and I support Hope for Vision and its leader. Isaac Lidsky. for their efforts to find a cure for this disease.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":877}
{"speech_id":1090118158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 517. introduced by the gentleman from New Jersey . . This resolution recognizes the life of Wellington Timothy Mara and his contributions to the National Football League. Wellington Mara was a coowner and coCEO of the NFLs New York Giants and one of the most influential and important figures in the history of the National Football League. The son of Timothy Mara. who founded the Giants organization in 1925. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090118158,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mara is an alumnus of the Jesuit schools. Loyola. School and Fordham University in New York City. During the early 1960s. -Wellington and his brother Jack. the owners of the NFLs largest market. agreed to share television revenue on a leaguewide basis. dividing the amounts of money available in cities like New York with smaller market teams. like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. This concept of revenue sharing allowed the NFL to grow and is still being used today. Along with his many other lasting contributions to the game. Mara lead the Giants to six league championships. including two Super Bowls. nine conference championships. and 13 division championships. As an Eagles fan. that breaks my heart. Also. the Giants have accumulated the third highest number of victories in. Natioial Football League history. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090118158,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To commemorate his outstanding career. he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. I urge all Members to come together to honor this pillar of the football community by adopting H. Res. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090118159,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the resolution to recognize the life and accomplishffients of an NFL institution. Wellington Timothy Mara. Mara spent nearly his entire life with the New York Giants. holding several positions from ball boy at the age of 9 to treasurer and team president. Professional football and the New York Giants were in Maras blood: his father founded.the New York Giants. Father and son built one of the most successful franchises in league history. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1883}
{"speech_id":1090118159,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maras passing this past October dealt an emotional blbw to the Giants organization and the league at large. Mara was extremely involved with the team right up until his passing. He showed up at practice nearly every day and shared his wisdom with the players. Although Mara was associated most intimately with the Giants. it was more than his dedication to the Giants that led to his induction into the Professional Football Hall of Fame. In the 1960s. when the Giants earned a dominant portion of television revenues garnered by professional football. Wellington and his brother Jack made thegenerous decision to split television revenues with poorperforming teams. This revenue division allowed teams in smaller markets to stay afloat until a substantial fan base. and the development of a nationwide television market vould enable these teams to stand on their own feet. If it were not for the generosity of -the Mara family. the National Football League would not be where it is today. Mara will be missed by many and was mourned by his family. his team. and the entire National Football League. A demonstration of the loss was witnessed when the Giants honored Mara by winning a decisive game over the Washington Redskins the same week of his passing. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1883}
{"speech_id":1090118159,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am in support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1883}
{"speech_id":1090118204,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to ensure regulatory equity between and among alldairy farmers and handlers for sales of packaged fluid milk in federally regulated milk marketing areas and into certain nonfederally regulated milk marketing areas from federally regulated areas. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":335}
{"speech_id":1090118210,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in. support of S. 2120. My original interest in this legislation -was to address a loophole created in the interface of -the Federal Milk Market Order *System with individual State milk nmarketing arrangements. Under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1993. the Secretary of.Agriculture protects dairy producers from predatory pricing by setting a minimum price that must be paid by processors who distribute fluid milk within a Federal Milk Market Order Area. While a majority of the country is covered by one of 10 Federal orders. sbme States. California in particular. have enacted legislation which authorizes State agencies to regulate- minimum milk price for intrastate sales. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3319}
{"speech_id":1090118210,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Herein lies the -dilemma. Milk processed and distributed in tile neighboring State of Arizona. .which operates under a Federal order. is subject to the Federal minimum pricing regulations. However. milk processed in Arizona and then sold in California is exempt from the Federal existing regulations. And since the commercial product originates from outside the State. it is exempt from California State regulations. Because of this loophole. milk .produced in Arizona and gold in California is not subject to any minimum pricing regulations. This creates an unfair advantage for outofstate fluid uxilk processors. This situation was first brought to my attention b the -gentleman from California and I agreed to help resolve this issue. The solution simply directs the Secretary to apply the minimum pricing regulations of the Federal order system to any covered milk handler if they sell a significant portion of their fluid milk production in States that have established minimum milk pricing regulations. Mr. Speaker. as all of our colleagues can attest. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3319}
{"speech_id":1090118210,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Federal dairy policy is among the most- complicated and politicized of all of our programs. Indeed. the main reason that it has taken as long as it has to bring this bill- to the full House for consideration is because often the simplest. dairy bills tend to act as magnets and attract all kinds of unrelated pieces that are in many ways controversial. This legislation is no exception. While the original intent was to rdmedy a situation that has caused great concern to the California dairy industry. two additional provisions have been added to this legislation to address concerns elsewhere. Admittedly.. I was reluctant to include these provisions. but after meeting with members of the dairy industry and hearing tlieir near universal support. I decided to move forward with the legislation as drafted.. The two provisions that. were added simply exempt Clark County. Nevada from the existing ArizonaLas Vegas Hl150 Milk Market Order and create a 3 million poundpermonth cap on the exemption for producers who process and distribute their own milk within the ArizonaLas Vegas Order. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3319}
{"speech_id":1090118210,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am axfare that some Members may have concerns about one or more of these provisions. As I indicated. I too had some reservations. But as I stated. there is near unanimous support within the dairy community. both the producers and the processors. for these changes. I therefore urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3319}
{"speech_id":1090118235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the chairman of the Ag Committee. BOB GOODLATTE. and Ranking Member PETERSON for this ongoing 3year debate. I find it interesting when we come to Washington. you learn that people like to use politics instead of policy. If you notice. the opposition to this bill. they did not talk or discuss the policy of this matter. They talked about the politics of it. So since they went down that road. I would like to say that this bill is 4ot controversial. This bill has been debated for 3 years. ","speaker_name":"DEVIN NUNES","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1546}
{"speech_id":1090118235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senate passed it unanimously. The Senate authorizers have said that this needs to get done. The House authorizing committee. we have the chairman of the Dairy Subcommittee who recognizes this needs to be done. The opposition to this bill. who is a good friend of mine. but this has unanimous support across California. unanimous. Every dairy farmer in the State of California has sent letters to their Congressman. and every dairy industry. not only the dairy farmers. this.is not just about dairy. farmers. this is dairy processors. This is grocery stores. and it is not only California. It is across the entire country. This has national implications to let producerhandlers game the system. This is about gaining the system. So it is not confusing. ","speaker_name":"DEVIN NUNES","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1546}
{"speech_id":1090118235,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not controversial. and if you look at the fact that they talk about a constituent being in California in a lawsuit that is being brought forth. that is simply not true. The lawsuit has been brought forth in Texas. and the person claims to be a constituent of Texas.","speaker_name":"DEVIN NUNES","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1546}
{"speech_id":1090118256,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. The legislation in its amended f6rm before us this afternoon is the result of the finest of legislative action in which a substantive goal has been achieved through discussion and understanding of one another. understanding the underlying law and its application. and in this case. an administrative action that has produced a right result. The objective in the Gulf States devastated by hurricanes. not just Katrina but Rita and Wilma and the ones preceding and the ones yet to come. is local recovery. That means not just restoring the physical needs of the communities. the homes. the businesses. the streets.. the levees. the lighting. but also the businesses. The objective of the Robert T. Stafford Act. which I must saiy I have had a very large role in shaping over the past 21 years with my thencolleague on the committee. Mr. Clinger. is to affirm that the administering agencies. that is. those administering the law and the funding. would give preference to local businesses to restore those businesses. to expedite completion of recovery Work. and to achieve lower costs. because businesses locally know how to do the job better than butofState companies. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090118256,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In this particular case. in the aftermath of Katrina. the Corps of Engineers responded by taking the action that law allows them. They issued a contract for debris removal in Mississippi that originally was given to a Florida company. Ash Britt. They decided not to renew that contract. because it was evident that the work was not going to be done principally by local companies and. instead. chose to issue three separate debris removal contracts to Mississippi firms to guarantee that local Mississippi companies would be selected for the contracts and to do so by limiting the bidding to Mississippi companies. The Florida company protested that bid to the Governmekt Accountability Office. Last week. the GAO issued its ruling. its decision in the matter of Ash Britt. Inc.. with reference to the file number. dated March 20. and in the most important part said: \"We think Ash Britt misses the point when it argues that some form of preference shortT of a setaside also implements the Stafford Acts preference for using local businesses to clean up disasterrelated debris. The question here is not whether some lesser form of preference might have satisfied the acts intent. but whether the preference chosen was an abuse of agency discretion. Since the language in the statute does not specifically restrict the application of the preference. and since the use of a setaside is consistent with the statutory goal of assisting firms in the affected area. we do not view the Corps decision to implement the Stafford Act prqference with a setaside as an abuse of the agencys discretion to implement this statutory scheme.\". And then they conclhde with referring to previous GAO decisions in the matter. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090118256,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That settles it. The Cofps has the authority. that authority has been affirmed by the Government Accountability Office. and the contracting should proceed. The GAO decision. so clear. so precise. so unequivocal in my judgment and in previous experience. with the Corps and with GAO. should ward off any lawsuit or further appeal by Ash Britt. I think they will be very wise to accept the judgment of GAO anol allow the procedure to go forward. The bill before us is a revised version of the legislation the gentleman from Mississippi introduced just before our recess.and which we discussea at some length. I had some reservations about it. some concerns. especially the prohibition of judicial review. That has wisely been removed. as the chairman of the subcommittee. the gentleman from Pennsylvania. has expressed. So I want to make it very clear that we have had a very thoughtful. very constructive discussion with the gentleman from Mississippi. with the subcommittee staff. with GAO. and with the Corps of Engineers. And the language in this sense of Congress portion of the bill pending. before us this afternoon. \"It is thesense of Congress that the Corps of Engineers should promptly implement the decision of the Government Accountability Office in solicitation.\" and I dont need to repeat the reference.. dated March 20. 2006. that should be very clear direction to the Corps of Engineers to proceed forthwith. get these debris removal contracts under way. and move ahead without concern or fear of further appeal by the contractor in this case. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090118256,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is a good legislative outcome. It. is a good direction to the Corps. It will be good for people of Mississippi. It will be a good lesson for workers ahd smaller contractors in other hurricaneaffected Gulf States. It will set a good precedent for the future. I think that we have had a very fine result this afternoon. afid I urge my colleagues on this side of the aisle and all Members to support this legislation. I would further observe. Mr. Speaker. that my wife is from New Orleans. Her family. was affected by the hurricane. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090118256,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have just recently. just 2 weeks ago. spent time in New Orleans. went with family and friends to the 17th Street Canal. saw the levee break. saw the work of the Corps. the cofferdam set up to rebuild that portion of the levee. traveled to Saint Bernard Parish. saw the absolute utterly horrifying destruction of an entire 38.000home area inundated. over the rooftops. homes floated away from their mooring. and debris still in the streets. That debris needs to be removed. Those people need relief. They want- to get back in their homes. they want to rebuild. and they are frustrated that companies that know how to dothe work arent being called on to do it. This legislation will set the course. chart the future. give an opportunity for those who know how to do the job to get in there and do it and do it.expe-\" ditiously. Mr. Speaker. -I reserve the balance of my time:","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5905}
{"speech_id":1090118290,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to heartily congratulate the people of Haiti on their recent election of President Pr6val on H1162 Co February 7. 2006. It was a great triumph for the country to hold \"free and fair\" presidential and legislative elections. Reports were that the elections were peaceful and that 60 percent. over 2.2 million Haitians. many who stood in line for 6 hours or more. participated. This * election is a great advancement of a return to normalcy for this great country and its stupendous citizens. . This is a pivotal point in history for Haiti and the world. I now call on the international community. with the U.S. in the lead. to support democracy in this determined country. I am hopeful that this first step will serve as the beginning of national reconciliation of democracy as well as social and economic development for Haiti.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090118301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. under rule XXII. clause 7(c). I hereby announce my intention to offer a motion to instruct on H.R. 4297. the tax reconciliation conference report. The form of the motion is as follows: I move that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the bill HR.4297 be instructed(1) to insist on the provisions of section 106 of the Senate amendment (relating to extension and increase in minimum tax relief to individuals). (2) to recede from the provisions of the House bill that extend the lower tax rate on dividends and capital gains that would otherwise terminate at the close of 2008. and (3) to the maximum extent possible mithin the scope of conference. to insist on a conference report which will neither increase the Federal budget deficit nor increase the amount of the debt subject to the public debt limit. -","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":911}
{"speech_id":1090118315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I am proud to join with several of my colleagues this evening in celebrating the 185th anniversary of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire. In the years since Greek independence. Americans and Greeks have grown ever closer. bound by ties of strategic and military alliance. common values of democracy. individual freedom. human rights. and close personal friendship. Madam Speaker. while we celebrate Greek independence this evening. it is also important that we recognize that Greece continues to battle oppression from presentday Turkey in Cyprus. It. is crucial our Nation work with the United Nations and the Government of Cyprus to once again unify the island. However. I am deeply cQncerned that our governments recent actions will actually make it more difficult to reunify Cyprus. The U.S. State Department and Secretary Rice seem much more interested in rewarding those who illegally occupied the northern third of the nation back in 1974 than actually reunifying the islands. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2357}
{"speech_id":1090118315,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over the past year. our State Department decided to allow Americans to fly into the occupied north. something that has not been permitted since the illegal occupation took place back in 1974. Last year. I joined many of my colleagues from the Congressional Hellenic Caucus in sending a letter expressing our deep concern regarding the legality of U.S. citizens flying directly from Turkey to the airport in northern Cyprus. In response to that letter. the State Department responded that it was encouraging the elimination of unnecessary restrictions and barriers that isolate and impede the economic development of the Turkish -Cypriot community. Madam Speaker. this new policy must also be responsible for a decision earlier this year by the State Department to resume trade with the occupied north through ports that were declared closed after the invasion in 1974. In order to allow trade. the State Department is forced to ignore both Cyprus domestic law. \"as well as international law that prohibits entering Cyprus through an illegal port in the north. Madam Speaker. I am deeply concerned that the State Departments -new policy towards the government and the people of the occupied north will only delay reunification of the en.tire island. If U.S. allows direct trade .through routes in the north. what incentives do the illegal occupiers of","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2357}
{"speech_id":1090118347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague. Mr. Ross. And it is great to have the minority whip join *us. He has often been described as an honorary Blue Dog. and he has always recognized and been a voice in support of fiscally. responsible policy. And I just want to emphasize a point thatthe minority whip had made in his comments about this notion that we should live with the set of rules that you have got to -live within your means. . It is going to take some tough decisions to bring back fiscal discipline to this government. Balanced budgets are not going to be easy to achieve. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7673}
{"speech_id":1090118347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If it March 28. 2006 . COI was easy. I would like to think it al.ready would have happened. So what the Blue Dogs believe is :hat you have got to .put in a set of rules and a structure that helps encourage fiscal discipline. And one of the rulesthat the Blue Dogs have been strongly supportive of and the minority whip has mentioned in his comments is this notion that you- Vay as you go. And this is a concept that is pretty basic when you think about it. If you have something new. a new program where ydu want to spend some money. you have got to pay for it. You have got to pay for it by taking money away from something else or finding a source of revenue to pay for it. But the other piece of that puzzle is. if jou want to do a tax cut. you have got to pay .for that with corresponding cuts in spending or finding revenues elsewhere. It is really a pretty basic concept. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7673}
{"speech_id":1090118347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think people. when they look at their own household budget. look at it that way. They have so much money coming in and out that if they want to do an adjustment somewhere. they have got to do an adjustment someplace else to accommodate for. that. And that is all we are askirng. And what is interesting. and I may want to ask the minority whip to -describe this for me. he was here in 1990 when this was put in place. when the first President Bush was in office. I was not in Congress at that tiffie. but thiose rules were in place starting after 1990. and I think among many factors. they were the critical factor in moving us toward the surpluses that we enjoyed by the end of the 1990s. And I find it unfortunate. and We should all find it unfortunate. quite frankly. that those rules were allowed to expire at the end of. I believe. 2001. .I know legislation has been offered and introduced to restore those rules. We cannot seem to get a vote on restoring those rules. I would love to have an upordown vote here in the House of Representatives on restoring those rules. I would love to see anyone. really. stand up and vote against that type of commonsense approach. to encouraging fiscal discipline here in Congress. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7673}
{"speech_id":1090118347,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that that is such a crucial point. I want to reemphasize what the minority whip had mentioned because I think that people are looking for solutions. It is easy to step back and just complain about the problems we have here. but there are solutions out there to help us get our arms around this prob. lem. and one of them is. let u. look for these payasyougo rules so that we all live within our means and we make responsible decisions. The Blue Dogs actually have a 12point plan. and I just want to talk about one other of those points in this segment where I am talking right how that I think is important. because along with trying to have fiscal discipline and making sure you live within your means. you have also got to make sure that money is being spent And the gentleman from Utah talked wisely. and that means you need ac- about accountability. And right here countability. And we do not have ac- you will see an aerial photo of a hay countability right now in many. many meadow at the Hope Airport in Hope. agencies within the Federal Govern- Arkansas. a socalled FEMA staging ment. Do you realize in the Depart- area. It is my understanding that it has ment of Defense. there are 63 different been about 7 months now since Hurriagencies and only six of them can give cane Katrina. a terrible storm. devyou a clean audit of their books and astated the gulf coast. We have folks in the other 57 cannot tell you where the Pass Christian. Mississippi. living in money is being spent? militarystyle tents. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7673}
{"speech_id":1090118347,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have got some Noiv. I think it is Congress job to 80.000 people living in camper trailers. ask the questions about where that We have got over 10.000 families living money is being spent. I do not think in hotel and motel rooms spread out this Congress has been very aggressive over several States. And yet FEMA has in its oversight function and asking purchased and has stored -in a hay where the money has been spent. The meadow at. the Hope Airport some most recent year for which we have 10.777 brandnew. fully furnished. fully this data is 2003. and the government furnished. manufactured homes. $431 cannot account for $24.5 billion that million worth just sitting there in a was spent. And we throw a lot of num- hay meadow at the Hope Airport. some bers around here. $24.5 billion is a lot of 450 miles from the eye of the storm. money. That is more than the budget while people continue to live in hotels for the entire Department of Justice and militarystyle tents and in camper for a whole year. and right now we do trailers. not have the ability to have Federal This is an example of the lack of acagencies tell us how that money has countability in our government. This is been spent. a symbol of what is wrong with this adSo one of the other points of the Blue ministration and what is wrong with Dogs plan I just want to mention is. it FEMA. Their response is. .they are conwould be a requirement that you have cerned because. as you can see. they got to give us a clean audit of your are literally just parked in this hay books. and if you do not. your budget meadow. literally parked in the hay stays frozen at the previous years meadow. level. I think that is a pretty good eco- And now winter weather has come. nomic incentive for people to want to and set in and spring iA here and the tell us how the money is being spent. showers are here and it is starting to and that forces accountability. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7673}
{"speech_id":1090118360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership on this issue and for his leadership in continuing to bring the Truth Squad to the floor every evening. so we can talk about the issues that affect our constituents and the American people. Mr. Speaker. we have as a party and as a conferencebeen talking about the security agenda for many months now. looking at energy security. moral security. retirement security. economic security for this great Nation. A big part of this security agenda is our national security and we continue to address thisissue. We talk about the war on terror. We talk\" about protecting our Nation. and that is where the border security component comes in. In December. we passed a border security bill to address so many of these .issues that are before us. And. of course. as typically happens and many times happens here. those of us in the House roll up our sleeves and get to work and we pass a bill. It crosses the Rotunda to the other side. to the other body. and maybe it languishes or does not move- quite as quickly. But the Members of the House have taken action on this issue. 0l 2130 It is indeed one that deserves our attention. and as we talk about border securfty. there is one component that I would like to highlight this evening. just one component as we talk- about border security and the importance of keeping this border secure. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3222}
{"speech_id":1090118360,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When we talk about illegal immigration and illegal immigrants. I think. it is imperative that we turn the focus -to illegal entry. That is the action that an individual outside this couniry is choosing to committhe act of illegally entering our country. and we need to keep our focus on that: Why would they chodse to enter illegally? Why would they choose to circumvent our laws? Why would an individual choose to circumvent the rules? Why would they choose illegal entry? Mr. Speaker. I think that you and I would probably agree that we are going to work diligently to protect our homes from illegal entry. and I am going to work just as hard to protect this country from illegal entry as I am going to work to protect my home from illegal entry. I think itis important that we realize that individuals who decide theyare going to illegally enter somewhere maybe come with a different agenda. but we have to recognize that they do not come as an invited guest. We have rules in place that individuals are supposed to follow. and those individuals that follow those rules are then invited and brought into the process of being able to seek citizenship. of working to attain that citizenship. to being able to be a part of the bounty and the richness that this country offers. We arb a Nation of immigrants. but we are a Nation of laws. and it is important that we continue to recognize that. as we look at the debate. that we realize that entering this country illegally. that. action is something that circumvents our laws. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership on the issue. I thank you for including me and allowing me to come to the floor and be a part of the Official Truth Squad and continue to put the focus. on the issues that are important to my district in Tennessee and important to so many of our constituents.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3222}
{"speech_id":1090118362,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to\" thank my friend from Georgia for yielding some time to continue the thought about the specific issue of border security as it pertains to national security. Security has been the talk of this House for the last few weeks. especially about port security. how the concern of Americans for securing the safety of our ports. with foreign governments infiltrating and running our port operatfons. how the American public has made that statement and Congress has responded with at least. on a temporary -basis. doing something immediately about securing our ports. because it is the number one duty of government to protect or secure the people. We do a lot of debating in this House about what is the purpose of government. and it seems to do a lot of things. maybe some things that our Founding Fathers never expected or even wantedfor government to do. But one of the things government must do and has a constitutional duty to do is to protect the security of the Nation from within and from without. One of those specific issues. of course. is protect our borders. Living in Texas. we constantly are concerned about the infiltration into our Nation of people from other places. illeg. coming here. and it serves three c cerns. One. of course. the war on dr continues to escalate. anddrug car know -there is a lot of money in sell those drugs in the United States. so violence has occurred on the Te border because those drug cartels fighting over turf to bring in that c cer and prey on the weaknesses Americans. So that is the first conc( Second concern. of course. is the i versal concern in this country ab terrorists. international outla criminals who want to do us harm come here for that specific purp. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3846}
{"speech_id":1090118362,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Having a porous. open border encc ages that conduct. and we know t those people expect to come in United States and even try to comi the United States because of our 1 of security on oar borders. Then there is that third group of I ple who illegally enter the Uni States for a multitude of Other reasc and the United States. our Nation. I government. this House. tbe peop Heuse. must have the moral will protect the dignity of the border seems to me that Third World cc tries protect their borders better t. we do here in the United States. and are a Nation that can do anythiflg. reason we do not protect the borc and secure the border is because wE not have the will to do it as a Nat: It is. interesting. we -have heard a of rhetoric this week. especially ab the bill that passed back in Deceni that got. almost no notice until Senate starts talking about -our and their option. or variation on t bill. but let metry to.give you an ample of how things are occurring the United States by comparing it maybe an analogy in another coun Let us say that. for some reaso want to go to France. and based some of the things I haveL said ab France. the Government of Frai they probably would not let me in gally. I would have to sneak in. So Sneaked in. took my four kids. -t grandkids and showed up in Frai over to Paris and say. teach my kid English and give them an educat oh. I am not going to pay for it. French people are going topay for 1 education and provide social serv for my kids and my grandkids and two grandkids that are on the way. continued that line of thought. people in France would get me oni the country. and rightfully so. T would be true whether I went to Fra or to China or even to Mexico. but. that seems to be what is occurring 1 in the United States because of lack of securing our borders. Our good friend from Tennessee. D BLACKBURN. has already .alluded this. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3846}
{"speech_id":1090118362,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we .have an intruder in home. we call those people burgl They are not welcome guests. They not a guest burglar. They are a burg But if we have an intruder to homeland because of. I guess. polit correctness. we -call them an und","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3846}
{"speech_id":1090118377,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So when we are on the floor here. I often try to boil down what those numbers mean in more simplistic terms. I can tell you that we. what we do is we talk about how it relates to someones household budget. And you know. of course. families. millions and millions of families across this country struggle every day to balance their budgets to make sure that they are not spending more than they take in. And they are hoping that they are not racking up credit card debt and trying to balance all the needs that their family has. plus. you know. hopefully buying a few things that maybe arent necessarily a need. but are just a want. I mean. that is something that in America we all strive to be able to accomplish. Hl 184 But unfortunately. in Washingt when we got here. we found that th seems to be. between the two si here. an ongoing struggle over whet or not it makes sense. amazingly. not spend more than you take in.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":921}
{"speech_id":1090118378,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well it is interesting I these seventh graders demonstra greater fiscal sense than this Cohgr has been able to demonstrate. beca we talked to them about debt and I essentially what we have been doing your point. to put it in their ter would be like me. as a mom. gettin credit card in my daughters nary okay. and going out and buying thi for myself and. then saying to them soon as they are old enough to wo now you getto pay for all the thinE bought myself. . That is essentially what we are .do to future generations. And they sk Well. that is just not right. And t] were right in understanding that. I also asked them. What would * do to not have debt. and they s Well. spend less than you have. Pre simple answer. but -one that with. PAYGO budget rules. which we once a bipartisan basis adhered to in t body and were able to get ourselves the largest surplus in the history this Congress. we have now gone. si: we have thrown out PAYGO rules we are not requiring ourselves a! body of Congress to be more fiscally sponsible. we now have the largest icit in the history of the Nation. that is pretty unconscionable.","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090118381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"just cant have it all. rmean. the ot story that I share with people when are here on the floor during this on. something hour is it is like when we ere talk to our kids. You know. sometimes des my 6yearold twins will say. Mom. .you her know. I really want. we will be in the to toy store and they want everything in every aisle. And. you know. gosh. I Low would love to buy them everything in ted every aisle. But often. I have to say tess \"no.\" and then I try to explain to use them. you know. our budget. the Low money that morn and dad earnreally to only enables us to afford to buy you Ms. some of these things. You cant have g a everything you want. les. Ms. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1571}
{"speech_id":1090118381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BEAN. Exactly. It is so fun to be ngs here with you because this is my first as time joining you in your 30something rk. colloquy. because at 44 I am a little gs I out~ide of the age span. so I appreciate you inviting me today. But it is fun for ing us to be able to talk about our children id. on the House floor where we havent ley done that before. But I think there are some very you strong parallels in what you are sayid.. ing. in that oftentimes I think in our tty roles in Congress with the public. with out our constituents. we have to bring a on little bit of tough love to the equation .his the way we do with our children. We to cant just tell people what they want of to hear. but. what they need to hear. nce which is the reality of our fiscal chaland lenges. s a Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. And. re- boy. as moms. we certainly have a lot. lef- of practice at that. and Ms. BEAN. At the tough love.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1571}
{"speech_id":1090118383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think you have another chart. if I am correct. that talks about what that means in terms of our spending priorities and that while we are spending so much on interestyou do have itit essentially shows that we are spending more on interest on the debt that we have created than we are on education. on homeland security and on veterans benefits. And I dont think the American public fully appreciate what those opportunity costs are. that that lack of fiscal discipline has consequences. And. sadly. we are not moving in the right direction as we look at the 2006 budget. which only projects a $423 billion spending deficit. but it ig considerably more than that when we factor in AMT fixes. and when we factor in the cost of the war. which we stopped counting in OctobeSr. even though that is running at $6 billion a week. that we are not even projecting the real deficits. that this chart is going to look worse if we continue down this path.","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":945}
{"speech_id":1090118450,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"that alluded 97. for the Members. Madam Speaker. earlier to the experience of Katrina and who would like to look it up. othernational disasters. I mean. there We are not making this up. You peowas a report issued again by a sub- ple want to know what the Democrats committee of this House that con- want to do? We want to increase fundcluded that the response to Katrina ing for port security. and the Repubwas a failure of leadership. I mean. lican majority will not let us. that cannot be said any more suc- September. 17. 2003. Mr. OBEY. Mr. cinctly or simply. SABO and Senator BYRD tried again to A member of the committee. again. a increase funding to enhance port and Republican. let me repeat that. not a maritime security. $475 million. Guess Democrat but a Republican. our col- what happened. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2245}
{"speech_id":1090118450,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. Releague. CHRIS SHAYS from Connecticut. publicans defeated this amendment on said this: The report is very tough on a partyline vote. You want to know the President. It is very tough. on the what the Democrats want to do. Department of -Homeland Security. It Madam Speaker? We want to increase is a blistering report but I think it is funding for port security by half a bilfair. lion dollars. Thepanel found that Homeland Secu- June 9. 2004. another amendment by rity Secretary Michael Chertoff was Mr. OBEY of Wisconsin in the Approdetached. and that the thenFEMA Di- priations Committee to increase port rector Michael Brown was clueless. and container security by $400 million. We are not asking for an arm and a leg here. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2245}
{"speech_id":1090118450,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are still $6.5 billion away from where we need to be. but we are just trying to chip away. Throw us a bone. Help us out. We just want to get moving in the right direction here. What happened again? Republicans defeated the amendment on a partyline vote. Hbuse Report 108541. page 128. Go look it up. I am quite frankly tired of hearing that the Democrats do not have an agenda because every single day in committee. no matter what committee it is. Appropriations Committee. .Armed Services Committee. Education Committee. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2245}
{"speech_id":1090118450,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Homeland Security Committee. we are trying to get things done. and the Republicans block us every single time. This is what the Democrats want to do and we are getting blocked.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2245}
{"speech_id":1090118464,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate that. And you know. as we are beginning to wrap up here. I think it is important to make this point. because I am sure you did. and you guys have experienced this too. There is a certain level of frustration that I have because I feel like our generation is getting dealt a pretty bad hand here.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":308}
{"speech_id":1090118598,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first let me commend Senator DURBIN for his leadership on the Dream Act and making sure that it is now a part of the bill that came out of the Judiciary Committee. I was a cosponsor of that Dream Act. and I support it being a part of the bill. For me. the current debate on immigration strikes very close to home. Those words at the base of the Statue of Liberty. \"Give me your tired. your poor. your huddled masses. yearning to breathe free.\" have a profound personal meaning to me. On my wall in my office. I have a picture of the house in which my mother was born and raised until she was 20 years of age in the small town of Suha. Slovenia. It is a small house with a dirt floor. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11492}
{"speech_id":1090118598,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yes. my mother was born and raised in a house with a dirt floor until she was aged 20. Then she got steerage on the SS Argentina and came to America. She was going to land at Ellis Island. but landed in Boston because of bad weather. I have a copy of the documentation from when my mother landed here in America. it had her name and where she was from. and what she owned. She had one suitcase. a train ticket to Des Moines. IA. and $7. That is how my mother came to America. When she came. though. she was welcomed into the American community. She got married. obviously raised a family. She has since obviously passed away. but she became a productive citizen. a loyal American who gave a lot back to her adopted homeland. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11492}
{"speech_id":1090118598,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know the current debate has stirred up a lot of passions. but this is nothing new. Across the centuries. successive waves of immigrants--Germans. Irish. and again on my fathers side my greatgrandfather. who was an immigrant from the northern part of Ireland. Chinese. Italians. Greeks. othersevery time they have come here they have aroused strong emotions. But in every case. Americans eventually rose above their economic fears and ethnic prejudices. We were true to those Statue of Liberty words and. as a result. America has become stronger and richer and fairer. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11492}
{"speech_id":1090118598,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are indeed the envy of the world. Today. once again. we are in the midst of a difficult and often emotional national debate about immigration. I am optimistic that we can arrive at a bill that addresses legitimate national security and law enforcement concerns. while also being faithful to our tradition and history as a nation of immigrants. I commend the senior Senator from Pennsylvania. Senator SPECTER. for his skill and leadership in reporting a bipartisan bill from the Judiciary Committee that takes us in the right direction. I want to commend his ranking member. Senator LEAHY. and Senator KENNEDY for his strong work on getting this bill through and making it a decent. fair. but yet strong bill to protect our national security and to protect our law enforcement in this country. My State of Iowa. I am proud to say. has a long history of welcoming new immigrants. We have a growing immigrant Muslim population from Asia and the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11492}
{"speech_id":1090118598,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. Cedar Rapids. IA. is home to the oldest mosque in America. and we are proud of that. A quarter of a century ago. responding to the plight of Vietnamese and Laotian boat people. former Governor Robert Ray introduced programs to bring more than 30.000 of these refugees to our State. Because of his courageous humanitarian leadership. thousands of Iowans opened their homes and their hearts to these new immigrants. More recently. tens of thousands of immigrants have come to Iowa from Latin America and elsewhere. They have come here in search of two things: work and freedom. Work. in order to feed and clothe their families. and freedom. to learn and to develop their talents. and to grow. In most cases. they have found work. The Iowa economy is hungry for immigrants who are willing tolao jobs that basically are physically demanding. oftentimes dangerous. one example. of course. being the meat packing industry. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11492}
{"speech_id":1090118654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If my colleague will yield. I cited that example. and I hope I did not invite those out there who may decide to use this aS a loophole. If this becomes a problem. we ought to revisit the issue and somehow prohibit it because that is abusing the intent of the legislation. It seems to -me to pass legislation which would turn virtually millions of peoplewhen you start talking about the number of people who can be affected by this--into lobbyists. per se. on the abject possibility that someone may abuse this down the road goes to far. It goes further than I would at this juncture. In time. if we see those who have engaged in this at~use have carved another loophole. I am prepared to come back and deal with that fact situation. It is a fact situation that worries me. I say that to my colleagues. I am not unconcerned about it. but I am not so concerned about it at this juncture that I am willing to put everyone elsethe millions of others who would not think about that. nor would they do thatin harms way. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1508}
{"speech_id":1090118654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is my concern. putting innocent people. potentially. in harmsway. I do not think our intentions here. as Members. ought to be that. We are dealing with lobbyists. We are dealing with registered lobbyists. They have to go through certain procedures to achieve that status. Once they have achieved that status. there is a concern. We are trying to deal with that problem. Taking people who go way. beyond that definition. if seems to me. is a step that at least I do not want to go that far.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1508}
{"speech_id":1090118672,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have such regard for the Senator from Maine that I would consider an exception for any lobster in Maine because she and I have shared lobster in Maine. and that is a very special thing I think everyone would accept. My admiration for this Senator from Maine on these issues is truly boundless. She is the one who. somehow. we convinced to join us very early on McCainFeingold. And just like I said about Senator DODD. if not for Senator COLLINS. there is no way this major reform would have ever passed. So I am talking to some of the people who truly S2498 coi have been reformers in Congress over the years. some of them much longer than I have been. And I say all of this with respect. Let me say this. We know. because some of us have been working on this for some time. that these opportunities for reform do not come up every year. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2002}
{"speech_id":1090118672,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They tend.to come up when something bad happens. whether it be the concerns about the 1996 campaign finance violations or the Abramoff scandal. It is not like we are going to have a chance to do this next year because that is not the way this place works. And. frankly. there are weightier matters that face this country. But I am warning my colleagues. this is a chance to not have another embarrassing loophole. If we do not do what I am suggesting here. we are going to be embarrassed. There are going to be meals arrangednot the kind of scenario Senator DoDb suggested: an innocent situation but a gaming of this meal ban to allow expensive meals to be bought by people who work for some of the companies I have listed. I do not think people are going to feel good about that. I think it could. raise some of the very things we talked about in terms of the whole Abramoff scandal that led to this. I think we are missing an important. opportunity to make sure this bill passes the test with the American people. So again. with respect. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2002}
{"speech_id":1090118672,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I offer this amendment to make sure this amendment works. Mr. President. how much time do I have remaining?","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2002}
{"speech_id":1090118678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am grateful to the Senator from Delaware for his support and his ideas on this issue because he obviously knows what he is talking about. having been a Member of this body for a very long time. I think. obviously. I will try to find some other way to do this. But he has stated the key point. This is not hard to do. This is what we have done in Wisconsin for decades. It is very simple to pay your own way. I do not know what it is. but I cannot understand what the problem is with having that kind of a clear prohibition. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090118678,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think we will all be better off. Mr. President. has the other side yielded their time? Has their time expired?","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090118752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me discuss this amendment very briefly. I want to be cooperative with the managers of the bill. I know they want to wrap up this legislation. ThIs amendment is germane. We will have a recorded vote on this particular amendment. unless the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations agrees to a voice vote that we would win. Section 103 of this bill creates a new Senate rule. Each Senator knows that we create very few new Senate rules because the rules we create are hard to change once created. The rules. we make today will govern the Senates conduct for years to come. It is important we get language right the first time so we do not have any unintended consequences. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2823}
{"speech_id":1090118752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Within the proposed rule. in this bill is a definition of the term \"earmark.\" Many people in my home State of .Nevada have heard the phrase earmark. as people across the country have. As taxpayers. Nevadans understand some earmarks can be costly. some can be beneficial. Earmarks are often the result of Senators using their influence to require -Federal agencies to spendsignificant dollars in their States. In some cases. earmarks are given to State or local governments or charitable or philanthropic organizations. In many cases. these earmarks are justifiable. In many cases. these earmarks have a national impact and can be justified because they meet a national purpose. Each Senator has seen the abuse of the earmark process. That is why we have offered thisamendment. To clear up abuses. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2823}
{"speech_id":1090118752,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our amendment. provides a clear definition of what- an earmark is. Our. definition clarifies that earmarks are not limited solely to nonFederal entities. The definition also includes Federal entities. Spending for federal. as well as nonFederal. entities in the earmarking process can be abused. The Senator from Mississippi argued earlier it is a Senators right to offer things that are good for their State. Senators have ideas about how money should be spent. I actually have no problem with that philosophy. I agree to a great degree with that philosophy. The problem is that such a process has been abused in too many cases. For instance. the military provides a procurement list to the Armed Services Committee that includes lists of things the military says they need. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2823}
{"speech_id":1090118752,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In order to benefit their state. Senators will contradict the decisions of the military and override the militarys request. They ignore what is in the best interest of the military in order to benefit their State. Military is a Federal project but this bill does not provide accountability. This bill would continue to allow Senators to put their political interests before the heeds of the military. That is why our amendmexit expands the definition of earmark to both Federal and not just nonFederal entities. That is why we should support this amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2823}
{"speech_id":1090118821,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I thank the Senatorfrom New Mexico. I thank Senator KENNEDY for indulging me for a couple of moments. I know we are supposed to go back and forth. but I appreciate the opportunity to be heard following Senator DOMENIcI because I believe my comments are germane to the comments he made. I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for his courtesy. These will be very brief comments. Mr. President. I say to Senator DOMENICI. ","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5581}
{"speech_id":1090118821,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I love hearing his story because it is the story of America. It is the fabric of America about which he spoke. I was so touched by the way he told it. Obviously. as the only immigrant in the Senate. I think it is terribly appropriate that I speak at the outset of this very important national debate on this issue in the Senate. Iam reminded as we talk about these issues that there are so many interesting connections. When I came to the Senate as a Senator from the State of Florida. it was such an incredibly. proud moment for me and. frankly. for many in the community from which I comethe CubanAmerican communitysince I was the very first Cuban American to have this distinction and this honor. I also am probably the first Florida Senator to ever serve in the U.S. Senate who was not born in America. But. ","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5581}
{"speech_id":1090118821,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the story of America is such that. as I started to look at that history. I found out that the very first Senator from Florida. when Florida became a StateI believe in 1854was a fellow by the name of Yulee Levy who was actually born in the Middle East. He was a fellow who had come to America as an immigrant and who ended up representing the State of Florida as the Very first of two Senators who came. and he. in fact. beat me by a good little margin as the first foreignborn Senator from the State of Florida. But that is the sort of history odr country is made of. This is such a timely and important debate. I am pleased that you would mention our President. who has been very steadfast and very strong on the issue of a comprehensive solution to our immigration problem. I love so much that you began this debate in. such a loving way. in such a civil way. and in a way that allows us to think a little bigger and a little higher than the combat of the day and the rhetoric. frankly. which so often gets so heated. which so often gets so beyond the pale of what ought to be. I am proud of the Senate as the Senator begins this de-. bate with such a note of civility. I believe we recognize first and foremost that our immigration system is broken. that we have to fix it. we have to set about fixing it. ","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5581}
{"speech_id":1090118821,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator is so right when he speaks about the fact that it is almost too late to fix and we have to act and we must act now. It is important. too. that we focus on a comprehensive solution. It is obvious that we have to fix the border. All of us want to see the border\u0095 be secured and protected. to be something other than what we have today. The resources will. be there. we will do it. and it will be a commitment that we make first and foremost for border security. I think all of us. no matter where we come from. appreciate the legality involved in border security. but in addition to that. we have to be careful of the rhetoric. I dont believe we should allow the loudest voices. not necessarily the best voices. to make a definition of what amnesty is afid what amnesty should be. I believe we should look to solutions that are rooted in what America is about and our American values. We cannot ignore the millions who already are here. We have to give the border its importance. but we have to look beyond that to the fact that there are millions who have been living here and contributing to this Nation. and we look forward to an opportunity to figure a mechanism. ","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5581}
{"speech_id":1090118821,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator DOMENIcI has put forward a proposaland. there are many others on the table. obviously. The bill out of the Judiciary Committee makes an important contribution there. We need to find a way that we can come to grips with what to do with the millions of people who are living here and who are already here making a contribution. The Latin community of America. the Hispanic community of America. has been galvanized by this issue like no other. This is a historic moment in our history. and it is a moment we have to treat with great care and great importance how we set the tone of this debate. I am hopeful that as we look to the future. we will come up with solutions. I am very hopeful that we can come together as a Senate. I am very hopeful that the Congress will come together. with the help of the President and others interested in this debate. to come up with solutions which will provide a way forward. whinh will provide a historic opportunity for the people of America to be one Nation. to be. as our model says. e pluribus unum-\"For many. one\"-because I do know that the immigrants who come to this Nation do not come to change America. they come to be changed by the miracle that is America. I know that I. as an immigrant. was changed by America. When I came here. much like Senator DOMENICIS father. ","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5581}
{"speech_id":1090118836,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I rise to honor the* memory of the late Buck Owens. the Country Music Hall of Fame honoree who introduced a uniquely California sound to country music. Mr. Owens. a long time Bakersfield resident. passed away at his home on March 25. 2006. He was 76 years old. Alvis Edgar Owens. Jr. was born in Sherman. TX. in 1932. At an early age. he nicknamed hifiself. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2497}
{"speech_id":1090118836,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Buck.\" after a mule on the family farm. Seeking better fortune during the Great Depression. the Owens fdmily moved west in 1937. settling in Mesa. AZ. An avid music fan. Buck learned to play the guitar in his early teens: By his late teens. he was already a regular on local radio stations and was playing shows in honky tonks and bars around Phoenix. A precocious and determined young man. it was apparent to many that Buck was a prodigiously talented musician who was destined for great success. Bucks many accomplishments amassed over a fivedecade recording and performing career have rightfully cemented his status as one of the greatest countrywestern entertainers ever. He was truly a trailblazer whose trademark stinging electric guitar and rhythm sound revolutionized country music. Bucks 21 country singles from 1963 to 1988 were a testament to his longevity and staying power. Bucks music was universally celebrated and embraced. as evidence by the Beetles cover of his song. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2497}
{"speech_id":1090118836,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Act Naturally\" in 1965. The consummate entertainer. \u0095Bucks iconic television entertainment show. \"Hee Haw\" enjoyed a remarkable 25 year run on the airwaves. I was delighted to have met Buck back in 1997 at his Crystal Palace in Bakersfield. He was kind and generous of spirit. as when I was invited to present one of his special red. white. and blue guitars to a promising music student named William Villatoro. I still vividly remember how the young man was deeply moved and inspired by his generous gesture. I will certainly remember Buck Owens as a man of great compassion who possessed a profound love for his country. Although he is no longer with us. I take great comfort in knowing that Buck Owens was not only able to be a shining light in the life of a young man from Bakersfield. but also to the millions of others who admired his musical gifts and were touched by his humanity. Buck Owens has left behind a legacy of artistry and boundless love for his adopted hometown of Bakersfield and Californias Central Valley. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2497}
{"speech_id":1090118836,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He will be dearly missed. Buck Owens is survived by his three sons. Buddy Alan. Michael. and Johnny.*","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2497}
{"speech_id":1090118845,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one of the issues that has been hovering over this Chamberand this counfry.* -of courseis the NSA program. the Presidents program to do wiretaps on American citizens if part of the call originated in a foreign country. First. let me stress that I think most of us in this Chamber. Democrat and Republicancertainly myselfbelieve the President should be given the tools he needs to fight terror: In this brave new world. the tools are different. and because a rule worked in 1960 or 1980 does not necessarily mean it works in 2005 or 2006 or 2004. We have to be flexible. I think you can be flexible in a way that both protects our security and protects our liberty. In most issues. this does not conflict. My watchword on most of these issues is: Have a debate. have a standard. and have an independent arbiter check that that standard is being met. That worked. for instance. in wiretaps. Before 1971. it was a mess. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7666}
{"speech_id":1090118845,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"J. Edgar Hoover was listening in on whomever he chose. There was a debate on this issue. There was a standardprobable causeand there is an independent arbiter. a federal judge. who determines whether probable cause is met. And it works. Neither the prosecutors nor the defense bar have any complaints. We could come to the same exact conclusion in the new world we face. where warrants are needed far more quickly regarding n1ay more people. If you are doing information gathering where you look for patterns. that might be needed. Again. because one way worked in the past doesnt mean it still works. and I think most Members. myself included. want to be flexible. The problem is when the executive branch arrogates this issue to itself and says. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7666}
{"speech_id":1090118845,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can decide to do whatever we want. either under the constitutional executive powerthat is pretty broador even under a grant of war powers. a grant to use force which. as most know. I supported back when the President asked for it in 2001. Now there is a great debate. The President and his supporters say he was allowed to do these wiretaps without changing the law. without congressional approval. Some on the other side say he never should have been allowed to do it. I think that is a small minority. Many others say: Yes. he should be allowed to do it. but there ought to be a congressional debate. a change in the law. and perhaps a standard would be applied. Right now we are deadlocked on that issue. We are deadlocked because. whether it is the Intelligence Committee. the -Judiciary Committee on which I serve. this body in general. or the. Nationnobody knows. did. the President go outside the ambit of the law about asking for a warrant? Some think yes. and they are pretty sure of that. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7666}
{"speech_id":1090118845,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some think no. and they are pretty sure of it. They are pretty sure that he couldnt. Many are not sure at all. I ask you. who is the logical group or person to make. that determination? The executive branch generally through our history has had a lean to expand executive power. That is natural. The legislative branch has had a lean on the other side. That is how the Founding Fathers set up our Government in their wisdom and it seems to have worked very well ever since 1789. To say we should just go along with what the executive branch wants is not going to work. Frankly. even though I am a Senator and believe in protecting\" the legislative prerogative. if we only did what the legislative branch wanted. that probably wouldnt work. either. and. needless to say. we are divided on this. The most logical place for this to be settled is in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7666}
{"speech_id":1090118845,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Supreme -Court. They dont side with exedutive or legislative power. necessarily. They are authoritative. they are respected. in a sense they are the. supreme arbiters. and they could put this question to rest and we could move on. There is one difficulty. There will be people who will challenge these. wiretaps through the normal process and we might get to the Supreme Court in 3 or 4 years. During all that time. the gridlock and deadlock we face on this issue. and the concomitant gridlock and deadlock that occurs in other issues related to this. would be hanging over this body. So I tried to figure out how can we get the Supreme Court to hear this case quickly. The bill I am introducing right now will do just that. We have consulted some expert authorities and there are two basic problemsone easier. one. harder. The easier is to simply expedite the judicial process. to grant expedited review. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7666}
{"speech_id":1090118873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. March 29 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearings is to receive testimony on S. 1832. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease oil and gas resources underlying Fort Reno. OK. to establish the Fort Reno Management Fund. and for other purposes. S. 2150. to direct the Secretary of Interior to convey certain Bureau of Land Management land to the city of :Eugene. OR. and H.R. 3507. to transfer certain land in Riverside County. CA. and San Diego County. CA. from the Bureau of Land Management. to the United States to be held in trust for the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians. and for other purposes. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1058}
{"speech_id":1090118873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"S. 1056 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the city of Henerson. NV certain Federal land located in the city. and for other purposes. and S. 2373 to provide for the sale of approximately 132 acres of public land to the city of Green River. WY at fair market value.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1058}
{"speech_id":1090118940,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today our colleagues in the Senate begin hearings on immigration legislation. I rise to urge our colleagues in the other Chamber to follow the Houses lead by passing legislation that focuses first and foremost on securing our broken border enforcement system. Porous borders and the illegal immigration caused by them are a threat not only to our national security but to our national economic security. The Federal Government. more specifically Congress. has a duty to do everything we can to secure our borders. Enforcement first legislation passed by the House last year was the right approach. Once we have effectively secured our border. then and only then should we focus on the. other consequences of illegal immigration. Mr. Speaker. we are a Nation of immigrants. Our Nations greatness is built on the hopes and dreams of those who have come here from another country. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090118940,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I understand that. But above all. we are a Nation built on the rule of law. As a Nation and as a Congress. our duty is to enforce these laws and secure our borders.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090118943,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. gulf coast residents continue to pay the price for the Bush administrations incompetence. cronyism and failed leadership. Yet. House Republicans refuse to ask the tough questions of an administration that showed no competence during Hurricane Katrina: The House Republican Davis report on the Katrina response i8 woefully incomplete. The White House was allowed to ignore congressional subpoenas. and \"Michael Browns emails were excluded. How is that a proper investigation? Worse yet. Republicans hold no one in the Bush administration accountable Americans cannot afford to gamble their security on the same Bush administration team that mismanaged Katrina. The American people deserve a bipartisan independent Katrina commission. like the 9\/11 Commission. to get all the answers we need to better prepare for future natural and terrorist disasters. Hurricane Katrina should have served as a wakeup call to House Republicans about the critical need for congressional oversight. Unfortunately. they refuse to ask the tough questions.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1047}
{"speech_id":1090118950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. whatever happened to the Republicans who were fiscally- responsible? I think they must have left town after President- Bush came to Washington in 2001. In January of that year. thanks to the fiscal policies of the Clinton administration. we were expecting a $5.6 trillion budget surplus over 10 years. Instead. thanks to the fiscal policies of President Bush and the Republican \"Rubber Stamp\" Congress. that $5.6 trillion surplus has been turned into a $3.3 trillion deficit. President Bush has yet to propose a balanced budget. and yet the Republicans do not seem to mind. They keep signing off on the budget proposals. ignoring fiscal discipline. Because of their reckless borrowandspend policy. Republicans were forced to increase the debt limit earlier this year for the fourth time in 5 years. raising it to nearly $9 trillion. We are currently borrowing more than $600.000 a minute. much bf it from foreign countries such as China and Saudi Arabia. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1109}
{"speech_id":1090118950,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. if House Republicans are serious about fiscal discipline. they will stop rubberstamping President Bushs failed fiscal policies.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1109}
{"speech_id":1090118989,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise to proudly support H.R. 609. the College Access and Opportunity Act. which reauthorizes the Higher Education Act. Dont believe the hype from the critics of this legislation. Here is some straight talk. Not one single student in America will receive less financial aid under this bill. Not one. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4043}
{"speech_id":1090118989,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation. expands college access for millions of American students by strengthening the Pell Grant program and reauthorizing the Perkins student loan program. I will focus my comments on the heart of this legislation. which is the Perkins loans and .Pell Grants. Both of these worthy programs enjoyed broad bipartisan support. As one from humble beginnings who would not have been able to go to college without Pell Grants or student loans. and as chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher education. I am a strong supporter of both Perkins loans and Pell Grants. Now. it is true the Presidents budget did call for eliminating the Perkins student..loan program but we said no. The leaders on the House Education Committee worked in a bipartisan manner and agreed that we would reau- Grants. because. we have got a pretty thorize this worthy program. - . good record. Let me first discuss the Perkins I was elected in 2000. and I made a loans. This legislation reauthorized the promise to myself and my constituPerkins loan program. a critical pro- ents. we would do all we can to ingram that offers financial assistance to crease the Pell Grant program. and more than 10 million students. The lets see what happened since 2000. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4043}
{"speech_id":1090118989,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Perkins program helps our neediest Since 2000. Pell Grant funding has instudents borrow extra money for col- creased 71 percent from $7.6 billion to lege at a fixed low 5 percent interest $13 billion. Since 2000. the Pell Grant. rate. In this bill we increase the loan maximum award has gone up $3.300 to limits to help the Perkins loans stu- $4.050. and this year there will be an dents so undergrads can get from $4.000 extra $1.000 for the highachieving. lowup to-$5.500 and graduate students can income students. and the number of get from $6.000 now up to $8.000. These Pell Grant recipients has gone up 36 Perkins loans are especially important percent from 3.9 million to 5.3 million. for teachers. nurses. police officers and Mr.. Chairman. Pell Grants. and Perother publfc servants who are eligible kins student loans are the passport out for Perkins loans forgiveness. of poverty fof so many worthy young \u0095 I will next discuss Pell Grants. This people. They are the heart of this legislegislation strengthens the Pell Grant lation. I urge my colleagues to. vote program by increasing the authorized \"yes.\" maximum Pell Grant to $6.000 and by Mr. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4043}
{"speech_id":1090118989,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"GEORGE MILLER of California. providing yearround Pell Grant aid for Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. students attending school throughout The* gentleman tells an interesting the year.. . story on Pell Grants. but the problem Both of these improvements enjoy is the amount of money for Pell Grants broad bipartisan support. In fact. when . has gone up simply because more stuwe drafted this legislation during the dents are eligible for that. More stufull House Education Committee mark- dents are applying for that. but the up. 100 percent of Democrats and Re- Pell Grant that they get is worth lesspublicans voted in favor of my amend-. now than it was in the year 2000. worth ment to increase the maximum award less than it was in 1995. to $6.000. the largest level in the his- The fact of the matter is. it is covtory of the program. ering only about 30 percent of the cost Let me show you some charts to idi- of the. college. and it is getting worse cate Our strong support for the Pell Gran prgram Pel Grntsand tuevery day. Grant program. Pell Grants and stu- Mr. Chairman. I yield 3 minutes to dent loans should be bipartisan. Ithink the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. inlarge part they are but some have KIND). made comments that Republicans are KIND","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4043}
{"speech_id":1090119007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to oppose this. legislation. I have anappreciation for those members on the Education Committee. many of whom have worked hard to try and put a decent product before this body. but this just doesnt make it. I am disappointed that my amendment that would have helped to increase the teacher capacity and supply in the areas affected by Katrina and Rita and future disasters was not made in order. But I am more disappointed in that section of the bill that deals with the private postsecondary schools. There is something called the 9010 rule. The rationale for the 9010 rule was that if the education provided was \"worth paying for. a company should be able to attract atleast 10 percent of its students on a paying basis. But. no. these private postsecondary lobbyists have come in here. and they have thrown in the nonprofit schools and they have manipulated the rules so that this wont apply. so that basically they can get 100 percent of their money from the taxpayers. They go out and they recruit illiterates. they recruit the most vulnerable people. who should perhaps be trying to get a GED someplace. but they recruit them. and they help them to fill out the Pell Grants. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090119007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They get the money. Many of them dont have qualified teachers. they do not have computers. and some. even. close down the schools. take the money. and then they show up under another name. They are ripping off billions of dollars from the American taxpayers. and why they are able to wield their influence in this subcommittee. I just dont understand. It is a scandal. It has been reviewed and exposed by \"60 Minutes\" and others on television. but we keep allowing the lobbyists to come in here and do what they want to do. to get richer and richer and basically undermine the ability of these vulnerable people who really do want to get an education.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090119024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the prior speaker said she was appalled by some of the characterizations. Funny. that was my emotion when this Congress just 2 months ago cut $12.5 billion from college assistance. the largest cut in the history of the United States for college assistance. So when you want to get appalled. try getting appalled by the biggest cut. $12.5 billion. from college assistance. We have all read many articles that in the 21st century a college education is as essential to economic success as a high school education was in the 20th century. In a century in Which you earn what you learn. what does the Republican Congress do as oneof its first acts? The largest cut in history in college assistance. $12.5 billion. And on the heels of that. they propose this act which. literally on -the heels of a $12.5 billion cut. a bill that would freeze Pell Grants 2 years in a row at the level they are at. The average Illinois .graduate today graduates $15.000 in debt. You are supposed to. get your diploma on graduation day. You get your diploma and your Visa credit bill. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3017}
{"speech_id":1090119024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what is happening to our kids. Parents in my district are working second jobs. taking second mortgages so their kids get a chance at a future where doors are opening. And what are we doing in this Congress? We are slamming -the door on their future. We can do better than that. We owe it to our children. College costs in the last 4 years have gone up. on average. 38 percent. and the United States Congress. under Republican stewardship. has had the largest cut in the history of the country. $12.5 billion. frozen Pell Grants. and not made it easier for parents to give their children the most important thing besides love. an education. So what are we offering them? More of the same at a time when we all know you need an education. We know about the importance of a college education. and we have done nothing to make it easier for parents to afford an education for their kids. except for a second job or a second mortgage. And that is after the largest cut in the history of the country. I think that we can do better. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3017}
{"speech_id":1090119024,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know we can do better. We must rethink the way we apply and get assistance to families so they can send their kids to .college. A college education is important for the 21st century. When World War II was over. we had a GI bill for our returning vets that built the middle class. The GI bill. after a high school education. built America and made the 20th century the American century. It is time now that we make a college education as universal in the 21st century as a high school education was in the 20th century. This is a step backwards. closing doors on families rather than opening doors and giving kids a chance to do better for the next generation. as their parents have done. and build on their shoulders. We must restore the $12.5. billion of cuts through an amendment that I offered that was denied. and make sure that we do not freeze college assistance. but enrich it and make it stronger.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3017}
{"speech_id":1090119035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am pleased that the House today took essential steps to make college tuition more affordable for middle and lowincome students. Ensuring quality higher education is one of the most important things we can do for future generations. H.R. 609. the College Access and Opportunity Act. will expand access to higher education for millions of students by strengthening Pell Grants. improving access for nontraditional students. reducing red tape. and instituting transparency in tuition costs. As a cosponsor of this legislation. I am especially pleased that the legislation will strengthen college access programs such as TRIO and GEAR UP. These are important programs that have benefited students in my district. aiding in their ability to attend college. I would like to mention two provisions inthe bill that were brought to my attention by small. independent colleges in my district. Their concems centered around the affordability provision and the ability for States to become accreditors. ","speaker_name":"RON LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2509}
{"speech_id":1090119035,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There was great fear that the publishing of tuition rate increases and other financial information -could lead to. a price control or other Federal intervention in tuition increases. Also. there was apprehension that States could be granted. the ability to intervene in the accreditation process of private institutions or offer incentives for. institutions to choose State accreditation over other regional options. I appreciate the Committee on Education and the Workforce for their willingness to address the concerns of these institutions. Chairman McKEONS Managers Amendment made great strides to ease the burdens that both of these provisions could have potentially placed on higher education institutions. The Managers Ar.endment makes changed to the penalties for offending institutions and expressly forbids States to offer incentives to encourage schools to choose State accreditation. I originally filed an amendment with the Rules Committee to address the concern of State intervention in the accreditation process. but the changes by Chairman McKEON were sufficient to ease my concerns. The bill in its current form will prohibit potential overreaching by State accreditors. The College Access and Opportunity Act addresses the important need to make higher education more affordable and easier to access for low and middleincome students. I am proud to support this legislation and am hopeful that it will sufficiently boost the competitiveness of American students in the global economy.","speaker_name":"RON LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2509}
{"speech_id":1090119073,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I applaud the amendment offered by congressman JON PORTER and others today that would add Federal employees and other public servants to a Department of Education progrpm that helps people in certain jobs pay off their student loans. I am a longtime supporter of student loan relief programs for our valuable Federal workforce. The programs are an effective recruitment and retention tool. helping to keep the Federal Government competitive with the higher salaries of the private and nonprofit sectors. We have to take proactive steps to ensure the best and the brightest will be attracted to public sector employment. The average Federal worker is over 50more has to be done to appeal to younger workers. Offering up to $5.000 a year for student loan repayments. as this amendment does. is an obvious way to attract the attention .of recent graduates and those with remaining educational balances. As chairman of the House Government Reform Committee and as a representative from northern Virginia. I am keenly aware of the need to safeguard the health of the Federal workforce. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2293}
{"speech_id":1090119073,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are talented. well educated people with a strong sense of duty. We likely will never be able to compete on a dollarfordollar basis with the private sector. but we do have to take steps to make government service a viable option. We are debating the Higher Education Act today. the recurring theme of this legislation is the fact that tuition costs for college degrees are skyrocketing. For -that young man or woman considering a civil service career. we have to make tools available that will allow them to forgo the higher salaries they could otherwise command. Mr. Chairman. I am proud to support this amendment today. but we should go even further. Under current law. agencies can repay student loans on behalf of their employeesup to $10.000 a year with a $60.000 total cap per employee. My bill. the Generating Opportunity by Forgiving Educational Debt for Service. GOFEDS. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2293}
{"speech_id":1090119073,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Act. which I have introduced in the last two Congresses. would improve these benefits by making them tax free. I encourage my colleagues to join with me in ensuring the American taxpayer has the benefit of a vibrant Federal workforcetruly the best and the brightest. You can start today by support this amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2293}
{"speech_id":1090119089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to offer this amendment on behalf of my colleagues. Congressman EHLERS and Congressman Wu. that would bring about a national summit on sustainability. There is a quiet revolution that is occurring in communities across the country. Hospitals. businesses. local governments. many educational institutions. are all involved with pioneering efforts to promote sustainable development. energy efficiency. There is local produce that is being used by businesses and universities in their cafeterias. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3909}
{"speech_id":1090119089,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People are more sensitive to landscaping. carpet supplies. transportation alternatives: Time does not allow me to even list the programs in just my community. at Portland State University. the University of Portland. Lewis & Clark College. Nike. Intel. Kaiser Permanente. These institutions are putting into practice groundbreaking procedures that allow us to live more lightly on the land. This is a great opportunity for the Department of Education to spotlight these best practices around the country. ways to save money. ways to live and practice our environmental values. And one wonders whether there is any better way for students to learn than -to actually explore ways to put these elements into practice. I am confident that ultimately this process can help lead to more leadership. more investment. and stronger policies. Mr. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3909}
{"speech_id":1090119089,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu). Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman. the need for developing innovative and successful. sustainable development is becoming more critical as our population in urban areas grows. The higher education system is in a unique position to foster new knowledge. evaluate policies. and develop new technologies addressing sustainability and its benefits to our society. I am very proud that my home State of Oregon is exhibiting. once again. independent. effective leadership on sustainability. Oregon is leading the Nation on sustainable architecture. the production of environmentally certified wood products. sustainable energy. nanotech. biotech. sustainable agriculture. and wind. hydroelectricity and solar energy. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3909}
{"speech_id":1090119089,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Portland State University. in my congressional district. has undertaken the sustainability initiative featuring new educational offerings such as green capital construction. multidisciplinary research. public forums and community outreach projects on sustainability. I recently toured a brandnew building there. exhibiting energy efficiencies and rainwater and other recycling programs that lead the Nation. For several years now. Portland State has been active in these efforts. In 2003. PSU launched a new program which draws on faculty and community expertise to teach 40 students the theory and practice of developing effective sustainability programs for their organizations. In fact. this year. Portland State University is expected to save an additional $275.000 in energy costs alone on campus simply by installing more energyefficient equipment and lighting and adjusting temperature settings. These savings are equivalent to the tuition of 80 students at PSU. This is independent. effective leadership. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3909}
{"speech_id":1090119089,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment that I am offering today with Congressman EHLERS and Congressman BLUMENAUER would call on the Secretary of Education to convene a summit of higher education experts working in the area of sustainability to encourage the development of sustainability programs on campuses. research in this area. and to identify opportunities for partnerships. Educating and training the next generation of scientists. engineers. planners. and business professionals can help in the development of new tools and strategies for environmental and resource conservation. energy efficiency and more sustainable development. I look forward to folks following Oregons independent. effective leadership and supporting this important amendment.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3909}
{"speech_id":1090119112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Mr. HOLT for working with me on this -amendment. It is an important issue that we are addressing in this country in a bipartisan fashion. I also want to recognize Mr. EHLERS and his work as the mathscience expert in Congress and his tremendous leadership in this area. ","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":430}
{"speech_id":1090119112,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to be working together to make sure that America remains competitive.","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":430}
{"speech_id":1090119311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we saw that Minority Leader PELOSI and the Democrats unveiled their plan for securing America. No big surprises. They slammed the President and demanded immediate withdrawal from the Middle East. And they called that immediate withdrawal \"redeployment\" to try and soften what is absolutely an awful policy. We have to remember that many of the House Democrats are on record voting against funding for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are also acting like we have shortchanged funding for first responders when we have spent millions upon millions that we have never before dedicated to emergency response at the local level. They claim we need to focus more on international cooperation. this in a world where some of the worst human rights abusers are routinely allowed to serve on the U.N. Human Rights Commission. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1012}
{"speech_id":1090119311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. Republicans in this majority have been serious about national security. We work on the issue every day. all year. not just when an election is approaching.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1012}
{"speech_id":1090119372,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield. And the gentleman said. you know. doing your job. and that is exactly what we should be doing. In fact. I think what we are hearing from the other side as they continue to oppose everything that this majority has tried to do in the 109th Congress. and of course the rhetoric gets worse and worse as we approach November. and we all know it is an election year. But it is not only. I think. not doing your job for your constituents. but it is kind of like one of my favorite Garth Brooks songs. its shameless. It is absolutely shameless to think that someone would hold a town hall meeting and discourage. as the gentleman from Minnesota said. seniors from signing up for something that is going to save everybody some money. but it is an absolute Godsend to those of our seniors who are low income. low assets. the very neediest in our society. And I think most of the legislation that we try to pass. and I think the attitude should be the same whether we are Republicans or Democrats. is to try to help those in the greatest need who really cant help themselves through no fault of their own. We need to put some wind beneath their wings to kind of uplift them. And I know there may be a few in the gentleman from Minnesotas district and I know there are some in the llth of Georgia who still need to get the message. and maybe they do not know and they do not realize. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1751}
{"speech_id":1090119372,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have not gone to the Social Security Web site and found out that they qualify because their income is only $14.450. or if they are married. $19.250 a year. and they do not have assets worth more than $11.500 if they are single. or $23.000 if they are married. We need to get them signed up. and I know the gentleman would agree with me on that.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1751}
{"speech_id":1090119401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you so much. Congressman PRICE. It is very good to be on the Official Truth Squad with you and to bring facts out that need to be brought out. I heard your comments about illegal immigration. and I share those concerns With you. As we talked about homeland security. national security begins with border security. That is very important. I think what we have to make sure that people understand all the time. the Federal Government was formed to provide forthe defense of this.Nation. It began by the States joining together to get our freedom from England. but we stay together for the defense of this .Nation. Local government. State governments. cannot provide for the defense of this Nation. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2377}
{"speech_id":1090119401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are the most free country in the world. We are. in my opinion. the greatest country in the World. We are not perfect. None of us who serve in Congress. none of us in the executive branch. are perfect people. But the Republican party is focused on the issub of national security. We. as Republicans. understand that if we dont maintain our freedom. then nothing else matters. The way we maintain our freedom is to make sure that we have strong borders and that we protect against attacks like the ones that hit us on September 11. 2001. We are fobused on that. and I think that the administration has done a great job of keeping us from being attacked again. What are the Democrats doing in that respect? Today. they managed to release their socalled \"national security agenda.\" We have been waiting for this plan that they say they are going to roll out where they say they can do things better. One of the things their agenda calls for is improving border security. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2377}
{"speech_id":1090119401,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now it is really curious that is what they say. They -think they can tell the American people something that the American people will believe. and that we will ignore what they have done. Let me talk about what Republicans have done and What the Democrat reaction has been to that. Last year. House Republicans passed the Border Protection. Antiterrorism. and Illegal Immigration Control Act. as well as the REAL ID Act. How do these bills protect our border? The Border Security Act increases penalties for illegal immigration and holds violators accountable to restore the integrity of ou Nations borders. reestablish respect for our laws. and help ensure that terrorists cannot enter the United States.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2377}
{"speech_id":1090119521,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to introduce an amendment that would make the dream of a college education more accessible to youth who are homeless and on their own. While many young people experience homelessness as part of a family. so many youth in homeless situations are on their own. These children are unaccompanied for reasons that are extremely diverse and usually heartbreaking. In many cases they have run -away to escape physical or sexual abuse. Others have been abandoned by . their parents. .Due to their severe poverty. these homeless students are extremely unlikely to be able to access postsecondary education without Federal student aid. But in order to determine student eligibility for aid. the FAFSA requires them to provide financial information and a signature from their parent or guardian. While these requirements are logical for most applicants. they create insurmountable barriers for unaccompanied homeless youth. So the very children who are most in need of financial assistance are the least likely to rdceive it. ","speaker_name":"JUDY BIGGERT","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1802}
{"speech_id":1090119521,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My amendment removes these barriers by allowing unaccompanied homeless youth to be considered independent students. To ensure that there is no fraud or abuse. the living situation of the student must be verified by one of the following individuals: a McKinneyVento Act school district jiaison. a shelter director. or a financial aid administrator. This independent student status will ensure that unaccompanied homeless youth are not required to provide their parental income information and parental signature. information .they simply do not have and cannot get. The amendment thus opens the doors of higher education to some of our Nations most vulnerable youth. I should add. Mr. Chairman. that this amendment was scored by the CBO as having no budgetary impact.","speaker_name":"JUDY BIGGERT","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1802}
{"speech_id":1090119529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman fcr yielding. I. too. want to thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. and I would ask everybody to. support it. I thank her for all the work she does on behalf ol homeless youth. We appre-. ciate it. and I am sure they do too.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":259}
{"speech_id":1090119549,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield 5 minutes to myself. Mr. Chairman. Marley PruntyLara is here today in the gallery. She is an articulate young Woman living with bipolar disorder. and she is a suicide attempt survivor. . She is in town because she was here to testify yesterday about her struggle with bipolar disorder. being forced to drop out of school and ultimately attempting to take her own life. Marleys family attempted to find a. psychiatrist in South. Dakota to treat her. but they were told that they would have to wait over4 months to get an initial appointment. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2757}
{"speech_id":1090119549,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because her mothers insurance would not cover residential treatment and they were so desperate to find care. they took out a second mortgage on their house. and they drove over 350 miles to .another State to get Marley the lifesaving care that she needed. Mr. Chairman. Marleys story is all too common. There are just not enoughtrained professionals to treat the mental health needs of our children. Surgeon General Carmona has said so. The Presidents New Freedom Commission has said so. For the past three Congresses. my good friend from Florida Ms. RosLEHTINEN and I have introduced legislation aimed at alleviating the shortage of child and adolescent mental health providers in this country. While this amendment does not cover everything included in the previous .three bills. it is a start. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2757}
{"speech_id":1090119549,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Within the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005. there is a section that provides student loan forgiveness for service in areas of national need. Mr. Speaker. this is an area of national need. For many families in this Nation. as Marley can readily attest. there is no higher need than the need for urgent mental health care for our children. Our amendment would simply add child and adolescent mental health professionals to the list of high need professionals eligible for loan forgiveness. Millions of American families need hope. Millions of them need help. The number of suicides are twice the rate of homicides in this country. 36.000 people take their lives every year successfully. Every day in this country. 1.385 people attempt suicide. It is the third leading cause of death for young people. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2757}
{"speech_id":1090119549,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is a problem that needs addressing. and we need the number of providers out there to make sure it gets the attention it deserves. This year alone. 1.400 college students will successfully take their lives. Mr. Speaker. we need to make sure that we have adequate personnel to make sure that the services are delivered. and the services will never be delivered unless there are enough people to deliver them. That is why this legislation is in - order. That is why I. would ask my colleagues to support it. and I thank you for the time in consideration of this amendment.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2757}
{"speech_id":1090119638,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for his work on this issue. I am aware that there has been resistance to efforts to gather this information. I hope it is clear to the university community that Congresswill continue to monitor such efforts. I now yield to the gentlewoman from California .","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090119751,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. my friend. One quick piece of business that has been mentioned several times here today is the countdown to the Bush prescription drug tax. Now. for those Members who do not remember. the Republican Congress voted this boondoggle a few months back. told us it was $400 billion before we cast a vote on it. and it ended up being $700 billion. The real number was actually hidden from Members of the United States Congress before they voted. What happens is through this bill seniors have until May 15 to sign up for the prescription drug plan. and if they do not sign up by May 15.- they are gding to be penalized with the Bush prescription drug tax. Which means that there will be an increase in monthly premiums by 1 percent for every month they do not sign up. So if they do not sign up by May 15. they will not be eligible to sign up. .1 think. until January of 2007 to begin again. That means there will be a 7 percent increase if seniors do not sign up by This is a complex plan. a complicated plan. and we are rushing and forcing our seniors to make a decision. So we just want to put a little X here on Thursday. March 30. a couple days.before the Final Four begins. so our seniors know that the countdown is on and they have several weeks before this President will levy a tax on them.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1304}
{"speech_id":1090119760,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bobble heads on the other side of the aisle saying. we are with you all the way. So when they say we stand up to the President every now and then. that is not what the Constitution says. Mr. Speaker. The -Constitution says. that we are the House that represents the people of the United States of America. .If they are in a wheelchair. walking upright. if they are white. they are black. Hispanic. whatever the case may be. we are charged to represent them. and when we are making history in all the wrong areas. borrowing from foreign nations in 4 years more than in the 224 years of 42 Presidents. and folks are not alarmed? We are far beyond politics right now. Mt. Speaker. We are in a situation to where either we have some folks on this floor that are willing to lead on behalf of the American people. no longer sell our debt off to foreign nations that we have issues with. or we are just going to continue to go down this fiscal track. slippery slope. until we get to a situation to where we are not going to be the superpower that we have been in the past of the work that these the other Presidents and other Congresses have done. I will be doggone if I am a Member of a Congress where we are not trying to bring about the paradigm shift to get us back on the fiscal track and make sure that we do the things the way the American people elected us to do it when we come up here.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1388}
{"speech_id":1090119786,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate those comments. because they are right on where we need to get to. The problem is that politics is the art of the possible so what we have got working here in this Chamber is the possibility. of appropriate reform right now. The accountability and disclosure that you mentioned. I think it is important to mention these numbers. Mr. Speaker.. because they are staggering. The American people need to know that.. George Soros. we have talked about. 27 million. Peter Lewis. $23.9 million. This is personal money coming into campaigns that the American people dont know anythingabout. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1654}
{"speech_id":1090119786,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is no way for them to get that information. Herbert and Marian Sandler. $14 million. Stephen Bing you mentioned. but you didnt menti6n the number. The number is $13.9 million. That is money. Mr. Speaker. that is being used to influence elections and nobody knows about it. When you and I. Congressman MCHENRY. have our elections. what do we do? We put on everything that we have. got. Paid for by Price for Congress. or Paid for by McHenry for Congress. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1654}
{"speech_id":1090119786,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to disclose that. And that is appropriate. -What happens when they spend nearly $80 million? Nobody knows. I would like to yield now to a good -friend and colleague who is not a freshman. who has been around here for a little while. but.he is a good friend and he has excellent insight into this and so many other issues and is truly interested. Mr. Speaker. in making certain that the American people have the information that they need in order to make appropriate decisions. Chief Deputy Whip ERIC CANTOR from the great State of Virginia. I welcome you and look forward to your comments.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1654}
{"speech_id":1090119800,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee who has joined us. and I appreciate her dedication to this issue and so many others that. reflect her desire to achieve transparency in so much of what we do here in this body and on behalf of the constituents that we rep: resent. The gentleman is right. next week will be the opportunity for all of us to set partisanship aside. to speak up for the American people. and to essentially allow all Americans the access to the political process that right now only the superwealthy have through their use of 527s. So we will look forward to hopefully having a bipartisin vote next week in closing the loophole. in upholding the principles of McCainFeingold. which were to get soft money out of politics. We have often heard that that is what McCainFeingold was about. This is what we were trying to do was to get rid of this socalled \"dirty soft money.\" Well. it would seem to me that anyone who voted for McCainFeingold several years ago. in order to be consistent. should vote for the measure that will be on the floor next week because. otherwise. I would think an individual.would open themselves up to allegations of hypocrisy. because. in fact. it vas the aftermath of McCainFeingold. the regulation process at the FEC. that produced the flourishing of the 527s. and as the gentleman. gentlewoman and also the congressman from North Carolina has shown. this is nothing but a ruse on the American people. There is an awfully powerful voice out there in- many. many areas of the country involved in electioneering.- a voice that no one knows who really is speaking. and that really is not what this country was about. That is not what the voters expect of us.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090119854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I wouldtell my good friend from my neighboring State of New Hampshire. I do have a statement. It is not very long. it is probably 7 or 8 minutes. But I would like to say. just to frame the issue. the distinguished chairman of the committee. Senator SPE9CTER. and I spoke on the floor yesterday on this. This is a major issue. I will want to speak. I do not intend to hold the floor very long.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":409}
{"speech_id":1090119856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Vermont be recognized for as much time as he may desire and then the Senator from Georgia be recognized for 15 minutes. the Senator from Louisiana for 15 minutes. and then I be recognized for 15 minutes. and that will get us to approximately the 45 minutes th6 Senator was talking about.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":333}
{"speech_id":1090119903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on behalf of the leader. I ask consent that at 3 p.m. today. the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the Frist amendment at the desk related to a study on deaths on the border. provided further that no amendments be in order prior to that vote.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090119931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate. Judiciary Committee passed a bill. and I must tell you. I regret the way it was done. It was.a kind. of forced march. hour. after hour of amendments on a bill that is very complicated. that I believe has actually come to the floor somewhat prematurely. I dont believe can carry out surveillance activities at there is yet a consensus in this body. the border to prevent illegal immigraand I hope the aebate that takesplace tion. So this bill is very strong on borcan be a respectful debate so Members der enforcement. But it doesnt just will feel free to open their minds and leave it there. as the majority leaders then to change them if the facts war- bill does. It says. that is only half the rant that. problem. you have to deal with the But this bill is a beginning. Jt seeks other half of the problem. and there is to address the overall problem in a the rub. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11189}
{"speech_id":1090119931,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the difficult part and much more comprehensive and prac- that is the controversial part as well. tical way. The bill we have from the Judiciary First with regard to border enforce- Comnmittee seeks to remedy. the very ment. The bill doubles the number of real needs of our economy which. as Border Patrol agents. It adds 12.000 much as we might want to. cannot be over 5 years. Senator KYm and I had ignored. Our global economy has testimony in the Terrorism and Tech- changed the face of the American nology Subcommittee from the head of workforce. I am not going to comment Border Patrol that today there are on whether this is good or bad. In some 11.300 Border Patrol agents. This more cases. it is one or the other. In some than doubles that number over the cases. it is mixed. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11189}
{"speech_id":1090119931,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the fact -of the next 5 years. matter is the needs are different and It also would add an additional 2.500 the workforce is somewhat different. new ports of entry inspectors in this -Let me give you a large industry: Agsame period so that the ports of entry riculture. There are about 1.600.000 are strengthened and legal immigra- workers in this country who work in tion Is able to be handled in a more agriculture. In my State. there are prompt manner. 566.000. I would hazard an informed It oriminalizes the act of con- guess that half of the 566.000 are here in structing or financing a tunnel or sub- undocumented status. I have had farmterranean passage across an inter- er after farmer. grower. after grower national border into the United States. tell me they cannot farm. they cannot Most people dont know this. but this grow without this workforce. I didnt has become a real problem. There are believe it. so I got in touch with 58we 40 suchtunnels that have been built have 58 counties58 welfare departsince 9\/11. and the great bulk of them ments and asked them to post notices are on the southern border. Largescale saying: Please. there are jobs in agrismuggling of drugs. weapons. and im- culture. Here is where to come. Here is migrants takes place today through to what expect. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11189}
{"speech_id":1090119931,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Guess what. Not a sinthese tunnels. gle person responded anywhere in the I recently visited a tunnel running 58 counties of California. from San Diego to Tijuana. and I was struck by the inordinate sophistication That was pretty convincing 6vidence of the tunnel. It was a half mile long. to me that Americans dont choose to It went 60 to 80 feet deep. 8 feet tall. It do this work. It is the undocumented had a concrete floor. It was wired for workforce who has been the mainstay electricity. It had drainage. At one of American agriculture. whether end. 300 pounds of marijuana were through the H2A program coming found. and at the other end. 300 pounds cyclically or whether it is through a of marijuana. large contingent of undocumented What was interesting is that the workers who remain in this country California entry into the tunnel was a year after year and do this work. very modern warehouse. a huge ware- Under this programand this was an house compartmented but empty and amendment that I made after negotiakept empty for a year. You went into tions with Senator CRAIG who has been one office. and there was a hatch in the one ofthe Senate leaders on the agrifloor. It looked much like the hatch culture jobs programand I was very which Saddam had secreted himself in. pleased to negotiate with him and very But when you lifted that hatch and you delighted to see that he really cared looked underground. you saw a very so- enough to spend the day Monday in the phisticated tunnel. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11189}
{"speech_id":1090119931,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It went under other Judiciary Committee. Between us. and buildings all the way across the double with the committees help. we have fence into Mexico .and up in Mexico in worked out a program whereby an una building as well. docurhented worker could apply for a Today. interestingly enough. at this blue card if that worker could demtime. there is no law that makes build- onstrate that he or she has worked in ing or financing such a tunnel a crime. American agriculture for at least 150 A provision in this bill includes lan- workdays within the previous 2 years guage from the FeinsteinKyl Border before December 31. 2005: After receivTunnel Prevention Act which would ing blue cards. individuals who have .make the building or - financing of a then worked an. additional period in crossborder tunnel a crime punishable American agriculture for 3 years. 150 by up to 20 years. workdays per year. or 100 workdays per This bill also authorizes additional year for 5 years. would be eligible for a unmanned aerial vehicles. modern green card. Their spouses could work. cameras. sensors. and .other newtech- and their children could remain in the nologes to allow the Department of country with them. Homeland Security to work with the - What would be the result of this? The Department of Defense so the latter result is that American agriculture would have a stable base of employment which is legal. which has the opportunity to bring people out of the shadows into the bright light .of day. assume additional. responsibilities. grow in the process. and raise their families. I think that is healthy for America. not unhealthy. Also. we. reform the current H2A program. which is the agricultural guest worker program. which employs. I would say around 30.000 people and is used largely in the tobaccoproducing States. The way this is reformed is it makes it easier for an employer to apply for workers through an attestation system. the paperwork is simpler. the housing requirpments are changed to make it easier. In general. the bill updates the H2A agricultural program. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11189}
{"speech_id":1090119937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the agents also showed me huge slingshots. for lack \"of a better description. metal slingshots that shoot ball bearings. These criminals who are trying to illegally bring people over the walls have these huge slingshots. and they will get a ladder over where the metal fence is. and they fire these and they do tremendous damage to our Border Patrol agents. That is just one example. I saw that famous tunnel. It was a third of a mile long. in some places 80 feet deep. Half a million people come over our border. the Mexican border. every. year. The fact is. our economy depends on them. We simply cannot get the situation under control until we acknowledge economic reality. To be sure. we need more Border Patrol agents. and we should give them the equipment and technology they need. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090119937,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must shut down the flow of illegal immigration. but we also need realistic and enforceable immigration laws. One crucial element of this strategy is to provide incentives for the undocumented immigrants already in the country to step out of the shadows. Today. there are more than 11 million undocumented people in our country. and more are coming every day. From a national security perspective. this is not acceptable. A sovereign government must know the identity of people crossing its borders and living in its cities. Of course. most of these 11 million people pose no threat. but those who dowe must know who they are. Most of these 11 million have been here for a long time. Most have children and spouses who are U.S. citizens .or permanent residents. Most pay taxes on property and are active. valuable members of their communities. Virtually all of them came here to work. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090119937,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But they are living in hiding. If they are the victim of crime. they dont report it because they are afraid to have contact with the police. They accept abuse and low wages in the workplace. They live in fear every day that they will be deported and separated from their families. They must have incentives to come out of the shadows. It is unrealistic to think we can round up these people and expel them. As conservative columnist George Will recently wrote in the Washington Post: We are not going to take the draconian police measures necessary to deport 11 million people. They *ould fill 200.000 buses in a caravan stretching bumpertodumper from San Diego to Alaska. That is farther than San Diego to Miami. He writes:. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090119937,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And there are no plausible incentives to get the 11 million people to board the buses. Even if we could depart 11 million people. how would we? Do we want to? It would cost billions of dollars. Some sectors of the U.S. economy would literally shut down. and it would be inconsistent with our core values as Americans. There are two competing approaches to this issue. The House of Representatives has passed a bill that represents one approach. The Senat Judiciary Committeeand I compliment and applaud Senator SPECTER. Senator LEAHY. Senator KENNEDY. and all the members of the Judiciary Committeereported out a bill that is bipartisan. I believe the House bill is profoundly misguided. It purports to be a border security bill. but it contains provisions that are not about securing our borders at all. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090119937,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It makes criminals out of and demonizes a lot of hardworking people who are just trying to provide for their families. In my view. the House bill is meanspirited and I really believe unAmerican and it would not solve the problem. In contrast. the Senate Judiciary Committee bill would take real steps. to restore order to our immigration system. It combines tough. effective enforcement with smart reforms to the immigration laws. It would strengthen our borders. crack down on employers who hire illegally. and bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. It would require them to learn English and pay taxes. have no criminal record. have a job. and pay fines in order to work toward legalization. And it is not amnesty. There is no free pass. no jumping to the front of the line. It is a bipartisan bill. Half the Republicans on the committee voted for it. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4869}
{"speech_id":1090119956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor this afternoon to participate in what I believe is a fundamentally important. if not historical. debate about national security and border control and immigration and local law enforcement. of a magnitude and an importance that this country has not seen in a long while. This afternoon. I want to focus on border control because border control is synonymous with national security. If there is one responsibility our Government hasit is. in fact. a constitutional responsibilityit is that of national security. It is crucial. for observers. citizens. -listening in. watching. trying to understand this debateand oftentimes frustrated by itto understand that while there are many contentious issues that will be discussed..and debated over the course of the -remainder of today and tomorrow and next weekand that the news media may well focus on .only segments of it. attempting to dramatize it. attempting to suggest. there are great divisions amongst Members of the Senate and the Congress. as .a whole. and the citizens as a wholeCongress will start and end with legislation that serves. first and foremost. the national security. interests of our country. The bill that is. now before. us includes provisions that are unfque and important and truly address those kinds of concerns that Americans have been speaking put about eversince 9\/11. ever. since we. were thrust upon the issue. of immigration and a reality that we had.anywhere from 8 to 12 million foreign. natiorials. undocumented people within our country. and thatfsome of them. while but a few. -were intent on doing. us harm. were intent on attacking our citizens and not here to work and to benefit themselves and their families. So it is appropriate that we start this discussion by looking at a critical element of national security. and that is simply border control. I must tell my colleagues. that is as difficult. if not more. difficult than attempting to address. understand. and identify some 11plus million undocumented foreign nationals who are now in our country. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11650}
{"speech_id":1090119956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why? Because we have phenomenal borders The United States has 7.458 miles of land borders and over 88.600 miles of tidal shoreline. We cannot possibly build a fence that long. that high. and that deep everywhere to accommodate with absolute surety that those borders are impenetrable. I grew up with this as a very common statement amongst most Americans. When you read the history books and the government books of my day. while I was in the sixth and seventh and eighth grade and in high school and college. America was tremendously proud that it had literally thousands and thousands of miles of northern border and southern border that were unguarded. that we were a peaceful nation. And the nation to our north. Canada. and.the nation to our south. Mexico. were peaceful nations. We didnt have to have guarded borders. and we didnt guard them. It was not only impractical in that day.. it was simply unnecessary. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11650}
{"speech_id":1090119956,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We realize the world has changed significantly and that clearly establishing workable security -policies that act in many ways as a fence or a border must be called a virtual fence. a virtually impenetrable border because it wont be just building the fence where many propose it ought to be built. It goes well beyond that. It truly is a policy that works. that allows. that identifies. that controls. that shapes the relationship of our border so that while we want to stop those Who may do us harm and control those who want to cross the border undetected. we must also- recognize that we. have to. allow -andwe must allow...movement of 4nnfo. cent citizens and commercial traffic. That isthe natureof aborderto control. to shape. .to clarify. to- identify those who move across our.borders. In the last 5 years. we.have. increased funding for border security by 60 per- cent. For those who say you have done nothing. you are just: flat wrong. This Congress. understanding from 9\/11 to today the responsibility of controlling our borders. has invested dramatically the resources of the American tax.payer. We now have some 10.000 Border Patrol agents along the southwestern border and 1.000 along our northern border. Our border protection agents -have removed more than 4.5 million people.. of whom some 350.000 have criminal records. In fiscal year 2005 alone. the U.S. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11650}
{"speech_id":1090119956,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Border Patrol apprehended 1.19 million people attempting to enter our country illegally. Through the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Congress has provided more .than $4 billion to State and local governments to help with the cost of incarcerating criminal -aliens. It isnt just making sure the border is impenetrable. but when they cross the border making sure that we at the local level can bring about the kind of law enforcement that apprehends at least the criminal element and incarcerates them and holds them for future prosecution. Last years emergency supplemental funding bill contained an amendment. by Senator ROBERT BYRD and myself reprogramming. funds from other programs to make an immediate and substantial downpayment on increasing Border Patrol as well as adding hundreds of other law enforcement agents and nearly 2.000 more detention beds for illegal immigrantsthe law requires to be held for criminal activity. We didnt even have space. once arrested. once apprehended. to put the criminal element or those we feltmight be engaged in criminal activity. .However. even as we have increased border enforcement net illegal immigration continues to be estimated at 400.000 to 500.000 people a year. We were all stunned last week at the report that undercover Federal agents managed to smuggle radioactive material through security checkpoints at the border. For all the billions we have invested. while there is no question the border is tightening. it is still penetrable in an illegal way. Clearly. despite the resources we have poured into the border. and with many successes. there is still much left to be done. The legislation before us. incorporated in a much broader immigration policy. is -the kind of legislation that ought to go first. coupled with a responsible national immigration policy. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11650}
{"speech_id":1090119956,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Both bills before the Senate today contain numerous provisions aimed at improving our border security. They will increase the number of Federal officers policing our borders and improve their training.- These bills will clean up Federal laws addressing. criminal aliens. increasing the penalties for alien smuggling and gang violence and illegal entry and reentry. and expanding the definition of aggravated felony that is the basis for removing aliens or denying them entry in the firstplace. These bills support the Presidents decision to end the catchandrelease program. Can you imagine. that is exactly what we have been doing. You catch an undocumented worker. you file it. you release them. Why? We didnt have. the capacity to detain them and hold them. to process them appropriately and make sure they were returned to the other side of the border. Clearly. that is now in here. instead of requiring detention of all aliens caught illegally across the border until they could be formally removed. We couldnt handle tlat. Now we are increasing the number of ports of entry and provide for improvement of existing ports. \" There is much more to improve border security in this legislation. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11650}
{"speech_id":1090119982,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Absolutely not. That has been one of the misconceptions or perhaps straw men that have been hoisted out there because some people have suggested.we are trying to criminalize people who merely want to come to this country for economic opportunity to provide for their families. This does nothing of the kind. These are people who have already been convicted of feloniesin the United States or three misdemeanors or have committed serious crimes out of the United States.\u00b0 or that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security believes are a safety risk to the American people.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":582}
{"speech_id":1090120042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Alabama. He is a man of passion. and commitment and willing to stay late no matter what to make his points and advocate his positions. I always enjoy doing business with the Senator. I want to make one comment. that the President of the United States today in Cancun made a very positive statement about what we are doing in the Senate. I am very appreciative of his comments. He said that we have to obviously put people at the back of the line that want to be citizens. but he also felt very strongly that we needed a viable guest worker program. I am hoping over the weekend we can all think about our positions and perhaps get into some associations so that we can resolve this issue amongst everyone because it seems to have generated not only a lot of attention but a lot of controversy as well. particularly in the media. I know we are all trying to achieve the same goal of securing our borders and at the same time resolving the issues of how people can come here and work legally if they are both qualified and needed. and. of course. addressing the issue of the 11 to 12 million people who are already here. some of them coming yesterday. some of them here 50 or 60 years.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090120055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today is a day of great celebration for Jill Carroll. and her friends and family. The Christian Science Monitor reporter and Ann Arbor native was set free today in Baghdad nearly 3 months after being kidnapped in an. ambush that killed her translator. The U.S. Embassy is now working hard to reunite Jill with her family as soon as possible. In Michigan. we all anxiously \u0095watched and prayed for the release of this young woman. and I want to express my gratitude to everyone who worked hard for her release. I want to thank the ArabAmerican and MuslimAmerican leaders in Michigan and across the country for their hard work. The Islamic Shura Council of Michigan which represents more than twp dozen mosques and Islamic organizations in Southeast Michigan held a press conference publicly calling for her release. The Council on AmericanIslamic Relations sent a delegation to Baghdad to lobby for her release. The AmericanArab AntiDiscrimination Committee. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1468}
{"speech_id":1090120055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Arab American News and the Congress of Arab American Organizations also issued public statements calling for Jill Carrolls release. These groups spoke out not just because of Jill Carrolls ties to Michigan or because this was a humanitarian issue. but because kidnapping and killing arean affront to the principles and values of Islam and ArabAmerican culture. I want to wish Jill Carroll and her family the very best. She is safe. she is free. and very soon she will be home with her family.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1468}
{"speech_id":1090120061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor Lake Harrfet Community School. in Minneapolis. MN. which recently earned an Award for Excellence. in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. Lake Harriet Community School is truly a model of educational success. The school is fully committed to its mission of guiding students to love learning and to celebrate and respect a diverse population. and. also to empower young people to reach their full potential as knowledgeable. responsible. and confident citizens of the global community. The school focuses on educating the whole child. Opportunities abound across a broad spectrum. so that virtually eyery interest is served: love of music and art. athletics. competitive chess. the\" environment. and history. At Lake Harriet. young people are invited to get involved and are helped to Ixcel in pursuing their interests. Lake Harriet School reflects the diversity of its city. and .it opens its doors to the entire community. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2370}
{"speech_id":1090120061,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Students are given the*privilege of meeting other young people of many different cultures. experiences..and abilities. Students come to Lake Harriet Community School from a variety of Minneapolis neighborhoods. and the school is proud of its record of fostering respect and appreciation for diVersity. The academic achievements of the students who attend Lake Harriet Community School are among the highest in Minnesota. For 2 successive years. the school has earned fivestar status in both reading and math from the Minnesota Department of Education. an accomplishment realized by fewer than 5 percent of all schools in the State of Minnesota. Much of the credit fok Lake Harriet Community Schools success belongs to its principal. Marsha Seltz. and all the dedicated teachers. The students and staff at Lake Harriet Community School understand that. in order to be successful. a school must. go beyond achieving academic success. it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge. skills. and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty. staff. and students at Lake Harriet Community School should be very proud of their accomplishments. I congratulate Lake Harriet Community School in Minneapolis for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.*","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2370}
{"speech_id":1090120095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. March 30 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1577. to facilitate the transfer of Spearfish Hydroelectric Plant Number 1 to the city of Spearfish. SD. S. 1962 and H.R. 4000. bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to revise certain repayment contracts with the Bostwick Irrigation District in Nebraska. the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District No. 2. the FrenchmanCambridge Irrigation District. and the Webster Irrigation District No. 4. all a part of the PickSloan Missouri Basin Program. S. 2028. to provide for the reinstatement of a license for a certain Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project. S. 2035. to extend the time required for construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Idaho. S. 2054. -to direct the Secretary bf the Interior to conduct a study of water resources in the State of Vermont. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090120095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"S. 2205. to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain parcels of land acquired for the Blunt Reservoir and Pierre Canal features of- the initialstage of the Oahe Unit. James Division. SD. to the. Commission of Schools. and Public. Lands and the Department of Game. Fish. and Parks of the State of South Dakota for the purpose of mitigating lost wildlife habitat. on. the condition that the current preferential leaseholders shall have an option to purchase the parcels from the Commission. and H.R. 3812. to authorize the Secretary of the.Interior to prepare a feasibility study with respect to the Mokelumne River. and for .other purposes.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1664}
{"speech_id":1090120215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday afternoon my wife Marcelle and I went and said our final farewells to our Erma Byrd. the wife of our distinguished colleague and friend. Senator ROBERT BYRD of West Virginia. Marcelle and I have been privileged to know both Senator and Mrs. Byrd for well over 30 years. While there. we talked with the distinguished senior citizen from West Virginia and told him how much that relationship meant. but especially how much it meant to us to see a love affair such as theirs. one that continued from the time they were teenagers to the time of Mrs. Byrds death. Mrs. Byrd and my wife used to sometimes drive down together for Senate spouse meetings. Every time Marcelle would come back. she would tell me something new and valuable she had learned from Erma and how much that friendship meant. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090120215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In recent times. when illness stopped her ability to come here. I would talk with my good friend ROBERT BYRD and ask him how Erma was doing and to tell him that both she and Robert were in our prayers and our thoughts. Many of us will be at the funeral this weekend out of respect for both of them. I will be thinking of the privilege it has been to have known them both and how privileged I am to still have as a dear friend and colleague Senator ROBERT C. BYRD. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090120227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to recognize CDR Mark S. Hochberg on his retirement from 20 years of faithful and dedicated service to the U.S. Navy. Throughout his career as a Seabee and civil engineer. he has made countless contributions to our Navy and Nation that improved the Navys readiness and bettered the lives of its men and women. I want to thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors..","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090120231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Friday. March 31. 2006. at 10 a.m. to consider the nomination of Uttam Dhillon to be Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and. immediately following the hearing. to consider the nomination of Mark D. Acton to be Commissioner of the Postal Rate Commission.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":446}
{"speech_id":1090120381,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join Senator MIKULSKI in cosponsoring her amendment because it is of great importance to the State of Alaska. Seasonal workers are vital to our Nations economy. Without the services these workers provide. many of our businesses would cease to operate. These visas are particularly important to the seafood and hospitality industries. Currently. the United States caps H2B visas at 66.000 per year. Last year. Congress adopted the \"Save Our Small Businesses Act.\" which allocates the seasonal visas more equitably between the winter and summer months. It also exempts certain returning Seasonal Workers from the cap. making more visas available to new workers. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1754}
{"speech_id":1090120381,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Prior to the acts adoption. the H2B visa cap was often met during the winter months. well before the summer season. resulting in a lack of available visas for much needed summer workers in the seafood and hospitality industry. Alaskas salmon industry is especially vulnerable when there are not enough temporary seasonal visas for the summer months. Salmon roe is a product that must be overseen by Japanese \"Supervisor Technicians\" who grade the salmon roe prior to sale to Japanese consumers. Due to the particular grading and processing demands of the roe. without the technicians and the special certification. the Japanese will not buy the Alaskan roe. In some cases the value of the roe is greater than the flesh of the fish. so you can imagine how important it is to the salmon industry to get these technicians and certifications each year. Senator MIKULSKIs amendment simply extends to 2009 the \"Save Our Small Businesses Act.\" Securing a reasonable number of visas for seasonal industries is absolutely necessary. I urge the Senate to vote in favor of this amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1754}
{"speech_id":1090120441,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I end tonight saying a few words about the devastating storms that occurred last night in my home State of Tennessee. First and foremost. I offer my deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones last night. My heart goes out to those families who are reeling in the aftermath of this sudden and totally unexpected tragedy. The people of Tennessee grieve with you and our prayers are with you through this painful ordeal. I let my fellow Tennesseans know I requested that the President have a quick review and approval of the States request for assistance. I have also taken the opportunity to talk directly with acting FEMA Director David Paulison to expect my clear support for the States request. Director Paulison is looking into the matter. of course. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090120441,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had a good exchange. I appreciate FEMAs strong support. Senator ALEXANDER and I stand ready to assist the State and local officials in any way possible to ensure our communities have the resources they need. We will pull together as Tennesseans and neighbors and together we will get through this awful crisis. Our thoughts and our hearts and prayers go out to others who have been affected by the storms in other States. When I talked to Director Paulison today. he was describing that those storms were northwest of Tennessee. as well.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090120469,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this evening we have continued to work on agreements for the border control bill. We need to make significant progress tomorrow. and Senators should be prepared for late nights throughout the week. At 10 a.m. tomorrow morning we will vote on a circuit judge who was re- throughout Tuesdays session of the Senate. I ask unanimous consent that ported by the Judiciary Committee Senate. the Senate stand in adjournment under last week. I hope we can follow up that the previous order. vote with agreements to vote on other ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:45 A.M. There being no objection. the Senate. amendments to the border security TOMORROW at 7:40 p.m.. adjourned until Tuesday. measure. Therefore. votes will occur Mr. FRIST. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":824}
{"speech_id":1090120469,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. if there is April 4. 2006. at 9:45 a.m. no further business to come before the","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":824}
{"speech_id":1090120491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my support for the confirmation of Michael Chagares to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. A Federal judge must be fair. impartial. and wellqualified. I strongly believe that if yoh look at Mr. Chagares record and his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. it is obvious that he is the right person for this assignment. Mr. Chagares is currently in private practice. but he served in the U.S. Attorneys office in New Jersey for 14 years. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090120491,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Through hard work and diligence. he rose to become the head of the civil division. where he supervised and managed all civil cases on behalf of the United States Governnent. its agencies and officials. He oversaw litigation. directed legal positions to be taken in court. and approved settlements. Before he became head of the civil division. Mr. thagares directed the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the U.S. Attorneys Office for several years. During his tenure in the U.S. Attorneys office. Mr. Chagares received -a number of awards and commendations. including two directors awards for superior performance as an assistant U.S. Attorney. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090120491,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chagares is a graduate of Seton Hall Law School in Newark. where he has also taught as an adjunct professor since 1991. His familiarity with the Third Circuit goes back to the late 1980s. when he worked as alaw clerk for the honorable Morton Greenberg. The Third Circuit is based in Philadelphia. and it considers appeals from Federal district courts in Pennsylvania. New Jersey and Delaware. It is a vitally important court. and his is an important seat. as he will replace Michael Chertoff. who left the court to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. I hope my colleagues agree with me that Mr. Chagares is more than qualified for this position. and I hope they will join me in voting for his confirmation.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1886}
{"speech_id":1090120512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. would the who would object to a Democrat offerSenator from Vermont yield for a ques- ing an amendment. so I suspect there tion from me regarding this unanimous would be similar objections here. But consent request? any Senator can speak about his or her","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":268}
{"speech_id":1090120553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to support the Judiciary Committees superb product. the immigration reform. border security bill. I also wish -to speak on an amendment Senator BROWNBAcK and I intend to offer. I gather we are not offering amendments now. but this is an opportunity to speak on this amendment. This would address America\"s treatment of people who come here seeking asylum. I am pleased to be working with Senator BROWNBACK. Over the. years. my colleague from Kansas has done so .much good work to protect the rights of refugees overseas and those who seek asylum on our shores for a host of reasonsthat they might escape persecution for reasons of faith or politics. . Senator BROWNBACK is a partner I am truly proud to be working with on this matter. This amendment rises out of a report that was issued in February of last year by the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12194}
{"speech_id":1090120553,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Commission on InterfTE S2769 national Religious Freedom. It is a Commission established by law. by act of Congress. One of its duties is to issue annual and often more frequent reports. This report last February raised very serious concerns. objections about insufficient protections for asylum seekers arriving in this country. The Commission reported an unacceptable risk that genuine asylum seekers were being turned away because their fears and the real dangers of being returned to their home countries were not fully considered. The Commission also found that while asylum. seekers are having their applications considered. they are often detained for months in maximumsecurity prisons without ever having had a chance before an immigration judge \"to request release on bond. The Commission described conditions of detention that are completely unacceptable for a just nation to impose on people who are trying to escape war. oppression. religious persecution. even torture The amendment I am honored to be offering with Senator BROWNBACK will implement the Commissions most important recommendations. It calls for sensible reforms that will safeguard the Nations security. improve the efficiency of dur immigration detention system. and ensure that people fleeing persecution are treated in accordance with thisNations most basic values. Remember. our purpose was stated in the original American document. the Declaration of Independence. which said that the Government was being formed to secure the rights to life. liberty. and the pursuit of happiness which were the endowment of our Creator. not just to every American but to every child of God. this Nation has been. over the decades. a land of refuge where people seek freedom and sanctuary from the deprivations they endured in the countries they were in. It is our attempt in this amendment to revitalize and make. more credible and honest and true the asylum process that our country has to implement those ideals. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12194}
{"speech_id":1090120553,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment we aTe introducing would implement quality assurance procedures to ensure that Government employees carefully and accurately record the statements of people who say they have a fear of returning to their countries. Aliens not subject to mandatory detention would be entitled to a hearingbasic American due processto determine whether they could be released. Providing bondhearings for lowrisk aliens will also free up space for the cases that really ought to be incarcerated. The amendmbnt also promotes secure alternatives to detention of the type that the Department of Homeland Security. I am pleased to say. has already begun to implement. These new programs and procedures would also make our use of detention space more effective and efficient at an average cost of $90 per person per day. But. of course. tLat is the average. Often it is much higher. Detention beds have always been. scarce. Provisions in the legislation before usthe Judiciary Committee proposalwould vastly increase the number of aliens being held in detention. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12194}
{"speech_id":1090120553,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The underlying bill. which I strongly support. is a tough bill. It is so tough that it will inevitably increase the number of people who are not in legal status who will be held in detention. Our immigration system will need to prioritize available space because it is limited for aliens who pose a risk of flight. a threat to public safety. or are otherwise subject by law to mandatory detention. For those who may remain detained. we are obliged as a just society to provide humane conditions at immigration facilities and jails used by the Department of Homeland Security. The amendment we are introducing includes modest requirements to ensure decent conditions. consistent with our best American values. especially for asylum seekers. families with children. and other vulnerable populations. It requires improvements in areas such as access to medical care and limitations on the use of solitary confinement. It creates a more effective system within the Department of Homeland Security for seeing and inspecting these facilities. The United States has been. is. and hopefully always will be a land of refuge for those seeking liberty. Many of our Nations Founders. of course. fled here themselves to escape persecution for their political opinions. their religious beliefs. or even their ethnicity. Since that time. the United States has honored its history and its founding values by standing against persecution around the world. offering refuge to those who flee from oppression and welcoming them as contributors to American society. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12194}
{"speech_id":1090120553,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That brings me now briefly to the larger immigration debate before us this week. I want to start with a bit of history. It was in March of 1790 that the first Congress of the United States began debating an immigration and naturalization act that would spell out how new arrivals could become citizens of our new Nation. The main requirement of the law finally approved was that an immigrant. needed to live in the United States for 2 years and in the State in .which he settled for 1 year to attain legal status. The Senator from Pennsylvania at the time. Mr. William Maplay. thought immigration would be such a benefit to the new Nation that he wanted those residency requirements removed. Senator Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut. who I believe occupied the seat in the Senate that I am honored to occupy now in the succession. wanted the residency requirement kept in. Senator Maclay of Pennsylvania lost the debate and. frustrated. wrote in his diary afterward: . We Pennsylvanians act as if we believe that God made of one blood all families of the earth. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12194}
{"speech_id":1090120570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think the Senate had a rough kind of order in terms of speaking. I was told that this was the time to speak even in terms of other Senators. I intended to speak now. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator be recognized after. I finish. Does that help the Senator?","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":282}
{"speech_id":1090120601,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To lay aside the current perb bipartisan bill crafted by Senator business and send to the desk amend- LEAHY and myself. and I wish to see ment No. 3246. the bill passed. I have worked very hard on it. including a marathon markup last Monday. May I ask the Senator from Nevada when is the right time to consider amendments?","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":322}
{"speech_id":1090120622,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are running up against a Friday deadline with a 2week recess of the Senate long standing. and if we are unsuccessful in allowing any votes on amendments which are necessary to move this bill forward. where do you believe the blame would lie for the Senates inability to successfully finish its work this week on this comprehensive border security and immigration reform bill?","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":378}
{"speech_id":1090120647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Given the fact that the distinguished minority leader has. I am sure unintentionally. but nonetheless mischaracterized my amendment. No. 3246. wouldnt it be a better process to understand the. nature of the amendments to discuss them and to debate them under the regular order and then have a vote up or down rather than through the process -we are undertaking right now. which is at best a very indirect approach to discussion and in any event doesntlead to a vote up or down on the amendments?","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":495}
{"speech_id":1090120665,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me commend the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. It is the hardest working committee on Capitol Hill. I am glad I am on it. I look at others and they seem to have a lot of time off and we dont. I am a member of that committee. I respect the chairman for all we have done and tried to do in a short period of time. Let me say to the chairman that I am troubled by one of his comments during the course of this conversation. That was the comment that what Senator KYL seeks to do would improve th6 bill. I would suggest to the chairman that a careful review of the Kyl amendment will find that it defeats the purpose of a major portion of this bill. If that is the intentto strip from this bill a path to legalizationthen I think it is a much differ6nt bill than the one which we approved 12 to 6 out of our committee. a bill which the chairman supported and which I supported on a bipartisan basis. and which Senator KYL of Arizona opposed. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3073}
{"speech_id":1090120665,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me be specific. The KylCornyn amendment which they are seeking to bring to the floor eliminates the path to legalization for potentially millions of undocumented immigrants who have committed no crime. It eliminates it from this bill. It creates a condition for qualification to be eligible for that path that would be. frankly. impossible for many to. meet: Let me tell you what I mean. I ask the chairman if he would still believe this improves the bill. Proponents of the KylCornyn amendment claim that the Judiciary Committee bill would.allow criminals to become permanent residents. I think the chairman. knows. as most people do. that the bill expressly lays out in specific words those crimes which would disqualify a person from a path to legalization. I could go through this long list. but I will not. other than to tell you that every crime of moral turpitude. and many others. would disqualify one from this legal pathway. What the KylCornyn amendment really does is undermine the earned citizenship program in the bill. It prevents potentially millions who are in the United. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3073}
{"speech_id":1090120665,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States from applying for legal status because of status violations and not crimes. The vast majority of undocumented immigrants who would be affected by the KylCornyn amendment are not criminalsbut rather the exact classes of immigrants which we intended to help with title VI of the Judiciary Committee bill. Our analysis of the Department of Homeland Security data shows that over 95 percent of the people who would be affected by the KylCornyn amendment have committed no crime. The only crime they have committed is the fact that they are undocumented in America today. I ask the chairman how it would improve the bill to remove the path for legalization for 95 percent of the people who would be affected by the KylCornyn amendment. If the KylCornyn amendment passes. the United States will still have a crisis of illegality.. and we will not have what we hoped in the committee. a balanced approach which allows those who are currently here a long. arduous but legal way to reach their citizenship at some point in their lives.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3073}
{"speech_id":1090120679,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me yield some time to myself. With all due respect. I disagtee with my colleague. who has said the amendment would deny most of the people whom the bill is intended to benefit the benefits of the bill. namely. legal permanent residency and citizenship. That is only true if most of the people who are supposed to receive benefits under the bill -have committed a felony or three misdemeanors or have violated a court -order to leave the country when they have been ordered to do so. or have not complied with a prior order of the DHS to depart if they are not eligible to participate in the program. These are not the people we should be seeking to give the benefits of the program to. These are precisely the people who have demonstrated either they are criminals or that when you have given them the chance to comply with an immigration order. they have refused to do so. I do not think the Senator intended to say these are exactly the people we want to benefit under this program. There are two large classes of people who would be potentially -denied the benefits of the program by our amendment. The first is. instead of referring to crimes of moral turpitude or violation of a crime relating to a controlled substancewhich are the two specific categories in the billwe say any felony or three misdemeanors. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090120679,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And examples of crimes. as I said before. that are not covered. by the controlled substance or moral turpitude -sections are: burglary. loan sharking. involuntary manslaughter. assault and battery. possession of an unregistered sawedoff shotgun.. riot. kidnaping. abandonment of a minor child. alien smuggling. reentry after deportation. as I said. draft evasion. desertion from the Armed Forces. and others. These are crimes that would not be picked up in the pending bill. So while it is true some crimes are covered and. therefore. some criminals would not get the benefits called for in this pending legislation. it is also true many others who have committed these other kinds of crimes would not in any way be restricted from participating in the benefits of the law.. The second group is those who have committed immigration violations. not just people who are in some status violation. Let me make that crystal clear. It is not simply because you overstayed your visa. There are only two categories here. You have not complied with a prior Department order and. therefore. are not eligible to participate in the program. In .the hearing. by the way. of our subcommittee. we showed that between 80 and 85 percent of those released on bail failed to appear and comply with removal orders. Clearly. this has to demonstrate a disrespect for orders from immigration courts and should not be allowed to conitinue. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090120679,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are exactly the kind of people you do not want to be participating in the program because they have already demonstrated a willingness to violate immigration law after being ordered to do SO. Secondly. those who have not only failed to depart after being orderedthey have entered illegally. but that is not what we are talking about here. Entering illegally does not count under this amendment to deny them benefits. Rather. you have to have done that and been ordered by_ the court to depart as a result of some violation and rurther refused to comply with the judges order. So this is not just a status violation. Merely coming here illegally would not be covered by this amendment. period. You would have to commit a felonybeen convicted of a felony. three misdemeanors. or have intentionally violated an order of the court to depart after having been ordered to do so by the court. I think what this amendment does is to make it crystal clear that the intention of the Senate is that people participating in the program not be convicted criminalsor pqople who have deliberately violated a court order dealing with departure from the United States. It is interesting that most of the language we took came from the 1986 bill. and for some reason that language was omitted from the bill thatis pending before the Senate. So iitseems to me if we are going to at least get to most of the people we would not want to participate in this program. we would want to deny that right to those who have committed serious crimes. such as the ones I have articulated here. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090120679,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I reserve the remainder of the time.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4370}
{"speech_id":1090120692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.President. I will take a couple of minutes to close. I gather this will be a 100tonothing vote not to table. I agree with the Senator from Texas. We should not table the amendment. but we should have a vote up or down on it. If you dont like it. then vote against it. I will make something very clear. If you came across the border from Mexico into the United States. into Texas. Arizona. California or New Mexico. and you came across illegally. this amendment has nothing whatsoever .to do with youunless you also are a criminal or you have been convicted of a felony or of three misdemeanors or you are an absconderthat is to say. after you came ihto the country illegally. and you were ordered to leave by. a judge. and you refused to leave. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1685}
{"speech_id":1090120692,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those are the circumstances this amendment applies to. It doesnt apply to you if all you did was come in illegally. In other words. that status is not iniplicated by this amendment. We simply seek to deny the benefits of this legislationlegal permanent residency and a pathway to citizenshipto people convicted of a felony. three misdemeanors or. in this category of an absconder. which the Senator from Texas talked about. Why is this important? It is because there are a certain number of people who have violated such an order. They have failed to leave the country when they were ordered to do so. According to the testimony before the subcommittee I. chair in the Judiciary Committee. about a month ago. the statistics are now that about 10 percent of the people entering the country illegally are criminals. it is between 10 and 15 percent. They are serious crimi-. nals. I hope that my colleagues vote \"no\" on the motion to table.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1685}
{"speech_id":1090120748,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise tion. Along with my constituents. I today to speak about the need for hate hope that the time will soon come crimes legislation. Each Congress. Sen- when a majority of the U.S. Congress is ator KENNEDY and I introduce hate willing to follow their lead. On the heels of todays conference. crimes legislation that would add new anthe See omtteeys cheded cat~goiesto urrnt atecries awanother Senate committee is scheduled categories to current hate crimes law. to consider the issue of global warmsending a signal that violence of any ing. Tomorrow. the Commerce Coinkind is unacceptable in our society. mittees Global Climate Change and Likewise. each Congress I have come to Impacts Subcommittee will hear about the floor to highlight a separate hate the administrations approach to the crime that has occurred in our coun- issue. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2527}
{"speech_id":1090120748,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While the administration favors try. developing and sharing new zero and On March 18. 2006. in Savannah. GA. lowcarbon technologies with develTravis McLain. was beaten by Charles opihg nations. I submit that our citiPickett in what appears to be a crime zens are looking for bold action that motivated by hate. McLain suffered a addresses more than how we will help concussion and lost several teeth when developing countriesthey want to he was attacked in a local parking ga- know what we plan to do domestically. rage. McLain has stated that Pickett Mr. President. if there ever was a used antigay language while attacking time when it was all right to ignore him. Georgia Equality. the states larg- global warming. that time has long est gay rights organization is calling passed. We have got to get real about this attack an antigay hate crime. this issueand getting real will require I believe that the Governments first a commitment to reduGing our dependduty is to defend its citizens. to defend ence on oil instead of continually talktherfi against the harms that come out ing about opening up a wildlife refuge of hate. The Local Law Enforcement for oil drilling. For. if we continue Enhancement Act is a symbol that can turning our backs on the reality of clibecome substance. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2527}
{"speech_id":1090120748,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe that by mate change. we might as well be turnpassing this legislation and changing ing our backs on our grandchildrencurrent law. we can change hearts and and this is why I am optimistic that minds as well. the Senates treatment of global warming is nearing its own tipping point. a point after which we will provide the VOTE EXPLANATION leadership that our constituents are in-","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2527}
{"speech_id":1090120750,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a conference to delve into some of the policy questions that have delayed efforts to move forward with legislation addressing global warming. As many Americans have realizedeven in the face of an absolute void of leadership from this current administrationone of the greatest challenges currently facing us is how to reduce our contributions to global climate change before it is too late for changes to matter. In fact. the majority of the American public believes that they have an individual role to play in being a part of the solution. And the public is looking to us. their elected leaders. to provide the framework for change.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":715}
{"speech_id":1090120752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor the life and service of an inspiring trooper from the Massachusetts State Police. Kathleen M. Foley Barrett. Kathleen dedicated 27 years- of her life to protecting the people of Massachusetts. and I join her colleagues and family in paying tribute to a career defined by compassion. professionalism. and. a sustained love of police work. I A native of Cambridge. MA. Kathleen was raised and educated in Weymouth. Initially she considered nursing school. but Kathleens passion for police work started her on a career path that few women were encouraged to follow at the time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2763}
{"speech_id":1090120752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Kathleen ultimately earned the chance to join the 62nd Recruit Training Troop in November 1980. After working on the force for 5 years. Kathleen was promoted to the level of master trainer on the State Police K9 Unit. She bonded instantly with the specially trained canine teams and rose to such prominence that her expertise was called upon to lead seminars and provide instruction on cadaver work. Beyond the borders of Massachusetts. Kathleen was called upon to help the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the rescue efforts following the September llth terrorist attacks in New York. Two thousand four brought the unfortunate cancer diagnosis that would ultimately claim her. but even that news could not keep her from coming to the aid of her fellow citizens in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Kathleen loved police work. and her colleagues loved her. Over the course of her career she belonged to the State Police Association of Massachusetts. the North American Police Work Dog Association. and the International Association of Police Work Dogs. Her love of animals defined her private life as well as her professional one. and she. enjoyed swimming with manatees and feeding bottleneck tigers at Floridas Amazing Exotics Education Center. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2763}
{"speech_id":1090120752,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the cancer progressed ahd the end approached. law enforcement officers from around the Commonwealth and across the country made.sure Kathleen knew how much she was valued and respected. State Police Colonel Thomas G. Robbins honored her at her bedside. with the Colonels Award of Excellence. a tribute bestowed on only seven troopers in Massachusetts history. Officers of every stripe bowed their heads upon news of her death on March 23. 2006. Mr. President. Kathleens characteristic perseverance stands as an inspiration and challenge to us all. She lived an American life. one of service and struggle. and throughout it all she was guided by an unshakable commitment to her family. her job. and her colleagues. We are thankful for her time with us. w6 are better for. her time here. and I join every Massachusetts State trooper in serving witness to the loss of an exemplary law enforcement officer.e","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2763}
{"speech_id":1090120828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of National Public Health Week. Since 1995. national. State and local public health professionals highlight an important public health issue every April to raise awareness about leading health problems affecting our Nation. This year. the theme of National Public Health Week focuses on what is called the \"built environment.\" which refers to building healthy communities to protect and enhance our childrens life. The built environment is any infrastructure with which children come in contact on a daily basis including homes. schools. parks. roads. walkways and businesses. Enhancements to ihe bilt environment include accb6 so primary health services. regular V99.ical activity. safe places to play. and safe routes to walk or bike to school. smokefree communities and homes. and toxinfree schools. Health challenges include the quality of and access to schools and housing. economic opportunities. social capital. air and water. and opportunities for physical activity. As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3109}
{"speech_id":1090120828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am particularly concerned about how the built environment affects communities of color. native communities. and linguistically isolated communities. Members of these communities are more likely to live. work. and play in environments which have detrimental health effects. often vastly disproportionate to their percentage of the population. For example. asthma is one of the major causes of illness and disability in the United States. Although asthma is only slightly more prevalent among minority children than among whites. it accounts for three times the number of deaths. Low socioeconomic status. exposure to urban. environmental contaminants. and lack of access to medical care contribute to the increase of deaths in minority communities. African Americans living in lowincome neighborhoods have particularly high rates of .asthma. as do Native Hawaiians living in Hawaii. America must invest more resources and be more creative in order to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. We need to provide access to health care for the 45 million uninsured. more than half of whom are racial and ethnic populations. We need to provide linguistically and culturally competent services. and we need to stop gutting the health care safety net. Neighborhoods and communities across the United States are segregated by race and socioeconomic status. which exacerbates the underlying social and economic inequities that perpetuate health inequities. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3109}
{"speech_id":1090120828,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without significant investment in the built environmen4 for children and underserved communities. these health inequities will continue. I am pleased to see that the American Public Health Association. the leading public health organization in the United States. has been able to disseminate the message about the interconnectedness between health and the built environment. and hope that this reality is integrated into the public health debate. I look forward to working with all those involved with National Public Health Week to ensure policies to promote all childrens health.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3109}
{"speech_id":1090120904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield my\"self such time as I may consume. I would just like to conclude briefly with three thoughts. One. I think it is absolutely imperative that this body emphasize its friendship to the people of the Marshall Islands and affirm. as Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA has suggested. our obligation to take care of those whose health we are responsible for affecting. Secondly. I want to express my deep regard and friendship for the two Members who have spoken. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LEACH","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":500}
{"speech_id":1090120904,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LANTOS. our ranking member. and Mr.","speaker_name":"JAMES LEACH","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":500}
{"speech_id":1090120905,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Before yielding back the balance of our time. I want to express my appreciation to the chairman of our Pacific and Asian Subcommittee for his extraordinary work on this and all other issues. and I want to identify myself with the powerful and persuasive statements of my friend and colleague. ENi FALEOMAVAEGA.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":310}
{"speech_id":1090120906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 692. a resolution introduced by my esteemed colleague from American Samoa and Ranking Member of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific--Congressman ENI FALEOMAVAEGA--COmmending the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands for their incalculable contributions and sacrifices they made to the United States nuclear testing program throughout the 1940s and 1950s in the Marshall Islands. This year will mark the 60th anniversary of the United States commencement of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. Over a period of twelve years. from 1946 to 1958. the United States of America conducted sixtyseven atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands. The tests resulted in a combined yield of 108 megatons. roughly the destructive force of over 7.000 times that of the bomb used on Hirohima. The worst of these tests. the Bravo shot. was a 15megaton thermonuclear device. which in itself carried 1.000 times the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb. It was detonated on March 1. 1954. on Bikini Atoll. and caused dangerous levels of radioactive fallout to be released over 7.000 square miles. including the populated atolls of Rongelap and Utrik. It is vital that our country remember the contributions of the Marshallese to our national security and to world peace. ","speaker_name":"ED CASE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2373}
{"speech_id":1090120906,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While recognizing such contributions. our country over the years has sought to address the legacy of our nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands in our initial Compact with the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 1986 and in our ongoing bilateral relations with the RMI government. Just recently. our governments renegotiated the compact agreement. I am aware that the RMI government has filed a \"changed circumstances\" petition with the U.S. government. which still must be negotiated. It is time our country come to closure on the changed circumstances petition and address our countrys longstanding nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands and its ramifications on the lives of its residents. particularly those of the affected atolls. I also believe that we must ensure that the U.S. Department of Energys medical assistance program is fulfilling its obligation to its beneficiaries in the Marshall Islands. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 692 and to work on addressing these crucial remaining issues.","speaker_name":"ED CASE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2373}
{"speech_id":1090120922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to join my colleagues in thanking Congressman COOPER for introducing House. Concurrent Resolution 355. which recognizes the benefits and importance of schoolbased music education. He has been steadfast in his support of music as a learning tool in the classroom. and we appreciate his woik on this issue. Mr. Speaker. every year schools throughout the country highlight the importance of music education. ","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2482}
{"speech_id":1090120922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time to celebrate music and to use music as a means for enhancing the academic experience of students. While there has been much debate on how to teach students to read and to perform math. there is little debate that music contributes to overall learning ability. We know that students who participate consistently in music activities over middle and high school show significantly higher levels of math proficiency by the 12th grade. Additional data shows correlations between music and higher SAT scores and a decrease in disciplinary problems and risky behavior. Students who are involved in music classes in school have higher selfesteem and selfconfidence than their counterparts who do not participate in music class. Unfortunately. even with all the data to support the importance of music in learning. many schools are struggling tO keep art and music in the classroom. Mr. Speaker. music education is facing severe cuts in thousands of school districts throughout the Nation due to budget cuts. Instead of being able to fund programs to support music in the classroom. student choirs. and high school bands. local school districts find themselves struggling to find money for teachers salaries. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2482}
{"speech_id":1090120922,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. we must do better if we are committed to seeing to it that all children succeed. And for those who say that the three Rs of reading. writing. and arithmetic should outweigh the arts and music in priority. I disagree. Music is a complementary academic subject and belongs right alongside math and reading. In fact. the arts are considered a core academic subject under No Child Left Behind. This reflects an understanding by Congress and the President that the arts are critical to a wellrounded education. Again. I would like to thank Mr. COOPER for bringing this resolution to the floor today and join with him in calling for more resources to our schools and to make sure that all children have access to music in the classroom. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2482}
{"speech_id":1090120927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to support this resolution. H. Con. Res. 355. recognizing the benefits and importance of schoolbased music education programs. I have long been a strong advocate for music education programs. both in my home State of Maryland and nationally. I believe that music education should be available to students of all ages and a part of every students academic experience. Music education programs enrich the whole student. and are a critical component of a wellrounded academic curriculum. In my home State of Maryland. educators and administrators have worked to integrate music and arts programs into academic curriculums in order to provide students with these important benefits. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090120927,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At a time when education programs are struggling for adequate funding and State and local governments across the country face tremendous budget pressures. it is more important than ever to highlight and emphasize the importance of music education programs. I frequently meet with artists. songwriters. musicians and other creatorswho are actively engaged in ensuring that schools and communities continue to work music and arts into the. school curriculum. These artists know that music education can enhance intellectual development and skills integral to improved learning. Skills learned through the study of music help children become better students. Skills learned through music transfer to improve study skills. communication skills. and cognitive skills. Also. studies have shown that students involved in music classes are less likely to be disruptive. have better attendance. and are more likely to receive academic honors and awards. Studies have also shown that participation in schoolbased music education can increase student success. For example. in 2001 the CollegeBound Seniors National Report showed* that students with coursework in music performance and music appreciation scored notably higher on the SATs than students with no arts participation. Studies have shown that participation. in music class correlates with increased proficiency in mathematics and success in science. We must place a high value on music education. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090120927,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this resolution supporting the importance of music education programs and urging that the benefits of music education should be available to every student.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2341}
{"speech_id":1090121002,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas both for relinquishing of some time and also for the leadership that he has shown by hosting this hour for the Blue Dog Democrats each Tuesday night this year. Before I get started in my prepared remarks. I wanted to just acknowledge something that came to mind. The previous presiding officer. the gentleman that was acting as Speaker a few moments ago. is my former colleague from the legislature in California. a wonderful man. JOHN CAMPBELL. And it struck me that when we were in the legislature together in California. every year we had to balance the budget. We could not leave Sacramento. we had to stay in session until we had a balanced budget. It is so unfortunate that here in Washington. as we have both graduated up the ladder. that we dont have that same kind of fiscal accountability and the same responsibility. And sitting here with my colleague. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4027}
{"speech_id":1090121002,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"JIM COSTA. who used to be one of the leaders in the California State Senate. we took it very seriously. In fact. it was mandated in law that every year. and I believe almost every State in the country has to do that. but here in Washington. in our Nations Capital. we cannot find the fiscal responsibility to balance our Nations budget and get our fiscal house in order. The Blue Dog Coalition has made repeated calls for responsible budget reforms that will put our country back on this path of fiscal responsibility and fiscal sanity that I have discussed. As moderates and as fiscal hawks. we have tried to reach across the aisle to engage in real debate on fiscal responsibility. For years now. our appeals for commonsense. bipartisan reforms have been brushed aside by both the White House and this Republican leadership. Instead. this Republican Congress and the White House have pursued policies that have resulted in exploding deficits and over $8 trillion in debt. Rather than taking this fiscal mess seriously and putting forward- a plan to change course. we are being fed more of the same in this years budget. The Republican budget resolution is a rehashed version of misguided policies that have gotten us into this mess in the first place. It is said that the defi-. nition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over yet expecting different results. That is exactly how I feel about the Republican leaderships fiscal policies. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4027}
{"speech_id":1090121002,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No matter how deep they digthis fiscal hole. they want to keep shoveling. they want to keep digging. and we have to make it stop. The administration has requested and Congress has provided for four increases in the debt ceiling since 2001. This budget resolution does not fix the broken budget. it actually makes it worse. The Budget Committee passed a budget resolution that includes a deficit of $372 billion for the fiscal year 2006 and a deficit of $348 for 2007. This means that under this Congress and this White House. Republicans totally. we will have seen the five biggest budget deficits in American history in 5 consecutive years. Under this budget. the statutory debt by 2011 will go up another $2.3 trillion. leaving the statutory debt at a record level of $11.3 trillion. Ladies and gentlemen. this is unacceptable. The Blue Dog Coalition has put forth a comprehensive 12step plan that is designed to cure our Nations addiction to deficit spending. Our proposal will include commonsense measures such as reinstatihg the payasyougo rules such as what you use to balance your own budget at home. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4027}
{"speech_id":1090121002,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every American understands that they need to balance their own checkbook. so does America. These payasyougo rules are the first step. In the 1990s with PAYGO rules on the books. we saw deficits disappear. We had record surpluses and rapid economic growth. In 2001. the Republicancontrolled Congress abandoned PAYGO. and we have been awash in red ink ever since. It is time for Congress to bring back PAYGO and bring back some fiscal sanity for our country. Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. Ross for having us here tonight and. thank him for his leadership.","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4027}
{"speech_id":1090121003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the cochair. Mr. CARDOZA. and for communications within the 37Member strong. fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition for his insightful information and knowledge about the process and what we are trying to accomplish. We have Members here from Georgia and Illinois and Oklahoma and from all over the Nation that have come to speak the truth. to hold this Republican Congress accountable and demand some commonsense and fiscal discipline be restored to our Nations government. We are going to hear from people other than California. but it just so happens our first two presenters are both from California. The other is a gentleman who has not been here long. but has been quite effective within our coalition and a real leader within our coalition. and that is the gentleman from California .","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090121023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I know I feel confident that the Republican leadership will send down a group to follow us. They do that every Tuesday evening. I am honored that they feel a need to do that. I think our message is getting through about trying to restore fiscal discipline and common sense to our Nations government. They are going to talk about how we didnt vote for this socalled Deficit Reduction Act. What they are not going to tell you was it was $40 billion to cuts in Medicaid-. student loans and the orphan program. and also it was followed by $90 billion in tax cuts for those earning over $400.000 a year. I wasnt real good in math back in high school or college. but $90 billion in new tax cuts and $40. billion in cuts to the poorest among us equals what. $50 billion of new debt. Only in Washington would they call that the Deficit Reduction Act. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3384}
{"speech_id":1090121023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was the name of it. Then they are going to say this budget we are opposing is making the hard choices and the hard cuts and eliminating important programs in the name of trying to restore some fiscal discipline and balance the budget. What they fail to tell you is it is really about priorities. because their budget includes $1.7 trillion in new tax cuts over 10 -years. Look. I voted for the biggest tax cut in 20 years back in 2001. and a lot of my Democratic oolleagues are still mad at me about it. We had a surplus. it was before 9\/11. before Iraq and before Afghanistan. We really were giving people some of their money back. Yet now. every time since then that we have passed a tax cut. because we no longer have a surplus. we have a deficit. every tax cut we have passed since that time has been funded with money that we are borrowing from places like China. In 2000. we had borrowed a total of $62 billion from China. From 1976 up until 2000 we owed $62 billion to China. and at the end of 2005 we owed $257 billion to China. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3384}
{"speech_id":1090121023,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Japan. $668.3 billion. Our goveminent. we are borrowing $1 billion a day and spending half a billion a day paying interest on the debt we have already got. That is half a billion that cant go to fund our agricultural research centers or build 149 or 169 or many other opportunities and priorities and needs we have in Arkansas Fourth Congressional District. because our Nation is in debt and running record deficits and borrowing money from all these foreign investors and foreign central banks. Put it this way: Foreign lenders currently hold a total $2.174 trillion of our public debt. Compare that to only $23 billion in foreign holdings back in 1993. Here is the top 10 list. Here is who is funding your tax cuts. Here is who is funding our government. We have borrowed $668.3 billion from Japan. we owe now $262.6 billion. and it goes up every week. to China. the United Kingdom. $244.8 billion. Caribbean banking centers. have you ever heard of that? I never heard of a Caribbean banking center before. but we have borrowed $97.9 billion from them. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3384}
{"speech_id":1090121023,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Taiwan. $71.6 billion. OPEC. you wonder why gas is $2.50 a gallon? We have now borrowed $77.6 billion from OPEC. Korea. $68.3 billion. Germany. $65.2 billion. Canada. $54.9 billion. and Hong Kong. $48.3 billion. Those are the top 10 countries that we are borrowing money from to help fund tax cuts in our country to pay for tax cuts for those earning over $400.000 a year. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3384}
{"speech_id":1090121024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And here is the danger. Here is the danger when you put your financial security in the hands of. foreign nations at the rate that we are doing it. Now we have to worry that some of these nations could very well sell their U.S. dollars in their reserves and then they could switch their currency into 6ther nations. They could do a lot of things when they have our debt. What happens if they lose patience here? By having so much of our debt in the hands of foreign interests. we place our whole financial security in great peril. China now has $250 billion of our debt. Japan has $687 billion of our debt. Taiwan has $117 billion of our debt and Hong Kong has $67 billion of our debt. I mention these because these are countries in the Asian Basin. If collectively they came together. for surely geography puts their direct interests more at stake than it does us over here in the Western Hemisphere. if they came together with a pact and just made a decision on what to do with our debt.or whether they are going to sell U.S. dollars or reinvest in other countries or do things that wifl drive down our financial security. look at the bad position that places us in. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1319}
{"speech_id":1090121024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And when you combine that with the fact that India and China have taken over our manufacturing capabilities. it shows the seriousness of the situation.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1319}
{"speech_id":1090121031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"that sometimes mislead the American people and having them believe one thing when the reality is so evident. Like I said before in the past. this is an unprecedefited time. Mr. Speaker. of the fiscal situation here in this country. unprecedented as it relates to unusual .things happening here in this House and in this C6ngress that are unexplainable. But every day. we need to be picking up the Washington Post or local papers. We are finding that the reason why. strange things are taking place here in this country is the fact that strange things are taking place here in this House and in the Senate and in the White Uouse. And I think that it is important that we bring this not only to the attention of the American people. but we call the American people to action on behalf of their country. not on behalf of party. not on behalf of age or gender. but on behalf of holding our country together. With that I would like to yield to Congresswoman DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. And I would just like to say congratulations to your Florida Gators.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1047}
{"speech_id":1090121037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you so much. But. all lightheartedness aside. I am struck. in following what the gentleman from Florida touched on. I am struck by a collection of facts that really are staring us in the face that are the direct result of Republican policies. today. this moment. not 5 years ago. not 4 years from now. but the direct result of Republican leadership or. I should say. lack of Republican leadership. because they are obviously in charge. Let me just go thriugh with you some of the things that we have pulled together and that are the economic facts facing this country and that clearly show why. when I go home and talk to my constituents and have done so recently. I did kind of a run through my district and spoke to many different kinds of organizations. many different kinds of groups. Mr. DELAHUNT. and I am sure that you are hearing the same kinds of things that I am. Americans confidence in their government has been sobadly shaken. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1816}
{"speech_id":1090121037,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is not just that the culture of cortuption and cronyism and incompetence that hangs over this building is there by itself. It is that. as a result of that corruption and cronyism. the policy that results from the corruption that is so deeply disturbing. Let me just go through with you some of the things that we have been able to pull together just related to the economy. This is as of March 2006. just last month. 7.2 million Americans remained unemployed. We have an additional 4.2 million who want a job but are not counted among the unem-. ployed. Since this President took office. the economy has posted only 15 months of job gains of 150.000 or more. Thatis the number of jobs that is just needed tO keep up with population growth. So all this talk about an explosion in job growth and how we are really on the rise in terms of job growth is just baloney.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1816}
{"speech_id":1090121041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You know. before I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida. you cant convince me that we cant do something about this. I cant be convinced of -this. Proper investment. We can go back. GI Bill. space race. you -know. we. as a country. transcontinental railroad. we had a program. we had a plan that we would invest back into the United States of America. And now we know it is not the transcontinental railroad. Now we know it is not the space program. at least to the extent it was. But what is it now? Is it business incubators? Is it math and science graduates? Lets figure this out. Is it high speed rail?","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":606}
{"speech_id":1090121050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Oh. the Republicans. Okay. That is what I thought. Congressional Republicans. They. talk about how they want to grow jobs. that making sure people can go to work and earn a decent living is. what is important. Then why is it that congressional Republicans defeated a Democratic amendment to increase the minimum wage. which has not been increased since 1997. the longest period of time we have gone without increasing the minimum wage? From $5.15. which is what it is now. we proposed to increase it to $7.25..","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":510}
{"speech_id":1090121073,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As he said in this particular interview. if I can compose for a moment. here is an additional quote by the former Speaker of the Republican Congress. The reporter writes that he cited a series of blunders under Republican rule. from failures in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to mismanagement of the war in Iraq. He said the government has squandered billions of dollars in Iraq. Mr. MEEK.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":393}
{"speech_id":1090121076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Members could indulge me as well just for a moment. because by my good friend Mr. DELAHUNT calling up those memories. Mr. DELAHUNT. you remember in essence Newt Gingrich rode in on a revolution. a revolution of change. a revolution of a government that would be smaller and allegedly more efficient. His first act was. of course. many of us claim it to be a Contract on America. but he called it at that time a Con-","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":422}
{"speech_id":1090121101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we wrap up. I would suggest that over the course of the next few months. Mr. Speaker. theAmerican people will not get an answer from the leadership on the Republican side about iWhat why the debt limit was increased by $3 trillion. why we are borrowing billions upon billions upon billions and even trillions of. dollars from foreign countries. selling off. You will not hear a good answer. reining in spending-. the most rapid spending growth during one administration since Franklin Roosevelt. This is the these questionp that you have been adoutfit that wanted to have a revolu- vised you will never hear the answers tion. to. I didnt come prepared to answer Mr. Speaker. www.housedemocrats these questions. but I actually think I .gov\/30something for those Members. am prepared to answer them. All the charts that were up tonight are The remarks with regard to the need on the Web site. www.housedemocrats to balance the budget. I agree. and I .gov\/30something. have a plan to balance this budget. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1064}
{"speech_id":1090121101,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I Enjoyed it. Go Gators. dont want to balance it by raising","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1064}
{"speech_id":1090121102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. taxes. I want to balance this budget by with that. we would not only like to controlling our spending. That is the say thanks to Mr. DELAHUNT but Ms. issue. That iswhat the American peoJACKSONLEE who joined. us tonight ple want. That is what I want.. That is from the great State of Texas. also Mr. what we would do if we were a family RYAN and Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ for balancing our budget or a small busibeing here tonight. ness balancing our budget or a large We would also In the 30 Something business balancing our budget. We Working Group recognize the great would take a look at our spending. contribution of Dr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4160}
{"speech_id":1090121102,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Martin Luther King Of course. we would work on the revwho was assassinated on this date and enue skde. Our revenue side has been Mr. Ron Brown who was our Secretary growing. It grew 14.5 percent more than of Commerce that went down in a plane anticipated last year because -we kept crash .Co eserday thwet day befo one the taxes down. So I would suggest my crash. yesterday. the day before. on colleagues on the other side of the aisle Monday. We want to let both families join with me. I will be introducing a know we appreciate the contributions piece of legislation. It is called the of these two great *Americans to our CUT legislation. which means cut uncountry. We will be forever better be- necessary tab. Cut the unnecessary tab cause oftheir contributions. of this Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4160}
{"speech_id":1090121102,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the same time. Mr. Speaker. the It is going to be a new process that evidence that was just overwhelming has never been offered to this Congresstonight from the Members of not only before. Mr. Speaker. It is a process that what we are saying. because we are will allow for a privileged motion to concerned as Americans. not just as come to the floor under an open rule Democrats. we are saying that we are that would be a rescissions bill once willing to lead. We are also saying. Mr. every quarter. Once every quarter. Speaker. that when you have the past leadership will have the first 10 days of Speaker of this House. the first Repub- each quarter to offer a recissions bill. lican Speaker in 40something years If they do not do that. any Member can coming before this body and make the offer a rescissions bill under a privistatements that he believes the major- leged motion. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4160}
{"speech_id":1090121102,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And if the Speaker rbcity will lose the majority this time ognizes them. they can bring forward a around because of what he identified shell bill or a bill that has a thousand this time of the evidence of why it will cuts in it. for that matter. but it will happen is just powerful and hard to de- allow every single line item that has fend on the majority side. been appropriated by this Congress to 0 2310 be brought back before this Congress and removed from the budget under reWe are not asking for the majority scissions. side to defend what the past Speaker When an appropriation bills leaves has said. but I think it is important to the House and goes to the Senate. and take note and that the American peo- the Senate works their will on the apple take iiote pf what is happening propriation bill and it comes back to right now. So I- think the American conference and we agree and do final spirit will rise up over partisan politics passage on an appropriation bill. it and allow us to lead. then goes to the President for his sigWith that. I. want to thank our vice nature. From the instant that that bill chair. Mr. LARSON. of the Democratic is enacted. and generally from the inCaucus. Mr. CLYBURN. our chairman. stant that the Presidents signature STENY HOYER. our Democratic whip. and ink goes on that bill. it will be suband Ms. PELOSI. who is the Democratic ject then to rescissions that will hapleader. for allowing us to have this pen four times ayear in this Congress. time. We look forward to coming back Four times a year Congress will take to the floor to address not only the up a rescissions bill. and it will allow Membqrs but the American people. any Member to bring an amendment that will be ruled in order. provided it CUT UNNECESSARY TAB A is in the proper sequence in the structure of the rescissions bill. which will","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4160}
{"speech_id":1090121173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. this is a turtle. In Maryland. we call it a terrapin. Fear the turtle. But today we need to revere the turtle. Sixteen magnificent young women got on a court in Boston. and we had one of the most exciting. wellplayed basketball games. male or female. in the history of our country. Madam Speaker. this morning I want to congratulate Coach Brenda Frese and the University of Maryland womens basketball team on winning the championship last night with a stunning 7875 overtin~e victory over a valiant Duke University team. This game. Madam Speaker. was a demonstration of college athletics at its best. The gentlewoman from North Carolina just spoke. our athletic director comes from North Carolina. Debbie Yow. and she recruited Brenda Frese. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1637}
{"speech_id":1090121173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We thank you for that. The Terrapins erased a 13point secondhalf deficit. the second largest in history. and Maryland freshman guard Kristi Toliver hit a threepoint shot with 6.1 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. \"Weve. played like this all year.\" said Terp Marissa Coleman. \"Nothing gets to us. We never thought we were going to lose this game.\" The Terps win caps a tremendous 344 season and makes Maryland only the fourth college in America whose mens and womens.basketball teams have captured. national championships. Madam Speaker. I know that all of us join together to. congratulate those 16 young women who showed America what women can do and what an extraordinary athletic event they can provide. Both teams were magnificent. We in Maryland are proud of our victory. But those in North Carolina who come from Duke ought to be proud of their team as well.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1637}
{"speech_id":1090121180,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Spea] last year the Republicans did sup] the Deficit Reduction Act that redu $39 billion in Federal spending.and\" indeed. as we are hearing. this is bi et .week here on Capitol Hill. II something that we are tasked to do. I khow that a lot of the big spen( would still like to be getting rid of t Deficit Reduction Act that we pa.. last year. It was a good bill. We shc bedoing more like it. as my collea from Texas said. Today. conservatives in the Hc are working to bring to the floe budget that goes after the progr that show little results for the 1 payer dollars. We have got. some great ideas on the table. I would like to see further acrosstheboard cuts. My colleague from Texas. Representative CONAWAY. has a bill that goes after eliminating a program if you are going to create a new one. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1103}
{"speech_id":1090121180,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we Republicans are bringing ideds and putting solutions onthe table. and we are going to hear more about this as we go through the week. We are the party debating how to reduce spending at the Federal level. It is what America expects of us. It is what we are fighting to make happen.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1103}
{"speech_id":1090121183,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise to voice concerns about the impact of budget cuts on the States Childrens Health Insurance Program. that is called CHIP. CHIP is jointly financed by the Federal and State governments and is administered by the States. While it is good that each State determines the design of its program. the eligibility groups. benefits. copays and administrative procedures. I am concerned that misplaced fiscal priorities are squeezing the States and negatively impacting childrens health. A Dallas Morning News article from March 27 cites numerous problems with CHIP- in Texas. Administrative errors and budget cuts are resulting in lost or delayed coverage. Many families are unaware of the benefit. Enrollment has been more complicated and fewer children are participating in the program. Privatization of many StateFederal health programs is lessening access to care. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1154}
{"speech_id":1090121183,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I am concerned that the fiscal year 2007 budget plan for the House of Representatives will hurt Americas uninsured children. April is Natioial Child Abuse Prevention Month. Cutting health programs for young people is cruel at worst and irresponsible at best.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1154}
{"speech_id":1090121185,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. despite rising college tuition costs and rigid standards of the socalled No Child Left Behind Act. the Republican budget makes the largest cuts to education in 10 years. It cuts $15 billion from education that was promised: 3.7 million children in our country will be denied help with reading and math. 2 million will be denied afterschool programs that offer a safe place to pla.y and learn. But the majority ddes not stop with just broken promises. Their budget eliminates funding for Safe and DrugFree Schools. eliminates funding for vocational education. eliminates programs that help ensure highrisk students can attend college. and eliminates 36 programs. that help teachers and students succeed. They drastically cut Pell Grants and Perkins loans that American families need to help afford college. Republicans are risking our childrens future to pay for more tax breaks for the wealthy few. The promise to our childrens education must be kept. This budget must be rejected.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":996}
{"speech_id":1090121191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise to turn back the clock. No. I am not referring to the annual daylight savings time change that occurred this past weekend. Nor am I having a moment of nostalgia. Rather. I am referring to the famous clock that tallies the Nations growing debt. The surpluses of the late 1990s put the clock that tallies our Nations debt into retirement. But now. the borrowandspend policies of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress put the clock back in operation. adding $1 million to the Nations debt every minute. foIr a totalof $3 trillion in new debt since 2002. The Republican Partys 2007 budget. which we will vote on this week. continues their borrowandspend policies. ","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1104}
{"speech_id":1090121191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also will cause a problem that the designers of the Time Square clock did not anticipate. It cannot accommodate the extra digit that will be required to display a debt of over $10 trillion. American taxpayers. along with our children and our grandchildren. should not be saddled with this debt. We should stop this fiscal irresponsibility and reject the President and the Republican Congress budget. [1030","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1104}
{"speech_id":1090121207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. and I am very bleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished Democratic leader who is in the forefront of every single fight globally on behalf of human rights and who has just returned a few weeks ago from a visit to Darfur. Congresswoman NANCY PELOSI.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":311}
{"speech_id":1090121228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their powerful and impassioned statements. This is a legislation of conscience. I urge all of my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. and I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090121244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support the passage of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. This bill reflects the United States continued commitment to see that the violence ends and a lasting peace is achieved in Darfur. Darfur has already been acknowledged as the worst human rights tragedy since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Nowhere else have we recently seen such a massive attack on innocent civilians who are left to suffer in complete isolation. cut off from the rest of the world. Nearly 400.000 people have already died in Darfur and over two million people continue to live as refugees and internally displaced persons. Thousands of women have been raped and sexually abused and children are left to die from malnutrition. dysentery and infectious diseases. Mr. Speaker. last months. approval by the House of funding for Sudan is a solid commitment that brings us closer to resolving the crisis in Darfur and helping those in need. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1133}
{"speech_id":1090121244,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But it is not enough. Congress must continue and hold steadfast to the basic principles of freedom and human rights that we stand for and press on until justice is. brought to the Darfurians.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1133}
{"speech_id":1090121267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speak7 law in 2004 effectively banning intercountry er. I rise today in support of the thousands of adoption and limiting any domestic adoption. Of course. it is in Romanias authority to enact such laws. But as Members of the United .States Congress. acting in the best interests of our own children and as a Nation committed to. fighting for all human dignity. we shall continue to advocate for the placement of children in permanent homes. Furthermore. as long as there are thousands of families in the U.S. wishing to adopt andto give a child a loving home that would otherwise not have one. I will continue to take every opportunity to explain to our counterparts abroad why this is such an.important causefor our children and for the health of our nations. There is simply no greater gift than a home and no greater support network than a family. Meanwhile. there are currently 37.000 children in orphanages in Romania and an estimated 49.000 living in temporary arrangements. such as foster care. These numbers are staggering. ","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2805}
{"speech_id":1090121267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is an entire generation of young people who will not have the support of a parent to excel in school. the comfort of a family when sick or in need. and more fundamentally. the love and care.essential to the development of a child. It is not just Americans that advocate for lowering barriers to adoption. Citizens of several European countries and Israel had a number of pipeline adoption cases that were pending when the moratorium was instilled in 2001. The U.S. is also a sender country of American orphans. something that people often forget. Last December. the European Parliament voted unanimously on an amendment to their Report on the Extent of. Romania s Readiness for Accession to the European Union in favor of the completion of all the pending international adoption cases in Romania. Additionally. according to UNICEF: For children who cannot be raised by their own families. an appropriate alternative family environment should be sought in preference to institutional care which should be used only as a last resort and as a temporary measure. until the child can return to the family environment. I am disheartened by the actions so far of Romania in failing to complete the pipeline adoption cases which would have resulted in placing over 1.000 orphans with permanent. loving homes abroad. I hope that as we face more of these challenges and political barriers down the road which directly impact children. we will work together to get past those barriers which are artificial. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2805}
{"speech_id":1090121267,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I will conclude by respectfully requesting that this body continue to engage in a dialogue with our allies and colleagues abroad on the importance of adoption. both domestic and international. as a preferable alternative to institutional care. Thank you.","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2805}
{"speech_id":1090121284,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 320. a resolution that calls for the release of Dr. .Pham Hong Son and other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Vietnam. Dr.. Pham was imprisoned in 2002 for the simple act of translating a document posted on the U.S. Embassys website entitled. \"What is Democracy?\" He has tirelessly worked in nonviolent ways to promote democracy and freedom of speech. expression. and association in Vietnam. But Dr. Pham is not alone. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2599}
{"speech_id":1090121284,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thousands of peaceful activists have been harassed. imprisoned. or been placed under house arrest for calling for basic human rights in Vietnam. The State Department. the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Amnesty International. the Committee to Protect Journalists. and various VietnameseAmerican groups have documented egregious violations of religious freedom. human rights. and free speech in the country. For the past two years. the State Depart. ment has designated Vietnam a \"country of particular concern\" which means Vietnam has been engaged in systematic. ongoing. egregious violations of religious freedom. In company with Vietnam are such human rights violators as Sudan. Burma. China. Iran. and North Korea. In its 2005 report. the U.S. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2599}
{"speech_id":1090121284,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Commission on International Religious Freedom states. \"the government of Vietnam continues to commit systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom by harassing. detaining. imprisoning. and discriminating against leaders and practitioners from all of Vietnams religious communities. Religious freedom conditions in Vietnam remain poor. and the overall human rights situation has deteriorated in the past two years.\" The Committee -to Protect Journalists says. \"Press conditions in Vietnam largely stagnated in 2005. despite efforts by the countrys leaders to projpct an image of greater openness. Three writers remained imprisoned on antistate charges for material distributed online. print and broadcast media continued to work under the supervision of the government. and attacks on journalists were common. For the past year. Vietnam has sought a new relationship with the United States. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and several other highlevel members of the Vietnamese government visited the U.S. in 2005. But if the Vietnamese government expects to cultivate this new relationship. it must start by respecting basic human rights of all citizens of Vietnam. I hope this Congress will show strong support for change in Vietnam by unanimously passing Rouse Concurrent Resolution 320 today..","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2599}
{"speech_id":1090121301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me just say that this is an important resolution because I think all of us believe that for peace in the Middle East it is important to open up economic opportunity within the entire region. This administration has put a priority on moving forward with free trade- agreements in the Middle East with the support of both Democrats and Republicans. Because we do believe in commerce. there is an opportunity for better understanding in that region of the world. We have concluded free trade agreements with other countries and we have made it clear that the boycott against Israel must be eliminated. Not .only eliminated. but the country must reach out so there is full participation among all of the countries of the region so they all can benefit economically from commerce within that region. Saudi Arabia is a major country in the Middle East. They need to exercise leadership in the Middle East.. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090121301,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And in doing that. they must join us in our fight against terror and our fight against terrorism. They also must join us in making it clear that all countries in the Middle East need to be included in economics and commerce. They need to eliminate their boycott against Israel. .We thought we had an understanding when we entered into an agreement .that led to their accession into the WTO. Clearly the. Saudis are not living up to that commitment. I think it is extremely important that this country make it .clear that we cannot tolerate that typeof conduct by the Saudis. It is time for them to end their boycott against Israel and exercise leadership in the Middle East so we can move forward with peace in the Middle East. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090121301,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield back the balance of my time. E 1245","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090121355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker: I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4646. offered by the distinguished gentleman from California . This bill would designate the postal facility in Reseda. California. as the Coach John Wooden Post Office Building. John Wooden is often referred to as the most successful coach in college basketball history. At UCLA. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090121355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Woodens team scaled unprecedented heights. The Bruins set alltime records with four perfect 300 seasons. 88 consecutive victories. 38 straight NCAA tournament victories. 20 PAC10 championships. and 10 national championships in which seven of these championship victories were won consecutively. Considered one of the finest teachers the game has ever known. Coach Woodens approach was centered on conditioning. skill. and teamwork. Coach Wooens principles both on and off the court dictated his success in creating what is certainly the greatest dynasty in basketball history. I urge all Members to honor this dedicated and inspiring teacher by passing H.R. 4646. And I want to wish Coach Wooden a speedy recovery and a return back to his home. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1174}
{"speech_id":1090121368,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 556 offered by the distinguished gentleman from Washington . This resolu* tion would recognize the importance of educating people of all ages about the dangers of methamphetamines. Methamphetamines are highly addictive. dangerous stimulants that are sold in powder. pill and capsule forms and can be inhaled. swallowed or injected. The physical effects of methamphetamines. use include alertness. euphoria. appetite loss. elevated heart rate. and increased respiration. The most popular form of the drug. referred to as crystal meth. has become increasingly widespread and can result in overdose. causing both stroke and heart failure. While the median age of the habitual meth user is 30 years. the drug is starting to strengthen its hold on younger genbrations. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1431}
{"speech_id":1090121368,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The number of teenagers who have reported using meth has increased dramatically over the past few years. It is extremely easy for young people to access Internet information outlining recipes and places to obtain ingredients for manufacturing the drug. This -legislation would help to increase awareness of this serious epidemic and educate the public about the dangers of meth use. I urge all Members to come together and to commit to the task of educating our youth about the dangers of methamphetamines\" use by adopting H. Res. 556. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LYNN WESTMORELAND","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1431}
{"speech_id":1090121442,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"said in another quote. \"Those who want to regulate through government the participatior .in the political process. I respect them trying to do that. I disagree with it.\" That is the way he voted. as you have pointed out. \"We ought to let the voters decide through instant disclosure to be able to tell and see while people are collecting their money and spending it to decide.\" In other words. disclosure. These are disclosed. My view is. in light of the fact they are disclosed. you will vote \"no\" on this bill. My obvious supposition is you are not going to do that. Today. this bill is about politics. You have changed your principle. in my opinion. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":770}
{"speech_id":1090121442,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You have changed your point of view. That is why you are voting differehtly than you did on caihpaign finance reform.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DELAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":770}
{"speech_id":1090121475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 755. I call up the bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to clarify when organizations described in section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 must register as political committees. and for other purposes. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":325}
{"speech_id":1090121486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much. If this bill becomes law. let us speculate about exactly what will happen. Whdt would elections and politics be like if the Federal Election Commission regulated 527s? Let us see. There might be some honesty. For example. candidates and elected officials would not be able to rely on partisan political groups like moveon.org to do their dirty work. Let us see. they might be a lot cleaner because billions of dollars in soft money contributions would stop. and so would the false and misleading message campaigns that take place in various districts almost daily. One of my colleagues said if they are aware of any misuse of the 527s in the political area. let me just state but one. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1716}
{"speech_id":1090121486,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The ACORN Group. which is a political front for a liberal 527 group called America Votes. has also been implicated in political escapades. A former ACORN worker admitted to deliberately throwing out Republican registration forms and paying gatherers only to collect Democrat registration forms in 2004. Actually. in at least one State this is being investigated. Is this fairness? What about those who chose not to register in the Democrat Party?. They may have been Republican. they may have decided to be an independent. Do they not have a right to have their registrations turned into the local election commissioner? You know. allowing groups to hide behind faulty. arcane and outdated FEC and IRS rules is not an option. Congress must move forward and reform the laws that allow these 527s to spew their lies and fraudulent tactics on the American people. Regularly in my district. I get the 527 calls. My constituents are wise to the fact that this is an unregulated entity.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1716}
{"speech_id":1090121531,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the. Space Shuttle. On April 12. 1981. Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen launched from the Kennedy Space. Center in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Their successful 3day test flight of the manned. reusable spacecraft marked the beginning of a long career for the Space Shuttle that continues today. Because of the design of the Shuttle. the spacecraft is uniquely qualified to help America build and supply the International Space Station. As we work with our international partners to complete the Space Station. the Shuttle will help us achieve that goal. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090121531,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For 25 years. the men and women of our Shuttle program have done a remarkable job returning the Shuttle to flight year aftEr year to continue Americas prominence in space. This resolution not only commends the first flight of the Shuttle. but it also recognizes and honors these dedicated citizens who work every day to this singular goal. The Shuttle has seen glory and it has seen tragedy. The loss of Challenger and Columbia remind us that space travel is difficult and dangerous. Astronauts are todays Columbuses and Magellansand their mission is a fragile and dangerous one. And yet. the Space Shuttle program continued on because of the men and women dedicated to the important .work of the space programwork that benefits all sectors of society and improves the quality of all our lives. America now has a new Vision for Space Exploration. We have already achieved the first step in the new Vision for Space Exploration when the Space Shuttle returned to flight last summer. Commander Eileen Collins and her crew successfully executed the 14day mission into outer space and delivered more than 6 tons of needed supplies to the Space Station. Like many of my colleagues. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090121531,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am eagerly anticipating the Shuttles next flight *this summer. I am also looking forward to our next step in the processthe development of a new Vehicle to replace the Shuttle. We need to make sure that the transition between these two spacecrafts is as seamless at possible because we cannot afford tb lose the very specialized and highly valued Shuttle workforce. We also need to make sure that the new spacecraft includes a crew escape system because our astronauts deserve to be as safe as possible. I am pleased that NASA will require this system on the new crew exploration vehicle. and I will be continuing to monitor that development. America leads the world in space exploration. and this is due. in large part. to the men and women of the Space Shuttle program. And this is only the beginning. With astronauts like the ones who traveled over the years on the Space Shuttle. and specialists and staff at NASA. America will continue to push frontiers and lead the world in space exploration and discovery.","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2843}
{"speech_id":1090121560,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H. Res. 541 commends the great American ingenuity and level of excellence represented by our National Laboratories. particularly the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). whose work is so consistently stellar that it is often taken for granted. American John Hall. who is one of the three scientists sharing the Nobel Prize for Physics. is the third NIST scientist to win a Nobel Prize. He is sharing the Prize for Physics with American Roy J. Glauber and German Theodor W. Haensch. Their studies reversed the earlier belief that the quantum theory of the behavior of particles did not describe the behavior of particles of light. These scientists. in fact. have changed the modern understanding of the behavior of light. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1799}
{"speech_id":1090121560,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their discoveries could allow better GPS systems. better space navigation. and even better digital animation. The 2005 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was won by American Robert H. Grubbs. from Southern Californias California Institute of Technology. American Richard R. Schrock. and Frenchman Yves Chauvin. They made great breakthroughs in their work with olefin metathesis. This is a chemical reaction describing the changing of bonds between atoms. Their work has great commercial potential in areas like pharmaceuticals. the biotechnology industry. and the foodstuff industry. The great work that these scientists produce contributes to our competitiveness and to our great standard of living. I want to commend all of these outstanding scientists for their contributions to physics and chemistry and to the Royal Swedish Academy of Scientists for their recognition of their achievements. and to NIST and its laboratories who have supported research that strengthens our global competitiveness through the development of groundbreaking technologies.","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1799}
{"speech_id":1090121584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speakef. I. rise today in special tribute to Sergeant Keith Matt Maupin. an Army reservist from Batavia. Ohio in my congressional district. who has been missing. captured in Iraq since April 9. 2004. 2 years ago this Sunday. Matt Maupins convoy came under attack by Iraqi insurgents. and he has been missing ever since. Matt went to Iraq because he believed in the freedom of the Iraqi people. and to make America a safer place. We are proud of him and his enormous commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy. I also represent Matts parents. Keith and Carolyn Maupin. Keith is a veteran. and Matts brother. ","speaker_name":"JEAN SCHMIDT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1357}
{"speech_id":1090121584,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Micah is a Marine. They are a tremendous family. and are an extraordinary example to all of us. To support all families of the many brave servicemembers in harms way. Keith and Carolyn Maupin lead a nonprofit organization called the Yellow Ribbon Support Network. Offering moral support. helping to raise morale and coordinating communication among families. the Network has literally sent thousands of packages to the military personnel overseas. As I am speaking here tonight. they are working back in Eastgate. Ohio. assembling packages for those brave men and women. On this second anniversary. we honor Matt Maupin. Keith and Carolyn Maupin. Micah Maupin and the entire Maupin family. and offer our prayers for Matts safe return home.","speaker_name":"JEAN SCHMIDT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1357}
{"speech_id":1090121644,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the gentlemen will yield. As we wrap up our hour. I want to bring it right back to where we started. talking about the compassionate. thing to do is to let the American taxpayer keep their paycheck. be certain that they have first right of refusal on that paycheck and not the Federal Government. I also want to encourage our constituents to talk to us and our colleagues. to talk to our constituents so that we are certain that everyone understands our goal as the majority party here in this House is to be certain that we preserve individual freedom. that we preserve hope and opportunity. and that we allow the American taxpayer to keep control of their paycheck. And that as stewards of the taxpayers money. that we are good and accountable stewards.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":758}
{"speech_id":1090121646,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is an honor to address the House once again. As you know. those of us that are in the 30something Working Group come to the floor if not nightly. every other day to share not only with the Members but the American people about what is happening here. what is really happening here under the Capitol dome. Unfortunately. many times we htve to share bad news. but at other times we share very good news. the good news of saying there could possibly be a brighter future. Either one of two ways. Mr. Speaker. either the Republican majority says. hey. we want to work with the Democrats in a bipartisan way on issues such as national security. education. tax reform. issues that we can all rally around. health care for American workers. making sure that American companies wouldnt have to do what they did in Congressman TIM RYANs district when the third shift showed up for work and they said there will no longer be a third shift. That is a problem. and that is something that we have to work on in a bipartisan way. Or. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1678}
{"speech_id":1090121646,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. the American people can make the decision that they are willing to go with a Democratic House of Representatives and a Democratic Senate to move us in the direction of working together on behalf of all Americans. First. we have to deal with the issue of incompetence. we have to deal with the issue of corruption. we have to deal with the issue of cronyism in many areas. and we have to deal with the issue of governance. And I think it is very. very important as we outline a number of these issues here tonight and also pepper it with Democratic proposals that we will hopefully be able to turn the tide in many of these areas.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1678}
{"speech_id":1090121666,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Do you know what else we want as Democrats? We just want the Congress to do what American families all across this country do. They only pay for what they have money to pay for. They pay as they go. Now. there are a lot of families. unfortunately in this country that get themselves into trouble. They run up debt on their credit cards. They end up spending a lifetime hand wringing over how much debt they have because they have paid for luxuries on credit that they didnt have revenue in their household coMing in to cover. That is what we are doing here. And there is no end in sight.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":587}
{"speech_id":1090121669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am just going to close out on this and then I am going to back up. because I know that Congressman DELAHUNT. sir. you were. very reserved last night. We were limited to 50 minutes. I just want you to be able to share. because I know you are ready to come out of the locker room on some of this stuff. and I think it is important that we hear from you this evening. But I want to make sure. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. that we break this down. because we dont want any Members to go back home and say. you know. I didnt quite understand that at the time I voted for it. I want to make sure that their constituents know exactly what is going on. And the bottom line is that we are borrowing from foreign nations more than we have ever. borrowed in the history of the republic. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090121669,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. in the history of the United States Congress. You heard it. They want to make it permanent. It is not what we are saying. That is what the majority is saying. 1.05 trillion in 4 years. That is what the Republican Corgress and the President has done. more than 42 presidents. and was only able to borrow 1.01 trillion over 224 years. 224 years.And I dont even need to get into what happened in the 224 years. Who are we borrowing from? Well. lets just look at it. I am not going to pull this off because it came apart last night. It is just so much here. Look at Japan. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090121669,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Japan. We owe Japan. While folks are running around here defending people that are making $10 million a year. that they may very well have to pay their fair share for homeland security and all of that as it relates to the tax cut that this majority wants to make permanent. Japan. $882.8 billion of American apple pie. It pains me to stand here and hold this poster like this. I am glad its not my creation. I am glad I voted against all of this debt that we have given foreign nations.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1853}
{"speech_id":1090121682,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And remember this. not only has this been the policy that has put us in the largest deficit in the history of the country. the Republican majority and the President want to make this- policy permanent. They want to make their tax cuts for the rich permanent. They will claim we are against wealthy . people. Class warfare. Nonsense. We want the money that we send to. Washington spent wisely and not given away.","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":411}
{"speech_id":1090121686,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate that. and I wish the Republican majority would start putting the country before their own political interests. It seems that time and time again they have chosen the loyalty to their own party. We have got a nice third party validator here. The former Republican Director of the Congressional Budget. Office. who was talking about the borrow and spend Republican Congress. he said. Budgeting is about making choices. and this period the Bush presidency and Republican Congress is one that shows a complete absence of that. They do not have to make any. choices. Why? You get the credit card out. But let .us take your analogy one step further. You have got the credit card. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3787}
{"speech_id":1090121686,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You are going to Europe. but yow are living paycheck to paycheck. Who ultimately suffers in.that little family scenario there? The kids. Because there will not be money for education. There will not be money for the health care bill. and they will become a burden on the rest of society. All the way down the line the ripple effect goes. And as Mr. MEEK and Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ were saying earlier. this is what they are doing. They have. increased the debt limit in the United States by $3 trillion. trillion with a big fat \"t.\" In June of 2002. May of 2003. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3787}
{"speech_id":1090121686,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Novemberof 2004. March of 2006. total over $3 trillion. this Congress raised the debt ceiling that would allow the Secretary of Treasury to go out and borrow money from all the countries that Mr. MEEK showed. Time and time and time again. I just want to reiterate the point .that Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ made. and that point is this:-The Democrats. Whether it is port security or payasyougo. time and time again we tried to restrain. pull in this Republican Congress. get yourselves under control. And I know. Mr. ROTHMAN. you were probably in the committee when these amendments were being offered time and time again by Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3787}
{"speech_id":1090121686,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"OBEY. not once but twice. by Mr. SPRATT and the Budget Committee. by Charlie Stenholm when he was here. The Democratic Party was trying to say if you are going to raise the debt limit. you had better put some restraints on the runaway spending that these Republicans have gotten into a very bad habit of doing over the past 4 or 5 years. This is ridiculous. We are sacrificing the future of the United States of America. selling it off piece by piece. diminishing opportunity for our kids and our grandkids._ and at the same time just spending money like it does not matter. Let us be responsible in the United States Congress. Mr. MEEK. Mr. Speaker. let us be responsible here. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3787}
{"speech_id":1090121686,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have a solemn oath that we swear to when we come into this Congress. One of the great honors is to be in this Chamber. Only 10.000 people have actually served in this body. Let us take the responsibility seriously. And one final point. like Mr. MEEK said. we have a responsibility. And people may grumble when we walk by them in the hall. and they may look at us a little cross eyed because we come down here every night. but we have an obligation to the American people. And if we have got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet. then so be it. And I have a lot of respect for the people on the other side of the aisle. and many of them are our friends. but we have legitimate differences here. And I would say this to my friends. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3787}
{"speech_id":1090121737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I believe under the previous order. Senators have been allowed to offer amendments as we proceednot on the immigration bill but on an unrelated bill while the immigration bill is pending. . I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 10 minutes for the purpose of offering an amendment.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":317}
{"speech_id":1090121763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why dont I explain it. and then the Senator from Illinois wont have to keep asking questions about what it actually does. There are four different sections. One of them has to do with the removal of people where there has been a formal proceeding and the alien has been detained. That is section 238. There are probably about 20.000well. probably more than that. but there is at least a minimum of 20.00q because many of those are other than Mexicans. We do not have the number for people. for example. who would be Mexican citizens. There are also formal proceedings before an immigration judge. -This number of absconders is far greater. That is section 240. There are a lot more in that category. perhaps 200.000 to 300.000 people.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":734}
{"speech_id":1090121781,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. with all due respect. I think that question was pretty far off the mark. Mohamed Atta committed his crime before he could have been convicted of being a terrorist. and he obviously killed himself in the process. The time to apply this legislation to him is not after the fact but hopefully before the fact. The problem is that at the time he overstayed his visa. to our knowledge. he had not committed any other crime except perhaps forging some documents or making false statements to an immigration officialsomething such as that. What I am saying is we have drafted this in a way that it would not have caught people such as Mohamed Atta because to do that would be to exclude others from the benefits of the legislation both the Senator and I agree should not be excluded. I am simply trying to say we have to be careful with the language because if we simply sayand I know the Senator from Illinois would agree with this proposition when he says we dont want to exclude just people who have overstayed their visas. and he gave the example of the student who overstayed a visaI know he doesnt mean to include within that somebody such as Mohamed Atta because the. reality is that is exactly what we have done here. If we could find some other way to add a provision that says if we have evidence to believe somebody is a terrorist. they. would also be included. that probably would be a good idea. and we would both agree to do that.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1452}
{"speech_id":1090121792,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let us understand where we are at this moment. In the colloquy with Senator KYL. I raised an element of his amendment which we. I think. generally agreed needs to be clarified. I hope we can work.toward clarification. The Senator from Pennsylvania. the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. has asked whether we can now take up amendments which both sides agree would be constructive. moving us toward our goal of final passage. on a bipartisan basis. asking the Senator from Arizona. would you please set your amendment aside. perhaps to work on the subject of your colloquy a few moments ago. and then you will be back in the queue. We are not only prepared. iicidentally. on the Democratic side to entertain the four amendments which have been spelled out by the Senator from -Pennsylvania. we are also prepared to debate and vote on at least three other amendments. the LiebermanBrownback asylum. an Allard amendment 3213. and a Nelson amendment 3220. So. the argument among some that we are stopping the amendment process is not true. At this point. the Senator from Arizona is stopping the amendment process because his amendment. which is not quite in the shape it might be in. or wants to be in. is going to be first or nothing else. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1313}
{"speech_id":1090121792,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that is not where we are going to end this.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1313}
{"speech_id":1090121867,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Judiciary substitute bill mandates that the minimum wage that must be paid to workers admitted under the H2A. program shall be the greater of: the applicable state minimum wage. the prevailing wage. or the adverse effect wage rate. often referred to as the AEWR. In almost every case in every State. the AEWR is significantly higher than the local prevailing wage. Interestingly enough. the U.S. Department of Labor does not determine this AEWR. AEWR wages are based solely on a U.S. Department of Agricultures National Agriculture Statistics Service quarterly surveya survey that has been published by the Department of Agriculture for decades. a survey that was never intended for the purpose for which the Department of Labor utilizes the collected data. The AEWR reflects the average wage for disparate field and livestock work over a multistate area. Packing house workan occupation filled by a large number of H2A workersis not surveyed. The NASS survey result is the average of all agricultural wages. including the wages that are paid to workers whose higher production levels entitle them to additional incentives or piecework pay. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090121867,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The U.S. Department of Labor then uses this average wage without regard for differences in occupations. skills and seasonality by turning that average into a minimum guaranteed wage for purposes of the AEWR. To put this in terms my colleagues can understand. this would be like if you took a survey of all congressional salaries. from Senators and Congressmen to staff assistants. and then took the average of those salaries and mandated that the average wage must be the minimum amount paid to any congressional staffer. Agricultural employers who use the H2A program to avoid breaking the law by hiring legal workers are put at a distinct competitive disadvantage when compared to growers who rse the available undocumented workforce. In fact. this competitive disadvantage caused by the additional expense of using H2A is a major factor in the agricultural industrys increasing dependency on an illegal workforce. Those employers who have been utilizing an illegal workforce have not been paying those illegal workers anywhere near the adverse effect wage rate. Most troubling to me is that in the Judiciary Committees -bill. once agricultural employers transition those illegal workers to blue card workers. there is still no mandated wage floor for them! Therefore. H2A growers will c6ntinue to experience unfair competition if the AEWR is not replaced with local prevailing wages. I would also like to point out that the wages required of employers of workers admitted under every other temporary. nonimmigrant visa category is a local prevailing wage rate determined by the U.S. Department of Labor through specific occupational surveys by the various states. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090121867,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe this should be the case for the H2A program as well. Moving from an Adverse Effect Wage Rate requirement to a prevailing wage would allow the use of a more localized. occupationspecific. competitive wage when growers access legal workers through the H2A program. This would naturally raise wages for some farm workers and better reflect the economic realities of the area in which the work is performed and the type of work being. performed. It would also encourage agricultural employers to participate in a program designed to protect and identify the workers on our Nations farms. I urge you to support the amendment. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3492}
{"speech_id":1090121890,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is well known that there are a number of Senators who have been engaged in active negotiations and are trying to come to an agreement so that we could get this very difficult and challenging issue behind us. There are Senators GRAHAM.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":252}
{"speech_id":1090121904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take a few moments of the Senates time to try to put this legislation at least into some perspective. as someone who has worked on legislation dealing with immigration for some period of time. so the American people can have an understanding of what this debate is really all about. I think all of us understand what has been well stated here. and that is our borders are broken and porous. Ten years ago. we estimated that about 40.000 were coming into this country illegally and we were catching maybe almost half of them. Now the estinates are from 400.000 to over 1 million. and we are catching 5 or 10 percent of them. We have increased expenditures by $20 billion in terms of law enforcement and building fences and increasing border guards 300 percent over the period of the last 10 years. and it doesnt work. It has not worked. and it is ndt working today. Although there are a number of our colleagues who believe it offers the best way to try to get a handle -on our borders. That was the position which was taken by the House of Representatives and passed by the House of Representatives. effectively criminalizing every individual who is undocumented here in the United States and criminalizing any individual who might have been indirectly helping that person. whether it was a minister. a member of the clergy. or a nonprofit organization such as a humane group that operates in a feeding program or looks after people who have been in shelters. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11101}
{"speech_id":1090121904,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why Bishop Mahony. the cardinal of Los Angeles. said that the House legislation was such a vicious piece of legislation. .Those arent my words. those are his. That was the position of the House of Representatives. Many of us who have worked on immigration issues believe that is not the answer. The fact is. it was the majority leader who introduced similar legislation in the Senate of the United States which to many of us represented the position of the Republican Party. That was the position which was introduced by the majority leader. There wasnt a great deal of turmoil or opposition at the time he did that. so that was why many thought that was going to be the position of the Republican Party. That is at least one aspect of this debate and discussion. Another aspect of it: Some 32 years ago. the Senator from Arizona. Mr. MCCAIN. introduced legislation dealing with immigration in a more comprehensive wayrather than just law enforcement. looked at other factors in addition to law enforcement. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11101}
{"speech_id":1090121904,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 3 years ago. I introduced legislation that looked at a number of different aspects in terms of legalization and other kinds of approaches but different from those of Senator MCCAIN. At about that time. Senator HAGEL and Senator Daschle introduced different legislation. This was all before the 2004 election. Then. after the election. when we saw that these different pieces of legislation which were introduced were not working. Senator MCCAIN and I worked together and in May of 2005 introduced common legislation. We were convinced of a number of things. We were convinced. first of all. about the importance of securing our borders from a national security point of view. You have all these individuals who are coming in here. and in the wake of 9\/11. we dont know who they are. and this presents a national security issue. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11101}
{"speech_id":1090121904,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you have millions of immigrants who are virtually underground because they are undocumented. this is a national security issue. When we find out that Homeland Security is worried about* different cells in different parts of the country. and We know we have millions of immigrants who are subject to ex- ljtation because they are undocurinted. this is a national security issue. So we looked at it and said: What are the features that are going to be necessary to deal with national security. because that is very important. and to deal with the fact that there is this magnet. drawing people to the United States. the magnet. of the American economy so that strong individuals who want to provide for their families. work hard. play by the rules. and provide for their families are offered jobs by American employers? So they come here and send money back to look after their children and families. to develop a community. Many hardworking individuals have come. and many of them have enlisted in the Armed Forces of our country. More than 70.000 are serving in the Armqd Forces of our- country. Permanent resident aliens are in the Armed Forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. So we said: What is necessary is we have to bring these people out of the shadows. How are we going to do that? We have to entice them out so they feel they can be a part of our American system. and how is that going to happen? Since they cut in front of this line instead of waiting their turn. if they were to follow the immigration laws. we would say: You have to go to the back of the line. You have to go to the back of the line. You have to wait until that line is cleared up. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11101}
{"speech_id":1090121904,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You have to pay a fine. pay your taxes. abide by the laws of this country. work hard. and then. 11 years from nowl years from nowyou will be eligible to become an American citizen. The other side says: We cant do that because that is amnesty. That is amnesty. It is very interesting that whenever we talk about the undocumented. in many instances men and women who work hard. who are trying to provide for their families. who are devoted to their religion98 percent of the undocumented are working today. Working. These are qualities which we admirepeople who work hard. provide for theirfamilies. have beliefs in their God. are attentive to their church. care for their childrenall qualities we admire. But that is too bad. we are just going to send them back or criminalize them. We are going to send them back. So we have a difference here in the Senate. Wehave an agreement that we have to get a border and it has to be secure. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11101}
{"speech_id":1090121944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from Pennsylvania. the chairman of* the Judiciary Committee. for his good work in producing a bill that has become the subject of debate in the Senate dealing with a very important issue to our Nation. something that people are extremely engaged in. one that has generated a lot of debate and a lot of controversy around the country but clearly one that needs to be addressed.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":425}
{"speech_id":1090122081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if there is no further business to come before the Senate. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order. There being nb objection. the Senate. at 9:40 p.m.. adjourned until Thursday. April 6. 2006. at 9:30 a.m.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090122100,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I -am pleased to welcome this morning the University of Portland Womens Soccer Team to our Capitol and congratulate them for their undefeated season. winning the 2005 NCAA Champion Division I Title. their second championship in 4 years. Even the teams dedicated fans have set a new NCAA attendance record for any soccer season. men or women. I want to congratulate University President. Father Bill Beauchamp. Head Coach Garrett Smith. and the entire university community as the Pilots carried on the legacy of the late legendary coach Clive Charles. Most of all. I congratulate these women whose combination of athletic and academic excellence is an inspiration for young people everywhere. especially todays young women. There is much to celebrate- \"Up on the Bluff.\" The womens soccer team is a great example of excellence at the University of Portland. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":943}
{"speech_id":1090122100,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I welcome them to the Capitol and their White House ceremony later today.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":943}
{"speech_id":1090122142,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"and Mr Porter Shimkus Wicker . Pryce (OH) Shuster Wilson (NM) HALL changed their vote from \"nay Putnam Simmons Wilson (SC) to \"yea.\" Radanovich Simpson Wolf So the previous question was ordered. Ramstad Smith (TX) Young (AK) The result of the vote was announced Regula Sodrel Young (FL) as above recorded. Rehberg Souder","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":320}
{"speech_id":1090122180,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my .good friend from Tennessee for yielding me this time. and I commend him for his leadership in trying to institute budget reforms and instill fiscal discipline in the budgeting process. Listen. we are going to have a very -vigorous debate over the next couple of days in regards to the priorities and the values of our Nation. as it should be. People are entitled to their own rhetoric. they are entitled to their own. spin. their own opinion. their own ideology. but we are not entitled to our own facts. and the facts couldnt be more stark or more different in regards to the leadership on our budget under Democratic leadership versus the current administration. As this chart demonstrates. it shows the trend line for budget deficits and budget surpluses. and this upward trend during the 1990s under the leadership of Bill Clinton and Democrats indicates payasyougo rules as they existed for the administration and Congress which led to 4 years of budget surpluses when we were actually paying down the national debt. This cliff. which this red line demonstrates under the Bush administration. is the administration and Congress operating without payasyougo rules. What is so hard to get here? We need to reinstate payasyougo rules to bring back fiscal discipline and responsibility. as the gentleman from South Carolina indicated. for the sake of our childrens future. Our. budget alternative does that. Theirs doesnt. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090122180,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are going to continue this downward trend with deficit spending as long as we dont get back to.the budget basics.","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1566}
{"speech_id":1090122195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman. with respect to veterans health care there is also a big difference. The Presidents budget funds veterans health care at $12.5 billion below the Democratic Alternative over 5 years. and on top of that the President calls for veterans to be assessed a $250 fee to enroll for care at a VA Hospital. In the markup in our committee. House Republicans raised funding for 2007 by $2.6 billion above current services. But from 2008 through 2011. the Republican budget resolution cuts veterans health care by $8.6 billion less than what CBO estimates is needed to maintain current services. By contrast our resolution. the Democratic resolution. maintains funding every year at the CBO level of current services from 2008 through 2011. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090122195,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here to- discuss further the impact of the two budgets upon veterans health care is a Member who knows all about this. He is the ranking member of the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction on this matter. Mr. Chairman. I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090122230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me first thank Mr. NUSSLE and the Republican leadership for bringing up an important bill and allowing us to discuss it during the daytime hours. It is so unusual that I just wonder when the vote is going to take place. but I do hope it is in time for America to see how we work. Also. I want to thank Mr. \"NUSSLE for giving me the opportunity to explain some of the language -that he has been using. because when he talks about entitlements .there are so many people that get angry and they have to be against entitlements. too. They have to really be angry with America spending such a large amount of our budget on entitlements. But it is strange. they talk about entitlements and we talk about people in need. They talk about entitlements. we talk about the Social Security system that has lasted this country and given so much selfesteem and pride for our older people. those who became disabled. and things that we like to do. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3347}
{"speech_id":1090122230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dont cry. Dont just bring us these doggone private accounts. Dont send it to commissions. Bring it on the floor. Take it to the AmeriCan people. Ask the older people and their kids and their grandkids. how do you measure selfesteem and dignity? Entitlements. What does it mean? Who are the least among us? Is it the poor? And if you are poor and you are sick. is it asking too much in this great country of riches to say you are entitled to health care? And if you are older. andyou want to get a prescription drug. is it wrong for you to be outraged because we believe that they are -entitled? Or how about a kid from the neighborhood? Most of us here came from families that never got a college education. Were we entitled to an education? No. We were lucky we were able to get it. But I think that now that our Nation is at war. a war that we shouldnt be in. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3347}
{"speech_id":1090122230,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that our Nation is at war in terms of competition with foreign countries. that our people should be entitled to educations. They should be entitled to compete. They should be entitled to selfesteem. and every American should have an education and a decent place to live and health care. But no.. we cant afford it. We cant afford it. one. because $400 billion for Iraq. We can afford it for them. Oh. they will be entitled to decent health and decent housing and anything else. and we are not going to leave there until they get it. and they will have the victory and we will have the deficit. And so what I am saying is that lets not talk entitlements. If you really want to kill the education programs. the health programs for the aged and for the young. lets call it whatit is. It. is called Social Security. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3347}
{"speech_id":1090122230,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Say it with me. Social Security. It is called Medicaid. It is called Medicare. And these are programs for the disadvantaged. Now. if you cant afford it because you have some friends that are in the highest income. and I have not received one letter from any of them. and I dont think those from the rural areas. there arent too many of them there either. They may be included on the contributors list. but they havent called and asked for this tax cut. They havent called and asked for it. But the people that -are out there when we get back home during this work period. they will thank us for \u0095 fighting to save what they think. what they used to be entitled to. \" Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3347}
{"speech_id":1090122238,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Mr. RANGEL for yielding me the time. But let us clear something up immediately. Let us not demean the intelligence of the American people when we hear waste. fraud. and abuse. Where has the spending gone? They are bragging on one hand about increasing military spending by 70 percent. Seventy percent for the military. We are fighting two. wars. Iraq and Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2085}
{"speech_id":1090122238,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Have we forgotten about that? What about Katrina? Have :we forgotten about Katrina? What about their prescription drug bill? Now. which of those qualifies for waste. fraud. and abuse? That is where the money has gone. The problem we have today in this House is their tax cuts that. by the way. went to the top 1 percent of the wage earners in America. The millionaires were taken care of with their largesse. This budget takes the word \"compassionate\" out of \"compassionate conservatism.\" The Republicans would have the country believe that the budget cuts do not have any impact. on Americans. There is not a family in America that will not be harmed by this budget. The Presidents budget was bad enough. I was honored as a Democrat to present. the Presidents budget at the budget meeting. Do you know why? Because not one Republican would present the Presidents budget. The result. 390. we knocked down the Presidents budget. But let us talk about what this budget dbes. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2085}
{"speech_id":1090122238,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It calls for freezing child care funding. It will eliminate a .program that provides food for 420.000 poor elderly people. 50.000 poor mothers and their kids. It even ordered a 50 percent cut in housing assistance for people with disabilities. Their budget before us today takes an additional $100 million in cuts beyond what the Presidents budget proposed. At a time when we ought to be concerned about families in America. this budget turns its back on those people. This budget is the polar opposite. Instead of throwing doors open for the American people. they offer less vocational training. fewer small business loans. less financial aid for colleges. less support for our veterans. This budget lacks vision.","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2085}
{"speech_id":1090122240,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Chairman. as you know. I was absent from this House for 16 years. and I came back longing for some familiarity. but also hoping for some change. But as Yogi Berra said. when we have these budget debates. it is deja vu all over again. The same words I heard 18 years ago from the other side of the aisle still prevail: \"weaken.\" \"starve.\" \"slash.\" \"stab.\" \"kill.\" \"attack.\" \"assault.\" \"inflict pain.\" So I looked at the budget to see how much less it is than when I left here 18 years ago. It is so much larger now it is unbelievable. When we had the head of the OMB. now soon to be the new chief of staff at the White House. appear before us. he said that if we do not start to control entitlements. mandatory spending. by the time my children are ready to retire. we will have no ability. he said. to spend anything on discretionary spendink including the military. Think of that. We have come to a position now where the burgeoning of the entitlement programs is such that in another generation what the Constitution calls our first obligation. common defense. we will have no money for it. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090122240,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. how can this budget be so terrible? How can it be stifling? When I left -here before. if we had just frozen spending for a year. receipts would have caught up with spending. Now we are in a position that it would take 3 years of a freeze to catch up. This budget is not slashing. cutting. We are doing a little bit of trimming. Many Americans do not think we are doing enough. And.the whole idea on the other side. is all we have to do is tax more. Look at what these tax policies have given us. We have a robust economy. We have lower unemployment rates. Our rates of unemployment now are below what economists told us when I was here before we could ever sustain. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090122240,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They talked about 6 percent unemployment being full employment. Now we are below 5 percent. We should not sacrifice jobs on the mantra of increasing taxes. as my friends on the other side would have us believe.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1986}
{"speech_id":1090122247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Chairman. the Democratic budget resolution. I want to emphasize again. is exactly the same when it comes to dollar funding for national defensenational security. function 050. We are at the very same level. exactly the same as the House Republican resolution. That includes the $50 billion they provide toward the c~st of operations in 2007 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our resolution also funds foreign affairs. function 150. a bit above the House Republicans. but below the Senate and below the Presidents request. -Though the funding levels are the same. the .Democratic budget resolution calls for a better distribution of the defense budget. The Democratic budget resolution calls for. among other things. forgoing higher TRICARE fees on retirees under the age of 65. as the President and Pentagon have requested. not granting that request. increasing pay and reenlistment bonuses. badly needed to ensure recruitment and retention increasing family support center funding. badly needed for troops who are deploying now. some for their third tour of duty. leaving their families behind. funding cooperative threat reduction and nonproliferation at higher levels. funding the Army National Guard at 350.000 troops. -not 17.000 less .than that. ensuring $115.000 in death gratuities. funded retroactively to May 5. 2005. funding free life insurance in combat zones at $400.000. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2112}
{"speech_id":1090122247,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then. to pay for these things. funding missile defense at a substantial. but lower. level. among other things. deemphasizing spacebased interceptors. funding transformational. nextgeneration* satellite development. being pushed along a fast track. at a substantial. but lower. 16vel. and. finally. implementing the financial management -recommendations that the General Accounting Office has made in order to make the Pentagon and the Department of Defense more efficient. particularly in the acquisitions. Mr. Chairnian. I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri . the ranking and longtime member of the House Armed Services Committee. here to discuss the budget for national defense.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2112}
{"speech_id":1090122268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in relation to Chairman NUSSLES last offering. let me just repeat once again: the defense numbers in the two budget resolutions are equal. In other respects. however. the Republican budget gives us the worst of two worlds. It takes us over the cliff fiscally. and yet it underfunds key domestic priorities. You would like to think that if we are going into $400plus billion worth of additional debt. at least we are getting adequate funding for our domestic needs. But we are getting neither fiscal responsibility nor an adequate addressing of our needs for investment. The premise of the Republican budget as submitted by the President and as presented by our Republican friends seems to be that this country is going broke because we are doing too much cancer research. We are going broke because we have too many after school programs. We are going broke because we are opening tjp too much affordable housing. It simply is not true. ","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2862}
{"speech_id":1090122268,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To scapegoat these sorts of domestic expenditures is deceptive and reprehensible. There are many reasons for the. fiscal mess that we are in. starting with the Presidents tax cuts targeting the wealthiest Americans. defense and security spending above projected levels. a sluggish and sporadic economic recovery. and the expansion of health care entitlement costs. The one item not on \"the list is domestic discretionary spending. which is very close to projected levels. Yet that is the item that is being squeezed in this budget as though that were the culprit in our fiscal meltdown. I am happy- to say that our Democratic alternative balances the budget sooner and addresses these pressing domestic needs. Mr. Chairman. our Federal budget. like our household budget. is a statement about our priorities. about what we most care about. We ought to care about our obligation to future generations. to avoid placing a debt on them. We also have an obligation articulated in James epistle in the scriptures. \"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2862}
{"speech_id":1090122268,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If one of you says to him. Go. I wish you well. keep warm and well fed. but does nothing- about his physical needs. what good is it?\" Mr. Chairman. we must take these dual obligations seriously: An obligation to be fiscally responsible. to avoid loading a burden on future generations. and at the same time to meet the needs of our communities. to open up opportunity. to be fair. to bring home the promise of American life. Surely -there is no better indication of what we really care about and what we aspire to for this country than the Federal budget that we enact each year. It is not just abstract Iumbers. it reveals what kinds of stewards we wish to be. The Democratic alternative shows us the way past the Presidents \"worstofbothworlds\" budget. and I urge colleagues -to give this alternative openminded consideration and support.","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2862}
{"speech_id":1090122288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I hope my colleagues understood what I was trying to point out. and that is it seems very convenient for Members to come to the floor and decry the irresponsibility of tax cuts and yet propose them themselves. Isnt that interesting? Oh. but they are targeted. the gentleman will say. They are targeted. They are targeted for the exact right one person they want to target it for. Our tax cuts reduce taxes for every taxpayer in America. We didnt pick and choose the winners. We didnt decide who was appropriate and who wasnt appropriate. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090122288,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Every taxpayer in America. every taxpayer in America got tax relief under this plan. and it is working- because. as the gentleman fails to understand. last year alone there was a 15 percent increase in revenue. Because there is scientific data .to show that when you allow people to spend their own money. as opposed to having to come crawling to you to have a little bit of it back for the dignity that they seek from a big government. when they make those decisions for themselves. they make better decisions. and the economy grows and it expands. We have had 18 quarters of economic growth and expansion with 5 million new jobs created. There is your proof. and that is the reason why the gentleman comes down now and says. yeah. I am kind of for those tax cuts. kind of like them now. I dont want them for everybody. I will pick and choose who I want. I have decided who the winners and losers in America are going to be because I can make that decision. I am smart enough to do that. Well. on this side of the aisle. we believe everybody in America is a winner. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090122288,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Every taxpayer deserves that kind of respect. and that is the reason why we reduce taxes for every American. Every American is a winner in our vision of America. Mr. Chairman. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan .","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090122295,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this has been one of those periodic weeks where a lot of people in the country turn on the television and they look at this institution and they wonder if we live in another world. They see us. or at least one of us. going down the hallway giving highfives the day after announcing the end of a career in disgrace. they hear us obsessing on all kinds of things that do not matter to the American people. and then they hear this budget debate. And they hear the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman NUSSLE). for whom I have a great deal of respect. announce that under his budget everyone in America is a winner. They must wonder if we live in the same world because I wonder if the 13.5 million American families on Medicaid who have to pay more money under last years budget. and more money under this years budget to go to the doctor. really think they are winners. I wonder if the veterans who have served our country who are looking at cuts in years 2 through 5 under Mr. NUSSLEs budget think they are winners. I wonder if the Guard and Reservists who still will not get a fully funded TRICARE program think they are winners. I wonder if the 45 million uninsured that Mr. MORAN talked about think they are winners. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2355}
{"speech_id":1090122295,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wonder if the 13.5 million children living in poverty think they are winners. The reality is under this budget proposed by the chairmans mark. some people win under this budget: people who have already been winning and who have been winning for a very long time. People who need a little bit of generosity and have counted on a little bit of help from this city are not winners at all. I remember the first year I stood in this Chamber as a relatively new Member when the President of the United States stood in the well and gave his State of the Union. The one thing I remember this President saying is this President and this Congress will not leave for other generations and for other Congresses. I wonder as the President stood here it occurred to him that all these problems that plague this country involving the old. the sick. the poor and the young. did he mean for us to leave those problems for another Congress and another generation. because the budget of Mr. NUSSLE does that. It leaves all of these problems unaddressed by the richest country in the world. and I think it makes this budget so fundamentally wrong.","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2355}
{"speech_id":1090122298,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would simply inform the lady that we voted for the full budget act that put the budget in balance in 1998 for the first time in 30 years and then again in the year 2000. put it in surplus by $236 billion. Mr. Chairman. I yield 21\/2 minutes to tile gentleman from South Carolina","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090122372,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to add my words in agreement with the gentleman from Minnesota. that this is not a partisan motion in any sense of the word. This is something that Members of Congress. I think. can get behind and clearly feel comfortable that they are just serving. the interests of their constituencies. This particular motion does take the language from Senator GRASSLEY. on the other side of the House. that puts it into the bill that it would prohibit the wearing away. the practice by which some employers have discriminated against older workers when they offset the benefits that were already earned against their ability to earn new benefits under these new cash benefit plans. They can result in no new benefits being added. actually. for workers pensions for up to 10 years. And they provide for a fair transition for rules to protect workers pensions when they do convert the traditional pensions to those so called cash balande pension plans. We critically need this. You only need to talk to the people in your districts. my colleagues. and you will find a growing sense of insecurity in this country as corporations back off their responsibilities for. health insurance. back- off their responsibilities for retirement plans. and now. come up with a cash balance plah which is supposed to be a plan melding two different types of retirement programs and ends up hurting some. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2762}
{"speech_id":1090122372,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of my constituents talked about having worked for AT&T for 30 years. After 30 years of loyal work. the conversion of her pension -to a cash balance plan reduced her benefits by 46 percent. It is not fair. It is not right. and it shouldnt be acceptable to Members of this Congress. The Government Accountability Office released a major report on cash balance plans last November. They found that workers of all ages experience significant cuts to their retirement benefits when their employers switch from the traditional pension plan to the socalled cash balance plans without first protecting employees rights. Over 85 percent of 30yearolds. 90 percent of 40yearolds and half of the 50yearolds. experience deep cuts in their retirement benefits if they are shifted from a traditibnal pension plan into a cash balance plan without protections for retirement benefits. The GAO study did not find a single case. not a single case in which the cash balance plan provided the same level of retirement benefits that a typical defined benefit plan provided. Without transition protection. almost all workers. including younger workers. will lose up to 50 percent of their expected pension benefits. And. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2762}
{"speech_id":1090122372,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we cant allow that to happen. I ask my colleagues to join with Mr. MILLER in this attempt to make sure that we do protect this group of pensioners.","speaker_name":"JOHN TIERNEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2762}
{"speech_id":1090122420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week the Delphi Corporation. a key auto. parts supplier which employs 33.000 workers in the United States and has been in bankruptcy for several months. filed motions with the bankruptcy court to cancel its labor contracts and impose massive wage and benefit and job cuts on its workers and cut 21 of its 29 U.S. plants. And yet the House of Representatives has failed to hold a single hearing on this crisis. Unable to engage this crisis in an official hearing. I was joined by over a dozen Democratic colleagues in holding an ehearing this past December to ask the workers and retirees at Delphi and General Motors to testify on the Internet about how this crisis impacts them and their families. We swung open the virtual doors of Congress to make sure that their voices could be heard. Over 700 witness statements poured in. The workers testimony was deeply personal and heartfelt. And I want to share it with the House. From Rena Miller. a Delphi worker from Tanner. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1447}
{"speech_id":1090122420,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Alabama. From William J. Conrad from Dagsboro. Delaware. Danny Carter. a 49yearold Delphi employee who has been working in the Anaheim. California plant since he was 21 years old. And from Roger Smith. a retired Delphi worker now living in Hernando. Florida. Norbert Fuhs. a retired GM employee from Mitchell. Indiana. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1447}
{"speech_id":1090122420,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And Roger Talaga. a Delphi employee from Bay City. Michigan. who explained how the crisis would affect him and his family and the country.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1447}
{"speech_id":1090122425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last month the House surprised us all by unanimously agreeing to an amendment to the Iraq supplemental spending bill declaring that the United States has \"no intentions of maintaining a permanent military presence in Iraq.\" Who. knew this Republicancontrolled Congress would make such a positive statement? The lead authors of the amendment were my colleagues and the Progressive Caucus coChair. Representative BARBARA LEE from California and Representative TOM ALLEN from Maine. both of whom have been instrumental in demanding that the United States not maintain any permanent military bases in Iraq. Unfortunately. however. some people working inside the Bush administration are doing their very best to make sure that last months efforts will be for naught. One of the senior spokespersons at the U.S.-led coalition headquarters actually in Iraq had this to say about our lasting presence there: \"The current plan is to reduce the coalition footprint into six coalition bases. four of which are operated by the United States.\" So there you have it. The administration is not even hiding the fact that we are planning on maintaining four permanent bases on Iraqi soil. something they bureaucratically call \"the coalition footprint.\" This appallingly casual reference to what the rest of us call an occupation is deeply insulting. Anyone who has heard the President tell the American people that we will leave as soon as Iraq is secure and we wont stay a single day longer should be equally offended. because the evidence on the ground suggests that this statement is deeply misleading. Mfr. Speaker. last fall I traveled to Iraq as a part of an official congressional delegation. I visited the Green Zone and the Balad military base. and I had the privilege of meeting with our soldiers serving overseas. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090122425,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There were two powerful lessons that I took away from my visit. First. I saw that the troops stationed in Iraq are the very best that America has to offer. They are brave. they are intelligent. they are loyal. loyal to their country. to their mission and to each other. They are profoundly committed to this mission. even those who told me privately that they do not support the policy that underlies it. The second lesson I learned in Iraq is that the perception among the military generals on the ground is thatwe will be there for a very long time. The military bases that we are building are like little cities. They have their own restaurants. supermarkets. and even their own gyms. theaters and bus routes. The troops deserve no less during their stay in Iraq. but our stay there must be for the short term. Our troops need to come home to their communities and these bases must be given over to the Iraqis. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090122425,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The U.S. has already spent $280 million to construct the four biggest bases in Iraq. and the supplemental spending bill that the House passed in March provides nearly $200 million more to enlarge these bases. This is the real Iraq policy. not those phony platitudes and nicely worded sound bites about standing down when the Iralis stand up. platitudes that President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld want the people to believe. In fact. it is becoming increasingly clear that the Bush administrations intention all along was to secure a lasting foothold in the Middle. East. Forget all that stuff that you heard about going to war because Iraq possessed weapons of. mass destruction. which we all. know wasnt true. Forget about Saddam Husseins supposed ties to al Qaeda. We know that wasnt true either. And forget about freeing the Iraqi people from the thumb of a brutal dictator. My guess is that right now most Iraqis feel brutalized after more than 3 years of a preemptive war that now the President charges was about democratization. The real rationale for going to war in Iraq is much more sinister and much more dangerous to our longterm foreign policy. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090122425,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has become clear that the U.S. needs to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home. Our soldiers need this. their families and4oved ones back home need this. and of course the Iraqi people need this. But in order to truly end the occupation. we need to leave no lasting American presence in our place. That means no coalition footprint. nothing even close. That means bringing our troops home and giving Iraq back to the Iraqis. a","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090122430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Mr. Ralph Hauenstein. Mr. Hauenstein rose to the rank of colonel while serving in the U.S. Army during World Wars I and II and was appointed Chief. of the Intelligence Branch in the Armys European Theater of Operations under General Dwight Eisenhower. Mr. Hauenstein was later selected to serve as a consultant on the Presidents Advisory Commission during the Eisenhower administration. He served as a member of the team that supervised the first free elections in Russia and served as an auditor for the Second Vatican Council in Rome. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1383}
{"speech_id":1090122430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At 93 years old. he continues his -areer of public service and has significantly impacted west Michigan through his charitable donations and tireless involvement in his community. His generosity made possible the founding of the Grand Valley State Universitys Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. The Center encourages students to emulate his career by aspiring to achieve leadership positions and committing to public service. It fosters discussion by students. goernment officials and the public about the role of the U.S. presidency in domestic and world affairs. Mr. Speaker. please let it be known that on this 6th day of April. 2006. that the U.S. House of Representatives acknowledges the vision. contributions and achievements of Mr. Hauenstein as he continues to serve his country and community.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1383}
{"speech_id":1090122436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has quietly ushered in a new form of government in America called Repocracy. For those who believe that democracy is government of the people. by the people and for the people. Repocracy is absolutely the opposite of that. Repocracy is a government where open debate is replaced by lockstep discipline and where the rewards of the few become the burdens carried on the backs of the many. Repocracy puts a price on American values and deals only in hard cash. You only have to watch CSPAN to know what the real threat Repocracy poses. F6r the last 6 years. the Republican Party has been a disciplined. monotone political machine. Republicans live by one rule. whatever the President wants. the President gets. War in Iraq. rubber stamp approval.. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5371}
{"speech_id":1090122436,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tax holidays for Americas rich. rubber stamp approval. Slashing student loans. rubber stamp approval. Cutting programs for Americas vulnerable children and disadvantaged families. rubber stamp approval. Legislation written by financial institutions and big drug companies. rubber stamp approval. It was all so neat and tidy. Republican Members of the House voted the way they were told and leaders would not end voting in the House until their predetermined outcome was achieved. But that was last year. What has changed? The American people noticed. The American people put a lot of faith and trust in their leaders. For better or for worse. most Americans take the big picture approach: Trust elected officials until they betray that trust. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5371}
{"speech_id":1090122436,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Believe that elected officials will put Americas interests ahead of political interests. Have faith that your leaders will change course when something is truly not working. In other words. trust. but verify. It is precisely because the American people focus on the big picture that Republicans are doing everytbing possible to replace the image the American people see with a test pattern on television. The Presidents ratings are below sea level. Rbpublicans are counting the number of seats in the lifeboats. It is simple arithmetic. and the addition has Republicans subtracting. Mathematics requires proof. and there is plenty. The President bequeaths to the future President any decision about Iraq: His plan takes form: Stay in Iraq until it is somelbody elses problem. Invite the embattled President of Italy to address a joint session of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5371}
{"speech_id":1090122436,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress. speaking in Italian. to use Congress as a pqlitical campaign for a backdrop in an Italian electioii. Charge the Iraq war on credit and mask its real impact on the deficit by leaving it outside the annual budget. The clearest sign of all is the recent change in the House of Representatives to the 2minute vote. Call it government by stopwatch. A mere 120 seconds to decide the faith of legislation affecting the lives of every American. Under Repocracy. legislation comes to the floor of the House only when its passage is guaranteed. That is why we are going home today. because they cant get the budget. It is not guaranteed. The 2minute drill forces blind allegiance and stiff arms democracy. But that is the intent of Repocracy. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5371}
{"speech_id":1090122436,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Math is math. Republicans are losing their stranglehold on power. What is a party to do? Well. Republicans have concluded the best offense is a missing offense. so Republicans have substituted the business of the state for the business of reelection. Suddenly. the House leaders feel an urgent need for recess after recess after recess. We have never had a week off for Saint Patricks Day. It must be faithbased. The Republican mandated Congressional schedule has nothing to do with the peoples business and everything to do with the Republicans reelection business. The thinking goes like this: If Members are not in Washington. D.C.. the national press corps is taken out of the equation. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5371}
{"speech_id":1090122448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. I commend my colleague from Utah who just spoke previously. a fellow member of the Congressional Constitutional Caucus. who had indicated that we come to thig floor on a regular basis to address what the Founding Fathers intended with the American public and the other Members of this body. their intention for the framework of the Constitution and the framework of the government of the various levels.. James Madison stated in Federalist Papers No. 45 that the role of the Federal Government is limited and defined. whereas that of the States and the people. their powers are broad and numerous. To remind this body. the caucus function primarily is to focus upon the 10th amendment to the Constitution. which in essence says that all powers not specifically delegated to the Federal Government are retained by the States and the people respectively. When you read that and when you think about that. it is really pretty simple what the -founders were trying to do there. And when the Constitution was ratified in 1787. they probably thought it was pretty simple. too.- They thought they had probably in place a plan that would be existing for future generations would understand that the role of the Federal Government would be limited. that the sovereignty of the States and of the people would be respected. They probably thought to themselves that there is probably no way that they could have written it even more clearly than they did. that future Congresses should follow suit. should be ones to limit what the Federal Government does.. and to retain to the people and the States what their responsibilities are. Unfortunately. if you simply look out any of the windows .of this building on this growing city that we have before Us in Washington. D.C.. you see representative of what is a growing Federal Government in all facets of our life. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090122448,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am sure that our founding fathers would be disappointed in the largesse of the government. the excessive spending. the number of line items that is now in the budget. As a matter of fact. the budget is something that we were just debating and discussing on the floor of this House for a number of hours. I serve on the Budget Committee and have the opportunity to discuss it there as well. What would our Founding Fathers think if they were to see our spending levels today? Would they ask the question that I think we all should be asking: Is it inconsistent the size and scope that the government has grown to today? Is it inconsistent in the nature of the spending that the government has grown to today? If the Founding Fathers were with us today. I think they would give us a resounding no to what we are doing. They would say that it is inconsistent. that we have grown too large. But we are all leaving here now and going back to our districts. Many Members will be going back and using this time to get involved with the media. We are actually .in a 24\/7 media cyclein this country now with the advent of all the communications that we have. whether it is in press and press releases or whether it is going on the -radio or TV or email. Many Membets use this as an opportunity simply to go back to their district and to brag about all the money that the Federal Government is spending. all the new areas that they are enveloping as far as their responsibilities. just as the one that the gentleman from Utah was just talking about as far as the delineation of wetlands and how it impacts upon the people back at home. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090122448,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Maybe this is exactly what our Founding Fathers feared. that we have grown so far apart from where the money comes from and where it is spent. Their goal was that the money should be spent closest to the people. That way. the people would have the greatest voice in how it was going to be spent. Unfortunately. we have just the opposite today. The inverse is true instead. Let me just give you a couple examples that come to mind. Think about your local board of education and the schooling. Parents know who their teachers are. parents know who the principals are. parents know who the board of education is in their town that run their schools. But do parents know who the bureaucrats are down here in Washington. D.C. that now control education dollars that go back to thoseschools? People back at home know about the pothole in their front streets. people back at home know the name of their local mayor who may be responsible for making sure that street is paved. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090122448,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But do people know who the bureaucrats are in the U.S. Department of Transportation who are responsible for the transportation dollars that may or may not get back to their town to fix their potholes. but may instead go to someplace as the infamous bridge to nowhere? Maybe this. is exactly what our Founding Fathers were thinking of when they were looking at a government so far away across a broad ocean in England. and realizing that that English government was no longer connected to our government here. and so that is why they put the limits on it that they did. We could go down with other examples. with the growing deficit that we have today. with the -subpar service that we have in such agencies as .FEMA. and ad infinitum as far as this goes. as far as the bve.growth and the free enterprise system anywhere where problems that they have. the central government could take half I just simply ask that our Members and the rest of us passed on the other do this. and I think that the American half. We prosper by having growth in -public should be asking that their the standard of the living. opportuniMembers do as well: Is what we do the ties and others kinds of things. best for the schools? Best for medicine? So I believe that the growth in this Best for care best? For bridges? Best Federal Government is the single bigfor all other services? Is it in line with gest threat that we face as a country to what our constitutional framework our particular way of life. says and what our Founding Fathers That sounds strange in a country at intended? war. but the Taliban and al Qaeda and the thugs that threaten this country can get a few of ug. but they cannot Fr 2045 fundamentally change the way we live.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6183}
{"speech_id":1090122474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. and I particularly appreciate your talking about the common sense changes that have to be made to protect this country. Does it make sense. I ask our ranking member. to have a policy where you have to take off your shoes at the airport to get through the metal detector. but 50 percent of the cargo on the plane you are flying on is commercial. and 98 percent of that is never checked for an explosive? You can ship a bomb the size of a piano that will never get opened in a crate under that same plane. but you have to take your shoes off. Does that make sense?","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":585}
{"speech_id":1090122483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for his leadership and his eloquence and the tremendous job that he also does as we.serve together on the Judiciary Committee. I am now pleased to yield to JAY INSLEE from the great State of Wkshington. who has been a pioneer in the area of energy independence.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":283}
{"speech_id":1090122484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. And I have a simple \u0095message..We Democrats want to.strike a preemptive blow against our enemies in the Middle East. And the single. most effective preemptive. blow we have is to starve them from resources \"with which to attack us. We know where the money came from to finance the attack on September 11. It came from our addiction to oil that must stop. And we now have a President who said he wants to break our addiction to .oil. and we welcome his language about this. But we cannot run our cars on rhetoric. We cannot run a national energy independence program on rhetoric. We need real policies. And we are offering them. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090122484,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have offered to the country the New Apollo Energy Act. H.R. 2828. That is H.R. 2828. If folks want to look at it. they are welcome to see the most comprehensive plan that will really deliver a situation where we send less money to Middle Eastern sheiks and more money to middleAmerican farmers. That is a policy that we will embrace. and we will be more secure than we are today. I thank you for letting me have my few words today.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090122490,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished doctor from Georgia for yielding to me and for your important information for our colleagues and really for our Nation to understand the importance of the Medicare prescription drug plan. Some of the things said will bear repeating several times over the next few weeks. and one of the points I want to talk about. as you have discussed as well. is misinformation that is sent out about this plan. Any time something is new. there is going to be some glitches. All of us. when our children were new. well. we knew as parents we didnt exactly know everything we were doing and we had a foulup or two. but we persevered and our children turned out well. No matter what one does in life. when it is something new in learning the ropes of it. it is going to take a little adjustment. But as we were signing up 27 million seniors at a rate sometimes approaching 400.000 a week. the system wasnt always perfectly ready for all of them. and there were some glitches. particularly for some folks who were dual eligible. But the point is HIUS or Medicare responded. put -extra people on board. worked out some of theglitches. and I am pleased to say that many -of the seniors that I talked to are very pleased with this program. As a matter of fact. I was recently giving a town hall meeting.-there must have been 200 people in the audience there. and I asked how many of them have yet to sign up for a Medicare plan? Not a single hand went p. It seems that all of them had looked at the plan at that point. and that Pennsylvania had chosen a number of things. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10419}
{"speech_id":1090122490,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One gentleman decided to stick with the veterans plan. He liked that. He had served in the military for many years now as a veteran. Another woman was pleased that she could maintain the Pennsylvania PACE plan for low income seniors that worked well for her. Another woman said she was actually saving several hundred dollars so far. and it was only March. with the Medicare prescription drug plan. It is folks like this who really tell the truth about what is going on. While politicians may be out there trying to scare seniors. it is the seniors themselves that are perhaps the best salesmen saying it is valuable. It was only a short period ago that the stories that were always in the newspaperswere of seniors getting on board busses and going off to Canada to pick up their prescription drugs. -or perhaps using mail order systems to try to pick up prescription drugs. But I want to point out a couple of things that is important that. One. a study of the overall costs of traveling off to Canada. it turns out that the overall cost savings was probably only around 1 percent when you looked at it. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10419}
{"speech_id":1090122490,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But- AARP and others have said that actually the savings that comes from the Medicare prescription drug plan are at least equal to and sometimes better than traveling across the Nations lines to pick up drugs. Also a very. very important savings factor here is not just a matter of saving money. but saving lives. And in the process of seniors trying to find drugs that are affordable to them. Mr. Speaker. what they are also doing is getting on the Internet or going through mail order houses and trying to pick up prescription drugs from foreign sources and tragically finding that those sources contain counterfeit drugs. One. a drug used to treat schizophrenia. it turned out to be nothing more than white pills that- said the word aspirin- on. them. Other medications had water in them that was tainted. Other ones may have had paint or foreign substances in them. The point is. not only were they sometimes toxic in and of themselves. but in not treating the illness. the things that went with that is sometimes having seniors take medications that they could have been allergic to or take medications that certainly. at the very least. were not treating their illness. By having an affordable prescription drug plan. what we have instead is getting the right medicines to the right people so that they are taking medications that are valuable to them and can help treat their illnesses. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10419}
{"speech_id":1090122490,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But let me point out some more things we have to understand. because - as people also look at the expense of a prescription drug plan. we have to understand that. unfortunately.- the way this system works in this Federal Government. the Congressional Budget Office doesnt ever tell us how much we save. But take a listen at a couple of these points. First of all. ulcer surgery has become a relic of the past. New drugs. Nexium.. Prilosec. other things we have seen advertised. really have ended up treatingulcers so well that surgical procedures to correct ulcers has fallen. and today it is really a thing of the past. Medicines also reduce hospitalizations and surgery for heart disease. Drugs that reduce. for example. cholesterol levels and other things that in the past had been an automatic admission to a hospital and bypass surgery and angioplasty now we find are going down. Medications to treat Alzheimers diseases. Medications that have also worked out there to improve the cognitive functioning over time and keeping people out of longterm care and nursing care longer. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10419}
{"speech_id":1090122490,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Also. listen to this. overall new medicines plav a significant role in the life expectancy gains made in the U.S. and around the world. Recent research published in the Journal of Health Affairs concludes that new medicines generated 40 percent of the 2year gain in life expectancy achieved in 52 countries between 1986 and 2000. In other words. we are not only providing medications that are affordable. but medications are now there that providing better and longer life for many seniors. The list goes on with so many more. cancer drugs. drugs to treat AIDS. HIV. drugs that prevent stroke. that improve quality of life of children. There is a wfde range.. But -the main thing is before the Medicaid prescription drug plan came into effect. sa niany seniors. well. it was much like window shopping. You could lookin the shop and admire the merchandise. but you couldnt go in to get it. Now that has changed. And that is a message that we need to be telling acrossAmerica as we are doing tonight and our colleagues are going to do during this break. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10419}
{"speech_id":1090122493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would eating. were not heating their homes like to thank the gentleman for that or were not buying their prescription very kind introduction and also for the drugs. I commend Congress for passing opportunity to come and talk about this legislation and all the people that such a wonderful program. You used have worked to put it in place. 42 milthe term that it is the modernization lion Medicare recipients and of that we of Medicare. and often we only talk know we are at 27. 28 million people about the prescription drug benefit and right now. Six million do not need to seldom do we hear that we now have sign up because they have as good or welcomed to Medicare checkups for our better coverage through a better plan. seniors as they are entering into Medi- And our goal between now and May 15 care. is find those other 6 million people and But I would like to take a moment make sure they know about the profirst and th nl all of the people across gram. America who have worked so hard to Some of the things I have learned in bring this program to our seniors. to the district. first of all. seniors did not explain it. so that our seniors have the understand that this is available to evinformation and can make the best eryone. There is no income qualificachoice for them. I know that the CMS tion. If you are eligible for Medicare employees have worked very hard. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5599}
{"speech_id":1090122493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our you are eligible for this program. Agencies on Aging. our Senior Services I had one couple come just to ask me Agencies have already been sideby- one question and they raised their side with us in Virginia working. and hands early in the program and the many Members of Congress have been man said. I have a wonderful health holding meetings since last fall. care -coverage through my employer. I Now. of course I have seen a great am retired. He said. but when I die my number of increase in people once we wife cannot continue in the program. So what does she need to do? And the answer was she. is completely covered. When she loses that coverage. then she can go into Medicare part D with no. penalty and she can go in within 60 days of losing that coverage. So little things like that. One man raised his hands and he said. I was talking to my insurance agent. because it is important to remember that Medicare part D is not a government program. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5599}
{"speech_id":1090122493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is private sector insurance policy with a reduced premium because of the Federal Government. He said. my insurance agent told me it was okay to buy a plan that didnt cover my prescriptions. And I said. no. that is the wrong answer. You call that agent today and say your Member of Congress says you may not buy. his plan until he gets your prescription drugs. And what our seniors will find if they call. come to one of the seminars. we have asked people in our district to feel. free to call us. We are happy to get them in the right place. But if you sit down at the corhputer. and I have done it myself. . and I just go to www.medicare.gov andyou scroll down very slowly and you do not go off into space somewhere on the lefthand side of the screen. you just keep scrolling down. Answer the questions. Put in the information and. most importantly. what are the drugs that you take. and that will sort through all the programs and give you the very best options. I stopped and visited a friend on New Years Eve. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5599}
{"speech_id":1090122493,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She had recently lost her husband and I thought that would probably be a tough time of the year for her. While I wasthere I asked the question I .seemed to ask all seniors today and- that is. what are you doing about Medicare part D? When I asked I was surprised that she had no prescription drug coverage. And she said. I only take one prescription. It is $78 a month and I am not going to do anything. And I said. well. there* are choices out there and maybe you should call or you should write and you should get the information. She said. I have already done that and she had the chart laid out of three plans that covered her drug. As she talked to me and looked at the plans. it became very apparent that there was one plan that would cost her $25 a month. $35 for her prescription. and she was going to save $28 a month just by signing up for that plan and .that makes Ehe assumption she wont take any additional drugs over the course of this year. I think it is important. and you have talked about the May 15 date. and our seniors I think are well aware that since this is a private sector insurance policy and it has open enrollment. it has penalties. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5599}
{"speech_id":1090122493,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you do not sign up in time. just like a lot of other insurance products. there will be a penalties after May 15. But the other thing that is so important to remember is that if you do not sign up. May 15 enrollment is closed until November 15 and then you can sign up for January 1. So our seniors could be facing 7 months of not being able to get into the program simply because they didnt realize that. They didnt understand what their real choices were. So I applaud everyone who is working hard to tell them. Thank you for holding this tonight. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk. There are lots of success stories in the Second District. And I know you have other Members that want to talk about it as well. ","speaker_name":"THELMA DRAKE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5599}
{"speech_id":1090122505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"oL Florida. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. It is an honor to come before the House once- again. And once again. the 30something Working Group comes to the floor to share with the American people and to report what is happening here under the Capitol dome. We look forward to continuing to do this in the future. We know we are going to be off for 2 wQeks for the Easter break. all of next week. all ofi the week after. and we come back at the end of the month to try to do the business of the people of the United States of America. I think it is important for us to understand what took place here. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9095}
{"speech_id":1090122505,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. in the Capitol just today. As you know. we have been working throughout the week and sharing with not only the American people but also with the Members of Congress the importance of what we do here under the Capitol dome. When I say under the Capitol dome. I am talking about the legislating that is supposed to be taking place on behalf of the American people. I think it is important for us to not lose or miss the occurrence that did not take place -here tonight or tomorrow. We were supposed to be in session tomorrow. We were supposed to vote on \u0095 the budget that many Members on the majority side and the Republican side. Mr. Speaker. said was a good budget. that it is fiscally sound and we know what we are doing. Well. we debated all day here on this floor. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9095}
{"speech_id":1090122505,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was here a little earlier today. Mr. Speaker. maybe some 13 hours ago on this floor when we opened this Chamber at 10 a.m. this morning. And I pulled my chart out to talk about the borrowing that this Republican majority has done with the President of the United States. recordbreaking borrowing from foreign nations and selling off the United States of America where foreign countries own our debt. And all day today I saw Members after that on the Republican side saying we are proud of this budget. this budget is going to put America back on track. On this side. the Democratic side. we were talking about fiscal responsi* bility. we were talking about being reasonable with our spending and also making sure that we prioritize every day working Americans and not just the special interests and the super wealthy. I think that argument prevailed. Because I understood at the end pf the day that there werent enough Members on the majority side to pass President Bushs budget. because that is what it is This House has been just saying. yes. Mr. President. whatever you want. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9095}
{"speech_id":1090122505,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No matter what the Constitution says. no matter what our responsibility is to our constituents. we are going to do it the way you say you want it done. That is what has gotten this House in a bad light with the American people. Now. I am here tonight and the 30something WorkingGroup is here tonight to make sure that the American people and the Members of the majority side understand. we were united in voting for our budget which is a payasyougo budget and that will balance the budget in 6 years. We Were united. When I say \"we.\" House Democrats are united. If they were from the. west coast or South Or North. whichever way you cut it. you can go all of the way to Hawaii. House Democrats were united in bringing America back into a fiscal responsibility era .when we balanced the budget. We are the only party in this House that can say. We balanced the budget. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9095}
{"speech_id":1090122505,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. I used to play football for Florida A&M. and it was kind of hard for the coach to talk about the national championship if the coach has never been to the national championship or played in the national championship game. Might have read about it. but it is hard for someone to tell you how it feels if you have never been there. We have been there on the Democratic side. We have balanced the budget. We come to this floor to say if you are going to spend. then you better show where the money is coming from and how you are going to replace it. You just cannot say I am goihg to take the credit card out and I am going toput it on the backs of Americans. and I am going to come to the floor. and I am talking about. say for instance. hypothetically if I was on the majority side being a Reppblican. and it bothers me just saying it because the Republican majority has made history in all of the wrong places and for all of the wrong reasons over the past years of borrowing and spending. Borrowing and spending. Borrowing from whom? Let me just take my little map out here. The Republican majority and President Bush. $1.05 trillion that foreign nations own that did not exist prior to this Republican majority having the opportunity to have their way along with following the President and bad policy. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9095}
{"speech_id":1090122578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman for that response. Every employment sec.tor is unique. and what we have found. and I think what the committee has found. is that agriculture. because of the type of labor involved. is kind of the entry door many of our migrant laborers come through legal and illegal. and from that. if you will. learn and move to other segments of the economy. So we tried to reflect that in the structure of the Feinstein amendment to the bill. recognizing that other portions of the bill would be different. and that the compromise that is being talked about. in my opinion. makes some sense as it relates to seniority and time and place to work in a fair and responsible way. At the same time. it makes sure that we dont effectively damage these segments of the economy Americans will not work in. choose not to work in. and that we find foreign nationals can and will and are very effective in their work there. I thank the Senator verymuch.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":950}
{"speech_id":1090122599,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. baseball season is upon us. Tomorrow. my friend. Hall of Fame to be pitcher Greg Maddux will pitch. With 11 more victories. he will be in the top 10 of all baseball players who have ever pitched in the Major Leagues. He needs to win 11 more games this year. The reason I mention this is what we are doing here in the Senate is not a baseball game but. in spite of that. the American people are looking for a win. There is no question to this point the Senate has not pitched a perfect game. but I will say that the Senate Judiciary Committee has done a great deal. They have. in effect. loaded the bises. The Senate Judiciary Committee has loaded the bases. We have the bases loaded. and now the Senate is up to bat. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6339}
{"speech_id":1090122599,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to get a hit. If we get a hit. we drive in a run. it is over. and the American people have won. We have to remember what we are voting .on. We are voting to keep moving forward on a good. strong. bipartisan bill that will seoure our borders. No matter how many people come and talk. how many speeches they give. the fact is that is what it is all about. We. the minority. believe we owe it to the American people to keep moving forward on legislation. that will keep us safe. Some Republicans \" disagree with that. It is very clear froft the debate that has taken place. I can only guess they intend to kill this immigration debate and move on to other matters. That is unfortunate. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6339}
{"speech_id":1090122599,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If that happens. the -Senates inability to secure our borders and fix our immigration system will be the Republicans burden to bear. The one question I ask throughout all this: Where is President Bush? On an issue which is this important. I havent seen his congressional liaison working the halls the way they do on the budget matters or they will later today or early when we come back after a break on reconciliation. I havent seen them here. I havent seen the Vice President over in his little office here. calling people in. saying this is what we need to do ior the country. On immigration. .the President has been silent. After this vote. which will take place in just a few minutes. I hope the President will become engaged in what is going on here and join in the move to pass important immigration legislation. Everyone says that they support immigration reform. In a matter of min-. utes. we are going to vote. and we have been told that all the majority is going to vote against cloture. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6339}
{"speech_id":1090122599,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is too bad because the bill before us is. as I indicated. a good bill. This legislation is important. It will be a blow to America if this vote is blocked. For the last 2 weeks. we have enjoyed some rare bipartisan moments in the Senate. We have seen Democrats and Republicans on the Judiciary Committee work together on one of the greatest national security issues we have ever faced. The bipartisan spirit has resulted in a: strong bill that was supported by half the Republicans and all the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. This bill isnt perfect. but it takes a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that this Nation needs. It will secure our borders. It cracks down on employers who break the law. It will allow us to find out who is living here. whether it is 11 million or 12 million. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6339}
{"speech_id":1090122599,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We will find out. We want the people who are living in the shadows to come forward. to be fluent in English. We do not want people who have committed crimes. We want them to pay taxes and have jobs. Even with that. they go to the back of the line. It is true that there will be additional immigration votes tomorrowmaybe even late tonight if something can be worked out this afternoon. People have been working on the Martinez amendment for the last several days. and they havent completed it yet. but they are very close. I compliment the Senator from Florida for the work he has done. Maybe it can be improved. I hope it becomes something for which I can vote. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6339}
{"speech_id":1090122618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the U.S. Bureau. of Labor Statistics projects a shbrtfall of 10 million workers in this country by 2010. The reason is quite simple: Qur workforce is growing older. and as it grows older. it shrinks. That is true in Japan. a great Nation 30 years ago. 20 years ago. suggested to be the economic force of the world. and 12 years ago. it quit growing. and began to die. Why? Because her workforce grew older. On the other hand. .immigrant labor is behind the significant economic grohth this country has experienced in different areas in recent years. These are the economic necessities of today in a growing economy. Can we recognize this? Do we see that foreign nationals are cleaning up New Orleans and binding her wounds? Do we know that the Pentagon was rebuilt by Hispanic muscle? Immigrants are sweating it out across our country. They consistently have. done it literally for centuries. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090122618,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my home State. Hispanics were digging the mines in the 1860s. Mexican cowboys and ranchers were solid members of the pioneer communities even before my State became a State. Hispanics were mule packers in the 1880s. the mule trains that moved across the great West. They and the Chinese were building and maintaining the railroad systems of the American West throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Today. they are harvesting apples in Washington. peaches in Georgia. and oranges in Florida. They are gathering grapes in California. slashing sugarcane in Louisiana. harvesting potatoes in Idaho. and picking corn in Iowa. Their footprints are in agricultural fields across America. Immigrants are hard workers. They work hard because they are grateful people and feel a sense of debt for the opportunity this country has given them. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090122618,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Contrary to what some believe. immigrants who have entered legally and illegally are .not- here to siphon servibes but to produce and to contribute. They are working hard and. in most instances. giving back. The Idaho commerce and labor department reports that between 1990 and 2005. Hispanic buying power in Idaho rose more than twice as fast as total buying power across our State. Nationwide. the purchasing power of Hispanics will reach $1 trillionthat is trillion with a \"t\"-in 4 years. Beyond their role in sustaining the countrys labor force. immigrants make a net fiscal contribution to the U.S. economy. The Presidents 2005 Economic Report. -which uses figures that are most authoritative in analyzing to date the economic impact of immigrants. says: The average immigrant pays nearly $1.800 more in taxes than he or she costsThe economy. Undocumented immigrants are believed to contribute billions of dollars to our Social Security system. billions.of dollars they will not benefit from. According to the Presidents report. the administrations earnings suspense filethat is a file within Social Security made up of taxes paid by workers with invalid or mismatched Social Security numberstotaled $463 billion in While other nations of the developed world are aging. America still sees a youthful face reflected in that mirror in which she looks. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090122618,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Immigration renews the United States. and it keeps us young. while countries such as Japan. as I mentioned earlier. and Russia and Spain are facing problems because their populations are decreasing. America has the necessary arms to support its pension and its social programs. Therefore. a comprehensive immigration reform is in Americas best selfinterest. Yes. we must contain our borders. Yes. we must. in any immigration program. make sure that it is controlled and managed so that those who come to America can. in fact. become Americans. Understanding these realities erases some of the misconceptions bouncing around this Chamber and bouncing around America. misconceptions that sometimes smack of prejudice. Previous immigration waves have experi-. enced it to some extent. but I believe that we. as a nation. are greater than that. When every one of us. except Native Americans. belong to a family that came from somewhere else. we should be careful not to erect mental borders. the type that keep people who are different from us at arms length. We are a nation that encourages new thinking and benefits from the growth that results from that new thinking. The American poet. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090122618,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Oliver Wendell Holmes. said it best when he said: A mind stretched by a new idea never returns to its original shape. It expands. It grows. It broadens. Immigration is a source of new ideas of entrepreneurship and vitality. The meeting of cultures simply does not happen in a oneway street but in a bridge. where both sidesgive and Feceive. When America looks at herself in her mirror. what will she see? She will see the very multicultural character she has always been. She will see that characteristic is her greatest asset. So the debate on the floor of the Senate today is worthy of this Senate. It is worthy of all of us to make sure that a program that is broken. a national immigration program that has not had a caretaker for over two decades. now be given that responsibility. to be redesigned. to be shaped. to be brought under control. that our borders be secure and that Americas multinational or multiethnicity continue to grow and prosper and bring the kind of strength and viability to our culture that it has always given us. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5494}
{"speech_id":1090122689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate your courtesy so very much. Mr. President. the Democrats continue to fight for strong border enforcement and comprehensive immigration reform. This compromise is the second bipartisan. plan we have supported. this Martinez amendment which is now before the Senate. We are happy to welcome Senator FRIST. He has been very cooperative in working to get this bill where it is now. to the Senate. at this time. It is a comprehensive. tough. smart approach that we have advocated all along. Unfortunately. \" other \u0095 Republicans seem intent on delaying and defeating this compromise. We are ready to move forward. but a group of Republican. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090122689,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senators want to slow this matter down. it appears. If not for them. this legislation could move forward. We would head into the recess with a bipartisan victory for the American people. Although this compromise is not perfect. it still is the right comprehensive approach. It is \"enforcement plus.\" tough reforms to protect our border and crack down on employers who hire illegally plus it will bring the millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. The Republicans are divided. obviously. on this issue. We must protect this fragile compromise and those bent on gutting this bill with hostile amendments. We still must ensure that this comprehensive approach is not lost when the bill reaches conference with the House of Representatives. Therefore. I have suggested to the distinguished majority leader that the conferees on this be the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090122689,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There would still be the twovote majority that we have on all conference committees. These men and women who make up the Judiciary Committee fully understand this legislation. I believe they would make sure the Senates position was protected. I have also said in addition to that we should have a limited number of amendments. I have made that proposal to the distinguished majority leader. I believe it is a test of leadership for President Bush to see what he can do to help bring everyone into this program. We do not need this matter derailed. I will meet with Senator FRIST at approximately 8:30 again tonight and see if there is something we can work out. Here he is. So I hope there is something we can do. j have. as I indicated. suggested that the (Judiciary Committee members be conferees and we have a limited number of amendments. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090122689,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It sounds fair. It sounds reasonable. to me. I hope President Bush. who has talked about immigration reform. would get involved and help us reach the finish line.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090122705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President I agree with much of what Senator CRAm saidparticularly about the ineffectiveness at the border. Lets be real frank and honest about the bill we have today. The reason we are in trouble today. the reason we are not going to be able to pass this legislation. is that the bill is a failure. It is a colossal failure. It is a dead horse. It has been lying out in the sun. and people have been having to look at it. and they are now able to smell it. A few amendments and a c9mpromise is not going to revive this. It doesnt do what we want it to do. It has a huge surge in immigration. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090122705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The compromise is 95 percent of what was in the bill we just rejected this morning by a 60vote margin95 percent of it. And the others were supposed to make some big difference. but part of the changes in the bill increase the number of people who would come into the country. and there is not any restraint on the legislation. So the underlying bill. that came out of committee was bad from the beginning. Let me tell you *hat happened. We debated the bill. We spent 5 days in markup. and 4 of those days basically were on border control issues. We debated individual words. Then. all of a sudden. on the last day. when the majority leader said we had to have the bill out. about noon we got around to the amnesty for the 11 million people and what we were going to do about future immigration policies. And without any amendmentsmaybe no more than one or twothey were adopted in toto. without any real discussion. no expert testimony. no full understanding of the comprehensiveness of it. We just rushed it through. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090122705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We passed this bill last Monday at about 6 or 7 oclock at night. It hit the floor on Tuesday or Wednesday. The bill was not even printed until- Wednesday night. We were devoting Wednesday all day to the bill. and it had not even been printed. I ask my colleagues this: Should you not know how much the bill costs? Is anybody here prepared to stand up and say what this bill would cost. the compromise bill. if we pass it? How much will it cost? Does anybody know? I made inquiry today and got back a letter from CBO that said it is clearly in violation of the Budget Act. Now. they said that was just a part of the. cost. it was much more than that. They were still trying to run the numbers. So within minutes. I got this email from the Congressional Budget Office. It has a score on it. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090122705,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It says that CBO and Joint Tax estimate that direct spending outlays under this bill would total about $8 billion for the first 5 S3198 coi years. That is clearly in violation of the Budget Act. What about revenues? Joint Tax and CBO--our two agencies we depend on to tell us what the cost and impact of the legislation will 1 eestimate that the legislation would result in an onbudget revenue loss of $5 billion from 2007 to 2011 and $2 billion over the 2007to2016 period. largely because of lower tax payments by businesses. Here is discretionary spending. Assuming the appropriation of a necessary sum. CBO estimates that outlays for those purposes would total at least $16 billion from 2007 to 2011 and more than $30 billion over 2007 to 2016. And they are in a governmental. mandate. The bill would impose mandates on State and local governments with costs that would exceed the threshold established by the Unfunded Mandates Act and at least 1 of the first 5 years after they take effect. totaling $29 billion over 5 years. Well. why am I saying that? First of all. that is a lot of money. We have Social Security in trouble. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090122705,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Medicaid in trouble. and we are going to add $29 billion more to our costs? What is really troubling is that it is symptomatic of the lack of thought and serious evaluation that went into writing this bill to begin with. It is not a good piece of legislation. It has good intentions. It desires to do the right thing. Unfortunately. as I have studied it. having been on the Judiciary Committee. I have come to believe it cant not be amended. And we are going to have three amendments that are going to somehow fix this bill? It fundamentally needs to be reviewed. I really think so. I will repeat that I am optimistic about our ability to make this work. I am optimistic that. with just a commitment of will and some resources. we can create secure borders and increase the number of people who come into our country legally. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5307}
{"speech_id":1090122757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am proud to join as a cosponsor of Senator SPECTERS Oil and Gas Industry Antitrust Act. This bill should help us curb the skyrocketing energy prices that have been an increasing burden on our Nations consumers and businesses. It also should help us figure out how we can address these problems in the future. High fuel costs are affecting every family. whether they are driving across town or heating their homes. and we must continue our efforts to do something about it. This bill would take immediate steps to help decrease possible price manipulation by oil companies and allow government enforcement agencies to take action to prevent pricefixing by oil producing nations. I have been working on this problem for a long time. In fact. Senator KOHL and I have worked hard in our Subcommittee on Antitrust. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4107}
{"speech_id":1090122757,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Competition Policy and Consumer Rights to encourage FTC monitoring of gas prices and their careful investigation of oil industry behavior. I believe that those efforts have helped limit. the fuel price increases. unfortunately. we still face enormous problems in this area. and we are all paying higher and higher prices for gas and heating oil. So. we need to continue our efforts and try some different approaches. and this legislation does just that. Specifically. this bill calls for the Government Accountability Office to undertake a thorough study of the past enforcement actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice in prior oil industry merger investigations. This study will provide muchneeded information on how effective the antitrust agencies actions have .been in preventing harm to consumers from mergers within the petroleum industry. Even more important. this bill also will call on the FTC and DOJ to use the findings from that study to examine those specific mergers and determine if they need to take further enforcement action regarding those deals. In addition. the antitrust agencies will utilize this information to take a close look at the petroleum industry and to determine whether they recjuire special antitrust rulesapplicable specifically to the oil industryto give the agencies the tools they need to promote competition in the oil industry. This would be a very significant step. of course. but it is something they will consider. Another important provision of this legislation creates a Joint Federal and State Task Force to investigate information sharing in the oil industry that may lead to artificially high prices for gasoline. electricity. and heating oil. The Federal Government and the various States have worked very effectively in the past to look into price spikes. supply disruptions. and host of commercial arrangements that can harm consumers. and this bill provides a valuable framework for continuing and increasing this very effective cooperation. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4107}
{"speech_id":1090122757,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Moreover. this bill will put an end to. .certain types of activities that oil companiesmay use to drive up prices or create shortages for all types of fuels. Specifically. this bill makes sure that oil companies cannot manipulate. prices by refusing to sell their products in particular markets or diverting oil products away from American shores to. artificially create a shortage and pad their profits. I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a provision that Senator KOHL and I have pursued since 2000a provision that would make it clear that the Antitrust Division can prosecute OPEC for its pricefixing. I believe that some of the provisions of this bill will help right away. like limiting the ability of the oil companies to refuse to sell petroleum in markets that need it and putting OPEC on notice that they can be prosecuted -if they violate our laws. These provisions should help in the shortterm. And. the other provisions. which require studies and review of past enforcement actions and analysis of possible changes in the antitrust laws. may help us address this problem in the longrun. This bill will make a difference and help consumers. I strongly encourage my- colleagues to join in support of its pAasage. By Mr. LEAHY:","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4107}
{"speech_id":1090122778,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr President. I appreciate the spirit of the Senators remarks. He has presented this the same way he dealt with the budget issues..He and Senator GREGG did a very good job with that and hdlped the Senate through a difficult area. The last energy bill. the one in July. was a very good bill because it began to shift our policy toward producing large amounts of lowcarbon and nocarbon energy. It takes a while to do that. It is like turning a big ship around. But we are already beginning to gee the results. There was more conservation and efficiency in that than* we had before. which avoids building new natural gas plants. for example. But we could do much more. There was significant support for nTclear power. which we should do more. of. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3605}
{"speech_id":1090122778,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All those who want to solve global warming in a generation should be helping to support nuclear power because 70 percent of our carbonfree energy in the United States today comes from nuclear power. Seventy percent of the carbonfree electricity that we produce comes from nuclear power. There is a growing consensus that we should begin to proceed with that in the United States. and even help India and China avoid dirty coal plants that pollute the area. If we want clean air andlowcost power that is reliable. the approach toward nuclear power is important. That was in the bill. I encourage steps towards clean coal. which would be coal gasification. which would limit the amount of nitrogen and sulphur and mercury that would come from the use of coalwe have a lot of coal in the United Statesand research for carbon sequestration. If we could recapture the carbon. we could then use coal for large amounts of clean power. Then we had significant support for renewable energy. for ethanol. The President has now suggested that we extend that to different kinds of ethanol. I am sure there are appropriate places for wind power. but it doesnt amount to much. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3605}
{"speech_id":1090122778,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not very I able. And there is no excuse for spf ing $3 billion over the next 5 yeari gigantic Windmills that give big i sidies to investors and scar the 1E scape when we could be spending ii conservation and efficiency. Of cou what I hope. finally. and in pursui Senator CONRADS goal. is that we double our interest in the hydro fuel cell economy. Major manufac ers are telling me they are invesl hundreds of millions of dollars e year in hydrogen fuel cells which have -no emissions except water. one major manufacturer said to that his company. one of the larges the world. wouldhave a commerci available car on themarket withii years. and that was last year. I seems soon to me. But the sooner t happensthe sooner that happens. better. To reduce our dependence on for( oil so that we are not held hostage. to make sure that we have clean and to make sure that we do our not to add to global warming. should do all these things. We do need a national windmill policy. need a comprehensive energy policy I see the Senator from Massac setts. We would have to put enough gi windmills to cover 70 percent of Ma chusetts to equal the amount of ene in the oil we would get from ANWR. My.main purpose is to say to Sene CONRAD that I welcome his proposa. is a serious. thoughtful effort. a: characteristic of his efforts. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3605}
{"speech_id":1090122778,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wish to ask that we carefully sider where the tax subsidies go be: we spend more billions of dollars c source that is already oversubsidi that scars the landscape. that ( works When the wind blows. that quires large new power lines to be b and that can fend for its own in n ketplaces where it is appropriate to I thank the Chair. I yield the flooi By Mr. BURNS (for himself","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3605}
{"speech_id":1090122783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise business and economic development in all communities--throughout this Natoday to introduce the Minority Entre- tion. It is appropriate for the Federal preneurship and Innovation Pilot Pro- Government to lead the efforts and find gram. legislation aimed at addressing innovative solutions to the racial disthis Nations growing economic dis- parities that. exist in this country. parities through entrepreneurship and whether they are in healthcare. edubusiness development. It is the spirit of catiot. or economics. entrepreneurship that has made Americas economy the best ipi the world. Economic disparities in this country And it is through the energy and vital: are a very complex issue. particularly ity of the small business sector that we when racial demographics are involved. will help all sectors of American soci- I am well awarethat there is no oneety benefit from our robust economy. sizefitsall solution and there is no Exactly oneyear ago. the National single piece of legislation that will Urban League released a report on the level the playing field. However. I State -of Black America. which dis- strongly believe that educationand encussed the growing economic gap be- trepreneurship can help to close the tween African Americans and their gap in business ownership and the white counterparts. The report states wealth gap that exists in this country. that the median net worth of an Afri- Many minorities are already turning to can American family is $6.100 compared entrepreneurship as a means of realwith $67.000 for a white family. The re- izing the American dream. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6631}
{"speech_id":1090122783,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According port makes clear that closing the ra- -to U.S. Census data. Hispanics are cial wealth gap needs to be at the fore- opening businesses 3 times faster than front of the civil rights agenda moving the national average. Business developinto the twentyfirst century. ment and entrepreneurship have played Disproportionate unemployment fig- a significant role in the expansion of ures for minorities versus their white -the black middle class in this cofuntry counterparts have also been a -per- for over a century. sistent problem! Even as the adminis- The Minority Entrepreneurship and tration has -been touting the current Innovation Pilot Program offers a comlow nationwide unemployment rate. petitive grant to Historically Black the African American unemployment Colleges and Universities. Tribal Colrate was 9.5 percent. the Hispanic un- leges. and HispanicServing Institutions employment rate was 6 percent. while to create an entrepreneurship curthd unemployment rate for whites riculum at these institutions and to averaged 4.1 percent. open Small Business Development CenAs the Ranking Member on the Sen- ters on campus to serve local busiAte Committee on Small Business and nesses. The colleges and universities Entrepreneurship. I have received first- that participate in this program will hand testimony and countless reports foster entrepreneurship among their documenting the positive economic im- students. the best and brightest of the pact that occurs when we foster entre- minority community. and ddvelop a preneurship in underserved commu- pool of talented entrepreneurs that are nities. There are signs of significant essential to innovation. job creation. economic returns when minority busi- and closing the wealth gap. The bill nesses are created and are able to grow would make 24 grants. for $1 million in size and capacity. Between 1987 and each. available to institutions that in1997. revenue .from minority owned clude entrepreneurship and innovation firms rose by 22.5 percent. an increase as a part of their organizational misequivalent to an annual growth rate of sion and open a businesscounseling 10 percent and employment opportuni- center for those -graduates that start ties within minority owned firms in- -their own businesses as well as the surcreased by 23 percent during that same rounding community of existing busiperiod. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6631}
{"speech_id":1090122783,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thefe is a clear correlation be- nessowners. tween the growth of minority owned The goal of this program is to target firms and the economic viability of the students who have skills in highly minority community. . skilled fields such as engineering. manWe have come a long way. but we ufacturing. science and technology. still have a long way to go if this coun- and guide them towards entrepreneurtry is going to keepthe promise made ship as a career option. Minorityto all its citizens of the American owned businesses already participate in dream. In 2005. African Americans ac- a wide variety of industries. but are April 6. 2006. CO] disproportionately represented in traditionally lowgyowth and lowopportunity service sectors. Promoting entrepreneurial education to undergraduate students at colleges and universities expands the pool of potential business owners to technology. financial services. legal services. and other nontraditional areas in which the overall development of minority firms has been slow. Growing the size and capacity of existing minority firms and promoting entrepreneurship among minority students already committed to higher education will have a direct relationship on the employment rate. income levels and wealth creation of minorities throughout the nation. The funds are also to be used to open a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on the campus of the institution to assist in capacity building. innovation and market niche development. and to offer traditional business counseling. similar to other SBDCs. The onetoone counseling offered by the business specialists at these centers has proven to be the most effective model available for making entrepreneurs run more effective. more efficient. and more successful businesses. By placing the centers on campus. the institutions will beable to leverage the $1 million grant for greater returns and coordinate efforts with the schools academic departments to maximize the efficacy of the program. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6631}
{"speech_id":1090122783,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While the funding in this bill is modest relative to the multibillion. dollar budgets we discuss on a daily basis.. these funds can go a long way and be leveraged to create economic growth in the most needed areas of this country. With this legislation. we will help foster longterm innovation and competitiveness in the small business sector. Mr. President. this billis a small investment in the future of this country that I am sure will do much to foster economic growth in our minority communities and beyond. I urge my colleagues to join me as cosponsors of this important piece of legislation. By Mr. DOMENICI (for himself and Mr. INHOFE) (by request):","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6631}
{"speech_id":1090122788,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. every three years. our Committee reviews the majority of the Small BuSiness Administrations (SBA) programs to see whats working. whats broken. and what can be improved. As ranking member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee currently. and a memberfor more than 20 years. I have worked on many reauthorizations. I can tell you that the SBA reauthorization process is a great opportunity to examine programs. to work with the small business -groups and SBAs partners--those who use these programs on a daytoday basisand the SBA. to ensure that they serve their intended purpose and make the dream of a small business a reality to those who might not be eligible for business loans through conventional lending. dont have an MBA but need some management counseling. or need help cutting through red tape to get government contracts. Today I am focusing on the SBAs -largest small business programs. Specifically. I am introducing legislation to reauthorize the 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program for three years. This bill. the \"7(a) Loan Program Reauthorization Act of 2006.\" authorizes the SBA to back more than a combined $58 billion in 7(a) loans to small businesses. gives borrowers more options when choosing SBA financing. reduces program fees on borrowers and lenders if the government charges excess fees or has excess funding. creates an Office of Minority Small Business Development within SBA to increase the availability of capital to minorities. and creates a National Preferred Lenders program to streamline the application process for exemplary lenders to operate on a national basis and reach more borrowers. 7(a) loans are the most basic and widely used loan of the SBA business loan programs. These loans help qualified. small businesses obtain financing which is guaranteed for working capital. machinery and equipment. furniture and fixtures. land and building (including purchase. renovation and new construction). leasehold improvements. and debt refinancing. under special conditions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12720}
{"speech_id":1090122788,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The loan maturity is up to 10 years for working capital and generally up to 25 years for fixedassets. A key concept of the 7(a) guaranty loan program is that the loan actually comes from a commercial \"lender. not the government. This excellent private\/public partnership has made this program one of the agencys most popular. with over 400.000 approved loans in the *past six years. Last year alone. almost 96.000 small businesses received $15 billion in 7(a) loans. creating or retaining an estimated 460.000 jobs. To ensure that we continue to have enough authorization levels to manage the increasing demand. my bill reauthorizes the 7(a) Loan Program for three additional years at $18.500.000.000 fiscal year 07. $19.500.000.000 fiscal year 08 and $20.500.000.000 fiscal year 09. These authorization levels ensure that program levels are sufficiently high to enable the SBA to back the maximum amount of loans as possible andavoid credit rationing or shutdowns. Providing appropriate authorization levels to adequately address the capital needs of small businesses is as important as ensuring that eligible borrowers have access to both fixed asset financing and working capital to address all of their small business needs. Currently. borrowers who need working capital under the 7(a) program and fixed asset financing through the 504 loan program are not able to utilize both SBA loan guaranty programs to their maximum amount and are therefore forced to choose between the two programs. To prevent a situation where a borrower is forced to choose between getting a muchneeded facility or getting working capital. my bill specifies that the borrower can have financing under both loan programs at the maximum level. given they qualify for both programs. In previous years. both 7(a) and 504 loans were subsidized by appropriated funds to pay losses. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12720}
{"speech_id":1090122788,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was therefore appropriate to restrict small businesses to choose between the two programs. However. both of theseprograms are now selfsupporting. and it makes no sense to continue this restriction on borrowers. One of our jobs on the Committee is to make sure that SBAbacked financing remains -affordable to the small business community. As I -just referenced. the 7(a) program is now selffunding. The Administration insisted on eliminating all funding for the loans. shifting the cost to borrowers and lenders. by imposing higher fees on them. The administration spins this as a \"savings\" of $100 million to taxpayers while the small business community considers this a \"tax.\" In addition to this \"tax.\" the Presidents budget shows that borrowers and lenders already pay too much in fees. generating more than $800 million in overpayments since 1992 because the government routinely overestimates the amount of fees needed to cover the cost of the progratn. This is part of the reason that many of us in Congress. on both sides of the aisle. opposed eliminating funding for the program. This legislation seeks to address overpayments by requiring the SBA to lower fees if borrowers and lenders pay more than is necessary to cover the program costs or if the Congress happens to appropriate money for the program and combined with fees there is excess funding to cover the cost of the program. The Senate adopted this prvi- sion. offered by me and Senator LANDRIEU last year. to the fiscal year 2006 Commerce Justice State Appropriations bill. In this reauthorization process. as I mentioned previously. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12720}
{"speech_id":1090122788,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important to look at specific programs and examine whether or not they are meeting their goals and intended mission. Part of the agencys mission is to fill the financing gap left by the private sector. According to a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business Loan Express. availability of capital remains a priority for all small businesses. but for Hispanics and African Americans. it is one of their top three concerns. They are still more likely to use credit cards to finance their businesses. and they fear denial from lenders. Knowing of this need.. I was deeply disappointed to see that although SBAs loan progrdms have increased lending overall. the figures surrounding the percentage of small business loans going to AfricanAmericans. Hispanics. Asian Americans and women have not changed much since 2001. The administration will tell you that SBA has been \"highly successful\" in making business loans to minority groups facing competitive opportunity . challenges. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12720}
{"speech_id":1090122788,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They claim that in fiscal year 2005. almost 30 percent of 7(a) loans and about 25 percent of 504 loans were made to minority .groups. However. according to the SBAs own data. since 2001. while numbers of 7(a) loans have gone up for African Americans. the dollars have remained at 3 percent of all money loaned. In the 504 program. loans to women have decreased from 19 percent in number to 15 percent. and dropped from 16 percent to 14 percent in dollars. In the Microloan program. African Americans received 28 percent of the total number of microloans made in 2001 as compared to only 21 percent of the total number of loans made in 2005. Their microloan dollars have also decreased from $7.1 million to $5.7 million - in 2005. Native Americans went from 2 percent of the total number of microloans made in 2001 to less than one percenta mere .93 percentin These statistics are of great concern. and demonstrate that the SBA has not been highly successful in playing an ac-. tive role in fostering and encouraging robust entrepreneurial activity. and small business ownership amongst these minority groups. The stagnant percentage of small business loans in these communities represents a failure of this Administration to provide an alternative means of obtaining capital to our underserved communities where funding has not been available throughout conventional lending methods. To break this trend and increase the proportion of small business loans to minorities. and the percentage of loans to African Americans. Hispanics. and Asians relative to their share of the population. my bill creates an Office of Minority Small Business Development at the SBA. similar to offices devoted to business development of veterans and women and rural areas. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12720}
{"speech_id":1090122794,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday. April 6. 2006. at 10:30 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to hear testimony on \"Health Care Coverage for Small Business: Challenges and Opportunities.\"","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":285}
{"speech_id":1090122955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Before the distinguished ranking member. Senator LEAHY. leaves the floor. I would like his attention for a minute. He has to leave because he has other commitments. First. I congratulate him on the work he has done on this bill. I congratulate him on the work he has done in his 31 years in the Senate generally. but especially in the last 15 months. when he and I have worked together on the Judiciary Committee. I wanted to say this while he was still on the floor. As chairman. I am committed to make this immigration bill the No. 1 priority of the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1669}
{"speech_id":1090122955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we are unable to complete action on this bill today. as it now appears. I want everyone to know when we come back after the recess. this is our No. 1 priority. We succeeded in the Judiciary Committee. where everybody thought we would fail. Senator KENNEDY was on the committee and Senator DURBIN was on the committee. I mention them because they are in the Chamber. We were given an impossible deadline. but we met it. We met it by having a marathon markup on a Monday. which is unheard of around hereespecially a Monday after a recess. We did it by voting 57 times. We had in that marathon markup 14 rollcall votes and 43 voice votes. We had a lot of tough votes. but we finished the bill and we reported it to the Senate. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1669}
{"speech_id":1090122955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are going to go back to work on this bill because if the full Senate cannot find the answer. then the Judiciary Committee is going to find the answer. We are going to return to the floor of the Senate a bill which I believe the Senate will find acceptable. and we will set forth procedures that I think the full Senate will find acceptable. That is the commitment.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1669}
{"speech_id":1090123035,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We now turn to Peter C. W. Flory who became the principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in 2001. In this capacity he serves as the principal assistant to the Assistant Secretary of International Security Affairs who is the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense on the formulation and coordination of international security strategy and policy for East Asia. South Asia. the Middle East. the Persian Gulf. Africa. and Latin America. I wish to put further facts regarding this distinguished gentleman into the RECORD. but I am very anxious to keep the momentum. I think the concern of my colleague can be best expressed by himself momentarily. perhaps not to Mr. Flory himself but to the matter of process. and that process is an issue that in some respects I share with my distinguished colleague. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":866}
{"speech_id":1090123118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday I spoke about the need to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. In the course of those remarks. I described a document signed by all five of Mexicos Presidential candidates in the runup to this Julys Presidential elections in that country. as well as leaders from every major party in Mexico. That document makes clear that leaders on both sides of the border understand that border security is a fundamental necessity. I ask unanimous consent that the document. \"Mexico and the Migration Phenomenon.\" be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":560}
{"speech_id":1090123156,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following treaties on todays Executive Calendar: No. 12 and 14. I further ask unanimous consent that the treaties be considered as having passed through the various parliamentary stages up to and including the presentation of the resolutions of ratification. that any statements be printed in the RECORD as if read. and the Senate take one vote on a resolution of ratification to be considered as separate votes. further. that when the resolutions of ratification are voted upon. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. the President be notified of the Senates action. and that following the disposition of the treaties. the Senate return to legislative session.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":771}
{"speech_id":1090123162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. along with my colleague Senator ALEXANDER. to introduce a resolution that of the resolution the Senate has passed to proclaim the third week of April of 2006 as Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week. Last year. we passed a similar resolution and continue to support raising awareness of this important issue. I would like to recognize the many groups. particularly the National Shaken Baby Coalition and the SKIPPER Initiative. who support this effort to increase awareness of one of the most devastating forms of child abuse. one that results in the death or lifelong disability of hundreds of children each year. We must recognize child abuse and neglect as the public health problem it is. one that is linked with a host of other problems facing our country and one that needs the comprehensive approach of our entire public health system to solve. The month of April has been designated National Child Abuse Prevention Month as an annual tradition that was initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter. In 2006. April is again National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The tragedy of child abuse is well documented. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4717}
{"speech_id":1090123162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. NCANDS. almost 900.000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2002. causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable citizens. Each day. nearly four of these children die as a result of this abuse. Most experts are certain that cases of child abuse and neglect are in fact underreported. Abusive head trauma. including the trauma known as Shaken Baby Syndrome. is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically abused children. especially young children. Shaken Baby Syndrome is a totally preventable form of child abuse that results from a caregiver losing control and shaking a baby. usually an infant who is less than 1 year old. This severe shaking can kill the baby. or it can cause loss of vision. brain damage. paralysis. and seizures. resulting in lifelong disabilities and causing untold grief for many families. Too many families have experienced the pain of Shaken Baby Syndrome. A 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that. in the U.S.. an average of 300 children will die each year. and 600 to 1.200 more will be injured. of whom twothirds will be babies or infants under 1 year in age. as a result of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Medical professionals believe that thousands more cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are being misdiagnosed or not detected. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4717}
{"speech_id":1090123162,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Families should be spared the needless tragedy of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Prevention is the most effective solution to ending Shaken Baby Syndrome. It is clear that the minimal costs of educational and prevention programs may help to protect our young children. Families as well as professionals who care for children must be made aware of the injuries that shaking can cause. In 1995. the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect recommended a universal approach to the prevention of child fatalities that included services such as home visitation by trained professionals or paraprofessionals. hospitallinked outreach to parents of infants and toddlers. communitybased programs designed for the specific needs of neighborhoods. and effective public education campaigns. Prevention programs have demonstrated that educating new parents about the danger of shaking young children and how they can help protect their child from injury can bring about a significant reduction in the number of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome. In 1998. Dr. Mark Dias started the Upstate New York SBS Prevention Project at Childrens Hospital of Buffalo. which uses a simple video to educate new parents before they leave the hospital. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4717}
{"speech_id":1090123162,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since that time. the number of shaken baby incidents in the Buffalo area has dropped by nearly 50%. none of the perpetrators have been identified as participants in the hospital education program. Hospitals around the country. including several in my own State of Connecticut. have adopted programs similar to these to educate new parents about the dangers of shaking young children. I urge the Senate to adopt this resolution designating the third week of April of 2006 as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week. and to take part in the many local and national activities and events recognizing the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome is supported by advocacy groups across the U.S. that were formed by parents and relatives of children who have been killed or injured by shaking. I ask unanimous consent that a list of groups supporting this resolution be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4717}
{"speech_id":1090123171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. H.R. 3351. the Native American Technical Corrections Act of 2005. was passed by the House on November 16. 2005. and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. Many of the provisions in the House bill have already been acted on by the Senate in various bills. I will ask the Senate to pass the bill with a substitute amendment which includes most of the provisions in the original House version of the bill as well as some amendments that were not in the House version. I am pleased to be joined by Senator DORGAN as an original cosponsor of the amendment. The Senate amendment to H.R. 3551 that I am offering contains the following: Section 104 is the same as S. 1484. which passed the Senate on July 26. 2005. and it amends the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Indian Tribes Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990 to adjust the spending rule set forth in that act for the Tribes Settlement Fund. The provision would authorize expenditure of 6 percent of the average market value of the Settlement fund over the preceding 3 years. Section 201 is the same as S. 706. which passed the Senate on July 26. 2005. and it authorizes the transfer of lands. now held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. to the Department of the Interior to be held in trust for the benefit of the Prairie Island Indian community in Red Wing. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6322}
{"speech_id":1090123171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MN. The transfer will have no effect on the tax status of the lands. nor will the Prairie Island Indian Community be permitted to develop commercial or gaming facilities on the land. section 202 authorizes various 99year leases. Part of this section passed Senate in S. 1485 on July 26. 2005. while other provisions were contained in H.R. 3351. Section 203 addresses the problem of lack of appraisers in Indian country by providing that for purposes of obtaining agricultural loans. the market value of land is the default appraisal value. This section is the same as S. 1489. that passed the Senate on July 26. 2005. Section 301 previously passed the Senate in S. 1295 on December 12. 2005. and it authorizes the National Indian Gaming Commission to collect fees up to 0.08 percent of gross gaming revenues. and eliminates $12 million cap. and subjects NIGC to the Government Performance and Results Act. Section 401. like S. 1758. that passed the Senate on August 22. 2005. amends the Indian Financing Act of 1974 to clarify that nonprofit tribal entities are eligible for Bureau of Indian Affairs Loan Guaranty Program. In addition. because the BIA is fast reaching its $500 million limit on the amount of loans it can have outstanding. and this section will increase that number to $1.5 billion. The four new provisions that have not passed the Senate as standalone measures do the following: Section 101 corrects a drafting error to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. section 102 facilitates exchanges between Alaska Regional and Village Corporations of land obtained through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act by clarifying that undeveloped land received by each Native corporation participant in the exchanges is deemed to be land conveyed under ANCSA. and section 103 will allow the State of Mississippi to pay the Mississippi Choctaw for work already preformed. through a newly established BIA Trust Fund. The final new provision is section 501. the Native American Probate Reform and Technical Amendment. described in more detail below. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6322}
{"speech_id":1090123171,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Section 501 corrects drafting errors and clarifies and includes new provisions relating to amendments made by the American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004. AIPRA. and S. 1481. which was enacted into law in December of 2005. One of these provisions is an amendment to 25 U.S.C. 464. In 2004. this section was amended in AIPRA so that it would conform to the new uniform Indian probate code that was the centerpiece of AIPRA. however. after reviewing the various amendments that were made by AIPRA. which was a very complex piece of legislation. we concluded that the AIPRA amendments to 25 U.S.C. 464 was drafted in a way that its execution was unclear. So in the 109th Congress. we attempted to correct this in S. 1481P.L. 109157. enacted on December 30. 2005. by restating section 464 as it should have read. Unfortunately. there were drafting errors in S. 1481 that were not picked up prior to its enactment. Accordingly. my substitute amendment includes a new restatement of section 464 correcting these drafting errors and conforming the statute to the new uniform Indian probate code enacted as part of AIPRA. I would like to make the point here that the purpose of the amendments restating section 464. both in S. 1481 and in the current substitute amendment to H.R. 3351. were and are intended to do nothing more than to conform the provisions in that section relating to the devise and inheritance of lands to the new uniform probate code contained in the American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004. As the author of both S. 1481 and the substitute amendment. I want to make it clear that neither measure intends to affect any of the other sorts of transactions that might otherwise be subject to section 464 or to affect in any way the application of any other Federal laws that might apply to lands that are covered by section 464. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6322}
{"speech_id":1090123171,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are also making clarifying amendments to AIPRA relating to the effective date of its amendments and to its amendments to the \"Applicable Federal Law\" provisions of section 207(g) of the Indian Land Consolidation Act. With respect to the former. the substitute includes technical amendments to the effective date section of AIPRA. section 8(b) of AIPRA. to make it clear that the amendments that were made to 25 U.S.C. 464 and 25 U.S.C. 348 are intended to take effect 1 year after the date on which the Secretary of Interior certified that notice of the AIPRA amendments had been given to Indian country in accordance with AIPRA section 8(a). and that sections 348 and 464. as they read immediately prior to the passage of AIPRA. would continue to apply until the effective date of the new amendments. Finally. the substitute also makes some minor changes to the wording of section 207(g) of ILCA just to further clarify congressional intent that nothing in ILCA supercedes or affects the application of special laws that relate to specific Indian tribes or the allotted lands of specific tribes.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6322}
{"speech_id":1090123267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. each year since 1988. April 21 has been designated as Youth Service Day. This day is especially important for a group of Montanans in Billings. MT. who have been working with children since 1966. On April 21. the staff of Head Start. Inc. in Billings celebrated their 40th anniversary. I rise today to congratulate them on their past efforts and to express my support for another 40 years of service. We have all seen the positive impact that Head Start has on children and families throughout Montana. This Federal program provides child and family development services by helping children under the age of 5 to develop the skills they will use throughout their formal education and for the rest of their lives. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1632}
{"speech_id":1090123267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Head Start in Billings was recently recognized as among the top 2 percent of Head Start programs nationwide. Their continued dedication to excellence is deserving of recognition and praise. and I am honored to rise on their behalf. While celebrating this milestone of service to Montana. these dedicated staff members recognized a very special volunteer named Thelma Adolph. Thelma. who volunteers through Head Starts Foster Grandparents program. has given her time for 20 straight years. She has touched the lives of countless children. and it is no exaggeration to say that the world is a better place because of her. Such dedication is all the more impressive because Thelma is 93 years old. And so. I ask my colleagues to share my gratitude for the efforts. dedication and excellence of Head Start and Thelma Adolph. I thank them all for their hard work and dedication on behalf of Montanas children.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1632}
{"speech_id":1090123278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce. at the request of the Department of the Interior. legislation to extend the authorization for the National Park System Advisory Board. For the past 70 years. the National Park System Advisory Board has provided guidance and recommendations to the Director of the National Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior regarding management of Americas national parks. The authorization for its existence will expire on January 1. 2007. The attached legislation will extend the authorization to 2016 and modify the composition of the board to include representation from a broader diversity of interests. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":721}
{"speech_id":1090123285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday. April 24. at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony regarding the economic and environmental issues associated with coal liquefaction technology and on implementation of the provisions of the energy policy act of 2005 addressing coal liquefaction.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":426}
{"speech_id":1090123322,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. todays papers are filled with stories about energy prices and particularly gas costs and editorials demanding that the Congress and the President do something about it. I think perhaps the best comment that appeared was in this mornings Wall Street Journal in a story with the headline \"Bush Aims To Rein In Gas Costs.\" where there is a quote from Robert Ebel. who directs the energy program at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies. All of us are familiar with CSIS and the good work that it does. I would like to quote Mr. Ebel because what he has to say is the clear understanding of where we are. He says: A good politician never admits hes powerless in a situation. but I dont see anything that the Congress can propose that will make any difference. We dont stand in isolation from the rest of the world oil market. and there are events going on around the world that affect the world price of oil. I note that he uses the term \"world\"-I could count how many times. but multiple timesand we act as if this is a domestic problem. We act as if this is something we in Congress or the President in the White House can wave a magid wand and do something about. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8278}
{"speech_id":1090123322,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to point out a few facts and perhaps bring a little humility into this body. something that is in fairly short supply but in great need. As.Mr. Ebel points out. the price of oil is set by a series of world events. It is not set in the Congress. It is not set in the White House. People look at the cost of a gallon of gasoline and say to themselves: You know. it only costspicking numbers out of the air but being illustrative1.50 to put that gallon of gasoline in the tank at the service station. yet the service station operator is charging me $3 to take it out. there is price gouging going on somewhere. The reality is that the price in the tank at the service station is not figured on the basis of what did it cost to get that gallon there. the price at the service station is figured on the cost of what will it cost to replace that gallon there. So the reason a gallon of gas is at $3 at the service station is that all of the forces involved in putting that gallon of gas in there assume that it will cost $3 to replace it. therefore. they better charge $3 for it in the first place. Now. they may be wrong. It may be that they can replace that gallon of gas for $2.50. and as soon as they come to that conclusion. that gallon of gas will come own to $2.50. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8278}
{"speech_id":1090123322,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It may be that the cost of replacing that gallon of gas will be $3.50. and at that point. everybody will lose some money along the way. But whether it is the production of oil in the oilfield. the transportation of oil around the world. the refinement of oil in the various refineries. the transportation from the refinery to the service station. everyone is making a guess as to what it will cost for the next gallon of gas along the way. and that shows up in what appears at the service station. So wlen there is trouble in Nigeria. someone says. by virtue of that trouble in Nigeria. the next gallon of gas is going to cost more than we think. and that is why the price goes up. If there is trouble and difficulty in Iran. well. that is going to cause the price to go up. and lets bet against that future. If there is trouble in Venezuela. then that figures in. When it turns .out that the trouble doesnt materialize. the price of gasoline drops dramatically. and we have seen that in this past history. The primary thing that started gas prices going up was Katrina. Why? Because Katrina wiped out a good percentage of our refinery capability. As the Senator from Montana has pointed out. we havent built a refinery in this country for several decades. We need to get about it. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8278}
{"speech_id":1090123322,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But that is a 5- to 10year problem. We cant instantly create a refinery out of nothing. As the refineries Were shut down as a result of Katrina. the price of gas spiked as people anticipated that there would not be enough supply. As the refineries came back on line more rapidly than anybody anticipated. the price of gasoline dropped. Nowrefinery capacity is being shut down again. Why? Because we here in this Congress mandated the replacement of MTBE with ethanol. and the refineries have td gear up to make that shift. When they do that. they shut down in order to retool. When they shut down. there is a lack of gasoline. and you have prices going back up .again. Once they have made the shift over. we will find those prices will start to come down. unless there is some other* unsettling situation somewhere in the world. The bottom line. to repeat a refrain I have stated ever since I have been in the Senate. is that we. cannot repeal the law of supply and demand. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8278}
{"speech_id":1090123322,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We engrave Latin phrases around hereand they are wonderfulto remind usof our history and.our background. but if I could control what we carve in marble and see every day. it would be that statement: You cannot repeal the law of supply and.demand. If we had built the facilities in ANWR in 2001 when there were sufficient votes in the House but was killed in the Senate. it is likely that oil would be coming on line now. because at the time people said: Dont get excited about ANWR. it is going to take at least 5 years. Well. 2001 was 5 years ago. If we had done that. we would start to see that oil. Would it lower the price? Of course it would because it would change the equation of expectations of people who are involved in this whole situation. One last comment. I have talked about ethanol. and I have talked about MTBE. These are additives to lower the emissions that come out of gasoline. and they are good things. They are. however. expensive. and we cannot say oil one hand: OK. lets get the price of gasoline as low as possible. and by the way. while we are doing it. lets put new burdens on the refineries that require this additive. that additive. and the other additive. that will require the creation of what are called boutique fuels. so that the refinery. instead of just putting out gasoline in regular or super high test. are putting out a boutique fuel for this part of the country and a boutique fuel for that part of the country and a boutique fuel for the other part of the country. That means constantly retooling.. shutting down. starting up. changing. and all of that adds to the cost. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8278}
{"speech_id":1090123338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join my colleague. Senator HUTCHISON. in commending to our colleagues this fine nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. SoontobeJudge Miller will succeed Judge Ewing Werlein. who assumed senior status early this year. I add to all of Mr. Millers outstanding credentials my recognition and our appreciation for Judge Werleins service to his Nation and the legal profession during his time on the bench. First. I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5006}
{"speech_id":1090123338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator SPECTER. as well as the ranking member. will serv Senator LEAHY. for working with Sen- Federal ator HUTCHINSON and me to fill the im- interpre portant vacancy in the Houston Divi- adhering sion of the Southern District of Texas. I am p Mr. Miller has been nominated to fill nominat the vacancy created when Judge Ewing court o Werlein assumed senior status earlier Texas. I this year. Judge Werlein has served his the Fede country and the legal profession admi- Texas. I rably. and I commend him for his dedi- his nomi cated service. Mr. Fl The Houston division is one of the the yeas most important and diverse in the en- The A tire Federal judiciary as it is respon- pore. Is sible for some of the Nations most There is complex. notable commercial disputes The qi and criminal prosecutions. It is crucial vise and that we fill this vacancy quickly and I Gray Ha thank the committee for their vote to United bring Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5006}
{"speech_id":1090123338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Millers nomination to the Souther Senate floor. question When I consider nominees for the ordered. Federal bench. there are certain char- The bi acteristics that I value. In fact. I be- Mr. M lieve thdt many of my colleagues also ator wa appreciate these same characteristics. ator fro First. nominees usually have a notable Mr D history of public service. In addition. nominees are often wellrespected by Senator their peers and have impeccable aca- FORS) demic and\/or professional records. FORDS). Last. nominees usually have a long and Betts (1V disingised istryof ivi ivoleWisconsJ distinguished history of civil involve- from Illi ment. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5006}
{"speech_id":1090123338,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gray Miller pos- ator fro sesses these traits. Mr. Miller has the necessary quali- FELLER) fications to serve on the Federal bench. I furt] He has been a longtime partner in the and vot distinguished Texas law firm of Ful- chusetts bright and Jaworski. He has excelled at \"aye.\" the practice of law and is well re- The .spected within the legal profession for (BURR). his knowledge of admiralty and mar- in the C] time law. This nominee also enjoys the The r support of the American Bar Associa- nays 0. a tion which has certified him as wellqualified after a thorough review of his credentials. Akaka Furthermore. he devotes .a substan- Alexander tial amount of his time to public serv- Allard Allen ice. Most notably. he spent 9 years as a Baucus Houston police officer. working his way Bayh through his undergraduate and law de- Bennett grees. Now. as a private practice attor- Biden Bingaman ney. he supports a variety of public Bond service initiatives. including the Hous- Boxer ton Volunteer Lawyers Program and Brownback Bunning Habitat fdr Humanity. He also pre- Burns viously has served on the board of Burr trustees of the Mental Health\/Mental Byrd Retardation Authority of Harris Coun- cantwell Carper ty and on the board of the Texas De- Chafee partment of Mental Health and Mental Chambliss Retardation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5006}
{"speech_id":1090123338,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He and his wife actively clinton Coburn support Houston schools for students Cochran with learning disabilities and drug and Coleman alcohol problems. His devotion to the Collins greater Houston community is com- Conrad Cornyn mendable. craig From a congressional page in 1965 to crapo a police officer in the 1970s to an ac- DeMint complished trial advocate. Mr. Miller DeWine understands and respects the role of our three branches of government. He Dayton has an unfailing respect for the judici- Jeffords ary and the jury system. It is with this Kerry understanding that I believe Mr. Miller The nc re his country honorably as a district court judge shouldby ting and applying the law and to established precedent. leased that President Bush has ed Gray Miller to serve on the f the Southern District - of look forward to his service on ral bench in the Great State of ask my colleagues to support nation. IIST. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5006}
{"speech_id":1090123473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today is a day of remembrance. but in remembering. we are. also called to action. This week. we are debating the Presidents emergency supplemental request. To his credit. the President has included in that request substantial funds to support the African Union peacekeeping operation in Darfur and new humanitarian assistance. Moreover. the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations is scheduled to brief the Security Council tomorrow. on potential U.N. missions in Darfur. It is my hope that they will advocate a strong United Nations Peacekeeping force. despite Sudanese objections. It is also my fervent hope that we in the Senate actively support an increased international role in Darfur. Because only with our support can any international force hope to meet the enormous challenge of protecting the civilian population and providing a safe environment to supply humanitarian relief. Finally. just as at Nuremberg the international community enforced justice where justice had too long been blind. I call on the Bush administration to actively support the work of the International Criminal Court in prosecuting those individuals who have committed crimes against the people of Darfur and against all humanity. I know the ICC is not popular in some circles of the Bush administration. but I believe it is the best tool we have to enforce the vision of universal justice that was inspired by Nuremberg. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2080}
{"speech_id":1090123473,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Following the trials of the major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. President Truman declared: I have no hesitancy in declaring that the historic precedent set at Nuremberg abundantly justifies the expenditure of effort. prodigious though it was. Individuals such as my father expected -that the historic precedent described by President Truman would long inspire nations to take action against crimes such as those prosecuted at Nuremberg. The lesson of Nuremberg to these individuals was indeed the promise of \"Never Again.\" I hope that on this somber day of remembrance. we will commit ourselves to renewing that promise.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2080}
{"speech_id":1090123510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimotis consent that Michael Pollock and Alison Garfield. detailees with the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. be granted the privilege of the floor during consideration of the fiscal year 2006 supplemental and the fiscal year 2007 Defense appropriations bills. and that Rose Fabia. a detailee to the Appropriatio u Committee from the Department of Veterans Affairs.. be granted the privilege of the floor for the remainder of the debate on H.R.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":472}
{"speech_id":1090123593,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. we support the passage of H.R. 2341. Similar legislation was introduced in the 107th Congress. and we commend Mr. DOGGETT for his persistence and hard work to secure authorization for this important project. The city of Austin is keenly aware that additional sources of water will be required to meet future water demands. The city has decided to meet the expected water supply shortfall by implementing aggressive water conservation and water recycling and reclamation programs. The water recycling project identified in this bill will be eligible for limited firancial assistance under the Bureau of Reclamations title 16 water recycling program. Water recycling and desalination projects are proven technologies that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Texas. I want to express our full support for this legislation. and I offer my congratulations to Mr. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":979}
{"speech_id":1090123593,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DOGGETT for his leadership.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":979}
{"speech_id":1090123612,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 4709. the Law Enforcement and Phone Privacy Protection Act. I was -pleased to join with Representatives SMITH. CONYERS and SCOTT to introduce this important legislation to protect phone records from thieves and opportunists. I The sale of confidential phone records is a serious problem. for approximately $100. anyone can buy an individuals private cell phone call history. These histories catalogue every outgoing and incoming call a customer makes or receives. This information should not be available for unauthorized sale on the Internet. The primary method thieves use to obtain this information is known as \"pretexting\". This involves an individual with some key informationa cell phone number. or possibly a Social Security Numberpretending to be the subscriber to get information about an account. The Law Enforcement and Phone Privacy Protection Act puts a stop to this by imposing criminal penalties for \"pretexting.\" As well as other methods of seeking to obtain such records through the use of fraud. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1695}
{"speech_id":1090123612,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. this legislation will provide additional punishment for those who illegally sell or obtain phone records knowing they will be used in a criminal act. This is extremely important for the protection of law enforcement officers and potential victims of domestic violence. whose call histories may be particularly desireable to those who wish to do them harm. We all use telephones and cell phones with the assumption that information about who we receive calls from and make calls to will not fall into the wrong hands. I urge the members of the house to support this legislation to ensure that phone records are protected.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1695}
{"speech_id":1090123613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of the Law Enforcement and Phone Privacy Protection Act of 2006. As America continues to prosper. cell phones are becoming increasingly central to our everyday lives. We use this technology to keep -in closer contact with our families. manage our livelihoods. and stay in touch with friends. We trust that the records of private conversations remain safe. Law enforcement must have the tools necessary to ensure the privacy of our cell phone records and prosecute those who invade our lives. Today. criminals cai use our cell phone records to expose a government informant. steal our personal information. or commit other forms of fraud. This bill takes strong action to protect the privacy of Americans cell phone records. By providing tough new protections. we can better ensure the privacy of confidential cell phone records. Law enforcement and prosecutors can impose serious criminal penalties on those who unlawfully invade and use our cell phone records. ","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1088}
{"speech_id":1090123613,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress has a duty to protect all Americans and their confidential cell phone records.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1088}
{"speech_id":1090123679,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to give the Senate a roadmap to draft a border security bill that can pass the House of Representatives. The current Senate bill has three flaws that must be corrected. First. the Senate bill waters down the employer sanctions by making then 10 times weaker than the House bill. from $5.000 fine down to $500. Second. the Senate bill doesnt spend a single penny for a single border security fence in any urban area along the border. Third. the Senate bill rewards illegal behavior with permanent citizenship. For example. if a person illegally snuck across the border. committed a felony by using a fake Social Security card. evaded law enforcement for 5 years. waved a Mexican flag and demanded amnesty. they would be rewarded with the chance for permanent citizenship. The Senate should either fix the flaws in their bill or send over a giant pitcher of margaritas with it. because most sober Congressmen wont be able to vote for it.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":961}
{"speech_id":1090123687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week the Centers for Disease Control released a report on the economic burden of injuries in the United States. The results were astonishing. Every year injuries cost our economy $406 billion in health care. lost wages and lost productivity. The report goes as far as to list specifics on many different injuries. however. there is no listing on the costs of gun violence. The public might ask how could the CDC avoid gun violence when listing the causes of serious injury in this country? The answer is simple: Congress wont let them. That is right. Congress. in 1996. following the lead of their benefactors in the gun industry. refused to allow the CDC to report on the economic impact of gun violence. Independent. studies show the cost to be nearly $100 million a year. but we can never be for sure because our government is prohibited from researching this public health issue. In fact. the report on the CDCs Web page has a section dedicated to fireworks injuries. but no space dedicated specifically to firearms injuries or deaths. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4194}
{"speech_id":1090123687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So the CDC can release information on a cause of injury that kills an average of four people per year. but not on the cauae of thousands that are killed by gun violence every year. However. the CDC cannot completely avoid the topic in its report. The report lists the top 10 causes of death among certain age groups. and. of course. homicide is prevalent. and of homicides of Americans more than 44 years of age. more than 10.000 were attributed to gun violence in 2003. In 1 year there were at least 10.000 people murdered with guns. and Congress wont allow the CDC to study how much these murders cost our economy. Again. this defies common sense. The CDC isnt allowed to reveal how many Americans survive shootings. like my son did. each year. which adds an additional billions in cost to our economy as well. Gun violence is an epidemic in this country. and Congress is trying to stop us from learning the true impact of this public health crisis. This is a case of our government controlling the flow of information to protect the special interest group. What are they afraid of? Is the congressional leadership afraid that if people know how much gun violence costs our economy. they would call for commonsense -gun legislation? If people knew this information. would congressional leadership be forced to pass laws to keep military assault weapons out of the hands of criminals and terrorists? Would they be forced to stop passing legislation that protects the 1 percent of gun dealers who are responsible for selling 50 percent of the guns used in crimes? Mr. Speaker. the American people have the right to know this information. and let the record show that the release of this information will have no -affect on the right of lawabiding citizens to be able to own a gun. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4194}
{"speech_id":1090123687,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the release of this informatiol might help pass commonsense legislation that will make sure criminals and terrorists cannot legally buy guns. or allow for law enforcement agencies to share information of ballistic evidence. Mr. Speaker. lets give the CDC the goahead to study this issue. The release of this information will make our Nation a safer. better place. and wont place a burden on the right of lawabiding American citizens to exercise their second amendment rights. This past week it has been 5 years since Columbine. In the last 48 hours. we have seen many schools come under attack. They were prevented because our police got the information. We should allow also the CDC to be able to study why our young people are going to violence to commit and murder. 14. 17. 20 of their friends in school. Mr. Speaker. gun violence is a health care crisis in this Nation. and until this Congress wakes up. until this country wakes up to be able to do something to reduce gun violence in this country. there are better ways that we could spend the money. certainly helping Medicare. certainly helping the poor get the health care that they need. looking at wellness centers instead of waiting too late until people are sick. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4194}
{"speech_id":1090123687,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can do something about this. but the American people need to know the facts and figures. It is only right that we do that.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4194}
{"speech_id":1090123742,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Ithank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership on the issue. As you were saying. we are all in this boat together when we look at the energy issue and look at not only the fuel for our cars. but for our homes. how we generate electricity. how we address the energy needs of a booming economy. how we address the energy needs of a growing population. As you said so very well. this is not a Democrat or a Republican issue. this is an American issue. and we need to go back and let history be a great teacher for us on this issue. How did we get to this point? This issue didnt just happen last week or last month or even last year. This is something that has been growing for a period of time. I really look at it as something that has been coming together over the past 30 years. when we look at what has happened with this. If we go back to the mid70s. a good start date to take for the sake of discussion on this issue is 1976. The reason we go back to 1976. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6653}
{"speech_id":1090123742,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Carter was President then and that was the last year that we had a refinery built in this country. That was the last year in which a new refinery. oil or gas refinery. was built on U.S. soil. What we saw happen was an increase in regulation from the EPA and from OSHA and different environmental groups and different demands that environmental groups would place on creating or developing a new refinery or going out and exploring for oil or gas or developing new technologies to extract oil and gas to bring forward for the refining process. Since 1976. we have seen layer upon layer upon layer of mandates. of rules. of regulations. that have made it very. very difficult to bring forward new technologies so that we can meet the energy needs of this Nation. So that we are meeting the energy needs of this Nation. Great for instance. When you inventory what we had on line with refineries in 1981. there were 324 oil and gas refineries in this country in 1981. Today there are 148 refineries. 148 refineries. And. you know. the last refinery that went up in this country was out in Yuma. Arizona. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6653}
{"speech_id":1090123742,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It took 5 years and 4 months to get through the permitting process to put that refinery in place. . So we see that what we have done is to put in place a process where we have fewer refineries that are working. and fewer refineries to actually process the oil and gas that we need. Now at the same time our population is growing. we have more cars on the road. and we have more houses. Home. ownership is at an alltime high. We need to be processing 21 million barrels of oil a day. We have the capacity to refine 17 million barrels of oil a day. So what we have is a very tight supply line. and it is difficult for us to meet those needs with the current infrastructure that is in existence. What we have to do also is couple those facts of fewer refineries and making it very difficult to do exploration and development. Now. you know. and I will tell you. the liberals on this issue need to realize the doubletalk ought to stop. The doubletalk needs to stop because you. cannot have it both ways. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6653}
{"speech_id":1090123742,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You do want oil and gas. but then. you do not want the prices to be high. but you do not want to go drill in ANWR. you do not want to inventory the Outer Continental Shelf. and you do not want to extract any of those gas deposits that are there. and heaven knows. let us not go drill in the West. And that is what we have the tendency to hear. But at the same time. they are saying gas is too high. we need to immediately move to alternative fuels. But then they say. you are not doing enough for alternative fuels. but the gas prices are too high. And. you know. I will tell you. Mr. Speaker. it is that kind of doubletalk that makes it very difficult to sit down and work out a solution to this that is going to help us With this issue. And I will tell you. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6653}
{"speech_id":1090123742,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I look at this with the fewer refineries. with the lack of exploration and development. Hurricanes Rita and Katrina taking fully 25 percent of our refineries off line. and what you have is the perfect storm of an energy crisis. And at the same time that is. happening. we are -switching from the MTBE to ethanol. There are some supply line problems with the distributors there. And. yes. this has been a very difficult week. And I am like most persons. I go to fill up my car. and I just. you know. gasp at the price. And I think. my goodness. this is not what we are used to. This is not what we have planned for. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6653}
{"speech_id":1090123749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is a pleasure to be on the floor to set the record straight. I. too. heard what the Republicans were just saying. The American people are a lot of things. but they are not fools. They know that the President is a Republican. They know that the Senate is in the hands of the Republicans. They know that this House of Representatives is in the hands of the Republicans. The Republicans are leading the country. When Democrats were leading this country. at least one of our Presidents. President Truman. said. the buck stops here. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5703}
{"speech_id":1090123749,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not these. They say the buck stops with the Democrats when we are the minority party. There is not a bill we can get passed here because we are the minority party. It is wrong as wrong can be for the Republicans to point fingers and try to blame the Democrats for this huge increase in prices. This belongs where it ought to be:-On the failed policies of the President. Now. I like the President. I find the President to be a very fine person. and I hold him in great personal esteem. but I totally disagree with his policies.. And the people of this country disagree with his policies. Now let us talk about the truth. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5703}
{"speech_id":1090123749,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have had the Truth Squad just speak. and I am sort of reminded of this story of a good friend of mine. Her name was Isabella. One day in New York City Isabella had a vision. and so she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She went all over this country speaking. and everywhere she went. people would ask her about her funny name. She would say. Let me tell you about my funny name. The Lord gave me \"Sojourner\" so I could travel the world showing the people and speaking to them. But I told the Lord I..needednother name. and he gave me \"Truth\" so I could tell the truth to people. Mr. Ross. that is what the American people are expecting us to do tonight. to be sojourners of truth and to tell the truth. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5703}
{"speech_id":1090123749,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no more burning issue. Yes. we must talk about the deficit. but we have to talk about this gas price. We have to talk about the raising of it because it is what is on the hearts and minds and souls of the American people. They are fed up to here with these huge. gigantic gas spikes and gas prices. 0J 2145 Many people cant even make it. I was just out in my district in Douglas County down on Dorsett Shoals Road this past Sunday. And one of my constituents. a little lady. came out and said. Congressman. please do something about these gas prices. Where is our country headed? Where are we going? Please do something about securing our borders. Where is our country going? I am here to tell you. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5703}
{"speech_id":1090123749,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ross. the American people are very. very concerned about the lack of direction and going in the wrong direction that this country is headed in. Nowhere is it more startling than in these gas prices. Now. let me bring this to your attention. Mr. Ross. because this really gets to me. And I want. to talk about this for a moment. In this article. I think it was from one of the media. the New York Times or Washington Post. I dont have it correct. But they began to talk about something that brings home the point. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5703}
{"speech_id":1090123764,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Ross. you cannot help but feel compassion for the American people. They deserve much better than this. with Katrina. the natural disasters that are happening and the lack of response of FEMA. You talk about FEMA. I had asimilar problem in my own- district. where we had literally thousands of trailers sitting right there on the campus of Ft. Gillem. j 2230 Weeks. weeks. weeks went by. not going down into the Louisiana area. Lack of coordination. lack of proper direction. The American people deserve much better than this. and we are going to give them much better. WO have got to change the direction of this country. It is implicit in the debt that we are having. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1384}
{"speech_id":1090123764,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is implicit in The response and the concerns with the rising gas prices. It is implicit in what is happening with the depletion of our military and our armed services. in the service of Iraq and Afghanistan. It is implicit in the situation with the Dubai Ports deal. even to think that they would turn over the security of this country to a company owned by a country who was only one of three countries to recognize the Taliban as the authority. ruler. in Afghanistan. while we have got our young men and women dying and fighting the Taliban. A tremendous disconnect. And it is obvious it is there. As I said at the outset. we are here to be sojourners of truth. And we are sojourners of truth here tonight.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1384}
{"speech_id":1090123769,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it is an honor to address the House once again. The 30something Working Group. we come to the floor to share with the American people some of the issues that are going on here in the Capitol dome. and hopefully bring about solutions that they can all feel good about. and hopefully we can work in a bipartisan way. We want to thank the Democratic leadership for allowing us to have this hour on the floor: The Democratic Leader. Ms. Nancy Pelosi. and Mr. HOYER. our Democratic whip. and also our Democratic caucus chair Mr. CLYBURa. and also the vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus Mr. LARSON. We have been on break for about 2 weeks. It seems like the American people have taken a deep breath to really take a step back and look at the way this government is being operated. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1456}
{"speech_id":1090123769,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is almost selfexplanatory. I am so glad Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ from the State of Florida is here. We served together as public policymakers for more than a decade. and I think it is important that we look at this time in the history of our country. at how our government is functioning at this particular time. and we point out how it can be different. I think it is important that we continue to hammer on that. With that. I would like to welcome my good friend here tonight as we are going -to hold down this 30something special hour. We know that Mr. RYAN is not going to be with us tonight. and I do not believe Mr. DELAHUNT is going to be with us tonight.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1456}
{"speech_id":1090123818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I encourage profit. Clearly profit is important. And it is what made this country unique in terms of our ability to have a high standard of living. But this is not free market. This is not free market. This is iomething different. This is either price gouging or some sort of market.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":283}
{"speech_id":1090123852,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One hundred fifty thousand dollars. Not every 10 years. Not eVery 5 years. Not every year. Not every month. But every single day as long as he lives. $150.000. The pension package. according to newspaper reports. Madam Speaker. was $600 million. That is for one person. For one person. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":638}
{"speech_id":1090123852,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a moral issue. This is a moral issue. There are people that are having difficulty. they are working hard. but they are having difficulty making it. and yet there is a CEO who runs a corporation that earns $39 billion in a single year. And he has a pension of .$600 million that provides him with $150.000 a day. Is that right. or is that wrong?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":638}
{"speech_id":1090123968,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every day I get something called .A Look at Todays News.\" such as immigration and homeland security. But No. 1 on todays news is energy. Is the Senator aware that the L.A. Times headline today reads. \"Bushs Proposals Viewed as a Drop in the Oil Bucket\"? Is the Senator aware that the Washington Post headline today is. \"GOP Blocks .Measures Boosting Taxes on Oil Companies Profits.\" and the New York Daily News headline is. \"Midterm Elections Fuel His\"-meaning the Presidents--\"Sudden FlipFlop.\" and the Hill newspaper. about which the Senator has already commented. headline is. \"Oil Industry Prepares $30 Million Fight Back\"? Is the Senator aware of these headlines?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":668}
{"speech_id":1090124013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the very concise and accurate summation of this amendment. its purposes. and how it would affect spending by the Senator from Tennessee. I do think it is appropriate to respond even a little further on this issue. The purpose of this amendment is to basically give the people who are defending us on our bordersthe border security agents. the Customs agents. the Coast Guardthe. tools they need to do their job right. which includes the airplanes. the unmanned vehicles. the boats. the cars. and the helicopters. That is clearly a critical element of our national -defense in the fight in the war on terrorism. It has to be done. It has to be done now. For example. the Senator from Tennessee noted that the one unmanned vehicle on the \" southwest border crashedi is fairly ironic it would crash this week. but it crashed this weekso we now have none. We need to replace that. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6841}
{"speech_id":1090124013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We not only need to replace it. we have to add about three or four more. It costs money. and this amendment would accomplish that.. We know that has to be done if we are going to get the borders under control. With the proper capital support. with the proper technical support. and with the proper number of people on the border. we can bring the border under con- never happen. They do kn6w it would trol. ? never happen. They are down here just We are on a path to do that. We trying to get attention for their posiadded 1.500 agents. Wo are.going to add tion and make an excuse for why they another 1.500 agents this year. We are are not willing to pay for their proadding them as fast as we can hire posal. them. But the problem is hiring is a The fact that it will not happen is belittle difficult because they are high- cause when you line up Senator STEquality people. and we get about 40.000 VENS and Senator WARNER and Senator applicants for every 1.500 we can hire. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6841}
{"speech_id":1090124013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"COCHRAN on one side. and you put the so it takes a while to ramp up. But folks who are saying the opposite on with this capital support. we will have the other side. I tend to come down on to accomplish that. and we will.have the side of those three Senators as the border under control. in the near knowing more about what we are going term. But this argument coming from to do and what we need in defense than the other side: Well. you should not necessarily the critics of this amendpay for this initiative. is just plain ment. These are the people who have wrong. We are a country which. if we stood by our Defense Department for are going to remain strong and vibrant. not only this year but for generations. h~s to be fiscally responsible and set *When the defense was being cut. saypriorities. aged basically under the Clinton adNow. it was my priority. quite hon- ministration. when it was basically estly my personal priority. that we pay being hollowed out under a Democratic for this by taking out of the emergency Congress in the early 1990s. it was peorequest that came up from the Defense ple like Senator STEVENS and Senator Department a number of items which WARNER who stood on thfs floor and really are not clearly emergencies. tried to stop it. It is those folks who. They go more to the core operation of have built the Defense Department the Defense Department. but I think back up so our soldiers have what they they were put in the emergency be- need so we hive a strong national decause they thought it was maybe a way fense. They came to me and said: We to pick up those dollars and not have would like to see your amendment to worry about them in their basic un- done this way rather than the way you derlying budget. proposed. And I said: OK. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6841}
{"speech_id":1090124013,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You are the I suggested the modernity initiative. experts. I am perfectly willing to folwhich is about $3.5 billion and would low your suggestion. essentially have paid for this initiative So . this argument that is being in the Border Patrol. be taken out and thrown out on the other side is a straw replaced by the Border Patrol needs dog. The issue is. as Senator ALEXWhich are an emergency. They are an ANDER has framed it. a question of whichreanemergency. Theaneoflying. whether we are going to set priorities.* emergency. The planes are not have whether. when we say we are going to enough boats. The cars arent running do something about the Border Patrol The facilities are not there. It is an needs. Coast Guard needs. Cust6ms emergency. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6841}
{"speech_id":1090124013,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Defense modernity is needs in the area of capital assetssomething we need to do. but It should such as planes and helicopters. unbe done and built out over the basic de- manned vehicles--we are going to do fense budget. There are a couple of that. and whether we are going to prioritize so that goes to the top of the other items in this emergency supple- list or close to the top of the list of our mental that also fall into that cat- national priorities. and so it is paid for -egory. such as the V22 Osprey pur- and is not put into debt. chase. cSo the choice. as Senator ALEXANDER But I went to the people who under- has reflected. is: Are you going to pay stand defense spending around here. for it or arent you going to pay for it? and I said: How should we pay for this? Are you going to be a big spender or I went to Senator STEVENS. My staff are you going to be somebody who is talked to Senator WARNERS staff. Sen- fiscally responsible? ator COCHRAN. And they said they The amendment I have put forward is would rather pay. for it the way the a fiscally responsible . amendment amendment has been structured with which will have no negative impact on basically an unidentified acrossthe- any soldier. who is in the field or on our board cutit is not going to even be operational capabilities in Afghanistan across the board but an unidentified re- or Iraq. That representation clearly is duction to the overall number. giving inappropriate and wrong. I take a little the Defense Department the flexibility bit of umbrage at it. to find those dollars within the $530 bil- I yield the floor and reserve the relion they will spend. $2 billion. mainder of our time. So to come down here and allege that The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who these funds are going to come out of yields time? the needs of the people who are on the The Seniator from Tennessee. front lines in \"Iraq or Afghanistan is Mr. ALEXANDER. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6841}
{"speech_id":1090124124,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is an amendment. as the Senator points out. which has been before the body before. We have approved it by a substantial margin on a recorded vote. We are prepared to recommend that the amendment be accepted on a voice vote. so we can proceed to that unless there are other Senators who want to be heard on the amendment.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":340}
{"speech_id":1090124173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. every mate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan day in Iraq and Afghanistan the men and their families than by taking care and women of our Armed Forces make of them when they return. us very proud. Last year. I had the All Senate Members have met with honor of visiting our troops in Baghdad our veterans. their families and and Kuwait. I was personally impressed spouses. those who serve them. We with their commitment and their pro- know the mental health care of our fessionalism. We in this Senate all veterans is not being met today. Reagree that we support them and we cent reports have verified that 30 perstand with them as they carry out the cent of OIF and OEF veterans are acmission they have been asked to do. cessing mental health services. That is However. they also deserve odr sup- much higher than anyone predicted. port when they come home. when they We need to make sure those mental come home as veterans. We need to health care services areavailable. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5929}
{"speech_id":1090124173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That make sure they have the health care is why Senator AKAKA is in the Senate they were promised. job training. and today offering this amendment to protransition assistance. They deserve all vide the VA with $430 million to en.the things our country promised them hance readjustment counseling and when they signed up to serve us. outreach to returning servicemembers. Unfortunately. today our country is to shore up the VAs capacity to prostill falling short of meeting those vide mental health services to veterans needs. We all hav e known for years who need them. and to address the curthat the demands on the VA have rent shortfalls we are facing across the grown considerably. but funding just system. has not kept pace. Senator AKAKA Our amendment simply recognizes talked about what happened last year that caring for our veterans is and with the funding shortfall we got into. should be part of the ongoing. cost of We had to get back in place emergency war. The bulk of the VAs readjustfunds to meet the needs last year. ment counseling is provided through We are again offering this amend- our Vet Centers. as many Members ment to increase funding for Americas know. These are storefront facilities veterans. frankly. because they were that operate independently of the rest there for us and now it is up to us to be of the VA health care system. That there for them. separation from the institutional VA We need this amendment this year care makes them an invaluable reagain because veterans are still facing source in reaching many of our returntremendous shortages and delays in ing sefvicemembers who today may be getting the care they need. Veterans wary of the VA system- or in very retoday coming back from Iraq and Af- mote locations. ghanistan are able to get an appoint- Our amendment provides $80 million ment initially with the VA. but then for these Vet Centers so they can meet they have to wait up to 6 months for a the needs they are seeing today. We consultation and another 7 months for know in the budget these Vet Centers surgery. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5929}
{"speech_id":1090124173,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So. as a result. we are seeing have been flatlined. Over the years. veterans today take over a year before these centers have provided services to they get the care they are seeking at a total of 118.811 OIF and OEF veterans. our veteran services. A lot of our yet- So far this year. these Vet centers have erans coming back from Iraq have to provided services to 70.547 OIF and OEF wait 18 months to get their disability veterans. And thesevet center services claims processed. Imagine returning. include outreach to our returning servfrom Iraq and waiting a year and a half icemembers at their demobilization before you get the services you have . sites. So they are ver: critical services. been promised. and we need to make sure they are We all have met with veterans who funded. have returned. We know many of them I mentioned mental health a minute are coming back with severe injuries. ago. I think we all know that men and Many of them are facing tremendous women who are returning from Iraqi mental health hurdles. Today. the VA and Afghanistan are suffering serious is operating on a barebones funding. It mental health problems. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5929}
{"speech_id":1090124173,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So our amendis doing more and more with less and ment addresses that by providing $168 less. As the war in Iraq continues. our million toward the implementation of heavy reliance on the Guard and Re- the VAs own mental health strategic plan. That will help serve our veterans who are suffering from PTSD and other debilitating conditions. We all know. and as I know from talking to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. many of these soldiers are literally on the front line 247. and we know the cost of that in returning. We have to make sure they get the services they need for PTSD and other mental health conditions because not only should we provide that for them because they need it but because we need to make sure when they come home they get the help they need so they can remain valuable members of our communities. Finally. the amendment secures an additional $182 million for the various. regions in the country that are once again suffering from shortfalls. Despite all of our work last year. and despite our efforts on the floor last year. evidence has continued to mount that demonstrates there is still a need for supplemental funds. The VA medical centers are still millions of dollars in debt. We need to make sure we provide the dollars within the supplemental to take care of that. So I am proud to stand with Senator AKAKA as we offer this amendment. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5929}
{"speech_id":1090124173,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope every Senator recognizes that part of the cost of war is paying for the care of our men and women when they return home. I can think of no more important promise to keep. I urge allSenators to join us in supporting this critical amendment. Thank you. Mr. President. (At the request of Mr. REID. the following statement was ordered to be printed in the RECORD.)","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5929}
{"speech_id":1090124225,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I never asked any questions. The Senator has had an opportunity to describe his amendment. He did that earlier in the day. He used information that I presume he will present all over again. I dont have any objection to his proceeding. but I dont want him to talk too long. We have Members who are waiting to vote. They have read comments in the paper and the debate that has been carried throughout the press for the last 2 weeks while the Senate wagnt in session. I think the Senate has heard enough about it and is ready to vote.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":546}
{"speech_id":1090124227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will do this quickly. First of all. what is the definition of \"emergency\" by our own budget rules? Necessary. essential. vital. suddenly. quickly coming into being. not building over time. urgent. pressing. compelling need. requiring immediate action. unforeseen. unpredictable. and unanticipated. not permanent. temporary in nature. That is the first point I would make. The second point is the committees own report says: Even prior to Katrina. Presidents. business leaders and local and State officials seriously considered relocating the rail line from its present location to alleviate burgeoning traffic which continually worsened as the regions tourism industry grew. This is $700 million. It is a great project for Mississippi. I agree.. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090124227,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is probably something that should be done. The question is. Is it an emergency and should everybody else in this country pay for it? I could go into all the details. I will not do it in deference to the chairmans request that I be brief. But Mississippi people have spoken. This was planned long before this hurricane. The fact is. if we are going to replace this rail line with Federal money which is going to come in and build a new road. that is going to be susceptible to the same hurricane damage. We have- to. figure out how we should go through a regular process. The final point I Would make is the committee report eliminates the ability of the Department of Transportation to say whether it is a safety issue. They specifically take it out so they cannot stop it. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090124227,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The point is. we areleaving the regular process to do something which is maybe a great idea. but our grandchildren shouldnt be paying for it. If we continue to do this. this is going to be costly. This $700 million will cost $4 billion by the time we start paying it back. if we want to sacrifice the next generationnot in terms of trying to take it away from Mississippi but setting a standard of which we can behave in a manner that secures the future. That is what I am asking for. I am sorry it is against two Senators I really like. I want Mississippi to be a hit. This is not the way for us to conduct business in the Senate. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2190}
{"speech_id":1090124274,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this past weekend we celebrated Earth Day. That celebration. begun in 1970 by the late Gaylord Nelson. a great environmental leader whose U.S. Senate seat I hold today. provides us the chance to reflect on our environmental past. take u stock of our present environmental sit- b uation. and formulate a vision for our h environmental future. We have much to be proud of in our i past. especially the bipartisan initia- b tives that were produced in the 1970s. b including the Clean Air Act. the En- n dangered Species Act. and the Clean f. Water Act. Unfortunately. our present 0 environmental circumstances show we t have a lot of work to do. Mercury pol- V lution contaminates our waterways f and threatens the health of our citi- a zens. increased greenhouse gas emis- v sions feed global climate change. and 8 th6 majestic Great Lakes. a natural re- d source of particular interest to meand a my fellow Wisconsinites. face such r threats as invasive species and loss of c wetlands. It isthe future. though. that 2 I urge Americans from all walks of life and from all across the country to c focus on as they celebrate Earth Day 1 this year. 0 Quite frankly. over the next few 2 yearswe will face major decisions that 2 will shape our relationship to our natural resources. We can make decisions e that demonstrate we want a future n that recognizes that when we dis- v respect and dishonor the planet. we. in fact. disrespect and dishonor ourselves. c or by failing to act or by making short- 0 sighted choices. we can turn our backs v on our responsibility to pass on to fu- c ture generations a vibrant and living. u planet. a Despite what is at stake. there is rea- a son for hope. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4577}
{"speech_id":1090124274,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the most pressing r challenges we face is that of making a commitmentboth individually and collectivelyto adopting sustainable energy habits that will serve the country for years to come. Our Nation. throughout its history. has faced challenges that we have overcome based on our ingenuity and our unwillingness to fail. It is this attitude that must be a embraced today as we look to our en- I ergy future. t We must challenge ourselves to adopt h a new energy vision for the 21st cen- e tury. This new vision involves moving 0 away from our dependence on oil. a 4 source of energy that puts our environ- n ment. our national security. and our 1 economy at risk. We all know that the t burning fossil fuels. like oil. emits tre- C mendous amounts of greenhouse gases C into our atmosphere and that these c gases fuel global warming. We all also i -know that global climate change is a problem plagued by a lack of leader- e ship by the current administration and s by its allies in Congress. Getting real about global warmingwhich must happen soonwill require a commit- r ment to reducing our dependence on oil S as opposed to continually fighting t about opening up pristine areas. in- I cluding the Arctic National Wildlife f Refuge. for oil drilling. Reducing our f dependence on oil will also make us c more secure. Given that we have less d than 3 percent of the worlds proven oil reserves here in the United States. we t will be dependent on others for our fuel t ntil we get serious about using iofuels that can be produced here at ome. A new energy future will not create tselfit will require a dedicated effort y individuals across the country and y decision makers at all levels. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4577}
{"speech_id":1090124274,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This ew energy future can be built on eforts to be more efficient. efforts to nly use only what we need. and efforts o use renewable sources of energy. Vhile the Federal Government has ailed to take bold action. Americans re forging ahead. actually leading the ay. For example. students at univerities are holding competitions to reuce energy use. and nearly 200 cities re part of a nationwide movement to educe greenhouse emissions in their ities to 7 percent below 1990 levels by But more must be done. and Amerians must demand accountability and eadership from their Federal elected fficials. So as we come together on Earth Day 006. lets make a commitment to each ther and to future generations to rise o the challenge of securing a new enrgy future for our country. for this is iot only one of the most important enironmental commitments we can hake to each other. but it is also a deision about our national security and ur economy. Lets work toward an environmental future that our childrens hildren will. years from now. reflect ipon as a turning point in our history. time during which we came together .ad worked for the best interest of hunanity. across the globe.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4577}
{"speech_id":1090124349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"led the Pledge of Alle- (Mr. FARR asked giance as follows: mission to address I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the minute.) United States of America. and to the Repub- Mr. FARR. Madar lic for which it stands. one nation under God. today to give voice t indivisible. with liberty and justice for all. lent: the many yo schools and middle FREEDOM IN MACEDONIA afraid to speak out o","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":381}
{"speech_id":1090124358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I am very pleased to welcome a special group to the Capitol this morning. It is the season where so many students come to Washington to see their government in action and to visit the historic sites in Washington. This week the students of St. Josephs School of the Sacred Heart in Atherton. California. are here. The school is over 100 years old. It was founded by the religious of the Sacred Heart. the beloved religious of the Sacred Heart. and the traditions and their mission of excellence in education and the formation of the character and the spiritual formation of students continues today. How proud I am that they are here. how proud I am of the teachers. how proud I am of the principal of St. Josephs at Sacred Heart. my daughter. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":923}
{"speech_id":1090124358,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Karen Eshoo. Welcome. students. and enjoy your memorable and historic visit to our Capitol. May what you see and what you experience remain with you for a lifetime.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":923}
{"speech_id":1090124363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we all know that gas prices are very high right now. but one of the reasons that gas prices are high is that we havent built or expanded a refinery in this country for 30 years. and the reason is because the environmental extremists wont allow that to happen. That is one of the reasons there is not enough supply for the demand out there. It is very simple. That is what it is. supply and demand. Our refineries right now are operating at maximum capacity. They cant pump out any more gas to the people of this country. So we need to expand domestic production. We need to expand refining capacity in this country. It -is critically important we do that. and that in return will help to reduce gas prices in this country. So we need to build these around the country and to build them with geographical diversity as it relates to the refining capacity. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SULLIVAN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090124363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Katrina underscored that. because .40 percent of our refining capacity is down in the gulf. and it was affected by Katrina. We saw gas prices go up when they were affected. So one of the things we need to do is spread refining capacity around the country. One of the best places to build a refinery in this country is Cushing. Oklahoma. I say that not only because I am from Oklahoma. but because nine major oil pipelines intersect in Cushing. We have the infrastructure in place already and the supply there. It is about a near perfect place to build a refinery in this great country. We need it desperately. Lets make it a megarefinery producing 500.000 barrels a day.","speaker_name":"JOHN SULLIVAN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090124373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. yesterday the Republicancontrolled House returned from a second spring break recess. Today is the 116th day of 2006. Remember. you set the House schelule. Would you believe. Madam Speaker. that this is only the 22nd day we have had votes here in the House this year? That is 22 days out of a total of 116. We indeed are a donothing Congress. House Republicans simply have not focused on the concerns of average Americans. Today. Americans face record prices at the gas pump. In some areas. gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1079}
{"speech_id":1090124373,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since President Bush took office in 2001. gas prices have doubled. and yet for 5 years now. House Republicans have done absolutely nothing to address the problem. They passed an energy bill last year. but the Bush administrations own Energy Department admitted that it would not do anything to reduce gas prices. Madam Speaker. it is time for House Republicans to stop sending us home for breaks. The American people were rightfully demanding a solution to the energy crisis. It is time for the donothing Congress to do something.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1079}
{"speech_id":1090124409,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself 20 seconds for a quick quote. and then I am going to yield to the gentleman from Oregon. The quote: \"The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor. They have been trfcked into it by a steady withholding of information. The Baghdad communiques are belated. insincere. incomplete. Things have been far worse than we have been told. our administration more bloody and inefficient than the public knows. We are today not far from a disaster.\" This comes from Lawrence of Arabia. 1920. We should learn from our mistakes and other countries mistakes. Madam Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":713}
{"speech_id":1090124417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the Iran Freedom Support Act. This legislation received strong bipartisan supportwhen it was passed in the International Relations Committee last month. I commend my colleague from Flor-. ida. Ms. ILEANA RoSLEHTINEN. for introducing this bill and working- both sides of the aisle to produce this strong bipartisan piece of legislation. I would also like to thank my ranking member. TOM LANTOS. for his continued leadership on ensuring that Iran does not gain access to nuclear weapons. This legislation is not the first step towards war. like I have heard some contend. but I believe a tightening of. the current restrictions on Iran. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090124417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must use every tool we have.. whether it be diplomatically or economically. tolimit the development of Irans nuclear weapons. Iran has shown time and time again that. they do not respect the international community. or the International Atomic Energy Agency. the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Iran made a deal with the international community when they designed. the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. and that was to not seek nuclear weapons in exchange for civilian nuclear. technology. Iran broke this deal 18 years ago when they began to pursue a secret nuclear program with the aim of .producing enough material to crbate nuclear weapons to threaten the stability of the region and of the world. We cannot allow a terrorist state like Iran to attain such deadly weapons. On Monday of this week. Iranian President Ahmadinejad vowed to press ahead with uranium enrichment and boasted how he did not expect the United Nations Seourity Council to impose sanctions on this terrorist state. This legislation is needed to let our allies know that the House of Representatives and the United States are serious about using economic means to isolate Iran and ensure they end their nuclear weapons ambitions. The permanent five members of the Security Council have all declared they are opposed to Iran gaining the knowledge to develop nuclear weapons. but words are sometimes not enough. When the TAEA presents its report to the Security Council on Friday. the members of the Security Council must be prepared to move forward with sanctions if Iran chooses to remain in noncompliance of the IAEA. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090124417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope this House speaks with a unified voice. today to let our allies know we are serious about stopping Irans pursuit of nuclear weapons. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. _April26. 2006 Madam Speaker. I reserve .the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2565}
{"speech_id":1090124421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Indiana. I too rise today in strong support of the Iran Freedom Support Act. and I would like to also commend the leadership of Chairman RoSLEHTINEN for her leadership on this bill and all those that she continues to fight for in the defense of freedom around the world. The world is clearly at a critical juncture. We are in the midst of waging a global war on terrorism to defend the free world from terrorists who seek not only to kill us. but to destroy our way of life. Make no mistake about it. the very essence of the rights and freedoms for which our forefathers fought are at stake. This bill that stands before us today isa key component of our war on terror. Iran is one of the largest state sponsors of terror in the world. They have funneled money and arms to terrorist cells throughout the Middle East. and have American blood on their hands. Iran. without a doubt. is one of the most dangerous threats to. our national security and to world stability. ","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2405}
{"speech_id":1090124421,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now Iran stands on the verge of -obtaining a nuclear weapon. yet another tool in its arsenal of terror and violence. Irans President Ahmadinejad is a maniacal dictator who thrives on his hatred for the United States and its desire to destroy our freedom. The world cannot and will not tolerate a nuclear Iran. It is not only the United States which is at risk. but our allies as well. President Ahmadinejad has made clear his intentions to wipe off the map Israel. our longeststanding democratic ally in the Middle East. This week. Madam Speaker. we commemorate Yom Hashoah. Holocaust Memorial Day. We remember with great reverence and respect the victims of another maniacal dictator who threatened to wipe an entire people off the map and who wanted to impose his theory of a perfect society on the rest of the world. We must learn from our mistakes of the past to take these threats seriously and act hastily. ","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2405}
{"speech_id":1090124421,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Iran Freedom Support Act is an important step in neutralizing the threat Iran poses to the world: I must stress. however. that passage of this bill should be the first step. not the last. God forbid we stand on this floor 60 years from now mem6rializing the victims of yet another Holocaust. Let us fulfill our pledge to never forget. Let us learn from the lessons of our history. and continue to strengthen our tools to fight this global war on terror and preserve our freedoms.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2405}
{"speech_id":1090124447,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 282. the Iran Freedom Support Act. Formore tha n two decadeg the Iranian regime has displayed its contempt for the rule of law by willinglyand aggressively breaching its international obligations. in pursuit of nuclear weapons. The incendiary remark made by Iranian President Ahmadinejad. that Israel is a \"fake regime [that] can not logically continue to live.\" underscores the importance of this measure. H.R. 282 denies technical assistance and financial resources to the regime of President Ahmadinejad. and strengthens sanctions against those who would facilitate the development of a covert nuclear program in Iran. This bill sends a clear and unambiguous message to Iran that their behavior is unacceptable. The overwhelming 373 vote by which this measure passed the International Relations Committee exemplifies the bipartisan nature of the issue. Madam Speaker. with the proliferation of nuclear weaponry at issue. there is neither room for error. nor for mixed signals. The price to be paid for inaction or indecision is beyond consideration. This legislation is a measured. responsible demonstration of our commitment to ensuring the freedom of Iranians and Amer\u0095icans alike.","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090124468,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. H.R. 5020. the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. deals with one of the most important aspects of our national security: our ability to gather and analyze intelligence effectively so that our policies are based on fact. not fantasy or obsessive desire. so that our Federal law enforcement agencies can defend us from the threat of attack. and so that our allies can rely on our resources for timely. coordinated operations in defense of freedom abroad. I want to commend Chairman HOEKSTRA and Ranking Member HARMAN and members of the Intelligence Committee for authorizing 100 percent of the funding required for our counteiterrorism operations. Regrettably. President Bush only included 78 percent of this funding in his budget request. so I thank the committee for correcting this dangerous shortfall. The Intelligence Authorization Act traditionally receives strong bipartisan support and will likely receive that same support this year. But despite its many attributes. this bill could have and should have been better. This bill could have and should have required a dedicated funding line for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. When Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act in December 2004 in response to the findings and recommendations of the 9\/ 11 Commission report. it created this board to serve as a civil liberties watchdog on the potential erosion of the basic constitutional rights of the American people in a post9\/11 world. Now. 15 months later. .we find our concerns about basic civil rights to have been well founded. but the oversight board is barely .up and running. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090124468,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President did not nominate the members of the board for 9 months. The Senate took 5 months to confirm the chair and vice chair. And. once again. the Presidents budget failed to include a single pefiny for the boards operation in fiscal year 2007. This could have and should have been fixed in committee. Congressmen HASTINGS. REYES. and HOLT offered an amendment to provide $3 million in dedicated funding for the oversight board. an amendment that should have had bipartisan support. But the majority chose to reject this funding and abandon their promise to the American people to safeguard their most basic freedoms and rights. And last night in the Rules Committee. the Republican leadership compounded this mistake by denying Congressman REYES the right to offer this same amendment for debate on the House floor. And then we have the issue of the National Security Agencys spying on U.S. citizens. In committee. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090124468,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representative ESHOO offered a carefully crafted amendment to withhold 20 percent of the NSAs budget until the executive branch provided the Intelligence Committee with the total cost of its surveillance program. That is all: just inform the committee of this one number. The Eshoo amendment was not looking for more operational details. It was not passing judgment on whether the NSAs domestic spying program is legal or not. even though that is a controversial matter in this House. All it was looking for is how many of our tax dollars are being spent on this surveillance program. This is a question that should concern every single Member of this body on both sides of the aisle. But with just one exception. the Republican majority found it too much to ask and rejected the Eshoo amendment. Yesterday in the Rules Committee. the Republican leadership went even further. The Republican Rules Committee denied Representatives SCHIFF. FLAKE. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090124468,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"HARMAN. and INGLIS the\" right to offer their bipartisan amendment for debate. This amendment would have required a classified disclosure to the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. the two committees with jurisdiction and oversight responsibilities over the NSA and the FISA process. on which U.S. citizens have been the subject of NSA electronic surveillance. and what criteria was used to target them. Such a classified report would allow Congress to understand the program and whether any current laws need to be amended to grant the President the authority he needs to carry out this program more effectively or make any changes to safeguard against abuse. In short. these two committees need this information in order to do their jobs. in order to carry out their oversight responsibilities. This bipartisan amendment should have received bipartisan support from the Rules Committee. but it did not. not from the Republiban majority on this Rules Committee and certainly not from the Republican leadership of this House. . It is outrageous. Madam Speaker. Many of us believe that when the President authorized the NSA surveillance of Americans. he broke the law. plain and simple. And when the Attorney General says that Congress somehow granted the authority for this program after September 11. he is just wrong. We are talking about the most basic fundamental civil liberties that protect the American people. and the Republican leadership will not even let us debate it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090124468,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What are they afraid of? I would ask my Republican friends to reread. their Constitution. Congress was not designed to be a rubber stamp for the President. Congress was not designed to protect Members from difficult votes on controversial issues. Congress was not designed to protect the Presidents political rear end. But under this leadership that is exactly what Congress has become. If my friends on the other side of the aisle believe that this President should have the ability to spy on Americans without a warrant and without going to the FISA court. then they should write that bill and bring it to the floor. They should at least show that level of respect for this House and for this Constitution. I am willing to bet that the majority of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle believe that what the President is doing is wrong. But either way. the very least we could do is have a debate and a vote. Madam Speaker. 25 amendments were brought to the Rules Committee last night. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7492}
{"speech_id":1090124473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I would like to address three of the points that the distinguished ranking member made. and I would point out that we appreciate her bipartisan efforts in crafting this bill. the underlying bill that the rule addresses. that came out of the committee on a voice vote. First. the program that she categorized. that has been categorized. I apologize. Madam. Speaker. the program that has been categorized as an \"illegal eavesdropping program\" had in a previous press release been charaCterized in this way: \"As the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee. I have been briefed since 2003 on a highly classified NSA foreign collection program that targeted al Qaeda. I believe the program is essential to U.S. national security and that its disclosure has damaged critical intelligence capabilities.\" That was the statement of the ranking member of the Ho.pse Intelligence Committee as it relates to what has now been characterized by saying it is illegal eavesdropping. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2984}
{"speech_id":1090124473,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Secondly. this question of Iran reports. the Iran crisis scares the dickens out of me. It.is a very serious issue for this entire Chamber. for this entire Nation. It is a country that is not only engaged in what could be a speculative threat against its neighbors and the United States and the world as a whole. but are bringing in cameras to show that they are breaking IAEA seals. along with their redhot rhetoric coming out of their President calling for the destruction of our ally. bragging about the uranium enrichment capabilities. talking about the difference between P1- and P2 centrifuges. It is a very serious issue. one that all Members of Congress should make themselves aware of. As chairman of the policy committee. I was joined by my Energy Subcommittee in going to New York on Monday to receive such a briefing. the kind of briefing that every Member of Congress is entitled to. As members of the House Intelligence Committee. they are entitled to even higherlevel briefings on the Iranian situation at their request. So. the requirement. the responsibility. for us to engage the administration. to engage the Intelligence Community. to engage the appropriate persons who are tracking this crisis is on. us. And it is not a mere every90day H1778 CC exercise. It should be an ongoing exercise as developments come in through the. media and through other open sources that call on us to further update our awareness of what is a very dangerous situation. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2984}
{"speech_id":1090124473,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thirdly. this idea of zero funding for the Civil Liberties Protection Board. that is an issue within the White House budget. It is not germane to the intelligence authorization bill. it is not an issue that we can fund. and it was ruled .out of order for that reason. It is a matter for the appropriators who are dealing with the White House budget line. not for the Intelligence Communitys overall budget. EJ 1315 Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2984}
{"speech_id":1090124475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today we will authorize the largest intelligence budget in our history. I am pleased to be part of this authorization. because I believe we have no higher purpose than to support the brave soldiers. sailors. airmen. marines. and the civilian intelligence officers of the front lines of our national security. However. I am sad to say this. There is a lingering threat. spoken to by Ms. HARMAN. that we have not addressed. which we should have. Last night the Rules Committee dealt a blow to our ability to gather intelligence on Irans nuclear and missile capability by denying an amendment that I had offered. Now. if. somebody else would like -to offer that amendment. it is okay with me. We have got to do what is right. I would ask you. ","speaker_name":"LEONARD BOSWELL","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1785}
{"speech_id":1090124475,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if you are listening. that you might even think about doing that. But it would require the Director of National Intelligence to provide us quarterly written reports. You know. people do best what. we check. And if we were checking this. and they were coming to us in our committee. and it is a classified environment. it is safe. they could come there and we would have a chance to see if they are actually doing the job. We should have done that. So it appears to me. and I am very disappointed to say this. that it appears to me that it was pure Politics that my amendment was denied. And I am disappointed. When I joined this committee 5 years ago. I was under the impression that politics would not interfere with our intelligence work. ","speaker_name":"LEONARD BOSWELL","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1785}
{"speech_id":1090124475,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But. apparently. not so. If I might quote from the Presidents bipartisan. if you will. WMC Commission. cochaired by Judge Lawrence Silverman and former Senator Charles Robb: \"Across the board. the Intelligence Community knows disturbingly little about the nuclear programs of","speaker_name":"LEONARD BOSWELL","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1785}
{"speech_id":1090124512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my friend from Massachusetts had me with Iran and lost me with Iraq. Everything that he said regarding the seriousness of the threat frofh Iran. a nuclearcapable Iran. is unacceptable to our interests. Everything he said is absolutely correct. And I can save him the vote on the previous question by asking him to turn to page 22 of the public version of the intelligence authorization bill. where it says. under the subheading Reporting Regarding Iran -and North Korea. \"Thecommittee has conducted regular and ongoing oversight of these efforts and expects the DNI to ensure that the Intelligence Community continues to provide timely. detailed. and frequent reporting on the current intentions and capabilities on Iran and North Koreas nuclear. chemical. biological. radiological. and missile programs. as well as the Intelligence Communitys capabilities to understand and evaluate these programs. In particular. the committee is interested in receiving. on an ongoing basis current assessments of Iran and North Koreas nuclear. chemical. biological weapons. and missile programs. information on new intelligence developed. including intelligence collected from both open and clandestine sources. and full discussion of any gaps in knowledge. dissents. caveats. and other information that would tend to reduce confidence in the overall assessment. The committee believes these reports will provide timely information to help better inform Congress as it is asked to make decisions regarding U.S. policy towards Iran and North Korea.\" The reporting requirement is in the bill. Mr. Speaker. this is a very important issue. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1837}
{"speech_id":1090124512,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge the gentleman. I urge the Congress to support the rule. support the underlying bill. and support the hardworking men and women. The material previously referred to by Mr. MCGOVERN is as follows:","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1837}
{"speech_id":1090124523,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. in my 12 years in Congress. in my 8 on the Intelligence Committee. I have always supported intelligence authorization bills. but never in my 12 years and never in my nearly 4 decades involved in public policy have I been as concerned as I now am about our Nations security. Just this week bin Laden and Zarqawi issued new threats against the United States and our allies. yet we do not know what they are plotting. We do not even know where they are. Despite 4V2 years of effort and the expenditure of tens of billions of taxpayer dollars. we still do not have a handle on al Qaeda. a threat that is metastasizing and growing ever more dangerous. We are losing soldiers in Iraq. in part because we never had intelligence dominance. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6811}
{"speech_id":1090124523,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We still do not have it. The socalled war on terror outside Iraq is essentially an intelligence war. but we did not know that homegrown terrorists were going to blow themselves up on Londons subways. We did not know about Madrid. Bali. Casablanca. Istanbul or Dahab. Egypt. We do not know if America will be hit tomorrow or where. Iran is making noisy threats. but we do not know if Ahmadinejad poses a real danger or if he is bluffing. because our intelligence on Iran is weak. And again we are hearing the drumbeat for war. without a clear idea of where the targets are. whether we can hit them effectively. or what would happen the day after. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6811}
{"speech_id":1090124523,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have taken our eye off overthehorizon threats. the networks of Muslim extremists growing in Europe. Africa and Latin America. the threat of loose nukes from the former Soviet Union and the rising power of China. Here at home our intelligence reorganization is a slow startup. and the CIA is in free fall. The Director of National Intelligence. a position Congress created to integrate the activities of the entire Intelligence Community after 9\/ 11. has not taken command yet of that community. Meanwhile at CIA. our premier intelligence organization. 300 years of experience have either been pushed out or left in frustration. and morale is dangerously low. The DNI is giving away authority to the Pentagon. which is happy to receive it. as it expands its own role in intelligencegathering abroad and here at home. The efforts to integrate home land intelligence between the FBI and DHS is still uneven. And our borders. airports. seaports remain vulnerable. As we speak. the House Homeland Security Committee on which I serve is trying to report a strong port security bill. I hope that effort succeeds. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6811}
{"speech_id":1090124523,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We surely need it. Given all this. what does this bill do. and as important. what does it not do? It funds an NSA program that in my view violates a clear statute passed by Congress. It fails to require that the program be fully briefed to Members of the Intelligence Committee. I surely support. and I have said this over and over again. the capability to monitor al Quaeda. I want to know what their plans are so we can disrupt them before they harm us. But I do not support violating the law or the Constitution. Enhanced security without respect for law gives away the very values we are fighting to defend. and I believe that the program I am talking about can and must fully comply with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and with our Constitution. The bill also fails to give clarity to the issue of leaks. Leaks of classified information are wrong. but it is also wrong to have a double standard. When career professionals blow the whistle on controversial activities. it is illegal. a firing offense. but when the President and Vice President authorize the selective leaking of classified information to discredit criticism. it is defended as a prerogative of the Presidency. part of the Presidents inherent authority. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6811}
{"speech_id":1090124523,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill includes a provision that gives arrest powers to the protective officers at CIA and NSA in order to help them protect agency officials. This provision. in my view. has been somewhat misconstrued in the press as granting new warrantless surveillance powers to these agencies. It does not. It simply gives these protective details the same authority that the Capitol Police. the Secret Service and other Federal authorities have. But. like all new powers. they are susceptible to abuse without strong oversight. and so it would be. my hope that we will include more safeguards before this provision becomes law. I do want to say to the chairman of the committee that I appreciate the bipartisanship which the majority has shown in accepting some initiatives raised over many years by committee Democrats. For 2 years committee Democrats have registered strong opposition to the practice of funding counterterrorism through supplemental budgets. We fought this reckless practice in committee and on the floor. This year. again. the Presidents budget provided 22 percent less than what is needed for counterterrorism operations. On a bipartisan basis we are now authorizing 100 percent of the Intelligence Committees counterterrorism funding needs for 2007 in this base bill. and that is something the majority agreed to. and I applaud them for that. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6811}
{"speech_id":1090124526,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that sending messages to the White House is not all we should do here. but there are very few ways to send those messages. I yield 2 minutes to a senior member of our committee. also a member of the Armed Services Committee. the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090124545,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield 21\/2 minutes to a great member of the committee. someone who understands that the Civil Liberties and Privacy Board is funded out of the budget of the Executive Office of the President and does not come out of the Intelligence Committee authorization bill. the gentleman from Alabama :","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090124554,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing. I appreciate again the work of the ranking member. my colleagues on both sides. of the aisle. and the staff on both sides of the aisle. to pull together a bill which I think addresses the priorities that we established at this committee really beginning a year and a half ago: that we were going to stay focusedon rebuilding an intelligence capability to match the threats that America faces today. This legislation puts in the necessary fences that will ensure that this committee has the oversight over the standup of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. We all want this process to work. We would all like it.to go faster because of the significant threats that we face as a Nation. But standing up the Office of the DNI will be the responsibility of monitoring. and that will be the responsibility of our oversight subcommittee. Our policy committee is going to continue to monitor and evaluate the threats that we face as a *Nation. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2169}
{"speech_id":1090124554,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Whether it is al Qaeda. radical Islam. the affiliated groups to al Qaeda. Iran. Iraq. North Korea. China. we want to make sure that we as a committee have a good grasp of making sure that the intelligence community is structured to go after these threats and provide us as policymakers with the information that we need to be successful. The third thing that we are going to dois to make sure that we thoroughly take a look at what we can accomplish to stop leaks. the devastating leaks from within the community and outside of the community that damage our capabilities and give those who want to attack us insight as to what our plans. intentions and capabilities are. And then for my colleagues who have talked about the TSA program and other activities. it is the responsibility of this committee. it is the responsibility of the members of this committee to make sure that we do effective oversight. to make sure that the executive branch operates within the parameters that we have established. the legal parameters that we have established for it to operate within. Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Kansas","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2169}
{"speech_id":1090124564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I will support this amendment. but I rise to note that the chairman has agreed to modify a provision. and I appreciate the modification that he has made. and that relates to the CIA Directors responsibility under the Freedom of Information Act. The minority felt that the provisions were restricting FOIA requests. and the majority agreed to accommodate us and struck the language. and I would like our colleagues to know that that accommodation has been made. It makes the managers amendment a better amendment. and I support the managers amendment.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":564}
{"speech_id":1090124583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield. myself such time as I may consume. Let me first thank our ranking member of the committee. my colleague and friend from California. Congresswoman JANE HARMAN. for her support of this amendment and for her leadership. Mr. Chairman. this amendment is very simple and noncontroversial. It merely requires the President to submit a report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees describing any authorization granted over the last 10 years to engage in intelligence activities related to the overthrow of a. democratically elected government. Mr. Chairman. we all know that democracy promotion is at the topof this administrations agenda. and I believe that there is no question that supporting democracy should be a nonpartisan issue that we all agree on because it is at the core of our Nations values. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2970}
{"speech_id":1090124583,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is. quite simply. fundamental to who we are as a people and what we stand for as a Nation. That is why we must support democratic movements as they take place across the world. Nothing less than our values are on the line if we dont. That is why we must be vigilant and safeguard against any actions that would undermine or threaten our ability to support democratic efforts. It is clear that actions that undermine democracies also undermine our credibility in the world and. therefore. our ability to be viewed as a serious and legitimate agent of democracy. So if promoting democracy is to remain a critical pillar of our foreign policy. we must ensure that our ability to be this voice for peoples movements throughout the world is not damaged by contrary actions. Who will believe us if our actions are inconsistent With our words? How successful will we be in achieving our goals? So today I offer this amendment to support and protect our efforts toward promoting democracy and to help ensure that our actions are consistent with our values. Toward that end this amendment will help Members of this body stay well informed about our Nations actions related to these types of overt or covert intelligence activities which is especially critical at this moment. This amendment will help increase transparency in the process by requiring a report that is organized and comprehensive over the past 10 years. It will also help provide this information in an organized fashion so Members do not need to sort through voluminous records or seek information on a countrybycountry basis. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2970}
{"speech_id":1090124583,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is also critical to point out that that amendment in no way compromises the confidential and sensitive nature of the information as it requires the report to be delivered to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and for Members to review it in a confidential and secure setting. So. Mr. Chairman. I want to conclude by thanking again our ranking member for her support. and want to strongly urge all my colleagues here to stand up for democracy and to stand up for transparency by supporting this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2970}
{"speech_id":1090124586,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. I commend her for her courageous voice in Congress. she knows I do. on many important issues. I also want to commend our chairman for saying that he will accept this amendment. He should know. and the gentlewoman surely does know. that we have worked together over the years to describe this issue in a manner acceptable to many in the committee. She and I have had conversations on the floor in past years about this issue. This year she is offering her concerns in the form of legislation. and I think this legislation is really very good. I think the goals of democratization and transparency are both good goals. Our President says he supports democratization. ","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1306}
{"speech_id":1090124586,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It surely is one of our major foreign policy goals. I am for. and I mince no words about this. the robust use of intelligence to find out the plans and intentions of peoplewho are plotting to do us harm. I do not think this amendment in any way compromises that. and I think the fact that the report is to be prepared and will be delivered to our committee in a classified form makes absolutely certain that we are not advertising to our enemies how we deploy our resources. So. again. I want to commend the gentlewoman for offering this amendment and offer my strong support for it.","speaker_name":"JANE HARMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":36.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1306}
{"speech_id":1090124597,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the question. My amendment. in fact. does not establish new regulations for the intelligence community nor does it prohibit contractors from carrying out any type of work. It simply requires contractors and theintelligence community to provide Congress with more information so we can do our job effectively. It is not about more regulations. It is about information. about what practices and policies are already in effect. v As for the reporting requirements. this amendment would require reports on private contracting. We have crafted the amendment to minimize the additional burden on the agency. The vast majority of what we are requesting is information that the agency either has or should have already. but it - is a matter of assembling that information and making it available to the appropriate committees of the Congress.","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":861}
{"speech_id":1090124612,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I will not oppose the amendment. I think this information is very consistent with the type of information that the Intelligence. Committee receives on a regular basis. but we need to make sure that we continue receivingit in the future. Again. we will be inclined to accept this amendment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":422}
{"speech_id":1090124661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when a Member of the House. offers the motion to recommit and is asked the question whether they oppose the bill and say that they do in order that they can offer the motion. is it a violation of the rules of the House that that Member then votes for the bill and contradicts his statement that he was against the bill when he offered the motion to recommit? Is that a violation of House rules?","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":407}
{"speech_id":1090124693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"you said \"tie the hands.\" There are 100 provisions. This is three plus one. Tie the hands? No. What we are trying to do is to speak up for the .people of this country. I close with this: you always talk about one aspect in terms of capital gains and dividends. What you dont say is that every analysis we have seen indicates that this extension that you are insisting on. about 40 to 50 percent. and some say a little more than 50 percent. would go to people making over $1 million a year. So tomorrow when people vote. they are going to have a clear choice. It is going: to be the vast majority of the American people who go to the gas pump and. know how much they are paying and are hurting. or people for whom that increase to three bucks a gallon and more doesnt really matter. So. as I said at the beginning. I dont know which interest group is going to score this. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCCRERY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090124693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know how the American people are going to score this.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCCRERY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090124703,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding me time. and support his motion to instruct. Madam Speaker. the American people and the people from western New York are at the center of the energy policy disaster. The House majority *told the American people that upon passage of the energy bill. that it would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. and it has not. They told us that it would reduce gas prices at the pump. and it certainly has not. They told us this bill. with its incentives to Big Oil. would promote the development of alternative energy sources. and it has not. The President told the American people in January that they were addicted to oil and signed a bill 5 months previous to that that provided huge subsidies. some $15 billion in tax giveaways. to the very companies who are feeding that addiction. Madam Speaker. I urge support of this motion to put real muscle in this Nations energy policy to promote real alternatives to foreign oil that promotes alternative energy sources and provides r~al relief to real Americans who every day are paying way too much for gasoline at the pump.","speaker_name":"BRIAN HIGGINS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1129}
{"speech_id":1090124708,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it is always interesting to listen to my good friend from Louisiana defend the Republican Party. It is the party of 1 percent that he is over there defending. As I listen to him. I was reminded of a remark that President Reagan was often - fond of saying. He would say. well. there you go again. If he were here today. he would say exactly that. and he would be absolutely right. The Republicans are running a donothing Congress. It is not even a donothing. it is they cannot do anything. They come out here and admit that with gas prices where they are. they cant do a thing about it. Cant do a thing about it. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090124708,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is hopeless. So the American people are stuck with the Republicans. and the people should remember that as the election comes. because the Republicans stood out here today and said they cannot do anything. We went after the oil companies to get some of that money to do things with that this society needs. but the Republicans are only interested in the 1 percent. The other 99 percent are on their own luck. There has been a lot of energy here tonight telling us how big oil companies should continue to fleece the people at the pumps. But that is what big oil companies have a right to do. and we all should pay more. They want to be sure that we continue to have the American millionaires have 2 more years of a comfortable tax holiday. Now. people can talk about numbers out here. but I want to talk about a couple of people. one of whom is the Exxon chairman who just retired. They gave him.$398 million. This is a guy making $1.6 million every year. okay? I mean. that is just for starters. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090124708,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. as he retired. they said we know you are going to play golf when you are retired. we will pick up your golf fees. They will pay his golf fees forever at $210.000 a year. I mean. they are going to let him use the corporate airplane for the rest of his life. and they are going to keep him on for a year at $1 million as a consultant. Then- there is Joe Public. He is at the pump tonight. or he is watching us talk about this. having just come from the pump. or Sally Public. either one of say the President was right when he them has been to the pump today. and said we are addicted to oil. Boy. this they have watched that thing go Congress is addicted to oil. When we around at $3 a gallon and realized the cannot close three loopholes and take average income in this country is back $5 billion that we could use for $40.000. Forty thousand dollars. home heating oil or student loans or Now. the Exxon president. or the ex- Medicare or Medicaid or all the things ecutive that I just talked about. is that this society needs. we cant take* going to get a $32.000 tax break from that and use it for the public good. this bill that my friend says is going to there is something very wrong in this somehow cripple the economy. society. What is fair about that? The average 0 1900 person has to buy gasoline to get to work. take their kids to school. heat And if the peopleare going to have a the house. If you live where I do. you choice in November. they are going to do not need so much heat as you do in say. well. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090124708,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Republicans stood by and other parts of the country. and down watched the deficit go up out of sight. where the gentleman from Louisiana and they watched the oil prices go up lives. you do not need much heat. But out of sight. and they said. well. we other places they have to use a lot of dont know what to do. Nothing we can heat in the wintertime. They are still do about that. We have to keep passing paying 4 bucks a gallon for it. or are tax breaks to the 1 percent in this socigoing to be paying 4 bucks a gallon. ety who are doing very well. The average person. you talk about The President gets out there and these capital gains. oh. well. everybody tries to tell everybody that things are gets capital gains. yes. The Exxon chief going well in this country economiwill take $32.000 in tax breaks away on cally. but the people dont believe it. average. and the average $40.000 person You know why? Because it isnt going in this country is going to get 7 bucks. well for most people. They are stuck That is the average. That is 2 gallons with $3- and $4agallon gas. They have of gas. no way to avoid that. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090124708,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is hard to ride Now. is that fair? Is that what you your bike 70 miles into. town to get to think America is all about? Is that work. Now. you can do it. but it really what the Republicans say? Well. you takes a lot of effort. Most people arent know. the gas prices are going up. I able to change from a car with a gasoguess it is supply and demand. I dont line engine to a bicycle. so they are know. I dont know how come the oil stuck. They cant walk to work. They companies are making all this extra are stuck in this society. In our city money. We shouldnt be able to cut they are talking about raising the down how much money they make. rates on the mass transit because of They should just be able to make more the cost of gasoline. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8576}
{"speech_id":1090124751,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have a Pontiac Vibe. You could not handle your kids in the little Vibe because I barely fit in the thing myself. I have to sit in the back seat and drive from the back seat so my legs fit all right. But. yes. exactly. It is that kind of lack of compassion. lack .of understanding of what average people go through. a total disconnect. kind of like when the Vice President said a few years ago. conservation. that is a good personal virtue to have. but as a Nation it is not really a good policy. Wait a minute. It is not maybe the beall. endall. but it is a piece of this puzzle that we need to put together to figure out how we are going todo this. And I think it is important for us to share not only the costs that you have there. and I will let you show that. but then I want to talk a little bit about back to 2001 when this whole thing was concocted and all this was happening. So go ahead.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":898}
{"speech_id":1090124770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. you know. it is getting ready to happen again tdmorrow. We are going to watch them deliberately squander yet another opportunity. Do you remember several months ago when the Jack Abramoff scandal broke. and he was exposed. and indicted and arrested. and decided to plead guilty and began implicating people who he worked with and who he collaborated with? There were calls from the Republican leadership that they were going to do something about this. make the process more transparent. restore ethics to undergird the American publics confidence in this system. And that was all supposed to culminate in tomorrows legislation that we will hear in this body. what the Republican version of lobbying and ethics reform is. Mr. DELAHUNT. We are all about thirdparty validators in the 30something Working Group. I have thirdparty validators just initially to compare Republican proposals on lobbying reform with the proposals that are coming out of the United States Senate. from the Republican leadership there versus the proposals coming out of the Republican House. And this was on the front page of USA Today just a couple of days ago. on April 24. just on Monday. the two proposals coming out of the two Republicanled Chambers. Look at the differences. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8009}
{"speech_id":1090124770,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. DELAHUNT. that we have here. This is the difference between the lobbying legislation the Senate and the House of Representatives. the gift limits that are proposed in the legislation coming from the Senate. And. again. this is right off the front page of USA Today. The Senate version of the bill would say that Members could receive no gifts from lobbyists to Members or their aides. None. A ban. The House version of the bill tomorrow. we would have no change from the $50 limit that is current law. That is transparency? That is a restoration of Americas confidence that Members are up here doing the job that they were elected to do? Status quo. That is the reform that we are going to consider tomorrow. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8009}
{"speech_id":1090124770,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The lobbying ban. Right now. former Members have a 1year ban before they can come and represent clients in front of Congress and contact their former colleagues and advocate on behalf of those clients. The Senate would double that time. to 2 years. At least. so that there would be some distance between the time of service that a -Member was here and the people that they served with. And so the idea behind a .2year ban. Mr. DELAHUNT. is that at least some of the issues that that Member was vpting on. that the Members that they were working with. that there is some distance between that time. and that way hopefully you are not going to have undue influence occur. The Senate doubled that to 2 years. In the House. again this is off the front page of USA Today. there would be no change. The current 1year time limit would still remain in place. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8009}
{"speech_id":1090124770,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us look at congressional travel. Travel sponsored by lobbyists. again off the front page. in that same graph on the front page of USA Today. The Senate legislation that deals with travel by Members sponsored by lobbyists would say that they have to have preapproval in order for a Senator to travel with lobbyists. on a lobbyistsponsored trip. The S.nate legislation said that that would have to be preapproved by their Ethics. Committee. You know. interesting proposal. There are several ways you can do it. We will go one step further in our proposal. which we will go through in a second. But the House version. this is funny. it is so sad that it is funny. The House proposal tomorrow that we are considering on travel says suspend travel until December 15. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8009}
{"speech_id":1090124770,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What are they hoping. that we get past the election and people will forget? Or maybe we get past the election and it will not matter anymore and they can just go back to taking trips to Scotland and playing golf when they are supposed to be doing the peoples business? I am not sure who they are trying to kid. It is just truly unbelievable. Mr. DELAHUNT. Their nerve is amazing. So I just wanted to outline that is the difference between the Republican proposals. Now. I want to just take a minute and go through what the Democrats would do. You know we hear so much that. you know. all the Democrats do is criticize and. you know. we do not have a plan for this. that. or the other thing. which of course we spend each night here trying to outline the plans tiat we do have. and debunk that oftrepeated myth. which is truly mythological. because we have numerous plans which we will continue to outline. But let us look at the House Democrats lobbying and ethics reform proposal. where we would truly crack down and get tough on the culture of corruption and cronyism that exists here. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8009}
{"speech_id":1090124779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. Price. thank you so much for those comments. They are very accurate and very timely. I know one thing that Representative PRICE mentioned about this deadline. and of course it is approaching. We are 3 weeks away. Of course. a 6month window of opportunity that started November 15. and we have been doing town hall meetings. of course. since long before that and letting. people know. I think there has been a tremendous amount of information both from the Committee on Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS we call it. the Social Security department. and senior organizations in each community. in every county. in every State in this Nation have been making sure that this information gets out there. But. still. as we get down to the wire. we have some seniors. unfortunately there may be as many as 8 million. that could still sign up for this benefit. And while some of them clearly will choose not to. because it is an optional plan. we dont want to miss the opportunity of those in that group who are a part of that lowincome portion. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2421}
{"speech_id":1090124779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. because. as I have said many times from the well of this House floor. for them it is not only a nobrainer. it is a godsend. So that is why we continue to have these Special Orders. That is why the leadership. our Speaker. our majority leader. our conference chairwoman Representative DEBORAH PRYCE. wants us to come down and spend this hour. and allows us to do this. and as Congressman PRICE was just saying. to talk to Members on both sides of the aisle. because this is not the time to politic over this. This is the time to get the policy right. So that is really what we are about. Again as I predicted at the outset. I would be joined by my colleagues on the health care public affairs team. not the least of which is my cochair. And I would like to call on him..I would like to say a word or two about Representative and Dr. TIM MURPHY from the great State of Penngylvania. He is a clinical psychologist. a teacher and an author of several books. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2421}
{"speech_id":1090124779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has taken a leadership role not only in the overall committee that we cochair. but also especially on the issue of electronic medical recordkeeping and reduction of medical errors and saving lives and saving money. That is something that both DR. MURPHY and former Speaker Newt Gingrich have written a book on. We can talk about that later as we get beyond May 15. but at. this. time I yield to Mr. MURPHY.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2421}
{"speech_id":1090124792,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. RYAN. yOU know I would be a little concerned. just a little. if the validation by the American people. Madam Speaker. was not so strong. I mean. the American people are saying. Congress. what are you doing? Let me just back up. The Republican Congress. what are you doing? It is almost like the Republican majority got elected. started a football game. andat halftime switched jerseys. I mean. some of the folks who are running down here on the floor having press conferences. you know. fiscal conservatives. fiscal responsibility. we believe it is your money. Well. Mr. RYAN. what you are talking about. what we just talked about here is exactly what is happening here.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":674}
{"speech_id":1090124793,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. MEEK. it is their money. It is the American peoples money. They do not want it sent to Communist China to pay down. the interest on the debt. They want it invested in the United States of America. They want this money put into our country. not put off and sent to the Communist Chinese Government so that they can start stateowned companies and basically take work from the American people.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":394}
{"speech_id":1090124974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentlewoman will continue to yield. I would say that input from her side has been very important. And. yes. I have over the past few hours been talking to a number of Democrats who have been providing recommendations to me as well. and I thank my friend.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":274}
{"speech_id":1090124995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my friend for yielding. and I would simply say to my friend that he has brought forward a wide range of very. very important issues. many of which he addressed as chairman of the Ethics Committee himself. And I will. again. as I said in my opening remarks. I am very happy to make the commitment that we recognize that this process is the first step on our road towards dealing with this. and it is our goal that as we move beyond this rule to consider the legislation that we get into a HouseSenate conference. I am happy to yield my friend an additional 30 seconds.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":575}
{"speech_id":1090125027,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would yield. I would simply say in response to my friend. as he knows very well. we have really gone a long way toward making sure there is greater transparency on that issue. so the socalled ban on lobbying. the coolingoff jeriod. is made clear with lines that we draw. I think it is really moving in the direction to which my friend has referred.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":378}
{"speech_id":1090125033,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would yield. I would simply say that this measure is designed to deal with lobbying and ethics reform for the first branch of government. the legislative branch. and it is for that reason that we have not gotten into the executive branch issue to which my friend referred. Mr. Speaker. may I inquire of the Chair how much time is remaining on each side.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":383}
{"speech_id":1090125052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is with regret that I rise today in opposition to the. rule before us. The ethics process in this body is broken. In all candor. there is plenty of blame to go around as to why we find ourselves in this situation. We undermine the publics faith in this great institution when we let petty politics erode the very processes meant to preserve the publics trust in Congress. I have met with the Majority Leader on this issue. and I sincerely believe that he has a genuine desire to have an effective. functioning Ethics process in the House. I thank him for his willingness to listen. and I hope we can perhaps address this issue in the future. Having previously served on the Ethics Committee. i firmly believe that the ethics process can work. For the sake of this institutionit must work. And as we beginconsideration of the Leaderships ethics and lobby reform package. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2360}
{"speech_id":1090125052,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will say there are some provisions in the base bill before us that should ultimately be adoptedearmark reform. denying Congressional pensions to convicted felons. enhanced disclosure and improved ethics education are commonsense proposals that I would hope that we can all support. That being said. I cannot support this rule. Ethics reform is incomplete absent changes to improve the enforcement of House rules. My colleague JOEL HEFLEY and I have put forward legislation to strengthen the ability of the Ethics Committee to dispense with ethics matters by expediting the review of these issues and insulating committee members and nonpartisan staff from the political pressures that can pollute the ethics process. We do this by giving the Chair and Ranking Member on the committee subpoena power earlier in the investigative process and prohibiting the arbitrary dismissal of Members and technical staff. We also require ethics education for Members and staff. and we dramatically improve disclosure associated with gifts and travel. All of these commonsense reforms would greatly improve the ethics process in the House. We sought -to offer our legislation as an amendment to the bill we are to consider today. This proposal was not made in order under the rule. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2360}
{"speech_id":1090125052,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thus. we are faced with the prospect of passing an incomplete ethics reform package that lacks enhanced enforcement. * . I think this is a mistake. and for this reason. I must reluctantly oppose this rule.","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2360}
{"speech_id":1090125071,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that is very important. Mr. Leader. for us to know and ATION maybe we can work on that because obviously Members want to speak on e: to a family amendments and they would have to ote during the know whether they have to be back beeen present. I fore the 6:30 voting if you were going to elow. take it up prior to that. I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":348}
{"speech_id":1090125099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in 1872 an outstanding Nebraskan. J. Sterling Morton. began the tradition of Arbor Day to encourage tree planting. One hundred years later. another outstanding Nebraskan. John Rosenow. founded the National Arbor Day Foundation to promote Mortons original goals. Today. I have the pleasure of honoring the fruits of their labor. There are over 1 million members of this organization nationwide. These two visionary leaders recognized that the simple action of planting a tree can protect the fnvironment and provide resources and beauty for generations to come. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090125099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thanks to their efforts and inspiration. today America is a much greener. healthier. and more beautiful place. Because of their foresight. people from around the world enjoy a better quality of life. The planting of trees is a great reminder of our duty to take responsible actions now that will benefit. our children and our gxandchildren later.. As J. Sterling Morton noted. \"Each generation of humanity takes. the Earth as trustees.\" The resolution I introduced. House Concurrent Resolution 383. supports the goals and ideals of National Arbor. Day andth6 National Arbor Day Foundation. I would like to begin expressing my sincere appreciation to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia . the chairman of the Committee on Government Reform. and the distinguished gentleman from California","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1367}
{"speech_id":1090125109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am a member of several caucuses here in the House. I am very proud to be so. But none of those caucuses. I think. are more important than the Congressional Constitution Caucus. All of us when we came here took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. It is one of the greatest documents ever written. and one that has guided this country and stood us in good stead over the time that we have been a country. The Congressional Constitution Caucus has a statement of its belief: We \"will be an effective forum to ensure that th6 Federal Government is operating under the intent of the 10th amendment of our Bill of Rights.\" Those of us on the Congressional Constitution Caucus are very much concerned about the overreaching of the Federal Government. I have spoken on this issue before. but I think it is important that we continue to highlight it for the American people. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4021}
{"speech_id":1090125109,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I want to read the 10th amendment: \"The powers. not delegated to the United States by the Constitution. nor prohibited by it to the States. are reserved to the States respectively. or to the people.\" These historic words penned by our Founding Fathers. some of the most ingenious political minds this world has ever known. set forth an important principle. The- Federal Government may exercise its specific powers listed in the Constitution. and the States and the people .may exercise all remaining powers. Unfortunately. as the authors of the Constitution have long since passed. so. too. have many of their foundations for our system of government. Between an everexpanding Federal bureaucracy that for decades has crept into many facets of traditionally. locally controlled government to a Federal judiciary that time and time again completely ignores the intent of the 10th amendment. the Federal Government has become wildly inefficient and is hemorrhaging tax dollars. Our caucus will point out that not only is State and local control over programs in line with the Constitution. it is a much more costeffective and efficient way to provide many domestic services to American citizens. It is imperative that we highlight the need to return to a system intended under the reserve clause of the Constitution. And I want to point out several bills that have been introduced in this session that are initiatives we hope that will move us forward in this regard. The first one is the Sunset Commission legislation. Congressman KEVIN BRADY has introduced two bills. both of which would establish a Sunset Commission to review the continued need for executive branch agencies and programs on a regular basis and make recommendations to the President to rein in the inevitable mission creep. Federal consent decree legislation. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4021}
{"speech_id":1090125109,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 1229. Congressman ROY BLUNT has introduced this legislation. the Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act. that would level the playing field for State and local governments faced with activist Federal judges that are legislating from the .bench. Federal consent decrees can be an effective judicial tool. but too often activist judges use them to lock in policy changes long after the State or local official that agreed to the decree has left office. H.R. 1229 would make it easier for State and local governments to amend such decrees.. Local control of education. Congressman JOHN CULBERSON has introduced legislation that would restore State sovereignty over public elementary and secondary education in H.R. 3449. The bill would require that a State specifically authorize operation of any Federal education program for which it adcepts Federal funds. waiving the States rights to act inconsistently with any strings attached to that Federal funding. I am proud to be a cosponsor on all three pieces of this legislation. and in the next few weeks the Congressional Constitution Caucus is going to call attention not only to these bills. but others that we are bringing to the attention of the leadership and the American people to get us back into compliance with the Constitution.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4021}
{"speech_id":1090125188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my understanding we have 15 minutes equally divided. I ask the Chair. after 6 minutes has elapsed. to advise me. First. let me say there is nothing new to the problem we have had in this country by not having an energy policy. I can remember- when Don Hodel was Secretary of Energy and later Secretary of the Interior. We had a dogandpony show where we went around the country during the Reagan administration and tried to talk about how serious this wasthe fact that our dependence upon foreign countries. or our ability to fight a war. was not an energy problem. it was a national security problem. We found the message didnt sell. I was critical of the Reagan administration. Later on. when the first Bush administration came along. I thought. surely. out of the oil patch he would want to have an energy policy. but he didnt either. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4780}
{"speech_id":1090125188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And during the Clinton adminfstration. he did not. When the second George Bush came into office. the first thing he did was say we are going to have an energy policy. Keep in mind that- our dependency at that time. when I was active around the country with Don Hodel. was 36 to 37 percent. Now we are up to twice that. It is much worse now than it was before. We are in the middle of our second gulf war and people should realize what a threat this is. I chair the Environment and Public Works Committee. which has most of the jurisdiction over. many energy issues. and certainly the .air issues. I remember making every effort to get drilling on ANWR. The distinguished President pro tempore -has spent his life trying to get production in the northern part of his State. It is something that would resolve the problem. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4780}
{"speech_id":1090125188,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yesterday. on this floor. one of the Senators on the Democratic side said it would take 10 years before we would see any of that production. I dont believe that is true. But if it were true. I remind my colleagues that on November 20. 1995. we passed in both Chambers drilling in ANWR. and President Clinton vetoed the bill. We would have it today. We would not be having this problem. I suggest also that there is one other facet that has not been talked about enough. and that is. we could have all the production. all the exploration in the world. but if we dont have the refining capacity. it. doesnt do any good. We were at 100 percent refining capacity even before Katrina. This is a serious problem. In our committee. we marked up a refinery bill. a very sophisticated bill. very moderate. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4780}
{"speech_id":1090125188,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would allow those cities where they had closed military bases to use those closed military bases along with EDA grants to establish refineries. It is something that would enhance our refinery capacity and give .us new refineries. and it was killed right down party lines. Every Democrat voted against it. I will read what one of the papers. the Topeka Capital Journal. said: Politics played a crucial role in Democrat opposition. If gas prices are high next yearThis is next year nowthe GOP will be blamed . Even though it is the Democrats who are responsible for it. So we have those problems that are looming at the same time. I will say this: Democrats did offer an alternative when they killed the refinery bill. All eight Democrats on the Environment ind Public Works Committee. the committee I chair. voted in favor of an alternative that would put the Environmental Protection Agency in charge of siting. constructing. and operating oil facilities. In other Words. socializing that particular sector of our economy. which is something they apparently believe Government can operate better than people. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4780}
{"speech_id":1090125188,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not true. When we had the LIHEAP program. I had an amendment that would have improved the permitting process for ethanol plants. as well as oil refineries and coal liquid facilities. Again. killed right down party lines. I guess what I am saying is. we go through this and we see what is happening. and it is always down party lines when we try to enhance our ability to have natural gas. Ask farmers anywhere in America what is causing the cost of fertilizer to go up. It is a shortage of natural gas. At the same time. we had an opportunity to do something in Massachusetts. Two Congressmen from Massachusetts. FRANK and McGOVERN. put a provision in the Transportation bill that blocks the construction of an alreadyapproved liquefied natural gas facility. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4780}
{"speech_id":1090125223,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think it is going to be a long day because I intend to stay here and make the case for this outrageous ripoff being eliminated. This is an extraordinary waste of taxpayer money. Colleagues know.I always try to work in a bipartisan way. I always want to expedite the business of the Senate. The last time the Senate looked at energy. after midnight. in the middle of the night. there was an effort to sweeten this program and add more cost to taxpayers that cannot be justified. As I understand it. I may have misspoken on this point. the total amount of the supplemental bill is $100 billion. The cost of litigation over this program. if successful. could be $80 billion. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090125223,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The General AccountingOffice- estimates that at a minimum. the Government is going to be out $20 billion. My amendment alone could pay a significant portion of what is needed to cover this emergency spending legislation. The Government is here talking about an emergency spending bill because there isnt the money in order to pay for these essential programs. Yet at a time when we have an emergency spending bill and we dont have the money in order to take care of -needs. the Government keeps ladling out billions of dollars. All I want to do is prevent what we saw last year in the Energy bill. We are now going to do it differently. We are going to stay here. and we are going to stay at this discussion until the Senate votes up or down as to whether we want to keep sweetening a program with billions and billions of dollars at a time when there is no commonsense reason for this particular program. I have come to admire the Senator .from Arizona. We serve together on the Commerce Committee. I particularly appreciate his tenaciousness. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090125223,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has taught me an awful lot about it. Frankly. that is what is needed. Somebody has to stay here and stay at this until we drain this swamp. To continually shovel out billions and billions of dollars. when the President of the United States has said we dont need these incentives when oil is over $50 a barrel. I dont see how anybody can argue for the continuation of this program in its current form. I said I am not going to chuck the program in the trash can. All I am going to say is. you get royalty relief if the price of oil goes down or we need royalty relief to avoid disruptions. That is a straightforward proposition. It certainly ensures that we go back to what was originally \u0095 contemplated. Even the authors of this program. people such as our former colleague Senator Bennett Johnston. are scratching their heads and saying: This program is completely out of control. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090125223,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It makes no sense in its current form. I dont see how you can argue something that at its outset was designed to promote production when .prices were cheap. By the way. a lot of the sponsors of this legislation always said this program Was cost free. I was amazed to hear that.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090125307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. Mr. President. the Senator from Oregon has made a very important point I want to second. that is. at the time this was being debated. I recall the Senator for Oregon. in his comments. making the same points I made. which were that it is important for us to be supportive of American industry being able to do the things we want it to do.but that since we are talking about taxpayer dollars. we need to be very careful that if there is some kind of support for industry. that it is very well thought out. that it is not open ended. hopefully. it is not mandatory. that we retain enough flexibility. lets say. so when the conditions no longer warrant the support of a particular industry we will no longer do that. Now. all of us in this body can have different ideas about when that is appropriate. I happen not to be a big fan of subsidies. Some others may like them a little bit more. But at least the Senator ftom Oregon and I have been consistent for a long time wanting to know the facts about whether support for a particular good cause was necessary with respect to the expenditure of taxpayer dollars. If it was necessary for the national good during a time of war. for example. then I think the consensus is there to always do it. But what we said is: Is it necessary at this time? We were talking about a situation where oil was at least $10 a barrel cheaper than it is today. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090125307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even the President was saying at that time: This particular subsidy is not necessary. So it seems to me that colleagues who may have supported the bill at the time would have no reason not to support our amendment here because this is a very specific and differentiated item. It is not the entire Energy bill. it is one very specific little provision. It is a provision that will save us a lot of money if we can get it amended the way we are talking about doing. And its relevance to this supplemental appropriations billwhatever the gerinaneness provision isits relevance is very clear. It would be nice if we could offset some of the spending we are going to have to engage in here to support our troops with real savings. This is an area where we can achieve real savings because the royalty is simply not needed at this time for the purpose that it was originally put in the legislation. So this would be consistent with the policy we have talked about for a long time. And I think it makes very good policy sense for the country to begin to put it into place in the future. When you need something like this. fine. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090125307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But when you do not need it. then dont saddle the taxpayers of the country with an expenditure that simply takes money out of their pocket and is not needed by the producers. who are going to be producing the oil. in this base. in any event. Again. I thank the Senator from Oregon.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2809}
{"speech_id":1090125325,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask the Senator from Washington to modify her unanimous consent request so that at the conclusion of Senator SALAZARS offering his amendment. not only would I be -recognized but that we would again be dealing with my specific amendment so I would not lose the opportunity to come back to my amendment which is before the Senate after Senator SALAZAR has completed. So it would require a unanimous consent modification.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":435}
{"speech_id":1090125326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I so modify my unanimous consent request that the Senator from Colorado be allowed to offer his amendment. and then at the conclusion of his offering that amendment. he would set it aside. and we would return to the pending amendment. which is the Wyden amendment. with the floor being under the control of Senator WYDEN.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":336}
{"speech_id":1090125328,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reserving the right to object. it is my understanding of the unanimous consent request that this would give the distinguished Senator from Oregon the right to have his amendment the pending business after disposition of the amendment of the Senator from Colorado. If that is correct. my conclusion is that we Are placing in the hands of one Senator by this action a decision as to what the order of business is of the Senate. the order in which amendments can be considered. specifically these two. and that they have priority over any other motion or action that could be taken by any other Senator under the rules of the Senate. Under that assumption. I am obliged to object.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":692}
{"speech_id":1090125357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. Mr. President. as I understand the Senators request. this would prevent the Senator from New Mexico from offering an- amendment to the amendment offered by the Senator from Oregon. It would also prevent returning to the first amendments that were offered and that are the pending business of the Senate. specifically. amendments offered by the Senator from Oklahoma. Mr. COBURN. I understand that he would like to have his amendments considered and voted on in the regular order in which they were filed by the Senate. An alternative to the proposal of the Senator from Colorado is to go to the regular order. But as long as the Senator from Oregon has the floor. if he doesnt ask for the regular order. no other Senator can. as I understand it. because we dont have the floor for that purpose. So. again. what the Senator from Oregon is trying to do is to design a situation that benefits him. puts him in priority over all the Senators who have amendments pending. and provides that he will get an upordown vote on his amendment. that it wont be subject to any amendment. that it cant be tabled. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090125357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is not fair. Icant agree to that. So I am compelled to object.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090125402,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Illinois for his question. We tried to get intd this something like 5 hours ago. It is very helpful to have the Senator from Illinois asking exactly the question he has asked. The way this program works is that the oil companies are supposed to pay royalties to the Federal Government when they extract oil from Federal lands. In order to stimulate production when the price of oil was cheap. the Federal Government reduced the amount of royalty payments the companies had to make. It is my view and the view of all of the independent experts. including our former colleague in the House. Congressman POMBO. who chairs the Committee on Resources. it is the view of all of these experts across the political spectrum that with the price of oil soaring to over $70 a barrel. the discounted royalty payments amount to a needless subsidy of billions and billions of dollars. The General Accounting Office has estimated that at a minimum it would be $20 billion. There are projections because there is litigation underway. For some oil companies. even this is not enough. so they keep litigating and trying to get more and more and more. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1382}
{"speech_id":1090125402,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are estimates that if the litigation is successful. the Government would pay $80 billion just in royalty relief. And that $80 billion would pay a significant fraction of the entire cost of this emergency spending bill.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1382}
{"speech_id":1090125407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will ask the Senator. you are asking for an opportunity to call your amendment to be Voted on up or down. whether this subsidy to profitable oil companies will continue or whether the money will come back to the Federal Treasury. Is that your intention in taking *the floor?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090125468,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr President.. the Gulf States from Texas to Florida have all been dealt serious blows this past hurricane season by Hurricanes Katrina. Rita. Wilma. and Dennis. The needs are tremendous across the entire Gulf Coast in the fishing communities which were hit hardest and first. Before these hurricanes. the gulf produced about 15 percent of the Nations domestic wildcaught seafood by weight and about 20 percent by value. According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report. these hurricanes shut down. damaged. or destroyed 90100 percent of the commercial docking facilities. repair \"shops. ice houses. offloading facilities. net makers. recreational marinas. bait and tackle shops. and seafood restaurants and retail markets in eastern Louisiana. with similar. if somewhat reduced. impacts in Mississippi and Alabama. Most of these facilities remain closed today. 9 months later. On September 9. 2005. Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez declared a fisheries disaster for the Gulf of Mexico under the MagnusonStevens Act. which authorizes fisheries disaster assistance in such situations. Of the almost $90 billion in disaster funding appropriated by the Congress since these hurricanes. none has been directed at these fishing communities. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4576}
{"speech_id":1090125468,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On top of the difficulty that gulf fishermen are experiencing in rebuilding their ability to catch and process gulf seafood. they are also faced with the hurdle of getting that catch into the national marketplace. One issue that continues to hurt Gulf of Mexico fisheries products is the labeling of the coastal Gulf of Mexico waters by the media as \"toxic soup\" during the first few months after Katrina. For example. Anderson Cooper of CNN led a Katrina followup story with the chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board by asking him about the \"toxic soup\" in which Gulf of Mexico fish are growing. We need to put this issue to rest and rebuild seafood markets lost due to these storms. This is critical to the recovery process. The five Gulf States estimate that their fishing industries have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales since these hurricanes. They will not be able to recover unless they get help in getting this industry back on its feet and getting back into the marketplace. The key issue that the five Gulf State seafood promotion boards face is that once the continuity of product has been lost in any marketplace. sales often are lost permanently to substitute products and reclaiming those markets is a long term challenge. Add the \"toxic soup\" concerns to the mix and the need for marketing is greater than ever at a time when the state seafood board budgets are dwindling or expended. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4576}
{"speech_id":1090125468,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will be brief because I know my colleague from Mississippi. and Senator SHELBY from Alabama. who was the author of this portion of the supplemental. have already covered these issues. and Mr. VITTER did a very good job. Maybe I can contribute to the debate just by summing up how critical this is and why this particular amendment. even though it involves only $15 million. should be defeated. It is an importAnt part of what is going on here. First. let me emphasize. again. that from Texas to Florida. throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes Katrina. Rita. Wilma. and Dennis have devastated the fishing communities. They are al important part of our communities. our economy. and our culture. It is not just because we like to see the shrimp boats sail off into the sunset or see the oystermen out there tonging for oysters. it is because it is an important part of the economy. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4576}
{"speech_id":1090125468,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fifteen percent of the Nations domestic wildcaught seafood by weight and 20 percent of the value comes from the gulf area. It is an area thatmakes n important economic contribution. It is an important part of the seafood industry nationally. and it has never been properly marketed or exploited in the terms that it should be. We have already had problems with imports being flooded into the country in a way that undermines the industry. and now we have been hit by these hurricanes. I emphasize this. too: that while we have passed some $90 billionin excess of thatfor disaster funding as a result .of these hurricanes. none of it. zero. has gone to these fishermen and to the fishing industry. for a variety of reasons. First of all. it takes time to ascertain what the damages are. But when you lose it all. when you lose the processing plants. the boats. the whole industry. it takes time to assess what we have lost and how we are going to repair it. and how do we recover from the","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4576}
{"speech_id":1090125541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. when Congress adjourned on its 2week recess. I heard from many of my constituents back home in New Jersey that they were somewhat shocked to find out that one of the most critical elements of our security. the ports in the Nation. still were subject to such vulnerability. Just this weekend.- we received a vivid reminder of the threat that still exists when Osama bin Laden released yet another tape threatening to kill innocent Americans. We often talk- tough. but then sometimes we act weak. And nowhere is that concern more urgent than at our ports where 4V2 years after September 11. we still dont know what is contained in 95 percent of all of the containers entering this country. That is a colossal failure. and we are here to make sure that Congress takes steps to reverse it. In the collapse of the Dubai Ports World deal. the eyes of the Nation were riveted on this problem. Most Americans were shocked to discover that only 5 percent5 percentof the containers passing through our ports are inspected. and they demanded improvement. In the wake of that deal. the Senate responded by approving our plan that added nearly $1 billion to the budget to fund port security. and that was a good first step. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9461}
{"speech_id":1090125541,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But as we said at the time. the proof will be if Congress actually steps forward to follow through with the funding. The 9\/11 Commission told us that to prevent a future terrorist attack. we had to think outside the box. But at our ports. we actually need to think inside the container because we need to know What is in the containers that enter the country through our ports every day. The bottom line is that we need to get on the road to 100 percent scanning and inspections of the containers coming into this country. and we need to get there sooner rather than later. That is why this amendment requires the administration to provide Congress and the American people with a clear plan. with specific yearly benchmarks to achieve 100 percent inspections of containers. The Appropriations Committee took a big step forward by approving Senator BYRDS amendment to spend $648 million to strengthen inspections. fund new radiation portals and cargo container systems. and add money for local port security grants. That is a dramatic improvement over the other bodys bill which did nothing to add additional funding for port security. But I believe we need to do more. To protect. our ports at home. we have to inspect containers abroad. before they arrive in our ports. our towns. and our cities. We must also ensure that foreign ports. especially those ports. in less prosperous countries. are safe and secure because this cargo comes to our ports as well. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9461}
{"speech_id":1090125541,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment. therefore. provides $50 million to help those countries that may not have the wherewithal to achieve the latest cargo scanning technologies because without that kind of support. those ports could remain the weakest link in our international port security -chain. We have to make sure they do not become the easy targets for terrorists looking for lax security practices. I listened a lot to those.in the shipping industry. and officials have stated that the Container Security. Initiative operated by Customs and the Border Patrol is highly dependent on the willingness of a foreign port to participate in the program and to effectively implement security measures. But even if a foreign port is prepared to participate and to implement security measures. they may lack the funding to procure the technologies and to hire and train adequate personnel to do so. In compounding this potential security gap. the shipping industry has noted there is inconsistency among U.S. ports in the way they operate. So if there are already operational inconsistencies among U.S. ports. one can only imagine how security measures Once we have the right technologies are implemented at foreign ports of and a sufficient number of welltrained origins shipping. goods to the United CBP and Coast Guard officers with the States. tools to do their jobs. we need to make The additional funding I am calling sure that port workers who come in for Will help redress some of those in- and out of the ports. particularly into consistencies by providing some of the- sensitive areas. are properly screened. stateoftheart scanning technologies This is not about randomly excluding used at U.S. ports in countries abroad. people we dont like from coming in. -While we are on the subject of tech- This is about ensuring that the men nologies. I have heard from a number and women- who are in essential parts of Federal. State. and local officials of the cargo supply chain cannot be working at the port in my home State. compromised by interests seeking to Port Elizabeth in Newark. who have harm our Nations port. That is where emphasized the critical need of deploy- the Transport Worker Identification ment of the most current detection and Program comes in. scanning technologies at U.S. ports. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9461}
{"speech_id":1090125541,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Maritime Transportation SecuThey are currently using firstgenera- rity Act. MTSA. enacted in 2002 retion detection technologies. older tech- quires DHS to supply a worker identinologies noted to be insufficient to fication card that uses biometrics. such combat newer and more complex secu- as fingerprints. to control access to serity threats. cure areas of ports or ships. The TSA -Cargo volume at that port alone ls was supposed to issue those credentials expected to double by 2020. Space at to more than 6 million maritime workmost ports is at a premium. Access to ers in August of 2004. It is April of 2006 freight is extremely difficult. Cargo and nearly 2 years down the line. and containers are often stacked end to end there is still no nationwide port worker and door to door. We have to give Fed- credential program. eral. State. and local law enforcement If this was such a priority. such a and Homeland Security officials near- critical part of our security. why andHomlan Seurty ffiial nerhasnt it happened? The GAO report term access to technologies that make. their jobs feasible. We cannot send back at the end of 2004 said that TSA them out to fight a war with sticks and didnt have a plan for managing this stonesm pleit a project. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9461}
{"speech_id":1090125541,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Guess. what else they said The complexity and vulnerability of would happen without that plan. Fail-: the cargo container transport process ure to develop such a plan places the only makes the need for robust tech- program at ligher risks of cost overnologies that- much more important. runs. missed deadlines. underperformnoogines h tuchermore. imopo . ance. Missed deadlinesthat obviously My amendment. therefore. also pro- has happened. Cost overruns. I vides $100 million for Domestic Nuclear wouldnt doubt it. And I suppose the Detection Office research and develop- jury is still out on \"underperformment. We havp not sufficiently focused anoe.\" They concluded that each delay on creating secondgeneration tech- of the program to develop acredential nologies for nonintrusive inspections card postpones enhancements to port which the private sector is unlikely to security and complicates port stakedevelop. It is time for that to change.. holders efforts to make the approOur technologies are only as good as the people operating them. That is why priate investment decisions regarding we also have included $10 million for security infrastructure. Just this week. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9461}
{"speech_id":1090125542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the Menendez amendment to adequately fund port and container security. Our ports are vulnerable to a terrorist attack. We know this. We only inspect about 5 percent of the shipping containers that enter our country. Terrorists could smuggle themselves. traditional weapons. and nuclear or chemical weapons into a harbor. From there. they could potentially laurich an attack even more devastating than 9\/11. In. my home State of New Jerseywhere we lost some 700 victin)s on 9\/ 11Federal officials have identified the 2mile stretch between Port Newark and Newark Liberty International Airport as the most dangerous target in the United States for terrorism. But port security is not just a local concern. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090125542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our ports are essential to the flow of goods and commodities in our national economy. and vital to our military. 95 percent of all goods imported into this country arrive by ship. Mr. President. this administrations mishandling of the Dubai Ports deal has highlighted the fact that our ports are still vulnerable. We need a way to ensure that 100 percent of the containers coming into our country are WMDfree. The Bush administration has said that we cant check all containers coming into the U.S. for WMDs. But we check every airline passenger for weapons. We do not just look at an airline passengers ticket and say \"OK. on paper. this guy looks fine.\" That is the Bush administrations current idea of port securityjust a simple look at the paperwork. Mr. President. we need to check containers for WMDs. The amendment of my friend. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090125542,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator MENENDEZ. will give us the tools we need to do this. It will adequately protect our ports. our economy and our lives. I urge my colleagues to support the Menendez amendment.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1755}
{"speech_id":1090125565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I understand from the managers that amendment No. 3621 has been agreed to on both sides. First. let me describe this amendment. Mr. President. today we are holding expectations that a new unity in government in Iraq will soon be completed. It has been long awaited. I have just completed. I think. my seventh trip there with Senator LEVIN and other Members of the Senate. We had a delegation of six. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7161}
{"speech_id":1090125565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the course of our inspection visit. it was repeatedly brought to our attention that there was a desperate need for additional civilians from the Department of Energy to work on the power systems. the oil. and from the Department of Justice to work on the civil justice system. -from the Department of Health. Education and Welfare to work on the health situations. And I have been working with members of the administration. and. indeed. the President himself on two occasions has stressed the importance of encouraging more civilians within our civil structure to go over and help this government fully establish itself. exercise the responsibilities of sovereignty. and to move forward. There need to be modest corrections made to the existing law to enable the Secretaries and heads of the agencies to provide certain benefits. inducements. and other situations with their respective individual employees in the hopes that they can quickly give up the security of their neighborhoods and life today and join the brave men and women of the Armed Forces in. hopefully. completing in a shorter period of time this task to provide for full sovereignty in Iraq. Many civilian agencies and departments already have provisions to provide pay. allowances. benefits. and gratuities in danger zones. However. others do not. This amendment applies to those currently without such authorities. Over the past few months. the President has explained candidly and frankly. what is at stake in Iraq and Afghanistan. The free nations of the world must be steadfast in helping the people of these nations to attain a level of democracy and freedom. of their own choosing. It is vital to the security of the American people that we help them succeed such that their lands never again become the breeding ground or haven for terrorism as was Afghanistan for Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7161}
{"speech_id":1090125565,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have seen how terrorists and insurgents in Iraq have failed to stop Iraqs democratic progress. They tried to stop the transfer of sovereignty in June 2004. They tried to stop millions from voting in the January 2005 elections. They tried to stop Sunnis from participating in the October 2005 constitutional referendum. They tried to stop millions from voting in the December 2Q05 elections to form a permanent government under that constitution. and In each case. they failed. Just in the past few days. there have been significant. encouraging developments toward forming a unity government in Iraq. Clearly. the efforts of administration officials and congressional members in meetings with Iraqi leaders and parliamentarians have contributed to these developments. In my view. this represents important forward momentum. which has been long awaited. The new leadership in Iraq is making commitments to complete cabinet selection and take other actions to stand up a unity government. This is a pivotal moment in that critical period many of us spoke about after the December elections. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7161}
{"speech_id":1090125565,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must be steadfast and demonstrate a strong show of support for Iraqs emerging government. For 3 years now the coalition of military forces have. from the beginning. performed with the highest degree of professionalism. and they and their families have borne the brunt of the loss of life. injury. and separation. In hearings. of the Armed Services Committee this year. with a distinguished group of witnesses. and based on twoand I say this most respectfully and . humblypersonal conversations I have had with the President of the United States and. indeed. the Secretary of State. I very forcefully said to each of them that we heed to get the entirety of our Federal Government engaged to a greater degree. The Department of Defense concurs. I was struck by the 2006 QDR which so aptly states that: Success requires unified statecraft: The ability of the U.S. Government to bring to bear all elements of national power at home and to work in close cooperation with allies and partners abroad. I would add that General Abizaid. when he appeared before our committeethis year. stated in his posture statement: We need significantly more nonmilitary personnel * * * with expertise in areas such as economic development. civil affairs. agriculture. and law. I fully agree. I along with 5 other Senators heard the same sentiments from our field commanders and diplomatic officials during at trip to Iraq and Afghanistan last month. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7161}
{"speech_id":1090125565,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The United States hasa talented and magnificent Federal work force whose skills and expertise are in urgent need in Iraq and Afghanistan. We must provide our agency heads with the tools they need to harness these elements of national power at this critical time. I have spoken about this publicly on previous occasions. I have written to each cabinet secretary asking for a review of their current and future programs to support out Nations goals and objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan. and I have spoken to the President about this. The aim of this bill is to assist the United States Government in recruiting personnel to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. and to avoid inequities in allowances. benefits. and gratuities among similarlysituated United States Government civilian personnel. It is essential that the heads of all agencies that have personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have this authority with respect to allowances. benefits. and gratuities for such personnel. In my conversations with President Bush and the cabinet officers and others. there seems to be total support. The administration. at their initiative. asked OMB to draw up the legislation. which I submit today in the form of an amendment.. I hope this will garner support across the aisleSenator CLINTON has certainly been active in this area. as have othersand that we can include this on the supplemental appropriations bill. The urgency is now. absolutely now. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7161}
{"speech_id":1090125657,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Florida was hit by four hurricanes in 2005. a devastating year for killer storms. Starting with Delmis in July. followed by Katrina in August. Rita in September. and finishing with Wilma in October. when the hurricane season finally ended. 39 of Floridas 67 counties had been declared Federal disaster areas. In the aftermath. 40.000 roofs were repaired by the Army Corps. \"Blue Roof program and approximately 3.000 temporary trailers were used as housing for Floridians left homeless by the storms. While I am emely appreciative of the assistance extended to Florida by this body. today I joined Senators CORNYN and HUTCHISON of Texas and Senator LANDRIEU of Louisiana on an amendment to H.R. 4939. the supplemental appropriations bill. which ensures no State will receive an allocation ofless than 3.5 percent of the $5.2 billion included in this bill for disaster Community Development Block Grant funds. This is extremely important to the panhandle of Florida because the last suppemental appropriation bill of fiscal year 2006 did not include Hurricane Dennis. After Dennis made landfall. 27 percent or over 12.000 homes were damaged in Santa Rosa County the same region decimated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2070}
{"speech_id":1090125657,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Escambia County suffered $73.8 million in damages from Dennis. Franklin Countys oyster beds and. processing plant were nearly destroyed. Parts of Wakulla County were left under water by storm surges of more than 10 feet. I have not forgotten Dennis victims and want them to know I am fighting for. them. South Florida will also benefit greatly from additional CDBG dollars. With total insured losses of $8 billion. Wilma is ranked the second most expensive hurricane among the eight to strike Florida during 2004 and 2005. I thank the committee for crafting language in the bill we are now considering which would make communities impacted by Dennis eligible for relief. Further. I note the House did not include similar language and urge my colleagues in the Florida delegation to fight to keep the Senate provision intact during conference.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2070}
{"speech_id":1090125671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate recognizes Azerbaijan as a key ally in a region of significant importance and a valued -partner to the United States. Under President Ilham Aliyevs leadership. Azerbaijan has made important contributions in Iraq. Afghanistan. and Kosovo. He supports efforts tocombat terrorism. speed integration of Azerbaijan into Western institutions. and is committed to working with the United States in developing democracy and civil institutions in Azerbaijan. President Aliyev is in Washington this week to meet with President Bush. senior Administration officials. and key congressional leaders to discuss the promotion of democracy. regional cooperation. energy security and diversification. and our Nations commitment to working closely together to advance freedorh. security. and economic- independence. Specifically. the Senate welQomes the fact that Azerbaijan is rapidly developing its national economy. growing at a rate of about 26 percent annually since 2004. which contributes to the alleviation of poverty and reaching the millennium development goals. is completing the one mbpd BakuCeyhan. BTC. oil pipeline and BakuErzerum. SOP. natural gas pipeline. set to increase energy exports and availability for the United States and its allies. and welcomes encouragement by the United States to assist the people of Azerbaijan in establishing a fully free and open dem6cratic system. a prosperous free market economy. and its rightful place in European and EuroAtlantic institutions. including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1712}
{"speech_id":1090125671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NATO. and World Trade Organization. WTO. The Senate welcomes President Ilham Aliyev upon his first official visit to Washington and thanks him for coming.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1712}
{"speech_id":1090125877,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"(for. Mr. RUSH. Mr. Housing and Urban Development for modular UPTON. Mr. PICKERING. Mr. S M homes as alternative housing for those afBUYER. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":585}
{"speech_id":1090125877,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"BLACKBURN. Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. fected by the hurricanes Katrina and Rita. SHADEGG. Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. ROGERS Of jointly to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Financial Services. C gtIzSan. .tz-. kP \u00a3 RG.USO. -vl -00DwuJ. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":585}
{"speech_id":1090125877,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"VJ . WHITFIELD. Mr. SHIMKUS. Mrs. MYRICK. and Mr. BURGESS): introduced a bill to promote the deployment of broadband net works and services. which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":585}
{"speech_id":1090125961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. President. I thank my colleagues for yielding the time. Mr. President. the challenging situation that our country faces in terms of its energy policy. both its shortterm and longterm policies. has been vividly illustrated by the high prices of crude oil and gasoline that we are seeing this spring. The world price for crude oil is above $72 per barrel. We have seen crude oil price records being set in the last few weeks in terms of nominal dollars. even though these prices are still below the inflationadjusted levels of all prices in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We are also seeing gasoline prices above $3 a gallon in many parts of the country. In my home State. many are forced to drive long distances to work. without the prospect of carpooling or public transportation. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11806}
{"speech_id":1090125961,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This precipitous rise inthe price of gas at the pump places a nearly unbearable squeeze on family budgets for too many in my home State and across the Nation. Consumers are confused and angry as to why these prices are occurring now. Their anger is stoked by reports of the high salaries and retirement packages being handed out to executives in the oil and gas industry. There are many reasons energy prices have moved into this price zone that is so unacceptable to most consumers. One factor is that strong global demand for energy has collided with a number of other factors that have reduced supply. One factor is the reduced supply from Iraq. Prior. to our invasion. Iraq was producing 2.6 million barrels of oil per day. Now it is producing less. more like 2 million barrels per day. These export levels are far below the potential production from Iraq because its prewar oil output had been diminished by years of sanctions impesed as a means of constraining Saddam Husseins power and influence. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11806}
{"speech_id":1090125961,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. Iraqi oil production is hostage to the internal civil strife and instability in that country. Another nation with significant exports of oil and gas is Nigeria. There. too. domestic civil unrest. particularly in the oilproducing regions where the population believes they have not been given the benefit of that production. has led to less production and greater uncertainty. International tensions over Irans nuclear ambitions have contributed to further instability and upward pressure on oil prices because Iran is a major oil exporter. and its territory forms part of the Straits of Hormuz through which most of the oil from the Middle East passes in order to reach international markets. Finally. closer to home we still have not tully restored the gas production of the Gulf of Mexico that was lost during last years hurricanes. Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is still some 335.000 barrels per day short of the preKatrina levels. That is equivalent to over 22 percent of the former daily production in the Gulf of Mexico that is still off line. The cumulative loss of oil production from the Gulf of Mexico since last years hurricanes is now over 150 million barrels. This constriction of supply has made it difficult to meet the growing demand in the United States and .around the world. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11806}
{"speech_id":1090125961,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our own consumption of oil. particularly in the transportation sector. for the past two decades has been rising with no end in sight. Developing countries. too. are increasingly following energy paths that require substantially increased oil consumption. Their populations are becoming increasingly mobile in privately owned automobiles. In some cases. their electricity generation infrastructureshave become more dependent on oil and dieselfired generation to compensate for uncertainties -in the shipment of coal within their borders. and consequently the reliability of coalfired electric generation. Mr. President. I do not believe. though. that the high price of oil is entirely explained by supply and demand dynamics. Oil and natural gas are increasingly traded as commodities by and among investment firms. This adds strong upward pressure on prices from speculative forces. At a time when other investment vehicles show less attractive returns. the idea of riding the rise in oil prices as an investment portfolio management technique has gained a strong following among investment and hedge funds. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11806}
{"speech_id":1090125961,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We may not have the right balance between allowing such market forces to supply initial investment capital and allowing them to set off speculative frenzies that drive up prices for consumers everywhere. One proposal made in the context of this current supplemental appropriations bill. which we are hoping to finish action on this week in the Senate. is to reduce for a time the Federal tax on gasoline. That is a proposal that has been made at several points in the past when prices rose significantly over a short period of time. A variant of that basic idea is the proposal to give a direct cash payment to taxpayers. In my view. neither is likely to provide immediate or significant relief to c6nsumers. Both are logistically difficult to carry out. The amounts of money that a consumer would see are quite small in contrast to the runup in. prices they have been. experiencing. Neither proposal is a real solution to the underlying energy problems. We need to get at those real challenges in a more fundamental and realistic way. So the obvious question is. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11806}
{"speech_id":1090126025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to talk about an individual who is a nativeof my State and probably is not well known to Members of this body. He was involved in an industry for which all of us have a great appreciation. The name of the gentleman is Phil Walden. About 40plus years ago. when I was at the University of Georgia. I had a college roommate who was responsible for booking bands for a number of fraternities. sororities. and whatnot at the University of Georgia. He came into contact with a man named Phil Walden. I got to know Phil through my roommate Mike Brody. Phil Walden was an unusual individual. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4459}
{"speech_id":1090126025,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After graduating from Mercy University in 1962 in Macon. GA. he became a fulltime professional promoter of bands. During his college days. he teamed up with an individual from Macon. GA. who became a superstar. That superstars name was Otis Redding. Phil Walden found Otis Redding at a nightclub in Macon. GA. and made him a rich and famous person in the music industry. Otis Redding was the heart and soul of soul music for a number of years. Unfortunately.. Otis Redding died in a plane crash in 1967. and a lot of Phil Waldens hopes and dreams died with him. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4459}
{"speech_id":1090126025,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But Phil Walden didnt stop with just rhythm and blues bands. About the time that Otis Reddings plane went down. Phil Walden founded Capricorn Records and found another band in Macon. GA. called the Allman Brothers. He then promoted the Allman Brothers into superstar status. and the Allman Brothers became the heart and soul of southern rock and roll music. Phil Walden hit hard times when heavy rock and roll hit hard times. Unfortunately. Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971. Another star member of the band. Barry Oakley. was killed shortly thereafter. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4459}
{"speech_id":1090126025,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Allman Brothers hit on hard timea and so did Phil Walden. He had problems with abuse and use of alcohol and drugs. like so many folks in the music industry. Phil Walden hit a low point in his life. but Phil Walden rebounded from that. just like the music industry he knew and loved so well. He moved to Nashville and stayed for a time in Nashville. While he was in Nashville. he discovered another band in Athens. GA. called Widespread Panic. They are a little beyond my generation. but my son has been to a number of Widespread Panic concerts -around the Southeast. and I venture to say that the children of a lot of our Members likewise. if you mention Widespread Panic to them. their eyes light up. Phil Walden was the kind of man Who had the ability to bounce back. and he did so. He was an icon in his industry. He represented. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4459}
{"speech_id":1090126025,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I noticed in looking at the various obituaries. a number of folks. frankly. I did not know he represented in all the years I knew Phil. Here are several of the bands and acts Phil Walden either nanaged at Capricorn Records or promoted otherwise: I mentioned Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers. Percy Sledge. Boz Skaggs.- the Charlie Daniels Band. the Marshall Tucker Band. Wet Willie. Kenny Chesney. 311. Cake. Lynyrd .Skynyrd. Hank Williams. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4459}
{"speech_id":1090126061,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we reflect on the Presidency of George W. Bush. there were moments of high drama. Certainly. the moment of highest drama in my recollection was when the President visited the site of the 9\/ 11 attack. When he went to New York and walked through the smokefilled rubble with the firefighters and the workmen still digging through. it was a moment that I am sure will endure. It will be remembered. If you had to then select another moment in his Presidency that will be remembered. it was a moment 3 years ago today when the President of the United States boarded a Naval fighter plane and flew to land on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln. It was a time when America wasiit certain about what -had happened in Iraq. We had launched an invasion. Saddam Hussein had been deposed. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4865}
{"speech_id":1090126061,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There were still a lot of questions about the future of Iraq and what would happen in that country. The President of the United States came to that aircraft carrier on that day. and as he landed and spoke to those who were assembled. behind him was a banner which read \"Mission Accomplished.\" It was on May 1. 2003. 3 years ago. The President said on that day: In the battle of Iraq. the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and restructuring that country. The President went on to say: We have difficult work to do in Iraq. Were bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. Were pursuing and finding leaders of the old regime. who will be held to account for their crimes. Weve begun the search for hidden chemical and biological weapons and already know of hundreds of sites that will be investigated. Were helping to build Iraq. where the dictator built palaces for himself instead of hospitals and schools. And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of. by. and for the Iraqi people. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4865}
{"speech_id":1090126061,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"S3794 CO] The President went on to say 3 years ago: From Pakistan to the Philippines to the Horn of Africa. we are hunting down alQaida killers. Nineteen months ago. I pledged that the terrorists would not escape. the patient justice of the United States. And as of tonight. nearly onehalf of alQaidas senior operatives have been captured or killed. That was the speech of the President of theUnited States 3 years ago today. Since the President made that speech. this is the grim record. Since that day. over the last 3 years. 2.262 Americans have been killed and 17.202 Americans have been wounded. This occurred after the President announced to the world that our mission was accomplished. As we gather today to mark the third anniversary of that Presidential statement. war continues with no end in sight. and 2.401 of our best and bravest soldiers have given their lives. I have called many of those families from Illinois. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4865}
{"speech_id":1090126061,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have attended some of the funerals. I know the lives of those families will never be the same. They have given so much to this country. We thank them. We will continue to thank them over and over again. We thank the men and women in uniform for continuing to stand and fight to defend this country and its values. They represent the very best. We should never forget that. But we now know that within their rankseven at the highest levelsthere have been serious concerns about this administration and its strategy in Iraq. Three years after President Bushs statement on that carrier that our mission was accomplished. several leading generals. men who served under the President at that time. men under his command. men who were responsible for the lives of thousands of soldiers and marines. now retired. in civilian status. have stepped forward. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4865}
{"speech_id":1090126061,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What have they said? Retired LTG Gregory Newbold. the threestar Marine Corps general who served as the Nations top operations officer before the invasion of Iraq. recently joined a number of his former colleagues and said: I am driven to action now by the missteps and misjudgments of the White. House and the Pentagon. and by my many painful visits to our military hospitals. In those places. I have been both inspired and shaken by the broken bodies but unbroken spirits -of soldiers. Marines and corpsmen returning from this war. The cost of flawed leadership continues to be paid in blood. The willingness of our forces to shoulder such a load should make it a sacred obligation for civilian and military leaders to get our. defense policy right. They must be absolutely sure that the commitment is for a cause as honorable as the sacrifice. General Newbold continued: My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with the casualness and a swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to .execute these missionsor bury the results. Finally. the general said: We need fresh ideas and fresh faces. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4865}
{"speech_id":1090126144,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I voted against the motion to invoke cloture on the supplemental appropriations bill because it will have the effect of preventing the consideration of a number of important and relevant amendments. There are more than a hundred amendments which have been filed on this bill. Several are important amendments. such as Senator WYDENS amendment to - prevent funds from being used to continue discounts given to the oil companies on royalties which otherwise would be paid to the Federal Gpvernment for production ofoil and\/ or natural gas on Federal lands. Another example is the bipartisan amendment that I offered with Senators COLLINS and REED to require reports to Congress on progress toward a national unity government in Iraq. Too frequently in recent years. we see a pattern of slowing down consideration- of amendments or filling the amendment tree to block them altogether. followed by cloture to end debate and further restricting or preventing the consideration of amendments. The Senate. which has often been referred to as \"the worlds greatest deliberative body\" and wflich historically has been characterized by the quality of its debate. should not permit this pattern of preventing the consideration of. and votes on. amendments to become the norm. When I came to the Senate. the leadership did not as a routine approach try to prevent consideration of amendments they didnt agree with. Instead. they attempted to amend them or simply vote against them. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2133}
{"speech_id":1090126144,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In recent years. we see more and more bills on which amendments are limited or blocked entirely. more like the House. On the PATRIOT Act. this year. for example. the amendment tee was completely filled by the leadership. a procedural technique for preventing any amendments from being considered. and none were. Mr. President. I support the funding for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. and I support the emergency assistance for the gulf coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I intend to support this bill on final passage in the Senate. I am opposed. however. to the use of this procedure to limit debate and the consideration of amendments. -","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2133}
{"speech_id":1090126192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me address a question to the distinguished chairman of the committee because I thought his remarks were very well done and answered a number of questions that have been put out in the discussion of this language in the media. But I think it is important to clarify a few of those points. The first point you are making is that this is not an additional or added expenditure. This will come out of the $2.7 billion that has already been requested to go into this shipbuilding recovery effort. is that correct?","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":527}
{"speech_id":1090126193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator will yield. he is absolutely correct. There is. in this general provision. a reference to the $2.7 billion that is contained in the Presidents request submitted to the Congress. a request that we appropriate that amount. He is right. We are not creating new funding in this provision but trying to spell out what that funding should be used for.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":375}
{"speech_id":1090126238,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I dont intend to ask for a vote on this amendment and -may. in fact. withdraw it. but I think it is something that the American people should know. This is about AmericaCorps. the National Civilian Community Corps. There are three things we ought to know. The idea behind this is fine. They have done a great deal of work on the gulf coast. However. there are some real problems with this program. The House also has significant problems with this program. Here is the key point: It has never had a comprehensive evaluation in 13 years to see if it accomplishes anything of importance. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2667}
{"speech_id":1090126238,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Compared to all the other AmeriCorps service programs. this one is about 50 percent more costly per person. This one costs $28.000 per volunteer for 10 months. That annualized out to $34.000 per person per year. No. 3. no one is measuring any performance. There are no set goals. No one is saying what they are intended to accomplish? How do we measure that? Could we do it cheaper? Can we do it a better way? None of that has been evaluated on this program. \u0095 People will oppose this. I have no lack of reality in knowing we do not have an opportunity to eliminate this money. However. contrast what actually happened on the gulf coast with this AmeriCorps. We had people from all over this country go down and help. We didnt pay them a penny. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2667}
{"speech_id":1090126238,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We did not pay them a $35.000 annualized salary. We had college students from all across this country spend their spring breaks. their Christmas breaks. their Thanksgiving breaks on the gulf coast volunteering. We had churches. civic organizations. local charities. we did not pay them a penny. They all came because there was a need. There is something very wrong behind the idea that we have to pay people to be volunteers. As a matter of fact. it is an oxymoron. You cannot have a paid volunteer because they are not volunteering if they are getting paid. The motivation and commitment shown by true volunteers is unmatched by any congressional appropriation. The Nation is answering the call to be Good Samaritans and treat others the way they want to be treated. This program was started in 1993 with good goals. and the purpose was to create leadership. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2667}
{"speech_id":1090126238,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We may have don6 that. but the fact that we do not know if we have done that. the fact that we keep throwing this moneywhich does not .go to the individual volunteers. $4.000 does. but it costs too much to operate. I will ask unanimous consent for withdrawing of this division. but we certainly ought to have some oversight. I intend to have an oversight hearing in the Committee on Federal Financial Oversight. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the division.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2667}
{"speech_id":1090126351,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. of course it does. Of course it concerns me. But we learn in this business. And I think Katrina was a big learning lesson for all of us. And we have not done right by our infrastructure. One of the problems is. as we have to cut discretionary spending that is nondefense. not entitlements. the only thing we are cuttingwe are cutting 18 percent of what we spend every year. These are Federal levees. They are owned by the Federal Government.. There is a responsibility to protect the people behind them.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":509}
{"speech_id":1090126436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I introduced with my colleague. Senator LIEBERMAN. the Elimination of Neglected Diseases Act of 2006. This legislation is designed to confront and combat a group of dangerous parasitic diseases that together claim more than 500.000 lives each year and adversely affect millions more. These 1315 neglected tropical diseases. NTD. as they are called. are the most common infections in the developing world. and include such debilitating diseases as leprosy. guinea worm. and trachoma. Many are described in the Bible. exposing the sad fact that humans have been suffering from these diseases for millennia. Moreover. research has shown alarming rates of comorbidity of NTDs with HIVAIDS. tuberculosis. and malaria. resulting in severe complications with these already devastating diseases. The biggest challenge to finding cures for these diseases is the lack of a market. Pharmaceuticals are expensive to develop. and since neglected diseases disproportionately affect poor and marginalized populations in the developing world. there are fewer incentives for conducting research and development for new treatments. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090126436,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The purpose of this act is to encourage drug development by creating market incentives for investment in new research. Specifically. the bill awards a limited patentterm extension or patentterm restoration for certain lifestyle and tropical disease drugs provided the company successfully develops a new FDAapproved drug foFan NTD. In this way. a drug company can recoup costs for the large investment in NTD research and development. With the exception of market incentives. we have all the right ingredients to develop new drugs that would dramatically reduce the number of NTD cases and improve the quality of human life worldwide. I strongly believe that this legislation will add the last remaining step to jumpstart competitive research and development for combating NTDs. I urge my colleagues to join in this effort by supporting this bill.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090126458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this week has been designated as Public Service Recognition Week and in keeping with the spirit of this important week I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the important contribution that the Jefferson Awards for Public Service have made over nearly three and a half decades. I am pleased to be joined by Senators DURBIN. LUGAR. and BIDEN is submitting this resolution commending the American Institute for Public Service and the importance of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. The Jefferson Awards were established on a bipartisan basis in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Senator Robert Taft. Jr.. and Sam Beard. The awards honor individuals for their achievements and contributions through public and community service. Winners of the award for elected and appointed \u0095 officials have included former Senators Robert Dole. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. and John Glenn. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090126458,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Other winners include Rudoph Giuliani. Dr. Condoleezza Rice. Justice Sandra Day OConnor. and Robert Rubin. In addition. private citizens who have won the award include Walter Annenberg. Brian Lamb. and Oprah Winfrey. The Jefferson Awards have honored award recipients at the national level by placing them on a \"Whos Who\" list of outstanding citizens of the United States and at the same time have honored at the local level recipients as \"Unsung Heroes\" who accomplished extraordinary deeds for the betterment of the United States. The Senate fully supports the goals and ideals of the Jefferson awards and during this week of Public Service Recognition. I stand on the floor of the Senate and commeifd the people of this organization.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090126517,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. \u0095 Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Committee on Government Reform. I am pleased to join my.colleague in consideration of H.R. 5107. legislation naming the postal facility in Pensacola. Florida. after Earl D. Hutto. This measure. sponsored by Mr. Jeff Miller of Florida. has been cosponsored by the entire Florida delegation. Earl Hutto was born in Alabama on May 12. 1926. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1439}
{"speech_id":1090126517,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He attended Dale County public schools and graduated from Troy State University. He did graduate work in broadcasting and served in World War H in the United States Navy. Prior to serving in the Florida legislature. Earl Hutto worked as a sports director and president of radio stations. He was elected to the Florida legislature in 1972 and reelected in 1974 and 1976. In 1979. Earl Hutto was elected to represent the First Congressional Distric t of Florida in the U.S. Congress where he served until 1995 when he did not seek reelection. Since then. former Representative Hutto has retired and remains active in his Pensacola community. It is my understanding that Representative Hutto will be celebrating his 80th birthday on May 12. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1439}
{"speech_id":1090126517,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure my colleagues join me in wishing him a great day and many years to come. Mr. Speaker. I -commend my colleague for seeking to honor the political legacy of Earl Hutto and urge the Swift passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1439}
{"speech_id":1090126580,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. as the majority has stated. this noncontroversial bill makes technical amendments to a variety of laws. relating to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The House passed H.R. 3351 last year on the suspension calendar. and the legislation now before us reflects changes -made by the Senate. I urge all of our colleagues to support passage of H.R. 3351. Mr. Speaker. having no further requests for time. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":452}
{"speech_id":1090126586,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2720 would further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior to carry out assessment and demonstration programs to control salt cedar and Russian olive. Salt cedar and Russian olive are small. deciduous harmful trees widely distributed along riparian areas in the Western United States. particularly. along the Colorado. Rio Grande. Pecos and Gila Rivers. They are knowm both for their phenomenal reproductive output and their ability to deplete scarce water resources. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090126586,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to experts. one salt cedar tree can absorb 300 gallons aday. In fact. studies have shown that salt cedar dries up 800 billion gallons more water per year than the native cottonwood tree that it is replacing. Given these facts. most can agree that controlling salt cedar and Russian olive is important for water salvage. riparian restoration. salinity control. wildfire control and habitat restoration. H.R. 2720 will begin to address these problems by providing sound science and in turn developing and expanding on innovative approaches to control these harmful weeds. I urge adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1280}
{"speech_id":1090126592,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today\" in strong support of H.R. 2720. the Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act. Riparian lands in the western U.S. have been severely affected by many activities and actions. including the salt cedar plant. In my district and throughout much of the Rio Grande River Basin we are plagued with this invasive species. This deciduous shrub or small tree from Eurasia has displaced native vegetation on approximately 1.6 million acres of land in the West and will continue to spread. Although salt cedar is the \"poster child\" of nonnative plants impacting western rivers. other nonnatives. such as Russian olive. cohabit with salt cedar and are important to contro. in order to -restore riparian health. Salt cedar thickets harm the surrounding environment by narrowing and channelizing streams and rivers. displacing native vegetation such as cottonwoods. willows. and adjacent dryland plant communities. providing poor habitat for livestock. wild animals. and birds. increasing wildfire hazards. and limiting human use of the waterways. While each of these points is important to one or more constituencies. the single most critical problem is that salt cedar steals water. The West may be losing 2 million to 4.5 million acrefeet of water per year due to the presence of salt cedar. which is beyond what native plants would likely use. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090126592,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The water needs of 20 million people or one million acres of irrigated farmland could be met with that amount of water. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2720 would address this problem by requiring the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. in association with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Defense. to create and deploy an assessment and demonstration program for salt cedar and Russian olive.This program would first assess the extent of the infestation of both species in the westem U.S.. develop and demonstrate strategic solutions for longterm management and funding strategies of salt cedar and Russian olive and the reestablishment of native vegetation. and assess the economic means to dispose of biomass created as a result of removal of salt cedar and Russian olive trees. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2720 is essentialto dealing with the salt cedar and Russian olive problem in the West. and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this muchneeded legislation.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2394}
{"speech_id":1090126642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I wish to join in celebrating the anniversary of Israels independence. Israel is one of Americas closest allies. We rely on her good will in our War on Terror. We enjoy mutually beneficial economic agreements. And. we value Israel as the only functioning democracy in the worlds most volatile region. On May 14. 1948. or the fifth day of the month of lyar. which is the Hebrew date of the formal establishment of the State. members of the \"provisional government\" read and signed a Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. After decades of no homeland. the State of Israel was finally returned to the Jewish people. This year will mark the 58th anniversary of \"Yom Haatzmaut\" or Independence Day. Yom Haatzmaut in Israel is always preceded by Yom HazikaronMemorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090126642,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The message of linking these two days is clear Israelis owe their independencethe very existence of the Stateto the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it. a sentiment not lost on Americans. The official transition from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut is a moving event that takes place a few minutes after sundown with a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem in which the flag is raised from half staff to the top of the pole. The President of Israel delivers a speech of congratulations. and soldiers representing the army. navy. and air force parade with their flags. I -wish our good companion. Israel. safety and security. prosperity and good fortune over the upcoming year. I vow to continue standing with you and working to ensure that the friendship between our two great nations remains strong.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1618}
{"speech_id":1090126644,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of this resolution congratulating Israel on the occasion of its 58 years of independence. On. May 14. 1948. facing overwhelming odds and almost assured. destruction by its Arab neighbors. Jews living in their ancestral homeland. survivors of the Holocaust and Jewish refugees from around the world gathered in a small room in Tel Aviv to announce the creation the Jewish state of Israel. In the shadow of the murderous genocide of the Holocaust. the state of Israel was created so that Jews around the world would always have safe refuge from oppression and annihilation. In 1948. years of Zionists dreams culminated as David Ben Gurlon announced to the world that once again Israel was to be a free and independent state. founded on principles of freedom and democracy. the new state of Israel was quickly recognized by the United States as a welcome ally in the Middle East. unfortunately. within hours of this historic declaration. the neighboring Arab nations attacked and sent Israel into its first war as an independent nation. Despite conventional wisdom. and the great surprise of many around the world. Israel survived the attack but at a heavy cost to the young nation. ","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090126644,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. 58 years after the creation of the state. Israel still struggles with an enemy who wishes to destroy it. In addition. just last January. the Palestinian people freely elected Hamas. a terrorist organization that strives for the destruction of the state of Israel. to run its government. Israel is a thriving democracy and one of the United States strongest allies in the global war on terror. Israel has demonstrated to the world that democracy can thrive in the Middle East and that freedom of religion. freedom of the press and basic human rights can work in a region that is otherwise dominated by terror and oppression. I stand today to congratulate Israel on its strong dedication to freedom and democracy throughout its 58 years of existence. I look forward to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and continuing to celebrate Israels independence in years to come.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090126670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. and I would first like to commend my good friend and distinguished colleague. the gentlewoman from Texas . for introducing this very important measure. and my good friend and fellow member of the International Relations Committee. the gentleman from Oregon . for his advocacy on behalf of all matters related to the global environment. Mr. Speaker. this past December the President signed the Senator Paul Simon Water For the Poor Act. This important piece of legislation demonstrated the United States steadfast commitment to clean water and safe sanitation by designating it a major foreign policy goal of the United States. We further solidified this commitment by participating in the fourth World Water Forum held in March. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090126670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our Nation joined with the rest of the international community in Mexico City to discuss the most pressing issues facing access to clean water and sanitation. I would like to commend Under Secretary For Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky. for leading the U.S. delegation to the World Water Forum and for the decision to join the international community in calling for global action on water and sanitation issues. Mr. Speaker. the resolution on the floor today is yet another defining step in our quest to see all people gain access to clean water by supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day. conserving and managing water resources for sustainable development. In the interest of keeping with our core humanitarian values and promoting sustainable development worldwide. we must continue to promote the goals of clean water. sound water conservation and management. and basic sanitation. I strongly support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I urge all of my colleagues to also support it. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090126670,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. EDDIE","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090126705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. gasoline prices are soaring and the people are screaming. and they want something done about it now. $100 rebate checks to American motorists will not cut it. nor will manda: tory mileage requirements for new vehicles. Taxing oil profits will only force prices higher. But there are some very important things we can oimmediately to help. First. we must reassess our foreign policy and announce some changes. One of the reasons we went into Iraq was to secure our oil. Before the Iraq war. oil was less than $30 a barrel. Today it is over $70. The sooner we get out of Iraq and allow the Iraqis to solve their own problems the better. Since 2002. oil production in Iraq has dropped 50 percent. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3563}
{"speech_id":1090126705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pipeline sabotage and fires are routine. and we have been unable to prevent them. Soaring gasoline prices are a giant. unintended consequence of our invasion. pure and simple. Second. we must end our obsession for a military confrontation with Iran. Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. and according to our own CIA is not on the verge of obtaining one for years. Iran is not in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. and has a guaranteed right to enrich uranium for energy. in spite of the incessant government and media propaganda to the contrary. Iran .has never been sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council. yet the. drumbeat grows louder for attacking certain sites in Iran. either by conventional or even by nuclear means. Repeated resolutions by Congress stirs up unnecessary animosity toward Iran. and creates even more condern about future oil supplies from the MiddleEast. We must quickly announce we do not seek war with Iran. remove the economic sanctions against her. and accept her offer to negotiate a diplomatic solution to the impacts. An attack on Iran. coupled with our continued presence in Iraq. could hike gas prices to $5 or $6 per gallon here at home. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3563}
{"speech_id":1090126705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By contrast. a sensible approach to Iran could quickly lower oil prices by $20 a barrel. Third. we must remember that prices of all things go up because of inflation. Inflation. by definition. is an increase in the money supply. The money supply is controlled by the Federal Reserve and responds to the deficits Congress creates. When deficits are excessive. as they are today. the Fed creates new dollars out of thin air to buy Treasury bills and keeps interest rates artificially low. But when new money is created out of nothing. the money already in circulation loses value. Once this is recognized. prices rise. some more rapidly than others. That is what we see today with the cost of en-. ergy. Exploding deficits due to runaway entitlement spending and the cost of dangerous militarism create pressure for the Fed to inflate the money supply. This contributes -greatly to the higher prices we all claim to oppose. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3563}
{"speech_id":1090126705,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we want to do something about gas prices. we should demand and vote for greatly reduced welfare and military spending. a balanced budget. and fewer regulations that interfere. with the market development of alternative fuels. We also should demand a return to a sound commodity monetary standard. All subsidies and special benefits to energy companies should be ended. and. in the meantime. lets eliminate Federal gas taxes at the pump. Oil prices are at a level where consumers reduce consumption voluntarily. The market will work if we let it. But as great as the market economy is. it cannot overcome a foreign policy that is destined to disrupt oil supplies and threaten the world with an expanded and dangerous conflict in the Middle East.","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3563}
{"speech_id":1090126734,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Recently. I was having a conversa. tion with a friend of mine that said when you are talking about tax policy. he said. well. maybe it. would be a prudent thing to raise taxes. This person was in the financial services industry. and I said. let me ask you a question: you do research on businesses and you do research on a business where every year the company has increasing losses and increasing debt. The company has not passed an audit in 9 years. The. management is ineffective at combating waste. fraud and abuse. and the only strategy the management team can come up with to turn the tide is to raise prices on their customers. Do you think that is a business you would invest in? He said. you know. you have got a point. I do not think that that would be a good investment. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1276}
{"speech_id":1090126734,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So -it is interesting when our colleagues on the other side of the aisle say. well. gee whiz. we have got to raise prices on our customers to pay for our lack of proper management. I do not think that that is respectful to the American people. the American taxpayer. and certainly not a winning strategy. I think the gentleman from Texas can wrap us up here. and. again. I thank him for bringing this very important subject to the floor tonight.","speaker_name":"CHRIS CHOCOLA","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1276}
{"speech_id":1090126746,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield. I know the gentleman served in Congress prior to 1994 and is actually on his second trip back and was not here in 1997 when we did the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. But Congresswoman SANCHEZ and myself were. And one of the keys to that. 1997 Balanced Budget Act which led us to balancing the budget here in this era was PAYGO. Spending caps was another key element of that. You put caps on spending programs. and you leave them there. and you agree upon that. Those are not here anymore. as you know. under this administration. this . Republicanled Congress and Republican administration. Badlf then. it was President Bill Clinton. a Democrat. Speaker Newt Gingrich. a Republican. and Majority Leader of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1882}
{"speech_id":1090126746,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TRENT LoTT. a Republican. sat together and said how do we do this in a bipartisan way. You dont have any of that at work anymore. I think that is the thing that disappoints me more- than anything. is I know that there are people of goodwill that would work in good faith all over this country that serve in this body that dont have that opportunity because we are not allowed to sit down. The majority party in many cases just wont sit down with us and work together to solve these problems. So these are very. very difficult solutions. I know the chart that showed the accrual accounting and the $2.7 trillion deficit. those are hard numbers to understand. Here is one that is not hard to understand. This is what you actually owe today. We owe as a governinent today $8.352 trillion. That is trillion with a T. $28.000 for every man. woman and child. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1882}
{"speech_id":1090126746,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what our debt is today. And somebody has to pay that back. We also have to pay the interest on that. We have to service that debt on a regular basis. And as the interest rates go up. then. obviously. that is what I call a debt tax which cannot be repealed. It has got to be paid.","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1882}
{"speech_id":1090126830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today as I stand -here. back in Michigan the gas prices have risen to $3.10 a gallon. At $3.10 a gallon. that is the highest price at the pump that folks are paying than ever before as they get up to go to work. take the kids to school. as our farmers are preparing the fields. and as our business people are on the road. Folks are feeling the squeezeone more squeeze. We already have in Michigan a situation where we are seeing job loss or wages being reduced. health care costs going up. pensions that may not be there for people. things that are squeezing people on all sidesthe higher cost of college. Part of that is due to actions taken in the Congress and at the White House. To add insult to injury. we are seeing now over $3 a gallon for -gasoline. and I know in other States we have seen as much as $4 for folks who are just trying to make it. just trying to get to work. just trying to take care of their families: When they look at this picture. they see several things. They see the highest possible profits ever recorded in the history of the country by our oil companies. particularly ExxonMobile. which recorded the highest profits ever. They see incredible salaries. They see the\" former CEO of ExxonMobile making about $110.000 a day. when most Michiganians dont make $110.000 a year. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6149}
{"speech_id":1090126830,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And now we were told about a $400 million retirement package. and we hear when you count everything. it could be $700 million. Unbelievable. People have had enough. People have had enough of a set of policies that are squeezing them on all sides. Then. today. we read that the conference committee is dealing with a series of tax cuts and tax proposals and have decided to delay repealing accounting procedures known as \"last and first out\" that were included in the bill that we passed. including loopholes that we closed for oil companies that would equal about $4.3 billion in tax breaks that we said didnt make sense and we need to close them. Instead. those tax breaks are going to keep rolling on. I know there are going to be hearings in the Finance Committee.But the reality is that when the priorities are set. when the values are reflected about what will be done. the oil companies tax breaks continue. High prices continue. These outrageous CEO salaries continue. The people in Michigan have said: Enough is enough. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6149}
{"speech_id":1090126830,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On top of that. we see foreign tax credit loopholes that may be continued so that we as taxpayers will subsidize the oil companies doing business in other countries. We see royalty relief that Senator WYDEN spoke about last .week which comes to the tune of anywhere from $20 billion to $80 billion in tax breaks to the oil companies that they said they didnt even need anymore. Yet this royalty relief and the tax breaks continue. We see the Energy bill that was passed last August and had a lot of positive things in it. that I supported. but in that were $2.6 billion in tax subsidies by American taxpayers for the oil companies. and that continues. In total. we are looking at somewhere between $28 billion and $88 billion in taxpayer dollars being used to subsidize an industry with the highest profits and arguably the highest salaries. or certainly some of the highest salaries in the world. At the same time. folks are trying to make it every day. I believe. and my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle believe. that we need to shut down -those tax breaks to oil companies and put money directly back into the pockets of taxpayers. We also believe and. in fact. I was proud to lead an effort that resulted in a required investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. I was proud to author that in the Energy bill last August and they are finally doing it and they will have an investigation done and recommendations by May 21. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6149}
{"speech_id":1090126830,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are doing a law enforcement investigation. I call on the President and all of our colleagues to do everything possible to support the FTC to get the right conclusion. We know price gouging is going on. It is not rocket science. People see what is going on. We dont need to call for an investigation. We already have one going on. Lets make sure they have the tools and the resources and the support to do what is right for the American consumer. Americans are subsidizing one of the wealthiest industries in the country and in the world. with the highest CEO salaries. at the same time they are trying to figure out how to get 2 or 3 gallons in the tank of their car so they can get to work. This is the wrong set of values. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6149}
{"speech_id":1090126830,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are the wrong priorities for our country. I say. along with many others. enough is enough. We know we have longterm issues to address. and we have worked together in the Energy bill on new support and tax incentives for renewable fuels. We. are seeing in Michigan the outgrowth of that: five new ethanol plants by the end of the year. biodiesel plants. and we are seeing wonderful efforts going on with our American auto companies. I am very proud of what General Motors is doing with E85 ethanol and Ford moving ahead with their hybrids and Daimler Chrysler with biodiesel B20 and all of the efforts that are moving forward to get us off of foreign oil dependence. And I am hopeful that all of those policies together will result not only in more jobs in my State. because I believe Michigan will be the leader in this area. but more support for our farmers. better policies for our environment. and the opportunity to give big oil the competition they ought to be having. which is by using homegrown fuels. I believe our goal ought to be to make sure the people of this country have the opportunity to buy their fuel from Middle America instead of the Middle East. I am committed to that. as many of my colleagues are. and I believe we need to get about the business of getting that done. In the process. we ought to close some tax loopholes with the oil companies. We ought to go back on this tax bill and -get it right. and worry more about putting money back in the pockets of the folks who are paying the bill at the gas pump. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6149}
{"speech_id":1090126935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Presidert. I thank the Senator very much for that indulgence. If there are others who wish to offer amendments. I am prepared to ask unanimous consent to temporarily lay aside the amendment of the Senator from Massachusetts to permit other amendments to be offered. I do ask unanimous consent for that.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":306}
{"speech_id":1090127013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. at the beginning of this year. we found a situation in Washington that was very uncomfortable. The Chair will recall.- as all members recall. the majority leader in the House of Representatives had been convicted. within a period of a year. of three ethics violations. He was under indictment. For the first time in 135 years. someone in the White House was indicted. The person in charge of contracting. Mr. Safavian. was led away literally in handcuffs as a result of his sweetheart deals with many people. including the infamous Jack Abramoff. We had many stories written about. the K Street Project: If you were a trade association or a business that wanted to hire a Democrat. you had to get clearance from the K Street leaders. It was a situation that was very uncomfortable for everyone. as It should have been. The culmination of all of this was learning Duke Cunningham had taken more than $2 million in bribes. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9318}
{"speech_id":1090127013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I try today to express my- opposition and grave disappointment of the lobbying and ethics reform bill that the House of Representatives is expected to pass today. This is a bill pushed by the Republican leadership in the House. It is simply not much of anything. This House reform legislation is another example of the Orwellian world in which my friends in the majority live. I am sorry to say. starting with the President himself. Whatever he says. believe just the opposite. \" The Clear Skies bill led to more pollution. The Healthy Forests Initiative. clearcutting the forests. is damaging our forests. The No Child Left Behind Act has left millions of children behind. The Budget Deficit Reduction Act increases the deficit. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9318}
{"speech_id":1090127013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And now they are lobbying the Accountability and Transparency Act. which has the potential to wipe transparency out of the political process. House Republicans have completely abandoned the idea of reforming Washington. Instead. like a wolf in sheeps clothing. they are using the cover of the word \"reform\" to advance blatant partisan changes to campaign finance laws. changes that will hurt Democrats and help Republican candidates in the coming elections. Their approach to reform stands in sharp contrast to what we did on a bipartisan basis. About a month ago. Republicans joined Democrats to pass a lobbying reform bill. an ethics reform bill. the Honest Government and Open Leadership Act. It was passed by a large margin. The bill was based largely on a bill Democrats introduced the first week of the session. The legislation the Senate passed was not as good as the Democratic bill standing alone. but it was an improvement. a tremendous improvement over the status quo and imposed needed reforms so that Government serves the people. not the special interests. It was the most significant change in lobbying ethics in this- country in a quarter of a century. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9318}
{"speech_id":1090127013,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. the bipartisan commitment to reform we had in the Senate has been completely abandoned in the House. Instead of passing a substantive smart and tough bill as we did in the Senate. the House Republicans have ignored the wishes of millions of Americans. gutted all lobbying ethics reform from their legislation. and instead filled it with partisan campaign finance measures that are intended to help them in the coming eleftion. Essentially. they have opened the floodgates so they can pour money into Republican campaigns. The McainFeingold legislation that passed Congress and was signed by the President was important. It took away from campaigns corporate money. soft money. It was a reform measure that improved the political process in a significant way. And this McC.ainFeingold legislation. if the House measure is allowed to become law. will have been corrupted. It seems House Republicans do not believe they can convince the American people to send them back to Washington if they play by the rules. So like their old leader-. TOM DELAY. they are seeking to change therules in the middle of the game. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9318}
{"speech_id":1090127013,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are seeking to change the rules to influence the fall election. Here is an example. The House bill aims to disable socalled 527 groups. These are groups that operate independently and apartfrom the parties and bring more people into the political process. They fund getoutthevote activities and help register voters. among other things. Notably. the House bill would not shut down spending by all independent groups but only certain independent groups. No. the House would leave Republicanleaning 501(c)6)trade associations free to raise and spend money. soft money. corporate money. money over And above McCainFeingold spending limits. That is what this is about. These trade associations. such as Americans For Job Security. spend millions of dollars in ads to help elect Republican candidates. Nearly every Republican Member of the Senate elected last cycle will benefit by ads run by this group. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9318}
{"speech_id":1090127016,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to ask my good friend. the Democratic leader. if his concern here is that the House bill overruled what we call the Colorado H decision in the Supreme Court. which basically would allow political parties which are now restricted to raising 100 percent hard money to spend in coordination with the campaigns whatever they choose to spend. Is that the complaint I hear from my good friend. the Democratic leader?","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090127019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. through the Chair to my friend. thE senior Senator from Kentucky. your explanation of asking me a question points out my problem with what the House is doing. I believe what we need is to have reform legislation in the House comparable to what we did here in the Senate. I think there are a number of us who would like to have gone further than what we did. but I would be satisfied with that. But for the House to call this lobbying and.ethics reform is wrong. What they have tried to do is reform campaign finance laws. I say to my friend. if we are going to do a reform of campaign finance laws. then what we should do is have the committees of proper jurisdiction hear what changes they think should be made. with the advocates of this. bring it to the floor. and have a debate. As my friend indicated. talking about Colorado U. this is very complicated stuff. And I think if we are going to reform a little piece of it. lets look at it all. Lets look at how trade associations work. Lets look at everything. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1199}
{"speech_id":1090127019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am -happy to do that. But what I am not happy to do is have the House call something lobbying and ethics reform when it is campaign finance reform. That is my concern.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1199}
{"speech_id":1090127078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If I could respond to the suggestions of the distinguished chairman through the Chair. I have no objection to scheduling this vote later in the day. I have been in a lot of contact with the authorizing committee. its leadership and its staff. I will continue to be in contact with them about issues contained in this amendment. I have no objection to proceeding to a vote later in the day. I do wish to restate my call for a rollcall vote. I would be perfectly amenable to any unanimous consent order to schedule the vote later in the day as long as that vote is assured.","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":571}
{"speech_id":1090127188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are wrapping up the debate. It is finished on this bill. and we are going to have votes in the morning. I think we need to ask some questions. We have a supplemental bill. Regardless of the amount of it. it is here. I think there is a real question in the country. and there should be a real question for us. on why we are doing a supplemental bill on the war which we know is happening. and also on projects associated with Katrina and Rita that we know are going to come through the authorization and the appropriations process. I think we need to look at that as a Congress and say why are we doing that. and be very honest about why we are doing it. The second point I would make is. in emergency legislation we have a lot of things that really arent emergencies. I think we as a body ought to look at that and use selfdiscipline. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090127188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But the third point is. and this is the one I think the American people are asking. we have a bill out here that is going to spend somewhere between $94 billion and $108 billion of taxpayers money. and there was no attempt whatsoever to offset this spendingnothing. There were attempts on the floor to change it. but there was no attempt to do a rescissions bill. There was no attempt to look at the things where we know there is wasteful spending. There was no attempt to look at some of these things. This is a list of $54 billion in potential rescissions that I bet we could agree on $10 billion or $11 billion of if everybody knew the facts or the details. But we. didnt do that. We didnt ask the Appropriations Committee to do that. It was not asked of them to do that. It is not their fault. They werent asked to do it. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090127188,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the question the American people ought to be asking. Where is the oversight to see if everything is running well? If you ask the American people: Do you think the Federal Government is efficient. there is not going to be 1 or 2 percent that will say yes. If you ask the American people: Do you think we could do it more efficiently for less money. the vast majority of the American people would agree with that. And that is probably true. If you ask Federal employees. they will tell you that. too. The question is. Why are we not doing it when we are spending money we dont have? We ought to think about this the next time an emergency supplemental comes around. We ought to make an effort to find the offsets. and we ought to work together across party lines to say how do we secure the things we want. Some of those are different. If you are liberal or conservative. you may want different things. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090127188,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But if you are going to secure the future for those programs that help individuals and go a long way in securing what we need to do to make sure people have an honest. even start in this country. things that are valuable in that regardwhether it be the Food Stamp Program or Head Start or something like thatwe are going to run out of money for those. In 9 short years. 81 percent of our budget is going to be consumed by Medicare. Medicaid. Social Security. and interest. We should have the discipline to start now to make the significant changes that we need to make to be able to handle -that emergency that is coming. The real emergency is not right now. The emergency is going to happen starting in 2009. I just ask that we look at that and think about it. How do we answer to the American public that we didnt try to trim any other type of spending as we spend $104 billion? With that. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090127221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would come. HUDs public housing operating like to engage in a colloquy with the fund budget. which pays for utilities. distinguished chairman and ranking for fiscal year 2006 incorporated only a member of the Transportation. Treas- 1.5percent increase for rising energy ury. - Judiciary. and HUD Sub- costs. a level not close to the utility committee of the Committee on Appro- rate hikes experienced by local agenpriations. cies. In 2005. public housing agencies As eny colleagues know. rising home received just 89 percent of the amount energy costs and high prices at the necessary to cover basic maintenance pump are draining dollars out of our and operations. and in fiscal year 2006. communities and the pocketbooks of these agencies are expected to receive American families. This is money that about 91 percent of necessary funding. could be spent on school supplies. food Public housing agencies cannot absorb and medicine. and retirement savings The burden of high energy prices is dis- these increases within their budgets or proportionately felt by lowincome and reserves. Without supplemental fundworking class consumers. .who do not lng. many agencies will be forced to have the disposal income to meet these again cut back on basic maintenance expenses. The unanticipated increases and vital services to the elderly. disin energy costs due to Hurricanes abled. and working families they serve. Katrina and Rita at the beginning of The section 8 voucher program is exthe 2005\/2006 heating season have had a periencing similar problems. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5939}
{"speech_id":1090127221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"About 20 significant impact on the ability of percent of assisted familieg have utililocal housing agencies to effectively ties included within their rental manage their public and section 8 hous- charges. For the remaining 80 percent. ing inventories. housing agencies provide the family Nationwide. approximately 3 million with a standard utility allowance based families receive public housing or sec- on energy consumption for the housing tion 8 housing voucher assistance. unit where they live. HUD calculates which helps families pay for housing the annual increases in voucher fundcosts. including utilities. In Rhode Is- ing and the amount that agencies are land. public housingprovides homes for permitted to pay on behalf of families 16.000 households. 7.000 of Whom are el- for tenantpaid utilities based on area derly or disabled and 9.000 family mem- housing cost estimates. Again. these bers. The section 8 voucher program calculations were developed before the serves an additional 16.000 residents. recent increase in utilities. Housing 3.300 who are elderly or disabled. and agencies are requited to recalculate 12.173 family members. Public housing and increase utility allowances for and the s~ction 8 voucher programs are families whenever utility costs inimportant assets to communities and crease by 10 percent or more. However. residents in RhodeIsland. making af- i nder the current \"budgetbased\" fordable housing available to many el- method of funding vouchers. no addiderly. disabled. and working families. tional funding will be provided midyear In 2004. the average rent for a twobed- to accommodate these increased costs. room apartment in the State was The failure to provide additional fund$1.121. The average income needed for ing to local agencies for utility inthis rent is $45.000 per year. or $16.25 creases will create either greater rent per hour. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5939}
{"speech_id":1090127221,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Teachers and librarians earn burdens for lowincome families or only an average of $40.685 per year in force agencies to reduce the number of Rhode Island. Half of all Rhode Island families they assist within their limresidents Cannot afford the rent on the ited budgets. average twobedroom apartment. The An example from my home State of average hourly wage needed to afford a Rhode Island is illustrative of what onebedroom apartment in the State is public housing agencies are facing $14.05. A minimumwage employee. across the country. The Woonsocket working full time. would be able to af- Public Housing Authority serves 1.300 ford $351 in rent. families in public housing. including Public housing agencies pay utility 650 senior citizens. While the agency is bills. and vouchers include an allow- authorized to serve 669 families with vouchers. the funding provided to the agency under the budgetbased voucher formula limits them to serving only 639 families. Woonsocket has previously undertaken many energysaving activities. however. utility costs for electricity increased 100 percent in November\/December 2005 over the same months in 2004. Natural gas increased 37 percent for the last 3 months of 2005. Utilities costs. which were 30 percent of the operating costs. now have begun to approach 40 percent and could go to 50 percent. For this reason. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5939}
{"speech_id":1090127221,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I filed an amendment to H.R. 4939. the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. to provide $493 million to public housing agencies.to address rising energy costs for the section 8 voucher program and public housing units. Unfortunately. the amendment is not germane postcloture and will not receive consideration. Local housing agencies are not able to absorb these costs and meet their mission to ensure safe. decent. and affordable housing. I am particularly worried that the problem will only be exacerbated as HUDs fiscal year 2007 budget projects a 1.8percent decrease in utility costs. Rising energy costs will remain a pressing issue for American families and our local communities. ind they need our assistance. I recognize the difficult budget constraints that the chairman and ranking member face this year as -they begin the fiscal year 2007 appropriations process. I hope the chairman and ranking member can work with me to address the growing problem of rising energy costs on local housing agencies as they begin work on the fiscal year 2007 Transportation. Treasury. Judiciary.. and HUD appropriations bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5939}
{"speech_id":1090127232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last Tuesday. 15 mayors from a diverse group of cities around the country gathered in New York City for a mayors summit on illegal guns. This summit provided an excellent opportunity to share gun violence prevention strategies. engage experts. and coordinate future national outreach and lobbying efforts for the safety of their cities. I commend those who participated for their willingness to work together to address the gun violence issues that plague communities across our country. One of the major issues discussed by the mayors last week was the buying and selling of guns by \"straw purchasers.\" Straw purchasers play a critical role in the illegal trafficking of guns by purchasing with the intention of reselling them to prohibited buyers. These straw purchases are often made in States with lax gun safety laws and trafficked to cities where they may later be used in violent crimes. New York City Police Comntiissioner Raymond Kelly refers to this as the \"iron pipeline\" of illegal fireatms. According to published reports citing New York Police Department statistics. 8 of every 10 guns used in crimes in New York City come from other States. In fact. only 18 percent of the illegal guns recovered in New York City in 2005 were originally sold in New York State. while 61 percent were traced to just five other States. According to several of the mayors in attendance. the lack of leadership by the President and Congress on the issue of illegal gun trafficking was the impetus for the summit. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090127232,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pointed out. \"Theres very little that an individual city can do to halt the sale of guns to criminals. This is a national issue that requires national attention.\" In the absence of adequate Federal attention. the 15 attending mayors signed a statement of principles resolving. among other things. to work together in the prosecution of gun traffickers. irresponsible gun dealers. and violent criminals. In their statement of principles. the mayors vow to oppose all Federal efforts to restrict the ability of cities to access. use. and share firearms trace data that can be critical to law enforcement personnel working to stop the flow of guns from reckless gun. dealers into the hands of criminals. This statement refers to amendments that have been inserted in the CommerceJuSticeScience Appropriations Act each of the last 4 years that. prohibit the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco. Firearms and Explosives. ATF. from disclosing important information from the national Firearms Trace System Database to local law enforcement and government officials. Unfortunately. legislation has recently been introduced in the House of Representatives which would make these restrictions on ATF firearms trace data permanent. It is time that Congress work wtth. instead of against. our Nations mayors to solve the gun violence issues which our communities face. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090127232,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The mayors are right. The gun violence epidemic across the country requires national attention. and I urge my colleagues to join me in working to enact commonsense gun safety laws that will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I ask unanimous consent that the teit of this statement of principles be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090127237,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I pay tribute to a great Nevadan whose passing has saddened me and countless others in my State. I hope my colleagues will join me in offering their thoughts and\" prayers to the family of J.A. Tiberti. Mr. Tiberti died yesterday. He had called Nevada home since 1941. Im very proud to say J.A. Tiberti was my friend. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3583}
{"speech_id":1090127237,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But he was more than that. J.A. Tiberti was nothing less than a deep personal inspiration. He embodied a bold. energetic. upbeat entrepreneurial spirit. The type of spirit that built Nevada. the West. and this country: The type of spirit that inspires and energizes brave thinkers and dreamers throughout America. and has done so since our Nation was formed. Mr. Tiberti leaves behind not only one of the most proud and prominent families in Nevada but also a legacy of vision and dreams for his community that will last. literally. for generations. If you drive anywhere in southern Nevada today. you will see homes. businesses. office buildings. and resorts rising out of the desert and forming the fastest growing communities in America. These are all testaments to the allure of Nevada and the spirit of the people who call it home. And on many of those rising structures you will see the Tiberti name. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3583}
{"speech_id":1090127237,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a testament to a man who dedicated his life to helping build his community. Tiberti Construction is one of the most successful and thriving businesses in the country. At this moment. hundreds of students are pursuing higher education at the University of Nevada Las Vegas within walls and under roofs built by Tiberti Construction. The men and women of our military are training to defend. our country at Nellis Air Force Base inside buildings erected by J.A. Tibertis company. J.A. Tibertis generosity and philanthropic efforts are well known and talked about by all who knew him. but never by Mr. Tiberti himself. His willingness to donate to causes close to his heart was matched by his reluctance to speak of them or try to gain publicity for himself. It is remarkable that a man of such success and generosity was also blessed with a humility that prevented him from boasting of his accomplishments and contributions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3583}
{"speech_id":1090127237,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will tell you. as a small example. that the alumni center and engineering complex at UNLV exist today because of J.A. Tiberti. His humble nature was inherited from his parents. hardworking immigrants from Italy who lived and worked in a coal mining camp. His father went off to work in the mines at 2 a.m.. checking for dangerous gasses- that could put the other workers lives in danger. When J.A. Tiberti began having success in the construction business his values never left him. An interviewer once asked him how he had achieved success early on and. instead of citing business plans or wise investments. J.A. Tiberti said it was honesty and sincerity that laid the groundwork for his business. Two years ago. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3583}
{"speech_id":1090127237,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"J.A. Tiberti was inducted into the Nevada Business Hall of Fame. He has served on too many planning commissions. advisory boards. finance committees. and professional societies to .name here. and his commitment to community service was recognized in 1987 when he was named Most Distinguished Nevadan. Today the Tiberti family is also grounded in those values. and their success reflects the hard work and generosity of their patriarch. J.A. Tiberti leaves behind six children. 21 grandchildren. and six greatgrandchildren. Iknow they are proud to carry on the Tiberti name and. through our sadness over his passing. we Nevadans are proud that he chose our state to raise his family and to call home.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3583}
{"speech_id":1090127286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the current resolution be agreed to. the preamble be agreed to. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and any statements relating thereto be printed in the RECORD as if read without intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090127294,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. part of the reason gasoline prices have jumped to record highs is because there have been no new refineries or major refinery expansion in America. United States refineries are at 97 percent capacity turning that black gold into gasoline at a rapid rate. but there is a tremendous demand for more refiningcapacity. Royal Dutch Shell has announced that the Motiva Refining Plant in Port Arthur. Texas. will expand to become the biggest refinery in the United States. Construction will begin next year. Currently. ExxonMobil. in Baytown. Texas. is the biggest refinery in America. By the way. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1289}
{"speech_id":1090127294,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. both of these refineries are in the energy belt of the Texas gulf coast. To get back on the path of energy selfreliance. the United States needs more Ameiican refineries and more offshore drilling. The country has not built a new refinery in over 25 years because of burdensome bureaucratic Federal regulations and environmental energy obstructionists. Congress needs to encourage refinery development and offshore drilling. That will -increase supply so that the gasoline price at the pump comes down to an acceptable American consumer level. The people of southeast Texas welcome Motivas new progress. and we congratulate them on this endeavor. Thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1289}
{"speech_id":1090127296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Vicente Fox. the president of Mexico. is at it again. Yesterday. he said he would sign into law an irresponsible law legalizing the possession of drugs. As a result. millions of American young people who travel to Mexico for summer vacation will now legally be able to use cocaine. heroin. ecstasy. and marijuana. How much is okay? Two ecstasy pills. four joints. four lines of cocaine and 25 milligrams of heroin are now all allowed. according to Vicente Fox. Who is advising this guy. Courtney Love? What a year President Fox is having. Earlier this year. his Mexican government provided maps to illegals to help them cross our borders. Then. his Mexican military soldiers got caught providing an armed escort to Mexican drug smugglers into Texas. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":993}
{"speech_id":1090127296,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now he wants Congress to reward millions of illegal aliens with amnesty and permanent citizenship so they can earn money here and send it back to Mexico. Vicente Fox says hes our friend. With friends like these. who needs enemies?","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":993}
{"speech_id":1090127301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when President Bush took office 5 years ago. the average price at the gas pump was $1.45. It has more than doubled over the past 5 years. And Republicans over the past 5 years have controlled the House. the Senate and the White House. Washington Republicans have done nothing to pass a sound energy policy that would wean us from foreign oil. create conservation programs. and provide incentives to develop alternative fuels. programs that would help us provide consumers some relief. It took Republicans 4 years before they finally passed an energy bill. but that bill continued massive subsidies to the oil industry like the ripoff \"royalty in kind\" program. The Presidents own Energy Department admitted at the time that the energy bill would do absolutely nothing to lower gas prices. Five years of Republican power. and 5 years of no positive results for the consumer.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090127311,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Nations energy prices continue to rise. Families and businesses are feeling the pinch. We are paying the price for.decades of extra taxes. poor energy policy. curtailed exploration and a lack of new refineries. The Nation needs to take a new approach to our energy problems. We need to break our dependency on foreign sources of oil. which leaves us at the mercy of foreign powers. To do that. we should increase domestic energy production. My bill. H.R. 4761. gives States control over the waters off their shores and encourages them to increase energy exploration by giving them a share of the revenues generated. We should increaseour development of alternative fuels. taking advantage of renewable resources. like using corn and sugar to produce ethanol or soybeans to produce biodiesel. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1416}
{"speech_id":1090127311,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. we should help developing nations like China and India curb their exponentially increasing consumption of oil and natural gas. which is driving world prices higher. India. in particular. is looking to develop nuclear power for domestic. commercial use. and we should work with them. This is a good deal for both countries. India develops its own selfsustaining nuclear power sources. which will limit their need for oil and natural gas. We get a reduction in the demand for world energy. lowering prices in the process. Clearly. the energy problems facing us are too big to use yesterdays thinking.","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1416}
{"speech_id":1090127312,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we have heard a lot of problems mentioned on the House floor today. We should be aware that this House is doing a very poor job of addressing any of these problems. Why? Because this is one of the laziest Congresses in all of American history. We are scheduled to meet this year fewer days than any Congress since at least 1948. And that is even before I was born. So far. we are in the 123rd day of this year. and yet we have only had 26 voting days in this body. That is a shame. This Congress is simply not doing its job under Republican leadership. They are the ones that set the schedule. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":820}
{"speech_id":1090127312,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Harry Truman called that Congress of 1948 the \"Do Nothing Congress\" of 1948. How do you do less than nothing? Sadly. the American people are about to find but. thanks to our friends on the other side of the aisle.","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":820}
{"speech_id":1090127321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 781). congratulating charter schools and their students. parents. teachers. and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":267}
{"speech_id":1090127391,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"spoke of. the Pump Act. to prevent unfair manipulating of prices. We know that if this Congress were to act. we could immediately bring down the price of a barrel of oil by $20 if we take the speculation. the fear and greed out of the oil futures market. Mr. Speaker. of the billions of dollars of oil that is traded in futures market. 75 percent is not regulated. A mere 25 percent is regulated by NYMEX. New York Mercantile Exchange. -The other 75 percent is unregulated. Therefore. they use fear. they use speculation to drive up that price: .So we have legislation that would actually reduce that. and let all those who trade in the futures market when we deal with oil to bring their transactions. to bring some transparency and bring it before the Commodities Futures Trading Commission to reduce that price of oil by $20 per barrel. Mr. Speaker. as a Member of this House. I would urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on this legislation. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090127391,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is an initial start. We can improve on it. And as this process goes through. even though we were denied hearings. even an opportunity to amend this legislation. in fact. most Members have never seen it before. It was only introduced yesterday. We would hope that as this bill moves through the entire legislative process. that the other body would at least include all energy products. like natural gas whichis not included in this bill. propane which is not included in this bill. What about the market manipulation. predatory pricing. regional price differences. all the things that we know happen in this country but yet we do not address in this bill? Like I said. it is an initial good. start. We are glad to see the Republican leadership finally acknowledge there is price gouging. but rest assured. the Democrats will continue to come up with bold new ideas on how to get our hands on this energy crisis we are dealing with and the skyrocketing high gasoline prices. The American people are fed up. They have a right to be. This is a good first start. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090127391,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of our time.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090127459,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 99. a resolution expressing the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury and in support for designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness Month. I want to thank the principal sponsors of this legislation. Congressman BILL PASCRELL from New Jersey and Congressman TODD PLATTS from Pennsylvania. who are the cochairs of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090127459,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I commend them for their leadership and hard work to increase the level of public awareness of this silent epidemic of traumatic brain injury. Despite the fact that each year an estimated 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury. costing our society tens of billions of dollars and permanently altering the lives of countless people. too few people are aware of the dangers posed by these highly preventible injuries. To help address this problem. House Concurrent Resolution 99 resolves that Congress. one. recognizes the lifealtering impact traumatic brain injury may have both on Americans living with the resultant disabilities and on their families. two. recognizes the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury. three. supports the designation of an appropriate month as National Brain Injury Awareness Month. and. four. encourages the President to issue a proclamation designating such a month. Again. I commend Mr. PASCRELL and","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1461}
{"speech_id":1090127490,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me just say that I have not been in Alice in Wonderland until I heard my colleague talk about it. So much for bipartisan comity. I am very proud to be working with Democrats on this important legislation. but as I listen to this mischaracterization of -our strong bipartisan reform effort. I amsomewhat stunned. Mr. Chairman. I am very happy to yield 4 minutes to an individual who has worked as hard or harder than anyone on this 4ssue of reform. the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. my Rules Committee colleague. the gentleman from Pasco. Washington","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":610}
{"speech_id":1090127506,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 30 secondsto respond. My friend said. if we have a small bill. We dont have a small bill. This is a very. very strong package that we have come forward with. He has talked about outside organizations that have criticized this. I am. very happy that -three of the recommendations that outside organizations have provided to us are included in this. We have included input from a wide range of entities. This is a package that does double the disclosure rate for lobbyists when it comes to their activities that relate to this institution. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":668}
{"speech_id":1090127506,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have very strong reforms. Mr. Chairman. I yield 11\/2 minutes to the gentleman from Mesa. Arizona .","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":668}
{"speech_id":1090127510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator FEINGOLD and I introduced the first lobbying reform legislation in the Congress. It has the support of Public Citizen. Common Cause. and nonpartisan scholars like Norm Ornstein and Tom Mann. none of whom support the bill that is on the floor today. We said then it would take bipartisan cooperation to get real reform. This legislation has chosen politics above progress. business as usual. rather than breaking the gridlock of the special interests. Today. we are considering the incredible shrinking bill. With each passing day. it has become weaker and smaller. If we were going to vote on it tomorrow. it probably would be a blank page. The Washington Post calls it a \"watered down sham.\" \"simply a joke.\" \"diluted snake oil.\" and \"an insult to voters who the GOP apparently believes are dumb enough to be snookered by this feint.\" The New York Times called it a \"laughingstock\" and \"an election year con.\" Republican Congressman HEFLEY. the former chairman of the Ethics Committee representing the Republican Caucus. said. \"In terms of ethic process reform. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4168}
{"speech_id":1090127510,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I dont think we have much of that here. And I think actually we are missing an opportunity here.\" Of the restrictive rule. he said. \"The bottom line for me iswhy can we not have debate and vote on these issues and a number of others? I believe we need to defeat th. rule and then do what my majority leader and the chairman have said: work on a bipartisan basis on a new bill. on new rules that will allow some debate.\" He is upset because this bill does not offer an independent Office of Public Integrity. It does not ban gifts from lobbyists. It does not ban lavish junkets. It does not close the revolving door that allows Members of Congress and the administration to go to K Street and become lobbyists. In fact. there are more former Members who are lobbyists today in K Street than there are in either caucus. 270 former Members now lobby the institution. There is no disclosure of lobbyist contacts with members of the administration or disclosure of grass roots lobbying. Mr. Chairman. we have an institutional problem. and it requires an institutional solution. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4168}
{"speech_id":1090127510,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whether it is record gas prices. skyhigh medical costs. outofreach tuition. the American people are paying a price for the House that Jack and Duke and Tom built. and they cannot afford much more. When you guys came to Washington in 1994. you said you were going to change Washington. and Washington has changed you. It has become clear in the last 12 years. rather than have a contract with America. you have a contract with K Street. When the gavel for the Speaker comes down. it is intended to open the peoples House. not the auction house. When you look at the prescription drug legislation. you look at the energy legislation. you look at what they contributed. you see the results: $86 million for lobbying by Big Oil and $15 billion in taxpayer subsidies to Exxon and Mobil. There is $139 million in contributions and lobbying expenses by the pharmaceutical industry and $140 billion in additional profits by the pharmaceutical company. It is as plain as black and white. What has happened here in Washington is as clear as night and day. You can either see it for what it is or accept it. This legislation does nothing to reform or change the business and the politics that is conducted here and the vicious circle between K Street and the administration and what happens here in the peoples House. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4168}
{"speech_id":1090127510,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation was supposed to break that gridlock of that triangle. Instead. it reinforces and allows business as usual. and it allows the House that Tom and Jack and DuRe built to continue. You came here as revolutionaries. Rather than change Washington. Washington has changed you and all your principles. As Washington always says. you are firm in your opinion. it is your principles you are flexible on. This time you have missed a historic opportunity to change Washington. What we have seen is the dominance of the special interests on the peoples House. This election is about making sure that gavel returns to the American people and it does not open up this auction House but returns to the peoples House.","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4168}
{"speech_id":1090127512,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. that is exactly what I was going to say. what the Chair just said. I am sure that my colleague from Chicago. my very good friend. was not in any way impugning the integrity or motives of any of his oolleagues in this institution. And I should say that the legislation itself very specifically says that no Member may have any decision that is impacted that influences an outside hiring decision that another Member raises. and so that is raised in this. Mr. Chairman. I yield 11\/2 minutes to my very good friend. a great reformer. the gentleman from Phoenix","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":571}
{"speech_id":1090127540,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am here today to ask that you grant me the opportunity to reinstate an amendment to H.R. 4975 that had been added in the Judiciary Committee. but was somehow stripped out en route to the Rules Committee. My amendment simply requires \"registered lobbyists\" to disclose the fact that they have \"solicited and transtnitted\" a campaign contribution. Moreover. my amendment would require that lobbyists. who serveas campaign treasurers and chairman of political committees to disclose that as well. This amendment was added to the Lobbying Disclosure Act on April 5. 2006 by a vote of 28 to 4. It is ironic that an editoriial about this amendment in the Washingtop Post. on April 13. 2006. stated-\"We are almost reluctant to flag this provision for fear that it will be shot down all the more quickly. but in fact no other disclosure requirement would be more useful in explaining the Way Washington does business than this one.\" I am not sure what appalls me more. the fact that the bill does precious little to address the problems that have created the culture of corruption on Capitol Hill or the fact that the few enhancements to the bill. added through the committee process. have been summarily deleted without a debate or vote. The irony is that the abuse of power that has taken place on the Hill. that undermines the confidence of the American people. is alive and well in the management of the bill that was originally designed to correct such abuses. The bill before us today is a weak attempt to create the allusion of reform. It fails to address: the problems with the revolving door between public service and lobbying. the showering of benefits to Members of Congress by lobbyists who have business before them. the need to enhance a broken Ethics Committee process and the need to reform the campaign financing system that creates the dangerous intersection between congressional action and campaign fundraising. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4527}
{"speech_id":1090127540,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment that is before the Committee today. in my opinion. is a modest but important step in the direction to expose some sunlight on the activities where registered lobbyists have business before the Congress while at the same time soliciting and transmitting campaign contributions. in addition to serving as officers that run campaigns and political committees. I believe that these practices should be studied for the prospects of future regulation. However. at the very least. I believe that we need to compel the disclosure of these activities to the American people. We need to create transparency around the campaign finance practices that a registered lobbyist performs. as well as. the business that they bring to Members of- Congress. As Justice Brandeis has said. \"sunlight is the best disinfectant\". Moreover. this disclosure will allow the American people to see the whole picture. of lobbying activity. so that they may judge. for themselves. the propriety of the transactions that have become an everyday practice in Washington. With public opinion of Congress at an all time low. we owe the American people a serious bill that is not a \"reform bill\" in name only. The culture of corruption that has plagued the 109th Congress is probably only rivaled. in infamy. by the Watergate era. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4527}
{"speech_id":1090127540,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The American people have seen Members of Congress: give appropriations earmarks in exchange for a Rolls Royce and lavish antiques. enjoy -posh golf trips in Scotland at the expense of Native American tribes who were exploited by nefarious lobbyists. determine which lobbyists on K Street get the lucrative contracts. channel campaign finances to Members spouse and children. and bend the House rules to allow the House leadership to bend the arms of Members to force a particular vote outcome. The American people are shocked and appalled by these activities. However. the real shocker is the reality that many people do not see. i.e. the nexus between these conflicts of interest and the pocketbooks of the American people. The effects can be seen in the influence of the oil industry in gaining subsidies while gas prices are skyrocketing. as well as the impact that the pharmaceutical industry had in drafting the Medicare Part D bill that prohibits drug importation and the competition for price reduction. We need to restore the trust of the American people. We need to start today by allowing this bill to be made into a real lobbying reform bill. I urge the Committee to rule my amendment in order so that I have the chance to add my amendment to this bill a second time.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4527}
{"speech_id":1090127606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I was in this body for 10 years and then out for 16. I have had a chance to look at the importance of travel as it adds to the information base that Members have. While we have had problems in certain areas of travel. we ought not to just throw them all out. This is a real effort to try and get transparency and to work on a bipartisan basis to make sure this works.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":446}
{"speech_id":1090127654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I do not object to this amendment. but like the underlying bill. I think it fails to seriously address the scandals that have made so many Americans distrustful of this Congress. Requiring mandatory ethics training for registered lobbyists is probably a good idea. But I didnt think that classes for lobbyists were the major issue facing the country. Mr. Chairman. I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas. Ms. ","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":437}
{"speech_id":1090127654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SHEI-","speaker_name":"ZOE LOFGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":437}
{"speech_id":1090127658,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I really was somewhat saddened. I am always pleased to yield to Members when they ask me for time. regardless of what side of the aisle they are on. because I am interested in rigorous debate. As the chairman of the Rules Committee. I was very proud to make in order the JacksonLee amendment that would have allowed for a full debate and a discussion on the. issue of spouses being the beneficiary of pensions. We in this legislation have provided flexibility to the Office of Personnel Management to ensure that they could. in fact. when a spouse. a victim. as my friend has described them. has potentially been in a position where they could lose their pension. We are now in the midst of the Castle amendment. which is enjoying bipartisan support. as is virtually every other amendment that we have considered on the floor this afternoon. And yet I am talking about an amendment. the JacksonLee amendment. that I made in order in the Rules Committee and she chose not to offer that amendment. instead. stood up and said that I am not committed to reform. And I am happy that the Chair. in fact. admonished the Member to address the comments to the Chair. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2172}
{"speech_id":1090127658,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We would not be here today. Mr. Chairman. were it not for the strong commitment of Speaker HASTERT and the Republican leadership to the issue of institutional reform. and we want to make sure that no one is victimized by abhorrent behavior that takes place by lobbyists or by individual Members. But we also believe strongly in the issue of accountability. and that is exactly what we are getting at by providing the flexibility to the Office of Personnel Management. I think that. on the issue of accountability. once again. as I said. Mr. CASTLE has done a great job of ensuring that there is a clear understanding of exactly what the new definition will consist of when we pass this legislation. I thank my friend for yielding. and I thank my friend from Houston for her thoughtful comments. and I still am. again. sorry that she would not yield to me. I would be happy. if Mr. CASTIE has the time. to yi~ld to her at this time if she would like to respond to any of the comments that I have made.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2172}
{"speech_id":1090127715,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill. H.R. 4975. the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers. spelling. punctuation. and crossreferences. and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090127725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. today I rise in strong support of the SAFE Port Act. because it is important for the security of our Nation. but I rise in reluctant opposition to this restrictive rule. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee and an original cosponsor of the underlying legislation. I understand that port security is national security. We need this bill. Mr. Speaker. to keep America safe. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2586}
{"speech_id":1090127725,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. this rule does not permit debate on an important amendment that I attempted to offer. My amendment would strengthen our security by requiring the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to develop a report back to Congress of a plan to purchase and deploy radiation portal detectors at our ports of entry. My amendment would also authorize additional funds to help pay for these detectors. Our intelligence analysts tell* us one of the greatest risks our country faces is the threat that a terrorist will smuggle nuclear material across our borders or through our ports and detonate a dirty bomb or a nuclear device in one of our cities. The technology. Mr. Speaker. exists to scan cargo for this radioactive material. and DHS is in the process of deploying it. In addition. DHS is in the process of awarding a contract for the next generation of detectors. which will cost at least twice as much as the current generation. However. a recent GAO report determined that DHS needs an additional $300 million to purchase and deploy the 3.000 current generation monitors. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2586}
{"speech_id":1090127725,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The report indicated that with current funding. DHS will be unable to deploy the monitors by its target date of 2009. In December I offered an amendment to require the full deployment of these monitors within 1 year. This amendment passed the Homeland Security Committee with bipartisan support.The amendment that I offered to the Rules Committee is a less drastic step but goes a long way towards keeping us safe. By requiring DHS to figure out what types of monitors they need at different locations. DHS will provide us with a better assessment of exactly how much this program will actually cost. Mr. Speaker. we simply cannot afford to wait any longer. Defeating the previous question will allow the House to consider both my amendment and Ranking Member THOMPSONs important amendment to increase the number of port inspectors over the next 5 years. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2586}
{"speech_id":1090127725,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting the previous question. voting to protect our ports and border crossings from nuclear material being smuggled across our borders and passing the SAFE Port Act.","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2586}
{"speech_id":1090127732,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. once again articulating this balanced rule and fair and wonderful legislation. we continue to talk about what the legislation stands for without attempting to scare people but rather to give the substance of what the bill is about. Mr. Speaker. I yield 4 minutes to the chairman of the Economic Security. Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity Subcommittee. Mr. LUNGREN.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":388}
{"speech_id":1090127755,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for the time. This is \"lets pretend\" time. Lets pretend this is a fair process when a meaningful amendment that lost Only by two votes in committee to screen 100 percent of the containers coming to America is not allowed. Are we afraid of the democratic process here on the floor? Lets pretend that the unverified paperwork certification of shippers. CTPAT and CIS. are meaningful and provide real security despite the numerous reports we have about their extraordinary failures. including the most recent one where a CTPAT. CISbased company and port provided 15 Chinese in a container delivered to the United States of America. That could have been 15 tactical nuclear weapons in that container instead of people attempting to sneak into the United States. Here is how it works: you are a foreign company. You want to ship to the U.S. You go online on your computer. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090127755,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You fill out a form online. You immediately get the score of your products and your shipping reduced to the United States of America. It no longer is as much of a threat because you filled out a form online. whoever you might be. you might be Osama bin Laden in a cave. we dont know. Okay. Well. then we are going to send someone around to certify you are who you said you are and you really have the paperwork plan you told us you have. Unfortunately. we do not have enough people to do that. It will be 1 to 3 years before either a U.S. inspector or a contractor comes by for one day. one time. to make sure you are not a bad guy and you might not ship bad things here. That is quite a system. That is CTPAT. It is a faithbased honor system. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090127755,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here it is: they will send us a manifest. Now a manifest says 100 concrete bird baths. but what if it is 99 concrete bird baths and one tactical nuclear weapon? Well. they are in the CTPAT program. they would not phony up a manifest. Of course. again. you have 6 months to adjust your manifest after your product arrives in the United States because you know everybody says manifests are not accurate. We do not know who the people are. and the manifests are not accurate. but thats the security we have today. The Deputy Secretary of TSA. Mr. Jackson. admits there is a risk. He says. well. they do not want to screen all the containers on the other side of the ocean. even though the technology exists. Despite what the gentlewoman from Florida said. it exists. it works and it does not unduly delay. You can drive by it at 10 miles per hour. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090127755,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He says the vision of the Bush administration is. they are going to screen ultimately. with technology. 100 percent of the containers before they leave United States ports for the interior of the U.S.. but they might contain threats. Now. wait a minute. We are going to put them in our ports. but we think they might have threats. but we will inspect them before they go inland? I guess the ports are sacrifice zones. I guess most of our ports are in blue States. No. Florida was a red State. I am not sure why they want to sacrifice those ports in those States. \" This is extraordinary to me that we are not being allowed this one simple amendment. and let us pretend that they are not under unbelievable pressure from WalMart and other shippers of goods to the United States to not do anything meaningful because it will cost a couple of bucks morb per container. 0J 1845","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090127773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I certainly think that the President of the United States. understands the laws of supply and demand and has prevailed upon this Congress to take action with regard to this. More importantly. back in my hometown. John Mitchell. the former Republican mayor of South Windsor. Connecticut. and past president of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Dealers. says there is no correlation between what is going on in this country between the laws of supply and demand and what is happening with home heating oil and what is happening at our gas pumps. He says the only thing that is happening here is a matter of fear. speculation and greed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":879}
{"speech_id":1090127773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut . someone who understands that and someone who has represented the State of Connecticut with distinction.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":879}
{"speech_id":1090127783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"from Connecticut. for offering it. This motion would make three very important changes to close tax .loopholes that are lining the. pockets of Big Oil. First. it would eliminate accounting gimmicks that allow Big Oil to artificially inflate costs and reduce profits. thus reducing their tax liability. and continue on this course of record profits at the American publics expense. Second. it would close the loophole that gives oil companies a tax break for taxes they pay fdr doing business in foreign countries. And finally. the motion also eliminates the tax break for accelerating depreciation for oil companies that was given to them in the energy bill. The Larson motion would eliminate a 2year amortization treatment for certain expenditures. treatment that is wholly inconsistent with the way this type of expenditure would be treated by other businesses. It is not fair to other American businesses. Mr. Speaker. Even the Bush administration has acknowledged this is excessive. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1106}
{"speech_id":1090127783,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time we end the Republican policy of giveaways to Big Oil. and I urge my colleagues to support the Larson motion.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1106}
{"speech_id":1090127818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Lee Raymond. $400 million. He was not at ExxonMobil all that long. So it figures out to $135.000 a day in his pension pay. off. Now. remember. he can get a huge lump sum because he is an executive. But a worker cannot. because there is . different standards that apply. For the execs. if they have funded 60 percent of their liability for their pension plan. big bonuses. $400 million. For a line worker. nah. sorry. you are not at 80 percent. You cannot get it. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1595}
{"speech_id":1090127818,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the way it is at ExxonMobil. Let me give another example. what happens when the companies do go belly up. United Airlines. Talking to a flight attendant. She did not meet the cut. She was not age 50. although she had worked at the airline 28 years. So she did not meet the cut for the people to get a more generous accommodation. She is riow 49 years old. If she works until age 65. at which point she will have 45 years in with the airline. 45 years. she will get $12.000 a year. $1.000 a month. But those execs who guided United into bankruptcy and then guided United back out of bankruptcy by shedding things like pension obligations get very huge bonuses. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1595}
{"speech_id":1090127818,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Is that not a great world? Now. I just kind of figured it out. For. her. you know. she will have worked about 17.000 days. And so if she lives 20 years. at $12.000 a year. she is going to get somewhere around a buck and a half a day pension. Now this guy gets $135.000 a day for the time he put in. Is that fair? I do not think the American people think that is fair. It is not right. It has got to stop. And if you cannot vote for this. shame on you.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1595}
{"speech_id":1090127837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the oldest Member of this institution is celebrating a birthday. He has been a Democrat. he has been a Republican. but I think he is loved by all of our colleagues. Not many of you know the Boehner birthday song. but it is pretty simple: This is your birthday song. It doesnt last too long. Hey. Now. my colleagues. the second verse is exactly like the first verse.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":378}
{"speech_id":1090127849,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor and pay tribute to my good friend and constituent. John Kross. who is also known to those of us in south Florida as \"Footy.\" the legendary morning radio host who will walk away from the microphone at the end of this week. ending more than 30 years as a morning radio personality. The veteran onair personality whose name is John Kross will host his final segment for the Y100 Morning Show on Friday. May 5. 2006. Footy has been helping south Florida wake up for more than 30 years and is a mainstay in the south Florida community. Footy is a passionate antidrug crusader and an incurablT chickenwing junkie. Originally. he created Footys Wing Ding. a chickenwing eating competition. as a fundraiser to aid Heres Help. a notforprofit organization that assists adults and children with substanceabuse addictions. Although the event began mainly as a competition to crown the maker of south Floridas best chicken wings. it evolved over the years into a popular spot for pop musics hottest stars. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1837}
{"speech_id":1090127849,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Each year. Footys Wing Ding brought a host of celebrities to south Florida to raise thousands of dollars for area charities. including Heres Help. the SunSentinel\/WB Television Channel 39 Childrens Fund and many others. While thousands of radio listeners will undoubtedly miss Footys voice on their radios each morning. I am confident he has established a strong foundation that will help inspire generations. of south Floridians to make a difference in their community. It is my privilege to honor his service to our community in south Florida on the floor of the House of Representatives. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing John for a lifetime of achievement in radio broadcasting and charity work to wish him and his family many years of happiness. success and new challenges in the years ahead.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1837}
{"speech_id":1090127856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to honor my friend Dodie Dittmer of the Communication Workers of America for her 43 years of service. She started at Ohio Bell in Dayton back in Dodie Dittmer has always been there for workers and. in the great tradition of the labor movement. always been there for her community. She was always a good soldier. a private in her humility as she was willing to pitch in on every task and a general in her leadership. She was always a good soldier in the battle for social and economic justice. For that. we are all thankful to Dodie Dittmer.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":560}
{"speech_id":1090127868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"and Senators CHRIS DODD and RICHARD LUGAR joined me in launching a new bipartisan. bicameral caucus aimed at advancing press freedom around the world. The Congressional Caucus for Freedom of the Press creates a forum where the United States Congress can work to combat and condemn media censorship and the persecution of journalists around the world. The launch of this new caucus sends a strong message that Congress will defend democratic values and -human rights wherever they are threatened. This evening. Mr. PENCE and I hosted an event here in the Capitol to celebrate World Press Freedom Day. We were honored by the presence of Musa Klebnikov. the widow of murdered American journalist Paul Klebnikov. the editor of Forbes Russia who was gunned down on a Moscow street in July of 2004. A Moscow court is due to hand down a verdict against the alleged triggermen tomorrow. and Mrs. Klebnikov spoke movingly about continuing her late husbands work of helping the Russian people by working with them to build an independent press. In launching this new caucus. we have been encouraged by the wide range of organizations and individuals such as Reporters without Borders. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4695}
{"speech_id":1090127868,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Freedom House. andthe Committee to Protect Journalists. which have all enthusiastically endorsed this effort. But I was most gratified toreceive a letter of support this morning from Walter Cronkite. the longtime CBS News anchor who is not only an American icon but a living symbol of the positive force that journalists can have in shaping our lives. Freedom of the press is so central to our democracy that the Framers enshrined it in the first amendment of our Constitution. At the time. there was little in the way of journalistic ethics. and newspapers were filled with scurrilous allegations leveled at public figures. Even so. our Founders understood its importance to advancing our experiment in democracy. Throughout our. history. journalists have jealously guarded their rights and American courts have. in the main. carved out broad protections for the press. In the United States. the press operates almost as a fourth branch of government. the Fourth Estate. as it is called. independent of the other three and positioned as watchdogs of our freedom. The United States. as the worlds oldest democracy and its greatest champion. has a special obligation to defend the rights of journalists wherever and whenever they are threatened. A free press is one of the most powerful forces for advancing democracy. human rights. and economic development. so our commitment to these larger objecr tives requires active engagement in the protection and the promotion of this freedom. These are difficult and dangerous days for reporters around the world. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4695}
{"speech_id":1090127868,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to the New Yorkbased Committee to Protect Journalists. 47 journalists were killed in 2005. most of whom were murdered to silence or punish them. While last years death toll was lower than the 57 deaths in 2004. they were well above the yearly average over the last two decades. But too many have paid the ultimate pricejust for doing their jobs. Daniel Pearl was the Wall Street Journals South Asia bureau chief and was on his way to an interview with a supposed terrorist leader when. on January 23. 2002. he was kidnapped by a militant group that claimed that he was a spy. For weeks. speculation persisted about his fate. until his decapitated body was found in a shallow grave outside Karachi in late February. In Algeria. Mr. Mohamed Boualem Benchicou. the former editor of Le Matin. was given a 2year prison sentence for being too outspoken. He has been held in El Harrach prison for the past year as his health deteriorates and members of his newspaper staff are routinely subject to interrogation by Algerian authorities and also to judicial harassment. Raul Rivero Castaneda is one of Cubas best known dissident journalists. ","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4695}
{"speech_id":1090127868,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over the years. Mr. Rivero has paid dearly for his commitment to providing Cuban citizens with inde pendent. unbiased information. In March 2003. Rivero was arrested and charged with \"acting against Cuban independence and attempting to divide Cuban territorial integrity.\" writing \"against the government.\" organizing \"subversive meetings.\" and collaborating with U.S. diplomats. Sentenced to 20 years in jail. he served 8 months before being allowed to seek asylum in Spain in April 2005. These are just some of the journalists that our caucus will highlight and profile to bring attention to those brave. committed members of the press around the world who are fighting for the fieedom of all of us and to highlight those countries where press freedom is under attack. We welcome all of your membership in this caucus.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4695}
{"speech_id":1090127882,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a little over 3 years have passed since the invasion of Iraq. and it seems that we are no closer to victory than we were the day U.S. troops rolled into Baghdad. So where are we in Iraq? This is a question many are asking. Just this morning. a suicide bomber attacked police headquarters in Fallujah. killing 15 and wounding 30 others. According to AP reports. 13 of those killed were And Central Command Commander Iraqi recruits and two were Iraqi pd- General Anthony Zinni in April said. \"I lice. think we are paying the price for lack In Baghdad over the past 2 days. 34 of credible planning. or the lack of a bodies have been discovered through- plan. We are throwing away 10 years of out that city. The hands of the men planning. in effect. for underestimating had been bound. All showed signs of the situation We were going to get into torture. and all had been shot in the and for not adhering to the advice that head. was being given to us by others.\" Another 12 bodies. all Sunni Arabs. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6951}
{"speech_id":1090127882,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. all of these are trouwere found in the streets over the bling remarks. All of those men speak weekend. from personal experience at ground This is appalling news. Mr. Speaker. level. Their concerns and protestations and. sadly. it is simply a continuation wern ignored by higherups in the Penof the sectarian violence sparked by tagon and in the Oval Office. the -February bombing of the holy The price for speaking the truth in. Askariya Mosque in Samara. The ele- public? Ask General Shinseki. He got vated violence has claimed hundreds of fired for daring to speak out on the lives. and many experts and scholars number of troops that would be a needworry if this is deteriorating into a ed to maintain the peace once major fullout civil war. combat operations were under way. . We can only hope that will not be the So. thus far. we have 2.404 U.S. solcase. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6951}
{"speech_id":1090127882,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. but the signs are diers who have died in Iraq and another troubling. and insurgents are targeting 17.762 injured. 27.000 Iraqi civilians Iraqis as well as U.S. troops. Iraqis are have died. and the world does not even attacking other Iraqis. and no one know how many there have been inseems to know how to stop the vio- jured. lence. From my own State of Ohio. 107 It is clear that the administrations brave soldiers have died. and 664 have prewar intelligence was finagled or been injured. And the only thing this flubbed. and war efforts are being bun- administration sees fit to do is throw gled. Constant miscalculations and in- money at the problem and wait for a ability to view the situation for what new President to figure it out someit really is continues to place our time after 2008s elections are over. troops in harms way every minute of Our esteemed colleague from the every day. other body. JOSEPH BIDEN. this week Is it any wonder that wellrespected suggested that he agreed with some ex-. military officers out of a sense of patri- perts who have proposed decentralizing otic duty feel compelled to speak out Iraq. similar to what was done in Bosagainst Secretary Rumsfeld and others nia in the mid1990s. He writes. \"Amerin this administration. drawing light ica must get beyond the present false to the constant bungling? choice between staying the course and In March. military General Paul bringing the troops home now and Eaton. retired. said. \"Mr. Rumsfeld has choose a third way that would wind put the Pentagon at the mercy of his down our military presence responsibly ego. his cold warriors view of the while preventing chaos. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6951}
{"speech_id":1090127882,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The idea. as in world and his unrealistic confidence in Bosnia. is to maintain a united Iraq by technology to replace manpower. As a decentralizing it. giving each ethnore result. the Army finds itself severely ligious group. Kurd. Sunni Arab and undermanned.\" Shiite Arab. room to run its own afRetired military General Paul Eaton: fairs while leaving the central govern\"Secretary Rumsfeld has shown him- ment in charge of common interests.\" self incompetent strategically. oper- Mr. Speaker. is it not time to at least ationally and tactically. and is far consider a new direction to stem the more than anyone else responsible for rising violence? what has happened to our important mission in Iraq. Mr. Rumsfeld must step down.\" Retired Lieutenant General Greg Newbold: \"Secretary of State CONGRATULATING DoDIE DITMER Condoleezza Rices recent statement ON HER RETIREMENT FROM THE that we made the right strategic deci- COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF sions but made thousands of tactical AMERICA errors is an outrage.\" he says. \"It re- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. flects an effort to obscure gross errors GOHMERT). Under a previous order of in strategy by shifting the blame for the House. the gentleman from Ohio failure to those who have been resolute is recognized for 5 in fighting. The truth is our forces are minutes. successful in spite of the strategic Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6951}
{"speech_id":1090127882,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"STRICKLAND. Mr. Speaker. it is guidance they receive. not because of with great pleasure that I rise here on it.\" the floor of the peoples House to conMajor General John Batiste in April gratulate Dodie Ditmer on her retiresaid. \"the current administration re- ment from the Communication Workpeatedly ignored sound military advice ers of America after over 43 years of and counsel with respect to the war service to the union and to our Nation. plans. I think the principles of war are Dodie was born in Clairfield. Tenfundamental. and we violate those at nessee. She was one of eleven children. our own peril.\" She later married Gregory Kent Ditmer. and together they have one daughter. Tamara -Kaye. and one granddaughter. Emily. On February 13. 1963. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6951}
{"speech_id":1090127884,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight to address the House on the matter of the three proposed trade agreements that we are about to consider. namely. Colombia. Peru and the Sultanate of Oman trade agreements. Every Member of this body knows or should know the history of job loss in this country. and you would think. as my colleague from Texas said. that when you find yourself in a hole. you would stop digging. but not us. Here we go again. Just like the other socalled free trade agreements. the Colombia. Peru and Oman trade agreements contain no meaningful language or effective labor or environmental standards for workers in those countries. These- socalled free trade agreements seek to reinforce the status quo in the host countries. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN LYNCH","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5097}
{"speech_id":1090127884,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what we have here is identical language to the problematic and inadequate language that was contained in CAFTA and NAFTA before that. Instead of enforceable labor provisions with teeth. these free trade agreements suggest only that those Nations adopt and enforce their own labor laws. They offer no assurance that existing laborproblems will be resolved. and they allow labor laws to be weakened or eliminated in the future. with no possibility of.recourse. Now. some may wonder why the President and the administration chose these three countries for the next round of free trade agreements. It seems to me. after looking at the agreements. the Bush administration went out to the nations with the very worst examples of labor laws. protections and enforcement in the world. and some of the welldocumented and rhore troubling aspects of these agreements consist. First of all. in Colombia. in 2004. over 200 trade unionists were killed. making it the most dangerous country in the world for workers seeking to exercise their freedom to form unions. More than 3.000 union members have been killed in Colombia since 1985. and only five people have been indicted in those cases. In Peru. the U.S. State Department has indicated that child labor remains a serious problem. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN LYNCH","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5097}
{"speech_id":1090127884,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is our own U.S. State Department. They estimate that 2.3 million children between the ages of 6 and 17 are engaged in work in that country. Now. when we talk about free trade. that is not free trade. That is asking the American worker to compete with children who are being paid very low wages and being exploited in these other countries. In Oman. their 2003 labor laws remain in serious violation of the International Labor Organizations most important and fundamental rights: freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively. There are no independent unions in that country. Mr. Speaker. while trade sanctions and serious remedies are granted to the commercial trade and investment provisions of these free trade agreements. the labor and environmental standards are totally ineffectual. It is interesting to me that the negotiators can get good protections for intellectual property rights and other commercial rights. but when it comes to labor and environmental standards. it is just not happening. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN LYNCH","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5097}
{"speech_id":1090127884,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to address the House especially within the context of the immigration problem that we are running up against in recent days. We have folks that are tunneling into our country from Mexico. They are swimming across rivers. They are hiding in containers from foreign countries and dying in the process of trying to get here. number one. to get out of the countries that they are in because they are in a troubled state and they know they have got no rights. secondly. to give their families hope in coming here. It seems to me. if we wanted to stop sorie of the immigration problems. we could include in our trade agreements provisions that protect those workers in their own countries. Then maybe they would not be lining up to come to this country with hopes of getting out of that situation. Secondly. we also talk a lot that we have got a major effort in Iraq. -and the President of the United States has described it in many cases as an effort to export democracy. Well. I have got news for you. you do not export democracy through the Defense Department. This is where you export democracy. in our trade agreement. through our Commerce Department. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN LYNCH","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5097}
{"speech_id":1090127884,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democracy is all about opportunity. and we should in our trade agreements give these foreign workers an opportunity to stay in their own country. to buy goods from us that would create a good dynamic by creating jobs in this country. Democracy is about opportunity. and if we are really serious about exporting democracy. it starts right here. It starts with our free trade agreements. This is just a terrible series of trade agreements. It offers no opportunities to these foreign workers. We are going to exacerbate the immigration problem because. as long as these people do not have a right to earn a decent living and have decent working conditions in their own country. they are still going to be .coming here. So we can help on two fronts by adopting fair labor standards in our trade agreements. and I urge my colleagues to reject the Peru. Colombian and Oman trade agreements.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN LYNCH","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5097}
{"speech_id":1090127908,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. DELAHUNT. you know what they have done? Anything the President said he wanted. they rubberstamped it. Anything that the oil industry said that they wanted. they rubberstamped it. Any problem where the American people says. why is the card stacked against me policywise. whether it be health care. whether it be prescriptions. what have you. they have rubberstamped it. If you watched The Today Show just this morning. Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. RYAN. Matt Lauer had the CEO of ExxonMobil on. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1537}
{"speech_id":1090127908,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me give credit to the CEO of ExxonMobil. because the other oil companies would not comment. One of the questions was. do you feel that the Republican majority in the. Congress have turncoated on you now? Have they switched on you now? Now they are running politically scared. Now they are willing to take windfall profits away from you. Now they are willing to go forth on price gouging legislation. Do you think they turned on you? The ExxonMobil CEO never answered the question. But it is very obvious.. like you said. they are in charge. It is almost like the old saying. \"the buck stops here.\" The Republican majority doesnt want to admit to that now. Now they are writing letters saying. maybe we need to do this and maybe we need to do that. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1537}
{"speech_id":1090127908,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But these are the same individuals. our colleagues on the majority side of the aisle. that put all of this in motion. Now they are trying to act like they had nothing to do with it. \"Oh. my God. the oil prices are horrendous. We need to do something about it.\" They were a part of making it happen.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1537}
{"speech_id":1090127918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So in 2002 it was $34 billion of profits for Big Oil. And in the space of 4 years. actually 3 years. that has trebled to $113 billion. Now. maybe I am simple minded. But why would this Republican Congress and the White House feel the need to pass an energy bill that was all about protecting the subsidies to the oil companies while there are record. historic profits? Mr. Speaker. can somebody please explain that to me? And do not tell me about. you cannot drill here and you cannot do that. and you cannot do this. And if Democrats only whatever. fill in the blank. This is the Republican policy. This is the Republican House of Representatives. This is the Republican White House. The consequences of that policy. the consequences of that policy is the $3 plus per gallon price to the average American as he or she goes into that gas station. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":986}
{"speech_id":1090127918,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what it translates into. And Democrats have had nothing to do with it because you are Washington. Mr.- Speaker. you are Washington.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":986}
{"speech_id":1090127930,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was information available to the White House that was not provided to the Congress in terms of the costs. and now we are faced with profound problems. in terms of the execution and the implementation of that plan. Seniors are frustrated and confused. The socalled donut hole is going to be a stone wall that many seniors are going to run into. But the head of the Medicare trust fund told the actuary that was in possession of the White House estimates of the costs of the program. that if he disclosed thbse figures to this .Congress. that he would lose his job. In other words. do not tell anybody anything. It just supports your point about an administration that is shrouded in secrecy. that refuses to be straight with the American people and. I might add. refuses to indulge or to engage. rather. in genuine consultations with the Congress and particularly Democrats. We are kept out of any thoughtful. legitimate. genuine interaction in forming policy. That is why. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090127930,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. when you are talking about the energy policy. it is the Republican policy. It is the Republican $2.91 a gallon at the pump. up from $1.45 four years ago. It is your price per gallon. It is not Democrats. So please do not -even suggest that Democrats had anything to do with the price that is breaking the average American family.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090128084,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the bill before us. the SAFE Port Act. As a Member from Florida. I am extremely conscious of our Nations vulnerability in the area of port security. As a former New Yorker. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090128084,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I still am concerned about the ports there. I have several friends who worked for at that time just Customs. who had always expressed a concern about the security at the ports. -","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090128163,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill is a good start that will help America in securing their ports. This amendment will strengthen the bill and make our seaports safer. The legislation before us today instructs the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to create maritime security centers. These centers will bring together the Coast Guard. Customs. and Border Patrol and. in many cases. the Navy. National Guard. and State and local law enforcement. These centers integrate the technologies and personnel of these agencies into one system. ","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090128163,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment directs the Secretary to consult with Federal. State. and local officials on where these centers should be placed and what should be the appropriate level of coordination. This provides a critical link and an open dialogue with DHS. Historically. there has been a lack of communication not onlY\" between government agencies and the private sector but between various levels of government. We cant let the lack of communication stop us from securing our ports. My concern is that -this bill allows the Secretary of DHS to solely determine where and to what level coordination must occur. He alone will decide where the command centers will be located and who should be a part of that team. My fear is that DHS will treat our 539 ports the same. The Port of Baltimore. which has not had a naval presence. does not need the same amount of coordination with the Navy as the Port of L.A.-Long Beach. with their large military deployments. DHS must gather input from Navy. ","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090128163,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coast Guard. Customs. Border Patrol. National Guard. and local and State law enforcement. This amendment provides for and requires this coordination. Mr. Chairman. these maritime security centers should be created. but they should be organized in a way that makes sense. A blanket policy or a onesizefitsall approach is not the best solution. This amendment will bring all of the critical players to the table to determine where these centers should be placed and how integrated they should be. All ports do not need the same level of integration. ","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090128163,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. we should be asking the Coast Guard. the Navy. Customs. Border Patrol. the FBI. and every other group with a hand in port security how they currently interact with other agencies and how we can make improvements for the future. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"C. RUPPERSBERGER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2450}
{"speech_id":1090128166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank my friend from Maryland for all his efforts in relation to this amendment and to his commitment to the establishment of maritime security command centers. These centers will be vital tools in the war on drugs. will assist in preventing illegal immigration. and will monitor possible terrorist activity in each region by tracking shipping movements. I agree that the close cooperation and coordination between the Federal. State. and local governments is an integral part of a successful command center structure. and I will be pleased to accept the amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":680}
{"speech_id":1090128284,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We will work together. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment to protect the neighborhoods that surround our ports. Port security and secure neighborhoods. Mr. Chairman. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support an amendment I am offering that includes communities in disaster preparedness by providing for an annual community update to the Homeland Security Training program described in this bill. The Port Security Training Program is designed for the purpose of enhancing the capabilities of each of the Nations commercial seaports to prevent. prepare for. respond to. mitigate against. and recover from threatened or actual acts of terrorism. natural disasters. and other emergencies. The amendment I offer today extends this training program to include communities and neighborhoods in proximity of the seaports by educating. training. and involving populations of atrisk neighborhoods around ports. including training on an annual basis to learn what to watch for. Many communities across the country also have a \"Neighborhood Watch\" program that teaches citizens to watch for suspicious activity or other signs of danger. This amendment provides for a similar \"citizens corps\" preparation in anticipation of a national security threat. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4467}
{"speech_id":1090128284,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The intent is to mimic the Citizen Corps initiative begun by the White House and the Department of Homeland Security in 2002. Itls a moral. public safety and public health imperative that we assist the public to prepare for disasters in order. to help facilitate response and relief. The point is to be prepared. Local responders are not the only ones who can help in a time of need. While 44 percent of Americans say their neighborhood has a plan to help reduce crime. only 13 percent report having a neighborhood plan for disasters. Nearly two thirds of respondents. 63 percent. believe it is important for neighborhoods to have a way to work together on emergency preparedness. The Port of Houston is a 25milelong complex of public and private facilities located just a few hours sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. The port is ranked first in the United States. in foreign waterborne commerce. second in total tonnage. and sixth in the world. The Port of Houston is made up of the port authority and the 150plus private industrial companies along the ship channel. All together. the port authority and its neighbors along the Houston Ship Channel are a large and vibrant component to the regional economy. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4467}
{"speech_id":1090128284,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"About 200 million tons of cargo moved through the Port of Houston in 2005. A total of 7.057 vessel calls were recorded at the Port of Houston during the year 2003. Economic studies reveal that ship channelrelated businesses support more than 287.000 direct and indirect jobs throughout Texas while generating nearly $11 billion in economic impact. Additionally. more than $649 million in state and local tax revenues are generated by business activities related to the port. Approximately 87.000 jobs are connected with the Port of Houston itself. and over 80 percent of those people live in the Houston metropolitan area. Centrally located on the gulf coast. Houston is a strategic gateway for cargo originating in or destined for the U.S. West and Midwest. Houston lies within close reach of one of the nations largest concentrations of consumers. More than 17 million people live within 300. miles of the city. and approximately 60 million live within 700 miles. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4467}
{"speech_id":1090128284,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The danger is very real that we may be escorting a weapon of mass destruction to its target. For every mile along the Houston Ship Channel that dangerous cargo passes. an additional 2000 people are at risk. Clearly. once the cargo reaches the city. the risk is greatest. In 2002. the Department of Homeland Security established the Citizens Corps initiative. and in 2004. over 1.000 communities around the country. encompassing 40 percent of the U.S. population. had established Citizen Corps Councils to help inform and train citizens in emergency preparedness and to coordinate and expand opportunities for citizen volunteers to participate in homeland security efforts and make our communities safer. Fiftytwo States and territories have formed state level Citizen Corps Councils to support local efforts. Maybe before the next disaster. our citizens can be aware and trained to react effectively and timely. and perform as local responders themselves. Support this amendment. and include the neighborhood in disaster preparedness.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4467}
{"speech_id":1090128315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. Madam Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman. with all due respect. I rise in opposition to this amendment. Ms. Sanchez and I have worked together on this bill. We have reached accommodations on a number of different issues. We support the idea of the CTPAT program. I certainly support her efforts to try and strengthen the CTPAT program. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3424}
{"speech_id":1090128315,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I certainly have supported and incorporated in my bill the recommendation on her part that we allow for thirdparty validators so that we can get the manpower necessary to do the validations that are necessary in this program. However. I do oppose her amendment because I think it would cut down on the participation in this program. One must understand that the CTPAT program. CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism program. is one that leverages industry cooperation to increase the security of the global supply chain. It has three tiers: tierl being the lowest. tier 3 being the highest. The gentlewoman suggests -that any benefits that are recognized under tier 1 to someone who has begun to participate in the program is unnecessary and somehow undercuts the credibility of the program. I would suggest that that is not true. - The conditions for obtaining the CTPAT tier 1 status include that prior to an importer being certified. the importer must complete a comprehensive selfassessment of their current security practices. gauged against the clearly defined and published minimum security criteria. If the security selfassessment completed by the importer reveals any security deficiencies and requires a corrective action plan. admission to the program and no benefits whatsoever are obtained unless those deficiencies are addressed to the satisfaction of the Department. Third. with the security selfassessmenf completed. and initially identified deficiencies addressed. the Department again reviews for sufficiency with the minimum security criteria and also vets the importer through the law enforcement and trade databases. as well as through the El Paso Intelligence Center. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3424}
{"speech_id":1090128315,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"EPIC. for linkage to DEA and other law enforcement databases. If the importers security profile demonstrates that the company is meeting the criteria. has positively passed vetting. and has a successful importing record. only then will the importer be certified as tier 1 and given a limited ATS score reduction. In response to the concerns raised by the gentlewoman from California. we have incorporated into this bill penalties if. in fact. it is shown that they did not participate in the process completely and honestly. and. in fact. if they have had any misleading or false information in their application. they are mandatorily barred from participation in the program for 5 years. The reason why they get a small benefit in terms of the rating by beginning in the program with their application before they are fully certified is to give encouragement to get them into the program to begin with. It is more than just saying they are handing in a piece of paper. It is. in fact. a document that requires a good deal of work on their part. and we want to encourage participation in this program rather than discourage it. CTPAT is one of the layers. not the only one. but one of the layers that we have of security in our multilayered approach. and so I would urge people to reject this amendment. Madam Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3424}
{"speech_id":1090128317,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. Madam Chairman. again I would suggest that it is important for us to retain the program as it exists. for the Department to retain the discretion reward a small benefit to the Tier 1 members by reducing their ATS score. They do not move to the head of the line. they get to move up just a little bit. It is an encouragement to participate in the program. The only way I can help the gentlewoman by suggesting that penalties do work is to suggest that deterrencedoes work. It is recognized in just about every other aspect of our lives. including the criminal justice system. and I dont know why she does not believe it will not work here. As a matter of fact. in response to the GAO report that she referred to. the Department did reduce the amount of the ATS score reduction for Tier 1 members. so they have responded to some concerns that they were moving too far up the line. Not in front of the line. but too far up the line. They get a small. small benefit at the present time. It is an incentive to participate in a voluntary program. which ultimately gives us more information. has more people working with greater security than they had before. and it helps us our a multilayered approach.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1205}
{"speech_id":1090128343,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Amazing how the truth hurts. I dont need visual aids to remind me what happened onSeptember 11. I can go to my district .office and see a woman working at the front desk who lost two cousins. I can talk to another member of my staff who lost a son. or another member who lost two brothers on that day. I can go to church on Sunday and see 10. 15 families who lost people. This is an issue where every Member on both sides of the aisle is committed to doing the right thing. And it is wrong when people on the other side say the Republicans are not trying to stop another nuclear attack. Do they really believe that? Do they so demean the process of. debate in this House that they are willing to do anything to get elected. do anything to make points on evening news. the sound bites. the cable TV? The fact is this bill is a real bill. It does not send a false or misleading hope. It is not a cruel hoax. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090128343,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It does what is real. It does what can be done. and that is. why I am so proud of this bill. We adopted amendments by Ms. GINNY BROWNWAITE. by Mr. SHAYS. And. by the way. the language in our bill is far similar to the amendment adopted on a bipartisan basis sponsored by a member of the opposition party in the Senate yesterday than anything","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090128344,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"or Mr. NADLER have introduced today. So I say. do what is right. Stand for real port security. stand for a really strong America. Vote down the motion to recommit and vote for the underlying bill that will. bring about real safe ports in this country and we can all be proud of it. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090128369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker. it is sort of interesting that. as I have stood here earlier this week during debate. I have had my intentions questioned by Members on the other side of the aisle throughout this week. Throughout hours of debate yesterday. people were questioning my intentions as we were looking at the issue of lobbying and ethics reform. Having said that. I think it is very important to note that when we were in the minority. about which my friend is speaking. we were often denied even an opportunity to offer a motion to recommit on legislation. Time and time again that happened. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090128369,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When we won the majority in 1994. we provided a guarantee that members of the minority would be able to offer a motion to recommit. We knew full well this opportunity would come forward. and Mr. LAHOOD was simply asking of the Chair whether or not under the precedents it is appropriate for a Member to stand up. state their opposition to a measure that is about to be voted on. and then offer a motion to recommit. Those precedents were stated.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090128373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Committee on Rules may meet the week of. May 8 to grant a rule which could limit\" the -amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 5122. the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. The Committee on Armed Services ordered the bill reported on Wednesday. May 3. and is expected to file its report with the House on Friday. May 5. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Rules Committee up in room H312 of the Capitol by 12 noon on Tuesday. May 9. Members should draft their amendments to the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on Armed Services. which will be available on the Web sites of both the Committees on Armed Services and Rules by Friday. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format and shouJd check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House. 0 1445 -","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090128421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. well. let body in the history of the world in 1 us talk about the energy crisis and the year. $100 million a day of profit. high prices of energy. Now they did give away 4 days of The oil man in the White House and profit to their CEO when he retired. He the Vice President and the Republican got a $400 million retirement. but they majority say it is just market forces at had the rest of that money to spend work. Let us talk about the market elsewhere. forces. What did they spend it on? New refinFirst off. the crude oil market. un- ery capacity? No. Exploring for new like. every other commodity in Amer- oil? No. They bought backa bunch of ica. is virtually unregulated. About 75 their stockto increase the value of the percent of the crude oil marketed here stock options of the other executives is sold off the books. and they are at ExxonMobil. So about a windfall doing trades that would be illegal if it profits tax on money that they make was a regulated market. and of course that they do not invest in new refinthey do not want to regulate it. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4413}
{"speech_id":1090128421,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One trader will sell to another who will sell eries. new production capacity or alternative fuels. but the rest of it. it back. they sell back. they sell back. should be taxed at a very high rate to they sell back until. guess what. they have raised the price and made a lot of stop their price gouging and excess moneyprofittaking. money. . Now the Republican answer has been Now. unfortunately. someone is that they want to give everybody a $100 going to pay for that. So it is the con- rebate. Is that not nice? Well. except sumer. In crude oil trading. we have rbt.I htntncWlecp sueIn c4ercet oinras. oe hyer we are running a deficit. So they would seen a 46 percent increase over 1 year b r o h o e . o lg t n m r in the margins there. Quite simply. if borrow the money. obligating Amerwe just subjected crude oil to the same ican taxpayers today and their kids market controls that are used for all and grandkids because we will pay it other commodities traded in the off over 30 years. They would borrow United States of America. if we took the money to give everybody a measly away this exemption for big oil. then $100 rebate. Because God forbid that we we could drive down the price. it is es- should ask the oil companies to rein in timated. 20 to 25 percent immediately the profiteering and the speculation in at the pump. That would be quite an crude oil. that we should have them economic stimulus for this country and stop creating a false refinery capacity do more for the American people than squeeze which has driven up their profall of George Bushs tax cuts have done its tremendously. for average people. of course. not for But they do want to investigate price the millionaires and billionaires. gouging. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4413}
{"speech_id":1090128421,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was in a bill that passed the Then they say. guess what. prices are House last year. Guess who they think high because we do not have enough re- is price gouging? These little guys fineries in America. That is inter- down here. the distributors and retailesting. The American Petroleum Insti- ers. tute circulated a memo just about 10 I just met with the independent disday saying. hey. guys tributors today. They are getting six yuteara ths mcents a gallon. Five years ago. they got out there. they mostly are all guys. guess what. there is too much refinery six cents a gallon. Five years ago. that capacity in this country. if you could was 6 percent. Today that is 2 percent. squeeze down refinery capacity. you So it is not the distributors and retailcould drive up profits. ers here. with the exception of some of Have they done that? the companyowned stations. that are Of the three bucks you are paying for making that big profit. a gallon of gas. the increase in the It is right up here. It is big oil. It is margin for the refiners has gone up 255 the artificial refinery shortage that percent in 1 year. and. guess what. they have created. and it is this profitthere are no new refineries under con- sharing and hot money- speculation in struction. crude oil. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4413}
{"speech_id":1090128421,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We could take significant Now they want to pretend it is those steps here to fix it. but. guess what. darn environmentalists. Well. no. it they get a little too much money from was not the environmentalists. Of the them at campaign time. It aint going 55 refineries closed in America in the to happen. hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.)","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4413}
{"speech_id":1090128444,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I come to the floor tonight and I begin by commending the gentleman from Utah for his efforts every week as we take part in the process of bringing back to the American people the importance of the U.S. Constitution as part of the Constitution Caucus. At this point I would like to yield to the gentleman from Texas to make a point with regard to his very important legislation that he was referring to. H.R. 3499.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":427}
{"speech_id":1090128475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if we are truly committed to lowering the cost of health care in our country. we need to invest in medical research that has the potential to combat lifethreatening and chronic diseases. Stem cell research shows tremendous promise. Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research Will allow ourNation to lead the world in this research and ensure that stem cell research is conducted with the strongest oversight in the world. When it comes to the possibility of finding cures. we cannot leave our best and brightest researchers with their hands tied. and we cannot deny Americans the hope of eventually finding a cure for a wide range of illnesses. The House dealt with this issue. and wie should do the same. I hope the majority leader will find this legislation important enough to consider as part of Health Week. and I will work with him in any way possible to schedule this to move forward before May 24. the 1year anniversary of the passage by the House of this most important bill. a bill which gives hope to millions of Americans who. as indicated in these letters. are losing hope.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1106}
{"speech_id":1090128496,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Last July. the President also met with Kang Chol Hwan. whose book the Aquariams of Pyongyang. chronicled Mr. Kangs life as a 9yearold gulag inmate to his eventual freedom. Just as Natan Scharansky was Reagans symbol of what freedom from the Soviet communist system meant to free people everywhere. Kang is Bushs symbol of what freedom means to North Koreans. History will record these acts by President Bush to unilaterally broaden the narrow agenda of the SixParty Talks as among the wisest and humaneacts that trump and negate the false perception that the President is indifferent to concerns about human rights in North Korea. These bold and compassionate acts will figuratively place on the bargaining tableif the Six Party Talks are to ever resumethe faces and names of North Koreans who have suffered and continue to do SO. By so publicly raising human rights issues to the highest level. the Oval Office of the President no less. President Bush is merely following the examples set by President Reagan and Pope John Paul during their struggles with a much larger and more threatening nuclear power. We may now have an opportunityif the press reports are accurateto take an additional but necessary step to demonstrate .not just by words but by action what human rights mean. We need to accept North Korean refugees into the United States as provided by the North Korean Human Rights Act. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090128496,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That it appears to have taken more than a year and half for the possibility of officially accepting North Korea refugees has been troubling to Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. In a bipartisan letter to Secretary Rice. Congressman FRANK WOLF and others called on the administration to do more. And last year. both Congressman WOLF and I wrote to Secretary General Kofi Annan to pressure China into allowing UNHCR. the U.N. agency for refugees. into Yanji Province near the North Korean border and other affected areas to assess the situation with respect to the North Korean refugees. I was disappointed to learn that the first report required under the North Korean Human Rights Act was issued with the stateroent that no progress had been made on accepting refugees. As the act makes clear. admission would be conditioned upon a thorough vetting process by DHS and other appropriate agencies. But without any action by us. it is difficult for us to demand that the Chinese should also change its policies. and it presents a problem for us in asking other countries to do the right thing if we have not been able to do the same. If the U.S. cannot admit what may be less than 10 refugees in total if the press reports are correct. then the whole premise of the act itself is unsustainable. I am hopeful that this may be changing and I hope it is changing. The hopes and prayers of thousands in the faith community and among Korean American communities are vested in this possibility of the first admission of North Korean refugees into the United States. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090128496,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If and when these people come. it will offer hope to millions and put American on the right side of history. Such an act is consistent with the bold steps that Ronald Reagan took and Pope John Paul urged during the years of the cold war. and in the process made the world a better place. If ever there were huddled masses yearning to be free. its the North Koreans. whether hiding out in the forests of China or working as trafficked victims in brothels or as orphans prowling marketplaces for crumbs. If these refugees are granted refuge in the United States. it would constitute one of the great acts of compassion by this nation. And I hope we take this opportunity to lift our lamps and show a way out of the darkness for the North Korean refugees.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090128634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the supplemental appropriations bill includes $27 billion for disasterrelated expenses. But. no money. other than a nominal amount for the Inspector General. was provided for the Social Security Administration. This amendment would correct this omission. This amendment would provide $38 million to the Social Security Administration. SSA. to reimburse costs incurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes of the 2005 season. The Social Security Administration performed a remarkable job in response to these recent disasters. They assisted more than 528.000 persons in FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers and shelters and helped many others who came to SSA field offices. Altogether these activities cost the agency $38 million: $6 million to acquire and outfit temporary space and renovate offices damaged by the storm. including costs for computers. furniture and supplies. $12 million for processing immediate payments. changing addresses. confirming Social Security numbers. and taking new claims that resulted from the hurricanes. $7 million to pay for the travel and per diem expenses for employees. $12 million for costs related to unprocessed workloadsclaims. hearings. etc.--due to the storms disruptions. $1 million for salaries of those SSA workers who volunteered to work for FEMA in the affected areas. SSA cannot easily absorb this $38 million because its budget is already $300 million below the Presidents request for fiscal year 2006. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090128634,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"SSA is already experiencing. reductions and delays in service. This $38 million would allow an increase in overtime hours to begin to address these backlogs. Finally. the cost of this amendment is offset by a $38 million reduction in the FEMA disaster relief fund. This reduction in FEMA would come from the $2.4 billion that is designated for \"other needs.\" This designation refers to money that has been made available for unspecified. potential future activities. It would not affect any specific project or activity in this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090128675,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"An international avian flu surveillance component is an important investment and I hope HHS and CDC recognize the need to enhance our surveillance capabilities. I encourage the Approliriations Committee and Chairman COCHRAN to give it full consideration.","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090128684,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would say to the Senator from Michigan that I am aware of his amendment. but unfortunately cannot support any amendment to the agriculture title of the supplemental appropriations bill which does not have an adequate offset. It is my understanding the amendment Senator LEVIN has introduced with Senators STABENOW. DEWINE. VOINOVICH and DURBIN does not contain any offset for the $15 million requested.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":404}
{"speech_id":1090128689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Utah for all of his help over the years in seeking funding for this problem. I hope that he and the ranking member would be mindful of the urgent need of Ohio. Indiana and Michigan for funding for Emerald Ash Borer eradication efforts when crafting the fiscal year 2007 Agriculture Appropriations Act over the coming months.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090128695,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the past week. the Senate has voted to reduce the overall cost of H.R. 4939. the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense. the Global War on Terror. and Hurricane Recovery. 2006. now totaling nearly $110 billion by a mere $15 million. I am delighted that President Bush has pledged to veto this bill because Congress has. once again. been unable to resist the temptation to load up a mustpass bill with pork. I offered several amendments to eliminate nonemergency iterhs in thisbill. I appreciate the patience of my colleagues. I am very pleased and encouraged that this body is increasingly willing to depart from our businessasusual practices. That is good because the American people are paying attention to this process. In a recent Wall Street Journal\/NBC poll. the American people said that ending earmarks should be the No. 1 priority for Congress this session. Thirtynine percent said that members should be prohibited from \"directing federal funds to specific projects benefiting only certain constituents.\" It is interesting to note that ending earmarks was ranked ahead of immigration reform. which was cited as the No. 1 priority by 32 percent of Americans. I hope that these results. combined with polls showing a 22percent approval rating for Congress. will encourage conferees to avoid a confrontation with President Bush over spending. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8416}
{"speech_id":1090128695,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would hope that when conferees look for items to remove from this bill they take a close look at my amendments that lost by a narrow margin as well as those I withdrew. I believe that in this time of war and disaster recovery the American people expect us to make hard choices about spending. Taxpayers want us to be serving in a spirit of service and sacrifice. not searching for new ways to raid the public Treasury. Congress is raiding the Treasury in two ways with this bill. First. many of the items in this bill should be considered in the regular appropriations process and through the regular order. The war on terror is no longer a surprise. We are entering our fifth year of this war. It shouldnt come as a surprise to Congress that we have needs related to this effort. We have also developed a good understanding about many of the priorities in the gulf coast that could have been addressed in the regular budget process. Congress has also added billions of dollars for items that have no connection to the war on terror and the gulf coast recovery. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8416}
{"speech_id":1090128695,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. few of these items are true emergencies. The American people deserve to understand what defines a true emergency. According to the budget resolution for fiscal year 2006 all of the following five criteria must be met to be considered an emergency: necessary. essential. or vital. sudden. quickly coming into being. and not building up over time. an urgent. pressing. and compelling need requiring immediate action. unforeseen. unpredictable. and .unanticipated. and not permanent. temporary in nature. Designating a project as an \"emergency\" excuses Congress from paying for a project. The result of abusing the \"emergency\" designation is an even greater emergency. Our Nations debt is nearly $8.4 trillion. Each Americans share of this debt is $27.964.86. Our national debt is increasing by an average of $1.95 billion per day. Social Security. Medicare and the standard of living of future generations of Americans are in jeopardy as a result of decades of fiscal irresponsibility and rationalizations for spending more money today without considering the consequences tomorrow. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8416}
{"speech_id":1090128695,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Social Security trustees reported this week the program will exhaust its trust fund and begin running annual cash deficits in 2040. A year ago. that prediction was 2041. effectively meaning 2 years have been lost by a refusal to act. The trustees reported Social Securitys unfunded liability is $13.4 trillion. Of course. the real problem with Social Security and Medicare is much worse because the Federal Government uses an Enronstyle accounting scheme. We habitually borrow or. more accurately. steal money from these trust funds to pay for more spending today. When the 77 million baby boomers begin bo retire in 2011. our Nation will be faced with the greatest economic challenge in our history. If we continue to indulge in earmarks. the gateway drug to spending addictions. we will never address these complex challenges. particularly if we cant resist the urge to abuse the earmark process on a bill designed to address the emergency needs of our troops and displaced people in the gulf coast. Another reason we must act today to rein in wasteful spending is because our ability to influence world events is diminished by our debt to other nations. We now have the distinction of being the worlds largest debtor nation. and this bill will add to that debt. Many serious economists are warnint\" that our excessive borrowing from foreign sources could cause the value of the dollar to collapse. which would lead to a disaster for our economy. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8416}
{"speech_id":1090128695,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is incredibly shortsighted for this body to sell Treasury bills to countries such as China so we can finance economic development programs and other pet projects while. at the same time. we hope to encourage China to be more aggressive in terms of discouraging Iran from developing nuclear weapons. This is not just a numbers game. The future vitality.of our nation is at stake. We are slowly but surely whittling away our national power and ability to leverage other nations away by our refusal to make hard choices about spending. Many of the items in this bill are obviously not emergencies. which is why this bill will be vetoed by President Bush if it is sent to him in its current form. Again. I hope conferees do not force the President to take this step. I am confident the President will veto this bill. He understands that it is more important to secure the next generation rather than the next election. Past Presidents and Congresses have made hard choices during difficult times. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8416}
{"speech_id":1090128723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wanted to take a minute to express my deep gratitude to Chairman COCHRAN who. as I stated earlier. has demonstrated extraordinary patience over the past 2 weeks we have been debating this supplemental bill. I also want to express my thanks to the ranking member. Senator BYRD. who has continued to demonstrate his strong and resolute leadership on this bill. I also want to thank the many members of our Appropriations Committee staff who have worked very hard. First and foremost. I thank our staff director and deputy staff director on our side. Terry Sauvain and Chuck Kieffer. I also thank the majority staff director. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1198}
{"speech_id":1090128723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Keith Kennedy. and his staff. Clayton Heil and Les Spivey. I want to make special mention of the extraordinary hard work of B.G. Wright. Kate Fitzpatrick. and Rachael Taylor. They have been keeping us all on track on this side as to which of the hundreds of filed amendments have been cleared and which have not. Finally. I thank Peter Rogoff who has dedicated his life on the Senate floor for the last 2 weeks above and beyond the call. I thank all our staff and floor staff for being here many long hours for the completion of this bill. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1198}
{"speech_id":1090128738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to talk about the legislation we have just passed and to say to my colleagues there are provisions in the legislation for agriculture disaster that have been ridiculed in some circles. I would say that those who have ridiculed the notion Qf disaster assistance for our Nations farmers are way off base. and they really do not know what they are talking about. I was extremely disappointed in the Secretary of Agriculture. who has suggested the only problem that farmers have is in the gulf of this country. Look. we recognize that no part of the country was harder hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita than the gulf region. And these legislative proposals that are in this bill will first and foremost help them because these. are national provisions. these are not provisions just for one section of our country. But to suggest that nobody else in the country has had serious problems. that reflects an ignorance that ill becomes the Secretary of Agriculture. ill becomes a man who is supposed to be the spokesman for this Nations farmers and ranchers. Yes. Hurricanes Rita and Katrina devastated the gulf. and they deserve firstpriority consideration. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090128738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But they were not the only ones hurt. Here are the headlines out of North Dakota: \"Rain Halts Harvest. \"North Dakota Receives Major Disaster Declaration.\" \"Heavy Rain Leads To Crop Diseases.\" \"Beef Crop Could Be The Smallest In 10 Years.\" \"Crops. Hay Lost To Flooding.\" \"Rain Takes Its Toll On North Dakota Crops.\" \"Area Farmers Battle Flooding. Disease.\" Those were the headlines all across my State last year. Shown on this chart are the number of counties in my Statethey are the counties in yellowthat were given disaster designations by the Presidentby the Presidentlast year. They are the counties in yellow.. I say to the Presiding Officer. you will notice every single county was designated a disaster. Why? Because we had rainfall 250 percent of normal. I do not know what is happening. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090128738,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some say it is global climate change. Some say it is a weather cycle. I do not know. But I do know the result. The result is this. as shown in this picture: The result is farms all across North Dakota that looked like they. were in the middle of lakes last -year. This is what eastern North Dakota looked like last year. when we had a million acres of land that was even prevented from being planteda million acres. The Secretary of Agriculture said there is no problem outside the gulf. Where has he been? Who is he listening to? Does he not do even the least amount of homework before he makes these statements? We need a new Secretary of Agriculture. if that is what he reports to the President. These are the acres prevented from being planted in North Dakota last yearover a million acres that could not even be plantedand this Secretary of Agriculture says there is no problem outside the Gulf States? Mr. Secretary. you ought to get with it. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090128738,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You ought to inform yourself before making such ridiculous statements. As shown in this picture. this is North Dakota last year. These are tractors stuck in the mud. They could not plant. And in hundreds of thousands of additional acres where they were able to plant. they got dramatically reduced production. In those places they got production. when they went to the elevator. they got dramatically discounted prices. Why? Because of a disaster of enormous consequenceno. not as severe as Hurrfcanes Katrina and Rita. where there was loss of life. which we mourn along with those who lost loved ones. We absolutely respect that they had. by far. the biggest catastrophe. And this legislation will primarily help them. I am the author of this legislation. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090128738,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had 27 cosponsors. on a bipartisan basis. in the Senate. When it was offered in the Appropriations Committee. it passed on a unanimous vote. When there was an attempt to take out this assistance on the floor of the Senate. 72 Senators said: No. we are not going to take out disaster assistance for our Nations farmers and ranchers. That was the right decision. And. yes. this should be national in scope because everyone who is an American who suffered a natural disaster deserves some assistance. Not only did farmers and ranchers suffer egregiously in different parts of the country from different types of natural disasters. but they were also hit with a second blow. and that was a dramatic runup in agricultural energy inputs. Every part of agriculture is dependent on inputs that are based on petroleumwhether it is fuel. with the cost up $3 billion. fertilizer. with the cost up $1.4 billion. marketing. storage. and transportation. with the cost up $400 million. electricity. with the cost up .$200 millionwith total energyrelated costs up $5 billion in one year in agriculture. -That had a devastating effect in my State. I just had a series of farm meetings in which farmers brought to me their operating statementsthe difference between last year and this yearand income was cut in halfcut in halfin 1 year .because of natural disasters. because of discounted prices. because of a failure to even be able to plant. and. on top of that. because of dramatically escalating energy prices. And we have a Secretary of Agriculture who says there is no problem outside the Gulf States? Excuse me. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5724}
{"speech_id":1090128786,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is interesting to hear the statistics being tossed around. I am sure the distinguished Senator did not mean by his chart to suggest somehow bribes have been offered to people in how they vote. Mr. President. we have States without caps on medical malpractice recoveries. They have 14 percent more practicing physicians than those with caps. We hear about the increasingly burdensome medical malpractice premiums and. indeed. they are. Health care providers pay onerous amounts to be insured. That is why I have introduced a bill directed specifically toward medical malpractice insurance reform because. after all. there is no correlation between malpractice claims and rising insurance premiums. Between 2000 and 2004. insurers increased premiums 134 percent. even though payments remained flat. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9283}
{"speech_id":1090128786,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They say this legislation drastically reduces insurance rates. Of course. the American Insurance Association has said we have not promised price reductions for tort reform. They have been quoted as saying: We wouldnt tell you or anyone the reason to pass tort reform would be to reduce insurance rates. In fact. a majority of States that have enacted caps have seen no reductions. In fact. on average. doctors in States with caps pay more for insurance than they do in States without caps. The fact is. there is one place that makes money. Claims go down and insurance premiums go up. It is like the rising gas prices and the record oil company profits. Maybe we ought to be asking medical malpractice insurers exactly why their premiums are so exorbitant? If it is not because they are paying an increasing amount of claims. They are not doing that. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9283}
{"speech_id":1090128786,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rates are going up much faster than any claims. It could be a soft stock market. bad investments. or greed. That is what we ought to ask about. In my State. without caps. we increased the number of doctors. So dont use this argument that somehow in rural areas. in rural States. we are going to lose doctors. We are gaining doctors. We should ask the insurance companies why their rates go up. even though the payments are flat. We should also remember that Americas courts belong to the American people. not to the special interests of the insurance companies. These bills are bad public policy. They are illtimed. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9283}
{"speech_id":1090128786,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We ought to be debating the priorities of the American people. not debating ways to make greater profits for the insurance companies. We ought to talk about energy policy and skyrocketing gas prices.. Wouldnt it be good to have a real debate on the fiasco in Iraq today. a real debate about what has gone wrong in the war in Iraq-? That could take a couple of months just to list them. A lot has gone wrong since the President announced: \"Mission Accomplished.\" We ought to be talking about the comprehensive immigration bill or stem cell research. What about the horrific genocide in Darfur? So I am disappointed that the majority leader has decided instead that the Senqtes and the publics valuable time should be taken up with these bills. I am also disappointed that he has decided to bypass any consideration of these bills. Instead. the insurance companies. and piobably some of the large medical companies. have a special interest bill that benefits the insurance companies at the expense of patients with legitimate injuries coming straight to the floor. These are real people. I will give you one example in my own State of Vermont. On April 7. 2000. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9283}
{"speech_id":1090128786,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Diana Levine had a severe migraine headache. She went to a health center. Ms. Levine was a musician. She received a painkiller. along with an injection of another sedative. That caused complications and she had two amputation surgeries of her left arm. A musician. She sued the corporate giant. Wyeth. for improper guidelines on the sedative because it didnt warn about these dangerous combinations. They knew about it. but they didnt warn anybody. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9283}
{"speech_id":1090128792,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I regret that the Republican leadership has blocked our efforts to have a vote on this amendment. I expect that they will move forward on the immediate passage of the underlying bill. We should also get a vote on hate crimes. It is long overdue. It is clear that the Republican leadership will do anything to stop our hate crimes bill. I dont think it is right to delay consideration of the Senate bill on sex offenders. so the battle on hate crimes must continue. Given todays objections. lets move ahead on S. 1086. Mr. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":582}
{"speech_id":1090128796,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. next week should be a week of looking at. our health care system and debating on the direction- that I think the policy should go in that area. Not only do we have tort reform that has been suggested by the leader. but also the ability of small business to band together across States to lower the cost of insurance. especially small business owners who have less than 10 employees. and sole proprietors. and even individuals. to band together and do something about lowering their costs of insurance. Today. I want to open minds and start setting the framework of what this debate is all about that will occur next week. It is about the unrestrained escalation of jury awards that are driving up the cost of many medical procedures. Consequently. many of our best and brightest in the medical field are limiting services. retiring early. or move to States where liability premiums are stable in order to carry out their Hippocratic Oath. The true victims of this disturbing trend are the vulnerable and sick among us whose access to quality care becomes more restricted with each day that this crisis is not addressed. It is time for responsible legislators to do what is right for our health care system and the medical community and pass S. 22. the Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2006 and S. 23. the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Act. The consequences of this trend fall hardest on women and children. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090128796,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Contrary to what the other side may say. the exploding cost of liability insurance has limited access to OB\/GYNs. It has caused women to receive less prenatal and preventive health care. and many lowincome women to lose critical access to community clinic services. This is not happening because of a sudden increase in physician negligence. It is happening because of the ever increasing number of lawsuits filed against health care providers each day. By and large. these are meritless suits filed by trial lawyers who seek to take advantage of the justice system in order to enrich themselves. I urge members of the Senate not to fall prey to the influence of these trial lawyers. and we know they have it. Every time this issue has come before this body. the trial lawyer lobby has flexed its muscle to put a stop to its progress. If we work together we can come to a plan to address this situation. Who is it that these trial lawyers are opposing? It is not only the pleas for help from doctors. who overwhelmingly support reform. its also the will of the American people. who support medical liability reform at a rate of 75 percent. And the reason they support it is not because they think those who have been harmed by a doctors negligence shouldnt be compensated. its because they know how these trial lawyers are hurting them. their families and neighbors. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090128796,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They see the commercials from these so called law firms on latenight television offering to sue any doctor over anything and everything possible. Or they or someone they know has had difficulty finding an OB\/GYN to deliver a baby. In fact. to give this issue even more of a human face. my daughter had to give up delivering babies because she could no longer afford the crushing burden of inflated insurance costs imposed upon her by these trial lawyers bringing frivolous lawsuit after frivolous lawsuit against OB\/GYNs. Of course. insurance companieswe have heard they make all kinds of money. I tell you. in my State of Montana I think only a very few companies offer any kind of medical liability. While the trial lawyers bank accounts have continued to grow. the number of doctors able to perform one of the most important acts a doctor can perform has gone down and patients are the ones being hurt. Given the choice between siding with doctors and patients or the legal community. I think I will take the side of the doctors and the patients every time. That is not to say if a person has been wronged or harmed by negligence. they shouldnt be able to recover their economic loss. It is time for us to step up to the plate and set the policy and finally do something to ease this cost of not only insurance but our total health care system. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090128796,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those who would oppose medical liability reform will say there is no problem. there are no frivolous lawsuits. and these reforms only harm those who have been hurt by doctors negligence. Those assertions are simply false. No twb ways about it. Lets look at the facts. On any given day there are nearly 125.000 lawsuits pending against health care providers. and 75 percent of these will close with no payment. Some would say that is not bad. there is no harm. 75 percent will close with no paymentso what? The cost. comes to the medical community when you have to pay for and provide a defense. Statistics show that of cases that do go to trial. 86 percent of the doctors will be found not liable. Still. the cost of defending the case is very costly. Consequently. the doctors who are targeted by these lawsuits will spend an average of $90.000 to defend themselves. That is added into the cost of our health care. not only for providers but also into our insurance premiums. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090128796,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"More striking is the impact these suits have on American access to quality medical care. One in seven obstetricians no longer delivers babies due to the fear of being sued. 30 percent to 50 percent vf highrisk specialists are sued every year. That is a high number. How would you want to spend all this time in medical school. all this time and money. and then fall into a category that. once you go into practice. you have a 30- to 50percent chance of being sued every year while you are in practice? Mr. President. 79 percent of physicians practice defensive medicine. What is that? It is ordering costly and unnecessary tests due to the fear of being sued. of not covering all the basesnot only covering all the bases b t maybe covering them twice. This a2ds between $83 billion and $151 billion per year in added costs to patients and their physicians. The impact on my State of Montana and other rural States has been even more disturbing. Today there are only 104 obstetricians practicing in Montana. The population of Montana is 900.000. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8374}
{"speech_id":1090128826,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce legislation to strengthen our nations emergency departments. which are the backbone of our health care safety net. Events of recent years9\/11. Hurricanes Katrina and Ritahave allowed all of us to see our emergency departments i i action. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. With every natural disaster or terrorist attack. emergency physicians. oncall specialists and nurses are -on the front lines. Many times. its their expertise that recognizes a problem. For example. it was the diagnosis and prompt communication of the incidence of anthrax that prevented more deaths a couple years ago here in D.C. Likewise. should we face pandemic influenza. it is likely to be discovered first in our emergency rooms. Federal law requires that each person who comes to an emergency department be stabilized. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6329}
{"speech_id":1090128826,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet health plans are paying less and less of this cost. and many of the 45 million patients without health insurance cant pay at all. In fact. more than onethird of all emergency department patients are uninsured or are Medicaid or SCHIP enrollees. This results in huge amounts of uncompensated care in our nations emergency departments. which threatens their viability and everyones access to emergency care. Unfortunately. Americas emergency patients are suffering because emergency departments are not supported well enough to handle daytoday emergencies. let alone a pandemic flu or terrorist attack. Patients wait hours to see physicians. \"boarding\" sometimes for days in emergency departments and diverted in ambulances to other hospitals. This gridlotk threatens access to emergency care for everyoneboth insured and uninsured. Emergency departments are underfunded and suffer from severe staffing shortages. A new study just released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American College of Emergency Physicians found that threefourths of emergency medical directors reported inadequate oncall specialist coverage. compared with twothirds in 2004: a sure sign that a bad situation is getting even worse. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6329}
{"speech_id":1090128826,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Frivolous lawsuits and the nations broken medical liability system are also driving up the costs of health care for everyone and threaten to leave already disadvantaged patients without access to necessary health care services. But. even in the best of times. the number of visits to emergency departments continue to increase. while the number of emergency departments in hospitals continue to decrease. In fact. weve even seen a number of emergency departments have to close their doors. Surprisingly. there are no standard measures to report the extent of overcrowding in emergency departments. During the last Congress. the Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed hospital emergency departments and reported back to Congressproviding us with the data needed to begin to address these issues. The GAO report told Congress that patient \"boarding\" in the emergency department was the most common factor associated with overcrowding. The term \"boarding\" refers to those patients who have been admitted to the hospital but have not yet been moved from the emergency department to an inpatient hospital bed. When these patients remain in the emergency department long after the decision to admit them is made (at times on gurneys in halls and elsewhere)-it diminishes the space to care for other patients. and adversely impacts the staff and other resources. My bill requires Medicare to establish regulations to reduce or eliminate overcrowding and boarding of emergency department patients. We have the data to recognize this problem. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6329}
{"speech_id":1090128826,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hopefully. national standards coupled with incentive payments for those hospitals implementing the standards and documenting improvement will improve the quality of care in this country. My legislation. the \"Access to Emergency Medical Services Act.\" directly addresses the issues of low reimbursement. emergency department overcrowding. and increasing medical liability insurance costs. First. my bill expands the current liability protection granted to commissioned officers and employees of the Public Health Service to include Medicare participating hospitals or emergency departments subject to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). This would also cover physicians and physician groups employed by. under contract. or oncall for duty to stabilize an individual with an emergency medical condition. This safeguard does not prevent someone from taking legal action. Rather. the bill requires that any tort or medical liability case must be brought against thb United States. which in turn must defend any civil action or proceeding. Awards. for malpractice judgments would be paid from a specific fund established for this purpose. Second. my bill increases physician payments by 10% for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries in the emergency department of a hospital or critical access hospital. EMTALA is an unfunded federal mandate. Current law does not require health insurance companies. governments or individuals to pay for services that have been provided. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6329}
{"speech_id":1090128826,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As a result. emergency physicians bear the brunt of uncompensated care. This increased reimbursement recognizes and funds this mandate. .and I hope it will go a long way toward improving physician recruitment and retention. Finally. my bill provides financial incentive payments to hospitals that meet standards for prompt admissions of emergency department patients requiring inpatient hospital services. The bill would increase payments -to these hospitals by 10 percent for Medicare beneficiaries emergency department visits. The payments would be made only if the hospital certifies. subject to audit. that it met the standards for prompt admission. The issues addressed by my bill impact each one of us. When you. or a family member. need the emergency room. you dont want to worry about it being crowded. closed. underfunded. or not having the staff it needs. Emergency physicians. nurses and oncall specialists are the heroes in Americas hospitals. working under incredibly difficult conditions on patients who need critical attention. Congress needs to step up and take action. The \"Access to Emergency Medical Services Act\" is an important first step to address these issues. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6329}
{"speech_id":1090128829,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise proudly today to introduce legislation that would provide assistance to those who care for our Nations veterans. These caregivers provide a great service to our country and play a vital role in providing noninstitutional longterm health care for veterans. There is deep concern regarding the anticipated number of veterans that will need longterm care by the year 2010. In 2005. there were almost one million veterans age 85 and over. and by 2010. it is anticipated that the number of veterans in this age category will grow to 1.3 million. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be faced with a crisis related to the demand for care of this population. and we must help VA prepare for this situation. VA has been disturbingly inactive in instituting. the longterm care provisions of the 1999 Millennium Health Care Act. The General Accounting Office has been the most critical. citing major inconsistencies across the VA system in the implementation of noninstitutional care. During the Committee on Veterans Affairs oversight work in Hawaii. we found that the Kauai clinic lacked a home care specialist and the Maui clinic was arbitrarily limiting noninstitutional care. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090128829,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Caregivers are crucial in bridging these gaps in noninstitutional longterm care services. With more veterans returning from combat with severely debilitating injuries. young spouses and parents have been forced to take on an unexpected role as caregivers. Many have interrupted their own careers to dedicate time and attention to the care and rehabilitation of loved ones. These caregivers do not plan for this to happen and are not prepared mentally or financially for their new role. Therefore. we must protect. educate. and lend a helping hand to the caregivers who take on the responsibility and costly burden of daring for veterans. both young and old. This legislation serves to provide comprehensive assistance to these caregivers. By providing such services as respite care. caregivers can have time to run errands and attend to their own health concerns. They can rest easier knowing that there is someone there to care for their disabled veteran while they are out. Another service provided through this legislation is adultday care for veterans. This serves a dual purpose in that it provides shortterm supervision and also gives veterans a place to go for some camaraderie. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090128829,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The last years of a veterans life can be difficult for both the veteran and for the caregiver. This legislation would also provide hospice services so that this period is one of peace and comfort. Other services that would support caregivers under this legislation include education. training. transportation services. readjustment services. rehabilitation services. home care services. and any other new and innovative modalities of noninstitutional longterm care. I cannot try to quantify the invaluable service that caregivers provide. What can be done is to make funds available to carry out programs to assist them. The legislation authorizes $10 million to be allocated to individual medical facilities within VA. especially to those in rural areas without a longterm care facility. based upon the proposals submitted by the facilities. In efforts to evaluate the improvements made in caregiver assistance services. a report shall be submitted to Congress by the Secretary no later than a year after enactment of this bill. The report should include information on the allocation of funds to facilities and a description of the improvements made with the funds. Let.us meetthese caregivers halfway by giving them the assistance they need to care for the veterans that depend on them. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this effort. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090128831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to submit a Senate resolution concerning Channel Islands National Park. with Senator BOXER as an original cosponsor. We firmly believe that Channel Islands National Park. including Santa Rosa Island. should continue to be administered by the National Park Service in accordance with the laws. regulations. and policies of the National Park Service. including the National Park Service Organic Act. Channel Islands National Monument was designated in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt under the authority of the Antiquities Act. The monument was expanded to include additional islands and redesignated as Channel Islands National Park in 1980 in order to protect the nationally significant natural. scenic. wildlife. marine. ecological. archaeological. cultural. and scientific values of the Channel Islands in California. Santa Rosa Island was acquired by the United States in 1986 for approximately $30 million for the purpose of restoring its native ecology and making the island available to the public for recreational uses. The previous owners of the Island retained only an agreement for the noncommercial use and occupancy of a 7.6acre parcel of land through 2011. The nonnative elk and deer population are to be removed from the park by 2011 under a courtapproved settlement and the Island restored to management consistent with other national parks. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090128831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We introduce this resolution to express our concern with a provision that the House Armed Services Committee has included in the House version of the Defense authorization bill. The provision would prohibit the Park Service from carrying out the courtapproved settlements direction to remove the population of nonnative deer and elk. To the contrary. we believe that Congress should not .direct the National Park Service to manage Santa Rosa Island in a manner that would result in the public being denied access to significant portions of the Island for any substantial period of time. If the Park Service is unable to manage the nonnative deer and elk population. the population will likely be managed through the present practice of privately organized hunting editions that currently require the closure of about 90 percent of the Island to the general public for 45 months out of the year. The national parks belong to the American people. and the parks should remain freely open to the people. We also believe that Congressional direction for Santa Rosa Island should not be inconsistent with the requirement to protect and enhance native park resources. including threatened and endangered species. There are 11 endangered or threatened plant and animal species on the Island. many of which would be harmed by the proposal. In particular. the bald eagle is at risk from eating carcasses containing lead bullets used by thehunters. the Santa Rosa Island fox is preyed upon by golden eagles attracted by fawns and other deer. and the Islands endangered plants are threatened by the deer and elk. In addition. there are substantial archaeological resources on the Island which could be at risk. including potentially the oldest discovered human remains in North America. 13.000 years old. and remains of the rare pygmy mammoth. In summary. we believe that the National Park Service should manage Santa Rosa Island to ensure that the Islands natural. scenic. and cultural resources are properly protected. restored. and interpreted for the public. and that park visitors are provided with a safe and enjoyable park experience. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090128831,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support this Senate resolution.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090128839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. May 4. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. The agenda is attached. I. Nominations: Norman Randy Smith. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Brett Kavanaugh. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the DC Circuit. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090128839,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Milan D. Smith. Jr.. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Renee Marie Bumb. to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey. Noel Lawrence Hillman. to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey. Peter G. Sheridan. to be U.S. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090128839,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"District Judge for the District of New Jersey. Susan Davis Wigenton. to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey. H. Bills: S. 2453. National Security Surveillance Act of 2006. Specter. S. 2455. Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006. DeWine. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090128839,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Graham. S. 2468. A bill to provide standing for civil actions for declaratory and injunctive relief to persons who refrain from electronic communications through fear of being subject to warrantless electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes. and for other purposes. Schumer. S. 2039. Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2005. Durbin. Specter. DeWine. Leahy. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090128839,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Kennedy. Feinstein. Feingold. Schumer. III. Matters: S.J. Res. 1. Marriage Protection Amendment. Allard. Sessions. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1424}
{"speech_id":1090128932,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I now withdraw the motion to proceed. I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII. the vote on the first motion to invoke cloture occur at 5:15 p.m. on Monday. May 8. provided further that if cloture is not invoked on that motion. then the Senate proceed immediately to a vote on the second cloture motion.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":332}
{"speech_id":1090128950,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today 46 million Americans are living with no health insurance. I am not sure everyone understands what it means to have no health insurance. We as Senators dont have a problem with that. We have insurance. I think it is very good insurance. I can remember my parents having no health insurance when my dad worked in the mines. Once in a while he would go someplace else to work and he would have some insurance. After my dad passed away my mother had Medicare. That was the best insurance she ever had. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11375}
{"speech_id":1090128950,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You would think that since I was a boy. America would have made progress in this health care problem. but it has gone the other way. More people are uninsured now than before. There is a real health care crisis in America today. The crisis can be felt in peoples homes. in neighborhoods. in the workplace. and even corporate board rooms because they realize it is a problem when 46 million people have no health insurance. Health care costs are going up and up. In all of the newspapers around America today there is an article which talks about what has happened. More people are forced to opt out of employers insurance. the article says. A growing number of Americans who work for companies that offer health insurance are having to turn it down. Many companies dont offer insurance. but even at those that do. people cant afford to opt into the system. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11375}
{"speech_id":1090128950,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why? Because of a 42percent jump in premiums over five years. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said 3 million fewer U.S. workers eligible for employersponsored health insurance enrolled in 2003 compared with 1998. Even where insurance is available people are not opting into it. Why? Because now it costs on average $3.481 to be able to afford this insurance for an employersponsored individual policy. And these statistics from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are 3 years old. It would be far more than that now. Health care costs too much. Premiums are going up. Premiums have increased 70 percent since the year 2000. It has crippled businesses. including some of the stalwarts in American society such as Ford and GM. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11375}
{"speech_id":1090128950,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the cost of prescription drugs is part of that. The Medicare drug plan has been a mess. to say the least. In Nevada. a relatively small State in numbers of people. almost a half million people have no health insurance. More than 100.000 children have no health insurance in Nevada. Then there is the fact that many diseases could be cured. which would cut down on the cost of health care. diseases such as diabetes. Parkinsons. Alzheimers. We dont know all of them for which we are looking for a cure. Of course. we cant move forward in research because the Republican majority refuses to allow us to move forward with this crucial legislation. We need a new direction in health care. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11375}
{"speech_id":1090128950,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Republicans have had 52 years to put their arms around this crisis. But even with control of the White House. the Senate. and the House. they failed. They continue to hold in their arms the insurance industry. Next week. Republicans have scheduled what they call a Health Care Week. This is really a mini debate in an area where we have a major crisisthe Republican approach to a national emergency is one that brings a number of questions to mind. My first question is. Why has it taken so long even to have a mini debate? We are about 80 percent of the way through this 109th Congress. We have spent weeks and weeks picking fights over radical judges and weeks to help big business on issues such as class actions and asbestos. With a national emergency on health care we are going to spend a handful of days. literally. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11375}
{"speech_id":1090129076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to speak directly to the issue of the bill that applies to the need of women to be able to access doctors when they are delivering children and generally to get care from OB\/GYNs. The Senator from Massachusetts has characterized this bill. Let me characterize it. as I think the facts are on the side of this bill. The purpose of this bill is to allow women. especially women who are trying to have children. to have adequate health care. There is a crisis in this country today. Large numbers of women either cannot find an OB\/GYN to assist them or if they can find an OB\/GYN. they only have one choice. If they do not get along with that doctor. if they find they are not comfortable with that doctor. they have no other choice but that doctor. This bill sets up a very clear decision: You can be for the trial lawyers or you can be for women. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9249}
{"speech_id":1090129076,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You can be for the trial lawyers or you can be for doctors who want to deliver babies as their profession. You can be for the trial lawyers or you can be for children. especially children in prenatal situations. That is the choice in this bill. The facts are almost uncontrovertible because they are so clear. The number of doctors practicing and delivering babies is dropping radically. This is especially trueespecially truein rural areas. You cannotlets put it this way: A trial lawyer cannot deliver a baby. They are talented people. In fact. in the years 2003 and 2004. they contributed over $185 million in political contributions. and as a result. they were able to garnish $18 billion in fees dealing with malpractice activity. So they are talented people. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9249}
{"speech_id":1090129076,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not deny that. But a trial lawyer cannot deliver a baby. But we are getting to a point where if you are a young woman or a woman who desires to have a child. you are probably going to have to drive by the courthouse to find your doctor because they are being subjected to so many lawsuits. if they happen to be in the business of delivering babies. New Hampshire is a classic example of this situation. There is only one doctor north of the White Mountains. which is a fairly large amount of area and a great place to live. and people who live there choose to live there because it is a great place to live. There is only one doctor above the White Mountainsthat is called northern New Hampshirewho delivers babies. If that doctor is not around or if that doctor is on a break or maybe if you do not like that doctor. you literally are going to have to drive an hour. 2 hours. maybe even longer. in order to see a doctor if you are a woman who wants to get care in delivering your child. And believe me. that can be a dangerous experience. driving in a snowstorm. Hopefully. you can get somebody to drive you if you are about to deliver. But in any event. driving through a snowstorm in northern New Hampshire is a difficult situation. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9249}
{"speech_id":1090129076,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But that is what people are subjected to in that part of the State because the doctors who used to practice up there. who used to deliver babies. cannot afford to deliver babies any longer in that part of the State. Why? Because the population is not large enough to pay their premiums. which have escalated. skyrocketed. doubleddoubled upon doubledover the last 20 years in the area of delivering children. So they have opted out of the practice. In fact. one doctor simply closed her practice and moved to another State because of the fact that the cost of insurance premiums was so high. Another whole practice in Rochester. NH. with five OB\/GYNs. simply picked up their practice and moved across the State line to Maine because of the cost of delivering babies. One of the leading doctors in the State. Dr. Cynthia Cooper. who is head of the New Hampshire Board of Medicine and an OB\/GYN. has given up delivering babies. as I understand it. Dr. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9249}
{"speech_id":1090129076,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Patricia Miller from Derry. NH. a town of 38.000 people. has also given up delivering babies. after 15 years. I had a doctor in Laconia. which is in the Lakes regiona beautiful part of the Statewho essentially told me he has to deliver babies through November simply to pay the cost of the premium for his insurance. He does it because he feels it is his obligation. his obligation as a doctor. because that region would not have his talent and his care. But believe me. it is hardly an incentivizing event to pursue that type of practice. What drives these premiums? Well. if you listen to the Senator from Massachusetts. it is the evil insurance companies. Insurance companies do not drive these premiums. What a fallacious argument that is. They set the premium in order to be able to afford to pay the costs. which costs are generated by the excessive amount of lawsuits that are being brought and the extraordinary recoveries which. on occasion. are simply out of whack. When trial lawyers in this country are obtaining $18 billion in fees over a 2year period that could have been moneyif the Senator from Massachusetts wants to help out the health care systemthat could have been money which could have gone into health care delivery. think of how many OB\/GYNs would be practicing out there. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9249}
{"speech_id":1090129101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I announce that the Senator from Delaware . the Senator from Illinois . the Senator from Vermont . the Senator from Illinois . the Senator from West Virginia are necessarily absent. I also announce that the Senator from North Dakota is absent due to illness in the family. I further announce that. if present and voting. the Senator from Delaware","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":346}
{"speech_id":1090129115,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to support action on health care this week. There is a bill that will be voted on tomorrow morning that I think is extremely critical to the health of the Nation. As chairman of the Committee on Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions. I can attest that access to affordable health care is the No. 1 issue for working families who contact my committee. I do need to explain where we are in this process. We have a bill that made it out of committee to provide for small business health plans. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090129115,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There has been unanimous consent requested to proceed to the debate. That was denied. That is just the right to debate the bill. but it was denied. So a cloture motion was put in. and we will vote on that cloture motion tomorrow. That will be the 3 days after the cloture motion was filed. So that is a 3day delay that we already have in solving small business health plan problems. Tomorrow morning we will vote at 10. I cant imagine anybody voting against better health for people who work in small businesses. I am anticipating that we will get 60 votes. When we get 60 votes. we still will not get to debate the bill. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090129115,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will have 30 hours of debate on that cloture vote before we will get to offer any amendments. Thirty hours. That could easily be 3 days. It could easily be Thursday before we get to offer the first amendment. I hope the other side will help to get cloture so that we can proceed to the debate. Then I hope that they would agree to shorten that time significantly so we could actually get to amendments and debate the bill. S4148 CO] We need to have a debate over the rising cost of health care. More importantly. we need to take action. Americans are tired of the status quo. They are tired of more of the same from the Senate. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090129115,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are tired of excuses. They do want to see change for the better. The majority leader announced his intention to bring a bill before the Senate that would allow small businesses to band together across the country and negotiate for better health care benefits at better prices. This bill sets up a system where we get a little bit of uniformity out there for the small businesses to band together across State lines and form a big enough pool that they have some power to negotiate against the insurance companies. It is probably important to do that vote. I have some actuarial studies that show how many more people will be brought into the system. and CBO has done some evaluations of how many more people will be able to be insured and what kind of savings there will be. But I dont think they have the numbers right. The numbers are far greater than what they list. Here is the reason I believe that. I had a lot of people call me Friday and Saturday and Sunday and let me know about the ads being run across the country. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090129115,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are not referring to it as the small business health plans or even the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. They are not even referring to it as S. 1955. They are referring to it as the Enzi bill. It is not the Enzi bill. It is the small business health plan bill. There are even Web sites set up. Thousands. if not millions. of dollars are being spent on advertising against it. which tells me that perhaps the ability for small companies to get together and negotiate against the insurance companies might be worth a lot more than anybody anticipated. That is where the ads are coming from. Tomorrow morning we will be voting on the motion to proceed to the consideration of S. 1955. The bill will reduce the cost of health care. especially for Americas small business owners and working families. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4449}
{"speech_id":1090129119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DORGAN. GRAHAM. INOUYE. MURKOWSKI. SMITH. and STEVENS. It is strongly supported by Hawaiis first Republican Governor in 40 years. Linda Lingle. She supports this bill. It is supported strongly by Hawaiis State Legislature which has passed three resolutions in favor of extending the Federal policy of selfgovernance and selfdetermination to native Hawaiians. It is supported by almost every single political leader in Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2140}
{"speech_id":1090129119,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"S. 147 is also supported by native Hawaiians and nonnative Hawaiians. Why. you might ask? Because in Hawaii. native Hawaiian issues are nonpartisan. We have tremendous respect for the indigenous peoples who have shared their lands. traditions. and cultures with the rest of us. Mr. President. I have been patient. and the people of Hawaii have been patient. For the past 3 years. the majority and Democratic leaders have been working with me to uphold a commitment that was made at the end of the 108th Congress that we would consider and vote on this bill. Unfortunatelyagain. unfortunatelytheir efforts have been thwarted by a handful of colleagues who have taken it upon themselves to block this bill despite the widespread support from the State of Hawaii. After 7 years of delay by a few of my colleagues. it is time we are provided with the opportunity to debate this bill in the open. I will be coming to the floor to talk about my bill every day until we begin debate on the bill. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2140}
{"speech_id":1090129119,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will use every day to talk about what my bill does and does not do and to respond to the outright untruths that have been spread about the legislation. I will use every day to help share Hawaiis history with my colleagues as the opponents of this legislation have taken it upon themselves to rewrite the tragedies of Hawaiis history in a manner that suits them for the purposes of opposing this legislation. I am deeply saddened by their tactics. but I am committed to ensuring that the Members of this body and all of the citizens in the United States understand Hawaiis history and the importance of extending the Federal policy of selfgovernance and selfdetermination to Hawaiis indigenous peoples. the native Hawaiians.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2140}
{"speech_id":1090129164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am here this morning to ask this body to support the motion to proceed to the debate. All we are voting on is whether we are going to get to debate. not whether we are going to have health insurance for small businesses. But if this vote does not get 60 votes. we will not have the opportunity in this Congress to see whether we can help out small businesses across this country. The bill before us will provide for small businesses to be able to join across State lines to negotiate against the insurance companies with enough power to make a difference. This is something which the small businesses have been asking for for almost 15 years. In the last 12 years. it has passed the House eight times but has never even gotten out of committee in the Senate until this year. The reason it got out of committee is because we have drastically changed the bill. We are not talking about the old association health plans we had in the past. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090129164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is one which has had some modifications that have been helped with insurance companies and State insurance commissioners. It still keeps the power of oversight and consumer protection in the hands of the State insurance commissioners. but it does allow the ability to unify things so that we can get across State lines. How is it doing? Well. the Washington Post says it went too far. The Wall Street Journal says it didnt go far enough. So maybe we are somewhere right there in the middle. But unless we get to debate this issue. we will never know- until we can get through the motion to proceed and possibly 30 hours of still debating whether we are going to debate before we ever get to a motion. So I am hoping that this morning we can pass this motion to proceed. I cant believe that any Senator here hasnt heard from enough small businessmen that he wouldnt allow us to proceed to the debate. I am hoping that following that motion to proceed to debate. we can limit the hours of debating that particular motion and get on with the substance of trying to perfect a bill. In my 9 years in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090129164,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have never seen a perfect bill. I am not saying this is a perfect bill. I am saying it is one that has come out of compromise. long discussions. and has moved away from the point of huge objection on the Senate side to less objection on the Senate side. It is a bill that can be worked out. can be passed. and can have a significant difference for small companies across the United States. Will it make a difference? There are several surveys that say it will make a difference. I am saying that from the amount of advertising which was done before we even had the motion to proceed. there must be a lot of big bucks in savings in this thing .to have the kind of opposition we have already had on it. But we will never know unless we get the right to debate. So I am asking my colleagues to vote aye on the motion to proceed so that we can proceed to a debate. sometime within the next 30 hours. hopefully. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3025}
{"speech_id":1090129168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for his encouragement on his side of the aisle to vote for the motion to proceed. I think that will get us into a. debate that will make a difference for the working people of America. the people up the street and across the street. the working families that are a part of small business. Today. there are 45 million people in the United States who are without health insurance in this country. Twentytwo million people own or work for small businesses or live in families\" that depend on small business wages. and another 5 million are unemployed. Those are the 27 million people we are talking about whom this health care bill will be making decisions for in the next few days. It is long past time for Congress to take some action. The American people arent going to accept excuses any longer. It has been a long time getting to this debate. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1458}
{"speech_id":1090129168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased that it sounds like we will be able to have it. I welcome any amendments that are alternate approaches or improvements to this bill. I.know what the complaints are out there. I know what the counters to those are. and I know what the concerns are. It is very important that when we walk away from this week. we walk away with a plan which will help the small business people of the United States. the ones working for small businesses. the ones owning them. and their families who need the help. Mr. President. I reserve the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1458}
{"speech_id":1090129195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of S. 1955. the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. This is a good bill. with good intentions. The lack of health insurance. particularly for employees of small businesses. is a significant problem in Utah and throughout the Nation. We cannot afford to sit by the sidelines and bemoan this problem. taking little action while millions of American families suffer. The House of Representatives has acted and we should do the same. Immediately upon its passage though. we were besieged by complaints about House legislation. principal among them the complaint that it overrides State insurance law. I give the Health. Education. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8446}
{"speech_id":1090129195,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman MIKE ENZI a lot of credit. Chairman ENzI didnt sit idly by. He studied the House bill. he held extensive hearings. and then he drafted a compromise that resolved many of the concerns expressed about the House bill. This was no easy job. Immediately. the HELP Committee efforta solid effort I might addwas besieged by criticism. Much of this criticism I must hasten to add. is not valid. \"It isnt going to cover cancer care.\" the naysayers decry. \"It isnt going to cover diabetics and their supplies.\" they allege. \"It isnt going to cover prenatal care or OB\/GYN care for women.\" is a recent complaint. \"It is going to run chiropractors. podiatrists and optometrists out of business.\" say hundreds of form letters that have flooded our offices. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8446}
{"speech_id":1090129195,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The problem is. these complaints arent even true. While the standard plan employees must be offered under this bill may not cover all those things. S. 1955 clearly provides an alternative. Employees must be offered an enhanced plan. based on the coverage that public employees receive in the five most populous States. if their employers standard plan is not consistent with State law. Most. if not all. of these services would be included in those enhanced plans that employers must offer under S. 1955. But. lets talk about our basic goal here. We want to provide affordable health insurance coverage to those who currently do not have coverage. If we could afford to give them coverage for every possible illness. condition. or procedure. if small businesses could afford to give them coverage for every possible illness. condition or procedure. dont you think it would have been done by now? Of course it would. That is the genius of the Enzi bill. It allows a basic level of coverageperhaps not every single service imaginable. but good solid health care insuranceand for those who want to pay more. there is a plan with more coverage. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8446}
{"speech_id":1090129195,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In that way. the millions of Americans without health insurance will have access to coverage. You may ask yourself. \"Who doesnt have health insurance coverage?\" Today. over 45 million Americans do not have health insurance. Over 25 percent of selfemployed individuals are uninsured. Over 30 percent of people who work for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees are uninsured. Over- 20 percent of the people who work for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees are uninsured. Something clearly needs to be done. And thats why we are here. today. debating S. 1955. I want to illustrate why passage of this legislation is necessary. Ramona Rudert and her husband. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8446}
{"speech_id":1090129195,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Michael. have owned Professional Automotive Equipment in North Salt Lake for 28 years. They have 12 employees and they offer health insurance to them. The Ruderts contribute $200 per month to their employees health care premiums. Their employees have to pay approximately $500 per month for *family coverage. Their health insurance plan has a $1000 deductible. So at least there is potential coverage. But heres the kicker: only one of Professional Automotive Equipments 12 employees decided to be covered by their companys health policy. besides the Rudert family. The rest of their employees cannot afford it. The interesting twist about this story is that Ramona and Michael have a daughter with juvenile diabetes. They recognize that the basic plan may not cover all the services their daughter needs. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8446}
{"speech_id":1090129215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am so happy to come to the floor today because the Senate is finally debating how we can help small businesses across our country afford health care for their employees. Just as Senator GREGG has mentioned how important it is to provide benefits to groups who want to invest. and to individuals and companies who want to invest and grow the economy. so too it is critically important that we provide small businesses the ability to invest in themselves. That is what I want to talk about today. Small.. businesses are critical to this country. They are critical to rural States such as mine in Arkansas. but they are the engine of our economy in this great Nation. They are the No. 1 employers. That is why it is so important that we get this right. that we provide them with a tool that will allow them to reinvest in themselves and their employees and their communities. so that we can keep that engine going. I applaud my colleague from Wyoming. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090129215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator ENZI. for all he has done in bringing about this debate. He has worked hard and genuinely on this issue. and I appreciate very much what he has put into this. He has helped us make sure this is not a debate about whether this is a critical issue. This reminds me of something I was taught by my father who said: If it is worth doing. it is worth doing right. It is worth doing correctly. That is what we are here to talk about today. I believe very strongly that our small businesses are so important to usour selfemployed individuals in this country have the greatest spirit in the worldand it is so important that We should not offer them a secondrate opportunity. We should offer them the same opportunity we have as Federal employees and Members of Congress: The opportunity to build a pool that will offer them greater access. greater choice at a lower cost. by pooling all of themselves together across this great country. while maintaining the quality. which is what we do for ourselves. We maintain the quality of the product of the health insurance we receive or have access to as Federal employees and Members of Congress. and we should do no less for the small businesses and the selfemployed individuals in this great country. So I hope. as we continue this debate. we will remember those hardworking American families who are depending on us not just to do something. but to do what is right and fair. and offering what we see as fair tax policy and offering what we see as fair access to the same quality product of health care and health insurance that we as Members of Congress get. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090129215,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The small business health care crisis is undoubtedly one of the issues I hear the most about when I return home to Arkansas. In fact. in every community in our Nation. as well as millions of working families across this country. we are seeing the difficulty of having access to quality health care and health insurance and the ability to pay for that. There are approximately 46 million Americans currently without health insurance. including 456.000 Arkansans whom I am responsible for in terms of producing a producb that is worthy of those individuals. Small businesses are the No. 1 source of our jobs in Arkansas. Yet only 26 percent of the businesses with fewer than 50 employees offer health insurance coverage. Workers at these businesses. which again are the engine of our economy. are most likely to be uninsured. In fact. 20 percent of workingage adults are uninsured in Arkansas. This number is alarming. and addressing this problem should be a national priority. and we should approach it as if we are going to do the best job that we are capable of doing. That is why we are here today. to talk about that. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090129215,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. 224 major organizations are opposed to the proposal that Senator ENzI has brought before us. Two hundredandtwentyfour is a huge number: everywhere from diabetes to mental illness to hospital federations. These individuals understand how important the years have been in allowing State insurance commissioners to be able to set mandates in order to cover what is important to individuals in their States. and what is important to small businesses and everyone in those States. Those States have the right and the ability to figure out what is important to them. and the majority of them have. agreed on many of these major issues. Those who lack health insurance do not get access to timely and appropriate health care. We know that. and we see it. We see it in the cost of Medicare when people dont get health care for 20 or 25 years when they are in the working marketplace as a small business owner or employee. and then they. become more costly to us when they hit Medicare age because they havent received the screenings. the timely visits to the doctor. and they havent been getting the kind of health care they truly need. They have less access to these important screenings. They dont have - access to the stateoftheart technology that exists or prescription drugs. which is another piece of what can help keep down the cost of health care. Working families need help with this problem. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090129215,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Institute of Medicine has reported that 18.000 people die each year because they are uninsured. The fact is. being insured does matter. It makes a big difference. It makes a difference in our health care costs.. It makes .a difference in whether you are going to survivelongevity. the ability to care for your family. It makes a big difference. We have reached a juncture where we are going to debate how we deal with those who are uninsured. whether we are going to give them substandard coverage br whether we are going to give them the coverage that we have. Again. I commend my colleagues. Senator ENZI from Wyoming and. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11402}
{"speech_id":1090129230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we do not ofteir think of the Federal Government in the way we are trying to harness market forces and competition and put them to work. We try to hold down Federal outlays. That is what we do with respect to the Federal. It is literally what we do with respect to the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan. What we are trying to do. with respect to what the Senator has outlined. is harness market forces and competition and put them to work for small businesses as well.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":486}
{"speech_id":1090129264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Exactly. I appreciate my colleague from California. She is right on target. I know my friend from California. the distinguished Senator. has been in the forefront of fighting for the things that will help people have better lives. especially in health care. and to ease the pain and suffering of people. especially juvenile diabetics. As the Senator knows. the families tell us that perhaps one of the first therapies -that could come from embryonic stem cell research would be for these kids suffering from juvenile diabetes. What a great day that would be. I thank the Senator for her comments and strong leadership in all the areas of health care. and I thank California. through her. for the leadership they have shown.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":723}
{"speech_id":1090129289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As you can see. they look identical: identical labels. identical pills in the same bottle made by the same companyshipped to two different places. One is shipped to Canada and one Is shipped to the United States. The difference? One is half the price of the other. Guess which. It is the Canadian consumer who gets the benefit of paying half the price for the identical prescription drug. Let me also show a couple of containers of Prevacid. This is a drug that is widely used for ulcers. Once again. as you can see. it is essentially the same bottle. same pill. made by the same company. made in an FDAapproved plant and shipped to two different locations. one to Canada- and one to the United States. The difference? This one costs twice as much. Who buys this one? The U.S. consumer. twice as much for the same pill. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090129289,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"An old fellow sitting on a hay bale in North Dakota at a farm meeting said. my wife has been fighting breast cancer for 3 years. She took Tamoxifen for breast cancer. Every 3 months we drove to Canada to get Tamoxifen because it was the only way we could afford it. and we paid about 80 percent less than it would have cost us to buy that prescription drug to treat her breast cancer. We paid 80 percent less by driving to Canada to get it. The. fact is. they allow a small amount of drugs to come across the border for personal use. But other than that. a U.S. consumer cannot access an FDAapproved prescription drug nor can a U.S. pharmacist access that same FDAapproved prescription .drug. That is unbelievable. We have a bipartisan group of Members of the Senate who say consumers ought to be able to purchase FDA prescription drugs by reimporting them from other countries. That would put downward pressure on prescription drug prices in this country. A bipartisan group of Senators wants to do that. but we are prevented from doing it by current law. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090129289,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want to change the law. Yet we are prevented from changing the law because the majority leader wont bring this legislation to the floor of the Senate. This is something we can offer as an amendment to the bill on the floor. It is well within the rules of the Senate. it deals with health care. and I am serving notice now that this is an amendment we will offer and vote on during the conduct of this discussion. providing we are allowed to offer amendments. I am hearing rumors that perhaps the majority leader will decide to fill the tree legislatively and allow no amendments. If that is the case. it will be a long week. but my hope is he will not do that. If amendments are allowed. I will offer this amendment and will get a vote. Let me go back to about midnight on the night of March 11. 2004. That is a little over 2 years agomidnight. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090129289,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reason I remember it was midnight. I was sitting right back here and I reached an agreement with the majority leader. Senator FRIST. Here is what Senator FRIST announced that evening after our negotiations. and after which I agreed to release the name of Dr. Mark McClellan to be promoted from the head of FDA to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As a result of that. Senator FRIST came to. the floor and put this in the RECORD. I announce for the information of my colleagues that. with consultation with the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health. Education. Labor. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090129289,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pensions. Senator DORGAN. Senator STABENOW. Senator MCAIN. Senator COCHRAN. and other interested Senators. the Senate will begin a process for developing proposals that would allow for the safe reimportation of FDAapproved prescription drugs. Two years later. nothing: No vote on the floor of the Senate. nothing. My colleague. Senator VITTER. sent a letter around a year ago. It says: ... in the context of the Lester Crawford FDA nomination. I obtained an agreement with Majority Leader FRIST regarding drug importation legislation ... ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11157}
{"speech_id":1090129298,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at this hour. families are struggling with health care. Seniors are facing a critical deadline for drug coverage. Businesses are grappling with the high cost of insurance. And patients are being denied the cuttingedge research that could save their lives. Those are critical issues. And what is the Senate doing? We are dealing with a distraction instead of real solutions to make health care affordable. more accessible. and more innovative. I am on the Senate floor this evening to talk about what we should be doing to help families and businesses and communities meet their health care needs. I also want to talk this evening about why the Republican proposal. S. 1955. could do more harm than good. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10278}
{"speech_id":1090129298,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a bill which takes a good ideapooling the risk in health insuranceand distorts it with a plan that will raise the cost of health care. strip away patient protections. and hurt many of our small businesses. But do not take my word for it. Attorneys general from 41 States. including my own. have written to outline the serious problems with the Republican bill. I have heard from doctors with the Washington State Medical Association and from my own Governor about the damage this bill will inflict on patients and on our economy. Simply put. this proposal is a distraction. Instead of dealing with real solutions to real problems. the Republican leadership is wasting time on one narrow proposal that is only going to make things worse. We can do better. The truth is that patients and seniors. doctors and nurses. and all of our communities deserve better. If we were serious about reducing the cost of health care. helping to improve access. and driving innovation. we would be talking about the critical issues that the Republican leadership is trying to avoid. We should be focusing on everything from the Medicare drug program. to stem cell research. to community health care. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10278}
{"speech_id":1090129298,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Frankly. we do not have a day to waste. On Monday. millions of seniors and disabled will be hit with a deadline that means higher premiums for their prescription drugs. That May 15 deadline is just 6 days away. I am hearing from seniors that they are very worried about this deadline.- They are worried they are going to pick the wrong plan. and they do not think it is fair to be punished if they need more time so they can make an informed choice. I have been traveling throughout my home State of Washington. meeting with seniors and holding roundtables with patients. with pharmacists. with advocates. Three weeks ago. I was in Chehalis. at the Twin Cities Senior Center. I can tell you. seniors are worried. They are angry. They are frustrated. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10278}
{"speech_id":1090129298,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are frightened about this May 15 deadline. and that deadline is just one of the problems this flawed drug program is presenting. The week before that. I was in Silverdale. and I have held Medicare roundtables in Kent. Vancouver. Ballard. Shelton. Spokane. Anacortes. Bellevue. Aberdeen. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10278}
{"speech_id":1090129298,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Olympia. Lakewood. Seattle. and Everett. Everywhere. I haveheard from seniors about just how bad the Medicare Part D Program is. I have heard their frustration about dealing with such a confusing system. I have heard their anger that this program does not meet their needs. And I have heard from many who just want to throw their hands up in the air and ignore the whole program. If we were serious about improving health care. we would be fixing the problems they have outlined. Instead. we are going to let an unfair deadline hurt our seniors even further. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10278}
{"speech_id":1090129306,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is dated October 27. 2004. It is to Senator John F. Kerry. running for President at the time. signed by 57 scientists who have a real problem with embryonic stem cell research. They say in this letter: As professionals trained in the life sciences we are alarmed at these statements. They are referring to what Senator KERRY was saying. that this would be a centerpiece issue for him in moving forward with science. This is in 2004. First. your statement misrepresents science. In itself. science is not a policy or a political program. Second. it is no mere \"ideology\" to be concerned about the possible misuse of humans in scientific research. Here we come to the real rub of the issue on embryonic stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5679}
{"speech_id":1090129306,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Is the embryo human life or isnt it? It is one or the other. It is either a human life or it isnt. It is alive. It is human in its genetic form. Is it a human life or not? If it is not a human life. do with it as you choose. If it is a human life. it deserves protection and respect. We do it for everybody in this room. no matter what your State is. your physical condition. Why wouldnt we do it while you are in the womb? I have a letter signed by 57 scientists with a real problem with embryonic stem cell research. My colleague asked me to produce scientists who are opposed to embryonic stem cell research. Here they are. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5679}
{"speech_id":1090129306,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I finally say to my colleagues on this topic. the promises they have made about embryonic stem cell research have not been realized to date. and reputable scientists question whether they will ever be realized. We are half a billion dollars later after investment from the Federal Government on embryonic stem cell research. animal and human. Now you are seeingthis is just the Federal Government. not about the private sector or other governments around the world. I will read to you what other scientists who support embryonic stem cell research are saying about the prospects of embryonic stem cell research. A British stem cell research expert. named Winston. warned colleagues that the political hype in support of human embryonic stem cells needs to be reined in. This is dated June 20. 2005. where he says this: One of the problems is that in order to persuade the public that we must do this work. we often go rather too far in promising what we might achieve. This is a real issue for the scientists. I am not entirely convinced that embryonic stem cells will. in my lifetime. and possibly anybodys lifetime. for that matter. be holding quite the promise that we desperately hope they will. Lets look at another researcher talking in this field. I want to get testimony in here from Jamie Thompson. the first scientist to grow human embryonic stem cells. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5679}
{"speech_id":1090129306,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the question posed to him: People who use nuclear transfer generally say that the technique is optimized for producing stem cells rather than making babies. They would not want to equate this with the process that produces embryos that were fit for implantation. and they argue that they are used in the reproductive process differently. I am talking about the use of embryonic stem cell research in a .cloning procedure. where you create a clone. take the embryonic stem cells from the clone. This is what Professor Thompson gays: So you are trying to define it away and it doesnt work. If you create an embryo by nuclear transfer and you give it to somebody. you didnt know where it came from. there would be no test you could do on that embryo to say where it came from. It is what it is. It is an embryo. It is a young human life. Its true that they have much lower probability of giving rise to a child. but by any reasonable definition. at least at some frequency. you are creating an embryo. If you are trying to define it away. you are being disingenuous. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5679}
{"speech_id":1090129306,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My colleagues started to raise the issue that if you create an embryo by process of cloning. it is not really a young human life. But if you create an embryo that is a sheep. like Dolly. and grow it up to be Dolly the sheep. is Dolly not a sheep? Would that be the contention? That is simply not the case when they are -creating a cloned individual or cloned human being. and that goes into the next step in this debate. to discuss human cloning. The other side calls it somatic nuclear cell transfethe same process that created Dolly. My point is that that is the next step on this. continuum. We are talking about embryonic stem cell research funding and the lack of production taking place there for human treatment. The next step is that we need to clone and then we need to clone the individual and not harvest it in a day or two. but we need to grow the fetus out several weeks so we have sort of fetal farming. which is a ghastly thing to even consider. Yet it is being talked about in some research circles. I conclude with the statement that if we want to be successful in this area and treat people. which I believe is the measure that we should go bythe treatment of individualsour best bet. if my colleagues want human treatments to take place. they want to cure people. if that is what their effort is. lets fund what is working. which is adult cord blood. Lets move off of this politicized debate which is about the definition of young human life. Lets move off this debate and do something that is curing people. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5679}
{"speech_id":1090129369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"La Ladrillera. a brickyard in Sasabe. Mexico. is the last gathering place where coyotes deliver final words of advice before smuggling their human cargo across the border into the United States. Each illegal immigrant pays anywhere from $1.500 to $2.000 to these opportunists to be guided on their 3day journey across the desert into their ideal of a promised land. the United States. My colleagues. let us be clear on the nature of these smugglers: They are not generous humanitarians aiding their fellow man. Many of theseillegal immigrants are beaten. robbed and even raped before they even reach the MexicoU.S. border. Yet they keep paying the coyotes enough money so that. these smugglers have access to sophisticated arms. weapons. GPS equipment and high quality mobile radios. Many of them have better equipment than our own Border Patrol agents. In todays Washington Times. Gilbert Reyes. one of these smugglers. or successful local businessmen. describes the situation of these immigrants: \"They want to get into the United States. and they are willing to do almost anything. even walk for mile after mile in the desert. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090129369,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They think they can go into America and get a pay to stay permanently. Maybe they can. Maybe they cant.\" His assertion about the immigrants belief rings true as we look at the facts on immigration. In 1986. the Immigration Reform and Control Act granted amnesty to 2.7 million illegal immigrants. and now today we have 11 to 12 million illegal immigrants. seeking amnesty. Two years ago. President Bush first announced his guest worker program. and illegal immigrant numbers have risen steadily since. A survey conducted by the Border Patrol in 2004 revealed that of those illegal aliens in custody of the Border Patrol. 45 percent were influenced to come to the U.S. by the promise of amnesty. The immigration bill we . passed in the House directly strengthened legal recourse against these coyotes and focused on securing our borders. increasing the number of Border Patrol agents. and enforcing the immigration laws that \"we currently have. These are essential steps that must be taken before any form of immigration reform has a hope of succeeding. And the American people agree. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090129369,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In a recent Zogby poll. 64 percent of respondents preferred the House bills approach of enforcement first and only 30 percent preferred the Senates approach of amnesty. Additionally. 73 percent of respondents had little or no confidence in the ability of our government to screen out terrorists or criminals if there is a mass amnesty for those 12 million illegals already in this country. And yet the pressure is mounting in favor of this unpopular and impractical proposal. There are some journalistic groups that have even begun to object to the use of the word \"illegal\" when referring to these immigrants. We are supposed to refer to these individuals as. quote. undocumented or even the other extreme proposal. to call them economic refugees. But calling breaking tlhe law by any other name does not make it less of a crime. According to theImmigration and Nationality Act. it is illegal to enter the United States illegally. It is illegal to smuggle human beings into the United States for a price.- And it is illegal to knowingly hire and aid a person you know. entered our country illegally. Another central issue with immigration reform is to ensure that those waiting and hoping to enter this country will be treated fairly. Many of them have undergone grueling ordeals to be able to enter the United States. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090129369,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have heard from one couple in my district that had to undergo multiple indepth interviews at the embassy before getting their permits. The embassy was a 3hour commute away for them. As they had no transportation. they had to walk. But they told me they were happy to do so for the simple chance to come into the United States. Many legal immigrants have to wait 5. 10. sometimes 15 years before they get their final approval to immigrate. To allow those who bypassed all the rules and snuck into the U.S. amnesty and a path to citizenship is an egregious slap in the face to all those immigrants who sacrificed to respect our laws and enter legally. My colleagues. we are a nation of immigrants. Immigrants .have vitalized our society. brought new life to our democracy and strengthened our communities simply by their contributions. However. we are also a nation of laws. and those whose first action is to willfully break them should be held accountable. not given preferential treatment.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4526}
{"speech_id":1090129383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Websters dictionary defines emergencies as serious situations or occurrences that happenf unexpectedly and demand immediate attention. As Congress considers this years emergency supplemental spending bill. I hope all of my colleagues will remembek the definition of an emergency and support Majority Leader BOEHNERS strong efforts to ensure that we spend taxpayer money on Americas most urgent needs. Last week I was proud when he clearly articulated that the House will not take up an emergency supplemental bill that spends $1 more than the Presidents budget request. By declaring that Congress will use this funding for troops efforts in the global war on terrorism and rebuilding communities throughout the gulf coast. Majority LeadeF BOEHNER is leading House Republicans to rein in the Federal budget and spend taxpayer dollars wisely. As the budget process continues. I am confident that Majority Leader BOEHNER will continue to define the difference between irresponsible wishes and American emergencies. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090129426,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as Mr. LEVIN pointed out. we passed this legislation before. Our colleagues in the Senate then passed the bill by unanimous consent back in October.. but made a change regarding the effective date.","speaker_name":"SAM JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090129613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. You are absolutely right. As the suburban areas expand. they often eat up the green land and the open space that is available. Before you know it. there is not enough parkland or open space that is left. And you cant get it back. It doesnt come back. I. like so many of my colleagues here in Congress. had the privilege of serving in the State legislature. One of the -bills that I was so very proud of in the State legislature in Georgia was called the Green Space bill. What it does is provide State resources to set aside on future developments a certain percentage of land for open space. green space. I am so proud and privileged to be able to join my colleagues here in the Suburban Caucus and my two colleagues from Pennsylvania. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":923}
{"speech_id":1090129613,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. GERLACH and Mr. FITZPATRICK. for promoting these bills that will provide encouragement for the purchase of conservation easements. as it does with","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":923}
{"speech_id":1090129616,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you so much. This is another one of those items. as you mention. it is just common sense. When moms and dads at home wonder why their kids are subjected to the kinds of threats that they are at school. when a teacher stepping in at an appropriate time could have solved that problem. it just doesnt make any sense to them. And you mention why it needs to be done at the Federal level. When individuals have access to Federal courts for these kinds of issues. then it is im_perative that Congress step in and act because the threat of liability of a teacher ought not get in the way of the safety of our children. When you and I were going to school. our parents would say. look. I dont care what you do. but you ought not upset the teacher. The teacher is right. The teacher is. in essence. your parent while at school. in loco parentis. I am not an attorney. but what that means is that the teacher can act as the parent while the child is at school. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1614}
{"speech_id":1090129616,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the child is at home. the parent certainly is able to search the child. So that ought to be the case at school as well. And it is important because of the day and time that we live in. Our children are subjected to risks that you and I never dreamed about. and so it is imperative that adults that are on the scene. the6 teachers in the classroom. administrators in the school. be trusted to make the right decisions in these areas and not be exposed to liability. not have to think in the back of their mind. if I do that. will I get sued. Thats just foolishness. and it threatens our children. So I am proud once again that you brought that forward.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1614}
{"speech_id":1090129622,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to celebrate the contributions of the Asian Pacific Islander American community and to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I also want to take this opportunity to thank and commend my good friend from California. Congressman HONDA. for his strong leadership as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Mr. Speaker. for over 200 years. Asian Americans have played a pivotal role in the development of our great Nation. When it was time to build the transcontinental railroad. they were there. Chinese immigrants were paid $28 a month to do the very dangerous work of blasting and laying ties over treacherous terrain. ","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090129622,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was their labor under harsh working conditions. for meager wages. that helped in the development and progress of our Nation. When our Nation was drawn into war. they were there. From World War H through the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Asian Americans have been on the front lines in our battle to defend and protect our Nation. There are 32 Asian American Medal of Honor recipients. and thousands of others who have. served and continue to courageously serve our Nation. When hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. they were there. The Asian American community in my home city of Houston joined all Americans around the country in welcoming Katrina evacuees and- assisting the relief efforts. In Houston. the Asian American community raised more than $200.000 for the Katrina Relief Fund and took in over 15.000 displaced Americans. And the contributions of this community will continue far into the future. Tomorrow. when it is time to cure the diseases of the future. they will be there. ","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090129622,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are more than 105.000 Asian American doctors in the United States. Tomorrow. when new worlds are to be explored. they will be there. There are thousands of Asian Americans working in the space program. And tomorrow. when it is time to elect the leaders that will guide our great Nation. they will be there. in Congress. on the Supreme Court. and as President. If our country is to live up to its promises in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. every ethnic group vxill have one of its own to serve as President. This is why we must protect the voting rights of Asian Americans and others to vote under the Voting Rights Act. We must win this battle now. so that the 14 million Asian Americans. together with all Americans. can have the equitable input that they justly deserve into our political process. They helpetl to make America great. The greatness of America rests on the shoulders of all Americans. none more so than our Asian American brothers and sisters.","speaker_name":"AL GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2723}
{"speech_id":1090129632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to offer my closing remarks. I say. Mr. Speaker. when I envision America I do not see a melting pot designed to reduce or removal racial differences. The America I see is a brilliant rainbow. a rainbow of ethnicities and cultures with each people proudly contributing in their own distinctive and unique way a better America for generations to come. Asian Pacific Americans wish to find a just and equitable place in our society that will allow. like all Americans. to grow. to succeed. to achieve and to contribute to the advancements of this great Nation. - I would like to close my remarks by asking all of us here this evening. What is America all about? I cannot think of it said better than on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the summer of 1963 when an African American minister by the name of Martin Luther King. Jr.. poured out his heart and soul to every American who could hear his voice when he uttered these famous words. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2362}
{"speech_id":1090129632,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"I have a dream. My dream is that one day my children will be judged not by the color of their skin. but by the content of their character.\" That is what I believe America is all about. Mr.. Speaker. Again. I thank my colleague and my good friend. the gentleman from California. for his management of this Special Order honoring all of the Asian Pacific American community in our country and the contributions that they have made to make our country to form a more perfect union. I rise today in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. to acknowledge the contributions of our Asian Pacific American individuals and communities to the success of our great Nation. I commend my colleagues who founded this celebration in 1977 by introducing a resolution calling upon the President to proclaim the first ten days in May Asian\/Pacific Heritage weekRepresentatives Norm Mineta and Frank Horton. and Senators DANIEL K. INOUYE and Spark Matsunaga. The Asian Pacific American cbmmunity is vibrant and growing. with an estimated 14 million Asian American residents and another 975.000 Pacific Americans. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2362}
{"speech_id":1090129632,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am proud to be a member of this Asian Pacific American community. a community that has produced so many inspiring individuals in government. the military. the sciences. sports. entertainment. and business. In government. for example: from Hawaii Senators Hyrum Fong. DANIEL INOUYE. DAN-","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2362}
{"speech_id":1090129634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this month we continue a nearly three decade tradition of Asian Pacific American Heritage. Without the sacrifices and contributions that have been made by Asian Americans. the United States would not be the world leader that it is. During this special month we have the 9pportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute to the contributions of the 15million strong Asian Pacific American communityfrom I. M. Pei. Maya Lin. and astronaut Ellison Onizuka. to Amy Tan. Yo Yo Ma. -and General Eric Shinseki. Our Nation would not be what it is today without their immeasurable input. Their unique contributions enhance the moral fabric and character of this great Nation. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090129634,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the whole of the Nation. we must rededicate our efforts to ensuring equality and opportunities so that all Americans have a chance to reach their full potential. Together. we can make the American dream a reality for all Americans.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090129636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I want to congratulate my good friend and colleague. Mr. HONDA. for arranging this special order so that we can celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and acknowledge the important contributions of Asian Americans. This years theme. \"Dreams and Challenges of Asian Pacific Americans.\" reflects the Asian and Pacific Islander American communitys commitment to fairness and equality. I represent Californias 33rd congressional district. It is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse congressional districts in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3698}
{"speech_id":1090129636,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is emblematic of the emerging \"majority minority\" demographic of the state of California. California is home to the largest KoreanAmerican population in the country. More people of Korean heritage live and work in Los Angeles than in any place in the world outside Korea. and more KoreanAmericans live and work in the 33rd congressional district than in any other congressional district in Califomia. I want to comment briefly on the recent and. in many ways. historic visit of Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward to Korea hst month. His visit. I believe. embodies this years theme of fairness and equality. The NFL hero. who is of mixed Korean and AfricanAmerican ancestry. traveled to his native country to express pride in his Korean roots even though he shunned that side of his heritage after he faced prejudice as a child. His Korean mother accompanied him. By all accounts. South Korea warmly embraced Hines Ward and received him as a hero. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3698}
{"speech_id":1090129636,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The government made him an honorary citizen. Moreover. his visit not only galvanized the Korean community but also brought attention to the plight of Koreans of mixed ancestry. Korea has 35.000 people of mixed race. and many are subjected to discrimination. 22 percent are unemployed. and only 2 percent have administrative jobs. The rest are laborers. Statistics suggest that 9.8 percent of mixedrace Koreans leave primary school and 17.5 percent middle school. The average dropout rate for Korean middle school students is 1.1 percent. The Pearl Buck Foundation notes that international marriages between Koreans and nonKoreans are on the rise and that the mixedrace population in Korea is estimated to grow to 2 million by My home state of California is a leader in the growth of mixedrace populations in the U.S. In the 2000 Censup. 7 million people selfidentified themselves as multiracial. Historically. the West has always been very multiracial due to high immigration levels. the -rich mix of different ethnic groups. and the historical absence of legal barriers to interracial marriage. Much work. however. remains to be done as mixedrace children in the U.S. and their counterparts overseas suffer from sleights and discrimination. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3698}
{"speech_id":1090129636,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hines Wards visit to Korea has made a positive difference. The government and the ruling Uri Party recently agreed to grant for the first time legal status to people having mixedrace backgrounds and their families. The Ministry of Justice is now reviewing a plan to grant citizenship or residency status to those who marry Koreans. All acknowledge the impact and importance of Hines Wards visit. I want to congratulate Mr. Ward on his triumphal return to his homeland. He has used his celebrity status to bring attention to an issue of mutual importance to both the U.S. and Korea. I also want to congratulate the Korean government for taking positive steps to address an issue that until now has been largely ignored. Finally. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3698}
{"speech_id":1090129636,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. as we celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month. let us not overlook those AsianAmericans of mixed race who have also made significant contributions to our nation.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3698}
{"speech_id":1090129654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is exactly right. Americas not crying out here for tax cuts for the top 1 percent. As a matter of fact. Bill Gates and several others said we do not want it. Mr. President. we do not need it. Those farmers need it for the drought. Those counties need it for the community block grant programs that is a lifeline of these counties. The children need it for their student aid programs and their loans. they need it. Firemen need it. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090129654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our first responders need it. and we need it to provide the incentives in place to help with our patrol. I want to mention because there was so much we wanted to cover tonight. but I cannot leave without saying this one thing. It really points an example of our lack of response. we have talked about it. to the border security problem. but look at our lack of response properly in this budget to our gas problem. Every basic issue that needs to be responded to. American people know we did not get to this point by just one thing. Oil companies have a lot to do with it. but their profits are not the real reason. The real reason is we have a serious shortage because we are being held hostage by most of the petroleum producing countries and because we have not planned properly with our refineries and because we have not planned properly with our automobiles and our guzzlers. and even when we move to do that. with one example. I just point out to you. the hybrid cars. The one good program that we could use would be that. There is nothing in the budget that even approabhes what we need to do to give our American people true incentives. serious tax incentives to purchase hybrid cars. hybrid cars whose engines are run on a combination of electric batteries and gasoline. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090129654,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The key to our success. as far as bringing down these energy crises and stop making us so dependent on these other volatile Nations for our energy is to lower our consumption of oil. and to lower our consumption means we need to go elsewhere to find the fuel mix to do it. We can do it. We have got the American knowhow. You take the hybrid engine. They have got. what is it. $2.000 for the tax credit now. It is going up to $3.400. but then there is all kind of complications in that make At so confounding that dealing with it is for the first manufacturer to produce 60.000 cars. then it goes down every quarter. It just gets so complex that the poor American people do not even have a clear angle with which to attack it and go out and purchase the automobiles. We need to clear that up. We need to put in this budget that we will give a 50 percent increase at least on the tax incentives and make that a going up scale so that we can get more hybrid cars running. We need to go and start giving incentives to farmers who are producing corn and soybeans. creating a new industry with which to produce ethanol. and mix that with our gasoline to be able to carry our fuet much like Brazil is doing. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090129654,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to enrich conservation programs to conserve our energy.. and then. finally. we have got to do all we can to get the American people out of their automobiles. the commuter rail and with mass transit. But where is the will? Where is the direction? Where is the encouragement? Where is the inspiration to say let us go. America. we can do it? That is what the American people are waiting on. and we have got to provide -the direction for them to do it. It is not this budget. and that is why it is not passing.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3432}
{"speech_id":1090129693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come on the heels of the minority leader speaking about or at least attempting to define what he and his party believe in. I watched him struggle this morning to try to shape what they are versus what we are. and that is really what we heard discussed a few moments ago. But he kept going back to the issue of high energy costs and the soccer moms and their inability to fill their gas tanks today. So I am going to focus on that part of what he struggled to define this morning and speak to the realities that are out there and what has transpired over the last several decades as it relates to the inability of this country to produce energy and why that inability exists. A couple of weeks ago. I came to the Senate floor to inform this Senate and awaken America to the reality that just 50 miles off the coast of Florida. China is drilling for oilNot the United States but China. And the reason China is drilling for oil is that we have prohibited our own companies from the opportunity to drill in the northern Cuban zone. so that Cuba is now leasing out to other countries in the world except the United States. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7378}
{"speech_id":1090129693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then I watched a rush to judgment on the other side as there was a flurry to say not only do we have to stop Cuba. we dare not let America. American companies. experts in deepwater drilling. . experts in environmental soundness. ever drill in that region. Today I wish to expand on that idea. I wish to talk about why America is in trouble today with energy and why that soccer mom is paying more at the gas pump today than she ever has. The answer is really right here. It happened right here in the Senate over the last several decades. starting in 1950. From the 1800s to 1950. we were energy independent. We were the great producer of oil. But as folks came home from World War II and as our economy began to expand. we began to use more oil. Then. starting in the 1960s and 1970s. we began to say about oil: We need it. but we cant drill here and we cant aIrill there and we will drill elsewhere. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7378}
{"speech_id":1090129693,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Here is our problem today. so clearly defined in a supply and demand environment in which we have become 60 percent dependent upon foreign countries to produce our energy for us. America now knows that. Two weeks ago. we watched the other side blame and blame again somebody. including this administration. for a failure to produce. But they failed to tell you what they had not done. had denied over the last two or three decades. I went to the White House during the Clinton years and asked President Clinton to work with us. to floor what we call marginal wells in west Texas and Oklahoma so they could continue to produce. Why? Because oil was below $18 a barrel and there was no economy there. They couldnt make money and they were shutting the wells in. We said: Lets floor it and keep them producing. We couldnt do it because of the politics of that Democratic administration. What happened? Those wells went off line. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7378}
{"speech_id":1090129693,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They were filled with concrete. and they stopped producing what would 1 e a million barrels of oil a day into this market right now. So to the American consumer who is paying those high gas prices. you are lacking a million barrels a day into our markets by a Democratic administration that denied its happening. Darn it. that is a fact. That is reality. What transpired during that other time? Lets go on to the next chart that talks about our failure to get certain things happening. The Presiding Officer knows all about ANWR. He knows all about Alaska and Alaskan production. It was Bill Clinton who vetoed. a decade ago. the ANWR bill which would have put upwards of 10 billion barrels into the market at about a million barrels a day. Lets do the math now. We shut in a million barrels a day in Texas and Oklahoma because of the politics of that administration. and then they vetoed ANWR at 10 billion or a million a day. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7378}
{"speech_id":1090129693,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is 2 million barrels a day to which they said no. So the answer to the minority leader as to why the soccer moms are paying the highest price ever today for gas is quite simple. It is because they said no. They said no to stripper wells. they said no to ANWR. Now lets talk about the rest of the story because what I am interested in is the reality of the \"no\" politics. the \"no\" production. the \"no\" refinement. That is the answer to our problem today. You saw it on the last chart. the chart of supply and demand and 60 percent dependency on foreign sources. We cannot even drill in our own hemisphere. Then lets go to this map. I call it the no zone. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7378}
{"speech_id":1090129720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. wasnt the Senators impression that the prescription drug program was going to be a voluntary program? And for millions of peopleor for hundreds of thousands in my Statepeople felt it was going to be a voluntary program. They were absolutely confused. We have 45 different programs with a wide variance in copays and deductibles with individuals on a formulary one day and off a formulary another day. I would be interested as well if the Senator would comment on the General Accounting Offices report that I thought was rather devastating in terms of the ability of the CMS to be able to communicate to seniors about their options. As I understand what the Senator from Florida is saying. millions of Americans thought the prescription drug program was voluntary. so they did not think they really had to get involved in it. Then. they might have heard they better sign up.. Now they are increasingly conscious about the penalty and. at the same time. we have a General Accounting Office report that said the ability for bur seniors to understand the prescription drug program is a real mystery. How has that played out for the people in Florida whom you represent? How have the conclusions of that General Accounting Office report played out that said people would call up and they would get misinformation on the phone? There. was confusion even among those who were supposed to be doing the briefings for seniors. The degree and the extent of confusion for seniors is because of the multiplicity of programs. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090129720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would be interested in what the Senators experience in Florida has been.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090129757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maaam President. I believe it is so important that we heed the words of most of our parents. I am sure. when we were growing up. and those are: If it is worth doing. it is worth doing right. We enjoy. as Federal employees. an incredible opportunity to provide health insurance for ourselves and for our families which provides real. substantial quality. It is not something we buy into with the idea that we will never get sick. we buy into it knowing that maybe we are just one automobile accident or one chronic illness away from needing .comprehensive health insurance. The increases my colleague from North Carolina talked about in terms of the number of people who would be added. those are immediate and they are temporary. They are mostly young. healthy people. The fact is that if we dont include everybody and we dont make sure all of the different chronic illnesses that exist out there are going to be offered. those who are less healthy are going to be shut out. they will become more costly. and the first time one of those young individuals. healthy individuals. has an accident or reaches a chronic condition. they too are not going to be covered under this plan. So I hope we will heed the idea that it is important to do what is right. We have an opportunity here. at no additional cost. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1492}
{"speech_id":1090129757,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We could eliminate it. if the other side doesnt want to provide a tax cut to small business. that is OK. But we should maintain the quality. and I hope my colleagues will join me in that.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1492}
{"speech_id":1090129790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not prepared to yield at this time. I will allow you to speak on your own time. But the important point is that this particular legislation has not had an opportunity to be voted on in the Senate. legislation that would help small businesses in this country that currently cannot cover their employees. that currently have families of those employees without coverage. In fact. if you ask small businesses todayand about 22.5 million of the 45 million uninsured in this country are employees of small businesses or are their families. and about another 15 million are selfemployed in small businesses-!-the reason they cannot cover their employees is the cost. What this legislation attempts to do is address the issue of cost. to make health insurance more affordable to more Americans. to small businesses. to their employees. to their families. to selfemployed people in this country who currently do not have coverage because of the cost. It is a very simpleconcept. It is a concept that has been passed eight times by the House of Representatives but never voted on in the Senate because of obstruction on the other side. They will not allow it to come to a vote. That is unfortunate because this is an issue the American people expect us to address. So I hope when all is said and done. my colleagues on the other sidethe Senator from Massachusetts has strong feelings on this particular issue. which he has articulatedhave an opportunity to air those opinions. to debate this issue. but that. in the end. they let it be voted on. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5846}
{"speech_id":1090129790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lets let this come to a vote. Let the will of the majority in the Senate decide one way or the other about whether we want to do something about the high cost of health care in this country to cover more people. The Congressional Budget Office has saidthe Senator from Massachusetts quoted the CBOthe Congressional Budget Office has said. if this legislation is enacted. almost a million more people in this country will be covered and. in fact. it will lead to lower insurance costs. So it is a good deal for the people who are uninsured. It is a good deal for the small businesses that are trying to cover their employees. And I might add. it is a good deal for the taxpayers because the Congressional Budget Office has also said if this particular piece of legislation is enacted. the cost of Medicaid to the Federal Government will go down by almost $1 billion and the cost of Medicaid to State governments will go down by about $600 nillion. Further. the Congressional Budget Office has also found that this will actually lead to higher revenues for the Federal Government. Why? Because when the small business cost of health care goes down. they are able to provide more benefits and more in the form of salaries to their employees. Those salaries and some of those benefits are taxable. Health insurance benefits are tax excluded in many cases. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5846}
{"speech_id":1090129790,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So those benefits and those additional salaries would be taxed at the marginal income tax rates. and it would generate. according to the Congressional Budget Office. an additional $3.3 billion over a 10year period for the Federal coffers. So we have a bill that covers more people. according to CBO. that lowers insurance rates. according to CBO. and that actually generates more revenue for the Federal Government. Yet we cannot vote on it. Why? Because our colleagues on the other side will not allow this legislation to be voted on. I think the American people deserve and expect more from their elected leadership. As I said. the House of Representatives has voted eight times in support of this. with strong majorities. I believe there is a majority in the Senate in favor of this bill. if we could bring it to a vote today. Maybe we wont vote on it today. Maybe we would vote on it tomorrow or maybe we would vote on it next week. but lets vote on it. Lets vote. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5846}
{"speech_id":1090129790,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is what we are here for. Lets debate the issue. but lets vote. Lets not use the rules of the Senate to obstruct something that has clear majority support in the House. something that has been debated here but never voted on in the Senate because it has been blocked from final consideration. Let me also say one other thing about this debate because there is a proposal that has been talked about some on the floor of the Senate. offered up by some of our colleagues on the other side. that is intended to respond to the Enzi legislation. the small business health plan legislation. that we are currently debating. Interestingly enough. that particular piece of legislation offered by our colleagues on the other side is a Governmenttype approach to this issue. The CBO. the Congressional Budget Office. has found that the proposal they put forward actually costs the taxpayers $73 billion over a 10year period. So you have two bills. You have a bill that has been offered by Senator ENZI. the chairman of the HELP Committee. offered by the leadership on this side of the aisle. which lowers cost. which covers more people. which has been found to actually save the taxpayers money. and a bill that has been -offered by our colleagues on the other side. at a cost to the taxpayers of $73 billion in additional tax dollars over a 10year period. Now. it seems to me. at least. that if you are a taxpayer. that bill is not a very good deal. It is also a proposal that leads to more redtape. more bureaucracy. more Government. at a time when we ought to be looking for ways to improve the marketbased system we currently have in this country. by allowing our small businesses to take advantage of the leverage they could gain by joining larger groups. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5846}
{"speech_id":1090129790,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The very simple principle behind this legislation. behind the Enzi bill. is to allow small businesses around this country and their employees to be part of a larger group. thereby driving down the cost of their insurance premiums.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5846}
{"speech_id":1090129836,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me summarize or attempt to summarize where we are in terms of what we just did and where we have been. After a 96to2 vote on invoking cloture on the motion to proceed. we have now finally proceeded to the small business health plans bill. We are now at a point that we can begin debating the substance of this bill. Chairman ENZI is here and is ready for relevant amendments to come forward and be debated. He will have more to say on that shortly. What is clear is that there have been attempts or suggestions that we use this bill as a Christmas tree for all sorts of amendments. as well intended as they might be. but amendments that dont relate to the underlying bill. Earlier this week. we began to address and tried to address issues surrounding medical liability. We were unable to do so. We have now proceeded to the small business bill. and it is my intention to stay on that bill. with amendments related to the bill. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1068}
{"speech_id":1090129836,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill should have strong. bipartisan support. As it plays out. we will see how strong that bipartisan support may be.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1068}
{"speech_id":1090129859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank -my friend from Wyoming. a man who lives south of the 45th parallel from our State. for the work he has done on this legislation. We have been asked a lot of times what drives us on this legislation. I have been on the Small Business Committee now for three terms. We tried to pass an association health plan for the last 12 to 15 years. Even Senator Bumpers. the senior Senator from Arkansas back in those days. worked on a bill. and his own side wouldnt let him complete that exercise. The landscape has changed a little bit. and the numbers we are getting now are much larger than they were. say. 10 years ago: 27 million working Americans are uninsured. 63 percent are either selfemployed or work for a small business. For small businesses with 10 or fewer employees. 34 percent of those are uninsured. And for firms with 10 to 24 workers. 27 percent of them are uninsured. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3483}
{"speech_id":1090129859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Then I looked at my own State and looked at those numbers. and they are compelling numbers. In Montana. 60 percent of small businesses with fewer than 10 employees do not offer health insurance. That is a big number. 60 percent. Incidentally. most employers in Montana are small businesses. They make up the vast majority of our working force. They are people who run small firms that we typically think of as small business. but there is another small business--and some are a little .bit bigger and can be defined as a big businessthat we tend to overlook. and they are the people who live on farms and ranches across this country. They have the same desire and same needs for insurance coverage. As I talk to my folks who live in rural Montana. ranch families simply cannot afford health insurance. Those who can. typically carry a high deductible catastrophic policy and then hope they will be able to weather the health care costs should tragedy strike. Consequently. many ranch families must work second jobs. and do. simply to get health insurance benefits. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3483}
{"speech_id":1090129859,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. very. few farm and ranch owners provide their farm workers with health insurance. This isnt because they dont wish to provide that coverage. It is because providing such coverage is unaffordable. One ranch family my staff spoke with currently spends $2.000 a month for coverage of their family of four. As expensive as it is. they cant afford to go without the coverage as one of the members was in a ranch accident which confined him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Consequently. these hardworking Americans are forced to rely on already burdened emergency rooms and health clinics. These small hospitals in rural Montana. some of which we define as critical access hospitals. could not have kept their doors open had it not been for a redefinition of critical access hospitals. telemedicine. and the ability for people to afford health insurance. I fear if we do not begin to seriously address this issue of the uninsured. particularly in rural areas. many of these small critical access facilities cannot survive. I have heard their argument on the other side. Why would they put at peril health care facilities in rural America? And that is what they would be doing should we continue to do nothing. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3483}
{"speech_id":1090129859,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Therefore. the choice we must make this week could not be clearer. Do we prefer to give small business and individual proprietors the ability to offer their employees health benefits. or do we prefer to continue to limit Atheir ability to offer benefits by Government regulations--mandates?","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3483}
{"speech_id":1090129866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to have you see the small business organizations that are supporting the EnziNelson bill. There are a couple of hundred of them here12 million employers. 80 million workers. I would like for you to see the small business organizations that are supporting the DurbinLincoln bill. Oh. there are two. OK. I want to share a letter from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as well. They are writing in response to our May 2 request for a review of S. 2510 Small Employers Health Benefits Program sponsored by Senators DURBIN and LINCOLN. I ask unanimous consent the letter be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":622}
{"speech_id":1090129872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank Senator MCCONNELL. I appreciate all of his effort and help. I appreciate the Senator bringing up Senator TALENT. I need to mention Senator SNOWE as well. They were the original sponsors of.associated health plans on this side. They asked for a hearing. We held a hearing. After the hearing. people on my committee were saying. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090129872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Golly. this is a problem for small business. What can we do to solve it? It was also obvious from the discussion that there were some difficulties with the true AHP approach which we modified in the meantime. That is how we got to the position we are now in.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090129902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator certainly is not the only one. I would love to have a lot of time. We have had a lot of )ills that came out of committee already that could be brought up. We have some more that are going to come out next Tuesday. A lot of those I think would pass here by unanimous consent. I would love to have some agreement. The Senator knows how hard it is to get 1 week around here. We spent 3 days getting cloture to proceed. That is to proceed. that wasnt to actually do any votes on the bill. So we were offered the moment. but between the two sides we didnt get the moment.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":578}
{"speech_id":1090129936,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute to LCpl Stephen R. Bixler of Suffield. CT. Corporal Bixler. a member of the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. 2nd Marine Division. II Marine Expeditionary Force. Camp Lejeune. NC. was killed in action on May 4 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar Province. Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090129936,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was struck while on foot patrol by an improvised explosive device on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Corporal Bixler is fondly remembered as a quiet but strong leader with strength of character and selfassurance unusual for someone of his age. As an Eagle Scout and former senior patrol leader in his Boy Scout troop. Corporal Bixler enjoyed helping others. He joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Suffield High School in 2003 and served in Haiti prior to his tour in Iraq. He was well received and respected when he proudly visited his high school. where he had been admired as he excelled at academics and athletics. to talk to students about his experiences. He was a true patriot and defender of our great Nations principles of freedom of justice. Corporal Bixler served as an example of the potent American spirit. which permeates this Nations history. I am both proud and grateful that we have the kind of defender exemplified by Corporal Bixler serving in the Persian Gulf. Our Nation extends its heartfelt condolences to his family. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090129936,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To his father. Richard. his mother. Linda. and sister. Sandra. we extend our profound gratitude for sharing this outstanding Marine with us. and we offer our prayers and support.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090129943,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2006. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by Senator CHAFEE. the chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries. Wildife and Water and Senator MURKOWSKI. an important and influential member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EPW. The bill being proposed is similar to legislation. S. 1039. that passed the Committee on Environment and Public Works last Congress on a strong bipartisan vote and a bill that passed the House of Representativies by a vote of 413 to 2. Unfortunately. some of my colleagues in the minority objected to bringing that important. bipartisan legislation to the floor. At an impasse with the close of the 108th Congress. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6706}
{"speech_id":1090129943,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I asked the Government Accountability Office to .survey the wastewater community in order to determine what steps publicly owned treatment works. POTWs. had taken to assess their security and if need be. what steps they had taken to enhance security at their facilities. In March 2006 we received GAOs report and the results confirm that the approach advocated by the House of Representatives and by the EPW Committee is the right approach. The Federal Government must work cooperatively with our counterparts at the state and local level to ensure our nations infrastructure is secure. GAO found that without a federal requirement to do so. the overwhelming majority of the largest POTWs have conducted or are in the process of conducting vulnerability assessments. They did not need a heavy handed federal mandate to do the right thing. Of those who have not and do not plan to do a vulnerability assessment. a majority believed they had taken sufficient other security measures or believed that by updating their Emergency Response Plan the utility had a good understanding of its vulnerabilities. While this is tremendous progress. it is important that all systems know what their vulnerabilities are and take steps to mitigate them. The legislation my colleagues Senator CHAFEE and Senator MURKOWSKI and I introdu6e today builds upon the good work already taking place by working in collaboration with the publicly owned treatment works. For the few systems remaining who have not done an assessment. our bill provides them an incentive to do so by authorizing\" funding. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6706}
{"speech_id":1090129943,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Further. once these systems have completed their assessments and certified to EPA that they have done so. they can join their colleagues in seeking grants to address some of the security problems identified in the assessments. During Hurricane Katrina. we saw how important emergency response plans are and how valuable mutual aid agreements can be. Our bill allows funding for\" the development. expansion or upgrading of an emergency response plan as well as for the voluntary creation of a mutual aid agreement or participation in such an agreement. The GAO also found that the majority facilities had actually made significant security improvements *prior to the tragedy of September 11. Of the 206 who responded. 149 had vehicle gates. 174 had security fences. 160 had redundant power sources. 133 had redundant pumping devices or collection bypass systems. Following September 11. 138 facilities now have safeguards for onsite delivery of materials and 112 have additional site lighting. It is important for all of ny colleagues to note how much progress these entities have taken to secure their facilities and protect their communities. The use of chlorine has been a topic of discussion for years. Chlorine is by far the most effective disinfectant available and it is the least expensive. During these times of aging systems. growing Federal regulations and limited resources. cost is an important consideration. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6706}
{"speech_id":1090129943,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In its January 2005 report on security at wastewater utilities. the GAO estimated it would cost a utility $12.5 million to switch from chlorine to sodium hypochlorite. There are other considerations that must be considered as well. such as downstream effects of a chlorine alternative. For example. the switch from chlorine to chloramines in Washington. DCs drinking water system was found to cause lead to leach out of service pipes and into the faucets of homes and businesses. Thus. decisions about chlorine must be fully evaluated and must be site specific. Many POTWs are already undergoing these evaluations. After careful review of cost. technical feasibility and safety considerations. and without the presence of a Federal mandate on technology. 116 of the 206 largest POTWs do not use gaseous chlorine. According to the GAO report. another 20 plan to switch to a technology other than chlorine. To sum. nearly twothirds of the nations largest POTWs are not using chlorine. Those who continue to use chlorine have taken steps to ensure the chlorine is secure. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6706}
{"speech_id":1090129943,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"While the GAO report found significant steps were being taken at the nations largest wastewater utilities. the Office also found an area very much in need of assistance. Each POTW has a collection system that consists of the pipes to carry wastewater from homes and businesses to the treatment works. These pipes are often large enough for an individual to stand in and they provide an underground roadway beneath most major cities. In its January 2005 report. 42 of the 50 experts on GAOs panel identified the collection system as the most vulnerable asset of a POTW. However. in discussions with engineers and utility managers. there remain many questions and obstacles on how to effectively secure a collection system. Therefore. our bill authorizes a research program to identify how a collection system could be used in a terrorist attack. how to identify potential chemicals or explosives that could be placed in a collection system and how best to mitigate against these risks. Finally. our legislation asks EPA to examine the various drinking water technologies to determine how affordable and effective each is. As GAO found. POTWs are taking the critical steps necessary to secure their facilities and develop appropriate response mechanisms in the event of an attack or natural disaster. We at the Federal level must continue to work with them. not against them by imposing onesizefitsall. heavyhanded unfunded Federal regulations. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6706}
{"speech_id":1090129962,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee of Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. May 10 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony of the following bills: S. 906. to promote Wildland Firefighter Safety. S. 2003. to make permanent the authorization for Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements. H.R. 585. to require Federal land managers to support. and to communicate. coordinate. and cooperate with. designated gateway communities. to improve the ability of gateway communities to participate in Federal land management planning conducted by the Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior. and to respond to the impacts of the public use of the Federal lands administered by these agencies. and for other purposes. and H.R. 3981. to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out certain land exchanges involving small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in the State of California. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1118}
{"speech_id":1090129981,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to. the preamble be agreed to. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the RECORD. without further intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":272}
{"speech_id":1090129992,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. what we have just seen happen is not surprising. but it is disappointing. Health Care Week has come to an end in the Senate on Wednesday evening. We have decided we dont have the time. interest. or inclination to take up other issues. It is a takeitorleaveit situation. If we do not accept the Enzi bill. S. 1955. now pending. nothing will be done on health care in the Senate. It is no wonder to me the American people are cynical about this process. There are so many things we need to do. We are 5 days away from the deadline on Medicare prescription Part D. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090129992,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My best estimate is 50 percent of the people we had hoped would enroll have not done it. They are going to be penalized on May 15 up to 7 percent a year on their premium costs for the rest of their life. We have asked for an extension of time so they can make a choice. We have asked for an extension of time so seniors who have chosen the wrong plan can choose another plan without penalty. Those are not unreasonable. We ask for extensions for people who file income tax without questions asked. To give an extension to an elderly person struggling with 45 different choices for the right prescription drug program is not unreasonable. It would be compassionate. It is the decision of the Senate Republican leadership that we dont have the time or inclination to take up that issue. I just asked the majority leader: What about stem cell research? Last July. he pledged support for stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090129992,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The writing is on the wall: Another year will go by. and this Senate will not go on record on stem cell research. While millions of Americans and their families are suffering from diseases that could be directly impacted by this research. the Senate doesnt have the time or the inclination to take up this issue. Is it any wonder that people are angry with the Congress as it is presently being conducted? Is it any wonder people are calling for significant change. not only in the direction of this country but in the policies we follow on Capitol Hill? We are going to break our necks to bring up a tax bill before we leave this week to give tax benefits and tax cuts to the wealthiest people in America. We have to get that done. but we dont have time to bring up stem cell research which could give hope and promise for cures and relief to millions of American families? Where are our priorities? The priorities of this Republicanled Congress are priorities that do not reflect where America is today. The motions we have just heard do not reflect that. To suggest that we dont have time. for example. to even consider the reimportation of drugs so that people struggling with fixed incomes can afford the drugs they need to stay independent. be strong. stay alivewe dont have time for that. No. we have to get on to a tax cuta tax cut. Let me tell you what the tax cut is. The tax cut which the Republicans want to force through here before we leave this weekwe have to break all records to make sure we get thisdoneis a tax cut that will mean for people making less than $75.000 a year about on average $100 in tax relief. The good old $100 check is coming back at you. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090129992,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"America. if you make less than $75.000 a year. that is your tax cut. be prepared. party on. But if you happen to be making $1 million a year. well. that is another story. This Republican tax cut. which they just have to have. means about $42.000 less in taxes paid by someone making $1 million a year. No time for drugs imported from Canada for people on fixed incomes who cant afford what they need to stay alive. no time for stem cell research for the millions of families counting on us to push forward on medical research to find cures and relief. no time to deal with Medicare prescription Part D when 7 or 8 million Americans. senior citizens. are about to face penalties in 5 days. no time for that. but plenty of time for tax cuts. It tells the story. No wonder the people across this country and even 30 of the Republicans are saying it is time for a change on Capitol Hill. It is time for new leadership. new direction. and new values. If this is the best we can do. to come up with a tax cut for the wealthiest people in America and ignore the real needs of small business and the elderly. to ignore the real needs of those who are fighting for medical research to give them hope to live another day. it is a sad outcome. I started this day by praising Senator ENzI and I will end it -by doing the same. I respect him. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090129992,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I admire him. He brought an issue to the floor that is a tough onehealth care in America. And this debate is long overdue. We have been waiting a long time to address an issue that troubles families and businesses across this Nation. I thank Senator ENZI for his leadership in bringing this to the floor. But I have -to tell you. what has happened today procedurally on the floor gives no credit to that effort by Senator ENZI. Shutting down amendments. not even giving us a moment to raise these important issues. even with limited time and limited debate. is unfair. And what a contrast. What a contrast to the immigration bill where the Senator from Tennessee. the Republican majority leader. has argued that we need every. possible amendment to be considered before it comes to a conclusion. Wide open. let everybody bring what they want. whether. they are for the bill or against it. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090130009,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the evidence is crystal clear: 32 straight months of job growth. 5.3 million new jobs created since August of 2003. the stock market within sight of a record high and homeownership at an alltime high. These are all good things. So how should we keep the good things going? Continue the policies that brought them about. The House should ensure that we build on this success by supporting the tax conference. report. Positive action today will prevent. prevent. a tax hike on millions of hardworking American families and small businesses that would greatly harm our economy. By extending the reduced rates on capital gains and dividends. all Americans. all Americans. will be able to plan for the future with a greater sense of stability. Furthermore. we will extend alternative minimum tax relief for Americans. The AMT was created in the 1970s. and times were much different. Today. an unacceptable number of families are exposed to this unfair tax. and this needs to stop. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1323}
{"speech_id":1090130009,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the facts are crystal clear: The Republican progrowth economic policies adopted by this House and this Congress are leading the way. and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put politics aside. -vote for the American people. vote today to prevent a tax increase on millions of hardworking American families.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1323}
{"speech_id":1090130016,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise in opposition to Americas energy policy. which takes from the working class Americans and rewards ri6h oil companies. Under President Bushs plan more than $20 billion has been waived in royalty fees and more than $5 billion in giveaways to big oilproducing corporations. Legislation considered by this body last week targeted our States and our communities as the culprits of high gas prices. rather than pointing a finger at oil companies who made more than $110 billion in profits in 2005 and $16 billion in the first 3 months of 2006. But we know better. Just yesterday. the Environmental Council of States stated that they were not aware of any credible report that our States are denying or lagging behind on permitting of new refineries and the expansion of existing refineries. Documentation to the contrary has not been presented to our committee. Energy and Commerce Committee. Rather than take on wealthy oil company executives. this administration and this body continue to delay real action to help working class families and small businesses. I hope that we can resolve this issue soon.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090130023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would -like to congratulate the Reverend Monsignor Emilio Vallina in celebration of his 54 years of service. As a servant of God. he has truly made a difference in the San Juan Bosco Church community in my congressional district of Miami. Florida. San Juan Bosco Church is fortunate to have an individual who gives so generously of his time and energy to improve our area. It is the perseverance and compassion of people like Monsignor Vallina that help in the development of a stronger south Florida. After fleeing the tyrannical Castro regime in 1961. Monsignor Emilio has dedicated himself to the teaching and the practice of the Catholic doctrine. His church in East Little Havana welcomes the poor immigrants. the homeless and the lonely. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":958}
{"speech_id":1090130023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Monsignor Emilio Vallina deserves commendation for his hard work and his continuous effort to improve the welfare of our community. May God continue to bless you. my friend. Monsignor Emilio Vallina.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":958}
{"speech_id":1090130029,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of HPrize. an exciting opportunity to do for hydrogen what the X Prize did for entrepreneurial space flight. First of all. it is important for us to get a handle on what our need is. why it is that we are aiming at hydrogen. why we must accelerate the drive for hydrogen. Li 1045 Probably a picture is worth a thousand words. So here is a picture of a gas line in China. As you can see. if that is the future. our addiction to oil becomes a significant problem for us. ","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5999}
{"speech_id":1090130029,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ExxonMobil predicts in their energy report at the end of last year that global energy demand will grow by 60 percent between now and 2030. The challenge. of course. for us in that is that that increase in global energy demand will necessitate a 40 percent increase in OPEC oil production. Even if they have got it. do we really want to be that much more dependent on countries in OPEC? So the idea is to figure out a way to break our addiction to oil. to move away from this dependence that we are currently in. The Ansari X PRIZE did for entrepreneurial space flight what the HPrize can do for hydrogen. As you know. Burt Rattans spaceship won. became the first private spaceship in commercial use and flew within 2 weeks successfully and back to the Earth. That is the idea. that is the model that we are using here in the HPrize. The HPrize would basically set up three categories of prizes. The first is an everyotheryear $1 million prize for breakthroughs in production. storage. distribution and -utilization of hydrogen. Every other year. as well. we would issue a prize of $4 million for breakthroughs in prototypes. ","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5999}
{"speech_id":1090130029,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And then. within 10 years. a $10 million prize for the team that can transform from well to wheels essentially. or as one of our colleagues pointed out. from water to wheels. if you are thinking about splitting water to create hydrogen. That team that can do that transformation would win a $10 million prize. augmented. we hope. by up to $40 million worth of private money that would be added to the prize amount. That private money would be matched dollar for dollar to the venture capital that was raised by the team that does the transformation. So it is a. way of testing the teams ability to get us all the way to the governments objective. which is not to declare a winner in a science project. but rather. to get all the way to the marketplace. So if a.team can do it. if they can break us through to the hydrogen economy. they would get the $10 million. but then they would get a dollarfordollar match of up to $40 million if we can raise that private money for their venture capital. And so they would have $50 million to get to the marketplace. Now. along the way. we have had helpful suggestions from various members of the committee and other Members not on the committee. And it is true that there are other competing technologies. For example. a breakthrough in better batteries could supplant hydrogen. Better solar cells could replace or win out in this race to the. fuel of the future. ","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5999}
{"speech_id":1090130029,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those. I see. as the three big competitors: hydrogen. solar cells and then better batteries. What we hope to do in the HPrize is incentivize the breakthrough . the creativity that can get us to a hydrogen economy. Along the way I think I am hearing from other Members of Congress about possible other prizes that would incentivize perhaps solar or perhaps better battery technology. I think it makes sense to have prizes because the beauty of prizes. as we heard from Peter Diamondes. the founder of the X Prize. is. of course. if nobody wins. you dont pay the prize money. So the government basically gets the research done for free until somebody meets the metrics of the prize. and then we award the prize money. So I am very supportive of other prizes. It is also true that it has worked before. We \"have actually done prizes in the past. In fact. the transcontinental railroad essentiallyhad some prizes in it. both dollarpermile for the railroad companies rewarded by the Congress. appropriations from this body. and also a great deal of land that was offered to the railroads if they could do this. if they could complete the transcontinental railroad. ","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5999}
{"speech_id":1090130029,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. of course. the thing- that I think we all need to be aware of is that this was done in 6 years. The transcontinental railroad was begun in 1863. completed in 1869. And you know. there was a lot going on during that time period. In fact. there was the Civil War under way. But the United States. with the support of the U.S. Congress. united east and west within 6 years. We can. because we have done it before. Now. in 1927 Charles Lindbergh won a prize for being the first to successfully go in a transcontinental flight across the Atlantic Ocean. That is a transatlantic flight over the Atlantic Ocean. And that prize incentivized him and caused him to go for it. ","speaker_name":"BOB INGLIS","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5999}
{"speech_id":1090130064,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have to say that my friend in his opening remarks said that he did not question our motives* and I appreciate the fact he did not question our motives. He basically said he thought we were insane. He questioned our sanity. I understand that means slightly insane. but the fact is my friends on the other side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker. appear to be fearless in the face of the facts because the facts clearly are that no matter how you try to obfuscate it we are enjoying tremendous economic growth because of the tax cuts. I am a proud Republican. I am a proud Republican. and by virtue of being a Republican I was born to cut taxes. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5583}
{"speech_id":1090130064,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud of the fact that I was born to cut taxes because I believe that not only should people be able to keep more of their own hardearned money. but I believe that cutting taxes is what generates the kind of economic growth - that will allow us to deal with the extraordinarily pressing problems that my friend from Fort Lauderdale mentioned. J 1145 It is clear we want to do everything we can to help the underclass. the poor. those struggling to get onto the first rung of the economic ladder. There is no doubt about that. I do not believe we do anythigat all to help those who are struggling by trying to penalize the job creators. The founder of my party. Abraham Lincoln. said it best. although I guess he didnt actually say it. but he is always credited with saying that you cant pull up the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. .So the standard old argument of class warfare. us versus them. is a tired. worn and failed argument. I believe we need to do everything we can to again look at the facts. The facts are that the first quarter of this year saw a 4.8 percent gross domestic product growth. Virtually unprecedented. very strong. bold. dynamic growth. We are going to see the Federal Reserve have a 250 basis point increase in interest rates. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5583}
{"speech_id":1090130064,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why? Because they are making sure we do not go into inflation. I am not a proponent of seeing the 16th consecutive increase in rates. but the fact is we do have a growing economy. As we look at those who are struggling to get onto the first rung of the economic ladder. it is very important to note that they are individuals who frankly are enjoying a higher standard of living than has been the case in the past. Last night in the Rules Committee. Mr. HASTINGS and I engaged in a discussion on homeownership and the savings rate. We know it is regularly discussed that Americans are not huge savers. We do not have as high a savings rate as some other countries do. but when you look at the level of homeownership in this country. the highest level of minority homeownership that this Nation has ever seen. in excess of 50 percent of those in the minority community own their homes. On a nationwide basis. it is nearly 70 percent of the American people own their own homes. That is forced savings. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5583}
{"speech_id":1090130064,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As people pay down their mortgages. they are seeing their asset. their savings increased. Obviously as we see the increase in value of property. we are also seeing those savings increased. So that is taking place today. And to the argument. Mr. Speaker. of this lack of revenues to the Treasury. as I said to my friend just a few minutes ago. during the month of April we actually saw a budget surplus. We saw a budget surplus for the month of April thathas come about because of the economic growth that was put into place through these tax cuts. Now we want to encourage investment. We hear Republicans and Democrats alike talk about the need to encourage investment. Frankly. one of the reasons that this measure is so critically important is that we look at the problem of uncertainty out there. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5583}
{"speech_id":1090130064,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The reduction of the rate on capital gains and dividends to 15 percent is. if we do nothing. set to expire in 2008. What does that mean? It means there will be a tax increase that clearly will slow the economy if we do nothing. So what is it that we have found by making sure that we keep that rate low and extending it for at least 2 years? I and a majority of this House would like to make it permanent. Unfortunately. because of rules in the other body. we have not been able to make it permanent. But we need to make it permanent and at least extend it for these 2 years. Why? So the job creators -out there can plan and save for the future. so they can make longterm investments that will create more jobs and opportunities for the American worker. Mr. Speaker. if you look at what has happened. again we have seen an increase in the flow of revenues to the Treasury because of what it is that we have done here. My friend raised concern about middle income Americans. That is one of the reasons that we addressed the socalled alternative minimum tax. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5583}
{"speech_id":1090130078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The point that I am making. Mr. Speaker. is the fact that if you look at someone who is paying taxes. you look at what their tax liability is. and again I get to the point that we raise that we have seen the American people who are earning in excess of $200.000 a year. Mr. Speaker.. having a tax payment to the Federal Treasury .that is twice that of all other taxpayers. twice that of all other taxpayers. the rate of growth of that. And so I think that we need to realize it is the job creators who pay taxes and it is the job creators who. with tax relief. will be able to create more opportunity in this country to make sure that those who are less fortunate. those about whom my friend from Ft. Lauderdale and I are concerned. And to somehow imply that there is not concern on this side of the aisle for those who are trying to have opportunity in this country is a preposterous argument. We care even more. I would argue. because we are the ones who are guaranteeing everything possible to provide them with opportunity will be met. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1773}
{"speech_id":1090130078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And so I say. Mr. Speaker. that we are in a position where this measure is going to allow investors to plan and save. It will provide a little certainty. And we need to remember that more than half of the American people. 91 million Americans. are today members of the investment class. One of the things we need to note is that many people who are earning $40-. $50-. $60.000 a year. in fact. the income for the median shareholder in this country is $65.000 a year. not considered to be very rich. but they will be the beneficiaries of keeping this capital gains rate and the dividend rate at 15 percent. And so that is why. Mr. Speaker. I believe that this is a measure which is going to be beneficial all the way across the board.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1773}
{"speech_id":1090130105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her recognition of the Nnitional Guard. I share her adiniration and appreciation for that splendid service. I certainly appreciate her remarks and the bipartisan way in which we arrived at a common agreement on end strength. and also appreciate her praise for the committees strong bipartisan work on TRICARE. while recognizing she would prefer to go a little bit further. But I think we certainly went much further in both those areas than the original administration proposal. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":644}
{"speech_id":1090130105,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":644}
{"speech_id":1090130164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentlemans courtesy in permitting me to speak on this. Mr. Chairman. I rise to thank Chairman HUNTER and Ranking Member SKELTON for the real progress that this legislation represents for our men and women in uniform. I think this is truly landmark legislation in this regard. I also deeply appreciate the work of the committee leadership in working viith me to include section 311 to improve the management of our unexploded ordnance and munition response programs. This is going to pay dividends for our troops here at home. In the long run it is going to save money for the taxpayers. and the more progress we make here we are going to develop technology and techniques that are going to make people safer around the world. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090130164,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do want to share a troubling story that came forth in my community this weekend of military recruitment abuse. a problem that frankly I thought was behind us. An 18yearold autistic high schdol student who. despite a clear disability. was recruited into the Army. in the calvary as a scout. despite the strong objection of his parents and in apparent violation of military rules. After news media attention and our office intervened. the Army has recently backpedaled. But this is an outrageous situation. I .hayq heard from numerous source. tl b4 is:.young man was not even aware tha$ we were fighting in Iraq when he~waa&.being recruited in and signed a contract to serve in the Army. _0 The evidence strongly. suggests that the recruiters purposefully withheld information about his disability in order to circumvent the rules. This does not appear to be an isolated incident. Pentagon statistics show accusations of recruitment abuses are at record levels. I have called upon the Secretary of Defense for an investigation at least in this situation. because we need to get to the bottom of it. andit is likely not just one isolated case around the country. To be the finest fighting force in the world. we must continue to demand the most rigorous standards of conduct at all ranks of the military. including recruiting. Mr. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090130164,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I hope that the Armed Services Committee will work with me as this bill moves forward to make sure that safeguards are in place to make sure what happened to this young student never happens again and. most important. to make sure the integrity of the people he would serve with are protected as well. Thank you for your courtesy.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2427}
{"speech_id":1090130169,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. from the mountains of Afghanistan to the desert country of Iraq to the jungles of many hemispheres. Special Operations and Special Forces personnel in the U.S. military are cognizant of an individual in this House who works for them night and day. and that is JIM SAXTON. who is the chairman of the Terrorism and Special Operations Subcommittee. and I want to recognize the gentleman for 4 minutes.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":412}
{"speech_id":1090130199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank Chairman HUNTER. Ranking Member SKELTON. and committee staff for including my legislation improving. TRICARE dental coverage into this bill. Currently. TRICARE will only pay for medically necessary dental work in a hospital if the condition has a medical component. That means if a young child or disabled dependent has a serious dental condition and cannot be treated in the office. the general anesthesia costs get passed to the family. As a former Army and private practice dentist. I can tell you that hospital dental care is medically necessary in limited cases. and that these costs are an- unjust burden on military families. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":743}
{"speech_id":1090130199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This Authorization finally acknowledges that fact. and I urge its support.","speaker_name":"CHARLES NORWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":743}
{"speech_id":1090130233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam - ?? Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the Davis amendment. which authorizes military doctors to perform abortions at military overseas hospitals. This policy was rejected every year for the last 10 years. and I look forward once more to voting against it. Current law was signed by President Clinton in 1996 and bans the use of military facilities for abortions except in the case of incest. rape or where the life of the mother is at risk. Rest assured. women in the military do have access to the elective medical procedures they want. Therefore. this debate is not about a womans right to obtain treatment. This debate is about maintaining the principal mission of military medical centers to heal and to protect human life. Madam Chair. this amendment overturns this mission and turns these facilities into abortion clinics at the American taxpayers expense. I. forone.\"Will. iiot- uport the use of Federal funds or military lo0spitals. to promote or to perform abortions.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":989}
{"speech_id":1090130267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me compliment the gentlewoman on this amendment. It eminently makes sense. It adds the words that the frequency of assignments during service career as one of the several factors that the Secretary of Defense should consider in calling Selected Reservists to active duty. I think it is well done. As you know. a good number of them have been asked on a frequent basis to serve. when in truth and fact. if they look at the records closely. they might not very well have called those particular people. It just requires them to consider and take a good look at it. I compliment the gentlewoman.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":610}
{"speech_id":1090130290,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that the House is finally able to take up the conference report. The last time the House visited the Reconciliation Act of 2005 was in December of last year. The minority was very much concerned about dealing with the alternative minimum tax problem facing millions of American taxpayers. We were also concerned. primarily on this side of the aisle. with making sure that the economy continued its robust growth. I am very pleased to announce today that there should be near unanimous support on the other side of the aisle for this reconciliation agreement. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3081}
{"speech_id":1090130290,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When we offered the alternative minimum tax outside of reconciliation. we got 414 votes for providing that alternative minimum tax relief outside of reconciliation. Subsequenit to the House passing the reconciliation measure. my friends on the other side of the aisle offered. not once but twice. motions to instruct to require the conference to place in the reconciliation measure alternative minimum tax repeal. It is my pleasure to announce today that the wishes of my friends on the other side of the aisle have been granted. The alternative minimum tax. in the most comprehensive way ever offered. is part of this package. because it is so comprehensive. that more than 15 million Americans will not pay the alternative minimum tax once this bill becomes law in 2006. and that. in addition. more than 2 million taxpayers will not have any liability because of this bill. Because of its comprehensive nature. this is the only opportunity for Members of the House to vote to provide alternative minimum tax relief to taxpayers. And so I look forward to having my colleagues join me since we have provided in the reconciliation package what they have voted for and have asked for. I am also pleased to announce to my friends on both side of the aisle that this measure also contains a provision which extends one of the primary stim.ulus factors in the economy. and that is the ability to pay only a 15 percent tax on dividends for investing in the economy and 15 percent on capital gains for taking a risk opportunity In the economy. I will say for those items that were in both the House and the Senate bills that are not part of this package. we are working on an additional important tax relief package which will provide that opportunity. And I know my colleagues on the other. sides of the aisle. especially those who represent the States that will see the greatest relief under the alternative minimum tax. those Members who represent the States of California. New York. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3081}
{"speech_id":1090130290,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Florida. Pennsylvania. Massachusetts. New Jersey. they will be pleased to note that a \"yes\" vote on this reconciliation measure provides the tax relief and. I might underscore. the only opportunity for tax relief on the alternative minimum tax measure. I might say in the reverse. that if a Member does not vote for this measure. they are. in essence. then voting to raise taxes on more than 15 million Americans. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3081}
{"speech_id":1090130292,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I do want to make a slight correction on a factual basis. The gentleman from New York knows full well. in the reconciliation package the single largest item is the alter= native minimum tax relief. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona . a member of the committee.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":356}
{"speech_id":1090130344,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. -just today one leading national newspaper reported the Federal revenue has gone up 11.2 percent in the first 7 months of this fiscal year over last year. three times the rate of inflation. The tax cuts enacted under Chairman THOMAS leadership have strengthened the economy so much that not only has Federal revenue gone way up. but growth was 4.8 percent the first quarter.. and unemployment is at a very low 4.7 percent. Now. as to the deficit and the debt that some on the other side have mentioned. they are too high. But those on the other side attack us continually for not spending enough on every program out there. Well. you cant have it both ways. You cant continualy enact big increases in spending and lower the debt at the same time. But the best way. the *best thing we can do is to keep lowering taxes so we can keep improving our economy. And I commend Chairman TOMAs and his staff. and I thank the gentleman for giving me this time. And I rise in strong support and urge support for this copference report.","speaker_name":"JOHN DUNCAN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1036}
{"speech_id":1090130346,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member for the opportunity to be heard. I was sitting in my chair over there. and people kept complimenting me today about this scarf that is about Save the Children. And I started thinking. you know. when I was a little girl we used to play this game called \"What Time Is It. Mr. Wolf\" And Mr. Wolf would say. \"1:00.\" And we would go on and you say. \"Well. what time is it. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090130346,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Wolf?\" And he would say. \"2:00.\" And then next was. \"Well. what time is it. Mr. Wolf?\" And then he would say. \"Its time to eat you up.\" And that is what I am thinking about with this legislation. What time is it? It ought to be time for our children to know that we would expend money to improve opportunities for education. It ought to be time for us to take morley and tell seniors you dont have to sign up on May 15. you sign up when you get ready. but we are going to ensure you that you have a prescription drug benefit. It ought to be time to tell children across the country that we are going to extend deductions for classroom expenses for teachers. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090130346,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It ought to be time that we would extend deduction of tuition and related expenses for students. It ought to be time that we tell companies that we are going to provide them an.R&D. or research and development. tax credit. It ought to be time for us to tell working. families that we are going to cover the AMT and remove it from the situation. But. instead. when we ask. \"What time is it. Mr. Wolf?\" his response is that we are going to make sure that the top 1 percent get a tax deduction. And one of my colleagues said. \"You ought to have faith in -the human spir-: it.\" When I say. \"What time is it. ","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090130346,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Wolf?\" I am afraid that there is no human spirit left out here. because if there was human spirit in the House of Representatives. we would not even be debating this issue today. What time is it. Mr. Wolf? Well. today we are going to deal with some tax reductions. and when we ask. Well. why not the AMT for a longer period of time? Oh. we are going to do that in the next tax bill. And the appearance they want to give to the world is that each month we are going to do a tax bill reduction. Instead of \"What time is it. Mr. Wolf?\" I am going to take care of the children.","speaker_name":"STEPHANIE JONES","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2251}
{"speech_id":1090130354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I had prepared remarks talking about the fact that so many people said we couldnt. absolutely couldnt do a middle class tax break for 2006 on AMT. We absolutely couldnt put that withholding the tax rates for 2 more years on capital gains and on dividends. and some might have even forgotten that expensing for small business section 179 allows an extension of the opportunity to have an additional 2 years of expensing of $100.000 on small business. So when I listened to my colleague from the other side of the aisle put forth the politics of the party of \"no.\" what he failed to say and what we saw on the weekend talk shows. the Democratic Party stands for more taxes and bigger government. He was quick to outline the things he would likt to see Federal Government spend. but he didnt tell you it is going to come from a tax increase. There is no comparison. If you cannot support this legislation today to continue middle class tax cuts for the AMT and to. help businesses continue the economy that has the strength that we have seen and strength for quarter after quarter after quarter. it was a clear message from the financial markets and Wall Street and businesses across Main Street U.S.A. today. give us continuity 6f knowing that we have the opportunity of having both dividends and capital gains as part of our planning. More importantly. fit in expenses so we can plan the small businesses that we can write 100 grand off. Maybe the Democratic Party has been out of touch with mainstream businesses across our country because that is a clear message they asked us to get done. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090130354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman THOMAS and the conferees have completed that work. I urge passage of this legislation today because it is going to give a break to middle class America. Mr. Speaker. as the lead sponsor of the Houses middleclass AMT relief billwhich has been incorporated into the legislation before us todayI rise in strong support of this conference report. For months now. weve heard our friends on the other side of the aisle tell us that we must choose between extending the lower rates on investments and the need to extend essential middleclass AMT relief. For months. theyve said we cant do both. And for months. the party or no has offered no solutions and no fresh ideasjust slash and bum attacks on the Republican majority. But today. Mr. Speaker. our majority is moving and with our positive agenda on behalf of Americas hardworking taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090130354,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With regard to the AMT. many in this chamber will recall that the House passed my Stealth Tax Relief Act late last year by an overwhelming. bipartisan vote of 414 to 4. That legislation would prevent this stealth tax from sneaking up on millions of unsuspecting middleclass taxpayers by extending the temporary AMT relief for one additional year. I would remind my colleagues that the stealth tax was never intended to hit the middle class. It was originally enacted in 1969 to prevent a small percentage of taxpayers with very high incomes from paying little or no Federal income tax. However. because the AMT was never adjusted for inflation. it is now threatening more and more middle class taxpayers each year as they climb the income ladder. While Congress must certainly continue to work toward a permanent solution on this critical issue. our immediate task is clear. Americas middle class deserves to have its temporary AMT relief extended. and I am very pleased that my legislation serves as a centerpiece of todays conference report. I am also pleased that the conference agreement includes an extension of.the lower rates for capital gains and dividends. This is an important priority not just for the evergrowing investor classwhich includes millions of seniors and other middleclass Americansbut for our economy as a whole. Thanks in large part to these lower rates on investments. tax revenues have been streaming into the Federal Treasury at a record pace. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090130354,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And these lower rateswhich are particularly important to the economy of my home state of New Yorkhave helped keep our Nations economy strong and our domestic job base growing. Mr. Speaker. I commend Chairman THOMAS and the other conferees for their efforts to ensure that these critical priorities are addressed. and I urge my colleagues to support this muchneeded tax relief with a strong. bipartisan vote.","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4331}
{"speech_id":1090130413,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the SimmonsDavisDavis amendment in the defense authorization bill. This amendment will safeguard national security and ensure fiscal responsibility by preventing the security clearances of defense contractors from expiring until the Department of Defense resumes processing their requests for security clearance investigations and fully funds its personnel security clearance program for fiscal year 2007. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment. On Friday. April 28. I discovered DODs security clearance processing arm. the Defense Security Service. was imposing a moratorium on all requests for private sector security clearance investigations. DSS reported that it experienced a massive spike in the number of clearance requests andthat it didnt have the resources to handle this spike. DSS. therefore. decided to just turn off the spigot. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2343}
{"speech_id":1090130413,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is. frankly. unacceptable. It is an unacceptable solution to what should have been a very foreseeable problem. I will be chairing a Government Reform Committee hearing on May 17 to examine this issue in more detail. In the meantime we cannot put defense contractors that -need to -review employees clearances in the. position of having to choose between firing their employees or granting uncleared personnel access to classified materials and facilities. The government spends billions of dollars each year on defense contracts requiring workers with security clearances to do the work. If contractors are unable to find enough cleared personnel who have access to classified information. the cost of these contracts increases dramatically. Simply supply and demand. not enough people with the clearance. too much work to do. and the taxpayers are then forced to pick up the tab and our national security suffers. Therefore. I rise in strong support of the SimmonsDavisDavis amendment to prevent the Department of Defense from revoking expiring security clearances until DOD is able to get a handle on the current crisis and resume processing requests for security clearance investigations in a timely and efficient mainer. This amendment does not fix the problem. but it keeps. it from getting worse. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2343}
{"speech_id":1090130413,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is an important issue for national security and fiscal responsibility. I urge my colleagues tosupport this important amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2343}
{"speech_id":1090130430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of this amendment. I had the honor to serve 4 years on active duty in the U.S. Army and over 30 years as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. and as somebody who has commanded troops who have deployed. there is nothing more demoralizing. to get unequal pay for equal duty. To support a resolution that provides for equity for our Guard and Reserve is very important. I thank the gentleman for his amendment.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090130443,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 802) encouraging all eligible Medicare beneficiaries who have not yet elected enroll in the new Medicare Part D benefit to review the available options and to determine whether enrollment in a Medicare prescription drug plan best meets their current and future needs for prescription drug coverage.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":376}
{"speech_id":1090130449,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to discuss something of great importance to all Medicare beneficiaries. As my colleagues are no doubt aware. on January 1 of this year. prescription drug coverage for our seniors became more than just something we talked about in this body. It became a reality for every single person eligible for Medicare. This legislation accomplished a very important thing. It helped millions of senior citizens save thousands of dollars on their prescription drugs. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090130449,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For years. before enactment of this new benefit. we heard the horror stories of our seniors having to choose between groceries or their medicines. or having to cut their pills in half. all because they just couldnt afford their prescription drugs. Well. now. all those beneficiaries have the option to havegood drug coverage and have the quality of life that we wish for all of our American seniors. As of today. we have nearly 37 million Medicare beneficiaries with drug coverage. This is an outstanding number. The unparalleled effort to get this brandnew change to Medicare up and coverage and you are not on Medicaid. running and get people enrolled has this deadline is binding on you. truly been incredible. However. there Unless you enroll by the 15th. you are still individuals who have not yet face a late penalty that increases each signed up. and we want to make sure month until you do enroll. Your next that they are aware of this new benefit enrollment opportunity isnt until Noand can examine the options available vember. but the penalty rises anyway. to them. and can and will make a deci- When and if you do enroll. the accusion as to whether or not to sign up. mulated penalty will be added to your We have to remember. though. that monthly part D premium. Most benethis is a voluntary -benefit. If a bene- ficiaries who sign up in November will ficiary chooses not to enroll. then that pay a 7 percent penalty for as long as is his or her choice. However. we will they have coverage. ensure that all seniors have the infor- Why should seniors be tied to the mation available to them to make such original deadline when the part D proan informed decision. gram missed its own deadline? We are on the verge of an important Part D was supposed to be up and date in the implementation of the new running by January 1. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090130449,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unless you beMedicare prescription drug benefit. lieve that mass confusion. major comThe initial enrollment period for drug puter glitches. daily bad press. hitorcoverage ends at midnight. May 15. All miss consumer assistance qualifies as beneficiaries who have not signed up up and running. then part D was not up for this new benefit will need to make and running by January 1 or February a choice. If there is a Medicare pre- 1 or March 1. It is barely up and runscription drug plan out there that will ning now. save you money on your prescriptions. Why are Medicare enrollees being I would urge these seniors to sign up pressured into a drug plan? Where is before May 15 in order to avoid paying the line between pressure and coercion? a penalty. Like Medicare part B. if a And what right does the Federal Govbeneficiary fails to enroll in part D ernment have to let the drug industry during their initial eligibility period. and the .insurance industry. and what then they may have to pay a penalty. right does the President have and the Even if you are a Medicare bene- Republican leadership in Congress have ficiary who doesnt have any prescrip- to let the drug companies and the intion medicines right now. I urge you to surance industry write this bill. pass in consider signing up. You cant wait the middle of the night and then penaluntil you have had an automobile acci- ize seniors when they are confused by dent to buy automobile insurance. And this bill? If some seniors are wary of if you are eligible today and can save enrolling. who can blame them? money. then I urge you to sign up be- Aided by a less than hospitable Web fore the open enrollment period ends. site. a blizzard of insurance company Local outreach efforts and enroll- marketing materials. an overburdened ment events are being continued across Medicare hotline. seniors are being the country. and the capacity is in asked to choose a drug plan that they place to help callers who phone to 1- simply cant understand. that no one 800Medicare. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090130449,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"People wi*th Medicare can understand very well. can join a Medicare drug plan through State and local agencies trying to the mail. by phone or over the Web now help Medicare beneficiaries. including through May 15 of 2006. All completed my office and the office of Mr. GREEN applications postmarked on May 15 and Mr. ALLEN and Mr. STARK and Mr. must be processed. MCDERMOTT. are doing the best we can. I urge all my colleagues to help their But navigating part D hasnt been easy constituents to examine all the options for any of us. available to them. We cant afford to There are 400.000 Medicare benelet the opportunity to save thousands ficiaries in my State who have not of dollars on prescription medicines signed up. They shouldnt be pressured. pass even one of our seniors by. They shouldnt be penalized. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090130449,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Seniors I encourage. therefore. my colleagues didnt ask the Republican majority to to adopt this resolution. bypass Medicare and build a drug covMr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of erage obstacle course. Seniors didnt my time. ask the Republican majority to let the","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5477}
{"speech_id":1090130487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow what Dr. BURGESS says. but GAO says 60 percent of the calls to 1800 Medicare they have given out wrong information. and I wish our government would get organized before they penalize seniors for not being organized. . Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Madison. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":383}
{"speech_id":1090130487,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Wisconsin","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":383}
{"speech_id":1090130488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it has really been clear from day\" one that the Medicare part D prescription drug pro.gram was planned with the best interests of drug companies and insurance companies butnot seniors in mind. This plan was wrongfully conceived. and then poorly implemented so that seniors had to struggle to understand a confusing mass of plans. prices and protocols. As we approach the deadline by which seniors must enroll in a plan or be faced forever more with a financial penalty. it is obvious that we need a new prescription for progress. Just last week. a GAO report found that the information about the part D benefit provided by CMS through the hotline and handbooks and their Web site was full of errors. We should not penalize seniors fbr a poorly -designed program which was poorly implemented. Mr. Speaker. we must change this deadline now and allow seniors adequate time to study their options and choose the- drug plan that best fits their needs. Instead of passing this meaningless resolution. we should pass legislation to extend the deadline and truly help seniors.","speaker_name":"TAMMY BALDWIN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1081}
{"speech_id":1090130515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk for 5 minutes on this issue known as climate change. Are humans affecting the climate or is it the natural influence of natural variabilities? Mr. Speaker. if people will look back into their middle school and high school years. they will remember their silence class. their geography class. maybe their geology class. and they learned that the planet Earth over millions of years varied in its climate. Sometimes we had very warm periods and sometimes we had very cold periods. Sometimes the tropics were as far north as Canada and sometimes ice ages covered much of North America. But the point is. what do we remember about the details and the facts on how they occurred? I think maybe Jay Leno should ask that question in a \"Jay Walking\" exercise. \"What do you know about climate change?\" Well. in past eons of times. tens of thousands of years ago. millions of years ago there were very few human beings on the planet and those human beings were not burning fossil fuel. Today we have six billion people on planet Earth and many of those people are burning coal. natural gas. oil. gasoline. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3893}
{"speech_id":1090130515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are burning for their energy sources fossil fuel. And the fossil fuel that we are burning in the modern era of time is putting more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere in decades than the natural variabilities of planet Earth locked up over millions of years. Why is fossil fuel important when we are looking at the issue of climate change or global warming? When you burn fossil fuel it puts into the atmosphere a gas known as CO or carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the chief element. the chief gas. in the atmosphere that controls climate. that controls the heat balance. We call this the \"greenhouse effect.\" Sunlight comes in. but because of COG. some of it cannot be radiated out so we have had a pretty good of balance of climate on the planet. at least for the last few thousand years. Now. how much COG is in the atmosphere that has this huge effect on the climate? E 2015 Less than 1 percent of the atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide. Way less than 1 percent of the atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide. but it has a huge effect. So you can see that any variability in carbon dioxide will have quite severe consequences on the planet. How much CO2 was in the atmosphere 10.000 years ago. at the very edge of the end of that Ice Age? Ten thousand years ago. there were 180 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Thousands of years later. with a warming trend. a natural warming trend on the planet. almost 10.000 years later. it was 280 parts per million. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3893}
{"speech_id":1090130515,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Two hundred years ago on the planet. during the early American days. there were 80 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere. One hundred years ago. that increased by a small fraction. 100 years ago. there were 290 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere. Now. this sounds like a lot of calculations and a lot of numbers. 100 years ago. 290 parts per million. heat balanced because of CO2. One hundred years later. now. we are talking about 100 percentage points. 100 parts per million difference over 10.000 years. What happened in the last 100 years? We are at 380 parts per million in the last 100 years. What normally would take 10.000 years to happen in a natural variation. variability. fluctuation.. we did in 100 years. The estimate will be. by the year 2050. we are likely to be over 500 parts per million. That means we have had more of a dramatic increase in CO2 that controls the climate in 100 years than happened 5 million years ago. The Earth is warming because of the increase in CO2 because of the burning of fossil fuel. The hottest years on record have happened since the 1980s. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3893}
{"speech_id":1090130515,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The major institutions of science in the United States have concluded that the matter of climate change is settled. Human activity is having an influence on the planet.","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3893}
{"speech_id":1090130594,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think this is fascinating. as you go through this litany of consequences of. you know. Bush. Republican. neoconservative economic policies. I think what we see here. the cumulative effect in the aggregate of all of these policies is the erosion of the middle class in this country. Debbie. you are correct. More and more people are getting closer to falling into that poverty. The middle class. if this reckless spending. policies that advantage only the extremely wealthy continue in* this country. we wont have a middle class. We will look like some banana republic in Central America. This is the reality that we face. I think we can all agree that without a healthy vibrant middle class our very democracy is at risk.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":723}
{"speech_id":1090130621,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as we go through this tonight. the 30 Somethings two key thirdparty validatorg are the former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Congressman Pat Toomey. now president of the Club for Growth. both saying that there is outofcontrol spending. outofcontrol government.. dysfunctional. and the American people know that. Any Members who would like to come to our Web site. www.housedemocrats.gov\/30Something. www.housedemocrats.gov\/3OSomething.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":463}
{"speech_id":1090130630,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have good graphmakers among our staff. You talk about summer gas prices. Just look at the difference over the years since the Republicans have been in charge. In 2002. Mr. CARNAHAN. the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.39. that was the summer of 2002. Then you go to the summer of 2003. it was $1.57. 2004. $1.90. Move over to the summer of just last year. $2.37. And then this April. just last month. we hit $2.91. Now. most of us in the last several weeks have all paid over $3 in most communities across America. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":658}
{"speech_id":1090130630,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So this is the reality of the rosy Republican economy that they have been describing and painting for us over the last several days.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":658}
{"speech_id":1090130647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the cynicism is layer upon layer. but here is the other cynical part of this. -They are also using. the Republicans and the Bush administration. this as an excuse to say. well. now. we tneed to go drill in Alaska. in wilderness areas. and now we need to drill offshore in many of our reserved areas off our States along our coast. Those would not be available for years. They are a small fraction of production that we need. and if we would just channel that money back into true. aggressive investing in research and getting transitioned to a new economy with alternative fuel. ethanol. biodiesel fuels that we can grow and produce in the Midwest. instead of depending on the Middle East. our economy would be so much stronger. It would produce jobs. It would be a cleaner environment. and it would truly lessen our dependence on foreign oil.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":856}
{"speech_id":1090130658,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Your comments. I think. do speak to the frustrations we hear from Americans. But I hope that as we end this evenings discussion. we can also.leave with the understanding that Americans. I hope. will feel hopeful. Because. in fact. you point out that if we use common sense. if we use our political will. if we sit down to work out these issues. we could do that. I think that is what the American people expect of us and it is also something that I think as freshmen we are offering back. that we want to be able to say we can do this. we want to do it. we want to be able to tackle these problems and we want all of the best ideas. and there are so many out there. to be able to offer the American people the secure Nation that they want. the opportunities for their children economically and educationally and the kind of hope for the future that they all want.","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":863}
{"speech_id":1090130831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last night. once again. the majority on the Rules Committee had an opportunity to demortrate that this House is capable of debating the many important issues relevant to the defense authorization bill. But once again. they turned their backs to a full and open debate. Once again. the -majority on the Rules Committee had an opportunity to demonstrate that Members of the minority and their concerns will be treated with respect. But once again. the majority on the Rules Committee showed that courtesy. respect. and collegiality are not part of their vocabulary. Mr. Speaker. when a bill has a provision that directly affects another Members district and that Member.wishes to offer an amendment to debate the consequences of such a provision. simple courtesy requires that the amendment should be made in. order. Yet last night. the gentlewoman from California. Congresswoman CAPPS. was denied her right to speak and act on behalf of her constituents and to have her amendment made in order to strike from the bill the section -that prohibits the National Park Service from carrying out the .1997 courtordered settlement that stops trophy hunting on Santa Rosa Island. Twicd the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee was asked. whether he had any problems with Mrs. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3742}
{"speech_id":1090130831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CAPPS offering her amendment. and he said he aid not. I respect the chairman of the Armed Services Committee.0 and I appreciate. the work that he and the ranking member. Mr. SKELTON. have done together. But if the chairman had no objection. and I have the transcript here. then why did. the Rules Committee have an objection to this? Of the 100 amendments submitted to the Rules Committee for consideration. scarcely a third of those were allowed to be debated under yesterdays rule and this rule. This morning. this rule makes 23 amendments in order. 10 of which are bipartisan amendments or offered by Democrats. and of those 10. four simply seek reports or studies. Meanwhile. as we have heard. the Rules Committee denied the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. the most honorable and most distinguished congressman. IKE SKELTON. the right to debate the only amendment he submitted to the Rules Committee. That amendment would have let this House debate whether or not to reduce drug copayments for military families. What a horrific show of disrespect. not only to Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3742}
{"speech_id":1090130831,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SKELTON. but to our military families who sacrifice every single day for our Nation. It is wrong. And if Republicans want to increase drug copayments for our military families. then make your case. But on our side of the aisle we believe the opposite. and at least there should have been a debate and a vote on this matter. If Members want to know what is wrong with this House. why civility has been lost in this House. why this House can no longer be described in any sense of the word a deliberative body. you only have to look at the rule for the defense authorization bill. The majority picks and chooses what will be debated. ignores substantive amendments. and rejects even the ranking member the right to offer important amendments. In addition to rejecting the amendments offered by Ranking Member SKELTON and Congresswoman CAPPS. the majority of the Rules Committee decided this House isnt the place to debate accountability in Iraq.again denying debate on a bipartisan amendment submitted by Mr. TIERNEY to establish a Truman Commission on Iraq. It has decided that this is not the place to debate nonproliferation issues. A bipartisan amendment was denied that was coordinated by Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3742}
{"speech_id":1090130831,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ANDREWS. that this isnt the place to talk about alternative energy resources and research and the applications within the military. They denied Mr. HoYER and","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3742}
{"speech_id":1090130901,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for working with me on this amendment. and I in particular want to thank you for all of your diligence in making sure that we have the best equipment and that the Pentagon is doing everything else possible to interdict and to defend against these improvised explosive devices. \u0095 We have all been to the funerals of our constituents that were lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of them have been lost through improvised explosive devices. I think it is the number one cause of American deaths in Iraq. and I think three out of the four families that I have gotten to know that have lost loved ones in Iraq were killed by IEDs. They have been responsible for 38 percent of all U.S. deaths in Iraq. including those from nonhostile causeg. for every month since May of 2005. Through Sunday. IEDs caused 790 American deaths in Iraq. representing a third of all U.S. fatalities since the start of the war. Clearly. the Iraqi insurgents have learned to adapt to- U.S. defensive measures by- using bigger. more sophisticated and better concealed bombs. In the first few months of the insurgency. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2157}
{"speech_id":1090130901,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"IEDs were often little more than crude pipe bombs that used oldfashioned wire detonators. Now they are sometimes made with multiple artillery shells. Iranian explosives. and rocket propellant. Gone are the days of wire detonators that were easy to spot. IEDs are now detonated by cell phones or a garage door opener and other devices. They range in size from massive explosives capable of destroying 5ton vehicles to precisionshaped charges that tear through armored vehicles. \" IEDs have also become. unfortunately. a greater problem in Afghanistan -where. according to analysts. Taliban and al Qaeda forces have been studying the lessons learned by the insurgents in Iraq. Over the past several months. American and NATO forces have been the victim of roadside bombs that previously we had just seen in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2157}
{"speech_id":1090130901,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So. Mr. Chairman. to the chairman of the committee and the ranking member. I very much look forward to working with you on this issue. I appreciate your- willingness to work on this amendment.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2157}
{"speech_id":1090130991,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of this amendment. which has the support of all of my colleagues in the Oregon delegation. Our amendment. as agreed to by the chairman and the ranking member. would require the Secretary of the Army to supply Congress with a report no later than 60 days from the enactment of this act that outlines the Armys plan regarding the receipt of all CH47 aircraft in the active and Reserve components. I would like the record to reflect that it is my intent that this report should include a description of the Armys plan. timeline and the cost for the reset of those aircraft. I also believe that the Secretary should include the status of the current backlog and the options that currently exist to accelerate the reset program. I want to thank Chairman HUNTER and Ranking Member SKELTON for working with us on this important issue to address our concerns. I look forward to working with them in the future to address the problems and obstacles that I anticipate will be identified in the Secretarys report regarding the reset program. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1161}
{"speech_id":1090130991,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague. the gentleman from Oregon","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1161}
{"speech_id":1090130996,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentlewoman will yield further. to the extent any time is available. I appreciate the chairmans words and for emphasizing that we want to be able to take advantage of the resources where they are. Whether they are the folks we have right now in the armed services or the private sector. the goal is to do the best job possible with the resources. We appreciate your cooperation and your words of support.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":425}
{"speech_id":1090131037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. in the Schakowsky amendment. the gentlewoman from Illinois provides for additional oversight and accountability of Department of Defense contractors deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would make retroactive DOD regulations for contractors issued in October 2005 on previously issued contracts upon any extension brought about by an option. It would implement a policy for conducting comprehensive background checks on foreign nationals hired by contractors operating outside of the U.S. and would also require a DOD Inspector General report on contractor overcharges and require that there are sufficient contracting officers assigned to oversee and monitor contracts in Iraqand Afghanistan. The amendment offered by Mr. JINDAL would require the Secretary of Defense in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and State governments to develop detailed operational plans regarding the use of the Armed Forces to.support activities of civil authorities known as Defense Support to Civil Authorities Missions. The amendment that is offered by","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1124}
{"speech_id":1090131057,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I offer this amendment out of a sense of frustration. I. was the prime author of the missile defense . legislation in 1998. with our friend JOHN SPRATT. that passed the House with a vetoproof margin calling for a moving forward on missile defense. At the time of that debate and leading the debate. I said to our colleagues. as I committed to the Russians. that we would do joint missile defense in cooperation so as not to create any feeling that we were trying to achieve a strategic advantage over them.In fact. the weekend before the vote. I took Don Rumsfeld. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090131057,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jim Woolsey and Bill Schneider to Moscow. along with several of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle. to reassure the Russians that this was not about scoring a strategic advantage. \u0095 Unfortunately. Mr. Chairman. 2 years ago. this administration cancelled the only remaining program with the Russians on missile defense. That program. entitled RAMOS. had been attempted to be cancelled back in the 1990s. and Senator LEVIN joined with us in blocking that cancellation. By canceling the RAMOS program. -we have sent a terrible signal to the Russian military and to their government at a time when we need to reinforce strategic cooperation with Russia. I would argue that there is no country that could assist us in dealing with both North Korea and Iran more than Russia at this point in time. but continuing to send mixed signals like the cancellation of our cooperation on missile defense is entirely taking us in the wrong direction. Now. General - Obering. who is in charge of our Missile Defense Agency. H2540 \" agrees with me. In fact. he had negotiated a contract over a year ago with the Russian General Balyuevsky to gain joint cooperation on missile defense. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090131057,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was the policy office of the Secretary of Defense that cancelled that contract that had been negotiated by General Obering. To me. that was absolutely outrageous and wrong. but yet. it has still not been corrected. Mr. Chairman. this amendment is simply designed to lay down a marker to this administration that we do have a need to work together with our Russian counterparts. They have assets that we can use. They have large. phased radar systems that can assist us in areas of the world that we cannot cover. They have the ability to provide targeting opportunities for us. They also have very sophisticated theater systems. including the S400. the S500 and the S600.. that we can work on jointly with them to learn the technologies and the techniques that the Russians have employed with their missile defense systems. So. Mr. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090131057,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I offer this amendment as a signal from the Congress. hopefully with bipartisan support. to the Pentagon and to the White House to get back on track. to do what the Congress mandated when we passed the Missile Defense Act back in 1998. and to begin and renew our cooperation. as General Obering has called for. with the Russians on missile defense cooperation. -both at the theater level and at the strategic level. I would ask that our colleagues on the other side would see fit to join with us in having this amendment be included as a part of our defense authorization bill.","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3237}
{"speech_id":1090131067,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the modification. that the majority was so kind to agree to. would name this years defense bill after one of the finest gentlemen to ever serve in this body. a former soldier. a statesman from the State of Mississippi. Sonny Montgomery. and the author of the Montgomery GI bill. The bill does a lot of things this year that I think Sonny would be very proud of. particularly extending the TRICARE privileges to guardsmen and reservists. and since we are told that former Congressman Montgomery - is under the weather. we hope that he is aware of what we are doing today because. again. I cannot think of anyone in our Nation who has done more to advance the Guard and Reserve than Sonny Montgomery. He caught a heck of a lot of heat from people when he used his friendship with thenPresident Bush to have the Guard and Reserve called up for the first Gulf War. The decision he made then. the decision President Bush made then. was absolutely the right decision. and it has led to the oneforce policy that our Nation enjoys today. So. again. I want to thank the majority for working with me on that.","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1112}
{"speech_id":1090131085,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi on two counts. first for his offering the amendment on behalf of Sonny Montgomery. and secondly. for this IED amendment. I just want to tell the gentleman that we have just tested today a new equipment package that has great potential. that we should be able to move into theater that hopefully will be able to be used in dismounted form and mounted form and that could be used on virtually every vehicle that moves out of base camp or out of forward bases. I think this is absolutely the number one causation of casualties in the theater in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that the IED has become the weapon of choice for insurgents. it is going to be used in other battlefields around the world. So our ability. our agility to move new technology through the process quickly and get it fielded is paramount. and this amendment helps to do that. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090131085,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to thank the gentleman for the value he has added to the bill by offering this amendment.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090131102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this Defense Authorization Bill. H.R. 5122. Only a few months after ruthlessly slashing $40 billion in health care. education and job training benefits for working Americans. the Republicans have shamelessly brought forth a Defense Authorization bill that . the Chairman for including an important provi- and wastefully spends taxpayer dollars and does sion helping to provide access to health care mar nothing to make this country any safer. for our Guard and Reserve members. This lead This bill clearly demonstrates that this Re- provision will. for the first time. allow all drilling how publican Congress has a habitual problem of Guard and Reserve members to purchase and fiscal mismanagement. This legislation spends health coverage through TRICARE. the mili- This billions on the development of ineffective or tarys health care system. The provision will than duplicative weapons systems that pad the treat all of our citizensoldiers equally. regard- TI pockets of big defense contractors. In turn. less of whether or not they were previously it m these defense contractors thank their Repub- deployed. the lican sugar daddies by filling their campaign This is an issue dear to my heart. Over a und coffers. 5 year ago. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7187}
{"speech_id":1090131102,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I introduced legislation in the House ror H.R. 5122 wastefully authorizes $9.3 billion that provided the basis for the provision we wha on pieinthesky Star Wars missile defense. a find in the bill today. During my visits to Iraq. sub $184 million increase over President Bushs I had the opportunity to visit with U.S. soldiers effo request and $2 billion more than the current serving there. including many Iowans. When I it is level of spending. Rather than allocate billions asked what I could do to help them. the over- adv for a Cold War weapon system that will never whelming response I received was. Dont H. work. Republicans in Congress should ad- worry about us. but please. do something to Clas dress the real security threat posed by weap- help our families at home. who are dealing state ons that can- easily be delivered or smuggled with the fact that we are separated from them fund into America in a suitcase or container. every day. In my conversations with these 200. The bill provides additional funding to build soldiers and my constituentsr in Iowa. it be- drop ships that the Navy has not requested and came clear that our Guard and Reserve sol- forc does not -need. The Republican legislation diers wantedand neededaccess to better wou also allocates nearly $46 billion for 20 F\/A22 health care for them and their families. quir( Raptors. $1.4 billion more than President Bush We know that today. 40 percent of our en- perc requested and $2.9 billion more than is cur- listed Guard and Reserve soldiers and their Dep rently spent. Yet these planes were initially families are uninsured. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7187}
{"speech_id":1090131102,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For soldiers who are mari justified as necessary to compete with a new deployed. family members receive temporary Nay generation of Soviet fighters that no longer ex- coverage under TRICARE. This coverage sho ists. Since the collapse of the Russian airforce. ends some time after they return. depending nav. there is no nation that has. or is planning to on the length of the deployment. Families that war. have. fighter jets as dominant as those the had health coverage prior to a deployment Ar U.S. Air Force currently employs in combat. In may be subject to waiting periods or exclu- Stat Iraq. Kosovo and Afghanistan. the Air Force sions for preexisting conditions when they try prov has demonstrated the superiority of existing to return to civilian coverage. They are bur- char U.S. planes. In addition. the GAO recently re- dened with switching between TRICARE and with ported that the costs of the F\/A22 Raptors private insurance. along with different hospital the hive ballooned to $1.3 billion more than was and physician networks. inter for by the Air Frce. Where does ac- This is an unacceptable situation for our spo countability begin? Guard and Reserve soldiers. who are almost gres H.R. 5122 does not require the President to certain to be sent to serve in Iraq and Afghani- pie I provide an exit strategy out of Iraq. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7187}
{"speech_id":1090131102,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even after stan. if they have not done soalready. Guard port. spending $315 billion on a misguided Iraq and Reserve soldiers currently make up al- has War. the Bush Administration has no clue on most half of our forces serving in those loca- cha how to resolve the situation or an idea of how tions. Yet they cannot purchase the same Mi to get American soldiers out of the conflict. health coverage that full time soldiers access not It is time to stop giving the President a for free. The Federal Employees Benefit Pro- ing blank check to fight an aimless war. The only gram (FEHBP) covers part time civilian Fed- cann thing that the $50 billion outlay in this bill guar- eral employees if they agree to pay increased ship antees is that the U.S. will be in Iraq longer premiums. At a minimum we owe our citizen- man than is necessary and that more American sol- soldiers the same access to health care with build diers and Iraqi civilians will \"die without just a cost sharing arrangement. . for t cause. Clearly the role of our Guard and Reserve not t I am also very concerned that certain mem- forces has been transformed to play a central UntiE bers of Congress have decided to support part in providing for the national defense. The capa chaplains who want to push their own religious greater requirements for sacrifice and service fact. agenda rather than the militarys commitment placed on the Guard and Reserve must be the to religious tolerance. When chaplains join the matched with greater commitment to them on the I military. they accept a duty to serve the mili- our part. At o tarys mission in addition to their mission to We owe it to our citizensoldiers to provide riers God. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7187}
{"speech_id":1090131102,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In providing spiritual guidance to our sol- them with access to affordable health care. can diers. chaplains should never carry out their Providing TRICARE access during all phases Vins duty in a manner that divides or alienates sol- of service will provide an important tool to bol- To diers of different faiths. Chaplains who press ster recruitment. retention. family morale and sons ahead with their own agenda ahead of the overall readiness for the Guard and Reserve. if we militarys mission threaten the cohesiveness of I strongly urge my colleagues to support this a tim military units andthe effectiveness of our sol- bill. must diers in carrying out their duties. Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in the L I urge my colleagues to vote against this support of H.R. 5122. a bill to authorize appro- Pacif wasteful and irresponsible bill. It is time we priations for fiscal year 2007 for military activi- unde had a defense budget that lives within its ties of the Department -of Defense. to pre- and means. stops wasting hard earned tax dollars scribe military personnel strengths for fiscal thht on useless weapon systems. and accounts for year 2007. and for other purposes. This impor- Com what is truly required in Iraq. tant legislation was made possible thanks to man","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7187}
{"speech_id":1090131194,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. following on my friend of Rhode Island. I had the pleasure of joining him and you. Mr. Speaker. in Atlanta a week and a half ago to witness the 15th international FIRST Competition. It was truly an extraordinary experience. There were 1.133 teams represented there. 904 of them were returning teams. and 229 new teams there. Let me explain. as my friend from Rhode Island talked about how this works. What happens is a mentor or a company or a small businessman or anybody outside an engineer.. outside of a school system. will go to a school. a high school and say they want to start a FIRST team there. You get together a group of kids. the kinds of kids that you might not see on the football field or the baseball field. -the kind of kid who might not be the biggest. most popular person in the school. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090131194,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You get together with them. and you tell them about how you could build a robot. go to a competition. win that competition. go to a regi6nal. go to the nationals and really do something that is exciting. This foundation was started by. as my friend from Rhode Island said. Dean Kamen. a constituent of mine from New Hampshire. Dean Kamen didnt get a college degree. He spent quite a bit of time in college. but he used the skills that were available to him to learn. what was important to learn in order -to become successful. a business person. an inventor. an entrepreneur. and obviously an engineer and a physic i s t . \" . His dream is not only to be successful in his own life but to be able to communicate that. kind of success to kids who may not have the kind of advantages that many of us enjoy. So he put together this organization which he called FIRST. It is designed to give kids. many of whom come from disadvantaged school systems and disadvantaged neighborhoods. \" and are from families that may have problems. but to give these kids the excitement that one gets from baseball or from football or from other sports. and. indeed. he succeeded. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090131194,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My friend from Rhode Island went to the Boston regionals and saw how excited these children were. as I did. when I went to the regional in Manchester. New Hampshire. with their team screaming for them in the audience and the robots competing against one another in a ring with referees dressed in stripes judging them. They handed out over 2.000 awards to these kids nationally this year. Dean Kamen himself made a beautiful clock out of Plexiglass. a beautiful grandfather clock that is given each year to the winner. Indeed. Dean is a great entrepreneur. a great businessman. and he has brought a lot of great products to society. But his real passion in the world. I believe. is bringing education and excitement in engineering and physics to children. Now you may ask. is this just the work of one individual and one persons dream? Well. back in 2002. the FIRST Foundation contracted with Brandeis University to do a study about what happens to their graduates. Here are some of their conclusions. key conclusions. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090131194,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Participants in the FIRST program were more likely to attend college than an average high school graduate. Eightynine percent of the FIRST competition alumni attended college. That compares with a 65 percent national average. Once at college. a high proportion of FIRST alumni took courses at internships that were related to math. science. technology. Eightyseven percent took a math course in college. Seventyeight took at least one science course. That compares with a 66 percent average in these fields. Perhaps the most striking finding is that 41 percent of the alumni that went to FIRST actually ended up majoring in engineering in college. Their educational aspirations were well above the national average. 78 percent of the FIRST alumni reported they expected to earn a graduate degree versus 58 percent among college students nationally. FIRST alumni were more likely to pursue careers in science. technology and engineering. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090131194,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Compared to students in a comparison group. 45 percent versus 20 percent. FIRST alumni also reported continuing involvement in their communities. FIRST alumni were more than twice as likely to report volunteeringin the community in the past years thanwere students in the matched comparison group. 71 percent versus 30 percent. Site visits indicate also that a variety of positive public impact in schools. including new classes. improve school spirit and other great benefits. My friends. this is a wonderful program that is in its fifteenth year now. has handed out almost $8 million in -scholarships. has business. educational institutions and students working together for science and education. L] 1745 It is a great partnership. I have two challenges: I want my colleagues to get involved in their first regionals. and I want the first participants to contact their Members of Congress and get them involved. This is a great program that is good for America and good for education.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4922}
{"speech_id":1090131229,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"who is our vice chair. Once again to come to the floor to share not only Democratic ideas but American ideas. to help push this country forward. Also. to point out some of the issues that are being thrown upon the American people by the Republican majority and their- lack of working with the Democratic side of the aisle to bring about good policies for our country. Tonight I am joined by my good friend from Ohio. Mr. TiM RYAN. who is a great American. That is just not by my standards but by the people in his district and many people throughout the country. Mr. Speaker. I think it is important to be able to identify or point out the fact that once again this week the Republican majority tried to pass an unjust budget on the backs of the American people. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090131229,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. due to the fact that we. those of us on this side of the aisle and hopefully a couple of the Republicans on the majority side is saring no. saying no to the fact that we are here every day at the highest level that we can be without Members being absent from the floor to make sure that we vote en bloc against this Republican budget. that we will set America back versus moving it forward. I think also there are some Members on the majority side that understand by casting a positive vote for this unjust budget that was supposed to have been passed by April 15. they know that if they vote in the affirmative for that budget that they may very well be making a career decision. The American people are watching this process daily and they have been made aware of what is going on here under the Capitol dome due to the fact of the lack of governance on their behalf. I encourage the American people to continue to pay attention. Tonight. Mr. RYAN and I will attempt to share with the American people and with Members of Congress. mainly Members of Congress. of their responsibility to have the backing of the American people and not the special interests. This budget that the Republican Congress passed long ago to bring to the floor out of committee. if it was so great. it would have been passed -by now. It is very. very important that we share this with the Members. if we had the opportunity or were given the opportunity to have some positive input into this budget. that maybe. just maybe. we would have passed the budget and we wouldnt have appropriation bills moving through the process without a budget. Right now. appropriation bills are being heard in committee and will be heard in committee for the next 3 weeks. but without a passed budget. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090131229,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important that Members and the American people pay very close attention to how the Republicancontrolled 109th Congress. be it House. Senate or White House. continues. even under the light of a 22 percent approval rating by the American people. and. in the White House. a 31 percent approval rating by the American people based on the White House and 22 percent here in Congress. Still. Republican leaders are trying to shove this budget down the throats of the American people. I yield to my friend from Ohio.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3052}
{"speech_id":1090131263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Americans are going to be penalized. I have been elected for 25 years. And this is the first time I have ever heard of being penalized until the day you die. I mean. it is ludicrous that we. the House of Representatives passed a bill that was so complicated and confusing. and gave you a time period of less than 5 months to sign up. And then if you do not sign up. you are going to be penalized until death. I know in Florida we have 41 different plans. And it is very confusing. Seniors should hs1ve an opportunity to take their time and to select a plan that best meets their needs. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090131263,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. Mr. MEEK. do you know why in the law the Secretary does not have the authority to negotiate the price of drugs? Do you know why Americans pay 50 percent more than people in Canada?","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":784}
{"speech_id":1090131282,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will close by saying it is important we finish this bill before the Memorial Day recess. I have said that several times in my statements over the last couple of weeks. and I think in my discussions with the Democratic leader. we both agree that once we start this bill. we will stay on the bill until we complete it.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":333}
{"speech_id":1090131355,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I like my colleague from Iowa. We work together on a lot of things. But I know he will give me room to disagree today. I disagree very strongly about the philosophy. the approach. and the legislative initiative that is in the Senate. I was thinking about legislating. We do not have legislative reviews. like movies do. In movie reviews. you can get a sense of what is going to happen. and maybe someone will have made a judgment about it. I have a review from \"Groundhog Day.\" I dont know if anyone here has seen \"Groundhog Day.\" but it is about a weathermafi who goes to cover Groundhog Day to determine how much additional winter will exist. and then he goes back to his hotel room. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10696}
{"speech_id":1090131355,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every morning. the alarm rings at 6 oclock and the same day starts over again. He simply cannot get out of it. That was the movie \"Groundhog Day.\" The review for it said that Phil Conners is an egocentric weatherman who annually covers a Groundhog Day celebration in a small Pennsylvania town. Phil finds himself reliving Groundhog Day over and over. which makes him realize he has to change his ways. So this is like Groundhog Day in the Senate. We are reliving over and over and over the ability of the majority .party to cure whatever ails America with another big tax cut that goes largely to upperincome Americans. We have a big deficit that is out of control. We are deep in debt. choking\" on debt. What is the solution? Cut the revenue. What kind of solution? How do you cut the revenue? Cut the revenue for the top folks. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10696}
{"speech_id":1090131355,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The big guys. The big shots. Because the little folks do not pay taxes. we are told. Oh really? Well. there are lots of taxes people pay. There are payroll taxes. That is a proportional tax. The person at the lowest end of the economic ladder pbys the same percentage in payroll taxes as the person at the very top. Yet we are told. somehow. that these people at the bottom do not pay taxes. Therefore. when we construct an income tax rebate or an income tax cut. sure. most of it has to go to the upper income folks. Here is a description of where most of the tax cuts have gone in this bill. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10696}
{"speech_id":1090131355,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is from the Tax Policy Center. It says that if you are somewhere between zero and $20.000 in income. you are going to get a $3 tax cutnot $2. not $4. but $3. So just get ready. that is one gallon of gasoline you will get. But if you have over $1 million in income. you in this conference report which is brought tothe Senate today. boy. you ought to get ready to celebrate. You will get a $42.766 tax cut on average. Someone says here is a check for $42.000. All we know is that you have a lot of money. you are at the top of the scale. but you -will get $42.000 and the person over here is going to get $3. Let me read something that comes from a fellow whom I like. He is one of the wealthiest people in our country. His name is Warren Buffett. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10696}
{"speech_id":1090131355,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Warren Buffett wrote a piece for the Washington Post a few years ago. Here is the oped piece by the second richest man in the world. Here is what he says about the tax cuts in the Congress. He talks about himself and the receptionist in his office. He wrote this oped piece when the majority party was proposing that there be a zero tax rate on investment income. dividends. and the like. He said: Now. the Senate says dividends should be tax free to recipients. I admit this bill does not make them tax free. It takes dividends to the low tax rate of 15 percent and keeps them there. Now the Senate says dividends should be tax free to recipients. Suppose this measure goes through and the directors of my company therefore decide to pay $1 billion in dividends next year. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10696}
{"speech_id":1090131361,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been watching the interesting debate for some time. Of course. it is interesting and there is a great deal involved. Fortunately. we are having a debate. However. it seems to me that much of it has been very complicated. Some have had charts and details. It occurs to me that basically it is a broader issue than that. one that frankly divides the two sides of the aisle. We have had deficits that are larger than they ought to be. They were brought about by events such as September 11 and Katrina and those kinds of things. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090131361,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just like in your family and your business. you have to go back and do something about it. However. this is one of those decisions that defines the direction we want to take in this country. Choices are before us all the time. From time to time. we have hard dedisions to make that are quite broad. I think those of us on this side of the aisle are interested in trying to have a strong economy. one that provides jobs and growth in the economy. and we are doing that. That is a good thing. I think at the same time we are looking for a Government that is smaller and less expensive and that spends less. To do that. of course. we want to have less taxes so the money can be invested in the economy and jobs can be created. That is precisely what we are seeking to do. The other point of viewI understand it. but I dont agree with itis that we need to basically spend more and. therefore. you need more taxes. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090131361,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You would have more Qpvernment involved in more and more things. You get down to a broad decision. and that is where we are. I know every detail is a little different. on this issue it is here and that issue it is there. but you have to kind of put them together in the overall picture and see where we are going. I guess I have tried to kind of avoid some of the details but to look at what I think the broad directions are in the votes we are having today. Do you want less Government. with more emphasis on the private sector. more emphasis on job development. more emphasis on less taxes. and more involvement with the growth of the economy or do you want more Government. with more spending and more taxes? That is the issue. I think it -is fairly simple. I know there are a lot of details and arguments and I know people have different ideas about it. But the fact is that the other side of the aisle has been for more taxes and spending. We have tried to reduce taxes on this side and. hopefully. we will be able to reduce the size of Government and do something about the deficits. not by more taxes but by less spending. That is our decision. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090131361,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is fairly simple. I certainly encourage our effort. This is not to reduce taxes. it is continuing reductions that we have had in place that have supplemented and strengthened the economy. It is pretty clear. The deficit talk that we have heard and seen on the chartsthat has gone on for several years. Yes. we need to do something about that and reduce spending. I am for that. I am encouraged that we can hold down taxes rather than letting them go back up again. so that we have more jobs. a better economy. and we can operate in that fashion. I hope that we are able to continue this reduction. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3273}
{"speech_id":1090131383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this bill should be a billboard for the corruption. of the public interest in Washington. It is a disgrace. it is an abomination. and it should be rejected by the Senate. Last year. when this body passed a version of this legislation. I voted for it. principally because it included my amendment requiring corporate executives to pay their fair share of taxes when they use their company planes for their personal use. That is a matter of simple tax fairness. When all other Americans take vacations. they pay for their air travel on commercial airlines with their aftertax income. Yet when some of this countrys wealthiest people. corporate executives. take vacations on their company planes. they fly for free and they pay almost no taxes on the actual value of that special employment benefit. My amendment would have raised $44 million in Federal revenues during the next 10 years. all of it coming -from some of the very richest Americans. all of it coming from the end of their tax avoidance scheme. What happened to my amendment. which was adopted by the full Senate on a unanimous voice vote? It was stripped from this conference report by the HouseSenate conference committee which is controlled by the Republican majority in both bodies. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5899}
{"speech_id":1090131383,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was done behind closed doors with no explanation and. thus. once again the greedy. a few rich and powerful Americans. have prevailed over the best interests of everyone else. No wonder so many working Americans have lost their faith and trust in this Congress and in this President. Under their control. the rich get richer and everyone else gets poorer. And the national interest is- betrayed behind the closed doors of a conference committee. Stripping out my amendment is unfortunately only the beginning of the terrible abuses in this conference report. According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. someone in this country who earns between $20.000 and $30.000 a year will receive an average of $9 in tax cuts from this bill. Someone earning $40.000 to $50.000 a year will get an average $46 tax reduction. But the very wealthiest Americans with incomes over $1 million a year will get an average tax cut of almost $42.000 every year. Let us reverse those nuibers since some of rhy colleagues are trying to portray our failure to pass this as a tax increase. Conversely. if that were to be the case. someone who makes between $20.000 and $30.000 a year would receive by their words an average of $9 a year tax increase. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5899}
{"speech_id":1090131383,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Someone earning between $40.000 and $50.000 a year would get on average a $46 tax increase. But the very wealthiest Americans. those with in-. comes of over $1 million a year. would get an average tax increase of about $42.000 every year. That is what progressive taxes are about. Over half of this $70 billion which they want to reduce in Federal revenues. almost $40 billion of that will go to the richest 4 percent of American taxpayers. By doing so. the rest of this country will go deeper and deeper into public debt. Last years combined Federal budget deficit was $318 billion. All Federal revenue. including the surplus Mdfy 11. 2006 in the Social Security trust fund thus amounted to only 87 percent of all.Federal expenditures. If you set aside the Social Security surplus. put it in a lockbox that so many people. including myself and the President. campaigned on in the year \u00952000. that surplus which this administration is squandering every year entirely on current consumption. then last years socalled onbudget deficit for the Federal Government was $483 billion. That meant all Federal revenue set aside totaled only threefourths of Federal expenditures. That occurred during an expanding economy. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5899}
{"speech_id":1090131383,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will continue this year. according to the Presidents own projections. during an expanding economy. According again to. the Presidents own budget forecast. this revenue shortfall of onefourth of total expenditures will continue over each of the next 5 years. This even assumes the continuation of a relatively good economy. By contrast. in the fiscal year 2000. which is the last fiscal year of the Clinton administration. nonSocial Security revenues totaled 106 percent of onbudget expenditures. In other words. we were in a budget surplusthere was a budget surplus projected every year for the next 10 yearsand now those revenues total only threefourths of expenditures. which means that. starting in 2001. President Bush and his supporters in Congress have destroyed the fiscal integrity of the Federal Government by recklessly cutting taxes. which primarily benefits the rich and powerful. while increasing Federal spending in every cycle one of those years. which caused the bipartisan or nonpartisan Concord Coalition. headed by the former Secretary of Commerce under President Richard Nixon. to call this administration the \"most reckless\" administration in the history of this dountry in its fiscal policy. This tax bill will further feed that greed of the richest and most powerful Americans and it will weaken our country. Any sensible American understands that if their income is $30.000 a year and they are spending $40.000 a year. that is an unsustainable imbalance. Borrowing the difference only postpones the day of reckoning and makes that- future reckoning more painful and difficult. Any farmer or small business person knows if their annual income is $150.000 and their annual expenditures are $200.000. they too will go deeper into debt every year and eventually face bankruptcy. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5899}
{"speech_id":1090131383,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That basic law of economics also applies to governments and nations. It may take longer to exhaust the wealth of a country with our resources. but that will eventually happen unless we change our course. This tax bill provides more tax favors to those who need them the least while 4ncreasing our future deficits and putting additional financial buidens on our children and grandchildren who","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5899}
{"speech_id":1090131428,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in opposition to the tax reconciliation conference report before us. We cannot afford it. and we dont need it. Even more distressing. it benefits overwhelmingly those with incomes greater than $1 million at the expense of middleincome families. of our ability to protect and defend our Nation and of our fiscal bottom line. We cannot afford adding $70 billion to the burgeoning deficit. Months ago. my colleagues voted to cut programs such as Medicaid and child supportprograms that directly serve lowincome families and the elderly. They did this in the name of deficit reduction. Yet today. those same Senators will vote to add $70 billion to the deficit. I We dont need the majority of this bill. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2187}
{"speech_id":1090131428,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The centerpiece of that $70 billion is an extension of the tax breaks on capital gains and dividend income. My colleagues have argued that this will prevent a tax increase. but we all know such an increase is not imminent. The cut on capital gains and dividends will not expire until 2008. this legislation extends it from 2008 to 2010. This legislation puts the needs of everyday Americans behind the luxury of an unnecessary tax break. Families making $50.000 a year or less will see an average of $20half a tank of gasin benefits from this bill. But those with incomes of more than $1 million will get back an average of $42.000. enough to buy a new SUV. The needs of everyday Americans are ignored by this legislation. Businesses are ignored as the bill fails to extend the expired research and development tax credit. It overlooks the needs of students trying to pay for college by not extending the expired deduction for highereducation tuition expenses. It ignores our teachers. by failing to extend the expired deduction for their classroom expenses. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2187}
{"speech_id":1090131428,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets set aside extending tax cuts that dont expire for 2 years in favor of extending those that expire now. Lets not go on a $70 billion spending spree in the face of record levels of Federal deficit and debt. Lets not use our limited revenues to enrich those that need the least at the expense of those who need the most. Finally. lets send a message to the American people about where our priorities lie.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2187}
{"speech_id":1090131440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as one of the three Senate conferees on this legislation. I want to take a moment to explain why this legislation is so important to our Nations continued economic growth. The centerpiebe of this conference agreement is the extension of the 15. percent investment tax rate for 2 more years. through 2010. Under this rate structure. lower income taxpayers will have dividends and capital gains taxed at a 5percent rate through 2007. and in 20082010 will have them taxed at a zero rate. Taxpayers who fall above the 15percent income tax bracket will have their dividends and capital gains taxed at a 15percent rate through 2010. As the lead sponsor of the Republican leadership bill. S. 7. to make the lower investment rates permanent. I am pleased we were able to extend these rates to give investors certainty that they Will not face a tax increase in the near term. The reason I have worked so hard to extend these lower rates is because the policy has worked exactly as we intended it when we enacted the rates in 2003. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9036}
{"speech_id":1090131440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2003. we suggested that by reducing the marginal rate imposed on investment earnings we would give investors an incentive to put more of their money at work in the markets. At that time. following the techbubble bursting and the terrorist attacks of September 11. investors had been very reluctant to put their hardearned money at risk in the markets. But by reducing the marginal tax rate on investment income. the tax penalty imposed on the additional investment earnings the reward for taking on additional risk is smaller. and thus makes the risk more attractive. When investors get to keep more of their reward. they are encouraged to invest more. with more investment. businesses have ah easier time attracting the capital they need to expand. create new goods and services. and also create more jobs. All of this additional economic activity creates economic growth. Critics argue that most of the benefit of the lower rates flows to the wealthiest taxpayers. but they fail to acknowledge that millions of low- and middleincome taxpayers receive dividends and capital gains and will benefit from the lower rates. Research by the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Finance Committee has found that lower income taxpayers will save more than higher income taxpayers. when the savings are measured as a percentage of total tax liability. thanks to the lower rates. especially the 5 percent and zero rates. The savings are even more pronounced for seniors. In 20082010. seniors with adjusted gross incomes of $50.000 and under will see their tax liability reduced by 17.1 percent as a result of the lower tax rates for dividends. In contrast. seniors with income over $200.000 will see their tax liability cut by only 5.7 percent. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9036}
{"speech_id":1090131440,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All taxpayers with incomes of $200.000 and up will see their tax liability reduced by just 2.2 percent as a result of the dividend tax rates. The sheer numbers of taxpayers who benefit from these policies is equally impressive. More than 19 million taxpayers claimed dividend income in 2003 and more than 7 million reported capital gains. More than 315.000 Arizona taxpayers reported taxable dividends in 2003 and more than 127.000 Arizona families reported capital gains in 2003. More than 38 percent of Arizona tax filers who reported dividend income in 2003 had incomes under $50.000. 73.1 percent had incomes ulder $100.000. Of those reporting capital gains. 35.1 percent had incomes under $50.000 and 68.8 percent had incomes under $100.000. In addition to benefiting millions of taxpayers. the lower rates have encouraged investment in our growing economy. The economy expanded at a 4.8percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2006. This follows economic growth of 3.5 percent in 2005 the fastest rate of any major industrialized nation. Moreover. the economy has created about 2 million jobs over the past 12 months and more than 5.2 million jobs since August 2003. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9036}
{"speech_id":1090131440,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The unemployment rate is 4.7 percentthis is lower than the average of the 1960s. 1970s. 1980s. and 1990s. Productivity increased at a strong annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2006. Productivity is a key factor to increasing standards of living. Hourly compensation rose at a 5.7 percent rate in the first quartermore than twice as much as in the previous quarter. The Conference Board index of consumer confidence increased in April to its highest level in almost 4 years. Industrial production rose at a 4.5percent annual rate in the first quarter. The stock market hovers near its alltime high. Our economy is booming. and it is due in large part to the tax policies we enacted in 2003. Another argument we hear about this bill is that we cannot afford it. I dont think we can afford to not pass this bill. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9036}
{"speech_id":1090131440,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The growing economy that has resulted from these tax policies has led to a surge of revenue flowing into the Treasury. According to the Congressional Budget Office. \"Monthly Budget Review\" released on May 4. 2006. \"the 2006 deficit will be significantly less\" than was predicted. even assuming enactment of the supplemental and the tax reconciliation agreement. Revenues for April 2006 were 14 percent higher than revenues for April 2005. Government estimators had predicted that the reduction in capital gains rates that was enacted in 2003 would cost the Federal Government $27 billion in lost revenues for 2004. but CBO now reports that the lower rates actually brought in an additional $26 billion in revenue. So instead of costing $27 billion. the lower rates actually made $26 billion for the Treasury. I heard that this morning Ambassador Portman. in his nomination hearing to be the new Director of the Office bf Management and Budget. told the Budget Committee that revenues flowing into the Federal Treasury will reach their postWorld War II average of about 18 percent of GDP as early as this year. That means Congress must make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent just to avoid taking historic amounts of revenue out of the economy. Clearly. the American people are not undertaxed. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9036}
{"speech_id":1090131441,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. pursuant to section 313(c) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. I submit for the RECORD a list of material in -the conference agreement on H.R. 4297 considered to be extraneous under subsections (b)(1)(A). (b)(1)(B). and (b)(1)(E) of section 313. The inclusion or exclusion of material on the following list does not constitute a determination of extraneousness by the Presiding Officer of the Senate. To the best of my knowledge. H.R. 4297. the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005. contains no material considered to be extraneous under subsections (b)(1)(A). (b)(1)(B). and (b)(1)(E) of section 313 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":679}
{"speech_id":1090131463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the only request for time I have at the present time is for the Senator from Arkansas. Senator LINCOLN. for 7 minutes. Is there anyone who wishes to speak? Senator KENNEDY wants 10 minutes. Senator DURBIN may request time. I think 7 minutes for Senator DURBIN. No for Senator DURBIN. So 7 and 10. 17 minutes over here.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":333}
{"speech_id":1090131516,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have had a very good week in the Senate. We had an opportunity to pass the Tax Increase Prevention Act an hour or so ago. which is going to make an important difference not only in the lives of a great number of individual Americans. but also it will be very critical in continuing this robust economy that America currently enjoys. I commend Members of the Senate for stepping to the plate and passing this very important measure. and particular congratulations go to Chairman CHUCK GRASSLEY of the Finance Committee for his tenacious pursuit of this very important piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":606}
{"speech_id":1090131520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the commitment of the Senator from Tennessee to help identify the needed offsets to extend the Secure Rural Schools program and look forward to working with him closely in the coming weeks. I also thank the chairman of the Finance Committee for his consideration of this issue.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":290}
{"speech_id":1090131542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Wednesday. May 17. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an oversight hearing on Suicide Prevention Programs and their Application in Indian Country. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at 2242251.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":371}
{"speech_id":1090131650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we will be closing shortly. I take the opportunity before doing so to comment on two issues. One is the event of the last week in terms of our health care initiatives and. second. comment on the 125th anniversary of the Red Cross which is this year. We have had a good week this week with a relative victory for the American people in terms of the issue of tax relief and the tax package which left here which will create jobs. The bottom line is. a good economy with 5 million jobs created in the last 30 or so months. Unemployment is down to 4.7 percent. which is lower than the average of the 1960s. the 1970s. the 1980s or the 1990s. Homeownership is doing well. with minority homeownership at an alltime high. We have good. solid economic growth. That is. in large part. first and foremost. due to the hard work. entrepreneurial spirit of the American people. no doubt. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8119}
{"speech_id":1090131650,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But in terms of the policy standpoint. it is because of the progrowth tax policy put forward by President Bush that this Congress has followed. Indeed. we followed it again this week in addressing issues surrounding tax policy on capital gains and dividends and keeping the alternative minimum tax from reaching out and grabbing another 7 million people this year. The President will sign that bill next week which will give us another opportunity to celebrate the great victory for the American people. Most of the time this week was spent on an issue that I feel passionately about. I think most people in this Senate do. the health care of Americans. Without health. one cannot do very much in life. We need that healthy body. that healthy mind for being able to be productive. We have a system today that has too many gaps in it. The greatest health care system in the world. one that I have been a beneficiary of in my own field of heart and lung transplantation and the treatment of heart disease and lung disease. but there are huge gaps in our health care system today that lead to less quality. less access. higher costs. gaps that are so obvious that they do require action on our part. This week we tried to take two of those. to keep focused on those two. and other Members want to grab all the other different challenges and challenging issues and pull them in. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8119}
{"speech_id":1090131650,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The only way to make progress in this Senate is to stay focused on an issue and move to the next issue and the next issue and pull together the very best. The first issue was medical liability. We. on this side of the aisle. voted to lower the cost of medicine by controlling. in some manner. the outofcontrol litigation costs. what has become a litigation lotterya system today that because of medical liability premiums. because of frivolous lawsuits. because of the incentives given to the trial lawyers out there. the more predatory trial lawyers who are out there. punishes expectant mothers who are delivering children by driving obstetricians out of county and outofstate. causes neurosurgeons to no longer take trauma calls at night. closing down obstetrical wards. We have to get that under control. It is apparent from debate. this side of the aisle voted in favor of commonsense reform and the other side voted against it. Then we moved to the issue of expanding health care coverage for millions of uninsured people in this country. focusing on the small businesses today that simply do not have the purchasing clout that larger organizations have. that the big companies have. It is sad because we have small businesses that are the engine of economic growth in this country that operate on very small margins. that simply cannot afford to offer health care today but allowing them to group together in larger and larger groups. we have that clout to bring the costs down. In both of those instances. the Democrats chose to obstruct on motions to proceed so we could not fully debate those issues. To me. it is a disappointment. It means millions of people will have access to health care that is not as affordable as it might be or they have no access at all. especially those with small businesses. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8119}
{"speech_id":1090131650,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reforming our health care system. eliminating the gaps. getting rid of the waste. fraud. and abuse in our health care system today. the best health care system in the world. in terms of what we can do. has got to be a goal of this Senate. We as Republicans have led on that. We got a majority vote in the Senate. but we were unable to reach that 60vote threshold. The 46 million people who do not have health insurance in this country are a major concern to me because it is such a large gap. We have addressed it in the past in an incremental way with some success in health savings accounts. which I will come back to. The problem is we have so many tangled regulations. we have complicated bureaucracies out there with overlapping responsibility. We have an insurance market that is getting choked. A lot of it comes from excessive mandates. One mandate put on another. on another. on another. and if you put all the mandates in there. the cost of insurance for everyone goes up. Then it is out of reach of the small business person or the person who has a modest income. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8119}
{"speech_id":1090131650,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will keep pressing forward. We on this side of the aisle. Republicans. recognize. that our health care system lacks some of the fundamental mechanisms that are required in order to get rid of the waste. fraud. and abuse to make it more transparent. to make it more efficient. We have to be able to harness the transparency. having the 21stcentury information out there in order for people to make good decisions so that individuals can make more choices. We have hundreds of millions of health care decisions being made. all of which drive toward better access and higher quality and lower cost. If we look out to where we want to be going as we address medical liability. which is killing our system. as we address the small business health reform. it is for a 21st century health care system that is driven by that information. that is out there that is available today. that is driven by choice. it is driven by that element of control. Health care should not be a red State. blue State. Democratic. Republican. liberal. conservative matter. We have to come together. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8119}
{"speech_id":1090131765,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. to start the debate. if I may. as I have referred to earlier. I send an amendment to the desk and will ask for its consideration when we debate the amendment further tomorrow and proceed to a vote. It is an amendment that has been summarized briefly which would require border security arrangements to be in place before we move ahead to the handling of the 11 million undocumented immigrants and the guest worker program. I yield the floor for my distinguished ranking member.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":492}
{"speech_id":1090131786,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank our leader. Senator REID. for both his support and encouragement. working with Senator FRIST to bring us to this point. That was a real challenge. I thank him for his comments. If he will remain on the floor for just a moment? I am very hopeful that. as he outlined in his statement. we will have a bipartisan approach to an issue of enormous importancethe security of our borders. How are we going to treat the 12 million individuals who are here now. the overwhelming majority of whom want to play by the rules. work hard. be part of the American process and dream. like the tradition of so many other immigrant groups? We have tough enforcement issues. We have issues of fairness. And I thank the Senator for his comments. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11627}
{"speech_id":1090131786,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator knows the history of this institution. To find the type of bipartisanship which we have had on this issue. we would have to go back. frankly. to almost the time of the civil rights laws. Maybe the action to end the war in Vietnam. We have not had that kind of bipartisanship in a major policy issue that I know of in any recent time. As the Senator from Nevada has pointed out. we are facing an issue of enormous importance with regard to our national security. This is a defining issue of who will eventually have that great opportunity of participating as an American citizen. really the greatest achievement. in personal terms. for so many people who earn that citizenship. We are back for a few moments to a time when the Senate of the United States. Republicans and Democrats. came together to take action on a controversial and difficult issue but one that was clearly in the national interest. I think the comments of the Senator remind us of that tradition. That is what this institution has done when it has been at its best. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11627}
{"speech_id":1090131786,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We did it with Medicare. We did it with civil rights. We did it on the issues of ending the war. We did it with the progress we have made on disability issues. knocking down the walls of disability and gender. On all of these issues. we came together. We had strong bipartisan majorities on them. That is not something we have seen very much of. I would say. in very recent times. We have that opportunity now. As I hear the Senator. he is calling on us to really try to make sure that this institution is going to act in its great traditions and make something worthy of remembering. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11627}
{"speech_id":1090131786,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that is what I hear from the Senator. and I thank him for that expression. As I was saying. I thank our leaders for bringing us to where we are. I am grateful for the opportunity of working with Senator MCCAIN to bring forward this reform bill and for the work Senator HAGEL. Senator MARTINEZ. and so many others have brought us to this point. As we have talked about at other times. 21\/2 years ago I had legislation. and Senator MCCAIN had legislation maybe 2\/2 years ago. We began to come together. About that time. Senator HAGEL had legislation. somewhat different from that of Senator MCCAIN and me. They are all working to try to come together in a common spirit to address this issue. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11627}
{"speech_id":1090131786,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we now have is something that has come out of our Judiciary Committee with a 12to6 bipartisan vote. We have now before the Senate strong legislation that will deal with our national security concerns and also deal with the issue of earnedand we mean earnedlegalization and tough enforcement at the workplace. I think we have a good combination. I am very grateful to all those who have been a part of this process. So many have added so much to help get us where we are today. We recall that throughout our history courageous immigrants have provided the hard work. the strong family. and the love of country which defines the American spirit. They dug our canals. built our railroads. they advanced our science. fostered our innovation. and they fought in our wars. And 60.000 have served our colors with pride in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those are the permanent resident aliens that are in the service in Iraq and Afghanistanand other places around the world. They became part of the American dream. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11627}
{"speech_id":1090131809,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my pleasure to congratulate the Honorable Charles L. Young. Sr. of Meridian. MS. for his 25 years of service as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. As chairman of the House Universities and Colleges Committee. he has worked effectively to improve the quality of education in our State. Representative Young served his country as a member of the U.S. Army during the Korean war and was honored with the Bronze Star for Valor. He has been recognized by his colleagues as a leader in the field of education. entrepreneurship. and social justice. As a pioneer in the civil rights movement. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1456}
{"speech_id":1090131809,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Representative Young was the first AfricanAmerican member of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce. He has been a leader in the business community as chief executive officer and President of E.F. Young. Jr.. Manufacturing Company. a business that his parents started in 1931. He was one of the founders of Mississippi Action for Progress. which was the parent organization in our State for Head Start. Mr. Young is also one of the founders of the Greater Meridian Health Clinic. which operates in six locations and has a mobile dental lab. He is a member of Newell Chapel C.M.E. Church. and he sponsors a tennis camp for over 100 children each year. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1456}
{"speech_id":1090131809,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend Representative Young for his exemplary citizenship and service to the residents of Lauderdale Country and the State of Mississippi. I am proud to be his friend.*","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1456}
{"speech_id":1090131813,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday. May 23. 2006 at 10 a.m. in room SD366 of the Dirksen Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the National Research Council report. Managing Construction and Infrastructure in the 21st Century Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Report. Managing for Excellence: An Action Plan for the 21st Century. Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":951}
{"speech_id":1090131813,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. United States Senate. Washington. DC 205106150. For further Information. please contact Nate Gentry or Steve Waskiewicz.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":951}
{"speech_id":1090131814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. PRESIDENT. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the Session of the Senate on Monday. May 15 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony relating to implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005s electricity reliability provisions.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":324}
{"speech_id":1090131824,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the baseball field has been the setting for some of the most meaningful moments in American history. It was on a baseball field that the great slugger Lou Gehrig. shortly after learning he was suffering from a fatal disease. delivered his poignantly stirring farewell speech. in which he declared himself to be \"the luckiest man on the face of the earth.\" It was on a baseball field that Jackie Robinson broke the color line that had prevented African Americans from competing in the Major Leagues. thus triggering not only integration in professional baseball but the removal of racial barriers throughout American society as well. And it was on a baseball field 30 years ago that another significant moment took place. one that continues to resonate in the minds of millions of Americans. On April 25. 1976. the Chicago Cubs were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in an afternoon game at Dodger Stadium. It was early in the season. thus. not much was riding on the games outcome. Both teams were under .500 at the time. So for the fans in attendance. there was little reason to believe at the outset that the game ultimately would be anything more than pleasantly forgettable. That all changed during the bottom of the games fourth inning. The Dodgers were at bat when two protestors ran out onto the outfield grass carrying an American flag. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090131824,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These two proceeded to spread the flag on the ground. douse it with lighter fluid. and pull out some matches. Playing centerfield for the Cubs that day was Rick Monday. As soon as he recognized that these individuals were about to burn the American flag. Monday charged towards them. As Mondaya former Marine Corps reservistwould later describe. \"I was mad. What they were trying to do was wrong. It was wrong in 1976. and I still think its wrong today .... That flag represents all the rights and freedoms that we have in this country. If you desecrate the flag. you desecrate the efforts of all the people who fought and died to protect those rights and freedoms.\" Just as one of the protestors was about to put a lit match to the American flag. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090131824,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mondaywhile running at full speedgrabbed the flag away. The legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully did the radio playbyplay for the Dodgers that day. His realtime description of the incident was as follows: Theres two of them. Im not sure what hes doing out there. It looks like hes going to burn a flag. And Rick Monday runs and takes it away from him!.... I think a guy was going to set fire to an American flag. can you imagine that? Monday. when he realized what [the protestor] was going to do. raced over and took the flag away from him .... This guy was going to try and perform the indignity of setting fire to the American flag .... It looked like a piece of cloth but you couldnt really tell from here what it was. But Monday. from his angle. took one look and realized it was a flag. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090131824,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And the fellow evidently was all set to set fire to it when Monday realized it. And Rick will get an ovation and properly so. So Rick Mondayhis alertness and quick thinkinggets a round of applause in center field. And on the message board. it just says. \"Rick MondayYou Made a Great Play.\" And Monday is getting another ovation. and well he should. And now a lot of the folks are standing. and now the whole ballpark. And hes going to get a standing ovation. Rick Mondays courageous and patriotic act of saving the American flag from public desecration then inspired the crowd at Dodger Stadium to spontaneously begin singing \"God Bless America.\" As Monday remembers it. \"It moved the entire crowd. I dont remember if we won or lost the game. but Ill never forget the people singing.\" Rick Monday soon began receiving thousands of letters from people all across the country thanking him for rescuing the flag. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090131824,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His heroic act was especially inspiring to those men and women who were serving in the military or were war veterans. For instance. Monday received a letter from a Vietnam veteran who. as Monday described: wrote that there were two things that he had with him in two tours of Vietnam. These two things kept him in check with reality. One was a small picture of his wife. The other was a small American flag that was neatly folded. The picture was folded inside the flag and in the left breast pocket of his uniform. He would be in mud for weeks and months at a time. Those two things were what he looked at to connect him with reality. other than his buddies. and some of them were lost in battle. He wrote in the letter. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6116}
{"speech_id":1090131874,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I am the author of H.R. 586. which is identical to the legislation that passed the House of Representatives in the 108th Congress. This bill would preserve the use and access of pack and saddle stock animals on our public lands where there is a historic traditional use. Perhaps no other activity is more synonymous with the exploration of our vast open lands than that of the Iuse of pack and saddle stock. Who could forget those images of President Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir on horseback at what was to become the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks? While some may claim that this bill singles out pack and saddle use and affords it greater consideration than other forms of recreation or commercial use. I would argue that the pack and saddle use has played a fair and greater historic role on our public lands. particularly in our western States than simply recreation. What may be perceived by some today as recreation was once a vital part of everyday living throughout our Nations history. In addition. this bill in no way diminishes the Secretary of the Interiors ability to implement emergency closures or permanent reductions in the use and access of these pack and stock animals after complying with the full public review process required under the National -Environmental Policy Act. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE RADANOVICH","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1597}
{"speech_id":1090131874,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 586 codifies our commitment to access and to preserving one of the most fundamental and truly historic ways to experience our public lands. I urge its adoption. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"GEORGE RADANOVICH","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1597}
{"speech_id":1090131878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as the Ranking Democratic Member of the Resources Committee I would first observe that we on this side of the aisle also cherish the proud American tradition of horsemanship. Whether it be thoroughbredsand a potential Triple Crown winner this year possibly in the making judging from Barbaros smashing performance in the Kentucky DerbyAppaloosas. Arabians. Clydesdales. our wild Mustangs on the Western Plains. Palominos. and even the Chincoteague Pony made famous by the book \"Misty.\" our countrys history and indeed. still in the present. is deeply intertwined with the horse. With that noted. while we Will not object to the consideration of H.R. 586 today. there are certain problems with the legislation. In effect. the bill hampers the ability of local federal land managers to administer trails under their jurisdiction in a flexible fashion taking into account changed local circumstances. In effect. the pending bill says that trails historically open to pack and saddle stock horses shall always remain open to them within units of our National Park System. National Forest System. Wildlife Refuges and BLM lands. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090131878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This not only ties the hands of the local land managers to make adjustments if warranted. but appears to be a nationwide rubber stamp approach to what has not been a national problem with respect to public trail usage. I would observe there is one out. one means to make a change in the horse first rule this legislation advances. and that would be to go through a fullscale review under the National Environmental Policy Act. Here. I applaud those of my colleagues who are promoting this legislation because many of these have consistently voted in the Resources Committee to overturn. override. and exempt the application of NEPA to other matters. I am also concerned about the precedent we are setting here. It is my understanding that the American Horse Council fully backs the pending bill. A noble organization. which does good service for the equine community. Yet. what if the American Motorcyclist Association catches wind of this bill. Can we expect a counter proposal from them. to make trails open to offroad motorcycles also deemed to be the highest and best use of public trails. I would expect their members would not want to be viewed as second class citizens when it comes to trail use. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090131878,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the hikers. the bikers. the ATV groups. The list goes on. With that Madam Speaker. I have some trepidation over the course this legislation sets. and this comes from a gentleman who is a strong defender of our horse tradition in this country.","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2589}
{"speech_id":1090131915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of passage of S. 1165. the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act of 2005. I cointroduced the House version of this bill with my colleague. Congressman NEIL ABERCROMBIE. S. 1165 expands the authorized boundary of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Honolulu. Hawaii. to include approximately 1.100 acres of land. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USFWS. has managed the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku. Hawaii. for the past 30 years to protect four endangered Hawaiian water birdsthe Hawaiian stilt (aeo). the Hawaiian mooghen (alae ula). the Hawaiian coot (alae keokeo). and the Hawaiian duck (koloa maoli)-and at least 25 different North American migratory birds. ","speaker_name":"ED CASE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090131915,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2005. USFWS acquired fee title to the 240acre refuge located in two- separate parcels. The expansion area will allow for acquisition of adjacent land to create a single. large. manageable. and ecologically intact unit that includes sufficient buffer land to reduce impacts on the Refuge. The acquisition will also facilitate a solution to area flooding problems. The expanded acreage would allow for restoration of critical wetland habitat. which would form the largest managed freshwater wetland on Oahu. It would connect the two existing units and create a protected corridor between them to provide essential habitat for four endangered waterbird species and migratory waterbirds. It would also protect the last remaining largescale and intact coastal dune ecosystem on Oahu and preserve native strand plants and protect coastal wildlife such as threatened green sea turtles. seabirds. migratory shorebirds. and possibly the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Support facilities could be constructed on upland areas to support environmental education and interpretation programs. visitor services. and habitat management programs. All land proposed for purchase is owned by the Estate of James Campbell. a willing seller. Heavy floods occur frequently in this area. devastating residents who live in the adjacent town of Kahuku. ","speaker_name":"ED CASE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090131915,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because of the location and natural function of this floodplain. the land acquisition also serves as the crucial component for the proposed Kahuku flood control project by preserving the floodwater retention of these wetlands and providing an area where flood control design can be made more efficient. This habitat restoration proposal represents the most significant wetland enhancement project ever undertaken in Hawaii. By combining effective wetland restoration.- endangered species conservation. environmental education. visitor opportunities. and flood control. benefits provided will serve not only the local communities. but also HawaiH residents and visitors for generations to come.","speaker_name":"ED CASE","chamber":"H","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2782}
{"speech_id":1090131954,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Res. 751 to honor the American Ballet Theatre. For 65 years. the theatre has entertained and educated thousands. becoming a national cultural icon as \"Americas National Ballet Company.\" The American.Ballet Theatre has performed in all 50 states inspiring and thrilling Americans with their skilled artistry. The company has also served as Americas cultural ambassador by bringing American dance to more than 42 countries. often as representatives of the State Department. Yet beyond being one of the worlds truly great ballet companies. the American Ballet Theatre has also excelled off the stage in its remarkable education efforts. Throughout its history. the company hhs brought classical dance to communities not typically able to experience worldclass ballet and to students throughout the country. The theater has created some of the most innovative educational programs dealing with the arts. including the Make a Ballet program. empowering atrisk students by giving them the resources and confidence to produce and stage their very own ballet. In my community. the American Ballet Theatre has also been a giving and vital artistic institution. providing Rochesterarea residents rare performances and indispensable educational opportunities. In 2004. the company presented an extraordinary internationallythemed program at New Auditorium Theatre in Rochester. giving audience members the unique chance to -see up close famed performers and dance styles from throughout the world. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090131954,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The American Ballet Theatre also offered a classtaught by the former theater dancer and artistic director.John Meehangiving local dance students the opportunity to learn and perform alongside upandcoming ABT dancers. Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 751 to celebrate and honor an important cultural icon of America. the American Ballet Theatre.","speaker_name":"THOMAS REYNOLDS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090131955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of h. Res. 751. recognizing the cultural and. educational contributions of American Ballet Theatre. - For 65 years American Ballet Theatre has educated and inspired us through their artistry and commitment to bringing dance to America and American dance to the world. While ABT is truly a national company and has performed for countless people in all 50 states and 42.countries. I want to speak today about the special relationship between American Ballet Theatre and the city of New York. In my district we have been the beneficiaries of six decades of American Ballet Theatres worldclass art. Next week. ABT will open their annual engagement at the Metropolitan Opera House. performing their renowned mix of great ballet classics and challenging new works. These performances are a primary reason that American Ballet Theatre is universally regarded as one of the worids great ballet companies. From the scale of the productions to the artistry of the dancers. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090131955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ABTs performances are truly something to behold and I encourage my colleagues to see one of their engagements at the Kennedy Center. in New York City. or in your home state. ABTs importance to my city transcends these annual performances at the Met. however. Every year the company performs a sec.ond series at smaller venues in New York. allowing ballet fans the unique opportunity to watch many of the worlds greatest dancers in an intimate setting and enhancing New Yorks status as one of the worlds cultural capitals. Beyond their performances. American Ballet Theatres educational mission and their focus on bringing ballet and the classic arts to audiences that otherwise would not have access is truly special. For over 10 years. ABT has offered extensive outreach and inschool arts programming in public schools. completely free of charge. ABT focuses its efforts in underserved communities and \"atrisk\" schools in New York. bringing the arts to schools that suffer from budgetary cuts to arts programming. and they reach over 20.000 (qew York students each year. During the 2006 spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House. ABT will distribute 10.000 complimentary tickets to New York students who would not otherwise have access to ABTs incredible artistic resources. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090131955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"American Ballet Theatre truly is an American treasure. and should be recognized for enriching the cultural landscape of New York and our country. I want to thank my cosponsors and the leadership of both parties for bringing this resolution to the floor. And again. I encourage all of my colleagues to experience the talent and artistry of American Ballet Theatre.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2646}
{"speech_id":1090131964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 740 and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. first I too would like to thank Chairman SMITH for introducing this important resolution. Congressman SMITH has been a tireless advocate in calling for full accountability in Northern Ireland. particularly as it relates to the 1989 slaying of Belfast attorney Patrick Finucane. I commend him for his dedication and determination to seek justice in this case along with the Finucane family. which has waited far too long for the truth to be unveiled. Mr. Speaker. the resolution on the floor today simply calls on the Government of the United Kingdom to immediately establish a full independent public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane as recommended by Judge Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park Agreement. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT WEXLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2379}
{"speech_id":1090131964,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact remains that Mr. Finucanes brutal murder has been unresolved foF 17 years. To this end. it is critical that the British Government fulfill its commitment to the Weston Park Agreement and agree to hold an independent public inquiry recognized as credible by the international community. the affected family. the Irish Government. the United States Congress that will shed light on the serious allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces in this egregious murder. Mr. Speaker. just yesterday Northern Irelands legislature met for the first time in 31\/2 years. I applaud this development that will hopefully lead to greater compromise and 6ooperation between Protestants and Catholics. The convening of the assembly along -with the relevant tranquility and economic success that people of Northern Ireland have experienced since the signing of the Belfast agreement is deeply encouraging. However. issues at the core of the conflict remain unresolved. ultimately holding back lasting reconciliation. At the heart of this impasse are the public inquiries into highprofile murders in Northern Ireland. including the slaying of Mr. Finucane. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT WEXLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2379}
{"speech_id":1090131964,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The resolution before us states unequivocally Congresss interest as well as that of the United States to see a just. swift. and fair resolution to this unconscionable crime which must be resolved in order to ensure longterm peace and stability in Northern Ireland for generations to come. Mr. Speaker. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"ROBERT WEXLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2379}
{"speech_id":1090132020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague. Congressman MEEK from Florida. for allowing me to reclaim my time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to join my good friend. Congressman BOUSTANY from Louisiana. in urging our colleagues not to forget the victims of Hurricane Rita as they determine priority funding in the Hurricane supplemental bill that is before the Houseand the Senate today. You may know. but. of course. last August Hurricane Katrina. the sixth largest Hurricane in gulf coast history hit the gulf coast. It sent a human tide of over half a million evacuees to Texas. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090132020,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And while our State was struggling with the unprecedented effects of that storm. its own coast took a direct hit from Hurricane Rita. the fourth largest storm in gulf coast history. just 3 weeks later. As Hurricane Rita grew into one of the most intense storms in recorded history. steering a path through Texas and along the Louisiana border. our State. and especially southeast and east Texas were in the midst of its unprecedented response to Hurricane Katrina. So our region not only took in evacuees. tens of thousands from Louisiana. and are thrilled that we did. we also took in 2.7 million evacuees from Hurricane Rita. the largest in history. Then the hurricane shifted. Hurricane Rita went right up those same communities that had already done so much. Rita delivered a devastating blow to the region. As this photo illustrates. the resulting physical damage was massive. The townof Sabine Pass was leveled. Further inland. entire communities. including houses. businesses. bridges. roads and utilities. were severely damaged or destroyed by Hurricaneforce winds and torrential rains. Over 75.000 Texas homes were damaged or destroyed in Rita. $1 billion of our timber crop. the largest economic driver in east Texas. and today. 10 percent of our Rita evacuees have yet to return. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090132020,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without homes or without places to work. we are again in a real fight for our lives. Today we have a number of our Texas leaders. southeast Texas Recovery Team in Washington meeting with the White House. meeting with House leaders. meeting with FEMA and HUD to. talk about how Texas can recover. We had. as I said. 75.000 homes damaged or destroyed. Many of those have temporary blue tarps on today that are starting to deteriorate or blow off. When the hurricane season hits. we will put more and more people out of their homes. We are asking for about $1 billion in community development block -grant funds in housing to help repair those homes. to help get people back in their homes. to help southeast Texas recover. We are also asking for equal treatment. These are all photos from the Beaumont Enterprise and their special edition on Rita. showing the damage from this region. But as we rebuild. we find that. unfortunately. the Federal Government split Hurricane Rita along State lines. literally provided one assistance to our Louisiana neighbors. and a different level to -our Texas neighbors. which is terribly unfair and creates a terrible burden on our Texas communities. many of whom are poor. many with very high minority and poverty rates. all of them eager to help our Louisiana neighbors. but also eager to try to recover ourselves. So we are up here asking for the same 90\/10 reimbursement rate of FEMA that our Louisiana folks have received for the exact same hurricane. same storm. -same damage. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090132020,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Different treatment. same storm. It ought to be the same storm. same damage. same treatment. Mr. Speaker. let me close with this. This Congress. our government. are charged with a duty to wisely allocate precious taxpayer dollars. This hurricane supplement has become a magnet for some lessthanjustified projects. Mr. Speaker. I can tell you this: that the Hurricane Rita assistance in schools of 90\/10 and in housing are not only fair and justified. but will go a long way toward helping these communities who did so much for our Louisiana neighbors and are doing so much today to help them recover at a time of terrible need.","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4010}
{"speech_id":1090132076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. parliamentary inquiry: It was my understanding that the time of the distinguished Senator from Idaho was not a part of the debate but was to ptecede our debate. and we were supposed to equally divide the remaining time. Am I incorrect?","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090132087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the statement of the Senator from Colorado. I thank the Senator from South Carolina. the Presiding Officer. I thank Senator SPECTER. chairman of the Judiciary Committee. for the untiring efforts he made on the bill and the courtesies he has shown to me. I thank leader HARRY REID for accommodating us and allowing us to come to the floor and have a debate. I particularly thank LINDSEY GRAHAM and JOHN McCAIN for seeing to it that all of us who had amendments to offer had a chance to negotiate the time to do that. I especially thank my staff. in particular. Mike Quiello. for the work he. has done on this issue over a long period of time. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6871}
{"speech_id":1090132087,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. to set the stage for my remarks on my amendment. let me. first of all. tell you a little bit about myself. I am a product of the legal immigration system of the United States. My grandfather came here in 1903 and went through Ellis Island. There is nobody who has greater respect for the hope and opportunity and the laws of our country than do I. I was in the construction industry. and I know the great contribution the workers made to construction and to tourism and to hospitality services and to agriculture. I. also. know the issue before us is now the most important issue domestically before the United States. When I ran for the Senate in 2003 and 2004. the most commonly asked question after Iraq was: What are you going to do. about illegal immigration? In the first speech on any issue I made as a Senator. I made the statement that I thought illegal immigration was the No. 1 domestic issue in this country. I rise to tell you my mind has not been changed. I think neither have the minds been changed of the American people because you have seen the intensity of the interest of all Americans in border security and immigration. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6871}
{"speech_id":1090132087,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My amendment is very simple. It says that before any provision of this Immigration Act could grant legal status to someone who is here illegally is in effect. the Secretary of Homeland Security must certify to the President and the Congress that every provision for border security and enforcement contained in title I and section 233 of title H is in place. funded. and is operational. There is a simple reason for that. In 1986. this Congress. under President Ronald Reagan. passed a border security and amnesty bill for the 3 million illegal aliens who were in this country. We enforced the border and granted amnesty. And 20 years later. there are 11 million to 13 million illegal aliens who have come because of the promise of this country and its opportunity but also because we have given a wink and a nod to the security of our borders. I want to emphasize that I am not just talking about something I am thinking about or that I read. I have been to our border. I took a codel with Senator COLEMAN in February. We went to Fort Huachuca in Arizona and saw the unmanned aerial vehicle working and identifying those coming across the border and sealing a 150mile stretch. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6871}
{"speech_id":1090132087,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In San Diego. at the border with Juarez. we saw where the barriers at Smugglers Gulch have effectively stopped the people coming through that gully and immigrating illegally into this country. We went up and down the border and saw the bits and pieces of security that worked. We also saw the over 1.500 miles of the border that are not securethe 1.500 miles that have allowed people to come here either through smuggling or through their own volition or by paying bribes to get here. to get into our workforce. to overcrowd our schools. to stretch the services in our emergency rooms and put great pressure on our civil justice system. ft is time that we seal the border and secure it so that the promise of legal immigration works and illegally entering this country is not the preferred way to cross on our southern border. I commend the President for his remarks last night. The President last night said. in order. the five important things we must do. The first thing the President said is to secure the border. With this amendment. with our commitment and with the Presidents commitment. secuAng the border will take place. Then we can grant a program to those who are here illegally. with the sincere knowledge that we know no more are coming. If we grant programs and status to those who are here illegally and look the other way. the next time we bring this up in 10 or 15 years. it will not be 12 million. it will be 24 million and. worst of all. we will have lost control. Last night. the President said we are a nation of laws. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6871}
{"speech_id":1090132087,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we are a nation of laws. I submit to you that when laws are enforced. and they are enforced soundly. laws are obeyed and they are respected. We have not enforced our border and. therefore. its security is not respected. So I call on all of our colleagues. Democrats and Republicans alike. everybody who is interested in a comprehensive reform of our immigration policy and our immigration system. to think what comes first. And what comes first is securing the border. After that. the American people would be willing to work with us on programs to grant status. But in the absence of securing the border and making that commitment. we are not going to have the cooperation of the American people. We are not going to have comprehensive reform. and a growing problem in this country will grow even greater. My last point .is there may be some who say you cannot secure the border or it is going to take too long. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6871}
{"speech_id":1090132125,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"May I add that I have joined with other Senators in seeking to have an extension of the date. So I am in agreement with what I believe to be the thrust of what the Senator from Michigan seeks to accomplish.. But speaking for myself. I would have to know more and examine the documents. before I could- refrain from objecting. And on behalf of others on this side. as the manager of the bill. it is incumbent upon me to give them an opportunity to examine what the Senator from Michigan wants to do. So I am constrained to object.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":529}
{"speech_id":1090132234,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will try to wrap up briefly. Mr. President. I believe this section of the bill as drafted is flawed. It goes further than the drafters and the American people or the President would want it to go. I am not sure how we can fix it at this point. I think the way to concentrate everybodys mind and get it fixed would be for the Dorgan amendment to pass. Lets start over and talk about how we are going to handle this. My staff has looked at these numbers and tried to be as objective as they possibly can to see just what this would allow to occur in America if it were to pass. and I am confident that it includes more than people would think. First of all. it is absolutely not true that this is a temporary worker program. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090132234,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is called guest worker. which sounds like \"temporary worker.\" but it is not. A person will come -into our country under this program325.000 the first year. Their employer can apply. the day they get here. the first year. for a green card. A green card gives them permanent residence in the United States. unless they get convicted of a felony or something. They get permanent residence. Within 5 years. they can apply for citizenship. So there is nothing temporary about this socalled guest worker program. The President mentioned this morning . a couple times. I understandI heard it a bit. one clip on TVthat he favored a temporary worker program. This is not a temporary worker program. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090132234,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Second-. the numbers are extraordinary. Some of you who have been listening to me today are pretty good mathematicians. It is 325.000 the first year. But if that number is reached. automatically it kicks up 20 percent. The next year. if that number is reached. it is 20 percent. the next year. 20 percent. the next year. 20 percent. Those are pretty big numbers. In fact. if it were to stay at that 60 percent level. the numbers would be extraordinary. If you took the congressional resource number. that when a person comes in under this provision as a guest worker and they get a green card and are able to bring in their family. they have calculated 1.2 family members they would bring in for each guest worker. And if you add up those numbers of what we can reasonably expect over a 20year period. it would be 133 million people. I dont think we will be at 20 percent every year. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090132234,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are some factors that would show that is not the case. But that is what the bill authorizes. 20 percent automatically. if the caps are reached each year. If it went up at about 10 percent a year. you would still have a very significant increase in just this one program. When you talk about 100 million people. you are talking about onethird of the current population of the United States being admitted under a lowskill worker program. called a guest *worker program. that does not require highskill abilities. We need to completelg redo it. I believe that. I really do. I urge my colleagues to think seriously about this. what we are voting for. I know the motive and I know the desire to do the right thing. We are a nation of immigrants. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090132234,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are going to allow immigration in the future to continue. When we do. we will increase legal immigration into this country. and I will support that. But the rate of increase provided for in this provision is unjustifiable and. therefore. I support the Dorgan amendment. I yield back the remainder of my time to the Senator from North Dakota.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090132276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have the opportunity to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee. We had one hearing that dealt with these issues and dealt with some of the issues the Senator has been talking about specifically. Professor Richard Freemanand these were pretty proimmigration panels. but I think they all agree with Senator DORGANRichard Freeman holds the Herbert AshermanChair. professor of economics at Harvard University. This was his quote just a few weeks ago at a. hearing: One of the concerns when immigrants come in that way. they may take some jobs from some Americans and drive down the wages of some Americans and. obviously. if there is a large number of immigrants coming in and if they are coming in at a bad economic time. thats likely to happen. Is that consistent with the Senators views and that of Professor Samuelson?","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":821}
{"speech_id":1090132305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I on and on. thank my colleague from Pennsyl- My amendment. which Senator FEINvania. the chairman. for yielding to STEIN is cosponsoring. would simply me. put in place. instead of that. a hard cap I ask consent to bring up Senate of 200.000 on the number of visas availamendment 3981. able each year under this .program. Of course. in addition to this program. we all understand there are many other programs that people can use to gain legal access into our country. Let me show a chart. This chart: guest worker visas issued under S. 2611. Now. the olivecolored wedge down at the bottom represents the number of visas that would be issued over the next 6 years under my amendment. That is 200.000 per year. each year. for 6 years. or a total of 1.2 million visas under the guest worker program. If the Senate were to defeat the amendment I am offering and just go with the bill as it currently pends before the Senate. then it could take any of a number ofcourses. If there is a 10percent increase. because of the speed with which people apply for these visas. it would go up to 2.725 million visas by the end of 6 years. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6955}
{"speech_id":1090132305,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If it is a 15percent increase. it gets you to 3.222 million visas by the end of 6 years. And if. in fact. there are enough applicants for these visas to get you a full 20percent increase. then you get to 3.8 million immigrant visas issued over this 6 years. Now. why did I stop this chart at 6 years? The truth is. this legislation has no sunset. This legislation continues indefinitely until Congress changes the law again. So this chart could just as easily have been for 10 years or 15 years or 20 years. And if you really want to see the power of compound immigration. just like the power of compound interest. we should have developed a chart that takes us out 10 or 15 or 20 years. So the chart exemplifies how the number of guest workers may increase over this 6year period under these different scenarios. The chart could have been made for a longer period. If the 325.000person cap is reached within the first 3 months of the fiscal year. we will have added almost 4 million guest workers over this 6year period. If the cap is reached in the second quarter of the fiscal year. we will have added just over 3 million. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6955}
{"speech_id":1090132305,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And if the cap is hit in the third quarter of the year. we will have added a little under 3 million workers under this particular program. In addition. it is important to note that although these visas are issued only for up to 6 years. these workers have the right to petition to become legal permanent residents within 1 year if the employer files for them or within 4 years if they selfpetition.. Frankly. I believe we need to be a little more judicious with respect to the number of visas we are allocating under this program. This is a brandnew program. Under my amendment. which sets the numerical limit for such visas at 200.000. there would be no more than 1.2 million guest workers admitted over these first 6 years. We need to recognize that guest worker programs. if they are not properly implemented. can impact on American workers. Senator DORGAN made the case. I believe very eloquently. that many economists have spoken about the downward pressure on wages that results when you increase the labor supply. We need to recognize that our success with regard to the temporary worker program we have now. such as with regard to agricultural workers. has been mixed. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6955}
{"speech_id":1090132305,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should not make a mistake here by erring on the side of extravagance in allocating these visas or authorizing the issuance of these visas until we know how this program is going to impact American workers. I did not vote for Senator DORGANS amendment to eliminate the guest worker program. but I do believe we need to be judicious about the\" extent of the guest worker program that we authorize. We definitely should not be signing on to some kind of automatic compounding of the number of workers eligible for legal entry into this country under that program. There are a variety of jobs that may be filled by these guest workers--from construction jobs to hotel service jobs--but we should not be placing American workers in these sectors of our economy in the position of competing with virtually an unlimited number of guest workers. which is what I fear we are putting in the law if we leave the law the way it now pends in this pending legislation. The underlying bill does create a temporary guest worker task force. This task force is charged with assessing the impact of the guest worker program on wages and on labor conditions and the employment of American workers and with then making recommendations about whether the numerical cap should be lowered or raised. But then you go on with the legislation. and the increase mechanism is not in any way tied to the recommendations of the task force. The overall number of visas could significantly increase automatically. regardless of whether the program is determined. by this temporary guest worker task force. to be hurting American workers. So if Congress wants to raise the caps. we have the authority to do that every year. We meet here every year. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6955}
{"speech_id":1090132305,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can raise the cap. But we should not provide for an automatic increase in the number of temporary visas irrespective of how that increase is affecting American workers. Just to be clear. reducing the number of guest worker visas to 200.000 a year is not a drastic measure that undercuts the bills goal of providing a more realistic framework for immigrants to legally come into this country. According to the Congressional Research Service. under this overall bill. we will at least be doublinghere is a chart that shows what is going to.happen to the projections for employmentbased legal permanent residents coming into this country under this legislation. We will at least be doubling the flow of legal permanent immigration under the bill in the first year. We increase family- and employmentbased numerical limits. and we exempt categories of individuals from these caps. Overall. the bill does provide for many legal avenues for individuals to legally come into the United States and to work. For example. as this chart shows--this is a chart based on the Congressional Research Service reportwe are significantly increasing the number of employmentbased legal permanent residents under the bill. I strongly believe the amendment I am offering with Senator FEINSTEIN is a reasonable approach. It ensures that an unlimited number of guest workers are not admitted under this program. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6955}
{"speech_id":1090132316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from New Mexico. Mr. President. I would like to speak as a member of the Judiciary Committee. I think one of the things we really need to understand about this bill is that it is a very large bill. It is 640 pages long. It contains a multitude of programs. And itthrough the visa programs. the nonimmigrant visasbrings in large numbers of people. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090132316,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think when we were in Judiciary we did not realize the extent to which large numbers of people are brought in on some of these visas. We were working to a march. We had to get the bill done. And it is my understanding that studies of the bill now on the floor have shown that this bill could allow up to 193 million new legal immigrants. That is a number greater than 60 percent of the current U.S. population in the next 20 years. Now. that is a wayout figure20 yearsbut I think we have to begin to look at each of the visa increases over atleast the next 10year period to determine how many people would come in. particularly the guest worker program. I am happy to cosponsor this amendment with Senator BINGAMAN. The amendment does two things: it lowers the annual numerical cap from 325.000 of H2C guest worker visasand there are a myriad of guest worker visas. but this one is H2C--to 200.000. and it eliminates the annual escalator. In my view. all annual escalators in this bill should be eliminated because they bring in too many people over a relatively short period of time. This bill has the potential. as I said. to bring in millions of guest workers over the years. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090132316,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This means that over 6 yearsthe length of an aliens stay in the United States in this one temporary visa categorythere could be 1.2 million workers in the United States. Under the current proposal. lets say you start at 325.000 guest workers in the first year. and you add the 10percent escalator. The 10percent escalator would yield. over 6 years. 2.7 millIton people. The 15percent escalator would take it to. over 6 years. 3.2 million people. And if you had the 20percent escalator. it would take it up to. over 6 years. 3.807.000 people. It is simply too many. So the current bill doubles and even triples the number of foreign guest workers who could enter the United States over the 6 years of our amendment. I hope this amendment will pass. I would hope that we could eliminate the escalators in these visa programs. The HlB visa escalator would have a total of 3.67 million people over the next 10 years coming in under an HlB visa. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090132316,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We increase the HlB from 56.000 to 115.000. and then we put in a 20percent escalator each year. If the number of visas reached the 115.000and it willtherefore. the next year you add 20 percent. Then if that is reached. you add another 20 percent. And it compounds in this manner to the tune of a total of 3.6 million. I am very concerned about this. I hope the Bingaman amendment will be successful. Again. it does two things. It reduces the base amount from 325.000 to 200.000. and it eliminates the escalator. Two hundred thousand guest workers a year are ample because this is just one part of the bill. There are other visa programs. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090132316,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is AgJOBS. There is earned adjustment. It all adds up to millions and millions of people. I strongly support the Bingaman amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote yes. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3333}
{"speech_id":1090132361,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me briefly explain this amendment. It is a somewhat different version from whatwas introduced a couple of weeks ago and was pending at the time this legislation was laid aside for other business. This amendment has the primary purpose of ensuring that people who have committed serious crimes or have absconded after on order for their removal has been issued would not be entitled to the benefits of the legislation. Specifically. in the bill as written. there were certain crimes which were included. and if you had committed one of those crimes. you couldnt participate in the programcertain crimes of moral turpitude. for example. What we found was that list was not allinclusive and there were other serious crimes. including felonies. that were not included and therefore we felt should be added so that nobody who had committed a serious crime would be able to participate in the program. Among the crimes that courts have said did not involve moral turpitude and therefore needed to be included in this legislation are the following: alien smuggling. conspiracy to commit offenses against the. United States. simple assault and battery. involuntary manslaughter. simple kidnapping. weapons possessionfor example. one of the cases dealt with possession of a sawedoff shot gunburglary. money laundering. and there are others as well. The point is. we want to be sure this legislation denies the benefits of legal status. including potential citizenship. to anyone who has committed a serious crime of this type. Therefore. the statute provides that if you have been convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors or have been convicted of a serious crime or there are reasonable grounds to believe the alien has committed a serious crime outside of the United States prior to arrival. and there are reasonable grounds for regarding the alien as a danger to the security of the United States. then in those events the individual would not be able to participate in the benefits of the law. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5628}
{"speech_id":1090132361,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to that. there are several categories of individuals who for various reasons have been ordered removed from the United States and have adjudicated their case and a final order of removal has been issued. either by an immigration judge or another judge or immigration official. Here. too. given the fact that we want the benefits of this legislation to apply to people who are willing to comply with the law. even where there has been a court adjudication of this statute. if they do not like the results and decide they are not going to leave even though the judge ordered them to leave. then we should not allow the benefits of this legislation to apply to them. One of the things which is inherent in most of the billsI think in all of the bills. including the bill that is on the flooris the concept that you are not permitted to be in the United States unless certain things happen. If you commit a crime. for example. then you cant stay here. That relies to some extent on the individual complying with the court order to leave. This part of the amendment says that when you have been ordered to leave by a judge. you have to do that. If you have demonstrated that you are not willing to do that. then you shouldnt be able to participate in the benefits of this law. One of the things we have doneand as a result. there have been several cosponsors added to the legislationis provided some opportunities to have this provision waived if people can make certain arguments. For example. if an individual who has been ordered to be removed can demonstrate they did not receive notice of removal proceedings. under that condition. this provision could be waived. In addition. the alien could argue that his failure to appear and be removed was due to exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the alien or that the aliens departure from the United States would result in extreme. hardship to the aliens spouse. parent. or child who is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5628}
{"speech_id":1090132361,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is one other factor that has been added relative to coming into this country based upon fraudulent documents. In those situations. the alien could argue that there was a reason this provision should be waived and the alien should still be permitted to participate -in the benefits of the legislation. We think we have drafted something that is fair. that ensures that people who should not be citizens of the United States or granted other legal status under the bill will not be granted the status. but that if there is some reason they can argue that there should be an exception. they will have every right to do so. In that sense. we think this is a firm but fair provision. I hope our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and colleagues who support the underlying legislation would consider this not an unfriendly amendment but an amendment that is truly designed to ensure that a key principle is upheld. The principle is already built into the underlying bill in one respect. The object of this amendment is to make sure it is complete and covers all of the kinds of crimes one might want to cover. As a result. we would hope this would receive an overwhelming response and could be supported by a large number of our colleagues. both on the Democratic and Republican side. Let me conclude by saying that this vote will not occur until tomorrow. but it is an important vote. I think it will demonstrate our willingness to continue to move this legislation forward. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5628}
{"speech_id":1090132361,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the consideration of this amendment and ask my colleagues to support it tomorrow.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5628}
{"speech_id":1090132366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the record. I would like to compliment our staff because most of the hard work in this place goes on in some back room with our staff people trying to work through the problems of the bill. They have done a great job for Senators KYL. CORNYN. and MCCAIN. I am proud of what my staff has done. and particularly Senator KENNEDYS staff. We have all gotten good staff support on this issue. Very clearly. succinctly. to the point. if you are a criminal. if you have committed a felony. if you have committed a crime or three misdemeanors. you dont get a second shot. Off you go. That. to me. is important. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3541}
{"speech_id":1090132366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the bill. we are trying to give people a pathway to citizenship that would be earned and that would add value to our country. Senators KYL and CORNYN have made this a .better bill because the one thing we should all be able to agree on here is you are not adding value to the country when you openly admit people who are criminals. who are mean and hateful. and who keep breaking the law. There is another group of people who are subject to deportation on the civil side. I think it is very fair that in a limited class of cases. we will allow people on the civil side subject to deportation a chance to make their case anew in terms of being eligible for a future guest worker program that may become our Nations law based on the base bill. Who are these people? If you are in a civil deportation hearing and you can demonstrate that you never received the order to leave. then we are going to give you a second shot. It is hard to comply with something you dont know about. That happens on occasion. Second. we are going to allow you. on the civil side receiving a deportation order. to make an argument about how it would affect your family and take the human condition into consideration. There is a unique group of people who -come to this countrynot by illegally crossing the border and overstaying their visawho are one step ahead of a death squad in some foreign land. It could be Haiti or other places. it could be Cuba. with an oppressive Communist regime. and the only way they can get out of that country to come here is it make up a story that would keep them from being killed. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3541}
{"speech_id":1090132366,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What we are saying is. if you come into our country through an inspection system and you have to save your family from an oppressive government or ahead of a death squad. we will let you tell us about that. We will sit down and figure out if it makes sense to make you part of this program. There are not that many people. but we dont want to leave anybody behind that has a meritorious case to be made on the civil side. If you are a criminal. forget it. You have had your chance. and you have blown it. This. to \"me. makes the bill better. whether it is the underlying bill or not. This is a concept that is uniquely American. If you believe in playing by the rules. as Americans do. and you hurt people. you are not going to get a second shot at hurting people again in our country. If you got caught up in a legal system that sometimes is complicated and you have a meritorious argument to be made and you have never hurt anyone. we are going to listen to what you have to say. I am proud to be part of it. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3541}
{"speech_id":1090132366,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator KENNEDY has been very helpful. I hope wevan get close to 100 votes. This is something that should bring us together. Senators KYL and CORNYN demonstrated the best of this body. reaching out. even though Members may not agree with the base bill. to try to find a way to make this part of the bill better.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3541}
{"speech_id":1090132414,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday. May 16. 2006. at 10 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to consider the nomination of Susan C. Schwab to be United States Trade Representative. with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Executive Office of the President. vice Robert J. Portman.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":396}
{"speech_id":1090132541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I do withhold the request. In the interim. while Senator KENNEDY is reviewing the matter. we can start the debate with Senator SESSIONS and look forward to counting the time. which we start now. on Senator SESSIONS ultimate hour and a half. if we may.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090132559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senator from New Hampshire wanted to speak on a different subject. and I believe he has cleared that. and it would not count _agajpst the time on this amendment. I would be pleased. if there is no objection. to allow him to speak on that subject now.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":269}
{"speech_id":1090132583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I yield such time as I might use. Over the course of the discussion and debate on immigration reform. those of us who have been strong supporters of it have pointed out what the President of the United States pointed out. that is. this is about four major aspects of having this program work. They are all interrelated. That is what we call comprehensive. One of them is border security. Those of us who support strong immigration reform strongly support border security. We voted for the enhancement and the increase in the supplemental. We just listened to the Senator from New Hampshire who outlined how he allocated $1.9 billion. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8316}
{"speech_id":1090132583,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is very interesting that we have some allocation for a San Diego fence in that. but he also talked about using new technology and using recent technological breakthroughs as being the most effective way to provide security at the border. He reiterated that today. The chart behind me illustrates border enforcement which is in S. 2611 at the present time: 12.000 new border agents. hightechnology. virtual fence which was favorably and positively commented on by the Senator from New Hampshire when he had responsibility to take the $1.9 billion and look at how he was going to allocate it over the period of time. It talks about the new roads. vehicle barriers at the border. and about fencing in strategic locations. Do you understand fencing in strategic locations? That is a part of S. I was at the briefing with Mr. Chertoff. I understand he was talking about building a fence at strategic locations. but 400 miles of urban area is on the border. Let us be serious400 miles. That is almost a quarter of the southern border stretching from California to the Gulf of Mexico. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8316}
{"speech_id":1090132583,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we are trying to convince the Member from Massachusetts that is an urban area? Come on. We recognize there are going to be certain strategic areas for fencing. That is in this bill. Authorization for permanent highways in the legislation. and we are all familiar with that. Who can get that bumper sticker up the highest? Let us put up another 30.000 border guards. I dare you to vote against that and I will show that you are not interested in border security. Let us put another 1.800 miles of fence down there and triple wiring to show how tough we are on it. Is that the challenge out here when we are trying to deal with a comprehensive program? I dont think so. What we are trying to do is do what is necessary. The Senator from New Hampshire talked about the limitations in recruitment. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8316}
{"speech_id":1090132583,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You have to get 40.000 in order to get 1.000 in terms that will be qualified for border security. He talks about the limitations in training programs. He talks about the technological kinds of limitations. I thought he made a very responsible presentation. If there were additional needs. we were prepared. . We have had the opportunity to work on this issue on border security. We have also recognized that part of border security is enforcement in terms of those who would be coming into the United States as guest workers to make sure we are not going to have exploitation. If they are not going to be able to get that job which they are able to get today. there will be less pressures on the border. All of that is entirely relevant. If they have the ability to go back and forth. there will be less pressure on the border as well. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8316}
{"speech_id":1090132583,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are all entirely relevant. That is the result of the extensive hearings we had. These are all the items which we have included. I am for Secretary Chertoff working through those particular areas. With his charts and maps. he demonstrated areas where he thought it made some sense to put some fencing and other areas where he thought it was completely unnecessary. There is nothing in the current legislation. In fact. there is sufficient authorization. So if the Secretary wants to use resources that are allocated to him to meet the responsibility. he has the power today to do it. There is no suggestion that he does not have the power and does not have the flexibility in terms of the budget to be able. to do that today in the selected areas. But the idea to effectively fence a quarter of the border on the south. that is the downpayment for fencing the whole border. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8316}
{"speech_id":1090132597,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I want to bring some relevant and important facts to the debate. As we have pointed out. we are for security of the border. We have outlined. in my earlier comments. the provisions in this legislation which would help to achieve that. I want to point out some of the history of the building of a fence and the cost of the building of a fence. When the first fence was going to be built. Congressman HUNTER. the Houses largest proponent of fencing. originally estimated the cost of completing the 14 miles of fencing in San Diego at $14 million. the same as the current estimate. I believe. of the Senator from Alabama. Fencing was completed over 11 miles. and the cost was more than 200 percent over budget. costing $42 million. The real cost of construction ended up being more than $3.8 million per mile. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090132597,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At that rate. a complete fence across the U.S.-Mexican border would cost $7.6 billion. As was referenced. the House of Representatives position calls for a 700mile fence. Congressman HUNTER boasts of securing an additional $35 million for the last 3 miles of fencing in San Diego. approximately $12 million per mile. These costs are significantly higher because of difficult terrain. Much of the U.S. border with Mexico crosses mountain terrain such as these 3 miles. potentially driving up the cost of borderwide security. Lets look at what happened in terms of p]eople. Currently. there are 70 miles of fencing along the U.S.- Mexican border. including 40. miles in California and 25 in Arizona. Partial fencing of the U.S.-Mexican border shifted migrant traffic from one area to the other. The apprehensions dropped in San Diego from a high of 450.000 in 1994. when fencing construction began. to a low of 136.000 in 2005. a reduction of 70 percent. Over the same period. the apprehensions in the Tucson sector. covering most of Arizona. rose from 137.000 in 1994 to 489.000. almost an exact shift in migrant traffic from San Diego to Arizona. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090132597,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So the number of apprehensions along the U.S. border from 1994 to 2005 has barely fluctuated. ranging from 900.000 to well over a million per year. What the facts show is that having largescale fences has been grossly inadequate. if we are talking about security. We need to have real. effective security. as we discussed earlier. the virtual fence. using the latest in technology. and also enforcement of laws in the workplace which* will discourage people from coming and which those who have studied this believe to be the most effective. We are talking about a cost of billions of dollars for something that has not been shown to be effective in achieving an outcome. There are ways of securing the border. but this is not the way to do so. for the reasons I outlined earlier and the reasons I cited at this time. We have evaluations of fencing in our legislation. We ought to find out what is the most effective way. whether we use the virtual fence. the newer technologies. what is having the best and most positive result. and invest in that. That is what we ought to do. What we are doing this afternoon is a goodfeeling vote. in terms of trying to give some assurances to the American people. which history has shown is highly costly. and in terms of the amount of resources we are likely to expend has not been effective. For the reason of raising the kinds of conflicts that we are going to have with our neighbors to the south rather than working with them effectively. there are better and more effective ways of securing the border. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090132597,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope this amendment will be defeated. As I understand it. there is a desire to vote at 2:30. I think I have used about all my time. I would be glad to yield back the time. maybe move on to another amendment.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3727}
{"speech_id":1090132609,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. while the Senator from Massachusetts is working out the questions. I have discussed with him setting aside temporarily the Sessions amendment so that we can proceed to the Vitter amendment and not waste any time. Madam President. I have discussed it with Senator VITTER. who is agreeable with an hour and a half equally divided. I have made that suggestion to Senator KENNEDY. He is going to run it by his leadership to see if it is acceptable on his side. Why dont we proceed as if it is so that Senator VITTER is recognized now and starts to talk. and it will count against his time when we finally get the agreement.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":636}
{"speech_id":1090132647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I give my remarks. I would like to extend a thank you to the Senator from Arizona andto the Senator from Massachusetts. During the debate on this issue a couple of weeks ago. it became pretty obvious that there were some Members in this body who did not want to see the Senate function the way it always has. with respect to legislation. and that is to give all Members of this body the opportunity to debate an issue. to submit amendments. and to ultimately have a vote on those amendments and a vote on the legislation. Were it not for the efforts of Senator McCAIN and Senator KENNEDY. we would have been at a deadlock. once again. and those of us who object to this underlying bill would not have had the opportunity to see the Senate work its will. So I do extend a thank you to these Senators for the very professional way in which they handled themselves during the course of the debate a couple of weeks ago. as well as right now. I rise in strong support of Senator VrrERs amendment. and I am proud to be a cosponsor of it. I think this amendment crystalizes the whole debate we are having in the Senate on this bill. It all comes down to the simple question of whether you oppose or you favor amnesty. I think the way Senators vote on this amendment will tell you where they stand on this issue. so I hope the American people will take careful note of how every Senator in this body votes on this amendment. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8892}
{"speech_id":1090132647,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am in favor of a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The way I see it. there are three areas that must be addressed in accomplishing comprehensive reform. The first and foremost is border security. If we do not have operational control of our borders and serious interior worksite enforcement. then there is no point in trying to address the other issues relative to comprehensive reform. The second key component we must address is to have a viable temporary guestworker program for those outside of the country who want to come to this country and work in a job that needs to be filled that cannot. or will not. be filled by an American worker. The third component we must address is the reality of the 11 million. 12 millionwhatever the number isof illegal immigrants who are currently in the United States. I think we can address all three of these issues without providing a new path to citizenship for those who are currently here illegally. There have been a number of alternative approaches mentioned throughout this debate. I had one for agricultural workers. for example. which would have allowed those workers to remain working for a period of 2 years before returning to their home country and have them reenter the United States on a valid and viable guest worker program. This would allow employers to structure their workforce in a way that they can send their illegal workers home and have them return in a manner that does not result in a complete work stoppage on our Nations farms. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8892}
{"speech_id":1090132647,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My main opposition to amnesty is that it has been tried before and it has been proven that it does not work. As chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. my -main focus in this debate has been on agricultural workers. I firmly believe that an amnesty is not in the best interests of agriculture in the United States. The agricultural amnesty in this bill is so similar to the Special Agricultural Worker Program that was enacted as the mechanism for the 1986 amnesty bill that it is really startling. We have heard many Senators talk about all that illegal aliens have to do in order to adjust their status. However. I dont think many people realize that the requirements are not the same for illegal agricultural workers. under the base bill. For illegal agricultural workers to take advantage of the amnesty in this bill. they. must have worked at least 150 hours in agriculture over a 2year period. ending in December of 2005. Meeting that threshold requirement will allow the illegal worker to obtain a blue card. Once in possession of a blue cardwhich is a new process. a new cardthat currently illegal worker has a choice of two different paths to a green card. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8892}
{"speech_id":1090132647,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition to paying back taxes. he can work 100 hours per year for 5 years or work 150 hours per year for 3 years and get a green card. There is not even a requirement to learn English for agricultural workers to take advantage of the amnesty provision in the -base bill. I think the requirements for illegal workers to take advantage of the agricultural amnesty are so low that I fear a repeat of what happened. and failed. in 1986. We should not repeat the mistakes we made before. I am not the only one who feels this way. Several months ago. as we were ramping up toward bringing this bill to the floor. I had the opportunity to speak to 135 brand new American citizens who came from 125 different countries. They were sworn in at the Federal building in Atlanta. GA. After my comments to them and their swearingin ceremony. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8892}
{"speech_id":1090132647,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I had about two dozen of these 133 individuals come up to me. one at a time. and say: Senator. whatever you do. please dont allow those folks who came into this country illegally to get a pathway to citizenship that is different from the path I had to follow. In some instances. these individuals took 5 years. in some instances 8. in some instances 12. In one instance. 22 years that individual had to work. to become a citizen of the United States. For all 133 of those individuals who stood up that morning and raised their right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States. it was the proudest day of their lives. You can -understand why they do not want somebody who came into this country illegally to get a leg up on people who were in the position that they were in for so many years. trying to earn citizenship. The people I saw at that naturalization ceremony truly did earn their citizenship. and it means something to them. as it should to everybody who becomes an American citizen. It does not seem fair to me to call the process those newly naturalized individuals followed earned citizenship and. also call the provision for illegal agricultural workers in this bill earned citizenship. There is a fundamental difference between the two that should be recognized in the rhetoric of this debate. Another problem I have with the agricultural amnesty provision is that it does not remedy the problem with fraud that was prevalent in the 1986 Special Agricultural Worker Program. Under the 1986 program. illegal farm workers who did at least 90 days of farm work during a 12month period could earn a legal status. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8892}
{"speech_id":1090132775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to continue the fight to right a wrong in Americas visa program. It is time to extend the Visa Waiver Program to Poland. I am pleased to have formed bipartisan partnership with Senator SANTORUM and Senator FRIST to introduce this amendment to get it done. In September 2004. Senator SANTORUM and I met with a hero of the cold war. Lech Walesa. When he jumped over the wall of the Gdansk shipyard. he took Poland and the world with him. He told us that the visa issue is a question of honor for Poland. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4314}
{"speech_id":1090132775,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That day we introduced a bill to once again stand in solidarity with the father of Solidarity by extending the Visa Waiver Program to Poland. Two months ago. I had the honor of meeting with Polands new President. Lech Kaczynski. We reaffirmed the close ties between the Poligh and American peoples. And we heard loud and clear that the Visa Waiver Program remains a high priority for Poland. The people of Poland dont understand. and frankly neither do I. why France is among the 27 countries of the Visa Waiver Program but Poland is not. Poland. whose troops joined us in the opening days of war in Iraq. Nine hundred Polish troops stand with us there today. Seventeen Polish soldiers have been killed in Iraq and 27 wounded. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4314}
{"speech_id":1090132775,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Poland. whose troops are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. sending 1.000 Polish soldiers to help lead NATOs mission there. The United States is blessed with few allies as stalwart as Poland. But we tell a grandmother in Gdansk she needs a visa to visit her grandchildren in America. This amendment will allow Poland and any other European Union country with troops in Iraq or Afghanistan today to join the Visa Waiver Program for 2 years on probationary status. It will allow Polish citizens to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 60 days without needing to stand in line for a visa. Shouldnt we make it easier for the Pulaskis and Marie Curies to visit our country? We know our borders will be no less secure because of this amendment. But we know our alliance will be more secure. I thank my colleagues for their support. I am glad the SantorumMikulski amendment is being considered. It shows that when we work together we can get a lot done. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4314}
{"speech_id":1090132775,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank both Senators from Pennsylvania for their help and cooperation to get this amendment agreed to. This amendment rights a wrong in Americas visa program. It is time to extent the visa waiver program to Poland. I am pleased to have formed bipartisan partnership with Senator SANTORUM and Senator FRIST to get it done. In September 2004. Senator SANTORUM and I met with the hero of the cold warLech Walesa. When he jumped over the wall of the Gdansk shipyard he took Poland and the world with him. He told us that the visa issue is a question of honor for Poland. That day. we introduced bill to once again stand in solidarity and with the father of Solidarity by extending the visa wkiver program to Poland. Two months ago. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4314}
{"speech_id":1090132775,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I met with Polands new President. Lech Kaczynski. We reaffirmed close ties between the Polish and American peoples. We hear loud and clear that the visa waiver program is a high priority for Poland. Why is it important? The people of Poland dont understand. and frankly. neither do I. why France is among the 27 countries of the visa waiver program but Poland is not. Poland. whose troops joined us in the opening days of war in Iraq has had 900 troops stand with us there today. Mr. President. 17 Polish soldiers have been killed in Iraq and 27 were wounded. Polish troops are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. One thousand Polish soldiers help lead NATOs mission there. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4314}
{"speech_id":1090132831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield such time as I might use. We will look at exactly who these individuals are who are going to come into the United States and what the -process is. First. we will find out that an employer needs a particular kind of function to be able to continue their businessmaybe it is related to the employment of other individuals. They search around to try. for some 60 days. to see if there is an American prepared to take that job at that salary. They cannot find an American prepared to take that job. and they still need to have that particular function filled. So they find out there is a willing person from overseas prepared to take that particular job. get paid the particular wages mentioned for that particular profile. and that individual then comes to the United States and works for that particular employer. Under the current legislation. we are saying that after a period of 4 yearsor even before the 4yearperiodif the employer wants to petition for a green card for that particular employee. they can go ahead and do that. That is in the law at the present time. Senator CORNYNs amendment does not do that. We provide after 4 years that if the individual wants to make a petition for that particular job. they ought to be entitled to do so. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5117}
{"speech_id":1090132831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They will still have to wait the 5 years in order to become a citizen. That is a total of 9 years to be able to become a citizen. Senator CORNYN does not want that particular right for that particular worker. One of the things we have seen over the period of years. going back to the Bracero issue in question where we had individuals who came into the United States and were extraordinarily exploitedthey were exploited all the way through by unscrupulous employers because those particular workers did not have any rights in order to be able to protect themselves. In the 1960s. we got rid of the Bracero because it was such a shameful aspect in this countrys employment history. We want to avoid the same circumstance with this new legislation. We have tried to learn from 1986. when we had amnesty. We also should have had the prosecution of employers employing individuals who should not have been employed. but that was never enforced. Now we have the earned citizenship. Now we have protections for workers to come in here. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5117}
{"speech_id":1090132831,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. we have strengthened border security. We have learned from the past. One of the important experiences of learning from the past is not to permit these workers to be exploited. One of the best ways to ensure that is to give themat least after 4 years of working in the United Statesthe opportunity of getting on the path for a green card and eventually citizenship. Now. the Senator from Texas does not want that. He wants to leave all of the power with the employer. Well. I do not buy that. The employer starts out saying: Look. I need a worker. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5117}
{"speech_id":1090132831,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cant get a worker. I really need you. You come on in here. I will really look out after you. But I want to tell you something: unless you are going to work those extra hoursland I might not pay you overtimeunless you are going to do this or unless you are going to do that. I will never petition for you. And you are not going to be able to petition for yourself. So I think it is an issue about whether we are going to respect individuals and have as much respect for employees as we have for the employers. It is interesting that under this legislation. if an employee comes in. and the employer likes that person. they can go ahead and make the petition now for the green card. They have the power to do that in the first year. the second year. the third year. and the fourth year. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5117}
{"speech_id":1090132831,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So we are just swinging all of this power into the hands of the employers. If you accept the Cornyn amendment. you are effectively leaving people high and dry on that. I do not think that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to have fairness in the legislation. We are trying to have legality. strong border security. We are trying to have an employeremployee relationship where the employer is going to know that employee. has the documents and. therefore. will not go out and hire other employees who are here illegally and give them depressed wages. which will depress the wages on Americans and American workers. which is the current case. We are saying we want to stop the exploitation of both those individuals and what is happening to American workers. But. we want to at least say that after 4 years. where this individual has filled an important slot that no American worker was prepared to fill. and they want to be a part of the whole American dream. play by the S4682 CO rules. pay their taxes. do what anycitizen would do in the United States but the employer said: No. I am not going to do it. and then they have to go back to their country. it leaves all the power with the employer and denies the employee respect. which I think will invite further kinds of exploitation. We do not want to go back to the Bracero period. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5117}
{"speech_id":1090132835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have difficulty following. the logic of my good friend from Texas because American workers are protected when the temporary worker is protected. Now. let me give you a possible factual situation: An employer has one of these temporary workers. They have gone out and petitioned and cant find an American to do this job. They cant find an American to do the job. Then they have the foreigner who comes in and works ior them. and works for them for 4 years. Now. under our proposal. after the 4year period. if they have paid their taxes. if they have not gotten into trouble with the law the rest of the way. they can petition for a green card. Then. if they follow all the procedures. pass the naturalization exam. they can become a citizen 5 years after that9 years. Now. this is what Mr. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090132835,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CORNYN. the Senator from Texas says: Look. after the 4 years. we are going to take away the right of that personunless the employer is going to petition for them. unless the employer is going to do it. Now. you tell me what is going to happen in a lot of the workplaces. The employee says: Look. Mr. Employer. when are you going to petition for me I have worked for you for 4 years. Under the old bill. they used to be able to say I could petition. But they passed the Cornyn amendment. and it says. no. I am completely dependent upon you. Well. the employer says: Dont ask for a raise. Take a wage cut. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090132835,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Take a wage cut for a couple of years. Dont complain about unfair working conditions. Dont complain about it. Dont complain about working a little .longer. working Saturdays. maybe a few hours on Sunday. If you complain about it. I am not going to petition for you. You are going to be left high and dry. You tell me how that protects American workers. Once you get the exploitation of the temporary worker. we see what happens. as we have seen today: Employers are employing the undocumented and they are paying them a good deal less. That is an adverse impact aid effect on American wages. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090132835,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you raise those wages and give them the protections we have under our legislation. that is going to protect American workers. I fail to understandwhen you give the whole deck of cards to the employer. and tell the employer he can do anything he wants with that employeehow that employee is protected and how an American worker is protected. I just do not get it. I just do not see it. It defies history. It defies the history of the old employment. It can work very well for that particular employer because he has that employee right by the throat because if that employee complains. does not do what the employer says. that person is on their way back to whatever country they came from. or they will disappear into the community. That is not good. That is what we are trying to avoid--exploitation. I think this is what we have tried to do throughout the bill both in terms of the exploitation of workers. in terms of the legal system. the legal structure. and in. terms of the border security. and the others. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090132835,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have difficulty in following the rationale and the reasoning that if you give one person in the employeremployee relationship all of the cards. that somehow inures to the benefit of the employee. It never has in the history of the relationship between workers and employers. and it will not. And it will not if that is the outcome of the Cornyn amendment. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3410}
{"speech_id":1090132841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would ask. if I may. Mr. President. if the Senator will yield for one more question. whether it is true that. for example. highskilled workers. HlB workerspeople with math. science. engineefing degrees. and the likewhether there is a requirement that there be an employer who actually sponsors those workers before they can receive one of those types of visas? \"","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":364}
{"speech_id":1090132844,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a very fundamental reason why. You are talking about the HlB. You are talking about the most highly skilled. highly educated. and highly competent individuals in the worldHlBgoing on to universities. going into the hightech areas. individuals for which the world is their oyster. They do not suffer the kind of exploitation. the kindof humiliation that other workers suffer. These workers are taking jobs that American workers will not take. There is a big difference between that and going to the top companies of America and working for the CEO. when you have all the education. the professional degrees. Those individuals are not the ones being exploited. They never have been. and they are not today. It is an entirely different situation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090132844,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are talking about the tough. difficult work that no American will take. We are talking about the history of these kinds of jobs. We have seen it. We have read about it. We have experienced it. I did. certainly. in the early 1960s. going across the Southwest in the Bracero Program. Exploitation is one of the sad aspects of American employment history. We do not want to go there. The H2Bs in my State are doing very well at universities and colleges and enormously successful businesses. The idea behind the H2Bs was getting the very able and gifted people. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090132844,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As history has shown. that results in the hiring of additional people because of their abilities. They end up. as a result of these programs. adding key elements of success to various businesses and employment expands. Generally. those are good jobs with good benefits and good retirement. That is an entirely different situation. I am glad we were able to clear that up. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090132926,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Toyota Motor Company for their 20 years of successful and prosperous operations in Georgetown. KY. This stunning achievement serves as a shining example to us all in regards to leadership and innovation in the American workforce. Since coming to Kentucky in 1986. Toyota has lrovided our State with thousands of job opportunities while giving the employees the ability to contribute ideas for product improvement. oversee quality control. and continually strive for perfection. This strive has resulted in the Toyota Camry being named the most popular car on the American automotive market eight times out of the last 9 years. With three locations in Kentucky. the Georgetown manufacturing plant. the North American Parts CenterKentucky. and the companys largest North American manufacturing headquarters in Erlanger. KY. it is easy to see the economic benefits that Toyota has brought to our State. The Georgetown plant alone employs over 7.000 team members and has generated over 34.000 jobs in Kentucky and nearly 100.000 jobs across the United States. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2283}
{"speech_id":1090132926,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So often we hear about jobs being lost to overseas firms. but in Kentucky we are fortunate the Toyota jobs came to us. This partnership has benefited Toyota and Kentucky. and I know both parties will reap the benefits for years to come. Today. the Georgetown production facility is Toyotas largest production plant in North America. Kentuckys dedicated skilled production team has been key to Toyotas success. - Toyota has proven its commitment to Kentucky by supporting the interests of the Commonwealth and giving back to our State in so many ways. By contributing to education. the arts. local business leadership organizations. and supporting womens rights. this company has proven time and again the importance of a strong business and community partnership. Words cannot express the generosity that Toyota has shown Kentucky through industry job opportunities and community service. I am excited to see what this partnership will bring to Kentuckians and generations to come. Once again. I want to congratulate the Toyota Georgetown facility and its employees on 20 years of success. I also want to thank them for all they have given to our State.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2283}
{"speech_id":1090132928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On May 16. 2006. a 20yearold Washington. DC. lesbian died after being shot in the head in what appears to have been a hate crime. Cry~tal Smith died shortly before midnight when two unidentified men opened fire on her while standing on a street corner in Southeast Washington. DC. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1294}
{"speech_id":1090132928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to reports. the police departments Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit is assisting in the investigation. The fact that Smith was shot in the head makes it appear more likely that she was targeted. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well. (At the request of Mr. REID. the following statement was ordered to be printed in the RECORD.)","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1294}
{"speech_id":1090132934,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to applaud the Indy Racing League. IRL. for its decision to use ethanol in its race cars and the impact that decision has had on efforts to inform Americans about this important alternative fuel. Since 1911. Indiana has been the center of the autoracing world. setting the standard in racing for drivers and fans alike. And now. the Indy Racing League is setting a new standard. this time for greater energy independence. This year all of the IndyCars will race on a 10percent ethanol blend before switching to a 100percent ethanol fuel next year. With this change. the corn harvested on farms across the country will power the fastest cars in the world. The ethanol that will power its race cars will deliver the same highperformance capabilities that drivers rely on. only without harmful air pollution. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2170}
{"speech_id":1090132934,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also represents an important step toward reducing Americas dependence on foreign oil. by providing a renewable energy source grown in our own fields. By tapping the energy potential of Americas farm fields. we can ensure a reliable domestic energy supply to meet our Nations needs while ending our reliance on unstable countries such as Saudia Arabia. Russia. and Venezuela for their oil and creating thousands of jobs for Hoosier farmers. Every Memorial Day weekend. millions of Americans and sports fans from around the world watch the Indy 500. But this year. when they tune in to see who wins the Brickyard. they will also be watching the future of American energy unfold at 220 miles per hour. With its decision to use ethanol as the fuel for the IndyCar series. the IRL is leading the way to encourage greater public use of renewable fuels. After all. if a highperformance vehicle can win the Brickyard running on ethanol. then surely ethanol is good enough for the family minivan. too. I have introduced a bipartisan bill that will promote the use of ethanol and other biofuels. and I will continue to support efforts to find new ways to use ethanol in the future. I applaud the Indy Racing League for leading the way in this effort and. along with thousands of other Hoosiers. look forward to this years ethanolpowered races.","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2170}
{"speech_id":1090132941,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. President Bush is signing H.R. 4297. the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005. I opposed this legislation because it contains the wrong priorities for Americaleaving behind working families and substantially adding to the deficit. This law chooses to extend the lower rates on capital gains and dividends *for 2009 and 2010. but only addresses the individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) for 2006. \" According to the Joint Committee on Taxation. those earning $200.000 or more will receive 84 percent of the benefit of the capital gains tax cut and 63 percent of the benefit of the dividends tax cuts. According to the Congressional Budget Office. 42.8 percent of taxpayers with income between $50.000 and $100.000 will be impacted by the AMT if the AMT is not addressed for 2007a number that increases to 66 percent by 2010. The Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation of Act of 2005 extends a tax cutthat does not expire to the end of 2008 with a price tag of $50 billion. but fails to protect the hard working families that will be impacted by the AMT. These families were never intended to be impacted by the AMT. a tax originally designed to prevent a small number of high income taxpayers from avoiding taxation. Today. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5196}
{"speech_id":1090132941,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am introducing legislation that will address the AMT for 2007 and repeal the lower tax rates on capital dividends for 2009 and 2010. To calculate the AMT. individuals add back certain \"preference items\" to their regular tax liability. These include personal exemptions. the standard deduction. and the itemized deduction for state and local taxes. From this amount. taxpayers subtract the AMT exemption amount. commonly referred to as the \"patch\" which reverted to lower levels at the end of 2005. H.R. 4297 increased and extended the patch for 2006. The patch was increased in order to hold the same humber of taxpayers harmless from the AMT in 2006 as in 2005. The problem with the AMT. is that while the regular tax system is indexed for inflation. the AMT exemption amounts and tax brackets remain constant. This has the perverse consequence of punishing taxpayers for the mere fact their incomes rose due to inflation. A choice was made in 2001 to provide more tax cuts to. those with incomes of over one million dollars rather than addressing a looming tax problem for the middle class. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 did include a small adjustment to the AMT. but it was not enough. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5196}
{"speech_id":1090132941,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We knew at the time that the number of taxpayers subject to the AMT would continue to rise steadily. The combination of lower tax cuts and a minor adjustment to the AMT would cause the AMT to explode. We.are now approaching this explosion. My legislation extends and expands the AMT exemption amount for 2007 to prevent additional taxpayers from being impacted by the AMT. Without increasing and extending the AMT exemption for 2007. an additional 3.2 million taxpayers will be impacted by the AMT in 2007. In addition. the legislation will allow nonrefundable personal credits such as the higher education tax credits and the dependent care credit against the AMT for 2007. This legislation is offset by repealing the lower rates on capital gains and dividends. My colleagues in the majority argue that the. extension of the capital gains and dividends benefits is necessary to provide investor certainty. But I believe that the certainty of working families worried about paying the AMT should come first. New data from the Joint Committee on Taxation requested by the Ways and Means Democratic Members shows that in 2007. 62 percent of all taxable capital gain income will be recognized by taxpayers liable for the minimum tax. -Simply put. taxpayers forced to carry the AMT burden will not benefit from the lower capital gains and dividends rate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5196}
{"speech_id":1090132941,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The AMT is a looming problem that is impacting hardworking families and for each year that we fail to address the AMT. it gets worse and more expensive. We need to address the AMT for 2007. My legislation is not a longterm cure to the AMT crisis. but it will provide certainty for next year to hard working families that will be impacted by the AMT just because of where they live and the number of children they have. and it will address the AMT in a revenue neutral manner for 2007 as well. The Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 addresses the AMT for 2006. but at a priceproviding a $42.000 tax cut to those making more than a million dollars a year. The AMT for 2006 could have been addressed in a bill that did not include the extension of additional tax cuts and it could have been offset. Instead. addressing the AMT for 2006 was included in a bill that will add far more than $70 billion to the deficit. We all agree that the AMT should not be impacting families with incomes below $100.000. I am concerned that we will not address the AMT for 2007 in a timely and fiscally responsible manner. My bill does this and would give Congress time to work together in a bipartisan manner to find a fiscally responsible permanent solution to the AMT. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of this bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5196}
{"speech_id":1090132954,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 17. 2006. at 4 p.m.. in open session to receive testimony on the rolesand missions of the National Guard in support of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090132956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 17. 2006. at 4.30 p.m.. in close session to receive a briefing from the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090132958,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to ask unanimous consent that -the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a hearing on Wednesday. May 17. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. to consider the following pending nominations: Dale Klein to be a Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Molly ONeill to be an Agsistant Administrator. Environmental Protection Agency.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090132976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management. the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Wednesday. May 17. 2006. at 2:30 p.m. for a hearing entitled. Progress or More Problems: Assessing the Federal Governments Security Clearance Process.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090132991,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. yesterday demonstrations in over a dozen countries. including the U.S.. U.K.. Thailand and Japan took place demanding that the U.N. Security Council take action to stop the violence in eastern Burma. I join them today in speaking out against the brutal military dictatorship of Burma. The thugs of Rangoon are on an allout rampage. Since March the Burmese military dictatorship has forced over 15.000 Karen tribal people from theirhomes. This map shows more than 2.800 villages. All of these dots are villages that have been desfroyed. and hundreds of thousands of people displaced since 1996. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1275}
{"speech_id":1090132991,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These photos point to the awful plight of the displaced persons. There are numerous reports documenting the systematic tracking. torturing. the killing of many of the Karen tribe in the recent weeks. But ethnic genocide is occurring in Burma. On December 16 the U.N. Security Council held its firstever briefing on Burma. At the briefing. U.N. Secretary General Annan indicated that the Security Council should get involved in Burma. But mere talk is not enough. The U.S. should lead an effort to pass a resolution on Burma and the. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1275}
{"speech_id":1090132991,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Security Council. The world knows what is happening. If the international community does not act. we are complicit in their atrocities.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1275}
{"speech_id":1090133015,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Republicans were dead wrong to force American seniors to pick a private drug plan Choosing the right plan is not easy for any of us. Seniors had dozens of plans to choose from. In Nevada alone. we had 44 plans. But this decision was made even more difficult by an incompetent Bush administration that did not give seniors accurate information. The nonpartisan GAO conducted an investigation which concluded seniors were receiving bad information 60 percent of the time on critical questions concerning which drug plan cost the least based on a seniors prescription drug needs. One in five seniors are now actually paying more for their drugs than they did before they signed up. Seniors received bad information from the Bush administration. and based on this bad information. they made a very bad decision. House Democrats wanted to extend the deadline until the end of the year. giving seniors more time and preventing an unfair penalty tax from taking effect. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1090}
{"speech_id":1090133015,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House Republicans refused to join us in this effort. and now millions of seniors will unfortunately pay the price.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1090}
{"speech_id":1090133034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"we have had a number of hearings on this. More impressively still. the 15.000memberstrong Society of American Foresters has endorsed this bill. The fact is we do not lack evidence that this can be done. We have abundant evidence that it can be done responsibly: Hundreds of thousands of acres of land across this country have been harvested and reforested and is vibrant today. We also have evidence from natural events. I happen to represent Mount St. Helens. The picture beside me shows an area of industrial forestland harvested postSt. Helens eruption. reforested by the Weyerhaeuser Company. Adjacent to it is the national monument. ","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090133034,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You can see clearly trees have grown more rapidly in the area that was harvested and reforested. Our bill specifically says that in a national forest you not replant in a plantation style. but there can be no doubt that evidence is clear that you can have more rapid regeneration following harvests and replanting than in an area that is left undisturbed. Our bill. I should emphasize. protects national monuments and wilderness areas. No impact from this bill on those areas. The bill has also been endorsed by labor unions. the Association of Western Pulp and Paperworkers. the carpenters and others. Furthermore. it has the support of professional firefighters. The people whose lives depend on the situation in the woods have recognized that this bill has merit. Now. some have said. well. if you replant in the wrong way. you can increase fire risk. We agree. but our bill calls for you to replant in a right way that does not increase fire risk. ","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090133034,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The natural requirements of forest plans require the removal of downed timber. thereby further reducing the fire risk. When this bill came before the Rules Committee yesterday. my colleague Congressman WALDEN. Ms. HERSETH and I and others encouraged that these four amendments be allowed. We disagree with them. We think they are counterproductive. but we think it is important to have an open debate. I am very proud of this legislation. If people would get past the rhetoric and ask themselves this simple question. if we are going to use wood. does it make sense to get it from dead trees or live trees. and if we can harvest it responsibly. gain economic benefit from doing so. if we do so correctly. benefit the environment as well by reducing erosion and restoring habitat more rapidly. should we not do so? Existing law prohibits us from doing that. -That is why we are moving to change the law. We believe we can improve on existing law. We believe there is evidence where existing law has actually harmed the environment. has been economically counterproductive. and we believe this commonsense legis_lation improves upon that. ","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090133034,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I urge passage of this rule. and I urge passage of this legislation when it comes to the floor. and I urge rejection of the four amendments. Though I am glad they were ruled in order. we should vote themdown.","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2938}
{"speech_id":1090133054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I oppose H.R. 4200. This unnecessary legislation waives critical conservation laws. compromises the publics proven commitment to protecting roadless areas. and ignores the body of peerreviewed science on the harmful impacts of salvage logging. H.R. 4200 represents yet another attempt by the majority in this Congress to dismantle our Nations most paramount conservation laws. As its core. H.R. 4200 allows for environmental exemptions to expedite the removal of timber after a catastrophic event on Federal lands. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3183}
{"speech_id":1090133054,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These unnecessary environmental exemptions. however. come at the expense of critical laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act. the Endangered Species Act. the Clean Water Act. the National Historic Preservation Act. Should Congress approve H.R. 4200. theresult would be weakening of existing laws meant to protect public participation and provide for environmental protections. Proponents of H.R. 4200 argue this legislation complies with conservation laws. This is simply not true. To be clear. H.R. 4200 waives the requirements of four very critical conservation laws. Mr. Chairman. in our discussion of H.R. 4200 on the Forests and Forest Health Subcommittee. it has become apparent to me that the authorities granted under H.R. 4200 for timber salvage are unnecessary. The argument that there is an abundance of timber salvage going to waste on our public lands because of the length of the NEPA process is false. In reality. the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have an abundance of exist.ing authorities that allow for timber salvage to be completed on our public lands with the appropriate checks and balances. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3183}
{"speech_id":1090133054,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Salvage logging already accounts for 35 percent of timber harvested on our national forests. Also. one of the largest salvage logging projects in the history of the U.S. Forest Service. on the Forest Service lands impacted by Hurricane Katrina. is being completed quickly under the authorities from the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003. Furthermore. H.R. 4200 is not scientifically sound. The underlying premise of H.R. 4200 that postdisturbance salvage logging must be completed to recover a forest and improve forest health is not supported by the abundance of peerreviewed science on this issue to date. A study published by Donato and others in a January 2006 edition of the wellrespected journal Science. found that postfire logging in the wake of the 2002 Biscuit fire. reduced forest regeneration by 71 percent and increased shortterm fire risk. This study adds to a substantial list of peerreviewed science that concludes that salvage logging is contrary to the goal of improving forest health. 169 scientists from around the country submitted a letter to Congress opposing H.R. 4200 as salvage logging has been found to impede forest regeneration. damage riparian corridors. introduce or spread invasive species. cause erosion and degrade water quality. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3183}
{"speech_id":1090133054,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 4200 is unnecessary legislation with significant negative consequences. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting \"no\" on H.R. 4200. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3183}
{"speech_id":1090133065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding. I. too. just want to rise in support of this legislation and applaud the leadership of those who have been working on this legislation that is so important to move quickly to restore forests. key watersheds. wildlife habitat. and stabilize our soils. It is not acceptable that we continue to see thousands of acres burn because of forest fires. because of poor management on our forests. big kill. and we have these catastrophic situations take place when we are not able to take action. I wanted to specifically speak to the provisions related to the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA. I have been working on\" chairing a task force. and although I applaud the authors of NEPA. who truly were visionary for their time. I do believe there is an opportunity for us to improve the implementation of NEPA 35 years later. It is unfortunate that so often this is the law used through paperwork or bureaucratic means to prevent us from really taking action that is needed on our forests. Northeastern Washington is known for its vast public forests that span over 2.6 million acres of land. ","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3363}
{"speech_id":1090133065,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These forests. and the resulting timber. play an extremely important role in our regions economy. Maintaining healthy forests is essential to those who make a living from the land and for those of us who use them for others purposes. Unfortunately. there are a number of critical issues that impact the health and the economic stability of the forests in our region. One of my top priorities in Congress is to grow our economy and in order to do this we must protect our natural resources. Currently. the Colville Forest is dying faster than it is being maintained. leaving a large number of dead or dying trees susceptible to disease. insect infestation. and future wildfires. I have also been interested in exploring issues affecting postfire rehabilitation. Immediate restoration work on forests following catastrophic events is essential for reforestation and rehabilitation to be successful. As the chair of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) task force. I have unfortunately discovered that legal and procedural delays have become the norm. leaving vast areas of national forest land barren of trees for decades. This has lead to devastating impacts on wildlife habitat. soil stability and water quality. ","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3363}
{"speech_id":1090133065,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my district last year. just south of Pomeroy. Washington. the School Fire started on August 5th and over 13 days burned nearly 50.000 acres. destroying 215 homes. recreational cabins and outbuildings. According to James Agee. a University of Washington forest ecologist and professor who specialize in dry forest fire ecology said the area burned by the School Fire likely will take about 150 years to grow back if we let Mother Nature takes it course. That is simply not acceptable. I cosponsored the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act because our forests. and the resulting timber. play an extremely important role in the economy in the Pacific Northwest. Maintaining healthy forests is essential to those who make a living from the land and for those of us who use them for recreational purposes. Eastern Washington has experienced a number of deadly.forest fires this season. and it is crucial that we have bipartisan legislation that will expedite the research and restoration process.","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3363}
{"speech_id":1090133086,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. the gentleman makes an excellent point. And the point you made earlier about choosing between dead. dying. burned trees versus live. living trees not being cut down are also helping the environment by absorbing that CO2. So this is a very proenvironmental piece of legislation","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":292}
{"speech_id":1090133119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the comments of my colleague and friend from southern Oregon. and we have tried to come together on this legislation. and we have not quite gotten there yet. but I have to rise in opposition to his amendment. The term \"timber production land\" means different things when discussing different forests. Even in the broadest sense. land where timber is the primary objective has been steadily decreasing. reflecting a shifting focus on timber production to using harvest for other purposes. such as wildlife habitat. hazardous fuels reduction or forest health. For example. in Oregon there are 32 million acres of BLM and national forestlands. Less than 20 percent is designated for timber production. ","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1364}
{"speech_id":1090133119,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the State of California. of the 12 national forests in the Sierra framework. totaling over 11 million acres. only 1 percent is designated as timber production land. These figures illustrate just what a devastating effect the amendment would have. It would be very. very restrictive. guaranteeing only a very small portion of the Nations forests would have proper recovery efforts in the event of a catastrophe. Obviously. a quicker review and recovery is necessary than what this amendment would allow at this point. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama","speaker_name":"GREG WALDEN","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1364}
{"speech_id":1090133161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I just wanted to congratulate the chairman of the subcommittee. Mr. WALDEN. for the fantastic job he has done. And I especially want to thank Mr. BAIRD for the work that he has put into this. This was an effort to bridge across party lines. across different ideologies in order to produce a bill that is better. for the environment. better for the communities and better for our entire country. and I thank them for all of the work that they have put into this in working together to produce the kind of legislation that this House can be proud of. because this is the kind of bipartisan effort that produces the kind of legislation that this country deserves. So congratulations to both of you.","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":749}
{"speech_id":1090133184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman from South Carolinas diligent efforts on the Budget Committee as the ranking member. He. along with our chairman. have forged a very strong working relationship. I respect his efforts on these issues. and he has certainly been working on them for years. Let me take a moment. though. to scrutinize the Democratic substitute. where. if our budget is the Land of Oz. theirs is worthy of a good Sherlock Holmes. novel. a whodoneit and wheredidtheyputit. because they seem to rely on revenues that just do not exist. For example. the key component of their revenue in the Democratic substitute is over $700 billion in what the IRS calls the tax gap. In other words. it is the difference between what people owe the IRS in taxes and the collections that actually come in. They assume. my friends on the other side of the aisle. in their budget projections that all $727 billion of that socalled tax gap shows up. Now. if they know where it is now to project it in their budget. please share it with us so that we may meet these needs. these unmet needs that hav.e been described with great elaboration. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3246}
{"speech_id":1090133184,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You seem to know where it is. because you know for a fact such that you budget for it. that it will appear. poof. that it will show up in time to make your budget balance. They allow the important tax reforrls that we have worked so hard to implement over the past several years to expire. They allow taxes to go back up. Their budget. their budget. provides for only $150 billion in tax relief. which I am glad to see that- they are coming around to the concept that tax relief can be an important economic stimulant. as we were just hearing the opposite view in congratulating the President for signing $70 billion in tax rqlief. and yet they account for $150 billion. but say that our $70 billion was reckless and irresponsible. They would allow the child tax credit to expire. or the 10 percent bracket to expire. or the death tax to expire. or the marriage penalty to expire to make their numbers work. And so when we get tied up in all of the rhetoric about this issue. it is important to remember that the budget debate that we will be moving forward with today is about choices. It is about a different set of priorities as represented by the two political parties for the future of this country. Our budget deals with both sides of the ledger. Our budget recognizes that over half of the Federal spending today is on the mandatory side of the ledger. It is on automatic pilot. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3246}
{"speech_id":1090133184,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is unsustainable. Both parties know that Social Security needs help. Both parties know that Medicare needs help. Both parties know that Medicaid needs help or it will sink the entire Federal budget. It makes up 55 percent of spending today. Within the decade it will make up twothirds of Federal spending. Their budget does not address 55 percent of the Federal budget. a $2.17 trillion budget. just ignores it. That is not responsible. That is not dealing with the problems that we know exist and will only grow in magnitude and scale as time moves on. These are the challenges that our budget attempts to deal with and deal with in a very responsible and balanced way. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3246}
{"speech_id":1090133257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. again. I was simply quoting the moderate Republicans. for one thing. Secondly. that claim for responsibility and this assumption that they would get the job done would be more impressive if we thought that they in the Senate were going to agree to something. . So. in fact. we had a problem earlier this year where bills passed in somewhat different form in the House and the Senate were signed into law despite the Constitution. and we now know why. because whether it is lobbying and ethics reform or the budget or immigration. the Republican House and the Republican Senate cannot get together. I will have to say to the gentleman from Florida that beating of your chest and talking about how responsive you are as to beat the moderates into submission would be more impressive if I thought you had any chance of getting an actual budget signed by the Senate.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":875}
{"speech_id":1090133261,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and indeed. it does beg the question. how much Federal spending is enough? I am reminded yet again that people are entitled to their own opinions. but they are not. entitled to their own facts. and. Mr. Speaker. maybe we ought to get a few of the facts on the table. Let us just take a look in our rearview mirror overthe last 10 years and see how much money the Federal. Government has been spending. International affairs is up 89.1 percent. natural resources and environment. 43.8 percent. commerce and housing credit. 28.4. Since we have been discussing education training and employment. in 10 years that budget has gone from $53 billion to $114 billion. That is an increase of 113 percent. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090133261,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I mean. Mr. Speaker. how much do we need here in Federal spending? Should it be a 130 percent increase in 10 years. 150. 200? We have to remember. also. Mr. Speaker. where is this money coming from? Although maybe there is literally a printing press down the road. figuratively there is not one. All of this money is coming from some American family. and every time we are increasing some Federal program. we are taking it away from some family program. Right now. again. budgets are about values. and they are about dollars and cents. and ultimately. this debate does come down again to taxes and spending. The Democrats have said that we are offering all these great tax cuts. I looked very closely in the budget. I am having a little trouble finding that. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090133261,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What I do find is that we are going to prevent a huge automatic tax increase engineered by the other side. It is very fascinating to me in the Federal city how spending is forever. yet tax relief seems to be temporary. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle decry any of the tax relief that has occurred under President Bushs watch. So that means they want to take it away. Well. what does that mean? It means. well. the lowestincome taxpayers will see that their taxes are increased 50 percent. It means we lose the 10 percent bracket.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2047}
{"speech_id":1090133263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am sure my colleagues are familiar with the Kenny Rogers song which says you have to know when to hold and know when to fold. I sure would like to be in a poker game with the Republican moderates. They fold before they even see their cards. They got nothing out of this budget deal. and they are going to tell us how wonderfully they did. It is nothing but a promise. and it will be a promise that is not kept. My colleague from Florida talks about the bottomless pit of spending. Talking about bottomless pits. let us talk about $8 billion in subsidies to the oil industry. Let us talk about another $7 billion in a windfll and not having them pay a royalty tax for the oil they take out of the ground. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2138}
{"speech_id":1090133263,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We just waived it for all of them. And they get a prescription drug bill which has nothing but massive subsidies for the pharmaceutical industry and for the insurance industry. That is where the bottomless pit is. And you have a tax cut bill. $70 billion. and you cannot find it in your heart to do something for lowincome families? I can tell you what people in this country dont know. that if you make $11.000 or less. you are not eligible for a child tax credit. But we see .that some of the wealthiest people in this Nation get one very. very big tax break. Let us take a look at what happened between last week and this week when the rhajority failed to muster the votes on the budget. Are we no longer staring down the barrel of a $2.2 billion in education cuts. $8.6 billion in cuts to veterans services. and $18.1 billion in health care costs? That is exactly what we are looking at. And I will tell you. we could pay for this budgets $3 billion shortfall in education. health and workforce training programs with that tax cuts $4.8 billion in breaks that helps corporations like GE and Citicorp increase their profits overseas. You know. Republicans today are * wondering why the American people have lost all faith in their leadership. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2138}
{"speech_id":1090133263,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The goal of the budget ought to be to benefit the common good. That may seem like a novelty to this Republican \u0095 majority. but the country is crying out for that leadership.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2138}
{"speech_id":1090133271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I speak tonight as a cochair of the Blue Dog Coalition. a group of fiscally conservative Democrats. and I speak tonight with some disappointment because I am one in this Chamber who knows how hard it is to put together a budget. It is a tough job that the majority has. I am sorry that my friends who are moderate Republicans sold out so cheap. And I am even sorrier that my friends who are part of the Republican Study Committee did not get more of what they wished. But it is tough to put together a budget. In all this blizzard of words and numbers we have been hearing about tonight. there is one central principle that should guide the Members here. at least the ones who are listening and not already at the big Republican fundraiser tonight. and that one central principle that should guide our deliberations is the principle that not only I hold dear. but Alan Greenspan. the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve. one of the great financial minds in this country. said was the single most important reform that this House could undertake. And what is that? It is called pay as you go. We had it in this country from 1990. under the first President Bush. all the way through the second President Bush. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1914}
{"speech_id":1090133271,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We had it for 12 years. from 1990 to 2002. and then the Republican majority Idt it expire. But Alan Greenspan said it was the single most important thing we could do to regain our fiscal balance. our fiscal sanity. Yet there is no real pay as you go in the Republican budget. There is in the Democratic budget. That is why on behalf of the Blue Dogs I urge all of our Members who care about Alan Greenspan. who care about pay as you go. who care about fiscal sanity to vote for PAYGO. Because that is the principle that every family back home understands. If you want something. pay for it. That is what the Democratic budget does. and I am proud to. vote for the Democratic budget tonight.","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1914}
{"speech_id":1090133273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker. I served in the California Legislature for 24 years. half of which was spent in a leadership. role. and I believe I know how to engage in a bipartisan process. Unfortunately this budget resolution is not a bipartisan process. Rather than provide the House with an opportunity to engage in serious and meaningful budget discussions. we are left with this \"take it or leave it\" package. Today this body acts in a de facto parliamentary fashion. Rather than consider the constructive and realistic solutions to our budget problems. like the Blue Dog 12point plan that was referenced by Mr. ","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090133273,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"COOPER. that includes a payasyougo provision. we are left With -this proposal as our only option. It is a Hobsons choice. which I believe is no choice at all. Rather than do what our constituents expect us to do. discuss. debate. and have meaningful oversight. make tough policy choices. we are left with a budget package within a failed budget process that is nothing more than a fig leaf to cover a host of fiscal policy shortcomings that have resulted in massive budget deficits over the last 5 years. It is a chronic case of wanting to have your cake and eat it. too. We cannot continue to tell the Amerfcan people they can have tax cuts. increased spending. and not impact our budget deficits.. but that is what this budget resolution does. I do not believe that a majority of Americans support this way of doing the peoples business. They expect us. as adults. to work together to solve the fiscal problems of our Nation. Unfortunately. that is not what is happening in this effort. and I unfortunately must oppose this budget resolution.","speaker_name":"JIM COSTA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090133299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I have a great deal of respect for my friend from Wisconsin with whom we have worked on the budget. The challenges I see with the Democratic substitute are ones that we have pointed out earlier. They depend upon money that doesnt exist to make their numbers work. a tax gap of $727 billion that the IRS cant find. Well. if the IRS cant find it. does the other side know where it is? If we have been looking for it for all this time. but they know where it is to the point that they have budgeted it. $727 billion to make their numbers work. then they must have some better insight as to where that gap is. It is smoke and mirrors. The CBO wont even score it. The CBO scores it as a zero revenue raiser. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2072}
{"speech_id":1090133299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And yet they are depending on it for $727 billion. They only allocate $150 billion in their substitute for tax relief. And yet we have had opportunities on this House floor for half that amount that they have rejected. We had opportunities to prevent the AMT from impacting millions of middleclass Americans. Rejected. Preventing capital gains rates from going up which have allowed revenues to the government to increase. 11. 12 percent. Dividend taxes. preventing those from going up. They have rejected that. But they put $150 billion in their own substitute. which doesnt even cover the child tax credit. the marriage penalty. the death tax. the whole host of other issues. The numbers dont add up. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2072}
{"speech_id":1090133299,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ours is the responsible. comprehensive blueprint. We deal with a freeze. a near freeze on discretionary spending. nondefense discretionary spending. We deal with the mandatory side of the ledger which is now over half of Federal spending. something that the Blue Dogs claim that they are concerned about. something that fiscal hawks on the other side claim that they are concerned about. and it is nowhere to be found in their substitute. Ours is the only budget that is comprehensive. responsible. and honest about the challenges that are facing this great land. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2072}
{"speech_id":1090133354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the Congressional Black Caucus budget. The problem of successfully reintegrating exoffenders back into normal life is one of the major issues facing low income and minority communities throughout the Nation. This problem continues to fester throughout the United States of America. It is indeed a social as well as a public safety issue. Nearly 650.000 people are being released from federal and state prisons this year. There are over 3.200 jails throughout the United States. the vast majority of which are operated by county governments. Each year. these jails will release in excess of 10.000.000 people back into the community. We will continue to have these massive releases over the next several years. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090133354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The massive increase in incarceration in the United States that occurred during the past 25 years must now turn public attention toward the consequences of incarceration without providing meaningful rehabilitation measures and access to reentry programs and opportunities. As we know. these large numbers of exoffenders being released from prison will cause enormous public safety problems for many communities. especially where large numbers of exoffenders will retum and live in the same neighborhoods. The Justice Department reported that the cost of crime to victims is approximately $450 billion. Therefore. these communities will absorb the high cost of further victimization as a result of the presence of such a high number of exoffenders. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is concerned about the Administration not requesting or adequately funding the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program. Gang Prevention. Juvenile Accountability Block Grant. Juvenile Delinquency Block Grants and other programs. The Congressional Black Caucus recommends increasing the funding level up to $3.1 billion for justice programs and to expand the reentry programs for nonviolent exoffenders to facilitate their transition from prison to normal community life. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090133354,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The CBC wants to ensure that specific programs are receiving adequate funding to prevent crime. increase public safety and reduce recidivism.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2203}
{"speech_id":1090133357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"amendment puts us on the path toward balanced budgets and would achieve a balanced budget in 2012. It implements commonsense budget enforcement rules that require the cost of any new mandatory spending or tax legislation to be fully offset. By exercising fiscal discipline. the Spratt proposal would achieve balanced budgets while keeping our commitments to the health and education of the American people. It would increase our countrys investment in education by $4.6 billion and adequately fund our health care prioritiesincluding medical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. It also keeps our promise to our countrys veterans by rejecting the administrations proposal to increase health care fees on military retirees enrolled in TRICARE. Theres no question that the Spratt substitute strikes the best. most practical balance between maintaining fiscaLdiscipline and funding national priorities. I urge my colleagues to stand up for American values. get our fiscal house in order. and put our nation back on track by opposing this budget resolution and approving the Spratt substitute.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090133393,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. breaking news: 77 percent of the American people said that the Republicans are leading us in the wrong direction. The CBC once again created a budget that truly meets the needs of the American people. This budget fully funds Leave No Child Behind. restores $70 million in cuts made to Medicare. adds $4.5 billion in benefits and Services for veterans. provides increased funding for public transportation. the Coast Guard. and ports and rail security. closes corporate tax loopholes. and keeps U.S. companies from. sending jobs overseas. all while balancing the budget by 2011 and saving $10.5 billion on national debt interest payments. The CBC budget is the responsible budget that truly meets the needs of the American people. Shame on the Republican leadership for once again pushing a budget to help their country club friends and giving the hardworking American people the shaft. Vote for the CBC budget.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":924}
{"speech_id":1090133401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me thank Chairman WATT. and. of course. let me thank Congressman ScoTT for his excellent work. and all of the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Mr. Chairman. I have not heard the theme of priorities being addressed on the floor of the House today. That is what the CBC budget represents. I would like to be standing here for working Americans. middleclass Americans. With the CBC budget. we save $10.5 billion more in interest. That money goes into the pockets of working Americans. We cut the trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars of deficit. and we are able then to cut. if you will. the kinds of insidious. insidious. eliminate cuts on the budget that hurt the people of America. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1274}
{"speech_id":1090133401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I like the CBC budget because. in fact. it provides the opportunity to eliminate the $6 billion cuts that you make on veterans health care. or the $6 billion cuts that you make over 5 years on homeland security. Mr. Chairman. it restores the moneys to Head Start. It restores the money to Pell Grants. It restores the money to provide better health care for Americans. And. yes. it provides $10.5 billion of interest back in the pockets of Americans. Vote for the CBC budget. It balances the budget. but most importantly it stands for working Americans.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1274}
{"speech_id":1090133453,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I had not planned to speak at this point in time in the debate. But somebody. sometime ought to talk about facts. The gentleman mentions the Contract with America. The first plank of the Contract with America was fiscal responsibility. Now. you werent in charge when the Contract With America came into your purview as the majority in- 1995. Bill Clinton was President of the United States. I have served here. my 26th year. 18 of those have been with Republican Presidents. Eight have been with a Democratic President. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090133453,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every one of those 18 years we had a deficit of over $100 billion. Now. there is only one person in America who can stop spending. the President of the United States. Reagan didnt stop spending. Bush didnt stop spending. and this President has spent. and you have spent. twice as much as we spent under Bill Clinton. The Heritage Foundation will tell you that. not we Democrats.. We will tell you that too. but the Heritage Foundation will tell you that. I tell my friend from Texas. You have voted for budgets which have provided the largest deficits in our history. In the last 64 months. your budgets and your policies have resulted in an additional $3 trillion of deficit spending. Three trillion. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090133453,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You are in charge of the House. you are in charge of the Senate. and you have the Presidency. Now you say. oh. we had 9\/11 and then we had the war. You didnt have that during the Reagan years. and you had a deficit every year. You didnt have that in Bush I. You had the Gulf War I. but guess what. that President Bush had the rest of the world substantially pay for that effort. $3 trillion in additional debt. And in this budget. you are going to add an additional 650 billionplus to the national debt. Those deficits. by the way. so you understand. and these are facts. you are welcome to look at your little books. get out your staff and say. oh. no. Hoyer is lying. The public maybe is watching. During Republican Presidents those 18 years. $4.3 trillion of deficit spending net. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090133453,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You know what you had under Bill Clinton? $62.5 billion of surplus. The only President in your lifetime. I say to all of you. who had a net surplus during the course of his terms. So I hear the gentleman from Texas get up and talk about the Contract With America. It was blarney. You said you were going to be fiscally responsible. The finances of this Nation over the last 6 years have been the worst since my service here. and perhaps in the history. I think in the history of America. You talk a good game. but you are not playing a good game. You are not playing for real. and you are trying to fool the American public. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090133453,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The problem you have is they are not being fooled.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2695}
{"speech_id":1090133510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I would like to analyze this budget in several different ways. First of all. I want to compliment the Member from South Carolina for bringing the substitute to the floor. That is an important first step. because without competing ideas and competing budgets. we cannot really have a good debate here. But what is this substitute we are dealing with right here? Number one. if you take a look at this substitute. it has enormous tax increases in it. and that is okay. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4636}
{"speech_id":1090133510,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It just defines the difference between the two parties and the two philosophies that we have. Why does it have what I just said? Well. this budget claims to want to extend the extension of the child tax credit. extend the marriage penalty relief. 10 percent individual tax bracket. alternative minimum tax rate. estate tax relief. research and development tax credit. extension for the deduction of State and local sales taxes. marriage penalty. all of the kinds ofthings that we passed in the 2003 tax cuts that we all think are good ideas. But the question. Mr. Chairman. is do they pay for it? No. they do not. They claim in their budget they have $150 billion set aside for this. Well. if you add up the costs. if you add up what it would take to continue this tax relief. that is $922 billion. So they put in $150 billion in the budget for this tax policy. when it costs $922 billion. Where do they make up the difference? How do they come up with this $772 billion difference? Well. that is the little asterisk that they have on their budget. That is the little footnote that they have on their budget. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4636}
{"speech_id":1090133510,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the tax gap. What they propose to do is simply this: If we just give the IRS some -more money. if we hire more IRS - agents. audit more Americans. and crack down harder on enforcement of the Tax Code. we will get this $772 billion. So just trust us. the budget adds up. We know we are only setting aside $150 billion for the $922 billion of tax cuts we would like to pay for in this budget. So to make up thie difference. we are just going to send the IRS after more people. and that is how we make up the additional $772 billion. Now. the other question you -want to ask is. well. are they being more frugal with the taxpayer dollars? Are they spending less money? Well. no this budget does not do this either. This budget spends more money than the majority budget. than the proposed budget. This budget spends $139 billion more. Well. where do they spend that money? We have heard a lot of talk here on the floor about the need to support our troops. We need to support our soldiers. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4636}
{"speech_id":1090133510,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to invest in science and basic research. We need more mathematicians. more scientists to compete in the global economy and globalization. Those are not extra funding in this budget. What about our veterans? Our veterans are returning from our wars. from Iraq and Afghanistan. coming back from other tours of duty..We need to work on our veterans. They do not propose any additional veterans spending over the base budget in here. They have $139 billion of more spending in other areas. So they are not proposing more money for veterans. for science. for defense. which we believe are the top priorities. They are basically sticking with our numbers. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4636}
{"speech_id":1090133510,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think what you have here is the same old same old: more spending. higher taxes. and a budget that just does not add up. Mr. Chairman. I think the base budget that we are passing here today is a good budget. I prefer to do less on spending. I was here speaking on the Contract with America renewed budget. the Study Committee budget. just a moment ago. But this budget honors our commitment to our troops. honors our commitment to our veterans. makes sure that we do think about the global economy and invest in basic research and science. and. more importantly. this budget budgets for that tax policy so our constituents. the American economy and the American taxpayer does not get stuck with higher taxes. Gasoline is $3 a gallon. The cost of living is high in America because health insurance premiums are going up double digits a year. The last thing the American taxpayer needs is a tax increase. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4636}
{"speech_id":1090133531,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding and acknowledge his tremendous leadership of putting forth the Spratt Democratic budget. which reflects the values of our country and is in balance. Mr. Chairman. our most important responsibility as elected officials is to provide for the common defense. Keeping the American people safe is our first responsibility. That personal safety and Americas national security are seriously jeopardized by the Republican budget. A vote for the Spratt Democratic alternative is a vote for a safer and more secure America. Close to home in our neighborhoods. the Republican budget slashes funding for our first responders. including the COPS program and the SAFER Act. initiatives which put cops on the beat and equip our firefighters. The Spratt Democratic budget restores all of these cuts. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090133531,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Republican budget cuts homeland security funding by over $450 million in fiscal year 2007 and $6 billion over 5 years. I repeat. when it comes to our homeland security. the Republican budget cuts over $450 million for fiscal year 2007 alone and $6 billion over 5 years. The Democratic budget provides $1 billion more for port security and overall $6.5 billion more to keep our country safe. The Republican budget continues to hide the cost of the Iraq war from the American public and cuts the Army National Guard strength by more than 17.000 troops despite the tremendous strain that the war has placed on them and now the additional charge that the President has made of them on immigration. The Democratic budget fully funds our Army National Guard. The Republican budget betrays our veterans by cutting $6 billion over the next 5 years from current services and tripling TRICARE health fees. Mr. SPRATTs budget. the Democratic budget. keeps our commitment to veterans. Republicans are abandoning our veterans and failing to invest in Americas safety in order to give huge tax cuts to the wealthy that leave Americans awash in red ink. Today the President signed a tax bill. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090133531,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tonight. in this budget. we have to deal with the consequences of those tax cuts. largely for the wealthiest people in America. Under the Presidents bill and passed by this Republican Congress. Americans making $20.000 a year will receive $2 a year in tax cuts. $20.000. $2. Americans making $40.000 a year will receive $16. barely enough for a couple to go to the movies. Those making $50.000 a year will receive a $46 tax cut. barely enough to fill up your gas tank these days. thanks to Mr. CHENEYs energy policy. But if you make more than $1 million a year. $1 million a year. you get 1.000 times what somebody making $50.000 a year gets. You make $42.000 in tax cuts. Fifty thousand dollars a year. you can barely fill up your tank. $1 million a year. you can buy a luxury car because the American taxpayers are giving you $42.000. In effect. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090133531,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"American taxpayers are going into debt to China in order to give a tax cut to Americas wealthiest people. When Republicans spend the Federal budget into the red. the U.S. Treasury borrows money from foreign countries. Since President Bush book office. the amount of foreignowned debt has increased by over $1 trillion. In fact. it is more than all of the foreignowned debt of the 42 previous Presidents combined. a horrible record. The Japanese now own about $670 billion and the Chinese own $260 billion of our foreign debt. Our national debt is a national security issue. Countries that own our debt will not only be making our toys. our clothes and our computers. pretty soon they will be making our foreign policy. They have far too much leverage over us. While the Republican budget is never balanced and has deficits as far as the eye can see. the Democratic budget. the Spratt substitute. reaches balance by 2012 and follows the strict payasyougo rules. no deficit spending. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090133531,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead of investing in our veterans. instead of securing our ports. the Republican policy of tax cuts for the wealthy have meant that *the interest payments to foreign countries are the fastestgrowing item in this budget. Democrats take seriously our first responsibility to provide for the common defense. Our Democratic budget reflects that commitment. Mr. SPRATT is not only the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee. he is a very senior member of the Armed Services Committee. and his commitment to tough and smart national security for our country where we project Americas power to protect our people and protect our interests throughout the world is a strong commitment. and his.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4555}
{"speech_id":1090133533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. on unpatriotic. irresponsible. immoral. wow. those are big words. First. a couple of facts. Veterans spending. defense spending. homeland security spending. they are increased in the budget. They are not cut. They are not savagely cut. Increased. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3940}
{"speech_id":1090133533,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us talk about the differences between the Spratt Democrat substitute and the majority budget that is on the floor here today. Number one. we believe it is important that we reform government. Just because we take our taxpayer dollars and spend them on government programs does not mean we cannot always look at reforming government. That is why this budget proposes reconciliation. going and looking and trying to find savings on the 60 percent of the Federal budget that is entitlement. They do not even touch that part of the budget. We are saying let us do it every year. -That is important reform. number one. Number two. we are trying to bring some common sense to the emergency spending process. Far too long in Congress. Congress has been able to declare virtually anything an emergency. Not anymore. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3940}
{"speech_id":1090133533,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are saying if we are going to do emergency spending. it has to fit a tight definition of what truly is an emergency. an act of terrorism. a natural disaster. an act of war. things like that. And more importantly. Mr. Chairman. we are going to budget for those emergencies because we always know that there is going to be that hurricane. that tornado. or that flood. That is smart and prudent budgeting. That is what we do. The Democrat substitute doesnt do any of that. But where is the real difference? The real difference is this: we believe that the money that is made in America is the individuals money. We believe that the fruit of the labor of people who are working hard and paying taxes is theirs. It is their money. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3940}
{"speech_id":1090133533,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is different from the premise on the other side of the aisle. Let me explain it. One of the great things we accomplished in the 2003 tax cuts were that we saw that the vast majority of income tax ratepayers. the top ratepayers. were small businesses. yet we were taxing them at 40 percent when we were taxing IBM. Microsoft. and Exxon at 35 percent. So we lowered that tax rate on small businesses. on entrepreneurs. on family businesses and on farmers so they are at least not paying more taxes than the largest corporations in America. What did the Democrats decide to do? Raise those. taxes. Lets make sure we raise taxes on family farmers. raise taxes on small businesses so that that small business in America. the jobcreating engine of America. pays higher taxes than Exxon and Microsoft and IBM. That is wrong. I think that is immoral. I think that is irresponsible. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3940}
{"speech_id":1090133533,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet that is what they are proposing to do. You know what they are saying to the rest of America? You know what they are saying to the families that are getting a perchild tax credit. people who are married and who arent paying a marriage penalty any more. people who are trying to save to send their kids to school. people who are saving for their IRAs or their pensions or their 401(k)s? You know what they are saying? They are saying to those people. if you dont want a massive tax increase. if you dont want a huge tax increase. we have to make sure we go after deaslbeat tax cheats. And if we can collect more money from tax cheats. then we wont raise your taxes. But if the government cant collect money from tax cheats. if the IRS cant do a good enough job and go get an extra $772 billion. then we are going to raise your taxes. That is what their budget proposal is. And on top of that. they propose even more spending. Reject tax increases. reject high spending. and. Mr. Chairman. let us hold the line on domestic spending. Lets fund 6ur veterans. lets protect our troops. lets support the war on terror. and lets not raise taxes. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3940}
{"speech_id":1090133555,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. for several years now. the budgets brought before this Congress have not adequately represented the interests of the American people. Rather than approach budgeting in a bipartisan fashion. Republicans have consistently chosen to gild the lily. electing to enact large tax cuts while simultaneously failing to reign in government spending. These actions by todays leaders have passed a tremendous financial burden on to future generations of Americans. The Republicans Fiscal Year 2007 budget is no better. It makes the deficit worse. offers no plan to bring the budget back to balance. and adds to the growing weight of the national debt. The budget also makes harmful cuts to critical services for working familiesincluding education. veterans services. and health care. In contrast. the Democratic budget plan proposed by Mr. SPRATr of South Carolina would reach balance in 2012. has smaller deficits. accumulates less debt. and repeals the House rule providing for automatic debt ceiling increases. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1591}
{"speech_id":1090133555,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also would reject the Republican budgets cuts to domestic priorities and reinstate payasyougo rules that helped spur the budget surpluses of the 1990s. I come from Missourithe \"ShowMe State.\" If the leaders in Congress and at the White House want t6 be fiscally responsible. they ought to show Missourians and the rest of the American people they mean business by rejecting the failed budget policies of the past and by immediately convening a bipartisan budget summit. President George H.W. Bush did this during a similarly challenging time and America is better for it.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1591}
{"speech_id":1090133560,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to express my strong opposition to the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Resolution. The Budget Resolution is a reflection of our values and a statement of our national priorities. As in the previous years under President Bush. the 2007 Budget Resolution will force cuts in health. care. environmental protection. education. housing. and other essential programs that enjoy broad public support. And. as in previous years. a new round of tax cuts skewed to benefit our wealthiest citizens will threaten our longterm economic health and pile more debt onto our children. Eightyseven percent of the benefits of the tax cuts the House just passed will go to the 14 percent of households with more than $100.000 in annual income. Less than 2 percent of the benefits will go to the 60 percent of households with less than $50.000 in annual income. The year before President Bush took office. we enjoyed a recordbreaking $236 billion surplus and projected surpluses that were expected to reach $5.6 trillion by 2011. In an unprecedented reversal. the policies of President Bush and congressional Republicans have brought us the five largest deficits in our history. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4228}
{"speech_id":1090133560,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the Bush Administrations own numbers. its policy of massive tax cuts and deficit borrowing will increase the gross federal debt by a total of $4.2 trillion over fiscal years 2001 to 2008. Our nation will have accumulated more debt in eight years under President Bush than under the first 41 presidents combined. The Administrations reckless budget and tax policies are unsustainable and damaging to our nation. In 2006. for the first time since 1970. the President and Congressional Republicans reduced funding for the National Institutes of Health. the nations largest federal supporter of basic research. applied research. and R&D. This years budget reduces the budgets again of 18 of the 19 Institutes. Just last September. overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate wrote President Bush to express strong support for working aggressively toward the goal of eliminating cancer death and suffering by 2015. Incomprehensibly. eight short months later congressional Republicans are pushing through a budget that reduces funding for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) by $40 million. This year. more than 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. Due to the investments we have made in reseirch. prevention. and early detection. nearly 70% of to days cancer patients will survive more than five years. compared to just 50% in 1976. These gains will be reversed if we do not maintain a vigorous federal commitment to biomedical research. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4228}
{"speech_id":1090133560,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Republican budget carries with it senseless human costs. Dr. Evan Ross. a young medical doctor who has waged a valiant fight against cancer. has eloquently expressed below how our misplaced priorities are having farreaching consequences on individual Americans: It is my understanding that the Presidents FY 2007 budget proposal calls for a cut of $40 million for the National Cancer Institute (which was cut .7 percent in FY 2006) . . . People like me need as much research as possible to be occurring. Its great that the President wants to fight a war in Iraq. but to do so at the expense of those Americans suffering when more can be done to fight the war on cancer is simply not right. Im 36 years old and Ive had cancer -four times. I have a two year old son. I should be dead. or should have earned a medal of honor. Neither are true. Yet. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4228}
{"speech_id":1090133560,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Im still here. trying to help people as best I can by integrating Eastern medicine into the Western world. . I intend to get through this battle too. and when I do. it would be nice to know that someone out there is doing whatever he or she can to make sure I dont have to fight my own war yet again. rather than throwing more obstacles in my path. I urge my colleagues to consider the millions of Americans who are being hurt by the misguided policies of the Bush Administration and congressional Republicans. I urge you in the strongest terms to oppose this budget resolution and to support the advancement of medical research. affordable health care. education. environmental protections. and adequate housing for our citizens.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4228}
{"speech_id":1090133564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I regret that I again must rise in opposition to the budget before the House. I cannot support another budget that not only adds to the deficit. but for the fifth consecutive year creates the largest deficit in history. The Congressional budget is a reflection of our prioritiesand at the risk of sounding like a broken recordI must say that this Republican budget once again gives priority to massive handouts for their fat cat buddies. and forces working families. veterans and students to foot the bill. Unfortunately. this seems to have become somewhat of a Republican tradition. Some of my colleagues will praise this budget for its socalled \"savings\". What they fail to mention is that all of the spending cuts are not going towards reducing the deficit but instead are being used to partially offset the $228 billion price tag of.a massive new tax cut. Mr. Chairman. there is no rationale whatsoever to explain how you can decrease revenues while increasing spending and still bali ance the budget. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5890}
{"speech_id":1090133564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Anyone with common sense can tell you that if you want to spend more. you must either earn more or save in other areasotherwise you go into debt. Yet in each of the past six years. the Administration has increased spending faster than national income. As bad as the numbers before us are. the true picture is in fact worse. because the budget resolution includes no funding after 2007 for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. and for 2007 includes only a $50 billion \"placeholder\"--less than half of the amount appropriated for 2006. The war costs are only one of the many budgetary gimmicks used to hide the true nature of this budget. Another is the deceptive cut in veterans health care. Republicans like to say that they have greatly increased funding for veterans healthcare. This is true if you are speaking of total spending. but the only reason for the Republican spending increase is the increase in the number patients. On a per capita basis. increases in veterans health care funding average only 0.1 percent per year. well below inflation. Two days ago. President Bush announced that he will deploy up to 6.000 National Guard members to \"assist the Border Patrol\" along our southern border. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5890}
{"speech_id":1090133564,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important to note that in 2004. Congress authorized annual increases of 2.000 border patrol agents from 2006 through 2010. Ironically. for the first two years of this increase. the Administration .and the Republican Congress have failed to meet this target. The Presidents budget proposal for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 failed to include enough funding for an additional 2.000 Border Patrol agents. and subsequently. Congress failed to appropriate full funding for the authorized increase. Under the tight spending constraints provided by the Republican budget framework. the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee reported a bill that provides only 1.200 new border patrol agents--800 agents less than the authorized level. In contrast. the Democratic Substitute provides more than enough funding to provide for an additional 2.000 Border Patrol agents. Education also takes a hit in this budget resolution. The Department of Education is cut by $2.2 billionthe second year in a row that Republicans will cut federal education funding despite school districts need for promised assistance to meet demanding standards under No Child Left Behind. and the increasing cost of higher education. In addition to funding cuts. 42 education programs will be eliminated under this budget. including the Even Start family literacy program. the TRIO Upward Bound program. the Perkins loan program and all federal vocational education programs. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5890}
{"speech_id":1090133564,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In particular. the Perkins loan program is extremely important to colleges and universities throughout the state of Michigan. At the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. both of which are located in my district. 8.658 students received Perkins loans during the 20042005 school year. At a time when we should be actively supporting opportunities for higher education. this proposed cut is a cruel slap in the face for our colleges and universities and for their students. The environment will also suffer if this bill passes. Funding for the Environmental Protection Agency will be cut by $304 million from 2006. with most of this cut coming from programs that ensure clean drinking water and protect public health. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is cut by 22 percent from 2006 which. .when added to past years cuts. represents a 49 percent decrease since 2004. Additionally. despite the growing backlog of infrastructure construction and maintenance projects. funding for the Army Corps of Engineers would be slashed by 11 percent. These cuts are illadvised and will greatly undermine our Nations ability to preserve.and protect the resources we have been blessed with. I would also like to mention one specific program that has been placed on the chopping blockthe Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). This program provides nutritional food packages to over 475.000 lowincome elderly. mothers and children. including 75.000 from my home state of Michigan. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5890}
{"speech_id":1090133564,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under this budget resolution. CSFP would be eliminated. and all of these individuals would simply stop receiving their food packages. This is unacceptable. CSFP costs approximately $110 million per year. which is .03 percent of the projected deficit for FY2007. This means that eliminating the CSFP program will barely make a dent in the deficit. but 475.000 seniors. women and infants will be in danger of going hungry. It is for these reasons and many more that I stand here today to oppose this budget. The Democratic alternative would balance the .budget by 2012 while rejecting deep cuts in essential federal programs. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the Democratic substitute and no on the Republican budget.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5890}
{"speech_id":1090133566,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Acting Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. reported that that Committee. having had under consideration the concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2008 through 2011. pursuant to House Resolution 817. he reported the concurrent resolution. as amended pursuant to that rule. back to the House.","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":466}
{"speech_id":1090133659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. less than 24 hours after the Senate voted to protect American workers and to- put them first when it comes to competition for jobs in this country. the Senator from Massachusetts has now offered an amendment that would literally gut the amendment that was adopted yesterday and put American workers in the back seat and foreign workers who wanted to come here and participate in a guest worker program in the front seat. President Bush has spoken time and time again about a guest worker program that matches willing workers with willing employers. But Senator KENNEDYS amendment would do nothing of the kind. It would allow people to come to the United States and to selfpetition without having an employer sponsor their petition. and it would not require proof that an American citizen is unavailable to perform that type of job. Yesterday. the Senatewisely. in my view--changed the underlying bill to require that American workers be put first before a guest worker could be provided a job and that. under the provisions of this bill. No. 1. they had to identify a job so they would not be here unemployed. and No. 2. that job first be offered to qualified American workers. Then. in that event no American workers were found available to perform that job. of course the guest worker provisions of the bill would kick in. To make matters worse. the Kennedy amendment would allow an alien who -has worked a total of less than 40 days in the United States--yes. that is about 6 days a yearto obtain a green card. That employment. 1 day out of every 60. could be selfemployment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2619}
{"speech_id":1090133659,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For some. that track record of employment should be sufficient evidence that the worker is invaluable to the American economy. What that means is that up to 200.000 unskilled workers a year would be eligible for a green card. irrespective of economic conditions. irrespective of whether that worker has actually been employed for the preceding 4 years and. most importantly. irrespective of whether there are unemployed U.S. workers available to fill those jobs. Senator KENNEDY had suggested that. by requiring an employer to determine that a qualified worker is not available. that would somehow subject foreign workers to exploitation. But let me be clear: Worker exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated under our laws and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. This amendment has nothing to do with protecting foreign workers against exploitation. What it has everything to do with is whether we are protecting American workers first. With that. I will reserve the remainder of my time and yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2619}
{"speech_id":1090133704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will take 3 minutes for the membership. if they have a chance to review the amendment. On page 1. second paragraph: The Secretary of Labor determines and certifies that there are not sufficient United States workers who are able. willing. qualified. and available to fill the position in which the alien is. or will be employed.... So the Secretary of Labor has to make the certification that they will not be replacing an American worker. Then. how are they going to be able to give the assurance they have had the 4 years that are included in the first paragraph. that \"the alien has maintained such nonimmigrant status in the United States for a cumulative period of not less than 4 years of employment\"? These are listed and include: records maintained by Social Security. records maintained by the employer. employment work verification. records maintained by the Internal Revenue Service. records maintained by other government agencies. What we are saying. in the four different categories. those categories are governmentheld records or the employerLheld records. not the employeeheld records. I dont know how it could be much clearer exactly what this amendment does. It is very clear. It is the certification that there is no American that is able. willing. and qualified. And to be able to prove it. there are governmentheld records or employerheld records. not the petitioners records. not his stubs. but governmentheld records. We have tried to craft this in a way which is going to be fair. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2456}
{"speech_id":1090133704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not interested in people trying to \"jimmy\" the system. We have had too much of that in the past. I get back to the final theme. This legislation tries to learn from past experience. In 1986. we had amnesty but there was supposed to be tough employer sanctions if they hired unemployed. We had vast industries that produced fake identification cards. The sys.tem never functioned. It never worked. What we have tried to do is avoid that. We have a tamperproof card. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2456}
{"speech_id":1090133704,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We will have vigorous employment. But. also. to learn the lessons of the Bracero Program. we are not going to have the exploitation of these workers by their employers. That is what we do when we deny the opportunity of an employee ever to be able to make a petition. We say you have to be in there for 4 years. with solid record of employment. solid record of achievement. solid record of commitment to work. Then you can make your petition. You have to meet that requirement.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2456}
{"speech_id":1090133709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I rise in support of this amendment. It is an important amendment. I point out that I appreciate very much the efforts of Senator CORNYN and Senator KYL to have a respectful debate on this issue. We have honestly held views. and I am very appreciative of the level of this debate and our discussion not only in the Senate but in the cloakroom as we have worked out a number of differences we have had in a mutual effort to come up with legislation which is appropriate to the future of America. The language in the amendment is identical to what we passed last night. only- this amendment adds an additional paragraph giving the alien more of an .opportunity to prove their current work status. If we allow people to gain permanent residency. we want them to be hardworking. upstanding individuals. The amendment allows illegal immigrants to prove. through the use of valid government documentswe would be more than happy to define \"valid government documents\" more carefully in report language or in additional amendmentsthey should have. we believe. an opportunity with secure. governmentissued documents that they can prove they are eligible. This is an important right they should be given. It releases them from the possibility of the bondage of an employer who would like to keep them in the status of which they are. That would only apply to a few. but this is a necessary addition. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1701}
{"speech_id":1090133709,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The original CornynKyl amendment does not mandate that the employer attest they will employ this individual in the future. only that they employ them currently. This is an important amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the remainder of my time for the Senator from Massachusetts.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1701}
{"speech_id":1090133738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. today the Senate finds itself considering yet another amnesty for illegal aliens. After the defeat of a similar amnesty proposal last month. I had hoped that the Senate had seen the last of these efforts. I had hoped that the Senate. when given the time to consider the overwhelming opposition of the American people to amnesty. would pass a clean border security bill like the House did without amnesty. without a guest worker program. and without an increase in the annual allotment of permanent immigrant visas. Sadly. the Senate is embarking on a path that -contradicts everything we knoweverything we knowabout the position of the American people on this issue. It is an unpopular approach. It is the wrong approach. The other night in his address to the Nation. the President endorsed the Senate amnesty plan to award U.S. citizenship to illegal aliens. and he announced the deployment of up to 6.000 guardsmen to the U.S. border with Mexico. The deployment of U.S. troops is intended to suggest an urgency about gaining control of the border that has been missing for many years. even since the September 11 attacks. Nevertheless. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10543}
{"speech_id":1090133738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have my doubts and concerns. Guardsmen have been sent overseas two times. even three times--no. even four times--and have come home fatigued and stressed out. They have been forced to sell businesses and to endure financial hardships because of their long absences. Just a few months ago. the White House proposed to cut the National Guard by nearly 18.000 soldiers. The adjutants general of many States are reporting that they were not involved in discussions about the deployment of the Guard to our borders. So what assurances are there that sending troops to the border wont hamper our ability to respond to the floods in New England. another Hurricane Katrina. or another natural disaster? The National Guard might be able to lend support to our border security. but that role must not be at the expense of the thousands of communities around the country that also depend on our Guard should disasters strike those towns or counties. Press reports indicate that the Guard men and women will not be empowered to arrest aliens who attempt to cross our borders. I cannot help but wonder if this move to detail guardsmen to our borders is a political stunt to look tough at the expense of the brave citizensoldiers who serve in the Guard. The President would not have to call out the National Guard to secure the borders if he had supported even someeven some--of the ninenine. nineseparate amendments that I have offered since September 11 to hire and train more Border Patrol agents. If these amendments had been adoptedI say. if they had been adoptedthe law enforcement agents would be in place right now helping to secure the borders. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10543}
{"speech_id":1090133738,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead. the administration has consistently opposed these efforts as unnecessary and extraneous spending. saying that those funds would expand the size of Government. When I included $400 million in the fiscal year 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for border security. the President refused to spend it saying: I made my opposition clear . .. Well spend none of it. That is what he said. That is what the President said. He said: I made my opposition clear . . . Well spend none of it. As recently as last September.. on a partyline vote. the majority defeated an ObeyByrdSabo motion in conference on the fiscal year 2006 Homeland Securityr appropriations bill to add $100 million for border security. The administration opposedyes. you heard me correctlythe administration opposed the ByrdCraig amendment to the fiscal year 2005 supplemental appropriations bill to add $389 million for. what? For border securityborder security. Fortunately. the amendment was approved and subsequently. despite administration opposition. the conferees approved $274 million. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10543}
{"speech_id":1090133738,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And as a result. there are now 500 more Border Patrol agents. 218 more immigration agents and investigators. and 1.950 more detention beds in place helping to secure our borders. I will support any realistic effort to secure our borders. but I have to question the sincerity behind sham attempts that accomplish a token presence which only impose further hardship on our National Guard and may put communities at risk from natural disasters. The sense of urgency that comes with deploying the National Guard is belied by the administrations consistent opposition to providing the necessary resources that our border security agencies need to do their job. Last month. I joined Senator GREGG in offering an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill for Iraq to provide $1.9 billion for the Border Patrol to hire the agents and secure the equipment that they need to better secure the. border. The President has threatened to veto the supplemental bill. It is difficult to believe that the President would oppose funding our border agencies sufficiently to do the job they were created to do. but that is the situation. Immigration enforcement in our country remains a decidedly halfhearted effort. The administration claims to strengthen border security in one area. and then completely undermines it in another with amnesty proposals. That dangerous inconsistency is at the root of my opposition to the misguided amnesty proposal before the Senate. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10543}
{"speech_id":1090133738,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I oppose this amnesty bill. I oppose it absolutely. I oppose it unequivocally. I oppose this effort to waive the rules for lawbreakers and to legalize the unlawful actions of undocumented workers and the businesses that illegally employ them. Amnesties are the dark underbelly of. our immigration process. They tarnish the magnanimous promise enshrined on the base of the Statue of Liberty. Amnesties undermine that great egalitarian and American principle that the law should apply equally and should apply fairly to everyone. Amnesties perniciously decree that the law shall apply to some but not to all. This bill would create a separate set of immigration laws for those who choose not to follow the regular process that everybody else had to go through. It is a slap in the face to every immigrant who had to wait abroad to come to American shores. and to every immigrant who had to struggle and work to become a U.S. citizen. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10543}
{"speech_id":1090133755,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Senator SESSIONS for the contributions he has made. You and Senator ALEXANDER have both made contributions. and I think it .would be appropriate for me to yield some time to Senator ALEXANDER because he can articulate some of the other areas that we are addressing here. -other than English as the national language.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":324}
{"speech_id":1090133801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been here on the floor since the Senator started. and in response. I would be glad to inquire of those who are interested. I think there are some members of the Finance Committee who are interested in this amendment and want to be heard since it deals with the Finance Committee jurisdiction. So I will inquire and report back to the floor manager. Several Senators addressed the Chair.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":408}
{"speech_id":1090133827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to ask my friend from Arizona a couple of questions about the bill and about my amendment in particular. The bill does not require that the people whose status is adjusted pay all back taxes. The bill only requires that people pay any back income taxes. There is no mention of FICA taxes in the bill. Is the Senator aware of that distinction?","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":364}
{"speech_id":1090133838,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator is aware that when people come here illegally. obviously. they do not have citizenship. so. therefore. any Social Security number they use. whether it belongs to someone else or is entirely invented. is not valid. But I also know. if I can complete my answer to my -friend. their taxes. part of their earnings are going into the Social Security fund. and that is a fact that it is theirs and their employers.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":420}
{"speech_id":1090133910,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. this is on the intent of Congress. the basic kind of understanding. the intent of Congress be interpreted in a manner that recognizes the difficulties encountered by the alien in obtaining evidence. As I understand. you strike that. And then you strike the burden of proof provisions through the top of 351. once the burden is met. the burden shall shift to the Secretary of Homeland Security. So those provisions are dropped. The essence of your amendment is to tighten up verification in terms of the applicant.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":519}
{"speech_id":1090133957,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my understandingwe talked about this before the Senator came inthat we will have two amendments that we will be talking about: the Salazar amendment and the Inhofe amendment. They will be side by side. There will be a vote at 4:15. That vote will take place on my amendment first and then on the Salazar amendment. is my understanding.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":356}
{"speech_id":1090133961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I know we can get bogged down. I suspect the reason this particular amendment that has been proposed numerous times in the past but not in the last 23 years. and that it is going to get bogged down on a lot of technical questions. is that perhaps some people do not want this amendment. so they come up with all kinds of technical reasons to oppose it. But what we are doing is declaringwe are making a declarationthat English is the national language for the.United States of America. We are taking the exceptions. for example. the Court Interpreters Act. Before the Court Interpreters Act passed in 1978. defendants did not haye a right to an interpreter. It was up to the Courts discretion. The Court Interpreters Act protects already existing constitutional rights such as in the sixth amendment. the fifth amendment. the 14th amendment. amendments on due process. It is very important to know that is one of the many exceptions that is written into .law. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7705}
{"speech_id":1090133961,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a very important exception. You also have some exceptions found in the Voting Rights Act. Somebody mentioned this morning some disaster could take place in California. a tsunami or something such as that. and when the eviction notices come. obviously. if you are addressing Chinatown. it would be in Chinese. We know that. That protection is there. I believe we have covered the legitimate concerns that are out there. I know there are some people who do not want this to happen who are going to vote against this. I understand that. That is what this is all about. It has been 23 years since we had an opportunity to vote for it or against it. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7705}
{"speech_id":1090133961,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those of you who want to vote against it. you are going to have your opportunity at 4:15 today. In the meantime I agree with . the Presidentsalmost every President of the United States going back long before Teddy Roosevelt. One of the things he said is. \"We must also learn one language and that language is English.\" As we remember. President Bill Clinton in his State ofthe Union Message in 1999 got a standing ovation when he said that our new immigrants have a responsibility to enter the mainstream of American life. That means learning English and learning about our Democratic system of government. I agree with that. I didnt agree with everything that President Clinton said. but I certainly was one who stood and applauded during that State of the Union Message in 1999. I think other Presidents have done the same thing as recently as a few days ago. when our President said that an ability to speak and write the English language. English allows newcomers to go from picking crops to opening a grocery. from cleaning offices to renting offices. from a life of lowpaying jobs to a diplomat career and a home of their own. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7705}
{"speech_id":1090133961,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is an opportunity. We look at people who come to this country and. oddly enough. those individuals that I have spent many hours withI say to my good friend from Colorado that when I was mayor of Tulsa. we had never had any kind of recognition of our Latin population. Yet I knew it was a very large population. I would say to you. at that time I used to be a commercial pilot in Mexico and I actu.ally spoke the language fairly well at that time. It has been many years. 25. 30 years. I guess. But when I became a mayor I said: I know around here we are very rich in history and have a talented bunch of people who have come here and are good citizens of our city of Tulsa. So I formed the Hispanic Commission of the city of Tulsa. This may or may not surprise you. Some of them were kind of in hiding. not even recognizing that they were Hispanics. and they came out. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7705}
{"speech_id":1090133961,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had the Cinco de Mayo and all the celebrations there. It is probably the most popular thing that has ever been done in the city of Tulsa. I went back and talked to these people. I said: Do you agree with the polling data that shows very clearly that Hispanics want to have English as the national language? And they said yes. This is a group I have been dealing with since 1978. I think it may be someones impression that certain extremist groupsand I am sure there are some extremist groups that have a large number of Latinos in them. They may be offended. They may not want to have this. That is fine. Let them exercise their influence on every voter. each of the 100 Members of this body. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7705}
{"speech_id":1090133969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So will the Senator accept an amendment to his amendment which says that: Nothing herein shall diminish or expand any existing rights under the law of the United States relative to services or materials provided by the Government of the United States in any language other than English?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":286}
{"speech_id":1090133995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in response to the colloquy I am having with my friend from Tennessee. it seems to me this language could be read that Senator INHOFE has proposed to say that because we are a Government Chamber. since we do not have a law that proactively saysor a rule of the Senatethat you can speak a language other than English here. perhaps when we were speaking about Attorney General Gonzales. we would have been in violation of this exact provision if it stays in the same language. To continue my question to the Senator. my friend from Tennessee. it was not at all our intention in the drafting of the amendment to take away any of the requirements we have for people who come here under this immigration proposal to learn English or to go through the civics courses which are required now for the legislation that has been included in here. So it is my view that the Senator has misread the amendment we have supported.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":929}
{"speech_id":1090133998,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The differences I see in the two amendments are. No. 1. the Salazar amendment says no to making English our national language. It uses another description. No. 2. it says no to the requirement that immigrants who are illegally here and who may be put on a path to citizenship should learn English before they go on that path to citizenship. And it says no to the provisions in the Inhofe amendment which improve the citizenship test. requiring those who become citizens to learn the key events. key documents. key ideas of our history. The Inhofe amendment is well within the mainstream of 90 to 95 percent of the thinking of the American people. It is a valuable contribution. It is a restrained proposal. It does not seek to change any existing right that someone might have to receive services from the Government in some other language.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090134027,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have spoken several times in the course of this debate about my belief that immigrants should learn the English language. In my experience. most new Americans want to learn our language and make efforts to do so as quickly as possible. The bill that we are debating calls for immigrants to learn English as one of the several steps they must take before they can earn citizenship. We can all agree that English should be the common language of the United States. but by making English the \"national\" language. the Inhofe amendment goes too far. The amendment was modified to remove a ban on publishing official documents in any language but English. That was a good correction. In many local communities and States it may well be useful and helpful for the government to reach out to language minorities. Greater participation and information are good and appropriate steps communities should be striving for. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1681}
{"speech_id":1090134027,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should not be mandating artificial and shortsighted restrictions on State and local government. I regret. however. that the amendment continues to include language that strongly discourages the use of other .languages to inform residents and continues to treat those who speak another language as secondclass citizens. We would do better to recognize our diversity and provide greater opportunities to those for whom English is a second language to become more fluent. My mother spoke Italian as a child and learned English when she went to school. My wife grew up in a family that spoke French. She began speaking English when she started going to school. Both were helped throughout their lives by being completely and totally bilingual as a result.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1681}
{"speech_id":1090134055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First of all. I request that the minority leader not use leadership time since he now has 45 more minutes than we have. but that is just a request. I would say this: We have a very short period of time to wind up. I would have to say that all of these ridiculous examples. such as the one the Senator from Illinois just came up with and the flag examples. have nothing to do with this amendment. It might be some other amendment that was referred to. This merely recognizes and declares English to be our national language. We have exceptions for anything that is in there in law or would refer to anything else that is accepted. Mr. President. I would like to ask. how much time do we have remaining?","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":701}
{"speech_id":1090134167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am advised that we have not seen the amendments of the Senator from Louisiana. I repeat. we are going to be in here next week. We will take a look at them. We will accommodate her tomorrow. if we can. but we have to see the amendments before we can say anything.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":279}
{"speech_id":1090134173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. another aspect of our evening business is. at the conclusion of the sequencing stated in the unanimous consent agreement. to then lay down the Chambliss amendment. I am advised there are quite a number of Senators who want to speak on that. They can speak as long as they like. A vote will occur tomorrow on a tabling motion.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":340}
{"speech_id":1090134315,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday. May 18. 2006. at 10:30 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to consider proposed legislation implementing. the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement. and the nomination of W. Ralph Basham. of Virginia. to be Commissioner of Customs. Department of Homeland Security. TE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection. it is so ordered.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":448}
{"speech_id":1090134350,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Bush administration failed the people of the Gulf Coast before Hurricane Katrina and continues to fail them today. Now. people who were abandoned and left to fend for themselves are about to get kicked to the curb again. First. we had to fight and force FEMA to allow survivors to temporarily stay in hotels and motels. Now. survivors may be on the streets again. On May 31. 55.000 displaced families could lose emergency shelter assistance. even though it was promised to them for at least a year. FEMA says that these families are supposed to apply for a different kind of assistance. yet four out of five applicants reportedly are being turned down. Those who do receive assistance have to reapply every 3 months. Why are we messing with these people who deserve to be treated better by the* own government? FEMA has. failed to submit its plan for permanent transitional housing for Congress. which was due in January. Instead of assistance. they have offered incompetence. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1140}
{"speech_id":1090134350,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the place of aid. they have offered nothing but bureaucracy. Why in the world are we adding insult to injury? Katrina survivors deserve better.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1140}
{"speech_id":1090134432,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. let me thank the gentleman for yielding. I would like to engage the distinguished chairman in a colloquy regarding funding for an important conservation project in New Jersey. Mr. Chairman. the State of New Jersey has only 3 percent of its real estate in Federal land ownership. It is also the most densely populated State in the country. as everyone knows. From national parks to wildlife areas. our investment in conservation. preserva.tion. wildlife. and recreation pay tremendous dividends every day. The coastal areas of our Nation are under extreme pressure from development. The areas surrounding the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is no exception. It is vital that we assist our State and local governments in true Federal\/State\/local partnerships to purchase tracts of land like the ones surrounding the Forsythe refuge boundary. environmentally valuable land that can be bought now but most likely will be lost permanently for public use in the very near future because of development. ","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1380}
{"speech_id":1090134432,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the challenges that the subcommittee faced in this very difficult budget year. However. I am also hopeful that. Mr. Chairman. you will recognize the importance of this project. We have a responsibility to our children to ensure that green spaces remain. to provide clean air and water. and ample opportunities to enjoy- wildlife and the great outdoors.","speaker_name":"H. SAXTON","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1380}
{"speech_id":1090134435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the gentlemans courtesy in permitting me to speak on this bill. which should be one of the highlights of this congressional session. of any congressional session. as it touches on things that are near and dear to the hearts of the people we represent: clean air. vast open space. environmental protection. investment in the arts. and the public lands that are so meaningful to people. Mr. Chairman. there are important provisions in this bill that I do support. I appreciate the subcommittee funding for land acquisition in the Columbia River Gorge which will help us honor Federal commitments to communities in Oregon and Washington along a priceless national treasure. But. sadly. overall what should be a positive expression of our values. our hopes. *and opportunities instead is a pattern of broken promises to our communities. It does represent a lost opportunity and is a symbol of the inability of those of us in Congress this year and the administration to match priorities with those of our constituents and. most importantly. for the future. I appreciate the fact that there is dramatic underfunding through the budget allocation in the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. putting them in the hole from the beginning. I appreciate that the funding for land acquisition has been increased over the Presidents budget. But there is no reason that the billions of dollars set aside in the trust fund for the land and water conservation fund for that express purpose should not be used for those purposes. Without the funding. communities will lose opportunities to purchase ecologically rich lands and waters. preserving and protecting recreation and conservation and historic values. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2459}
{"speech_id":1090134435,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Remember the commitment that was made on this floor in the year 2000. I appreciate the leadership that Mr. DICKS exhibited with. the committee working with Mr. YOUNG and Mr. MILLER in the CARA legislation. which passed overwhelmingly in the House. but a deal was brokered to establish funding levels. It is a point of great embarrassment that that commitment that was made to realize the overwhelming sense of what needs to happen in this body with CARA is being violated with this legislation today. I hope that we will be able to. before we finish deliberations and move it through this session. go back and revisit it. because that commitment was made in good faith. I appreciate the work of the gentleman from Washington together with Mr. YOUNG and","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2459}
{"speech_id":1090134438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to commend the gentleman on his statement. This is not an issue that should be partisan in any way. We have had six former EPA administrators in both parties say that this is the issue of our time. A former Member. former Vice President of the United States. Al Gore. has made a national issue out of this. I would like the gentleman to repeat what he said about Greenland. I thought that was very dramatic. I would appreciate it. I think we have more Members now. If you would repeat that. ","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":544}
{"speech_id":1090134438,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think that would be important to the debate.","speaker_name":"NORMAN DICKS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":544}
{"speech_id":1090134472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"bf New Yor. Mr. Chairman. I want o cmpliment my colleague from Pennsylvania on his efforts on this particular important matter. And while he addresses the issues dealing particularly with his district in Pennsylvania. which I think is laudable. we should know that actually diesel engines play a very important role in our Nations economy. They are. however. responsible for a substantial portion of particulate matter emissions and there are 11 million vehicles that need to be retrofitted. nearly 500.000 of which are school buses. which my colleague has addressed. So I compliment again my colleague.","speaker_name":"JOHN KUHL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":603}
{"speech_id":1090134481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I regret that I cannot vote for this appropriations bill. Colorado has a special stake in the bill because it provides funds for Federal agencies that are particularly important for our State. including most of the Interior Department. the Forest Service. and the Environmental Protection Agency. And of course the bill is important for the entire country. because it provides much of the funding necessary for the Federal Government to meet its responsibilities regarding protection of the environment and the conservation of our natural. historic. and cultural resources. If the bill dealt adequately with those matters. I would gladly support it. Unfortunately. however. it falls so far short of the mark that I do not think it should be approved. Responsibility for the bills shortcomings lies with the Republican leadership and the misguided budget resolution that they forced through the House in the very early hours of this morning. Their budget plan provides $9.4 billion less for domestic programs than the amount necessary just to maintain current service levels. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2867}
{"speech_id":1090134481,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why the funds available for this bill are $145 million below this years level and about $800 million below what would be required to maintain current services. That is why the bill includes only about 70 percent of increases mandated by law for Federal pay and for other fixed costs for the Federal agencies covered by the bill. And that is why despite maintenance backlogs of some $12 billion in our parks. refuges and forests. funding for construction projects throughout the bill are cut by $216 million below last year and there is no funding at all for new schools on Indian reservations. And that is why there are similar cuts in the Clean Water Revolving Fund. wildlife grants. and the North American Wetlands program while funding for Federal land acquisitionsalready reduced by more than 80 percent over the last 4 yearsis cut by $98 million. These cuts are particularly bad for Colorado because our growing population puts increasing pressure on our open spaces and wildlife as well as the waterrelated infrastructure of our rural communities. If the bill now before the House were to be enacted as it stands. the result would be dirtier water and air. reduced care for our natural landscapes and historic. structures. and declining levels of services for the visitors to the national parks. wildlife refuges. and national forests in Colorado and across the country. I cannot support such results and cannot support the bill. Of course. todays vote is not the end of the story for this legislation. Once the Senate has acted on the bill. differences between its version and the Housepassed bill will have to be resolved and a final version considered. I hope that the result of that process will be a version that deserves to be supported and enacted into law.","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2867}
{"speech_id":1090134514,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the gentlewoman has made a huge contribution on this matter to the committee. We did increase the amount up 12 percent from where we were. But I agree with the gentlewoman. if we can do more in conference. we will try to do it because the great need is there.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":273}
{"speech_id":1090134524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to express my concerns about both the underlying Peterson amendment that was adopted in the committee and the amendment offered by my colleague from Florida. I voted against the Peterson amendment when it was offered in committee because it fails to include the 100mile buffer along Floridas coast that I believe is important to ensuring that we can adequately protect Floridas shoreline. I am not opposed to the drilling for natural gas. provided we have a 100mile buffer to protect Floridas coast. I want it to be very clear what I support and that is: a policy that allows for natural gas wells 100 miles or more off the coast of Florida. The amendment before us. offered by my Florida colleague. however would ban natural gas wells not only along the Florida coast. but also along southern. central and northern California. Washington. Oregon. and the North Atlantic. It would not permit natural gas wells located 100 miles or more off the coast of Florida. and for that reason I will not support it. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3127}
{"speech_id":1090134524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is some confusion that must be cleared up. No one here today is proposing that we allow natural gas wells within 3 miles of the Florida coast. In the event that the underlying bill before us is approved today the Presidential moratorium remains in place protecting Florida. and President Bush has pledged to ensure that Florida is permitted to maintain at least a 100mile protective buffer. Moreover should the Presidential moratorium be removed. the Congress must enact legislation directing the Department of Interior on where to permit Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases. This is not a one step process. Some have suggested that allowing natural gas wells will do little to address the energy costs in the United States. This claim simply is not based on sound economics. As many of my colleadues know. over the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in the use of natural gas to produce electricity. Switching to natural gas for electric power generation has been a very quick and cost effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According a 2005 report from the Florida Public Service Commission. in 2003. 26 percent of Floridas electric power was generated using natural gas. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3127}
{"speech_id":1090134524,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By 2013. just seven years from now. the FPSC projects that over 50 percent of Floridas electric power will be generated using natural gas. Clearly. Florida is increasingly relying pn natural gas to meet our everyday energy needs and ensuring a longerterm affordable supply of natural gas will help keep Florida consumers power bills affordable. When you consider this growing reliance on clean burning natural gas along with price increases we have seen. it is clear that Florida consumers will continue to pay higher costs for electricity if we dont address natural gas supply concerns. According to the U.S. Department of Energy. the costs of natural gas for electric power generation increased 300 percent between 2000 and 2005. I look forward to working with my colleagues to support ensure that Florida has an adequate protective buffer while looking to meet our longterm clean energy rieeds.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3127}
{"speech_id":1090134543,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am concerned that the narrowness of the stairwell is such an inhibitor. We have some awful narrow passageways in this building. We have reopened the White House with very intricate security concerns. Certainly. with all of us putting our minds together. with the resources that we have. certainly we can figure out a way. For example. we could say you can have no bags. We will have a second security check. We will limit it only to a few dozen people a day. The gymbolism is so important. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":567}
{"speech_id":1090134543,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I cant imagine we are technically unable to secure this site.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":567}
{"speech_id":1090134575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I want to thank the gentlemen from Missouri. I also want to point out to my colleagues from Colorado that the USGS- facility in Rolla provides geospatial data to the border health issue. which I know is of great interest to the gentlemen. And I do want to correct a mistake. I did say that Denver scored 2.84 out of 5 as compared to Rolla. which was 4.18. Denver actually scored 3.11 out of 5. as compared to 4.18 for Rolla.","speaker_name":"JO ANN EMERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":458}
{"speech_id":1090134584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to strike the last Word for the purpose of engaging the chairman in a colloquy. Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by thanking the chairman for his hard work on theNational Fire Plan and also for the ranking member. The $2.7 billion in funding under the National Fire Plan increases the amount over last year by $80 million. It is essential in preventing forest fires throughout our Nation. This map here shows the largest southern Ponderosa pine forest in America. I know the gentleman is very. very familiar with it. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1579}
{"speech_id":1090134584,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have the largest stand of heavy fuel loads left in the forest. which are providing largescale size forest fires throughout Arizona. The last fire we had in our State broke the State record from the previous fire. which was over 560.000 acres. Communities like Flagstaff and Payson and Prescott. are entrenched with a fuel load around them that is making it a threat to live in this community and causing the insurance rates to skyrocket. Li 1430 Severe drought. bark beetle infestation. and poor forest management have all led to this kind of a condition. I would ask. please. and would thank both gentlemen that the report language include some of the boundary projects that need to go in place for people who do live in the forest. who make their livings there. who raise their families there. to be able to survive through the next forest fire season. Our forest fire season begins in February. the earliest in the country. and goes all the way to the end of autumn. And I would like to thank both gentlemen for their work on this effort.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1579}
{"speech_id":1090134624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. -Mr. Chairman. Mr. DICKS and I in our original markup. which was a $34 million cut. reinstated $18 million in that first appropriation. Later. we added another $12 million in for that and brought it within $4 million of last years effort. Now. when the gentleman takes $18 million out of the funding for the Department. we do considerable damage. and the Department oversees one in every five acres of national land. including vital tributaries and recreation areas. and produces over $14 billion in royalty revenue for the U.S. Treasury. and it must have the funds in the operations account. Frankly. if we were doing more harvest in our national forests we would not need this much PILT because that was really where it was to come from when the forests and other public lands were started. but we will try to do what we can. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090134624,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will yield to the gentlemans amendment. and we will accept his amendment. knowing that in conference we may not be able to hold this third increase.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090134653,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I certainly understand the politics of petroleum. But I represent Florida. and I represent the coast that we consider a valuable resource for tourism. the environment. the ecology. Let me remind my colleagues the area that they are proposing to drill both oil and natural gas wells has recently been referred to as Hurricane Alley. The gulf coast. we all know now. after Katrina. is responsible for 25 percent of U.S. production of natural gas. Following Katrina and Rita. almost 75 percent of the natural gas production\u0095 in the gulf was shut down and not producing. As of May 3. almost 13 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was still offline 9. months later. So it begs the question. why would you put more rigs in a vulnerable place? Now. I understand some States like drilling. like oil and like offshore rigs. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090134653,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And my question. or my statement. to yoU is. have at it. But I do want to have the opportunity as a Floridian to defend ourselves from having oil drilling rigs off our coastline. Several Governors are opposed to the provisions. including Governor Schwarzenegger. my own Governor Bush who sent a letter to the Speaker just yesterday. Governor Mark Sanford. our former colleague from South Carolina. Democrat Governor Corzine of New Jersey. Mike Easley of North Carolina. and Ted Kulongoski of Oregon. Our delegation remains strongly opposed to drilling for oil and gas in this very. very vulnerable area. Let me tell you the infrastructure problems suffered by our recent hurricanes. A Congressional Budget Office study estimated that gulf energy infrastructure repair costs will be between $18 billion and $31 billion. just from the damages the hurricane created. So lets build some more rigs in this very vulnerable area. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090134653,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I mentioned the responsibility of natural gas. The gulf has 30 percent of U.S. crude oil production. again another reason we do not want to endanger our coastline. Again. 9 months later. almost 22 percent remain offline. So I urge defeat of this amendment. removal of the Peterson amendment from this appropriation bill. and let us do something right and not simply succumb to the politics of convenience on .energy prices.","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2195}
{"speech_id":1090134667,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment would increase the EPA State and Tribal Assistance Grants account by $2 million for the National Clean Diesel Initiative. This is an important initiative that was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. These funds will be used to retrofit school buses and heavy duty trucks and contribute significantly to reducing harmful emissions into the air. I urge a \"yes\" vote on the amendment.","speaker_name":"CHARLES TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":419}
{"speech_id":1090134692,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. simply put. this amendment will reduce funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by $30 million and transfer those funds to the United States Forest Service to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires. Earlier this week. I was pleased to support the passage of the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act because it will expedite the restoration of forest land affected by catastrophic wildfires. However. we can all agree that prevention comes first. Additional resources are needed if we are to get a handle on the wildfire crisis gripping the West. In 2002. the American taxpayers spent over $1.5 billion containing these devastating blazes. ","speaker_name":"BOB BEAUPREZ","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3580}
{"speech_id":1090134692,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When Congress spends so much annually to put out wildfires. doesnt it make more sense to spend that money on additional thinning treatments that could help prevent these fires from starting in the first place? According to the House Resources Committee. 190 million acres of BLM and Forest Service land are at risk to catastrophic wildfire. To put that in perspective. this area is larger than the States of California and Arizona combined: The Wall Street Journal reported that parts of the National Forest system contained more than 400 tons of dry fuel per acre. or 10 times the manageable or appropriate level. Disease *and insect infestation have also contributed to an increase in combustible fuels. In Colorado alone. my State. surveys have recorded that approximately 1.2 million trees were killed by mountain pine beetle outbreaks in 2004. This is nearly 100 times the mortality rate reported in 1996. the first year a study was released by the Colorado Forest Service on pine beetles damage. Unfortunately. beetle kill leaves behind the kind of timber that turns small fires into the kinds of infernos that have devastated Colorado and other western States in recent years. destroying homes. poisoning the air. scorching critical habitat. and choking streams and rivers with tons of soot and sediment. Even with increased attention to thinning and fuel treatments efforts with legislation like the Healthy Forest Initiative. more funding is needed. Since the majority of our forests are federally owned. the burden to protect our States and local communities from the devastating effects of forest fires lies with the Federal agencies designated. to protect them. Congress must fully fund their needs. The question arises. ","speaker_name":"BOB BEAUPREZ","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3580}
{"speech_id":1090134692,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why take funding from the NEA? I actually applaud the progress that has been made recently by the.NEA in repairing a very damaged image in the view of many Americans. It is important. however. to recognize that only a small percentage of funding for the arts comes from the Federal Government. In 2001. Americans spent $27 billion on nonprofit arts funding. At $124 million. the NEA funding is just a drop in the bucket for an art industry that seems to be doing exceedingly well. Congress has to choose its fiscal priorities and obligations responsibly. This amendment amounts to onetenth of one percent of total arts funding. but it is a. massive help to ensure the safety of our western communities. prevent forest fires and save lives. Anyone who has witnessed the devastation to life. property. wildlife. water and air from the monster that is a forest fire understands that investing in prevention infinitely outweighs the incalculable longterm costs of a forest fire. This amendment allows us to invest in prevention. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BOB BEAUPREZ","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3580}
{"speech_id":1090134692,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. and I urge its adoption. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time. 0] 1690","speaker_name":"BOB BEAUPREZ","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3580}
{"speech_id":1090134697,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I aDpreciate the chairman. I will be brief. I respect and appreciate the effort put forth by both the minority as well as the majority side of the committee on this issue. But with all due respect. I would point out again that the private sector. and a very large private sector. supports our arts industry. The public sector. we in government. have an obligation to look after the governments assets and peoples lives. and that is what is at stake with this amendment. With all due respect to the comments that have already been made. no one looks after our national forests other than we in government. and I would encourage both the chairman and the ranking member at the next opportunity to come out to the West and visit and see the devastation the pine beetle danage has created in our forests. We are sitting literally on a matchbox awaiting someone to light the first match. ","speaker_name":"BOB BEAUPREZ","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1140}
{"speech_id":1090134697,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge the adoption of this amendment. I think it is common sense. I think it is about us in government establishing priorities to protect and defend our Nations assets and our citizens lives. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB BEAUPREZ","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1140}
{"speech_id":1090134720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have the greatest respect for the gentleman who just spoke. My interest is in fact legislation on appropriation bills. And I do believe we have the opportunity to in fact have good hearings on this issue. because there is a difference of opinion. Do me a favor. .my friends. and go back and read 1972. 1973. 1974 and 1975. You were here. Mr. OBEY. I believe you were. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":408}
{"speech_id":1090134720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was. Maybe you werent.","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":408}
{"speech_id":1090134726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. I would simply say to my good friend that just about the only scientists left in the world who do not recognize that this is a serious and real problem are those who have an economic interest in not recognizing it. and that. in my view. is an absolute fact. The gentleman talks about not wanting to fall into a trap. What you are going to fall into if we listen to the gentleman is sea levels 20 to 30 feet higher than they are now. and virtually every coastal city in the world is going to be under water. and New Orleans is going to be the norm rather than the unhappy exception. That is what. the world is going to face if we do not deal with this problem and begin to deal with it while we still have time. Mr. Chairman. how much time do we have remaining on each side?","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":812}
{"speech_id":1090134740,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I support keeping the language in because. as the gentleman from Washington has said. it is very. very important to deal with this problem. Mr. Chairman. I am extremely disappointed that the Rules Committee did not protect the global warming language in the Interior Appropriations Bill. Global warming is real and human activities are largely to blame. Many scientists believe the erratic and recordbreaking weather events we are seeing across the country. such as the prolonged droughts in my home state of New Mexico. are the direct resuit of global warming. The United States must act. and we must act soon. The language that was removed from the Interior Appropriations Bill today declared the need for a mandatory cap on greenhouse emissions. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3334}
{"speech_id":1090134740,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Stripping this language further shows the lack of political will of the House of * Representatives on this issue. Mr. Chairman. global warming is perhaps the biggest problem that present and future generations Of Americans will face. We cannot leave this to our children. Our colleagues in the Senate have already begun the much needed debate on this issue. In fact. they passed a sense of Congress exactly the same as the one that was stripped today. In addition. they held a daylong climate change forum that gathered stakeholders on this issue. including the leadership of numerous top American companies such as GE and Walmart. Many positions and recommendations for federal greenhouse gas control legislation were aired and debated. It is way past time for the House of Representatives to join the debate. At this point. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3334}
{"speech_id":1090134740,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. our neglect has become a dereliction of duty. Several pieces of legislation have already been introduced on the monumentally important and complex issue of global warming. Certainly. it will take considerable time. effort and investment to mitigate the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions. And. this must be done equitably and without unnecessary harm to hardworking Americans. Fortunately. much is already known on what we can do. Research and development on creative solutions to global warming has been underway for some time. Indeed. there is a lot of optimism that we can control the worst effects if we make the commitment. Many companies. states and cities around the country have begun the process. The United States House of Representatives remains silent. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3334}
{"speech_id":1090134740,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have not had a single hearing on global warming legislation. In the mean time. the United States continues to increase its greenhouse gas emission levels and China and India are developing fossil fuel dependent. carbonintensive economies at astounding rates. Mr. Chairman. the process- must begin. The United States must be a leader on this issue. Included in the list of legislation foundering in the House is a bill that the Gentleman from Wisconsin. Mr. PETRI. and I introduced. H.R. 5049. the Keep America Competitive Global Warming Policy Act. is a bipartisan policy that will address greenhouse gas emissions but not put Americas jobs at risk. This monumental step of putting a price on carbon will stabilize and eventually reduce emissions. finally putting the United States on the road toward curbing the effects of global warming. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3334}
{"speech_id":1090134740,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I urge the House of Representatives to immediately begin the debate on solutions to global warming.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3334}
{"speech_id":1090134761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just want to point out to my friend from Idaho that the Congressional Research Service has told us that the enactment of this amendment would not constitute a taking of existing leaseholders rights. and goes on to say that this amendment .is perfectly appropriate and should be adopted. Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":367}
{"speech_id":1090134762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. What is it about the marketplace that the Republicans dont understand? You signed a valid lease. although there is some argument about it. But you have a valid lease and now you want to lease the space next door. You leased a couple hundred thousand square feet. and you leased a thousand square feet. and now you want to lease next door. The economy has changed and now the land is available and so the landlord says to you. I think we will do is. we will do a wraparound lease. You want this? This is done all the time. It is done all the time in the business world. Various assets at various prices are combined. and the landlord thinks about extracting what he can at that time when you come to renegotiate. This happens all the time in the real estate field. all the time in the minerals field. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2656}
{"speech_id":1090134762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"All we are saying to the government is. these people have such a huge advantage because of the failure of the cap. we dont think they ought to get any additional leases. They can keep those leases without the caps and not lease. or they can negotiate those caps with the government to be like the rest of the oil companies and they can lease. This is a business transaction. It just happens to be a business transaction on behalf of the people of the United States of America who own these lands. What is it about the marketplace that you think at $70 a barrel you need royalty relief? I think you are confusing this with the idea that the oil companies are somehow royalty and we must bow down to them. At $70 a barrel. the conservative chairman of my committee. the Resources Committee. said nobody deserves royalty relief. The President of the United States says at these prices nobody deserves royalty relief. And here you are on the floor of the House of Representative\u00a7. arguing for people who get $70 a barrel. I talked to the CEOs of these companies when this royalty relief came up. and most of them thought it was balderdash. Most of them thought it was about trying to rescue a couple of companies that made some real bad decisions in the gulf shelf when oil was a bad price. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2656}
{"speech_id":1090134762,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fine. we agreed that under $34 a barrel you can have some royalty relief. Oil today. my friends. maybe you havent been out of the Chamber here. it is $70 a barrel. andthat is why we are asking the marketplace to work on behalf of the taxpayers of the country who are paying $3.50 for gasoline. The gentlemans amendment should be unanimous in this House on behalf of people who are buying gas and commuting to work and are paying that price every day. Why do they now have to pay it through this tax break through this royalty relief?","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2656}
{"speech_id":1090134771,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment is legal. it is simple. and it is fair. All we are asking is to preserve existing contracts but that those firms that fail to renegotiate fairly would then not be granted new oil or gas leases. Not to accept this amendment is to take sides. is to choose to stand by an industry that has posted the highest profits of any industry in modern history. by charging consumers about $50 every time they fill up their gas tank. Those profits are coming from our constituents. And not to support this amendment is to decide we are going to side against our constituents. We are going to give up as much as $80 billion. $80 billion over the next 25 years. That is money that should be our .constituents because it is their Feoderally owned land that the oil companies are drilling on. We have a responsibility to represent the American people before we represent a very wealthy and profitable industry. And to decide that we are going to figure out a way to let them continue with these contracts that never should have been signed this way in the first place. that gives up $80 billion of American taxpayers money. is wrong. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1599}
{"speech_id":1090134771,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is wrong. It is wrong that our consumers are paying so much when these oil companies are making tens of billions of dollars more than they have ever made. Here is an opportunity. legal. fair and simple. to represent the interests of our constituents. the American taxpayer. To turn down this amendment is to choose one of the major political contributors in this corrupt political system instead the interest of our constituents. Pass this ameAdment.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1599}
{"speech_id":1090134835,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of the ChabotAndrews amendment to the FY 2007 Interior Appropriations bill to block taxpayer spending on new commercial logging in Alaskas Tongass National Forest. Facing massive Federal deficits. every dollar counts. and we must take a stand against the Forest Services fiscal mismanagement of the Tongass. In addition. I would like to state my disappointment with the deep cut proposed in this bill for the State Wildlife Grants Program. This bill includes only $50 million for this program. a cut of $17.5 million below FY 2006 and nearly $25 million below the Presidents request. The State Wildlife Grants program is not just a \"Grants Program\" it is the Interior Departments core program for preventing wildlife from becoming endangered by working in partnership with State Wildlife Agencies. The deep cut included in this bill will have a dramatic impact on Wildlife conservation efforts in Wisconsin and across the country. State Wildlife grants program has strong bi\"partisan support from every comer of the country. ","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1791}
{"speech_id":1090134835,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Earlier this year 170 representatives joined together on a letter of support for $85 million in funding for this program. This program has also been championed by the Congressional Sportsmens Caucus. the largest caucus in the House. Across the Capitol. 56 Senators joined together on a similar letter. Further. this program is championed by the teaming with Wildlife Coalition. which includes hunters and anglers. environmentalists. wildlife agencies and others. In Wisconsin. this coalition includes almost 200 organizations. including the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. Audubon Chapters. and local businesses. and there are similar coalitions in every state. Again. I urge my colleagues to support the ChabotAndrews amendment.","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1791}
{"speech_id":1090134905,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate that. and I will be very brief. just to say that Members on both sides of the aisle may disagree on exactly how we got to this point. but I think most people willagree that our deficit in this country is too high. If people watched TV last night and watched the debates on the floor with regard to our budget. there was much disagreement on our spending levels and the like. But one thing we all came to agreement on at the end of the evening is that we are spending too much and that when .we spend too much it creates a deficit. So when we can at an appropriate time try to limit and rein in those spendings. I think that is an. appropriate and common sense approach to do that. To do that we have this amendment. This amendment is basically to say that when Federal agencies travel overseas on international conferences there should be some limit as to how many members and their staff goes. The amendment picks out a reasonable number and that is 50. No one would disagree with the fact that we should attend international conferences and no one would disagree with the fact that we should allow staff to go to them. Our amendment simply says that only essential staff should attend those conferences. and we therefore set a limited number. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1525}
{"speech_id":1090134905,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the fact that the chairman has agreed to this amendment in past legislation. and I certainly appreciate the fact that the amendment. once again is agreed to by the chairman at this point in time as well. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1525}
{"speech_id":1090134919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Absolutely. Reclaiming my time. Mr. Chairman. I would do nothing to im-. pact anybody elses district. The cities delineated within the amendment are clearly under my purview. and they all have issued letters requesting to be removed. so I would be happy to work with the gentleman.","speaker_name":"GARY MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":42.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":281}
{"speech_id":1090134927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The amendment that the gentleman from Michigan . the gentleman from Iowa . and I and others offer today will define where we stand on protecting water quality in America. Will we allow the Federal Water Pollution Act. the Clean Water Act. to be a national program. as it was intended by Congress when written and enacted in 1972. to protect the Nations waters. or will we allow it simply to become a limited program that abandons the national priority for clean water by leaving a rather substantial number of lakes. streams. and wetlands unprotected? This bipartisan amendment we offer would prevent the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing or enforcing the wetlands policy guidance issued in a joint memorandum of EPA and the Corps of Engineers in 2003. That memorandum was drafted in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Solid Waste Agency of North Cook County against Army Corps of Engineers. commonly known as the SWANCC case. The EPAs guidance in pursuance of the courts decision goes well beyond what the court directed. The court held that the Clean Water Act jurisdiction did not extend to isolated intrastate waters where jurisdiction is asserted solely on the presence of migratory birds. But the joint memorandum. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2157}
{"speech_id":1090134927,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"EPA expanded upon the case and made it more difficult to protect all intrastate waters regardless of impact on water quality or on commerce. Our amendment would prevent EPA from implementing that unsound policy. With our amendment EPA and the Corps of Engineers will once again be able to follow their own regulations and procedures in determining what waters are subject to protection under the Clean Water Act. If the amendment is defeated. streams. ponds. wetlands will continue to endure unregulated wastewater and other damaged water discharges. The result will be loss of habitat for waterfowl. loss of habitat for wildlife. endangered wildlife. increased frequency and increased severity of flooding and increased risk of drinking water and polluted groundwater supplies. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2157}
{"speech_id":1090134961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. currently rural communities across America are being forced to comply with extremely costly regulations regarding arsenic and radionuclide standards that have been established by the EPA. There is no data available to support the assertions made by the EPA that these regulations materially protect public health and safety. I am concerned that the current EPA rules are not supported by public health information. that the results from unvalidated mathematical models are used to support these rules. and that the rules are unnecessarily creating a category of radioactive waste for which there is currently no approved method of disposal. Mr. Chairman. my comments are supported by the EPAs own statement and the notice of data availability document from April of 2000. \"EPA recognizes the inherent uncertainties that exist in estimating health impacts at the low levels of exposure. and the exposure rates expected to be present in the environment. EPA also recognizes that at these levels. the actual health impact from ingested radionuclides will be difficult if not impossible to distinguish from natural disease incidences. even using very large epidemiological studies employing sophisticated statistical analysis. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090134961,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe the rural communities are not protected. but rather are harmed by water standards that allegedly promote health at the expense of economic well being. I have rural constituents who are currently paying 770 percent more for water service than that of urban populations due to the regulatory burdens placed on them by EPA. Small water suppliers cannot comply with these standards. Current consumer rates will inevitably result in the loss ofcustomers. and poor families will be forced to go back to using unregulated shallow ground water and dirt tanks for human and livestock consumption. As more people exit these systems. the costs -for the remaining customers will continue to rise. Currently. the EPA exempts water systems with fewer than 25 users. I believe we should extend that exemption to water systems that service fewer than 10.000 users. This would provide hope for the viability of small rural systems _and the areas and communities they serve. The current requirements reach far beyond what is reasonable and are bankrupting local governments.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2337}
{"speech_id":1090134985,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. You have heard a lot tonight about the potential environmental impacts. but let me just draw to your attention the issue as it affects our national defense. Looks pretty cluttered. but this is a test range for Eglin Air Force Base where they do weapons testing from the panhandle of Florida all the way to the Florida Keys. This red line right in here is a military mission line. Basically. the Air Force says. the Secretary of Defense has said. the Navy has said that anything that is east. anything that is east of that military mission line is incompatible with the mission at Eglin Air Force Base. There is live fire testing. We are not just practicing out there. This is not Top Gun flying airplanes around. ","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3343}
{"speech_id":1090134985,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are new weapons systems. classified new weapons systems that are being tested over the Gulf of Mexico. Yes. the beaches of Florida are a national treasure. but I can tell you from a national defense standpoint. this entire area of the extreme eastern Gulf of Mexico is a national treasure because there is no other weapons testing area like it in the country or in the world. Opponents of the Putnam amendment say that the underlying language does nothing to hurt the readiness of our military. Well that is 100 percent wrong! As you can see from this map. the Joint Gulf Test Range extends from the Panhandle of Florida to Key West. The Air Force uses this area for Live Fire testing and evaluation of weapons systems. The Navy uses the Gulf Ranges to do predeployment certifications and to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles from submarines. Let me read you a list of just a sampling of current and future missions that are conducted in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. F35 Joint Strike Fighter Initial Training and live fire F\/A22 pilot upgrade training including AMRAAM live fire Tomahawk Cruise Missile launch from submerged vessels Testing of Small Diameter Bomb program against manmade targets in the Gulf F16 weapons systems testing and evaluation. U:S. Navy predeployment certification. testing and development of hypersonic munitions. lowcost miniature cruise missiles. ","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3343}
{"speech_id":1090134985,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"AirDominance munitions. unmanned combat air vehicles. Directed Energy weapons. and classified programs. The Commander of the Air Armament Center. Major General Robert W. Chedister. said last August \"Clearly. structures associated with oil\/gas production are totally incompatible with. and would have a significant impact on. the mission activity in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Accordingly. it is absolutely visceral that the vast water area encompassed by the Gulf be preserved in order for us to continue to serve the needs of national defense.\" Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently wrote \"areas east of the 86*41 line in the Gulf of Mexico comm6nly known as the military mission line are specially critical to DoD.\" He went on to say \"In those areas east of the military mission line drilling structures and associated development would be incompatible with military activities. such as missile flights. lowflying drone aircraft. weapons testing. and training.\" Now let me show you where this mission line is. The underlying language in this bill would open the door to drilling in the entire Joint Gulf Range and is completely incompatible with the military mission of our Air Force and Navy.","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3343}
{"speech_id":1090134988,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I respond to my colleague. Mr. PETERSON. I lived in Santa Barbara in 1969. I saw that devastation with my own eyes. beach closures. fish kills. air pollution. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":280}
{"speech_id":1090134988,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":280}
{"speech_id":1090134997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman. and I rise in support of the PutnamCapps bipartisan amendment which strikes the Peterson language that would allow for drilling just 3 miles off our shoreline. Members. let us put this in perspective. Imagine yourself on the west steps of the United States Capitol admiring the view of our Nations Capitol. taking in the scenery and enjoying the environment. Now imagine yourself gazing towards the Kennedy Center. and just beyond the Kennedy Ceirter. right there in the middle of the Potomac River. you see a big old oil rig. It is not quite as appealing any more. is it? Now. I know that we are not going to be drilling for gas or oil in the Potomac River. but I paint this scenario for a reason. That distance from the Capitol to just beyond the Kennedy Center is the same distance that Mr. PETERSON is proposing we place natural gas rigs off our Nations beaches. There are drastic and devastating environmental and economic repercussions that come with drilling into the ocean floor so close to our beaches. for my own State of Florida and for the rest of the Nation. For example. the uncontrollable discharges of mud. rock. and minerals that come with piercing a hole into our Earth would be devastating for our nearshore activities. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2012}
{"speech_id":1090134997,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. for our colleagues that feel they need to vote for something. anything. to be able to say they are trying to address gas prices. I have a reminder: cars dont run on natural gas. People who are now paying upwards of $50 to fill their gas tanks. this amendment. if we leave it in place. will do nothing to change that. Gas prices will still be astronomically high. And to address the issue of oil rigs off our shoreline put there by Cuba and China. do we want to emulate the actions of nations like Cuba and China? Do we want the Florida straits dotted with oil rigs? I think not. and I think most Americans would also agree. I urge my colleagues to protect the coast of the United States and vote \"yes\" for the bipartisan PutnamCapps amendment.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2012}
{"speech_id":1090135003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his diligence in working on this issue. I understand tourism is Floridas biggest producer of revenue. and a lot of people go there. But if we dont pass an amendment that will help us get more natural gas. people at Disney World are going to have to be drinking their Cokes. or whatever they drink. out of something other than a plastic cup. - 0 2030 Our plastics industry in our country is made from natural gas. not only the feed stock. but the actual plastic. And so I dont know what we are going to do In our country if we continue to see high natural gas prices. We are already paying huge amounts to cool our homes in our part of the country. or heat our homes in the north. But we have a chemical industry that may not be popular if it is down the street. although it is in my neighborhood. But it produces jobs. highpaying jobs. and it produces this plastic that we drink from every day. And if we dont come up with some other way to lower the price of natural gas. we can just kiss this plastic goodbye. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3974}
{"speech_id":1090135003,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eighty percent of our U.S. offshore waters are currently excluded from production: the eastern gulf. the Pacific. the -Atlantic coast and some coasts of Alaska. Only Texas. Louisiana. Mississippi. and Alabama have . coastal production. 100.000 jobs have been lost because of the high prices of natural gas. And these are highpaying manufacturing jobs that we desperately need to keep in our country. We have the highest natural gas prices in the industrialized world primarily because of our offshore moratorium. Even Northern Europe has cheaper gas. and I know we have had jobs move from my district to Northern Europe because the price of natural gas there is so much cheaper. And their environmental laws are so much stronger. Norway. Great Britain produce off their coast. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3974}
{"speech_id":1090135003,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Are we saying that they are not concerned about their beaches? It is ludicrous. We only have two options to prevent the loss of jobs. either import more LNG. liquefied natural gas. which we will bring in. or produce offshore. There is no alternatives. We have got to have it. Mr. Chairman. I urge Members to vote against the PutnamCapps amendment. Eighty percent of our U.S. offshore waters are currently excluded from productionthe eastern gulf. the Pacific. and the Atlantic coast. and some coastal areas off Alaska. Only the Texas. Louisiana. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3974}
{"speech_id":1090135003,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mississippi. and Alabama coasts have production.. This contributes to high natural gas prices that have cost the U.S. nearly 100.000 jobs. primarily high paid manufacturing jobs. We have the highest natural gas prices in the industrialized world. primarily because of our offshore moratoria. Even Northern Europe has cheap. because they produce in the North Sea. Norway. Great Britain. who have drilled off their coasts with strong environmental laws. We only have two options to prevent the loss of further jobswe can build more LNG import plants and we can produce more gas offshore. There is no alternative to natural gas in many cases. Unfortunately. the opponents of both options are often the same pepplethey oppose LNG and they oppose drilling for gas. Maybe they think energy and plastics are made from thin air. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3974}
{"speech_id":1090135003,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Natural gas is the cleanest energy source we have besides solar or wind. and it is a critical fuel for industrial facilities and is a feedstock for the petrochemical industry that makes plastic. If we cannot produce natural gas here. we are going to have to import gas to heat our homes and import more plastic in bulk or in consumer products. That hurts our balance of trade. Canada has been producing gasonly wells in Lake Erie for decades. Any producer would rather have oil too at these prices. but if Congress says \"gasonly\" then it will be gasonly. and there will be no chance of oil spills. Mr. Chairman. I urge Members to support US. jobs. U.S. energy. and reducing the trade deficit by supporting U.S. natural gas. And oppose the PutnamCapps amendment.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3974}
{"speech_id":1090135007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise strongly against this amendment. It was said earlier that this is iot the right time to make this decision. Well. it is always easy to say it is not the right time to make a tough decision. And the reason we are in this terrible situation is we have made bad decisions in the past. There is no reason at all that we should have a North America gas market that is four or five times the rest of the world. We should be paying a competitive price for gas. but we are paying this outrageous price because of the decisions that we have made in the past. And we have made them based On outdated facts. Lets look at the true facts. ","speaker_name":"DONALD SHERWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1643}
{"speech_id":1090135007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lets look at the facts that technology has changed. We can do this safely. we are doing it safely in other places. We want to preserve Floridas coastline. Nobody wants to do anything that would have any harm. But we also need the natural gas. We are losing jobs every day because of the price of natural gas in North America. Now. when we lose jobs to China because people over there are willing to work real cheap. we are real upset about that. as we should be. But we are losing jobs because of the price of natural gas that would pay top American wages. jobs we cant afford to lose. We cannot afford to be uncompetitive in the world. This ban must be lifted. ","speaker_name":"DONALD SHERWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1643}
{"speech_id":1090135007,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must figure out how to do it properly so that we are not locking up the resources that we need to be competitive in the world. This is a very simple subject that just needs a little cold logic put on it. and we cant be worrying about the fears of the past. We have to be taking care of the future. We need to defeat this amendment.","speaker_name":"DONALD SHERWOOD","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1643}
{"speech_id":1090135023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 30 seconds. We have begun an important debate here that even the author of the language that we are seeking to strip admits is Draconian. and allowing drilling 3 miles offshore. even the sponsor admits that is not his goal. If that is not his goal. adopt the PutnamCapps amendment and let us move on to the appropriate way to discuss comprehensive energy policy in this Nation and how it impacts the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":492}
{"speech_id":1090135028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. my friends who are opposing the PutnamCapps amendment would like us to believe that in the Gulf of Mexico there is an unlimited supply of nice. clean. cheap natural gas just waiting for someone to punch a hole and it will come flowing out. That is really interesting because Mr. PETERSONS effort last year was to create an inventory to see if there was any natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico. There is something wrong here. That is not really consistent. Last year we did not know if there was or not. This year we are prepared to violate environmental concerns. Is there gas there or is there not gas there? And what about the high cost? I learned something interesting at the Appropriations Committee the other day. that no matter what it costs to produce a barrel of oil domestically in the United States we still pay the same price that OPEC charges. Why? I do not know. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090135028,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One Member told me that his State produces oil for $30 a barrel that has to go through Canada. and they sell it back to us at 70 some dollars a barrel. There is something wrong with that. And then this afternoon I learned that natural gas is priced the same way. So is it going to be less expensive to produce in the Gulf of Mexico. where the environmental issues are real and the national defense issues are real. or should we allow. as Mr. PUTNAM has suggested and I suggested earlier on the Poe amendment. and that was a good vote on the Poe amendment. to let the authorizing committee that holds hearings. and there were no hearings on this. on the appropriations part of it. let the authorizing committee do their work and let us make a decision based on what is the truth versus fiction versus opinion. what is real. what is safe for the environment. and let us pass the Putnam amendment here this evening.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090135034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Actually. yes. and we appreciate that very much. But. anyway. let us pass the Putnam amendment. This is the right thing to do. and let us let the House work its will through the established process. through the committee process. a committee that has appropriate jurisdiction.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090135039,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the PutnamCapps amendment to H.R. 5386. This amendment. which has broad bipartisan support. would remove the provisions in the underlying bill that lifts three longstanding moratoriums on offshore natural gas leasing. This provision will not provide the relief its supports claim it will. It will merely hinder our efforts to get a real and permanent solution to this problem. The repeal of the congressional moratorium will limit States ability to safeguard their natural resources and would set current OCS pol-. icy badly adrift. The prohibition of OCS drilling has been a national priority for over 20 years. Congress led the way by passing the first moratorium on OCS leasing in 1982. which was soon extended to waters throughout much of our nations coastal areas. Dismantling this 25year congressional moratorium in an appropriations bill is an unwise approach to our nations energy needs. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1690}
{"speech_id":1090135039,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Comprehensive legislative is needed to deal with the many complex oil and gas issues on the OCS. For the past few months. I have been working with some of my Florida colleagues on a comprehensive solution to this issue. not a patchwork of legislative initiatives. We have worked with Chairman POMBO on legislation that would give the states the final authority to decide whether or not to allow drilling or leasing off its shores. It is imperative to empower all coastal states to determine their own future. putting decisions regarding offshore development in the hands of our state elected officials instead of the federal government. The bill would have put a 125mile buffer permanently under state control for purposes of oil and gas leasing.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1690}
{"speech_id":1090135133,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening to pay tribute to a former Member of this body. Congressman Sonny G.V. Montgomery of Meridian. Mississippi. Our Nation laid him to rest this week in his home State. As a Congresswoman who arrived here in the early 1980s. it was my great privilege to serve on the committee which he chaired. the Veterans Committee. which was his life here in the Congress of the United States. I can recall so manytimes. as a Member of that committee. what a gracious. gracious Chair he was. Even to the new young members who had much to learn. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6230}
{"speech_id":1090135133,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I remember so much of what he did and the camaraderie that he established as a very precious gift not just to the committee or to the Congress but to the Nation. And we could use more of that spirit here today. I remember in 1984 when the Montgomery G.I. Bill passed in a Democratic Congress with his leadership. how generation after generation a young veteran would come to be able to ifford an education and to obtain decent health care and what he did to strengthen our Armed Forces. including our Guard and Reserve. and given us the .best Armed Forces that the world has ever known. He hardly ever. claimed credit for that publicly. and yet he worked on it for years. I can remember many State of the Union addresses where in what I called the Montgomery chair back there in the back row he would sit and he would welcome the Presidents from each party as they would come into this Chamber. and I cannot ever remember Sonny Montgomery losing his temper. If he did. I certainly never saw it. I watched him when we struggled with the issue of Agent Orange. When some of the scientists who testified before the committee said. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6230}
{"speech_id":1090135133,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We really cannot show. causality. we cannot show that. in fact. this veteran has cancer because he was mixing Agent Orange in big vats with paddles in Vietnam back in the 1960s and early 1970s. And there came a point in the committee when Sonny said. You know. there is a time when you have to do what is morally right even though it may not be scientifically provable. Ahd for the first time in the Nations history since Vietnam we were able to treat veterans who contracted serious illnesses as a result of their service. Special centers were set up. such as in New York. in order that we could assess and learn about these terrible. terrible illnesses that resulted from exposure to Agent Orange. Sonny Montgomery traveled to the districts of the Members of his committee. I was so impressed. because many times we would get a veteran who. unfortunately. because of illness would be out of control in the audience. and Sonny had a way of moving his hand and talking to the veteran. kind of calming him down. He was an amazing. amazing man to watch. He loved veterans. He loved Americans. but he had a special gift to be able to reach those who sometimes were distant. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6230}
{"speech_id":1090135133,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Half of the homeless in Ameica are veterans. The work that he did as Chair of that committee helped us to recognize for the first time the problem of homeless veterans. He got great assistance from a young Congressman then who had joined the committee. LANE. EVANS of Illinois. who currently due to Parkinsons illness is in Illinois right now trying to heal himself. These men did so much for our Nation and for the improvement of the conditions under which our veterans serve. I can remember when Sonny came to my district in Ohio. It didnt matter where you took him. to a Veterans Post. a Legion Post. a public meeting. people would stand and cheer. He was \"Mr. Veteran\" from coast to coast. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6230}
{"speech_id":1090135133,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And he left a legacy of improved education. of improved health care. of a veterans system that increased the number of health care clinics. both in urban and rural areas. to care for our veterans. and he took very seriously the slogan from Lincoln that is. on the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs. \"To care for them who shall have borne the battle. his widow or widower. and his or her orphan.\" He lived it. He traveled the world. We improved cemeteries around the world for our veterans. We worked on housing programs to go beyond the GI singlefamily home mortgage to multiple family home construction. He did so much so quietly and so effectively. Personally. he worked with me many. many years as we were trying to build the World War 11 memorial here in Washington in three different committees of jurisdiction. and yet was that steady force that was always at * our side as we worked for 17 years to move that piece of legislation from dropping it here in the hopper all the way to dedication just a few years ago here on the Nations Mall. His staff. Matt Fleming. Gloria Royce. so many people who served on that committee. knew that they had worked with a very great man. a man who always carried himself with great humility and great humor. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6230}
{"speech_id":1090135271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. she lost her wards the war in Iraq which is not realhouse. she lost her way of life. and she ly being addressed. In fact. many lost her innocence. She had fled times. the budget simply masks that Katrina. She fled to Texas. But also because it does not include the funding fleeing with the good were the bad. and and the cost of the war in the budget then the ugly happened. itself. Matthew Lindsey. registered sex of- So what I say today. rather than just fender from Louisiana. fled to Texas. focus on the appropriation bills and the He got that free FEMA money and different items back and forth. the Rethose free FEMA hotel rooms. But publican Congress should look at the FEMA would not let Texas lawmen see overall picture. They just passed antheir database and crosscheck for other tax cut bill. with tax cuts pricriminals like Lindsey. It was private. marily going to large corporations. they said. special interests. wealthy individuals. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090135271,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it was then while babysitting 12 not the average American. and they kids at a shelter he molested this 8- continue to increase the debt. yearold girl. Now one little girl has Spending is also out of control. and emotional scars that will forever be they are not doing anything about it. with her. Unfortunately. over the long term this Lindsey was one of 146 sex perverts leads to a fiscal crisis. We continue to that took the name \"hurricane victim\" go into debt. We dont have the money and became that hurricane villain. available to borrow for new production. Congress must stop this nonsense and and the Republicans need to address make FEMA quit protecting the law- this fiscal crisis. They are not doing it. less. The National Center for Missing Mr. Speaker. and Exploited Children and the Fraternal Order of Police supports such legislation. We cannot stop hurricanes. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090135271,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"HOUSE PASSES REASONABLE we can stop sex offenders. We can force BUDGET RESOLUTION FEMA to help the lawmen find the out- (Ms. FOXX asked and was given perlaws and thereby save the innocent. mission to address the House for 1 0 Printed on recycled paper. minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090135303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The first amendment by Ranking Member OBEY would pay for the $507 million cost for 20.routine military construction projects instead of designating them as \"emergency spending\" so that the funding would not count against the bills allocation. The Obey amendment pays for the 20 projects by reducing the tax cuts for people making more than $1 million a year by $1.400 or 1 percent. The second amendment by subcommittee Ranking Member EDWARDS provides the $735 million needed to fully fund the Defense Health Program - throughout the next year. The cost of the amendment is offset by reducing by 2 percent the tax cut for those making over $1 million annually. The third amendment by Representative FARR.- would increase veterans health care by $1.82 billion and pay for it by reducing the average tax cut for those with incomes above $1 million a year by about $5.000. leaving them with $109.025. Mr. Speaker. these amendments together will help us meet the obligations we have to the members of our military. our veterans and their families. This Nation made a promise to those serving in the military that they would receive quality health care in return for their valiant service to this country. and now that wounded soldiers are returning to their homes. they deserve the best medical treatment and care available. We can fix this today if we allow these amendments to be considered on the floor. But the only way that will happen is if we defeat the previous question. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1779}
{"speech_id":1090135303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to assure my colleagues that a \"no\" vote will not prevent us from considering the Military Quality of Life Veterans Appropriations bill under an open rule. But a \"no\" vote will allow us to vote on these important amendments. Vote \"no\" on the previous question. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1779}
{"speech_id":1090135340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Chairman. I certainly want to commend the committee chairman. as well as the ranking minority member. for working on this very important bill. Coming from Florida. I represent the highest number of veterans of any Member of Congress. We have worked very hard in the last few years that I have been here to make sure that veterans needs are adequately funded. Obviously. this bill before us today has a record level of funding for veterans needs. The committee. for the first time. used the veterans service organizations independent budget as kind of the baseline for the fiscal year 2007 funding. Obviously. the veterans groups want to make sure that every single need is met. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1674}
{"speech_id":1090135340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This appropriation does do exactly that. The total funding is $2.6 billion above last years level and $100 million below the Presidents request. We are. improving health care substantially. as well as opening up additional communitybased outpatient clinics. The CBOCs are very. very well received in each one of our districts and do meet the veterans needs. Obviously. we were able to again ward off the additional fees that were proposed in the administrations budget. We want to make sure that we continue to be able to go home and tell our veterans that this Congress. the people on this side of the aisle. people on the other side of the aisle. recognize the need to make sure that our. veterans. whether they are from World War H or whether they are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. that they are adequately cared for. The bill also contains an additional $20 million over last years level for veterans nursing homes. and I again want to commend the chairman of the committee.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1674}
{"speech_id":1090135483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank This is nothing more than a budget the gentleman for yielding. gimmick that adds $500 million to the Mr. Chairman. I did not vote to go to deficit. the deficit carried by all Amerwar in Iraq. Most of our friends on the icans. young and old. middleaged. other side of the aisle did. but after the while at the same time millionaires are Congress voted to seid our troops to continuing to enjoy reduced taxes. This war. the troops did not ask. is this an is not fair. emergency or is it regular order of Just 2 days ago. we voted to give a business? They just went. They did tax break in the amount of $70 billion. their duty. Some of them have done it but we cannot fund it. In fact. we are two and three and four times in Iraq. cutting. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090135483,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not know why they should be I have military bases. We repair helistuck in the middle of a family squab- copters. and many times they have ble within the Republican Party in the asked for help. We were forced to leave Congress. a squabble between people the air base in Uzbekistan. We have to who put tax cuts for the most welloff build up our capabilities. At Bagram people first versus the people who put Air Base in Afghanistan. that is an budget accounting nicety first versus emergency. people who think that there are some Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman. will the economic and social needs faced by the gentleman yield? families of those soldiers. Mr. ORTIZ. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090135483,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield to the gentleman What the committee tried to do is to from Wisconsin. cut it down the middle. hedge a little Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman. I thank bit here. a little bit there. We do not the gentleman. but I thinkI have said like that on this side of the aisle. So enough. I just would hope that this we tried to. substitute honest account- House would reconsider what they have ing. and the majority party insisted on done this week and use this incident to knocking that amendment out on a recognize that that budget resolution point of order. is simply insufficient to meet the needs So at this point. we have to choose of our military. the needs of our school between a faulty accounting system or children and a number of other serimeeting the needs of the families of ously competing needs. people who are in Iraq defending the I would hope. and in fact I fully exnational interests of this country. and pect. that the Senate will not pass the budget resolution that has caused this problem. The irony is that the Republican majority in this House had to pass a letuspretend resolution yesterday. which said we are going to move ahead with appropriation bills on the assumption that the full Congress had passed the budget resolution. which it has not done. because Republican moderates in the Senate recognize that the budget resolution that is being enforced on the majority side in this House is too extreme for their taste in the Senate. Senators such as Senator SPECTER have already made that quite clear. . ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090135483,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it is ironic that a budget that hasnt even passed the Congress is being used to enforce these kinds of tradeoffs. I dont think the American people are going to be very pleased. I thank the gentleman.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3143}
{"speech_id":1090135484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. I rise to try to clarify this debate and bring a little clarity here. It is true that we are really arguing over roughly $.5 billion and points are flying back and forth about what that means and whether or not this is a technical point. But there has also been some focus here on the issue of whether or not our war effort is going to be harmed and whether or not our soldiers are going to be harmed. I want to be clear that there is no effort. in any way. to harm the efforts of our military. or- to. in any way. inhibit our ability to fight the war on terror in the point of order that was raised by the gentleman from Texas . Indeed. there has never once been brought to -this House by the President of the United States a single request for a war supplemental that this House has not funded. We have funded it. we are currently working on one that will be funded. and there will be another one funded very. very soon. as soon as we get a few more months down the line. There is no issue here about not funding the war on terror. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHADEGG","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090135484,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And there is no issue here. ladies and gentlemen. about not funding .the quality of life of our soldiers. So what is the issue? What are we talking about? What we are talking about is sleight of hand. What we are talking about is. well. let us take the really defensible funds and call them a part of the war on terror and let us leave the money that we put in the bill. by the way. there is $.5 billion in this bill not requested by the Pentagon. $.5 billion that the Pentagon said it didnt need. $.5 billion that the Pentagon itself didnt say was necessary either for its ongoing oper-\" ations. for quality of life for military personnel. or for the war on terror. Interesting number. $.5 billion. Now. there is an\" additional $.5 billion listed here as. well. it is not emergency. but we are going to take it out of this fund to fund the war on terror. Now. that is kind of interesting. We take the stuff that we wanted. we take the stuff that was not requested by the Pentagon. $.5 billion. and we put them over here in the bill. But then we say. well. we need another $.5 billion and we will call that critical for the war on terror. This is not about whether or not we fund the war on terror. it is not about the military quality of life. it is about how we hide spending in this budget process and how we deal with it. And it just so happens that the President himself said none of these were emergencies. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SHADEGG","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090135484,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He doesnt even agree that these were essential for the war on terror at this point. But if we call them essential for the war on terror. and if we take them out of the fund that we have set up to deal with the war on terror. that enables us down the road to impose that additional $.5 billion burden on the American people. That is what this discussion is about. It is not about military quality of life. It is not about fighting the war on terror. It is about being able to increase the overall spending and. quite frankly. being able to increase that overall spending for things the Pentagon did not even request.","speaker_name":"JOHN SHADEGG","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090135637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Entrepreneurship is growing. There are many more people at the upper echelons of our economic society than there was a generation or two ago. As I watch that happen. I think that is a good thing for America. But I would point out that the strength for America has been in the breadth for a prosperous middle class that began to grow in a dramatic way during World War II when Rosie the Riveter went off to work. The middle class grew. We had 1.2 percent un*employment rate back during those years. As the paycheck came back into the household. and I should also credit Henry Ford because when he put his automobile into production. he wanted to make sure that the people he hired had enough money to buy one of hi5 cars. so he paid them a good wage. That was competitive and that spread across this Nation. So the prosperity of the middle class grew. and it grew from the early part of the 20th century and it grew dramatically in the second half of the 20th century. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3242}
{"speech_id":1090135637,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As it did. the greatness of America grew with it. You could maybe be a high school dropout but if you were a good worker. you could punch a clock at the local factory and take home a paycheck that was adequate enough that you could buy a modest home and raise your family with dignity and pride and values. That middle class got broader and broader up until perhaps 10 years ago when we began to see it shrink. There was pressure on the middle class from the upper class. That is really not a bad thing. to have people moving from the middle class to the upper class. I applaud that. But the other pressure comes from the lower side of this when many of the elitists in America figured out that with the click of a mouse. they could transfer capital around the world. The impediments to business transactions diminished with the computer technology that was developed by Steven Jobs and Bill Gates and many. many others. As that happened. they began to feel the frustration that they couldnt transfer cheap labor as efficiently as they could transfer capital. So with that frustration. and business will always work on the most important issue. they began to transfer cheap labor. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3242}
{"speech_id":1090135637,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They wanted cheap labor in the United States because that is where the factories were. As they brought that cheap labor in. the wealthy got wealthier off that margin of profit they were making. and they had a competitive advantage against those who did not hire illegal labor. The Federal Government did not enforce that and so the wealth that came began to also put into peoples minds that they had an entitlement to hiring cheap labor to work in their factories doing. quote. \"the work that Americans wont do.\" And I reject that concept. And at the same time. they wanted cheap servants to take care of their mansions and trim their lawns and nails. As this happened. this servant class which has been created by the elitists. the new ruling class. the servant class has grown and the elitist class has grown. and this has been at the price of the middle class. It has been at the price of the middle class so that an undereducated. Americanborn citizen that does not go off to college does not have nearly the opportunities that they had 10 or 20 years ago. Cheap labor has taken that away.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3242}
{"speech_id":1090135779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we will be debating the comprehensive immigration bill. Several Senators will be coming over throughout the day to discuss either pending amendments or amendments to be proposed. At this point we have at least two amendments scheduled for votes beginning at 5:30 today. The first vote will be on the Chambliss amendment relating to wage requirements for agricultural workers. The second vote will be on the Ensign amendment which relates to the use of the National Guard. Other amendments may be offered today. and we hope to schedule debate and votes on those amendments. I thank my colleagues for helping tK move the bill forward to this point. We will finish the bill this week. and I believe Senators will agree to reasonable debate on amendments and we can finish that bill in relatively short order. We have other issues to consider this week prior to the recess. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1978}
{"speech_id":1090135779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will address a supplemental appropriations conference report when that measure is available for floor action. We also will be considering other conference reports that may be raised this week. We have several important nominations that are available. or soon Will be available. after committee action for the full Senate to consider. The Kavanaugh nomination is on the Executive Calendar and will be voted on this week. Other nominations are in committee and will become available. We have the nomination. for example. of Dirk Kempthorne. our former colleague. to be Secretary of the Inteirior. This week the Hayden nomination may be available from the Intelligence Committee as well. We have the nominations of Sue Schwab for the USTR and Rob Portman for OMBa number of nominations. Needless to say. the days will go quickly. and we will nbed to work together in a collaborative. collegial way to get our business completed prior to the start of the recess. Finally. in order to get all of this done. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1978}
{"speech_id":1090135779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Friday votes are likely if we are to complete this busy agenda. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1978}
{"speech_id":1090135782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on the Defense authorization. I have talked to both the chairman and ranking member. as I am sure the Democratic leader has. and have asked them to do their very best to address how we can best bring that bill to the floor and have 0 This \"bullet\" symbol identifies -statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. reasonable time for debate and amendment where we dont have to be starting and stopping and starting and stopping like we had to do over the last several years. Both of them are working very hard in that regard. It is a high priority. I agree with the Democratic leader. We want to address it as soon as possible. The supplemental bill is in committee now. I have met with leadership involved in that bill. in terms of the managers on Thursday night and with the House as well. I was advised to let them work hard and aggressively over these last what has now been 3 or 4 days. and I will get a report back later today. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1627}
{"speech_id":1090135782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I. too. have been both advised and called by a number of people. both from the Department of Defense. our military. and it is clear that this money is needed. We need to work together to accomplish that this week.. That is my intention. After I talk to our conferees later today. I can get back in terms of whether that is going to be possible. but we are working very hard. Mr. President. I see the Senator from Iowa. I want to make a statement. If the Senator from Iowa would allow me to suggest the absence of a quorum so I can speak to the leader. and I will be back and talk. it shouldnt be too long. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1627}
{"speech_id":1090135782,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I suggest the absence ofa quorum.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1627}
{"speech_id":1090135793,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about border security and the immigration reform bill. I have some very strong views on this issue because my home State shares its southern border with Mexico. Every day I hear stories about the problems of lax border security. a cause for concern among my constituents. They tell me directly the problems this causes. I am convinced we must do more to secure our borders than we have been doing. However. I am very pleased we are making headway. I hope. in the not too distant future. the American people will see the fruits of that headway. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5611}
{"speech_id":1090135793,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope I can explain inmy time allotted how we are going to do more and what we are doing. Border security and immigration enforcement should be top priorities in our debate this week. Whether they are top priorities will influence my vote on any border and immigration package considered in the Senate. The first step to secure our border is more border security funding. I believe Senator JUDD GREGG. as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. understands this. Sometimes it has been difficult to let the American people hear what is going on. what he is doing in his 5ubcommittee. what the Senate is doing when it follows his lead. and what happens when we finish work with the House on the bills that start out in his committee. He helped us provide $635 million for border security in fiscal year 2005 in an emergency supplemental appropriations bill. With his efforts. we provided more than $9 billion for border security and immigration enforcement in the fiscal year 2006 Homeland Security appropriations bill. He worked to include $1.9 billion for border security in the Senate fiscal year 2006 emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Add that up. and one can understand that Congress is finally responding to the gigantic needs of making our international borders secure. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5611}
{"speech_id":1090135793,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fiscal year 2006 emergency supplemental funding I have alluded to includes such items as $100 million for sensors and surveillance technology. $120 million for new Border Patrol stations. checkpoints. and vehicle barriers. $80 million for Border Patrol vehicles. and $790 million for border security helicopters and other air assets. Believe it or not. until recently. while we have talked a great deal about the Border Patrol and what they must do. they had helicopters from the Vietnam era. We have finally decided to buy them a new fleet of helicopters. After all these years of talking. we are finally doing something. Also. we included $50 million for an upgraded CBP communications system. Many Americans must be wondering. what have we been doing all these years in all these appropriations bills when we have talked so much? The truth is. we have done little. But we are doing more now. Second. we need more border security provisions as part of border security and immigration reform legislation. Many security provisions in the current border and immigration bill are good. but they are not enough. I have filed three amendments to the bill which I will discuss shortly. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5611}
{"speech_id":1090135793,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I understand and think once Senators have heard these amendments and the managers have had a chance to review them. they may be accepted. Lastly. we should try to address what to do with the millions of undocumented workers in America today. In March. I joined with a bipartisan group of Senators to support what has been called the HagelMartinez compromise. I supported the compromise in hopes that it would allow a border security and immigration bill to move forward. I also supported it because. as -I understand the bill. anyone who came to the United States illegally after January 7 of 2004 receives no special treatment. that is. those hundreds of thousands of people who have been running to the border or who have been taken to the border. who have purchased their way to the border in the last few months. will receive no special treatment. It is my understanding these individualsthat is. postJanuary 7. 2004 illegal entrants--would be subject to removal and deportation under existing immigration laws. The record needs to clearly reflect that. That means one group of people that Americans are wondering about will not receive any special privileges under this bill. They are sort of the Johnnycomelatelieg who have run to the border thinking if they can get here quick enough they will be included in our immigration reform efforts. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5611}
{"speech_id":1090135793,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it is my understanding that these individuals would be subject to removal and deportation under existing immigration law. I repeat that because I believe a number of Senators. on this side of the aisle at least. are indicating their support for this bill because they believe that is in the bill. As the most senior Senator representing a southwest border State. I would like to now discuss the amendments I have filed. which I believe make eminent sense and should be accepted by the Senate. The first is an amendment regarding Mexican cooperation. This amendment will require the Secretary of State to cooperate with Mexico to improve border security and to reduce border crime. The amendment is the result of a lot of hard work and is cosponsored by the distinguished Senator from Connecticut. Mr. DODD. who is very familiar with the border problems and the problems with Mexico. I would like to read that amendment because a reading of it does more than I could do by trying to summarize it. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5611}
{"speech_id":1090135812,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today because five families in Harlan County in the Commonwealth of Kentucky suffered a devastating and tragic loss this past weekend. As many of our colleagues are aware. an explosion rocked the Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1 around 1:30 Saturday morning. According to news reports. the blast occurred nearly a mile underground near a sealedoff area of the mine. The force of the explosion was so powerful it caused damage over 5.000 feet up at the mine opening. Five miners were killed. Their families are. of course. completely devastated. and the entire community is struggling for answers in the face of such a catastrophe. an unexpected tragedythat is so overwhelming it breaks your heart and almost leaves you numb. There is one ray of light in this otherwise very dark episode. One miner. a man named Paul Ledford of Dayhoit. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3209}
{"speech_id":1090135812,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KY. managed to escape the blast. He was injured but reportedly was still able to walk out of the mine on his own two feet. After a short stay in the hospital. he was released. and I am sure his family is thrilled that he survived the catastrophe. The Darby mine explosion brings this years total number of deaths from mining accidents in Kentucky to 10. double what it was just 72 hours ago. Thank goodness Paul Ledfords name is not on that list. But these Kentuckians names are: Paris Thomas. Jr.. 53. of Closplint. George William Petra. 49. of Kenvir. Jimmy B. Lee. 33. of Wallins Creek. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3209}
{"speech_id":1090135812,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Amon \"Cotton\" Brock. 51. of Closplint. and Roy Middleton. 35. of Evarts. All were lost in this explosion Saturday. The Harlan County coroners report indicates that Amon Brock and Jimmy Lee were killed instantly by the tremendous force of the explosion. The other three survived long enough to put on breathing devices. but still died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Their loved ones will never forget the last time they saw them before they descended into the mines. Nor will they forget the calamity that. sadly. added their names to this list. Neither should we ever forget them. The authorities are still investigating the cause of this accident. Some accidents are. unfortunately. entirely unpreventable. But other accidents are all the more horrific because they could have been prevented. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3209}
{"speech_id":1090135812,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When it comes to the second type. this Senate can and must act to prevent them. The list of Kentucky mining deaths is too long already. I am sure my colleagues. Senator ROCKEFELLER and Senator BYRD. will agree that the list of West Virginia names is too long as well. Every American watched the terrible events at the Sago mine this past January. when 12 miners were killed. The Senate should act quickly by passing S. 2803. the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006. of which. I am happy to say. I am a cosponsor. This measure. drafted by Senators ENZI and KENNEDY. was unanimously reported out of the HELP Committee last week. and the Senate should move expeditiously to pass this legislation. It is the most comprehensive package of minersafety legislation in a generation. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3209}
{"speech_id":1090135812,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Once it is fully implemented. the brave men and women who descend in the darkness to provide the rest of us with light and heat will have safer working conditions than ever before.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3209}
{"speech_id":1090135817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator from Kentucky will yield for a question. just a few years ago. not long after 9\/11. we had the Brookwood mine disaster in Alabama. where 13 miners lost their lives. Basically. like the firemen in New York. they were responding to help someone in need. another miner that they believed needed help in an emergency. and lost their lives in a rescue attempt. It was a very emotional time for me and the families and the town. We were joined on that occasion at the Brbokwood mine area by the Secretary of Labor. Elaine Chao. I want you to know how proud I was of her that night. She went over to the union hall. She had to be up at 5 oclock the next morning to catch. a flight. But she stayed there almost 2 hours meeting and talking with the victims of that disaster. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1330}
{"speech_id":1090135817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was able to call just Friday several family members and others who were involved in that to tell them of the passage of this piece of legislation out of committee. They were very excited about ita lawyer for the union official. families of people who were killed in that disaster. As the Senator said. the price of coal is up. The demand for energy is up. We are going to be doing more mining. This legislation will clearly be a step forward into making those mines safer. I thank him for those comments. I hope we can move rapidly.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1330}
{"speech_id":1090135923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reserving the right to object. I would like to ask of the chairman of the committee. Senator CANTWELL and I have an amendment that has been pending. We were willing to move forward last week. we were willing to move forward today. and we are willing to move forward tomorrow. I am wondering if the chairman can give us a sense of when our amendment can be brought up so we can be heard and whether we can get a commitment from the chairman that we will have a reasonable amount of time. if not an excessive amount of time to debate itsay. an hour or 2 hours.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090135962,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor today to reflect on the tremendous sacrifice and dedication displayed on a daily basis by our countrys soldiers. In particular. I wish to call to my colleagues attention the story of one young man who laid down his life defending our country. While words cannot lessen the anguish of those who knew and loved him. they can illuminate his heroism and sacrifice. So it is entirely appropriate that we pause today to remember and celebrate the life of SGT James A. Sherrill of Ekron. KY. Sergeant Sherrill served in the Kentucky Army National Guards 2113th Transportation Company based out of Paducah. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6834}
{"speech_id":1090135962,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KY. Tragically. he died in Bayji. Iraq. on April 3. 2005. as he and his fellow soldiers were escorting a supply convoy. An improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. He was 27 years old. For his valorous service. Sergeant Sherrill was awarded the Bronze. Star Medal and the Purple Heart. He had previously received both the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. and he was awarded the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal. the second highest honor that the Commonwealth of Kentucky can bestow. James moved around the country a bit growing up. but while he was still young. the Sherrill family settled in KentuckyEkron. to be precise. a small town of a few hundred people in Meade County and the birthplace of legendary Baseball Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6834}
{"speech_id":1090135962,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Ekron. James and his younger brother B.J. would grow up together and become well known throughout the community. The Sherrills are a closeknit family. William \"Buddy\" Sherrill and his wife Beatrice. two softspoken people. have a lifetime of memories of their son James. William and Beatrice raised James and B.J. to love others. respect authority. and to be true gentlemen. Being the older brother. James took his role as his brothers keeper seriouslymost of the time. Beatrice recalls. however. when James and B.J. were still very young. one time when B.J. imagined himself to be the superhero Batman. To inaugurate his career as a caped crusader and to strike fear in the hearts of criminals. B.J. decided to jump out a window. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6834}
{"speech_id":1090135962,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But heights can be intimidating. especially to a small child. Even one wearing a cape and a mask. So just as he was about to jump. B.J. hesitated. Noticing his younger brother sitting on the edge of the windowsill in the Sherrill home. James decided it was up to him to help his brother out the only way he knew how. So James came. up behind B.J. and gave him the push he wasnt looking for. Asked why he had just pushed his brother out the window. James looked up at his parents and told them sincerely he was only \"trying to help his brother.\" Thankfully. no one was seriously hurt. and Jamess understanding of how best to help others. shall we say. \"evolved\" over time. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6834}
{"speech_id":1090135962,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A few years later. James found success on the football field. He soon became cocaptain of the Meade County High School varsity football team. His drive on the field spilled over into the weight room. where he broke several of his schools weightlifting records. Jamess greatest moments on the field came his senior year with brother B.J.. then a sophomore. also on the team. James played fullback. blocking opponents and creating holes for his ballcarrying brother. who played halfback. Over the course of the season. this onetwo brotherly combination would amass an outstanding record. \"Our whole community knew him because of [the] sports he played.\" B.J. said of his brother James. Beyond the yards gained or the touchdowns scored. this portrait of one brother leading the way for the other illustrated the relationship the two shared throughout Jamess life. William Sherrill said: B.J. always looked up to James. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6834}
{"speech_id":1090136000,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am honored to have been here this evening to hear the remarks of Senator SPECTER about his friend Judge Becker. I came to know him and respect him greatly myself. I remember it. was Judge Becker this and Judge Becker that as we wrestled with the asbestos litigation. Senator SPECTER. I knew. had such extraordinary respect for him. I guess it probably would be fair to say that in the last year. if there had to be a 101st Senator. he might have been the one we would name because he met time and time again with Senators and groups and interests and people to try to work out an asbestos bill that would be effective. I came around to the thinking that he was exactly correct and agreed that he and Senator SPECTER had the right approach to that historic piece of legislation. I am very sad we never could move it forward. but Judge Becker provided a great and extraordinary contribution to the legislation. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1440}
{"speech_id":1090136000,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In getting to know him. talking to him about other judges. he talked about Bill Pryor. a judge from Alabama who was recently confirmed. He knew and studied his record. I came to feel that he was a fine and decent person who loved his country and just didnt want to retire and sit around. He was right in the middle of things to his last days on this Earth. I thank Senator SPECTER for allowing us the opportunity to get to know him. I hope he will convey to Judge Beckers family our admiration and respect for him.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1440}
{"speech_id":1090136013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this weekend with the news of the adoption of a new government in Iraq. the silence was deafening. You could hear a pin drop among the critics of U.S. policy in Iraq. But there it was. Prime Minister alMaliki kept his word. He named 39 cabinet ministers. each of whom was approved by more than 90 percent of the .275member elected Iraqi Parliament. the first- government of Iraq formed since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. May God bless Prime Minister arMaliki and all those brave ministers in his new government. for despite what you read. despite some of what you see. freedom is winning in Iraq and this new governments formation stands for that truth.","speaker_name":"MIKE PENCE","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":669}
{"speech_id":1090136022,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5354. the Hurricane Relief Extension Act of 2006. amends the Hurricane Education Recovery Act to allow the Secretary of Education to extend. beyond the 2006 school year. the period during which a State educational agency or local educational agency may obligate temporary emergency impact aid for elementary and secondary schools that enroll students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita. In addition. the bill includes a sense of the Congress that urges State educational agencies to distribute expeditiously any education relief funds received under such act to impacted schools and institutions. I want to thank Chairman McKEON and the Education and the Workforce Committee staff for working with me on this legislation. Hurricanes Katrina anl Rita created real and pressing educational needs in the gulf coast region. According to the U.S. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4119}
{"speech_id":1090136022,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Department of Education. more than 370.000 students were unable to attend school in the weeks following the hurricanes. About 158.000 students were still displaced as of October 1. 2005. and are eligible for impact aid. More than 1.100 schools. public. private. and parochial. were still closed 2 weeks after the storms. In the immediate days after the hurricanes hit. I worked closely with my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee to assess the damage caused by the storms and to move forward and send Federal aid to the highest need areas in the shortest amount of time possible. We supported an innovative electronic reimbursement proposal that would have enabled parents and schools to bypass government bureaucracy and receive Federal aid more quickly. Unfortunately. many of our colleagues opposed these efforts as a backdoor attempt to implement a voucher system. Let me be emphatic: That was not the case. This proposal would have prevented the delays we are now seeing in Federal support reaching our teachers and students who most need it. As an alternative. when Congress passed the Hurricane Education Recovery Act in December. we included stringent timelines to ensure the money would quickly be sent to local educational agencies to help schools in need. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4119}
{"speech_id":1090136022,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. the U.S. Department of Education accelerated the application process for these funds in order to quickly release educationrelated relief. Yet. Federal education aid is still not reaching the ground in many Gulf States. including my home State of Louisiana. I recently visited Johnson Bayou High School in my congressional district in Cameron Parish hit directly by Hurricane Rita. and. school officials had yet to receive one penny in Federal assistance. This was only 3 to 4 weeks ago. A headline last month in the Baton Rouge Advocate read. \"East Baton Rouge Schools Await Hurricane Funds.\" At an April 26 Education and Workforce Committee hearing. education leaders from throughout the gulf coast testified that Federal aid had yet to make its way to the local level. This bill allows the Secretary to set a date to obligate the funds for dis4 placed students that is beyond the end of the school year because several districts have indicated the difficulty in meeting the current statutory July 31 date. The extension of this date will give the districts the extra time needed to ensure the funds are obligated toward the allowable expenditures from the 20052006 school year. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4119}
{"speech_id":1090136022,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill makes certain that the funds can only be used for expenses from the 20052006 school year and that the funds will not be extended into the 20062007 school year. These funds are desperately needed by the districts to help with the costs associated with educating the displaced students. Districts should not have to return the funds because they were not able to obligate them by the July 31 deadline. Mr. Speaker. schools should not be penalized because bureaucratic red tape has delayed the process on the State level. which. to me. is very unacceptable. Mr. Speaker. I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5354. the Hurricane Relief ExtensionAct of 2006. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4119}
{"speech_id":1090136044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I. yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of Senate bill 1235. as amended. the Veterans Housing Opportunity and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006. This bipartisan and bicameral benefit package incorporates a number of important measures aimed at improving the quality of life for our servicemembers. veterans. and military families. I would like to thank Chairman BUYER and Ranking Member LANE EVANS for their leadership on the full committee and for their assistance in moving this bill to the floor today. I also want to express my appreciation to the chairman and ranking member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee. JOHN BOOZMAN and STEPHANIE HERSETH. respectively. for their hard work and bipartisan leadership in this legislative package. 0J 1445 Additionally. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4048}
{"speech_id":1090136044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee. JEFF MILLER and SHELLEY BERKLEY. for their diligence and hard work on this bill. Our Nations servicemembers and veterans have earned and their families deserve all of the benefits and opportunities provided under Senate bill 1235. In fact. they deserve mnch more. I am pleased. however. that this legislative package takes a strong step in the right direction. and I am sure the veterans and military families in my home State of Colorado will appreciate their efforts. Mr. Speaker. Senate bill 1235. as amended. will enable severely disabled veterans to make necessary adaptations to homes in which they are temporarily residing. and it will give totally disabled veteran servicemembers who are leaving military service an additional year of Servicemembers Group Life Insurance coverage and limit unjustified health premium increases on activated National Guard members and Reservists. It will extend the Homeless VieterAns Reintegration Program which provides employment opportunities for homeless veterans and improve the Department of Labors Veterans Employment and Training Service. In addition. the bill includes language from H.R. 1773. the Native American Veterans Home Loan Act. a measure introduced by . ","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4048}
{"speech_id":1090136044,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Representative STEPHANIE HERSETH of South Dakota. This bill will make permanent the Native American Housing Loan Program so that veterans residing on tribal land can obtain an appropriate home loan. It will also provide housing opportunities for veterans who are residing on tribal land with Native American spouses. By all accounts. the pilot program has been a great success and. in fact. has a negative subsidy. that is. it actually pays for itself. That is something that is rarely done here at the Federal level. Making this program permanent is the right thing to do foi Native American veterans and their families. Mr. Speaker. we also know that veterans who are former prisoners of war have been found to have disproportionate rates of heart disease and stroke. This bill will assure that they will be compensated for these conditions by codifying a current regulation. Finally. this bill will improve the Department of Veterans Affairs outreach to veterans and their families in an organized fashion. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4048}
{"speech_id":1090136044,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the servicemembers. veterans and military families of this Nation have earned and deserve our best efforts here in Congress. As we approach Memorial Day today. I am very proud to support this long overdue legislation. and I am confident that it will benefit the veterans of my home State of Colorado as well as other veterans around this country. I fully support Senate bill 1235. as amended. and urge my colleagues to do the same. But before I reserve the balance of my time. I would like to bring attention to a matter of deep concern. We learned today of the theft of 26.5 million veterans records from the home of a career VA employee. I am very concerned about this theft because the records include the name. Social Security number and date of birth of every veteran in this country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4048}
{"speech_id":1090136044,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to encourage veterans to visit www.firstgov.gov or call 1800-","speaker_name":"JOHN SALAZAR","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4048}
{"speech_id":1090136047,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. and I thankMr. MILLER of Florida. I rise in strong support of this Veterans Housing Opportunity and Benefits Improvement Act that is before us. This is bipartisan legislation and includes several provisions introduced by both Democrats and Republicans. It demonstrates what can be accomplished when we work. together to deliver the best to our Nations veterans. and again. I thank Chairman MILLER and all the Members on his side for bringing to us this bipartisan legislation. One of the most important parts of the bill is the reauthorization of appro]iriations for the Labor Departments Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP). through fiscal year 2009 with a maximum level of $50 million per year. This program has proven to be very successful in providing job training and other services that help our Nations veterans get back into productive lives. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4405}
{"speech_id":1090136047,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. together with the ranking member. Mr. EVANS. I convened a homeless veterans forum just last Thursday. May 18. We heard some very tough statistics. hardtohear statistics about our Nations veterans. Each night as many as 200.000 veterans are sleeping in a doorway. under a bridge. in an alley. in a box. in a barn or a car or homeless shelter. In fact. one out of every three homeless males is a veteran. most of those from Vietnam. A hardtobelieve fact is that the number of homeless Vietnamera veterans is greater. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4405}
{"speech_id":1090136047,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. than the number of servicemembers who died during that war. This is almost unbelievable. and Congress must renew efforts to fight this plague. Women veterans. unfortunately. are also joining the ranks of the homeless. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. a survey of their members revealed that the percentage of women among homeless vets rose from 2 percent in 1966 to 7 percent at the end of 2005. Women who have served in the military are up to four times more likely to become homeless when compared with their peers in the general population. These statistics demonstrate the importance of passing S. 1235. At the forum last week. we heard from a woman veteran. formerly homeless. Her story is one of a courageous person who fought for years to overcome the problems that kept her homeless. At the Mary E. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4405}
{"speech_id":1090136047,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Walker House on the grounds of the VA Coatesville Medical Center in Pennsylvania. she finally was able to get the assistance she needed to reestablish her life. regain her children and begin again. While testifying. tears came to her eyes. She said they were tears of joy at what the VA program had helped her accomplish. We heard also about the success of the Stand Downs. which began in my home town of San Diego in 1988 and provide a onestop 3day event to provide all the services needed by homeless vets. that is. counseling. clothing. food. medical and dental. assistance with job applications. We know how to help our vets. We have to bring together all these services in one place. And rather than have 3day Stand Downs around the country. we ought to have these services available to our veterans everyday. In addition. the Homeless Court Program. which began a few years ago. brings the court to homeless shelters to assist homeless defendants in resolving outstanding cases that prevent them from getting jobs and moving forward. I would also like to call attention to another important successful program not in this bill before us today. the VA Homeless Grant and Per Diem program which directs funding to providers of housing and traditional services for homeless vets. I believe this program should be given an authorized annual spending level of $130 million for the next 5 years. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4405}
{"speech_id":1090136047,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This would mean that the funding level would increase each.year to reach by increments the $130 million level. Our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have authorized this program through September of 2007. I suggest our committee take steps to continue the authorization of this program through 2012. Mr. Speaker. we have heard of other important components of this bill. improvements in employment. life and health insurance. adapted housing. and housing loans to Native American veterans. I would like to thank Chairman BUYER. Ranking Member EVANS. and the chairman and ranking members of the subcommittees and their staff who diligently worked to make this bill a reality. I urge the passage of this bill.","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4405}
{"speech_id":1090136070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend and gentlewoman from New York and friend and gentleman from Iowa for their support on this bill. Mr. Speaker. several years ago. I hosted a small breakfast for the wellknown historian Stephen Ambrose. and I asked him what it was that made America so great. Now. I fully expected him to mention the westward movement of American pioneer families in the 1800s. Instead. Mr. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090136070,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ambrose replied. \"Look at Russia. They have abundant natural resources and a hearty workforce. But they never had a George Washington. a John Adams and a Thomas Jefferson. It was Thomas Jefferson who had the wisdom and the foresight to appoint Merriweather Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory.\" I am pleased that we are considering this legislation that will continue to honor the historic achievements of Lewis and Clark. and I want to thank my good friend. Jo ANN EMERSON. for introducing the bill. and I appreciate the support of Financial Services Committee Chairman MIKE OXLEY and Ranking Member BARNEY FRANK. This bill will designate the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Missouri Historical Society as beneficiaries of proceeds from the sale of the Lewis and Clark commemorative coin. These nonprofit organizations have raised nearly $5 million to conduct Lewis and Clark Bicentennial promotional activities. They will use finds from the sale of the coin to further historic investments in the Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail and to promote additional Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebrations. This legislation has been endorsed by the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. which includes representation from all the States along tho Missouri River basin. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090136070,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is with a note of interest. Mr. Speaker. that the Missouri River flows right by my hometown of Lexington. Missouri. and as Lewis and Clark went up that river in that historic year 1804. they went by the bluffs which now contain my hometown of Lexington. Missouri. So it is special to those of us that do live along the river that we continue to honor the work. the courage of Lewis and Clark on their very. very courageous journey.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090136089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4530 is a bill to designate the Federal building located at 101 . Barr Street in Lexington. Kentucky. as the Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse. The bill was introduced by the Gentleman from Kentucky and his Kentucky colleague . Scott Reed was born in Lexington. Kentucky. in 1921. He attended local schools and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1945. Whileat the University. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1990}
{"speech_id":1090136089,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reed received many awards and honors. including the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion for Excellence. The first years of Judge Reeds career were spent in private practice during which he distinguished himself as a trial lawyer of great integrity. During this time. he also taught at the University of Kentucky College of Law. From 1964 to 1969. Judge Reed was judge of the First Division of the Fayette Circuit Court. From 1969 until 1976. he served on the Court of Appeals. 5th Appellate District. In 1976. Judge Reed became the Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. a pbsition which holds equal rank with the Governor. His opinions from the Supreme Court of Kentucky have received national attention for their scholarly content and careful judicial reasoning. In August 1979. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1990}
{"speech_id":1090136089,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Judge Reed was nominated by President Carter to the federal bench. He was confirmed later that year and served until his death in 1994. During his confirmation hearing for the federal bench. Judge Reed was characterized as possessing a great sense of fairness and objectivity. practical legal experience. and great respect for the law and its responsibility to our Nations citizens. Both Senator Huddleston and Senator Ford participated in Judge Reeds confirmation hearing in October 1979. Judge Reed enjoyed a rich and rewarding career. His contributions to the American judicial system are exceptional. It is fitting that the Lexington courthouse bears his name to honor his distinguished career and enduring legacy. I support H.R. 4530 and urge its passage.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1990}
{"speech_id":1090136102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time.. I want to thank Mr. LANTOS and his wife. Annette. in particular for extending their wellknown humanitarian instincts to the welfare of animals. I also want to thank Mr. SHAYS and Mr. SHuSTER for all of their work on this bill. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":329}
{"speech_id":1090136106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3858. the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act of 2005. This bill amends the Stafford Act to ensure that state and local emergency preparedness plans account for the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency. There were many tragedies from Hurricane Katrina that will not soon be forgotten. Some of the most indelible images were the ones of people being forced to choose between leaving their pet behind or being evacuated to safety. In many cases. these loyal animals had stayed with their owners for days on rooftops waiting to be rescued. only to be abandoned because the rescuers refused to carry the pets to safety with their owners. In other cases. people chose not to be rescuedputting themselves in further danger--because they simply could not bear to leave their pets behind. A person should not have to leave their seeingeye dog behind in order to save her own lifeas we saw in Hurricane Katrina. Nor should a child. who has already been traumatized by the devastation of a disaster. have to abandon his beloved pet in order to be transported to safetyas we saw in Hurricane Katrina. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2511}
{"speech_id":1090136106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the June 1st start of the next hurricane season approaches. its important that this bill becomes law and that state and local officials start to plan for the evacuation of pets and service animals. There are. of course. other issues in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that this Congress should address. Last week. the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Government Reform Committee favorably ordered reported H.R. 5316. the Restoring Emergency Services to Protect our Nation from Disasters (RESPOND) -Act to the House. The RESPOND Act not only restores FEMA as an independent. cabinetlevel agency. but it also reforms and strengthens our national emergency preparedness system so.that we never again have to witness such a dismal failure by the federal government to respond to its citizens in need as we did with Hurricane Katrina. H.R. 5316 ensures that FEMAs core functions of preparedness. response. recovery. and mitigation will once again coexist and work to complement each other in an independent FEMA. and not be separated and dismantled as they have been in the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Speaker. the bill we have before us is a muchneeded first step in a longer process of reforming our emergency management system. I urge my colleagues to support H.R.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2511}
{"speech_id":1090136122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to submit this statement for the RECORD and regret that I could not be present today. Monday. May 22. 2006. to vote on rollcall votes Nos. 177 and 178 due to a family medical emergency. Had I been present. I would have voted: \"yea\" on rollcall vote No. 177 on passage of S. 1235. the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2005. and \"yea\" on rollcall vote No. 178 on passage of H.R. 3858. the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090136125,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. official business requires my absence from legislative business scheduled for today. Monday. May 22. 2006. Had I been present I would have voted \"yea\" on S. 1235. the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2005 (rollcall No. 177) and \"yea\" on H.R. 3858. Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005 (rollcall No. 178).","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":341}
{"speech_id":1090136163,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this legislation should be considered under an open rule with lengthy debate and full opportunity to discuss it. not at 8 oclock at night with the corporals guard here on the floor. I yield to no man in my support for Israel. I have voted for hundreds of billions of dollars for it over the years I have served here. And I yield to no man my position to terror and terrorism and terrorists. But that is not what is at issue here tonight. The administration says this bill is not necessary. It points out that this bill constrains the administration in delivering meaningfiA4diplomatic effort to resolve the problemsof the Middle East. The Middle Easts problems and the problems of the Palestinians and the Israelis will not be resolved by -starving the Palestinians or by creating additional hardship. They are. desperate people. incarcerated in walls. afflicted with high unemployment. suffering from health and other problems. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6215}
{"speech_id":1090136163,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The nongovernmental organizations point out that this will strip them in substantial part of contributing to this. It will in large part almost totally strip the United States from the ability to address the needs of the Palestinian people and to address the humanitarian concerns which we have about them. Peace in the Middle East is not going to be achieved at gunpoint. It is going to be achieved by negotiations. by people working together. and thatprocess may be ugly. dirty and slow. but it is the only process that will work. To create additional hardship and suffering for the Palestinians is simply going to guarantee more desperate. angry men who are fully determined that they will go forth to kill Israelis or Americans or anybody else. Our purpose here tonight should be to look to the wellbeing of the United States. craft a policy which is good for this country. And that policy can only be one which is good for Israel and for the Palestinian people. one which is fair to all. one which puts the United States as a friend and an honest broker of peace to both parties where we can be so accepted. E 2015 To take some other course is simply to assure continuing hardship and a continuing poisonous. hateful relationship amongst the parties in the area.When this Congress realizes that and when we. this Congress and the others here. will recognize that that is the way peace is achieved. then there will be a real prospect for peace. We can expect that the Palestinians will receive the justice that they seek. We can expect that the Israelis will achieve the security that they need and they want and. they deserve and that we want them to have. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6215}
{"speech_id":1090136163,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation will do none of that. This legislation promises further angry men. more bitterness. more hate. more illwill. and it assures that the thing which we must use to bring this miserable situation to an end. honest. honorable. facetoface negotiation. will either not occur or will be moved many years into the future. Think about it. The needs of Israel are not served by this resolution. The needs of the United States are not served by this resolution. The needs of the Palestinian people are not served by this resolution. Let us vote it down and get something which makes sense and which serves the interests of all concerned. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the resolution on the floor. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6215}
{"speech_id":1090136163,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I oppose Hamas. I oppose what they stand for. I oppose their use of violence. their targeting of civilians. their vision for the Palestinian people. their rejection of Israel. and most of all I deplore their rejection of peaceful reconciliation. For all these reasons. and many more. I do not think that Hamas is a true partner for peace. But while Hamas may not be. the Palestinian people are. The vast majority of Palestinians want peace. The vast majority value peace. follow the law. oppose violenceand legislation like this only hurts the vast majority we need for peace. I understand the Houses desire to ostracize Hamas. But I do not understand how we keep making the same mistakes by punishing the very people we all say we want to help. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6215}
{"speech_id":1090136163,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The restrictions on aid in this bill will not hurt Hamas. they will receive plenty of money from Iran. but this will hurt the Palestinian people. Under this bill assistance will be limited only to \"basic health\". a restriction we reject for almost every other nation. This bill would stop economic development assistance. sanitation assistance. environmental assistanceand most ironically. at a time when we are criticizing their choice of governmentdemocracy assistance. I Make no mistake about it. their vote was to get back at our own repeatedly misguided attempts to punish rather than cajole. to batter rather than build trust. and to impoverish rather than to .uplift. When we provided Mahmoud Abbas no deliverables and only hardships. it made Hamass promises hard to ignore. Our actions emboldened the Hamas. and we are about to do it again. My friends. passage of this legislation will create yet another failed state .and humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East However. this one. unlike Iraq. will be surrounded by our staunchest ally in that region. If we destabilize Palestine we will destabilize Israel. If we help create chaos we weaken the chance for finding peace between Israel and her neighborsand even threaten\" the very viability of the Jewish state. If this legislation is signed into law we will lose once and for all the Palestinian people. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6215}
{"speech_id":1090136176,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before I recognize the gentleman from Ohio. I would yield myself 5 minutes. because I have been sitting here reflecting on my good friend from Californias comments about people who suddenly are the best friend of the administration who have been critical of them. Well. I have only been here 10 years. not as long as my distinguished friend. but one of the things I have tried to do with Republican and Democratic administrations alike. when it comes to foreign policy. is to attempt to be supportive when I agree but to be clear that when I disagree. when I think they are wrong. to stand up. I take a back seat to no one in terms of my opposition to this administrations reckless conduct in Iraq. I have been consistent on that from the beginning. One of the concerns I had about this administration was their disdain for nationbuilding. You will recall the rhetoric of then Governor Bush. But part of our obligation as Members of this chamber is to be supportive when we can. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2800}
{"speech_id":1090136176,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because in the conduct of foreign policy. it would be nice if it did stop at the waters edge. I appreciate that the administration has changed its position on nationbuilding and has actually requested more assistance than it looks -like this Congress is going to give them for foreign aid. When they were willing to work\" with us in water and sanitation. I embraced that. I think we should reinforce positive things that we can agree on. That is what the American public wants. I do not think we should be reflexive and negative. The administration has raised a legitimate concern about flexibility. about being able to implement it. and these are consistent with Republican and Democratic administrations in the past in terms of not wanting sanctions to go on forever and wanting to have the flexibility to respond. not after 25 days of consultation according to very. narrow little channels. but to be able to act responsibly to practice diplomacy. The history of this House of Representatives is not very illustrious when it comes to many of these questions. Congress has sort of flitted around and has been subjected to the pressures of the moment and has not always been a constructive ally. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2800}
{"speech_id":1090136176,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As we know. this House passed a draft by only one vote immediately before World War II. Lots of simple. commonsense straightahead solutions that we have been involved with have not always been the best and most carefully crafted. I come forward not being a fan of this administration in many areas. in many areas. but in this one. as I listen to them. as I look at the requested flexibility. as I look at independent experts. as I hear from religious leaders back home and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. I see a wide range of people that support the concerns that the administration share with us.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2800}
{"speech_id":1090136286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my friend from California. Again. the orange card program will increase participation by decreasing fear. More people will come forward because fewer families will be separated. They will become full participants. It. is profamily. prowork. proAmerican. pronational security. Let me close by saying one personal thing. My mother came to this country as an immigrant. I have the documentation when she came to this country. Was she legal? Well. I dont know. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1508}
{"speech_id":1090136286,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She came on a boat with a lot of other peoplesteerage class. They landed in Boston. They could not get into New York because of a storm. They landed in Boston. She had $7 in her pocket and a oneway train ticket to Des Moines. IA. Yet she became a fully contributing member of our American community. Later on she became a citizen. So when I see our new immigrants. and I look into their face. I see the face of my mother. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1508}
{"speech_id":1090136286,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why do we have an immigration problem in America? Because people want to come here. They want to work. They love America. They love our freedoms. They love our society and the opportunities that it presents. This is not the time to go to some convoluted thing such as the HagelMartinez amendment. which is going to make the mess even messier. It is going to make it even worse. Lets clear it up once and for all. in a fair and equitable. manner. And the only way to do that. I submit. is- with the Feinstein amendment. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1508}
{"speech_id":1090136286,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from California for coming up with this amendment. I am proud to be her cosponsor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1508}
{"speech_id":1090136359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the following firstdegree amendments be in order: First. Senator LEAHY on No. 4117. with 20 minutes equally divided. - Senator - GRASSLEY on title III. with 20 minutes for Senator CORNYN. 5 minutes for Senator KENNEDY. 5 minutes for Senator OBAMA. 5 minutes for Senator KYL. and 10 minutes for myself. Senator LIEBERMAN. No. 4036. with the time agreement to be determined. Senator DURBIN on a humanitarian waiver amendment. with time to be determined. Senator KENNEDY. No. 4106. with the time agreement to be decided. I further ask. following those amendments. the next firstdegree amendments be in order: McConnell. 4085. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1535}
{"speech_id":1090136359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gregg. 4114. Hutchison. 4101. Burns. 4124. Chambliss. 4084. Cornyn. 4097. Sessions. 4108. Kyl. 4134. Provided further t~a it be in order to have firstdegree amendments offered by the Democratic leader or his designee between each of the preceding Republican amendments. I further ask unanimous consent that if cloture is invoked on the bill and if any of the above listed amendments have not been offered prior to the expiration of time under rule XXII. it be in order to call that amendment prior to third reading of the bill. I further ask consent that it be in order any time during the consideration of these amendments to consider a managers amendment which has been cleared by both managers and notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1535}
{"speech_id":1090136359,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think I specified on Senator LEAHYs amendment 4117 that the 20 minutes equally divided would be followed by a tabling motion.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1535}
{"speech_id":1090136413,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not sure if the group that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee referred to is the same one I will refer to here. but to illustrate the fact that the Secretary of State has unfettered authority to grant these waivers and has in fact done so in the past. actually there was alarge group of refugees from Burma who were recently permitted asylum in the United States. even though they had provided. allegedly. material support to terrorism. This is an authority which can be exercised. which has been exercised. Secondly. I urge my colleagues who .are in support of this underlying legislation on immigration reform. it is a controversial enough piece of legislation for the Senate to consider. Amending it in the way that the chairman has described. without the necessary careful consideration of what the ramifications would be if this language is t6o broad. I urge that this be done in another way and another time rather than in this bill.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":949}
{"speech_id":1090136466,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have just conferred with the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts. and we are going to yield all time back onwe had time listed. as I announced a little while ago. for 5 minutes for Senator OBAMA and 5 minutes for Senator KYL. but Senator OBAMA has spoken and Senator KYL spoke on the preceding amendment. Lets yield all time back.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":352}
{"speech_id":1090136519,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It would be based on the fact of alleged extreme hardship through a spouse. parent. or child of such alien who is a citizen. The fact is. a total of 6 million illegal aliens in the United States currently. according to the Pew Hispanic Center. have an American citizen child or spouse. It would also. as I read this. purport to waive removal for aggravated felons and would result in a green card for this class of individuals. irrespective of payment of taxes. any requirement they learn *English. or paying a finewhich we have been told are the essential ingredients of earned legalization. So this is really a backdoor way of undermining the compromise we have been told is very delicate and fragile and should not be messed with. So I would think those Senators who believe that is actually true would vote against the Durbin amendment because it. does seek to undermine that compromise.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":891}
{"speech_id":1090136538,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will be voting against the Grassley amendment. I compliment the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the chairman of the Finance Committee. Senator GRASSLEY. and his staff. for working hard at producing what is a big step forward in ensuring that we can determine the eligibility of workers to be hired. Unfortunately. it doesnt complete the job. That is such a critical component of this legislation that I cannot support it until additional changes are made. My vote is not intended to be pejorative in any way toward those who worked very hard to put this together. and many of my ideas are in that amendment. I appreciate their effort. But there is still a long way to go. and. in some respects. this is a metaphor for a lot of this bill. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":832}
{"speech_id":1090136538,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There has been a lot of progress made. but there is a long way to go.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":832}
{"speech_id":1090136590,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think we have had a fastmoving day. I have been authorized by the leader to say there will be no further rollcall votes tonight after this vote. We start tomorrow morning at 8:30 with the McConnell amendment. We will vote at 9:30 on the McConnell amendment. Of course. we have a cloture vote at 10 oclock. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation. I yield 1 minute to thO Senator from Texas. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090136590,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CORNYN.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090136620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to commemorate the life of a fellow Coloradoan: Army MSG Robert H. West. Master Sergeant West was killed last week near Baghdad in service to this Nation. He was 37 years old. and lived with his wife and daughter in Arvada. CO. Master Sergeant West arrived for his second tour of duty in Iraq just 3 months ago. He was there to train Iraqi police officers. shouldering the difficult burden of helping to build lasting peace and democracy in Iraq at a very personal level. Master Sergeant West felt that his firsthand experience as a drill instructor made him a better fit to train Iraqis than many of the young U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq with him. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090136620,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Master Sergeant Wests family was not happy about his decision to return to Iraq. but he did so with confidence and courage. telling his aunt. \"Im a trained professional. itll be all right.\" One of the hallmarks of Master Sergeant Wests life was his commitment to excellence in everything he did. As a high school football player he spent countless hours in the weight room. and helped lead Elyria Catholic High Schools football team to backtoback Ohio State championships in the mid 1980s. After graduating high school in 1987. Master Sergeant West joined the Army in 1988. eventually rising to become a tank commander and drill instructor. In this capacity. Master Sergeant West spent countless hours molding -wideeyed. inexperienced young men and women from around the country into strong. confident soldiers. It was this experience that gave him the confidence to return to Iraq to work with that countrys growing police force. In Iraq. Master Sergeant West was assigned to an armored cavalry division. where he conducted housetohouse searches looking for insurgents. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090136620,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During one of these patrols. an improvised explosive device was detonated near his Humvee. and he was killed. Master Sergeant Wests wife Jeannie and their daughter Shelby must know that Roberts service to this Nation. and his sacrifice on behalf of all of us. does not . go unnoticed or unappreciated. Roberts service aid sacrifice are a profound reminder that the liberty and freedoms we enjoy do not come without a sometimes very personal and terrible cost. As a country and community. we are all humbled by his commitment and offer our grateful support during his familys time of unimaginable grief.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2346}
{"speech_id":1090136622,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee took an important step on the issue of global climate change by passing a resolution. introduced by Chairman LUGAR and Ranking Member BIDEN. that expresses the need for the United States to address global warming through the negotiation of fair and effective international commitments. While it remains to be seen whether the full Senate will take up and pass the resolution. I am encouraged by the growing awareness in Congress of the need to face the facts on global climate change. Just last week. a report was released by a nonprofit group. Christian Aid. which suggests that climate change could lead to millions of deaths in Africa. In my role aschairmai and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs. I have paid significant attention to the challenges faced by the continent of Africa. and as we look to the future. we must address the consequences our global energy habits will have on less- developed nations. in addition to the consequences on our own constituents. I applaud the leadership of Chairman LUGAR and Ranking Member BIDEN on Senate Resolution 312 and I hope that the Senate will. move quickly to adopt it.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1225}
{"speech_id":1090136649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that James Walsh. a detailee on my staff. be given floor privilege for the remainder of the Senate session. I also ask unanimous consent that Carol Wolchak. an attorney on my staff. be given floor privileges for the remainder of this bill.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090136669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this resolution concerns a pro se civil action filed against all three members of the Delaware congressional delegation. Senator JOSEPH R. BIDEN. JR.. Senator THOMAS R. CARPER. and Representative MICHAEL N. CASTLE. Plaintiff complains that the defendants violated his rights under the Age Discrimination Act. by not actively assisting him in his quest to have the National Institutes of Health analyze and prove his research regarding the cause of a spine condition he terms \"equilibrium scoliosis.\" Plaintiff seeks damages for this alleged failure to help him in his dealings with the National Institutes of Health. This suit is subject to dismissal on various grounds. including failure to state a claim against the defendants under the Age Discrimination Act. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":909}
{"speech_id":1090136669,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This resolution authorizes the Senate Legal Counsel to represent the Senator defendants in this suit and to move for its dismissal.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":909}
{"speech_id":1090136687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I am happy to welcomeTom Davis to Washington. DC. He has traveled here all the way from Spring. TX. to testify before the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness. which I dhair. I invited him to talk about the ways that the private sector can help increase college access for millions of Americans. Tom Davis is already doing his part. He is the owner of Davis Brothers Construction. a company of about 35 employees that builds multifamily homes. Most of his employees are hourly laborers who make a decent living but cant afford to send their kids to college. So Mr. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090136687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Davis has said that. for any of his employees whose children want to go to college but cant afford it. he will pay for their tuition and books. His generosity has built fierce loyalty among his employees. and he has already sent seven kids to college who otherwise couldnt have gone. It is because of businesses like his that I introduced the Family Friendly Employers Act which gives a tax incentive to those employers who pay for their employees children to go to college. Our country could use more family friendly employers like Tom Davis.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1135}
{"speech_id":1090136702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today on behalf of life and on behalf of my constituents whose voices are weakening because they are losing their battles with diseases such as diabetes. Alzheimers. Parkinsons and ALS. Just last week. I met with Mary Lou Smith of Lexington. Kentucky. who struggles daily with her battle against Lou Gehrigs disease. Diagnosed in February of 2005. this degenerative neurological disease has quickly devastated her and her family. It is individuals such as Mary Lou Smith that exemplify the urgency for the Federal Government to act on stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":818}
{"speech_id":1090136702,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge the other body to pass H.R. 810. which the House passed 1 year ago tomorrow. Stem cell research has the potential to not only improve the quality of life of people living with ALS but save the lives of individuals all across this world.","speaker_name":"BEN CHANDLER","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":818}
{"speech_id":1090136731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am sure there will be a number of amendments offered during the day. I just want to call my colleagues attention to one amendment that may be offered by Representative JOHNsON of Illinois that I strongly oppose. and I would urge all my colleagues to oppose it as well. This is an amendment that is supposedly an attempt to .tackle the obesity problem in this country. but what it is. is an amendment that would restrict the choice of people who are on food stamps. It would basically dictate to people on food stamps that they could not buy certain things. and this is problematic. I think. for a number of reasons. First. I think the emphasis should be on promoting healthier foods in our nutrition and not on constant punitive measures against poor people. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1964}
{"speech_id":1090136731,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we want todeal with the obesity problem in this country. which is a serious problem. we should do so thoughtfully. and we should do so with considerable deliberation to make sure that what we are doing is actually s6lving and tackling the problem. I do not think this will do that. Secondly. this bill I do not think is the appropriate bill for us to make these kinds of big changes. There are other bills that are more appropriate coming down the line. and I hope that my colleagues will respect that. But. again. rather than limiting choices for poor people. we should focus our attention and put the emphasis on healthier foods. like fruits and vegetables. without limiting peoples choices.- We should focus on nutrition education. and we should focus on raising people out of poverty instead of constantly blaming them and trying to pursue punitive measures. which I think is not only the wrong way to deal with the problem but I also think shows kind of a lack of respect for people who are struggling in this country. Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut . the ranking member on this committee.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1964}
{"speech_id":1090136732,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it has been a privilege to serve on this subcommittee and to work on issues of such importance. such as rural development. nutrition. drug safety and so many others. and I have enjoyed working with Chairman BONILLA in my time as ranking member. We have produced a good bill I think. but I am disappointed that this rule does not allow for consideration of an amendment I planned to offer that would have increased funding for rural development and renewable energy programs by $500 million. Nor does this rule protect language giving the FDA. the Food and Drug Administration. the muchneeded authority to mandate postmarket drug studies when needed. In offering this amendment. I believe we could have begun to meet a variety of rural. development needs. from waste and water grants and community facility grants to funding for broadband expansion and renewable energy infrastructure. In particular. we could have made a strong commitment to renewable energy by providing meaningful incentives for renewable energy production. consumption and infrastructure through programs in the farm bill and in the energy bill. the Bioenergy Program. the ValueAdded Agricultural Product Market Development Grants. the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Programs. just to name a few. But even though we have an extraordinary opportunity to reenergize our farm economy at the same time we jump start the countrys energy independence efforts by getting these new technologies out of the labs. onto our roads and into our homes and businesses. our investment in these programs continues to be tentative. Mr. Speaker. with Americans ready to declare their energy independence. with biofuels on the cusp of revolutionizing the American economy in the very nea.r future. just as they. did for Brazil in only a few years time. we can make a statement that the Congress is ready to face this challenge. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4345}
{"speech_id":1090136732,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should be tapping the promise that our farms hold to reduce our dependence on oil and provide a more secure economic future for our farmers. I am also disappointed that the Rules Committee failed to protect language approved by the Appropriations Committee to give the Food and Drug Administration. the FDA. the muchneeded authority to mandate postmarket drug studies when needed and allow the FDA to begin the process of removing the drugs in question from the market if- there are instances of noncompliance. The amendment is simple. It would require anyone who has the approval of the FDA to sell a drug to conduct any study or studies on any significant safety issue on that product that the FDA requests. This language addresses one of the key issues identified in the recent GAO study on postmarket studies which concluded that. \"the FDA lacks clear and effective processes for making decisions about and providing management oversight of postmarket safety issues.\" The FDA needs this authority to ensure that we are not putting lives at risk with unsafe drugs that are not fully tested. Let me quote to you what the GAO study said: To improve the decisionmaking process for postmarket drug safety. the Congress should consider expanding FDAs authority to require drug sponsors to conduct postmarket studies. such as clinical trials and observation studies. as needed and to collect additional data on the drug safety concerns. This is an issue that could not have come up at a more appropriate time. Just yesterday. the New York Times reported that the data analysis that was completed on Vioxx was done in a way that actually minimized the risks of the drug. That tells us that even when postmarket studies are conducted. they cannot be counted on to be completely reliable. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4345}
{"speech_id":1090136732,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The language stripped by this rule would have constituted one small step toward implementing a better postmarket system at the FDA and to stop putting at risk the lives of the American public and make sure that the drugs are safe and that they are fully tested and that. when we have adverse reactions to these drugs. that there is a way in which the government can. in fact. make sure that these companies do what is required to ensure public health. So. Mr. Speaker. while I do believe we have produced a good bill. these are two areas in which I am very disappointed because I think we had an opportunity to produce an even better bill.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4345}
{"speech_id":1090136767,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 5384. the agriculture appropriations bill for the year 2007. This is the third of 11 bills the committee plans to bring to the House floor before the 4th of July break. I want to especially -praise Chairman BONILLA and Ranking Member DELAURO. as well as members of the Agriculture Subcommittee and their staff. for the very fine work done on this bill. In total. this measure provides $18.4 billion in total discretionary spending. This level represents a decrease. that is a decrease. of $96 million below the FY 2006 enacted level. The bill contains critical funding to protect health and safety. fulfill our commitment to important food and nutrition programs and support farmers and ranchers. as well as rural America. I would like to make. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1242}
{"speech_id":1090136767,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. two additional points about the measure. First. the bill before us today includes $435 million in Memberproject funding. which is $35 million below. that is. below last years Housebill level. It is $277 million below last years HouseSenate conference report as well. This bill also terminates eight programs resulting in $414 million in taxpayer savings. eight programs. $414 million in taxpayer savings. Mr. Chairman. this agriculture bill is","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1242}
{"speech_id":1090136775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"and others. to establish an appropriate baseline where milk is concerned and an appropriate baseline where peanuts are concerned. peanut storage and handling. Anticipating that a point of order might be made. Mr. Chairman. and I am not sure that it would be made by the chairman of the authorizing committee or someone else. we have put together a letter to the chairman. Chairman GOODLATTE. asking that he support the two bipartisan amendments made in the appropriations committee with regard to these two issues. the peanut storage and handling fees issue and the milk program issue that was spoken about by Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman. 26 members of the 46 members of the committee have signed on. Mr. Chairman. it seems to me the real question will be whether or not somehow the Appropriations Committee is inappropriately treading on the authority of the authorizing committee. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090136775,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here you have a majority of the members of the authorizing committee saying that they think that the Appropriations Committee is acting properly with regard to these two issues. and they would request that the point of order be denied.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090136795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in accordance with earmark reform proposals currently under consideration in the House and Senate. I would like to place into the RECORD a listing of Congressionallydirected projects in my home state of Idaho that are contained within the report to this bill. These are projects that I asked the Agriculture Subcommittee to consider. both this year and in previous years. and I am grateful for their inclusion in this bill. Id like to take just a few minutes to describe why I supported these projects and why they are valuable to the nation and its taxpayers. It is important to remember that the vast majority of these funds go to two entities. First. the Cooperative State Research. Education. and Extension Service. CSREES. grants included below are targeted to our nations Land Grant Colleges. In the case of Idaho. these funds are used by the University of Idaho to conduct research on a variety of crops important to the Pacific Northwest. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5655}
{"speech_id":1090136795,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have also supported research in Washington and Oregon because their research is invaluable to my constituents as well. In assessing the value of these requests. there are some important considerations that must be made. Word labor standards and costs are far below those of the U.S. Our Na.tions farmers are subjected to far more stringent environmental regulations than those of many of our competitors. Input costs in the U.S. far surpass those of other nations. And energy prices. including farm diesel. are rising dramatically. So how can a U.S. farmer remain competitive in a global market? Through greater productivity and efficierlcy. increased yields. and better defenses against diseases. These are the very things that agriculture research funding delivers for U.S. producersand for U.S. consumers. If you want to rely on foreign nations for our food in the way we rely on them for our oil. then by all means eliminate these important agriculture research programs. But if you believe. as I do. that maintaining a domestic capability to produce our food is a national security issue. then you ought to -support these research programs and fight for their continuation. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5655}
{"speech_id":1090136795,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The second entity that receives the bulk of these funds is the Agriculture Research Service. ARS. and its stations across rural America. In Idaho. these institutions are conducting vital research into some of our most important cropssugar. potatoes. small fruits. and aquaculture. I encourage all of my colleagues to visit an ARS station to see firsthand the value of this research. If you do. you will learn that these researchers are doing amazing things with very limited budgets. These projects are usually small in terms of their funding. but the benefits that flow from that research cannot be measured in dollars alone. Two of the projects below are funded through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS. These two programs are critical to combating brucellosis in bison and cattle and in assisting ranchers whose livestock are harassed and killed by predators like wolves. The Greater Yellowstone Brucellosis funding is particularly critical to my home State of Idaho. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5655}
{"speech_id":1090136795,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Idaho recently lost its brucellosis free status and these lunds are critical to establishing a management plan that will allow Idaho to regain its brucellosis free status. The TriState Predator control funding is hardly a handout to ranchers.- The federal government forced wolf reintroduction on Idaho and other western states and it is dutybound to pay for the deadly and gruesome impacts of this decision. The final project on this list is the Idaho OnePlan. The Idaho OnePlan is a unique collaboration of agencies. industries. and associations dedicated to assisting Idaho farmers and ranchers in their continuing natural resource stewardship responsibilities. The program was developed jointly with state and federal resource agencies. the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension program. the Environmental Protection Agency. and local commodity groups. Its a successful program that has enormous value to not only the Idaho agriculture community and the environment. but to other states that might be interested in a similar collaborative process. Mr. Chairman. any effort to remove these projects from the bill would not only result in zero savings to taxpayers. it would stop dead these important efforts to enhance and protect our nations food supply. I appreciate the opportunity to provide a list of Congressionallydirected projects in my region and an explanation of my support for them. 1. ARS aquaculture researchAberdeen ($628.843) pg. 17. 2. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5655}
{"speech_id":1090136795,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CSREES NW Small Fruits ResearchID. WA. OR ($443.000) pg. 36. 3. ARS Potato BreedingAberdeen ($365.156) pg. 18. 4. ARS Sugarbeet ResearchKimberly ($702.592) pg. 19. 5. ARS Sustainable Aquaculture FeedsAberdeen ($99.000) pg. 19. 6. ARS ViticultureCorvallis. OR ($852.861) pg. 19. 7. CSREES Grain Legume Plant PathologistPullman. WA ($244.125) pg. 20. 8. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5655}
{"speech_id":1090136818,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. there are a great many people who are watching with rapt attention what we do in this appropriations bill. There are many people watching. well. many might be a strong word. but there are some people watching on CSPAN and many of our colleagues are very interested to see the outcome of this bill. But I can tell you there is a whole group of other creatures that really dont mind at all what we do here because they are going about the business of ravaging our economy. I am talking about the invasive insects. the invasive species like the Asian longhorn beetle which because of thelack of funding in this budget and in past budgets are .on course to do an estimated $268 billion worth of damage to the economy. It is insects like the Asian longhorn beetle that is eating away at Illinois and Pennsylvania and New York and New Jersey. It is insects like the emerald ash borer that my colleague Mr. SCHWARZ is so concerned about and folks in Indiana and Ohio. The sudden oak death -disease in California and Oregon. all kinds of different insects are right now creating havoc in our economy. We have over the course of time been frankly funding less and less and less for these invasive species. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090136818,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sometimes it is a matter of surveillance like it is with the Asian longhorn beetle. You have to find it in order to stamp it out. Sometimes it is a matter of taking steps like we did successfully in IlliSE H3055 nois to poison these pests before they do any more damage. But I am going to tell you what the cost is if we do not pass the WeinerSchwarzCrowleyMaloney amendment today. These insects will continue to move from neighborhood to neighborhood. city to city. State to State. This very same insect. which has cost over 4.000 trees in New York City. yes. Mr. OBEY. a tree does grow in Brooklyn. more than 4.000 trees have been eaten by the Asian longhorned beetle. It is on a path going north. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090136818,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Think of what is north of New York City. It is the Adirondacks. It is Vermont. This pest likes maple trees more than we like maple syrup. If it starts to infect that part of the U.S. economy. there will be no stopping it. But we do have a plan now. If we provide about $23 million. it does not eliminate the problem overnight. but it does put us on a glide course to stopping this problem and- these pests in their tracks. This is a moment. This is kind of like a ripple in a. pond. Right now. the problem is relatively concentrated. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090136818,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is what it looks like in New York City. It started about 3 years ago. just in this neighborhood of Greenpoint. and now it is moving further and further and further out. At the same time that is happening. we have been reducing our funding. and the President has underfunded this bill appreciably. My amendment is very simple. It would take $23 million from the common computing account and move it into this line which would help stamp out this bug and so many others. There is a list of States that this impacts. everything from thie southern U.S. where the cactus moth is. all the way up to the northeast where the Asian longhorned beetle is. and Mr. SCHWARZ is going to talk about the effect it is having on Michigan. Look. I want to upgrade the computers at the Department of Agriculture as much as anyone. but a slow computer is the least of our problems when up against this fellow. I want to tell you. as dangerous as this bug is. in all truth. this is not life size. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090136818,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a little bit smaller than this. but this bug will continue plowing away through our trees. They have already eaten 4.000 trees in New York City alone. and the only way to stop it after a while is just to raise entire forests. We simply cannot do that. In conclusion. let me just say this. Mr. Chairman. we have shown that when the office of APHIS at the Department of Agriculture goes into a problem like they did with the boll weevil. jumps into a problem like they did with the Asian longhorned beetle in Illinois. we can stop this problem. and we can do it for relatively pennies on the dollar.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4028}
{"speech_id":1090136827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. if we do not fell this beetle and other invasive species. they will continue to fell our trees across our country. I have an example here from APHIS of the beetle and what to look for if it goes to your States so you will know about it. and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. This is a bipartisan amendment. and this is about the h*ealth and welfare of our economy. our environment. It has cost us zillions of dollars to stop this beetle. We need to stop it now or it is only go to cause more economic and environmental damage across our country. So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important amendment.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":681}
{"speech_id":1090136828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. the emerald ash borbr started in the State of Michigan. in southeast Michigan. probably another unwanted import from someplace in Southeast Asia where it does not affect the ash species. only apparently in North America. but it has now killed tens of millions of ash trees in the Midwest. and the destruction continues. It affects the baseball bat industry. baseball bats are made from ash. the nursery industry. Native American culture. basket weaving. hardwood flooring and furniture industry. beautification projects. et cetera. It has moved out from southeast Michigan now to central Michigan into the northern part of the State and into the upper peninsula. Ohio and Indiana and. unfortunately with some nursery trees. into the State of Virginia as well. It is expected. if we do not go after this effectively and aggressively. that all the ash trees east of the Mississippi River will soon be destroyed by the emerald ash borer. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090136828,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For that reason. I support the WeinerSchwarz amendment. I am hopeful that the chairman will as well. Michigan State University in my State is doing a great dealof research and trying to find an easier way than the methods now used to exterminate this pest. That has not been done yet. and as a result. all of the ash trees in the United States. but especially those east of the Mississippi. are at risk. I would say this. We appreciate the $20 million. The $20 million is not quite enough. and I do not think. unless you live in that part of the country. one understands the magnitude of what is going on with the emerald ash borer. If we cannot pass our amendment. I would hope the chairman would consider changing the report language in the bill to include the lower peninsula of Michigan as well as the upper peninsula and Indiana and Ohio. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090136828,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For some reason yet unknown to me. the lower peninsula of Michigan is not in that language. but in any event. the emerald ash borer. which is the reason I am here and the reason I so strongly support this amendment. is something that has to be eradicated. If it is not eradicated. every ash tree in the United States itself will be eradicated.","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090136870,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the concern that we have. having met with the administrator. the funds have run out for thisyear some time ago. They have other diseases where they have sort of known expiration funds that they can give assurance. But there is no assurance that funds would be released by OMB from CCC to provide this. Our farmers are telling us. as you know. farmers can take time to be concerned. that they just dont even want to test their animals because they know there isnt assured indemnity funds out there. So given the current status we are at today. where we are out of indemnity funds. farmers are concerned that their concern and their lack of confidence in the program being there could result in them making decisions that would delay identification of TB. I recognize the issues that the chairman has brought up. but I do believe that given the heightened importance of this. that I think we need to proceed. I would also point out. as I mentioned. that when Texas was vitally concerned. we had $44 million back in 2000. Yes I do commend the increase. but I do believe this further increase remains being called for.","speaker_name":"MARK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1128}
{"speech_id":1090136906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield. I thank the gentleman. I think that the gentlemans expression of concern that is shared by all Members of Congress is correct. I appreciate you voicing it. I want to point out that the feed ban. which is an .underlying problem here. and the USDA insists is strong. in reality is so weak that you have companies like McDonalds. Cargill. Purina Mills. and even Pharma. the pharmaceutical industry publicly calling for closing the loopholes. So while I would agree with you. that if there were an outbreak. the Sec-. retary would advance more funds. I am also concerned that if we do -not keep the present funding levels. that we may not know if there is a problem. So that is why I brought this amendment. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090136906,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would reluctantly ask for the amendment to be voted on. only because of that underlying concern that there is not enough. and we should just keep things the way they are at the current levels and not cut back on them. That is what my concern is.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090136956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. in less than 6 months. farmers will begin to plan for the next crop year. Without extending the storage and handling fee program for peanuts. all over the Southeast there will -be problems in the ag world. As we know. when we did away with the peanut quota program. the farmers went from a support price of over $600 down to $355. Now. in exchange for such a reduction in the support price and elimination of the quota program. faTmers were also successful in negotiating a $50 per ton storage and handling fee. The reason .why this was important is because when peanuts are ready to harvest. the market might not be at the optimal selling price for the peanuts. Likewise. when the shellers and the folks in manufacturing and processing need peanuts. there might at times be an abundance and at other times there might be a deficit. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3582}
{"speech_id":1090136956,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So for everyone involved in the peanut food chain. having a good storage and handling program is important. You cant just put peanuts in any warehouse and keep them in fresh order. You have to have a specialized warehouse. and that is why this program is important. This program is important not just to those in the peanut business directly. the farmer. the producer. the processor. the user. and the shelling facility. but it is also important for rural southeast America. The peanut program is bigger in poor counties across the southeastern States. You dont have a problem with the peanut program in Atlanta. Georgia. or in Birmingham. Alabama. or St. Simons Island. Georgia. or Savannah. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3582}
{"speech_id":1090136956,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Georgia. You have it in the small areas. like Cook County and Berien County and Candler County and Bulloch County. counties that do not have the growth in many cases of those in the urban areas. This program has been successful from South Carolina to southern Mississippi to Alabama. Just one example: in Donalsonville. Georgia. the American Peanut Growers Group. a coop comprised of 85 different peanut producers. invested in a shelling facility after the last farm bill and created 50 new fulltime jobs and six new buying points throughout the region. a great success story. In Tifton. Georgia. over $18 million has been invested in a new dome storage peanut shelling facility that employs 60 people. This is a product of 56 different peanut producers in making this shelling plant. Examples of this are all over here. And I know the gentleman from Alabama is here and he has seen it from his own area. but even though the chairman of the Ag Committee has been a good supporter of farm programs and the peanut program. striking this language on a point of order actually hurts us at this time. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3582}
{"speech_id":1090136956,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because as these peanut farmers are making growing decisions. we have just taken away one of the great economic tools they need to successfully decide if they are going to be planting peanuts or planting corn or planting soybeans or cotton. What I would say to the members of the committee is as this bill moves through the process without this language in it. it is quite likely our friends in the 6ther body will restore this language. and I am hoping that the Senators from Georgia are able to do that. The language was put in the bill by me. Mr. BISHOP. and Congressman BOYD. bipartisan support and southeastern agriculture support. and we are hoping to get it restored at some point along the line. So I just wanted to come down here on the point of order to make sure folks know that even though this is going to be stricken today. we do feel like it does not kill this. but for the time being.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3582}
{"speech_id":1090136960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman. and Mr. KINGSTON has adequately explained the situation that we are in. This handling and storage fee is absolutely critical for the peanut farmers in these very small rural towns that we all represent. One thing that might be noted is that in the last farm bill. which I had the privilege of being the subcommittee chairman that wrote this peanut title. this was put in there to help the farmers and the shellers transition into a more marketbased program. The. problem that we have gotten into is because I believe that the USDA has not followed the word and\/or spirit of the peanut title. in that they have kept these peanuts. we have had about 2 or 3 years of great peanut crops. and they have kept these peanuts in loan. That has not created a market that we intended to create. They have not moved these peanuts out of loan. which we fully intended for them to do. They have to understand if it is a budget thing. it is either pay now or pay later. But the longer they keep them in there. the less those peanuts are going to be worth and they will go. out to people for almost nothing. So I appreciate Mr. ","speaker_name":"TERRY EVERETT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090136960,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KINGSTON for putting this language in there. and I further appreciate the chairman. I understand my full committee chairman on the authorizing side is trying to protect the committees privileges. and also my friend from Texas. Mr. BONILLA. I appreciate the words that he had concerning this issue and. hopefully. we can do something in conference about it.","speaker_name":"TERRY EVERETT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090136985,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. my amendment is very simple. It says none of the funds made available in this act may be used to implement or administer a National Animal Identification Sys--. tem. I think at this time one thing that this country doesnt need is another huge bureaucracy tracing and following every animal in the country. That is exactly what this new program will do. It means that each animal will be tagged with a radio frequency ID. all cattle. swine. sheep. goats. horses poultry. bison. deer. elk. lamas and alpacas. For olie. what you own on your farm should be your property. and that information should be private unless there is some type of a subpoena. There is a fourth amendment issue here. Also. there is the issue of just why this is being done. A lot of people have claimed. and I agree with this. that this is. a benefit to the large agribusiness farmers. and it is a great detriment to the small farmers who will be burdened with this great effort to accumulate data which will be of benefit to some private big companies. ","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1705}
{"speech_id":1090136985,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Actually. the database will be con- is trolled by private companies. It will be I said that this is a voluntary program. ti but it has also been told me by the Agriculture Department that if it isnt 100 fi percent agreed to by the year 2008. it s will become mandatory. So it is a little Ii bit of 1984 newspeak about exactly how p --voluntary it is. p But we certainly dont need this type of program. We already have plenty of t programs that trace and monitor. movement. There are health requirements and brands and all the other efforts. This. to me. is a bureaucratic boondoggle that we dont need. Mr. Chairman. I yield 1 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado .","speaker_name":"RONALD PAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1705}
{"speech_id":1090136999,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to urge a \"no\" vote and say that we are going to join Mr. PAUL in fighting a new bureaucracy and also to weed out an excessive burden on small farmers and too much information to the Federal Government. That is why we have delayed the funding of this until the advanced notice for proposed rulemaking has been filed. and we are going to work on a bipartisan basis to get that right. So please vote \"no.\"","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":424}
{"speech_id":1090137001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I want to associate myself with the comments of Mr. OBEY and Mr. PETERSON. I think that there is not any question that on all sides of this issue there has been great frustration with the way in which the USDA has handled this issue. In exchange. in the budget hearing this year. we find on one day it is a mandatory program and the next day it is a voluntary program. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1259}
{"speech_id":1090137001,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we are doing is. we continue to put at risk the industry and its ability to be able to protect the ranchers. and on the other hand. it does not deal with looking at. how do we protect the public health? The bill does address this issue. and it acknowledges what the problems are. And I think that we said very clearly that until there is a complete and a detailed plan for the program included. not limited to. prolegislative changes. cost estimates. means of program evaluation. and that such a plan is published as an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking that these are the kinds of requirements that have been put in by the committee. And I want to urge my colleagues. though I understand. again. what the frustratiori is about this issue. to oppose the amendment and move with what the committee has put forward. E 1530","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1259}
{"speech_id":1090137060,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me just first compliment the gentleman from Texas for his hard~work on this issue. This school should erect a statue in his honor for all of the effort that he has put in this tirelessly for the last few weeks. The gentleman is correct. This has been a good program in years past. but it was not an authorized program this time around. And we have tried to work with the gentleman to try to figure out a solution to this. Mr. Chairman. I am telling the gentleman that we would be happy to accept the amendment. I know that it has been an ordeal to get the language just right so we could move forward with this issue. I want to let the gentleman know that we would be happy to continue to work with him on this.","speaker_name":"HENRY BONILLA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":715}
{"speech_id":1090137088,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this is an amendment that has to do with crop insurance. As we all know last year in the ag appropriations bill there was an amendment in that that prohibited funding to do audits of companies that offer the premium reduction program. And that language. which I will read. says: \"This amendment would provide time for an independent analysis of the program and the regulatory resources required by USDA to satisfy the statutory requirements.. It would give the authorizing committees time to evaluate the premium discounting program and make proper adjustments in the law before it has expanded.\" Folks. here we are again. We have a prohibition extending another year in this bill as far as funding. And what this does is stop companies from offering a reduced premium on their crop insurance to farmers. I understand that there are folks who do not like this program. There have been concerns raised about the way it has been implemented. about practices that some companies have maybe used in selling the product. In the bill last year when we put the prohibition or the limitation of funding in. that was to give USDA and the authorizing committee time to evaluate it. ","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2716}
{"speech_id":1090137088,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have written to USDA. They have responded that they cannot find any problems with the program. and that is their position. There were concerns earlier and those concerns have been met. In the limitation last year. the authorizing committee was asked to make recommendations to -change the program if there were problems. That has not happened. Mr. Chairman. I am a former insurance agent. I used to sell crop insurance. There is no industry that I like or love any more than this industry. ","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2716}
{"speech_id":1090137088,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And so it is very difficult for me to look at this and be totally objective. But I honestly believe that this Congress has got to look at the benefit of the producers. I will not in any way. shape or form harm the crop insurance industry. That is the last thing that we can do here because this is a way of farmers managing their risk that they have on their farms. and we have got to make sure that they have those policies available for them to cover their losses. Having said that. the authorizing committee has not given a recommendation. I think that we have to look at what the authorizing committee on the House side and the other body have to say on this. We will have an opportunity in conference to takes this issue on. and if I could engage the chairman. Mr. Chairman. I would offer to at this time withdraw this amendment if. in fact. ","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2716}
{"speech_id":1090137088,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I could get your commitment that we would. in fact. in a realistic basis address this issue to make sure that we do the right thing for our producers. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2716}
{"speech_id":1090137090,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman very much. It would be my hope and ambition at this point to bring all the parties together. to finally bring some type of resolution to it. to have a fair and honest discussion with no personal attacks. things like that. that unfortunately we have seen throughout some of this debate on the issue. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":385}
{"speech_id":1090137095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 90 second. Mr. Chairman. the United States sugar program is one of the most archaic and misguided Federal policies that we have. It artificially raises the prices of sugar. It harms U.S. customers and consumers. and prevents developing nations from competing in the global market place. One of the deep concerns I have is that people are circulating here with a straight face the assertion that this is a nocost program. Nothing could be further from the truth. It drives up the price for American consumers each year. upwards of $2 billion a year. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1306}
{"speech_id":1090137095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It undercuts industries that use sugar as a means of production like the confectionery industry. And it is part of an enormous environmental damage. like the everglades. where we are spending $7.5 billion in cleanup. In the course of the debate this afternoon. we will have opportunities for people to focus on the need to eliminate this program. This amendment is a small step towards sanity. making a 6 percent reduction in the guaranteed price if it is adopted. I strongly urge that my colleagues look at the facts surrounding this. look at what is going to be good for the consumer for the environment. for the taxpayer. and taking a step toward a rational agriculture policy. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1306}
{"speech_id":1090137098,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the Blumenauer amendment which calls for reductions of the loan rates established in the 2002 farm bill for both refined beet sugar and raw cane sugar. Mr. Chairman. farmers have crafted their business plans based on the assurances of the 2002 farm bill. Farmers have invested time and money in that crop often with capital borrowed from the bank. It is unfair now to reduce the returns that farmers counted on when planning. financing. and planting that crop. This debate concerning the sugar program is an important one. However. it is a debate that my committee will conduct at the appropriate time during the authorization of the new farm bill. As chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1473}
{"speech_id":1090137098,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have already held farm bill field hearings this year and will be holding additional farm bill hearings this summer and fall. During this process. and not when we are on the floor debating an appropriations bill. is the correct time for discussing and making possible changes to U.S. sugar policy. Mr. Chairman. in my capacity as chairman of the House . Agriculture Committee. it is my responsibility to look at all of agriculture and consider what is best for the United States and our farmers and ranchers. The policy that was put in place by the 2002 farm bill must remain intact. I stand by this commitment to farmers and ranchers and urge a \"no\" vote on the BlumenauerFlake amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1473}
{"speech_id":1090137100,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am here to confess my reading incomprehension. I have listened to many of my conservative friends talk about the wonders of the free market. of the importance of letting the consumers make their best choices. of keeping governmefit out of economic activity. of the virtues of free trade. but then I look at various agricultural programs like this one. Now. it violates every principle of free market economics known to man and two or three not yet discovered. So I have been forced to conclude that in all of those great free market texts by Ludwig von Mises. Friedrich Hayek and all the others that there is a footnote that says. by the way. none of this applies to agriculture. Now. it may be written in high German. and that may be why I have not been able to discern it. but there is no greater contrast in America today than between the free enterprise rhetoric of so many conservatives and the statist. subsidized. inflationary. protectionist. anticonsumer agricultural policies. and this is one of them. In particular. I have listened to people. and some of us have said let us protect workers and the environment in trade. let us not have unrestricted free trade. but let us have trade that respects worker rights and environmental rights. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1981}
{"speech_id":1090137100,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we have been excoriated for our lack of concern for poor countries. There is no greater obstacle. as it is now clear in the Doha round. to thecompletion of a comprehensive trade policy than the American agricultural policy. with one exception. European agricultural policy. which is much worse and just as phony. Sugar is an example. This program is an interference with the legitimate efforts at economic selfhelp in many foreign nations. So I appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from Oregon. Here is a chance for some of my freeenterpriseprofessing friends to get honest with themselves. and now maybe we will see some bornagain free enterprisers in the agricultural field.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1981}
{"speech_id":1090137117,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. o has the right to close? I just have speaker remaining. he CHAIRMAN. The sponsor of the endment. the gentleman from Orn. has the right to close. r. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman. I 1 go ahead and close. his has been a very interesting dee. It is just the wrong place for this ate. This is important agricultural icy that should not be determined ed upon a 20minute debate in the Idle of an appropriation bill that ds agricultural programs. This is a ate that needs to wait until the 2007 m bill. hear the arguments. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1062}
{"speech_id":1090137117,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am very ch interested in good policy for agilture. including addressing some of concerns that have been raised ut the sugar policy. This isnt the ce to do it. o I urge my colleagues to oppose s amendment. and I look forward to ressing this in the writing of a new m bill. Ir. Chairman. I yield back the bale of my time. r. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman. I it to inquire as to the time remain. We have 2 minutes left? he CHAIRMAN. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1062}
{"speech_id":1090137117,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman n Oregon has 2 minutes remaining. r. BLUMENAUER. I yield 1 minute the gentleman from Connecticut","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1062}
{"speech_id":1090137238,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as.I may consume. We must stop throwing away good money after bad policy. Some States are taking misguided steps in administering the Food Stamp Program and other public benefits. Moving 20 to 50 percent of all cases online or to remote calling centers makes little sense. creating problems for those most in need. The fact is. disabled. undereducated and minority food stamp participants are losing their food stamp benefit because of these costcutting privatization initiatives. What is happening in Texas is a waste of Federal funds. The Texas State comptroller called for an investigation of the new public benefit system. The Texas State comptroller said that the Accenture contract appears to be a perfect storm of wasting tax dollars. reducing access to services. and profiteering at the expense of taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090137238,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The new eligibility system is a disaster. More than 300.000 children have left the CHIP program. This has been blamed on the contractors loss of applications. payrients that were not credited to the proper accounts. and families who have been improperly denied benefits. Mr. Chairman. we cannot allow other States to be misguided down the road. If the BacaDoggettGreen amendment would have been in order. we would have forced States to certify that changes to the application process are not hurting sensitive communities under existing civil rights and disabilities law. . People on food stamps and other public benefits need our help to ensure that new program -structures. privatization and other changes do not harm them and do not take away food frpm the table. That is the purpose of this amendment. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090137238,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas .","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1722}
{"speech_id":1090137250,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Before addressing this particular earmark. let me make a few general comments about what we are going to do today. Today we will engage in a debate that has been a long time in coming. I plan to offer several amendments to this bill to block funding for a series of Member earmarks that are contained in the committee report that accompanies the bill. Let me point out thatthe House has already voted in the lobby reform bill a few weeks ago to require that Members attach their names to their earmarks. yet this committee report has come to the floor with more than 400 earmarks and not one name. They are not required to do so until the bill passes both Chambers. but it would be nice to have the names attached. Let me state from the outset I am under no illusion that I can block funding for any of these earmarks we will discuss. I am well acquainted with the process of log rolling where one Member agrees to support another Members earmarks if that Member will agree to do the same. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4457}
{"speech_id":1090137250,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I suspect that log rolling will prevail here today. But it is about time that we provide a little window into the process. Is it the Federal Governments responsibility to recruit dairy farmers from other regions to move to northeast Iowa. as one of the earmarks we will discuss today purports to do? Is the need so great this year to fund the National Grape and Wine Initiative that we should add $100.000 in debt owed by future generations? Since our responsibility as Members of Congress is to prioritize limited resources. do we really want to tell taxpayers that we believe that spending $180.000 on hydroponic tomato production is more pressing than other issues? I expect that a few of the amendments I will offer today will be successfully blocked because of a point of order. The reason: because we have no documentation that a Federal agency that will fund the project knows anything about the project that is to be funded. To successfully challenge the earmark requires an assumption that the agency is familiar with the project. Otherwise. we might be legislating on an appropriation bill. a violation of our rules. The incentive. therefore. for Members looking to protect their earmarks. is to be either vague or silent about the projects goals and its oversight. Let us think about that for a minute. How are we supposed to exercise oversight for these earmarked projects? Who is to be held accountable? Not the government agency. By upholding the point of order. we are stipulating that the agency might as well not even know that the project exists. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4457}
{"speech_id":1090137250,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the end. since rankandfile Members cant even challenge those earmarks without being subject to a point of order and the agencies dont know anything about them and since we dont even know who requested the earmark in the first place. the only individuals who have any oversight function -are selected members of the Appropriations Committee or their staff. Mr. Chairman. it does not speak well for us as legislators when the first and last documentation of these earmarks is found in. Members press releases. I would like to think that we can do better than that. I think that all of us were elected to this august body with higher aspirations than to grovel for crumbs that might fall from appropriators tables. We need to reform the process. We need to get back to the process of authorization. appropriation and oversight. That is what this branch of government is supposed to do. We diminish ourselves at our office when we stray from that course. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4457}
{"speech_id":1090137250,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This particular earmark or this particular amendment seeks to strike funding for an earmark to provide $229.000 to retain and grow the business of existing dairies and recruit dairy farmers from other regions to northeast Iowa. What business is it of the Federal Government to recruit dairy farmers to move from other regions to northeast Iowa? This work is to be carried out primarily at the Northeast Iowa Community College Dairy Center. and it is funded through the Cooperative State Research. Education and Extension Services Extension ActiVities. The ag-. ricultural appropriation bill for fiscal year 2007 includes more than $750 million for extension activities. which is more than $5 million last year and $26 million over the Presidents request. I should point out. funding for this program was not included in the Presidents request. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4457}
{"speech_id":1090137297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. at no time have I tried to associate anyone here with the actions of the former Member. At no time have I done so. And I apologies if that inference was gained. But we have a process here that is bad. that there are too few controls. That particular Meinber was able to get his earmarks through the entire process without being challenged. without one person being able to stand up and say. you know. are those earmarks going for the right purpose. or are they going off for some other purpose? That is what this earmark battle is about. And I agree with virtually every word said by the gentleman from Wisconsin. and I want to work with him on systemic reform. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1153}
{"speech_id":1090137297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We got some of that in the lobby reform bill that we passed a few weeks ago. We need far more of it. We need far more than just transparency. - Mr. Chairman. you have got to have accountability as well. This is one part. Being able to challenge earmarks. No Member ought to assume that they can get a project for their district and not ever be challenged on it. to explain what it is about. That is what this debate isabout.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1153}
{"speech_id":1090137305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman very much for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. as a member of this subcommittee for many years. I would like to point out that everyone of the projects that is included in this bill is carefully monitored and with the proposals being reviewed on campuses before they are submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for funding. Then the U.S. Department of Agriculture reviews each project to be sure that the projects are ones of scientific merit. and research contracts are effectively negotiated between the USDA and the recipient. And the subcommittee monitors each one of the projects with detailed questions at every hearing. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090137305,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the most recent hearing manual with each of the amendments that the gentleman is offering about.. There is careful review. There are quarterly reports. There is documentation that is required for every single project. So I do not quite agree with what the gentleman has said. because it is a contract negotiation and because there is careful review and a lot of projects do not get funded. The gentleman mentioned something about 400 projects. Well. we have 435 Members of this institution. And we do have a responsibility -to the country. There are projects in Arizona: There are projects in Ohio. And we cannot fund everything that we are asked. but we do the best job that we can. and we try and make and build a better country. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090137305,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So the specifics. the gentleman had a question about I think the greenhouse nurseries projects in Ohio. And I can assure the gentleman that the unsubsidized family farmers of Ohio in this particular industry are competing in a global market. And the work that is being done by several land grant universities. including Ohio State University. Michigan State University. Indiana State University. are trying to help an endangered industry compete against subsidized Canadian production where power in that nation is made available at much cheaper rates. The power costs of operating these kinds of greenhouses is enormous in the current marketplace. I only wish that our region of the country had what the gentleman has. and that is the Bureau of Land Reclamation. and your subsidized water projects in the west that have literally pulled much of our vegetable production from nonirrigated facilities to the irrigated west. I wish we hAd the kind of subsidies the gentlemans region has benefited from. Perhaps because the gentleman lives in a suburb. he does not appreciate what it takes to produce food in our country with the kind of competition that we face. Now I read in the gentlemans biography that he grew up on a ranch. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090137305,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I sure would like to know if your family benefited from any of those Bureau of Land Management subsidies or any of those Arizona water projects. Maybe the gentleman gets his water from the rain. I do not know. But. you know. other parts of America need to compete. too. and they are not subsidized. So we hope that our industry will be able to survive. But I would defend any of the projects that have gone through this careful review through the U.S. -Department of Agriculture along with many of our land grant institutions. Mr. Chairman. I would ask the gentleman to take a look in the mirror and to his own State.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3255}
{"speech_id":1090137329,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would just like to put on the record that the State of Ohio used to be one of the leading tomatogrowing States in the Nation until subsidized western water. and we lost our industry to the West. Now. Arizona is one of the most irrigated States in the -country. You are draining water that is never going to come back. And yet I look at our part of the country that has to fight for such a small part of the market right now. I would just ask the gentleman. I would love to look at the type of subsidies that attend to your agriculture in Arizona from major government agencies that do not come to Ohio farmers. E1945 We are trying to maintain a very - small market share. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090137329,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hydroponic production is one of the ways in which we are successfully doing it. but I would just beg for the gentleman to take a look at what has really happened to the movement of agriculture. One State in the Union now produces over half the fruits and vegetables in the country. most of it irrigated. Ohioans have a right to compete in this market.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1039}
{"speech_id":1090137333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I just want to say this may be the first year America imports more food than she exports. This is not just a problem inside the borders of the United States. We have to keep our agriculture alive in this country. and it is becoming more and more difficult every year because of what is happening in the global economy and subsidies that are out there in other countries. Thank you for yielding.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":408}
{"speech_id":1090137357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I believe the gentleman from Arizona is really looking for savings in all the wrong places. To take just one example. the Medicare Advisory Commission has pointed out there is $50 billion. with a B. $50 .billion in overpayments to Medicare Advantage. HMOs. and PPOs that could easily be drawn back. So that $50 billion is one place to look. But these funds for scientific research are critically important. and I wanted to describe at the University of Maine the wood utilization project that has been going on there for some significant period of time. It has had a significant effect in the spinoffs of businesses. because the wood composite program. the research that has been done there. married to fiberglass technology and other forms of plastics that I dont understand. has led to a variety of new projects. I really disagree with the gentleman from Arizona. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1993}
{"speech_id":1090137357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The public sector and the private sector in this country are intertwined. for good or ill sometimes. But this is a case where we are generating economic development that is very important. I would go beyond that and say with this particular project at the University of Maine. you havent yet heard about all they are doing. but they are basically making products for the Coast Guard and for \"the Army that will materially strengthen the ability of our military at home and around the globe. They have developed a lightweight bridge that is easily transported because it is using these composite materials. And you havent heard the concept yet of uparmored tents. but that is the next product line. It is going to make our tents in Iraq much safer than they ever have been from IEDs or incoming mortars. I think it is wrong to all too quickly decide that these research projects. like the one we are discussing today. dont have economic spinoffs or. in this case. security spinoffs that are fundamentally important to this country. With that. I urge the defeat of the amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS ALLEN","chamber":"H","state":"ME","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1993}
{"speech_id":1090137401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to submit this statement for the RECORD and regret that I could not be present today. Tuesday. May 23. 2006 to vote on rollcall vote Nos. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. and 193 due to a family medical emergency. Had I been present. I would have voted: \"No\" on rollcall vote No. 179 on calling the previous question on H. Res. 830the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 5384Department of the Agriculture. Rural Development. Food and Drug Administration. and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2826}
{"speech_id":1090137401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"no\" on rollcall votQ No. 180 on passage of H. Res. 830the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 5384Department of Agriculture. Rural Development. Food and Drug Administration. and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007. \"yea\" on rollcall vote No. 181 on suspending the rules and agreeing to H.R. 4681the Palestinian AntiTerrorism of 2006. \"yea\" on rollcall vote No. 182 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to increase funding for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service by $23 million to fight invasive species. \"yea\" on rollcall vote No. 183 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to increase funding for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service by $500.000 to fight Bovine Tuberculosis. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 184 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to prohibit funds from being used to implement the National Animal Identification System. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 185 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to prohibit funds from being used to implement the Market Access Program. an agricultural export program. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 186 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to reduce funding in the bill by 1 percent. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2826}
{"speech_id":1090137401,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"no\" on rollcall vote No. 187 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to reduce funding for the Sugar Loan Program by 6 percent. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 188 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to reduce funding for the Agriculture Research Services building and facilities account by $65.3 million and the Cooperative State Research. Education. and Extension Services by $16.7 million. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 189 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to prohibit the use of funds for expenditures in contravention of the Immigration and Nationality Act. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 190 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to strike $229.000 in funding for dairy education in Iowa. \"no\" on rollcall vote No. 191 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to strike $180.000 in funding for hydroponic tomato production in Ohio. \"no\" on rolicall vote No. 192 on an amendment to H.R. 5384 to strike $100.000 in funding for the National Grape and Wine Initiative in Califomia. \"yea\" on rolicall vote No. 193 on final passage of H.R. 5384Department of Agriculture. Rural Development. Food and Drug Administration. and- Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2826}
{"speech_id":1090137413,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening in support of the rule for the Energy and Water Appropriations Act. I wish to commend Chairman HOBSON and the subcommittee for crafting in a very bipartisan way an excellent bill. This bill does contain funding for water and resourcerelated projects in my district and my State. and I think that it is very wise of them. but it also deals with one specific issue I wish to address this evening. Chairman HOBSON has recognized in this bill the importance of having a very strong nuclear power program in the United States. As Americans continue to face the increasing costs of energy. nuclear power is an important part of our overall energy policy. Chairman HOBSON has craftily connected the concept of interim storage with reprocessing of fuel rods. recognizing that spent fuel rods really are not spent at all. The overwhelming majority of the rod. is still fuel that is available. and through reprocessing of the spent fuel rods. we can not only create greater energy. but we will significantly reduce the problem of a waste stream. During last years debate. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3093}
{"speech_id":1090137413,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I engaged Chairman HOBSON on the floor in a colloquy on this issue. He said at that time: \"I do not see any reason for the Secretary to considermaking a private site. or a site on tribal land. into a DOE site for interim storhge. My intent is for the Secretary to evaluate storage options at existing DOE sites.\" I appreciate very much that his subcommittee has taken these words to heart and has crafted in this bill a process which ensures that the interim storage of nuclear waste will be done in conjunction with willing partners. Specifically in this bill. there are some additional criteria for interim storage in the report language. It talks about the department. and it says they will \"explore consolidation of spent fuel within States with high volumes of spent fuel. The Department should conduct a voluntary. competitive process to select interim storage sites.\" The key word here obviously -is the word \"voluntary.\" Chairman HOBSON added this important phrase and clearly understands that it is far wiser and better to voluntarily work with States than to try to impose mandates on States. That not only protects the rights and positions of States in our Federal State. but it is clearly a wiser policy of choice. .This bill reinforces the statements and the commitments that the chairman has made on this issue. this year. last year and repeatedly in other venues. and I appreciate him doing that. State and local officials in my State. military in my State. environmental groups and citizens in my State are encouraged with these particular words. Once again. I would like to express my appreciation to Chairman HOBSON and the entire subcommittee. both sides of the aisle. for protecting what I consider to be in an important way the citizens of my State and ensuring that State and local interests are paramount in this particular process. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3093}
{"speech_id":1090137413,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think you havedone a fine job. and I am proud to speak in favor of this particular bill and especially the rule which will put it before us.","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3093}
{"speech_id":1090137474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"it is just not natural to think that the oil industry. the CEOs. the board members of the oil industry will say. well. we want to do the right thing. Matter of fact. we are going to tfke money out of our pockets and profits and we are going to put it on the table and we are going to make America energy independent. It goes against financial logic for them. Their stockholders now are making more money than they have ever made in the history of the country. When they have their shareholder meetings. Mr. Speaker. they do not go there and say. boy. people are paying a lot of money at the pump. What should we do? What should we do? No. We are making more money than we have ever made in our lives. and we are being subsidized by the Republican majority in Congress. What can wedo to keep the Republican majority in control of the Congress so we can continue getting what we are getting? That is what is happening. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3523}
{"speech_id":1090137474,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What has to happen on behalf of the American people. they have to have a Congress that is willing to say. you know. that is not going to happen any more. We are going to make sure we work very hard so we can start stroking away from this kind of business here. Folks are talking out of both sides of their mouths saying that. oh. we believe in innovation and in alternative fuels. yet at the same time denying their customers the right to use their credit card to buy ethanol. This is on a pump. This is on the pump. This is on the pump. This is not something that some environmental group ran out and put a sticker on a pump. You can pull up to an ExxonMobil station now and see that on the pump. That is very unfortunate. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3523}
{"speech_id":1090137474,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. It is not natural for that to happen. It is not natural for the Republican majority to say. well. Mr. President. we dont agree with your tax policy because its wrong that we are borrowing money from foreign nations andwe are selling America way. It is not natural. It is not natural for the Republican majority to say we have to have oversight. We have to make sure that we have no more Hurricane Katrinas. Yes. there were some committees that met and found out the obvious. that things went wrong. But there were no solutions that came out of the report of the partisan committee here in the House. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3523}
{"speech_id":1090137474,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not natural for the Republican majority to stand up to companies that are raking in record profits off the backs of the American people. This is well documented. And. Mr. Speaker. I am not even going to beg the Republican majority to do the right thing at this point. because history doesnt reflect that they are willing to be bipartisan in a way that will benefit all Americans. with making sure we work in a bipartisan way. One .thing our leadership has said and one thing we have embraced here in the 30something Group is that when the American people see fit. hopefully in November. if they are willing to have a Democratic Congress to stand up to this White House and to stkand up to the special interests here in Washington. D.C.. then we will have bipartisanship. Because bipartisanship can only happen when the leadership allows it. I am saying the leadership in charge allows bipartisanship. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3523}
{"speech_id":1090137474,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. well documented. There are conference committees when we pass a bill in the House and the Senate that comes together and the Democratic members are not even welcome to the conference committee to sit and talk about the ideas and exchange with the Senate so we can send a positive package to the President of the United States. That is not happening.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3523}
{"speech_id":1090137560,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that the Senate has passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act today. and I commend Chairman ENZI. Senator ISAKSON. and Senator MURRAY for their dedication in pursuing these safety protections. I also commend Senator BYRD and Senator ROCKEFELLER. who have been tireless in insisting on improvements in mine safety. This bill is the most significant improvement in mine safety by Congress in a generation. Todays action was clearly necessary. The year began with the shocking tragedies at the- Sago and Alma mines in West Virginia. where 14 coal miners were killed. Tragedy struck again last weekend in Kentucky. where five coal miners were killed at the Darby mine in Harlan County. We will learn more in the weeks ahead from the ongoing investigations of these disasters. But many lessons are already painfully clear. The miners who died could have survived with adequate oxygen. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6336}
{"speech_id":1090137560,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But. their selfrescue units didnt work. and they had to share precious oxygen with each other. They also had no realistic way to let rescuers outside know where they were. At Sago. they resorted to banging on pipes with sledge hammers. wasting precious energy and oxygen. This should never have happened and we need to be sure that it doesnt happen again. The bill requires every company to have a comprehensive emergency response plan. so that companies and miners will know ahead of time how to respond. The bill sets stronger minimum safety standards for oxygen supplies. communications. tracking. lifelines. and training. and also requires companies to continuously reevaluate the safety of their mines. They must adapt their safety response plans to changes in their mining operations and advances in mine safety technology. Safety must no longer be a topic that companies address only in the wake of a disaster or a government directive. Plans to improve safety must be an enforceable daytoday obligation of every mining operation. As we saw at Sago and Darby. the time to determine whether a mines oxygen supply is reliable cant.just be after a tragedy. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6336}
{"speech_id":1090137560,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To address the recurring problems with oxygen supplies. the bill requires companies to provide at least two hours of oxygen for every miner. plus additional oxygen along evacuation routes and for trapped miners awaiting rescue. Companies will be required to inspect and replace these units regularly. so that no miner has an oxygen pack that doesnt work. All mines will be required to have backup telephone lines immediately available. and to adopt twoway wireless communications and electronic tracking systems as soon as possible. They will also have to install fireresistant lifelines. to show miners to the best way out in an emergency. One of the most moving aspects of the Sago and Alma response was the outpouring of support from other miners around the country. They wanted to do everything they could to rescue their brothers and sisters trapped underground. This bill guarantees that every mine in the country will have a person on staff who knows the mine and is trained in emergency response. It strengthens requirements for training mine rescue teams. The teams will practice in the mines they monitor. so that the first time they go into a mine will not be during an emergency. The bill also -reduces the time required for a rescue team to reach a mine to one hour from the current two hours. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6336}
{"speech_id":1090137560,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By providing good Samaritantype liability protection for mine rescue team members and -their regular employers. this bill will encourage more miners to participate in mine rescue teams and more employers to support them. Even if we dont know why the seal at Sago failed. we know that it did. The initial reports from Darby suggest that a seal also failed there. We dont need another tragedy caused by a failed. seal to know that the standard for seals must be improved. Our standards for these protective barriers lag far behind other developed nations. That is why this bill requires the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue a new regulation in 18 months to improve these standards. We also need greater incentives to prevent accidents from happening. Too many mining companies have been paying fines that cost less than parking tickets. Under this bill. coinpanies can no longer treat violations of health and safety laws as a cost of doing business. We impose substantial new minimum penalties on companies that put miners at risk and do not take their obligation seriously to provide a safe workplace. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6336}
{"speech_id":1090137560,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These new penalties escalate when companies continue to ignore their safety obligations. The bill also makes clear that MSHA has the authority to shut down a mine that refuses to pay its fines. Research is an important part of safety. The Navy has technologies to communicate with submarines on the bottom of the ocean. NASA can talk to people on the Moon. It is time to bring mine safety technology into the 21st century too. Our bill creates an interagency task force so that NIOSH will have the benefit of the advances made by other industries and agencies. It also creates two competitive grant programs: one to encourage the development and manufacture of mine safety. equipment that \u0095 the private sector might not otherwise find economically viable. and another to educate and train employers and miners to better identify. avoid. and prevent unsafe working conditions. This bill is an important step in strengthening the response to mine emergencies. But there is more to be done. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6336}
{"speech_id":1090137589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am glad our math is good here this morning. I appreciate that early in the day. Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Massachusetts for his leadership on this bill and his eloquence this morning .on this amendment being offered by our colleague from Kentucky. I commend our colleague from Illinois as well for his eloquent comments about the problems associated with this amendment. Very bluntly and very squarely. if the McConnell amendment is adopted in the next 20 minutes. then roughly 142 million people in our country would have to have a newa newphoto identification. one which does not exist yet. that complies with REAL ID by the elections in 2008. Otherwise. you could not vote a regular ballot in the 2008 Federal elections without this new identification. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11745}
{"speech_id":1090137589,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleague cites polling data that indicates that 62 percent of Americans believe a photo identification may be necessary. They were not asked whether or not they knew they would have to have a completely new identification. which I presume they would have to pay for. and if they dont have it with them by election day 2008. then they would not be allowed to show up and vote a regular ballot in person for.presidential and other federal candidates across the country. So 142 million people could be disenfranchised by this amendment if we end up requiring a new photo identification. Now. it has been said over and over again this morningit needs to be repeatedit was Patrick Henry who said. more than 200 years ago: The right to vote is the right upon which all other rights depend. It is the essential right. The idea we would somehow exclude people who are elderly or disabled or people who. for a variety of reasons. do not have or cannot get this new photo identification from having access to the ballot because of some anecdotal evidence that people may show up and pretend to be someone elsebecause that is the only set of circumstances we are talking about here. Absentee ballots present a unique set of problems. This does not cover the absentee ballots. It does not cover the situations where people mail in votes under a different set of circumstances in some of our States. This amendment only addresses the situation in which someone shows up to vote claiming to be someone else. when. in fact. they are a different individual. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11745}
{"speech_id":1090137589,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I would hope our colleagues. recognizing the tremendous problems this amendment could afford us. would reject this amendment. We had this debate 4 years ago when we adopted the Help America Vote Act. What we said is. if you register by mail. then the first time you show up at the polls. you need some form of identification. and. in fact. a photo identification may be one of them. But it is not the only thing that can be a source of identification for first time voters who registered by mail. There may be a variety of other criteria that States would adopt. In a sense. we are going to nationalize and Federalize every single State by this approach. States. as we have historically said. determine the specific requirements of registration. Some States require very little. That is their judgment. Other States require more. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11745}
{"speech_id":1090137589,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We stayed away from dictating to States exactly what they had to do in the Help America Vote Act. If you adopt this amendment. why not consider an amendment for national registration? Many advocate that. I think it may be a sound idea to move to a national registration. The HAVA bill moved from local registration to Statewide registration. which is a major step forward. But here we are saying you are going to have to have one size fits all. one identification. and we do not even know what it looks like yetit does not exist at allwhich has to comply with the REAL ID requirements between now and election day 2008. And if you do not have it. then you could be refused a regular ballot and forced to vote proviionally. Obviously. access to the ballot has been critical for us. We have balanced that right to try to ensure. to the extent possible. that the ballot is going to be secure. But if we err on any side of that equation. it has been historically to err on the side of access to make sure people are encouraged to participate. Thus. the reason. in the HAVA bill. why we have provisional ballotingfor the first time that will existit is so that if you show up and there is a contest as to whether or not you have the right to vote. the law says you should be able to cast a provisional ballot. so that after the election. after the ballots are cast. or the polling places are closed. if. in fact. you. the voter. were right. the ballot counts. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11745}
{"speech_id":1090137589,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you were wrong. obviously. it does not. but you have a right to find out why it was not counted in order to be able to correct the problem. Provisional ballbts are making it possible forpeople to vote who believe they have the right to vote. to cast a ballot. That right has not existed in the past. That is the direction we are heading in as a country. not going backwards. not retreating. and not creating obstacles and hurdles to cast those ballots. That. unfortunately. would be the outcome if the McConnell amendment were adopted. Every major civil rights organization. every leading organization defending the disabled and the elderly are opposed to this amendment and are very worried about what it could mean if it were adopted. So I urge my colleagues. at this early hour in the morning: Please. when you come here. this is not the place for this amendment on an immigration bill. There is a time and opportunity to go back and revisit election issues. I hope we do that at some point. But to cherrypick a provision that would set us back decades would be a mistake. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11745}
{"speech_id":1090137607,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there is a great debate going on in the Democratic Party on this issue. We have Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young on one side and. from the comments I have heard this morning. I gather colleagues from Massachusetts and Connecticut and Illinois on the other. It is an interesting debate among Democrats as to whether we should have this important ballot integrity measure. My good friend from Massachusetts mentioned Georgia. They have photo identification in Georgia. That might explain why there were no reported cases by the Georgia Secretary of State of a problem. My good friend from Illinois declared that voter fraud\" was not a problem in America. I am sure he is familiar with Cook County in his own State. as Senator BOND has discussed regarding St. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090137607,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Louis and his State. Let me take anyone who may doubt to eastern Kentucky. Voter fraud is a significant problem in America. And with a lot of new people coming in. many of them illegal. it raises the stakes to protect the integrity of the vote in this country. Every time somebody votes illegally. they diminish the quality and the significance of the votes of American citizens. This is not just Republicans making this point. This is some of the most significant Democrats in America today. President Jimmy Carter and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young believe that photo identification is absolutely critical. With regard to the suggestion that there have been no hearings. we had numerous hearings in the Committee on Rules prior to passage of HAVA in 2002. The BakerCarter commission had 21 members. 11 staff members. 25 academic advisors. 24 consulted experts in the field. two public hearings. advice from 22 witnesses. followed by three meetings and presentations spanning the country from LA to the District of Columbia. all of which produced a 104page report in encapsulating 87 detailed recommendations to improve elections. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090137607,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There have been plenty of hearings on this subject. The question is. on a measure which will guarantee that the number of illegals in America will continue to increase unless we are serious about border security. do we care about the franchise and diminishing the significance of the franchise of existing American citizens. We have engaged in a good discussion this morning on what this amendment does and does not do. It gives States the flexibility to design an identification to be shown at the polls to protect and secure the franchise of all U.S. citizens from ballots being cast illegally by nonU.S. citizens. Yes. the content standards of the REAL ID are the template but just the template. And. last. the Federal Government -will pay for any lowincome Americans who do not have a photo identification. which is exactly the point that Andrew Young was making about how important that was for lowincome Americans to finally have a photo identification so they can function in our society. which increasingly requires photo identification for almost everythingcheck cashing. getting on a plane. getting a fishing license. you name it. photo identification is required. It is nonsense to suggest that somehow photo identification for one of our most sacred rights. the right to participate at the polls. to choose our leadership. should not be protected by a requirement that is increasingly routine in almost all daily activities in America today. If you support.this amendment. then that puts you in the same camp with Jimmy Carter. James Baker. Andrew Young and 81% of legally registered Americans who seek to preserve and protect their Constitutionally guaranteed franchise from being disenfranchised by vote dilution and vote fraud. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090137607,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I urge that the motion to table. which Senator DODD has indicated he is going to make. be opposed. Mr. President. has all time been yielded back?","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090137635,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Madam President. in accordance with the agreement that was entered into yesterday. the Senator from West Virginia is prepared to address the Senate on mine safety and then to debate his amendment. I look forward to that discussion.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090137720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in opposition to the Gregg amendment. This- amendment would literally destroy the diversity visa program and threaten the jobs of American citizens. It would make worse the brain drain which is occurring now. where some of the most talented people from the poorest countries in the world are migrating to the United States. This mornings New York Times had. an important story. a story about how the United States. through this legislation and other efforts. plans to lure nurses from some of the poorest countries on Earth. I visited some of those countries. Senator BROWNBACK of Kansas and I were there just last December. in Democratic Republic of Congo. In the Congo there are only 7 doctors per 100.000. In the Eastern Congo. there is only one doctor per 160.000. and. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8350}
{"speech_id":1090137720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was told a surgeon is literally one in a million. Think of the circumstances from which those doctors and nurses are being drawn to the United States. We can use the talent. that is for sure. But we have to understand that there is a zero sum here. We take the talent from -somewhere that needs it desperately. The diversity visa program which is currently in lace is open to people of many talents. They may not have a Ph.D. and they may not have a medical degree. It may just be a very ambitious entrepreneur with a small shop somewhere in the world who is willing to wait in line for a chance to come to the United States and maybe open another shop here. a shop that may grow into a larger business. employ people and make a livelihood for him and his family. That is what the diversity visa program is all about. to provide immigration from people all around the world. those who otherwise might not come to the United States. and to continue to make America the most diverse country in the world. That is a fact which I think is one of our strengths and not one of our weaknesses. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8350}
{"speech_id":1090137720,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Diversity visas open the door for thousands of people from around the world to come to America. We make 55.000 diversity visas available each year. and the draw of America is such that over 5 million people applied for those 55.000 visas in 2005. The diversity visa program is the only opportunity to immigrate to the United States for many people from lesser developed countries. especially African countries. For example. of 55.000 diversity visas issued in fiscalyear 2005. 10.000 went to African immigrants. A recent article in the New Yorker magazine called the diversity visa program \"a splendid overseas marketing campaign for the American Dream.\" Let me give an example of one American citizen who came to this country under the diversity visa program. which would be destroyed by the Gregg amendment. His name is Army Specialist Sola Ogundele from Nigeria. He came to the United States and he joined the Army. He recently took his oath of citizenship in Iraq where he was serving the United States and risking his life for this country. Here is what he said. Im the happiest man on Earth today to be a U.S. citizen. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8350}
{"speech_id":1090137720,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know the sky is the limit for me in the United States. I have absolute freedom to pursue my dreams. People like Specialist Ogundele make the United States stronger. and make us proud. That is what the diversity visa program contlibutes to our country. .I am the son of an immigrant. I know when my grandparents brought my mother to this country at a very early age. they were looking for that American dream. I dont think they would have imagined the possibility that their grandson would- be the 47th Senator in the history of the State of Illinois. That is what it is all about. The Gregg amendment fundamentally alters the diversity visa program. setting aside twothirds of these -visas for immigrants who hold advanced degrees in science. mathematics. technology. and engineering. saying -you can only be considered if you have an advanced degree. These setasides -would favor immigrants fror wealthier countries and reduce the diversity of future immigration to our country. By bringing in more highskilled immigrants. the Gregg amendment would also increase competition for jobs here. jobs like computer programmers and engineers. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8350}
{"speech_id":1090137720,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The H1B visa program already allows those with specialized education to come the United States. Why dont we keep the diversity visa program intact? Why dont we protect this program for the value that it brings to America? The HlB visa program already grants 65.000 visas to highskilled immigrants every year. This bill Would increase that number to 115.000. and allow that cap to increase byup to 20 percent -per year. I am a little concerned. I might add. that the H1B visa is entirely too generous. The Gregg amendment would add insult to injury. creating even more. competition for Americans wanting to keep their jobs. The Gregg amendment would essentially convert the diversity visa program into just another HlB program. bringing many more highly trained competitive people to America. You can argue that is good for us. But. as I mentioned earlier. it is at the expense of someone else. I am concerned the Gregg amendment would really make this brain drain I have talked about even worse. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8350}
{"speech_id":1090137776,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have 7 minutes. I was not going to make a further comment on this amendment. The Senator from Alabama indicated he had a few questions on this amendment. so I am glad to yield my time to the Senator. Then the Senator will make her concluding remarks. And then I understand we are going to go ahead with the point of order of the Senator from Alabama.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":367}
{"speech_id":1090137789,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One of the problems is that people come into the country and they feel bound. If they come illegally. as they come today oftentimes. they dont feel free to go back and forth. Then there is pressure on them to try to bring their family. Whereas if they had a card such as you propose and they could come and go and leave their family at home and just work for so many months like so many Americans do. they work in different cities and towns all over America and come back home to their families. wouldnt that be a positive offering for people who wanted to come work and not a demeaning thing?","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":593}
{"speech_id":1090137790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is so important that we have the different options. It is important that we give the opportunity to people not to disrupt their families. to be able to go back and forth. if that is the option they would choose. Maybe they want to contribute in their home country. and they want to remain citizens. As long as you have the citizenship route for people who want the rigorous test of citizenship that goes with our country. then you should have two options on the table and people can bhoose. This is a country of entrepreneurs who want to have options. and we need programs that work.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":586}
{"speech_id":1090137793,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President I thank the Senator from Alabama. I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for letting us have the colloquy. It is so important that we recognize that we are in a system that does not work right now. We have 11 million people living under the radar screen. That is not good for them. and it is not good for our country. Since we had 9\/11 and the wakeup call. we now know that we must secure our borders first. We must also not ignore the invaluable contributions made by immigrants. We are a country of immigrants. of course. Many of us in this body had parents or grandparents who were immigrants. who were the first to come to this country. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090137793,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have known hardship. They have assimilated. That is a good thing. Why not have another option for people who would not want to go the citizenship route but who could work. Some of these temporary worker permits in the underlying bill are limited to 3 years or 6 years. The SAFE visa is not limited at all. As long as the person still qualifies and there is a willing employer. the employer can train someone and know that they will come every year and be able to keep that training. It is a 10month program. but any employer can figure out that they would hire one group of workers in January and another in March. so they would have a full year employment if they dont have a seasonal business and the jobs they need to fill are not filled by Americans. which is also part of the amendment. But you could have people in this program for 10 years. They could then take their nest egg back home with them. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090137793,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They would be trained workers for the employer. So it is a win for everyone. If we are going to have a system that works. with secure borders. with a guest worker program that allows people to work and not seek citizenship. not be able to go into the social programs of our country. but people who will be well paid. well treated. and be able to build their nest egg with their Social Security deductions. we should offer that kind of opportunity side by side with the opportunity for citizenship which is a longer track. That is a system that can work for the long term. We cannot make the mistake of 1986. when we passed an amnesty bill and said: This is the last one. In 1986 we didnt provide a guest worker program going forward that worked. As a result. we have millions of people under the radar screen not having the protections of the American system. That is not good. It is not good for them. and it is not good for us. It furthermore sends*a signal that if you come here illegally. you will be able- to eventually become legal through amnesty. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090137793,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is not an ordered system. An ordered system would be one in which we secure our borders. we have temporary worker programs that work. some with the citizenship track. some without. and then you deal with the people who are here illegally one time. You do it in a rational and responsible way. but you know you have a system in place that is going to -work for the future. I dont expect to carry this amendment. I do expect that the airing of this view should have an impact on the conference committee that will meet to create a bill that I hope all of us will be proud to support. It will not be. the bill that is going to leave the Senate floor this week. This is not the bill that will provide a long term solution. It is not the bill that is going to assure that we have economic viability in our country as well as safety and security and protection for American workers. We can get a good bill. but that bill will have to come out of conference. I hope that the Senate speaks with a strong voice that this should be part of the solution. that we should have an option for people who could get into the system within a year. who would have a tamperproof visa. that they would be safe and the employer hiring them would be safe to trust. and that they would be able to make a living wage and go home and keep the citizenship of their country of origin. if they choose to do that. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090137793,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is an option we should have. I hope we have a strong vote in the Senate so that this will become part of the solution to this issue that we must reach to get control of our borders and create a strong economy. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that a letter of support for my amendment from the American Farm Bureau be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090137810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. that is what we are talking about. This is not a technical matter. I dont believe ahy study is going to show that these numbers are fundamentally incorrect. I dont believe any numbers will show that the approval of this bill will not be a net cost to the Treasury of the United States. One of the reasons that is sadly so is because so many of the people who are here illegally do not have a high school education. That means they have less opportunity to succeed than if they had come here with higher abilities and skills and were in areas in our country where we really needed them. That could make them be more successful. I thank the Chair. and I yield the floor and yield back whatever time is remaining.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":725}
{"speech_id":1090138044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join my colleague from Idaho in opposition to the Chambliss amendment. with all due respect to my colleague and friend from Alabama. Over the last several weeks. I have heard many times from the agricultural community in Colorado. The agricultural community in Colorado is strongly in support of the AgJOBS Program. It is only in the last 2 or 3 weeks that I met with the dairy farmers of Colorado. We have 156 dairy farms in. my State. They told me that AgJOBS and its passage was so important to them that without having AgJOBS. our dairy industry in Colorado would basically go down the tubes. From their point of view. in their way of articulating the need for this workforce. what they said is the very revitalization of great parts of rural Colorado was very dependent on the passage of AgJOBS. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3249}
{"speech_id":1090138044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I have been a cosponsor of AgJOBS with my friend from Idaho. because it is the kind of legislation we need to create stability within the agricultural workforce of America. It is not only the dairy farmers. it is also the meat growers. it is the nursery association. and it is all of those agricultural jobs which are so dependent on making sure they have the kind of workforce to keep agriculture as a viable industry within our communities. The Chambliss amendment- is one that also makes it very expensive for people to enter into the program. According to the amendment. it would raise the fine for obtaining a blue card from $100 to $1.000. I think about the fact that these farmworkers are not paid $20 an hour. $100 an hour. $300 an hour. They dont make the kind of money other people in America make. A farmworker is lucky if he can make $10.000 to $12.000. a year. And with that kind of a wage. we are asking farmworkers to pay $1.000 in order to enter into this program if this amendment gets adopted. The amendment as well doubles the amount of previous agricultural workdays a farmworker has to be employed. In the reality of agriculture and how it works. it is a seasonal kind of labor need where you have potato farmers who require people to come and work sometimes for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3249}
{"speech_id":1090138044,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That expectation would essentially exclude a vast swath of farmworkers who otherwise would be coming in through the funnel of the AgJOBS Program. At the end of the day. what the proposed amendment does is it takes away the opportunity we have to create stability within the AgJOBS Program. I would ask my colleagues to join us in making sure we have stability for American agriculture and hiring labor. I ask my colleagues to join us as well in standing up for those farmworkers who are out there toiling in the fields. I dont think there is a State that any of us cannot drive through and where we havent walked or driven through those fields anq. seen the people who are out there toiling in the hot Sun. in the hot summer. July and August Sun. as many of us in this room may have done in the past. The reality is we need to create a program that will. in fact. work with the agricultural workers of America. as well as for the agricultural industry of America. That is why I am asking my colleagues to join us in opposition to amendment 4084. Mr. President. may I ask how much time is left on this amendment?","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3249}
{"speech_id":1090138084,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me point out that to the 11 million to 12 million people who havecome to this country illegally. this sunset issue has nothing to do with those folks. They are here. I have not come to the floor suggesting that we interrupt the bill with respect to their plans for these folks. I have said in addition to the 11 million to 12 million. the suggestion that we need to bring in more who now live outside the country makes no sense to me. Even as jobs are moving out the front door of this countrynearly 4 million of them have gone in the last 5 yearsyou can hardly make a strong case that we ought to bring jobs in the back door. and particularly lowwage jobs. I know that there are not many of us here who spend our days trying to figure out how you get a job at the bottom of the economic ladder. or how do you make ends meet on a minimum wage that hasnt been raised for nearly 9 years. or how you provide for your family at the bottom of the economic ladder and have health care being stripped away and no retirement program. Not many of us experience that. But that is what a lot of American workers are experiencing every single day. This provision deals only with the issue of the extra guest workers who do not now live here but who this bill says we should bring here because we need them to be here to do those jobs. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090138084,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact is these jobs ought to go to people in this country who are struggling at the bottom of the economic ladder. We ought to be fair to those American workers. I am not antiimmigrant. That is not my point. We have a lot of them in this country. and they enrich and nourish this country. But first and foremost our responsibility is to stand up for the American workers who are struggling. If Members do not believe they are struggling. look at the data. Look at what is happening in their lives. Look at the jobs. that are gone. Go to Shenzhen. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090138084,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"China. and look at the American jobs that now exist there. They are paid 33 cents an hour. 7 days a week. 12 to 14 hours a day. If American workers were asked to compete with that. they cant. My point is very simple. Lets stand up for the American worker. Lets sunset this guest worker provision. Lets do the right thing.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090138116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This year. Senator WARNER became the second longest serving U.S. Senator from Virginia in the 218year history of the Senate. Since arriving in the Senate 27 years ago. he has forged a long and distinguished record. especially on issues concerning the Armed Forces. He has addressed some of the most fundamental security issues facing this Nation. including the revitalization of the Armed Forces under President Reagan. the restracturing of the military following our success in the Cold War. and the countering of emerging threats from foreign nations and terrorist groups. It is my pleasure to call Senator WARNER a colleague and a friend. He is a Senators Senator. representing the best in this august institution. We all congratulate him on his lifetime commitment to serving this country with honor and distinction.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":820}
{"speech_id":1090138149,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of this resolution which was drafted by my esteemed colleague from Maine. Senator SUSAN COLLINS. and thank my other colleagues who have cosponsored this resolution. This resolution was previously introduced in the 107th Congress. passed the Senate. but. unfortunately. time ran out in the House of Representatives to be passed. This resolution reflects the resolution introduced in the 107th Congress and is supported by the emergency managers from the participating States. Disasters know no boundaries. In January 1998. the worst ice storm in our regions history demolished power lines from Quebec. through upstate New York. across Vermont. New Hampshire and Maine. and into the Maritimes. As many as 4 million people were without electricity. some 700.000 for as long as 3 weeks. and damage topped $6 billion. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090138149,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And in August 2003..a blackout left millions of American and Canadian citizens and businesses again without electrical power. These events. and many of the more than 100 federally declared disasters in the Northeast in this past quarter century. have necessitated State and provincial emergency management organizations to request outofjurisdiction mutual assistance to deal with the emergency. In response to the ice storm. in June 1998. the New England- Governors Conference and Eastern Canadian Premiers signed and later adopted. in July 2000. the International Emergency Management Assistarfce Compact. more commonly referred to as the compact. The compact is an arrangement of necessity in providing mutual assistance amongst jurisdictions for managing any type of emergency. or disaster. whether arising from natural. technological. or manmade causes. The State of Maine. along with New Hampshire. Vermont. Massachusetts. Rhode Island. and Connecticut. has entered into such a compact with the provinces of our good Canadian neighbor of Quebec. New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090138149,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NovaScotia and Newfoundland. This compact arrangement provides the form and structure to the international mutual aid and addresses such issues as liability. payment. et cetera. in advance. before an emergency occurs. allowing for expedited deployment of resources and personnel at the time of the emergency. One crucial lesson learned of Hurricane Katrina is that in the aftermath of such a crisis. emergency responders need to focus on recovery. and not bureaucratic processes and redtape. Having this compact in place enables our emergency responders to focus on their mission of response and to avoid crossjurisdictional obstacles. Enhancing an environment of joint communication. coordination and cooperation is crucial for a more secure region and an effective emergency response capability. and an International Emergency Management Group meets regularly to do just this. by implementing the compact and working closely together to develop plans. train and exercise for disasters and emergencies. This compact concept serves the best interests of our citizens of the United States. and of Canada. our good northern neighbor. as well. In summary. the best way to handle an emergency is to forward plan and to take as many actions of readiness and preparedness as possible. in advance. and as feasible. Our readiness and preparedness capabilities are indeedmost enhanced when an obstaclefree platform is created for our emergency responders. This compact arrangement does just that. particularly addressing international and crossjurisdictional issues. It is for this reason. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090138149,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my fellow colleagues to. again. support this resolution.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3578}
{"speech_id":1090138151,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to offer a tribute to Lawrence Willcox. who has served me admirably for the past 31\/2 years as staff director of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and. before that. as legislative director and tax counsel in my personal office. Lawrence has made the decision to return to the private sector and pursue a career in tax law. . Lawrence joined my personal staff in 2001. where he served me ably. especially in the tax policy arena. When I was elected chairman of the Policy Committee at the end of 2002. I asked Lawrence to become the staff director. Lawrence has come to be a trusted adviser. and I have appreciated his good work. He promptly and dutifully carried out every task that I charged him with. and he led the staff members of the Republican Policy Committee to achieve a level of excellence that I believe has been of value to Senators and their staff. During Lawrences time as staff director. we have produced more than 200 policy papers. and dozens of legislative notices. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3146}
{"speech_id":1090138151,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In each case. our goal was a firstrate productone that would be thorough. accurate. and reliablethat would serve Senators. their staffers. the press.- and the public. I commend him for all of his work and his successes in that regard. Additionally.. Lawrence has served as my agent and adviser on Senate leadership matters. He has attended leadership meetings with me and given me sound counsel. He has also managed and attended the Policy Committees weekly luncheons. I should mention that it was Lawrence who instituted the Policy Committees practice of issuing detailed amendment descriptions in anticipation of every rollcall vote. The reception from this new service has been very positive: It has made the jobs of legislative directors and legislative aides vastly easier in preparing Senators for votes. That is just one example of innovations Lawrence has overseen. I think it would be fair to suggest that many of my colleagues here today and others in the Senate reading these words in future days would want to join me in thanking him for a job well done. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3146}
{"speech_id":1090138151,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We would not be able to do the work we do were it not for staff members of the caliber of Lawrence Willcox. Before I close. I note that Lawrence has been in public service for nearly all his working life. In addition to his more than 8 years of experience on Capitol Hill. including 3 years as a staffer in the House of Representatives. he served 5 years active duty as a naval officer. and he has also worked in both the judicial and executive branches. serving in various capacities. including as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and as a trial attorney in the Department of Justices Tax Division. Lawrence holds a bachelors degree from the University of Michigan. a law degree from American University. and a masters degree in tax law. LL.M.. from New York University. Lawrence is a person Who is always growing from his experiences. putting his newfound knowledge to work in newer and better ways. So. while I wish him well. I am also confident that he will do well. and I hope to retain his friendship in the years ahead. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3146}
{"speech_id":1090138151,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Lawrence.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3146}
{"speech_id":1090138190,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to comment on an amendment I am offering with Senators INHOFE and FRIST to H.R. 5037. the \"Respect for Americas Fallen Heroes Act. H.R. 5037 passed the House a couple of weeks ago by an overwhelming margin408 to 3. It was conceived in response to hateful. intolerant demonstrations taking place at the funeral services of deceased servicemembers of the global war on terror. The fringe group responsible for these demonstrations believes that 2.752 of our Nations finest have lost their lives in defense of America because. unbelievably. God is exacting His revenge on the United States for its permissive laws respecting homosexuality. It is a sad irony that the same 2.752 servicemembers who fought to guarantee the right of this fringe group to hold and express their beliefs are. along with the families of deceased servicemembers. now the victims of those same hateful. but protected. ideas. First. it is important to point out that the House. led by Representative MIKE ROGERS of Michigan and Chairman BUYER. went to great lengths to carefully craft the Housepassed legislation to preserve the dignity of military funerals while at the same time balancing first amendment rights. I applaud them. and Senator JIM INHOFE. the original sponsor of the Senate version of the bill. for being proactive in addressing a problem that no military family should experience at a VA national cemetery or at Arlington National Cemetery. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5861}
{"speech_id":1090138190,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me describe in brief the many provisions of their legislation that are left untouched by this amendment. We retain the prohibition on unapproved demonstrations on VA or Arlington cemetery grounds. We retain the language used to describe exactly what kind of demonstrations are prohibited. We retain the criminal penalties attached to those who violate the prohibitions. And we retain the language expressing the sense of the Congress that States enact legislation to restrict demonstrations near any military funeral. My amendment would only modify the language of the underlying bill that restricts demonstrations that are within 500 feet of cemetery property. Let me explain why. Many VA cemeteries are tucked in the middle of residential neighborhoods. Thus. the reach of the proposed Federal law in the underlying bill would extend to all private residences located within 500 feet of any VA cemetery property or Arlington National Cemetery. I am always sensitive to expanding zones of Federal influence or regulation. especially to cover lands that are not its own. unless it is absolutely necessary. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5861}
{"speech_id":1090138190,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. furthermore. in a report by the Congressional Research Service and analyses from constitutional law experts. it was concluded that a 500foot buffer zone around the perimeter of all cemetery lands may not be sufficiently narrow to pass constitutional muster. Constitutional questions surrounding the language are. of course. open to debate. But my goal here was to move legislation that was as narrowly tailored as possible and that didnt take away any of its effectiveness in prohibiting these offensive demonstrations at our national shrines. There have yet to be any unapproved demonstrations either on VA cemetery property or outside of its grounds. There have been demonstrations at Arlington National Cemetery. but those demonstrations have been limited to the gates outside the front entrance of the cemetery. Practically speaking. if there were to be any demonstrations at VA cemeteries they would likely be at cemetery access points. just as at Arlington. It is VAs policy to hold funeral ceremonies at committal shelters located on its cemetery grounds. By design. those shelters at open national cemeteries are a minimum of 300 feet from any property line. And the line of sight from the property line is. also by design. typically obstructed by trees. shrubs. or other foliage. In addition. each national cemetery has three or four committal shelters. on average. which could be used for ceremonies. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5861}
{"speech_id":1090138190,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to VA officials. only the cemetery superintendent knows beforehand where the committal shelter to be used for a particular funeral ceremony is located. So it is unlikely that demonstrators could effectively \"disrupt\" a cemetery funeral ceremony at any point other than an access point when a funeral procession was entering or leaving cemetery grounds. There simply are too many distance. visual. and logistical obstructions to overcome. Therefore. my amendment would do the following. It would prohibit individuals who. as part of any demonstration. and within 150 feet of any point of ingress to or egress from cemetery property. be it by road. pathway. or otherwise. willfully make. or assist in the making. of any noise or diversion that disturbs or tends to disturb the peace or good order of a funeral. memorial service. or ceremony. This language will ensure that as a funeral procession is entering or exiting any cemetery that there is sufficient distance between the procession and the demonstrators. and that no slowdown of the procession is precipitated by a large gathering of demonstrators near the gates of cemetery property. Furthermore. my amendment would prohibit any demonstration. irrespective of its character. that is within 300 feet of cemetery property that would impede access to or egress from the property. The principles behind my amendment are simple: As a funeral procession approaches a national cemetery. there should be no obstruction of that procession for any reason. The closer the procession is to the gates of the cemetery. the tighter the restrictions on demonstrations should necessarily be to ensure a dignified. solemn. and respectful burial at our national shrines. Again. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5861}
{"speech_id":1090138190,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Representative ROGERS of Michigan and Senator INHOFE for their leadership on this issue. And I ask my colleagues for their support.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5861}
{"speech_id":1090138193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the bill we just passed was the Respect for Americas Fallen Heroes Act. I would like to comment briefly. and I express my thanks to my colleagues for allowing me to proceed with this legislation and interrupt their debate. I would like to read briefly from a news report that appeared in the Chicago Tribune this past April. And I quote: Army Private First Class Amy Duerksen was 19 when she died last month in a U.S. military surgical hospital in Baghdad. 3 days after being shot in an accident. By all the accounts of her family. friends- and superiors. she had been a model soldier. an impassioned patriot and a deeply devout Christian. But none of that mattered to the six members of the Westboro Baptist Church who drove all night from their headquarters in Topeka. KS to show up outside Duerksens March 17th funeral waving hateful placards. I will not sully this institution or the memory of Amy Duerksen by repeating this groups detestable message. But I will tell you that today the Senate unanimously passed the Respect for Americas Fallen Heroes Act. originally introduced by Congressman MIKE ROGERS of Michigan and passed in the House with near unanimous support. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090138193,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Here in the Senate. we agreed. as one. that families like the Duerksens should never have to be harassed by protesters of any stripe as they bury their fallen warriors. The Respect for Americas Fallen Heroes Act will protect the sanctity of all 122 of our national cemeteries as shrines to our gallant dead. It will ban demonstrations that occur within 500 feet of the cemetery without prior approval from an hour before a funeral until an hour after it. Violators will be fined up to $100.000 and spend a year in jail. Its a sad but necessary measure to protect what should be recognized by all reasonable people as a solemn. private. and deeply sacred occasion. The bill has been carefully crafted to meet constitutional muster. As even the ACLU acknowledges. \"The right of free expression is not an absolute right to express ourselves at any time. in any place. in any manner.\" And as the courts have identified. our national cemeteries are places deserving of the respect and honor of those interred or memorialized. I thank Congressman ROGERS for bringing this issue to our attention. And I conclude with a passage from the Bible: Blessed are those who mourn. for they will be comforted. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090138193,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Matthew 5:4. We may never understand what compels a small group of small minded and mean hearted people to harass a family in mourning. But that is not our responsibility here. Our duty is to protect the solemn right of our military families to grieve the loss of Americas fallen heroes in private. with the respect and dignity that is their due. I look forward to this bill reaching the Presidents desk and being signed into law.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2813}
{"speech_id":1090138233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. many of us are talking about our veterans. And as we approach Memorial Day. it has been with great sorrow and great concern that we have noticed some of the headlines and the information on personal data of veterans being stolen. That is of tremendous concern to us. and I want to thank Chairman BUYER and the Veterans Affairs Committee for their prompt actions in addressing this issue. I also would like to call to the attention of the House a piece of legislation that my colleague. Representative SIMMONS. and I are working on. It is the Veterans Identity Protection Act of 2006. We will be filing the bill on Friday. Mr. SIMMONS is a Vietnam veteran. and he understands the problems that veterans face every day. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1435}
{"speech_id":1090138233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know that veterans have placed their faith in the government to responsibly protect their personal information. and that that trust has been damaged. That is why the BlackburnSimmons bill requires that more stringent controls be placed on the management of personal data. We also want to help those veterans monitor their credit to be certain that no one has stolen their identities. Government has an obligation to these men and women who have been breached in the loss of this information. and we want to be certain that that obligation is met. Mr. Speaker. I would commend the legislation to each of our colleagues and encourage them to join with us in supporting the veterans of this great Nation.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1435}
{"speech_id":1090138273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. the legislation we are considering today is an important step that will ensure timely and safe homes for children. This bill would help speed up the interstate adoption process so that children could be placed in permanent. loving homes more quickly. I thank my colleagues across the aisle. the gentleman from California","speaker_name":"WALTER HERGER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":385}
{"speech_id":1090138313,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank my friend for yielding time. . If anyone needs to find an example of bipartisanship and good work product. they need to look no further than the Energy and Water bill. under the leadership of DAVE HOBSON and PETER VISCLOSKY. two fine midwestern gentlemen who know how to work together and lead us in a bipartisan way toward energy independence in the stronger and more effective Army Corps of Engineers. One issue within the bill that I would like to address. Mr. Chairman. that is the Department of Energys recent pronouncement that it would no longer reimburse Department of Energy contractors for contributions to defined benefit pension plans and medical plans. It is an overly broad and unprecedented position. One Cabinet agency is attempting to prohibit contributions to defined benefit plans at the very moment the House and Senate conferees are negotiating over provisions to strengthen the financial solvency of the very same defined benefit plans. DOE should notbe allowed to unilaterally mandate a reimbursement policy. ","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1709}
{"speech_id":1090138313,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The White House has publicly supported reforms to our countrys pension laws to strengthen defined benefit plans. We commend Chairman HOBSON and Mr. VISCLOSKY for inserting language into this appropriations bill to preclude DOE from implementing this policy. Make no mistake that the House is working its will on this specific issue and is repudiating the DOEs policy to prohibit reimbursement of contractor contributions to these plans. It is my hope and expectation that the House leadership will sustain this position on any negotiations with the Senate. Americas workers who are covered by defined benefit plans deserve our full support and protection.","speaker_name":"JAMES WALSH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1709}
{"speech_id":1090138332,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. reported that that Committee. having had under consideration the bill making appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2007. and for other purposes. had come to no resolution thereon.","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":302}
{"speech_id":1090138359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word to enter into a colloquy\" with Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman. I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois. Mrs:. BIGGERT. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID HOBSON","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1552}
{"speech_id":1090138359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding to me. I know that the chairman shares my interest in protecting the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species like the Asian carp..I appreciate his past support for efforts by the Army Corps of Engineers to construct. operate and maintain a system of dispersal barriers: Located on the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal. the only link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River ecosystems. these barriers are underwater. invisible electric fences that repulse fish. As the chairman knows. the corps has encountered some obstacles. both in terms of funding and authority. to completing construction of the per1nanent barrier. At the same time. funding for the corps to operate the original demonstration barrier is limited. It is up to Congress to provide the funding for the corps to complete construction and testing of the permanent barrier and to operate and maintain the original demonstration barrier while the corps completes the construction and testing. If we fail to do so. we will leave the corps without any tools to protect the Great Lakes from the Asian carp and other invasive species. This is why I would ask the chairman to do any and everything possible in conference to ensure that the corps has the resources it needs to maintain some barrier to the threat of the fastapproaching Asian carp and other invasive species.","speaker_name":"DAVID HOBSON","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1552}
{"speech_id":1090138363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the Chair rising. and I appreciate his concern which he has continually expressed to me on this issue. and also I would want to be heard because I absolutely agree with the position the gentlewoman has taken. Asian carp have been found in the Illinois River. which connects the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan. To prevent the carp from entering the Great Lakes. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. the. EPA and State of Illinois. the International Joint Commission and others are working together and have installed a permanent electric barrier between the fish and Lake Michigan. Unfortunately. the first barrier or nonpermanent barrier has been shut down. I believe we should keep both open and running. However. the fix would be legislating onan appropriations bill and would not be appropriate at this point. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"PETER VISCLOSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090138363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do join the chairman and fully support the gentlewomans intent to solve this problem. I appreciate your bringing it again to our attention.","speaker_name":"PETER VISCLOSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090138433,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. You know. the problem with this whole debate is that. within the same bill. there is funding for Yucca Mountain in order to store all of the spent fuel that the nuclear industry has created here domestically. Yet they are coming in here saying. well. we need another solution to the same problem. We also needthe taxpayers tosubsidize ultimately $3 billion. $6 billion. which is just a demonstration project. and ultimately. $20 billion. $30 billion. $40 billion or $50 billion for reprocessing technology. two paidforbythetaxpayer solutions to the same problem. even though Yucca Mountain is supposed to solve the problem. Why is that? Because this program does what President Bush wants to do. which is to offer cradletograve services for countries around the world. American companies will build nuclear power plants around the world. and then they will ship the nuclear waste to the United States. And by the way. this waste. when it is reprocessed. is the worst of all materials because it can be used for nuclear weapons but it is not too dangerous for terrorists to handle as a dirty bomb at the same time. Mr. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090138433,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time. Fl 1645","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090138435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the amendment that has been offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts. He mentioned multiple solutions. The fact is we have a waste problem. As I pointed out in my general remarks. last year the Congress voted again to move ahead to provide funds to pursue a competitive process for choosing sites for integrative reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel as well as interim storage. The fact is the chairman and I and the subcommittee are committed to pursuing Yucca Mountain. That is not enough. If we are to have a nuclear industry and to have an investment in our energy future. we also have to examine options to reduce waste. That is what we are about. ","speaker_name":"PETER VISCLOSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090138435,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also believe that the subcommittee has taken a very thoughtful approach. and people have only to look at pages of committee report language that is very explicit in detail relative to the concerns and observations we have made relative to the GNEP proposal that the administration has put forth. So we are trying to solve an energy problem dealing with our energy future. I would oppose the gentlemans amendment.","speaker_name":"PETER VISCLOSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090138437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I commend the chairman and the ranking member for the work they have done here. and I take small exception here because you have cut back the $250 million the President requested. I think that is a good move. but this would simply level out the funding so that next year will have as much funding as this year. If you go to the Savannah River Site in my State. you will see the K Reactor. on which we have spent close to $2 billion. it never was operated again. the NPR. on which we spent $40 million on the environmental impact statement. the MOX fuel facility. which is being abandoned today after millions were spent. and Agnes. where we trod down this road once before toward nuclear reprocessing and realized it was not the way to go. And today more than ever. when we do not want to open up new nuclear processes which give rise to more fissile material. there are really legitimate doubts about this path. I respect the course that the committee has taken. but slow it down. Let us take a closer look at this before we plunge headlong into something that could cost $20 billion. $30 billion. maybe $40 billion before it comes to full fruition.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1164}
{"speech_id":1090138503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment also. It is obvious that people can have different opinions about projects. and the gentlelady from Nevada certainly has the right to have a difference of opinion about whether there should be a Yucca Mountain repository at all. I respect her opinion. Having said that. I dont think there is any question that we should allow the Department of Energy to educate on just what that repository would be if it were in operation. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1389}
{"speech_id":1090138503,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have put up a Web site for children. and they have got some diagrams and some information on it that is of a very simple nature. but to my knowledge. nobody has questioned the accuracy or truth of what is on the Web site. So to say we are just not going to allow the Department of Energy to have an educational Web Site for the children in Nevada. or any other -area that wishes to find out. my guess is that most of the children that access this use it for term papers and papers in their classrooms that they have to do on nuclear power. So I would hope we would oppose the gentlewomans amendment and let the Department of Energy continue its educational program. Whether you oppose or support the repository. we should at least want the facts out to our children and adults who wish to use that same Web site about just what exactly it is. So I oppose the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1389}
{"speech_id":1090138578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Iothank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman. I rise in the strongest possible opposition to this amendment. The Energy Policy Act that we voted on in a bipartisan fashion last summer on this very floor changed the way that we have to permit our liquefied natural gas facilities and has given the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority. working with the States. to have the say in where to put these LNG facilities. This particular facility is a facility that would be located in the Northeast. offshore. in a remote area. It is the only proposal of its type that is currently before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. If we adopt this amendment. it would preclude the FERC from even reviewing the application. Now. the Northeast part of the United States needs energy. This particular facility. if permitted and if operated and if operated to maximum capacity. could supply up to 25 percent of the entire needs of the Northeastern United States in terms of their natural gas usage. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1097}
{"speech_id":1090138578,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To adopt this amendment right now simply says to that part of the country. We dont want any more energy.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1097}
{"speech_id":1090138582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I may quickly respond to my friend from Texas. He characterizes the Long Island Sound as a.remote area. That is incorrect. There are approximately 10 million people who live within a 50mile radius of the Long Island Sound. I dont think that would fall within any reasonable description of a remote area. Secondly. the Energy Policy Act which my friend from Texas cites strips local government of the right to have a say in whether or not we site facilities of this type within areas. This is an effort on our part to assert some local control. Every elected official on both sides of the aisle that has responsibility for this region opposes this facility. as does the vast majority of the population. With that. I would like to yield the balance of my time to my friend from Connecticut. ","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090138582,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congresswoman DELAURO.","speaker_name":"TIMOTHY BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090138607,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will be brief and submit most of my statement for the record. but essentially this is the same language that was adopted yesterday on the agriculture appropriations bill. Basically. it is a reminder to the agencies that Congress has created and that Congress continues to fund that they need to follow the laws that Congress enacts. A law was enacted in 1992 which stated that. by 1999. 75 percent of the new vehicles acquired must ble alternativefuel vehicles. We arent even close to 75 percent. So this is something that I believe that all Departments should do. The Department of Energy purchased 1.724 cars- last year. of which 927 were gasoline powered. meaning that 47 percent were alternative. That is nowhere near the 75 percent. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2403}
{"speech_id":1090138607,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. I will submit most of this for the RECORD. but my amendment would mandate they essentially follow congressional law and get the purchase of alternativefuel vehicles up to 75 percent. Mr. Chairman. President Bush was right to say we -are addicted to oil. But now we in Congress need to take action. We need to take this action because it is in the interest of our national security. We need bold action to end this addiction. We need ethanolnot as an additive but as a full fledged alternative. I believe we need to get a more flexible fuel vehicle on the road. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2403}
{"speech_id":1090138607,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. I believe we should use the purchasing power of the Federal Govemment to pursue this. Now some may not like the Federal Government interfering in markets. To this I would respond. this is about national security and that is the Federal Governments responsibility. And with the war on terror. we must look at all optionsnot just putting our military overseas but what we can do right here at home. Some might not like the Federal Government interfering with consumers choices. To -this I would respond that the U.S. Government is the largest consumer of goods and services on the planet. And to meet our responsibility to protect the American people. we have to take this step toward weaning ourselves from foreign oil. Furthermore. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2403}
{"speech_id":1090138607,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress has already spoken on this issue. however the Administrationsboth Democratic and Republican Administrationshave failed to comply. Lets take this first step and use the Federal Governments purchasing power to make alternative fuels a reality. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2403}
{"speech_id":1090138693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I ap-: preciate the gentleman and join him in his objection. I have a great deal of respect for the gentleman and my great friend from Colorado. but this is a very carefully worked bill. very carefully crafted bill. and decisions have been made that are discrete on a projectbyproject basis. and I do not think it is correct policy to simply then have an acrosstheboard cut regardless of what the amount is and would join my chairman in opposition to the amendment.","speaker_name":"PETER VISCLOSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":479}
{"speech_id":1090138739,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. My recollection of the appropriations process is that. if an appropriation takes place. it carries with it the authority to expend those funds. So if you look at previous appropriations for this purpose. I believe that those appropriations reflect the authority to spend that money. The issue now becomes oversight. I quite frankly think that Members of this body -who live in their disticts usually have a pretty good idea of where these dollars are going. Speaking for myself. I probably am in and out of the Mystic Aquarium at least half a dozen times a year. sometimes more frequently. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1679}
{"speech_id":1090138739,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am intimately involved with the activities of this facility. Dr. Robert Ballard. who used to be located in Woods Hole. Massachusetts. came to Connecticut and came to Mystic because of the resources there so he could pursue his research. He was sponsored by the State of Connecticut and the local municipality. People know what is going on here. People know of some of the incredible research that is taking place. People know because their kids and because the Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs are benefiting from these activities that are happening here. And Members know. I believe when a Member submits an earmark and follows it through the process. that tells you a lot about the earmark. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1679}
{"speech_id":1090138739,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would put my name against this project any day of the week. I think that as somebody who knows my district. knows the people in my district. knows the reputation of this facility. knows of the impeccable reputation of Dr. Bob Ballard. that this is a good expenditure of taxpayer dollars. and I will stand up for it any day of the week.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1679}
{"speech_id":1090138741,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. At what point do we admit we are out of control with earmarks? Would it have been at 5.000 earmarks a year? 6.000? 8.000? 9.000? 10.000? We are well above that. We have grown in the past decade. I think it has been an 872 percent increase in the number of earmarks. The dollar value has increased substantially as well. Yesterday. we had the ranking minority member concede we have no idea. and it is \"grotesquely out of control\" were his words. We have that concession on that side. On this side we are saying that as well. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":825}
{"speech_id":1090138741,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not have a way to police these earmarks or -to provide oversight. At what point do we say we need to sit back- and go through th6 regular authorization appropriation process in Congress? Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":825}
{"speech_id":1090138798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I .thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Again. we are here debating these things and whether some of these things ought to be funded at all. There are programs that are not requested in the Presidents budget which some of us feel are appropriate. Some of them would be things like money to reimburse States for criminal costs associated with illegal immigration. The President hasnt requested that in his budget. but many of us feel it is appropriate that it ought to be put in there. I believe even the gentleman from Arizona believes that that is an appropriate thing. Now. ofcourse. if we would put that in there. that would be an earmark. because it would be Congress directing the spending rather than the administration making that request. . Earlier the gentleman mentioned the NREL laboratory and the fact that they had to lay off something like 32 people. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1969}
{"speech_id":1090138798,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What wasnt said is that this committee gave them unlimited reprogramming authority. that if that was going to happen. they could have reprogrammed the money. But they didnt do that. They chose not to use it. They chose to lay the people off. And then. magically. when the President was going to come out there for a press conference. guess what? They found the money to rehire those individuals. At the same time. the Secretary goes to. I believe it was Australia. and announces a new program down there without any funding authority whatsoever. So to suggest that things done by the administration are appropriate but things done by Congress are inappropriate and. as the gentleman and I have talked many times. the fact is you are not going to reduce spending by eliminating these things. You are going to do it by getting a budget resolution which is lower so that that money isnt available. But I guarantee you if you cut out this money. or any of these other earmarked projects. the money is going to be spent on something else. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1969}
{"speech_id":1090138798,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the reality. and that is what we have to address.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1969}
{"speech_id":1090138800,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding. I certainly associate myself with her remarks and am opposed to the amendment. I would respond to an earlier remark made by the gentleman from Texas when he complained about the deficits. There are two sides to balancing the budget. There is the expenditure side. and I do think the debate taking place here is very healthy. I would hope that the gentleman would also have the same debate initiated as far as the 70 percent of the spending taking place. And that is mandatory spending. And those tax provisions. once they are a precedent to the Tax Code. inure to the benefit. the last time I look. of people that pay taxes. which are not units of the government. but private citizens and private corporations. -","speaker_name":"PETER VISCLOSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":765}
{"speech_id":1090138801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. I think everybody in Congress understands our need to get away from the addiction we have to oil. and anything we can do to develop alternative sources of energy is critical to our national and our economic security. I want to say. too. the appropriations process is local control at its highest level. and we have to keep this authority within the Congress and not abdicate our responsibility to represent our own districts. I urge a \"no\" vote on the Flake amendment.","speaker_name":"JO ANN EMERSON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"F","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":535}
{"speech_id":1090138841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my good friend and colleague. a former veteran and great servant to his country. Mr. REYES. for your help and your impetus and your leadership on this particular bill. We could not have done it without you and your leadership. Thank you. sir. To Chairman BUYER. thank you very much for your time and counsel and your hard work and dedicating your staff to making this happen here this evening. To Senators FRIST and CRAIG. thank you very. very much for your quick action. your good work. your wise counsel and actually improving the bill a tad bit as they send it back to this Chamber. The majority leader and the Speaker deserve our thanks as well for understanding the importance of this. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4960}
{"speech_id":1090138841,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not do things fast around here. and I think our Founding Fathers thought this was a pretty good idea. But this is one that we came together on a bipartisan effort and realized this we must quickly rise up to stand with the families who are grieving with the loss of great American patriots. I just want to tell quickly. Mr. Speaker. the story of why this happened and why we got here. at least one example of many examples. I visited a young family down at Brook Army Medical Center in Texas. Three great American soldiers who were from Michigan. a National Guard unit. were attacked by an IED and were recovering from some very severe wounds. You go down and you get to meet their families. and they are bonding together to support their loved ones who are literally fighting for their lives every single day. Unfortunately. of course. at that time. SGT Joshua Youmans succumbed to his wounds and died. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4960}
{"speech_id":1090138841,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Prior to that. just a week before. after he had come back. he got to hold in his hands for the first time his daughter before he passed away. His wife was the most courageous woman I have ever met during that whole time. So we gather up to go to the celebration of the life of SGT Joshua Youmans. a time to celebrate his service. his sacrifice. the familys grieving. a communitys thanks and appreciation for service given to their country. When you pull up. you see this pretty hateful stuff. On the outside of the church were protestors who were taunting and harassing the family. this young widow. her young daughter McKenzie. their family. trying to walk in and give some dignity and respect and celebration to a life of a great American who signed up on his own to defend this Nation because he believed and a familys celebration of their love for him and the joys that they experienced in his short time on this Earth. What a contrast it. was. When she got up to give the eulogy for her husband. protesters outside yelling hateful chants. harassing. saying. \"Thank God for the death of SGT Joshua Youmans.\" flags wrapped around their feet as they paraded and shouted. Through all of that. this very courageous woman who had just lost the love of her life gets up to eulogize her husband. One side of the church is packed with the.National Guard unit. some of the toughest. greatest Americans you will ever have the privilege to meet. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4960}
{"speech_id":1090138841,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without a dry eye in the house. she proceeded to tell of her love for her husband and how proud she Was that she was an Army wife and how she could not wait to look in the eyes of her daughter and tell her about the great patriot. a great American. a great hero. her father. the one she would never get to know. We knew that day that we must do better by those families. They deserve the right to bury their loved ones in peace and with dignity. This is really Americas time to stand up and say to every member of the United States military. to every family who worries every single day. this is Americas time to put their arms around those families and protect them and give them the right that they deserve to peacefully and with dignity pay their last respects to great American heroes. I want to thank all of the folks who have worked so hard on this. even my staff member Andy Keiser. who dedicated an immense amount of time to make this happen. This happens shortly before Monday. What Monday is. is that day where we stand up and say. we remember and we are thankful for all the sacrifices for all of those who came before us to make this country great and have given their lives in defense of our Nation. This bill is important for so many reasons. It protects the families here. It certainly protects the first amendment here as well. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4960}
{"speech_id":1090138841,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it also sends a very clear signal to the men and women risking their lives today that we will not forsake you. We will stand by you. And we will give you your last rights. God forbid it should happen. And we will stand with the families of America who have lost so much and deserve our love. our respect and Americas dignity. Thank you all for participating in this. And again. I just want to thank you. Mr. REYES. for your hard work. your dedication and your passion for this issue and your passion for Americas soldiers. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4960}
{"speech_id":1090138843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we have had regrettably over 2.400 causalities. 2.400plus stories like the one my colleague from Michigan just related. over 2.400 courageous stories of Americans that have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that people can have the right to freedom of speech. It is very ironic that we have to pass this kind of legislation. But it is also very necessary so that communities around our great Nation can mourn their dead. E 2130 Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California . who has been a true leader on veterans issues and especially from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":660}
{"speech_id":1090138886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight because the White House has finally made an announcement of what many of us already knew. that Ambassador John Evans of Armenia is officially being replaced. Ambassador Evans has given exemplary service to his country. and was a wellrespected ambassador in a region of strategic importance to the United States. However. as it turns out. Evans was forced to vacate his post for publicly affirming the Armenian genocide. Reports highly suggest that because Evans declared that \"the Armenian genocide was the first genocide of the 20th Century.\" he is being unjustly penalized for speaking the truth. However. by employing the proper term last year. the Ambassador was only building on previous statements by our leaders in Government. as well as the repeated declarations of numerous worldrenowned scholars. Ambassador Evans did nothing more than succinctly repeat the conclusions enunciated by many before him. Mr. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3916}
{"speech_id":1090138886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is my fear that the Government of Turkey may have played a role in this unfortunate event. I strongly believe that they have expressed concern to the White House over Evans remarks. last year. In fact. immediately following his remarks. Evans issued a correction. all too seemingly at the behest of the administration. And we must not allow a third party to interfere in U.S. diplomacy and refrain from declaring the truth in order to promote \"relations with Turkey. To this day. the Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the fact that this massive crime against humanity took place under its control in the name of Turkish nationalism. Unfortunately some 90 years later. the U.S. State Department continues to support Turkeys denials despite all evidence to the contrary. It is simply unacceptable for this. administration to penalize Evans for his comments. What he did was courageous and should be viewed as such. not punished. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3916}
{"speech_id":1090138886,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ambassador Evans simply articulated the same message as that of the administration. However the only difference was his assigning a word to define the actions taken against Armenians. Ambassador Evans is in fact an expert on the subject. He has studied the history of Armenia and based on his substantial studies he was willing to go on the record and define the systematic extermination of 12 million Armenian men. women and children as genocide. Mr. Speaker. in early March I wrote a letter to the State Department because I was outraged to see that Ambassador Evans was withdrawn from Armenia. Based on news reports the State Department recalled the Ambassador as retaliation for his statements. Over 2 months have passed since I expressed my disappointment and I have yet to receive a response from the State Department. I specifically asked Secretary Rice for an explanation as to why Ambassador Evans was removed from his post. Not only was my inquiry ignored. but other Members inquiries have also gone unanswered. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3916}
{"speech_id":1090138886,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now the White House has made an official announcement. but still has not given an explanation. Mr. Speaker. I hope that the newlyappointed U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. Richard Hoagland. will not play the word games of the White House and comply with Turkeys campaign of genocide denial. Mr. Speaker. the New York Times did an editorial on May 16 this year detailing the dangers to Turkey and to the world of that countrys continued denial of the Armenian genocide. Ijust want to read the last paragraph of that insignificant editorial. It says. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3916}
{"speech_id":1090138886,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"the preponderance of serious scholarship outside Turkey accepts that more than a million Armenians perished between 1914 and 1915 in a regimesponsored campaign. Turkeys continued refusal to countenance even a discussion of the issue stands as a major obstacle to restoring relations with neighboring Armenia and to claiming Turkeys rightful place in Europe and the west. It is time for the Turks to realize that the greater danger to them is denying history.\"","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3916}
{"speech_id":1090138904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am glad you touched on that theme. It is a pleasure to be here once again for our 30Something Working Group. where we try to talk about the issues from the perspective of our generation and also talk about the issues imp6rtant to our generation. And for people in our generation and the point that we are at in our lives. what blows my mind and continues to baffle me since I arrived in the Congress last year was the crushing debt that we are buried under right now. and that is not reversing itself. that there are no efforts on the part of the Republican leadership to reverse course. to turn around and go in the other direction and return to the days when President Clinton was in office. We had a surplus. a budget surplus. when we had no deficit. when we had a much smaller debt in terms of our debt to foreign countries. Of course. we had debt to foreign nations but not nearly what we have today. We have more debt combined under this President than the 42 other Presidents that we have had previously. And normally we have charts that we can highlight.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1064}
{"speech_id":1090138929,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to close with an observation that what has been frustrating to me is that there is no outrage on that side. Everything we are laying out is factual. We are not making it up. So why does the Republican head only appear to go one way. up and down? Yes. sir. Mr. Speaker. I am happy to do whatever you say. Sure. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":526}
{"speech_id":1090138929,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No problem. It would be nice if they had some joints that made their heads go in this direction and their voices could be lifted up against what is going on here. But. sadly. that doesnt happen.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":526}
{"speech_id":1090138933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the honor to address you tonight. and the subject matter I wish to take up. along with my colleague from California. will be the subject of illegal immigration. We are continually discussing this issue because it is a big issue. It is complicated. It is very. very detailed. and it has many. many ramifications for the short term. mid term and long term. As we speak. at least today and likely tomorrow. there will be more debate over in the United States Senate about this very subject matter. And as we watch them make decisions over there. many of us in this Chamber and across the country get quite apprehensive as we review the decisions that are made there. which are recommendations to us here. because many times those decisions are made. I think. without considering and maybe even without access to the facts at hand. As nearly as I can bring it up to date with the amendments that have been passed and the way the bill sets today. the cap that they have put on for a guest worker plan is 200.000 a year. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10393}
{"speech_id":1090138933,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That would be a flat number that would presumably increase. and it would go 200.000 each year. There are a number of other categories there. As we know. we have visa categories all the way from A to V. And so with all these categories that we have. there are many different ways to legally come into the United States. So I would like to send a message out there to the people who have come into this country illegally or the people outside of America that are interested in coming to the United States to live and work and play. Apd that is that you can go to the Web page of the U.S. Consul. and on there. you can click your way through to find out how to come the United States legally. That is the right way to do it. That is the way we welcome. people here. That is the policy we have here in the United States of America. the country that has the most liberal immigration policy on the face of the earth. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10393}
{"speech_id":1090138933,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Any way you measure it. we have welcomed more people into this country legally. We have welcomed them here. and they have had the opportunity to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and contribute to this country. That is the right way to do things. We have this debate going on in this country. and the debate. Mr. Speaker. is about illegal immigration and what to do with 10 or 12 or 20 or more million illegals in this country. There seems to be a lack of will in the United States Senate to enforce the law. In fact. it seems as though. if.all the illegals in America lined up and said. I think I want to go home. a bunch of the folks in the United States Senate would say. please. dont comply with the law. we dont want that to happen. Well. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10393}
{"speech_id":1090138933,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will say that I want everyone to comply with the law in the United States. The law says. if you come into the United States illegally. the penalty you are facing is 6 months in jail and deportation. Those two penalties go along with that violation. If you make that violation and you are walking the streets of America today. that means you are here illegally. If you came into this country illegally and you are not lawfully present here and you dont have proof of how you might have come here in a lawful fashion. then you are guilty of a criminal misdemeanor punishable by 6 months in jail and deportation. So many of the people that were marching in the streets claiming they were not criminals. yes. in fact. many of them were that day and are today criminals. One of the issues we need to deal with are people who overstay their visas. At least 20 percent of the people that are here illegally come into the United States legally. as did the September llth bombers. Some of them came here legally and then violated their visas and found themselves unlawfully present in the United States. That is part of it that we are not doing much enforcement of. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10393}
{"speech_id":1090138933,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The balance of this. though. the vast majority. the mass quantity of humanity is pouring across our southern border at the rate of 11.000 a day. 77.000 a week. 4 million a year. That is a huge haystack of humanity. Some of that humanity is pretty good humanity. though they have still broken our laws. And then there is some of that humanity is not very good humanity. and in that group is the criminal element and the drug dealers and the terrorists. the needles within that 4millionperson haystack of humanity that must be sorted out. It is not possible to sort them out with a haystack of 4 million strong. We have to cut down on the flow of humanity coming across our border. I went down to the border about a week and a half ago and spent 4 days on the ground. Ihave sat thrdugh hearings in the Immigration Subcommittee. and I have done that for 3 h years. sometimes two and three and even four different hearings a week. And in that period of time. you pick up a lot of information about the immigration subject matter. In reality. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10393}
{"speech_id":1090139016,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was here in 1986. I understand the 1986 act very well. I listened to my friend from Texas describe the provisions we have for earned legalization. saying effectively it is the same as offered in 1986. Of course. it is not because in 1986 that was a real amnesty. We have had that debate for 10 days. We can have it again today. What we are talking about in this program.is recognizing the people who have violated the law are able to work and earn their way into a position where eventually they can apply for citizenship if they pay a penalty. if they demonstrate they have paid their back taxes. have had no trouble with the law. and they are prepared to learn English. After the last person in line legitimately is able to gain entry into the United States. they can adjust their status. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090139016,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The 1986 failure is entirely different than what we have now. We had a proliferation of fraudulent documents. That is the history. We understand that. We had Republican and Democrat administrations that refused to enforce the 1986 laws. That is history. We can complain about 1986. but 1986 is not 2006. What we did in 1986 is not 2006. We can talk about how some of the terrorists got into the United States. Most of the September 11 terrorists got into the United States through Saudi Arabia. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090139016,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reason they got in is because the CIA didnt talk to the FBI or the Immigration Service. The majority of those who came here and were part of September 11 were known by the CIA. and they never shared that information with the Immigration Service or the FBI. They did not need fraudulent documents. We needed the FBI and CIA to work together. Having said that. hopefully we have a better relationship between the Central Intelligence Agency and the FBI now than we had then. However. that is the past. We have to learn from the past. I listened to the Senator say what we need is tamperproof documents. If we do not have tamperproof documents. this system is not going to work. Tamperproof documents is what we are committed to. to try and deal with the fraud. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090139016,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People can come to the Senate and talk about the fraud in our immigration system. which is true. What we are trying to do with this legislation is remedy that. I dont know what the alternative is from the Senator from Texas. I know what his concerns are. but I dont know what his remedy is. We are talking about tamperproof documents. We are talking about tamperproof documents for guest workers. We are talking about tamperproof documents so laws can be enforced against employers who are going to fire undocumented individuals who do not have the tamperproof documents. We are talking about tamperproof documents for those individuals who want to play by the rules and go by earned legalization. The language in this legislation is very clear. That is. if you lie on your application. you lose all your rights. and you are subject to deportation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090139016,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. if you commit an innocent mistake on your application. that can be considered and not be used as a vehicle for deportation. That is the principal difference. I dont think that is unreasonable. The Senator believes if we do not change what we have in our law to what he wants. if we accept his amendment. people will not be discouraged from coming forth. Of course they will be discouraged from coming forth. People come forth and they. in good faith. make an application. They find out that application somehow is defective. Whether it is willful. knowing. or they lied about it. they are subject to deportation. If it is an innocent mistake. we dont want them deported. If this is subject to the Cornyn amendment. why are they going to come forward and share information if they know if they share information confidentially they will be deported? We are undermining an essential aspect of this legislationbringing people out of the shadows. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5405}
{"speech_id":1090139042,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think we have said about all there is to say. Maybe we said it several times. I appreciate the Senator from Massachusetts pointing out page 362 of the bill. This is a voluminous bill. but my reading of this bill says that the section the Senator quoted only applies to the applicant and that application. In other words. if somebody fills out an application and is denied. then a criminal prosecution investigation may be had only against that applicant. but there are limitations which prohibit its distribution to third parties for purposes of investigating an organized crime syndicate or potentially terrorist links. There seems to be no commonsense reason why we would limit the availability of a document and that information. when it could well root out crimes involving hundreds and maybe even thousands of instances of fraud. I believe the amendment strikes a balance. It is not designed to undermine the compromise that we have heard so much about. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090139042,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. this is to make sure that the underlying bill actually has a chance to work and isnt undermined by the fraud that has been so well documented underlying the 1986 amnesty but. rather. to fight that fraud and help build public confidence that we are serious about making this work. Much of the problem with the .1986 amnesty was that it granted amnesty to 3 million people. The tradeoff was supposed to be effective work site verification to make sure that people .who are qualified to work legally could work and those who were not could not and to sanction employers who cheat. But unless we have a system in place that will actually make it work. then all of the discussion about a comprehensive plan is a ruse. It will not work. While I do have some differences with the Senator from Massachusetts about what this comprehensive immigration reform plan ought to look like. I trust we will be able to work on that some more when we get to conference with the House. My goal is to actually make sure it will work. He and I share that common goal. I believe. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090139042,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The amendment I have offered helps make that more likely. I am prepared to yield back.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2127}
{"speech_id":1090139050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Texas for his exemplary and hard work on this legislation. From the beginning. had we listened to him. we would not be in the fix we are. With regard to this amendment. I have to tell my colleagues. it is a defining amendment. It defines us as a nation. as a Senate. The question is. Are we going to continue to allow lawlessness to operate at the border? If we dont pass the Cornyn amendment. we will be saying we have no more intention to see that we have lawfulness in the immigration system in the future than we had in the past. I was a Federal prosecutor for almost 15 years. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2518}
{"speech_id":1090139050,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What do you mean you can file a document and Federal investigators cant look at it to determine whether you committed fraud -when you filed it? They are not going to be looking at people in the millions who are going to file to try to find some innocent mistake. How silly is that? They are not going to be able to prosecute blatant fraud. frankly. in large numbers. But we dont want them to be incapable of doing so. We dont want to set a policy that would prohibit criminal investigators of the United States to examine an application for amnesty under this bill and not be able to prosecute. if it has fundamental fraudulent statements in it. or even be able to use it to build some larger investigation that may relate to coyotes or organizing rings. That is what we are most likely to come up with. in my experience. Most likely they will be investigating rings of illegal aliens who have used false identification or come across the border illegally. And you are trying to put that together. and you go back and look at these applications which will be critical in establishing that case. They are barred from doing that. This is really a big deal because one of the weaknesses I have seen in our whole approach to immigration and. frankly. other issues is that we as a nation are becoming so soft that we are incapable of drawing a line anywhere. We are incapable of drawing a line anywhere. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2518}
{"speech_id":1090139050,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the proponents of this legislation are saying it is somehow wrong that we could hold people to account if they file an application to become a beneficiary of ajmnesty. We cannot even investigate that and prosecute them. or prosecute other people who brought them in illegally in some sort of conspiracy. and deny the investigators that. I thank the Senator from Texas. who is a former attorney general and a former justice on the Texas Supreme Court. We should listen to him. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2518}
{"speech_id":1090139191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. here we go again. We have before us another amendment that says legal workers under this bill must play by our rulesby our lawsbut they will not be allowed to live by those same rules. I know that my colleagues know that illegal immigrants are ineligible for the earnedincome tax credit. The legislation before us does not change that fact. But this amendment incrediblyincrediblywould deny the earnedincome tax credit to taxpayers who will be working in this country legally as a result of this legislation. Remarkable. I want to point out again. it would deny an important tax credit to some lowincome workers who have legal status who are playing by the rules. meeting all the requirements of the legislation. who might otherwise be eligible for the earnedincome tax credit. Some things are within a certain area that I can probably understand the rationale behind it and legitimately respect and argue against. But what is the rationale behind saying people who have attained a legal status here. who are living by all our other laws and rules and are paying taxessales taxes. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5616}
{"speech_id":1090139191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Social Security. et cetera. every other taxare going to be denied a tax credit that is available to all other persons? We are not saying in the legislation that anyone who is here illegally would make themselves available to that. We are only talking about people who are here in a legal status. The legislation is designed. rightly. to ensure that legalized workers and new guest workers would largely be taxed in the same manner as U.S. citizens. If they have attained a legal status. then clearly they should pay the taxes. They would pay payroll taxes. income taxes. excise taxes. They would pay back taxes for the period of time they had been working in this country prior to the enactment of this bill. Payment of back taxes is a very important part of this bill. The CBO and Joint Tax Committee estimate that bringing these legal immigrants into the Federal tax system would substantially increase Federal revenue collections overall. It is patently unfair to make them abide by our tax rules yet deny any legal workers equal treatment under these same rules. I am having a hard time understanding amendments as this which would really impose an indefensible double standard on legalized workers. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5616}
{"speech_id":1090139191,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What is next? Are we going to say workauthorized immigrants have to ride in the back of the bus? Some of these amendments are sending a very troubling message to the American public about what direction we want our country to go. We need to be going forward and not backward. I wonder. do some of my colleagues really think there is an underground movement afoot plotting and scheming plans for how foreign workers can gain legal work status solely so they can freeload off of the taxpayers? These people are here to work. and they are doing jobs that most of us do not have the will to do. These are workers. They are not risking their lives to come into this country with the goal of freeloading off of us. They are here to earn a wage for the betterment of themselves and their families. the same reason our forebears came here to this country. They arent looking for a handout. They are looking for a chance. a chance for a better life. And they are willing to work harder than most of us to have just a few of the opportunities most of us take for granted. This amendment. if adopted. would result in highly inconsistent treatment of legal workerslegal workers. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5616}
{"speech_id":1090139191,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"On the one hand. they would be subject to income and payroll taxes in the same manner as other workers. but on the other. they would be denied the use of a key element of the U.S. Tax Code that can mean the difference of whether or not food gets put on a childs table. About 98 percent of the earnedincome tax credit goes to working families with children. Census data shows that the EITC lifts more children out of poverty than any other Federal program. This amendment to deny the EITC to legalized workers would harm children. including many children who are -U.S. citizens. Many of the children in these lowincome families are citizens who live in families that e~perience hunger and other hardships. This amendment. if adopted. would mean that a large number of children would be thrust into. or deeper into. poverty. An Urban Institute study found that 56 percent of young. lowincome children of immigrant parents live in families that experience hunger or other foodrelated problems. It seems to me there is an issue of humanity here on this issue. We have spent a week and a half debating amendments to this bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5616}
{"speech_id":1090139191,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most of the amendments that were designed to alter substantially the comprehensive approach to immigration reform have failed. But they were debated on and voted on. I think that has been a good showing for the Senate. I think we have shown we can debate honestly and openly and reach conclusions. Some of these issues have been complex and some fairly simple. We have been conducting business the way the place is meant to have it conducted. I hope that after all this effort. we wif l not now adopt such a questionable amendment to a bill that provides a comprehensive solution to our broken immigration systema solution that is based on sound judgment. honesty. common sense. and compassion. Mr. President. I really. on this one. would like to see not just victory in this vote but a significant signal that we would not engage in this kind of treatment of people who have come to this country and are in a legal status. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5616}
{"speech_id":1090139193,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I anticipate this amendment will not require too much longer. Our final amendment in the sequence is the Ensign amendment. So I alert our colleagues to the fact that we should be starting on that amendment fairly soon. Senator SESSIONS has. I believe. 7 minutes left. Senator KENNEDY and I will take just a few minutes in opposition to the amendment and then yield the remainder of the time back. Mr. President. it seems to me this is a fairly fundamental issue. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1462}
{"speech_id":1090139193,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have the earnedincome tax credit designed to provide tax relief for lowincome families and individuals. And if you qualify for it. as a taxpayer. it seems to me. when you are obligated to pay the taxes and bear the burdens of the tax system. you ought to be entitled to the tax credit. and the fact that they are undocumented immigrants should not impose a penalty ofi them. We are dealing here with people of very limited means. We &re dealing with people who ordinarily mayprobably dohave large families. They are fighting rising costs of living and fighting to maintain their sustenance. and they are at the bottom end of the economic ladder. So if they are in line to get a modest earnedincome tax credit. which. as the language says. they have earned. it is a tax credit that is an income tax credit they have earned. Just as they have to pay their taxes. they ought to get the benefits from the tax system. Therefore. I oppose the amendment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1462}
{"speech_id":1090139194,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in strong opposition to the amendment being offered by my colleague from Alabama. Senator SESSIONS. As drafted amendment would prevent legalized workers and guest workers from receiving the earnedincome tax credit even though these same workers are required to pay both income and payroll taxes. I remind my colleagues that. under current law. illegal workers are not entitled to the earnedincome tax credit and S. 2611 does not change that. Instead. this amendment denies people who are paying both income and payroll taxes a tax credit that other similarly situated taxpayers receive simply because these people are legalized workers and guest workers and not naturalized citizens. This is distinction that should have no relevance for purposes of receiving the earnedincome tax credit. To deny these legalized taxpayers the right to the earnedincome tax credit is unjustified and grossly inequitable. It is my understanding that CBO recently estimated that the workers affected by this amendment will be paying more than $62 billion in taxes over the next 10 years. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3577}
{"speech_id":1090139194,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This will result in a net of more than $33 billion in revenue after the costs associated with all refundable credits are taken into account. Mr. President. we havent seen a $33 billion revenue raiser in this Chamber in quite some time. Earlier this month. we passed a tax cut that provides a significant tax cut to the wealthiest in our country. The reconciliation bill was passed in spite of the fact that it provides little to no tax relief to the majority of the families in our country while raising our Nations debt by roughly $70 billion. The proponents of this legislation were quick to defend this bill even though it employed a series of budget gimmicks that would make Enron proud. Those of us who spoke out in opposition of this bill were repeatedly told that allowing -the capital gains and dividends tax cuts to expire amounted to a tax increaseone that would surely cripple our economy if not passed this year even though the provisions didnt expire until the end of 2008. I find it truly astonishing that a few short weeks later. we are debating an amendment that denies hardworking taxpayers a tax break that they so desperately need and are entitled to under current law. Clearly those who argued that allowing the capital gains and dividends tax cuts to expire is essentially the equivalent of raising someones taxes. have to agree that taking away the earnedincome tax credit from a working taxpayer is a tax increase. Unfortunately. the target of this tax increase is on hard working. lower income familiespeople who truly need this tax break to get by. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3577}
{"speech_id":1090139194,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The eanredincome tax credit is one of the few remaining tax provisions in our code that provide significant tax relief to working families. As my colleagues know. it is one of the greatest tools we have to fight poverty and allow working families to have a roof over their head and food on their table. It is a way to ensure that those earning minimum wage jobs are able to put clothes and shoes on -their children .so that they can go to school. This is not a hand out. In order to get the earnincome tax credit. you have to work. Pure and simple. To deny this credit to legalized workers and guest workers who pay income and payroll taxes is not what this country is all about. It is certainly not in keeping with the bipartisan way this Chamber has defended the earnedincome tax credit and its recipients from misguided attacks. I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in defeating this amendment.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3577}
{"speech_id":1090139214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as I understand the remarks of the Senator from Alabama. these people are not mistreated. as others in our society have been mistreated. Wouldnt an objective observer view mistreatment as giving someone legal status in the United States. forcing them to earn citizenship. a whole program to bring people out of the shadows. and yet say you are ineligible for perhaps the most important tax incentive for the poorest of Americans. called the earned income tax credit? I call that mistreatment. Mr. President. I would call that mistreatment. We are going to make you pay a fine. we are going to do a background check. we are going to make you work for 6 years before you can get a green card and. yet. while you are doing thatand most of you are lowincome peoplewe are going to deprive you of the benefit that was absolutely designed to help lowincome families. That is what it was all about. If you have a lot of children. I am sorry. but this benefit that was specifically designed for lowincome people. which is the majority of the people we are talking about. just as all of our forefathers who came here were usually at the lowest wrung of the ladder. and we are going to say you cannot have that benefit. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090139214,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why? Why is that? Then what we are really saying is that we are going to give you legal status. but not really. because under a Republican administration. a way to try to help lowincome families was designed. instead of a handout to give them a credit. instead of welfare to give them some extra income. but we are not going to give that to you. We may cause your children to go hungry because you are lowincome people. I dont get it. It is mistreatment by any objective view. It is mistreatment. As the Senator from Alabama said. this is an important issue. Maybe for the first time since we have debated this on the floor - I agree with him. I totally agree that this is an important issue. It has a lot to do with what kind of country we are. I reserve the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2005}
{"speech_id":1090139215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. President. the CBO and Joint Tax Committee estimates show that the increase in refundable credits resulting from S. 2611 would be more than offset by the income and payroll taxes new filers would pay. The net effect of the increased costs and revenues would be a gain of more than $30 billion between 2007 and 2016. So their estimate is that the new legal residents would pay over $62 billion in income and payroll taxes. while the costs of refundable tax credit. the EITC. and the child tax credit would only be $29 billion. Thus. the Federal Treasury would clearly benefit from these immigrant workers becoming legal residents by about $30 billion. So only legal residents are eligible- for the EITC. Undocumented workers are not eligible for the EITC today and will not be under the terms of this legislation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1283}
{"speech_id":1090139215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. when they become legal residents. under the process created by S. 2611. theywill be eligible for the EITC going forward under the same terms of all other legal workers. The Sessions amendment would deny these legal immigrant families with children the same rights to this tax credit as other lowincome families with children. and it is wrong and unfair. I hope it will be defeated. I withhold the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1283}
{"speech_id":1090139218,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think we are just about to vote on the Sessions amendment and the Ensign amendment. That concludes the amendments. Then we are going to have final passage. I think Senator BYRD wanted to speak and others wanted to speak. too. I think the leaders said they hoped we would be able to move forward on these amendments. So that is what wehave been doing.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":367}
{"speech_id":1090139236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will speak very briefly on this amendment. It is different than Senator SESSIONS amendment. It does deal with some of the very same programs. including the earned income tax credit. Senator SESSIONS amendment addresses the tax credit prospectively. In other words. when somebody is given legal status under this. bill they would be prohibited for the first 5 years from benefitting from the earned income tax credit. My amendment is different. It looks back. When people have worked here illegally. many used a stolen or a false Social Security number. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3474}
{"speech_id":1090139236,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a felony. Our amendment says that under those circumstances. someone would not be able to qualify for the earned income tax credit. So my amendment is looking retrospectively instead of prospectively. My amendment would also disallow other tax credits that are meant for. lowincome American citizens and legal residents. Mr. President. I believe that I need to explain why this is issue is important. During this debate. the American people have heard. again and again. that people are going to earn citizenship. The supporters of this bill reminded us of that every day. One of the things that they have consistently talked about is the requirement to pay a $2.000 fine and they are also going to pay back taxes. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3474}
{"speech_id":1090139236,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the debate on my Social Security amendment. several people stated that immigrants have paid into the system. Most people who are here illegallyand I think the statistics bear this outare lowincome folks. Under our taxation system. most lowincome people will qualify for the earned income tax credit. Which is a way to supplement a persons income. like welfare. but through the tax code. With the earned income tax credit. a family that makes up to $36.000 a year can qualify for EITC. In 2005. they could be paid about $4.400 and in 2006 a refundable tax credit of $4.500. So if we are making these folks pay a \"penalty\"in other words. they have to pay back taxesthese folks will qualify for this tax credit. In fact. many will get a refund instead of paying their back taxes. So what will happen is that the U.S. taxpayers will actually write them a check. This amendment will stop that from happening. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3474}
{"speech_id":1090139236,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will stop people from receiving a retroactive tax refund while they were here working illegally. Senator SESSIONS does it prospectively. Mine does it retrospectively. I think it is only right. especially for those folks who are here and have stolen an American identity and ruined someones credit history. Last week. I spoke about Audra. a woman whose identity was stolen. She had 218 illegal immigrants fraudulently using her identity..The IRS sent her a bill for a million dollars in back taxes. She cannot get a job. Her financial future is ruined. But what happens to the perpetrators of these crimes? Under this bill. those same 218 illegal immigrants will not only qualify for- Social Security. because our amendment failed by 1 vote. but they could collect tax benefits too. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3474}
{"speech_id":1090139236,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If this amendment is not adopted. they will be able to qualify for the earned income tax credit.. up to $4.500 per year. for years when they were. at the same time. ruining somebody elses credit and identity. So. Mr. President. I think this is an amendment that should ba adopted. It is a commonsense amendment. Even if one cannot support Senator SESSIONSS amendment. I think we should all at least be able to support this amendment. Mr. President. does the other side want to.go first?","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3474}
{"speech_id":1090139242,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. President. the Ensign amendment does more than prohibit the immigrants from claiming the EITC when they file tax returns for the years in which they were undocumented. The amendment would prohibit immigrant workers from receiving refunds of their own money when more of their wages were withheld than they owe in taxesdo my colleagues understand? But under the Ensign amendment. when more is withheld than they owe. they cannot recover the money. What could be more unfair? The IRS is holding their money. It was withheld from their wages and sent to the Government by their employer. So these immigrant workers have now filed tax returns. like millions of American workers each year. They have overpaid. and are entitled to refunds. The Ensign amendment would prohibit them from receiving these refunds. They cannot get their money back under the Ensign amendment. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090139242,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Government arbitrarily decides to keep it. Beyond thatlisten to this. Mr. Presidenton page 2 \"or any other tax credit otherwise allowable under the. Tax Code.\" What could that be? The child tax credit. This amendment also prohibits immigrant workers from receiving the child tax credit. The Tax Code permits families to take a $1.000 tax redit for each minor child. This is one of the most important provisions in the entire Internal Revenue Code for working families. It recognizes how expensive it is to raise children today. and it reduces a familys tax liability by $1.000 for each child. It allows these families to pay less income tax so that the money can be used to help them meet the childs basic needs. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090139242,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the Ensign amendment says to immigrant families struggling on meager wages. trying to provide 4 better life for their children: You cant use the child tax credit to reduce your tax liability. even though every other family can. It does not matter that in many cases your children were born in the United States and are American citizens. Your children still cannot receive thebenefit of the child tax credit because you were an undocumented worker. As a result. an immigrant family with two youth children. maybe American citizens. will have to pay $2.000 more in taxes each year thin any other family in America who has the same income. same number of dependent children. That is an incredibly harsh penalty to impose on these families. The Ensign amendment would impose a special punitive Tax Code on immigrants who were once undocumented. making them pay higher taxes than anyone else with comparable incomes. denying them the basic right to a refund of their own money when the employer withholds more than they owe. I urge my colleagues to look closely at this unjust amendment and reject it. I reserve the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2750}
{"speech_id":1090139268,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my dismay that my amendment No. 4022 to S. 2611 is not part of the bill the Senate will vote on. At first glance. the immigration bill we are considering takes into account that if we put more border patrol agents and immigration personnel on the border. other Federal agencies that deal with immigration will need more resources. The bill adds new Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice attorneys. public defenders. and immigration judges. But the bill fails to account for that fact that while immigration cases typically go before immigration judges. repeat offenders can be charged with felonies and tried in Federal district court. As part of this bill. we should have considered the increased federal criminal immigration caseload we will have as a result of increased border security and immigration enforcement. and we should have added new District judges to hear those cases. Specifically. my amendment would implement the recommendations of the 2005 Judicial Conference for U.S. district courts that have immigration caseloads totaling more than 50 percent of their total criminal filings. There are four districts that have such caseloads. unsurprisingly. all of them are on the Southwest border. Those courts immigration caseloads vastly outweigh the immigration caseloads of northern border district courts that the 2005 Judicial Conference *recommended new judgeships for. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7770}
{"speech_id":1090139268,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For example.\" in the Southern District of Texas there were 5.599 criminal filings in fiscal year 2004. and 3.688 of them were immigration cases. By comparison. the Western District of Washington had only 539 criminal filings. and only 78 of those were immigration cases. Similarly. in the District Court for Arizona there were 4.007 criminal filings in fiscal year 2004. 2.404 of them were immigration cases. But in Idaho. there were only 213 criminal filings. and only 71 of those were immigration cases. In fiscal year 2004. the Southern District of California had 3.400 criminal filings. and 2.206 of them were immigration cases. On the northern border. in the Western District of New York. there were only 497 criminal filings. only 35 of those were immigration cases. Lastly. in the District of New Mexico. there were 2.497 criminal filings in fiscal year 2004. and 1.502 of them were immigration cases. In the District of Minnesota. there were 431 criminal filings. and only 15 of them were immigration cases. With so many figures. the significance of those numbers may be lost. so let me sum those numbers up. In fiscal year 2004. my home state of New Mexico. which shares a border with Mexico. had 100 times more Federal criminal immigration cases than a state that shares a border with Canada. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7770}
{"speech_id":1090139268,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Albuquerque Tribune wrote an article about this issue in March. That article. \"Judges See Ripple Effect of Policy on Immigration.\" said: U.S. District Chief Judge Martha Vazquez of Santa Fe oversees a court that faces a rising caseload from illegal border crossings and related crime. And help from Washington is by no means certain ... Most typical immigration cases go before an immigration judge. and the subjects are deported. But people deported once and caught crossing illegally again can be charged with a felony. And that brings the defendant into federal district court. Those are the cases driving up New Mexicos caseload ... Some days as many as 90 defendants crowd the courtroom in Las Cruces. said Vazquez . . . ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7770}
{"speech_id":1090139268,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The same problems are afflicting federal border courts in Arizona. California. and Texas. Mr. President. I will ask that this April 17. 2006 article be printed in the RECORD. I would also like to read portions of a letter written to me earlier this month by the New Mexico Districts Chief Judge. Martha Vazquez. About the Senates immigration bill. Judge Vazquez wrote: As with past legislation aimed at improving border security. this bill will significantly increase the number of felony immigration and drug cases in the federal courts in districts on the southwest border. The bill. in recognition of this fact. provides funding for at least 20 additional fulltime Administrative Immigration Judges. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7770}
{"speech_id":1090139268,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill.\u0095 however. inexplicably fails to provide funding for additional Article III judges despite the fact that Article III judges will be as burdened. if not more. by the increased caseload that will result from the bills implementation . . . In fiscal year 1997. there were 240 immigration felony filings in the District of New Mexico. By fiscal year 2005. the number of immigration filings increased to 1.826. which is an increase of 661 percent ... Increasing the number of immigration judges will do nothing to reduce the increasing caseload in the border states federal courts. Judge Vazquez was appointed to the Federal bench by President Clinton. Clearly this is not a partisan issue. as Judge Vazquez and I agree that the Senates failure to address the needs of our border district courts in inexplicable. I will ask that this May 16. 2006. letter from Chief Judge Vazquez be printed in the RECORD. Lastly. I would like to quote an article written this week. On May 23. 2006. .Reuters posted an article titled \"Bush Border Patrol Plan to Pressure Courts: Sources.\" That article said: President George W. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7770}
{"speech_id":1090139303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I seekrecognition. then. in reference to the bill before the Senate. In the 200plus year history of the Senate. there have been few moments when Senators were called to reflect on an issue of this gravity. This issue of immigration goes to the heart and soul of this Nation in which we live. It is an issue which has called forth from each side of the aisle the very best in debate. the very best in consideration. to tackle one of the* most complicated issues that has ever faced our Nation. But it is not a new debate. It is not a new issue. Almost from its outset. America has grappled with this issue of immigration. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6617}
{"speech_id":1090139303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We -are a natioi of immigrants. We are a diverse nation. Look around your own neighborhood. at your church. at the gallery. look around at your place of business. and you will see people from all over the world who at one time or another came to this great Nation to call it home. With the exception of those Native Americans who were here when Christopher Columbus arrived. we are all newcomers to America. We are all strangers to this land. God has blessed us with this great opportunity to live in this land of opportunity. That immigrant spirit has meant so much to what we are today and why we are different in this world. the courage of individual immigrants to leave behind everythingtheir home. their church. their relatives. their language. their culture. their friendsand to strike out for America. to find that opportunity which meant so much to them. I am a product of that immigrant spirit. My mother was an immigrant to this country. She came to the United States 95 years ago as a 2yearold infant. brought by her mother with her brother and sister. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6617}
{"speech_id":1090139303,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They came from Lithuania and landed in Baltimore. MD. They found their way across the United States by train to St. Louis and then by wagon across the Mississippi River on the old Eades Bridge to go to East St. Louis. IL. to join with other Lithuanian immigrants. immigrants who worked in the packinghouses. in the steel mills. in some of the hardest jobs you could find. Our familys story is a story that has been repeated millions of times over. I am sure my mother never would have dreamed in those early times when she was struggling with her family to make an immigrant home that her son would one day represent the great State of Illinois. But that is the story of America. And it is a story we should honor. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6617}
{"speech_id":1090139303,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When I consider this debate and everything that has come to itand I understand there are serious differences of opinionI know this great Nation cannot absorb every person who wants to come and live here. We are trying to find a reasonable way to deal with that yearning and spirit which drives so many people to our borders. I think we have a good bill. It is not perfect by any means. but it is a good bill. with enforcement at the borders. enforcement in the workplace. and a fair process for people to earn their way. over a long perlod of time. facing many obstacles. to legal status in America. We would never have had that bill before the Senate were it not for the bipartisan leadership in the Senate. I especially commend Senator TED KENNEDY on our side of the aisle. What a warhorse. Whenever there is a battle in the Senate. you will find TED KENNEDY in the midst of it. bringing his special spirit. his special determination. as he has to this bill. His great ally in this cause has been Senator JOHN MCCAIN of Arizona of the opposite political faith but joining with him in this effort to come up with a good bill. And so many others whom I could go through the list and name. including Senator SPECTER. who led this effort in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6617}
{"speech_id":1090139303,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator LEAHYwithout his help. we never would have brought this bill out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. the four Republicans. Senators who stood up in the Senate Judiciary Committee and said they would join the Democrats. did make this a bipartisan effort. When I look at those people and what they brought to this debate. I see. the best of the Senate. It is rarerarethat we come together. as we will see this afternoon. to face one of the most complicated and .controversial issues in America and to do it in a bipartisan fashion. knowing full well that many people think our efforts are futile. that it will fall on deaf ears when we go over to conference with the House of Representatives. I do not have that negative feeling. I really believe. our -friends in the House of Representatives can also rise to the occasion and can understand this special moment in history that should not be lost. Within the pages of this bill is a special provision I have worked on for years. first with Senator ORRIN HATCH of Utah. and then with Senator CHUCK HAGEL of Nebraska. It is known as the DREAM Act. The. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6617}
{"speech_id":1090139335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. my very good friend from Nevada is driven by what he thinks is fair and right. I have a totally different view. Here is what I think is fair and right: Punish people appropriate to the crime. dont take tax policy and connect it to criminal law. What we are saying people right now is: pay your taxes. learn English. pay a fine. But lets not come up with tax policy for one group of people who are now legal and say: You have to pay. but you dont get what anybody else in the country legally gets. and we have made you legal. What damage are we going to do? We are going to take the tax law and turn it upside down and focus on one group and kick them around after they do everything else that everybody else has to do. That is not the best of this country. That is not consistent with the punishment versus the crime. Why would we ask somebody to pay their taxes and then say: Thanks for the money. you dont get any other benefits in the Tax Code. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1184}
{"speech_id":1090139335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rapists. murderers. and thieves go to jail. but they get refunds if the Tax Code says so. The only people who are not going to get a refund after they pay the taxes is this group of people working hard? That is not right.","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1184}
{"speech_id":1090139354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President I listened to the remarks of Senator KYL concerning the inclusion in the managers package of the holding of consultations at Federal. State and local levels on both sides of border before fence construction occurs. I think I know something about this issue because it was my amendment. Senator KYL suggested in his remarks that consultations would give the Mexican Government veto power over the building of a fence. Nothing could be farther from the truth. and nothing in that amendment would impede the ability of the U.S. Government to construct a fence in manner the of our choosing. But it is simply common sense and common courtesy to consult those individuals in our own communities and in affected communities on the other. side of the border before constructing a fence. Why? Because the fence alone is not going to stop the flow of illegal immigration into the United States. It is going to take a cooperative effort between the United States and Mexico. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090139354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment seeks to foster the kind of cooperation that is vital if we are going toonce and for all secure our borders. I thank the President for the opportunity to clarify this matter.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1166}
{"speech_id":1090139418,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So with few rounds left. some activist groups opposing this nomination claim that Mr. Kavanaugh is too young and too inexperienced. It really is time for these folks to get a grip. Brett was nominated when he was 39 years of age. Today. as a result. of several yearsactually 3of delay and obstruction. he is 41. All three of the judges Brett clerked for were nominated before the age of 39. Justice Kennedy was 38. sitting on the Supreme Court today. Judges Kozinski and Stapleton were 35 when they were put on the bench. Several of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee were elected in their early thirties. I dont think they would allow others to charge that they were too immature for the work. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9695}
{"speech_id":1090139418,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If James Madison could be the principal drafter of the Constitution in his midthirties. I think a man in his early forties. with 16 years of legal practice. and tough legal practice at that. is sufficiently mature to serve on the Federal bench. I believe it is clear that most of the arguments marshaled against Mr. Kavanaugh are nothing more than a combination of hokum and downright hogwash. So it is not a surprise that the American Bar Association has repeatedly found him qualified for this position. Let me explain what that means. After an extensive review. the American Bar Association gives ratings to all of the Presidents judicial nominees. and the judicial committee factors in these ratings when evaluating judicial nominees. A rating of qualified means this from the ABA: The nominee meets the committees very high standards with respect to integrity. professional competence. and judicial temperament. and that the committee believes that the nominee will be able to perform satisfactorily all of the duties and responsibilities required by the high office of a Federal judge. What qualified nominee has demonstrated more professional excellence? Brett Kavanaugh has been reviewed by the ABA on three separate occasions. On each occasion. he has been found qualified to serve in this position. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9695}
{"speech_id":1090139418,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Twice he received a rating of majority well qualified. minority qualified. In his most recent rating. he received a rating of majority qualified and minority well qualified. Much has been made of that. some calling it a downgrade. Come on. Over the last 3 years. he received 42 individual ratings by members of the American Bar Association. and all. with no exceptions in these 42 ratings. found himall of them found him qualified for this position. Some will try to make hay out of his most recent rating. Keep your focus on the fact that everybody from the ABA who ever evaluated Kavanaughs ability to serve on the Federal bench found him fully qualified to do the job. Some of those doing the rating gave him the highest rating of well qualified. Nobody from the ABA ever found him to be not qualified to be a Federal. judge. There is good reason for that. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9695}
{"speech_id":1090139418,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They would not dare do that with a person of his abilityalthough they did in one other case recently. Frankly. I have always been skeptical of the ABA ratings. We have had some great committee ratings and some lousy ones. The lousy ones are where they allow politics to enter into it. Many Democrats consider the ratings of the American Bar Association their gold standard. Whenever the Democrats have called something their gold standard. I have found it useful to scratch beneath the surface because you will find that it is only goldplated. Nevertheless. the Judiciary Committee looks to the evaluations of the American Bar Association because these evaluations can often provide useful information. I would like to commend the many men and women of the ABA who volunteer their time and energy to compile these ratings. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9695}
{"speech_id":1090139418,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are volunteers. In my experience. however. the system is not infallible. For example. Judges Richard Posner and Frank Easterbrook received mixed qualified\/not qualified ratings when they were nominated by President Reagan. This was a great and unpleasant surprise to those of us who were confident they would do excellent work on the bench. and many were convinced that those ratings were issued for ideological reasons. Today. these two judges are among the most frequently cited members of the Federal judiciary. and their work is widely admired all over the legal profession and all over the Federal courts. Just recently. to show you how bad it can get. Michael Wallace. a nominee to the Fifth Circuit. seems to have fallen victim to an ideological review process by the ABA. He graduated at the top of his class at Harvard and went on to the Virginia Law School. where he distinguished himself. He clerked not only for the Mississippi Supreme Court but also for the late Chief Justice Rehnquistpositions that the average lawyer can only dream about. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9695}
{"speech_id":1090139452,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am honored to have joined my colleagues Senator HAGEL. Senator DURBIN and Senator MURKOWSKI to submit S. Res. 491 commemorating the 65th anniversary of Ignacy Jan Paderewskis death on June 29. 1941 and recognizing his accomplishments as a musician. composer. statesman. and philanthropist. I.J. Paderewski was a brilliant pianist who played hundreds of concerts in the United States and Europe. Paderewski always gave back to his society. As a pianist Paderewski donated a bulk of the proceeds from his concerts to charitable causes and helped establish the American Legions Orphans and Veterans Fund. When he decided to enter into politics. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1893}
{"speech_id":1090139452,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Paderewski continued to work for the betterment of society. He worked hard to bring independence to Poland. served his country as the first Premier of Poland during World War I and fought against the Nazi dictatorship in WWII. During his time in politics one of Paderewskis main goals Was to build a strong relationship between Poland and the United States. This is why it is so fitting that this resolution acknowledges Poland as an ally a strong partner in the war against global terrorism. The strong relationship that exists today is due in part to the foundations laid by I.J. Paderewski. Ignacy Jan Paderewskis contributions to music. democracy. and humanityas a renown pianist. composer. humanitarian and great Polish statesmanmake him one of the most deeply valued and appreciated figures in the Polish American community. His close and friendly relationship with his contemporary U.S. social. cultural and political leaders. including many U.S. Presidents. made him a real friend of the American people. That is why it is an exciting opportunity for me. an American of Polish heritage to honor Ignacy Jan Paderewski by acknowledging his work. his accomplishments and all that he contributed to the world with this resolution.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1893}
{"speech_id":1090139455,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this month I was lucky to have the chance to address the 178th graduating class of Kenyon College in Gambier. OH. I wanted to introduce my remarks cause it was such an honor to be there to share in this graduation ceremony. In Gambier I met some of the most t passionate. dedicated. involved young Americans out there. and I know that as graduates they will go from being student activists to citizen activists. t In advance of my speech. I also had the chance to meet in my office with many recent Kenyon alumni who shared a deep pride and genuine excitement about the role Kenyon plays in their lives even to this day. I was lucky to spend this time with young peopleDemocrats. Republicans. and Independentswho affirm anyones faith in the vibrancy of our democracy and the young people who will shape its future. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11159}
{"speech_id":1090139455,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that my remarks be printed in the RECORD. The remarks follow. Class of 2006fellow survivors of November 2. 2004. Im happy to be here at this beautiful school. which had my admiration long before that night when the country wondered whether I would winand whether you would vote. Your website has a profile of a very smart math major in the class of 2006. Joe Neilson. He said that once. after a statistics course here. he realized \"the probability of any event in our lives is about zero.\" \"I probably spent a week.\" Joe said. \"annoying my friends by saying: What are the odds?\" Well Joe. what were the odds that wed be linked by those long hours--not that I keep track560 days ago? Like everyone that night. I admired the tenacity of Kenyon students. But what you did went far beyond tenacity. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11159}
{"speech_id":1090139455,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My wife. Teresa. is honored by the degree you grant her. today. But shes also here to honor you because when you grow up in a dictatorship as she did. when you dont get a chance to vote until youre thirtyone. when you see your father voting for the first time in his seventies. you know .what a privilege it is to cast a ballot. Through that long night. we in Massachusetts watched you in Gambler. We were honored. We were inspired. We were determined not to concede until our team had checked every possibility. If you could stay up all night to vote. we could certainly stay up that next day to make sure your vote would count. In the end. we couldnt close the gap. We would have given anything to have fulfilled your hopes. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11159}
{"speech_id":1090139455,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I also thank those who cast a ballot for my opponent. I wish all Republicans had been just like you at Kenyoninformed. willing to stand up for your viewsand only 10 percent of the vote. Actually. all of you. through your patience and good humor showed Americans that politics matters to young. people. And so I really do thank every student here. I especially want to thank someone who isnt a student. Because at the meeting Hayes was kind enough to mentionand I did take notesthe alums made it clear how much theyd been influenced by great friends. great teachers. Or a great coach. I know what its like to be on a team before an important game. I know how crucial that last practice can be. For the field hockey team. that November 2nd was the last day before the Oberlin game. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11159}
{"speech_id":1090139455,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Winning meant get-. ting into the league championshipand from there to the NCAAs. So I can understand why players were upset after hours waiting in line at the polling place that afternoon. When Maggie Hill called her coach to ask if she should come back to practiceyoud expect the coach to say \"you better believe it.\" This coach had a different reaction. \"Ill cancel practice.\" she said. \"and Im sending he whole team to vote.\" In that one monent she became a hero to me. and an exam)le to many. It takes a special coach to know there are more important things than t big game. We should all express our gratiude to Robin Cash. Her values are the values of Kenyon. By the way. for parents who may not rememberKenyon played brilliantlyand won that Oberlin game 3zip. Now. its not as if seeing brilliance here at Kenyon is a surprise. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11159}
{"speech_id":1090139474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to one of Rhode Islands most highly decorated soldiers. Commander. Richard L. Cevoli of East Greenwich. Commander Cevoli served our nation bravely in both World War H and the Korean War. In honor of his sacrifices and service to his nation. I am introducing a bill. along with Senator CHAFEE. to name the 15ost office located at 5775 Post Road in East Greenwich. RI. the \"Richard L. Cevoli Post Office.\" Commander Cevoli was born in East Greenwich. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090139474,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rhode Island. on October 24. 1919. and died in a tragic plane crash in Florida on January 18. 1955. He went to Rhode Island State College. which is now the University of Rhode Island. and earned a degree in civil engineering. In 1941. after graduation. he moved to New York and began working for the engineering firm of Merritt. Chapman & Scott. The month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Richard Cevoli returned to Rhode Island and entered the Navy. He was sent to flight training in Dallas. Sanford. and Pensacola before being assigned to Squadron VF18. based on the USS Intrepid in the Pacific. It was during his service with the VF18 that Commander Cevoli was awarded the secondhighest medal awarded in the Navythe Navy Cross. This honor was given to Commander Cevoli during the Battle of Leyte Gulf off the Phililipines coast in October of 1944. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090139474,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Along with other fighters. Commander Cevoli strafed the largest Japanese ship. silencing many of its guns. The following day. he severely damaged a Japanese aircraft carrier with a 500pound bomb. On a subsequent attack on the Japanese forces. as is recorded in his medal citation. \"Cevoli disregarded the terrific antiaircraft opposition and scored a near miss on a Kongo class battleship with a 500pound bomb. Then. pulling out he made a second run to strafe a destroyer. silencing its antiaircraft weapons and thereby contributing to our successful bombing and torpedo attacks which followed. His outstanding Courage and determination were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.\" Following his service during the war. he returned to Rhode Island and continued his Navy career at Naval Air Station. Quonset Point. However. the peace was shortlived. North Korea invaded South Korea. and another major conflict quickly began. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090139474,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"From 1949 until 1951. Commander Cevoli served as the Executive Officer in Squadron VF18 on board the USS Leyte. seeing action in Korea. In addition to the Navy Cross. Commander Cevoli earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight Air Medals during his active flying career. Once the conflict in Korea had ended. Commander Cevoli was able to spend more time at home. He took classes at the Naval War College in Newport and in July. 1954 he was placed in command of Squadron VF73. Tragically. he died serving his country when his plane crashed during a training mission. Commander Cevoli left behind a wife. Grace. and three children. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090139474,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Steven. Carol. and Elizabeth. A lifelong resident of East Greenwich. Commander Cevolis legacy is memorialized in the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. This legislation will pay tribute to this hero of Rhode Island and the United States. and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Commander Cevoli by supporting this bill. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3361}
{"speech_id":1090139495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to hold an offthefloor markup during the session on Thursday. May 25. 2006. to consider the nominations of R. David Paulison to be Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. and Lurita Alexis Doan to be Administrator. U.S. General Services Administration.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":418}
{"speech_id":1090139534,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to comment on S. 1235. the Veterans Housing Opportunity and Benefits Act of 2006. This legislation is the product of a compromise agreement reached between the Senate and House Committees on Veterans Affairs. The legislation cleared the House on Monday by a unanimous vote of 372 to 0. Its passage today in the Senate will continue the tradition of cooperation between the two Houses of Congress and among all political parties when it comes to legislation to improve the benefits and services available for our nations veterans. Before I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who worked diligently on the provisions of this bill. I would like to take a few moments to comment on provisions that I was particularly interested in seeing enacted in that they will impact the lives of servicemembers returning from the global war on terrorism who have severe disabilities. It.is quite natural. and in many cases necessary for therapeutic or rehabilitative reasons. for a young servicemember who is severely wounded to spend some time convalescing at the home of his or her family before moving on to live a fully independent life. The nature of some severely wounded servicemembers wounds require adaptations -to the homes in which they livesuch as larger doorways. ramps. hand rails. and other modifications. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090139534,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"VA has a grant program to assist servicemembers and veterans with expenses associated with these modifications. but the program needs greater flexibility to address the reality of how young woufnded warriors convalesce. Section 101 of the legislation provides that flexibility. It authorizes VA to equip a family members home using a partial grantwith some portion. or all. of the remainder of the grant available for later useof between $2.000 and $14.000. I was proud to join Senator JOHN SUNUNU on an amendment that cleared the Senate earlier this year that contained this provision. I am even prouder that we were able to include it in the final bill. Section 301 of S. 1235 is another provision that makes a reasonable accommodation in a benefit program to meet the realities faced by convalescing. severely disabled servicemembers. Servicemembers adjudicated as totally disabled at the time of their separation from service have up to one year after separation to apply to receive premiumfree Servicemembers Group Life Insurance coverage during the 1year. post separation period. and to convert their coverage to Veterans Group Life Insurance. or an individual plan or policy. Taking advantage of the conversion option is especially critical for totally disabled veterans who. because of their disabilities. may not be insurable at competitive commercial rates after military service. Through a targeted outreach effort to this population. VA learned that many totally disabled veterans do not convert their coverage to VGLI because they may have neglected postseparation financial planning due to the effects of their disabilities. or because they were simply unaware of the extension option. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090139534,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To give these convalescing servicemembers as much time as possible to make informed decisions about their future financial security. section 301 would extend from 1 to 2 years the available conversion period. There are many other enhancements contained in this legislation. They cover housing. insurance. employment and other miscellaneous benefit programs. And. not a small point in this time of fiscal austerity. the legislation is budget neutral. I would like to take a moment to thank those who are responsible for bringing this compromise agreement to the brink of enactment. First. the committees ranking member. Senator DANIEL AKAKA. provided his customaryand indispensablecooperation and leadership. He and his. staff worked very closely with me and my staff to shepherd the original legislation through the Senate. and then to work together with my House colleagues on this compromise. Veterans in Hawaii should be proud to have Senator AKAKA at the helm. And I am proud to have him as the committees ranking member. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090139534,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I salute Chairman STEVE BUYER and Ranking Member LANE EVANS of the House Veterans Committee. Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Chairman JEFF MILLER and Ranking Member SHELLEY BERKLEY. and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman JOHN BOOZMAN and Ranking Member STEPHANIE HERSETH for their work and for their spirit of accommodation. They and their staffs are to be commended for a job well done. Yesterday. the Congress sent bipartisan legislation the Respect for Americas Fallen Heroes Act. to the President for his signature. Today. I am also asking my colleagues in the Senate to send the Veterans Housing Opportunity and Benefits Act of 2006. to the President. I am thankful that our celebration of Memorial Diy on Monday coincides with the Congress sending so strong a message of support to those who have worn the uniform. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the attached joint explanatory statement be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5064}
{"speech_id":1090139537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as ranking member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs. I urge my colleagues to support our current servicemembers. veterans. and their families by supporting the pending measure. the final agreement on the Veterans Housing Opportunity and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006. This is a vital and timely piece of legislation that has already passed the House of Representatives. With Senate passage today and the Presidents signature it will quickly become public law. Mr. President. this measure. which I shall refer to as the \"Compromise Agreement.\" will improve and expand a wide variety of veterans benefits and programs. including. among others. housing benefits for Native American veterans and severely disabled servicemembers. insurance benefits for certain disabled veterans. compensation benefits for former prisoners of war. and programs that provide assistance to homeless veterans. This legislation is appropriate at a time when our servicemembers are in harms way. We must always remember the sacrifices that our servicemembers. both past and present. have made on behalf of this great Nation and we must do our part to respond to their service by improving and expanding veterans benefits. In 1992. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4305}
{"speech_id":1090139537,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I authored the legislation that established a pilot program to make direct housing loans to Native American veterans for homes on tribal lands. As of the end of April. VA had made 504 loans to this group of veterans. Under this program. VA offers loan guarantees that protect lenders against loss up to the amount of the guaranty if the borrower fails to repay the loan. Prior to the enactment of this law. Native American veterans residing on tribal lands were unable to qualify for VA home loan benefits. With the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program indigenous peoples residing on trust lands are now able to use this very important VA benefit. I am pleased that the Compromise Agreement contains a provision derived from legislation I offered. S. 917. that would make this pilot program. which was set to expire on December 31. 2008. permanent. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4305}
{"speech_id":1090139537,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Compromise Agreement also extends. from 1 to 2 years. the amount of time a disabled servicemember has to convert his or her Servicemembers Group Life Insurance coverage into Veterans Group Life Insurance coverage. This change is being made so that veterans may concentrate on recovering from their injuries or conditions. and not on meeting deadlines for life insurance conversion. Under current law.. former prisoners of war have to been held for a minimum of 30 days before they can benefit from a presumption that certain diseases are linked to their service. The Compromise Agreement also would add heart disease and stroke to presumptive conditions for serviceconnection for former prisoners of war. Homelessness among veterans is a critical problem. It is particularly troubling to me that an estimated 56 percent of todays homeless veterans are minorities. The homeless rate in my home state of Hawaii has nearly doubled since early 2000. with the majority of Hawaiis new homeless being Native Hawaiians. The city of Honolulu has a tremendous problem with affordable housing. increasing the possibility of becoming homeless for those who already struggle to make ends meet. The Compromise Agreement would reauthorize through fiscal year 2009 the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs. which are the only Federal programs dedicated wholly to providing employment services to homeless veterans. Also included in the Compromise Agreement is my provision that would make a technical change to the specially adapted housing grant program. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4305}
{"speech_id":1090139537,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last session. the law that allows severely disabled members of the Armed Forces to receive specially adapted housing grants from VA. while still on active duty. was inadvertently repealed. My provision would correct this and restore the grant to its original intent. In conclusion. I thank. Senator CRAIG and the benefits staff on the majority for their work on this comprehensive bill. especially Jon Towers. Amanda Meredith. and Lupe Wissel and. on the Democratic staff Dahlia Melendrez. Pat Driscoll. and Noe Kalipi for their hard work on this legislation. Mr. President. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation on behalf of Americas veterans and their families.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4305}
{"speech_id":1090139565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. in the Book of Genesis. Esau. hungry and believing he was about to die. sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of red stew. The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge is the birthright of the Gwichin Tribe as well as a national treasure of natural beauty. Are we. like Esau. about to sell our birthright to corporations for a mess of oily pottage? Are we ready to despoil our natural heritage in search of liquid fools gold? It is time for new thinking. Instead of the oil companies taking over ANWR for drilling. we ought to be talking about taking over the oil companies. They have gouged the American peo.ple. They control our politics. They have ignored the growing global environmental crisis. They have defeated alternative energies. The lust for oil has put us on a path toward war. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090139565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for new thinking. We should be talking about a windfall profits tax. breaking up the oil monopolies. or even taking over the oil companies. not sacrificing ANWR. Esau thought his\" birthright. didnt mean much. Will we. like Esau. come to regret that we never claimed our right to control over our natural resources. our own environment. our own Nation?","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090139568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we have seen the protests of illegals who have colonized our Nation. parading through our streets. trying to intimidate America. But they are not alone. Their shouts and demands are being met by a silent revolution. Countless native citizens and naturalized citizens are demanding to be heard as well. Their voice is being echoed across these lands. Ernest Fichtner writes: \"My heart goes out to the Mexican people who May 25. \u00b02006 look north for a chance at life and liberty. But this problem sits squarely in the lap of Vicente Fox and his corrupt government. \"We are a Nation of laws and institutions. If the laws are not vigorously enforced. we are left with anarchy and open borders ... \"If America does the hard work now. the border integrity of this country will never again be subject to attack. not only from without but from within.\" Madam Speaker. we are a Nation of American citizens. not illegal invaders. not lawbreakers. not tax dodgers. not transients. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1116}
{"speech_id":1090139568,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This land is our land. This land is not Vicente Foxs land. The last thing we need is amnesty anarchy. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1116}
{"speech_id":1090139577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. to all. those that are going to be celebrating this Memorial Day weekend. my special condolences go to the soldiers and their families that have given their lives so bravely and courageously.. In fact. in my district in Los Angeles. 11 soldiers were killed. the first soldier being Francisco Martinez Flores. who is a green card soldier. He was not a fullfledged citizen. but he honored us by fighting for us and defending our freedom in Iraq. I found out later that his parents were not here legally. But through the work of some of the Members on our side of the aisle. we worked very diligently to secure citizenship for those serving in our country. Why could we not honor these soldiers beforehand. when they enter in and help to define who we are as a country? He was granted posthumous citizenship. When I read about that. I moved quickly to see how we could assure that no other soldier who came home in a coffin or a body bag would be given just that identification on their grave. that they be granted full citizenship. and that their families have every right to the same securities that any other citizen has in this country. Lets remember Francisco Flores and the 10 other soldiers that have given their lives. most of whom were Latinos from my district. proud Latinos. who carried their uniform and their bravery with them.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1352}
{"speech_id":1090139615,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Before yielding to my distinguished friend. I ask unanimous consent to include in the RECORD a March 20th report in The New York Times. byline reading \"North Slope Oil Spill Raises New Concerns Over Pipeline Maintenance.\" and equally from yesterdays Wall Street Journal. the \"EPA and the FBI Check Allegations of Improper Repair Work on Two Big Storage Tanks.\" For all my colleagues that talk about all this environmental protection. I would like for them to read these two articles.","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":483}
{"speech_id":1090139618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I am always sometimes amazed or reminded by our friends from the oilor energyconsuming States that dont understand the size of those in the West. It is true that ANWR is a small percentage of Alaska. but I would remind you that the wildlife refuge of ANWR is still the size of South Carolina. The 1002 land we are talking about. which is not ANWR. which was set aside for exploration. is the size of Delaware. and that is still significant in that process. Madam Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma .","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":537}
{"speech_id":1090139619,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker. I rise today to speak in favor of the rule. and the underlying legislation. H.R. 5429. the AmericanMade Energy and Good Jobs Act. This important legislation will reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. moderate gas prices for consumers and create highpaying jobs. This legislation will do all of that while also reducing our trade and budget deficits. Opening up ANWR. according to the mean estimate. would make available 10.4 billion barrels of oil for domestic consumption. That is more than the proven reserves in all of Texas. The resulting economic activity will create as many as 250.000 new jobs. As an additional benefit. royalties and corporate taxes in the amount of $111 billion would flow to the Federal Government over 30 years. a modest but real improvement in our Nations budget picture. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2700}
{"speech_id":1090139619,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. opponents of this legislation are going to make two different arguments. They are going to say that passage of this legislation will not address all of our energy problems. and they are going to voice environmental concerns. I want to briefly say a word about each of these points. On the first argument. it is true: Opening ANWR will ot solve all of our Nations energy problems. But in point of fact. there is no single solution for all of our energy problems. We should no more reject ANWR because it fails to solve all of our energy problems than we should reject investing in promising sources of energy that may be many years away from fruition. Likewise. we should not reject efforts at conservation just because this too can only solve part of the problem instead of all of it. Simply put. we cannot afford to reject any measure that helps us reach the goal of energy independence. Madam Speaker. on the second concern regarding the environment. much has been said. My own view is this: With this legislation. we are faced with the choice of whether we have more of our energy production done overseas or whether to have more of it done in the United States. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2700}
{"speech_id":1090139619,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This choice has real environmental consequences. We. can have more oil production occur here where it is done under the most stringent environmental regulations in the world. using the most sophisticated technology. or we can have more oil production done overseas where. in many cases. far weaker environmental regulations prevail. True environmentalists think globally. not nationally. Onthis basis. we should produce as much energy as possible in the wellregulated confines of our own country. I would urge Members to support this important legislation that would provide our Nation with a secure new source of domestic energy for many years to come.","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2700}
{"speech_id":1090139656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such t*ime as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. it was brought up during the debate on the rule that this is not a new bill coming before. the House. In fact. it is a bill that the House of Representatives has addressed many times in the past. It deals with opening up a small part of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration. Mr. Speaker. during the debate today we.are going to have the opportunity to hear a lot about the pros and cons of opening up ANWR and the 2.000 acres that are included in the bill. We will talk about supply and -the mean estimate of 10.5 billion barrels of oil that are available to Americans today. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2840}
{"speech_id":1090139656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will talk about jobs and the number of those in organized labor who look at between 250.000 and a million jobs. good paying family wage jobs that will be created by opening up this area. We will talk about revenue deficit reduction. CRS recently did a study where they estimate that between $111 and $170 billion will come into the Federal Treasury as a result of opening this up. But one thing that we will talk considerably about is the environment and new technology. And to start todays debate on this. I would like to discuss that. because I believe this is probably one of the most important parts of this entire debate. Many times those that oppose new energy in this country. new energy of any kind whether we are talking about ANWR or alternative energy. they consistently vote against it no matter what it is. And what we are trying to do is open up these new energy sources so that we become less dependent on foreign energy instead of more dependent every single year. When it comes to environmental protection. we have taken that into consideration and have debated this legislation for 25 years. And during those 25 years we have put in more and more in terms of environmental protection. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2840}
{"speech_id":1090139656,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Technology. obviously. has advanced over the last 25 years to the point today where the footprint has been reduced to the size of less than 2.000 acres. They talk about roads. the roads that will be built will be ice roads that will melt away in the summertime. In fact. over half of the bill. over half of the pages in the bill are dedicated to environmental protection. There is nowhere in the world that would have as much in terms of environmental protection and regulation as opening up this area. I do believe that is important. I do believe that it should be included in the bill. That is why it is in the bill. But I will say that the false choice that we will hear from the other side today is either environmental protection or economic progress and economic development. That is not an option. The option that is in front of us is to protect our environment and to have a healthy. strong growing economy. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD POMBO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2840}
{"speech_id":1090139667,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am the only person in this Congress that has ever lived on the north slope for over a year. I know what pristine means. If we put you down there in the middle of winter. you would not think pristine. If we put you down in summer. which is 2 weeks in July. with the mosquitos. you would not think pristine. but once you live there and learn to appreciate what has happened there. it becomes pristine. but that should not be the issue. This bill is an insurance policy against dependence on foreign oil. Let us develop this. not to consume it. Let us develop this resource. find out where we are. to have an insurance policy against foreign oil price gougers. Let us give our folks some protection at the pump by filling in this one piece. ","speaker_name":"ROBIN HAYES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1236}
{"speech_id":1090139667,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Again. exploration. not for consumption. Exploration is pressure against foreign oil suppliers now as we develop alternative forms of energy as we increase. conservation. . I arrived here in a hydrogen car a few minutes ago. I never would have thought that would have happened. That is an alternative. E85. I have got a bill to do that. again. to take away our dependence. but dont take this piece away from us. It will help us. It is not about consumption. it is about conservation.","speaker_name":"ROBIN HAYES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1236}
{"speech_id":1090139701,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I did not hear any mention when my colleague from New York spoke as to how much the fuel needs of New York would be met if ANWR were allowed to go through. I suggest that it probably would be somewhere in the range of 10 years. maybe. What about after that? What do we do after that? This is a red herring. This is a distraction. This is not about any one particular States needs. This is about the needs of our country. Why are we not addressing the needs of our country? This is like dressing a pimple on the cheek of an elephant when the problem is the entire elephant. We need to be looking out for the interests of the entire country. not just one particular State and its needs. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1131}
{"speech_id":1090139701,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should be talking about alternative fuel sources and developing them in this country. This whole discussion is a political misdirection and a ploy to take the focus off the issues this country is facing today. I ask my colleagues to reject this political ploy. Vote against this bill. Do not allow the pristine country that we are talking about. ANWR. to be disrupted. Let us leave it for future generations. as it is meant to be.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1131}
{"speech_id":1090139726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. this is a historic debate. We have OPEC and the oil industry tipping consumers upsidedown at the pump every single day. Rather than having a debate out here on the House floor on the amount of alternative renewable fuels we use which would dramatically increase by millions of barrels a day. rather than debating out here on the floor how we would increase the fuel efficiency standards over the next 10 years of all of the vehicles we drive in the United States. which would push out additional millions of barrels of oil a day. so that. 10 years from today. there would be no imported oil from the OPEC countries. no imported oil from the Persian Gulf. instead. we are debating a bill which wont produce the first barrel of oil for 10 years. and it will come from a pristine wildlife refuge. That just shows you how bankrupt the Republican energy strategy is. It is almost Memorial Day weekend. Millions of drivers are getting ready to go to the pump to get ready for their long drives only to pay $3.20. $3.40 a gallon. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2185}
{"speech_id":1090139726,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The answer from the Republican party is. we will help you 10 years from now from a gas station we create in the pristine wildlife refuge in Alaska to send oil down to California to put into SUVs to get 15 miles a gallon. That is not the answer to this crisis. We have a choice. make our country more addicted to oil or chart. a new direction. We need cleaner air and water rather than more pollution. We need abundant. renewable energy and more efficient vehicles to drive in our country. We put 70 percent of all the oil we consume into gasoline tanks. Instead. we are here talking about something that. will not happen for 10 years. The American people want to know. when will the Congress stand up for them and make sure that the oil industry and OPEC stops sticking them up at the pump? Because our country has been paralyzed for 6 years by this Congress and by the Republican White House. which unfortunately is still too controlled by the oil industry vote to ensure that we protect this Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from being exploited. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2185}
{"speech_id":1090139730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. once again. we have before us legislation to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling. My question is: What problem are we trying to solve? If this is an attempt to lower gas prices. then this bill wont do the job. According to a July 2005 report of the nonpartisan Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy. Arctic oil will reduce the price of a gallon of gas by less than a penny. If this is an attempt to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. then this bill is not the solution. Whether we drill in the Arctic or not. U.S. dependence on foreign oil is projected to grow. The simple fact is that the U.S. has less than 3 percent of the worlds oil reserves yet our country is responsible for 25 percent of the worlds annual petroleum consumption. This bill will rip apart a 1.5millionacre wildlife refuge for a 6 month supply of oil. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090139730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The proponents claim that the drilling will be limited to a mere 2.000 acre area. As a point of comparison. the 100milelong. 12lane New Jersey turnpike covers 1.800 acres. That limitation applies only to where the drilling will occur. not to supporting infrastructure. including roads. In addition. no requirement exists for the 2.000 acres to be contiguous. Drilling stations can be spread throughout the refuge. dotting the landscape. Mr. Speaker. we have other choices. Choices that will preserve sensitive wilderness areas. reduce air pollution. and end our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. We should be improving the fuel economy of cars and trucks. which stands at the same level today as it was 20 years ago. We have the technology today to raise the standard for automobiles by 10 percent over the next decade. saving 1.1 million barrels of oil per day and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 million metric tons a year. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090139730,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House Democrats developed an Innovation Agenda. which was introduced last November. In it. we proposed cutting petroleumbased fuels by rapidly expanding production and distribution of synthetic and biobased fuels such as ethanol derived from cellulosic sources. and by deploying new engine technologies for fuelflexible. hybrid. plugin hybrid and biodiesel vehicles. This is not faroff technology. It is at hand. and if we promote it now. we can end our dependence on Middle Eastern oil in a decade and we can do it without drilling in the Arctic or other sensitive areas. These are the steps we should be taking. not the destructive policies which this bill represents. I urge my colleagues to reject the bill.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2532}
{"speech_id":1090139737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the American Made Energy and Good Jobs Act. Exploring for energy in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would be a major step toward energy independence for America. Energy markets are uncertain and American consumers feel the pinch at the pump whenever there is the slightest market disruption. American families should not have to risk their energy future on the whims of foreign dictators. rebel forces. and regimes that do not have Americas interests in mind. From Venezuela. to Nigeria. to Saudi Arabia. America continues to gamble its economic future through dependence on foreign oil. The time to stop this is now. The way to stop this is by increasing domestic production of oil. ","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1150}
{"speech_id":1090139737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Energy Information Administration estimates that ANWR is capable of producing more than 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. more than U.S. imports from Saudi Arabia. or Venezuela on any given day. This effort should not stop with ANWR. We must also explore the reserves that lie off of - our shores in the Outer Continental Shelf. The onlyway to secure our energy future is to utilize the resources we have here at home.","speaker_name":"ERIC CANTOR","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1150}
{"speech_id":1090139757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. there is a difference between real security and rhetorical security. Today it is easy to see which one the Congress is committed to. We received what was perhaps the greatest wakeup call in the Nations history on September 11. And the failure of our national security personnel on that day should have been the catalyst for an unprecedented strengthening of our system. But in ways that mattered most. it did not happen. In more than 4 years. this Congress has failed to properly fund the Nations first responders in spite of their historic and heroic performance on that terrible day. In fact. the years funding levels are $100 million less than last years. In 4 years. Congress has also failed to secure the Nations chemical plants. Over 300 plants nationwide. each with a capacity to kill 50.000 or more people if they were attacked. are left with security unupgraded. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7654}
{"speech_id":1090139757,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What many experts consider the single greatest vulnerability to our security today. our ports. has not been addressed. 5 years after 9\/11. 95 percent of May 25. 2006 - CO cargo can containers that pass through our ports are never inspected in any way. And after all we have heard lately about border security. the Congress has refused to pay for the border agents or detention facilities needed to enforce the immigration laws that we pass. Madam Speaker. while I speak of the failings of Congress to invest in real security for our people. it is critical to remember which party has been in charge since 2001. Since that time. Democrats have tried again and again to get our Republican colleagues to back up their words with actions. We have authored numerous amendments to increase funding for critical *and essential national security programs. This year we presented an amendment to provide an additional $3.5 billion for border. port aviation and disaster preparedness programs. And I understand that for $1.5 billion. we could give every port on earth the ability to check cargo. The Democrats wanted to pass funding that would support 1.800 new Border Patrol agents: more than the 800 more immigration investigators and 9.000 new detention beds. We authored legislation to fund 500 new radiation monitors to inspect cargo and increase funding for public transportation by twothirds. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7654}
{"speech_id":1090139757,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it was a Democratic bill that would have given our first responders $600 million more with which to protect themselves as citizens of the country. All of these amendments were rejected by Republicancontrolled committees. Now. at the same time. the actions of government agencies that we trust to defend us raise serious questions about their competency and compassion to protect this Nation. And I must talk about what they have done over in Homeland Security in regard to the Shirlington Limousine contract. As you know. 2 years ago. they were given an unbid contract of $3.5 million to chauffeur around people who work for DHS in Washington. despite the fact that. I am certain. they have fleets of cars. as every other agency does.. and how cheap it would have been for them to take a taxi. But that was not enough. A year later. they awarded a $21 million contract to the same company. bid this time. They were not the low bidder. but they did get the contract. Now let me tell you that if the first responders and the officials up in my part of the country can get their hands on $21 million to fortify the borders. they would do it in a New York minute. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7654}
{"speech_id":1090139757,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Shirlington. when it was given these contracts. was nearly bankrupt. It had recently been fired by a local university for poor performance. and its president is a convicted felon. No background checks of any kind were done by -the Department of Homeland Security. Now. the company is now involved in an ongoing Federal investigation. along with several unnamed Members of this body. which has so far revealed that it may have literally provided the vehicles by which an illegal influence peddling ring operated. I have submitted a resolution of inquiry to the Homeland Security Committee which would compel DHS to turn over all documents related to the awarding of their contract to Shirlington. No hearing has been held. basically no questions have been raised. After all. the American people have a right to know how a corrupt and dubious company received a huge contract with our Homeland Security money and. who. if anyone. interceded on its behalf. It takes the wonderment of Alice in Wonderland believing six impossible things before breakfast to believe that someone in that agency did not grease the skids for that company. But DHS has so far refused our requests for information. We do not even have a response. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7654}
{"speech_id":1090139757,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the Republican Congress refused to force them to turn over that information. and I want to know why. Nor is this the only way in which DHS. the supposed cure for the problems that permitted September 11 to take place. has yet to prove itself to be a valuable agency. Frankly. its value is very dubious. My constituents in the northern United States have experienced such a reality first hand. In January 2008. Homeland Security and the State Department intend to introduce new forms of border identification for northern residents as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The plan itself is deeply flawed. It will result in a dramatic reduction in cross border travel and trade and one that will cost the national economies of the United States and Canada billions of dollars every year. And at a recent nieeting that we had with members of the Canadian parliament. they asked the question that is very pertinent: What does Canada do with the citizens of the United States who have gone to Canada and do not have a passport to allow themselves to come home? Is the Canadian government expected to take all of these American citizens into custody and to hold them? On what grounds? And to what end? I suggested at the Rules Committee that maybe we could send the Shirlington Limousine up to Canada and bring them home. But what is worse. it faces opposition. not just from outside the government but within it as well. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7654}
{"speech_id":1090139772,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman coming forth and speaking very clearly. I think every single Member of Congress has an opinion on the effectiveness of homeland security. the effectiveness of FEMA. Our great chairman. HAL ROGERS. yesterday came before the Rules Committee and spent a great deal of time. There was disagreement even among the ranking member and himself about how we continue giving these agencies not only the needed resources but helping them to reform what they are doing. The gentleman from Chattanooga. Tennessee. ZACH WAMP. who sits on the committee. is an example of one of the members of this committee. the Appropriations Committee. who is spending time to look very carefully at this effort. Congressman WAMP. being from Chattanooga. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1679}
{"speech_id":1090139772,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Tennessee. is in the middle of the storms that come and go not only across our southern borders. the gulf region. but also as a member of this Homeland Security Oversight Subcommittee. and he is concerned about what the right thing to do is. So I have confidence that people like HAL ROGERS and ZACH WAMP. who care about and can listento the discussions from other Members. will eventually rectify this issue. HAL ROGERS spoke very clearly that it is his intent right now to provide them the necessary resources and to continue working with them to where they are prepared and ready for this summer. having learned lessons from the past. So I think. and I hope that money that we have provided now and the input that has been provided from Members of Congress in this authorization will go a long way to learning from the past -and being prepared for the future. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1679}
{"speech_id":1090139804,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to be here to present the fiscal year 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. The bill provides just over $32 billion in discretionary funds for the upcoming fiscal year. that is $1.8 billion above the current year. providing ample resources to fund the Departments operations In 2007. After 3 years. the Department of Homeland Security has made enormous progress. but much work remains. The past year has been challenging. We have seen militarylike incursions at the border. learned of potential vulnerabilities within port . security and witnessed a massive failure in our Nations preparedness and response during Hurricane Katrina. It has not been an easy year. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8756}
{"speech_id":1090139804,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have watched the Department tackle these challenges. and have been forthcoming in both my criticisms and praise. and they deserve both. Now. in its fourth year of existence. DHS is still struggling to merge its 22 legacy agencies. Basic business systems are not yet established. And there is a constant shuffling of responsibilities and positions. From one day to the next. it is hard to determine who is in charge of what effort. On top of the mundane job of simply managing a large bureaucracy of over 180.000 employees. the Department is often focused on managing the crisis of the day. Part of this is necessary. Katrinas aftermath certainly required the attention of DHS leadership. But I do not think the Department should lose sight of its long range goals and diverse legacy missions. to deal exclusively with the latest crisis. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8756}
{"speech_id":1090139804,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nor. do I think that we as a Congress can afford to be so caught up in todays crisis that we fail to provide balance. stability and aggressive oversight within the Departments operations. The Presidents budget put a strong emphasis on two areas. borders and Immigration security. and nuclear detection. These are certainly homeland security priorities which I support. But increases in these areas came at the expense of everything else. resulting in reduced funding for first responders. port security and legacy agencies such as the Secret Service. The bill before you shifts some of these resources and provides a balance among all of the Homeland Security priorities. It gives the Department the tools. assets and direction it needs to prepare our Nation for both terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Since September 11. we have provided $217.6 billion for homeland security. including $116.9 billion for the Department itself. This does not include emergency appropriations for Hurricanes Katrina. Rita and Wilma. For the past 3 years. we have provided funds to get the Department up and running. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8756}
{"speech_id":1090139804,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But this year marks a turning point for the Department. It is 3 years old. It is already up and running. We now expect results. No longer will we tolerate excuses and delays due to reorganizations. personnel shortages and poor financial management. Those days are over. We need to hav6 confidence that this money is making a -difference and that as a Nation we are safer and better prepared. The bill includes a number of initiatives designed to compel the Department to develop strategies and milestones for performance. To eliminate any ambiguity of Congressional intent.. the bill fences funds until certain actions are performed. In fact. a total of $1.3 billion is withheld until we have strategic plans. expenditure plans. and better financial data throughout the Department. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8756}
{"speech_id":1090139804,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill also balances funding across all programs. not just a select few. But there are some caveats. We give money to the Department. but we also require results. For port security. cargo security and container security. we include $4.185 billion. a significant sum of money. but not without strings. There are stringent performance requirements. such as doubling the amount of cargo Inspected. 100 percent screening of all cargo and the establishment of minimum security standards for all cargo containers. It also requires that DHS double the amount of cargo screened for radiation. These requirements are in line with the recently considered SAFE Port Act. which overwhelming passed this House For border security and immigration. enforcement. the bill is also generous. We provide $19.6 billion. including almost $4 billion for the Secure Border Initiative. Again. these funds do not come without strings. Strategic and expenditure plans must be submitted for this effort. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8756}
{"speech_id":1090139814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank the gentleman for his efforts to work with our subcommittee and commend him for his leadership in the Committee on Homeland Security. I also appreciate the opportunity to work with the gentleman on legislative provisions contained in the homeland security bill. As this bill moves forward towards conference. I want to assure the gentleman that I am committed to retaining the key oversight provisions included in this bill. I also look. forward to working with the gentleman to ensure that measures consistent with the legislative agenda of the Committee on Homeland Security. particularly in the areas of border. immigration and port security. emergency preparedness and chemical site security. I thank the gentleman.","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":785}
{"speech_id":1090139928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. I am concerned about the fact that we have been flatfunding rail security over the last several years. Millions of tons of hazardous materials are shipped daily across Americas rail lines. And any one of these shipments could become potentially a weapon of mass destruction. Also. millions and millions of passengers travel our passenger rails every day and could be placed at risk by a terrorist attack. Lets just look at the record. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090139928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the year 2001. a 60car freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a tunnel in Baltimore and literally shut down the city. In March 2004. a series of coordinated attacks in Madrid. Spain. killed 192 people. In July of 2005. three bombs exploded in the British or the London Underground. 56 people were killed and 700 were injured. We see from these terrorist attacks abroad that there is a pattern of activity and an ability to target these rail systems successfully. And yet here in the United States. we have flatfunded security for our passenger rail and for our freight rail. My family rides the rails virtually every day. I have got relatives in Connecticut who commute into New York City. My wife goes to Boston twice a week. When my daughter and my niece come up from New York. they ride the rails. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090139928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So this may not appear to be a hazard to some of our colleagues who live in parts of the country that do not rely as heavily as we do on rail transportation. but what we have discovered from talking to the Amtrak police over the last several months is that there are three Amtrak policemen covering the route. stationed in New Haven and covering the route roughly from the New York border to Providence. Another three out of Baltimore covering the routes north and south from New York and to Washington. D.C. This does not seem to be an adequate investment of personnel to cover these passenger trains that go along these tracks on a daily basis. Furthermore. the Amtrak police have a tremendous turnover of personnel. They have lost 100 percent of their personnel over the last 10 years due to the lack of a con-. tract. a lack of adequate funding and a lack of benefits. And new personnel that come in and train frequently leave after a year or so to get better paying jobs in municipal police forces around the northeastern United States. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. My colleagues have referred to our fighting the last war. And we have done a magnificent job in providing resources for aviation. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090139928,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have done very well. But we seem to have forgotten that more people travel on our passenger rails on a daily basis than fly. And less people and less dollars are applied to this problem. The American Public Transportation Association has written to us on the subject and has pointed out that rail security is seriously underfunded. So I am glad to join my colleagues in supporting this amendment to H.R. 5441. I thank the distinguished chairman of the committee for all of his hard work and especially the staff. But I think this is an area where we need to add some more dollars.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090139952,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do. Mr. help address the preparedness needs of Chairman. The amendment proposes to emergency responders at all levels. I appeal to the chairman and I appeal to the ranking member. the preparedness needs of emergency responders. from the State emergency managers down to the rankandfile first responders. the amendment would add much needed funding for the Emergency Management Performance Grant program. the EMPG. by $40 million. and the SAFECOM program office by $10.3 million. Mr. Chairman. the Emergency Management Performance Grant program is the only source of funding to assist State and local governments with planning and preparedness readiness activities associated with natural disasters. Mr. Chairman. I will also include into the RECORD letters of support from the major organizations. the National Emergency Management Association and the International Association of Emergency Managers. The latter deals with local and county emergency boards.","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":959}
{"speech_id":1090139976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that. and I appreciate the gentleman not objecting at this time. What I did was. to be honest with you. I truncated my statement when I rose this second time. that is. on this second iteration of the amendment. and I realize that many people an hour ago probably were not listening. So when. the gentleman from Kentucky said that $30 million was in the budget. that was true and it remains true. and I do not contest that except in my earlier statement I made clear that. one. I praised him for putting in $30 million because the Bush administration wanted zero. but second. the $30 million number is the same number that was in last years budget before Katrina. before the avian flu threat became clear. before all the lessons that this country has learned unfortunately through real life experience. That is why I believe that we have to increase this budget by this near $15 million. That is what the fire chiefs are asking us for. That is what the unions are asking us for. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1951}
{"speech_id":1090139976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In other words. the local police. the local fire. the employ-. ees in the hospitals all across the country. they are all saying: We are not prepared. Our emergency rooms will be overrun. We do not have the capacity to respond to a nuclear or chemical or biological event. We will be paralyzed in the first one hour. We need better metropolitan planning so that no one hospital. no one neighborhood is devastated. So I am asking for the increase because of what we have learned over the last year. what we are seeing ourselves as Americans. horrified last Labor Day weekend. saw these people looking up. looking for help. and realizing there was no metropolitan medical response plan. We have learned in audits of plans across the whole country that there is still not in existence plans of a way that would adequately deal with this issue. So. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for not objecting. and I urge the Members to support my amendment.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1951}
{"speech_id":1090140014,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. as the Department proceeds with the site selection for the mirror data services center. we feel it is important that all appropriate GSA site selection procedures be followed and that an RFP be issued clearly stating objective criteria for the site. We seek your assistance in ensuring these procedures are used and that a proper RFP is issued.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":358}
{"speech_id":1090140031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment. Mr. Chairman. I would like to make an inquiry if I could. Mr. Chairman. we have a CBO scoring. Apparently. M. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MARSHALL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":480}
{"speech_id":1090140031,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I apologize. the amendment which has been provided and which is at the desk and which was announced is not the amendment that we have submitted. What we would ask is permission to withdraw the amendment which has been submitted and actually submit the one that is supposed to have been submitted.","speaker_name":"JAMES MARSHALL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":480}
{"speech_id":1090140078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate consideration of my amendment by the subcommittee. This amendment adds the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to the list of committees to receive a report on the April 25. 2006. unmanned aerial vehicle mishap. The operation of Customs and Border Proterction unmanned aerial vehicles sometimes occurs and has occurred in our National Airspace System. and that is also taking place along our Nations southern border. and perhaps eventually that will also occur on the northern border. All Customs and Border Protection UAV operations are conducted now in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration with an FAAissued Certificate of Authorization. It \"sets forth various restrictions and conditions of operation. Operations will take place within an FAAestablished Temporary Flight Restriction area. The operations of UAVs outside the restricted airspace. in the integrated airspace with manned vehicles. poses some unique safety issues for the FAA.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090140141,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Appropriations have until midnight. June 5. 2006. to file a privileged report. making appropriations for foreign operations. export financing. and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2007. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090140159,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I. too. am a great proponent of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and believe we need to get the best radiation detection syste~hs to our borders as quickly as possible. That said. I still believe money should be spent wisely. GAO points out that there is no evidence the Advanced Spectroscopic -Portal Monitors are any better than the RPMs going into place today. but they cost four times as much. If the less expensive RPMs work just as well. let us buy them. However. I understand DNDO is completing a costbenefit analysis that will tell us if the investment in the more expensive ASP systems is wise. ","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1036}
{"speech_id":1090140159,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If they are a wise investment. this provision will harm no one. If they are a poor investment. it will slow down the crystal production program. and it should. Just because we like a program does not mean that we should not provide sound oversight or to waste taxpayers dollars. I urge Members to reject this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"HAROLD ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1036}
{"speech_id":1090140290,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is truly a joy to be able to join you here on the floor tonight and hear the report from the gentleman from Georgia. which clearly illustrates that we have done much good in recent days here in this Congress. and to outline what we will be doing that is very positive in the coming weeks when we return. I also wish to be able to at this time piggyback on the comments of my good friend from New Jersey. who is talking about some of the issues we have and the overall approach to funding. that we have here in Congress. I would like. if I could. to focus my comments on a few things that we have in relationship between States and the Federal Government with money. A former majority leader of this House once said that if you want to get out of the trap. sometimes you have to let go of the cheese. Well. in the relationship we have between Federal and State governments. sometimes we have to let go of the cheese and emphasize what I think the gentleman from New Jersey was saying. the Tenth Amendment. In the 1860s. flush with money from heavy protectionist tariffs. the United States tor the first time -passed the Morrill Act which. was a significant grant of federal money to a State for a specific purpose. in that case Land Grant Colleges. which have done a great job. I have one in my State. my kids went to it. it is great. But a century later. in the 1960s. that changed somewhat. as the Federal Government started dangling money out and States. cash starved. accepted that money. What happened. like any good addict. once the States were hooked on the money. they could not let go. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4554}
{"speech_id":1090140290,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And the Federal Government. as any good supplier. as soon as they were hooked. started changing the rules of the game with mandates. with strings. with attachments to those programs. I dont find anyone even wrong or evil in this process. The Federal Government has all sorts of people coming to us with problems they want help on. and we as a people simply want to help. The States.. I spent 16 years in the legislature of a State. are trying to build services without extended costs to the States. and that federal match hanging out there is extremely tempting. But what we find eventually down the line is the Federal Government has a budget we would like to control in some way. and the States are hooked on the money we keep giving to them. with the fear if they lose the money. they will alsb lose control of the programs. which they dont have right now in the first place. David Walker wrote a book called The Rebirth ofFederalism. and in it he said from the period of 1964 to 1980 there was something that he called creeping conditionalism that came into this country. As he wrote. \"There was a perennial Congressional tendency to impose strings and the more recent habit of adding regulations and mandates. The tendency even among block grants was and is to acquire conditions.\" We can see that in some of the programs like Safe Streets. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4554}
{"speech_id":1090140290,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CETA and CDBG. In addition to that. there is a cost that is developed by the States for this Federal programming help. For example. in his book he also talks about the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1986. which now impose estimated costs of $2 billion to $3 billion annually on public water systems. That is money that must be raised by local taxpayers to pay for mandates and requirements of the Federal Government on this program. that was originally supposed to be a sharing concept. The Education For the Handicapped Act. passed in 1968. now averages $500 million annually of additional costs to State and local government. It has been estimated. he said. from 1983 to 1990. additional mandates that the Federal Government imposed upon State and local governments. somewhere between $8 and $13 billion in additional costs. Which simply means. as the old adage says. the only thing that is worse than an unfunded mandate is actually a funded mandate. Now. is there blame to go around? Yes. on both our sides. Blame on the Federal -Government because we become too involved in too many projects in a kindhearted effort to try and help people. There is also blame for the State governments. who take this too much. become too entrapped and need these programs and .these funds to continue on. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4554}
{"speech_id":1090140290,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And though both of us are unhappy with the situation. we keep lumbering on with the same concept and the same program. Both of us. the Federal and State governments. find ourselves in a trap. and both of us. if we are going to improve. have got to some day realize we have to let go of the cheese.","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4554}
{"speech_id":1090140301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Texas for his wisdom and expertise and he is so right. We are doing this and we are taking these steps. And you know. as the gentleman said. there are going to be some things that are not rocket science. It is just that you know. it is like Ronald Reagan said. when you have a Federal Government program. there is nothing so close to eternal life on Earth as a Federal Government program. And it is very difficult to get those programs cut down. but we are up to this task. We have been working on this. We are ready to move full steam ahead. And we want to invite the American people to work with us when they know where there is waste. fraud. and abuse where we should be rooting something out. They should contact us. talk to us. let us know what their suggestions are. This is going to be not those glamorous big frontpage bills that you see passed. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3285}
{"speech_id":1090140301,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is working on the process of government. This is working on the operations of government. It is time for us to roll our sleeves up and get to work. And we are looking forward to our summer of spring cleaning and working on making certain that people are aware where programs have outlived their usefulness. where there are redundancies. We have 342 different economic programs in this country in this Federal Government. and it is time to begin to streamline that. so that our local governments do a better job of utilizing those resources. And we are doing this. addressing all the programs. addressing our entitlement spending because we want to be certain that America stays free. We are trustees of a wonderful. wonderful legacy. It is a legacy of sacrifice. It is a legacy of service. It is a legacy that the men and women in uniform have fought for and the freedom in this Nation is worth preserving. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3285}
{"speech_id":1090140301,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we are looking forward to beginning to work on those processes of government and reducing the size of the Federal Government. I want to turn our attention this evening now back toward the immigration issue where we began our conversation. and spend a little bit of time as we focus this and the concernthat this body has. because of our love for this Nation. because of our respect for the men and women who are fighting to keep us free. because of our concern for what we see happening on our southern border and. yes. on our northern border too. and because of what we know takes place every day with illegal entry as individuals break the law. aa they enter this country. Mr. Speaker. you know. it is so interesting. there are laws on the books for prosecution. for penalty. for those that illegally enter your car. your home. your business. and your country. And how interesting. how interesting that we are choosing to say to those that illegally enter the country. we are going to consider to let you stay. How very interesting that we have some that support that. As I said earlier. amnesty is something I do not support. I have never supported it. and I continue to stand solidly against it. I have two of my colleagues with me for this discussion. the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from California . and I am going to yield to the gentleman from Texas Mr. CARTER for a couple of more comments on immigration and then. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3285}
{"speech_id":1090140301,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I will yield the balance of the time to","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3285}
{"speech_id":1090140335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I opposed the nomination of GEN Michael Hayden to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. General Hayden has many qualifications as an intelligence professional. but I am sad to say. that he is the wrong person for the job. Over the last years. the abuse of the CIA by the Rumsfeld Pentagon and the Cheney White House has hurt our national security and our credibility around the world. as the CIA was bullied into becoming a client of administration ideologues. yielding unfounded claims of \"slam dunk\" evidence for mythical weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I am not confident that General Hayden is the person best equipped to restore the CIAs independence and credibility. not just because he comes from Secretary Rumsfelds Pentagon but because he was the Administrations principal spokesperson and defender of an illegal domestic spying program. We are reminded again and again of the administrations determination to keep the extent of their illegal domestic spying program secret. All we have to do is look at the news that the Department of Justice abruptly ended an investigation into the conduct of Department lawyers who approved the programnot because the approving lawyers were cleared of wrongdoing but because investigators were denied the information to conduct the investigation. The question before us is not whether we are committed to destroying terrorists and preventing terrorist attacks before they happen. We all are. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4890}
{"speech_id":1090140335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. we can wage and win a far more effective war on terror. No. the question is whether we can restore checks and balances between the executive and legislative branch and what can be done to restore accountability for an administration that too often appears run by. people who hold themselves above the law. How many times will Government secrecy shield decisionmakers from any kind of accountability? The fact that General Hayden was the key architect and. more recently. the principal defender of a program that listened to phone calls of Americans without a warrant. a program the administration refuses to come clean about. resides at ground zero of this debate. The goal of General Haydens program was appropriate: to find alQaida operatives who would do us harm. But the administration. instead of relying on the consent of the people through the American Congress and the court created under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. chose. unnecessarily. to assert the Presidents unfettered authority as a wartime commander to execute this program. We must use every tool at our disposal to protect America. But the administration has no reason to assert unchecked Executive power when Congress is more than willing to work to create the mechanisms to keep America safe while we still preserve our essential liberties. America has been the strongest. safest. most secure Nation on the planet for more than 200 years without ever having to choose between security and freedom. We can have both. But it requires an executive branch that respects the coequal branches of Government. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4890}
{"speech_id":1090140335,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After the terrorist attacks of September 11. 2001. the Nation Was united behind the President. Congress was--and isprepared to do anything necessary to win the war on terror and ready to work with the President. If President Bush believed the domestic eavesdropping laws were insufficient. then all he had to do was ask Congress to improve them immediately. But the President didnt do that. Instead. he decided he was above the law. General Hayden was the architect of that plan. and to this day he clings to an unnecessarily expansive interpretation of Executive power. That is not what America needs in the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. We take our civil rights very seriouslyand we should. It is our heritage and our birthrightone generations gift to the next. earned in the blood of Americans since our revolution. The mistrust. the anger. the lack of confidence so many Americans feel about this program is a -reflection of our love of liberty. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4890}
{"speech_id":1090140335,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Regrettably. it is also the result of the way this administration has conducted itself: asserting its right to act by executive branch dictate because we are a nation at war. In one moment. the President of the United States says we are not listening to domestic calls without a warrant. in another. the Attorney General says he cant rule it out. We are a nation at war with global jihaadists. a war that. as the Department of Defense calls it. will be a \"long war.\" Ad hoc and secret solutions to issues that demand a reasoned balance between security and the freedom of law abiding Americans cannot simply be handed over to the executive branchof any party. This Congress has much work to do before we can say we have effectively insisted on that balance and done our duty. Before we do. it would be a mistake to support General Haydens nomination.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4890}
{"speech_id":1090140383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I voted against General Hayden for the position of Director of Central Intelligence as a protest vote against the administrations policy of not informing the Congress. with special emphasis on the Judiciary Committee. in a way which enables the Congress and the Judiciary Committee to do our constitutional job on oversight. I have no quarrel with General Hayden. He is a man with an outstanding record. I have no objection to his retaining his military status. He has testified in a way. before the Intelligence Committee. which was candid. I would be especially pleased to support a fellow Pennsylvanian. But in light of what the administration has done on the NSA program. which he has headed for many years. I feel constrained to vote \"no\" as a protest. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8399}
{"speech_id":1090140383,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration has not complied with the National Security Act of 1947. which requires notification of all members of the Intelligence Committee. That was only done in the few days prior to the confirmation hearings on General Hayden. In fact. the administration for years notified only the socalled Gang of 8. the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate. and the chairmen. vice chairman. and ranking members of the Intelligence Committees. Just because that had been the practice. it is not justification for violating the express language of the National Security Act of 1947. which requires notification of all members of the Intelligence Committees. During the 104th Congress. I chaired the Intelligence Committee. and for that period of time I was a member of the socalled Gang of 8. Candidly. I dont think the administration told the Gang of 8 very much about what went on. Be that as it may. admittedly the administration did not tell anybody but the Gang of 8 about their electronic surveillance program until it was disclosed by the New York Times on December 16 and the Judiciary Committee brought in the Attorney General and had pressed on in a series of hearings. then. belatedly. a subcommittee was formed in the Intelligence Committee and seven additional members were informed. Then. at first. the House resisted to having only part of their Intelligence Committee informed. but. finally. 11 Members of the House were informed. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8399}
{"speech_id":1090140383,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then. in the wake of the Hayden nomination. the administration finally complied with the Act by informing all of the members of the Intelligence CommitteeI think. plainly. so that they could get General Hayden confirmed. When the Judiciary Committee called in Attorney General Gonzales on February 6. which was the first day we could do it after the midDecember disclosures and the hearings which we had scheduled on Justice Alito. it was an embarrassing performance. The Attorney General refused to say anything of substance about what the program was. We were ready to retire into a closed session. had- that been productive. but it was a situation where the Judiciary Committee was stonewalled. plain and simple. The Attorney General then wrote us a letter on February 28 seeking to clarify and explain what he had testified to beforeand only more questions were raised. We have still not resolved the issue as to whether we will recall the Attorney General before the Judiciary Committee. but there is a question as to its value and whether we can get anything from a repeat performance from Attorney General Gonzales. As I say. that remains an open question. In the interim. I have proposed legislation which would turn over the administrations surveillance program to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. That court has a record of expertise. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8399}
{"speech_id":1090140383,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That court has a record for not leaking and we could have it make the determination as to the constitutionality of the program. We had a hearing where we brought in four exjudges of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court who know its operations in great detail. They made some suggestions which were incorporated into my proposed legislation. thereby improving it. They answered the questions about the possibility of an advisory opinion and the issue of the case in controversy requirement. I have since conferred with Senator FEINSTEIN and Congresswoman JANE HARMAN. ranking member on Intelligence in the House. about working on legislation. Both of those individuals have been privy to briefings by the administration on the program. There was a suggestion that. with additional resources and with some structural changesfor example. expanding the 3day period to 7 daysthe FISA Court would be in a position to pass. on an individual basis. the program. Whether that is so or not. I dont know. but that is a possibility. When the disclosures were made about the telephone companies providing substantial information to the administration and the NSA. the Judiciary Committee scheduled a hearing. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8399}
{"speech_id":1090140383,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We had it set for June 6. Yesterday. in an executive session. the issue was considered about subpoenas. since two of the four telephone companies had requegted subpoenas. the issue was also raised as to a closed session. There were objections raised by some members of the committee about calling in the telephone companies. Suggestions were made by other members of the committee about calling in other members of the administration. Since we were in the middle of the debate on immigration. we held a very brief meeting in cramped circumstances in the Presidents Room off the Senate floor. It was decided to defer the hearing with the telephone companies by 1 week to give the committee an opportunity on June 6. the same date we had previously scheduled a hearing. to consider these issues and decide them at greater length. An interesting suggestion was made by one of the members of the committeethat in the past. when that member of the Judiciary Committee was on the Intelligence Committee. he had called for a secret session of the full Senate to discuss matters which had been disclosed to him in the Intelligence Committee which he was barred from saying publicly. That is an avenue which I am currently pursuing. The stonewalling of the Congressand particularly the Judiciary Committee and precluding the Judiciary Committee from discharging our constitutional duty of oversightis particularly problemsome in light of a pattern of expanding executive authority. A ranking member of the administration reportedly told a ranking member of Congress that \"we dont have to tell you anything.\" We have scheduled a hearing on signing statements where the President has asserted his authority to pick and choose what he likes and what he doesnt like in legislation which was passed by the Congress and signed by the President. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8399}
{"speech_id":1090140399,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Monday next is Memorial Day. Monday next. being May 29. my memory goes back to May 29. 1937. It was a Saturday. I was working in the meat shop as a meat cutter at the Koppers Store in Stotesbury. Raleigh County. WV. It was a coal mining community. I started working there in the gas station for Koppers Store for $50 a month. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10758}
{"speech_id":1090140399,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I walked 4 miles to work and 4 miles back home. unless I might catch a bread truck or a milk truck. But on that Saturday. May 29. 1937. at 5 oclock p.m.. my two senior meat cutters at the Koppers Store in Stotesbury. WV. and I closed up the meat department and went home. I put on my best suitactually. my only suitand where did I go? I headed off to Sophia. 4 miles away. to the house of the local hardshell Baptist preacher U.G. Nichols. And there I met with my high school sweetheart. Erma Ora James. May God bless her sweet memory. She was the beautiful daughter of a coal miner. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10758}
{"speech_id":1090140399,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This was a coal miner who helped to teach me to play the old fiddle tunes long ago: \"Sally Goodin.\" \"Mississippi Sawyer.\" \"Arkansas Traveler.\" and \"Shell Be Comin Round the Mountain.\" and so on. At 6 oclock that evening. Preacher Nichols pronounced ErmaGod bless her sweet nameand me \"husband and wife.\" That union. I am very proud to say. endured for 68 years. 9 months. and 24 days. So on May 29. 3 days from now. Erma and I would have celebrated our 69th wedding anniversary. That is something to brag about. Dizzy Dean said it was all right to brag. if you have done it. and Erma and I did it. Erma didnt quite go all the way. But on May 29. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10758}
{"speech_id":1090140399,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Erma and I would have celebrated our 69th wedding anniversary. That is something not heard about very often these days. a 69th wedding anniversary. The Scriptures tell us that \"whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord.\" Well. on that blessed dayin 1937a long time agoI certainly found a good thing. In looking back on the life that Erma and I shared. I can say. in accordance with the scriptural passage. that I must have been favored by the Lord. \"The joys of marriage are the heaven on earth.\" wrote the English dramatist. John Ford. five centuries ago. How right John Ford was. When I think of Erma. I still think of the beautiful line from a song that I used to hear and play. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10758}
{"speech_id":1090140399,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe. when I played the fiddle: \"She came like an angel from the sky.\" For almost 69 years. this angel from the sky not only tolerated me. but she was the guiding light for me. She was my teacher. She taught me how to drive an automobile. She was my banker. my accountant. Very early in our marriage. as a matter of fact. on Sunday. the day after the Saturday evening on which.Erma and I made our vows. I turned to her and said: \"Here is my wallet.\" I think I had saved up probably $300. I said: \"You keep it. When I need a dollar. Ill come to you and ask for it.\" That is the way it was. and that is the way it has been throughout our 69 years. What a job she did from the meager paychecks. and they were meager. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10758}
{"speech_id":1090140417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this week we are in a rush to finish our business so we can head home for the Memorial Day Recess. Memorial Day signals the beginning of summer. when children are out of school and families get to spend time together. Its a time for vacations and trips to the shore. and backyard barbecues. But most important of all. Memorial Day is also the time when we remember the brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This year there are almost a thousand more names on that list than last Memorial Day. In total 2.750 troops have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan: 2.455 in Iraq and 295 in Afghanistan. Almost 18.000 more have been seriously wounded. I keep a gallery of the pictures of the fallen outside my office in the Hart building. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090140417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More and more people come to visit it. and I encourage my colleagues. their staff and our constiuent guests to view it and honor the memories of these heroes. New Jersey families have lost 71 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year. near Memorial Day. I read the names of New Jerseys fallen troops they would be enshrined for all time. Fifteen more New Jerseyans have died since then. Today. with your indulgence. I would like to read their names and hometowns into the RECORD: SSG Jeremy A. Brown. whose mother lives in West Orange. SPC Armer N. Burkart. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090140417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Blairstown. PFC Ryan D. Christensen. whose mother lives in Brick. LTC Terrence K. Crowe. member of the U.S. Army Reserve in Lodi. NJ. SFC Michael Egan. his mother resides in Pennsauken. SGT Clarence L. Floyd. his mother resides in Newark. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090140417,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CPT James M. Gurbisz. Eatontown. SSG Edward Karolasz. Kearny. SPC Gennaro Pellegrini. Jr.. whose father resides in Wildwood. CPT Charles D. Robinson. Haddon Heights. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090140417,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LCpl Edward A. .Schroeder. South Orange. *SSG Stephen J. Sutherland. West Deptford. 2LT Dennis W. Zilinski. Howell. SSG Christian Longsworth. Newark. and SGT Matthew Fenton. Little Ferry. On this Memorial Day. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2062}
{"speech_id":1090140426,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased today to introduce legislation with Senator SPECTER to reaffirm the exclusivity of the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act of 1978. FISA. and streamline the process by which it works. This measure brings the socalled Terrorist Surveillance Program being conducted by the National Security Agency under the process required by FISA. The bill will enhance our na\"tional security and provide constitutional protections against government intrusion into the privacy of ordinary Americans. Specifically. the bill that we introduce today would: Restate. in no uncertain terms. that FISA is the exclusive means by which our Government can conduct electronic surveillance of U.S. persons on U.S. soil for foreign intelligence purposes. Expressly state that there is no such thing as an \"implied\" repeal of our FISA laws. No future bill can be interpreted as authorizing * an exception from FISA unless it expressly makes such exception. Increase flexibility under FISA by extending the period of emergency electronic surveillance from 72 hours to 7 days. which should cover all contingent needs. and Authorize designated supervisors at the NSA and the FBI to initiate emergency electronic surveillance. provided that the surveillance is reported to the Attorney General within 24 hours. and approved by the AG within 3 days and the FISA Court within 7 days. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4040}
{"speech_id":1090140426,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The purpose of this is to prevent bureaucratic delay in an emergency circumstance. In addition to these major provisions. the legislation we introduce today makes several additional changes to reinforce FISAs exclusivity and adapt existing FISA authorities and procedures. These changes are designed to allow applications to move faster from the field to the FISA Court. and to allow that Court to handle any increased caseload that will result from bringing the current NSA program into the FISA regime. These additional authorities. streamlined procedures. and additional resources respond directly to needs described by the Attorney General. current and former FISA Court judges. and outside experts. Specifically. the bill: Allows the Attorney General to delegate his authority to approve applications going to the FISA Court to two other Senateconfirmed Justice Department officials. Takes FISAs current allowance for 15 days of warrantless electronic surveillance following a declaration of war and extend it to the 15 days: 1. Following a Congressional authorization to use military force. or 2. A major terrorist attack against our nation for the same period of time. Authorizes additional personnel at the NSA. the FBI. the Department of Justice. and the FISA Court. to reduce the time it takes to initiate. review. and file a FISA application. . Allows for additional judges to the FISA Court as needed to manage the caseload. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4040}
{"speech_id":1090140426,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Facilitates a review of the FISA application process. culminating in a report designed to eliminate any unnecessary delay in the filings. and Mandates the creation of a secure. classified document management system to facilitate electronic filing. In addition to reaffirming FISAs exclusivity. as I mentioned before. the legislation: Prohibits the use of Federal funds for any future electronic surveillance of U.S. Persons that does not fully comply with the law. and Requires that the full Intelligence Committees be briefed on all electronic surveillance. and related. programs. We are in a war against terrorists. who seek to attack us in unpredictable and asymmetric ways. Intelligence is the key to our defense. we must know about the terrorists intentions and capabilities to do us harm if we are to stop them. Electronic surveillance. including surveillance conducted within the United States on U.S. persons. is part of our defense. The men and women at the NSA and the FBI who do this work are careful. dedicated officials. But even in this war on terror. we should not sacrifice basic protections enshrined in the Constitution. including the fourth amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizures.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4040}
{"speech_id":1090140430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased today to recognize Mr. Allan W. McWilliams of Berryville. VA. who has served on the town council for 24 years. Mr. McWilliams served as ward representative from 1982 until 1991 and assumed his current role as the towns recorder in 1991. Mr. McWilliams. who is affectionately known as \"Bugs.\" has made numerous. contributions as one of the towns leaders. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1211}
{"speech_id":1090140430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During his tenure on the town council. Mr. McWilliams has worked to promote fiscal responsibility. lower taxes and responsible planned growth. He has overseen the development of a professional community police force and has helped to implement a longrange capital planning project. As a resident of Berryville for more than 50 years and an owner of a business in downtown Berryville for the past 27 years. Mr. McWilliams is truly committed to the growth and success of this town. Mr. McWilliams. who is married to Barbara and is the father to Jeffery and Michelle. has brought an innovative spirit and commonsense. principled leadership to the Town of Berryville. I am grateful for his service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and am pleased to join his colleagues. friends and family members in honoring him upon his retirement.*","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1211}
{"speech_id":1090140434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great pride that I pay tribute to the United States Coast Guard Cutter Icebreaker Mackinaw on her 62 years of exceptional service on the Great Lakes. The Coast Guards largest cutter assigned to the Great Lakes. the Mackinaw will be decommissioned on Saturday. June 10. 2006. The power and majesty of the Mackinaw have made her a unique and aweinspiring cutter. setting a high standard by which other icebreakers are measured. Construction of the Mackinaw began on March 20. 1943. by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company of Ohio. With the Great Lakes serving as a vital link for industry and commerce. the Coast Guard needed a vessel that could accomplish in one pass what took smaller icebreakers three or four passes to accomplish. Out of this need was born the legendary \"Mighty Mac.\" At a length of 290 feet. a beam of 74 feet. a displacement of 5.252 tons. and a maximum speed of 16 knots. the Mackinaw was the most powerful icebreaker in the world when she was commissioned on In the years since then. the Mackinaw has served proudly on the Great Lakes. with Cheboygan. Michigan. as her home port. In addition to her mission of breaking ice in the fall and spring. the Mackinaw has been called upon to serve as a buoy tender. carry fuel and supplies to light stations. serve as a training vessel and assist vessels in distress when necessary. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2877}
{"speech_id":1090140434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Mackinaw has completed all of these duties with distinction. Along the way. the Mackinaw has captured the imagination of the people of the Great Lakes. and they call her by many names: \"The Mighty Mac.\" \"Big Mac.\" \"Ice Cream Machine.\" \"Great White Mother.\" \"Mack Attack.\" \"Guardian of the Eighth Sea.\" and \"Grand Lady of the Great Lakes.\" The great success of the Mackinaw is due. not only to the capabilities of the vessel herself. but also to her crew. Over the last 62 years. more then 3.000 men and women have served this country aboard the Mackinaw. These men and women should be saluted for their dedication. hard wiork. and tireless efforts in protecting and securing the safe passage of vessels on the Great Lakes. The crew of the Mackinaw is also to be commended for their volunteer efforts. Since 2000. the Mackinaw has taken on the special mission of acting as Chicagos Christmas Ship. Each December. the crew makes the 350 mile .trip from Cheboygan. Michigan to Chicago. Illinois. bringing Christmas trees to be distributed to disadvantaged families in Chicago. Since its inception. this program has provided more than 6.000 trees to families in need during the holiday season. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2877}
{"speech_id":1090140434,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On the eve of her decommissioning. I would like to praise the United States Coast Guard Cutter Icebreaker Mackinaw for her 62 years of service on the Great Lakes. And I thank the current and former crew of this great ship for their service and commitment. The Mackinaw will be long remembered for a job well done.*","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2877}
{"speech_id":1090140435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great pride that I pay tribute to the United States Coast Guard Cutter Acacia on her 62 years of exceptional service on the Great Lakes. The \"Ace of the Great Lakes\" will be remembered for her strength. integrity. and rich maritime history. The Acacia is the last of the Coast Guards classic World War II era 180 foot buoy tenders. and when she is decommissioned on Wednesday. June 7. 2006. it will be the end of an era. The Acacia. constructed during World War II by the Zenith Dredge Company of Duluth. Minnesota. was launched on September 1. 1944. She was named after the U.S. Lighthouse Service Acacia. the only Lighthouse Service vessel sunk during World War II. In the years since her commissioning. the Acacia has served proudly on the Great Lakes. calling Charlevoix. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2452}
{"speech_id":1090140435,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Michigan. home port for the last 16 years. Affectionately known as \"The Big A.\" the Acacias primary duties have been the maintenance of more than 210 buoys. lighthouses and other naviga-. tional aids in the Great Lakes. Servicing these aids to navigation has required travel from as far south as Calumet Harbor to as far north as Little Bay De Noc. The Acacias icebreaking capabilities were also vital to maintaining the safe passage of coal ships in the channels between Toledo. Ohio and Detroit. Michigan every winter through her participation in Operation Coal Shovel. In addition. the Acacia has assisted in icebreaking. and search and rescue operations on the Great Lakes and throughout the world. Internationally. the Acacia and her crew took part in operation Uphold Democracy in 1994. supporting the Department of Defense in patrolling the coastline of Haiti. Whether working on the Great Lakes or in international waters. the Acacia and her crew have completed all of their missions with class and integrity. As we pay tribute to the Acacia. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2452}
{"speech_id":1090140435,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to recognize the contributions of her crew to her great success The proud men and women who have served this country aboard the Acacia over the last 62 years are to be saluted for their commitment. hard work. and impressive skill in protecting and securing the safe passage of vessels on the Great Lakes. On the eve of her decommissioning. I would like to praise the United States Coast Guard Cutter Acacia for her service on the Great Lakes. And I thank the current and former crew of this great ship for their service and commitment. The Acacia will be long remembered for a job well done..","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2452}
{"speech_id":1090140438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am introducing a revised bill on asbestos reform. with the sponsorship of Senator LEAHY. This is a subject which the Senate had considered earlier this year. and it is one which I hope we will return to. To give impetus to that. I am introducing an amended version of the asbestos trust bill which makes very substantial improvements to satisfy interests and concerns raised by a number of Senators. The bill provides for a more prompt recovery for the sickest claimants. stronger medical criteria. preserves the ability of the bankruptcy trusts to continue paying impaired claims. has an improved allocation formula for wellinsured and financially strapped defendant companies. and it has a tighter control on socalled leakage. Last Friday. we lost a great American judge. Judge Edward R. Becker. who made such an enormous contribution to the structuring of this asbestos reform legislation. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090140438,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He gave his own time. came to Washington at his own cost to preside over many meetings with the socalled stakeholders. the manufacturers. the trial lawyers. the AFLCIO representing labor. and the insurance companies. He was working on this bill making calls to Senators right up until the time that prostate cancer took him a week ago today. When I gave him a report of our progress when it was obvious that the end was very near. he said. \"Win one for the Gipper.\" And we want to win one for. the Gipper. for Judge Becker. We want to win this one for America. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of my prepared statement and the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1589}
{"speech_id":1090140448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over the next 20 minutes or so. we will be wrapping up what has been a very busy but very productive week. moving to a period which will begin with the celebration of this weekend. in the sense that a lot of people will be with families back at home. back with their constituents. back in their communities. but we will move very quickly to our Memorial Day recess. I will have a few statements to make. a few words to say on what will be going on. on Monday. We have had a very successful week in the sense that we have completed another nomination thus far. We will have a few more in a little bit that we have agreed to on both sides. We have completed an immigration bill that we worked on for about a monthinitially. for 2 weeks. then a pause. and then for the last 2 weeksa bill that. as I said yesterday. does reflect the will of this body. Not everybody agrees with it. Not anybody. I think. agrees with everything in that legislation. But it is comprehensive legislation that demonstrates that we are governing. addressing the very real problems. real challenges that face us in America today.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090140473,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to voice my support for the Kansas City Kansas Community College Debate Team. The team. under the leadership of Head Coach Darren Elliot. recently won. for a third consecutive year. the three national championships in collegiate debate among community colleges. I congratulate Coach Elliot. along with each assistant coach and team member. on their tremendous success. Their dedication to education and intercollegiate debate is truly commendable.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":475}
{"speech_id":1090140484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on May 30. 1868. mourners placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. DC. This marked the first observance of Memorial Day. On Monday. America will continue this tradition by honoring our Nations fallen soldiers in ceremonies across the country. Ever since GEN George Washington defeated the British at Yorktown. American soldiers have honorably defended the cause of liberty in conflicts at home and. indeed. around the worid. Today. our men and women in uniform are bravely waging the war on terror. taking the battle to the enemy so that the enemy does not do battle here at home. America thanks our soldiers for their dedication. for their determination. and for their patriotism. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1976}
{"speech_id":1090140484,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We honor the 25 million living veterans who have served their country in past wars with honor and courage. And we remember those patriots who have given the ultimate sabrifice in service to their country. Two years ago. I had the privilege of attending the dedication of the National World War II Memorial. It was the largest gathering of surviving veterans in 60 years and an experience I will never forget. One of the veterans was asked how did they do it. how did ordinary young men set aside their fear in the face of extraordinary odds against determined enemies. The veteran replied simply: Theres nothing else you can do but do your best and keep firing until the ammunition runs out. One of the inscriptions on the monument is a quote by President Truman. It embodies the patriotic spirit of this annual remembrance. It reads: Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1976}
{"speech_id":1090140484,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices. So on Monday. we remember. we honor. and we respect Americas heroes. the men and women who did their best. and we repay in small measure the debt we owe them for their service and their sacrifice.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1976}
{"speech_id":1090140626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we are resuming debate on the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 1. the Marriage Protection Amendment. It will be necessary to file cloture on the motion to proceed. Therefore. that cloture vote will occur Wednesday morning. In the meantime. we have a number of Senators who wish to come to the Senate to speak to the marriage amendment. We are also working on an agreement for debate time during Tuesdays session. Under a previous agreement. at 10:15 tomorrow morning. we will vote on the nomination of Renee Bumb to be U.S. District Judge for New Jersey. That will be the first vote of the week. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1122}
{"speech_id":1090140626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also remind all of our colleagues. on Wednesday of this week. we will have a joint meeting with the House to hear an address by the President of the Republic of Latvia. That address will occur at 11 a.m. Therefore. Senators should be prepared to depart the Chamber around 10:40 a.m. on Wednesday morning. I also remind all of our colleagues this week the Senate will address the death tax repeal. the Native Hawaiians issue. and the supplemental appropriations conference report when it becomes available.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1122}
{"speech_id":1090140662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator from Vermont. Mr. President. I rise today to start what I hope will be a constructive debate on my amendment. S.J. Res. 1. known as the marriage protection amendment. I think at this point in the debate it is important that we carefully review what is said in the amendment and what the intent of the amendment is. It reads: Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. That is the first sentence. The second sentence says: Neither this Constitution. nor the Constitution of any State. shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12354}
{"speech_id":1090140662,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. what does that mean. Lets break it down. And that is what this chart does that I have before us. It says simply that we are going to have a uniting. uniform definition of marriage throughout the United States. And then the second sentence. it guarantees that the courts cannot force States or the Federal Government to grant any of the rights. benefits. or other incidents of marriage to any union other than that of a man and woman. Legislatures and the people will continue to have the power to grant whatever rights or benefits they choose through the democratic process. Definition of marriage: This first sentence prohibits courts and legislatures from changing the definition of marriage. The second sentence further prohibits the courts from creating civil unions or domestic partnerships or granting the right or benefits of marriage. But it doesnt interfere with private contracts between a business or a private entity of some type. The legislatures can do the following things. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12354}
{"speech_id":1090140662,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They can create civil unions or domestic partnerships. They can grant the rights and benefits of marriagethe second sentence of this amendmentLand again it doesnt affect employment benefits offered by private businesses. What we are trying to protect is the State legislatures from haying their legislation and the peoples legislation within their State overturned by an unelected branch of Government. the courts. Before makihg my formal comments and going any further. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues who have cosponsored this amendment. It has taken countless hours of study and discussion to get to this point. and each of our 31 cosponsors has shown courage and commitment to protecting marriage. I would also like to express my appreciation to the majority leader for his commitment and leadership. Without the support of the Senate leadership. the public may never have had an opportunity to address this vitally important issue in a democratic body. I would also like to express my appreciation to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Senator SPECTER. who has ably reported it out of the committee to the floor for debate. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12354}
{"speech_id":1090140662,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Marriage. the union between a man and a woman. has been the foundation of every civilization in human history. The definition of marriage crosses all bounds of race. religion. culture. political party. ideology. and ethnicity. Marriage is embraced and intuitively understood to be what it is. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman. As an expression of this cultural value. the definition of marriage is incorporated into the very fabric of civil policy. It is the root from which families and communities are grown. Marriage is one bond on which all other bonds are built. Marriage is not some controversial ideology being forced upon an unwilling population by the Government. It is. in fact. the opposite. Marriage is the ideal held by the people. and the Government has long reflected this. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12354}
{"speech_id":1090140662,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The broadly embraced union of a woman and a man is understood to be the ideal union from which people live and children best blossom and thrive. As we have heard in hours of testimony. in eight hearings. in numerous Senate committees over the last several years. marriage is a pretty good thing. A good marriage facilitates a more stable community. allows kids to grow up with -fewer difficulties. increases the lifespan and quality of life of those involved. reduces the likelihood of incidences of chemical abuse and violent crime. and contributes to the overall health of the family. It is no wonder so many single adults long to be married. to raise kids. and to have families. Today. there are numerous efforts to redefine marriage to be something that it is not. Marriage is and it always has been a union between a man and a woman. I believe the Framers of the Constitution felt that this would never be an issue. and if they had. it would have been included in the U.S. Constitution. Like the vast majority of Americans. it would have never occurred to me that the definition of marriage or marriage itself would be the source of controversy. Not too long ago. it would have been wholly inconceivable that this definition. this institution of marriage would be challenged. redefined. or attacked. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12354}
{"speech_id":1090140705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak in honor of the 150th anniversary of Stupp Bros.. Inc.. from the great State of Missouri. Five generations of the Stupp family in Missouri have devoted themselves to the success and innovation of this homegrown St. Louis business. On this milestone in the history of Stupp Bros.. Inc.. I commend the company leaders and employees for their contributions to the worldwide business community. In 1856. the city of St. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090140705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Louis was a tremendous boomtown and the bustling inland port at the seat of the Mississippi River for pioneers heading westward. Thousands of immigrants flocked to the city from Italy. Ireland. and Germany in search of a better life for their families. One German immigrant named Johann Stupp settled in St. Louis. There he founded J. Stupp and Bro.. Blacksmiths. a shop focused primarily on repairing tools and machinery parts. Like many Missourians at the time. Stupp became deeply involved in the Union effort as the Civil War unfolded. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090140705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the conflict. Stupp assisted the work of James Eads in crafting a fleet of ironclad gunboats for use in battle by the Union Army. Shortly following the war. the blacksmith shop faced hard times. Yet with the aid of his sons George. Peter. and Julius. Stupp rebuilt the business as Stupp Bros. South St. Louis Iron Works. receiving a charter of incorporation from the State of Missouri for building and repairing iron and steel structural work. After Johann Stupp passed away in 1915. the Stupp brothers continued to manage the company with great success. Recognizing the fast changing and evermodernizing world in which they lived. the Stupp brothers reorganized the companys services to keep up with the needs of a rapidly growing United States. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090140705,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Like their father during the Civil War. the Stupp brothers supported World War I by fabricating parts for Liberty ships. In World War II. the Stupp Bros. received the Army Navy EAward for its construction of 176 LCTs. which landed allied troops on beaches throughout the world in the defense of freedom. During much of the 20th century and still today. the Stupp Bros. family of companies has provided bridge fabrication. structural steel for commercial buildings. custommade piping for oil and gas. steel line pipe coatings. and community banking services. Some of their accomplishments have been designing carrying structures for the Department of Defense to protect missiles from attack. building two straddlecarrier transporters to assist the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA. for the \"moon shot.\" and completing a 796 mile natural gas pipeline spanning from northwest Texas to Illinois. Despite its impressive contributions to the country during both war and peace time. the mark of Stupp Bros. is nowhere greater than in the city of St. Louis. As the Kiel Center took shape in 1933. Stupp Bros. provided the steel for its construction. Later in 1978. the Stupp Bros. fabricated over 7.000 tons of steel for the First National Bank highrise building in the downtown area. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090140705,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Perhaps of most interest to me. given my particular fondness for the St. Louis Cardinals. is that Stupp Bros. fashioned the floodlighting and electronic scoreboard for Sportsmans Park. the original Busch Stadium. Recognizing its responsibility to the community. Stupp Bridge has also been a civic contributor to the greater community. In 1951. the company launched a charitable trust to be known as Stupp Bros. Bridge and Iron Co. Foundation Trust. Over the last 50 years. the foundation has generously provided millions of dollars in contributions to local and national charities. One of its most notable actions is the establishment of a scholarship program which supports the college education for the son or daughter of a Stupp employee. The story of Stupp Bros.. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4377}
{"speech_id":1090140737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we resume consideration of judicial nominations today. it is worth taking stock of the mileposts we have passed and those we are working toward. Chairman SPECTER has now chaired the Judiciary Committee for 17 months. I congratulate him on that. The committee has been extremely active. and we have achieved a good deal working together. We reported a bill to provide compensation to asbestos victims and began its consideration in the Senate. Just recently. we joined together to introduce a new version of our legislation. to note the passing of our friend Judge Becker and to recommit ourselves to finishing this bipartisan task to provide fair compensation to asbestos victims and reduce the litigation burden that asbestos cases have imposed on our civil justice system. We worked together to report a comprehensive immigration reform bill and continued to work with Senators KENNEDY. MCCAIN. HAGEL. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090140737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MARTINEZ. and others in a bipartisan coalition that culminated in Senate passage of S. 2611 late last month. We look forward to help from the President to enact that measure later this year. We worked together to revive and reauthorize the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. I supported the Judiciary Committee and Senate bill. When our bill was hijacked. I appreciated Chairman SPECTERs efforts to restore some balance and his efforts to work with those of us seeking improvements. Sadly. the -final product insisted upon by the BushCheney administration and House Republicans was not one I could support. We are working together now in a bipartisan. bicameral partnership to reauthorize the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act. We need to complete hearings on our bill without further delay. and I hope that we can report our bipartisan bill by midJune so that these important provisions. including those in section 203 providing voting access for language minorities. can be reauthorized this year. We worked together to report privacy legislation to the Senate last November. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090140737,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senate action on our bill is overdue. The recent theft of millions of veterans personal information and the growing problem of identification theft remind us how important these issues are for so many Americans. We have also worked together on competitiveness issues including the NOPEC legislation to clarify that our antitrust laws should be applied to the OPEC cartel. our broader bill on windfall oil company profits. and out bill to end the antitrust exemption for the insurance industry. We have made progress on several issues. but our work is far from over. There are only 13 weekq left in this legislative session of the Senate and we still have much that needs to get done. The Republicancontrolled House and Senate have yet to enact a Federal budget and are in violation of the statutory deadline of April 15. We have yet to pass a single appropriations bill. and we are required by law to pass 13. We have yet to reconcile and enact the emergency supplemental appropriations bill that has been pending for months and that includes funding for Iraq and Katrina victims and other matters. We have yet to reconcile and enact lobbying reform and ethics legislation. We have yet to deal with the skyrocketing cost of gasoline. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090140737,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have yet to reconcile and enact a bipartisan and comprehensive immigration reform bill. We need to enact stronger privacy protection legislation. especially in the wake of the theft of information on more than 26 million veterans. We have yet to enact stem cell research legislation. We need to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. We have yet to enact patent reform legislation. And I hope that we will take up. pass and enact our asbestos compensation legislation and my measure to speed lifesaving medicine to those in desperate need. I have urged that we exercise effective oversight of the executive branch. and I have supported Chairman SPECTERs efforts to get to the bottom of the NSAs unprecedented program of domestic spying on Americans without warrants. We need to make more progress on this important front and to restore accountability and check and balances in our Government. One of the most important checks and balances to unprecedented overreaching by the BushCheney executive branch is an independent judiciary. With respect to judicial nominations. we worked together in connection with the *nominations of Chief Justice Roberts. whom I came to support. and Justice Alito. whom -I did not. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090140737,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have sought to expedite consideration of qualified. consensus nominees and urged the Presilent to work with us to make selections that unite all Americans. Today we will proceed to confirm another lifetime appoirrtment to the Federal courts in New Jersey. With the support of the New Jersey Senators. we were able to confirm Judge Susan Davis Wigenton just before the last recess. Her nomination. as well as the nomination of Renee Marie Bumb that we are considering today. were reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee to the Senate more than a month ago. Rather than proceed to those nominations promptly. the Republican leadership of the Senate delayed their consideration while proceeding over time with circuit court nominations. I was cooperative in proceeding to the confirmation of Judge Milan Smith to the Ninth Circuit. His confirmation demonstrated. again. that we can work together. I was pleased for his brother. the Senator from Oregon. and believe that he will be a fine judge. Regrettably. the Senate Republican leadership chose not to move to any of the four district court nominations from New Jersey. or the two nominations to district courts in Michigan that their home State Democratic Senators have reached out to support. Instead. they forced debate on another controversial nomination. that of a White House insider selected for a lifetime position on the DC Circuit as a reward for his loyalty to President Bush. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090140761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are now talking about S.J. Res. 1. the Protection of Marriage Amendment. We have an allocation of time that has been set out for the Republican side. Later on there will be an allocation. I understand. of the Democrats tinle.. I will allocate myself 20 minutes. Would the Presiding Officer notify me when I have used 17 minutes of that?","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090140769,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague from Coloxado. Senator ALLARD. for his carrying of this amendment. When the issue first surfaced a couple of years ago. Senator ALLARD was the first one to put forward a constitutional amendment on the issue of marriage. a very simple one to define the union of marriage as a man and a woman. The issue has taken many twists and turns since that time. The institution itself has been weakened over a number of years. and this is an effort to help it. help strengthen that institution and to have the definition of this institution done by legislative bodies and not by courts. This is a very simple amendment. It is hard for me to understand why anybody would oppose it when 45 of 50 States have defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. and this simply says that if States want to define it differently. they have to go through the legislative process and not the courts. so that the Court cant force it. It must be done by a.legislative body. And if some States decide to do that. then that is provided for in this amendment. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10868}
{"speech_id":1090140769,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the five States that have done something different are provided for in the amendment. Yet the basics of it say marriage is the union of a man and a woman. as it has been as qn institution for thousands of years. So I thank my friend from Colorado for carrying this. It is a difficult topic. I would never have dreamed in my life. in coming to the Senate. that this would be a difficult topic. one that would be debated. When I came into the Senate in 1996. this was not discussed at all in the campaigns. It was not discussed in the campaign in 1998. It has only been of a recent vintage that this has come forward. Yet it has come forward because of the importance of the topic. I want to discuss two points. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10868}
{"speech_id":1090140769,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This issue is -going to be defined by the courts or the legislative bodies. period. We seek to have it defined by legislative bodies. We think that is the appropriate thing when you are dealing with such a fundamental institution of society as marriage. It should be defined by the people and the legislative bodies and not the courts. The situation in Europe. as it evolved. went through the court process. Therefore. we seek for these changes. if they are to be made. to go through the legislative body. I believe that marriage is such a foundational institution it should be defined as the union of a man and woman. and I will cover that in my discussion. No. 2. this is important on how we raise the next generation in the United States. That is why we have favored the institution of traditional marriage. the union of a man and a woman. because we know in all the social data in all societies at all times that the best place to raise children is in the union of a man and a woman and in that sacred institution is the best place to raise your next generation. with that bonding together for life and children raised in that setting. That is something for which we have got social data. but also we know that in our hearts. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10868}
{"speech_id":1090140769,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know. sitting here right now. that. yes. that is the best place. I know that. I know that in my own heart. Yet I want to take us through what has happened to this weakened institution of marriage. what has happened then to our next generation. Here I am using the Moynihan principle. Senator Moynihan. who was in this body. since deceased. had a basic principle that he looked at. One of the key things we should look at is how we raise the next generation. It is something that any legislative body should be most concerned about because it affects what you are going to do in the future. It affects what the country is going to be in the future. And so we should maximize and look with great intensity at how you are impacting that next generation. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10868}
{"speech_id":1090140769,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have to say. with the weakening of the institution of marriage over the past 30 to 40 years. with this redefining of marriage. which would define marriage out of existence. which is what we have seen in other countries. you are going to harm your next generations and succeeding generations that you raise. I want to back that up. I am going to go through a series of charts to paint the picture of what has happened to marriage in America today and why we would encourage the institution of marriage as the union of a man and a woman. This doesnt need explanation. You can see where we are. With a 4percent rate of outofwedlock births in 1930. we are at about a third of the children in the United States today born to unmarried women. That is not to say you cannot raise great children in this setting because you can. A number of women struggle heroically to raise children. and good children. in this setting. as they can do. As I will show in these charts. it becomes far more difficult. and that is why institutions such as this and across the States. across the country. favor traditional marriage because you get more adults per child involved in that childs life and they are bonded together. They are thick. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10868}
{"speech_id":1090140790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will alert the Senator from Nevada that it tied for 33rd in the list of priorities for America today. I ask the Senator from Nevada. since the Republican majority controls the Senate. they set the agenda for things that we debate and vote on. do they not?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090140795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the chairman of the Judiciary Committee on the floor yesterday said this issue dealing with marriage is a solution in search of a problem. It is being done. I believe. to divert. distort. and confuse Americans as to what the real problems are. Do anything possible. but dont talk about gas prices because if we talk about gas prices. we would have to bring out on the floor that the most oilfriendly Presidency in the history of this country is now at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The President made his fortune in oil. Vice President CHENEY is still making his fortune in oil. He made it with Halliburton. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on the board of directors of Chevron. They liked her so much they named a tanker after her. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090140795,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Secretary of Commerce made his fortune in oil. We could go on and on. If we talk about the issues affecting the American people. then maybe what we would do is Senator MARIA CANTWELLS pricegouging bill. Exxon made $34 billion in net profit last year. which is the most money a corporation has ever made in the history of America. So. no. the majority doesnt want to talk about these issues. about the tax credit for sending kids to college.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090140801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Prisident. the distinguished Senator from Illinois knows. as I know. that there isnt a person in the Senate who thinks this has any chance of passingno chance of passing. It will get 48. 50. 51 votes. I dont know how many votes it will get. If it were a straight upordown vote on an amendment. it would get less than that because some Republicans have said: This is a procedural vote. I am going to vote to allow it to go forward. but if it were here. I probably wouldnt vote for it. So you probably have in the Senate 41 or 42 sound votes for this.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":553}
{"speech_id":1090140802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If I can ask the Senator from Nevada. how much time do we have? If we take a week and spend it on a gay marriage amendment. and then a week and spend it on a flag amendment. and then another week and spend it on. lets say. repealing the estate tax on the wealthiest people in America. dont we have a lot of time left before the election to consider issues such as the war in Iraq. energy costs. health insurance for all American families. the cost of education. and the appropriations bills? How much time do we have if we take 3 weeks?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":536}
{"speech_id":1090140806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask the Senator from Nevada. he says. we have 45 days. and we are going to spend 3 or 4 days this week on an amendment that doesnt have any chance. that ranks 33rd in a Gallup poll when it comes to the interests of the American peopleI return to the same basic question: Why? Why are we doing this? Why arent we focusing on issues that count if we have so little time?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":370}
{"speech_id":1090140815,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My only correction of the distinguished Senator is it is $2.5 billion a week the war is costing us. about $10 billion a month. I mentioned. I say to my friend. the definition I got in college about a central hole divided into selfgoverning parts of the States. I always thought the Republican majority. as it is now. believed in States rights. That is what federalism is all about. Where in this debate. that shouldnt be taking place on the floor right now. is there any inkling of States rights? None. Fortyfive States have already. through statute or constitutional amendment. as in NevadaNevada amended its constitution on this issue. But where are my frienols. my Republican friends? Where are they on this issue of States rights? This isnt the first time we have brought up issues that have been defeated. defeated. defeated. Medical malpractice is something the State of Nevada took on on its own. set their own rules. The Governor called a special session of the legislature. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1407}
{"speech_id":1090140815,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We now have rules in the State of Nevada dealing with medical malpractice. That is not good enough for this Republican majority. We have voted. I believe. three times on a national law dealing with medical malpracticetake the States out of the picture. So I ask my friend. he being involved in Government. in one way or another most of his adult life. does he remember the Republicans at one time standing for States rights?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1407}
{"speech_id":1090140856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In summary. to summarize these cases. there are currently nine States facing lawsuits challenging their marriage lawsLCalifornia. Connecticut. Iowa. Maryland. Nebraska. New Jersey. New York. Oklahoma. and Washingtonand the State supreme courts are expected to rule in New Jersey and Washington sometime this year. So the bottom line is this: The people are not deciding the Constitution. the judges are. If we do not do anything. if We stand aside and let the States work it out. as some of my friends have suggested. then the American people are likely to see the institution of marriage redefined against their will. and it will be much more difficult to adopt a constitutional amendment after these rulings are in place than it is to do so before they are in place. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":943}
{"speech_id":1090140856,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to have printed at the conclusion of my remarks excerpts from a policy paper that was issued by the Senate Republican Policy Committee.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":943}
{"speech_id":1090140884,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. a couple of my colleagues have spoken in favor of the constitutional amendment that is up today. They.have given eloquent statements. We have others who are coming. What I wanted to do while we wait on additional Members who are coming over to the floor is cover a couple of points I believe have been touched upon. but I think they deserve emphasis. I appreciate my colleagues on the other side of the aisle raising a number of issues that they are saying we are not dealing with. I urge them to vote for cloture on these issues when they come up because we will bring these issues upon the budget. the supplemental is in a conference. we will have an Energy bill that is going to be coming up. I hope they will vote for cloture to go to that Energy bill so we can actually get it up to vote on.it on the floor. I know a number of them are supportive of the Native Hawaiian issue and are complaining because these issues are not in the top 20 issues in the United States. of the peoples concern. Yet they are not raising the Native Hawaiian issue which will come up this week as well. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2263}
{"speech_id":1090140884,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge them to vote against that if they think it is not a highpriority issue. I do think there is some speaking out of both sides of the mouth when you raise all these issues we should be covering and then vote against cloture. preventing us from covering those issues. and then complain about a marriage amendment that they are saying doesnt rise to the level of interest in the United States. I think it is of a high interest in the United States or you\" wouldnt have seen all these States that covered it. There is another issue that has been covered some. I hope we can address that issue. It is the issue of religious freedom. If you do not define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. but define it to require that you have to recognize samesex unions. that is the basisone of the bases on which Catholic Charities was driven out of the adoption business in Bdston. They were required by law to do something against the tenets of their faith. I hope that can be developed some a little later on. My colleague from Missouri is here. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2263}
{"speech_id":1090140884,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He is one of the strong supporters of this amendment. I yield the floor to the Senator from Missouri. Senator TALENT.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2263}
{"speech_id":1090140941,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce a resolution whereby the Senate calls upon the Government of the Russian Federation to fully protect the right of individuals to worship and to practice their faith as they see fit. This resolution reiterates provisions on religious freedom that are contained within the Russian Constitution of 1993 and international agreements to which the Russian Federation is a party. I am especially appreciative for the cosponsorship of this important resolution by my colleagues and friends. the senior Senator from Delaware. Mr. BIDEN. the junior Senator from Oregon.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":600}
{"speech_id":1090140943,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Examining DOJs Investigation of Journalists Who Publish Classified Information: Lessons from the Jack Anderson Case\" on Tuesday. June 6. 2006 at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen -Senate Office Building room 226. Witness list Panel I: Matthew Friedrich. Chief of Staff for the Criminal Division. Department of Justice. Washington. DC. Panel II: Rodney Smolla. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090140943,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dean and Professor. University of Richmond School of Law. Richmond. VA. Gabriel Schoenfeld. Senior Editor. Commentary. New York. NY. Kevin N. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090140943,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Anderson. Fabian & Clendenin. Salt Lake City. UT. Mark Feldstein. Director of Journalism Program and Associate Pr9fessor of Media and Public Affairs. School of Media and Public Affairs. George Washington University. Washington. DC.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090140945,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Tuesday. June 6. 2006. at 2:30 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building room 226. The agenda will be provided when it becomes available. Matters Discussion of the possibility of subpoenas and a closed session for a Telecom\/NSA Information Sharing hearing.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090140974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to congratulate the young men and women who competed in the 79th annual ScrippsNational Spelling Bee last week. I would like to extend special praise to Miss Katharine \"Kerry\" Close for winning this demanding competition. Miss Close is an eighth grade student at the H.W. Mountz School in Spring Lake. NJ. and was sponsored by the Asbury Park Press and the Home News Tribune. Other New Jersey participants included Serenity Fung of Faith Hope Love Academy in Somerset. Joseph Reed of Deerfield Township Elementary School in Rosenhayn. Austin Tamutus of MacFarland Junior School in Bordentown. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1917}
{"speech_id":1090140974,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tianqi Wang of Ramapo Ridge Middle School in Mahwah. and Nisha Sadanand Naik of St. Annes Parish School in Jersey City. I -am proud of all of them. Miss Closeshowing true grace under pressurewon in the 20th round by correctly spelling \"ursprache.\" which is defined as \"a parent language. especially. one reconstructed from the evidence of later languages.\" Miss Close is a fivetime veteran of the National Spelling Bee. first competing when she was 9. She tied for seventh place last year. Over the past 5 years. Miss Close has spent between 1 and 2 hours each day looking up words and their origins in order to prepare for the contests. Her dedication should serve as an inspiration to all of us. The 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee. which is administered by the E.W. Scripps Company and 268 local sponsors. is the largest and longest running educational promotion in the United States. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1917}
{"speech_id":1090140974,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This competition began with 275 competitors from across the United States. American Samoa. the Bahamas. Canada. Europe. Guam. Jamaica. New Zealand. Puerto Rico. and the U.S. Virgin Islands who qualified for the contest by winning locall\" sponsored spelling bees. I hope that my colleagues will join me in congratulating Miss Close and the other 274 competitors in this years Scripps National Spelling Bee.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1917}
{"speech_id":1090140995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise in memory of Eusebio Penalver Mazorra. who was one of the longest serving political prisoners and a man who President George W. Bush called a Cuban patriot. I would like to recognize his widow. Francis Martinez. who is with us today. In Miami. Penalver led a group called \"Plantados until Freedom and Democracy Comes to Cuba.\" whose five founding members each spent more than 20 years in Castros prisons. Eusebio himself spent 28 years in jail. Penalver was a Cuban political prisoner who fought long and hard against Castros tyranny. Born in Ciego de Avila. in Camaguey. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1047}
{"speech_id":1090140995,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Cuba. Penalver was a Plantado. a prisoner who firmly plants his feet in his cell and does not cooperate with his captors. and he struggled for freedom and democracy throughout his life. He came to the United States as an exile in 1988. and he dedicated his life to fighting Castros tyranny. He was loved and admired by our CubanAmerican community for his dedication and courage in the fight for Cubas liberty. and his presence will be sorely missed.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1047}
{"speech_id":1090141013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in January. the Department of Homeland Security made significant changes to our homeland security effort. They announced the areas eligible for fiscal year 2006 UASI grants. For the first time. Sacramento and San Diego were not identified as highrisk areas. While Sacramento and San Diego did receive fiscal year 2006 funding. the new eligibility guidelines have put our funding for next year and beyond in jeopardy. Sacramento is the capital of the sixth largest economy in the world and home to dozens of critical Federal and State governmental buildings. Much of the States water. electricity. and telecommunications systems are managed from Sacramento. Of considerable concern is an attack on Sacramentos dams and levees. not only because of potential loss of life and impact to Sacramentos families. but an economic impact as well. According to a Sacramento Bee analysis. the economic impact of a major flood in Sacramento would cost the region $35 billion. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090141013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is damage to homes. loss of jobs. and government revenues. The San Diego area contains the Nations seventh largest city adjacent \"to a heavily trafficked international border. a busy port. and tourist attractions. Nor should it be overlooked that a number of naval and Marine bases are located in San Diego. including the largest naval base in the country. With fewer installations after four rounds of BRAC. an attack on even one could result in even greater impact. An attack of either of these cities would have repercussions well beyond our region. Therefore. Congressman FILNER and I have very real concerns about DHSs new eligibility guidelines accurately addressing our homeland security needs. We all agree that a riskbased grant program is an effective use of our limited resources. However. policy is only as good as the information that goes into it. DHS has already acknowledged that it failed to take into account the catastrophic downstream impact to my district if there were an attack on Folsom Dam. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090141013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This only raises the question of","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090141031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont believe that the Department of Homeland Security is enforcing this law currently. and I do believe they should. But this is the most expeditious method by which we can get enforcement of a law that has been on the books for 10 years and it is a clear law.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":262}
{"speech_id":1090141228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5126. the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006. which was introduced by Chairman BARTON and my friend Mr. ENGEL from New York. I also am a proud cosponsor. original sponsor. of the bill which was the subject of a legislative hearing in the Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee and favorably reported by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 24. 2006. This legislation protects consumers by prohibiting the deceptive practice of manipulating. or spoofing. caller identification information. Caller ID spoofing occurs when a caller fakes his caller ID information. so that the numbers which appear on their caller ID screen is not the callers actual phone number. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5031}
{"speech_id":1090141228,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In many cases. such spoofers are actually transmitting someone elses caller ID information instead of their own. Apparently. some spoofers just do it to play a practical joke on their friends. but there have been reports. of much more sinister uses of spoofing. In some instances. spoofing is being used to trick people into thinking that the person on the other end of the phone is someone from a government agency or perhaps another trustworthy party. For example. in last months AARP bulletin. there is a consumer alert describing a prevalent scam whereby spoofers get the local courthouses phone number to pop up on peoples caller ID screens and then tell the recipients of the calls that they are judicial officials in order to get unsuspecting victims to divulge personal information. whether it be Social Security numbers 6r drivers license numbers. who knows. Law enforcement officials are particularly concerned about senior citizens susceptibility to such scams. Another reported case involved a SWAT team surrounding an apartment building after police received a call from a woman who said that she was being held hostage in an apartment. and as it turned out. it was a false alarm. Caller ID was spoofed to make it look like it was coming from the apartment. Apparently. it was somebodys idea of a bad prank. In other instances. criminals are stealing credit card numbbrs. getting the phone number of the actual card holders. and then using those credit cards to get unauthorized wire transfers. In such cases. the criminals spoof their caller ID information so that the number which pops up on the wire transfer company operators screen is that of the actual card holder. and because such caller ID information matches the actual card holders phone number on record with the credit card company. the wire transfer company uses it to authorize the wire transfer. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5031}
{"speech_id":1090141228,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thus. spoofing enables the crime to be consummated. And. of course. many of us are familiar with our own credit card companies which may ask us to call from our home phones to authenticate and activate those new cards. If our new cards are stolen out of the mail. then criminals may be able to spoof our home phone numbers and authenticate and activate our new cards from the convenience of their own homes. hotel rooms. or wherever else they might call from. While such spoofing has been technically possible for some time. it used to require specific phone connections and expensive equipment. However. with the advent of VoIP. voice over Internet protocol. over the computer it has become easier for callers to transmit any caller ID information that the caller might choose. Moreover. there are online companies which offer spoofing services for just a couple of bucks for anyone with any phone. Unfortunately. nefarious uses of spoofing appear to be proliferating. and there is no law. no law. that protects the American public from it. The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2006 would make spoofing illegal. More specifically. this legislation adds a new subsection (e) to section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934. New subsection (e)(1) makes it unlawful for any person within the United States in connection with any telecommunications service or VoIP service to cause any caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud or cause harm. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5031}
{"speech_id":1090141228,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The carefully crafted language in this legislation ensures that other spoofing activities which are legitimate. such as the uses for domestic violence services or to routeenhanced 911 calls. are not prohibited. Additionally. the bill provides a savings clause to clarify that nothing in the act is intended to. alter the obligations of telemarketers under the existing FCC donotcall regulations. Mr. Speaker. this is a good strong piece of consumer protection legislation that clearly is bipartisan. I want to thank my friends on both sides of the aisle who have worked particularly hard to create this good bill. including Chairman BARTON. Ranking Member DINGELL. Ranking Member MARKEY and. of course. the sponsor of this bill. Congressman ENGEL from New York. I would urge all my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5031}
{"speech_id":1090141231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for giving me the time to speak on this very important bill. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5126. the Truth in Caller ID Act. and I commend Chairman BARTON for introducing this legislation and moving it forward. I know firsthand that there is a need for this legislation. In my own congressional district. just as in many others. prerecorded telephone call campaigns have misidentified the sponsors by forging the caller identification number to make it appear that my own congressional office was doing the calling. You can imagine how surprised I was to see my number appear on a screen from political prerecorded messages attacking me. It is called spoofing. H.R. 5126 would prohibit the manipulation of caller identification information. or call spoofing. which occurs when a caller falsifies the caller identification number displayed in the caller ID screen. Many companies now offer sophisticated software that permits caller identification information to be manipulated and increasingly allows con artists to scam consumers. sometimes with complicated schemes that ask consumers to provide personal identification data. such as names. addresses. ","speaker_name":"JEAN SCHMIDT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1602}
{"speech_id":1090141231,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Social Security numbers. and bank account information. With the increasing frequency of identity theft. we must do all that we can to end opportunities for falsification of this data. I introduced similar legislation to prohibit caller identification last year. Let us make caller identification truthful and accurate. I strongly support Chairman BARTONS legislation and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"JEAN SCHMIDT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1602}
{"speech_id":1090141257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my support for S. 193. The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2006. our constituents should expect that when they turn on their local broadcast television and radio stations. they will not be subjected to obscene. indecent. and profane material. I believe this legislation does take the necessary steps to ensure that there is a sufficient deterrence to broadcasters who are careless as to their responsibilities to the general public. But. Mr. Speaker I am concerned that this legislation may fail to take into sufficient account the economic conditions of a broadcaster. There are numerous small broadcasters who serve small or niche market. This is particularly true of minority owned stations or stations that target the minority viewers. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GONZALEZ","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090141257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge the Federal Communications Commission when it uses its power under Section 503(b)(2)(D) of the Communications Act of 1934 to consider the size of the market that the broadcaster serves and its ability to pay when assessing a fine for airing questionable material. as this body approved when it passed the companion House legislation to this billH.R. 310 several weeks ago. I also believe that the Commission should consider the source of the obscene. indecent. or profane programming when levying a fine. When a local affiliate not owned or controlled by a network airs questionable programming supplied by the network. the FCC should penalize the party who was really at fault. If the local affiliate was not given a reasonable time to review an offensive taped or scripted program before it aired. or if it aired an offensive live or unscripted program without reason to believe it was offensive. the fault arguably lies not with the local affiliate but with the network that supplied the program. Section 503(b)(2)(D) allows the Commission to adjust a penalty based on the culpability of the violator. the circumstances of the violation. or any other matters as justice requires. I believe that a situation where a local affiliate was left \"in the dark\" about obscene. indecent. or profane material in a program from the network calls for just such an adjustment. Thank you again. Mr. Speaker. for moving this important legislation forward.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GONZALEZ","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2226}
{"speech_id":1090141264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 833) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with regard to the importange of National Womens Health Week. which promotes awareness of diseases that affect women and which encourages women to take preventive measures to ensure good health. as amended.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":342}
{"speech_id":1090141274,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague. Chairman DEAL of the Health Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce. I thank Representative HINCHEY and Representative CAPPS and all Members who bring this resolution. 833. before us this evening. Those of us involved in health care. like Representative CAPPS. as a registered nurse. and myself. as a physician. and not only a physician. but also a specialist dealing with womens health issues. as an OBGYN. understand the importance of recognizing that this is National Womens Health Week. It promotes awareness of diseases that specifically affect women and encourage them to take preventive measures to ensure good health. It is a time when we need to tell all the women in our lives. our mothers. our wives. our sisters. our daughters. our aunts. in my case. my children and grandchildren. and friends. how important it is to take time out for their health. It can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of an elevator. eating healthier or scheduling an appointment with a health care provider. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1642}
{"speech_id":1090141274,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. as an OBGYN physician for nearly 30 years. I cannot stress enough how important a good relationship with your doctor is in maintaining your health. Women need to have conversations with their physicians regarding family history. They clearly need to understand the importance of screening teats and how to manage chronic diseases. I want all of Americas women to take a moment.to focus on promoting health and preventing disease and illness by taking very simple steps to improve their physical. mental. social and spiritual health. And I thank the chairman for allowing me to address this issue.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1642}
{"speech_id":1090141314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am deeply concerned about the effects that this bill or the absence of this bill might have on my own region of California where we are. I believe in many cases at our major centers. to be at about 80 percent staffing. meaning that we have overtime because of shortages. What will be the effect of either having or not having this bill on the staffing levels that we need to have to get to full staffing in California?","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090141333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today. in strong objection to H.R. 5449. a bill to modify bargaining requirements for proposed changes to the personnel management system of the Federal Aviation Administration. I currently serve as the Chairman of the Appropriations SubCommittee on Transportation. Treasury. HUD and other agencies. This legislation today would put an enormous strain on my committees resources and force all programs under my jurisdiction into greater budgetary peril. \u0095 Simply put. a \"yes\" vote on H.R. 5449 could cost the FAA $1.9 billion over the next 5 years. The FAA would be forced to divert funds from critical safety initiativessuch as air traffic control modernizationto cover the cost of skyrocketing controller salaries. I understand that airtraffic controllers provide a valuable service to the flying public and that they work hard to ensure safety and security. I also understand that due to the unique ability of their unionan ability that is not available to every other federal employee unionthey have negotiated some of the highest wages in federal service. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090141333,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The average airtraffic controller earns $173.000 per year. and their salaries have gone up 75 percent in the past 8 years. The top 100 NATCA union members earn an average salary of $197.000. How does this compare with other federal employees? Well. quite well I would say. These controllers make more than Members of Congress ($165.200). Cabinet Secretaries ($180.100). and almost as much as Supreme Court Justices ($199.200) and the Vice President of the United States ($208.700). The comparison is even more striking when we weigh their salary levels against other critical safety. security. and health professions. In my home area of Detroit. an average NATCA member makes $118.490. Compare that to the average firefighter ($42.100). police officer ($48.770). or registered nurse ($59.380). And. this kind of pay disparity is not unique to .my home area. but is consistent across the Nation. At a time when our federal workforce is stretched at home and abroad to protect our Nation. there is no justification for air traffic controllers to enjoy unparalleled salary hikes. especially when our military personnel. homeland security officials. first responders. and other government employees do not receive the same treatment. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090141333,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some may try to indicate that a \"yes\" vote on H.R. 5449 would be a \"free\" vote to give to the unions. However. nothing could be further from the truth. If H.R. 5449 is enacted. it will effectively render the new FAA\/NATCA control null and void. and cause FAA costs and salaries to spiral out of control. The new NATCA\/FAA contract would be superseded by the previous contract. reached between the Clinton Administration and NATCA in 1998. and the continuation of the 1998 contract would cost taxpayers $1.9 billion in the shortterm. and $3.8 billion in the longterm. It should be obvious that a cost of $3.8 billion taxpayer dollars is far from \"free.\" A vote for this bill is not about protecting workers wages and stopping the FAA from slashing controllers salaries. To be crystal clear: the FAA has offered to protect the compensation of each and every current controller. A new contract would only apply to new hires. and not affect the salaries of existing controllers. Mr. Speaker. I strongly oppose H.R. 5449a bill that would ban the FAA from reigning in outofcontrol controllers salaries and cost taxpayers and my committee billions of dollars. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090141333,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I strongly urge. a \"no\" vote on this financially reckless legislation that will set a dangerous precedent for years to come.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3588}
{"speech_id":1090141372,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I will close in two important ways. One is to. first. urge all of my colleagues here and already at home tonight to vote for this resolution. I think it sets the right balance on an important segment of our craft industry. Much more than an alcohol industry. this is about the right of the small operation to do something that is a timehonored tradition. Secondly. I would like to reiterate in the best possible terms why this time we spend here in the evening is different. Most of our colleagues have gone home for the evening or gone to their dinners. but. in fact. Members will choose to come here and take time that otherwise these Chambers would be dark to talk about issues that dont affect all of -America but affect some part of America or their district. and I believe -that this is the right balance. ","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1040}
{"speech_id":1090141372,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I continue to support the idea that we should bring resolutions on suspensions to the floor when they are not controversial but important to segments of our economy. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1040}
{"speech_id":1090141434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. she was buried alive in a landfill underneath massive concrete chunks. Human garbage is what Milagro Cunningham thought of this 8yearold girl who he raped. choked and left to die in a dump. Police do not know how she was able to find the strength to wiggle her fingers while trapped underneath these slabs of concrete. She was still barely alive. and wiggling her fingers was her silent cry for help. Milagro Cunningham was an illegal from the Bahamas. He was arrested three times by police before he tried to kill this tiny girl. Not once did the police detain him for trespassing on American soil. They let him go each time. Then he ruined the life of a child. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3556}
{"speech_id":1090141434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this ought not to be. Failure to enforce the laws of the border brings those bad people to America to break more laws. There are others. The Railroad Killer. Angel Resendez or Resendez Resendez as he is sometimes referred to. raped. bludgeoned. hammered. and even sledge hammered nine people to death. All lived within yards of railroad tracks throughout the plains of America. Small town shops sold out of pistols. People who never locked their doors sealed their windows afraid of this killer on the loose. The killer? An illegal from Mexico. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3556}
{"speech_id":1090141434,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He hopped trains never knowing where he was going. but always knowing what would happen when he got there. To him every border. Mexican. U.S. or Canadian meant bloodshed and murder. He was arrested and released numerous times. He was even arrested and deported. He was sent home after carrying guns. -defrauding Social Security. committing burglary. trespassing. even pretending to be an American citizen. But the border of Texas and Mexico is no border at all for this killer. He was only arrested for murder after he claimed the lives of nine American citizens. His first known murder victim was beaten to death just 2 years after his last deportation. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3556}
{"speech_id":1090141434,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The victims girlfriend was raped and beaten. but she survived and was found near railroad tracks. These deadly illegal invaders knew what they were doing. but they are not the only ones to track northward leaving a trail of trouble. Their bold and brazen border crossings and thousands of others like them mean 12 legal citizens will be murdered today. tomorrow. and every day. Lawlessness on the border breeds lawlessness in the heart of America. And 13 legal citizens will die because a drunk illegal got behind the wheel of a car. That occurs today. and tomorrow. and every day. That is 28.000 homicides by illegals since 2003. 10 times the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker. this ought not to be. And there is more. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3556}
{"speech_id":1090141434,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Eight children will be sexually abused by illegal perverts who will cross the line. cross over our open borders. That is today. that is tomorrow. and it is every day. Lawless on the border breeds lawlessness in the heart of America. Not all illegal immigrants are criminals. But some are. And when all cross the border. they break the law with their first step on American soil. And their first crime may not be their last. Mr. Speaker. they are not just trespassing on our soil.. they are laughing at our laws. They are violating our values. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3556}
{"speech_id":1090141438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I know you join with Mr. HUNTER and myself in recognizing the importance of California. and particularly San Diego as the golf club production and design capital of America. But a club is just what it sounds like unless you put it in the hands of somebody like Billy Casper. somebody who can do what Duncan Hunter cannot do. and I guarantee I cannot do with a club and that is make it send a ball straight and true or hook it if you need to hook it to make that special shot. Billy Casper had that talent. used that talent and was a great ambassador for our couhitry here and around the world. I think it is very appropriate that we honor him here on the floor of the House tonight.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":695}
{"speech_id":1090141439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank Mr. ISSA for his contribution here. because Billy Casper has not only touched the hearts or touch the minds and memories of lots of sports writers and people who read those sports pages when he was amassing those 51 professional victories. but he touched the hearts of so many young people. And he and Shirley. his wonderful wife. have hearts as big as the 18th green at San Diego. Country Club. and they have touched the lives of literally thousands and thousands of young people through the scholarship funds that .they put together. through all the help they put together through Billys annual tournament. If you walk up to Billy Casper on the golf course. here is a guy who won a couple U.S. Opens and the Masters and a guy who lives in this era where sports idols charge money for their autographs. Billy Casper will stop what he is. doing. he will look you in the eye. and if you are a young person he will really pay a lot of attention to you. He and Shirley are absolutely the greatest examples of. what families should be like in this country. So it is neat to be here with my great colleague Darryl Issa and talk a little bit about this American hero. Billy Casper.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1183}
{"speech_id":1090141445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in honor of the many of the hard working beekeepers in North Carolinas fifth congressional district. Beekeepers play an extremely important role in our society and often do not get the recognition they deserve. Back in 1905. an obscure Swiss patent clerk named Albert Einstein published three papers that would later result in his receiving the Nobel Prize. During that same year. he gave a speech on a subject that fascinated him greatly. the marvelous honey bee. He said. \"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe. then man would only have four years left to live.\" Back then. much like it is today. the survival of the honey bee was threatened by pests and climate. The honey bee survived the challenges of Dr. Einsteins time but new obstacles have also emerged. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5990}
{"speech_id":1090141445,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite these challenges I am sure that Dr. Einstein would be happy to know that tihe honey bee is alive and well in North Carolina. Next year the North Carolina State Bee Keeping Association celebrates its 90th year of helping local beekeepers succeed. I am happy to report that the association has seen a 58 percent increase in membership in just the past 2 years and now has more than 1.900 dues paying members. The organization is run entirely by volunteers without a single full time paid staff member. It is the largest bee keeping association of its kind in the Nation and some folks tell me the best. According to Dr. David Tarpy. North Carolina State Agriculturist and head of the agricultural program at North Carolina State University. there are some 10.000 hobbiest beekeepers in North Carolina I am proud of our North Carolina beekeepers and I want to tell you why. But first perhaps we should answer a basic question. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5990}
{"speech_id":1090141445,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Why do so many grown men and women fawn over this tiny insect and weighs less than an ounce and is so small it can rest on your fingernail? The answer reveals the secret of why so many are so passionate about their apiary hobby. If you call the office in the North Carolina Department of Agriculture that works with beekeepers. you will be greeted by the words. \"beneficial insects.\" After all. the honey bee is one of Gods most beneficial creatures. She makes sweet honey that mankind has enjoyed for most of his time on the planet. The 100.000 colonies of bees managed by North Carolina beekeepers produce some $10 million worth of honey. almost all of which is consumed within the State. Some say our honey. especially the wonderful sourwood honey produced in the mountains. is just too good to send away. The honey bee also pollinates 90 or more important food crops. a third of all the food weeat. Without proper pollination. many of these crops would not produce fruit. The value of honey bee pollination to North Carolina agriculture exceeds $100 million and is growing. Cucumbers are ninety percent dependent on honey bee pollination. blueberries 80 percent. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5990}
{"speech_id":1090141445,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Apples. melons and many vegetables are also dependent on the honey bee. There is much more to this little bee than the delicious honey they make and even crops they pollinate. Modern medicine is returning to the old ways and rediscovering the practical use of many products from the hive in preventing and curing disease. Honey was used to treat burns and minor wounds by the ancient Greek. Chinese. Roman and Egyptian civilizations. The jelly that worker bees use to grow their new baby queens is a highly valued and expensive cosmetic. Pure beeswax makes wonderful candles and is a reliable industrial grade lubricant. There is much anecdotal evidence that bee venom is an effective remedy for arthritis and multiple sclerosis. And most recently. sticky. resinous propolis from the hive. once considered a nuisance is now the subject of a major cancer treatment research project at Wake Forest University. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5990}
{"speech_id":1090141445,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker after speaker at the annual beekeeping conferences tell us that North Carolina has the best State wide organization of beekeepers in the entire Nation. Many people in many organizations deserve credit for this success. In 1975 Dr. John Ambrose came to work for North Carolina State University as an extension bee keeping specialist. Dr. Ambrose led an important era of growth for beekeeping in North Carolina. expanding the position to a major teaching and research position that is now held by Dr. Tarpy. This p.osition is one of the best of its kind in the entire Nation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture bee labs also play an important role in finding and developing new ways to protect of the honey bee. . ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5990}
{"speech_id":1090141529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a few weeks ago. the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that our Nations real gross domestic product was revised from 4.8 percent up to 5.3 percent. That is the fastest growth of ojur GDP in 2 \/ years. That is not the only good news. Our economy has created 5.3 million jobs since May 2003. 75.000 jobs were created last month alone. Unemployment has dropped from 6.3 percent to 4.7 percent. lower than the average of th6 1960s. 1970s. 1980s. and 1990s. Personal income increased at an annual rate of 6.7 percent in April. The Treasury Department is reporting the highest annual tax receipts ever. The Federal budget deficit is $38 billion lower today than in May 2003. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090141529,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Last month Republicans approved a tax conference agreement that will continue this economic boom. and once again. the Democrats fought to stop it. In fact. if Democrats had their way. we would all face a massive tax hike. Mr. Speaker. the Republicans will continue to hold the line on spending and extend tax relief for all Americans. We know that these forgrowth policies work. and they will continue to foster economic growth.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090141538,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. lina Speaker. every day. U.S. troops risk ad- their lives in Iraq to perform a mission which improves the national security mia. of our country. Their sacrifices are imliect measurable and these brave men and women remain dedicated to facing terr II. rorists on the streets of Iraq so that we idly do not have to face them at home. our Last week. I had the fortunate opporer 7 tunity to visitIraq for the sixth time. e While visiting with military leaders. intil Iraqi government officials and U.S. our troops. I was inspired to learn of the tremendous progress occurring ine. throughout this new democracy. Iraqi ome security forces continue to gain greataro- er control over their country. In only 7 t in months. these forces have expanded For- from two brigades and 19 battalions to at- 14 brigades and 57 battalions. tin- As American troops and Iraqi secuend- rity forces demonstrate strength on The- the battlefields of Iraq. we must also d in demonstrate our unwavering conaval fidence in their mission for victory in the global war on terrorism. and In conclusion. God bless our troops rans and we will never forget September 11. vet3 an Lank ON THE REFINERY PERMIT i for PROCESS SCHEDULE ACT er in (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1339}
{"speech_id":1090141598,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 8 minutes. Mr. Speaker. as Members are aware. I have spoken out forcefully on the need for rapid Federal action to address mine safety. I have urged this Congress to legislate. to push us toward a new era in which the technology that has helped revitalize the productivity of the mining industry would also be used to save the lives and limbs of our miners. Unfortunately. the bill sent from the Senate fails to make the reforms that go to the very heart of what happened in the Sago mine disaster. It fails in three significant ways. It does not guarantee that miners trapped underground will have enough air to survive an accident like Sago. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8970}
{"speech_id":1090141598,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It does not give miners prompt access to wireless communications and electronic tracking devices so they can communicate with their rescuers instead of having to bang on pipes and bang on rocks like miners did hundreds of years ago. It does not guarantee that the emergency oxygen units like the ones that Randal McCloy. the only Sago survivor. told us in some cases were defective. and would be tested at random by the Federal Government to ensure that they work properly. In other words. if another Sago mine disaster were to happen. this bill does not ensure that we would not have the same tragic deaths. because it does not address what killed the miners in the Sago mine disaster. I want to remind Members that 11 of the 12 miners that died at Sago did not die from the initial explosion. They died because they did not have communication tools to. lead them to safety. they died because they did not have an oxygen supply to last the 40 hours that they were trapped. I cannot. in good conscience. support a bill if passed that would not prevent another Sago. when we understand the tragedy that took place there. When it comes to the safety of miners. and thousands of miners and families across the Nation. the House can do better than takeitorleaveit legislation that fails to provide that margin of safety that these families are entitled to. In the last 10 days. there have been two significant developments that demonstrate that we can andwe must do better than the Senate bill. Last week. the Industry Labor Mine Technology Panel appointed by Governor Manchin of West Virginia composed of equal numbers of industry and miner representatives. concluded that there were significant enhancements to miner safety that could be achieved through wide application of existing technologies and techniques. Then this industry labor report makes two recommendations that go to the heart of the matter: that emergency shelters and chambers shall provide a minimum of 48 hours of breathable air and in no later than 15 months mine operators will have to submit a communications and tracking plan for approval. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8970}
{"speech_id":1090141598,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is all that the amendments that I have offered suggest that we do. i.e.. what is now accepted in the mining industry in the State of West Virginia. Now. someone explain this to me: the coal mine industry in West Virginia agrees with the West Virginia miners that there should be a guaranteed 48 hours of breathable air in a crisis. but. the Congress of the United States refuses to provide that same promise to miners across the country. The coal mining industry in West Virginia agrees. that miners should have prompt access to wireless communications and electronic tracking devices. but the Congress of the United States refuses to provide that same promise to miners across this Nation. And here is another development. A few weeks ago. the Illinois legislature sent farreaching mine safety legislation to the Governors desk. It passed 1110. It passed the Senate 571. The IL bill has two critical reforms. emergency mine chambers with 48 hours of air and rapid installation of wireless communications by the end of the year. The State of Illinois can promise no more Sago tragedies. The coal mining industry in West Virgiiiia can make that promise. but the U.S. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8970}
{"speech_id":1090141598,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House is being asked to ignore all of that evidence. all of those improvements. and rubber stamp a Senate bill With no opportunity to improve it. That is wrong. and -we should not stand for it. I have spent a great deal of time over the last few months listening to what those Sago families have to tell us. I have listened to their very specific and very reasonable recommendations. I listened to Mrs. Debbie Hamner. who lost her husband. Junior. in the Sago tragedy. As many of you know. only one of the twelve miners who died in that tragedy was killed by the explosiop. The rest died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Junior Hamner was one of those who died in that manner. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8970}
{"speech_id":1090141598,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And Mrs. Hamner asked why were they not equipped with enough oxygen. Why did we not require air supplies to be stored in the mine sections that they were working? Why do Canadian miners have greater protections than the miners of West Virginia or miners elsewhere in the United States? That is what she wanted to know. And Debbie said. sadly the bill before us today does not even mandate a minimum air supply for miners trapped underground. let alone require a refuge stocked with air. food and water. so that miners would not have to do what they did in Sago when they were trapped. which was to construct a barrier and bang on rocks and hope for the very best. Amber Helms. whose father. Terry. died at Sago. pointed out to us that the miners were still alive after the Sago explosion. The men tried to walk out. The mine foreman tried to walk toward them. But although they ended up only a few hundred yards apart. the foreman did not know where they were and was not able to tell them where they could find good air or a safe way that they could walk out. It is ridiculous. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8970}
{"speech_id":1090141613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman and the ranking member for yielding me the time. I rise in support of this bill. but I agree with the ranking member that this bill is not perfect. One of the ways that this bill could have been improved is if we would have addressed the way MSHA deals with anthracite coal mining versus bituminous coal mining. two very different forms of coal. hard coal versus soft coal. irregular veins versus consistent veins. They are mined differently and they should be regulated differently. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognizes that. They have two separate laws. They have two separate divisions that deal with regulation and enforcement of the safety laws. In northeastern Pennsylvania and the anthracite fields that I represent. along with","speaker_name":"TIM HOLDEN","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":762}
{"speech_id":1090141620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this landmark mine safety legislation. S. 2803. Mine safety has been on all our minds this year. as Americans mourned the heartbreaking disasters at the Aracoma Alma and Sago mines in West Virginia in January. Thus. throughout the process of crafting this bill. all parties have wanted the end product to strongly improve safety for miners. In my district in southwestem Pennsylvania. the mining industry has been a central part of the way of life for a century and a half. My greatgrandfather was a coal miner. who worked in Pennsylvania mines when Carts were pulled by mules and mines were lit by candles. Mining was very dangerous work then. The mining industry has certainly made remarkable strides ever since. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090141620,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today is another great step forward for miners in Pennsylvania and across the Nation. therefore. I am pleased to support S. 2803. On March 16. as mine. safety legislation was being crafted. I was pleased to testify on the subject of mine safety before the Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. On that day. I expressed many concerns about current mine conditions. For instance. I cited my concern about whether miners are sufficiently employing technology to communicate with one another.: especially when accidents occur. S. 2803 requires that all mines provide immediate notification of accidents and regularly update their emergency response plans. At the hearing. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090141620,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also raised my discomfort with the use of \"belt air.\" which can be unhealthy to breathe and even flammable. Accordingly. the bill before us prohibits the use of conveyor belts to ventilate work areas. While recent tragedies have dominated the mining industry news of late. I hope we recount the success stories of the mining industry alongside some of the failures. For instance. CONSOL Energy. based in my district. sent their own rescue teams to the Sago mine in January. The CONSOL rescue teams arrived first at the scene. and they have worked tirelessly on many other occasions to help miners throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia. regardless of who owns the mine. They are a success story I am pleased to highlight. of which we should all be proud. The coal industry has helped fuel this Nation for 150 years. and coal can be used to heat our homes. power our economy. and protect our Nation for at least another 150 years if we continue to use it. We all grieved the tragic accidents in West Virginia in January. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090141620,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill will help prevent such accidents in the future.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090141631,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 699. a resolution to support the goals and ideals of National Entrepreneurship Week and encourage the implementation of entrepreneurship education programs in elementary and secondary education schools and institutions of higher education throughout the United States. I want to congratulate the sponsor of this resolution. the gentleman from North Carolina . as well as House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman MCKEON and Ranking Member MILLER. as well as the leadership in both parties in working to move this resolution to the floor in such a bipartisan fashion. This is a very important resolution because it supports the goals and ideal of National Entrepreneurship Week and encourages creation of entrepreneurship education programs in elementary and secondary schools. The future strength of our economy depends on our youth and upon developing new businesses. which essentially is what entrepreneurship is all about. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4783}
{"speech_id":1090141631,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"From litwn mowing businesses to baby sitting. most youths have been entrepreneurs at one time or another. Unfortunately. formal entrepreneurial education is not always available to young people. Several studies have been done on the interests that young people have in entrepreneurship. For example. in their book. \"The E Generation: Prepared for the Entrepreneurial Economy.\" Marilyn Kourilsky and William Walstad explain that youth are overwhelmingly interested in entrepreneurship. In fact. they found that six out of 10 young people aspire to start a business of their own. The Gallup Organization. in conjunction with the Kauffman Foundation. conducted the first national poll on entrepreneurship. What they found was that 70 percent of students polled wanted to start their own business. Now. this would be primarily at the high school level. Yet only 44 percent had any basic knowledge concerning entrepreneurship. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4783}
{"speech_id":1090141631,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In other words. they wanted to start a business. but they had no idea as to how to do it. Youth entrepreneurs provide added stimulus to the local economy. Student entrepreneurial endeavors help to foster youth retention by providing youth the opportunity to contribute and invest in their home communities. As young people build and grow businesses within a community. they are more likely to stay and invest in a communitys future. Where this has been tremendously important has been in rural areas. We have all seen many small towns that continue to unravel. lose young people. lose population. and in the district that I represent we have seen this graphically. So we find that probably the best way to revitalize rural America is to provide entrepreneurial training. entrepreneurial skills. so some people can stay there and survive and young people can start a business. There are a number of academic reasons to integrate entrepreneurship training into curriculum as well. Entrepreneurship training can be successfully integrated into traditional course work by incorporating handson business activities in a traditional classroom and textbook instruction. For example. writing marketing materials. business plans. can improve English skills. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4783}
{"speech_id":1090141631,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sales and accounting can improve math skills. Developing manufacturing processes for products can be incorporated in a science class. True entrepreneurial education integrates handson business developments into the school system. So we find that it is possible to build entrepreneurial training into the curriculum in a school. And when this happens. some really good things begin to happen. Entrepreneurship education has a positive effect on the academic performance of students according to a study conducted by Howard Rasheed. a business professor at the University of Florida. Students with entrepreneurship training scored better in a number of academic subjects. including reading. math. social studies. and language. Also. attendance improves. dropout rates decrease. and it also helps Qose the achievement gap between minority students and the rest of the student body. So there is a tremendous academic contribution that entrepreneurial training provides. I have worked throughout my time in Congress to encourage Nebraska schools to adopt entrepreneurship programs. and many have. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4783}
{"speech_id":1090141631,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased to have had the opportunity to be involved in humerous entrepreneurship efforts across the State of Nebraska. including NETFORCE. which is working to develop a curriculum that is sponsored through Nebraskas community college system. H.R. 699 encourages more schools to adopt entrepreneurship programs and supports the goals of National Entrepreneurship Week. I strongly support this resolution and urge its passage. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4783}
{"speech_id":1090141687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 6 minutes. Mr. Speaker. todays bill is part of an overall set of actions by this body to deal with longterm energy security issues in our country. The message that we hear from home is. America needs American energy. One part of that need is for more domestic refining capacity. Witness after. witness at a number of our hearings in the Energy and Commerce Committee have told us so. Every emergency on energy has found us with less and less refinery capacity to refine fuel. and now there is absolutely none to spare here in the United States. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3416}
{"speech_id":1090141687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without more refinery capacity domestically. prices are squeezed ever upward. We are relying more and more on imported refined products as well as imported crude oil. Why isnt there more domestic capacity? Why havent there been any new refineries in this country built in the last 30 years? One reason is surely regulatory uncertainty caused by the bureaucratic delays in the current permitting process. H.R. 5254 addresses that problem head on. while preserving every single existing statute providing for environmental protection and opportunity for public participation. Every one. Let me read that again. H.R. 5254 addresses that problem head on. while preserving every single existing statute providing for environmental protection and opportunity for public participation. Every one. Not one of those statutes is repealed or modified. What H.R. 5254 does do is set up a Federal coordinator who convenes all officials. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3416}
{"speech_id":1090141687,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"State. local and Federal. responsible for the permits for a proposed refinery. Working as one team. the agencies will integrate their action schedules and the process should move forward expeditiously. What role would a State play in this process? The bill provides that the Governor of the State where the refinery would be sited designates the State officials to participate in the scheduling coordination. If the Governor of a State decides not to appoint any State officials. nothing in this act can compel the State officials to participate in the effort. The Federal coordinator will simply have to take that lack of State participation into account in scheduling the remaining actions of Federal permitting officials. But if there is no State participation in that State. the process will not go forward. Unless the State official is designated by his Governor or her Governor. they cannot participate in the agreement. Unless the Governor signs on. the State agencies cannot be subject to a court order to stay on schedule. That is how the Governor of any State where a proposed refinery would be located reserves the option of participating or not participating in the process. I would encourage any conference committee on this bill to further clarify that the Governor has the option in the beginning to opt into the process. instead of in the. middle of it or at the end of it not to participate. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3416}
{"speech_id":1090141687,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"E 1715 That is something that we reserve for a conference with the Senate. For Federal energy officials. however. - the process is not optional once the request is made for the Federal coordinator to help. Here. Mr. Speaker. I do acknowledge the work of the gentleman from Virginia . the gentleman from Michigan on this issue. The gentleman from Virginia spoke on this issue when the bill was brought up under suspension last month. Following that debate. with the cooperation of the House majority leadership.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3416}
{"speech_id":1090141726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee for recognizing me and. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this piece of legislation. We have heard all the good reasons why the bill should pass. We need new refinery capacity. We need more regional diversity in refinery capacity. We are too reliant on oil as a feedstock for fuel in this country. and we need to develop alternative energy resources. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3999}
{"speech_id":1090141726,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. I know that there is work under way right as we speak to try to figure .out a way that we can accommodate the interests of my friend from Maine. Congressman ALLEN. and his concerns over the Brunswick Naval Air Station. which is a BRACd naval air station in his district. I assure youthat this section 5 was never created with the intent of forcing any kind of refinery capacity on any community in an area that didnt want it. If they do not want it in Maine or somewhere else in the country. they are not going to have it. There is no question about that. and the language is very clear in that respect. The fact is the Association of Defense Communities does not oppose this bill and recognizes the protection of local authority that is maintained by this piece of legislation. So if we can dispense with that argument and pick up more support than we have already got. When the bill got 237 votes. which is. at last count. a majority of votes in this Congress. the last time it came up. it didnt get twothirds. but it got a majority. We will work to increase that margin if we can do so in such a fashion that we can protect the ability of closed bases to subsequently build refineries or biorefineries. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3999}
{"speech_id":1090141726,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need biorefinery capacity in the Northeast and this represents a potential great opportunity. Now. we heard from other Members that refinery capacity is tight for economic reasons and not because of environmental permits. Let me make a couple of points there. First of all. I have here a list of the major permits and authorizations that were required for Arizona Clean Fuels. and I would point out that there were 37 of them required. 37 of them. This billwould not shortcircuit one single one of those requirements. Not one. But what it would do is it would allow them to occur at the same time. instead of in succession. and it would make the permitting process more seamless and occur. hopefully. more quickly. It interests me that my friends are really supporting Big Oil. when they say that Big Oil doesnt want it so we shouldnt make it more possible. Well. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3999}
{"speech_id":1090141726,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Big Oil are not the only entities that necessarily build refineries. and I would suggest that the industry that wants to keep oil prices high might not want to make it easy to build more refinery capacity. But I suggest dont give them the excuse. This bill does not circumvent any environmental. Corps of Engineers. local authority. or anything. but what it does do is. it takes away the excuse that it takes too long to build a refinery. And we need more refinery capacity in this country. Another argument was made by my distinguished colleague from Michigan that all we needed to do was to increase the size of the refinery capacity that we have today.. Apparently. my friend has forgotten that last fall one of the major reasons why energy prices climbed by 50 cents a gallon in my part of the world was because a hurricane went through the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana. We need diversity of refinery capacity in this country. and I mean by that geographic diversity. What this bill will do is not promote bigger. fewer refineries. but more refineries in more places around the country. and the potential to have a biorefinery built in the Northeast. which is critical to my district. My friends. this is about energy. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3999}
{"speech_id":1090141726,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is no question about that. But it is also about energy diversity. We need more oil supplies. but we also need more alternatives. and we are willing to do what we can without bending good environmental policy to increase that capacity. I urge support of this legislation.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BASS","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3999}
{"speech_id":1090141732,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I want to admit up front that the procedure for bringing this bill to the floor has not been what I would have preferred it to be. and I am going to side with my friends on the minority side about their complaints about the procedure. It has not gone through the regular order. and in the perfect world. it should have. Unfortunately. we do not live in a perfect world. We had to take some action on the majority side to show the American people that we were serious about doing anything possible to help alleviate some of these high energy prices. and it is certainly my opinion and I think it is a fact that one part of that process has got to be to make it possible to expand existing refineries and build new refineries in this country. It is a fact. plain and simple. that we are using over 20 million barrels a day of petroleum products and we only have the refining capacity for 16 to 17 million barrels. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3877}
{"speech_id":1090141732,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a fact. It is also a fact that in the hearings we have had on our energy price problem in this country in the Committee on Energy and Commerce that I chair. it has been shown that one of the leading causes of the higher prices has been the refining capacity shortage. Now. historically the refining industry in this country has been a loss leader. If you go back 10 or 15 years ago when we had the integrated oil companies going from the production of the crude through the distribution of the crude. when it came to refineries. they lost money. So for a lot of reasonsthey shut down the refining capacity. and we developed a shortage in refining capacity. Today the margin. it is the called the crack margin. and it has nothing to do. with crack cocaine or cracks in concrete. it has to do with the ability to go in and crack the molecules in the crude oil and get the different levels of petroleum products out of that crude. That crack margin is higher than it ever has been by an order of magnitude. In some cases. the margin is probably approaching $30 to $35 a barrel of the $70 or $72 price. So there is more than adequate profit. but because of the regulatory impediments. it is almost impossible to go through the permitting process in a. timely fashion under existing regulations and get a decision. Now it is a true statement when my friends on the minority side say there has been no refinery not built in this country in the last 30 years. because they did not get a permit. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3877}
{"speech_id":1090141732,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is a true statement. but it is only half true. The rest of the story is nobody in their right mind would try to get a permit to build a new refinery because it takes so long. So they are kind of beaten before they even start. In the case in Arizona where an industrial group did go through the process. to this day in spite of them saying they have the permits. they have all but one. They still do not have the permit from the United States Bureau of Reclamation giving them title to the land. In this case. the land is actually owned by the Federal Government. and they still have not cleared the title to that land. Now they are going to. but they have not. So the bill before us today is not a perfect bill. But at least it says. let us appoint a Federal coordinator. let us work with the State and local government. Let us set up a procedure where we coordinate all of these permits. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3877}
{"speech_id":1090141732,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not override any State or Federal or local air quality or water quality regulation. we just say lets coordinate it. And oh. yes. lets let the President pick three sites out in the country on closed military bases. of which we have dozens. and maybe we can get the local redevelopment authority to work with State and Federal officials to put a refinery there. There is really no reason to oppose this bill. It is not going to do any harm. and it might just do some good. I urge a \"yes\" vote on this bill.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3877}
{"speech_id":1090141733,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 5254. the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act. Protecting our environment and promoting energy independence are two of the most important jobs I have as a Member of Congress. but. before we can begin to consider buildingmore refineries. we must first change our consumption habits. American consumption of oil has been increasing at an unsustainable rate. In 1995. we consumed 17.7 million barrels of oil per day. but today we consume 20.5 million barrels per day. The bottom line is we are not resolving our energy needs because we are not conserving. Well just continue to consume more and waste more. consume more and waste more.and act like it doesnt matter. We are on A demand course that is simply unsustainable. We need to address rising energy prices by encouraging conservation and this bill fails to do anything to impact that. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090141733,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill will not affect gasoline prices or reduce our dependence on foreign oil. To feel relief from the price at the pump. we must focus on decreasing our consumption of oil and looking to alternative energy sources.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1100}
{"speech_id":1090141736,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5242. This bill is another example of the Republicans misguided priorities. This legislation targets our states. communities. and environmental laws as the culprits for high gas prices. But we know the truth. The dirty little secret is that oil cQmpanies which made more than $110 billion in profits in 2005 and $16 billion in profits in the first * three months of 2006 do not want to build new refineries. They do not want to spend the money! We learned from leaked corporate memos that the major companiesChevron. Texaco and Mobil would go so far as to buy and shut down the competition in order to keep capacity tight. The Yuma refinery is just one example. ","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2149}
{"speech_id":1090141736,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Twice since the 1990s this proposed refinery received the necessary permits to be constructed and operated. But the Yuma refinery has not been constructed because it cannot find the financing. Bob Slaughter from the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 11. 2006 that the proponents of this project have an \"air permit. but theyre having trouble getting financing and actually getting that built.\" Justlast week the Yuma Sun reported that the -Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issued a draft renewal of the current air quality permit already held by ACFa full 6 months before the.existing permit is scheduled to expire. Proponents of this bill argue that states have been delaying permits. Arizona Clean Fuels disagreed and stated \"ADEQ has been very cooperative in working with us to make sure the project does proceed.\" And the Environmental Council of States has written that they are not aware of any credible report that our states are denying or lagging behind on permitting of new refineries and the expansion of existing refineries. Mr. Speaker. it is time that this body considers legislation based on facts and truths. The fact is that states are not delaying permitting and environmental laws are not to blame. I urge my colleagues to protect the authority of their states and the rights of all communitiesvote against this flawed legislation.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2149}
{"speech_id":1090141825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. Those are principles that he lives and stands on every day of his life. One has to admire the chairmans measured judgment on foreign policy terrain as well. as when he noted with respect to the fall of Soviet communism. he said. \"There has been a palpable feeling that the Cold War is over. and there are no serious threats with the Russian bear comatose. But as I like to say. the forest is full of dangerous snakes. There is a very important need for the United States to recognize that no one will rescue us. We have to be selfsufficient to really survive.\" Truly. HENRYS vision of the impor\u0095tance of this selfsufficiency is emblematic of his approach to foreign policy. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5497}
{"speech_id":1090141825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The chairmans wisdom encourages us to be vigilant. as when he expressed that with regard to China. \"The United States should be mindful that China was one of the worlds most powerful nations for several thousands of years. and its relative weakness over the last two centuries is an historic anomaly that is coming to an end.\" The chairman too has no illusions about U.S. Latin America policy. HENRY backs a strong American initiative to extend free trade between the United States and democratic nations in the hemisphere as a way of generating economic growth and creating jobs. Fl 2045 He said. \"A lot of the problems in our hemisphere could be addressed if not solved by free trade. There is so much we have in common. I think a common wealth of the Americas would help everyone. But it will take real leadership and a bit of luck\". Regarding policy for the region over which my subcommittee. the Middle East and Central Asia Subcommittee has had jurisdiction. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5497}
{"speech_id":1090141825,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman HYDEs nononsense convictions. blended with his foreign policy expertise and his political leadership led him to the conclusion that on September 11. he said. \"Our enemies have no aim except destruction. Nothing to offer but a forced march to a bleak and dismal path. Theirs is aworld without light\". And he said. \"We are now in a war. a war that is directed at America and the civilized world. It is that simple.\" he said. \"We have to lead the world to oppose terrorism as a weapon against civilization. so this is a war for civilization. No country should harbor terrorists and we have tolerated countries that have tolerated terrorists. This must change\". ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5497}
{"speech_id":1090141825,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He continued by saying. \"The massive. obscene destruction of human life we saw in New York and Washington should show us all that terrorism cannot be tolerated. It has to be wiped off the map\". And it is not just our committee. or not just even -our Nation that benefits from the leadership of HENRY HYDE. but the world is the greater for the existence and the leadership of someone of the caliber. of the passion. of the conviction of HENRY HYDE. The chairmans dedication to diverting the United Nations from its course of scandal. of corruption. of secrecy. and instead toward accountability. toward transparency and effectiveness. culminated in the passage by this House last summer of the Henry Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005. This reform measure with teeth urged that the U.S. should impose its leverage to motivate the U.N. which has to this point been reluctant to consider substantive reform on its own through withholding of U.S. assess dues. HENRY HYDES AIDS funding legislation has also been a landmark piece of legislation. This measure authorizes $1.3 billion annually to fight this horrible disease. which HENRY HYDE has\" said. \"It is not just the deepest. darkest Africa we are dealing with. it is Brazil. it is the Caribbean. it is Russia. it is here in the United States. it is everyone in the world. As this pandemic spreads. we must do what we can do\". ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5497}
{"speech_id":1090141825,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This body is truly fortunate to have had in its midst an individual who leads through knowledge gained. He has gained it in institutions of higher learning such as Loyola. Duke and Georgetown. He has gained it on the playing field. as when Chairman HYDE played basketball for the Hoyas. or in combat theatres with the U.S. Navy stationed in the Philippines. in the South Pacific. in New Guinea. or through the wise use of his gavel as majority leader. as chair of the Judiciary Committee. and now as chair of our International Relations Committee. On his website. HENRY HYDE puts his 32 years of service as a U.S. Congressman in context by noting that during his time in office. we have persevered through many conflicts. including the Cold War. the Communist takeover in Nicaragua and in Grenada. the invasion of Kuwait. the removal of Noriega from Panama. genocide in Bosnia. bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. invasion of Afghanistan. invasion of Iraq. and the present defense of our Nation against Islamic insurgents and terrorists. That is a lot of conflicts. and for that matter. 32 years means almost infinite constituent letters. town hall meetings. legislative victories. press interviews. but most of all. in the course of these 32 years. HENRY HYDE has shared his passion. and his blood. sweat and tears with the American people. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5497}
{"speech_id":1090141876,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to support S.J. Res. 1. the Marriage Protection Act. because any change to an institution as fundamental to our society as marriage should be made by the people. not unelected judges. The constitutional amendment process. being the closest process we have to a national referendum. is the best way for the people to speak on this important issue. By supporting this amendment. I in no way intend to question or slight the value and dignity of any American. Nor. in my judgment. do my colleagues who join me in supporting this amendment. Anyone who claims otherwise is wrong. The question that faces this Senate is a question of meanswhen something as profound as changing the institution of marriage arises. how should it be addressed? I submit that a handful of judges in a few States are not empowered and should not be permitted to make this decision for the entire country. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3107}
{"speech_id":1090141876,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But if we do not pass the Marriage Protection Act. that is precisely what may happen. Today. nine States face lawsuits challenging their traditional marriage laws. State supreme courts in New Jersey. Washington. and New York could decide samesex marriage cases as early as this year. In California. Maryland. New York and Washington. State trial courts have already struck down marriage laws and found a right to samesex marriage in their States constitutions. Those decisions are awaiting appeal. Samesex marriage advocates also have made Federal . constitutional claims. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3107}
{"speech_id":1090141876,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Nebraska. a Federal district court struck down that States popularly enacted State constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage. and the case is on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Challenges to the Defense of Marriage ActDOMAare also pending in federal district courts in Oklahoma and Washington. and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. These attempts to redefine marriage through the courts have not gone away since this body last voted on a constitutional amendment to protect marriage. in 2004. Since then. state courts in Washington. New York. California. Maryland. and Oregon have found traditional marriage laws unconstitutional. Every time they have been given the opportunity. the American people have strongly supported a traditional definition of marriagethe union of a man and a woman. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3107}
{"speech_id":1090141876,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fortyfive States currently have statutory protection for that very definition of marriageall .but Massachusetts. New Jersey. New Mexico. New York. and Rhode Island. Only four States had such statutory protection 12 years ago. The American people have made their wishes known to their State legislators: they are clearly and overwhelmingly for protecting marriage as we have always known it. I believe that traditional marriage. the union between a man and a woman. is the cornerstone of our society and the best possible foundation for a family. I believe that traditional marriage. the union between a man and a woman. should be the only form of marriage recognized by law. And I believe most Americans agree with me. But if nothing else. they deserve a chance to be heard.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3107}
{"speech_id":1090141892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator LEAHY. is on his way to the Chamber. I know the time is running. I will speak until he arrives. I wanted to make a point or two based on arguments used in this debate. Mr. President. 45 of 50 States passed either a constitutional amendment or a -law defining marriage as between a man and a woman45 of 50 States. There is only one State in America where samesex marriage is legal. and that is Massachusetts. No other State. county. city. or anyplace in America permits samesex marriage. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4351}
{"speech_id":1090141892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Incidentally. it is ironic that the State with the lowest divorce rate in America happens to also be Massachusetts. There is simply no crisis or controversy before us today that requires amending the Constitution. Another reason I oppose this amendment. as I indicated earlier. is that the language is vague and ovetbroad. The reference to \"legal incidents\" of marriage is troubling. The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on the meaning of the term \"legal incidents\" of marriage. I attended those hearings and questioned witnesses. There was simply no consensus on how the courts might interpret that. Some of. the witnesses predicted courts would read it to ban civil unions. Some even think this amendment would be read by the courts to prohibit other efforts to equalize benefits. such as domestic partner benefits. adoption rights. and even hospital visitation rights. Is that what we want to do in the Senate. ban those who have a loving relationship from visiting their partners who are sick in a hospital? Passage of the Federal marriage amendment may well have that effect. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4351}
{"speech_id":1090141892,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We dont know. It is also a bad idea because it exemplifies the excessive overreaching by Congress into the personal lives and privacy of American citizens. How many times will the Republican majority march us into this question as to whether we can protect and defend the privacy of our rights as individuals and families? . As I mentioned earlier. it is a sad reminder of the debate over the tragedy of Terri Schiavo. a woman who was sustained with medical care for some 15 years. and when the decision was made not to provide additional care for her through the courts. there was an effort made by the Republican leadership in Congress to bring the Federal courts into the picture to overturn the familys personal decision and the decision of the Fl6rida courts. Congress tried to impose its own morality and its- own will over the most personal. private. and painful decision any family can face. This amendment would impose the morality of some on the lives of all. A few months ago. this Nation lost one of its most famous and foremost civil rights leaders. Coretta Scott -King. Upon Mrs. Kings death. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4351}
{"speech_id":1090141892,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Majority Leader FRIST submitted a Senate resolution to honor her life and commitment to social justice. and it was adopted unanimously. I wonder if the majority leader is aware of what Mrs. King had to say about the constitutional amendment that Senator FRIST has brought to the floor this week. Here is what she said in 2004: A constitutional amendment banning samesex marriages is a form of gaybashing and it will do nothing at all to protect traditional marriages. I hope the Republican leadership. I hope every Senator. takes to heart the words of the civil rights hero they were so quick to honor a few months ago. It has been my experience in life that some members of my family. many of my acquaintances and friends are people of different sexual orientation. Most of them want to be left alone. They want the privacy of their own lives. They want to make their own decisions. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4351}
{"speech_id":1090141892,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And here we have an effort to impose in our Constitution a standard which reaches into the legal incidents of marriage. a standard which could deny to them some of the most basic things which we treasure. such as access to health insurance. access to visitation in hospitals. and the common decency of the social relationship. which is all they are asking. Under those circumstances. I think it is important for us to reflect on the fact that when it comes to amending this Constitution. we should be ever so careful because a change in a few words in the Constitution can have a dramatic longterm negative impact on this great Nation. I see that my colleague. Senator LEAHY. has arrived. I yield the floor to him.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4351}
{"speech_id":1090141900,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. obviously. I am not going to take the majority leaders time. Certainly. if anybody on the Republican side seeks recognition. I will immediately yield the floor to them. I was hoping they would be here. I note the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and I are in an asbestos hearing. I was asked by somebody the other day if I felt that marriage would be threatened if we didnt pass this. I have been blessed to be married to the same woman for 44 years. I dont feel threatened by it. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":548}
{"speech_id":1090141911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. today and tomorrow could be historic days in the Senateindeed. in the history of our countrybecause we have an opportunity to eliminate what some have called the most unfair tax of all. I speak of what has been called the estate tax. or the inheritance tax. or more recently has become known as the death tax. Just a word of the history of this tax would be interesting to my colleagues before I discuss the process by which this consideration will occur and some of the reasons why we need to proceed with it. It is very interesting that the history of the estate tax actually can be traced back to ancient times and the Roman Empire. but the more relevant history for purposes of the United States. because we borrowed this concept from England. came from the Middle Ages when the sovereign or the state.. of course. owned all of the assetsthe land and even the personal propertywithin the country. What would happen is. when the king owned all of the feudal property in England. he would grant the use of that property to the people within the kingdom. Certain individuals during their lifetimeslets say a farmerwould have the land to till and the farm animals to take care of. When that farmer died. in effect. his family would have to buy back that property from the king in order to continue to farm that land. to raise those farm animfals and so forth. When the king died. the king would let the estate retain the property on which the payment of an estate tax. called a relief. existed. That would then enable the family to continue to run the family farm or the family business. to put it in modernday terms. It seems very strange indeed in the 21st century we would retain this odd and clearly outofplace custom of having to buy back our property from the king. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10977}
{"speech_id":1090141911,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not have a king anymore. There has never been a king in the United States of America. Our right to property is guaranteed in the Constitution. So it seems strange. indeed. that we should be following a custom which required us to buy back from the king our property when our father or our mother dies. for our children to have to buy it back when we die. Yet that is the etiology of the estate tax. that you pay the state to continue to enjoy the right to the property that you always thought was yours. It is a very expensive price. indeed. In recent years. it has been 55 percent for the largest estates. Clearly. a lot of people could not afford this. people who put their life savings into their farm or their business. I had a friend from Phoenix who owned a printing company. He started it himself. and after 40 years built it up to a prosperous printing company. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10977}
{"speech_id":1090141911,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He took a modest sum out for he and his family but basically plowed everything back into the company because to stay ahead in the printing business you had to buy the most modern printing equipment and technology. On paper. his family had a lot of wealth. He had a lot of wealth when be died. But it was literally tied up in the company. His family looked at the estate tax. They had spent a lot of money buying insurance and so on. They found they were going to basically have to pay over half of the value of this company to the Government. They did not have that money. They did not have that liquid cash. So they had to sell this printing company in order to collect the money to pay the Government about half of it in the form of an estate tax. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10977}
{"speech_id":1090141911,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What happened? This particular man was one of the most generous people in the city of Phoenix. He contributed millions of dollars. In fact. there is a Boys and Girls Club named after him. Every year his wife and his daughter would be involved in charitable activities. I know because my wife is one of the best friends of his daughter. They headed up charity events and raised millions of dollars for our community. When his family had to sell the business to pay the estate tax to the Government. they were no longer in a position to do the things for the community they had always done. They have remained very active and very giving but not to the same extent when they had a business to rely upon. So this community lost in many ways. It lost a great. locally owned. familyowned business. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10977}
{"speech_id":1090141911,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It lost the patriarch of that bisiness. a very generous person. who supported the community. and the family. of course. has not been able to employ those people. Over 200 people were employed in the business. One of the modernday rationales for the estate tax is that it prevents the concentration of wealth in just a few families. If there is any Nation that you dont have to worry about that. it is the United States of America. We are a Nation in which anyone can make wealthand you can lose it quickly. Everyone aspires to get higher on the economic ladder. The notion that somehow there are just a few rich families in this country controlling everything is. of course. a wild myth. So it is not necessary to break it up. But what happened when people like my friend Jerry. when he passed away and his family had to sell his printing company. what happened to the concentration of wealth? It sure took it away from his family. all right. though no one would contend they were really among the elite of this country. He was a poor Jewish kid from New York who came out west. made good. employed a lot of people and did a lot for his community. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10977}
{"speech_id":1090141935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. President. I rise today to express my deep concern about efforts by the President and some in Congress to repeal or all but eliminate the estate tax. The estate tax is an important component of our progressive Federal tax system. it is the Federal Governments only tax on wealth. and by 2009 less than onehalf of 1 percent of all estates will be subject to the tax. Far from being a \"death tax.\" the tax falls on heirs who seldom had any real role in earning the wealth built up by the estate holder. The estate tax is simple: when a very wealthy person dies. the decedents estate pays a portion of the total assets to the Federal Government and the remainder is then passed on to heirs. Capital gains that have built up in the estate tax free are passed on to the heirs on a \"stepped up\" basis. and the heirs are not liable for any income tax on these gains. No tax is levied if the estate passes to a spouse or is donated to charity. The overwhelming majority of estates pay no Federal estate tax. This tax raises significant revenue. it is highly progressive. and it provides an important backstop to the income tax. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11651}
{"speech_id":1090141935,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. only estates worth more than $2 million are subject to the estate tax and an individual will be able to pass along up to $3.5 million taxfree by 2009. A couple can pass along twice that amount. And lets not forget that estate planning often shields even greater sums of wealth from taxation. The House Committee on Government Reform estimates that the heirs of Lee Raymond. former ExxonMobile CEO. and the current CEOs of the five largest U.S. oil companies would receive a windfall of up to $211 million if the estate tax were permanently repealed. The committee has also calculated that estate tax repeal could save the heirs of President Bush. Vice President CHENEY and 11 Cabinet members as much as $344 million. It would be hard to call this a middle class tax cut without pretending a great deal. Indeed. the Congressional Research Service reports that in 2004 when the exemption was $1.5 million. 99 percent of estates paid no estate taxes whatsoever. It bears repeating that less than onehalf of 1 percent of estates will pay any tax at all as the estate tax exemption climbs to $3.5 million by 2009. Despite the concerns expressed by some farm and small business groups. the vast majority of taxable estates are those of multimillionaires and billionaires who made their fortunes through their business and investments in securities and real estate or were born into extremely wealthy families. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11651}
{"speech_id":1090141935,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After the Presidents tax cuts passed in 2001. he took a victory lap through Iowa where the New York Times quoted the President as saying: \u0095 I heard somebody say. \"Well. you know. the death tax doesnt cause people to sell their farms.\" He added: I dont know who theyre talking to in Iowa. Perhaps it was Neil Harl. an Iowa State. University economist whose tax advice has made him a household name among farmers throdghout the Midwest. He has searched far and wide but has never found a case in which a farm was sold to pay estate taxes. \"Its a myth.\" says Professor Harl. who has only found heirs who wanted to sell the family farm. Even the American Farm Bureau Federation. one of the leading advocates of estate tax repeal. can not provide a single example of a farm lost due to estate taxes. The reality is that only a small fraction of taxable estates consists primarily of familyowned farm or small business assets. The Tax Policy Center estimates that in 2004. only 440 taxable estates2 percent of all taxable estatewere primarily made up of farm or business assets. And the Congressional Budget Office found that the vast majority of family farms and small business estates would have sufficient liquid assetssuch as bank accounts. stocks. bonds. and insuranc eto pay the tax without having to sell any farm or business assets. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11651}
{"speech_id":1090141935,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CBO also found that with a $3.5 million exemption7 million per coupleonly 13 or fewer farms would encounter any liquidity constraints. Moreover. there are already special provisions in place to ease tax burdens for familyowned small businesses and farms. such as allowing additional sums to be bequeathed tax free and permitting estate taxes to be paid in installments over 14 years at favorable interest rates. So if saving family farms and small businesses is not the real root of the repeal effort. you would think that there would be some sound economic rationale. However. claims by proponents that eliminating the estate tax wodild encourage saving and investment. reward entrepreneurship. and contribute to economic growth turn out to be myths as well. Repeal advocates argue that capital assets have already been taxed during the taxpayers lifetime. so a tax at death is gratuitous. But the reality is that a large share of capital assets has never been taxed. Under current law. we have a provision called the \"stepup\" in basis that allows capital gains from the appreciation of assetssuch as a house or stocksduring the decedents lifetime to escape taxation through 2009. In 2010. the lone year in which full repeal is currently slated to be in effect. we switch to a \"carryover basis\" in which heirs of large estates would inherit the potential capital gains liability that is realized only when the asset is sold.. In effect. today under the pretax law. the heirs receive the estate but on a steppedup basis--the current value of the home. So for the home the father purchased for $3\"0.000 and is now worth $1 million. they receive the estate based on the value of a million dollars. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11651}
{"speech_id":1090141935,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No taxes were ever paid on that appreciation other than the estate tax. The Small Business Council of America opposes the full repeal of the estate tax because they estimate that a great number of smallbusiness owners will be worse off due to the loss of stepup in basis and only an extraordinary few will be better off. Four years from now. the Halls of Congress will be filled with heirs who wont want to pay taxes that they have inherited with repeal of the estate tax. But any economic rationale for repeal falls apart when you learn that it will reduce national saving and hurt economic growth. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation. making estate tax repeal permanent would cost an additional $369 billion over 10 years. This estimate. howevef. dramatically understates the true cost of repeal. The full cost of repeal would not be felt until the second decade. .beyond the time period of the budget estimates. In that decade. the cost of repeal could. reach nearly $800 billion. plus debt service costs that would bring the total to nearly $1 trillion. A compromise plan currently circulating in the Senate would permanently raise the exemption to $5 million and cut the top estate tax rate to 15 percent. which would cost nearly as much as full repeal. and it is not much of a bargain. Rising federal budget deficits make the cost of repeal or \"repeallite\" even more unpalatable. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11651}
{"speech_id":1090141942,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today Ve have another clear chance to see the priorities of the other side of the aisle. While my Republican -colleagues claim to have a plan to address gas prices. college tuition. and middleclass tax breaks. today the American people can see what.the true agenda is: another gift to the wealthiest Americans who need it the least. Tomorrow. we will vote on whether we should consider permanently repealing a tax that only affects those who inherit estates larger than $4 million. We will be voting on whether repealing this tax should be a top pri-. ority for the United States Senate. And we will be voting on whether repealing a tax for those with multimillion dollar estates is a good way to spend the American peoples tax dollars--S trillion of those tax dollars. to be exact. In my State of more than 8 million. only 1.100 New Jerseyans paid any estate tax in 2004. Of those New Jerseyans who inherited an estate. a small 1.5 percent paid any estate tax when the exemption was $2 million. Today. that exemption has doubled. and in three years. it will have more than tripled. so even fewer New Jerseyans will be affected. I strongly support giving estate tax relief to family farmers. small business owners and others who need it. but thats not what this bill does. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4002}
{"speech_id":1090141942,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill showers a trillion dollars in benefits on the top half percent of Americans at a time of record debt and deficits. By contrast. however. more than 120.000 New Jerseyans have benefited from a tax deduction for college tuition that Republicans have let expire. We had the chance to extend this deduction in the most recent tax bill. but somehow. the tuition deduction just didnt make the list.of priorities in a $70 billion bill of tax cuts. We cannot honestly pretend that repealing this tax is a priority for the American people. 99.5 percent of Americans arent affected by this tax. And 3 years from now. under current law. even fewer will be subject to it. Congress has already acted on the estate tax. increasing the exemption level from $1.3 million to $4 million. so that only a quarter of the estates taxed in 2000 pay a tax today. Under current law. those who inherft a $7 million estate in 2009 will pay no tax. And yet. the American people are being told that this is about saving them from more taxation. Small businesses are being told that the estate tax could bq the death of their business. The average American is now in fear -that they. too. might have to pay a burdensome tax when a parent dies. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4002}
{"speech_id":1090141942,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the American people should see these for what they are: scare tactics. Instead. the American people should be up in arms that this is the issue their Senators think is a high priority. They should be furious that instead of dealing with any of the issues they are concerned about. instead of addressing energy prices. instead of providing a tuition deduction to help families with the cost of college. we are talking about repealing taxes for the super wealthy. So lets not be swayed by a few stories or scare tactics. Instead. lets look at the facts. The fact is that under the current exemption. only 135 small businesses Nationwide have to pay any estate tax. The fact is that while full repeal would help those with multimillion dollar estatessuch as Vice President CHENEY. who would save up to $60 million from repeal or former Exxon Mobil Chairman Lee Raymond. who would save $164 millionfull repeal would actually hurt most small businesses. according to the Small Business Council of America. And the fact is. while this may save a few millions for a handful of multimillionaires. the American people will be paying off the cost of repealing this tax for years to come. Lets see this for what it is. This is a tax that does not affect 99.5 percent of Americans. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4002}
{"speech_id":1090141942,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is not a tax crisis. and it is not a family business crisis. Repealing it is irresponsible. Greater debt upon the next generation of Americans for the benefit of a wealthy few is morally wrong. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4002}
{"speech_id":1090141946,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I echo what my colleague from Virginia has said and rise in support of repealing the unfair death tax. It is fair to say that death should not be a taxable event. There is decisive majority support in the Senate for repealing the death tax. And if you look at what happened in the House of Representatives. 272 votes in favor of repealing the death tax. a bipartisan vote in the House. and a big. bipartisan support vote in the Senate. What is happening is it gets filibustered. It takes 60 votes to end the filibuster. I hope my colleagues will join with the rest of us. those who have chosen to try to block this from consideration. and vote with us to at least allow us to proceed to consideration. to proceed to a vote. to allow the will of the Senate and what I believe is the will of the majority of the people in the country to be worked. It is an unfair tax because the Donald Trumps and Paris Hiltons of the world. which are the examples most often used by our colleagues on the other side. are not going to pay it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9639}
{"speech_id":1090141946,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have a team of lawyers and accountants who are going to make sure that they pay little or no death tax. It is familyowned farms and small businesses that will end up paying the tax. There are a lot of numbers being put up by both sides in this debate. After spending a little time in Washington. it becomes clear that just about everyone can find a statistic to support their particular point of view. I brought with me some real South Dakota stories that can help us understand who the death tax can hit and how it can hurt or even shut down a family farm or business. Perhaps the most wellknown example of a familyowned and operated business in my State of South Dakota is Wall Drug. I had hoped to have a poster to show it because people across this country. anybody who has traveled down interstate 90 in South Dakota has seen signs for Wall Drug. Although it currently draws thousands of people every day. Ted and Dorothy Hustead never imagined the success of their familyowned and operated business. Wall Drug wasnt always the tourist attraction it is today. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9639}
{"speech_id":1090141946,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact in 1931. Ted and Dorothy Hustead and their son Bill moved to the prairie town of Wall. SD. Ted was a pharmacist and started his own drugstore with $3.000 left behind for him by his father. After a 5year trial. the Husteads were ready to give up their familyowned business until Dorothys extraordinary advertising idea. The Husteads began advertising free ice water on the billboards to draw people in who were traveling across the hot. vast prairie of South Dakota. The story is told that before they could get back to the store. after putting the signs up on what used to be highway 16 in South Dakota. there were already customers streaming into the store to get some of this free ice water. The first sign sprung up on highway 16 andit turned out to be the key to their success. Today. Wall Drugs advertisements are still along the highways of South Dakota. still advertising free ice water. along with other more modern draws. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9639}
{"speech_id":1090141946,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their signs can also be seen all over the world. often with the mileage dutifully added. My office is 1.565 miles from WallDrug. This didnt happen overnight. In 1951. Ted and Dorothys son. Bill Hustead. joined the business. working to create the family attraction that Wall Drug is today. The secondgeneration Husteads expanded the business and increased advertising spending. In 1981. Bills oldest son Rick became the first member of the third generation to join the business. Later joined by brother Ted. the thirdgeneration owners continue to run the family business based upon the same western hospitality once embodied by their grandparents. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9639}
{"speech_id":1090141946,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Holding its reputation high. Wall Drug represents Americas strong entrepreneurial spirit. built on innovation and perseverance and passed down through three generations of the Hustead family. Why do I use this illustration to tell the Wall Drug story? Because it would be a shame to see family operations such as Wall Drug be sold off because of an untimely death in the family. That is what might happen to this business and these two other South Dakota stories that I will share with you. The effect of the death tax is very real on these familyowned operations. familyowned businesses. In central South Dakota -sits a 3.000acre family farm. I will describe it as a mediumsized farming operation in South Dakotanot too big. not too small. Unfortunately. a death occurred in the family. As a result. $750.000 will likely be paid in taxes. This is a huge amount of money for a farm operation in my State. where land values can make an operation look a lot more valuable on paper than they are in reality. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9639}
{"speech_id":1090141948,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I speak in favor of doing away with the death tax. To follow a principle of taxation and not just for the sole purpose of doing away with the tax. but following on what the Senator from South Dakota said. an obvious one is that death should not be an incident of taxationnot because it is death. but because when you collect taxes in an instance like that. it is like a fire sale. When you force a sale at a particular time to pay taxes. the value is going to be less than if the marketplace works. So by letting the asset pass from one generation to the other and letting the succeeding generation sell it according to the willing buyer\/willing seller. more money is going to come in. That is a principle that has been laid out by the Senator from South Dakota. Another principle that hasnt been spoken about yet is when to tax for Government servicestax income the earliest it is made. and tax it once. Beyond that. you ought to let the marketplace decide the value of something and tax it accordingly. Under both circumstances. more money is going to come into the Federal Treasury. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9262}
{"speech_id":1090141948,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I believe that death should not be a taxable event. Since I have been in the U.S. Senate. I have been working on reform of the estate tax. Taxing peoples assets upon their death is just plain wrongnot wrong to the heirs as much as it is wrong to think that you are going to get more money into the Federal Treasury that way than if you let the marketplace work and determine the true value of something with a willing buyer and a willing eller. Heirs should not be forced to sell a single asset in order to meet an arbitrary tax due datethe due date caused by death. Assets should not have to be sold to pay taxes. The market should determine when things are bought and sold. That is the best measurementwhen a willing buyer meets a willing seller and they agree on a price and a time when that asset should be sold. Unfortunately. under existing law. we -have it all wrong. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9262}
{"speech_id":1090141948,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under current law. in 2011 when we will once again have an estate tax due and owing within 9 months of death of 55 percent. and even in some cases up to 60 percent. that is just not right. It is not right for the family involved and it is not the best thing for the Federal Treasury. because that is not going to bring in the massive amount of revenue that would come in if the marketplace were working. It is not right because we have forced many unwilling sellers to have to deal with a very willing shark of a buyer who is waiting in the murky waters of tax uncertainty. Some people wonder why I care so much about this issue. I have reporters from big city newspapers calling me. because I am a U.S. Senator. to remind me that Iowa is somewhat economically poor compared to very socalled wealthy places. like New York City. and that land and companies in the Midwest are not worth much. They take great joy in calling up my constituentsprobably very randomlyand maybe stopping by once or twice for a socalled investigation about the haves and the havenots of our State. They do it trying to find out the grassroots feeling about this great tax debate. I may not get to write on the front page of a fancy urban newspaper. but I do get to talk to. a lot of my constituents because I visit every county every year to find out what is important to my constituents through my town meetings. I will give you. from those meetings. a couple of examples. as my colleague from South Dakota did for his State. of why I think this debate is so important and this bill is so impor-. tant and this cloture vote should pass. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9262}
{"speech_id":1090141948,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. we have it all wrong. Under current law. in 2011 we will once again have an estate tax due and owing within 9 months of death of 55 percent and even in some cases up to 60 percent. That just is not right. We have forced many unwilling sellers to have to deal with a very willing \"shark\" of a buyer waiting in the murky waters of tax uncertainty. These are real people who live in Iowa. They have devoted their entire lives. for multiple generations. to building businesses and creating good jobs for people of rural Iowa. Over 40 years ago. Eugene and Mary Sukup started a grain handling and storage manufacturing company in Sheffield. IA. On my family farm. my. son and I used Sukup equipment to store our cobn and soybeans and to use drying equipment for drying corn for storage. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9262}
{"speech_id":1090141948,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I know that the Sukups. as a family manufacturing business. have a quality product and they serve their customers well. and they serve all Iowa well in the sense of jobs. Today.- the Sukup family and the next generation of two sons and their families are involved. they are still headquartered in this little community.of Sheffield. IA. with a population of 968 people. But they employ over 300 people from 5 different counties. in goodpaying jobs. with good retirement plans. In fact. the original employee team that started .with them 40 years ago is still there today. and. in many cases. the next generation of that family has also joined the team. In addition. the Sukups facilities in other States. also contributing to the economy of those other States. like Defiance. OH. Jonesboro.AR. Arcola. IL. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9262}
{"speech_id":1090141977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I quote: Hawaii illustrates the Nations revolutionary message of equality of opportunity for all. regardless of background. color. or religion. This is the promise of Hawaii. a promise for the entire Nation and. indeed. the world. that peoples of different races and creeds can live together. enriching each other. in harmony and democracy. That is Lawrence H. Fuchs. Hawaii Pono. 1961. written at the time of statehood. Today. with that quote in mind. I rise in opposition to the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2006. As my colleague just mentioned. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2640}
{"speech_id":1090141977,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I respect both of my Hawaiian colleagues and the work they have done to promote the culture and heritage of their native people. At the same time. I must disagree with the underlying notion of this bill. The major argument in favor of this bill is the notion that Congress should create a Native Hawaiian tribe in order to treat them the same as American Indians and Native Alaskans. But Congress cannot simply create an Indian tribe. Only those groups of. people who have long operated as an Indian tribe. lived as a separate and distinct communitygeographically and culturallyand have a preexisting political structure can be organized as a tribe. Hawaiians could never qualify as an American Indian tribe. First. they do not have the preexisting political structure. Prior to secession from the Republic of Hawaii. Hawaii operated under a monarchy and not a tribe. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2640}
{"speech_id":1090141977,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Even if they were once organized in tribal governments. they have had no type of Native Hawaiian government for over 100 years. Furthermore. in 1959. 94 percent of Hawaiians voted favorably to approve the Hawaii Stateh6od Act and become American citizens. At this time. there was an understanding that Hawaiis native people would not be treated as a separate racial group and that they would not be transformed into an Indian tribe. Second. Native Hawaiians do not have an independent and separate community. In fact. Hawaii is one of the most integrated and blended societies in America. Hawaii is. in essence. Americas great melting pot. The creation of a Native Hawaiian racebased government entity would drive a wedge into the now harmonious melting pot of the Hawaiian culture. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2640}
{"speech_id":1090141977,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill is asking us to pretend that a tribe existed based on the sharing of one drop of blood. We cannot simply reorganize a tribe that never existed or create a new racebased government entity. \" Furthermore. using Congress to create a tribe offends the very idea of equal protection under the law. Creating a Native Hawaiian tribe. especially one with no borders. undermines our constitutional rights.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2640}
{"speech_id":1090142007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005. Although I am a proud Illinoisan. proud to be the junior Senator from Illinois. many of you know that I was born and raised in Hawaii. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit or call Hawaii home. as I once did. and as my grandmother and sister- and adorable niece still do. anybody who has spent time in Hawaii cannot help but recognize the uniqueness of the place. In addition to its scenic landscapes and rich history. it is the living legacy of alohathe spirit of openness and friendliness that is ingrained in the shared. local culture that shapes and enhances each island encounter and experience. Throughout Hawaiis history. individuals of all nationalities. races and creeds have found solace in Hawaii. In large part this stems from the culture of Native Hawaiians. who have always acknowledged and celebrated diversity. This incorporation of new cultures and practices over the years has strengthened and unified the community. And as the child. of a black father and a white mother. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4886}
{"speech_id":1090142007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know firsthand how important Native Hawaiian efforts are tofoster a culture of acceptance and of tolerance. For this reason. I am proud to join Senator DANIEL AKAKA to extend the Federal policy of selfgovernance and selfdetermination to Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians are a vital part of our Nations cultural fabric. and they will continue to shape our country in the years to come. The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act provides both the process and opportunity for Native Hawaiian communities to engage themselves in and reorganize their governing. entity to establish a federally recognized governmenttogovernment relationship with the United States of America. The process set forth in the bill empowers Native Hawaiians to explore and address the longstanding issues resulting from the overthrow of the kingdom of Hawaii. Thereare three main provisions of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act. First. the bill establishes the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations in the Department of the Interior to serve as a liaison between the Native Hawaiians and the United States. Second. the bill establishes the Native Hawaiian Interagency Coordinating Group that will be comprised of Federal officials from agencies that administer Native Hawaiian programs. These provisions are intended to increase coordination - between Native Hawaiians and the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4886}
{"speech_id":1090142007,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I And third. the bill provides a process for reorganizing the Native Hawaiian government entity. Once the entity is reorganized and recognized. there is a process of negotiations to resolve longstanding issues such as the transfer of and jurisdiction over lands. natural resources. and assets. Support for this bill comes not only from the people of Hawaii but from people all across America. This bill also is supported by the indigenous peoples of America. including American Indians and Ala~ka natives. As Americans. we pride ourselves in safeguarding the practice and ideas of liberty. justice. and freedom. By supporting this bill. we can continue this great American tradition and fulfill. this promise by affofding Native Hawaiians the opportunity to recognize their governing entity and have it recognized by the Federal Government. As someone who grew up in Hawaii and has enormous love for the Hawaiian culture. I also think it is important. as I know the two Senators from Hawaii will acknowledge. that there have been difficulties within the community of Native Hawaiians. oftentimes despite the fact that we are visitors to Hawaii. that many times particularly young Native Hawaiians have had difficulties in terms of unemployment. in terms of being able to integrate into the economy of the islands. that some of the historical legacies of what has happened in Hawaii continue to burden the Native Hawaiians for many years into the future. This bill gives us an opportunity not tolook backward but to help all Hawaiians move forward and to make sure that the Native Hawaiians in that great State are full members and not left behind as Hawaii continues to progress. This is an important piece of legislation. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4886}
{"speech_id":1090142007,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I take a minute to commend the senior Senator from Hawaii. Mr. INOUYE. and most of all Senator AKAKA. particularly. for his tireless efforts to bring this to the floor. When people all across the country didnt know about this issue. Senator AKAKA was the one who made sure we did. He has been a champion for the people of Hawaii. He is always working hard and thinking big to realize this ideal for the native population of his State. They are truly fortunate to have Senator AKAKA as their Senator. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to vote for the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005. I will be proud to add my vote to the roll call. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4886}
{"speech_id":1090142016,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first of all. I compliment my colleagues from Hawaii. Senator INOUYE. and Senator AKAKA especially. for sharing his time and for the incredible work they have done on behalf of the people they represent in the State of Hawaii. I wanted to take this opportunity to-","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":279}
{"speech_id":1090142199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. 5 years ago Congress took steps to end the death tax. Now the American people expect us to finish the job. We need to end permanently the tax that punishes American values of savings and investment and of building small businesses and family farms and ranches. The death tax punishes the American dreammaking it virtually impossible for the average American family to build wealth across generations.. The death tax is antisavings. antifamily. and antiinvestment. It is quite simply unAmerican. If we dont act now. the death tax will come back in just a few years. Under current law the death tax is .phased out in 2010 but comes back in full force in 2011. That is a ridiculous and untenable policy. The death tax should be completely and permanently repealed now in order to make the Tax Code fairer and simpler and to eliminate the harmful drag this tax has on the economy. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090142199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to the Small Business Administration. more than 70 percent of all family businesses do not survive through the second generation. and 8 percent do not make it to a third. The death tax is one of the leading causes of the dissolution of small businesses. It hits those who own small businesses and family farmers the most. When faced with the death tax. farmers and ranchers are in an especially tough spot with most of their assets tied up in land and buildings. livestock and equipment. This gives them little flexibility when settling estates. Unlike an investor with a stock portfolio. they cant simply sell off a block of stocks and move on. We can all understand budget shortfalls due to a multitude of national and international events. But it is wrong to argue that we can shore up the budget by imposing a death tax on hardworking farmers and small business owners who are the backbone of theAmerican economy. In reality. the death tax collects little revenue. less than 1.5 percent of Federal revenue. According to the CATO Institute. compliance with the death tax costs the economy about what the Treasury collects. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090142199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A recent study analysis in 2005 by professors at Carnegie Mellon University suggest that repeal would cause a net - increase in Federal revenues through dynamic growth effects and increased capital gains receipt. The Wall Street Journal has reported that repealing the death tax would create an extra 200.000 jobs per year. Debate usually focuses only on the taxes that estates actually pay. ignoring the real costs this tax imposes on owners of small businesses and family farms. These include estateplanning costs. compliance costs at death. and overall economic growth. Americans are paying millions of dollars every year to lawyers and accountants just hoping their children will not have to sell off the family business to pay the death taxes. Most small businesses and ranches will not be viable if the children have to sell off half to pay the tax. That money would be much better spent creating jobs. upgrading family farms. or saving for retirement or a childs college education. Eliminating the death tax is a matter of fairness. When folks work their entire lives to build up and pass on a business or family to their children. the kids should not get hit with a huge tax when they die.That is just not the American way. Americans overwhelmingly agree that it is wrong to tax property and earnings that have already been taxed before. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090142199,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Polls consistently show over 70 percent of Americans support repeal. Lets have the courage to separate death and taxes.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3495}
{"speech_id":1090142202,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. along with millions of Americans. I am acutely sensitive to the values of saving and hard work. Like citizens all across our country. many West Virginians devote their lives to acquiring and nurturing a family business or farm in order to pass it on to a son or daughter. These forwardlooking Americans ought not to have to worry about their heirs losing the family heritage because of the demands of the tax code. While I oppose full repeal of the estate tax. I had hoped to support a compromise measure that would exempt small businesses and farms. In order to debate the estate tax repeal. and work on an amendment exempting small businesses and farms. I had hoped to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed. However. if cloture on the motion toproceed to the estate tax bill had been invoked. a compromise would not have been possible. The majority leadership indicated an intent to immediately file cloture on the underlying bill. and then to limit votes on amendments. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1549}
{"speech_id":1090142202,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senate would have then been forced to accept legislation that could have cost the U.S. Treasury up to $1 trillion over 15 years. If a realistic estate tax repeal is ever to be enacted. the Senate must be allowed to fully debate and amend the estate tax repeal. Such a sweeping tax repeal should not be forced down the throat of the Senate without a thorough debate and the offering of reasonable amendments. Until such time as an understanding is reached to fairly debate the matterincluding the offering of amendmentsI must oppose taking up the bill.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1549}
{"speech_id":1090142221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. we passed a bill in 2001 that actually started lowering the death tax for a 10year period. and then it will come back in full force. When it comes back in full force. we are going t6 have up to a 55percent tax on estates that are over $1 million. What does this mean? It means that if someone owns a farm where the property has appreciated but they cannot possibly produce enough on that farm to pay one lump sum on its value55 percent of itwe would be breaking up family farms and ranches all over this country. That is whatthe death tax has been doing for years. In fact. America has the highest death tax in the world. We say we are a country of small businesses. of familyowned businesses. entrepreneurs who have started with nothing and built something. and yet we do the very thing that hurts those small businesses. In fact. they cannot pass to the next generation. Thirty percent of family businesses today pass to the second generation. 13 percent make it to the third generation. That is because the property owned in a business is worth much more in value than it produces. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1935}
{"speech_id":1090142221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The death tax walks away from \"the American dream. TJie American dream is if you come to this country. if you work hard. you can give your children a better chance than you- had. The American dream is that you can start with nothing and you can build something if you work hard and you have a good idea. But the death tax walks away from that because it breaks up that family business. it breaks up the ability to accumulate wealth. it interferes with freedom and the free enterprise in this country today. I hope we will not throw people out of jobs. as Senator DEMINT just mentioned. that we will not prevent people from giving their kids a better chance than they had. Please vote for cloture today so that we can do the right thing for our country and promote small farms. familyowned businesses. and entrepreneurship once again.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1935}
{"speech_id":1090142225,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. first. I understand the people downtown and on 5th Avenue have come up with this death tax name. but this is an estate tax. If rny wife or I die. there would be no fax. I would acquire the property she had and vice versa. At such time as she and I pass away. and if there is a taxof course. we have paid no tax on any of thiswhen we pass away. there would be a tax perhaps. But if there was a tax. one would have 14 years to pay it. I want all within the sound of my voice to understand that 46 million people have no health insurance. and there is not a word of debate in the Senate. Gas prices are over $3 a gallon in Nevada. Minimum wage has not been raised in years. and we are not doing anything on that in the Senate. The Republicandominated Congress just eliminated the tuition tax credit. a credit for which one could get a tax benefit for sending their kids to college. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9432}
{"speech_id":1090142225,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not working on that issue. We have a deficit approaching $9 trillion. and we are doing nothing about that. Stem cell research. to give hope to hundreds of thousands. if not millions. of Americans with diseases such as Parkinsons. Alzheimers. diabetes. Lou Gehrig diseasewe are not doing anything .about. that. Prescription drugs for everyday Americans and for seniorsnothing. Not one of these issues is before the Senate. but we are going to talk about something today that affects twotenths of 1 percent of the people in Americatwotenths of 1 percent. The estate tax is not high on the agenda of people in Nevada. I think we are wasting precious days on divisive issues when there are so many other matters that deserve and demand our attention. Why arent we doing something in the Senate to address issues that affect 99.8 percent of the American people? .I havent talked about the intractable war in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9432}
{"speech_id":1090142225,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It rages on. Our soldiers continue to fight valiantly. and heroic performance and sacrifice has not been matched. Idont believe. by the fact that we have $50 million we need to spend to get the military up to the position it was in when the war started. There has been deterioration of our equipment. With respect to health care. there are 46 million Americans who have no health insurance. I think it is a national crisis. The national debtI mentioned that brieflystands at $8.4 trillion right now and is scheduled to grow to $12 trillion by 2011. double what stood when President Bush took office. The national debt represents a birth tax for our children. our childrens children. and their children. The Senate is doing nothing to relieve the burden of the birth tax. Why? Well. we know the answer. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9432}
{"speech_id":1090142225,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The majority. the Senate Republicans. dont intend to fix these problems because so many of them are problems they created. and they dont want to call attention to them. That is why we dont have legislation on which we can offer amendments. So. instead. we have the estate tax on the Senate floor. the latest effort to distort. distract. and confuse Americans. The estate tax is an extremely costly tax for a wealthy few that comes at the expense of every American born and yet to be born for decades to come. How costly? Roughly $1 trillion. And how few? Twelve thousand estates in America. We are a country of 280 million people. We are legislating here today for 12.000 people who are rich. I think it is fair to say that Warren Buffett. George Soros. the Gatesesbillionaires--they have said very clearly that this tax should remain. that it is their obligation as rich people in America who have achieved the American dream to pay these taxes. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9432}
{"speech_id":1090142225,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But there are a few who dont feel that way. As Senator DURBIN indicated. $800someodd billion by people who are pushing this legislation by running fullpage ads in newspapers around the country. Let me talk about some myths concerning the estate tax. First. some proponents of the estate tax repeal sponsored by about 18 families would have us believe that it is a fiscalfree lunch. One group. the American Family Business Institute. even claims that repealing the estate tax would increase the coffers of this country. Oh. that is so wrong. The Joint Committee on Taxation has estimated revenue loss over the next 10 years to be about $400 billion. Even President Bushs own Treasury Department says that repealing the estate tax will reduce Federal revenues. The Treasury Department puts the loss at about $340 billion. That is only half the story. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9432}
{"speech_id":1090142239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with my colleague. Senator CLINTON. to talk about an issue that demands our attention and action: the potential for a pandemic flu outbreak and. more importantly. what we can do about it. Behind me I have a picture of a crowded emergency hospital at Fort Riley. KS. during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. That flu eventually took the lives of more than 600.000 Americans and 50 million people worldwide. However. my colleagues may not be aware that the first human cases of the Spanish flu in the United States were discovered in my home State of Kansas at Camp Funston in Fort Riley. KS. On the morning of March l1th. 1918. a company cook reported to the camp infirmary complaining about a bad cold. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1465}
{"speech_id":1090142239,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By noon. over 100 sick soldiers suffering the same bad cold also reported to the infirmary. These complaints of bad colds turned out to be the first cases of Spanish flu in America. Within weeks. that influenza had spread to places as far away as Camps Hancock. Lewis. Sherman. and even to several hundred prisoners at San Quentin. By the summer. the flu reached around the globe. killing tens of thousands of people. This flu was so severe and damaging that attack plans during World War I had to be altered or postponed because there were shortages of healthy men to battle. The Spanish flu continued to spread all throughout 1919. It reached its death toll of nearly 50 million people worldwide. I yield to my distinguished colleague.","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1465}
{"speech_id":1090142318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate confirmed four lifetime appointments to U.S. district courts. Noel Hillman and Peter Sheridan. who have been nominated to seats on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. and Thomas Ludington and Sean Cox. who have been nominated to seats on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. They are all nominees who have the support of Democratic home State Senators. I am glad the Republican leadership has taken notice of the fact that. as I discussed earlier this week. these nominees have been ready for action for some time. since being reported unanimously last month. I also look forward to working with the Republican leadership to schedule debate and consideration of Sandra Segal Ikuta. who has been nominated to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. and Andrew Guilford to be a district judge for the Central District of California who also have the support of Democratic home State Senators and could also be easily confirmed. When they are considered. and I hope the Republican leadership will agree to do that next week and not delay. we will have confirmed 250 of President Bushs nominees to lifetime appointments on the Federal courts. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12327}
{"speech_id":1090142318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I noted earlier this week. the nominees we are considering today could have been confirmed earlier if the Republican leadership had chosen to proceed with them instead of pressing forward first with the controversial nomination of Brett Kavanaugh and the divisive debate over a constitutional amendment that had no chance of passing. I do commend the Republican Senate leadership for wisely passing over th4 controversial nominations of William Gerry Myers III. Terrence W. Boyle. and Norman Randy Smith to turn to these nominations today. In the course of an houror two this week. the Senate will confirm five lifetime appointments to the Federal courts. Debate on those flawed nominations will take much longer: The Republican leadership is right to have avoided such controversial nominations that were only reported on a partyline vote. During the 17 months I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Senate was under Democratic control. we confirmed 100 of President Bushs nominees. After today. in the last 17 months under Republican control. the Senate will have confirmed 43. Regrettably. rather than fill judicial vacancies with qualified nominees. the Republican leadership seems all too often more focused on picking fights. Last month. they forced debate on the controversial nomination of a White House insider selected for a lifetime position on the DC Circuit as a reward for his loyalty to President Bush. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12327}
{"speech_id":1090142318,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I did not support confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh. That was the fight the Republican leader had promised the narrow special interest groups of the rightwing of his party. The President and Senate Republican leadership continue to pick fights over judicial nominations rather than focus on filing vacancies. This is part of their partisan effort to agitate conseriative voters. no doubt. They are willing to play politics with the Constitution and with the courts. They treat the Constitution as a billboard for campaign posters and political ads. Judicial vacancies have now grown to nearly 50 from the lowest vacancy rate in decades. More than half these vacancies are without a nominee. The Congressional Research Service has recently released a study showing that this President has been the slowest in decades to make circuit court nominations and the Republican Senate among the slowest to act. If they would concentrate on the needs of the courts. our Federal justice system. and the needs of the American people. we would be much further along. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12327}
{"speech_id":1090142318,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This week we passed a milestone. confirming the 17th judicial nominee this session. That was the total number of judges confirmed in the 1996 congressional session. when Republicans controlled the Senate and stalled the nominations of President Clinton. In the 1996 session. however. Republicans would not confirm a single appellate court judge. All 17 confirmations were district court nominees. That is the only session I can remember in which the Senate has simply refused to consider a single appellate court nomination. That was part of their pocketfilibuster strategy to stall and maintain vacancies so that a Republican President could pack the courts and tilt them decidedly to the right. In the important DC Circuit. the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh was the culmination of the Republicans decadelong attempt to pack the DC Circuit that began with the stalling of Merrick Garlands nomination in 1996 and continued with the blocking of President Clintons other wellqualified nominees. Elena Kagan and Allen Snyder. If the Republican leadership will work with us to schedule Sandra Segal Ikutas nomination for consideration and a vote. we are likely to add another circuit court confirmation to that total. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12327}
{"speech_id":1090142318,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I only wish President Clintons nominees had received the same treatment. The road ahead is likely to be rocky. In the runup to the Kavanaugh nomination debate. we saw that the Senate Republican leadership is apparently heeding the advice of The Wall Street .-Journal editorial page. which wrote. \"[a] filibuster fight would be exactly the sort of political battle Republicans need to energize conservative voters after their recent months of despond.\" Rich Lowery. editor of the conservative National Review. listed a fight over judges as one of the wa:s President Bush dould revive his political fortunes. writing that he should. \"[p]ush for the confirmation of his circuit judges that are pending. Talk about them by name. The G.O.P. wins judiciary fights.\" Republican Senators are relishing picking fights over controversial judicial nominees. Senator THUNE has said. \"A good fight on judges does nothing but energize our base .... Right now our folks are feeling a little flat.\" Senator CORNYN has said. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12327}
{"speech_id":1090142333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Let me indicate as a member of the Finance Committee that we had hearings on the Schwab nomination. Let me stipulate that she is well qualified for the position. She is a lovely person. well educated and well trained. With all that said. after her testimony before the Finance Committee. I decided reluctantly that I would oppose her nomination. I want to share very briefly with the Members why I made that judgment. When Ms. Schwab came before the Finance Committee. I put up a chart showing what has happened to the trade deficit of the United States. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3349}
{"speech_id":1090142333,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The trade deficit soared to over $700 billion last year. I had another chart that showed what has happened to the trade deficit with Mexico since the NAFTA agreement. Before the NAFTA agreement. we had a trade surplus with Mexico of seveial billion dollars. Now we have a massive trade deficit with Mexico. I asked Ms. Schwab: Is this a successful trade policy? Her answer was: Yes. I told her: If this is a success. I would hate to see a failure. Because this trade policy is proving to be a disaster for the financial health of the United States. We are spending $700 billion a year more in purchases than we are in sales. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3349}
{"speech_id":1090142333,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A country cannot do that for very long. Then I asked her about agricultural trade policy. I asked her about the strategy of our trade ambassador going into the trade talks and making unilateral concessions. offering to cut support for our producers by 60 percent on the notion that then the other side would make concessions to us. I told her this is the strangest way to negotiate that I have ever seen. Unilateral concessions on the hope that the other side will follow suitwho has ever seen that in a negotiation? That is like going to the car dealership and agreeing to pay the sticker price. Why would you ever do that? Ms. Schwab told me this is actually a smart trade tactic. a negotiating tactic. that you make big concessions on the front end and then you get tougher at the end. I dont think that is smart. I think it is a disaster. We are in a circumstance in which the Europeans provide five times as much support for their producers as we provide for ours. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3349}
{"speech_id":1090142333,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They account for more than 90 percent of the export subsidy in the world. We are about 1 or 2 percent. So they have us outgunned there 70 or 80 to 1. Our idea of a negotiation is to make major unilateral concessions and then hope the other side gives in. What happened with this strategy? Did Europe then follow and make major concessions in response to ours? No. They made none. I fear we are pursuing a trade agenda that is simply not working. I would present as exhibit No. 1 record trade deficits. the biggest in our history and growing dramatically. Exhibit No. 2. NAFTA: We signed on to the NAFTA agreement. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3349}
{"speech_id":1090142333,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our leadership told us this was going to be a great success. At the time we had a positive trade balance with Mexico. Now our trade deficit is measured in the tens of billions of dollars a year. This is a trade policy that is not working. I cannot support as our trade ambassador somebody who clearly believes that is a success. How could anyone define this as a success? I have reluctantly concluded that if we were to have a vote. and apparently this will be on a voice vote. I want it clearly recorded that I would vote \"no. I thank the Chair and yield the floor.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3349}
{"speech_id":1090142338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I speak today in support of the nomination of Dr. Susan Schwab to be the U.S. Trade Representative. I have known Susan for a long time and have seen her great leadership and vision as dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. As dean. Susan helped the school grow into one of the top. public policy programs in the Nation. I support fair trade. so American workers can compete. Dr. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090142338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Schwab has demonstrated her commitment to this approach and to ensuring ourNations economic competitiveness. Our top trade representative needs to be tough. smart. and have experience standing up for American interests. Dr. Schwab clearly fits that bill as well. Dr. Schwabs qualifications for this position are firstrate. She is a former Foreign Service officer. serving in the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and as a trade negotiator -at the USTR. The experience of serving on the front lines of an office she will now help lead is particularly important. Dr. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090142338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Schwab also has extensive experience in both the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government. She was legislative director for Senator John Danforth and served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and DirectorGeneral of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service in the first Bush administration. In addition to her practical experience. Dr. Schwab is accomplished academically. While deAn of the Maryland School of Public Policy. she taught a variety of graduate courses on U.S. trade policy and international relations. Dr. Schwab received her Ph.D. in public administration and international business from the George Washington University. She holds a masters in development policy from Stanford University and a bachelors from Williams College. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this nomination.","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1788}
{"speech_id":1090142339,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to offer my strong support and endorsement of the confirmation of Ambassador Susan Schwab as U.S. Trade Representative. During her long career in public service. Ambassador Schwab has dedicated herself to advocating for the best interests of the United States in the global economy. I was delighted when I learned that the President had nominated her for the position of U.S. Trade Representative. a position for which she is ideally suited. Throughout the 1980s. Ambassador Schwab was as a trade policy specialist and then legislative director for Senator John C. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090142339,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Danforth. playing a major role in numerous U.S. trade policy initiatives. including landmark trade legislation that Congress enacted in 1984 and 1988. While -serving on the staff of Senator William S. Cohen and as staff director of the Subcommittee on Government Oversight. I worked closely with Ambassador Schwab on a number of trade issues affecting Maine and its industries. In particular. Ambassador Schwab worked with our staff to support Maines shoe industry and its workers during the industrys massive dislocations in the 1980s. She was instrumental in helping us develop legislation to address the industrys dire situation in those years. including critical improvements to antidumping. countervailing duty. and safeguard provisions. She also worked closely with our staff to improve market access for Maine agricultural goods in foreign markets. Ambassador Schwabs professional and personal record of service will enable her to effectively represent U.S. interests around the world. She will make an outstanding U.S. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090142339,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Trade Representative.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1641}
{"speech_id":1090142363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce. along with my colleague from Nevada. Senator ENSIGN. the \"National Innovation Education Act\". The intent of this bill is to enhance our science and technology talent base and improve national competitiveness through strengthened education initiatives. Enhancing academic success. particularly in the fields of science. technology. engineering and mathoften called the . STEM disciplinesthrough innovative educational programs will stimulate change and growth within elementary. secondary and postsecondary institutions. improve current educational opportunities for all students. allow graduates greater opportunity for economic success and greater ability to successfully compete in the global market. This bill proposes initiatives spanning the education spectrum that seek to improve quality instruction and access to STEM learning for all students. Recent recommendations from the Council on Competitiveness and The Augustine Commission at the National Academy of Sciences. among others. target national concerns around the content and quality of K16 in STEM disciplines. particularly with regard to minority and lowincome students. the need to stimulate innovation. and the need to enhance teacher preparation and professional development in the STEM fields. An increasing number of researchers express alarm at the nearly one out of three public high school students who wont graduate and the failure of our systems to adequately prepare high school graduates. and particularly minorities. for success in college and the work place. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9636}
{"speech_id":1090142363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Addressing the challenge of successfully thriving in a world of change. the Council on Competitiveness examined the pressing issue of attracting more young Americans to science and engineering fields. Currently. less than 15 percent of U.S. students have the prerequisite skills to pursue scientific or technical degrees in college. Only 5.5 percent of the 1.1 million high school seniors who took the college entrance exam in 2002 planned to pursue an engineering degree. And there continues to be poor representation of women and minorities in these fields. The National Academies report. \"Rising Above the Gathering Storm.\" notes that amongst the U.S. science and technology workforce 38 percent of PhDs were foreign born. Changes need to be enacted to not only increase the number of .students pursuing math and science degrees but to prepare them to pursue these degrees. Indeed. numerous national reports in recent years have called for efforts to improve K12 education. teacher preparation and professional development in the STEM areas. Recommendations include increasing the numbers of postsecondary students pursuing careers in the areas of mathematics. science. engineering. and technology and increasink the numbers of postsecondary students in the STEM fields who will then pursue concurrent degrees in education. Increasing funding for not only STEM education but STEM research has received strong recommendations as an important and timely approach to addressing improvements in education and innovation. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9636}
{"speech_id":1090142363,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Finally. a critical factor to ensuring program success is the ability to engage and then hold students interests in the various STEM fields enough to encourage them to pursue STEM careers. Our bill seeks to craft a comprehensive response to many of these issues. and includes the following provisions. Title IImproving Prekindergarten Through Grade 16. supplies a remedy to the critical issue of the disconnect existing between high school outcomes and college expectations. Through the formation of partnerships between P12 and higher education systems in the statesP16 Commissionsacademic success in postsecondary education becomes the priority agenda item for reform. We anticipate that P16 Commissions will bring about an increase in the percentage of academically prepared students. particularly lowincome and minority students. and a de.crease in the percentage of college students requiring remedial coursework. particularly with respect to math. science. and engineering. Many States across our country have already seen the wisdom of a P16 Commission and have been working on goals and implementation. The results. although preliminary for many States. are vastly encouraging. Title I will provide support both to States with existing P16 bodies. or States seeking to establish such commissions. It will give priority to the States also seeking to establish or enhance data systems. We hope that States will have an opportunity to craft a vision that will reach all students over time so that their educational pathway of access to and success in college will be ensured. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9636}
{"speech_id":1090142363,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Magnet schools have the capacity to create learning environments tailored to the interests and needs of its community and can offer a focused curriculum capable of attracting substantial numbers of students of different racial backgrounds. Title II of our bill authorizes the National Science Foundation to award grants to assist in the promotion of innovation and competitiveness through the development and implementation of magnet school programs. These programs would encourage students to meet state academic content standards through the development and design of innovative educational methods. practices and curricula that promote student achievement in STEM courses and encourage student enrollment in postsecondary institutions. In addition. Title II authorizes NSF grants to elementary and middle schools creating pilot programs implementing innovationbased experiential learning environments. Innovationbased experiential learning is a teaching model that seeks to seed traditional technical studies with new exposure to methods for creative thinking and translating ideas into practical applications. Such programs would likely involve immersing students in handson experimentation that helps students discover new concepts and use those concepts to solve realworld problems. The interrelated demands that mathematics and science education places upon schools to prepare both teachers and students must be addressed consecutively. Teachers need to be better prepared to teach STEM topics across the board and students need to have access to teachers who are well versed in their content subjects. Title IlI of our bill authorizes funding to increase the number of graduates from postsecondary institutions with concurrent degrees in education and STEM fields. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9636}
{"speech_id":1090142363,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This program is based on the successful UTeach model at the University of Texas at Austin. Encouraging science and math majors to concurrently pursue certification in the field of education will help increase the number and quality of teachers in these fields. The model program at the University of Texas has experienced impressive success in attracting and keeping promising young STEM teachers. Our bill also calls for the establishment of Teacher Professional Development Institutes to promote innovative and effective approaches to improving teacher quality by providing professional development support for educators already in the classroom. The Teacher Institute Model encourages collaboration between urban teachers and university faculty to improve student learning by enhancing teacher mastery of subject matter. It is based upon the model which has been in operation at Yale University in New Haven. CT for over 25 years. Our Nation recognizes the pressing need to increase funding for STEM research and boost the number of students in undergraduate and graduate programs pursuing mathematics and science degrees for our countrys continued development. prosperity and security. Within the final title of our bill. Title IV. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9636}
{"speech_id":1090142366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. June brings the beginning of the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane season. and according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. we can expect it to be a busy one. The administration is predicting 13 to 16 named storms. with as many as 4 to 6 predicted to become major hurricanes of category three strength or higher. As our gulf coast communities learned last fall. it only takes one of these storms to utterly destroy the homes. businesses and lives of millions of Americans. We owe it to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina. Rita and Wilma. as well as to the unsuspecting victims of future disasters. to fix the Federal disaster loan program and build it to be responsive to the needs of disaster victims. Thats why I am introducing the Small Business Disaster Loan Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2006. This bill seeks to improve coordination between responding agencies in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The priority of first responders should be addressing the needs of victims. and the laws establishing disaster response should allow for maximum agency collaboration in addressing those needs. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7576}
{"speech_id":1090142366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To this end. we have directed the Administrator of the Small Business Administration and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster assistance application periods when possible. The Small Business Administration is directed to address any inconsistencies between the Federal regulations and the administrations standard operating procedures that govern the disaster loan program.The Administrator is also directed to work to the maximum extent practicable to gain speedy access to all relevant tax records for loan applicant consideration. and when considering applications. is directed to consider an applicants credit rating from the day prior to the disasters occurrence. The Comptroller General is directed to study the current disaster assistance application and referral process that has resulted in an approval rate of only 35 percent of total disaster loan applicants. The Administrator is also directed to report on how this process can be improved. To increase awareness of available disaster loan assistance. the bill directs the Administrator to develop a proactive marketing plan that will get information on disaster loans in the hands of those who need it. The bill includes an additional study to be conducted by the Comptroller General on industries that may have difficulty accessing disaster loans. In addition to reauthorizing the disaster loan program for a period of 3 years beginning in 2007. this bill provides the increased capital that homeowners and small business owners need and currently have trouble accessing following a major disaster. A presidential declaration of catastrophic national disaster will allow the Administrator to offer economic injury disaster loans to adversely affected business owners beyond the geographic reach of the disaster area. In addition. private lenders are encouraged to make disaster loans through the 7(a) and 504 lending programs with reduced fees. and the Administrator is authorized to enter into agreements with private contractors in order to expedite loan application processing for direct disaster loans. Disaster victims are often in need of capital prior to when traditional assistance programs are available. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7576}
{"speech_id":1090142366,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To address this need. this bill establishes a process for providing Federal bridge loans. allowing States to redirect funding previously designated for Community Development Block Grants and use these funds to provide bridge loans and grants to disaster victims. Having this waiver in place will allow States to ensure that victims have the speedy access to capital while they wait for alternative sources of assistance. Nonprofit entities working to provide services to victims should be rewarded and given access to the capital they require to continue their services. To this end. the Administrator is authorized to make disaster loans to nonprofit entities. including religious organizations. So that businesses are not limited during major disasters by a loan cap that is not sufficient to meet their needs. the bill increases the aggregate amount of loans available to $10.000.000 during a declared major disaster or a catastrophic national disaster. . This bill strengthens the Stafford Act by requiring a 10 percent goal for local firms to participate in the recovery and reconstruction effort. The bill also encourages the utilization of expedited procurement tools for small. small disadvantaged. servicedisabled. and historically underutilized businesses. Construction and rebuilding contracts being awarded are likely to be larger than the current $2 million threshold currently applied to the SBA Surety Bond Program which helps small construction firms gain access to contracts. This bill increases the guarantee against loss for small business contracts up to $5 million and allows the Administrator to increase that level to $10 million. if deemed necessary. The bill also allows faster payments to small firms in order to increase their ability to gain access to bonds. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7576}
{"speech_id":1090142366,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To make bonding more attractive to surety providers in the disaster area. the Administrator may wave fees for sureties offering bonding in the disaster area and allows the sureties to use the Stateapproved rates for bonds awarded in the disaster area. The bill also provides for small busi. ness development centers tooffer business counseling. in disaster areas. and to travel beyond traditional geographic boundaries to provide services durink declared disasters. To encourage small business development centers located in disaster areas to keep their doors open. the maximum grant amount of $100.000 is waived. So that Congress may remain better aware of the status of the administrations disaster loan program. this bill directs the administration to report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and to the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives regularly on the fiscal status of the disaster loan program as well as the need for supplemental funding. The administration is also directed to report on the number of Federal contracts awarded to small businesses. minorityowned small businesses. womenowned businesses. and local businesses during a disaster declaration. Many small businesses depend on the contributions of Americas military reservists. and have been struggling through the months that these brave men and women have served their country through active duty. This bill authorizes the Administrator to provide grants to the smallest of these firms to assist them as they seek to remain open. Gas prices continue to soar. and fuel dependent small businesses are struggling with the cost of energy. This bill provides relief to small business owners during times of above average energy price increases. authorizing energy disaster loans through the Small Business Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture to companies dependent on fuel. Residents of the gulf coast continue to rebuild from last years hurricane .season. and they do so despite the slow and inadequate response from their Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7576}
{"speech_id":1090142366,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By increasing access to capital for small businesses suffering as a result of a disaster. and by ensuring that Federal agencies charged with disaster response are doing their joJs in a coordinated manner that puts the needs of victims first. we can ensure that the Federal Government is better prepared to respond to future disasters.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7576}
{"speech_id":1090142394,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. June 8. 2006. at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on Asian Adoptions in the United States.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":279}
{"speech_id":1090142421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m.. Friday. June 9. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be .approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":461}
{"speech_id":1090142462,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for his response. Bill Gates and others in their eleemosynary undertakings do not have the responsibility that we do here in this body to undertake appropriate foreign undertakings. That said. I would at this time yield 3 minutes to my friend. the gentleman from Oregon .","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090142503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support this rule and to support the bill. H.R. 5252. the COPE Act as we have called it. And I want to take a moment and thank Chairman BARTON and Chairman UPTON for their excellent work on this bill. I also want to thank Congressman WYNN who has worked with me on video choice and. franchising and on these issues. It has been a bipartisan bill and it has been a 1year debate. and I thank him for his leadership and his participation on this issue. I think it is important to note that this bill came out of committee on a strong bipartisan vote. 4212. and there is a reason that that happened. The reason for that is our constituents know that when we pass this bill that they are going to see greater access to broadband. They are going to have that coming into their communities. and they are going to have greater access. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090142503,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is good for them. it is good for their communities. and it is good for economic development in those areas. Our constituents believe that they have the right. that they should have the opportunity. that they should have the access to something more than one single cable provider. one set of rabbit ears or a satellite. and I agree with them. Government regulation has created the artificial marketplace that exists today. and it is a market that does mean higher prices for our consumers. There is another point that has been mentioned a couple of times. Some of these socalled D.C.-based groups that lobby for our cities I think have had a little bit of a problem understanding the bill or reading the bill. So I would like to clarify a couple of things there. New entrants ifito the video service market would be responsible for the same franchise fees that the incumbent operators pay. and our cities would be receiving those same fees from the new entrants. as well as those incumbent companies. Many times. if you have got an incumbent company. you add one to it that gives you two companies. So you know there is some opportunity there. New entrants would also provide the same government and education channels. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090142503,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We call those PEG channels. They are going to be included. Cities also maintain control over their rightsofway. Now. we know that competition works. We have seen it work in Keller. Texas. and Herndon. Virginia. and in other areas where we have brought in new entrants into the video service market. We know that speeds up broadband. We are 16th worldwide in broadband deployment. So let us speed that up. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090142503,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Another thing on net neutrality. That is a nice fuzzy sounding name. but if we were to see the amendment being offered today. we would have a net not so neutral and have a Secretary of Internet Access that would be overseeing how we approach that issue. So I would encourage a \"no\" vote on that amendment. Mr. Speaker. I thank you for the time.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2830}
{"speech_id":1090142505,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from New York. This is a bad rule. It gags the House. It does not give enough time. It denies opportunity for Members to offer worthwhile and important amendments. It is going to lead to enactment of bad legislation. I would be ashamed to support or present a rule of this character. This body is supposed to debate matters. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3607}
{"speech_id":1090142505,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are supposed to be able to offer amendments. We are supposed to be able to represent our constituents. and we are supposed to be able to see to it that the public interest is broadly served by the legislation we pass after fair consideration. None of that is present. and I say to this body on this rule. shame. Reject the rule. I support consumers having. choices for video and broadband. This bill will do more harm than good. and our constituents and communities deserve to know the truth about it. but they also deserve to have a fair bill. Democrats on the committee offered real solutions to prevent harm to consumers. We came close to a deal. At one point. we had a handshake deal which would have served everybody. but the telephone companies got on the leadership here. and you know what has happened. We are not able to even consider an amendment which will take care of the cities. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3607}
{"speech_id":1090142505,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is going to affront the cities. It is going to leave many consumers of these. kinds of services with less service. worse service. higher cost and inability to participate fully in the business of moving information and information technology at all. First. the bill would leave consumers paying higher cable prices for worse service. Some may even lose their only provider of cable service altogether. This is a bill which is supported not by consumers. but by the special interests and by those who will be the beneficiaries of a national system of charter. Second. the legislation does nothing to stop cable operators and incoming cable operators from offering inferior service to groups of people based on race. color. religion. national origin. or sex. Representatives SOLIS. BALDWIN. WAXMAN. WATSON and Wu sought to prevent this by offering a strong antidiscrimination amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3607}
{"speech_id":1090142505,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment has been blocked. Why? The bill removes the authority of the cities and townships to manage their own property. and it is going to clog the FCC with business which they will simply disregard because it will be inconvenient. Cities will be hurt. our constituents will be hurt. and the constituents of the cities will be hurt. Representative DOYLE and I offered amendments to keep the -locals in charge. with courts hearing appeals rather than a Federal bureaucracy. Unfortunately. the Republican majority has again blocked that amendment. These three issues deserved open debate. they are important. as did others offered by Democratic colleagues. or amendments that might wish to be offered by Members on the floor. This is a complex. technically difficult piece of legislation. It is one in which the future of this country is going to be very much affected. and it is a.piece of legislation which is going to relate to how people are treated fairly. None of that is permitted by the rule. The legislation is a bad bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3607}
{"speech_id":1090142505,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We could have made it a good bill had my Republican colleagues been cooperative and had the special interests not gotten on them. If you look at this legislation and how it is going to work. you will find that this legislation is going to benefit the special interests. particularly the cable and the telephone industry. You will find that it will do nothing for the ordinary citizens. It is a shameful bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3607}
{"speech_id":1090142542,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"or my vice chairman. Mr. SHERWOOD and every member of the subcommittee. I am proud of this bill. I can honestly say it has probably been one of the more difficult ones that we have put together. The bill before you totals $21.3 billion. While this level is $597 million above the amount provided in fiscal year 2006. not counting supplementals. it is fully $2.4 billion below the amount requested by the President. In other words. by reducing the allocation by $2.4 billion. we have freed up that amount for pressing domestic needs. The bill includes increases for three priorities. the war on terror. the Millennium Challenge Corporation. and international health spending. priorities which lie at the core of the United States interests abroad. For the war on terror. thisbill includes $962.3 million for Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9952}
{"speech_id":1090142542,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amount is $137 million below the Presidents request. but $85 million over fiscal year 2006. As with last years bill. this bill continues a provision that withholds $385 million until the Afghan government. both at national and local levels. fully cooperates with our efforts against narcotics production and trafficking. I want to be clear that I appreciate the support of the government of Afghanistan in the war on terror. However. that government must take difficult but necessary measures to fight narcotics production and trafficking. measures that it has so far been unwilling or unable to take. The bill also includes $521.9 million for Iraq. While below the Presidents request. it represents a very large increase of $461 million over what we provided in fiscal year 2006. That is because last year we required the administration to fund Iraq programs from unexpended relief and reconstruction funds that were in the very original supplemental appropriation. Now. however. these funds are nearly all expended. This bill would normalize Iraq and Afghanistan assistance programs. moving them away from emergency supplementals that exceed budget limits. The bill contains no funding in the economic support fund for West Bank and Gaza programs. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9952}
{"speech_id":1090142542,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Although the Presidents requested $150 million for this purpose. the request was made before Hamas was elected to lead the Palestinian Authority. The subcommittee believes that humanitarian assistance must continue to the Palestinian people. a view. I might add. that is shared by the Israeli government and by the administration. Such funding is not affected by this bill. It does contain humanitarian pro democracy funding with restrictions and safeguards that have been included in the past. For international health. the bill contains the Presidents requested amount of $3.4 billion for the emergency plan for AIDS relief. and increase of $751.6 million. Within this sum. we more than double the Presidents request for a contribution to the global fund to fight AIDS. tuberculosis and malaria. to attain last years level of $444.5 million. At the same time. I am pleased that the bill maintains last years funding levels for other health programs. including an increase for malaria programs of $243 million. For several years now the Presidents budget request has included deep cuts to international health programs. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9952}
{"speech_id":1090142542,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have worked hard to restore them to at least the level of the previous year. In order to bring these accounts back up. we havehad to cut some other programs that are also priority programs. We provide $2 billion for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. but that is $1 billion below the request of the President. It is $248 million above the amount that we provided in 2006. This is a difficult decision for me. but I saw no way to move forward with a bill that gave the full amount that the President asked for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. My goal was very simple. I wanted to .send a clear message that Congress supports the MCCs innovative. accountable. approach to help countries move away from reliance on donor funding. I think a $248 million increase does send that very clear message. while it frees up funds above that level that enables us to bring before you today a bipartisan bill. The bill contains two important innovations. First. it includes a Trade Capacity Enhancement Fund which consolidates trade capacity funding from a variety of accounts. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9952}
{"speech_id":1090142542,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This new account includes $522 million. virtually all of what is spent for trade capacity by agencies and accounts that are under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee. And it is about half of the $1.3 billion that is spent on a governmentwide basis. Since we will now require a coherent strategy for the use of these funds. it is my hope and my belief that this new account will provide a strong incentive for countries to liberalize their trade regimes. This bill would also restructure assistance to Colombia. formerly provided only through the Andean Counterdrug Initiative. or ACI. I want to be very clear about one point. This bill does not cut funding from the Presidents request for Colombia. 0l 1330 It simply reallocates the funds. requested and appropriated to regular assistance accounts. It begins to treat Colombia as we treat other strategic partners. I think it should be clear to all of us by this time that Colombia has made significant progress in the war on drugs. They are now bringing guerilla forces in from the jungle. they are prosecuting those who are implicated in serious crimes. and they are reintegrating others back into society. Coca interdiction. although not eradication. but interdiction. continues to improve. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9952}
{"speech_id":1090142555,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman for her interest in the issue. and I understand that Radio Al Mahaba has given Iraqi women the opportunity to exercise freedom of expression during a very confusing and dangerous time in their country. I will look forward to working with my colleague from New Ybrk to support the continued operation of this vital resource. And I thank the gentlewoman for bringing it to our attention.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":409}
{"speech_id":1090142563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman has identified a problem that we think is absolutely of critical importance. We have moved from. I believe. no money just in 2003 to 1 million to 5 million to $7 million in this year. so I think we are moving very substantially in this area.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090142571,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I certainly agree that this program should be tioroughly considered by the Department of State and USAID. It can save lives that would otherwise be lost. and advance our national interest by demonstrating the compassion of the Ame ican people. It deserves a chance to go forward. I look forward to working with the Chair and the gentleman from New York to ensure that Project Iraqi Hearts gets the attention and cons deration it deserves.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":452}
{"speech_id":1090142588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman. and my friend and mentor. from New York for yielding me this time. and I want to thank her and Chairman KOLBE. another good friend. on another good bill coming out of this committee and proving once again. when it comes to the issue of foreign aid. we can work in a very bipartisan way. This bill is of particular importance because it is the last for Chairman KOLBE. and I would like to commend Chairman KOLBE for his steadfast support of foreign aid and for what I believe will become your greatest legacy. the creation of a Trade Capacity Enhancement Fund. Time does not allow me to go into it in further detail. but I want to thank you for that. This bill also includes $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund. but it has become a norm under this administration that restrictions on providing this important funding will not be released by the administration. The administration seems determined to hinder the health of women and children around the world. While remaining troubled that this detrimental policy continues. there is much good in this bill. particularly when it comes to the issue of the Middle East. I strongly support the funding included in this bill for Israels foreign military financing and economic aid. We need to continue to ensure that our close allies are able to protect themselves and remain a strong and viable state. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090142588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I support our ally Egypt. there are issues that we in Congress must address. I understand that the Egyptians are concerned about how we disburse the aid to them. but it is important for them to understand what we expect of our partner. The government of President Mubarak has shown that it is quite quick to throw dissidents into jail. discriminate against the Coptic minority. tolerate antiSemitism and antiZionism in the official press. throw gay Egyptians into jail. The United States must do more to help end this dangerous mix. and before the problem becomes more unstable. There is more I would like to say about the issue of Egypt that time does not permit. but also the country of Pakistan. another country I have been concerned about for quite some time. and I am glad the Appropriations Committee. recognized the internal problems within Pakistan. The reductions in ESF and FMF should send a strong message to Pakistan that it cannot use the war on terror as an excuse to repress their people. With that. I urge my colleagues to support this worthy legislation. Many of us in Congress have strong concerns about our partners in the developing worlds capacity to handle free trade agreements with the United States and this new fund will help to solve many of those issues. This new fund will provide the much needed assistance to our FTA partners who need increased assistance with labor and environmental standards. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090142588,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My hope is that this new fund will create the environment where we will not have to repeat the divisive CAFTA battle. We should all be doing what we can to support free trade to benefit these emerging democracies. We must recognize that building stable societies must start at the grassroots level and that is why I was pleased to see that this new section of the program will receive $6 million. We need to redouble our efforts to make sure while we move peace along at the top levels we dont forget to focus on the people who will truly make a lasting peace. Egypt has been a strong friend and ally and has done much to help bring about a peaceful solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict but we cannot allow that to cloud our judgment. Egypt should expect more from themselves. if they want to compete in todays world and move forward with the reforms they have outlined. Pakistan is another country I have been concerned about for quite some time and I am glad the appropriations committee. recognized the internal problems with Pakistan. The reductions in ESF and FMF should send a strong message to Pakistan that they cannot use the war on terror as an excuse to repress their people. This is a strong bill that will help our friends and allies and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4139}
{"speech_id":1090142641,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. what if a member of your family were heading in a direction that was going to cause that person irrevocable harm. a member of your family? Would you stand by and say nothing? Someone you love. Or would you get their attention however you could as subtly as possible but if subtlety does not work then with k little more oomph to get their attention. to get them to change direction because they are going in a destructive direction? That is what the Obey amendment is about. It is about our friend Egypt. a member of our family. if you will. going in the wrong direction. A ffiend who we have committed more than $67 billion to. delivered it to them.. They have done wonderful things for our national security as well. We are great and good friends. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2816}
{"speech_id":1090142641,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Egypt and the United States. but our friend Egypt is headed in the wrong direction. Just this past year. President Mubaraks leading opposition candidate for president was put in jail. Emergency laws which suspend democracy and the rule of law are still in effect. Independent judges have been disciplined for not following in lockstep with what the government says is their agenda. Freedom of the press has been -weakened. And just this week. the International Republican Institute. a democracy building program in Egypt that is also funded by our Appropria\u0095tions Committee. was suspended for criticizing the slow pace of reforms in Egypt. People around the world. countries around the world. Mr. Chairman. have no hesitation telling us in America when we are moving in the wrong direction. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2816}
{"speech_id":1090142641,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even in a time of war. other countries who are our friends say. America. you should not do that. You are going in the wrong direction. Well. that is what the Obey amendment does. It says to our friends in Egypt. please. we have tried every subtle way to get your attention. it has not succeeded. We are going to try to get your attention now with this $100 million transfer to two very worthy purposes. by the way. HIV\/AIDS relief in Africa and $50 million for Darfur. clearly places where this money will be put to better effect. Now. again. I view the Egyptian people as honorable and great people. great friends of the United States. I heard somewhere that that somebody said Egypt is defending Israel. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2816}
{"speech_id":1090142641,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By the way. Israel is Americas greatest ally in the Middle East by far and votes with American more than any other country. Egypt unfortunately only votes with us 8 percent. Israel votes with America over 90 percent of the time at the U.N. Israel takes care of itself. But. Mr. Chairman. we need to send a message to our friend. Egypt. to finally make these changes and show progress this coming year in the rule of law. in respect for democracy and human rights. I support the Obey amendment.","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2816}
{"speech_id":1090142737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I do want to thank Chairman BARTON. chairman of the Full Committee. and the gentleman from Michigan. who is the subcommittee chairman. as well as Vice Chairman PICKERING. And also we have enjoyed the bipartisan support from BOBBY RUSH on our committee. This is truly a bipartisan product that was forged together after countless hours of negotiation. Its recent passage out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 4212 only underscores this point. Mr. Chairman. I represent a district in north Texas. and there is a community within that area in north Texas named Keller. Keller. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090142737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Texas. a very forwardthinking town of over 36.000 people. Keller is home to Verizons first fiberoptic television system. What has happened since the fiberoptic system was introduced in the Keller market is that prices for cable TV are now 25 percent lower than they were before the entry into the video market. New services. new technologies. lower prices. Consumers now have a choice. and over 30 percent of the market has signed up for this new fiberoptic service from Verizon. Clearly. people want choice. The citizens of Keller not only have access to one of the best telecommunications networks in the world. and a choice of providers. but they also get much better services at competitive prices. What is even more intriguing is abouta third of those new video customers were not previously cable customers. That means that these customers now are a new source of franchise fee revenue for the city of Keller. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090142737,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. it is no accident that every member from Texas on the committee supports this bill. This past year the State of Texas passed legislation similar to that which we are considering here. removing the franchise fee from the local level. Texas is now at the forefront of video competition. I sponsored H.R. 5252. I voted for it in committee. I will vote for it on the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation as well.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090142752,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute at this time. Mr. Chairman. let me explain one of the real problems with this bill. In testimony before the Commerce Committee on this legislation. I asked the head of the national cable industry what they would do once this bill passed. and the answer was quite revealing. They said that after this bill passes. since the telephone companies are going to go into the wealthy side of town in order to deploy their new broadband systems. that under the legislation they no longer had any responsibility to serve the whole community. They had no responsibility to continue to upgrade on the other side of the town. which the cable industry is already serving. because every mayor always extracted that from every cable company as they came into town. So we are going to wind up with a perverse situation where the cable industry on the poor side of town is able to raise rates because the telephone companies wont promise to go there and actually compete against the cable company. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1425}
{"speech_id":1090142752,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the Republicans oppose even having a debate on the House floor in order to accomplish that. and so we wind up with a situation where the wealthy people are going to have two competitors and have lower rates. and the poor people are going to have only one company that is saying they are going to raisd rates because there will be no competition. It is a perverse result for cable subscribers in America.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1425}
{"speech_id":1090142779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in general support of this legislation. which will increase competition in the video services market by reducing the regulatory barriers that effectively bar new entrants into this important market. Competition will give consumers more choices and will help ensure the delivery of new and innovative services at lower prices. However. I have concerns about the way this bill addresses the net neutrality issue. Specifically. this legislation was drafted such that it grants exclusive jurisdiction to the Federal Communications Commission to adjudicate complaints arising from anticompetitive practices of broadband providers. This grant of exclusive jurisdiction unfortunately puts into question whether the antitrust laws would apply when anticompetitive conduct arises in this area. I believe in free market principles and the fact that government involvement often stifles innovation in the marketplace. However. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2933}
{"speech_id":1090142779,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also believe that our Nations antitrust laws have served as important guidelines to ensure that markets remain competitive and that these antitrust laws must remain applicable in the broadband services market. I understand that Congressman LAMAR SMITH will offer an amendment today to expressly state that the antitrust laws do indeed apply despite the use of the word \"exclusive\" in the underlying bill. I support that clarification to ensure that our nations antitrust laws continue to have full effect and continue to guard against anticompetitive conduct in the marketplace. However. I do not believe that this amendment goes far enough to discourage anticompetitive conduct in the Internet arena. On the other hand. I do not believe that the amendment that will be offered by Congressman MARKEY is the right approach either. Specifically.. that amendment would create more government red tape and hurdles for broadband providers by applying .an FCCfocused overly regulatory approach to protecting the Internet. The way to ensure competition in the provision of broadband is not to bury broadband providers with more regulations. I believe that competition in this area can be encouraged by setting forth clear and articulate guidelines that do not stifle innovation or the ability for broadband providers to recoup the investments they make in their infrastructures. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2933}
{"speech_id":1090142779,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Relatively minor amendments to our Nations antitrust laws could be the right approach in this area. Unfortunately. neither this legislation. nor any of the amendments being offered today. contains such a narrowlytailored and effective approach. Despite my strong concerns about how the underlying bill handles the net neutrality issue. I will support this legislation because of the video services provisions that will increase competition and lower prices in that market. However. I look forward to working with all affected parties to ensure that robust competition remains the standard in the broadband services market.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2933}
{"speech_id":1090142783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I support H.R. 5252. Communications technology today is advancing rapidly but communications law is not. H.R. 5252 will allow the law to not only \"catchup\" with technology. but also to get out of the way so consumers may benefit from new innovations and competition for broadband video services. It is odd to me that. at the same time we are streamlining our policy in one area. we are considering new regulation in another area that has enjoyed explosive growth and innovation precisely because it has been free of government regulation. Mr. Chairman. this is not the time to start regulating the Internet. Some voices say new regulation is necessary to preserve the Internet and protect consumers. I do not agree. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1502}
{"speech_id":1090142783,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Internet is growing and thriving without regulation. Until there is a specific problem to fix. I think Internet regulation is a heavyhanded solution in search of a problem that will have many unintended consequences. It is important to remember that the FCC has already adopted principles designed to ensure that Internet services are provided in a fair and neutral manner. Provisions of H.R. 5252 reinforce these principles without imposing innovation stifling regulation. Plus. my colleague on the House Judiciary Committee. Mr. SMITH. is offering an amendment making it clear that our Nations antitrust laws are in place to protect consumers as well. I support his amendment and encourage my colleagues to approve H.R. 5252 and reject calls for Internet regulation.","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1502}
{"speech_id":1090142805,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to commend the gentlewoman from Houston for her leadership on this issue. I am somewhat unclear what her intentions are in terms of moving towards a vote. I will pledge to her to continue to work with her. if she were to withdraw the .amendment. to reach a mutually acceptable resolution as we go to conference with the other body. but I am going to follow her yield or her wishes on the pending amendment. If she calls it for a vote. I will vote yes on the amendment. If she wishes to withdraw it. I will work with her as we move forward in the normal channels of the legislative process. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":644}
{"speech_id":1090142823,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. One of the issues that came up as we began to develop this bill wa\u00a7 consumer protection and the role of the local franchising authority in protecting the interests of local consumers. The bill says that we will have a national franchise. and it also provides that under the national franchise the FCC will promulgate specific standards for consumer protection. dealing with issues such as billing disputes. discontinuation of service. loss of service. service quality. changes in channel lineup. other service features. the availability of parental controls. The amendment that I have today basically says that. number one. an individual that has a complaint may file. a complaint with the FCC or with the local franchising authority. It says that the FCC or the local franchising authority must render a decision in 90 days of the filing of a complaint. That is to address the concern that the complaint process. the consumer protection process. is too time consuming and imposes burdens on the franchisee. Second. the amendment provides that the local franchising authority. the cities. the\" counties. the States. may initiate on their own a complaint proceeding and file that complaint with the FCC regarding a violation of the rules promulgated by the FCC. They may issue an order requiring that the franchisee comply with the FCCs consumer protection rules. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2485}
{"speech_id":1090142823,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This order will stand and may be enforced by the FCC unless it is successfully appealed. This basically adds to the consumer protections already in the bill and enables both the individual and the local community to bring an action to enforce the rules that are set forth by the FCC to protect the consumer. In addition. the amendment provides for an annual report. because one of the things that we wanted to see was what was going on out there once we had this new field of competition and new providers of video services. So we will have a study that will come back to our committee and our companion committee in the Senate telling us about the number of complaints the FCC has received. the trend in these complaints. the timeliness of the response to these complaints. We believe this type of information will be very useful in determining whether we need stronger rules and regulations on consumer protection. In sum. this is a very simple and straightforward amendment that protects the consumers and involves the local communities. and I urge its adoption.","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2485}
{"speech_id":1090142851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. nothing in the pending bill will change current law with regard to how the cities control their local rightsofway. the physical access to that rightofway. They would have access through the local court system. and I would assume. if they wished to. they could also go to the Federal Court system or the FCC. But they can certainly continue to use the remedies available -under current law.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":409}
{"speech_id":1090142896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the chairman. Mr. BARTON. because I am sure this could have been cleared up and it was an inadvertent mistake and I thank him for his generosity in correcting this matter. I would like to share some of this time in opposition with the gentlewoman from California . but I rise against the Smith amendment because what we have here is a problem of an amendment that does not really promote the goals of net neutrality as we understand them. It is a horse. a beautiful horse. but it is a Trojan horse. The language is disguised as meaningful net neutrality protection. but it is actually an empty shell. The current law already allows for an antitrust remedy for violations of anticompetitive conduct. but when it comes to net neutrality. there are no rules. no guidelines telling the gatekeepers of the Internet what kind of conduct is allowed and what kind is not allowed. The telephone and cable companies have made it clear they intend to use their market power to charge companies who want to distribute their content over the Internet. thereby determining what a consumer can access. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090142896,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The SensenbrennerConyers net neutrality amendment which we hoped to have made in order would have provided clear guidelines. I have five specifics that would make it very clear as. opposed to what the Smith amendment does not do. and I include them for the RECORD. H.R. 5417 reasserts an antitrust remedy for anticompetitive conduct in which the broadband network provider: (1) fails to provide network services on reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms. (2) refuses to interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis. (3) blocks. impairs or discriminates against a users ability to receive or offer lawful content. (4) prohibits a user from attaching a device to the network that does not damage or degrade the network. or .(5) fails to disclose to users. in plain terms. the qonditions of the broadband service. I will reserve our time on this side.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2024}
{"speech_id":1090142918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I live by an adage: if it aint broke. dont fix it. No Internet service provider ought to be able to block access to your favorite Web sites or Internet applications. and I have to say that there are protections in this bill which preserve those rights. There is no evidence of any problem. And if they surface. we have some protections in here: Let me read what they are. This bill. BartonRush bill. ensures that consumers are entitled to: one. accessthe lawful Internet content of their choice. two. run applications and services of their choice. subject to the needs of law enforcement. three. connect their choice of legal devices that do no harm to the network. and. four. competition among network providers. application and service providers. and content providers. We give the FCC the explicit authority to enforce those principles. in fact. a fine for up to half a million dollars for every violation. We have a 90day time clock to make sure that they are adjudicated properly and in a timely fashion. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090142918,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Internet has a great history of developing free of taxation and regulation. We want to keep it that way. and that is why we should vote \"no\" on this amendment.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1187}
{"speech_id":1090142925,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank our distinguished ranking member of the Telecommunications Committee in the House. And everyone knows that when he speaks about anything that is related to telecommunications. he knows of what he speaks. And that is why this amendment that bears his name. and I am proud to have my name as a part of this amendment as well. why it is so important. Now. for people that are listening in to us this evening. what is this debate about? What does the term \"net neutrality\" mean? I think the better way to describe this is what does the Internet look like today? How does it function? What does it represent? What are the opportunities? Who takes advantage of these opportunities? Is anyone discriminated against when they go to use the Internet? Whether it is a small Web company. whether it is an individual user. whether it is a university. a library. a school. seniors in the senior center. those that are at home. those of us in Congress. our staff. it is not discriminatory. It is open. Everyone has equal access to it. So what is this debate about? The telephone companies. and lets face it. if they really were in charge of the future. they would have allowed cell phones. and they didnt. I mean. these people are really part of the past. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090142925,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sorry to say. So what this is is a profound change to the Internet. . What will the change be? The telephone companies have come to the Congress and said. change the rules. Rewrite the rules. We want to be able to offer our own tier. our own speed and charge for it. I think that this is flawed. deeply flawed. And I think if we move in this direction. we will be moving away from the future. This debate is really all about the future. the future of the Internet and what we want it to look like. Our Republican friends have done some real heavy lifting here. Some Democrats too. but I will tell you something. ","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090142925,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I take my hat off to the Republicans. They have done everything for the telephone companies. everything. at a cost to what is one of the greatest sources of pride of America. a free and open Internet that is accessible to everyone. It has worked. We are the envy of the world as a result of it. We should not tamper with it. Vote for net neutrality.","speaker_name":"ANNA ESHOO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090142958,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to engage Chairman BARTON in a colloquy. I would like to pose a question concerning the interplay of the National franchise and the antiredlining provisions of the bill. particularly as they apply to some of the rural telephone companies that are interested in providing -the video competition afforded under the bill. The committee report language concerning redlining that appears on page 23 provides. and I quote. \"A national franchisee is in violation of the provision if it is offering service to parts of a franchised area identified in its certificate but not to another part of the franchised area because of the income of the area.\" Pursuant to that language. Mr. Chairman. would a telephone company that is not providing video service to a part of a franchise area be in compliance with the Act if the reason for not providing video service is that the provider lacks the facilities to make service available in the area? In other words. if the existing footprint of the phone company does not encompass that portion of the cable franchised area. then the providers decision is not a case of redlining. because the lack of service is not based on the income of. the group but rather the lack the facilities by which to provide the service. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090142958,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield to the gentleman from Texas.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1321}
{"speech_id":1090143045,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding and for sharing the experience of your constituent. I think each of us has sat down with troops returning from Iraq and heard the stories of the lack of lifesaving equipment that they have had to cope with. I had lunch with a guardsman from my district a couple of weeks ago who told me during the year he was in Iraq. the Humvees they were riding in had no doors. and they had to jerryrig sheets of plywood separated by sacks of sand or concrete. what we call hillbilly armor. to protect themselves as they went from base to base. asking each other. why are we having to do this? And when we consider all of the misspent and unaccounted for billions of reconstruction dollars and how many coagulant bandages that would pay for or body armor or uparmored vehicles. I think it is the case of going to war with the leadership you have. not the leadership you would like. And I thank the gentleman. If the gentleman has time. we can have a colloquy later on but let me turn to my other colleague from Georgia. Mr. SCOTT. one of our great leaders on national security issues. and I yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1136}
{"speech_id":1090143055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure that both my colleagues have had the experience of visiting our troops in the hospital in Ramstein. Germany. and here in Washington. Their thoughts are with their colleagues they left behind. They want to get back to their troops to make sure they are there for their buddies. I had one soldier who was so concerned. could I do something about the fact that one of the people in his battalion really deserved recognition for what he had done. and since he wasnt there to make the report this other sol: dier would not get the recognition they deserved. This is what he was worried about as he lay in the hospital. I yield to the gentleman from New York.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":663}
{"speech_id":1090143184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take a few moments to share an account of an event that occurred nearly 32 years ago. The story I tell is a very tragic story. At the time. it received a lot of media coverage. but because of a recent fortuitous occurrence. it has again become relevant. Each year around Christmas. some time before. usually afterwards. my family. Karyn and our three boys. andmy extended family. have a tradition of going to Fort Lauderdale. FL. a tradition that .began well over 40 years ago by my parents and my own brothers and sistersI have two brothers and two sistersand their children. and usually. almost always. several friends from a number of those individuals spend time together enjoying the 0 Printed on recycled paper. occasion. being together as a family. reliving old memories and. along the way. creating new ones. On New Years Day in 2003. I had taken my sons. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8731}
{"speech_id":1090143184,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jonathan and Bryan. two of my three sons. on a trip to the Everglades. It was to spend the day in the Everglades. showing them the beauty of that wonderful area and the rich tradition that is reflected by the beauty there and by nature. We had a wonderful day. On the way backand this. is west of Fort Lauderdaleon the way back in. we Were heading down what is Interstate 75 west in that part of Florida. It runs directly east back to Fort Lauderdale. That whole track is known as Alligator Alley. It was an ordinary day. We had a wonderful day together as a family. It was a great start to a new yearagain. it was New Years Dayan opportunity to share with family the beauty of that environment. the gorgeous. wonderful. magnificent part of this country. As we were talking about events of the day as we were driving. suddenly traffic came to a halt. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8731}
{"speech_id":1090143184,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just ahead. I saw red lights flashing. We pulled onto the median. I came out of the car because something clearly had happened. and it had just happened several moments earlier. Walking down the median. I approached a horrific scene. It was a little bit in the distance. 100 yards away. There was a crumpled red car on its side. an SUV. There were men. women. and children who clearly had been thrown. hurled from that vehicle. a distance of 25. 50. even 75 yards. I remember looking outagain. it was a beautiful day. a sunny dayand as with any event such as this that occurs so qiickly. so unexpectedly. we saw the streaming smoke coming from an overturned vehicle with an open door. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8731}
{"speech_id":1090143184,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We saw a crushed car. We did not see another car near it. Clearly. the car had flipped. Then we saw these bodies that were hurled. thrown. from this vehicle a great distance in this beautiful green median. It was a surreal environment. It was not immediately clear to me how many people had been injured. but the fact you could tell there were several people around the car. and there were at least four people in the median over this distance. I knew that what I was witnessing was clearly devastating. It was serious. At that time. there were no other health personnel on the scene. As a doctor. and as one who has spent days and years in emergency rooms and in operating rooms. in terms of the immediate response. it comes pretty natural in terms of evaluation. triage. -and resuscitation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8731}
{"speech_id":1090143184,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The real challenge was being out there. and you saw over a distance of 75 yards four people who had such a traumatic accident. Two adults had climbed out of the vehicle itself. There were four individualsfour. what appeared to be lifeless. motionless bodies. women and children. two children and two adults--who lay in the median. Lara Spalding. whom I did not know at the timeI will come back to Lara in just a little bitthen was a nursing student at Nashvillethis is the irony of itNashvilles Belmont University. and actually worked in the emergency room there with some of my colleagues back at Vanderbilt. where I worked for 10 years as a cardio surgeon. heart surgeon. trauma surgeon. She later described the scene that day: It was awful. It looked like someone had dropped six people from a 5story building. At that point in time when I was thereand I didnt know Lara at the timeshe was there either at the same time or a few seconds afterwards. there were no other doctors on the scene. Alligator Alley being so far out at that timealthough it has changed. thank goodness--the emergency personnel had to come from within Fort Lauderdale to come out along one stretch of highway. It was probably 25. 30 miles. so health personnel were not yet on the scene. When that sort of thing happens. you know your immediate responsibility needs to be to assess the situation. triage their care. and to initiate resuscitation appropriately. but the problem is people were scattered over a 75yard distance. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8731}
{"speech_id":1090143198,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor one of Nevadas true patriots. Lincoln Piazzo: a Reno native. veteran. businessman. and philanthropist. Link Piazzo is the son of proud Italian immigrants who came to Reno in the early 1900s. Link was born in Reno on December 11. 191&. His father was committed to realizing the good life in America and passed this motivation on to his children. Link inherited his fathers great commitment to honesty. vision. helping friends. and the belief that there is no country like the United States of America. Link attended Mary S. Doten Elementary School. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2948}
{"speech_id":1090143198,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Northside Junior High School. and Reno High School. During World War H. he served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew B25 bombers on 67 combat missions. He is an honored war veteran and a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for significant war efforts and achievements. Community involvement has always been a major part of Link Piazzos life. He has spent a significant time giving to others and contributing to his community. He has donated his energy and resources to a number of civic and fraternal organizations and is a wellrespected citizen of the community. Link volunteered his services as official scorer and timer for high school zone and State basketball tournaments -for 33 years. He was a sports broadcaster for the University of Nevada games from 1945 to 1950 and was coorganizer of the first Reno Little League. He is cofounder of the Reno Junior Ski Program that still continues to benefit local junior skiers. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2948}
{"speech_id":1090143198,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a northern Nevada community leader. Link has been a member of many civic and social organizations. He has served on the Reno YMCA Board. the Reno Rodeo Association Executive Committee. Sierra Nevada Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association. National Sporting Goods Association. the Local United Way Chapter Board. the Board for Hidden Valley Properties. the Reno Rodeo Association Executive Committee. and the Reno Rotary Club. Link has been honored by the National Sporting Goods AssociationNational Sporting Goods Hall of Fame. and the Washoe County School Districts Outstanding Graduate Award for Outstanding Community Service. Link has also played a significant role in his communitys development. In 1938. he cofounded the Sportsman Store with his brother. He was also codeveloper of the Hidden Valley Country Club and Golf Course properties. He has supported the Reno Rotary Club. construction projects for the Reno High School Alumni Center. the Nevada Humane Societys Regional Animal Shelter. and the Reno YMCA Youth Center. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2948}
{"speech_id":1090143198,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Links positive outlook on life serves as motivation for all who meet him. He weathered the Great Depression. fought in World War II. and helped to build and then nurture his community and country. Link is a very successful man when success means helping others and helping others achieve. He works hard and has persevered. Link Piazzo is a true American patriot and humanitarian.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2948}
{"speech_id":1090143255,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me just say. I appreciate the gentlewomans willingness to withdraw this amendment. I. like many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. have worked for years going back to the creation of the International Fund for Ireland in the 1980s on providing funding and direction for the IFI. I have visited its projects and witnessed the cross community cooperation. As a direct result of the IFI and U.S. support for the fund. we have seen tremendous job creation. I would agree. in the Republic of Ireland there has been a significant growth. economic recovery. particularly in the Dublin area. not necessarily in western Ireland. but certainly in the Dublin area. H3650 cot But in Northern Ireland. in Belfast. and in the counties in the north. there remains serious problems. problems that fuel social unrest. One of the things that I find so encouraging is that. we have worked well with the leaders of the IFI. They aie on a glide path to ending foreign support for this program. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090143255,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But they are doing so in a way that encourages police corporation and sustains good programs. They did it frankly directly at our request. The remaining problem is that the Catholics and the Protestants still havent collaborated enough where prejudices have broken down. There are 5.700 projects that have been funded under the IFI. and I am glad the gentlewoman is withdrawing her amendment.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090143257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I oppose this amendment which would eliminate funding for the IFI. The violence in Ireland has devastated families and too many men. women and children have lost their lives. The road to peace has been a long one with many bumps in that road. But. Mr. Chairman. we are making progress. By all indications we are on the verge of peace. which is nice for a change. Now is not the time to cut this important funding. as it has been critical in the peace efforts and it is still needed particularly in places like Belfast. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":934}
{"speech_id":1090143257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cuffing U.S. funding now would send a message that the IFI is not internationally supported. It is important that the people in Ireland who are working toward peace know that they have the support of the United States in these efforts. I understand that my colleague will offer and withdraw this amendment. Having said that. I strongly oppose this amendment and will oppose any future similar efforts.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":934}
{"speech_id":1090143259,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Again. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment with the proviso that future amounts for this program will be reduced. It is obviously a great success. and at this point we want to make sure Ronald Reagans prediction wasnt right and that future funding will be reduced.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":298}
{"speech_id":1090143270,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. members of the Committee. communities across this country are facing an increasing problem with methamphetamine. a drug that is cheap. easy to make. and gives addicts an intense longlasting high. but one that destroys their brains. causes them to abuse and neglect their children. and can lead to paranoid acts of violence. And while we have taken action to cut off pseudoephedrine sales. to the mom and pop meth labs. the vast majority of meth consumed in this country is made in Mexico and smuggled into the U.S. by Mexican drug cartels. My amendment would help address this issue by designating $10 million in the international narcotics control and law enforcement for countermethamphetamine efforts in Mexico. International narcotics control - and law enforcement is funded in this bill at $703 million. a $231 million increase over last years funding. While the overall account is adequately funded within this program. the committee report designates only $40 million for Mexido. with the money being spread among a number of narcotic control and law enforcement efforts. including strengthening the northern border infrastructure and fighting drug and weapons smuggling. The amendment simply increases funding for international narcotics control and law enforcement by $10 million and immediately reduces it again. The intent of the amendment is to redirect these funds to the designation for Mexico. devoting the $10 million specifically toward the counter of methamphetamine efforts. The money should not come from any other already designated account within international narcotics and law enforcement. but from those funds which have not yet been allocated either through the legislative language or committee report. We must provide the State Department with additional resources so they can better stem the rising influx of methamphetamines produced by these Mexican drug cartels. ","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2088}
{"speech_id":1090143270,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment would ensure that the State Department devotes its resources specifically toward stemming the rising influx of methamphetamine produced by these Mexican drug cartels.","speaker_name":"DARLENE HOOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2088}
{"speech_id":1090143289,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will insert in the RECORD at this point an article that recently appeared in the Financial Times entitled. \"Colombia most dangerous place for trade unionists\" in the world. [From the Financial Times. June 6. 2006]","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":272}
{"speech_id":1090143300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me thank the gentleman for yielding and also just thank you for your strong advocacy for human rights. global refugees on so many fronts. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this effort. This amendment simply provides an additional $30 million to the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Account. and it still includes. and I have to reiterate. it still includes $515 million for Colombia. and it is still $9 million more than the Presidents 2007 request for Colombia. To my colleague Mr. MICA and his comments with regard to liberals. and I do not know if you said you were tired of liberals or fed up with liberals. but let me just say to you that if helping our country respond quickly and flexibly to humanitarian disasters. if rethinking a policy and making sure that we are trying to really reduce the kidnappings and violence in Colombia. if that is what we are trying to do. then I am very proud. I am very proud to be a liberal. In recent years. ERMA was used to help droughtridden Somalis and provide refugee aid to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Sudan. where more than 3.4 million people are displaced. urgent needs are there for ERMA funding. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2624}
{"speech_id":1090143300,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The funding need is very clear. After Sudan. Colombia has the largest number of internally displaced persons. Estimates range from 2 to 3.6 million individuals. Less than a third of Colombias IDPs receive emergency assistance. and many. many have to wait months to receiye that emergency aid. And let me tell you. of those traditionally marginalized Afro Colombians and indigenous communities. these individuals. these communities have been disproportionately affected. In Burundi. 2.2 million people. including refugees and returnees. need immediate aid to cope with malnourishment and disease. In Northern Uganda. there are more than 1.8 million ipternally displaced persons desperately in need of assistance. [ 1015 These statistics just really touch the surface of an expanding global refugee crisis. Due to the critical need. the account reached its lowest point in a decade. We can and we must do more to help global victims of violence cope with the loss of everything that they know and love. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2624}
{"speech_id":1090143300,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even if the additional $30 million that this amendment provides only allows ERMA to ensure food deliveries to helpless refugees. countless lives will be saved. Innumerable people will feel the goodwill and support of the United States. This is about helping persons who have been stripped of family. friends. homes. and their basic protections. Today we need to stand by the victims of violence by supporting this amendment.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2624}
{"speech_id":1090143425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding. WHINSEC is a Department of Defense institute that instructs current and future civilian. military and law enforcement leaders from Nations in the Western Hemisphere. It was created in 2001 to replace the School ot the Americas. The School of the Americas. as a Cold War legacy program. was not meeting the needs and standards required to operate in the worlds new security environment. Its goals. which were set by Congress. explicitly include strengthening democracy. instilling a respect for the rule of law. and honoring human rights. WHINSECs curriculum. and I have been there. I am on the board of visi-","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":657}
{"speech_id":1090143432,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the McGovernLewis Amendment that would eliminate funding to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). the successor institution to the School of Americas (SEA). I believe U.S. training of international military and police forces can further U.S. national security interest particularly in the field of civilian control of the military and promoting human rights. But WHINSEC has gone about training and educating Latin American military in exactly the wrong way. The egregious human rights abusive by WHINSEC graduates in the 1980s and 1990s compelled the Defense Department to revise the curriculum and change the name of the school. But WHINSEC continues to fail the grade for adherence to human rights and the rule of law by its students. I support the McGovem amendment to send a message to our U.S. military leadership that Americans demand that their tax dollars be spent to uphold accepted norms of human rights behavior. much like Americans rejected U.S. torture practices abroad.","speaker_name":"SAM FARR","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1057}
{"speech_id":1090143518,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. let me thank the distinguished gentleman. I might add that I think we are all aware of an incident that occurred with a gang rape in a country that ]Ras been very much an ally of the United States. Pakistan. The government. however. took a firm stand against it. I think the remarks you have made. Mr. Chairman. on the floor today and the support of Mrs. LowEy. if we can work toward a form of language. I would greatly appreciate it. as we move toward conference.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":478}
{"speech_id":1090143525,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentlewoman would yield. I appreciate again the good work that she has done in this area. and certainly in our subcommittee. she has asked for some consideration in the conference for language. and certainly we will want to consider that. I do appreciate that. If the gentlewoman is prepared to withdraw the amendment. I would not have to insist on my point of order.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":388}
{"speech_id":1090143533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the work that the committee has done on thia foreign ops appropriations bill. Mr. Chairman. my amendment resets the spending of this bill. however. to the 2006 foreign ops appropriation bill. Considering the ballooning size of the government. this would seem to be a modest gesture. Some say that $597 million is just a small drop in the bucket. That may seem true to some people who write checks for a living. but I disagree. You tell that to the people down in Sabine Pass. Texas which was leveled during Hurricane Rita. that $597 million is not a lot of money. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2083}
{"speech_id":1090143533,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These good folks are wondering why we are spend: ing money all over the world when 40.000 of them still have blue tarps on their roofs. It would seems to me that charity certainly begins at home before we raise spending to many third world countries. Im not asking for a massive cut in foreign programs. I am asking that Congress consider aid that we spend all over the world. I receive letters and phone calls every day from people asking us to take care of their money. It is an important to these individuals. especially people who have recently been hurt by Wilma. Rita and Katrina. We can keep asking Americans to trust us with their money as we send it all over the world. but some day. after we have gone well too far. the American people will tell us that they have probably had enough. We cannot continue to be the guns. bread and butter to the World. We must hold the line on money we give away to other nations and take care of our people first. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2083}
{"speech_id":1090143533,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So this amendment reduces overall spending. But because it would be up to the bureaucrats to decide where those actual cuts would be. and that aid that is in the interests of the United States. like aid to Israel. aid that probably ought to be increased. and they may remove that aid and continue wasteful aid that we spend. for example. the $4 million we give to Tibet so that they keep their culture. maybe even aid to Egypt. and that gives them too much discretion. I think it is in the best interest that I withdraw this amendment.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2083}
{"speech_id":1090143571,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I strongly support the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act and want to thank Chairman KOLBE and Ranking Member LOWEY for their hard work. thoughtfulness and dedication to bringing such a wellcrafted bill to the floor. There are so many important issues this bill addresses and so many ways in which it positively demonstrates the United States values as a leader and a responsible member of the family of nations. I am grateful for the full funding of the Presidents request for aid to Israel and for humanitarian assistance to Sudan. and am thrilled it goes above and beyond the Presidents -request for the global HIV\/AIDS pandemic. I appreciate the inclusion of reporting requirements for the protection of children affected by humanitarian emergencies. an issue Ive worked with Representative LOWEY on. as well as the inclusion of $45 million to support research and development of microbicides as a means of combating HIV\/AIDS. I appreciate the chairman and ranking members support of the Community Action Program in Iraqknown as CAP. The CAP program directly engages Iraqis in reconstructing their own communities. while building a nationwide grassroots constituency for democracy. Typical CAP projects use both U.S. and Iraqi funds and resources to rebuild schools. repair water and sewage lines. build health clinics. as well as a host of other infrastructure and development projects. I have traveled to Iraq 12 times4 times outside the umbrella of the militaryand have seen firsthand how the CAP program improves the lives of Iraqis and. most importantly. how it helps us accomplish our mission of creating a secure environment for the Iraqi people so democracy can prosper. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2728}
{"speech_id":1090143571,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation provides $50 million for the CAP program. and I would urge the chairman to consider. as the bill moves forward. that a higher funding level would certainly be money well spent. Regarding the Peace Corps. I am grateful for the inclusion of $325 million for the Peace Corps. which is an increase of $5 million above the fiscal year 2006 level. but is unfortunately $12 million below the Presidents request. I wish we could have done better. As the U.S. strives to create a better understanding of America in the world. the 7.800 Peace Corps volunteers serving from Armenia to Zambia are tangible evidence that America cares about its global neighbors. Peace Corps volunteers have worked in every corner of the world. including the Middle East. and demonstrated the \"human side\" of American assistance: promoting friendship. cross cultural understanding along with sustainable international development. Again. I appreciate the hard work that went into this bill and urge all my colleagues. to support its passage.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2728}
{"speech_id":1090143624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I was going to move to strike the last word and give a 5minute speech. but I sense a sense of urgency here. So. Mr. Chairman. I simply move the committee do now rise and report the bill. And I thank the Members for their comments. But let me say. I move that the Committee do now rise and report the bill back to the House with sundry amendments. with the recommendation that the amendments be agreed to and that the bill. as amended. do pass.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":457}
{"speech_id":1090143632,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my support for a safe and secure homeland. and for providing local governments and our first responders with the tools and resources they need. Mr. Speaker. I support H.R. 5441. the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007. which passed the House on Tuesday. June 6. Had I been present. I would have voted in favor of this legislation.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":394}
{"speech_id":1090143671,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico. In the interim I was able to come up with this picture that I think is important to have posted here for us to remember this individual. Remember. Zarqawi was an inspiration to our enemy. And I do not believe that. Zarqawi is going to end up being the inspiration in the form of a martyr as we often consider them to be. You know. when you think about what a martyr is. that would be one person who committed and dedicated their lives to a cause selflessly. in an inspirational way. and perhaps one who might have died in that cause. Can you think of two martyrs for the same cause. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1339}
{"speech_id":1090143671,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker? And I think back. I cannot think of two martyrs for the same cause. But I would point that out. Maybe there are. But if I cannot think of two. I am convinced I cannot think of three. or four or five or six or ten martyrs for the same cause. or 100 or 1.000 or 10.000. Martyrs come along in groups of 1. not groups of 2. 5. 10. 20 or 1.000. I would submit this. Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1339}
{"speech_id":1090143671,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. that the more of these alleged martyrs that there are. the less they are martyrs and the more they become statistics. and the less anyone is inspired by someone who is full of murder and hatred and brutality. They do not stand for anything except murder. hatred and brutality. I would be happy to yield to Mr. PEARCE.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1339}
{"speech_id":1090143674,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Iowa. I would remind the body that we had warning signs. Just because Mr. Zarqawi is no longer part of the conspiracy of alQaeda. the war of terrorism. just because of that. that does not mean this struggle is over. Again. the war on terror started in 1972 with the Munich Olympics. At that point. the world negotiators gave the terrorists center stage. They allowed them to come to the table. That was a mistake that we continued all of the way up through President Bush. almost 30 years of giving them credibility instead of trying to dismantle the operation. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":792}
{"speech_id":1090143674,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I would remind our viewers that this is not going to be an easy task. even with this significant loss this week. And I would yield back to the gentleman from Iowa to close the discussion.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":792}
{"speech_id":1090143678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"again. amendment to. House Concurrent Resolution 393. 2005 budget resolution. failed. Republicins. 224 voted no. Zero voted for it. Reminds me. Mr. Speaker. of when we balanced the budget. zero. It is almost like the old saying. put your money where your mouth is. Well. put your vote where your mouth is. That is what I am saying and that is what the American people are going to say hopefully in November. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11048}
{"speech_id":1090143678,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bottom line is folks can come to the floor. we can have these big floor debates and come close to making each other mad. but in the final analysis. when the budget is printed and the deficit continues to go up. the fact is is that the Democrats are for fiscal responsibility and the Republican majority. rubber stamping President Bushs policy. is for continuing to borrow from foreign Nations and putting them in the pockets of the American people. Now. I think it is important that we continue to talk about this issue as it relates to veterans. Veterans of all people. despite the serious problem in military recruiting. the Presidents budget will increase health care costs and deny health care for millions of veterans and military retirees. I think it is important that we look at these increases that have happened for a million veterans for the fourth year in a row. the budget rises. health care costs for 1 million veterans. by imposing new fees. For most of them. veterans cost will rise some $2.6 billion over the next 5 years and also drive at least 200.000 veterans out of assistance. It will double the copayments for prescription drugs from $8 to $15 and impose an enrollment fee of $250 a year for a Category 7 or 8 veteran. who makes very little. makes $26.000 a year. I think it is also important for us to look at the increases in health care costs for military retirees. The budget increased TRICARE health care premiums. which is the health care provided to the military for $3.1 million. for the Nations military retirees under 65. I think it is important that we look at these premiums and look at what they are costing the folks that signed up to defend this country and allow us to salute one flag. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11048}
{"speech_id":1090143678,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is also important for us to look at what we are talking about on this side of the aisle Mr. Speaker. The GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century that has been offered here on the Democratic side will just do the reverse as it relates to what I just mentioned. It makes health care accessible and affordable for our veterans and improves veterans health care. It improves mental health for returning soldiers. A number of the IEDs. improvised explosive devices. I think is going to affect a number of our troops. those that have fallen victim to it and survived. injured. those that have witnessed IEDs going off. those that have to worry every day when they drivedown one of the streets in Iraq. will they be hit by an IED. Some. of that stuff is going to come back home. and it is home. and we need to be able to deal with it on a psychological standpoint because it affects many of our families. These are individuals that have signed up and said they wanted to serve our country. and they are serving. It also blocks the increase in prescription drug copayments and the enrollment fee for veterans. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11048}
{"speech_id":1090143678,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is important that we do that. And on this side of the aisle. we have that legislation that has been put forth through our frustration of the fact that we cant work in a bipartisan way. The only way we can work in a bipartisan way. Mr. Speaker. is if the Republican leadership allows bipartisanship to work in the House. Now. how does that happen? Well. when you have a conference committee. how about inviting the Democratic members to that conference committee. or at least letting us know where the meeting is? We have day after day. especially this time of year. when we have a number of pieces of legislation stacked up on top of one another. And I just want to make sure that I break this down so everyone understands. When we pass a bill here in the House. and the Senate passes a similar bill. they have what they call a conference committee. and that conference committee sits down and works out the differences between those bills. Well. that is not a common thing here in the House. Yes. it would be a majority of Republicans that will be on that conference committee. but there are some Democrats on that conference committee. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11048}
{"speech_id":1090143678,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we have a number of Democrats. when the meeting is set and the decision is made. that are not even told about it. That is not working in a bipartisan way. and that is why our Democratic leader has said that when Democrats take control of this House. we will work in a bipartisan way and we will make sure that the American people are represented. If they have a Republican representing them here. then they will be represented. Because. guess what? It will not be a stonewall. It will be a democracy in the way that we are supposed to carry out business here in this House. of making sure that everyone benefits. That is true bipartisanship. It also provides benefits to veterans who have earned and deserve respect. It ends the disability veterans tax. It reduces waiting time on disability claimants and also expands outreach to veterans. Now. this is very. very important. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11048}
{"speech_id":1090143771,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is no doubt about it. They are embarrassed by what has happenedthe corporate executives who take home millions and millions of dollars and then do not pay their taxes. corporate executives who do not care about their employees and destroy not only their employees jobs but their pensions. It is a moment in our history where they are looking to us for leadership. The way I tie it into the environment and health and safety is this: I showed on the floor the environmental record for 2001. This is the record for 2002. Each week. there is another plan to weaken environmental laws and protect the people. It is a terrible message to corporate America. S5322 co: This chart shows the EPA budget. They eliminated the budget for graduate student research in the environmental sciences. Look at enforcement. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1962}
{"speech_id":1090143771,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Good businesses welcome enforcement. If you are doing it right and the enforcers come in. you are in good shape. They cut it back. and the bad apples do not get caught. Look at air quality. nuclear waste. endangered species. mining public lands. something my colleague is involved in. oil and gas drilling. urban sprawl. This administration zeroed out the funding for urban parks. I would love my friend to comment on this point: 70 percent of our people live within reach of an urban park. Unbelievably. 2 weeks ago the administration sent out a press release bragging about all the grants they made from last years money. not mentioning in this press release they have now zeroed out the funding for urban parks. This lack of caring for the people of this country. as I see it. in terms of the environment and this kind of a record set a poor example for everyone. for business leaders. If business leaders see this administration does not really care. when it comes to the environment. about the health and safety of the people. what is the subtle message to a corporate executive? I guess: I dont have to care. I guess the bottom line is my profit.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1962}
{"speech_id":1090143804,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last Friday. immediately after calling up S. 625. the hate crimes bill. the Democratic leadership filed for cloture. I believe within 15 minutes after they called it up. No one is filibustering this bill. In fact. there have only been 20 amendments filed to be considered. I expected this bill to be debated. We hoped the minority or anyone in the majority. who so chooses. who wants to try to modify this bill and make it better. would have the opportunity to do so. We all know. if cloture is invoked. for the most part. all we can do is make motions to strike. Almost everything will be held to be nongermane and therefore not debatable. unless we get a supermajority to overcome the point of order. All we are asking is for our side to be given an opportunity to present amendments that may improve this bill. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11388}
{"speech_id":1090143804,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is astonishing to me that cloture would be filed on a bill of this magnitude. a bill that has been hotly contested for very legitimate reasons. basically for the purpose of foreclosing any amendments on one side. including my substitute amendment. which I think almost anyone would have to admit is a reasonable amendment. I dont know whether it would be accepted as a substitute or not. but it ought to at least be debated and voted up or down.I filed an amendment yesterday that preserves the death penalty as an option in hate crime cases. It seems to me that is an option we would not want to deny law enforcement. One would think you would want to give them that additional prosecutorial tool in hate crime cases that result in death of the victim. We ban cite countless cases where. because of the threat of the death penalty. because it is a statutory option. people have pled guilty. accepted life imprisonment. and the matter was solved prior to trial. which preserves judicial resources. We also know. that when the death penalty is an option. in many cases law enforcement officials can break down one of the conspirators to plead guilty and to become a witness. and an effective witness at that. against the other perpetrators of the heinous murders. But. if this bill passes. it specifically excludes the death penalty. It specifically takes away those powers of the Federal Government as a tool to resolve some of these matters. As everybody knows. I am not a big fan of the death penalty. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11388}
{"speech_id":1090143804,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it should be used very. very narrowly and only under the most stringent of circumstances. I think it is too widely used today. But it at least ought to be an option that a prosecutor can use to obtain confessions. cooperation from witnesses and. of course. use as a penalty for those who commit really heinous crimes that are proven beyond a reasonable doubt. On Friday. immediately after calling up S. 625. the Democratic bill. the Democratic leadership immediately filed for cloture. as though anybody wants to filibuster this. I doubt seriously that all 20 amendments would be called up. but with a limited amount of amendments we could finish this bill by Thursday. 2 days from now. It is an important bill. Everybody admits it. Why would you foreclose to me. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. the right to debate an effective substitute that may improve this bill and at least have a vote so those who agree with me can have their vote. I point out to my distinguished colleague from Massachusetts that it was he and I who passed the Hate Crimes Statistics Act in the early 1990s. I was the Republican Senator who came forward and helped to get that done. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11388}
{"speech_id":1090143804,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill has proved effective in showing there are hate crimes in our society. We know that if the two of us got together. along with the distinguished Senator from Oregon. we could probably resolve the conflicts so we would not have to wait another 5 or 6 years to have hate crimes legislation pass. But. no. there is no desire to try to resolve these matters. There is a desire to invoke cloture. cut off basically all effective debate and all amendments including the amendment of the ranking member. cut off the amendment with regard to imposing or at least requiring the death penalty. and any number of other relevant amendments. For what? Because they want this bill at all costs. when they know that the House leadership will not accept it without further amendment. So it makes you wonder if this is not done primarily for political reasons instead of working together to try to come up with legislation that literally would work to resolve these problems. I agree with the distinguished Senator from Oregon. There is no excuse for anybody to abuse. mutilate. kill. or otherwise commit violent conduct against anybody in our society. let alone gays and lesbians. I do not think that is justified. that anybody could get away with that. And we ought to do whatever we can to stop it. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11388}
{"speech_id":1090143804,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fact remains that State and local law enforcement are dealing with the problem. We have challenged the other sides to give us examples. if they know any. where local law enforcement. local prosecution has not done the job. I am sure they may be able to come up with a few isolated examples. but I have not heard any yet. We have had only 1 day of debate on this very important subject yesterday. and it was only a matter of a couple of hours. This is a bill that seeks completely to overhaul and vastly expand the role of the Federal Government in law enforcement. The attempt to prematurely cut off debate on a bill of this magnitude makes a mockery of the role of the Senate as a deliberative body. If the distinguished Senator from Oregon is correct. if cloture is not invoked todayand I do not believe it should bethat this bill will be brought down. that would be a travesty because we could pass this bill by Thursday. There is not a soul in this body who is filibustering this bill. as far as I know. It just makes a mockery of the Senate as a deliberative body. I think the rush to ward off amendments can only lead to the conclusion it was done for sole purpose of thwarting any meaningful debate and avoiding some tough amendments because there is a wide .disparity of viewpoint here with regard to the death penalty. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11388}
{"speech_id":1090143858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under my reservation. I note there is a great deal of difference between going to the budget resolution and having full consideration. and agreeing to a number and enforcement numbers on supplemental appropriations. I am prepared to try to help find a solution. to have some limits and some enforcement mechanisms. but obviously the way it has been done for the past 25 years is to have a budget resolution. I do think it is the right thing to do. to go to this death tax issue. and I do want us to continue to work on that. We are going to get an agreement on how to proceed to the cloning issue because I made that commitment some time ago. as did Senator DASCHLE. to Members on both sides of the issue and on both sides of the aisle. I think we are very close. I ask to be added to this unanimpus consent agreement that following the disposition of this death tax issue. H.R. 8. the next order of business be the Defense authorization bill. which is S.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":955}
{"speech_id":1090143875,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to the Senator from Kentucky. I think the objective of the Senator is enormously worthwhile. I may very well come out and support the proposal of the Senator from Kentucky. I have been notified by the leadership there are those who have a proposal that may have some different features and they would like to be heard on that particular proposal. but I thank the Senator. I think the issues on adoption are enormously important. I think the idea of trying to provide assistance to those families is incredibly valuable. I have had the opportunity. for example. to have hearings on families from Canada with grown children who have adopted children with special needs. They adopted these children who had special needs even though they had younger children because. under the Canadian health care system. they offset the medical aspects of the special needs children. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090143875,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I asked the mother why she adopted special needs children when she had three or four children of her own. Her response was she wanted her children to understand what love was really all about. I may very well support the Senator and try to go even further than the Senator from Kentucky. I admire him for raising the issue on the floor. and I only object because of what I have been notified by the leadership.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090143896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent Senators GRAMM and KYL be recognized for 5 minutes each. however they want to divide up the 10 minutes to speak on the general subject of the estate tax. and Senator CONRAD be recognized for up to 10 minutes. Following that. we would be. I believe. in a position to lay down the firstdegree amendment at that time pursuant to the order and the 2hour time will start running at that time.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":426}
{"speech_id":1090143969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator is also aware that Senator BYRD and Senator STEVENS held hearings over a period of 3 weeks that included seven Cabinet officers and scores of other witnesses to find out what was needed for homeland security for this next fiscal year. Is the Senator aware of that?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090143974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am. I say to my colleague. I looked at the increases because. frankly. there were parts of that bill that I did not support. I voted against a number of the provisions in that bill. If one is fair and objective about what was offered. where did the increases occur? According to the Congressional Budget Office. the difference between the Senatepassed bill and the Housepassed bill is $1.4 billion. not the $10 billion that is being discussed on the other side. $1.4 billion of differences between the House bill and the Senate bill when scored consistently by the Congressional Budget Office. Where were the differences? First responders. $600 million more in the Senate bill. nuclear facilities. $300 million more to protect our nuclear facilities. port security. $700 million more. If anybody -has been reading the newspapers. they know there is a tremendous vulnerability of the United States to a socalled \"dirty\" bomb that would make this Capital uninhabitable for 400 years. I do not think it is unreasonable to say we are going to protect the nuclear facilities where that fissile material might come from. that we are going to protect the ports of America where those threats could come in to America. Another $250 million was added for airport security to protect against these materials coming into the airports of the country in the holds of planes. I say to my colleagues. that is spending that was designed to protect America.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1442}
{"speech_id":1090143978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Killed people. Now that we know a significant part of the planning by the alQaida network is bioterrorism. we know that a significant part of the planning of the alQaida network is a \"dirty\" nuclear device to be dropped on this Nations Capital. we cannot choose to turn our backs and not worry about defending the country. Our first obligation as United States Senators is to defend this Nation.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":395}
{"speech_id":1090143979,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Would the Senator acknowledge there is $200 million in this bill that the President requested based on hearings held by Senators BYRD and STEVENS for food safety. including food inspectors. laboratories. protections against animal and plant disease. and also to assess risks to rural water systems. and also aware there is $154 millionfor cybersecurity. there is also $100 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to look at assessments of water system security? We have people quibbling. and I say \"quibbling\" because I cannot find another word to describe what they are talking about this afternoon. The Senator has shown in graphic form billions of dollars taken away from the American people and given to a very small percentage of the people. Less than 1 percent of the American taxpayers. 42 percent. is gone because of that. is that right?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":853}
{"speech_id":1090144044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. later this month. on June 14th. people in my home state of Michigan will be gathering at a special ceremony to honor men and women of the U.S. armed forces who have served to preserve our nations freedom. This ceremony held by the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity will pay tribute to Chaldean American men and women who- have served or are currently serving in our Nations military. It is particularly poignant that people are gathering to honor Chaldean American veterans on the day set aside to honor our foremost symbol of freedom: the American flag. At a time when we are reminded of the priceless value of our many freedoms. it is important that we do not forget the heroes who fought so fearlessly and valiantly in past conflicts to protect our nation and our freedoms. Such brave men and women have preserved our liberty and democratic values and safeguarded our freedom to pursue the American dream. The Chaldeans are people who possess a long and fascinating history. They have traditionally spoken a form of Aramaic. the language in which the New Testament was written. and possess an interesting theological history that includes a reunion with the Roman Catholic Church in 1551 A.D. This reunion led to the establishment of the Chaldean rite of the Catholic Church. Many Chaldeans immigrated to the United States from Iraq. and have played an important part in our nations growth and success. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2253}
{"speech_id":1090144044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Detroit is privileged to be home to the largest Chaldean community in the United States. In Detroit and throughout the nation. Chaldean Americans have dedicated themselves to the making a better life in America. Detroit. the State of Michigan and our nation have benefitted from their patriotism. hard work and dedication to community. faith and family. These many contributions have greatly benefitted our nation and have included the service of nearly two hundred Chaldean Americans in the United States Armed Forces. The entire Chaldean American community can take pride in their long and honorable tradition of service to our nation. particularly their service in.our nations armed forces. I am sure that my Senate colleagues join me and the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity in paying tribute to Chaldean American veterans.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2253}
{"speech_id":1090144047,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last week I introduced with my colleague from Nevada. Senator REID. the Support of American Silver Eagle Bullion Program Act. This legislation will preserve our most successful silver coin program. the American Silver Eagle Bullion Program. From the inception of the program. the Silver Eagle coin has been the domestic and global market share leader in commemorative coin programs. It is also the largest of the United States Mints silver coin programs. From Fiscal Year -19952001. the program has generated revenues of more than $264 million. Profits from this program ultimately go into the Treasury General Fund. which reduces the governments debt. Since 1986. the Mint. through interagency agreements with the Defense Logistics Agency. has been using the Strategic and Critical Materials Stockpile as a source of silver from the American Eagle Silver Bullion Program. The use of the Stockpile silver is a result of legislative mandates. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2541}
{"speech_id":1090144047,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This stockpile of silver. which had a beginning balance of 137.5 million ounces. is rapidly being depleted. At the current rate of depletion. the silver will be depleted in approximately two months. With the depletion of silver reserves in the Defense Logistics Agency Stockpile. it has become necessary for the Department of the Treasury to acquire silver from other sources in order to continue the Silver Eagle Program. This bill adds a stockpile depletion contingency provision to the. United States Code that allows the Secretary of the Treasury to obtain silver from other available sources. while not paying more than the average world price. I rise today to introduce this legislation because it is vital to the economy in my home State of Idaho. The mines of the Silver Valley in North Idaho produce more than $70 million of silver per year. along with employing over 3.000 Idahoans and contributing more than $900 million to the overall Idaho economy. Moreover. I am proud to recognize .that the blanks used by the United States mint in their American Eagle Silver Bullion Program are produced by Sunshine Minting. Inc.. in Coeur dAlene. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2541}
{"speech_id":1090144047,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ID. Approximately 60 people at Sunshine Minting work directly on the U.S. Mint Silver Eagle Program. Idahos mining sector is a critical component of our national economy. and this bill makes certain that we preserve the Silver Eagle program and keep valuable mining jobs in Idaho and other silver mining states. It is my hope that the Senate will move expeditiously to consider and pass this legislation before the stockpile is deleted.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2541}
{"speech_id":1090144052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in commemoration of the birthday of Hawaiis first monarch. King Kamehameha I. More than two centuries since his birth. Kamehameha is a legendary. indeed. mythical figure renown worldwide for his bravery and martial brilliance. He commands the respect of Hawaiis people for his wise and just leadership. and his accomplishments continue to influence and govern Hawaii today. Historically. Kamehameha is notable because of his brilliance as a military strategist and political leader. Kamehameha adapted Western innovation. weaponry. and science to gain a decisive advantage in his drive to unify the Hawaiian Islands. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090144052,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawaii. Kamehameha is beloved for his concern and attention to the wellbeing of his subjects and for his commitment to do what was just and right for the people. Kamehamehas wisdom. even more than his strength. stature. and daring. is his greatest and most enduring legacy for Hawaiis indigenous peoplesthe Native Hawaiians. the people of Hawaii. \u0095 and all students of history. Mamalohoe. the Law of the Splintered Paddle. is the most prominent example of Kamehameha as a wise and just leader. Mamalahoe is Hawaiis first Bill of Rights protecting the common people from assault. and it is still part of our States constitution. One hundred and ninety years ago. in the summer of 1812. Kamehameha returned to the Kona Coast. Having unified the islands and established peace and stability. Kamehameha worked to build prosperity for his people by increasing agricultural production and foreign trade. The first observance of a day honoring King Kamehameha was. proclaimed by King Kamehameha V on June 11. 1872. in the Kingdom of Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090144052,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It remains an annual holiday in the State of Hawaii. This year marks the 130th anniversary of the only holiday in the United States created to honor a oncereigning monarch in the only state that was once a kingdom. the State of Hawaii.0","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090144054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation to authorize the Federal land management agencies. the National Park Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service. to collect visitor recreation fees. and to use the proceeds from the fees to continue to fund high priority resource protection and maintenance backlog needs. Following enactment of the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program in 1996. the Federal agencies have been authorized to experiment with various fee collection proposals. That program also authorized the Federal agencies. for the first time. to retain all of the fee revenues and to use those funds. without the need for further appropriation. on maintenance backlog and other funding needs. The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program has been extended each year. most recently through September 30. 2004. For the most part. the fee demonstration program has been very successful. However. unlike the previous fee authority in the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. the fee demonstration program contained no guidance to the agencies or limitations on the types of fees that could be collected. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2240}
{"speech_id":1090144054,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a result. the program has generated some controversy. especially with respect to certain Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands where fees had not historically been charged. The bill I am introducing today builds upon the positive results from the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. while including new criteria to ensure that fees are not imposed inappropriately. The bill provides the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture with considerable discretion to administer the program while ensuring that recreational access to Federal lands remains available to all Americans. Most importantly. the bill maintains the existing requirement that a majority of the fees be retained for expenditure at the site where collected. I believe there is strong support for enacting permanent fee authority. The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing on this bill on June 19. and I hope it will be ready for consideration by the full Senate in the near future. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2240}
{"speech_id":1090144057,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Contact Lens Prescription Release Act of 2002 will rectify a troubling anomaly in competition and health care law: Eye doctors have long been required to provide patients with the prescriptions for their eyeglasses. but not for contact lenses. This bill will require ophthalmologists and optometrists to release contact lens prescriptions to their patients. just as they have long been required to do for eyeglass wearers. Since 1973. when the Federal Trade Commission issued a regulation requiring the automatic release of eyeglass prescriptions. the millions of citizens who wear glasses have had access to. and the use of. their own prescriptions. They have long been able to \"shop around\" for the best provider of eyeglasses for themselves. but contact lens wearers are often forced to purchase their contacts from their eye doctors. because they have been denied possession of their own prescriptions. The contact lens industry was in its infancy in 1973. and thus was excluded from the FTCs regulation. Now that 35 million Americans wear contact lenses. the industry is profoundly different. Thirty. years ago. it made sense that the FTC did not extend its rule to cover contact lenses. but now that so many patients wear contacts. it seems the time is ripe for the law to reflect this growing health care trend. In addition. because patients prescriptions can be exclusively held by their doctors. anticompetitive behavior among some eye doctors has escalated. to the detriment of consumers and competition. In some instances. doctors can effectively force their patients to buy contact lenses from their doctors who can also require them to come in for eye exams before they receive replacement lenses. even if there is no change to the prescription. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3064}
{"speech_id":1090144057,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Patients must then pay for medical services they do not want. and cannot shop around for the best price or most convenient delivery service for their contact lens. like online ordering. or discount dealers. In fact. thirtytwo State Attorneys General have recently settled an antitrust suit against the American Optometric Association and Johnson & Johnson. maker of ACUVUE disposable contact lenses. in which the attorneys general alleged that defendants conspired to force patients to buy their lenses only from eye doctors. and to eliminate competition from alternative distributors of contact lenses. The Contact Lens Prescription Release Act would require the FTC to amend its trade regulation rule on ophthalmic practice to require a contact lens prescriber to release to the patient. or her agent. a copy of the prescription. and it would make it an unfair practice for any contact lens supplier to represent that the lenses could be obtained without a valid prescription. This bill would put contact lens wearers in the same position as their bespectacled brethren: They could have control of their own medical information. and be able to choose the right supplier. from a more competitive marketplace of suppliers. for themselves. By Mr. WELLSTONE (for himself and Mr. CORZINE):","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3064}
{"speech_id":1090144064,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be \"authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. June 11. 2002. at 10:45 a.m.. to hold a hearing on public diplomacy. Agenda Witnesses Panel 1: The Honorable Charlotte Beers. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Department of State. Washington. DC. and the Honorable Norman Pattiz. Governor. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090144064,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Broadcasting Board of Governors. Washington. DC. Panel 2: The Honorable Mark Ginsberg. Former Ambassador to Morocco. CEO and Managing Director. Northstar Equity Group. Washington. DC. the Honorable Newt Gingrich. Former Speaker. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090144064,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"U.S. House of Representatives. Senior Fellow. American Enterprise Institute. Washington. DC. Mr. David Hoffman. President. Internews. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090144064,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Arcada. CA. and Mr. Veton Surroi. Chairman. Koha Media Group. Pristina. Kosovo.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":852}
{"speech_id":1090144101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join those who honor my great friend. our great friend. the Senator from West Virginia. This has leen a tradition. Each time a Senator has reached the position where he has served longer than anyone else before. we have had tributes such as this. It is my honor to be here with my good friend today. Having known Carl Hayden and Strom Thurmond. both of whom have the distinction that Senator BYRD has had in my lifetime and my service in the Senate. I believe he joins a small but distinguished group of dedicated public servants. people who have devoted their lives to serving our country. I had the honor of being the whip for 8 years. 4 years in the minority and 4 years in the majority. I remember so well what I called the Byrd history lessons. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6638}
{"speech_id":1090144101,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Maybe Senator BYRD didnt call them that. but each evening in those days Senator BYRD would come to the floor and give another statement about the history of the Senate. I believe those became the framework for the volumes he has written on the history of the Senate. I didnt need to read them. I listened to them. As a matter of fact. I think I listened to every one the Senator made because the then majority leader. Howard Baker. would say to me: Teddy. it is your turn. I would be in the chair listening to Senator BYRD. Winston Churchill once said: We make a living by what we get. but we make a life by what we give. I I dont know anyone in my lifetime that I would say has given so much as Senator BYRD. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6638}
{"speech_id":1090144101,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Others have talked about what he did before he came into public life. I know he attended college while he was in the West Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate and finished law school as a working Member of the Senate. He has truly given more than he ever received. But. really. I would say of my friend from West Virginia that I know of no man who has done so much to make the Senate a family. When I first came. here. that was one of the first things that Senator Mike Mansfield said to methat you have to realize you are living in a family. This is a family. Senator BYRD has made that his sort of mantra. and to be the person who represents the family. reminding us that we are part of a family. I remember so well. Senator BYRD. when you made such kind remarks about my wife Ann after she passed away in an aircraft accident. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6638}
{"speech_id":1090144101,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also recall the days that you congratulated me on getting remarried. and then on the birth of our daughter Lily when. again. Senator BYRD took the floor. I will never forget the time you came to the floor and talked about the fact that my first grandchild had been born. Senator BYRD told me at that time that I had my first taste of immortality. Now that I have become the grandfather of 11 children. I have touched immortality a little bit more than most people perhaps. I stand in awe of the honor of being a grandfather. I will never forget what he said. That means you are going to go one generation beyond the generation you helped bring into the world. You have seen your children produce children. and that really matches your love for the Senate family. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6638}
{"speech_id":1090144101,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont know of anybody here who has had a sorrow or an achievement when Senator BYRD hasnt taken the time to seek us out and either commiserate with us in our sorrow or tell us what a great achievement it was. It is a great achievement to be part of the Senate family and to be nurturing our own families. Others have spoken about your dear wife Erma. I know how close the two of you were. I know that because of conversations we have had about Erma. We were all saddened when she passed away earlier this year. but I know she is looking down on you today. Senator BYRD. I know she is proud of your service and. if she were here. she would be right up there in the gallery. But she is up there somewhere looking at all of US. Actually. many of you may not know this. but I met Senator BYRD during the Eisenhower administration. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6638}
{"speech_id":1090144107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to congratulate my good friend. Senator ROBERT BYRD. on becoming the longest serving Senator in the history of our great Nation. Senator BYRD has now served as Senator for 17.327 days. That is almost as long as I have been alive. I fully expect to continue serving with him for many more days. I know that during those 17.000plus days in the Senate. Senator BYRD has inspired many. I also know that as we continue to witness his service in the days ahead in the Senate. he will continue to provide inspiration to this body and to all of my colleagues and to me. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090144107,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure that in those days. just as he has in the past. Senator BYRD will continue to implore our colleagues to respect the wisdom of the Founders and the brilliance of our Constitution. which he so proudly carries as a symbol on his lapel every day. and during those days in the future. he will continue to remind us all in the Senate of how much we can and should learn from the history of our great country and the experience of this democracy. He will continue. as he always has. fighting for the hardworking people of his beloved West Virginia. and he will. as he always has. continue to provide generous counsel to those of us who have far less experience than he does. for Senator BYRD truly has been and continues to be a mentor to all of us. and always. with his grace and with his dignity. setting an example for all Senators to act with that dignity. with that courtesy. and with that eloquence which is truly a legacy of ROBERT BYRD in the Senate. For me. as the No. 99 Senator and as one of the most junior in this body today. I am personally inspired and grateful to Senator BYRD for his achievements and for his example. Just as my family has given me strength in my life. I know Senator BYRDS remarkable service would not have been possible without the love and support of his own family. I have often been moved by Senator BYRDS words about the power of the love and the bond he and his late wife Erma shared for decades. So -as we honor Senator BYRD today. as we honor this institution. we also honor the memory of Erma. and we honor the rest of Senator BYRDS family as well. It is a great privilege for me to represent the people of Colorado in this great Chamber. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090144107,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is also a true honor to be a colleague to a historic figure in the name of Senator ROBERT C. BYRD of West Virginia. Once again. I congratulate him. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2475}
{"speech_id":1090144114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this article embraces the comments of many dear friends of the Senator. and I say with some humility. a few of my own comments as well. I think back to reminisce on the 28 years that I have been privileged to have represented the Commonwealth of Virginia in this Chamber. There is no single individual for whom I have greater reverence or respect than my dear friend. the senior Senator from West Virginia. We were bonded together early on. When I arrived here. he sought me out. and I sought him out because our two great States at one time. were one State. the State of Virginia. But now. even though we are two States. our states have so many issues in common. How many times Senator BYRD and I have come to this floor with regard to the subject of the coal miners. their safety. their ability to operate and provide that essential component to Americas energy needs. coal. how dangerous is the profession. how much we respect their families and other ones who share the risk that the miners take every day. Then. more specifically. I remember so well how we have worked together all of these many years in support of cleancoalburning technology. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9421}
{"speech_id":1090144114,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Coal is the largest single reserve of energy that this Nation possessesthe largest. far beyond petroleum. far beyond natural gas. far beyond the other renewables. and so forth. Coal is there. Our research and industrial base works year after year to try to see how we can consume these vast coal reserves and thereby become less and less dependent on importing our energy needs. but burning it in such a way that it does the least possible harm to the environment. be it the air we breathe or the problems associated with acid rain. and so forth. I commend my dear friend for all the work that he has done and will continue to do for years on clean coal technology. Virginia and West Virginia also share a common border that is basically established by the Appalachian Mountains. This part of Virginia and West Virginia has its own magnificent qualities. particularly the sturdy lifestyle of the people who choose purposefully to live in those hills and valleys and those mountains which are so often ravaged by heavy floods and so often ravaged by other natural disasters. such as snowstorms. Senator BYRD and I many times have gone to visit those regions in the aftermath of a natural disaster. We find no desire on the part of those people to leave those regions. only to remain. Senator BYRD was instrumental in passing legislation which provides recognition for those geographic areas of the Appalachian range that are deserving of financial assistance and other forms of assistance because of the rigorous. challenging lifestyle in these regions. He has seen that funding has remained these many years equitably allocated between the severalStates. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9421}
{"speech_id":1090144114,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think of him foremost as one who is a family man. How often he has reminisced about the members of his family. He speaks with a great sense of pride and humility on how his family. much like every Member of this Senate. is closely involved in the life of the Senate. closely involved because of the commitments the families make: the many long hours Senators are required to either be in the Chamber or traveling throughout their States. traveling throughout the 50 States. or. indeed. around the world. It is a challenge for the families. and BOB BYRD is a family man. along with his beloved wife Erma. I remember so well early on in my career. I had the privilege tobe invited by Senator BYRD. to join him on a number of codels to various parts of the world. We served together on the Senate Committee on Armed Services these many years. So often we would visit the troops and others throughout the world. One trip I remember ever so vividly. he took the first congressional codel to the thenSoviet Union to visit with Gorbachev. who had risen to a powerful position in the Soviet Union after a lot of strife and turmoil. That man exhibited extraordinary courage. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9421}
{"speech_id":1090144114,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I so looked forward to our important visit. as did every member of that codelI think there were about a dozen of us who joined Senator BYRD to go over to the Soviet Union. Senator Strom Thurmond. whose record Senator BYRD. with a sense of humility. passes today. was on that codel. And as we flew to the Soviet Union. I had the privilegeand maybe with one or two othersof working with BOB BYRD on remarks he wanted to make. That was an important set of remarks. Strom Thurmond represented the Republican side of that delegation. We were basically equally divided. I remember working through that statement well into the wee hours of the night as that plane was traversing that long distance. The following day. Gorbachev announced he was going to allocate an hour and a half time to meet this delegation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9421}
{"speech_id":1090144114,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The time was carefully allocated by Senator BYRD and Senator Thurmond to members of the delegation. I recall that I was the junior man on that delegation. When he got to me. I had 2 minutes. I was proud to get 2 minutes. Our dear colleague and friend. the retiring Senator this year. Senator SARBANES. senior. of course. to me at that time. turned to me and said: I will give you my 3 minutes so you can have 5 minutes because you are on that Committee on Armed Services. and there is nothing more important to be covered today than the issues relating to national defense. I will never forget that act of courtesy by Senator SARBANES. Senator BYRD delivered his remarks flawlessly. Gorbachev listened very carefully. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9421}
{"speech_id":1090144118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I first came to the U.S. Senate 40 years ago next year. not as a Senator but as a legislative assistant. Senator KENNEDY was here then in his second term. Senator BYRD had been in the Congress since 1953. I was working for Howard Baker. the first Republican Senator to be elected from Tennessee. 7I noticed over the years how he and Senator BYRD became good friends. The strength of that friendship was demonstrated in 1980 when the Republicans gained control 9f the Senatewhich surprised virtually everyone. gaining 12 seats. Among the shocks that would occur is that Howard Baker. who was then the Republican leaderhe refused to call himself the minority leader. but the Republican leaderwas to become majority leader and ROBERT BYRD. who was the Democratic leader. would have to be the minority leader. I remember two stories Senator Baker tells about that incident which had a lot to do with shaping what happened in the Senate shortly after that. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090144118,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator Baker went to see Senator BYRD. and as I have been- told. he said: BOB. I wonder if you would be willing to keep your office. Well. that got him off to a good start with BOB BYRD. I am sure that incident must have caused the Senate to work much more smoothly over the next few years. Senator Baker kept the minority leaders office and expanded it. and Senator BYRD kept the majority leaders office even though he was the minority leader. But the second thing that happened was this: The new majority leader. Howard Baker. said to the stepping. down majority leader. BOB BYRD: BOB. I would like to make an arrangement with you. Senator BYRD said to Senator Baker: What is that. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090144118,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Howard? He said: I would like to make an arrangement about surprises. I will not surprise you if you wont surprise me. According to Senator Baker. Senator BYRD replied: Let me think about it. They got back together the next day. and BOB BYRD gave Howard Baker his word: No surprises. According to Senator Baker. that word was never broken during the entire time Senator Baker was the majority leader and Senator BYRD was the minority leader. I am sure the Senate and this country benefitted greatly because of the trust those two men. who usually had very different opinions on issues. had with one another. The other thing I would like to say about Senator BYRD is this: I came to the U.S. Senate as a Senator many years later. the same year the Presiding Officer came from Texas. It was in 2003 when we were sworn in. and that was exactly a half century after BOB BYRD came to the Congress. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090144118,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Each .of us in our class made what I believe we still call maiden speechesour first speech on the subject that was most important to us. The subject that was most important to meand still isis what it means to be an American. concepts that unify our country. I find it absolutely remarkable how our country. among all others. has accumulated this magnificent diversity but has found a way to bind it into a single country based on a few fragile principles that are found in our founding documents and by our common language and by our saga of American history. There is no one in the Senateeven though many of us tryno one in the Senate who understands and expresses that better than Senator ROBERT C. BYRD. He understands what it means to be an American. He votes that way. For example. when the No Child Left Behind Act came up in the Senate before I was elected to this body. the legislation focused on reading and math. Senator BYRD insisted that the Senate bill include a $100 million authorization for the teaching of what he called traditional American history. Our seniors in high school are scoring lower on U.S. history than on any other subject. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090144118,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In other words. our high school seniors dont score lowest on math or science. they score lowest on U.S. history. Those are the worst scores our seniors have. In focusing on the need to do a better job of teaching history to young Americans. Senator BYRD is making an effort to make sure we remember where our country came from. When I made my maiden speech and then introduced a modest bill to try to create summer academies for outstanding teachers and students of American history in 2003. Senator BYRD came to the floor. Senator BYRD cosponsored the bill. and then he showed the great compliment to me of showing up at the hearing before the Health. Education. Labor and Pensions Committee to testify for the bill. As I said. it was my first year in the Senate. it was his 50th year in Congress. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4871}
{"speech_id":1090144152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to comment on the F22. It is a magnificent aircraft. It is absolutely essential for our inventory of weapons. Stop to think that any use of our Armed Forces. wherever they may be in the world. is dependent on air superiority. The United States has that air superiority. but there are nations night and day trying to fashion airplanes or instruments that could take away that air superiority. This Nation is banking its future on that aircraft. I am very pleased that our committee has marked up a strong bill on that issue. The Senator from Georgia may have some additional thoughts on it. which we will turn to in the course of the deliberations on this bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":717}
{"speech_id":1090144152,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I salute the Senator from Georgia.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":717}
{"speech_id":1090144156,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have before the Senate the extremely important Defense authorization bill. led in the Armed Services Committee by my friend. the Senator from Virginia. Mr. WARNER. and the Senator from Michigan. Mr. LEVIN. I look forward to these next several days debating this issue. I commend them. as we begin this debate. for the way they considered the various recommendations and suggestions that have been made by the members of the committee in developing this bill. I ask unanimous consent to proceed for a few minutes in morning business.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":550}
{"speech_id":1090144181,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before I begin talking about the legislation before us today. I would like to thank Chairman WARNER and Ranking Member LEVIN who have continued their tradition of strong. bipartisan leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In particular. I want to commend my dear friend and colleague. Senator JOHN WARNER. for his service to this distinguished committee. As chair. he has been a true statesman and shown how Congress should work. He understands the issues that come before this committee are ones that should not be caught in party bickering. It has truly been an honor to work with him to ensure that our men and women in the armed services have the tools necessary to successfully meet the challenges of today and into the future. While this will be. the last Defense Authorization bill that he will oversee as the chairman of the committee. it surely will not be the last one where his expertise will be felt. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9018}
{"speech_id":1090144181,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. I thank him and look forward to working with him in the future on issues before this committee. This bill exemplifies what can be achieved through the spirit of bipartisan cooperation to address a number of important defense priorities. For example. this bill makes sure the Department of Defense has the resources it needs to combat terrorism by authorizing an additional $115.2 million over the Presidents budget request. And it includes a number of- provisions designed to protect the quality of life of our service members. But I have several concerns related to this bill. First and foremost. I am concerned that the administration continues to fund this war through emergency supplemental appropriations. While I support our soldiers currently serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and I am pleased that this committee has authorized an additional $81.9 billion for ongoing operations. I believe that the administrations current policy is fiscally irresponsible. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9018}
{"speech_id":1090144181,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unlike true national emergencies and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. the funds required for these ongoing operations can be assessed. identified and included in the regular budget process. It is time for this administration to make the true cost of war transparent to both the Congress and the American public. Just today. I returned from Iraq where I had an opportunity to meet and speak with our brave men and women in the Armed Forces in Iraq. They are truly doing an excellent job in a difficult and often dangerous environment. Thanks to the efforts of our soldiers. the people of Iraq are better equipped to begin the task of selfgovernance. During this trip. I spoke to the new Iraqi Minister of Defense and Iraqs National Security Advisor who are both optimistic about Iraqs progress toward democracy. I. myself. witnessed the advances made by the Iraqi people who are building a strong democratic foundation for the future of their nation. However. more needs to be done. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9018}
{"speech_id":1090144181,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I do not believe that we should leave before the Iraqi people are equipped with the tools necessary to support a stable democratic society. we must ensure that the progress already started with the recent election of the Iraqi Minister of Defense and the Minister of Interior continues. At the same time. whether we leave Iraq tomorrow. or in 6 months. or longer. it is important for the President to inform Congress and the American people as to when and how our troops will be coming home. * I am also disappointed that this years authorization bill reduced the amount of funding for corrosion prevention and control programs. Corrosion is a costly problem. In fact. it is one of the largest costs in the life cycle of weapons systems. In addition. corrosion reduces military readiness as the need to repair or replace corrosion damage increases the downtime of critical military assets. Consequently. I firmly believe that cohesive corrosion control programs are integral to maintaining military readiness. This critical maintenance activity increases the life of multimillion dollar weapons systems and ensures their availability during times of crisis. Effective corrosion control should be made a key component of the Department of Defenses resetting strategy and funds should be allocated accordingly. Despite these concerns. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9018}
{"speech_id":1090144181,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I feel that this- years authorization includes a number of significant provisions that will greatly benefit our military personnel. I am particularly pleased to see provisions that address issues related to the quality of life of military members and their families. I believe that it is our responsibility. as Government leaders. to guarantee that ourmen and women in uniform are appropriately compensated. Consequently. I support the committees approval of a 2.2 percent pay raise for all military personnel and targeted pay raises for midcareer and senior enlisted personnel and warrant officers. I am also encouraged that the committee prohibited increases in TRICARE Prime enrollment fees in fiscal year 2007 and authorized $10 million for pilot projects related to the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder. In addition. I am glad to see a number of provisions that directly benefit the children of our Nations soldiers such as the authorized $45 million in supplemental education aid to local school districts that are affected by a large increase of students due to base realignments or the activation of new military units. I also support a 3year pilot education program on parent education to promote early childhood education for military children who have been- affected by their parents deployment or relocation. As the ranking member of the Readiness Subcommittee. my colleagues and I included a number of provisions in the bill that are vital to the nearterm readiness of our Armed Forces. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9018}
{"speech_id":1090144185,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. by previous agreement between the distinguished majority leader and the Democratic leader. the chairman and ranking member of the committee will. for the remainder of this evening. as well as tomorrow morning. follow this protocol. I will put forth an amendment momentarily on behalf of myself. Mr. FRIST. Mr. REID. and Mr. LEVIN. and it is a joint. hopefully bipartisan. accepted amendment to be debated further in the morning. The military operation that resulted in the death of Zarqawi was a stunning accomplishment for U.S. forces. It displayed the precision. perseverance and professionalism of our Armed Forces supported by a sophfisticated and superb intelligence apparatus that included U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090144185,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Iraqi. and Coalition intelligence organizations. Behind the details that were made public. I can tell you. were months of coordinated. hard work by analysts. human intelligence operatives. and military planners. The death of Zarqawi will hopefully lessen. but not end the violence in Iraq. but it is certainly a significant blow to the terrorist network in Iraq. to Osama bin Laden. and the alQaida organization. Zarqawi was the most prominent insurgent in Iraq and the most active of bin Ladens affiliates. While bin Laden hides in mountain caves. capable of making occasional audio tapes. Zarqawi was working to trigger a civil war. disrupt the democratic process of the new unity government in Iraq. and then use Iraq as a base to launch attacks throughout the region. There is proof of that intent. He had eluded capture for 3 years. he was indeed cruel. cunning. and cageyand now gone. I proudly salute the brave and professional work of our military forces as well as the formidable efforts of our military. civilian. and allied intelligence operations. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090144185,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This success is one that the entire intelligence community should find very satisfying. The combined efforts of the Directorate of National Intelligence. the Central Intelligence Agency. and all of our defense intelligence capabilities. and our military forces in Iraq. collaborated on this effort. I believe this success displays that reforms are working.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090144212,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Detroit Salt Mine. and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them on reaching this important milestone. In 1906. the Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company began constructing the Detroit Salt Mine. The first few years were tumultuous. as the construction itself was so challenging and costly that the company went bankrupt before it began to mine salt. Fortunately. the company quickly rebounded and completed its first mining shaft in 1910. The mine has passed through many hands over the years but is currently operated by the Detroit Salt Company. which. has owned it since 1997. Today. the Detroit Salt Company solely produces highway deicing salt. the salt that is used to melt the ice that covers roadways during the winter. It provides this salt not only for Michigan roadways but for other roads throughout the Midwest. Without this valuable product. our roadways would be repeatedly crippled during the winter months. causing massive and regular shutdowns of schools and businesses. It is also important to recognize the Detroit Salt Companys efforts to keep its mine safe for its many workers. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1727}
{"speech_id":1090144212,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Mine Health and Safety Administration has recognized the Detroit Salt Company for its excellent safety standards with the Sentinel of Safety Award for 3 of the last 6 years. Additionally. the company is part of the Detroit Local Emergency Planning Committee. taking an active role in keeping not only its employees. but also the citizens of its community safe and secure. I know my colleagues join me in recognizing the historical significance of the Detroit Salt Mine and congratulate all of those who have contributed to its success.*","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1727}
{"speech_id":1090144230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the staff members of the Committee on Armed Servicesboth Republican and Democratappearing on the list that I send to the desk be extended the privileges of the floor during the consideration of S. 2766. the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":307}
{"speech_id":1090144280,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I believe that every one of us remembers the events that occurred in Tiananmen Square on June 3 and June 4. 1989. We may be hazy on the dates. but the images are as fresh today as they were then. We all remember the Chinese version of the Statue -of Liberty being erected by thousands of peaceful. wellbehaved demonstrators. mostly students. We remember peaceful protests in Beijing and throughout China calling for the establishment of a dialogue with the government and party leaders on democratic reforms. including freedom of expression. freedom of assembly. and respect for workers rights and the elimination of corruption by government officials. All over the Communist world. from Berlin to Beijing. there was a tremendous outpouring of hope that year. hope that freedom and democracy would soon triumph. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7836}
{"speech_id":1090144280,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Exhausted. obsolete. and morally bankrupt Communist regimes were turning on the people in the last desperate effort to retain their control and the enormous privileges such control gave them and to the party elites. Later that year. the Berlin Wall. symbol of -the physical. mental. and moral prisons that held over a billion people in chains. fell. We all remember the incredible joy felt throughout the world when this happened. Also burned for all time in our memory is the image of the lone protestor on Tiananmen Square who held up the tanks sent to crush the demonstrators. Yet we also remember that the police grabbed that heroic figure and swept him away.. like so many others. to an unknown fate. Those tanks. under orders of the Communist government of China. then crushed under their treads the movement for democracy in China. The Communist government killed. tortured and imprisoned thousands for daring to question its illegal monopoly on power. Hundreds. perhaps thousands. are still imprisoned and persecuted for exercising the rights guaranteed. to them by their Constitution and the rules of all civilized societies. While millions in Europe now enjoy freedom. that right is still denied to Chinese people. Right after Tiananmen Square. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7836}
{"speech_id":1090144280,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. FRANK WOLF and I went to Beijing and visited Beijing Prison No. 1. a prison where some 40 Tiananmen Square prisoners were being held. They were like modernday Nazi concentration camps. and these victims with their heads shaved were asking peacefully that the government allow some basic liberties that we all take for granted in the U.S. and in many other nations of the world. They were hunted down. tortured and jailed. China declared war not only on the protestors but on history itself. The Communist government undertakes active measures to deny its citizens the truth even today about what happened in Tiananmen Square. In December of 1996. Mr. Speaker. here in Washington at the invitation of President Bill Clinton. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7836}
{"speech_id":1090144280,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"General Chi Haotian. the defense minister of the Peoples Republic of China. the general who was the operational commander of the soldiers who slaughtered prodemocracy demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square in June 1989. said. \"Not a single person lost his life in Tiananmen Square.\" According to General Chi. the Chinese Army did nothing more violent than the \"pushing of people.\" To counter that big lie. I quickly put together and chaired a hearing of eyewitnesses to Tiananmen who definitively refuted General Chis brazen lies. but then again. what did he care? General Chi got the red carpet treatment at the Clinton White House and full military honors. I believe he should have been charged with crimes against humanity. Most Chinese today. Mr. Speaker. unfortunately have no accurate knowledge of what happened in Tiananmen Square. China blocks even today uncensored Internet sites and Web logs and places misleading information on Internet sites available in China. often with the collusion and cooperation of U.S. Internet companies such as Yahoo and Google. As part and parcel of its Tiananmen Square coverup. the Communist government sentenced journalist Shi Tao to 10 years in prison. using information provided by Yahoo. for using his Yahoo email account to send foreigners a copy of a Chinese Government memo warning of possible trouble during the.15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7836}
{"speech_id":1090144280,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We all know that torture does not stop with those who demand political. freedoms. It is appropriate on this occasion to remember and seek freedom for all prisoners of conscience. all believers. democrats. and human rights activists who will one day triumph in China. but who now suffer grievously. There is ongoing aggressive repression of those who want to practice their faith as they see fit. Matter of fact. it has gotten worse in the last few years. Falun Gong practitioners. for example. are routinely rounded up and beaten and abused. and hundreds have been tortured to death while held in captivity. Catholics loyal to the Pope and members of the Protestant house church movements are harassed. tortured and imprisoned. The Communist government of China subjects Buddhist Tibetans and Muslim Uighurs to cultural and physical genocide. China also makes brothers and sisters illegal. Chinas coercive onechildpercouple policy not only subjects millions of women to forced abortions and sterilizations. it has encouraged a massive increase in sexselective abortions and female infanticide. The result is up to 100 million missing girls or women and one of the worst human trafficking problems now in the world. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7836}
{"speech_id":1090144281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of this resolution. May I express my deep respect for my friend and colleague from New Jersey for his indefatigable fight for human rights in China. I hope. Madam Speaker. you will have occasion to visit my office. because in the reception room you will find a large poster of a young unarmed Chinese student facing down a row of Chinese tanks on Tiananmen Square. This poster and this image is the indelible record of what happened at Tiananmen Square 17 years ago. That day. Chinas senior leaders huddled behind the walls of their compound near the Forbidden City. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5270}
{"speech_id":1090144281,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They had a critically important decision to make. whether to reach out to the students. like the one who is depicted in my poster. to the students and to the workers gathered in Tiananmen Square and address their concerns about party corruption and the lack of democracy. or whether they would seek to quash the movement with violent and vicious force if necessary. Sadly for the cause of freedom and justice. and for the lives of thousands of young Chinese citizens. the leadership of China made the wrong choice. Instead of entering into a meaningful dialogue with those gathered in the square. they launched a brutal crackdown on the democracy movement. killing thousands and imprisoning many more. The Chinese leadership hoped that the world would soon forget the Tiananmen Square massacre. Our job in Congress is to ensure that we never forget those who lost their lives in Tiananmen Square that day or the prodemocracy cause for which they fought. While the list of ongoing human rights violations in China is long. today I would like to focus on the Chinese Government control of the Internet. Despite its enormous power and wealth. Chinas ruling elite remains absolutely petrified that the free flow of information will undermine its political legitimacy. particularly among Chinas younger generation. The rulers in Beijing reason that if an average Chinese person can find out the truth about the Tiananmen massacre or the repression of the Falun Gong with a few key strokes on the computer. it is only a matter of time before the Chinese public will demand fundamental change in China. So rather than face the. bitter truth. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5270}
{"speech_id":1090144281,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"China has placed severe restrictions on the Internet and enlisted Americas hightech companies as their Internet police. In Americas open and democratic system. based on our constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression. these hightech firms have thrived and their founders have amassed enormous wealth. running into the billions. great influence and prestige. But insteadof using their power and creativity to bring greater oenness and democracy to China. they have yielded to Beijings outrageous demands simply for the sake of profits. Google. Microsoft and Yahoo should be developing new technologies to bypass government sensors and barriers to the Internet. but instead. they agreed to guard the gates themselves. Let me start with Yahoo. As we meet today. a Chinese citizen who had the Juhe 12. 2006 courage to speak his mind on the Internet is in prison because Yahoo chose to share his name and address with the Chinese Government. It is bad enough that Beijing is so..petrified of dissent that it throws dissidents behind bars for years on end and blacklists their families. but it is simply beyond comprehension. Madam Speaker. that an American company would play an active role in the Chinese suppression apparatus. Yahoo insists that it has no choice but to follow national laws and cites its adherence to modern German laws that prohibit neoNazi propaganda. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5270}
{"speech_id":1090144281,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This argument literally sickens me. Germany is a mature democracy. and its freely elected leaders have determined that they wish to prohibit the most severe forms of hatemongering. China has a rubberstamp parliament. and the Chinese Government places severe. farreaching restrictions on freedom of speech and religious liberty. For an American firm such as Yahoo to comply willingly with laws that send someone to jail for simply expressing his views is unconscionable. E 1445 Google and Microsoft similarly argue that they must comply with Chinese laws that prohibit online discussions and searching of certain \"sensitive\" subjects. So they have elected to become surrogate government censors. removing content and blocking information that offends the political sensitivities of the ruling elite in Beijing. They apparently have no moral problems With censoring the Tibetans and Falun Gong. both persecuted minorities in China. Do these companies have any standards at all? If Iran demands that Google block all information related to Jews except antiSemitic propaganda. will it comply? What about a Sudanese request to censor information on the ongoing genocide in Darfur? Madam Speaker. several pieces of legislation have been introduced to stop American complicity with Chinas crackdown on the Internet. We must move forward with these bills expeditiously not only because it is good policy but because it would honor the memory of those who died in Tiananmen Square 17 years ago today. Madam Speaker. and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5270}
{"speech_id":1090144299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"are intervening. But this Congress has to do more. and this administrations silence is becoming deafening on this issue. The. condition in China with regard to the Catholic Church. the Protestant Church. the Uighurs. the Buddhists is worse today after President Hu left than before President Hu came. I want to thank the gentlemen for cosponsoring this. We ought to have a roll call vote. Frankly. everybody ought to vote on this issue because this would send a message to the Chinese Communist Government that this Congress will become again like the Congress was during the 1980s during the Reagan administration and will not stand for it.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":641}
{"speech_id":1090144362,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. Cousin Willie is not just a bill here on the floor of the House to me. He was a fixture in the community. He was a familiar face. As a matter of fact. he was seen on so many grocery store shelves. he was a familiar face to a whole lot of people. Madam Speaker. I think it is quite an accomplishment to take a little town in southern Indiana and turn it into one of the fourth largest producers in the world. So it is a great honor to me to be able to rename the post office. It will serve as a constant reminder of his contributions to people there in southern Indiana and his own community of Ramsey. I urge my colleagues to support H.R.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SODREL","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090144445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am going to be very brief here and suggest that .the chairman has already specified some of the details of the defense part of this bill. Mr. Speaker. I want to say that it is long past time for the Congress to have completed action -on this legislation. The global war on terror is going on every day. It is costing considerable money every day. I want to remind the Members that the House passed our version of this supplemental emergency supplemental on March 16. 3 months ago. It is high time that we got to conference with the other body and concluded this work. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3827}
{"speech_id":1090144445,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The defense part of this package is basically what the House adopted 12 weeks ago. So I think it is a good product. and I hope that the Members will find it acceptable and get us V nice. substantial vote. Mr. Speaker. the conference agreement on the programs under the jurisdiction of the Defense Subcommittee for the global war on terror totals $65.792 billion. which is $1.765 billion below the Housepassed level and $103.9 million above the Presidents request. The conference agreement provides $708 million for the National Guards border security support to the Department of Homeland Security. As the House is aware. the President amended his original supplemental budget submission in order to fund border security activities. This resulted in a cut of almost $1.9 billion in Defense spending for the global war on terror. I sincerely regret that decision. However. the conferees were left with little choice but to reduce the Housepassed level in order to accommodate the Presidents request. Despite this reduction. we have still been able to meet the urgent needs of our Armed Forces. including: $805 million to ensure that Army tracked combat vehicles such as Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles will be upgraded for the units that will be rotating into Iraq in the next year. including $230 million for the Abrams Tank Integrated Management. or AIM program. to support fielding of National Guard brigade combat teams. $230 million for 3 V22 aircraft and $126.6 million for 2 KC130J tanker aircraft. both for the Marine Corps. $2.577 billion in additional equipment for the Marine Corps. based on an assessment of their most pressing shortfalls. $227.5 million in advance procurement for seven C17 aircraft. a down payment on maintaining production of this aircraft in fiscal year 2008. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3827}
{"speech_id":1090144445,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A total of $37.9 billion in operation and maintenance funding for all the services. in order to maintain war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. and Almost $2 billion to procure and develop equipment to counter Improvised Explosive Devices. or IEDs. Let me also indicate for the record that the statement of the managers incorrectly identifies the .dollar l vel for the Tactical Unmanned Aerial System program under the account. Other Procurement. Army. The correct amount is $150.200.000. not $50.200.000 as specified in the statement of the managers. Regarding the provision in the Senate bill on Gulf shipyards. weve dropped all the Senate language that would have abrogated existing shipbuilding contracts and that would have required the Federal Government to pay business interruption costs that should properly be covered by private insurance companies. Instead weve provided funding to improve the infrastructure of all Gulf Coast shipyards that have Navy contracts and were affected by Hurricane Katrina. This will assist those yards in recovering from the effects of the Hurricane. and lead to efficiencies in shipbuilding that will help the companies. the shipyard workers. the Navy. and ultimately the taxpayer. Mr. Speaker. it is far past time the Congress completed. action on this legislation. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3827}
{"speech_id":1090144445,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The services need funding immediately. and I urge adoption of the conference report in the House and swift action in the other body.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3827}
{"speech_id":1090144449,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I strongly support this measure. not only because it provides important support for our troops overseas. but dramatically accelerates the security of our border here in America. As importantly. because of the leadership of Chairmah LEWIS. because of the leadership here in the House. this bill also includes critical help for people and families and communities in east and southeast Texas devastated by Hurricane Rita. This -measure provides much needed help to fund the Katrina students who are in our schools. provides much needed help to reimburse our local governments at the same rate as Louisiana. which will save our taxpayers and our smaller counties tens of millions of very important dollars. Finally. it provides help to rebuild the homes and roofs and .communities in south and east Texas devastated by Rita. Most people dont know. we had almost 75.000 homes damaged or destroyed. Many of them have temporary roofs today. Ten percent of our evacuees have not yet returned due to Hurricane Rita. Thanks to the leadership of Chairman LEWIS. and subcommittee chairs.","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090144454,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. Mass death on the installment plan. that is what this supplemental vote to keep our troops in Iraq is all about. Today. Iraqi civilian casualties number well over 100.000. Iraqi civilian injuries could be over 1 million. but who is keeping track? Some act as though the Iraqis are not real people with real families. real hopes and real dreams and loves of their own. We have lost nearly 2.500 of our own brave soldiers. Up to. 48.000 troops have suffered physical or emotional injuries. which could scar them and their loved ones for life. Nobel Prizewinning economist Joseph Steglitz says the war could cost $2 trillion. $2 trillion for war while the American people are told we do not have enough money for.job creation. education. health care. and Social Security. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090144454,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration went into Iraq without an exit strategy. not because they are incompetent. but because they have no intention of leaving. We are spending hundreds of millions building permanent bases in Iraq. The administration recently announced deployment of no less than 50.000 troops far into the future. We are looking at a permanent occupation of Iraq. And so a long cadence of lies has led to Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo and Haditha. soon to be replaced by more lies and more tragedies. What can you say when you are watching your Nation descend sleep walking into something like the lower circles of hell in Dantes Inferno? You can say stop it: enough blood is enough blood. You can say stop it: bring our troops home. You can say no to any more funds for this war and begin a period of truth and reconciliation about 9\/11 and Iraq. Begin the healing of the soul of America. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090144454,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Bible says: \"He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.\" Our House has been troubled by this war based on lies. What will our inheritance be?","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1843}
{"speech_id":1090144517,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Could I just comment on that to say the reason we have all this illegal immigration from south of our border is because NAFTA for the Mexican people totally disemboweled their rural countryside. It was planned. We have had over 2 million people who have lost their livelihoods. Peasant farmers. It is a sacrilege on this continent as far as what is going on. And the people have nowhere to go but to try to* come up here to get food. They run across deserts. They risk their own lives lives. And why? Because their farmsteads were taken away. from them. They have nowhere to go. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1095}
{"speech_id":1090144517,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I tried to get agricultural amendments for transition in Mexico passed when NAFTA was considered. They were disallowed on the floor of this Congress under the Fast Track procedure. and now we are reaping the wrath of that agreement. Those folks that are coming up here. illiterate. risking everything. for why? To feed their families. That is the reason for the illegal immigration. Unless we fix NAFTA. we are not going to fix the illegal immigration problem in this country. I dont care how many fences they build.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1095}
{"speech_id":1090144587,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was not in the Chamber 10 years ago when Senator Dole resigned his seat. I was. in fact. on the campaign trail in the midst of an election campaign that he had helped to recruit me to run. I remember watching those proceedings and seeing the bipartisan affectionin which Senator Dole was held. I later met him many times on the campaign trail as he pursued the Presidency and was impressed by his courage in the face of very discouraging poll numbers and the high probability that he would not win and how hard he fought for us and others who were running to fill seats in the U.S. Senate. ELIZABETH was at his side. and together they made a tremendous campaign and did honor to our country and to the Republican Party by the way in which they prosecuted a very difficult campaign cycle. It reflected honor upon our country. It is important that as we celebrate his resignation and his career that ended 10 years ago. we take occasion to reflect on his remarkable accomplish*ments. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090144587,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He served 27 years in this body. 11 of those as Senate Republican leader. Bob Doles remarkable record of accomplishment as a Senator is well known. It is not an exaggeration to say that his fingerprints could be found on nearly every major piece of legislation that passed Congress during the 1980s and the first half of lS90s. It was Bob Dole who reached across party lines to . work with Senator George McGovern to create the Food Stamp Program. It was Bob Dole who worked with Senators HARKIN and KENNEDY to bring about the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was Bob Dole who worked with the late Senator Pat Moynihan to save the Social Security Program. I rise today not just to pay tribute to Bob Doles legislative accomplishments. rather. I rise on this occasion to celebrate what he has done in the decade since he left this body. There can be no question that over those 10 years. Bob Dole has continued his lifelong commitment to serving his country. a commitment that began as a young soldier in the hills of Italy during the Second World War. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090144587,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. for rhany Americans. Bob Dole is the living symbol of what Tom Brokaw has termed \"Americas greatest generation.\" the generation of Americans who saved freedom during World War II. My generation is the beneficiary of Bob Doles generation. the world we inherited. a world in which America assumed world leadership. My generation has been greatly blessed by patriots such as Bob Dole. Perhaps Bob Doles greatest contribution to the past decade was his chairmanship of the National World War II Memorial. Quite simply. that beautiful memorial would not grace our National Mall now had it not been for the persistence and leadership of Bob Dole. Bob Dole also volunteered for service after the attacks on September 11. when he joined with former President Bill Clinton to serve as cochair of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. which assists the educational needs of families of those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center. the Pentagon. and United flight 93. During this time in this Chamber. no Senator spoke more loudly and more eloquently about atrocities occurring around the worldspecifically in Bosniathan did Bob Dole. who raised his voice loudly. He has continued his vigilance by serving as Chairman of the International Commission on Missing Persons. traveling to the Balkans to provide closure to families of those who were victims of the genocide that occurred under Slobodon Milosevic. In January of 2003. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090144587,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Bush appointed Bob Dole as honorary Cochair of the Presidents Council on Service and Civic Participation. He has worked to connect countless Americans with service opportunities in communities. schools. and workplaces. Bob Dole has also continued his commitment to ending the scourge of hunger. working with his former colleague. George McGovern. to advocate the expansion of school breakfast programs in the United States. They have also teamed to promote the expansion of the School Lunch Programs across the world through their Global School Feeding Initiative. Bob Dole has also devoted a great deal of his time and energy to the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. which is located at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. KS. The institute is one of Americas premier universitybased political science and international affairs research institutes. dedicated to reestablishing politics as an honorable profession and to promoting greater student. and civic involvement in the democratic process. Along with all of these activities. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090144587,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bob Dole is one of Americas most popular public speakers. inspiring audiences with his courage. his humor. his love of America. and always with that trademark wit. He has also authored three books since leaving the Senatetwo on political humor. and the most recent. \"One Soldiers Story.\" which tells the remarkable story of his recovery from the wounds he suffered during the Second World War. Mr. President. Bob Dole has often said that he takes inspiration in the State motto of his beloved Kansas. which is: \"To the stars through difficulties.\" There can be no doubt that Bob Dole reached those stars in serving his country as a soldier and as a public servant: He has proved time and again over the past decade that he continues to reach for the stars as a private citizen. I know all Senators join me in saluting Bob Dole and thanking him for the positive difference he has made over these past 10 years. Part of that difference was supporting his wife Elizabeth and her campaign to win a seat in the Senate. Together. they are a remarkable American couple and have made a remarkable difference for the betterment of our country and even the world. Mr. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5728}
{"speech_id":1090144614,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would just say to the Senator from Massachusetts. I want in charge of this agency someone who will stand up and say. We are going to make the mines safer for the families who send a loved one there every day. I went to that hearing. and all of what the Senator from Massachusetts just presented and the attitude this nominee presentedto me. this is not someone. despite his background. who is going to stand up and lead. I believe that we need to send this nominee back and we need to have somebody who we can proudly say is going to lead this agency at a most critical time.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":592}
{"speech_id":1090144789,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from Alaska for his comments. He is insightful. He is experienced. He understands the implications that would flow from the failure of the Senate to act promptly in approving this conference report. He is chairman of the Defense appropriations subcommittee. He has previously served as chairman of the full committee. He has had a wide range of experience in the military service himself during World War II. I think we should listen to him and we should act in accordance with his suggestions and recommendations. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":998}
{"speech_id":1090144789,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope the Senate will not prolong this debate unnecessarily. Everybody has a right to be heard. Everybody has a right to express their views. But the opportunity is now. Lets finish talking about this bill this evening and lets vote on it the first thing in the morning7whenever it is the pleasure of the leader for us to do so. I commend him and thank him for his strong leadership. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":998}
{"speech_id":1090144798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume consideration of the pending conference report on Wednesday immediately following morning business. I further ask consent that there be 25 minutes of debate controlled by the chairman and 75 minutes controlled by the ranking member. I further ask consent that following the use or yielding back of time. the conference report be set aside. and further that at 10 oclock a.m. on Thursday. June 15. the Senate proceed to a vote on the adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 4939. the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. with no further intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":646}
{"speech_id":1090144825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish today to honor in the RECORD of the Senate my friend. B. Jackson Bandy. a great Georgian. a great American. and a great citizen of Whitfield County. I honor Jack upon his induction into the Junior Achievement Northwest Georgia Business Hall of Fame. Junior Achievement was founded in Dalton. GA. in 1964 and sends volunteers from the community into local schools to teach students about business. economics. and personal finance. Each year the local district serves more than 8.900 students in 44 schools. including more than 30 schools in Whitfield and Murray Counties. The district has more than 300 volunteers. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090144825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nominees from this community for this award were selected based on business excellence. inspiring leadership. community involvement. and innovation. In addition. Jack was one of three founders in 1956 of the tufted carpet business Coronet Industries. which was eventually bought by Beaulieu. But Jack is more than just a businessman and great golfer. He is a family mana wonderful and devoted father and grandfather. He would do anything for his family and friends and has touched the lives of many who will never be able to meet or thank him. Jack worked for many years as a volunteer on the Hamilton Healthcare System Board of Trustees in Dalton and is now an honorary trustee. For all of his charitable giving and hard work. the hospital named the \"Bandy Parking Plaza\" in honor of Jack. He is the backbone of his Methodist Church and has worked on the board of the United Way. With his Junior Achievement honor. it is clear that Jack is devoted to educating young people at all levels. but he has also endowed the Bandy Chair in Preaching at Emory University. and the gym at Dalton State College is named for him. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090144825,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jack Bandy is a class act who is well loved in work and at home. He is interested in the lives and achievements in others and will be embarrassed that I am honoring him today. But I feel I would be remiss if I did not honor him for his achievements and sacrifices. He has given a great deal of his time and money to make Dalton. the State of Georgia. and our Nation a better place to live.*","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2144}
{"speech_id":1090144832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President..I rise today in recognition of a remarkable Missourian. The First Baptist Church of Arnold. MO. has announced the retirement of its longtime and much beloved pastor. R. Gerali Davidson. Dr. Davidson has served as a pastor for the last 50 years. the last thirty of which. he has dedicated to the First Baptist Church of Arnold. Dr. Gerald Davidson is a visionary leader and has been instrumental in furthering and directing the ministry of the church. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1575}
{"speech_id":1090144832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. the First. Baptist Church of Arnold is te third largest. church in the Missour:. Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Davidsons personal dedication to the gospel has never faltered. and his own personal example has set the standard for both his church members and Baptist leadership throughout the Nation. In fact. Dr. Davidsons vision and his good works have reached throughout the world. On numerous mission trips he has preached the gospel in Mexico. Haiti. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1575}
{"speech_id":1090144832,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jamaica. South Africa. Taiwan. Brazil. Indonesia. Rrussia. Romania. Belarus. Slovenia. Croatia. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1575}
{"speech_id":1090144832,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bolivia. India. Turkey. United Arab Emirates. and Kenya. However. Dr. Davidsons dedication starts at home. He has been married to his wife Verlena Stone Davidson for 51 years. She has been an equal partner in the ministry. serving side by side with her husband. The Davidsons have three children. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1575}
{"speech_id":1090144832,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Doug. Debbie. Darla. and are blessed with 10 grandchildren. Dr. Davidsons many accomplishments throughout his distinguished career are a result of hard work and dedication. The Arnold community joins me in appreciating Dr. Davidsons dedicated service.e","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1575}
{"speech_id":1090144833,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. todsy I rise to recognize my hometown of Murdo. SD. which is celebrating its centennial this year. Located in Jones County. the town of Murdo was establishe. in 1906 when a lot sale was held to distribute the land that originally belonged to cattle rancher Murdo Mackenzie. Today. Murdo is a thriving town that I am proud to call home. It is a welcoming community that reflects the values and principles we as Americans hold dear. It gives me great pleasure to rise with my fellow citizens of Murdo in celebrating our centennial and looking forward to a bright future.*","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":584}
{"speech_id":1090144859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday. June 13. 2006. at 10 a.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to hear testimony on \"A TuneUp On Corporate Tax Issues: Whats Going On Under The Hood?\"","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":275}
{"speech_id":1090144892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my esteemed colleague. JOE BACA. for taking the lead on this very important issue. and to the gentleman from Texas. CHARLIE GONZALEZ. for yielding to me. I also find it very disturbing that extremists are using the immigration debate to stir up racial division and hatred. Whether it is in the form of violent antiimmigrant video games. in hate speeches. in racial slurs. in graffiti. in our schools. or in political debate. it is wrong. I am here to ask you to ask our countrymen to say enough is enough. It is not a moral nor a decent way to treat or speak about our fellow human beings. Along with many of my colleagues. ","speaker_name":"GRACE NAPOLITANO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":38.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":747}
{"speech_id":1090144892,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I implore individuals. families. and communities all over the country to stand up against this hatred.","speaker_name":"GRACE NAPOLITANO","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":38.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":747}
{"speech_id":1090144894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to call the attention of the House to an anniversary that should not pass without reflection. My colleagues. 19 years ago. President Reagan stood.in a divided Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate and challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to \"tear down this wall.\" Today. as our brave men and women in the Armed Forces fight the global war on terror. we should remember the determination of President Reagan as he spoke those words in a divided city and the inspiration he brought to the people of Berlin and to the world. Asked how he felt about the wall. President Reagan called it. quote. an ugly scar on the face of Berlin. a city of culture and history which was celebrating its 750th anniversary when Reagan visited it. Today we recognize that the ideology of terror is an ugly scar on the face of Islam. and in our struggle against it we should bear in mind the lessons of the Cold War. a struggle that bears a deep resemblance and relevance to the global war on terror we wage today. Like the Cold War and the global war on terror. we face an ideology rather than a hostile state. Like communism. the creed of terror is expansionist. uncompromising. and poses a threat to freedom loving people everywhere. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090144894,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In waging war against such an ideology. victory cannot be found on a single battlefield. The Cold War stretched from Asia to Africa to the very heart of Europe. just as our struggle today reaches from the Philippines to the mountains of Afghanistan to. as we recently saw. our neighbor Canada. Terrorism will strike wherever freedom reigns. from London to Madrid. to a quiet field in Pennsylvania. The Cold War proved to be a generational conflict. spanning decades. and the global war on terror may prove an equally daunting task. But as in the Cold War. the fanaticism of our foes leaves no room for negotiation or compromise. The global war on terror is a fight we must win. The stakes are far too high to fail. At the time of his speech in Berlin. the Soviet news agency called President Reagans words openly provocative and warmongering. while some sources in the American news media were no kinder. When President Reagan called the Soviet Union an evil empire. many criticized him for his black and white point of view. These criticisms sound familiar today. but theverdict of history is in. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090144894,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Within a decade of President Reagans provocative speech. the Cold War ended with freedoms triumph. Today. each news report of- a bombing in which Iraqi women and children are slaughtered is a glimpse of a new evil empire of terror. reminding us that evil is alive in the world and must be opposed. the words of Edmund Burke ring true: \"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.\" I am proud to say that. as a Nation. we are meeting that challenge. not leaving evil unopposed. Last week we won a major victory with the death of the terrorist mastermind Abu Musab alZarqawi. Our Armed Forces and intelligence services deserve congratulations for their fine work. along with thefirst responders. border agents. and other heroes at home who stand ever vigilant hoping their services will never be called into need. My colleagues. in a generational struggle like the one we face. we should remember that we .are the strongest when we stand together. Fortunately. we do not stand alone. We stand with allies from across the world. including many who have come face to face with terror. As President Reagan addressed his remark- in Brandenburg to the people of Eastern Europe. let us remember that those living under oppression or fear of terrorism will be heartened by the determination we show in this fight. During his visit to Berlin 19 years ago. President Reagan was struck by the words of a young Berliner who had spray painted on the wall that divided the city: \"This wall will fall. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090144894,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Beliefs become reality.\" America has always been a beacon of hope. a living example of the transformative power of freedom. As the people of Berlin took up sledgehammers against the infamous wall and broke Communists grip on the city. Americans know that as freedom and democracies take root in the new Iraq. when we see inkstained fingers raised in defiance of tareats. the people of the Middle East and the worW1 will demolish terror with their ballots. and freedom will again triumph.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090144908,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"appeared at the bar of the House and took the oath of office. as follows: Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies. foreign and domestic. that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that you take this obligation freely. without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties 6f the office on which you are about to enter. so help you God.","speaker_name":"BRIAN BILBRAY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":50.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":482}
{"speech_id":1090144926,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Speaker. the American people want Congress to focus on their priorities. and that is exactly what the House Democrats are doing. We are fighting to expand opportunity to all Americans. not just a privileged few. At a time when the average college studelit graduates with more than $17.000 in debt. Democrats want to expand the opportunities available to them by cutting the interest rates on their college loans. not increasing them. like the Republicans are doing. At a time when wages remain stagnant for most Americans. Democrats continue to fight to raise the minimum wage because we want a fair and working wage. By increasing the minimum wage. we would not only expand opportunity for 7 million workers. but we would also increase wages for middleclass workers who have not seen a substantial pay raise in over 5 years. At a time when highpaying jobs are going overseas. ","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1042}
{"speech_id":1090144926,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrats have an innovation agenda for science. engineering. information technology. Mr. Speaker. it is time that this House really got to work. 0l 1215","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1042}
{"speech_id":1090144927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today the House will consider the School Safety Act authored by Congressman PORTER of Nevada. This bipartisan legislation will help make every classroom in America safer. Recently. Michigan officials found that while the schools check their own State criminal records before hiring a coach or a teacher. 2.500 felons were still hired by Michigans schools because they had outofstate arrest records. In 1998. President Clinton authorized States to share arrest records in compacts. and 25 States have done this but 25 have not. including Illinois. John Porters bill will link the criminal records for all 50 States. It will give school boards the tools they need to prevent a felon with an instate or outofstate arrest record from being put in charge of a classroom or team. CONGRESSIO&AL RECO 2- h OtSp . i~i 1 2006 .Arnercans have&a right ib sfe. gunfree classrooms. aidthis bill kill Help make that happen.\"","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090144937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this week several of my colleagues and I are circulating a chart listing 176 Katrina bills. out of which only a dozen have become law to date. As we sit here today. dozens of survivors are protesting -the injustices suffered at the hands of FEMA. Hurricane season is upon us again. and FEMA continues to deny housing assistance to tens of thousands of needy families. many of them now rendered homeless. New Orleans remains a toxic disaster zone that still looks much like it did the day after the hurricane. Despite the tens of billions of dollars spent on nobid. sweetheart contracts. much of it wasted. Will the 163 Katrina bills sitting in committee also go to waste? Or will Congress address the ongoing specific needs of the survivors by moving existing legislation and checking fraud and abuse by providing real oversight of appropriations? The choice is ours.","speaker_name":"CYNTHIA MCKINNEY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":880}
{"speech_id":1090144944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would simply note that the Transportation. Treasury. HUD bill passed the full Appropriations Committee by a voice vote on June 6. In other words. without opposition. without noted opposition. and the bill was filed on June 9. It has been available for everyone to see and review for days now. It was also on the schedule since last week. I have no further speakers on this side of the aisle. I would ask my good friend if he has any other speakers.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":463}
{"speech_id":1090145007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member for the time. I too rise to commemorate the 50th anniversary. the great vision of President and General Dwight David Eisenhower.. in terms of the national highway system. Fifty years. It is a long time. And now we need to look forward to the next half of the first century of the national highway system. and that is going to constitute quite a challenge. We. just after some lengthy struggle. finally reauthorized the highway program with SAFETEALU last summer. But what we see looming before us is a system that is starting to show its age. The cracked bridge problem in Oregon. failing bridges that were constructed actually with 1950s technology. just before we moved to prestressed concrete. the castinplace bridges. and other places around the country. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1845}
{"speech_id":1090145007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The system is showing its age. the wear and tear. it is showing in places that it is not up to the task of current traffic volumes. and we need to look to the future of this great artery of commerce and transportation and recreation transport for Americans. daily commutes to work. to long trips to faraway places within this wonderful country. And that is a challenge that the chairman of the committee has begun to address with hearings to look at what the future sources of funding will be to meet even greater demands than the initial construction of this system. So I rise today both to commemorate the 50th anniversary and the visionaries who gave us this great system. and to join with my colleagues here who I know will be part of the solution about how it is. going to be celebrated yet another 50 years from today as still an essential artery for commerce and transportation in the United States. because visionaries in this and some near subsequent Congresses recognized the need to continue to invest. reinvest and enhance the system.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1845}
{"speech_id":1090145020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker. marriage rates are down. divorce is up. unemployment is high. and there are many other social and economic factors which have led to a reduction in the leadership of families by two adults. There are more single family homes and more and more absence of fathers from the lives of children. I have observed these trends for a number of years and. therefore. rise in strong support of H. Res. 318. a bill supporting responsible fatherhood. promoting marriage and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children. especially on Fathers Day. As we express our support for respon-. sible fatherhood. we should not forget one key aspect of being a responsible father. regular financial contributions. Many lowincome. noncustodial parents are barely able to support themselves. let alone their children. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3565}
{"speech_id":1090145020,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. as many as onequarter of noncustodial fathers have incomes below the poverty line. Moreover. they generally experience multiple barriers to employment. including limited work experience. no high school diplomas. no college degrees. criminal histories. transportation restrictions and substance abuse. which really means that they have problems and need help with those problems. The multiple barriers to employment. coupled with child support enforcement rules that are illmatched to meet the needs of lowincome. noncustodial parents often present major disincentives to work or incentives to work in the informal or underground economy. making this population incredibly difficult to recruit and serve within existing fatherhood programs. Given the widely understood and acknowledged benefits of an actively involved father in the lives of children. we would see that more children have selfcontrol and are less likely to be found within the penal system. From research. we have observed that 63 percent of suicides. 71 percent of pregnant teens. and 90 percent of homeless runaway children are from homes without a father. Children who develop relationships with their fathers are more likely to develop healthy adult relationships and to feel secure regarding who they are. A fathers presence in a childs life is a powerful deterrent to delinquency. We should work together to remove barriers from employment that affect noncustodial parents and in mahy instances prevent them from assuming a supportive role in the lives of their children. and we have to find ways to facilitate their involvement. I have been pleased to work for the last several years with a noted attorney. Jeffrey Levin. who has written a book about fathers rights and responsibilities. and every -year before Fathers Day we convene a full day of activities. seminars. discussions. programs that are designed to help fathers find the way to come back into or reconnect with their children. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3565}
{"speech_id":1090145020,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also want to commend the Governor of the State of Illinois. a former Member of this body. Governor Rod Blagojevich. for establishing a fatherhood council for the State and appointing Attorney Levin to be the chairman of that. So we know that in addition to encouraging fathers to be involved that we need to do more than that. We need to facilitate involvement by promoting male involvement in Head Start and other early childhood sducation programs. by supporting Little League and other programs and encouraging fathers to be an integral part of those. So I commend the gentleman for introducing this legislation. express strong support for it. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3565}
{"speech_id":1090145024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"for his introduction of this legislation. and I believe that was probably one of his sons on the floor with him. and I can imagine how he feels. and that ought to be an example for other fathers throughout America and throughout the world to recognize the tremendous value of providing the kind of love. affection and involvement in the lives of children that they receive from responsible fathers. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN SULLIVAN","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":448}
{"speech_id":1090145049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. by direction of the Committee on- Rules. I call up House Resolution 865 and ask for its immediate consideration. I The Clerk read the resolution. as follows: H. REs. 865 Resolved. That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may. pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII. declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation. Treasury. and Housing and Urban Development. the Judiciary. District of Columbia. and independent agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30. 2007. and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2388}
{"speech_id":1090145049,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall -not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the fiveminute rule. Points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI are waived except as follows: beginning with \"to\" on age 5. line 23 through the comma on line 24. beginning with the colon on page 6. line 22 through \"year\" on line 26. beginning with \"for\" on page 13. line 1 through \"Code\" on line 6. beginning with the colon on page 13. line 17 through \"expended\" on line 25. and sections 120. 127. 129. 206. 530. 707. and 931. Where points of order are waived against part of a paragraph. points of order against language in another part of such paragraph may be made only against such other part and not against the entire paragraph. During consideration of the bill for amendment. the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIH. Amendments so printed shall be considered as read. When the committee rises and reports the bill back to the House with a recommendation that the bill do pass. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2388}
{"speech_id":1090145062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to ask my colleagues to oppose the previous question. I do not tfiink it is appropriate to let this bill go through without an upordown vote on whether or not Congress should have an increase in its own pay. The effect of this legislation is that is exactly what is going to happen. Here we are in a circumstance where we continue to swim in a lake of red ink. $8 trillion now. Our debt is above that now. We just voted on a $94 billion supplemental earlier today. I dont think it is appropriate to have this cost increase. this increase in salary for Members of Congress go through without an upordown vote. That is why I encourage my colleagues to oppose the previous question. because a \"no\" vote on the previous question will give Members the opportunity to vote up or down on the automatic costofliving pay raise for Members of Congress. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1171}
{"speech_id":1090145062,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the previous question is defeated. I will offer an amendment to this rule. My amendment will block the fiscal year 2007 costofliving pay raise for Members of Congress. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on the previous question so that we can have a debate and vote on this issue in the light of day.","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1171}
{"speech_id":1090145081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. at the outset I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan and his staff for the constructive relationship we continue to build. As Chairman KNOLLENBERG put this bill together. he and his staff considered concerns raised by the majority and the minority coming from subcommittee members. full committee aa:32_I members. and the general membership of the House. Where he could help. he resolved many of those concerns. and I. thank him for that. I also want to thank the excellent staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work on this legislation. On the majority side. Dena Baron. the majority clerk. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5390}
{"speech_id":1090145081,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cheryle Tucker. Jason Woolwine. Tom McLemore. Tammy Hughes. David Napolielo. Alice Hogans and Peter Lee. And on the minority side. Kate Hallahan and Bob Bonner. and from my staff Matt Washington and David Pugach: This is only the second time this complex bill has come to the House floor. and I appreciate the work and the long hours that each and every- one of those staff members have put in. I am grateful for the increase in the subcommittees outlay allocation adopted in the full Appropriations Committee. but I said in the subcommittee markup and full committee markup as well that the allocation to this subcommittee is inadequate to meet the needs. and that is still true. The allocation. even as revised. forced Chairman KNOLLENBERG and staff into a struggle to plug as many holes as they could as creatively as they could. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5390}
{"speech_id":1090145081,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In that process. several serious omissions and cuts proposed in the Presidents budget have been restored. notably CDBG funding. essential air services. additionally safety inspectors under FAA. and for construction of elderly -and disabled housing. and for funding the important Navy Yard Metro Station in our capital city. That was no small feat. I particularly want to commend Chairman KNOLLENBERG for his thoughtful approach to our capital citys budget which is part of this bill. While the District of Columbia makes up only a small portion of our combined bill. the value of the initiatives funded through this bill cannot be understated. and I thank Chairman KNOLLENBERG for his commitment to ensuring no new policy riders were placed on the District of Columbia. I sincerely hope that we can continue to work on striking a balance between the congressional responsibilities for the District of Columbia with the desire of Washingtonians to have a direct say with how the District is governed. Mr. Chairman. I will support this bill on final passage. but if this were a conference report I would have to oppose its passage. and I want to take a few minutes to examine what I believe drives this bill this year and in the future. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5390}
{"speech_id":1090145081,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am very concerned about the impact that meeting SAFETEALU guarantees is having on other agencies and accounts in the bill. I believe that the transportation guarantees placed on this subcommittee by the authorizers ties the hands of this committee from properly funding other donestic programs included in this bill that are just as important. As this bill was drafted. authorized guarantees had to be met or this bill is subject to a point of order. For example. in FHWA the Presidents budget met all of the SAFETEALU guarantees. However. in FAA and FTA. the Presidents budget was well below the authorized level. The Presidents request was $607 million below the authorized level in the facilities and equipment account and $950 million below in airport improvement. In FTA. the Capital Investment Grants Program was $100 million below the authorized level. These shortfalls come to a total of over $1.6 billion. The monies being added to the subcommittees allocation allowed the chairman to bring these items to the guaranteed level. I believe that the transportation guarantees are strangling other agencies in our bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5390}
{"speech_id":1090145081,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Without honoring the SAFETEA guarantees. the gentleman from Michigan could have increased funding for several key programs in this bill. For example. in HUD we could have used these funds for brownfields. HOPE VI and rural housing. which were all zeroed out. The additional funds could have been used to shore up the underfunded public housing -operating fund and the public housing capital fund. or to add to section 8 tenant and projectbased voucher programs which were cut below the Presidents request. The items that I have listed are only the tip of the iceberg. and the process I have described can only get worse as the years go by. Most of these shortfalls that I believe must be improved are within HUD. but also includes the lone transportation .item that does not have the protection of an authorization. namely. Amtrak. I had planned to offer an amendment to increase funding for these programs. but. unfortunately. the majority of this House has once again shown that tax cuts for the wealthiest few in our society are more important than housing programs for our most needy citizens. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOHN OLVER","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5390}
{"speech_id":1090145087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to engage the chairman in a colloquy. Mr. Chairman. it is my understanding that included in the Transportatibn. Treasury. Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007 is $227 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policys High Impact Drug Trafficking Areas Program. an increase of $2.27 million over last years enacted level. is that correct?","speaker_name":"JON PORTER","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":397}
{"speech_id":1090145103,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank Chairman KNOLLENBERG for your leadership. sir. Michigander. appreciate working with you. And to our ranking member. Mr. OLVER. thank you very much for working together. As I always say. when the chairman and ranking members work together. it certainly makes our subcommittee work better. I rise in support of our TTHUD bill. that is Transportation. Treasury. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3652}
{"speech_id":1090145103,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"HUD. IRS and several other agencies put together in an acronym we call TTHUD. the TTHUD bill. some $67 billion bill for transit agencies. for our roads and bridges. for our housing needs. and Treasury and the like. I think the bill is a good bill for what we had to work with. but it is far short of the needs that America has to fund its highway system. to fund its transit system. also for community development. I think housing in this bill takes a major hit. and it is so unfortunate. HOPE VI. which is a program for distressed housing in mainly urban America. has been zeroed out. I think that is unfortunate. And I know you cant fund a war at over $350 billion and think we can. at the same time. invest in America. That is why I think we must bring our troops home in the most practical time. and redeploy our troops around the theater area so that America is safe. and that we protect our interests at the same time. But working with the dollars that we have. the HUD part of this bill has been devastated. The brownfield area has been zeroed out. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3652}
{"speech_id":1090145103,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Together. the EPA. which has money in it for remediation of land that will be developed. there is a small amount of money there. It is only there for remediation. The HOPE VI monies are for building. the actual building of houses. and together with the Community Development Block Grant money will help distressed areas and mainly urban areas of our country be able to put people in affordable housing. to have people live in safe housing. to offer their children hope for the future because a house is the most basic thing they need. one of the most basic things. This bill does not do a good job with that. And I know as we go on. you will hear more amendments trying to put back brownfield money. trying to put back HOPE VI money. and I support that. I also want to bring up in this- bill the section 8 housing choice Voucher program. The way that the money is distributed in that program needs to be fixed. They take a snapshot of 3 months of the expenses. rather than a 12month snapshot of the expenses in those section 8 housing use. Thereby. States like mine. we lose millions of dollars that could be helpful in families needing housing. adequate. safe clean housing. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3652}
{"speech_id":1090145103,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I would hope that as we go on. we take a look at that. And as I asked the chairman last year to take a look at our States. not just our States. but our choice house voucher program where we are being penalized and losing money that we ought to have because of a flawed formula. This does not look at the 12month expenses. but only the 3month expenses. And I might add not the 3 months expenses that have the higher home heating costs. But overall. the TTHUD bill is one that can be supported. There will be amendments offered. Some of them are some that I will support. Housing development and providing assistance to urban America has to be strengthened. Ilook forwardto working with the chairman and our ranking member to make sure that we can build back some of these real programs that America needs. This administration has no urban program for development. for our schools. for our health centers. and I contend as we move forward in this process. we must pay attention to adequate. safe. clean housing. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3652}
{"speech_id":1090145103,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill falls far short.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3652}
{"speech_id":1090145109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.Chairman. I rise to engage in a colloquy with Chairman KNOLLENBERG on this particular issue. First of all. I want to thank the chairman and I want to thank the ranking member. Mr. OLVER. for their hard work on this particular bill. I also appreciate this opportunity to speak to Chairman KNOLLENBERG on this issue that is very important to my congressional district. My congressional district abuts the U.S.-Mexico border. which is very dependent on trade. Interstate Highway 35. the \"NAFTA Corridor.\" runs from Laredo in my district. throughout the San Antonio area. all the way up to San Marcos. all three areas which are large population centers. Zapata County. which is in my district. is sandwiched between Webb County and Starr County. both Border Commercial Zones. ","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2059}
{"speech_id":1090145109,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Zapata is not currently designated a Border Commercial Zone. and consequently it loses out on economic development opportunities since Mexican trucks cannot conduct business in Zapata County- The Zapata business community has been asking for this designation. This area of the country is economically challenged. and the opportunity to engage in trade with Mexico will make a big difference in local business community development. For example. the Zapata County master plan initiative includes an airport expansion project that includes a cargo facility and will offer shorter. direct flights into Zapata from Monterrey. Mexico. Freight companies in Mexico have expressed a desire to build warehouses and open a facility. In order to get a commercial zone. it takes an application process. but it is a long. burdensome process for a goal that is quite simple. I am asking for your help. Mr. Chairman. to expedite Zapata Countys application to be designated a Border Commercial Zone. Getting this locality on the fast track will be good for the local residents and businesses in this area for economic development. ","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2059}
{"speech_id":1090145109,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your support to help Zapata County apply for and expedite the process to become a Border Commercial Zone. and I thank you for the opportunity.","speaker_name":"HENRY CUELLAR","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2059}
{"speech_id":1090145122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. for the first time in 4 years. I will not offer an amendment to this bill to block the implementation of the May 2003 Office of Management and Budget Circular A76 regulations for contracting out work that is performed by Federal employees around the country. The difference this year. Mr. Chairman. is that Chairman KNOLLENBERG and Ranking Member OLVER agreed to my request to include satisfactory language in the bill that is before us. I want to thank them for addressing this issue this year. Both Federal Government employees and private contractors had serious legitimate concerns and complaints about the A76 competitive sourcing process. The amendment I offered in past years essentiauy required OMB to go back to the drawing board and develop a uniform competitive sourcing process that addresses everybodys concerns. Despite strong objections and veto threats from the White House. we had spirited debates in the three previous appropriations cycles on the Van Hollen amendment. and each year the. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4153}
{"speech_id":1090145122,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House approved the amendment with bipartisan majorities. We passed the Van Hollen amendment for the last 3 years because we recognized that the contracting out process was unfair. That was evidenced by the fact that we passed a number of bills to change the contracting out process on an ad hoc basis in numerous Federal agencies. including Defense. Homeland Security. Interior and Agriculture. But the result was a patchwork of inconsistent regulations. The Van Hollen amendment was intended to replace that patchwork of inconsistent regulations with a uniform set of rules fair to all. It did not get rid of the competitive sourcing rules. In essence. it required OMB to go back to the rules that were in place before May 2003 until it fashioned a new set of rules that make sense for everybody. In fiscal year 2005 the Senate approved language similar to the Van Hollen amendment. but even though both Houses approved similar language it did not survive a closeddoor TIHUD conference. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4153}
{"speech_id":1090145122,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year. in fiscal year 2006. the Senate approved language that was widely viewed as acceptable to the White House. however begrudgingly. and that language survived the conference and was signed into law. That language provided funding for A76 competitions that allowed Federal workers to present their own most efficient organization. MEO. bid in a competitive sourcing competition. and required private contractor bids to provide for a minimum cost differential. MCD. savings of at least 10 percent or $10 million over the MEO bid. While these publicprivate competition requirements did not address all of the concerns oj Federal employees pertaining to appeal rights. these requirements were considerable improvements in the competitive sourcing process. But now. Mr. Chairman. we are in a brand new fiscal year cycle and once again we need to address critical matters related to the contracting out process. We should hot have to do this every year in the appropriations process. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4153}
{"speech_id":1090145122,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. but we will repeat this debate year after year until Congress takes definitive action and authorizes competitive sourcing regulations that are fair to Federal employees and private contractors. This year is somewhat different. however. This year. Chairman KNOLLENBERG and Ranking Member OLVER have had the foresight to include competitive souring language in the base fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill that mirrors the MEO\/MCD language that was signed into law last year. Therefore. there is no need to offer the amendment I have offered in the past. In conclusion. Mr. Chairman. the TTHUD appropriations bill on the floor today includes forwardlooking language pertaining to A76 competitive sourcing that precludes the need to offer my amendment again this year. I look forward to working with the leadership of the Appropriations Committee and with the authorizers on the House Committee on Government Reform in the future to devise a permanent fix to the A76 process that is fair to Federal workers and private contractors and that provides American taxpayers with the efficient. costeffective and quality services they demand and deserve.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4153}
{"speech_id":1090145123,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to express my disappointment that the Depariments of Transportation. Treasury. and Housing and Urban Development. the Judiciary. District of Columbia. and Independent Agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007 does not fully fund the Help America Vote Act. HAVA. HAVA was passed in the wake of the 2000 election. and authorized almost $4 billion to improve the administration of elections in this country. The 2004 election was a strong indication that there is much work yet to be done in the area of election reform in this country. And yet here we are. fast approaching Federal elections which are to be the first ones that take place under virtually all of HAVAs requirements. and hundreds of millions of dollars in funds authorized under the bill remain unappropriated. Although the appropriations bill before us includes almost $17 million in funding for the Election Assistance Commission. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2829}
{"speech_id":1090145123,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"EAC. which is nearly $3 million more than was appropriated to the EAC for fiscal year 2006. it still provides no funding whatsoever to help States meet their voting system requirementsespe-\" cially the disability and language access requirementsunder title III of the act. HAVA authorized $3 billion in socalled \"requirements payments.\" and has to date appropriated only $2.328 billion. States across the Nation are struggling to meet HAVAs voting system requirements. and $672 million in authorized funds remain unappropriated. And not one dime of that amount has been requested in the Presidents fiscal year 2007 budget nor provided for in this appropriations measure. HAVA also authorized $100 million to promote access to the polls for disabled voters. of which only $44 million has been appropriated to date. and $40 million for protection and advocacy systems. of which just under $17 million has been appropriated to date. I understand that the Labor and Health and Human Services appropriations bill to be reportedout of committee today will include approximately $11 million in funding for the former accessibility grants. and approximately $5 million in additional funding for the latter protection and advocacy systems. However. these new appropriations still leave a total of approximately $63 million in authorized disability access payments unappropriated. There are certainly many important demands upon us. but I ask you. Mr. Chairman. what is more important in a democracy than the fairness and integrity of the electoral system. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2829}
{"speech_id":1090145123,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today to register my disappointment that the measure before us provides no funding to help States meet their title III requirements under HAVA. and to urge my colleagues to work with me when the Departments and Labor and Health and Humans Services appropriations bill comes to the floor next week to fully fund HAVAs disability access payments.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2829}
{"speech_id":1090145142,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment would increase funding for Amtrak by gutting and eliminating critical programs. including safety programs. resulting in reductions in force at several agencies. This bill was put together by making some very difficult decisions to balance a wide variety of critical needs from some very diverse programs. The amendment would undermine the difficult work done by the subcommittee by haphazardly making unrealistic and undisciplined cuts throughout the bill. It would cut the Office of the Secretary of Transportation by 25 percent. That is well below the fiscal year for 2006. This will result in reductions in force for OST and will impact mission critical operations. including security planning as well as coordination and response efforts. These areas proved critical during last years hurricanes. and we have now entered the hurricane season again. It would eliminate the critical rail safety research programs under the Federal Railroad Administration. This is a little confusing. because several years ago it is this research program that pinpointed the problem associated with Amtraks brakes on the Acela and found the solution and allowed Acela to get up and running again. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090145142,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The amendment would severely reduce funds for the Federal Maritime Commission and the Surface Transportation Board. resulting in RIFs for both of these agencies. and cutting the Federal Buildings Fund by $560 million will leave the fund without the resources it needs to build critical. secure crossings on our Southern border with Mexico. Mr. Chairman. it would not strengthen the Federal buildings against threatening terrorism attacks. Let me repeat this. Vote for this amendment and you are voting against building border crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border and against funding to secure the Federal buildings against terrorism. Let me go a little further and explain that these cuts would completely eliminate GSAs new construction of six border stations at the crossing at McAllen. Texas. at El Paso. Texas. Santa Teresa. New Mexico. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090145142,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Columbus. New Mexico. Calexico. California. and Nogales. Arizona. In addition. the amendment would eliminate the Food and Drug Administration Montgomery County. Maryland Project. as well as remove the delivery facility in Anacostia for mail sorting for the Federal Government. something that is sadly needed. and with the threat of anthrax and other deadly sub-. stances in government mail. Repairs and alterations to Federal buildings will be stopped or slowed. repairs and alterations that .are needed to secure government workers \"and the general public from possible terrorist attacks. Mr. Chairman. cutting border security and funds to protect Federal workers against terrorism is irresponsible. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090145142,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask my colleagues- to oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the. balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2847}
{"speech_id":1090145171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I rise in opposition to the amendment. not to speak against Amtrak. but really where these funds would come from. As the previous speaker under Mr. KNOLLENBERGS time. Mr. CULBERSON said it comes out of our border security infrastructure. Much of that is right in the heart of Arizona. The Nogales\/ Mariposa Port of Entry and the San Luis Port of Entry are located on the ArizonaMexico border. not in my district. but in the area and will enhance security while promoting economic development and improving the quality of life in the border region. The first project is the reconfiguration of the Nogales\/Mariposa Port of Entry. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3433}
{"speech_id":1090145171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the principal commercial crossing on the southern border during much of the year. It processes half of all the winter fruits and vegetables entering the United States. It was built in the 1970s. and it was never built to handle the volume of traffic it now receives. During the peak season. it is absolutely overwhelmed. Trucks line up for hours and miles and miles and miles into Mexico waiting to cross. In addition the post9\/l1 requirements of the Bioterrorism Act and other secutity measures have added to the congestion of the port. This is a project that would be cut under this amendment. The second project is the construction of the new port of entry at San Luis. and that is the highest priority on the southern border and Presidents requested $42 million. I urge that we defeat this amendment because of where the funds are being taken from. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3433}
{"speech_id":1090145171,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment because the funding it would remove from the bill would be terribly detrimental to our border security infrastructure. at precisely the time when we are finally tuming our attention towards fixing our border.and stopping illegal immigration. The Nogales\/Mariposa Port of Entry and San Luis Port of Entry are located on the ArizonaMexico border and will enhance security while promoting economic development and improving the quality of life in the border region and across the country. The first project is the reconfiguration of the Nogales\/Mariposa Port of Entry to expand the port and enhance border security. Mariposa is one of the principal commercial crossings on the southern border. it processes half of the winter fruits and vegetables entering the United States. Built in the 1970s. Mariposa was never intended to handle the volume of traffic it now receives. During the peak season. it is overwhelmed. as trucks line up for miles and wait many hours to cross. In addition. the new- post 9\/11 requirements under the Bioterrorism Act and other security measures have added to the congestion at the port. U.S. ","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3433}
{"speech_id":1090145171,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Customs and Border Protection therefore placed this project high on its list of priorities and the President requested $9 million for design funds in his budget. That funding is in this bill and would be cut by this amendment. The second project is the construction of a new Port of Entry at San Luis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has also listed this project as its highest priority on the southern border and the President requested $42 million for desigd funds in the Fiscal Year 2007 budget. Clearly. these vital projects must not be cut precisely when we are trying to fix our broken borders. In light of our heightened security needs. particularly at our southern border. I urge a \"no\" vote on this amendment.","speaker_name":"JAMES KOLBE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3433}
{"speech_id":1090145178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today to support the amendment offered by Representative LATOURETTE to fully fund Amtrak. In fiscal year 2006. the Bush administration attempted to only provide $360 million to maintain commuter and freight service operated by Amtrak. With a great deal of support from. many parts of America. Amtrak funding was restored to $1.3 billion. Once again we are considering a bill that underfunds Amtrak needs to maintain its current operations. Amtrak is funded at a mere 900 million to continue its operations and make capital improvements. This is 33 percent less than current funding levels for Amtrak. This is $698 million less than Amtrak requested to continue operations and invest in capital. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2895}
{"speech_id":1090145178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Oberstar\/LaTourette amendment increases funding for Amtrak to $1.114 billion. The Northeast Corridor relies heavily on Amtraks infrastructure and skilled workers. New Jersey Transit estimates that over 77 percent of its daily passengers would be affected ifNew Jersey Transit could no longer operate its trains over tracks owned by Amtrak. Many of my colleagues contend that the Northeast Corridor is the only area that depends on Amtrak. This is simply not true. According to a report recently published by the Government Accountability Office. across the country 18 different commuter agencies depend on the infrastructure and services that Amtrak provides. including commuter rail agencies in Dallas and Seattle. There are currently seven new agencies being planned across the country as well. If we do not continue to fund Amtrak at the levels they need to function. a shutdown is imminent. This would be detrimental to commuter rail agencies that depend on Amtrakowned tracks and infrastructure and skilled Amtrak employees. The GAO confirms the effect a shutdown of Amtrak would cause: \"Given the dependence of more commuter rail agencies on Amtrak for services and infrastructure. an abrupt Amtrak cessation would likely result in major disruption or shutdowns of commuter rail service throughout the country.\" We have a responsibility to promote mass transit and provide adequate funding for States and local transit authorities to move passengers effectively. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2895}
{"speech_id":1090145178,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rail transportation is essential for easing traffic congestion in our most densely populated areas. reducing wear and tear on roads. protecting our environment. and preserving open space across the country. On May 1. Amtrak celebrated 35 years of service to our Nation. We celebrated Amtrak for its ability to integrate small communities with large cities by providing economic expansion. increased mobility. and environmentally sound transit. That is why I support the amendment offered by Representative LATOURETTE that would increase Amtrak funding. Now is not the time for us to cut funding for mass transportation. I urge my colleagues to support Amtrak and vote for the Oberstar\/LaTourette amendment.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2895}
{"speech_id":1090145206,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to the gentlemans amendment. The account he seeks to increase is transit research. not fuel research. and I appreciate his sentiment. but we already gave more than the guarantees. and the guarantees are killing other programs. both transportation and everything else. Repeatedly I see already that the Treasury continues to get hit over and over. We provide a greater level of funding in 2007 to address two problems. We needed to fix a problem with SAFETEALU since the authorizing committee identified more projects and activities than were provided for under the guarantees. We covered that problem and found the money for the fix in order to keep the program going. We added these funds to cover some initiatives important to other Members. The gentleman proposes to add money for alternative fuels research. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1016}
{"speech_id":1090145206,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. most of that research is funded out of DOE and NHTSA. This account is for research into transit. as I repeated. and I urge a \"no\" vote on this amendment.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1016}
{"speech_id":1090145256,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I have a modest amendment to ensure HUD can continue to work the redevelopment of brownfield sites to local communities. I would like to commend Chairman KNOLLENBERG. I am on the Financial Services Committee and Transportation Committee. and he has worked very hard and responsibly to fund the Nations housing and transportation needs during this very. very tight budget year. I am pleased that the bill boosts highway spending. supports aviation. addresses Americas critical housing needs. supports national antidrug efforts. This amendment today basically keeps the BEDI program going. which redevelops brownfields through the HUD administration. The estimate is 450.000 vacant sites lay idle throughout this country. They are underused industrial sites as a result of environmental contamination caused by chemical compounds and other hazardous substances. The basic years budget transfers all the funding to EPA. ","speaker_name":"GARY MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":42.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2696}
{"speech_id":1090145256,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"EPA has a completely different objective than HUD does through the BEDI Program. BEDI grants are basically used for economic development. We passed out a bill I offered last year. H.R. 280. that is in the Senate today to restructure the BEDI Program. making a simpler program more usable to local communities. Currently. to get a BEDI grant you have to apply for a section 108 loan. then in repayment you have to guarantee your CDBG funds and pledge those to repay that loan. Some communities dont receive CDBG funds directly. so they could not apply for section 108. And the other communities who can. dont want to readily pledge those CDBG funds because many community organizations and efforts are undertaken with the utilization of these funds. These brownfield sites threaten our groundwater. They cost local communities jobs and revenues. It is estimated if we could clean these 450.000 brownfield sites up. it would generate an additional 550.000 jobs throughout this .country and $2.4 billion in new tax revenues for its cities and towns. ","speaker_name":"GARY MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":42.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2696}
{"speech_id":1090145256,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The communities I represent and communities throughout this country want this program. The problem they have had is it has been a complex program in the past. I thank Chairman KNOLLENBERG. Last year you accepted an amendment of mine which kept this program going. And the understanding I had was we need to do legislation to modify the program in order to make it more accessible to communities. We have done that. It passed out of this floor on unanimous consent. It is in the Senate currently. And we hope to have that addressed in the Senate and made into law so we can keep this viable program going. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON has been a true partner working with me on this. and I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.","speaker_name":"GARY MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":42.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2696}
{"speech_id":1090145257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by commending the gentleman from Michigan. Chairman KNOLLENBERG. and the ranking member. the gentleman from Massachusetts . for their good work on this bill in the midst of an extremely tight budget environment. Both gentlemen have had to make some very unpopular decisions. However. as I stated last year. eliminating the funding for brownfield redevelopment programs should be reconsidered. As a result. I rise today in strong support of the MillerJohnson amendment to H.R. 5576. Similar to last year. the gentleman from California and I offered this amendment today because we both feel that it is time for this body to get really serious about eliminating the Nations estimated 500.000 brownfields. The amendment increases the Department of Housing and Urban Development Brownfields Redevelopment Program account by $15 million. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2140}
{"speech_id":1090145257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In its present form. H.R. 5576 provides no funding for a program that has helped to transform communities. large and small. throughout the Country. The amendment calls for a corresponding offset through a reduction of $15 million within the Business Systems Modernization Account in the Treasury title. Currently. the Business Systems Modernization Account is $45 million above the administrations request. and $15.3 million above last years request. While I respect the committees view that HUD funding is no longer essential or appropriate due to the EPAs expanded authority and iftcreased appropriations. this is certainly a view that I do not share. First of all. I believe it is important to note that there are clear distinctions between EPAs Brownfields Program relative to HUDs. Although both are equally important. EPAs program.focuses primarily on cleanup. whereas the focus of HUDs program is on redevelopment .of brownfield sites once cleanup is complete. It is true that the authority of the EPA has been expanded. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2140}
{"speech_id":1090145257,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"However. the consistent and chronic underfunding of the Brownfields Program by the President and the Congress leave much to be desired in terms of corresponding appropriations. * In fact. appropriations for brownfields assessment and cleanup peaked.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2140}
{"speech_id":1090145270,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 5576 in the Committee of the Whole pursuant to House Resolution 865. notwithstanding clause 11 of rule XVIH. no further amendment to the bill may be offered except: pro forma amendments offered at any point in the reading by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees for the purpose of debate. an amendment by Ms. HARRIS or Mr. DAVIS of Alabama regarding funding for Public Housing Capital Fund. which shall be debatable for 20 minutes. an amendment by Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts regarding- funding limitation on tenantbased section 8 vouchers. which shall be debatable for 20 minutes. an amendment by Mr. YOUNG of Alaska regarding funding for certain highway projects in Illinois. an amendment by Mr. YOUNG of Alaska regarding funding for certain highway projects in Illinois. an amendment by Mr. YOUNG of Alaska regarding funding for certain highway projects in Illinois. an amendment by Mr. KUCINICH regarding certain IRS enforcement activities. an amendment by Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3012}
{"speech_id":1090145270,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"AL GREEN of Texas regarding funding for the HUDFHIP program. an amendment by Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California regarding funding for the HUD Community Development Fund. an amendment by Mr. THOMAS regarding section 209 of this bill. an amendment by Mr. NADLER regarding the funding level for tenantbased section 8 vouchers. an amendment by Mr. INSLEE regarding funding level for the Public Housing Capital Fund. an amendment by Mr. NADLER regarding the funding level for the HOPWA program. an amendment by Ms. JACKSONLEE of Texas to change the funding availability for the HOME downpayment assistance program. an amendment by Mr. JINDAL to make eligible certain individuals for HUD projectbased rental assistance. an amendment by Ms. HARRIS regarding funding levels forthe HUD Elderly and Disabled program. an amendment by Ms. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3012}
{"speech_id":1090145270,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"JACKSONLEE of Texas regarding eligibility for HUD elderly housing. an amendment by Ms. SLAUGHTER regarding the funding level for HUD leadbased paint activities. an amendment by Ms. MILLENDERMCDONALD regarding Election Assistance College Poll Work Program. an amendment by Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts regarding section 325 of this bill. an amendment by Ms. WATERS regarding funding for HUD section 108 loan guarantee program. an amendment by Mr. SHAYS regarding the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board. an amendment by Mr. SHAYS regarding the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board. an amendment by Ms. HOOLEY regarding funding for HIDTA program. an amendment by Mrs. MALONEY regarding the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board. an amendment by Mr. WYNN regarding funding level for OPM administrative expense. an amendment by Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3012}
{"speech_id":1090145270,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"BAIRD regarding funding limitation on transportation projects that fail to comply with section 1928 ofSAFETEALU. an amendment by Mr. BISHOP of New York regarding the 10th anniversary of TWA Flight 800. an amendment by Mr. CLEAVER regarding item No. 87 of section 1702 of","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3012}
{"speech_id":1090145271,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"regarding funding in the bill. Each such amendment may be offered only by the Member named in this request or a designee. or by the Member who caused it to be printed in the RECORD or a designee. shall be considered as read. shall not be subject to amendment except that the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Transportation. Treasury. and Housing and Urban Development. Judiciary. District of Columbia. and independent agencies each may offer one pro forma amendment for the purpose of debate. and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. Except as otherwise specified. each amendment shall be debatable for 10 minutes. equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. An amendment shall be considered to fit the description stated in this request if it addresses in whole or in part the object described.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":951}
{"speech_id":1090145326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr.. Chairman. I oppose this amendment and would point out that this is not an amendment that simply. cuts money out of the bureaucracy. It is not a bureaucratic cut. The cuts proposed by the amendment are irresponsible in todays atmosphere where immigration and terrorism threats to the government and U.S. citizens are real. Cutting the Federal buildings fund by $261 million would leave the fund without the resources it needs to build critical. secure crossings on our southern border with Mexico and strengthen the Federal buildings against the threat of terrorism. Let me repeat that. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090145326,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Vote for this amendment and you are voting against building border crossings on the U.S.Mexico border and against funding to secure Federal buildings against terrorism. The amendment wculd completely eliminate GSAs new construction of six border stations at the crossings in McAllen. Texas. El Paso. Texas. San Luis. New Mexico. Columbus. New Mexico. Calexico. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090145326,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Californ4.a. and Nogales. Arizona. In addition. the amendment would eliminate the Food and Drug Administrations Montgomery County. Maryland project. as well as the remote delivery facility in Anacostia for mail sorting for the Federal Government. something that is sadly needed with the threat of anthrax and other deadly substances in our government now. Funds would be cut that are needed to secure Federal buildings to protect workers and the general public from possible terrorist attacks. As much as higher funding for the capital fund would be nice. there are more pressing needs in this bill. This amendment is irresponsible. and I would urge its defeat. Mr. Chairman. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1717}
{"speech_id":1090145337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. this amendmentwould increase the appropriation for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program. or HOPWA. by $10 million. Frankly. this is a very modest amount. Earlier this year. more than 100 Members joined me and Representatives RoSLEHTINEN and CROWLEY in asking the Appropriations Committee for $424 million in HOPWA funding for fiscal year 2007. I am relieved that the President finally asked for a $14 million increase over last year in HOPWA funding. and I am very grateful to Chairman KNOLLENBERG and Ranking Member OLVER for meeting his request and funding the program at this level. But the sad truth is that this years HOPWA level barely keeps up with inflation. Three years ago in 2004. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3136}
{"speech_id":1090145337,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"HOPWA was funded at $295 million. That the program will see an increase in 2004 to 2007 of $5 million in 3 years is not enough even to meet inflation. Housing needs have grown faster than inflation. Adequately meeting the housing needs of all those living with HIV and AIDS would take over $2 billion. Nationwide. thousands of people are now on waiting lists for HOPWAfunded housing. and with 91 percent of HOPWA recipients having family incomes of less than $1.000 per month. program recipients simply cannot afford the shortfall. The costs associated with new AIDS treatments often force people to choose between essential medications to enable them to survive and the necessities such as housing. Without adequate HOPWA funding. AIDS patients will continue to flood our emergency rooms and our Medicaid rolls and will be forced to live on the streets. This HOPWA funding does not simply get people with HIV and AIDS off of the streets. Recent studies have shown that housing in many cases equates directly to HIV prevention because people with housing are much more likely to know their HIV status and. therefore. less likely to transmit the disease to others. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3136}
{"speech_id":1090145337,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Improvements in housing status also lead to lower rates of highrisk behavior. such as intravenous drug use. which can lead to the spread of the disease. HOPWA is an extremely fiscally sound program. It is locally controlled and provides maximur flexibility to States and. communities to design approaches that best respond to local housing needs. In fiscal year 2006 alone. HOPWA funds will support the delivery of services to roughly 71.500 households in all 50 States. I realize that. given the record deficits that we have. funding HOPWA at the $2 billion level it should have is not realistic. The financial constraints that we face put us in an unfortunate bind. There is much room for improvement. I. again. thank the chairman and ranking member for the increase that they proposed. but given the scarce resources of this bill. a $10 million increase beyond that. which means we will have an increase by $5 million in 3 years. is I think more than- warranted. and that is what this amendment is. I am grateful for HOPWAs increase this year. but I urge a further increase of $10 million. so it is a net increase of $5 million in 3 years. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3136}
{"speech_id":1090145430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the ranking member of the subcommittee for yielding. I was hoping to be able to offer an amendment. but we ran into a CBO scoring problem and I was told that therefore it would not be supported. I deeply regret this. There is in this bill a. very good set of provisions in general. expanding the ability of the FHA to be responsive. It came from work we did in the authorizing committee. Frankly. I was surprised to see it plucked in part from the authorizing version and stuck into this bill. It is authorizing language. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4897}
{"speech_id":1090145430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On the whole it is a good thing. The Appropriations Committee took from the authorizing committee much of what we did. but they did not take everything. Now. they are entitled. obviously. to pick and choose. but there is one grave omission here. One of the things this bill will do will be to give the FHA the authority the ability to extend loans to people who might be of lower credit risk. That is. it will try to help get to people who might not have been able to get loans by stricter standards. That is a good thing. And it says that those people will have to pay a higher upfront fee.- It could be as much as double. from 1.5 percent to. 3 percent of the loan. and they will also be forced to pay a higher fee going forward. With people who are just starting out. I will accept the need to do that. What my amendment would have accomplished. and it was something we were ready to do in the authorizing process and we lost the ability to do that. it was to say that a low income borrower. a borrower with some credit \" risk. who was meeting his or her obligations after a period of 5 years would be eligible to get babk the extra money. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4897}
{"speech_id":1090145430,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In other words. without that provision the Federal Government is going to be something of a predatory lender. It will lend money to the lower income people with the higher credit risk and charge them more for that loan. Now. as a starting point that might be a reasonable idea. But once a borrower in that category. having borrowed the money. has demonstrated over 5 years a capacity and willingness to make the payments. why does the Federal Government continue to penalize that person? People have said. well. there might be some losses here. If there are losses. why should the responsible low income borrower be forced to bear all that cost? Why should that not be shared among all the borrowers? Why should the cost of paying for those loans that may default. a small percentage but there will still be some. why should that not go for everybody? So right now if you are getting the maximum FHA loan. it is irrelevant to you if these people default. We are making the poor pay for the poor. You are making in this a predatory lender of the Federal Government. Without the amendment that I was told would not be accepted. so I will not push it here. low income people who borrow money from the FHA will be charged more upfront. they will be charged more going forward. and no matter how well they meet their obligations. no matter how responsible they are. they will continue to pay more for the loan. The poor pay more under this bill. And what the CBO said as well. there is a certain element of subsidy here for the low income borrowers. and this would increase the subsidy. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4897}
{"speech_id":1090145430,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is right. for the low income borrowers. I do think it is worth to trying to reach out to the lower income people. and I understand this means that some will default. but I do not understand why one low income individual or 10 or 20 low income individuals who meet their obligation ought to be the ones who bear the burden for those who do not. Now. as I said. I understand. because CBO said it was going to score it negatively. I was not going to be able to get it adopted. But I hope. to the committee. that this will not be the end of it. Please. we are talking. Mr. Chairman. about ending predatory lending. Without the language I was talking about. we. the Federal Government. become an entity that charges you more if you are poor than if you are wealthy. that charges you more if you are in the low income bracket because you are asked to shoulder the burden of people in the same bracket who will default. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4897}
{"speech_id":1090145430,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is unworthy of us. It also. of course. retards the very purpose of the bill because you say you want to expand home ownership by reaching out to people and then you charge them more because they have to pay not only the price of their own home but they are going to be saddled with the pice of other people in their income level and their credit rating level who default. That is an inappropriate thing for the Federal Government to do. And while I accept the fact that I cannot get this accepted now. I hope we can talk about this. By the way. the overall bill Will raise money for the Federal1 Government. This would simply reduce it by a small amount. That is the least we can do for low income people.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4897}
{"speech_id":1090145443,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this amendment would add $750.000 to an account that has $1.5 raillion in it. Mrs. MALONEY and I both had legislation adding $1.5 million on top of the $1.5 million to the Civil Liberties Board. Mr. Chairman. it is my understanding that the chairman will accept this amendment at 750. and I advise","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":311}
{"speech_id":1090145478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to offer an amendment that would fund a study to increase health and wellness for the Federal workforce. our employees. Specifically. the amendment would fund a study by the Office of Personnel Management to develop recommendations to create incentives to boost the level of physical fitness and in return the productivity of Federal employees and their families. Increasing the level of Federal employees physical fitness would indeed boost the productivity of workers. reduce chronic illness. and decrease the Federal workforces health care costs. Let me talk for a minute about the nature of the problem. Today. approximately 127 million adults in the United States are overweight. I know a little about that. Sixty million are obese and nine million are severely obese. Obesity has been linked to an increase in chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease. type 2 diabetes. osteoporosis. high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090145478,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. the medical care costs. and this is what is important. the medical care cost of people with chronic diseases accounts for more than 75 percent of the Nations $1.4 trillion in medical costs. You know. on this floor. Mr. Chairman. we offer you the phrase. we need to run government like a business. I think that is a good idea. What you will find is businesses are increasingly turning to wellness programs to reduce rising health care costs and most believe that these programs will have a longterm impact according to a survey by the Deloitte Center For Health Solutions and the ERISA Industry Committee. For example. Lafarge North America. a Herndon. Virginia. building materials manufacturer with 650 employees reimburses its employees for half of their monthly gym fees up to $500 per year. Employees of Aetna can earn financial incentives of up to $345 a year for participating in weight management and fitness courses. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090145478,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Could .this business approach apply to the Federal workforce? I think so. This amendment would provide funding to study best ways to improve employee health and fitness. thereby improving productivity. Some of the issues under study would include lunchtime walking and running clubs. creating accessible biking trails or bike routes. providing periodic incentive programs. promoting physical activities. health risk appraisals for all employees. contract with health plans to offer free and reduced cost memberships to health clubs allowing flexible work schedules so employees can exercise. discounting health insurance premiums and\/or reduce copayments and deductibles in return for an employees participation in specified health promotion or disease prevention program. constructing gyms in the workplace. such as we have here at the House. sponsoring exercise classes. providing employees with a stipend. full or partial. for gym membership. Mr. Chairman. let me conclude by saying this: this amendment is designed to call attention to the link between Federal employees fitness and greater productivity and ultimately taxpayer savings on health insurance costs. I would like to work with the chairman and the ranking member in the future to increase the level of physical fitness in the Federal workforce. I believe it is a win\/win for the taxpayer and Federal employees.. At this time. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090145478,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment in the hope of further discussion as we go forward.","speaker_name":"ALBERT WYNN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3464}
{"speech_id":1090145552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight to tell the House and the United States that leading edge research into the development of alternative fuels is happening as we speak in the Fifth District of Virginia at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville. Virginia. The institute is a mission of. Virginias land grant institution. Virginia Tech. The institute anchors the technology economy of southside Virginia. and one of its research initiatives focus on sustainable and renewable resources. In particular. the scientists working in this field are directing their efforts toward generating alternative energy from renewable resources such as switchgrass and hybrid poplars. The scientists believe that these renewable resources can be used in biofuels. biodiesels and bioenergy. ","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090145552,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The research being conducted at the institute is not just laboratory work. it is applied research. In that light. the institute has formed a partnership with Wendy Acres Nursery in Gretna. Virginia. also in the Fifth District. At Wendy Acres. they are growing species of switchgrass and hybrid poplar which have a low ash content when processed. This characteristic makes these plants better suited for bioenergy and biofuels. These species are being bred and investigated for use in shortrotation woody plant species and herbaceous perennials as feedstocks by the Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources to determine the most efficient production of bioenergy and biofuels. Mr. Speaker. I have here a container of wood chips. I also have a container of switchgrass. ","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090145552,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What the scientists have come up with is this biofuel. This is just steps away from being able to be utilized in vehicles all across this Nation. I look forward to the day when we have no dependence on Venezuela and Mr. Chavez for our oil needs. I look forward to the day when we have no dependence on the Middle East and sheiks there for our oil needs. I look forward to the day when we are free of foreign fossil fuel. And I hope all across America we can do as they are doing in Danville and other places. making our own fuel and giving us energy independence.","speaker_name":"VIRGIL GOODE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2128}
{"speech_id":1090145564,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the red ink continues to pile up. both in our budget deficit and in Americas trade deficit. The Commerce Department reported on Friday that the trade deficit is rising again. pushed up by oil prices and a flood of more imports from China. With oil imports over $70 a barrel. we know this trade deficit is going to swell as the year proceeds. The Commerce Department reported that the gap between what the United States sells abroad and what it imports rose to $63.4 billion in April. 2.5 percent higher than the March imbalance of $61.9 billion. We know that the trade deficit in both February and March just fell a tad. but it had hit an alltime high this January of $66.2 billion. And while economists noted that the April deficit was smaller than the $65 billion that had been expected. it is still the sixth largest trade deficit on record. This is a chart that takes a look at what has been happening ever since this Congress unfortunately passed NAFTA back in the early 1990s. followed by permanent normal trade relations with China. and what could be normal about that? Every single year the red ink gets deeper. Through the first 4 months of this year. the trade deficit is running 1.9 percent above the same period a year ago putting our country on track to run up a record deficit again for a fifth straight year. Last years deficit. as this chart indicates. was threequarters \"of $1 trillion. threequarters of $1 trillion. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4699}
{"speech_id":1090145564,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To cover this red ink. we have to borrow. We have to import capital to offset what we are not exporting in goods. America is in uncharted waters. We have never. ever experienced this situation before. Some people have commented that our- country is handing over $2 billion a day to foreigners to cover this trade gap. The increase in the April trade deficit reflected a .7 percent rise in imports which climbed to $179.1 billion. the second highest level on record. In other words. the trend is in the wrong direction. \u0095 In addition to higher oil bills. imports of autos and auto parts were up and shipments of consumer goods from China such as furniture. televisions. video recorders and toys all rose. More imports coming in. fewer imports going out. Major U.S. companies like LaZBoy are having trouble in the market. because products are coming in from China where workers make pennies a day. We have lost our entire television industry. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4699}
{"speech_id":1090145564,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not a single television is made in this country any more. Companies in the automotive parts industry like Delphi are trying to Struggle to hang on. We are living through the hollowing out of our country. We are propping up this loss of real wealth and production capacity with borrowed capital. We are in uncharted waters. America has never been here before. The markets are reflecting it. Today. in the New York Times. major headline: Broad economic worries drive global selloff. What is happening is there are huge drops in the market. Standard & Poor 500 stock index fell 1.3 percent. erasing all of its gains for this year and closing at its lowest level since November. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4699}
{"speech_id":1090145564,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The NASDAQ fell more than 2 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell almost 1 percent. Damage was far worse in markets around the world. American manufacturers claim. well. you know. the problem is just with China that their currency is undervalued by as much as 40 percent. But I can remember when they said that to me about Japan 16 years ago. MARCY. when the yendollar relationship comes into balance. we will have a trade surplus with Japan. No. no. No trade surplus with Japan because they still have a closed market. and we act like .they dont. So we take their products. but. they dont take our products. So Japan has now become our largest financer. and every day we pay them interest on their greater and greater loans to us. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4699}
{"speech_id":1090145564,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. America cannot continue on this course. In fact. analysts are saying the deficit will set an even higher record this year. probably close to $1 trillion. if we keep going at the rate that we are going today. The deficit with Japan rose by2.8 percent in April to $7.8 billion. The deficit with Canada rose 16.3 percent to $6.1 billion in April. while our imbalances with Mexico. with Korea. well. gosh. with about every other country in the whole wbrld. just kept going up. The sad thing for our country is it looks like this year will be the first year in our history we will import more agricultural goods than we export. This is not the America we should be leaving to our children and grandchildren. Lets elect people to this Congress and to this Presidency who will put Americas financial house in order and make us independent again. [From the New York Times. June 13. 2006]","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4699}
{"speech_id":1090145592,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for joining us tonight. and I appreciate your perspective and your commitment to our servicemen and -women and for the sober reflection that you gave on the situation that we find ourselves in today and the importance. the real importance of this war. And it is a real war. It is a real war. and you know- and understand that as wellas anybody. I also appreciate your reminding folks again that on Thursday we will be spending time on this floor discussing the war on terror and the importance of it and why America has found itself in this situation. why it is important that we respond in the way that we have. When I am at home. I hear people talk about the war in Iraq. And whenever I discuss this with some of my constituents. I oftentimes will say it is important for us to remember that this war in Iraq is really just the battle in Iraq in the larger war on terror. And the gentleman from Georgia just described it extremely well. that the policy of containment that we had used in the past. prior to- 9\/11. was a dismal failure. And so this is truly a war. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5623}
{"speech_id":1090145592,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a real war. It is a real war in which we must engage. and it wasnt of our choosing. It wasnt of our choosing. Mr. Speaker. I want to spend the final few moments that I have to talk about an issue that is related to the war on terror and the battle in Iraq that we have right now. because you hear so many people say. how are we going to know when it is over? How are we going to know what victory is? How will we know when we win? It is difficult. I understand that. It is difficult because this. again. is a war unlike any war we have ever had. Victory in Iraq will not come in the form of our enemy surrendering. because our enemy doesnt hold any territory. It is not like they can say. okay. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5623}
{"speech_id":1090145592,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I give up. I am not going to fight any more. And it wont be signaled by a single particular event. For folks who remember past wars and past ends to past wars. there will be no Battleship Missouri signing. There will be no Appomattox signing. The ultimate victory in the battle in Iraq will be in stages. And I think it is important to point out that these stages have been defined by members of the military and members of this administration and have been articulated by the administration as well as members of the United States House of Representatives leadership and others. And they have been defined in the short term. in the medium term and in the long term. I would like to run through those briefly because I think it is important for the American people to appreciate that yes. indeed. there are benchmarks that one can follow. and that we have made incredible progress. not just in the war on terror but in the battle in Iraq. In the short term. we have an Iraq that is fighting the terrorists and neutralizing the insurgency. meeting political milestones. which they have done to a remarkable degree. building democratic institutions and standing up robust security forces. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5623}
{"speech_id":1090145592,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We hear over and over that those security forces number around 250.000. which is truly remarkable. They are destroying terrorist networks and maintaining security and tackling key economic reforms to lay the foundation for a sound economy. So in the short term. those are the kinds of benchmarks that we should be looking at. Many of them have been accomplished. In the medium term. an Iraq that is in the lead defeating terrorists and insurgents and providing its own security with a constitutional. elected government in place. Mr. Speaker. that is a .mediumterm goal that has been described for a number of years and in fact has now been accomplished. providing an inspiring example to reformers in the region. and well on its way to achieving its own economic potential. And then in the longer term. Mr. Speaker. we will know that victory in Iraq has been obtained when an Iraq has defeated the terrorists and neutralized the insurgency. an Iraq that is peaceful and united and stable and democratic and secure where Iraqis have the institutions and resources that they need to govern themselves justly and to provide security for their own country. and an Iraq that is a partner. a partner in the global war on terror and the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. integrated into the international community and an engine for regional economic growth and proving the fruits of democratic governments to the region. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5623}
{"speech_id":1090145592,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. those are the kinds of benchmarks we ought to be looking at. There wont be a surrender. There wont be a signing. There wont be a waving of the white flag certainly by our enemy. We just hope Members in this body and across the Nation do not wave the white flag. This is an important battle. It is a part of the war on terror. It is imperative that we wage this with the vigor and enthusiasm and the spirit that we saw on the faces and heard in the voices of American soldiers as they greeted President Bush as he made his visit to Baghdad. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5623}
{"speech_id":1090145595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding and I want to commend his efforts as the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee for making sure. as other Democratic members have. that the men and women who serve this country get the equipment that they need to succeed. Many of us were stunned to see so many of our men and women put into harms way without having enough uploaded Humvees and Kevlar vests. I also want to acknowledge the gentleman for considering the casualties that we are taking. I believe the gentleman said a battalion per month. A battalion per month. What effect is this going to have on the longterm implications for national security and our military? One of the things a country has to do in a time of war is tell the truth about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the administration continues to think that the American people cannot handle the truth or do not want the truth. We experience setbacks. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090145595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have strategies that do not work. They continue to tell us we should stay the course and everything will be all right. We have no accountability on the part of the Congress. either the House or the Senate. to hold the administration accountable for what their policies are or arent. Members of the Armed Services Committee tonight. Democrats on that. committee that have served on the committee traveled. I think every Democrat has been to Iraq at least. twice. will follow me and tell you that the administration is simply not being candid. honest and truthful with the American people about the situation in Iraq. As Mr. SKELTON indicated. we went into Iraq without enough troops. General Shinseki told us we were going to need a few hundred thousand troops. What did they do at the Pentagon. they put him out to pasture as if he did not know what he was talking about. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090145595,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reality is that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating. Mr. SKELTON talked about the insurgency in Iraq. Ninety to 93 percent of the insurgents in Iraq are from within Iraq. There is an outside group of somewhere between 8 and 10 percent terrorists that have come over the border. It makes you wonder why the President said to every terrorist in the world. Bring it on. Bring it on. There are more attacks today in Iraq by the insurgency than ever. The situation is growing worse -because the insurgency is growing stronger. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090145595,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sectarian violence is becoming more common. and violent crime is on the rise. I am not just saying these things. the facts support these things. Despite the claim that the available combat power of the Iraqi security forces is increasing and the operational tempo has significantly stepped up. violent insurgent attacks have increased every month this year. That is a fact. Violent crime in Baghdad is at its highest level since August 2003. That is a fact. Insurgent attacks have increased every month this year. and that is a fact. But we keep hearing about how things are getting better. Insurgency is as large today as it has been at any point in Iraq. That is a fact. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090145595,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration has been stressing to us that reconstruction Is going well and that progress is being made. and certainly in some parts of the country that is true. But you cannot look at the totality of the circumstances and say that the administration is being honest or truthful with the American people. While we debate here tonight. residents of Baghdad receive 3.9 hours of electricity per day. Let me repeat that: 3.9 hours of electricity per day. So it is great that those satellite dishes are up. but people are unable to use them. Before the war. people in Baghdad could depend on 16 to 24 hours a day of electricity. and this past month. it is only 17 to 20 percent of the prewar output. It is really hard to focus on democratization when you live by candlelight and cannot store your food. Drinking water is not readily available either. Back in 2063. the Coalition Provisional Authority stated that the goal was to have 23 million of the 26 million Iraqis with access to potable water. 0l 2330 Do you know where we stand today in that goal? Just a little over 8 million Iraqis have safe access to drinking water. This is significantly lower than prewar levels and about a third of what the CPA was aiming at. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5695}
{"speech_id":1090145706,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Presiding Officer. Mr. President. first of all. I want to say I have a great friendship with. a liking of. and respect for. the chairman of our committee. the distinguished Senator from Mississippi. It is always a tough job when you are bringing an appropriations bill out on the floor. especially a supplemental. And I respect the effort that has gone into this. However. I must say that there are a lot of things that I find very. very problematic about this appropriations bill. Again. there are some critical provisions included in this bill. There is funding for our Nation to prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8261}
{"speech_id":1090145706,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Obviously. there is funding for our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. and we want to support them in every way. with the equipment they need to maximize their safety. There is also funding for the U.S. Institute of Peace democracybuilding activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. So there are things in here that are very necessary that we must provide. On the other hand. however. there are some very disturbing and I think sort of ominous precedentsetting things that are in this bill that could lead to some real problems down the road. I arn extremely disappointed this bill includes a deeming resolution for the bidget. First of all. it should not be in here. Now. I tried to explain a deeming resolution to one of my constituents. the other day. Try to explain it to someone. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8261}
{"speech_id":1090145706,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Try to explain it to someone who is not sort of in this bodya \"deeming\" resolution. You see. we pass a budget. but then the budget cannot get passed by the House. so. therefore. we then are going to pass a deeming resolution to deem something that we cannot pass as passed because we deem it passed. Now. just try explaining that to the average citizen of this country. They would think we have lost all our marbles in trying to do something like this. I am hopeful we will reach some point in the Senate and the House where this is absolutely forbidden in the future: putting something like a deeming resolution on an emergency supplemental. Now. we want to pass an emergency supplemental for the reasons I just mentioned. but then to have to swallow something which makes no sense whatsoever and which. quite frankly. is harmful and which the Senate rejected before flies in the face of what I think is legitimate legislative activity. So the Senate voted 2 months ago overwhelmingly in favor of an amendment that Senator SPECTER and I offeredbipartisanto add $7 billion to the Presidents budget. The Senate voted 73 to 27. That is a pretty overwhelming vote around here: 73 to 27. The aim was clear: to allow Congress to fund our education. health. human services. and labor bill. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8261}
{"speech_id":1090145706,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it was not an increase but just to fund it at the same level as in fiscal year 2005. 2 years ago. It was not radical. We were not asking for a lot. not asking for the keys to the Treasury. We said: Lets just spend the same amount of money we did 2 years ago. not even accounting for inflation. The Senate said: Lets stop cutting the programs that support working families. people with disabilities. and students who cannot afford college. Lets end the cuts to research on cancer and other diseases. Seventythree Senators agreed. They voted that way. Then the Senate reconfirmed its position in conference. When this deeming resolution was proposed. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8261}
{"speech_id":1090145706,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator BYRD offered an amendment that proposed the same thing as what we passedin the Senatethe SpecterHarkin amendment. Again. a majority of the Senate conferees voted to add the $7 billion. Two times the Senate demanded this additional funding for health. education. and labor programs. and human services. Now. where is the $7 billion? Where did it go? It just vanishedvanished. It is gone. The deeming resolutionagain. try explaining that to someone. to the average person. The deeming resolution that is in this bill is at exactly the same level as the Presidents budget. which we rejected in the Senate 2 months ago. So what happened? The conferees from the majority party went behind closed doors and stripped out the $7 billion. It is as if the 73to27 vote in the Senate never even happened. So what does this mean? What is the impact? Well. lets look at what happens. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8261}
{"speech_id":1090145720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is not my intention to use all of the time available to this side. I have had no requests for speaking time for any Senator on our side on the conference report. So the disagreement can be obviated very quickly with my assurance that I am going to speak for no more than 3 or 4 minutes. and then I was going to yield back all the time remaining under this conference report under my control. I advised the Senator from New Hampshire of that. That is why he made the request. because it was not going to infringe on anybodys time. considering the order under. which we are operating. I will proceed to conclude the debate on the conference report and let everybody work out their differences on who speaks next and for how long. I am pleased we were able to get a bipartisan agreement on this conference report. Senate conferees worked together. Republicans and Democrats. to identify the priorities. to have suggestions fully considered and fairly considered. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090145720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am proud of the work product of our Committee on Appropriations in the Senate. I am particularly grateful for the support of the distinguished Senator from West Virginia. who is the ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations. He cooperated in every respect in terms of scheduling hearings. working to make sure that our committee had all the facts we needed to proceed to making a decision on the Presidents request. Our staff members are the very best. We are very fortunate in the Senate to have the benefit of the services of Keith Kennedy. who is staff director of the Appropriations Committee. and his counterpart on the other side. Terry Sauvain. is equally dutiful arid dependable in his efforts on behalf of our committee. Chuck Keiffer managed much of the floor activity and was at the markup session that we had that ran way past midnight the night we were completing action on this conference report. He was very supportive of the efforts and the needs of our committee. Senator TED STEVENS. former chairman of the full committee. is chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He and his counterpart. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090145720,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DAN INOUYE. are two of the finest Senators who have ever served in the Senate. Their responsibility was to deal with the request relating to defense issues. This was mainly a Defense appropriations request the President submitted for the war on terror. But there were other provisions as well related to that conflict and our effort to defend our . security interests. There were State Department accounts involved. We had the benefit at the hearings of the Secretary of Defense. the Secretary of State. the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. all talking about the needs for funding of our activities to protect our countrys security. The chairman of the subcommittee that has responsibility for those accounts in the State Department and foreign operations is MITCH MCCONNELL. who is a distinguished Senator from Kentucky and our assistant leader. He turned in yeoman work. along with his counterpart on the other side. PAT LEAHY of Vermont. These are examples of how the committee came together. ","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090145720,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Republicans and Democrats. and made the decisions that had to be made. negotiated hard and diligently with the House to work out differences between our two bills and considered every request the administration made of the Congress for these appropriations. I want to single out two other subcommittee staff members. All of the clerks worked hard because almost every subcommittee had a role to play in shaping the final outcome. But on the Defense Subcommittee. Sid Ashworth. who is the clerk. Charlie Houy. who is the Democratic counterpart on that committee. are so dependable and so experienced and dedicated* to their jobs. it reflects great credit on the Senate for people such as those I have mentioned today who worked so hard on this conference report. I am delighted to be associated with them and honored to chair the committee. They make my job so much more easy than could possibly be imagined because of their skill and their professionalism and the hard work they turned in to achieve the result we did. not just to pass this bill but to serve the interests of our country. I am happy to recommend this conference report to the Senate. I yield back the remainder of the time available under the order.","speaker_name":"THAD COCHRAN","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4327}
{"speech_id":1090145778,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me thank Senators WARNER and LEVIN for their leadership on this legislation. This is a very difficult task. to put together the authorization for military expenditures and military operations. I want to especially say I just walked in while they were talking about naming an aircraft carrier after. former President Gerald Ford. That is a wonderful thing to have done. Gerald Ford gave great service to his country in the Congress. as Vice President. and as President of our country. I join them in acknowledging the significant achievements of President Ford and what he accomplished not only for himself but for this country as well. It is a great way to honor him. by naming an aircraft carrier for him.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":710}
{"speech_id":1090145806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I certainly respect the views of my colleague who once served on the Armed Services Committee. I regret that the Senator felt there were other areas where he could serve his country other than in- our committee. But we still consider him a member of the committee. The Senator is quite accurate that it is likely that this bill will be before this body into next week. I am hoping to conclude next week. Then. of course. there will be a period of time thereafter in which we. will have a deliberation between the two bodies in the conference. But I would like to have some additional time today for purposes of consultation. I assure the Senator. he has a right to move forward. as he has sought to do at this time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":934}
{"speech_id":1090145806,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I say to the Senator. if you can indulge the chairman -in trying to schedule such action as may take place on this amendment at some point today. a little later than now. I would be appreciative of that.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":934}
{"speech_id":1090145873,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me conclude by saying that this. amendment is not aimed at the White House. It is not aimed at some political objective. It is certainlk not aimed at the chairman and ranking member of this bill. This is aimed at trying to find common sense in the way we deal with these issues. especially in wartime. I mentioned this morning that common sense is sometimes described as genius in work clothes. Common sense could take us a long way if we just applied it in these circumstances. We understand what happens when a company gets a special dealby the way. you get a big old contract worth billions of dollars. you do not have to bid on it. and we will negotiate the terms later. I understand what happens then. That is like leaving the till open. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090145873,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The stories that come from it are unbelievable. On behalf of the American taxpayer. we ought to do something about it. Perhaps my colleague wishes to respond.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":920}
{"speech_id":1090145909,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my longtime colleague and friend. Senator LEVIN. for his remarks. I advise the Senate at this time we will proceed to the vote. I will momentarily make a tabling motion. an then upon conclusion of the vote. we will return to the McCain amendment. It would be my fervent hope that we can have a vote on that amendment prior to the time the leadership desires that floor activities be terminated.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":402}
{"speech_id":1090145929,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senate will soon vote on an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that would bring the total amount of funds appropriated for the war in Iraq to $318 billion. That is $318 for every minuteevery minutesince Jesus Christ was born. Think of it. That is a staggering amount of money. The total amount of funds appropriated for the war in Iraq is $318 billion. But that is not the whole story. According to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service. the monthly cost of the war in Iraq is going up. up. up. right into the stratosphere. . During the opening phases of the war. the cost of the war was estimated to be $4.4 billion per month. According to the new CRS estimates. - that pricetag will rise to an average of $8.1 billion for each month of the next year $8.1 billion. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4422}
{"speech_id":1090145929,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In other words. $8.10. or more. for every minute since Jesus Christ was born. How can this be? How is it that after 3 years of war the cost of operations in Iraq has gone up by 80 percent? Part of the problem is that funding for the war is being. hiddenyes. hidden. Where is it?-hidden from the normal budget authorization and appropriations process. Instead of the President providing Congress with an estimate of how much the wars in Irag and Afghanistanthere are two of themhow much the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost each year. the administration has chosen to hide those costs. Where? In emergency spending bills. Since the war in Iraq began in March 2003. the Congress has enacted eight emergency supplemental appropriations bills. None of these measures received the full scrutinythe full scrutinythat is so necessary for such massive expenditures. The President refuses to include the full cost of these wars in his regular budget request. Instead. the President sends to the Congress emergency requests with little or no detailed justification. Five times I have offered amendments in the Senate urging the President to budget for the cost of the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4422}
{"speech_id":1090145929,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Five times. And five times those amendments have been approved. most recently on April 24. 2006. by a unanimous votehear me. a unanimous voteof 94 to 0. However. the White House has shown no sign that it will take the fiscally responsible course of beginning to budget for the cost of the wars. There are two wars going on. One. I supported the war in Afghanistan. The other war in Iraq. I did not support our invasion of Iraq for constitutional reasons. I am pleased to work with my colleague. Senator MCCAIN. to build on my previous efforts to urge the administration to budget for the war. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4422}
{"speech_id":1090145929,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are there. We are in there. Our men and women are there. and we are going to support them. I didnt support the policies that sent them there. but I support them. the men and women. our men and women who are over there. The amendment before the Senate. of which I am a proud cosponsor. would create a requirement in law to force the administration to give a full years estimate of the cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. What is wrong with that? The amendment before the Senate. of which I am a proud cosponsor. would create a requirement in lawa requirement in lawto force the administration to give a full years estimate of the cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amendment also requires the administration to submit a detailed justification of the administrations budget request. As the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. I expect that this justification would include a breakdown of the funding request .by each appropriations account and detailed information about prior years war spending. The very last thing that Congress wants to see is a gargantuan request of scores of billions of dollars in the form of a slush fund or a nostringsattached transfer account. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4422}
{"speech_id":1090145929,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the peoples money. Do my colleagues know that? Think about it. Whose money is this that we are talking about? It is the peoples money. those people out there who are watching this Senate through those lenses. That is their money. the peoples money that we are talking about. and the American public has the right to demand accountability. With this amendment. the Senate is charging a fiscally responsible course which can generate a real debate on the cost of these wars. That is a debate that is long overduelong overdueand I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment. FLAG DAY","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4422}
{"speech_id":1090145954,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today as cochair of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Congressional Caucus. which has helped communities and tribes across the country commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Our goal is to provide resources that promote and enhance tourism opportunities that reflect unique local characteristics. interests. and history along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Over the last 3 years. America has commemorated this historic journey to the West. celebrating culture and life. This Saturday. we will again recognize the daring journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition that helped discover the West and her vast resources and viewscapes we enjoy today. The Summer of Peace Signature Event in Idaho is an opportunity for all of us to evaluate the long chain of cause and effect that links past.. present. and future. From the journal entries. we have learned the explorers were not only discoverers and describers of the unknown land. but also sightseers whose experiences depended on the good will and assistance of strangers. The Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the Nimiipuu. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2559}
{"speech_id":1090145954,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nez Perce. aboriginal homelands in September of 1805. and with this first chance encounter. they were met with caution. After crossing the daunting Rocky Mountains. the explorers were in dire need of food and shelter. They described the Nimiipuu as friendly. hospitable. and gracious hosts who assisted the expedition. Without the assistance of tribes such as the Nimiipuu. Lewis and Clark and their party would have likely become lost or died from starvation. The expedition itself heavily relied on those who inhabited the landtheir survival depended on American Indians willingness to share knowledge about the land. its resources. and practical routes across it. Today. the Nez Perce. Lemhi Shoshone. and other American tribes are working diligently to preserve the heritage and culture that was such a large part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. and that played such a significant role in the history of the West. The leadership of these tribes of yesterday and today has helped shape the identity of America and the West. The Nez Perce Tribe in particular has become very closely involved with the commemoration. and has been an integral part of planning and preparing for Idahos part of the celebration. including events like the Summer of Peace Signature Event. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2559}
{"speech_id":1090145954,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This event not only honors the contributions of the Nimiipuu then. it recognizes the tradition of peaceful and meaningful relationships that characterize the American West.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2559}
{"speech_id":1090145974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday. June.14. 2006. at 10 a.m. for a business meeting to consider pending committee business. Agenda Legislation 1. S. 2145. Chemical Facility AntiTerrorism Act of 2005. 2. S. 1554. a bill to establish an intergovernmental grant program to identify and develop homeland security information. equipment. capabilities. technologies. and services to further the homeland security of the United States and to address the homeland security needs of Federal. State. and local governments. 3. S. 1741. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3622}
{"speech_id":1090145974,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act. 4. S. 1838. Federal and District of Columbia Real Property Act of 2005. 5. S. 2068. a .bill to preserve existing judgeships on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. 6. S. 2146. a bill to extend relocation .expenses test programs for Federal employees. 7.. S. 2296. Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act. 8. H.R. 3508.. 2005 District of Columbia Omnibus Authorization Act. Post Office Naming Bills 1. S. 2228\/H.R. 4456. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3622}
{"speech_id":1090145974,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Postal Service located at 2404 Race Street in Jonesboro. Arkansas. as the \"Hattie W. Caraway Station.\" 2. S. 2376\/H.R. 3934. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 80 Killian Road in Massapequa. New York. as the \"Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Building.\" 3. S. 2722. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 170 East Main Street in Patchogue. New York. as the \"Lieutenant Michael P. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3622}
{"speech_id":1090145974,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Murphy Post Office Building. 4. H.R. 4108. a bill to designate the facility of the -U.S. Postal Service located at 3000 Homewood Avenue in Baltimore. Maryland. as the \"State Senator Verda Welcome and Dr. Henry Welcome Post Office Building.\" 5. H.R. 3440. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 100 Avenida RL Rodriguez in Bayamon. Puerto Rico. as the \"Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa Post Office Building.\" 6. H.R. 4786. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3622}
{"speech_id":1090145974,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Postal Service.located at 535 Wood Street in Bethlehem. Pennsylvania. as the \"H. Gordon Payrow Post Office Building.\" 7. H.R. 4561. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 8624 Ferguson Road in Dallas. Texas. as the \"Franciso Pancho Medrano Post Office Building.\" 8. H.R. 4688. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1 Boyden Street in Badin. North Carolina. as the \"Mayor John Thompson Tom Garrison Memorial Post Office.\" 9. H.R. 4995. a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3622}
{"speech_id":1090145982,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Commerce. Science. and Transportation Subcommittee on Technology. Innovation. and Competitiveness be authorized to meet on Wednesday. June 14. 2006. at 10 a.m. on Alternative Energy Technologies.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":263}
{"speech_id":1090146022,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a respected opinion poll. just released. shows that the image of the United States has been seriously damaged around the world as we attacked and occupied Iraq. The U.S. war against Iraq a: seen worldwide is a threat to world peace. The poet Robert Burns once wrote. \"Oh. would some power God give us to see ourselves as others see us.\" .Because the world is interconnected and interdependent. it would be helpful for us to see why the people of other nations. especially those who have been our friends. not only oppose our actions in Iraq but also question the socalled war on terror. We have lost so much for a war based on lies. Right after 9\/11. many asked. why do \"they\" hate us? That was the time to begin reaching out to unite the world in our common aspiration for safety and security. Not through war and occupation. but through truth and reconciliation. The human unity which we celebrate as a Nation under God should remind us that the God which watches over the United States watches over the entire world. We can bomb to pieces but we cannot bomb the world to peace. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1205}
{"speech_id":1090146022,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the time for us to try again to unite the world in our common aspiration for peace and for human unity.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1205}
{"speech_id":1090146071,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding. and I also want to compliment the chairman and the ranking member for crafting a very good bill. I rise in support of the amendment and to echo Mr. LIPINSKI. I think the money in this amendment would actually allow and provide for rail grants throughout the country. It will provide another needed funding stream for States and municipalities wishing to alleviate traffic and improve air quality through rail transportation. whether in Chicago or my hometown of Staten Island. We face some of the worst commute times in the Nation. And let me be fair: A primary reason for their transportation prdblems lies with the fact that .we have a Metropolitan Transportation Authority which has neglected our borough for decades. Our sole direct transit link to Manhattan remains the Staten Island Ferry and limited express bus routes. ","speaker_name":"VITO FOSSELLA","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1898}
{"speech_id":1090146071,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The island is also only served with one passenger rail line on its east shore. the State Island Railway. This amendment will make much needed funding available to enhance and expand rail projects like many being considered on Staten Island. We have been working to reactivate a passenger rail line along the islands north shore. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have projected 11.000 to 15.000 passengers would ride this line daily. This amendment will allow the State or the MTA to apply for money to. complete studies \"needed to get the project off the ground. building on money already in this bill for the same purpose.. Other potential projects this amendment could help advance are a light .rail along the islands west shore and improvements on the existing Staten Island Railway. While we would like to see the grant program funded at high er levels. this amendment would be an excellent start in expressing Congresss commitment to passenger rail. and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"VITO FOSSELLA","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1898}
{"speech_id":1090146074,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise. too. in support of this amendment that provides $30 million for the Capital Grants Railroad Relocation and Improvement program. Those of us who are in regions who have ports and who have the propensity to move goods. movement across our State and across the Nation. understand the importance of this particular amendment. I have the elevator corridor. It is 37 percent capacity. We need to expand that because of the freight and the goods movement that is coming in from the ships coming into our ports and across the country. We cannot do that without an infusibn of capital to help with the security of that cargo as well as the improvement in the quality of life in our communities. It has been said that when you have rail lines you can help then to increase the quality of life. reduce emissions in the air. provide the type of air quality that is sorely -needed. especially in areas like Los Angeles and Long Beach. So I understand why the gentleman has introduced this amendment. and I am part of the cadre of Members who are asking for this to be approved because it is an investment in rail infrastructure and for economic development reasons. ","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1423}
{"speech_id":1090146074,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also enhances the quality and safety of our communities. And so I thankthe chairman for his comments. however. I would suggest to him that this really moves rail more efficiently and more effectively. and I ask for this amendment to be approved.","speaker_name":"JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":37.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1423}
{"speech_id":1090146158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I appreciate my friend taking the amendment out of turn. I rise in opposition to the Flake amendment. The $50.000 that Mr. FLAKE is trying to strike would go to the Fairfax County Park Authority to renovate fields in Annandale. Virginia. Baileys Crossroads. Seven Corners. Culmore in the Mason District. is just inside the Capital Beltway in Northern Virginia. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3703}
{"speech_id":1090146158,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Like many areas. they are experiencing significant problems with gangs. They have a heavy immigrant population. and thousands of lowincome. lowcost apartments. I might add. open space is at a premium in these areas. One way we can make a positive impact on the gang problem is to give the kids something to do. and that is just what we are trying to accomplish with this particular earmark. The playing fields in question are used by youth athletic leagues that bring kids in. offering them any number of positive experiences as alternatives to joining gangs and keeping them out of trouble. This is a much more urbanized part of Fairfax County. It may be in the aggregate a wealthy county. but I cart tell you the people that this impacts are the lowest of the low in terms of their incomes. But we have apartments in this Seven Corners area where you have two or three families living in twobedroom apartments. This is a more urbanized part of the county. The county has over a million people. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3703}
{"speech_id":1090146158,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Open space is at a premium. Just a couple of years. ago. a soccer field where immigrants used to play soccer was displaced by an Eckerd Drug Store. depriving them of other fields. And gang activity in the Culmore area has thrived. Northern Virginia is rapidly expanding. With every passing year. there are fewer and fewer places for young people to engage in constructive outdoor activity. And the kids that this affects do not have cars. they cannot take mass transit. they cannot afford taxicabs. This is an area where they can get to and be able to find some alternative to joining a gang and joining into illegal activity. With every passing day. there seem to be more and more ways for them to get into trouble. Athletic activity is one of the best alternatives to gang activity. There is an old saying. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3703}
{"speech_id":1090146158,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"You can pay me now or you can pay me later.\" This investment. if it just saves one kid from a life of crime and a career in the prison system. will be well worth the dollars in this particular case. But in my district. our constituents frequently tell me there are pressing needs. can we help out over and above what they might be able to get in the political process? A lot of the people that this helps generally have been powerless at the ballot box. they have been unable to get it through the usual allocation of park authority funds. which tend to go out to wealthier areas. Under the HUD portion of this bill. that is where this earmark comes from. There are programs that are supposed to be used to fund revitalization programs. That is exactly what this is. in the Annandale. Baileys Crossroads area. This project is good use of these dollars. This project. I think. will help the young people in our district turn away from the influence of gangs and get them into more constructive activities. More importantly. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3703}
{"speech_id":1090146158,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is an investment in the future. So it is for these reasons in this particular case that I rise to oppose the Flake amendment. Mr. Chairman. I would just reiterate that putting one kid into a gang with the crimes that could be committed and a life in the prison system is worth a lot more than the $50.000 that we have asked for and earmark in this bill that will improve these fields and make them available to a wide array of young people. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3703}
{"speech_id":1090146189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Transportation. Community and System Preservation program is authorized to fund a wide variety of transportation projects that improve the efficiency of the transportation system in the U.S.. reduce the impact of transportation on the environment. and other purposes. The purpose of this project. and soon I will yield to Mr. WALSH. in question is to rehabilitate several roads in Monroe County. New York to bring them up to acceptable standards and improve safety. These are eligible activities for the program. as defined in law. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":678}
{"speech_id":1090146189,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York .","speaker_name":"JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":678}
{"speech_id":1090146200,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time.as I may consume. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the floor this afternoon about the needs of work in West Virginia in this particular appropriation. If there is any town in our Nation that is deserving of economic development dollars from this appropriation bill. it is Weirton. West Virginia. Weirton is a steel town. Growing up around a nearby steel mill started in 1909. the mill and the town grew quickly. and at its peak. the mill employed about 14.000 employees. However. downturns in the steel industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s reduced the number of employees to approximately 7.000. and today. as a result of our Nations trade policies that are very injurious to basic industry America and. in particular. our steel towns across the Nation. today the number of employees at Weirton Steel hovers around 1.250. down from that 14.000 number several years ago. The West Virginia congressional delegation. in cooperation with the Independent Steelworkers Union. we fight every day for policies that favor Weirtons hardworking steelworkers and their families. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2693}
{"speech_id":1090146200,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. despite our best efforts. Mr. Chairman. the loss of steel jobs has resulted in some of the highest unemployment rates in my State. Brook County and Hancock. County have unemployment rates approaching 7.6 and 8.6 percent. This grant combats those unemployment rates. As requested by the city of Weirton. these funds. coupled with other funds like CDBG dollars. generally would be used to develop a meaningful regional competitiveness plan. The language in the bill is that the funding is for planning and design. perhaps construction. perhaps renovation. we would hope. but specifically the city wants to use these dollars to evaluate regional economic and business trends and hone in on specific sectors that have the strongest growth potential within Hancock and Brook Jue14. 2006 County. They are looking for economic diversification as an alternative to the condition that they are experiencing. For example. as an industrial town. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2693}
{"speech_id":1090146200,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Weirton and the surrounding area have a number of brownfield properties. These properties sit idle. but if properly redeveloped and integrated into a sound economic development effort. strategically planned. they could be home to new businesses and could generate highpaying job opportunities for those unemployed constituents. Examples of those businesses might be a period in this area that would include clean coal technology industry. medical device manufacturing. but moving from brownfields to a thriving economic sector takes careful planning. which is what this funding provides. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2693}
{"speech_id":1090146233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair and the Members for their indulgence. and I apologize to the Member from New York. As I mentioned here. this is funding for the Strand Theater Arts Center. $250.000 for the conversion of the theater in Plattsburgh. New York. to a performing arts center. There are other earmarks in the bill of this type: $100.000 for the Village of Jamestown. Ohio. for building renovations to the Jamestown Opera House. $100.000 to the Metropolitan Theatre Foundation in Morgantown. West Virginia. for the construction. renovation. and. buildout of facilities. $100.000 to the Houston Zoo in Houston. Texas. for the construction of the Outdoor Life Science Learning Center. It goes on and on and on and on. Again. you have to say. where do we stop? Where do we say this is not the role of the Federal Government? Where do we say local government knows best. We say that we know better than Federal officials and bureaucrats over in the Department of Transportation or elsewhere where to spend money. then it stands to reason that those at the. local level know a lot better than we do about what to spend money on. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2052}
{"speech_id":1090146233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sometimes in these cases these are facilities that they have decided specifically not to fund. yet we are going to go ahead and fund them. That may or may not be the case in this case. But when we are saying we know best. we are going to decide Jdni\" 14. 2006where these monies are going. whether * or not it is leveraging local funds. we simply cant justify it fo the Federal taxpayer. We need to remind people again and again we have a deficit this year of somewhere between $300 billion and $500 billion. depending on how you count and what you count. We have a Federal debt approaching $8 trillion. and yet we are spending money to renovate theaters in small towns across the country. Where do we say we have done enough? This ought to be done at the local level or it shouldnt be done at all. But how can we justify using taxpayer money at the Federal level for projects like this? Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2052}
{"speech_id":1090146288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. as we are seeing. we have got a lot of business at hand here today and a number of amendments yet to come and the desire to try to move forward and finish our work here. But this is an important bill that really establishes the Federal priorities in transportation. really does that at a time when we are faced with great fiscal constraints and the need to move forward. So I would ask my colleagues. as they come forward to the floor. to really understand the constraints of time that we have and the constraints of floor action because. as we know. tomorrow we will be debating at length the involvements in Iraq and their impoftance to the Nation. something that the American people will ask us to provide great clarity for them. . So as we move forward. we have discussed a number of issues. including the issfes by my friend from Arizona.","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":903}
{"speech_id":1090146299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. because I think that repetition is important. I want to make certain that Members understand what is expected for the rest of the day. My understanding is that the White House event that was scheduled to take place with Members of Congress tonight has been postponed until tomorrow. That means that we had originally not expected that we would be able to finish this bill today. It now appears that we can if we get the cooperation of all of the Members who had intended to offer amendments. So I would simply urge Members. if they expect to be recognized. to offer their amendments under the unanimous consent agreement. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":957}
{"speech_id":1090146299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important that they get to the floor and actually offer them so that we can get out at a reasonable time tonight and complete action on this bill because tomorrow is expected to be reserved for the Iraqi debate. and I do not think we want to get in the way of that one.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":957}
{"speech_id":1090146382,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. This is Dubai Ports all over again. Vociferous people are aware of this change in policy. and they will not say what their position is on it. This will undermine national security. Any country with an open skies agreement will be able to buy and control a U.S. airline for all practical intents and purposes. including Indonesia. Imagine when we deploy our military on the civilian reserve air fleet flown by Indonesian pilots. Oh. there is a little terrorism problem in Indonesia. isnt there? That will be really good. I think they will feel really secure on those planes. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1138}
{"speech_id":1090146382,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is also in pursuit of lame free trade agreements. socalled \"open skies.\" yet another loser for America. The outsourcing of pilot jobs. flight attendant jobs. mechanics jobs. and other executive jobs. And I am not so concerned about the execs. But we are essentially ceding control of the United States of America in violation of statutory provisions if we do not stop the Bush administration. This must lbe adopted. Mr. MICA could not be more wrong. This will undermine security and air service in this country.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1138}
{"speech_id":1090146481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman very much for acknowledging the importance of this issue. and that it impacts many communities in addition to Houston and the district that I represent. With that in mind. I hope we will be able to march towards efforts both with the authorizers and the subcommittee to be able to work .on this. Mr. Chairman. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090146569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And corporate welfare. you cant help but put this together. $34 billion in profits for Big Oil. 2002. 2003. $59 billion in profits. Looks pretty good. I think that meeting was worth going to. 2004. $84 billion. This meeting is now something that will be placed in the annals of oil industry that this should happen prior to major profits coming on. Then. on 2005. $113 billion. This will continue to climb because the Republican majority doespt have the will nor the desire to fight on behalf of the American people as it relates to energy. and the White House has shown that it has the will and the desire to allow special interests to come into the White House. write policy. and then come to the Hill andfight for that policy so that the oil companies can see this. Meanwhile. the American people are paying more for oil and for energy. Then the individuals from the oil company have the audacity. and I am not going toblame them. because I think it is important that we put the blame where it should- be. They dont have a Congressional voting card to vote for a policy to allow these prices to go up like this or profits to go up like this. It takes Members of Congress to do that. and I must say that I am proud to announce that a number. a supermajority of Democrats voted against this philosophy of oil companies having the opportunity on the backs of the American taxpayers. having their hand in the taxpayers pocket and then. grabbing their wallet out of the other hand. they spend their money for necessities. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1786}
{"speech_id":1090146569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are givinig the taxpayers money out in subsidies. but at the same time the oil companies are winning both ways. at the pump and with the tax dollars that the American Congress has appropriated. That is a fact. that is not fiction. and it is sad that it is a fact.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1786}
{"speech_id":1090146577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And who served his country well. a highly decorated Army general who was sent to battle. to war. and there was never a plan crafted and designed for the peace. Three years later. where are we? We are in Iraq. we are mired now in a sectarian battle between militias. insurgents. It has become a breeding ground for terrorism. General Paul Eaton was responsible for the training of the Iraqi security forces in Iraq. What do we hear now? All we ever hear is that the Iraqis have to do it themselves. or we will stand down when they stand up. We will help them stand up. That was 3 years ago. How long does it take to train a U.S. Marine or U.S. Delta Force operative or a U.S. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":947}
{"speech_id":1090146577,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Army Ranger. a member of -the Airborne or a U.S. Army soldier or Navy? Three years? No. because the civilian leadership of this administration has been incompetent from the beginning. This is what Paul Eaton had to say about what is happening in our Department of Defense.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":947}
{"speech_id":1090146591,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the point that we are trying to make here is we know it is not easy to admit you make mistakes. It goes against your human nature. But when you are elevated to leadership positions like we have been blessed to be here and to represent our country. 700.000 people apiece. it takes courage. It does not take courage to have oversight to chase a Presidents peccadillos around the Oval Office. That is not courageous. Courage is trying to say we have made a colossal mistake. and instead of going down the same road even faster. try to stop. reevaluate the situation and let us find out who we need to hold accountable here. who needs to be brought in before the Congress. as you said. That is not easy. That is difficult. That is one of the most difficult things about being an American. and being an American government is that your warts are here for all the world to see. But that is better than the alternative. which is tyranny and suppression and oppression by the government. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090146591,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a part of our process. these problems getting aired out. but at the end of the day. it is part of our greatness because we can quickly then adapt. fix the problem and move on. but when you have leadership that is afraid-","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090146596,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what we are going to hear on this floor. and I challenge that Republican majority to use those terms when it comes to these generals. to these American patriots who have served their country. Ask them if they even would ever cut and run. They have demonstrated their entire careers. but they had the courage to stand up and say this is rank incompetence. You are not doing right by the American soldier and by the American military and you are giving them a pass. You are letting them pass.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":498}
{"speech_id":1090146599,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In your lifetime. Mr. DELAHUNT. have you ever heard of this number of generals. and I know Vietnam. I am trying to recount my history. this number of generals and sacrificing their career. offering their great history before us. willing to tell the truth to the American people? I think this is history that we have not seen in the past. that they have been willing to sacrifice themselves in order to tell the truth to the American people.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":440}
{"speech_id":1090146707,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this supplemental appropriation provides funds that are urgently needed by our Armed Forces to sustain the global war on terror and our operations to stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan. The $70 billion provided in this appropriation for military operations brings Americas investment in this fight to over $445 billion since September 11. 2001. Included in this appropriation are funds necessary to keep our Guard strong and ready and to ensure that our reservists have access to essential medical coverage for themselves and their families. With respect to domestic assistance in this bill. while it is not perfect. because it removed funding for port security and veterans health care. and greatly reduced the amount of agriculture assistance that was originally included in the Seniate passed bill. it does provide immediate aid to the people of the gulf coast to help in their continuing effort to recover from last years hurricanes. I thank the chairman and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. Senator COCHRAN of Mississippi and Senator BYRD of West Virginia. for their leadership and even handedness in crafting this supplemental measure. They have been very kind towards my constituents and I am most appreciative of their efforts. This supplemental addresses three areas critical to the continued recovery and vitality of Florida. Florida was hit by eight hurricanes in 15 months and the recovery continues. even as Tropical Storm Alberto traversed the State yesterday. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4970}
{"speech_id":1090146707,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know that my colleagues from the gulf coast are also well aware of the longterm challenges facing their States and are bracing themselves for another active hurricane season. We all learned valuable lessons from the disasters of the past 2 years and we will face the coming months together. I am pleased that this supplemental includes some relief for the State of Floridas hard hit agriculture industry. In 2005 as in 2004. the Florida agriculture industry sustained more than $2 billion in losses. One of the hardest hit industries was the sugar industry. so the $40 million in assistance this bill provides to the sugar producers will be critical. Our specialty crops and nursery growers alsowill receive a muchneeded share of the $95 million provided in the bill. The measure also provides the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA. with emergency funding. I cannot emphasize how important the work of this agency is to Florida. It includes the National Marine Fisheries Service. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4970}
{"speech_id":1090146707,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"NMFS. that plays a key role in Florida because of our significant fishing industryboth recreational and commercial. And the National Weather Service whose hurricane forecasts many times mean the difference between life and death for Floridians. This emergency supplemental provides $150 million for mapping for debris removal. oyster bed and shrimp ground rehabilitation. the repair and reconstruction of the NOAA science facility on the Gulf of Mexico and a replacement emergency response mapping aircraft to provide information about hurricane damageall desperately needed. Additionally. the conference report maintains the Senate funding level of $5.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant. CDBG. program. The Presidents original request was for $4.2 billion to address the utter devastation caused by Katrina in Louisiana. Yet unmet needs from the previous Gulf of Mexico hurricanes still remain in Florida. Alabama. Mississippi. and Texas. This level of CDBG funding will ensure that all States harmed by last years hurricanes will receive an adequate level of continued support so that they may continue to invest in longterm recovery efforts. provide housing and business assistance. perform infrastructure reconstruction. and undertake mitigation efforts. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4970}
{"speech_id":1090146707,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Specific to Florida. additional CDBG funds will greatly help Panhandle communities impacted by Hurricane Dennis. who were not eligible for the last round of disaster CDBG funds. and the heavily populated areas of South Florida where insured damages from Wilma were estimated at $7.4 billion. Hurricane Wilma was a major hurricane. the final major storm of last season. causing the highest amount of insured losses to southeast Florida since Hurricane Andrew over a decade ago.. Chairman BOND and Ranking Member MURRAY included a provision in the bill that will help address the backlog of emergency highway repairs. I thank them for their efforts. as this provision is vital to Floridas Panhandle which was pummeled by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and then by Dennis in 2005. It includes language lifting the mandatory cap of $100 million in spending per state. Florida has about $118 million in damages left over from Dennis. most of it concentrated alpng US98. which runs along the coast of Florida from Tallahassee to Pensacola. a distance of over 200 miles. The assistance contained in the supplemental will go a long way towards the recovery of the gulf coast and I will support this measure.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4970}
{"speech_id":1090146731,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. he is not on the floor. but Senator WARNER and I have been discussing this amendment. I would like to at least leave open the option that he will join me in cosponsoring it. It is a bipartisan amendment which I would like to describe at this point. if I can. and ask the Senator from Oklahoma if I may have a few minutes to describe the amendment.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":362}
{"speech_id":1090146735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. first of all. let me acknowledge to my friend from Illinois he is attempting to. and I believe will successfully. resolve a problem. I happen to be more sensitive to this than most people. Two of my kids are doctors. and they assure me that this nurse shortage is nationwide. It is all out there. One of the concerns I had when this came up was I would not want this to detract from any of the other programs. Right now I have been one to say our military budget. our Defense authorization bill. is really not quite adequate as it is. It is my understanding the Senator has been very cooperative to make sure this doesnt happen.. I have added my name as a cosponsor. and it is my understanding Senator WARNER is going to be here shortly and wants to add his name. So the amendment would give the discretion to the DOD. working with the Department of Education. to structure a program that would achieve the dual goals of creating more nurse educators and more Reserve officers. I think we have the support of the committee on both sides. and I commend the Senator for bringing up this solution.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1111}
{"speech_id":1090146775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my distinguished colleague. We are trying to work this out. There is a problem. The problem is not to the generic virtues of Senator FEINGOLDS amendmentwhich. incidentally. I supportbut it is a question of the allocation of some funding in it and how that impacts on other areas of funding. As soon as I can work that out. I will advise the Senate. I am hopeful we can eventually go to a vote.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":416}
{"speech_id":1090146776,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while that is being worked onI hope we can resolve that because this is a very important amendment. We want that Special Inspector General. who is really doing the only significant oversight on the expenditure of these billions of dollars in Iraq. to perform the same oversight functions on the appropriations. for instance. which we just adopted. I again commend the Senator from Wisconsin. It was at his instigation and his initiative that we extended this Special Inspector Generals Office last year. and it was that initiative which has paid off so handsomely for us. This initiative is critically important or else we might. I think inadvertently. not have the same watchdog looking over the most recent appropriations we adopted. I also believe the Special Inspector General actually testified before the Chairs subcommittee earlier this year. so the Presiding Officer has had the ability to hear firsthand from the Special Inspector General about his operations. By the way. I commend our Presiding Officer for those hearings. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090146776,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were very helpful.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090146847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this goes under the old rubric of no good deed goes unpunished. We have attempted in this amendment to meet the Senator from New Jersey halfway. The Senators amendment has consistently been voted on. I have opposed it and so has most of the Senate. which suggests that those who are currently doing business and have invested should be penalized for their investment. What we say is that on any future investment. you will be penalized. We make the Lautenberg language prospective. In attempting to meet the Senator from New Jersey halfway. we find out that this is not sufficient and. therefore. we should oppose this amendment. I would think half a loaf is better than no loaf. This. by the way. was not in the Iran Freedom and Support Act. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090146847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is one of the provisions Senator LEVIN mentioned that was added. frankly. out of respect for the concerns the Senator from New Jersey raised and has raised on the floor repeatedly. This is an attempt to make a goodfaith attemptand I do mean thata goodfaith attempt to meet the Senator from New Jersey halfway and to take his policy and put it in place in a prospective manner. If that is not sufficient for the Senator from New Jersey. that is fine. He is welcome to oppose the amendment.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090146888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I had my fourth trip to Iraq recently and met with a number of leaders over there. I have been impressed with them and have enjoyed them. I know Senator NELSON has also. He and I are the chair and ranking member respectively of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. We have worked together on many important issues. I wanted to say a couple things. First. the amendment he has is of value and will be something that can be accepted. I believe it should be. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090146888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You worry a little bit that maybe language difficulties come into play in how miscommunications can occur. Even among those of us who speak English together. we can have misunderstandings. I was just handed a CNN interview today. It just came across the wire. It was by a reporter. Daryn Kagan. with the new national security adviser to Prime Minister Maliki in Iraq. He was asked about this very subject because the reporter obviously felt some of the same concerns the Senator from Florida raised. He said this to him. The reporter: Doctor. I know theres a big effort by your government in your country to try to prevent civil war. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090146888,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And as a part of that. the Washington Post reports today that your Prime Minister is considering offering amnesty to Sunnis or to others who perhaps attacked only U.S. troops. This. not surprisingly. is causing great consternation here in the U.S.. even talking about it and being raised on the floor of the U.S. Senate today. Is this. indeed. the case? Is your government thinking about offering amnesty to those that attacked only U.S. military? This is Dr. Rubaies reply: This is not the case. Im sorry to say that the prime minister of Iraq has been misquoted and misunderstood. He did not mean to give amnesty to those who killed Americans. As a matter of fact. if you go there in his meeting with the President Bush a couple of days ago. he looked the president in the eye and he said. thank you very. very much for liberating our country. Please thank the American wives and American women and. American mothers for the treasure and blood they have invested in this country. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090146888,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Its well worth investing. of liberating 30 million people in this country. And we are ever so grateful. And we willthe blood of the Iraqi soldier and the blood of Iraqi civilian soldier. is as sacred to us as the American soldier. We are fighting the same war. we are fighting together. and this is a joined responsibility. And we will never give amnesty to those who have killed American soldiers or killed Iraqi soldier or civilian. What the prime minister is going to give amnesty to are those who have not committed the crimes. rather theyre against Iraqis or coalition. Those who havestill carry arms and they might have probably done some minor mistakes in storing some arms or allowing some terrorists to stay overnight or shelter. give shelter to some of these insurgents. Thats it. Basically. its a goodwill gesture hes extending to the Sunni community. to those who have committed some mistakes in the past. I dont know exactly how it all came about or how the comments were made. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090146888,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Maliki is new to being Prime Minister. There are language difficulties. I hope this reflects the firm view of the people of Iraq. I find it consistent with. the responses I have had when I talked to the Iraqi leadership. I thank the Senator from Florida for raising the question. I am pleased to see this very strong response from the national security adviser. Prime Minister Malikis top adviser on national security.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3498}
{"speech_id":1090146906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It sounds to me. I answer my good friend from Texas. as some kind of diversion from the core issue we ought to be debating in the Senate. which is these suggestions that have been made by a number of our colleagues that we ought to have all the troops out by the end of the year. It is time to have that debate in the Senate. not a senseoftheSenate resolution about a proposal. as the Senator from Texas points out. that has been shot down today by. the National Security Adviser in Iraq who. as the Senator from Texas indicated. said today: And we will never give amnesty to those who have killed American soldiers or who killed Iraqi soldiers or civilians. \" What part of \"never give amnesty\" do our colleagues not understand?","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":728}
{"speech_id":1090147025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that Senator MCCONNELL now be recognized. that the pending amendments be set aside. and that Senator MCCONNELL then offer an amendment which is relevant to the Nelson amendment. provided further that if and when the McConnell and Nelson amendments are scheduled for votesthat would be sometime next weekthe McConnell amendment would be voted on first. Finally. I ask unanimous consent that following the offering of the amendment. Senator CHAMBLISS be recognized in order to offer an amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":533}
{"speech_id":1090147038,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I now ask that the amendments be laid aside. The leadership is in agreement that there will be no more votes tonight. We will now turn to other matters relating to the bill. My understanding. then. is these two amendments are now the pending amendments. is that correct?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":285}
{"speech_id":1090147058,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Chief Justice and associate Justices of the Supreme Court held a memorial observance honoring Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. It was a really grand event. I am sorry I could not be there the whole time. At 2 p.m.. resolutions in tribute to the Chief Justice were presented for consideration by members of the Supreme Court bar. There were presentitions made by the Solicitor General and by the Attorney General of the United States during a special sitting of the Court. which commenced at 3:15 p.m. this afternoon. Following that. the Supreme Court held a reception for friends of the former Chief Justice. I think one of the great joys of my life was to be able to say that I was a longtime friend of our former Chief Justice. He and I met here as young lawyers the year we got out of law school. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090147058,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We were very friendly.. As a matter of fact. we doubledated during those days. And as the years went on. as I went to Alaska and came back as U.S. Attorney and had various other functions. we kept in touch. We were divided by a continent. but we remained friends. Years later. when I came to the Senate. he was with the Department of Justice. I can say it was one of the longest friendships I have had. and I was sad when he passed away. I am here really to ask that the Senate review some of the comments made about my friend and former Chief Justice of the United States. I ask unanimous consent that the schedule of the Supreme Court for today. Thursday. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090147058,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"June 15. 2006. and also the resolution of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in gratitude and appreciation for the life. work. and service of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presented to the Supreme Court today be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090147072,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my privilege today to pay tribute to 17 Hoosier men whose outstanding commitment to fatherhood serves as example of how responsible. involved dads can promote stronger families and raise exceptional children. This year. I invited Hoosier children to pay tribute to their dads by writing essays about what makes their father an Outstanding Hoosier Dad. In a nation that leads the world in absentee fatherhood. it is particularly important this Fathers Day to recognize outstanding dads who are doing their part to raise bright. healthy children. Children whose fathers are absent are five times more likely to live in poverty and twice as likely to commit a crime. drop out of school or become substance abusers. The essays provided a touching reminder to all men of the impact they have when they play an active role in their childrens lives. It is an honor today to recognize the 17 Hoosier children who submitted essays and their outstanding dads by reading their names into the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD of the United States. R. Bradley Allen. father of John Allen. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1907}
{"speech_id":1090147072,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"South Bend Ronnie Asher. father of Jessica Asher. - Martinsville Brian Bolsen. father of Brennan Bolsen. Chesterton Neil Day. father of Adam Day. Fort Wayne Chris Dixon. father of William Dixon. Bloomington Kevin Ford. father of Kimberly Ford. Schererville Jeff Gratz. father of Clare Gratz. Batesville Tom Gutzwiller. father of Lawson Gutzwtller. Batesville Samuel Hale. father of Greg Hale. Granger Dennis Mansfield. father of Alison Mansfield. Fort Wayne Matt McKaig. father of Caleb McKaig. Urbana Jonathan Plucker. father of Paige Plucker. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1907}
{"speech_id":1090147072,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bloomington Frederick Richards. father of Corey Richards. Churubusco Andy Schultz. fathr of Mary Kate Schultz. DeMotte Mike Stefanski. father of Matthew Stefanski. Valparaiso Amitav Thamba. father of Aish Thamba. Fishers Wiley Traylor. father of Stephanie Traylor. Mooresville*","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1907}
{"speech_id":1090147084,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as you know. Turkey invaded the northern area of the Republic of Cyprus in the summer of 1974. At that time. less than 20 percent of the private real property in this area was owned by Turkish Cypriots. with the rest owned by Greek Cypriots and foreigners. Turkeys invasion and subsequent occupation of northern Cyprus displaced people who are to this day prevented by the Turkish armed forces from returning to and repossessing their homes and properties. A large proportion of these properties were distributed to. and are currently being used by. the 120.000 Turkish settlers brought into the occupied area by Turkey. It is estimated that 7.000 to 10.000 U.S. nationals today claim an- interest in such property. Adding urgency to the plight of GreekCypriots and Americans who lost property in the wake of the invasion is a recent property development boom in the Turkishoccupied north of Cyprus. As an everincreasing number of disputed properties are transferred or developed. the rightful owners prospects for recovering their property or being compensated worsen. In 1998. the European Court of Human Rights found that Turkey had unlawfully deprived Greek Cypriot refugees of the use of their properties in the north of the island. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3132}
{"speech_id":1090147084,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Court ruled that the Government of Turkey was obliged to compensate the refugees for such deprivation. and to allow them to return home. It is to provide similar redress to the American victims of Turkeys invasion and occupation of Cyprus that my colleague Senator MENENDEZ and I today introduce the AmericanOwned Property in Occupied Cyprus Claims Act. A substantively identical bill has been proposed in the House of Representatives by Representative PALLONE and 32 of his Republican and Democratic colleagues. This act would direct the U.S. Governments independent Foreign Claims Settlement Commission to receive. evaluate. and determine awards with respect to the claims of U.S. citizens and businesses that lost property as a result of Turkeys invasion and continued occupation of northern Cyprus. To provide funds from which these awards would be paid. the act would urge the President to authorize the Secretary of State to negotiate an agreement for settlement of such claims with the Government of Turkey. The act would further grant U.S. Federal courts jurisdiction over suits by U.S. nationals against any private personsother than Turkeyoccupying or otherwise using the U.S. nationals property in the Turkishoccupied portion of Cyprus. Lastly. the act would expressly wkive Turkeys sovereign immunity against claims brought by U.S. nationals in U.S. courts relating to property occupied by the Government of Turkey and used by Turkey in connection with a commercial activity carried out in the United States. This bill represents an important step toward righting the internationally recognized wrong of the expropriation of property. including American property. in northern Cyprus in the wake of the 1974 invasion by the Turkish Army. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3132}
{"speech_id":1090147084,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I strongly urge my colleagues to promptly consider and pass this critical piece of legislation. By Mr. GREGG (for himself. Mr.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3132}
{"speech_id":1090147085,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce a bill which is sponsored by myself and 20 other Members of the Senate. The purpose of this bill is to put some control over spendingor at least put procedures into- allow us as a Congress to begin to control spending. I think we all recognize that in the short run we are headed toward a budget that looks like it may actually move toward balance. We have seen some very significant. positive gains. A deficit that was supposed to be about $425 billion this year is down to about $300 billion. and it may well go below that. That does not solve our problem even though we have gotten things moving the right way because in the outyears we face a fiscal crisis. That is reflected in this chart. The fact is. there is facing this country a situation where we have a generation known as the baby boom generation which is such a large generation that it has basically overwhelmed the systems of America at each point in its evolution. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11130}
{"speech_id":1090147085,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It started out in the early 1950s and late 1940s. It overwhelmed the school systems it was so big. As it moved forward in the 1960s. it created the civil rights movement. and in. the 1980s and 1990s it created the greatest prosperity in the history of our country as a result of its size and productivity. But now that generation is beginning to retire. It will start to retire in the year 2008. It will be fully retired by the year 2020. It will be the largest retired generation in the history of our Nation by a factor of two. There will essentially be 70 million people retiring during that period. What are the implications? The implications are rather severe for our Nations fiscal~policy. and especially for our children. All of our retirement systems in this NationSocial Security. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11130}
{"speech_id":1090147085,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Medicare. Medicaidall our major safety nets were built around the concept created by FDR. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. that there would always be many more people working than retiring. In fact. in the early 1950s there were about 12 people working and paying into the Social Security system for every one person taking it out of Social Security. Today there are about three and a half people working for every one person who is retired. By the years 2020 to 2025. there will only- be two people working for every one person taking out of the system. That means this pyramid concept goes to a rectangle. and our children and our grandchildren who will then be the working people in America will not be able to support the benefit structure which is in place for the retired. This chart reflects the dramatic effect of this situation rather starkly. The blue line represents what percent of gross national product the Federal Government usually spends: Historically. since World War II. the Federal Government has spent about 20 percent of the gross national product. The red line represents three programs in the Federal process: Social Security. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11130}
{"speech_id":1090147085,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Medicare. and Medicaid. The red line grows dramatically beginning in about the year 2008 and proceeds at an exponential rate of growth. so that by the years 2025 to 2028 those three programs alone will actually cost more than 20 percent of the gross national product of America. What.does that mean? It means if we were to spend the historic amount we have spent on the Federal Government. those three programs would use up all that money and there would be no money available for education. for national defense. for laying out roads. for health care for everyone else. other than those who are retired. or for anything else the Federal Government is supposed to do. Everything would have to be spent on Social Security. Medicare. and Medicaid. It does not stop there. It continues up at a rather dramatic movement. The point. of course. is that our children will have to pay the cost. They will find themselves confronted with a dramatic increase in tax burden unless we address the cost of those programs from the spending side. The point. also. is we really cannot tax our way out of this problem. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11130}
{"speech_id":1090147085,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We cannot possibly raise taxes high enough to keep up with the cost of these programs and still have a viable country. If we did that. we would eliminate the ability of our children to buy a new home. lo send their kids to college. to even buy cars. The lifestyle of an American. our children and our grandchildren. would be dramatically reducedtheir quality of lifewere we to raise taxes to try to keep up with this rate of growth of spending. Again. it is not a revenue problem. it is a spending problem. That is important to stress. In fact. if you look at the revenues over the last few years. this reinforces this point. Revenues dropped precipitously at the beginning of this Presidents term for two reasons. One. we had the largest bubble in the history of the world. the Internet bubble. back in the late 1990s. where we were essentially producing false in.come. paper returns through the issuance of stock which wasnt backed up by productive companies. This bubble burst. and it was the biggest bubble in history. bigger than the tulip or south seas bubble. And the effect of it was to cause our economy to retrench. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11130}
{"speech_id":1090147112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday. June 22. 2006. at 10 a.m.. in room SD366 of the Dirksen Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 2747. to enhance energy efficiency and conserve oil and natural gas. and for other purposes. Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. United States Senate. Washington. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":842}
{"speech_id":1090147112,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC 205106150. For further information. please contact John Peschke at (202) 2244797 or Shannon Ewan at (202) 2247555.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":842}
{"speech_id":1090147114,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking. Housing. and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15. 2006. at 10 a.m.. to conduct a hearing on \"The OFHEO Report of the Special Examination of Fannie Mae.\"","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090147119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. June 15. 2006. at 9:30 a.m.. in the Senate Dirksen Office Building. Room 226. The agenda will be provided when it becomes available.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":262}
{"speech_id":1090147121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Judicial Nominations\" on Thursday. June 15. 2006. at 2 p.m.. in the Senate Dirksen Office Building Room 226. Witness list Panel I: The Honorable Thad Cochran. the Honorable Trent Lott. the Honorable James Inhofe. and the Honorable Luis Fortuflo. Panel II: Jerome A. Holmes to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit. Panel III: Daniel P. Jordan III to be U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":625}
{"speech_id":1090147121,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. Gustavo A. Gelpe to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":625}
{"speech_id":1090147148,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have based on lies. we have separated purjust returned from visiting our troops selves from the world. We must reconin* Iraq. I have seen the damage nect with the world with our hearts as Zarqawi inflicted. I visited the areas well as our heads. with the intention of where Zarqawi lived and terrorized peo- preserving not only our security. but ple. And I have met the brave soldiers future of all humanity. who ultimately tracked him down and Getting out of Iraq is not enough. killed him. This is a call for a new role for AmerI visited Amman. Jordan. where ica in the world. a call for America to Zarqawi killed 60 people by bombing put aside unilateralism and interventhree hotels. I toured the special oper- tionism. a call for an America which ations command center in Iraq with practices cooperation instead of conGeneral Stan McCrystal a threestar frontation. general in charge of tracking down There is a place for American leaderZarqawi. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090147148,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All over the walls of the com- ship. Leading the way in diplomacy inmand center were posters of Zarqawi. stead of armaments. leading the way in I flew in a Black Hawk helicopter nuclear abolition and climate protecaround the area of BaQubah where tion. The world is waiting for an AmerZarqawi was ultimately located. I also ica which leads by example instead of toured Baghdad where Zarqawi intimi- reaction. The world is waiting for an dated the U.N. by bombing their head- America to rise up with a new commitquarters and where alJazeera TV once ment to truth and justice. to truth and broadcast a videotape showing Zarqawi reconciliation. to truth and compaspersonally beheading an American cit- sion. izen. I Was with President Bush at the White House on June 7 when he got the OUR TROOPS DESERVE OUR message that al Zarqawi had been THANKS killed. However one feels about the war (Mr. FOLEY asked and was given perin Iraq. realize that our troops deserve mission to address the House for 1 our support 100 percent. God knows minute and to revise and extend his rethey have earned it. marks.)","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2060}
{"speech_id":1090147151,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. across the Potomac in Arlington today. we are breaking ground for the 9\/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. Our Nation is rightfully honoring the victims of those heinous acts. It has also been 1 week since I called upon my Republican colleagues to reject Ann Coulters vicious attacks on the widdws of 9\/11. Not a single Republican elected official has stepped forward to reject her hate. So I have to conclude they are comfortable with her as their spokesman. Your silence is deafening. Apparently it is okay to exploit 9\/11 to shore up your own sagging poll numbers or make a quick buck. So rather than see 9\/11 as a moment to unite America. Ann Coulter and her followers have chosen to divide and demonize fellow Americans. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1278}
{"speech_id":1090147151,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am always amazed that the one casualty the American people would accept on 9\/11 would be partisanship. and that is the one casualty you are not willing to give. Ms. Coulter is threatened by the 9\/11 widows. They threaten her simplistic world by daring to ask questions. Mr. Speaker. the 9\/11 widows have courageously stood up to demand that we never forget the horror of September All Americans who lost loved ones should be honored. as we are doing in Arlington today. not denigrated simply because they do not fit your simplistic world view.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1278}
{"speech_id":1090147162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we will hold discussion and a debate about the global war on terrorism and about the battles in Afghanistan and in Iraq. It is appropriate indeed that we do so. This week. we are celebrating the Armys birthday. We are celebrating Flag Day. and we are continuing to honor the men and women who serve so brilliantly in the U.S. military. Today. Mr. Speaker. I want to rise for a moment and honor the men and women of the Tennessee National Guard. They have had deployments in the past year. and they have served with distinction. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":973}
{"speech_id":1090147162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today many of the junior officers and the commanders of the Tennessee Guard are in town. They were honored at a reception last night. and they are visiting us here on Capitol Hill today. We welcome them. We honor them. and we thank them and their families for their outstanding service. for their sacrifice. for their commitment to freedom. for loving. this Nation and for being the embodiment of that freedom on foreign soil.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":973}
{"speech_id":1090147167,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a Nation. we should encourage our young people to strive to achieve thefr full potential. We must give them the resources and opportunities to make their dreams a reality. For many students these dreams begin with access to higher education. But after 6 years of Republican rule. access to college is now out of reach for too many of our Nations youths. Since 2001. tuition and fees at 4year public colleges have increased by. 40 percent. At the same time. Republicans have made drastic cuts to higher education. including underfunding Pell Grants and cutting the higher education budget by $12 billion\"this year alone. These cuts not only mean that more students have to take out loans to pay for college. but they will also face higher interest rates as they pay them back unless they refinance by July 1. That is when the Department of Education will raise Federal student loan interest rates to offset the Republican cuts. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090147167,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As Members of Congress. we should be doing everything in our power to make college more accessible and affordable for all students. rather than cutting. critical education dollars to fund tax breaks for the wealthy few.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090147172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of de. bate only. Mr. Speaker. yesterday the Rules \"Committee met and reported a rule for consideration of House Resolution 861. Mr. Speaker. the rule is a closed rule providing 10 hours of debate in the House. equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on International Relations. the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services. the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary. and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It waives all points of order against consideration of the resolution and provides one motion to recommit. which may not contain instructions. It further provides that. notwithstanding the operation of the previous question. the Chair may postpone further consideration of the resolution to a time designatedby the Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6076}
{"speech_id":1090147172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker. in the context of todays debate. I believe there are four relevant questions we must consider. First. should we have entered the war in Iraq? Second. with Saddam Hussein gone. what are the stakes in terms of our involvement in Iraq? Third. what are the chances for success in Iraq? And finally. where will the battle be won or lost? I wduld like to consider each of those questions in turn. First. should we have entered the war in Iraq? I remind the Members of this House that it was official policy of the United States Government beginning in 1998. agreed to by both Houses of Congress. to remove Saddam Hussein from power. We had good reason to do so. This is a person who had twice launched regional wars and took over a million lives. who .pursued and nearly acquired nuclear weapons on two different occasions. who developed weapons of mass destruction and had used them against his own people. who was a state sponsor of terrorism. who had systematically worked his way out from under the restrictions applied to him by the United Nations. who had expelled weapons inspectors from his own country. who was a continuing threat. and. frankly. who had terrorized and brutalized and killed hundreds of thousands of. his own people. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6076}
{"speech_id":1090147172,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The world is better off without Saddam Hussein. Second. with him gone. what is at stake in Iraq? For that I think we should turn to the enemies that we fight today. al Qaeda. they have designated this and other terrorist groups as the central battlefield in the war on terror. I quote from the chief theoretician of al Qaeda: \"Iraq is the greatest battlefield against the infidel and his native allies. It is not the American war machine that should be of utmost concern. What threatens the future is American democracy. To allow Iraq to build a democracy would represent our biggest defeat.\" So the stakes are certainly worth the effort. Next. what are our chances of success in Iraq? Frankly. I think they are very good.. for two reasons. First. obviously. the skill. the bravery. the professionalism of our own people which was demonstrated only last week when they cornered and killed al Zarqawi. one of the worlds worst terrorists. but second. and we ought to note this. the Iriqi people themselves. It is they who stepped up under the most difficult of circumstances and turned out in successfully greater numbers at three different elections. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6076}
{"speech_id":1090147172,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is they who. in the civil turmoil they are going through. have fashioned a Constitution. have created a permanent government. It is their leaders who run the risk of being killed every single day. and it is their people who are standing up literally by the thousands and fighting back to defend their own country and to move it forward to a hopeful and democratic future. So I think our chances of success in Iraq are good. Finally. though. where will the battle be won or lost? Finally. Iraq is a crucial theater. What happens there with our military. what happens with the Iraqis is determinative to the outcome. but I would also suggest that the United States is itself a battlefield. a political battlefield. The real question is whether or not we will sustain the will that it takes to ultimately be successful. and that decision will be made not in Iraq but in Congress and in the United States itself. So what we are about today is a fight. I think. that involves us on the most critical battlefield of all. the battlefield of American public opinion. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6076}
{"speech_id":1090147172,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. today we may hear about the \"unfairness\" of this resolution. We may hear charges of a rigged process. Let us be clear. Mr. Speaker. The minority was asked to provide their own party substitute to this resolution. and they did not choose to do so. We were ready to make this in order in the Rules Committee. They did not do so. and we moved forward with our resolution. Mr. Speaker. if the other side of the aisle would like to argue process rather than substance. that is certainly appropriate. and that is their privilege. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6076}
{"speech_id":1090147194,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me yield myself 10 seconds. Mr. Speaker. let me correct something that has been said on this floor. In the testimony before the Rules Committee. the Democrats not only asked for an open rule. we asked for a substitute. We were denied that. We were shut out. It is here in black and white in the testimony. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":383}
{"speech_id":1090147231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. the media just reported the sad news that we have just reached a sad milestone: 2.500 Americans have lost their lives in the Iraq war. Mr. Speaker. I respectfully ask at the outset of this very important debate that the House observe a moment of silence for all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our country.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":380}
{"speech_id":1090147233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 minutes. All of us know. all of us understand stability in Iraq is important. not only to the United States but to the world. It is no secret that Iraq is of particular importance because of its oil. The United States consumes 20.6 billion barrels of oil per day. Yet we produce only 5.1 billion barrels of oil a day. China is the second largest consumer. with 6.9 million barrels per day. and they produce 3.6 million barrels per day. Iraq has the fourth largest oil reserve in the world. Saudi Arabia is number one. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090147233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Canada number two and Iran number three. So all of us agree Iraq Is important. But how do we get to. a conclusion? Let me compare Gulf War I with Gulf War II. In Gulf War I. Kuwait was attacked by Saddam Hussein. It was a brutal attack. President Bush I immediately reacted. He sent his emissary. Secretary Cheney. to Saudi Arabia. They got an agreement from Saudi Arabia to use their land to put troops in. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090147233,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He immediately sent in the Airborne Division. and he immediately sent in F16 fighters to deter Saddam Hussein. All of us knew that there was a possibility at that time that he would have complete control of the oil in the Middle East. So we knew how important it was. Then President Bush started calling up the Reserves. He called a number of Members of Congress over to the White House. and he consulted and talked to them. I do not remember if the gentleman from Illinois was there. but there were seven or eight of us went to the White House. We talked to him about calling up the Reserves and having other people pay. This is important not only to the United States. This is important internationally. This oil supply. this stability in the Middle East is important to the whole world. and he went to work. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090147233,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He called every major nation. He called Egypt. and this was no easy task for these countries to come around to decide to support the United States. Matter of fact. President Mubarak said to me that King Hussein came to him and said if you support the United States. you will cut the throat of Saddam Hussein. and yet jEgypt decided that they were going to go along with US. Then he talked about that we needed to have a U.N. resolution. which we did have. Then we had to have a resolution in the Congress of the United States. But the big thing that he promoted was he got a coalition together. and this coalition ended up with 400.000 American troops and 160.000 coalition troops. And I remember during this debate. I remember calling Secretary Cheney. calling General Scowcroft saying. you have got 250.000 troops over there. you dont need any more. Lets get this war going. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090147233,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":16,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And General Scowcroft said something I have never forgotten. He said. we are going to give General Schwarzkopf whatever he wants. He wants more troops. we are going to give him more troops. And Secretary Cheney called me and said we are going to have to send another 180.000 troops. We are going to have overwhelming force when we go into Kuwait. And they did have overwhelming force. It went on for 6 months. The troops were out in the field. they trained. and when they went in they did a magnificent thing. It was overwhelming. And it was paid for by other countries. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090147264,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield myself 1 minute. One of the Members said. ask Spain about the threat. Fiftysix percent of the population of Spain believes the U.S. in Iraq is the most dangerous threat to world peace. They rank Iran lesser of a threat than the United States. And one other thing. When we look back at the intelligence cuts. President Bush I felt it was a peace dividend and started to cut the intelligence budget years ago. So we have to make sure we dont let our rhetoric get ahead of the facts. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois .","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":539}
{"speech_id":1090147267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am a little bit saddened by the comments of the gentleman from Illinois. You know. our enemies do not have a first Tuesday in November plan. They have a plan for a caliphate. They have well established themselves to murder Christians. Jews. Muslims. women. and children. They will behead you. they will shoot you. they will blow you up. They do not care. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3224}
{"speech_id":1090147267,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To have the talk of rhetoric. because the electricity isnt where it is. lets come home in defeat. because the oil isnt going exactly the way we would like it. lets come home in defeat. that is no standard for victory. What is the standard for victory? Where were we 4 years ago? Let us look at it in the global war. this World War I that Osama bin Laden declared in his own words. Pakistan. 4 years ago. was the only government supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. They were working against the United States in Afghanistan. They supported. financed. gave as much comfort as they could to the enemy to produce terrorists. to attack Americans and Westerners all over the world. In Iraq. we know that Zarqawi was there a year before the war. that they used that operation to kill an American in Jordan. a diplomat of great service to our country. In Libya. they had a nuclear weapons program and self declared they would share it with anyone. So 4 years later. not because I gave a great speech on the House floor but because very brave men and women put on the uniform and fought the terrorists with a military uniform so our children wouldnt have to fight it in a school uniform here at home. and now what has happened? Pakistan has joined us in the fight against terror. There are our allies just 4 years later in hunting down al Qaeda. Afghanistan is now an ally in the war on terror. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3224}
{"speech_id":1090147267,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their intelligence services. their military. as a matter of fact just this morning. launched a 10.000 troop crackdown on terrorists. This morning. Last week. Iraq launched a 70.000 security personnel crackdown on terrorists. This week. they are our allies now in the war on terror. Libya. That is the components of the nuclear weapons program of Libya. It is now in the possession of the United States of America. They gave it to us not because we stood here and debated but because we had brave men and women with boots on the ground who showed courage and commitment and said we will take the fight to you. We will not allow you to take the fight to US. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3224}
{"speech_id":1090147267,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Which country would you have go back? Which one would you say. ah. it wasnt important that they became an ally? Four Muslim nations have stood up against the ravages and the terror and the brutality of terror today because of actions our brave soldiers take overseas. So dont get confused in every little problem that happens. and there are a lot of them. Sir. you served in Vietnam. You know this challenge. They are great. they are hard. and sometimes they are disappointing. yes. But at the end of the day. every great victory. every great victory ends with our heads held high and safety and security for the United States. Let us not come home in humiliation. Let us not tell all of those families that their loved ones died in vain because we have a November time frame and not a time frame for victory.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3224}
{"speech_id":1090147314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we can say what we want on the floor of this House. We can debate and vote on nonbinding resolutions like this. But what is most important to the American people is not what we say here but what we do here. This resolution does not commit this House to do anything. It does not require this Congress to take any measures to hold the Bush Administration or ourselves accountable for what is happening in Iraq. The Bush administration was totally wrong about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. No one has been held accountable. The Bush Administration totally miscalculated the number of troops that would be required to provide greater stability on the ground in postinvasion Iraq. No one was held accountable. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090147314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Bush Administration got the costs of the war totally wrong. Again. no one was held accountable. It is a simple principle. If you reward and ignore failure today. you are going to get more failure tomorrow. This House has ignored those failures. While our men and women have been fighting bravely in Iraq. this House has been AWOL when it comes to providing oversight. Instead of providing a system of checks and balances. this Congress has been a blank check and a rubber stamp. If we were a board of directors. we would be sued by shareholders for gross negligence. I proposed a simple amendment to this resolution. It would have required this Congress to actually do somethingto conduct adequate oversight and to implement the 911 Commissions recommendations. including those requiring this body to reform its own intelligence oversight process. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090147314,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Republican leadership refused to allow us to debate or vote on my amendment. It apparently wants this House to remain an accountability free zone. Ten hours of debate does not excuse years of giving the administration a blank check on Iraq. A nonbinding resolution is not a substitute for an action plan. Lets start doing our job. We owe it to our troops and the American people. Shame on this House for abdicating its constitutional responsibility.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2030}
{"speech_id":1090147327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before yielding to the gentleman from Maryland. I yield myself 30 seconds to read a quote we mentioned earlier in thisdebate from Osama bin Laden. He said. \"This Third World war is raging in Iraq. The whole world is watching this war. It will end in victory and glory. or misery and humiliation.\" That is not this side of the aisle. That is Osama bin Laden. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MAC THORNBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":432}
{"speech_id":1090147327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland","speaker_name":"MAC THORNBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":432}
{"speech_id":1090147359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is rare that I would speak on this issue. I do support this resolution. but more than that. I would like to remind people why we are here. There are not many in this room. but there are a few that remember 1939. I lived in that era and I listened to people speak about \"Hitlers really not a bad guy. Hes just minding his own business. Hes taking care of his peoile. We shouldnt be involved.\" Fiftytwo million people later. we.won World War II. We should have knocked him in the head when we had a chance instead of listening to Chamberlain. the Prime Minister of Britain. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1733}
{"speech_id":1090147359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We should have aggressively pursued him as we did Saddam Hussein. In my heart of hearts. I believe that we would be. in fact. in a nuclear war if we had allowed him to continue his trek. But this President stood up and he was a leader and he stopped it. Now we have done that deed and we are in a place where we should continue and finish this job. Someone said this is not a cut and run. that we have been there 32 years. But I ask you to ask your military people. ask those people out at Walter Reed. as I have. Most of them are proud of their service and their duty. And I salute each one of them. him or her. and the commanding officers who fulfilled their duty. If you believe in democracy and believe in peace. we must continue this trip that we started. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1733}
{"speech_id":1090147359,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must finish it and make sure that democracy reigns in the Middle East. If we do not do so. we would a do a great disservice to our armed services and America as a whole. Remember. \"Hes really not a bad guy. Hes just minding his own business. Its his country.\" Fiftytwo million people later. the war was ended. Our people.. their people. And I do not want to have that happen again.","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1733}
{"speech_id":1090147363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on behalf of the families of East Texas. especially those with loved ones serving overseas. I strongly support this resolution. Despite what the national media portray. the inconvenient truth is this: Terrorists have been attacking America freely for more than two decades. We should have learned we cannot push Americas security forward by retreating from terrorism. We cannot strengthen the world by weakening our resolve. and we cannpt support our troops by belittling them at every turn. It is clear to all but perhaps us that the terrorists strategy is not to defeat America in Iraq. They .cannot do that. Their strategy is to defeat America in America. They are counting on the American public to lose its will and for Washington politicians to undermine the morale and support of our troops overseas. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090147363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The truth is if America quits. if America turns back now. no nation. no community will be safe from terrorism again. Terrorists will learn that they can wait us out one public opinion poll at a time. And the next time America is attacked. the next time innocent people die and we vow justice. who will believe us then? Who will support us then? I stand with the President. We must persist in Iraq and Afghanistan until these nations are no longer safe havens for terrorism. We have \"taken the hill\" against the terrorists. Too many Americans have sacrificed their lives for us to give it back now. Americans like Chief Warrant. Officer Chuck Fortenberry of Woodville. Lance Corporal Shane Goodman of Orange. Staff Sergeanit Christopher Everett of Huntsville. ","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090147363,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Specialist Michael Weger of Spring. and Specialist Hoby Bradfield of The Woodlands. among many. Our troops have proven they will not quit. The question is will we? Our troops know what is at stake. The question is do we? Let us not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Let us put aside our partisan politics and unite until terrorism is truly and soundly defeated.","speaker_name":"KEVIN BRADY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1947}
{"speech_id":1090147411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. recently. I attended my oldest sons eighth grade graduation. and graduating with him was Jennifer Davis. the daughter of Karen and Major Miles Davis. who could not attend because he was deployed to Iraq. Mr. Speaker. this is why I believe we owe Americans an account of our progress in the world war on terror. an assessment of the situation. the stakes. and the strategy for victory in the battle for Iraq. as well as an affirmation that we will defend our country. defeat the enemy. and win this unsought struggle for survival. Unfortunately. this resolution fails to do so. for it is strategically nebulous. morally obtuse. and woefully inadequate. This resolution sanitizes the hard truth that the enemy is trying not only to intimidate us but to kill us. It provides an abashed defense of our Nations sovereign right to preemptively eradicate the terrorists and their state sponsors before they kill us. It implies our preemption of this threat must meet a global test for legitimacy. It further fails to affirm the battle for Iraq was waged because Saddam Husseins regime was a direct threat to the United States of America and was in violation of mandatory treaty obligations of said United States of America. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12105}
{"speech_id":1090147411,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It fails to stress our mission is to ensure a sovereign. free. secure and united Iraq at peace with the United States. its coalition partners and all other peaceable nations. It fails to stress that terrorists seek to destroy the new unity government because it threatens the terrorists aspirations for the United States of America. Iraq. our coalition partners and the broader Middle East. It asserts how despite the enemy having declared Iraq a central front in the war on terror. the United States and its coalition partners will continue to support Iraq as only a part of the war on terror. It omits any mention of the battle for Iraqs difficulties and does not offer a comprehensive strategy on how to conquer them. It overlooks the fact our troops return home hinges upon creatingIraqi security forces and destroying the enemys insurgency. Finally. this resolution calls the terrorists our adversary. not our enemy. Mr. Speaker. at the graduation I did not try to comfort Karen Davis by declaring her husband. Major Miles Davis. was in Iraq defending global peace and security or enforcing United Nations resolutions. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12105}
{"speech_id":1090147411,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. I thanked Karen for her familys sacrifice because Miles was in Iraq honoring his solemn pledge to God and to us to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies: So in this time of war when we ask the best of our troops and we ask the best of their families. we must ask the best of ourselves. We have not done so with this resolution. and that is why I will be voting \"present.\" because I am committed to victory in the war on terror. Mr. Speaker. recently. I attended my oldest sons eighth grade graduation. Graduating with him was Jennifer Davis. the daughter of my childhood friend. Major Miles Davis. who could not attend. That night. I talked with Miles wife. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12105}
{"speech_id":1090147411,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Karen. who told me how painful it was for their family to have Miles so abruptly deployed to Iraq. Such heart rending scenes throughout our land are why I believe we owe Americans more in this resolution than a simple declaration of our resolve in Iraq. We owe them an account of our progress in the world War on Terror. an assessment of the situation. the stakes. and the strategy for victory in the battle for Iraq. and an affirmation we will defend our country. defeat the enemy. and win this *unsought struggle for survival. Thus. I rise to express my profound disappointment with this resolution before us. because it is strategically nebulous. morally obtuse. and woefully inadequate. To begin. this resolutions purpose is limited to \"Declaring the United States will complete the mission in Iraq and prevail in the Global War on Terror. the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.\" This is patently inadequate to the task at hand. and. unfortunately. under continued examination the resolution fares no better. To wit. the first \"Whereas\" clause informs us: \"... the United States and its allies are engaged in a Global War on Terror. a long and demanding struggle against an adversary that is driven by hatred of American values and that is committed to imposing. by the use of terror. its repressive ideology throughout the world.\" This clause elicits elementary questions: what \"values\" of ours cause our enemy to hate us. and what. precisely. is the enemys ideology? Sadly. this clause provides no clues. The second clause recounts how: \" . . for the past two decades. terrorists have used violence in a futile attempt to intimidate the United States.\" This clause is too sanitized. The hard truth is the enemy has not tried to intimidate us. The enemy has tried to kill us and too often succeeded. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12105}
{"speech_id":1090147411,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The enemy does so because our very existence as sovereign citizens of a free Republic constitutes a beacon of hope for all who areand all who yearn to befree. thus. we are our enemys paramount obstacle to world dominion. Next the third clause right asserts: \"... it is essential to the security of the American people and to world security that the United States. together with its allies. take the battle to the terrorists and to those who provide them assistance.\" Agreed. But this clause must stress both a philosophic principle and a strategic tenet. Philosophically. any statesponsor of terror is a threat to the United States. because terrorism is an attack upon the selfevident. inalienable human rights to life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Strategically. this clause falters as an oblique and abashed defense of our Nations sovereign right to preemptively eradicate terrorists and their statesponsors before they kill us. Instead. the clause must reaffirm our Nations full right of selfdefense. The seventh clause decries how: \"... by early 2003 Saddam Hussein and his criminal. Baathist regime in Iraq. which had supported terrorists. constituted a threat against global peace and security and was in violation of mandatory United Nations Security Council Resolutions.\" Bluntly. this clause omits the obvious: By early 2003 Saddam Hussein and his criminal Baathist regime in Iraq. which had supported terrorists. constituted a threat against the United States of America and was in violation of mandatory treaty obligations to the United States of America. By omitting the fact Husseins regime deemed the United States not as just a part of the global community. but as a mortal enemy. this clause wrongly implies our preemption of his threat must and does meet a \"global test\" for legitimacy. The eighth clause reiterates: \"... the mission of the United States and its Coalition partners. having removed Saddam Hussein and his regime from power. is to establish a sovereign. free. secure. and united Iraq at peace with its neighbors.\" Again. the point is missed. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12105}
{"speech_id":1090147419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this strong. proactiye defense of our liberties and freedoms from the preying forces of Islamic radicals in their jihad against the core values of our Western Civilization. We did not choose this war. They picked the fight. The events of September 11 represented the final moment of spending our days as bystanders. Mr. Speaker. this debate is not about the choices which precipitated the war in Iraq. The choice we face today. and Americans will face in November. is between two visions: full commitment to protect our Nation and prosecute the global war against terrorists. or complete surrender to Islamic extrernists who want to destroy us. There is no middle ground. ","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1655}
{"speech_id":1090147419,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Without maintaining pressure upon this global war. we face the grave risk of producing homegrown terrorism. These radical Islamists would rather take their fight to our streets. our communities. our neighborhoods. The necessity of a proactive. robust strategy recently was reiterated by an ally too wellacquainted with the threat posed by radicalized forces. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said: \"We have to act. not react. we have to do so on the basis of prediction. not certainty. and such an action will often. usually indeed. be outside our own territory.\" America has acted: Our troops have responded honorably and successfully. Are we safe for today? Absolutely. Should we cut and run from Iraq? Never. As Winston Churchill said: \"We shall not fail or falter. we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the longdrawn trial of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job.\"","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1655}
{"speech_id":1090147427,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I went to -Iraq in 2005. I was one of two Members of this Congress to view the first free elections in their history. and I watched in awe and admiration as more than 8 million people went.to the polls and elected a government. Men and women. young and old. courageoisly cast their ballots in the face of the violent terrorists. I spoke to many Iraqis and they showed great defiance against those Outlaws that wished to disrupt those elections. Despite facing 300 attacks across the nation that day. more than 60 percent of the Iraqis went out to vote. Not even 44 murders by the terrorists could remove the resolve of those people. Men and women waited in line to cast their vote. They took the historic ballots. entered a cardboard booth and made their choice. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2373}
{"speech_id":1090147427,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With that simple but noble action. they pushed tyrants and terrorists aside and set Iraq on a path to freedom. Then they marched down the street holding their ink stained finger up high in defiance of those terrorists. I talked to Iraqis. And I talked to a woman who came up to me with tears in her eyes after she voted and said how grateful she and her family were for the America that we live in. for giving their sons for her familys freedom. She went on to relate to me how her husband and her brother had been murdered by the devil of the desert. Saddam Hussein. There have been more successful elections since the first. and the skeptics and the critics get it wrong with each new free and successful election. Democracy is the enemy of terrorists. They hate democracies as much as they hate the human life of the innocents that they murder. We cannot give in to these madmen. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2373}
{"speech_id":1090147427,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The insurgents have discovered that the United States and her allies cannot be defeated on the battlefield. They have also found that the steely resolve of the Iraqi people to create a free and fair and inclusive government cannot be broken. Liberty and freedom are overcoming treachery and tyranny and violence. We will not fear nor flee nor flinch in this absolute resolve. And our mission statement was stated 40 years ag6 by President John F. Kennedy when he said. \"Let every nation know. whether it wishes us well or ill. that we will pay any price. bear any burden. -meet any hardship. support any friend. oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and success .of liberty.\" And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2373}
{"speech_id":1090147430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut. I would like to give myself such time right now as I might consume. We have a strategy. and it is a strategy for success. Mr. Speaker. Every day in Iraq and in Afghanistan is proof positive that we are making progress and that we will prevail. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle say .we need to have a debate on how to win. And I would point them to the Intelligence. to the Armed Services Committee. our own International Relations Committee. the countless hearings and meetings we have held to address the issues that have been raised here. And while I will let Armed Services discuss their oversight. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090147430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to read just briefly some of the sessions held by our International Relations Committee on Oversight. Full committee hearings in th6 109th Congress. in the 108th Congress. full committee Members only meeting. subcommittee hearings in the 109th Congress. subcommittee hearings in the 108th Congress. daassified briefings- in the 108th and 109th Congresses. as well as a total of 9 resolutions of inquiry on Iraq referred to our committee. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090147435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Armed Services Committee. I rise today to give voice to a few of those outside views about Iraq. those of several former general officers who have the courage to speak out about how this war has been mishandled by the President and this Republican Congress. Take. for example. General Anthony Zinni. former commander of the U..S. Central Command. He says. \"We are paying the price for the lack of credible planning. or the lack of a plan. Ten years worth of planning were thrown away. troop levels dismissed out of hand . . . these were strategic mistakes. mistake of policy.\" Or how about Major General Paul Eaton. who led the initial effort to create the Iraqi Army. ","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1388}
{"speech_id":1090147435,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He says that the \"failure to build coalitions with our allies . . . has imposed far greater demands and risks on our soldiers in Iraq. than necessary.\" -The list goes on and on. These generals have served our coufitry with honor and distinction. and we would be foolish not to heed their counsel. But this administration and this majority refuse to listen to any views other than their own. I agree with many of my colleagues who say that the failure in Iraq is not an option. But unless we take a long. honest look at how we got where we are right now and demand some kind of accountability for the mistakes that were made and learn from those mistakes. there can be no success.","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1388}
{"speech_id":1090147471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"the gentleman from California. a moment ago. referred to an amendment by Senator WARNER. Armed Services chairman in the Senate. That amendment stayed in the law last year. This is what we should be discussing today about Iraq. as we were told we would. Calendar year 2006 should be a period of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty. with Iraqi security forces taking the lead for the security of a free and sovereign Iraq. thereby creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of the United States forces from Iraq. That is where we should be today. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":616}
{"speech_id":1090147472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 2 minutes. I think it is important to remember the two major provisions in this resolution. one that there is not going to be an arbitrary cutoff. that that would disserve the security interests of the United States to have an arbitrary exit date from Iraq. and. secondly. that we are going to finish the mission. we are going to fulfill this mission. and that we support the mission that is being undertaken by those 130.000 plus troops who are in Iraq right now. Mr. Speaker. I was thinking about this question of who should determine when we leave Iraq. Over the last week. we have talked about the bringing to justice of Mr. Zarqawi. and everyone. Democrats and Republicans. have been talking about the extreme competence of the American military. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1737}
{"speech_id":1090147472,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have talked about the fact that they are extremely effective that they know what they are doing. that they may be the best military we have had in decades. that we have great leadership. That is why their judgment on the ground as they stand up and train this Iraqi military should be the determinant of when that Iraqi military is able to carry that load and take that handoff from the American military and handle those security duties themselves. It shouldnt be a Congressman from California. it shouldnt be a Senator from Minnesota. it shouldnt be subject to a committee vote by those of us in Washington. D.C. It should be a function of the collaboration and the discussion and the analysis of the combat commanders on the ground listening to their captains and their majors and their colonels who are training up this Iraqi force. When they say they are ready. that is. when we make that handoff. Mr. Speaker. Twould reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1737}
{"speech_id":1090147486,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the reenlistment rate for the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. the 4th Infantry Division. the 1st Marine Division. and the 10th Mountain Division exceeds 130 percent in.this last quarter. And a lot of that is the result of the great work by the gentleman of New York . who has been the thairman of the Total Foroe and the Personnel Subcommittee and has presided over a major part of the 41 percent pay increase that we have passed over the last several years. I yield 6 minutes- to the gentleman from New York .","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":530}
{"speech_id":1090147487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I happen to think this is a good debate. even when I vigorously disagree with some of the statements being said. This is the hall where discussions. concerns. where analysis and counterpoints need to be expressed. I wanted to start. if I may. Mr. Speaker. with a couple of counterpoints. I have heard my good friends on the other side of the aisle repeatedly refer today to comments and observations made by clearly one of the greatest fighting generals this Nation has known in recent era. General Barry McCaffrey. things he has said about our current involvement and engagement in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5847}
{"speech_id":1090147487,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Perhaps as a mere oversight. perhaps conveniently. those good folks omitted the following. and I am quoting directly. I noticed most of those folks quoted from their own notes. These are from General McCaffreys own reports after his return. in this case to Iraq. He did similar analysis in Afghanistan. Under the bottom line observations from Iraqi Freedom. written in April of 2006. before Zarqawi. before the appointment and the filling out of the entire permanent government. \"The morale. fighting effectiveness. and confidence of U.S. combat forces continue to be simply awd inspiring. In every sensing session and interaction. I probed for weakness and found courage. belief in the mission. Belief in the mission. Enormous confidence in their sergeants and companygrade commanders. and understanding of the larger mission. a commitment to creating an effective Iraqi army and police. unabashed patriotism. and even a sense of humor.\" He goes on to say. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5847}
{"speech_id":1090147487,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"Many have reenlisted to stay with their unit on its return to a second Iraq deployment. Many planned to reenlist regardless of how long the tvar went on.\" He then went on to observe. \"The tIraqi army is real. is growing. and is willing to fight.\" And then on the last page of his analysis. Mr. Speaker. he said. and I quote. \"There is no reason why the United States cannot achieve our objectives in Iraq. Our aim must be to create a viable federal state under the ruleof law which does not enslave its own people. threaten its neighbors. or produce weapons of mass destruction.\" The last sentence of General McCaffrey that my friends also failed to quote: \"The American people are far safer today than we were in the 18 months following the initial intervention.\" I think. in fairness to General McCaffrey. if we are going to quote from him we shoulfi quote the entirety. I heard also some comments about how we are not doing right by our forces in very recent debate. I would refer again to General McCaffreys observations. but I have here a listing. five pages.. bullet points of what this committee and this House and this Congress has done for our men and women in uniform in just the last four National Defense Authorization Acts. There are 51 points. and I wont read all of them. but let me account for some. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5847}
{"speech_id":1090147487,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2001. we provided $500 a month to assist the most economically challenged members. to take them off food stamps. A national disgrace. and we did it. We did it. This Congress. In 2002. we improved permanent change of station requirements to reduce outofcost moving expenses for military families. There is now no outofcost expense. In 2003. we gave them assignment incentive pay. and in 2006 increased that maximum from $1.500 .to $3.000 a month. We increased hostile fire and imminent danger pay from $150 to $225 -a month. Family separation allowance from $100 to $250 a month. We completed. as I said. that 5year program to eliminate outofcost housing expenses. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5847}
{"speech_id":1090147487,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have eliminated the requirement to pay subsistence charges for those brave members of the military who are hospitalized. We now pay an allowance to reimburse for the cost of life insurance. And in the bill we passed this year. that cost will be totally paid for by the Federal Government for the first time in our Nations history. We authorized a new payment of $430 a month to combat wounded servicemembers who are hospitalized. and on and on and on. The chairman mentioned that in each of the last 8 years we have increased pay to our military men and women in uniform by more than half a percent over what the civilian sector in this country has received. whether it is TRICARE for every Guard and Reserve member. hospitalization. better coverage. We have cared for these troops. The chairman noted. and the figures show it. though I have heard about a strained force. and we are concerned about them. We worry about them every day. I know I have in my six trips to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan.. But let me read you the recruitment figures we have thus far this year. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5847}
{"speech_id":1090147489,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. LANTOS and Mr. MURTHA.Prior to the 2003 invasion. I introduced legislation that would have required the President to report to Congress on the possible consequences. It would have required the administration to provide a full accounting of the implications for homeland security. the war on terrorism. and regional stability in the Middle East. It would have required the administration to tell us the steps that our country and our allies would take to protect United States soldiers. including providing them adequate body armor. It would have required the President to estimate the full cost associated with military action against Iraq. And it would have required the President to provide an exit strategy. a plan for achieving. longterm social. economic. and political stabilization of a postwar Iraq so that we and the troops could tell when we had crossed the finish line. The administration has still not provided answers to the questions many of us asked before the war. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090147489,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Three years later. the Iraq war has cost more than 2.500 American lives and nearly $300 billion. with no end and no plan in sight. Secretary Condoleezza Rice said this war could last for 10 more years. Todays resolution presents a false choice: Support the administrations flawed war policies or concede defeat on the war on terror. We are asked to support Iraqs new Prime Minister in the amnesty. the amnesty he will offer to the insurgents who have attacked and killed U.S. troops. Our troops have done everything. everything we have asked them to do in Iraq and more. They have acted heroically. They have done their job and we should honor them today and every day. But this is the second time that a congressional debate on the handling of the war has been replaced with a political stunt..The troops and the American people deserve much better. Our troops deserve more than- a round of applause. They deserve a realistic and forwardthinking plan. ","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090147489,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They deserve a plan that will bring a successful end to this mission so that they can come home. They deserve what many of us asked the President to give us 3 years ago: An exit strategy for Iraq. An exit strategy in Iraq is a crucial step toward declaring victory on the global war on terror.","speaker_name":"SHERROD BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2241}
{"speech_id":1090147540,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this resolution will not secure any success in Iraq. It will not bring our troops home. It will only signal the death of true. honest debate within the walls of this great Chamber. Todays socalled debate is politics at its worst. We are playing politics while U.S. men and women are being killed. wounded and kept away from their families. I remember laying in an Army hospital bed just home from Vietnam while another Congress played politics. ","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090147540,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was disdainful then. and when I think of those brave men and women I visited at Walter Reed. Bethesda. Ramstein. it makes me sick today. Lets do our joband bring our troops home as soon as possible. For weeks we have been told. and the American people have been promised by the Republican majority. that there would be a debate on this floor on the Iraq war. Instead we get what the news is calling today Republican election year strategy. This resolution ignores the issues most important to the men and women serving in Iraq. their families and the taxpayers who have already been billed nearly a half trillion dollars. It ignores the issues raised by some of our most respected generals. and it ignores the lack of accountability and oversight that has led to some of the most egregious and embarrassing examples of waste. fraud and abuse on record. We need to be working nonstop to bring our troops home as soon as possible. not trying to score political points while they are fighting a war. We need to be working to keep them safe. as safe as possible. until they are home. ","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090147540,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For starters. we should send a strong. loud message to the insurgents who will not occupy Iraq and will not control Iraqs oil. a message that we want to leave. as bad as they want us to leave. On my last visit to Iraq. everyone I spoke with said that they want the Iraqis to assume more security responsibility faster. Our military has done its job. often in two. three or four deployments. an unconscionable demand on our troops. an unconscionable demand on their families. and an unconscionable demand on their communities. Make no mistake. it has taken a toll on our military. Stay the course is not a strategy for success. and we are not doing our job by being a rubber stamp for this administration. Mr. Speaker. this isnt honest debate. While the majority plays politics. our men and women serving in Iraq are in terrible danger. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090147540,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan . a veteran of the Second World War.","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2531}
{"speech_id":1090147552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to initially present an update as to where we have been and where we are in Iraq. Many months ago an .Iraqi citizen said to me. you all must remove Saddam. We cant do it. he said. because we know what he is capable of doing to us in retaliation. I said to him if we do remove him. will you embrace us or will you kick us? He said. I dont know. I responded. that is my concern. I dont know either. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3959}
{"speech_id":1090147552,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe his antiSaddam remarks at that time represented a majority view in Iraq. but my concern proved prophetic. Our exercise in Iraq. Mr. Speaker. and colleagues. has not been without mistakes. Our entry strategy was superb. Our postentry strategy was tentative at best. inept at worst.\" A better response to the looting that ensued in the early days should have been in place. The disestablishment of the Army. without an alternative plan. in my opinion. was premature. Some would blame the United States for the delayed political development. but after all. our forefathers were deliberate in forming our countrys operational apparatus. so I think the political complaint is probably unfounded. Was Saddam an evil. brutal murderer. a flagrant violator of human rights? You bet. Was he involved in international terrorism? You bet. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3959}
{"speech_id":1090147552,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Was he directly or iidirectly involved in the 9\/11 attack? I dont know. I oan neither confirm nor reject that theory. My point. Mr. Speaker. is that intelligence was flawed. Mistakes were made. But the cause for freedom is a noble one. and progress has. indeed. been realized. I am concerned. Mr. Speaker. and colleagues. about the lack of objectivity in reporting the war on terrorism. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3959}
{"speech_id":1090147552,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some liberal talk show host reports imply that no good has been accomplished. Conversely. some conservative talk show hosts portray Baghdad as moonlight and roses. Clearly these two slanted versions are inaccurate and unfair. Di 2100 Let me say a word about the PATRIOT Act. Mr. Speaker. and this will be discussed in more detail subsequently. But the PATRIOT Act was reported in the full House by the Judiciary Committee. and it addressed the nexus of the sale of illicit narcotics and terrorist financing. These two shadowy worlds of narcotics trafficking and terrorism is an element of terrorism that I think is lost on many Americans. They are joined at the hip. and I am particularly pleased that the PATRIOT Act did respond to that end. Seventeen months ago. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3959}
{"speech_id":1090147552,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I publicly indicated that troop withdrawal was conspicuously absent when the war on terrorism was discussed. Oh. we spoke of appropriating more funds. we spoke of dispatching additional troops. but virtually no one ever even remotely included troop withdrawal in their discussions. Now. I am not suggesting troop withdrawal tomorrow. but I want our armed servicemen and -women home sooner rather than later. Some may declare. oh. we cannot cut and run. Cut and run? We have had a presence in Iraq in excess of 3 years. 2.500 armed services Americans have given the ultimate sacrifice to the cause of freedom. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3959}
{"speech_id":1090147572,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. our country was founded and bases itself on civilian control of the military. And when I wore the uniform of our country. I. like all other military people in uniform. followed orders. I obeyed my commanders and I tried to do whatever the mission was that was set before us. That is what you do in the military of the United States under civilian control. But I am not in uniform any more. I am a civilian now. and part of that civilian authority. And it is our patriotic duty as part of that civilian authority to ask questions. to constantly reexamine the strategy. to constantly reexamine the policy of this country. to do everything we can to. one. accomplish our mission. and. secondly. and more importantly. protect the men and women who are actually doing the fighting for us now. That is why this debate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090147572,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would have hoped. would have been more broad. that we would have had more opportunity. because this debate in this country has to take place in this building on this floor here and in the Senate Chamber. It is the patriotic obligation and duty of civilian authority to do that. and I am proud to be here tonight. Now. I have supported resolutions like this in the past. but I want to ask","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090147595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the question came up previously from a colleague about did Iraq intend to give amnesty to those who have killed American soldiers. and I want to clarify that. The National Security Adviser said just earlier regarding alleged comments from the Prime Minister that supposedly amnesty would be given to some who have killed Americans. He said. \"This is not the case. I am sorry to say the Prime Minister of Iraq has been misquoted and misunderstood. He did not mean to give amnesty to those who killed Americans.\" So that should clarify thas . Now. Mr. Speaker. there are those who have said it is a quagmire in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090147595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a mistake for us to be there. Some made these statements from personal heartache. fSome. on the other hand. were made from partisan political motivation. and some from disdain for our President anda desire to see his efforts fail. even though it risks world stability and national security. But our soldiers are there. They know they have done great things and will continue to accomplish more. They have seen the admiring faces of Iraqi children that were never present in Vietnam. They have heard gratitude from many there in Iraq that was never heard in Vietnam. Our valiant soldiers not only fight. protect and defend. they also see the frantic efforts of terrorists who are terrified that democracy and the people will begin to rule over them and their oppressive dictatorial- ways. They keep many terrorists occupied there rather than here in America. Mr. Speaker. as legislators. we get to ask a question that I didnt get to ask as a judge. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090147595,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was inappropriate because of the separation of powers. And that is. who will be hurt or helped by the actioni and. in my case as a judge. by the ruling? Well. here in this debate as legislators we get to ask that question. Who will be hurt by pulling out? Those yearning for freedom who have it within their grasp will be hurt. And ultimately America will be hurt because of terrorist activities that would resume and multiply unabated in Iraq. and bin Laden would have been proven right. that we didnt have the stomach to go all the wa3. to victory. Who would be helped by our pulling out? Well. there are some families that would not endure the heartache from losing or having a wounded soldier in their family. But the. price in lost lives might be far more expensive in the future. Who would really be helped would be ruthless. heartless. finger detaching. hand removing. throat slashing. decapitating. women raping and abusing. child misusing. corpse abusing. merciless. calloused. deranged. religious zealot. murderers who think they are going to get virgins in the next life. but may find they are the virgins with what happens to them. Let me just close by saying. some have not had nice things to say about our colleague. Mr. MURTHA. and others wanting to pull out of Iraq quickly. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090147595,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But I understand the faithful visitation that he does routinely. So I say thank God for his big heart. I say thank God for his compassion. Thank God for his visits to the wounded. Thank God for his ministering to grieving families. But thank God he was not here and prevailed after the bloodbaths at Normandy and in the Pacific. or we would be here speaking Japanese or German.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090147649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to give strong support to H. Res. 1361. For more than three years. the man Osama bin Laden called \"the prince of alQaeda\" orchestrated terror attacks that killed thousands of Iraqis. American troops and coalition forces. Now. thanks to hard work and dedication of the U.S. military and our coalition partners. Abu Musab alZarqawis reign of terror is over. Since the U.S. and our coalition partners liberated Iraq. bin Laden has sought to defeat the efforts of the people of Iraq to transform their nation into a peaceloving democracy so he can turn it into a radical Islamic state where alQaeda calls the shots. The air strike that killed Zarqawi has dealt bin Ladens organization a crucial blow by eliminating the man he trusted to wage his jihad in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2486}
{"speech_id":1090147649,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a major victory in the War on Terror. Mr. Speaker. as Chairman of the House VA Economic Opportunities Subcommittee. I feel strongly about coming to the floor today to honor our brave servicemen and women who are defending our homeland in the Global War on Terror. They have fought valiantly since the vicious unprovoked attacks of 9\/11. They liberated the people of Afghanistan from the Taliban. an abusive regime that once harbored Osama bin Laden and his alQaeda leadership. The terrorists no longer have a safe haven and are on the run. Their hopes of cre.ating a new Talibanlike state in Iraq has suffered a major setback with our militarys latest success in getting Zarqawi. Since the end of the initial operation in Iraq. many of my Democratic colleagues have called for a full withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. When thd attacks on U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians intensified. so did their calls for us to pull out. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2486}
{"speech_id":1090147649,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we had heeded those calls and not allowed our military to complete their mission. Zarqawi would still be alive and be making further strides tovQard turning Iraq into alQaedas new home base. Whether or not you supported the initial operation in Iraq. the fact of the matter is we have to see this through. Our troops deserve our support and all the resources they need to get the job done. And I am committed to giving them both. Since the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq. we have captured or killed thousands of suspected terrorists. Our servicemen and women have rooted terrorists out of hiding all over the globe. They deserve our utmost support and praise for keeping us safe and making the world a better place as they continue to fight the global war on terror.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2486}
{"speech_id":1090147657,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 861. which. above all. honors our brave men and women prosecuting the Global War on Terror and declares that the United States will prevail. I am pleased we are debating this resolution today. because it is imperative that Congress confirm to the world that Americans stand united in support of our troops. Its also imperative to leave no doubt that the U.S. has the unity and resolve to defeat the terrorists and win the War on Terror. U.S. and coalition forces have made great strides in these efforts to date. We have liberated Afghanistan from the brutal Taliban and continue to support the democratically elected government of President Hamid Karzai. We have overthrown the worlds most depraved genocidal maniac in Saddam Hussein. who now sits in a jail cell awaiting judgment before the people who not long ago suffered greatly under his brutality. And we have significantly disrupted al Oaedas terrorist network by systematically hunting down its leaders. its financiers and its footsoldiers. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2518}
{"speech_id":1090147657,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our brave troops deserve great credit for killing the murderous head of al Qaeda in Iraq. Abu Musab alZarqawi. Now we are engaged in the difficult task of rebuilding Iraq and training Iraqi security forces and police officers. We need to expedite the training of Iraqi security forces so they can secure their country. and our troops can come home with their mission completed. Mr. Speaker. I urge an overwhelming \"yes\" vote on this resolution to show our brave troops in Iraq. Afghanistan and elsewhere in the War on Terror that they continue to have strong. bipartisan support in Congress. Our prayers are with all our brave troops. More than 2.600 Minnesota National Guard troops are serving in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2518}
{"speech_id":1090147657,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"An additional 367 are serving in Afghanistan and elsewhere. All our brave troops are in my daily prayers. along with their families who are making great sacrifices at home. We also pay tribute to our brave troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. May these American heroes rest in peace and may God comfort their grieving families. Mr. Speaker. great moments and triumphs in American history require bravery. valor and selfless service. The men and women of our Armed Forces personify these values. Moreover. our troops have the skills. dedication and full support of the American people to prevail in the War on Terror. Today. the Congress can demonstrate our continuing strong support. as well.","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2518}
{"speech_id":1090147670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I very much appreciate the leadership allowing this important discussion on the war in Iraq and * the ongoing global war on terror. We can all regret the faulty intelligence that overestimated the presence of WMDs. We can focus on the need to press the new Iraqi government to meet speedy and attainable goals for the responsibility for their own security. But. we should never underestimate whats at stake in Iraq for their people or ours. Nor should we ever permit the use of propaganda or terrorist barbarism to signal to the brave men and women serving this Nation in uniform that the resolve of our country is wavering. There are many thoughts that I could lay upon the record of this body about the war on terrorism. but sometimes its better to shut up and listen to the voices of those who know much more than you or I. One of the casualties of war in my district was a great MarineLance Cpl. Andy \"Ace\" Nowacki. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10753}
{"speech_id":1090147670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Andy. 24. was a member of the Grand River Police Department and was killed by an lED in Iraq on February 26. 2005. His family. though filled with grief. determined that Andys spirit would ive on in many ways. One way will come through the establishment of a scholarship fund at Lakeland Community College. On March 31st of this year. friends. comrades and family gathered to honor Andys memory and raise funds for the scholarship. One of the people to speak that evening was Lt. Col. Mark A. Smith. the former battalion commander of Andys unitthe 2nd Battalion. 24th Marines. Lt. Col. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10753}
{"speech_id":1090147670,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Smiths remarks. which I ask through unanimous consent to appear in the Record immediately following my own. centered on the question of \"Why.\" He stated in part: \". . think the part thats most lost in public discourse in the ongoing global war on terror is really the \"Why.\" We all know how Andy died... Id like to spend a few minutes talking about why Andy died.\" Mr. Speaker. Lt. Col. Mark A. Smith. with the eloquence of a soldier. said it better than I could ever hope to. and I commend his words to the House: I got a call last Saturday when I was on duty from Sheila Nowacki. Andys mom. And she told me a part of the ceremony was going to be a pretty moving video. and she had a slight task for me. She.asked me if Id speak for a few minutes after the video. and to be positive. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10753}
{"speech_id":1090147670,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. as the commanding officer of 2\/24th. I dont get the option of saying no to the families of my KIAs for whom I was responsible. but in Sheilas and Denniss case. I was honored that they even asked me to. so I immediately rogered up to the mission. So. here we go. The only way I know to be positive in talking about Andy is to talk aboutfrom my perspective and from the Marines perspective in this room who shared time with him in combatwhy Andy died. Because I think that the thing thats most lost in public discourse about the ongoing global war on terror is really the \"Why.\" We all know how Andy died. Unfortunately. he was struck by an improvised explosive device while on an ASR in our zone. Id like to spend just a few minutes talking about why Andy died. . Andy died because he was out engaging the enemy. The single most misunderstood aspect of this war is the enerhy. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10753}
{"speech_id":1090147670,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And a professional warfighter focuses on one thing and one thing onlythe enemy. He doesnt focus on timelines. he doesnt foc0s on how fast he can stand up Iraqi battalions. He focuses on the enemy. and theres a particular reason why we need to focus on this enemy. Because this enemy is real. this enemy is vile. this enemy is evil. And this enemy has a 100year plan to destroy the United States of Americaa one hundred year plan. We think in terms of the next football season and theyre thinking in terms of 100 years from now and how theyre going to destroy this Nation. Can this enemy win this war against us? Unfortunately. Im here to tell you absolutely he can. He can if he continues to focus on two things which he focuses on every day. The first thing this enemy focuses on is breaking the will of the American people. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10753}
{"speech_id":1090147728,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Of course. being a history major at Texas A&M. I also am a great fan of history and do believe the adage those who refuse to learn from history are destined to repeat it. And then. of course. the followup to that is those who do learn from history will find new ways to mess up. But going back to the Revolutionary War. the gentleman from Connecticut gives a great example. As history indicates. and McCullough did a great job of documenting this in his book 1776. before the victory December 24. 1776. where Washington crossed the Delaware. there was not much to really crow about. And as the gentleman well knows. that retreat from over to Manhattan with the superior British forces there could have been a disaster and would have been if the wind had been blowing the other way. But I think it was providential that fog came in and covered their retreat. But I believe it was on December 27. not only did the Congress not set an arbitrary date by which he had to win. they were so committed to victory. they passed a resolution that basically gave Washington whatever power he needed. whatever authority to spend money he needed to get the job done. to get the troops reassigned so that they could fight until they won the war. That is how committed they were. And in the cover letter. as I recall. and this is a testimonial to Washingtons being the man for the time. it went along the lines of basically we submit a copy of the resolution and knowing that neither man nor his liberty will be in jeopardy with your having all this power. and then when it is no longer necessary. you will return it back. as well he did. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3620}
{"speech_id":1090147728,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But what a contrast to the discussion today to say. you know what. let us set an arbitrary date over here and then just pull out after that. We would not have had a successful conclusion to the American Revolution. I would like to address something here. This is taken offline from USA Today. And it says \"Text of a Document *Discovered in Zarqawis Safe House.\" and then it has updated June 15. 2006. 2:31 am. the Associated Press. And it says \"Text of a document discovered in terror leader Abu Musab al Zarqawis hideout. The document was provided in English by Iraqi National security adviser Mouwafak al Rubaie. And this is supposedly from these guys. that it was discovered in a safe house. And it documents exactly the things that so many on the other side and a few on our side have been saying is not the case. Our- own enemies have documented what Mr. ","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3620}
{"speech_id":1090147728,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ScoTr will be glad to know are good results that have been occurring. And it goes on to say. and these are the terrorists writing this: \"As an overall picture. time has been an element in affecting negatively the forces of the occupying countries due to the losses they sustain economically and human lives. which are increasing with time. However. here in Iraq. time is now beginning to be of service to the American forces and harmful to the resistance.\" The terrorists call themselves resisters. \"For the following reasons: Number one. \"By allowing the American forces to form the forces of the National Guard. to reinforce them and enable them to undertake rmilitary operations against the resistance.\" The resistance being the terrorists. which is just what the gentleman from Connecticut was saying earlier. We have been there.. They are training them. Some opponents are saying we have not been able to train people. that they cannot protect themselves. Well. the terrorists are saying in this document that our forces have been able to form them and train them and reinforce them and enable them to undertake military operations.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3620}
{"speech_id":1090147736,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This would be al Qaeda that is saying this. They realize that they are in a crisis. they are big trouble. and that we are prevailing and that the situation looks bleak. We believe the United States will prevail in the global war on terror and the noble struggle to protect freedom from terrorist adversaries will be all worthwhile.","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":331}
{"speech_id":1090147775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have come to the floor today to talk about the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and some frustrationI should say enormous frustrationthat I and Senator MCCAIN have about what is happening with a piece of legislation that is so very important. In this country. we have responsibility for health care for two groups of people: Federal prisoners who are incarcerated in prisonwe are responsible for their health care. If they get sick. they go to an infirmary. they go to a hospital. we are responsible. We provide health care for Federal prisoners. We also have trust responsibility for providing health care for American Indians. That is our trust responsibility. It is interesting and enormously disappointing to me that we spend twice as much per person on health care for Federal prisoners as we do in providing health care. as is our obligation. for American Indians. I want to talk a little about that because we have written a piece of legislation called the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. which builds on a piece of legislation that was passed some while ago. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8900}
{"speech_id":1090147775,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to talk about what American Indians are facing out in the country with respect to health care. Let me describe it first with respect to a story. This is a very typical story about a member of the. Mandan. Hidatsa. and Arikara Nation. which is called the Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota. It is a story about a fellow who had diabetes. By the way. I held a hearing some years ago on that reservation. On that reservation. the rate of diabetes is not double. triple. or quadruple the rate of diabetes elsewhere. At that reservation. at that point. it was 12 times the rate of diabetes that existed elsewhere. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8900}
{"speech_id":1090147775,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The person I am speaking about on the Three Affiliated Tribes or Fort Berthold Reservation is Laidmen Fox. Sr. He was a Native American who had struggled. as other members of his family had. with diabetes. He had his feet amputated. Later he had his knees amputated. Finally. his entire legs were amputated. He was on dialysis. And. finally. the doctors told him he would have to have his hands amputated. At that point. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8900}
{"speech_id":1090147775,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fox said he wanted to be taken off of the dialysis machine and to be taken home to die. He died 2 years ago. He went home to be with family and friends. having lost his feet. his knees. then his legs. and then told he would lose his hands. He died. was taken off dialysis. Just this last February. his daughterwho was 41 years old. and blind from diabetes. and also on dialysischose do have herself taken off the machine and went home to die in a similar manner. We now have in this country something nobody wants to talk about. We ration health care for American Indians. Yes. there is health care rationing. There is something called contract health services. That means that when American Indians show up at a clinic or a hospital and. through the Indian Health Service. seek treatment for their problems. the only treatment they will get and the only reimbursement they will get for that medical condition is if it means \"life or limb.\" threatening \"life or limb.\" Otherwise. in most cases. under the contract health provisions. there is no health care available. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8900}
{"speech_id":1090147775,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me talk about some other examples. if I might. A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in my State was suffering from cancer. He went through chemotherapy. and went through chemotherapy again for a number of years through referral from the Indian Health Service to the University of Minnesota. All of a sudden the Indian Health Service said to him: We dont have any more funding. And they refused to pay for any additional treatment. even after he had a number of relapses. This is not unusual for American Indians to face this sort of thing. Another American Indian fell as a result of insulin shock at his home. He hit his hip. and hurt his hip badly in the fall. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance. given a shot for the pain and told he was to be released.. His father objected because he said: My son cant walk. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8900}
{"speech_id":1090147823,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I send a series of amendments to the desk which have been cleared by myself and the distinguished ranking member. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the amendments en bloc. the amendments be agreed to. the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating to any of these individual amendments be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090147851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. let me begin by saying I very much share the view of the Senator from Alabama about our troops. Day in and day out. they bring the utmost professionalism and the utmost courage and valor to the cause of standing up for American values. I very much share his views with respect to the tribute we ought to be paying to those who serve us. who wear the uniform of the United States and who do it with such extraordinary patriotism and service to our country.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":489}
{"speech_id":1090147861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. banks of day lilies are celebrating their brief moments of glory as they turn their vibrant orange faces to the sun. The days are warm and mellow. not too hot for working in the garden or in the yard. The evenings linger. fading slowly into velvet nights filled with the trill of crickets. the sparkle of lightning bugs and the soft songs of whippoorwills. These are perfect evenings to spend on a country porch. watching the day slide into night. Late spring. almost summerit is a lovely time of year. On Sunday. June 18. the Nation will celebrate Fathers Day. Fathers Day does not arrive with quite the same fanfare as Mothers Day. To be sure. stores have been busy reminding us to shop for Fathers Day. and the racks are full of Fathers Day cards. but there doesnt seem to be the same level of intensity as that which surrounds Mothers Day. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7135}
{"speech_id":1090147861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The long distance lines will not be as bdsy. Florists will not be swamped with orders. But fathers around the country will be treated to brunch or to some other family gathering. They will open presents of golf shirts.- ties. or cologne bought by family members frustrated because dad always just buys what he really wants whenever he wants it. He is forgiven for this fault only because his family is fairly sure that dad is unaware of the approach of any holiday. including Fathers Day. Of course. fathers will put their dramatic skills to the test in order to express their gratitude. The comedian Bill Cosby famously once said. \"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soaponarope.\" This is not to say that Nation does not appreciate men. Far from it. We observe th6 birthdays of our Founding Fathers. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7135}
{"speech_id":1090147861,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We celebrate the fathers and other men who brave the terrors of distant battlefields to defend the Nation: We have monuments and parks. schools and mountains namedafter men who have won battles. made important discoveries. or who have contributed to the growth and prosperity of our Nation. But rarely. if ever. are these memorials dedicated to the important role that men play in their own families. The role that fathers play in the lives of their children. in helping to shape the future of the Nation. certainly merits this one day of recognition. The poet William Wordsworth observed: \"Father!-to God himself we cannot give a holier name.\" Fathers carry a heavy load of duty. responsibility and worry. Every day. and during many. sleepless nights. they worry about big things. like the state of the economy or the impact of trade agreements on their jobs. Will they be able to support their families and make their mortgages on time? Will they keep their job or lose it to an overseas competitor? Is their pension secure? Will they have health carenot for themselves. for men are not very good about going to the doctor regularly. but for. their families. Fathers also worry about small details. like oil level in the lawn mower or that suspicious drip under the sink. Is the prime interest rate going up or down. and how will that affect their ability to pay the monthly bills? Everything that can affect their families is a concern for fathers. who take their role as providers for their families. very seriously. indeed. By June 18. children are out of school at last. In days past. that would mean long summer days to while away with swimming and in play. and idle hours spent reading a book in the shade. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7135}
{"speech_id":1090147861,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In todays world. however. summer vacation for children out of school is often a headache for families with two working parents. Summer becomes instead a scheduling nightmare of day camps or sitters. or of latchkey kids who must spend the day indoors behind lock and key because there is no adult available to supervise their play. Instead of two working parents meaning a better life. today two working parents may as easily signal a family working hard just to keep up. Many fathers endure long commutes between work and home so that their families can live in a nicer neighborhood than those same fathers did growing up. Fathers are often portrayed as workaholics who live for their jobs and who see families as a minor annoyance. if they notice them at all. In truth. fathers worry about their jobs because they fear that. if they do not concentrate on their work. they will lose their jobs and not be able to provide for their families. Todays economy is too uncertain. too volatile. and too global to take for granted. This Fathers Day. so many fathers are in harms way in Afghanistan or in Iraq facing daily dangers that have already taken too many other fathers from their wives and children. To them and to their families. I offer my prayers of thanks and of safekeeping. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7135}
{"speech_id":1090147861,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"May God bring them safely home. The families for whom this Fathers Day will be a mix of loving remembrance and painful loss. I can offer only the comforting words of sympathy and the acknowledgment of their sad. sad loss. These fathers in heaven. for there they surely are. still have an important place in the family. Like all fathers. they teach by example. In this case. their example is one of bravery and sacrifice. patriotism and service. Clarence Budington Kelland once wrote of his father: \"He didnt tell me how to live. he lived. and let me watch him do it.\" These fathers in uniform. like good fathers everywhere. teach by the example of their own lives. \"The words that a father steaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world. but. as in whisperinggalleries. they are clearly heard at the end and by posterity.\" Jean Paul Richter made that observation. and that truism captures the essence of a fathers importance. Each day they gird themselves for battle. whether that battle be in Iraq or in an office or a factory. They go. and they return. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7135}
{"speech_id":1090147864,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of Senator Bob Doles retirement from the Senate. Bob Dole served the people of Kansas and the people of the United States of America as a Member of Congress for more than three and a half decades. He was outspoken on many issues. but. above all. I Will always admire his tireless. passionate advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. The first speech that Bob Dole ever made on the floor of the Senateon April 14. 1969--was about the challenges faced by Americans with disabilities. That date was the 24th anniversary of the day he was gravely wounded in World War II. In fact. every year that he was in the Senate. on or about April 14.\" Bob Dole made a statement on the floor about the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. But Bob Dole did much more than just talk about expanding access and opportunity for people with disabilities. He was an outstanding leader in bringing about change for the good. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2521}
{"speech_id":1090147864,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Most importantly. I will always be grateful for Senator Bob Doles leadership in helping to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Both he and I remember the day that it was signed into law as one of the proudest in our entire legislative careers. It is hard to believe. but it has been nearly 16 years since we passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. Just as many predicted. ADA has taken its place among the great civil rights laws in our Nations history. Today. the impacts of ADA are alr around us. Drivethrough restaurants have visual displays allowing the deaf and hard of hearing to place their orders. Banks have talking ATMs. now. to assist those with visual impairments. Cities have installed curb cuts and ramps to allow wheelchair users easier access. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2521}
{"speech_id":1090147864,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And on and on. Just as important. because of ADA. we have seen an enormous change- in attitudes. These changes that we see today. that we feel today. would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Senator Bob Dole in working cooperatively to help get the ADA passed. On a bipartisan basis. we miss Bob Dole here in this body. But the good news is that there is still a Senator DOLE in the Senate. and our friend Bob has found a richly satisfying life after the Senate. Today. he continues to serve the American people in a whole range of voluntary capacities. proving President Reagans dictum that \"you dont have to be on the public payroll to be an outstanding public servant.\" I salute my good friend. Bob Dole. and I wish him all the best.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2521}
{"speech_id":1090147868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it was just about 10 years ago that Bob Dole announced his retirement from the Senate. It was 1996 and the Nation was in the midst of an intense campaign for the Presidency. Bob Dole had decided to resign his Senate seat for the good of his home State of Kansas. his party. and his country. He knew he would have to focus all his energies on his campaign for President if he were to be successful. so he left Washington to answer another call to serve his country and provide a choice to the people of Kansas and the rest of the United States when the election was held in November of that year. We really shouldnt have been surprised. Answering the call to serve his country was nothing new for Bob Dole and he was proud to be able to do it. Over his life he had been many things. a legislator. a decorated war hero. and a leader both inside and outside of the Senate. Through the years. Bob Dole had always answered the call to serve his country when he was needed. and I have no doubt that he will continue to do so for many years to come. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5733}
{"speech_id":1090147868,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Its no secret. Bob Dole has made it clear all his life. You want to know and understand him. you must first understand Russell. KSthe people who live there and the values and principles they hold dear. By coming to know the people of Russell. you understand the philosophy that Bob Dole has lived by his entire life. Its a philosophy ard work. and of always giving your best to whatever you choose to do. It is a reflection of his fathers view of the world-\"stewer versus doers.\" Needless to say. you will always find Bob Dole in the \"doers\" group. That is why the story of Bob Doles life is thoroughly intertwined with the story of Russell. KS. For it was when he was growing up in Russell that Bob Dole committed himself to the service of God. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5733}
{"speech_id":1090147868,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Country and family. They came to become his core values as he learned at a young age that there are things worth fighting for and that is what drew him to his service in the military. Those who have chronicled those difficult years in our history have called him part of our greatest generation. Without any regard for himself. Bob Dole left everything he called dear behind to face a challenge as great as any generation had faced before. Pearl Harbor had been attacked and the whole world had taken up arms in a battle against an unspeakable evil that had been unleashed upon the world. World War II had called him to action and Bob Dole was a young man serving in the U.S. Army. He would never be the same again in mind or body. Given the circumstances. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5733}
{"speech_id":1090147868,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont think anyone would have returned home from the battlefields of Europe and the South Pacific and not have been changed forever. As he bravely fought in the mountains of Italy. he was wounded in action. but still he fought on. Then. he was wounded again. this time far more seriously. The odds were against him. but he somehow made it through those vital first days. He then began what would be a lengthy recovery. He had a long stay in the hospital and despite the efforts of those who attended him. he had lost the use of an arm. When he was released from the hospital. he returned home. and that special place of Russell. KS. again reached out to him with open arms and provided him with the support he needed to continue to recover from the wounds he had suffered on the battlefield. Once again. the bonds that tied him to the people of Russell and Kansas became stronger. Those bonds helped Bob Dole to regain his strength and begin to plan for the future. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5733}
{"speech_id":1090147868,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Soon he heard the call to serve again. With the support of the people of his home town. he left to work for the people of Kansas in the State house and then in the U.S. Congress. His leadership skills were quite apparent and he compiled quite a record in the Senate. He progressed through the ranks and served his party as minority and then majority leader. Every day on the Senate floor. he took a leadership role on a wide variety of issues that he knew were important to the people of his home State. Through the years he worked to ensure that our American values we protected and preserved in all the proceedings of Congress. It was a remarkable record of. service that continued until that day. ten years ago. when he resigned to pursue the call to carry the Republican banner for President. Although that final political campaign of his was not successful. Bob Dole will always be remembered for a lifetime of service to the United States. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5733}
{"speech_id":1090147903,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While soldiers are killing insurgents. insurgents are killing our soldiers. Iraqs Prime Minister is said to have considered amnesty for the growing number of insurgents. quote. as long as their hands werent stained by Iraqi blood. This kind of talk will only encourage more aggression against U.S. troops. more U.S. casualties. more U.S. deaths. Our soldiers are sitting ducks in a shooting gallery. If we really cared about them. we would bring them home. Iraqs leaders will ultimately seek peace and reconciliation with its diverse armed groups through renouncing U:S. presence. Yet we are building permanent bases there. It is time for our Nation to seek truth and reconciliation over 9\/11 and the war in Iraq. Otherwise our national agenda will continue to be held captive in Iraq. The Bible says. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1220}
{"speech_id":1090147903,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free\". The truth is. Iraq had nothing to do with 9\/11. did not have weapons of mass destruction. The truth is that in the name of fighting terrorism. we are creating more terrorists. \"Ye shall know the truth. and the truth shall set you free.\" We must free ourselves from this war. We must reconcile with those who wrongly took us into Iraq. We must seek the truth.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1220}
{"speech_id":1090147907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Republican leadership is doing nothing to help with rising college education costs. The average cost for 4 years in college at a State university is now over $40.000. and the cost to attend a private university now tops $107.000. These massive costs are far too much for many families to cover. Republicans have limited the availability of student aid. and both students and their parents are forced to take on huge loans in order to earn their college degree. In fact. the average college senior is graduating this year with more than $17.000 in student debt. Another problem looms for them. however. if they do not consolidate their loans before July 1st. That is when interest rates will nearly double on their Federal student loans. Mr. Speaker. to avoid dramatic hikes in interest rates and to lock in rates as low as 4.75 percent. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1038}
{"speech_id":1090147907,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly encourage students and graduates to consolidate their Federal loan payments before July 1. Consolidating your loans could save you thousands of dollars over the next decade.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1038}
{"speech_id":1090147908,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I had the privilege of visiting our troops in Iraq last month. I asked General Casey. the commander of our troops. how the political carping in Washington affected the troops. He responded. It doesnt really affect the troops so much. but it really grates on their families back home. During Vietnam. I will never forget. as a young Air Force officer flying combat. how much we despised the politicians in Washington who were undermining the war effort. We visited the Iraqi leaders and Prime Minister al Maliki said. Welcome to a free and democratic Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090147908,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said. Please tell the American people of our deep gratitude for the sacrifices that your sons and daughters have made to give us our freedom. He said. Please finish the job. Dont abandon us. Dont go backward. Mr. Speaker. I dont question the patriotism of our opponents in this manner. just their judgment. The cause of freedom is too important to quit. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090147908,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The world and the terrorists are watching. Lets not lose our resolve.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090147923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I want to go over a couple of things here that some of it was talked about yesterday and I said we need a plan. We also need a change of direction. Now. why do I say we need a change of direction? A number of people brought up Beirut. I remember being on the floor. and the Speaker of the House asked me to go to Beirut after the President had deployed 1.400 troops to Beirut. Go over to Beirut. see what is going on. I did. A friend of mine who had been in Vietnam with me was there. the commanding officer. and the rules we engaged in were very loose. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6104}
{"speech_id":1090147923,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Only had 1.400 people. did not even have people on the high ground to protect themselves. They were shooting down at the.Marines down in the valley. I came back and I told the President. I told Weinberger. I told Tip ONeill. you have got to get them out of there. They did not. 241 Marines were killed. The President saw it was a mistake. he changed direction. One thing about President Reagan. he understood when to change. He understood when you change direction. He had one of the. biggest tax cuts in the history of Congress. and then he had one of the biggest tax increases. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6104}
{"speech_id":1090147923,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People forget he had a tax increase because he wanted to change direction. He changed directions in Central America. I supported him. They burned me in effigy back at home because I supported Reagan all through the Central American thing. but we came to compromise in the end. and he saw we had to change direction and he did. What I am saying today. Somalia. I told President Bush I. do not go into Somalia because if you go into Somalia you will not be able to get out. He said to me. I will have them out by inauguration day. He had lost the election by that time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6104}
{"speech_id":1090147923,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He went in after the election was over. and he said. I will have them out by inauguration day. Well. he did not get them all out by inauguration day. and we changed direction there. We changed direction in the wrong direction. We went after Adide. who was a tribal leader. We sent in special forces. They bungled the thing. They fired the Secretary of Defense. They had accountability. and President Clinton changed direction. We redeployed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6104}
{"speech_id":1090147923,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So these are not times to criticize Presidents. This is something that needed to be done. Now. we are in the same position here. Iraqi civilian deaths. 2003. 250. Iraqi civilian deaths in 2006. 1.500 a month. Went from we are there. we are not someplace else. we are there. and that is how many deaths. Iraqi. kidnappings per day. 2003. two. today. there is 35 a day. 35 a day. U.S. troop fatalities. there were 37 in May of 2003. in May of 2006. 68. We are there. We are there as occupiers in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6104}
{"speech_id":1090147928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution. Today. the global war on terror is being waged on two primary fronts. as we know: Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan. a resurgent Taliban is attempting to undermine the efforts of the United States and our NATO allies. The threat from these murderous extremist terrorists remains real. and if one does not believe us. then I suggest reviewing the events of recent days in Canada. where the terrorists. motivated by Canadas participation in Afghanistan. unsuccessfully attempted. to decapitate the Canadian government. Mr. Speaker. the United States and our NATO allies must remain resolute in Afghanistan. In Iraq. which I visited last year. I believe it is important and imperative that this Congress must havea serious. sober discussion about the consequences of failure in Iraq and what that means for the future. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090147928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Failure in Iraq means a more destabilized Middle East that will be manifested by increasing sectarian strife and a political vacuum that will be filled by murderers and anarchists who most assuredly are not committed to the rule of law. What is worse. the war will continue. not only in a destabilized Middle East. but elsewhere and in places we would rather not fight. Our friends and allies will be at greatest risk and more exposed than is currently the case. To be sure. mistakes have been made in Iraq. from prewar intelligence to deBaathification to the destructive events of Abu Ghraib. but these mistakes should not stop us from our goal: the establishment of a stable. representative. national unity government that can manage the security situation much better itself and that lives in peace with its neighbors. Mr. Speaker. I. too. would like to submit additional remarks for the RECORD detailing the efforts of the House Homeland Security Committees contributions in fighting this global war on terror. The Global War on Terror is. by virtue of its title. a war with worldwide scope. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee. I am particularly concerned about the way in which this war can impact our way of life here. in these United States. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090147928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I believe that we have been doing a fine job of trying to make sure that terrorists or agents of foreign powers Do Not harm us on our shores. Since September 11. the Homeland Security Committee has enacted or sponsored legislation designed to insure the safety of the people living in this country. In H.R. 1544. the Faster and Smarter First Responders Act. we tried to make sure that homeland security grant dollars are spent according to risk. and not with regard to political concerns. In H.R. 1817. the Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. we authorized the recruitment and training of 2.000 new border patrol agents to insure that terrorists are not able to penetrate our land borders. As part of the Global War on Terror we have likewise worked hard to make sure that goods moving into this country are secure. In H.R. 4954. the SAFE Port Act of 2006. the Committee authorizes $821 million annually for port security programs. This bill further requires the Department of Homeland Security. DHS. to deploy nuclear and radiological detection systems at 22 U.S. seaports by the end of FY07. an action that will cover 98 percent of incoming maritime containers. Further. it makes sure that the people working at our port facilities are properly cleared and identified by forcing DHS to set deadlines for the implementation of the Transportation Worker Information Credential. TWIC. program. a biometricallyenhanced identification card system designed to make sure that those who would seek to commit acts of terrorism against us are Not allowed to work within the U.S. port system. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090147928,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have also worked hard to make sure that our transportation modalities are also protected in this Global War on Terror. In H.R. 5441. the Homeland Security Appropriations bill. which the House passed on May 25. 2006. we appropriated $2.05 billion for Coast Guard port and waterway security operations. $2.6 billion to screen airline passenger baggage. $13.2 million for rail security inspectors and explosive detection canines. and $458 million for biological. chemical. and explosives countermeasures to protect the Nations critical infrastructure. Of course. in addition to securing our transportation modalities. we have also\" taken steps to make sure that terrorists in the Global War on Terror are not able to access what they clearly would most like to get their hands onnuclear materials. The SAFE Port Act codifies in law the establishment of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. DNDO. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit the DNDO facility in Nevada. and I am firmly convinced of the importance of maintaining the vitality of this organization. The DNDO has one of the most important missions within the DHSthe detection and identification of nuclear materials. During my visit. I observed firsthand the testing of nuclear and radiological countermeasures. including detection devices designed to identify vehicles transporting nuclear explosive devices. fissile material. and radiological material intended for illicit use. The SAFE Port Act further requires the DNDO to conduct testing of nextgeneration nuclear and radiological detection equipment and to put forth a timeline for completing installation of such equipment at all U.S. seaports. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090147928,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Members of the Homeland Security Committee have worked hard to insure the safety of Americans. our commerce. and our infrastructure. Since September 11. we have not had a major terrorist incident in this country. And I believe that it is appropriate to attribute this positive development at least in part to the efforts of the leadership of this Committee. which is determined to make sure that the homeland is indeed a safe place.","speaker_name":"CHARLES DENT","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5845}
{"speech_id":1090147944,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker. after 9\/11. our nation united against terrorism and those who want to kill innocent civilians and destroy our American way of life. New York was impacted deeply by these tragic events and we understand firsthand the kind of unthinkable damage that can be inflicted by hatefilled violent extremists. I voted to support the use of force in Iraq for many reasons. Decades of deception and violation of United Nations resolutions. invading neighboring countries. and a litany of ruthless atrocities by Saddam Hussein involving murdering his own people. I believe that the best way to safeguard freedom in our nation increasingly depends on supporting a democratic global strategy in areas beyond our borders. That is why supporting the creation of a selfgoverning Iraq is so critical to the future of both our countries. Having said that. I am deeply disappointed in this resolution because I believe we owe Americans more than a simple declaration of. our resolve in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090147944,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We owe them an account of our progress in the Global War on Terror. an assessment of the situation. the stakes. and the strategy for victory in the battle for Iraq. and an affirmation we will defend our country. defeat the enemy. and win this unsought struggle for survival. There are several points in this resolution that I am concerned about. It also strikes me as merely a reiteration of the resolution we passed last December. First. I am disappointed in the choice of the word adversary in this resolution. History and reality illustrate that within Iraq and the broader Global War on Terror we do not face an adversarywe face a very real and dangerous enemy. We should not be afraid to clearly state what we as a nation are up against. Secondly. philosophically. any statesponsor of terror is a threat to the United States. because terrorism is an attack upon the selfevident. inalienable human rights to life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This point should be clearly expressed in a resolution of this nature. Additionally. the second clause states for the past two decades. terrorists have used violence in a futile attempt to intimidate the United States.\" This clause is too sanitized. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090147944,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The hard truth is the enemy has not tried to intimidate us: The enemy has tried to kill us and often succeeded. The enemy does so because our very existence as sovereign citizens of a free Republic constitutes a beacon of hope for all who areand all who yearn to befree. thus. we are our enemys paramount obstacle toworld dominion. I know first hand the difficulties we face in Iraq. I have heard it directly from the men and women that are fighting so hard in Afghanistan and Iraq. I do hope that despite my concerns that this debate provides a clearer understanding of the threats we really face and the opportunity to develop a strategy that protects our troops and enables our military to develop a comprehensive strategy to win this war. transfer the power to the Iraqi people and bring them home. It should also demonstrate that the \"cut and run\" agenda of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is the wrong approach to this problem and encourages the terrorists to wait us out and undo all that our soldiers have worked through blood. sweat. tears and their lives to establisha victory for our nation and a stable and secure democracy in the Middle East. Lastly. and most importantly. I will continue to stand by and support U.S. troops. I must take this opportunity to pay a personal tribute to the brave lives that have been claimed from my district: Nathan Brown. Stephen Madison. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090147944,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Kevin Kimberly. Isaac Nieves. -and Joseph Robsky. Their sacrifice. and the sacrifice of their families and loved ones embody the spirit of our great nation and principles of democracy we hold dear.","speaker_name":"JOHN SWEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3807}
{"speech_id":1090147999,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to share my comments and concerns regarding H. Res. 861. While this resolution is purely symbolic and does not have the force of law. I am voting for it. as I agree with the majority of the sentiments it expresses. In 2003. I voted for the use of force resolution. based upon what we later leamed was flawed intelligence about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. While I am glad that Saddam Hussein was removed from power and has been captured. and I hope that the new Iraqi government is successful. the U.S. must move toward a new policy in Iraq. As I stated in a letter to President Bush last month. the time has come for the United States to give the Iraqis strong incentive to stand on their own feet and take control of their own affairs. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090147999,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I acknowledge this will be a challenge. as there is a persistent and strong insurgency. which continues to kill Iraqis every day. Therefore. they must speed up the process of training Iraqi security forces that are willing and capable of defending their country. There are many former members of the Iraqi Army who are still unemployed. The United States and the administration need to send a clear message to the Iraqis that we will not have a permanent military presence in Iraq. Taking this step will motivate Iraqis to take charge of their own affairs and create incentives for involvement from regional players and the international community. Additionally. we need to begin private discussions with the leaders in Iraq regarding a timeframe for redeployment of our troops. To date. more than 2.500 U.S. soldiers have been killed and 19.000 wounded in Iraq. Extended and multiple deployments have eroded U.S. ground forces and overall military strength. A Pentagoncommissioned study recently concluded that the Army cannot maintain its current pace of operations in Iraq without doing permanent damage to the quality of the force. More than three years of continuous deployment of U.S. troops in Iraq has contributed to serious problems with military recruitment. forcing the Army to lower the standards for recruits. led to military equipment shortages that hamper the ability of ground forces to do their jobs in Iraq. and undermine the ability of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090147999,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"National Guard to deal with problems at home. While I agree with concerns that publicly announcing a timetable for withdrawal would put our troops at risk. Im concerned that political parties and new governments are very much like some people. If you undertake to do something for a person. some individuals will stand back and let you continueand never step up to the plate to do for themselves. We have saved the Iraqi people from Sadaam Hussein. but we cannot save the Iraqi people from the Iraqi peopleif they are not able and willing to fashion a political solution and bring the Iraqi people together. We must encourage the new Iraqi government and give them strong incentive to assume responsibility and stand on their own. Our fighting men and women have served bravely. We must commit ourselves to an outcome in Iraq that honors their sacrifices.","speaker_name":"DENNIS MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090148007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to stress the importance of our countrys role in the Global War on Terror and to observe the heroic. enduring efforts of our men and women in uniform who are working to secure freedom and democracy for the people of Iraq. In January. I stood with the Eastern Washington families and colleagues of nearly 100 airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base and said goodbye as they were deployed to Iraq for 4 months. In April. I had the opportunity to travel to Iraq and visit with these members of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing and the 141st Air National Guard Medical Squadron. And in May. I was privileged to welcome them back to Eastern Washington with gratitude for their work on behalf of our Nation and in pursuit of freedom and democracy in Iraq. Troops based at Eastern Washington have long played a central role in the Global War on Terror. ","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3662}
{"speech_id":1090148007,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Iraq. they assisted in the rebuilding of airfields and other crucial infrastructure projects. In April 2004. a crew deployed from Fairchild delivered the onebillionth pound of jet fuel in the Iraqi theater from a KC135 to an F16CJ Fighting Falcon from the 555th Fighter Squadron. Much deserved attention is given to the combat efforts of our troops serving alongside Iraqi Defense Forces to protect the fragile but promising unity government and the Iraqi people whom it represents. Yet I would draw attention also to the remarkable accomplishments of service men and women who are rapidly restoring the infrastructureroads. airports. and utilitiesthat is critical to Iraq sustaining itself. But even beyond the duty and mission charged to them. many of our troops are volunteering to help out at orphanages and day cares in Iraq. We should be encouraged by the commitment and compassion that these soldiers show to the comprehensive task of restoration in Iraq. Congress must continue to support the unity government of Iraq as it rebuilds its country. Like the generations before them. fighting Nazis and Communists. United States warfighters are today doing a duty for which we can never repay them. I express my undying appreciation for their commitment and their sacrifice. ","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3662}
{"speech_id":1090148007,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One of the priorities in assisting the Iraqi people is establishing an independent. selfsufficient Iraqi Security Force. Here our progress has been astounding. Today. there are over 264.600 trained and equipped members of the Iraqi Security Force. The ISF is conducting 84 percent of companylevel operations independently or along side coalition forces. This will give Iraq the ability to defend itself and participate as allies in the Global War on Terror. On the urgency of the Global War on Terror. there is no debate. And it would be irresponsible for this Congress to deny the fact that Iraq is a front in that war or to abandon our efforts there. The fierceness of the foreignled insurgency that was drawn to Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Husseins regime is evidence that the presence of democracy in Iraq and the United States aggressive pursuit of the roots of terror abroad are deadly threats to alQaida and others across the globe. We are fighting this tyrannical and ruthless enemy precisely where we should bethousands of miles away from American families and American soil. To think that terrorists would confine their attacks to Iraqs borders is to not recognize the reality of the threats we face. ","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3662}
{"speech_id":1090148007,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must not abandon the people of Iraq. We must not neglect an opportunity to strike lethal blows to the Islamic extremist network. We must assist the Iraqi people in establishing a free. stable and secure nation and not give up until then. The security of our country and our families depend on it.","speaker_name":"CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3662}
{"speech_id":1090148011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise once more to denounce our continued involvement in the Iraq war. which was the wrong decision. at the wrong time. based on wrong information. And. what are we doing today to correct all those wrong actions?-absolutely nothingnothing but talk about it. It is time for a change. it is time for a new direction. We are having a debate today to adopt a resolution that merely expresses this - chambers views and opinions on our current military engagements in the War on Terror. This resolution honors our men and women who have given their lives in the defense of this country and it honors our armed forces presently on active engagement overseas. among other things. These praises to our armed forces are indeed truly deserved. as they have been thrust into a very difficult conflict with perilous conditions. However. I think our troops can better appreciate Congress good intentions with actions rather than mere congratulatory words. This majority could have demonstrated our appreciation of the troops through laws that gave them all the equipment they needed when we sent them to war. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2389}
{"speech_id":1090148011,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This majority could have shown their commitment by demanding that the Commander in Chief clearly layout a plan of action and exit strategy. instead of allowing the continuing improvisation our troops have endured. This majority certainly might have demonstrated its commitment to the troops by not nickel and diming them on health care and making their reintegration to civil society more difficult and costly. and this majority definitely. could have made the ultimate honor by acknowledging their well done job by bringing the troops home. This majority only wants to praise thembut wont lift a finger to make sure our troops can come home sooner rather than later. We constantly hear the mantras such as: Stay the course. we are making progress and so on and so forth. That is the extent of their strategy. Mr. Speaker enough is enough! It is time to bring the troops home! Iraq has a new democratic government. it is our responsibility to help them secure their country. This country can help Iraq. as it helps other countries. protect itself by providing resources and equipment. We need to let them fight for their country in their way. It is time to be friends and not guardians. let Iraq fight for Iraq. ","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2389}
{"speech_id":1090148011,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our troops have done their job. it is time to bring them home.","speaker_name":"NYDIA VELAZQUEZ","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2389}
{"speech_id":1090148013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am deeply but distant. concerned about the current situation in Iraq. I returned to Iraq this past Memorial Day reas are the vast majority of Americans. We cess. We are well on our way to achieving our need an honest assessment from the civilian goals. The death of Abu Musab. aIZarqawi. leadership at the Pentagon about what is the foreign terrorist who was aIQaedas top working and what is not working. and what commander in. Iraq. puts us one step closer to needs to change in terms of our strategy. neutralizing the insurgency and defeating the I strongly oppose efforts to weaken the posi- terrorists. Democracy and liberty have taken tion of our military by setting an arbitrary root in the heart of a region that is not known deadline for withdrawal of our military forces. for either. The Iraq I visited two weeks ago We all want American troops to return home had a sovereign. democratic government. the from Iraq as soon as possible. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4302}
{"speech_id":1090148013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some Mem- result of three successful elections. bers of Congress have called for an imme- And after much negotiation. the Iraqi govdiate withdrawal from IraqI disagree with ernment recently named interior. defense. and them. . security ministers. These new ministers will As a longtime supporter of our military. I be- continue to lead Iraq to security selfreliance. lieve that a calendarbased date for withdrawal As an example of the improved security on serves as a rallying point for insurgents. It also the ground. it was my honor and privilege to places a target on the backs of American be part of the first Congressional Delegation to troops. Finally. I am very concerned that the spend the night Baghdad. immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops would The new leaders of Iraq implored me to leave a volatile vacuum of power in Iraq. bring back a message to this Congress: Iraq which would rapidly be filled by insurgents. A will never achieve security selfreliance if the better alternative is for Congress to clearly de- United States leaves before its work is done. lineate the conditions that. if met. would permit If we leave before our job is done. the terrora U.S. withdrawal. ists and insurgents will not only wreak greater Standing around arguing about why were in havoc upon the Iraqi people. but they will also this position doesnt serve a good purpose. in create a terrorist state from which to permy opinion. Instead. I think todays debate is petrate acts of violence against those who disan opportunity to talk about how we can de- agree with theirworld view. velop a strategy for. success. Regardless of For the sake of our own national security. when the last American soldier leaves Iraq. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4302}
{"speech_id":1090148013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I we must do everything we can to support the want to be able to look at him or her and be new leaders of Iraq. able to say that the service of our military Mr. Speaker. I also had the opportunity to achieved something greater than the political visit Afghanistan during the Memorial Day Reends of a few here in Washington. I hope all cess. President Karzai heads a fully demoof my colleagues share that desire. A strategy cratic government. the culmination of a comfor success should be comprehensive--it plete transition to democracy. Women now should include not just a military role. but also have the right to vote and work. Although a plan for political. diplomatic. and economic President Karzais government has greatly exsuccess. tended its authority. history teaches us that we In the next few weeks. a field artillery unit cannot let any part of Afghanistan remain a from my districtthe 222ndis heading home haven for terrorists. We must continue to purafter a long year in Iraq. These soldiers have sue. capture. and eradicate the remaining Al made immense sacrifices on behalf of our Qaeda\/lTaliban terrorists. great Nation and I am so grateful that theyre What I saw overseas is not what is being going to be back in Utah. ","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4302}
{"speech_id":1090148013,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We all have con- reported by the media back home. The Iraqi stituents serving overseas and I would like to economy is picking up steam: currency is take this opportunity to sincerely thank our more stable. the national stock exchange is up military service members for their work on be- and running. and business registrations are on half of all Americans. the rise. More roads and schools are being","speaker_name":"JIM MATHESON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4302}
{"speech_id":1090148015,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. America and its allies are engaged in a war against a terrorist movement that spans all corners of the globe. It is sparked by radical ideologues that breed hatred. oppression. and violence against all of their declared enemies. Since September 11. 2001. the powerful coalition of nations. led by the United States. has seen many successes against aIQaeda and other terrorist groups. It is imperative that we remain united and steadfast in the quest to defeat terrorism around the world. Last year I traveled to the Middle East to visit with troops in Kuwait. Iraq. and Afghanistan. I came away with several observations: First. morale of the troops is HIGH. They are confident of the progress they have made in the mission to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090148015,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Not one serviceman or woman I encountered had any doubts about the purpose and importance of his or her presence there. The troops are positive and appreciative of all of the support they received from back home. Their confidence in their mission is welljustified. Since my visit. the Iraqis have ratified a new constitution and installed a new. strong Prime Minister. Nuri AIMaliki. And now the latest milestone: Abu Musab alZarqawi. al Qaedas leader in Iraq. was killed in an air raid last week. Mr. Speaker. as I sat in a tent in Kuwait eating dinner with troops from Texas. I was struck by how young most of them were. Those soldiers with me were 1820 years old. ","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090148015,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their experiences and their stories humbled me. Never in my life have I felt such emotion and love for our service men and women than when I sat and looked at these brave young soldiers. Barely out of high school. yet each day these heroes awaken knowing of the perils that lie ahead. Danger awaits them. but they continue to make a great sacrifice each day so that you and I can be free. I sometimes feel that we Americans take our freedoms and our lives for granted. We forget the images of 9\/11. Yej while on my trip to the Middle East. the London bombings occurred. This was yet another stark reminder that if we dont fight terrorists abroad. they just get closer to our home. Mr. Speaker. the War on Terror is a global effort. it reaches beyond a small concentration of countries in the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090148015,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Id like to share the story of Marine Staff Sergeant Nathan Fletcher. Sergeant Fletchers wife. Mindy. lived in Dallas and also worked for another war hero. my fellow Texas Congressman SAM JOHNSON. on Capitol Hill. He is currently experiencing his third extended separation from Mindy since they married a few years ago and the start of the war on terrorism. Sergeant Fletcher. is serving in a very remote region in the Horn of Africa. He is part of a Combined Joint Task Force focused on defeating transnational terrorist groups operating in the region. Sergeant Fletcher and his fellow troops in Africa lack amenities like running water. reliable power. and air conditioning. There is no internet. television. or even paved roads. Because they are so -far away from the main camp they eat off the local economy. There are no fruits or vegetables where he is based. and so far he-.has eaten camel. goat. lamb. beef. and a couple things he could not identify. ","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090148015,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They cook their \"meals over an open fire and sleep outside every night. Sergeant Fletchers wife writes. \"His team is doing well and I know they are working very long hours. I cant imagine going 40 days without running water in temperatures over 100 degrees without air conditioning. but I know Nathan and other servicemen and women do it everyday.\" She continues. \"Iraq and Afghanistan get most of the focus. but our troops are fighting the global war on terror throughout the world. I am really proud that he is part of making sure alQaeda and other terrorists arent able to expand into another part of the world.\" Mr. Speaker. Sergeant Fletcher and the millions of other troops fighting the War on Terror around the world believe in what theyre doing. They dont want to stop. They know their mission is right. ","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090148081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I call upon the President of the United States to present a plan to Congress to start bringing our troops home from Iraq. It has been almost 4 years since the Pr6sident came to Congress and sought the use of force in Iraq. At that time. Mr. Speaker. I voted against giving the President the use of force. It was not a popular vote in my congressional district. but it was the right vote. I was proud of my vote 4 years ago. and I am proud of my vote today. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4445}
{"speech_id":1090148081,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have remained an outspoken critic of the Presidents policies in Iraq. There was no connection between Iraq and the attack on our country on September 11. There was no evidence of any weapons of mass destruction or nuclear weapons. and other weapons information was distorted. There was no direct threat against tre United States. We have paid a heavy price for the war in Iraq. Over 2.400 soldiers have died. 18.000 have been injured. and we have spent $300 billionplus of taxpayer money. Our international standing has suffered. In December 2004. I visited the troops in Iraq. I wanted to see firsthand what was happening in Baghdad. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4445}
{"speech_id":1090148081,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My experiences I will not soon forget. I thanked our soldiers for their service to our country. They deserve to come home to their families and a grateful Nation. A lot has changed in Iraq. It has been 3 years since the Saddam Hussein regime fell. It has been 2 years since an interim government was formed and the sovereignty of Iraq was transferred to that interim government. It has been 15 months since the first elections in Iraq. Iraq has a new constitution. They have elected a permanent government. In December of 2005 we went on record in the defense authorization bill that 2006 should be a year of transition in which the Iraqi security forces take control of their own security. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4445}
{"speech_id":1090148081,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That has not happened. It is time to change the policies in Iraq. and yet the President still says lets stay the course. We need a new direction in Iraq. That direction should include the drawdown of American troops. We have 130.000 soldiers serving in Iraq. 20 percent are from our National Guard and Reservists. Military experts have recommended a drawdown of 10.000 troops a month. Although we should not announce a specific time schedule. it is reasonable to expect that onehalf of our combat troops could be home by the end of 2006. and all of our combat troops home by the end of 2007. It should start with our National Guard. They were never intended to be the primary coverage for a military operation. We need them home to meet local needs. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4445}
{"speech_id":1090148081,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This would allow us to achieve certain necessary objectives. bringing our troops home to their families and not in the middle of a civil war. It is an important message to the Iraqi government that they cannot assume that American soldiers will be there indefinitely to take care of their own security needs. It would remove propaganda for al Qaeda in which they look at the United States as being an occupation force. and it allows us to stage outside of Iraq to work with our allies and international community to fight international terrorism. We have lost our focus in the war against terror. It would help us preserve an allvolunteer military. We also need to organize an international conference. including the Iraqi government and our friends internationally. The United States is the only superpower. We need to mend our diplomatic fences. We need to engage the international community. It is in their interest to help us in Iraq. to create a ceasefire for the Iraqi government and its militia. train the security forces. and coordinate humanitarian aid and infrastructure assistance. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4445}
{"speech_id":1090148108,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"who is our whip. Mr. JAMES CLYBURN. our chairman. and also Mr. LARSON. who is our vice chairman. And I think that it is very appropriate at this particular time. Mr. Speaker. to talk about the great comeback by the Miami Heat in the series of the NBA finals. And I can say on behalf of MS. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ and those of us from the south Florida delegation and from the Florida delegation that we are very. very pleased of the outstanding play by the Heat. We want to continue to support them in every way possible. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2250}
{"speech_id":1090148108,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know that they will be victorious. We have been wrestling with our friends in the back in the Speakers lobby from Dallas and the surrounding area. letting them know that the final outcome will be a great parade in downtown Miami with the new NBA champions. As you know. as we look at it from a religious standpoint. you have to claim it. And we are excited. There are some extraordinary things that are happening now. Dwyane Wade. If Shaquille ONeal falls on a Chevy truck. he would hurt it. But Dwyane Wade has been ableto overcome the injury. and also several of the Heat players and the Heat fans have persevered. So we look forward to FathersDay. I know that Shaquille -ONeal and Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade are all fathers. and we know on Fathers Day they will deliver agift to themselves and to me and to other folks. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2250}
{"speech_id":1090148108,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I just want to say since we have the hour. Mr. Speaker. there are Members. I am pretty sure. from Texas. from Dallas who would love to come to the floor. whom we will not yield to at this time. to give their side of the story. We are happy we have this hour. We honor the Heat and we are glad that there is a great series going on. And while we are at it. before I yield to Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ to make comments on this. I want to thank the NBA for all the work that they have done not only in Dallas but in Miami. in their charities. and giving to the Heat center. At Little River Middle School. they have actually put some computers in. and they have been there over the years. but they have made a new commitment to that center and they have named it after the late wife of the Heat trainer. ","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2250}
{"speech_id":1090148108,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So we want to en-. courage the NBA to keep doing what they are doing. I yield to Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2250}
{"speech_id":1090148214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the two leaders and I and Senator KENNEDY have had an opportunity to talk about. first. the parliamentary situation and. secondly. an amendment that the Senator from Massachusetts desires to bring up. We have come to an agreement whereby for the next 30 minutes. we will leave the procedure of the pending amendment in place. and the Senator from Massachusetts will be recognized to address the Senate with regard to the subject of an amendment that he intends to bring up at some point in time. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Massachusetts now be recognized for a period of 30 minutes.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":616}
{"speech_id":1090148225,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In view of our agree\u0095ment on these points. do you agree to authorize the council and the Secretary to establish incidental catch limits for these fisheries without prohibiting the council from providing the CDQ program with an incidental catch allowance.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090148319,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the leader for his -cooperation. As I understand what he is basically saying is that he will work out. I imagine with the Democratic leader. an appropriate time so at least the Senate will have an opportunity.. before final passage of this legislation. that we will get a vote on my amendment or action on it related thereto. Am I right?","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":360}
{"speech_id":1090148391,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I recognize Howard. SD. The town of Howard will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding this year. Located in Miner County. Howard was founded in 1881. Howard was South Dakotas first community to operate its own wind turbines. providing \"green energy\" to residential and commercial customers. I offer my congratulations to Howard on their anniversary. and I wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.*","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":440}
{"speech_id":1090148399,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 19. 2006. at 4 p.m.. in closed session to consider S. 3237. the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090148491,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. flight delays prevented my attendance for legislative business scheduled for today. Monday. June 19. 2006. Had I been present. I would have voted \"yea\"- on H.R. 5540. the Sgt. Jacob Dan Dones Post Office Designation Act (rollcall No. 289). \"yea\" on H.R. 5504. the Larry Winn. Jr. Post Office Building Designation Act (rollcall No. 290). and \"yea\" on H. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":484}
{"speech_id":1090148491,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Res. 826. expressing the sense of Congress that a National Youth Sports Week should be established (rollcall No. 291).","speaker_name":"CAROLYN KILPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":484}
{"speech_id":1090148493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was absent from Washington on -Monday. June 19. 2006. As a result. I was not recorded for rollcall votes No. 289. No. 290 and No. 291. Had I been present. I would have voted \"yes\" on rollcall No. 289. No. 290 and No. ","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":530}
{"speech_id":1090148493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rollcall No. 289H.R. 5540Sergeant Jacob Dan Dones Post Office Designation Act. rollcall No. 290H.R. 5504Larry Winn. Jr. Post Office Building Designation Act. and rollcall No. 291H. Res. 826Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Youth Sports Week should be established.","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":530}
{"speech_id":1090148533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think you have put your finger on a very important principle as we go forward on energy debate. The debate in energy between those of us who believe in the New Apollo -Project and those of us who do not is really a debate between the optimists and the pessimists. The pessimists believe that we are tied to these really now ancient technologies. Fossil fuels is really an ancient technology. It is from the 1800s. It is old. We have been doing it for a long. long time. Now. pessimists believe that we are stuck burning fossil fuels. and that is about as good as it gets.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090148535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just more oil. You just drill more holes in the ground. The. problem with that is. unfortunately. for reasons that are past our understanding. the dinosaurs went to die under somebody elses sand. That seems so unfair to us. We use 25 percent of the worlds oil. but we only have 3 percent of the worlds oil reserves. We could drill in Yosemite. we could drill outside on the south lawn of the White House. The problem is. the oil is not there. We use onequarter of the worlds oil. but we only have 3 percent of the reserves. So we can accelerate some exploration. but. unfortunately. the oil. frankly. is not there. So for one reason. it is just not there. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3048}
{"speech_id":1090148535,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the pessimists believe that we cannot invent our Way out of this pickle. The optimists believe that we can do the same thing in energy as we did in space. Just to harken back in history. when Kennedy said we were going to the moon on May 9. 1961. put that in historical perspective. Our rockets were blowing up on the launch pad. We had launched a softball in suborbital flight. Computers were as big as a room. He didnt know how we were going to get to the moon. but he did know a fundamental lesson of American psychology. which is we are the best inventors in human history. literally. Our culture. our society in America is the best inventive society in human history. So he recognized our ability to innovate. Now. the New Apollo Energy Project that we have propounded delves on that. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3048}
{"speech_id":1090148535,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me just give you an example of just a couple things in my neighborhood. It was in my paper this morning. in the Seattle Timeg. about a young man who has built a hybrid vehicle that uses an enhanced battery. It is a plugin hybrid that has a little larger battery that he adds to the trunk. That car now gets 100 miles per gallon. 100 miles per gallon. and it is driving the streets of Seattle. Washington. today. The reason it does. you plug it in. it gets a little larger boost. it uses electricity now much greater than the gasoline. Now. it does use additional electricity. but it is getting 100 miles per gallon driving on the streets today. This technology exists. Because of his efforts and some of these other groups that are pushing this. they are now pushing the auto industries to move faster to get to this plugin hybrid technology. It is there. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3048}
{"speech_id":1090148535,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have the largest wind farm in North America being built today. 350foottall towers in southeast Washington. that is generating over $1.5 million over a severalyear period for one farmer of a stream of revenue. This is great for farmers as well. It is going to produce enough electricity for 400.000 people. We have the largest biodiesel plant in North America now is under design in southwestern Washington which will produce environmentally sound fuel for our cars and biodiesel. And biodiesel is great because it reduces the CO2 emissions. because the CO2 goes into the plant. we make oil out of it. and we dont put any net increase in carbon dioxide. I just- mentioned these three technologies out of hundreds that are now coming on.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3048}
{"speech_id":1090148536,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A couple things on what you say. One is that I think we also ought to make clear. and I know in your proposal and you are talking about it is that this isnt about a new big government program. this is about working with the private sector and helping innovation. on whether it is actually giving .tax credits or helping to make some investment or helping to kickstart one of those ideas for a private company that wants to do this and wants to explore doing it. That is who is doing it. But what they need is for -us to help make that happen so that it doesnt take them 10 years before they grow just enough to be able to prove it to someone. to be able to take a risk. And I think some of the proposals that as government we could just ensure that loan. so that. in fact. it helps some private bank be able to make that loan and risk it. because we dont know what is going to work. We know some things are working. we dont know which one is going to really take off. We know. again. even with the biofuels we have been talking about ethanol. but there is some suggestion we could use sugar. we could useswitchgrass. There is a whole variety of other ways we can do this. the whole question about electric cars and whether that works and how we can do this. There is some other technologies out there. fuel cell technology that we could actually potentially use in cars. So. again. what we are saying here is that we want to work with the private sector. we want to work with those scientists and innovators and entrepreneurs who will be able to take their ideas and then be able to keep tweaking them. if you will. to see what works. to see what takes off. and to work with our own automobile manufacturers to say. you want to scale it up not just another few cars. but a lot of cars. and how quickly can you do that? How can you make it? How can we keep making cars here that we want to buy. that we can afford to buy. that will use less fuel? But it is working with the private sector with that innovation. allowing it to be quite dynamic. because we dont know which ones to choose so much. ","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2795}
{"speech_id":1090148536,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And that is even happening. as I mentioned this about the oldtime fossil fuels. There are now cleancoal technologies. In Pennsylvania we are sort of interested in some of that. could that work? Could it help us get through the hump for the foreseeable future? But I do think it is so important for us not to be so worried that we actually only think in the very narrowest ways about how we can solve the problem for next year or for the year after. This is really looking at both immediate solutions. but then long term. where are we really going with this. and why shouldnt we in America be the ones in the forefront of this? And that is what you are talking about. and I think that is very exciting.","speaker_name":"ALLYSON SCHWARTZ","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2795}
{"speech_id":1090148539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has been very sad to see technology originally developed in the United States. particularly solar cell technology. now being perfected and commercialized in Germany and other countries. To see that hemorrhaging of jobs is really a pathetic statement of our inaction to have a national energy policy. And we effectively dont have a national energy policy right now. except to just sort of allow the status quo to stumble along. There is one thing that is very clear about energy: Somebody is going to create millions of jobs and millions of dollars. and we want that to be Americans. In the 1960s. they had the missile gap. Remember. during the NixonKennedy debate there was a debate about the missile gap. In a way. we have an energy technology gap right now that. frankly. other countries are getting a leg up on us. And the reason is. is that those countries have developed energy policies that have decided to leapfrog technologies and develop technologies there. We cant allow that gap to continue to widen. And that is why this New Apollo Energy Project. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2362}
{"speech_id":1090148539,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 2828. if you want to take a look at it. is going to answer this challenge. When Kennedy set us forth in the original space race. it really was not for economic reasons. it was largely not for a job creation program. But if you look at what it did create. can you imagine had he not challenged America to start the original Apollo Project? We would not have a computer industry in this country. we would not have an Internetbased industry. we would not have a satellitebased industry. We would likely probably not have a nanotechnologybased industry. That has been the mainspring of economic development and job creation in this country. So I think the important thing to realize about energy is we are not just acting to $3 a gallon gas. we are not acting just to save the planet we live on from the ravages of global warming. We are doing -it from a positive economic growthoriented proposal. And I think you can honestly say that this is probably the best thing the U.S. Congress could do to really grow the U.S. economy right now. because it is the one thing that the world obviously needs. Our market is not just in America. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2362}
{"speech_id":1090148539,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we develop a cleancoal technology. we want to sell that technology to the Chinese and to India. And assuming we can do that. there is enormous growth potential.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2362}
{"speech_id":1090148553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am going to wait on that little celebration until our good friend from Florida joins us and we can do the happy dance together on the Heats amazing victory last night. and I am sure the Speaker enjoyed that fantastic victory last night as well. So we will regale you with the success of the Heat when the gentleman from Florida joins us.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":352}
{"speech_id":1090148558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have begun a proud tradition in south Florida. and we are looking forward to equaling over time the amazing success of the Boston Celtics. Having already experienced the joy of a national championship by the University of Florida Fighting Gators basketball team. basketball is alive and well in Florida. As you can see. we have some pretty good players down our way. But I want to jump off because Mr. RYAN did refer to the billions in debt. and you went through very eloquently. and I dont think people in America have a real idea. that is why I love that chart of the percentage of debt that each of those countries has of the United States. And when you graphically depict it across the entire country. it really. really drives the point home. But what I found. and I have a shorter tenure in Congress than you and Mr. MEEK and","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":833}
{"speech_id":1090148566,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me give a very concrete example that was reported Saturday in my hometown newspaper. one of them. the Boston Globe. The headline read: \"Cost of college piling debt on Massachusetts families.\" \"Massachusetts families fell a total of $562 million short of being able to pay for college in the State last year. according to State officials. highlighting the struggle for families to afford higher education in Massachusetts.\" Now that $562 million represented the portion of college costs a family cannot afford to pay that is not covered by Federal. State or institutional grants or loans. And when aid falls short. many students make up the difference with private loans they have trouble repaying. Here is a quote from a young student: \"My dad had to take money out of his 401(k) twice because during the semester we werent given enough in grants and student loans to meet the amount we had to pay.\" The article goes on -to say that students are covering the funding gap with higherinterest private loans. credit card debt. and too many hours of work outside of school. Now I sat on the Administrative Law Subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary where for 5 or 6 years we reviewed the proposal. for the socalled bankruptcy law. I was always struck by the number of solicitations that were going to students to utilize their credit cards. Some would send a check. I remember in the debate bringing a blownup posterboard of a check that my daughter received for $2.500. And as part of the solicitation. there was an opening salutation that said: \"Have a good spring break.\" .Well. the truth is that those credit card solicitations were putting in the hands of students credit cards that carried with them 18 percent. 22 percent. 26 percent. 30 percent interest rates. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090148566,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So what we are doing is not only creating a culture where credit card debt is an acceptable norm for paying significant loans. but we are graduating our students with average debts of about $10.000 on which they are paying these exorbitant credit card rates.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2035}
{"speech_id":1090148679,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would be happy to do that. in the future. I would like to. highlight some of the aspects of the bill which I think are very important. I have had the privilege of working with Senator CORNYN as the. ranking member of the Emerging Threats Subcommittee. It has been a real pleasure. He has conducted the committee with great efficiency and great cooperation. The staff has been particularly helpful on a bipartisan basis. I am pleased to note that in the context of our deliberations. several important measures were included in this legislation. First. we have authorized an additional $400 million for science and technology programs. The original request sent by the Department of Defense was woefully inadequate. Science and technology is the key to our future on the battlefield as we match the skill and valor of our soldiers with the very best technology. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12350}
{"speech_id":1090148679,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have to continue this investment. I am pleased that our legislation increases that item by $400 million. Also. the bill includes language to require a report to Congress on the testing policies and practices that should be pursued with respect to rapid acquisition programs. spiral development programs. quick reaction fielding programs. and the testing for safety and survivability of deployed equipment. One of the weaknesses. I believe. with the present approach of the Department of Defense is a failure to adequately test and evaluate. and I think that failure has to be corrected and this report will. I hope. put attention on this issue and lead to positive results. The legislation also urges the Department of Defense to identify and nominate an individual to serve as the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. This position has been vacant since January 2005. It is a critical position. This individual is the key independent personality in the Department of. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12350}
{"speech_id":1090148679,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Defense to look at the testing and evaluation of new equipment. Without this position. the testing emphasis is woefully inadequate in the Department of Defense. As we put new systems into the military. we have to ensure that these systems are adequately tested. Without an individual with that responsibility and that position and posture within the Department of Defense. we are not providing the appropriate personality and mechanism to do the job. The bill also establishes the Joint Technology Office to coordinate all DOD hypersonics research programs in conjunction with NASA. The new office reflects an appreciation of the important role that these technologies- can play in advanced air platforms. missile systems. and space systems. The committees provision is an effort to ensure that millions of dollars being invested by the services and by DARPA in iypersonics are -optimized and coordinated to enable this maturing set of technologies to reach operational capabilities at the highest possible rate and at the earliest possible time. The bill also extends the authority for DOD to run technology competitions and awards cash prices to winners. This is a provision that DARPA uses very effectively. The bill also authorizes more than $30 million in increases for research that supports defense manufacturing technology. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12350}
{"speech_id":1090148679,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A growing concern in the United States. in both the defense and commercial sector. is whether or not we have the capability to manufacture what we invent. This money will help us enhance our manufacturing abilities throughout the United States. There is another area of the bill that I think is very important and that is the area that helps us protect this country from weapons of mass destruction. First. the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program of the Department of Defense is fully funded with a budget request of $372 million. The Cooperative Threat Reduction Program is one of the leading nonproliferation programs. It allows our Government to cooperate with other governments. principally those of the former Soviet Union. to reduce the availability and supply of the fissile material and potential access to nuclear devices. Also. the nonproliferation programs at the Department of Energy are fully funded at $1.7 billion. This funding is critical. One of the. most obvious threats and the most grievous threats to face this country is the existence of nuclear weapons. particularly if they fall in the hands of terrorists. One very effective way to prevent this potential apocalypse is toensure these weapons are fully under the control of a credible responsible party. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12350}
{"speech_id":1090148679,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. in many cases we are destroying some of this material to prevent it from ever being used again. The bill also includes an important waiver for the President with respect to the conditions that Russia must meet for chemical weapons destruction programs. It is important to continue to have these programs go forward. This waiver gives the President flexibility to continue these efforts. In the areas of combating terrorism and homeland defense. the bill authorizes funding increases of about $150 million. Approximately $100 million of these funds are being used to fund the top eight unfunded requirements of the Special Operations Command. We all understand each of the components of the Department of Defense submit their requests. These eight elements were not funded under the prevailing budget. Our legisiation would provide $100 million to do that and allow our special operators to continue to enhance their technology and their programs. The increase will provide. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12350}
{"speech_id":1090148688,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Virginia for his courtesy. This is a vote that we had before in the Senate. It is a vote on the establishment of a type of committee called a Truman Committee. The Truman Committee was established in the early 1940s to try to root out waste. fraud. and abuse in military contracting. That was done when there was a Democrat in the White House. a Democratically controlled Senate. and a Democratic Senator named Harry Truman. He decided there ought to be a special investigation of waste. fraud. and abuse with respect to military contracting. They established a bipartisan committee to do that. They found a massive amount of waste. fraud. andabuse. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3091}
{"speech_id":1090148688,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is clear that perhaps the most significant amount of . waste. fraud. and abuse that has ever occurred in this country is occurring right now. I think the American taxpayers are being fleeced. I dont think the Congress is doing nearly enough about it. Let me go through a couple of charts that I have shown before on the floor of the Senate. This is from the highest ranking procurement official in the Corps of Engineers. which does all the procurement for the Department of Defense. She lost her job. She was demoted for being honest. She said: I can unequivocally state that the abuse related to the contracts awarded to BR represents the most blatant and improper contract abuse I have witnessed during the course of my professional career. This from the top civilian contracting official in our Government at the Corps of Engineers. She is being demoted for being honest. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3091}
{"speech_id":1090148688,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She was always given the best recommendations. the highest performance evaluations. and when they saw that the \"old boy\" network decided to give big solesource contracts. nobid contracts and do it in a way that violated procurement rules. she spoke out. \"The most blatant and improper contract abuse\" she has ever seen. Let me describe one contractthe Custer Battles contract. Two guysCuster Battlesshow up in Iraq. They know there is a lot of money. The American taxpayers are funding not only reconstruction of Iraq but also funding Army contracts. Two guys show up in Iraq with nothing. And $100 million later. they got $100 million of the taxpayers money for contracts. The first contract was to provide security at the Baghdad Airport. There is a criminal inquiry as a result of that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3091}
{"speech_id":1090148688,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Here is what Bagdad Airport security said about this company. Custer BattlesMr. Custer and Mr. Battles. Custer Battles have shown themselves to be unresponsive. uncooperative. incompetent. deceitful. manipulative war profiteers. Other than that. they are swell fellows. They received 100 million in American taxpayer dollars. By the way. they took the forklift trucks off the Baghdad Airport and put them in a warehouse. They painted them blue and then sold them back to the Coalition Provisional Authorityforklift trucks which didnt belong to them. There are now criminal proceedings about this contract. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3091}
{"speech_id":1090148688,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But this is the tip of the iceberg. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to show an item on the floor of the Senate.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3091}
{"speech_id":1090148737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe very strongly that a second amendment was needed because of what we have been working towardthe United States and its coalition partnersfrom the very beginning. and that is to provide the Iraqi people with a sovereign nation in which they can exercise the full range of authorities and responsibilities of a sovereign nation. Therefore. they went about a series of elections. Every Member of this Chamber recognizes the courage of the Iraqi people in three elections. Then there was the formation of a permanent government. a unity government. Having achieved that. they are now beginning to exercise the full responsibilities of a sovereign nation. I was concerned that we. as a legislative body of our Nation. not indicate that we are infringing on their rights of sovereignty. This whole issue of amnesty is an important one. I do not. in any measure. suggest it is not important. But I think we have to observe that they are a sovereign nation. How they go about it should largely be within the confines of their own wisdom and goals because our whole future is dependent on this Government and the people of Iraq taking back their country such that our forces can come back home. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2234}
{"speech_id":1090148737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Whatever that Government does that is constructive toward reaching that goal I want to support. So in working on this amendment. I. working with the distinguished Senator from Kentucky. drafted one or two provisions with him which state as follows: It is the sense of Congress that the goal of the United States and our Coalition partners has been to empower the Iraqi Nation with full sovereignty thereby recognizing their freedom to exercise that sovereignty. Through successive elections and difficult political agreements the unity government is now in place exercising that sovereignty. We must respect that exercise of that sovereignty in accordance with their own wisdom. History records that governments derived of free elections should not grant amnesty to those who have committed war crimes or terrorist acts. and. [further] The United States should continue with the historic tradition of diplomatically. economically. and in a humanitarian manner assisting nations and the people whom have fought once a conflict is concluded.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2234}
{"speech_id":1090148855,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am going to describe what I understand is in the amendment which is being offered by Senator ENZI. I think it is important that we have a chance over the evening --because it looks less likely that we are going to be completing this debate tonight. We have others who are on their way over here. But I am going to review this and try to get through -it. and then if I have misstated it. I hope I will be corrected. In the last 9 years. while costs have been rising. the minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour. that is. $10.712 a year. $6.000 below the poverty line for a family of three. Since 1997. the minimum wage has lost 20 percent of its value. The Enzi proposal is a $1.10 increasefar short of making up for this lost value. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6999}
{"speech_id":1090148855,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It wont even make up for the lost value of the purchasing power of the existing minimum wage. It leaves behind 4.8 million workers who would be covered by the Democratic proposal becauge it only raises the wages of 1.8 million workers. .The raise to $5.15 was historically low. lower than any but for one increase in the 1960s. In fact. before the 1997 increase. the minimum wage had fallen to its lowest level since 1960. So we cant allow such a low increase for hardworking minimum wage workers. Eighty percent of the 14.9 million Americans who would be affected by the minimum wage are adults. and more than a third are the sole breadwinners ift their families. Minimum wage workers have waited 9 years. They deserve one that is fair. On the issue about the 10 million Americans who will lose the minimum wage in overtime protection. first. the Bush administration and Republican leadership in Congress stripped away overtime protection from 6 million Americans. That has already taken place. That has already taken place. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6999}
{"speech_id":1090148855,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have done that through rules and regulations. Now th r want to deny over 10 million more workers. minimum wage workers. overtime .pay .by eliminating the fair labor standards coverage entirely. Do you see what I mean? If you eliminate the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. you eliminate the protections for overtime pay. Currently. all employees who work for employers who are engaged in interstate commerce. have gross annual sales of at least $500.000. are guaranteed the minimum wage and overtime pay. But even in -businesses that have less than $500.000 in annual sales. employees still have individual minimum wage and overtime coverage if they. are engaged in interstate commerce. The Enzi amendment would raise the $500.000 annual sales to $1 million and eliminate the fair labor standards coyerage for workers who are engaged in interstate commerce. No more overtime for those individuals10 million. Raising the annual business threshold to $1 million and eliminating the individual coverage would force greater numbers of hardworking Americans. retail workers. security guards. garment workers. waitresses. aid their families into poverty. Raising the annual threshold and eliminating individual coverage would allow businesses to pay their workers less than the Federal minimum wage and require them to work longer hours without overtime pay. So. on the one hand. you get the $1.10 increase for 1.8 million. which will not even cover the lost value of the $5.15 since the last 9 years. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6999}
{"speech_id":1090148855,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then you eliminate the overtime protections for these workers as well. Because the Fair Labor Standards Act guarantees overtime and equal pay for women and men. this exemption jeopardizes these rights for over 10 million workers. The gross annual sales threshold was created as a way to determine that employers were engaged in interstate commerce. not as a way to exempt workers from mtnimum wage and overtime protection. Doubling the annual sales threshold and eliminating individual coverage would take away those protections for over 10 million workers. contradicting the longterm intent of the Congress to expand the Fair Labor Standards Act. For over 60 years Congress has repeatedly amended the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide more protection. more minimum wage and more overtime protectionnot less. This will be the first time we will see the significant reduction rather than an expansion. Instead of trying to exclude over 10 million workers from the guarantee of a minimum wage. we should be trying to raise it. It has been more than 9 years. Americans have waited long enough. This chart indicates raising the business exemption reverses a tradition of extending worker rights. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6999}
{"speech_id":1090148855,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress amended the business exemption in 1961. 1967. 1969 and 1989. each time to afford more employees minimum wage and overtime protections. The current $500.000 exemption was established deliberately to cover mofe employees. By raising the exemption. the Republican proposal would reduce the protection for the first time. That is very important. I want to cover the last two points. I see the Senator from Connecticut here. Under the Republican proposal. workers opt into the flextime system. but once they do. they do not control their own schedules. They work a 50hour workweek whei their employer tells them to. not when they choose to. Under the current system. workers would get overtime for those extra 10 hours a week. Under the Republican proposal. they would not. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6999}
{"speech_id":1090148866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now we find out there isincreasing hunger. and now we know it affects more than one million children. Can the Senator tell us what he knows about Americans and their degree of support to relieve the hunger of children? It is truly overwhelming. is it not?","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":255}
{"speech_id":1090148951,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we now have an agreement for a couple of votes in the morning relative to the minimum wage amendments which have been discussed this afternoon. Tomorrow we will also proceed to debate the Iraqrelated amendments offeredby Senator LEVIN and Senator KERRY. Mr. President. at this point. on behalf of the leader. I am prepared to send a cloture motion to the desk. but I do want to make the following point before sending the cloture motion to the desk. This does not--I repeat. does notpreclude us from working toward further agreement to set up votes on these amendments prior to cloture. In fact. we anticipate having votes on both of those amendments prior to cloture. We are looking forward to the debate on both amendments. Almost everyone on this side is interested in speaking to the appropriateness of adopting those amendments. and. as I said. we do not intend for clo ture to shut out in any way votes on the Kerry and Levin amendments.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":958}
{"speech_id":1090148965,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I apprediate the eloquent remarks of my colleague and his sharing of insight into Nuremberg and a number of thoughts that he shared with us about the rule of law. which I think is very important. . I note that at Nuremberg they tried and executed quite a number of people who conducted their war unfairly. in an unlawful way and went. beyond being prisoners of war. They were. in fact. tried for crimes that they had committed. I also say to my colleague with great sincerity that we are respecting the rule of law. These individuals that are caught and held at Guantanamo. some may qualify as a prisoner of war. many do not. They are what I have calledothers used enemy combatantsunlawful combatants because they were carrying out combat in an unlawful way. They did not carry arms openly. They did not wear a uniform. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1178}
{"speech_id":1090148965,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They moved surreptitiously. They killed randomly women. childrenactions that deny them the status of a lawful combatant and a prisoner of war. They are then held. if nothing else. certainly with legal protection because the Geneva Conventions cover people who are law-. ful combatants. who wage .war for legitimate nations in a legitimate way.","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1178}
{"speech_id":1090148982,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to recognize a community in North Dakota that will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 1 to 4. and again on Labor Day. the residents of Almont will gather to celebrate their communitys history and founding. Almont is a vibrant community in southcentral North Dakota. The town was founded in 1883 when the Northern Pacific Railroad established a station in the town. Major real estate settlement began in the area with the help of Eber W. Hyde. a settler from South Dakota who was seeking to establish a lumber yard in the area. The name of the town. Almont. came from a nearby landmark. Altamont Moraine. which translated from French as moraine. high hill. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1831}
{"speech_id":1090148982,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In order to preserve the history of the city. Almont has a historical society and a museum. Along with holding the rich history of Almont. the museum is the location for the towns yearly celebration that takes place during the weekend of Labor Day. The town also hosts an annual \"Lutefisk a Lefsa\" dinner that many claim to be the best around. The citizens of Almont are proud of all of their accomplishments over the past 100 years and have planned a celebration that will include street dances. city and school tours. water slides. local entertainment. childrens activities. a paint ball war. a car show. and a parade. Mr. President. I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating Almont. ND and its residents on the first 100 years and in wishing them well through the next century. By honoring Almbnt and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the great pioneerihg frontier spirit alive for future generations. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1831}
{"speech_id":1090148982,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is places such as Almont that have helped to shape this country into what it is today. which is why this fine community is deserving of our recognition. Almont has a proud past and a bright future..","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1831}
{"speech_id":1090148998,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"The McCarranFerguson Act: Implications of Repealing the Insurers Antitrust Exemption\" on Tuesday. June 20. 2006. at 9:30 a.m.. in Dirksen Senate Office Building. room 226. Witness list Panel I: Hon. Marc Racicot. Former Governor of Montana. President. American Insurance Institute. Washington. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090148998,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC. Elinor R. Hoffman. Assistant Attorney General. Antitrust Bureau. Office of the Attorney General. for the State of New York. New York. NY. Michael McRaith. Illinois Director of Insurance. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090148998,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chair. Broker Activities Task Force. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Chicago. IL. Bob Hunter. Insurance Director. Consumer Federation of American. Washington. DC. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090148998,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Kevin Thompson. Senior Vice President. Insurance- Services Office. Jersey City. NJ. Donald C. Klawiter. Chair. Section of Antitrust Law. American Bar Association. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090149031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to a constituent. Mr. Arthur Glidden. for his hard work and dedication to the continuation and protection of the Wolfeboro Centre Community Church. He has worked on this project for over 43 years. Mr. Glidden is 83 years old and has been a resident of my hometown of Wolfeboro. New Hampshire. for his entire life. Arthurs wife. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090149031,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dotty. is also a lifelong resident of the community and a supporter of the church. In 1841. a group of Wolfeboro citizens purchased onethird of an acre for $17 to build a nondenominational worship center for the Christian members of that area. This traditional New England church was started. and it continued in operation with the generous help of the congregation. In 1964. Arthur Glidden became president of the church board and began what has now become his longstanding devotion to the parishioners and the care and preservation of the building. Arthur has taken the traditions of when the meeting house was first built. and he has raised them to a higher level. For almost 25 percent of the life of the Wolfeboro Centre Community Church. he has been its greatest protector and benefactor. At times. almost singlehandedly. Arthur Glidden lifted the church up to save it from declining attendance and carried it forward on his shoulders until it was safe and secure again. Arthur Glidden is to be commended for his steadfast dedication to the Wolfeboro Centre Community Church and all of his efforts to improve the community in which he lives.","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090149041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Carolina. Mr. Speaker. when Members of Congress propose ways to spend American tax dollars. we should be held publicly accountable for our requests. This week. House Republicans will take another important step to eliminate excessive spending from the Federal budget process. Congress has a strong leader for fiscal responsibility with Congressman PAUL RYAN of Wisconsin. who has proposed a positive way to bring increased transparency and accountability to our budget process. By granting President Bush the authority to single out individual spendinig items in the legislation. the Legislative Line Item Veto Act will help target wasteful and unnecessary spending. This legislation would enable the President to strike spending from a piece of legislation and would require Congress to hold an upordown vote on the spending within 14 legislative days. Passing this bill will send a strong statement that the power of the purse does not provide permission for pork barrel spending. In conclusion. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1058}
{"speech_id":1090149049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today with a heavy heart to recognizethe life of Judy Wolpe. Judy was the wife of former Congressman Howard Wolpe of Michigan. who served in this Chamber from 1978 until 1992. Tragically. Judy was the victim of a drowning accidenz while on vacation with her husband in Guatemala. Judy was a distinguished public servant in her own right. serving as board chairwoman of Lansing Community College. and in administrative posts for former. Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard and former Indiana Governor and current U.S. Senator EVAN BAYH. Judy and I shared a hometown. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":989}
{"speech_id":1090149049,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Battle Creek. Michigan. We graduated from the same high school. Judy was a distinguished educator. with degrees from Michigan State University and Western Michigan University. She was a devoted mother of four sons and grandmother of five. Additionally. she is survived by her father. two sisters. and her brother. Judy had great zest for life. She was a giving and warm person. and she will be truly missed.","speaker_name":"JOHN SCHWARZ","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":989}
{"speech_id":1090149093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to be able to come to the floor today and that we can honor a group of Americans who have gone literally out of their way to see that our heroes in this country are given the respect that they are due. Our fallen soldiers are to be the most honored of all Americans. since they have given their very lives to protect all of our freedoms. It really is a great shame that any American would seek to disrupt the funeral of one who died to protect the liberty of all: While the actions of a few have been disheartening to us. there are so many who are willing to stand up to show their love and support for the families of the fallen. The Patriot Guard Riders. they show their love of our country. and they do that by drowning out the protests of a few with the rumblings of their motorcycles of the many. So. today we come to the floor to honor our fallen soldiers. and we do that always here on both sides of the aisle by providing for their families. by mourning for their loss. by remembering their high goals for which they all stood. So it is fitting and proper that we come here today to hold up the Patriot Guard Riders as examples of devotion to the country and encourage them to continue their ride across this Nation to protect the loved ones of our fallen servicemen.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090149099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 731 to commend the Patriot Guard Riders for their valiant efforts to shield mourning military families from protesters at the funeral services of their loved ones. I recently had the honor and privilege to attend the funeral of Army Sergeant Lonnie Calvin Allen. Jr.. who was killed along with three other servicemembers when a roadside bomb struck his Humvee in Baghdad. Over 500 people attended the standingroomonly service to honor the life of this brave young man. The Nebraska Chapter of the Patriot Guard Ridersdecked out in leather and holding American flagslined the walkway into the church for the protection and peace of mind of friends and family members. I felt proud to be an American as I witnessed this unforgettable display of honor and respect for one of our fallen heroes. The personal dedication and commitment of the Patriot Guard Riders is an inspiring example of true American patriotism. ","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2368}
{"speech_id":1090149099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Patriot Guard Riders also shielded the surviving family members of Army Captain Joel Cahill. who was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed late last year by an Improvised Explosive Device. lED. that struck his vehicle. As protesters held signs such as \"God sent the lED.\" and \"thank God for dead soldiers.\" Patriot Guard Riders outnumbered them by at least five to one on the other side of the street. shielding Capt. Cahills wife and two young daughters. Captain Cahills 59yearold father also took action in his own style: he handed the protesters sheets of paper containing biblical verses such as \"Dear friends. since God so loved us. we also ought to love one another.\" Sgt. L.C. Allen and Capt. Joel Cahill were buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Their valor and courage will stand the test of time. while the protesters dishonoring their noble sacrifices will fade into the annals of history. I commend Nebraska State Captain Mike Smith and all the members of the Patriot Guard Riders. both in my State and nationwide. I join them in thanking the families of our servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom at home and abroad. ","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2368}
{"speech_id":1090149099,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution to recognize the outstanding and selfless contributions of the Patriot Guard Ridersprotectors of our fallen American heroes and their families. E 1215","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2368}
{"speech_id":1090149111,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may. consume. and I rise in support of H.R. 4356. the Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. we were all appalled to learn of the rampant schemes of fraudulent benefiting of government funding intended for victims of the disasters. While these crimes are now being prosecuted under existing fraud laws. I believe that the crime warrants specific and enhanced emphasis to put on notice those who would take criminal advantage of the governments need to focus on speed and comprehensive assistance in times of disasters and emergencies. This bill would establish the specific crime of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits and increases the penalties currently available for such acts. Recognizing the particular egregiousness of fraud claims surrounding emergencies like Hurricane Katrina. the bill also directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to increase penalties under the sentencing guitlelines for those individuals who would fraudulently seek to benefit from funding intended for victims of natural disasters and Presidentially declared emergencies. While I generally do not support specific directives to the Sentencing Commission to increase penalties for crimes. I belieVe this particular category of crime is egregious enough to warrant more punishment than fraud in general. with appropriate considerations for mitigating and aggravating circumstances. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2387}
{"speech_id":1090149111,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am in favor. as we all are. of seeing increased benefits being made available for victims of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Many have lost everything and are now without a permanent home or compensation for their losses. Many are still not able to return to the area. Many still need ongoing assistance. We can all agree that the limited disaster and emergency benefits that are made available to victims should only go to legitimate victims. not to scam artists or cheats who recognize that humanitarian concerns in the middle of a disaster require a waiver of traditional checks and balances in favor of speed and getting the relief to the suffering victims. Those who cheat and scheme at these times deserve more punishment. Accordingly. I am supportive of this legislation. and I urge my colleagues to support the bill. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2387}
{"speech_id":1090149122,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 367 honoring and praising the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution on the 100th anniversary of being granted its Congressional Charter. The National Society of the Sons -f the American Revolution was chartered by Congress 100 years ago on June 9. 1906. The charter was signed by Theodore Roosevelt. who was a member. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090149122,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The resolution. which is sponsored by the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina . recognizes this anniversary and honors and praises the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution on the occasion of this anniversary for its work to perpetuate and honor the memory of the brave men who fought to gain freedom during the American Revolution and for the societys unfailing devotion to our Nations youth. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the resolution and urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":995}
{"speech_id":1090149139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself suchtime as I may consume. Let .me thank the distinguished gentleman from Ohio for his insight. And I am hoping that as we move this bill along. this instruction that he has given us will be taken into account. Might I close by simply saying that one of the strong elements of this bill. which I think maybe Members of Congress might not have been aware of. and I hope is made very plain. as these various individuals meet with members in the White House. meet with Vice President CHENEY on issues that we have concern with. they will have to report and it will be publicized. those interactions. There is a component of this that will be worthy of the oversight that this particular bill. gives at this instance. But I think it is important that when we do engage in oversight that our legislative initiatives pass constitutional muster. With that. I would ask for the words of our various speakers. including Mr. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090149139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"KucINICH. to be taken into consideration as we move this bill along. And as indicated. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I yield back my time.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090149154,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 1285. a bill to amend the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999. In 1999. I sponsored the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act. formerly H.R. 441P. L. No.: 10695. to address an immediate nursing shortage in my district. the First Congressional District of Illinois. This legislation sunset last year in June of 2005. Today. there are many areas in this country which are experiencing a scarcity of health professionals. some areas more than others. In 1999 when I sponsored this legislation there were only pocket areas that experienced a shortage of nurses. now there exists. a national shortage. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3468}
{"speech_id":1090149154,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This shortage unfortunately. exists in my district. the First Congressional District of Illinois. The Englewood community. a poor. urban neighborhood with a high incidence of crime. is primarily served by St. Bernards Hospital. This small community hospitals emergency room averages approximately 31.000 visits per year. 50% of their patients are Medicaid recipients and 35% receive Medicare. Prior to the creation of a nonimmigrant visa (HIC) St. Bernard could not attract nurses into the Englewood area and was forced to hire temporary nurses to service its patients. This resulted in St. Bernard nursing expenditures to increase in the millions. The Immigration Nursing Relief Act of 1989 created the H1A visa program in order to allow foreign educated nurses to work in the United States. The rationale for the HiA program. as acknowledged by the AFLCIO. the American Nurses Association and others. was to address spot shortage areas. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3468}
{"speech_id":1090149154,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My legislation merely seeks to close the gap created by the expiration of the HiA program. H.R. 1285 simply extends the sunset provision in the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act to three years. It does not substantively change any language in the law. it still prescribes that any hospital which seeks to hire foreign nurses under these provisions must meet the following criteria: (1) be located in a Health Professional Shortage Area. (2) have at least 190 acute care beds. (3) have a medicare population of 35 percemt. and (4) have a Medicaid population of at least 28 percent. As one who has always fought for the American worker. I can assure you that this proposal does not have a detrimental effect on American nurses. My legislation continues the cap on the number of new visas that may be issued each year. It also includes processing requirements that require employers to attest that the hiring of foreign nurses will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of registered nurses. The Secretary of Labor will oversee this process and provide penalties for noncompliance. Health care is a basic human right. The hallmarks of ciVilized nations are health care. education. and democracy. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3468}
{"speech_id":1090149154,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The state of health care is a grave concern in my district. Hospitals have closed. City health clinics are closing. Payments for Medicare and Medicaid have been cut back. The legislation we must pass today is aimed at helping hospitals. like St. Bernards. keep their doors open to the communities they serve. That said I would like to thank my colleagues Congressman SENSENBRENNER. Congressman HOSTETrLER. Congressman HYDE. Congressman CONYERS and Congresswoman SHEILA JACKSONLEE for their support and for recognizing the national and local importance of this bill. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3468}
{"speech_id":1090149154,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Again. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"BOBBY RUSH","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3468}
{"speech_id":1090149182,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today in closing I again want to draw attention of the Members to the strength of the underlying legislation. H.R. 5631. This legislation accomplishes much in terms of funding our current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global war on terror. while setting the military on the path of further transformation to meet the new challenges of the 21st century. Mr. Speaker. it must also be noted that this legislation would not have been possible without much hard work on the part of the gentleman from Florida (Chairman YOUNG). the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Ranking Member MURTHA). the gentleman from California (Chairman LEWIS). and all the members on both sides of the aisle of the defense appropriations subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee. The appropriators have given us a genuinely excellent and bipartisan bill. It does not shrink from making the hard decisions regarding the funding of the current and the future force. This is never an easy task. and it is even harder during a time of war. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1867}
{"speech_id":1090149182,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. now is the time for Members to vote on the rule and the underlying legislation. [1 1345 I readily admit that no bill. including this legislation. is perfect. That is the reason why we reauthorize and appropriate for the Department of Defense on an annual basis. Moreover. we deal with ongoing contingencies through emergency supplemental appropriations when and as required. This legislation takes critical steps toward fulfilling the current and future needs. It is a building block toward creating a stronger military tomorrow and an essential element in funding our troops in the field today. Therefore. I once again urge my colleagues to support the rule and underlying bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1867}
{"speech_id":1090149212,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in full support of our fiscal year 2007 Defense Appropriations Bill. This bill and a bridge wartime supplemental funding it carries provide essential support for the forces engaged in the global war on terrorism. At the strategic level I would like to focus on the Armys longterm readiness level. not only for the current fight. but also for the global threats we face as a Nation. The global war on terrorism is a fight for our cherished way of life. It is not a question of can we as a Nation support more. it is an essential that we cannot afford less. I would truly understand the competing and compelling demands facing this body and the Nation. As we move this bill forward through the legislative process. we must ensure that the ground forces have everything they require in a timely fashion.","speaker_name":"DAVID HOBSON","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":827}
{"speech_id":1090149228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"from Pennsylvania. As indicated. I have an amendment that I was prepared to offer that asks for the same increase. 2.7 percent. that the Federal employees were getting for military personnel. which is now at 2.2 percent for the military. One of the few issues on. which all Members of Congress agree is that our military personnel are cherished defenders of our Nation. that we value them highly. that we are proud of them. Every day they stand between the status quo and an ideal for a better future and put their lives on the line to realize this goal. I The current pay increase for military personnel in this appropriations bill is 2.2 percent. This is a total of $84.9 billion for military personnel accounts. which is $1.9 billion greater than in fiscal year 2006. but it is $1.2 billion less than necessary. I believe. to help us get to 2.7 percent. We just passed the TransportationTreasuryHUD appropriation bill. which provided a 2.7 percent pty increase for civilian Federal workers. as well as targeted pay increases for a variety of enlisted personnel and officer grades. We need to make the strong statement that we value our Armed Forces just as much as we do ourcivilian public servants. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3378}
{"speech_id":1090149228,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment simply increases military personnel pay by 2.7 percent over fiscal year 2006. Every day we are reminded of the sacrifice our children and our neighbors are making. Over 2.500 soldiers have died in Iraq. and over 19.000 have been injured. Several years ago military personnel were paid 13 percent less than comparable civilian pay. This gap. however. has narrowed within the past few years to 6.5 percent in fiscal year 2005. And it is my goal to ensure that we will continue to narrow even more in the coming years.. According to the fiscal year 2006 pay charts. after 4 months of service. newly enlisted individuals earn less than $2.000 per month even if they have completed ROTC courses or 2year or 4year college programs. Mr. Chairman. \u0095 I know we can. do better. I want to thank both Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3378}
{"speech_id":1090149228,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MURTHA and Mr. YOUNG of Florida for being steadfast warriors on the battlefield of benefits for our military and for increasing the benefits to their families and to them. I would hope with the increases in experience and education and commission that we are seeing in our young military that we will close the civilian gap so that our young military. our reservists. National Guard. and others will not suffer this. if you will. incompatibility with their needs. Finally. a May 2004 survey of reservists from the Department of Defense found that 51 percent reported an earning loss. including 44 percent who reported a drop of 10 percent or more. and 21 percent reported an income loss of 20 percent or more. Although this may be due to differences in taxes and other factors. we need to make sure that those in Active Duty are not punished for serving. I hope. as we move through this process. the voices that will be heard will be Members like the chairman and ranking member of this subcommittee. that we must do more for our young men and women on the frontlines. our reservists. and our National Guard. I ask the gentlemen here today with me do they share my concerns to increase the salaries? And as well. I would hope that they would work with all of us to find a way to properly compensate and reward our brave men and women in uniform wherever they might be.-","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3378}
{"speech_id":1090149231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. This is an amendment that I would have offered. and I am delighted to not have to be able to offer it. And I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania and thank the gentleman from Florida. And in noting all of their work. we have worked together. and I am very appreciative and hopeful that we will be able to work together on this increase in salaries and compensation for our brave men and women.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":444}
{"speech_id":1090149263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. the original language I thought was extremely important at the time that it was adopted by the House. It was adopted as an amendment by Mr. OBEY in 1997. But I believe that probably it has outlived its necessity. I would say to the gentlewoman that we will agree to this amendment. However. ","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":813}
{"speech_id":1090149263,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to advise her and the House that as we move to the conference on this bill. we are going to be extremely involved in determining that the protection of our technology will be very. very positive. This aircraft. this weapons system. has a lot of great technology that. we have to protect. So we have to work out the proper language. and we will do that as we go through the conference. We are willing -to accept the amendment with that understanding.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":813}
{"speech_id":1090149278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I bring an amendment here to the floor that strikes section 9012 from the bill. The bill language under 9012 says: \"None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Government of the United States to enter into a basing rights agreement between the United States and Iraq.\" Mr. Chairman. I believe that we should not foreclose our options in Iraq. and H.R. 5631 prohibits the United States from entering into any military base agreement with Iraq. If we rule out all bases. we forego a critical part of diplomatic relations. My amendment would strike this section from the bill. Historically. basing rights agreements have been a- necessary part of diplomatic relations with foreign governments. These agreements outline guidelines and conditions for operating American military bases worldwide. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2349}
{"speech_id":1090149278,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is both common and responsible for the United States to enter into. and periodically renegotiate. basing rights agreements with countries hosting American troops. This has been done with every country hosting U.S. troops including Afghanistan. The newly elected democratic government of Iraq should be no exception. and it is likely and appropriate that basing agreements will soon be negotiated. In this way. my amendment respects Iraqi sovereignty. Prohibiting these negotiations will not make the problems go away. Rather. by refusing to enter into a sensible diplomatic dialogue. the United States would neglect its diplomatic duties. Opposing my amendment would tie the hands of those responsible for engaging in civilized diplomatic relations with Iraq. but supporting my amendment would allow for prudent decisionmaking and dialogue with the independent nation of Iraq. The use of the term \"permanent bases\" is a loaded term. The BRAC process clearly demonstrates there is no such thing as permanent U.S. military bases. even within the United States. Furthermore. military basing agreements can be negotiated for any length of time. including short term and temporary. and they can be renegotiated at any time. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2349}
{"speech_id":1090149278,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am not proposing installation of permanent bases in Iraq with this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I am simply asking that the United States be allowed to pursue this historically necessary avenue of responsible foreign relations. Mr. Chairman. I thank you. and urge my colleagues to support this amendment.","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2349}
{"speech_id":1090149290,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word for the purpose of entering into a colloquy with the distinguished ranking member Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member and the entire subcommittee for excellent work on the Defense Appropriations Act of 2007. This act does an extraordinary job of continuing the transformation of our forces. while funding our military at war. Mr. Chairman. I believe that every military threat now and in the foreseeable future is derived from or impacted by one thing. and that is our dependence on foreign oil. We fund a Defense budget of $500 billion this year. including supplemental spending. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1742}
{"speech_id":1090149290,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of that amount. $10.6 billion is spent on the Pentagons direct energy costs alone. and of that $10.6 billion. $4.7 billion bought one thing. fuel for our Air Force planes. That is about the same amount as the President has budgeted for the National Cancer Institute this year alone. The Department of Defense uses 97 percent of all Federal fuel consumption. and half of that is used for fuel for the Air Force. A single F16 can burn 28 gallons of gas a minute. in fact. Mr. Chairman. unfottunately. $10 million for the Air Forces alternative fuels research program to help reduce our reliance on foreign oil to fly our own Air Force planes is not included in the budget. I was going to submit an amendment that I would let the Air Force allocate $4 million for B52 synthetic fuels testing. $3 million for other synthetic fuel testing. and about $3 million for studies on synthetic fuel and suitability for use in jet engines. However. I will not proceed with my amendment in the hope that the honorable gentleman and ranking member will pursue this effort during conference with the Senate.","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1742}
{"speech_id":1090149332,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also want to thank Mr. VAN HOLLEN for all of his leadership. The bill that I introduced with Representative FLAKE several months ago was a bipartisan bill of five Democratic Members and five Republican Members. and addresses the NSA. surveillance program that almost every Member of this body learned about in the morning newspaper. This amendment recognizes two important principles: First. that the government must have all of the tools necessary and all of the authority required to pursue al Qaeda and other terrorists who would seek to harm our country. And second. this amendment recognizes that we are a Nation of laws. While the President possesses the inherent authority to engage in electronic surveillance of the enemy outside the country. Congress possesses the authority to regulate such surveillance within the United States. and. in fact. Congress has spoken in this area through Title III and through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. When Congress passed these statutes. it intended that they provide the sole authority for surveillance on American soil. Our amendment simply reinforces existing law that the government must obtain a court order when U.S. persons are targeted or surveillance occurs in the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3182}
{"speech_id":1090149332,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Recently when the Attorney General testified in the Judiciary Committee. I asked about the limiting principle of the NSA program. was it restricted only to international calls. what if the administration decided tomorrow it had the inherent authority to tap purely domestic calls between two Americans. did it feel it could do so without court order. and the Attorney General said that he would not rule it out. He would not rule out having the pure authority without going to court to tap the calls between two Americans on American soil. So what is the limiting principle if this program can change from day to day without the input of Congress? The only limiting principle is the good faith of the executive. which. when the executive shows it is infallible. might be a sufficient limiting principle. but the executive is no more infallible than we are here in Congress. and so we have a role to play. In enacting FISA. Congress specifically sought to balance our national security -interests with legitimate civil liberty concerns. In so doing. Congress expressly permitted surveillance without court order for 15 days after the declaration of a war. Additionally. Congress provided the authority to engage in electronic surveillance for up to 72 hours without court order. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3182}
{"speech_id":1090149332,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Furthermore. after the September 11 attacks. the administration came to Congress and asked us to modify FISA to respond to the new challenges in the war on terror. and Congress responded by making those changes. Electronic surveillance of al Qaeda operatives and others seeking toharm our country must continue. it simply can and should comply with the law. - We stand ready to work with the administration if further statutory revisions to FISA or other authorities are required to meet the new challenges in the war on terrorism. Until then. we must restore the rule of law. I urge the House to do so today. I know my colleagues Mr. SHERMAN.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3182}
{"speech_id":1090149337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. The amendment says that there is a prohibition on using funds to -fund this program unless it meets the requirements of FISA. Any part of the program that does meet the requirements of FISA. meet the existing law passed by the Congress. could continue to be funded. Those parts that dont meet the requirements of FISA. the administration will have to go back.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":395}
{"speech_id":1090149343,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. let me reclaim my time and suggest that if you want to rewrite FISA. you dont do it on the floor on an appropriations bill. You introduce a bill.or you go to the proper committee of proper jurisdiction. This is not something you do on the floor. This is serious. It is not something you do on the floor without any real hearings or consideration. If you want to change FISA. let the authorizing committee change it. They are the ones that have the jurisdiction.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":467}
{"speech_id":1090149357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is highly classified information. What you all need to know is. the people that you have put your trust in. that the leadership have put their trust in. those that serve on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. those that serve on the Intelligence Committee have been briefed. Now you have to trust them that they know what is going on here. All 435 members cant be briefed. You know why they cant be briefed. because we all love to talk and it would get out. So what I am saying to you. the gentleman from California. the author of the amendment. you need to trust Mr. MURTHA. you need to trust the chairman of the committee. You need to trust Mr. HOEKSTRA. You need to trust JANE HARMAN. ","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":817}
{"speech_id":1090149357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These are people with the responsibility from your leadership to serve on these committees. They know what is going on.","speaker_name":"RAY LAHOOD","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":817}
{"speech_id":1090149369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I suggest you pursue your bill then. because what you are doing here absolutely ties the hands of the Federal Government from protecting us. and it does not rewrite FISA. Now. let me also make this argument that FISA is a very narrow portion of our law. There is a much broader scope that is applicable to the situation necessary to protect this country. So focusing on one portion of the law is tying our handsand trying to make the whole world comply with this one narrow segment of law. in my view. it ties our hand. and I dont think we should do it. What I would suggest is that you withdraw this amendment. pursue your bill. along with the Republican cosponsors. because this does tie our hands. It. gives us an opportunity to be less safe. and I suggest the gentleman withdraw his amendment.","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":817}
{"speech_id":1090149382,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. the main sponsor of this amendment. and I am pleased to be a cosponsor of it. I would love for the President to have this authority. as he should have it. I would love to give him this authority. but I think unless he is going to go under FISA. he ought to come ask for it. I think that he needs it. I think it is proper. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2924}
{"speech_id":1090149382,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But when we are told. as we have been on the Judiciary Committee by the Attorney General. that he feels that any domestic surveillance could be okay. he wouldnt rule it out. what isnt allowed? Why does the President need FISA at all if he can simply go around it? What purpose does FISA serve? Why did we go through what we went through for months and months with the initial PATRIOT Act and then for a year to reauthorize it? In the end. we had to ask ourselves. after hearing the testimony of the Attorney General. why did we do this? Why are we so specific and so careful about the powers that we give to the executive when they can simply ignore it and go on their own? It simply begs the question if you are not going to use FISA. why not just runamuck? I submit that the acid test for Republicans on this has to be. would we be comfortable if a Democrat were in the White House using this authority? I have to say I wouldnt be. But nor am I comfortable with a member of my own party having it. There is a separation of powers argument here. We are a coequal branch of government. and I think it is our constitutional obligation to say if you are not going to use FISA. tell us why. Tell us what we need to do to make it more applicable. We have .offered that numerous times in the Judiciary Committee. yet we are told. no. you dont need to change it. Of course we dont need to change it if they can simply go around it. So I think the gentlemans amendment is perfectly proper. Believe me.. if this amendment passes. and the administration feels compelled. they will come directly to Congress and ask for the authority. but they will do it right. and I think the Congress will be glad to give it to them. But there has to be bounds here. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2924}
{"speech_id":1090149382,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are the elected representatives. It struck me when one of the Members in opposition to this amendment said a lot of people in the executive branch know about this program. That ought to be disturbing to a lot of us. that far more people in the executive branch know about this program than the elected representatives of the people. Does that not disturb anybody around here that many people over in the executive know about it and we dont? We are told in the National Security Act that the President is supposed to inform the committees of jurisdiction. It doesnt say a few members of those committees. the committees of jurisdiction. I think we simply ought to follow this. This is a reasonable amendment. I would urge those in my party and the other party to support it.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2924}
{"speech_id":1090149393,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. It is the vesting clause of the Constitution. vesting in the President the executive authority. coupled with his authority as Commander in Chief. Now. let me just say to the gentleman. so we can make it clear. I have never argued that the President has this authority in all things. as some have suggested. to kill people. to do this. to do that. I have cited authority which suggested in the area of gathering foreign intelligence. which is about what we are talking. Secondly. I would just say that the gentleman is right that we do have the power of the purse.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":571}
{"speech_id":1090149410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. I just want to get to one question that has I think not been answered to the opposition to this amendment. And that is. the suggestion is by those who know the program better than I do that parts of it dont meet the requirements of FISA. And my question is. Why cant this program be authorized by law? Why cant we change the law to authorize it?","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":381}
{"speech_id":1090149431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I intend to speak in the way that I believe is appropriate. and I will continue to do so. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was set up to ensure that the President did not violate the law and go beyond it. This administration has violated the law. We have not addressed that. The House of Representatives. the Senate has not addressed this issue. Now we have an opportunity to address it by virtue of the fact that we have this amendment before us. This is an important vote today. Every Member of this House should act in accordance with the law and accordance with the Constitution and vote for this amendment.","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090149447,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentleman will yield. I want to make sure you understand. I want to make sure the gentleman understands that under this amendment you do not have to stop listening to anybody ever. We want to continue listening. and we simply require that 72 hours after that. we ask the executive to have another set of eyeballs take a look at it to make sure it is compliant. Does the gentleman understand this amendment does not stop anybody ever. as long as you go and have a warrant 72 hours after the intelligence gathering? Do you -understand that is the purpose of our amendment? Because it is.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":606}
{"speech_id":1090149451,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. as I understand it. what you all have laid out is not that easy to do basically. that you have to make a case in front of a judge. and if it is a known al Qaeda operative. I think we should be listening to all of their conversations.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":267}
{"speech_id":1090149484,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. the issue I bring before my colleagues is that we have done a very good job in protecting the soldiers on the battlefield. and I want to compliment Mr. YOUNG and Mr. MURTHA for all you have done. And you have done that to protect them against ballistics. So we have given them the body armor. They have the side plates. the shoulder plates. throat plate. groin plate. and they have this helmet on them and it protects them against the ballistic and crash. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1524}
{"speech_id":1090149484,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But we have a problem. The problem is now. when these IEDs go off. we have blast injuries. Where before you would be close to a blast and the body or the torso would absorb part of that blast. now that blast hits all that armor that we have put on them. and part of that goes up the face where the helmet is strapped onto the chin. and when it goes up into the helmet there is no place for the force to be released. So you get a concussion. and as the force then comes back down you get a precussion. So we have traumatic brain injuries. We need to examine this. and I want to work with Mr. YOUNG. with Mr. WELDON. and Mr. MURTHA. We need for the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1524}
{"speech_id":1090149484,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Technology. and Logistics to conduct a series of comprehensive. nonballistic and ballistic tests and an evaluation of the Marine Corps light combat helmet and Army combat helmet with all qualified sling. pad. and suspension systems available in accordance with the operational requirements applicable to such helmets.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1524}
{"speech_id":1090149487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague for yielding. Last week. on Thursday. I chaired a hearing in my subcommittee looking at this very issue with helmets. and we have a dilemma right now. Mr. Chairman. We have all of our -Army being outfitted with modern helmets thanks to the good work of the appropriators. 500.000 of these helmets are on order and in place with cuttingedge technology inserts that the soldiers are very happy with. We have the Marines Special Ops units deployed with similar helmets with the inserts the Army is using. But we have 20.000 marines in theater. and 6.000 of those marines have requested an updated insert that the marines are unwilling to provide. So we have a private nonprofit. headed by a former Navy surgeon. who has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy inserts to give to Our soldiers in theater. including the 6.000 marines. It is a very confusing issue. ","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1244}
{"speech_id":1090149487,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"General Catto last week said. well. we are not going to stop them from using these inserts. but he wont order them for the rest of the marines. What this language does is it says complete this study within 60 days and buy immediately the helmets and the inserts. especially for the Marine Corps that the marines in theater are in fact requesting and using.","speaker_name":"W. WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1244}
{"speech_id":1090149501,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is to trivialize the fact that Dr. Robert Ballard. a Navy officer. whose exploration activities also mirror his activities as a naval officer. and is involved in very interesting and sensitive research in the subsurface. I would say to my colleague from Arizona. the Department of Defense does engage in funding for. academic research. The investment in this program is very consistent -with that. and I feel that perhaps in another venue or another time we could make a very detailed explanation as to why this is important to our country.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":545}
{"speech_id":1090149554,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment. I think at times we have an arrogance in the Defense Department when they ignore not the regulations. but what we are trying to do in this legislation. We expected them to talk to the people working in the Defense Department. I have never seen a better workforce than we have in the United States when it comes to the civilians who support our troops out in the field and civilians who work for the Defense Department. jnd we have tried several years now to get them to do more negotiations. They have continually ignored our advice. and I am very nervous about the way they have handled things.I have neverseen so many union representatives come to me and say. we have asked them for this. and then the .court. the court itself. says they are not being treated fairly. So I would hope we could accept this amendment or at least vote this amendment. It is a little broader than I would like. but we can always adjust that if we have to at some other point. I would advise. recommend the Members they support the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN MURTHA","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090149638,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Let me say that I started out this debate when I raised the question regarding the compensation of our soldiers with my appreciation for both Mr. MURTHA and Mr. YOUNG. I continue that appreciation because this is a very difficult challenge to appropriate funds for a myriad of issues on the Defense Department. including addressing questions of humanity. if you will. personnel issues. issues dealing with combat stress. medical issues dealing with the research on prosthetics. I rise today to discuss an issue that is enormously important to me. It might be that I am a child of the Vietnam War and many of my fellow contemporaries. my friends. male friends. went off to this war. Some did not come back. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3864}
{"speech_id":1090149638,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I am reminded of the simple honor that was. given the families as these fallen soldiers came home to the American soil. I am reminded also of the visit that President Ronald Reagan made when he went to Dover Air Force Base to receive the fallen soldiers from the explosion in Lebanon. What a moving expression to see that. As they first touched American soil. we were there to say thank you. So I rise to discuss an amendment that simply would have allowed the option of arrdval ceremonies to be presented for our deceased military personnel returning to or departing from Ramstein Air Force Base or Dover Air Force Base. In particular. I think the focus would be for those coming to Dover Air Force Base where many families come to greet their loved ones. My amendment does not in any way or the amendment would not in any way have banned or eliminated the ban on media coverage of arrival ceremonies at this time on any returning individuals fallen who have come from overseas. By continuing the ban on media. I believe it appropriately addressed the question and the sensitive question of the privacy of families. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3864}
{"speech_id":1090149638,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But Ido note that many come with the resolve that their fallen soldier is truly a hero. And because of that. they deserve an arrival ceremony with America acknowledging that that fallen soldier is truly a hero and it is all together fitting and proper that there be a pause and a remembrance when the remains of an American freedom fighter are returned to the land they gave their bodies to defend. As I mentioned. I am forever reminded of that fateful day that President Reagan went on behalf of a grateful Nation to Dover Air Force Base to welcome the marines who had fallen and who had been killed in Lebanon. Perhaps you recall also that President Jimmy Carter attended arrival ceremonies held at Dover Air F6rce Base in Delaware when the brave Americans who lost their lives in the Iran hostage rescue attempt were returned home. Similarly. the first President George H.W. Bush. the first President. participated in the arrival ceremony held for soldiers killed in Panama and Lebanon. To most Americans welcoming home.. it is a fitting ceremony. that the men and women who willingly risked all and sadly gave all that they had for this country. it is a simple statement of justice. And so I had hoped to be able to offer an amendment to be able to give guidance to the Defense Department on behalf of the families. of the fallen and the families of the United States military using the degree of sensitivity that I think would be appropriate. keeping in place the media issue that we would be concerned about. I am hoping that as we move this bill that we will have the opportunity to be able to address this question. \u0095 Before I yield to the gentleman. might I just cite. and I will yield to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsyl.vania quickly. that it was Abraham Lincoln who said the loss is doubly great to the families of the fallen for they have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3864}
{"speech_id":1090149638,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am hoping that we will have the opportunity to have these arrival ceremonies.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3864}
{"speech_id":1090149773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the more people learn about TED KENNEDYS immigration bill. the less they like it. Let me give you four examples. First. before we build a border security fence on our own U.S. property. we must first consult with the Mexican Government to make sure it is okay with them. Second. using a fake Social Security card is a felony in this country. If an American citizen does it. he goes to jail. If an illegal alien does it. he gets to collect Social Security benefits based on past illegal conduct. and even gets a chance at citizenship. Third. when it comes to instate college tuition. illegal aliens get it. but U.S. citizens from out of State pay higher tuition rates. Fourth. illegals who become socalled guest workers would get the higher unionlevel prevailing wage on private construction contracts. something even U.S. citizens dont get. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1006}
{"speech_id":1090149773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. we should first secure our borders and enforce the law. not appease the liberal constituency of TED KENNEDY by accepting his pathetic bill.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1006}
{"speech_id":1090149790,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one of my favorite scriptures is. \"Let the work I have done speak for me.\" Mr. Speaker. what a difference a week makes. Last week seven House Republicans joined Democrats in supporting an increase in the minimum wage. Yesterday. when the measure came up in another appropriation bill. they certainly changed their minds and joined the rest of the Republicans in ignoring the needs of 7 inillion hardworking minimumwage workers. which begs the question: What exactly happened over the last 7 days to make those seven Republicans change their minds? They certainly didnt spend any time with minimumwage workers. otherwise. theywould have heard how the workers can barely make ends meet. considering that those who work have to work an entire 8hour shift just to fill up their gas tank. if they are lucky enough to have a car. In the wealthiest country in the world. this is not acceptable. Mr. Speaker. House Democrats want to expand economic opportunities for 7 million Americans. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1076}
{"speech_id":1090149790,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let the work we do make a difference for the working men and women in this country.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1076}
{"speech_id":1090149806,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for his comments. his support of the bill and his clear understanding that as we bring transparency to the process of spending. that to not have transparency where most of the money is really spent would be a huge. huge gap in our efforts to make it easier to see how government money is spent. to see that it is more accountable nd that we have a real way to access that. and the public as well as the Congress has a way to access that. I thank the chairman and Mr. WAXMAN for the great work they have done to advance this bill.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":551}
{"speech_id":1090149811,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5060 requires the Office of Management and Budget to create a webbased database of Federal grants. I want to thank Majority Whip BLUNT and Chairman DAVIS for working with us to make .changes to the bill as originally drafted. Based on these revisions. I am supporting the bill. As modified. H.R. 5060 will create a robust. fully searchable database of all Federal grants that is free for members of the public to use. The database will contain a significant amount of information about each grant awardedincluding details about the grantee. the process under which the grant was awarded. as well as the purpose and requirements of the grant. Currently. there is an existing grants data system that is available to Members of Congress. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2333}
{"speech_id":1090149811,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The database that will be created under H.R. 5060 is an improvement over this existing system in two key ways: it will include more information and it will be available to the public. not just Members of Congress. As a result. this database will serve as a useful tool for individuals and organizations hoping to understand how the Federal Government distributes funds. There is also an urgent need to improve the existing database of Federal contracts. Earlier this week. I released a report finding that the \"shadow government\" of private companies working under Federal contract has exploded in size over the past 5 years. Far more taxpayer dollars now go to contracts than to grants. I had hoped that we would be able to add language improving the current contracts database. the Federal Procurement Data System. to this bill. The FPDS can be hard to use and is not fully accurate. Although it contains a significant amount of information about Federal contracts. it is not easily or freely searchable by members of the public. It must be fixed in order to provide the public with the ability to truly understand the role of contracts in the Federal Government. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2333}
{"speech_id":1090149811,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We were not able to reach agreement on language to add a contracts database to this legislation. But Chairman DAVIS has pledged to work with me to address this issue in separate legislation. Again. I want to thank the Majority Whip and the Chairman for working with us to amend H.R. 5060. and look forward to continuing this collaboration as we address the problems with the existing database of Federal contracts.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2333}
{"speech_id":1090149821,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the subcommittee chairman for his works on bringing this bill to the floor. and thank Mr. KILDEE for his work in supporting the bill. It is important that we extend this act and give the Senate time to act on the bill. so I would encourage all of our colleagues to support the bill to help our young people get the education they need to realize the American dream. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5603. the Second Higher Education Extension Act of 2006. I thank the Chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee. Mr. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3179}
{"speech_id":1090149821,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KELLER. for his work on this bill. as well as his consistent efforts on behalf of our Nations college students and their families. Discretionary programs under the Higher Education Act will expire on June 30. 2006. and this legislation before us simply extends the programs for an additional three months. Earlier this year. when the Deficit Reduction Act was signed into law. we authorized the Acts mandatory spending programs. In the process. we reduced lender subsidies. increased loan limits for students. simplified the financial aid process. and provided additional resources for needy students studying math. science. and critical foreign languages in college. And we managed to achieve all that while also making certain that student aid programs operate more efficiently. saving U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. In March. the House backed H.R. 609. the College Access & Opportunity Act. which would reauthorize the remaining programs under the Higher Education Act. This bill would strengthen the Pell Grant program. empower parents and students through \"sunshine\" and transparency in college. costs and accreditation. improve college access programs. and much more. I am hopeful that our friends on the other side of the Capitol will act on these reforms soon so these extensions will become a thing of the past. In the meantime. however. Congress again must act to extend the Higher Education Act. which we have done previously on several occasions and with bipartisan support. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3179}
{"speech_id":1090149821,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Second Higher Education Extension Act will ensure that vital Federal college access and student aid programs continue to serve those students .who depend. upon them. At the same time. the bill also gives our Senate colleagues additional time to complete a renewal of the Higher Education Act. Mr. Speaker. we are facing new realities in an increasingly competitive global economy. U.S. workers of today are no longer just competing with one another for jobs. but also against counterparts across the globe. One avenue we have for tackling todays new climate is through education in general. but more significantly through higher education. Thats why the Federal investment in the Higher Education Act is so vital. Our Nation has millions of low and middle income students aspiring to go to college. They not only deserve an opportunity to educate themselves. but we personally depend on their having that opportunity. I encourage my colleagues to support the bill before us today and continue to work toward a fundamental reform package so that we can better serve American students pursuing the dream of a college education.","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3179}
{"speech_id":1090149862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of providing the social and nutritional support that older Americans need. and in support of the Seniors Independence Act of 2006. Since originally enacted in 1965. the Older Americans Act has been an important vehicle by which senior citizens in need have received nutritional support. community service employment. pension counseling services. protections against neglect and abuse. and many other services. Nutrition services through Title Ill of the Older Americans Act. such as the \"Meals on Wheels\" program. are essential in helping senior citizens who cannot prepare their own food to still have access to convenient and nutritious meals. The program serves those most in need. such as the aged. the less affluent. those who live alone. and members of minority groups. I was pleased that I was able to amend the Seniors Independence Act during markup to stop the Department of Labor from using an unfair calculation of income to determine eligibility for Title V seniors community service employment programs (SCSEP). In January 2005. the Department of Labor issued a Training and Employment Guidance Letter that unilaterally changed the eligibility criteria for Title V. Instead of discounting certain forms of income like veterans compensation. Social Security Disability Insurance. unemployment compensation. and a portion of traditional Social Security benefits. the new regulation mandated inclusion of that income. thus making fewer seniors eligible for vital services. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2367}
{"speech_id":1090149862,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would be inconsistent to state that the program targets persons with greatest economic need and persons who are disabled. and then use their Social Security income or disability benefits to exclude them from participation. It would also be a mistake to hold someones service in the Armed Forces against them in determining their eligibility for employment assistance. The amendment that I offered in the Education and the Workforce Committee restores the eligibility criteria to the pre2005 levels. and it was unanimously agreed to. I thank Chairman MCKEON and the rest of the committee for their help and cooperation on this issue. Mr. Speaker. the Seniors Independence Act of 2006 reauthorizes vital services for some of the most vulnerable Americans. and those in greatest need. I rise in support of H.R. 5293. and I urge its passage by this body.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2367}
{"speech_id":1090149906,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the reauthorization of the community health centers for a number of reasons. First of all. more than probably anything else. community health centers are the reason that I am a Member of Congress. My public work began at a community health center. the Martin Luther King Center in Chicago. then the Miles Square Center in Chicago. I became a member of the association when we organized it. ultimately became chairman of the legislative committee. The current president of the association. Tom Van Coverden. was my staff person when I was chairman of the legislative committee. I became its speaker of the house- and eventually became president of the National Association of Community Health Centers. .And so I used tobe one of those people who would run around here knocking on Members doors asking them to appropriate money and to support community health center programs. Community health centers are the .best thing that has happened to ambulatory health care since Medicare and Medicaid for large numbers of poor people throughout the country. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2066}
{"speech_id":1090149906,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend them. I have been in centers all over the country. and they do outstanding jobs. They are also the main economic engine in many communities. the biggest employer. People get a chance to work who have never had a job before. r know individuals who are nurses and physicians who came to work in community health centers as aides. as orderlies. who are now professionals. It is really the best thing that I have ever encountered in health care. My district. this is the one time that I envy the members of Commerce and Energy because I also have 26 hospitals in my congressional district. probably more than any other district in the country. five medical schools. and so health is a big part of what goes on where I live on a daily basis. I commend the committee for an outstanding piece of legislation. the great work that it does. And. yes. they are going to. have their convention in Chicago in August of this year. and we look forward to hosting them at that time.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2066}
{"speech_id":1090149915,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I support H.R. 5573. the \"Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006\". Community Health Centers are local. nonprofit. communityowned health care providers that serve lowincome and medically underserved communities. They provide healthcare services. to more than 15 million people annually. 6 million of whom have no health insurance coverage. They are located in more than 3.400 communities in every single State. including my home State of Michigan where we have approximately 30 health centers. Community health centers are vital to the health and wellbeing of our countrys most vulnerable citizens. There are over 41 million uninsured Americans and untold numbers of underinsured persons. This number is increasing at a rapid pace. forcing risky delays for important primary and preventive healthcare services. For almost 40 years. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1544}
{"speech_id":1090149915,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americas health centers have helped communities meet escalating health needs and address costly and devastating health problems. from infant health development to chronic illness. to mental health.\" substance addiction. homelessness. domestic violence. and HIV\/AIDS. Community Health Centers span urban and rural communities across the Nation and their remarkable success has earned them broad bipartisan support among Federal. State. and local policymakers. We should continue to do everything within our power to support these health centers and provide them with the resources they need so that they can continue to do their jobs as successfully and effectively as they have for the past four decades.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1544}
{"speech_id":1090149978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in 2003. we spent $103 billion buying oil from nondemocratic countries. such countries as Iran. Syria and Venezuela. hardly American allies by any stretch. and. in fact. people who in some ways are funding the war against us in the war on terrorism. We need fuel independence. We need to pass the bipartisan H.R. 4409. which accelerates the market towards flexfuel vehicles. ethanolrun vehicles. hybrids. and an assortment of other energysaving measures. It will. in fact. by the year 2020 reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 20 percent. We need to drive by a cornfield and say. that is our next tank of gas. The technology is already out there. In Brazil. 40 percent of the cars run onethanol. In America. only 3 percent of them do. ","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":917}
{"speech_id":1090149978,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What we need to do is make it so that this technology is affordable and practical for all households in America. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor and pass H.R. 4409.","speaker_name":"JACK KINGSTON","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":917}
{"speech_id":1090149988,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Democrats gave the Republicans a gift last Friday. Let me give you a drum roll here. It is a wonderful gift given by the left to the conservatives here in Washington. D.C. Let me tell you what that gift was. It was the Democrat agenda. They call it the new direction. Someone said after they released this agenda that it was a new direction. When you are going in circles.you are constantly going in a different direction every time you go around that circle. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090149988,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that is what the opposition party here in this Chamber is doing. they keep going in circles. It is the same old ideas. They call it an agenda. but it is more. like the Cliff Notes for Liberal Lunacy. Mr. Speaker. The theme of their agenda is best described as. well. promise. tax. spend. Promise. tax. spend.. It is what they do best. And it is encouraging to see. and it shows a stark difference between the two parties and where we want to take our country. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090149988,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. They say fiscal responsibility. That is one of their agenda items. Well. that is a wonderful thing to advocate. but it is laughable coming from Democrats. Here on this House floor. just this year. the opposition party has asked for $45 billion in new spending. $45 billion. And they call that fiscal responsibility. That is just amazing. And do you know what? They want to have all these new spending programs and call it fiscally responsible. Well. how are they going to do that? How are they going to pay for it? By raising every Americans taxes. That is how they will do it. \u0095 They say roll back the Bush tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090149988,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What that means is every American will pay more next year if the Democrats are in control than if Republicans are in control. That is what it means. Energy policy. Energy policy. They want to lower gas prices and achieve energy independence. It sounds good. It is very good. Their voting record is far different from that. As we proposed ways of exploring for new energy sources. oil and gas. renewable energy. putting forward bold ideas here on the House floor. they just vote \"no.\" We want to put out tax incentives for new innovation and new ideas for energy production. They say \"no.\" We want to drill and explore for energy in Alaska. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090149988,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They say \"no.\" One hundred eightyfour Democrats voted against exploration of ANWR. 196 Democrats voted against the passage of the Gas Act to relieve high fuel prices for every American. 124 Democrats voted against the Energy Policy Act of 2005. which provided tax incentives and energy production improvements. Look. the Democrats rhetoric is far removed from the reality of their voting here on the House floor. But let us\" talk about what they have done to energy. When you constrict the supply of energy and the demand goes up. costs go up for the consumers. As demand rises and supply is constricted. prices go up. It is very simple. basic economics. Well. the Democrats are in favor of constricting that supply and making the costs go up. That is the policies they have advocated. But let us move on to taxes. As I said. they have all these new spending proposals. but what are they going to do? Let us talk about the tax cuts the President has implemented in the last 5 years. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4206}
{"speech_id":1090150031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is an honor to come before the House once again and the 30Something Working Group. as you know and the Members know. we come to the floor day after day to share with the Members what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong.. So many times we focus on this side of the aisle on the plans that we have here on the Democratic side of the aisle inhelping Americans to continue to prosper. need it be they are in small business or they wake up and go to work every day. educating our children. making sure that we have a healthy and prosperous and safe America. Before I get started. I know Mr. RYAN will be joining me momentarily. Mr. Speaker. I just want to share with the Members a few plans that we have on this side of the aisle that we would like to implement. The only thing that is stopping us from bringing these plans to the floor and implementing action. well. we are moving in the right direction with great force. is the fact that we are not the majority here. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10768}
{"speech_id":1090150031,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. to be able to bring these issues to the floor. As you know. in the past. I have talked about energy. I encourage Members to go. to housedemocrats.gov to pick up a copy of our energy agenda. talking about alternative fuel. talking about bringing about flex vehicles in the industry to be able to allow more Americans to purchase vehicles that are flex vehicles that they can use E85 and gasoline. Real security plan. it is there dealing with homeland security. We have already said on this side of the aisle if we are in the majority that we would irplement all of the 9\/11 recommendations to make America safer. This is a bipartisan commission. as the Members know. that was appointed. and. this House was part of it. and they did outstanding work. Those- recommendations have still not been fully implemented to protect America. We have our initiative that we have been trying to promote for the last 3 to 4 months in a very forceful way. which is allowing working Americans to be able to earn more money. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10768}
{"speech_id":1090150031,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has been 9 years. Mr. Speaker. since the American people have received an increase as it relates to the minimum wage. It is very. very unfortunate that we have Americans that are working for $5.15 an hour. The minimum wage has been the same since 1997. which is now approaching 10 years. As you know. many Americans have suffered under the low minimum wage that we have now. that is throughout for individuals that are working every day. and I have a few facts here. Of the last 50years. I. mean. this is the lowest it has been in the last 50 years. Also. 6.6 million Americans will benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. and something that I must add. the Republican leadership has said that they vow not to raise the minimum wage again this year or next year. So I think that is something that the American people need to pay very close attention to. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10768}
{"speech_id":1090150031,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Threequarters of the minimum wage workers are adults that are over the age of 20. many of whom are responsible for over half of the familys income. One day of work. it takes an entire days wage for an earner to buy a tank of gas. Also. studies have shown. Mr. Speaker. that zero jobs have been lost when the minimum wage has been increased. -Eightysix percent of Americans do support an increase in the minimum wage. Twentyone States have moved in the direction of increasing the minimum wage. I do not know what is going on here with the Republican majority in not moving in that direction to allow more American people to have money in their pocket to be able to provide for their families. We havetalked many times on this floor in the 30Something Workifg Group about the new weight that has been placed on the heads of the American people as they start to send their young people to college. LI 1730 Just yesterday we had a town hall meeting downstairs in this building. in HC5 here in the Capitol Building. with some young people who are thirdparty validators with the student loans they have out now. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10768}
{"speech_id":1090150031,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. And this is very -serious. because now people are starting to prepare their young people to go off to college in the month of August and late July. many of whom are now having to take out these student loans at a very high interest rate. They are going to end up paying almost $100 more a month in interest to pay for their college. and I think that is something we need to pay very close attention to. It is very unfortunate that on the majority side. Mr. Speaker. on the Republican side. all due respect to all the innovation that one. tries to come up with on the other side of the aisle. it is costing the American people more. and it is putting our young people in debt in this country even before they can grab their college degree and earn a living. They are already. on average. somewhere around $25.000 or $30.000 in debt when they step across the stage. That is very. very unfortunate. We cut student aid here. We increase student loan rates here. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10768}
{"speech_id":1090150062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bottom line is we charge the tab to our children. We have a deficit today. This fiscal year the deficit will probably be somewhere between 300 and $350 billion. If we adopt additional tax cuts. they will go straight to the bottom line and only make the deficit larger. Now. the tax cuts envisioned by this estate tax extension will come in the outer years because we are still increasing the exemptions and lowering the rate applicable to decedents estates right now under old law. This will mean that in the first 10 years that this estate tax provision is fully implemented. the first 10 years when it is fully effective. the cost will be somewhere between 700 and $800 billion in revenues lost or foregone. Seven to $800 billion during that period of time. And that will be a period of time when the baby boomers will be beginning to retire in big numbers and starting to draw Social Security and Medicare. and we all know b6th of those programs are going to be strained under the load of the baby boomers retirement.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1024}
{"speech_id":1090150082,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"(during Special Order of Mr. KING of Iowa). from the Committee on Rules. submitted a privileged report (Rept. No. 109518) on the resolution (H. Res. 886) providing for consideration of the bill to amend the Congressional and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to provide for the expedited consideration of certain proposed rescissions of budget authority. which was referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":420}
{"speech_id":1090150094,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as an example on employer sanctionsthey are in such desperate shapelast year there were three enforcement measures taken. In our bill. we provide for 7.000 new hires that will deal only with employer sanctions. That is one example. The other example is that with border security. which is in desperate shape as we speak. I have been. there. I have seen what happens. There are 24 lanes of traffic coming in at the San Ysidro border security point. 24 lanes of traffic every day. 24 hours a day. They dont have enough help there. We have given them help so they can do their job. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":772}
{"speech_id":1090150094,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is another example.. I feel so desperate. desperate for the American people. I feel desperate for my State. We have problems. This bill would address our problems in Nevada.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":772}
{"speech_id":1090150143,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I yield myself 4 minutes. I listened very carefully to the Senator from New Hampshire talk about flextime. Flextime is something that those of us on this side of the aisle support. But that is not what is in. the bill. That is not what is in the bill. The Federal Government has what they call core timecore agency hours. That means that they have to work from 11 to 2 or 11 to 3. and then the other hours they can make the judgment whether they want to use that. in terms of flextime. That is the kind of proposal that makes some sense. That is what we would support. But that is not in this legislation. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090150143,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The person who decides whether Mrs. Smith is going to get the time off to go to see her childs play or to see the ballgame is going to be the employerperiod. Make no mistake about it. That is the way it is written here on page 4 of their legislation. If we are talking about providing a degree of flextimewe have been through this. we understand what it isflextime is not the time that is allocated just by the employer when the employer makes the sole judgment and decision. as they do under the Enzi proposalNo. 1. No. 2. the Senator from New Hampshire says. lets let that person work 50 hours a week this week and maybe 30 hours a week the next week. Here it is on page 4. which says: in which more than 40 hours of the work requirement may occur in a week of the period. except thatno more than 10 hours may be shifted between the 2 weeks involved. That means you can work 50 hours 1 week and 30 hours at the present time. What is the current law? The current law is. if you work 50 hours 1 week and then 30 hours the second week. you get the overtime for the 10 hours here. Do you think that is in the Enzi proposal? No. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090150143,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is not there. They have eliminated it. You work the extra hours and you dont get the extra pay. Some dealsome deal for someone. That is called flextime. If you can sell that. you can sell the Brooklyn Bridge. This is what you are doing. Instead of giving the person the overtime. as has gone on under the Federal Labor Standards Act. that has been eliminated. There is something else that the women of the country who are concerned about equal pay for equal work ought to understand. In the legislation under the Enzi amendment. because of the fact that you raise the exemption for companies that will be covered from $500.000 to $1 million. and because you eliminate the Federal Labor Standards Act protection for those who are involved in interstate commercethat is all spelled out on page 13that means 10 million workers will not have the protections of the minimum wage or the Federal Labor Standards Act. which means that the equal pay for equal work protections that are there for 4 to 5 million women will not be there. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090150143,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Does America understand the difficulty we have had in this Chamber trying to get equal pay for equal work. let alone equal pay for comparable work? We have been able to get it under the Fair Labor Standards Act. and that is being eliminated for 4 to 5 million women.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090150213,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the Senator will allow a comment on that. we are not confined to that at all. I expect.. when I ask questions of the Senator from Virginia or others who oppose this amendment. that their answers would come from my time and not from their time. I would.apply the same Tule to me as I suggest would be applied to the questions of the Senator.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090150274,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. since the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. 2.808 American men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Of that number. 63 are Oregonians. or those who have Oregon ties. There are 63 patriots among that total. I rise today to honor them. but I also feel compelled to come here this afternoon to pay particular honor to Tom Tucker who recently lost his life and to do what I can through my words to assuage in some possible way. if possible. the grief of his parents. Wes and Meg Tucker of Madras. OR. Army PVT Thomas Tucker was born in Pineville. OR. in central Oregon. in the beautiful rimrock country of that part of our State. He grew up in Madras and graduated from Madras High School in 1999. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6374}
{"speech_id":1090150274,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He worked in a variety of jobs before feeling the call to serve his country and enlisted in the U.S. Army in July of 2005. He was attached to the First. Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment of the Second Brigade.-101st Airborne Division. He has been in Iraq since February of 2006. When word came through that he had been taken hostage by alQaida fighters in Iraq. I called his father Wes. I wasnt very far into the conversation when it -was clear to me that I was talking to a dad who was also a patriot. was proud of his son and fearful for the consequences that may befall him. The worstofall news came out when the whole country. and particularlymy State. learned not only that Thomas had given his life but that he had been tortured. that his body had been defiled and had been boobytrapped to take the lives of other American soldiers. I have no words sufficient to tell the Tucker family how truly sorry I am for the extent of their loss. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6374}
{"speech_id":1090150274,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yet I stand in awe and amazement that this morning on the NBC \"Today\" program there came Wes Tuckers face. And he said: \"Our son. as far as we are concerned. has died for the freedom of everyone in the United States.\" I could not agree with him more. Wes and Meg Tucker are made of sterner stuff. They did not blame the President. They did not blame the military. They simply acknowledged. that their son was in the service of his country knowing the risk and willing to sacrifice it all. I salute them. and I will never forget them or their son.. I am told by news accounts that Madras. OR. a town of 6.000 people. has now become a family of 6.000 people. gathering around the Tucker family. to offer whatever consolation they can and the support that is required. to let the Tucker family know that their son is an American hero now and forever. Many wonder. what did Tom die for? I believ6. as his father said. that he died for his country. that he died for freedoms sake. and the cause of freedom is one that comes with a very high price. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6374}
{"speech_id":1090150274,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has hit home hard in Qregon today. AIQaida is a serpent with many heads. It found Tom. and in finding him revealed the ugliness. the barbarity. the brutality of the enemy that we face. Understand. alQaidas words in this war. their purposes. their intentions. their objectives are- to createthese are not George Bushs words. these are their wordsa new califate in the Middle East such as existed for several centuries. ranging from Spain as far as Pakistan. to establish sharia law. If you want to know what sharia law is. look at the governments of the Taliban and the brutality that attended their government. It is for the extermination of the state of Israel. and it is for the holding hostage of western civilization. I believe Tom Tucker died in opposition to these hideous aims of our enemies on Earth today. Anyone who believes that America does not have a stake in this is deeply mistaking themselves. During my first term in the U.S. Senate I served on the Foreign Relations Committee. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6374}
{"speech_id":1090150274,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I wasnt on that committee long until I was simply amazed and overwhelmed in terms of my schedule by the number of foreign leaders who sought out an audience in my office seeking trade. aid. and military alliance with the United States. I used to wonder. why do they come to us? Why must .we solve their problems? It was evident because they knew America had values for which it was willing to pay a high price. So I have to ask. why us? And historys answer is. why not us? In the 20th century. the United States of America and a number of our stalwart friendsthe British come quickly to mindhave filled the void to stop tyranny when our defense. first. our interests. our values and our allies required our help. It is no different now in 21stcentury. We all want our kids to come home. I pray for that daily. And I am thankful that their numbers are declining and that they are coming home. What this debate is about and the difference we share with our friends on the other side of the aisle is simply the wisdom of announcing a date for withdrawal. As I have studied history. I have never found an instance whereby victory is won by announcing retreat. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6374}
{"speech_id":1090150279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as I begin my remarks. by coincidence. I am following my good friend from Oregon. GORDON SMITH. It is purely by coincidence that we are lined up to address our thoughts on this important and most critical issue facing .our country. I say to my colleague from Oregon. my opening comments are exactly the Senators closing comments. I plead with my colleagues during the remaining hours of this debate to try to stay away from the personal attacks and the mindless use of labels that we are tempted to gravitate to in order to impassion our constituencies. Such approaches do little to contribute to an understanding of the important subject before the Senate. The Senator from Oregon eloquently described the loss of Thomas Tucker and of Kristian Menchaca from Houston. TX. the insane and hideous loss of life. and how it occurred. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2753}
{"speech_id":1090150279,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These young men and the 2.500 others who have lost their lives. along with the 18.000 who have been permanently injured. deserve better than some of the rhetoric and some of the discussion I have heard over the last number of days in talking about this issue. I believe all 100 Senators in this Chamber care deeply about what happens to our men and women in uniform. I dont question for a single .minute the patriotism of a single colleague. While we may disagree about how to successfully conduct our policies with respect. to Iraq. we all deserve to give to our constituencies an intelligent discussion of these matters rather than resort to language of \"cut and run\" or \"lie and die\" or other such talk. It is that kind of rhetoric which causes most of our constituents to become disgusted with Congress. I- may disagree with my colleague from Oregon over the Levin amendment. In fact. I am a cosponsor of this amendment. and I believe CARL LEVIN and JACK REED have put us on the right track. which I am going to explain. I can fully respect those with a different point of view in all of this. while disagreeing with them. I do not question for a minute any Senators goals or patriotism. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2753}
{"speech_id":1090150279,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope the rest of my colleagues over the remaining hours will conduct themselves accordingly. Before giving your speech. read the speech of GORDON SMITH and then decide whether you are going to engage in the kind of talk you may have prepared in your remarks in this Senate. I thank CARL LEVIN. JACK REED. and others who put this amendment together. which I have asked to be a supporter of. It is a major step in getting our Iraq policy headed in the right direction. I also thank our colleagues who met on numerous occasions over the last several weeks. to have discussions about how best to frame this amendment. They were thoughtful discussions which I was pleased to participate in with Senators CARL LEVIN. JOE","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2753}
{"speech_id":1090150299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Relationships between the 3rd Armored Cavalry and the local community were so strong that the Iraqi mayor of the city of Tall Afar actually traveled to Colorado Springs to present these soldiers with a proclamation from the city. I ask unanimous consent that the full copy of the proclamation be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090150300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me read a llortion of the proclamation as written by the Najim Abdullah AlJibouri. Iraqi mayor of Tall Afar: To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. who have changed the city of Tall Afar from a ghost town. in which terrorists spread death and destruction. to a secure city flourishing with life.. . . Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen .... Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents ... this was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3rd Armored Cayalry Regiment. who liberated this city. ridding it of Zarqawis followers after harsh fighting. The commander of Iraqs 3rd Army Infantry Division. MG Khorsheed AlDosekey. wrote the following in a letter to our soldiers: Your ability to plan: the excellent coordination. the overall supervising and the right decisive decisions along with your great leadership have helped us build up the individual soldier and increase his abilities. Your leadership and devotion to duty have helped form an army from the gathered people. Your behavior and your actions have builtstrong friendships that will last a lifetime. I ask unanimous consent that letter be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1430}
{"speech_id":1090150308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we will go fr.om one side to the other. I have waiting the Senator from Virginia. Senator HAGEL. Senator ROBERTS. Senator BOND. and Senator THUNE. I will try to get them all in order of appearance. The Senator from Virginia is next on our side. I will sort out the sequence of the others.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":303}
{"speech_id":1090150312,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank terms of security. There are still some influthe sponsors of this amendment. Sen- ential foreign figures trying to spoon feed our government and take a very proactive ators LEVIN and REED. for offering a role in many key decisions. Though this may thoughtful amendment. They are mak- provide benefits in the shortterm. in the ing a responsible contribution to this long term it will only serve to make the debate. All Americans want a success- Iraqi government weaker and will lead to a ful outcome in Iraq. Congress has an culture of dependency. obligation to help craft a responsible I believe the Iraqi national security policy to help achieve a successful out- adviser has it exactly right. After all. come in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3887}
{"speech_id":1090150312,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress fails in its duty he is the Iraqi national security adwhen we.do not probe. when we do not viser. Americans listening to this deask tough questions. and we fail when bate on Iraq are too often being given false choices between. one. supporting the Iraqis with no end of troop deployments in sight or staying the course. or. two. laying down arbitrary deadlines for troop withdrawals. The reality is more complicated than this. We should not limit the Commander in Chief s options in Iraq. That is why I will vote against the Levin amendment. However. \"anyone who believes we will be in Iraq indefinitely ignores the forces of reality. as the Iraqi Security Advisers oped makes very clear. It is not in Iraqs interest for the United States to remain in Iraq. Our influence is limited and becoming more limited every day. I note another story in yesterdays Washington Post that detailed the reaction of Vietnam veterans to the war in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3887}
{"speech_id":1090150312,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know a little something about this. My generation worries about Iraq becoming not the failure of our sons and daughters fighting in Iraq. but our failure as policymakerspolicymakers:-because I believe our policymakers failed us in Vietnam.. Our troops today are doing what we did a generation ago in Vietnam. They are fighting bravely. They are doing their very best. They believe in their country. they have faith in their leaders. and we cannot let them down. I would say that there may be two Members of Congress todayCongressman MURTHA in the House and myselfwho served in Vietnam and were both here working in the Congress in the spring of 1975. Many might recall that time because that was the time the House of Representatives essentially voted to cut off funding for American presence in Vietnam. That was a disastrous decision for disastrous reasons. but it was the result of having a Congress absent and not involved in the policy formation. not involved in asking the tough questions. not involved in doing its job. This debAte today is critical. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3887}
{"speech_id":1090150312,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is important for our country. agree or disagree with it. Amendments such as the Levin amendment are relevant. and they are an important contribution. When we debate these issues. Congress is doing its job. We do not want our legacy as a Congress to be no congressional oversight. We do not want it to be said we were irrelevant when it becomes too late. We do not want to repeat the history of Vietnam. We must not allow what happened in the Congress in April of 1975 to happen with Iraq. and it happened because we didnt debate the issues. It happened because the Congress was absent. it forfeited its responsibilities. It debased the very responsibility of elected officials. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3887}
{"speech_id":1090150312,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that is why to debate these issues in a legitimate. honest. open manner is so important to our country. and to keep ItJout of politics. the \"gotcha\" kind of amendments. the \"gotcha\" kind of phraseology of which America is sick. This is a serious issue. We have lost over 2.500 men and women in Iraq. We have been in. Iraq longer than the Korean war. We have over 18.000 wounded. We are spending around $10 billion a month. The Congress must be present.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3887}
{"speech_id":1090150317,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman. I conclude. Mr. President. with this: What would be the real disaster for America. the real disaster for Iraq. the disaster for the Middle East. the disaster for the world is if this Congress is not present and accounted for and is not part of a policy formation for not just Iraq but the Middle East and the future of our country and the world. That would be the disaster. That is why. it is so important today that we debate this issue. it is so important that we have amendments. such as the LevinReed amendment. that are offered in an important way that make a contribution to the understanding of Americas presence and commitment and our responsibilities as a free nation and the beacon of freedom in the world. Mr. President. I appreciate the time. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":795}
{"speech_id":1090150324,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. .President. 6 months ago. I was in Iraq with Senator HAGEL. We met with a number of people. Among the people with whom we met in one of the beautiful palaces of Saddam -Hussein not far from Baghdad Airport. were the leaders of our American military forces in that country. During the course of that conversation. we heard these words from our top military leader: It is time for. America to move toward the door. He didnt say it is time for us to walk out of the door. leave. close the door. He said: It is time for us to move toward the door. Subsequent to that. we met with Iraqi military and political leaders and our own diplomatic leaders. and the message I heard in almost all of those meetings was: it is time for America to begin moving toward the door. We have had a policy in Iraq. at least in the last couple of years. of stay the course. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4441}
{"speech_id":1090150324,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Stay the course\" is a good slogan. and there have been times in our history as a nation when staying the course was actually a pretty good strategy. This is not one of those times. What is needed is a differentnot a different slogan. but a different strategy. and the strategy we need would be not stay the course but change the course. The American people would like for us to begin to bring our men and women home and. as it turns out. so would the Iraqi people. In talking with the President upon our return. I said: You know. Mr. President. sometimes less is more. In this instance. having a smaller presence. a less visible presence would actually be more supportive of our efforts in Iraq than not. The Iraqi people dont want us to cut and run. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4441}
{"speech_id":1090150324,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They .dont want us to leave. They want us to be close by. They want us to be not far away and to be helpful if we can be. if needed. But they dont want us to leave this year. They dont want us to leave entirely next year. Senator HAGEL just quotedthe words of the Iraqi National Security Council. That is what we heard in Iraq last December. Their message has been pretty consistent. and it has been pretty much the same. Last year in the Senate we voted by an overwhelming majority that 2006 needs to be a year of significant transition in Iraq. In other words. the Senate. on a bipartisan basis. called on the Bush administration to take action this year in 2006 to change course in Iraq to make clear to the Iraqis and the rest of the world that the United States does not intend to stay in Iraq forever. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4441}
{"speech_id":1090150324,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amondment before us today. the LevinReed amendment. builds on that resolution we passed barely a year ago. It rejects the extremes on both sides of the Iraqi debatethe one side of the extreme that would say either we should stay in Iraq on an openended basis. and the other extreme to say we ought to withdraw all of our troops by an arbitrary deadline. This amendment rejects both of those. and it says instead: Why dont we find a way to change the course going forward? The policy of \"stay the course\" isnt working for our troops. They have served bravely. they have served honorably despite very difficult circumstances in extended tours of duty. More than 2.500 of our finest have been killed in action. Almost 18.000 have been injured. including a former member of my staff. Marine Corps LCpl Sean Barney. who was shot in the neck last month in Fallujah. Fortunately. he is alive. He is going to live. The Presidents \"stay the course\" plan also is not working for the Iraqis. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4441}
{"speech_id":1090150324,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Insurgent violence is on the upswing. and our efforts to help rebuild Iraq are at a standstill. Electricity output has been pretty much flatlined in the last couple of years. and we havent been able to finish building the schools and hospitals they want and need and that we would like to help them build. \"Stay the course.\" I say to my friends. is not working. This amendment is about a new direction in Iraq. It is about accountability. It is about being tough. It is about being smart. It is about changing the course. not staying the course. It is about laying out a plan for victory in Iraq. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the advice I heard not 6 months ago that it is time for America to move toward the doornot to leave. not to leave precipitously but to move toward the door and to allow the Iraqi people themselves to carry more of the burden in an effort to relieve from us some of that burden. an effort to make sure they have. in the end. a democracy and a country of their own to govern. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4441}
{"speech_id":1090150457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. parliamentary inquiry: To inform both the senior Senator from West Virginia. myself. and others. what is the order before the Senate at this time? My understanding is the KerryFeingold amendment with an unlimited amount of time on it and there is no provision for other amendments at this time. is that correct?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":326}
{"speech_id":1090150535,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I do have some remarks. and I would deliver those after the others have finished their time tonight if it is not too late. and I would just share a few thoughts at this time. We have been given a great heritage in our country. We have been given a Nation that is the greatest Nation in the world at this time. We have the finest military the world has ever known. We have a great democracy where we have full and vigorous debate. I was here when we debated the question of whether or not to issue that ultimatum to Saddam Hussein. and we knew then if he didnt accept it. if he didnt allow .the inspectors in and if he didnt renounce weapons of mass destruction. we would be going to war. and that was the vote and we knew -it and everybody discussed it. It went on for months. .People say it was quick. It went on for months. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5105}
{"speech_id":1090150535,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will tell you what I said about why we went. I looked back at my remarks. Tt was not based on primarily weapons of mass destruction. We were dealing with Iraq for years. We had a war with them in 1991. and we defeated them and sent their Army going back to Baghdad. In effect. Saddam Hussein. sued for peace and he made a series of promises to keep us from following and destroying his Army completely and invading his country and removing him from power. and he made those commitments. and he did not follow them. There were a number of U.N. resolutions that he was in violation of. He rejected the international community. and an embargo had been placed on Iraq. The United States was attempting to enforce that embargo. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5105}
{"speech_id":1090150535,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Saddam Hussein was consistently working to get around that embargo. We were flying in nofly zones and enforcing nofly zones over Iraq. He was shooting at our airplanes on a daily basis. almost. We were dropping bombs on Saddam Hussein on a regular basis. dropping bombs from our aircraft. So the question was. as The Economist magazine said. are we going to quit our efforts. are we going to issue an ultimatum and be prepared to go to war if they do not? Their editorial said. the Londonbased Economist magazine said. our vote is for war. That was that London journals opinion. That is the way I felt about it. Iraq was a rogue nation that had tremendous amounts of oil. it had a dictator prepared to use weapons of mass destruction. use weapons of mass destruction against his own people. and he was determined to break the embargo. determined to be able to sel.1 his oil on the world market. not for his own peoples good but to build up his military power. just like he did when he invaded Kuwait. and be the preeminent Nebakanezer of the Middle East. That was his goal. It remained his goal. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5105}
{"speech_id":1090150535,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It probably still is as long as he takes a breath. So we gave him that ultimatum. and with the support of large numbers of nations in the worldI believe some 60 supported us. including nations like the United Kingdom and Australia and othershe refused to comply and we commenced our military action. This Nation made a decision to remove him from power and we voted on it as a Senate. and we sent our soldiers in harms way. We did not do that lightly. No great Nation which. expects to be respected will send its soldiers into harms way with a halfhearted commitment to them. When I talk to those soldiers. as I did recently at the 231st birthday of the United States Army over at the Jefferson Memorial. and I talked to those soldiers and we were discussing these kinds of deadlines and policies and directives to set forth plans as to how the war should be conducted. one of them said to me. Senator. let me tell you what we want. We want to win. And I have talked to families who lost loved ones in Iraq. and they tell me every timeit is amazingmy son was doing what he believed in. what he wanted to do. I submit we owe them the responsibility to be faithful to them and not to dishonor their sacrifice by cutting and running when it is not time to do so. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5105}
{"speech_id":1090150535,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believethat very. very sincerely. So I would just say to my colleagues. I can see how we have differences of opinion. and I understand that..I remember the debate and I remember the vote I cast and I knew it was very serious. No Nation that. desires its own selfrespect or the respect of other nations can be flippant about those kinds of matters. When you make a commitment. you stay the course. Iraq has formed a new government completely now. They have a parliament. They have elected all their ministers. They have their interior and defense ministers in place. They are determined to continue to grow and strengthen their Army and their security forces. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5105}
{"speech_id":1090150540,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I express my appreciation to the Senator from Georgia. He is a very valued member of the Armed Services Committee. as is Senator THUNE. who spoke earlier. as was Senator SESSIONS. I think we have had a good debate. We are prepared to continue that debate as long as it is desired. We are here to stay. We feel very strongly about these issues. you know. I do not want to invade the time of my good friend. I yield the floor at this time. and I will follow him.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":475}
{"speech_id":1090150556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would be happy to do so. I thank the distinguished chairman. Mr. President. I heard the Senator from South Dakota say. that there are occasions when a generation faces a struggle between good and evil. I agree with that. There is good and there is evil in this world. And what radical fascist extremists are doing in the name of religion is evil. I know as well as anybody here in the Senate that we have to stand up to that. But we have to stand up to it in the best traditions and values of our country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090150556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have to stand up to it in a way that brings people to our side and does not alienate them. It is incomprehensible to me that after these several years. where we started with \"we are all Americans\" post9\/11. and the world was at our side. that we have now seen radical. extreme terrorists isolate the United States of America in that particular part of the world. That is a failure of policy. And it is a failure that makes the United States of America less secure. not more. Some people have said: Well. if you tell the terrorists that we are leaving in a few dayswhatever period of timeI remind them. we are not leaving altogether. We are going to leave our special forces personnel who are capable of taking out the terrorists. But the bottom line is that they are not waiting for anything today. We just lost two troops in the most brutal. horrible manner. They are not waiting now. And the fact is that unless we get Iraqis to resolve those issues I talked about. this will continue or even get worse. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090150556,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So ignoring all the warnings of history itself. in. a moment of total ideological excess. this administration has managed to make the ancient cradle of civilization look a lot like Vietnam. I think there is a path forward. I think there is a better way to secure our interests. There is a better way to fight the war on terror. There is a better way to stand up to Iraq. There is a better way to respect their sovereignty. There is a better way to protect our troops. I hope the U.S. Senate will look carefully at that.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2036}
{"speech_id":1090150569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I dont know what that fraction is. But in discussions with senior military. clearly. they have said the insurgents. the foreign invaders. the others who have come in have dropped in terms ofsomewhatnumbers of incidents. And. indeed. the sectarian violenceSunni versus Shia. Kurds to some extenthas grown enormously. So I cannot qualify it. But the Senator is correct. And that leads me to my first question. because-","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":431}
{"speech_id":1090150582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And they lost a million people fighting for almost 10 years for their country. These are the same people. Four years later we are still driving trucks down the street and our guys are taking IEDs. Are you telling me that they dont have people who can drive a truck? They dont have people to go out on patrol? Why arent our people garrisoned and being held in reserve in case there is an implosion? What are we doing with our troops being the ones that have to go out? I dont get it. I believe there is a better way to wage this effort. That is what this amendment contemplates.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":577}
{"speech_id":1090150594,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yes. for the beginning of the transition. But as it -makes very clear. if you get to 2 months before the end. or 3 months. and you can see the progress being made. and there is another month or so that a certain number of troops need to be stood up. or whatever. wd allow thatthe ability of the President to make that determination. If it is done in the best traditions of the Congress. it will be done with the. consultation of the various committees and the Congress itself. And then you would have the kind of unity in the pursuit of this policy that is absent today or we would not have had this debate for the last several days: I know the chairman believes this-","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":668}
{"speech_id":1090150600,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. there are few people in the Senate for whom I have more respect and affection than the Senator from Virginia. We have known each other a long time. and we have traveled together. I am grateful to him for the respect and consideration he has shown for this debate this evening. When I heard those two guys were captured. my heart sank because I immediately envisioned the worst. The worst happened. I thought about them throughout that time period. until they were found. I was not surprised that they were brutalized in the most horrific. disgraceful way. and may I addand I know the Senator knows thisin ways that contravene every law of warfare. But I believe we have a better chance of honoring what they went there for and what all of our soldiers have died for. given something for. if we adopt a policy of reality. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090150600,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. let me say to the Senator that I went to serve in Vietnam in 1968. There was turmoil in this country. Remember the Chicago convention. remember McCarthy. and Bobby Kennedy had been killed in June. In fact. I arrived back in Long Beach. CA. at the dock after the first deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin the night he was killed. It was the first radio words we heard. I remember that turmoil over the war. I remember Richard Nixon running for President with a secret plan for peace. I remember how people invested in the concept of peace. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090150600,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Years later. we read in Robert McNamaras book how he knew. as Secretary of Defense. while he was sending troops over there. that we werent going to be successful. Now. from 1968 until 1975. when we left in that dramatic helicopter moment off the embassy. almost half of the people who died were lost in that period of timefor a policy that our leaders knew wasnt working. I am not going to be a Member of the Senate in good standing and in good .conscience and support a policy in Iraq that I believe is going to add people to whatever Iraqi memorial will be created. at a time where I am convinced this isnt going to work for them and it is not going to work for the Iraqis. I believe we have a moral responsibility to those soldiers who died to do our best to get it right. and I just dont believe staying the course. more of the same. is getting it right. If you dont resolve the differences between Shia and Sunni where 98 percnt of this fight is taking place. we are stuck. And I believe it is only by pushing the process. by demanding something of everybody in the region. by demanding something of the Iraqis who are in uniform that we are going to properly defend the honor of those who served. We defend it by getting it right. And may I add. we also defend it by honoring those who come back. There is a $6 billion shortfall in current services in our VA budget. That is just unacceptable. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090150600,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have a big job to do. I look forward to working with the Senator to do it.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090150605,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we will conclude. I just say if we had more time. I would want to enter into another chapter. of debate with the Senator - on what would be the consequences if we saw failure. if this program of his. no matter how well conceived and how conscientious. were to trigger that failure. what would be the consequence. The fact that this country could revert to a haven for further training of alQaida and terrorists from all over the world-","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":450}
{"speech_id":1090150661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday I introduced legislation to improve services for homeless veterans. and prevent chronic homelessness amongst our returning servicemen and women in the war on terror. This bill will expand the housing and services available to our Nations homeless veterans and their dependents. and improve the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA. to provide health care services to this same group of deserving Americans. I will take a few moments now to explain the provisions of this legislation. Public Law 10795 was the last comprehensive homeless veterans assistance act signed into law. A number of the authorizations in that law. aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness amongst veterans. have expired or will expire this year. In March. I held a hearing on these needs. at which VA. its Federal partners. and communitybased service providers to the homeless testified about what is working. what isnt. what duplication might be eliminated. and where deficiencies exist that must be addressed. At the hearing. we learned that this year alone. more than a half dozen Federal agencies will devote over $2 billion to homelessness. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3332}
{"speech_id":1090150661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"VA alone will spend upward of $221 million on grants. housing and treatment of underlying conditions. In fact. the budget the Senate passed included recordlevel funding for the sixth straight year for targeted programs for homeless veterans. These figures do not include the total costs of the law enforcement and emergency medical treatment for the homeless. which are astounding. Plainly stated. Americas chronically homeless are some of.the most expensive people in communities across this country. yet they live lives no one wants to imagine having. We must ensure that our resources are invested carefully so that homeless veterans can resume their selfsufficiency and independence. I believe this bill will help us realize this shared goal. Among other things. this measure extends the authorization of appropriations for comprehensive services for homeless veterans. a grant program for homeless veterans with special needs. a technical assistance program. and extends the authority of the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans. It also extends the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transfer properties obtained through foreclosures of Department home mortgages to certain organizations to assist homeless veterans and their families in acquiring shelter. The bill also includes the authorization of appropriations for a program designed to prevent homelessne~s by providing financial assistance to eligible entities to provide and coordinate the provision of supportive services for very lowincome veteran families occupying permanent housing. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3332}
{"speech_id":1090150661,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased to introduce the Comprehensive Homeless Veterans Assistance and Prevention Act of 2006 along with my committee ranking member. Senator AKAKA. as well as two committee members who have been particularly active on issues facinghomeless veterans. Senators BuRR and OBAMA. Over the coming days. the Committee on Veterans Affairs will be taking up this bill and other legislation introduced to improve the range of services and benefits available to our Nations veterans. I look forward to working with my colleagues throughout the rest of this Congress on these and other important efforts.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3332}
{"speech_id":1090150664,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am honored to recognize Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray on the occasion of his retirement from the Air Force after 29 years of faithful and selfless service. Chief Murray grew up in Boiling Springs. NC. and entered the Air Force in October 1977. His background includes various duties in aircraft maintenance. and as a command chief master sergeant at wing. numbered Air Force. and major command levels. He served this great Nation in assignments in the States of Texas. Florida. South Carolina. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090150664,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Washington. Hawaii. Washington. DC. and also served overseas in Turkey. Japan. Kuwait. and Saudi Arabia in support of operations Desert Storm and Southern Watch. As the 14th Chief Master Sergeant appointed to the highest noncommissioned officer position. Gerald R. Murray represents the highest enlisted level of leadership within the Air Force. He provided direction for the enlisted corps and represented their interests to the American public and to those in all levels of Government. ","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090150664,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He served as the personal adviser to the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force on all. issues regarding the welfare. readiness. morale. and proper utilization and progress of the enlisted force. Chief Murray served our country with great responsibility. dedication. loyalty. and integrity. I know my Senate colleagues join me in congratulating him on his retirement. and I am proud to publicly commend him on a truly remarkable and distinguished career. I wish him every\" success in the years to come.*","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1539}
{"speech_id":1090150700,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet on Wednesday. June 21. 2006 at 2:00 p.m. to conduct a hearing on \"Reauthorizing the Voting Rights Acts Temporary Provisions: Policy Perspectives and Views from the Field\" in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Witness list: PANEL I: Debo Adegbile. Associate Director of Litigation. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Inc.. New York. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":944}
{"speech_id":1090150700,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NY. Gerry Reynolds. Commissioner. United States Civil Rights Commission. Washington. DC. Don Wright. General Counsel. North Carolina Board of Elections. Raleigh. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":944}
{"speech_id":1090150700,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NC. Jack Park. Office of the Attorney General. Montgomery. AL. David Canon. Professor. Department of Political Science University of Wisconsin. Madison. WI. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":944}
{"speech_id":1090150700,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Carol Swain. Professor of Political Science and Professor of Law. Vanderbilt University. Nashville. TN","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":944}
{"speech_id":1090150853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding. and I do rise today in strong support of the rule and this underlying bill. and I encourage all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support them both. As a cosponsor of H.R. 89. the full repeal of the death tax. I was disappointed to see the inability of the Senate to obtain cloture on a full repeal of the death tax. I firmly believe that the death tax. the estate tax. is a double taxation and. philosophically. it is wrong. We have all heard the statements. I think Steve Forbes said this several years ago. that there should be no taxation without respiration. More recently. I have heard the comment that we shouldnt try to balance the budget by robbing the grave. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2512}
{"speech_id":1090150853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And there are other comments: a death should not be a taxable event. The gentleman from New York just said that. I fully agree with every one of those statements. The gentleman from New York also said. well. you know. in this time of war. in this time of deficits. in this time of debt. we should be able to get this money. We are not. Mr. Speaker. always going to be in that situation. But if we continue to double tax any American. that is a forever situation and it is forever wrong. So. clearly. I was in favor of full repeal. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2512}
{"speech_id":1090150853,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"However. I believe the bill before us today is a very strong compromise. It will protect many more families. small businesses.\" and family farms from this double taxation. or the socalled death tax. It is my understanding. Mr. Speaker. that it also. with a managers amendment. is indexed for inflation. Those of us. the fiscally conservative Members of our side. felt very strongly about that. and I am pleased with that addition. I. know many of my colleagues are as disappointed with the failure of the other body to pass a full repeal as Iam. but as many of us say. we cannot let the perfect become the enemy of the good. So I think there is a lot of good in the bill that Chairman THOMAS has brought to us today and that we are discussing at this moment. We have an opportunity to take a substantial and a permanent chunk out of the death tax with a bill that can pass the Senate. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2512}
{"speech_id":1090150853,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They assure us. and I believe. that there will be 60 votes for this bill. In conclusion. Mr. Speaker. again I want to thank Chairman THOMAS and the committee for their commitment and all of the hard work in bringing this bill before us today. Now is the time for us to pass some real tax relief and eliminate the most egregious form of double taxation.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2512}
{"speech_id":1090150881,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong support of this rule so that we can get on with the underlying bill to grant the President line item veto to just be another tool in trying to get a handle on the way we spend money here in Washington. Everybody knows that we are trying to do a better job of controlling spending. and the line item veto would just be another piece of the puzzle. another reform that we ought to put in place to help us toward that goal. Now. first and foremost. we have got to exercise discipline ourselves here in this House. And a lot of people do not realize it. but we have actually done that. The last couple of years we have written a budget in this House where. for instance. last year in the budget. when you take out defense and homeland security. the nonsecurity spending of the United States Government actually went down for the first time in 20 years since Ronald Reagan was President. This year we wrote a budget that freezes nonsecurity spending. And that is a huge step in the right direction. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090150881,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have also put a rainy day fund in our budget this year to kind of be like most American families. to say if there is an unexpected problem. we will have some money set aside. We are already talking about earmark reform. That is part of some legislation. So now we have got the line item veto. That will give the President the right to say. \"I see something in the spending bill that looks a little bit out of line. and I want to bring it up.\" Now. all that does is add a little bit more oversight. a little bit more accountability. a little bit more transparency into this overall budget process. What is wrong with that? If you really want to get a handle on how we spend money. what is wrong with an additional review? It might even make us here think more thoughtfully about the things that we do and the money that we are spending it on. So I just think that this is part of the puzzle. It is one tool. It is not going to solve the spending problem once and for all. but it certainly is a valuable tool. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090150881,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We all know that government needs money to provide services. but it seems to me right now government needs something more. It needs discipline. and we are providing that. and the line item veto will help with that. The government needs the commitment to make sure that every task of government is completed more efficiently and more effectively than it ever has been before. and the line item veto will help in that regard. We can do more with less around here. and if we pass this line item veto. that will just be anpther part of the puzzle. another tool in our equipment to get a handle on the way we spend money. The American people deserve no less. So I urge adoption of this rule and adoption of the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090150892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And you haveheard of the \"bridge to nowhere\"? That was about $300 million. and that kind of made its. way through the process on to the Presidents desk. And I think if the President had had a line item veto. he might have said. You know what? I think you ought to take another look at that \"bridge to nowhere.\" And he could have exercised that line item veto. And maybe if that had gone away. then. yes. we would have spent less money. and the deficit would not be as large as it is today. and that is good.","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":507}
{"speech_id":1090150896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"says you are now being fiscally responsible because you have a rainy day fund. You are the only family in America that went out and borrowed money to put into a rainy day fund because you do not have any money. The American people do not have any money in this government. All they have is debt. And you want a bill to help you to keep from spending again. What you need is a 12step program on spending. It is called intestinal fortitude. It is called having a spine. It is called having some guts to do what is necessary. But the first thing you did was get rid of the discipline and payasyougo. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6105}
{"speech_id":1090150896,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So now you are stuck. But more importantly. the Nation is stuck. and so we see this little plea. on the morning that we are going to give away almost $1 trillion to the richest people in the Nation. you have a plea here that maybe the President will stop the bridge to nowhere. How about Congress stopping the bridge to nowhere? How about doing what you were elected to do? You dont need a line item veto. This isnt about statutes. This isnt about vetoes. This is about what the Congress is to do. You walked in here fresh. newly elected. and you got handed $5 trillion. And now you cant stop yourself. You cant stop yourself. You can stop yourself from giving the people an increase in the minimum wage that hasnt increased since 1997. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6105}
{"speech_id":1090150896,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You cant give those people 70 cents more an hour. But you give it away to the richest estates. and then you can plead that but for the line item veto. we would somehow get to a balanced budget. Every dollar you are going to spend today. tomorrow. and every dollar you spent yesterday and the day before came out of the Social Security Trust Fund. I am sure that America. while you are putting away a rainy day fund on borrowed money. I am sure America is delighted that you are putting away the estate tax on their Social Security earnings. on their trust fund. You are taking their trust fund that belongs to all Americans called the Social Security Trust Fund and you are raiding it for the trust fund of the heirs of the richest estates in America. What a wonderful example today. What a wonderful example for young people to learn about our obligations to future generations. This is a theater of the absurd. You have run the country into the ditch financially. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6105}
{"speech_id":1090150896,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You got a $1 trillion war going that you cant figure out how to stop. You have stolen most of the money from Social Security Trust Fund. Every year we have a deficit. We have a $8 trillion debt. And you want to talk about the line item veto. You know. the government is spending money like a drunken sailor. andRonald Reagan said. well. at least the sailor was spending his own money. You are spending the publics money at a rapid. illegal. unconscionable. immoral rate. and you ought to stop. but the line item veto wont do it. Lots of things have changed since 1997. but the value of the minimum wage isnt one of them. Because of Congress failure to act on behalf of the lowest paid workers in America. the minimum wage is still just $5.15 per hour. $5.15 per hour. Think about that. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6105}
{"speech_id":1090150896,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At $5.15 per .hour. you would have to work 11 day just to fill a tank of gas at todays gas prices. At $5.15 per hour. you would have to work for at least 30 minutes just to afford a single gallon of milk. Democrats have a simple and reasonable proposal: We want to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over the next two years. Doing so would directly benefit 6.6 million American workers. The vast majority of those workers are adults. Hundreds of thousands of them are parents with children under the age of 18. We have all heard the wellworn economic arguments against raising the minimum wage. and we all know they simply arent true. The truth is that raising the minimum wage wont hurt the economy. and can even help it. But forget about economics. Thats not what this issue is about. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6105}
{"speech_id":1090150923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the gentleman yielding this time. I rise in support of the rule and also the underlying bill. It is interesting that the other side is trying to speak out of both sides of their mouth. on the fact they- rail on the President constantly for not having used his veto power. and yet the previous speakers also talk about vetolike power being somehow ceding congressional responsibility to the President. I do not think you can have it both ways. Support this decision line item veto because it does apply to all spending. In addition. the spending that would be singled out for this treatment would actually not be spent somewhere else if it were upheld. and it would actually go against reducing the deficit. In addition. just the threat of this would act as deterrent to those Members who would put things into a particular appropriations bill or a spending bill that would be embarrassing for the President to single it out during his line item veto process. So I rise in support of the rule and also the underlying bill and encourage my colleagues to join me.","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090150961,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. some may ask. why now are we taking up this bill? Why have we decided. that is. the majority. that at a time that our Nation is at war. when our men and women are dying to bring democracy to Iraq. where there are problems getting the equipment they need to protect themselves. when we cannot provide even our veterans with adequate health care and education opportunities. why now. when we find ourselves with a historic $9 trillion indebtedness. when just the interest of this debt is going to prohibit the Congresses that follow us from doing the things that our great Nation would want to do. why now. when the people that have been hit by Rita and Katrina cant restore their lives. why now. when.the poor are increasing in population. are we reaching out to the richest of the rich Americans? Why now would the Republican leadership make this a priority for threetenths of 1 percent of the American people? Who are these people? How do they have such a communication with the leadership? The \" Joint Economic Committee. which is not Republican and not Democrat. they are just fair. they say under existing law nobody except 7.500 families would be liable for any taxes on an estate. They call it a \"death tax\" because they know how to play on words. Dead people dont pay taxes. But they can use what they want to get people emotionally involved. But if there is anyone that is concerned about this Republic and making certain that the economy is sound and that wars that we start are paid for and that old folks are able to be taken care of through a Social Security act. why now would they come withthis repeal? Because it is a repeal. It is 80 percent a repeal. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5245}
{"speech_id":1090150961,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is going to cost more than the original repeal. Why do they want these sound tracks to be able to say that they supported repeal of the death tax? E 1330 I am going to tell you why. Because they have a mission. They are so organized that they want to destroy everything that Franklin Delano Roosevelt started. And it is not me that is saying. that. It is their voting record that says it. Things that Americans are so proud of. Social Security. a little cushion for people who worked every day in their lives and all they wanit is a little help with their security. Privatization. that is what we have to do. Medicare. this is something that we have come to depend on. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5245}
{"speech_id":1090150961,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They want it to implode. the things that they cannot deal with from a political point of view. the third rails. if they will. If they make certain that there are no resources left for Democrats to handle. they have won. And they dont care how many Republicans lose. because their mission is to destroy every bit of social services by saying how can we pay for it. So I submit to you that anytime a party is prepared to give $2 trillion of tax cuts because it is going to present economic growth and then go to Communist China to borrow the money. there is something wrong with that picture. And I am suggesting. too. that these 7.500 beneficiaries. they are not begging for this money. They are not getting calls every day. We certainly don~t get them. And they wish they were getting them. but they are not getting them. because most people God has blessed to get into this income status are so satisfied that they believe that they owe this Republic some indebtedness for the freedom and equality and opportunity that they receive. And so if you have any question about supporting the programs that you are proud of as Americans. not as Democrats. not as Republicans. remember -one thing: if you get carried with the emotion. one day you will have to explain. why now? Why. when your great country was in so much debt. did you figure that you had to reward 7.500 people? Why now. when your Nation is at war and the GIs will be coming back. those that do. and they ask why cant we get a decent shake and you say because we didnt have the money. we had to give it to the 7.500? Why now. when you take a look at the budgets that we are going to have. either as Republican leadership or Democratic leadership. that we are going to say that the interest that we owe to foreign countries prevent us from taking care of the things that we have here? This is not a scheme to reward 7.500 people. This is a scheme to take the resources away from this great Nation that has a commitment to our young and our old for health and education and the things that would really make us a strong Nation. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5245}
{"speech_id":1090150961,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And at the end of the day the fact that they are going to lose the majority wont mean anything because it would be a part of a plan not to perpetuate Republican or. for lack of a better word. leadership. but to destroy a system that Franklin Roosevelt had the hearts and the minds of this great country. So I submit to you. you can do what sounds like it is the right thing to do because.they call it a death tax. but it will be the death of democracy and freedom and the ability to provide the services that are expected of us. not as politicians. but as Americans and Members of Congress. This is going to be a historic vote. and the question is going to be. Which side of this vote did you vote on? Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance. of my time.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5245}
{"speech_id":1090150978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. all across America following the death of a loved one. people of modest means are all too often faced with the grim prospect of selling a family farm or small business just to pay the taxes that come due. Such was the case in my own family when my cousins had to sell the farm that had been in our family since the early 1900s just to pay the taxes. This is simply wrong. I rise in strong support of the Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act. Like many others in the House. I continue to strongly support permanent repeal of the death tax. Americans should not have to pay this onerous double tax on savings and capital. Currently. we are scheduled to have a 1year full repeal of the death tax in 2010. but if Congress fails to act. the death tax will return full force in 2011. reducing exemption levels and restoring maximum tax rates of nearly 60 percent. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WALTER HERGER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1308}
{"speech_id":1090150978,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. this bill before us institutes permanent relief for those subject to the death tax and restores predictability and certainty to small business owners and family farmers planning for the future. It boosts exemption levels and adjusts them for inflation. and with maximum rates tied to capital gains rates. those still subject to the tax will see their burden significantly reduced. Mr. Speaker. I urge passage of this legislation.","speaker_name":"WALTER HERGER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1308}
{"speech_id":1090150986,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding me some time on this issue. one that I have worked on for quite a few years. When I was a State senator in Pennsylvania. we rolled back the death tax 1.5 percent. We immediately saw healthier small businesses. healthier family businesses. and healthier family bank accounts. I rise in support of this bill that further addresses a tax problem that the Federal Government has attempted to solve for a number of years. It is one of the main issues I hear about from my constituents when we talk about tax policy and what incentives we need in our Tax Code to promote entrepreneur-: ship and to.promote economic and job growth. The death tax is a clear example of tax law that deters this kind of growth. It deters an individual from starting a business. It deters a family from keeping a business going for generations. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2384}
{"speech_id":1090150986,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Worse than that. it deters the very people that the other side was referring to that this allegedly hurts. the middle class. These are our small business people. A report recently released by the Joint Economic Committee highlighted a number of disadvantages created by the death tax. First. it inhibits economic efficiency and it stifles innovation. One survey noted that twothirds of the respondents stated that the death tax was the top reason why it was difficult for a small business to survive from one generation to the next. .One of the biggest complaints I hear from these people. family business owners. small farmers in my district. is the immediate cost of complying with that tax. The majority of the assets held by .a family business are farm property or business equipment or the businesss building. They are invested in the business. This isnt cash. So they do not have the liquid assets to pay this tax. So what do they have to do? In order to find the capital to pay this death tax. we force these families to sell off a part of their business and to sell off parts of their family farm to pay the tax. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2384}
{"speech_id":1090150986,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"How this helps them I am really baffled. I dont think it helps them. They tell me it doesnt help them. and they have asked us for relief. Todays bill puts us in the direction of further relief for these families. these family business people. these family farmers. I suggest my colleagues look at the facts. Look at how people respond to death tax cuts. with more job growth. and support this bill.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2384}
{"speech_id":1090151017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I also want to be on record as being opposed to a theocracy. And I will tell you that today. shortly. democracy will be demonstrated when the House of Representatives determines whether or not it sends this compromise measure over to the Senate with a majority vote. I know it is a mystery to some people. And I found it most revealing in a poll when Americans were being polled as to whether or not you supported either repeal or making smaller the estate or death tax. One gentleman responded to the poll that he was in favor of repeal. and if he couldnt get repeal. he wanted it smaller. And given the location in which the question was asked. in the home which the gentleman lived. the questioner said. \"But you arent currently in a position to benefit from the estate tax. whether its repealed or not.\" And he said very simply. \"But I want to have the opportunity to be able to.\" That is really the American dream. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090151017,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It really is what democracy is all about. It.really is keeping more of your hardearned efforts at the end of your life. or. if this bill becomes law. the amount that is legally appropriate. $5 million per individual. to be given while you are alive or after you pass or partially when you are alive or partially when you have passed. As one of my colleagues said. after all. it is your money. The estate tax does deal with progrowth or antigrowth because it is simply a tax on capital and savings. The lower the tax on capital and savings. the greater the opportunity for growth. We have heard the argument that this.really is not a compromise. I believe it is a compromise. I said why. But I think the real test as to whether something is or is not a compromise is what I like to call the Goldilocks test. The Wall Street Journal think\u00a7 this is too cold. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090151017,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"An individual representing the richest people in America. Dick Patten of the American Family Business Institute. says. \"We flatly oppose the Thomas plan. It just isnt good enough.\" The gentleman from North Dakota says. This is virtually repeal. It is just way too hot. Well. for some it is too hot. for some it is too cold. It sounds to me like that we have got a compromise that has a chance to pass the United States Senate. We know it will pass the House of Representatives. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090151017,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Majority Leader. you asked for a bill that should become law. Mr. Majority Leader. the House is sending you the bill you asked for. I urge support -of H.R. 5638. I urge the Senate to take up the compromise as soon as possible. And when that bill is sent to the President. the American people. those who work hard* and expect to retain or pass on at the end of their lives a portion of their earnings during that life. will have achieved a significant victory. not in a theocracy. not in an aristocracy. but in a democracy.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2793}
{"speech_id":1090151034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 5638. the Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act of 2006. Thank you for bringing this important issue to the floor. I cosponsored and voted in favor ofH.R. 8. the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005. which overwhelmingly passed in the House last year. I still believe in the permanent repeal of the estate tax. because without permanent repeal businesses will die. This bill simply isnt good enough. It doesnt keep the promise that I made to the people in my district to end. once and for all. the double taxation of the dead. I will vote for this bill today because it is the best we can do at this time. In my mind this is only a downpayment. and I will work with the Congress to permanently eliminate this unreasonable and unfair double taxation.","speaker_name":"DARRELL ISSA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":49.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":791}
{"speech_id":1090151053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. that was my point. that I am trying to show the significance of taxpayers. taxpayers. where one group is at the minimum wage. and people who. right now 99.7 percent of these people. do not pay taxes on their estate. So clearly we are talking in terms of who is suffering the liability of taxes.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":300}
{"speech_id":1090151077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. parliamentary inquiry. I make a point of order that that motion is not in order. The Speaker called for a vote. The aye votes were taken. The next question is the no votes. We are in the process of a vote. And until such time as that vote is concluded. a motion is not in order.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090151089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First of all. when I asked for a vote. you asked for the votes for the ayes. It was my intention. in case we had lost. to ask for a vote on this because a quorum is not present. What is happening here. and my parliamentary inquiry is. once you took the ayes. we never got an opportunity to find out the nays. So I am in the position now that I cannot challenge the Chair. After you asked for the aye votes. you never asked for the nay votes. How can we determine what the ruling of the Chair is?","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":495}
{"speech_id":1090151147,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Wisconsin . the chief sponsor of the bill and a member of the Budget Committee. be allowed to control the balance of my time after I speak and also be authorized to yield blocks of time to other speakers.","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":265}
{"speech_id":1090151152,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I congratulate the gentleman from Wisconsin for the work he has done on this very important bill. We have had our differences. but in the meantime he has been more than cooperative. Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the Legislative Line Item Veto Act. My opposition is based on Congresss experience with previous efforts to give the President line item veto authority. as well as my serious concerns over what this bill would do to the balance of budgetary power between the Legislative -and Executive Branches. During 1997. President Clinton exercised his authority. under the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 to cancel spending authority or tax benefits 82 times. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6151}
{"speech_id":1090151152,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Total cancellations of discretionary budget authority amounted to $479 million. or less than three onehundredths of one percent of the total fiscal year 1998 Federal budget. The cancellations made during this period were mired in controversy. On October 6. 1997. President Clinton cancelled $287 million for 38 military construction projects in 24 States. Soon after the cancellations were announced. the administration admitted. in response to bipartisan criticism. that they had used flawed information in deciding to cancel neariy half of the projects. The administration used three criteria in making- these decisions. The cancelled projects: (1) were not requested by the military. (2) could not make contributions to the national defense in fiscal year 1998. and (3) would not benefit the quality of life and wellbeing of military personnel. These criteria were applied by the bureaucrats within the White House and OMB without consulting either the Department of Defense or the Members of Congress who sponsored the projects. Congresss motivation for funding many of these projects was safety. A Live Fire Command and Control Facility at Fort Irwin. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6151}
{"speech_id":1090151152,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CA. would enable the Army to safely train personnel in the live firing of ordnance. Renovations at White Sands Missile Range. NM. would address the absence of fire suppression systems. Other projects provided muchneeded housing. One would provide housing at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. where.there were no existing facilities to house the 13th Bomb Squadron. Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston singled out a particularly egregious cancellation relating to the money for Army reserve units in Utah. He said. in a letter to President Clinton. \"I can only conclude that your decision was based on something other than an altruistic yearning to cut spending. Mr. President. this was an embarrassing mistake.. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6151}
{"speech_id":1090151152,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\" The Clinton Administration responded to some of the criticism by stating that many of the cancelled projects would be requested in future budgets anyway. This only fueled congressional objections. however. as Members could not understand why the projects were not necessary now when they could. be considered necessary in the next budget cycle. Congress responded by passing a bill to disapprove the Presidents military construction cancellations. The bill was vetoed by the President. The House voted 34769 and the Senate voted 7820 to override the veto. enacting the bill and nullifying the cancellations. On June 25. 1998. the Supreme Court ruled that the Line Item Veto Act violated the presentment clause of the Constitution. thus ending a divisive and contentious fight between the Executive and Legislative branches. The experience of the original Line Item Veto Act should cause Congress to be extremely cautious about giving the President new line item veto authority. Even though implementation under H.R. 4890 differs from the 1996 Act. the proposed bill would transfer a great deal of budgetary power to the Executive Branch. The expedited rescission authority mandated by H.R. 4890 would give new weight to the Presidents rescissior proposals. While under current law any rescission proposal can be disregarded by Congress if it has no merit. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6151}
{"speech_id":1090151152,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 4890 requires votes in the House and Senate. The President. or even bureaucrats within the agencies or the Office of Management and Budget. would set the legislative agenda by deciding what rescissions to include in a bill. A President could also structure his rescission messages with more of an eye toward politics instead of good policy. For example. a President. encouraged by his political advisors. could propose rescissions that target the projects of one political party. In this event. the debate over the bill would be blatantly political and would certainly lead to legislative stonewalling by the offended party. A President could also make deals with specific Members of Congress to further his legislative agenda. He could easily threaten to cancel an item directly benefiting a particular Members district. and then back off his threat if that Member votes in favor of the Presidents program. If a President is interested in trading Members projects for their support for -expanded entitlement spending. for example. overall spending would actually increase. H.R. 4890 could also present Congress with a procedural nightmare. Each rescission bill would use up to five hours of debate time in the House and ten hours in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6151}
{"speech_id":1090151155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. all this posturing about fiscal responsibility is nothing more than a side show. This legislation is not about fiscal responsibility. Look no further than the Republican estate tax bill this House just passed. Putting us nearly $1 trillion further in debt over the next 15 years for the sake of a few of our countrys wealthiest families is evidence enough of where the priorities of the Bush administration and the Republican congressional leadership lie. In fact. the line item veto has very littleto do with budgeting at all. It has everything to do with power. Presidential power. The shift of constitutional power from Congress to the executive branch has greatly accelerated since the 1990s. As congressional scholars Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein observe. the Republican Congress. under the administration of George W. ","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090151155,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bush. has featured \"a general obeisance to Presidential initiative. and passivity in the face of Presidential power.\" This bill would tilt the balance of power even further in the direction of the White House. Specific provisions of the bill would give the President inordinate control over the appropriations process. For example. the President could cherrypick from among a wide range of provisions. authorizations or appropriations. discretionary or mandatory. and package them together in whatever way he saw fit. -requiring Congress to vote up or down on the entire package. This bill would give the White House unprecedented leverage over Congress by allowing the President to condition his support for our priorities on our acquiescence in his priorities. It is for this exact reason that many experts believe this bill would actually increase government spending. not reduce it. Now. Mr. Speaker. I will take a back seat to no one in targeting bridges to nowhere and other examples of congressional waste. But I also know this: Presidents almost invariably ask for more money than Congress is willing to appropriate. ","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090151155,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the profligacy of our current President is well documented. The line item veto is not about spending versus saving. It is about letting the President. not Congress. decide what we are spending money on. Mr. Speaker. if the leadership of this House were serious about getting our finances In order. it would never have abandoned the payasyougo rules. which helped produce balanced budgets and even surpluses in the 1990s. And it would reinstate those rules today. as proposed by Mr. SPRATTs substitute. The Spratt substitute would also have addressed several other key weaknesses of H.R. 4890. But once again. the House leadership has rigged the rules to deny us a vote on it. Instead. we get this figleaf bill designed to hide the fiscal sins of this Republican Congress from the American public. ","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090151155,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the House of Representatives has three fundamental powers: declaring war. conducting. oversight. and the power of the purse. We have already gone a long way to sacrifice the first two to the executive branch. Do we really want to give away the only one we have got left? I urge my colleagues to oppose this misguided legislation.","speaker_name":"DAVID PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3103}
{"speech_id":1090151157,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I come to the floor in support of this bill. the Line Item Veto Act. and I applaud Congressman PAUL RYAN for his hard work on this legislation. The Line Item Veto Act will work to eliminate wasteful spending. safeguard against questionable appropriation decisions. and further protect taxpayers dollars from waste. fraud and abuse. It becomes another important tool that helps us restrain spending and meets the constitutional test that the line item veto given to the President during the Clinton administration but reversed by the Supreme Court could not meet. It may not be everything that line item veto was. but I think Mr. RYAN hasworked hard to make it everything it could be and meet that constitutional standard. At the same time. it increases transparency in the process. it protects legitimate spending requests that direct funds to carry out important projects that benefit Americans. and it also gives Congress the final word in that important constitutional responsibility that the previous speaker mentioned was uniquely given to us. We bring someone else into this process in a way that helps. It will make a difference. I think it is more than barely a dent. but even a dent becomes another tool. makes a difference. ","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1634}
{"speech_id":1090151157,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it makes a significant difference. Mr. RYAN has worked hard. He was given six challenges to the original proposal that he brought to this Congress. He made six significant changes. I urge my colleagues to join him in passing this bill and giving the President and this Congress the assistance that this and future Congresses need to help us restrain spending in Washington.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1634}
{"speech_id":1090151171,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I thank him for his hard work. working on this legislation. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this and rise to ask my colleagues to vote in favor of this. I cannot help but be a little bit amused when I hear some of the opponents stand up and say that they kind of think this gives too much power to the President. It is like some brand new secret idea that the Republicans dreamed up to give a Republican President more power than he ought to -have. I just want to remind everyone this is not a brand new idea. It has been around a good while. People have pointed out that 43 governors in the States around the country have the same or similar kind of power. that we passed legislation like this through the Congress before. In fact. people have said they like it. both Democrats and Republicans. ","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090151171,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me read you what one of the strongest supporters of this legislation. this line item veto. said. JHe said: \"The fresh air of public accountability will glow through the Federal budget. This law gives the President tools to cut wasteful spending. and even more important. it empowers our citizens. for the exercise of this veto or even the possibility of its exercise will throw a spotlight of public scrutiny onto the darkest corners of the Federal budget.\" Do you know who aid that? President Clinton said thatwhen he signed similar legislation in 1996. I could not say it any better. I just urge my colleagues to add this tool to our arsenal. If you are serious about getting a handle on controlling spending. you will vote in favor of this.","speaker_name":"ANDER CRENSHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090151207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan Legislative LineItem Veto Act of 2006. The lineitem veto is a commonsense approach to restraining the growth in Federal spending. The Legislative LineItem Veto establishes an additional check against excessive. redundant. and narrowly focused spending provisions and specialinterest tax breaks. This legislation would simply allow the President to identify questionable and unnecessary -spending items in bills passed by Congress. It preserves Congress .power of the purse by requiring a simple up or down vote on the Presidents proposed rescissions. The final decision on spending or tax items remains in the hands of Congress. With the passage of this important legislation. this Republicanled Congress. continues to highlight its commitment to fiscal discipline and supporting policies that reform and reduce the growth of mandatory government programs. Necessary reform. such as a lineitem veto. can help rein in unnecessary and wasteful government spending while protecting the hardearned money of American taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090151207,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress must act to bring greater transparency and accountability to the budget process. A constitutionally sound lineitem veto is a useful tool to eliminate government spending that contributes to the waste. fraud. and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Many governors currently have this ability. .including in my own State of Florida. This important tool serves the people well and will help save their hardearned money. The lineitem veto legislation gives Congress and the President yet another opportunity to bring spending under control. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to match their rhetoric with action and support meaningful budget reform.","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090151208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to the lineitem veto measure before the House today. I know the authors of this measure are sincere in their efforts and believe this measure will lead to a better Federal Government. But being sincere doesnt make their efforts right. nor does it make them wise. Rather. they are fundamentally wrong. For 200 years. the unfortunate truth is that power. slowly but surely. has been shifting from the legislative branch of Government to the executive branch. We all know this to be true. It should come as no surprise that this President. or the prior one. want this expanded power. The real surprise would be if this Congress finally stood up and said no. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090151208,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We all know that the President today has the ability to veto any bill Congress passes. And we all know he has not done so. . Some of my colleagues will argue that we make it too hard for him to veto a bill. That is nonsense. Every day we. have to vote on bills with many imperfections. They contain provisions we might support and others we strongly oppose. But we have to balance the good and the bad in each bill and then cast our vote and defend it to our constituents. Why should the President be any different? Why should he get to undo a hardearned compromise? I need not remind any Member of this body that many times the President has a role in that compromiseyet this measure would allow him to selectively undo that deal after the fact. Lets talk for a minute about spending. Even the sponsors of this measure dont really believe it will save any taxpayer money. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090151208,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They talk about earmarks and equate them with wasteful spending. In reality. there are only two types of spendingthat which is congressionally directed and that which is recommended by the President. This measure places the recommendations of the President higher in importance than spending directed by the U.S. Congress. If the authors of this measure have such faith in the administrative branch of Government. Why do we have 11.000 unused FEMA trailers sitting in a field in Hope. AR? Why were millions and millions of dollars wasted on $2.000 credit cards that didnt go to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. but were instead spent on things I ought not mention on this floor? I could go on and on about $600 toilet seats and $400 hammers. but everyone here gets the point. Lets be clear Mr. Speaker. the taxpayers arent going to save a dime with the passage of this measure. Instead. we are going to weaken the Constitutional role of Congress. further strengthen the power of the executive branch. and provide a few Members of this body with the ability to go home and say they did somethinghowever harmful it might be to the future of our Nation or inconsistent it might be with the intentions of our Nations founders. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090151208,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My mother used to tell me. \"Be careful what you wish for. you just might get it.\" My mothers advice would be well heeded by those who believe this measure is in the best inter: ests of our Nation.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL SIMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2994}
{"speech_id":1090151213,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Speaker and my good friend and colleague from Wisconsin. PAUL RYAN. for their willingness to work with the Transportation Committee to ensure that transportation trust fund budget protections will be preserved and that trust fund dollars are not used for deficit reduction or diverted to the general fund. It is my understanding that we have a commitment that this bill. when and if it comes out of conference. will be in a form that also honors funding guarantees and that spending will not be below guaranteed levels. I further appreciate the clarification by Congressman RYAN that it was not his intention to negatively impact the guarantees and that he supports continuing to spend the revenues coming into the trust funds. This is so important because in 1998 and in subsequent votes. this Congress has reaffirmed the principle that user fees collected from aviation and highway users should be used only for their intended purposetransportation improvements. For too long. aviation and highway trust fund spending had been suppressed in order to increase spending in other areas or to mask the size of the federal deficit. to the point that we had ballooning balances in.the trust funds. The goal of the line item veto bill here today is to achieve savingsand it had originally provided that any vetoed item be used for deficit reduction. For direct spending. this would have applied not only to \"earmarks.\" but to programs that are increased and supported by the trust funds! This would be in direct conflict with the spending guarantees we have had in our two previous aviation and highway bills and undermined the principle that trust fund spending should be linked to trust fund revenuesit is spending that is paid for. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS PETRI","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2588}
{"speech_id":1090151213,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Using gas taxes for deficit reduction (as far as the Highway Trust Fund is concerned) was vigorously opposed by Republicans when President Clinton proposed it in 1993. It was the right position then and it is the right position today. Again. this is not spending that contributes to the deficitit is spending that is paid for and we should not break our promise that revenues collected will be spent on transportation. Much as some may dispute it. programs that are supported by user fees are differentand they merit the different budget treatment that they currently have. It would be a terrible mistake to turn back the clock now. and I am glad that we are taking steps to ensure that it is not the case. I look forward to continuing to work to finetune the provisions regarding the transportation trust funds in this bill.","speaker_name":"THOMAS PETRI","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2588}
{"speech_id":1090151269,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Clearly the appropriation bills have been bills which I know the majority wanted to move. and I would hope. notwithstanding the fact that there is a provision that the committee approved. that we would not subject that to a majority vote on the floor.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":251}
{"speech_id":1090151329,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am glad to be with Mr. TANNER and also his colleague from Ohio. Mrs. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES. Mr. TANNER of Tennessee has really been the leader in the House as it relates to accountability. as it relates to working with Mr. SPRATT on payaswego. He was around when we balanced the budget and we did some of the things that we needed to do on behalf of this country. So we are so glad he is here tonight to share with the 30something Group and also with the Members of the House on what we should be doing versus what we are doing right now. I yield to Mr.. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":564}
{"speech_id":1090151329,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TANNER.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":564}
{"speech_id":1090151388,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning we will be resuming debate on a couple of pending amendments to the Defense authorization bill. Under the agreement. we will have 60 minutes of debate and closing remarks in relation to the Levin amendment and the Kerry amendment related to Iraq. Following that 60 minutes. the two leaders will have up to 30 minutes total for final remarks. After those statements. we will proceed to three rollcall votes. The first vote will be on the Levin amendment. to be followed by the Kerry amendment. to be followed by a vote on cloture on the bill. If cloture is invoked. the two managers will .then be in a better position to indicate how much work remains on the Defense bill. It is our intent to continue to work toward final passage. and therefore Senators should expect votes throughout the day and into the evening. I.will have an update for Members early this afternoon after we cohclude the votes and I consult with the Democratic leader and the bill managers.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":989}
{"speech_id":1090151404,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Department of Defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2007 has now been under consideration on the Senate floor for more than a week. Much of that time has been devoted to discussion of Iraq. which casts a long shadow over every decision we are called to make. I regret that there has been such great unwillingness. until now. to have this issue freely debated on the floor of the Senate. and I commend the floor managers for allowing us to fulfill our constitutional responsibility. If ever there was a time for a resolute and reasoned assessment of our policy in Iraq. this is it. In undertaking unilateral military action to remove Saddam. the administration chose to pursue a costly policy that has seriously undermined our ability to focus on and deal effectively with the urgent nationalsecurity challenges we face. Turning its back on 50 years of bipartisan consensus on the need to work collectively and cooperatively through multilateral institutionsa consensus that carried us through the darkest years of the Cold Warthis administration insisted on a goitalone strategy that made only minimal gestures toward diplomacy. Pushing aside the many diplomatic. economic and political resources at his disposal. the President squandered the vast outpouring of support that resulted from the tragic events of 9\/11. His policies have divided us not only from the vast population of the Muslim and developing world. whose support is more important now than ever in the fight against terrorism. but also from many of our traditional friends and allies in Europe and Asia. More than 3 years ago I took the Senate floor and posed this question: \"Are we going to seek to exercise our power in cooperation. in coordination with others. which in the current context means working through the United Nations. or are we going to move down the path of asserting a unilateral preemptive prerogative. in effect. asserting our right to do what we want anywhere. anytime. to anyone?\" I say now that the administration made a grievous mistake in pursuing the second path. and thus today we find ourselves forced to deal with the consequences. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6840}
{"speech_id":1090151404,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I call to the attention of my colleagues my remarks of October 9. 2002. Had the United States taken that more prudent course. we would find ourselves in a different. and. I would argue. immeasurably stronger position than we are in today. Before the invasion began. we had investigators from the International Atomic Energy Agency on the ground in Iraq. where they were tracking down and following up all reports of weapons of mass destruction. U.S. and British aircraft were enforcing two U.N.-backed nofly zones. one to protect the Kurds in the north. and another to protect Shiites in the south. In effect. we had Saddam Hussein in a corner. and we were keeping him there with the blessing of the international community. . The President chose instead to take a reckless and irresponsible gamble. We can count up the number of deaths. we can count up the number of dollars. we can count up the number of injuries from which people will never recover. but none of this begins to account for the true costs to our Nation. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6840}
{"speech_id":1090151404,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have lost more than 2.500 courageous and dedicated men and womena tragedy for them and their families. and also for- the nation. because they -represented the promise and hope of our future. This is not to mention the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. women and children alike. who were caught in the crossfire. We have diminished our standing in the eyes of the world. and having declined to use the tools of diplomacy. at our disposal. we now find their effectiveness diminished. This military action has clouded our vision and distorted our priorities to the point that the entire question of national security must now be debated through the prism of Iraq. With our diplomatic resources focused overwhelmingly on Iraq. we have undermined our ability to achieve national security objectives we know to be critical. Today the challenge in Afghanistan is growing. not receding. More than in the past. al Qaida is an international phenomenon that adapts to local conditions. making its detection and destruction ever more difficult. The nuclear challenge posed by Iran is gaining momentum at the same time that our presence in Iraq immeasurably complicates the problems of dealing effectively with Iran. and North Korea has raised its own nuclear challenge to a new level. Our countrys standing in the world community has been diminished on numerous fronts by the profoundly misguided invasion of Iraq and our continuing failure to meet the goals we set for ourselves. We have seriously undermined working relations with our traditional partners and allies. which the Presidents trip to Vienna has yet again put on vivid display. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6840}
{"speech_id":1090151404,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sixteen of the original 37 members of the coalition which the administration touted have withdrawn their troops. Japan being only the most recent to announce its departure. Of those who remain. only the United Kingdom has more than 5.000 soldiers on the ground. This is to say nothing of the toll Iraq has taken at home. There are thousands who have been disabled by serious warrelated injuries and trauma. Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by lengthy and unplanned Guard and reserve duty. often creating substantial financial hardship. Our National Guard. thus stretched. is less able to render assistance in the situations it was designed to address. We have had to divert hardpressed resources from urgent domestic priorities. the recovery from Hurricane Katrina among them. Yet the administration refuses to face these realities. When at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall I asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. referring to Iraq. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6840}
{"speech_id":1090151404,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Do you think five years from now. some American forces will have come out?\" She said. \"Senator. I dont want to speculate.\" Even when asked. \"What about 10 years from now?\" she refused to rule out the prospect that our troops Would still be on the ground in Iraq. Her response revealed the administrations adamant refusal to think through to the consequences of the action. which has characterized our policy in Iraq from the beginning. It is long past time to face the situation squarely and undertake a fundamental redirection of the policy before more damage is done. The war not only hastaken a terrible toll in terms of lives and hopes for the future. it has diverted our attention from the real and urgent threats to our national security and compromised our ability to deal with them. We should not be pursuing an openended commitment in Iraq.. It -was a war that need never have begun. By failing to offer to a viable strategy to bring it to an end. the administration does a grave disservice to our Nation.","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6840}
{"speech_id":1090151422,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. before we start on the next speaker. as I understand it. the standing order recites that the Levin amendment would be the first vote. If I understand the request of the distinguished colleague from Michigan. there is a prefereice to have it switched so that the Kerry vote will be first. Is that a request being propounded?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":340}
{"speech_id":1090151439,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. the credibility of the United States has beenproven with the loss of lives and the number of wounded we have suffered in Iraq. We have proven our credibility over 2.500 times because we have lost more than 2.500 of our troops. We have proven our credibility over 17.000 times in terms of the number of people who have been wounded in Iraq. We have proven our credibility with hundreds of billions of dollars to give the Iraqis an opportunity to have a nation. It is up to them to seize that opportunity. It is up to them to decide to make a choice. Do they want a civil war? Do they want to engage in more sectarian battles? Or do they want to reach the kind of political compromises which are essential if they are going to have a nation and end the insurgency and avoid an allout civil war? Our credibility has been proven thousands of times and with billions of dollars. We have given a people an opportunity that is extraordinary. We cannot make the decision for them. whether they will seize that opportunity. Only they can make that decision. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090151439,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Last year we adopted. by an overwhelming vote. an amendment which said that 2006 would be a year of significant transition. with Iraqi security forces taking the lead for the security of a free and sovereign Iraq. thereby creating the conditions for.a phased redeployment of U.S. forces in Iraq. Similar to last. years sense of the Congress. this years sense of the Congress that we are offering is an attempt to change our policy from one of an openended commitmenta policy that. as the Secretary of State put it. we are there as long as they need us. as the President of Iraq. Mr. Talabani. put it. the Americans will stay with all the forces that we want for as long as we want them. That is a recipe. a formula for dependency. It is not the way in which Iraq can learn that it must. on its own. in a reasonable period of time. with reasonable notice and consultation. begin to ween itself. as General Casey put it. from overdependence on the American military. That is the issue. That is what our amendment would urge the President to do. Our amendment does not order the President. as some on that side have actually put it. This is a sense of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090151439,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is something where we. the authors of this amendment. believe that we have a responsibility to use our best efforts to giveour best advice as to what our policy should be. It is not a policy of immediately redeploying forces. There is not a precipitous nature to this amendment. It says by the end of this year. in the next 6 months. to begin the phased redeployment of American forces from Iraq. That is what the Iraqis say their policy is. That is what their security adviser says their policy is. Their own security adviser. Mr. Rubaie. in the Washington Post 2 days ago said- We envisage the U.S. troop presence by years end to be under 100.000. That is a redeployment of 30.000 troops. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090151439,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our amendment tells the Iraqis: Stay with that. Stick to that policy. It is the right policy. You must take over your own nation and make it work and make it happen. Then Mr. Rubaie. the National Security Adviser of Iraq. in a written documen presented to the American people through our newspaper. says that \"the removal of coalition troops from Iraqi streets will help the Iraqis who now see foreign troops as occupiers rather than liberators.\" He says. \"The removal of foreign troops will legitimize Iraqs government in the eyes of its people.\" Our amendment urging the President to end an openended commitment of our troops to Iraq and to begin the redeployment by years end is a way of implementing what -the Iraqis themselves have said they plan on doing. All Senators want Iraq to end as a success story. every one of us. There is not one Senator who wants anything other than to maiimize the chances of success in Iraq. No matter how we voted on the original resolution authorizing force. every one of the 25 or so Senators who voted against that resolutionand I am one of themwants to maximize the chances of success in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090151439,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But to do that. we must prod the Iraqis to take the responsibility for their own nation. I thank the Presiding Officer and my dear friend from Virginia for the way in which this debate has proceeded. I hope we have made a contribution to the Senate and to the Nation.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4325}
{"speech_id":1090151488,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let me say. it is very difficult. any time you have to oppose your subcommittee chairmanand in this case the full committee chairmanon an issue. particularly two Senators whom I hold in such high esteem. But we do have a disagreement in a very professional way on this issue. At the end of the day. all of us intend to do what is in the best interests of the men and women who fight for America. The F22A Raptor is the U.S. Air Forces top priority for providing a join force with air dominance. operational access. homeland and cruise missile defense for the next 20plus years. The F22A is a firstofakind multimission fighter aircraft that combines Stealth. supercruise. advanced maneuverability. and integrated avionics to make it the worlds most capable combat aircraft. This amendment authorizes a 3year multiyear procurement contract for the F22. This is not about spending money. it is about saving money. and it is about good acquisition practices and policy. This amendment will save approximately $235 million as a minimum amount. allowing DOD to use this money for other priorities or allow us. the Congress. to return these dollars to the taxpayers. An independent study. commissioned by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. is the only independent study yet to be done for the F22 multiyear contract. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4543}
{"speech_id":1090151488,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In that study. the Institute for Defense Analysis. or IDA. concluded that the proposed F22A multiyear contract. first of all. meets all the criteria provided in the law and does. in fact. save the taxpayer a minimum of $235 million over the next 3 years. The study was not completed in time for the Senate Armed Services Committee markup back in early May. which is why it was not included in the Senate bill at that time. or at least we didnt have an amendment at that time. However. the study was submitted to the Armed Services Committee on the 16th of May. Since I have been on this committee. we have been talking about the need to conduct acquisitions better. cheaper. and more efficiently. This amendment does exactly that. We know we are going to buy 60 F22s over the next 3 years. That is the current plan. The DOD budget provides for the funding. and I have heard no one in Congress question the need for the airplane. As a matter of fact. this airplane today is flying in rotation around the country and soon will be flying around the world as it is scheduled to go into rotation to Iraq shortly. As we are sitting here today. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4543}
{"speech_id":1090151488,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I suspect there is an F22 flying over Washington. DC. protecting the skies over our Nations Capital. The only question is how are we going to buy these airplanes? Are we going to buy them with 3 1year contracts and pay more money. or are we going to buy them -with a 3year multiyear contract and save a quarter of a billion dollars? We need to have a high standard for what qualifies for a multiyear contract. As a matter of comparison. the F414 engine for theF18 saved 2.8 percent and $51 million. The multiyear contract for two previous F16 multiyears saved $246 million and $262 million respectively. By comparison. the proposed F22A multiyear contract saves 2.6 percent and a minimum of $235 million. The point is that the F22 multiyear is in the same category in terms of percent savings and total savings of multiyear contracts that this body has previously approved. Also. the perplane savings on the F22 multiyear will be identical to the perplane savings on the F\/A18 multiyear. that being $3.8 million per plane. That is why the authors of the independent business case analysis at IDA judge this multiyear to have significant savings. and I agree with them. . Much has been made over the old criteria for multiyear savings. which was a minimum of 10 percent. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4543}
{"speech_id":1090151488,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But. frankly. that was changed early on in law and now. instead of 10 percent the statute does say. \"substantial savings.\" The 2005 QDR. which was provided to Congress in concert with the fiscal year 2007 budget request. restructures the F22A program to extend production through the fiscal year 2010 with a multiyear acquisition contract to ensure the Department does not have a gap in fifthgeneration Stealth capabilities. To obtain a more favorable cost. DODs strategy requested authority for a 3year multiyear procurement contract to buy 60 F22s. 20 in each of the years 2007 through 2009. This strategy was outlined in aletter from Undersecretary of Defense Ken Krieg in a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 13. 2006. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to print that letter in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4543}
{"speech_id":1090151522,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise as an ardent supporter of the F22A Raptor. I am very pleased that the. Armed Services Committee has modified the Department of Defenses budget request and authorized the procurement of 20 F22s during the next fiscal year. That being said. I must express my disappointment that the committee did not include in this legislation language authorizing the Secretary of the Air Force to enter into a multiyear procurement contract to purchase 20 Raptors a year for the next 3 years. Under such a contract. the Institute for Defense Analyses estimates that we will save the taxpayer at least $225 million. Therefore. I am proud to join Senator CHAMBLISs and cosponsor this important amendment along with Senators INHOFE. LIEBERMAN. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":763}
{"speech_id":1090151522,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"BINGAMAN.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":763}
{"speech_id":1090151550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take a few minutes of the Senates time to discuss an amendment that I understand Senator WARNER and Senator LEVIN have included in the managers package. This amendmentthat I worked on with my colleague Senator SNOWEwould move toward expanding eligibility for the Purple Heart to all prisoners of war who die in captivity regardless of the cause of death. The need for this important amendment was brought to my attention by a group of Korean War veteransthe Tiger Survivorswho identified what many of my colleagues agree is a glaring loophole in current law. You may be surprised to learn that currently. only prisoners of war who die during their imprisonment of wounds inflicted by the enemysuch as a gunshot wound or intentional poisoningclearly meet the criteria for posthumous Purple Heart recognition. Those who die of starvation. disease. or other causes during captivity do not. I would like to give you an example of what I mean by recounting the story of the crew members who survived the sinking of the USS Houston. a Navy cruiser that was sunk by the Japanese off the coast of Java in February After swimming to shore. the Japanese transported American POWs to Burma to work as slave labor building the BurmaThai Railway. which would stretch 250 miles between mountains. across rivers. and through jungles. These American POWs cut down trees. built road beds and bridges. and laid ties and rails for what is known as the Death Railway. Conditions for these Americans were appalling. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5165}
{"speech_id":1090151550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Each man received half a cup of buginfested rice a day. and some POWs dropped below 80 pounds. Malnutrition brought on diseases like beri beri. pellagra. and scurvysevere vitamin deficiencies that result in horrible suffering and even death. The tropical environment also bred cases of dysentery. malaria. cholera. and tropical ulcers that ate through flesh to expose bone. Although Japanese doctors were present in the camps. they were not allowed any drugs or tools for practicing medicine. Those workers who were too slow were beaten. those who were too sick .to work received no food. and were eventually sent off to die. Under current law. many of these individuals would not be eligible for the Purple Heart. Doesnt it make sense that our young service members who died in this manner would be recognized as having died at the hands of the enemy? Doesnt it make sense that the Houston crew members who were denied treatment and died of starvation and disease in captivity would be eligible for the Purple Heart? Language that would correct this injustice was accepted as part of the House version of the Defense authoriza tion bill. where it had the overwhelming bipartisan support of 216 cosponsors. Equally important. correcting this important loophole in the law has been endorsed by the American Legion. Veterans of Foreign Wars. Military Order of the Purple Heart. the National Association for Uniformed Services. the Military Officers of America Association. the Korean War Veterans Association. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5165}
{"speech_id":1090151550,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"National League of POWMIA Families. Tiger Survivors. and a number of other prominent veterans organizations. I can think of no stronger endorsement than from these fine groups who know firsthand the suffering of war. I would like to tell you one more story by a World War II soldier by the name of John Coleman. This is his story as recounted in his book. Bataan and Beyond: The treatment of the death march and imprisonment . .. is beyond the imaginations ability to comprehend. If there ever was a hell on earth. this was administered to the 7.000 souls of some of the bravest and most devoted of our military personnel. Day after day they were in agony. seemingly blotted out in memory by their nation. They suffered under the burning tropical sun. on starvation rations. with little water to drink. They could not even wash the filth from their bodies or clothes. matted hair. and beards. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5165}
{"speech_id":1090151550,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were mentally depressed. had swollen limbs from beri beri. unhealed festered wounds that were never treated. They also had distended stomachs. bloody dysentery. and raw. sore mouths from pellagra. Even a drink of water would cause their mouths to burn. Everyone had stomach worms that would sometimes find their way out of the body through the nose. No attempt was made\" by the Imperial Japanese Army to furnish any kind of medication to alleviate the suffering. Unimaginable. Simply unimaginable. Mr. President. these brave members of the Armed Forces suffered these cruelties so that we might enjoy the freedoms we have today. I can think of no more fitting tribute for their sacrifice than to posthumously make them eligible for the Purple Heart. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5165}
{"speech_id":1090151550,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While the amendment that I originally offered would have provided congressional authorization expanding eligibility for the Purple Heart. I worked with Senators WARNER and LEVIN on compromise language that would require the President to determine whether eligibility for the Purple Heart should be expanded to all POWs who died in captivity. I sincerely hope the President will take a serious look at this proposal. and ensure that our POWs are afforded the recognition they deserve.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5165}
{"speech_id":1090151584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I. too. -rise in support of this amendment of the Senator from Alabama. Mr. SESSIONS. It is a modest increase in funding. But as the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee said. it will enable us to accelerate the pace of testing. which I think we are all supportive of. And as a result. I think it is a good amendment. I appreciate the support of both the minority and the majority. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2446}
{"speech_id":1090151584,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because of that. I will not take a long time to detail the reasons why I think it is so important. Suffice it to say. with the recent news of the preparations of the North Koreans and our knowledge that they have been very closely connected to the development of weapon capabilities. in particular the missile capabilities of the Iranians. and given the fact that both of those countries have. not only become increasingly capable but increasingly belligerent in recent months and years. it is very obvious that we have to move forward and accelerate our testing and development and our deployment of the missile interception system with all the speed we can muster. It is a program that we are developing as we go along. and we- are learning a lot in the process. Our most recent tests have been successful. We can build on those successes. I am delighted that the missile defense system is receiving the kind of support that it needs to receive so that in the years to come. when the American people look back on this and realize that they are protected from a missile attack. they can say it was during these years when that threat was evolving and developing that we had the fortitude to put the money in the program for development and testing that would enable us to protect the American people. I remember back. right after 9\/11. when the intelligence communities were criticized for not connecting the dots. Now the dots on the missile fronts are pretty clear. We are beginning to get big red circles coming at us with both North Korea and Iran. and others are on the way as well. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2446}
{"speech_id":1090151584,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is during this period of time. before they become completely capable then. we have to develop our interceptor capabilities with our groundbased missile systems and the followon systems which we are working on as well. I applaud the efforts of my colleague from Alabama and his foresight for proposing this modest increase. I appreciate the support of the ranking minority member on the committee. and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2446}
{"speech_id":1090151618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I say that is not fair to the men and women of the Armed Forces who use this program. I am not trying to keep in place something that is not adequately serving this constituency and the Department of Defense. I would rather put in a fix if I can get in my mind what that fix can be. The amendment could virtually. bring what is in existence at DTS to a standstill.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":364}
{"speech_id":1090151636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is an amendment that is going to have some emotion with it. I want to talk about it first. There is no question when it comes to the wisdom of many of the Members of our body that directing the Pentagon to do certain things is valuable. We know that from anecdotal experience. But what we doht know is how many times we have told them to do something that has been a complete waste. What I am talking about are earmarks in the Defense authorization bill as well as in the Defense appropriations bill. There is a wonderful body of knowledge. plus an institutional knowledge. here that helps give wisdom to direct the Armed Services. I believe we ought to be in that *position. What this amendment does is ask for a report. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4170}
{"speech_id":1090151636,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to explain. for a secondand I want the American public to seewhat has happened in terms of earmarks. In 1994. there were $4.2 billion worth of earmarks in the Defense appropriations bill. Last year. there were $9.4 billion. The question we shouldbe asking is not whether or not there should be earmarks. but what is the result of those earmarks? What is the consequence of the earmarks? Not only were the numbers up. the dollars up. but the numbers have skyrocketed. So the question which I think would be prudent for us to ask is. No. 1: Earmarks are consuming a larger percentage of defense dollars. They also. according to Pentagon reports and some Members of this body. are taking money away from other priorities that are deemed to be higher a lot of the time. They also account for some of the problems we are having in the emergency supplementals and adding to the rising cost of our debt. Many times they are not needed. but. in fact. they are associated with benefiting a region or an industry that is not necessarily in the highest priority. So this is not about eliminating earmarks. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4170}
{"speech_id":1090151636,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is about looking at earmarks and saying: What are we getting for them? Where are they working great for us? Where are they not working? Are they beneficial to the defense of this country? Is it something that gives us a benefit? The other thing I would remind us of is. in the most recent history we have seen an ethical lapse in association with some earmarks. and we have actually seen some criminal behavior in association with earmarks. That ought to be a part of the report as well. So the whole idea is to add transparency and accountability to earmarks. Lets look at them. What are we getting for them? What are We losing? What are the opportunity costs that are lost because we have them there? The total annual cost of earmarks in Defense appropriations bills would be put in this report. We can determine the actual numbers of earmarks and the actual price tags. But we dont know the hidden costs of those earmarks. which include staff time and administration. And we dont know the opportunity cost of those earmarks: What did not happen for our soldiers. what did not happen in terms of procurement because we put in something else of maybe a lesser priority? The annual report will provide Congress and the public a more complete understanding of the total cost of the earmarks to the Department of Defense. the purpose and location of each earmark. and an analysis of the usefulness of each earmark in advancing the goals of the Department of Defense. This will provide Members of Congress a more complete view of the costeffectiveness of each project and whether those projects warrant continued funding. The last amendment we were on started as an earmark. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4170}
{"speech_id":1090151636,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I- remind the Members of thib body. it started at $200 million. and now will have grown to over $500 million in initiatives and earmarks. but we did not have the benefit of a report such as this to see if we were getting value for this money. This is a simple amendment. It is not going after earmarks. It is not saying they are bad. It is not saying they are good. What it is saying is: Shouldnt this body know? Shouldnt we know the impact. positively and negatively? Shouldnt we know the lost opportunity cost? I hope both the ranking member and the chairmari of this committee will give this amendment consideration. And I ask for their response.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4170}
{"speech_id":1090151694,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think there is strong support on both sides of the aisle for this amendment. This is money which goes to testing of the missile defense system mainly. it surely needs testing. That has always been the question. So I support this amendment. and I believe we could have a voice vote. but there has been a request for a rollcall vote. We support the amendment.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":374}
{"speech_id":1090151714,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I send a series of amendments to the desk which have been cleared by myself and the ranking member. I ask unanimous consent the Senate consider these amendments en bloc. the amendments be agreed to. and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table. Finally. I ask that any statements pertaining to any of these individual amendments be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":362}
{"speech_id":1090151719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to offer an amendment that would rename the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center at Rock Island. IL. in honor of Representative LANE EVANS. Representative EVANS has been a tireless advocate of our men and women in uniform during his 24 years in Congress. Unfortunately. Congress will lose a great man when he retires at the end of this year. and we can honor him and his accomplishments by renaming the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center at Rock Island after him. LANE EVANS came to Congress as a Marine Corps veteran. and military personnel and veterans were always on the forefront of his mind during his service on the House Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Veterans Affairs. Throughout his career. Representative EVANS has fought to ensure that veterans receive the medical care they need and has provided outspoken support for individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder and gulf war syndrome. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2023}
{"speech_id":1090151719,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"AdditionaIly. Representative EVANS is credited with bringing new services to veterans living in his congressional district. In particular. he was responsible for the development of outpatient clinics in the Quad Cities and Quincy. IL. as well as the establishment of the QuadCities Vet Center. Representative EVANS also has worked to ensure that military personnel experience a smooth transition from active military service into the care of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Generations of veterans will continue to benefit from his hard work long after he has retired. Representative EVANS has worked in conjunction with local leaders to promote the Rock Island Arsenal. and through his support. the facility has received new jobs and new missions. It is fitting and proper that the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center at Rock Island Arsenal be named in honor of Representative EVANS in order to commemorate his service to Americas military personnel. its veterans. and his 17th Congressional district. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment:","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2023}
{"speech_id":1090151749,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I regret that I will not be able to vote on the nomination of Andrew Guilford. I have been called back to Idaho because of a family emergency. Had I been present to vote. I would have voted in his favor. It is my understanding that there are no known votes against this nominee. so his certain confirmation will not be affected by my absence.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":357}
{"speech_id":1090151757,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I rise in support of a highly qualified individual to be confirmed to the Federal benchFrank Whitney to be a U.S. district court judge in the Western District of North Carolina. President Bush nominated Frank Whitney on February 14. 2006. Frank has impressive academic and professional credentials: He is currently a U.S. attorney in my home State of North Carolina. he has practiced in two very distinguished law firms. he was an assistant U.S. attorney in North Carolina for several years. he clerked for the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. he graduated with honors from law school at the University of North Carolina where he also received his MBA. and he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from my alma mater of Wake Forest University. But perhaps one of the most honorable characteristics of Frank Whitney","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":819}
{"speech_id":1090151762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we confirm Thomas D. Anderson as U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont. I am pleased that we acted promptly in the Judicihry .Committee to report Toms nomination to the floor and that the Senate is acting promptly to confirm him. As an assistant U.S. attorney in Burlington for 14 of the last 19 years. the managing partner of a respected Burlington law firm. and as deputy states attorney in Newport. Toms varied experience and long ties to Vermont have prepared him well to be Vermonts top Federal law enforcement official. We have a strong tradition of good law enforcement in Vermont. Our most recent U.S..attorneys are part of that tradition. Charlie Tetzlaff served an extended term and has gone on to distinguish himself as the Executive Director of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090151762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Peter Hall served ably. and now fills the Vermont seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Tom is the kind of wellqualified consensus nominee who can be easily confirmed by the Senate. In fact. I joined with Republican Gov. Jim Douglas in recommending Tom to President Bush. As a former prosecutor. I have been particular impressed with his work since returning to the U.S. Attorneys Office in 2001 as head of the narcotics unit and as the lead attorney of the Department of Justices Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. He has worked closely with both\" Federal and State drug investigators to identify and target the highest level drug traffickers in Vermont and to coordinate major drug investigations covering many districts. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090151762,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe his work on drug crime is especially important preparation as we continue to target those crimes. which are one of Vermonts most difficult law enforcement challenges. In addition to his work combating drug crimes. Tom has gained a wide variety of experience in private practice and as a prosecutor. He spent 3 years at the U.S. Attorneys Office in the civil division. prosecuting civil enforcement actions in Federal court brought under the False Claims Act and other statutes. In 1994. he was assigned as a special assistant attorney general for the State of Vermont to prosecute police officers charged with obstruction of justice. While a partner at Sheehey Furlong Rendall & Behm. Toms firm represented the State of Vermont in its litigation against the tobacco industry. And of course I must discuss one of Toms finest accomplishments. his 1979 graduation from St. Michaels College in Colchester. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090151762,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"VT. my alma mater. Tom has a keen legal and will bring a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to this important law enforcement post. Congratulations to Tom. his wife Wendy. and his entire family on his confirmation today.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090151773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. with respect to H.R. 5122. Calendar Order No. 431. the Housepassed version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate turn to its immediate consideration. that all after the enacting clause be stricken and the text of S. 2766. as passed. be submitted in lieu thereof. that the bill be advanced to third reading and passed. and that the Senate insist on its amendment to the bill and agree to or request a conference. as appropriate. with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees. that the motion to reconsider the abovementioned votes be laid upon the table. and that the foregoing occur without intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":762}
{"speech_id":1090151807,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Chairman. I still recognize him as \"Mr. Chairman.\" He has connections to Colorado. I want to share with him my connection I have with Virginia. I have an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War who came right out of Bedford. VA. We have deep roots in Virginia. It is always a pleasure for me to get to know your State. I venture to say I have probably spent a lot more time in his State than he realizes. just getting to know it because of my family roots there.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":479}
{"speech_id":1090151823,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to call attention to an article published in the New York Times earlier this spring titled \"Bombs Away.\" authored by my dear friend. Ambassador Max Kampelman. and to offer it into the Senate record. Ambassador Kampelman exemplifies the American tradition of bipartisan service in foreign affairs. After coming to Washington as an aide to Senator Hubert Humphrey. he was appointed by President Carter to serve as Ambassador and head of the U.S. Delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. President Reagan reappointed him to that position. For his long and .distinguished service. Ambassador Kampelman was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton and the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2375}
{"speech_id":1090151823,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now Ambassador Kampelman has penned this insightful essay on the goal of globally eliminating all weapons of mass destruction. He believes that this goal is even important in an age of nuclear proliferation. He speaks from the heart and head and from his long experience as a hardnosed negotiator. Ambassador Kampelman argues that we can reach this objective by distinguishing between what \"is\" and what \"ought\" to be. utilizing both realism and idealism. He recalls President Regans successful deployment of the MX missile in Europe to deter Soviet aggression and his ability to recognize new openings. such as the willingness of Mikhail Gorbachev to negotiate steep reductions in nuclear. arsenalswith the ultimate goal of eliminating nuclear weapons. We all recognize that the total elimination of nuclear weapons is an extraordinarily difficult journey in a world where nuclear technology continues to spread and distinction between civilian and military nuclear development can be opaque. Nonetheless. it is. important that we envision this worthy goal. however idealistic it may seem today. Ambassador Kampelman stared down the very real prospect of nuclear annihilation during the Cold War. With this article. he offers us hope that with wisdom and constancy. we have a chance to make this world safer for our children and grandchildren. I therefore request unanimous consent that the attached article by Ambassador Max Kampelman be printed in the RECORD. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2375}
{"speech_id":1090151823,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There beingno objection. the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows: [From the New York Times. Apr. 24. 2006]","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2375}
{"speech_id":1090151826,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to Dr. John Strosnider of Pikeville. KY. for his induction as the 110th president of the American Osteopathic Association. AOA. His steadfast support reinforces his organizations honorable. goal of promoting osteopathic medicine. ensuring quality education and training programs. and preserving basic osteopathic principles. Dr. Strosnider will lead 56.000 osteopathic physicians and the AOA. an association organized to advance the philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine by promoting excellence in education. research and the delivery of quality and costeffective healthcare in a distinct. unified profession. Dr. Strosnider has been a member of the AOA since 1971 and has served on the board of trustees since 1992. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090151826,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During this time he has served on the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and the Get Healthy Kentucky Board. In addition to his leadership roles with the AOA. Dr. Strosnider has served as a member of the Association of Osteopathic Medical Directors and Educators. the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. the Medical Review Consultants Board of Directors. and the Kentucky Osteopathic Medical Association. KOMA. and was a past president of the Missouri Association of .Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons. MAOPS. Throughout his career. Dr. Strosnider has received numerous honors including the 2005 KOMA Physician of the Year Award and the 1993 MAOPS Medallion Award. In September of 1996 Dr. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090151826,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Strosnider was appointed as the founding dean of the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine. The Pikeville College is the 19th college of osteopathic medicine in the United States. Its objective is to improve the delivery of healthcare to the people in the underserved areas of Appalachia. I have been very impressed with the progress the college has made in expanding access to healthcare in eastern Kentucky. I thank Dr. Strosnider for his dedication and commitment to osteopathy and congratulate him on his new position. His devotion to medicine serves as an example to all citizens of the Commonwealth.*","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2076}
{"speech_id":1090151829,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to honor a community in North Dakota that is celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 20 to 23. the residents of Plaza. ND. will gather to celebrate their communitys history and founding. Plaza is a small town in northwest North Dakota. Despite its small size. Plza holds an important place in North Dakotas history. Plaza was founded on July 20. 1906. on the Soo Line Railroad and was named to note the central plaza within the business district. The first train arrived in Plaza onDecember 6. 1906. Plaza was incorporated as a village in 1910 and as a city in 1951. with Roy Sandstrom elected as its first mayor. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1943}
{"speech_id":1090151829,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Among the towns residents were Walter J. Maddock. who served as Governor of North Dakota from 1928 to 1929. Today. Plaza remains a small. pleasant agricultural town. Residents of the town gather at the hardware store and cafe. watch their children play at the baseball field. or work together at the local farmers union chapter. The community has many activities planned for its 4day celebration. On Thursday. the celebration kicks off with train shuttle rides. a raffle. and several activities in the townhall. Friday highlights including a childrens rodeo. a volleyball tournament. and a school alumni social. A parade. softball tournament. and fireworks displhy are among several of weekend activities. Historical tours of the town will also take place throughout the 4 days of celebration. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1943}
{"speech_id":1090151829,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating Plaza. ND. and its residents on their first 100 years andin wishing them well through the next century. By honoring Plaza and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the pioneering tradition spirit alive for future generations. It is places such as Plaza that have helped to shape this country into .TE S6413 what it is today. which is why Plaza is deserving of our recognition. Plaza has a proud past and a bright future.9","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1943}
{"speech_id":1090151830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to recognize the winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor Award. Mr. John Gonsalves of Taunton. MA. Mr. Gonsalves was nominated by the members of the Molly Stark Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. DAR. in Manchester. NH. to receive this national award. In the wake of September 11. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2229}
{"speech_id":1090151830,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Gonsalves was left. like many Americans. with the insatiable desire to do something to help those intimately affected by the tragedy. He was particularly struck by those who have made extraordinary sacrifices on the front lines in the military operations that have followed the September 11 attacks. our wounded soldiers. Upon seeing these injured soldiers in news reports. Mr. Gonsalves was determined to use his lifelong trade to help these wounded heroes. Having worked extensively in the construction field throughout the last 20 years. he gained expertise in all phases of the construction process. business management. and OSHA safety standards. He started Homes For Our Troops--a nonprofit organization that builds and refits homes across the country for veterans wounded while serving in the Middle East. Mr. Gonsalves has pledged to build these specially adapted residences for our wounded soldiers so long as the need exists at no cost to them. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2229}
{"speech_id":1090151830,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The brave men and women who put their lives at risk every day to protect our country need to know that their fellow citizens appreciate their sacrifices and will support them long after they return home from the front lines. Mr. Gonsalves work promotes an extremely noble cause which ensures that our wounded troops. who have worked extraordinarily hard to protect our Nation. have the opportunity to find suitable housing when they return home. Mr. Gonsalves has shoin tremendous qualities of leadership. service. and patriotism by selflessly dedicating himself to a cause that serves a greater purpose and aids those who have sacrificed for our country. and he is certainly deserving of the DAR Medal of Honor Award. I congratulate him on his recognition and commend him for his service to the military community and the positive effects his organization has for our country and especially on our wounded soldiers.*","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2229}
{"speech_id":1090151866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Pxesident. I ask unanimous consent that on Thursday. June 22. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. the Subcommittee on Clean. Air. Climate Change. and Nuclear Safety be authorized to hold an oversight hearing on the regulatory processes for new and existing nuclear plants.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":259}
{"speech_id":1090151931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works and Milk River Project Act of 2006. In 1903. Secretary of Interior Hitchcock authorized construction of the Milk River Project as one of the first five reclamation projects under the new reclamation service. Two years later. construction was authorized for the St. Mary Diversion Facilities. Completed in 1915. the Milk River Project and the St. Mary Diversion Facilities have been in operation for nearly 100 years with minimum repairs and improvements. The Milk River Project and the accompanying St. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090151931,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mary Diversion Facilities are known as the Lifeline of the HiLine. The St. Mary and Milk River basins are homie to approximately 70.000 people with a meager per capita income of approximately $19.500. Most of these people dependdirectly or indirectlyon the project and would be dramatically impacted by its failure and the loss of water. The Milk River is the backbone of the regions agricultural economy. It provides water to irrigate over 110.000 acres on approximately 660 farms. This project provides municipal water to approximately 14.000 people. Fisheries. recreation. tourism. water quality. and wildlife are all impacted by the water flow. But now the St. Mary Diversion Facilities and the Milk River Project are facing catastrophic failure. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090151931,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The steel siphons have leaks and slope stability problems. Landslides along the canal and the deteriorated condition of the structure make the project an unreliable water source. As authorized in 1903. the Milk River Project is operated as a singleuse irrigation project. Since completion. nearly 100 percent of the cost to operate and maintain the diversion infrastructure has been borne by irrigators. The average annual 0 & M cost from 1998 to 2003 was $420.000. of which irrigators were responsible for 98 percent. In addition. irrigators are responsible for reimbursing reclamation for the initial construction costs of the diversion facilities. Maintenance costs have increased with the accelerating deterioration of the aging facilities. In 2003. the St. Mary Rehabilitation Working Group was formed to address the pressing needs of the system. This broad coalition of interests came together to find workable solutions. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090151931,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation is a result of their efforts and dedication. The St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works and Milk River Project Act of 2006 will provide a feasible and comprehensive approach to rehabilitating the aging and deteriorating infrastructure while still meeting the needs of the folks in Montana. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to move this important piece of legislation forward. By Mr. SANTORUM (for himself.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2713}
{"speech_id":1090151933,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Friday. June 23. 2006. at 1 p.m. to hold a closed briefing on State Department\/Defense Department Cooperation Overseas.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":256}
{"speech_id":1090152065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. during the week of June 19 through June 25. nationwide we celebrate in observance of Juneteenth Independence Day. Although passage of the 13th amendment in January 1865. legally abolished slavery. many AfricanAmericans remained in servitude due to the slow dissemination of this news across the country. It was not until June 19. 1865. that Union troops reached Galveston. TX. and emancipated the last of the slaves. Since that time. over 130 years ago. the descendants of slaves have observed this anniversary of emancipation as a remembrance of one of the most tragic periods of our Nations history. The suffering. degradation and brutality of slavery cannot be repaired. but the memory can serve to ensure that no such inhumanity is ever perpetrated again on American soil. It is appropriate and necessary that we. as a nation. recognize Juneteenth and use this day to reflect upon how far we have come andhow far we still have to go. While it was on this historic day in 1865 that slaves were finally freed of the onerous yoke of slavery. the same cannot be said about the burden of pervasive racial oppression and secondclass citizenship. which would not be eradicated in earnest until 100 years later through the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Although we have made tremendous progress -in eliminating discrimination and creating equal opportunities over the years. the Lmerican dream continues to elude the grasp of many Americans. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090152065,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to reflect on the courageous and revolutionary leaders who","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1530}
{"speech_id":1090152127,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I echo the words of Mr. LOBIONDO. This Coast Guard that serves this great Nation of ours has done such an outstanding job over the years in my 34 years in Congress that I can only just applaud each time I see a Coast Guard vessel or a~member of the Coast Guard or the flagthat they carry. It is a unique privilege. being in a State that has probably the greatest challenge of all the States and probably the most involved with the Coast Guard. When I first arrived in Congress. we had one Coast Guard station. actually two. one in Juneau. which was a command station. and one in Ketchikan. which was relatively small. Since that time. over the last 34 years. we now have. I believe. the largest Coast Guard unit in the United States on Kodiak Island. They do a great job not only patrolling and watching for foreign interference of our fishing fleet. but saving my constituents. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2923}
{"speech_id":1090152127,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many times they go out in weather. and I dont know how many of you watch the show of the most dangerous fishing. the \"Dangerous Catch.\" they call it. but there you will see the Coast Guard involved rescuing people in hundred mile winds. or knots. of seas of about 40 feet. 50 feet. sometimes. Even so bad that it took a helicopter down last year when they were trying to rescue people off a foreign ship that was .carrying soybeans. But they do not only that. but they watch for oil spills which pollute our seas. They do it for the little fisherman going out in the small dinghy. in larger seas than he should have. to catch those big King salmon Alaska has that belongs to Alaska and doesnt belong to Washington State or Canada. And sometimes they get in trouble. and the Coast Guard is there. And the young men and women that enlist and stay voluntarily for years and years. I just compliment them. This bill is a good bill. As mentioned by Mr. LoBIONDO. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2923}
{"speech_id":1090152127,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Rayfield has done outstanding work. There were very tiring times. especially in conference. because we are dealing with a conference. and they are very difficult in this business we are in. Conferences with the other side are equally difficult but sometimes ridiculous in the sense of what we have to negotiate for. But we believe we have negotiated a good conference. Liz Megginson. my legal counsel. has done very well on this legislation. And for my colleagues. this is the end of 2006 as far as the authorization for the Coast Guard. As of today. we will be introducing a 2007 reauthorization bill. and we will be working on that. hopefully with expedited results. and getting the bill out of the House and to the Senate to decide and maybe having the finalization and being ahead of the ball game. That is what we are going to attempt to do to try to make sure that the Coast Guard gets the recognition. the organization. the authorization and be able to fulfill the mission that they have and will continue to have. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2923}
{"speech_id":1090152147,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would also like the Members to note that last year when we came to the floor. we thought that the COLA was going to be about 2.7 percent. Once they did the adjustment on the CPI. it ended up being about 4.1 percent. I dont know what it is going to be this year. That wts a huge change. Even though we are saying approximately 2.2. I dont know what it is going to be. I would like to thank LANE EVANS and BOB FILNER for their work. I would also like to thank Mr. ","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":789}
{"speech_id":1090152147,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MILLER and Ms. BERKLEY. I would like to thank Mr. UDALL and Ms. BROWN. Also. I thank them in appreciation for the timely fashion in which they moved this bill through the committee and now onto the floor. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support the Veterans Compensation CostofLiving Adjustment Act of 2006.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":789}
{"speech_id":1090152166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I appreciate the efforts of both of my colleagues from south Florida. particularly Dade County. for introducing this resolution. H. Res. 887. I rise in strong support. and I want to congratulate the Miami Heat for winning the 2006 NBA championship. As chairman of the Travel and Tourism Caucus. I would also like to signal a hearty good luck to the American Airlines arenas. hosting both the Mavericks and the Heat. They had the good fortune of having the naming rights on both of those facilities. so they too have benefited significantly from this. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090152166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"American Airlines is an important airline in Florida into the Miami market and to Latin America. so they too join in the celebration as well. Since taking over the Heat a decade not known by the rest of the country ago. owner Micky Arison has built the prior to this NBA championship and Heat into one of the NBAs marquee this series. franchises. His steadfast leadership has Just from a personal note. I took my now been rewarded with his first NBA two children to the game five. and it championship. was one of the most enjoyable games I I want to congratulate coach Pat have ever witnessed in my entire life. Riley. As many of you know. Coach Being there with my children and seeRiley returned to the Heat bench part ing so many other parents there with way into the season and led his team to their children witnessing such a game a successful regular season and to the between two great NBA teams was NBA finals. He brought together a something I know they will never forteam of many different personalities. get and something I will never forget. leading them as one cohesive unit. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090152166,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope we can continue I also want to recognize finalist MVP this. Like Ms. RoSLEHTINEN has said. I Dwyane Wade. Anyone watching could hope this is just the first of several ressee that Mr. Wade elevated his game to olutions. I look forward to coming to another level during the finals. The the floor commending the Miami Heat Heat found themselves down two games and commending the fans. to none and down by 13 points with But to my friends from Texas and only 6 minutes remaining in game from Dallas. I just want to let them three. This was when Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090152166,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Wade took know they have a great team. also. and over and led the Heat to a roaring we look forward to beating them. I comeback before a cheering crowd at mean playing with them. in the future American Airlines Arena. as we move on. And we all know the Heat could not Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance have done this without the outstanding of my time. effort and leadership of Shaquille Ms. ROSLEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker. I ONeal. When Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090152166,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ONeal was traded to yield myself 1 minute. the Heat in the summer of 2004. he Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank promised he would bring a champion- my staff member. Eddy Acevedo. for ship to Miami. and he .held true to his his work in getting all of our Florida promise. delegation united on this resolution. I also feel special recognition is in As my good friend from Florida (Mr. order for veteran players Gary Payton MEEK) has pointed out. the Miami Heat and Alonzo Mourning. This iS a wellde- players are not only tremendous athserved championship for Albnzo as he lotes. outstanding people. but they also has battled back from kidney disease give back to the community so much. and a kidney transplant to win his fitst We thank them for their contribution championship. to making South Florida a better place 0 1845 in. which- to live. Mr. Speaker. I urge all Members to This is a remarkable feat of accom- support the adoption of House Resoluplishment for any human being. much tion 887. less a player of which so much is de- Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"MARK FOLEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090152196,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This evening I come to the floor to continue the discussion that this Congress has had with respect to our policies as it relates to Iraq. I was fortunate this past weekend toattend yet another ceremony. in this case. with the 1048th Tankers Division from the State of Connecticut who was being &Ieployed to Iraq. We in this country continue to owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women who wear the uniform and who have served this country so valiantly and with such courage. But we also owe a deep debt of gratitude to their families in what has become gutwrenching ceremonies as you watch young. children and mothers and grandparents say goodbye to their loved ones who are going over to Iraq. including a mother who has three sons that are now over there. and another mother who saw her son off and her husband had just left the week before. So it is very disconcerting when you find that the only people that we have asked to make a sacrifice in the war on terror have become the men and women who serve in the front lines and their families who are left behind. Our hearts go out to all of them. And what they deserve. more than anything else. is a Nation that will level with them. that will provide them with a plan. that will tell these troops. especially in the case of the National Guard and the reservists who have been deployed. redeployed. deployed again. their stays more so than at any other point in the history of this country. and they do so with a salute and they follow orders. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7356}
{"speech_id":1090152196,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"How grateful a Nation we should be. And yet here at home we hear. just in the previous hour. discussions that center on a tax cut and how important a tax cut is. I have never met anyone that didnt favor tax cuts. But it is disconcerting when you look out at these families and you see that this Congress focuses on tax cuts for the Nations wealthiest 1 percent. making sure that we ladle on more tax cuts to those already impoverished oil companies who are experiencing unprecedented profits. Yet I look out into that audience in Connecticut. in the State armory and see these families. many who will struggle during this time. many whose gas prices will rise during the time of this 18month deployment. So you say to yourself. well. where is the plan? What is the exit strategy? What do we owe these individuals? Do we not at least owe them the truth? So there was a debate enjoined on this floor 2 weeks ago. a nonbinding resolution. in essence. a conversation. a conversation where 99 percent of the people on the other side of the aisle said. stay the course. while the Nation and while this side of the aisle clamors for a new direction for America. When I looked out into the eyes of the audience of those families and I saw their concern and need. they want a new direction for the country. especially as it relates to Iraq. Isnt it amazing that they can get a plan from the Iraqi government. that they can get several plans from Democrats. whether it be JACK MURTHAS bold plan that. well. seemingly the Iraqi . government agrees with. or whether it be CARL LEVINs plan. well. that seemingly now General Casey agrees with? So we find the Pentagon and the Iraqi government. JACK MURTHA. CARL LEVIN. and several other Democrats offering thoughtful plans. and the Republicans saying stay the course and a President still unable to level with the American people and unwilling still to meet with parents who have lost their kids. who line the highway on the way to Crawford. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7356}
{"speech_id":1090152196,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Texas. or wait patiently outside The White House for an audience. It amazes ne that. while the Iraqis can say that they have a position and they know that they have to take on responsibility. that we will gomehow let the Iraqis determine the faith of our brave men and women. so much so that there has even been talk of amnesty. amnesty for those who have killed. maimed or kidnapped American soldiers or citizens. There can be no amnesty for that. There is no honor in the great sacrifice that our men and women have provided. No matter what the Iraqi government might say. we. as the United States Congress. have an obligation to our men and women and the citizens that are in Iraq working on behalf of this country to make sure that that cannot stand. And what do we get from our erstwhile colleagues on the other side of the aisle and why was this debate conducted in the mannerthat it was? Well. let me tell you why. Because Karl Rove hatched a plan in New Hampshire. You see. he went there and laid out this strategy. and the strategy was a very simple one. It is one that they used before. They just dusted off the playbook and said. you know. it works when we attack Democrats. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7356}
{"speech_id":1090152196,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We attack them for their patriotism. It worked successfully against Max Cleland. We were able to take that man. who gave three of his limbs for this country. to make him appear to be unpatriotic and go after him personally. It worked against JOHN KERRY. We were able to swift boat him during the Presidential campaign. to tarnish his service and the medals he earned. And it is working against JACK MURTHA. they think. So that we can turn around and tarnish him as well. And Karl Rove launches his strategy. and then JOHN BOEHNER rolls out the talking points for the caucus. and then the debate is neatly sandwiched in between the time allotted. with no Democratic alternative being allotted. and the White House picnic. just in time for the President to take a surprise trip to Iraq for a photoop and to return home. The Nation deserves better than that. If the Iraqi security advisors can provide us with a plan. why cant Donald Rumsfeld provide us with a plan? No wonder. in the Washington Post today and the New York Times over the weekend. people are wild over the fact that. if all that debate and discussion was truly about a course for this Nation. how is it that General Caseys plan sounds identical to CARL LEVINs plan? And how is it that the Iraqis can acknowledge what* Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7356}
{"speech_id":1090152196,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MURTHA acknowledgedlast November? On this side of the aisle. we have come to know what it is all about. It is about the continued hypocrisy .as it relates to leveling with the American people and. more importantly. leveling with our troops. with the National Guard and reservists and their families and the kind of sacrifice that we have asked them to do. -and we have prevailed upon them. and they have done with honor. And yet we cant level with them? We find ourselves right now with the congressional Republicans that have no plan for Iraq. a flawed plan for going in. a failed plan to win. and no plan to get out. Stay the course is the slogan. And that is all it is. a slogan. not a solution. It is a prescription for an endless occupation of Iraq. The Democrats are united on the need for a new direction in Iraq. 2006 must be a year of significant transition. Iraqis must take control of their security and begin a responsible redeployment of U.S. troops. There has been no person who has addressed that issue more eloquently on this floor and back home in her native California in the city of the Angels than the gentlewoman from California. who has led a task force here in this Congress that focuses on a meaningful plan for an exit strategy from Iraq. At this time. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7356}
{"speech_id":1090152199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate Mr. LARSONS leadership on this. I wanted to talk about three hard realities in Iraq. It is very easy. tempting when we are in the middle of a struggle. as our Armed Forces are. to forget harsh realities and to become emboldened by the rhetoric that is associated with war. But I think it is very important for us. when our sons and daughters and husbands and wives are there. to just take a vQry cold. harsh. realistic look at what is really. going on in Iraq. This is not a moment for rosecolored glasses. It is a moment for reality. And I want to talk about the three realities in Iraq today. because basically the debate over Iraq is really twofold. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8463}
{"speech_id":1090152199,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One side says that we should just keep doing what we are doing. We will just trust the President to make the decisions as he has made them in Iraq. We wont question them. We wont ask to accelerate them. We wont question the strategy. Congress will just sit back and let George Bush decide what to do in Iraq. Others of us take a different approach that says the status quo is inadequate. that we cannot expect to keep doing the same thing in Iraq and expect a different result. So we believe we need some changes in Iraq. And I want to talk about some three realities about why we need a change. why the status quo is unacceptable. unacceptable in Iraq. Number one. the security situation. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8463}
{"speech_id":1090152199,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The reality in Iraq is that the current strategy proposed by the Bush administration is resulting in things not only not staying the same but getting worse. If you take a look at the Brookings Institution. you can go online and take a look at the Brookings Institutions Web site. Anybody can Google that to find Brookings. You will find the statistics that I want to talk about tonight. Fatalities in Iraq of Armed Forces are not only going down. they are going up. Compared to May 2003 and May 2005.. we are now experiencing greater loss of our sons and daughters in Iraq than we were 2 years ago. 3 years ago. Those are going up. regrettably. The Bush plan is not working when it comes to protecting our men and women in uniform. When you looked at the wounded in the Brookings Institution report. regrettably.. they are not going down. they are going up. compared to 22 years ago. When you look at Iraqi fatalities compared to the same time in February. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8463}
{"speech_id":1090152199,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"March. May 2005. they are going up. When you look at the number of car bombs in May 2004. to May 2006. they are -going up. When you look at Iraqi civilians killed. in fact. the number of Iraqi civilians killed compared to the same period about 3 years ago. they are three times higher per month. And I think we rightfully care about Iraqi civilian fatalities from a sense of humanity and from a sense of the American spirit. When you look at the number of multiple fatality bombings. they are up by a factor of 50 times higher than they were 3 years ago. a 50 times increase in multiple fatality bombings that the Iraqis are experiencing. When you look at crimerelated deaths. they are up 50 times what they were over 2 years ago. When you look at the number of daily attacks. they are up compared to May 2004. When you look at weekly attacks on our service personnel. 2 years ago they went from 185 to 620 now. Up substantially. unfortunately. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8463}
{"speech_id":1090152199,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So the security situation under the \"George Bush plan for security in- Iraq. all of the indicators are going in the wrong direction. The status quo is not adequate. We cannot just trust the President with making decisions in Iraq. So I want to turn now to sort of the lifestyle. if you call it that. in econbmic conditions in Iraq. We were told. when we were briefed on this war by Paul Wolfowitz and others of the Presidents men and women. that oil would be quickly restored in Iraq and that. indeed. the Iraqis would pay for this war by themselves. In fact. the production of oil today has still not reached prewar levels under that tyrannical. abysmal dictator.Saddam Hussein. We still have not achieved oil and gas production records on one of the largest pools of oil on Earth. they are still at 2.18 million barrels compared to 2.5 in the prewar level. We still are not back up to those levels. And we are paying hundreds of billions of dollars today for Iraq. In electricity we. at best. are back to prewar levels after 3 years and untold tens of millions of dollars squandered. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8463}
{"speech_id":1090152201,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Will the gentleman yield for a moment? I want to add an additional mistake. if I can briefly. that I think is very important for us to talk about. and that is the mistake to not send the message that the Iraqis are going to have a country that is free at some point of United States forces. This poll that I talked about. when they asked Iraqis. do you think the U.S. Government plans to have permanent military bases in Iraq. 80 percent of the people answered that they thought we were going to do that. When asked. do you believe that we will at some point remove our military once Iraq is stabilized. 80 percent of Iraqis believe we will not remove our forces even after Iraq is stabilized. There is a reason for them to believe that. Because on this floor. when we tried to put a provision in a defense bill that says we wont have any Iraq permanent bases in Iraq. which we actually succeeded in doing on the floor. the first thing that happened. in the dead of night in one of these conference committees. the Republican Party stripped it out. The message we are sending to Iraq is we are going to stay there as long as we want and perhaps permanently. That is the wrong message. We need to send a different message. That is why we are here tonight.","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1254}
{"speech_id":1090152214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I would conclude by asking a question. which is that. ultimately. what has occurred because of our invasion of Iraq? Let us project 2 years. 5 years. 10 years. We hear so much talk about bringing democracy to the Middle East. Well. you know what I see. I see an emerging relationship between Iraq and Iran. I already have noted that there is a bilateral military cooperation agreement between Iran and Iraq. In my memory. please help me. wasnt Iran one of the original members of the access of evil club? And just recently. I noticed where the prime minister suggested that the international community ought to leave Iran alone and drop its demand. drop its demand that Iran prove that it is not developing nuclear technology for purposes of a weapon. Now. what is happening here? Are we going to end up with the legacy of this loss of American lives and American taxpayer dollars with a more influential Iran? I mean. please. has anybody even talked about this or considered it? Do we hear this as part of the debate and the discourse even among think tanks. even among the popular media outlets?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1103}
{"speech_id":1090152258,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we will have a period of morning business until 11 a.m. At 11. we will resume consideration of the flag antidesecration resolution. which we began debate on yesterday. The time until 2:15 will be for debate only on the flag resolution. Under the order from last night. we have controlled time. and Senators who would like to speak should consult with the managers and get in the queue. Also. today we will recess for the weekly policy luncheons from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. We will announce the voting schedule later today. However. we will not have any votes scheduled prior to the recess for the policy luncheons.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":634}
{"speech_id":1090152327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the amendment to allow the U.S. Congress to protect the American flag. I was elected 2 years ago. in the most recent election. I ran on a campaign of three basic promises and commitments to the people of Georgia: The first was to support the President and our men and women in harms way in the war on terror. The second was to work diligently for strong fiscal accountability on behalf of the Congress. And the third was to vote in favor of confirming the judges appointed by the President of the United States to the Federal bench. With those promises. I made the statement that r really felt as though the division of powers of our Constitution was sound. and that it was absolutely important for judges to interpret the law. not to make the law. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3626}
{"speech_id":1090152327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment has been said by some to be a violation of the first amendment. This amendment has nothing to do with speech or expression. It has everything to do with protecting our flag and allowing the Congress to write those laws that would prohibit physical desecration of our flag. Unlike some. I do not believe the flag is an inanimate object. I believe it is a living symbol for which our men and women in harms way have fought for over. two centuries. Just a month ago. I went to Normandy. I went to Bellewood. I werft to the Netherlands and Margraten. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3626}
{"speech_id":1090152327,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I went to Belgium and Carthage in Northern Africa. We did seven ceremonies in 6 days at seven American cemeteries. cemeteries where tens of thousands of Americans are buried. having paid the ultimate sacrifice in World War I and World War II. They died to protect the first amendment. But if those in the graves could come back and speak. I dont think a one would say they died to have the flag they fought for desecrated. The courts have also been inconsistent in this case in my judgment about the first amendment and expression. The court. in 1989. in Texas v. Johnson. and in 1990 in the case of the United States v. Eichman. ruled that burning the flag was protected by the first amendment. I find it ironic that in 2003. the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3626}
{"speech_id":1090152327,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Supreme Court ruled in the Virginia case. Virginia v. Black. that the burning of a cross in someones front yard was not expression and. therefore. the Virginia law banning it was upheld. I did a little research on that case which led me to find out that the District of Columbia has that law. the State of Georgia has that law. and many States in the United States have that law. which says the terrible act of desecrating a cross and burning it is protected-.is fine for the States to do that. In fact. I read a little bit about Clarence Thomass opinion written in that 2003 case. and I want to share his remarks because it applies directly to my point on protecting the flag and not allowing its desecration. Justice Thomas said: This statute prohibits only conduct. not expression. ust as one cannot burn down someones house to make a political point and then seek refuge in the First Amendment. those who hate cannot terrorize and intimidate to make their point. I dont think it can be said more succinctly or more clearly. The amendment that is to be voted on by this Senate. hopefully sometime today or tomorrow. is an amendment that does nothing to prohibit the speech of anyone but does everything to protect the flag from being desecrated. I think those brave men and women who died for this country would agree with that. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3626}
{"speech_id":1090152327,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I agree with that. and I think the people of Georgia agree with that. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of passage of the amendment. . Mr. President. I yield the floor. and I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3626}
{"speech_id":1090152353,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. ever since I began my campaign for the U.S. Senate over 6 years ago. I have consistently promised to support the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit the desecration of the American Flag. Indeed. I am a cosponsor of that constitutional amendment. which will soon be voted upon by the Senate. I value and respect the first amendments protection of free speech. and I have personally experienced its importance. When I opposed the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s. the first amendment permitted my lawful dissent. although it did not prevent President Richard Nixons.Justice Department from teargassing our demonstrations or from unlawfully spying upon me. A generation and another war later. the first amendment again protected my right to speak out against President Bushs policies without intimidation or incarceration. and. this time. without being teargassed. I would never infringe upon those precious freedoms of expression and dissent. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090152353,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The question before us today is not whether we honor the first amendment. which we do. but. rather. whether an act as vile as burning the American flag should be considered \"free speech\" or is it an act of such wanton violence and outrageous disrespect that it should be \"out of bounds\"? I come to the second conclusion. Our Nations Pledge of Allegiance was first published almost 114 years ago and was established by Congress in 1923. It states. \"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. and to the Republic for which it stands. one nation under God. indivisible. with liberty and justice for all.\" I note. parenthetically. that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that under the first amendment no one can be compelled to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Nevertheless. it. is one of our most revered statements of citizenship. It does not pledge allegiance to a Democratic or a Republican administration. It does not pledge allegiance to any ideology. policy. or platform. It pledges allegiance to the flag of the United States of Americaand to the Republic for. which it stands. one nation. under God. indivisible. with liberty and justice for all. In other words. allegiance to something above any one of us. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090152353,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To something that unites us as one people indivisible. with liberty and justice for all. Those are our Nations founding principles. They are our eternal ideals. We can disagree. we can dissent. we can lawfully protest. we can say almost anything we want and do most of what we want. because those are our rights. They are precious. inviolable rights. But we also have responsibilities. This great country cannot succeed. if we concern ourselves with nothing more than our rights as individuals. We must equally consider our responsibilities as citizens. This Constitutional amendment says that one of those responsibilities of citizenship is to not burn or otherwise desecrate our American flag. I am astounded that the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090152353,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Supreme Court could construe that as free speech. but it has. This amendment would simply permit Congress to declare otherwise and to place that senseless act of desecration outside the boundary of freedom of speech. just as the Supreme Court recently ruled burning a cross outside that boundary of protected free speech. I am willing to take this carefully considered action. because of what I know the American flag means to millions of American citizens. Many of them are relatives or friends of heroic Americans who have given their lives to defend our country. In my view. those great American heroes have consecrated our flag with their precious blood. Honoring bur flag honors their extraordinary sacrifices. as it honors the principles and ideals for w~ich they died. That is why I will vote for this constitutional amendment.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3763}
{"speech_id":1090152434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are in the midst of a debate that. frankly. I think we ought to have. and I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution. I share the view of the majority of Georgians that the American flag symbolizes the strong values that our country stands forfreedom. liberty and representative democracy. And most importantly. our American flag represents the generations of men and women who have fought and died defending those values. I have the privilege of representing a proud military state. and nothing makes me more proud when traveling around Georgia than to stand with the folks I represent. face our flagplace my hand over my heartand recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The flag represents our way of life. It hangs in our classrooms. over our police stations. fire stations. and courthouses. It flies above this historic Capitol. It was borne by troops in battle to protect our liberties and has covered the caskets of fallen soldiers. airmen. and marines who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090152434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is an emotional symbol to so many of us. I have had the opportunity to travel around the world to represent my state and my countryand the one symbol that everybody in and particularly outside of America looks to when they think about America is that great flag that we have lived under for all these many years. And for anybody to think that they ought to be able to stomp on that flag. or trample that flag or burn that flag or destroy that flag in any way other than a professional way is simply wrong. There are those who say we ought not \"change\" the Constitution. Yet. for 200 years the legislative branch of our governmental had the power under our Constitution to prohibit the desecration of the flag. Only in 1989 and 1990 did a divided Supreme Court. for the first time in our history. \"change\" the Constitution to say that Congress no longer had that apower. I believe the amendment process. provided for by the Constitution itself. is the lawful means by which the American people may restore common sense when the Supreme Court abandons it. Let me take a moment to say that I understand that a substitute has been filed and that the substitute has in it language to prohibit protests at military funerals. The language is basically the same language as the bill that Senator BAYH and I introduced months ago. ","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090152434,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope we can work together to get this bill passed as a standalone bill. We need to ensure that families can bury their servicemembers in the peace and dignity and respect they have earned. I ask that a vote be. made against the substitute and for the underlying resolution.","speaker_name":"SAXBY CHAMBLISS","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2615}
{"speech_id":1090152456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in a fewv moments we will be voting on the two amendments. which really follows .the good debate we have had since yesterday when we began debate on this flag protection amendment. As I promised early in the year. I brought this joint resolution to the floor this week in part in anticipation of the Fourth of July recessa time when all of us go back and think about the flag and the enduring ideals of freedom and opportunity that it represents. It has been 6 years since we have had that debate on this floor. It is something that comes to the House each and every Congress. and they vote on that. So I felt it would be appropriate. Indeed. in listening to the debatethe Constitution issues and the importance of the flagI have been very pleased. and I hope that debate reflects passage of the amendment in a few moments. It is my hope. when we return to our home States next week- or later this weekend to celebrate the anniversary of Americas independence. we will be able to tell our fellow citizens that we did the right thing here in Congress and voted to give Congress the power to protect the Stars and Stripes. Americans have so much to be proud of. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5429}
{"speech_id":1090152456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We enjoy a greater measure of liberty and justice and equality than any other country in human history. Millions upon millions of people have come to these shores seeking a better life. and they have found it here. We are a nation of hopeful. resourceful people who continually strive to live up to our ideals and provide greater and better opportunities for our children. There is one symbol that above all others encapsulates that hope. that freedom. our history and our values. and that is the American flag. From the time we are schoolchildren. we honor our flag and all it stands for. With our hand over our heart. each morning here in this body. the U.S. Senate. we honor it. In times of crisis. raising those Stars and Stripes has symbolized our unity. our perseverance as a nation. as a people. Whether it is the marine struggling to plant the flag on Iwo Jima or firefighters lifting the flag above the ruins of the World Trade Center. it is that flag which inspires us to great acts of heroism. of courage. of strength.. Unfortunately. however. there are no laws on the books to stop anyone from destroying this cherished symbol. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5429}
{"speech_id":1090152456,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Although the vast majority of Americansover 80percentand all 50 of our State. legislatures believe the flag S6546should be protected. the Federal Government is currently powerless to enforce flag protection laws. That is because in 1989. as we talked about. the Supreme Court. in a 5to4 decision. overturned 200 years of precedent and struck down all laws prohibiting flag desecration. As our colleague from Utah just said. it was a onevote margin. 5 to 4. with five Judges stripping the right of the American peoplethrough their voice. thiough this bodyto protect that flag. It is my hope and really my purpose in bringing that amendment to the floor to reverse this decision. this activist decision. and return to the American people the ability to protect the flag. if they so wish. So in a few minutes in the Senate. we are going to have a vote to return to the people. through this body. the opportunity to protect the flag. And it is one single. simple sentence: The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. That is what we will be voting on. Key words: \"The Congress shall have the power.\" All 50 States have passed resolutions calling on the Congress to pass a flag amendment. The House passed a constitutional amendment to protect against desecration of the American flag in this Congress and in the last Congress. in the last Congress. in the last Congress. in the last Congress. and in the last Congress. and now it is time for us to do the same. We have failed to muster those twothirds votes in the past. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5429}
{"speech_id":1090152456,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. we have a new opportunity to change that and to honor the wishes of the American people. We are a Nation founded on principles. Our flag is what binds us to those principles. to one another. it is that physical symbol of our values. liberty. justice. freedom. and independence. It commands our loyalty. To countless people around the world. the red. white. and blue represents the highest of human idealsfreedom. I know we have heard again and again through the media the whole issue about flag burning being protected as an exercise of free speech. But is defacing a Government building free speech? Do we let our monuments be vandalized? Clearly. the answer is no. I believe that our American flag deserves the same respect. America is the freest country in the world and we have the right to express dissent and persuade fellow citizens of our views. But destroying the very emblem of that freedom is just plain wrong. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5429}
{"speech_id":1090152456,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Countless brave men and women have died defending the flag. It is but a small. humble act for us to defend it. I will close with the words of our esteemed colleague. Senator HATCH. who has done such a wonderful job in managing this particular bill and a tireless advocate for the amendment. Here are his words: Whatever our differences of party. race. religion. or socioeconomic status. the flag reminds us that we are very much one people. united in a shared destiny. bonded in a common faith in our Nation and the profound belief in personal liberty that our Nation protects. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5429}
{"speech_id":1090152478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senator SMITH said it very well. I wanted to wrap up by noting a comment from pitcher Dallas Buck. who was the winning pitcher in the championship game. When asked about why he stayed at Oregon State instead of going pro out of high school. I quote: \"Best decision I ever made.\" And we happen to think that is the best decision a lot of young people are making in our State. to go to Oregon State University. It is a wonderful university. both for sports and academics. We are going to salute them. as Senator SMITH has indicated. when we get a chance to join them at the White House with the President. That is what makes this so special for us. IThe PRESIDING OFFICER. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":722}
{"speech_id":1090152478,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator from Ohio is recognized.","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":722}
{"speech_id":1090152496,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to pay tribute to the 125th anniversary of the founding of the city of Wentworth. SD. The first settlers came to Wentworth by horse or oxendrawn wagons. and were mainly from Milwaukee. eastern Atlantic States. Minnesota. and Iowa. The land had few trees. and most of the settlers built and lived in sod houses. On December 15. 1880. the land was surveyed and platted for owner Rinaldo Wentworth and the town was later named for his father. George Wentworth. In 1880 the first business--a grocery storeopened its door in Wentworth. In 1881. the first train came into Wentworth. in 1904 the first telephone line was installed. and in 1917 electric street lights were turned on. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1361}
{"speech_id":1090152496,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There were several hotels that operated in early Wentworth as well. including the Commercial Hotel. which is now on display at nearby Prairie Village. Wentworth will be commemorating its anniversary with a celebration from June 30 through July 4. The town plans to hold golf tournaments. parades. softball tournaments. car shows. and fireworks. The 5day event promises to be a great opportunity to celebrate such a historic milestone. Even 125 years after its founding. Wentworth continues to be a vibrant and . progressive community. I am proud to honor the accomplishments of the people of Wentworth. and congratulate them on this impressive achievement.*","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1361}
{"speech_id":1090152499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following nomination lists .which-. were: printed in the. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD 6n the:dates indicated. and :ask unanimous consent. to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretarys desk for the information of Senators.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":347}
{"speech_id":1090152501,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join Senator DEWINE. Senator KENNEDY and Senator MIKULSKI in introducing the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006. The Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 is the primary source for the delivery of social and nutrition services for older individuals. Enacted in 1965. the acts programs include supportive services. congregate and homedelivered nutrition services. community. service employment. the longterm care ombudsman program. and services to prevent the abuse. neglect and exploitation of older individuals. The act also provides grants to Native Americans and research. training. and demonstration activities. The 2000 amendments to the act authorized the National Family Caregiver Support Program. allowed State agencies on aging to impose costsharing for certain supportive services for older persons. revised the State funding formulas. and required the Department of Labor to establish performance measures for the community service employment program. Title I of the Older Americans Act set broad social policy objective to improve the lives of all older Americans. It recognized the need for an adequate income in retirement. and the importance of physical and mental health. employment in community services for older individuals and longterm care services. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6099}
{"speech_id":1090152501,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Title II established the Administration on Aging. AOA. within the Department of Health and Human Services to be the primary Federal advocate for older individuals and to administer the provisions of the Older Americans Act. It also established the National Eldercare Locator Service to provide nationwide information with regard to resources for older individuals. the National Longterm Care Ombudsman Resource Center. the National. Center on Elder Abuse. the National Aging Information Center. and the Pension Counseling and Information Program. The 2006 amendments will establish an Office of Elder Abuse Prevention and Services to develop a longterm plan and national response to elder abuse prevention. detection. treatment. and intervention. Further. the 2006 amendments strengthen the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services through an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government with respect to aging and demographic changes. Title III authorized grants to State and area agencies on aging to act as advocates on behalf of older individuals. Title III services are targeted to those with the greatest economic and social need. particularly lowincome minority persons and older persons residing in rural communities. It funds supportive services. congregate and homedelivered meals. transportation. home care. adult day care. information assistance. and legal assistance. The 2006 amendments will expand the Caregiver Support Program- to permit the use of volunteers to enhance services and increase program authorization levels. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6099}
{"speech_id":1090152501,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. the bill contains a new demonstration project that promises to lead to changes in our longterm care delivery system. leading to consumer driven choices. Title IV authorized grants for training. research. and demonstration projects in the field of aging. This title supports a wide range of projects including those related to income. health. housing. retirement and longterm care. as well as career preparation and continuing education. The 2006 amendments will expand gerontology training for minority students. multigenerational activities. and civic engagement activities. Title V authorized the community service employment program for older Americans known as the Senior Community Service Employment or SCSEPto promote parttime opportunities in community service for unemployed. lowincome persons who are 55 years or older and who have poor employment prospects. It is administered by the Department of Labor. The 2006 amendments establish 4year grant cycles for the competitive program and permit poor performing grantees to be terminated from the program based on performance measures and establishes a 3 year limit for participating in subsidized employment with a 20percent waiver for difficult to place individuals. Title VI authorized funds for Supportive and nutrition services for older Native Americans. The 2006 amendments will increase the funding levels for this program. Title VII authorized the longterm care ombudsman program and elder abuse. neglect and exploitation prevention programs. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6099}
{"speech_id":1090152501,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The 2006 amendments will enhance the elder abuse prevention activities by awarding grants to States and Indian tribes to enable them to strengthen longterm care and provide assistance for elder justice and. elder abuse prevention programs. It will create grants for prevention. detection. assessment. treatment of. intervention in. investigation of. and response to elder abuse. safe havens demonstrations for older individuals. volunteer programs. multidisciplinary activities. elder fatality and serious injury review teams. programs for underserved populations. incentives for longterm care facilities to train and retain employees. and other collaborative and innovative approaches. Further. it will initiate a new incidence and prevalence study and a data collection process. The proportion of the population aged 60 and over will increase dramatically over the next 30 years as more than 78 million baby boomers approach retirement. It is essential that in the coming years Congress and the Federal Government take a leadership role in assisting the states in addressing the needs of older Americans. The bill we offer today will ensure that our Nations older Americans are healthy. fed. housed. able to get where they need to go and safe from abuse and scams. The No. 1 resolution of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging called upon Congress to reauthorize the Older Americans Act during the 109th Congress. I am pleased that the Senate and the House are well on the way to accomplisling this goal on behalf of one of our Nations greatest resourcesour older Americans. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6099}
{"speech_id":1090152510,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join Senators FRIST. WARNER. and ALLEN in offering a Senate resolution that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the twin cities of Bristol. TN. and Bristol. VA. Hanging on the wall of my Washington office near my desk is a painting of Bristol by George Smith called \"State Street at Seventh Avenue.\" This painting. which was completed around 1890. depicts the shared road that links the twin cities of Bristol and which serves as the State line between Tennessee and Virginia. State Street Church can be seen on the left side of the painting. the First Presbyterian Church is in the distance on the right. and the city saloon appears at the bottom. Thanks to continuing efforts in Bristol to preserve structures of historical significance. some of these buildings and many like them can still be seen there today. The twin cities were incorporated in 1856. the same year the Virginia and Tennessee Railroads reached Bristol. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2977}
{"speech_id":1090152510,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A second railroad arrived four years later. From that point on. the population grew steadily as Bristol emerged as an important transportation and commercial hub. Today. Bristol is known for a different type of transportation. Since 1961. the Bristol Motor Speedway has been host to NASCAR races and its fans. The Speedway. which began as drawings scratched on the back of envelopes and brown paper bags. can now seat over 160.000 fans at its races. Tlre \"Worlds Fastest HalfMile\" is acclaimed worldwide. and I have enjoyed visiting the Speedway myself. But Bristol is more than just a transportation hub. It is the birthplace of country musicas declared by Congress in 1998. The roots of country music in Bristol can be traced to the influences of ScotchIrish immigrants in the mountain regions of Tennessee and Virginiaincluding my own ancestorscoupled with the unique hymns of Negro spirituals and work songs. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2977}
{"speech_id":1090152510,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A number of early Appalachian instruments that helped spawn this new American form of music can be found on the walls of my Washington office. In 1927. Ralph Sylvester Peer arrived in Bristol hoping to produce a commercial recording of these unique mountain sounds. Thats how the recordings known as the. Bristol Sessions were born. launching the careers of country greats like the Carter Family. the Stonemans and Jimmie Rogers. Those sessions are often billed as \"the Big Bang\" that started the development of modern and marketabld country music. Bristol. TN. and Bristol. VA. may be two cities but they share a common spirit. You cant help but feel that spirit each time you visit. as I have had the pleasure of doing many times over the years. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2977}
{"speech_id":1090152510,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nothing says it better than the Bristol Sign. which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Stretching across State Street and linking the States of Virginia and Tennessee. it declares Bristol \"A Good Place to Live.\" Mr. President. I extend my warmest wishes to the people of Bristol as they celebrate the twin cities sesquicentennial this year.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2977}
{"speech_id":1090152516,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. June 27. 2006. at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony relating to implementation of the Energy Policy Act provisions on enhancing oil and gas production on Federal lands in the Rocky Mountain Region.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":380}
{"speech_id":1090152567,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I lost a constituent this last week in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Alberto V. Sanchez. Jr.. had planned to celebrate his fifth wedding anniversary next month while on leave from Iraq. \"It takes a piece of my heart.\" his motlier. Olga Sanchez. said in Houston. through tears. \"Nothing we can say or do will ever bring him back.\" Sanchez. 33. a Milby High School graduate. died Saturday from wounds he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Balad. about 50 miles north of Baghdad. Sanchez was assigned to the Armys 1st Battalion. 68th Armor Regiment. 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team. 4th Infantry out of Fort Carson. Alberto Sanchez chose the Army so he could earn money for college tuition. but the military became his career. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1350}
{"speech_id":1090152567,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He chose to. be in the Army. and his mother. Olga Sanchez. said he always said. \"This is just a job. Ive got to do what Ive got to do.\" His parents. Alberto. Sr.. and Olga Sanchez. moved to. Houston from Reynosa. Mexico. when their son was an infant. The family is in disbelief. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1350}
{"speech_id":1090152567,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sanchez and the other adult children said. \"We never felt worried.\" his mother said. \"If he felt worried. he never showed it. Like I said. all the pictures we have of him. he always had a big smile.\" Madam Speaker. I ask for a moment of silence to celebrate this American hero. Alberto Sanchez. Jr.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1350}
{"speech_id":1090152568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to express outrage and disdust over United States officials who continue to leak national security secrets during wartime. Most recently. someone leaked information to the media regarding the SWIFT program. which tracks financial transactions of al Qaeda associates. Someone in the United States Government is subverting the war on terror. thereby putting our troops at greater risk and. in essence. prolonging the war. Americans have the right to know who this person is and what their intentions are. In the words of the New York Times. it is \"in the publics best interest to know.\" I have introduced a resolution expressing that U.S. officials who leak sensitive information of national security secrets should be vigorously investigated and. if need be. brought to justice. If after a thorough investigation these officials are found to be disloyal to our country. they should be tried for treasonous acts. While al Qaeda and the terrorists may appreciate these leaks. Americans certainly do not.","speaker_name":"KATHERINE HARRIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1028}
{"speech_id":1090152575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. for purposes of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California. my friend. Congresswoman MATSUI. pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for purposes of debate only. This structured rule provides 1 hour of general debate. equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial* Services. It waives all points of order against consideration of. the bill and makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. It provides that the amendments printed in the report may be offered only in the order printed in the report and offered only by a Member designated in thb report. They shall be considered as read. shall be debatable for the time specified in the report. equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. These amendments shall not be subject to amendment and shall not be subject to a demand for division *of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. Finally. the rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report. and. as always. it provides the minority with one motion to recommit with or without instructions. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4987}
{"speech_id":1090152575,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation brought to the floor from the Financial Services Committee under the leadership of Coach MIKE OXLEY and Chairman RICHARD BAKER. Yesterday evening. despite inclement weather. the Rules Committee met and took testimony from Members regarding their thoughts on how to improve this legislation. The committee determined that many of these amendments should be considered and made twothirds of those amendments submitted to the committee in order. including seven Democrat and bipartisan amendments. This legislation follows upon sensible reforms of the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004. which also sought to update and modernize the National Flood Insurance Program. Although this previous effort at reforming the program was well intended. a number of provisions included in the 2004 act have yet to be implemented. Also. this earlier effort is currently incomplete because it was passed by Congress before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the gulf coast and. therefore. did not incorporate the lessons learned from these storms and how best to administer the NFIP. The Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act makes a number of commonsense changes to current law. Among other things. it does the following: it requires the Comptroller General of the United States to study the effects of extending the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements to all properties located in flood hazard areas and report back to- Congress within 6 months on the findings. It increases the fine levied against federally regulated lending institutions for each failure to require mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements to $2.000 and increases the total cap on fines for institutions to $1 million. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4987}
{"speech_id":1090152575,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It reiterates FEMAs responsibilities to implement provisions of the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 and directs FEMA to continue to work with the insurance industry. State insurance regulators and other interested parties to implement the minimum training and education standards for all insurance agents who sell flood insurance policies. and mandates that FEMA submit a report to Congress on implementation of these provisions. It directs FEMA to maintain and periodically publish an inventory of levees located in the United States so that these levees can be identified for National Flood Insurance Programs. In addition to improving and reforming this program. this legislation also ensures that taxpayers are protected. including provisions to establish that nonresidential properties and nonprimary residences will be charged actuarial instead of subsidized rates. It increases the NFIPs borrowing authority to $25 billion. but also a requirement that FEMA submit a repdrt to Congress on how it intends to repay funds borrowed under this increased authority. It requires a semiannual report by FEMA to Congress on the financial status of the National Flood Insurance Program. It extends the current pilot program for mitigation of severe repetitive loss properties. which is set to expire September 30. 2009. to 2011. \u0095 Madam Speaker. I would like to commend Chairman OXLEY and Chairman BAKER for their hard work on this legislation. Listening to people. learning from the mistakes of the past and also from the impact of these devastating hurricanes has meant that we will continue our efforts to protect homeowners. taxpayers. while ensuring that a viable market for flood insurance continues to operate effectively and efficiently in the United States. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4987}
{"speech_id":1090152587,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker. this bill represents an incredible amount of collaboration between Chairman BAKER and Ranking Member FRANK. This is a very important bill. It makes reasonable changes to the flood insurance program. It will lay the foundation for a stronger. improved flood insurance program. I urge my colleagues to support the rule so that we can enact this important legislation. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":486}
{"speech_id":1090152623,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman is correct. and I believe 43 States have had the wisdom to try to raise the minimum wage because we simply cannot get it done here. It should not be the luck of the draw where you are living whether the minimum wage is going to be raised or not. It is.a responsibility we have and a responsibility. frankly. most people are tired of watching us shirk. With that. I urge a \"no\" vote on this rule because of the minimum wage. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":489}
{"speech_id":1090152624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. in regard to minimum wage increases and the hope. the fact is that as minimum wage increases. hope for job seekers decrease. A Duke University economist found recently that for every 10 percent increase in mandated wages. the probability of job seekers finding a job decreased by nearly 3 percent. according to the Employment Policies Institute. Other top researchers found. similar results. This one. a Boston University study. noted that lowskilled adults in States that raise their minimum wage are often crowded out of the job market by teens and students. Research from Michigan State University echoed this conclusion. finding that highskilled teens are those who are perceived as desirable employees often displace lowskilled employees in a minimum wage job after a mandated wage hike: Madam Speaker. I rise again in support of this rule and in recognition of the importance of this underlying bill. H.R. 5672 funds the critical operations of our government from the diplomatic affairs of the State Department to the law enforcement activities of the Justice Department. Additionally. it provides funds for the various watchdog agencies that ensure a free and fair economic playing field for businesses and consumers alike. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090152624,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill has substantial funding for sciences. to make sure that America stays on the forefront of medical and technological innovation as we continue to reach for the stars. both literally and figuratively. While some critics may call for more funding of this program or that program. they not only fail to realize the limited funds available in this Federal budget but also fail to fully appreciate the hard work of the subcommittee in -balancing our funding needs with the need to respect the taxpayer dollar. Madam Speaker. while this bill may not be perfect. no bill is.it is a good bill that sets priorities and it sets a solid vision for the future on multiple fronts. So. in conclusion. I again want to thank subcommittee Chairman WOLF. Ranking Member MOLLOHAN. full committee Chairman LEWIS and for all of the hard work and the time that went into this bill before us today. I want to encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this rule and the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2295}
{"speech_id":1090152634,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for his comments. and I rise today in support of H.R. 42. the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act. This bill. as the gentleman stated. provides that a condominium association. a cooperative association. or residential real estate management association may not prohibit a resident of the association from displaying an American flag on their property within the association. American citizens should not be prevented from expressing simple acts of patriotism. especially raising the flag on their own property. even if their property is part of a larger association of properties. I am proud to be here today to support this bill. which supports basic patriotism and ensures that Americans may display the American flag wherever they live.","speaker_name":"DENNIS MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":779}
{"speech_id":1090152659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yieldmyself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker and Members. homeowners confer benefits to the communities in which they live: Homeowners vote and participate in important community organizations such as our schools. Homeownership benefits distressed neighborhoods. resulting in increased property values and more stable communities. Stability is the key to improving the quality of life in America. Homeownership in America is the key to stability. Despite the benefits of homeownership in America. some Americans still are not benefiting from homeownership. African Americans and Latinos still lag behind others. in their rates of homeownership. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6333}
{"speech_id":1090152659,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the \"National Urban Leagues State of Black America Report for 2006.\" less than 50 percent of African American families in America own their own homes. The rate of homeownership is about the same for Lat inos. approximately 49 to 50 percent. Another poignant fact is that some of the disparity in homeownership rates for these groups is the result. sometimes. of discrimination and predatory lending. The Center for Responsible Lending just completed a major study which found that African Americans are still more likely to receive higherrate home purchase rates and refinance loans than similarly situated white borrowers. particularly for loans with prepayment penalties. African Americans with prepayment penalties on their subprime mortgages were 6 to 34 percent more likely to receive a higherrate loan than if they had been white borrowers with basically the same qualifications or risk factors. Indeed. Latino borrowers had the same experience as African Americans. Latino borrowers purchasing homes were 29 to 142 percent more likely to receive a higherrate loan than if they had been a nonLatino white borrower. Each of the above findings was also documented in a Federal Reserve study last year. These findings are very real for African Americans and Latinos. and that should be enough. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6333}
{"speech_id":1090152659,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What the findings mean is that African Americans and Latinos still face obstacles to homeownership that other Americans do not face. Obstacles to homeownership are obstacles to the achievement of our vision. If homeownership in particular is the key to stronger and healthier communities. financial independence and the accumulation of wealth in America. then it is essential that we not only recognize June as National Homeownership Month. but that we commit ourselves to eliminating obstacles to homeownership for all Americans. As such. I ask all of my colleagues to support June as National Homeownership Month of 2006 as embraced by H. Res. 854. Remember. we continue to pursue a broad range of policies and programs to encourage homeownership 6pportunities in America. We have fought to restore budget cuts that have been proposed from time to time in funding for Federal programs to promote homeownership. including CDBG. HOME and HOPE VI. We have led efforts to raise FHA loan limits so that middleincome families in highcost areas like Los Angeles have affordable mortgage loan options. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6333}
{"speech_id":1090152659,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I want to tell you. the bill that was alluded to by Mr. NEY. our chairman. on FHA is exciting. It will be coming up on this floor to receive support from this Congress. and it will be one of the most profound pieces of legislation that have been passed on this floor certainly in this session and for a long time. This will hot only revitalize FHA. it will increase the loan limits. Because the price of housing has been rising so quickly that FHA was not able to accommodate those who still need affordable housing. and we will afford to FHA borrowers the opportunity to participate in new opportunities. no down payment products. et cetera. So I am very much looking forward to that. I am joining with Mr. NEY and others. and we are leading the effort today to make FHA relevant again to the needs of firsttime home buyers and working families. We must do all we can to ensure that this goal is achieved. As we recognize the month of June as National Homeownership Month for 2006. we must recognize that the American dream still escapes many in America. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6333}
{"speech_id":1090152659,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When this is no longer true. we will be able to celebrate homeownership in America not as a dream for some but as a reality for all Americans. Mr. Speaker and Members. those of us who work on this issue from both sides of the aisle and in our committee. sometimes we push very hard and we are a little tough because we know that there are working families out there who work every day. who pay their bills on time. they pay their utility bills. they pay their other bills. but they still are not able to get a mortgage and have a home for themselves and their families. but they deserve it. And so we look very closely at what these financial institutions are doing. None of us like predatory lending. We dont mind having a subprime market. but it must be a subprime market that will allow people to buy a home and perhaps even sometimes start out with a little bit higher interest rate. but they must be reduced as those homeowners demonstrate their ability to pay for these mortgages. We dont like our American workers to be taken advantage of. We dont want them to have high interest rates that are above and beyond what the average borrower would be able to get. We dont like the fact that Americans lose homes. We want everybody who enters into this business. this contract. of buying a home to be able to pay that mortgage and to be able to hold onto that home. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6333}
{"speech_id":1090152687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I fully agree with the statement of the chairman. and I am very proud to say that this is part of an ongoing. bipartisan effort that this committee has undertaken. A few years ago. we found a flood insurance program which was both important but flawed in a number of ways. and we began. at the urging of our former colleague from Nebraska. Mr. Bereuter. and our continuing colleague from Oregon . to make improvements. We have not been able to get everything we wanted. but we have improved it. This bill takes substantial steps forward. and I think it is important for Members to know this is a bill which makes improvements at the same time from both the environmental and the fiscal standpoints. We make it a better program. we make it a more responsible program fiscally. and we make it a more responsible program environmentally. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2579}
{"speech_id":1090152687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There will be various amendments. many of which I think are very important. including. and I want to particularly call attention to the amendment offered by our colleague from Mississippi . who as much as anybody in this House encountered personally the problems of the flood insurance program. and he has a very important amendment that would go to the aid of individuals who have not been fairly treated. and I strongly will be supporting that amendment. We wont have a lot of time to debate it. and I wanted to say that now. I also want to make one general point that should not go unnoticed. We are dealing here with a public program. This is a case of the Federal Government stepping in to meet a very important social need that cannot be met by the private market. The private market is a wonderful thing and does great things. and in the area of insurance we rely heavily in this country on the private market. But there are examples of market failure. not in a pejorative sense. but in a more technical sense. Flood insurance is one of them. If it were not for the role of the Federal Government here. there would be many. .many Americans in great distress and unable to get the kind of insurance that they need. So for those who believe that the public sector is always the problem. that the private sector is not only a valuable part of our life but provides all good. and that you always ought to be denigrating the public sector. they probably dont want to vote for this bill. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2579}
{"speech_id":1090152687,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because this is a bill which significantly improves a public sector response to a problem which. left without this. the private sector couldnt handle. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2579}
{"speech_id":1090152713,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. H.R. 4973 is necessary but not sufficient. It is necessary because the hurricanes and flooding in 2004 and 2005 have shown that the present flood insurance programs must be reformed. It is not sufficient because those same hurricanes. especially Hurricane Katrina. convinced me that flood insurance alone will not protect the millions of Americans who now live in harms way along our Nations coasts and rivers. I had the privilege of visiting the Gulf Coast earlier this year. I saw the devastating impact of wind and water on homes. on businesses. and on lives. I also heard the horror stories from people who were told that the damage to their lives was caused by water and not wind. In these cases. neither flood insurance nor homeowners insurance protected them. Others indicated that officials told them they didnt need flood insurance because they were not in a danger zone. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3957}
{"speech_id":1090152713,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for Congress to go beyond the traditional approach. of distinguishing between flood and wind damage. We have to develop a coniprehensive natural disaster program that will protect homes from hurricanes. earthquakes. volcanoes. and other natural disasters that one day will affect 49 of our 50 states. Insurance companies know that a disaster can occur. Some companies already are refusing to insure homes on Long Island and in other communities where a \"big one\" is overdue. The hurricane of 1938the socalled Long Island Expresskilled 600 to 700 people. destroyed 75.000 buildings and caused $300 million in damage. At that time. Long Island was the home to 600.000 people. Today. 2.8 million live there. A category 4 hurricane could cause $100 billion in insured damage alone. Earlier this year. the gentleman from New York and I asked the Financial Services Committee to conduct hearings as soon as possible on the disaster insurance bills before the Committee. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3957}
{"speech_id":1090152713,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our letter stated that \"We believe that Congress needs to pass a strong reinsurance program. Natural disasters can occur in any region at any time. Since the insurance industry appears unable or unwilling to provide protection for our constituents. then it is time for Congress to act swiftly and positively.\" The initial response indicated that we should wait until after the GAO completes its study of natural disaster insurance needs later this year. Fortunately. the real facts of Katrina. a number of extensive newspaper investigations. and the airing of several \"what if programs on cable TV are opening eyes even here. The Housing Subcommittee is holding its second hearing tomorrow (June 28) on natural disaster insurance needs. This one will focus on \"The Housing Market and Natural Cdtastrophes.\" I am convinced that this country needs an insurance program that will cover all natural disaster risks. If properly crafted. this program. will reduce the amount of emergency funds that Congress will have to provide after the next emergency. whether it occurs in the Northeast. Midwest. West Coast. Southeast. or Gulf Coast regions. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3957}
{"speech_id":1090152713,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to encourage the administration. all financial services companies. state and local officials. and this body to work together and to develop a comprehensive and responsible natural disaster insurance program. The policy should be priced according to the risks of that state. it should cover all major natural disasters. It must be mandatory and cover both homes and businesses. States need to update and enforce building codes and to require mitigation both before and after a natural disaster. Finally. the federal program would be a backup for private reinsurance. These are the goals that I will pursue. The House should pass HR 4973 today. Then. we must turn our attention to the larger disaster insurance issue. The American people cannot afford to add another $20 billion or $50 billion or $100 billion natural disaster relief program to the deficit. not when a fiscally sound alternative may be within reach. Tomorrow may be too late.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3957}
{"speech_id":1090152759,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would yield myself 3 minutes. Let me say. I appreciate the gentlemans deep interest in making sure that we are moving forward with reform in the flood insurance program and that we are dealing with some of the idiosyncratic ways that there are some folks that never get out of being an exception. With all due respect. that the approach that has been adopted by the committee is one that over the long run is going to be the most advantageous. I share your concern. but as I have been working with the floodplain managers from the various States around the country. the people on the ground are concerned about the impact that the rapid movement towards dealing with these other subsidized residential properties would have. There is a very real problem because a lot of these properties do change hands frequently. in knowing what the impact is. and that many people would end up not seeking subsidized property. that communities may opt out. all this could end up being counterproductive. Particularly as it relates to the area. and again I referenced in my opening comments being sensitized by Mr. TAYLOR and by Mr. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2580}
{"speech_id":1090152759,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BAKER. about some of the practical realities. particularly for lowincome communities. While it seems that this would be a way to phase it in only when the property changes hands. this would have the practical effect of discounting the value overnight to the people who own these properties. many of whom may be low income. So it would depress the price of the homes that they own because the seller would be subjected to the higher premium. You and I know that in the long run that is a more rational policy for the taxpayer and for the people who hold those policies. but there is a psychology that is at work with some -communities and with some owners and it may well be counterproductive. So. with all due respect. I would suggest that what we ought to be doing is looking for ways to phase it in over time with these communities. that we deal with emphasizing mitigation like we hkd in the 2004 legislation. because I fear there may be a double whammy. where communities are less interested in participating and that you may be penalizing some of the very lowincome property owners in a way that I dont think any of us want. [] 1445 So while I sympathize with the approach. while I applaud the committee for advancing the boundaries. this is one area where I would suggest that this. what looks like a simple phasein. actually may not be a simple phasein and may have unintended consequences. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2580}
{"speech_id":1090152879,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. Hurricane Isabel struck the eastern United States in September of 2003. one of the worst disasters in Virginia history. The financial damages exceeded $1.5 billion. Winds destroyed homes. knocked down trees and power lines. leading to massive power outages. Large storm surges flooded homes and properties across eastern Virginia. Maryland. ","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1347}
{"speech_id":1090152879,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"North Carolina. and Pennsylvania. Many residents in my district. the First District of -Virginia. are still struggling to rebuild following Hurricane Isabel which struck them in 2003. Some are still living in FEMA trailers. Many have been shattered to learn that flood insurance wont cover their losses. I have spoken to many misled policyholders who had their claims mismanaged by the National Flood Insurance Program. Claimants were reportedly pressured to sign adjustors proof of loss within 60 days of the flood. even though they believed that the adjustors had underestimated both the scope of damage and the associated cost of repairs to their properties. My amendment would extend the proofofloss filing deadline to 180 days and should not be used as a technical basis to deny a claim. and make it retroactive to September 18. 2003 to provide muchneeded relief for Isabel victims. I urge my colleagues to support thig amendment.","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1347}
{"speech_id":1090152914,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I rise today to offer an amendment to the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act. H.R. 4973. Chairman BAKERS bill make some great strides in helping insure the stability of our Nations flood insurance system. yet. like most legislation. there is room for improvement. For that reason. I am offering an amendment that helps insure the National Flood Insurance Program has the resources it needs to cover all its costs. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2023}
{"speech_id":1090152914,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have a duty to find savings wherever possible to make sure the National Flood Insurance Program has sufficient resources to cover all its costs by phasing out subsidies for preFIRM nonresidential properties. vacation and secondary homes. The committee has already agreed that these subsidies are a luxury we can no longer afford. I agree with the committees premise that these subsidies should be eliminated. However. I believe that we can go further and eliminate these subsidies now. We should not wait another half decade to restore fiscal responsibility to the program. When the next flood strikes. how will we explain to those who have lost everything that help is tight because we are still subsidizing someones vacation home? In the wake of the Katrina disaster. with the flood insurance program facing liabilities of between 23 and $25 billion. why should we Continue to subsidize flood insurance for vacation homes? My amendment will inject $335 million into the flood insurance program next year. While the committee predicts that their phasein saves $1.5 billion from 2007 to 2016. I respectfully submit that the Pearce amendment will save much more much sooner. While I respect my chairmans commitment to phasing out these subsidies. ","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2023}
{"speech_id":1090152914,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe we can and should. for the good of the program. eliminate them now. I hope my colleagues will join me supporting this amendment to eliminate those costly subsidies and help bring the NFIP back into sound fiscal condition. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2023}
{"speech_id":1090152974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Chairman. I first want to compliment Chairman WOLF on his efforts with regard to this bill. He has had a really tough job balancing the subcommittees portfolio. which is considerable. with diverse important programs. He has managed in a very tough budgetary climate. I truly admire his passion. and his conviction. which are all evident in this bill. Chairman WOLF characteristically does an excellent job. and certainly his experience working for a number of years on this bill has served him well in a very difficult situation. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12144}
{"speech_id":1090152974,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is to be complimented here today. There are very definitely some great things. Mr. Chairman. that can be said about this bill. Federal law enforcement is fully funded. Many of those accounts. such as the U.S. Attorneys account. the Drug Enforcement Administration. the Bureau of Prisons. are all funded above the Presidents requested level. Some are funded at the requested level. such as the U.S. Marshals service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This funding is a priority. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12144}
{"speech_id":1090152974,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is important. and I support the Chairmans efforts to provide it. The bill also fully funds the American Competitiveness Initiative. which in this bill will double over 10 years the research and development lines for physical science and engineering at NIST and the National Science Foundation. Two significant funding improvements were made during full committee. The chairman accepted an amendment to increase funding for the Survey of Income and Program Participation by $10 million and accepted an amendment providing partial funding for the SBA Microloan program. These are two programs that many Members expressed concern about. and I am pleased the amendments were adopted after being accepted by the chairman. Mr. Chairman. a number. around 80 to 90 at last count. of wellmeaning Members will offer amendments today. We ought to be offering amendments to increase law enforcement funding. We ought to be offering amendments to restore science funding at NASA. and to help NASA with the expensive and numerous tasks on its plate. We ought to be offering amendments to increase funding for the Economic Development Administration. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12144}
{"speech_id":1090152974,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The list of programs needing more funding in this bill goes on and on. But the funding just isnt there. The offsets just arent there. These wellintentioned amendments will come at the cost of important programs when they are offered up as offsets. important programs such as the census. U.N. peacekeeping efforts. salaries and expenses at the Department of State. the Department of Justice. and the Department of Commerce. which have already been cut back. I just want to take a moment. Mr. Chairman. to remind Members about why many of these amendments will need to be opposed. It is because the insufficient budget resolution that was passed on this floor has resulted in a narrow allocation for this bill that will not allow us to fund all of the priorities that Members will advocate for on the floor. As a matter of fact. the number -of amendments that are being offered today is the greatest number that I can ever remember being offered on this bill. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12144}
{"speech_id":1090152974,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But they have been increasing every year as that budget allocation has become smaller and smaller because of the budget resolutions that we passed at the beginning of this process. The number of amendments offered here today is in and of itself. I think. one of the best indicators that we are not providing enough money for domestic discretionary programs. Members are recognizing that program by program by program. Members are offering amendments. trying to increase funding for those programs. those worthy programs that I just mentioned. It is beginning to really hurt. It is beginning to really hurt law enforcement. beginning to really hurt NASA and other science programs. It is beginning to really hurt economic development programs. For example. I know the chairman is committed to providing adequate funding for our Nations law enforcement. the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of public safety back in our communities. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12144}
{"speech_id":1090152987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman. I would like to speak to two different issues. One is the potential amendment to the Voting Rights Act. where a suggestion may be made to withhold funding for the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act is one of the most.important civil rights pieces of legislation in the history of the United States. and we should not do anything to avoid the full and fair enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. That bill should be coming up in a few days. We do not know exactly when. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090152987,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There has been an agreement with leadership that the bill be adopted as it came out of committee. It came out of committee 311. so we would hope that the leadership would bring it to the floor. Mr. Chairman. there is another issue that is extremely important. and that is the Legal Services Corporation. If we are going to have people enjoy the rights that they have throughout America. we have to make sure that they have access to courts. The legal Services Corporation. primarily legal aid programs across the country. are extremely important. and we need to make sure that they are fully funded. The bill includes a provision where the number is lower than it should be. and we need to make sure that the amendments to increase Legal Services are adopted. So. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090152987,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the gentlemans giving me the opportunity to bring these two issues to the floor.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090153008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. if the gentleman will yield. I thank my colleague from Texas. The bill includes $10.69 million specifically for victims programs authorized by the Justice for All Act. which is $1 million above the Presidents request. and includes $176 million for DNA grants not earmarked. which is $68 million above the current level. As we work with the Senate in conference. we will work to ensure the highest level possible for all the programs authorized by the Justice for All Act.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":485}
{"speech_id":1090153040,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. let me begin by expressing my gratitude to you for your leadership and the hard work that you and your staff have put into the fiscal year 2007 Science. State. Justice. Commerce Appropriations bill. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3234}
{"speech_id":1090153040,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also want to thank you for your great work in helping local law enforcement and for working to increase funding in the COPS program. which is desperately needed. While there are many ways the Federal Government protects us. ultimately local law enforcement is on the front lines in our neighborhoods when it comes to fighting crime and. now. in fighting terrorism. and the COPS program provides vital assistance to them in these efforts. I spent 33 years of my life in law enforcement and served as a patrol officer all the way to the sheriff of the King County Sheriffs Office in Seattle. Washington. one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country. As a sheriff. I have witnessed how the COPS program provided muchneeded funding to King County. from school resource officers to new law enforcement technology. Mr. Chairman. the Federal Government is constantly telling local law enforcement in this new post9\/11 age that we must work in partnership. that we must work together to keep our Nation safe. After all. catching a terrorist in Seattle who may want to kill people in Los Angeles is not just a local problem. it is a national problem. However. the word \"partnership\" rings hollow if the vital funds necessary to implement that partnership are not there. ","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3234}
{"speech_id":1090153040,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If local law enforcement upholds its end of the program.- the vital funding is required. Too often. this funding comes from their budget without any Federal assistance. The local agencies are faced with a dilemma of either not participating in vital terrorfighting activities and programs. or joining in those efforts and shortchanging local programs that keep our families safe. Starting in 2002. funding for local law enforcement under the COPS program decreased. The COPS program received $929 million in 2003. $411 million in 2006. This does not send the right message to our local law enforcement about the commitment of Congress to work with that partnership. However. I am very grateful to you. Mr. Chairman. for being willing to listen and to work onthis issue with me. ","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3234}
{"speech_id":1090153040,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With your help. this years bill will increase total funding for the COPS program to $570.5 million. This is the first increase in COPS funding in 5 years and something to be thankful for and proud of. In addition. $99 million is included in the bill to -address meth cleanup. Adequately funding the COPS program in this bill sends the right message to our local law enforcement community that the Federal Government is an equal partner and that the Federal Government is giving local police backup in this fight. While we still need to work to continue to increase funding for local law enforcement efforts in the fight against meth. I believe that this increase is a positive step in the right direction. Tight budget constraints make it impossible to fully fund every program. and I thank the chairman for recognizing the importance of local law enforcement and providing an increase in the COPS program.","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3234}
{"speech_id":1090153117,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. Mr. Speaker. I want to make the point again that if all of these amendments are offered. we could be here for as much as 25 hours. So I would hope that Members would consider whether or not these amendments are duplicative and that some of them might not be offered. if we are going to finish this in a timely fashion. Mr. Speaker. I withdraw my reservation of objection. r. The SPEAKER pro. tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Virginia?","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":497}
{"speech_id":1090153159,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. not because it doesnt increase funding for a worthy program. I am extremely supportive of the Justice Assistance Grants Program. But understand that it increases the Justice Assistance Formula Grants Program from $367.8 million to $392.8 million. by $25 million. if my math is correct there. And that is all well and good. The difficulty is that this amendment increases a general grant program for which this money could go for anything. It could go for meth. it could go for any law enforcement purpose. And again. I repeat. it is all good and well. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2210}
{"speech_id":1090153159,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The problem is the offset. And that is the problem with so many of these amendments that will come forward. It is $10 million from the Department of Justice General Administratio4 Salaries and Expenses account. Well. the Department of Justice does have to run these programs. It has to operate these programs and it has general administration and salaries and expenses costs. This subcommittee has very carefully looked at the needs of the General Administration and Salaries and Expenses Account and determined that it needs the amount of money that is appropriated. This is already a tight budget. so funding in that account is tight. And to then offset $15 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations operations. research and facilities really hurts an agency that is already $514 million below fiscal year 2006enacted level. So we are $514 million below and we are taking another $15 million off that. At the current mark level. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2210}
{"speech_id":1090153159,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"NOAA will be required to RIF over 700 employees. at the current mark level. program cuts are estimated to cost the U.S. economy $1 billion to $2 billion per year. The proposed reduction will only further compound these impacts to NOAAs critical public safety and stewardship mission. Great amendment. terrible offset. I would just suggest that the gentleman think about these tough budget decisions when this budget resolution next comes to the floor. We just dont have enough money in this bill. And his amendment is for a worthy cause. But his offsets are too damaging to the agencies that they hurt. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2210}
{"speech_id":1090153216,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. the distinguished chairman makes a good point. If we were not splurging all of our money trying to get rid of the estate tax. we could put $40 million more into the Department of Justice. That would be preferable. But the fact is. we are limited to the amount we are. and I have to take an offset from somewhere. This $40 million will enable people not to lose their Social Security because their time limit runs out while they are waiting for the FBI background check. It will enable this country to be safer because we will find out about some wouldbe terrorists while they are still within the clutches of the law. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2141}
{"speech_id":1090153216,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That makes sense. Yes. it will take money away from the rest of the Justice Department. And the account that it will take the money away from will go from $669 million to $629 million. a 5.9 percent cut. Yes. we are cutting the rest of the Justice Department by 5.9 percent to fund this crucial area of the FBI. Now. the gentleman says that it is feebased. that he asks for a report to the fee. But where is that report? If they increase the fees. if the FBI increases the fees. they are still taking the money from the other agencies within the Departments of Justice or Homeland Security. The immigration service would pay a bigger fee. Other agencies within DOJ that are asking the FBI for the background check would pay a bigger fee. It is all the same pot of money: So the question is. Do we want to be able to catch wouldbe terrorists and get their names by getting the background check on time? Do we want people who are legal immigrants to be able to get their citizenship processed and not wait 7. 8. 9. 10 years? Yes. it would be most preferable if we did not have to rob Peter to pay Paul. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2141}
{"speech_id":1090153216,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But because of what that side of the aisle is doing. we have to rob Peter to pay Paul. I submit we ought to pay Paul here and Peter can afford it better than Paul can. because we are reducing a $669 million account. which is an important account. by 5.9 percent. but we will get justice done on time. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2141}
{"speech_id":1090153255,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I close by saying let us do what we did in the GingrichMitchell thing. The U.N. has made a lot of mistakes. John Bolten is no wallflower. I support what John Bolten is trying to do up there. and I dont think we should complicate the administrations life by doing this. I yield to the gentleman if he would like to say something..","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":343}
{"speech_id":1090153267,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I make a point of order against the amendment because it proposes to change existing law and constitutes legislation in an appropriation bill and therefore violates clause 2 of rule XXI. The rule states in pertinent part: \"An amendment to a general appropriation bill shall not be in order if changing existing law.\" I ask for a ruling from the Chair.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":365}
{"speech_id":1090153286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. first of all. I would like to thank Chairman WOLF and Ranking Member MOLLOHAN for their work on this important bill. Mr. Chairman. since I joined Congress last year. illegal immigration has been debated. discussed and voted on a lot in this House. and it is the number one concern with a lot of folks that I represent back home in Georgia. We all know that the explosion of illegal immigrants is imposing a huge cost on. local schools and local hospitals. but it is also imposing a huge new cost on local law enforcement as well. Local police departments are already stretched to the limit financially in dealing with homegrown crime. Despite that. most do an outstanding job of serving the public without all the resources they already need. But because we still havent secured our borders. we have caused local law enforcement to have to do more. We have asked them to do more. and yet the Federal Government is not helping them to deal with that part of the crime problem that the Federal Government has actually created. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BARROW","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090153286,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 9\/11. Congress hasnt helped. We have given local law enforcement more to do. but less to do it with. We have expanded State and local law enforcements authority to investigate. arrest and jail undocumented criminal aliens. When we expand the responsibilities of State and local police. when we ask them to do more. we have an obligation to give them the resources that they need in order to do more. In 1994. Congress created the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. the SCAAP program. and since then it has provided over $4.1 billion in financial assistance to States. reimbursing State and local police for the cost of jailing undocumented criminal aliens. In the last fiscal year alone. my home State of Georgia received $1.8 million in SCAAP funding for our State and local police. This year. funding for SCAAP was zeroed out in the Presidents budget. Fortunately. this bill will reinstate some funding for this program. but the amount is still far short of the amount that is authorized of the amount that is needed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BARROW","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090153286,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My amendment would provide an additional $10 million to the SCAAP program. Frankly. we have enough homegrown crime to deal with already without having to deal with the crime that we are literally importing from other countries. As a result. my amendment pays for an increase in SCAAP funding through an \/O of 1 percent decrease in funding from the account that pays membership fees to international organizations. Earlier this year. the President addressed the Nation and announced he would be sending National Guard troops to our southern border to help stem the flood of illegal immigrants flowing into the United States. National Guard troops on the border may help stem the flow of new illegal immigrants. but they do nothing to deal with the criminal element that has already gotten through. With an estimated is 11 million illegal immigrants already living in the United States. our local law enforcement agencies continue to serve as our first line of defense in dealing with the criminal element that has already entered the country. That is why we need to provide State and local police with the resources that they need to do the job that we impose upon them. I therefore urge my colleagues to help State and local law enforcement deal with undocumented criminals and support the amendment. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BARROW","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090153308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. as cochair of the Law Enforcement Caucus. I believe it is shortsighted and counterproductive to underfund Byrne grants for law enforcement. I have seen in my home State of Minnesota firsthand the importance of Byrne grants to local police in reducing crime and improving public safety. They have funded overtime pay. task forces to fight the war on drugs. equipment. and buy money to enforce our drug laws. We must never forget our cops are on the front lines in the war on crime and fighting drug dealers and protecting our homeland. And before we bleed too much for our Census Bureau. I think -we should remember. this agency in this bill already receives a $72 million increase. We are talking about funding cops. the war on drugs. homeland security. or $72 million more for the Bureau of Census. To me that is a nobrainer: we fund Byrne grants. which every law enforcement official in America is pleading for. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090153308,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge adoption of the Kennedy amendment. Mr. Chairman. Edmund Burke once said the most important reason we have government is to keep people safe. The Edward Byrne Memorial Grant program is a key component of the federal efforts to make our communities safe. Named for a fallen New York City police officer. the Byrne Grant program has been a vital tool since 1988 in helping state and local law enforcement fight violent and drugrelafed crime. Although I respect the difficult job our Appropriations Committee is faced with when setting spending priorities. we cannot afford to shortchange public safety. As cochair of the.Law Enforcement Caucus. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090153308,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe its shortsighted and counter productive to underfund Byrne Grants for law enforcement. This amendment would increase funding for the ByrneJAG program by $50 million and is offset by a reduction to the Bureau of the Censusan agency that already receives a $72 million increase in this bill! Byrne Grants have been essential to better coordination between local and federal law enforcement in protecting our homeland. They have been key to providing personnel. equipment. training and technical assistance in the war on drugs. They have bolstered prosecution efforts. And they have been used to administer critical programsmultijurisdictional drug enforcement teams. antidrug education. treatment and alternative sentencing. such as drug courts. .In my home state of Minnesota. Ive seen. firsthand. the importance of Byrne Grants to local police in reducing crime and improving public safety. They have funded overtime pay. task forces. equipment and \"buy\" money to enforce our drug laws. We must never forget our cops are on the front linesin the war on crime. fighting drug dealers and protecting our homeland. As Chris Matthews of MSNBC said after the attacks of September 11: \"Before the attacks on our homeland. Americas heroes were the rich and famous. ","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090153308,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since Sept. 11. Americas heroes are the cops and firefighters. And thats good for America.\" Today. Americas heroes are counting on us. Congress owes it to these brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day they put on the badge. Our Nations law enforcement officers need all the tools Congress can provide. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment to increase the maximum funding levels for Byrne Grants. Its time to honor the sacrifices made each and every day by our Nations law enforcement community and give our Nations finest the support they need.","speaker_name":"JAMES RAMSTAD","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3439}
{"speech_id":1090153343,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to sttike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I found the last comment from the gentleman from Indiana to be very interesting. The fact is that the unanimous consent agreement was agreed to as a courtesy by the minority to the majority. It is. very frankly. not in the political interest of the minority party in this House to assist the majority party in moving its appropriation bills through the House. We have done so on every occasion as a matter of legislative courtesy to the majority. Now. if members of the majority do not like that. then I guarantee you there will never be another unanimous consent request provided from the minority side of the aisle. ","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1504}
{"speech_id":1090153343,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If that is the way you want it. you are going to be here a long time struggling with every appropriation bill from here on out. The minority accepted the unanimous consent request with this provision because there are many times when the majority party and the minority party have a different view of amendments. This is not one of those times. but that happens most of the time on these amendments. And so the unanimous consent request is not any consPiratWy between members 65 the Appropriations Committee. It is\"simply an effort to move the Houses vote along. We have 100 amendments. Without this unanimous consent request. we would still be on number 2 or number 3. You would not get halfway through this bill before you go home for the July 4 recess. Now. if that is what you want. I am perfectly happy to give it to you.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1504}
{"speech_id":1090153399,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before I make my remarks about the readiness of the Army and Marine Corps equipment. I would like you to share my thoughts on the recently released information of a possible plan for troop redeployment in Iraq. Let me say I am incensed that General Caseys recommendations to the President and Secretary Rumsfeld for possible force redeployments in the coming months were leaked by someone in the administration to The New York Times. The options presented to the President for the success of our operation there should not be on the front page of a major -paper. Such a leak does not benefit considered deliberation of military operatives. It can only serve a political purpose. Members of the Congress overseeing the Department of Defense should have been kept informed of our senior military commanders best thinking in an appropriate forum. That said. I am pleased to hear that the Iraqis and the American people may be able to begin to see a correlation between increasing numbers and capability of Iraqi battalions and some reduction in American combat power. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090153399,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is something that I have suggested for some time. This apparent consideration of options could not come at a better time. given the poor readiness posture of the Army and Marine Corps equipment. Over the last several years. we have seen readiness rates plummet as the operation tempo in Iraq has climbed. Readiness rates for equipment have fallen so far. so far that I fear that now. they present a strategic risk to our ability to respond to contingencies we may have faced beyond our current commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker. nearly 40 percent of the Army and Marine Corps ground equipment is deployed to the Central Command theater. That equipment is suffering terribly due to battle losses and damage and increased operations and harsh climate. Since the start of the war. the Army has lost over 1.000 wheeled vehicles and nearly 100 armored vehicles. Increased usage and the weight from extra armor are wearing out equipment in Iraq up to nine times the peacetime rate. That means that some equipment has added the equivalent of 27 years worth of wear since the start of the war in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090153399,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To keep this equipment serviceable. the Army and Marines have had to expend extraordinary effort. To their credit. the readiness rates for equipment deployed to Central Command remains high. with spare equipment and repair parts flowing quickly to the fight. - Unfortunately. theater readiness has come at the expense of equipment here in the continental United States. Readiness reporting from nondeployed Army units shows that equipment readiness continues to fall. with very few continental United States units ratea as fully missioncapable. These low missioncapable rates disturb me greatly. as they are an indicator of a military under stress. Nondeployed units are our strategic base. They are the units we will call if a crisis emerges. Looking at these readiness rates. I truly wonder if our military will be able to answer the call should it come. The cost of all this repair and maintenance is enormous. with the Army spending $13.5 billion in 2006 alone. General Schoomaker. in his testimony before the Armed Services Committee today. said that the Army will require an astounding $17 billion next year to reset equipment damaged or destroyed by the war in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090153399,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even more disturbing is that the largest bill for the reset will not come due until after combat Operations end. At that point. future budget pressure may make it difficult to forward the reset. leaving us with significant shortfalls of equipment to fill a transforming military. This Congress has a responsibility to provide for our force for the battles that they are in today and for those that they may have to fight tomorrow. To do that and to budget responsibly. we must know the true and full cost of the bill that will come due. Mr. Speaker. the Army and Marine Corps have been involved in prolonged combat under the harshest of conditions. The combat has taken an enormous toll on troops and their equipment. Yes. we have strategic interests in Iraq. but we also have strategic interests around the world that we must be prepared to defend. We cannot allow the war in Iraq to destroy our ability to fight and win in other contingencies. Our Army and Marine Corps must have what they need to fight and win.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4380}
{"speech_id":1090153430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. what a pleasure it is to come back to the House floor this evening. even though it is for really just a few short minutes. and bring the latest edition of the Official Truth Squad. The Official Truth Squad is a group of Republican Members who began with a group of freshmen Members of Congress in their first term this past year. who got together and said. why on Earth do we have all of the misinformation and disinformation and distortion that you hear oftentimes on this floor over and over and over again. and nobody. nobody. refutes it. What is going on? So what we did is we formed the Official Truth Squad. We have heard some items just this evening that deserve some truth. So I am pleased to come this evening to the floor. Mr. Speaker. and to bring some facts. some facts. to the issues. because facts are important when we are talking about issues in Washington. If you dont deal with true facts. then it is extremely difficult to get to the right solutions. We in the Official Truth Squad have a saying that we are fond of. a quote that we like to identify and like to call to peoples attention. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11295}
{"speech_id":1090153430,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is from the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He said everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. but they are not entitled to their own facts. That is important. Mr. Speaker. We have just heard from what has been described as the fiscally conservative Blue Dogs. Well. I am here to tell you. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11295}
{"speech_id":1090153430,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. these folks have perfected. perfected. saying one thing at home and doing something here. In fact. as I was sitting here tonight. they have perfected saying one thing here and doing something different here. To point that out. facts. Mr. Speaker. the truth. Mr. Speaker. here they tout the importance of the line item veto. We believe in the line item veto. A number of years ago we had an opportunity to demonstrate our -belief in that by a vote on the floor of the House. This vote was back in 1995. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11295}
{"speech_id":1090153430,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At that time. eight Democrats voted in favor of the line item veto. This is a bill that would give the President an opportunity to control spending. to assist in making sure that we move toward a balanced budget. and in fact eight Democrats voted yes. 194 Democrats voted no. Most of those. most of those that were in the Blue Dog contingent. were in the no column. I havent updated this. Mr. Speaker. but as you know. last Thursday we voted on a new line item veto bill on this floor of the United States House of Representatives. I have got to update this. because the numbers are staggering. The numbers are staggering. 156 Democrats voted no. It is a fact. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11295}
{"speech_id":1090153430,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":15,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. they voted no on the line item veto. In fact. half. virtually half of those folks who. call.themselves fiscally conservative Blue Dogs. voted no. So. as I say. Mr. Speaker. they have perfected the fine art of saying one thing here and doing something different here. not just saying one thing at home and doing something different here. You heard about a balanced budget tonight. how strongly they support a balanced budget. Well. what about when given the opportunity to vote for a balanced budget. Mr. Speaker? What happened then? This is very recent. just this year. Roll call vote 156 this year. 2006. the balanced budget substitute was an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 budget. ","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11295}
{"speech_id":1090153485,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as you know. outside these doors to my left is a beautiful room called the Presidents Room. or the Red Room. We call it the Presidents Room because for many decades. this was the place where Presidents came to sign legislation. During the past century. the 20th century. it wasnt used often at all. Rarely was it used for Presidents to come and sign legislation. But on August 6. 1965. it was used. The last time the Red Room. or the Presidents Room. was used for signing a bill into law was on a hot summer day of 1965. It had been a very hot summer. The purpose of President Lyndon Johnson coming to the Capitol to sign the bill here. rather than in the White House. was because it was the Voting Rights Act. The reason I say it was a very hot summer. it had been a hot couple of years. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5870}
{"speech_id":1090153485,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would direct everyones attention to a wonderful book written by Taylor Branch. a relatively new book. published recently. called \"At Canaans Edge.\" This book tells the story of a number of tlings. but one is how the Voting Rights Act became law. People 0 This \"bullet\" symbol identifies statemehts or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. 0Printed on recycled paper. sacrificed their lives to allow this movement to go forward and. - ultimately. to have this legislation passed. So if we look back historically. the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one- of the most magnificent pieces of legislation ever passed by Congress because what it did is jump forward 100 years following the Civil War and give African Americans the ability to register to vote. Counties and various States in the South. that were basically all African American had no AfricanAmerican voters. The Voting Rights Act changed that. And now African Americans all over this country. but especially in the South. have had their lives changed by not having to feel the crash of a baseball bat on their head like Reverend Reeb. who came to peacefully demonstrate to allow people to have the right to vote and was killed with the smash of a baseball bat on the side of his head. Lives were lost. I repeat. and many people were injured. Many were seriously injured in an attempt to exercise the basic right of voting in America. Why do I bring this to the Senates attention today? The reason I bring it to the Senates attention today is. it was a short time ago. early May. and it was very hot in Washington. and we went to the east front on the House side to have a press conference. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5870}
{"speech_id":1090153485,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There were dozens of Members of Congress there. Cameras were there. and people were shoving for position so the camera could see them. Everybody was there to talk about the need to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. The press event took a long time. We had a number of speakers there. and they all talked about how important it was that we reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. I was there. Senator FRIST was there. House leaders were there. chairman and ranking members of the Judiciary Committees were there. civil rights leaders were there to announce their support for the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. We stood together that day on the steps of the Capitol and announced a bipartisan. bicameral introduction of that bill. I thought that day held great promise for the Congress and the Nation. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5870}
{"speech_id":1090153485,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The old days of the early 1960s were put behind us. and this would just go through here very quickly. I thought the legislation would be reauthorized and we would move down the road. I thought it showed great possibilities that leaders of both parties recognized that protecting the right. to vote is not a partisan issue. it is an American issue and one we would join to support without qualification. While finding common ground seems increasingly beyond our reach on many debates in the Senate. our joint support for the Voting Rights Act stood as a sign that we could still readily stand together to protect the rights upon which this Nation was founded. In the weeks that followed. some progress was made in moving the bill forward in the House and the Senate. In both Chambers. an exhaustive record was built. demonstrating without question the continued need for the Voting Rights Act protections. I am sorry to report that progress has stalled. It has really stalled. Last week. House leaders failed to follow through on their commitment to move this reauthorization in that body. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5870}
{"speech_id":1090153485,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is now not clear when or even if the House will act. We urge them to do so quickly. But the fact that the House hasnt acted doesnt mean we cannot act in the Senate. The commitment we all made in May on the east front of the Capitol is a commitment that the American people are going to hold us to. As I have said. we need not wait for the House. I am told the Senate Judiciary Committee is going to complete a markup of this important legislation in July. I hope so. As we know. the original timetable was May. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5870}
{"speech_id":1090153498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am very proud to be here this morning with the other Democratic women of the Senate in urging the leadership to talk about the issues that are the true priorities of the American people. The issue I am talking about today is so important. and that is the treatment of our Nations veterans. Our military men and women and their families are sacrificing every day for all of us. It should be our duty to honor that sacrifice. whether. it is with jobs or training. support or health care. But on this issue. the Republican leadership has failed miserably. Today. the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to be overwhelmed and underfunded. Listen to what we know: The VA is currently seeing 38 percent more Iraq war veterans than they budgeted for38 percent more. In fact. in fiscal year 2006. the VA expected to provide medical care to 110.000. but that number is now closer to 170.000. and those veterans are waiting over a year to get the specialty care they need and deserve. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4114}
{"speech_id":1090153498,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In Seattle. we have VA rfiedical centers with over 2.000 veterans on waiting lists to get an initial doctors appointment. Veterans around the country are waiting 18 months just to get their benefits. On Monday it was reported in the New York Times that veterans spouses are being faced with an impenetrable wall of bureaucracy as they try to collect their survivor benefits. To me. and to my women colleagues. that is simply intolerable. We are also woefully unprepared for the rising toll of posttraumatic -stress disorder and other battlefieldrelated mental illnesses that are hitting our troops. Right now. it is estimated that onethirdonethirdof the 1.3 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are facing mental health challenges when they get home. Th.e Department of Veterans Affairs recently revealed to us that it is on a pace to see nearly 20.000 new cases of postoombat stress this fiscal year among troops. Guess how many they estimated to see: 2.900. So they thought they would have 2.900. but they are on a pace to see 20.000. A VA Under Secretary noted that some of our VA clinics dont provide mental health care. or if they do. she said. waiting lists render that care virtually inaccessible. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4114}
{"speech_id":1090153498,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our service men and women. veterans. and their families deserve more than virtually inaccessible care. We have to do more. On top of that. we have to be working to pass Federal legislation that addresses the employment needs of veterans who are coming back home from the battle front. Do my colleagues know that among 20- to 24yearolds. unemployment for veterans is double that of nonveterans. and it is three times the national average? That is unacceptable. Iraq war veterans are coming home. they are losing their jobs. they are not getting medical care. they are having a hard time accessing benefits. and they are struggling to just get by. We have a job to do in this Senate. and that is why the Democratic women are here today to talk about our checklist for change and focusing on our veterans. Last week. I successfully amended the fiscal year 2007 Agficulture appropriations bill to include $i60 million to deal with the data theft of 26.5 million veterans. We have to make sure that our veterans dont have the double whammy of losing their data and then losing their health care to pay for. it. Our service men and women deserve a new direction. ","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4114}
{"speech_id":1090153498,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So today we challenge the Republican leadership to include the real cost of care for our veterans when they submit their budget and to do right by our veterans and our military families by holding hearings on the holes in transition assistance. mental health care. and health care that our veterans and families need. Caring for our veterans is not a Republican. or Democratic issue. it is an American issue. We call on this Congress to right now do the most patriotic thing we can do. and that is to fulfill our promise to our Nations veterans. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the. RECORD a letter to Senator FRIST from all of the Democratic women outlining our checklist for change and our call for action.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4114}
{"speech_id":1090153508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join my colleagues in calling for a \"Checklist for Change.\" We need a real jobs agenda in this countryone that stands strong and fights for American workers and American businesses. This is about our Way of lifea way of life based on goodpaying. middle class jobs and the promise thatwith hard workevery American can aspire to do better tomorrow than they did yesterday. We need to stop the flow of American jobs overseas. Last year. a new $2 billion tax cut that I authored took effect. rewarding companiesthat create manufacturing jobs here in the United States. We need to level the playing field for American businesses. Currency manipulation and the free flow of counterfeit goods from countries such as China have put American workers at an unfair disadvantage for too long. It is time we had an international trade prosecutor who can go after countries that cheat and make sure that America is getting a fair deal in the world market. We need a new direction for American workers. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1448}
{"speech_id":1090153508,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We challenge the Republican Congress to enact tax policies that stop the outsourcing of American jobs. We challenge them to stand up and enforce our trade agreements so American businesses can compete on a level playing field and keep goodpaying jobs here at home. Americans want to export our products. not our jobs. And we challenge the Republican Congress to follow the lead of my State of Michigan and raise the minimum wage.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1448}
{"speech_id":1090153540,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"pertaining to the introduction of S. 3595 are printed in todays RECORD under \"Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.\") (The remarks of Mr. DURBIN pertaining to the introduction of S. 3588 are printed in todays RECORD under \"Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.\")","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":294}
{"speech_id":1090153541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I came to the floor a few minutes ago when Senator GREGG from New Hampshire was here. Senator GREGG is the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. I listened carefully as he talked about a plan to reform budgeting in America. The first thing I can recall was the phrase often used by a friend of mine who serves in the House of Representatives. Congressman DAVE OBEY of Wisconsin. who frequently chides Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for \"posing -for holy pictures.\" I thought to myself. how interesting it is to hear the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee coming to the floor preaching for dramatic reform when it comes to budgeting. If one were not aware of the history of budgeting under this administration and under Republican leadership in Congress. you might be able to sell this story. But it is hard to sell when you look at facts. When President Bush took office. he inherited a surplus. It was one of the first surpluses in the Federal budget in decades. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5161}
{"speech_id":1090153541,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was the result of President Clinton increasing taxes and cutting spending. determined to reduce the deficit. We reached the point where we had surpluses that were being generated so they could pay down the debt to the Social Security trust fund. give it longer life. make certain that we were moving toward a fiscally sound future. President Bush inherited a Federal budget surplus. He also inherited a national debt of $5.3 trillion. Now where are we today. almost 6 years into the BushCheney administration? The national debt in America has risen under the BushCheney administration from $5.3 trillion to almost $9 trillion. In 6 years. it is a dramatic increase. During that 6year period of time this administration. with a Republican Congress. has consistently given us deficit after deficit after deficit. digging the hole deeper and deeper. like to amend my earlier unanimous So whenyou take a look at the situaconsent request to add the following: tion. you say. clearly. the Democrats must be at fault in this situation. But with the exception of 1 year. these were Republican Congresses generating the spending bills. So how many spending bills from Congress did President Bush veto in the 6 years he has been President of the United States? How many times did he say no to overspending by Congress? How many times did he use his Presidential veto pen denying earmarks by Congress? None. Not one. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5161}
{"speech_id":1090153541,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Zero. In 6 years. never. This President has never used his veto pen to stop spending by this Republican Congress. not one time. Now comes these Republican leaders. and they say the problem isnt discipline. The problem isnt the Presidents veto. We have to reform the system. Now they are talking about this elaborate reform of the system. If you are a student of political history. you have seen this before. When President Reagans administration brought us the biggest deficits in the history of the United States. those who were responsible for the deficits were quick to the floor of the Senate. pleading for an amendment to the Constitution. a balanced budget amendment to save them from themselves. It did not pass. and it should not have passed because. as President Clinton demonstrated over 8 years. it isnt a matter of a weakness in our Constitution. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5161}
{"speech_id":1090153541,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It -was a weakness of political will by the Republican side. If you will take control of this economy and of this budget. you can truly reduce deficits and create a surplus. That isnt just a promise. it was a fact under the Clinton administration and evidence of failure in the Bush administration they have not come close to a surplus in any year. Now. as we face these record deficits and record debt for America. what do we hear from the Republican side of the aisle? It isnt our fault. We have to change the system. No. you dont. The system worked under a Democratic President. The system worked to generate a surplus. Now to have them come as political sinners posing for holy pictures -when it comes to balancing the budget is a very thin charade that most Americans will see through. We understand what this is all about. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5161}
{"speech_id":1090153541,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was not that long ago that President Bush decided to privatize Social Security. It was an idea that flopped across America. The President took his road show out. and every time he made a speech about privatizing Social Security. the popularity of the idea plummeted. Finally. he gave up on it. as he should have. It is a bad idea to cut back on the costofliving adjustments that people living under Social Security count on. It is a bad idea to take money out of the gocial Security system. when we know we have mad6 promises to future generations that must be kept. And it is a fact that the Social Security Administration untouched will be able to promise payments every year. with COLAs. through 2030. It is a strong system. We can make it stronger. but privatizing Social Security is the wrong way to go. I urge my colleagues. when Senator GREGG and Republicans come forward with this socalled lineitem veto. look closely. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5161}
{"speech_id":1090153599,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Rhode Island. Senator JACK REED is our voice on the Joint Economic Committee. It is a committee that takes a look at the overall economy and reports to our caucus regularly. Senator REED has brought us economic indicators from time to time that give us at least some insight as to how we are doing in most general terms in America. Everybody measures the economy by their own lives. their own family. maybe their own t6wn. but when it comes to .the appointment of a Secretary of the Treasury. we take a step back and look at the overall economy in America. A good Secretary of the Treasury can make a big difference. When Bob Rubin became Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton. he faced enormous challenges with huge deficits as far as the eye could see and an economy moving ever so slowly. He put in place those policies on an economic.. fiscal. and monetary basis that made a big difference. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10654}
{"speech_id":1090153599,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our Nation went from a deficit in our budget to a surplus. We actually put the indebtedness behind us for the first time in decades. The good news is we did it while the wealth of America was expanding dramatically. That period during the Clinton years saw people with their own savings accounts growing. more pension plans expanding. folks buying homes and starting businesses. It was a time of great economic expansion. No one person deserves the credit or the blame for our economy. but Secretary of the Treasury Bob Rubin was the right person at the right time to speak sense to the President about what needed to be done to make America strong for years to come. I have the same confidence that Henry Paulson is going to do that as well. and we need him now more than ever. I come to this with some prejudice because Mr. Paulson is a son of Illinois. He still calls Illinois his home. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10654}
{"speech_id":1090153599,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hespent .his adult yearsat least recentlycommuting back and forth between Illinois and New York and places around the world in his capacity as an investment banker. We had a terrific meeting in my office a week or two ago and talked about his life in Illinois. the experi.ences he had. about his family. and his commitment to our State. I readily concede I come to this nomination with some bias. But I think Mr. Henry Paulson is the right man for the job of Secretary of the Treasury at this moment in history. He came up through the ranks. of Goldman Sachs. starting in their Chicago office many yearsago and eventually becoming the CEO of that important investment bank. I dont think a person can rise to that high level. without understanding how business works and how the economy works. Since even a corner grocer knows that an organization cannot run up endless debt forever without paying a stiff price. I think Mr. Paulson understands that as well. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10654}
{"speech_id":1090153599,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I- think his business experience may help to start balancing the books in the Washington. DC. situation. which has been far from balanced for a long time. It is not a moment too soon for someone with Mr. Paulsons business background to tackle this challenge. Consider these realities Mr. Paulson will face when he becomes Secretary of the Treasury: This BushCheney administration has accumulated more foreignheld debt in the past 6 years they have been in office than all of the 42 Presidents before President George W. Bush. In other words. our indebtedness to foreign governments. such as Japan..China. Korea. and the OPEC nations. that. in fact. bankroll the debt of America. hold Americas mortgage. has grown in dramatic terms over the last 6 years. That is not the policy President Bush inherited from the Clinton administration. which was generating a surplus. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10654}
{"speech_id":1090153599,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is an approach he has taken which. sadly. has left us deeply in debt. The Bush administration came to office with a national debt of less than $6 trillion6 trillionand in just a 6year period of time. it is almost $9 trillion. almost a 50percent increase in Americas mortgage. Americas national debt in the short 6year period of time. During this period. all but for a few months. the President has had a Congress of his own political party. The Republicans have controlled the House and the Senate. and the President has yet to veto the first spending bill in the time he has served as President. Not once has he said \"no\" to a spending bill that has come from Congress. particularly from his Republican Congress. and in the meantime his tax policies and spending policies have driven us into the highest level of national debt in the history of the United States. Our indebtedness is held by mortgagers such as China and Japan who expect in return to have a piece of the American economy. Secretary of Treasury Paulson will. I am sure. understand this. that as we become more indebted to these foreign nations. it is no wonder they take a claim on our economy: Why did we haye to debate a Dubai Ports deal? Because Dubai happened to hold enough American dollars to have clout in our economy. and that is the reality. As these foreign entities become more powerful in our economy. sucking goodpaying jobs out of the United States. it is a serious challenge for any new Secretary of the Treasury.The President has called for more tax cuts. which means deeper deficits. more debt. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10654}
{"speech_id":1090153608,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my support for the nomination of Henry M. Paulson. Jr.. to be Secretary of the Department of the Treasury. Mr. President. American economy has changed dramatically in the past decade. International economic policy now has a direct effect on our domestic economy. The information age has transformed Americas economic future. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2287}
{"speech_id":1090153608,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This new economy requires a new kind of Treasury Secretary. It requires someone who is experienced and knowledgeable in both the domestic and the international marketplace. It requires someone who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in both government and private enterprise. Henry Paulson will bring these vital skills to the Department of Treasury. Mr. Paulsons outstanding career in both the public and private sectors has clearly demonstrated his ability to serve as our Nations next Treasury Secretary. Prior to joining The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.. Mr. Paulson served the public as White House domestic Council staff assistant to the President from 1972 to 1973 and as staff assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon from 1970 to 1972. In 1974. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2287}
{"speech_id":1090153608,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Henry Paulson decided to enter the private sector. He joined The Goldman Sachs Group. Inc.. in Chicago. Mr. Paulson worked his way up through the ranks of Goldman Sachs and is currently serving as chairman and chief executive officer. Clearly. Henry Paulson has had a very distinguished 32 year career in the private business sector. Our Nation will be fortunate to have a Treasury Secretary with such broad and varied expertise. and these experiences will prove vital in leading a progressively diverse economy. I believe Henry Paulson will be an exemplary Treasury Secretary. He has already spoken of his keen appreciation for the role capital markets play in driving growth and efficiency. the globalization of finance and interdependence of major world economies. and ensuring that Americas industries can compete in the\" new global economy. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2287}
{"speech_id":1090153608,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am confident Henry Paulson will seek to strengthen and advance the competitive edge of our economy. I am certain his experience and leadership will be great assets in achieving these important goals. Mr. President. it is my great honor to support Henry Paulson to head the Department of the Treasury.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2287}
{"speech_id":1090153639,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I pay tribute today to a very special Idahoan. Don Burtenshaw. a farmer and rancher from Terreton. is retiring from the Idaho State Senate after serving five terms representing tle 35th district. Having served in the Idaho State Legislature myself. I can attest to the work that this public office entails. and I would be pleased to be honoring him today if just for that. But Dons accomplishments and influence in and around Jefferson County went far beyond a seat in the State legislature. Don is an active member of his church and owns Burtenshaw Cattle Company. He served as a partner in the Rexburg Livestock Auction. Salmon Livestock Auction. and the Bozeman Livestock Auction. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090153639,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to the West Jefferson Lions Club. who has awarded Don its prestigious Spirit of Service Award this year. his long and selfless service to the community has touched the lives of many youth and adults alike. Don served on the Jefferson County districts 251 and 253 school boards for 24 years. He also served on the board of directors for the Owsley Canal. Over the years. he has placed particular emphasis on the children of Jefferson County. And I am sure that with the time saved from having to drive to Boise 2 or 3 months a year. he will be able to focus more on the youth in his own family. including 38 grandchildren. with another coming very soon. and 23 great grandchildren. I congratulate Don on his dedication to his fellow Idahoans. and Susan and I wish him well as he leaves Statelevel public service. I am certain his public commitment will continue in other ways at home in eastern Idaho.*","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090153640,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to honor and recognize a true hero and a great American. Charles I. Whitepipe. Sr.. of Gregory. SD. passed into the spirit world at 7 on Monday evening. Mr. Whitepipe. a Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud tribe. valiantly served in the Army as a codetalker in World War II. He served as a \"Forward Observer\" on Japaneseheld islands in the South Pacific. communicating by radio with a shipbased partner. using the Lakota language to direct artillery fire from ships at sea onto the islands. During World War II. about a dozen known Sioux Indians were Army radio operators who used their native Lakota. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2139}
{"speech_id":1090153640,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nakota and Dakota dialects to transmit strategic messages to foil enemy surveillance in both the Pacific and European theaters. There is no doubt that the bravery and the courage of Mr. Whitepipe and the other codetalkers helped to make the United States the free and proud place it is today. While Navajos have received the most recognition. it is important to remember that members of at least 17 other tribes also served as codetalkers in World War I and World War II. The syntax and tonal qualities of the native languages were so complex that no message transmitted by any codetalker was ever decoded by the enemy. However. for. the codetalkers who returned home there were no parades or special recognition. as they were sworn to secrecy. an oath they kept and honored. but one that robbed them of the accolades and place in history that they rightfully deserved. The accomplishments of the codetalkers were even more heroic. given the cultural context in which they were operating. Subjected to alienation in their homeland and discouraged from speaking their native languages. they still stepped forward and developed the most significant and successful military code of their time. That spirit of military service continues today. Native Americans make up a higher percentage of servicemen and servicewomen in the armed forces than any other ethnic group in America. ","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2139}
{"speech_id":1090153640,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have served with honor in all of Americas wars. beginning with the Revolutionary War and on through our current operations in Iraq.*","speaker_name":"TIM JOHNSON","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2139}
{"speech_id":1090153650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been postponed before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing originally scheduled for Thursday. June 29. 2006 at 10 a.m. in room SD366 of the Dirksen Building has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a date to be announced. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on H.R. 5254. the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act. Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resourcds. United States Senate. Washington. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":876}
{"speech_id":1090153650,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC 205106150. For further information. please contact John Peschke at (202) 2244797 Shannon Ewan at (202) 2247555.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":876}
{"speech_id":1090153667,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday. June 28. 2006. at 10 a.m.. to consider. the nominations of Mickey D. Barnett. Katherine C. Tobin. and Ellen C. Williams to be Governors. U.S. Postal Service.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":297}
{"speech_id":1090153687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. June 29. I further ask unanimous consent that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate then begin a period of morning business for up to 2 hours with the first 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. the next 30 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. to be followed by 30 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. and the final 30 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. provided further that following morning business. the Senate proceed to S. 3569. the Oman Free Trade Agreement.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":868}
{"speech_id":1090153715,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in one week House Republicans have shown where their priorities lie. who they are willing to help. and who really gets left behind. . H4686 I am sure the American people are not shocked to hear that Republicans once again sided with the wealthiest in our Nation when they repealed the estate tax last week. Meantime. Republicans refused to join Democrats in providing nearly 7 million Americans a pay raise. .It is truly mindboggling that House Republicans continue to believe that minimumwage workers can still get by on $5.15 an hour. Dont they know if you take inflation into account the minimum wage is at its lowest level in 50 years? Dont Republicans know this is the secondlongest amount of time minimumwage workers have gone without a pay raise? Dont they know that nearly threefourths of minimumwage workers are not just taking care of themselves but also a family? Mr. Speaker. this is totally immoral. In this great Nation it is unbelievable that nearly 7 million people must struggle to this extent to make ends meet. It is only fair we give these workers a raise. Democrats are not giving up. and we will continue to fight to give these workers their first pay raise in 9 years. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1221}
{"speech_id":1090153715,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is only fair.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1221}
{"speech_id":1090153723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it gives me great pleasure to rise this morning to salute the brave men and women in my district and around the Nation who graciously offer their time. compassion and lifesaving skills to fellow citizens in their time of greatest need. Volunteer firefighters and rescue squad personnel provide essential services to our communities. A Scotland County volunteer. James Rupard. recently made me aware of a mileage reimbursement problem that was causing a financial burden on our local first responders. The Volunteer Emergency Responder Fair Mileage Act seeks to give our volunteer emergency first responders a mileage reimbursement for use of their personal vehicles that reflects the critical service they provide. Our volunteer first responders dont have a choice in their driving distance when an emergency occurs. They also dont have the luxury of choosing times or convenience when duty calls. I feel that raising this rate is a way to keep critical volunteers from having undue financial hardship. and it reflects the contribution they make to our communities. I urge my colleagues to support volunteer first responders in their districts by cosponsoring the Volunteer Emergency Responder Fair Mileage Act.","speaker_name":"ROBIN HAYES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1224}
{"speech_id":1090153739,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The amendment before us would increase funding for the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative. which is designed to reimburse prosecutors for the cost of prosecuting Federal drug crimes. As we all know. many federally initiated drug cases are referred to local courts for prosecution. These drug crimes are committed at U.S. ports of entry and communities along our U.S.-Mexico border. This program has previously been funded at as much as $50 million to help alleviate the financial burden that the Federal Government was placing on local prosecutors in the 24 southwest border counties. The Department of Justice has expanded eligible jurisdictions to not only include 24 counties of the border but all 360 counties of all four border States: Texas. New Mexico. Arizona and California. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090153739,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While the number of eligible jurisdictions has increased. annual appropriations have continued to decrease. The Fiscal Year 2006 Appropriations Act provided only $30 million for the program. which does not come close to meeting the existing needs. My amendment would add an additional $10 million. which would come closer to providing local governments with resources to carry out this Federal responsibility. Last year. I received a letter from the District Attorney of El Paso. Texas. notifying. me that he would cease to accept federally referred drug cases for State prosecution due to the excessive local financial burden that the lack of reimbursement was placing on the El Paso community. With help from the U.S. Attorney and our State senators. we were able to prevent this stoppage. If local prosecutors cease accepting these cases. many of these drug cases could not be adjudicated at all. As we are all aware. the U.S.-Mexico border remains a main corridor for the entry of illegal drugs. and despite much success in interdiction and the prosecution efforts of many. harmful drugs continue to be a problem in our country. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090153739,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our border counties and States are committed to providing assistance in prosecuting Federal drug cases. but Congress needs to be equally committed to funding this important program. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time. 0l 1115","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2216}
{"speech_id":1090153796,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. my amendment would increase the appropriations for the National Weather Service by $2.7 million. The current appropriation for the weather service is at $882.3 milliqn. My amendment would increase that amount to a total of $885 million. which I think was the briginal recommendation from the budget office. I want to thank my colleagues on the Science Committee for assisting me. Mr. Chairman. in recent years. both in Texas and around the Nation. we have suffered catastrophic hurricanes. The Midwest is tormented by tornados. as well as Texas. The West lives with a threat of a doomsday scenario. earthquakes. tsunamis. So weather predictions are very. very important. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090153796,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have determined that the weather predictions have saved lives. We have not been able to save materials. so much. but they have saved lives. We all saw what happened with the hurricanes of Katrina and Rita. Although the National Weather Service did its job in accurately predicting the magnitude and the path of the storms. city. State and local Federal officials wereslow to act. Traffic was snarled. and all of us know exactly what happened after that. . The good work of the National Weather Service is at the root of an effective natural disaster preparedness. and the .3 percent appropriations increase will strengthen support for the -weather service to help it perform even better. We do not want to discourage them by cutting their budget when we need their services so accurately. The timely and accurate information provided by the National Weather Service is a testament to its effectiveness. On the front page of the weather services Web site is a map of America depicting current weather conditions. as well as storm watches and warnings. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090153796,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can click on any region of the country and get instant access to weather and climate news for that area. The National Weather Service also pulls realtime information on flood warnings. and it collects hourly data on temperatures throughout the day. There is a wonderful section on weather safety that provides sound guidance on issues such as heat. lightnfng. hurricanes. tornados. floods and even topics like FEMA and the Red Cross. In Dallas. we are sensitive to the issue of flooding. Downtown Dallas relies on an antiquated 30mile levee system to keep it dry from the Trinity River and its floods. It is getting worse because of extensive development in the counties west and north of the city. The 50yearold levees may not be able to handle all the runoff that they were designed to contain. So this is extremely important for that area. The flooding that would take place as predicted in Dallas would flood all of downtown and all executive offices. hospitals. medical centers and what have you. I feel this is a modest amount of money to place back with NOAA and the weather. service. and it comes out of the general Department of Commerce administrative funds. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090153796,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that I can get support.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2941}
{"speech_id":1090153817,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the amendment offered by Congressman GILCHREST. While I fully support funding for NOAA. I stand opposed to efforts to reduce funding for NASA. It is important to note that the bill reported out of the Appropriations committee already reduces .funding for NASA by $151 million. If this amendment is accepted. it would further reduce NASA beyond the administrations request. NASA is at a critical crossroads. Over the next few years. the agency must complete the International Space Station. retire the Space Shuttle. develop a new space vehicle. and maintain needed science and aeronautics programs. Further cuts to NASA will only deepen the gap in human space flight capability and force our nation to rely more heavily on international partners. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1895}
{"speech_id":1090153817,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At a time when the United States is concerned about global competitiveness. cutting NASA funding would send our country in the wrong direction. Mr. Chairman. NASA is a good investment. Over the last 10 years. NASAs budget has decreased or remained flat while overall domestic spending grew substantially. Fully funding the space exploration vision represents only .7 percent of the Federal budget and yet this small investment yields large returns in health care. public safety. and telecommunications. Space exploration technologies have produced advanced semiconductors that power our businesses. materials employed by our military to keep our men and women safe. and software that aids our law enforcement personnel in fighting crime and detecting illegal drugs. The Appropriations Committee has done a commendable job balancing our national needs with our budget realities. They have preserved vital funding for critical areas. including science initiatives. and I would urge the House to support the underlying bill and vote against efforts to cut NASA funding. ","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1895}
{"speech_id":1090153817,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Vote \"no\" on the Gilchrest amendment.","speaker_name":"RALPH HALL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1895}
{"speech_id":1090153831,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I spoke earlier today about the devastation befalling the salmon fisher families along the north coast. Because of gross mismanagement on the part of this administration and because of their typical disregard for sound science. this years season has been cut by 90 percent. Ninety percent. Imagine how your life would change if your income was cut by 90 percent. Imagine how could you pay for you your food. not including how would you pay for a boat. And it is not only the families of salmon fishers out in Oregon and California who are generation fisher families who need their livelihood. who are now talking about selling their boats. It is the entire communities who will suffer because of this inaction who depend on this industry. The Bush administration created this disaster. and it is well past time that they own up and take some responsibility before -it is entirely too late. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":976}
{"speech_id":1090153831,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hundreds of families are depending on it. Please support this amendment.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":976}
{"speech_id":1090153849,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of Congressman PALLONEs amendment to provide funding to the National Academy -of Sciences to study the impacts of global warming on our coastal areas. Coastal communities are at serious risk from global warming. We must better understand the specific threats faced by each coastal community to give ourselves a chance to prepare. As the Earth warms. the sea level is rising. Scientists tell us that global warming likely caused 4 to 8 inches of sea level rise in the last century. Over the next 100 years. we may see up to 3 additional feet of sea level rise. Warmer water fuels more intense hurricanes and tropical storms. Coral reefs are being. damaged by both warmer water and increased ocean acidity from carbon dioxide. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2149}
{"speech_id":1090153849,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Coastal communities need to know what they are up against. The effects of sea level rise include coastal erosion. land loss. disappearing beaches. saltwater intrusion into underground drinking water supplies. higher storm surges. damages to houses and roads. and harm to fisheries. And we have already seen the devastation that hurricanes and tropical storms could wreak on our coastal communities. Coastal communities. such as Los Angeles. will be affected by changes inland. Onethird of our precious water supplies come from the Sierra snowpack. Of course. we must do much more than just try to adapt to massive temperature rises. The costs of that are far too high. We must dramatically cut our greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades to avoid highly dangerous and irreversible warming. That is why last week. together with Congressman PALLONE and other colleagues. I introduced the Safe Climate Act. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2149}
{"speech_id":1090153849,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Safe Climate Act reflects what science says we need to do to protect our children and grandchildren from disastrous climate changes. While prompt action is necessary to avert the worst effects of climate change. this administration and the Congress are refusing to act. In the meantime. our coastal communities are at risk. The Pallone amendment is a simple. commonsense measure to assess some of these vulnerabilities. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2149}
{"speech_id":1090153851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the gentleman for yielding and for drawing attention to the important issue of climate change. Last week. the National Academy of Sciences concluded that \"the last few decades of the 20th century were warmer than any comparable period in the last 400 years.\" We can no longer ignore the fact that human activities. particularly- the burning of fossil fuels. have increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and contributed to changes in the Earths climate. The Pallone amendment recognizes that climate change threatens our coastal communities. In States like Rhode Island. which has about 400 miles of coastline and a significant portion of the population lives along the coast. the impact of rising sea levels would be downright disastrous. Beach erosion would lead to greater flooding and endanger our tourismbased economy. while the destruction of wetlands would eradicate wildlife habitat and reduce the natural buffer against storm surges.. Mr. Chairman. global warming threatens to have a devastating impact on our Nations environment and economy. and Congress must take swift action. We can start by funding important research into climate change impacts on our communities. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1285}
{"speech_id":1090153851,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I urge my colleagues to support the Pallone amendment.","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1285}
{"speech_id":1090153888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the distinguished gentleman. I likewise thank you for your leadership and the chairmans leadership. and I would like to enter into a colloquy. It is. I think. appropriate to do so as there is a pending launch going forward in the Nations space program. space shuttle program. to talk about the next generation of scientists and astronauts. Mr. Chairman. in 1992. Dr. Mae 0. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1796}
{"speech_id":1090153888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jemison becime the first woman of color to travel into space. After retiring from NASA. she worked as an active advocate of science education. especially for minorities and economically disadvantaged students. Dr. Jemison is a doctor by training. and she is a pioneer in aeronautics. And through the creation of the Dr. Mae C. Jemison Grant Program. we hope to provide other minorities and women in America with the opportunity to succeed in science and engineering. Frankly. what we want to do is to create the next generation of our scientists and our astronauts. I would say to you that. unfortunately. we are woefully noncompetitive. The Dr. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1796}
{"speech_id":1090153888,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mae C. Jemison Grant Program is intended to ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students to NASAs education programs. The program facilitates NASAs ability to work with institutions serving minorities to bring more women of color into the field of space and aeronautics. We must pursue this program to safeguard equal opportunities in fields of study and professions that have far too low of a minority ratio. Mr. Chairman. I hope that as this particular program is authorized in the NASA authorization bill. we will find it in our good graces to be able to fund it. My question. as I yield to the gentleman. is. would the gentleman agree with me to work with me to find a way to recognize and to fund this particular program?","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1796}
{"speech_id":1090153898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. the Space Environment Center is a part of NOAAs National Weather Service. and it is the only civil provider of space weather warnings. These warnings enable government and private sector operators to take actions to minimize disruptions in service and damage to critical infrastructure. Last year. the Space Environment Center received a $4 million cut. a cut of about 44 percent from its $7 million budget. NOAA. in order to prevent degradation of services reprogrammed funds from other programs to continue the operations of the Space Environment Center. But in this cycle. if the Center receives $5 million as proposed in the bill. it will be forced to make substantial cuts in its staffing. As a national critical system..should the capabilities of the center go down. the Air Force currently provides data as a backup. However. with this proposed budget. the center will not be able to maintain a liaison positioli with the Air Force. potentially harming its operations and the continuity of its services. So. in that spirit. with that background. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1359}
{"speech_id":1090153898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman. I have two questions. Would you agree that the space weather warnings are a vital service to many of our spacebased assets and that more funding is needed for the Space Environment Center? And if so. would you be willing to work in conference to increase funding for the center?","speaker_name":"MARK UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1359}
{"speech_id":1090153916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I believe it is an appropriate issue to debate. but the appropriate forum for debate is with the authorizing committees and with an opportunity for both sides on the issue to present their cases. Todays pending legislation is not a place for the debate. and I would hope that the authorizing committee would schedule hearings and bring forward a bill and let the House work its will. That is the way we do it. Authorizers hold hearings. look at the impact. come back. report out a bill. and let the committee and the House work its will.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":594}
{"speech_id":1090153930,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"for restoring funding for several critical Voice of America language services that were slated for reductions. including the Greek and Turkish services. As cochair of the Hellenic Caucus and a strong supporter of resolving the Cyprus issue. I believe finding innovative ways to bring the two sides closer are necessary. The Greek and Turkish VOA services have proposed a new joint program initiative promoting the end of the division in Cyprus by engaging both GreekCypriot and TurkishCypriot communities in a revised process using radio and television. This. program would entail reporting on bicommunal developments. conducting interviews with prominent figures and airing them as part of radio and TV dialogues. or bridges. if you will. between the two communities. As H.R. 5672 moves through the appropriations process. I hope. Mr. Chairman. you will work with members of the Hellenic and Turkish Caucuses to find the funding needed to initiate this new joint program.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090153940,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank both you. Mr. BILIRAKIS. as well as Mr. WEXLER and Mrs. MALONEY of New York. It really does offer an opportunity. It is kindof an historic moment. in some respects. for this reconciliation opportunity. So I support the efforts aimed at bringing a solution to the Cyprus issue and agree that new avenues should* be explored. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":597}
{"speech_id":1090153940,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I really commend you for doing this. I share your concerns and really will be pleased to work with my colleagues to explore what might be done to gain support for this new joint initiative to someday bring peace and reconciliation to the area.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":597}
{"speech_id":1090154013,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am sorry Dr. Weldon is reluctantly rising. But. first of all. I notice that three of the gentlemans 10 amendments are directed at New York. I do not know what you are angry about. the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in the World Series. so you shouldnt be that upset. But the fact of life is that the more you get up on these. sir. the more I realize that you do not know what. you are talking about because you seem to spend so much time on either the wording or how it appears when. in fact. you do very little to understand what it is. The Bronx Council on the Arts is a private. nonprofit membership organization that has been in existence for over 40 years and is the official cultural agency of Bronx County. It is recognized nationally as a leading art services organization. serving a multicultural constituency of more than 1.2 million residents. ","speaker_name":"JOSE SERRANO","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3392}
{"speech_id":1090154013,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. I know that the big problem the gentleman from Arizona has is the word \"arts\" because there seems to be some belief by a lot of Members of Congress. or some. that we should not in any way be involved in promoting the arts. and if the arts express themselves in a way that we do not like. then we shouldnt even go close to them. So I wish that I could just always not call it something like the arts. but I do because that is what it is. In this case the word \"arts\" is used in conjunction with the words \"small business.\" This funding belongs in the small business account because it will be used to grow our small businesses that have artsrelated portfolios. It will specifically promote an Artisans Initiative which will facilitate business development among local Bronx artisans. especially newly arrived immigrants. and help them establish their own small business. It will help with their skills development and assist their product marketing. It will also be used to train Bronx artists to market their skills and to develop business plans. Small businesses devoted to the arts have an important role to play. For example. the Bronx Council on the Arts has had success in training the unemployed and underemployed residents of -New York City as professional art handlers. Some have gone on to start their own small business as independent contractors. ","speaker_name":"JOSE SERRANO","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3392}
{"speech_id":1090154013,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me conclude by saying that I represent. as you know. the poorest congressional district in the Nation. I make no excuses about getting the Federal Government to earmark dollars into that district. Let me repeat that again: I make no excuses about the fact that I earmark dollars to go into the poorest congressional district in the Nation. which is situated in the richest city on Earth. If the gentleman from Arizona wants to have an impact on our deficit. an impact on how we spend dollars. then let him stand up there the next time we are paying for the war in Iraq. a waste of money that is going to build all kinds of facilities in Iraq. a war based on lies told to this Congress. Then you stand up there and you cut at least 1 billion from the over $400 billion that we are spending in Iraq already. But I never saw you get up and complain about the fact that we are building arts facilities in Iraq. that we are building supermarkets in Iraq. that we are promoting basketball in Iraq. that we are promoting baseball in Iraq. You havent said a word. But a couple hundred thousand dollars to one group of American citizens. that is a problem for you.","speaker_name":"JOSE SERRANO","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3392}
{"speech_id":1090154030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I simply would like to point out that unless the gentleman who defended the earmark is the author of the earmark. and I dont believe that he is. this is an earmark in Pennsylvania. We still dont know who authored the earmark. There is nothing in the conference report that tells us. and we still dont know. Here we are about to vote on it. and We still dont know and we havent had a defense of that earmark from the author of it. from the Member who authored it. There is something wrong with the process when this is what we are reduced to. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":648}
{"speech_id":1090154030,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield back my time.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":648}
{"speech_id":1090154095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 30 seconds. Perhaps I should include some instruction in reading. The gentleman has simply not described the amendment. It does not say no money can be used in support of. It says no money can be \"used for.\" The gentleman from Florida said a small amount of money here is for Mars. It is a small amount of money now. It is a downpayment on a huge amount of money. So this would not prevent any of that spending. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090154095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You could spend it on the astronaut issue. All it says is you cannot use it. and he said support for. There is a difference between \"support for\" and \"used for.\" So let us not leave reading out of the curriculum.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":653}
{"speech_id":1090154101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. Just the fact that the gentleman from Massachusetts has spent so much time explaining what his amendment means I think is the best proof that it is so vague that we dont really know what we are not funding with this amendment. There is $3.9 billion in the Constellation Systems account. Conceivably. the amendment could prevent any of that spending. All of it. it could be argued. relates to a manned space mission to Mars. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1591}
{"speech_id":1090154101,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment is so Vague that I think that is why everybody is really concerned about it. It is absolutely true that NASA is having problems. There is no question about it. The President has proposed a space exploration initiative. He calls it a vision. in some ways of course it would be if. if. it were genuinely funded. My concern is that it is not genuinely funded. There are a lot of problems with NASA funding. but it all has to do with not enough funding to do everything that we want to do. That is evidenced by the myriad of science programs that are either cancelled or cut in the Presidents budget. It is terrible. Every scientist that is at all concerned about operating in the NASA camp has expressed how oppbsed they are to the NASA funding. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1591}
{"speech_id":1090154101,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But this. to me. is not the way to get at that. What we do need is more money in NASA. and NASA. I think. frankly needs to come forward with a budget that is more specific. one that we can deal with. instead of coming up with these operating plans. That really is a very imperfect way to fund an agency.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1591}
{"speech_id":1090154141,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In conclusion. I want to thank you. Mr. Chairman. and Mr. ISSA. When we traveled together to the Duma in Russia. we stated our position very clearly. and at that. time there were 57 different locations in Moscow alone that were selling our copied materials. They would go out and close them and they would open right up in another location the next day. So we are acting as the watchdogs. I appreciate the help from the committee in keeping this on front and center and on the table. and we are going to continue to watch. So thank you so much. ","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090154141,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. for this time.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090154161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 20 seconds to point out that the sanctuary policy my colleague is attempting to protect is a policy designed to vprotect and shield criminal aliens. and my amendment enforces Federal law. Federal law is intended to uncloak those criminal aliens and allow local law enforcement officers to identify people like the Railway Killer so they can turn them over to Federal authorities. Mr. Chairman. at this time. I yield 11\/2 minutes to my colleague. from Texas .","speaker_name":"JOHN CULBERSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":487}
{"speech_id":1090154172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. in conclusion. I want to point out that Congress has passed and the President has signed Federal legislation on the books which requires local law enforcement officers to identify a person who is in the country illegally. Local law enforcement needs every tool in their tool kit possible to identify and uncover criminal aliens. This amendment is aimed at enforcing Federal law. giving local law enforcement the tools they need to identify and uncover killers like the Railroad Killer. who was executed today in Texas. The sanctuary policy that my colleague from Houston is attempting to defend is a \"dont ask and dont tell\" policy that prohibits officers from identifying criminal aliens. A vote for this amendment is to help law enforcement identify and report criminal aliens and enforce Federal law. I urge a \"yes\" on the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN CULBERSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":850}
{"speech_id":1090154184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. Congressman BOB ETHERIDGE should be commended for what he did 3 years ago. and we had an overwhelmingvote on the floor of the House of Representatives. Unfortunately. none of the survivors of the 135 firefighters that he mentioned just a few moments ago and which Mr. KENNEDY mentioned a few moments ago that died havereceived a single penny of the authorized benefits. This is because the Justice Department has not approved the regulations that would put the provision of the Hometown Heroes Act into effect. This is unconscionable. This is wholly. unacceptable. This is another time where the will of the Congress has not been activated. This amendment sends a necessary directive to the Attorney General that the families of our Nations first responders should not be made to wait for what they deserve any longer. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090154184,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment is a clear message that the Congress will no longer allow the Department of Justice to inexplicably harm the families of our Nations heroes. This was the right thing to do 3 years ago. It is the right thing to do now. to pass this amendment now. I was proud to stand with the gentleman from North Carolina when we passed this. many of us. all of us. in December. 2003. We want their loved ones to be fully taken care of. This amendment is that message. It. is time for us to act. Mr. Chairman.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090154187,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I was just going to compliment the gentleman from North Carolina for bringing this issue up. I remember when he first brought it to the Congress. and I want to compliment him for bringing this amendment to the floor. I also want to compliment the chairman for recognizing this has been a problem. It is contained in our report that the Justice Department move quickly. I just want to point out this isnt a hard thing for the Justice Department to do. Rulemaking as simple as this ought to be done in 30 days. Publish the proposed rule. get a few comments and get it out there. It is inexcusable that this program. which is so meritorious. hasnt been implemented for 3 years. ","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":721}
{"speech_id":1090154187,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I support the gentlemans effort.","speaker_name":"ALAN MOLLOHAN","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":721}
{"speech_id":1090154318,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the Stearns Amendment. This amendment would set a dangerous precedent in the way that this Nation and Congress approach minority voting rights. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act sets specific guidelines and requirements for providing bilingual ballots for political subdivisions with limited Englishproficiency populations. The Stearns Amendment would essentially eliminate Section 203 and would discourage and disenfranchise entire populations of American citizens from voting. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to protect the right to vote for those in our Nation whose voices were not being heard. the very same voices that this amendment seeks to extinguish. Voting is one of the most important duties that citizens perform. It allows citizens to choose who will represent them and who will make decisions on *important issues that will impact their everyday lives. Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the knowledge that no citizens right to vote will be hindered. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090154318,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Any election reform should break down barriers that face minority voters. not increase them. The Stearns Amendment would instead build new barriers to democratic participation for American citizens. H.R. 9. the Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Act of 2006 would extend Section 203 provisions for 25 years. until 2032. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Stearns Amendment. and urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with Democrats to enact H.R. 9 in order to protect the voting rights of all Americans.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090154334,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may cnsume. Mr. Chairman. I offer this amendment with Mr. RAMSTAD and other Members of this body. It is yery simple. It takes perhaps the single most important anticrime program of the 1990s and the early part of this decade. the COPS program. and restores the hiring component. which is the portion of the program that puts cops on the beat. It has been zeroed out in this budget. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090154334,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not going to restore it completely to its authorized level. but we at least are trying to put a little more funding. in that would allow us to hire about 6.500 additional cops. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the COPS program. this is perhaps the most democratic. with a Small \"D.\" progiam. anticrime program Congress ever envisioned. frdm coast to coast. State by State. West Virginia got 692 officers. Virginia got 2.400 officers. Texas got 600. big towns. small cities. all across the country. This bill zeroes out the COPS program. What we seek to do 1 to authorize an additional 6.000 or So police officers. The offset that we seek is in the space exploration. the Mars program. We do not zero it out by any stretch of the imagination. ","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090154334,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We still ensure a large increase in it. about a 10 percent increase. But this would be a wayto take this \"single crime fighting pro1gram.. and. frankly. an antiterrorism program. and breathe some life into it. We have already saidin this body that we believe the COPS rogtam should litre. We..reaqtl rizedit .Now this is qff o U ~~fQ Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ANTHONY WEINER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1564}
{"speech_id":1090154337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me time. and I especially thank him for his strong support for Americas space program. The Weiner amendment would take $477 million from NASAs space exploration budget. essentially would cripple the CEVCLV program. Ladies and gentlemen. just so you know what that means. we are scheduled to fly our last shuttle mission in the year 2010. We have a bird on the pad. We hope we get it up July 1 or sometime soon. But we will be down for sure by 2010. We will have no manned space flight program after that unless we contihfue with the CEV development. This amendment basically wipes out that development in this budget cycle. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3549}
{"speech_id":1090154337,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will tell you we need a next generation of vehicles or we will not be in the human space flight business. The Weiner amendment raids the account that is necessary to keep the workforce in place. If you allow the workforce to disappear from 2610 to. say. 2015 or 2020. you can never replace these people. The expertise that you lose cannot be put back together again. Once Humpty Dumpty and the skilled workforce is dead and depleted. you can never put it back together. But I am not here just to talk about Americas space program. I want to tell my colleagues about a firsthand experience I had. If you are not concerned about space. you ought to be. I was the first American. along with our colleagues RicK LARSEN and MARX KIRK. invited to see the Chinese human space flight program. They got started in 1995.. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3549}
{"speech_id":1090154337,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are 35 years behind us in time. but they are remarkable in how fast they have caught up -in their human space flight program. The Shenzhou vehicle has flown five times now. twice with Taikonauts that have come back successfully. and they have had extraordinary success. While our workforce is basically keeping healthy a 40yearold. 30yearold tech-. nology. the young Chinese engineers have put together a remarkable new technology that will be very.- very powerful in the future. Mr. Chairman. I want to read the Chinese announcement of their own human space flight program. They say. by 2007. there will be a series of unmanned satellites from the year 2007 through 2015. Starting in 2017. they expect to have unmanned missions to the Moon to bring back lunar samples. By the year 2024. they say they will have landed men and women on the Moon. Folks. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3549}
{"speech_id":1090154337,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think their real schedule is much more ambitious than that. If and when we get back to the Moon under the Weiner amendment. we will be looking at Chinese flags and maybe Chinese bases when we get there. And if that does not stimulate your competitive interests. I am telling you that they are producing 5 to 600.000 engineers a year. by a factor of 8 or 10 what America is able to produce. Nothing stimulates. our math and science brains in middle and high schools more than space exploration. The Weiner amendment would put an end to that. Finally. I will tell you if you are not worried about human space. China is developing the Long March 5 vehicle. It will be able to take 25 tons into orbit. ","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3549}
{"speech_id":1090154337,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not just their human space capabilities that thei are working on. They are trying to get space predominance so that they can potentially incapacitate all of our communications satellite and all of the satellites that America depends on for our force multipliers that allow our military to be the most capable in the world. Ladies and gentlemen. please do not gut the human space component of Americas exploration. and. if you do. be prepared for what happens when the Chinese beat us to outer space.","speaker_name":"TOM FEENEY","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3549}
{"speech_id":1090154372,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding. and I rise in opposition to this amendment. regrettably for my friend from New York. .I also am a very strong supporter of the COPS program. like my friend from Alabama. a former prosecutor. I have always supported and continue to support the COPS program. But robbing one vital program to support another is not the answer. Representing Southern California. the home of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I have seen the tremendous space science that has come out of our robotic exploration of Mars and out of the entire space program. This has manifest itself in health technology and telecommunications technology. It has had tremendous benefits to all of our constituents. I dont want to see that research go away. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090154372,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I dont want to see that space science go away. And already there are dramatic cuts and delays in some of the space sciences that we just cannot afford. We have to find a different way to fund the COPS program. Taking the money out of this vital NASA effort is not the answer. and I must oppose the amendment.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1072}
{"speech_id":1090154391,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. I completely agree with what he said. I appreciate his efforts to combat violent crime. and I am happy to do everything I can to work with the gentleman and the ATF to address the crime in New Jersey. Quite frankly. there ought to be an office in New Jersey. I thank the gentleman. and will try to help.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":326}
{"speech_id":1090154437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rie In support of this bipartisan amendment to provide $500.000 In funding for the Law Enforcement Tribute Act program. This program provides onetime grants to help State and local governments complete permanent tributes that honor the men and women of law enforcement and public safety who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia and the gentleman from California for their cosponsorship of this amendment. This amendment would simply restore the funding for this program to the fiscal year 2003 level. There are currently 17.535 names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington. including 72 who were killed on 9\/11. so many heroes who have given their lives to protect our families. Many communities also want to honor their local law enforcement heroes with memorials or other permanent tributes. This program provides support to States and localities to help them do this. Without this support. many of them could not provide these worthy tributes. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090154437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. law enforcement and public safety officers dedicate their careers and their lives to protecting us. Tributes provide us with a constant reminder of the sacrifices that they have made. The least we can do is help local communities honor these brave heroes. I urge my colleagues to join us with their support. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANIEL LIPINSKI","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090154441,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of this amendment restoring funds for the Law Enforcement Tribute Act Program to its FY03 funding level of $500.000. Mr. Chairman. only seven weeks ago. the Fairfax County Police Department suffered the loss of two officers in the line of duty. the first fatal shooting in the departments long history. As t join the Fairfax County community in mourning the loss of Master Police Officer Michael Garbarino and Detective Vicky Arme. I also have in my thoughts the roughly 740.000 officers nationwide who put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others on a regular basis. Mr. Chairman. every day. we are honored by the service these men and women give to our communities. This amendment will allow us to give those who sacrifice the most for our community and- safety .the recognition they deserve. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090154441,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased that the chairman has agreed to accept the amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":922}
{"speech_id":1090154453,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"would provide $10 million for several newly authorized Violence Against Women Act programs. including $2 million for children exp6sed to violence. $2 million for youth services and $1 million for the national tribal sex offender registry. as well as $5 million for the Sexual Assault Serviqes Program. The House last year voted almost unanimously to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. which dedicated $50 million for the Sexual Assault Services Program. funding vitally needed. It was the first Federal .program to provide direct funding for counseling. legal accompaniment. training for law enforcement. and the prevention and education services that rape victims rely on.. Sexual violence remains a problem in this country. Rape remains the only violent crime to still be on the rise. One out of every six women are raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. more than 200.000 in 2004 alone.Worse. only 36 percent of victims say they reported the crime to the police. Those most likely to be raped orsexually assaulted are young women between the ages of 16 and 24. women with their whole lives ahead of them. This one act of violence will alter their lives forever. But absent proper treatment and timely counseling. itcould destroy any possibility of a healthy life. resulting in depression. addiction.. eating disorders and even suicide. The need to take action is now. ","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2200}
{"speech_id":1090154453,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When Congress rec 0\"giIizetle aut~oize this progr*a1t- - . e)bki ... - iii 11lpl S t A CONGRESSIINAIL RECORfl O]dSE. Jbtnt 28. .2006 body. While the program was authorized at $50 million. the underlying appropriations bill includes no funding for it whatsoever. We can take a small step toward following through on a commitment for direct services with this amendment. to get funding where it is needed most. to rape crisis centers. Let us start to truly make go ahead on this commitment that we made. And by simply redirecting $5 million from the Department of Justice general administration account to this program. we can give these women hope that there are better days ahead. Let us pass the amendment and let us do it today.. Mr. Chairman. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Washington .","speaker_name":"JAY INSLEE","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2200}
{"speech_id":1090154482,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentlelady. I want to be on record I am absolutely. opposed to granting PNTR to Vietnam. If you read the Human Rights Report of the State Department of Vietnam. which probably not many people read. it is a disaster. It is a disaster. I cannot understand why a bill would even come to the floor. On the issue of intellectual property. if you look to see how they are treating the Catholic Church and the Buddhists. do you think they are going to be any better on intellectual property? No way. President Bush is going to visit this fall. We are hoping that the President will meet with dissidents here and also dissidents over there and speak out on human rights. religious freedom and on the intellectual property issue. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1713}
{"speech_id":1090154482,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So anything that we could do in this bill that would be helpful with regard to beefing up intellectual property and doing as much is helpful. But. also. as I told another Member from your side earlier today. it isnt just putting a couple dollars in. I want somebody who really believes. and. as of now. I think this whole issue of trade trumps everything. I wish we could harken back to the days of Ronald Reagan. whereby Ronald Reagan just spoke out so boldly on the issue of human rights and religious freedom in Eastern Europe. called the Soviet Union the evil empire. was laughed at by the liberal media. and lived to see the fall of the Soviet Union.. That type of approach that Ronald Reagan took would be the right approach to take with regard to Vietnam. whereby we could see additional trade and human rights and religious freedom and. lastly. the respect for intellectual property. so they are not just stealing everything that we have.","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1713}
{"speech_id":1090154498,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I am here on the floor to present a different amendment. But I listened to the debate on this. and I am really amazed. This House voted overwhelming to require vchips on television sets so parents can protect their children from improper programming. But it would be absurd to do that and then say we are not going to at least have a gun lock to protect children who may pick up a gun and use it inappropriately. use it out of ignorance. So I want to join you in opposing this amendment. I see nothing wrong with a gun lock. I do not think that means people want to take away the guns or anything else. just to make sure that it is locked so if it gets in the hands of a child. that the child will not use it. kill someone or do harm to other children and members of the family. We do have requirements of locks on all sorts of products in order to protect children. ","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":987}
{"speech_id":1090154498,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think the rule that is in effect ought to be allowed to be continued without this amendment stopping it.","speaker_name":"HENRY WAXMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":987}
{"speech_id":1090154557,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"fornia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Let us be clear what this would do. The Nadler amendment would prohibit the FBI from using these NSLs to obtain any financial records or health records from health insurance companies even if those records are indisputably relevant to an international terrorism or espionage investigation. Indeed. the FBI would be prohibited from using the NSL to obtain financial records of a known terrorist from a health insurance company. no matter how much evidence the FBI possessed of the targets involvement with terrorism. It would not just prevent the FBI from obtaining medical records. Currently. the FBI can obtain health insurance records through the use of administrative subpoenas without the approval of a. judge to investigate not terrorism but health care fraud offenses. So if the FBI is allowed to use administrative subpoenas to obtain these records to investigate health care fraud by dirty doctors. then it should be allowed to use these NSLs. which are similar to administrative subpoenas. to obtain these same records in international terrorism. investigations which may involve dirtbombs. This is basically th . I amndADt 9ee I9)?aqfers lil","speaker_name":"DANIEL LUNGREN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1195}
{"speech_id":1090154565,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. just one last point. We have no medical privacy in this country now. The health care and privacy act is nonexistent. It has no teeth in it. Your medical records can be found out from anybody anywhere. They pass through a million different institutions as they get processed through transaction companies. insurance companies. financial companies. It is absolutely bogus. We havent even passed the genetic nondiscrimination act here in this place. which means. if you have genetic disposition to a particular illness. you are not protected. There is no privacy in our medical records. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":848}
{"speech_id":1090154565,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us just understand that from the getgo. The American people are outraged -by not having privacy. they have to get to their Members of Congress and request that we do. more to:. strengthen the HIPAA law. the healthcare information and privacy act.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":848}
{"speech_id":1090154579,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is a Buy America amendment. I usually dont offer these. I believe in free and open competition. But I am pleased that the committee is going to entertain this amendment. Just for the record. I want to enter into the record why I am here and why I think this is necessary. For the record. the Department of Commerce has awarded for nearly two decades a contract which promotes United States products and goods overseas in European trade fairs to a Dutch firm. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2081}
{"speech_id":1090154579,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. this has gone on for some two decades. Several years ago. I was contacted by a U.S. firm that was interested in competing back in 2004. They contacted me and said they wanted to compete. and there were problems in entering. NOAA handles the contracting and solicitation for. again. for this civilian business and awards the contract. They issued a solicitation. When I was contacted. this firm said. all we want to do is compete. This Dutch firm has had this for two decades. They made some moves toward considering others. but then they gave the contract to the European Dutch firm and excluded the U.S. They just continued the contract. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2081}
{"speech_id":1090154579,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I told the American firm. well. maybe next year. we will try it again. a little late. see if you cant get fair competition. Then they opened it again this past year. and in fact. they put out a request for proposal. The American firm was allowed to compete. and then once this process and submissions had started. they ended the competition. they changed the rules. They changed the rules to favor the European firm. the Dutch firm. which has had the contract for 20 years. Now. I think all that should be fair is that an American firm also gets the opportunity. and this is to put on an exposition of United States goods sponsored by the Department ofCommerce and the U.S. taxpayers. All I want is a fair shot for Americans to compete in putting on exhibitions and compete in a fair and open manner. That is the purpose of this. and I want that as part of the record. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2081}
{"speech_id":1090154642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. you are hearing history tonight. A member of the House Appropriations Committee is offering an amendment to repeal. overturn. a Supreme Court decision. I think that is unbelievable. At first. when I asked what the Hinchey amendment was. then I said. the Hudson case. was that the case 2 weeks ago on June 15? And they said it is. The gentlemans amendment would overrule a Supreme Court decision through a funding limitation on an appropriations bill. If this ever passed. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090154642,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it would be just horrible. This is not an appropriate way. There is much more I can say. I will just end. the Justice Department sent a letter up here. and we will submit it for the record. that says. \"The department also believes that it is inappropriate to hamstring.law enforcement efforts that are permissible under the Constitution. If the Constitution does not require the application of the exclusionary rule to knock and announce searches that are subsequently deemed by a judge to have been conducted in an unreasonable manner. then Congress ought not force Federal law enforcement. agents to play by rules not constitutionally required. especially when there is no way procedurally to comply with the amendment.\" We ought not on the floor of the House at 10 minutes before 10 overrule Supreme Court decisions. no matter what you think of the decision.-I dont think this is the way to go. If the gentleman wants to offer a constitutional amendment. go through the Judiciary Committee. But with 5 minutes on this side. 5 minutes on that side. 10 minutes. to overrule the Supreme Court of the United States I think would be a mistake. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"FRANK WOLF","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1740}
{"speech_id":1090154705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise to express my support for the fiscal year 2007 ScienceStateJustice Commerce appropriations bill. The subcommittee has taken a difficult allocation and done an admirable job of funding important federal programs within these agencies. I am particularly grateful to the subcommittee for dedicating funding for Houston Community Colleges Public Safety Institute within the Department of Justices accounts. The Houston Community College has taken the steps to build a muchneeded Public Safety Institute in Houston. Texas. PSI will be a stateoftheart facility that will offer specialized training for area fire fighters. law enforcement. medical technicians and other first responders. While Houstonarea first responders will be the first to benefit from PSIs training programs in biohazards. command and control. shipboard spills and swift water rescue. I have no doubt that first responders from across- the stateif not the Nationwill soon be traveling to PSI for this hightech training. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2353}
{"speech_id":1090154705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Houston is home to the countrys fourth largest metropolitan area and the Nations second largest port in terms of foreign tonnage. We are also home to the worlds second largest petrochemical complex and the worlds single largest petrochemical refinery. Given the critical nature of these assets. the PSIs training programs will help further not only our local law enforcement butalso our homeland security. Mr. Chairman. with great pride that we are working to secure federal funding for PSI. which will be located in our district. While no training scenario can fully simulate a true emergency. the offerings at PSI will be as close as technology will allow. First responders will benefit from PSIs \"skills village.\" which will house a number of structures that simulate a realworld training environment for participants. PSI will also house a 10.000 square foot bum building to create firefighting scenarios and a 10.000 square foot tower for fire and rescue training. I appreciate the subcommittees recognition that PSI is an important project worthy of federal investment. The Congress can be as proud as I am that this funding will further PSIs mission to provide comprehensive training to the firefighters and local law enforcement who serve as first responders to any threat the City of Houston. and the national security assets in our area.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2353}
{"speech_id":1090154741,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are fighting a war on terror. and now we are being told we are battling the press as well. The United States has rooted out terror- on a global scale. They have also gotten unprecedented help from other countries and international banking institutions to seek out accounts used for al Qaeda money laundering. because without a supply of money. the terrorists have no fuse to light. Now the New York Times has apparently detailed that security program to the entire world. and we find ourselves. pondering what to do when the press willingly reveals national security secrets to terrorists. Prior to World War II. the United States had broken the Japanese military communications codes. A journalist published a book revealing this classified information. so right before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. the Japanese changed their codes so the United States was unaware of this invasion. In 1950. a law was passed making releasing such classified information a crime. If the New York Times has violated this law by becoming the Benedict Arnold press. they need to be held accountable. Not even a journalist from the Times has the right to violate the law just to get a byline. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1226}
{"speech_id":1090154883,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today to recognize my friend and fellow Montanan. Nikki Kimball. Starting in the early morning hours on June 24. for 19 hours. 26 minutes. and 50 seconds. Nikki put her body through one of the most grueling endurance races in the world. The Western States Endurance Run is a 100mile trek through the picturesque mountains of northern California. Since the 1970s. runners from six continents have traveled to Squaw Valley to push their bodies to the limit. Following the Western States Trail. once used by the gold and silver miners. the runners traverse some of the most diverse terrain the mountains have to offer. However. this run is more than just a physical challenge. it is a battle of wills between the determined runners and Mother Nature. When I talked to Nikki. the first thing that she mentioned was the excruciating heat. The searing heat not only resulted in intense dehydration. it also caused her shoe leather to constrict on her feet resulting in horrendous blisters. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090154883,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet. she forged on. This race became a battle against oneself. As a fellow distance runner. I know the agony that comes with these types of races. Your legs are crarffping. your lungs are on fire. and everything in you says stop. sit down. quit. Yet. in the back of your mind there is the little . voice sayifig keep going. one more mile. you can make it. Nikki listened to that voice. and turned in an epic performance. Though challenged by hundreds of runners. including many professionals. Nikki coupled her elite physical prowess with an iron will. and won the female division. and placed second overall. Her performance at Western States is just another addition to her phenomenal athletic resume: Nikkis running has taken her all over the world and awarded her many honors. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090154883,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She has been selected as the UltraRunning Magazines North American Runner of the Year. represented the United States on the 100K World Cup team. and has also won the U.S. national snowshoeing championship. Currently. Nikki is training for the White River 50 mile race in Washington. which is a national championship event. Yet. Nikki is defined by more than just her running. For all the effort she puts into sports. she puts just as much time into helping theGallatin and Park County communities as a physical therapist. Nikki has used her intimate knowledge of athletics to provide accurate insight into many ailments that hinder the citizens of the Gallatin Valley.as well as Paradise Valley. I might add. and all over Montana. Nikki is an inspiration to all of us. She represents the dedication. iron will. and determination that has come S6746 co] to define our great State of Montana. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090154883,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When you talk with Nikki. you see the spirit and energy in her and also the determination and the will. She is a wonderful person. I am so honored she has graced our State with this win. Mr. President. is there any remaining time in morning business?","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2912}
{"speech_id":1090154997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce a bill to provide for relief from duties on the import of certain parts of motor vehicles. It is my intention that this duty suspension bill will be considered for inclusion in the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. MTB. that the Senate Finance Committee is expected to consider this year. As the Members of the Senate are aware. Congress on occasion passes a bill. known as the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill or MTB. as a vehicle for enacting pending noncontroversial duty suspensions. The rules for the inclusion of a duty suspension in the MTB are straight forward. First and foremost. in order to be included in the MTB. a bill must be noncontroversial. A bill will be controversial if it is objected to by a domestic producer of the product for which the duty reduction is being sought. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2489}
{"speech_id":1090154997,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Secondly. the cost for each bill must amount to less than $500.000 of lost revenue per year. As my colleagues are aware. the MTB provides an opportunity to temporarily eliminate or reduce duties on narrowly defined products that are imported into the United States because there is not available domestic source for the products. These duty suspensions reduce input costs for U.S. businesses and thus ultimately increase the competitiveness of their products. I have been approached by a number of manufacturers in Kentucky that use imported inputs while making their products. These manufacturers have represented to me that. to their knowledge. there currently exists no Americanmade source for these inputs. In an effort to assist these Kentucky manufacturers. I have introduced in the past month a number of these duty suspension bills so that the items they address will be able to be considered for inclusion in the MTB prepared by the Senate Finance Committee. My intention in introducing these bills is to begin the process of public comment and technical analysis by the International Trade Commission. ITC. on the items addressed by the bills. During this review. the ITC will determine which of these bills are necessary and meet the selection criteria. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2489}
{"speech_id":1090154997,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My support for a duty suspension for the items is contingent on a determination by the ITC analysts that the items in question are proper candidates for inclusion in the noncontroversial MTB. I look forward to working with Chairman GRASSLEY. Ranking Member BAUCUS and my colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee as the process for assembling a final MTB package continues. By Mr. LEVIN (for himself and","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2489}
{"speech_id":1090155002,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2006. This legislation will eliminate obsolete antitrust exemptions that protect freight railroads from competition. The unneeded exemptions stand in stark contrast to the historical basis for antitrust law and once again allow railroads to abuse their dominant market power and raise rates for those who rely on them. Antitrust law was born out of these same circumstances. Rail barons abused the power they had over shippersespecially farmers. Any American history student can describe the anticonsumer policies that led to the birth of the Sherman Act and later the Clayton Actthe building blocks of todays antitrust law. The historical ties between the railroads and the birth of antitrust law make the situation we face today remarkable. I have heard from a growing number of shippers in Wisconsinand I know many of my colleagues have heard from their shippers in their Statesabout the monopolistic practices in which the freight railroads are currently engaged. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5969}
{"speech_id":1090155002,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Consolidation in the railroad industry. allowed under antitrust exemptions my legislation would repeal. has resulted in only four class .I railroads providing over 90 per-. cent of the Nations rail transportation. Many industriesknown as \"captive shippers\"-are served by only one railroad. These captive shippers face constantly rising rail rates. They are the victims of monopolistic practices and price gouging by the single railroad that serves them. price increases which they are forced to pass along into the price of their products and. ultimately. to consumers. And in many cases. the ordinary protections of antitrust law are unavailable to these captive shippersinstead. the railroads are protected by a series of exemptions from the normal rules of antitrust law to which all other industries must abide. In Wisconsin. victims of a lack of railroad competition abound. In fact. a coalition has formed. consisting of more than thirty affected organizationsBadger CURE. From Dairyland Power Cooperative in La Crosse to Wolf River.Lumber in New London. companies in my State are feeling the crunch of years of railroad consolidation. The reliability. efficiency. and affordability of freight rail have all declined. and Wisconsin consumers feel the pinch.. There is no better example than Wisconsins electric utilities. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5969}
{"speech_id":1090155002,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dairyland Power serves the electricity needs of more than 575.000 people. As of January of this year. they faced a 93 percent average increase in rail rates. According to Dairyland. it will now cost about $80 million to ship $35 million worth of coal. costs that Wisconsin consumers will absorb if Congress does not take action soon. And this problem is not unique to Wisconsinshippers across the Nation suffer from monopolistic practices of the dominant railroads in their regions. That is why I am introducing the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2006. This legislation will force railroads to play by the rules of free competition like all other businesses. The current antitrust exemptions protect a wide range of railroad industry conduct from scrutiny by governmental antitrust enforcers. Railroad mergers and acquisitions are exempt from antitrust law- and are reviewed solely by the Surface Transportation Board. Railroads that engage in collective ratemaking are also exempt from antitrust law. Railroads subject to the regulation of the Surface Transportation Board are also exempt from private antitrust lawsuits seeking the termination of anticompetitive practices via injunctive relief. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5969}
{"speech_id":1090155002,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our bill will eliminate these exemptions. No good reason exists for them. While railroad legislation in recent decades including most notably the Staggers Rail Act of 1980deregulated much railroad rate setting from the oversight of the Surface Transportation Board. these obsolete antitrust exemptions remained in place. insulating a consolidating industry from. obeying the rules of fair competition. Our bill will bring railroad mergers and acquisitions under the purview of the Clayton Act. allowing the Federal Government. state attorneys general. and private parties to file suit to enjoin anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions. It will restore the review of these mergers to the agencies where they belongthe Justice Departments Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission. It will eliminate -the exemption that prevents FTCs scrutiny of railroad common carriers. It will eliminate the antitrust exemption for railroad collective ratemaking. It will allow state attorneys general and other private parties to sue railroads for treble damages and injunctive relief for violations of the antitrust laws. including collusion that leads to excessive and unreasonable rates. In sum. by clearing out this thicket of outmoded antitrust exemptions. railroads will be subject to the same laws as the rest of the economy. Government antitrust enforcers will finally have the tools to prevent anticompetitive transactions and practices by railroads. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5969}
{"speech_id":1090155002,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Likewise. private parties will be able to utilize the antitrust laws to deter anticompetitive conduct and to seek redress for their injuries. As ranking member on the Antitrust Subcommittee. I have foundin industry after industrythat vigorous application of our Nations antitrust laws is the best way to eliminate barriers to competition. to end monopolistic behavior. to keep prices low and quality of service high. The railroad industry is no different. All those who rely on railroads to ship their productswhether it is an electric utility for its coal. a farmer to ship grain. or a factory to acquire its raw materials or ship out its finished productdeserve the full application of the antitrust laws to end the anticompetitive abuses all too prevalent in this industry today. I urge my colleagues support the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2006. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5969}
{"speech_id":1090155004,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have sought recognition to discuss the case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld which was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States today and to address the question as to where we go from here. There have already been many inquiries as to what is the import of this Supreme Court decision and what are the next steps in order to establish a framework to deal with the people who are detained at Guantanamo Bay. Since the opinions were released this morning. my staff and I have been reviewing them: 177 pages. 6 opinions. The essence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on a 5to3 vote is that the President did not have the authority to establish the military commissions and that the authority rests with the Congress under the Constitution. \u0095 The Court dealt with the issue of the resolution that authorizes the use of military force. a resolution which -the administration has sought as authority for amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. and when the Court dealt with the resolution authorizing the use of military force. the Court said that it did not give the President the authority to establish the military commissions. The Court did not deal with any issue of inherent authority. But the decision that the President lacked the authority to establish the military commissions makes it obvious that the conclusion of the Supreme Court is that there is no inherent authority. an inference and a proposition which may have some weight as we consider collateral matters. for example. on the electronic surveillance under NSA. The Constitution of the United States is explicit in article I. section 8. which states. and I am leaving out some of the irrelevant language: Congress has the authority \"to make rules concerning captures on land and water.\" So it is a congressional matter. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11846}
{"speech_id":1090155004,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In reaching its conclusion. the Supreme Court of the United States found that the military commissions violated the Code of Military Justice and also violated the terms of the Geneva Convention. The Court found that the military commissions violated the Code of Military Justice because they did not provide for very basic due process considerations. The Court said that the military commissions violated the Geneva Convention. which the Court found applicable. reversing the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia where the Supreme Court said: The Geneva Convention. common article 3. plainly affords some minimal protection to individuals. associated with a signatory or even a nonsignatory. who are involved in a conflict. The Court dealt with the issue of jurisdiction by saying the Government contention that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction was wrong. The Supreme Court referred to a provision of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005. which provides: No court shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for habeas corpus filed by an alien detained at Guantanamo Bay .... There was a reference to the statutory provision which gave exclusive jurisdiction. according to the statute. to the District of Columbia court. The statute provided specifically: ... the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine the validity of any final decision of a Combatant Status Review Tribunal which determines that an alien is properly detained as an enemy combatant. I argued as forcefully as I could when that amendment was considered. that it was really atrociouswithout any hearings. without any extended floor debate. and I had 2 minutes to speak under the rules governing the amendmentthat we would be taking away jurisdiction of the Federal courts except for the District of Columbia. On its face. that language would say that the Supreme Court of the United States had no jurisdiction. The Supreme Court made short shrift of that point. saying that it did have jurisdiction. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11846}
{"speech_id":1090155004,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When youdeal with a constitutional issue. it is hard for this lawyer to understand how you can take away jurisdiction from the Supreme Court of the United States.. How can you do that. when we know since Marbury v. Madison in 1803 that the Supreme Court of the United States is final arbiter of the Constitution? But this language. this clumsy language sought to vest exclusive jurisdiction in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The Supreme Court made short shrift of that. On a personal note. and relevant to this consideration as well. in Justice Scalias dissent he cites my floor argument in a footnote saying. at page 12 of his opinion: An earlier part of the amendment provides that no court. justice or judge shall have jurisdiction to consider the application for writ of habeas corpus. . . Under the language of exclusive jurisdiction in the D.C. Circuit. the U.S. Supreme Court would not have jurisdiction to hear the Hamdan case. ... Id.. at (Senate Congressional Record] S12796 (statement of Sen[ator] Specter). Interesting that Justice Scalia. who doesnt believe in congressional intent or congressional deliberation. would make that citation. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11846}
{"speech_id":1090155004,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But when I made the point that the statute. on its face. took away jurisdiction from the Supreme Court of the United States. I made it plain that I did not think it had any validity. A statute can not do that. What the statute was trying to do. in part. was to look to a favorable court. The DC Circuit was a favorable courtthey engaged in a little court shoppingand there was an effort t6 take away the jurisdiction of the district court from habeas corpus proceedings. Under the logic of Hamdan. where you have a statutory provision that the DC Circuit has sole jurisdiction and the Supreme Court interprets that as not taking away jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. inferentially the same conclusion would follow for the district court. It doesnt say the district court does not have jurisdiction. just like it does not say the Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction. It just says exclusive jurisdiction is in the DC circuit. It is a little hard to see how that would work out if you filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the DC Circuit. That would be anomalous. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11846}
{"speech_id":1090155004,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those petitions are filed in the district court. In any case. the Supreme Court claimed jurisdiction over the case and found that the procedures which the administration has prescribed do not comport with law. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Guantanamo and made a field trip there. A number of us. including myself. went to take a look at Guantanamo. to see it firsthand and to question people there. I had gone there with the expectation of having a field hearing there. I wanted to hear from the officials at Guantanamo. When I got to Guantanamo. after the flight in. I was told there would be no field hearingwhich was a disappointment. and really contrary to what I had understood the arrangement to be. But we held a hearing and devoted a considerable amount of work to the issue. Knowing. or thinking that. the administrations military commissions would be struck down because they did so little and had no real relationship to due process. we prepared legislationm I had it put in final form last week when we considered the Department of Defense authorization bill. and one Senator did talk about legislation. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11846}
{"speech_id":1090155059,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me say. first of all. that I extend my appreciation to the distinguished majority leader. This has been difficult. I know that. I would rather that we would just be going forward with H.R. 810. but we will take what we have. I think this bill is going to be bring peace and comfort to Nancy Reagan and many people just like Nancy Reagan who believe that what we are going to do next month. I hopeis that right?","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":429}
{"speech_id":1090155078,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship unanimously reported the Presidents nomination of Steven Preston to serve as Administrator for the Small Business Administration. I would like to thank Chair SNOWE and her staff for their work on this nomination. Mr. Preston brings keen business sense and a wealth of management experience to an agency woefully in need of better management. From the disaster loan program to oversight of federal contracting. the SBA has failed small businesses under the current administration. Hurricane Katrina is now 10 months behind us. and still we are witnessing delays in getting loan money to the residents of the Gulf Coast. Deep budget cuts have bled the agency of key staff. Efforts to eliminate key programs like the Microloan program. PRIME and New Markets Venture Capital have undermined access to capital and business counseling for small businfesses. especially the smallest of firms. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4846}
{"speech_id":1090155078,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As Mr. Preston stated many times throughout the nomination process. morale at the SBA is dangerously low. There is a vacuum of leadership into which Mr. Preston now steps. and there is much for him to do to reinvigorate this agency. I am hopeful that Mr. Preston will prove to be an aggressive advocate for small business. His career and his actions demonstrate that he is not a political person. and I hope his instincts lead him to do the right thing rather than the political thing. With investment. commitment. and most of all. strong leadership. the SBA can make a real difference in peoples lives. I am also hopeful that as Administrator. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4846}
{"speech_id":1090155078,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Preston will fight for realistic budgets. The budget delivered to Congress by President Bush this past year had no basis in reality. The former SBA Administrators reaction was to travel the country to support Administration proposals that often had little to do with the needs of small businesses. Meanwhile. the SBA budget was being slashed. The SBA needs someone who will consider the impact of the budget on small businesses and disaster victims and will fight budgets that hurt these communities. The President is proposing to assess unprecedented administrative fees on small business loans. on top of the high fees that are already passed on to small businesses in this zero subsidy environment. He is also -trying to balance the Federal budget on the backs of disaster victims by raising interest rates on disaster loans. These are not recipes for helping small business. and I hope Mr. Preston recognizes that. The SBA also needs to be a more vigilant watchdog for small business contracting. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4846}
{"speech_id":1090155078,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The record of the last few years is appalling. Federal small business contracting numbers have been manipulated and overstated to score political points. The SBAs office dedicated to veterans contracting has been shut down. Implementation of the womens contracting program has been delayed for 6 years. The SBA IG reports and GAO reports make it clear: There is a pattern of neglect when it comes to SBAs oversight of federal contracting to ensure fair access for small firms. Report after report indicates that there needs to be more staff to oversee federal contracting. and the agency continues to deny our efforts to get more accurate small business contracting numbers. This is a serious problem. and through this nomination process. Mr. Preston has been made well aware that I and my fellow committee members expect it to be addressed. Above all. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4846}
{"speech_id":1090155078,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am tired of hearing the administrations claim that it is doing \"more with less.\" At some point. this catch phrase gives way to the reality that an agency can no longer even fulfill its mandate with any less. It is my belief that we have reached that point. Small Business Development Centers have been forced to reduce services. Womens Business Centers are on the verge of shutting down. Lending to minorities has .been generally flat or has gone down. particularly dollars loaned to African Americans and women. This agency has a unique role to play in fostering entrepreneurship in underserved communities. It is clear from his history of charitable involvement that Mr. Preston understands the needs of these underserved communities. and I hope that this spirit is evident in his work at the SBA on behalf of underserved and disadvantaged businesses. I have served on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for 21 years. as ranking member or Chairman since 1997. and I have worked with a number of SBA Administrators. Too often. a nominee comes before the Committee and says all the right things to get confirmed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4846}
{"speech_id":1090155140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it appears that the Republican majority has no interest in securing our borders before the November election. After months of debate in Congress. and several speeches by the President. including one in prime time. it now appears the Republican majority would rather talk about the issue than actually solve the problem. President Bush has spent a lot of time recently talking about the need for a comprehensive immigration bill. If he really feels strongly about the issue. he should call congressional leaders from both the House and the Senate to the White House and hammer out a compromise. Otherwise. it seems House Republicans are willing to stall until the fall. which we all know would make it impossible to pass a bill before the November election. Mr. Speaker. it is time the majority take border security seriously. Since September 11. the Bush administration and Republican Congress have severely underfunded border security. breaking their promises to fund new Border Patrol agents. additional detention beds. and additional immigration investigators. Because of these funding failures. our borders are not secure. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1237}
{"speech_id":1090155140,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time that House Republicans stop their stalling and actually come to the negotiating table.","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1237}
{"speech_id":1090155221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I oppose the Science. State. Justice. Commerce. and Related Agencies Appr6priations Act for fiscal year 2007 because I refuse to pretend that partially restoring the Presidents reckless cuts -to important programs is the best we can do. We are administering death by a thousand cuts to the basic functions of government to finance tax breaks for millionaires and an openended war in Iraq. And were going to borrow over $300 billion to do it. In this bill. I find particularly objectionable the $563 million cut from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. including a $47 million cut from the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund. the $20 million cut from economic development projects in distressed areas. and the $117 million cut for dues to the United Nations and other international organizations. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090155221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill robs from these and other critical programs to avoid eliminating assistance to state and local law enforcement. as requested by the President. although law enforcement still suffers a $150 million cut from last year. I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting this bill to force the Bush Administration and Republican Congress to start making responsible choices with the American peoples money.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090155240,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying bill. H.R. 4761. the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act. It is a commonsense bipartisan strategy that would reduce record high energy prices and Americas dependence on foreign sources of energy. For too long. special interests here in Washington have contributed to higher energy costs by blocking access to our domestic natural resources. We all know gasoline is expensive. Home heating costs haye increased by 20to 40 percent. The price of natural gas in the U.S. is $10 more expensive than in China and Japan and even a greater differential in places like Iran. Russia and Argentina. ","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090155240,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This commodity is a key component to the U.S. agricultural sector. the feedstock for fertilizer. Natural gas is estimated to consume 30 percent of a farmers production costs. Moreover. natural gas is absolutely critical in manufacturing renewable fuels. accounting for 17 percent of ethanol production costs. Sixty percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. is imported from other countries. As a result. our economic and national security is at risk. In fact. many naturalgasdependent production facilities are shutting down and moving their operations overseas in order to escape this rising cost squeeze. In order to provide relief for our constituents and ensure farmers have the ability to produce the crops and process the food that feeds the world. wd must utilize the energy available closest to home. Removing an outdated prohibition on energy production 100 miles from Americas coastline. while preserving the rights of States to determine production areas within that boundary. is a practical approach that will have an immediate impact. Please vote in favor of this bill. It is a strong signal of support to our U.S. consumers. farmers and agribusinesses. ","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090155240,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support the rule and support final passage of the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"TOM LATHAM","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1912}
{"speech_id":1090155248,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the way the House is handling offshore oil drilling today pretty much defines \"travesty.\" For the first time in more than a generation. we are going to vote on opening the entire coastline of the United States to oil and natural gas drilling. You think that would be considered a rather major matter that requires some thoughtful discussion. But that is not how we are handling it. Instead. we are going to debate legislation that is being rushed through the House. The base bill we are discussing. and the report on it. which includes the cost estimate. were not filed until Monday. Once folks got a look at the text and the cost estimate. opposition pressure mounted. so the bill needed to be rewritten. That rewriting continued well into the night last evening. So the rule makes in order a managers amendment that includes massive changes in the bill that no one was able to see until after midnight. Is this a process we can be proud of? It seems all one has to do around here is use the word \"oil\" for the sanctity of the democratic process to simply slip away. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090155248,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The process we are using today gives new meaning to the phrase \"oil slick.\" Now. some may say. oh. come on. people know whether they are for or against offshore drilling. We dont need a lot of time. Well. this bill doesnt just allow offshore drilling. It changes all the rules on approving oil drilling in areas where it is allowed. It changes all the maps for State marine boundaries. Did you know that? Probably not. because the new maps arent publicly available. It changes all the ways that royalty funds are distributed. It gives additional royalty breaks to oil companies. It is a complex bill with many unprecedented provisions that most Members know nothing about. When we point out these troubling provisions. the sponsors of the bill dont defend them. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090155248,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They try to deny that they are there. The remedy is to read the bill. but we are not giving. anyone time to do that. Did you know. for example. that under the bill if the Secretary of the Interior opposes some future law because it limits drilling in any way. the Secretary can cut off all aid to States to try to get them to see the law his way? That is an unusual idea. to say the least. Did you know that the bill subordinates every other use of coastal waters to oil drilling. blocking any effort to use waters in a way that could ever limit drilling in any way? That is what the bill says. It blocks any actions ever that could interfere with drilling. If the bill ever becomes law. your constituents will be up in arms about just about every provision. because the law gives oil interests the ability to trample everyone elses right. This is a bad bill that we are considering today.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2732}
{"speech_id":1090155286,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York. Congresswoman LOUISE SLAUGHTER. pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time is yielded for the purpose of debate only. This rule provides for 1 hour of debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial. Services. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5091}
{"speech_id":1090155286,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It waives all points of order against consideration of the resolution and. as always. provides the minority with one motion to recommit. which may not contain instructions. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of this rule and its underlying simple House resolution that. allows the House of Representatives to take a very clear position on our collective commitment to identifying and tracking terrorist finances and our condemnation of the disclosure of any in-. formation that puts the lives of American citizens at risk. Today. throughout the course of the debate. we will hear a great number of accusations hurled from those Members opposed to this resolution. It is their right to dissent. That is the basis of our democracy. However. it needs to be made clear at the outset what this resolution does and what it does not do. What this resolution does is simple: It states that the U.S. House of Representatives supports efforts to identify. track and pursue suspected foreign terrorists and their financial supporters by tracking terrorist money flows and uncovering terrorist networks and that the House finds that the Terrorist Financing Tracking Programhas been conducted in accordance with all applicable laws. regulations and executive orders. and that the appropriate safeguards and reviews have been instituted to protect civil liberties and that Congress was duly informed of this fact. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5091}
{"speech_id":1090155286,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It also says that the House condemns the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and expresses concern that disclosure of this information may endanger the lives of American citizens and our efforts. and that the House expects the cooperation of all news media in protecting the lives of Americans and the capacity of the government to identify. disrupt and capture terrorists by not disclosing classified intelligence programs such as the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. This resolution does not single out or censure any specific media outlet for its disclosure of classified information that has put American lives at risk and made our allies less likely to share classified data in the future. Nor does it chill first amendment rights or prevent the news media from performing their constitutionally protected activities. We will hear these kinds of accusations today time and time again from the other side. Mr. Speaker. and it is important to make clear from the outset that they are simply not true. The basis for the House taking this position is just as clear. We know that after our country was attacked on September 11. President Bush launched a fullon campaign against terrorist financing and authorized the Treasury Department to track the financial supporters of terrorist groups like al Qaeda. Hamas and Hezbollah to prevent any further attacks on American citizens either here or abroad. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5091}
{"speech_id":1090155286,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know that by following these monetary transfers. the United States has been able to locate and identify terrorists and their financers. chart shadowy terrorist networks. and keep funds out of the hands of these criminals. We also know that data provided by this program helped to identify a Brooklyn man who was convicted of laundering. $200.000 thrbugh a Pakistani bank on behalf of al Qaeda. This program also facilitated the capture of the mastermind of the Bali resort bombing of 2002. This terror financetracking program. better known as the SWIFT program. has been invaluable in protecting American lives and choking off the sources of terror funding. It is exactly the kind of limited. legal and effective program that we need to hunt down and starve terrorists of the funding that they use to attack American interests and citizens. . As with any national security program. the administration must be protective of the sources and methods it uses to execute its mission. Disclosure of this program has degraded our national security and injured our efforts to prevent terrorist activity by allowing our enemies to understand what steps we were taking to stop them. And in a situation where it is vital to always remain one step ahead of your. enemy. the consequences of showing them our techniques has potentially devastating and lifethreatening consequences. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5091}
{"speech_id":1090155286,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge all of my colleagues to speak.with one voice today in recognizing the importance of identifying. tracking and ending the financing of terror and condemning any actions that would allow the unauthorized disclosure of information that helps our government to achieve this. end. I urge the adoption of this rule and the underlying resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5091}
{"speech_id":1090155321,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my colleague. the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. asked us to say where we disagree with this resolution. I would be glad to tell you that. This resolution makes factual assertions that I do not believe any Member of the House can confidently and honestly make. and certainly not more than four or five could even pretend. It says. for example. in the resolved clause that we know. those of us who would be voting for this. as a fact \"that the program has been conducted in accordance with all applicable laws. regulations. and executive orders. that appropriate safeguards have been used and been instituted to protect individuals civil liberties.\" I dont believe any Member knows that. Maybe one or two will claim that. Do Members feel free to vote for things and say they know things which they dont? It is also true in the whereases: \"Whereas the terrorist finance program consists of the appropriate and limited use of transaction information while maintaining respect for. individual privacy.\" That may or may not be the case. but Members here dont know it. And let me talk about briefings. by the way. I am the senior Democrat on Financial Services. and I have been for 31\/2 years. I was. about a month ago. asked to a briefing. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5099}
{"speech_id":1090155321,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was asked to a briefing and told that this was about o be made public and. therefore. they were going to brief me. But that if I listened to the briefing. when it was made public I couldnt talk about it. Yes. I did not accept that briefing. It was a briefing only because it was about to be made public. and then I could not talk about it. But even if I had had the briefing. I do not believe I could in good conscience say these things. Now. there are Members here who may have such faith in their administration that they will claim to say things which I know they dont know. Yes. faithbased programs are very useful. but I dont think faithbased resolutions do our job. So I dont know that these things are wrong. but I disagree with making factual assertions about the program that may not be correct. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5099}
{"speech_id":1090155321,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is another factual assertion that may not be correct. And I know there has been a lot of concern about the Times. In the Republican majoritys resolution there is an attack on the Times. It doesnt mention them. Quite sensitively. it doesnt mention the Times. but it talks about one of the most damaging allegations I have seen about a leak. It says. on the bottom of page 2: \"In 1998. disclosure of classified information regarding efforts to monitor the communication of Osama bin Laden eliminated a valuable source of intelligence information on al Qaedas activities.\" Now. that is a serious accusation to make against the Times. It is. of course. the Washington Times. Somehow. that adjective sort of disappeared. There has been a lot of talk about the New York Times. It is the Washington Times who is referred to in your own resolution. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5099}
{"speech_id":1090155321,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as having done a far more damaging specific thing. But the Washington Post came to the defense of the Washington Times and said. no. that was already known. Well. that is in controversy. I am not prepared to vote for the resolution which accuses and convicts the Washington Times of having foiled our efforts to find Osama bin Laden when I dont know that as a fact. The Washington Post says it is unfair to the Washington Times. You may be prepared. Mr. Speaker. to condemn the Washington Times so clearly for undermining our efforts to find Osama bin Laden. I am not. \u0095 But we are only here partly about the specifics. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5099}
{"speech_id":1090155321,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an outrage. the procedure. I do not understand how Members can hold up their heads when they advocate this. Well over half of the. Democratic Members saw this resolution for the first time at 4:15. There was no consultation about the draft. It was drafted entirely in a partisan way. We looked at it and said. we agree.with some of it and not others. Yes. I think almost all Democrats agree that we should track the financial doings. We have a resolution which takes much of the language from the Republican resolution and says that. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5099}
{"speech_id":1090155327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the rule and this measure. Mr. Speaker. today the House will vote on a resolution that is allegedly intended to reaffirm Congresss support for stemming the flow of money to terrorists. I support efforts by this Administration to cut the financial supply lines to terrorists. But the resolution before us today is really just an openfaced attack on Americas free press for telling the American people what its government is doing. After 9\/11. the Bush Administration announced that one of the ways it would go after terrorists was by cutting off their funding sources. A major part of this effort has been monitoring suspect international financial transactions. I believe that. at the time. this was the correct decision. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3921}
{"speech_id":1090155327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can and must do everything we legally can to protect the country from those who wish to bring us.harm. The Administrations efforts to monitor financial transactions have been a frequent topic of public discussion: By members of the Administration. in open. on the record Congressional testimony. and in the United Nations. However. to date. I am not aware of any harsh recriminations from the President or Republicans in Congress as a result of any of these discussions over the last few years. But now that the program has been discussed in the New York Times and other newspapers. the radical right wing Republican enemies of a free press in America have come out swingingagain. . Congress had a choice when the NY Times reported on the SWIFT program. It could have announced hearings on the effectiveness of the SWIFT program and on the impact of public reporting on the SWIFT program. But it did not do that. This extremist Congress instead has chosen a different. but very familiar. patha partisan political attack for which it has become famous. The Bush Administration and this republicancontrolled Congress represent the most partisan and most antifree press Republican party this nation has seen since the days of Richard Nixon and his infamous enemies list. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3921}
{"speech_id":1090155327,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact remains that this president and this Republican Congress wants to manipulate the press to its advantage through the use of covert propaganda and through lying about intelligence and other matters. but it wants to curb the presss role in communicating to the American people information about the actions of its government. That sounds more like the Soviet Union before the wall came down than the America that I know and love and whose freedom. and free press. is so revered around the world. The fact is that the party in control of this Congress is out of gas when it comes to leading. they are out of gas when it comes to big bold new ideas to reenergize America. They have resorted. nearly every day now. to their tired old whipping posts. including the free press. in a desperate effort to hold on to their power. an awesome power that they have failed to use to help America. As this bills sponsor. Mr. OXLEY. so wisely stated earlier. we do need accountability in Government. The President promised to hold those accountable in his Administration involved in leaking the identity of a covert CIA agent to the press. He has yet to do that. Instead he and his rubberstamp Congress choose to go after leaked information only when it suits their political agenda. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3921}
{"speech_id":1090155327,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have yet to hold anyone accountable for the falsified intelligence about Weapons of Mass Destruction. Instead we get the rubberstamp Congresss version of a weapon of Mass Distraction just in time for the November elections. This Congress has not held anyone accountable for pulling military resources away from Afghanistan to prepare for the unjustified war and occupation of Iraq. which allowed Osama bin Laden to escape capture. If only the Administration and its Republican allies in Congress were as aggressive in attacking Osama bin Laden as they are when attacking the press. we might be safer as a nation.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3921}
{"speech_id":1090155392,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to this bill. House Republicans have called this week their socalled \"energy week.\" but the best they can do is offer up the same tired old refrain of drill. drill. drill. Unfortunately for them and for the American people. simply allowing more drilling is going to do virtually nothing- for gasoline or natural gas prices and nothing to move us towards a sustainable energy future. Now. proponents of this misguided legislation will accuse those of us fighting the bill of only saying \"no\" and not having any solution of our own. but that is a false choice. They are saying that we are either for drilling or we are for absolutely nothing. The truth is that many of my colleagues and I have repeatedly offered solutions to our energy problems. only to have them rebuffed and not brought to the floor for a vote. Many of these solutions Would nof be germane to todays bill but are critical to solving our energy problems. I am talking about increasing fuel economy standards for our cars. introducing renewable portfolio standards.. and strengthening energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090155392,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to say. Mr. Chairman. I am in my district every week talking about energy efficiency. fuel economy. We just had a school opening. and we talked about how in Highland Park in my district we have a new school building that has geothermal fuels. that has new lighting that has solar power. Just a week ago. I went to Middlesex County. one of my counties. at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Station. and we just showcased new solar panels. We talked about all the things that can be done to create more energy efficiency in office buildings and residential buildings. The State of New Jersey is providing grants that the Federal Government does not have for residential users to basically provide more energy efficiency. So the fact of the matter is the Democrats and those who oppose this bill have been out there offering solutions. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090155392,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You just do not let us bring them up. The choice that we are making today. whether or not to pass this bill. also comes with a serious price tag that we have already talked about. According to the Minerals Management Services estimates. the revenue sharing in this bill. along with the giveaways to the oil and gas companies. would cost taxpayers $74 billion over 15 years. just increasing the debt. That is what the Republicans dO. They increase the debt. Now. what is worse is allowing drilling in sensitive offshore areas with en.dangered coastal economies in States like New Jersey. Speakers on the other side have said that they are worried about jobs. Well. I am worried about jobs in my State. The beach season. the summer season has begun in my district. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090155392,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we had problems in the late 1980s and our beaches were closed for other reasons. we had billions of dollars. hundreds of thousands of jobs that were lost. and do not tell me that you are not going to have a spill. You say. oh. we are going to drill for natural gas and we are not going to hit oil. That is garbage. You have no way of knowing that. You also make statements about how a State can optout. Well. my State is a small State. How do we optout when New York or Virginia have a spill and it comes to our shores? This is going to devastate our coastal environment.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3330}
{"speech_id":1090155410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. most Americans believe that we need to increase our renewable fuels and decrease our dependency on foreign oil. And you may say. well. what does this have to do with the bill before us? The reason is that 30 to 50 percent of our corn crop is based on fertilizer. If you dont have fertilizer. it reduces dramatically the amount of corn you produce and the amount of ethanol. Last year. we produced 4 billion gallons of ethanol in the United States. and 1.6 billion was directly attributable to fertilizer. The problem is that you cant produce fertilizer if you dont have natural gas. We have some of the most expensive fertilizer in the world and the highest natural gas prices. We absolutely have to get this under control. We have tremendous stpplies. but we cant get at them because of the regulations. So this makes sense for our economy. and it certainly makes sense for our farmers. our agriculture. and our renewable fuels. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1070}
{"speech_id":1090155410,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge support of this bill. It is absolutely essential for our economy that we take action at this time. I support H.R. 4761.","speaker_name":"THOMAS OSBORNE","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1070}
{"speech_id":1090155467,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. ChairnDian. with adoption of the managers amendment. this bill is going to give Floridians protection for their coast that we havent ever had before. And I think it is important to note that some of our colleagues from Florida have misrepresented exactly what this bill is going to do. We have fought since 1983 to maintain a moratorium off Floridas Gulf Coast against drilling of any kind. This managers amendment. and this bill. will guarantee that off of Floridas west coast. a district that I represent.","speaker_name":"C. YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":511}
{"speech_id":1090155487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. it is hardly a ringing endorsement. I have been here 30 years. and I have seen administrations endorse legislation or I have seen where they wanted to move along the process. Reclaiming my time. the way I read it. although I dont have my glasses. it is to move this process forward. \"The administration strongly opposes revenue sharing... \"I am reading now. My eyes just focused. \"The administration strongly opposes revenuesharing provisions that do not incentivize production and that would reduce Federal receipts relative to current law and have a longterm impact on the Federal deficit. The administrations preliminary estimate is that the revenuesharing provisions of H.R. 4761 would reduce Federal receipts by several hundred billion dollars over 60 years.\" Is that a ringing endorsement? Is that support of the legislation? Read the English language. Mr. Chairman. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":915}
{"speech_id":1090155494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment to devote more resources to extracting energy from the ocean. We should be doing everything we can to develop all sustainable environmentally benign sources. Ocean sources. whether you are talking about thermal gradients. tidal power. wave power. have a lot. a lot of energy and in many cases they can be extracted in an environmentally benign way. My colleague from Washington spoke about a kind of technology. for example. Ocean Power Technologies Company located in -New Jersey has an installation in Hawaii that extracts energy from the waves and converts that to electricity. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1092}
{"speech_id":1090155494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The buoys are located well offshore. They are invisible to residents from -the coast line. There are. of course. still questions to be resolved. still technologies to be developed. but the basic technology to harness the oceans power already exists. What the gentleman from Washington is proposing makes great sense. The. Acting CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman from California claim the time in opposition?","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1092}
{"speech_id":1090155519,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I commend Chairman POMBO for bringing H.R. 4761. the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006. to the floor today. This important legislation would modernize a key aspect of our Nations energy policy by providing for energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States. H.R. 4761 would generate a significant amount of new revenue in the form of oil and natural gas royalties for coastal States that allow offshore drilling. as well as the Federal Government. The amendment I am offering today would authorize a portion. of the funds generated by the legislation to go to supporting Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Specifically. the amendment would provide $150 million per year for 10 years to fund capital and preventative maintenance projects for Metro. without which Metro could not function effectively. would have to be matched dollar for dollar from Virginia. Maryland and the District. Congress has long recognized the unique relationship between Metro and the Federal Government. Three times we have authorized renewed Federal commitments to this system. understanding that it is a vital Federal Government asset. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090155519,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The government first committed to sharing in this responsibility for Metro in 1960 when President Eisenhower signed the National Capital Transportation Act. creating a National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a regional rail system for the Nations capital. Since that time. Congress has.periodically infused the System with Fed-. eral funding to protect its original investment and accommodate ridership growth. The government continues to pay its fair share of the costs of the capital regions transit system. Unlike other regional transit systems in the country. Metro was designed to make sure Federal .workers and contractors as well as tourists have easy access to government offices and work places. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090155568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman. This is a very important amendment that should not pass. We have worked very hard. There has been a lot of compromise in this bill. We have given a lot of shoreline protection. 50 miles locked up. total State control. They have to opt out. The next 50miles is rich with gas up and down our coast. and this country needs natural gas to fuel the industries that employ the blue collar workers of this country. If we wait for Houses and Senates and governors to agree. ","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":954}
{"speech_id":1090155568,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I served in one for 20 years. It takes a long time. We cannot add years to the process. We need to open up our coastlines. We need to allow the States to have to opt out. There will be a debate in every coastline State. and I am confident that in many States the vote will be to open up for natural gas specifically because of the need and because of the volume. that it is there to preserve the jobs in this country and keep this country competitive.","speaker_name":"JOHN PETERSON","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":954}
{"speech_id":1090155585,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. pursuant to House Resolution 896. I pall up the resolution (H. Res. 895) supporting intelligence and law enforcement programs to track terrorists and terrorist finances conducted consistent with Federal law and with appropriate Congressional consultation and specifically condemning the disclosure and publication of classified information that impairs the international fight. against terrorism and needlessly exposes Americans to the threat of further terror attacks by revealing a crucial method by which terrorists are traced through their finances. and ask for its immediate consideration.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":607}
{"speech_id":1090155587,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 6 minutes. Mr. Speaker. today I am proud to present to the House for aur consideration H. Res. 895. a resolution that expresses the sense of the House supporting intelligence and law enforcement programs that track terrorists and terrorist financing. Additionally. the resolution finds that the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program was conducted lawfully and with all due protections of civil liberties. The resolution condemns the unauthorized disclosgre of classified information and states that the House expects the cooperation of news media organizations in these matters. Mr. Speaker. this is a resolution that every Member can and should support. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6403}
{"speech_id":1090155587,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are at war. Thanks to the great job being done by our members of the U.S. military and law enforcement. Americans feel safe to go about their daily lives. but we are still in fact at war. We depend on classified programs and classified information in order to successfully prosecute that war. While there is the physical war that is being fought. of course another critical front in this war is terrorist financing. and that is where we focus our debate today. It is critical. because where terrorists place and spend their money is one of the best indicators about where the terrorists are located. who they are. and where they may strike again. The editors at the New York Times would do well to reread the editqrial they published on September 24 about 2 weeks after September 11. 2001. In part. it reads: \"The Bush administration is preparing new laws to help track terrorists through their money laundering activity and is readying an executive order freezing the assets of known terrorists. Much more is needed. including stricter regulations. the recruitment of specialized investigators. and greater cooperation with foreign. banking authorities.\" The editorial concludes. \"If America is going to wage a new kind of war against terrorism. it must act on all fronts. including the financial one.\" All of that activity that was recommended by the New York Times so soon after 9\/11 was taking place and was being done with an extraordinary amount of international financial cooperation -by the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6403}
{"speech_id":1090155587,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Treasury and its Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. The program was being conducted in accordance with current U.S. and international law. with executive orders. with outside audits. and with all proper care being given to individual liberty. I need to add that it was also being conducted with significant success. And part of that success was because this Congress passed the PATRIOT Act and our committee stepped forward with antimoneylaundering provisiong that became a part of that PATRIOT Act. so important on the war against terror. However. the recent frontpage story in the aforementioned New York Times cut the legs out from under this program. Now the terrorists are well informed of the details of our methods and will find other ways to move money outside of the formal financial system. Now the terrorists will be driven further underground. and we will have to invest further years of work to uncover these new methods. Unfortunately. aoneday story in the New York Times can ruin years of careful work by those who work to map terrorist networks and the flow of terrorist money. Obviously. the editors of the New York. Times are more concerned about their sagging circulation rates and about damaging the Bush administration than they are about disrupting terrorist financing. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6403}
{"speech_id":1090155587,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For those who ma4 think we are overreacting. all you have to do is go back just a few days to the arrest of the seven terrorist suspects in Miami: That cell was looking to gain funding from al Qaeda to attack American targets. While law enforcement successfully broke that cell in plenty of time. we need to know about financial transactions like those while the attacks are in the planning stage. In a recent column. Morton Kondracke asked the question: \"Would newspapers in the midst of World War II have printed the fact that the U.S. had broken German - and Japanese codes. enabling the enemy to secure its communications? Or would they have revealed how and where Nazi spies were being interrogated? Nowadays. newspapers win Pulitzer Prizes for such disclosures.\" In the same column. Kondracke says: \"But the fundamental problem infecting much of Congress. the media. and the political class. especially those left of center. is that they are consumed with loathing for President Bush and all his works and are prepared to do anything to undermine him. even if it makes the country less safe.\" Continuing to quote Kondracke: \"Everyone in Congress and the CIA should see the movie United 93 as a reminder of what we are up against. Muslim fanatics will not only try to destroy the Capitol. but also explode a nuclear bomb. if they can.\" Kondracke goes on: \"And people should heed the warning delivered by Princeton University Professor Bernard Lewis. Lewis cast the struggle with Islamic extremism in World War II terms. It is 1937. he said. and we seem to be more in the mode of Chamberlain at Munich rather than Churchill. Kondracke. again quoting Lewis: \"Osama bin Laden and other wouldbe Hitlers.\" he said. \"consider the United States an effete. degenerate. pampered enemy incapable of real resistance. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6403}
{"speech_id":1090155587,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Its part of the pattern that we fight among ourselves as much as against our enemies. This is more than serious. Its dire.\" These are the words of a wellrespected journalist. A profound statement from Kondracke. but right on point. Another respected voice on the issue is Michael Barone. On USNews.com. Michael Barone recently said: \"Why do they hate us? Why does the New York Times print stories that put America more at risk of attack? They say that these surveillance programs are subject to abuse. but give no reason to believe that this concern is anything but theoretical. We have a press that is at war with an administration while our country is at war against merciless enemies. The Times is acting like an adolescent kicking the shins of its parents. hoping to make them hurt. while confident of remaining safe under their roof.\" Nobody could have said it better than Michael Barone and Morton Kondracke. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6403}
{"speech_id":1090155590,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of House Resolution 895 by Chairman OXLEY. I commend Chairman OXLEY as the primary sponsor and author of the USA PATRIOT Act. He has been committed to combating terrorist financing. and I want to commend him for his tireless efforts in bringing this resolution to the floor. We are at war against a savage and relentless enemy. While Americans have a longestablished right to know about the actions of their government. when we are at war. when there is a national security concern. there is also a wellfounded historical precedent for conductiig covert actions out of the media spotlight. Now. there can be alternatives. as the gentleman from Massachusetts said. but there can be no alternatives to a strong national defense. There can be no alternatives to a strong national security. And the judges of what those are and how to conduct those should not be left to the New York Times. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7656}
{"speech_id":1090155590,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are for this body to determine. Following the death of Zarqawi. ani internal al Qaeda memo was recovered from his hideout. It explicitly states that al Qaedas efforts have been hurt by tightening the resistances financial outlets. This statement serves as concrete evidence. concrete evidence that programs such as the administrations Terrorist Finance Tracking Program are both necessary and effective. Remember. the 9\/11 Commission was critical of the governments failure to track the sources of terrorist financing prior to the September 11 attack. How.ever. in its final report. the commission applauded the governmentwide effort to combat terrorist financing after 9\/11 for making significant strides in using terrorist finance as an intelligence tool. They were talking about this program. This program was an important stride. Indeed. the program paid big dividends. including the arrest of the mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombing. a violent bombing that killed 202 innocent people. In fact. he was convicted based on information from this program. a program The New York Times made a determination to expose. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7656}
{"speech_id":1090155590,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is no doubt that America and our allies in the war on terror are safer today because of this program. which is exactly the sort of protection that Americans want and expect from their government. Some question or debate whether al Qaeda knew about this valuable program. Do they know about it now? Do they know the details? The answer to the question is. yes. no doubt about it. How do they know? Because they put it on the front page of the newspaper. Not just any paper. but the largest newspaper in the biggest city in the United States. Who are they? They are the editors and publishers of The New York Times. If you are al Qaeda. the appropriate response to this publication is thank you. If you are indifferent. the answer is so what. But if you are an American citizen endangered by terrorists. the insensitivity. the arrogance. the irresponsibility of this paper and its publication. then the appropriate response is anger and outrage and this resolution. Now. due to their irresponsible actions. this vital intelligencegathering program is virtually defunct. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7656}
{"speech_id":1090155590,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No longer would terrorists conduct their financial business with the Swift cooperative. Sadly. no longer will we be able to track their actions. This clearly hampers. clearly hampers. our Nations ability to conduct the war on terror. Hopefully. our intelligence agencies will devise other means to effectively monitor our enemies. It wont be easy. They will have to start over. We wont be restricting their financial operations as well as we did before this publication. But at least I would hope that if we do fashion a new program that it will not be reported by the media outlets who want to get a scoop ahead of national security. Let me close by thanking the chairman. Mr. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7656}
{"speech_id":1090155590,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I rise in strong support of House Resolution 895. which is sponsored by Chairman OXLEY. expressing our support for the Administrations efforts to track terrorist financing through the U.S. Treasury Departments Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. Chairman OXLEY--one of the primary authors and sponsors of the terrorist financing provisions in the USA PATRIOT Acthas been committed to combating terrorist financing. and I want to commend the Chairman for his tireless efforts and for bringing this resolution to the floor today. We are at war with a savage and relentless enemy. While Americans have a longestablished right to know about the actions of their government. when we are at war and when there is an overriding national security concern. there is also a wellfounded historical precedent for conducting covert actions out of the media spotlight. Following the death of Abu Musab alZarqawi. an internal alQaeda memo was recovered from the terrorists hideout. It explicitly states that al Qaedas efforts have been hurt \"by tightening the resistances financial outlets.\" This statement serves as concrete evidence that programs such as the Administrations Terrorist Finance Tracking Program are both necessary and effective. Remember. the 9\/11 Commission was critical of the government for its failure- to track the sources of terrorist financing prior to the September 11th attacks. However. in its final report. the Commissions Public Discourse Project applauded the governmentwide effort to combat terrorist financing after 9\/11 for making \"significant strides in using terrorism finance as an intelligence tool.\" This program was one such important stride. ","speaker_name":"SPENCER BACHUS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7656}
{"speech_id":1090155651,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I. rise in support of the Frank resolution that we are not permitted to vote on. All of us support -legal efforts to track terrorist financing. But what we have before us is a nonbinding resolution that is more about stirring the Republican political base and silencing the press than protecting our country. The resolution makes declarations about actions that have yet to be confirmed without conducting any oversight and without all the facts. The Republican Party has become masters of cut and run. cutting from the issues so that they can run for reelection in November. This resolution is a diversion. If it was really about condemning leaks of classified information. it would also mention Valerie Plame. Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1013}
{"speech_id":1090155651,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And as the Member of Congress representing the district that suffered the greatest loss of life on 9\/11. I believe that combating terrorism is a serious. bipartisan issue. not a onesided. lastminute. takeitorleaveit. Republicanonly. political. campaign stunt.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1013}
{"speech_id":1090155672,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. had it been my decision. I would not have released a report on the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program. and I cosponsored H. Res. 900 to register my disapproval. For no good reason. H. Res. 900 was not made in order as a substitute amendment. I have reluctantly decided not to vote for H. Res. 895 for the following reasons. H.R. 895 was written exclusively by Republicans. ","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090155672,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With no Democratic input. no committee hearings. and no committee markup. The resolution was rushed to the floor shortly after being filed under a rule that prohibits amendments of any kind. for one hours debate. and then a vote up or down. I agree with much of the resolution. I wholeheartedly support \"efforts to identify. track. and pursue suspected foreign terrorists and their financial supporters by tracking money flows and by uncovering terrorists networks here and abroad.\" I have not been briefed on the program. however. and I am no position to find \"that the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program has been conducted in accordance with applicable laws. regulations and Executive Orders. and that appropriate safeguards and reviews have been instituted to protect individual civil liberties. andthat Congress has been appropriately informed and consulted for the duration of the Program and will continue its oversight of the Program.\" I hope that is the case. but I have no basis on which to make such a judgment. and I do not think that Members of Congress should hold out such a conclusion if we cannot support it.","speaker_name":"JOHN SPRATT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090155693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Acting Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. reported that that Committee. having had under consideration the bill to provide for exploration. development. and production activities for mineral resources on the outer Continental Shelf. and for other purposes. pursuant to House Resolution 897. he reported the bill back to the House with an amendment adopted by the Committee of the Whole.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090155719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Americans who live on the border are victimized by criminal invaders every day and they are fed up with it. They are tired of a weak immigration policy. but even more sick and tired of the Mexican Government trying to control American soil. C.E. Dob Cunningham of Eagle Pass. Texas. has every right to be fed up. especially after receiving this letter from the Mexican Consulate in Mexico. It says: As an owner or occupant of property susceptible of crossings and breakins by Mexican migrant workers. the consulate of Mexico is deeply concerned about this issue and the security of lives of migrant workers. We strongly recommend you do not take any measures into your own hands. Please be aware that it may have legal implications for yourself and the owners of these properties which may end up in expensive lawsuits and cumbersome court hearings. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090155719,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Cunningham wrote back a few words and then wrote them back a second time and said. if your letter was intended to scare or intimidate us. it didnt work. Until the illegal alien problem is solved. we will continue to patrol our ranch to protect our property. our family and our freedom. C.E. Cunningham. proud American. Lets send a message to Generalissimo Fox: we will not be scared or intimidated. In fact. Americans should sue Mexico and make Fox pay reparations for the damage his illegals do to American property by invading our country. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090155729,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week. the Republican leadership decided to pull the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization legislation from the floor. Debate on this historic civil rights statute had been scheduled for last Wednesday afternoon. and just hours before it was to start. the bill was withdrawn from consideration. As a cosponsor of this important bill. I am deeply troubled by the majority leaderships willingness to allow extreme members of their party to hijack reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. a law that has protected minority voters from intimidation and discrimination for 40 years. It was an act unbefitting a party that calls itself the \"Party of Lincoln.\" The original Voting Rights Act reinforced the Constitutions 15th amendment guarantee that race cannot be a bar to any citizens right to vote. Although the 15th amendment was ratified in 1870. it took nearly 100 years for Congress to give it teeth with the Voting Rights Act. Until then. the rights of millions of Americans to vote was nullified by poll taxes. literacy tests. voter intimidation. and outright violence. Only in 1965. with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. were African Americans finally ab]le to exercise the right to vote. But the path to this legislation was by no means easy. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5005}
{"speech_id":1090155729,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On March 7. 1965. what has become known as Bloody Sunday. 600 civil rights marchers peacefully protested for the right to vote. Upon reaching the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Alabama. the marchers were attacked by State and local police. who teargassed them and beat them with batons. Three years ago. in commemoration of the struggle for civil rights. I joined a pilgrimage led by. my colleague Congressman JOHN LEWIS through many of the sites that were part of the fight for true equality here in America. We visited the Edmund Pettus Bridge. and on the wall of my office is a picture of the delegation. black. white. Asian and Latino. standing together in celebration of the sacrifices of those who marched there. Standing there then and reflecting on the experience now. it is impossible to miss the transcendent importance of the unfettered right to vote. It was powerful enough then to garner the hatred of a mob of segregationists. and it inspires us now to continue to fight for reauthorization of the legislation and the full protections of our sacred franchise. I welcome a debate over the continuing vitality of the Voting Rights Act. but I deplore the delay which the Republican leaderships decision to pull the bill has occasioned. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5005}
{"speech_id":1090155729,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the decades since President Lyndon Johnson signed the.Voting Rights Act into law. racial discrimination is still far too prevalent a feature of elections across the Nation from California to Florida. It is very true that significant progress has been made in the past 41 years since the VRA was first passed. and minority voters have a much greater voice in the political process today because of the Voting Rights Act. Despite that. after every election. we still hear stories of voter discrimination and intimidation. and we are reminded that this legislation. remains important today. and we cannot let the provisions of the VRA expire. These expiring provisions. preclearance of election law changes for jurisdictions with a history of discrimination. Federal observers at polls. and language assistance for limited English speakers. are still needed to ensure minority voting rights. It is evident to those from my State of California just how critical. for example. language assistance is for those with limited English skills. We do not make our elections easy on voters. In a State where 135 candidates ran for Governor 3 years ago. it should be no surprise that during the 2004 general election. the California voter guidebook was nearly 200 pages. This guide included information on candidates and ballot measures that helped voters prepare for the election. Even native English speakers struggled to digest the ballot arguments in preparation for voting. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5005}
{"speech_id":1090155729,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For citizens with limited English proficiency. the task was all the more daunting. I believe all U.S. citizens should learn the English language. It is the key to upward mobility in our society and a powerful common bond. Yet new citizens still learning the English language have the right to vote. Thankfully. due to the VRA. our polling sites provide language assistance so that all citizens can meaningfully participate in the election process. including new citizens still struggling to master the English language. The right to vote for every American citizen is the foundation of our democracy. Unfortunately. there are still barriers to overcome. and we as a Nation must not give up on the protections that give content to that right. I am proud to support the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and will continue to do my part to ensure that the VRA remains effective and enforced. For this reason. Mr. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5005}
{"speech_id":1090155729,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I call upon the leadership to. take immediate action to bring this legislation to the floor for a vote.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5005}
{"speech_id":1090155875,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we will begin with a 1hour period for morning business. At 3 oclock this afternoon. we will start debate on H.R. 5411. the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Chairman GREGG will be here to manage the bill. and we hope that Members will come forward to offer amendments today. We will not have any rollcall votes during todays session. although I encourage Members to come forward with their opening remarks. We need to finish this bill this week and. therefore. Senators should be ready as soon as possible if they intend to offer amendments. I again encourage Senators to contact the bill managers if they would like to offer amendments so these amendments can be scheduled for the appropriate time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":738}
{"speech_id":1090155886,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think we all know that during this part of the session the Senate is going to spend considerable time focusing on energy issues. That is certainly warranted because. if there is one thing that can be agreed on. getting a fresh energy policy is just about the most red. white. and blue step our country can take at this critical time. During the course of this debate. one issue that is sure to come up is the issue of oil company profits. The oil companies have consistently said that they need these very large profits in order to have the funds to drill and explore for new energy sources. I certainly feel strongly about developing new energy sources and increasing production. but I have been concerned about the role of government. At a time when the oil companies are making record profits and charging record prices. Congress has still been making available record subsidies. To get some clarity on this issue. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9152}
{"speech_id":1090155886,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believed it was important to get the Congressional Research Service. the independent authority. to look at these issues. to analyze the question of exactly where the oil companies are putting this gusher of revenue they have accumulated recently. The findings in the new report the Congressional Research Service has given to ie are striking. What the Congressional Research Service has found is that the return on equity of the major oil companies has gone up in the last few years six times. the amount of cash reserves of the major oil companies have has gone up. over the same time. about six times. but the amount of money the companies have devoted to exploration and capital investment has only doubled. So what that means. the bottom line. is that the major oil companies are only putting back in the ground a modest fraction of what they have been siphoning away from consumers at the pump across our country. What I would like to do is break down this report and talk about where I believe Congress ought to go on a bipartisan basis in the years ahead. On the issue of return on equity. I asked the Congressional Research Service to examine the years of 1999 to present. They found that. with respect to return on equity for the oil companies. it was about 4.5 percent in 1999 and it is nearly 30 percent as of last year. That is an increase of more than six times over the last 6 years. The Congressional Research Service also looked at the cash reserves of the largest oil companies over the last 6 years. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9152}
{"speech_id":1090155886,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have found that this. as well. has gone up sixfold. So the companies are clearly sitting on gushers of cash from higher oil prices and higher gas prices that consumers are now paying across the country. I believe it was then appropriate to have the Congressional Research Service analyze what the oil companies are doing with all of this money. Certainly the companies have made the argument that they are investing these profits in exploring for oil and developing new energy technology. That certainly is part of the story. but it is far from the whole picture. According to the Congressional Research Service. the major oil companies have approximately doubled their exploration costs and their overall capital investment over the past 6 years. but that rate of increase is just a fraction of how much their cash reserves and their return on equity have grown over that period. In addition. Congressional Research Service experts indicate that much of the oil companies capital investment has been for operating expenses. not for increasing production. and much of what they seem to have invested in exploration has gone for overseas exploration. Again. you come back to what I think is the clear conclusion of this particular analysis: The American people are seeing the oil companies put back in the ground just a modest part of what the consumer is coughing up at gas pumps across the land. One of the questions I hope we will ask over this next period of the Senate being in session is. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9152}
{"speech_id":1090155886,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why are the oil companies not putting some of their burgeoning cash reserves into investment in other technologies. particularly new renewable energy technologies which could help the oil industry diversify ard help reduce our Nations dependence on foreign energy? We ought to examine that issue. and certainly what the Congressional Research Service has done for my office makes a different contribution with respect to this debate and one that I think warrants thorough examination. The Congressional Research Service looked. for me. at the 10K reports the oil companies file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That is the information which Exxon and BP and Shell and Chevron and ConocoPhillips. Valero and Sunoco and Total report to their investors and to Wall Street. But what is in those 10Ks that are given over to the Securities and Exchange Commission is not the story the oil companies seem to be telling the American people. The oil companies have been running ads in newspapers. claiming that their profits are in line with those of other industries. For example. the American Petroleum Institute has been running a newspaper ad showing the oil and natural gas industrys earnings of 5.9 cents on a dollar of sales. which is just above the 5.6percent average for all industries. But suffice it to say. how many of the industries listed in these oil company ads are getting the 30percent rate of return on equity that the Congressional Research Service has found in the report that I make public today? The oil industry wants the public to believe that the record profits they are making are in line with other businesses. but it seems to me the Congressional Research Service analysis of the oil companies own reports to the Government tells a very different story. This is particularly important right now because I believe the American people deserve a true accounting of what has been going on behind the numbers at the gas pump and where their hardearned money has been going for the past several years. The report I release today on oil company financial data shows the oil industrys profits are not only greater than the profits of other businesses. but they also show how the oil companies have not been straight with the American people. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9152}
{"speech_id":1090155886,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also think it is timely to have this information about oil company profits because of the debate in both the Senate and in the other body about oil royalty giveaways to the oil industry. At a time of record prices. when oil companies are making record profits that are above what other industries are earning. the question is. Should the oil companies continue to get record subsidies from the taxpayers? In May. the House of Representatives held a historic vote to put an end to taxpayerfunded royalty giveaways to profitable oil companies. The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on a bipartisan basis to put a stop to this waste of taxpayer funds. Just a few weeks before that House vote. I spent nearly 5 hours trying to get a vote here in the Senate on exactly this issue. But despite that extended discussion. I was unable to get an upordown vote on my proposal to stop ladling out tens of billions of dollars of unnecessary subsidies to the oil sector. I believe the Senate ought to have an opportunity to debate and vote on the oil royalty issue. and it seems especially timely after the new report the Congressional Research Service has supplied to me. With the Government Accountability Office estimating that tens of billions of taxpayer dollars could be lost as a result of the oil royalty _program. this issue is too important to duck. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9152}
{"speech_id":1090155896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the kind comments of the Senator from West Virginia. I especially appreciate his very insightful review of the issues here. most of which I agree with. some of which I may have some disagreement with. but mostly I am in total agreement. He used the analogy of a hill. I sometimes feel that he and I are like Sisyphus on this hill. I am not sure we are going to make it to the top. because they keep pushing the stone back down on us. In any event. the effort is being made. We are trying to secure our borders and make sure that we are safer from weapons of mass destruction. And the Department. as he saidand I think it is important to stress thisis filled with people conscientious and committed to protecting America. and the issues which are raised are ones of resources and systems and support. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1246}
{"speech_id":1090155896,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those can be resolved when you have good people working. and I think we can resolve them. I look.forward to hearing more from the Senator as he brings forward his amendments. I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute to H.R. 5441 be considered and agreed to. provided that no points of order are waived thereon and that the measure. as amended. be considered original text for purpose of further amendment.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1246}
{"speech_id":1090155900,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I listened to my colleague from West Virginia in his description of amendments he intends to offer. It is a description of the legislation. This Appropriations subcommittee is a very important subcommittee and raises a good many issues dealing with the security of our country. I want to talk about them briefly. and then I want to talk about something that occurred last week. First. with respect to homeland security. a book was written a while back about October 11. 2001. We talk about September 11. 2001. On 9\/11\/2001. a tragedy was visited on this country when airplanes loaded with fuel crashed into the Trade Centers. the Pentagon. and a field in Pennsylvania. and thousands died. It was a devastating terrorist attack against our country. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090155900,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was on 9\/11\/2001. According to information in a book printedsome while ago. on October 11 of that same year. a CIA agent with a code name Dragonfire reported. and apparently through the Presidential daily briefings. the head of the. CIA. Mr. Tenet. reported to the President. that they had picked up a rumor or -intelligence had gathered information that a 10kiloton nuclear weapon had been stolen from the Soviet arsenal. or the Russian arsenal. and had been taken to New York City and was to be detonated in a major American city by a terrorist organization. Graham Allison. who wrote the book \"Nuclear Terrorism.\" described the plot that was told to the CIA by an agent called Dragonfire. As a result of that description 1 month after 9\/11 that there might be a 10kiloton Russian nuclear weapon in this country already set to be detonated in an American major city. there was great concern. obviously. Many people were apoplectic about what was happening. This did not become the product of news stories. for obvious reasons. But the administration and others responded to it with some concern. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090155900,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"About a month later. it was apparently discerned that this was not a credible threat. or at least the circumstances that brought that threat were not credible. But as they postmortemed that period. they discovered it was probably perfectly credible: We know the Russians had 10kiloton nuclear weapons. they had built them. They dont have the best command and control of their nuclear weapons. It is perfectly plausible that someone might have stolen or purchased a 10kiloton nuclear weapon and it was not outside the scope of probability that someone might have brought a nuclear weapon into this country and a terrorist organization could well have detonated a nuclear weapon. all of which caused great concern. We have roughly 30.000 strategic and tactical nuclear weapons in this world. The disappearance of one to a terrorist organization. in the hands of a terrorist organization will cause a terrorist act in a major city unlike any we have ever seen. It is interesting that when the Defense authorization bill comes to the floor of the Senate. we spend billions and billions of dollars defending against a rogue nation or a terrorist acquiring a nuclear weapon. putting it on the tip of an intercontinental ballistic missile and shooting it at our country at 18.000 miles an hour. So we are spending billions on an antiballistic missile system to try to hit a bullet with a bullet. It is my judgmentand I think the judgment of most people who evaluate what is the most likely threat against our countrythat the most likely threat is a container ship pulling up to a dock at a seaport in this country at about 3 miles with a container on board. with a weapon of mass destruction inside that container that hasnot been inspected. That is a far more likely threat to this country than a nucleartipped intercontinental ballistic missile acquired by a rogue nation or a terrorist organization. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090155900,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet we are spending thousands of times more money on the antiballistic missile program than we are on port security. It is why port security is of such great importance to this country. We have a large border. and we had some discussion with respect to the immigration bill about border secUrityborder security with respect to immigration. yes.. but also with respect to keeping terrorists out. But our borders not only include the landmass between","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4210}
{"speech_id":1090155917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have an interesting situation where- the Department of Defense is requesting that seven Black Hawk helicopters that the U.S. Army owns but are detailed to the Drug Enforcement Administration in the Bahamas be taken out of the Bahamas. No doubt there is a need elsewhere in the world. perhaps in Operation Iraqi Freedom. But this -Senator wants to make the case. as I did 2 weeks ago whenwe had the Defense authorization bill on the floor. that the United States Government needs to find some additional helicopters toreplace those that are there for the purpose of interdiction of all kinds of contraband. Indeed. we have experienced enormous success from having those seven helicopters in the last 5 years: 800 drug smugglers have been apprehended as a result of those helicopters being there. 25 tons of cocaine have been taken away from the drug smugglers. 82 tons of marijuana. as a result of the effectiveness of these helicopters. Of course. I am just speaking about the interdiction of contraband drugs. not even to speak of the interdiction of all of the human smuggling that is attempted into the United States through that route. It might be instructive for us to know that when a similar situation was done elsewhere in the Caribbean.. in Central America in the late 1990s. and seven helicopters were taken from Central America with a similar kind of mission. the incidence -of drug smuggling rose precipitously. Of course. that is what will happen if these helicopters are not replaced. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090155917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since the 1980s. these helicopters have made an enormous difference. For example. it is hard to believe the statistic I am going to tell you. but 80 percent of all the cocaine that was smuggled into this country came through that region of the Atlantic. the Bahamas and the Turks and the Caicos. back in the 1980s. That percentage of the total cocaine smuggled into the country has been reduced to 10 percent. So the proof is in the pudding. The success is there. Two weeks ago when we had the Defense authorization bill on the floor. I added an amendment that said that the U.S. Government should come up with a replacement for those helicopters. If they are needed elsewhere. fine. that is. the war on terror. We also have a war on terror and a war to defend the homeland as well. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090155917,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is right here. That is the southern sector off the shores of the Southern United States. It is my hope that the Defense -Department will take very seriously the Defense authorization bill that makes that statement to the U.S. Government. Surely in the inventory of the entire U.S. Government. . there are seven helicopters that can replace the ones being taken out and sent to Iraq. The success of our interdiction and the protection of our homeland is at stake. Iyield the floor.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2785}
{"speech_id":1090155935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Chair would like to inform the members of the committee that the committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday. July 12. 2006. at 10:30 a.m. in Rugsell 428A entitled \"Strengthening Participation of Small Businesses in Federal Contracting and Innovation Research Programs.\"","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":288}
{"speech_id":1090155937,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the following Appropriations Committee staff members and members of my personal staff and interns and fellows be granted the privilege of the floor during the consideration of the fiscal year 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill and any votes that may occur in relation thereto: Nancy Perkins. Shannon OKeefe. Carol Cribbs. Mark Van De Water. Christa Crawford. Christopher Gahan. Peter Chaloner. and Adam Morrison.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":464}
{"speech_id":1090155939,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as in executive session. I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaty transmitted to the Senate on July 10. 2006. by the President: 2002 Amendments to the ITU Constitution and Convention. Treaty Document No. 10911. I further ask unanimous consent that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time. that it be referred. with accompanying papers. to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed. and that the Presidents message be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":544}
{"speech_id":1090155960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. we on this side of the aisle support passage of H.R. 122. The majority has adequately explained this legislation. and I would simply note that the pending measure would enable the Eastern Municipal Water District to make improvements to its reclaimed water distribution system in Riverside County. California. The Eastern Municipal Water District is the fifth largest water district in the- State of California. This agency has been a leader in building water recycling projects. and this legislation is worthy of our support.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":541}
{"speech_id":1090156020,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in very strong support of the bill I introduced. H.R. 5232. the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act. . \" I * . \u0095 . : . Located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Cherry Valley provides habitat to more than 75 species of national or regional concern: including several plants and animals listed as either endangered or threatened. These species include the bog turtle and the bald eagle. Monroe County. however. is also the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania. and this development now threatens and will soon encroach upon the habitat of these rare species. As a result. grassroots efforts to protect these sensitive habitats have gained momentum and now have widespread support within the local community. Rarely in my career in Congress have I experienced such overwhelming local support for a legislative endeavor as I have encountered for the designation of a national wildlife refuge in Cherry Valley. ","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3326}
{"speech_id":1090156020,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Designation of a national wildlife refuge has bipartisan support from elected officials. including all three county commissioners. two State representatives. and a State senator. It also has the support of supervisors from all of the townships included and located in the Cherry Valley area. Moreover. my colleague from Pennsylvania has joined me in sponsoring this legislation because he once represented parts of Cherry Valley when he served as a State senator. Area business owners have also voiced their support for this effort. For example. the Pocono Builders Association. a building industry trade association in Monroe County. passed a resolution in support of designating Cherry Valley a national wildlife refuge. Moreover. a number of local landowners have already put their land into easements and other conservation arrangements to facilitate the creation of a national wildlife refuge. Voters have also approved initiatives designed to provide the revenue needed for conservation purposes. Designation of a national wildlife refuge would. therefore. help to coordinate these efforts and provide Federal support for conservation of this important habitat. In order to determine the appropriate land for inclusion in a potential refuge. I introduced H.R. 5232. the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act. after consulting with my colleagues and determining the best course of action. ","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3326}
{"speech_id":1090156020,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill authorizes a study to be completed by the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine what specific lands are suitable for inclusion in a potential refuge. The legislation does not authorize the creation of a national wildlife refuge at this time. The bill is intended merely to study areas for their potential for inclusion in a refuge. not to authorize the creation of another refuge. In addition. the study is designed to provide Congress with the information needed to determine if the designation of a wildlife refuge in Cherry Valley is appropriate. Before closing. I would like to thank my colleague from New Jersey and my colleague from Maryland for- holding a hearing on this- legislation. I also would like to thank my colleague from California and my colleague from West Virginia for moving this legislation through the House. Resources Committee. Their work on this bill is much appreciated. In summation. ","speaker_name":"PAUL KANJORSKI","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3326}
{"speech_id":1090156054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present. I would have voted as indicated below: Rollcall 358. H.R. 2563To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility studies to address certain water shortages within the Snake. Boise. and Payette River systems in Idaho. and for other purposes. I would have voted \"yea.\" Rollcall 359. H.R. 5061Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries Conveyance Act. I would have voted \"yea.\"","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":488}
{"speech_id":1090156112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman would yield for a momient. I would like to just quote another statement by Michael Scheuer that I really think tells it all in a very concise way. All of us should listen because this was an individual who participated in that group of experts. by the way. again bipartisan. many wellknown Republican foreign policy experts who served in the Reagan administration. and -this is what Michael Scheuer had to say. the man who headed the unit in the CIA to track down Osama bin Laden. His comments were really about Iraq and its relationship to Afghanistan and what has happened as a result of the Bush policy. supported by the majority in this Congress. to the war on terror. We are clearly losing today. Mr. Scheuer said. Today. bin Laden. al Qaeda and their allies have only one indispensable ally. the United States foreign policy towards the Islamic world.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":887}
{"speech_id":1090156118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Maine. as always. for his very thoughtful comments. and I want to make a statement consistent with what the gentlemen from Maryland and Massachusetts have said and ask the gentleman from Washington State to join us as well. But clearly. as the gentleman from Maine points out. our continued presence in Iraq only helps to fuel the insurgency and prolong instability between Iraqs regional and sectarian factions. Instead. our Nation needs a new direction that redeploys our forces to win the war in Afghanistan. tracks down key al Qaeda leaders. and refocuses on fighting the war on terror. something the gentleman from Maryland articulated so well. Instead. we get nonbinding resolutions that come to this floor when virtually this entire Chamber was united in the effort to make sure that we went after those criminals who perpetrated the acts of September 11. and instead. we have abandoned this front in Afghanistan. Astoundingly. as the gentleman from Maryland points out. the CIA is disbanding the -unit that was focused on going after Osama bin Laden and allowed the Taliban to continue to regroup in Afghanistan. Talk about cut and run. Where is the debate on this issue? On the front line of terrorism. as Ms. WATERS pointed out. with what we know is a regrouping of the Taliban. and where we know the funding of terrorism comes from the source of opium trade and that it is allowed to flourish and. in fact. .expand and grown since 2001. it is time for a change in policy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1654}
{"speech_id":1090156118,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With that. I will yield to the gentleman from Maryland for remarks and then we will go over to the gentleman from Washington State.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1654}
{"speech_id":1090156137,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And even though you were coming down to join Mr. LARSON. you are always welcome to join the 30something Working Group hour. When you were talking about the minimum wage. when we call ourselves the 30something Working Group. that means we work. We come together and we meet even when we are not on the floor to talk about these issues. Mr. Speaker. minimum wage is a very important issue to 7 million Americans who are working for minimum wage. living on a minimumwage salary. which is very difficult. And one of the things that I wanted to share here. Mr. Speaker. as you know. we try to come up with charts to kind of break this down so that Members know exactly what we are talking about so they cant go back to their constituents and say. well. I didnt quite understand that minimum wage vote. but I will reconsider it next time. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3623}
{"speech_id":1090156137,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We call that in Washington.. DC the Potomac twostep. Back home they call it hoodwinked. bamboozled. But I want to make sure that folks understand what we are talking about here. Minimum wage. and this is actually a chart that is saying the real economy changed under President Bush. while the minimum wage has not been increased since 1997. this is what has happened. Minimum wage is at zero. But the cost for milk has gone up 24 percent. Minimum wage is at zero. but the cost of bread has gone up 25 percent. Minimum wage is zero since 1997. thanks to the Republican majority. But a 4year public college education has gone up 77 percent. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3623}
{"speech_id":1090156137,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The minimum wage is still at zero. Mr. Speaker. since 1997. not because we havent tried to raise it. but the Republican majority has stood in the school house door on this. stopping it from happening. Health care insurance has gone up 97 percent. Ms. JACKSONLEE. Minimum wage is still at zero. And regular gas has gone up 136 percent. Now. you want to know. the American people want to know who is on 1*4949 their side. I think it is important that we find out whose side are the Republicans on? Lets just call it for what it is. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3623}
{"speech_id":1090156137,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ms. JACKSONLEE. It is more than. and I am not just a Member of Congress with a conspiracy theory. because I am looking right here because I cant help but go to a recent article that I saw. that I read last time that was in The Washington Post. Document says oil chiefs met with Cheney task force. White House documents show. and this is The Washington Post. I just want to make sure. You can go on Washingtonpost.com. and it is November 16 of 2005. This was actually on the front page. White House documents show that executives from big oil companies met with Vice President CHENEYS energy task force in 2001. something long suspected by environmentalists. but denied as recently as last week by industry officials testifying before Congress. The documents obtained this week by The Washington Post show that officials from ExxonMobil. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3623}
{"speech_id":1090156137,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Phillips. Shell Oir Company and BP of America met in the White House complex with Cheney aides who were developing the national energy policy. parts of which became law. and parts of which are still being debated in Congress. The meeting happened in 2001. Oil companies got. their increase in the minimum wage. These are the profits of the oil companies: 2002. $34 billion in extra profits. I think this was a pretty good meeting. I am pretty sure if I was an oil executive. I would be saying I am glad I attended. 2003. $59 billion in profits. oil companies. Meanwhile. we are paying more at the pump. Minimum wage still at zero. remember. since 1997. 2004. $84 billion in new profits to oil companies. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3623}
{"speech_id":1090156196,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. 5 years ago today. on July 11. I introduced legislation to create a Cabinetlevel Department of Peace and Nonviolence. which would employ the principles taught by Christ. Gandhi. Dr. King. Mother Teresa and others to create a new hope for violencefree homes. schools and communities through peace and character education. a new hope that through peace education we can even challenge the notion of the inevitability of war. Tpday. thanks to hundreds of community groups. led by The Peace Alliance. momentum is building. Fifteen cities have passed resolutions endorsing a Department of Peace. and 74 Members of the House have signed on to the bill. More and more. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":985}
{"speech_id":1090156196,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans want a compassionate. focused. organized approach to dealing with the violence in our communities. to dealing with domestic violence. spousal abuse. child abuse and other types of violence. The Department of Peace represents the end of fear and the beginning of hope for a new Nation and a new world.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":985}
{"speech_id":1090156207,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of legislation that could protect innocent children across our great Nation. H.R. 5319. the Deleting Online Predators Act. introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania . gives parents. teachers and school officials new tools in their effort to protect our children from online sexual predators. Just this week back in my district in Tavares. Florida. prosecutors are picking a jury to try the case of John Couey. the man accused of raping and killing 9yearold Jessica Lunsford. Sexual predators like John Couey not only stalk our children on the playground and at the mall. but also over the Internet - on Web sites like MySpace.com. I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania for bringing attention to these Internet .predators and thank the Energy and Commerce Committee for holding hearings on this bill.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":849}
{"speech_id":1090156217,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the horrific 9\/11 attacks on America taught us that border security is homeland security. But just last year. Customs and the Border Patrol stopped over 1 million people who illegally crossed our border. And of that 1 million. 160.000 were from countries other thanMexico. including Afghanistan. Iran. Iraq. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Last week. expert witnesses at an International Relations subcommittee field hearing in Laredo. Texas. testified that unlike in years past. many illegal immigrants who sneak across the border are no longer good people who are simply in search of honest work. but rather. increasingly. they are criminals who belong to violent gangs and drug cartels. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090156217,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reynaldo Gaza. the Border Patrol chief in Laredo. testified that he worries now about the links between the drug cartels and the terrorists. Hundreds of illegal immigrants -will cross our southern border today. Some of them will be criminals. some gang members. I pray none are terrorists. But the truth is. we dont know. A nation without borders ceases to be a nation. which is why we must secure our border first.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1113}
{"speech_id":1090156231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as I said before. we dont have any problem with the rule that is before us today. We have a problem with the priorities of the Republican leadership in this House. As I look at the schedule today. as I said before. we are out at 2 oclock today. We are dealing with the bill that we are talking about right now and then some suspensions that really arent terribly significant. I am willing to stay till 5 or 6 if we could debate the minimum wage. Lets give the American workers an increase in their salaries. The average CEO in the United States earns 821 times more than the minimum wage worker. earning more before lunchtime than a minimum wage worker earns all year. I think it is wrong to have millions of Americans working full time and year round and still living in poverty. I would like to think if you work in this country you can get out of poverty. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2436}
{"speech_id":1090156231,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is wrong to give Congress a raise when millions of workers have not had a penny raise in 9 years. Over 9 years. this House has given themselves something like $35.000 in pay increases. and we have not even addressed the issue of the minimum wage. and millions of our fellow citizens are locked -into this minimum wage. It is wrong to give tax cut after tax cut after tax cut after tax cut to millionaires and to special interests when you do nothing for minimumwage workers. Nearly 15 million Americans will benefit from a minimum wage increase to $7.25 an hour. 6.6 million directly and 8.3 million indirectly. Almost 60 percent of these workers are women. Forty percent are people of color. Raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour equals an additional $4.400 a year for a family of three. That is 15 months of groceries. over 2 years of health care. 2 years of college tuition at a public 2year college. I could go on and on and on. It is astounding to me that we find ourselves back after the July 4 recess and we are told we will get to these important issues like the minimum wage when we can get to them. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2436}
{"speech_id":1090156231,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have nothing going on this week that will keep us here beyond Thursday or keep us here until 5 oclock today or even tomorrow. What we are asking for is the opportunity to be able to debate the issue of increasing the Federal minimum wage and letting people in this Chamber. both Republicans and Democrats. have an opportunity to vote up or down. Mr. Speaker. I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from California . a champion on this issue.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2436}
{"speech_id":1090156254,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. hypocrisy is certainly rampant here in the House today. Mr. GOODLATTE. the gentleman from Virginia. apparently wants it both ways. He wants to tell us that the Department of Justice is opposed to horse race gambling. but on the other hand the horse race industry is happy as a clam. Let me quote for you what they have said in their March 15. 2006. press release. It said they had secured language in the Leach bill to protect Internet and account wagering on horse racing. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090156254,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Also. NTRA worked with Congressman GOODLATTE to ensure that H.R. 4411 also contained language that protects online and account parimutuel wagering. Obviously. nobody has told the horse racing industry that they are not exempt from this legislation. After the Judiciary Committee approved the Goodlatte bill in May. the Thoroughbred Times printed an article titled \"Gambling Bill. Passes Committee With Racing Exemption Intact.\" which includes the sentence. \"The bill includes an exemption that would allow the United States horse racing industry to continue to conduct interstate account and Internet wagering.\" Now. I was raised in Las Vegas. Mr. Speaker. where gambling is legal. My children were born in Las Vegas. my parents live in Las Vegas. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090156254,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are now three generations there. I take great exception to those colleagues of mine that malign the gaming industry and. thereby. the State of Nevada. Now. I know firsthand. coming from a family whose father was a waiter. and on a waiters salary in Las Vegas because of a strong gaming economy made enough money to put food on the table. clothes on our back. a roof over our head. and two daughters through college and law school. That is not so bad on a waiters salary. and it doesnt happen too many other places but the State of Nevada because of our strong gaming economy. I can assure you that neither my sister nor I nor any of our friends nor any of our children have had any bad consequences because of the gaming industry. So when I hear the gentleman from Virginia speak of a carefully crafted compromise. which this bill supposedly is. I think what he means is that he made a deal with the horse racing lobby to exempt them from this bill. And why is that? Because he knew they would fight it tooth and nail unless he gave them an exemption. And his comments to the contrary doesnt make it so. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090156254,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And when the gentleman from Nebraska stands up and speaks about protecting college students. I have been down this road with him before. When it comes to gambling online. there is nothing. nothing. let me repeat that as loudly as possible for everyone to hear. there is nothing in this legislation that is going to protect college kids on campus from gambling online. We are talking about offshore gambling sites. Internet sites that are outside of the reach of our judicial system and our regulators.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090156274,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my amendment provides that immediately after the House adopts this rule it will bring H.R. 2429 to the House floor for an up or down vote. This bill will gradually increase the minimum wage from the current level of $5.15 an hour to $7.25 after about 2 years. The amendment also phases in coverage of the Federal minimum wage for the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. Mr. Speaker. how long are we going to wait before we start helping American workers and their families? Instead of passing significint legislation week after week. or. even worse. enacting bills to make the richest of this Nation even richer. when are we going to do something that is meaningful for the average American worker? It is simply disgraceful that less than 1 month ago we passed yet another massive tax break for our Nations multimillionaires. but failed to help those American families who earn the least. In fact. the leadership of this House actually blocked consideration of a bill that contained an increase in the minimum wage. The leadership of this House actually and affirmatively went out there and blocked a bill that contained an increase in the minimum wage. It is getting harder and harder and harder every day for those making at or near minimum wage to make ends meet. It doesnt take a genius to figure out that paying $3 or more for a gallon of gas by itself can eat up a $5.15anhour paycheck. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090156274,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And we all know that. when gas prices increase. it has a ripple effect throughout the country. increasing costs for food and other necessities in life. Mr. Speaker. just yesterday The Washington Post reported on a new study that shows that in the Washington. D.C. area. wages are rising more than twice as fast for highly paid employees as they are for workers. These people need our help. and they need it immediately. Lets not allow any more time to go by before we do the right thing and adopt an immediate increase in the minimum wage. Lets show the American people that we are looking out for their best interests. And we can do this today. Mr. Speaker. if we vote down the previous question and amend the rule. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090156274,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge all Members of this body to vote \"no\" on the previous question so we can help the 7 millionplus American workers who will directly benefit from an increase in the minimum wage. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2359}
{"speech_id":1090156281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that during consideration of H.R. 4411. pursuant to House Resolution 907. notwithstanding the ordering of the previous question. it may be in order at any time for the Chair to postpone further consideration of the bill until a later time to be designated by the Speaker.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":308}
{"speech_id":1090156290,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"for their hard work on bringing this bill to the House floor. Itcertainly has not been an easy task. I would like to thank Mr. FRANK. our ranking member on the Financial Services Committee. for the opportunity to manage this debate. Even though he and I do not see eye to eye on this legislation. I appreciate and respect the fact that we have agreed to disagree. and I welcome a healthy debate on enforcement of the illegal Internet gambling laws. Internet gambling is a growing problem in the United States. particularly among young people and college students. It is known to destroy families. marriages and entire lives. As so aptly put by University of Illinois Professor John Kindt. \"You just click the mouse and lose your house.\" This legislation makes clear that we are serious about enforcing our Internet gambling laws that are already on the books. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090156290,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It takes a very important step forward. and we have worked very hard on the Financial Services Committee over the last few Congresses to advance this measure. This bill cuts off the flowof money to Internet gambling Web sites by regulating payment systems. The Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve will jointly develop policies and procedures for identifying and preventing financial transactions related to illegal Internet gambling. Payment systems will be required to comply with these regulations. Even when criminal law cannot be enforced. the Federal Governments jurisdiction over financial systems can nevertheless cut off the money sources for these illegal businesses. I believe we should mean what we say when it comes to Internet gambling. If we are to keep laws on the books that prohibit Internet gambling. then we should take steps to enforce it. And by cutting off the flow of money. we can accomplish just that. As was previously noted. this bill is supported by 48 of the 50 State attorneys general. by the NCAA. the NBA. the NFL. the MLB and the NHL. It is a good bill and a commonsense approach to a growing problem. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090156290,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to end the flow of money to illegal Internet gambling Web sites. and I urge passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090156327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Iwould like to thank Mr. CONYERS for his extraordinary efforts on this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to this legislation. Despite the misinformed and misguided claims of this bills supporters. it would neither prohibit Internet gaming nor increase enforcement capabilities of the United States Government. Instead. passing this bill will do the exact opposite. The millions of Americans who currently wager online will continue to use offshore Web sites out of the reach of U.S. law enforcement. and they will remain unprotected by State regulators who ensure the integrity of brick and mortar gaming establishnients in this country. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3408}
{"speech_id":1090156327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I continue to be astounded by the Members of this body who constantly rail against an intrusive Federal Government. and yet when it comes to gaming. they are the first. the first to call for government intrusion. A mans home is his castle unless he chooses to participate in online gaming. Then his home is the province of the Federal Government. This bill was recently included on the House Republicans American Values Agenda. Which American values is this promoting? It certainly cannot be the right to privacy. It certainly cannot be the right of individuals to be free to make their own decisions about what type of recreation to enjoy. And. yes. my colleagues. gaming is considered a form of recreation for millions of our fellow citizens. Gaming is legal in this country in those States who choose to allow it and to regulate it. The vast majority of States do allow gaming and regulate it. whether it be lotteries. racing. card rooms. casinos. or bingo. This bill would make a legal activity illegal in those same States solely because it is done online rather than in a casino or in a church. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3408}
{"speech_id":1090156327,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In reality. the intent of this bill. and itis rather obvious. is to attack and outlaw legal gaming in our Nation. Supporters of this bill argue that online gaming is a great danger to society and our youth because some people gamble too much and some underage people might access online wagering sites. By that logic. the next piece of legislation we should be considering is banning online shopping. Surely those who overspend their budgets online and young people who borrow their moms credit card must be stopped by the long arm of Federal law enforcement. Supporters of the bill before us today claim that their target is the offshore gambling operations that are sucking billions of dollars out of the United States. as Mr. GOODLATTE said. Indeed. Internet gaming has grown from a $3 billion industry in 2001. and it is projected to reach $25 billion by the end of the decade. Americans account for as much as half of that amount. But there is nothing in this bill. let me repeat that. nothing in this bill that will shut down these offshore companies who operate legally in other countries. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3408}
{"speech_id":1090156327,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Like it or not. Americans who wish to wager online will find a way\" to do so. The very nature of a free World Wide Web will continue to make online gaming available across the globe. including the United States. Under this bill. billions of dollars will continue to flow out of our country. with millions of Americans wishing to wager online. It is ridiculous. ridiculous to think this bill will actually stop online gaming. Just like Prohibition failed. this prohibition on gaming in the comfort of your own living room will fail as well.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY BERKLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NV","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3408}
{"speech_id":1090156344,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"asserts that his bill is neutral on the subject of interstate online parimutuel betting. but there is no getting around the fact that this bill very clearly and specifically states that onlinebetting on horse racing is not prohibited. And if you dont believe me. Mr. Speaker. lets look at what the National Thoroughbred Racing Association has said about the bill. In March of this year. after Financial Services approved the Leach bill. the NTRA issued a press release saying. \"The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has secured language in the unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to protect Internet and account wagering on horse races.\" Later in the same release. \"The NTRA worked with Congressman GOODLATTE to ensure that H.R. 4777 also contained language that protects online and account parimutuel wagering.\" That sounds pretty clear to me. But wait. Mr. Speaker. there is more. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090156344,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After the Judiciary Committee approved both the Goodlatte and Leach bills in May. the Thoroughbred Times published an article titled. \"Gambling Bill Passes Committee With Racing Exemption Intact.\" The article states that the bill includes an exemption that would allow the United States horse racing industry to continue to conduct- interstate account and Internet wagering. And. finally. it includes a quote from the NTRA spokesman who said. \"Not only did the bill pass by a significant margin. but three separate amendments to either slip out or substantially limit our exception were all defeated.\" It Sounds to me like they think they got an exception in this bill. The bill also includes another hypocritical exemption for intrastate lotteries that is highly ironic because. as has been stated here before. this exemption is exactly what the notorious felon. Jack Abramoff. wanted when he reportedly orchestrated the defeat of a similar bill several years ago because it had no exemption for lotteries. Mr. Abramoff. if he were here. would be laughing about this turn of events. I am sure his former clients are giddy. Our amendment would strike the horse racing and lottery exemptions from this bill. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090156344,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Members who say they dislike Internet gaming have the opportunity to prove it by supporting this amendment. If we do not adopt the amendment. then this entire debate is a farce. Mr. Speaker. because the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act before us does not completely prohibit Internet gaming. You want to outlaw Internet gaming? This body wants to outlaw Internet gaming? Well. lets do it. Lets test the mettle of our fellow colleagues. I have heard many speakers talk about the special interests involved in this bill. Well. it seems to me that the most special interest is the Thoroughbred Horse Racing Association. They seem to have the most clout because they are the ones that got the exemption. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me. ","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090156344,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If you are serious about outlawing Internet gaming. then lets really do it. and lets not carve out an exemption because it suits your purposes and your special interests. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3082}
{"speech_id":1090156373,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the digital economy is on the move. and we have got some great news for Michigan. a State that is very automotive dominated. with Google announcing 1.000 jobs over the next 5 years this morning to be located right outside my district in Ann Arbor. Michigan. This is a great and important. I think. announcement for our State. which has had a little bit of economic trouble. but is now embracing this new wave of digital innovation. the digital economy. the IT economy. as it spreads around this great country. With that come some serious concerns for the IT community. for those who are involved in the digital economy. and for those of us. all of us. who depend on energy use. According to industry analysts. the U.S. server market is expected to grow from 2.8 million units in 2005 to 4.9 million units in 2009. a growth rate. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090156373,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. of almost 50 percent. Data center energy costs are expected to soar. as companies deploy greater numbers of servers consuming more power and. in the process. emitting more heat that needs to be dissipated. Data center electricity costs are already in the range of $3.3 billion annually. Improved energy savings in servers will help the United States meet its energy demands to stay competitive in the global economy without having to build new generating facilities. If done right. Mr. Speaker. that is power lines that wont have to be built. it is power plants that wont have to be built just to meet the demands of what is a growing part of our economy. and that is these data centers as applies to the IT or digital economy. Interesting. if you take a small 100.000 square foot. which is not so small. actually. annual utility cost for a data center or a server farm. it is nearly $6 million. If done right. efficient servers can result in as high as an 80 percent reduction in electricity demand. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090156373,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is $4.8 million in savings if we can reach that goal. That means jobs. innovation. expansion. It means taking the money and investing it in people versus electricity or energy costs. That is a win for everybody. Mr. Speaker. this is a commonsense. conservation bill that will work to reduce the need for new power plants and new transmission lines in each of our districts by driving down demand for electricity and allowing the expansion and growth of the digital economy. There are a great number of organizations who have stepped up -to support H.R. 5646. and I would like to name just a few: the Alliance to Save Energy. American Electronics Association. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Electronic Industries Alliance. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090156373,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Information Technology Industry Council. Semiconductor Industry Association. and techNet. The legislation is very straightforward. It calls for a study in our ability to get ahead of this very. very important problem looming before us. and that is the expanded use of energy. Finally. I want to thank Ms. ESHOO for her help and support and assistance in this effort. as well as that of her staff. who have worked diligently with my staff to help put this together in a tirhiely fashion to help meet the needs of this new and exciting American economy. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3256}
{"speech_id":1090156438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 86. According to the State Department. the Burmese military regime has resisted all international pressure to enact meaningful political reforms and create true democracy. In response. for many years now. the United States has imposed sanctions. including banning all imports from Burma. Additionally. we have prohibited exportation of financial services from the United States to Burma and have targeted the regime itself by freezing certain assets. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090156438,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today the passage of this resolution is necessary to extend for 1 year the import restrictions enacted within the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003. On February 7. 2006. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Christopher Hill. testified that these sanctions are \"an essential component of our strategy.\" He went on to say that \"they serve as a constant reminder to the regime. and everyone else concerned with Burma. that its behavior is unacceptable. and that regime leaders will remain international pariahs as long as they continue this behavior.\" As chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. I do not support trade sanctions lightly. However. Burma has not taken -the necessary steps to warrant lifting these sanctions. The Burmese regime claims it is implementing its socalled road map to democracy. but in truth it is taking no such steps. The State Department has found that the delegates charged with creating the constitution that this democracy would be built upon are all handpicked supporters of the current regime. Additionally. prodemocraCy advocates remain imprisoned. and military conflicts continue with internal groups. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090156438,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Perhaps most disturbing are reports that Burmas human rights record con-. tinues to worsen. In 2005. security forces in the country continued to rape and murder Burmese citizens. force them into slave labor. and compql people into serving in militia units to defend the regime that they abhor. Since enactment of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act. the Treasury Department has blocked over $16.8 million in transactions and frozen hundreds of thousands of dollars of assets belonging to the Burmese regime. The vast majority of democratic opposition within Burma supports the continuation of these sanctions and even welcomes additional actions. It is now incumbent upon all of us to ensure that the \"essential component\" Assistant Secretary Hill referenced remains in place until this murderous regime yields to the desire of its citizens to be free. To back down now would send the wrong message to the military regime in Burma as well as the international community. Most impor- tantly. it would send the wrong message to those prodemocracy advocates within Burma fighting for the freedom of their fellow citizens. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to join me today in supporting this important measure and vote \"aye\" on H.J. ","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090156438,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Res. 86. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3028}
{"speech_id":1090156440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I first want to thank my good friend and colleague. Congressman BEN CARDIN. for his leadership on trade and human rights issues. I also want to express my appreciation to Ways and Means Committee Chairman BILL THOMAS for his strong support. over many years. for import sanctions against Burma. and for moving this legislation to the floor expeditiously. As always. I also remain deeply appreciative of the work of the Ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee. my friend and colleague CHARLIE RANGEL. Mr. Speaker. former South African Archbishop Desmond Tututhe winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless and ultimately successful fight for freedom in South Africaspoke eloquently about the key role of the international community in helping to free oppressed nations. He said. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4058}
{"speech_id":1090156440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"If you are neutral in situations of injustice. you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral. the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. Mr. Speaker. with passage of this legislation. Congress will once again signal firmly that the United States is not neutral when it comes to Burma. We are firmly on the side of imprisoned Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and all those who are oppressed by Burmas ruling thugs. Some argue the U.S. sanctions do not help those who suffer the most under Burmas oppressive political and economic system. Again. I would respectfully refer them to Archbishop Tutu. whose homeland of South Africa is free today because the international community refused to remain silent about the brutal system of Apartheid. By voting to maintain our Nations tough approach towards Burma. we once again lead the world by example. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4058}
{"speech_id":1090156440,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Step by step. we will move assertively towards a global sanctions regime against Burma involving all of the worlds leading economic players. In fact. Mr: Speaker. there are signs that American leadership on Burma is paying off. Just a few short months ago. the United Nations Security Council held an unprecedented debate on Burmas horrendous human rights situation and its destabilizing role in Southeast Asia. Further Security Council action against Burma is on the near horizon. particularly since the Burmese leadership thumbed its nose at Kofi Annans handpicked special envoy to Burma. and refused to release Aung San Suu Kyi. The political leadership of the Association of Southeast Asia NationsASEANhas also long maintained that Burmas political situation was an \"internal affair.\" But Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo recently said that Southeast Asia may need to \"distance itself\" from Burma if it does not undergo political reform. and the ASEAN leaders refused to let Burma become chairman of the important regional organization in 2006. The European Union has also firmly resisted the entreaties of the European commercial classalways eager for new trade opportunities with the worlds rogue regimesto reduce sanctions against Burma. Mr. Speaker. while these are positive developments. we remain a long way from a comprehensive. glpbal sanctions regime. But Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4058}
{"speech_id":1090156440,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. I am prepared to wait as long as it takes to convince .the international community to act properly. The only hope for promoting farreaching political change is by making Burmas thugocracy pay an economic price for running their nation into the ground. I would welcome a negotiated solution to the crisis in Burma. but I believe firmly that such negotiations will only bear fruit once those pulling the levers of power feel a strong economic pinch. Today. we will act decisively to renew import sanctions against Burma. and send an unmistakable signal of support for the restoration of democracy and human rights in that impoverished nation. One day. Aung San Suu Kyi will lead a democratic Burma. and I look forward to being at her inauguration before a throng of her countrymen. all finally free. Until then. we in this country must do what we can to hasten that day. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4058}
{"speech_id":1090156458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are hearing once again that there are rumors going around that in January. when we come back and there is a new Congress. depending on who is in control. that we are going to be looking at privatizing Social Security again. We understand* that the Republican Party wants to make it their top priority. The American people have already said \"no\" to this shortsighted plan. The money and trust fund belongs to the people who put it there. and they are entitled to guaranteed benefits. They dont want to use this money to gamble on the risky stock market. Those in favor of the Republican plan say that privatizing is the only way to save Social Security. Granted. the fact that people are growing older does mean Social Security needs to be strengthened. But in reality. Social Security can be saved with small changes. and we have time to make sure we do it right. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4713}
{"speech_id":1090156458,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As it stands today. the Social Security trust fund will begin taking in less in payroll taxes than it pays out in benefits in 2018. That is 12 years from now. But even if Congress doesnt act. the Social Security surplus wont be exhausted until the year 2040. That is 34 years from today. And the worst case scenario is that 74 percent of benefits would still be paid. If the Republican plan is enacted next year. they wont be able to guarantee benefits in 2008. let alone 2040. In addition. these projections are based on an anticipated lower rate of productivity and economic growth than the U.S. has experienced during the last 20 years. If the U.S. mainthins its current economic growth or grows at a faster rate. the trust fund surplus will expire at a later date. While I believe Congress needs to act soori. we dont need to do it in haste. Instead of radically changing our retirement safety net. we should follow the lead of former President Reagan. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4713}
{"speech_id":1090156458,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1983. President Reagan appointed a commission headed by Alan Greenspan and saved Social Security for the next 60 years. I urge President Bush to put aside his dreams of privatizing and do the same. Many Republicans wont want to hear this. but President Reagans commission raised payroll taxes to save Social Security. But I believe we can come up with a better solution today. There is a middle ground between raising taxes and privatizing. Lets put our experts to work on finding this middle ground and creating a stronger Social Security. Everybody accepts that Congress needs to act to strengthen Social Security for the next generation of seniors. But any plan that cuts guaranteed benefits is a nonstarter. It is a nonstarter because the centerpiece of the Republican plan. to privatize portions of Social Security does nothing to address the programs longterm challenge. which is to make sure Social Security can pay full benefits for future generations. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4713}
{"speech_id":1090156458,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Privatizing means less money going into the Social Security trust fund. The Presidents plan means fewer benefits for more retirees. The President has yet to disclose how he would pay for this plan. Conservative estimates price the plan at over $2 trillion. driving the country deeper into debt and burdening future generations with the bill. With our current national debt. a multitrillion dollar expenditure would almost certainly rely on selling bonds to foreign countries for financing. I am not comfortable with China. Japan and the European Union controlling the purse strings of our retirement benefits. and neither are the American people. We should encourage individuals to invest money for retirement. but this should be done outside of Social Security. Social Security was never intended as the only source of income for retirees. It was designed as a safety net to ensure no retiree or disabled person falls into poverty. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4713}
{"speech_id":1090156458,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We simply cannot bet the future of Social Security on a risky privatizing scheme. Mr. Speaker. lets not make a hasty decision on Social Security that we will live to regret. People have to understand that Social Security is a lifeline for so many of our seniors. When we look at today. the people that are working at minimum wage. when we look where we see pensions not really being there for the American people. we need to certainly make sure that Social Security is there. Widows with children. it is the difference between being able to stay in their home. feed their children or becoming homeless. . People say. well. if we privatize. it will save the government money. In the long run. I honestly dont believe it will. I have too many friends. women friends that have been married or widowed. that never had to work. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MCCARTHY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4713}
{"speech_id":1090156500,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman Ross. thank you for yielding. Mr. Speaker. it is an honor to be here today to talk about our wonderful country. I have traveled some recently. and as I have traveled to other areas. basically in the war zone in Afghanistan and Iraq. I realize one of the greatest blessings I have had was at birth. I was born in America. and to be an American citizen as a result of that. with all the hopes and all the opportunities and options of life any human being could expect to be given in this country. Some of those opportunities are. for folks like me. who live in a rural area. in a very smallarea. lowly populated. that one could also have an opportunity to run for Congress. and I took that opportunity in 2002 and ran and was elected. I came to Washington knowing what the challenges were. I came to Washington realizing that a lot of times we see and hear a lot of smoke and mirrors. that transparency seems to be something that doesnt exist a whole lot. but I didnt really think we were going to hear of some of the things that have happened in this Congress. The lack of oversight. the. lack of hearings on how we spend our money. the lack of hearings on the war in Iraq. and the lack of hearings on virtually anything. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4519}
{"speech_id":1090156500,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are almost shut down unless it happens to be the idea of the majority in this Congress. Debate is limited to just what they choose to talk about. That is not the America I knew growing up. That is not the America I want us to have today. So I want to talk some about fi4al irresponsibility. For years I heard Democrats being called tax and spend liberal Democrats. It became a buzzword. something that most folks didnt like. including me. But after I got here. I realized we needed to change that phrase. It needed to be changed to borrow and spend liberals. borrow and spend liberals. and mismanagement and spend liberals. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4519}
{"speech_id":1090156500,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those are Republicans that I am talking about folks. not Democrats. Because during the Clinton administration when President Clinton left office in 2001. the deficit of this Nation was a little over $5 trillion. Today it is $8.4 trillion. Also the Clinton administration gave this President over $230 billion in surplus that could be used to start paying down the debt. Lets take $200 billion in surplus. Over the last 5 years. that is a trillion dollars we could have paid down on our debts. Instead. what have we done? We have gone from $5.3 trillion to $8.4 trillion. That is a $3.1 trillion increase. Just think. if we had managed government as it was managed during the 1990s. with budget restraints in place. similar to the ones that the Blue Dogs are trying to get passed. those 12point items. think of where we would be today if we continued with $230 billion in surplus. We would be $1.25 trillion less in debt. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4519}
{"speech_id":1090156500,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We would now owe a little over $4 trillion instead of $8.4 trillion. Whose fault is it? It is the mismanagement of this group. How is that the case? Because during the Clinton administration. during the last years it was 18.4 percent in gross domestic product that was being spent at that time under the budget restraints that we lived under. pay as you go. Today it is 20.1 percent. the gross domestic product. Let me repeat those figures. The last year of the Clinton administration. it was 18.4 percent of the gross domestic product that America was spending on government. In this administration for the last 5 years. it has grown. the gross domestic product. numbers have increased obviously because we have seen the gross domestic product increase. but the number is 20.1 percent. . Does that tell you that somebody is fiscally conservative? It doesnt to me. Folks talk about commonsense approaches. Commonsense to me is the application of knowledge based upon your experiences of life. ","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4519}
{"speech_id":1090156500,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have too many blue blood trust fund owners in this Chamber that dont understand how to manage money. If you have that trust fund. you dont need to worry about where your next dollar is coming from. It is coming from the labors and fruits of your parents or grandparents and the blue blood trust fund boys and girls in here dont know how to figure out how to balance the budget. Some of us have had to work all of our lives. and we know when you spend that hardearned tax dollar of those that we are extracting it from. that it is a sacrifice from them. It is my hope that this Congress wises up and stops being as partisan as they quite frankly have been and start addressing the issues in a transparent way with oversight and accountability.","speaker_name":"LINCOLN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4519}
{"speech_id":1090156513,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Colorado. It is important. I think. Mr. Speaker. that we are able to hear that direct message from the Colorado State legislature. That is an amazing thing beyond the conception of us. I think. here a year or two or three ago. let alone four or five or six when this issue first came up. And I would even go back to my recollection in 1996. when Pat Buchanan ran for the Presidency and he said. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4662}
{"speech_id":1090156513,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will call hearings. I will make sure we have a national debate on immigration. And that was what we lacked in 1996. That is what Mr. TANCREDO has been working for for all of these years he has been in this Congress. We are at this point now where you cannot avoid a national debate on immigration. It is everywhere. It is in the coffee shop. It is at work. It is here in this Congress. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4662}
{"speech_id":1090156513,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. It is in our churches. It is in our homes. It is absolutely everywhere. And the reason is because it has gotten so bad that Americans are being personally impacted piece by piece by piece. They are standing up saying. What can I do within the jurisdiction that I have. within the resources that I have? How can I step in and fix this? And we have seen other States take action too. There have been 8 or 10 States that have had some kind of legislative immigration activity going on. And so I applaud them for that. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4662}
{"speech_id":1090156513,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And the Minutemen. I hadthe privilege to go down to the border of Arizona and Mexico and help build some fence to get some of that project started. And I happen to have a lis of 25 Members of Congress that would be happy to help put some fence up to be able to control this border. But I want to lay a little groundwork for that before I yield to my colleagues. And that is this: that an administration that had the determination to shut off the jobs magnet and enforce the laws at our borders. if we had the ability and the will to enforce our borders and shut off that jobs magnet. and add into that shutting off birthright citizenship. which is another magnet that brings people here and starts that chain migration for up to 350.000 babies every year that should not have been born in the United States of America. those kinds of decisions from an administration that was committed could have kept this under manageable proportions. But what really has happened is that lack of commitment has allowed for a lack of enforcement. The lack of enforcement. that message echoes through the entire countries south of our border. on the Rio Grande and at our border with Mexico. When that happens. it magnetizes and more people come into the United States. Now we have a situation where 4 million people a year pour across our southern border. Four million. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4662}
{"speech_id":1090156513,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I went down there and repeated what the Border Patrol tells me here in hearings. that they stop perhaps 25 to 33 percent. a fourth to a third of the illegal border crossers. And they are not very free about talking about what percentage of drugs they interdict coming down there. They will talk about the tonnage. but not the .percentage. They say 25 to 33 percent of the border crossers they stop. And I say that to the Border Patrol people who are down there sitting in a nice quiet place where they do not have to worry about a superior listening in on them. And some of them laughed when I said. You are stopping 25 percent. maybe 33 percent? Some of them laughed. None of them said yes. One of them went into hysterics and said. 25 percent? We are not stopping anywhere near 25 percent. I asked them all what is the number. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4662}
{"speech_id":1090156524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And it is a privilege to join you and Mr. RYAN and Mr. DELAHUNT each night that we take the House floor and talk about the new direction that we as Democrats would take this country. Because what most people have seen in America recently is essentially the Republican leaderships efforts to engage in the politics of distraction. because they have to distract the American people from what is really going on here because the reality that is going on here is too painful to closely examine. I mean. they certainly cant hold up their wild success to the American people for examination and celebration because they havent had any wild success. We are looking here at a record deficit. as you discussed. Mr. MEEK. We are looking at record gas prices. We are looking at record numbers of Americans who are without health insurance. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090156524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are looking at record increases in the cost of health insurance. small business owners who are unable to continue to support their employees and provide them with health insurance benefits. And we are looking at a woeful inability on the part of the Republican administration and this leadership of this House to protect the homeland and focus on domestic homeland security. That is why they instead have focused on things like the Pledge of Allegiance and whether students are saying \"under God\" in school when they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. and they are focusing on amending the Constitution to prohibit flag burning or amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage. Now. each of us might have our own individual opinion on those matters. but when you go to Youngstown.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090156547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Right. Because that has happened so quickly that they believed initially that it was only the moneys that they had to pay out under the socalled copayment system. But. no. it was the total amount of the cost of the drug between what they had to pay out of their pocket and what the government was paying. So all of a sudden. people who are spending $600. $700. $800 a month on a drug regimen for. let us use the example of those who have a cardiac problem. will find themselves. in 3 or 4 months. having already reached that cap and now they are on their own. And that is happening now. Meanwhile. we cannot negotiate with drug manufacturers because the Republican majority was protecting the pharmaceutical industry.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":717}
{"speech_id":1090156549,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"you talked about the changes and the problems and the mistakes within the literature that was given out. I was about to say. this is the big leagues. This is the big leagues. We are the Federal Government. The lights are on in this Chamber not because we are great people. but because the people of America pay taxes so that they will have a government that will stand up for them. I have never seen a campaign sign saying I am running for Congress to. protect the special interests. vote for me. No one said to me. Congressman. I want you to make sure Exxoniobil and companies like that get what they need to make sure their shareholders are making the kind of money they need to make. They sent me here to make sure they can get from point A to point B and so that we would watch out for their dollars when we got here. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090156549,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am telling you. I am very. very concerned. Mr. DELAHUNT. and beyond partisanship. of what is happening to the majority as it relates to the ongoing blocking on behalf of the special interests. You can see the tracking as it relates to fundraising. the K Street Project. a number of other issues we know so much about: the scandals here in town as relates to special interests getting what they want. Members being pushed up to the back of the wall there in the corner. with leadership saying. you will vote for this or you will vote against that. and the voting board being held open for not only several minutes but hours in some cases to make sure the special interests get their way.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1510}
{"speech_id":1090156574,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And even in the first couple of days. we will raise the minimum wage and cut college loan interest rates in half for parents and students. Just in the first couple of days. once we get this signed. into law. we will- recognize a huge difference. Www.housedemocratsgov\/30something. All of the charts that we have here can be accessed on the Web site. Www.housedemocrats.gov\/30something. It has been a real pleasure.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":414}
{"speech_id":1090156580,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reclaiming my time. I thank the gentleman for his support. for his leadership on this. and for his kind words. I was fortunate in another life. before I came to the Congress. to have the privilege of working in this general area. I have a doctorate in human physiology. and I had the privilege of teaching medical school for 5 years and doing biomedical research. And when I came to the Congress and learned of the interest in stem cells. with my background I saw some opportunities for applications here that may not have been apparent to others. and I have been pursuing this now for some. 5 years with the White House and with the National Institutes of Health. We are here tonight. Mr. Speaker. because it is our understanding that within a few days. probably next week and maybe early next wdek. the Senate is going to be voting on three bills. two of them relevant to this. the third somewhat tangential to it. One of the bills they will be voting on is the bill that we passed here in the Congress here in the House some time ago. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9418}
{"speech_id":1090156580,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is known as the Castle bill here generally. CastleDeGette bill. This is the bill that the President says that if it gets to his desk. as Congressman OSBORNE indicated. he will veto it because this is a bill that would use surplus embryos from the fertility clinics. and they would be destroyed in the process of securing cells from them to produce these stem cell lines. although there is the anticipation. the hope. that a great deal of medical good might come from embryonic stem cell applications. There is a concern of many in our society. which I share. that it is not morally acceptable to destroy one life in the hopes that you will help another life. So I had hoped that there would be an alternative to this. that we could look forward to enjoying the potential benefits of embryonic stem cell applications without having to kill embryos. And that is what we are here to talk about this evening. because the second bill that the Senate will be voting on next week is a bill that is essentially identical to the one that we have been working on and developing now for these 5 years. The bill that we will vote on in the House. we hope. shortly after it is voted on in the Senate. will be a companion bill to the Senate bill and essentially the bill that we have been working on for these 5 years. I would first like to take a look at a chart here which shows. in very gross form. the developmental sequence and the origin of what we call stem cells so that we can get a little appreciation of what a stem cell is so that we can understand the difference between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells and the potential that these hold. Here we have a very abbreviated development process. It begins with what is called the zygote. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9418}
{"speech_id":1090156580,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The zygote is produced by the union of two sex cells. which technically are called gametes. And the zygote then goes to a number of cell divisions. And. boy. did they skip a lot here because we have just one cell and here we have several hundred cells. so it is divided again and again before you get to this point. And this is the point of the inner cell mass. And in that inner cell mass which will become the embryo. we have the first differentiation of these very primordial cells liere into three distinct cell types: one is the ectoderm and another is the mesoderm and the third one is the endoderm. There is a fourth cell type there. limited in number and location. and these are the germ cells. These will be the ova. produced in the female. and the sperm. produced in the male. What we have here depicted is the embryo implanted in the wall of the uterus. This is the uterus and this is the embryo and the socalled dissidua. the tissues that surround and support the embryo. Only this part of it here will become the baby. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9418}
{"speech_id":1090156580,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The rest of this will be the supporting tissues. the amnion and the corion. that support the baby. In each of these germ layers. and we call these germ layers because they are three layers. three types of cells from which all of the tissues and organs of the body will develop. the ectoderm will produce our skin and our nervous system. and the mesoderm will produce the great bulk of our bodies. It will produce all of the muscle celis. our heart. the blood system. the smooth muscle cells of our gut and so forth. All of these will be produced from the socalled mesoderm. The endoderm. much limited in quantity in the body but not in importance. our lungs. much of our lungs. the lining of our intestines. and so forth are produced from the endoderm. Every student in even a pretty elementary biology class will be familiar with one tyije of stem cell. and these are the stem cells that produce our blood cells because you can see those very readily in the adult. They are located in bone marrow. in the shafts of our ribs and so forth. and they produce our red blood cells. the little thrombocytes that produce the clotting of blood. and the polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These are the leukocytes with a funny shaped nucleus. And they are called stem cells because from a single cell type. this will differentiate into several types of blood cells. most of the blood cells. There are a couple of white blood cells that are produced in lymphatic tissue. but most of the blood cells are produced from these single stem cells. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9418}
{"speech_id":1090156580,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most of the other tissues here are also produced from stem cells because it is a single cell. the ectodermal cell. the differentiations of these several types of cells. All of these types of cells are adult stem cells. and they have the limitation of already having differentiated. They already are differentiated so that under ordinary circumstances only certain tissues will ever be produced from them. If you can go into the body and take out an ectodermal stem cell. unless you are clever and make that cell believe that it is something that it is not. it will produce only tissues that relate to the ectoderm. cells of our nervous system and cells of our integument. or our skin. Similarly for the mesodermal cells. if you can get a stem cel even before it is a stem cell for blood. back here you can get a stem cell from which all of these mesodermal tissues will develop. but you could never get ectodermal tissue from that nor could you get entodermal tissue from that. so you are somewhat limited as to the types of tissues that you might develop from an adult stem cell. But if you could go back to the embryonic stem cell. and you may have to go back even before this stage of development. when the embryonicstem cells are undifferentiated. which means they havent started to become a specific type of cell. you then could theoretically produce from those cells any and all of the tissues of the body. So there are a number of different diseases where the medical profession treating them and the loved ones of the families believe that there could be dramatic applications made from embryonic stem cells. Every year I look forward to the juvenile diabetic people coming through my office. These- are such heroic. little kids that I see. Some of them so brittle that they have an insulin pump and they have to puncture their fingers or their earlobe a dozen times a day or more to keep track of theirinsulin because they are so fragile. so brittle. they can go from very low glucose to very high glucose with lifethreatening changes. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9418}
{"speech_id":1090156583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. Indeed. it is true. Mr. Speaker. what he is describing. In fact. I can relate some personal experience to that. I think a lot of my colleagues know my wife and I had our fifth grandchild. but our oldest grandchildren are identical twin girls. they are 8 years old. and they were actually born at 26 weeks. They only weighed one pound. 12 ounces. And. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1333}
{"speech_id":1090156583,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. normally that situation is fraught with a lot of problems. and we were. of course. very blessed that they did well. But what Representative BARTLEr is talking about is exactly right. And. as he said. in human nature. you get this division. and you may be dividing at the eightcell stage. you may be dividing at the fourcell stage or the 16cell stage. and no harm is done. You are basically taking away 50 percent. it is almost like the wisdom of Solomon in dividing a child without harming either. And it is amazing what human nature can do. And the gentleman said earlier that preimplantation diagnoses biopsy of the embryos so that you can avoid reimplanting an embryo that has a genetic defect that is incompatible with life. And these processes are being done. the gentleman referred to maybe a couple hundred cases that he was familiar with. with absolutely no harm. So this is exactly the right track. and so I do agree with your statement.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1333}
{"speech_id":1090156595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was not planning on speaking today. but I must respond to the distinguished majority leaders comments about what is happening to our economy. One need only look at a newspaper. It doesnt matter which newspaper one picks up. The one I picked up in the cloakroom is the Washington Post business section. The headline of the Washington Post business section reads: Tax Cuts Credited. LongTerm Outlook Still Seen as Bleak. And you flip down through the article. it says. among other things: But the favorable news about the money rolling into the Treasury stems largely from shifts in the economy. including fatter corporate profits. executive bonuses and stock market gains. that reflect growing inequslity. the administrations critics contend. And even the White House acknowledges that in the long run. the nations fiscal outlook [seems very] bleak. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090156595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need only look on the next page where the story is carried over: The administrations estimate was widely derided at the time. budget experts said aides to President Bush were overestimating the red ink so they could claim credit later when the actual figures came in below forecast. This is what they did. Earlier in the year. they talked about how big the deficit would be. and they planned that because everyone knew the deficit would be smaller than that. Smaller? Mr. President. $300 billionis that anything to brag about? I think not. The news article further says: But revenue often soars or plummets unpredictably with the stock market. and a troubling story emerges from a look at the main sources of the latest revenue bonanza. according to the administrations critics. \"This all relates to the widening income disparities between highincome individuals and the rest of the population ...11 Our economy is not in good shape. The distinguished majority- leader brags about 5.5 million jobs having been created. During the administration of President Clinton. 23 million jobs were created. We went months during this administration when no new jobs were created. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090156595,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During the years of President Clinton. 23 million new jobs were created. and they were highquality jobs. During the last 3 years of the Clinton administration. we didnt have a $300 billion deficit that people are bragging about today on the Senate floor. We paid down the debt. We spent less money than we were taking in. We brought down the national debt by about a half trillion dollars. So. please. lets not boast abdut a $300 billion deficit. Any statistic one looks at recognizes the rich in America are getting richer. the poor are getting poorer. and the middle class is being squeezed. I hope some reality will come to the situation we find now on the Senate floor where the majority leader is bragging about how great it is that we have a $300 billion deficit. I dont think that is good news. I think it is bad news.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2864}
{"speech_id":1090156636,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If I could ask the Senator a few more questions. then I am happy to yield the floor. Assuming your hypothetical is correct. that the FDA could reach beyond our borders and could effectively review these drugs. which the FDA claims it cannot do. which is why they said they will not approve this. your amendment says that Customs and Border Patrol shall not be able to stop these drugs from coming across the border. Customs and Border Patrol does not have any control over the efficacy or safety of these drugs. This amendment should really be directed at the FDA because to put Customs and Border Patrol in this position means they have to release drugs which the FDA today is saying it does not approve. Yet there is no process for having the FDA come in and be required to approve them under the Senators amendment.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":818}
{"speech_id":1090156643,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reclaiming my time. let me respond to the chairmans remarks with two comments. First of all. the FDAright now. today. this hour. as we speakhas all the authority it needs to take any of the actioxis the chairman has described. It does not need any additional directive or authority. It has that authority. So the suggestion that somehow we need to act toward the FDA to give it that authority before it can move is absolutely not the case. In fact. we have been trying to get the FDA to act in this regard for several years because there are legitimate safety issues that should be met. Secondly. I compliment the chairman for trying to figure out a scenario in which this is a true top priority of Customs and Border Protection in a post 9\/11 world. I just do not think it adds up. though. ","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1303}
{"speech_id":1090156643,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not think. with all the border security and terrorist threats we face as a nation. allowing the Customs and Border Protection agents to continueto even escalatetheir practice of taking away small amounts of prescription drugs from seniors crossing back from Canada. et cetera. is the right thing to do. is a right priority for Customs and Border Protection. With that. Mr. President. I yield back my time and look forward to the comments from my amendment cosponsor. the Senator from Florida.","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1303}
{"speech_id":1090156648,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the suggestion. In fact. we have been talking to the chairmans staff about additional language. which we would ask be added to the amendment by unanimous consent. to create a list of countries to which this cannot apply and would specifically ask the chairmans staff for the appropriate list of countries for us to consider. a list from their point of view. So we will be happy to work on that and wrap this up before we end this floor debate.","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":456}
{"speech_id":1090156680,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senator from Louisiana said it only concerns Canadian drugs. Lets take a look at what FDA said when they looked at socalled Canadian generic drugs ordered from a website claiming to sell drugs from Canada. TE S7305 Where was the website registered? China. Where was the post office address? Dallas. TX. Where was the return address? Miami. FL. Where was the credit card billed? St. Kitts. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":969}
{"speech_id":1090156680,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And where was the phone number listed? Belize. Canadian pharmacies. legal under this new amendment coming in from Canada. Canadian? Really? Where was this stuff made? We dont know. Probably China. Maybe not. Is it FDA approved? Is it licensed? Safe and effective? No. no. no. This is dangerous stuff. For U.S. Senators to stand up and say. We have concerns about Vioxx if there is even a 1percent potential problem for somebody who uses it. but we are going to let drugs come in from God knows where. that are potentially ineffective and deadly. is a travesty..","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":969}
{"speech_id":1090156784,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to propose an amendment for myself and my good friend from New York to restore the Federal Emergency Management AgencyFEMAto its proper place as an independent agency. Before I speak on our amendment. I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for their hard work on this issue. We disagree on this one point. but I appreciate all they have done over the past year. to ensure that the failures of Hurricane Katrina are never repeated. As my colleagues on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee know. the placement of FEMA in the Department of Homeland SecurityDHSis a subject that has troubled me since the concept of the Department was first debated in 2002. As a senior member of this committee. I can tell you that the structure of Federal agencies matters. Combining too many disparate functions some of which have nothing to do with homeland security into one agency can be unworkable. which is a primary reason why I voted against the creation of DHS. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6407}
{"speech_id":1090156784,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Some say reinstating FEMAs independence now is brash and premature. Respectfully. I could not disagree more. To me. it was premature to place FEMA within DHS. a huge. terrorismfocused agency. where FEMAs traditional mission of responding to disasters would be neglected. The FEMA of yesterday has been downgraded. dismantled. and demoralized which I believe contributed to the muddled response to Hurricane Katrina. DHS failed as a department during Hurricane Katrina and failed to. give FEMA the opportunity to succeed. During the Committees Katrina hearings. we heard numerous examples of information and initiative getting lost in. DHS during the Hurricane Katrina response. Witnesses described sending information updates and requests out to the Department. never knowing where those messages went or if requested action had been taken. DHS was a black hole where information and accountability were lost. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6407}
{"speech_id":1090156784,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since FEMA was folded into the Department. FEMA has been deprived of funding and resources. FEMA has been forced to transfer significant resources to other parts of the Department. In 2003 and 2004. $169 million of FEMAs funding was transferred to DHS. in part because of lost programs. but also because of a socalled management tax to help pay for shared services within the Department. Congress and the American public never knew about these funding shortfalls because FEMA was buried within DHS. Former FEMA Director Michael Brown testified that instead of taking FEMAs budget proposal to the President. he was required to clear the budget through another Undersecretary at DHS. then the Secretary. and then the President. With a loss of funding and programs. came a loss of staff. FEMAs staff has been reduced by 500 positions since 2003. And- within the existing positions at FEMA. there has been a 15 to 20 percent vacancy rate over the past few years. FEMA needs to be an independent. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6407}
{"speech_id":1090156784,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cabinetlevel agency to avoid having its budget and staff siphoned off for other activities within the Department. Restoring the FEMA Director to the Presidents Cabinet will better serve America. Restoring FEMAs place at the table will ensure transparency and accountability while allowing the Director to present funding needs directly to the President. In 1996. recognizing the importance of -emergency response. President Clinton elevated the FEMA Director position to the Cabinet level. Former FEMA Director James Lee Witt said being a member of the Presidents Cabinet allowed him to task other Federal agencies more effectively during disasters and provided an established and direct line of communication to the President. There are those who argue that FEMA needs to remain in DHS so that the Departments other personnel and assets can be accessed more readily. This is a hollow argument because under the Stafford Act. FEMA has the authority to utilize resources across the Federal Government during a disaster. The Stafford Act allows FEMA to task Health and Human Services. the Department of Transportation. the Department - of Defense. - and many other Federal agencies during disasters. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6407}
{"speech_id":1090156784,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Should all those entities be incorporated into DHS as well? There is no reason the same mission assignment procedure cannot be applied to DHS assets as well. Separating FEMA from DHS not only will improve FEMAs ability to manage preparedness and response. but it also will allow DHS to focus on its mission to prevent a terrorist attack. DHS cannot be all things to all people. The dedicated public servants of FEMA agree. The American Federation of- Government EmployeesAFGEwhich represents 1.200 FEMA employees. strongly endorses an independent FEMA. AFGEs June 13. 2006. letter to Congress states: (T)he merger of FEMA into DHS may have sounded good in theory. but in reality it has proven to be impractical and counterproductive. When Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S.. the DHS structure simply imposed an extra layer of bureaucracy on top of FEMA. and wound up impeding. not assisting. the response. Former FEMA Director Witt also believes FEMA does not belong in DHS. In a recent editorial. he stated: Though most agree FEMA must be mended. we dont have the luxury of gambling with another experimental restructuring of the department. And why gamble when a simple reversion to its pre2001 incarnation would fix the problem? . . . ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6407}
{"speech_id":1090156811,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I listened with interest to the Senator from Maine. the chairperson of the committee on which we both serve. I am trying to figure out why a name change might be part of the plan to try to make FEMA a more efficient agency. I think we are chasing our tail around the tree because I dont see how we can do it under the present structure. I want to start at the beginning. I dont plan to take all the time that is available. I would like to go back a little bit: When we look at the structure of DHS..the Department of Homeland Security. we see the complications that exist even today with its general functioning: Are the screeners doing an effective job? Do we have too many? They were once publicly owned groups across the country. and they were doing a poor job. Then we -brought them into the Government and their performance improved substantially. Now there is talk about whether we ought to put them back into private hands. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6558}
{"speech_id":1090156811,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think about the task of Secretary Chertoffand Secretary Chertoff is someone I know very well and for whom I have a great deal of respectwhen we lootY at the assignment22 Departments. 180.000 people. budgets that are insufficient to start with. and then the squabbling. the arm wrestling that has to take place within the Department to try and get FEMA enough money. It just doesnt make sense to have this Department of Government surrounded by the rest of the structure that is so complicated within DHS. . There was a time when FEMA was called upon to act as a result of natural disasters. and they did it very well. James Lee Witt was the head of FEMA. In 1993. we had what was the equivalent of a 100year flood in Mississippi. and FEMA acted professionally and efficiently and got the job done. Then we had the Northridge earthquake which was one of the worst disasters we have seen. Once again. FEMA stood up to the task and did it efficiently and responded very promptly to get that done. I. for one. believe. as does the Senator from New York. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6558}
{"speech_id":1090156811,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CLINTON. that FEMA ought to be removed. ought to be independent. and to give it a chance to fight for its own budget. to make its own case. to be able to have direct contacV with the Presidents office. When we think about it. we worry an awful lot about a terrorist attack on our soil. and we should. and we should fight to protect our citizens from the consequences of that kind of an event. But. also. when we look at what happened with natural disasters and the significantjust look at Katrina and see what has happened there. There is a whole sector in our country that has yet to recover. We are going to be at the first anniversary of Katrina in less than 2 months. and there are still people living in unacceptable conditions. still the restoration has not taken placethe theft. the waste. the fraud that has taken place there. and we look and we say: What has happened here? Why isnt it better? It isnt better because the structure doesnt permit it to get better with any degree of ease. In my view. FEMA has to be a separate department. as it once was. to be able to function as it once did under a different kind of leadership. Who can forget the consequences of the first strike of the storm when the President of the United States was busy in California. He didnt visit the scene until a couple of days had passed. and he did that from 30.000 feet in the air and called it a devastating sight and gave congratulations to Mr. Brown: Brownie. heck of a job. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6558}
{"speech_id":1090156811,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Did the President not know what he was saying or did he make a mistake? The fact is. there was so much confusion with the communications links that it was almost impossible to decipher what was going to happen. who was responsible. who was out to dinner when they were crying for help in the various communities. until someone reached over the top. went past the organizational structure. and got to the Presidents office. Then things began to happen. And they didnt happen very efficiently. nor did they happen thoroughly. I think if we separated FEMA from the Department of Homeland Security. it would give our new directorwho holds high hope. I think. for all of us. he is a competent person. He has experience before he came to FEMA. He has a very positive background for this kind of job. He is new on the job. and I think it would give him a much stronger hand in the annual battle over the agencys budget and appropriations. Obviously. then. it would free FEMA of several layers of bureaucracy at DHS and make it easier for the agency to do its job. We talk so often around here about the bureaucracy and how tough it is to work your way through it. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6558}
{"speech_id":1090156811,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But here we have this critical agency. the agency that has more direct responsibility for our national security within our boundaries. on our land. than any other agency. and we keep it as a part of a total mechanical structure that says: OK. make sure you get A. B. C. and D. I think that is the wrong approach to having FEMA do the job we want it to do. It is obvious that FEMA was weak and ineffective and showed a great deal of incompetence. What we want to do is streamline the agency as much as we can. and this is an opportunity to do just that. We are not going to rely on picking friendscronies. if I can use the term. political campaign workersto do this job and expect to have it succeed. That is not the way you take a position like this and have it be able to do its job. the job of jumping in there in the middle of a natural disasterof people searching for relatives. searching for a way out. What do you do to replace a reasonable living condition for them? It is a very tough job. \" I think FEMAs subservient position inside DHS has contributed to low morale and the loss of qualified professional staff. and it is difficult attracting experienced personnel back to the agency. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6558}
{"speech_id":1090156850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I hereby submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report prepared by the Congressional Budget Office under section 308(b) and in aid of section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. as amended. This report meets the requirements for Senate scorekeeping of section 5 of S. Con. Res. 32. the first concurrent resolution on the budget for This report shows the effects of congressional action on the 2006 budget through June 30. 2006. The estimates of budget authority. outlays. and revenues are consistent with the technical and economic assumptions of the2006 concurrent resolution on the budget. H. Con. Res. 95. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1698}
{"speech_id":1090156850,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pursuant to section 402 of that resolution. provisions designated as emergency requirements are exempt from enforcement of the budget resolution. As a result. the attached report excludes these amounts. The estimates show that current level spending is under the budget resolution by $11.873 billion in budget authority and by $4.060 billion in outlays in 2006. Current level for revenues is $6.589 billion above the budget resolution in 2006. Since my last report dated May 19. 2006. Congress has cleared and the President has signed the following acts which have changed budget authority. outlays. or revenues: the Native American Technical Corrections Act of 2006. Public Law 109221. the Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities Act Public Law 109227. the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense. the Global War on Terror. and Hurricane Relief. 2006. Public Law 109234. and the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 Public Law 109236. I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying letter and material be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1698}
{"speech_id":1090156853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to congratulate the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. which will launch the celebration of its diamond jubilee for the 2007\/2008 season oi December 30. 200Q. The Phoenix Symhphony Orchestra is embarking on its 60th year of having a profound cultural and educational effect in the State of Arizona. Founded in 1947. the Phoenix Symphony proudly serves Phoenix and the surrounding metropolitan area. the State of Arizona. and the southwestern United States. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each yearin a city of fewer than 100.000 peopletoday serves more than 300.000 people annually. with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond. Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G- Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason. the orchestra is overseen by the nonprofit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Gerald W. Murphy. The 76member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June. featuring fulllength classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix. in Scottsdale. in Prescott. in several Native American communities and throughout central Arizona. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1745}
{"speech_id":1090156853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The symphony performs for more than 50.000 students and children. representing over 260 different schools. helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youthengagement programs including programs at the Salt River Pima Indian Nation. Chicanos por la Causa. and Phoenix Elementary School District No. 1. Again. I congratulate the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra for its remarkable achievements and contributions to Arizona.0","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1745}
{"speech_id":1090156967,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the -bureaucrats are at it again. First. they came up with the idea of selling off 300.000 acres of our precious national forest lands. including 1.000 acres of the Ocala. National Forest in my district. They madQ this reckless budget proposal without any input whatsoever from Members of Congress or the American public. After the fact. 130.000 Americans wrote in to oppose this proposal. This week. the United States Department of Agriculture . bureaucrats arrogantly told the press they want to move forward anyway. despite Congress and the American public. The pathetic. attempt of the Department of Agriculture bureaucrats to sell our national forests is financially shortsighted and environmentally reckless. You can lead a bureaucrat to water. but -you cant make him think. Well. we are going to do the thinking for you and reject this insane proposal.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":872}
{"speech_id":1090156969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Joe Carcamo. an illegal El Salvadoran. had 17 driving violations when he drunkenly was drag racing down a Michigan street and hit two teenagers. He was driving 75 miles an hour. He cracked the skull of one of them and the other girl lost both her legs. We could have stopped this reckless illegal after his first violation. which was breaking and entering into our country. but politics stops local law enforcement from making these arrests. Not so with Sheriff Joe Arpaie from Maricopa County. He is using an Arizona law that locks up smugglers and their customers. too. for conspiring to break the law. The Mexican Government wants to help illegals break out of his jail by suing Sheriff Joe for just enforcing American law. The word is out: Coyote smugglers avoid Maricopa County and the High Sheriff Joe Arpaio. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1046}
{"speech_id":1090156969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. our sheriffs and Border Patrol do as good a job as we let them do. and our Nation must send out the word: Enter the House of America legally. or you will enter the jailhouse. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1046}
{"speech_id":1090156974,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today with my colleagues to impart some history and context relative to the right to vote in America. an essential part of the democratic process. I thank each of my colleagues for joining me to discuss this issue. Today. a series of Members will come to the floor to tell you the truth about the barriers. both past and present. that have prevented Americans from voting. The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important laws enacted by our government in the history of our democracy. because it allows the people to address past and present disenfranchisement as well as disparate conditions that will affect the ability to exercise voting rights in the future. Passage of H.R. 9 to reauthorize and renew the 1965 Voting Rights Act is critical to our democracy and our democratic form. of government and the free exercise of the voting rights of all Americans. Mr. Speaker. the stories that you and America will hear today will underscore why the Voting Rights Act is so important and must be renewed. You will hear stories from Members of Congress who were voting age prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that recount some of the extreme difficulties and egregious legal impediments that constrained their right to vote. and you will hear other stories about real people denied the right to vote.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1323}
{"speech_id":1090156978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the rules of the. House wont allow me to do what George H. White did in 1901 when he rose to address an agriculture bill for 5 minutes and ended up speaking for an hour and a half. giving his farewell to Congress and saying these words: \"Mr. Speaker. this perhaps may be the temporary farewell of minorities and African Americans from this body. but some day we will rise up and come again.\" \u0095 Well. it took 92 years from that point in 1901 until 1993 when Eva Clayton and I returned to Congress as African. American Members from North Carolina. And thank God the laws wont allow the exclusion of African Americans and other minorities from this democracy any longer because of the Voting Rights Act. We have got to renew it apd extend it. We need to do it today in the House.","speaker_name":"MELVIN WATT","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":789}
{"speech_id":1090156982,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is no civil rights legislation more important or effective than the Voting Rights Act. The right to vote is the very foundation of our democracy. and as the Supreme Court noted in 1964. other rights. even the most basic. are illusory if the right to vote is undermined. The Voting Rights Act has made that right a reality. In Virginia. my home State. because of all sorts of schemes and barriers. there were no African American State legislators or Federal legislators. not a single African American State or Federal judge in 1964. After four decades of the Voting Rights Act which prohibited those schemes and removed those barriers. we now have 18 legislators and over 40 judges serving in Virginia. We do not need to return to the days before 1965. We do need to extend the expiring provisions- of the Voting Rights Act. We should support H.R. 9 without amendment.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090156985,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is really with a deep sense of gratitude to Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. Coretta Scott King and our great warrior. Congressman JOHN LEWIS. that I rise in support of the renewal of the Voting Rights Act. There is no way that I would be standing on this floor today as a Member of Congress had it not been for the bloodshed and the sacrifices and oftentimes the deaths of so many fighting for all Americans for their right to vote. And I vividly remember the days of Jim Crow and segregation and the insidious poll tax growing up in Texas. The humiliation and the discrimination and the degradation of African Americans will always be a scar on Americas history. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed just 1 year after I graduated from high school. And unfortunately. we still need to renew these expiring provisions. and we shouldnt weaken any of the protections in this legislation. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1375}
{"speech_id":1090156985,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We still witness voter intimidation and voter suppression in our country. But I am reminded of the tremendous progress and the march to freedom and equality. but also of the unfinished business of America during the very .powerful civil rights pilgrimages that some of us goon to Selma and to Birmingham and to Montgomery. Alabama. In memory of all of those who paid the supreme price for our democracy. let us pass this bill today and lets pass it on a bipartisan basis..","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1375}
{"speech_id":1090156995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Voting Rights Act was passed to put an end to intimidation of poor and black voters. Sadly. acts of intimidation and voter fraud directed at black and Latino voters are not just a thing of the past. In 2000. Floridas blacks were intimidated and illegally removed from the voter rolls. In 2002. in my district in Georgia. we learned that crossover voting can be used as effectively as the allwhite primaries once were. In 2004. Ohios black voters faced intimidation and fabricated long lines by misallocating the voting machines. Tom DeLays Texas redistricting was ruled by this Supreme Court to violate Latino voting rights. And just last week. the Georgia legislatures second Voter ID bill got smacked down by the courts a second time. ","speaker_name":"CYNTHIA MCKINNEY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090156995,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Voting Rights Act is relevant and necessary to protect our precious right to vote.","speaker_name":"CYNTHIA MCKINNEY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090157008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from West Virginia for providing me the time to speak on behalf of the Credit Rating Agency Duopoly Relief Act. H.R. 2990. the bill that I have introduced. I am here today in support. and strong support. of the rule. Mr. Speaker. it is vital that Congress bring transparency. competition and accountability to the credit rating industry. and the time to do it is now. Mr. Speaker. it is extremely disturbing that the two largest nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. known as NRSROs. in the industry. Moodys and Standard & Poors. both rated Enron at investment grade just immediately prior to their bankruptcy filings. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090157008,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Essentially. Moodys and Standard & Poors told the market that Enron was a safe investment. Credit rating agencies claim that they are not in the business of detecting fraud. but they are most certainly in the business of impacting the bottom line of companies. municipalities and also school districts. The better the credit rating. the lower the interest rate the borrower must pay to expand its operations. construct a road or build a school. Enron was not their only blunder. Moodys and Standard & Poors also rated WorldCom as investment grade just prior to their bankruptcy filing. but there are other options throughout the marketplace. Mr. Speaker. there are over 130 credit rating agencies in -the financial market. However. only five are designated as nationally recognized statistical rating organizations by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This label. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090157008,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would submit. is the root of the problem. To receive the elusive SEC distinction. companies must be nationally recognized. that is. their ratings must be widely used and generally accepted in the financial markets. This artificial barrier to entry has created a chicken and the egg situation for nonNRSRO credit rating agencies trying to enter this industry. thus forcing a duopoly that we have heard about. Moodys and S&P have over 80 percent of the market share. and they are rating 99 percent of all debt issued. The lack of competition in the credit rating industry has lowered the quality of ratings. inflated prices. stifled innovation and allowed anticompetitive industry practices and conflicts of interest to go unchecked.. Mr. Speaker. in the wake of Enron and WorldCom. we must ensure integrity in the credit ratings process. H.R. 2990 would inject greater competition. transparency and accountability in the credit rating industry by eliminating the SEC staffs anticompetitive NRSRO process. This legislation replaces the current SEC staff designation process for credit rating agencies as NRSROs with a registrationprocess like that for other market participants. such as investment advisors and brokerdealers. In addition. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090157008,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 2990 would require each rating agency to disclose relevant information so that investors would have the information they need to select the rating agencies that they want to -use. As a result. prices and anticompetitive practices will be reduced. credit ratings quality will improve. and firms will innovate. Many organizations whose opinions matter support this legislation: The Bond Market Association. the Association for Financial Professionals. the Investment Company Institute. the As.sociation for Financial Professionals. and the wellregarded Financial Services Roundtable. who opposes Moodys and Standard & Poors. Mr. Speaker. I urge a \"yes\" vote on the rule.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3450}
{"speech_id":1090157021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express concern about where we are and where we have been with our current credit rating agency methodologies. Many have come to the well today to express concern that we will be sacrificing quality for the sake of quantity. Let us simply go back a few short months. a few short years. and think about the irate comments made on the floor of this House with the disclosures of WorldCom and Enron and Global Crossing. and you make your own list. Guess what. the keepers of the gate were on duty when all that happened. We can go back a little further to the tragic loss of taxpayer resources in the S&L crisis. Guess who was on duty. It is the structure that some stand before the House today to defend and decry that we are going to sacrifice quality. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090157021,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Well. gentlemen. if that is your definition of quality. we have had enough. It is time to make a change. What do we suggest? Just lightly opening the doors and let someone run down the hall and say. now I am an NSRSO. I am qualified? No. you have to be in business for 3 years. That is a pretty long internship to spend money and resources to establish you have the ability to issue credit ratings on which the market invests its confidence. Let us think one more step. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Some may be surprised to know that after a multiyear. multibillion dollar restatement. Fannie Mae cannot issue financials that meet their auditing requirements for the public benefit. Today. they cant. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090157021,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Others may be surprised to learn that 43 percent of Americas financial institutions have 100 percent of their tier one capital requirement invested in Fannies and Freddies. Now. some people rush to say. oh. no. it is not all Fannies and Freddies. Oh. great. it is Farm Credit System. that is even better. The point is. we have the financial security of our Nation and our financial system invested for the money in the sock drawer when things go bad. the tier one capital requirement. so if they hit a bump in the road. they can reach in the drawer and pull out a few bucks and pay off the loan. That money is tied up in Fannie and Freddie securities that this enterprise. S&P and Moodys. have said are great. they are fine. notwithstanding the fact that for 5 years corporate executives paid themselves $250 million in bonuses on financials where they cooked the books. Boy. we have got a great system. I am going to fight to the death over preserving this. Look at what it has done for Americas taxpayers and American inyestors. Man. if there ever was a clearcut case to make a change. why arent we making the change? If you dont believe me. go to McGrawHills Web page. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090157021,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Go to McGrawHills Web page and look at the income from S&P. which is a subsidiary of McGrawHill. In 2005. their operating revenue was 2.4 billion. their operating profit was 1 billion. Now. friends. a 42.5 percent rate of return on your operating expense is a pretty hefty rate of return. it represents 68 percent of McGrawHills entire operating profit. McGrawHill is only one of 34 companies to have increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years. Put it in perspective. In looking at the first quarter peiformance in 2005 versus the similar quarter in 2004. McGrawHill actually lost money in its educational activities. It had in its information and media arena. down 65 percent. but financial services. which is S&P. it was up $222.512.000. I think I figured out 222 million reasons why this bill is controversial. It is a fight about money. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090157021,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lets get it right this time.","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3579}
{"speech_id":1090157080,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"bill follows the regulatory regimes applied to brokerdealers and investment advisors. In doing so. it rejects regulation controlled by the SEC in favor of the marketbased approach that has driven our securities laws since the 1930s. H.R. 2990 removes the SECs designation process. and in its place gives rating agencies who have issued ratings for 3 years the option of registering as NRSROs. A voluntary registration system will level the playing field for all rating agencies and inject much needed competition into this industry. As we have seen time and time again in other markets. true competition begets lower prices and better performance. When dealing with- investor protection. it is all the more critical to ensure that healthy competition exists. -yielding more accurate and reliable ratings. In addition. H.R. 2990 promotes transparency and empowers investors by requiring registrants to disclose the methodologies by which they generate ratings. It requires rating agencies to provide short. medium. and longterm performance statistics. and to make all information and documents submitted to the SEC publicly available. This will give the market a clearer understanding of the agencies that are rating debt. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2577}
{"speech_id":1090157080,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill also requires that rating agencies maintain a chief compliance officer to oversee compliance with the securities laws and protects market stability. providing that the voluntary regime will not go into effect until January 2008. SE H5081 To insulate the rating agencies from overreaching legislation. H.R. 2990 affirms that the Federal Government may not intrude into rating agencies methodologies or the ratings process. Finally. I have concerns about the conflicts of interest which plague this industry. Ratings firms have expanded into new areas which. many commentators have suggested. further compromise their objectivity. 0l 1330 In addition. it has been alleged that leading rating agencies engage in certain abusive practices to the detriment of smaller market players. H.R. 2990 requires disclosure of conflicts of interest and prohibits such anticompetitive practices. The many hours that the Committee on Financial Services and Mr. FITZPATRICK have spent on this issue have shown the problems cited by the SEC report are best rectified through a system of voluntary registration open to all eligible rating agencies. This will eliminate barriers to entry. promote competition. and do so using the least restrictive means of regulation. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2577}
{"speech_id":1090157080,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge all Members to support this important bill. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2577}
{"speech_id":1090157087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I had been a member of the Financial Services Committee. the gentlemans committee. and have worked on a number of different issues with him. I respect the work he has done on this issue. and also the sponsor. Mr. FITZPATRICKs work. and I rise in support of the bill. The Credit Rating Agency Duopoly Relief Act will provide more transparency. For far too long only two rating agencies have had 80 percent of the market share. That is because they have an advantage under the current system. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090157087,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill will bring more competition and innovation into the credit rating agencies. This is extremely important. In the markets of today where we have had questions about the veracity of reported information. we need more competition among agencies and more transparency. While there are 130 credit rating agencies in the financial markets. only five are designated as nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. Blocking competition in the marketplace and stifling innovation is never a good thing. Our laws should encourage open competition and a fair marketplace. The basic principles of competition and fairness make our marketplace dynamic. and credit rating agencies should not be immune to these principles. By blocking entry to the market. mistakes have been made. The current certified agencies listed Enron as a safe investment and WorldCom as investment grade quality right before they filed for bankruptcy. As a former member of the Financial Services Committee. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090157087,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have worked closely on these issues surrounding both Enron and WorldCom after the collapse. and I am pleased we are taking this commonsense approach to strengthen our markets and provide consumers with more choice. more transparency and more responsible information. Specifically. this bill will open the credit rating agency market by ensuring that more agencies will be able to get this national rating. ending the current requirement to specific business models. Encouraging competition and transparency in this industry will improve quality. and that is always better for the market.","speaker_name":"MELISSA HART","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2132}
{"speech_id":1090157116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to make clear that there is a difference of opinion as to the appropriate method to move forward and establish that the- committees work product is not frivolously or expeditiously constructed. The committee has worked many long hours and heard from many experts in the field as to the most sound recommendations that could be adopted to effect the changes both sides agree need to be made. In studying the gentlemans substitute. I think it is important to recognize. however. the consequences if the House were to adopt this specific recommendation. The Kanjorski amendment would establish by sense of Congress that the","speaker_name":"RICHARD BAKER","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":684}
{"speech_id":1090157118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise both as a Representative of North Dakota and also as a former State insurance regulator. a solvency regulator. to speak in favor of the substitute and against the underlying legislation. Let me talk about the underlying legislation first. This essentially \"go to a laissezfaire. let the market determine rating agency credibility\" is a very different departure from the longestablished course we have been on with national registered statistical rating agencies. Just a little textbook lesson here: Transparency is generally regarded as essential to the free function of financial markets. But transparency depends upon the ability of those participating in the markets to know the credit worthiness of the players. These statistical rating agencies make an assessment of the credit worthiness of the players and put the information out so the market can employ it. Now what they would do is move away from a guaranteed assessment of credibility by a national registry on these statistical -rating agencies. and they would let you have this designation for an outfit that has been in existence 3 years. with no evaluation of the competence and the credibi*lity underlying the assessments made - by July- 12. 2006 these credit rating agencies. The result. of course.- is predictable:. widely different quality in the credit assessment brought forward by the rating agencies. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4056}
{"speech_id":1090157118,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is very bad business. Very bad business for virtually all involved. For the investors: Well. you want to make an investment. but they say the Humpty Dumpty rating agency gives this a triple star. grade A rating. Welt. you dont really know a lot about Humpty Dumpty rating agency. but it sounds pretty good. They are one of these statistical rating agencies because they have been around 3 years. and you make your investment accordingly. The . competence of the Humpty Dumpty rating agency matters. which is why the present approach to the national registry matters. Deregulating it is bad for investors and people will lose money. Now. if it is bad for investors. you might say. well. that must really be a boon. then. to companies that want to fleece investors by raising capital on noncreditworthy enterprises. Not necessarily. I think this is bad for companies too. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4056}
{"speech_id":1090157118,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And let me tell you about an experience I encountered as an insurance commissioner. We had standard rating agencies. and then there was a startup rating agency. It got a lot of press. Inevitably. they kept coming up with more alarming rating assessments of the insurance companies. and that got widely reported in the financial press because it was newsworthy. It was a bit of the \"sky is falling\" rating agency. And yet here is how that rating agency made money: If you wanted to call in and get their rating of an insurance company. you had to pay them money to get that information. They made money for every call into their office. So they put out a fancy press release on an insurance company or on insurance company ratings at large. drum up free media coverage. get people calling in. and by the calls. make a lot of money. In the process. I believe they were often very unfair in their ratings and giving a falsely ominous impression of the solvency status of the insurance companies. ","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4056}
{"speech_id":1090157118,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So this thing. while bad for investors. it may be bad for companies too because in this proliferation of unregulated rating agencies. you are going .to have some rating agencies that just love to tell a terrible story. irrespective of whether it is fair or whether it is not. So really disconnecting from the Securities and Exchange Commission and to have the majority in the House run this deregulation of rating agencies. ultimately so critical to the function of our financial markets. is. frankly. just a little nutty. not well founded. not well thought out. and it is an idea that ought to be cured by the passage of the substitute. which basically brings it back in line with the quality assurance of nationally registered statistical rating agencies. I thank the gentleman for yielding.","speaker_name":"EARL POMEROY","chamber":"H","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4056}
{"speech_id":1090157179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. with very much fanfare yesterday. the President held a press conference to claim vindication for his economic stewardship .and his fiscal policies. He announced. and I just n6w calmed down. that the United States Government would only have a $3 billion Federal deficit for the fiscal year 2006. By this administrations standards. this qualifies - as a monumental achievement? $300 billion deficit and the President wanted applause for what he had done because after creating the three largest deficits in history. you are making progress if you do not set any standards or any records. This time it is only the fourth largest deficit ever in the United States. In the Nations capital. the Presidents budget is becoming known as the \"World of -Diminished Expectations.\" Let us go back a little. In 2001. President Bush inherited a surplus of $284 billion. and it was predicted by the year 2006 we would have a surplus of $516 billion. and they are only off by $800 billion. By Washingtons standards. that is just a rounding error. So it makes sense to put away the champagne glasses for a while. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4879}
{"speech_id":1090157179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition to celebrating the fourth highest deficit ever. the President touted the significance of his tax increases. What he did not know is. in his administration. we have added $3 trillion to the Nations debt. $3 trillion in 5 years. the largest increase in the Nations debt in the shortest period of time ever in American history. $3 trillion. and on the present course. with Iraq spending and spending by the Federal Government and the revenue structure. we are on course to add another $1 trillion in 5 years. Now. here is what Greg Mankiw. the Presidents former Chief Economic Ad\"viser. said about the Presidents claim that his tax cuts can be paid for and actually help on the economy: \"There is no credible evidence\" that \"tax revenues rise in the face of lower tax rates.\" That is the Presidents own economic adviser. He went on to compare an economist who says that tax cuts can pay for themselves to a \"snake oil salesman trying to sell a miracle cure.\" The Economist magazine recently wrote. \"Even by the standards of political boosterism. this is extraordinary. No serious economist believes President Bushs tax cuts will pay for themselves.\" Not only have they not paid for themselves. they have left a huge bbrden on the middle class families and their children for generations to come to pay for. Let us look at what is also happening in the Presidents economic stewardship. In July of 2001. 5 years ago. under President Bush gas was $1.33 a gallon. Today. in Chicago. my district. it is $3.40. It has more than doubled. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4879}
{"speech_id":1090157179,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Health care costs have gone up 73 percent in premiums to $11.000 a year for a family of four. College costs for a 4year college education at a public school is up 38 percent. And incomes. the median income in this countryhas declined 2.3 percent. So while college costs have gone up. energy costs have gone up. health care costs have gone up. the savings rates in this country are down irf negative territory for the first time since World -War II. Median incomes are flat. and the President wants your applause for a $300 billion deficit because it is so good. So while the prices have spiraled out of control for middle class families and the standard of living is coming under increasing pressure from the global economy. energy costs. health care costs. college costs. savings rates. incomes have not gone up. in fact they are flat to declining. The American people need a raise. It is that simple. Now. the welltodo are doing well. It is time we make sure that this government is working on behalf of the American people. not the American people working on behalf of their government. 4uly 12. 2006 We do not have to go back so far as to remind people what happened in the past when we had an economic strategy that put our fiscal house in order. and invested in the education. health care and energy independence of this country. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4879}
{"speech_id":1090157179,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We created 22 million jobs in the 1990s. record unemployment. We had low inflation. below 2 percent. a balanced budget and a surplus 3 years in a row. and we began to pay down the debt. Welfare rolls declined. Poverty went down. Childrens health care coverage went up. All the while we also provided the middle class a tax cut so they could send their kids to college known as a HOPE scholarship and the lifetime earning credit. Anytime you want to go back to college. you got a tax cut to do so..So you had the skills and the capability to do what you needed to do to compete in a global economy. That is when your government is putting its fiscal house in order. being responsible for your dollars and investing in education and health care independence. It is time for new economic priorities. It is time for a change. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4879}
{"speech_id":1090157179,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time to put the government back on the side of the American people.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4879}
{"speech_id":1090157220,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. RYAN for yielding the time. As I was waiting to come over. I had an opportunity to watch our friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle speak about immigration. and I discovered something tonight. and that is that they really have a great sense of humor. Now. we know individual Members over there that are friends of ours. we enjoy them. and they have a sense of humor. but collectively they have a sense of humor. They were eloquent in their comments and their observations. and I noted that they continued to refer to the Senate bill. Mr. Speaker. asthe ReidKennedy bill. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1065}
{"speech_id":1090157220,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I guess we must be playing some sort of funny game because I am going to ask my colleagues to help me. Whatever happened to JOHN McCAnN? Did he just disappear? I thought it was Senator MCCAIN. who there is a rumor. Mr. Speaker. that he might be.a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. that he had something to do with that Senate bill. Has anybody seen Senator MCCAIN? Congresswoman WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. have you seen Senator MCCAIN?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1065}
{"speech_id":1090157227,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. well. let me just say that it is an honor being here tonight with my colleagues and 30something Working Group. and I am so glad that Mr. RYAN was here to catch the hour. I notice that he has taken the high road here or the high ground here tonight. and it is so good to be in the well. But I just want to say to Mr. DELAHUNT. it goes back to our discussion the last two evenings. Our Republican colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle. which is the majority. what is not a great value of that majority and the leadership is being straight with the American people.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":584}
{"speech_id":1090157245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have got to have a chart. Because. folks. they cannot quite capture those numbers on that small piece of paper you have. If a Member was in his office or her office watching us here on the floor. we want them to visually see their track record on what they have done. It reminds me of when the President flew over the Hurricane Katrinaaffected area and came back to the White House and said. We are sending food and water down. and blankets. and this is just the beginning. Well. that was 3 days after the storm. And I can tell you this right now. in the heat of the summer. I do not know what good blankets- would have done. but that is a whole other issue. The bottom line is. just because they say it. and I am taking from Gingrich. just because they say it. \"they\" is what Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090157245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gingrich is calling the Republican majority. just because they say it does not necessarily mean that it is true. It does not necessarily mean. just because they say it. that it is true. I will share what Mr. Gingrich has called this Republican majority. We do not have to do it. Republicans and Americans are saying it. This is the former Speaker of the House. Mr. Speaker. who said in the Knight Ridder newspaper. Friday. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090157245,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"March 31. 2006. \"They.\" talking about the Republican majority. \"are seen by the country as being in charge of a government that cannot function.\" And this is what we are seeing. Mr. DELAHUNT. Folks coming to the floor seeing things that they know are altered. They are altering it. They are saying. well. this is the written word and these are the facts. But that is not good enough for me. I am going to erase it. and I am going to go to the floor and I am going to fool the American people. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090157245,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am going to mislead the American people. because it is an everyday occurrence here by this majority. And the reason why so many Democrats. and I would say a very few Republicans are outraged by the fact. when they hear the facts. when we all sit in our offices and we hear altered information. we have thirdparty validators. If we say the U.S.. Department of Treasury came up with these numbers. they came up with the numbers. If we say that the deficit is recordbreaking borrowing in the history of the Republic. we have thirdparty validatore. Some Members come to the floor. and it is their prerogative. and if they want to mislead. let them mislead. But we are going to make sure that we continue here in the 30Something Working Group and on this side of the aisle. in sharing the truth with the American people. This is not a place where someone comes up and says. this is a Democratic Party meeting or this is a Republican Party meeting or this is a Reform Party meeting. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. this is the U.S. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090157245,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"House of Representatives. the Peoples House the only Chamber that you have to be elected to. You can be appointed as Senator by a governor. But you have to be elected to the House. There are no appointments here. So I think it is important that folks really appreciate what we are doing here.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3011}
{"speech_id":1090157252,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maybe. Because depending on how high the price goes. you actually might not get all that back. But then let us look at the folks who make more than $1 million. you get enough money to buy a Hummer. Now. I dont know about you. but I really think. if we are going to pass tax cut legislation at all. if we are going to give tax dollars back to the people. first and foremost. lets eliminate the deficit. Do you keep passingI mean. tax cuts are spending. Mr. MEEK. It is not free. We dont just print more money. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":822}
{"speech_id":1090157252,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just took my 7yearold son to the Mint yesterday. and I watched them print the money. But the tour guide didnt tell us. \"You know. when we run out. we just print more.\" It doesnt work that way. They obviously didnt go to Econ 101. otherwise. they wouldnt think it was responsible to do what they have been doing.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":822}
{"speech_id":1090157253,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And just to clarify. if you dont mind. Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. as you stated. we do not have the money to give to these millionaires to go out and buy a Hummer. So where do we get it? I dont know even if we have a chart here. Mr. MEEK has a chart. I will yield to the gentleman in a minute.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090157320,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I make a couple of points based on what we just heard. The first has to do with stem cells. As the Presiding Officer knows. I am a practicing. physician. I am still delivering babies on weekends and our breaks. I am concerned in our country because we are letting emotional issues far override what the science today says on stem cells. We have a lot of people who have significant diseases who have been convinced that the only way those diseases will ever be solved is to use embryonic stem cells. The dishonesty in the debate is concerning to me as a physician because the real breakthroughs have not been with embryonic stem cells. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2882}
{"speech_id":1090157320,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are now 70 treatments being utilized every day in this country from stem cells derived from core blood and adult blood stem cells. There also is wonderful new research in the last year that says you can gain exactly the same pluripotenta cell that will do anythingfrom germ cells. from altered nuclear transfer. from three different mechanisms to get the exact same ability to cure diseases and never destroy the first embryo. We do not hear that in the debate. We do not hear the truth of what the science is showing us. and we do not recognize that even though the Federal Government is funding. in a limited amount. embryonic stem cell research. the fact is. where the private money is goingit is not going to embryonic stem cell researbh. it is going to other pluripotent stem cell research that doesnt have anything to do with embryos. This debate. as a physician and as a scientist. concerns me because it is not based on facts or on truth. For us to continue to belie the fact of what the -science is showing us today creates a false impression based on politics and false hope. There is great hope for people with diabetes. there is great hope for people who have neurologic injury. but it is not coming from embryonic stem cell research. it is coming from pluripotent stem cell research outside of that. During the debate next week. I plan on making that point. I am going to counter every point that belies science and does not recognize the true facts out there today. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2882}
{"speech_id":1090157320,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The final comment I will make is that the Voting Rights Act does not expire for a year and a half. We ought to get it right. Weought to make sure everyone is protected in this country in terms of the right to access. To say we have to do that right now. even though we are probably going to do it. to claim that we do not want to do it is a false claim. No. 2. we have plenty of time to do it even if we do not get it done this year. Those are important things for the. American public to know and be aware of. No one in this Senate thinks we should not reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. But we ought to do it in a way that represents the principles on which this country is founded and not the politics of the next election. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2882}
{"speech_id":1090157347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the efforts of the Senator from Oklahoma in the area of making sure the taxpayers know where their money is being spent. I think it has been constructive. and I will be happy to accept the amendment. But Ido believe that at least relative to this appropriations bill there ought to be some recognition of the fact that this is probably the cleanest bill brought to the Senate in the history of the Senate relative to what would be deemed earmarks in the pejorative sense. I am not one of these people who subscribes to the view that the Congress should not earmark. I happen to believe there are a lot of instances where the congressional prerogative of spending the money requires that we do earmark in order to make the case against the executive branch. which can earmark unilaterally. and basically in true secrecy. by simply spending the money however they want to spend it once we give it to them. Often their direction is incorrect. and the purpose of the Congress should be to redirect it. Now. there are other earmarks. particularly like the famous \"bridge to nowhere.\" and other things. that may and do have serious issues. I would take the entire highway bill that passed the Senateof which I was one of four people who voted against it. which had $24 billion of earmarksas the most egregious example of when Congress got carried away with directing money inappropriately. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3641}
{"speech_id":1090157347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But there is a purpose for earmarks. And this bill is a classic example of that. quite honestly. The amendment. for example. that was offered yesterday by the Senator from West Virginia could be deemed an earmark amendment. I suppose. because he said specifically: Coast Guard. you shall purchase this plane. Customs. you shall refurbish this plane. You shall buy armament for these Coast Guard helicoptersall of which benefited some district in this country. And some Member of the Senate benefited from that by putting out a press release. I suspect. that we just bought an airplane for the Coast Guard. and it is going to be produced in someplace or other. But the reason we had to do that was because the administration had not sent up the necessary capital improvements to make sure the Coast Guard had the aircraft. to make sure they had the armament on their helicopters. to make sure the helicopters were replaced. to make sure the vehicles were replaced because. for whatever reason. the Department of Homeland Security had not determined that those were priorities. We think they are priorities. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3641}
{"speech_id":1090157347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In this bill there are no. what you would call. district earmarks to speak of. There are a few probably in there somewhere. but nothing of any significance compared to what the average bill that comes through this place has. I do believe when we do our job rightwhich is the way I think this bill was donewhen we do not use earmarks for the purposes of basically addressing an individual need that is maybe not within the context of the basic goal of the agencyalthough many things are that are deemed earmarks. that we rather use the earmark structure as a way of getting agencies to do what has to be done in order to complete their missions appropriatelythat we should get credit for that. This bill should be acknowledged as a bill that is a pretty good example of how this should be done right. So I appreciate the vigilance of the Senator from Oklahoma. He has become the watchdog of earmarks. And he is doing the Lords work in many ways. I am perfectly happy to have sunshine on this bill because I think this bill is a classic example of the way it should be done. So has the amendment been reported. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3641}
{"speech_id":1090157369,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have no problem with this proposal. The Department will have a problem with it simply because if the Senator has followed the activities of this Department. their ability to produce the reports requested is limited or at least their efforta have not been stellar.. In any event. it is a reasonable request. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":381}
{"speech_id":1090157430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. may I clarify then that amendment No. 4585 is pending? From what I understand from the Chair. both amendments are pending. I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 4589 be laid aside and that the pending amendment be amendment No. 4585.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090157463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would just make a couple of points. Norm Mineta of the Department of Transportation signed this report on October 21. 2005the Secretary of the Department of Transportationthe Federal Radionavigation Plan. So for the Department of Transportation to claim now that they didnt agree with this report. when their Secretary and his staff signed off on the report. there is something amiss. There is some miscommunication. What I would like to do is note the absence of a quorum in the hopes that I could work with the Senators from Alaska and Washington to come to a compromise on this amendment.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090157464,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if the Senator will withhold. I would like to make one point with a letter I am quoting from. dated April 18. 2006. It was addressed to Assistant Secretary of Policy at Homeland Security. and it says: The future of LORAN should be determined by reference to the broader national interest. Might LORAN serve as the backup to GPS contemplated by the mandates of NSPD 39? Apart from its potential as a backup to GPS. does its robust. lowfrequency. penetrating signal offer potential value in our effort to secure the international supply chain? Are there other possible backups to GPS that offer clear advantages over LORAN? None of that has been answered. Now. certainly. this is after the Secretary signed off on that plan. but the idea of abandoning LORAN prematurely was not signed off on by the Department. to my knowledge.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090157475,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On September 10. the day before the attacks on the towers. I made a speech to the National Press Club where I warned about a massive attack on the United States of America from terrorists. why I thought it would happen and why I thought our priorities were misplacedthe. day before 9\/ 11. I had no knowledge of 9\/11. but I have been working in this field. like my colleagues on the floor. for 30 years. There was an inevitability to it. But we did nothing. I feel like we are in that same \"Alice in Wonderland\" suspension when it comes to rail. It is either it is so big you cant protect everything so dont protect anythinglike it was before. Our country is so big and so open there is nothing- much we can do -about terror. And the second subparagraph before 9\/11 was: By the way. it is not likely to happen here. Why? Why is it not likely to happen here? There is $250 million to be allocated to general security upgrades for freight rail operations. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090157475,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That includes things like putting cameras in freight yards so you have somebody watching who is wandering around those yards and maybe sticking something up underneath 90ton chlorine gas tanker cars or putting in a boxcar a dirty bomb. a homemade weapon. It also provides $65 million to go specifically to Amtrak security upgrades for hiring pfficers. We had an interesting thing. -We have a relatively small number of officers on Amtrak. If you go from here to fly out of Reagan Airport. if you go out of Dulles or Reagan Airport or the Philadelphia airport or LaGuardia or Newark or L.A. or OHare or Atlanta. you are going to go through. en route to your gate. probably as many security officers. including the folks inspecting your bags. as exist in all of Amtrak. Did you hear me? Let me say that again. I guarantee you that going through the screening area you are going to run into not just the people looking at you in the area you go through. but you are likely to run into more TSA screeners than exist in any one station in the United States of America. I received a note indicating that I am needed urgently. If I could suspend for a minute and come back and pick up where I left off. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2183}
{"speech_id":1090157703,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am intrigued by the amendment. We have worked very hard on the committee to have a threatbased funding formula. so that is my goal. I have no problem with the reduction to 2.5 even though it would prejudice my own State. But my view is that the target should be where the funding goes. I just wanted to be sure that when the Senator uses those terms of art here. that it is not his intention to undermine the capacity of peer review groups to look at the issue. The Senator used the term \"unless all such grants are allocated based on threat. vulnerability. and consequence to the maximum extent practical.\" which seem to be pretty good words of art. For the record. I would like to make it clear that the Senator is not trying to adjust the peer review process which looks at threat and effectiveness of the plan. Is that correct?","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":833}
{"speech_id":1090157717,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I agree with my friend from Michigan. The fiscal year 2006 DHS appropriations bill included a small amount of funds to begin initial preparations for a NBAW site in my home state of North Dakota. but more funds are needed for the site to become operational. Secretary Chertoff has told us that the establishment of the three additional northern border air wings will be complete in fiscal year 2007. A small portion of the air and marine interdiction funds in this bill would go a long way toward meeting this deadline and the goal of securing our long and currently porous northern border. I join Senator LEVIN in encouraging the DHS to include funds sufficient to stand up and equip the North Dakota. Michigan. and Montana sites.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":731}
{"speech_id":1090157744,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking. Housing. and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 12. 2006. at 10:30 a.m.. to conduct a hearing on the nominations of Mr. Frederic S. Mishkin. of New York. to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Ms. Linda Mysliwy Conlin. of New Jersey. to be first Vice President of the ExportImport Bank. Mr. Geoffrey S. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":700}
{"speech_id":1090157744,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bacino. of Illinois. to be a Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board. Mr. Edmund C. Moy. of Wisconsin. to be Director of the Mint. and Mr. J. Joseph Grandmaison. of New Hampshire. to be a member of the Board of Directors of the ExportImport Bank.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":700}
{"speech_id":1090157798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today we made good progress on the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Tomorrow we will continue on it. It is the hope and expectation of the majority leader and .Chairman GREGG that we will complete the bill by tomorrow evening. If Senators have amendments to offer. they should be working with the bill managers in order to get those amendments in the queue for consideration tomorrow. Obviously. we will have a busy day with votes throughout the day. Again. let me remind everyone it is the intention of the leader and the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee that we finish the bill tomorrow night. I have every confidence that with everyones cooperation. we will be able to do that.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":715}
{"speech_id":1090157918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I now recognize the gentleman from North Carolina for 7 minutes. but I must point out that not only as the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus during the more than 1 year we have been working on the legislation. he was also an able member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Judiciary Committee. And for those two reasons. we are deeply grateful to the contributions that he has made that has brought us to the floor today.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":455}
{"speech_id":1090157924,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York . the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution. who has worked in an indefatigable manner to bring us to this point on the legislation with no amendments. and I am very proud of the service he has given the committee.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":294}
{"speech_id":1090157954,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I ris( in strong support of the Voting RightE Act and urge my colleagues to pass it today. clean. without amendment. Mr. Chairman. I am honored to rep. resent one of the more diverse district. in America today. My neighbors cam( to Massachusetts from all of the na. tions of Europe. SoutheastAsia. West Africa. Latin America. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1518}
{"speech_id":1090157954,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"French Canad and the Caribbean. In Massachusetts. the Voting RightE Act remains a necessary tool to ensurE that people are able to participate ir our democracy. Ifi fact. it is because oi r the Voting Rights Act that many of my Asian American neighbors can chalf lenge voting procedures and get multi- lingual ballots. It is simple. The availability of muln tilingual ballots mean more people will vote. Cities that have added multiI lingual ballots have seen doubledigit I increases from* those benefited popu3 lations. What more could one ask from - a functioning democracy than a higher - participation of people voting? s By reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act without amendment. America will do more than honor its legacy. We will - also ensure our future. and to do anything less than a clean reauthorization _ insults the hard work and bloodshed that brought us to where we are today. Today. we have an opportunity to honor great men. and women who have dedicated their lives to making America great: Dr. ","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1518}
{"speech_id":1090157954,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"King. Coretta Scott King. _ Rosa. Parks and our esteemed colleague. my friend. JOHN LEWIS. Let us reauthorize the Voting Rights Act without these terrible amendments.","speaker_name":"MARTIN MEEHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1518}
{"speech_id":1090157956,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER and JOHN CONYERS for working tos gether and making all Members of this House so proud to show what we can do when we do work in a bipartisan way. I also want to thank Chairman WATT r for the work that he has done with the Congressional Black Caucus. and beyond. to make certain that the commitments that have been made by the leadership of this House were kept. We all know that there are parts of the history of this great Republic. slavery. the stigma of slavery. prejudice. that we all abhor. but we also .know that this great body not too long ago passed a Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen. men who gave - up their lives and put themselves at risk in order to make certain the world was safe for democracy. At the time. many of these people could not vote and their mothers could not vote and their families could not vote. So there comes a time where certain people have the courage to stand up for it. and JOHN LEWIS was one. I think we all should get together and say that we could not march with them. but we could reaffirm the commitment that they made.","speaker_name":"CHARLES RANGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1130}
{"speech_id":1090157973,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I wish my colleagues from Georgia understood something very fundamental about this Voting Rights Act. It is not a burden on the South. It is not some scourge or tool of oppression against the South. It has been a liberator for people. black and white. and I wish my colleagues from Georgia understood this basic truth that all the children who are here understand today. There were Barack Obamas in the old South. There were Mel Watts in the old South. There were Bobby Scotts in the old South. There were Jesse Jacksons that lived in the South in the 1930s. ","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1058}
{"speech_id":1090157973,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But their talent was not allowed to breathe until this act was passed. It gave all kinds of people of genius and brilliance and talent a chance to be elected to office. That is the legacy that we celebrate here today. So I urge all of us to join Mr. SENSENBRENNER in this bipartisan statement today that the Voting Rights Act belongs to all Americans. black and white. Democratic and Republican. and everyone who believes that merit ought to determine who holds office in this country.","speaker_name":"ARTUR DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1058}
{"speech_id":1090157985,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is certainly my understanding. as you have indicated. in 1976 in Beer v. United States. the Supreme Court held that. when a voting change is made in which a minority groups ability to elect candidates of choice to office is diminished. section 5 requires the denial of preclearance. That was the retrogression analysis on which the court the Department of Justice. and minority voters relied for 30 years. Is it the gentleman from Wisconsins understanding that it is this standard that H.R. 9 seeks to restore to section 5?","speaker_name":"MELVIN WATT","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":576}
{"speech_id":1090158007,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the reauthorization of the Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation. known as the VRA. The VRA was first enacted in 1965. Since the passage of the VRA. many discriminatory","speaker_name":"LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":34.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":346}
{"speech_id":1090158015,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. \"We hold these truths to be selfevident. that all men are created equal.\" \"It is a sordid business. this divvying us up by race.\" Mr. Chairman. those two sentences sum up my concerns with this bill. The first comes from the Declaration of Independence. the second from Chief Justice Roberts opinion in League of United Latin American Citizens et al. v. Perry. a case about this very Act. We should be moving closer to that American ideal of Godgiven equality before the law. rather than \"divvying us up by race\" for another 25 years. as this bill would do. .H5168 To have different levels of scrutiny apply to various states. based on judgments made 40 years ago that are no longer accurate or justified. is wrong. There is simply no reason to believe that Texas requires more Federal supervision of voting than does Ohio or Florida or any other State. The same standard should apply equally to each person across the country. regardless of where he or she lives. I am anxious for the day when race and skin color is as irrelevant to voting as is hair color. ","speaker_name":"MAC THORNBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1136}
{"speech_id":1090158015,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. this bill pushes that day 25 years further away.","speaker_name":"MAC THORNBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1136}
{"speech_id":1090158033,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. after much delay and hankering by the Republican leadership about bringing this bill to the floor for a vote. I am proud to rise in strong support of reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act. As a cosponsor of H.R. 9. the Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting any poison pill amendments meant to dismantle the broad agreement on this crucial piece of civil rights legislation. No congressional duty is more profound than ensuring and protecting the voting rights of all Americans. As Members of this House. we cannot. we must not. be divided or indifferent in reaffirming Americas promise that everyone is created equal. The vote is sacred in this country. Throughout our history. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2120}
{"speech_id":1090158033,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americans have given their lives for freedom and the right to elect their leaders. from Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. to Seneca Falls in New York. to Selma and Montgomery in Alabama. Americans demand the highest standards. the highest confidence. the highest protection in their right to participate in the democratic process. The fact remains that not too long ago many Americans were denied the right to vote based on their sex or their skin color and in all honesty. many still battle the remnants of this discrimination today. It has been more than 40 years since President Lyndon Johnson called upon Congress to \"extend the rights of citizenship to every citizen of this land\" and pass the Voting Rights Act eliminating illegal barriers to the right to vote. Since that time. the face and even the language of the American voter may have changed. but our governments commitment to protect the integrity of every vote has not. So today. I ask my Republican colleagues to put aside their partisanship and petty political gamesmanship and join me in protecting the most fundamental right of the American people. who are the rightful owners 6f this American government. I urge the Members of this House to reaffirm our commitment to protect democracy and support the clean final passage of H.R. 9.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2120}
{"speech_id":1090158037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in support of a clean version of the Voting Rights Act. a version that is free of mean spirited amendments that aim to divide this country rather then unify and protect the rights of minorities to vote. After being delayed for close to a month. the Voting Rights Act is finally allowed the vote it deserves. However. numerous Republican members would like nothing more then to see this important legislation derailed. Hence they have offered up amendments that will taint the purity of this bill. One such amendment would prohibit Federal funds to be used in enforcing bilingual balloting. Many of the constituents that I and other members of this Chamber represent. would like nothing more then to participate in the basic democratic right of voting. However. many of these people who are citizens still struggle while they learn the English language and assimilate. \" Let me be clear. we are not talking aboutundocumented residents. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1770}
{"speech_id":1090158037,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are citizens of the United States. Many of whom have voted you and me into the office that we hold today. The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 to protect the rights of all minorities to vote in the United States. However. these amendments offered today. are political tricks that only serve to continue to disenfranchise minority voters. From not counting votes. purging legitimate voters from voter rolls. mandating ID cards to vote. and downright voter intimidation. it is clear now more then ever that the Voting Rights Act must be reauthorized as the original drafters of the legislation intendedexcluding all amendments to this legislation that are being offered today. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on any amendment to the Voting Rights Act and vote \"yes\" on a clean version of this bill.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1770}
{"speech_id":1090158231,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. this Westmoreland amendment has some huge problems. I would like to remind you that a 25year veteran of the Department of Justice Voting Section commented that the bailout amendment proposed is completely unworkable unless the staff of the Voting Section is tripled or cuts corners in making its determination. There is no way the existing staff can possibly do what this calls for and make a binding determination of eligibility for bailout. And plus. we do not include one dime in this proposal to take care of all of this. We turn section 5 on its head. and we will not be stopping voting discrimination. This amendment would cripple the Voting Section at the Department of Justice. making enforcement of the Act nearly impossible. There are 900 jurisdictions covered by section 5. How could we do a report on them every year? Reject the amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":865}
{"speech_id":1090158288,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for that information. And I appreciate what you are saying about Friday. That will be dependent upon how quickly we get the work that is before us done. I understand that. Mr. Leader. we have had some discussions. and we still have pending. as you know. one appropriation bill. the LaborHealth bill which is pending. It has. as you know. attached to it an amendment adopted in a bipartisan fashion on the minimum wage. taking the minimum wage to $7.25 in three increments. Can -you tell me the status of the LaborHealth bill? I know it is not on the calendar. but can you tell me its status? I yield to msi friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":636}
{"speech_id":1090158300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to condemn Hezbollah and Hamas for the recent kidnappings and killings of Israeli soldiers. These acts of aggression have forced Israel to defend itself and its citizens and will have a damaging effect on the prospect of peace in the Middle East. If someone attacked across our borders and sent rockets into the United States and had killed or captured our own soldiers. you had better believe we would want to defend ourselves. Israel has the right to respond just like we would. Israel fully withdrew from southern Lebanon in May of 2000 and from Gaza earlier this year only to suffer hundreds of unprovoked attacks from both areas since then. This is not the first time Hezbollah has taken action against Israeli soldiers. It also kidnapped and killed three soldiers in October of 2000. These attacks are an attempt by Hezbollah to open a second front. so to speak. after the kidnappings in Gaza and their attack on Israels sovereignty. ","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090158300,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hezbollahs actions require Israel to defend itself. and Israels actions to take out terrorist camps along its borders to prevent this from happening again are warranted and justified. Israel has to defend itself from these terrorist organizations that want to go back to pre1948 before there was Israel. They dont want Israel on the map. These countries with influence over Hezbollah must move quickly to bring the return of these soldiers. Mr. Speaker. I condemn the acts of Hezbollah and Hamas and 9sk my colleagues to do so as well.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1501}
{"speech_id":1090158301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last month Israel was provoked when Hamas terrorists kidnapped Corporal Gilad Shalit. an Israeli soldier manning a check point. This was an unprovoked act of terror. an act of war against Israel by Hamas. which also controls the Palestinian Authority government. As long as Hamas embraces terrorism and refuses to acknowledge the right of Israel to exist. terrorists will persist in the Palestinian land. Earlier this week. Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in northern Israel. Israel has responded in an effort to rescue these soldiers and diminish the possibility of Hezbollah to launch missiles into Israeli population centers. I rise to express support for our ally Israel as it deals with yet more terrorist acts. The kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers can certainly be considered a provocation of war. Unfortunately. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090158301,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip has not led to a positive transformation of Palestinian politics or more security for the Israeli people. We need to support Israel in this difficult time.","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1037}
{"speech_id":1090158302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. while America marked the anniversary of our independence. North Korea demonstrated the danger of oppressive regimes. International threats are often distressing. but the silver lining in there is that there is a galvanizing effect. Threats test our mettle and express not our weaknesses but our strengths as a Nation. And make no mistake about it. this Republican majority in the House stands strongly in defending our Nation while Democrats have waged a twodecadelong campaign to undermine our national defense capabilities. In May. just May. 117 Democrats voted to cut more than half the funding. $4.7 billion. from our missile defense program in the national defense authorization bill. In other words. the Democrats are applying their national defense strategy in Iraq to North Korea. It is called \"ostrich\": you stick your head in the sand and ignore the threats. Well. at least there is consistency in their policy. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090158302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Maybe they will propose to cut and run from Alaska and Hawaii too because they could be attacked by North Korea with their missiles.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090158327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise on the floor to address an issue that will be in the news a great deal next week. The Congress of the United States has debated on and off for quite a few years the issues surrounding new breakthroughs in cellular treatments for a variety of clinical diseases. and specifically what I am talking about here are stem cell therapies. The debate that the Congress has been engaged in. for some time now is the issue of whether adult stem cells. stem cells taken from my body. or any adults body. or even a childs bodybecause they are considered adult stem cells. can more successfully be used to treat a variety of different clinical conditions. or whether cord blood. which is blood from the umbilical cord. or actually you can get stem cells from the placenta. from the cord itself. or whether this notion that has been put forward for quite some time now. that the stem cells taken from an embryo is actually the best hope for the future for treating a whole variety of different diseases. diseases that we today have no treatments for. I have taken a keen interest in this issue for some time now for a variety of reasons. the first of which being I am a physician. I still see patients about once a month in the veterans clinic in my congressional district. I practiced medicine for 15 years. internal medicine. prior to my electi6n in 1994. I spent many years treating diseases like Parkinsons disease and arthritis and Alzheimers disease. diseases that we dont have cures for that people often cite as being potentially more successfully treated with embryonic stem cells. Additionally. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090158327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have to say some of these diseases have affected my family. My own father died of complications of diabetes. and an uncle that I was very close to as a small child died of complications of Parkinsons disease. So I consider these arguments very. very personally. I consider them professionally. and I look at the science. I look very. very closely at the science. Indeed. I think the science overwhelmingly. if you just pause for a minute and look at the data. clearly. clearly shows that adult stem cells have great promise. Cord blood stem cells have not only great promise. but they are actually being used today. We have cured people with sickle cell anemia. something I would have never thought in my lifetime I would be able to stand up And say that we are curing sickle cell anemia. Cord blood. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090158327,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Embryonic stem cells. on the other hand. not only have never been successfully used to treat any human condition whatsoever. they have not really been shown to be safe and effective. even in an animal model. Therefore. I find it bizarre and unusual that Members of the Congress would say straightfaced. incredibly. that the embryonic stem cells have more promise and the adult stem cells dont. The data actually suggests the absolute opposite. And. as I said. the embryonic stem cells actually are very problematic and they have never been proven to be safe. They tend to form tumors. and we dont even have an animal model yet. E 1900 Indeed. this issue has become so bizarre it has actually become a campaign issue. I thought it would be good to have a debate and not just have me get up and do a monologue and show slides. but to have some of the Democrat proponents of embryonic stem cell research come to the floor and discuss this issue with me. One of the big advocates for it is the gentlewoman from Colorado. I asked her to debate me. and she declined. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090158327,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I asked the chairman of the DCCC. Mr. EMANUEL.. if he would be willing to come and debate me. He told me he was too busy. I can understand why these people dont want to debate. If you actually look at the science. look at the data. their arguments just dont hold up. There is no \"there\" there. I would like to just cover perhaps some of the arguments that we would be getting into if they were here. One of them obviously. and I want to do some separating myths from facts. and one of them which we saw a lot of in the past. and you dont see this argument as much but it is still out there. that is the argument that embryonic stem cell research is not allowed or that it is illegal. In point of fact. it is allowed in the United States. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090158327,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not illegal. The argument is should it be funded by the Federal Government. About a year ago. we took up H.R. 810. a bill that allows U.S. taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human embryos in pursuing embryonic stem cell therapy. I must digress to explain how we got to where we are today. This began back I think it was 1996 when we passed an amendment in the Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations bill. and this was signed by President Clinton. stating that no U.S. taxpayer dollars would be used for any research involving the de-. struction of a human embryo. We never made it illegal. The advocates for H.R. 810 in their bill basically say we will now use taxpayer dollars for research that does involve the destruction of a human embryo. essentially overriding the provision that has been in law for some 10 years. And they contend that we need to do this because of the great promise. I just want to point out that we are already funding embryonic stem cell research. because what.happened in the 1990s after President Clinton signed the bill that had the prohibition in it against destructive embryonic research. researchers began to destroy the .embryos in outside labs and then send the embryonic stem cells to the NIH. and it was a violation of the spirit of the law if not the legal letter of the law. One of the things that President Bush did immediately upon coming to office is he reviewed this policy. and he said we are not going to do this any more because clearly in the statute we are not supposed to be funding research that involves the destruction of human embryos. ","speaker_name":"DAVID WELDON","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090158333,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. speaking for the leader. I announce to the Senate that this morning. the first 30 minutes will be a period for the transaction of morning business. which has been divided between the two sides. After morning business. we will return to the Homeland Security appropriations bill. The two managers have a tentative lineup of amendments this morning and into the afternoon. It is the leaders understanding they are working toward a vote this morning in relation to one of those amendments. and we will alert everyone when that amendment is locked in. Senators should be on notice that a vote could occur between 10 and 10:30 this morning. We have said we will finish this bill today. and that could translate into a late night. if needed. in order to pass this important Homeland Security appropriations bill. The leader hopes we can finish this earlier. and if Senators will communicate with managers earlier today regarding amendments. then it is his feeling we should be able to finish this bill at a reasonable time today. In any event. it is the leaders intention to stay in today. tonight. or tomorrowwhatever it takesto conclude this important bill this week. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1213}
{"speech_id":1090158360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I would let my colleagues know we have several Members who want to come to the floor to speak. We are checking with several of the relevant committees. I am hoping over the course of the next hour or so we can figure out the timing on the votes the chairman requests.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090158463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I strongly oppose the amendment offered by Senator MENENDEZ to drastically cut the base allocation of Homeland Security grants. for all States. I heard the statement of the distinguished Senator from Maine. Senator COLLINS. I associate myself with her words. She has stated it far more eloquently than I as to why this amendment should be defeated. The Senator from New Jersey has the right concerns about the administrations underfunding of first responder assistance programs. His concerns are absolutely right. I happen to agree with him on those. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10830}
{"speech_id":1090158463,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But he has chosen the wrong target to try to fix that problem. Senator MENENDEZ and his cosponsors are understandably outraged over how threatbased Homeland SeCurity grants were recently distributed. If it were not so serious a situation. the recent explanation by Homeland Security officials and how they distributed these funds would be laughable. We are not debating the competence of Homeland Security. If we were. we would hear all the statements of Homeland Security that if there is a sudden terrorist attack. they are ready. had there been a sudden terrorist attack with no notice at all on New Orleans last year. they are ready to do everything possible to help the people. Of course. when they had a weeks notice before Hurricane Katrina. they still have 4ot responded. It is not their competence we are debating. Yesterday. the Senate once again attempted to correct the BushCheney administrations woefully inadequate request for Homeland Security. Unfortunately. the amendment of the Senator from New York. Senator CLINTON. to restore $750 million for first responders assistance. was defeated. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10830}
{"speech_id":1090158463,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had voted for that. I am sure the Senator from New Jersey did. Now we come to this amendment that purports to correct the blunders of the Homeland Security threat assessments by slashing the base amounts to every single State in the country. Unfortunately. as the Senator from Maine has rightly pointed out. this amendment does pit State over State in how to divide inadequate overall funding for Homeland Security. That is not the way to correct the incompetence of the Department of Homeland Securitys determination of how to allocate grants based on risk. It is the right issue. it is the wrong solution. When the Senate last year considered a similar amendment proposing this misplaced change in support for first responders. the Senate soundly rejected it with 65 of our colleagues voting against it. The teirorist attacks of September 11 added to the responsibilities and risk of first responders nationwide. I wrote the allState minimum formula as part of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 to guarantee each State receives less than 1 percentactually 0.75 percent of the national allotment to help meet the national domestic security needs. Every State. rural or urban. small or large. has basic domestic security needs and deserves to receive Federal funds to meet these needs and the new- Homeland Security responsibilities the Federal Government demands. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10830}
{"speech_id":1090158463,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Large urban areas and highrisk areas have even greater needs. and they should be addressed. Both should be addressed. I dont mean to be parochial. but my little State of Vermont. the second smallest State in the Union. is a State that borders another country. We are a State with a nuclear reactor. We have been called upon by the Federal Government to help out on border security. to help out because we are in a direct line from Canada down to two very large urban areasBoston and New York. We are constantly getting requests to help. Our little State of 660.000 people. loyal Americans all. wants to help every way we can. but we are saying if we are asked to help out a whole lot of other States. at least let us have some basic help. Whether it is going to require us to put in new radio systems. telecommunications systems. or anything else. to protect not just us but to help protect other urban areas. let us do it. I would remind everybody. when we had the tragedy of 9\/11. for weeks after that happened. the air support over New York City. the armed response. the F16s flying over New York City were flying out of Burlington. VT. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10830}
{"speech_id":1090158463,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vermont provided people from our military. from our law enforcement. from everywhere else. We did not ask to be reimbursed. even though it cost us a lot. We responded within an hour. And it was the Green Mountain Boys who flew over New York City. providing that security at a time when nobody knew if there was going to be another attack. They did it around the clock. They did it with people canceling vacations. We had one mechanic driving down the interstate with his family on their way to their vacation. He was a mechanic for the Air National Guard. He heard on the radio about the attack. and at the first place he could do a Uturn on the interstate. he did. He headed back. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10830}
{"speech_id":1090158582,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I had reserved the final 4 minutes of my time in opposition to the Menendez amendment. I am -going to claim that time now. I urge my colleagues to vote against the amendment of the Senator from New Jersey. Let me briefly summarize three issues that make the amendment so problematic. First. it slashes the minimum allocation for homeland security grant moneys for States. It would impose a twothirds cut in the guaranteed allocation which would undermine the efforts of States that have entered into multiyear projects such as improving the interoperability of their communications equipment which is an expensive multiyear proposition. Second. the amendment makes absolutely no sense. If my colleagues are unhappy. as I am. with the Department of Homeland Securitys allocation -of funding for the Homeland Security Grant Program. why would they want to give unfettered discretion to the Department on how to allocate the funds? The amendment has absolutely no criteria included in it to define risk. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090158582,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By contrast. the proposal that was approved by the Homeland Security Committee sets out criteriasuch as whether there had been a terrorist atta6k previously. the population density. whether it is a border State. whether it is on the coastlineand gives guidance to the Department since it has clearly shown that it does not have a welldeveloped system for allocating based on risk We have seen the results of that. Third. the Senator from New Jersey strikes the requirement in current law to have the Department look at the need for the funding. All of us are concerned about reports that homeland security grant money in some localities has been wasted. whether it is on leather jackets or airconditioned garbage trucks. actual cases. one in the District and one in New Jersey. or for other questionable purposes. We need to make sure that the Department is allocating the funds not only based on risk. threat. and vulnerability but also on need and effectiveness. There are no requirements for this funding to be developed and allocated based on the need for it nor the effectiveness of the States plan. For those three reasons and many more. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Menendez amendment. Thirtysix States and the District of Columbia would lose funding under his proposal. The funding instead would be reallocated to 14 States which already receive more than 70 percent of all the funding for homeland security. This is a misguided amendment. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090158582,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will lead to wasteful spending. It will undermine the efforts to bring all States up to a base level of preparedness and response. I urge my colleagues to oppose it. I see the Senator from Delaware is on the floor. He has been very active in this area: If I do have any time remaining. I would be happy to yield to my colleague. the Senator from Delaware.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2828}
{"speech_id":1090158640,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As noble as it is to hire 800 fulltime active duty investigators. this amendment cuts law enforcement grants. firefighter grants. emergency management grants. State Homeland Security grants. urban security initiative. FEMA. and. ironically. will cut money for the fence that is within the bill before the Senate. I urge a no vote.","speaker_name":"PATTY MURRAY","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":330}
{"speech_id":1090158708,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the interest of bringing this debate to a closewe have had much more time than you haveI will make a few closing remarks and then give the floor to the Senator from Louisiana to close. I would ask the Senator from Louisiana if he is going to request a rollcall vote on this amendment?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":287}
{"speech_id":1090158770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to thank the managers of the fiscal year 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill. the . distinguished Senator from New Hampshire. Mr. GREGG. and my friend from West Virginia. Senator BYRD. for accepting two amendments that will help remedy some of the Governments failures in disaster response. The first amendment. cosponsored by my colleague from Connecticut. Senator LIEBERMAN. will require the Department of Homeland Security. DHS. to develop a robust system to help people locate family members after a disaster. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina. people searched the Astrodome and combed the Internet. hoping to locate their loved ones. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2842}
{"speech_id":1090158770,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. many of these people continue their search today. My amendment requires DHS. in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General of the United States. to review the methods used by the Louisiana Family Assistance Call Center and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to assist in the location of friends and family displaced by Hurricane Katrina. DHS must then report on these models and provide Congress with a detailed plan for the swift implementation of a family locator program for future disasters that reflects the lessons learned from these two models. The Departments plan should lead to the creation of an efficient means of helping those displaced by future disasters locate their friends and family. . My second amendment is a commonsense atterhpt to stop the abuse of nobid contracting in the aftermath of a disaster. After Hurricane Katrina. the Federal Emergency Management Agency relied upon the \"unusual and compelling urgency\" exception to allow nobid contracts for everything from collecting debris to hauling and installing housing trailers. Unfortunately. some of these nobid contracts were not merely emergency stopgap measuresthey were openended agreements and resulted in significant waste and abuse. My amendment. cosponsored by my colleague from Oklahoma. Senator COBURN. prohibits the use of nobid contracts under_ the \"compelling urgency\" exception. unless these contracts are limited in time. scope and value. and notification is provided to the congressional oversight committees. This amendment will end the abuse of noncompetitive contracts by setting real and reasonable limits to the emergency exception. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2842}
{"speech_id":1090158770,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This amendment does nothing to inhibit a rapid response to emergencies. rather it closes a loophole that threatens the integrity of our Federal response. and it will save taxpayer money. I thank the Senators for accepting this amendment into the bill. I am pleased that these amendments have been accepted into the bill. and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that the failures of the Governments response to Hurricane Katrina are not repeated.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2842}
{"speech_id":1090158782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader. on Tuesday. July 18. the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 93. S. 728. I further ask that the committeereported amendments be withdrawn and the managers substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to as original text for the purposes of further amendment and that the only other amendments in order be the following. the text of which are at the desk. with specified time agreements equally divided in the usual form: BOXER. Folsom Dam. 1 hour. FEINGOLDMCCAIN. mitigation standards. 1 hour. FEINGOLDMCCAIN. peer review. 4 hours. INHOFEBOND. independent reviews. 1 hour. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1581}
{"speech_id":1090158782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"INHOFE. fiscal transparency. 1 hour. MCCAINFEINGOLD. prioritization report. 2 hours. McCAINFEINGOLD. chief of engineers. 1 hour. NELSON of Florida. water projects. 1 hour. SPECTER. Federal hopper dredges. 1 hour. I ask unanimous consent that there be 2 hours of general debate on the bill. and that following the disposition of amendments and the use or yielding back of time. the bill. as amended. be read the third time. and the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 166. H.R. 2864. the House companion. and that all after the enacting clause be stricken and the text of S. 728. as amended. be inserted thereof. that the bill. as amended. be read the third time and the Senate proceed to a vote.on passage. and S. 728 be returned to the Senate calendar. I further ask that no points of order be waived by virtue of this agreement.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1581}
{"speech_id":1090158783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reserving the right to object. first. I want the RECORD spread with the fact that the Senate can work together. This is an example of that. Senator BOXER and Senator INHOFE are polar opposites politically. I dont know if we could find two stranger people to work together on a bill than the two of these Senators. But this is a bill that takes cooperation and building consensus. That is what they have done. This is not a Republican bill. it is not a Democratic bill. it is a bill for the Senate. I also want the RECORD to reflect that Senator FEINGOLD. who has three amendments on here. is a person who is dedicated to looking at the substance of legislation. I express publicly my appreciation for his cooperation and for allowing us to get to this point. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":768}
{"speech_id":1090158794,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was dismayed to hear of the recent reprehensible actions taken by the terrorist group Hezbollah. in kidnapping two Israeli soldiers. This is an act of cowardice and also grimly unsurprising. Supported by both Syria and Iran. Hezbollah has. for almost a quarter of a century. targeted freedom. whether that be U.S. marines in 1983 in Beirut. U.S. airmen in the Khobar Towers tragedy. or repeated deadly attacks against innocent Israelis and ongoing weapons stockpiling. Besides regularly supplying weapons to Hezbollah. Iran and Syria are also responsible for donating an estimated $100 million per year to Hezbollah. The Lebanese government. of which Hezbollah is an active part. bears a full measure of responsibility for this act of war against Israel. and Israel has a right. under international law. to take actions necessary to rescue her sons. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1879}
{"speech_id":1090158794,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Israel fully withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000. This move by Israel was certified by the U.N. Security Council as having met the requirements of U.N. Security Council Resolution 425. which called for an Israeli withdrawal and for Lebanon to assert control over the area vacated by Israel. The appropriate. reasonable and legal response to the brutality and dishonor of terrorism is proactive selfdefense. We would do no different were these young men our own. Israel continues to be a force for freedom and democracy and as a friend and ally to the United States. deserves our full backing during this difficult time. Furthermore. as this body has reaffirmed time and again. we fully reject and denounce the terrorist activities fomented by both Iran and Syria. It is my fervent hope that those who dictate the activities of Hezbollah. both inside Lebanon and outside its borders. will quickly see the futility of this course of action. and make a move for peace and stability rather than chaos and war.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CRAPO","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1879}
{"speech_id":1090158795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to talk briefly about the current events in Israel and the Middle East. I strongly condemn the ongoing murderous attacks by Hezbollah on Israel and its soldiers. Several days ago. eight Israeli soldiers were killed and two were kidnapped following an unprovoked attack on jnorthern Israel. Hezbollah must immediately and unconditionally release all Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah has refused United Nations demands to disarm and has been responsible for terrible acts of violence for many years. No country should provide support for Hezbollah. which is a U.S.-designated terrorist group. Hezbollahs actions are contrary to the interests of the Lebanese people and hurt the region. The Hezbollah attack follows a June 25 attack by Hamas on a southern Israeli military post that resulted in the kidnapping of an Israeli solider and the killing of several others. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1400}
{"speech_id":1090158795,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hamas must also immediately and unconditionally release the soldier it is holding and end attacks on Israel. The United States will stand by our longtime ally and friend. The Israeli people have the right to live in peace and security. Israel has the right to protect its citizens. I strongly condemn the ongoing murderous attacks by Hezbollah and Hamas on Israel and its soldiers and believe that restraint is needed in the region to stop the escalation of violence and protect innocent lives. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1400}
{"speech_id":1090158802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I recognize a community in North Dakota that will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 2830. the residents of Bowbells will gather to celebrate their communitys history and founding. Bowbells is a vibrant community in northwestern North Dakota. just a short drive from the Canadian border. The town was founded in 1896 with the help of the Soo Line Railroad that passed through the town. The name \"Bowbells\" came from the bells at the Church of St. MaryleBow located in London. England. that were in the shape of bows. By 1913. the town was served by two different railroad lines. Today. it is the county seat- of Burke County. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090158802,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ND. Many citizens of Bowbells support their families through agriculture. producing a wide array of products. including canola. flax. barley. sunflowers. hard red spring wheat. and durum. . Located near Bowbells is the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. which supports a large waterfowl population. Outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy both fishing and hunting opportunities in and around Bowbells. Citizens of Bowbells have organized numerous activities to celebrate their centennial. Some of these activities include a golf tournament. class reunions. street .dances. a 5K\/10K walk\/ run. a parade. softball and baseball games. and allfaith services. Mr. President. I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating Bowbells. ND. and its residents on the first 100 years and in wishing them well through the next century. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090158802,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By honoring Bowbells and all the other historic small towns of North Dakota. we keep the great pioneering frontier spirit alive for future generations. It is places such as Bowbells that have helped to shape this country into what it is today. which is why this fine community is deserving of our recognition. Bowbells has a proud past and a bright future.*","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1832}
{"speech_id":1090158955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. 2 weeks ago I came to the floor of the Senate and announced I will do everything in my power to block consideration of the major communications overhaul legislation until it includes language that specifically ensures what is called Net neutrality. Now. since this is a new concept. and certainly much of the country probably has not heard these words before and Senators have been asking questions about it. I am going to begin this morning. and intend on other instances to continue the discussion. to start talking about why Net neutrality is so important and why I will do everything in my power to block legislation. major communications legislation. unless it ensures that Net neutrality is preserved. The bottom line about this concept is pretty simple. It means there will not be discrimination on the Internet. Today. after you pay your access charge. your Internet access fee. you get to take your browser and you get to go where you want. when you want. and everybody is treated the same: the mightiest person in the land. the most affluent. and somebody. say. in rural Georgia or rural Oregon who does not have a lot of power and does not have a lot of wealth. The Internet has been a huge step forward. in my view. for democracy. for the proposition our country is based on which is to give everybody a fair shake. where everybody is treated equally. It has meant a real bonanza for our citizens in areas such as education. health. businessa whole host of fields. There needs to be a clear policy preserving the neutrality of the Internet. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11242}
{"speech_id":1090158955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And without tough sanctions against those who would discriminate online. in my view. the Internet would be changed forever. for the worse. I intend to do everything in my power to keep that from happening. Since I came to the floor to announce that I will do everything I can to block this legislation in its current form. the phone companies and the major communications lobbies in this country have launched an allout advertising blitz. They are now spending millions of dollars trying to win passage of this legislation that does not include protection for Net neutrality. They are spending millions of dollarsso they can make billions of dollars when they implement a twotiered system online. They have been telling Wall Street about their plans for some time. The Wall Street Journal. for example. outlined a paytoplay plan that the phone companies and the cable companies have been talking about in a fairly open kind of fashion. All this discussion suggests there is something of a looming shortage of bandwidth. Of course. bandwidth is the speed at which all the information on the Web travels to the user. But what has not been given enough attention thus far. and what I will talk about this morning and in the days ahead. is that the real Net neutrality fight is not primarily over bandwidth but who is going to call the shots in this country about content on the Web. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11242}
{"speech_id":1090158955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Content is all the information that is out there on the Web. It includes music. movies. emails. newspaper articles and Web sites. Bandwidth speeds are getting faster and faster. allowing all this content to reach the users faster. But bandwidth without content is akin to a swimming pool without water. It is there. but you cannot do anything with it. So the real Net neutrality fight is going to be about content. Now. those who control the pipesthe way you get to the Internetalso want to control the content. The reason for that is because content is king. What good is one gigabyte Internet connection if you cannot get to the Web sites you want to visit? Legislation that does not have strong Net neutrality protections will mean the American people will face discrimination in content. The Internet has thrived precisely because it is free of discrimination. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11242}
{"speech_id":1090158955,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has thrived because consumers. and not some huge cable or phone company. get to choose what they want .to see and how quickly they get to see it. I do not think there is anything odd about fighting against a bill that will take control of the Internet away from the American people. What the cable and phone executives propose is that instead of providing equal access for everyone to the same content. at the same price. they are going to be in a position to cut sweetheart deals. to give somebody they favor a better break than somebody whom they do not look upon in the same way. Those who own the pipes do not want to be told they cannot discriminate. They do not want to be told by the Congress. or anybody else. sweetheart deals are off limits. What I have done is tried to look at the Senate Commerce Committee legislation and compare it to the kinds of concerns I think the American people are going to have with the legislation in its current form. So what I would like to do now is outline three examples of what could happen in our country if communications legislation that allows discrimination on the Internet was allowed to go forward. The first example involves what I am calling the Barns family. The Barns family owns a struggling electronics store. Sales have been hammered lately because a new \"big box\" electronics store opened up down the road. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11242}
{"speech_id":1090158955,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"George Barns son Mike came up with an idea to save the store. He said: We can reach new customers. We will start a Web site to sell our products on the Net. In a world with Net neutrality. the Barns family would pay to access the Internet. create a Web page. and they would be off to the races with their business and looking for opportunities. Under the Commerce Committee bill. in order for the Barns family to launch their Web page in the fast lane so they could get priority access to customers. they could have to pay an additional fee to hundreds. if not thousands. of Internet access providers across the land. Priority access fees are a drop in the bucket for that \"big box\" store that is already hurting the sales of that small business run by the Barns family. If the Barns family cant pay the extra fees. they lose their business to the \"big box\" store. both offline and online. You see how small businesses and people who are trying to make a contribution to the economy compete in the free markets. you are going to see how they are going to have difficulty under this legislation. The second example involves somebody whom I am calling Joe Green. Joe wants to get Internet broadband in his new apartment. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11242}
{"speech_id":1090158965,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleagues. especially Chairman INHOFE. for. as I mentioned this morning. doing an outstanding job in putting together a package. a mechanism by which we can develop this important water resources development bill. It is a very important bill which affects the United States. our economy. our infrastructure. in a very dramatic way.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":358}
{"speech_id":1090158976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. safe storage and child access prevention laws are crucial steps in the effort to reduce the occurrence of accidental shootings and suicides involving guns. Such tragedies have claimed the lives of thousands of young people and destroyed thousands of families. even though many of these occurrences could have been prevented by commonsense legislation. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the application of responsible gun storage measures can significantly reduce the risk of unintentional shooting or suicide by minors using a gun. According to the study. when ammunition in the home is locked up. the risk of such injuries is reduced by 61 percent. Simply storing ammunition separately from the gun reduces such occurrences by more than 50 percent. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. teenagers and children are involved in more than 10.000 accidental shootings in which nearly 800 people die each year. Reducing the number of accidental shootings involving children and teenagers requires that commonsense gun storage measures be adopted. In 2005. Congress passed a law. which the President signed. requiring that all handguns sold by a dealer come with a childsafety lock. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2577}
{"speech_id":1090158976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was a clear bipartisan effort to protect the youth of this country from gun violence. Unfortunately. last month the House of Representatives adopted legislation to repeal effective enforcement of this requirement as part of its Science. State. Justice. Commerce. and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The Senate has not yet considered its version of the appropriations bill. Sarah Brady. wife of Jim Brady. who was shot in the attempted assassination of President Reagan. responded to last months vote by saying: In a nation where gun violence takes such an enormous toll. this vote is disturbingly backwards. Every year more than 30.000 Americans are killed by guns. including more than 2.800 young people. Every day. we lose a classroom of children to gun violence. So many health advocates. law enforcement officials. and others have urged Americans to more safely secure and store guns. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2577}
{"speech_id":1090158976,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But in the millions of American homes where children and firearms are present. 40 percent had at least one unlocked firearm. While the problems of youth suicide and accidental shooting clearly cannot be completely legislated away. trigger locks and other sensible gun safety measures can help limit access to firearms by children. and there can be no doubt that reducing access by our kids to firearms can save many lives.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2577}
{"speech_id":1090158977,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have previously introduced a bill to regulate payroll tax deposit agents. This bill will help to protect small businesses from payroll tax fraud and provide them with greater confidence when working with payroll service providers that are registered with the Internal Revenue Service and bonded or audited. In the fall of 2003. small businessman Roger Cyr. the owner of the Lily Moon Cafe in Saco. ME. learned that he was the victim of payroll tax fraud and owed $52.000 in back taxes. He was one of a number of small business owners in Maine who were forced to pay their payroll taxes twice after an unscrupulous payroll provider ran off with their tax deposits instead of making the required payments to the IRS. Unfortunately. I know that this type of payroll fraud is not unique to Maine and has also occurred in Utah. Iowa. as well as elsewhere. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090158977,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When payroll tax fraud occurs. many small owners. momandpop companies. and other businesses are forced to pay their payroll taxes twice. This additional and unexpected expense can drive many of these companies out of business. These payroll fraud cases obscure the fact that most small businesses use payroll providers that are honest. meticulous. and trustworthy. The majority of payroll tax agents pay their clients taxes accurately and on time. provide outstanding service. and help their clients with a range of complicated tax and accounting issues. In order to protect small business owners from the few dishonest payroll providers. and to protect the honest small payroll providers from the bad actors in their industry. I have introduced the payroll tax deposit agents bill. My bill contains a number of provisions designed to guard small business owners against fraud by increasing the IRS oversight of the payroll service providers. The bill creates a separate section of the Internal Revenue Code that will govern the payroll industry. it defines the responsibilities of payroll tax deposit agents. and requires all agents to register with the IRS or be penalized. The bill requires payroll agents to inform their clients of the clients continued liability for all payroll taxes and the clients need to periodically verify that their taxes are paid in full. The bill penalizes payroll providers that collect but fail to make required payments by extending section 6672 penalties to all payroll tax agents. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090158977,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These provisions also provide some reasonable flexibility to small payroll service providers. It gives payroll providers a choice between obtaining a surety bond or submitting to a third party audit that verifies if a payroll companys books are solid and well managed. Many small payroll service providers prefer audit option. which confirms that the payroll agent is making their clients tax deposit completely and on time. over bondingas surety bonds can be very difficult for many small businesses to obtain. Additionally. small payroll agents argue that a third party audit actually provides their clients more protection against fraud than bonding because the audit verifies the payroll agents sound financial practices while a surety bond only provides a limited reimbursement in cases of wrongdoing. Many of these payroll tax agent provisions were already approved by the Senate Finance Committee as part of the Good Government Act. The Good Government Act was approved by the Senate Finance Committee and passed the Senate by unanimous consent agreement in May of 2004. Unfortunately. the Good Governance Act never made it out of conference. Now. as I introduce this bill. I am hoping that we can help protect our small businesses by seeing that these necessary payroll protections become law. I would like to encourage my colleagues to help protect our small businesses from devious payroll tax agents by increasing IRS oversight and protections as contained in this bill.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3866}
{"speech_id":1090159012,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over the next 2 days we will be discussing the issues surrounding stem cell research and discussing a total of three bills over the course of 48 hours. Our discussion over the next 2 days will focus on science and on ethics and how science and ethics interplay. Science: We are in a remarkable era of exciting and rapidly accelerating advances in developmental biology. New doors of exploration have been thrown wide open by the Human Genome Project and by our new knowledge and our new understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms. Some have called this 21st century the century of cellsa century that will explode with regenerative medicine so that heart surgeon BILL FRIST will no longer have to cut out a diseased heart and replace that diseased heart with a healthy heart but would rather treat a patient with cells requiring no surgery. We are going to be discussing ethics. Although not easy. we do have to confront headon the difficult issues around lifes beginnings. all of which have large scientific. moral. and religious implications. The rapidly advancing science has taken us to todays debate. As we will see in our discussions on the floor of the Senate. it is safe to say that no scientific issue is more divisive today than this discussion surrounding stem cells. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7450}
{"speech_id":1090159012,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As others have said. you cant do an end run around all of these ethical challenges. They are before us. and they are going to come with increasing frequency with advancing science. Our responsibility as policymakers is. through deliberation and through dialog and through debate. to frame those moral principles which protect and defend human dignity and promote scientific advances and medical applications that will lead to healing. In the last century. we faced ethical controversies over organ transplantation. my field: Who would receive a scarce organ? What are the criteria to determine brain death? We had ethical discussions and ethical controversies over blood transfusions: Who receives blood transfusions? What are the indications? We also faced ethical dilemmas over genetic therapy. Well. the 21st century. the current century. brings even more profound ethical questions. and they are going. to come with increasing frequency. How we and humanity handle our gathering control over these mysteries of cell development and embryo development.will reflect who we are as a people and where we are going. Today. the Senate will begin debate on these three important pieces of legislation: the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act. from Senators SANTORUM and SPECTER. the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006. Senators SANTORUM and BROWNBACK. and the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. the socalledin the HouseCastleDeGette bill. and in the Senate. the SpecterHatch bill. Many of my colleagues have. like me. spent hours grappling with these issues: the future of stem cell research. . how we balance prolife positions with the potential for new life and health offered bystem cell research. There is. perhaps. an inclination to avoid such difficult issues. to ignore them and to let others debate. but I have come to realize we must participate in defining research surrounding the culture of life. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7450}
{"speech_id":1090159012,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If not. it will define us. Five years ago. on July 18. 2001. I came to the Chamber and laid out a comprehensive proposal to promote stem cell research within an ethical framework. I proposed 10 specific interdependent .principles. I also said that policymakers and the public must reassess on an ongoing basis the research and the circumstances under which it is conducted because science will continue to advance. As the 21st century progresses and as sciencedevelopmental biologyadvances. we will continually face moral and ethical challenges. It is our responsibility. as individuals and as a body politic. to reassess the constructs governing biomedical research. It will define us. That is why I brought cord legislation to the floor earlier in the year. and it was passed. As I said then and as I believe now. we must also do all we can to pursue other alternative strategies that will hold potential for developing pluripotent stem cell lines without damaging or destroying nascent human life. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7450}
{"speech_id":1090159012,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why. in the package before us today. I have asked the Senate to consider legislation to enhance support for alternatives to embryonic stem cell research. I am extremely pleased that Senator SANTORUM and Senator SPEcTER worked together to craft the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act. Their bill is similar to legislation I worked on with Senator ISAKSON and others of our colleagues last year. and I encourage every Senator to support it. This bill would fund alternative methods of potentially deriving pluripotent stem cells. including extracting from embryos that are no longer living. nonlethal and nonharmful extraction from embryos. extraction from artificially created organisms that are not embryos but are embryolike. and reprogramming adult cells to a pluripotent state through fusion with embryonic cell lines. There is no reason this legislation shouldnt gather the support of every Member of this body. It should unify us. The second bill we will consider is the Fetus FaTming Prohibition Act of 2006. Specifically. the bill prohibits the implantation and gestation of an embryo in a human or animal for the purpose of aborting for researchthe manufacture of human life for experimental purposes. Senators BROWNBACK and SANTORUM have proposed legislation that would draw a clear line which should not be crossed. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7450}
{"speech_id":1090159012,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a forwardleaning prolife bill. a moral guardrail in place before any inducement exists to promote it. Shortly after I originally outlined my principles 5 years ago. President Bush announced his policy on embryonic stem cell research. It federally unded embryonic stem cell research for the first time. It did so within an ethical framework. and it showed respect for human life. President Bush and I do not differ about the need for strong guidelines governing stem cell research. His policy was generally consistent with the principles I set forth a month before his announcement back in 2001. However. as science has progressed over the last 5 years. we have learned that fewer than -the anticipated number of cell lines have proved suitable for research. and I think the limit on cell lines available for federally funded research is too restrictive. H.R. 810. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. addresses this restriction in our current policy. It has many shortcomings. but it is clearly consistent with my fifth principle on stem cell research: \"Provide funding for embryonic stem cell research only from blastocysts that would otherwise be discarded.\" In fact. the bill applies what I proposed in 2001 verbatim. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7450}
{"speech_id":1090159030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I congratulate Senator SPECTER on an exemplary opening statement on this 2day debate we will be engaged in and also thank him. as I will in my formal statement. for his leadership over the past several years on so many issues of health care. and this one in particular. I am proud to join him in this effort. as I have for the last year. to try to get H.R. 810 to come up. Mr. President. we have waited a long time for this day to come. I think too long. We could have and should have voted on H.R. 810 more than a year ago after it passed in the House with a strong bipartisan majority. So we have lost some valuable time. But more to the point. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11342}
{"speech_id":1090159030,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Americas best medical researchers have lost valuable time. But be that as it may. H.R. 810 has finally come to the Senate floor. and we will vote on it tomorrow afternoon. I thank majority leader BILL FRiST for brokering the agreement to make this vote possible. It took courage for him to announce last summer thathe supports the bill. And it took courage for him to schedule this vote. I have already commended him privately. and I commend him publicly as well. Again. I thank Senator SPECTER for leading the effort to promote stem cell research for so many years. He chaired the very first hearing in Congress on embryonic stem cells. as he said in his remarks. in December of 1998. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11342}
{"speech_id":1090159030,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. again. just repeating what Senator SPECTER had saidbut for the sake of emphasis--our Labor. Health. and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee has held 18 hearings on this research since then. Senator SPECTER and I also introduced the very first bill in Congress on stem cell research in January of 2000. So Senator SPECTER and I have traveled a long road together. and I thank him for being such an extraordinary leader and partner in this effort. I also thank the other Senate leaders on stem cell research: Senator HATCH. Senator FEINSTEIN. Senator SMITH. and Senator KENNEDY. Counting Senator SPECTER and myself. there are three Republicans and three Democrats on the list who have led the effort to bring up H.R. 810 and pass it. and it has been a truly bipartisan effort all the way. Most of all. I thank the hundreds of thousands of families and patients who never gave up. who kept up the pressure to bring this bill to the floor. and who are so eager to see H.R. 810 sent to the Presidents desk for his signature. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11342}
{"speech_id":1090159030,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They have kept the faith. Now it is our job to see they are not disappointed. Under the UC agreement. we will debate and vote on three bills. But make no mistake. the only one that really matters is H.R. 810. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. This is the one bill that. at long last. will unleash some of the most exciting and promising research of modern times. So. as we begin this debate. it is a good time to step back and ask: Why is there so much support for H.R. 810? Hundreds of patient advocacy groups have endorsed the bill. so have dozens of Nobel Prize winning scientists. dozens of research universities. and. I might add. so has the American public. Polls now show that 72 percent of Americans support embryonic stem cell research72 percentcompared with 24 percent who oppose it. That is a 3toi margin. So the American peoplethree out of fourare in favor of embryonic stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11342}
{"speech_id":1090159030,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":14,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Why? Well. the answer is very simple. Embryonic stem cell research offers real hope--real hopefor people with Lou Gehrigs disease. real hope for people with Parkinsons. real hope for people with spinal cord injuries. real hope for people with heart disease. real hope for people with diabetes. real hope for people with cancer. real hope for people who suffer from autoimmune diseases such as lupus. All told. .more than 100 million Americans have diseases that one day could be treated or cured with embryonic stem cell research. Here is just a brief list of them: cardiovascular disease. autoimmune disease. Alzheimers. Parkinsons. spinal cord injuries. birth defects. severe burnsmillions of Americans whocould be cured or helped With stem cell research. But it is not just Members of Congress who are saying it. we have asked top scientists. Senator SPECTER and I sent letters to the National Institutes of Health last week. Senator SPECTER referred to that in his remarks. We asked their top scientists for their thoughts on stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11342}
{"speech_id":1090159055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have a letter from the American Society for Cell Biology. The letter was sent to Senator HATCH. dated July 17. It says: The Senate will shortly be considering legislation to permit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research with additional and new and existing human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines. As staunch supporters of biomedical research and particularly research with hESCs. we trust that you will exert your influence to ensure passage of H.R. 810. Scientists engaged in ESC research are counting on you and likeminded Senate colleagues to assure its passage. The President must also be persuaded not veto this legislation for if we continue on the path he set five years ago. United States investigators will be out of the running in coverting embryonic stem cells into important new therapies. It is especially frustrating and demeaning that American scientists are prohibited from using their NIH grant funds for research with the hundreds of hESC lines generated outside the United States or generated in this country with private funding. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090159055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I note there are 27 leading scientists on this letter. 17 of them having received the Nobel Prize for medicine in one form or another. I ask unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1286}
{"speech_id":1090159074,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. There is a good colloquy. I would further ask the Senator from Oklahomathis has been done for 3 monthsdo we have any data to show that this does cure juvenile diabetes? Does it abate it somewhat? I dont know what the outcomes have been for these eight or nine people.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":288}
{"speech_id":1090159101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Yes. If you caught my comments on the floor. I stated that is part of the tragedy here. He had 5 years Parkinsons free. wants an additional treatment using the same adult stem cell procedure he had before that worked. and cant get it. We dont have sufficient funding to move that on forward.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090159112,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. The Senator alluded to the fact that there is a gold standard of whether an embryonic stem cell is pluripotent or whether it produces a teratoma. That means it has components of the three layers of an embryoexoderm. endoderm. and mesodermwhich create all the other tissues.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":277}
{"speech_id":1090159118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have gone down a lot of blind alleys in medical research in the past. I have often said that one of the reasons for basic research is that you have 11 doors that are closed. The answer to the problem and the answer to your endeavor may be behind one of those doors. When you have enough funding to open one door. you know what the odds are against you finding it. Or if you have funding for half. then you know what the odds are against you opening the right door. A lot of doors dont lead to anything. A lot of basic research goes down the path. and they find out that is not the answer. So they have to shift to something else. That. happens all the time. That is what basic research is all about. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1865}
{"speech_id":1090159118,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not know the specific thing. I am not surprised that many things in the past that scientists have gone down the road on have not led to something curative or therapeutic or something like that which helps us. That doesnt mean that we have tried something before with devastating effects which doesnt say that we cant then do embryonic stem cell research. I get back to the point that when you have almost every disease group in this country supporting the bill that is before us. H.R. 810. you have Nobel laureates. scientists. doctors. and. you have 19 Directors of NIH saying that this has great potential. then I say. again. to my friends that you have to make either one of two assumptions. Either all of these people have been hoodwinked and they do not know what they are talking about or they have no care or concern about ethics or morals or anything else. I think both assumptions are wrong. I think these people know. They are informed. They may not know every little thing medical doctors might know. but they know the potential. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1865}
{"speech_id":1090159118,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Second. I think they are vastly ethical and moral people. I hope we will have some further colloquies on this later.","speaker_name":"THOMAS HARKIN","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1865}
{"speech_id":1090159156,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I yield myself 5 minutes. I wish to take a few moments talking about H.R. 810. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Last year. the House overwhelmingly passed this bill. and I am pleased that the Senate will now finally consider this legislation. .My colleague in the other body. Congressman JIM LANGEVIN. has been a staunch advocate for stem cell research and has played a central role in advancing this legislation through the House of Representatives. and I commend him for that. I hope to be able to stand on the Senate floor a few years from now to highlight the advancements that have been made in the treatment of spinal cord victims. children with diabetes. and Parkinsons treatment because of embryonic stem cell research. However. I fear that even if the Senate approves legislation. patients will only see further delays in promising stem cell research. The President endorsed the use of Federal funds research on existing cell lines in his August 2001 Executive Order. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4621}
{"speech_id":1090159156,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the time of the announcement. he said: Scientists believe further research using stem cells offers great promise that could help improve the lives of those who suffer from many terrible diseasesfrom juvenile diabetes to Alzheimers. from Parkinsons to spinal cord injuries. And while scientists admit they are not yet certain. they believe stem cells derived from embryos have unique potential. This is from the Presidents Executive Order. We -know now that the stem cell lines identified in the Executive Order were not the panacea for breakthrough medical research. There are only 22 stem cell lines available for federally funded research. and since they were derived in the absence of scientific and ethical guidelines. they have proven unsuitable for most research. At the same time. there are approximately 400.000 frozen embryos in IVF clinics that will likely be destroyed. While I recognize the many benefits of using embryonic stem cells in biomedical research. I also realize that many serious ethical and moral issues have to be considered. I believe Federal guidelines designed to create and uphold strict oversight of these practices can achieve the appropriate balance needed in order to ensure that this research is being carried. out in an acceptable manner. H.R. 810 sets forth responsible rules and limitations for obtaining excess embryos as well as adequate standards for conducting research involving embryonic stem cells. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4621}
{"speech_id":1090159156,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would establish the necessary framework for oversight so that principled research can finally be allowed to proceed. Some of my colleagues believe embryonic stem cell research is not necessary. given some of the tremendous advances adult stem cells have yielded. Indeed. I wholeheartedly support continued progress in the area of adult stem cell research and was proud to be one of the lead sponsors of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act. which Congress enacted late last year. This bill was essential in maintaining patient access to lifesaving treatments through the National Marrow Donor program and also opening the door to the developments of a companion registry system for cord blood. We know the use of umbilical cord blood in treating diseases such as leukemia. sickle cell anemia. and rare but deadly genetic disorders such as Krabbe disease is showing tremendous promise. The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act solidified the Nations commitment to increasing the number of cord blood transplants by providing additional Federal funds to help public cord blood banks increase their inventory. as well as support outreach. patient advocacy. and coordinating information and education activities. The President also recognized the importance of this avenue of research. During the 2001 Executive Order. he said: You should also know that stem cells can be derived from sources other than embryos. And many scientists feel research on these types. of stem cells are also promising. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4621}
{"speech_id":1090159156,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many patients suffering from a range of diseases are already being helped with treatment deVeloped from adult stem cells. He went on to add: However. most scientists. at least today. believe that research on embryonic stem cells offer the most promise because these cells have the potential to develop from all of the tissues of the body. Those are the Presidents words. Iurge all of us to heed those words today. I urge the Senate to support H.R. 810 and also the President to sign it into law. I also intend to support S. 3504 and S. 2754. but neither of these measures is a substitute for H.R. 810. Mr. President. I yield the floor. and I note the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4621}
{"speech_id":1090159176,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would say that all of the big names in medical research in America support this bill. They understand this is the real deal. This is the bill that will make a difference. The other two may not. Among the other groups supporting the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act are the Republican Main Street Partnership. the Bnai Brith International. and a long list of people representing religious organizations from almost every denomination in America. Why do we need this? We need it because President Bush decided in 2001 to take a position on medical research. I do not think there is a precedent in American history for what he did. He basically said we were going to cut off Federal funding for those who were involved in embryonic stem cell research. except for a limited number of lines. He identified 78 stem cell lines on the day of his speech and said that scientists who received any Federal funding at all could work only on those stem cell lines. As Senator HARKIN has pointed out over and over. not only were the 78 lines reduced to 22. they are all contaminated. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6872}
{"speech_id":1090159176,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They cannot be used for this research anymore. So President Bush is not offering any hope when it comes to this area of research. I do not want to get into the moral argument here because it is almost religious. It is moral and theological here. But if the President could rationalize 78 stem cell lines as being appropriate and all right for research. then he has fundamentally decided the research is permissible. I suppose. I do not follow his logic. And I do not follow the logic of some who oppose it who say that because this is a product of in vitro fertilization and has the potential for life that we should not do research. We know that in that process. some of these fertilized eggs will end up being implanted in the womb of an expectant mother in the hope she becomes pregnant. and others will not be used. It is the nature of the process. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6872}
{"speech_id":1090159176,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They make more of these fertilized eggs than they will need in the hopes that one will work. Then what happens to the rest? Well. they are going to be discarded. They are not used to find cures for diseases. But for those who find it immoral to use the product of that process for medical research. I still am troubled by the notion that they have not come to the floor asking that we ban in vitro fertilization. because we know that is a natural consequence of this process. And if it is permissible and moral and legal to have a process which results in these extra cells. I do not understand the moral question about using these fertilized cells to give people a chance to live and to live their lives better. I just do not understand that. To measure the impact of President Bushs policy. Stanford University looked at peerreviewed research published in scientific journals. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6872}
{"speech_id":1090159176,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They found that embryonic stem cell research in the United States made up onethird of the papers published in 2002 but only a fourth of those published in 2004. Research is slowing down. President Bushs decision is reducing the number of opportunities for embryonic stem cell research. The worlds best and most respected scientistsour own NIH leadershiptell us that this area of scientific research could lead to treatments and cures. Dr. James Battey chairs the NIH working group on stem cells. This is what he said before the Senate Labor. HHS Subcommittee: Theres no scientist that I know who would argue that more stem cell lines wouldnt accelerate the pace of scientific research.... Cell lines offer scientific opportunities that are right now beyond the reach of federal funds. Other things have changed since President Bushs decision in 2001 as well. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6872}
{"speech_id":1090159176,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have learned more about the potential of stem cell research. Dr. John Kessler is the chair of the neurology department at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. which I am honored to represent. He is also the father of a 20yearold daughter who is paralyzed as a result of a spinal cord injury. He told me personally that he finds the current administration policy \"unconscionable\" in light of everything we have learned since 2001. H.R. 810the real bill. the one that is important. and the one that will make the differencewould loosen the handcuffs on Americas scientists. It would allow scientists to receive Federal funding to use embryonic stem cell lines in their research ifand only iftwo very specific conditions are met. First. the stem cell lines must be derived from eggs that were produced for in vitro fertilization but are going to be discarded. The choice is research or destruction of these potential means of creating medical opportunities. Second. both adults to whom the eggs belong must provide written consent that the eggs be donated to science. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6872}
{"speech_id":1090159230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we face the close of the 109th Congress in the coming months. I feel it is important that we reauthorize the Traumatic Brain Injury Act. It is my pleasure to introduce this reauthorization bill along with the ranking minority member of the Senate Health. Education. Labor. and Pension Committee. Senator TED KENNEDY. with whom I worked on the original legislation over 10 years ago. Our colleagues on the House side. Representatives BILL PASCRELL. JR.. and TODD RUSSELL PLATTS. have just recently introduced a companion. bill with the same goal of reauthorizing the TBI Act this year. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4643}
{"speech_id":1090159230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sustaining a traumatic brain injuryor TBIcan be both catastrophic and devastating. The financial and emotional costs to the individual. family. .and community are enormous. Traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually. Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States: 50.000 die. 235.000 are- hospitalized. and 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department. Brain injuries are the most frequent reasons for visits to physicians and emergency rooms. These statistics are more revealing when one considers that every 16 seconds someone in the U.S. sustains a head injury. every 12 minutes. one of these people will die and another will become permanently disabled. Of those who survive. each year. an estimated 80.000 to 90.000 people experience the onset of longterm disability associated with a TBI. An additional 2.000 will exist in a persistent vegetative state. Even more startling is the fact that brain injury kills more Americans under the age of 34 than all other causes combined and has claimed more lives since the Turn of the Century than all United States wars combined. Sixtyeight percent of war veterans are returning home with sustained brain injuries. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4643}
{"speech_id":1090159230,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The distress of TBIis not limited to diagnosis. A survivor of a severe brain injury typically faces 5 to 10 years of intensive services and estimated lifetime costs can exceed $4 million. Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000. The Traumatic Brain Injury Act is the only Federal legislation specifically addressing issues faced by 5.3 million American children and adults who live with a longterm disability as a result of traumatic brain injury. Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act will provide for the continuation of research. not only for the treatment of TBI but also for prevention and awareness programs which will help decrease the occurrence of traumatic brain injury and improve the longterm outcome. In 2006. Congress has an opportunity to strengthen the TBI Act by authorizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC. to determine the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury in the general population of the United States. including all age groups and persons in institutional settings such as nursing homes. correctional facilities. psychiatric hospitals. -child care facilities. and residential institutes for people with developmental disabilities. This legislation authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration. HRSA. to make grants for projects of national significance that improve individual and family access to service systems. assist states in developing service capacity. improve monitoring and evaluation of rehabilitation services and supports. and address emerging needs of servicemen and women. veterans. and individuals and families who have experienced brain injury through service delivery demonstration projects. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4643}
{"speech_id":1090159230,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill also authorizes HRSA to include the American Indian Consortium as an eligible recipient of competitive grants awarded to States. Territories. and the District of Columbia to develop comprehensive system of services and supports nationwide. Furthermore. this bill instructs HRSA and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities to coordinate data collection regarding protection and advocacy services. The TBI Act offers balanced and coordinated public policy in brain injury prevention. research. education. and communitybased services and supports for individuals living with traumatic brain injury and their families. Mr. President. reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act will further provide mechanisms for the preventin. treatment and the improvement of the quality of life for those Americans and their families who may sustain such a devastating disability. I ask my colleagues support in promptly reauthorizing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4643}
{"speech_id":1090159279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. which reauthorizes portions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. authored by Resources Chairman RICHARD POMBO. The Marine Mammal Protection Act was enacted in 1972 with the purpose of protecting and restoring marine mammal populations. The act has been very successful over its 30year history in recovering marine mammal populations. and this legislation builds on those accomplishments. Recently. there have been many news reports on the status of polar bears and other arctic marine mammal species. H.R. 4075 includes language which will allow for increased international cooperation to help protect the shared U.S.-Russia polar bear population. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090159279,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. without these provisions. the future of polar bear populations in Russia is very much in jeopardy. It also authorizes much needed research which will afford us the oppotunity to better understand the needs of marine mammals and give us -the means to better conserve these species for future generations. H.R. 4075 also authorizes the Prescott Marine Mammal Stranding program. The Prescott program has been very successful in recovering and rehabbing thousands of stranded marine mammals. The Prescott program supports a network of facilities around the Nation that have dedicated themselves to the recovery of stranded marine mammals. H.R. 4075 includes additional provisions which will support the development of cleaner fishing gear to reduce interactions with marine mammals. It also authorizes research to develop nonlethal measures to control nuisance pinniped populations. Finally. H.R. 4075 clarifies the permit requirements for marine mammals on public display. While it is not a major reauthorization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. these amendments have been carefully crafted and are specifically designed to enhance the fundamental conservation goals of this important law. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090159279,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a good conservation bill. It is good for marine mammals. and it should be overwhelmingly adopted. Finally. I wish to thank Chairman HENRY HYDE of the International Relations Committee and Chairman BILL THOMAS of the Ways and Means Committee and their staffs for their cooperation in moving this legislation. At this time I will include in the RECORD an exchange of letters between our committees on this bill. I urge an \"aye\" vote on H.R. 4075.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2419}
{"speech_id":1090159291,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to add a personal note. if I could. In 1960. my father. Major General Gene Renzi. went to Springfield Armory and bought two 30.06 sniper rifles that were used in the Korean War. We bought them for $1 each. We restored them. and those are the same deer hunting rifles that I used and I now pass on to my son. ","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":839}
{"speech_id":1090159291,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The guys coming back from the Korean War and World War II would actually dispense these rifles through the Springfield Armory. So for a guy who is a deer hunter. who is not that good of a shot. but for a guy who is a deer hunter. my first 30.06 we ever got came out of the Springfield Armory Works. So I am thankful today to be able to work with the ranking member and see this legislation pushed through. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":839}
{"speech_id":1090159309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969 to authorize additional Federal contributions for maintaining and improving the transit system of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. and for other purposes. as amended.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090159337,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this is not a new program. This program was authorized in 1960 and signed by President Eisenhower. It has been reauthorized four times. and I hope it has a long life. a long productive life. taking commuters off clogged roads and using mass transit so we can reduce our energy dependency on foreign oil. Mr. Speaker. this is not an authorization of funds. It is about making sure. as my colleagues have said. that this money is spent well. If this goes down. the money still goes through without any checks and balances and Inspector Generals or any of these being set up. If you vote against this bill. you are not saying we should not spend any extra dollars on the Metro system. You are not saying that. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1813}
{"speech_id":1090159337,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You are saying they can spend the extra dollars without the congressional oversight. Statistics show that Metro is. in fact. one of the best run systems. but I am not willing to say they are so good that no improvements are required and additional oversight is not required. The provisions in this came from a GAO report. It is our responsibility in Congress to ensure Federal dollars are well spent. There should be nothing contentious about requiring an Inspector General. adding Federal members to the board. or requiring the jurisdictions to truly provide stable funding to the system. So I urge my colleagues to offer this bill their full support. I appreciate the comments of my colleague. He has long been a supporter of no further Federal spending. but we are out the barn door on this. That happened under the previous legislation. under the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act. This refines it and controls it and makes sure the money is well spent. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1813}
{"speech_id":1090159337,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope my colleagues will join us in legislation that scores zero with the Congressional Budget Office and reauthorizes this legislation.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1813}
{"speech_id":1090159435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. And I am delighted to be here on the floor with two of my colleagues who have been tremendous advocates of this free trade agreement and of the concept of free trade. the principle of free trade internationally and in our country. I want to make two general points. I am sorry that I wasnt able to be here earlier. and I do not want to repeat what my colleagues have said. But there are two important overall points that I want to make that. even if you have made them. are worth thinking again about. First is why free trade is important. Retirees simply do not. by definition. buy enough consumer goods to drive an economy our size. We are accustomed to a standard of living that is. frankly. the highest in the world. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8032}
{"speech_id":1090159435,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our children expect to grow up and participate as adults in an economy that is thriving. in wellpaying jobs that can provide them with a standard of living that my generation has enjoyed. Yet as the number of retirees explodesand the number of young people in the workforce contracts. our own Nation cannot provide the demand for goods that can produce the overall gross national product that will assure the standard of living we are accustomed to. So future generations are going to be more dependent on trade than we have been. and we must open markets for their goods. The American -population will not be able to buy the amount of stuff that would drive an economy that can produce thle standard of living that we have enjoyed. So if we do not have consumers around the world. and. remember. the great majority of consumers are outside the United States. if we do not cultivate them. if they do not open their markets to our products. then we cannot sustain the level of economic wellbeing. the standard of living to which we have been accustomed. and we thereby disadvantage our children. This small agreement with one small country will allow consumer and industrial goods to enter that country 100 percent duty free. One hundred percent duty free. And agricultural products will enter 87 percent duty free and over 10 years reach 100 percent duty free. This is a small market. but we are making these agreements with country after country after country. And most startling. our exports are growing most rapidly and the majority of our growth in export goods is with those countries that we have negotiated trade agreements with. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8032}
{"speech_id":1090159435,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. that stands to reason because if you sell your goods into a country where there is no duty. they are going to do better than if you sell them into a country where there is a 20 percent. 30 percent. 40 percent. 50 percent duty that pushes that price right up. So in the big picture. our children. our grandchildren cannot do well unless we lay the foundation by opening markets for* American products all across the world. So our economic wellbeing depends on free trade agreements. Those free trade agreements. and the gentlemen here on the floor with me tonight have been strong advocates of fair trade agreements. these free trade agreements address labor standards. environmental standards. We are the only Nation in the whole world that pushes those issues in the negotiation of trade agreements with other countries. and we are reaching new standards as we move forward and gain more experience. Now we do. not just require labor standards. We help nations build institutions to enforce those standards. So we look at do you have a department of labor. We look at does the department of labor have sufficient staff to enforce the law. We look at do the regulations take seriously the responsibility of enforcement. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8032}
{"speech_id":1090159435,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we literally help nations not only understand how labor standards help them deliver the benefits of world trading to all in their society. but we help them understand that just having the standards to support all their people is not enough. You do have to be able to enforce those standards. You do have to be able to take action against the exploitive employer. So these trade agreements are good for our kids. They are good for peoples of the world. And that brings me to my second major point. Our security depends on agreements like that we have negotiated with Oman. The 9\/11 Commission report cited our Middle Eastern free trade agreements and call for action on \"a comprehensive U.S. strategy that should include economic policies that encourage development. more open societi~s. and opportunities for people to improve the lives of their families and enhance the prospects of their childrens future.\" In other words. the 9\/11 report was saying if you do not address the causes that are creating terrorism and the willingness to be terrorists in other societies. you cannot solve the problem. And I want to just conclude by saying how very impressed I was when Ways and Means Committee members a little less than 2 years ago made a trip to the Middle Eastern nations that were interested in trade agreements and whose other trading agreements were about to expire. . 2100 We knew that they would need to think about this in advance carefully. We know that participating in trade agreements means other countries have to modernize their law to meet high international standards. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8032}
{"speech_id":1090159435,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We knew it would take time. and we wanted to be sure to alert these other countries to the challenges that lay ahead for them in negotiating these free trade agreements and to the enormous benefits that would accrue to their people in not only the present but future generations. I must say. I was extremely impressed with the Sultan of Oman. He understood exactly what this was going to mean to his people. He is one of the Middle East leaders who understands that oil is a limited resource and he must prepare a broader base for economic success for his people in his own country. and he is doing some of the work in the more advanced areas of desalinization. thinking about the importance of water to his people and the demand in the world economy. particularly in the Middle East. for potable water. He is a very forwardlooking man. He is very committed to participation in the political process by women as well as men. He has appointed successful women to his top council. They do things slightly differently because they are coming from a different path. but he was very proud to have started worker committees. That was his initiative. because he knows workers have to have a better voice. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8032}
{"speech_id":1090159448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. I think that is absolutely right. You see this whole shift. overnight. in world opinion. again from the world being on our side and willing to fight alongside us in the war on terror that had been precipitated by the attacks of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Thatwas one day. After the invasion of Iraq that turned out to be based -on totally false premises. you saw the world turn against us. Some people here ask. Why does it matter whether people around the world like us or support our policies? Why does it matter if people in the Middle East have a positive view of the United States? Why does it matter if the Islamic world has a positive view of the United States? Well. here is the problem. If you dont have the support of those countries. it is very difficult to get their cooperation in the war on terror. It is very difficult for them to say we are going to help you in the United States in this battle on terror. That is one problem. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2503}
{"speech_id":1090159448,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The other problem is. it is a total contradiction between our efforts to promote democracy in the region. on the one hand. and to say we dont care what the people in those countries think. on the other hand. Because if we want to promote democracy. which means that we want leaders in the region to be elected by the people. then we better make sure that the people who are electing them support our goals and support our objectives. Because if the people who are electing the leaders in Middle East countries hate the United States and want to bring harm to the United States. it is very difficult for someone running for office there to say they support our efforts and support our policy. You saw the election in the Palestinian areas of Hamas and the extremists as opposed to the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority had said. we want to work with the United States. and we want to work with Israel toward a peace process. But the people. when they had a choice. for all sorts of reasons chose the more extremist Hamas. So the perceptions of the United States and our policies overseas have a direct bearing on our own security here at home. You cannot say you want to promote democracy in the Middle East. on the one hand. and say you dont care if they hate America. on the other hand. 0l 2145 If they hate America. they are going to elect leaders who reflect the will of the people. and that is bad for the United States. and yet our actions have fueled that kind of antagonism and hatred and actually made us less. not more. secure.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2503}
{"speech_id":1090159455,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. if my friend would just yield for a moment just to confirm points that were made by everybody. but specifically by CHRIS VAN HOLLEN. there is a GAO report that was issued in April of 2005 that speaks to the issue ofdeepening and broadening antiAmerican sentiment all over the world. We have all seen the polling data. It is frightening. Talk about a world opinibn that threatens our national security. And the GAO specifically alluded to the fact that it has the potential to dramaticallyhurt our commercial interests. One only has to check the price of oil. One only has to look at todays stock market report. Everywhere we turn the implications and consequences of this failed policy is hurting the American people. our national security. our commercial interests and everything that is attendant thereto. Then. when we start to examine the relationship between the new government in Iraq and Iran. why have we spilled the blood of more than 2.500 Americans and already have appropriated taxpayer dollars on the way to $500 billion? ci 2200 And by the way. I am sure if you havent. that you will find in your mail tomorrow a letter. a Dear Colleague letter from our friend and colleague from Illinois. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090159455,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jan Schakowsky. And she makes the point that on July 7. the Iraqi. not Iranian Parliament Speaker. Mahmoud alMashhadani had this to say. He accused Jews of financing acts of violence in Iraq in order to discredit Islamists who control the Parliament and government so they can install their agents in power. Some people say we saw you beheading. kidnapping and killing. In the end. we even started kidnapping women who are our honor. These acts are not the work of Iraqis. I am sure that he who does this is a Jew and the son of a Jew. I can tell you about these Jewish Israelis and Zionists who are using Iraqi money and oil to frustrate the Islamic movement in Iraq and come with their agents. Is this what we have wrought? These words should be condemned by the President. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090159455,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am sure we all would join in a resolution condemning the words of this head of the Iraqi Parliament. this Iraqi Government that has executed a bilateral military agreement with Iran. Where are we heading. my friends?","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090159472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I do appreciate the gentlemans sentiment on this. I know that you are right on the vote. I am confident that I can go back through the CONGRESSIONAL REcoRD and pick out the rhetoric that supports my remarks. But I guess it is a balance that there was one vote against the resolution. I do recognize the gentlemans point. I look foriard to bringing all of the resources necessary- to protect America in the future anywhere we have to in the world. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. Picking up on my next point. it is that the statement made here on the floor that we are .not winning the war on terror. .\"the rest of the world believes we are losing the war on terror.\" I do not believe that is true at all. In fact. who would want to trade places with the other side? How would you like to try to conduct or construct an optimistic scenario if you were. say. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10662}
{"speech_id":1090159472,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Zarqawi before he was sent to the next life by the United States Air Force? How would you put together a scenario by which you could possibly win? I would point out that listening to one of our experts. one who is actually under the command of our Commander in Chief. General Casey. who said the last time I was over there. he said the enemy cannot win if the politicians stay in the fight. That is what I am about. Madam Speaker. is seeing to it that the politicians stay in the fight. Our solders and marines deserve it. They -deserve everything we have to support them. When they approach me in Iraq and say to me. I am proud to put my life on the line and commit a year out of my life to defend freedom and give the Iraqi people a chance at freedom. but why do I have to fight the United States news media too. why do I have to fight the antiwar detractors. my answer to them has been. you should not have to do that. That is my job. And it is a job of all of us. to stand up together. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10662}
{"speech_id":1090159472,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But also the criticism that we do not have an exit strategy in Iraq. That is not a criticism that sets on very solid ground from my perspective. I support the President in that. You cannot give people a date that you are going to pull out. And so I would submit to the other side of the aisle that has found some experts to support the position that they are advocating. they should listen to an expert that I would think that they should support. and that would be the expert called former President Bill Clinton. who said. and agreed with President Bush. that we cannot give the enemy an exit date or they will just simply go underground. He said. you cannot give them a date. Bill Clinton. 2 days ago supporting President Bush and his position not to telegraph when we might be ready to deploy out of Iraq. And so the selective process is going on. pick the people that support your position and then declare them to be experts. And I generally stand with my position. But. lets see. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10662}
{"speech_id":1090159472,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The people who got it right were ignored. the people who got it wrong were rewarded. 0] 2240 I think it is a bit early to declare such a thing. I think historians will make that decision. I think the advisers that got us into Afghanistan successfully and successfully have managed the liberation of Afghanistan got it right. I think the same advisers were there to put together the strategy for Iraq. and given the military operations that are there. the liberation of Iraq. they got it right. To maintain the safety and security in that country has been difficult. but the strategy. there is not a consistent viewpoint here. to get Americans out is what we hear from people like Mr. MURTHA. because they are targets of the enemy. If we pull out to the horizon. which we found out. I thought the horizon might be over there where the sun sets or where the sunrise is or up on the hill. the other side of the hill. just some place out of sight would be the horizon. We found out a month ago their horizon is really Okinawa. He said let us redeploy our troops to Okinawa. then if things get bad. we can go back in there. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10662}
{"speech_id":1090159472,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So the Out of Iraq Caucus. I wonder how large a caucus that is. but their position doesnt have a futuristic view. What takes place in the Middle East? I would say this: We need to be looking at the Bush doctrine. we need to be looking at when the Berlin Wall went down. and that echo of freedom that I talked about earlier. we need to be looking at the way a map of the world looks today. and a free Afghanistan. 20. 25 million people and a free Iraq. 25 million people. an Iraq that is far safer than the news media would have us believe. that cameras are trained on the IEDs before they go off. but they .are not trained on the happy Iraqi playing children. We have a new conflagration in the Middle East. We have the circumstances with Israel. an Israel that has been trading land for peace. When there is no rational reason to trade land for peace. there is no historical model of somebody trading off land and getting peace. We could go back to the prior. to World War II. you would think the focus on that. if that history would be pretty acute. the tradeoff for the Sudetenland. to Hitler. to get peace. and finally. the carving up of Poland between the Germans and the Russians. and ultimately war. It always happens. you can never trade land for peace. and yet the Israelis pulled out of Lebanon. and I understand why. It was costly to be there. but the agreement was that Hezbollah would not be operating in southern Lebanon or in Lebanon at all. Finally. most of the Syrian troops got out of there. not the Syrian intelligence people. but the Syrian troops. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10662}
{"speech_id":1090159493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Entirely within their control to crack down on border security. to hire more Border Patrol agents. enforcement actions against employers who hire illegal immigrants illegally. So lets take a look at the numbers. We use third party validators. By the way. it is a pleasure to join you here once again. my 30 Something colleagues. I apologize for not doing that initially when I began. just jumping in. But let us look at the average number of new border patrol agents added per year under the Clinton administration from 1993 to 2000. versus the Bush administration between 2001 and 2005. Under President Clinton. 642 per year border patrol agents were added per year. And under President Bush they have added an average of 411. Now there is some real commitment to border security. How about we look at the INS. which is now CIS. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1241}
{"speech_id":1090159493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the INS fines for immigration enforcement. that is fines against employers who hired illegal immigrants illegally and have gotten caught. Okay. Under the Democratic administration in 1999. President Clinton was in office. there were 417 cases where INS fined employers for hiring. for getting caught hiring illegal immigrants. Guess how many there were in 2004. a year in which President Bush was in office?","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1241}
{"speech_id":1090159583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. although at one time it appeared that as many as 78 stem cell lines might qualify under the Presidents policy. as many. had feared. the number of lines that might be practically accessed today is no more than around a dozen at best. Moreover. all of these cell lines were grown with socalled mouse feeder cells so could never pass muster with the FDA for use to make products for humans. Thus for the Presidents initial goals to be accomplished. new embryonic stem cell lines must be made available. It has been over a. year since he House has taken its historic action of passing H.R. 810 by a bipartisan 235to189 vote. I commend the leadership of Representatives MIKE CASTLE and DIANA DEGETTE for moving the bill through the House. I must pay special respects to Senator ARLEN SPECTER and Senator TOM HARKIN for their dogged determination in conducting a series of some 15 oversight hearings on the issue of stem cell research since this breakthrough science was first reported in 1998. In fact. it was the work of the SpecterHarkin LaborHHS Appropriations Subcommittee that developed the factual basis and legal analysis that resulted in the legislation that became H.R. 810. At long last. today the Senate will finally vote on this important legislation. I hope that it will pass and if it does. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090159583,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will strenuously urge President to reconsider hisposition and sign this bill into law. Mr. President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090159609,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President I ask the Chair to advise me when I have 2 minutes left. I want to start with a picture of Dennis Turner because this is a reallife case of Parkinsons disease. The prior speaker. Senator VITTER. talked about his dad dying of Parkinsons disease. it is a terrible disease. It is incredibly debilitating. I met with a friend of mine last week who has something similar. It is not Parkinsons. but it is also debilitating. Dennis Turner testified at a hearing we had in the Senate Commerce Committee. He had been cured of his symptoms for 5 years. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7907}
{"speech_id":1090159609,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We had difficulty getting him in because he was out doing fun things such as safaris. After a period of 5 years. the symptoms started to return. He had received an adult stem cell therapy. not embryonic stem cell therapy. His symptoms went away for 5 years. and then they started coming back. He needed to have another treatment. he could not get it. International doctorsto try to get their help and support. we need to fund that type of work. which is working. for people like Dennis Turner. My colleagues say we need to do this with embryonic stem cell research. that that is going to cure Dennis. Dennis Turner will be cured that way. I want to remind some of my colleagues that they said this about fetal tissue research about 10 years ago in this debate. In 1993. this was a typical statement debate at that time: There is substantial evidence that fetal tissue researchTaking a human embryo. fetal tissue. and lets work and mold and work with this and put it inside a person. and lets deal with issues like Parkinsons this way. -will offer new hope of prolonged life. greater quality of life. perhaps one day even a cure for many of these diseases. and a tremendous economic and social costsaving to the country. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7907}
{"speech_id":1090159609,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So we funded fetal tissue research for a long period of time. like we are funding embryonic stem cell research. to the tune of half a billion dollars over the last 5 years in human and animal models. We funded fetal tissue research. Now. this is tissue and cells that are further developed than embryonic cells. They are further differentiated and they are more stabilized. so they go off in fewer tangents. So if they are putin some particular area of the body. like they come from the brain. from the fetal tissue. and you put them back in the brain. they are more stable. We did this research. We funded this. We even tried it in humans. to disastrous resultsdisastrous results. This is Parkinsons research set back by failure of fetal cell implants. Disastrous side effects are the quotes from the people who did the testing. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7907}
{"speech_id":1090159609,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Absolutely devastating. It was tragic. catastrophic. It is a real nightmare. And we cant selectively turn it off. My goodness. this is strong wording that is taking place. to be catastrophic for fetal cell implants. Catastrophic? What happened? These cells. the fetal cells. formed tumors. and in.some cases these tumors. they were implanted in the brain. the fetal cells implanted in the brain. and these tumors ended up being fingernail or hair that was in the brain. and we cant selectively turn it off. Think about this just for a minute. if we could. Everybody is saying we want to cure people. I want to cure people. If we have a route that is working in 72 different disease areas with the adult cord bloodand here is real research we funded. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7907}
{"speech_id":1090159609,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We tried it in humans even. with fetal cells. These are further developed cells than embryonic. They formed tumors. to disastrous results in Parkinsons patients. Yesterday. I entered into the RECORD a series of six onepagethis is the frontpage summary of peerreviewed articles on the formation of tumors using embryonic stem cells. and these were all articles saying: OK. we use embryonic stem cells. they formed tumors. Now. I am not a scientist. but it seems that if you got it in fetal tissue. which was further developed cells. and you found out that these are wild and they grow too fast and they form in other areas. and you back it up to embryonic stem cells and they are even younger. more malleable. and less formed. and we now have research saying they are - forming tumors. you would look at that and say: Well. I dont think this is working particularly well. Now. it is interesting science. We may learn something of how the cell works in thisprocess. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7907}
{"speech_id":1090159661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the Senate debates stem cell research. I wanted to indicate that I will be supporting all three measures before the Senate. I will support these measures because I have great faith that some day this promising research will lead to cures for some of our most devastating diseases. This is not a decisionI came to hastily. I have thought long and hard about stem cell research. Hundreds of North Dakota families have told me this research is the key to helping their loved ones lead healthy lives. I have also heard from North Dakotans who have very strong religious objections to stem cell research. I respect their views. But. in the end. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3655}
{"speech_id":1090159661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe we should put an appropriate ethical framework in place to give hope of a cure to those who suffer from disease. That is why I am supporting stem cell research. In 2001. a group of U.S. Senators. including me. called on President Bush to allow Federal funding of stem cell research. The President agreed and created the current policy of allowing research but only on those lines developed by August 9. 2001. This arbitrary date has limited the ability of scientists to fully realize the potential of stem cell research. In. fact. there are only 22 lines available today. and all are contaminated. I think it is right to expand the available lines. And it is imperative that we create a strong framework to ensure this research is done in the most ethical way. It has been over a year since .the House of Representatives took action on H.R. 810. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. and passed it with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3655}
{"speech_id":1090159661,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill expands Federal research while strengthening the ethical guidelines associated with it. To be clear. this bill would only allow research on stem cells taken from excess embryos used in fertility treatments. Fertility clinics help couples have a baby. but sometimes this therapy produces extra embryos. which can be disposed of. donated to other couples. or used for research. A 2003 study estimated that 400.000 excess embryos are currently stored in these clinics and more than 11.000 of those have been designated for research. This bill simply allows researchers access to those embryos. H.R. 810 also requires that these embryos would never be implanted into a woman and that the individual has given written consent for the donation. Under the current policy. there are no such guidelines. I believe these requirements are essential to ensuring. the strongest ethical behavior. Before I close. I would like to share the stories of two young girls that I have had the pleasure of meeting. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3655}
{"speech_id":1090159661,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their storiesas well as the thousands of others like themhave deeply impacted my decision to support H.R. 810. Ashley Dahlen and Camille Johnson are both teenagers suffering with juvenile diabetes. And I truly mean suffering. They each have scars on their fingertips from where they have to check their blood sugars constantly. even while they are sleeping. They have to stay home from school when their sugars are too high. Both have had extremely close calls and have been hospitalized. Without a cure. both will end up on dialysis and will suffer other complications. possibly even heart failure.These young girls and their families support stem cell research. They want to grow up. get married. and have children of their own. They continue to hope that one day. stem cell research will provide them a cure to this most awful disease. I share their hope and faith in stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3655}
{"speech_id":1090159661,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. I am voting to pass this hope along to the millions of children and families suffering from diseases that could be cured using stem cell research.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3655}
{"speech_id":1090159662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. the Senate is debating H.R. 810. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. which would allow the Federal Government to provide additional funding for embryonic stem cell research. I have received numerous heartfelt letters from constituents outlining their concerns with embryonic stem cell research. These are concerns which I simply cannot overlook or dismiss. I know the suffering and worry that families go through when a loved one desperately needs treatment for a serious progressive illness. Easing the pain and suffering of our loved .ones. our daughters. sons. parents. and grandparents. should be at the hallmark of a caring society. The potential of finding cures for Parkinsons disease. Alzheimers. cancer. and diabetes must not be ignored. I understand the promise for embryonic stem cell research to yield treatments and therapies for numerous diseases. however. we must not overlook the ethical concerns associated with such research..I am a great supporter and will continue to be a proponent of fully funding the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health for research into cures for cancer. diabetes. and heart disease. to name a few. which is why I also support H.R. 810. However. the moral implications of embryonic stem cell.research must not be discounted. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2463}
{"speech_id":1090159662,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are not just debating whether the scientific and medical communities should .continue the exploration of embryonic stem cells their impact on medical cohditions. If Federal funds begin to flow without also addressing moral issues such as human cloning. how long will it be before an ethical crisis of our own making erupts? This is why the Congress should also debate a framework to ensure that practices such as reproductive cloning do not take place. The Senate has taken up three bills. none of which provides guidance about stem cell researchs future development. None of these bills addresses the need to examine the possibility that embryonic stem cell research might lead to potential immoral outcomes. such as the cloning of human beings for illegitimate purposes. We must not dismiss these ethical and moral undertones. A comprehensive approach must be devised to protect science and medicine against misuse and public backlash. While I will support H.R. 810 in order to help provide hope to those who suffer from diseases. the Congress must take a hard look into ensuring scientific integrity as this medical research proceeds..","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2463}
{"speech_id":1090159721,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last Thursday Senator JEFFORDS and I took some time to thank the members of our committee and many on the outside for cooperation in bringing to the Senate the Water Resources Development. Act. This is a very big bill. It is a very significant bill. It involved the cooperation of quite a number of people. I would say every member of our committee has been very cooperative. I talked a little bit about Senator FEINGOLD and the fact he had some objections. He was very good to work with. along with Senator MCCAIN and others. We finally are at the point now where. after a lot of negotiation. the Senate is considering today S. 728. the Water Resources Development Act of As the worlds leading maritime and trading nation. the United States relies on an efficient maritime transportation system to maintain its role as a global power. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12323}
{"speech_id":1090159721,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill we debate today is the cornerstone of that system. The Water Resources Development Act. or WRDA. sets out the Federal policy of procedure for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain and build our inland and intracoastal waterway system. which carries onesixth of the Nations volume of intercity cargo. In addition. the Corps is responsible for maintaining approximate channel depths in ports along our coasts and the Great Lakes to handle 95 percent of all foreign trade into and out of the country. In fact. more than 67 percent of all consumer goods pass through harbors maintained by the Corps of Engineers. WRDA also authorizes the Corps to work with communities on flood damage reduction and hurricane and storm damage reduction projects designed to protect human life and property. Inland and intracoastal waterways. which serve States on the Atlantic seaboard. the gulf coast. and the Pacific Northwest. move about 630 million tons of cargo valued at over $70 billion annually. Furthermore. it is estimated that the average transportation cost savings to users of the system is $10.67 per ton. or $7 billion annually over other modes of transportation. The nearly 12.000 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways include 192 commercially active lock and dam sites. I might add. a lot of people are surprised these are in my State of Oklahoma. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12323}
{"speech_id":1090159721,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Over 50 percent of the locks and dams operated by the Corps are more than 50 years old and consequently are approaching the end of their design life and are in need of modernization or major rehabilitation. This bill authorizes ongoing work to modernize and rehabilitate our inland and intracoastal waterway system. In the 1800s. the Corps was first called upon to address flood problems along the Mississippi River. Since then. the Corps has continued to provide flood damage reduction along the- Mississippi River and in other regions of the country. These efforts range from small local protection to projects such as levees. or nonstructural measures. to major dams. Today. most of the structures are owned by sponsoring cities. towns. and agricultural districts.. Although the Corps cannot prevent all damage from floods. the efforts of the Corps do significantly reduce the cost of the flood events. To illustrate this point. consider that during the 10 years from 1991 to 2000. the decade of the 1990s. the country suffered $45- billion in property damage from floods. If Corps flood damage reduction measures had not been in place. however. that figure would have been more than $208 billion in damage. Clearly. flood control is a wise investment. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12323}
{"speech_id":1090159721,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to the American Society of Civil Engineers. the flood control structures on average prevent $22 billion in flood damage each year. a savings of $6 per every $1 spent. Second. similarly. the Corps also participates in and this bill authorizes hurricane and storm damage reduction projects along our Nations coast as well as projects to combat shoreline erosion. So we are talking now about three aspects: navigation. the hurricanes. and the erosion problem. And then the third Corps mission is ecosystems restoration. Working with nonFederal sponsors. the Corps implements singlepurpose ecosystems. restoration projects. multipurpose projects with ecosystems restoration components. or projects for flood protection or navigation that incorporate environmental features as good engineering. The Corps has restored. created. and protected over 500.000 acres of wetlands and other habitats between 1988 and 2004. In some cases. existing water resources projects are modified to achieve restoration benefits. This bill includes authorization of several such projects. including quickly approaching the crisis that. if ignored. would dramatically stunt continued economic growth. We have to understand right now. with what is happening in this country. the increase in economic activity is what has brought us out of this recession. The deficits people in this Senate like to talk about are being addressed by the fact that. for each additional 1 percent of economic activity. it increases revenues about $45 billion. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12323}
{"speech_id":1090159721,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill is going to be very helpful in increasing economic activity. As one of the most fiscally conservative Members of this Senate. I have long argued that the two most important functions of the Federal Government are to provide for national defense and public infrastructure. A lot of my conservative colleagues are going to be talking about projects and maybe earmarks. That is not in this bill we are talking about. They might be surprised to know that I. with a rating of 100 percent by the American Conservative Union. this year and last year. am proposing this bill. which is a big spending bill. but we are not spending. We are authorizing. We have an orderly procedure to reach those projects which would enjoy the most support. I say to my conservative friends. I am one who is not for wasteful spending. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12323}
{"speech_id":1090159743,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the LandrieuCochran proposal requires that necessary mitigation for projects be completed at the same time the project is completed or no longer than 1 year afterward. This will impose a cost on communities. particularly smaller ones. but it is not as onerous as regulations proposed 2 years ago which ultimately prevented a final agreement between the House and Senate. For some. the new regulations are too onerous. for others. not enough. As I said. I believe we strike a balance. This legislation is supported by over 250 organizations representing the environment. agriculture. labor. and chambers of commerce. I ask unanimous consent that the letter from the National Waterways Alliance listing these groups be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":754}
{"speech_id":1090159802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I know no Senator on this floor would misrepresent the facts in a case like this. We have an opportunity with an agreedto provision of our bill. which I thought we all agreed to. that we are able to save a lot of money and finally put this thing to rest. Every year we go through this same exercise. Everyone wants to keep this old relic called the McFarland. I cannot figure out for the life of me why they want to do it other than the fact maybe this is some kind of an emotional institution that exists that we want to hold on to. If that is the case. maybe we should let the Historical Society have that and they can see what dredging used to be like in the old days. The McFarland is the oldest and most expensive hopper dredge owned and operated by the Corps. The Corps did a study in the hopper fleet and concluded that the McFarland should be retired.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":874}
{"speech_id":1090159811,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I did not refer to San Francisco and I did not refer to San Diego. The long list of States affected were on the east coast and on the gulf. There are two other Federal dredgers on the west coast. I have great respect for the distinguished Senator from Oklahoma and his 20 years of service on the Armed Services Committee. But I have been. for 26 years. on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and have some familiarity with these issues. I was on the Intelligence Committee for 8 years and chaired it in the 104th Congress and have some appreciation of the problems of terrorism. And I have served on the Judiciary Committee for 26 years. now chair it. and have been very deeply involved in the Presidents electronics surveillance program which has superseded the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act because of the threat of terrorism. \u0095 We are talking here about having the McFarland available in many. many ports and in many. many States--not the State of California and San Francisco or San Diego. but in Pennsylvania. New Jersey. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090159811,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"New York. Virginia. North Carolina. South Carolina. Georgia. Florida. Texas. and others. and the gulf coast States affected by the hurricane. again. Texas and Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama and Florida. We are dealing here with a very flimsy Corps of Engineers report which is based on industry data which is not verifieda concession they make in this report. And it is provided by industry sources which have a vested interest and a bias in eliminating the McFarland as a competitor. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090159811,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think it is fair to say that if the committees point on decommissioning the McFarland is to stand. they have a burden of proof. And they have not established it. There has not been a hearing on this subject. There has not been reliable evidence. And I would say that in the face of the threat of terrorism. and the work that the McFarland does in that area. and the work that the McFarland did in Hurricane Katrina. that their burden of proof is more than a preponderance of the evidence. it ought to be clear and convincing. And it has not been either clear or convincing.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2136}
{"speech_id":1090159839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this month. Sharon Daly will retire from Catholic Charities USA. She has been a compassionate. committed advocate for the most vulnerable children and needy families for more than a decade. She has skillfully represented a nationwide faithbased network that serves people in every State. including West Virginia. For many years. Sharon and her grassroots network of service providers have provided information and valuable insights on the needs of children and families. I have gained facts and support on a wide range of issues. from adoption and foster care to childcare and welfare reform. thanks to Sharon Daly and Catholic Charities. She has been a clear. compelling voice for the needs of children and the poor. Her leadership has been inspiring. and her voice Will be missed.*","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":798}
{"speech_id":1090159904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. House Republicans have demonstrated their commitment to immigration reform by passing a very strong border security bill that focus on strengthening our border and enforcing our law. I think that the House Republican bill does reflect the majority of Americans. Unfortunately. Democrats have decided to go a different way. The ReidKennedy immigration bill would. one. allow as many as 60 million more immigrants over the next 20 years. two. Mexico would have to be consulted regarding construction of a barrier on our border. and. three. guaranteed Social Security benefits would be provided for illegal immigrants for the time they were in the country illegally. So if an Americap citizen broke our Social Security laws. he or she would face jail time. But if an illegal immigrant broke the laws to get here and then broke our Social Security laws. we are going to reward them. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090159904,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. House Republicans are doing the right thing by taking this issue to the Nation. We are holding hearings around the country to gain input from our citizens. Already a common theme we are hearing is that people would rather have no bill than a bad bill. So in the interim. as Congress remains in a stalemate with the Democratic Senate bill. how about this as a concept: Enforce the current immigration laws.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1310}
{"speech_id":1090159916,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for several generations now we have watched Middle Easternborn terrorism intimidate. maim and kill Americans and our allies around the free world. The images coming out of Israel and Lebanon are a sad. ugly replay of something we have seen far too often. Mr. Speaker. there is no easy solution to this problem. despite what some pundits on the talk show circuit would tell us. This is a fight between a nation and between terrorists who claim no nation. It is simply unacceptable that Iran -would be permitted to fund a terrorist organization like Hezbollah. It is unacceptable that the statesponsored terrorist organization would be placed in another nation. Lebanon. in order to wage a steady war against one of our allies. That is what has been happening for far too long. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":904}
{"speech_id":1090159916,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. our President is exactly right not to condemn Israel for taking actions to defeat its terrorist enemy.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":904}
{"speech_id":1090159917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is a conflagration in the Middle East. We are losing the war in Iraq. We are losing ground to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The stock market is crashing. gas prices are skyrocketing. We have raised the debt ceiling four times to $9 trillion. all of which we are going to dump on the backs of our children. who we are inadequately educating. let alone creating a safer world for them. And what are the Republican congressional leaderships priorities? To ban samesex marriage. to ban flag burning. to ban stem cell research. to ban child safety locks on guns in the home. to ban abortion here and family planning. abroad. to protect the pledge of allegiance. to cut $20 billion from college student loan programs. to cut $9 billion from elementary and secondary education. And. oh. yes. more tax cuts. Mr. Speaker. this has got to be the most clueless Congress in American history.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":896}
{"speech_id":1090159919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Middle East is near allout war and the United States is on the sidelines hamstrung by the Bush occupation of Iraq. We will borrow $1.3 billion today to run the government and hand the bill to our kids and grandkids. Record gas prices are hamstringing family budgets and business. Record oil profits for the oil companies. and we are borrowing the money from Saudi Arabia and OPEC. Now. these are difficult issues. and it would be tough to hammer out solutions here on the floor of the House. so the Republican majority has chosen to walk away from these issues of real concern to the American people and phony up an agenda full of deadend bills designed for one purpose only. to excite the Republican right wing base and perpetuate their hegemony here in Congress. Two fake stem cell bills to cover the first veto by this President of a meaningful stem cell bill that could provide relief to suffering Americans. paralyzed Americans. Americans with debilitating diseases. But. no. their ideologues wont allow that. They want medieval science to prevail here in Washington. ","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090159919,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"D.C. It is time for a change in the leadership. to have a Congress that truly represents the needs of the American people. not a fringe element in this country.","speaker_name":"PETER DEFAZIO","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1250}
{"speech_id":1090159922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 918 is a closed rule. It provides 1 hour and 30 minutes of debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees. This resolution waives all points of order against consideration of the joint resolution. it provides one motion to recommit. and it provides that during consideration of the joint resolution. notwithstanding the operation of the previous question. the Chair may postpone further consideration of the joint resolution to a time designated by the Speaker. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4126}
{"speech_id":1090159922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 918 and the underlying joint resolution. H.J. Res. 88. the Marriage Protection Act. First. I would like to thank Representative MARILYN MUSdCRAVE. the author and lead sponsor of this constitutional amendment. for her steadfast commitment to the preservation of traditional marriage. As the manager of this rule and an original cosponsor of the underlying joint resolution. I am very pleased the House will have an opportunity today to consider and debate this very important amendment to our Constitution. Mr. Speaker. the proceeding debate. both on the rule and the underlying resolution. either can be divisive and disrespectful. or it can be respectful and productive. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4126}
{"speech_id":1090159922,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This amendment has nothing whatsoever to do with exclusion. but it has everything to do with protecting the traditional and historical definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Contrary to what the opponents of this resolution might say today. this amendment will simply preserve the traditional definition of marriage as it has existed for millennia. I anticipate there will be those on the other side who will say this amendment was concocted for political purposes. To the contrary. Mr. Speaker. This amendment is in response to a few activist judges who are trying to throw out the definition of marriage. along with over 200 years of American judicial precedent. E 1030 These judges. and these judges alone. made this matter an issue. and they did so without one vote cast in either a legislature or at the ballot box. These activist judges substituted legal precedent and the will of the American people with their own personal desires and political beliefs. Their decision to scrap the traditional definition of marriage has forced us. forced us. to now consider enshrining the definition of marriage into our Constitution. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4126}
{"speech_id":1090159922,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. like most of my colleagues. I would prefer to not have to address this issue in this manner. But. unfortunately. I know my constituents and a strong majority of the American people want us to defend the traditional definition of marriage. A poll by the New York Times. not exactly a bastion of rightwing conservatism. they found that 59 percent. I repeat. 59 percent. of Americans favor an amendment to the Constitution stating that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. I also. sadly. realize this amendment will probably not have the necessary twothirds majority to pass and opponents will cite this as a reason to not even consider the underlying resolution. We heard it in a couple of the 1minute speeches from the other side just a few moments ago. Well. this vote will serve as an opportunity for each and every Member of this body to go on record in support or in opposition to protecting the traditional definition of marriage. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4126}
{"speech_id":1090159922,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And after this vote each of us will be judged accordingly by our constituents. and I can say with a clear conscience~and without hesitation that I Will support this rule. I will support the underlying resolution for thesake of the sacred institution of traditional marriage and for the sake of our precious children. Mr. Speaker. I also want to encourage my colleagues to support the rule and this underlying resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4126}
{"speech_id":1090159924,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. and I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker. I very much regret that the Republican majority in this House has brought this bill to the floor. This bill. to put it simply and bluntly. is about adding discrimination and intolerance to the UnitedStates Constitution. This is about the Republican majoritys once again trying to divide and polarize the Nation. It is about the Republican leaderships taking something that should be about love and turning it into a weapon of hate. I am proud. Mr. Speaker. to be from Massachusetts. the home of the Nations first State Constitution. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090159924,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In Massachusetts over 8.000 samesex couples have been married since May of 2004. when it became legal. I should advise my colleagues that Massachusetts has not fallen off the map into the Atlantic Ocean. The sun still rises and sets in the Commonwealth. The Red Sox still play at Fenway. and life goes on. The only thing that is different is that couples of the same sex who love each other. want to spend the rest of their lives together. and want to get married can do so. It means that men and women who happen to be gay are able to enjoy the same rights. privileges. and responsibilities as men and women who happen to be straight. And. Mr. Speaker. that is how it should be. Those who have continued to advocate a ban on samesex marriage are on the wrong side of history. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090159924,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are some here who claim that they are on some sort of moral crusade to protect the institution of marriage. To them I say worry about your own marriage. I do not need you to protect mine. I have been happily married to the same woman for 17 years without the help or interference of Congress. What we should be protecting are the civil and human rights of all Americans. The fact that samesex marriage is legal in my home State has had no impact on my marriage except that we were invited to more weddings. Samesex marriage is a threat to no institution. to no individual. The underlying bill before us would not only add discrimination to the Constitution for the first time in our history. It would repeal. it would actually take away. the rights of thousands of Americans. What do the supporters of this bill say to the gay couples in Massachusetts who are- now legally married. our family members. our neighbors. our coworkers. the people who sit next to us in church? Do you say your marriage is now meaningless and we are going to take away your rights? Do you say we are sending you back to secondclass citizenship? Do you say that we have so much hatred for who you re that we are willing to tarnish the United States Constitution? Marriage law in this country has traditionally been left to the States. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090159924,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Indeed. even in Massachusetts the same supreme judicial court that the proponents of this bill decry recently ruled that a referendum banning samesex marriage can go forward That referendum is currently working its way through the process. And I believe. of course. that the referendum should and will fail. that the citizens of Massachusetts would not vote to turn back the clock. But- that should be up to us. Mr. Speaker. not to the ipeople of Colorado or Georgia or anywhere else. In addition. this bill jeopardizes not just samesex marriage in Massachusetts .but domestic partnership and civil union laws in other parts of the country. The proposal before us is so poorly drafted that legal experts disagree on exactly what effect it will have on those laws. That means. of course. that the issue will end up back in the courts. which is ironic given the concept of courtbashing by the bills supporters. Mr. Speaker. the impact of this debate goes far beyond constitutional arguments. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090159924,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The proponents of this bill are contributing to a climate of intolerance. We will hear protests from the other side today that they have no problem with gay people. Yet here they are arguing that gay people do not deserve the same rights as everybody else. Mr. Speaker. I am also terribly troubled by the hate spewing from some of the outside groups using the samesex marriage issue to whip up emotions and raise money. Mr. Speaker. some of the rhetoric is just deplorable. But I doubt that we will hear any of the bills supporters denouncing it here today on the floor. My colleagues. discrimination is discrimination. and it should find no sanctuary in our Constitution or in our hearts. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4887}
{"speech_id":1090159973,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the remaining time. Mr. Speaker. I rise again in support of this rule and in full support of and recognition of the importance of this underlying amendment to our Constitution. I appreciate each and every one of my colleagues who spoke during the debate on this rule. I fully recognize .that many of us will have to simply. yet respectfully. as I said. disagree. However. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1624}
{"speech_id":1090159973,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I know that I stand today with the citizens of Georgias llth Congressional District. as well as the vast majority of Georgia and the Nations citizens who continue to be outraged by the ability of a few judges to overturn our legal precedent and our traditional family values. In 2004. the people of Georgia affirmed with a vote of 76 percent to 24 percent that marriage is an institution between one man and one woman. and I proudly count myself among that 76 percent. _ I want to close this debate by reminding my colleagues that we have an opportunity today to stem the tide of this judicial activism and to restore the ability of the American people to establish policies that affect them and their lives through their elected Representatives. Therefore. Mr. Speaker. I encourage my colleagues. please support this rule. and upon the conclusion of general debate. I ask my colleagues to affirm legal and historical precedent and defend our traditions about supporting the underlying amendment to restore the definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1624}
{"speech_id":1090159973,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield back the balance of my time and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1624}
{"speech_id":1090159990,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 88. the Marriage Protection Amendment. The debate before us today is about ensuring that the will of the people of the United States is protected. My home State of South Carolina is one of 45 States thatf has already enacted laws defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Our message is clear: marriage matters. and it should be limited to that of a man and a woman. So I stand here today wondering why we are faced with the fact that a handful of judges have taken it upon themselves to hand down rulings that redefine marriage for moms and dads and most importantly children across this Nation. Mr. Speaker. some in this country. elected by no one. believe they have the right to supersede the wishes of my constituents and the constituents of other Members here today. ","speaker_name":"JAMES BARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":962}
{"speech_id":1090159990,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to join me today in supporting the Marriage Protection Amendment ensuring constituents voices are heard.","speaker_name":"JAMES BARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":962}
{"speech_id":1090159992,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the ranking member of the Constitution Subcommittee. Mr. NADLER. for his fine work in this area. He hasnt had all that much to do because the bill never came to the Constitution Committee. We never had hearings. We never had a markup. We didnt even have supporters of this amendment yesterday at the Rules Committee which set the rules that allowed it to come to the floor today. And so I am happy to join in opposition with a number of friends that I would like to indicate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2248}
{"speech_id":1090159992,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. the NAACP. which is in convention here in Washington this week. is strongly opposed to this amendment. So is the AFLCIO and the American Civil Liberties Union. the Jewish Committee. the Human Rights Campaign. the National Council of La Raza. the National Urban League. Planned Parenthood. and countless religious organizations. They are all telling us to leave the Constitution alone. The other consideration that I would bring to the Members attention is the farreaching scope of this amendment that has never been heard in the Judiciary Committee. Not only would it ban samesex marriages. but it would also deprive samesex couples and their families of fundamental protections such as hospital visitation. inheritance rights. and health care benefits. Ladies and gentlemen. this amendment is divisive. It is unnecessary. It is constitutionally extreme. And I must point out that the amendment has already been debated in the other body and did not prevail. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2248}
{"speech_id":1090159992,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What we are doing. as has been widely recognized. is a political act. It is getting near election time. Lets whip up the forces of conservatism. Lets deal with this subject to energize the political base 4 months before the election. Ladies and gentlemen. please. the amendment is unnecessary because our Constitution has been amended only 27 times in 219 years and to preserve our right to free speech was one of the objectives. to protect the right to assemble was another objective of a constitutional amendment. the right to vote was subject to constitutional amendment. The right to be free of discrimination was subject to constitutional amendment. They all ensured the integrity and continuity of our government. So I urge a \"no\" vote on the Musgrave samesex marriage amendment.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2248}
{"speech_id":1090160010,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would say to the gentleman this: no. I think. we give preferential status to people who are married over people who arent. What I dont see. what no one has argued. is how does allowing two men have that status interfere with the status. I assume you give a preferential status because you want to give people an incentive to marry. Okay. lets do that. Lets give people an incentive to marry. But if you are a heterosexual strongly attracted to someone of the opposite sex and really not at all attracted to the idea of someone of your same sex. how does the existence of that undermine this? Yes. I think we should give a preference to heterosexual marriage. We should incentivize it. How does the existence of samesex marriage discourage or retard heterosexual marriage? Would anyone Want to answer that for me?","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":814}
{"speech_id":1090160021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. one of the things that I think we can probably agree on today is the opponents of this legislation l1ave questioned why we are even here. Mr. Speaker. I agree with them on that and disagree with them on almost everything else. because it just baffles me. as we think about our Founding Fathers dreaming that we would ever stand here and have to debate the definition of marriage and whether or not that was between a man and a woman. Earlier today I stood where you are now standing and I listene. to some of the words that were usedagainst this legislation. I wrote some of them down. And one of the words was \"hateful.\" And as I wrote that down. all I could think about is if you want a definition of hateful. look at the attacks that have been brought against the sponsor of this piece of legislation across the country for daring to bring it to the floor for debate. That defines hateful. And then they raised the word \"unimportant.\" And they list all of the other things that they think are important. ","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2644}
{"speech_id":1090160021,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And that frightens me. because they do not recognize the difference and the importance of the connection between strong marriages in this country and the strength of our Nation. And then they call it divisive. Divisive to dare to stand against activist judges who will try to redefine literally hundreds of years of historical sanctioning of the institution of marriage. And then they say it is intolerant. They couch themselves with love. and all they want to do is have love. Well. Mr. Speaker. suppose you have a teacher who loves her 13yearold student. and just says. all we want to do is love each other and be together. We would never think of sanctioning that. Suppose you have a situation where a husband came in and said I love three wives. ","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2644}
{"speech_id":1090160021,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just let me love them. How is that harming society? I think. Mr. Speaker. you could use every argument you hear on this floor today against this legislation to justify both of those two situations. But. Mr. Speaker. I think one of the things that \u0095 bothers me most is when we hear the argument that we shouldnt try because this legislation just wont pass. Well. Mr. ","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2644}
{"speech_id":1090160021,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. we try because we believe that values are still important in America. We try because we believe marriage between a man and a woman is a cornerstone of those values. We try because we believe the only way to protect the rights of States to define marriage for themselves is to pass this amendment. Mr. Speaker. I am proud to stand with those who support this legislation and those who understand that this historic relationship between a man and a woman is worth defending. even if we do not succeed.","speaker_name":"J. FORBES","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2644}
{"speech_id":1090160070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I oppose this constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. The legislation before us today is nothing more than an attempt by the Republican leadership to exploit a wedge issue that panders to their political base and diverts attention from their abysmal record of nonaccomplishment and rubberstamping the incompetence of the Bush Administration. As wq get closer to the end of this Congress. we should be addressing the urgent needs of the American peoplethe war in Iraq. affordable health care. a sensible energy policy. quality education for our children. retirement security. and a sound and fair fiscal policy. Whatever ones view is on same sex marriage. amending the Constitution is not the place to address this issue. The laws goveming marriage fall under the domain of the states and that is where this issue should be addressed. Amendments to the Constitution have historically expanded. not diminished. the rights and liberties of the American people. We should not use the Constitution as a political tool to divide us. The American people will see through the motivations behind this amendmentto distract the American people from the failed record of the Republican leadership in the Congress. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1362}
{"speech_id":1090160070,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to work to unite the American people. address the real issues facing our Nation. and reject this amendment.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1362}
{"speech_id":1090160101,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker. this marks the 10th anniversary of the passage of the 1996 welfare bill. a measure I voted for. And the legislation certainly was not perfect. but the system that. it supplanted was even worse. Ten years on. instead of having a pep rally for TANF. I think what we ought to be doing is having a serious conversation about whether the program is being implemented in a way that effectively and realistically moves everyone who can work into a job so that they might support their family. With Bill Clinton. the TANF program rightly demanded that ablebodied people do everything possible to find and keep a job. But it also recognized the fact that single moms needed help with child care and transportation in order to successfully and permanently transition out of public assistance. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2934}
{"speech_id":1090160101,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So the Clinton budgets provided that traditional assistance. The Clinton budgets also made enforcement of child support payments a top priority. which gleaned billions of dollars. that pulled thousands of women and children out of poverty. Bill Clinton insisted on an increase in the minimum wage and an expanded earned income tax credit. which helped people earning the lowest wages support themselves. And the results spoke for themselves. Even as welfare caseloads dropped. poverty rates fell for every year that Bill Clinton was in office. So what has happened in the last 5 years? Child care. cut. Food stamps. cut. Medicaid. cut. Child support enforcement. cut. So it is a disappointment but not a surprise that poverty rates are once again on the rise. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2934}
{"speech_id":1090160101,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"According to the Census Bureau in 2004. there were 13 million children living under the poverty line. Almost one American child in five grows up in a family that cannot pay for the bare essentials of life like food. shelter. and clothing. How can we let this happen? Today I want people to listen to this. Today a minimum wage worker in America who puts in 40 hours a week and never takes a vacation day. listen to this. they earn. at minimum wage. $10.700 a year before taxes. That is not enough for a single mother with one child to clear the poverty line. But I think it is the new face of compassionate conservatism. That is a fulltime working mom who cannot possibly make ends meet for herself and her child. One in five kids in this country grows up in poverty. The welfare bill was supposed to counteract these trends. and when Bill Clinton was in office it was doing a good job. But the programs that helped welfare reform demonstrate progress like child support enforcement. child care assistance. have been eviscerated by this Congress and this administration. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2934}
{"speech_id":1090160101,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we always have time here for tax cuts for rich people. If we cannot take care of Paris Hilton. who can? This welfare bill was a good start. and if properly implemented. it was during the Clinton years. we would still be on the path to reform.","speaker_name":"RICHARD NEAL","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2934}
{"speech_id":1090160151,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 721. legislation introduced by Congresswoman HILDA L. SOLIS that I am proud to have cosponsored. H. Res. 721 supports the goals and ideals of a SalvadoranAmedcan Day (El Dia del Salvadorefio). Currently. there are more than 900.000 Salvadoran Americans living in the United States. with the majority of them living in California. the Washington. D.C. metropolitan area. and New York. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area alone there are nearly 400.000 SalvadoranAmericans. Today. El Dia del Salvadoreho is celebrated among the Latino community in California. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090160151,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This celebration of Salvadoran traditions dates back to 1525 when the city of Villa De San Salvador was founded. The history of the United States is a rich and enduring tapestry woven with the threads of many remarkable cultures and events. and the lives. work. and artistry of SalvadoranAmericans have addedstrength. vitality. and purpose to that tapestry. As a former Peace Corp volunteer in El Salvador. I experienced first hand the culture. hard work and dedication of the people. I commend SalvadoranAmericans for their resilience and contribution to the stability and wellbeing of the United States. I also thank the estimated 800 Salvadoran nationals who are currently serving in the U.S. military for their efforts on behalf of the security of our country. The SalvadoranAmerican community continues to make great economic and cultural contributions to daily life in the United States. and I am proud to support H. Res. 721 and the goals and ideals of SalvadoranAmerican Day.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090160162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for the management of this legislation. Madam Speaker. just over a week ago I had the tremendous pleasure of watching the thrilling finale of the World Cup championship match in Germany. As the winning penalty kick zipped past the French goalkeeper. I felt the joy of millions of Italians as they celebrated their historic fourth World Cup victory. For that matter. the entire planet with billions of people witnessing this special event. the number one sport in the world. not American football. I begto say. Madam Speaker. The Italians are known for the passion they exhibit in every endeavor they undertake. I cannot agree more with that. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090160162,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Whether it is in art. literature. mathematics. business or especially soccer. Italians all over the world pour their heart and soul into every task they assume. Madam Speaker. this passion has led great men like Christopher Columbus. Amerigo Vespucci. Constantino Brumidi. Enrico Fermi and captains of industry A.P. Giannini. to con.tribute to the rocksolid foundation on which this country is built. Not to mention some of my favorite singers. Mario Lanza. Frank Sinatra. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090160162,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tony Bennett. Perry Como. and the list goes on. This passion has also contributed mightily to the strong alliance between Italy and the United States since the end of World War II. Our bond with Italy kept the Soviet menace at bay during the decades of the Cold War. Today. Italy aids in the fight for democracy. Our Italian allies fight. bleed. and even die to bring democracy to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. This passion was unabashedly unleashed in the worldwide celebrations following the Italian national soccer teams historic victory in Germany. I. for one. reveled in the images of our Italian friends singing and dancing around the world. In all this praise for Italy and its fantastic soccer team. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090160162,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to congratulate the fans who traveled to Germany to support their beloved Azzurri. as the national soccer team is known. During the monthlong tournament. the fans were a model of civility and good spirits. Madam Speaker. the Italian fans. along with those from 31 other nations. enjoyed the beautiful country of Germany and all of its 64 thrilling soccer matches without any major incidents. Finally. I would like to commend those involved with the security of the World Cup tournament. As we all know. this kind of world gathering. unfortunately. presents potential terrorist opportunities as well as other dangers. The German Government and security officials performed magnificently. the venues were safe. and the -atmosphere always enjoyable. This was an exciting month. capped off with an unforgettable ending for our longtime friends and allies. the Italian people. I strongly support this resolution. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090160172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 905) congratulating Kazakhstan on the 15th anniversary of the closure of the worlds second largest nuclear test site in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan and for its efforts on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":314}
{"speech_id":1090160178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. again I want to thank my good friend. the gentlewoman from Florida . especially in her capacity as chairperson of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Eastern Europe. and especially my good friend. the gentleman from New York . who is our ranking member of the subcommittee. I certainly want to thank also Chairman HENRY HYDE and Mr. TOM LANTOS. our senior ranking member of the House International Relations Committee. Without their support. Madam Speaker. House Resolution 905 would not be possible. And I really. really appreciate their help and assistance in providing this resolution now before the floor. Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of House Resolution 905. congratulating Kazakhstan on the 15th anniversary of the closure of the worlds second largest nuclear test site in Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan. and for its efforts on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. House Resolution 905 is historic for these reasons. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":12444}
{"speech_id":1090160178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. It is historic because this is the first time the U.S. House of Representatives has considered legislation in praise of Kazakhstan. a former Soviet republic that has proved to be a true ally of the United States. It is also historic because it is being considered on the 60th birthday of my dear friend and brother. I consider my brother. the Honorable Kanat Saudabayev. the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United States. Ambassador Saudabayev has worked tirelessly to represent the interests of Kazakhstan in the United States and has served His Excellency. Mr. Sursultan Nazarbayev. the President of Kazakhstan. with distinction and honor. Ambassador Saudabayev and his wife and children and grandchildren are with us. It is my privilege to wish him a happy birthday and commend him for his service to his nation and certainly to the United States as well. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":12444}
{"speech_id":1090160178,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. House Resolution 905 recognizes Kazakhstan as a model for advancing the cause of nuclear nonproliferation. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Kazakhstan inherited a ruined economy and became overnight the worlds fourth largest recipient and supplier of nuclear weapons. This arsenal of nuclear weapons could possibly have helped to resolve the financial problems of this young and struggling nation. However. under the leadership of President Nazarbayev. the people of Kazakhstan. knowing firsthand the horrible effects of nuclear tests. made a choice to renounce nuclear weapons all together. In fact. immediately after achieving independence. and in spite of threats from the Kremlin. President Nazarbayev closed and sealed the worlds second largest nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk. where the Soviet Union conducted almost 500 nuclear tests from 1949 to 1991. Our Nation assisted President Nazarbayev to dismantle these nuclear weapons through the leadership of former Senator Sam Nunn and Chairman RICHARD LUGAR. with the enactment of the NunnLugar Act that provided the necessary funds to carry out the elimination of these nuclear weaponIs. Madam Speaker. today few know about President Nazarbayevs heroic decision which. in my humble opinion. changed the course of modern history. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":12444}
{"speech_id":1090160178,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Few know that this story about Kazakhstan did not bargain and did not lobby to gain political or economic dividends from its choice. Rather. Kazakhstan. for the sake of global peace and security. consciously chose to ensure a brighter future for -their children and for the rest of the world. Can you believe a Muslim country having in its possession all these nuclear weapons that President Nazarbayev could have easily doled out. sold them. and made it such that it could have been a very. very dangerous situation for the world. I believe we should speak out more often of Kazakhstans example. Madam Speaker. While I am grateful that the world is aware of the Chernobyl disaster. where several thousands perished. I am saddened that the world knowsso little about the tragedies of Semipalatinsk. the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia. where children and elderly have gone dying for decades as a result of Cold War policies and alsobeing directly affected because of nuclear contamination. At Semipalatinsk. Kazakhstan. the cumulative power of explosions from nuclear testsconducted by the former Soviet Union is believed to be equal to the power of 2.500 explosions of the type of bombs dropped in Hiroshima. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":12444}
{"speech_id":1090160178,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Japan in 1945. More than 1.5 million people of Kazakhstan suffered from nuclear contamination as a result of these tests. and a horrifying array of diseases will continue to destroy the lives of these good people. Madam Speaker. as a Pacific Islander. I have a tremendous affinity to the people of Kazakhstan because the Marshallese and the Polynesian Tahitians also know firsthand the horrors of nuclear testing. Bikini is one of 29 atolls and five islands that compose the Marshall Islands. These atolls are located north of the equator and are scattered over some 357.000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. Because of their location away from regular air and sea routes. these atolls were chosen by our government to be the nuclear proving grounds for the United States. From 1946 to 1958 the United States detonated 67 nuclear weapons at the Marshall Islands. which included the first hydrogen bomb explosion of what is known as the Bravo shot. a 15 megaton shot. which is equivalent to 1.000 times more powerful than the bombs we dropped on Nagasaki. Hiroshima. Acknowledged as the greatest nuclear explosion ever detonated by the United States. the Bravo shot vaporized six islands. and created a mushroom cloud 25 miles up in the atmosphere. ","speaker_name":"ENI FALEOMAVAEGA","chamber":"H","state":"AS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":12444}
{"speech_id":1090160226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate the Magen David Adorn (MDA) Society for securing full membership in the International Red Cross. For many years the Magen David Adorn Society was denied the right to join the International Red Cross. The Red Cross informed them that they could not use the Star of David. a symbol integral to their identity as the first aid and disaster relief organization of the Jewish State. The International Red Cross informed them that in order to join they would have to abandon their symbol and take on a symbol like the Christian cross or Moslem red crescent Standing fast to their principles. they continued to use the Star of David as their symbol as they dedicated themselves to excellence and rose as one of the premier ambulatory organizations in the world. In addition to their extensive record in providing aid to those in need all throughout Israel. they have excelled through their contributions to medical relief efforts throughout the world. The United States owes a great debt to MDAs assistance during the Hurricane Katrina disaster where they used their expertise and stateoftheart technology to save the lives of countless Americans. Their relief work abroad is extensive. including their recent disaster relief work in Turkey. Sri Lanka. and Romania. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2061}
{"speech_id":1090160226,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In light of the MDAs role as a leader in the field. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice diligently worked with our allies abroad to allow MDA to join the International Red Cross. Through her work and the efforts of countless others. Israels medical society has finally been admitted to the International Red Cross when a neutral symbol. the Red Diamond. was accepted as an alternative symbol. Israel is now free to use the Star of David within a diamond as their international insignia as a fullfledged member of the International Red Cross. This alliance between the Magen David Adorn Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross is truly a monumental step for all humanitarian efforts and hopefully can serve as a model of international goodwill.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL HONDA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2061}
{"speech_id":1090160251,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado for her leadership on this important issue. I rise today to talk about S. 3504. the Fetts Farming Prohibition Act of 2006. Sponsors of this bill say it is necessary to ban the practice of fetal farming. which is the development of embryos for the sole purpose of research in questionable ways. I support this bill and intend to vote for it. but at the end of the day this bill does little more than ban researchers from taking actions they dont want to take anyway. It does draw a line in the sand which I think is important to have in our law. but it does nothing \"to advance scientific research in our country. It does nothing to fulfill the promise of stem cell research. I understand just minutes ago the other body passed H.R. 810. a landmark bill that would allow the kind of research necessary to help tens of millions of Americans who suffer with a genetic sentence of disability or death. H.R. 810. which passed this House last year through an extraordinary bipartisan effort. would apply strict ethical guidelines to and expand Federal funding for the .most promising methods of stem cell research. ","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1931}
{"speech_id":1090160251,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 810 is the only bill this Congress has debated that has the potential to truly unlock the doors to treatments and cures for so many who really need them. I am bitterly disappointed that the President has threatened to use his first veto to stop this important scientific progress. Unfortunately for some. the bill before us now has been a distraction. or worse yet. a source of political cover for those who do not support this landmark bill. H.R. 810. I urge my colleagues to continue the bipartisan spirit that this House started last year that could be so meaningful to millions of people around this country. Lets continue this work for meaningful progress in stem cell research. Lets not get sidetracked by political gamesmanship. The American people demand it.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1931}
{"speech_id":1090160269,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to voice my support for the alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapy Enhancement Act. Now. that is a mouthful. As an advocate of increased funding for health care research. I am eager to support legislation that would -continue funding for this groundbreaking research that shows great promise for translating research into real cures for people who suffer from debilitating illnesses like- diabetes and Parkinsons. As I have said in the past on this floor. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090160269,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I feel strongly that Congress should do its best without delay to ensure that our American citizens benefit from the latest advancements in medical research. Great advancements are possible from research on adult stem cells and other pluripotent cells. and such research should be encouraged. This legislation would provide valuable dollars to promote stem cell research into new and promising areas. And it should be recognized as an important compromise measure that addresses the many ethical issues deeply held by many Members in this body on both sides of the issue that are associated with the question of Federal fund-. ing for stem cell research. With this legislation. the important research can continue to expand. With time. I am hopeful that we will see some of the miracle cures that all of us have been so fervently praying for for manyyears. Mr.. Speaker. I hope that my colleagues will seize the opportunity to advance scientific and medical re-. search in a morally ethical way by voting in favor of S. 2754. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090160269,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time:","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1596}
{"speech_id":1090160322,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 108) authorizing the printing of a revised edition of a pocket version of the United States Constitution. and other publications. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090160328,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. the conflict between Hezbollah. the infamous Lebanesebased terrorist group. and Israel is nothing new. But over the weekend Hezbollah has upped the ante. They have kidnapped Israeli soldiers and launched countless rocket attacks against Israeli civilians. With the support of Iran and Syria. Hezbollah is heavily armed and ready for an allout war. Obviously. this issue is not new. In 1990 the peace treaty that ended the hostilities in Lebanon called on the Lebanese Government to deploy its army along the border with Israel. This has not been done. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090160328,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2004. the United Nations called on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. Once again. this has not been done. With this in mind. Israel not only has the right to defend itself against terrorist acts. it has the responsibility to do so. Allowing Hezbollah to terrorize Israel without fear of reprisal would be tantamount to appeasement. Throughout history. this strategy has repeatedly proven itself a failure.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":972}
{"speech_id":1090160353,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we debated a cohstitutional amendment drafted not to protect my marriage or my family. I see no reasonable way to argue it would. but rather to explicitly deny a portion of our society the right to marry and the benefits that accompany that kind of partnership. I do not advocate the legalization of gay marriage. but our Constitution is simply not the proper place to set this kind of social policy. I believed back in 1996 when I voted for -the Defense of Marriage Act and I still believe today the decision about whether to recognize gay marriage should be left to the States. I cant help but wonder why we are doing this. What are we so afraid of? Gay men and women pass through our lives every day. They are wonderful teachers and leaders and role models who happen to be gay. and sometimes we dont even know they are gay. There are brave men and women buried in Arlington National Cemetery who happen to be gay. I wouldnt be a Member of Congress today if it werent for an extraordinary teacher I had in high school 40 years ago. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090160353,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I learned years later he was gay and that he had to commute from Connecticut to Washington. D.C. to be with his partner every weekend. in part to protect his privacy and his job. When I went to college. my understanding of gay people was impacted again by my wifes best friend. One day she told us that she. too. like my wife and I. had found the love of her life. We were eager to meet the boyfriend she was so madly in love with. But we soon learned her love was not a he. but a she. Once we got over our surprise and our ways of thinking about relationships. we were able to sincerely rejoice in the joy they brought each other because we knew what a dear and good person our friend is. My perception of gay people evolved further during my first campaign for Congress when I worked with a magnificent young man named Carl Brown. He became my friend. and he gave me another gay face to know. Carl has since passed away from AIDS. but I remember him as a person of exceptional dignity and grace. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090160353,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My teacher. my wifes best friend. and Carl helped me understand their lives and I think made me a better person in the process. The Constitution of the United States. which established our government. grants us free speech and gives all citizens the right to vote. should not be dishonored by this effort to write in discrimination. I am clearly sensitive to some of my colleagues concerns about potential biblical and social implications of legalized samesex marriage. but I oppose this proposed amendment because I believe the Constitution is not the proper instrument to set or reject such policy. That debate should happen in our State legislatures.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2705}
{"speech_id":1090160372,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this evening as I do each Tuesday evening that the United States House of Representatives is in session. I rise on behalf of the 37Memberstrong fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. As you walk the halls of Congress. as you walk the halls of the Cannon House Office Building. the Longworth House Office Building and the Rayburn House Office Building. it is easy to spot an office that belongs to one of the 37 Members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. because you will find this poster as a welcome mat by each door of a Blue Dog member. As you can see. today the U.S. national debt is $8.419.147.820.878 and some change. Your share of the national debt. that is every living man. woman and child. including the children born today. every American citizens share of the national debt is $28.134. As Members of the Blue Dog Coalition. it is what we call the debt tax. debt. and that is one tax that cannot go away until this Republican Congress and this administration gets our Nations fiscal house in order. Last week. -the President made a big announcement about how the deficit really was not as bad as what his White House had first thought and reported it would be. I think the best way to sum up the events of last week can be found in an editorial. July 11. 2006. from the Los Angeles Times entitled \"Another Mission Accomplished.\" And I will not read the entire editorial. but I think it sets the stage for what we plan the spend the next hour discussing this evening. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5982}
{"speech_id":1090160372,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It starts off like this: \"The release of the White House midsession budget review is an annual event normally marked by a few wonkish observations and the routine updating of various spreadsheets. not by a fulldressed Presidential dogandpony show. But President Bush plans to preside today with Members of Congress and invited guests in attendance. By all indications. including his own. in his weekly radio address last Saturday. he plans to turn this into a celebration just in time for the fall campaign.\" The editorial from the Los Angeles times dated July 11. 2006 continues. \"This is proof. if anyone still needs it. that this administration is desperate for something to boast about. On Mr. Bushs watch. tripledigit budget surpluses have turned into annual tripledigit budget deficits. \"There is no information in the midsession report to alter that utterly dispiriting fact. Yes. the report is expected to project that this years deficit will be somewhat less gargantuan than last years. probably somewhere between $280 and $300 billion versus a $318 billion shortfall in 2005.\" And it concludes. that part of the editorial. by saying. \"That is not much to crow about.\" Well. they are right. Last week the administration released its midsession review of the budget. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5982}
{"speech_id":1090160372,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And after further examination. lets take a closer look at what the report actually tells us. The report actually tells us that what we have here is another record deficit. The administrations. updated estimate of $296 billion deficit makes 2006 one of the four largest deficits in our Nations history. It is hard now to believe that we had a balanced budget in this country from 1998 to 2001. But it did not take this administration and this Republicanled Congress very long to turn fiscal responsibility into record deficits. I] 2000 As you can see. the largest deficit ever in our Nations history occurred in 2004 when the Republicans controlled the White House. the House. and the Senate. It was $413 billion in red ink. in hot checks. if you will. The year 2003 was the second largest deficit ever in our Nations history. where. for the first time in over 50 years. the Republicans controlled the White House. the House and Senate. and they gave us the second largest deficit ever in our Nations history. $378 billion. The third largest record deficit ever in our Nations history again occurred while the Republicans controlled the White House. the House. and the Senate. It was in 2005. and it was $318 billion deficit. the third largest deficit ever in our Nations history. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5982}
{"speech_id":1090160372,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then this year. the President has a press conference. has a grand ceremony and event to announce that the deficit for fiscal year 2006 is only $296 billion. the fourth largest deficit ever in our Nations history. I think the editorial in the Los Angeles Times had it right when it said that is not much to crow about. The administrations updated estimate of $296 billion deficit. as I indicated. makes 2006 the fourth largest deficit ever in our Nations history. While this number represents an improvement over the 2005 deficit of $318 billion. it still ranks as the fourthlargest deficit ever in our Nations history. These revised estimates do not account for the extent of our budget problems. because they include in the calculation the annual surpluses in Social Security. The first bill I filed as a Member of Congress when I got here in 2001 was a bill to tell the politicians in Washington to keep their hands off the Social Security trust fund. This Republican Congress refused to give me a hearing or a vote on that bill. and now we know why. because they are raiding the Social Security trust fund to fund tax cuts for those earning over $400.000 a year. They are raiding the Social Security trust fund to fund this outofcontrol deficit. this outofcontrol debt. this reckless spending that we are seeing occurring in our Nations capital and the way the Republican leadership is running our government and thiscountry. In fact. when the Social Security surplus is excluded. as it should be. the 2006 deficit is not $296 billion. it is $473 billion. Now. throughout the evening we are going to be talking more about this. including projected surpluses. and how they became huge deficits. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5982}
{"speech_id":1090160372,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will talk more about that in a little bit. but I have been joined this evening by the cochair for policy for the Blue Dog Coalition. JIM COOPER from Tennessee. Glad to have you with us this evening.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5982}
{"speech_id":1090160376,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thought we would go through a few other charts that we have here and talk a little bit more about this entire discussion about the projected surpluses becoming huge deficits. When the administration took office in 2001. it had an advantage no administration in recent times has enjoyed. a 10year projected surplus of $5.6 trillion. The administration has replaced that surplus with recurring deficits and a record debt. When the cost of items omitted from the midsession review are included. the deterioration in the budget between 2002 and 2011 is about $8.5 trillion. Although these numbers are more positive than the administrations February forecast. which some would argue they inflated again so they could boast now about not having the largest deficit in our Nations history. but rather having the fourth largest deficit in our Nations history. they unfortunately do not represent any significant improvement in the longterm budget picture. . Even the administrations 5year forecast. which omits the cost of certain planned policies. never shows a deficit smaller than $123 billion. You can see here in 2000 we had a real. actual surplus of $236 billion. In 2001. we had a projected surplus of $281 billion. which in the end result ended up being $128 billion. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1756}
{"speech_id":1090160376,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And then as you can see. when the Bush administration came here. surpluses were projected for year 2002 through 2006. but. instead. we got deficits. including four of the largest deficits ever in our Nations history. This was a $610 billion swing from having the first balanced budget in 40 years to having the largest debt ever in our Nations history and having the largest deficit ever in our Nations history for 4 years in a row. I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROSS","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1756}
{"speech_id":1090160383,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for the correction. I am not sure that 18 out of 24 is a whole lot better than 19 out of 24. Maybe they got one of the little departments to come into compliance. I think the year before I think it was 16 out of 24 or 23. So it is sort of like the Bush deficit numbers. You inflate them one year so you can show improvement the next. It boggles my mind that they cant find $25 billion in check stubs. You would think that they would be able to do that. But I guess when they think it is not their money. they are not so worried about it. But I have got to tell you. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":875}
{"speech_id":1090160383,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am wqrried about it. and I know you are. Mr. Ross. because when we lose the confidence of the American people for our voluntary tax system that we have. and when people dont think that their money is going to be used the correct way. I think this Nation is in serious. serious trouble.","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":875}
{"speech_id":1090160393,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman is absolutely right. And it is interesting that so many of our Departments are run this way. But the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security Department. which FEMA is part of. was quoted recently as saying: \"Unfortunately. the Depart-. ment had made little or no progress to improve its overall financial reporting during the whole fiscal year of 2005.\" And KPMG accounting firm was unable to even provide an opinion on the Departments balance sheet because the books were in such bad shape. Another example is the Inspector General for NASA. in its 2005 financial statement said: \"In the enclosed report of independent auditors. Ernest & Young disclaimed an opinion on NASAs financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30. 2005.\" The disclaimer resulted from NASAs inability to provide Ernst & Young with auditable financial statements and sufficient evidence to support the financial statements\" that they did have \"throughout the fiscal year and at year end.\" Basically it is what we were talking about earlier. The Federal Government is writing checks and does not even keep its check stubs. They cannot find $25 billion of our taxpayers money. and then they want to spend more -of it. And it is just a crying shame that we cannot do a better job. and it is a crying shame that we are not doing the accounting and the investigative hearings and the oversight hearings that is the job of this Congress. It is an abdication of our duty as Members of Congress. and it is an indication that we need to change the oneparty system that we have got going on here because we need to audit the books. It is just a basic fundamental necessity of running a good government. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2334}
{"speech_id":1090160393,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And what it means is that we have gone. like that chart you showed. from a situation where when we had a Democratic President. we were actually paying off the national debt. and now we are going in the wrong direction. We are going into a deep trough. and I see the slide that you have put up now. This is what the resulting action is. First of all. we are not able to do what we need to do for education. send our kids to college. do all the things that we need to do proactively to prepare our country for the next century. but we ara having to do instead what. you are about ready to talk about. Mr. Ross.","speaker_name":"DENNIS CARDOZA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2334}
{"speech_id":1090160465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to start off by making a general statement about the amendments we are going to offer. and I assume that time will come off the time of the amendment I will offer. the amendment on independent peer review. Is that correct?","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090160467,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will make a few remarks. and then I would like to turn to the distinguished ranking member of the committee. my friend. Senator JEFFORDS. for a few remarks. Then after he has talked. I will offer the amendment. Mr. President. today the Senate will consider two tremendously important amendments to the Water Resources Development Act. Those amendments are the FeingoldMcCainCarperLiebermanJeffordsCollins independent peer review amendment and the McCainFeingoldLiebermanFeinstein prioritization amendment. As many know. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9541}
{"speech_id":1090160467,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have tried to work for a long time to modernize the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that this Federal agency is best situated to serve our great Nation. I have worked alongside Senator MCCAIN in these efforts. and I thank him for his dedication to helping me bring attention to the need for congressional leadership to address what many have noted as fundamental problems with the Corps. I want to be clear about my intentions with the amendments we will offer this morning. as well as our other efforts involving the Corps. We just want to get this agency back on track to serve the interests of all Americans. That is what it is about. period. As many have noted over the past few days. I have been trying to bring up this issue for quite some time. In fact. I have waited 6 long years to come down to the floor of the Senate to push for meaningful reform of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9541}
{"speech_id":1090160467,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Back in 2000. during debate on final passage of the last enacted WRDA. the former chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and.the current ranking member of the subcommittee of jurisdiction. my friend from Montana. Senator BAUCUS. made a commitment to me to address the issues that plagued the Corps. At that time I sought to offer an amendment to WRDA 2000 to create an independent peer review process for the Army Corps. In response to my amendment. the bill managers adopted language to authorize the National Academy of Sciences to study peer review. This study has long been complete. and the final recommendation was clear. In a 2002 reportReview Procedures for Water Resources Planningthe National Academy of Sciences recommended creation of a formalized process to independently review costly or controversial Corps projects. Four years later. and with Corps reform bills in the 106th. 107th. 108th. and 109th Congresses. we are still trying to enact such a mechanism. I would just like to note that I am pleased to see my friend involved in this issue. particularly given the role he played in 2000. My only hope is. after 6 years of work on this issue. we can go home tonight knowing we did right by the taxpayers. by the citizens of our country who rely on sound Corps projects to protect their families. their property. and the natural systems they want to protect for future generations. Yes. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9541}
{"speech_id":1090160467,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Corps reform has been a work in progress. In 2001. I introduced a standalone bill to modernize the Corps. Later that Congress. I cosponsored a bill with Senator SMITH from New Hampshire. Senator Daschle of South Dakota. Senator ENSIGN of Nevada. and Senator MCCAIN. the senior Senator from Arizona. In March 2004 I introduced another standalone Corps reform bill along with Senator Daschle and Senator MCCAIN. Then in the spring of 2005. Senator MCCAIN and I offered another bill detailing the changes we hoped to see in the agency. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9541}
{"speech_id":1090160467,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. finally. this spring we introduced another standalone bill. What these efforts have been about is restoring credibility and accountability to this Federal agency that has been rocked by scandal. overextended to the tune of a 35year backlog. and constrained by a gloomy fiscal picture. We can do that today. We can restore credibility and accountability to the Corps by passing the amendments that my friend. the Senator from Arizona. and I will be offering. Some have said I have an ax to grind with the Corps. That is not true. The reason I am dedicated to improving this embattled bagency is that I care about the Corps. and I want it to succeed. My home State of Wisconsin and numerous other States across our country rely on the Corps. From the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. the Corps is involved in providing aid to navigation. environmental restoration. flood control. and many other valuable services. I want to improve the way this agency operates. so that not only Wisconsinites but all Americansparticularly those who help pay for Corps projects either through their Federal tax dollars or. in many cases. through taxes they pay at a local level as part of a nonFederal costsharing arrangementcan rest easy knowing that their flood control projects are not going to fail them. their ecosystem restoration projects are going to protect our environmental treasures. and their navigation projects are based on sound economics and reliable traffic projections. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9541}
{"speech_id":1090160494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. over 70 years ago one of Montanas most renowned political figures. Senator Burton K. Wheeler. attended a meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt where be proposed building the Fort Peck Dam in Central Montana. Fort Peck would be the largest hydraulic earthfilled dam in the world requiring over 11.000 workers at peak construction. At a pricetag of $75 million. the cost of construction was large even by todays standards. Fifteen minutes after Senator Wheelers meeting with President Roosevelt had begun. Senator Wheeler walked out with a promise from President Roosevelt to have the Army Corps of Engineers build Fort Peck Dam. Construction began in While it has taken this Congress significantly longer than it did Senator Wheeler to advance the water resource needs of the Nation. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6535}
{"speech_id":1090160494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased to have worked with my colleaguesSenators INHOFE. JEFFORDS. and BOND--to bring the Water Resources Development Act of 2005 to the floor. It has been nearly 6 years since the last WRDA bill was signed into law. Protection of public safety. continued growth of the economy. and the restoration of the environment depend on our timely action. Much has changed since the Corps constructed Fort Peck Dam. Today much of the Corps work in Montana is focused on ecosystem restoration. That is why I included a provision in this bill that will allow the Corps to plan conservation projects on the Yellowstone River that are identified in the course of the Yellowstone River Cumulative Effects Study. A cumulative effects study has been ongoing along the Yellowstone River for several years. authorized by WRDA 1999. This study has been very successful. and has involved close collaboration with the State of Montana. the Yellowstone Conservation District Council. and local conservation districts. among many others. The provision included in the bill today would provide the Corps with the authority to move forward with planning. design and construction of ecosystem restoration projects along the Yellowstone as they are identified by the cumulative effects study. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6535}
{"speech_id":1090160494,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is so important. All these factors work together. It provides for public participation in the selection of projects. and consultation with the State of Montana. the Yellowstone Conservation District Council. and others. The Yellowstone is the longest free flowing river in the county. Much of southern and eastern Montana depends on the health of the Yellowstone River. It irrigates fields. provides worldclass fishing. sustains the tourism sector. and supplies clean drinking water. It is a source of great pride and economic strength for all Montana. This provision will protect the Yellowstone and Montanas recreational heritage for generations to come. While the Corps mission has evolved to include ecosystem restoration. part of the Corps central mission is to develop our water resources to maintain our economic competitiveness. Economic development and ecosystem restoration used to be thought of as mutually exclusive. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6535}
{"speech_id":1090160494,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No more. This view is needlessly divisive. This bill includes a provision that has brought together both irrigators and environmentalists. The Intake project on the Yellowstone River will authorize the Corps to work with the Bureau of Reclamation in the design and construction of a dam and diversion works that will help both farmers and endangered fish. Rebuilding the dam at Intake will guarantee farmers water for their crops and allow the endangered sturgeon to pass through the dam. opening 238 miles of river habitat for the endangered fish. This bill also includes urgently needed hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects for the State of Louisiana. Indeed. this bill authorizes the Corps in consultation with the Governor of Louisiana to create a comprehensive ecosystem restoration plan for Louisiana to rehabilitate coastal barrier islands and wetlands that serve as natural hurricane barriers. Unfortunately. some things at the Corps have not changed. In 1938 the Fort Peck Dam tragically failed. Thirtyfour workers were swept away in a landslide. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6535}
{"speech_id":1090160494,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Eight lost their lives. The landslide was the result of inaccurate soils and foundation ahalysis. If we do not learn the lessons of history. we are doomed to repeat them. Sixtyseven years later as Hurricane Katrina bared down on the city of New Orleans. floodwalls around New Orleans failed because of faulty soils analysis. What makes this event even more tragic is that an internal Corps study predicted exactly how the floodwalls would fail. and it went unread. The underlying bill does not go far enough to ensure that the Corps learns from the tragedy of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Corps needs a robust program of independent peer review and project prioritization. The Corps currently has a $58 billion project backlog and a $2 billion a year projeqt budget. At that pace it would take the Corps roughly 30 years just to work through the backlog of projects. With limited Federal resources. it is important that the Corps separate the wheat from the chaff. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6535}
{"speech_id":1090160550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the Northeast. the New York Times and the Wasl& ington Post have been: leaders in calling for reform. While some Members will jokingly say they dont read the New York Times or the Washington Post. maybe they have heard of some of the othersthe Concord Monitor in New Hampshire. the Delaware News Journal. the Philadelphia Inquirer. Moving to the South. in Florida. alone. a State with numerous Corps projects. including projects to help restore the Everglades. five papers have called for enactment of the reforms the. Senator from Arizona and I are offering today. In addition. the WinstonSalem Journal. the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Most importantly. in my regard. the New Orleans TimesPicayune has called not only for passage of our reform amendments but flatout rejection of the competing amendments that will be offered today. In the Midwest. where I hail from. the editorial boards for the Wisconsin State Journal. the Star Tribune in Minnesota. the Chicago Tribune. the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Let me repeat that: the St. Louis Post Dispatch has . editorialized on the need for modernization of the Corps of Engineers. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1391}
{"speech_id":1090160550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those of us familiar with the players on this issue in the Senate will be interested to note that in fact the St. Louis Post Dispatch ran an editorial today. supporting the FeingoldMcCain amendment. I ask unanimous consent that be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1391}
{"speech_id":1090160637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Parliamentary inquiry because there is some confusion. without using our time to make the parliamentary inquiry: It is my understanding that while we have an hour equally divided .on the two amendments that are going to be voted back to back. there is also 30 minutes equally divided on final passage. All of this time would be used prior to the three votes that come consecutively. is that correct?","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":399}
{"speech_id":1090160649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to thank my friends from Oklahoma and Missouri for their courtesy in the way we have been addressing these two amendments. Mr. President. I begin by asking unanimous consent that the Statement of Administration Policy be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":271}
{"speech_id":1090160650,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would just like to quote from the first paragraph of the Statement of Administration Policy: The Administration has strong concerns with the significant overall cost of S. 728. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill as reported by the Committee would authorize nearly $12 billion in discretionary spending. and a preliminary Administration review indicates that the cost of the managers amendment would be greater. The Administration believes the bill should establish prioritiesI repeat: \"The Administration believes the bill should establish priorities\"among these activities and limit new authorizations to those projects that represent the highest priorities for Federal funding within the three main Corps mission areas: commercial navigation. flood and storm damage reduction. and aquatic ecosystem restoration. The first paragraph of the administrations Statement of Administration Policy emphasizes their belief that this legislation should establish priorities amongst these activities. That is what this amendment is about. It is exactly that. The amendment is designed to help Congress make clear and educated decisions on which Army Corps projects should be funded based on our Nations priorities. I am pleased to be joined by Senators FEINGOLD. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12349}
{"speech_id":1090160650,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LIEBERMAN. and FEINSTEIN in offering this important amendment to the Water Resources Development Act. Last August. this Nation witnessed a devastating national disaster. When Hurricane Katrina hit. it brought with it destruction and tragedy beyond compare. more so than our Nation has seen in decades. Almost a year later. the gulf coast region is still trying to rebuild and there is a long road ahead. We learned many lessons. from this tragedy. and. as our Nation continues to dedicate significant resources to the reconstruction effort. we must ensure that those resources are being used in the most effective and efficient manner as possible. It is time the Congress takes a hard look at how our scarce Army Corps dollars are being spent overall and whether they are actually going to the most necessary projects. Our current system for funding Corps projects is not working. Currently. projects are submitted by Members of Congress for funding without having a clear picture of how that project affects the overall infrastructure of our Nations waterways or where it fits within our national waterways priorities. Too often. it is a Members seniority and party position that dictates which projects are funded and which ones will join the $58 billion backlog. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12349}
{"speech_id":1090160650,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I repeat. we have a $58 billion backlog of projects. And the bill before us is going to add another $12 billion in projects to the backlog. Do you know how much funding the Corps receives annually? Two billion dollars. So if you have $70 billion. and we are annually allocating $2 billion. that is 35 years. It is 35 years before any project that is on this list is funded. Clearly. without a prioritization. that opens itself up to no way that we would have a way of determining which project is most important and which is not. There is no way to know which projects warrant these limited resources because the Corps refuses to give Congress its views on which projects are necessary. In fact. even when Congress specifically requests a list of the Corps top priorities. it is unable to provide it.. Remarkable. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12349}
{"speech_id":1090160650,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Remarkable. Unfortunately. the underlying bill does not address this problem. To help my colleagues fully understand the extent of this problem. let me quote Representative HOBSON. chairman of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Committee. from his statement on the House floor on Last fall. we asked the Corps to provide Congress with a \"top 10\" list of the flood control and navigation infrastructure needs in the country. The Corps was surprisingly .unable or not allowed to respond to this simple request. and that tells me the Corps has lost sight of its national mission and has no clear vision for projects it ought to be doing in the future . . . . frankly. what is still lacking is a longterm vision of what the Nations water resources infrastructure should look like in the future. \"More of the same\" is not a thoughtful answer. nor is it a responsible answer in times of constrained budgets. This amendment is designed to address this problem and shed light on the funding process. It allows both Congress and the American people to have a clear understanding of where our limited resources should be spent. The amendment will tap a multiagency committee created in the underlying bill. It will direct that committee to review Corps projects that are currently under construction or have been authorized during the last 10 years. These projects would be evaluated by several commonsense. transparent criteria. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12349}
{"speech_id":1090160650,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They would also be divided and judged within their own project category. such as navigation. flood and storm damage reduction. and environmental restoration. Each project category would be broken into broad. roughly equalsized tiers. with the highest tiers including the highest priority projects. and on down the ladder. This advisory report would then be sent to Congress and be made available to the public. Some have said thfs amendment relinquishes congressional authority to the executive branch. That is a false allegation. The prioritization report is an effort to inform Congress. but it does not dictate spending decisionsjust as the Department of Defense sends our authorizing committee. the Armed Services Committee. their priorities. Without knowing their priorities. how in the ivorld can we know how to spend the dollars? To more fully understand the need for a prioritization system. lets consider funding for Louisiana in the fiscal year 2006 budget.. The administrations budget request included 41 line items or projects solely for Louisiana that totaled $268 million. That works out to $6.5 million per project. on average. The House Energy and Water appropriations bill included 39 line items or projects totaling $254 millionagain. in the neighborhood of $6.5 million per project. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12349}
{"speech_id":1090160702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"pertaining to a provision that would clarify that funds from the Department of Defense account for environmental remediation at formerly used Defense sites may be used for the removal of abandoned marine camels at any formerly used Defense site under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. First. perhaps for those who are not familiar with marine and naval terminology. it would be useful to point out that a \"marine camel\" is nothing more than a large timber fender. These wooden fenders. or bumpers. are of the type that have been used since the days of sail to cushion a ship as it lays alongside a pier. or to act as a buffer between two or more ships when they are tied up alongside each other. either at a pier. a mooring. or at anchor. The purpose of the camel is to prevent damage to a ship or a pier that would otherwise occur when a ship rocks against a pier or against another ship due to shifting tides. currents. wakes from passing ships. and so forth. The problem this provision seeks to solve is that over the many years these marine camels have been in use at naval facilities. marine terminals. and moorings controlled and operated by the Department of Defense. they have been lost. sunk. or otherwise have become hazardous debris. often containing hazardous substances. in the waters and on the- shores of formerly used Defense sites in Narragansett Bay. The purpose of this colloquy is to establish that the provision that has been included in the Water Resources Development Act is not an expansion of existing authority. This provision is clear that use of Department of Defense funds is linked to formerly used Defense sites that are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. Therefore. this provision clarifies but does not expand the authority or responsibility of the Department of Defense to undertake environmental restoration.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1874}
{"speech_id":1090160723,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. our Nations waterways. harbors. and ports are vital to our economic prosperity. the safety of those who navigate our waters. and to our quality of life. It is estimated that one out of every five jobs in the United States is dependent. to some extent. on commercial activities handled by our ports and harbors. In many instances. ship and barge transport is the safest. cheapest. and cleanest transportation mode. Likewise. our waterways provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. recreational opportunities for boaters. and contribute to the health and wellbeing of millions of people through their diversity. beauty. history. and natural environment. This legislation authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake water resource projects of great importance to our Nations and our states economy and maritime industry. public safety and to our environment. I am particularly pleased that the measure includes a number of provisions for which I have fought to help ensure the future health of the Port of Baltimore. the Chesapeake Bay. and Marylands waterfront communities. With more than 4.000 miles of shoreline around the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. 126 miles of deepwater shipping channels leading to the Port of Baltimore. some 70 small navigation projects critical to commercial and recreational fisherman and to local and regional economies. Maryland is aState which relies heavily on the navigation. flood control. and environmental restoration programs of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11847}
{"speech_id":1090160723,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Army Corps of Engineers. Over the years. I and other members of the Maryland congressional delegation have worked hard to maintain and improve the Federal channel systemseyving the Port of Baltimore and other communities throughout Maryland. to address the severe shoreline erosion problems on Marylands Atlantic Coast. and to bring the Army Corps of Engineers expertise to bear in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and Marylands rivers and streams. While other ports are just now beginning to deepen their channels to 45 or 50 feet. we succeeded in deepening the ports main shipping channel to 50 feet 16 years ago making navigation safer. easier. and cheaper for ships using the channel and assuring that the route can handle the deep draft bulk cargo carriers in use today. We recently completed two critical safety improvements to the Ports channel systemthe straightening of the Tolchester \"S\" turn and the widening and deepening of the Brewerton channel eastern extensionas well as some longneeded improvements to Baltimore harbors anchorages and branch channels. We constructed a hurricane protection project at Ocean City. MD to help protect the citizens and the billions of dollars in public and private infrastructure in the area and restored the beach at the north end of Assateague Island National Seashore. We also completed numerous environmental restoration projects throughoutthe Chesapeake Bay watershed from Jennings Randolph Lake in western Maryland to the Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Projectthe largest and most environmentally significant island habitat restoration project ever undertaken in the Chesapeake Bay. These projects would not have taken place without the authorities and funding provided in previous Water Resources Development Acts. The measure before us will enable several. muchneeded water resource infrastructure projects in Maryland to move forward. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11847}
{"speech_id":1090160723,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. the bill authorizes a 50percent expansion of the Poplar Island environmental restoration project. to provide additional dredged material capacity for the Port of Baltimore and additional habitat for the Chesapeake Bays wildlife. Initially authorized by section 537 of the Water Resources Development Act. WRDA. of 1996. the Poplar Island project has proved to be a tremendous success and a model for the Nation on how to dispose of dredged material. Instead of the traditional practice of treating the dredged material as a waste and dumping it overboard. we are putting approximately 40 million cubic yards of clean dredged material from the shipping channels leading to the Port of Baltimore into a productive use. restoring 1.140 acres of remote island habitat in the Chesapeake Bay. creating a haven for fish and wildlife. and helping reduce sediment degradation of the Bays water quality. This represents a winwin situation for two of Marylands most important assetsthe Port of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay. Last year. the Army Corps of Engineers completed two studiesa Baltimore Harbor and Channels Dredged Material Plan. DMMP. and an integrated General Reevaluation Report. GRR\/Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. SEIS. on the Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Projectwhich identified a critical need for new dredged material placement capacity for the Port of Baltimore by 2009 in order to meet Federal and State of Maryland requirements and recommended the expansion of Poplar Island as a preferred alternatives for addressing the dredged material capacity gap in an economically and environmentally sound manner. A subsequent Chiefs Report submitted to Congress on March 31. 2006. recommended a 575acre expansion of the existing Poplar Island and the raising of the islands existing upland cells to add approximately 28 million cubic yards of dredged material placement capacity and extend the project life by approximately 7 years. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11847}
{"speech_id":1090160723,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This measure authorizes the expansion of the existing Poplar Island project as recommended in the Chiefs Report. It authorizes $256.1 million for the expansion project. bringing the total cost of the existing project and the expansion project to $643.4 million. with an estimated Federal cost of $482.4 million and an estimated nonFederal cost of $161 million. The Poplar Island environmental restoration project has been a top priority of mine. of the Maryland Port Administration and of the shipping and environmental communities for many years. and I am delighted that this legislation will enable us\" to move forward with the expansion of this project. Second. the bill contains three additional provisions authorizing a total of nearly $100 million which are critical to our continuing efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay. It reauthorizes and expands a program that we established in section 510 of WRDA 1996 known as the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration and Protection Program. raising the authorized funding from the current level of $10 million to $30 million. It increases the funding for Chesapeake Bay native oyster restoration to $50 milliona $20 million increase over current levels. And it authorizes the Smith Island ecosystem restoration project to reverse the tremendous loss of wetlands and submerged aquatic vegetation around Smith Island. MD. In 1984. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a comprehensive studythe first such study ever undertakenof the present and future uses and problems of Chesapeake Bays water and related land resources. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11847}
{"speech_id":1090160723,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since then the Corps has undertaken or participated in a variety of projects to help restore the Chesapeake Bays water quality and living resources. including sewage treatment plant upgrades. making beneficial use of dredged materials. removing impediments to fish passage. mitigating the impacts of shoreline erosion. and restoring wetlands. habitat and oyster reefs. But despite these efforts. the Chesapeake Bays health continues to languish. To restore the integrity of the ecosystem and to meet the goals established in the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. nutrient and sediment loads must be significantly reduced. oyster populations must be increased. SAV and wetlands must be protected and restored. and remaining blockages to fish passage must be removed. among other actions. As the lead Federal agency in water resource management. the Corps has a vital role to play in this endeavor. and the programs authorized in this measure will enable the Corps to continue to participate in this effort. The funding increase provided for the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration and Protection Program will allow the Corps to expand design and construction assistance to State and local authorities for a variety of environmental restoration projects in the bay. The additional funds provided for native oyster restoration will help support the Chesapeake 2000s goal of increasing oyster populations by tenfold by the year 2010. And the new authority to construct the Smith Island environmental restoration projects will help stem the alarming loss of SAV and wetlands along the coastline of Martin National Wildlife Refuge and Smith Island. protecting approximately 720 acres and restoring about 1.400 acres of valuable habitat. Third. the measure provides the funding necessary to complete the C&O Canal rewatering project in Cumberland. MD. ","speaker_name":"PAUL SARBANES","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11847}
{"speech_id":1090160727,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"and now with National Wildlife Federation. Adam Kolton. David Conrad and Tim Eder with National Wildlife Federation. Joan Mulhern with Earth Justice. Melissa Samet with American Rivers. Steve Ellis and Jill Lancelot with Taxpayers for Common Sense. Tim Searchinger with Environmental Defense. and Pete Sepp and Kristina Rasmussen .with the National Taxpayers Union. Finally. I want to thank my own staff. My staffer. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":727}
{"speech_id":1090160727,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jessica Maher. has worked tirelessly on this legislation. She has talked to countless offices and constituents. and has worked to address their concerns and questions with grace and good humor. as has Mike Schmidt. another member of my staff. I am deeply grateful to Jess and to her predecessor. Heather White.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":727}
{"speech_id":1090160746,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. since we will be proceeding to the Voting Rights Act tomorrow morning at 9:30. I thought you would be interested to know. since you are on the Judiciary Committee. there will be no executive committee meeting because Senator LEAHY and I cannot be in two places at the same time. There will be no executive meeting tomorrow at 9:30. We will try to have a meeting off the floor if we can to pass out the judges. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":479}
{"speech_id":1090160753,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I rise to speak about the situation in the Middle East. As we have seen. the missiles are continuing to fly. the fighting continues. the situation gets volatile. This morning. another Hezbollah rocket attackthis time on Nazarethcaused the death of two more Israelis. So it is vitally important that we seriously discuss this issue. Israel and its immediate neighbor Lebanon are in a state of peril that concerns the entire world. If I had one point to make this morning. it is this: President Bush is correct to fully support Israel in her effort to bring peace. to bring the soldiers home. to prevent missiles from flying on the northern fifth of Israel. Mr. President. 1.2 million people are living in shelters. That is a fifth of the entire population. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6991}
{"speech_id":1090160753,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Israel has an inherent right as a sovereign nation not only to secure her borders but to defend herself from outside attack. I am urging the President to continue to stand tall and give Israel the space she needs. the time she needs. to defend herself and make sure that these missiles cannot continue to rain down upon her people at Hezbollahs will. There is a great deal of pressure from the European community and from others that Israel should not be given the ability to defend herself. In short. if we were to prevent Israel from doing everything she could to stop these rockets from flying down on her people. we would be back where we are now 3 months. 6 months. a year from now. in the same situation. So should there be peace and negotiations? Yes. Might it be possible eventually to have an international force in southern Lebanon? Perhaps. although many of us who believe in Israel are worried about that force because in the past it has not stopped terrorist attacks on Israel. But at the moment. we cannot allow the status quo to continue. where a militant terrorist organization. Hezbollah. has the ability to rain torture down on the northern part of Israel. Israel must be allowed to defend herself like any nation. Can you imagine if some group were operating in Canada and continued to fire missiles at Buffalo and Detroit and Minneapolis and Seattle? Would the rest of the world tell the U.S. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6991}
{"speech_id":1090160753,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"show restraint\" even though every night a hundred missiles came down on the cities. even though. millions of people might be living in shelters? Of course not. Every country has the right to defend herself. Israel is no exception. I salute President Bush for understanding that and hope he continues on that course because any other course. any appeasement of Ijezbollah. will lead to this same sorry situation repeating itself. Lets be clear: The state of Israel is not an aggressor here. Israel has stated over and over again its desire to live in peace with the Arab world. It is Israels policy to allow a Palestinian state. And there are some in the Palestinian and Arab world who agree with it. But there are some who do not. Hezbollah believes Israel has no right to exist. not simply in the West Bank and Gaza but in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and Ashdod and Ashkelon. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6991}
{"speech_id":1090160753,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And Hezbollah has said they will do all they can to eradicate the state of Israel. Hezbollah is the aggressor. I feel deeply for those who are injured. both Israeli and Lebanese. both Jew and Arab. But the Lebanese Government also has an obligation here. that is. not to allow terrorists to operate on her soil. I was so pleased to see that Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Arab world understand that Hezbollah is the provocateur here. But the world must unite against terrorism. The sad lesson we learn is that if terrorism is first directed at one country. it will inevitably spread. unless we have a strong. united world against terrorism. In this case. Israel is not the aggressor. She is defending herself against an unlawful incursion into her borders by the terrorist organization Hezbollah. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6991}
{"speech_id":1090160753,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hezbollah has rockets. and they shoot indiscriminately at civilians. Israel. on the other hand. in defending herself. goes out of her way and sacrifices the lives of her soldiers not to punish and hurt civilians. It is awfully difficult when people store missiles in their garages and in their homes. But all Israel asks for is the ability to defend herself. To create some moral equivalency between Israels response to these rocket attacks and the terrorist attacks themselves is. in my opinion. immoral. What other country would allow it? Would Prime Minister Chirac stand for restraint if missiles rained from Switzerland to Lyon? Would President Putin ask for restraint? Why he asks for restraint against terrorists in the Middle East but asks for world support against terrorists in Chechnya is beyond me. He seems to have a double standard. Would any country simply watch as dozens of its own citizens were killed. countless more injured. the whole nation frantic with fear and uncertainty? No. of course not. Every nation would respond with strength and do everything it could to eradicate the terrorists. And that is just what Israel is doing now. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6991}
{"speech_id":1090160758,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to respond to the Senator from Iowa very briefly. I voted with the majority. I think we ought to give the President of the United States credit for a firmly based. knowledgeable position on this issue. Reasonable people can disagree on this issue. I think the debate generally that we had was good for America. but I respect the Presidents right to carry out his responsibilities as he sees fit. An exercise of a veto is within the Presidents authority. . I disagree with the President on this issue. but I respect his views and I respect his right to act as he feels is in the Nations interest.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":617}
{"speech_id":1090160767,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to express my sympathy overthe loss of U.S. Navy Airman Jason Doyle of Nebraska. Airman Doyle died after falling overboard from the USS Kitty Hawk off the eastern coast of Japan on July 8. He was 19 years old. Airman Doyle grew up near Sunset. UT. In 2000. he moved to Bellevue. NE and was a 2005 graduate of PapillionLa Vista South High School. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1123}
{"speech_id":1090160767,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He joined the Navy immediately following graduation. Airman Doyle had a lifelong interest in flying and in Japanese culture. He turned those interests into an opportunity with the Navy. He was deployed with the Electronic Attack Squadron. VAQ. 136 aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in October 2005. His first leave was at a Japanese port. where he was able to experience a culture he had been fascinated with his entire life. Thousands of brave Americans like Airman Doyle are serving the United States worldwide. Airman Doyle is survived by his father. Dale Doyle. his mother. Martha Bower. his stepmother. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1123}
{"speech_id":1090160767,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Susie Doyle. his brother Brandon. and sisters Shauna. Whitney. and Ashley. I ask my colleagues to join me and all Americans in honoring Airman Jason Doyle.","speaker_name":"CHARLES HAGEL","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1123}
{"speech_id":1090160776,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr President. today I am introducing legislation to preserve the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego. CA. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by Senator GRAHAM. Since 1913. a series of crosses have stood on top of Mount Soledad. property owned by the city of San Diego. In April of 1954. the site was designated to commemorate the sacrifices Tnade by members of the Armed Forces who served in World War II. as well as the Korean war. In 1989. one individual filed suit against the city claiming that the display of the cross by he city was unconstitutional and. therefore. violated his civil rights. In 1991. a Federal judge issued an injunction prohibiting the permanent display of the cross on city property. Since that time. the city has repeatedly tried to divest itself of the property through sale or donation. But the plaintiff continued to mount legal challenges to every attempted property transferrevealing that his true objection is not to the citys display of the cross. but to the cross itself. The legal wrangling over this memorial continues today. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090160776,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Mount Soledad Memorial is a remarkably popular landmark. On two different occasions. the voters of San Diego passed. by votes of 76 percent. ballot measures designed to transfer the property to entities that could maintain it. I do not believe that the Mount Soledad cross violates the Constitution. Consequently. I do not believe there is just cause for removing it from its position as the centerpiece of the Soledad Veterans Memorial. Therefore. given the many years of legal disputes regarding this issue. I believe it is past time it is resolved. The bill I am introducing would bring the Mount Soledad cross under the control of the Federal Government. and specifically the Department of Defense. The process set forth in the bill is consistent with analysis provided by the Department of Justices Office of Legislative Affairs in a recent letter to the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. In that letter. the OLA stated. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090160776,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"we would ... point out that Congress could enact the necessary authority [to acquire the Mount Soledad Memorial] through an immediate legislative taking...\" This bill would allow for the just compensation for the property in question. It also would address the required maintenance for the memorial and the surrounding property through. a memorandum of understanding between the Secretary of Defense and the Mount Soledad Memorial Association. The minimal- financial commitment required in this legislation will ensure the endurance of this memorial which serves as a reminder of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who made enormous sacrifices when our country called upon them. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. which will ensure the preservation of an important tribute to our men and women of the Armed Forces. By Mr. JEFFORDS:","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2896}
{"speech_id":1090160783,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 19. 2006. at 10 a.m.. i open session to continue to receive te. timony on military commissions i light of the Supreme Court decision i Hamdan v. Rumsfeld.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090160789,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Commerce. Science. and Transportation be allowed to meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. July 19. 2006. to consider S. 3661. S. Con. Res. 71. S. 3679. the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2006. nominations. and the Committee print of the Maritime Administration Improvements Act of 2006.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":375}
{"speech_id":1090160802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday. July 19. 2006. at 10 a.m. The purpose of the hearing is to provide oversight on the implementation of Public Law 108148 (the Healthy Forests Restoration Act).","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":365}
{"speech_id":1090160847,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. what is playing out in southern Lebanon is analogous to the days of yesteryear in the Old West. It is the cowboys versus the outlaws. There is a basic human right to selfdefense. There is a basic right to shoot back when shot at. You dont have to duck. run or hide. And there is a further right to keep on shooting back until the bad guys stop shooting. This is taking place in the gunfight with Hezbollah outlaws and Israeli cowboys:just like the Old West. Hezbollah. a fancy name for a gang of terrorists. are kidnappers and killers. and they are hiding out in the hills of southern Lebanon. They are a state within a state. They are spreading terror. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090160847,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thats what terrorists do. They started shooting at Israeli citizens. kids and soldiers. and they wont stop no matter what we do. The outlaws have fired 1.100 rounds. and they will shoot thousands more because they preach death to Israel. So. Madam Speaker. whats a cowboy to do? Well. shoot back and keep on shooting until the Hezbollah gang stops. gives up. or is rounded up and locked up. . It is a basic human right to defend yourself and take out the outlaws. And thats just \"the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090160855,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. on June 25. Hamas terrorists from Gaza carried out a crossborder attack into Israel. killing two soldiers and kidnapping a third. Shortly thereafter. Hezbollah terrorists from Lebanon attacked Israeli soldiers. killing three and capturing two. Just yesterday. Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel at a rate of one per minute for a full hour. Rather than using diplomacy to deescalate the situation. Iranian President Ahmadinejad falsely claimed Israel was trying to reoccupy Lebanon and. once again. denied the existence of the Holocaust. I agree with President Bush when he said yesterday \"The root cause of the problem is Hezbollah.\" President Bush further said that Israel has a right \"to defend herself from terrorist attacks.\" The kidnapped Israeli soldiers need to be released. Hamas and Hezbollah need to turn away from the current path of terror. violence and intimidation. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1149}
{"speech_id":1090160855,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must stand with Israel in her fight against misguided religious extremism and those who glorify death over life. We must stand with Middle Eastern allies to establish peace. In conclusion. God bless our troops. and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1149}
{"speech_id":1090160857,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. there have been many reminders across the world recently of why we and the global community must maintain our commitment to fighting terror. From the 1year anniversary of the horrific bombings in London to the upcoming 5year anniversary of September 11. we are constantly reminded of why our resolve and perseverance are crucial. America has shown the world that a strong. vibrant Nation faced with adversity can come together. unlike any nation on Earth. America has distinguished itself as the shining beacon of democracy throughout the world. When attacked. and freedom is in danger. we have proven that freedom will prevail. Madam Speaker. I want to commend our troops for their sacrifice. their dedication and their bravery. They are freeing people from oppression so they may enjoy the same freedoms that Americans cherish. They are fighting a global war on terror. and they are winning.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":908}
{"speech_id":1090160858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. yesterday the House of Representatives gave a victory to those hoping for cures for some of the most terrible illnesses of our time by defeating a fake bill on stem cell research. Today. it is back to the calendar. The only reason we are considering this bill is to give our colleagues political cover when the President vetoes the bill that will provide real hope for cures. the CastleDeGette embryonic stem cell legislation. Lets make one thing clear this morning. A Presidential veto of the CastleDeGette stem cell research bill will slow. if not stall. the real hope for cures and slam the door of hope right in the face of millions of Americans suffering from scores of incurable diseases. The New Testament tells us that religious leaders in biblical times attacked Jesus for healing the sick on the Sabbath. We have religious leaders today who want to sit in judgment of todays healers. Each of us on the floor today has a friend or family member who could benefit from increased embryonic stem cell research. whether they suffer from spinal cord injury. Alzheimers or juvenile diabetes. We must remember those who suffer and the compassion of the New Testament. not play political games with the hopes and prayers of the American people.","speaker_name":"GENE GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090160861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of Israels right for selfdefense. The killing of Israeli soldiers and the kidnapping of their soldiers by Hamas and other groups were unprovoked acts of war. Israels response to these acts of war is designed to secure the release of its soldiers. end ongoing rocket strikes by terrorist groups and deter further- attacks on its citizens. Israel is exerting its right to defend itself by carrying out operations. both inside Gaza and southern Lebanon. This strike took place following Israels full withdrawal from Lebanon. a move that was applauded by the international community and fully certified by the U.N. Security Council. Hezbollah. since then. has launched dozens of unprovoked attacks since Israel withdrew from Lebanon. including the firing of hundreds of rockets and mortars at civilian areas and the kidnapping of a number of Israelis. Durin the past 6 months alone. nearly 1.000 shortrange rockets have been fired into Israel landing on homes and in schools. An additional 150.000 Israeli citizens and numerous strategic facilities are now within range of these missiles and their ability to reach Israel. ","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090160861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Israels actions are aimed at securing the release of its soldiers and degrading the abilities of Hamas and Hezbollah to threaten its citizens with ongoing barrages of rockets. Madam Speaker. that is why I ask the United States to stand at Israels side as it defends itself.","speaker_name":"BOBBY JINDAL","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1432}
{"speech_id":1090160864,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. House Republicans are ignoring the priorities of Americas families. Once again they refuse to bring up one single bill that will help working families who are struggling to make ends meet. This morning I would like to offer my Republican colleagues a challenge: Name for me one bill that you have passed into law this year that has significantly helped middleclass Americans. The American people want a government that works for them. and right now under. this House Republican majority. they are notgetting it. Middleclass Americans are struggling. For 5 years their wages have remained stagnant. while everything else. housing and health care. energy costs. food. and college costs. has increased dramatically. If you factor in inflation. hourly wages are only .7 percent higher today than they were in 2001. Weekly wages areabout the same. It is no wonder that a large majority of Americans are concerned about their futures. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1099}
{"speech_id":1090160864,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But House Republicans refuse to listen. Madam Speaker. America works best when we work together for the common good. It is time for a change in Washington.","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1099}
{"speech_id":1090160866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I whipped up my snake oil this morning. Snake oil. that is what every 2 years the Republicans whip out. Snake oil this week in Congress. That is. passing legislation that they know will never come into law. But Democrats are united in taking America in a new direction. This week marks the second anniversary of the release of the 9\/11 Commission recommendations. House Republicans have refused to institute their recommendations. receiving Ds and Fs from the 9\/11 Commission on protecting the homeland. House Democrats want to make the recommendations into law as soon as possible. We want to secure the 25 million passengers who ride Amtrak each year. our neighborhoods. our ports. and our borders. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1327}
{"speech_id":1090160866,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrats want to ensure all Americans have access to goodpaying jobs by raising the minimum wage and ending outsourcing. We want to make college more affordable. This time the American people will not be fooled. No more snake oil. We want to make college more affordable for middle class families by making some college tuition costs tax deductible. expanding Pell Grants and cutting interest costs on student loans in half. For too long. House Republicans have ignored the needs of hardworking middle class families. Their attempts to distract and divide wont work. The American people are ready for a change.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1327}
{"speech_id":1090160902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is hard to correct my friend from Missouri. I said to him last night. earlier yesterday. as it were. in the Rules Committee that he is an engineer and I am a lawyer of 44 years standing. twice a judge as it were. and I understand a little bit about how the Federal judiciary works. I said to him that I do not come into his engineering association to tell them how to construct bridges and tunnels. and not that there is any premium on lawyers or judges having clarity. but he muddies the water on this subject. I would urge him to understand that it was under President Eisenhower that the words \"under God\" were put in the Pledge of Allegiance. Somehow or another. during World War I and World War II. without the words -\"under God.\" we managed to win those wars. Somehow or another we were not a godless society any more than we are not today. Please understand that the pendulum swings in the Federal judiciary. and there nay be a day when things that you envision are important for the Court to undertake constitutionally will allow for some more liberal Congresspersons to come along than you and strip the courts of those powers. We have a beautiful system of checks and balances in this country. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1680}
{"speech_id":1090160902,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I would urge that we do not impinge upon that territory. I urge all Members to vote \"no\" on the previous question so I can amend the rule and provide this House with yet another chance to vote on legislation to increase the Federal minimum wage. Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment and extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1680}
{"speech_id":1090160938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now is law. What happens then is you are going to- a particular State. you are saying West Virginia. And what happens is that a school board or something like that in the State decides to just basically go against what is already established Supreme Court policy. From 1944. the Supreme Court made the ruling that nobody is required to say the Pledge of Allegiance. We have no interest in changing that. We think that is good policy.","speaker_name":"W. AKIN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090160980,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2389. Here we are again considering needless courtstripping legislation that would destroy our constitutional system of checks and balances. This time we wrap it in the flag atnd call it the Pledge Protection Act. We dealt with this same legislation two years ago. and it failed to become law. I ask my colleagues. why are we bringing this same legislation up for consideration again 2 years later? Could it be an election year? Could my colleagues in the majority want to rally a certain part of their base? The real question is whether the majority will put election year political concerns ahead of the good of the Nation? Unfortunately. with this action. it looks like the answer is yes. This is another extraordinary piece of arrogance on the part of the House of Representatives to pass legislation which would strip American citizens of their right to access the Federal courthouse. Can you imagine anything more shameful than telling an American citizen you cannot go into court to have your concerns addressed. heard by the courts of your Nation? The right for a citizen to access the courts to decide questions of policy is as old as the Magna Carta. and it is important to us as anything else in. the Constitution. Here we calmly say. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3406}
{"speech_id":1090160980,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"You cannot have access to the Federal courts. including the Supreme Court.\" Shame. shame. shame. shame. This is a recedent which is going to live to curse us. and we are going to live to regret this days labor because other precedents will be following this. wherein we strip the rights of citizens under the Second Amendment. the thirteenth. fourteenth. and fifteenth amendments. The Congress has considered these kinds of questions before. It is to be anticipated if this works. we can look to see this kind of abusive legislation considered in this body again. And you can be certain that someb6dy is sitting out there now thinking of new rights we can strip because we disagree with them. I do not believe that we should strip the Federal courts of jurisdiction when it comes to issues related to the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. It drastically interferes with the separation of powers between the three branches of our government. While I will always defend the autonomy and the power of the legislative branch. the principle of judicial review that Chief Justice John Marshall set out in the 1803 decision Marbury v. Madison is law.. This landmark case established that the Supreme Court has the right to pass on the constitutionality of an act of Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3406}
{"speech_id":1090160980,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To whittle away one of the bedrock powers of the judicial branch is wrong for the Union and wrong for our citizenry. Tinkering with the foundation of our judicial branch. c5uld come back to haunt us. You can be almost certain with the passage of this legislation that there are interests out there deciding what other rights can be stripped of American citizens because we disagree with them. Maybe a future Congress will want to strip court challenges to gun control legislation by gun owners or sportsmen. Mr. Chairman. we live in one Nation. under God. with liberty and justice for all. If we pass this bill. we begin to hollow out the true meaning of the pledge. the Constitution and what it means to live in this great Nation. Like I did 2 years ago. I strongly oppose this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3406}
{"speech_id":1090160981,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.Chairman. I rise in opposition to H.R. 2389. which would strip from the federal courts and the Supreme Court the ability to hear any cases related to the Pledge of Allegiance. This bill eliminates the basic principle of judicial review that was established by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison back in 1803. This bill should not have come to the floor today because it seeks to make a dangerous change to our Nations system of checks and balances. For that reason. this bill was rejected by the House Judiciary Committee. Yet. the Majority has brought it up today to intentionally divide the House. This is not the first time. We have seen this before. In September two years ago. we had this same vote. and I opposed it then. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3078}
{"speech_id":1090160981,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The judiciary was designed to be the one branch of the federal government that is insulated from political forces. This independent nature enables the federal judiciary to thoughtfully and objectively review laws to ensure that they are in line with the Constitution. Throughout the development of our Nation. this check has been vital to protecting the rights of minorities. Although the Constitution gives Congress the power to limit the jurisdiction of the federal judiciary and the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. I am certain that the founding fathers did not intend for Congress to use this power to shape the jurisdiction of the courts along ideological lines. This legislation will set a dangerous precedent by allowing Congress to avoid judicial review so that it can pass legislation that it thinks may be unconstitutional. This is a clear abuse of Congressional authority and a cynical attempt to question the patriotism of Members of this institution. Like every Member of this body. I am proud to recite the Pledge of Allegiance as a way to express my loyalty to this Nation and its July 19..2006 CO founding principles. I make it: a point during my town meetings in New Jersey to lead my constituents in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. ","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3078}
{"speech_id":1090160981,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I share the view of many Members that the current text of the Pledge of Allegiance is constitutional including the phrase \"under God\". I expressed my support for the Pledge in its current form when I joined many of my colleagues in voting for a resolution that urged the Supreme Court to recognize the constitutional right of children to recite the pledge in school. That resolution was an appropriate way for me. as a Member of Congress. to express my belief in the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance. Unfortunately. those who support this legislation seek to alter our delicate system of checks and balances and make their own decisions unchallengeableas if they were infallible. They are attempting to alter the intended framework of our government. which has met the needs of a diverse population and allowed us to remain indivisible in times of crisis for more than 200 years. We should not make this dangerous change to upset the balance of power established by our Founding Fathers and enshrined in the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.","speaker_name":"RUSH HOLT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3078}
{"speech_id":1090160988,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2389. The Pledge Protection Act. offered by Representative TODD AKIN. This legislation protects our Pledge of Allegiance by preventing radical judges and liberal lawyers from questioning the constitutionality of the phrase \"under God.\" The preamble of the Declaration of Independence states: \"We hold these Truths to be selfevident. that all Men are created equal. that they are endowed. by their Creator. with certain unalienable Rights. that among these are Life. Liberty. and the Pursuit of Happiness.\" Our national motto is: \"In God We Trust.\" The opening announcement at the United States Supreme Court is: \"God save the United States and this honorable court.\" Unless there is a law limiting the jurisdiction of Federal courts. we will continue to see lawsuits such as the one that is trying to ban the Pledge of Allegiance in schools because it mentions \"One nation under God.\" The Constitution gives Congress the power to limit the jurisdiction of Federal courts in Article III. Section 2. Maintaining checks and balances on the power of the Judiciary Branch and the other two branches is vital to keep the forfn of government set up by our Founding Fathers. -I am proud to be a cosponsor of The Pledge Protection Act and will vote in favor of this legislation. God Bless America!","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090161116,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This resolution is a deeply felt emotional resolution expressing our solidarity with the people of India who were subjected to a totally unprovoked and brutal terrorist act. Next week this body will consider one of the most significant pieces of legislation of the current session of Congress. establishing a relationship in the field of civilian nuclear power between the United States and India. That legislation will usher in a whole new era of the historic geostrategic relationship between these two great democracies. I earnestly wish that we did not need to deal with this tragedy. but I think it is appropriate that we demonstrate to our friends in India that we are with them in their times of trouble. and we are with them at moments when they plan to accelerate their economic development and move into the 21st century with largescale civilian nuclear power. Mr. Speaker. I am delighted to yield the balance of my time to the distinguished Democratic whip. my good friend from Maryland .","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090161168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from Colorado for yielding and for her leadership and. in fact. the bipartisan leadership that has brought us to this point today. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the bill to override the Presidents veto of H.R. 810. It is really unfortunate that this veto and other opposition of this bill are born out of misinformation about the issue at hand. Under H.R. 810. the embryos from which stem cells are extracted for research come from in vitro fertilization only. Each year thousands of embryos. no bigger than the head of a pin. are created in the process of in vitro fertilization. with the support of Congress. by the way. A small percentage of these embryos are implanted and will. hopefully. grow into children. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1977}
{"speech_id":1090161168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The rest will be frozen or discarded. They will not be used to create life. They will never become children. They will be lost without purpose. But H.R. 810 gives them purpose. and this only with the express approval of the donors. Now. the majority of Members in both the House and Senate affirmed their support for enhancing our use of stem cells in research because they understand that purpose. Maybe it really isnt surprising that President Bush has vetoed this bill because he doesnt understand. and it is consistent with his signing into law other bills thathave cut funding for medical research. denied proper funding for veterans health care. decreased our Nations ability to confront true health crises. This administration has ignored and twisted science in a variety of areas.. everything from global warming to abstinenceonly education. The refusal to acknowledge the scientific value of embryonic stem cell research is one more tragic misstep. Lets not be the embarrassment of the world yet again. ","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1977}
{"speech_id":1090161168,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets affirm our commitment to saving lives by overriding this veto. Lets untie. the hands of scientists on the verge of cures for the worlds most devastating diseases. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.","speaker_name":"LOIS CAPPS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1977}
{"speech_id":1090161176,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. no single action this Congress could take would have a more profound impact on life than increasing Federal funds for biomedical research. biomedical scientists to conduct that research with human embryonic stem cells. Alzheimers. Parkinsons. brainand spinal cord disorders. diabetes. cancer. at least 58 diseases could potentially be cured through stem cell research. diseases that touch every family in America and in the world. I stand here as someone who understands the promise of biomedical research all too well. Having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer by chaifce on a doctors visit two decades ago. I know firsthand how medical research can save lives. It saved mine. It can quite literally mean the difference between life and death. between hope and despair. Are there moral issues to consider with respect to stem cell research? Absolutely. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1983}
{"speech_id":1090161176,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But let us not confuse them with the ethical safeguards that this legislation does put in place. allowing research only on embryos that were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and that are in excess of clinical need. By permitting peerreviewed Federal funds to be used with public oversight. we can have no doubt that this research will be performed with the utmost dignity and ethical responsibility. The moral issue here is whether the United States Congress is going to stand in the way of science and preclude scientists from doing lifesaving research. We do not live in the Dark Ages. With this vote this Congress has an opportunity to tell the world that we are a country that believes science has the power to advance life. I believe we are. By allowing the President to stop this research from going forward. we risk something very precious. Mr. Speaker. the world has always looked to America as a beacon of hope precisely because of our capacity to combine the best ideas in the world with abundant resources. Let us continue that tradition. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1983}
{"speech_id":1090161176,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us lead the way. Support the veto override.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1983}
{"speech_id":1090161188,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. earlier today I attended the Presidents news conference with snowflake babies and their families at which the President announced his veto of H.R. 810. Snowflake babies were adopted as excess embryos. Excess embryos would be destroyed with taxpayers dollars under H.R. 810 to produce pluripotent stem cells for science. How can anyone look at these snowflake babies and hear their voices and say that it would be okay to kill them to provide materials for medical research? President Bush transformed what could have been a day of tragedy into a day of triumph by vetoing H.R. 810 and by taking additional steps to support pluripotent stem cell research that does not destroy embryos. To the proponents of H.R. 810. scientists. doctors and the public. pluripotent stem cells hold the most promise for understanding human diseases and treating devastating conditions. That is why pluripotent stem cells are coveted. Yesterday. knowing that the President would veto H.R. 810. this body had the opportunity to approve a bill the President said he would sign to use taxpayer dollars to obtain pluripotent stem cells without destroying embryos. This opportunity is not lost to this Congress. I urge everyone in this Chamber to sustain President Bushs veto and support bringing back for a vote the BartlettSantorum bill. ","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1492}
{"speech_id":1090161188,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"S. 2754. which represents common ground into promising ways the Federal Government can support pluripotent stem cell research without sacrificing life for medicine.","speaker_name":"ROSCOE BARTLETT","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1492}
{"speech_id":1090161191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"have done. With the Presidents action today. and he always keeps his word. he condemned tens of millions of Americans and their families and everybody who loves them to suffer needlessly. and all the while they know their government. when given the opportunity to help. decided to do nothing. I remember this kind of mugwumpery before. I remember when organ transplants came about. Everybody said. oh. no. we cant do that. If God didnt want you to have a good liver. you cant get one from somebody else. The same thing with blood transfusions. all the way through. Why in the world do we always have such a knownothing. antiscientific. government body that tells our scientists what they can do and cant do? As one of the scientists in this House. I am appalled at the fact that my country is falling behind in scientific research. I am astonished that we are telling scientists what they can and cannot study. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1464}
{"speech_id":1090161191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It bothers me that scientists in other countries dont want to come here to study anymore because of the way that this has happened. If we fail to override this veto tonight. we are putting this country back another 200 years. Perhaps not that much. But any of you who believe that voting for that one bill yesterday and wanting to vote for the second will cover you at home. let me tell you that is not true. Science knows better. Science will bear out that we do not have the lines we need for research. and you will pay the price. I hope. in November.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1464}
{"speech_id":1090161201,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. at issue here is the fundamental value of saving lives. a value that we all share regardless of race. culture or religion. Embryonic stem cells have the potential not just to treat some of the most devastating diseases and conditions. but to actually cure them. The Presidents veto of this lifesaving legislation is a slap in the face of the millions of Americans suffering from diseases like Alzheimers. Parkinsons. or debilitating physical injuries. who found new hope for treatment and cures with the passage of H.R. 810. This hope will remain only if researchers have access to the science that holds the most potential and are free to explore. with appropriate ethical guidelines. medical advances never before imagined possible. The 67 percent of the American public that supports embryonic stem cell research understands this. Why doesnt the President? There is no question that scientific advancement often comes with moral dilemmas. That is why we have examined and debated difficult ethical and social questions before passing this legislation. Like many of you. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090161201,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe that strong guidelines must be in place with vigorous oversight from the NIH and Congress before allowing federallyfunded embryonic stem cell research. H.R. 810 would strengthen the standards guiding embryonic stem cell research and would ensure that embryos originally created for the purpose of in vitro fertilization could be made available for research only with the consent of the donor. So today I ask my colleagues to be as determined to find a cure as science allows us to be. We are closer than ever to remarkable discoveries and on the brink of providing hope to millions of individuals who otherwise have none. Congress must not allow the President to once again put ideology before science. I urge my colleagues to vote to override of the Presidents veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1905}
{"speech_id":1090161229,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. my colleagues. this is a sad day for America. But what is so sad is that our opponents would so distort the facts to stop research that would benefit so many. Many have talked today about the socalled snowflake babies. embryos which are donated to other couples. I dont oppose that. I think that is great. But right now couples undergoing IVF treatment have three options for the spare embryos that are necessarily created. They can freeze them for future use by themselves. They can donate them to other couples. as several hundred have done. or they can say that the embryos that are left over should be destroyed as medical waste. and tens of thousands of those embryos have been destroyed. All we say today. give those couples a fourth choice. ","speaker_name":"DIANA DEGETTE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090161229,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let those embryos that would thrown away as medical waste be donated for ethical embryonic stem cell research. The opponents of this bill also continue to claim that adult stem cell and core blood cells are just as good as embryonic stem cells. Shame on them. This is a bald lie. Harold Varmus. the former director of the NIH. said just this week. compared to adult stem cells. embryonic stem cells have a much greater potential according to all existing scientific literature. Lets not distort the facts just for a political argument. This Congress has been politicizing science in a way that the American public disagrees With. Earlier this year. we tried to assert our jurisdiction over endoflife decisions with the terrible vote that we took in the Terry Schiavo case. Now. today. we are trying to stop ethical scientific research that could help tens of millions of people. Many on the other side say. well. the taxpayers shouldnt fund this research. ","speaker_name":"DIANA DEGETTE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090161229,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Excuse me. I thought we had a national consensus. 72 percent of Americans agree with this precept. people who are Democrats. Republicans. independents. prolife. prochoice. I dont know who decided that they were God and that Congress could not fund this research. because their religious thinking trumps the national consensus. A majority of my constituents dont think we should fund the war. Does that mean we shouldnt fund the war? Of course not. We need this ethical research. We need it for our colleague. JIM LANGEVIN. so he can walk again. We need it for our colleague. ","speaker_name":"DIANA DEGETTE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090161229,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LANE EVANS. whose Parkinsons has made him so sick that he cannot be here today to vote to override this bill. Lets give hope to millions of Americans. Lets give hope for ethical research. Let us override this veto.","speaker_name":"DIANA DEGETTE","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"F","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2506}
{"speech_id":1090161235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker.. it is a momentous event when a president vetoes a bill. It is a pronour)cement that the lawmaking body of our federal government is in error and that the difficult lawmaking process has produced legislation not worthy of enactment. For the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. nothing could be further from the truth. I was proud to have voted for H.R. 810 when it first came to the House Floor for a vote in May 2005. and I am proud today to vote to override the Presidents vetothe first veto of his Administration. A broad spectrum of lawmakers from both parties and all regions of the country recognize the extraordinary opportunity that stem cell research presents to treat and cure tragic diseases afflicting millions of Americans. Some of these potential treatments were only dreamt about a generation ago. Alzheimers. paralysis. Parkinsons. diabetesthe list of possible applications for stem cell research goes on and on. For some of the victims of these diseases. stem cell research provides the only present hope for a cure. ","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1888}
{"speech_id":1090161235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To use the Presidents first and only veto to effectively deny these citizens of their best hope is as tragic as it is wrongheaded. H.R. 810 carefully ensures that this research is conducted in a manner consistent with the highest ethical standards. There have been numerous times in history when a chief executive has denied the progress of science. We mark these times as setbacks for humanity. and we also recognize that in many cases. progress was only delayed. not curtailed. Despite the setback of this veto. the struggle will continueboth the struggle for Americans seeking to overcome disability and disease. and the struggle to support the scientific community in its quest to find the effective cures and treatments. I am confident that the American people will not allow this veto to forever impede the progress of science.","speaker_name":"ADAM SCHIFF","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1888}
{"speech_id":1090161242,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last year. I was proud to cosponsor and vote in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. which will expand the Federal policy and implement stricter ethical guidelines for this research. Embryonic stem cell research is necessary to discover the causes of a myriad of genetic diseases. to test new drug therapies more efficiently on laboratory tissue instead of human volunteers. and to staving off the ravages of disease with the regeneration of our bodies essential organs. President George W. Bushs policy on stem cell research limits Federal funding only to embryonic stem cell lines that were derived by August 9. 2001. the date of his policy announcement. Of the 78 stem cell lines promised by President Bush. only 22 are available to researchers. Unfortunately these stem cell lines are aged and contaminated with mouse feeder cells. making their therapeutic use for humans uncertain. According to the majority of scientists. if these stem cell lines were transplanted into people. they would provoke dangerous viruses in humans. What is even more disturbing is the fact that there are at least 125 new stem cell lines. which are more pristine than the lines currently available on the National Institutes of Health registry. and which are ineligible for Federallyfunded research because they were derived after August 9. 2001. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090161242,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This restrictive embryonic stem cell research policy is making it increasingly more difficult to attract new scientists to this area of research because of concerns that funding restrictions will keep this research from being successful. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. which passed the House on May 25. 2005. simply seeks to lift the cutoff date for lines available for research. H.R. 810 will also strengthen the ethical standards guiding the Federal research on stem cell lines and will ensure that embryos donated for stem cell research were created for the purposes of in vitro fertilization. were in excess of clinical need. would have otherwise been discarded and involved no financial inducement. Contrary to what opponents have been saying. the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will not Federally fund the destruction of embryos. This measure makes it clear that unused embryos will be used for embryonic stem cell research only by decision of the donor. No Federallyfunded research will be supported by this measure on any embryos that had been created solely for research purposes. In February 2005. the Civil Society Institute conducted a nationwide survey of 1.022 adults and found that 70 percent supported bipartisan federal legislation to promote embryonic stem cell research.. Let public interest triumph over ideological special interests. Public interest is best served when the medical and the scientific community is free to exercise its professional judgment in extending and enhancing human life. I urge the Senate to pass the Stem Cell Research EnHancement Act- with oVerwhelming support. and for President Bush to sign it into law when it reaches his desk.","speaker_name":"JAMES MORAN","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090161300,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to commend my good friend from Louisiana for his very thoughtful statement. and let me just add that if Hezbollah is. in fact. defanged. the primary beneficiary will be the people and the State of Lebanon. Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased to yield 3V minutes to my distinguished friend from Illinois .","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":319}
{"speech_id":1090161308,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to commend my friend from California for his very thoughtful observations. and I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York . the distinguished ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. my very good friend.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":250}
{"speech_id":1090161340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Madam Speaker. tonight I rise in strong support of this resolution and to condemn the recent attacks upon Israel by Hezbollah. All of us tonight have the earnest prayer that the current wave of violence can end quickly. Innocent civilians are being lost in Lebanon and Israel. and the word \"tragic\" never does the situation justice. But peace can never be achieved by asking Israel to put at risk its security and the safety of its people. Let there be no doubt. this latest conflict began with Hezbollah. Rockets have now rained down upon Israel. Israel has been forced to defend her citizens and. sovereign territory. and I believe that Israel has the moral. historical and legal right to do so. Holding the keys to peace in this situation are Hezbollahs state sponsoirs in Damascus and Tehran. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2098}
{"speech_id":1090161340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They can and must use their influence to convince Hezbollah to return the kidnapped Israeli soldiers. By doing so. Syria and Iran will finally demonstrate that they are prepared to join the world community. Should they not. however. the world community must hold them fully accountable for being state sponsors of a terrorist organization. Also critical to achieving a lasting peace in the region is international support for the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559. Passed by the United Nations Security Council in 2004. the resolution calls on all foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon. and for all militias within Lebanon to be disbanded. Its full implementation. Madam Speaker. will promote greater independence for Lebanon and greater security for Israel. not to mention the rest of the world. Since 1948. the United States has stood with and supported the State of Israel. as it has defended herself from these who seek her destruction and deny her very right to exist. In return. ","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2098}
{"speech_id":1090161340,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Israel has been our staunchest ally in the region as well as a full partner in the global war on terror. Let us pass this resolution and assure Israel that we will continue to stand by her side in the face of terror.","speaker_name":"JEB HENSARLING","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2098}
{"speech_id":1090161365,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. before yielding my time to Mr. LANTOS. I would also like to recognize the work. of Jen Stuart. the foreign policy advisor to the majority leader. who has spent so many hours working on this resolution. And with that. Madam Speaker. I will be glad to yield the remainder of our time. minus 1 minute. so we can close. to Mr. LANTOS.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090161396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of this resolution. As we speak. the security situation in the Middle East continues to evolve. The aggressive. unprovoked acts of violence against Israel by Hezbollah and Hamas are revealing. It is clear they dont want peace. but rather seek the ultimate destruction of Israel. This is why we must support Israels right to defend itself against these armed attacks. Each and every day. Israels very existence is at stake. Since its first day as a nation. Israel has lived under a cloud of aggression from militant extremists and hostile neighboring governments. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090161396,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Most recently. terrorist forces have captured Israeli soldiers and fired rockets into Israeli citiesboth unprovoked. These acts of aggression deserve the rapid and decisive response they received. The United States and Israel have a unique relationship based on our mutual commitment to democracy. freedom. and peace. Therefore. just as our commitment to these principles must be steadfast. so must our support for Israel. The enemies the United States and Israel face are the same. Their nature is brutal. oppressive. and inspired by hatred. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East has real security implications. not only for Israel. but also for the United States. The same ideologically malevolent forces working to destroy Israel are working to destroy our cherished political values. The United States did not choose to fight Islamic extremists. These terrorists chose to fight our way of life. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090161396,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They chose to challenge our existence. We as a Nation have endured heartbreak. tragedy. and occasional setbacks. but we are resolute in taking the fight to the enemy and winning. We cannot afford to lose. The stakes are too high. the price too great. And because we face the same enemy. we will not ask Israel to respond differently. The consequences of not responding are too great. This resolution simply says Israel has the right to defend itself. This includes conducting operations both inside its borders and in the territory of nations that threaten it. which is in accordance with international law. Furthermore. it is incumbent upon Lebanon. Syria. and Iran to rein in Hezbollah -and Hamas. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090161396,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We know Iran and Syria are helping Hamas and Hezbollah. That is why this resolution reaffirms our support for President Bush as he seeks to use the most effective range of political. diplomatic. and economic sanctions available. We are clear in our purpose and our resolve. We are committed to peace. democracy. freedom. and prosperity. We will work with those who want these values. and we will use all means at our disposal to stop those who seek to destroy them. I urge my colleagues to join me in sending a strong message of support to Israel. and I urge all to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090161398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the United States has a long history of supporting the state of Israel and the strong example of democratic values it has brought to the Middle East. The recent events that have enveloped the region will not waiver the resolve of our relationship. Israel has found itself strained on two fronts. It is battling both Hamas and Hezbollah. backed by Iran and Syria. nations known to sponsor terrorism and dedicated to the destruction of Israel. While the ferocity of Israels response to the kidnapping of its soldiers by these terrorist groups may be in question. Israel has only acted to defend its way of life and the intrinsic right for a nation to defend its very existence. Easing tensions in the region will require that neighboring nations take an active role to stabilize the conflict. Egypt and Lebanon must have the fortitude to take a leadership role to pursue regional stabilization. They must grasp this opportunity to demand that immediate steps are taken to resolve the conflict and work to bring peace to the region.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1044}
{"speech_id":1090161406,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I have grave concerns about what the future holds for the Middle East. The violence in Israel and Lebanon. which began with Hezbollah rocket attacks on an Israeli town and a military incursion into Israel and abduction of Israeli soldiers. threatens to engulf the entire region. Unless swift action is taken by the international community. further escalation and bloodshed will soon be upon us. As we consider this resolution. H. Res. 921. civilian lives hang in the balance. Hezbollahs rocket attacks against innocent Israelis are indiscriminate tools of terror against a civilian population. Reports indicate that Israeli retaliations have resulted in the loss of innocent lives. It seems clear that Hezbollah has raisedor loweredthe suicide attack to a new level: they have dragged the entire nation of Lebanon and all its people into harms way because of the groups attacks on Israel. ","speaker_name":"GWEN MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2498}
{"speech_id":1090161406,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wish that this resolution made more mention of these innocent Lebanese civilians and innocent Israeli civilians who are caught in the middle here. They are the ones paying the price. I wish that this resolution made more mention of the urgent need for the U.S. to step forward. use its considerable influence. and take diplomatic action immediately to try to end the bloodshed affecting millions on both sides of the border. The finding in paragraph 4 of this measure asserts that Israel is making every effort to prevent civilian casualties. And while I am a staunch supporter of Israels right to defend itself. it is disturbing that some sources report that over 300 Lebanese civilians have been killed due to the violence. I hope that Israeli forces truly are making every effort to prevent civilian casualties. as indicated by this measure. Finally. I want to tell you how deeply saddened I am that recent events have reduced the power of moderates in the region and dimmed prospects for longterm peace. The earlier abduction in Gaza came just as talks among Palestinian officials seemed to be reaching a point that may have allowed Hamas to open negotiations with Israel. And the attacks across the IsraeliLebanese border will undoubtedly serve to diminish and muffIenow and in the immediate futurethe voices of moderation who would otherwise call for peace. ","speaker_name":"GWEN MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2498}
{"speech_id":1090161406,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is my hopeno. my demandthat moderate voices in the international community. including the United States. will promptly work to quell this crisis. Clearly. Madam Speaker. right now we need solutions and not just condemnations.","speaker_name":"GWEN MOORE","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2498}
{"speech_id":1090161416,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I introduced the Energy Industry Occupancy Protection Act of 2006. Tomorrow in the House Judiciary Committee we will hold a hearing. We will have the opportunity to listen to a victim. victims who have been forgotten. victims who were engaged in Americas warfare protecting America in the 1940s and 1950s. when they worked around nuclear radioactive material. and were not told by the contractors that they. in fact. were subjecting themselves to radioactive impact. These families. these individuals. some of whom lost their lives. were neVer compensated. I know America can do better. Tomorrow in front of our committee. the Judiciary Committee. Iffimigration Claims Committee. we will have an opportunity to lay the record to establish that this government must respond to those brave Americans who stood on the front lines. providing the resources for our warriors in World War II and the Korean War. and yet were never compensated for their illness. I do hope my colleagues will join me in cosponsoring this legislation. pushing it quickly through the committee. through the committee. and ensuring that Americans are protected against this devastating impact of working on behalf of Americans and fighting on the front lines by engaging and providing nuclear materials for the wars that we were engaged in.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1333}
{"speech_id":1090161460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate that. because exactly what you are saying fits into the overall economic picture. And there was a great column the other day in the New York Times by Paul Krugman. who kind of outlined. as the statistics finally came in from 2004. we now know how the economic pie was divided in 2004. So what happened in 2004. which I find very interesting. this is inflationadjusted income. The top 1 percent in 2004 had a real income increase of 17 percent. And the other 99 percent had an increase of 3 percent. 0l 2340 Basically what we are saying here. is over the past 5 or 6 years. where President Bush is in and the Republican Congress. Senate and House have all been in. the top 1 percent had an income growth of 17 percent on average. They received tax cuts from this administration. They are the same executives that represent the oil companies that get $400 million retirement packages. They are the same representatives on the boards of all the major multinational companies that have been going gangbusters. When you move the jobs offshore. and you take them to China. and the profits go up. and they just go to a small group. that is the same group that is getting the tax cut. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090161460,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is the same group that is getting the corporate welfare. on and on and on. All we are trying to say is raise the minimum wage for the least among us. the 7 million people who need a little bump. For many people. this is irrelevant. I was having lunch .tolay with a guy from Girard. Ohio. who owns a bunch of nursing homes. His people are at $8 or $9 an hour. He says. this has no benefit for me. one way or another. Why not raise it? Why not lift those 7 million people up. because you want to make an incentive for them to work and not create an incentive where they want to go on the government dole. But if you look at whats happening here. while the top 1 percent had an income growth of 17 percent. while they got corporate welfare in the energy industry to the tune of $17 billion. this is what has been happening here at home. Minimum wage has gone up 0 percent since 1997. whole milk. 24 percent. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090161460,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where you are going to the grocery store. and this is having an effect on you. Bread. up 25 percent. 4year public college. 77 percent up. health insurance. up 97 percent. and regular gas. up 136 percent. We have leaders in the Republican Party saying I dont believe in the. minimum wage. I am never going to vote for the minimum wage. I am never going to vote for an increase in the minimum wage. I mean. come on. what are you thinking? We need average Americans to be lifted up. I know. down in Florida. in Ohio. time and time again. we have people who need assistance. I want to make a point that the system right now is cutting against average people. If you got a couple kids in college. and tuition has doubled in the last 5 years. and you have to take your kids to and from school. and gas is up 136 percent. and you own a small business and you are trying to cover your employees. and health insurance is up 97 percent. you are just an American trying to make ends meet. keep your family together. and hopefully give the next generation an opportunity to have a little bit better off than you had it. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090161460,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People down here arent doing anything to be helpful.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3309}
{"speech_id":1090161529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. how is it that even with the constant moral and financial support of our Nation. our friend and ally. Israel. is still not safe and secure. If we insist upon the security and survival of Israel. and we must. then we must also insist upon the security and survival of the Palestinians and the Lebanese. We say we will never negotiate with those who have sworn to destroy us or our allies. but history shows us that every conflict was resolved by doing exactly that. We prepare for war so grandly. let us prepare for peace grandly by looking fearlessly and deep into the hearts of those who wish us harm. and find that spark of recognition that connects us to a common humanity and from that draw a flicker of hope to enkindle the warm glow of peace. After 9\/11. we asked. Why do they hate us? Isnt it time for us to ask. Why do we hate them? Do we think about what hate does to our own hearts? Isnt it time to put on the invincible armor of human compassion to explore human relations as the science of the human heart. in which we always have the capacity through courage. communication. patience and understanding to turn hate into love. and to beat our swords into plowshares.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1191}
{"speech_id":1090161532,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for more than 5 years. we have been honored to have Norman Mineta serve asSecretary of. Transportation. selected by President Bush. to be the longestserving Secretary in American history. Secretary Mineta served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army in both Japan and Korea. He was the 59th mayor of San Jose. California. and served as a Member of Congress for 20\" years. He was the first Asian American elected mayor of a major city. and the first to hold a Cabinet position when he served as Secretary of Commerce from 2000 to 2001. As the Secretary of TransportationNorman Mineta oversaw an agency with almost60.000 employees and a $62 billion budget. Created in 1967. the department brought under one umbrella air. maritime. and surface transportation missions. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":978}
{"speech_id":1090161532,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. I honor his service to the American people and wish him and his wife. Deni. the best in their future endeavors. In conclusion. God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":978}
{"speech_id":1090161544,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is bad enough that out of the 201 days this year this House has only been in session for 63. We are on track for this House to meet even less than the notorious \"Do Nothing Congress\" that Missouris Harry Truman ran against in But now the House Republican leadership has dedicated themselves to a distract and divide agenda. even while we face growing challenges at home and crisis abroad. This week their agenda called for supporting President Bushs veto of the landmark stem cell bill that would move us closer to lifesaving cures for diseases like Parkinsons. Alzheimers. and cancer. Majority Republicans are cutting off hope for millions of Americans. all so they can satisfy their base on the far right. Do they really want to keep research from finding cures to these diseases so we can save millions of lives? Their agenda is not our agenda. With only one week left. before the August recess... House . Republicans refuse to address the issues that are of real concern to American people. ","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1057}
{"speech_id":1090161544,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time we take America in a new direction.","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1057}
{"speech_id":1090161575,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You know. it is amazing how two people can live in this world and view it so differently. The exploitation of Mexicos rural countryside is a continental sacrilege. The reason we have all this illegal immigration to our country is NAFTA wiped out the struggling poor of Mexicos countryside. Does the gentleman have no conscience for them?","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":337}
{"speech_id":1090161589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I urge all Members to vote \"no\" on the previous question. If the previous question is defeated. I will amend the rule to make in order a critical amendment that was offered in the Rules Committee yesterday by Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member CARDIN. but unfortunately was rejected by a straight partyline vote. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to print the text of the amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":477}
{"speech_id":1090161592,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. if the issue is on port security. then I would like to remind my colleagues of what I had said earlier. that in these trade agreements there are articles that speak to essential security. and these articles are selfjudging. which means it is up to the individual country to make the determination as to what their security interests are. There is nothing in this agreement that can prevent us from applying what we consider to be security issues. But dont take my word for it. The Congressional Research Service. a nonpartisan organization. said. in addressing this issue and having an international tribunal judge this. that national security issues have never been subjected to review by trade panels. That is a very important distinction. Further. the Congressional Research Service goes on to say: \"The U.S. should appear to be on solid legal grounds for asserting not only that the panel does not. the independent panel. does not have legal authority to determine the validity of such a matter. but also that the inconsistent measure is permitted and justified. given the broad selfjudging language in the national security exemption.\" So clearly the argument that the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement will make our Nation less secure. in fact. has no basis in fact. ","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1994}
{"speech_id":1090161592,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is no question. however. Mr. Speaker. that fair trade promotes economic development and political cooperation.In fact. the 9\/11 Commission specifically cited Middle Eastern free trade agreements and calls for action on a comprehensive U.S. strategy that President Bush has. I might add. engaged in that includes economic policies encouraging development. more open societies and opportunities for people to improve their lives. Mr. Speaker. approving this agreement is a vital step towards our efforts against the war on Islamofascism and seeks to make our Nation more. not less. secure. \"The material previously referred to by Ms. MATSUI is as follows:","speaker_name":"DOC HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1994}
{"speech_id":1090161606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this particular agreement is an important one for a number of reasons. One. the United States and Oman have -been friends in a formal way for almost 100 years. The Sultanate of Oman occupies an important geopolitical location in the world. which has become even more meaningful in recent times. Oman has shown its true friendship to the United States because of the adage: \"A friend in need is a friend indeed.\" And Oman has been a friend in the Middle Eastern portion of the world when we needed a friend indeed. In addition to that. this free trade agreement is significant in the advancement of opening trade in a number of areas very quickly. sort of a solid. leadingedge kind of agreement that we would like to see in a number of other countries around the world.. One of the remarks that might be made is. Oman. Oman. let me doublecheck. take a look at* an atlas or the globe. and then ask. to what extent are we dealing with significant trade with the United States? The answer is. the United States is the worlds largest importer and the worlds largest exporter. so when you measure significance of trade. sometimes you would ask yourself not what the impact is on the United States. but what the impact would be on the country in which we are entering into this free trade agreement. And to Oman. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2013}
{"speech_id":1090161606,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe it is extremely important as it continues to modernize itself under the Sultan and continues to extend freedoms and liberties to its peoDle. Yes. it is oil rich. They know that is a limited resource. They are interested in investing in their people. We are interested in helping them do that. But it cannot go unmentioned that we also need. as we look at the globe or the atlas. to make note of the location of Oman. and that this agreement can be seen in any number of ways. and one of the ways would be to allow for a closer economic relationship with a friend that has had a close security relationship with the United States. 0i 1215 Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2013}
{"speech_id":1090161637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement. As mentioned. I chair the Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation of the International Relations Committee. There are several reasons to support this agreement. My comments will be focused on. viewing this agreement as a means to advance our struggle against terrorism. Our country is facing deep challenges. deeper than most Americans probably realize. We are in a deadly serious struggle against Islamist terrorism and against its state sponsors. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090161637,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And in this struggle we need all of the friends that we can get. And Oman has been a friend. The fact is that Oman has been helpful in advancing our strategic interests in the Persian Gulf region. We store military equipment there. Oman has been helpful in combating terrorism. It has checked the flow of money to terrorist organizations. something we need to do more on and with in terms of other Gulf States. Other major countries use trade to advance their strategic interests. I am going to explain for a minute that China- is doing this. and China is certainly doing it also all over Africa. I have been in 22 countries in Africa. and I have watched China do this from North Africa to subSaharan Africa. Fortunately. there we are competing in trade through AGOA. competing for influence. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090161637,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You know elsewhere around the globe. China is competing for access to oil and other strategic resources. They are gaining political friends. The difference is that China undermines transparency and the rule of law in many countries. But the U.S.-Oman agreement strengthens transparency and the rule of law. which are longstanding American values. This agreement is good economics. In that sense it is like the African Growth and Opportunity Act. This agreement will increase access to the Oman market for American exporters of agricultural products. health care and engineering services. among others. but it is good strategy too. The 9\/11 Commission recommended that we pursue this type of policy. 0l 1300 It is true that the agreements economic significance is not that large. U.S. trade with Oman will remain modest. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090161637,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But its rejection would set back an important strategic relationship. one that. this and previous administrations have done a very good job advancing. Lets not go that route. I ask my colleagues to support this agreement.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2411}
{"speech_id":1090161661,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to begin by responding to Mr. SHAWs comments. None of the modest steps he cited respond to the fact that we have an. $800 billion trade deficit and an Administration with a trade policy that will do nothing but make it worse. This agreement with a small but strategically important country like Oman ought to have been approved today unanimously.. and it could have been. But there is a very big problem. and that problem is not in Oman on the other side of the world. it is on Pennsylvania. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. to be more precise. The problem is that just as this Administration has shown consistent disdain for the rights and needs of workers in America. just as it has shown consistent disdain for environmental protectionready to manipulate science whenever it needs to for political purposes to justify degradation of our air. our water. and our other environmental resourcestoday it shows continued disdain for the environment and for workers in our international trade agreements. What we need is a modern. bipartisan trade policy that recognizes that you cannot measure how good your trade policy is based solely on how many dollars in goods transverse international borders. You have to consider the impact of that trade on the workers that produce the goods and on the environment that surrounds them. ","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3168}
{"speech_id":1090161661,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"During -the consideration of this bill in the Ways and Means Committee. we offered very modest amendments to try to address these concerns. On upholding international labor standards and on an amendment that I offered to prevent trade in endangered species. the Committee and the Administration would have none of it because if they showed basic dignity and respect for workers and the environment with Oman. a small country. they might have to do it everywhere. maybe even here in America. You can tell the level of the Administration commitment by the level of enforcement remedies that they provide for the environment and for workers. Then enforcement mechanism in this agreement amounts to less than giving only a traffic -ticket to the repeat offender of the most egregious abuse. You pay a fine to yourselfthat is the grdat remedy that they offer. So today they must. as has been done so often on so many issues. raise the specter of 9\/11 and the war on terrorism. How many times has that threat been misused in this building and down the street on Pennsylvania Avenue to debase the most basic and fundamental values that make this a unique country? It is pulled out again today..It is an issue here. as the Gentleman from Maryland has indicated. because they plan to transfer the issue of port security from this body to an unaccountable. international tribunal that will be empowered to decide whether or not we can restrict foreign acquisition of American ports. This Administration stood by and encouraged a sellout of our port security once before. and under this agreement they can transfer all res]ionsibility to an unaccountable international tribunal. Because this agreement fails to adequately respect the needs of American workers and the needs of the environment around the world. it ought to be rejected.","speaker_name":"LLOYD DOGGETT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3168}
{"speech_id":1090161670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman very much and for all of his work on these issues. Make no mistake about it. this vote is not just a vote as to whether or not you support free trade. This is also an upordown vote on whether or n6t you support our national security and our homeland security. Just 5 months ago. the Bush administration tried to ram through an approval of the sale of U.S. port operations to Dubai Ports World. a company *owned and operated by the -Government of the United Arab Emirates. The President said he would veto any attempt to strike down the deal. But in the face of tremendous opposition on the grounds of homeland security by the Democrats and even some Republicans. the deal was scuttled. The whole episode shined a bright light on the littleknown committee at the Treasury Department and the secretiveness of a process it uses to make decisions that can have important consequences for the security. of our Nation. the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. It is called CFIUS. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4053}
{"speech_id":1090161670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In this post 9\/11 world. we simply cannot trust. as this free trade agreement requires us to do. that the businesses and Government of Oman are pure and will not sabotage. abuse. or misuse critical infrastructure they decide to buy in a business deal fasttracked by this agreement. We must trust. but verify. when it comes to any foreign governmentowned entity buying critical infrastructure in the United States. Now the President and his administration did not give the Dubai Ports deal the scrutiny it deserved. even though the 9\/11 Commission identified the Government of the UAE as a \"persistent counterterrorism problem.\" And so that should shine a light on this deal as well. We know our seaports. airports and other critical infrastructure are at the very top of the al Qaeda terrorist target list. Let us not give them this additional hand that the treaty will require in penetrating the operations of those critical targets as fasttracking business deals in the name of free trade will have on the security of our country. Let us not let commerce trump common sense. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the Oman Free Trade Agreement. Make no mistake. this vote is not a vote on whether or not you support free trade. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4053}
{"speech_id":1090161670,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is an up and down vote on whether or not you support our national and homeland security. Just 5 short months ago. the Bush Administration tried to ram through an approval of the sale of U.S. port operations to Dubai Ports World. a company owned and operated by the government of the United Arab Emirates. UAE. The whole episode shined a bright light on a littleknown committee at the Treasury Department and the secretive process it uses to make decisions that can have important consequences for the security of ourNation. But in this post 911 world. we cannot simply trust.. as this free trade agreement requires us to do. that the businesses and government of Oman are pure and will not sabatoge. abuse. or misuse critical infrastructure they decideto buy in a business deal fasttracked by this agreement. We must trust. but verify. when it comes to ANY foreign governmentowned entity buying critical infrastructure in the United States. The President and his administration did not give the Dubai Ports deal the scrutiny it deserved. even though the 911 Commission identified the govemment of the UAE as a \"persistent cou.ntertprprism problem.\" The UAE was a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran. North Korea and Ubya. The UAE was one of only three nations to recognize the legitimacy of the Taliban govemment and still does not recognize the State of Israel. We know that our seaports. airports. and other critical infrastructure are at the very top of Al Qaedas terrorist target list. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4053}
{"speech_id":1090161670,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets not give them a hand in penetrating the operations of those critical targets by fasttracking business deals in the name of a free trade deal that has no protections for our national and homeland security. Commerce must not be permitted to trump commonsense.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4053}
{"speech_id":1090161681,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before I yield the balance of our time to our distinguished leader. let me just make it clear that the Sultan has not. by decree. answered the issues that were raised in letters that were sent by our staff. In fact. they dealt with primarily one issue. and six or seven are yet to be dealt with. and that is why they are setting an October date for changing their law. And let me also make it clear that unlike Bahrain. the Omanis have not. on the ground. changed their labor practices to meet ILO standards. So they fall far short of Bahrain. And lastly. on the security issue. I have heard our colleagues put a lot of confidence in our ability to unilaterally use the essential security provision to prevent action on our ports. And I just wonder what attitude we would have if one of our insurance companies. for example. wanted to do business in Oman. and Oman said. oh. no. not because of essential security we will let you in our country. And then we say we dont have the right to challenge that? We clearly have the right to challenge that. as Oman would have the right to challenge our decision to invoke this exception if a company wanted to take over a port operation in the United States. And we are going to be subject to the secondguessing of independent tribunals. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1869}
{"speech_id":1090161681,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And our record has been terrible in the .decisions of the tribunal as to how many we have lost against statements made in this body that said that what we would do would stand international muster. and it did not. So why are we putting this threat out there? Why are we making ourselves vulnerable? Why didnt we take it out of the agreement? Why do we want to subject America to that risk? Mr. Speaker. I am proud to yield the balance of our time to our distinguished leader who has put forward an agenda for America that truly will make this Nation a safer Nation. Ms. PELOSI.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1869}
{"speech_id":1090161687,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker.-today I rise in opposition to H.R. 5684. the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. Once again. the Administration has not met its promise to work with both sides of the aisle to craft a fair trade agreement. While I favor expanding trade and eliminating restrictive tariffs and barriers. the U.S.-Oman agreement does not create a fair playing field for United States companies and workers to compete. Oman is an important ally in the Middle East. and I respect their friendship. However. their labor laws are insufficient to create a level playing field for American companies. At this point. Oman apparently only meets three of the International Labor Organizations five core labor standards. There are no labor unions in Oman. and Omans workers do not have the right to collectively bargain. Omans lack of core labor standards alone should be reason enough to oppose the agreement. ","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1742}
{"speech_id":1090161687,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. this agreement could also cede our ability to select companies to operate our own ports. As the President learned during the Dubai Ports World controversy just a few months ago. the American people want control over our critical transportation infrastructure. but language in this free trade agreement specifically permits foreign companies to. operate our ports as long as the company operates a port in Oman. In 2005. Rhode Island companies exported approximately $158.000 to Oman. or about .01 percent of the States worldwide exports. We must go back to the drawing board to ensure American companies. American jobs. and American security are not left behind for such a small price. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing H.R. 5684 and encouraging the Administration to renegotiate a more equitable agreement.","speaker_name":"JAMES LANGEVIN","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1742}
{"speech_id":1090161695,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my views regarding the Oman Free Trade Agreement. I have supported certain trade agreements in the past because I believe they can be an important step toward opening markets for U.S. businesses. I also believe that the economic interdependence that flows from trade agreements can help create a more cooperative and peaceful worid by solidifying ties between nations. That is why I supported agreements with Australia. Chile. Morocco. Bahrain and Singapore. This outlook informs my approach to trade agreements and as I carefully considered the provisions of the Oman Free Trade agreement. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090161695,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I recognized its potential for opening Omans market to U.S. agriculture. manufacturing and the services industry. But a trade agreement is about more than trade. it is also about the fair treatment of workers and other considerations. With respect to workers rights. the Oman FTA is seriously flawed. Like CAFTA. the Oman FTA only requires the Omani Govemment to enforce its own labor laws. And when violations occur. the Omani Government is only required to pay a financial penalty to itself. This provision is a source of concern to me in light of reports by the international labor community that Omans labor laws fall far short of meeting the International Labor Organizations core labor standards and do not provide Omani workers with the fundamental protections needed to prevent workplace exploitation. Oman has a massive guest worker population. comprising over 75 percent of Omans total work force. According to reports. in Oman. guest workers are prevented from exercising their international labor rights and have reportedly been jailed for complaining about the working conditions and violation of labor rights. My concerns about the Oman FTA were reinforced by news reports coming out of Jordan about violations of Jordanian workers rights. Before these incidents. the Jordan Free Trade Agreement was considered the gold standard for labor provisions in trade agreements.. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090161695,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jordans labor laws are strong and it has long experience administrating them. That is why. when I read the May 3. 2006. New York Times article describing the abusive conditions in Jordans apparel industry. I also grew concemed about the lack of protections for workers in Oman. Reports are emerging from Jordan of an environment where workers put in 20hour days with little or no pay and where physical abuse is rampant. If workers rights are not enforced in Jordan. there is little hope that workers in Omanwhere independent unions are outlawedwill have their rights protected. Trade agreements must at least hold open the reasonable prospect that workers will be treated faidy. This agreement fails that test.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2725}
{"speech_id":1090161725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We could go on a long time on this. We probably ought to move along with the schedule because you and I have a different view as to who is going to be lame and who is going to be the duck and other issues of great importance to the American people. On the issues. the LaborHealth bill. obviously the minimum wage is one of the issues on that bill. but there are a lot of other issues on that bill as well. Do you have any expectation the LaborHealth bill will move either next week. I know it is not on the calendar. or in September? I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"STENY HOYER","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":555}
{"speech_id":1090161768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just want to again thank him for the point that this pension bill cannot be considered in a vacuum. The very same people who are going to be punished as a result of companies that convert to cash balance that will not provide this kind of protection. they can do it voluntarily. but they will not. and many of them wont. and the gentleman has struggled with companies who thought that they didnt have to. These are the same people that are getting their retirement health care benefits cut back. that are having trouble with or are going to have trouble with paying for prescription drugs. Today. people are continuing to work and people say to people. you know. just save more money. Well. as we know. most people. the average American working person has a great deal of difficulty saving. And to now tell them to save. if you are 50 years old. according to -the GAO. you will lose about $238 a month. If you are 40 years old. you will lose about $188 a month. If you are 50 years old. this has to be net savings that you are going to have to try to save. Youd have to save. before your retirement. a net $40.000. outside of your rent. outside of your house payment. outside of your kids. outside of everything else. if you could get 5 percent return on your money. Where does the American family go to get that kind of money that Congress is about to take away from them? Where do they go? Most families. both people are working. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1940}
{"speech_id":1090161768,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And if you are 50 years old. it is highly unlikely that you are going to go out and find a job that is going to replace this loss of savings. So when people say. well. we cant guarantee the expectations of these workers. No. what we are guaranteeing is a contract that this worker made with the company and the company made with the worker. We understand the benefits and the changes for younger workers. and this isnt about being against cash balance plans. It is about fairness. I yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1940}
{"speech_id":1090161804,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor the extraordinary life of Staff Sergeant Duane Dreasky of Novi. Michigan. and mourn his passing. Staff Sergeant Dreasky proudly served in the 1st Battalion. 119th Field Artillery Regiment. of the Army National Guard in Lansing. Michigan. and he devoted his life to serving our country. As a student at Walled Lake Western High School. he enjoyed studying military history and playing football. but dreamed of serving his country as a soldier. Despite being a versatile athlete who wrestled. ran track. sky dived and taught martial arts. Staff Sergeant Dreasky suffered a knee injury. which threatened to prevent him from serving in the military. In March of 2000. Staff Sergeant Dreasky married his best friend. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090161804,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mandy. who served in the United States Army. When Mandy was deployed to Iraq in 2003. Staff Sergeant Dreasky transported members of her unit to. Wisconsin for training and helped loved ones communicate with soldiers overseas. Finally. after writing to elected officials about his desire to enlist. he was able to join the National Guard in June of 2003. After basic training. Staff Sergeant Dreasky served in Cuba before voluntarily deploying to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. On November 21. 2005. an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle near Habbaniyah. Iraq. He sustained severe injuries and was transported to the burn center at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090161804,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Texas. for treatment. Wrapped in medical bandages and unable to stand. he struggled to salute President George W. Bush. who visited him in! the hospital. With his father. Roger. mother. Cheryl. sister. Dawn. and Mandy by his side. Staff Sergeant Dreasky never lost his patriotism. For 8 months. Staff Sergeant Dreasky fought courageously for his life. but ultimately passed away on July 10. 2006. ","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090161804,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His legendary commitment to his family. community. and country is a testament to his enduring and selfless love. Staff Sergeant Dreasky is remembered as an inspiration to the citizens of Michigan. a soldier of unyielding dedication and a herd. He will be sorely missed. Mr. Speaker. during his 31 years. Staff Sergeant Dreasky enriched the lives of everyone around him. Today. I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning his passing and honoring his contributions to our community and our country.","speaker_name":"THADDEUS MCCOTTER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2351}
{"speech_id":1090161876,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"bill says. it is our bill. i says that if you are the Secretary o the Department and you cannot pas: these audits. then after a Qouple o years. you have got to come back be fore the United States Senate and yot have got to get confirmed again be cause you are not doing your job. We are trying to run a governmenl that is based. it looks like it is 1950 but society has moved forward. Societ3 has decentralized. and the Republicaz Congress. they are like dinosaurs that just do not recognize the changes that have come in the world and have not done the due diligence necessary to reform government. I mean. you can say. well. here is the Democrats making this up again. We do not have to make anything up. Look how FEMA worked with Katrina. Look at how after the military portion of the war in Iraq. look at how we have done after that. not only losing money but not achieving the objective. not really having an objective. to having a big problem there. too. As Newt Gingrich said last week on Meet the Press. with all that is going on around the world. our bureaucracies do not have the capabilities of handling all these situations. State Department. Pentagon. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2459}
{"speech_id":1090161876,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Department of Defense. all .of these. Come on. We need to reform this government and we dont have time to wait. Because if there is going to be a terrorist attack in the United States of America. it is not going to be like Katrina where we have 5 days where we could watch it on the Weather Channel. and know it is coming. This government needs reformed and it needs reformed immediately and that means getting to the bottom of things. That means getting all the facts necessary. That means calling hearings. . What that also means. Mr. MEEK. is that some people are going to get embarrassed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2459}
{"speech_id":1090161876,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maybe people just need to come before Congress and say. \"Mr. MEEK. under this system. no one could do this job.\" Maybe that is the case. I will give you the benefit of the doubt. You appointed equestrian attorneys and all this other stuff to key positions. Yes. there has been a lot of cronyism here. lets not make any mistake about it. And it cost lives and money during Katrina. bottom line. But at the same time. maybe there are good people. hardworking Americans. that want to serve their government that are trapped in a bureaucracy that was designed in the 1930s or 1940s or 1950s and has stayed there and they cant work within this bureaucracy. Have the decency and the guts to tryto reform it.","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2459}
{"speech_id":1090161880,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will give the Web site. In closing. I would just like to say that when you look at the history of the country. being an American really is an adventure. We have seen. from the inception of this country. that there have been tremendous challenges. But tremendous leaders and heroes abound in the country. all over. in the public sector. in the private sector. in education. in science. in medicine. We have seen and produced some of the greatest individuals in the history of the world. and being an American is an adventure. The most frustrating part. I believe. in the last several years. and we have said this before on this floor. is that after 9\/11. with all of the political capital that the President had. with the whole country watching him. the best. greatest most demanding challenge he could come up with was for the American people to go out and go shopping. You know. that. I think. illustrates the kind of leadership we do not need in all of these changing times. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090161880,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And so our leadership that we provide from Article I. section 1 of the United States Constitution. which creates this House of Representatives. I am excited about the possibilities. come January. that we will have. when we are running this government. at least from the House side and hopefully from the Senate side too. But like you said. we want to use all of the talents. all the creativity. all of the ability and intellect that this country can muster to make sure we are pushing it forward. As you said. with alternative energies and investments in education and getting creative with how we are going to create wealth in the 21st century. through business incubstors and some of these small business programs that we have that can go and help and retool small businesses that dont have the wherewithal to pay $1 million for consultants to come in. We have a public program that allows businesses to retool themselves for 80 or $90.000. And I have had people in my office who have experienced this program. It led to tremendous job growth here in the United States. So there are things that we can do. And I think it is an exciting time for all of us. And I very much look forward to us doing this in January. www.housedemocrats.gov\/30something.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090161888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the gentleman will yield. that is a conclusion that we probably reached on a bipartisan basis. that it is absolutely essential to as rapidly as possible train up the Iraqis and transfer sections of the country to Iraqi troops with U.S. advisers. They know the neighborhood. they know the culture. and I think they have the desire and conviction to win. We need to provide them with the training and the resources. but. then get them at the front lines so that the Iraqi people in the communities see them. This is their opportunity to get the country back. I think- the other thing you said. it was my first time to Kurdistan. There was never a need to go there before. Now you can see what happens in a period of 14 years. Remember. what was the number. 182.000 Kurds had been killed by Saddam. Iran was active in creating mischief. There was an ethnic cleansing going on in the southern part of Kurdistan. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090161888,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But over a period of 14 years. they have got political stability. The two major parties have come together to form a unity government. the economy is doing well and the security situation is good. So if the rest of the country can see Kurdistan as a model and embrace the kinds of reforms. I think that is the other thing that happened in Kurdistan. They are doing the things that are attracting foreign investment and foreign confidence in what they are doing. Because you cannot rebuild Iraq with just U.S. money. You need to get the private sector coming in. and Kurdistan is doing that in the laws they are shaping to encourage and welcome foreign investment into their area. You do it in the south and the rest of the country. you have got oil. you have got agriculture. you have some manufacturing. but you have got to put in place the right legal framework.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1775}
{"speech_id":1090161892,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The political meetings we had. it was very interesting meeting with the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Interior. The difference this time is you are meeting with people who know they are going to be in the job for 4 years. Every time I have gone before. you have always been kind of meeting with an appointed or an interim minister. Now you are meeting with somebody that has been selected. and they know they are going to be a part of this new government. which gives you a little bit more stability. The parliamentarians. obviously. representative government is a new phenomena for them and they have a little bit of work to understand exactly how that works.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":670}
{"speech_id":1090161897,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No. I was very impressed with the character of the parliamentarians. Hopefully. with the help of our Speaker. we can get some of them over here so that more Members of Congress can actually get a chance to visit with them. to learn from them. to talk to them and perhaps to ask them some questions. What I was talking about earlier as well is from an article that I think we both read on the plane on the way home that was written by Melvin Laird. If anyone would like a copy. they can just send me an email at Gil@rnail.house.gov. We will send you a copy of this article. I think from my perspective it actually put into perspective a lot of the things we saw on our visit and why it is so important as soon as we can and as much as we can. we need to turn more of the authority. the responsibility for managing the affairs of the Iraqi people. back to the Iraqis themselves.","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":876}
{"speech_id":1090161912,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is not much else to do. But absolutely. you know. the families pay a tremendous price with the amount of time that their husbands or wives or sons or daughters are spending in Iraq. knowing that the conditions are tough. the environment continues to be dangerous. And so there are sacrifices that continue to be made by all of these families. by the whole military family. You know. we were talking a little bit about comparing some of the stuff that we do in the United States. One of the things that is different about the United States and sometimes moves us a little bit away from the military. but when you go on one of these trips. what really does connect you back to the military is being there with the troops. But. you know. the military folks are so few in number to who we are as a Nation. In Israel. since there is compulsory service. and I am not promoting -compulsory service. but in Israel where everyone is required to serve in the military. everyone knows and understands the risks that the soldiers. military people have to take. That is why I think it is good for. you know. that you have reminded us of. you know. that sacrifice. because too often we are too far away and removed. And it is \"somebody over there\". We have got to remember. it is * not somebody over there. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090161912,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is a neighbor. it is somebody from our community. They love this country. They have got a family. They go to church. They share the values that we. have. And they have just chosen a different career. You know. we have got q I am glad you did bring up tne iact that we stopped in Bosnia Herzegovina.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1600}
{"speech_id":1090161914,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sarajevo. I was in Sarajevo 10 years ago. and at that time the city was essentially in. the center city. essentially rubble. Many buildings had large pockmarks. Some of them are still there. Many. though. have been fixed. and it now is a vibrant city. If I had predicted 10 years ago that we would see the life in the city that we saw. a lot of people said it cannot happen.","speaker_name":"GILBERT GUTKNECHT","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":374}
{"speech_id":1090161945,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on the Voting Rights Act. and I thank my colleague from Massachusetts who was here before me for allowing me to now speak briefly on this particular issue. The right to vote is quite literally the bedrock of the representative democracy we enjoy today. We must enable American citizens to fully participate in the political process if we are to truly be a government of the people. by the people. and for the people. It is central. and it is central that everybody is given that right in equal regard. The importance of the Voting Rights Act cannot be underestimated. It has transformed the face of our Republic and vindicated the noble values of our Nation. America has come a long way in the last four decades. and it is my hope that the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act will help us to continue to extend the promise of democratic participation to every American. I have had the chance. twice now. to do the civil rights pilgrimage that the Faith in Politics group has sponsored to Selma. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090161945,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"AL. to Montgomery. to several different places. and to hear from the firsthand experiences of individuals who were involved in the civil rights movement and in the freedom trails of the bus rides and in the protests. about the importance that the VRA was to them. was to getting involved. and is central in getting everybody participating in the democracy and a true opportunity to register to vote and to actually vote. It was and is critical. It is critical that we extend it. I also want to recognize and thank the Senator from Massachusetts for the central role his family has played in fighting for this particular language. this legislation. And it is important. Out of a strong desire to achieve this goal of everybody participating equally in this democracy. a bipartisan majority of Congress passed. and President Johnson signed. the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The aim of the act two generations ago was to fulfill the democratic promise of the Civil War amendments to the Constitutiona promise left unmet for a century after that terrible war had ended. The civil rights landscape has greatly improved in the country since. 1965. thanks in great part to the Voting Rights Act. The act has resulted in a tremendous increase in the ability of minority citizens to fully and fairly participate in our political system. both as voters and as candidates. The number of minority legislators has grown substantially. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090161945,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the pending Voting Rights Act reauthorization bill which the Judiciary Committee reported out unanimously yesterday. This bill recognizes the achievements of many and particularly of three champions of the civil rights era: Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. and Coretta Scott King. I believe we have a responsibility to carry on the work of these great Americans by reauthorizing the expiring sections of the Voting Rights Act. . The bill does provide a flat bar to unconstitutional racial discrimination. It speaks clearly. aggressively. eloquently. and importantly on this topic. We cannot have racial discrimination in this country. period. We are extending this act. It is an important act. It is one that has helped make the values of democracy real on a tangible basis to individuals. and it is important that we extend it into the future. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090161945,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am delighted to be a cosponsor of this bill. I urge my colleagues to pass it. I believe it will pass overwhelmingly. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3479}
{"speech_id":1090162008,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my strong support for the reauthorization of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. I was a member of the Indianapolis School Board and mayor of Indianapolis during the civil rights movement. and I witnessed firsthand the critical importance of promoting justice and understanding in our communities. Following the tragic death of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.. while I was serving as mayor. so many of my friends and neighbors in Indianapolis came together in peace and reconciliation. and I am grateful that our city served as a model to so many other cities that were unfortunately stricken with violence and division. It is in the spirit of justice. harmony. and compassion that we must join together to pass this important legislation. This is a signal moment for the Senate. and I am pleased that President Bush will sign this bill into law as the 41st anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act approaches on","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":962}
{"speech_id":1090162048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with a great sense of pride and privilege that I rise today in strong. strong support of H.R. 9. the Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. In. my view. of all the values which underpin a democracy. nonenoneis more essential than the right of a citizen to participate in the election of those who will govern and represent them. Voting is the participatory voice of our form of democracy. It is imperative. in my view. that we reaffirm this fundamental principle by expeditiously reauthorizing this fundamental voting rights legislation. It is for .this reason that I will vote in favor of the Voting Rights Act extension. America must overcome its legacy of discrimination in voting. Let me. first of all. applaud our colleagues. if I may. the leaders of the Judiciary Committee. Senator SPECTER. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11694}
{"speech_id":1090162048,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator LEAHY. and Senator KENNEDY for their. extraordinary efforts to develop a truly bipartisan piece of legislation that has been brought to the floor here today. I feel very strongly about the need to reauthorize this law. and I commend our colleagues for the leadership they have shown in marking up a bill that I gather passed unanimously out of the Judiciary Committee and is before us today. It was about 40 years ago when I was sitting up in these Galleries. watching the U.S. Senate as it engaged in an impassioned debate among our predecessors in this Chamber about whether to extend to all Americans equal rights at the polling place. I was a college student at the time. I listened to one U.S. Senator say: Freedom and the right to vote are indivisible. That U.S. Senator was my father. Thomas Dodd of Connecticut. speaking about the Voting Rights Act in that year. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11694}
{"speech_id":1090162048,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I watched my father and his colleagues engage in a very heated debate. I was proud of how many Members of this body. on both sides of the aisle. worked to end discriminatory voting practices. Republicans and Democrats alike coming together. It was following this debate. in 1965. that Congress took up and passed~the Voting Rights Actthe first being the Civil Rights Act--as a response to the pervasive and explicit evidence of disenfranchisement of AfricanAmerican and other voters in several States in our country. The Voting Rights Act was designed. of course. as we all know. to protect and preserve the voting rights of all Americans. Since 1965. this act has been the cornerstone of voting rights in our country. and its success is a tribute to those who have labored to create it. I would be remiss if I did not pay tribute to those that this act is named for: Fannie Lou Hamer. Rosa Parks. and Coretta Scott King. Many may recall. it was Fannie Lou Hamer who once commented that she was \"sick and tired of being sick and tired.\" In 1962. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11694}
{"speech_id":1090162048,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hamer. the youngest of 19 children. daughter of sharecroppers. and granddaughter of slaves. attended a voting registration drive held by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. There she learnedthat African Americans indeed had the constitutional right to vote. She was the first to volunteer for a dangerous mission to the Indianola. MS. courthouse to register to vote. Courageously. she declared: [T]he only thing they could do to me was to kill me. and it seemed like theyd been trying to do that a little bit at a time ever since I could remember. When Mrs..Hamer reached the courthouse. she and her companions were beaten and jailed. But she was not deterred. She went on to travel the country to encourage others to vote and later founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to challenge the allwhite Mississippi delegation at the Democratic Conventionnot in the 19th century. not in the early part of the 20th centurybut in 1964. The Voting Rights Act was signed into law a year later. In my view. if Mrs. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11694}
{"speech_id":1090162048,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hamer had not risked her life and limb in order to register to vote. the plight of minority voters shut out of their own democracy may have continued. unfortunately. Rosa Parks was another pioneer of the civil rights movement. As a seamstress in M6ntgomery. AL. she famously challenged the Jim Crow laws of segregation in 1955. Mrs. Parks once recalled that as a young child: Id see the bus pass every day .... But to me. that was a way of life. we had no choice but to accept what was the custom. The bus was among the first ways I realized there was a black world and a white world. Her historic refusal to give up. her bus seat to a white passenger led to her arrest. and sparked a citywide boycott of the bus system. which triggered two Supreme Court decisions outlawing segregation on city buses. In my view. her silent protest launched the modernday civil rights movement. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11694}
{"speech_id":1090162130,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I too rise to support the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. This act represents landmark. bipartisan legislation to protect the most vulnerable among us: our children. Over the last several months. the House and the Senate met. negotiated. and finally reached agreement on this important measure. I want to note and. in doing so. commend the tremendous leadership Chairman SPECTER and Senator HATCH. our immediate past chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. and their respective staffs. as well as the House Judiciary Committee chairman. JIM SENSENBRENNER and his staff. for all their tireless dedication to this legislation. Many people have devoted time and effort to see this bill through. ensuring that we do everything within our power to protect our children. The crimes of child abuse and child exploitation are astounding but. unfortunately. all too prevalent. The recent wave of child abductions in this country demonstrates the need for this type of response from the Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7393}
{"speech_id":1090162130,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is only one way to deal with those who prey on children: They must be caught sooner. punished longer. and watched closer than they are today. Before I came to the Senate. I was honored to serve as the chief law enforcement officer of the State of Texas as Texas attorney general. There. I instituted a new specialized unit known as the Texas Internet Bureau which was designed to coordinate and direct efforts to fight Internet crimes such as fraud. child pornography. and address privacy concerns. among others. As others here have noted. the Internet is a remarkable tool which has. revolutionized the way we live. the way we communicate. and the way we receive information. The problem is. though. there is a dark underbelly to the Internet. and the Texas Internet Bureau was designed to specifically identify Internet predators who were then caught. prosecuted. convicted. and taken off the streets. I amgrateful to have had the opportunity to work with my colleagues in the Senate to help continue on this important initiative. and to make it available to more and more of our children and. thus. to make America a safer place for our children to grow up. I want to take a moment to highlight another very important participant in these negotiations who has been noted and praised for his efforts. but I think we cant say enough to recognize his contribution. John Walsh has a longstanding commitment to fighting for child victims and measures to protect children across this country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7393}
{"speech_id":1090162130,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As has been recounted. his son Adam Walsh was kidnapped from a mall in Florida and murdered in 1981. Since that day. John Walsh has dedicated his life to helping victims of crime. and he has been enormously successful and influential in doing so. It is only appropriate that this bill honors the inspiration he has given to us all in the life of his son Adam Walsh in the process. As many of you know. John Walsh is the host of \"Americas Most Wanted\" and has spent a lot of time and effort working on this bill. This is not the first time he has invested his efforts and expertise in helping Congress address child crime legislation. In the previous Congress. we passed legislation that included the Code Adam Act. which required Federal buildings to establish procedures for locating a child who is missing in Federal buildings. The title of this current bill appropriately honors Mr. Walshs efforts. and I am told the President will sign the bill. if we pass it. on July 27. marking the 25th year since the day Adam was abducted. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7393}
{"speech_id":1090162130,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not pretend to understand the pain and trauma the Walsh family or others have had to endure as a result of these terrible crimes against children. But I am eternally grateful for the way John Walsh has used this pain and this trauma to improve the lives of other people and to ensure we take every step within our power to protect our children against like crimes committed against Adam Walsh. I wish to take a second to highlight other important measures contained in the bill which will enhance existing laws. enhance investigative tools. criminal penalties. and child crime resources in a variety of ways. This bill requires sex offenders to register and. in the case of the most serious offenders. to do so for up to the length* of their entire lives. It requires them to report in person at least once each year to update personal information and to take a new photograph. It requires public posting for public access on the Internet of information about sex offenders so it is widely available. and so parents can take steps necessary to protect their children. It forces States to comply with -this program or. I should say. persuades them to comply with the program by linking participation to Byrne grant funding. and it punishes with imprisonment up to 10 years those who fail to register. and if they commit a violent crime while unregistered. they can be punished for up to 30 years consecutive to any underlying conviction. It requires the Attorney General of the United States to .create Project Safe Childhood. which will integrate Federal. State. and local efforts to prosecute the crime of child exploitation. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7393}
{"speech_id":1090162130,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It increases punishments .for any crime of violence against a child. and authorizes grants to States to implement these important programs. and provides them grants to do so. It also includes many of the provisions of the Internet Safety Act which I cosponsored with Senator JON KYL and others which. among other things. creates a new crime outlawing child exploitation enterprises. and would imprison for a mandatory minimum sen-. tence of 20 years those who act in concert to commit at least three separate violations of Federal child pornography. sex trafficking. or sexual abuse laws against multiple child victims. It also enacts various other important provisions. including making the failure to register as a sex offender a deportable offense for aliens and preventing sex offenders from taking advantage of our immigration laws. This is one of thosQ fine times in the U.S. Congress where we have come together on a bipartisan basis to do something that rises above partisanship and is enormously significant in terms of improving our quality of life and protecting those who are most vulnerable among us. This Congress continues to act on measures that benefit our Nation and protect our children. It has long been said that societies are ultimately judged on how they treat their elderly and their young. This bill is an important step toward improving the safety of those who are our youngest and most vulnerable. Finally. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7393}
{"speech_id":1090162139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the foundation of democracy lies in a government that reflects the voice of its citizens. The Constitution. the beloved document that chartered our system of government. makes this clear. \"We the people\". are the very first words of our Constitution: \"We the people.\" This is no mistake. for our Founders sought to create a government that would reflect the will of those who send us here. Voting is the underpinning of our democratic process. In an address to Congress. President Lyndon B. Johnson said that. \"In a free land where men move freely and act freely. the right to vote freely must never be obstructed.\" With the act of casting ones ballot. each citizen has ensured a place in the demobratic process. fulfilling the civic responsibility that each and every one of us must safeguard and cherish. All citizens deserve this right. and all should utilize it. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090162139,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Like so many worthwhile initiatives. safeguarding the freedoms of democracy can sometimes exact a heavy toll. Wars have been fought on our own soil to ensure these freedoms. and -our countrys history has been blemished with the events of a less enlightened time. But even through strife and toil. our democracy emerged intact. our Republic strengthened by the sacrifices made by the citizens who fought for equality and the right to vote. I met yesterday with Mr. James Tolbert. President of the West Virginia NAACP. and other members of the West Virginia NAACP delegation. They were here in Washington D.C. as part of a national effort to spearhead the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. I was proud to assure them of both my cosponsorship of the measure and my support for the reauthorization. While the various reauthorizations of the Voting Rights Act have forged the pathway to the polls for all Americans. the ability to vote is but half of the process. Democracy works best when the people are vigilant in protecting of their rights. and engage in the electoral process. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090162139,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our democracy is strongest when there is free and open access to the polls for everyone. and when the people embrace the vote as both a right and a responsibility. Indeed. the decades that have followed the initial passage of the Voting Rights Act have witnessed the progress of our Nation. To continue in our efforts. we have only to look to past successes for inspiration. To be ardent in the defense of our democracy is to preserve it for the generations to come.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2433}
{"speech_id":1090162148,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the pending legislation to pass the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. This legislation is named for. Adam Walsh. a child who was abducted and murdered. Adams father. John Walsh. has diligently pursued efforts to save other children from the fate which befell Adam by working to enact Federal legislation which will establish a national registry for sex offenders. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that there are at least 100.000 sex offenders who are- not accounted for by law enforcement. John Walsh estimates the figure to be higher. approximating 150.000. Statistics show that sex offenders prey most often on juveniles. that twothirds of the sex offenders currently in State prisons are there because they have victimized a child- Compared with other criminals. sex offenders are four times more likely tobe rearrested for a sex crime. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5055}
{"speech_id":1090162148,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is estimated that some 500.000 children are sexually abused each year. According to Department of Justice statistics. child molesters have been known to reoffend as late as 20 years after their release from prisons. There are currently State laws which require registration of. sex offenders. but unfortunately they have proved to be relatively ineffective. which requires the Federal Government to act on the national level. I first met John Walsh after the disappearance of his son. Adam. some 25 years ago. when I was chairman of the Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice. a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. At that time. in conjunction with Senator Paula Hawkins of Florida. we took the lead in establishing the Missing Childrens Act of 1982. which has been very successful in locating children. where. in a variety of wayson billboards. on milk cartons. on postersmissing children were identified and publicized. Many missing children were recovered. In the intervening 25 years. John Walsh has undertaken a national crusade. He has been instrumental in advocating and persuading both the House and the Senate to move ahead with this legislation. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5055}
{"speech_id":1090162148,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has had very strong support from the leadership of Senator HATCH. the former chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Senator HATCH has promoted this legislation. has initiated meetings. organized a meeting with John Walsh in the last several days in the Office of the major4ty leader where we organized plans to .get this bill enacted so that it will be ready for signing by the President on July 27th. which is the anniversary of the abduction of Adam Walsh. It has been a prodigious job to get this bill cleared on both sides. not having anything added on to it. and many efforts were made so that it would be enacted in time to mark the anniversary of the abduction of Adam Walsh. For that timetable. Senator HATCH deserves a great deal of credit. As is well known. Senator HATCH chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee for many years. His leadership is still a very key factor. especially on this legislation. I compliment my colleague. Senator RICK SANTORUM. as well as Senator KYL. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5055}
{"speech_id":1090162148,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator DEWINE. Senator TALENT. and others. for their support in producing this bill. which will protect children with the assistance of some 200 new Federal prosecutors. 45 new computer forensic experts to prevent child pornography. 20 new Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces. and the Department of Justices Project Safe Childhood Program and new SMART Office. which are both dedicated to protecting children from sex offenders. A special note of commendation is due to Senator SANTORUM for his work on two important components of the bill: First. on Project Safe Childhood and second. on the Safe Schools Act. These provisions and others will help stop sex offenders such as Brian McCutchen. who was sentenced last year to 35 to 70 years in a Pennsylvania prison for attempting to murder and rape an 8yearold Philadelphia girl in a public restroom. He was a repeat offender. He had been convicted of assaulting a 9yearold girl in a similar public restroom attack in Manayunk. PA. in 2001. Had the provisions of the law been in place 2 years ago. the second crime might not have happened because the community would have been on notice of McCutchens first attack on a little girl. I know from my work as district attorney of Philadelphia. the impact of sex crimes on children. To be a victim of a crime is a horrible experience for anyone. but to be a child and the -victim of a sex crime leaves an indelible imprinthard to shake. hard to forget. traumatic. aiid of gigantic importance in the balance of that childs life. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5055}
{"speech_id":1090162148,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are taking a very important step forward. I thank and commend John Walsh for his leadership and again thank and commend Senator HATCH for his leadership in the Senate on this important issue. I thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER. the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. for his cooperation and coordination. and also to the staffs. I will single out especially Michael ONeill. who is chief counsel and staff director for the Senate Judiciary Committee.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5055}
{"speech_id":1090162166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In my capacity as the Puerto Rican Office of Legal Counchairman of the Judiciary Committee. sel. I seek recognition to speak briefly on I ask unanimous consent the comfour judicial nominees currently before plete resumes of these distinguished the Senate. nominees be printed in the RECORD. I begin with the nomination of Neil There being no objection. the mateM. Gorsuch to be a judge for the U.S. rial was ordered to be printed in the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. RECORD. as follows: Mr. Gorsuch has an excellent academic NEIL M. GORSUCH background with a bachelors with hon- UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ors from Columbia University. 1988. a TENTH cIRCUIT law degree with honors from Harvard Birth: Aug. 29. 1967. Denver. Colorado Legal Residence: Virginia Education: B.A. with honors. Columbia University. 1988. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3404}
{"speech_id":1090162166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"J.D. with honors. Harvard Law School. 1991. D. Phil.. Oxford University. 2004. Employment: Law clerk. Judge David B. Sentelle. United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. 19911992. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3404}
{"speech_id":1090162166,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Law clerk. U.S. Supreme Court justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. 19931994. Kellogg. Huber. Hansen. Todd. Evans & Figel. PLLC. 19952005 (partner 19982005. associate 19951997). Principal Deputy to the Associate Attorney. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3404}
{"speech_id":1090162166,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"General. United States Department of Justice. 2005present. Selected Activities: American Bar Association. c. 2002present. American Trial Lawyers Association. c. 2002present. Phi Beta Kappa. Republican National Lawyers Association. Member of the New York. Colorado. and District of Columbia bars. Neil M. Gorsuch was nominated by President Bush to be a Judge on. the U.S. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3404}
{"speech_id":1090162166,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on May 10. 2006. A hearing was held on his nomination on June 21. 2006. He was reported out of the Committee on July 13. 2006 by a voice vote. Mr. Gorsuch received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1988. where he graduated with honors. In 1991. he received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. again graduating with honors. In 2004. he received a doctorate in legal philosophy from Oxford University. Mr. Gorsuch has had a brilliant career as a lawyer and scholar. Following law school he served as a law clerk to Judge David B. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3404}
{"speech_id":1090162172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the nomination of Judge Bobby Shepherd to become the next member of the United States 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. Based on my review of the record. my visits with Judge Shepherd. and feedback I have received from members of the Arkansas legal community who know Judge Shepherd well. I believe he is qualified to serve in this position. and I support his nomination. Judge Shepherd was born in Arkadelphia. AR. After high school. Bobby graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University in 1973. He then continued his education by earning a law degree from the University of Arkansas. graduating with high honors. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1673}
{"speech_id":1090162172,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After law school. Judge Shepherd began his professional career as an attorney in private practice at Spencer & Spencer law firm in El Dorado. From 1984 to 1987. he worked as a solo practitioner. In 1991. he began his career as a jurist serving as a CircuitChancery judge for the 13th District of Arkansas until his appointment as a Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Arkansas in 1993. Throughout Judge Sheperds nomination process numerous Arkansans from all walks of. life have contacted me urging me to support Judge Shepherd. Some of these people had been advocates in Judge Shepherds courtroom and others simply considered themselves his friends. To a person. they all found Judge- Shepherd to be a man of honor. respected by his peers and in his community. . In closing. I thank Chairman SPECTER and Senator LEAHY for working with Judge Shepherd and me in moving his nomination forward. I appreciate their consideration of this nominee and urge every Member of the Senate to support his confirmation.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1673}
{"speech_id":1090162183,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. earlier this week I spoke about the fact that there would be tremendous hardship on people who are currently in LebanonAmerican citizens leaving in the midst of a war zone. The stated policy. earlier this week. was to require people to pay a fee to .leave. and I am appreciative of the fact that. after speaking out and after introducing a bill that. in fact. would allow them to waive the fees. in fact. the Secretary of State has done that. I appreciate the fact that they are proceeding with that and the fact that people are now beginning to move from the region. I urge that that continue to happen as quickly as possible. We have many innocent people in harms way. We need to remember that and do everything we possibly can to protect them.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":761}
{"speech_id":1090162196,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to express my appreciation to my good friend and colleague. Senator JEFFORDS. for his hard work and leadership in developing comprehensive legislation that will assist in decreasing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. I am proud to join him. along with my other colleagues Senators BINGAMAN. BOXER. KENNEDY. LEAHY. LAUTENBERG. and REED in introducing the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2006. GWPRA. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3551}
{"speech_id":1090162196,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill sets the United States on a path to reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 through a 2 percent annual reduction from 2010 through 2020. as well as achieving by 2050 emissions that are 80 percent below 1990 levels.. The global warming debate began in Hawaii over 30 years ago when the Mauna Loa Climate Observatory first documented evidence of increased carbon dioxide levels in the Earths atmosphere. The international scientific community now concurs that human activities are altering the climate system. The U.S.. which is the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases. must be accountable as a leader in reducing emissions and combating the threats resulting from global .warming. My home State of Hawaii is disproportionately susceptible to increases in sea level rise and ocean temperature. which jeopardize public safety. economic development. cultural resources. and the health of our unique island ecosystems and wildlife. It is clear that coastal States will also face similar challenges caused by sea level rise resulting in flooding of lowlying property. loss of coastal wetlands. beach erosion. saltwater contamination of drinking water. and damage to coastal roads and bridges. Climate models forecasting intense storms and severe weather further threaten Hawaiis capacity to respond to natural disasters and acquire immediate relief from neighboring. states. Remote and rural areas are likely to be confronted with similar issues of selfsufficiency and limited access to assistance. I am very concerned about the impact of fossil fuel emissions on the health of our planet and believe that we must actively seek solutions to curb the buildup of greenhouse gases. This bill sets energy efficiency targets to assist both the industry and energy consumers in meeting these standards. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3551}
{"speech_id":1090162196,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation lays out ambitious goals tominimize U.S. emissions and assist in the stabilization of global atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. We must invest in technology research to control greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging renewable energy technologies will play a crucial role in successfully meeting the objectives of this legislation. Under the guidance provided by this bill. I firmly believe the State of Hawaii. along with the rest of the United States. will be poised to substantially. reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But Federal support is vital to accomplishing our goals to combat global warming. I appreciate the technical assistance. provided by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the Hawaii Department of . Business. Economic Development and Tourism. I remain committed to working with them. other stakeholders in Hawaii. and my colleagues. under the leadership of Senator JEFFORDS. to enact this legislation that will improve the health of our planet and the quality of life for all Americans. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3551}
{"speech_id":1090162196,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator JEFFORDS is a dedicated advocate for environmental protection. With the GWPRA. he leaves a legacy to guide and inspire future generations to actively address the issue of global warming. I encourage my colleagues to join Senator JEFFORDS in supporting this worthy initiative.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3551}
{"speech_id":1090162215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with my good friend Senator LAUTENBERG to introduce Danielles Act. an important piece of legislation that I know will save countless lives. I also recognize Representative RUSH HOLT. who has championed the bill in the House and has been a tireless advocate for individuals with disabilities. This bill is named in memory of a young woman from New Jersey. Danielle Gruskowski. whose life was cut tragically short by a failure to call 911. The great State of New Jersey has already passed Danielles Law. and it is time for Congress to act as well. In order to understand the importance of this legi.lation. I would like to share Danielles story. She was born December 6. 1969. to Diane and Doug Gruskowski and raised in Carteret. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3332}
{"speech_id":1090162215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"NJ. Danielle was developmentally disabled and diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. a neurological disorder that causes a delay or regression in development. including speech. hand skills. and coordination. While Danielle needed help with daily activities. she managed to lead a full and active life. As a young adult. Danielle moved to a group home to experience the positive benefits of independent living. Tragically. on November 5. 2002. Danielle passed away at the age of 32 because no one in the group home called 911 when she was clearly in need of emergency medical attention. So that no other mother would lose her child in such a tragic circumstance. Danielles mother and her aunt. Robin Turner. developed a strong coalition of supporters and worked with their State representatives to develop and pass what we know as Danielles Law. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3332}
{"speech_id":1090162215,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Like the New Jersey law. my bill will require staff working with individuals who have a developmental disability or traumatic brain injury to call emergency services in the event of a lifethreatening situation. The legislation would raise the standard of care by improving staff training and ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities get emergency care when they need it. All Americans deserve an advocate. and today I am speaking for those who often cannot speak for themselves. I am proud to be an advocate for individuals with disabilities. and I am proud to be an advocate for the families in New Jersey who are counting on safe. secure. and healthy independent living environments for their loved ones with disabilities. I also would like to recognize the hardworking caregivers and staff who help provide for the needs of those with disabilities. They show their compassion every day when they show up for work. performing one of the most difficult but rewarding jobs in our societycaring for someones mother. father. son. or daughter. These caregivers play such a critical role in our society and their contributions are to be commended. By raising awareness and education about Danielles Law. my hope is that more caregivers will realize how important it is to call 911 for all lifethreatening situations and that better training and support will be provided to staff across the country. I am introducing this legislation to remember Danielle and to make sure no other family or community experiences the pain and suffering of losing a loved one to an avoidable death. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important bill. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3332}
{"speech_id":1090162216,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is a privilege to join my Senate and House colleagues in introducing the Protecting Childrens Health in Schools Act of 2006. This .bill will ensure that the Nations 7 million school children with disabilities will have continued access to health care in school. In 1975. the Nation made a commitment to guarantee children with disabilities equal access to education. For these children to learn and thrive in schools. the integration of education with health care is of paramount importance. Coordination with Medicaid makes an immense difference to schools in meeting the needs of these children. This year. however. the Bush administration has declared its intent to end Medicaid reimbursements to schools for the support services they need in order to provide medical and healthrelated services to disabled children. The administration is saying \"NO\" to any further financial help to Medicaidcovered disabled children who need specialized transportation to obtain their health services at school. It is saying \"NO\" to any legitimate reimbursement to the school for costs incurred for administrative duties related to Medicaid services. Its bad enough that Congress and the administration have not kept the commitment to \"glidepath\" funding of IDEA needs in 2004. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2880}
{"speech_id":1090162216,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now the administration proposes to deny funding to schools under the federal program that supports the health needs of disabled children. It makes no sense to make it so difficult for disabled children to achieve in schoolboth under IDEA and the No Child Left Behind. At stake is an estimated $3.6 billion in Medicaid funds over the next 5 years. Such funding is essential to help identify disabled children and connect them to services that can meet their special health and learning needs during the school day. This decision by the administration follows years of resisting Medicaid reimbursements to schools that provide thfese services. without clear guidance on how schools should appropriately seek reimbursement. The \"Protecting Childrens Health in Schools Act\" recognizes the importance of schools as a site of delivery of health care. It ensures that children with disabilities can continue to obtain health services during the school day. The bill also provides for clear and consistent guidelines to be established. so that schools can be held accountable and seek appropriate reimbursement. The legislation has the support of over 60 groups. including parents. teachers. principals. school boards. and health care providerspeople who work with children with disabilities every day and know what is needed to facilitate their growth. development. and longterm success. I urge all of our colleagues to join us -in supporting these children across the Nation. by providing the realistic support their schools need in order to meet these basic health care requirements of their students.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2880}
{"speech_id":1090162230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. July 20. 2006. at 9:30 a.m in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room Agenda I. Nominations Kimberly Ann Moore. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit. Frances M. TydingcoGatewood. to be Judge for the District Court of Guam. Steven G. Bradbury. to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":665}
{"speech_id":1090162230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"R. Alexander Acosta. to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. II. Bills S. 2453. National Security Surveillance Act of 2006. Specter. S. 2455. Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006. De Wine. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":665}
{"speech_id":1090162230,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Graham","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":665}
{"speech_id":1090162339,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have had a productive week. I dont know if I could say an unusually productive week. as we always have good weeks. but a very strong week in terms of both the range of issues that we have debated on the floor as well as pieces of legislation. important pieces of legislation that have passed. The range is quite remarkable. As I outlined earlier this morning. we began this week studying and talking about and discussing and debating three bills that addressed issues that are challenging in that they address the ethical concerns surrounding science and the tremendous and remarkable advances in science. I have been a beneficiary of this because of my profession as a doctor and as a scientist. We all recognize the great power and the great potential for science to bring cures. to bring treatment. and to bring a better quality of life to people in this country and. indeed. around the world. Our challenge is to make sure that as we allow that science to advance. not just allow it. we propel it. we push it. we do so in a way that is consistent with our moral values and with a framework of ethics that we all respect. It is a challenge. It is the sort of thing that traditionally legislators have not had to deal a lot with it. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2476}
{"speech_id":1090162339,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They would deal with it on a periodic basis. Now the reality is. with science moving so fast. we are going to have to be accustomed to dealing with these tough issues. struggling with them. We all struggle with them. It is easy to vote yes or no at the end of the day. But those \"yes\" or \"no\" votes do represent real struggles. both internally and as we talk to family and talk to friends. and as we talk to scientists. It is clearly something that is very powerful in our own lives. We moved through confirming four judgesI mentioned that last nightthe Water Resources Development Act. which we passed under the leadership of Chairman INHOFE last nightyesterday afternoon. last nightand passing the Voting Rights Act after 41 years of real success. Then we went on this child custody protection bill which has to do with parental consent. with people taking minors across the border. without their parents consent. for an abortion. That is a very important issue. That comes on the heels of an issue we passed last night. the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. which arguably could be considered the most comprehensive child crime protection bill that we passed in a generation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2476}
{"speech_id":1090162339,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So it is quite remarkable as well.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2476}
{"speech_id":1090162341,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the pages who are here. I think we have almost 50 pages who are here for a part of the summer. The pages. I am talking to them most of the time in here on both sides of the aisle. I talked to them about an hour ago and had the chance to welcome each of them and to thank them for their tremendous service in making this place click. When we hand these papers up and they are taken over to the Chair or the Parliamentarian. it is by those pages. They are here before we start every day. and they are here until after we leave every day. So I wanted to thank them. which I had the opportunity to do earlier as well.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":621}
{"speech_id":1090162423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have come to the Senate floor today to discuss what I believe are some necessities. steps to bring an end to the current crisis in Israel and Lebanon and to set us back on a course toward stability in the Middle East. I condemn the killing and the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah. I believe that was a deliberate act of provocation. It was intended to further rupture efforts at creating stability in the region. and it was carried out by groups who seek no less than the destruction of the nation of Israel. And I. I am sure along with my colleagues. support Israels right to defend itself. However. I also believe the Israeli response has been excessive and the cuirrent crisis of escalating violence on both sides must be brought to an end so we can resume efforts at creating a lasting peace. My first point is I believe United States interests and Israeli interests will be furthered if we support the efforts of the Secretary General of the United Nations to bring about a ceasefire at the earliest possible date. Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for an immediate end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7963}
{"speech_id":1090162423,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has pointed out the obvious. which is that as long as fighting continues. the number of civilian deaths both in Israel and Lebanon will increase. I also believe this may be the best way to ensure the safe return of kidnapped soldiers. Of course. the further destruction of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon is putting the future economic and political viability of that nation at serious risk. I think it is obvious to all that what is occurring in Israel and Lebanon is a disaster for many innocent civilians. Our own administration has chosen not to support Secretary General Annans call for an end to hostilities. As I understand Ambassador Boltons position. it is that allowing a continuation of hostilities will provide Israel the opportunity to eliminate Hezbollahs ability to attack Israel and that this degrading of Hezbollahs military capability will provide a better possibility for longterm peace. I support the goal of longterm peace. but I disagree with his view that continued combat is the best way to achieve it. Whatever additional military advantage might be achieved by delaying a ceasefire comes at a very high cost. First. there is the cost in the loss of additional civilian lives. Second. there is .the additional support for Hezbollah in the Arab world which the continued attacks on Lebanon will almost certainly generate. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7963}
{"speech_id":1090162423,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Third. there is the increase in antiIsraeli and antiAmerican sentiment throughout the Middle East and more broadly which will result if the military conflict continues. While I understand the goal of these continued attacks is to bring an end to terror in the Middle East. and I strongly support that goal. I believe. the result will be the opposite. The administrations unwillingness to join other nations in calling for a cessation of hostilities reinforces the belief in Arab countries that our Middle East policy is based on a double standard. The perception is we have one level of concern when innocent Israeli civilians are being killed and injured and much less concern when the injured or killed civilians live in Arab countries. Support by the U.S. for an immediate ceasefire would save lives on both sides and would help to counter that perception. There was an article in the Washington Post last week by Michael Abramowitz entitled \"In MideastStrife. Bush Sees a Step to Peace.\" In the article. he states: In the administrations view. the new conflict is not just a crisis to be managed. It is also an opportunity to seriously degrade a big threat in the region. just as Bush believes he is doing in Iraq. If this administration thinks it can succeed here in Lebanon with the same strategy that has brought us success in Iraq. then our foreign policy in Washington is even more out of touch with reality than I had thought. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7963}
{"speech_id":1090162423,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My second point is as part of our effort to bring about this ceasefire. we need to talk directly with Syrians and others with whom we have disagreed. Robert Malley. who was President Clintons special assistant for ArabIsraeli affairs. has written an article in the July 24 issue of Time magazine making that case persuasively. His article is entitled \"Time to Start Talking.\" The thrust of his argument is this administrations policy of not talking to those with whom we disagree has not served us well. The same argument is made by John McLaughlin. the former Deputy Director of the CIA. in yesterdays Washington Post. In my view. both of these former officials are giving good advice and I urge the President and the Secretary of State to heed that advice. My final point is this current crisis should be a wakeup call to this administration that the United States needs to reengage diplomatically in the region. For the past several decades. United States administrations have seen our role in the Middle East as supporting the security of Israel but also as helping to resolve conflicts between Israel and its neighbors and supporting moderate governments in the region. There are many chapters in that history. Among the most remembered are Secretary of State Kissingers efforts at shuttle diplomacy. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7963}
{"speech_id":1090162423,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President Carters efforts at Camp David. President Clintons efforts both in bringing Rabin and Arafat to the White House for a handshake. and his later efforts trying to broker a peace agreement at Camp David. This current administration has chosen a different course. It has chosen to disengage from that conflict resolution role. As evidence of this. Secretary Powell did not appoint a special Middle East envoy as his predecessor had. Secretary Rice also has not appointed a special envoy. Her statement was: Not every effort has to be an American effort. It is extremely important that the parties themselves are taking responsibility. My strong view is this policy of disengagement has not served the interests of the United States. the interests of Israel. or the interests of other countries in the region. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7963}
{"speech_id":1090162446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it was 8 years ago today that these two brave men gave their lives in defense of the United States Capitol. A plaque in this building commemorates their bravery. Their names have been etched indelibly upon the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial a mile from here. and the headquarters of the United States Capitol Police now bears their names. all of which are fitting and proper memorials but none of which can do these men the full justice they deserve. We must also remember them in our words. in our actions. and in. as we just did. a moment of prayer. All Members of Congress today. all congressional staff. and. indeed. all Americans owe a great debt of gratitude to Officer Jacob Joseph Chestnut and Detective John Michael Gibson. These two brave men stood up for us all. They defended our democracy itself. and although none of us will be called upon to display the same sort of moral heroism. we can all learn from their example and all reflect upon their bravery. Today we mourn for them. we pray for them. we thank them and their families. and we remember them.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1094}
{"speech_id":1090162477,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President.. today I wish to honor Washington Elementary School. in Cloquet. MN. which recently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. Washington Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. The schools teachers and administrators are to be applauded for their leadership in helping children understand the harmful consequences of bullying other students. Its Bullying Prevention Program is one of the best in the State. The effort to address bullying at Washington Elementary began last year. after students were surveyed about their thoughts and attitudes toward a variety of school safety matters. Their responses to four key questions were significant: 22 percent of all pupils reported having been bullied at least two to three times per month. 62 percent said that when they see bullying they want to help. if only they knew what to do. children in grades 3 through 5 are the most often bullied. and the three places where bullying most frequently occurs are on the playground. in the lunchroom. and on the bus. All licensed and nonlicensed staff at Washington Elementary received training using the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Staff learned what bullying is and how they can put an end to it. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3398}
{"speech_id":1090162477,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They learned how to teach students to recognize a bully and what steps to take when they encounter one. They learned that most bullying is not physical. but rather uses verbal taunts. and excludes and degrades the victim. Children who are bullied have lower selfesteem. more absences. and more anxiety. along- with depression and thoughts of suicide. -The Bullying Prevention Program at Washington Elementary School has become a communitywide effort. Mailings were sent home to parents. Local business leaders. the mayor. the police chief. the media. and other local dignitaries participated in a \"Kickoff Celebration\" held earlier this school year. The programs slogan is. \"Take a Bite Out of Bullying\". the University of MinnesotaDuluth Bulldog serves as the programs mascot. The school community is rightly proud of the results. Children are coming to school feeling safer. Attendance is up. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3398}
{"speech_id":1090162477,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the school climate has improved. The Bullying Prevention Program has been featured in local newspaper stories. High school students have come to Washington Elementary to perform skits on the bullying theme. and this May the CLIMB Theater group completed a 3day residency on bullying. In addition. the school can take pride in its Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment test scores. Last year. the school received fourstar ratings in both reading and math from the Minnesota Department of Education. Much of the credit for Washington Elementary Schools success belongs to its principal. Randy Thudin. and to the dedicated teachers. The pupils and staff at Washington Elementary School understand that in order to be successful a school must go beyond achieving academic success. it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge. skills. and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty. staff. and pupils at Washington Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments. I congratulate Washington Elementary School in Cloquetfor winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota..","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3398}
{"speech_id":1090162696,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 892) recognizing the dedication of the employees at the National Aeronautics and Siace Administrations Michoud Assembly Facility. the \"Michoud Hurricane RideOut Team\". who risked their lives during Hurricane Katrinas assault on southeast Louisiana. and kept the generators and pumps running to protect the facilities and flight hardware. and whose dedication kept the Michoud Assembly Facility an island of dry land. which made it possible to resume External Tank production less than 5 weeks after the storm passed. as amended.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":608}
{"speech_id":1090162703,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 892. which recognizes the dedication of the employees at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA. Michoud Assembly Facility. The end of next month is the anniversary of Hurricane Katrinas landfall on our Gulf coast. Today we celebrate the bravery exhibited by the \"Michoud Hurricane Rideout Team.\" which saved not only the facility. but also our Nations manned space program. * Last week. both Houses of Congress passed H. Con. Res. 448. which commended the men and women of NASA. the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery. and NASA Administrator Mike Griffin for the successful conclusion of the second return to flight test missionSTS121. This would not have been possible without the 38 brave members of the Michoud Rldeout Team. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2246}
{"speech_id":1090162703,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many of the members of -this team lost their homes and did not know the fate of their families until days after the Hurricane. They risked their lives manning generators and pumps at the Michoud Facility to protect the Shuttles external tank program and. hence. the future of the manned space program. Despite the facilitys proximity to the center of the hurricanes destructive path. only- one external tank was damaged when a concrete panel fell and bounced off the side of the tank. Despite the extensive damage to the 832acre facility and the entire surrounding area. the Rideout team exhibited the bravery and the pride for the importance of the space program not only to our Nation. but also to the area in Louisiana. In September. as Chairman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. I am planning to travel to both the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana and the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. I am looking forward to meeting some of these brave individuals. both at Michoud and at Stennis. Since I became the Chairman of this Subcommittee in 2005. I have visited 7 of NASAs 10 facilities around the country.. I am looking forward to visiting and to learning even more of the importance of these NASA centers to our Nations space program. ","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2246}
{"speech_id":1090162703,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today. I want to extend thanks and gratitude from the American people for the outstanding work of these brave individuals at both the Michoud Assembly Facility and at the Stennis Space Center.","speaker_name":"KEN CALVERT","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":44.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2246}
{"speech_id":1090162716,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 347. a resolution honoring the National Association of State Veterans Homes and the 119 State veterans homes nationwide who serve the health care services to our Nations veterans. The long and distinguished history of the Connecticut State Veterans Hospital can be traced back nearly 140 years of 1864 when Benjamin Finch opened the first veterans home in the Nation. Fitchs Home for Soldiers and Their Orphans in Darien. to care for veterans of the Civil War. Now located in the First Congressional District in Rocky Hill. the modern day State Veterans Hospital has served Connecticut veterans since 1940. Over the years. the State veterans hospital has grown to include nearly 40 buildings on the 90acre Rocky Hill campus. including a domicile providing rehabilitative care and other health care services. In addition to serving the general health care needs of the States 280.000 veterans. the hospital provides other critical services meant to help veterans in all aspects of their lives. including substance abuse treatment. education and vocational assistance. and job skill development and training. While the staff of the State Veterans Home provides unmatched professional care for their veterans. the hospitals core facilities and campus infrastructure are almost 70 years old and is struggling to meet the needs of the veterans they serve. ","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2625}
{"speech_id":1090162716,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why I worked so hard in helping the State obtain a $22 million grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs State Home Program to fund the first new construction on the Rocky Hill campus in nearly 65 years. This funding will be used to build a new state of the art facility with five new residential wards. a 25bed Alzheimers unit. a hospice facility. and an occupational and physical therapy department. In addition to improving service for current residents and veterans. this new facility is especially important as more soldiers in need of medical and mental. health treatment return home each day from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our veterans have given so much to our Nation and they deserve the highest quality of care in return for their service. Even after 140 years. the Connecticut State Veterans Home remains an essential component of our longterm veterans care and helps fulfill the promise of quality care. for those who have proudly served our country. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our State Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Linda Schwartz. and her staff to ensure that they have the resources they need to serve the veterans of our State and our Nation.","speaker_name":"JOHN LARSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2625}
{"speech_id":1090162729,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 125. which expresses support for the designation and goals of \"Hire a Veteran Week\" and encourages the President to issue a proclamation supporting those goals. Certain technical abilities. discipline. teamwork. and commitment to getting a job done right the first time are among the unique skills. experiences. and qualities that our veterans possess as a result of their military service. Civilian employers recognize these attributes as valuable to their companies. It is essential that the benefits of hiring a veteran be promoted in order to ensure that veterans are fully considered for civilian jobs upon separating from the U.S. Armed Forces. Unfortunately. many veterans experience difficulty finding employment following their service in the U.S. Armed Forces. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1069}
{"speech_id":1090162729,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H. Con. Res. 125 and \"Hire a Veteran Week\" represent a commitment to improving the civilian professional and economic opportunities for the dedicated men and women who have worn our countrys uniform. I urge support for H. Con. Res. 125.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":1069}
{"speech_id":1090162737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I start out again by thanking my friend from Colorado for his work on this bill. Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 3082. as amended. the Veterans Small Business and Memorial Affairs Act of 2006. Title I of this bill improves the status of veteran and disabled veteran small businesses when competing for contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It would be a reasonable expectation. Madam Speaker. that of all the Federal Governments agencies. the Department of Veterans Affairs would be a leader in achieving the Presidents goal for annual procurement from at least 3 percent disabled veteranowned businesses. Sadly. not. Our most recent data from fiscal year 2005 indicates that VA did barely over half of what the President asked and public law required. Deficient as it is. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5473}
{"speech_id":1090162737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"VAs record beats many other agencies. including the Department of Defense. According to the Small Business Administration. only three of 81 Federal agencies met the Presidents 3 percent goal. \u0095 H.R. 3082. as amended. would require the VA Secretary to establish annual contracting goals for small businesses owned and controlled by veterans and servicedisabled veterans. The goal for servicedisabled veterans shall not be less than 3 percent. The Department of Veterans Affairs would also be required under title I to maintain and validate a database of small businesses owned by veterans and disabled veterans. The bill would clarify veterans small business competition rules for contracts worth less than $5 million. Veteran and servicedisabled. veteranowned small businesses would be given priority in VA contracting. as well as priority among other setaside groups eligible for preferential treatment under the Small Business Act. Title I of the bill would allow a business status as a veteran or disabled veteranowned small business to continue for a period of 10 years following the death of the veteran owner if the surviving spouse owns the business. Under title II of the bill. tribal governments would be allowed to participate in VAs State Cemetery Grants Program. This program. which dates back to- 1978. complements the Departments national cemetery system. Tribal governments. however. are not eligible to participate. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5473}
{"speech_id":1090162737,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill would correct that deficiency and help recognize the unexcelled service of Native Americans in our Nations Armed Forces by facilitating the establishment of veterans cemeteries on trust land. Title II contains a provision that would permanently authorize the VA Secretary to provide the family of a veteran interred in a private cemetery with a government marker in addition to any headstone the family may have provided. Congress had given the Secretary a 5year authority effective for deaths that occurred as of September 11. 2001. This bill would also expand the benefit to include veterans who died letween November 1. 1990. and September 10. 2001. This provision would also permit the Secretary to offer a headstone in lieu of a marker. if the family so requests. The simple elegance of the veterans marker. used since just after our Civil War in American cemeteries from Arlington to Normandy. holds a sacred place in the hearts of many veterans and families. On behalf of Chairman BUYER. I want to thank a tireless supporter of our veteransRepresentative NANCY JOHNSON of Connecticutfor her perseverance and leadership in working to ensure families the availability of this unique symbol of service to our country. Title I of this bill contains provisions affecting the Department of Labors Veterans Employment and Training Service. Title III would require the Veterans Employment Training Service. other: wise known as VETS. to establish nonmandatory guidelines for disabled veterans outreach program specialists and local veterans employment representatives qualifications. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5473}
{"speech_id":1090162737,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill would clarify that parttime employment of DVOPS and LVERs is halftime employment and require that DVOPS and LVERs hired after date of enactment to successfully complete training by the National Veterans Training Institute within 3 years of appointment. States would be required to develop a licensing and certification program for veterans within 2 years of enactment under title III of the bill. A 5year demonstration project would be authorized to allow Department of Labor VETS to enter into contracts with nongovernmental entities to carry out employment services in high unemployment areas using unobligated funds and require GAO to report on the demonstration project. Finally. title III would establish a 3year demonstration project to identify not less than 10 military occupational specialties that would lead to State licensing and authorize $1 million for the fiscal years 2007 through 2009. The final title of the bill would make modification to the veterans education programs. Title IV would clarify pro rata refund policy for nonaccredited educational institutions. extend authorization for workstudy positions located at veterans cemeteries. State veterans homes. and State approving agencies through June 30. 2007. It would further require the VA to report on methods to improve and streamline the administrative processes and procedures of education programs in chapters 30 through 36. and restore lost entitlement for certain chapter 35 eduoation beneficiaries forced to discontinue a course of education due to being called to fulltime National Guard duty. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5473}
{"speech_id":1090162824,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in sadness to pay tribute to my predecessor here in Congress. Tom Manton. In politics. as in life. you can only achieve greatness by building on the path that those before you have taken. Tom was a mentor to me. a friend. a confidante. Tom Manton truly loved serving here in this institution. with his friends on both sides of the aisle. I will truly miss his friendship. and our city and our State of New York will miss his leadership. My condolences go out to his wife. Diane. and to all his children and his grandchildren on the passing of their husband. their father and their grandfather. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6356}
{"speech_id":1090162824,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tom Manton was born in New York City in 1932. He was the son of a working class Irish immigrant. His father actually worked here on Capitol Hill as a plasterer. laying plaster in the Longworth Building. He often talked about that historical note. He would often say only in America can a son of someone who built the halls of Congress one day serve in the halls of Congress. Tom Manton went on to law school at the St. Johns University where he got his law degree. but before that. he was a police officer. a computer salesman. and after law school was elected to the New York City Council in 1969. representing what are still parts of today the 7th congressional district that I have the honor of serving in. In 1986. after the death of Donald Manes. Tom Manton stepped up and filled the role as chair of the County of Queens Democratic Party. When our party in Queens was at its lowest ebb. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6356}
{"speech_id":1090162824,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tom Manton took the reins of control and brought back the image of Democrats in Queens County and in New York City and New York State. He instilled discipline from time to time. which is part of the role of a county leader. but he worked to make the party the preeminent political party. not only of New York City and New York State. but many would argue our Nation today. Presidential candidates. from Mike Dukakis and Dick Gephardt and Fritz Mondale and Bob Kerry. Bill Clinton. and JOHN KERRY. all sought his support and the support of Queeng Democrats to help propel them to higher office and. in the instance of Bill Clinton. successfully helping to make him President of the United States. But Tom has helped elected officials at every level achieve their goals. the firsts of firsts in many respects: the first Indian political leader. under his tutelage. the first Bangladeshi American political leader. under his tutelage. the first Latino from Queens to the New York State assembly. the first openly gay political leader. the first woman as Borough president. and the first African American woman as Borough president. and the list goes on and on. Tom always had the bug for Congress and ran in 1972 against an incumbent. James Delaney. He lost that election. but he also ran again in 1978 against Geraldine Ferraro. Once again. he lost. but he did not let that keep him down. When Geraldine Ferraro was tapped by Walter Mondale to run as his running mate in 1984. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6356}
{"speech_id":1090162824,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tom took the opportunity to run for and finally win a seat in Congress. In Congress. he was an inside political player who earned a seat on the Committee on Epergy and Commerce. He fought tenaciously through this committee for the interests of New York. bringing countless jobs and Federal resources to his district. One of his major accomplishments was the establishment of the AdHoc Committee of Irish Affairs which he used as a forum to represent one of the largest communities of Irish immigrants in the United States. As cochair of this committee. he worked closely with President Clinton to urge him to grant a visa to Gerry Adams. and this began the peace process that led to the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. As a friend and a mentor. I have to say. in addition to being a caring husband. grandfather. and father. Tom was a dear friend to many. In 1984. my uncle. Walter Crowley. ran against Tom Manton in that open primary seat that I spoke of earlier. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6356}
{"speech_id":1090162824,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I worked very hard for my Uncle Walter in that campaign. and I remember vividly the heartbreaking loss my Uncle endured and that I felt myself. Tom Manton was an unspoken name in our household. It was a bad word. You couldnt say that name. But not long after that. Tom Manton tapped me on the shoulder at the County Cork Association dance on Greenpoint Avenue. and he said to me. how would you like to be the next assemblyman from the 30th assembly district? Why dont you think about getting in that primary. And I did. I won a subway primary. with his support and under his tutelage. In 1998. I was proud to succeed him here in Congress as the Congressman from the Seventh Congressional District. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6356}
{"speech_id":1090162949,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning we will return to executive session for the consideration of the nomination of Jerome Holmes to be U.S. circuit judge for the Tenth Circuit. There are 2 hours remaining for debate on this judicial nomination. and therefore. if all that time is necessary. we will vote just before 12 noon today. We will be recessing from 12:30 to 2:15 today to allow for our weekly policy meetings. When we resume business at 2:15. we will begin consideration of the child custody protection bill under an agreement that we reached last Friday. There are up to four amendments that can be considered before we proceed to passage of that bill. We will stay in ses-. sion this afternoon and evening in order to finish the child custody protection bill. and I hope some of that debate time will be yielded so we can finish that bill at an earlier hour. I remind everyone again that there will be a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the consideration of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act tomorrow morning. That vote will occur sometime around 10 a.m. so that we can conclude that vote before we go to the scheduled joint meeting. We will proceed to the House of Representatives in order to hear the 11 a.m. address by Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki of Iraq. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2325}
{"speech_id":1090162949,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The vote will be sometime around 10 a.m. tomorrow. and a little after that we will convene here in preparation for going to the House of Representatives. We have had a very productive few weeks since the Fourth of July. addressing the issues surrounding the alternative stem cell technology bill. the fetal farming prohibition bill. the child protection bill. Homeland Security appropriations. the Voting Rights Act reauthorization. the Water Resources Development Act. and confirmed four judges. We have made great progress over the last few weeks. but we have a lot to domost immediately the Child Custody Protection Acttoday. and then we will move to the deep sea energy exploration issue. Pensions is currently on the way to conference. and I am very hopeful that the conference will be completed at some point in the near future. And we need to address the DOD appropriations bill. So these are very busy times. The House of Representatives will be going out this week. and we will be here through next week before the recess. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2325}
{"speech_id":1090162986,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. let Mike Turpen is someone with whom me thank the junior Senator from Senator COBURN is very familiar. I Oklahoma for the time he spent on the dont believe in the years I have known floor and the time he spent defending Mikeand we have one of these very this man. not that he should ever need honest relationships. He is a very parany type of defense against some of the tisan Democrat. I dont think he has accusations. I didnt realize that there. ever said anything nice about a Repubis an article referred to where he stat- lican in his life except Jerome Holmes. ed: There are other ways to get minor- Dan Webberwe have all these Demoity students on college campuses be- crats -who are lined up without anyone sides handing out benefits based solely dissenting from the idea that this guy on skin color. is the perfect nominee to be confirmed I am proud of it. I am also proud of to the Tenth Circuit. the fact that I have known Jerome Judge Ralph ThompsonI was electHolmes for some 5 years. Frankly. ed to the State legislature with Judge prior to this nomination. I made rec- Thompson. I considered him not just ommendations to the President that he one of my closest personal friends. but consider this man because he is so in- he is certainly a judge of distinction in credibly qualified. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5571}
{"speech_id":1090162986,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We all agree he is a Oklahoma and has been for over 30 man of great character and undeniably years. He ought to know a thing or two fit for the bench. He has connections about judges. He said: with both Oklahoma City and through- Mr. Holmes is dedicated completely tothe out Oklahoma. as well as the District rule of law. the proper role of the judiciary of Columbia. a family history that goes and to applying and interpreting the law without regard to personal views on given back. issues. . He was one of the prominent figures I dont think there is any judge. any in the Oklahoma City bombing that Federal judge in the history of Oklatook place 11 years ago. He was on the homa. who is more highly regarded Oklahoma City bomb prosecution than Judge Thompson. He also went on team. and I believe it was his distin- to affirm Mr. Holmess honesty and guished servide as assistant U.S. attor- compassion. ney that really began to set him apart I have a letter from Pastor George in the legal field. Young. a member of the NAACP and When asked about Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5571}
{"speech_id":1090162986,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Holmes. most the Urban League. who showed great lawyers in Oklahoma begin their com- character in voicing his support for Mr. pliments with his work as U.S. assist- Holmes. He said: I trust Mr. Holmes. ant attorney in some public corruption and so in light of our differences I supcases in our State. He is someone who port his nomination. Now. he is one is willing to get in there and criticize who doesnt agree with everything. and open up things other people arent. every statement that Jerome Holmes -a great characteristic and I think very has made. and yet he supports his nomimportant. But if I were to single out ination. He is for him. He is supporting another one. I would say his chairman- him. head of the NAACP and the Urban ship of City Rescue Mission in Okla- League. homa. This is their mission statement: I talked with various attorneys in Serving the homeless both with help. hope. the State. and they all have good and healing in the spirit of excellence. under things to say about him. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5571}
{"speech_id":1090162986,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What I want the call of Christ. to do. Mr. President. is submit for the I have certainly made my position RECORD a list of letters. if this has not known for quite some time concerning been done by my colleague from Oklahim and how he limits his opinions to homa. the facts. the litigants. and law before It has been done. so it is already in him in any case. At a time when our the RECORD. Nation is faced with the onslaught of I thank my colleague for the time he judicial activism. he is a .breath of spent in the Chamber. It happens I am fresh air and I believe he is a man of on the Armed Services Committee. and character and principle. that he will we have a critical meeting that is rule justly within the parameters of going on even right now. so I havent the law. been able to be here. but my absence We have a resolution from the Okla- from the floor is no indication that I homa Bar Association. I have the dont hold this person in the highest former president of the American Bar regard. Association. the presidentelect of the I worked hard in getting his name to local Federal bar association. I have the President. made that recommendathe deans of all three of the Oklahoma tion early on. and I believe he will be law schools praising him in the highest confirmed and history will reflect later of terms. on that he would be one of the greatest Judge Holloway. currently sitting on circuit judges. and I certainly encourthe Tenth Circuit. noted Mr. Holmess age my colleagues to support his nomicompassion for people whose cases were nation to the Tenth Circuit. before the court. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5571}
{"speech_id":1090162986,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Richter. the I thank the Chair. U.S. attorney for the Western District Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President. I am of Oklahoma. who worked with Mr. very pleased to support the nomination of Jerome Holmes to be a judge on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Due to a scheduling conflict. I am unable to be here to vote for Mr. Holmes. though I would have cast my vote to confirm him.. In any event. with his stellar qualifications. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5571}
{"speech_id":1090162987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will vote \"no\" on the nomination of Jerome M. Holmes to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. and I would like to take a minute to explain why I reached this decision.. This is an important nomination and should receive close scrutiny. Judges on\" the court of appeals have enormous influence on the law. Whereas decisions of district courtsa position Mr. Holmes has never heldare subject to appellate review. the decisions of the courts of appeals are in almost all cases final. as the Supreme Court agrees to hear only a very small percentage of the cases on which its views are sought. I believe in certain longstanding touchstones of the qualifications needed for judicial nominees: legal competence. fairness. and the ability toipproach issues with an open mind. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6437}
{"speech_id":1090162987,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We sometimes shorthand these qualities into a single phrasea judicial temperament. In evaluating a nominees judicial temperament. our goal is to have. an evenhanded judiciary that hears the case before it and applies the law fairly and uniformly. rather than letting strong personal convictions override the facts or the law. We do this for a simple but fundamental reason. namely. that we want a highly qualified and independent judiciary that can command the respect and ad-\" miration of the American people. In the nomination of Mr. Holmes. we have a nominee to one of our highest courts who has never served as a judge before. President Bush originally nominated Mr. Holmes to be a Federal district judge in Oklahoma earlier this year. Prior to this nomination. Mr. Holmes had been an assistant U.S. attorney in Oklahoma and in private practice. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6437}
{"speech_id":1090162987,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Judiciary Committee was ready to consider that initial nominationto determine the merits of Mr. Holmes serving in his first judicial position as a Federal district judge. a position with substantial responsibility. But for some reason Mr. Holmes nomination was upgraded to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Placing a nominee with no judicial experience on an appellate court makes it hard to evaluate the nominees judicial temperamenthis capacity to be fair and impartial. With no judicial record to illuminate his views. we are left only with Mr. Holmes words as a Window into his judicial temperament. Those words are troubling and could lead a reasonable person to question his objectivity and temperament. After the Supreme Courts nuanced affirmative action ruling. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6437}
{"speech_id":1090162987,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Grutter v. Bollinger. Mr. Holmes derided the Court for missing the \"opportunity to drive the final nail in the coffin of affirmative action.\" and complained that \"[t]he court did not go far enough: Affirmative action is still alive.\" He has referred to scholarship programs targeted at minority children as \"morally offensive.\" He has called AfricanAmericans leaders. on various occasions. \"ideologically bankrupt\" and suggested that their opposition to school vouchers is insincere. In a letter to a publication. Mr. Holmes flippantly dismissed a doctors complaint that his colleagues had \"negative reactions to his dreadlocks\" as \"naive.\" He has even gone so far as to claim that efforts to address racial bias in jury selection actually harm the criminal justice system. Mr. Holmes has even dismissed problems with the administration of the death penalty. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6437}
{"speech_id":1090162987,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In a 2004 speech. he said: \"The statement society is sendingthat certain conduct and the perpetrators of it deserve to die is not materially diminished by the fact that in the implementation of the death penalty mistakes are made.\" In response to my written questions regarding whether executing an innocent person was an acceptable mistake. Mr. Holmes responded by saying that \"the criminal justice system should be administered in a manner that eliminates mistakesto the extent it is humanly possibleand yields accurate outcomes.\" I do not think this is an acceptable answer to a fairly simple question. His statements suggest a rather cavalier approach to a very significant issue in contemporary criminal law. Mr. Holmes dismissive comments about affirmative action. school vouchers. and the death penalty were not offhand remarks. or impassioned advocacy on behalf of a. client. Nonetheless. Mr. Holmes. of course. urges us to set his earlier statements aside. and look to his assurances of his future impartiality as a judge. But Mr. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6437}
{"speech_id":1090163059,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. just a quick response to our colleague and friend from Oklahoma. The fact is. there are certainly different views than this welltrained physician offered on the floor of the Senate. Parents all across the countrysome 90 percent of the parents of high school studentsinsist that they would prefer to have comprehensive sex education available for their children. The fact that this country of ours doesnt permit anything except abstinence only until marriage to be taught is outrageous. Where is the fairness? Where is the equity? In New Jersey. we have a different view about peoples choice than they do in Oklahoma. That doesnt mean that Oklahoma is totally wrong or that New Jersey is totally right. But the fact is. it is not sinful conduct and we ought to encourage people to give the young women a full understanding about sex education so they know there are alternatives to exposing themselves to an unwanted pregnancy. It is outrageous that we want to close down the minds and opportunities for people to make a choice about what they do with their health and with their families. With that. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1133}
{"speech_id":1090163128,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will vote in favor of the Child Custody Protection Act. I support the Florida law which was enacted after voters approved an amendment to the Florida Constitution. The law requires that Florida parents must be notified prior to their minor child obtaining an abortion. and it provides that a judge can grant an exception. This act will help ensure that minors in Florida consult with their parents before obtaining an abortion in another State. while also preserving the ability of minors to seek a judicial waiver when that notice is not in the best interest of the minor. The ultimate goal must be to prevent teen pregnancy so that none of our children find themselves in these difficult situations. and thus I also supported the amendment to provide Federal grants for programs that educate minors on the use of contraceptives and abstinence.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":862}
{"speech_id":1090163133,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I cannot support the Child Custody Protection Act. First. I object to the decision to bring this bill directly to the floor. circumventing the Senates committee process. I remember when this bill came before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 105th Congress. We held a hearing. debated and voted on amendments. and even issued a committee report with minority views. Mr. President. that was in 1998. surely. the factual basis of this legislation has changed since then. I do not see why the Leadership feels that this bill no longer deserves the serious consideration that it received eight years ago. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090163133,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In addition. this bill is an overreach of Federal power that comes at the expense of the health and safety of young women. The notion that one State may not impose its laws outside its territorial boundaries is a core federalist principle. and I believe this blll might very well violate the Constitution if enacted. States should retain their right to enact and implement appropriate policies within their territorial boundaries. The Child Custody Protection Act would preempt these rights by allowing the laws of certain States to essentially trump the laws in other States. In an ideal world. all young women who face this difficult decision would be able to turn to their parents. But we do not live in an ideal world. and the reality is that there are young women who feel they cannot turn to a parent out of fear of physical or mental abuse. getting kicked out of the house. or worse. This bill would deny these young women the ability to turn to another trusted adult for help. Many national medical and publichealth organizations. including the American Medical Association. the American Academy of Pediatrics. and the American Psychological Association have expressed grave concern about mandatory parental consent laws for these reasons. Our focus in the Senate should be on ensuring that unintended pregnancies do not happen in the first place. For these reasons. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090163133,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I intend to continue my work in the Senate to ensure that all women have access to the best information and reproductive health services available. If we do that. abortions will become even more rare. as well as staying safe and legal.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2230}
{"speech_id":1090163179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Iraq. Prime Minister Malikis visit to the United States comes at an important time. All Americans want Iraqs new government to succeed. The principal measure of success will be whether the tide of violence recedes and fullscale civil war is avoided. But for that to. happen. the new government must deal quickly. decisively. and effectively with the principal threat to stabilitythe deadly influence of the militiasespecially in Baghdad. It is time for the new government to move beyond vagaries and develop a viable strategy to deal with the militias and prevent Iraq from descending into fullscale civil war. He needs to begin implementing a credible plan to disarm. demobilize. and reintegrate the militias into the security forces. He must obtain a.real commitment from the political parties to assist in disbanding and disarming the militias. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090163179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the new violence in Lebanon demonstrates. political parties cannot govern with one hand and terrorize civilians with militias with the other hand. It did not work with Hezbollah in Lebanon. it cannot work with Hamas. and it will not work in Iraq. Militias are the engines of civil war. and there is no role for them in a legitimately functioning government of Iraq. Iraqs future and the lives of our troops are close to the precipice of a new disaster. The timebomb of fullscale civil war is ticking. and our most urgent priority is to defuse it. America. too. must be honest about the situation in Iraq. President Bush. the Vice President. and Secretary Rumsfeld continue to deny that Iraq is in a civil war. But the increasing sectarian violence. the ruthless death squads. and the increasingly powerful role of the privately armed militias tell a very different story. We cannot ignore this major danger. President Bush needs to consider the cold. hard facts and prepare a strategy to protect our troops who are at risk of getting caught in the middle of an unwinnable sectarian civil war. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090163179,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Such planning is not an admission of defeat. it is responsible and necessary to protect the lives of our men and women in Iraq who are serving with great courage under enormously difficult circumstances.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2162}
{"speech_id":1090163180,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On October 14. 1995. in Atlanta. GA. Quincy Taylor. a high school student. was found dead behind a convenience store from gunshot wounds to the chest. Taylor frequented and sometimes worked at a popular gay bar known for featuring crossdressing entertainment. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090163180,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to police. the killer knew the victim and was motivated solely by his sexual orientation. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090163190,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce S. 3721. the PostKatrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. It contains a vital set of reforms and innovations for our emergencymanagement systems that are designed to save lives and ease suffering when disaster strikes. The crafting of this bill has benefited from the insights of my principal cosponsor. Senator LIEBERMAN. and from the support of our other cosponsor. Senator SALAZAR. The Senate has already acted on one critical measure to apply the bitter lessons of Hurricane Katrina. The 87 to 11 vote on July 11. adding creation of the U.S. Emergency Management Authority to the Homeland Security appropriations bill. adopted a major element of todays bill. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11188}
{"speech_id":1090163190,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That was a great step forward. The Senate Homeland Security Committee conducted an 8month investigation with 23 hearings. more than 325 formal interviews. and a review of more than 838.000 pages of documents to ascertain why the response to Hurricane Katrina was so inadequate at all levels of government. The investigation revealed serious failures of leadership. It also revealed an urgent need for broad reforms ranging from communicationtechnology standards to the structure and missions of entire Federal agencies. Some of the 88 recommendations that flowed from our investigation can be adopted by administrative action. The PostKatrina Emergency Management Reform Act comprises important steps that only Congress can take. I will outline the five key components of our bill. First. we strengthen FEMA and rename it as the United State Emergency Management Authority. or USEMA. to signify a fresh start. We elevate USEMA within DHS. restore its preparedness authority. and protect it from departmental reorganizations that could erode its budget and assets. These measures give the agency mission and asset protections like those of its DHS siblings. the Coast Guard and the Secret Service. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11188}
{"speech_id":1090163190,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These statutory protections are important. Securing the integrity of FEMA preserves the cooperative benefits of its operating within easy reach of other DHS agencies. It also avoids the duplication. cost. and confusion for State and local officials that would come from carving FEMA out as a weak. standalone agency for natural disasters. Keeping FEMA where it was placed by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 avoids the need for DHS to recreate a similar terrorresponse capability. Improving contact and coordination among Federal. State. and local agencies is essential. For that reason. our bill provides for regionally based. multiagency Federal strike teams that will be ready to act and deploy in a region they will already know and understand before a disaster occurs. The bill also provides continued funding for the interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compact that proved so valuable in marshaling aid for the gulf coast last year. It commits the USEMA to work with States and localities to develop a standardized credentialing system that will help responders and selected privatesector personnel move quickly into disaster areas anywhere in.the country. and it requires the USEMA to offer technical assistance to State and local governrhents. To help remedy the communications gaps revealed by Hurricane Katrina. we also improve the agencys organizational and technical communications systems. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11188}
{"speech_id":1090163190,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our bill designates the Administrator of the USEMA as the principal advisor to the President on emergencymanagement issues. Meanwhile. national and regional advisory councils will ensure that the USEMA has open channels of communication with State and local officials. emergency responders. key privatesector and nongovernmental entities. and with representatives of people with disabilities. On the equally important technical side. our bill consolidates several communications programs within a new Office of Emergency Communications within USEMA. This office will devise a national emergencycommunications strategy. administer grants for interoperable communications. and regularly assess the operability and interoperability of the communication systems that are essential for disaster response and that failed so widely during the Katrina catastrophe. This USEMA portion of the bill has received a great deal of attention. But it is only one part of this package of essential reforms. The second part of our bill permits an enhanced Federal role in emergency management when major disasters require it. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. better known as the Stafford Act. authorizes a variety of Federal assistance measures to State and local governments when the President has declared a disaster. Congress has amended the Stafford Act over time to make it more effective. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11188}
{"speech_id":1090163190,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Our bill continues that process of improvement by applying lessons learned from Katrina. At the highest level. it directs the Federal Government to develop and maintain a- national disasterrecovery strategy in coordination with the State and local governments which will lead each recovery. This fills a remarkable planning void in our current system. which focuses on response. When disaster overwhelms state and local governments and devastates large areas. recovery can be a long process requiring extended Federal assistance. We increase the potential for more effective Federal aid in several ways. For example. the legislation enhances Federal agencies ability to respond when the President uses his authority to direct their assistance in majordisaster response and recovery. The bill requires a nationaldisaster housing strategy and authorizes making semipermanent housing units a part of Stafford Act assistance. In many cases. the modular \"Katrina cottages.\" for example. would be less costly. safer. more livable. more easily sited. and more durable than the notorious trailers FEMA purchased. A new title VII for the Stafford Act gives the President discretidn to offer increased Federal assistance when disaster overwhelms state and local governments. This discretionarybut limitedauthority for catastrophes includes raising the cap on individual assistance. assisting victims with rent or mortgage costs. extending disasterunemployment benefits. increasing community loans. and raising the reimbursement to communities for the cost of fcod. clothes. and other essential goods they distribute to victims. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11188}
{"speech_id":1090163216,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the bill that we just passed. S. 3728. to promote nuclear nonproliferation in North Korea was introduced by myself. Senator BIDEN. and others. As we all know. earlier this month. the North Korean regime defied the international community and launched seven long and mediumrange missiles into the Sea of Japan. One of the missiles. the Taepodong2. has a potential range of approximately 9.000 miles. placing the United States well within reach of attack by North Korea. Kim Jong Ils regime took this dangerous and provocative action despite repeated warnings not to do so from the United States. its close neighbors and participants in the sixparty talks. and many others in the international community. The unanimous consent which was just approved focuses on this issue of nuclear nonproliferation in North Korea. The* North Korean missile launches reminded us yet again of the threat posed by Kim Jong Ils regime. North Koreas pursuit of nuclear weapons and its possession of longrange missiles that could potentially strike our Nation is a grave threat to the security of the American people and to peace and stability in East Asia. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6147}
{"speech_id":1090163216,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This combination of nuclear weapons and long range missiles is a threat that the United States should not tolerate. Since November 2005. North Korea has boycotted the sixparty talks aimed at ending the regimes illicit nuclear weapons program. In an effort to revive this diplomatic track. the Peoples Republic of China 2 weeks ago sent a highlevel delegation to Pyongyang to convince North Korea\" to return to the sixparty talks. North Korea remained intransigent and gave no indication of any willingness to allow diplomatic efforts to succeed. The U.N. Security Council then decided to act. On July 15. the United Nations Security Council sent a strong. unambiguous. and unified message to the North Koreans that their latest provocations are unacceptable. The Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1695. This resolution condemned unequivocally the North Korean missile launches. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6147}
{"speech_id":1090163216,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. the Security Council demanded that North Korea reestablish its moratorium on missile launches. It also requires all U.N. member states to do everything they can to prevent the procurement and transfer of missiles. missilerelated items. materials. goods. technology. or financial resources to or from North Koreas missile and WMD programs. As Ambassador Bolton stated: The United States expects that the DPRK and all other UN Member States will immediately act in accordance with the requirements of this resolution. However. soon afterwards. North Korea announced that it had no intention of abiding by the resolutions requirements--yet another act of defiance and brinkmanship. North Koreas continued defiance of the international community leaves our Nation with no alternative but to act. For all these reasons. I rise today to call up the North Korea Nonproliferation Act of 2006. which I originally introduced last. week. This legislation will add North Korea to the list of countries currently covered by the Iran and Syria Nonproliferation Act. Under this bill. the President would be required to submit a report to Congress every 6 months listing all foreign persons believed to have transferred to or acquired from North Korea materials that could contribute to the production of missiles. nuclear weapons. other weapons of mass destruction. and certain conventional weapons. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6147}
{"speech_id":1090163216,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation also authorizes the President to impose sanctions on all foreign persons identified on this list. These sanctions include prohibitions on U.S. Government procurement from such persons and the issuance of U.S. Government export licenses for exports to such persons. Ultimately. the bill will lead to U.S. sanctions on any foreign persons or foreign companies that transfer missile and WMDrelated items-. as wellas certain advanced conventional weapons. to North Korea. or that buy such items from North Korea. The U.S. is already doing this with respect to transfers of these items to and from Iran and Syria under the Iran and Syria Nonproliferation Act. The time has come for us to treat transfers of these items to North Korea no less seriously than we already treat transfers of these same items to Iran and Syria. Of course. no transfers of missile and WMDrelated items to or from North Korea should be taking place now that the Security. Council has forbidden all such commerce with that country. Experience teaches us. however. that detennined proliferators are likely to ignore these new U.N. sanctions. which is why this legislation is so criticaUy important. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6147}
{"speech_id":1090163216,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will provide a partial remedy in such cases. and should deter violations of the new U.N. sanctions on North Korea. The North Korea Nonproliferation Act of 2006 will reinforce Security Council Resolution 1695 and demonstrate that the United States is. indeed. doing all that it can to stop the transfer of these dangerous materials to and from North Korea. The U.N. Security Council has spoken. The United States must now step up its efforts to fulfill its responsibility to protect the American homeland from the North Korean threat. Section 4 of this bill calls on all other countries to consider measures similar to the ones that we will adopt pursuant to this law to reinforce Security Council Resolution 1695. $8207 I would hope that. in particular. countries such as Japan that are especially threatened by North Koreas provocative actions will consider taking steps like those provided for under this legislation to deter the transfer by others to or from North Korea of sensitive items with weapons applications. These items in the hands of Kim Jong I1 pose a direct threat to the American people. the people of the region. and peace and security in East Asia. If we are in earnest about protecting the American homeland. then its imperative that we prevent the North Korean regime from acquiring these dangeroiss materials. I thank the cosponsors of this bill: Chairman LUGAR. as well as Senators INOUYE. BROWNBACK. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6147}
{"speech_id":1090163235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Hezbollah. Iran and Syrias armed militia of Islamic extremists attacked Israel. giving Israel every right to unleash fury on these terrorists. Israel is not only fighting to protect themselves. but every other reasonable. freedomloving person sharing this planet. A Hezbollah spokesman said they are fully ready to send trained and armed volunteers to every corner of the earth to jeopardize Israeli and American interests. The attacks of September 11. the bombings of London and Madrid. the terrorist roundup in Toronto and the present day insurgency in Iraq all forecast an unsettling but winnable trend. Mr. Speaker. We are in a war against Islamic extremists. and the battle lines do not start and stop in the Middle East. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1018}
{"speech_id":1090163235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They extend to the far reaches of the globe. and will do so until democracy replaces theocracy. freedom replaces tyranny. and equality replaces injustice. Mr. Speaker. our Nation stands beside Israel as they protect their homeland and fight our common enemy. Islamic extremists.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1018}
{"speech_id":1090163249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to give the American people some straight talk about our economy. In 1992 Bill Clinton ran for President with the slogan: \"Its the economy. stupid.\" Yesterday his wife. Hillary. reminded us of that slogan in her speech to the Democratic Leadership Council. Well. our economy is very strong and growing. We have created 5.4 million new jobs in the last 3 years. Our unemployment rate is better than the average unemployment rate of the 1960s. 1970s. 1980s. and 1990s. We have had 18 straight quarters of economic growth. Homeownership is now at 69 percent. the largest in history. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":956}
{"speech_id":1090163249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And our revenues are coming in so high that we will be able to meet our goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2008. a full year ahead of schedule. This time lets take the Clintons at their word. If it is \"the economy. stupid.\" then lets be smart and reelect those Congressmen who gave us this strong economy in the first place by lowering the taxes.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":956}
{"speech_id":1090163254,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to improve outcomes for children in families affected by methamphetamine abuse and addiction. to reauthorize the promoting safe and stable families program. and for other purposes. as amended.","speaker_name":"WALTER HERGER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":326}
{"speech_id":1090163285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. While I do not oppose the substance of H.R. 5852. the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act of 2006. I strongly- oppose the process by which this bill has been brought to the floor today. H.R. 5852 was introduced July 20. 5 days ago. and was referred to the Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee has held no hearings on this bill nor did the subcommittee -or full committee ever mark up this bill. The last hearing the committee held on this issue was September .2005. and the focus was public safety communications after Hurricane Katrina. Now. a month before the. anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. the majority party is bringing up a bill that is not nearly enough to help our first responders on the ground. This is no way to bring public safety legislation to the floor. and this process does a disservice to all our public safety officers throughout America. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5379}
{"speech_id":1090163285,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since the bill was not subject to any hearings in the Energy and Commerce Committee. I will not spend a lot of time talking about the bills substance. I will say that the Department of Homeland Security should have taken these steps months and years ago. This bill gives the Department of Homeland Security the ability to deny grants to States and localities that dont have interoperability plans completed and dont meet minimum standards. Let me be clear. I support accountability for the money spent from the Department of Homeland Security grant programs. However. we have not heard from the States and localities. because they did not have a hearing on this bill. I suspect that some States and localities may consider these provisions to be unfunded mandates. The bill calls for periodic baseline surveys on the level of interoperability across the country. I support efforts to measure our progress towards interoperable public safety communications.. however. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5379}
{"speech_id":1090163285,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have little faith that the Department of Homeland Security is going to complete these surveys. We heard in committee that while the first survey was supposed to be finished by 2005. the Department had only recently agreed on methodology and had no start time in mind. A bill that holds DHSs feet to the fire is a good thing. The administration could certainly use some prodding. D HS testified in September that it is the administrations goal to achieve interoperability within the next 20 years. by 2023. We dont have 20 years to become interoperable as a Nation. Our first responders are on the front lines in the war against terror today. They need the help now. Without adequate funding. the benchmarks and planning in this bill will not be implemented in our communities. Last year. the Republican Congress cut the DHS grant programs that fund interoperable communications by almost $600 million and slashed the Department of Justice interoperability grant program by $82 million. effectively eliminating it. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5379}
{"speech_id":1090163285,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleagues may not know that this bill is based very closely on a bill introduced by my colleague. Ms. Lowey. which has the support of Democrats. There is one glaring difference. Ms. Loweys bill would have established an interoperability grant program at the Department of Homeland Security to help our communities. In the closed door negotiations. the Republican majority removed the grant program. No money. no program. This has become a pattern of the majority: Take a good Democratic bill. copy it in theme only. rush it to the floor without any hearings. send out a press release. and then quietly never fund the program. We have seen this time and time again. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5379}
{"speech_id":1090163285,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we ask more of our first responders than ever before. They are on the front lines in the war against terror. They must be prepared to respond to chemical disasters. rail disasters. natural disasters. We. saw during 9\/11 and Hurricane Katrina that public safety communications are critical in any emergency. but without adequate funding. the bills worthy goals may never be achieved. Are new interoperable radios more important than replacing outofdate fire trucks or creating a meth crime task force? These are the real choices that communities across this Nation must make every day. and they receive no help from Washington. Their choices are becoming harder and harder as the Bush administration and Republican budgets ask them to make more with less and less. The real reason why I think the Republicans have brought the bill before us today is because they dont want to face any funding amendments that may come up. In committee last fall. I offered an amendment to create a $5.8 billion trust fund for first responder communications. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5379}
{"speech_id":1090163298,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. and I thank Ranking Member THOMPSON and Ranking Member PASCRELL. It is a pleasure for us to be here. And thank you. Chairman REICHERT. for bringing this bill to the floor. We have been talking about this issue for a very long time. and I rise in strong support of the legislation. I strongly support the emergency communications provisions. particularly the interoperability strategy I first proposed more than 2 years ago. It is really unfortunate that we waited 6 years into the 21st century to adopt the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act. Communications failures. as has been referenced by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. plagued the response in Oklahoma City in 1995. Columbine in 1999. New York in 2001. and in the gulf region following Hurricane Katrina. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2448}
{"speech_id":1090163298,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In all of these cases. first responders had to use many of the same communications as Paul Revere. The lack of interoperability Was deadly on September 11. Of the 58 firefighters who escaped the north tower of the World Trade Center and gave oral histories to the Fire Department of New York. only three heard radio warnings that the north tower was in danger of collapse. Three. So as these brave firefighters were running up. the majority of people were coming down. And many of the 343 firefighters who died that day would have likely been saved had they carried effective. interoperable radios. The interoperability strategy in this bill is desperately needed. as is an adequate number of employees at DHS to solve this crisis and to validate manufacturers claims that equipment meets widely accepted standards. So I am pleased. and I thank the chairman and the ranking members for bringing this bill to the floor. However. the bill has one critical flaw. Despite the testimony of the Director of the Office of Interoperability and Compatibility. ","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2448}
{"speech_id":1090163298,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. David Boyd. that it will cost over $100 billion to overhaul communication systems across the country. the bill does not provide any funding for State and local governments to plan. to implement. or to maintain communication networks. However. while this bill is not perfect. the bill is a vast improvement over the lack of current policy. Right now. as we know. the Office of Interoperability and Compatibility has only five employees and a budget of less than onehalf of 1 percent of the total DHS budget. We cannot wait for the next disaster before we take action. and I urge your support.","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2448}
{"speech_id":1090163307,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in closing. I would urge all my colleagues to support this bill. I would remind mycolleagues that it was clearly a bipartisan bill. It passed 280. I want to particularly thank Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. THOMPSON. Mrs. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1387}
{"speech_id":1090163307,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LOWEY. and Mr. REICHERT. This has bipartisan spirit behind it from the start. I would just note that interoperability is very important. We saw with 9\/11 that our firefighters didnt get the message. they stayed in the buildings. and they died. With Katrina. we saw the Coast Guard folks couldnt communicate with the law enforcement folks at the bottom of the helicopter ladders. It needs to change. That is why we reserved part of the spectrum. as part of the reconciliation bill earlier this year. to retrieve it from the broadcasters and to be able to sell it so that. in fact. that analog spectrum will be available. In addition. of course. we had $1 billion that was part of that sale that was reserved specifically on matching grants to first responders across the country. It is very important. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1387}
{"speech_id":1090163307,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not the end. We need to do more. I realize it. and we are prepared to do such. So I was pleased to see that legislation move forward. This is yet another step. It passed 280 in committee. I would like to think that when we have a vote on this later this afternoon. it might be able to pass 4330. knowing that we have two vacancies in the House at this point.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1387}
{"speech_id":1090163309,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5852. the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act. This legislation would create a new emergency communications office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a standardized radio system for firstresponders during disasters. Two years ago. the 9\/11 Commission recommended placing all firstresponders on the same radio frequencies to facilitate communications. Similar provisions to this legislation are included in legislation CAROLYN MALONEY and I have introduced. H.R. 1794. the 9\/11 Can You Hear Me Now Act. This legislation would instruct DHS to.provide the New York Fire Department (FDNY) with a communication system that must be capable of operating in all locations and under the circumstances we know firefighters face and will continue to face when responding to an emergency in New York City. Under the bill. a communication system including three componentsradios. dispatch system and a supplemental communication devicewould be required to work in all buildings and in all parts of the city. something that the radios unbelievably do not now do. This bill could and should serve as an example for what needs to be done on a Federal level. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1630}
{"speech_id":1090163309,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We also introduced H.R. 5017. the Ensuring Implementation of the 9\/11 Commission Report Act. H.R. 5017 brings renewed focus to the core recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission and holds the Administration and relevant executive agencies accountable to carry out and document the successful implementation of the 9\/11 Commission Reports policy goals. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1630}
{"speech_id":1090163320,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I had a lengthy statement that I wanted to put in the RECORD. but we have a lot of demands for speakers. so I will be brief and include the full statement in the RECORD under general leave. I rise in strong support of H.R. 4472. the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The continued vulnerability of Americas children to sexual predators is a national tragedy that demands strong congressional action. During the 109th Congress. the House has twice passed broad child safety legislation. in September 2005 and then in March of this year. I want to commend the other body for recognizing the importance of following the Houses lead to address this issue. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7222}
{"speech_id":1090163320,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4472 contains strict national offender registration and data sharing requirements to ensure that law enforcement agencies in Americas communities know where sex offenders live and work. and to provide stiff criminal penalties for sex offenders who fail to comply with these enhanced registration requirements. This legislation would make it crystal clear to sex offenders: You better register. you better -keep the information current. or you are going to jail. The bill also increases criminal penalties to punish and deter those who prey on children. and it authorizes important grant programs that will help ensure the safety of our Nations children. Mr. Speaker. 25 years ago. John and Reve Walsh suffered the devastating loss of their 6yearold son. Adam. who was abducted and murdered by a child predator. With courage and determination. the Walshes channeled the grief of their sons loss into a national campaign to spare other families from ever facing the pain they will always endure. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7222}
{"speech_id":1090163320,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I would just like to point out that in the well. there is a picture of this darling child who was brutally murdered. Their quarter century of sacrifice has made Americas children safer. and it is in the memory of their son Adam that this legislation is named. Mr. Speaker. the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 represents the most comprehensive Federal child safety legislation ever considered by this House. It reflects this bodys boldest commitment yet to protecting Americas children against sexual predators. I urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on the motion to suspend the rules and send this vital and historic legislation to the Presidents desk for his signature. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 4472. the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Adam Walsh. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7222}
{"speech_id":1090163320,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jacob Wetterling. Megan Nicole Kanka. Pam Lychner. Jetseta Gage. Dru Sjodin. Jessica Lunsford. Sarah Lunde. Amie Zyla. Chrsty Fornoff. Alexandra Nicole Zapp. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7222}
{"speech_id":1090163320,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Polly Klaas. Jimmy Ryce. Carlie Brucia. Amanda Brown. Molly Bish. Elizabeth Smart. Samantha Runnion. The names of these innocent victims are seared into the national consciousness but only represent a fraction of children victimized by violent sexual offenders. Their names comprise a roll call of insufferable loss and a call to national actionthe injustice of each assault compounded by the cruel recognition that it might have been prevented. The continued vulnerability of Americas children to sexual predators is a national tragedy demanding strong congressional action. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7222}
{"speech_id":1090163393,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague. And I must say. I am very pleased that. having worked together. that the relationship of ranking member of the full committee and ranking member of the subcommittee or chairman of a full committee and the chairman of a subcommittee. nobody planned that to work as smoothly. You have to work at it. and with kind of overlapping responsibilities. I am very proud of the very constructive work we have done together. along with our counterparts on the other side. I agree with what has been said about this bill. It takes the FHA and makes. it a more important entity. On one issue. the high cost loan limits. for much of the district that I represent in Massachusetts. the FHA might as well be on the moon because the median house prices in my district are beyond what the FHA could do. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5428}
{"speech_id":1090163393,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I was glad to work with my colleague. the gentleman from California. who has joined us. Mr. MILLER. to make it realistic. People have said. well. you are creating homes for the wealthiest. No. What we have is a situation where. if you dont do it by median house price. middle income borrowers are priced out of the market because of the price of the house. And. of course. people said. well. you are going to be squeezing out lower income people. No. When the FHA makes those loans to people at the median income in the highcost areas. that makes money for the FHA. And I want to stress that. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5428}
{"speech_id":1090163393,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a money maker bill. This is a bill that expands housing. but it will make money for the Treasury. The FHA. in our accounting term it is called a negative subsidy. A negative subsidy means you put money in. And. the FHA is a net contributor. I think at some point we might look at expanding some of what we do at the FHA without further increasing the cost to the Treasury. But -this is a bill that expands housing opportunities and makes money for the Treasury. There is one particular part I want to address. and the gentlewoman from California generously mentioned it and the gentleman from Ohio was helpful on this. We do. in this bill. extend FHAs authority to lend to people who have lower credit scores. people who are bigger risks. And when that happens. you have to worry about higher defaults. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5428}
{"speech_id":1090163393,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I did not think we. the Federal Government. should be in the position- of saying that. as we lend to people who are bigger risks. we should take that risk pool and make those people who are higher risks who meet their obligations pay for the people who are higher risks who dont. In other words. yes. we understand that. As you reach down into a lower credit sector. and there is a correlation with income there. obviously. you. are going to have more defaults and we have to pay for the defaults. But it is not fair. and we the Federal Government should not set the principle that one lowincome person or 10 lowincome people who meet their responsibilities are the ones who have to make up for the lowincome person who isnt able to. Now. this bill doesnt entirely meet my desires in this respect. but it does set this important principle. Yes. it says if you are of a low credit score. you will have to pay some more. But after 5 years under this bill. if you have been meeting your obligations. you then no longer have to pay more on the annual basis. Thus. it seems to be both an incentive for people to keep their payments but also a matter of fairness. I dont see why. if I am someone with a low credit score and I am making my payments in a responsible way. I should have to shoulder the burden of those people who arent able to make their payments any more than anybody else. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5428}
{"speech_id":1090163393,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. as I said. this doesnt go as far as I would like. but it sets that important principle. And the other thing I would note is this: We give FHA the authority to go up to certain levels for the borrowers with lower credit. but they are not mandated. And I would urge my friends in the FHA. and they have worked with us and I appreciate it and some of them are here today\" observing. as is fittinggiven the cooperative effort we had here. As we go forward. given that the FHA makes money. lets refrain from penalizing the responsible low credit people. And they are the great majority. by the way. Nobody thinks that you are going to have a majority of them default. Lets say to those lower credit borrowers who meet their obligations that we are not going to try to make them be held responsible for others who cant make it. That is something. if it has to be done. could be more fairly doneacross the board. So I am very appreciable of the things in the bill. the increase in the loan limits. the reaching out to other entities to be able to function and reaching out to give people an alternative to predatory lending. and it is important that we set the principle. As we give people an alternative to what might be predatory loans in the purely private sector. we do it in a way that will give people of lower credit recognition that if they are responsible and meet their payments. they will no longer be put under the gun. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5428}
{"speech_id":1090163425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I also want to join in praising Chairmen OXLEY and PRYCE for the tremendous work that they have done on reauthorizing the ExIm Bank. Mr. Speaker. now more than ever we need the ExIm Bank. With the collapse of the Doha round of the WTO. other nations will continue to vigorously use their governmentsponsored export credit agencies to promote their exports. The unfortunate reality is that American companies often win export sales on quality and price only to later lose because their competitors were able to obtain faster. less expensive export credit funded by other countries. Supporting this bill will ensure that an attractive foreign financing package will not be the deciding factor in *winning an export opportunity. Defeating the bill will amount to unilateral disarmament in global trade. While ExIm Bank supports large business deals. this bill should actually be renamed the Small Business Exporters Acts 6f 2006. ","speaker_name":"DONALD MANZULLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2955}
{"speech_id":1090163425,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 5068 restores a viable small business division and creates a Small Business Committee within ExIm Bank to better serve the needs of Americas small exporters. The legislation also enhances the banks delegated loan authority with respect to mediumterm transactions by private lenders for small businesses. This is one key tool to help ExIm reach and exceed its 20 percent statutory mandate for small businesses. The managers amendment contains further improvements to the bill to make small business truly the focus of the bank. This reform designates adequate staff at each of the banks operating divisions to specialize in the needs of smallbusiness exporters. This staff will also be jointly supervised by the Small Business Division. Furthermore. these small business specialists will have the authority under appropriate guidelines to approve loan guarantee and insurance applications of up to $10 million. This provision will help small business exporters overcome the obstacles of the slow internal approval process within ExIm Bank. Finally. the managers amendment automatically appoints these small business specialists to serve as members of the Small Business Committee at the bank. These small business specialists will be on the front line of assisting small business and will have firsthand knowledge of ExIm products at work and what needs to be changed. ","speaker_name":"DONALD MANZULLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2955}
{"speech_id":1090163425,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was pleased to work with many of the industry groups which support ExIm Bank. particularly the Small Business Exporters Association. in the development of the small business provisions in H.R. 5068. Mr. -Speaker. passage of this bill will send a powerful positive signal to small business exporters around the Nation that there will be internal advocates for them within the bank from the time they enter the door until the time they exit with a decision. With these new legislative enhancements to ExIms charter. small business exporters will have strong shoulders to stand on to win trade deals overseas. I urge the adoption of H.R. 5068.","speaker_name":"DONALD MANZULLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2955}
{"speech_id":1090163435,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5068. the ExportImport Bank reauthorization bill. I would like to thank the Committee on Financial Services chairman. Mr. OXLEY. and Ranking Member FRANK for moving this important . measure through our committee.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":251}
{"speech_id":1090163536,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Retirement Act of 1974 to provide for Speaker. I rise today in support of the legisla- continued payment of railroad retiretion introduced by my good friend from Illinois. ment annuities by the Department of LANE EVANS. the Treasury. and for other purposes. I have worked for years with the distin- The Clerk read as follows: guished Ranking Member on the Veterans Committee and am sorry to see him leave this H.R. 5074 fine institution. I have been blessed to have Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repdimin- resentatives of the United States of America in known him and this Congress will be Congress assembled. ished without him. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. However. I am here to speak on legislation This Act may be cited as the \"Railroad Reto improve driver awareness when driving tirement Technical Improvement Act of around visually impaired persons. 2006\". There are 1.5 million visually impaired SEC. 2. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2193}
{"speech_id":1090163536,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DISBURSEMENT AGENT. Americans. Section 7(b)(4) of the Railroad Retirement The bill requests that every State in the Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231f(b)(4)) is amended so country include information in the driver edu- that subparagraph (A) reads as follows: cation material and driver license application \"(A) The Secretary of the Treasury shall manuals. Such information would instruct driv- serve as the disbursing agent for benefits ers of motor vehicles to approach persons payable under this Act. under such rules and with white canes or guide dogs with recogni- regulations as the Secretary may in the Section that such individuals are blind and that retarys discretion prescribe.\". extra caution should be exercised. The SPEAKER pro tempore. PursuIt is common sense legislation that will help ant to the rule. the gentleman from save a life. Ohio and the gentleThis legislation was passed by the House of woman from Florida (Ms. CORRINE Representatives in the 108th Congress. but BROWN) each will control 20 minutes. could not come to an agreement with the Sen- The Chair recognizes the gentleman ate before the end of the session. I hope we from Ohio. can agree to this legislation and pass it before GENERAL LEAVE the end of this Congress. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2193}
{"speech_id":1090163536,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LATOURETTE. Mr. Speaker. I","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2193}
{"speech_id":1090163551,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to. first of all. thank the chairman of the full committee. Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. for moving this legislation forward. This measure recognizes my constituent. Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller. for his military service to our country and also commemorates the 60th anniversary of his greatest baseball season. It is my honor to have introduced this measure. together With a number of our colleagues that you will hear from this afternoon. and it will be our honor to host Bob Feller tomorrow when he visits Capitol Hill on the eve of his trip to Cooperstown for the annual Hall of Fame weekend. Mr. Speaker. in 1941. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5235}
{"speech_id":1090163551,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bob Feller was at the peak of his baseball career. The righthander from Van Meter. Iowa. had signed with my beloved Cleveland Indians at the age of 16 and became an instant sensation. Feller made quick work of rewriting the record books and thrilling fans. In his first major league start. he struck out 15 St. Louis Browns. In 1938. Feller established a new major league strikeout record by striking out 18 Detroit Tigers in a single nineinning game. He was the first pitcher in modern major league history to win 20 or more games before the age of 21. He pitched his first nohitter on opening day at Comiskey Park against the Chicago White Sox on April 16. 1940. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5235}
{"speech_id":1090163551,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It remains today as the only nohitter ever thrown on a major league opening day. Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mr. Speaker. in 1941. Bob Feller did what seems almost unthinkable with some of todays professional athletes. A month after his 23rd birthday. he enlisted in the Navy and volunteered for combat. placing service to his country above the sport he loved. It didnt matter that his father was dying of cancer and that his mother and sister depended upon him for financial support. His country needed him. and Feller didnt think twice. Bob Feller was sworn in by heavyweight champion Gene Tunney and was off to fight in World War II. For the next 44 months. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5235}
{"speech_id":1090163551,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Fellers life was devoted to his country and his fellow sailors aboard the USS Alabama. where he served as an antiaircraft gunner. Feller participated in the famous 1944 Battle of the Marianas Turkey Shoot. where 219 of Japans 326 planes were downed in a single day. He has called the Marianas shootout the greatest day of his life. He left the Navy a war hero. earning eight battle stars. Bob Feller missed nearly four full seasons to defend our great Nation and returned at the end of the 1945 season just in time to pitch a handful of games. He tried to keep his fastball in shape during the war. often tossing the ball on the deck of the Alabama. Still. there were a number of whispers that perhaps his best days were behind him. Sixty years ago. in 1946. Feller silenced the critics. He had his best season ever. one for the record books and the stuff of Hollywood movies. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5235}
{"speech_id":1090163551,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The season reminds us why baseball is so revered. In 1946. Feller pitched a remarkable 36 complete games in 42 starts. To gauge this feat. consider this: The five teams in the American League Central Division had just 35 complete games between them all of last year. Feller led the American League in wins. shutouts. strikeouts. games pitched and innings. He struck out 348 batters. then a major league record. In April of 1946. he pitched his second nohitter. this time against the Yankees in New York. He went 2615 with 10 shutouts. including the nohitter. and had a career low 2.18 earned run average. He pitched in six relief games. saving four of them. He pitched a total of 3711\/3 innings and often threw 125 to 140 pitches a game. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5235}
{"speech_id":1090163568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. DAVIS. again. and thank Mr. DAVIS of Virginia and Mr. LEACH for talking about Bob Feller. I again would tell folks that at 87 years old. he will be here tomorrow. and. if schedules permit. I hope you take time to say hello to him. I urge passage of the resolution. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090163585,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is my pleasure to yield 31\/2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scorr). an Alpha brother who holds a masters degree in business administration from the Wharton School of Business. a distinguished businessman before becoming an elected official. who hails from Atlanta. Georgia.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090163617,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. my colleague on the other side keeps saying that this is somehow. a partisan charade to score points. There are just a little over 200 Members of the Democratic Party in this Congress. and these votes have carried 258. 308. 299. 237. Clearly. there is bipartisan agreement that as we write this pension bill. as we deal with pension reform. we ought to make an effort to try to deal with the plight of these workers in the fairest possible way we can. Let us look again quickly at what we are trying to do here. We are trying. one. to protectolder workers who have a very limited ability to gather additional economic resources as they end their work years. to make up for a dramatic cut in their pension plans. All we are saying is that those workers ought to be protected. those who are 5 years away from the pension plan. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6283}
{"speech_id":1090163617,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not a radical proposal. Not a partisan proposal. It passed the Senate 972. By an overwhelming bipartisan vote. we have asked the conferees to invoke that measure. We have also tried to say that those airline pilots that were forced to retire at age 60 due to Federal law. a Federal law that we are now considering changing to 65. but because of the bankruptcy of the company and the dumping of the plan by United and others into the PBGC. those pilots ought not to be harmed because they had no ability to reach 65 in their employment. The Federal law made them quit. and they ought not to be harmed in that situation. They may have never been harmed but for 9\/11. but for the run up in fuel prices. They didnt do anything wrong. but they find themselves taking a double hit through the bankruptcy and through the PBGC rules. Then we said let us try to save the airline industry. Let us stretch this out. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6283}
{"speech_id":1090163617,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For those plans. mind you. they have frozen their pension plans. They comply with the fequirements of the Senate bill. and we have said let us give. them time to recover their economic health and hopefully save these pension plans. We do not know yet. but again on a bipartisan basis overwhelmingly. the House voted to do that. Then we said let us make sure that we exhaust all of the remedies before we dump these pension plans onto the taxpayers. Let us make sure that we have exercised all of the effort. that we have bargained in good faith. that we have searched every way to avoid this from becoming a taxpayer liability. Again. passing 972. the Senate went in that direction and we didnt. They refused those amendments to the legislation. And. finally. the issue of basic fairness. one that so struck the people of this Nation when they saw how Enron manipulated thepension systems. how they manipulated the stock sales to those pension systems by the executives. and. finally. how they manipulated the company into the downward spiral of bankruptcy and people lost their entire livelihoods. This bill says that. as Mr. KUCINICH pointed out. if this plan is not at least 80 percent funded. you can provide no new benefits to the employees no matter what the reason for that underfunding is. but unless it. is 60 percent underfunded. you can keep providing benefits to the executives. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6283}
{"speech_id":1090163617,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There is just a fundamental element of fairness. And again I think by over 258 votes. on a bipartisan basis. the House sent these instructions to the conferees. This is part of the legislative process. I am here because this is a privileged motion. We recognize the need to communicate from the full House to the conferees on measures that we continue to favor as the conference committee goes forward. and we have done that. But the fact of the matter is that now it appears. certainly from newspaper reports. which I wouldnt know because we have been shut out of this conference committee. The Republicans do not conference with the Democrats in the House. They do not honor that democratic principle. They do not honor that democratic history. So we only know what we have been told through the grapevine. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6283}
{"speech_id":1090163617,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We know in talking to the. Democratic and Republican Senators. and we know a little bit by what we read in the press. and it appears that. in fact. in each and every one of these points where the House has spoken with an overwhelping voice to protect the pensions HS5li of workers. of retirees. and of their families. that each and every one of these is going to be disregarded by the conferees. This is a last attempt to try to bring some openness to this conference. to try to bring some bipartisan participation to this conference committee. and to bring the will of the House. which I think in these cases when we are hearing about pensions. when you go home and you talk to your constituents and you have your town hall meetings. you see how anxious people are about their health care benefits. about their retirement benefits. about their retirement security. Yet somehow those conferees cannot get that message. Maybe they have been in Congress too long. Maybe they are insulated from it. Somehow they just.cannot get it. Well. life outside the Beltway is very precarious for a lot of employees anda lot of industries. And the question that comes to us is whether or not we are going to make an effort to have a pension bill that recognizes the fairness and the equity. Again. this is not some partisan bill. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6283}
{"speech_id":1090163689,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friends from Arkansas and Georgia for their leadership in the important Blue Dog Coalition. as we are the centrist group in Congress. We try to do the right thing. whatever the parties say. We try to do the right thing for the American people and the American taxpayer. The gentleman has been a particular leader showing the tragic waste around the town of Hope. Arkansas. the thousands and thousands of trailers lined up there. the clear mishandling of taxpayers dollars. but I would like to bring up for the Speaker and for the American people tonight a new book that is pretty remarkable. It is called \"The Broken Branch.\" and the subtitle is. \"How Congress is failing America and how to set it back on track.\" This should be available in most all bookstores around America. It is not a Democratic book. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2776}
{"speech_id":1090163689,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is written by a scholar. Norm Ornstein. who is at the American Enterprise Institute which. if anything. is a Republican think tank. Another coauthor is Thomas Mann. who is at the Brookings Institution. which bills itself as a nonpartisan think tank. Some of our friends might call it Democratic. but this is a thoroughly bipartisan book. - What it does is list the many ways that this institution needs to change. That is what I think Blue Dogs are all about is bringing that needed change to this institution because. under Republican leadership. as the authors of this book point out. things are clearly not working. The gentleman has pointed out quite eloquently that the deficits are clearly out of control. We seem to have no clear policy in Iraq. There are so many things that are not allowing our great Nation. the greatest Nation in the history of the world. there are so many things that Congress is not doing to allow America to live up to its potential. to allow our families. our kids and grandkids to live up to their potential. We. Blue Dogs. we want things to work. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2776}
{"speech_id":1090163689,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want things to work right. We want taxpayer dollars to be spent wisely. and this book is an important read because it lists it in a nonpartisan fashion. This book is called. \"The Broken Branch.\" It is Oxford University Press. It lists hundreds and hundreds of ways that the Republican leadership has failed the American people. So I want to encourage everyone to take a look at this. Do not take our word for it. Read it in the bookstore. Get it online. See what is really happening in Congress because. sadly. our TV stations. our newspapers are simply not reporting all this. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2776}
{"speech_id":1090163689,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are spending way too much time trying to entertain us or affirm what we already think. but this book tells us the truth about Congress and how we need to change. So I thank my friends from Arkansas and Georgia for yielding. and I will chime in at a later point in the debate.","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2776}
{"speech_id":1090163693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my friends Arkansas and Georgia.. Another Blue Dog proposal for reform that is extremely important. because it would do a lot to fix our entire fiscal situation. to get our budget balanced again. and that proposal goes by the name of pay as you go. It is a very simple concept. Every household back in our districts has to follow it. Because if you dont have the money. you cant spend it. You might be able to borrow a little for a little while. but sooner or later. you have to pay the bill. That is the same principle America should be run on. It is not just us saying it. The former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Alan Greenspan. said that that would be the single most important reform America could undertake. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090163693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The single most important reform. and we Blue Dogs are championing it. We. as Democrats. are championing it. and yet the Republican majority in this House has prevented that reform from even coming up for a vote. Now. this isnt theoretical or experimental thinking that Chairmapi Greenspan is proposing. this pay as you go proposal. this idea that if you want to spend more money on a program. fine. but get money from somewhere else to pay for it. Or if you want to cut taxes. fine. get money from somewhere else to pay for the tax cut. This proposal was the law of the land in America from 1990 to 2002. For 12 years. from i990 to 2002. the payasyougo proposal worked and worked well in America. Most historians agree it was the single most important factor during that era that helped America live Within its means so that we could have a stronger Nation for our kids and grandkids. And former Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan even remembers the day that the Republicans allowed the pay as you go proposal to expire. and that day was September 30. 2002. September 30. 2002. the end of that fiscal year. was a dark day ill America. because the 12 years of fiscal restraint that we had had. the 12 years of living within our means. the 12 years of kitchen table budgeting were then over. And. basically. all hell broke loose when that happened. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090163693,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Because suddenly there was no restraint. You could spend anything. Earmarks and other things exploded. That is going to be a terrible fiscal headache. a nightmare for our kids and grandkids. So .that is probably the most important of all the Blue Dog proposals. We have had many. and the gentleman from Georgia has mentioned several. We have had the 12step plan so that America could get off its addiction to deficit spending. much as the 12step Alcoholics Anonymous program helps many people across America get off their addiction to alcohol. So these are just a few of the reforms that the Blue Dogs have been participating in to make us have an even stronger Nation. We are proud of America. We want a strong America in all respects. but America can be even better than it is today. ","speaker_name":"JIM COOPER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2900}
{"speech_id":1090163708,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I appreciate those comments so much. and I appreciate you reminding me about the Deficit Reduction Act. It was in my notes. and I wanted to make certain we pointed that out. We had that bill passed earlier this year in January. It would save the American people $40 billion.","speaker_name":"TOM PRICE","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090163713,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. well. I am glad to see that you have recovered and that Mr. MEEK has made it. I knew that both of you were tired. You worked hard yesterday. but I hope that in the future you can just reach down. grab a little extra. and you know. be here when it counts. I have been very impressed with your perseverance. your performance over the course of the past year and a half. but. remember. it has to be consistent. It has to be consistent. It cannot be just about talk. It has to be actions.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":499}
{"speech_id":1090163755,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. in .this talk today. as we watched the press conference. the Iraqis have army and police force in one region that is in southern Iraq. where nobody lives. They have got control of it. and the Prime Minister is here with the President saying. See. we are making progress. You are not making progress. Electricity. water. utilities are all at prewar levels. Below prewar levels.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":391}
{"speech_id":1090163782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"holds in this House. uttered antiSemitic remarks that every American would deplore and find unacceptable. May I quote what he had to say. He is referring to the terrorist acts against other Iraqis. And this is what he claimed. and I am quoting him: \"These acts are not the work of Iraqis. I am sure that he who does this is a Jew. and a son of a Jew. I can tell you about these Jewish Israelis and Zionists who are using Iraqi money and oil to frustrate the Islamic movement in Iraq. No one deserves to rule Iraq other than Islamists.\" That same speaker said this. Madam Speaker: \"The United States occupation is butchers work under the slogan of democracy and human rights and justice.\" And understand that there has been a bilateral military cooperation agreement signed by Iraq with Iran. What have we done? We have got over 2.500 Americans -killed. Tens of thousands seriously wounded. ","speaker_name":"J. HASTERT","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1040}
{"speech_id":1090163782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And is this what we expect? No. It is not what we expect. It is certainly not what we deserve. And now Iran has become the hegemon in the Middle East.","speaker_name":"J. HASTERT","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1040}
{"speech_id":1090163919,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the introduction to this important measure by the chairman of the Energy Committee. Senator DOMENICI. No one has worked harder. in my view. in this entire Chamber. and perhaps in the entire Congress. to help us reach a reasonable. balanced energy policy. The Chairman knows. and I agree with him. we cant drill our way out of this situation. But neither can we conserve our way. We have to stay on parallel tracks to drill more where we can of oil and gas. and conserve more where we can. The last Energy bill reached a pretty good balance of that. This is another step forward in that reasonable. rational. progressive road the chairman is trying to provide. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9364}
{"speech_id":1090163919,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is providing excellent leadership and I am proud to support his efforts. This bill. as the Senator from New Mexico said. will open up significant tracts of land off of the gulf coast for drilling of oil and gas that we need as a nation. I have spoken about this bill many times in terms of its benefits to Louisiana and the gulf coast. and I will again this morning. But before I do that. I would like to speak to the national issue. Senator DOMENICI is correct when he said this country needs these reserves--and we need them now. This area of the gulf. 8.3 million acres that we have been able to negotiate based on the good work of Senator MARTINEZ and others in the Gulf Coast States. will provide more than six times the amount of natural gas that this country imports in the form of LNG each year. Let me repeat thatsix times the amount of natural gasliquefied natural gasthat this country imports every year. It has more oil than the proven reserves of Wyoming and Oklahoma combined. There is more oil here for our Nation that desperately needs it. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9364}
{"speech_id":1090163919,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our manufacturing sector is doing the best it can do to hold onto jobs in the United States. This is an issue that Senators on both sides of the aisle feel strongly about: keeping jobs in America. If we want to keep jobs in America. we need to follow the Chairmans lead and open up lease sale 181 and 181 South. Only a year ago. the price of natural gas was $15 per million Btu. Today we are fortunate. It has gone down to $6. but 3 or 4 years ago it was $2. It is volatile and it is too high. We need to take it down and stabilize it for manufacturing and agricultural interests from which every single Senator in this body benefits. We are competing internationally. Overseas they can produce natural gas for a fraction of what it costs us here. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9364}
{"speech_id":1090163919,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our industries are struggling to hang on because the price is too high. This will help to got our price down. to stabilize it. and bring down the futures that are driving up our prices. The same for oil: only a few years ago a barrel of oil was $35 a barrel. Today it is selling for about $75 a barrel. We need to open up more domestic reservesfirst. for the country because it is a smart and balanced energy policy. It is sound economic policyto keep jobs right in the United States. Second. we must open up these domestic reserves because it is sound environmental policy. Let me 9peak about the gulf coast for just a few moments. I have come to this floor many times in the 10 years that I have been here to talk about the gulf coast where I was born and raised. part of the country that I think is. the most beautiful and the most special. Of course. we all think the place we are born is that way. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9364}
{"speech_id":1090163919,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But I have also said this coast is Americas only energy coast. This is a satellite picture taken just recently. It shows the coast of Florida. the coast of Alabama. Mobile Bay. the great boot of Louisiana. the shore of Mississippi. and the great expanse of the shore of Texas. This area. since the 1940s. has been the only area in the United States that has allowed offshore oil and gas drilling. We have experimented there or 40 years. We made a lot of mistakes. But we have done a lot of things right. Now we have an industry that actually resembles the space program more than it does the oldtime roughneck industry with oil greasy derricks of the old days. as seen in those black and white pictures. Today. the industry deploys technology that looks like a spaceship out in the Gulf of Mexico. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9364}
{"speech_id":1090163941,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this past weekend I was in Tennesseein Nashville. my hometown. The visit was an opportunity for me to catch up with constituents. Again and again. whether I was in Nashville or over in Carter County at a wonderful pig roast or over in Jackson. TN. west Tennessee or Memphis. the concern of the high cost of gasoline. the high cost of cooling homes. and the impact on local businesses came up again and again and again. As I was driving through the streets of Tennessee. the average price of gasoline in Nashville. I remember specifically. was $2.87 a gallonkind of a bargain if you compare it to here in DC. where many metro area prices averaged over $3.08 a gallon this weekend. But people back home in Tennessee feel that it is anything but a bargain. They feel the pinch in their wallets. and it affects how they live every daywhether it is driving their kids to school or taking their vacation at this time of year or filling that tractor with fuel. Across the Nation. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7489}
{"speech_id":1090163941,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Americans are compensating for these high gas prices and high energy prices by cutting back. feeling the squeeze and having to cut back in other areas. We think twice about going out for dinner or lunch at a restaurant. We select our vacation destinations based today on how far one has to drive from home rather than the appeal of that destination. And we wait a few weeks longer than comfortable before turning on that airconditioner or heating our homes. That is the direct cost these high energy prices have on our everyday family life. Many Americans fail to realize the indirect but the very real passthrough costs of high energy prices. the extra energy costs that are hidden in the prices of the consumer goods and services we use every day. It is not just gasoline prices that are putting that squeeze on American consumers. Right now. American consumers and industries are paying the highest natural gas prices in the world. That translates into. yes. higher heating and cooling bills but also higher prices for farmers trying to buy fertilizer for their fields. higher prices for products made with chemicals. higher prices for paper products. higher prices for manufacturing jobs. whiil iieana Lhusu jubv ultimately are lost here in America. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7489}
{"speech_id":1090163941,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Six years ago. Americas natural gas bill was $50 billion. Last year. it was four times that. $200 billion. In countries competing for Amnerican jobs. the price of natural gas is often onesixthonesixthas much as it is here in the United States. Thus. when U.S. companies are having to pay more for the energy they need. it makes it harder and harder for them to compete in this global marketplace. When -they cant compete. they have to make very tough economic decisions that many times result in American jobs having to move overseaswhere energy supplies are much more plentiful and the costs are much lower. The National Association of Manufacturers estimates that more than 3.1 million highwage manufacturing jobs have been lost in this country over the last 6 yearslargely as a result of those high energy prices. Of more than 120 worldscale chemical plants under construction around the world. only 1 is here in the United States. The high cost of natural gas hurts farmers -because natural gas is used to make fertilizer. It is hurting the forest industry. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7489}
{"speech_id":1090163941,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is hurting the paper products industry. Mr. President. 267 mills have closed. and 189.000 jobs have been lost since this runup in natural gas prices over the last 6 years. We are all familiar with the energy challenges facing America. We are dangerously dependent on foreign sources of oil. We are dangerously dependent on foreign sources of oilmuch of it coming from countries with unstable governments or with interests that are cleary contrary to those of our country. This disparity will only increase if we do not take action. We have to act to increase the amount of American energy. And that. of course. we could use right here in America today. The bill before usthe Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Actis going to do just that. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7489}
{"speech_id":1090163941,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is action. It will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and natural gas by opening up more than 8 million acres in the gulf to domestic exploration. The area opened under this bill is estimated to contain 1.26 billion barrels of oil and over 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. It will have an impact on the prices consumers pay at the pump and on their power bills. as we look to the future. It makes sense: increased supply. when we know that price point is ultimately a product of supply and demand. I want to make it clear that while this is a first step toward addressing the energy challenges we face. it is an important step. There is a lot more we can and should do in the future to break what the President called our \"addiction\" to oil. to diversify our energy resources. to increase the use of renewables and alternative sources such as ethanol and biodiesel. clean coal technology. and nuclear power. and to decrease. to minimize. to lessen consumption by consumers. une year ago this week. the SenaLe passed a comprehensive national energy policy which. over the course of the last 12 months. has achieved impressive results. As a result of the Energy bill. 27 new ethanol plants have broken ground. 150 more are in the works. The amount of ethanol and biodiesel we use in our gAsoline will more than double over the next 6 years. saving 80.000 barrels of oil a day. and 401 new E85 pumps have been installed. As a result of that comprehensive Energy bill passed last year. the nuclear industry is planning to build 25 new reactors in the United States. enough to power 15 million households with clean. emissionfree electricity. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7489}
{"speech_id":1090163952,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I urge the Senate to adopt the GrassleyBaucus amendment to the bill H.R. 5864The Returned Americans Protection Act of 2006. This bill provides needed resources to the United States Repatriation Program. which is currently assisting U.S. citizens who are returning to United States from Lebanon. The United States Repatriation Program was established by title XI. section 1113 of the Social Security Act to provide temporary assistance to U.S. citizens and their dependents who have been identified by the Department of State as having returned. or been brought from a foreign country to the U.S. because of destitution. illness. war. threat of war. or a similar crisis. The program is currently being used to provide assistance to citizens returning from Lebanon. but estimates indicate that the program could reach its statutory spending cap at any moment. The cap is currently $1 million per fiscal year. We have been asked by HHS to increase the cap for fiscal year 2006 to $6 million. The GrassleyBaucus amendment lifts the cap for fiscal year 2006 from $1 million to $6 million. The amendment also includes an offset from the Presidents fiscal year 2006 budget to use the National Directory of New Hires. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2115}
{"speech_id":1090163952,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"NDNH. to improve the administration of the Food Stamp Program. Access to the NDNH will help USDA verify wage and employment information on foodstamp applications. That proposal was scored by CBO has providing $11 million in savings over 10 years. We have worked with the Department of Health and Human Services and other Government agencies in creating this legislation. We believe we have a reasonable and fiscally responsible solution to this relatively minor problem. We urge the Senate to adopt our amendment. pass the bill. and send the bill to the House for their immediate consideration. This bill involves a small and. thankfully. seldomused Federal program. But as recent news events have made alear. this is a program that can provide muchneeded assistance to our constituents during difficult circumstances. We should not allow these important resources to be needlessly delayed.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2115}
{"speech_id":1090163953,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the GrassleyBaucus substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to. the bill. as amended. be read a third time and passed. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MEL MARTINEZ","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090163983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. reserving the right to object. I say to my good friend. the Democratic leader. as he knows the development of this bill was done on a bipartisan basis. It is narrowly targeted but represents a delicate compromise between the gulf coast Senators. Senators from Florida. and it is the feeling of all those involved in developing this legislation. as I say. again. on a truly bipartisan basis. that if we open this bill up to amendments--we have lots of good ideas on this side of the aisle. and I expect there are lots of good ideas on that side of the aisle. I recall when we were doing the major Energy bill last year about this time. we spent several weeks on it as we considered virtually everybodys good idea about what to do. either on the conservation side or the production side. So I say to my good friend. the only way to achieve success. it strikes the sponsors of the bill. is to keep it very narrowly crafted and to pass it as is out of the Senate. I know that is not what we customarily do. but this is an unusual situation. We are trying to respond to high energy prices in America. Even though natural gas prices have subsided somewhat in recent months. we anticipate them going up again next fall. There is a good chance that the futures market in natural gas will actually respond favorably to this measure. if we can get it out of the Senate. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090163983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Natural gas prices. we all know. are set in America. It is not a global price setting. It could provide immediate relief to natural gas customers all over America. For all of those reasons. I object.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090163987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. before he leaves the floor. I want to commend the distinguished leader from Nevada. He has for a long time championed the needs of consumers. In the West. we understand the devastation gasoline prices have had on our consumers. And his case for a new energy policy. a red. white. and blue energy policy that makes us free of our dependence on foreign oil. is a case he has eloquently made. and made frequently. I want him to know how much I appreciate his leadership before he leaves the floor. I want to start the discussion about the legislation which is before us now by acknowledging the enormous pain and hurt so many citizens of our Gulf States have endured since Katrina struck their communities. Pictures of this tragedy are seared into our minds at this point. In the Senate. I sit next to the distinguished Senator from Louisiana. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11401}
{"speech_id":1090163987,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator LANDRIEU. She has brought passion. energy. and eloquence to the cause of securing help for those she represents so well as folks in the Gulf States try and get on their feet. My view is that the challenge for the Senate is to reconcile the need to help those folks hurting in the Gulf States with the urgent neea ior Congress to legislate fresh. bolder energy policies for our entire country. My understanding is the distinguished majority leader from Tennessee. Senator FRiST. will not allow amendments to this legislation. If that is the case. my view is this legislation does not balance the need to help folks in the Gulf States with the urgent need to get that fresh red. white. and blue energy policy for our countrys future. Does the Senate truly believe more shouldnt be done to promote renewable energy? Does the Senate truly believe more shouldnt be done to promote automobile efficiency? Does the Senate truly believe more shouldnt be done to protect consumers from exploitive practices? Does the Senate truly believe taxpayer dollars should be used to subsidize oil companies even though the President. to his credit. has said subsidies arent needed when the price of oil is over $55 a barrel? If no amendments are allowed under this legislation. which is my understanding from the statement made by the distinguished majority leader. essentially what the Senate will be saying to the country is if we go off and drill in the gulf a bit. then the country can call it a day as far as getting a new energy policy. I dont think that is good enough. I support responsible drilling in the gulf. We obviously need more energy production. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11401}
{"speech_id":1090163987,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By any realistic calculus. we know oil will be part of our future and we are going to need to encourage production ina responsible way. In the Senate Committee on Finance. again. working on a bipartisan basis. the Senator from Wyoming. the distinguished Senator who sits on the Committee on Finance. Senator THOMAs. has some excellent ideas in terms of encouraging production. particularly getting more oil from existing wells. We do need more oil production. But drilling alone is not the new energy policy this country needs. It is more business as usual. We have been down this road before. In the 1990s. for example. the Congress passed a royalty program that was supposed to stimulate energy production and be good for the Gulf States and for our country as a whole. What it has done is something very different than what was envisioned. In fact. the sponsor of that legislation. our respected colleague from the State of Louisiana. former Senator Johnston. has said the program. as it has developed. is nothing along the lines of what he envisioned. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11401}
{"speech_id":1090163987,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Government Accountability Office has said with the royalty program created in the 1990s when oil was about $19 a barrelit is over $70 a barrel -nowthat program that was created in the 1990s is going to cost taxpayers a minimum of $20 billion and possibly as much as $80 billion. That is the royalty program we have on the books now. As we start this discussion about setting up a new program. I want to make sure the Senate is -up on how much money is being frittered away under the mismanaged program that is on the books today. One would think it is common sense to fix the old program before we start a new program. One would think it is common sense to take the savings generated by fixing the old program and applying those savings to paying for the new program before the Senate this afternoon. However. neither of those commonsense steps is being taken. A new program is being considered by the Senate today when Congress has not corrected the old program which even the oil companies acknowledge is not needed today. and even the sponsor. our former colleague. Senator Johnston. has indicated is not working. I have talked with Chairman DOMENici about this. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11401}
{"speech_id":1090163987,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Chairman DOMENIcI has indicated he wants to fix this old program. this old. mismanaged program that has wasted so much of the taxpayers scarce resources. We all know Chairman DOMENICI is a straight shooter and forthright and I have -appreciated his discussions with me. However. I dont think the oil companies are going to easily give up this multibillion dollar boondoggle. this sweetheart deal they have obtained. Time is not on the side of those who want to put a stop to the billions of dollars being needlessly dispensed under the 1990s program. The legislation before the Senate now is one of the last opportunities the Senate will have to permanently fix the broken royalty program that began in the 1990s. Senator KYL and I have been working in a bipartisan way to change this. There has been action in both the other body. the House. and in the Senate. in the Senate Committee on Appropriations where the distinguished senior Senator from California. Senator FEINSTEIN. has done an excellent job of trying to advance the cause of stopping these subsidies. but my guess is the legislation the Senate has been able to at least start in the appropriations process may not even hit the floor of this body. and even if it does. the oil companies are very well positioned to run out the clock on the effort in this session of Congress to stop the needless subsidies that were granted in the 1990s. For example. there is mediation now going on between the companies and the Government. but it is nonbinding. so the oil companies hold all the cards. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11401}
{"speech_id":1090163997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to join in the conversation and the discussion about energy and in support of S. 3711. the Gulf of Mexico Energy bill. We are coming up on the anniversary of the Energy Policy Act which we passed sometime back. It is comprehensive energy legislation that recognizes the difficulties we have in this country. recognizes the directions we need to go. recognizes in general terms where we have to be. whether it is increased production. whether it is efficiency and conservation. whether it is alternative methods. whatever. All those issues are excellent. and I am glad we -did that. Of course. now we are in the position of implementing those policies and implementing the policies. of course. is what will have an impact on people in this country. what will have an impact on the costs. Despite the Energy bill. prices. -of course. have risen. They have increased because we havent been able to implement the bill to bolster production. There are a number of things going on. and I think we have to continue to remember that there are at least two as-. pects of the future in terms of energy. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6287}
{"speech_id":1090163997,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One is. out 20 years. we will be looking at all new kinds of sources. all new kinds of supplies. whether they be wind energy. sun energy. but those are down the road. We are not there yet. On the other hand. we need to be talking about how we are going to supply our cars and how we are going to take care of the costs for American families this year. next year. and 5 years from now. So there are two aspects that are very much involved. One of the reasons. of course. is we havent been able to move. There has been some resistance to including production in measures. The recent jump in prices has been linked directly to that resistance. It is time to do something about U.S. production. I echo the comments the senior Senator from Louisiana made earlier today that we cannot drill our way to energy independence and we cannot conserve our way to energy independence. We have to do both. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6287}
{"speech_id":1090163997,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to have production. we have to have efficiency. we have to have conservation. Oil and gas is the easiest way we know to do this. I come from Wyoming. one of the large production States of oil. gas. and coal. the largest producer of fossil fuels. We know how to do these things. but we have to find new sources. new ways of moving toward the energy that is there. For the sake of security. we must do more. We must reduce our increased reliance on foreign sources of energy. Obviously. as the world changes--and mve see every day on the TV how difficult it is to continue to do thatthe Outer Continental Shelf holds great promise for accomplishing that goal. The higher prices we have seen recently are the result of many factors. and we need to address those factors. We all agree increased supply lowers prices. We need to produce more energy in the United States. and. of course. this is a politically chargd i.qneii Many people have proposals they believe will help. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6287}
{"speech_id":1090163997,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have my own bill to reduce prices that Americans pay for energy. increase efficiency. new refineries. and better infrastructure and all the things we must do. We cannot deny the basic economic principle that increased supply reduces cost. It is simple. The bill we are debating today will increase domestic supplies of gas and oil. It will do so in ways that are sensitive to the environment. that will make us more secure and bolster economic opportunities. And it represents an agreement between the States that are most directly impacted by gulf coast production. Too often people complain about the high energy prices and attempt to blame others. We have an opportunity to do something about that cost of energy today. In 6 months time it will be winter. I am certain that Members will complain about the cost of energy then. too. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6287}
{"speech_id":1090163997,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am also sure there will be a call for more money to spend on LIHEAP and other programs. I ask that we deal with those problems now and not later. The American people are paying close attention to this bill and want us to continue with this debate and make some improvement in domestic production. If we do not increase supply now. the American people will know who to blame. There are. of course. other things that Congress needs to be doing on energy. Coal conversion technologies need our full support. We have over 200 years worth of coal in the United States that can be cheaply produced. Wyoming supplies a third of our Nations current coal needs. We put this coal on railcars and send it across the Nation. That is increasingly becoming expensive. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6287}
{"speech_id":1090164065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. President. Mr. President. I rise to speak to the legislation before us. the OCS lease sale 181. I know there have been colleagues before me this afternoon who have spoken to the need for additional oil and gas reserves and resources in this country. The fact is. this Nation badly needs to accelerate its efforts to obtain more natural gas and more oil and doing it domestically. * We have heard the comments that we are addicted to oil. that we need to be looking to renewables. and I do not dispute or doubt that for one moment. We absolutely do. We need to be conserving more. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7299}
{"speech_id":1090164065,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to be focused more on renewables and alternatives. That is the next generation. But our reality is we are here and now with a reliance on fossilized fuels. We need to transition out of that to that next generation of fuels. But until we do so. we are in an extremely vulnerable spot. particularly with our oil and our nearly 60 percent dependency on foreign sources and with our natural gas and recognizing the trends in terms of our supply and the demand picture for natural gas. In the past 5 years. the price of natural gas in this country has more than tripled. rising sevenfold after last summers hurricanes. -We all know the prices at the gasoline pump- There is not a day goes by where there is not some exchange about what somebody was paying somewhere for a gallon of gas at one location or another. And I can tell you. prices in my Statewhen you get out into the rural communities and you look at paying $4.50 for a gallon of gasoline. I can tell you. the hurt is real. The tripling of natural gas prices has had. of course. a very severe impact. And it is not just on those who heat their homes with natural gas. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7299}
{"speech_id":1090164065,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Manufacturing jobswe have heard this todaymanufacturing jobs have fallen by 3.1 million jobs. 18 percent in the past 6 years. We talk to those in the petrochemical and chemical industry. Jobs in that industry are being forced to move overseas. We have had over 20 fertilizer plants in this country close. And as has been mentioned already on this floor. Americas annual natural gas bill has risen to more than$200 billion a year. This is up from $50 billion. and that was just 6 years ago. While natural gas prices today. following a warm winter. are temporarily below $6 -per 1.000 cubic feet. we know the hurricane season is coming upon us in the gulf. we have global political disruptions. and we could have continued hot summer weather. and that we can anticipate a cold winter. and that any one of theseand certainly a combination of them--could promptly send our natural gas prices skyrocketing again. I cannot speak to the issue of natural gas without mentioning the opportunity we have in Alaska for incredible quantities of natural gas coming down from Alaskas North Slope. And while we await the construction of a pipeline that can deliver this needed commodity from the North Slope into the lower 48. we have to recognize one of the best ways We can bring down prices that will increase the domestic supplies of gas is to produce more gas from\" the gulf coast. where the existing infrastructure is in place. and to figure out a way to get that gas to market quickly. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7299}
{"speech_id":1090164065,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we cannot fool ourselves and say we can just snap our fingers and the price of natural gas is going to go down. we are going to have a ready and available supply just because we pass legislation: We recognize it is a period of time in coming. But what can be sent is the signal to the market that that supply of natural gas is on its way in an expedited manner. The best. waythe best wayto produce more gas quickly. to get it on more quickly. is to open parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This proposal before us is to finally allow OCS development in part of formally proposed lease sale 181 off the Florida. Alabama. and Mississippi coasts and to open acreage south of that salesome 8.3 million acres in all that have been previously closed in moratoria. In return for speeding such leasing. this bill prevents development within 125 miles of the Florida Peninsula. swaps out existing leases within that buffer. and prevents leasing east of the Military Mission Line to protect the military training facilities. at least until the year This proposal. this legislation that we have in front of us. is a reasonable compromise. It was one that was attempted but not completed during the debate last year over the Energy Policy Act of 2005. So what we have in front of us today is an outgrowth of that bill. In the Energy Policy Act. we allocated billions of dollars to foster energy conservation and greater energy efficiency. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7299}
{"speech_id":1090164065,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We moved toward and we pushed renewable energy development. such as wind. solar. and biomass. We funded new technology to further coal while working to help sequester the carbon. There was a push made on the front of a new generation of nuclear power. We funded hydrogen fuelcell vehicle development and new transportation and building technology. There were good things contained within that Energy bill. But what was not contained in that legislationor since that legislationwas passedwas an increase in domestic production of fossil fuel. This legislation will balance last years Energy bill by actually letting us get up to 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas flowing to the market and. again. flowing to the market in a more expedited manner than might otherwise be seen. There have been those who have stood on the floor today speaking about the various protections contained in this legislation. There is a protection of Floridas tourism and military bases. It doesnt jeopardize the fisheries. ","speaker_name":"LISA MURKOWSKI","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7299}
{"speech_id":1090164100,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish tb add my voice to the celebration of a significant event in this Senate: the renewal of the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. This legislation is part of our efforts in the Senate to come together to make sure the America of 2031 is a whole lot more successful at bridging racial divides than we are today. I grew up in a large Jewish family in. New York City. One of my parents favorite entertainers was a Jewish comedian named Georgie Jessel. I am sure some of my senior colleagues remember him. In the 1950s he was a good friend of the stunning and talented AfricanAmerican singer and actress Lena Horne. From time to time they would go out to dinner. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090164100,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You should know that even in New York in.those days. they had segregated clubs. Well. by chance or by accident. Mr. Jessel scheduled one of their dinner dates in one of those clubs. The maitred took one look at her skin color and said indignantly. \"Who made your reservation?\" Jessel shot back. \"Abraham Lincoln.\" Lincoln made a reservation for us all. One hundred and forty years later. we are still struggling to keep it. One of my most vivid experiences since I came to the Senate was a civil rights delegation to Alabama sponsored by the Faith and Politics Institute a couple years ago. Representative JOHN LEwis helped to lead the delegation. and shared with us his experiences. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090164100,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We stopped at the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy State University in Montgomery and reflected on the bus boycott. We visited the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. where the Reverend Martin Luther King. Jr.. used to preach. and the civil rights Memorial. I was struck with the fact that I visited these historic locations in peace and security. A generation ago. the visitors who came from outside the South to these locations endured threats. vilification. and violence. This visit reminded me of a simple truth: Individuals such as Parks. King and so many others. shape our society. As we look at the challenges and injustices of the world around us. we often ask the question. How can we change the world? I think we often look in the wrong place for change. We look to big government. big business. big entertainment. or big publishing to bring about change. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090164100,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is comparatively easy to change a speech or a law or a budget. The real challenge is in changing hearts. And that job falls to all of us who are willing to speak out. willing to model understanding and willing to change. Our hope lies in the fact that in America. there are no \"ordinary people.\" I often like to say that a leader without followers is just a person taking a walk. The Dr. Kings and Rosa Parks are all around us. in need of the followers and workers who will inspire major change. Every person has the ability to shape our Nation with their vote. As a democracy. this Nation is built on the idea that we look to the people. and the way we do that is by the power of their vote. Voting is the recognition that each person. each individual. each vote. is important. We cannot afford to sustain any impediment to that process. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090164100,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we do not defend the freedom to vote. the product of our democracy is dulled and diminishedit is not a true reflection of what is America. Legislation we passed in the Congress has been crucial: the Civil Rights Act. the Voting RightsAct. and a series of additional measures right into our own decade. Vigorous -enforcement of those statutes is essential. The Voting Rights Act recognizes that one of the best things that government can do for their people is make them secure to cast their votes. The Voting Rights Act recognizes that in a free society. the people lead. The United States is unique in world history because we are a nation built upon rights rather than privileges. We believe we have been endowed by our Creatornot our governmentwith rights such as life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The American concept of rights is a large set. We have the freedom of religion. We have the freedom of speech and assembly. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5000}
{"speech_id":1090164117,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I seek recognition today to introduce the Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2006. This bill achieves three important goals. First. it prevents the President from issuing a signing statement that alters the meaning of a statute by instructing Federal and State courts not to rely on Presidential signing statements in interpreting a statute. Second. it permits the Congress to seek what mnounts to a declaratory judgment on the legality of Presidential signing statements that seek to modifyor even to nullifya duly enacted statute. Third. it grants Congress the power to intervene in any case in the Supreme Court where the construction or constitutionality of any act of Congress is in question and a presidential signing statement for that act was issued. Presidential signing statements are nothing new. Since the days of President James Monroe. Presidents have issued statements when signing bills. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10715}
{"speech_id":1090164117,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is widely agreed that there are legitimate uses for signing statements. For example. Presidents may use signing statements to instruct executive branch officials how to administer a -law. They may also use them to explain to the public the likely effect of a law. And. there may be a host of other legitimate uses. However. the use of signing statements has risen dramatically in recent years. As of June 26. 2006. President Bush had issued 130 signing statements. President Clinton issued 105 signing statements during his two terms. While the mere numbers may not be significant. the reality is that the way the President has used those statements renders the legislative process a virtual nullity. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10715}
{"speech_id":1090164117,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The President cannot use a signing statement to rewrite the words of a statute nor can the President use a signing statement to selectively nullify those provisions he does not like. This much iS clear from our Constitution. The Constitution grants the President- a specific. narrowly defined role in enacting legislation. Article I. section 1 of the Constitution vests \"all legislative powers . . . in a Congress.\" Article I. section 7 of the Constitution provides that when a bill is presented to the President. he may either sign it or veto it with his objections. He may also choose to do nothing. thus rendering a socalled pocket veto. The President cannot veto part of bill. however. he cannot veto certain provisions he does not like. The Founders had good reason for constructing the legislative process as it is: by creating a bicameral legislature and then granting the President the veto power. According to The Records of the Constitutional Convention. the veto power was designed by our Framers to protect citizens from a particular Congress that might enact oppressive legislation. -However. the Framers did not want the veto power to be unchecked. and so. in article I. section 7. they balanced it by allowing Congress to override a veto by twothirds vote. As you can see. this is a finely structured constitutional procedure that goes straight to the heart of our system of check and balances. Any action by the President that circumvents this finely structured procedure is an unconstitutional attempt to usurp legislative authority. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10715}
{"speech_id":1090164117,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the President is permitted to rewrite the bills that Congress passes and cherry pick which provisions he likes and does not like. he subverts the constitutional process designed by our Framers. The Supreme Court has affirmed that the constitutional process for enacting legislation must be safe guarded. As the Supreme Court explained in INS v. Chahda. \"It emerges clearly that the prescription for legislative action in Article I. Section 1. clause 7 represents the Framers decision that the legislative power of the Federal government be exercised in accord with a single. finely wrought and exhaustively considered. procedure.\" So. while signing statements have been commonplace since our countrys founding. we must make sure that they are not being used in an unconstitutional manner. a manner that seeks to rewrite legislation. and exercise line item vetoes. President. Bush has used signing statements in ways that have raised some eyebrows. For example. Congress passed the PATRIOT Act after months of deliberation. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10715}
{"speech_id":1090164117,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We debated nearly every provisionoften redrafting and revising. Moreover. we worked very closely with the President because we wanted to get it right. We wanted to make sure that we were passing legislation that the executive branch would find workable. In fact. in many ways. the process was an excellent example of the legislative branch and the executive branch working together towards a common goal. In the end. the bill that was passed by the Senate and the House contained several oversight provisions intended to make sure the FBI did not abuse the special terrorismrelated powers to search homes and secretly seize papers. It also required Justice Department officials to keep closer track of how often the FBI uses the new powers and in what type of situations. The President signed the PATRIOT Act into law. but afterwards. he wrote a signing statement that said he could withhold any information from Congress provided in the oversight provisions if he decided that disclosure would impair foreign relations. national security. the deliberative process of the executive. or the performance of the executives constitutional duties. Now. during the entire process of working with the President to draft the PATRIOT Act. he never asked the -Congress to include this language in the Act. At a hearing we held on signing statements. I asked an executive branch official. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10715}
{"speech_id":1090164118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today t6 introduce the Multidistrict Litigation Restoration Act of 2006. The word \"Lexecon\" is well known in the Federal judiciary. It refers to the 1998 Supreme Court decision holding that statutory authority does not exist for transferee courts handling cases centralized by the Multidistrict Litigation Panel. or the MDL Panel. to retain these cases for trial. For approximately 30 years. courts receiving cases for pretrial proceedings from the MDL Panel invoked the general venue statute to transfer cases to themselves for trial. The process worked well because the court that had handled the pretriai phase was wellversed in the cases facts and was in the best position to encourage all parties to reach a settlement. orbarring settlementmake a final determination by adjudicating the dispute. But with the Lexecon decision that practice ended. and ever since we have been left with a multidistrict. multiparty. multiforum system that is costly. timeconsuming. repetitive. inefficient. and often inconsistent. As many of my colleagues know. the MDL Panel is an entity comprising seven judges. authorized to transfer civil actions pending in more than one district and involving one or more common questions of fact to any district court for coordinated pretrial proceedings. The MDL Panel authorizes the transfer upon determining that it will be for the convenience of the parties and witnesses. and promote the just and efficient conduct of such actions. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090164118,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Congress established this centralization mechanism in 1968 to avoid duplication of discovery. prevent inconsistent rulings. and conserve the resources of the parties. their counsel. and the judiciary. Typically. cases centralized by the MDL Panel are numerous and complex. About 150.000 cases with millions of claims have been resolved through the process since its creation. They have included such matters as mass torts. antitrust price fixing. securities fraud. and unfair employment practices. The transferee judge becomes highly knowledgeable about the litigation during his or her consideration of voluminous pretrial proceedings. When all of the cases are remanded to the various transferor courts following completion of pretrial. proceedings. those courts know little or nothing about the litigation. Even when all the parties agree to keep the matter that. has been transferred in the court it was transferred to. it cannot be done under the current law. In some instances. judges have followed cases to courts outside their judicial circuit to conduct trial. at considerable inconvenience and expense. in order to spare other judges from the nightmare of having such mammoth cases so suddenly thrust upon them. Let me give you an example of what this means in real terms. In my own State of Utah. there have been nearly 1.000 cases that have been transferred either in or out of Utahs judicial district by the MDL Panel since 1968. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090164118,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fiscal year 2005. there were nearly 50 cases transferred out of Utah through the MDL process. That is 50 cases that could be dumped back onto our judges in Utah without any warning or preparation. At the same time. there were six MDL cases pending in Utah at the end of 2005. Under the postLexecon system. one or more of our judges could be required to follow these cases to other districts throughout the United States for trial. Both of these scenarios would prove to be a serious burden for a small judicial district like Utah. and could hamper or delay justice for the people of my State. This is the same challenge our courts face nationwide as a result of the Lexecon decision. Congress is the only entity that can solve these problems. Writing for the Court in Lexecon. Justice Souter stated that \"the proper venue for resolving the issue remains the floor of Congress.\" That is why I am introducing the Multidistrict Litigation Restoration Act of 2006 today. to give the Federal judiciary the necessary statutory authority to transfer multidistrict litigation cases for the purposes of trial. This legislation will return the law to what was in effect for almost three decades prior to the Lexecon decision. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090164118,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will provide the MDL Panel with the most efficient option for resolving complex issues. the best means to en.courage universal settlements. and the most consistent approach for rendering decisions. This legislation is supported .by the Judicial Conference of the United States. the policy arm of the Federal judicial branch. as well as the U.S. Department of Justice. The legislation is also supported by the VI.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform. Moreover. this is not a partisan effort. Proposals to reform multidistrict. multiparty litigation were first advanced by the Carter administration. I introduced similar legislation in the 106th Congress with Senators LEAHY. KOHL. and SCHUMER. That bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090164118,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation is long overdue. Lexecon was decided 8 years ago. The House has passed a Lexecon fix four times since 1999. In a letter to the chairman of the MDL Panel. Judge Thomas W. Thrash. a Federal district court judge for the Northern District of Georgia. reporting on the disposition of a multidistrict litigation case that he was required to try in Texas because he could not transfer the case to Georgia. summed up the situation well. Judge Thrash wrote. \"Needless to say. resolution of this case has been prolonged and involved greater expense to the judiciary . . . because of my inability to transfer the Northern District of Texas case to myself for trial here in the Northern District of Georgia. On the other hand. it would have been almost criminal to dump this case on a new Northern District of Texas judge for trial. . . . I hope that this problem will be fixed by Congress soon.\" Mr. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6013}
{"speech_id":1090164155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support final passage of S. 250. the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. This important legislation. which reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998. will help strengthen both the workforce in my home State of Rhode Island and across the Nation and ensure that our students have the necessary skills and tools to access highquality. highwage employment and compete in an everexpanding global economy. I am pleased that Congress will reaffirm its overwhelming bipartisan and bicameral support for this program. especially in light of the Presidents efforts in his last two budget proposals to eliminate funding for Perkins. For the 20062007 school- year. our State. which is home to 10 Career and Technical Centers and 54 high schools and colleges offering career and technical education programs. would stand to lose an estimated $6.3 million in Perkins basic state and tech prep funding under the Presidents proposed budget. These cuts are unjustifiable. especially at a time when it is ever more critical that we provide a robust link between students and a highly skilled workforce American business depends on to thrive. As a cosponsor of the Senate version of this bill. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3203}
{"speech_id":1090164155,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that many of its comprehensive provisions on the recruitment. preparation. support. and professional development of career and technical education teachers. which I authored. have been included in the final version of the bill before us today. I believe having a welltrained. qualified. and effective teacher in every classroom is the key for ensuring that students participating in career and technical education programs will achieve their fullest academic and career goals and aspirations. The bill also contains a number of provisions that address the concerns raised by educators in Rhode Island. First. S. 250 does not combine the tech prep program with the basic State grant program at the Federal level as the House bill proposed. Second. the bill authorizes use of State administration funding at up to 5 percent. funding which supports such essential activities as developing a State plan. monitoring career and technical education program efficiency. and providing technical assistance to districts. Third. S. 250 adds a new State leadership incentive grant I authored for school districts and postsecondary institutions that elect to pool their funds for innovative initiatives. -including improving the professional development of career and technical educators and establishing and enhancing systems for accountability data collection. I thank my colleagues. Senators KENNEDY and ENZI. and their staffs. for their work on this legislation and moving it toward final passage. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3203}
{"speech_id":1090164155,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased to support this legislation. A highly skilled workforce not only grows our economy. but maintains our Nations competitive edge in the world. I look forward to the President quickly signing this bill into lawwhich will hopefully signal a turnaround in his support for Perkins career and technical education programs--to help ensure that our students remain competitive and have the academic and technical tools to succeed.","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3203}
{"speech_id":1090164211,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the chairman for yielding me the time and his invaluable leadership on this piece of legislation. His leadership led us very thoughtfully through this process. and we did not have a kneejerk reaction that so often happens around here. Your valued experience and insights have made this much better legislation. Thank you. Over the last few months. we have heard very much about CFIUS. Media reports of CFIUS transactions such as the Dubai Ports deal have given pause to most Americans and awakened this Congress to the need to reform the process of allowing foreign investment in the United States. Congress has taken a strong position on national security since 9\/11. and this legislation updates CFIUS for a post9\/1l world where national security and homeland security need to be considered much more strongly than in years past. National security. however. is not mutually exclusive of economic security. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4183}
{"speech_id":1090164211,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This legislation strives to ensure national security while promoting the creation and maintenance of jobs. This legislation institutes vice chair positions in CFIUS to be filled by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Commerce. We believe it shows how America continues to think globally for investment and locally for security. While strengthening our security. we have also continued our work to strengthen our relationships and open markets with nations abroad. These countries have a growing appetite for foreign goods and products. American products and American investments. American companies and brand names that we all recognize have grown exponentially because of these market openings. and growing American companies mean growing American jobs. In Ohio. we have seen the benefits of open markets and foreign investment. welcoming into our communities Siemens. Sodexho. Honda. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4183}
{"speech_id":1090164211,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"LexisNexis. and many. many more. Honda Motor Corporation has become the largest auto producer in Ohio beginning production in 1979 with an initial investment of $35 million in Marysville. Ohio. To date. Hondas capital investment in Ohio tops $6.3 billion over 26 years. Hondas -North American plants purchased more than $6.5 billion in parts from 150 different Ohio suppliers just in 2005. Hondas investment in the people of Ohio keeps approximately 8.500 people employed. When a foreign company looks to invest in the U.S.. they are looking to grow their business. and that equals growing jobs in the United States. The U.S. Commerce Department says that foreign firms doing business in the U.S. employed nearly 5.1 million employees in 2004. slightly less than one out of every 20 workers in the private sector. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4183}
{"speech_id":1090164211,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This process of reforming CFIUS has the potential to undercut the United States longstanding support for capital market access and the free movement of capital. Thanks to the chairmans leadership and a very thoughtful approach to this reform effort. I believe this legislation continues to focus our efforts in securing our Nation. while remaining committed to free trade as one of the greatest engines of prosperity. In recent months. the Treasury Department has made strides in congressional notification of pending deals that could potentially affect national security. but that is simply not enough. This legislation ensures that a * Dubai Ports World situation does not happen again in a post9\/1l world. When questions of national security or foreign government ownership arise. accountability is clear. and the transaction moved immediately to investigation. The American people can feel confident that this legislation institutes the oversight and protections needed to determine if a foreign investment transaction is in the best interests of the United States national security. In a world intertwined by global companies. it is important we continue to protect U.S. national and economic security while promoting foreign investment. This issue touches every American who wants to know that each day they are safe. I want to thank the chairman and Ranking Member FRANK. my good friend. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4183}
{"speech_id":1090164211,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ranking Member MALONEY. our whip. Mr. BLUNT. and Representative CROWLEY and everyone who worked so hard onthis. and I urge support.","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4183}
{"speech_id":1090164232,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of K.R. 5337. the Reform of National Security Reviews of Foreign Direct Investment Act. I want more foreign investment in America. not less. but I do not want the kind that threatens our security. CFIUS exists to make the distinction. and we need to know that its doing a good job. We dont automatically fear foreign investors here in America. The money provided by foreign investors creates jobs. growth. and opportunity here at home. I just want to ensure the investment we attract does not jeopardize national security. H.R. 5337 provides consistent criteria with appropriate discretion and will improve the review process without impairing our ability to attract significant and needed foreign investment. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090164232,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the Energy and Commerce Committee shares jurisdiction over this matter and we marked up the bill in my Committee with some changes. While the amended.bill we are considering today contains some differences than the version my Committee reported. I support it. Importantly. it provides for mandatory review of foreign governmentcontrolled transactions. Additionally. it provides clear and consistent review criteria for all other commercial investments. it adds the Secretary of Energy to the Committee. and it makes the Secretary of Commerce a covice chair of the Committee. Most important. it adds transparency in the process for Congressional oversight and establishes new reporting requirements many of us feel are essential to this process. I support H.R. 5337 and urge my colleagues to approve the measure.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1565}
{"speech_id":1090164235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of. H.R. 5337. the Reform of National Security Reviews of Foreign Investments bill. First. I want to once again acknowledge the work of the distinguished gentleman. Mr. OXLEY. Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services for supporting this bill. and Ranking Member FRANK for recognizing the importance of this issue. Let me congratulate Chairwoman PRYCE. of the Subcommittee on Domestic and Intemational Monetary Policy. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090164235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Trade and Technology. for working to move this legislation through the Committee and onto the Floor. The bill we consider today represents a comprehensive set of reforms to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) procedures. It is a testament to the diligence of the Subcommittee Chair and its Members that there is strong bipartisan support for H.R. 5337. also sponsored by the Subcommittee Ranking Member.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":895}
{"speech_id":1090164236,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support as a cosponsor of H.R. 5337. National Security Foreign Investment Reform and Strengthened Transparency Act of 2006. This legislation clarifies and strengthens the authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to ensure that foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies or assets do not threaten national security. As the tragic events of September 11. 2001 demonstrate. the threats to the security of the United States have increased and evolved in ways that could not have been anticipated when Congress enacted the ExonFlorio provision in 1988. As a result. we can no longer view national security only through the lens of conventional military threats. We must also guard against other types of threats that could seriously harm our Nation such as a disruption of U.S. energy supplies. With global energy supplies tight. and oil and gas prices skyrocketing. a major disruption of U.S. energy supplies would pose a grave danger to the Nations economy and the safety and security of the American people. This bill recognizes this fact and includes strong measures to ensure that foreign takeovers of U.S. energy companies or assets do not threaten the energy security of the United States. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3386}
{"speech_id":1090164236,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Committees Report states: \"H.R. 5337 makes clear that national security encompasses threats to critical U.S. infrastructure. including energyrelated infrastructure. The Committee expects that acquisitions of U.S. energy companies or assets by foreign govemments or companies controlled by foreign governments will be reviewed closely for their national security impact. If -such acquisitions raise legitimate concerns about threats to U.S. national security. appropriate protections as set forth in the statute should be instituted including potentially the prohibition of the transaction.\" Russia is a perfect example. Russia has made it clear that it wants to acquire pipelines and natural gas conversion facilities in the United States. I strongly believe. however. the United States should tread very carefully before permitting such acquisitions. Heres why. In 2003. Russian President Vladimir Putin reasserted government control over Russias energy industry through the expropriation of Russias largest privatelyowned energy company. Yukos. without paying any compensation to its owners. including U.S. shareholders who lost approximately $6 billion. As a result. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3386}
{"speech_id":1090164236,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Russian energy companies such as Gazprom and Rosneft are controlled by friends and associates of Putin. including individuals who occupy high level positions in the Putin Administration. Putin appears to be using these companies to implement his strategy of using Russias oil and gas exports as an instrument of political and economic coercion to advance the interests of the Kremlin. If these Russian governmentcontrolled companies gain control of U.S. energy assets. U.S. energy security could easily be put at risk just as was the case when Russia cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine in January. and later this spring. when Gazprom notsosubtlety warned European leaders that Russia would sell its natural gas to Asia instead of Europe if they tried to interfere in Russias plans to control the entire sales and distribution of natural gas throughout Europe. Mr. Speaker. this would be a disaster for America. We must not let this happen to the United States.","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3386}
{"speech_id":1090164275,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that high praise indeed. I appreciate members of the Energy and Commerce Committee moving this bill along and moving it to the floor today with bipartisan support. I also want to thank the cosponsors of the bill. FRED UPTON. RALPH HALL. ED TOWNS and GENE GREEN. who helped work on this modest attempt to address the usage of gasoline in this country. Several speakers ahead of us this morning during the one minutes spoke very eloquently about the rising cost of gasoline. I think yesterday there was a report that it hit a reQord $3.02 a gallon on average across the United States. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6185}
{"speech_id":1090164275,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It seems as though we as consumers will begin to make decisions at $3 a gallon that we wont make at $2 a gallon. decisions we ought to make at $2 a gallon. but the concern about the money is not there in our heads to make that happen. This effort of a joint publicprivate educational effort has shown results in the past. as Mr. SHADEGG has already mentioned. in California. the dramatic results they had. people just making informed decisions. decisions that they ought to make day in and day out. but they dont. There is a recent headline in the USA Today which said natural gas prices. not gasoline prices. but natural gas prices went down dramatically. Let me read one sentence out of that. \"Prices have fallen because natural gas supplies are far above normal after a mild winter and lower demand. leading to an inventory surge.\" Here is what we are trying to effect. If each one of us. each of us who drives a car in America this coming week and for the foreseeable future. would use just one gallon less of gasoline. you would see that impact. Inventories would begin to surge. and the prices would come down. When I am out at town halls and other places in the district. even from a district that represents Midland and Odessa. the crude oil and natural gas production capital of the world. that may be a bit over the top. but. nevertheless. an awful lot of crude oil produced in West Texas. even there. people complain about high gasoline prices. If all of us would collectively do small things. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6185}
{"speech_id":1090164275,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. SHADEGG mentioned a couple of those. several of them. we could have a dramatic impact on total gasoline demand. As demand goes down. inventories would rise- and as those inventories go up. the law of supply and demand takes over and the prices go down. We would have two benefits from that. One. the benefit we would get directly by actually spending less money on the gasoline for powering our cars. and then collectively we would benefit. the economy benefits as well as the ecology benefits. 2004. the last time we had statistics on that. we drove in America 2.962 billion miles. vehicle miles. You add all the cars up. the 243 million registered cars and trucks in this country. collectively we drove those many miles. With a volume of that size. modest reductions in the usage of gasoline or modest improvements in the efficiency of the usage of that gasoline can yield dramatic results. Each one of us. on average. drives about 12.000 miles a year. It works out to about 234 miles a week. If we could begin to do the things that would improve the efficiency with which we drive those miles. or simply drive a few miles less. on average. it is about 17 miles to the gallon. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6185}
{"speech_id":1090164275,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If we just drove next week 17 miles less in our car than we did this week. if all of us did it. then the impact we want to achieve on this would begin to happen. We are going to try to begin to convince the American gasoline users of this idea through media. print. television. Internet. Web sites. a variety of ways. to communicate the benefits of being smarter when you drive. Benefits like driving sensibly. If you are an aggressive driver. if you accelerate aggressively from stop signs and run the tachometer on your car above 2.000. RPMs. you will use more gasoline than you need to. So if you make a conscious effort to keep your tachometer below 2.000 RPMs a minute. you will use dramatically less gasoline. On average. the savings would be between 5 and 30 percent. which would save up to between 8 and 52 billion gallons of gasoline a year. If you observe the speed limit. something that we all do here in this body. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6185}
{"speech_id":1090164275,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am sure. religiously. but if you simply observe the speed limit. you could save economy fuel benefits between 7 and 23 percent. another 12 to 40 billion gallons of gasoline a year. Excessive weight. These are some small things that most of us dont think about. But all that extra stuff that you haul around in the trunk of your car that ought to be stored in the garage. if you will take that weight out. you will improve your gasoline efficiency. In fact. the smaller your car. the greater that weight. then the differential is even bigger. So take all that extra weight out of the trunk of your car. and you will have savings there. If you also keep your car tuned and the filters changed. there are dramatic savings in those regards as well. Keeping the tires inflated. our colleague on the other side has mentioned the importance of tires and the impact that they have. So every one of these issues. each of us can choose to do our own. Particularly on our. side of the aisle. we talk an awful lot about less government regulation. freedoms and personal choices. ","speaker_name":"K. CONAWAY","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6185}
{"speech_id":1090164281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this bill that we are debating right now was supposed to be a part of a comprehensive Republican Energy Week that we were going to have here at the end of July. showing how committed the Republican Party was to dealing with the energy.crisis in our country. And this is energy week for the Republicans. although I would spell \"weak.\" weak. because that is really what this bill is. This is a conservation. efficiency. education bill. Now. it turns out that if you go to the Department of Energy Web site. you find out that they are already doing almost everything that is in this bill. It is already on their Web site. What I think the American people understand is that they should not expect the Republican Party to actually stand up to do something about energy efficiency. Because. after all. we put 70 percent of all of the oil which we consume into gasoline -tanks. So you would think that they would be out here on the floor. we would be having a huge debate about how to increase the fuel economy for the automotive fleet in our country. which has gone backwards over the last 20 years. to a standard that we met in 1981. Now. the problem is that America now imports 61 percent of all of the oil which we consume. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090164281,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We put 70 percent of that oil into gasoline tanks. Now. if we just improve the fuel economy standards for our country to 33 miles per gallon over the next 10 years. that would be all of the oil that we actually import from the Persian Gulf. Thirtythree miles per gallon is all of the oil from the Persian Gulf. Instead. we are back down at 25 miles per gallon in the United States. with this huge challenge knowing that the United States only has 3 percent of the oil reservesin the world. So this bill out here educating the public as to how to drive their vehicle better or inflate their tires. that is all fine. But it is already out there. The Department of Energy is already doing it. Consumers are already trying to save the price of gasoline at the Dump. because they know that OPEC and the oil industry is tipping them upside down and shaking. money out of their pockets every time they go in to refill their tank. \u0095 By the way. when it comes to appliances. when it comes to electric consumption in our country. the Bush administration. over the first 6 years. has yet to promulgate a regulation on making the devices which we use in our country more efficient. They keep putting it back and back and back. And what they do is they tell us that the first one might be issued in September of 2007. and the last of the backlogged standards will not come out until 2011 and will not go into effect until 2016. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090164281,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That will be the energy efficiency legacy of the Bush administration. of the Republicans. because. ladies and gentlemen. all of the coalfired. oilfired. nuclearfired power plants that are built in America are nothing more than that electrical generation which is built so that we can plug in toasters. refrigerators. stoves. computers. have light bulbs go on. But the Bush administration does not want to ensure that the industries that make these devices have to make them more efficient. So as a result we have more pollution. more health problems. and when it comes to automobiles and the importation of 70 percent of the oil. which we consume. by the way it was only 30 percent of the oil that we consumed in 1975 at the first oil crisis. We are now up to 61 percent getting deeper and deeper. Since the Republicans took over the Congress in 1995. we have gone from 45 percent dependence on imported oil to 61 percent dependence upon imported oil. a 16 percent increase. Goes up about 11h percent every year that the Republicans control the House and the Senate. and it really accelerates when they take over the Presidency. which they have had for the last 6 years. They are saying today that they are not going to do anything about the fuel economy standards for SUVs and for automobiles. They are not going to improve the efficiency over the next 10 years. next 20 years. no plan in place. Same thing is true for the appliances which we use. the devices which consume electricity. no plan. But you can go to the Web site. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090164281,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what their bill will do. You can find out how to make more efficient the inefficient devices which you now have. That is the plan. Mr. Speaker. I will tell you it is about as dangerous an abdication of responsibility on any issue that our country has ever seen. We just had the new President of Iraq address the Congress today. Is there a connection between the volatility in the price of oil for Americans at the gas pump and his presence here today? The pictures that we see every night in Lebanon? All of it is related to the unfortunately crazy. speculative marketplace that is now opening up on the price of oil. because people believe that chaos is breaking out. Who is the victim? Each and every American who has to pay these exorbitantly high prices for energy because there is no Republican energy plan. This is energy week for the Republicans. weak. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090164281,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what we have on the floor debated this afternoon. I urge a \"no\" vote on this ineffectual. redundant. unnecessary piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5189}
{"speech_id":1090164297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5319. the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006. which was introduced by Representatives Fitzpatrick and Kirk. along with Representatives Miller of Michigan. Weldon of Pennsylvania. English of Pennsylvania. Davis of Kentucky. and Castle. I would note that under the leadership of Chairman WHITFIELD and Chairman BARTON. the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee has held multiple hearings exposing the appalling sexual exploitation of children on the Internet. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4260}
{"speech_id":1090164297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This includes the dark underside of social networking Web sites. which have been stalking grounds for sexual predators who are preying on children all across the Nation. and we. have had many and such cases in my home State of Michigan. way too many. Federal law enforcement officials have described the sexual abuse and exploitation .of our Nations youth as an epidemic propagated by the unlimited access of the Internet. -The statistics are alarming. The FBI has seen better than a 2.000 percent increase in its caseload of online sexual predators the last 10 years. And of the estimated 24 million child Internet users. one in five kids has received unwanted sexual solicitations. It is estimated that. at any given moment. 50.000 predators are prowling for children online. many of whom are lurking within social networks.. At a minimum. what our hearings\" have taught us is that both kids and parents need to be better educated about the dangers of social networking Web sites. and parents need to police their childrens online use at home to guard against sexual predators. However. to the extent that children are using the Internet outside the home. particularly at school or at a public library. parents have not been able to monitor their childs online use. and that is the situation that H.R. 5319 is designed to address. Earlier this month. the Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee held a legislative hearing on this bill. and as a result of many constructive suggestions that we heard from our witnesses and Members alike. particularly those representing schools and libraries. the legislation before us today I think reflects much improvement. . At its heart. the bill before us today would require schools which receive erate funding. and I would note that I am a strong supporter of erate funding. to enforce a policy of Internet safety for minors that includes monitoring their online activities and the protection measures to protect against access to commercial social networking Web sites or chat rooms. unless used for an educational purpose with adult supervision. Additionally. this bill would require libraries which receive erate funding to enforce a policy of Internet safety that includes the operation of a technology protection measure that protects against access by minors to commercial social networking Web sites or chat rooms unless they have parental authorization and the library informs parents- that sexual predators can use those Web sites and chat rooms to prey on kids. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4260}
{"speech_id":1090164297,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The approach taken by this legislation is not dissimilar to the approach taken by the Childrens Internet Protection Act through which Congress requires schools and libraries that receive erate funding to impose filtering technology to protect kids from online visual depictions of an inappropriate sexual nature. Mr. Speaker. I support the erate. I continue to do so. I often visit a school. virtually every week. I have seen the tremendous educational value which the Internet has brought to students throughout our district. and I recognize the importance of the erate in making that a reality. However. as with all technologies. the Internet is a doubleedged sword. and Congress does have -the responsibility to ensure that. to. the extent that a Federal program is involved. like the erate. it is doing all that it can to ensure that children are protected from online dangers. This bill represents another step in making sure that online experiences at school and the library are safe. I want to congratulate Mr. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4260}
{"speech_id":1090164297,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KIRK. Mr. FITZPATRICK. and Ms. BEAN for their leadership on this issue. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4260}
{"speech_id":1090164319,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5319. the Deleting Online Predators Act. I am a cosponsor of this legislation. which requires schools and libraries to monitor the intemet activities and implement technology to protect children from accessing commercial social networking sites like MySpace.com and chat rooms that provide an avenue for dangerous individuals to make personal contact with unsuspecting underage children. The popularity of social network sites have soared. especially among our children. in recent years. These sites allow users to post photos. chat and interact with other users online. However. the popularity of these sites have also become a haven for child predators. A recent Department of Justice study found that one in five children received an unwanted solicitation online. This legislation takes an important step towards protecting our children from these online predators. The bill will still allow teens to access social networking sites under their parents supervision. and yet protects them when they are online alone. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090164319,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The rise in online solicitations by child predators must be countered by a strong response. and H.R. 5319 takes such action. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SHAYS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090164320,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 5319. a bill that would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require schools and libraries that receive universal service support to prohibit and block access to social networking websites and chat rooms. In doing so. H.R. 5319 will protect adolescents from communicating with potentially harmful strangers. The bill will prevent adolescents from accessing obscene or indecent material and also from illegal. online sexual advances from strangers. Thus. the bill will help to safeguard our children. and put simply. will prevent them from accessing any material that is potentially harmful. As many of you may know from watching \"Dateline\" NBCs \"To Catch a Predator.\" the United States has a countless number of sexual predators. It is very hard to profile a sexual predator. and it is also very hard to cure one. This is why H.R. 5319 is a necessity. it will tackle this mammoth issue by preventing any kind of potentially harmful communication with strangers in school networking sites and chat rooms. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1295}
{"speech_id":1090164320,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe that it is hard to keep sexual predators away from our children. but with this bill. it will be easy to keep our children away from sexual predators. I strongly support H.R. 5319. and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1295}
{"speech_id":1090164340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"you have represented us well and done an outstanding job. and I commend you. This is one of the most delightful moments that I have had since I have been a Member of Congress because had it not been for a Historically Black College. I would not be here. There is no doubt in my mind. I left home on my 16th birthday to attend what was then Arkansas A&M College at Pine Bluff. which is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Following me were six of my brothers and sisters who also attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Three nephews. one niece. and a half dozen first cousins. We lived in the southeast corner of the State. which was a rural area in Arkansas. The money that Representative OWENS talked about is so important because when I got there. I had $20 in my pocket and a $50 scholarship. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2963}
{"speech_id":1090164340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The scholarship. of course. was good as long as you maintained a B average. and if you ever fell below. then you no longer had the $50 scholarship. It was not uncommon for friends of mine and myself to actually skip classes on light days and go out and pick cotton so that we would have money to purchase our books. So the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. as all black colleges and universities. have played a significant role. They provide a rich heritage and lay the foundation for men and women of color. W.E.B. Du Bois. who is considered the father of sociology due to his thesis called the \"Study of the Philadelphia Negro.\" is a product of Fisk University in Nashville. Tennessee. a Historically Black College. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.. all of his eloquence and analysis of social problems came from his experiences not only in the black church. but also came from the education that he received at Morehouse. located in Atlanta. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2963}
{"speech_id":1090164340,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Georgia. a Historically Black College. Thurgood Marshall. the first black Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. is the product of Lincoln University in Chester. Pennsylvania. which is historically known as the first Historically Black College founded in These institutions are not only necessary for individuals who come from certain economic backgrounds. but they contain a great deal of the history and culture. So *when Representative OWENS talks about how important the money is that we have been able to provide for them. many of them provide the kind of nurturing environment that students often cannot get from a big university. So they get the special help. This. Mr. OWENS. and the work that you have done and the introduction of this resolution by Representative EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON make all of the work that we do to try to keep these institutions alive and vibrant. And I also want to thank my CBCF intern. who is currently attending Fisk University. Dante Pope. and is a singer with the renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers. who traveled all over the world to raise money so that. ","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2963}
{"speech_id":1090164340,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fisk could continue to exist. I thank all of those who will support this resolution. [] 1545","speaker_name":"MAJOR OWENS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2963}
{"speech_id":1090164370,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise in opposition to the rule and the -underlying bill. This proposal would threaten global security and unilaterally modify the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. This administration has pursued contradictory policies with respect to the NPT. both misusing and disregarding the NPT to suit its stumbling interests. Regarding Iran. for example. the administration cited Iran for minor breaches of the NPT and are trying to rally support based on that for a military attack. At the same time. the administration itself undermines the NPT by this proposal which would help develop nuclear weapons. The NPT requires that nuclear weapons states keep their weapons to themselves and allows nonweapons states to receive civilian nuclear technology only in exchange for their refusal to produce nuclear weapons. Yet this deal. in this deal the U.S. will provide India with civilian nuclear technology even though India is not a signatory to theNPT. is known to possess nuclear weapons and has no intention of limiting its nuclear weapons cache or production capability. Moreover. since the U.S. will supply India with uranium fuel. India will be able to use more of its own limited uranium reserves to produce nuclear weapons. It is estimated India will be able to produce dozens more nuclear weapons per year under this deal. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1550}
{"speech_id":1090164370,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are going in the wrong direction here. At this time of -great -crisis in the world. we should be looking towards nuclear disarmament. nuclear abolition. saving the world. not ramping up for Armageddon by nuclear proliferation.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1550}
{"speech_id":1090164374,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the rule and in support of the bill. India has been a strong U.S. ally and should be viewed as a dredible and worthy nation of our help and support. India is ready to accept all the responsibilities of the worlds leading states with respect to advanced nuclear technology. India has no record of proliferating dualuse nuclear technology to other countries. It understands the danger of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and has agreed to key international nonproliferation requirements. India has committed to sepxrate its military and peaceful programs and adhere to international nuclear and missile control restrictions. It is actively working with the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency to place all of its nuclear facilities under international safeguards. This nuclear agreement strengthens energy security for the U.S. and India and promotes the development of stable and efficient energy markets in India. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2074}
{"speech_id":1090164374,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Development and expansion of U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation should over time lessen Indias dependence on imported hydrocarbons. including those from Iran. Today. the worlds two largest democracies have established a remarkable strategic partnership. A civil nuclear cooperation would be a great accomplishment. Its implementation is important for national security and for U.S.-India relations. I urge my colleagues to vote an \"aye\" on this bill. I want to commend the chairman and the ranking member for their hard work in constructing a bill that both the administration and the House could support. Their version will set the process by which Congress will in the future review and vote on the final framework agreement to implement the nuclear cooperation deal. Based on their shared values of diversity. democracy and prosperity. the United States and India have a natural connection. Recently. we fostered a transformed relationship that is central to the future success of the international community. and this important legislation would solidify this relationship.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2074}
{"speech_id":1090164466,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think we are all very concerned about the reports on Pakistans programs that appeared this week. I think it was Monday in the Washington Post. but I think it is important to also note that that report stated that the construction on this facility in Pakistan to make these bombs began sometime in the year 2000. So this is not something that I think can be characterized as a reaction to this new initiative with India. I do have concerns about a nuclear arms buildup in Asia. Again. this is something that the administration should be doing more on. working towards a fissile material cutoff treaty. However. I would just respond by pointing out that this agreement gives us a chance to be engaged with India on their program instead of being on the outside as we have been for decades. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":984}
{"speech_id":1090164466,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield for the purposes of a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Iowa . the chairman of the Asia Subcommittee.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":984}
{"speech_id":1090164480,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. you know. while the United States is. in fact. leading the way on this agreement. it is a multilateral agreement in the sense that the NSG. 45 nations. must concur with this agreement. and Congress must approve a nuclear cooperation agreement that the administration is negotiating with India before technology is actually transferred. So I also want to make the point here that Congress is going to have a second crack at this agreement when it comes back. But here is the choice that we face: Either we continue to try to box in India and hope for the best. or we make this move. we engage India. and we hope to use our influence to move this increasingly important country in our direction. And this will help make India a true partner. a true partner as we enter what will be a decadeslong struggle. I fear. against Islamist terrorism. This is not an ideal agreement. and the administration should be more aggressively pursuing an international fissile material cutoff. But this agreement is a good one which works through a difficult nonproliferation situation to strengthen an important relationship for us. That is why I ask my colleagues to approve this legislation. Frankly. it is a chance to strengthen an important relationship for us at a time when we need more strong relationships. especially with regional powers such as India. and. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2280}
{"speech_id":1090164480,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will remind my colleagues. it strengthens a relationship with a democracy. based on the rule of law. a democracy that has a good record on nonproliferation. This deal is controversial in India. The coalition government of Prime Minister Singh has come under intense attack from the political extremes and from political opponents. He has been charged with selling out India. opening its nuclear facilities to international inspection. agreeing to check Indias nuclear weapons production. So far the center has held. Lets not deliver Indias Marxist and xenophobic forces a victory. They would like us to kill this deal. Lets pass this legislation. As Chairman HYDE argued and as the ranking member explained. lets pass this legislation. Let the administration negotiate a nuclear sharing agreement with India. and then look again and decide whether or not to proceed. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2280}
{"speech_id":1090164497,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I regret very much that this legislation is before us this afternoon. In myview. this is a badly conceived and most especially a badly timed action which will weaken the nonproliferation regime over the long haul and. in the end. wind up encouraging the production of more nuclear weapons by Pakistan. China and India. It also is. in my view. spectacularly badly timed because it will give Iran a greater excuse. as if they needed any. but it will give Iran a greater excuse than they now have to continue to proceed with their own nuclear program. I believe it is a profound mistake. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":643}
{"speech_id":1090164550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"and that is that this particular legislation. the United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act. is an opportunity. It is an opportunity for further negotiation. It isan opportunity for friendship and the continuation of that friendship. It is a recognition that even though India has not signed the nonproliferat~on agreement. it has peacefully utilized nuclear energy for the many years of its utilization. It is a democracy. So my amendment speaks to the whole concept of the importance of South Asia. and it says that former President Clinton got it right when we traveled with him to that region. Members of Congress. a small delegation of eight. We went to India and we went to Pakistan because we believed in the cohesion and the importance of that particular region. Might I note that in particular. as it relates to this legislation. the Nuclear Supply Group. NSG. still is maintained in this bill. and the guidelines and consensus decisionmaking are upheld. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2422}
{"speech_id":1090164550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So. again. I emphasize that it is an opportunity. My amendment builds on that opportunity. Its language is direct. What it says is that South Asia is an important region and that it is in our national interests to continue our policy of engagement. collaboration:. exchanges with and between India and Pakistan. particularly since this has served the Nation well. It goes on to emphasize the importance of that relationship. Why is that relationship important? Because we have seen in these latter years the working relationship between them and the United States. Pakistan has been a loyal and unwavering ally in our global war on terror and has played a decisive role in helping to remove the Taliban regime from Pakistan and the capture of hundreds of wanted al Qaeda terrorists. Pakistan has suffered thousands of casualties and has been a victim of numerous terrorist acts. In addition. the founder of Pakistan. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2422}
{"speech_id":1090164550,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. Jinnah. premised the basis of this country on demociatic principles. The alliance of the United States with the nation in South Asia should continue and the U.S. should emphasize in its foreign policy the importance of the region. India. Pakistan. Bangladesh. South Asia is important to the United States and the amendment further supports the need for encouraging celloboration and engagement with and between India and Pakistan by the U.S. Mr. Chairman. I am happy to yield to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana .","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2422}
{"speech_id":1090164554,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. and I just wanted to say I thank her and Mr. BURTON for their amendment. I think it is very important that the United States be engaged on the subcontinent. and I think the gentlewoman from Texas and the gentleman from Indiana should te commended for their good work on this amendment. We are prepared to accept that amendment.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":378}
{"speech_id":1090164577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to this amendment. I will note that the base text of this bill. in section 402. already asks for a classified report on Indias domestic uranium usage. But the gentlemans amendment would make such a certification a condition for the deal. Let me also say that people recognize that India has great demand for expanding its energy grid to create electricity for its people. Let me say that the gentleman has taken a unique approach to this issue for which he should be commended. We sympathize with his concerns. However. I do not see the amendment as even workable. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1030}
{"speech_id":1090164577,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I do not know that such a determinatidn -with a high degree of confidence could .even be made. So I am concerned about terminating the agreement with India on such a certification that cannot even be made with any certitude. Mr. Chairman. for some of these reasons.. this amendment was defeated in committee by a vote of 1032 when it was offered. I urge the House to do the same. Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1030}
{"speech_id":1090164589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I announce my difficulty in opposing my good friends. Mr. BERMAN and Mrs. TAUSCHER. They are both very learned in this field. However. this amendment is very similar to Mr. SHERMANS amendment and should be defeated for virtually the same reasons. India already possesses nuclear weapons. and is very unlikely to dispose of them or be divested of them. ","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":759}
{"speech_id":1090164589,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is a restriction that the U.S. imposes on no other nuclear power. Therefore. instead of proliferating good will it would proliferate bad will to impose this on India. This is the proverbial deal killer. as the Sherman amendment was. A vote for this amendment is a vote to kill the agreement even if the bill passes. So. with considerable regret I must urge the defeat of this amendment. I","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":759}
{"speech_id":1090164683,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for yielding. Let me say that last -week the Subcommittee on International Terrorism that I chair held a hearing on Venezuelas link to terrorism. On May 15. the State Department designated Venezuela as not cooperating fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts. Mr. Speaker. from what we heard from the Department officials. it is not that Venezuela is not cooperating fully. it is that Venezuela is not cooperating at all. Disconcerting was the testimony we heard from the State Department that Venezuelan passports can be forged with childlike ease and that the U.S. is detaining at our borders an increasing number of third country aliens carrying false Venezuelan documents. Acdording to a 2003 U.S. news report. thousands of Venezuelan identity documents are being distributed fo foreigners from Middle Eastern nations including Syria. Pakistan. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1766}
{"speech_id":1090164683,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Egypt and Lebanon. It is not just antiterrorism in which we see no cooperation. as pointed out in this resolution. it is also counternarcotics. and today. Hugo Chavez. President Chavez. is in Moscow signing a multibillion dollar agreement for advanced fighter jets for attack. helicopters. for 100.000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and a license to build a Kalashnikov factory in Venezuela. He is trying to negotiate two or three submarines. and frankly. these are not helpful in terms of regional stability. It is not helpful that he is traveling to Iran and to North Korea. and it is not helpful when he says he is trying to create a common ideological front against the United States. Frankly. these weapons are to allow his selfdescribed socialist revolution to become a military force to be reckoned with in Latin America. This resolution is an important one. and I urge its adoption.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1766}
{"speech_id":1090164693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I have listened to with great interest the rhetoric coming from the other side. and now I. intend to get. to the facts of the matter. So I hope my friend from Massachusetts will indulge me and listen to me as attentively as I have listened to him. First of all. let me just show. we have here a map from the maritime authorities. the Joint Interagency Task Force. showing from January 1 to December 31. 2005. the number of maritime trips involving drug activity originating in Venezuela. and it is 385 times. Suspected air activity from January 1 to December 31. 2005. again from the Joint Interagency Task Force. 137 trips involving drug trafficking originating in Venezuela. Let me just go through some of the issues that are very. very important to this debate. First of all. DEA agents in August 2005 were accused of being spies for the United States and not doing their job as DEA agents. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6827}
{"speech_id":1090164693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The fact of the matter is that was not the case. Nobody has proven or really indicated with any degree of authority that our DEA agents are doing anything more than trying to interdict drugs coming into the United States. We received credible reports that traffickefs are paying Venezuelan airport authorities a percentage of the money and drugs transported through the Simon Bolivar International Airport. Furthermore. the government of Venezuela has not taken any steps. any at all. unilaterally to prosecute any corrupt airport officials. There are estimates that as much as 2.000 kilograms of cocaine and 200 kilograms of heroin were seized at the Simon Bolivar International Airport over the last 12 months. There arealmost estimates there are 10 times that amount of cocaine. perhaps 20 times that amount of heroin. could be smuggled through that airport. Seizure statistics at the Simon Bolivar Airport are .not produced by the Venezuelans. The Venezuelan government does not track those statistics. Information regarding any seizures at the airport were not shared by the Veilezuelan government with the DEA last year. On April 11. 2006. a commercial plane. which we talked about earlier. originating in Caracas was seized in Mexico carrying 5.6 tons. tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $100 million. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6827}
{"speech_id":1090164693,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Counternarcotics experts who we consulted agreed a 5.6 ton load of cocaine is not a test run. We can only speculate how this route was exploited by traffickers previously. how many millions of dollars and hundreds of tons of cocaine came through that route. And we know. as I said. there were 137 trips on that route last year. The Venezuelan government has claimed the interdiction in Mexico was the result of a Venezuelan tipoff. That is what they said. So we checked. We have received assurances from our intelligence sources and other intelligence sources that those claims are categorically false. The Mexican police and government found that when that plane landed. They were not tipped off by anybody in Venezuela. Quite the contrary. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6827}
{"speech_id":1090164693,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The belief is that the Venezuelan people who are working at the airport were involved in the transport of these drugs amounting to $100 billion. It is widely reported that the government of Venezuela is providing safe haven and logistical support to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. FARC. the FARC guerrillas. which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization and was in 1997. And there is strong evidence that the Venezuelans are supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. the FARC. with ammunition. safe houses. documentation. training. and weapons. There is no formal mechanism to designate entities as drug trafficking organizations. but links between the FARC and drug trafficking were evident as far back as the mid to late 1980s. according to our State Department. It is precisely through this support for the FARC that we have estimates of as much as half of the Colombian cocaine moving to the United States and Europe as passing through Venezuela. Almost half of the cocaine coming into this country is coming through Venezuela. You. know. I have had the opportunity. with Mr. DELAHUNT and Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6827}
{"speech_id":1090164693,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"MEEKS. to go down and meet with President Chavez in Venezuela. and at the U.N. in New York. He is a very engaging fellow. He is Clintonesque. if you will. in the way he meets people. He was very engaging. I was impressed with the fella. When we talked to him about toning down the rhetoric that would lead to a better relationship. or a relationship between Venezuela and the United States. he said he was going to do that. But he didnt. Every week on television. for 5 hours. and I watched the tapes and I have listened to the translations. he maligns and beats up on not only the President but the Secretary of State. He says very demeaning things about Condoleezza Rice. our Secretary of State. and they are things that dont lead to any kind of a relationship between us and the Venezuelan leadership. In addition to that. he is tied in very closely and he considers Fidel Castro. a Communist leader who wanted to revolutionize all of South America. he sent Che Guevara down there back in the 1980s to try to destroy any semblance of democracy throughout our hemisphere. and Che Guevara was killed. ","speaker_name":"DAN BURTON","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6827}
{"speech_id":1090164726,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support for H.R. 844. AIDS isthe greatest worldwide health crlsis of our time. Presently. there are more than 40 million people that are either infected with the HIV virus or are living with AIDS. At least 14.000 people are infected each day. Putting an end to AIDS is one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges we must face. For this reason. the development of a preventive vaccine has been a steppingstone toward achieving this end. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative has been working for the past ten years to create a safe and effective HIV\/AIDS vaccine. They have worked hard with the public and private sector to gamer financial and political support in order to make the vaccine accessible to all those in need. especially in the developing world. where ninetyfive percent of those infected with the virus live. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090164726,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. I am honored to congratulate the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative for its advances in scientific progress. which have been -instrumental in bringing about a worldwide effort and support for this important cause. It is their research and devotion to finding an HIV\/ AIDS vaccine that brlngs hope of ending an epidemic that has already killed more than 25 million people worldwide. However. there is more to be done. We must take this opportunity to commit ourselves to fighting for the dignity and lives of our brothers and sisters around the world by promoting innovative research in finding a cure. AIDS is presently a formidable adversaryone that cannot be ignored. one that does not only exist in faraway places. but one that is. here. in our neighborhoods and homes. infecting 40.000 of our people each year. The efforts of the Intemational AIDS Vaccine Initiative have brought us closer to the day when we will live in a world that is free from AIDS.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1828}
{"speech_id":1090164737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I come before the House tonight to celebrate the achievements of the UMMA Community Clinic upon the occasion of its 10th anniversary. The UMMA Community Clinic is a community health facility that serves uninsured and impoverished families in my congressional district.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":281}
{"speech_id":1090164770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to say the gentleman from Iowa in just a brief colloquy with him. and of course thanking him for being with us tonight. that I am sure that he would agree that our CommanderinChief needs to rely on the combatant commanders. Certain today of course is General Casey. before that General Sanchez. before that General Franks. to let him know in regard to how many troops need to be on the ground and where they need to be positioned and how long they need to stay. I know that we have heard a lot from Members on the other side.of the aisle particularly calling for a date certain for a troop withdrawal or reduction or redeployment 6.000 miles away. to Okinawa or whatever. Mr. Speaker. I am sure my colleague from Iowa would agree that this is a call that we need to leave to the combatant commanders to make these decisions. I know that because of the insurgency. the up tick in the insurgency. as these Islamic extremists continue to struggle in their death throes postZarqawi. there is going to be some tough times. and this is certainly not the time to give them your playbook. Would you not agree with that?","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1131}
{"speech_id":1090164858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of every woman who has ever had to leave the hospital withSECURITY. \"DONOTHING\" in 24 hours after undergoing a mastecDEMOCRATS tomy. and to urge that the House consider the Breast Cancer Patient Protec)XX asked and was given per- tion Act. It is a bipartisan bill which to address the House for 1 will ensure that patients have the health care that they need following XX. Mr. Speaker. House Re- breast cancer surgery. are working hard to produce The statistics say it all. A woman in security bill to send to Presi- the United States has a 1in7 chance of hs desk. while Democrats con- developing breast cancer. It is the seceir tired strategy of voting ond leading cause of cancer deaths for border security legislation. women in America. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1816}
{"speech_id":1090164858,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And just this year. ling to offer a plan of their over 269.000 women will receive a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. cans passed the REAL ID Act Despite these numbers. women are de it more difficult for poten- often forced by their insurance compaorists to obtain drivers li- nies to leave the hospital less than a id helped deport criminals for day after mastectomy surgery. when related offenses. 152 House they are still in pain. groggy from ants voted against it. esthesia. and with drainage tubes that publicans passed the Border require professional attention. n. Antiterrorism and Illegal Mr. Speaker. the last thing that any ion Control Act which in- woman should be doing at this time is fighting with her insurance company. Two days of recovery time in the hospital should not be negotiable. Just 2 days. And ultimately that decision should be up to the patient and her doctor. We should pass into law the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act to ensure that women do not have to fight for their recovery time in the hospital.","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1816}
{"speech_id":1090164859,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. illegal entry into our homeland negatively affects our economic security. Illegals are driving up the costs for health care. education. Social Security and other Social Services. Americans pick up the tab for these bills because illegals do not pay their way. Tim and Susan Jacob of Groves. Texas speak out on this fact. They say. \"It should be evident more than ever that the U.S. does not have the infrastructure for 12 to 20 million illegals. This summer we are seeing rolling blackouts. complete power outages. gasoline above $3 a gallon. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090164859,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Houston streets are overloaded with automobiles and illegals driving without insurance. We have hospital closings and poor performance of the public school system. Shut down the borders. enforce the existing -laws and prosecute employers who hire illegals.\" Mr. Speaker. common sense rings true again. We cannot ignore the negative impact of illegal entry. It is morally wrong to make Americans pay the costs for foreigners illegally in our Nation. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090164860,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Speaker. gas prices in this country have just risen to hit yet another record high. reminding us all of how difficult it can be to make ends meet today. This is especially true for the millions of Americans who are struggling to survive and support their families while making the minimum wage. Although it has not been increased since 1997. and it is currently at its lowest level in 50 years when adjusted for inflation. Republicans still refuse to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour. That means if you make $5.15 an hour and you work all year round. you would make $10.700. In fact. it would take you a full day just to fill up your gas tank. With the kind of money you make on minimum wage. there is very little left to support a household. something threequarters of the people who make minimum wage must do. Mr. ","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1066}
{"speech_id":1090164860,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. Democrats believe that no one who works hard at a fulltime job should be in poverty. It is time to raise the minimum wage. Congress should not go on vacation without giving these workers their first pay raise in 9 years.","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1066}
{"speech_id":1090164864,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act and urge its passage before the August recess. Breast cancer is so pervasive that it touches every American family. The diagnosis of breast cancer is frightening enough not to have to fight the insurance companies. as has been said before. One in eight women is going to be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. and it remains the number one cause of death in women between the ages of 30 and 54. In my congressional district. there are almost 1.500 instances of breast cancer and nearly 300 women die every year. And rushing a woman through a hospital stay after a mastectomy and pressuring her to return to her normal life almost immediately hampers her recovery. That is why it is imperative that we pass the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. We must also support research into better breast cancer detection methods. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1281}
{"speech_id":1090164864,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mammographies. which is the only tool we have had for 40 years. miss too many women and cannot suffice as our gold standard. But instead of passing legislation to stop drivethrough mastectomies or supporting funding increases for research and development. we haVe become a drivethrough Congress. rushing to pass what is politically divisive. This bill deserves passage.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1281}
{"speech_id":1090164868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this morning I come to this House with a very heavy heart. Earlier this week. PFC Andrew Velez was killed while tracking Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. It is always a tragedy when we Ibse one of our young soldiers. but this loss is especially tragic because less than 2 years ago. Andrews older brother. Freddy. was also killed while protecting this country in fighting the war on terrorism. The Velez family now has made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and democracy not once. but twice. Andrew and Freddy Velez are American heroes. We must never forget the sacrifice of these two brothers for freedom. ","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1068}
{"speech_id":1090164868,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My thoughts and prayers go out to Andrews father. Roy. his stepmother. Carmen. Andrews wife. Veronica. and his three children. Jasmine. Jordan. and Jacob as they mourn the loss of their son and their husband and their dad. Mr. Speaker. the price of freedom has never been cheap. but I have to say that the Velez family has given an extra measure for freedom and democracy. I hold them in my prayers and ask all Americans to do so at the same time.","speaker_name":"RANDY NEUGEBAUER","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1068}
{"speech_id":1090164872,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Federal minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 for 9 years. A minimumwage worker working full time earns about $10.712 a year. A minimumwage worker has to work an entire day in order to be able to afford to fill their tank with gas. Mr. Speaker. Members of Congress have awarded themselves eight pay raises since the last time we increased the Federal minimum wage. That is about $35.000 in pay raises. Mr. Speaker. 35 percent of workers who receive a minimum wage are their families sole earners. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":937}
{"speech_id":1090164872,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sixtyone percent are women and onethird of those women are raising children. Here is the deal. I say to my Republican colleagues: have a heart. And if you are not going to allow us to have a clean vote up or down on the minimum wage. then bring to the floor a bill that repeals your pay raise. It is not right for Members of Congress to get a pay raise while they force millions -of Americans to continue to live in poverty.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":937}
{"speech_id":1090164897,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I have been working on this issue for several years. I have met with countless groups across this country. I have forged bipartisan relationships to bring a solid piece of legislation before this House. and today I am disappointed to say that this legislation does not meet the mark. The Congressional Budget Office itself has said this legislation. quote. would not significantly affect either the rate at which the use of health technology will grow or how well that technology will be designed and implemented. So what is the point? If we cannot get this technology in the hands of the providers. what are we doing here? This legislation does not require us to adopt standards that are interoperability standards for all on a date certain. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2798}
{"speech_id":1090164897,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to do this within the next year and a half. We could do this within the next year. We should be taking this opportunity and passing real health care information technology legislation. but. instead. we are passing a shadow of a bill that misses the opportunity to pass real opportunities for savings. both in peoples lives and in countless dollars across this country. Mr. Speaker. we spend twice what every other industrialized nation spends on health care. It is the worst system when it comes to employers paying incredible premiums. We see employees paying incredible premiums. We are seeing providers complain. Nobody is happy with the current health care system. and. yet. what are we doing about it? We are missing the opportunity today. We could provide technology today that would help us implemente quality standards so that when you are being treated. whether it is in Iowa or Rhode Island or New York. you get the same standard of care. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2798}
{"speech_id":1090164897,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But are those quality provisions in this bill? No. they are not. We can make sure that we have provisions in this bill to have the privacy protections in place. as Mr. MARKEY just talked about. Are they in this bill? No. they are not. How can we have an IT bill that does not set a date certain for technology. that does not have quality provisions in place so that we can use technology to bring the best and evidencebased medicines to the bedside? How can we not have provisions to protect privacy in an age when we are going electronic in health care records? Mr. Speaker. this bill falls way short of our opportunities to make a fundamental change in our health care system. I am sorry I am going to have to oppose this rule. I am going to have to oppose this bill because I think it falls way short of the opportunities we have been given to make the most of this chance to get a better health care system today. We are squandering that chance. For that reason. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2798}
{"speech_id":1090164897,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will oppose the rule and oppose the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"PATRICK KENNEDY","chamber":"H","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2798}
{"speech_id":1090164898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I am asking Members to vote \"no\" on the previous question so I can amend this rule and allow the House to consider the DingellRangel substitute. This substitute was offered in the Rules Committee last night. but was blocked on a straight partyline vote. Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to print the text of the amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":475}
{"speech_id":1090164901,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DIAZBALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank all of my colleagues who have participated in this very interesting debate today. Much has been made by opponents of the legislation of arguments with regard to privacy protections. I think it is relevant and should be pointed out that the very significant and extensive privacy protections contained in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 are not reduced in any way by this legislation that we bring forth to the floor today. In fact. the American Psychiatric Association. the American Psychological Association. the National Association of Social Workers. the National Mental Health Association have said in a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee. \"The Energy and Commerce language ensures that the current protections in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 are maintained. and we wish to commend the approach to privacy protections that the Energy and Commerce Committee proposes to take.\" I mean. it is relevant to point this out because much has been said that would seem or could be interpreted to contradict what I have just read from the American Psychiatric Association. the American Psychological Association. the National Association of Social Workers. the National Mental Health Association. very responsible entities that look out for the interests of many citizens who receive health care. So. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1746}
{"speech_id":1090164901,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. urging the support of the underlying legislation. I also urge all of my colleagues to support this rule. which is very fair. makes more than twice as many amendments by Democrats than by Republicans in order. It is precisely in our interest to go the extra mile for fairness.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1746}
{"speech_id":1090164902,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to this rule. There once was a time when we considered legislation under open rules. Any Member could offer an amendment. That was the way I. as chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. brought bills to the House floor. Eventually amendments were limited. perhaps under the guise of efficiency. But certainly the minority should be allowed to offer .an alternative. Democrats brought an alternative to the Committee on Rules. It was supported by every Democrat on our committee. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2496}
{"speech_id":1090164902,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was not a radical alternative. It was identical to the bill that passed the Senate unanimously. with the addition of language to protect patient privacy. Yet this rule blocks the offering of our proposal. If my Republican colleagues disagree with this substitute. finevote against it. but dont hide behind a rule that prevents us from offering it. If we had an open rule. we could fairly debate this important issue. All of us want to improve health information technology. One hundred Senators voted for a bill to do so. but under this closed rule. if a Member of the House wanted to offer that Senate bill. which was sponsored by Republican Majority Leader FRIST. along with Senator ENZI. KENNEDY. and CLINTON. he or she could not do so. Thats rightmy rubber stamp Republican colleagues are about to pass a rule that makes sure that a bill that passed unanimously in the Senate cannot even get a vote in the House. It is a closed rule and that means only amendments that the Republican leaders can accept will get a vote. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2496}
{"speech_id":1090164902,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have read that many of my Republican colleagues are trying to distance themselves from the policies of the House Republican leadership. Well. here is your chance. Reject a rule that prohibits Members from offering a substitute that consists of a bill passed unanimously by 100 Senators. Reject a rule that prohibits an amendment dealing with the privacy of personal medical records. But we know the fix is in. Why else did \"not a single Republican Member go to the Rules Committee to ask for a rule to allow them to offer a bill supported by 100 Senators? Why else did not a single Republican Member care to offer an amendment to protect the privacy of medical records? A vote for this closed rule is. quite simply. a vote against bipartisanship. It is a vote against privacy protections for Americans. And it is a vote against getting a bill signed into law this Congress. The material previously referred to by Ms. MATSUI is as follows:","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2496}
{"speech_id":1090164960,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank Chairman BARTON for yielding. but I also want to thank him for his great work on this important legislation. H.R. 4157. which I support. and also the gentlewoman from Connecticut has worked on this for some time. and will be speaking shortly. With recent reports estimating that medical errors may be responsible for up to 98.000 deaths and 1.5 million medication errors each year. there is no doubt in my mind that the time has come to move towards an electronic health records system. I am pleased this legislation officially establishes the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. because it is absolutely vital that the Federal Government take the leading role in establishing such a system. Without a strategic Federal plan. I worry that each State will be left to their own devices and we will end up with a patchwork system. I am hopeful that the standards which are set will be easily adaptable for the States and regions that are already working on such connectivity. In my State of Delaware. we have established the Delaware Health Information Network. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090164960,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has secured a $4 million contract with the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to establish an ehealth system in our hospitals. physicians offices. and laboratories. Eventually. we hope this will be extended to our nursing homes and community health centers as well. Because Delaware is such a small State. it is quite possible that our network can spread across the MidAtlantic region to include New Jersey. Pennsylvania. and Maryland. and that is why we have been working so hard to get it right and to make sure interoperability truly exists. I A national health electronic infrastructure could truly be lifesaving for the millions of patients who access our health care system every day. as we have seen in our VA hospitals. There is real opportunity here to have electronic patient records. with appropriate private protections. electronic prescribing. realtime understanding of prescription interactions. and improved outcomes. I am hopeful this bill will be swiftly conferenced with the Senate version so every State may get involved. Real achievement only comes when we improve health care. reduce costs. and start saving lives.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2276}
{"speech_id":1090164964,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. thank you for bringing this important bill to the floor. The bill. 4157. will codify and expand the authorities and duties of the office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Department of Health and Human Services. This includes a number of responsibilities. such as endorsing the interoperability guidelines under a schedule. conducting a national survey on. the information exchange capabilities of certain entities. and reviewing Federal information systems and security practices. The bill requires that certain Federal health information collection systems be capable of receiving information. in a form consistent with any guidelines endorsed by the National Coordinator. within 3 years of endorsement. We have heard some discussion about the issues of grants. Currently there are grants through both CMS and my own Texas medical foundation back in Texas. But indeed. this bill authorizes targeted grants to help integrated health systems relay information and better coordinate the delivery of care for uninsured. under insured and medically underserved populations. The bill- also contains a demonstration program to promote the adoption of health IT in the small physician setting. absolutely critical in many of our rural markets. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2242}
{"speech_id":1090164964,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My colleague. Dr. MURPHY. was up here a moment ago and showed a picture of a medical record. an old paper medical records system in a hospital. I actually want to tell you that that is pretty far from the truth. Normally you go in medical records department. it is nowhere near that clean. -There are records stacked on the floor. They are stacked by dictation machines. Oftentimes a critical record is hard to find. But contrast that with what I saw in New Orleans. Louisiana when we had a hearing down there earlier this year. The records room of Charity Hospital is absolute chaos. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2242}
{"speech_id":1090164964,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is still water on the floor. There are records all over that room. There is black mold growing up the sides of the records. Clearly. those records are unusable in any form or any hope to be usable in the future. That is why this legislation is so critical. Lives. as well as money and time can be saved if we make these important steps towards enacting this legislation.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2242}
{"speech_id":1090164991,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the Chair of the Health Subcommittee. especially for her bold initiative and leadership on this bill. for really trying to wrestle with a very important issue and looking ahead and being a visionary as far as employing technology and how we can .improve health care in this country. It is a good bill. I am proud to be an original cosponsor. I would especially like to touch some the . telemedicine. telehealth. provisions. I appreciate very much that Mr. THOMPSON of California and I have put together a bill where the bottom line. Mr. Chairman. is that with advancements in telecommunications. health care providers in small communities can now access resources that are available in the finest hospitals and academic institutions in the country. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6256}
{"speech_id":1090164991,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The quality of ones health care should not be dictated by ones ZIP Code. So I am very excited about the fact that technologies like interactive video conferencing. the Internet. satellite. are already systematically changing- the face of our Nations health care. This legislation directs the Secretary to work with the telehealth community. especially as far as services across State lines. We know that that is an issue. We want to expand the origination and consulting sites so that more of our underserved communities will have access to the best health care that the community has to offer. I would like to brag a little bit. Mr. Chairman. because telehealth patients from small towns throughout my district in Missouri have been receiving specialist care or services from a variety of specialists. including mental health providers. I know that is certainly a hotbutton issue for many here. without having to take available time. maybe. away for caring for a loved one or from work or for school or for other parental duties. Right now there are 2.000 patients in Missouri that are cared for using Missouris telehealth network. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6256}
{"speech_id":1090164991,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is estimated over 40.000 radiological examinations have been performed. In fact. one example: a criticalaccess hospital in the small town of Macon. Missouri. unexpectedly lost the only radiologist in the area. There was not another specialist within that underserved area. Fortunately. the University of Missouri stepped in to provide coverage during this 4month period of time so this small community could have access to a qualified radiologist. Again. there are lots of .good things in this bill. But telemedicine is one piece of it. I commend the chairwoman and I urge everyone to support it. I thank the chair of the Health Subcommittee. on which I serve. for her bold leadership on this bill and improving health information technology in this country. H.R. 4157 will launch the American healthcare system into full capacity to take advantage of the best technology. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6256}
{"speech_id":1090164991,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This will give all Americans better health care. more accessible medical records. and better quality of care. It is a good bill of which I am proud to be an original cosponsor.I- would like to touch on the telemedicine provisions of the bill. \u0095 The Health Information Technology Promotion Act includes important provisions for the advancement of telehealth servicesRequires the Secretary of HHS to take steps that expedite the provision of telehealth services across State lines by taking a closer look at State licensure issues. requires the Secretary to conduct two studies: (1) a study. on the use of store and forward technology in the provision of telehealth services. and (2) a study on the coverage of telehealth services provided in home health agencies. county mental health clinics and other publicly funded mental health facilities. Advancement in telecommunications now allows health care providers in small communities to access the resources available in the finest hospitals and academic institutions. Individuals in this country should receive the health care they need regardless of where they live. A persons address should not dictate the state of their health. Technologies such as interactive videoconferencing. the Internet and satellite are already systematically changing the face of our Nations health care. In 2000. the Congressional Budget Office estimated thatthe telehealth provisions of the Medicare. Medicaid. and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. BIPA. would cost $150 million over 5 years. In June I asked CMS to provide me with information on how much the Federal Government has spent to date to get an idea of how close we are to CBO projections. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6256}
{"speech_id":1090164991,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was astonished to find that since October 1. 2001 Medicare has only reimbursed for approximately $1.2 million total for telehealth services and originating site facility fees. This illustrates that the Federal Government has made a minor contribution compared to what we were expected to spend. And more needs to be done. This legislation highlights the capabilities of telemedicine by directing the Secretary to work with the telehealth community to find solutions to the services across State lines issue. and expanding origination and consuiting sites so more of our underserved communities will have access to the best health care this country has to offer. I would also like to brag on how. because of telehealth. patients from small towns throughout my district are able to receive services from a variety of specialists. including mental health providers. without having to take valuable time away from work. school or parental duties. Currently in Missouri. over 2.000 patients per year are cared for using the Missouri Telehealth Network and it is estimated that over 40.000 radiology exams have been performed. In fact. in my district. a Critical Access Hospital in the town of Macon unexpectedly lost its only radiologist. leaving the area without a specialist in this area. Fortunately. the University of Missouri stepped in to provide coverage through the telehealth network for a 4month period until a new radiologist was hired. Without this option. Macon residents would have been forced to either commute or simply go without radiological care. ","speaker_name":"KENNY HULSHOF","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6256}
{"speech_id":1090165006,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I rise today in reluctant opposition to H.R. 4157. the Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005. It is unfortunate that the House Republican leadership refused to allow this Congress the opportunity to strengthen this bill and protect the privacy of patients. Like many of my colleagues. I support moving our health care system into the \"information age\"-it holds the promise of saving lives. saving money. and saving time. However. I am concerned that H.R. 4157 does not adequately protect the privacy of patients. In light of millions of electronic data records being exposed due to recent highprofile security breaches. it is troubling that this legislation does not adequately address this critical issue. Unfortunately. the House Republican leadership would not allow us the opportunity to vote on an alternative bill that was based on the bipartisan Senate health information technology legislation -which unanimously passed that chamber. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1507}
{"speech_id":1090165006,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This alternative proposal included safeguards for Americans to protect their personal medical records from identity thieves. Mr. Chairman. health information technology should not be a partisan issue. Congress should not miss the opportunity to transition our health care into the 21st century. but it must be done in a manner that will protect the sensitive health information of millions of Americans. I am hopeful that the final version of -the legislation will be fashioned in. a bipartisan. bicameral fashion by the HouseSenate Conference.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1507}
{"speech_id":1090165089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for putting this important amendment in. Previously. it has been cited that the CBO report did not show a savings. Let me mention three things that chronic care management does. 300.000 asthmatic children were studied with chronic care and found that lowered rehospitalization by 34 percent. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reduced rehospitalization of diabetics by 75 percent. Washington Hospital. Washington. PA. reduced rehospitalization of chronic heart disease by 50 percent. I suggest the CBO look at how electronic medical records can save money in this. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":873}
{"speech_id":1090165089,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have listed a lot of these things in a report entitled. \"Critical Condition. the State of -the Unions Health Care.\" which I have available at my Web site. and I urge my colleagues to look at that. and I urge the CBO to read it as well. They might learn something.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":873}
{"speech_id":1090165091,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. -Chairman. I rise in strong support of this SmithMcMorris amendment to establish a 2year health IT demonstration project for Medicaid patients with chronic diseases. This bill is a step in the right direction. but the SmithMcMorris amendment would actually speed the implementation of health IT in a crucial and tangible way. It will not only improve efficiency and quality. but will also help control the growing costs for Medicaid patients with chronic health conditions. Mr. Chairman. these patients often have complex medical conditions. relying on multiple doctors and numerous medications. This amendment would put patients in better control of their medical information. provide improved access and more information for caregivers. and create a Webbased resource to promote best practices for chronic care management. Mr. Chairman. the need for health -IT is well established and will both save lives and billions of dollars. This body talks often about the need to improve quality of care and reduce inefficient spending under Medicaid. ","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1207}
{"speech_id":1090165091,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The SmithMcMorris amendment promises us an opportunity to move beyond rhetoric and actually better care and more responsible return on our tax dollars. [ 1500","speaker_name":"MELISSA BEAN","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1207}
{"speech_id":1090165150,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about Tim Friedman who is leaving this body to start a new life. one a lot more relaxing I am sure. But I can tell him. he wont be surrounded by as many people that absolutely admire and like him like he is day in and day out here. I have gotten to know this man. He has been here for 30 years. but I have gotten to know him over the past 2 years while I have come to the floor 165 times to bring 5minute special orders on bringing our troops home from Iraq. But what I have learned about him because he is here every night while we are doing our Special Orders. that his job in keeping this House floor together. to keep Members on the straight and narrow and knowing what we are doing and what we are not supposed to do. like talking on our cell phones on the floor. he does with good humor. he does with good grace. But his most important chore. and I think he has always known this with me. has been to find my fountain pens when I lose them. Actually. he can find a real fountain pen. I have a bit of a fetish for nice fountain pens. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1578}
{"speech_id":1090165150,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He finds other peoples. and he thinks they are mine because I so often lose mine. But he also finds things that other Members of the House lose. He is a real sleuth. and he finds them. he knows who they belong to. he lets us know that he has got them. Mr. Speaker. even though he is starting a new chapter in his life. even though he is leaving us. we know that he has been here and we will always remember how he has treated every single one. of us. I am glad that he was part of this chapter in my life.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1578}
{"speech_id":1090165243,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I have expressed to the majority leader my disappointment in not allowing amendments on this bill. We had agreed to just have five. with time agreements on each of those. The leader decided not to do that. I think that is unfortunate. I hope that. moving beyond that. we can have a better idea of what we are going to do for the rest of the work period. The majority leader indicated to me that he has a very important meeting shortly after lunch. and he will indicate to me at that time more of a direction as to what we can expect this afternoon. tomorrow. and the rest of the work period before the August recess. I also want the record to reflect. as I said yesterday. that I appreciate the cooperation of Senator BINCAMAN. Without his agreement. this parliamentary situation we find ourselves in would not have occurred until late this evening. This will allow us this afternoon the possibility of doing other work. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090165243,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So I appreciate very much Senator BINGAMAN being his normal cooperative person. He has strong feelings about this legislation. He expressed them to me personally and on the Senate floor. But he is always someone who works for the good of the Senate. I appreciate that very much.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1216}
{"speech_id":1090165272,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak on the pending business before the Senate. the Gulf of Mexico Energy Act. S. 3711. I wholeheartedly support this bill. We face a dire situation in this country regarding our energy dependence. I believe this debate is about two numbers and those numbers are 3 and 75-$3agallon gasoline and $75abarrel oil. That is what this debate is about. 3 and 75. We are reminded about this every day. There are probably places in this country paying well over $3 a gallon for gasoline. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11386}
{"speech_id":1090165272,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The price of oil hit $75 this past Friday. There is a good possibility it will even go up from there. We need more domestic drilling to take place. We must reduce our foreign dependency. our dependency on foreign oil. In the future and in the near term as well we have to reduce our dependency on oil. Things are striking. In the United States we burn 10.000 gallons of oil per second. The United States uses four times more oil than any other nation. Relative to economic output. the United States consumes 7.5 gallons of oil for every thousand dollars of GDP. Oil imports cost usthis is a 2003 number. so they are higher nowoil imports cost us $10 billion a month. as a nation. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11386}
{"speech_id":1090165272,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those are 2003 numbers. Energy economists estimate that since World War II. oil price spikes have cost the economy 15 percent growth and $1.2 trillion in direct losses. There is a $7.4 billion increase in the U.S. oil bill per year for each $1 increase in the price of oil. Imagine what that adds up to when you push $75abarrel oil. A $1 increase in the price of oil costs U.S. companies and consumers about $828 million in trucking costs each year. In addition to these facts. we get a large amount of our oil from regions that are unstable at best and unfriendly at worst. 65.3 percent of the worlds proven oil reserves are in the Middle East. The Middle East OPEC States already supply the United States with 2.5 million barrels per day. .5 percent of our daily imports. Further. every day. 26 million barrels of oil flow through two points. One of those points is the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. We know the instability that can happen there. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11386}
{"speech_id":1090165272,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A few targeted strikes against one of these two states or against oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. which holds a quarter of the worlds oil reserves and essentially all spare capacityif you can consider any of the capacity spare todayit could take several million barrels of oil off the global market every day for months and send oil prices soaring. These facts. coupled with the increases in demand that are taking place in countries such as China and India. do not bode well for our national and economic security. There will be very difficult if not potentially disastrous consequences to our economy if we do not reduce our dependence on foreign oil and. in the future. oil period. If we remain so dependent on foreign oil. we court disaster. Currently. we have these two mega numbers. 3 and 75. $3agallon gasoline and $75abarrel oil. This bill. the Gulf of Mexico Energy Act. will help lessen the dire situation we are currently in. It.opens up 8.3 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and natural gas exploration. It is something we need to do. we must do now to be able to help reduce our demand for oil products. for foreign oil. I want to also talk about the midterm of what we need to do. This is something. we have to do now to mitigate the situation we are currently in. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11386}
{"speech_id":1090165272,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We really need to do it. But on a midterm basis. we have to reduce our dependence on oil. period. That is why a bipartisan group of 28 Senators has put forward the Vehicle and Fuel Choices for America Security Act. S. 2025. I urge my colleagues to look at cosponsoring this legislation. I think it is the most bipartisan and comprehensive energy legislation pending in front of the Senate today. We filed it as an amendment on this bill. but as I understand the procedural situation we are in. it is unlikely this is going to come up now. It is still important that we look at this legislation and others to reduce our longterm dependence on oil. It is appropriate Members of Congress from every region of the country and every political stripeconservative. liberal. everything in betweenhave all arrived at this same point. For our national security and our economic security. we must reduce our dependency on oil. ","speaker_name":"SAMUEL BROWNBACK","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11386}
{"speech_id":1090165349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am a resident. of Mobile. AL. on the gulf coast. We drive down to the beaches periodically. What I would like to convey to my colleagues is that Alabama. Mississippi. and Louisiana have always allowed production of oil and gas offshore. We even allow production very close inshore. The beautiful Mobile Bay. a fragile estuary. has a number of very large oil rigs in those estuaries that have produced very large amounts of oil and gas. We have never had a problem of any serious nature of an environmental negative impact. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7566}
{"speech_id":1090165349,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As we begin to discuss this subject. we need to ask ourselves. what is the opposition to drilling in an expanded area of the deep Gulf of Mexico. 125 miles or so south of Alabama and Florida. and 200 miles west of Floridas western beaches of Tampa? What is the opposition to it? I ask that question. Is it a sincere environmental objection or is it just a persistent opposition to the i4tilization of oil and gas that many people have in America today? Is it some sort of hostility to oil companies? Is that what is making people have a hesitation? I would like to discuss those areas a little bit. Lets talk about the environment. We have at this time 4.000 producing wells in the Gulf of Mexico4.000. We have had one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to hit in Katrina last year. We had several other hurricanes that had very high windsnot quite as big. but their winds at times were nearly as strong as Hurricane Katrinas--that came through the gulf. Official reports have indicated that 3.000 of those .4.000 wells that are existing now in the Gulf of Mexico were in the direct path of one of those hurricanes last year. and we had not a single spill of any sizable amount. Several of the platforms. large as they are. were damaged. But they have. in ways that I am not able to fully explain. shutin valves down under the water. at the ground. and it shuts off the oil from the well. and no matter what happens to the rig there is no spill of oil. In fact. only about 2 percent of the oil in our waters around the U.S. come from oil production. or maybe less. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7566}
{"speech_id":1090165349,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But 63 percent comes from natural seepage. Most of it comes from runoff from storm sewers and things on the land. All that is really very small. It is not a huge impact in any way. I would just say to my colleagues. when you go fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. as I like to do when I can. which isnt often. you tend to fish around these rigs. Just over Memorial Day weekend I was out with my brotherinlaw and nephew. We went fishing around the oil rigs and had a little luck. That is where people fish. It provides a structure that allows growth of foods. sources that feed smaller fish. and larger fish feed around them. and that is where people fish. Nobody worries about that or expects any kind of problem with it. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7566}
{"speech_id":1090165349,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have been there for decades now. So the environmental question is not a real one. in my view. It has. to a degree. been settled more than we can imagine. But I would say this: The same people who may be worried about drilling in the gulf dont seem to be very worried about drilling in the lake at Venezuela. or the Persian Gulf. or the Caspian Sea. These are smaller bodies of water. selfcontained. in which a spill would be even more dangerous. That is where we are getting much of our oil and gas today. from those areas of the globe. Many of those areas that we -produce oil and gas are far more subject to being damaged. perhaps. than if we had a spill in the vast Gulf of Mexico. Then there is this argument: We dont like the oil companies. You are trying to help the big oil companies. I want to dispute that and dispute that unequivocally. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7566}
{"speech_id":1090165349,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My goal is to serve my constituents. How do I serve my constituents? I help them receive the necessary. critical oil and gas that they need to carry on with their lives at as low a price as possible. I dont think it healthy or justifiable to say to my constituents in Alabama: We are not going to let you produce oil and gas off the coast of Alabama. Mississippi. Texas. Florida. We are not going to let you get any gas and oil from there. We are going to require you to buy it from Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. We are going to require you to buy it on the markets of the world where it may have come from Iran. and certainly Saudi Arabia. or Iraq. or other countries. Some of those havent been friendly to us. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7566}
{"speech_id":1090165364,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been advised by Chairman SPECTERS staff that the chairman is correcting the RECORD regarding some materials that were inserted last Thursday. July 20. 2006. during debate on reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. I thank the chairman for correcting the RECORD. Contrary to how it appeared in the RECORD. those materials did not reflect work of the bipartisan staff of the Judiciary Committee. I understand that the chairman filed a committee report last night on S. 2703. the Senate bill reported by the committee last Wednesday. I have yet to see a copy of that final report. nor is it yet publicly available. Indeed. no draft committee report on S. 2703 was circulated to the committee until July 24. 2006. 5 days after the Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to report it and the chairman had reported it. and four days after the Senate unanimously passed H.R. 9. the bill that President Bush signed into law this morning. That draft report did not contain findings based on the extensive record created in both the House and Senate. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10635}
{"speech_id":1090165364,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In this highly unusual development. as the report filed should indicate. it does not reflect the views of a majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This. in spite of the fact that all members voted to report the bill favorably. Fortunately. we had the foresight to include legislative findings in the body of the legislation itself. Those findings. based on the record. were adopted by the House and unanimously by the Senate last week. I want to thank Chairman SENSENBRENNER. Ranking Member CONYERS. Congressmen WATT and LEWIS. and all those who worked so hard to assemble and consider that record in the House. Their outstanding work gave us in the Senate a great start. which we supplemented with nine additional hearings. The findings remained the same and were adopted in identical form by both Houses. It is that bill and those findings. based on the extensive record that 18 members of the Judiciary Committee voted to report as part of S. 2703 last Wednesday. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10635}
{"speech_id":1090165364,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"July 19 and that 98 Senators voted for in adopting H.R. 9 last Thursday. With regard to committee consideration. after nine hearings. the committee held a special business meeting at my request to debate S. 2703 on July 19. At our business meeting. the committee debated and voted on only one substantive amendment. Senator COBURNS amendment related to section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. It was debated and then defeated. Other than an amendment I offered at Senator SALAZARS suggestion to add the name of C~sar Chivez to the short title. which was adopted. no- other amendments were offered. The record is the record. As reported by The Houston Chronicle the next day. Senator CORNYN said: \"I decided that any amendments would be defeated. so I decided not to offer any.\" As Chairman SPECTERS deadline approached yesterday for filing views to be included in a highly unusual committee report. the Democratic Senators learned that the document the chairman was prepared to sign and file had changed dramatically from the document he had circulated as a draft report on July 24. 2006. As sponsors of the Senate legislation who have supported it pressed for its enactment and voted for it. we felt compelled to file views registering our disappointment that the views then being circulated did not reflect our views. did not properly reflect the record supporting our bill. and did not fully endorse the bill we introduced. sponsored and that we and all members of the committee voted to report favorably to the Senate. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10635}
{"speech_id":1090165364,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After we filed our views. I understand the report was revised even further to incorporate what had previously been styled as supplemental views into a new and not previously circulated version. I will ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a copy of the signature page showing that even then only nine Republican members of the committee. less than a majority. endorsed the report. Of course. at the time of floor debate and consideration of H.R. 9 in the Senate. no Senate committee report on S. 2703 was available to Senators. Fortunately at the time of Senate floor debate and consideration of H.R. 9 in the Senate last week. Senators had available to them an extensive record to inform their votes. We had the voluminous Senate Judiciary Committee record. including thousands of pages of testimony. We had the full record before the House of Representatives. including thousands of pages of testimony. We had the House Committee Report and the full debate on the floor of the House of Representatives. including debate surrounding four substantive amendments to H.R. 9 that were all rejected. Leading up to final passage of the Voting Rights Act reauthorization. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10635}
{"speech_id":1090165364,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I provided the Senate with some of the extensive evidence received in the Judiciary Committee about the persistence of discriminatory practices in covered jurisdictions that supports reauthorization of this crucial provision. I provided evidence regarding the need for fixes to two Supreme Court decisions to clarify Congresss intent regarding the Voting Rights Act to reinforce the original purpose of the act. I also pointed to evidence supporting the extension of the acts critical bilingual language assistance provisions. I included statements in the CONGRESSIONAL. RECORD from Tuesday and Wednesday and available to all Senators during the course of the debate. I referred to that evidence early in the debate last Thursday. Most importantly. of course. at the time we voted. all Senators had before them the detailed findings in section 2 of the legislation based on the record and all Senators endorsed those findings with their votes. For example. those findings explicitly include: \"Evidence of continued discrimination includ[ing] ... the hundreds of objections interposed. requests for more information submitted followed by voting changes withdrawn from consideration by jurisdictions covered by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. and section 5 enforcement actions undertaken by the Department of Justice in covered jurisdictions since 1982 that prevented election practices. such as annexation. atlarge voting. and the use of multimember districts. from being enacted to dilute minority voting strength. . .. the number of requests for declaratory judgments denied by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. . . . the continued filing of section 2 cases that originated in covered jurisdictions. and . . . the litigation pursued by the Department of Justice since 1982 to enforce sections 4(e). 4(f)(4). and 203 of such Act to ensure that all language minority citizens have full access to the political process.\" In addition. those findings include. \"[t]he continued evidence of racially polarized voting in each of the jurisdictions covered by the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 demonstrates that racial and language minorities remain politically vulnerable. warranting the continued protection of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.\" These findings the Senate adopted in its unanimous vote for H.R. 9 and as a reauthorization measure also incorporated the statutory findings within the following provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: section 203(a). section 4(f)(1). section 10(a). and section 202(a). By passing the legislation. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10635}
{"speech_id":1090165380,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 27. 2006. at 10 a.m.. in open session to consider the following nomination: Lieutenant General James T. Conway. USMC. for appointment to the grade of General and to be Commandantof the Marine Corps.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":337}
{"speech_id":1090165386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday. July 27. 2006. at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to review and make recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. and to consider favorably reporting S. 3495. to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Vietnam.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":466}
{"speech_id":1090165543,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today along with my colleague from Colorado. Senator SALAZAR. to inform our colleagues of our efforts to expand the availability of alternative fuel infrastructure to assist American consumers who are increasingly looking to buyautomobiles that can run on alternative fuels such as biodiesel. E85 ethanol. natural gas. and other such fuels. American automakersFord. GM. Daimler Chrysleralternative energy groups. and environmental organizations have all expressed to Congress that the leading hurdle to allowing consumers greater access to vehicles that run on alternative fuels is the fact that there just arent enough refueling stations across the country. For instance. while there are over 6 million flexfuel vehicles nationwide that can run on either gasoline or E85 ethanol. less than 1 percent of all gas stations provide consumers with the option of fueling up with an alternative fuel that is American made. cleaner for the environment. and reduces our Nations overreliance on foreign sources of oil. On Monday of this week. the House of Representatives. by a vote of 355 to 9. overwhelmingly passed a bill by Congressman MIKE ROGERS from MichiganH.R. 5534that authorizes grants up to $30.000 for gas stations. and other eligible entities under the Clean Cities Program at the Department of Energyincluding Government entitiesthat place in service alternative fuel infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090165543,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Subject to annual appropriations. Congressman ROGERS bill authorizes the use of penalties that are collected annually from foreign automakers who violate the CAFE standard for fuel efficiency. This Housepassed bill is currently being held at the Senate desk and Senator SALAZAR and I. along with Senators TALENT and HAGEL. have a substitute amendment that has the support of the majority leader and has been cleared by the chairman of the Commerce Committee. Again. I reiterate that this is simply an authorization and has no mandatory spending. Our goal is to pass this substitute proposal by unanimous consent and send it back to the House of Representativeswhich has indicated that they are prepared to pass the modified proposal so it can be enacted into law. Mr. President. for the information of my colleagues. while the Senate is currently debating a bill to expand the availability of oil and natural gas that is located off the coast of the U.S.. we shouldnt miss the opportunity to pass a modified version of the alternative fuel grant legislation that the House overwhelmingly passed earlier this week.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090165546,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I take this opportunity today to honor the memory of a good friend. Leonard H. Robinson. Jr.. president and CEO of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa. who died suddenly on Tuesday here in Washington. Leonards remarkable achievements have been recognized across America and the world. Throughout his nearly 40year career. Leonard distinguished himself in many roles. He brought knowledge. commitment. and experience to his work at the State Department. the African Development Foundation. and the U.S. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090165546,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Agency for International Development. For many years. he devoted his abundant energy to promoting understanding and opportunities in Africa. It all started. however. as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 19641967. He surprised one of my staff members recently by conversing in fluent Hindi. one of many languages Leonard had taken the time to master. Leonard Robinson was also a visiting professor and lecturer at several universities including Boston University and the University of Virginia. where he was the universitys first diplomatinresidence. Through his membership on a variety of commissions and councils. including the Council on Foreign Relations. he gave clear voice to important issues. and others responded in kind. He had the ability to bring together broad coalitions of partners. including businesses. NGOs. academics. and civil society groups. who otherwise might not have recognized their mutual interests. He influenced numerous individuals in America and around the world to see the potential of Africa. Leonard Robinsons work on African affairs was always based on the conviction that it was important to correct the frequently negative perceptions about Africa that inhibited genuine interaction with that continent. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090165546,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His tireless efforts to educate all Americans on the rich history and diversity of Africa and its people culminated in the establishment of the AfricaSociety. of which he was a founder. president. and CEO. There will be a memorial service in honor of Leonard Robinson at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday August 15. 2006. at the Washington National Cathedral where his friends and colleagues will recognize his accomplishments and celebrate his legacy. I will continue to support his most recent effort in dialog on Capitol Hill. where Congressman DONALD PAYNE and I have cochaired the Conversation and Dinner with African Ambassadors Series. My sympathy is with Leonards family and many friends. especially his two daughters Rani and Kemberley. his mother Winnie. and his brother Michael. This exemplary statesman was a great representative of his country and a standard bearer for the advancement of Africa. and he added something very noble to Washington discourse. We will miss his wisdom .and grace..","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090165563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. America cannot be a secure Nation without first having secure borders. Inadequate border security not only opens up America to the abuses of illegal immigration. it also leaves our Nation vulnerable to criminal and even terrorist activity. House Republicans have taken a strong stance on this issue. Democrats. on the other hand. support the ReidKennedy bill. a soft piece of legislation that would do little to discourage- the lawlessness that we have encroaching into our Nation. It would require illegal immigrants to pay. taxes for only 3 of the 5 years they have been in our country. and would guarantee Social Security benefits to illegals for the time they have been in the country unlawfully. The ReidKennedy bill is just as unjust as it is dangerous. If a current American citizen tried to pay taxes 3 out of every 5 years. he would be put in jail. Why do we extend this privilege to people who arent even citizens? It is simply ludicrous. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1139}
{"speech_id":1090165563,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During August. Republicans will hold 21 hearings across the country on immigration. We hope these hearings will help us get a strong border security bill on the Presidents desk.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1139}
{"speech_id":1090165570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. yesterday Exxon reported its secondhighest quarterly profit ever. Net income. $10 billion. up 36 percent. But they are not the only ones raking in the cash. Shell reported a 40percent increase in profit. BP. a 30percent increase. ConocoPhilips. a 65percent increase in profit. And whom does this oil industry have to thank? Lee Raymond and his outsized $400 million retirement package? No. The oil companies have the Republican Congress to thank for their huge bank accounts. In 2005. the oil and gas companies spent $86 million lobbying the United States Congress. and they received $14.5 billion in taxpayerfunded handouts. ","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090165570,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You cannot get that type of return on Wall Street or in Vegas. $86 million for lobbying. $14.5 billion in corporate welfare. So Americans are paying twice. once when they fill up their tanks. and then again on We must stop handing out welfare checks to Big Oil. It is high time big oil companies got off the taxpayer dole. Mr. Speaker. it is time for a change. And it is time for a new direction.","speaker_name":"RAHM EMANUEL","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090165595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have served here 26 years. Eight years before that I was in the State legislature. And before that. I studied legislatures. They are a subject of fascination to me because I believe deeply in democracy. I have never seen democracy so degraded in a purportedly legitimate institution as by this bill today. It is solely intended to allow Members of your party. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1231}
{"speech_id":1090165595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. to pretend to be for an increase in the minimum wage to get them safely past an election. There are plenty of ways. if they were really for increasing the minimum wage. they could join and give us the majority to do it. But you are allowing them to be dishonest. This proposal that links the estate tax and the minimum wage in a bill that you know is not going to pass the Senate is the most ethically repugnant. intellectually dishonest. morally bankrupt ploy I have ever seen in a legislative body. For you. Mr. Speaker. and your party to perpetrate this conscious. deliberate deception. not just on the American people. but particularly on the poorest and hardest working among them. is something I would have thought previously even you would have been ashamed to do. Apparently. shame has become entirely irrelevant to you and your party.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1231}
{"speech_id":1090165611,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this bill is a sham concealing an insult hiding a hypocrisy. It Is a sham legislative process to bring a bill of thousands of pages. which has yet to be distributed to any of us. for a midnight vote. It is an insult to turn to the hardworking people working for $5.15 an hour and tell -them that. first. you will get a little bit more. but it still will be less purchasing power than you had decades ago. But second. you will get it only if it is tied to relief for those who pay Phe estate tax. You know. people have misnamed -the estate tax the death tax. It is really and literally the millionaires tax. The tax falls only on those who are heirs. It reduces the amount they will inherit. and only on those who are heirs to estates of over $7 million a family. . We Democrats have proposed that we permanently lift the estate tax on all families on the first $7 million. ","speaker_name":"BRAD SHERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090165611,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That would cost about $22 billion a year. This bill has provisions virtually abolishing the millionaires tax and. therefore. will cost- this country. when fully phased in. $66 billion a year. So a few quarters an hour to those who are earning the minimum wage. and $44 billion a year to those who are heirs of estates above $7 million a family. H6028. co] That would be an insult. But dont worry about it. because it is shrouded in a hypocrisy. You see. this bill isnt designed to go anywhere. It is designed to come to the floor. we vote on it at midnight. then the Senate wont pass it. If you have voted against raising the minimum wage a dozen times. as most of the Republicans in this House have. dont think you can get well by voting for this bill.","speaker_name":"BRAD SHERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090165615,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Iyield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. let me urge all my colleagues. both Republican and Democrat. to oppose this rule. This is a martial law rule. There are 1.200 pages of legislation that nobody has read. This is not the way this House should be run. People who are watching this on TV are scratching their heads and wondering howin the world can Members of Congress vote on legislation that they have never seen. that they havent had a chance to read. But that is exactly what we are being asked to do tonight. and that is wrong. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1616}
{"speech_id":1090165615,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What is happening right now is a deliberate attempt to. essentially. give people cover on the minimum wage. on a bill that will die. This is not going to be enacted into law. We know that because the Senate has already made it clear that they afe not going to support this legislation. And so this is political cover for Republicans who are afraid that they are going to be criticized for not voting for the minimum wage. If you want a minimum wage. then vote for it up or down. Dont clutter it up with tax breaks for millionaires and for special corporate interests. The fact of the matter is that it takes a full days pay for a minimumwage earner to fill just one tank of gas. The average CEO earns 821 times more than a minimumwage worker. The average CEO earns more before lunchtime than a minimumwage worker earns all year. Lets not be cynical. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1616}
{"speech_id":1090165615,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets defeat this martial law rule. Lets give the Members of this House an opportunity to vote on the minimum wage up or down. That is what the American people deserve. Vote \"no\" on this martial law rule.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1616}
{"speech_id":1090165623,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. reserving the right to object. I think especially in the closing days of -the session. that Members ought to have an understanding of what is going on. even though this is martial law time. So I would ask if the gentleman would please explain to the House what this action would do.","speaker_name":"DAVID OBEY","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":295}
{"speech_id":1090165647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman. my friend. for yielding. The agreement we have reached at long last tonight will benefit millions of hardworking Americans. This is a landmark achievement. We have attained unprecedented unity. and I am grateful for the hard work of the leadership and for our Members commitment to getting this done for America. Our friends on the other side of the aisle are already calling this political. but they are wrong. It is another example of House Republicans getting things done for the American people. The bill before us tonight will raise the minimum wage more than $2. to $7.25 an hour. a 41 percent increase. a provision that I am very proud to support. Ohio workers where Ilive deserve a raise. and tonight that is what we are giving them. and we are doing it in a -way that wont stifle job creation. but more importantly. we are doing it in a way that will be able to pass and become law. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090165647,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A clean upordown vote would never get through the Senate. the other body. and would never become law. This legislation will also benefit family businesses by burying the death tax for good. Because of this crippling tax that has been on our books for so long. more than 70 percent of family businesses and family farms dont even make it through the second generation. and 87 percent dont even make it to the third. The death tax relief included in this bill will protect these businesses and allow them to continue to create jobs for hardworking Americans. Mr. Speaker. this bill will also support our Nations teachers. Teachers often contribute more than their time and talent to educate our students.- frequently dipping into their own pockets to provide essential classroom supplies. The Apples for Teachers provision which I introduced years ago is expiring. but today we will extend it and these expenses will continue to be tax deductible. Mr. Speaker. this is a vote for our teachers. for our families. for our small businesses. for our farmers. and for all hardworking Americans. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090165647,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of it.","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090165735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am sitting here listening to this debate and I am wondering. what bill are they talking about? Are they talking about the bill that 70 Democrats voted for earlier in the year that got 294 votes? Are they talking about the bill that is endorsed by the United Auto Workers. by the building trades? Are they talking about the bill that was negotiated between Democrats and Republicans. between the House and the other body? Because that isthe bill we are talking about right here. This bill was written with the input from labor. with the input from management. with the input from employees and employers. What is wrong? What needs to be fixed? Well. you know what needs to be fixed? If an employer promises their employee they are going to fund their pension. by golly. that is exactly what they should do. That is what this bill does. It makes sure they do in fact fund that pension 100 percent. If an employer wants to prefund their employees pension. wants to do good by helping them ahead of time. we want to change theri4es so they can do that. And you know..what. if an employer wants to exploit loopholes and rip off .their employees. shortchange their pension. as the current law allows employers to do. we have got to stop them from doing that. And that is what this bill does. ","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1521}
{"speech_id":1090165735,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is why this bill is supported by unions. by- management. by Republicans. by Democrats. by the House and the other body. This is a bill that is a good bill that has been negotiated for a year. and I urge its passage.","speaker_name":"PAUL RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1521}
{"speech_id":1090165754,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. As the chairman of the Ways and Means committee said earlier. he did say that the pension system is broken. I wouldnt say it is quite broken. but it does have some cracks. We forget that when ERISA was enacted in 1973. it was hailed in particular in my district by my predecessor for whom I was administrative assistant as the great salvation for iron ore mines that were about to go into bankruptcy and for workers whose pension plans would have been lost without PBGC set up under ERISA. We find now that there are some oversights that should have been plugged over the years and failings that should have been corrected. But they werent done. And now we are at a situation where there is an opportunity to make an adjustment and that is in the airline sector. If the steel industry had been as responsible as I submit Northwest Airlines hag been and Delta in working with their employees to protect the pensions. freeze the pensions. require the company to pay in over a period of time. we wouldnt have billions of dollars in unfunded liabilities for the steel industry in the PBGC. and we would have more steel industry still operating and more workers getting their fair pensions. Now. the plan that Northwest has set before its workers was negotiated with the pilots. the flight attendants and the machinists. and they said. Well freeze the plan. but well continue to pay into it so that you get the full amount youre entitled to and then well substitute a defined contribution plan. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2143}
{"speech_id":1090165754,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. two other carriers. American and Continental. say that is unfair to them. But what is unfair to them would be if we do nothing tonight. defeat this bill. and then Northwest simply turns over in the month of August their pension plan to the PBGC and thousands of employees from both Northwest and Delta are out of luck. they lose huge amounts of money over the balance of their retirement years. and then American and Continental have a real disparity in competition because those companies dont have that burden of liability to pay. So pass this bill and give those carriers an opportunity to do the right thing.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2143}
{"speech_id":1090165759,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House. this is a complicated piece of legislation and Members of the House and Members of the Senate have struggled with it for some period of time. That struggle really hasnt been completed yet because this legislation was taken from the conference committee and it is here tonight to be passed unilaterally within the House and be presented to the Senate in the future. It is difficult to understand all of the things that have been done in this legislation. certainly for the Democratic Members of the House since we were not included in this conference committee. We were not invited into any of the sessions. nor was the information shared with us as it was developed during the conference committee because they chose to run it simply on a partisan basis among the House conferees. But I think it is clear to understand also that this legislation does. in fact. as my colleague from Massachusetts said. miss a number of opportunities. And that is why we are concerned with it tonight. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8979}
{"speech_id":1090165759,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We understand the changes that have been made that allow companies to continue to underfund those pension plans and then increase the contributions that those plans will have to make in later years. and it is pretty clear that as businesses sit down and make the decisions about the allocation of resources and they look at those increased contributions. the burden will really push them in the direction of freezing or terminating their plans. That is why we see the quote that was given this last day or so. \"We will see an unprecedented number of companies freezing -their plans in 2007 because they will recognize the difficulties of the new pension regime.\" That comes from the American Benefits Council. which deals with so many of these plans. because this tilts the table toward the decisions by companies to terminate or to freeze those plans. And if that happens. of course. we have been warned now. under this legislation by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation that as they contribute less to those plans and then make that decision. -it also heightens the likelihood that these underfunding problems will become worse. according to this legislation as represented to us by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. And they also make it clear the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation that absorbs these plans on behalf of a safety net paid for by other plans that as they suffer from a huge deficit. a $23 billion deficit. they expect that this legislation that is before us tonight will add some $2 billion to that deficit over the next 10 years. But there are other decisions that the conferees could have made or that you could have made in drafting this bill as you brought it to the floor. You could have erred on the side of working people. You could have made a decision that in these plans that are distressed and underfunded that we would. in fact. treat the employees and the executives alike. But we set two different standards. We said that if your plan is not 80 percent funded. then the employees can get no additional benefits in terms of their retirement out of that plan. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8979}
{"speech_id":1090165759,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But if a plan is only 60 percent funded. executives can continue to draw and add on and accrue pension benefits. So we have set two different standards here. Both people. I assume. are working very hard for the success of that corporation. One is just going to get treated entirely differently than the other. It is a matter of simple fairness. A matter of simple equity. But when we see the greatest disparities in the history of this country for a long time now. when we see these disparities. this bill increases those disparities between the executives and the employees. You could have made a decision not to harm the pilots that were harmed after 9\/11 because they were forced to retire early. Federal law made. them retire at 60. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8979}
{"speech_id":1090165759,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then 9\/11 and the high fuel costs come along. and that drives United Airlines into bankruptcy. a bankruptcy I didnt agree with. but they went into bankruptcy. so you lost 40 percent of your pension. PBGC took over their plan. but you lost an additional amount because you retired at 60. Those pilots had no chance. We could have taken care of them in this bill. One would have thought that that was somewhat of a humane thing to do. a compassionate thing to do. They were victims of 9\/11. They were victimsof the downturn in the travel economy after 9\/11. They were victims of high fuel costs. They did not do anything wrong. and Federal law forced them to retire. But we just blew off their cause in this legislation. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8979}
{"speech_id":1090165759,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The issue of older workers. a missed opportunity there. to make sure. as we transition from defined benefits plans to cash balance plans. that we would protect the oldest of those workers. the closest to retirement. that we would make sure that they would be taken care of because. as we know. people who are 55. 60 years old. 5 years from retirement. have very little opportunity to accumulate the kind of economic resources that are necessary to match the retirement that they were expecting. You didnt have to do it. It was recommended by the administration. The Secretary of Treasury. former Secretary Mr. Snow. said it should be done. He said he did it in his corporation at CSX. He voted to do it as a member of the board of Verizon. It was done by Honeywell. It was doneby Wells Fargo Bank. It was a compassionate thing to do. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8979}
{"speech_id":1090165763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I can tell you. I found out why. because it is hard work and there are a lot of people who have a lot of different interests. But at the end of the day. the work that we started I thinkis going to pay dividends tonight. because what we have here is a process and a product that has been developed together that will in fact meet the goals that we set out to do. And it wouldnt have happened without the work of a lot of Members on both sides of the aisle. With that. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to support this bill. to defeat the motion to recommit. and move this bill to the Senate and on to the Presidents desk..","speaker_name":"ROBERT ANDREWS","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":620}
{"speech_id":1090165816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself briefly. All we have to do to provide an increase in the minimum wage is to vote \"yes.\" And I wonder how that person working for a minimum wage feels when you say. I couldnt vote \"yes\" for the increase in the minimum wage because I was offended the way it was presented to us. And you need to know that the way I feel about the process in the House of Representatives is more important than providing you with an increase in the minimum wage. Mr. Speaker. it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania. -a valued member of the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. ENGLISH. ci 0000 Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2685}
{"speech_id":1090165816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ENGLISHof Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker. let me say what is sad and shameful here tonight is the argument being made by socalled progressives to justify their vote against raising the minimum wage. This legislation. granted. includes an extension of the work opportunity tax credit so that we can encourage more people to move off welfare onto the rolls. It includes extensions of the deduction for higher education expenses and the deduction for teachers for their daytoday expenses in the classroom. It includes expensing of mine safety equipment. It also improves access to lifesaving vaccines. Mr. Speaker. it also includes an increase in the minimum wage. something they led us to believe that they wanted to see. something that I have been fighting for for years. and they have done nothing to carry any heavy lifting on. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2685}
{"speech_id":1090165816,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the one vote on raising the minimum wage in the House this year is this vote and we are going to take names. and workers are going to be watching. Mr. Speaker. this current minimum wage is an embarrassment. A 40houraweek worker at minimum wage makes just over $10.000. Working families are struggling to make ends meet. to address higher gas prices. to address rising home heating bills. And. in the face of all of that. the socalled progressives are finding every imaginable excuse to vote against raising the minimum wage. They have always liked the politics of the minimum wage and generally cared little for the policy of the minimum wage. We have always clustered increases of the minimum wage with other issues. There is nothing novel about this. This is one upordown vote. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2685}
{"speech_id":1090165816,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The American people are going to be holding them accountable. And if they vote \"no.\" they are voting against raising the minimum wage. That includes the gentleman from Ohio who is running for the Senate and we are going to watch that one with a great dealof interest. There is only one vote this year for raising the minimum wage. It is this one. We are going to hold you accountable for how you vote on it. whether you hiss or not.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2685}
{"speech_id":1090165869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. tomorrows headlines are going to read \"hostage taken\". And you know what they. are going to mean? The increase in the minimum wage was taken hostage by the Republican majority. They have taken the increase in the minimum wage hostage unless we give the superrich $100 billion. To give the working poor a $2.10 increase an hour. they have held us hostage unless we give them $800 billion. Now. they have had 9 years in the majority in the House to have a clean increase in the minimum wage. They never .did it. They would not let. us do it. because they were in the majority. They still will not do it. Only if we give the superrich $800 billion. ","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1005}
{"speech_id":1090165869,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And American people are not stupid. They do not want a bad deal. They do not want a bad law. They do not want to give into hostage demands. They do not want to give in to extortion. They want an increase in the minimum wage. not another $800 billion gift to the superrich because the Republican majority does not want to give it in any other way.","speaker_name":"STEVEN ROTHMAN","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1005}
{"speech_id":1090165884,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight appalled by the way Republican leadership has decided to tum against American workers by playing politics. instead of passing a clean minimum wage increase. It is shameful that millions of Americans are suffering the economic injustice of working a fulltime job and earning a wage that leaves them below the poverty line. It is unconscionable that we stand here tonight debating provisions on the estate tax and the extension of expiring tax provisions. These provisions only serve as a political ploy to kill any increase to the minimum wage. Workingclass Americans have waited too long. close to a decade in fact. for an increase in the minimum wage. This has been the second longest period without a pay raise since the Federal minimum wage law was first enacted in 1938. Over this last decade while the minimum wage has remained stagnant. the cost of basic necessities such as energy and healthcare have skyrocketedmeaning that the minimum wage is no longer a livable wage. Today a minimum wage earner has to work a day and a half just to pay for a full tank of gas. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2133}
{"speech_id":1090165884,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is simply shameful. As Americans we have always been told that if you have a job. and you work hard. you will have a secure future in our Nation. Yet. millions of Americans who do have jobs and who do work hard everyday have joined the ranks of the \"working poor.\" In fact. the number of fulltime yearround workers who are poor has more than doubled since the late 1970s. Let there be no doubt. a vote to increase the minimum wage to $7.25\/hour is a vote to alleviate poverty in America. and it is a vote to help eliminate the term \"working poor\" from our reality. Members of this body should be allowed a straight upordown vote on legislation to raise the minimum wage to a true livable wage of $7.25\/hour over the next 2 years. But instead the Republican leadership here in the House of Representatives has chosen to play dirty politics and attach poison pill provisions to this legislation with the implicit expectation of killing a real minimum wage increase. It is quite simply a slap in the face for workingclass Americans.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2133}
{"speech_id":1090165923,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speakers table the Senate bill to make technical corrections to the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER CANNON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":253}
{"speech_id":1090166106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I see the Senator from Nebraska. and I will not take much time. but I would ask a question of the Senator from Nevada. The Senator from Nevada has been in the Congress as long as I have. We came together in 1982. We have seen a lot of things happen. I ask the Senator from Nevada if. in his time in serving in Congress. he has ever seen a worse special interest bill than this bill which would repeal the estate tax which affects about 2 families out of every 1.000. families who are the wealthiest in America. that the Republican leadership in the House and Senate insist we have to reduce their taxes before we can ever consider giving an increase in the minimum wage to 11 million workers who get up every morning and go to work? For 9 straight years. the Republican leadership in the White House and Congress has said to these hardworking Americans. no pay raise. Nownowcomes the deal. The Republicans have finally said: OK. all right. our conscience has finally gotten to usor maybe it is the fear of losing our congressional pay raisebut now we will consider the minimum wage pay raise as long as you will cut the taxes on the wealthiest people in America as part of the bargain. Has the Senator from Nevada ever seen a worse special interest bargain in 24 years?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1269}
{"speech_id":1090166108,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would like to ask the Senator from Nevada thisand he goes to the point. It is not just the basic injustice and unfairness of saying you will not give the hardest working. lowest paid Americans any increase in their hourly wage unless you give the wealthiest Americans a tax break that. frankly. only but a few of them have asked for. I ask the Senator from Nevada. the outcome of this dealif they pull it offwill increase the debt of America. will increase the money we have to borrow from China and Japan and Korea and Saudi Arabia. will leave a greater debt for our children so the Republican dream of reducing the estate tax for the wealthiest people in America will come true. Does the Senator from Nevada think that increasing Americas debt. cutting taxes in the midst of a war. is sound evidence of fiscal conservatism?","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":827}
{"speech_id":1090166113,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask the Senator from Nevada to yield for one further question. I thank the Senator from Nebraska for his patience. We have struggled long and hard over the last several months to ask the Republican leadership in the Senate to bring up the issues. the bills. the laws that people care about: reducing the cost of gasoline for working families and businesses and farmers in Nevada. Illinois. Texas. and Nebraska. working on doing something about the 46 million uninsured Americans. dealing with the issues that we face when people cannot afford to send their kids to college. dealing with the real security of America so we live up to the 9\/11 Commission recommendations to make America safe. I will ask the Senator from Nevada. in closing. as we have asked time and time and time again. to bring up the real issues that count. such as an increase in the minimum wage. is it not a fact that. instead. the Republican leadership has pushed aside the real issues. such as money for our troops. pushed aside the energy program which we need for America. and said. instead: We are going to have a parade of constitutional amendments that are extrememany of themand then we have to always come back to repealing the estate tax? It is a higher priority to them than anything I have mentioned.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1285}
{"speech_id":1090166134,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before the Senator from Florida leaves the floorand he may be staying through the debatehe has been extremely essential and instrumental and vital to the compromise that has come forward. I want to thank him for his leadership. As he alluded to. the five States in the gulf coast came togetherthe States of Louisiana. Mississippi. Alabama. Florida. and the State of the presiding officer. Texas. and he did an outstanding job as part of the coalition as wellwith an arrangement that would have many mutual beneficial parts. One. it is going to provide oil and gas. and particularly natural gas. That is in such short supply. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8412}
{"speech_id":1090166134,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator from Florida knows and all of our colleagues from Florida understand that natural gas is a raw material that is used to literally produce almost every product in America that you can think of. from rubber tires. to the automobiles themselves. to the products of ethanol. to fertilizers. chemicalsyou name it. natural gas is used as a raw material. The prices are too high. They have to come down. The industry is doing a very good job of conserving. but we must open domestic supply. as well asunfortunately. because the demand is so highimport liquefied natural gas. now that the technology has presented itself. But before we establish another network of dependency. lets at least do our part and produce the natural gas we have here. So on this bill. the Gulf Coast States have come together to open up 8 million new acres. four times more than the original billin the compromise we provided. four times more than the original bill to open natural gas for the country. The other beneficial aspect of this bill is establishing a strong and reliable. trustworthy partnership between the Federal Government and the Gulf Coast Statesthe four producing States. of which Texas is oneand to say the infrastructure that we provide. basically allowing the Federal Government to access the land it ownsand there is no question that this land off the coast of the United States is owned by everybody. not just the States along the coast. But. frankly. as you know. without our highways and helicopter pads. and our sheds. and our boat launches. and our shipping facilities. and fabrication facilities. the Federal Government could not even access the minerals. So. basically. by providing the servitude and the services and the platform. if you will. to host this great industry. we are saying let us share in all future revenuesas you know. 37.5 percent. That is the second most important thing in my mind that has been established. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8412}
{"speech_id":1090166134,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For Louisianas purposes. and according to the way the bill is currently structured for all of the Gulf Coast States. we will use that money to restore a great coastline. to secure and buffer Americas only energy coast. We dont have to roll the reels back or rewind the tape of Katrina and Rita. We know what megastorms can mean for the gulf coast. We have all lived through them. We have watched our families struggle. We have watched our constituents struggle. having lost homes. churches. and schools. having seen the great infrastructure. the huge pipelines and facilities. drilling ships. and oil rigs and platforms bent by the great winds and waves. We know how important it is to take a little bit of that money we are paying in taxes and reinvest back into the gulf coast to strengthen the infrastructure. not just for the people who live there in the big towns such as New Orleans and Creole. LA. and midsize towns such as Beaumont and Galveston. and Gulfport. and Pass Christian. but for the whole Nation. because the Nation needs the gulf coast to be strong and secure in these storms. So using this money to restore the great wetlands. which our scientists know we can dobut. frankly. we have not had the money to do it. People say. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8412}
{"speech_id":1090166134,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator. get a plan. I could almost fill up this Chamber with plans our people have hador I can say dreams our people have had. We have dreamed all we can dream. We have thought all we can think about this. We need money to turn the dirt and restore the wetlands. The technology is there to do it. That is another great reason that we can have industry and the environmental community support this bill shoulder to shoulder. because the uses of the revenue sharing are going to be of such benefits to our communities. Besides the drilling and the additional revenues for the gulf coast and the additional gas for the Nation. we also have the benefit of directing these revenues to a great purpose. which is the restoration of these wetlands. Just a little more on that subject that might bring this home to those who are listening. When Katrina and Rita hitand we are just about a month away from the anniversary. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8412}
{"speech_id":1090166134,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"August 29 for Katrina and about 7 weeks away from the anniversary of Ritawe lost an area the size of the District of Columbia to open water. 100 square miles. The District isnt 100 square miles today. as you know. Mr. President. because a portion was given back to Virginia. but about 70 square miles is the District of Columbia now. We lost in a matter of a few days that amount of expanse. It went from marsh to open water because of the catastrophic loss of this great wetland. At that rate. all of our communities along the gulf coast will eventually be threatened. I laugh at my colleagues from Arkansas because the reason they are very supportive of this bill is because they told me privately: Senator. we dont want to be a coastal State. we like Arkansas the way it is. I know that is a little bit of an exaggeration. but. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8412}
{"speech_id":1090166138,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first let me acknowledge my colleague from the State of Louisiana. No person has worked harder than Senator MARY LANDRIEU for a State devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans. which is still in recovery. My colleague. Senator OBAMA. visited there 2 weeks ago and came back and told me personally of traveling for long periods of time within the city of New Orleans and seeing very few homes that have not been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and were still barely inhabitable. some virtually uninhabitable. It is hard to imagine in the United States of America. almost a year after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. that great city is still reeling from all the damage done. I know Senator LANDRIEU feels as strongly as anyonemaybe more strongly because of her personal experiencethat the State of Louisiana needs a helping hand. I want to do my best to try to be on her side as she continues this battle. I thank her for her leadership on this issue. (The remarks of Mr. DURBIN pertaining to the introduction of S. 3765 are printed in todays RECORD under \"Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.\")","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1150}
{"speech_id":1090166166,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The two bottles of Lipitor are identical bottles: same company. same pill. made in the same manufacturing plant. sent to different places. One is sent to the United States to be purchased by a United States consumer. and the other is sent to Canada to be purchased by a Canadian consumer. What is the difference? This is 40 percent less expensive than this one. The American consumer is charged more than the Canadian consumer. Why is the American consumer not able to get that 40 percent discount or pay a price that is 40 percent less? The answer is. the pharmaceutical industry stops the reimportation of prescription drugs except for the small use by those who can go back and forth physically across the border. They do that because that enforces their pricing mechanism which requires the highest prices be paid by the American consumer. Prevacid. 50 percent savings in Canada versus the United Statessame pill. same bottle. made by the same company. shipped to two different places. and one is a dramatically lower price. Zocor. 46 percent difference. Celebrex. a 55percent differenceand the list goes on. The American consumer is charged the highest prices in the world for these prescription drugs. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7908}
{"speech_id":1090166166,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I. personally. think it is unfair. The way to deal with that is to allow the American consumer access. as others have access. to an international trading system. to say if you can purchase an FDAapproved drug from Canada. you are welcome to import it into this country. The pharmaceutical industry says there are safety issues with that. There are no safety issues with that. not if it is an FDAapproved drug produced in FDAapproved plants. The Europeans have been doing something called parallel trading for a couple of decades. If you are in Germany and want to buy a prescription drug from Spain. no problem. You can do that. If you are in Italy and want to buy a prescription drug from France. no problem. Under a system called parallel trading. they are able to import and reimport prescription drugs to find the best price. Only in the United States are we prevented from doing that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7908}
{"speech_id":1090166166,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We put together a piece of legislation. We worked very hard on the legislation. Thirtytwo Senators. Republicans and Democrats. have worked to accomplish this legislation. On March 11. 2004. over 2 years ago now. at midnight in the Senate. I lifted a hold I had on a nominee in exchange for what I thought was a commitment by the majority leader to bring drug importation legislation to the Senate. I thought it was a commitment. He says he didnt think it was a commitment. I am not going to try to question his integrity but. nonetheless. we still wait 2 years later and are not able to have a vote on this legislation. In July of 2005. my colleague. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7908}
{"speech_id":1090166166,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator VITTER from Louisiana. said he received a commitment from the majority leader to bring this very issue to the Senate if the Senate achieved a 60vote demonstration of support for reimportation. The Senate met that hurdle when it adopted the VitterNelson amendment on a 68to32 vote. On July 14. I and my colleaguesthree Democrats and three Republicanswrote to the majority leader saying: We have now waited for a long while. and we hope that you will decide to do what you had assured us you would do. that is. give us an opportunity in the Senate to pass this legislation. The U.S. House has already passed legislation on this. The Senate clearly has the votes to pass it if the attempts to block it are ceased and we would be able to pass legislation that. according to the Congressional Budget Office. will save consumers $50 billion over 10 years. $5 billion a year. That is not an insignificant savings. It seems to me this is an issue that ought not be very controversial except. as I understand. to the prescription drug industry. Let me hasten to say there are some good people working in that industry. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7908}
{"speech_id":1090166166,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Those companies produce some miracle lifesaving drugs. But there are no miracles from miracle drugs if you cannot afford to take them. That is why I believe the pricing of those prescription drugs to the U.S. consumer. charging the highest prices in the world. is fundamentally unfair. It is why I and many others are attempting to remove a restriction in law that prohibits the reimportation of FDAapproved prescription drugs. In many cases. these drugs are actually made in the United States and then exported to be sold for a much lower price in other countries. Then the U.S. consumer is prevented from accessing those same lower priced drugs despite the fact they were made in this country. We passed a prescription drug benefit in Medicare recently. and it has now been implemented. That had a provision in it that prevents the negotiation for lower pricesjust as the VA and others have done. This actually prevents Medicare from negotiating lower prices. I cannot think of anything that makes less sense than a prohibition of the Federal Government from negotiating lower prices. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7908}
{"speech_id":1090166219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for his leadership in moving this bill to the floor. Is it his understanding that the conservation and outdoor recreation royalty established by his legislation has tremendous value for the stateside program of the Land and Water Conservation Fund over the long term?","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":354}
{"speech_id":1090166233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Leader. I appreciate those comments. Some people dismiss such an ambitious goal as reducing our growing dependence on foreign oil. but I recall a time when the Moon was also once out of reach. We all know the power of Americas innovative. relentless spirit when called to an objective. no matter how formative. I am particularly pleased the majority leader supports an aggressive. multifaceted energy strategy that includes renewable fuels and energy conservation. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. I know we cannot afford to rely on oil imports that are subject to the whims of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela or the political stability of Nigeria. The fact is that countries rated by Freedom House as \"not free\" produce more than twothirds of the worlds oil and have nearly 80 percent of the proven reserves. I believe the imperative is clear: America must free itself from its oil dependence. and I believe the solution is also clear: renewable energy and energy conservation. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1923}
{"speech_id":1090166233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Vehicle Fuel Choices for American Security Act that I have coauthored and now has 27 cosponsors lays out an ambitious plan for saving 2.5 million barrels of oil per day in 10 years. roughly the amount of oil Wve currently import from the Middle East. through renewables and energy conservation. Further. the bill will promote E85 fueling infrastructure and speed the development of cellulosic ethanol. while investing in the development of efficient vehicle technologies and assisting auto manufacturers transition to fuelefficient vehicle production. Last week. chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources committee. and my good friend. PETE DOMENICI expressed on the floor his affinity for the ideas in this bill. and a portion of the bill has already received a hearing in the Energy Committee. Mr. Leader. will you work with me to develop an energy package that boosts our renewable fuel production and energy conservation?","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1923}
{"speech_id":1090166282,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on behalf of the leader. I have been asked to ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday. August 1. that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired and the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate resume consideration of S. 3711 as under the previous order. with the time until the vote equally divided. with the Senate to stand in recess from 12:30 to 2:15 to accommodate the weekly policy luncheons.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":582}
{"speech_id":1090166305,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just to clarify the numbers. because Ido think the assistant Democratic leader has thrown a bit of a straw dog out there in his numbers. as to the death tax. as it is presently structured under todays law. the exemption is about $2 million. If we do not put in place this change in the death tax. the exemption will go back to $1 million. The tax rate on dollars over the $2 million today goes up to about 46 percent. I believe. If we do not put in place this change. the tax rate would go up to 60 percent on everything over $1 million. potentially. What the proposal before us will be is to raise the $2 million limit up to $3.5 million. or an increase of $1.5 million. which is basically a small family restaurant or a small family farm or a small family business. It is not to repeal the tax. it simply is to say to people who have small businesses: You will not be wiped out. Your family wont be wiped out by estate taxes which would be 60 percent. of the value of that business over $1 million. potentially. Is that not true?","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1031}
{"speech_id":1090166328,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will be very brief. Our agenda has been very clear. It has been clearly articulated and. as people look back. as they look forward. they will see how all the pieces come together because each time We take a bill to the floor there is a complaint. On child custody. there is obstruction. we are going to stop it. But it. is clear to the American people. When we go back to our States and talk to the people. they get it. The Democratic leader is right in many. ways..He says Iraq and dead Americansthe words he used-$3 billion. all of which I look at as securing Americas homeland and those enduring values of freedom and liberty that we know are so important to our generation and that next generation. That is what this war on terror is about. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1348}
{"speech_id":1090166328,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is the No. 1 issue. securing Americas homeland. I will come back to that in a second. I hope we can address supporting our troops overseas in the Department of Defense appropriations bill. this week. We need to do that this week as well. -We could go to that tonight. I will talk to Chairman STEVENS as soon as I finish here to see if we can take that to the floor tonight and address it 6ver the next couple of days. Securing Americas homeland. we addressed in part through our border security bill. and addressing immigration. we did spend several weeks on the floor of the Senate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1348}
{"speech_id":1090166340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Alabama for his statement about the efforts we are making today to reduce the price of natural gas and to use the revenues to pay the bills of the Federal Government. while at the same time to spend some 6f those dollars for conservation purposes. which is a subject that the Presiding Officer. the Senator from New Hampshire. has advocated both as a Member of the House and while he has been in the Senate. I would like to speak today to the Energy bill. the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security bill. I would like to speak on three points. The first is to emphasize why it is important. exactly what are we doing. and why is it important to the bluecollar workers. the chemical workers. the autoworkers in Tennessee and in Michigan. to people who are trying to pay their home cooling bills as the temperature soars above 100 degrees. and to farmerswho have seen their fertilizer prices double in the last several years all because of the high price of natural gas. Second. I would like to put this single piece of legislation into some perspective and reemphasize why it is the rest of the story. Most of what we are doing to try to reduce the price of nat-. ural gas came with the comprehensive Energy bill last summer. This.finishes the jobnot completely. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090166340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have more to do. but this is something we should have done a year ago. We couldnt command 60 votes then. We didnt have a formula for passing it in the Senate last year. so we left itundone. This finishes that part of the job. Third. I would like to say a word about what I like to call the outdoor recreation and conservation royalty that this legislation establishes to help create soccer fields and city parks with what we call the State side of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This Fund. for 40 years. has provided modest but very important Federal dollars to help Americans enjoy our outdoor spaces. First. why is this so important? We hear a lot of talk about the high cost of gasoline because we are reminded of it all the time when we fill up our tank. It is $3 a gallon. or $2.80 or $3.10.. We hear it might go higher. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090166340,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All across the country in American restaurants people. re eating out a little less and thinking a little bit more about long drives because of the high price of gasoline. What if the price of the gasoline at the pump were $7 a gallon? What do you suppose the reaction would be in the United States if the price of gasoline at the pump were $7 a gallon? That is exactly what the situation was in terms of natural gas last year. The price of natural gas went up to $14 a unit. Testimony before the Energy Committee showed that if we translated that into gasoline prices. it would be the same thing as if gasoline prices were $7 a gallon. That is how big the hurt is. Where does the hurt apply when the price of natural gas is too high. when it is $14? Lets start with manufacturing jobs in this country. We hear a lot of speeches being made about manufacturing jobs. Lets not send them overseas. people say. I agree with that. We dont want them to go overseas. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090166340,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What will send them overseas in the chemical industry? There are 1 million bluecollar and whitecollar jobsjobs at Eastman Chemicals in east Tennessee. I have spoken about this many times on the Senate floor. My uncle used to work there. For three or four generations. Eastman Chemicals has been a part of east Tennessee and the Great Smokey Mountains. People came to depend on Eastman Chemicals. It led to strong families. high wages. good schools. and low crime rate. It is hard for people to imagine what life would be like in the Appalachian Mountains in upper east Tennessee if Eastman had not been there for three or four generations. But how long is Eastman going to stay in upper east Tennessee if the price of natural gas is at $14? Not long. if what it does is make chemicals. The chief executive of Dow Chemical testified that when the price is that high. his raw material cost is 40 percent of his costs. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090166340,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When the price. as the Senator from Alabama was saying. of hatural gas in other parts of the world is $2. $3. $4. or $5 a unit. and it is $14 here. where do you suppose the new chemical plants are going to be built? Not here. not in Tennessee. not in New Hampshire. not in Kansas. not anywhere. In fact. there are about 100 new chemical plants being built around the world .today. One is being built in the United States. There are several reasons for that. but a primary reason is the unpredictable and high cost of natural gas. It is $7 or $8 today per unit. But our economy was built on $2 natural gas. Every little addition to costs in the manufacturing process increases the likelihood that a job. or a plant will go to Mexico or some other place. It is incumbent upon us to do everything we can to keep the prices down: First. to stabilize and then begin to keep the price down. That is why it is important to begin with manufacturing jobs. and not just the chemical industry. At a roundtable I had with the Farm Bureau in Tennessee. the chief executive of Saturn. the auto manufacturing plant. said to me: We have done about all we can to save on costs by efficiency. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10826}
{"speech_id":1090166375,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my very strong support for S. 3711. the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. sponsored by our very able chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senator DOMENICI. I was pleased to cosponsor S. 2253 with the chairman. which was an earlier version of this bill. We must all recognize that the global oil market has changed dramatically. and we must pursue an energysecurity strategy that takes into account a new set of realities. We are. now faced with the prospect of a longterm oil shortage conjoined with a serious lack of sliare capacity among even the worlds most reliable suppliers. As OPECs ability to respond to growing global demand for crude has slackened. so. too. has OPECs ability to maintain a price band and the resulting political and price stability on which our Nationmore than any otherhas been dependent. It is imperative we facethe fact that even exhaustive efforts to conserve and increase renewable fuel production will still fall far short of bridging the gap between global supply and our worlds swelling demand for liquid fuels. Oil and natural gas have production. limits. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090166375,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We do not manufacture oil. In order to produce oil and natural gas we must go through a lengthy process of exploration and extraction. Increasingly our search for replacement light sweet crude has been coming up short. Just as it is important to recognize the magnitude of our global energy shortage. it is equally important to recognize that North America has solutions that are being ignored. The passage of S. 3711 would allow us to benefit from one of the best solutions available. Within our reach. in the Gulf of Mexico. we have an abundance of new sources of oil and gas. It is time we develop these new sources in order to help American families as they struggle against the rising cost of energy. Mr. President. increasing our domestic supply of oil and gas will have a positive impact on every American and every American business. Unfortunately. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090166375,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Canada. one of our majof natural gas suppliers. has struggled to increase production and deliver it to the United States. As a result. gas -imports from Canada have dropped in recent years. I dont see how this Congress can turn away an opportunity to gain access to the 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that this legislation would make available. This is enough natural gas to heat and cool nearly six million homes for 15 yars. And how can we ignore 1.26 billion barrels of oil which would become available through this proposal? I understand there may be members of this body who will oppose this measure but I wonder why. But if the Senate is to get serious about reducing our dependence on foreign oil. we must pass this legislation. Reducing our foreign dependence by means of conservation. alone. will not work. Conservation is a part of the solution. but it is only a small part. The fact is. if we do not actually increase our domestic supplyof oil and natural gas in a significant way. as soon as possible. our Nation will pay a very heavy price. I have been -a strong advocate of conservation and increasing efficiency. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090166375,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Seven years ago. I recognized that about twothirds of all our oil consumption is taken up by the transportation sector. and I began to draft the Clean Efficient Automobiles Resulting from Advanced Car Technologies Act. or CLEAR ACT.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3395}
{"speech_id":1090166389,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I believe that as part of a balanced energy policy. we need to expand domestic oil and gas production where it has local support and can do so in an environmentally. sound way. I think the bill before the Senate meets that test. and that is why I am voting for it. However. I want to make it clear that New Yorkers do not support drilling off Long Island. or in the Finger Lakes. or in the Great Lakes. and I will vehemently oppose any bill that would open any of these areas up for drilling. With that in mind. I am concemed about conferencing the Senate bill with the House bill. but I have been assured by Senator REID that he will oppose efforts to expand drilling beyond the areas included in the Senate bill. In addition. I am disappointed that Senator FRIST chose to block all amendments to this bill. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1305}
{"speech_id":1090166389,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Expanding domestic supplies is only a partial solution to our energy problems. It is even more important that we take steps to increase energy efficiency and to expand production of renewable energy. I filed amendments to this bill to accomplish .those goals. but was not afforded the opportunity to offer them. I will continue to urge Senator FRIST to scheduletime to consider these and other bills that offer a more comprehensive longterm solution to our Nations energy problems.","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1305}
{"speech_id":1090166429,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to join my leader in expressing my condolences and my sadness. It is ironic that at this moment we are considering a measure which is something that is very important to him. Mr. President. I rise to express my. strong support for the measure pending before us. The measure includes some $453.5 billion for the Department of Defense. As the chairman stated. it includes $50 billion to help offset the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the first several months of fiscal year 2007. This is a very good bill. and all of my colleagues should thank Chairman STEVENS for his efforts. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2477}
{"speech_id":1090166429,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And believe me. it wasnt easy. Everyone in the Senate knows how difficult it is to write a Defense bill. but this years challenge was particularly great because the committees 302 allocation required the Defense Subcommittee to cut $9 billion from the requested amounts. As a result. this bill is $13 billion below the amount the Senate has already approved for Defense authorization this year. However. it is also true that if supplemental funds are excluded from comparison. the recommended funding is still $15 billion more than was provided in fiscal year 2006. This is a tough bill but an exceedingly fair one. It provides for the essential requirements of the Department of Defense while holding down the growth in the budget. The committee did a tough review of the real needs of the Defense budget. Funding for programs that were delayed or in which substantial increases were requested was curtailed. The chairman also made a courageous decision to cut back on the nondefense medical research funding in this bill. In recentyears. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2477}
{"speech_id":1090166429,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senators have been seeking funding for more and more medical programs that have very little direct relations to defense matters. Because of the need of sharply reducing funding. the chairman had to decide to deny funds for many of these programs. To my colleagues on the Democratic side. Mr. President. I say this is a good bill. It was fashioned in a bipartisan manner and it funds our critical defense needs. I fully support the bill that was unanimously reported out by the committee and recommended to the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Before I close. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2477}
{"speech_id":1090166429,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend the chairman for his courage. for his foresight. and I commend the staff: Ms. Sid Ashworth and Charlie Houy. Without. these two people. I dont think we would be where we are at this moment. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2477}
{"speech_id":1090166444,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this means the committee has addressed the total needs that have been presented to us by the Department and by the administration and by many Members to the extent we could afford it. We urge that Members study this bill. We will be prepared. I hope. to come in early tomorrow. and it is my understanding tomorrow we will be able to consider amendments that are filed by Members. At this time. we have no further amendments to offer on behalf of thfe committee. We may. as the bill proceeds. in the next 2 days. Again. it is myand I believe ourfervent hope that we can bring this bill to a close and vote on it before we leave this Friday for the August recess so that it may be worked on during the period of the August recess and presented to the Senate and the House early in September so that the bill can get to the President in ample time for it to be signed and become law prior to the end of this fiscal year. Mr. President. does the Senator from Hawaii have any further comments?","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1003}
{"speech_id":1090166455,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with a heavy heart and deep sense of gratitude to honor the life of a brave young man from IdAville. Nathaniel S. Baughman. 23 years old. was killed on July 17th by rocketpropelled grenades while on duty in Bayji. Iraq. Nate risked everything to fight for the values Americans hold close to our hearts. in a land halfway around the world. Baughman enlisted in the Army- National Guard last spring and shortly after was deployed to Iraq. He was on his last mission when he was killed and was due to return home to Indiana in a few weeks. Baughman was remembered by his mother. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090166455,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jill Baughman. who told a local news outlet. \"He was a good dad. a great father. He was a hard worker who believed in what he was doing. Were proud of what he did for us. very proud ofhim.\" Nate was a 2001 graduate of Twin Lakes High School. He was married 2 years ago and had a son. Hunter. 4. Nate was killed while serving his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was assigned to 1st Battalion. 187th Infantry Regiment. 3rd Brigade Combat Team. 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell. KY. This brave soldier leaves behind his parents. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090166455,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Robert and Jill Baughman and Andy Skorup. twinbrother Nick Skorup and brothers Ben. Joseph and ChristopherBaughman. his wife Erin. son Hunter and Hunters mother Amanda Conrad. Today. I join Nates family and friends in mourning his death. While we struggle to bear our sorrow over this loss. we can also take pride in the example he set. bravely fighting to make the world a safer place. It is his courage and strength of character that people will remember when they think of Nate. a memory that will burn brightly during these continuing days of conflict and grief. Nate was known for his dedication to his family and his love of country. Today and always. Nate will be remembered by family members. friends and fellow Hoosiers as a true American hero. and we honor the sacrifice he made while dutifully serving his country. As I search for words to do justice in honoring Nates sacrifice. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090166455,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am reminded of President Lincolns remarks as he addressed the families of the fallen soldiers in Gettysburg: \"We cannot dedicate. we cannot consecrate. we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men. living and dead. who struggled here. have consecrated it. far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here. but it can never -forget what they did here.\" This statement is just as true today as it -was nearly 150 years ago. as I am certain that the impact of Nates actions will live on far longer that any record of these words. It is my sad duty to. enter the name of Nathaniel S. Baughman in the official record of theU.S. Senate for his service to this country and for his profound commitment to freedom. democracy and peace. When I think about this just cause in which we are engaged.- and the unfortunate pain that comes with the loss of our heroes.. I hope that families like Nates can find comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah who said. \"He will swallow up death in victory. and theLord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.\" May God grant strength and peace to those Who mourn. and may God be with all of you. as I know He is with Nate.","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3253}
{"speech_id":1090166468,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. along with Finance Committee Chairman CHUCK GRASSLEY. I am introducing the Wage Index Accuracy Improvement Act. This bill would help ensure access to quality. affordable health care in rural America. And this bill would improve accuracy. reduce volatility. and ease uncertainty in the way that Medicare pays hospitals. Medicare pays most hospitals through the inpatient prospective payment system. or IPPS. Under the IPPS. Medicare pays hospitals a standardized amount for each patient discharged. The Governments Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. or CMS. adjusts this amount for local wages. with a mechanism known as the area wage index. CMS intends that the area wage index help adjust for the wide variation of prices for labor and supplies across the Nation. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4369}
{"speech_id":1090166468,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After adjusting for wages. CMS then multiplies -the standardized amount by the relative weight of the diagnosisthe diagnosis related group or DRGto determine the total payment to the hospital. CMS further increases payments if the hospital is a teaching hospital. cares for a disproportionate share of lowincome patients. or treats an exceptionally costly case. Rural providers have had concerns about the accuracy of the wage index. Largely in response to these concerns. Congress enacted an important provision as part of the Medicare Modernization Act. or MMA. in 2003. For hospitals with wage indexes below 1.0that is. hospitals where CMS thinks that local wages are below averagesection 403 of the MMA reduced the portion of the standardized amount subject to wages to 62 percent. down from about 70 percent.-This provision increased payments to hospitals in lowwage areas by an estimated $5.2 billion over 10 years. And this change was an important step toward ensuring access to quality. affordable health care in rural areas. Nonetheless. significant problems with the wage index still exist. Some of those problems relate to section 304 of the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2001. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4369}
{"speech_id":1090166468,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In that law. Congress required CMS to collect data on hos_pitals occupational mix. in order to remove incentives to employ a relatively .more expensive workforce. For instance. a hospital that employs predominantly higher paid registered nurses would typically have higher labor costs than a facility employing mostly lower paid licensed practical nurses. In an effort to remove the influence of these staffing choices on Medicare hospital payments. .section 304 required CMS to adjust the wage index for occupational mix. Congress intended through section 304 to bring greater accuracy to the payment system. leading to fairer reimbursement\" for hospitals. I am concerned that this provision may well have the opposite effect. CMS collected data for occupational mix adjustment in 2004. But given concerns over the accuracy of the data. in fiscal years 2005 and 2006. CMS applied only a 10percent adjustment for occupational mix. CMS proposed the same adjustment10 percentfor fiscal year On April 3. 2006. the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ordered CMS to apply 100percent of the occupational mix adjustment for fiscal year 2007. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4369}
{"speech_id":1090166468,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The court directed CMS to complete data collection and measurement by September 30. 2006. and then apply the adjustment in full. Mr. President. if CMS proceeds with a 100 percent occupational mix adjustment. hospital payments will be subject to inaccuracy. uncertainty. and volatility.. Congress can prevent these outcomes. by passing the Wage Index Accuracy Improvement Act that we introduce today. This bill would maintain the current 10 percent occupational mix adjustment for the next 2 fiscal years. giving CMS time to collect accurate data. The bill would require CMS to report on its data collection for the occupational mix adjustment by January 1. 2008. Both of these actions will give hospitals more timeand more informationto better hnderstand the effect of the occupational mix adjustment. Mr. President. Medicare pays for more than $100 billion of hospital inpatient services every year. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4369}
{"speech_id":1090166468,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This system should be as accurate as possible. This system should not be subject to swings resulting from quicklycollected data. applied at the last minute. I urge my colleagues to join Chairman GRASSLEY and me in passing this important legislation as soon as possible. By Mr. LEAHY (for himself. Mr. SPECTER. Mr. DORGAN. and Mr. HARKIN):","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4369}
{"speech_id":1090166487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday. August 1. 2006. at 10 a.m. in 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building for a hearing on nominations.","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090166690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a request for a national intelligence estimate on Iraq. We havent had one now for 2 years. I have talked with the managers. They will review it. It is under consideration. They will let us know. We will have further comments on it later. The managers understand this. and I hope we will have an opportunity to dispose of it a little later.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":362}
{"speech_id":1090166729,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I also understand that this amendment will be accepted as part of a managers package. I want to say thank you to both the Senator from Hawaii and the Senator from Alaska. the floor managers. for accepting this amendment. At the outset of my brief comments on this amendment. I also want to say that I very much appreciate the leadership of both Senator INOUYE and Senator STEVENS. I had the great honor of participating in some activities with Senator INOUYE within this past week and hearing his own story of his personal courage and fight against discrimination. and how he has stood up for our country is something that makes me very proud to be an American. I think with Senator INOUYEs life story one can see how far it is we have come as a country. And he is a living example of the kind of heroes that we need in America today in these difficult times which we face as a nation. I commend both Senator STEVENS and Senator INOUYE for bringing this vitally important bill to the floor. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7934}
{"speech_id":1090166729,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While service members are -fighting overseas. this bill is one of the most important actions that we can take this year on the Senate floor. This bill takes care of our troops and I look forward to its passage before the August recess. Protecting its citizens from attack is our Governments most important responsibility. Liberty and prosperity are impossible without security here in our Nation and in our homeland. We must see to it that we are making the right investments to protect Americans from attack. In the last few years the threats facing our Nation have grown in size and complexity. Rogue nations are developing nuclear weapons as we speak. Terrorist organizations are recruiting and new members and have been plotting attacks against Americans. And American service men and women are in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan as we speak. Our way of life and our freedoms depend on our ability to confront these threats. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7934}
{"speech_id":1090166729,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They depend on our ability to make smart. forwardthinking investments in our national defense. I am proud to represent a State that contributes so much toward achieving these objectives. An indepth look at this bill shows just how prominent a role Colorado plays in contributing to our national defense and our homeland security. I am happy to support those measures in this bill that focus on Colorados military installations. such as those thatwill benefit Fort Carson. Schriever Air Force Base. Peterson Air Force Base. the United States Air Force Academy. and Pueblo Chemical Depot. . Furthermore. this bill contains additional emergency supplemental money for the ongoing campaign in Iraq. This money is necessary to make sure that our fighting men and women are provided with the equipment they need to be safe and to get the job done. Recently there have been a number of military commanders saying that overall military readiness is on the decline. Military equipment is wearing out in the harsh environment of the desert. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7934}
{"speech_id":1090166729,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am very troubled by these reports. and am therefore very proud to support the measure introduced by Chairman STEVENS and Ranking Member INOUYE last night to counteract this decline in readiness by adding $13.1 billion to the bridge fund for Army and Marine Corps equipment reset requirements. This money is necessary for the continuing combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. I thank my friends--the Senator from Alaska and the Senator from Hawaii. as well as Senator REED of Rhode Island and Senator DODD -of Connecticutfor their leadership on this important issue. The amendment I offer directly impacts our homeland security. by providing the United States .Northern Command. known as NORTHCOM. with an emergency. mobile. flyaway interoperable communications capability. Northern Command is headquartered in Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. and is a crown jewel of our Nations homeland defense: The U.S. Northern Command was established on October 1. 2002 to provide command and control for DOD homeland defense efforts and to coordinate. military assistance to civil authorities. NORTHCOM serves to defend America on our native soil. Specifically. NORTHCOMs mission is to conduct operations to deter. prevent. and defeat threats and aggression aimed at the United States. its territories and interests within the assigned area of responsibility. and as directed by the President or Secretary of Defense. provide military assistance to civil authorities including consequence management operations. The area of responsibility that falls under Northern Command is vast. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7934}
{"speech_id":1090166729,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their. responsibility encompasses the continental United States. Alaska. Canada. Mexico. and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles. It. also includes the Gulf of Mexico. Puerto. Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NORTHCOM plans. organizes. and executes homeland defense and civil support missions. NORTHCOMs civil support mission includes domestic disaster relief operations that occur during fires. hurricanes. floods. and earthquakes. ","speaker_name":"KEN SALAZAR","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7934}
{"speech_id":1090166762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first off. my admiration for the Senator from Alaska is immense and is extremely deep on the issue of defense policy and how we should fund our Defense Department. If the Senator from Alaska says we need something. the odds are I am going to say we need to fund it. People. such as the Senator from Alaska who have the expertise around here and have had it for a long timethe Senator from Virginia. for example. who chairs the -Armed Services Com\u0095mittee and members of that committeeare not getting much of a window of opportunity to be players in how these budgets are evolved. We are just getting them presented to us and claimed they are an emergency and basically they have gone outside the budget process. We have to set up some process that allows the Senator from Alaska. as chairman of the subcommittee that appropriates. and which allows Senator WARNER as chairman of the full Armed Services Committee to intersect this activity a little earlier in the process so they can have their input in it. much as they would the core budget. The Senator from Alaska spent a lot of time putting together this base budget of $434 billion. I know hedid. That emergency money comes in here with a banghere it is today and the Senator has to appropriate it tomorrowa situation from the administration. Granted. it is a war and there is going to be some need for that type of activity. but there is also a way to anticipate some fairly significant percentage of that. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090166762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would think. I think a little more openness and cooperation from downtown on that might be helpful. I dont have the answer. I am just raising the red flag of dncern. I would rely greatly on the Senators expertise and the expertise of others around here who have the history and knowledge of the Defense Department to figure out how we as a Congress can engage more effectively and not have this second budget moving along which is really sort of shadowingI thank the Senator.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1954}
{"speech_id":1090166861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my -support for this Chambers efforts to strengthen our CFIUS processa system of screening foreign investment to make sure our national security is not compromised. In light of recent concerns about investments that did not receive adequate scrutiny. I think is imperative that we review this process and improve upon it where needed. It is important. however. that we do not modify the process in such a way that we create a system that unnecessarily discourages companies from investing in the United States. In order for our country to maintain our competitive advantage. we must make sure that we continue to be the worldwide choice of location for businesses. Although we have passed legislation out of the Senate intended to strengthen CFIUS. this legislation did not have the benefit of floor debate. I encourage the chairman of the Banking Committee. Senator SHELBY. to continue to solicit the views of the Members of this Chamber and address concerns that -may be raised about the impact on direct investment before we begin to conference with the House on the measure.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090166862,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. yesterday my colleague from Nevada. Senator REID. and I introduced the White Pine County Conservation. Recreation. and Development Act of 2006. This bill is the product of bipartisan cooperation and it represents a fair compromise on a number of issues relating to the protection of White Pine Countys natural resources. While not perfect. this measure strikes an appropriate balance between economic devel-","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":422}
{"speech_id":1090166870,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the Planters Company which has had a fruitful working relationship with Suffolk County over the past century and .has one of its major production facilities located there. To celebrate. Planters Vas embarked on a 4month. crosscountry tour visiting landmarks in Planters history. Over the past century Planters has consistently delivered a variety of freshtasting nuts and has also developed an American icon in the internationally famous Mr. Peanut. On Tuesday. June 13. 2006 Planters NUTmobile and Centennial Display Tour made a stop in Suffolk. VA. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090166870,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Visitors got the opportunity to meet and interact with Mr. Peanut. sample fresh roastedpeanuts. view Planters and Mr. Peanut collectibles from the past century. and put themselves in moments and events throughout Planters. and American history using green s6reen technology. Over the past century Planters Suffolk facility has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the city of Suffolk. The Planters Suffolk facility produces a variety of nut products. Planters has employed thousands of Virginians over the years. and many more have enjoyed and benefited from both its products and its reputation in the Suffolk community. Planters has been a model for the type of relationship that should exist between communities and businesses over the past century. and we look forward to working with them for the next 100 years.*","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1438}
{"speech_id":1090166875,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to talk about a related area ofsecurity. The Defense appropriations bill is extremely important. but I believe that there is another matter we shouldbe considering. I appreciate the courtesy of the managers of the bill for allowing me to present this. This is legislation that was passed by the Intelligence Committees in 2000. It had been adopted by unanimous vote. but it was vetoed at thetime. This bill very simply provides. for the first time. a simple. clear statement of penalties for Government employees and contractors with access to classified information. who have signed agreements to keep it classified. who knowingly and willfully leak Americas most important secrets. Over the past few years. we have seen unauthorized disclosures of classified information at an alarming rate. Each one of the leaks gravely increases the threat to our national security and makes it easier for our enemies to achieve their murderous and destructive plans. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6726}
{"speech_id":1090166875,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Each leak is a window of opportunity for terrorists to discover our sources and methods. Each violation of trust guarantees chaos and violence in the world. Time and time again. we have witnessed leaks that told our enemies not only that we were watching them and listening to them but how and whom we are cooperating with and how we are getting the information. These leaks have threatened to erode the trust and confidence of the American people and. the members of the intelligence community. as well as our allies. built upon years of -work. What if during World War II. Americans had seen a leak of the Enigma Program that allowed us to decipher enemy communications and if major media outlets had. joined in blowing our most sensitive secret? Over the past year. there has arisen an apparent absence of fear of punishment in regard to arbitrary divulging of classified information. These are individuals who took solemn vows to protect our Nation. In taking a vow to protect classified information. one should acknowledge that being privy to it establishes a solemn trust. I and all of my colleagues are under obligations as Senators. And as a member of the Intelligence Committee. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6726}
{"speech_id":1090166875,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have a higher standard to protect classified information. Having that access is a privilege and a trust. There are a number of stinging examples of how these leaks have compromised security. I will not call attention to them because the people who are benefiting from knowing the leaks dont need to know more about it. But a litany of intelligence officials over the past year have told me how much it hurts their efforts. The former Director of the CIA. Porter Goss. stated in open session that there has been \"very severe\" damage to our national security. He -repeated \"very severe.\" I asked the same question to current CIA Director Michael Hayden in his open confirmation hearing about the leaks and he said: We have applied the Darwinian theory to terrorists. Unfortunately. we are only catching the dumb ones because the smart ones who watch the media understand what we are doing. and will escape. And many others have repeated that refrain. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6726}
{"speech_id":1090166875,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That was before the leakage of our ability to track terrorist financing efforts occurred in papers. As I have traveled throughout the. world and talked with cooperating overseas officials. they have asked me why they should continue to work with us when we cant keep secrets. Our intelligence chiefs abroad tell me that sources now think twice before speaking with U.S. officers. They fear their information leaking. They said: How can I give you this information *if it might be leaked? What they are really worried about is that leaking their information will identify them and put themselves and their families at risk. This is something which we cannot tolerate if we are to get the intelligence we need. This is language which has been passed before. It is very simple. It just applies to former or retired officers or employees of thd United States or any person who has authorized access and who has agreed to keep it confidential. First. let me be clear about a couple of things this legislation does not do. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6726}
{"speech_id":1090166875,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It only affects Government employees and contractors who have signed a nondisclosure agreement. It doesnt affect the media. businesses. or private citizens. Second. it only regards information properly and appropriately classified. not frivolously or inappropriately classified. If there is an overclassifibation. then I think the courts would easily throw out the prosecution. It doesnt cover the new categories of information developed since 9\/11. like sensitive but unclassified or unclassified for official use only. It limits -the subject of prosecution to those knowingly and willfully disclosing to someone they know is not authorized to receive it. It is not a \"gotcha\" tool. it is for deliberate leakers. Well. a Federal judgehas pointed out that there is no one piece of legislation that brings together all of our outdated and disparate provisions on the law. The judge has stated that \"the merits of the law are committed to Congress. If it is not sensible. it ought to be changed.\" This -is why we are doing this. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6726}
{"speech_id":1090166894,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking. Housing. - and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 2. 2006. at 2:30 p.m.. to conduct a hearing on \"Meeting the Housing Needs of.Veterans.\"","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":251}
{"speech_id":1090167005,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. the Senators amendment is very difficult to vote against. except that it applies to all members of the Department of Defense. civilian and military. About 1 percent of the people in the Department of Defense. civilian and military. go to a conference each year. I personally know that when we travel abroad. we ask for members of the Department of Defense from Germany and from Italy to come meet with us in France. We have conferences with them concerning NATO. We did the same thing recently in terms of the Middle East. We had people come from three different countries to meet with us when we were in Kuwait. That involved probably 14 people traveling in each instance to come see us. It is essential that we have conferences and not have to depend upon video conferences to deal with issues. That applies throughout the Department of Defense. The Senator is correct. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1594}
{"speech_id":1090167005,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We offered to take it to conference. and in conference we might be able to find a reasonable figure that would be a limitation. Seventy million is not a reasonable limitation. There is no reason for us to try to be unreasonable with the Department of Defense. We are the last superpower in the world. People depend upon us. and we go visit the places. 120 different countries. where we have military people in uniform. It costs money. The cost of traveling is going up all the time. I did offer to take the amendment to conference and try to work out with the House a reasonable limitation. The Senator is unwilling do that. Therefore. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1594}
{"speech_id":1090167005,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I move to table the Senators amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1594}
{"speech_id":1090167019,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. this amendment violates rule XVI in terms of the second portion of the amendment. part (b)(2). page 2. If it applied just to the reports delivered to the Appropriations Committee. it would not. in my opinion. I have already said I am going to raise rule XVI on any amendment that is determined by the Parliamentarian to apply to a particular amendment. In regard to the basic concept. we have no problem with having all of the items that are submitted to the Appropriations Committee put on the Web. Almost all of them are anyway. But there are some reports that are submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105. as I understand it. which are documents that go to other committees and are for other purposes. I dont know what their policies are with regard to disclosure. All of the items that come to us are on the Web. and we welcome them being on the Web. We dont have any problem with every report required by the provisions of this act. submitted pursuant to this act. or. as a matter of fact. in terms of existing law. but I do think we should not have a violation of rule XVI. Therefore. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1611}
{"speech_id":1090167019,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask the Senator if he is willing to limit paragraph (2) to any report required by the Department of Defense to be submitted to the Appropriations Committee in support of the budget of the President which does not violate rule XVI? The Senator said that is what it is about. but it goes further. It applies to any report going to any committee or to the Congress itself with regard to this budget. There are other justifications submitted to othe committees. What their policies are. I dont know.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1611}
{"speech_id":1090167086,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to a series of votes in relation to the following amendments: Coburn amendment No. 4787 for conferences. Coburn amendment No. 4784. as modified. for posting of reports. and Coburn amendment No. 4785. as modified. for improper payments. The Senator has a pending amendment. That would not be included. It is because of the timeframe associated with meetings that are scheduled today that the leadership has asked that we proceed to the votes on these three amendments. I further ask that no amendments be in order to the amendments prior to the votes and that all votes be limited to 10 minutes each and there be 2 minutes equally divided on the votes.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":726}
{"speech_id":1090167096,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The committee has already cut $85 million from travel funds for the Department. This would say that for programs related to staff and travel costs and conference programs or other conference matters. the total amount available to the whole Departmentover a million people in over 120 countries in the worldwill be limited to $70 million. We are unable to run the Department at $70 million a year. So I proposed and made a motion to table the amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":452}
{"speech_id":1090167120,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have a managers package: amendment 4755. for Senator SANTORUM. regarding maritime inspection. amendment 4808. for Senator BILL NELSON. regarding UAV virtual training. amendment 4847. for Senator REED of Rhode Island. regarding recoil mitigation. amendment 4828. for Senator CHAMBLISS. regarding linguists. I send this package to the desk. I ask unanimous consent it be considered en bloc. agreed to. and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":454}
{"speech_id":1090167123,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are continuing to work on the agreements. I hope Members come forward to help work them out. We still have the opportunity to finish this bill before we leave this week. There are some 34 amendments still pending we are working on. I do believe a lot of them can be worked out. as these last four were.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090167135,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be modified to include \"and the Army Reserve.\" We have been asked to expand this so that the $2.440.000.000 is available for the National Guard and the Army Reserve. for National Guard and Reserve equipment.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":265}
{"speech_id":1090167157,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to enter into a colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the appropriations subcommittee. the manager of the bill. Senator STEVENS and I have discussed a particular rescission included in the Defense appropriations bill on a classified matter. It is my understandingand I ask the Senatorthat it is his intention to receive additional information from the Director of National Intelligence and other appropriate intelligence community officials on this program. I believe it is imperative that the committee have this information as soon as possible so that the conferees can appropriately consider the matter. Could the Senator confirm that this is his intention?","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":688}
{"speech_id":1090167214,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are at a time of year when Congressmen and Senators leave Washington to spend the month of August back in their States and districts. As I travel around the State of South Carolina. I know that my constituents will want to know what we have done in Congress to secure our homeland. to lower their cost of living. particularly gas prices. and to protect the values that have made us strong and unique as a nation. In short. the people of South Carolina. like the people all across America. will want to know what we have done to secure their future and to give them hope that their children and grandchildren will live safe and prosperous lives. The Democrat leader recently charged this has been a \"do nothing Congress\" and suggested it is time to go to work on the pressing problems facing our Nation. Maybe he should have extended that same admonition to his Derfiocrat colleagues who have tried to block just about everything that would make our country safer. more prosperous and protect the values that make America great. It has been said that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. And the fact is. thanks to Republican perseverance and leadership. this Congress has been one of the most productive Congresses I have been privileged to be a part of. I am looking forward to giving the people of South Carolina my report. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12148}
{"speech_id":1090167214,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lets talk about securing our homeland. I am proud that. thanks to the leadership from President Bush and the Republican Congress. we have remained steadfast and forceful in the war against radical Islamic terrorists all around the world and that there have been no further attacks on United States soil since September 11. Republicans understand the war on Islamic Fascism has many fronts: Afghanistan. Iraq. and we see it now in Israels struggle against Hezbollah. There will be many new fronts. If we do not defeat radical Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan. Iraq. and Lebanon. we will never defeat them anywhere. Unfortunately. many of my Democrat colleagues. with the help of their misguided allies and media outlets such as the New York Times. have signaled to the terrorists that America is tired. discouraged. and ready to quit. This has encouraged the terrorists to expand their attacks in many parts of the world. Not content just to heckle from the sidelines. many Democrats have fought to block the tools needed to defend freedom abroad and to defend our Nation at home. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12148}
{"speech_id":1090167214,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Democrats have blocked reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act while their leader boasted \"we killed the PATRIOT Act.\" They blocked nominees to critical national security positions. including U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and the Department of Defense and intelligence officials. They have blocked expediting our national missile defense system. attempting to cut funding by $50 billion this year. just as the threats from Iran and North Korea increase. They have opposed the terrorist surveillance programs that are critical to stopping future attacks. leading to an attempted partisan censure motion against our President. They blocked measures that would require background checks on workers with -access to sensitive sites such as our ports. while wringing their hands over port security. They blocked efforts to secure our border by ending the failed practice of catchandrelease of illegal immigrants. And they have advocated a variety of cutandrun strategies. showing a complete lack of resolve and a basic misunderstanding about the nature of the global war against radical Islamic terrorists. Zell Miller. a Democrat. recently visited South Carolina. He compared the terrorists to a nest of copperheads under his porch. He said: These snakes threaten the wellbeing of my family. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12148}
{"speech_id":1090167214,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I didnt call my neighbors for help or convene a committee to discuss possible courses of action. I took what you might call unilateral action and cut off their heads. Zell Miller is one of the few Democrats who gets it. Terrorists have proved they are determined to harm us. and they have attacked in Madrid. London. and a number of other places across the world. with recent arrests in Canada and Miami. They have shown they are everywhere. We need to continue our resolve. There is no inbetween choice when it comes to Iraq. Either we run and allow Iraq to become a safe haven for terrorists and a staging ground for future attacks or we stay until Iraq is a stable partner in democracy. Recently. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12148}
{"speech_id":1090167214,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I met a wounded soldier at Walter Reed Hospital. He had severe head injuries. He had difficulty remembering some things. His only request to me was. Dont leave until we win. make sure our sacrifices were not in vain. He could remember that. The Republicanled Congress has not forgotten. We have secured Americas homeland by funding critical ongoing needs of our troops. by increasing funds for border security. bioterror and pandemic preparedness. by renewing the PATRIOT Act despite Democrat obstruction. and we have defended the use of military intelligence and law enforcement resources that have led to the capture of many of alQaidas top leaders and substantially degraded the capability of the worldwide terrorist network. Republicans will continue to secure Americas homeland. We will strengthen border security with additional border agents. ","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12148}
{"speech_id":1090167218,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I came to the floor to speak about the Middle East and Iraq. and I intend to do so. But obviously. having sat here for the last almost half hour listening to how the Senator from South Carolina is going to go back to South Carolina and report. I couldnt help but listen to him say that he is going to be proud to tell South Carolinians that he and the Republicans have been doing what it takes to make America more secure. You can tell them that. But it doesnt mean it is true. The fact is. the American people understand. I think pretty well. what is going on. Because life for the average American is getting tougher and tougher. they dont think Washington is doing very much for them at all. Health savings accounts work just fine for people who can save money. Ask how many Americans are saving money. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11172}
{"speech_id":1090167218,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you cant save money and you dont have the benefit of the tax deduction. then the health savings accounts dont do anything. That is why there are now 46 million Americans without health care. It has gone up 6 million people under this President. Eleven million children have no health care at all in the United States of Americanone. no health care. We are the only industrial Nation in the wor a that treats our kids like that. I hope he reports to the people of South Carolina. where there are a lot of kids who dont have health care. why there hasnt been a vote on the Senate floor to give children health care. When it comes to making America more secure. I hope he tells them that North Korea has four times the nuclear weapons capability that it had 4 years ago. Are we more secure? The fact is. for 3 years this administration didnt even engage with the British. the Germans. and the French in their efforts to try to reduce the potential that Iran would nuclearize. Three years standing on the sidelines. and now Iran is playing out its deadly game with Syria and Lebanon. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11172}
{"speech_id":1090167218,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think by any measureand this is not what I came to the floor to talk about--the case is powerful that America is in fact less secure. Nothing underscores that more than when the Senator from South Carolina stands there and says how important it is to separate who is willing to fight terrorists. and we are fighting terrorists. he said. in Iraq. Iraq is not a war of terrorists today. Iraq is a war principally that is civil. It is Iraqi killing Iraqi. The fact is. Iraq was never the central front in the war on terror. which was always in Afghanistan. always with respect to Osama bin Laden and alQaida. It is alQaida today that is in fact stronger around the world. with 60 to 80 countries in which it now has cells that it didnt have at the time of September 11. 2001. I hope we will have this debate. Believe me. we will have this debate over the next months about whether we are more secure and about how you actually stand up for the security of the United States. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11172}
{"speech_id":1090167218,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the ways you stand up for the security of the United States is to have a sensible policy with respect to Iraq. Yesterday I was at Arlington National Cemetery for the funeral of Lance Corporal Geoffrey Cayer. a 20yearold from Massachusetts. Apart from the obvious heartwrenching sadness of that moment. I was struck. as I walked up to the graveside. by the number of new headstones. all of which read Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. One of those now among the fallen is Phillip Baucus. the nephew of our friend and colleague Senator MAX BAUcus. Phillip was a proud and brave Marine Corps corporal who gave his life serving this country last Saturday in Anbar Province in Iraq. He was an extraordinary young man from all I have read and from what Max told me personally. I know. from Max what he meant to his family and what a totally devastating blow this is to all of them. We offer our prayers for Phillip and for every family that has endured this kind of monumental loss. Phillip and Geoffrey Cayer and all those who have given their lives are a very tough reminder to all of us of the incredible sacrifices that Americas children are making every single day. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11172}
{"speech_id":1090167218,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"With the violence in Iraq growing worse by the day. it was stunning to hear Secretary Rumsfeld come before the Armed Services Committee this morning with a laundry list of excuses and denials about what is happening there and its consequences for the region. General Abizaid candidly acknowledged that \"the sectarian violence is as bad as I have seen it.\" that he has rarely seen the situation \"so unsettled and so volatile.\" He warned of coming civil war and that \"failure to apply coordinated regional and international pressure . . . will further extremism\" and could lead to a widening and more perilous conflict. But this morning Secretary Rumsfeld didnt call for that kind of diplomacy. didnt talk about that kind of diplomacy. didnt lay out a plan that the administration has for that kind of leadership and diplomacy. nor has President Bush reached out to undertake the kind of crisis diplomacy needed in Iraq or to leverage the regional pressure to stop Iraq from descending into irretrievable chaos. We ought to try to strip away the labels for a minute. take away Democrat and Republican. take away the partisanship of this city. just measure this against history. How many times have any of us as United States Senators. or even previous to our being here. seen the concerted effort statesmen on an international level convening efforts in order to diffuse crises or to make peace where there was war or to try to stop war where there was conflict? Instead today Secretary Rumsfeld announced \"there are a number of good things happening ... amidst all of this difficulty. the currency is fairly stable. the schools are open. the hospitals are open. the people are functioning.\" Secretary Rumsfeld waxed optimistic about an Iraq where you \"see people out in the fields doing things and people driving their cars and lining up for gasoline and going about their business.\" He went to say that \"despite all of the difficulties. there are also some good trend lines that are occurring. and I think the period ahead is an important period.\" I respectfully think it is a lot more than important. This may well be the moment that decides the security and the framework for the security of the Middle East itself. It certainly could be that kind of moment with the proper vision and the proper statesmanship. It is time that the administration was candid about the situation and worked on rescuing what is salvageable in Iraq. The reason that candor is important. it is the only way to get other countries engaged and involved. With now at least 2.578 Americans killed. over 19.000 wounded. and no end in sight. you cant just offer the \"same old. same old\" as more kids die for a policy that isnt working. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11172}
{"speech_id":1090167228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I notify my colleagues that this is a small piece of an amendment that yesterday was objected to. properly. under the rules. but I believe there could be unanimous consent that this piece would be permitted to proceed. I have given copies of the amendment to Senators INOUYE and STEVENS. and Senator DOMENICI has approved it. Senator BINGAMAN has a copy. It deals with royalty relief. We discussed this yesterday. Really the controversial amendment. as I say. has been objected to. I hope my colleagues will agree to allow this to be either voice voted or approved in some other way. I dont intend to take any more time on it. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":864}
{"speech_id":1090167228,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Certainly. we would leave time for people to take a look at it if they want to. to see if there is an issue with it. and if they do have an issue that they see me about it. Mr. President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":864}
{"speech_id":1090167278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have a managers package that I would like to describe: Amendment No. 4774 for Senator SESSIONS regarding blast protection. amendment No. 4846. as modified. for Senator PRYOR regarding combat support hospitals. amendment No. 4849 for Senator BOND regarding intelligence personnel. amendment No. 4851 for Senator BIDEN regarding military bases in Iraq. amendment No. 4761. as modified. for Senator LOTT regarding UAVs. amendment No. 4840. as modified. for Senator LEVIN regarding vehicle technology. amendment No. 4801. as modified. for Senator DEWINE regarding shipbuilding. amendment No. 4864. as modified. for Senator NELSON of Florida regarding test and evaluation. amendment No. 4841 for Senator ALLEN regarding OEA study. amendment No. 4860 for Senator MIKULSKI regarding an intelligence project. amendment No. 4797 for Senator VOINOVICH regarding portable batteries. and amendment No. 4855 for Senator DODD regarding Navy UWVs. All of these have been approved on both sides. and they have the clearance of all concerned. to the best of my knowledge. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that these amendments which I send to the desk be considered en bloc and that they be adopted en bloc and that the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1271}
{"speech_id":1090167368,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my friend and our leader from Illinois. and I commend him for this legislation. In fact. I am proud to lend my name to the legislation. I hope we move urgently to let people know that they will not be required to go home to a place where we have been evacuating thousands and thousands of people. sending ships in to evacuate Americans. I must say. we have had over 25.000 people from Michigan alone. We have seen over 13.000 come back. Those who are still there are desperately concerned about their family members. not being able to hear from them. Often there is no phone. no computer. So the idea of sending people here back into that violence makes absolutely no sense. I commend the Senator. ","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":842}
{"speech_id":1090167368,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope part of what we would do before we leave is to make it clear that we would not ask those innocent people to return to a war zone.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE STABENOW","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":842}
{"speech_id":1090167448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to engage in a brief colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee regarding innovative research being used to treat our soldiers. Tissue engineers in the U.S. are applying principles of biology and engineering to grow human replacement tissue for virtually every part of the human bodytissues that will replace those damaged by disease or injury. Recently. enormous national attention was focused on the creation of fully functioning tissueengineered bladdersbladders grown in the laboratory and implanted in children with spina bifida. One day. tissue engineering may eliminate the need for organ transplantation. In the near term. this exciting field of biomedicine has developed several products for immediate use. some of which have important implications for wounded military personnel. Novel biological scaffolds for wound treatment are being developed to eliminate the need for skin grafts. The work is based upon extensive preliminary research that shows biologic scaffolds from extracellular matrixa component of virtually every tissuecan promote tissue growth that very closely resembles tissue regeneration. The scaffolds. called urinary bladder matrix. or UMB. have two \"layers\": a membrane surface upon which skin cells may grow and differentiate quite readily and a lower surface that may integrate well into the underlying wound bed. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090167448,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This UBM scaffold represents new hope for soldiers who have a need for skin grafts. A significant amount of this work is being done at the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiatives Soldier Treatment and Regeneration Consortium. STRaC. The potential benefits of this research are boundless. and I am proud to have consistently supported STRaC and its mission. I thank the distinguished Chairman for his past support of this research. As part of this initiative. scientists are working to develop a tissueengineered ear utilizing a patients own cells to grow a replacement ear for one severely damaged in combat in Iraq. In the first phase of this 12month project a small biopsy of healthy tissue will be taken and. using known techniques. scientists will isolate cells and from them millions of additional cells will be grown in the lab. A specially modified scaffold prepared from an FDAapproved implant will be \"seeded\" with these cells. After biocompatibility and longterm durability of this implant are established in an animal model. a biopsy will be taken from a soldier currently awaiting treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Cartilage and skin cells will be used to create a patientspecific ear replacement. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090167448,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These techniques are expected to be useful in replacement therapies for numerous other body parts for our soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. President. I will ask unanimous consent that a letter be printed in the RECORD from COL John Holcomb. Commander of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston. TX. that expresses his views on this line of research. Colonel Holcombs facility is the primary receiving site for all significantly burned casualties from the war in Iraq. He stipulates that integrating the opportunities currently underway in regen-. erative medicine are important for both short- and longterm advances for military medical research and clinical care. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090167448,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I ask the distinguished chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to comment on the research that I have described and which the Army has been using to the benefit of our men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3597}
{"speech_id":1090167456,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Lonnie Stubblefield is 17. a recent graduate of Macon County High School in Lafayette. TN. He enjoys Sudoku puzzles and brainteasershe likes to challenge himself. He doesnt look the part. but hes in the Army now. Zach Khan is 38. a small business owner and an insurance agent. He wanted to do something meaningful in life. He was looking for something with plenty of future opportunities. great benefits. and maybe even a little prestige. Hes in the Army now. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4392}
{"speech_id":1090167456,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Linda Yanez is 19. a first generation American with Mexican roots who calls herself \"a smalltown girl from the woods.\" She was looking for a way to make \"a difference somewhere to someone.\" Shes in the Army now. Jesse Alexander is also 19. a 2003 grad of Maplewood High in Nashville. TN. Hes a student majoring in education at Tennessee State University. and works parttime as a security guard. Hes earnest. selfdisciplinedand hes in the Army now. Why do I mention Lonnie. Zach. Linda. and Jesse? Because they have something in common. Each walked into a local recruiting office in the Volunteer StateTennesseeand joined Americas Volunteer Army. I cannot tell you how very proud I am of them. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4392}
{"speech_id":1090167456,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Soon. they will join the ranks of the many thousands of Tennesseans already risking their livesdayin and dayoutto defend our freedom. Currently. roughly 14.000 Tennesseans serve in the National Guard. Across the globe. in more than 130 countries. some 247.000 troops and civilians are on the frontline. Every day. they are risking their lives to defend our freedomand the freedom of the people in whose countries they are stationed. No one would have guessed. almost 5 years ago. now. that we would be free from having suffered another major terrorist attack on our soil. We have been extraordinarily fortunate. And we have been safe because our brave fellow Americans are putting their lives on the line to protect this country. Our troops provide us an invaluable servicefighting daily to defend our priceless ideals. These are young Americansmen and women who have never seen the world. Yet they have the pride -and the courageand most importantly. the faithto join our military and become our bravest defenders. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4392}
{"speech_id":1090167456,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we owe our troops a debt of honor. For their invaluable service. we owe them the very best resources. And as U.S. Senators. its our responsibility to provide those resources to them. That is why the bill before us todaythe Defense Appropriations billis so very important. It provides our soldiers with the resources. training. technology. equipment. and authorities they need to win the global war on terror. From cutting edge technologies to personnel protection systemsthe spending bill keeps our military strong so that our men and women in uniform can keep America safe. The bill provides nearly $470 billion in resources for the Department of Defensefunding key readiness programs critical to combating terrorism and enhancing homeland defense. It includes an additional $55 billion in emergency funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistanthat is. operations related to the global war on terror. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4392}
{"speech_id":1090167456,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And it contains provisions aimed at improving the quality of life of our service membersincluding a 2.2 percent acrosstheboard pay raise for all military personnel. I am confident that the bill before us today will enable our troops to continue anticipating and meeting the challenges and threats of tomorrowwhile maintaining high levels of readiness today. Our brave men and women place their lives at grave risk when they volunteer to join our -military and become our Nations defenders at the frontline. We owe them nothing less than firstclass training. the latest in modern technology and equipment. and quality infrastructure. Senators STEVENS and INOUYE have worked hard to ensure that the bill before us now delivers the funding for the cutting edge resources and service our troops deserve. I thank them for their dedication to seeing this bill through. As we wrap up debate on this bill. I urge my fellow Senators to join me in supporting this bill. I ask them to join me in providing the funding critical to keeping our troops prepared and at the ready. Americas security depends on our troops. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4392}
{"speech_id":1090167483,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the leader for this time. We have heard a lot of talk that there is a death tax in this country. All of us in this Chamber know there is no death tax. There is a tax that applies to estates that wealthy individuals have in this country. but only threetenths of 1 percent of estates pay any tax in America. This shows the current level of exemptions. In 2006 a couple has to have $4 million before they pay a penny of estate tax. In 2009. that will rise to $7 million for a couple. Some of us believe we ought to increase the exemption before 2009 to this $7. million level. but that is not the proposal before us. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3704}
{"speech_id":1090167483,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The proposal before us is to virtually eliminate the estate tax or certainly the revenue that flows from it. In fact. as my colleague from Illinois just indicated. the proposal before us will cost us threequarters of the money that complete elimination of the estate tax would cost: $750 billion. in the first 10 years that it is fully effective. This at a time that we are borrowing money as a nation in an unprecedented way. Last year we borrowed 65 percent of all the money that was borrowed by countries in the world. Let me repeat that. Last year. our country. which has now become the biggest debtor nation in the world. borrowel 65 percent of all of the money that was borrowed by all the countries in the world65 percent. A very weak second was Spain at 6.8 percent. and the United Kingdom at less than 4 percent. The point is very clear. This is absolutely unaffordable at a time that we are running up massive debt. Our friends on the other side say: Well. we have a good idea. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3704}
{"speech_id":1090167483,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lets eliminate some more revenue and lets eliminate it on. those who are the wealthiest threetenths of 1 percent of the American population. If anybody wonders about the budgetary impacts or whether this is fiscally responsible. here are the budget points of order that this legislation before us now violates. It violates the paygo rule. It exceeds the paygo scorecard by more than $12 billion. On. revenue. it exceeds the 2006 through 2010 revenue floor by more than $6 billion. It exceeds the outlay allocation for 2006 and 2006 through 2010 for the Finance Committee by- $1.5 billion. It contains unfunded mandates on State and local governments that are all subject to a point of order. It reduces the Social Security surpluses. also subject to a point of order. Let me just say to my colleagues. if this measure would pass tonight and cloture would be invoked. I intend to raise every single one of these budget points of order. and we will see who is serious about being fiscally responsible and who is not. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3704}
{"speech_id":1090167483,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have shown this chart to my colleagues many times. It took 42 Presidentsall the Presidents pictured here224 years to run up $1 trillion of debt held abroad. This President has _TE S8729 more than doubled that amount in just 5 years. What are our colleagues saying? Our colleagues are saying: Lets go borrow some more money from abroad. Where are we going to get this money? The country we borrow the most from is Japan.. so a lot of this money would be borrowed from Japan. The next country that we owe the most money to is China. so we would have to borrow more money from the Chinese to give this tax reduction to just a handful of Americans. I Right now. there will only be 13.000 taxable estates in the entire country in 2006. By 2009. that will be down to 7.000. When our friends call this family prosperity. they are right. They are talking about family prosperity for 7.000 families in America. and they want to shift the burden on to all of the other American families. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3704}
{"speech_id":1090167483,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is what this is about. If you are listening to this debate. if you have assets-","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3704}
{"speech_id":1090167515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senator from Washington had printed in the RECORD a letter from an official in the State of Washington. In response and in refutation of the point of that letter. I will read from a letter from the Assistant Secretary of Employment Standards for the U.S. Department of Labor. Victoria Lipnick. Mr. President. this letter is dated August 2. It says. among other things: Were this passed into law. the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor would read section 402 as protecting the current minimum wages of the tipped employees in the seven states that now exclude tipped employees tips from being considered as wages. To do otherwise would be inconsistent with what we understand to be the intent of the Congress and Fair Labor Standards Act which the WHD enforces. ","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090167515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The- bottom line of this legislation. as has been said. is it will increase the standards of living and decrease the cost of dying. I urge my colleagues to support moving forward with it.","speaker_name":"JON KYL","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":982}
{"speech_id":1090167547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to engage my colleague. the distinguished Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Senator GRASSLEY. regarding a specific point involving the charitable reform provisions for Type III supporting organizations. particularly the authority of the Secretary to exempt an organization from the application of the excess business holdings rules. My colleague has worked hard to address the unintended consequences that may arise with regard to some of these changes as they related to the important work of many fine organizations that support worthy and noble causes. I have one of these organizations in my State of Coloradothe Reisher Family Foundationthat benefits many underprivileged students throughout my State arid provides them the means to attend college in my State.","speaker_name":"WAYNE ALLARD","chamber":"S","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":801}
{"speech_id":1090167559,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The capital preservation rule applies to applicable defined benefit plans. such as cash balance and pension equity plans. To illustrate how the fule operates in the case of a cash balance plan. the rule requires that the cumulative effect of all the interest credits to an employees hypothetical account may not reduce the account balance below the sum of all the pay credits made to the account.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":396}
{"speech_id":1090167569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am happy to confirm the understanding of my distinguished colleague from New Mexico. Senator BINGAMAN. regarding this provision. The provision is intended to buttress current exemption standards by providing additional standards. that must be met for a credit counseling organization to claim exempt status. As the Senator knows. the IRS recently has challenged the exempt status of several credit counseling organizations because they are operated for a -substantial nonexempt purpose. substantial private benefit and private inurement. Certain of these organizations exist merely to generate income from the sale of debt management plans. while providing minimal exempt purpose activities related to credit counseling. The standarcls imposed under this provision are intended to augment. not supplant. the IRS efforts and to ensure that exemption from consumer protection laws applies only to those organizations that can satisfy stricter taxexempt standards. I also want to assure the distinguished Senator from New Mexico that we will continue to monitor developments in this industry to ensure that only those entities that serve a sufficient charitable and educational purpose can claim taxexempt status and that such taxexempt entities do not generate significant revenues from activities unrelated to their exempt purposes. If it turns out that the additional standards imposed by this legislation do not have the desired impact. you can be assured that we will not hesitate to revisit this area.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1506}
{"speech_id":1090167573,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is not a perfect bill. No 900page bill could be. But it will push companies to stay true to the promises of retirement security that they have made to their employees. We have seen too many people hurt at companies that have gone through bankruptcy and dumped their pensions on the PBGC. We have also seen companies like Enron that misled their workers into. putting all their retirement savings into employer stock. This bill takes steps to reduce the incentives and capacity for firms to -ake either of those courses of action. But as I said. the bill is not perfect. Among the areas that could have used additional work is the disparate treatment among competitors contained in the airline relief portion of the bill. The Senatepassed bill . contained comparable relief for all airlines in an effort to keep from distorting the marketplace against or in favorof any one or two airlines. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1326}
{"speech_id":1090167573,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That was the correct approach. The Housepassed bill treats different airlines differently and will distort the market in a way that is unnecessary and unfair to the 10.000 American Airlines workers and retirees in Illinois. Both as a matter of retirement policy and aviation policy. this bill should not favor one airline over another. and I join my colleagues who are calling for parity or near parity in treatment.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1326}
{"speech_id":1090167587,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of H.R. 4. the Pension Protection Act. This bill is not a conference report. and I am troubled by. the way that the House circumvented: the process and endangered swift enactment of this important legislation. However. the bill that will soon be before the Senate does reflect the carefully negotiated agreement of the conferees and enjoys broad bipartisan support. Our goal is to strengthen traditional pensions. which have been an important source of retirement income for \u0095hardworking Americans. Unfortunately. these pensions have been on the decline. as companies replace them with 401(k)s that shift risk to individual workers and generally do not guarantee retirement income for life. We must ensure that traditional pensions remain a viable option for companies and at the same time ensure that companies keep their promises and do not dump their plans on the Government at taxpayer expense. This compromise strikes the right balance of requiring companies to contributeenough to their pension plans. without discouraging them from maintaining their plans. The bill enacts the commonsense requirement that companies. must fully fund their plans. so that they can keep their promises to the 34 million workers and retirees who rely on their hardearned benefits. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090167587,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It allows companies to put in more money when times are good. It also provides relief to Delta and Northwest. who have said that they will be forced to dump their plans if Congress does. not enact this bill soon. Aside from reforming traditional pensions. the bill also includes important provisions to boost retirement savings. Most importantly. it improves and makes permanent the savers credit. which helps low- and moderateincome workers save. It encourages companies to automatically enroll workers in 401(k) plans and makes pensions more portable. And it provides protections to workers in the wake of the Enron accounting scandal. While this bill is not perfect. I believe that it will go a long way toward improving the retirement security of all Americans. and I therefore support its enactment.","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090167620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of S. 843. the Combating Autism Act. I am pleased to note that the Senate will pass this bill today. This legislation. which was recently reported out of the Senate Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions Committee. focuses on expanding autism spectrum disorder research and coordination at the National Institutes of Health. NIH. It also increases awareness of autism spectrum disorder and its symptoms through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090167620,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additionally. the bill integrates our various health. education. and disability programs that serve individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorder and ensures that the community of people affected by this disorder have a voice in all of this. No one knows exactly how many individuals are affected by autism spectrum disorder. but some studies suggest it could be as high as 1 out of every 166 American individuals. But there are many things we do know about autism spectrum disorder. We know we need tO begin intervention as early as possible to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder reach their full potential. And given the importance of early intervention. we need further research into the possible causes of autism spectrum disorder. We need to understand more about the various forms of autism spectrum disorder to improve our ability to provide the right kinds of intervention and support. And. we need to provide better integration of the health. education. and disability programs already available to meet the increased demand for these interventions. supports and services. I believe the \"Combating Autism Act\" is an important step toward addressing these needs and finding some solutions that wil improve the lives of individuals and families whose daily lives have been turned upside down by autism spectrum disorder. This bill is the result of a tremendous amount of work across party lines. I want to thank the original bill cosponsors. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090167620,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senators SANTORUM and DODD for introducing this legislation and for working with me to finetune it. I would also like to express my deep appreciation and thanks to the ranking member. Senator KENNEDY. for his hard work during this process. Of course. in providing thanks to the members. I would be remiss if I did not mention the staff. Specifically. I want to thank Jen Vesey with Senator SANTORUM. Jim Fenton. Ben Berwick. Tamar Magarik. and Elizabeth Hoffman with. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090167620,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator DODD. and Caya Lewis with Senator KENNEDYS office. as well as my staffSteve Northrup. Aaron Bishop. Tec Chapman. Martina Bebin. and Shana Christrup. I also want to thank the various groups and individuals who work on behalf of individuals and families affected. by autism spectrum disorder. I appreciate the way in which this community of advocates has come together to work with me and my colleagues on this. If they had not worked together so wellwith each other and with us as our Comnittee worked on this billI doubt we would be here today.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3000}
{"speech_id":1090167647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. one week ago. I stood behind President Bush as he signed the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 into law. The President gave a short speech about the importance of the legislation and his commitment to defending it. He even distributed a letter to all those in attendance celebrating this reauthorization. In his letter he acknowledged that \"further work remains in the fight against injustice. and each generation has a responsibility to write a new chapter in the unfinished story of freedom.\" I ask unanimous consent to insert his letter into the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks.","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":630}
{"speech_id":1090167670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce the Small Business Information Security Act of 2006. This bill will establish within the Small Business Administration a Small Business Informatiohi Security Task Force to advise the SBA and help small businesses both understand the information security challenges they face and identify resources to help meet those challenges. As chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. one of my goals is to ensure small businesses are protected from the mounting information security threats they face every day. This legislation will create a clearinghouse of information. resources. and toolscompiled by a task force consisting of public and private sector experts in the fieldthat will ease the trouble. confusion. and cost often associated with enhancing information security measures within a small business. The task force will continually update information and resources as new technologies and new threats arise. Currently. potential and existing owners of small businesses turn to the SBA for resources regarding a number of other aspects when developing and maintaining their ventures. But information security resources are not as readily available. This measure will present an opportunity for the SBA to create a repository for small businesses to meet their information security needs. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090167670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"According to a 2005 survey by the Small Business Technology Institute. more than half of all small businesses in the United States. experienced a security breach in the last year. Furthermore. the study concludes that nearly onefifth of small businesses do not use virusscanning for email. over 60 percent do not protect their wireless networks with encryption. and twothirds of small businesses do not have an information security plan. As these statistics illustrate. small businesses are increasingly at risk of data breaches and other forms of malicious attacks on their information technology infrastructure. The Small Business Information Security Task Force will provide resources and information to small business owners to help them overcome these obstacles and decrease the risks posed to their small businesses by cybercriminals. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this vitally important legislation. By Mr. SANTORUM (for himself.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2309}
{"speech_id":1090167713,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives Bill. Henry Giugni was my dear friend. He was an important part of my life for nearly half a century. He tirelessly and proudly served the people of Hawaii as my chief of staff. After leaving my office. he eagerly and enthusiastically dedicated himself to serving the Senate and the citizens of the United States as the Senates 30th SergeantatArms. In the days following his passing on November 3. 2005. I was deeply touched by the hundreds of people who reached out to me. and shared. through conversations and letters. their memories of Henry. The stories were poignant. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3216}
{"speech_id":1090167713,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They were filled with love and affection for a bear of a man whowhile he could be gruff and outrageous at timescould never camouflage his gentle soul and his willingness to help others. especially those who were less fortunate or who were just beginning their careers. The shared memories of Henry revealed that he enriched lives. served as an inspiration. and gave hope. Similarly. this bill. which bears Henrys name. will not only honor him. but more importantly will serve the people of Hawaii. especially the descendants of the islands first settlers. It will also help Hawaiis unique native traditions and culture to flourish..By.. establishing a digital memorial archiye. at the University of Hawaiis Academy for Creative Media. this bill will enrich the lives of the people of Hawaii and those who live beyond Hawaiis shores. The digital archive will be a 21stcentury way of inspiring and giving hope by preserving the invaluable lessons and insights from the collective memory and history of Native Hawaiians. During the years that Henry was a young boy attending spchool. the history of Native Hawaiians and Hawaii was rarelyif evertaught in Hawaii. It was only relatively recently that Hawaiian history became an essential part of the curriculum of Hawaiis schools. Henry was proud that he was partHawaiian. and he was proud that someone like him. from humble beginnings. could find success in Washington. in an environment vastly different from his roots in Hawaii. While he became an acquaintance of presidents and kings. his heart was always with the native people of Hawaii. who are still struggling for their moment in the sun. In addition to creating a digital archive and preserving the traditions and culture of Native Hawaiians. this legislation will support initiatives to develop Webbased media projects from the archive to create educational materials that can be used to enhance the education of indigenous students. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3216}
{"speech_id":1090167713,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It also can serve to inspire higher educational achievement by indigenous students by sharing with them the stories and histories of accomplished individuals with indigenous backgrounds. such as Henry. So although Henry is no longer with. us. his mentoring and sharing spfrit will live on through the digital archive created by this bill. Through the archive. Henry will always be the embodiment of the kupunathe respected elder who has much wisdom and insight to share. My colleagues. please join me in supporting the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives Bill. By Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mrs. LINCOLN):","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3216}
{"speech_id":1090167719,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Friday. September 1. 2006. at 1 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom at the Student Union Building of Montana State University Northern located at 1 SUB Drive in Havre. Montana. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 3563. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct studies to determine the feasibility and environmental impact of rehabilitating the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works and the Milk River Project. to authorize the rehabilitation and improvement of the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works. to develop an emergency response plan for use in the case of catastrophic failure of the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works. and for other purposes. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1317}
{"speech_id":1090167719,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because of the limited time available for the hearing. witnesses may testify by invitation only. However. those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. United States Senate. Washington. DC 205106150. For further information. please contact Nate Gentry at (202) 2242179 or Steve Waskiewicz at (202) 2286195.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1317}
{"speech_id":1090167839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have had a very full day today addressing the Family Prosperity Act. the Pension Protection Act. and the Department of Defense appropriations bil. We will complete the Department of Defense appropriations funding bill in September. Senators STEVENS and INOUYE have worked very hard in getting us this far on the bill. and we have a commitment from the Democratic. leader to finish this bill by Wednesday when we return. Members should be prepared for a busy start of the week and should note that the first. vote of the week will be on Tuesday. September 5. at 5:30 for a circuit court nomination.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":615}
{"speech_id":1090167878,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. after the Senates unfortunate debate about the tragic case of the late Terri Schiavo. I thought the Senate was unlikely to debate this matter any time soon. Unfortunately. it seems there may be another discussion of this matter. In spite of the fact that the American people made it very clear that the Government ought to stay out of these tragic endoflife matters. new legislation. S. 3788. has been introduced which would. in effect. throw Oregons Death with Dignity Act into the trash can. As a result of the introduction of this legislation and my concern that the last thing we need is more Government stepping into these very difficult endoflife decisions. I am announcing this afternoon that I am placing a hold on S. 3788 which would overturn Oregons unique Death with Dignity Act and would. in my view. do great damage to the cause of pain management all across our country. In the past. the Senate has looked at this only in the context of what some describe as assisted suicide. Obviously. there are differences of opinion on this issue. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9857}
{"speech_id":1090167878,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thb people in my State have been debating this for well over a decade and twice have made it clear that .they believe these decisions ought to be left to the individual and to families trying to cope with these difficult circumstances. They have sent a strong message that death is an intensely personal and private matter and that the Government ought to leave our citizens alone. The Government ought not attempt to override or preempt the individual and family values. religious beliefs. and wishes. What. has been debated in Oregon is not all that different from what was .faced in the Senate when there was a discussion about the case of the late Terri Schiavo. I objected on. the floor at that time to consideration of the original Schiavo legislation. which was an extraordinary overreach of Federal power. and today I put a hold on. S. 3788 which would overturn my States law. These are very difficult issues. and many of us are torn with respect to how to handle them. I. for example. opposed physician aid in dying both as an Oregon voter and as a Senator. When my State originally considered the Death with Dignity Act. I worried a great deal about the adequacy of the ballot measure safeguards to protect particularly the poor and the vulnerable. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9857}
{"speech_id":1090167878,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now we have 8 years of experience with this legislation and. thankfully. my fears with respect to how the vulnerable would fare under this legislation have not been realized. and the realities are that the safeguards in the law have worked quite. well in preventing potential abuses. Had Oregon acted hastily or without thorough examination and debate. I might not be in a position to defend my States law. But no one can accuse my State of acting precipitously in approving this matter. We have endured several ballot initiatives. court challenges. and. most recently. a challenge that was -heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Each time. the will of a majority of Oregonians prevailed. It is that will of my States voters which S. 3788 would overturn. During the 8 years the law has been in effect in my home State of Oregon. the opponents of the law have combed through the statute looking for potential pitfalls. The law still stands because the notion of opponents that there would be abuses and a stampede to Oregon have not been borne out. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9857}
{"speech_id":1090167878,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. and this obviously could not ever be proved. my sense is that there are probably fewer assisted suicides in my home State. the only State with a statute. than there are in other parts of the country. That is because the real effect of Oregons Death with Dignity Act has been to generate a significant increase in the use of hospice and to generate a significant increase in the number of people who spend their last days at home with family dealing with these issues on their own. So we have not seenthis tidal wave of assisted suicides in my home State. but what we have seen as a result. of. all of the focus on endoflife care is a significant increase in folks spending their last days through the compassionate services of hospice programsand help with their families at home. The reality is there is no constitutional issue at stake in this discussion with respect to State rights. Historically. defining medical practice has been a matter left to the States. What is so ironic is that some who come to the floor of the Senate to talk about State rights are essentially saying they only believe in State rights if they think the State is right. This is a matter which Oregonians have decided for themselves. It has historically been an issue which has been left to the States. In my home State. there was a vigorous discussion around dinner tables and at the ballot box. and our. State has spoken clearly with respect to where we stand on this difficult issue. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9857}
{"speech_id":1090167878,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not believe that a Senator from another State should seek to overturn another States law based on. his personal beliefs. We are just a couple of months from Election Day in which local. State. and Federal elections will be held. Many States will have numerous ballot measures covering every issue imaginable. Voters need to know they can debate even the most emotionally wrenching issues through the ballot process and have their election results respected. The proposed legislation I have put a hold on. S. 3788. sends voters the message that if Congress doesnt like the conclusion your State comes to through a ballot measure. your vote really doesnt matter. I intend to make sure that the votes of the j eople of my State. on a matter that has historically been left to them. will count. You can be opposed to physician aid in dying and be opposed to this legislation as well. The reason I conclude that. is because I believe this proposal will be a huge setback to the cause of pain management in every corner of the country. not just in my home State. ","speaker_name":"RON WYDEN","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9857}
{"speech_id":1090167907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is our intention to suggest to the Senator from Hawaii. when he arrives. that we accept this amendment of the Senator from Virginia. but we dont accept amendments without bipartisan approval so I would appreciate it if the Senator will discuss his amendment after Senator KENNEDY has discussed his and we will await an opportunity to discuss it with the Senator from Hawaii.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090167911,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Senator from Virginia will offer his amendment. so I will not take much time now. I will respond to the Senator from Massachusetts. . I have just returned from being present when the President of the United States made a tremendous statement about the situation in Iraq and the world in terms of the war on terror. My view of the situation is much different from the Senator from Massachusetts. I read this report that is before the Senate now as being an uptodate analysis of the situation that exists now. I sometimes wonder what would have happened in Korea if. after some of the major losses in Korea. the Senate had decided we ought to ask the Truman administration to.make more reports. -produce more reports. require analysis of what was going on. and have hearings. We are about in the same situation. This report does concludethat is why I think everyone should read itthe concerns over Civil war that are expressed. It says that notwithstanding this concern. there is generally no agreedupon definition of civil war among academics or defense analysts. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2414}
{"speech_id":1090167911,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Moreover. the conflict in Iraq does not meet the stringent international legal -standards for civil war. That is a situation of the statement that exists now. To require another set of reports when we get these every quarter is unwarranted. This was released September 1. We will get another one the first of January. We do fiot have to have an amendment to do this. However. as we discussed. it may be possible to take this amendment to conference and work it out so we get some ideas. If they want additional information in the next report. we can arrange that. however. it does not have to be a conflict. It does not have to have as much political rhetoric. I say to my friend from Massachusetts. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2414}
{"speech_id":1090167911,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am a little bit tired of.political rhetoric concerning this conflict. which is a global conflict against terror. It is more than the war against Iraq. against Saddam Hussein. There i* no question about that. I urge the Senator to read the Presidents speech today. the quotes he has given to us from the President of Iran. from the people involved with Hezbollah. from the people involved in the various dissident factions throughout the world that are demanding we surrender to them. that we kneel down before them and accept defeat. This Senator is not ready for that kind of rhetoric to come to- this Senate. I hope it does not.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2414}
{"speech_id":1090167917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will be glad to debate the Senator any time. Again. I urge the Senator to read the Presidents statement before he criticizes it. The President has made a very significant statement today of where we are. He will make another statement tomorrow. I I have looked at the report. Every Senator should look at it. We should decide whether there is a deficiency. If there is. we will be glad to take the amendment to conference and try to work out some language that will not be political rhetoric. I sense it is political rhetoric. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1307}
{"speech_id":1090167917,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I say to my friend from Massachusetts. I hope it does not get that far. It is still a war against terror. Our job ought to be to get this bill passed so we can get the money to these people for sure by October 1. The longer this bill is delayed. the more trouble our people in uniform are going to have. I have been arguing that now for a month. There is no question this bill has to be signed by September 30. I am not going to prolong this by debating politics in the Senate. I will say we will do our best to take as many amendments as we can to conference and try to work out something that will meet with the agreement of the Congress as a whole so we can get this bill signed. I yield the floor. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1307}
{"speech_id":1090167917,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have an agreement that the Senator will be able to propose his amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1307}
{"speech_id":1090168001,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the Presidents nomination of Kimberly Ann Moore of Falls Church. VA. to be a U.S. Circuit Court Judge. for the Federal Circuit. I was pleased. along with Senator ALLEN. to introduce Ms. Moore to the Judiciary Committee on June 28. 2006. and it is my privilege to speak again on her behalf. All of us recognize the importance of the position to which President Bush has nominated Ms. Moore. The U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090168001,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Court of. Appeals for the Federal Circuit stands as one of the 13 Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals that operate just under the U.S. Supreme Court. The Federal Circuit. which consists of 12 judges. is a unique court in that it has nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas. including international trade. government contracts. patents. trademarks. certain money claims against the U.S. Government. and veterans benefits cases. Given the courts highly technical jurisdiction. there is no doubt that serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is a challenging task. In my view. based on Ms. Moores educational background and her legal and technical expertise. she is clearly up to the task. Ms. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090168001,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Moore received her under-. graduate degree in 1990 in electrical en-","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1215}
{"speech_id":1090168028,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to begin by commending Senate Health. Education. Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman ENZI. Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member KENNEDY. and the rest of my colleagues on the -HELP Committee and the Senate Finance Committee for their commitment to working on a bipartisan basis toward the shared goal of comprehensive pension reform. This legislation is the product of their tireless work on behalf of our Nations workers and retirees. In particular. I would like to express my appreciation to the conferees in the Senate and the House for undertaking the difficult work of negotiating a compromise between the two Chambers bills. It is a challenge to reconcile legislation on such a complex set of reforms. and it is an enormous credit to the hard work of the confereesand their staffsthat we were in a position to act on this important piece of legislation. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7563}
{"speech_id":1090168028,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The protection of -the retirement security of workers and their families is one of my highest priorities as a Senator. The promise of a pension is one of the central tenets of the compact between an employer and an employee and one of the essential components of the American dream. It is incumbent on our businesses and on our Nation to make good on that promise. So many of my constituents in New York. like millions of other Americans throughout the Nation. work their entire lives to secure the right to pension benefits when they retire. and they come to depend on those benefits to provide financial security for them and their loved ones through retirement. Unfortunately. the private pension system in America is badly in need of repair. More and more companies are terminating the defined benefit plans that serve as a dependable source of retirement income for tens of millions of workers throughout the - country. Workers in terminated plans often find their pension benefits slashed. and the consequences for these workers are all too real. including postponed retirement. additional jobs. and tighter budgets. Liability for these pension plans is shifted to the. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. which insures defined benefit plans but is now $22 billion in debt and itself could require a taxpayer bailout if more companies abandon their plans. And in fact. many more companies defined benefit plans are on the brink of insolvencydefined benefit plans insured by the PBGC are underfunded by roughly $450 billion. including almost $100 billion for defaults it calls reasonably possible. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7563}
{"speech_id":1090168028,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I meet often with New Yorkers who are deeply anxious that they will never see the pension benefits they worked so hard to earn. The Pension Protection Act makes great strides toward restoring the great promise of the private pension system for workers in New York and throughout the Nation. Among the important reforms in this bill are provisions that: require companies to fully fund their singleemployer defined benefit plans. provide incentives for companies to contribute more money to their pension plans during good years. strengthen the multiemployer pension system. improve the pensions of public safety officers. allow Reserve and National Guard members to draw on their retirement savings without penalty when they serve our country in active duty.and take important steps toward restoring the solvency of the PBGC. The Pension Protection Act also contains provisions -that aim to protect the retirement security of workers as more employers transition from defined benefit pensions to 401(k)s and new hybrid plans. The legislation will clarify the legality of these hybrid plans on a prospective basis. and prohibit the \"wearaway\" of the benefits of older employees under these plans. The legislation will encourage the use of automatic enrollment for 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans. And the legislation will prohibit employers from requiring employees to keep their retirement savings in company stock. a practice that magnified the harmful impact of the Enron and other .corporate scandals on employees. Finally. in light of the low personal savings rate in this country. it was vitally important that the bill included tax incentives for savings. I am particularly happy that the bill makes permanent the Savers Credit. which helps middle- and lowincome families save for their retirement. Making the credit permanent was one of the reforms that I and some of my colleagues call for in the American Dream Initiative. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7563}
{"speech_id":1090168028,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These are smart and commonsense reforms that will offer clarity and certainty in the retirement planning of the millions of New Yorkers and the 65 million Americans estimated to participate in 401(k) and defined contribution plans. I also commend the conference on making a number of improvements to the Senate bill that was passed last year. For one. the new bill is wise to drop a provision that would have looked to the credit rating of a company to determine whether it is at risk for plan default and therefore must make accelerated contributions into its plan. That approach would have made it far more difficult for a com.pany to preserve a plan during a period of financial distress. a result that is undesirable for the company. its employees. and the American taxpayer. Likewise. the legislation increases the \"smoothing\" period for the calculation of assets and liabilities from what was in the Senate bill. a change that will improve the predictability of pension payments and make it easier for employers to keep their pension promises. The legislation is not without its flaws. The legislation walks back several of the provisions in various areas of the Senate bill that provided important protections for workers. My strong preference was to see the costs in the legislation offset. Also. while funding provisions in the bill required a certain measure of compromise on the part of all of the stakeholders. I am concerned that these provisions could exact an unintentional and unnecessarily harsh toll on. employees in certain industries. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7563}
{"speech_id":1090168028,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will be monitoring the impact of the bill closely. and I will work with my colleagues to correct the situation should this occur. Finally. while the bill protects the pensions of many of the thousands of airline employees who live and work in New York. we must continue to find ways to assist other distressed companies in taking the steps necessary to preserve the pension plans of their employees. And indeed. we should not regard this bill as an excuse to reston our laurels. Our work on behalf of workers and their families is only beginning. We need even more Congressional action to pursue public and private ways of addressing the retirement security of workers in New York and throughout America: portable retirement accounts for workers with even stronger incentives to save. offering real health care options to retirees and workers. and protecting Social Security for our seniors. Workers and their families are counting on their employers to keep their pension promises. The Pension Protection Act will help employers to do so. while strengthening the defined benefit system. protecting the PBGC. and encouraging private savings. This bill is an important step toward the goal of restoring retirement security for working men and women. For these reasons. I applaud the Senate for passing this important piece of legislation. and I call on the President to sign it promptJy. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7563}
{"speech_id":1090168031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I honor the Paynesville Area School District. in Paynesville. MN. which re\u0095 cently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. The Paynesville Area School District is truly a model of educational success. The district administrators. teachers. staff. and parents have remained focused on the Districts mission: \"Success for Everyone Through. Quality Learning.\" The commitment of the entire community to the education of its children has earned the Paynesville Area School Districts high school a fivestar rating in both math and reading. one of only seven percent of schools in the .State that can make that claim. The elementary school also earned a fivestar rating in reading. Paynesville is very proud of the fact that it is the only district in greater Minnesota that has five stars 4n reading for both its elementary and high schools. Paynesville. a rural community. continually seeks new ideas to remain competitive in a progressive society while cherishing local history and .tradition. Along with the fundamentals of reading. writing. and mathematics. the district also emphasizes respect as a basic value. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2917}
{"speech_id":1090168031,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Paynesville Area School District offers a number of innovative programs. including fullday kindergarten for everyone. children in kindergarten and first grade are grouped by ability. teachers in grades 2 and 3 remain with the same teacher for 2 years in a row. parents can view childrens grades through the districts Web site. and College in the Classroom courses are available for fundamentals of college writing. rhetoric. and introduction to literature. allowing students to earn college credit in these subjects. The Paynesville Area School District also offers a wide variety of cocurricular activities. including: an awardwinning Future Farmers of America Program. a Future Leaders of America Program. and a Business Professionals of America Program. The middle school band has been rated \"Best Young Band.\" and the high school choir performed at candlelight processionals at Disneys Epcot Center in 2000 and 2004. Much of the credit for the Paynesville Area Public Schools success belongs to its superintendent. Mr. Todd Burlingame. and the districts dedicated principals. teachers. and staff. The students and staff at the Paynesville Area School District understand that. in order to be successful. a school must go beyond achieving academic success. it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge. skills. and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty. staff. and students at the Paynesville Area School District should be very proud of their accomplishments. I congratulate the Paynesville Area School District in Paynesville for winningthe Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.*","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2917}
{"speech_id":1090168037,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I honor the Marshall Public School District. in Marshall. MN. which recently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. The Marshall Public School District is truly a model of educational success. Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes nominated the local school district for an Award for Excellence. based largely upon the many programs offered through a collaboration of the school district. the city. and local businesses. The programs include the Marshall Public School Districts Mentor Connection Program. which gives students an opportunity to shadow Marshall business. nonprofit. and government leaders. the Talents Academy. which pairs the brightest instructors with gifted students at a very early age. and the Marshall East Campus Learning Alternative. MECLA. Program. the districts alternative education program for students at risk of dropping out of high school. All of these reflect the belief of the Marshall community that \"all children are important resources.\" The growth and achievement shown by Marshalls students have supplied benchmarks for other Minnesota school districts. Students achieved 90 percent reading proficiency and 80 percent math proficiency on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090168037,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Over 50 percent of Marshalls teachers have at least a masters degree. The Emerging Leadership Investment Program forMarshalls minority residents demonstrates the effectiveness of collaboration on the local level. The partnership between the city. its schools. and its businesses has also produced an extremely successful intramural sports program at Marshall High School. which allows a cross section of students to interact socially in a structured. recreational setting. while benefiting from physical activity. The program will be expanded this fall to deliver the same opportunities to middle school children. In addition. foreign languages. creative writing. and science clubs will be added to afterschool activities. Mayor Byrnes said. \"Our community is fortunate to understand the common goal of educating our youth and developing communities that demonstrate their interest in our youth. Communities that value youtlh. in the end. will retain youth for its sustainable future.\" In 2005. the Marshall High School received a threestar rating in math and a fivestar rating in reading from the Minnesota Department of Education. the junior high school received a fourstar rating in math and a threestar rating in reading. and the elementary schools received threestar ratings in both math and reading. Much of the credit for the Marshall Public School Districts success belongs to its superintendent. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090168037,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Klint Willert. and the dedicated principals. teachers. and staff. The students and staff at Marshall Public Schools understand that. in order to be successful. a school- must go beyond achieving academic success. it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge. skills. and attitudes for -success throughout life. All of the faculty. staff. and students at Marshall Public Schools should be very proud of their accomplishments. I congratulate the Marshall Public School District in Marshall for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.*","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3360}
{"speech_id":1090168081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I too want to welcome the Reverend Smith and the Allen Temple Church and especially commend them for their work with exoffenders and exoffender reentry. We were very fortunate to get passed out of Judiciary before the recess the Second Chance Act. and I would hope that before we adjourn this year. .that both the House and the Senate will have passed that legislation. sent it to the Presidents desk. and he will have signed it. because it is one of the most important things we can do.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":500}
{"speech_id":1090168106,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 2808. the Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act. sponsored by the gentleman from Illinois. Mr. LAHOOD. The legislation calls for the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500.000 onedollar silver coins in 2009. to mark the bicentennial of the birth of one of our greatest Presidents. Abraham Lincoln. The Nations 16th President. he was born February 12. 1809. in presentday LaRue County. Kentucky. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090168106,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. we all know the story of the tall. craggy man who went on to become a lawyer in Springfield. Illinois. Later. by dint of honesty. integrity. intelligence and compassion. became President. and served through some of the most trying times of our Nation. We all know the tragic story of his death after being shot at Fords Theater on April 15. 1865. -And we all know the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation. Few of us know. I think. the history of that famous proclamation. Although it ended up as a proclamation by the President using his war powers. it started life as a normal piece of legislation. In fact. its existence first was reported 144 years ago in the famous Harpers Weekly magazine of July 26. 1862. which said: \"The following message was delivered to Congress on Monday: FELLOWCITIZENS OF THE","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1298}
{"speech_id":1090168141,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I graduating high school and 80 percent enrollam pleased to yield such time as he ing in college. Both of these statistics are well might consume to the Dean of the above the national average. House of Representatives. the gen- Bob Tisch dedicated his life to improving the tleman from Michigan . lives of others. He was a true American in the","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":356}
{"speech_id":1090168142,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my dear best sense of the word. For all these reasons. friend for yielding to me. I strongly support H. Res. 605 and I urge my Mr. Speaker. like many others in this colleagues to do the same. chamber. I had the opportunity of Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker. on November knowing Bob Tisch. wonderful gen- 15th. 2005. America lost one of its greatest tleman. great patriot. public servant. a entrepreneurs. the great Preston Robert \"Bob\" man concerned about the wellbeing of Tisch. the former Postmaster General and his community and a man who greatly owner of the New York Giants Football Club. loved his family and the Nation of. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1805}
{"speech_id":1090168142,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bob Tisch grew up in Bensonhurst. Brookwhich he was a part..He was also a man lyn. to middleclass parents who had emiwho was extraordinary in his charity grated from Russia. He had a vision that anyto America. to its people and to those one could succeed in life if they worked hard of almost all parts of the country. He enough to achieve it. He once mentioned that was a great human being. a wonderful \"perseverance is at the heart of meeting any friend. He will be missed. challenge.\" This is a motto he would live by I am delighted that we are honoring for the rest of his life. In 1943 Bob Tisch him. I thank the committee for what joined the U.S. Army and fought in World War they -are doing. I extend with them my II. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1805}
{"speech_id":1090168142,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Shortly after he left the military. he earned condolences to the wonderful family of his bachelors degree in economics from the our dear friend Preston Robert Tisch. University of Michigan in 1948. That same but I also rejoice that we are honoring year he began what he would later become faa great American well deservTg mous for: he joined his family hotel business that today. and I thank my colleagues. at the LaurelinthePines in Lakewood. New","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1805}
{"speech_id":1090168178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2491. the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2005. Riverview and other downriver communities in my district have had to cope with hundreds of trucks full of Canadian trash rumbling down their streets on a daily basis for years. These trucks pass through our communities en route from the Ambassador Bridge to traffic dumps to the west. You can imagine the traffic congestion. environmental. and qualityoflife problems these truckloads of trash have created. Local activists like Mr. George Read of Trenton and State Representative Kathleen Law have been working tirelessly alongside our congressional delegation to put an end to this neverending flow of trash. and I am very pleased that the House today is taking a step toward that goal. If adopted. H.R. 2491 would give States the power to restrict the importation of foreign waste. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2628}
{"speech_id":1090168178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under current law. only the Federal Government is able to make such restrictions. Mr. Speaker. let us not overlook the fact that H.R. 2491 has been awaiting floor consideration since it passed the Energy and Commerce committee 14 months ago. Our delegation has had to send two letters to get Speaker HASTERT to finally bring this important legislation to the floor. We now have only about 15 days left in session before we break for the elections. and it will be a tall order for this bill to make it through committee and the full Senate during that time. Indeed. the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public.Works has already announced that he does not foresee consideration of this legislation any time soon. I want to commend Senators LEVIN and STABENOW and Congressman DINGELL for the deal they have worked out with Ontarios Minister of the Environment to halt the importation of Canadian municipal waste over the next 4 years. The Bush administration and the Republican Congress have wasted many years and numerous opportunities to address this issue both through legislation and by implementing a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Canada already on the books since 1992. Our constituents were fed up with this inaction. so our Michigan Democratic legislators took the initiative to negotiate an agreement that will reduce the importation of Canadian municipal trash immediately. and end it completely in 4 years. Republicans can complain about our legislators taking matters into their own hands. but the fact is that the Republicans have failed to do a thing to address this serious problem. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2628}
{"speech_id":1090168178,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The negotiated agreement is a step in the right direction. as is passage of this bill.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2628}
{"speech_id":1090168210,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. thank you very much to my distinguished colleague from Chicago. Congressman DAVIS. my distinguished 0olleague and Congressman from Georgia. JOHN LEwIs. to my distinguished colleagues from Georgia. Mr. KINGSTON. Dr. Price. I appreciate so much having this opportunity. and I am also pleased to join with my colleague Mvr. GINGREY. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4434}
{"speech_id":1090168210,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am honored on this day to recognize one of our Nations most prestigious institutions of higher learning. and that is indeed Spelman College. Singularly devoted to the education of women. Spelman College now celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. What an extraordinary story this is. Mr. Speaker. because When you tell the story of Spelman. you are telling a truly genuine American story that represents the heart and soul of what America is all about. Spelman College is a private and historically black college that opened its doors less than two full decades after the Emancipation Proclamation and the ratification of the 13th amendment. and out of necessity. and it was necessary to provide educational opportunities for black women in the south when none existed. To get the proper perspective on this. Mr. Speaker. we must understand that itwas not long. just a few years before this. when the law of the land was not to allow African Americans to even read a book. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4434}
{"speech_id":1090168210,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just think of that: In this country. it was against the law for African Americans to even learn to read. It is within this backdrop that Spelman College stepped forward. Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles founded Spelman College in Atlanta. Gebrgia. naming it first the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary. It began as a comprehensive academy that provided education for women from elementary school all the way - through to college. It was renamed Spelman Seminary in 1884 and underwent one final change. becoming Spelman College in 1924. Let me stop for a moment to give the importance of this name Spelman. It originated from a member of the distinguished Rockefeller family. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4434}
{"speech_id":1090168210,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For without John D. Rockefeller. it can arguably be said that there would have been no Spelman. Reflecting on the early relationship forged by this institutions founders. it was a unique relationship with John D. Rockefeller himself who provided necessary resodrces that ensured the longevity of this college. So as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of Spelman College. let us pay direct homage to the Rockefeller family. without whom this college would not have been. The academic achievements of its students and the rigor of its academic programs have brought numerous honors to this private college. Spelman was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa honor society in. 1998. one of only four historically black colleges and universities to receive such an honor. In 2003. Spelman was named one of six institutions to receive a $4.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Healths National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities to eliminate health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. They put together a health and wellness initiative that set the standard for academic institutions outreach to the community to improve health care. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4434}
{"speech_id":1090168210,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Spelman College did that. Throughout its history. Spelmans campus has grown. reflecting the addition of new programs and the strengthening of its renowned liberal arts program. A new academic center that houses several departments. a museum and the college archives resulted from a $20 million donation from Bill and Camille Cosby. Indeed. an institution lives in the hearts and minds of the people who inhabit it. and Spelmans many accomplished graduates include the founder of the Childrens Defense Fund. Marian Wright Edelman. actress Esther Rolle. Pulitzer Prize novelist Alice Walker. and writer. Pearl Cleage. Many distinguished presidents have been at its helm. notably Dr. Johnetta Cole. the institutions first black female president and current president of Bennett College. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4434}
{"speech_id":1090168226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. first of all. I want to extend my condolences to all the family. friends and loved ones of those who lost their loved ones on Flight 5191 in Lexington. Kentucky. I also want to express my condolences to Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2289}
{"speech_id":1090168226,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CHANDLER is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I particularly want to again thank him for the way he has handled himself in this matter. -Mr. CHANDLER has been a spokesperson for those who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. He has also yielded to appropriate manners of resolution to determine what caused this crash. and I appreciate his leadership on the committe6 and on this issue. It is critical that we do find the cause of aviation crashes and incidents and that we take preventative measures. and that is something that has been very much my intention as chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee. In fact. we have changed some procedures to accomplish that goal. One of the provisions of the law that we changed now requires NTSB to continue corrective measures. In the past the NTSB would investigate these accidents. A recommendation would be made. findings would be made. but they just sort of stayed on the shelf. That is no longer the case. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2289}
{"speech_id":1090168226,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Today recommendations from these accidents are not left on the shelf. where causes and risks would not be addressed. Recommendations now must be followed through and brought back to the Congress and measures taken to correct any of the errors or institute appropriate remedies that are recommended by the. NTSB. Again. I am pleased that Mr. CHANDLER comes before the House today to remember those lost in this incident and that he has also been supportive of having the NTSB thoroughly investigate this crash. We give assurances to the loved ones and others that due course and due process will be followed and a full review and determination of the cause of this horrible aviation accident and tragedy will be made so that we will know how to prevent similar accidents in the future. and we will be able to correct these deficiencies. Again. to Mr. CHANDLER. to all those who suffered loss. we extend our condplences. and I ask the House to concur in adoption of House Resolution 980. sponsored by the gentleman.","speaker_name":"JOHN MICA","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2289}
{"speech_id":1090168246,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in frustration with the Senates delay in protecting Americans by taking up the House border security bill. Employer verification and enforcement are vital to upholding our immigrant laws. Innocently hiring an illegal. alien because there is no system in place is one thing. Knowingly violating our immigration laws for cheap labor is another. Not only does this hurt Americans by driving down wages. it invites an influx of illegal aliens that overwhelms our border security. H.R. 4437 cracks down on those who compound our immigration problems by hiring illegals. fining them up to $25.000 per employee when they consist: ently violate the law. To the Senate we need to say. listen up. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":879}
{"speech_id":1090168246,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Listen to what the American p6ople are saying and pass H.R.- 4437. This must become law this year so we can stop the massive illegal flow and secure our borders.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":879}
{"speech_id":1090168281,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. right now in my district in rural North Carolina. folks are very concerned about the high cost of fuel. I rise tonight to call on this Congress to take action now to help the people who are suffering from this very serious crisis. not only in my district and State. but really in this country. Gas prices are higher than they have ever been in the history of our country. and rural Americans are getting hit particularly hard. Our farmers. are watching most of the profits from the crops that they harvest go back into their fuel tanks or their tractors and their equipment. Our school districts in rural North Carolina are having trouble keeping the buses on the road. Rural Americans as a whole feel a greater pinch from these outrageous fuel prices. They have longer commutes just to get to the grocery store. to the doctors office and to their church on Sunday. Yet. while Americans are struggling to make ends meet. big oil companies are making record profits. I support legislation to crack down on price gouging of gasoline and fuel. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090168281,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also believe that it is our duty in this body to find alternatives to what has become a dangerous reliance on foreign oil. As the cochairman of the Democratic Rural Working Group. we have introduced H.R. 5372. the Biofuels Act of 2006. This is legislation that will help bring Americans a step closer to energy independence. Today. we have the technology to solve our energy crisis. Other countries are already making significant progress and are far ahead of the United States in their energy independence. Countries such as Brazil already use over 80 percent ethanol and biodiesel. and they are 100 percent energy independent. The Biofuels Act would increase production of vehicles.that are E85 compatible and provide the tax credits to service station owners who update their equipment. We have: the ability to turn soybeans and cellulose into biodiesel and ethanol. What we dont have is the infrastructure to maximize our ability to use these fuels. Instead of the same old giveaways to big oil companies. the Republican leadership in this Congress should allow a vote on the legislation that we have introduced. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090168281,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 5372. Other countries have accomplished their energy independence. Americans can. too. Now is the time. The answer to our crisis of energy is growing in our fields.","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090168440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I respect my colleagues views. We have had this debate several times before. I recognize and feel. as do you. as do I and I think every Member of this Chamber. the extraordinary losses in this country of 2.600some men and women who have given their lives and some over 20.000 who are trying to recover from wounds and the impact on their families. That is an enormous sacrifice. But what I say to you. my dear friend: You pose a big gamble. If you are not right and this legislature interprets that as a signal. the public servants in Iraq interpret that as a signal. the members of the Iraqi securityforcesnamely. the armyhear that their support base. logistically and other ways. the United States. that we are beginning a phased withdrawal. this could trigger the opposite reaction: If that Government were not able to function because of the lack of security and they lose reins of sovereignty. I ask my good friend. what happens? If these oilfieldsmaybe not all at once but fractionallywhat happens if this country begins to divide in three parts: the Kurds in the north. the Sunnis in al Anbar. and down south in the Bosra region. the Shia? Iran is flexing its muscles in various ways. and as you and I know their influence is being felt inthat country. What happens if they see we are not there with the resolve that our President. time and time again. has stated? Yesterday. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090168440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was privileged. along with others. to be in the audience when he delivered what I thought was one of his strongest and best speeches. sketching the whole history of the war on terrorism and with direct quotes of the principals who are fighting against our interests here in this country. I ask. what happens if that Government fails to exercise the full range of democracy? What is your anticipation?","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090168499,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator. who is a strong supporter of the military men and women who are serving and with whom I have had the great privilege of serving on the Armed Services Committee. if I may be a bit \u0095cynical. may I ask. Does the Senator think we would be having this discussion if we were not in an evennumbered year in September?","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":323}
{"speech_id":1090168522,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of a noconfidence resolution on the leadership of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld. Secretary Rumsfeld has overseen a failed strategy. policy. and military tactics for Iraq that have weakened the state of our national and homeland defense. Despite clear evidence that our current strategy is not working. he has stubbornly stuck to a deteriorating course. We need a new direction. \"Staying the course\" is not the answer and Secretary Rumsfeld has been the key proponent of this failed policy. I first publicly called for Secretary Rumsfelds resignation 6 months -ago. after watching 3 years of mismanagement of our war effort in Iraq. And. since that time. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9691}
{"speech_id":1090168522,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have become more convinced of the importance of changing the leadership at the top of the Department of Defense. In truth. the Bush administrations failed strategy and tactics in Iraq have significantly diminished the United States standing in the world and made waging the global war on terror more difficult. Despite optimistic reports by Pentagon officials regarding the security situation near Baghdad over the past several weeks. it is clear that Iraq is on the edge of civil war. For example. in recent days news agencies have reported that: 40 bodies. 25 of which had been blindfolded and executed by gunshot. were discovered in a mass grave in Baghdadthis from the New York Times. The number of killings in and around Baghdad grew substantially last week despite an Americanled security crackdown. with morgues receiving as many bodies as they had during the first three weeks of August combinedthis from the Los Angeles Times. Finally. the Iraqi parliament voted to extend a state of emergency throughout much of the country a strong indication that the security situation remains tenuousthis from the Associated Press. Yet we are continuing down the same failed path. buttressing the Shiitedominated government and preventing it from taking actions necessary to end the insurgency and prevent a fullscale civil war. As a result of these failed policies under Secretary Rumsfelds leadership. Iraq continues to be a nation. in chaos. Yes. .there is a permanent government in place. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9691}
{"speech_id":1090168522,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the ministries do not function properly. terror. kidnappings. and assassinations continue on a daily basis. Iranian influence is growing. and Shiite militias dominate the police. Civilian killings now top 3.000 a month. and a SunniShiite civil war is emerging. with U.S. forces caught in the middle. Despite spending almost $20 billion on reconstruction efforts. our plan for Iraq reconstruction has stalled as security requirements continue to tax our resources. Unemployment may be as high as 50 percent. many utilities are not online. and demand for subsidized gasolineU.S. $0.55\/gallonhas led to a thriving black market and corruption. Oil production has yet to meet revenue goals. The list of failures in our war policy in Iraq is comprehensive and long: (1) Failed strategic. logistical. and financial planning for the Iraq war Secretary. Rumsfeld ignored suggestions early on by advisers like Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki. Senators such as John McCain. and reports by wellrespected think tanks such as the RAND Corporation. that many more ground troops were needed. For questioning Rumsfelds plan. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9691}
{"speech_id":1090168522,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"General Shinseki was effectively forced into early retirement. White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey found himself out of a job after differing with Rumsfeld in suggesting that the Iraq .war might cost up to $200 billion Rumsfeld initially argued that it would cost only $50 billion. With the addition of emergency supplemental funding. the cost of the Iraq war has now reached $320 billion. with spending averaging $2 billion a week. American troops went into combat without the proper equipment and protection. Hundreds of soldiers and marines were killed or maimed in the early stages of the war due to the lack of appropriate vehicle and .body armor. Yet in responding to these concerns. Secretary Rumsfeld famously quipped. \"You go to war with the Army you have.\" (2) Failed policy of deBaathification. including abolishing the Iraqi Army with no severance pay or pensions for soldiers Perhaps the biggest strategic mistake made by military planners. beyond the lack of adequate troop strength. was the decision to demobilize the standing Iraqi Army. while \"blacklisting\" other civilian professionals who had been members of the Baathist Party. Many of these soldiers. government officials.. doctors. lawyers. and other civilian workers. with their jobs eliminated and no money to feed their families chose to join the insurgency that has now grown to an estimated 20.000 individuals. Remarkably. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9691}
{"speech_id":1090168522,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rumsfeld until only recently tried to characterize the insurgency as a group of \"foreign fighters.\" failing to understand the deep resentment cultivated by American policies in postSaddam Iraq. (3) Faulty belief that capturing Baghdad meant controlling Iraq As related in recent firsthand accounts of the initial invasion. commanders on the ground quickly identified the threat- of a guerilla war. but after GEN William Wallace. who was leading the march toward Baghdad. recommended crushing the small insurgency along the way. he was nearly forced to resign. While U.S. forces successfully captured Baghdad within 3 weeks. this strategy allowed an insurgency to grow within the Sunni triangle and hundreds of foreign fighters to stream across Iraqs unguarded borders. (4) Failure to manage the chaos in the aftermath of the invasion Some of the first signs that the U.S. lacked adequate troops were the pictures of Iraqis rioting and looting in several key cities immediately following the invasion. Rumsfeld dismissed the chaos as a symbol of \"freedom and democracy.\" simply saying \"stuff happens.\" Sadly. it demonstrated to all Iraqis that American military resources were limited. This shortage of U.S. troops also resulted in a failure to secure munition dumps and small arms that were stashed throughout the country. The insurgency was able to thrive through access to these munitions and weapons caches. and many American troops have been killed or injured from bombs or RPGs that could have been secured in the initial invasion. had we had enough troops. (5) Failure to stop abuse and torture One of the greatest stains on Americas reputation that will come out of the war effort is our failure to properly protect the rights of those detained by our military. While most of our men and women have served honorably. it is clear that the Pentagon allowed a culture of abuse to develop in prisons such as Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo. and Camp Nama. Yet despite the clear evidence of detainee abuse. no highlevel official has been held accountable for these actions. (6) Failure to maintain military readiness The Iraq war has taken a significant toll on the state and preparedness of our military. Our armed forces are stretched thin. our men and women in uniform overburdened. Last month. the Marine Corps was forced to issue callup orders for 2.500 from its Individual Ready Reserve the first time it has had to do so since the war started. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9691}
{"speech_id":1090168625,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the committeereported amendments be agreed to. the Levin amendment be agreed to. the bill as amended be read the third time and passed. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statemefits -relating to the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090168754,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I would urge all Members to support the rule and the underlying bill. Congress should do the right thing for Americas horses by ending the cruel practice of horse slaughter. But. Mr. Speaker. there are a larger set of priorities which must be addressed. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":734}
{"speech_id":1090168754,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The American worker deserves anincrease in the minimum wage. and our Nations seniors deserve lower -prescription drug prices. Almost 5 years after September 11. failing to secure Americas ports and airports is unconscionable. Democrats are committed to staying here until these priorities are accomplished. I would urge all my colleagues to join us in this effort. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of -my time.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":734}
{"speech_id":1090168768,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the fiscal year 2007 defense authorization bill passed the House on May 11 and the Senate on June 22. It is deeply disappointing that during a time of war it has taken the House and Senate Republican leadership over 21\/2 months to appoint conferees to write the final defense bill. which includes programs vital to our troops and to our Nations defense. The fact that Speaker HASTERT could take time to campaign in over 40 House districts during the August recess. but could not find time to appoint final defense conferees. represents the kind of misplaced priorities that have Ameri-. cans demanding that Congress change its way of business. Our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq should not have had to wait 21\/2 months to see Congress moving ahead on a bill that is vital to them. their mission and their families. Now that conferees have finally been appointed. the House has a serious responsibility to support a bill that puts our troops and military retirees first. * That is what this motion to instruct is all about. Specifically. this .motion would instruct House conferees on the defense bill to accept Senate language that would reduce the cost of prescription drugs for military retirees. including Iraqi war veterans. by hundreds of.millions of dollars each year. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090168768,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It would do so by saying that pharmaceutical manufacturers should give the same drug discount at retail pharmacies that is already being given to military retirees who buy their drugs via mail order. The Veterans Administration. saves hundreds of millions of dollars every year by requiring drug manufacturers to offer veterans drug discounts. and applying the same commonsense principle to military retirees will result in huge savings. In fact. this motion. if accepted. would save taxpayers $251 million in fiscal year 2007 and help. even more importantly. up to 1.9 million military retirees by making it unnecessary to pass the unfair House provision. another provision. that would force a 100 percent increase in generic drug copays at local pharmacist for military retirees and a 77 percent increase in brandname drug copays for military retirees. The bottom line. Mr. Speaker. is that this motion is good for American taxpayers and good for our military retirees. who are men and women who have served their Nation for 20 or 30 or more years in uniform. There is just one problem: the pharmaceutical manufacturers do not want military retirees on the TRICARE health plan to be able to buy discounted drugs at local pharmacies. Why? Because it would cut into their already rather substantial profits. The choice is clear. The motion is. a choice between helping our military retirees. including Iraqi war veterans. or helping the pharmaceutical companies make even higher profits. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090168768,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am confident that the vast majority of Americans would say that the pocketbooks of those who have served our Nation for decades in uniform should take priority over higher profits for pharmaceutical manufacturers. The real question is whether this House in voting on this motion will reflect the values of our constituents and our military retirees. or will we reflect the special interests of the pharmaceutical manufacturers and their lobbyists. The choice should be an easy one. But it appears that the House leadership didnt want this provision included in this motion to help our military retirees. and they did not support this language. which the Senate adopted and put in the House bill. That is why we are here today facing this motion. I salute the other body for having put the discounted drug price language in their defense bill..which passed the Senate on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. I urge support. Mr. Speaker. for this motion. I hope we. will receive bipartisan support. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090168768,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Going along with the pharmaceutical manufacturers should not trump saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. keeping drug costs affordable for our military retirees. up to 1.9 million of them. and allowing our military retirees to have access to their local pharmacist. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4152}
{"speech_id":1090168819,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 503. the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. which would put an end to the deplorable practice of slaughtering American horses for consumption. As a strong supporter of animal rights. a horse lover. a former horse owner. I have joined with 202 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle as a cosponsor of H.R. 503. 550 national and State organizations also support H.R. 503. and I have received over 900 communications from constituents in support of the bill. Congress has already expressed its desire to put an end to horse slaughter by voting to amend the fiscal year 2006 agriculture appropriations bill to ban the practice. That amendment passed by an overwhelming vote of 269158 in the House. 6928 in the Senate. However. the language that passed in both the House and Senate stating that no Federal dollars could be used to fund the inspection of horse slaughter plants. thus ending the practice. was -stripped out. The Republican leadership. in an act of hubris. changed the language in conference to allow for flexibility in interpretation of that ban and allowed the plants to continue to operate. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4806}
{"speech_id":1090168819,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is going against congressional intent and has been taken to the courts. Congress voted to put an end to horse slaughter in this country because horses are some of the most beautiful and beloved domesticated animals on Earth. Earlier this year the story of Barbaro. the Kentucky Derby winner that shattered his leg- at the start of the Preakness. transfixed millions of Americans. Since his injury. the thoroughbred has received an incredible outpouring of letters. flowers. apples. and carrots from Americans across the country. Fans have even made pilgrimages to Barbaros care facility in Pennsylvania to wish him well in his long recovery. Americans are rooting for Barbaro because they have been inspired by his strength. his beauty. and his strong personality. Americans have long appreciated horses for transport. on ranches. as police mounts. and as cherished companions. The American Horse Council reports that 1.9 million Americans currently own horses. Another 7.1 million Americans are involved in the industry as horse owners. service providers. employees. and volunteers. while tens of millions participate in horse events as spectators. These millions of Americans know that horses should be treated with dignity and respect in life and death. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4806}
{"speech_id":1090168819,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are disgusted. as I am. that in 2005 over 90.000 horses were slaughtered at three Americanbased foreignowned plants. and I stress foreignowned plants. so that meat could be shipped to Europe and Asia for consumption as a delicacy. Horses bound for slaughter must endure inhumane conditions on the way to and during slaughter. Horses are shipped frequently for long distances in terrible conditions. They are crammed together in trucks built for cattle and pigs. Because of the cramped transport. they are often trampled and some * horses arrive at the slaughterhouse seriously injured or dead. Once at the slaughterhouse. horses are often not rendered unconscious before they are killed. as mandated by Federal law. Most people assume that all or most of the horses bought for slaughter are old or injured. In fact. according .to the USDA guidelines for handling and transporting equines for slaughter. 92.3 percent of horses that arrive at slaughter plants are in \"good\" condition. meaning they are not injured. lame. overweight. or underweight. Healthy animals. pets. and former race horses are all sent to slaughter. We may hear today that it is likened to being humane to animals in order to oppose this legislation. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4806}
{"speech_id":1090168819,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It could not be further from the truth. The humane vote is to vote in favor of this legislation to ban the inhumane slaughter of horses. Earlier I mentioned Barbaro. the Kentucky Derby winner. Ferdinand. the winner of the 1986 Derby. faced a very different fate. After his momentous Derby victory. Ferdinand was killed for food in a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002. Just imagine if Barbaro faced the same end. Not surprisingly. a recent poll conducted by public opinion strategists found that 65 percent of Americans do not support horse slaughter. and 64 percent of Americans believe that horses are companions like dogs and cats and killing a horse to eat is not different than killing a cat or dog to eat. I am sure that other Members of this body have received hundreds of letters too from constituents who oppose horse slaughter and support H.R. 503. I - think it is time to listen to the American public and finally end the barbaric practice of horse slaughter by passing H.R. 503. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4806}
{"speech_id":1090168819,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let us not sign off on Barbaro burgers. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4806}
{"speech_id":1090168891,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to point out there is a book called. \"Alternatives to Auction and Slaughter: A Guide for Equine Owners (A Better Way).\" that lists all kinds of places that welcome animals that are at the end of their lives and are unwanted. Quite frankly. I find really disingenuous those on the other side who oppose this legislation who say those of us who support ending horse slaughter are actually going to be hurting horses more. that we somehow dont get it. I think that is very disrespectful to the well over 500 organizations that support this bill. including the American Horse Defense Fund. the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. the Animal Protection Institute. the Humane Society of the United States. Clearly. I could go on and on. These are organizations that are in business for the sole purpose of making sure that animals are treated humanely. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090168891,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are not mistaken in supporting this legislation. Those of us who truly care about the welfare of horses should support this legislation.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090168895,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Chairman. I strongly oppose the slaughter of horses for human consumption. For this reason I am a cosponsor of H.R. 503. This bill prohibits the shipping. transporting. -moving. delivering. receiving. possessing. purchasing. selling. or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. An overwhelming majority of my constituents from the Dallas. Texas. area are opposed to horse slaughter. and my vote reflects their will. My office phone has been ringing off the hook with constituents opposed to horse slaughter. I have received more than 500 letters in the past few days. All are opposed to horse slaughter. Horses are a symbol of American freedoms. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1338}
{"speech_id":1090168895,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are a part of our history. our culture. and they deserve better. Three slaughterhouses remain in the United States. and unfortunately two of them are in Texas. These meat factories kill about 100.000 American horses per year. sending the meat to countries overseas for fine dining. Madam Chairman. I vigorously oppose this gruesome practice. And I dont agree with the argument that shutting down these slaughterhouses will hurt the local economies or be inhumane for horses. In my opinion. this bill protects American horses from being raisedand slaughteredfor human consumption. I support H.R. 503 and urge my colleagues to support it as well.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1338}
{"speech_id":1090168940,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman. I would just say that this bill certainly does not prevent individual owners from slaughtering a horse and eating the horse if they want to. I think that this amendment is unnecessary. It would defeat the purpose of the bill. All the correspondence we have had with Indian tribes indicates that they donot eat horse meat. Horses have not been a part of the food chain in America. ","speaker_name":"ED WHITFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":563}
{"speech_id":1090168940,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would urge the defeat pf the amendment and passage of H.R. 503. Mr. Chairman. I yieldback the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ED WHITFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":563}
{"speech_id":1090168995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have rules in the House about legislating on an appropriations bill. and it is clear that the intent of the author was to legislate on anappropriations bill. I think the majority did the right thing by moving the authorizing language for the minimum wage through the Rules Committee and brought it to the House floor. So. again. the House has dealt with this. I am hopeful that the Senate will dealwith it soon.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":414}
{"speech_id":1090169011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is a ritual of the schbol year where millions of American students return to class and offer an essay entitled. \"What I Did on My Summer Vacation.\" Mr. Speaker. for a special group of 1112- and 13yearolds from the Fifth Congressional District of Arizona. it is quite a daunting challenge. because. Mr. Speaker. that select group of young men. nicknamed The Dawgs. the allstars of Ahwatukees Little League advanced all the way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. Pennsylvania. This special team went out as winners. They won their final game but due to a rule for a tiebreaker had the unfortunate experience of not advancing. In fact. of the nine teams that won two games at Williamsport. sadly only the team from Ahwatukee did not advance. ","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1189}
{"speech_id":1090169011,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But they are more than exceptions. Mr. Speaker. they are true champions. not only the best in the west but a team that went out winners in Williamsport. Mr. Speaker. I include in the RECORD the roster of this team and their championship season and would remark as I close. Mr. Speaker. with the observation that they have now entered the. history of this House as well as the history of the Little League World Series.","speaker_name":"JOHN HAYWORTH","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1189}
{"speech_id":1090169047,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have this vivid memory of the day after 9\/11. a headline that appeared in the paper of record in France that said: \"We Are All Americans Today.\" We had support in every corner of the world for what we were doing. We would have succeeded in the war on terror by now: But. no. But. no. We invaded Iraq. and clearly that has created implications for our national security. If I may just for one moment. and I am not alone when I say this. it is interesting. today in the Wall Street Journal a former Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives. Newt Gingrich of Georgia. who succeeded in securing a majority for the Republican Party in this House in 1994. was quoted. Remember. this is a Republican. a leader. The speculation is that he is considering running for the Presidency in This is what Newt Gingrich had to say. Just consider the following: \"Osama bin Laden is still at large.\" I agree. \"Afghanistan is still insecure.\" I would suggest that it is unraveling. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1266}
{"speech_id":1090169047,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"Iraq is still violent.\" 3.000 deaths a month. \"North Korea and Iran are still building nuclear weapons and missiles. Terrorist recruiting is still occurring in the United States. Canada. Great Britain and across the planet.\" Those are Newt Gingrichs words. today. in the Wall Street Journal.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1266}
{"speech_id":1090169139,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the record should show that there are significant amounts of money allocated in this bill to several agencies. But to go beyond that and discuss in greater de-. tail would be. as the chairman indicated. a violation of the rules of classification. I will cease at this point.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090169151,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will discuss a bit more fully what led me to this amendment. It is not the Presidents comments of several days ago. That was not the genesis of this amendment. I have believed since we went to war in Iraqanyone can look at the record and what I said in this Senate the night of the voteI said then that I believed going to Iraq was a distraction. I believe it diverted our attention and resources from going after the alQaida leadership that organized the attack on America. I said that then. I believed it then. I believe it now. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090169151,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have a bit of a different background from many of my colleagues. I went to high school at an American military base in Tripoli. Libya. North Africa. I lived in the Arab culture. One of the ironies was the Senator from Alaska suggested this is a slap in the face at the intelligence community. My family served in the intelligence services of our country in that part of the world. I am precluded from going further than that because of classification issues. I have great respect for those who serve in the clandestine and the intelligence services of our country. I have consulted many of them in writing this amendment. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090169151,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe deeply this is the right approach to operationalize. to more fully fund the efforts. not only to get Osama bin Ladenalthough I believe he is at the top of the listI also believe it is critically important to get Zawahiri. I believe it is critically important to get Mullah Omar. I regret deeply that resources were transferred from Afghanistan to Iraq. that we had forces that were experts in Arab culture and Arab language and we shifted them to Iraq. The hard reality is. while there have been successes. which I acknowledged in my opening remarksI would say to the Senator from Alaska. there have been very excellent successes. Getting Zarqawi. thank God. we got him. Thank goodness for each of those who have been captured and taken out of operational involvement in planning additional attacks on the country. But the job is not done. We know that. I believe very strongly that we made a strategic error in going to Iraq. I said it then. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090169151,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say. it now. I believe the focus and the energy and the attention ought to have gonethe priority ought to have been alQaida. its leadership. and its worldwide network. I believe this is fundamentally different than World War II. I believe this is a long and difficult struggle. I believe this is a dangerous world. I believe there are people who are plotting right now to again attack our country. And I want to be part of an effort to do everything we can to stop them. That is why I offer this amendment. and for no other reason. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090169151,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that Senator DAYTON be added as an original cosponsor of the -amendment.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2770}
{"speech_id":1090169185,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on this last rollcall vote. No. 235. the distinguished Senator from New Mexico. the current chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. and the former longserving chairman of the Budget Committee. Senator PETE DOMENICI. cast his 13.000th vote in this Chamber13.000 votes. Senator DOMENICI now joins a very historic and select club of Senators who can claim this distinction. Senators now cast more votes than ever in each Congress. so while historical records are not perfect. the Senate Librarian says that we are safe to conclude that among all Senators who have served since the beginning of the Republic. Senator DOMEmICI is in a class of only eight. Since the beginning of the Republic. only seven other Senators have similarly cast more than 13.000 votes in their careers in the Senate. and four of them are serving today. The club of seven now becomes the club of eight with Senator DOMENICIS last vote here today. Those other seven Senators are Senator Clayburn Pell. the current President pro tempore. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1488}
{"speech_id":1090169185,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator TED STEVENS. Senator TED KENNEDY. Senator DANIEL INOUYE. Senator Ernest Hollings. the late Senator Strom Thurmond. and with over 17.733 votes. the alltime record. Senator ROBERT C. BYRD. Senator DOMENICI. I know I speak for all of your fellow Senators when I say congratulations on this achievement. But more importantly. thank you for your tremendous service over the years to New Mexico. to your country. and importantly to the U.S. Senate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1488}
{"speech_id":1090169191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first of all. let me say thank you to each Senator who commented on my many years of voting. which has yielded 13.000 today. I thank you very much and. in particular. I thank the majority leader for doing what he has done. by setting aside these few moments. I greatly appreciate it. I guess it is pretty easy to get to 13.000. You just stick around long enough and come and vote and you will get there. I dont know how many more I will get but certainly a lot more because there are a lot of. years left to come. I dont know how many we will be celebrating. but this is a very special one because of the special people who are here. indicating to me in their own gracious way their appreciation for what I do or dont do in the Senate. I thank all of them for that. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1095}
{"speech_id":1090169191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Frankly. I dont feel as if I have cast 13.000 votes. so I dont know what that means. Maybe it means I have a lot more to come. I hope so. Maybe it means we are voting a lot more in the Senate than we used to. In any event. it is a proud day because you all have made it one. Thank you very much. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1095}
{"speech_id":1090169221,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to be as courteous as possible. It is not a very good Word to use. but it seems to me the Menendez amendment places a gag order on the Department of Defense. It says that the gains made by our military people and by the Iraqi forces cannot be reported to our people or to the Iraqipeople. It is a strange amendment. if you want to look at it. because it just says no funds may be expended for a public relations program to monitor news media in the United States and Middle East and create a database of news stories to promote a positive image of the war in Iraq. The Departments press office- normally reports daytoday activities and is doing just thatgetting the stories around and making sure we at home and the people in Iraq and our.people in uniform know the positive side of this engagement. I can tell you that at home we see the negative side all the time. It seems to me that answering questions with positive stories would be considered a PR effort. I do think it would have unintended consequences potentially impacting intelligence activities. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1479}
{"speech_id":1090169221,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont Want to go into that too much. but the world knows about this information and the activities that have been going on for years. They havebeen going on for years. We should not allow the Senate to take the position that prevents the Department of Defense to report on favorable news and to create a program to do that. To me. it constitutes a gag order. I move to table the Senators amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1479}
{"speech_id":1090169327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. are there any other pending amendments not taken care of by the unanimous consent agreement? It is my understanding from the unanimous consent agreement that the only other amendment to be considered on this bill was the Bingaman amendment. and We now have a vote on the Reed amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090169357,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. next -week we will be commemorating an event that none of us can forget and none of us wants to relive. We mark September 11. 2001. as a day of national tragedy. But out of the ashes rose a determination to bring the sponsors of this terrorism to justice and to reform the intelligence system that that we depend on to prevent such predatory attacks in the future. In those first weeks and months after the attacks. we were united as a nation and enjoyed the sympathy and support of the world. We went after Osama bin Ladin and the government that hosted him. with some of Americas best and bravest. We assembled some of our wisest and most experienced leaders to investigate the events leading up to the attack and to recommend a path of reform. Since 2001 when I joined the Senate Intelligence Committee. I have worked to bring about intelligence reform. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 was an important milestone on this journey. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5850}
{"speech_id":1090169357,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Important structural changes were made to our intelligence community and barriers removed to information sharing between agencies. But where are we now? The operational failure of 9\/11 was followed by an analytical failure in Iraq. The hidden agenda of the White House and the Presidents lack of interest in objective analysis compounded the consequences of flawed intelligence. The President did not level with the public before the war. He did not keep his eye on hunting down alQaida. Instead. he led us into an unnecessary and disastrous war in Iraq. Instead of providing oversight of the executive branch. congressional leadership has provided a rubberstamp. Instead of providing an independent voice. it has offered an echo chamber. Instead of helping the Senate Intelligence Committee investigate the Iraq intelligence failure. it has helped the White House push roadblocks in our path. And instead of taking care to safeguard liberty as we enhance security. it has closed its eyes on violations of the law and betrayal of our values. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5850}
{"speech_id":1090169357,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In spite of some strong disagreements on specific issues. the Senate Intelligence Committee has come together on a bipartisan basis to implement the reforms already adopted and advance additional reform measures. But last year. the leadership in the Senate did not allow the committees authorization bill to be debated and voted on by the full Senate. For the first time in 28 years. the committee was blocked from carrying out its most .basic functionthe authorization of U.S. intelligence programs. This month. we have learned that the majority leader does not intend to bring the fiscal year 2007 intelligence authorization bill to the floor before the Senates fall recess. Again we face the prospect of the leadership preventing the Intelligence Committee from doing its job. This is irresponsible and unacceptable. The authorizing committee should be the congressional vehicle for intelligence reform. The members of the committee spend the time needed to understand the issues. And we operate under special rules to keep our Nations most sensitive secrets. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5850}
{"speech_id":1090169357,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will do my best to make sure the intelligence community is adequately and appropriately funded. But providing direction and guidance for intelligence activities is the .job of the Intelligence Committee. Senator ROCKEFELLER. the distinguished vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee. elaborated from the floor this week about what is at stake. The fiscal year 2007 intelligence authorization bill. passed unanimously by the committee. included provisions: to enhance or clarify the authority of the Director of National Intelligence. to encourage information sharing and access. to establish a statutory inspector general of the intelligence community. to elevate the heads of the technical intelligence agencies by requiring them to be appointed by the President with Senate advice and consent. to improve the timeliness and completeness of information provided to the committee. and. to streamline the security clearance process for National GeospatialIntelligence Agency employees and contractors. These measures are not trivial. If enacted. they will save lives and they will save money. They will help restore congressional oversight where it is lacking. They will help prevent abuses in intelligence operations. which bring dishonor to our nation. In short. these measures are critical to our national security. They should not be casually discarded. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5850}
{"speech_id":1090169357,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator ROCKEFELLER has repeatedly raised his concerns with the lack of congressional oversight of the warrantless surveillance program conducted by the National Security Agency. I join him in expressing those concerns from the perspective of a member whose state prouflly hosts the headquarters of that invaluable agency. After a long struggle against White House footdragging. members of congressional intelligence committees are finally being briefed on this 5yearold program. But as Senator ROCKEFELLER points out. we have still not\" received the information necessary to adequately understand and evaluate the program. Nor have we been allowed to use the Intelligence Committees specialized staffsuch as the minority counsel and the NSA monitorwho are best qualified to help us with this task. Under these -conditions. the Senate cannot evaluate the need for the warrantless surveillance program and cannot propose legislative remedies for the alleged deficiencies of the current law. These circumstances must change. Mr. President. intelligence is at the forefront in our fight against terrorism. just as it was in our long Cold War struggle against communism. Congress has a duty under the Constitution to be a critical and coequal partner in this fight. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA MIKULSKI","chamber":"S","state":"MD","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5850}
{"speech_id":1090169358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to discuss the Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007. which is one of the most important of the appropriations measures that we consider annually. This legislation will provide critical funding for the men and women in our armed forces who. at this very moment. are in harms way. We must support them. and. for that reason. I will vote in favor of its passage. But I have serious concerns over the earmarks contained in the committee report accompanying this bill. The bill reported out of committee appropriates over $453 billion. This is more than $9 billion below the Presidents request and I am discouraged that it required a $13 billion amendment designated as emergency funding to get back to the Presidents requested funding level. Also. as is the case with so many of the appropriations bills that come to the floor. the report accompanying it contains hundreds of earmarks that were neither requested nor authorizedto the tune of over $4 billion. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7171}
{"speech_id":1090169358,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During a time of war we should be making every effort to support the Presidents budget request instead of slashing it and then adding earmarks for favored projects. Every day we ask the brave men and women who fight for freedom on behalf of our great nation to make sacrifices. They sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as several other places around the globe. Our soldiers have sacrificed and their families have sacrificed. And so. we in the Congress should exercise some degree of selfrestraint and sacrifice as well. Let me mention a few of the addons that were included in the bills accompanying report that were not requested in the Presidents budget and were not on any of the armed- services unfunded priority listssome of which have next to nothing to do with the Department of Defense or its mission: $2 million for automotive research. $2 million for Precision Polishing of Large Objects. $3 million for improved shelflife for Vegetables. $2 million for Brown Tree Snakes. $117 million for an Oceanographic Survey Ship. $75 million for the Allegany Ballistics Lab in West Virginia. $18.5 million for a Air Force C17 Maintenance Training System in Hawaii. $8 million for the Allen Army Airfield in Alaska. $1.5 million for Fort Detrick in Maryland. $4. million for disposable dental masks. and $3.5 million for Hibernation Genomics. Once again. there are also many earmarks that may be for worthy causes. such as ovarian cancer research. but there is no compelling national defense reason for these items to be funded through this legislation. These earmarks include: $115 million for Breast Cancer Research. $80 million for Prostate Cancer Research. $6 million for Integrated Translational Prostate Disease Research: $34 million for the Hawaii Federal Health Care Network. and $15 million for Ovarian Cancer Research. Mr. President. as we are engaged fully in the global war on terror. it is imperative that we get the most of each and every defense dollar. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7171}
{"speech_id":1090169358,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The money that is being diverted to projects like the ones I have mentioned could instead be used for body armor or other critical needs to protect our troops and help win the war on terror. The earmarks I have mentioned are just a small sampling of the many. unrequested earmarks that fill the accompanying report. These earmarks are draining our precious resources and are not vital to our long term national security. I strongly encourage the Federal agencies affected to use their judgement to ensure they are not allocating resources to projects that are not legislatively mandated or authorized. but rather. are merely the wish lists of the committee. Beyond the earmarks contained in the Senate report. this bill contains numerous authorizing provisions. some of which are outside of the scope of defense policy. Some of these provisions include: . Authorizing medical services at Army medical facilities located in Hawaii for civilian patients. Authorizing the use of up to $50 million for operational ranges managed by the Air Force in Alaska. and A provision that protects jobs in Hawaii and Alaska. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7171}
{"speech_id":1090169358,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have no doubt that some of these provisions may be important while others are questionable at best. What is important is that we follow the authorization process and restrain ourselves from using appropriations bills to authorize projects on this bill that have not been requested by the Department of Defense. nor approved by the authorizing committee. I would also like to discuss the Buy America restrictions that cost the Department of Defense and the American taxpayers. Like in previous appropriations bills. this years bill imposes a number of Buy AmericA restrictions. For example. the bill would prevent the purchase of ball bearings unless domestically produced. It requires that welded shipboard anchor and mooring chain be manufactured in the United States. Another section prohibits the Department of Defense from purchasing supercomputers from a foreign source. I continue to be very concerned about the potential impact on readiness of our restrictive. trade policies with our allies. From a philosophical poifit of view. I oppose these types of protectionist policies. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7171}
{"speech_id":1090169358,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe free trade is an important element in improving relations among all nations and essential to economic growth. From a practical standpoint. \"Buy America\" restrictioifs could seriously impair our ability to compete freely in international markets and also could result in the loss of existing business from longstanding trade partners. Some legislative enactments over the past several years have had the effect of establishing a monopoly for a domestic supplier in certain product lines. This not only adds to the pressure for our allies to \"Buy European\" but it also raises the costs of procurement for DOD and cuts off access to potential stateoftheart technologies. DOD should have the ability to make purchases from a second source in an allied country covered by a defense cooperation memorandum of understanding when only one domestic source exists. This would ensure both price and product competition. Defense exports improve interoperability with friendly forces with which we are increasingly likely to operate in coalition warfare or peacekeeping missions. They increase our infliience over re6ipient country actions. and in a worse case scenario. allow the U.S. to terminate support for equipment. Exports lower the unit costs of systems to the U.S. military. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7171}
{"speech_id":1090169359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the Senate prepares to vote on the Department of Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year. 2007. I want to thank all of our brave soldiers. sailors. airmen. and marines for their hard work in the ongoing fight against terrorism. in Iraq. in response to natural disasters here at home. and in the many other missions to which they have been assigned around the world. These dedicated menand women. along with their families. are making great sacrifices in service to our country. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the members of the United States. Armed Forces for their selfless service. I am pleased that the Senate is about to pass the Defense Department appropriations bill. While I continue to have grave concerns about the misguided strategy this administration is pursuing in Iraq. the Senate bill includes funds for many important programs and priorities for our servicemen and women. In particular. the bill includes a welldeserved. although modest. 2.2 percent acrosstheboard pay raise for our military personnel. It also increases funding for vital equipment for those in uniform facing daily dangers in Iraq and Afghanistan. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6439}
{"speech_id":1090169359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am also pleased to support a number of good provisions in this bill that seek to ensure that our troops have the equipment they need to perform their duties on the ground. including increased funding for body armor and personaY -protection equipment. as well as additional funding for uparmored humvees. I am also pleased to support increased funds for the National Guard and Reserve. including an additional $340 million for force protection equipment. This bill includes critical funding that will help the National Guard repair its equipment and reinstate a superior readiness level so that it is capable of defending our country and responding to natural disasters within the continental United States. While I strongly support increased funding for the National Guard. and for border security. I opposed Senator SESSIONS amendment to appropriate nearly $2 billion to the Army National Guard solely to build hundreds of miles of fencing along the southern border. I did so because it is difficult to justify -pouring massive Federal dollars into efforts that have not been shown to be effective. We must improve border security. but we simply do not have the data to show that border fences are an effective deterrent to illegal immigration. For that reason. I opposed the authorization of this fencing when it was proposed as an amendment to S. 2611. the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. and I opposed appropriating the funds for it in this appropriations bill. The better approach would be to first implement another provision of S. 2611 that directs the Attorney General. in cooperation with other executive branch officials. to conduct a study on this question. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6439}
{"speech_id":1090169359,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The study would analyze the construction of a system of physical barriers along the southern international land and maritime border. including the necessity. feasibility. and impact of such barriers on the surrounding area. It is estimated that construction costs for these border fences is more than $1 million per mile. And that doesnt include the cost of maintaining these structures. Furthermore. there are very serious concerns about the environmental impact this type of massive construction project would have. Before we commit to pouring precious Federal dollars into a massive fencing system. at the very least we should do a thorough analysis of the most effective and fiscally responsible means of securing our borders against illegal transit. While I support much of the funding for intelligence activities contained in the bill. I am deeply concerned at the failure of this Congress to pass an intelligence authorization bill. Congressional oversight of intelligence has never been more important. Strengthening our Nations intelligence capabilities after the attacksof September 11 requires the involvement of Congress. which is why the 9\/11 Commission. described strengthened oversight as one of its most important recommendations. The disastrous failures of intelligence related to Iraq. both by the intelligence community and by the administration. further highlight the importance of thorough congressional scrutiny. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6439}
{"speech_id":1090169359,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ReCently revealed programs such as the NSAs illegal warrantless wiretapping and secret CIA detention facilities. are among the intelligence activities that the congressional intelligence committees must examine. Thirty years after the Senate Intelligence Committee was created in the aftermath of welldocumented abuses. we need to ensure that Congress does not abdicate its important oversight responsibilities. While I do support many of the provisions in this bill. I am deeply disappointed that the bill fails to put our Iraq policy on a better footing. My vote for this bill in no way signals support for that policy. which is hurting our national security. The war in Iraq is having a negativeand dramaticeffect on our militarys capability and readiness levels. Because of the heavy usage of military equipment in Iraq. the Army National Guards 34 brigades .are not combatready. and it will be no easy task getting our physical capacity back up to full strength. The costs we are incurring in Iraq are devastating and they are not advancing our national interests particularly when they are undermining our militarys capacity to defeat the terrorist networks that attacked us on 9\/11. I will continue to call for the redeployment of our forces from Iraq so that our military remains strong and so that our country can refocus on fighting the terrorist networks that attacked us on 9\/11. Unfortunately this spending bill contains many unnecessary items. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6439}
{"speech_id":1090169359,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration continues to request large amounts for Iraq and Afghanistan through \"additional\" or \"emergency supplemental\" appropriations not subject to limits on total discretionary Federal spending and not subject to the full congressional authorization and appropriations review process. I continue to be deeply concerned about this administrations priorities and about the process by which we consider the Department of Defense authorization and appropriations bills. a concern I voice every year at this time. However. on balance. this legislation contains many good provisions for our men and women in uniform who serve our country selflessly around the world. That is why I support it.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6439}
{"speech_id":1090169407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today in sadness I acknowledge the passing of a fine man. a great Pennsylvanian. a lifelong Pittsburgher. Robert E. OConnor. Jr. mayor of Pittsburgh. Bob OConnor loved Pittsburgh. He was born in Pittsburgh. graduated from the citys Taylor Allderdice High School in 1962. and lived. with his wife Judy. in Squirrel Hill for 41 years. Like so many Pittsburgh sons. Bob began his working life in the steel mills. where he worked for 5 years before moving on. entering the family restaurant business. After 29 years in the private sector. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090169407,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bob decided to enter the public square. and was elected to Pittsburghs City Council in 1991. In a testament to both his effectiveness as a city legislator and the professional manner in which he always conducted himself. Bob became City Council President 7 years after he first joined the Council. For 5 years. he served Pittsburgh as its highest ranking legislative official. resigning only when Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell tapped Bob to serve. as the face of his administration in the southwestern Pennsylvania. Two years later. in November of 2005. Bob was elected the 58th mayor of Pittsburgh. There was much he sought to do as mayor. much he had planned for our proud city Tragically. he never got the chance. Merely 7 months after he took office. Bob OConnor was diagnosed with brain cancer. He immediately began to undergo aggressive treatment. working to get healthy enough to return to serving his city. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090169407,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sadly. his illness progressed. and on September 1. MayorOConnor passed away. Today. September 7. -.Mayor Bob OConnor was laid to rest in Pittsburgh. the city he served for 15years. the city he loved his whole life. I joined his family. his friends. and many others at his funeral service. paying our last respects to a man taken from us far too soon. Robert E. OConnor. Jr.. survived by his wife. Judy. and three children. will be sorely missed. May God bless the entire OConnor family during this difficult time..","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1982}
{"speech_id":1090169420,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation designating the new Federal Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. MO. as the Rush H. Limbaugh. Sr.. Federal Courthouse. When people talk about the American Dream. the \"Spirit of America\" and the people who helped make this country great. all one really has to do is mention the name of the late Rush Hudson Limbaugh. Sr. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090169420,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Limbaugh led an extraordinary life in which he practiced law for almost 80 years until his death at age 104 in 1996. At the time of his death. Mr. Limbaugh was the Nations oldest practicing lawyer and still came Iinto work about twice a week at the law firm he founded over 50 years before in Cape Girardeau. MO. Known by his peers as a superb trial lawyer with impeccable character and integrity. he was a beloved icon of the Missouri legal community. especially in southeast Missouri where he lived all his life. Born in 1891. on a small farm in rural Bollinger County. he was the youngest of eight children and attended school in a one room primary school house. It is said that a passion for the law first developed in Rush as a 10yearold boy when a Daniel Webster oration that he memorized inspired him to become a lawyer. Fourteen years later. he began a legal career that lasted eight decades. Throughout those 80 Stears. his interest in the law and his dedication to his clients never wavered. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090169420,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rush paid his way through college at the University of Missouri at Columbia .by working on the university farm and doing odd jobs such as carpentry. firing up furnaces. caring for animals and waiting tables. While in college. his","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER BOND","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1601}
{"speech_id":1090169437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Terrorism. Technology and Homeland Security be authorized to meeb to conduct a hearing on \"Keeping Terrorists Off the Plane\" on Thursday. September 7. 2006. at 2 p.m. in Dirksen 226. Witness List Paul Rosenzweig. Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Policy. Planning and International Affairs. United States Department of Homeland Security. Washington. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":752}
{"speech_id":1090169437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"DC. Jayson P. Ahern. Assistant Commissioner. Office of Field Operations. United States Customs of Border Protection. Washington. DC. Jess Ford. Director of International Affairs and Trade. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":752}
{"speech_id":1090169437,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Government Accountability Office. Washington. DC. and Leon J. Laylagian. Executive Vice President. PassengerCargo Security Group. Concord. NH.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":752}
{"speech_id":1090169445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Senators BARACK OBAMA. TOM CARPER. JOHN MCCAIN. and I earlier this year introduced S. 2590. the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. to bring increased transparency to the way the Federal Government spends taxpayer money. Transparency means allowing citizens to access accurate information on Federal spending decisions in a timely fashion for the purpose of keeping their elected officials accountable. Outside of protecting national security and individual privacy. there is no reason why the operations of all Federal agencies -should not be widely known by as many as would like to know. It is because this belief is widely shared by the American people as well as many in this body that S. 2590 has gained the cosponsorship of dozens of Senators. I believe. though. that transparency in Government decisionmaking should not be limited simply to spending. but should also be extended to the decisions Congress makes about the Tax Code. The Tax Code is currently tens of thousands of pages in length and far too confusing for even IRS customer= service agents to understand. let alone the average citizen with far less expertise. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2710}
{"speech_id":1090169445,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Because I believe that transparency is one of the best tools we have to curb wasteful behavior. I look forward working with Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG to develop bipartisan legislation like S. 2590 that will bring increased transparency to the Tax Code by allowing the American public to understand the real world effects of the Tax Code. Tax Code matters are extremely complex and the American public has a right to know how the Tax Code affects them. American taxpayers also deserve to know if they are paying higher taxes in order to offset the loss of revenue due to special treatment for special interest groups. This is a complex issue that will require careful study. It is my intention to address this issue in a future hearing of the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management. Government Information. and International Security. I believe that a hearing addressing this issue will help us all to better understand the ultimate effects of targeted tax expenditures. Further study will also help to inform us on how to fully address the issue of greater transparency. I thank Senator LAUTENBERG for his attention to this issue and I look forward to working with him and Senator OBAMA to promote increased Government transparency. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2710}
{"speech_id":1090169445,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As Thomas Jefferson wrote back in 1802. \"We might hope to see the finances of the Union as clear and intelligible as a merchants books. so that every member of Congress and every man of any mind in the Union should be able to comprehend them. to investigate abuses. and consequently to control them.\"","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2710}
{"speech_id":1090169446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my distinguished colleagues from New Jersey and Oklahoma. It has been a pleasure to work with them on important legislation to improve Federal financial transparency and accountability. The American people have a right to know how Federal resources are being used. Congress and the President should make it as easy as possible for taxpayers to see how well we are doing our jobs as stewards of Federal revenues and administrators of Federal spending. All of us should have adequate tools to monitor and evaluate how departments and agencies are performing their important functions. The Web site our legislation calls for will be an important tool in reducing wasteful earmarks and unjustified pork barrel spending. Transparency of spending is an important step in improving accountability and performance. I agree with- Senators LAUTENBERG and COBURN that we also need transparency in Federal tax policy. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1714}
{"speech_id":1090169446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The same way taxpayers should be able to see which companies and organizations receive Federal grants or contracts or other forms of financial assistance. Americans should be able to see which companies and organizations are receiving narrowly targeted tax credits and deductions. A tax break for one taxpayer often means higher taxes for everybody else. It is our duty to make sure that tax breaks that only benefit a few taxpayers at the expense of everybody else are legitimate and appropriate. I have no doubt that greater transparency of targeted tax benefits can help us simplify and improve the fairness of the Federal Tax Code. I look forward to the opportunity to develop bipartisan legislation to address this issue. and I thank my colleagues\" for their wonderful leadership.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1714}
{"speech_id":1090169588,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as we all know. Monday marks the fifth anniversary of September 11 and the terrorist attacks against this country. Shortly after those attacks. during the 107th Congress. the President signed into law the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. which was developed by our Commerce Committee to enhance our countrys maritime security. Since then. our Commerce Committee has worked as hard as possible to pass and implement a number of initiatives which have made our ports and borders more secure. Today we take up the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006. This bill marks the first time three Senate committees have merged their collective expertise and crafted a truly comprehensive approach to port security. A bipartisan group of members from the Commerce Committee. the Finance Committee. and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee have worked together for several months on this bill. As I know the Senate will realize. these three committees each have tremendous knowledge about our ports andprograms which protect and secure our international supply chain. I believe it is a credit to the Senate that each committee agreed to pool their resources. put aside jurisdictional issues. and reach a consensus on this bill. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7482}
{"speech_id":1090169588,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When enacted. this bill will strengthen our land and sea ports. improve our maritime transportation security strategy. and enhance communication between the Department of Homeland Security and transportation security stakeholders. It includes a plan to get our trade activities up and running again in the event of a transportation security incident. And it creates a pilot program which will study the feasibility of scanning each of the containers100 percent of the containersentering our ports. Mr. President. I spent considerable time in the last couple of years examining our ports. and particularly the west coast. which is really sort of the domain I know best. When I was a boy. the Port of Los Angeles was three separate Ports of San Pedro. Long Beach. and Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is now an enormous area. Forty percent of the seaborne trade of the U.S. comes through the Port of Los Angeles. the Port of San Francisco. and of course. the Port of Seattle. which is the home of our colleague. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7482}
{"speech_id":1090169588,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator MURRAY. but also is sort of the stepping stone into my State of Alaska. It is a dynamic port and one that has been experimenting to a great extent on how to bring about container inspection. container scanning. I personally went through each of the ports to see what was being done. There are still a great many problems. I must say that the people operating the ports. including those who are really the working people. have gone out of their way to try to make certain that those ports are safe and secure and that the containers are. in fact. scanned to the best extent possible now. But we want to do this pilot program to see if it is possible to tell our people that 100 percent of the containers coming into the country are scanned. This legislation will enhance the collection and analysis of information about cargo destined for our ports. Those in the shipping industry are our eyes and ears with respect to security. and this bill aims to increase awareness of the operations at domestic and foreign ports. Once those in industry share important information about cargo in the international supply chain. we must analyze it quickly. This legislation expedites that process and ensures it begins earlier in the supply chainbefore containers even reach our shores. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7482}
{"speech_id":1090169588,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This act requires information about cargo be provided and analyzed before the cargo is loaded on a vessel in a foreign port and shipped here. That will be a significant change. This bill also expands several initiatives with a proven track record of success. There are currently five interagency operations centers up and running throughout our country. These centers bring together Federal. state. and local security enforcement officials to ensure communication among them. This act expands this effort to each of the major seaports. and places the Coast Guard in charge of these centers. This act also builds upon the Department of Homeland Securitys past cooperation with foreign governments. The Container Security Initiative. CSI. contained within this bill enables the department. working in partnership with host government customs services. to examine highrisk containerized cargo at foreign seaports before it is loaded on vessels destined for the United States. The CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7482}
{"speech_id":1090169588,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CTPAT. a voluntary publicprivate partnership. is also strengthened in this bill. The Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection will now be able to certify that a businesss supply chain is secure from the point of manufacture to the products final U.S. destination. Under this legislation. whether cargo crosses our border at Laredo or arrives on a ship from Hong Kong. participating companies supply chains will undergo a thorough security check. This will add another layer of security to the CTPAT initiative. Since this is a voluntary system. we have also included provisions which encourage those in industry to go above and beyond the security requirements already in place. These new incentives include expedited clearance of cargo. Mr. President. while I was disappointed earlier this year by the negative public reaction to foreign investment in our Nations port terminals. we learned a great deal from hearings held by the Commerce Committee on this matter. As a result of those hearings. this bill requires DHS to conduct background checks on all port personnel. Current law only requires the Transportation Security Administration to perform checks on those workers directly tied to transportation at the port. or involved in its security. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7482}
{"speech_id":1090169623,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to comment on the tremendous efforts of the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee. Senator LIEBERMAN. and the chairmen and ranking members of the Commerce and Finance Committees. Senators STEVENS. INOUYE. GRASSLEY and BAUCUS. They along with their committee staffs have worked together for months to develop the bill that is before us today. Each of the committees has its own jurisdictional interests in this bill. The Homeland Security Committee has jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security with its primary mission of preventing terrorist attacks against the United States and reducing vulnerabilities to such attacks. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1547}
{"speech_id":1090169623,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Many of the programs in this bill. including the Automated Targeting System. the Container Security Initiative. and the CustomsTrade Partnership Against Terrorism. serve the purpose of reducing vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks and are operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Securitysquarely within the Homeland Security Committees jurisdiction. Moreover. it was the committees jurisdictional authority to study the effectiveness of government agency programs that began the evaluation of the DHS cargo security initiatives that are improved by this bill. The Commerce and Finance Committees also have significant jurisdictional interests. The Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over shipping and the Coast Guard. And the Finance Committee has jurisdiction over the assessment of customs duties and compliance with customs laws.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1547}
{"speech_id":1090169642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me begin by thanking the Senator from West Virginia for the leadership he has shown on this matter and so many other matterson every matter he has touched on. in fact. on intelligence and in his other work in this body. Today the Senate Intelligence Committee is releasing two of five parts of phase II of the committees inquiry into prewar intelligence. One of the two reports released today looks at what we learned after the attack on Iraq about the accuracy of prewar intelligence regarding links between Saddam Hussein and alQaida. Todays report is a devastating indictment of the Bush administrations unrelenting. misleading. and deceptive attempts to convince the American people that Saddam Hussein was linked with alQaida. the perpetrators of the 9\/11 attack. The President said Wednesday. just this week. that: One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror. Well. that shouldnt surprise anybody. The Presidents decision to ignore intelligence community assessments prior to the Iraq war and to make repeated public statements that gave the misleading impression that Saddam Husseins regime was connected to the terrorists who attacked us on 9\/11 cost him any credibility he may have had on this issue. President Bush said Saddam and alQaida were allieshis words. And that: You cant distinguish between alQaida and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090169642,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bipartisan report released today directly contradicts that linkage which the President has consistently made in his effort to build public support for his Iraq policy. The bipartisan committee report finds that the prewar intelligence assessments were right when the intelligence community said Saddam and alQaida were independent actors who were far from being natural partners. The report finds that prewar intelligence assessments were right when they expressed consistent doubts that a meeting occurred between 9\/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta and a senior Iraqi intelligence official in Prague prior to September 11. Our report finds that prewar intelligence assessments were right when they said there was no credible reporting on alQaida operatives being trained in Iraq. Those were the two principal arguments which were used prior to the war to support the alleged linkage between alQaida and Saddam Hussein. The accurate prewar intelligence assessments didnt stop the administration from making many false and misleading statements trying to link Saddam Hussein with alQaida. In his September 5 presentation to the United Nations. Secretary Powell said: Iraq today harbors a deadly terrorist network headed by Abu Musab alZarqawi. an associate and collaborator of Osama bin Laden. and his alQaida lieutenant. After the war. in June of 2004. the President said that alZarqawi. the terrorist leader recently killed in Iraq. was the best evidence of a connection between Iraq and alQaida. And to this dayto this daythese statements have not stopped. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090169642,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just 2 weeks ago. the President said in a press conference that Saddam Hussein \"had relations with Zarqawi.\" Our Intelligence Committee report demonstrates that statement made 2 weeks ago by the President was false. The committee report discloses. for the first time. the CIAs October 2005 assessment that Saddams regime: Did not have a relationship. harbor. or turn a blind eye towards Zarqawi and his associates. The Presidents statement made just 2 weeks ago is flatout false. The drumbeat of misleading administration statements alleging Saddams links to alQaida was unrelenting in the leadup to the Iraq war which began in March of 2003. On September 25. 2002. the President said: AlQaida hides. Saddam doesnt. but the danger is that they work in concert. The danger is that alQaida becomes an extension of Saddams madness and his hatred and his capacity to extend weapons of mass destruction around the world. And then he said: You cant distinguish between alQaida and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror. The next day. in September of 2002. Secretary Rumsfeld said: We have what we consider to be credible evidence that alQaidas leaders have sought contacts in Iraq who would help them acquire weapons of mass destruction capabilities. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090169642,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On October 14. 2002. the President said: This is a manSaddam is a man that we know has had connections with alQaida. This is a man who. in my judgment. would like to use alQaida as a forward army. On January 30. 2003. Vice President CHENEY said: Saddams regime aids and protects terrorists. including members of alQaida. He could decide secretly to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for use against us. And as the President said on Tuesday it would just take one vial. one canister. one crate to bring a day of horror to our Nation unlike any we have ever known. On February 6. 2003. Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz said: And. worst of all. his connections with terrorists which go back decades and which started some 10 years ago with alQaida are growing every day. What the administration and the President and other administration officials did not say was what the intelligence community was saying about this crucial issue because it would have undermined their march to war and it would have refuted their main argument for attacking Iraq: that Iraq was linked to the terrorists who attacked us on 9\/11. What was the CIA saying? What was the intelligence community saying before the war? In June of 2002. the CIA said that: Our assessment of alQaidas ties to Iraq rests on a body of fragmented. conflicting reporting from sources of varying reliability. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090169642,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That same report of the CIA said: The ties between Saddam and bin Laden appear much like those between rival intelligence services. And the Defense Intelligence Agency stated in a July 2002 assessment. being declassified for this first time in this report: Compelling evidence demonstrating direct cooperation between the government of Iraq and alQaida has not been established. So these two thenclassified assessments preceded the Presidents statements that \"You cant distinguish between Iraq and alQaida\" and that. in his view. Saddam would love to use alQaida as a \"forward army.\" Then the CIA assessed in January 2003. still before the war. that \"Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden are far from being natural partners\" and that Saddam has \"viewed Islamic extremists operating inside Iraq as a threat.\" The CIA assessed in January of 2003 that Saddam viewed alQaida with \"deep suspicion\" and stated that: The relationship between Saddam and bin Laden appears to more closely resemble that of two independent actors trying to exploit each other. That 2003 classified report was issued 1 day before the Vice President stated to the American public that Saddams regime: Aids and protects terrorists. including members of alQaida. The misleading statements by administration officials didnt stop there. The Intelligence Committee report recounts the story of the alleged meeting between Mohamed Atta and the Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague. In the fall of 2001. the Czech intelligence service provided the CIA with reporting based on a single source who stated that Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in April of On December 9. 2001. Vice President CHENEY was asked about the report on \"Meet the Press.\" The Vice President said: It has been pretty well confirmed that heThe 9\/11 hijacker Mohamed Attadid go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official with the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April. several months before the attack. On March 24. 2002. the Vice President told \"Meet the Press\": We discovered. and it has since been public. the allegation that one of the lead hijackers. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12332}
{"speech_id":1090169644,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tenet admitted to the intelligence subcommittee that the policymakers wanted him to \"say something about not being inconsistent with what the President had said.\" Tenet complied. Tenet acknowledged to the committee. in his July 26. 2006. testimony. that issuing the statement was \"the wrong thing to do.\" It was much more than that. It was a shocking abdication of a CIA Directors duty not to act as a shill for any administration or its policies. Director Tenet issued that statement at the behest of the administration on the eve of the Congresss debate on the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. The use of the Director of Central Intelligence by the administration to contradict his own agencys assessment in order to support a policy goal of the administration is reprehensible. and it seriously damaged the credibility of the CIA. Mr. President. I thank the Chair for its indulgence and I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":924}
{"speech_id":1090169660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as a conferee to the fiscal year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act. I urge my fellow conferees to retain the Senates strong whistleblower protections for federal employees. The Senate bill includes an amendment I offered with Senator COLLINS that mirrors our bipartisan measure. S. 494. the Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act. S. 494 and the amendment have strong bipartisan support in the Senate. In the House. Representatives TOM DAVIS and HENRY WAXMAN. the chairman and ranking member of the House Government Reform Committee. and Representative TODD PLATTS. the sponsor of companion legislation to S. 494. have asked Representative DUNCAN HUNTER. chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. to include strong whistleblower protections in the final defense authorization bill. The Senate action was a significant step forward for Federal whistleblowers and the American taxpayer. Congress must assert its original intent of the Whistleblower Protection Act. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5139}
{"speech_id":1090169660,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"WPA. which protects Federal employees who disclose any waste. fraud. and abuse. Congress encourages such disclosures. which save lives and taxpayer dollars. and has repeatedly said that the courts should not erect barriers to disclosures which limit the flow of information from Federal employees who may have knowledge of government wrongdoing. We have all heard of the brave men and women who have come forward at great personal risk to report cases of waste and threats to public safety. Examples include: Mr. Richard Foster. Medicares chief actuary. who disclosed to Congress that the actual cost of the Medicare reform bill was $156 billion more than what the Bush administration told us. He was prohibited by his supervisors from alerting Congress to this huge discrepancy prior to the bills enactment and was threatened with firing if he did so. U.S. Border Patrol Agents Mark Hall and Bob Lindemann. who disclosed security lapses along our northern border. including a lack of staff. equipment. and detention facilities. As a result. their supervisors proposed 90day suspensions and demotions for 1 year. and Mr. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5139}
{"speech_id":1090169660,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Donald Van Winkle. an airmonitoring technician at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky. who revealed serious operational failures with monitors used to detect leaks of chemical warfare agents. As a result of this disclosure. Mr. Van Winkle lost his security clearance. thus denying him the ability to continue his job. Unfortunately. current law does not provide any independent review for this type of retaliation. This spring. the Supreme Court ruled that the first amendment does not protect public sector employees. including Federal workers. from retaliation when disclosing government wrongdoing as a part of their official duties. Instead. the Court held that protection is left to State and Federal whistleblower laws. Unfortunately. Federal whistleblower protections have been watereddown by repeated decisions by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals which ignore clear congressional intent that disclosures are protected without restriction to time. place. form. motive. or context. including disclosures made during the ordinary course of an employees job. As a result of.various court decisions. honest employees have been denied protection from retaliatory practices. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5139}
{"speech_id":1090169660,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. only one federal whistleblower has won on the merits of their claim before the Federal Circuit in the past 12 years. This egregious lack. of employee protection has a serious chilling effect on good faith whistleblowing. Although President Bush issued a memo in 2001 requiring Federal employees to disclose waste. fraud. and abuse. the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals have eroded protections for disclosures and placed Federal workers in a nowin situation. Congress must take action now to restore the protections granted by the WPA. My amendment will: clarify congressional intent that Federal employees are protected for any disclosure of waste. fraud. or abuseincluding those made as part of an employees job duties. provide an independent determination as to whether the loss or denial of a security clearance is retaliation against a whistleblower. and suspend the Federal Circuits sole jurisdiction over Federal employee whistleblower cases for 5 years. Congress has the responsibility to guarantee strong and meaningful protections for Federal whistleblowers. Federal employees must know they will not face retaliation when disclosing information that protects our national security. safeguards the health of our children. or saves taxpayer dollars. If Congress is serious about eliminating waste. fraud. and abuse. and ensuring that the government for the people and by the people actually is working in the best interests of the people. then we must protect those who wish to disclose illegal or unethical activities. Whistleblowers should not be restrained because they fear retaliation for doing what is right. Again. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5139}
{"speech_id":1090169660,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my Senate colleagues for supporting this important measure. and I urge our House counterparts to join with us in strengthening whistleblower protections.","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5139}
{"speech_id":1090169665,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Messrs. BRADY of Pennsylvania. and ANDREWS. From the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. for consideration of matters within the jurisdiction of that committee under clause 11 of rule X: Messrs. HOEKSTRA. LAHOOD. and Ms. HARMAN. From the Committee on Education and the Workforce. for consideration of sections 571 and 572 of the House bill. and sections 571. 572. 1081. and 1104 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. MCKEON. KLINE. and GEORGE MILLER of California. From the Committee on Energy and Commerce. for consideration of sections 314. 601. 602. 710. 3115. 3117. and 3201 of the House bill. and sections 332335. 352. 601. 722. 2842. 3115. and 3201 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3212}
{"speech_id":1090169665,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BARTON of Texas. GILLMOR. and DINGELL. From the Committee on Government Reform. for consideration of sections 343. 721. 811. 823. 824. 1103. 1104. and 3115 of the House bill. and sections 371. 619. 806. 823. 922. 1007. 1043. 1054. 1088. 1089. 1101. and 3115 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. SHAYS. and WAXMAN. From the Committee on Homeland Security. for consideration of section 1026 of the House bill. and section 1044 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. KING of New York. REICHERT. and THOMPSON of Mississippi. From the Committee on International Relations. for consideration of sections 10211023. 12011204. 1206. title XIII. sections 3113 and 3114 of the House bill. and sections 1014. 10211023. 1054. 1092. 12011208. 1210. 1214. title XIII. sections 3112 and 3113 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. HYDE. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3212}
{"speech_id":1090169665,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"LEACH. and LANTOS. From the Committee on the Judiciary. for consideration of section 1021 of the House bill. and sections 666. 1044. 1086. 1089. 1091. and 1094 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. SENSENBRENNER. COBLE. and CONYERS. From the Committee on Resources. for consideration of sections 601. 602. and 1036 of the House bill. and section 601 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. POMBO. WALDEN of Oregon. and GRIJALVA. From the Committee on Science. for consideration of sections 312 and 911 of the House bill. and sections 333. 874. and 1082 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. BOEHLERT. SODREL. and GORDON. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3212}
{"speech_id":1090169665,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"From the Committee on Small Business. for consideration of sections 874 and 1093 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Mr. MANZULLO. Mrs. KELLY. and Ms. VELAZQUEZ. From the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. for consideration of sections 312. 551. 601. 602. and 2845 of the House bill. and sections 333. 584. 601. 1042. 1095. 2842. 28512853. and 2855 of the Senate amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. YOUNG of Alaska. LoBIONDO. and OBERSTAR. From the Committee on Veterans Affairs. for consideration of sections 666. 682. 683. 687. 721. and 923 of the Senate September 8. 2006 COls amendment. and modifications committed to conference: Messrs. BUYER. ","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3212}
{"speech_id":1090169665,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BoOZMAN. and Ms. HERSETH.","speaker_name":"ELLEN TAUSCHER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3212}
{"speech_id":1090169686,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today. along with my colleague. BEN NELSON. to urge support for resolution designating September 13. 2006. as National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. We come before the Senate today to seek your help in raising awareness of celiac disease. Celiac disease hits very close to home for me as I have a staffer with the disease and an Oklahoma Celiac Support Group working to promote awareness in my great State. There are many groups and organizations working to promote celiac disease. and we applaud all their efforts. We would like to give special thanks to Heather Cline. President. with the Oklahoma Celiac Support Group. and Tom Sullivan. President. and Mary Schluckebier. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3386}
{"speech_id":1090169686,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Executive Director. with the Celiac Sprue Association. located in Nebraska. for their help with this resolution and great work promoting awareness. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder and a malabsorption disease that affects an estimated 2.2 million Americans which could mean as many as 22.000 in the State of Oklahoma. Celiac disease is. essentially. intolerance to gluten. a protein found in wheat. rye. oats and barley. as well as some medicines and vitamins. When exposed to gluten. the villi of the small intestine are damaged. interfering with the absorption of nutrients. Other problems can occur as a result of damage to the small intestine. including malnutrition. anemia. lymphoma. and adenocarcinoma. osteoporosis. miscarriage and congenital malformation. and short stature. Celiac disease is also linked other autoimmune disorders such as thyroid disease. systemic lupus erythematosus. type 1 diabetes. liver disease. collagen vascular disease. rheumatoid arthritis and Sj6grens syndrome. Celiac disease has been widely underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed until recently thanks to an increase in research regarding the disease. It is easily detectable through tests measuring the blood for abnormally high levels of the antibodies of immunoglobulin A. antitissue transglutaminase and IgA antiendomysium antibodies. Of the 2.2 million Americans who have celiac disease. 97 percent are currently undiagnosed. according to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program. Often the symptoms are attributed to other conditions as many doctors lack sufficient knowledge about the disease. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3386}
{"speech_id":1090169686,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In a study published by the American Journal of Gastroenterology. the average length of time for a symptomatic person to be diagnosed with celiac disease is eleven years. dramatically increasing an individuals risk of developing more serious conditions. To compound the situation. according to a study by Dr. Allesio Fasano. published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. sixty percent of children and fortyone percent of adults diagnosed with celiac disease are asymptomatic. showing no symptoms of the disease. Treatment for celiac disease involves following a glutenfree diet. The good news is that the treatment for celiac disease is highly effective. In most sufferers. the small intestines heal completely. However. failure to properly diagnose celiac disease could lead to some of the issues mentioned earlier. and most often malnutrition. Awareness can go a long way toward diagnosing and treating the millions of suffers of celiac disease both in my home state of Oklahoma and across the nation. Therefore. we ask you to join us in this effort to raise awareness of celiac disease.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3386}
{"speech_id":1090169761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am pleased to offer this amendment on behalf of Senator DEMINT. The seconddegree amendment clarifies some issues in the legislation and improves this important legislation. It has been agreed to now by Senator INOUYE and myself and by Senator DEMINT. I think we are closer to passing the WARN Act. We have been working for 3 years through the Homeland Security and appropriations bill to move DHS to improve the national alerting system. This amendment is a large step forward. If the worst happens and there is a successful attack on one of our ports. we need a tool to effectively alert communities surrounding the port. The purpose of this amendment is to do just that: to move the emergency alert system out of the area of broadcast radio and television into the wireless era. We need to give the Nation an alerting system that harnesses all the capabilities of the digital age. When disaster strikes. we know not everyone will be listening to the radio or television. but almost all Americans will be carrying a mobile phone. a Blackberry. or a PDA. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2019}
{"speech_id":1090169761,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are over 200 million wireless subscribers in the United States. This is crucial because regardless of when or where disaster strikes. be it American seaports. a rail terminal. or an airport. minutes save lives. This amendment will provide a tool for emergency managers at all levels of GovernmentFederal. State. or localso they can quickly and effectively reach all affected individuals with specific lifesaving instructions. In addition to the threat posed by terrorist attacks. this system. the system created by this amendment. will give our managers the ability to alert communities of other hazards such as natural disasters or manmade accidents. It is already funded. I worked during last years budget reconciliation bill to provide $106 million for this program. I urge our colleagues to vote for the amendment and move the Nation one step forward to having a modern public safety alerting system. I urge the adoption of this seconddegree amendment.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2019}
{"speech_id":1090169779,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask consent at 12 noon tomorrow the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the DeMint amendment No. 4921. as amended. further. that notwithstanding the adoption of the amendment 4927. the seconddegree amendment be modified to reflect a perfecting amendment.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":275}
{"speech_id":1090169808,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the following interns with the Finance Committee staff be allowed on the Senate floor today and for the duration of the debate on the Port Security Improvement Act: John Lageson. Tory Cyr. and Brett Youngerman.","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090169830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. if there is no further business to come before the Senate. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the provisions of S. Res. 565 as a further mark of respect for those who died as a result of the September 11. 2001. terrorist attacks.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090169869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I understand that other Senators may be coming to speak on the amendment. But I wish to speak in general in support of the bill itself. Mr. President. yesterday. Monday. September 11. 2006. marked the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of our country. on September 11. 2001. It was an emotional day for all of us. There were feelings of remembering the unity that it brought to all of us even here in this institution after that dreadful day. It was a day of mourning and sadness and a lot of mixed emotions. But I also think it reminded us once again that the terrible threat we saw come to fruition on that fateful day is still with us and we have more work to do. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9136}
{"speech_id":1090169869,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think it is important for those of us in Congress to point out that we have done a lot to address the terrorist threat to try to make our country safer from a variety of security vulnerabilities since then. I dont think we talk enough about what we do. But I remember very well the months after September 11. 2001. the fall of that year on into the next year. for a period of weeksyes. even monthswhen we worked together. We put aside partisanship. we put aside political interests. and we decided we were going to do what was right for our country. It was a great time. I note that the approval- rating of the Congress during that period went to the highest level it has ever been before or since. The people liked it when they saw us working together and doing the right thing for our country. Of course. I should note that it has probably fallen steadily ever since then. But we have more to do. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9136}
{"speech_id":1090169869,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I took the time last month to go to the west coast and look at ports. to look at ships that come in and their cargo. how the targeting works. how the random selection works. how the scanning works. how the intermodule systems work. It is an incredible thing to see. all the cargo coming into and going out of our west coast portin fact. all of our ports. I represent ports that serve the Gulf of Mexico and. of course. we have our very important east coast ports. too. It is a phenomenal thing to see where good progress has been made. but more needs be done. I do not know if it is fiscally possible or physically possible to guarantee that our ports are secure. But we have done some. and we need -to do more. I point out that we passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. This was major legislation. And I was very pleased we were able to get it done. It has made a difference. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9136}
{"speech_id":1090169869,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It has a number of provisions in it that have helped us to move toward more sophisticated analysis of cargo shipment data. cooperative arrangements between foreign ports and businesses involved. targeted deployment of nonintrusive scanning and radiation detection equipment. Great progress is being made in this area. The next generation of these scanners is ready to come onto the market. I took a look at how one of them works. It scans a container in 12 seconds. You can pick up something as small as a pistol snuggled among the cargo. You can pick it out because I saw it. If I picked it out. just about anybody can pick it out. But that was a good piece of legislation. Now we have this next step. the Port Security Act of 2006. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9136}
{"speech_id":1090169869,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator COLLINS of Maine. and her ranking member. Senator LIEBERMAN. They deserve great credit for having produced a good billand then they took it beyond that. They worked with the Commerce. Science and Transportation Committee. on which I serve. to address concerns of that committee and some of their jurisdictional interests. Then we had to go another step and work with th6 Finance Committee. Good work has been done. It has been done by three different committees and in a bipartisan way. Now we have an opportunity to do something good and something that is needed. but more is needed. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9136}
{"speech_id":1090169896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the Chair. Mr. President. I rise to express my support for the bill and say I am proud to be a cosponsor with Senator COLLINS. Senator MURRAY. and Senator COLEMAN. This is a comprehensive. bipartisan port security bill. I would also like to thank Senator STEVENs and Senator INOUYE of the Commerce Committee. and Senator GRASSLEY and Senator BAUCUS of the Finance Committee. for their hard work. leadership. and commitment to passing a port security bill this Congress. This is really important. In the midst of a Congress and a Capitol that has become all too reflexively and destructivelyI might say selfdestructivelypartisan. and that partisanship getting in the way of us getting anything done. this is a bill on which members of our Homeland Security Committee and the pther relevant committees have risen above partisanship and focused on a real .threat to our security. a terrorist threat that would come to us in containers moving through our ports or in terrorist acts at our ports. I know there will be many amendments offered this week. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9438}
{"speech_id":1090169896,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope we will consider them in the fullness of debate that is part of the Senate but that we always ask ourselves the question: Will this amendment stand in the way of this bill passing and making it through conference committee to be signed by the President? This is urgent and this bill responds comprehensively to the urgent terrorist threat that we face. Ninetyfive percent of our international trade flows through our ports. Prior to 9\/11. the main goal was to move these millions of tons through our ports efficiently. quickly. for reasons obviously of commerce. jobs. and employment. Since 9\/11. we have realized that we need to bring security into the equation but without inflicting on ourselves the precise economic harm that the terrorists intend to do to us. This is a difficult but imperative balance wemust achieve. The 9\/11 Commission report said that \"major vulnerabilities still exist in cargo security.\" and that. since aviation security has been significantly improved since 9\/11. \"terrorists may turn their attention to other modes. Opportunities to do harm are as great. or greater. in maritime and surface transportation\"-i.e. ports. Just last month. RANDs Center for Terrorism Risk Management. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9438}
{"speech_id":1090169896,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Policy published a report entitled \"Considering the Effects of a Catastrophic Terrorist Attack\" that considered the effects of a nuclear weaponsmuggled in a shipping container sent to the Port of Long Beach in California and detonated on a pier. This is chilling. But I remember that the 9\/11 Commission. in its conclusions. said one of the great shortcomings we had prior to 9\/11 was a failure of imagination. Imagination is usually thought to be a wonderful thing. but what they meant by that is our inability to imagine how brutal. inhumane. and murderous terrorists could be. The potential short- and longterm effects of a nuclear weapon smuggled in a shipping container sent to the Port of Long Beach and detonated on a pier are devastating. The report estimated that up to 60.000 people might die instantly from the blast or radiation poisoning. with 150.000 more exposed to hazardous levels of radiation. The blast and fires could completely destroy both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles and every ship in the port. As many as 6 million people might have to be evacuated from the Los Angeles area. and another 2 to 3 million people from the surrounding area might have to relocate due to the fallout. Gasoline supplies would quickly dry up because onethird of all the gas used on the west coast is processed at the refineries of the Port of Long Beach. Shortterm costs for medical care. insurance claims. workers compensation. and evacuation and reconstruction could exceed $1 trillion. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9438}
{"speech_id":1090169896,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By comparison. the cost in .similar categories resulting from the attacks on America on September 11. 2001 were between $50 billion and $100 billion. Besides damage to the United States. the attack would cause economic effects that would ripple across the globe. That is devastating and chilling. I hesitate to even speak it on the floor of the Senate. and yet it is the world in which we live. and the threat is real. The unsettling fact is. we still have too little idea about the contents of thousands of containers that are shipped into and across the heart of America every day. It is strange to say. but perhaps the controversy over the Dubai Ports World incident raised the collective consciousness of the American people and Members of Congress to the vulnerabilities that we face at our ports. Following that incident. the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee marked up the GreenLane bill. and later Senators COLLINS. MURRAY. and I started working with the Senate Commerce and Finance Committees to craft the comprehensive port security legislation that is before the Senate today. The Port Security Improvement Act of 2006 builds on these foundations for homeland security by strengthening key port security programs by providing both direction and muchneeded resources. I would like to focus my colleagues attention on a few critically important parts of the bill. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9438}
{"speech_id":1090169896,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"First. the bill moves us closer to the goal of inspecting all of the containers entering the United States through our ports. The legislation requires DHS to establish a pilot program to inspect 100 percent of all containers bound for the U.S. from three. foreign ports within 1 year and then report to Congress on how DHS can expand that system. There is legitimate concern that inspecting 100 percent of containers would be so burdensome that it would bring commerce to a halt. However. technology companies have been working for several years to build more efficient inspection systems. The Port of Hong Kong is currently testing an integrated inspection system to scan every S9334 . container entering the two largest terminals at that port. while the research and development offices of DHS have begun work on developing automated systems to analyze this data. We should move towards 100 percent inspection as fast as we can get there. understanding that we can not afford to bring commerce to a halt. This legislation will provide us critical information about how soon we can achieve this goal. Second. this bill authorizes comprehensive and robust port security grant. training. and exercise programs. with a $400 million grant program available to all ports. Third. this legislation requires DHS to deploy both radiation detection and imaging equipment to improve our ability to find dangerous goods and people being smuggled into the United States. DHS has committed to deploying radiation portal monitors at all of our largest seaports by the end of 2007. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH LIEBERMAN","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9438}
{"speech_id":1090169931,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wish to ask the Senator from Alaska a question. if I might. in relation to his comments. Is it not possible that with the increased passenger volume we are seeingand it is about to break the record held since the year 2000 in terms of volume of people travelingis the manager. the committee chairman. aware of the fact that TSA has said that in order to have a 10minute wait or less. they need more screeners than they have? They need as many as 48.000.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":455}
{"speech_id":1090169935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have so much respect for the Senator from Alaska. He is on top of the issues of security. as well as aviation. But is the Senator aware that many of the screeners are on military duty or medical leave because of exhaustion? Shouldnt we try to improve the pool of people from which we can choose? We have as much as 10 percent of the workforce out at a time. If it is 10 percent of 48.000. that is 4.800. That is quite different from having a population :that is short on the job. We dont have enough time. I can simply add that at Newark Airport. we are about 10 percent short of the number we need. something over a thousand. We cant get them. The recruiters cant search for thembecause they will be bumping up against the cap. I think and I hope the Senator will reconsider. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1245}
{"speech_id":1090169935,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believeand I throw this in for the Senators consideration with my question. that is. arent we better off taking the limit off and trying to find a waywe are talking about security of the people. The Senator doesnt need any lecture from me. But arent we better off knowing that everybody who can make a connection can get through in 10 minutes. thoroughly screened. and having a population that is equal to the growing population of those who want to travel by air?","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1245}
{"speech_id":1090170087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to remember the horrifying terrorist attacks that took away so many innocent lives 5 years ago. As a rule. tragedies of the magnitude we sawon 9\/11 do not have silver linings. On that day. we were left only with an aching sense of loss. a sadness that seemed endless. and a bitter rage toward those who had brought chaos to our doorstep. And yet it is undeniable that amidst one of the worst moments in our history. an ordinary goodness emerged in America. You could see it in the rescue workers and firefighters who rushed toward the rubble. in the scores of young people who signed up to serve their country. and in the quiet candlelight vigils held by millions of people for those they had never met and never would. In our politics. too. there was a brief moment where it seemed as though the crass partisanship of the nineties would give way to a unity of purpose among Republicans and Democrats that would refocus our efforts on attacking the terrorists. not each other. We saw this in the immediate support given to President Bush. in the near unanimous vote to go after the Taliban and alQaida in Afghanistan. and in the formation of an independent. bipartisan commission that would tell- us how and where to strengthen our homeland security. Five years after 9\/11. the days of that unity are long gone. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090170087,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In the .last two elections. the Republican Party has used national security as a political weapon to attack and beat opponents. while the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission float further and further from the front pages. Now. as we approach another- election season. the party in power has announced again that it intends to \"run on\" the issue of national security. with some going so far as to say that the terrorists are just waiting for Democrats to take over so that they can attack. I realize that in this day and age. it is naive to think that politics would stop at the waters edge. But I refuse to believe that we cannot find the will or the resources to implement a series of. recommendations that an independent panel of Democrats and Republicans agree would keep our country safer from terrorist attack. In a report card delivered last year by the 9\/11 Commission. the countrys security efforts received mediocre to failing grades17 Ds and Fs in 41 areas of homeland security. To this day. our first responders still do not have the communications equipment they need to coordinate a rescue in the event of an attack. We still inspect only 5 percent of the 9.000.000 containers that enter this country every year. We are still spending only 2 percent of what we need to. secure our railroads and subways. and not nearly enough on baggage and cargo screening at our airports. We still have only 10.000 border patrol agents to guard 8.000 miles of land borders. and only 1 agent to guard every 3 miles of border with Canada. And we are leaving some of Americas most vulnerable targetsincluding chemical plants with toxic substances that could kxill millionswith the most minimal security. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090170087,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If on the day after 9\/11 you had told anyone in America that these gaps in our security would still exist 5 years later. they might have thought you were crazy. And yet since then attempt after attempt to correct these problemsfrom efforts to fully fund rail. transit. and port security to the legislation I have introduced to protect chemical plantshave been rebuffed by the administration and the Republicancontrolled Congress. This cannot go on. National security cannot be something we only discuss on 9\/11 or when terrorists try to blow up planes over the Atlantic or when it suits our political interests on election day. It is an every day challenge. and it will take Americans of every political persuasion to meet it. Like most Americans. the effect of September 11 felt profoundly personal to me. It wasnt just the magnitude of the destruction that affected me or the memories of the 5 years I had spent in New York. but the intimacy of imagining those ordinary acts which 9\/1ls victims must have performed in the hours before they were killed. the daily routines that constitute life in our modern worldboarding a plane. grabbing coffee and the morning paper at a newsstand. making small talk on the elevator. For so long. these acts represented the concrete expression of our belief that if we just exercised. wore seatbelts. and avoided needless risks. our safety was assured. our families protected. Certainly. the prospect of mass violence on American soil seemed remote. Five years later. we know that world is gonethat we must better understand our fragility and better secure ourselves from those who have the will and the way to do us harm. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090170087,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This means a change in priorities. yes. but it also means a change in our politicsa willingness to put aside the petty. if just for a moment. so that we may rise together to meet one of the greatest challenges of our time. History has shown this will not be easy. but if the ordinary goodness that emerged from that rubble 5 years ago is any indication. I still believe it is imminently possible.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090170090,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to recognize Gary Stevens. an accomplished Hall of Fame jockey and Idaho native. Gary retired in 2005 from an impressive career in horse racing that includes several victories in each leg of the Triple Crown. as well as multiple titles in the Santa Anita and Breeders Cup races. Holding claim to honorary awards and international racing cups. Garys popularity only grew in 2003 when he played the role of George Woolf in the Academy Award nominated movie Seabiscuit. It is an honor to note that Gary started his career iA Idaho. At 16 years old. Gary rode his first thoroughbred winner at Les Bois Park in Boise. Born in Caldwell. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1006}
{"speech_id":1090170090,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Garys father was a riding trainer and his mother was a rodeo queen. This summer. Idaho Governor Jim Risch named a week in Garys honor. to spotlight this accomplished jockeys ties to Idaho. On behalf of thousands of Idahoans who are proud of him and his Idaho roots. I say congratulations to Gary Stevens for a lifetime of outstanding achievements.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1006}
{"speech_id":1090170095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing the gulf coast Housing Accessibility Act to address some of the challenges facing survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita a year after the hurricanes struck the gulf coast. Two weeks ago. we commemorated the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and honored those who lost their lives and those who lost their livelihoods last year. A year later. the people of New Orleans and the gulf coast. continue to deal with an unfortunate realitythat in a lot of neighborhoods. it looks like the hurricanes hit a week ago. not a year ago. Over the past year. I have heard from a number of Wisconsinites upset with the Federal Governments response to Katrina. They have made powerful pleas to not forget about the people who lost their homes. their communities and their way of life. In July. I visited some neighborhoods in the New Orleans area that were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The painful realities about life there were everywhereabandoned businesses. and homes and neighborhoods that were totally destroyed by the hurricane and its aftermath. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5642}
{"speech_id":1090170095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The challenge of rebuilding is enormous. But whats even tougher is trying to rebuild in a way that helps everyone come back. not just people with access to more resources and different options. It is the responsibility of all revels of government to help those who want to come back regardless of their income level. We must ensure that the rebuilt gulf coast reflects the same cultural diversity that made it an American gem before the hurricanes struck. This legislation seeks to meet some of that responsibility by providing low income individuals and families with immediate and long term housing assistance as they rebuild their lives and move back to the gulf coast. There are so many ways that gulf coast communities still need helpcreating jobs. rebuilding the school systems. and gutting damaged homes so that they can be rebuilt. And. when. you see those blocks and blocks of neighborhoods that were destroyedwith no sign of reconstructionits clear just how much help the people of New Orleans and the gulf coast need to find affordable housing. Housing has to be affordable so that the gulf coast can get back to work. So many of the people who are the lifeblood of the tourism industrylike hotel and restaurant workerswant to call New Orleans home again. but they cant move back if they cant afford any place to live. Its a testament to the strength of these communities that so many people want to come back. at every income level. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5642}
{"speech_id":1090170095,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You cant do that if you were working a minimum wage job that doesnt exist anymore. and you were renting an apartment that ended up engulfed in flood water. There are a lot of barriers to moving back for homeowners. but its also tough for gulf coast citizens who were renting when the hurricane hit. In the year since the hurricane struck. rents in the gulf coast region have skyrocketed. which makes it even more difficult for low income renters to return to their homes. With a significant percentage of renters in the New Orleans area before Katrina. we need to ensure that the housing assistance in the gulf coast is aimed at helping renters. as well as homeowners. rebuild their lives. . Weve got to do something to help displaced residentsparticularly lowincome individuals--who want to move. back to New Orleans. I have put together a few different ideas into one bill. building on some really good work on housing issues by some of my colleagues in the Senate. This bill doesnt tackle every problem. but it will help address some of the tough housing issues facing New Orleans and the gulf coast. It includes housing vouchers to help make rents affordable for the lowest income people and families. It also makes housing like the Katrina cottageswhich are more like homes. and less like trailersmore available to those who want them. There have been a lot of problems with the FEMA trailers. so its important to give people the option of living in a more permanent home. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5642}
{"speech_id":1090170095,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And finally it allows HUD to handle temporary rental assistance programs from here on out. instead of FEMA. which isnt equipped to handle housing issues like these for the long haul. Not only does this legislation address the needs of current Katrina survivors. but the changes it makes to the Stafford Act to allow FEMA to provide permanpnt and semipermanent housing. as well as allowing HUD to provide temporary housing assistance instead of FEMA. apply to futkire disasters also. The importance of this cannot be stressed enoughwe in government must learn from our past mistakes and work to prevent such a horrible government response to future disasters. A year after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. there is so much that we can still doand that Congress can doto help the gulf coast recover. We need to have serious conversations about the persistent poverty that still exists in.the gulf coast and around our nation. for this poverty magnified the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. We need to develop solutions to address this poverty that exists in cities and rural communities throughout our country. We need to work to ensure the levees are built correctly. We need to better protect the diminishing wetlands of the gulf coast. But we also have to focus on the here and nowwhat people are facing on the gulf coast today. As we look at the images of the hurricanes a year later. and we remember what people went through. we also have to recognize how far we have to go. and rededicate ourselves to helping the people of the gulf coast make it home again. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5642}
{"speech_id":1090170095,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that -the text of my bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5642}
{"speech_id":1090170164,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to commend and salute the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. its chairman. Representative KENDRICK MEEK. and President. Dr. Elsie Scott on an outstanding weekend of policy discussions and other meaningful educational and social activity. Mu6h of the credit for this years success goes to the gentlewoman from Michigan and the gentlewoman from California . conference cochairs. I also commend all of those who attended and thank all of the experts and leaders who led the discussion. It was a great weekend. Hats off to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":585}
{"speech_id":1090170183,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the House Government Reform Committee I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 5428. which names the postal facility in Morris. Illinois. after the late Joshua A. Terando. H.R. 5428 was introduced by my colleague from Illinois on May 19. 2006. This measure. which was unanimously reported by the Government Reform Committee on June 8. 2006. was cosponsored by the entire Illinois Congressional delegation. U.S. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1380}
{"speech_id":1090170183,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Army Sergeant Joshua A. Terando. age 27. a Reservist assigned to the Army National Guards 2nd Brigade Combat Team. 28th Infantry Division. based in Washington. Pennsylvania. was killed on November 10. 2005. He died at Al Taqaddum. Iraq. of injuries sustained when his tank was attacked by enemy forces. Sergeant Terando had completed 6 years of active duty in 2001 when he was called back. He had just over a year to serve in the Army Reserves. Joshua was remembered by his family as quickwitted. easygoing and loving. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1380}
{"speech_id":1090170183,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the sacrifice of soldier Joshua Terando by designating a postal office in his name in his hometown. No greater gift can one give than their life in the service and protection of others. I strongly support this measure and urge its passage. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1380}
{"speech_id":1090170226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to require the conveyance of Mattamusk~et Lodge and surrounding property. including the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. to the. State of North Carolina to permit the State to use the property as a public facility dedicated to the conservation of the natural and cultural resources of North Carolina.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":378}
{"speech_id":1090170241,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this week will mark the 20th anniversary of the creation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. a joint conservation strategy implemented by both the United States and Canada to protect and restore wetland habitat stretching across North America. Soon after the establishment of this comprehensive strategy in 1986. the Congress. led by the Dean of the House. JOHN DINGELL. authorized the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to establish a matchinggrant program to take the goals of the North American plan off the drawing board and into the landscape of the North American continent. As many Members know. the North American Wetlands Conservation Act has demonstrated time and time again that it is one of our greatest wetlands conservation success stories. Grants under the act have not only generated hundreds of millions of nonFederal matching funds. these contributions have been converted into acquisition. conservation. protection and restoration of millions of acres of wetlands across the United States. Canada and Mexico. Few Federal programs deliver such a bang for the buck. Although the current authorization of appropriations does not expire until next year. there is no reason why we should not reauthorize this highly popular and effective conservation program to ensure its future success. I commend the sponsors of this legislation. most notably Resources Chairman POMBO. ranking Resource Committee Democrat Member NIcK RAHALL and. ","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1648}
{"speech_id":1090170241,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congressman JOHN DINGELL. for their steadfast interest in this act and for their leadership in wetlands conservation. I urge every Member to support this reauthorization.","speaker_name":"RAUL GRIJALVA","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1648}
{"speech_id":1090170278,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I. move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 175) recognizing the importance of establishing a national memorial at the World Trade Center site to commemorate and mourn the events of February 26. 1993. and September 11. 2001.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":259}
{"speech_id":1090170282,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 175. introduced by Congressman NADLER of New York. declares that the House of Representatives stands shoulder to shoulder with the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. the citizens of New York. New Jersey. and Connecticut. and indeed the Nation. who were struck twice by terrorist attacks. by supporting a national memorial at the World Trade Center site to commemorate and mourn the tremendous loss of life that followed the attacks of February 26.. 1993. and September 11. 2001. I urge adoption of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":639}
{"speech_id":1090170316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. America has the best health care sys tem in the world. That is not to say there is not some room for improvement. There exists. currently. a tangle of medical bureaucracies. and many times no one has a clear picture of what thie problem is. Physicians and other providers dont get paid enough and dont get paid on time. Patients pay too much. Many -people dont get any care at all. and everyone claims that someone else needs to change in order to fix the problem. Before we start changing things. however. it does seem prudent to more fully understand the problem. Today. I have introduced legislation with that goal in mind. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090170316,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is another step toward true price transparency in the health care market. The Health Care Price Transparency Act of 2006 is a longterm solution to runaway medical costs. This bill calls upon the States to establish and maintain laws requiring disclosure of information on hospital charges. To make such information available to the public and to provide individuals with information about estimated outofpocket costs for health care services. Indeed. well over 30 States have passed or will soon pass their- own transparency legislation. so an idea that is already in process. This legislation means that State law will require health insurance providers to give actual patients an actual dollar estimate of what the patient will pay for health care items and services within a specified period of time. Additionally. the bill calls for research on the type of cost informatio4 that individuals find useful in making health care decisions. how this information varies according to an individuals health insurance coverage and. if so. by what type of coverage. and finally. ways that information may be distributed in a timely and simple manner. Price. cost and quality. This is what our patients are asking us for. information about these three parameters. and it is prudent to make this information available to consumers. Simple but important provisions. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090170316,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The current health insurance system has insulated people from the actual cost of medical care that they receive. By pulling back the. curtain on capacity in the health care market. over time. this legislation Will lead to the development of more rational pricing. a more rational pricing structure from the consumers perspective. Once we understand the actual cost. then we can begin to make effective changes. leading to fairer physician reimbursement. appropriate patient billing and better medical services. Part of the bill will deal with the rules of construction under the State laws. States with previously established laws that meet requirements are not required to change their laws. Previously established laws that do not meet requirements need only to change their laws as necessary to meet the requirements. States that currently have voluntary disclosure on hospital charges will still need to adopt laws. In August. President Bush issued an executive order calling for increased transparency within the Federal Governments health care agencies. a good first step. This legislation is an extension of that executive order. giving States the tools to become a part of the necessary solution for health care consumers. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090170316,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the time is short in this legislative session. but I believe this is legislation that the House can take up and get passed in short order.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3388}
{"speech_id":1090170338,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to talk about the government of the United States .from a business standpoint. because the Congress of the United States is failing the constituents. the shareholders of our country. Every day. to whoever is watching CSPAN. every day the Congress is failing in its primary responsibility as a third branch of government. as the legislative branch. to oversee the executive branch. And then you have the judicial branch that interprets the laws that are passed here. but Congress has completely abdicated it\u00a7 oversight responsibility under the Constitution of the United States of America as one of three separate but equal branches. And so I come to this not as a Democrat or a Republican but as a businessperson. My family has been in business in Tennessee for over 100 years. and I know a little bit about accountability. about audits. about responsibility for money that is entrusted to one from another. Now. the Congress of the United States takes money away from all of us. Members of Congress included. in the form of taxation. an involuntary removal of money from our pockets through the form of taxation to the government. The government. as it relates to the Congress here in the Capitol. is supposed to oversee the money it appropriates to any administration. That is our primary responsibility. other than national security. of course. But if we remove that. we are supposed to look out for the taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6604}
{"speech_id":1090170338,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the peoples House. We are the primary representatives of the people in the national government here in the U.S. House of Representatives. The only branch of the Federal Goveinment. the only office I know of that one cannot be appointed to. When someone who serves here dies or resigns. no one is appointed. It is a special election. And very seldom are there 435 Members here. because somebody has died or resigned for some reason. to seek another office or do -something else. but there is no appointment here. So this is the only office I know of in the whole constellation of offices. State and Federal. where no one can be appointed. Everyone who sits in this House is elected by his or her peers. his or her constituents. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6604}
{"speech_id":1090170338,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it is a special responsibility that we have. and this responsibility is not being discharged. Now. the reason I say that is because the last year we have from the GAO of the auditors determinations as to whether or not the executive branch of the government. all the Federal agencies. are able to produce an acceptable audit. in other words to tell us as representatives of the people. we who took money away from people invluntarily in the form of taxes. whether we appropriated it to this or any other administration. what did you do with it? I think that is one of the mostbasic responsibilities we have to our citizens and to our constituents. This GAO report for the fiscal year 2004. the last one we basically have. we have one later. 2005. but it is still incomplete. asks the Department of Agriculture if they could produce an audit? No. Department of Defense? Could they produce an acceptable audit? No. Department of Education? No. Department of Health and Human Services? No. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD? No. Department of the Interior. which are all the national parks. can they produce an audit? Can they tell us what happened to the money we appropriated? The answer was no. The Department of Justice. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6604}
{"speech_id":1090170338,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Department pf Justice. The answer: No..Department of State. No. Department of Transportation. No. Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Ross talked about the veterans. The answer to. can you tell us what happened to the money that was appropriated to your department. was no. AID. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6604}
{"speech_id":1090170338,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Agency for International Development. No. NASA. No. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. in charge of nuclear stuff in this country. The answer to. can you tell us what happened to the money. was no. Office of Personnel Management. in the White House. No. Cant tell us. Small Business Administration. ","speaker_name":"JOHN TANNER","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6604}
{"speech_id":1090170347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the privilege and the honor to be recognized on the floor of the United States Congress. and the opportunity to address you. Mr. Speaker. and the people that are listening in around the country. You know. as I listen to the message that has been delivered here by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I think we share a sentiment in balancing a budget one day. We dont always share exactly the same sentiment on how to get there. but I am looking for black ink. and I intend to be in this Congress to approve a black ink budget. I want to say that to .my colleague from Arkansas one of the ways I would do that is tighten down this spending. In fact even on a discretionary budget. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9972}
{"speech_id":1090170347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if we just spent 95 percent of the money we spent this year we would have had a balanced budget. That is one way we can get there. We need to present a balanced budget and go from there. But I want to support the gentleman in his philosophy. and I am not for raising taxes. I am for doing it by restricting our spending. because we need to keep this growth run going. We are something like 17 consecutive quarters of growth. I am confident they have averaged over 3 percent. There have been only been about two quarters. and I can only think of one where our revenue was less than a 3 percent growth. This is an astonishing success for our economy. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9972}
{"speech_id":1090170347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I come here tonight. though. to talk about September 11. the fifth year anniversary to commemorate this day that passed us yesterday. and to renew our resolution to defend our people in this country and to promote freedom and to defeat our enemies. One of the things that happened. though. in reference to the debate that took place in just the previous hour. was \"our Pentagon was hit. we had a plane that was heroically taken to the ground in Pennsylvania. and we had the planes that went into the Twin Towers and shut off our financial centers in the United States. It was a direct assault on free enterprise capitalism. It was a direct assault on our financial markets. and it did shut down our markets for a short period of time. It also required us to spend billions of dollars in security in this country. So. our spending went up. our revenue went down. the economy was starting to drop down into a recession mode. and the President stepped up and took a leadership role. Some of that leadership role was to mobilize troops and send them to Afghanistan. Some of that leadership role was to deal with the impending financial crisis. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9972}
{"speech_id":1090170347,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"By doing so. we addressed the tax cuts to stimulate this economy. Who would have thought. Mr. Speaker. that those tax cuts that were implemented the following year. and the second round that we did here in 2003. would have put us on this run for this unprecedented economic growth? We have a strong economy. we have recovered from the attack on our financial center. we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars just in our national security. our domestic security. as well as additionally our additional costs in taking that fight to the enemy. taking the tip of the spirit of the Middle East and elsewhere. It has cost a lot of money to move forward in this global. war against these terrorists. Yet. the economy in the United States is strong. Mr. Speaker. not only do we have a strong economy. an economy that I believe. if it hadnt been for the attacks on the United States. if we hadnt had to spend the money militarily. if we hadnt had to spend the money for our domestic security. create this expensive airport security that we have. I believe our budget would have balanced. In fact. the economy has grown so well that we actually have our revenue stream has gone up by $274 billion more than was anticipated and estimated. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9972}
{"speech_id":1090170347,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is the kind of rebound that this economy has done. That is the way to balance this budget. control the spending. not increase the taxes. Let the economy grow us out of this. show fiscal discipline. I am one of the people that has called for more fiscal discipline. We always have to do that. We have to continue to be the conscience here because everybodys project always seems reasonable to them. They probably are reasonable. But when you add them all in the aggregate. that is when we have to start slicing some of them out. We have beendoing that more and more. But I think we should have tightened our belt more back in 2003 when we engage the enemy in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"STEVE KING","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9972}
{"speech_id":1090170359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had the opportunity to go over to New York City. I flew in on the 10th to be there on 9\/11. Of course. I wasnt there 5 years ago. but I wanted to be there on the fifth anniversary. and I can tell you that going there and seeing the ceremony. having an opportunity to see the reflection pool where those families were placing their flowers and notes and what have you there. and seeing. as I was going through Manhattan. that at. I believe. 8:46 and a little after 9 a.m. the firefighters standing in front of their fire stations at attention at the time that tower one and tower two went down. and just talking to some of the New Yorkers that were there at that time. great Americans that were there 5 years ago. and listehing to their reflecting on what they were doing at the time the towers went down. it takes me back to when it actually took place. Madam Speaker. At that time. Madam Speaker. this country was in a position to lead the world in the right direction as it relates to the effort against terrorism. when we had the opportunity to ask Americans to- do things that they wouldnt ordinarily do but would understand that in coming together as a country just days after that it was a time of unity. It was a time of bipartisanship. And I know on the steps yesterday that Members came together. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090170359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was in New York. Mr. DELAHUNT. and I dont know if you had an opportunity to join in the bipartisan effort here. the singing of God Bless America. and just all coming together. but I couldnt help. as a policymaker. Mr. DELAHUNT. thinking about. as I was asked yesterday by the media what I thought and how I felt. I said. I want it to reflect on the memory of those who lost their lives. those who are survivors of 9\/11. whether it be the Pentagon. or Pennsylvania. or New York City. how they feel about the loss of their husband. wife. father. uncle. grandfather. grandmother. or friend. It really wasnt a day for politics. It was a day to reflect on the memory of those individuals. Now. we are here. the day after. but even the day before. and the year before. and 2 years before the fifth anniversary. 3 years before the fifth anniversary we had a 9\/11 Commission that was convened. that Democrats on this floor and over in the Senate pushed for. and some Republicans. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090170359,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Not the Republican leadership. because they didnt feel we needed it at that time. And also the surviving family members. Mr. DELAHUNT. And you were here.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2435}
{"speech_id":1090170396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"About a third less than was added under the Clinton Democratic administration. How about INB. which is now called CIS. the Immigration and Naturalization Service fines for immigration enforcement. meaning that they would go out and actually fine employers for hiring illegal immigrants and pursuing the hiring of illegal immigrants. Under the Clinton administration in 1999. there were 417 employers fined for immigration violations.","speaker_name":"DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":20.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090170417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I think it is important that we focus on what Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ said and what has been said by several of my colleagues here. Mr. DELAHUNT and the gentleman from Florida. and after watching the weekend shows and going through the pain and angst of trying to decipher reality from fiction. I think it is important that we do not get to a point in this country where. because there has not been a terrorist attack in the past few years. that somehow that makes everything okay. We are combating an enemy here that their ability to wait and then strike is staggering. They are patient people. The last terrorist strike prior to September 11. 2001. was in 1993. 8 years prior. So to say wq are doing everything right. as was stated on one of the weekend shows by a major member of this administration. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1668}
{"speech_id":1090170417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think does not show the kind of responsibility and the kind of urgency that I think Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ pointed out. With border security. we do not know who is coming over the borders. They may be coming through Mexico. but it does not mean they are Mexicans. which has been an ally of ours. You do not know who is coming through. So I think it is foolhardy to say that. And then I want to almost in our private meetings make a motion to make the former Speaker Newt Gingrich an honorary member of the 30Something Group because of the kind of analysis that he continues to provide us and what we are in agreement on. fl 2250 Now. lets look at what the former Speaker has said about staying the course. And this isnt just Iraq. I think this is also dealing with homeland security. The former Speaker says in the Wall Street Journal on September 7.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1668}
{"speech_id":1090170421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was the man who set the basic principles of what the Republican revolution was going to look like. So on September 7. 2006. in the Wall Street Journal. he says: \"Just consider the following: Osama bin Laden is still at large. Afghanistan is still insecure. Iraq is still violent. North Korea and Iran are still building nuclear weapons and missiles. terrorist recruiting is still occurring in the U.S.. Canada. Great Britain. and across the planet.\" Is that the kind of leadership we want in the United States of America to secure our country? I dont think so. Given that foreign policy and domestically. given what Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ has said about our borders and our homeland security and our ports. that is not the kind of leadership we need. And the final point I would like to make before I yield to my friend from Florida is that we have tended to take the long view. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2834}
{"speech_id":1090170421,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think we have made. some difficult decisions. our party. in the last 10 or 15 years that have been difficult. balancing the budget in 1993. leading the lower interest rates. creating 20 million new jobs. welfare reform. All of those things were very difficult decisions politically. but over the long haul history is judging them to be good decisions on behalf of the country. And to look and see what Secretary Rumsfeld said when he kept getting questioned about what we were going to do in postwar Iraq. Madam Speaker. I think says it all. And this is from a story in The Washington Post on Saturday. Madam Speaker. It says: -\"Long before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld forbade military strategists to develop plans for securing a postwar Iraq. the retiring commander of the Army Transportation Corps said. Brigadier General Mark Scheid told the Newport News Daily Press in an interview published yesterday that Rumsfeld had said \"he would fire the next person.\" who talked about the need for a postwar plan. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2834}
{"speech_id":1090170421,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He would fire the next person that brought it up. Madam Speaker. This isnt saying. I dont want to hear the other side. This isnt saying. we arent talking about that yet. This isnt saying. we are having a meeting about something else right now. maybe we will bring that up later. Or. we are having a meeting about that tomorrow. The Secretary was saying he would fire the next person who even brought up designing a postwar Iraq plan. Now. that is the kind of leadership we are getting. And I think in September of 2006 as we see where this country is. where former Speaker Gingrich is saying where the country is and all the lack of successes that we have had. to see the kind of leadership coming out of .the Pentagon and the Secretary saying we will fire you if you even bring it up one more time about a postwar plan in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2834}
{"speech_id":1090170421,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think speaks volumes about what is going on. I yield to my friend.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2834}
{"speech_id":1090170438,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fact that we have two wars going on. and the Democratic leader of the Armed Services Committee that Mr. RYAN and I serve on. Mr. IKE SKELTON. he came to the floor. and I* have his statement right here. It was a 5minute speech he gave last week. and I heard him give this speech last week on the two wars. Right here on this floor. Mr. DELAHUNT. we were standing right over there. I said. Mr. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090170438,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SKELTON. can I have a copy of what you shared with the American people and the Members of this House? He gave it to me. These are the three pages right here. Talks about the two wars. Madam Speaker. It talks about a war on terrorism. which we had Osama bin Laden pinned down. and then we went into this other war in Iraq that took troops away from Afghanistan. that stretched U.S. forces to the point to where they are now. It is kind of hard to keep up with the whole recruiting issue. We are almost giving away a Chevy truck for people to join the military right now. And it is very unfortunate because the U.S. taxpayers are being drained. Now. when I said that it comes down to the failure. I am talking about the failure of the oversight and governance on this side of the ball. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090170438,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. DELAHUNT.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1193}
{"speech_id":1090170461,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I just want to reiterate this. The 9\/11 Commission was not a partisan commission. That was not a Democratic commission. That was bipartisan. that was Lee Hamilton. one of the most distinguished Democratic Members of the United States Congress. the former Governor of New Jersey. a prominent Republican. A Republican in the Republican Party. very active and involved. That was a bipartisan commission said no evidence. No evidence. And then the new Senate Intelligence Committee. the Senate is controlled by Republicans. which means the Intelligence Committee is controlled by Republicans. This is a Republican committee. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090170461,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MEEK. So it is just. again. thirdparty validators. two committees. one bipartisan independent committee. another committee controlled by the Republican Party. both saying no evidence. And then the Vice President gets on \"Meet the Press\" and says something different. and Secretary Rice is out talking about something that is just not even in the realm of reality. That is an insult to the American people. That is an insult tothe 700.000 people in Ohio and the 1.4 million people that you represent in Florida. That is an insult. Dont insult the American people. Madam Speaker. Fix the problem. This should have been solved years ago figuring this stuff out. and it is kind of frustrating.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1314}
{"speech_id":1090170465,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"WWW.HouseDemocrats.gov\/30Something. All of our charts and visual aids will be available on this Web site. HouseDemocrats.gov\/30Something. And you can email us there. too. Any comments. please feel free. Members who are watching or listening right now can have an opportunity to email us and ask us any kind of questions.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":320}
{"speech_id":1090170544,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. shortly there will be a debate on an amendment that was offered on my behalf and a number of other Democrats. It is an amendment that would implement all 41 recommendations of the bipartisan 9\/11 Commission. The amendment would equip our intelligence community to fight terrorists. In effect. what it would do is go back to what we have been doing for 27 years. that is. allow the Intelligence Committee every year to have a bill before this body. to allow them to update what needs to be done so they can proceed with intelligence activities in our country and around the rest of the world. We did not authorize the Intelligence Committees work for the first time in 28 years last year. Now. this year. we have not done it again. This amendment would put that in effect. Third. the amendmbnt would secure our ports. rails. roads. airports. chemical and nuclear plants. and mass transit systems. Fourth. the amendment would refocus America on the war on terror. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1787}
{"speech_id":1090170544,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I went into that in some detail yesterday. Fifth. the amendment would provide better. updated tools to bring terrorists to justice. Finally. the amendment would change course in Iraq. Certainly that is something the American people deserve and want. Yesterday in Iraq. 65 Iraqis were found dead. a number of them beheaded. one with a note saying: Anyone that cooperates with Americans. this is what is going to happen to them. In addition to that. scores of others were killed in bombing incidents around the country. Two American soldiers were killed. So the amendment would change course in Iraq. Americans deserve real security. This bill is real security. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1787}
{"speech_id":1090170544,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment is real security. I ask colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this amendment. I yield the floor. Mr. President.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1787}
{"speech_id":1090170579,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first I thank very much the Senator from Washington for her courtesy. and the Senator from Maine as well. I will be very brief. I also recognize my colleague from Nebraska for his leadership and thank him publicly and personally for offering this amendment right now. Normally. I would never join in offering this amendment on port security. but this involves the food security of the country. and this has now become a critical matter -in our part of the Nation. We just had a drought rally yesterday with farmers from all across America. joined by 14 Senators. on a fully bipartisan basis. and joined by my States governor and joined by Members of the House of Representatives from the heartland of the country as well. The message was clear and consistent: It is imperative that Congress act now. If there is a failure to act. literally thousands of farm families will be forced off the land. That is how acute this crisis has become. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090170579,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By scientific measure. they now tell us this is the third worst drought in the Nations history. . The extraordinary irony is that last year in my State we had massive floodingflooding that prevented 1 million acres from even being planted. I note the occupant of the Chair represents the State of Louisiana which suffered so dramatically - from Hurricane Katrina. Those of us outside that area agreed to help and support disaster assistance because it was clearly needed. and we were pleased to step forward and offer our assistance. I might say to the occupant of the Chair and to others who are listening: Now we have suffered as a result of a disaster. It is different. It is not as dramatic. but for those affected. it is every bit as dire. I say to my colleagues. this is one of the worst situations I have seen in my lifetime in the State of North Dakota. Last year. here is what the headlines said all across the State. \"Heavy Rain Leads To Crop Diseases.\" \"Area Farmers Battle Flooding And Disease.\" \"Beet Crop Could Be Smallest In Ten years.\" \"Crops. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090170579,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hay Lost To Flooding.\" \"Rain Halts Harvest.\" It was a devastating year. As a result. last year I offered disaster legislation that formed the basis of this amendment. I updated that legislation on Wednesday of last week. We now have 20 cosponsors in the Senate on a fully bipartisan basis saying this legislation is needed. it is needed urgently. and it is needed now. This is a picture from last year of a farmstead in North Dakota completely surrounded by water. I know these are remembrances to the occupant of the Chair of what happened in his own State of Louisiana. Again. we would be quick to acknowledge the disaster in the Gulf States is more dramatic. more farreaching. but this is national legislation. This wouldnt just help those of us hurt by flooding last year and drought this year. this would help all those wherever they are situated who have suffered from a natural disaster. This year. as the Senator from Nebraska just demonstrated. this is what the Drought Monitor shows: Right down the center of the country. a very persistent and extreme drought. In fact. they have a schedule that goes from abnormally dry to moderate drought to severe drought to extreme drought to exceptional drought. exceptional drought being obviously the most extreme. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090170579,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And you can see the core of the exceptional drought is right in the heartland of America. But we are not alone because we can see areas of exceptional drought right down the center of the country. all the way over to the State of Arizona. Not only did we have extraordinary drought. we had the most incredible summer of extreme temperatures that I have ever seen in my lifetime. culminating on July 30 in my hometown when it reached 112 degrees112 degrees. I went to a corn farm south of Bismarck. ND. that was irrigatedirrigated corn. We stripped the corn of its husk and the ears werent filling. even though they were putting tens of thousands of gallons of. water on -that field a day. Why not?","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3976}
{"speech_id":1090170612,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. last Thursday I introduced a bipartisan resolution urging the President to take immediate action to avert a looming tragedy in Darfur Sudan. I urge the Senate to pass it today. The Government of Sudan has launched an all but military offensive in Darfur that could result in hundreds of thousands of deaths. The United States must lead the international community to save those lives. It is urgent that we act. Over the past 2 years the situation in Sudan has remained dire. As many as 400.000 people have died. Two million people have been displaced from their homes. over 200.000 are refugees in Chad. and 3 million rely on international aid. Those numbers havent diminished over time. they have gotten worse. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1637}
{"speech_id":1090170612,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And now. they may be on the brink of becoming even more catastrophic. In May of this year. the Government of Sudan and rebels in Darfurspecifically the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Armysigned a peace agreement. Tragically. instead of improving the security situation. the Darfur Peace Agreement has made things worse. The agreement never had the support of the entire -SLA. or the other major rebel movement in Darfur. the Justice and Equality Movement. Nor did it have the support of people living in displaced persons camps in Darfur. In the days and weeks after news of the agreement spread. violence in camps increased either because -people misunderstood what was in the agreement. or they felt the agreement was flawed. And violence on the ground became worse. as the rebel factions split and fighting erupted between those who had signed the Darfur Peace Agreement and those who had not.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1637}
{"speech_id":1090170619,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to offer the Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act. an amendment to the port security bill. This legislation is vital because it provides for the monitoring of the health and safety of individuals exposed to harmful substances as a result of a presidentially declared disaster. The Senate passed this bill by unanimous consent in the 108th Congress. but jurisdi6tional disagreements between committees in the House caused it not to be passed in the House. This issue first came to my attention during a series of Environment and Public Works Committee hearings in 2002 when we learned of the severe health problems facing thousands ofworkers and volunteers who heroically responded to the September 11. 2001. attacks on the World Trade Center. Perhaps some of my colleagues saw the \"60 Minutes\" segment this last Sunday that examined the problem in depth. I will never forget Joe Allbaugh. 3 months after September 11. before the committee. I asked him: What have you found out about what folks were exposed to. those who were .first responders? And he said: I cant get the information. This bill would give the President the right to immediately go in and do the investigation to determine what these folks were exposed to. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4824}
{"speech_id":1090170619,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One of the things that we also did was discover thft these first responders did not have the opportunity to have a screening. We were able to get $14 million set aside to do screening of first responders. In the case of Ohiowe had one of the first responding units therewe found a variety of health problems. including respiratory illness. pneumonia. asthma. and many faced the possibility of longterm health issues. I am deeply saddened to note the recent passing of New York City Police Detective James Zadroga. a rescue worker at the World Trade Center. whose tragic death was directly caused by his exposure to toxic fumes and dust at Ground Zero. Currently. the Federal Emergency Management Agency does not hold the authority to conduct the necessary longterm monitoring of health impacts following environmental exposures in the wake of a disaster. In 2003. Federal funding helped establish the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Cincinnati. I have already referred to that. At least way afterwards we started doing the screening to let the folks know what they were subjected to. According to the findings. almost 70 percent of the World Trade Center responders had a substantially worse respiratory system following their work at the World Trade Center. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4824}
{"speech_id":1090170619,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Among the responders who were asymptomatic before September 11. 61 percent developed respiratory symptoms while working at the World Trade Center. In addition to that assistance at Ground Zero. OTF responded .to the needs of communities around the country faced with the aftermath of natural disasters. OTF sent responders to Florida following Hurricane Dennis in July of 2005 and to Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. the need for public health monitoring became clear. The CDC and EPA have identified 13 environmental health issues confronting first responders. including drinking water. wastewater. solid waste. debris and soil contamination from toxic chemicals. It is vital this legislation is enacted to address any health care needs that arise for the thousands of first responders who are active on the gulf coast. S. 1741 authorizes the President. if he determines that substances of concern have been released in a federally declared disaster area. to activate a program in a Federal partnership with appropriate medical institutions for the protection. assessment. monitoring. and study of the health and safety of individuals. The act also would direct Federal agencies to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences to study and report on disaster area health protection and monitoring. It is -extremely important we take care of these individuals because. as I .stated in past hearings. whether people volunteer to be first responders depends on how we treat the first responders at the World Trade Center. the gulf coast. and other disaster areas. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4824}
{"speech_id":1090170619,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If they are not going to be able to find out immediately what they have been exposed to. and the President has the authority to get in there and find out what it is. we will have more and more people reluctant to come to the help in other disasters in the country. I therefore urge my -colleagues to support this bipartisan bill which is cosponsored by 16 of our Senate colleagues. It is strongly supported by the first responder community. I thank the Senator from Maine for this opportunity to share why it is important we get it passed. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"GEORGE VOINOVICH","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4824}
{"speech_id":1090170745,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the comments of the Senator from New York. The conditions in New York. as far as respiratory equipment. may have been different. But I have worked closely with Senator VOINOVICH on his broader bill. We reported it from the Homeland Security Committee. He offered it today as an amendment. I hope. perhaps. we can have a meeting of the minds on what is a real problem. We do not want those who were so brave that horrible day to .not receive assistance. care. and monitoring for health problems associated with their bravery. regardless of which environment they were in. The second issue I have to raise is the extent of the resources that will be needed to deal with this issue. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1988}
{"speech_id":1090170745,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont know the basis for the nearly $2 billion authorization that the Senator has come up with. so I cannot comment on it. That leads me to my third point. which is the way the Senator has drafted this amendment. directing the Secretary of HHS. through the Director of the CDC. to allocate the funds. That means it is not in the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee. or even the Commerce Committee or Finance Committee. It is in the jurisdiction of the HELP Committee. So I have asked staffto notify the HELP Committee of this amendment so that they have an opportunity to review it. With that. let me again repeat that I think the Senator from New York has identified a real problem. It is not germane to the underlying port security bill. but it is an urgent and real problem. It is in another committees juris-\" diction. We have a different approach that the Homeland Security Committee has taken in working with Senator VOINOVICH because this even goes beyond 9\/11. I know the Senator from New York has also worked with Senator VOINOVICH on his amendment. which is under the Homeland Security Committees jurisdiction. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1988}
{"speech_id":1090170745,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I suggest that we get some input from Senator ENzI and Senator KENNEDY. since they are the committee of jurisdiction. Thank you. Mr. President.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1988}
{"speech_id":1090170825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleagues. Senator INOUYE. Senator MURRAY. and Senator COLLINS. for their work and attention to this critical subject. I am pleased to stand with them in trying to work to ensure that a concrete port security measure takes place that makes our Nations ports safer than they are presently. We have just commemorated the fifth anniversary of the September 11 \"attacks. I cannot think of a way in which we can learn from those lessons \u0095 more than to finally come to an agreement on a strong. wellfunded port security bill. For those of us who represent States such as mine. New Jersey. with the largest ports in the country. it is not a moment too soon. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9356}
{"speech_id":1090170825,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. some would argue that it comes rather late in the game. I have to agree. Five years after that tragic September day. nearly 4 years after Congress passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act. and 2 years after the September 11 Commission issued its report and its 41 recommendations. our Nations busiest ports remain underfunded. understaffed. and overwhelmed. A myriad of new stories over the last week in the runup of the fifth anniversary of September 11 have consistently pointed to. one irrefutable fact: our ports remain vulnerable to a terrorist attack. This is not news for some of us. In December of 2001. I introduced a port security measure in the House of Representatives which sought to fully understand the vulnerabilities we face at all of our ports. I certainly hope this will move us along in that way. I urge. certainly. that we come to that conclusion. Lets remember that an attack at our ports would not just hurt trade and commerce. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9356}
{"speech_id":1090170825,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Such an attack at a port would devastate surrounding communities. In August. the Rand Corporation released a report concluding that \"a nuclear explosion at the port of Long Beach could kill 60.000 people immediately. expose 150.000 more to radiation. and cause 10 times the economic loss of the September 11 attacks.\" In my State of New Jersey. the ElizabethNewark Port. the largest container seaport on the east coast. handled more than $132 billion in goods in 2005 and creates over 200.000 jobs. Imagine what would happen to the Nationnot just New York or New Jerseyif commerce were shut down in this port. Imagine the number of lives in that immediate region. one of the greatest concentrations of population in the Nation. According to retired Coast Guard CDR Stephen Flynn. the cargo containers \"are a potential Trojan horse in the age of terrorism.\" He is right. Mr. Flynn pointed out that we are not keeping pace with the terrorists capabilities. The threat continues to evolve. When we patched up one security hole. they found another gap. another vulnerability. In December 2005. small undercover teams of investigators from the Government Accountability Office were able to carry small amounts of Cesium 137. a radioactive material used for medical and industrial purposes. in the trunks of rental cars in the States of Washington and Texas. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9356}
{"speech_id":1090170825,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Washington Post reported that the radioactive materials did set off alarms. but GAO agents were able to use phony documents to persuade U.S. border guards and Customs officers to let them pass into the country. As long as cargo containers remain a mainstay of international commerce. and as long as we cannot verify what is .S9485 inside each and every one of them. we are vulnerable. Right now. only 5 percent of containers entering this country are inspected. That is a number which I believe would shock most Americans. Let me be clear. It would be unacceptable to screen only 5 percent of White House visitors every day. so why is it acceptable to scan only 5 percent of cargo entering our country every day? Scanning anything less than 100 percent of cargo that enters our ports is irresponsible and downright negligent. Only scanning 5 percent of cargo containers that enter our ports is the equivalent of locking the car doors but leaving the windows down and the keys in the ignition. It is unacceptable. Even the system we now use to determine which of the 5 percent of containers to inspect is riddled with flaws. Customs inspectors rely on manifests and intelligence databoth of which can be unintentionally incorrect or even manipulatedto develop algorithms that tell them which container to open. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9356}
{"speech_id":1090170825,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot take the risk that complex mathematical equations relying on faulty inputs will catch a chemical. nuclear. or biological. weapon shipped into our ports. We need to develop a system that will eventually ensure that 100 percent of containers bound for this country are inspected. either physically or through effective nonintrusive scanning that will find and detect weapons no matter how they are disguised. We need to take advantage of existing technologies that can scan the inside of a container. even before it leaves a foreign port. and create a downloadable image of what is inside. That image can be reviewed in real time by security officials in the United States so we know exactly what the container holds before it even sets sail for our shores. By combining this technology with scans for radioactive material. we can find dangerous materials before they ever arrive in our ports. Port security is a serious matter that should be addressed with a comprehensive and consistent plan. not a game of \"Eeny Meeny Miney Mo\" to figure out which cargo container to scan. Five years after September 11. we must have a plan. a clear roadmap that describes how we will move our Nation to 100 percent scanning at our ports. To accomplish this. this amendment would require just that: to produce an initial plan. a tangible document that clearly outlines how to increase scanning to 100 percent at our ports. The plan must include yearly behchmarks and consequences for supply chain entities that fail to comply. and this could include loss of access to U.S. ports and levying of fines. My amendment also includes a requirement for an update of the initial 100percent scanning plan that would include lessons learned from the pilot system. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9356}
{"speech_id":1090170866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we just agreed to an amendment that will require 100 percent scanning of highrisk containers and put us on the path to having 100 percent scanning of containers. once it is feasible. once the technology is there. I am concerned about the amendment of the Senator from New Jersey. I dont think it has the kind of thought in it that was in the Coleman amendment. There are two provisions. in particular. that concern me. One. it requires a plan for scanning containers that are going out of U.S. ports. That is going to slow down trade incredibly and will be a real problem for our farmers who are exporting their crops. Second. it has a provision requiring consequences to be imposed on foreign ports or U.S. ports that do not meet the benchmarks described in the plan. which may include a loss of access to U.S. ports and fines. This will lead to retaliation by foreign ports. I urge our colleagues to oppose the amendment.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":938}
{"speech_id":1090170899,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President. I rise today to offer an amendment that I believe offers us an opportunity to secure our borders now. My bill takes a firstthingsfirst approach and recognizes that it is imperative that we secure our borders now. This first step cannotand should not have towait for a \"comprehensive\" solution. Once we secure our borders. we can look at all of the other illegal immigration related issues that remain. There is a bipartisan consensus on what needs to be done on border security and the provisions that make up this consensus. We should not hold our border security hostage to a broader initiative. My amendment will significantly increase the assets available for controlling our borders. It provides more inspectors. more marshals. and more border patrol agents on both the northern and southern borders. It provides new aerial vehicles and virtual fencingcamera. sensors. satellite and radar coverage. etc. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7762}
{"speech_id":1090170899,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It increases our surveillance assets and their deployment and provides for new checkpoints and ports of entry. It includes Senator SESSIONS amendment for greater fencing along our southern border. including 370 miles of triplelayered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers. It also provides for the acquisition of more helicopters. powerboats. motor vehicles. portable computers. radio communications. handheld global positioning devices. night vision equipment. body armor. weapons. and detention space. \u0095 While we know these resources will be critical improvements. it does not just throw resources at the problem. My amendment requires a comprehensive national strategy for border security. surveillance. ports of entry. information exchange between agencies. increasing the capacity to train border patrol agents and combating human smuggling. It enhances initiatives on biometric data. secure communications for border patrol agents. and document fraud detection. It includes Senator ENSIGNS language to temporarily deploy the National Guard to support the border patrol in securing our southern land border. Additionally. it increases punishment for the construction. of border tunnels or passages. When our borders are not secure. it is our cities and counties that are on the front lines. particularly those closest to the borders. Unfortunately. the negative impacts of illegal immigration are not limited to our border towns. Recently I worked with communities in southeastern PennsylvaniaAllentown. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7762}
{"speech_id":1090170899,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Easton. Bethlehem. Reading and Lancasteras well as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Pat Meehan. to get one of the six recent AntiGang Initiative grants given by the Department of Justice. This area. called the Route 222 Corridor. was the only nonmetropolitan area to receive one of the $2.5 million grants to combat growing criminal activity in part because of illegal immigrants. However. I raise this issue here because U.S. Attorney Meehans letter explaips this issue very succinctly. He stated \"[e]ach city is seeing extensive Latino relocation to its poorer neighborhoods and housing projects. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7762}
{"speech_id":1090170899,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Once largely Puerto Rican. the minority populations are increasingly from Central America. Simultaneously. Mexican workers migrate to the agricultural areas around Lancaster. creating a southern link to criminal networks. The urban core is therefore transient. poor. nonEnglish speaking and often undocumented . . . In this fertile environment. the Latin Kings. Bloods. NETA. and lately. MS13. are recruiting or fighting with local gangs for control of the drug markets. Violence is a daily byproduct.\" My amendment provides relief for cities. counties. and States dealing with increased costs because of illegal immigrationspecifically those caused by the criminal acts of illegal immigrants. There are four programs included in my amendment to address these issues. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7762}
{"speech_id":1090170899,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"First. there are grants to law enforcement agencies within 100 miles of the Canadian or Mexican borders or such agencies where there is a lack of security and a rise in criminal activity because of the lack of border security. including a preference for communities with less than 50.000 people. Second. local governments can be reimbursed for costs associated with processing criminal illegal aliens such as -indigent defense. criminal prosecution. translators. and court . costs. Third. State and local law enforcement agencies can be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the detention and transportation of an illegal alien to Federal custody. Finally. reimbursements are available for costs incurred in prosecuting criminal cases that were federally initiated but where the Federal entity declined to prosecute. In addition. my bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide sufficient transportation and officers to take illegal aliens apprehended by State and local law enforcement officers into custody for processing at a detention facility operated by the Department. and that the Secretary designate at least one Federal. State. or local facility in each State as the central facility to transfer custody to the Department of Homeland Security. This amendment also expedites the removal of criminal aliens from correctional facilities and expands border security programs through the Department of Commerce such as the Carrier Initiative. the Americas Counter Smuggling Initiative. the Container Security Initiative. and the Free and Secure Trade Initiative. Throughout this debate. I have consistently stated that the first thing we must do is secure our Nations borders. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7762}
{"speech_id":1090170917,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the clarification. Mr. President. this proposal of the Senator from Illinois is very similar to a provision of the postKatrina Stafford Act reforms that were reported by the Homeland Security Committee. The Senator from Illinois is absolutely right that we need to do a far better job in this country of developing comprehensive plans for the evacuation of individuals with special needs before. during. and after a disaster. When we look at the experience with Hurricane Katrina. what we find is those who were left behind were predominantly elderly and disabled. Those were the characteristics that caused people to not be able to evacuate. Another factor was they tended to be lower income individuals. too. But the disabled individuals of the area. in Louisiana in particular. also actually had the experience of going to Red Cross shelters and being turned away. which is something I have discussed with the Red Cross. So I think it is a good idea to require State and local governments to develop these kinds of plans. and I am happy to accept the amendment. I urge adoption of the amendment.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1111}
{"speech_id":1090170963,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. an awful lot has been written and enough has been said about the comments made yesterday by House majority leader JOHN BOEHNER. I am not interested in asking Mr. BOEHNER for a clarification or retraction or even an apology. His statement was very clear and I believe equally despicable. And his words are. frankly. beyond redemption. They are. however. sadly. what we have seen much too much of in politics today in our country. So this* is an opportunity today for the Senate. to be the Senate. We talk here about \"my friend from across the aisle.\" We talk about the traditions of the Senate. We talk about civility. But in the last years. a lot of us have seen things happen here that never would have happened in the Senate of 15 or 20 years ago. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2021}
{"speech_id":1090170963,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have come a long way since the days when Bob Dole and George Mitchell refused to campaign against each other. I have seen colleagues say in the cloakroom that they thought it was wrong to see the courage of their friend. Max Cleland. attacked. but on the floor of the Senate there is silence. I know there are good people here who still long for civility. I have heard it. I heard the junior Senator from Oregon say. just this summer: My soul cries out for something more dignified. My friend from Arizona. . just this spring. said: The selfexpression sometimes overwhelms our civility. Well. this is one of those times. But I think it is more than that. I think it is an opportunity. in keeping with these pleas for civility. for some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to actually come to the floor and not just talk about civility but express the truth. to come here and condemn Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2021}
{"speech_id":1090170963,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BOEHNERS remarks in no uncertain terms if they disagree with them. I think that is the real test of the kind of place we havh become and the kind of politics we are willing to tolerate. It is a test of the character of the Senate. And I think every American would benefit from hearing where Republicans stand on Mr. BOEHNERS words expressed yesterday.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2021}
{"speech_id":1090171034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I send to the desk a package of amendments. I would like to read them: amendment No. 4924. as modified. for Senator ROCKEFELLER. amendment No. 4928. for Senator BINGAMAN. amendment No. 4932. for Senator DOMENIcI. amendment No. 4933. for Senator DOMENICI. amendment No. 4939. as modified. for Senator KERRY. amendment No. 4946. as modified. for Senator BURNS. amendment No. 4950. as modified. for Senator CANTWELL. amendment No. 4949. for Senator CANTWELL. amendment No. 4951. for Senator MCCAIN. amendment No. 4953. for Senator VITTER. amendment No. 4954. as modified. for Senator SNOWE. amendment No. 4955. for Senator ALLARD. amendment No. 4959. as modified. for Senator PRYOR. amendment No. 4964. for Senator BURNS.- amendment No. 4976. for Senator BOXER. amendment No. 4985. as modified. for Senator BAUCUS. amendment No. 4988. as modified. for Senator LAUTENBERG. amendment No.\u00955000. for Senator SNOWE. and amendment No. 4947. as modified. for Senator BURNS. I ask unanimous consent that these amendments be considered en bloc. adopted en bloc. and I move to reconsider that action.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1102}
{"speech_id":1090171052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is with great sadness that I inform the House of the passing of our former colleague. the gentleman from California. Clair Burgener. He was an amazing individual. and I have a load of articles here that have been written about him over the past several days. I think the San Diego UnionTribune put it extraordinarily well when it said: \"Burgener earned a reputation for honesty and modesty in a threedecade career that began in San Diego city politics and ended in the hallways of the Nations Capitol.\" As we look at this time of partisan divide here. former nineterm Democratic Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin said. \"He was a wonderful colleague. He and I were on different levels as far as our voting went. but we didnt try to hold back or fool each other.\" And Herb Klein. the retired editor in chief of Copley Newspapers and director of communications for President Nixon. recalled a man of unbending ethics: \"Clair Burgener was the epitome of a great American Congressman. He was honest and ethical. a strong leader dedicated to his community. He was a wonderful friend whose warmth never waned.\" Mr. Speaker. our thoughts and prayers go to Clairs wife. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1257}
{"speech_id":1090171052,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Marvia. We thank him for his extraordinary service to the United States of America.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1257}
{"speech_id":1090171158,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the gentleman from Michigan. Mr. KILDEE. for all of his efforts to defend the rights of the first people to inhabit our great Nation. I strongly oppose H.R. 4893. which would amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to restrict Indian gaming and subject Indian tribes to the whims of local governments. The United States Constitution recognizes Indian Tribes as sovereign governments. equal to States and Foreign Nations. H.R. 4893 would force Indian Tribes to enter into agreements with counties in order to operate gaming facilities. Tribes are already required to negotiate gaming compacts With State g6vernments. Requiring Tribes to negotiate with local governments is a blatant violation of their sovereignty. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1097}
{"speech_id":1090171158,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The California Nations Indian Gaming Association. which represents many tribes in my home State of California. is firmly opposed to this bill. Never before in the history of our Nation have tribes been required -to negotiate with local governments. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and protect the sovereign rights of American Indian Tribes.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1097}
{"speech_id":1090171162,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have always opposed using the suspension process for consideration of controversial legislation. Once again. the Republican leadership is abusing the suspension process to limit debate by bringing H.R. 4893 to the floor as a suspension item. Accordingly. I cannot vote to suspend the rules.","speaker_name":"BRAD SHERMAN","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":27.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":305}
{"speech_id":1090171177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to support this bill and the hard work put in by Chairman BROWN and Ranking Member VIIcHAUD. I am especially pleased that the committee has chosen to authorize the construction of a new medical center facility in Orlando. Florida. for $377.7 million and to require the facility to be located at the site in Lake Nona known as site selection C. It has been documented for 25 years. let me repeat. 25 years. that a VA hospital- is badly needed in central Florida. As a 14year member of the Veterans Affairs Committee. I have been working to obtain a hospital in this area. something that has always been one of my top committee priorities. When the Naval Training Center was closed. I was excited to work with former Secretary Jesse Brown to open the clinic that was badly needed for central Florida veterans. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2172}
{"speech_id":1090171177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is time for a full medical center. It is important that the veterans of the central Florida region have a VA medical center that will serve all the needs to provide the type of health care that the VA is known for. I am especially pleased that the VA medical center will be colocated with the new Florida State medical school near an urban medical complex. in an area where doctors and research professors can work collaboratively on the needs of our area veterans. As many studies have shown. teaching hospitals give the best care and for the veterans to have access to this care and the veterans to have the same access is invaluable. It is the ultimate urban model. one that needs to be followed at all levels of medical treatment from Florida and throughout the Nation. The many hearings we have held to discuss the benefits of working together have shown the benefits. and the path has been set for success in other. institutions. This is a winwin for everyone in the VA system in the central Florida area. and the veterans are truly deserving of this facility. Again. this is a great day and long overdue day for the central Florida community and for central Florida veterans. It is also a great day for all veterans from all over the Nation who will come to central Florida. Thank you again. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2172}
{"speech_id":1090171177,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2172}
{"speech_id":1090171191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5815 is a wellthoughtout bill. It is the product of thorough bipartisan collaboration. I urge my colleagues to act favorably now and moye this legislation to the Senate so *that we can give our veterans the assurances. of new and improved medical facilities.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090171224,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is a difference between what the Senate passed unanimously and what we are discussing today. You will admit that. And you did not mention the specific item that I mentioned and my problem with the legislation \"whereases\" is on the immigration legislation. which was passed last year. You know quite well it is a contentious subject on your side as well as in the entire Congress. I have mentioned nothing about the other things. and have no problems with the other things that you mentioned. but I think that is enough for me to express myself. and I want to just correct the gentleman.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":605}
{"speech_id":1090171247,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. on September 11. 2001. terrorists murdered nearly 3.000 of our fellow Americans who were simply going about their everyday. daily lives. Their goal: to attack our freedom and change our way of life. They believed America to be decadent and weak. They believed that we would not forcefully respond. They believed that America would recoil or retreat. and they could not have been more wrong. That horrible day broke our hearts. but out of our collective broken heart came everything that is great about this great Nation. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1217}
{"speech_id":1090171247,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"America. Police officers and firefighters ran into burning buildings. risking their lives to save people they did not know. The passengers aboard United Flight 93 who. knowing the intention of the terrorists. built the resolve that they would not allow the terrorists to determine their fate. they fought back to give America our first victory in the war on terror. This resolution shows that we in this House share that resolve to defeat terror. This resolution honors the victims of 9\/11 and the sacrifice of so many who have fought for our freedom since that day. * Mr. Speaker. I urge allour colleagues to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1217}
{"speech_id":1090171347,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. remembrance is a solemn obligation. a duty owed by every obligation to those whose honor. love and sacrifice light our way today. To the 2.996 souls who perished on September 11. we owe more than political rhetoric. more than annual ritual. They are remembered best. they live. not just what we say but in what we do to build a safer. more peaceful world. So the resolution before us today rightly speaks of actions taken. and calls for all Americans to act in the generous. unified spirit born that deadly day.In calling for September 11 to be observed as a day of national service. we seek to build a living monument to all those who have died in the long. simmering war that erupted onto our shores 5 years ago. Good done in their name has a special power against the evil we fight. 9\/11 brought that evil home: to homes in New York. Pennsylvania and Virginia. and to shocked and grieving homes across our Nation. \"Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people. our territory. and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our Armed Forces. with the unbounding determination of our people. we will gain the inevitable triumph. so help us God.\" That was spoken the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3963}
{"speech_id":1090171347,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Franklin Roosevelts words evoke the realism and optimism needed to meet our present peril. As then. we are at war and no political difference or debate can detract from the heroic work done every day by the men and women of Americas military. The 184 people who gave their lives at the Pentagon 5 years ago fought on an unexpected battlefield. but toiled until the end in loyal service to the national ideals. liberty and justice. to which we pledge .allegiance each day in this Chamber. Let us pledge in their memory to honor and support all those who fight to defend America and advance freedom. Unlike the last global conflict. this war is being waged surreptitiously. the enemy lurking among us in shadowy networks and across cyberspace. On 9\/ 11 Americas first responders got a bitter taste of this new era. but their valor and grit carried us all through that day and those that followed. In memory of their fallen comrades. let us pledge through this resolution to honor and support the work of the public safety and public health professionals who work every day to protect us from terrorist attacks. This resolution is also an opportunity to renew the sense of urgency forged in the crumbling inferno of the Twin Towers. With each passing year. what looked hugely urgent after 9\/11 tends to get smaller in the viewfinder as more current problems loom large. But while we lose sight of the threat. an enemy who relentlessly worked to transform airplanes into guided missiles is maniacally focused on other ways to harm us. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3963}
{"speech_id":1090171347,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Distance from the tragedy of 9\/11 has also allowed some politics to seep into our security equations. Our vulnerabilities are many. and always will be. There will always be risks and there will always be those eager to take advantage of them. To those seeking to exploit fears rather than build trust. the glass will always be half empty. But genuine security after 9\/11 is not a static goal or measurement. it is a process and a mindset. If we stay alert. get good intelligence on the evolving threat. and take the prudent precautions we are willing to tolerate and able to afford without crashing the economy or terrorizing ourselves. we will be safe. It is more than luck there has not been another major attack since 9\/11. So we remember and we pray for the dead and their families. friends and colleagues. And. as we face the certain challenges of an uncertain future. we take solace in the ancient Hebrew lesson. \"There are stars whose light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3963}
{"speech_id":1090171347,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are people whose remembrance gives light in this world long after they have passed away. Their light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow.\"","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3963}
{"speech_id":1090171359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to a misguided resolution. that caters to partisan politics more than it honors the victims of 9\/11 and the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform. The fifth anniversary of a national tragedy should be a time for bipartisan unity. But rather than follow the example of the Senate Republican and Democratic leadership and introduce a 9\/11 Anniversary resolution designed to bring America together. House Republicans insisted on a divisive and partisan resolution. Unfortunately. H. Res. 944 praises both- a Patriot Act that undermines the most basic of our civil liberties and a hateful immigration bill that makes the provision of humanitarian services to undocumented workers a crime. It goes on to wrongly characterize Iraq as a \"front line\" response to 9\/11 and ineffectually attempts to equate the distinct wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a single conflict. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1239}
{"speech_id":1090171359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would have liked nothing more than to today vote to honor the selflessness and sacrifice many demonstrated on and after the attacks. I encourage Americans to make September 11 a day of national service. But I cannot vote for a politically charged resolution that celebrates policies my constituents and I vehemently oppose.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1239}
{"speech_id":1090171360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I come to the floor today to remember and honor the people who lost their lives in the September 11. 2001. terrorist attack. The victims of September 11th came from all walks of life and each and every one of them is sorely missed by the friends. family. and this country. I would also like to honor the many brave first responders and volunteers that selflessly rushed to help save lives during the attack. and everyone who has worked to help individuals. families. cities. and our whole country start to recover and heal in the months and years since September 11 th 2001. Today the House was supposed to bring up a bill to honor the victims of 9\/11. and all those who helped to respond after the attack. Instead. the Republican Majority has brought up H. Res. 994. a politically divisive bill. A bill which is more of an exercise in selfcongratulation. than a solemn and respectful memorial. I regret to say it. the Majority has. once again. chosen to use this occasion to score political points. to drive a wedge between Americans by talking about politics. instead of bringing us together as we were on This is not a time for partisanship. ","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090171360,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is a time to come together to honor the people who gave so much on 9\/11. If we are going to use this occasion to talk policy. then we should be.looking ahead. Talking about what we can do in the future to prevent another terrorist attack. like passing a law which implements ALL of the 9\/11 Commission recommendations. There is much left that needs to be done on that front: We need to ensure that all cargo and people passing through our border are screened and accounted for. We need a law to increase the security of our rail and mass transit systems to ensure that we do not experience an attack like the ones that occurred in Madrid. London. and Mumbai. We need to ensure that our law enforcement agencies have interoperable communication so that they can respond quickly and work together to save lives during any incident. Together. I am confident. that we can implement all of the 9\/11 Commission recommendations and prevent future terrorist attacks. And if we do that. we will truly honor the memories of 9\/11.","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2182}
{"speech_id":1090171363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to the nearly 3.000 innocent victims of the September 11 hijackers. It is only right that we remember September 11. its victims. and its heroes. My East coast home is only a few blocks from the Pentagon. On that day I could see the black smoke billowing from its side. smell the acrid fumes of burning jet fuel. and hear the sounds of rescue and recovery. The smoke eventually faded. but the memory never will. The United States is safer today than it was 5 years ago. but we are not safe. And we will not be safe until our enemies are defeated. Just a month ago. ","speaker_name":"ELTON GALLEGLY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1503}
{"speech_id":1090171363,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"British authorities. with help from United States intelligence agencies. stopped a plot to blow up numerous airliners flying from London to the United States. An al Qaeda tape released on the anniversary of September 11 warned of renewed attacks. Our enemies are plotting constantly. and we must remain constantly vigilant. Mr. Speaker. 5 years ago. we stood on the Capitol steps in a bipartisan show of strength and solidarity. We vowed thenand in the days. months. and years afterthat cowardly thugs would not succeed in destroying our resolve to live in freedom and peace. That resolve remains. There are honest disagreements about how to prosecute the war. but there is no disagreement that we will ultimately succeed. We are Americans. We do not bow to terrorists. ","speaker_name":"ELTON GALLEGLY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1503}
{"speech_id":1090171363,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The heroes who died in four planes and three buildings on September 11 will. never be forgotten. May they forever rest in peace.","speaker_name":"ELTON GALLEGLY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1503}
{"speech_id":1090171424,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rulesand pass the Senate bill to award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace. nonviolence. human rights. and religious understanding.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":277}
{"speech_id":1090171434,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. at the time I think the message that I told myself was. we cant be holier than His Holiness. If it is okay with him. it was okay with me. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I thank him for all of his leadership and assistance in bringing this important legislation to the floor. And I also commend Congresswoman ILEANA RoSLEHTINEN for her leadership. not only on bringing the legislation. but her work on this important issue. TOM LANTOS. FRANK WOLF have just been relentless for His Holiness. and in the Senate. Senator DIANNE FEINSTEIN who represents California in the U.S: Senate but is a close personal friend also of His Holiness. The Congressional Gold Medal is the most distinguished award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is reserved for the most heroic. most courageous. most outstanding individuals who have made lasting contributions to society. individuals such as John Paul II. Mother Teresa. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090171434,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Elie Wiesel. and Nelson Mandela. Today. by honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama. we not only honor him. but we add luster to this Congressional Gold Medal. We honor our Nation andthe American people by awarding it to His Holiness. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. His Holiness often described himself in the following way: \"I am just a simple monk. no more. no less.\" But he represents much more to people throughout the world. Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama is the earthly manifestation of the living Buddha. On the world stage. he is seen as the head of state and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. For millions. he is seen as a source of spiritual refuge and a connection to inner peace and harmony. that my colleague Mr. KuciNicH was discussing. His Holiness has traveled the world. building bridges between and among the different faiths. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090171434,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He has used his position to promote wisdom. compassion and nonviolence as a solution. not only in Tibet. but to other world conflicts. His leadership is not only in the area of faith and harmony among people. but also in protecting the environment. I remember it was a great joy seeing him speak at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. The Dalai Lama has made the human rights situation in Tibet an issue of international concern. Indeed. the situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world. Under Chinese occupation. hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have died. Freedom to practice their religion and political expression have been severely curtailed. So powerful is the image of the Dalai Lama that Tibetans are imprisoned for simply owning a picture of him. As a new Member of Congress in 1987. I was in attendance. at the invitation of my colleague from San Francisco TOM LANTOS. when the Dalai Lama proposed the historic FivePoint Peace Plan toward resolving the future status of Tibet. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090171434,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Dalai Lama proposed a \"Middle Way Approach\" that seeks genuine autonomy for Tibetans within the framework of the Peoples Republic of China. Autonomy. not independence. In recent years. Tibetan envoys have traveled to China for five rounds of discussions on the status of Tibet. While open dialogue is a first step. it is clear that the Chinese government has been stalling all along. The Chinese arermissing an historic opportunity to negotiate with a partner who has the authority and the legitimacy to implement a comprehensive agreement. The Chinese are missing an opportunityfor a solution that would ensure internal stability in Tibet and bolster Chinas reputation in the world. The Dalai Lama has asked for international support for his efforts to engage the Chinese government. I am proud to say that the U.S. Congress has been a bedrock of support for the Tibetan cause. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090171434,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By awarding the gold medal to the Dalai Lama. Congress is sending an important signal of support for going further. This is not the first gift our country has given to His Holiness. Of course. for many years and decades. we have given the gift of respect. of reverence and appreciation for all that His Holiness is and does. But when he was a little boy. the special relationship he had with America was demonstrated when Franklin Roosevelt. as President of the United States. gave His Holiness one of his fayorite gifts which was a gold watch which had the phases of the Moon on the watch. -It was a wonderful thing. a gift from the President to this little boy who had beennamed the Dalai Lama. When His Holiness was driven out of Tibet by the Chinese invasion. it was one of the few things that he carried with him. So he had the gold watch. and now all these many years later. out of respect and reverence for him. he will have the Congressional Goeld Medal. I urge my colleagues to support it and look forward to the day when we can present it to him in the halls of Congress.","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4791}
{"speech_id":1090171448,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would the table. simply like to close by thanking my colleague. the gentleman from North SPECIAL ORDERS Carolina. who serves with great distinction on the House Armed Services The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Committee. serves our country in a bi- the Speakers announced policy of Janpartisan fashion. for his contribution uary.4. 2005. and under a previous .order and his cooperation on this resolution of the House. the following Members here tonight. will be recognized for 5 minutes each.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":505}
{"speech_id":1090171449,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on June 29.. 2006. my colleague. Mr. SIMMONS. and I intro- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a. duced H. Con. Res. 444. extending the thanks previous order of the House. the genof Congress and the Nation to the Defense tleman from Texas is recogPOW\/Missing Personnel Office. the Joint nized for 5 minutes.","speaker_name":"LANE EVANS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":315}
{"speech_id":1090171470,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Look. it is clear who our enemy is. It is clear that they have been there before Iraq. before the liberation of Iraq. Before Afghanistan. they were in Iraq. They have killed Americans for a generation. They are not going-.to go away if we just wish them to go away. But luckily we have had some great success. Is there a reason why there has not been an attack on American soil? To talk a little bit about that. I would like to recognize a person who I greatly admire from the great State of New Jersey. but Mr. GARRETT has been a leader. particularly on cutting government waste. on fighting for the little guy for small business. ","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":843}
{"speech_id":1090171470,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to recognize him. Maybe he could tell us a little bit about why we are succeeding. why we havent had an attack. What is it that we have done that is working. With that. I would like to yield to","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":843}
{"speech_id":1090171478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. I thank the gentleman from Florida. He mentioned how America had been attacked so many times with impunity. and yet some in this country still do not understand that we are at war. But listen to what our enemy is saying. Bin Laden calls the war against terrorism in Iraq the Third World War. and yet some in our country still refuse to admit that we are at war. . And he talks about how in Iraq the whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries. the Islamic nation on the one hand and the United States and its allies on the other. And he goes on to say. Mr. bin Laden does. it is either victory and glory or misery and humiliation. What is hard for me to believe. though. is that Members of this body and of the Senate. and I think it is very important to be respectful of this institution. but there is a Member of the Senate who said that it would be unrealistic. if not downright foolish. in other words. you would be a fool. to believe that we can claim victory in the war on terrorism and a more secure world. that you would be a fool. according to this prestigious. recognized Democratic leader. if Saddam Hussein is still in power. You would be a fool is what Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1708}
{"speech_id":1090171478,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"BIDEN said. And yet now how is it possible? I would never say that those who said that and now have changed their minds are fools. But that is what Mr. BIDEN said. You would have to be a fool to believe that Saddam Hussein could have stayed in power and we could have been victorious in the war on terrorism. And I have a hard time believing how they dont unite with the President of the United States to support our troops on the field while we are at war. Mr. Speaker. I will now yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1708}
{"speech_id":1090171558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning. following a brief period of morning business. we will resume consideration of the port security bill. with an hour of debate equally divided. followed by a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the bill. That cloture vote should occur at approximately 11 this morning. and that will be the first vote of todays session. I anticipate that cloture will be invoked. and I encourage all Senators to vote in favor of cloture. The bill managers have been diligently working through the amendments and working through the bill. If we invoke cloture. we expect to complete the bill at a reasonable time today. I encourage all of our colleagues to help the managers so we can finish that bill sometime in the late afternoon today. It means not doing our usual thing of trying to talk and spend a lot of time and then voting later into the night. We really do want to finish this late this afternoon. Senators are reminded that rollcall votes are likely throughout the day and that the filing deadline for seconddegree amendments is 10 a.m. this morning.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1075}
{"speech_id":1090171579,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I came to. the floor to speak briefly about one of our outstanding superintendents in Louisiana and to pay tribute to an accomplishment that has been made on education. But in light of the rantings that went on for the last 30 minutes in the Chamber from my two colleagues on the other side. I would like to state for the RECORD that America is not tired of fighting terrorism. America is tired of the wrongheaded and boneheaded leadership of the Republican Party that has sent $6.5 billion a month to Iraq. when the front line was Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. America is tired of leadership which led this country to attack Saddam Hussein when we were attacked by Osama bin Laden. and which captured a man who did not attack the country and left loose a man who did.. Americans are tired of boneheaded Republican leadership that alienates our allies when we need them the most. And Americans are most certainly tired of leadership that. despite documented mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistakeand even their own party admitting mistakesnever admits that they do anything wrong. That is the kind of leadership Americans are tired of. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1480}
{"speech_id":1090171579,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I didnt come to the Senate to have partisan rantings on the floor. but I most certainly am not going to sit here as a Democrat and let the Republican leadership come to the floor and talk about how Democrats are not making us safe. They are the ones who are in charge. and Osama bin Laden is still loose.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1480}
{"speech_id":1090171595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank my colleagues for yielding. \u0095 I Mr. President. earlier this week we all commemorated the fifth anniversary of 9\/11. Much of that day was spent here and around the country discussing whether after 5 years we are. safer and whether we are safe enough. While we have made real progress with respect to the security of our nuclear powerplants. with respect to airport security. far too little has been done to secure our Nations seaports. railways. transit systems. and. I might add. hundreds of chemical plants around this country. After 9\/11 we also recognized the need to protect our seaports. In 2002 we passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act. which was the start of developing a national and regional maritime security plan or plans. This legislation also required the Department of Homeland Security to help ports develop individual security plans and directed Customs and Border Protection to design a system for receiving information on ships cargoes before they docked at a U.S. port. Now. 4 years later. we are finally taking the next step. Still. port security has never received the same level of attention as airport security. and part of this is because 9\/11 tragically exposed the vulnerabilities of our ports and it has been burned into our memories. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9218}
{"speech_id":1090171595,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think it is also -because most Americans do not have any direct interaction with a seaport on a daily basis..a weekly basis. a monthly basis or. in some cases. ever. However. a growing number of Americans have begun to recognize what an appealing target our seaportscan be for terrorists. First of all. many ports. including the 6nes we have in my State and the States of New Hampshire. Maine. and Washington. are located in or near densely populated urban areas. Also. ports are vital to the economy of our country. They are used by farmers to try to get their products to market and also industry to export products. but also we import everything from chemicals to oil and gas. As a result. many of us have concluded we must place a higher priority on addressing any vulnerability at our ports before any terrorist attack takes advantage of them. I applaud the work of Senator COLLINS and the great work Senator LIEBERMAN has done with her helping to craft this. and also the staffs and Senator MURRAY and her staff. The American Association of Port Authorities believes that to do so will require roughly $400 million a year for physical enhancements for ports in this country. The bill before us would authorize Congress to do just that. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9218}
{"speech_id":1090171595,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. $400 million is a lot of money. but it is significantly cheaper. I think we will agree. than responding to a devastating attack after the fact. My .port. the Port of Wilmington. has received about $2 million since 9\/11. The State has provided a fair amount of money. as. has our port authority. These funds have been used. in part. to help build a gated entrance with cam- them. After the train bombing in Maeras. with security checks. and to fence drid 2 years ago and the London Underand light the ports perimeter. ground attacks last summer. many of While we are grateful to receive Fed- us hoped we would take steps to preeral support for these important secu- vent a similar kind of attack here. But rity measures. our port. like many oth- to date. the Federal Government has ers. will require additional assistance. done far too little to address transit Some of that we should provide our- and rail security needs in this country. selves within our State. For some of In fact. rail and transit security rethat we look to the Federal Govern- ceived less than 3 percent of the fundment for help. Obviously there is not ing that has been dedicated thus far to enough funding for everyone to get ev- airport security. erything they need. However.. ports in I wint to be honest with you. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9218}
{"speech_id":1090171595,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ProOklahoma. ports in Kansas. ports in tecting our rail and transit lines will Tennessee and Kentucky have all re- not be an easy task. Almost 10 billion ceived port security grants over the transit trips were taken in 2004. and years. as have ports along the eastern transit accommodates more than 16 and western gulf coast. At the same times the number of daily travelers time. the Port of WilmingtonI am than do our Nations airlines16 times. told it is the busiest port on the Dela- There are more and more people using ware River and the port of entry for rail transit every day so they can avoid much of our Nations food supply. espe- traffic and high gasoline prices. Also. it cially for the east coasthas been is much more difficult to protect an forced to make do with less. Therefore. open system such as the ones at bus I am pleased this bill requires the De- stops and train stations than it is to partment of Homeland Security to con- guard the closed systems we have at duct a risk analysis of our Nations airports. You cannot physically check seaports and establish a priority for se- every bag that is brought onto a comcurity funding. muter train or ID every person who The Port of Wilmington also partici- boards a bus. nor do I believe we ought pated in something called a Transpor- to. The rail transit systems can only tation Security Administration pilot work if they are fluid. I believe long program. .a program designed to screen lines of people t4king off their shoes to port workers and block individuals get on a train or bus would render with a terrorist connection from ac- them largely unworkable. cessing sensitive areas at our ports. As much as anything. though. what This pilot program was supposed to be we need to do in order to reduce the the first step toward establishing a na- likelihood of a debilitating attack on tional program. with identification our transit and rail systems is to imcards and equipment that could read prove surveillance. more security offibiometric information. such as finger- cers. use of canines. and heavy reliance prints and retinal patterns. But the De- on the use of new technologies. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9218}
{"speech_id":1090171595,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This repartment of Homeland Security ended quires strong leadership. vision. and this pilot program before the national enthusiasm for attacking the unique screening and identification system challenges of securing rail and transit. was ready. The national system was It also requires effective partnersupposed to be implemented by last ships. The Federal Government needs summer. but it has yet to occur. The to be one of those principal partners. implementation date. I am sorry to So far. the Department of Homeland say. continues to slip. Now we are Security has only shown a strong appebeing told the ports will receive official tite for preventing the sort of attack identification cards by the end of this that led to its creation. The White year. but the essential card readers House proposes lumping together all will not be ready until sometime next nonaviation security into one competiyear. That doesnt make a lot of sense. tive grant program. with less than 15 This program is moving forward far percent of the funding proposed for airtoo slowly. and that is why I offered an craft security. That is less than 15 peramendment. when the Homeland Secu- cent for all of themtransit. ports. rity and Governmental Affairs Coin- rail. and so forth. mittee debated port security. to re- Further. the tiny sums that have quire the Department of Homeland Se- been appropriated for rail security curity to issue its regulations on the have been very slow to move. Last worker screening program not next year. the Department of Homeland Seyear but by the end of this year. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9218}
{"speech_id":1090171604,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the managers of this legislation. They have done a fantastic job in getting us to where we are today. Also. I thank Senator TALENT of Missouri. who has been my cosponsor on the amendment I wish to visit with you about. very briefly. today. Port Security remains a major vulnerability for this country. and tied to port security is trucking security. The 9\/11 Commission identified foreign trucking entities entering the United States as a top homeland security concern. The DOT inspector general has recommended that various security enhancements to the trucking security provisions in this bill be made. This goes back to 2004. but they have -largely been ignored since that time. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3407}
{"speech_id":1090171604,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If you look at the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves today. we have NAFTA. where NAFTA allows foreign trucks to come into the United States within 25 miles of the U.S. border. They can pass between Mexico and Canada. But what we have found in reality is that. although.most are playing by the rules. and that is good. there are some truckdrivers and trucking companies violating the provisions of U.S. law by delivering goods and picking up goods far outside the scope of where they are supposed to do it. Trucking is very important to this country. It may not be very exciting to some people. but it is very important tothis country because 70 percent of our Nations cargo is carried by truck. It is also important to homeland security because trucks have been used in terrorist attacks in years past. What Senator TALENT and I are trying to do with our amendmentand the managers have graciously agreed to accept it in the managers packageis to direct the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security to first verify legal status of all licensed commercial truck drivers operating -in the United States. Right now there are about 11 million of those. and there are about 40.000 new ones every month. First. we have to verify legal status. Second. we eliminate commercial drivers license fraud. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3407}
{"speech_id":1090171604,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course. we know that it is not perfect. We will probably not eliminate every single incident. of that. but we are going to make a very serious stab at eliminating as much as possible. Thirdthis is very importantwe give State governments and local law enforcement uniform guidelines- and tools for enforcing immigration violations by truckers who are. operating beyond the scope of their authority: This is something that we have seen in Arkansas--I am sure that Senator TALENT has seen it in Missouriand all around the country. People on the ground down in the trenches. local law enforcementin our case. it is the highway police--dont have any clear direction on what they can do if they find someone who is driving illegally under these circumstances. We do all this and give them 1 year to comply with this amendment. We .are basically taking areas that have been identified by the 9\/11 Commission or by the DOT inspector general. and we are holding DOTs and DHSs feet to the fire to make sure they do the right thing when it comes. to immigration and homeland security. It is a winwinwin across the board. It is good for the United States economy. it is good for our trucking industry. and it is good for United States security and homeland security. It will reward the good guys and punish the bad guys. I yield the floor. ","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3407}
{"speech_id":1090171637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. very shortly we will be voting on cloture on the Port Security Act. I urge my colleagues to support the cloture motion. We hope to be able to complete action. on this bill by 5 oclock this afternoon. We are working toward that goal. Senator MURRAY and I are happy to talk to our colleagues. but we will be moving through -the amendments at a very rapid pace after cloture is invoked. as I hope it will be. We have made great progress on this bill. It is an important bill for our homeland security. and I urge all of our colleagues to support the cloture motion.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":577}
{"speech_id":1090171681,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is amazing. The objective is to get people off welfare. get them independent and into the jobs. I think I heard the Senator correcfly. as well. because we failed to renew the teacher expense deductions. more than 3 million schoolteachers nationwideand there are a tremendous amount of Arkansas schoolteachers who give -out of their own pockets to bring those supplies in their classroomsthose teachers are going to be paying higher taxes this year if we dont act now?","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":472}
{"speech_id":1090171816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I just want to say a few words about an amendment. No. 4942. that was accepted in the managers package. On April 28 of this year. the administration announced a plan to check \"all individuals seeking access to port facilities .. \" They wanted to check all individuals seeking access to port facilitieS. The plan was to check these individuals names against the terrorist watch list and to check for citizenship status. But a major loophole was created when it intentionally left out port truck drivers from this process. Now. we are reminded that when the first attack on the World Trade Center. in 1993. took place. the explosives were hidden in a van. When the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was blown up. the explosives were hidden in a van. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090171816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And not to recognize that these trucks entering a port area could be carrying anythingwhether it is taking cargo containers out of the port that had been brought to our shores from foreign ports or whether it is taking an empty cargo container back into the portmy gosh. you could almost hide a tank in one of those.. So to me it really did not make sense when the Department of Homeland Securitys excuse was that it was simply too hard to do. to vet all of these truck drivers who come in. and get them an ID card to show they have \" been checked for any security concerns. Certainly. I do not think that is a valid excuse when it comes to protecting us from a terrorist attack. \"Too hard\" is never an acceptable reason. Just look at our brave troops in Iraq and in other places. places of great danger. No one is saying it is too hard. They are doing their duty to protect all of us and our interests. One of the largest truck driver labor organizations in the world fully supports my amendment. They know they have nothing to hide. and they want to know that their workplaces are secure from terrorism. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090171816,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The amendment simply requires that the IDs of triick drivers who have access to secure areas of ports be checked against terrorist watch lists and to confirm their American citizenship. Earlier this year. DHS Customs Enforcement agents did an investigation of port truck drivers. Of about 10.000 port truck drivers working in the Port of New York and New Jersey. almost half had criminal histories. Some had been charged with the possession of millions of dollars of stolen pharmaceutical goods. or trying to smuggle cocaine and Iranian carpets into the United States. This failure to check port truc) drivers along with all other port workers is a dangerous shortcut. It is unacceptable. When it comes to protecting our security. we do not seek shortcuts. We do not want to. We want full measures taken to keep us. our families. our constituents. and the people in the area safe. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090171816,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to thank the manager. the Senator from Maine. and Senator STEVENS from Alaska for accepting this amendment. It will help make sure our attempts for security are better fulfilled. I thank them. and I thank the chairman for working with me on this important issue. I understand there may be concerns with some technical aspects of my amendment. but I think it is clear that everyone here recognizes the problem of not checking port truck driver names against the terror watch list and for citizenship status.","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3262}
{"speech_id":1090171856,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in support of the port security bill being considered before the Senate. This legislation is of particular importance to my home State of California. and I am deeply grateful to Senators COLLINS and MURRAY and all the others who have worked so diligently to craft this comprehensive and bipartisan effort to better protect our Nations ports. * It is no secret that I have long considered security at our Nations ports to be a.significant hole in homeland security. The global maritime supply chain system is a vast network consisting of hundreds of ports worldwide moving millions of containers - each year. and frankly I dont believe this Nation has done nearly enough since 9\/ 11 to improve the security of our ports. As has been repeated many times on this floor. only 5 percent of containers entering the country are inspected. meaning that millions of tons of cargo move through our ports without serious scrutiny. With its long coastline. California is vulnerable. My home State receives containers from more than 750 different ports worldwide and is home to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. which is the busiest container port complex in. the entire United States. processing 7.2 million containers in To highlight the risk we face. I cite a Rand Corporation report released last month. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3863}
{"speech_id":1090171856,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If a 10kiloton nuclear bomb. hidden in a shipping container. were to explode at the Port of Long Beach. it could kill 60.000 people instantly. expose another 150.000 to hazardous levels of radiation. and cause $1 trillion in economic losses. Needless to say. this is an issue of great importance to my constituents and the economic welfare of the State. I believe strongly that the need for action to better protect our ports is essential and it must happen now. I am glad to say that this port security measure takes a number of critical steps toWard filling the gaps in security at our Nations ports. This legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security to work with State and local governments to create a strategic plan to secure our ports and prepare for a swift resumption of trade in the event of an attack. We learned by devastating experience during Hurricane Katrina what happens when Federal. State. and local governments do not have an integrated plan for responding to and recovering from a catastrophic event. The bill authorizes $400 million in competitive grants to help ports address security vulnerabilities. $1.2 billion for rail security improvements. and $3.4 billion for mass transit security. In addition. 1.000 more Customs and Border Protection agents will be patrolling our Nations ports of entry thanks to this legislation. But despite the advances of this legislation. there still remains much work to do. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3863}
{"speech_id":1090171856,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We cannot stop until all containers are. fully scanned for radiation and by other means including full xrays of all containers.- It was a disappointment that amendments to initiate a plan for 100 percent scanning were rejected this week. In fact. this bill does nothing substantive to increase the number of con tainers inspected before. reaching our shores. It is clear to me that only inspecting 5 percent of cofitainers is unacceptable. Moving forward. a clear test of this Congress will come when the time arrives to appropriate funds for many of the programs authorized in this bill. including grants for port security. To tell the truth. much of what is accomplished will be for naught if we dont provide the funds necessary to get the job done. As a member of the Appropriations Committee. I plan to.do whatever I can to make these funds available. They are simply too important to my State and too important to this Nation. Again. I thank my colleagues for their efforts on this bill and express my hope that we can continue to work towards filling the gaps in security at our ports.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3863}
{"speech_id":1090171912,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor a momentous occasion in the history of Nevada and one of my favorite pastimes: boxing. This September 16. 2006. marks the 100th anniversary of the longest boxing match in history fought under Queensbury rules. For more than 3 hours. 2 of the greatest boxers in the country squared off for 42 rounds in the booming mining community of Goldfield.- NV. This fights tremendous length might be important to the \"Guinness Book of World Record.\" but for Nevada. it was also an important moment. in race relations during a tumultuous period in our countrys history. Boxing promoters throughout the country billed the fight as one of epic proportions. Oscar Battling Nelson was one of the toughest fighters in the land. He was nicknamed \"The Durable Dane\" for his resilient and hardhitting style. Rather than defeat his opponents with skill. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5417}
{"speech_id":1090171912,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nelson preferred to absorb the blows of his opponents and outlast them in the ring. One biographer even went so far as to say that Nelson \"gave new meaning to the word tough.\" With such fabled abilities. Nelson was the early favorite to defeat his opponent. a 32yearold African American named Joe Gans. The Baltimore native was the reigning lightweight champion and the first Americanborn Black man to win a boxing title. His style was a sharp contrast to The Durable Dane: Gans was quick and fast on his feet and known as \"The Old Master.\" Rather than relying on brute strength. Gans tried to beat his opponents with skill. Such a marquee matchup was a boxing promoters dream and was expected to promote gold stock in the area. With a recbrd $30.000 purse prize. the fight brought national attention to Goldfield. the largest city in Nevada at the time. But a sharp issue hung over the bout like an ominous cloud. That was the 4ssue of race. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5417}
{"speech_id":1090171912,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Before the fight began. rumors floated that Gans had thrown fights as a youth in Baltimore. So persistent were the rumors that Gans promoter. a local saloon owner named Larry Sullivan. feared for his safety should his fighter lose. Others worried that a win by Gans could start a riot in the town. The hostility of the town quickly evaporated once the citizens of Goldfield had an opportunity to meet Joe Gans. It was his unassuming mannerand some say a love of the craps tablesthat endeared Gans to the town. Prefight negotiations only served to steer more public support to Gans corner. Gans gave into every one of Nelsons demands. including lowering his own share of the $30.000 purse to $11.000 win or lose. He also agreed to drop his weight to 133 poundswell below his normal fighting weight of 142 pounds. The change in support was - clearly evident to referee George Siler. He wrote: \"The men who wield the pick think that Gans has been imposed upon by Nelsons manager. and they want to see him win.\" The Goldfield News reported the shift in support saying \". . . the camp finds itself in the unique position of wishing to see a Negro defeat a white man.\" By the start of the fight. the odds were 21 in favor of Gans. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5417}
{"speech_id":1090171912,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fight started in the afternoon under the. hot Nevada sun. Some estimates place the ringside temperatures at more than 100 degrees. Nevertheless. more than 6.000 peopleand an unprecedented 1.500 womenpaid the pricey sum of $5 to watch the fight. Surely. none of the spectators knew that they would witness- one of the greatest fights in history. As usual. Nelson tried to outlast his opponents barrage of uppercuts. hooks. and jabs. By the end of the seventh round. Nelson was bleeding from both ears and Gans knocked him to the mat. But the Durable Dane would not give up. He tried to pin Gans against the ropes. and again Gans knocked him to the mat in the 15th round. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5417}
{"speech_id":1090171912,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Nelson bounced back. winning the next three rounds. After almost 20 rounds. the sun began to set over the Columbia Mountain and it was clear that the fighters were tired. But neither man would yield. Gans broke his hand in the 27th round but refused to go down. He continued to fight back against Nelson. showing little sign of the injury. At the end of the 30th round. Nelson hit Gans after the bell. causing uproar in the crowd. The referee. who had warned Nelson about fouls throughout the fight. gave him yet another warning. Finally. the Durable Dane began to lose his famed endurance. while. Gans continued to pummel him. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5417}
{"speech_id":1090171913,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as Detroit residents cope with a rise in homicides and shootings this year. city police are joining with other law enforcement agencies in an effort to stem gunrelated violence through a new program. Operation Tactical Intelligence Driven Enforcement. or TIDE. was established to help determine crime patterns. identify the citys most violent offenders and ultimately prevent crime in the city of Detroit. Operation TIDE. which began on May. 5. 2006. in the Detroit Northwestern police district. involves the coordination of 10 Federal. State and local agencies. .It is designed to use the expertise of each agency to better track and share intelligence on dangerous criminals. The U.S. Attorneys Office. Wayne County Prosecutors Office. Wayne County Sheriffs Office. U.S. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090171913,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Marshals Service. Federal Bureau of Investigation. MichiganState Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration are all involved in the project. To date. 115 people tied to gun crimes and gang violence have been arrested. The program is funded by a $600.000 grant through the Federal Project Safe Neighborhoods campaign against guns and gang violence and is currently being expanded into the other three police districts. Operation TIDE expands upon the current Project Safe. Neighborhoods initiative strategy of suppression. deterrence. prevention\/intervention. investigation. prosecution and public awareness. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a longterm campaign that has assisted in taking many violent offenders off the streets of Detroit. Since its inception in 2001. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090171913,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Project Safe Neighborhoods has played an important role in a 34 percent reduction in violentcrime and a 73 percent increase in firearm prosecutions nationally. In the Detroit area. it has resulted in more than 800 Federal gun prosecutions. Project Safe Neighborhoods public awareness campaign has resulted in hundreds of tips leading to prosecution. Ella BullyCummings. chief of the. Detroit Police Department. described Operation TIDE by saying: Our.strategy is to supercharge our crime prevention and enforcement efforts to reduce violent crimes using the intelligence and resources of all law enforcement agencies. Our police officers work every day at addressing active and potential crime in our city limits. By collecting and.disseminating the acquired intelligence among partnering agencies. crime patterns will be swiftly identified. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Federal. State. and local law enforcement officials for their outstanding service and their vital contributions to the safety of our communities. Their commonsense approach plays a significant role in decreasing gun violence. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090171913,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am hopeful that the 109th Congress will do more to support their efforts by taking up and passing sensible gun safety legislation.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2814}
{"speech_id":1090171914,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. earlier today the President visited Capitol Hill for a closeddoor meeting with House Republicans. It is not often the President takes time out of his busy schedule to come to Congress: But to meet only with Republicans is wrong and divisive. After his closed door meeting. the President talked about working together. in a bipartisan way. His walk does not match his talk. I wish he would act as a uniter and work with all of us on behalf of ail Americans. Regrettably. it appears that. once again. this President has chosen to act in a partisan way in his role as RepublicaninChief. That is wrong. I hope that all Senators will recognize their responsibility to all Americans and exercise their best independent judgment. rather than taking orders from the head of their political party. In the Judiciary Committee .yesterday. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11529}
{"speech_id":1090171914,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senators did exercise that kind of independent judgment when we joined together in a bipartisan way to report a bipartisan bill that would amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and reign in the Administrations warrantless domestic wiretapping program. That bill. S. 3001. the bill cosponsored by Senator SPECTER and Senator FEINSTEIN. was the only proposal that drew bipartisan support. I urge the Majority Leader to recognize the merits of that bill and our bipartisan efforts by moving to proceed to that bill when the Senate turns its attention to these matters. This bipartisan bill was authored by Senator FEINSTEIN. one of the few Senators being briefed on the Presidents program of domestic surveillance without warrants. It is intended to ensure our intelligence community can protect our nation with the necessary court oversight. It will bring the Presidents program within the law. It stands in stark contrast to the White Houseendorsed bill that grants sweeping authority to the Executive Branch for a program about which we know very.little. The BushCheney Administration has refused Congresss requests for information. Since when did Congress become an arm of the Executive Branch? Since when was the Senate reduced to a rubberstamp? Oversight means accountability. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11529}
{"speech_id":1090171914,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Oversight makes Government work better. It prevents abuses and corruption. We need Government to be as competent and accountable as it can be in fighting terrorism. I have been attempting to clarify the facts and the law relating to the Administrations warrantless wiretapping program since it was first disclosed in December 2005. During the ensuing eight months. we have made numerous efforts to get straight answers from the Administration regarding the nature. scope and purported legal basis of this prog ram. Our efforts were rebuffed by the most flagrant and disrespectful stonewalling of any Administration that I have seen in my 32 years in Congress. While refusing to answer even our most basic questions aboutits secret spying program. the Administration claimed that Congress approved the program when it authorized the use of military force in Afghanistanalthough Attorney.General Gonzales had to admit that this was an \"evolving\" rationale not present at the time Congress considered its action. The Administration claimed that even if they violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. the Presidents powers and their view of the \"unitary executive\" must trump the law and the authority of Congress. Not since the rationalization of Richard Nixon for actions during the White House horrors and Watergate scandal have we heard such a claim. And. of course. the Administration claimed it had all the authority it needed and no new legislation was needed. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11529}
{"speech_id":1090171914,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The bill the Chairman negotiated with the White House. in my view. contains several fundamental flaws: The bill makes compliance with FISA entirely optional. and explicitly validates the Presidents claim that he has unfettered authority to wiretap Americans in the name of national security. In other words. it suggests that FISA is unconstitutionala claim for which there is no judicial precedent and very little academic supportand invites the President to ignore it. The bill abandons the traditional. casebycase review contemplated by FISA and introduces the concept of \"program warrants.\" If that novel concept is constitutionalwhich I doubta single FISA court judge could approve whole programs of electronic surveillance that go far beyond the Presidents program. The bill immunizes from prosecution anyone who breaks into a home or office in the United States to search for foreign intelligence information. if he is acting at the behest of the President. I would have thought that electronic surveillance is a large enough area to address in one bill. But apparently. the Administration was unwilling to address electronic surveillance without also reaching for new powers to break into Americans homes. We should not grant that kind of blank check to the Executive for a secret program we know little about. Instead. we should consider the bipar.tisan alternative the Judiciary Committee has endorsed. The SpecterFeinstein bill is an approach that seeks accountability while ensuring tools to mount a strong fight against terrorism. The Majority Leader has an opportunity to unite the Senate and Americans around this smarter. stronger proposal that will help protect Americans as well as the values that we hold dear as a Nation. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11529}
{"speech_id":1090171914,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I hope that he seizes that opportunity. On a related note. I was a little surprised to hear the Chairman say earlier today that the Judiciary Committee was forwarding proposed language changes to the War Crimes Act to the Armed Services Committee. I agree with the Chairman that amending the War Crimes Act is a matter in the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee. but I am very concerned about the way in which this important issue has come up. The Chairman announced yesterday in the middle of a special business meeting that the Committee would be discussing a proposal. That was news to me and the other Democratic members of the Committee. who had not seen nor heard of the proposal. The Chairman said that a bill had been distributed Tuesday afternoon. but Democrats were not included in any such distribution. . This is a very serious issue. It certainly requires meaningful review and input from Senators of both parties. It is a subject about which I care a great deal about. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11529}
{"speech_id":1090171955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to voice my support for the Senate resolution designating September 16. 2006. through October 16. 2006. as Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Americans are our largest ethnic minority. and I am a cosponsor of this resolution because I believe it is an appropriate way to recognize the contributions made by our Hispanic American community. Hispanics have migrated to the United States from all over the world. They have added to our national security by serving valiantly in the U.S. Armed Forces. many have paid the ultimate price and sacrificed their lives for freedom. In my home State of Texas. Hispanic women and men shaped our Republic in its early years. and to this day. subsequent generation of Texans continue to enjoy the liberty for which our Texan and American ancestors fought so courageously. Americans of Hispanic origin have contributed to the econmy with their notable work ethic afid have served honorably at all levels of government. Three of my Senate colleagues find their roots in Hispanic origins. -It is because of these contributions and their love of equality. justice. and independence that I am proud to support the distinguished majority leader. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1338}
{"speech_id":1090171955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator FRIST. and my other Senate colleagues in designating September 16. 2006. through October 16.. 2006. as Hispanic Heritage Month.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1338}
{"speech_id":1090171983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise because America needs a new direction for homeland security. Our Republican colleagues are ignoring our Nations real security needs. The 9\/11 Commission made 41 recommendations on ways to make our Nation safer. but just this December America received a flunked Homeland Security 101. receiving 10 Cs. 12 Ds and 4 Fs. Ofhly 6 percent of containers at our ports are being screened. most air cargo is not being screened. and 5 years after 9\/11. the Nation still lacks a unified terrorist watch list for airline passengers. We need a new direction for Americas security. We must guard against fulure attacks by\" implementing all the 9\/11 Commission recommendations. and we must screen 100 percent of our containers and cargo bound to the United States in ships and planes. and we must ensure our first responders have the training. equipment and technology they need.","speaker_name":"HILDA SOLIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":889}
{"speech_id":1090171987,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor the life of John Watters Wright. I had the privilege of meeting John 3 short years ago when I was able to present a commendation and his Bronze Star he had earned in World War II. In 1944. as a soldier in World War H. actually as a marine in World War H. John was badly wounded during a sniper attack. Despite serious injuries. he kept fighting. He destroyed the enemy snipers nest. saving himself and the Jives of others in his division. His CO recognized Johns heroism and promised to cite him for a deserved medal to commemorate his actions. In 2003. I had the privilege of presenting John with the awards that he had earned 59 years earlier. ","speaker_name":"RICK LARSEN","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1374}
{"speech_id":1090171987,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So nearly 60 years after his selfsacrificing actions. the United States finally acknowledged the heroism he displayed iii World War 11 with a Bronze Star. but it was an acknowledgment delayed far too 16ng. Corporal Wright died last month. and as we honor the life of Corporal Wright. we are challenged by his patriotism. He challenged us not only to recognize our veterans. but he challenged us -to care for our veterans when they come home from deployments. He challenged us to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights without question. but do that through debate and sometimes dissents. So I stand today to honor the life of Corporal John Watters Wright. who is truly an American hero.","speaker_name":"RICK LARSEN","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1374}
{"speech_id":1090172012,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"again to answer. is whether or not the measure we are discussing today has one penny. one nickel or one dime in it to build a fence. Mr. Speaker. I yield an additional minute to Mr. REYES to respond to some of the matters that were brought to our attention earlier.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":265}
{"speech_id":1090172024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Again. Mr. Speaker.let me reframe the difference between what we want to do on this side of the aisle and what is being proposed on that side of the aisle. First and foremost. we want to work together to address the issue of border security. We want to give the professionals the support that they have been asking for throughout these last 2 months of hearings. We want to make -sure that we provide them the opportinity to tell us what kind of infrastructure. including fencing. they need. The buildings. the antivehicle barriers. the observation towers. the access roads. all of the kinds of things that they have told us are a priority in order for them to be able to control the border. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1297}
{"speech_id":1090172024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fundamental difference is we trust them to make those decisions. We do not tell them we need a fence starting from 5 miles east of the port of entry in Del Rio to 6 miles east of the port of entry of Eagle Pass. Let them make those kinds of decisions. They are the professionals. They are charged with that responsibility. Our job is to provide them the support and the resources. That is the fundamental difference. As I have said. we need to work together on this thing. Regrettably. this rule freezes us out and we are unable to participate in this.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1297}
{"speech_id":1090172027,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the ReyesThompson substitute provides for a comprehensive approach to our border security. not simply the inadequate piecemeal approach called for in the underlying bill. The substitute requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop a comprehensive border security strat-","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":293}
{"speech_id":1090172041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the chairman -of the Judiciary Committee. as well as the ranking member of the committee. for the great work that we have been able to do together and the support that I have gotten from various individuals. as well as Mr. FRANK. Mr. COBLE. Mrs. MALONEY. We have put together a very effective bipartisan team to work on this issue. My colleague from Wisconsin calls me the Johnnycomelately to this issue. and he was working on this well before I did. ","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":848}
{"speech_id":1090172041,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I feel honored to have him call me the author of this bill. and I am only the author of this bill because in all the other things that the chairman of Judiciary Committee is working on he has given me the opportunity to lead on this.issue. But I very much appreciate the work that we have done with Mr. CONYERS as well. It has been a very. very effective group.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":848}
{"speech_id":1090172048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would tell my friend from Michigan that you would get my support if you just guaranteed that the jobs would be there. We need people Working on these jobs. If they are working on jobs. there will be less crime. So anything that will guarantee the jobs I can support.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090172049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Reclaiming my time. I think the bill allows the Attorney General and gives the Attorney General the responsibility to make sure that the Attorney General can take the actions necessary to keep prisons safe and to allow workers or prisoners to get the skills that they need. We have put together a- very. very good coalition. the business groups. the Teamsters. the organized labor. UAW. UNITEHERE. Machinists. Carpenters and a lot of other folks.","speaker_name":"PETER HOEKSTRA","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":446}
{"speech_id":1090172070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman. it is pretty hard for somebody in the private sector that pays taxes on- their manufacturing equipment. that pays property taxes on the building that is used to house the manufacturing equipment. that pays their employees a decent wage. that takes out Social Security and State and Federal income taxes and. hopefully. provides benefits. including health care benefits. to compete against those who are working in the prison where the taxpayers pay for the medical benefits. the taxpayers pay for the room and board. and the land and the prison is completely tax exempt.. Now. the gentleman from Minnesota says that what FPI provides is bought by the Department of Defense. What this bill does is to provide the same reforms that were provided a few years earlier with FPI contracting with the Department of Defense. The gentleman from Minnesota says it has worked with the Department of Defense. What we. want to do is to have it work with every other Federal agency as successfully. as it has done with the Department of Defense.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1084}
{"speech_id":1090172107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. When you examine this amendment. this creates a loophole that could undermine the entire bill and any attempt that we have toward educating inmates. teaching vocational skills. and getting contracts for jobs because I. for one. am not for putting this into the tender hands and the gentle mercies of the Attorney General of the United States. I mean. I have never heard them even suggest that they support anything in this bill. So for me to want to create this carveout to allow the Attorney General to direct agencies within the Department of JustiCe to award individual contracts to Federal Prison Industries on a noncompetitive basis is going way too far in terms of us trying to bring some justice to this bill. Now. we have to control our emotions here. ladies and gentlemen. This is about how we help people who have violated the law return to society. There is more than one way to do. it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1885}
{"speech_id":1090172107,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There are several ways to do it. We are .in the process of creating what we think will be a new and better and more balanced way than the way that we have now. This is not slamming the Federal Prison Industries. As a matter of fact. under the provisions of this bill. they will be able to operate with nonprofits. with government organizations. with churches. There are a lot of ways to deal with this. The important thing is we all cometogether and get the money. Somebody said $75 million. Do you know how far $75 million goes in the expenditures that we are making on Iraq every day? This should not be the toughest assignment that those of us who support rehabilitation programs would make. I urge that if there is any one amendment that should be rejected. it would be one that would leave this measure to the tender mercies of the Attorney General of the United States. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1885}
{"speech_id":1090172174,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the bill before us because we need to act immediately to seal our borders and protect the American people. My office is full of bricks. bricks mailed to me by my constituents. and to the offices of many of my colleagues. with urgent pleas to act to secure our borders. These- bricks are more than a strong message from our constituents. They represent the passionate pleas of a country that knows we are losing the battle at our border and the demands of a Nation that understands we will never be secure until we have control over who is entering our country. The Secure Fence Act will take the necessary steps to give our Border Patrol agents the tools they need toregain control of our borders so they can .protect our country. This legislation authorizes additional fencing as well as stateoftheart technology and surveillance equipment to help us regain control of our borders. The Secure Fence Act tells the American people we are serious about getting control of our borders. stopping illegal immigration and securing our country. It is appropriate legislation. ","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090172174,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It will help get the job done. and I urge its passage.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1163}
{"speech_id":1090172209,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I thank Chairman KING also for his hard work on this legislation and for the tremendous effortsof his committee. a committee that this Congress didnt have as a standing committee until a year and a few months ago when he put together. and his colleagues. the first effort congressionally from a permanent committee to look at these important issues. Our immigration system. Mr. Speaker. is fundamentally flawed. There are millions of workers in the United States who entered the country illegally. Most of those individuals mean no harm to anyone. But any government that cannot account for all those entering and leaving the country. either legally or illegally. must deal seriously and quickly with that problem. especially if the government is at war with an enemy that has publicly- stated its efforts to exploit every weakness we have. As one border sheriff said. standing by me at a news conference earlier this yeara border sheriff. by the way. from the other party. a border sheriff who understood this problem intimately every day. ","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2721}
{"speech_id":1090172209,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He said. \"If you can come across the border for the perfectly uhderstandable reason of a better job. you can come across the border in a way that does much more harm to people than anyone can now anticipate.\" 0l 1445 As I have been discussing with many of my colleagues in recent days. the House has already had success in securing resources. such as additional Border Patrol agents and vehicles. for immediate border security needs in this years.-current .budget. ino tlIe supplemental -budget. in the budget. thatiwewill vote on for next year later this month. I draw my colleagues. attention !to these pictures. pictures of the kind of work that has been going on along the border for months now: Seventyfive miles of fence already completed. 42 miles of fence nearing completion. more Border Control officers. more de-. tention facilities. the return of people who have illegally entered this country to their country for the first time in decades. the assistance of the National Guard. All have led to a more secure border. Today we continue our efforts to undertake emergency measures to ensure that the operational control of the border will continue to improve. Again. I commend Chairman KING for his leadership. This act. the Secure Fence Act of 2006. will provide over 700 miles of twolayered. reinforced fencing along the border. It will mandate that the Department of Homeland Security maintain operational control over the entire border through a \"virtual fence\" comprised of electronic surveillance and equipment. I urge my colleagues to take another step today for greater border security by voting for this act.","speaker_name":"ROY BLUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2721}
{"speech_id":1090172228,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 6061. the Secure Fence Act. I ask my colleagues: If you were considering illegally immigrating to a country. which would be more likely to keep you out: a fence. or knowing that it would be impossible to get a job in that country? The answer is obvious. You cant tunnel around unemployment. So why wont my Republican colleagues support comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a stable. legal workforce and harshly punish employers who hire illegal immigrants? Maybe they dont want to admit that we need some immigrant labor to make this country run. Maybe they dont want to offend their corporate backers who want to continue exploiting illegal immigrants by paying them low wages without benefits. Maybe they think the image of a fence will play well to their base in the upcoming election. Maybe they think it will distract voters from the fact that they havent done anything to fix our dysfunctional immigration system. Whatever the ploy. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090172228,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I refuse to go along. This is the United States of Americanot the former East Germany. We dont solve problems by building fences. We can be smarter and we can do better. I urge my colleagues to reject this embarrassing bill.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1227}
{"speech_id":1090172248,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is none. There is no money provided in this bill. This is purely a political ploy. This again. unfortunately. proves that the leadership of this House is putting politics ahead of good policy. We can do better. we must do better. we must work together. Lets vote \"no\" on the bill itself. vote \"yes\" on this motion to recommit.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090172331,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is time for us to open up our books to the American people so that everyone in the public can be fully apprised as to how their hardearned dollars are spent by the Federal Government. I rise in support of this bill for reform. Accountability is not something that should be or could be postponed. It should be instinctive in all of our work as stewards of the American taxpayer. It should be reflective. but sadly it is not. I am encouraged that we are taking up this bill. I believe it is an important first step forward in accountability. The reforms we consider today in essence broaden the efforts of our earlier reforms and lobbying reform package of legislation that -we passed earlier. It goes now to appropriations. authorization. and tax bills. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2209}
{"speech_id":1090172331,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must stop the process of loading up authorization bills with pork the way we loaded up appropriations bills. That infamous Bridge to Nowhere. that was an appropriations bill. It was an earmark in a bill authorizing. Federal spending giving the congressional imprimatur to the project.. We must police Federal tax laws better as well. We load up our tax bills with special tax breaks. -making. the. IRS Code totally incomprehensible even to the most skilled and practiced CPA. We cannot begin the process of simplifying the Tax Code until we end the practice of .random tax cut earmarks. For too long these earmarks have lived a really quiet existence in -the back room. in the dead of night.. they slip into language without even the publics awareness to it. But let me just make this other point: Not all earmarks are bad. ","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2209}
{"speech_id":1090172331,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are local projects that are worthy of Federal assistance. But worthy projects will be those that stand up to the light of day in public scrutiny and floor debate. And as we work to curb spending and government waste. such accountability is crucial. So as one of my fellow Members likes to say. and I often quote him. we must put the focus back on the family budget and not on the Federal budget. In fact. until we get a handle on all earmarks. all our other efforts to rein in spending. to reduce the deficit. ancl to fund true national priorities like protecting our Nation from terrorism wilr be useless.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2209}
{"speech_id":1090172367,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I \"ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today. it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow. and further. that when the House adjourns on that day. it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. September 19. 2006. for morning hour debate.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":258}
{"speech_id":1090172391,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague from Texas. Representative EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON. for her leadership in making this week happen. Her resolution. H. Res. 928. passedthe House on July 26. 2006. designating the week of September 10. 2006. as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. I also want to commend Minority Whip Steny Hoyer for organizing this discussion this evening. Mr. Speaker. there are 103 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3239}
{"speech_id":1090172391,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"United States that serve over 260.000 undergraduate students. with just over a quarter ofall HBCUs offering either a first professional degree. a masters degree in business administration. or a J.D. or doctorate degree. Historically Black Colleges and Universities are defined as institutions established prior to 1964 with the principal mission of educating African Americans. HBCUs educated approximately 14 percent of the Nations African American undergraduate students. awarding almost onequarter. 23.1 percent. of all bachelors degrees to black students. Almost half. 46.8 percent. of the undergraduate students attending HBCUs received Pell Grants. indicating that these institutions. provide key educational opportunities for lowincome African Americans. Mr. Speaker. I have 10 brothers and sisters. We grew up in rural Arkansas. where my parents were lowincome sharecroppers. Seven of usattended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. I also have three nephews and a niece who attended the same school. plus a number of cousins. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3239}
{"speech_id":1090172391,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly believe that perhaps none of us would have been able to attend\" college had it not been for the fact that the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. which then was Arkansas AM&N College. existed. These schools provide a nurturing environment and provide instructors that I remember even to this day. I remember the President. we called him \"Prexy.\" Dr. Lawrence A. Davis. Sr.. who would often let us register. whether we had the money to pay our tuition or not. His son. Dr. Lawrence A. Davis. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3239}
{"speech_id":1090172391,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jr.. is now the current chancellor and is just doing an outstanding job. I remember a cousin of mine who graduated from UAPB and then moved to Champaign. Illinois. got his masters degree. Willie Summerville. who was honored by the City of Champaign a few weeks ago for being its outstanding citizen.. He organized a choir and took it to Rome to sing for the Pope. I could go on and on and think of just any number of outstanding individuals who were able to demonstrate their abilities and competency because of these institutions. I think of many of my colleagues. As a matter of fact. a majority of my colleagues -who are African American graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities: JESSE JACKSON. Jr.. and his daddy. Jesse Jackson. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3239}
{"speech_id":1090172391,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Sr. I think . of Representative ALCEE HASTINGS. who went to Fisk University. and on and on and on and on. But the real deal is these institutions are worth their weight in gold. They have contributed significantly to the development of our country. They need all of the support that they can get. So. again. I thank Representative EDDIE- BERNICE JOHNSON for establishing this week and congratulate all of these institutions for the tremendous job that they do.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3239}
{"speech_id":1090172471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And also in that regulation. it is all based on an adversarial system between government and the private sector. One of the things that I look through is how we can improve the relationship between the Federal Government and how they do business with the private sector because everything is set up as an adversarial relationship. The EPA. for example. the Environmental Protection Agency. spends over half of their budget on lawyers. The reason they spend it on lawyers is because they are taking companies to court and suing them. and that means that these companies are spending more of their money just to defend themselves. And we had a very good example happen in Wichita. Kansas about how the government could actually work as an advocate instead of an adversary and still get the accomplished goal completed. I got a call from the Wichita Area Builders Association. and they told me that the honle building industry in Wichita. Kansas had been shut down. This was three summers ago. I started looking into it. and I found out that OSHA had targeted that county in South Central Kansas. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3374}
{"speech_id":1090172471,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sedgwick County. where Wichita is located. and they brought all their personnel down there and they started going through all these job sites and writing citations and assessing fines. and everybody just left and went home. And as one subcontractor told me. he said. When I build a house. my portion is very small. I am just a framing contractor. and my profit is probably only about $2.500 per job as an average. so if I get a $5.000 fine. I may as well not go to work. So they have stayed home. So I called up the regional director of OSHA. and I got them together with the people from Wichita. the Wichita Area Builders Association. and they worked out an agreement where OSHA would announce that they were coming and then they would go through the job site together with the contractor and make a list of any potential violations. and then they would leave them alone without any fines. any citations. and let them work out the problems. They would come back in 6 weeks and check on them. They did this. In the meantime the Wichita Area Builders Association hired someone out of the insurance industry that taught workplace safety. and he started sending them around to job sites. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3374}
{"speech_id":1090172471,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"At the job sites. they realized that the biggest problem that employers were facing was the inability to talk effectively with their workers. There was a language barrier. Many of the workers were Hispanic. They didnt have good English skills. And how do you tell somebody that you cannot prop a ladder up against a wall at 45 degrees. that you need to prop it up at 60 degrees? -Well. if you dont have good language skills. .it is difficult to do that. So they hired an interpreter to go around with this insurance safety engineer. visited all the job sites. and then they completed that process. OSHA came back and they found out that all the checklists had been completed and everybody was back to work. So here was an instance when OSHA. working with the private sector as an advocate for a safe workplace. brought everybody back to work. Costs were reduced. Everyone went back to work. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3374}
{"speech_id":1090172471,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The same goal was accomplished. The goal that OSHA has of a safe work environment and the goal that the workers have. keeping their workers from being -injured and raising the Workers Compensation claims.","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3374}
{"speech_id":1090172472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"You make a very. very good point. and I have occasionally seen a talented government official who is a problem solver. And so they get out of the adversarial mode where they are doing inspections and levying fines. and they are actually trying to create solutions for the businesses and the interests over whom they preside in order to make things work. We dont see that nearly often enough. And I think that is exactly the type of direction we need to move in. All the business people I know and all the working people are trying to accomplish a good thing. and it is extremely unfortunate when the government gets so heavyhanded. and instead of solving the problem they create many more problems. We have had a lot of this in the environmental regulation area in the Sacramento region with. really. an unhelpful approach by certain Federal agencies. I think that maybe the winds may be shifting a little bit after considerable prodding from the congressional delegation. and we may see a more friendly attitude in. say. the regulatory area of some of these agencies. And I certainly hope so. because I really like the example that you gave where you saw the good results that came from a different approach. where it is a helpful. solutionoriented approach as to this heavyhanded. traditional bureaucratic government. adversarial approach.","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1341}
{"speech_id":1090172480,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is something I find that is very. very encouraging. Young people in general do trust the free market. and that is something that I find as. a beacon of hope as they are- coming up. because they. are going to be the next generation that takes power. And I really think a lot of these heavyhanded sort of antifree market ideas which are embodied basically in a liberal Democrat philosophy. I just think that rings very hollow to the coming generation. And I take great hope in that. Just before you go to energy. I want to mention. speaking of young people. education. One aspect of the Presidents No Child Left Behind plan. which we enacted in Congress. which we passed and he signed into law and became enacted into law. is competition in education. You know. we have great schools in our area. and they were great before No Child Left Behind. In some ways there have been some unfortunate issues with that legislation for our areas. but one of the real areas of transformation has been in the inner city. -In no place. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2244}
{"speech_id":1090172480,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think. have we seen greater success for lifting people out of a hopeless future and putting them into a situation where finally they are going to be able to compete with the skills that they are learning in school than in Washington. D.C. Washington. D.C. has more charter schools than any other pla6e in the country. These charter schools are actually educating children. When people do criticize the Presidents plan. I wish they would keep in mind that for the inner cities across this country this has brought a renaissance in education that has not been seen in this country for over 50 years. And in our inner cities we have had a lot of social problems festering that spill- over into the suburbs in areas that you and I and many of us represent. I just really want to commend the President. I really feel that he has made a huge difference improving the lives of people. young people and their parents. by encouraging accountability and encouraging competition in education. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2244}
{"speech_id":1090172480,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And I just want to say to the Nation at large. they really should look at Washington. D.C. to see what is happening here in the public schools. because opportunities have been created and lives have been blessed that never were before.","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2244}
{"speech_id":1090172481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When I first came to Congress. I was on the District of Columbia Subcommittee on Appropriations. and took some time to look at the D.C. schools. And in 1995. the dropout rate in Washington. D.C. schools was 60 percent. Six out of ten kids that started school never got to the graduation line. Now. since we have . made some changes. since President Bush has been involved with enhancing charter schools and since some of the private sector government involved with vouchers. we have seen the dropout rate go down. Now it is down to 47 percent. which is a significantimprovement. But they have still got a long ways to go. I cannot imagine the schools in Kan-. sas tolerating a 47 percent dropout rate. but it is tolerated here for some reason. And the difference between 60 percent and 47 percent has been these. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1295}
{"speech_id":1090172481,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Republican principles where the free markets got involved. either through vouchers or through charter schools. and giving these kids hope. hope that if they complete their high school degree. they will havea better future. And.I think that is a significant advancement. brought on by Republican policies and the free market system that have changed the education system right here in the District of Columbia. and we could see advances all across America if we could carry them out.","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1295}
{"speech_id":1090172495,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The policy of Howard Dean and many of the liberals in the Democratic Party has been. lets not fight them. lets not capture them. lets not interrogate them. lets not bother them. If we leave them alone. they will leave us alone. We knew. going back into the 1970s when we were leaving them alone. that they were going to come after us. They came after us in Lebanon in the 1980s and they killed 241 of our Marines. They went after our embassies in Africa. they went after the USS Cole. they went after the World Trade Center in 1993. and came back in 2001. And since then. even though this country has not been attacked on its home soil. there have been attempts. Thanks to our police force. the United States Government. the CIA. the FBI. those who try to protect us. the President and his leadership. we have not had a successful attack by terrorists on American soil since September 11. 2001. The policies proposed by the liberal Democrats are dangerous for America. The Republican policies will lead to a bright future where this country is safe. where the economy is strong. and where every American will have an opportunity to make their dreams come true. That is the stated goal of the Republican House. ","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090172495,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was the very goal that we read. our vision for the future. I would like to close with that. The vision statement is. \"We will promote the dignity and future of every individual by building a free society under a limited. accountable government that protects our liberty. security and prosperity for a brighter American dream.\" That is what the Republican Party is about. That is what the Republicancontrolled House is about. We are pleased that we can talk to the American public and the Speaker tonight about what we have been doing to show the contrast and carry out the possibility for every American to pursue their dream successfully.","speaker_name":"TODD TIAHRT","chamber":"H","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1852}
{"speech_id":1090172503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"that was one of the things that was the most striking to me on Monday when I sat with our first responders in South Florida. What they said was that only 15 percent of their funding for homeland security comes from us. from the Federal Government. Eightfive percent of what they were able to accomplish in the last 5 years was only due to the fact that our sheriffs office and our county have been very cooperative and stepped up to the plate and gotten what they needed to do done. But there is a long way for them to go. and there is no excuse for only 15 percent of the funding coming from the Federal Government to secure our homeland. except that we have billions of dollars going over to Iraq. \"Fifth. FBI reform is moving in the right direction. but far too slowly. Problems continue to plague the Bureau. Inadequate information technology. deficiencies in analytical capabilities and too much turnover in the workforce and Bureau leadership. The bureau still struggles. \"Sixth. we have taken a special interest in the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. which we recommended and the Congress created. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6790}
{"speech_id":1090172503,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The importance of a second opinion before the executive branch goes ahead with controversial information gathering measures is essential.\" That just has not occurred. In fact. the majority is moving in the opposite direction. \"Seventh. we still do not screen passengers against a comprehensive terrorism watch list before they get on airplanes. The sensible answer is .for the government to do the name checking. Right now. airlines screen passengers against an incomplete list.\" How is.that possible? What I have noticed and what. Americans really. if they were asked. if we went out of this Chamber and walked down the street and we asked most Americans what they can identify as the most tangible thing we have done to improve our homeland security. they would probably answer that they have to remove their shoes before they walk through a metal detector and they have to check their Coke at the door. We cannot rest our homeland security. the sum total of it. on taking off your shoes and not taking your Coke on the plane. We have to go much further than that. We dont cteck the cargo that goes in the belly of the airplane. we check less than 5 percent of the containers that go through our ports. and we have some graphical depictions of that as well. Look at this. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6790}
{"speech_id":1090172503,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Less than 6 percent of U.S. cargo is physically inspected. 95 percent is not inspected. Lets take a look at some other statistics. This Republican Congress has shortchanged port security by more than $6 billion. The Coast Guard indicated after 9\/11 when they talked about how much they needed for the Maritime Transportation Security Act that they needed more than $7 billion. We have appropriated $900 million. Mr. MEEK. The facts are all there. The words are spoken on the other side. but the facts just dont back it up. I am going to go through the last couple of items. because this is so damning. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6790}
{"speech_id":1090172503,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And this isnt coming from Democrats. this is coming from the bipartisan chairs of the 9\/11 Commission. and they wrote this Monday. \"Eighth. security is not just a question of airplane procedures.\" like I was just saying. \"The fundamental problem is radicalization in the Muslim world. The enduring threat is not Osama bin Laden. but young Muslims without jobs or hope who are angry with their governments. who dont like the war in Iraq or U.S. foreign policy. We need to do a better job reaching out to the Muslim world so that America is seen as a source of hope and opportunity. not despair.\" Now. one of the worst things that has happened since our invasion of Iraq is the decline in the perception of Americas standing in the world. We have so degraded our relationships with foreign nations and world leaders and the perception of America has so badly deteriorated that you have young Muslims and young individuals across the globe who have a view of America that is the opposite of what kids worldwide and individuals worldwide looked at America when President Kennedy. President Johnson. President Reagan were in office. What this administration and this President have done to the perception of America internationally is abominable. \"Ninth. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6790}
{"speech_id":1090172503,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress needs to reform itself.\" Now. this is very interesting. This is one of the most particularly damming recommendations and criticisms coming. from the 9\/11 Commission chairs. \"Congress has provided powerful powers to the executive branch in order to protect the Nation. To protect our freedoms. it now needs to be an effective check on the executive. Because so much information is classified. Congress is the only source of independent oversight on intelligence and homeland sedurity issues. The oversight committees need stronger powers over budgets and jurisdiction.\" That says it all right there. Mr. MEEK. The leadership of this Congress. the Republican leadership of this Congress. has ceded the Congresss oversight authority to the executive branch. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6790}
{"speech_id":1090172598,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. the Senate will conduct a period of morning business. Last night. we were able to reach a time agreement on the Oman free trade bill. and Senators are encouraged to use that time this morning and then on Monday. We will have 30 minutes of debate on the trade bill remaining for Tuesdays session. and Senators should expect a vote on passage before the policy luncheons on Tuesday. That will be the first vote of the week. We are also attempting to clear some nominations and treaties for today. and we hope to have an agreement on those for later this morning.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":582}
{"speech_id":1090172620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to dispel claims being put forward by some that the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement will threaten U.S. national security. These critics of the agreement claim that it will give foreign port operators an absolute right to establish or acquire operations to run port facilities in the United States. They contend that. in this way. the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement could harm our national security. These claims are just plain wrong. First of all. the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement provides no new rights for Omanis or others to supply port related services in the United States. Omani companies are presently able to supply such services. The Oman agreement simply mirrors current U.S. law. So it is incorrect for anyone to claim that this trade agreement creates new rights for Omanis or others to contract with U.S. port owners to perform port services. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090172620,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. U.S.-law specifically the ExonFlorio amendment to the Defense Production Act of 1950authorizes the President to block foreign investment that would threaten our national security. including investments in port operations. The President delegates the authority to monitor and review foreign investments to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. or CFIUS. This free-: trade agreement will not change the process of CFIUS in reviewing proposed investment in the United States. Thus. if the President determines that the investments of Oman or other countries in port services in the United. States will threaten our national security. U.S. law provides that he can block such investments. The U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement in no way changes this existing law. Moreover. the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement at article 21.2 contains a \"national security\" exception. This article provides that nothing in the agreement can prevent the United States from taking any action that we consider necessary to protect our essential security interests. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090172620,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This exception is selfjudging. which means that solely the United States can decide what constitutes our essential security interests. Contrary to the claims of some critics. neither an investorstate arbitration tribunal nor a dispute settlement panel has the authority to secondguess what the United States determines to be in its essential security interest. After all. once the United States invokes the national security exemption. theres nothing for a tribunal or panel to review. So it is clear that the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement doesnt diminish the right of the United States to determine whether to block any foreign investment in our country. including in port services. It is also clear that the Oman trade agreement doesnt create any new rights for Oman to supply port related services in the United States. Anyone who says otherwise is ignoring the facts. The U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement will benefit the United States. It will not pose security threats for the United States. If it did. I wouldnt be supporting it. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090172620,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5684. the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3108}
{"speech_id":1090172630,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The American people are well served by her leadership and the diligence of her excellent staff. Let me further note that all of us are well served by the productive working relationship that the chairman shares with the ranking member. The bipartisan nature of this bill is a testament not only to the broad support for the idea itself but also to the cooperative manner in which the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee conducts its business. So let me ask the committees ranking member and my good friend from the State of Connecticut. who has long been a champion of good government and transparency. whether he shares our understanding that this new Web site will include information on the competitive or noncompetitive procedures used in government contracting for goods and services.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":902}
{"speech_id":1090172642,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as in executive session. I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. September 19. the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Executive Calendar No. 171. Alice Fisher. provided further that there be 90 minutes under the control of Senator LEVIN. 30 minutes under the control of Senator LEAHY. and 90 minutes under the control of Chairman SPECTER or his designee. plus 1 hour under the control of Senator REID. and 1 hour total under the control of Senator FRIST and myself. provided further. that following the use or yielding back of time. the Senate proceed to a vote on the confirmation of the nomination. with no intervening action or debate. and that following the vote. the President be immediately notified of the Senates action. and the Senate resume legislative session.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":813}
{"speech_id":1090172732,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I recognize the appointment of Reverend Stan Gruneich of Flandreau. SD. to the post of National Chaplain for the American Legion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Reverend Gruneich for his years of service and congratulate him on his promotion to this prestigious post. Reverend Gruneich was choosen as the National Chaplain after years of serving as Department Chaplain for the American Legion Department of South Dakota. He has graciously provided guidance and leadership to Americas veterans and their families throughout his tenure. and will now continue to do so at the national level. It gives me great pleasure to commemorate Reverend Stan Gruneich on this special occasion and to wish him continued success in the years to come.*","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":772}
{"speech_id":1090172760,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I commend my colleague. Senator DORGAN of North Dakota. for a hearing he held yesterday. It was a hearing of the Democratic Policy Conference. This is the 10th hearing he hasheld. I attended -with several other Senators. The hearings are held on Monday because they cannot be held during the ordinary course of business of the Senate. The reason. I am afraid. is very clear. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5222}
{"speech_id":1090172760,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator DORGAN is considering an issue which no other committee in Congress will consider. Senator DORGAN is raising questions which no other committee on Capitol Hill will even suggest. Senator DORGAN and the Democratic Policy Conference are calling witiiesses to testify openly on issues which the majority in this Republicanled Congress will not even consider. What could that possibly be? It turns out to be the conduct of our war in Iraq and. particularly. the waste and mismanagement of Federal tax dollars. Yesterday. there were several former employees of Halliburton. We all know them now. they are infamous. This is the company with the nobid contracts-$7 billion worthand friends in high places all over this administration. This is the company which made millions of dollars off of taxpayer funds and. sadly. often at the expense of our soldiers. Yesterday. the testimony was very clear. There was one witnfess who talked about this fitness center that was put up for our troops and an Internet center for our troops. and Halliburton was going to run it. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5222}
{"speech_id":1090172760,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It turns out they dramatically inflated the number of soldiers walking through the door so they could make more money on the center. ripping off the taxpayers. It turns out that the supplies they were given for our troops. Halliburton ended up consuming for their own employees. having Super Bowl parties. using the food and drink that had been prepared for our troops. One of the witnesses yesterday said thqre was. a certain arrogance of the Halliburton contractors when it came to our troops. They were annoyed when the soldiers asked for certain things. It was all about profit. It was all about them. Why in the world hasnt a single committee in the Senate called Halliburton in to answer for these things? Because Halliburton has friends in high places. People dont ask these rude and embarrassing questions of this powerful special interest corporation. I thank Senator DORGAN and the Democratic Policy Conference for continuing to bring in the whistleblowers. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5222}
{"speech_id":1090172760,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One would think there would be a Member of the Republican Senate embarrassed enough at Halliburtons conduct in this war in Iraq that they would join. us in a bipartisan effort. Sadly. this donothing Republican Congress has been a coverup Republican Congress as well. They dont want to talk about it. They dont want to raise the questions. Do you think the feature in the Washington Post this last Sunday would have invoked at least some response from the Republican chairmen of major committees in the Senate? It was an expos6. It showed that when we created this provisional authority in Iraq to create a civil society. it turned out to be a patronage operation. worse than Brown and FEMA when it came to Katrina. What they did was screen employees who were headed over to Iraq to spend billions of dollars and ask them probing questions about their qualifications. And do you know what the questions were. Here are some of the questions: How did you vote in the last primary? Did you vote for President Bush? What is your position on the issue of abortion? Where do you stand in terms of the Republican Party of America? These were the questions asked of people we sent over to manage billions of dollars. our taxpayers dollars. and rebuild Iraq. Is it any wonder we are in the fourth year in a war with no end? Is it any wonder that Iraq today is still in shambles from the viewpoint of its civil government? Is it any wonder when one looks at this gross incompetence. the same type of incompetence. patronage. and favoritism we saw. sadly. with Hurricane Katrina when Americans were disadvantaged? . ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5222}
{"speech_id":1090172760,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"There was a time in the history of this great institution when no President could get by with what this administration is getting by with. There was a time when a Democratic Senate would challenge a Democratic President. when a man named Harry Truman would stand up and say: We are going to look at profiteering and waste in waging the war against the Nazis and those who are their allies. even if we have a Democratic President. even if it might embarrass him. Sadly. those days are gone. This Congress stands mute. This Congress refuses to ask the hard questions of this administration. This Congress refuses to acknowledge the obvious. We have lost 2.686 American soldiers in Iraq. and over 20.000 have returned home seriously injured. We have spent over $325 billion. The scandalous conduct of contractors over there. deserving of investigation. has been made a matter of public record because of Senator DORGANs hearings. and this administration and this Republican Congress refuse to ask the hard questions. Clearly. it is time for a change. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5222}
{"speech_id":1090172786,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I oppose this deeply flawed trade agreement. When the Senate passed its version of this legislation a few months ago. I noted that one group had said that this trade agreement is as bad as CAFTA. except where it is worse. The.Oman trade agreement is the latest in a series of agreements that have been based on the failed NAFTACAFTA model of trade that has shipped thousands of businesses and millions of jobs overseas. devastating communities across our country. The record of that model of trade is crystal clear. During the postNAFTA era. our trade deficit has exploded from $98 billion in 1994 to $805 billion in 2005. And yet. once again we are debating more of the same. As I noted in June. the Oman Free Trade Agreement is stamped from the NAFTACAFTA cookie cutter. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1894}
{"speech_id":1090172786,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It provides no real enforcement for the labor or environmental provisions. And even the most modest efforts to address the deficiencies of the NAFTACAFTA model were rejected by the White House. Most notably. an attempt by the Senate Finance Committee to deny trade benefits for products made with slave labor. approved unanimously by the Committee on an 18to0 vote. was rejected by the administration. which. submitted this agreement without that reasonable protection. You dont have to be a trade expert to know that our trade policy is alarmingly bad. When even the most reasonable addition is proposed by the Finance Committee to deny preferential benefits for products made by slaves. the administration refuses to include it. Mr. President. any consultative role Congress *as to have as part of the fasttrack process has been shown to be meaningless. I very much hope my colleagues will remember this when we consider legislation to renew fasttrack implementing authority. Until then. we should reject this and similarly flawed trade agreements. I yield -the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1894}
{"speech_id":1090172816,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor to speak in favor of the confirmation of Alice Fisher. the Presidents nominee to be Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. I am glad to say that Ms. Fishers confirmation will finally overcome the unnecessary obstruction that she faces in this Congress which has forced the President to reassess her appointment. Ms. Fisher is an outstanding nominee for this position. In addition to her credentials. she has substantial previous public service experience. particularly in the Criminal Division during a difficult time following the terrorist attacks of September 11. That experience will serve her well as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. . ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8276}
{"speech_id":1090172816,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Criminal Division is one of the most important jobs of the Department of Justice. It handles a variety of issues. including counterterrorism. violent crime. corporate fraud. and crimes against children. The Criminal Divisions importance to the success of Americas fight in the war against terror makes it all the more important that the Senate end this obstruction and- make Ms. Fishers appointment permanent. Beginning with her serviceas Deputy Special. Counsel to the U.S. Senates Special Committee to Investigate Whitewater. Ms. Fisher has exemplified the attributes needed to lead an orga-. nization with a mission vital and important. obviously. to the Department of Justices Criminal Division. Prior to her latest Government service. she was a litigation partner for 5 years at the DC office of Latham & Watkins. one of the premier law firms in the country. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8276}
{"speech_id":1090172816,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She takes from that experience a respect and deep knowledge of the law. Since her recess appointment in November of 2005. necessitated because of holds on her nomination. Ms. Fisher has served as Assistant Attorney General with distinction. honor. and success. She immediately refocused the divisions mission in a way that reflects the priorities of the administration. For example. under Ms. Fisher. the Criminal Division has made impressive headway in supporting the Nations national security mission. in combating violent crime. including gang violence. and protecting our children from exploitation on the Internet and elsewhere. What is troubling about the debate today on -this nomination is that we are having a debate about a nominee who so clearly deserves -confirmation. What is troubling about todays debate is that it is reflective of the continued obstruction of nominees by Democrats in the U.S. Senate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8276}
{"speech_id":1090172816,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This obstruction has not only affected judicial nominations. which is perhaps better known. but also the confirmation of important executive branch nominees with .significant national security responsibilities. Ms. Fisher oversees vital counterterrorism and counterespionage divisions. But because her nomination has been blocked. these critical components have operated without a Senateconfirmed supervisor for more than a year. Consider the constant refrain from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that this Republicanled Congress is not doing everything it can to protect Americas national security. Beyond Ms. Fishers nomination. this message stands in stark contrast with the democrats record of obstruction on other key national security posts. Perhaps the most inexcusable obstruction pertains to the nomination of Kenneth Wainstein. who would head the newly created National Security Division. Mr. Wainsteins confirmation would fulfill one of the key recommendations of the WMD Commission. the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8276}
{"speech_id":1090172816,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It was the WMD Commission that recommended the reorganization of intelligencegathering compo-: nents within the Department of Justice. Mr. Wainstein has broadbased. bipartisan support. yet he inexplicably still faces a Democrat filibusterbyhold. We cannot wait any longer for Democrats to release their hold on Mr. Wainstein. In the 5 years since the attacks of September if. the Federal Government has taken a number of steps to reorganize and improve its resources to better fight terrorism. Our terrorist enemies are always changing and adapting. and so must weif we are to keep the upper hand in the war on terror. Some 15 months ago. the WMD Commission recognized that improvements should be made to the Department of Justices national security apparatus. They recommended a reorganization of the Department and the creation of a new National Security Divisionwhich would bring together under one umbrella all the national security components ofthe DOJ. The National Security Division that Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8276}
{"speech_id":1090172827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I think Alice Fisher is a fine person. My colleague and those on the other side are never happy with whatever the President does to try to protect this country. He looked the American people in the eyeafter he was elected. we had 9\/11.and he said: I am going to use every power I have to prosecute. investigate. and stop those who threaten the safety of the American people. That is my responsibility as Commander in Chief. I took an oath to do that. and I intend to do that. And he appointed some good people. Now all we have had is secondguessing. secondguessing. secondguessing. complaint. complaint. complaint. hold up nominees. never happy. Somebody has to do something. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5028}
{"speech_id":1090172827,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remember right after 9\/11. What happened? We had a national epiphany. We found out in a spasm of political activity years ago. just like in many ways today. the Congress. to placate critics and liberals and activists. prohibited the FBI from talking to the CIA. They prohibited CIA agents because they heard some of them had made a mistake somewherethere were -allegations of thatthat they couldnt talk. when they were out doing undercover operations trying to obtain human intelligence in dangerous areas of the world. with people who had criminal records and might have done something wrong. What happened after 9\/11? We said: Why didnt we have any human intelligence? What are the problems here? What we concluded was that both of those proposals. for example. were wrong. and we promptly reversed them. We changed the law. That is all I am saying about this flapand I have been involved with it on the Armed Services Committee. and I have been involved with it on the Judiciary Committee. We have had 30 or more hearings investigating the people of this country who are trying to preserve. protect. and defend this Nation. That is who we investigate and complain about. Do we ever hear about how to better catch the terrorists? It is time we start thinking about defending and* protecting this country rather than to prosecute and block and obstruct those who have been giving their every waking moment to make us safer. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5028}
{"speech_id":1090172827,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My good colleague from Michigan is such an able Senator. I am sorry this S9710 coi didnt all work out to his satisfaction. The Department of Justice. the administration offered this. he didnt like that. They offered that. he didnt like that. Maybe sometimes one gets to thinking there has been a little strategy around hereand I have seen it in case after case that began with Miguel Estradafor the Members on the other side to demand records. statements. internal conversations. internal memoranda to which they are not entitled. They dont want people coming in and demanding everything they said to everybody who came into their office. So they come up with this. and they ask for all these items. Then when they dont get them. they say: Obstruction. obstruction. we cant vote for the nominee. Now they have created an excuse to vote against a very fine nominee. when the person is doing an excellent job and ought to be confirmed so they can continue to be even more effective in the war against terror. I have seen it time and again. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5028}
{"speech_id":1090172827,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With regard to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. one of our Senators down here complaining had a whole host of those nominees held up for years. The court ended up deciding the University of Michigan higher education. affirmative action case with far less judges than should have been on that panel. There has been some real concern expressed about that. Obstructing. holding up. and delaying nominees is not the right thing to do. We have important governmental actions to do here. Let me tell my colleagues about Alice Fisher. She has proven herself in the Criminal Division. Under her leadership. the division has made a number of great strides. The Criminal Division has been responsible for the national coordination of all national security prosecutions. of all the criminal cases in Federal court. including domestic and international terrorism and counterintelligence matters. Alice Fisher has also worked closely with the intelligence community. ","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5028}
{"speech_id":1090172827,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is her responsibility. We had too much of a wall of separation. Sure. she is to be engaged in these issues to assess potential threat information to our national security and disrupt potential attacks against this country. Alice Fisher provides advice to U.S. attorneys. I was a U.S. attorney for 12 years. There are 93 of them around this country covering the whole country. She providesthem advice on terrorism matters. including such areas as terrorist acts in the United States and abroad. weapons of mass destruction. principles of extraterritorial jurisdiction. and use of classified evidence and intelligence information in prosecutions. Alice Fisher also established the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism. During her tenure. the divisions counterterrorism section. which Fisher also had previously organized and supervised as Deputy Assistant Attorney General. has prosecuted numerous","speaker_name":"JEFFERSON SESSIONS","chamber":"S","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5028}
{"speech_id":1090172832,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ms. Fishers nomination has been delayed for a very long period of time. In the meantime. Ms. Fisher has been serving as Assistant Attorney General for more than a year. She has handled some very high profile investigations and has done an outstanding job. When she appeared before the Judiciary Committee. she presented herself very well. She is extremely wellqualified for the position. Since her nomination. some objections have been raised and her nomination has been delayed because an email memorandum. authored by an FBI agent. lists her as an attendee at a meeting where Department of Defense Guantanamo interrogation techniques were discussed. Ms. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3275}
{"speech_id":1090172832,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fisher was not responsible for the interrogations conducted at Guantanamo by the Department of Defense or the FBI. She did not approve or direct the interrogation or interrogation techniques. and she was not involved in the approval of the Office of Legal Counsels memorandum. the socalled Bybee memorandum. Senator LEVIN. before withdrawing a hold on Ms. Fishers nomination. wanted to talk to the -FBI agent who was identified in the file in connection with Ms. Fishers nomination. However. when the matter became protracted and delayed. the Attorney General asked me if I would meet with Senator LEVIN and the FBI agent. It was the practice of the Department of Justice not to make an FBI agent available to Senators but only to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. I decided to honor that request even though I did not see the connection between Ms. Fisher and either the FBI or the Department of Defenses interrogation techniques. Senator LEVIN wished to have the FBI agent appear. not with the customary representative from the Department of Justice. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3275}
{"speech_id":1090172832,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Office of Legislative Affairs. but instead with someone from the Department of Justice Inspector Generals Office. We accommodated Senator LEVIN .by having a representative from the FBIs General Counsels office attend the meeting. We also accommodated Senator LEVIN on the location of the meeting. which was held in his office and I was happy to meet there. The interview with the FBI agent lasted approximately 1 hour. during which we had an extensive discussion about what the FBI agent knew about interrogation techniques. The meeting barely. barely. barely touched on Ms. Fisher. Nothing in the interview showed- any misconduct or impropriety on the part of Ms. Fisher. Nothing contradicted her testimony. She was barely involved. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3275}
{"speech_id":1090172832,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Following that meeting Senator LEVIN made a request to see two other individuals who had no connection with Ms. Fisher and no connection with her nomination. I am glad we have come to this point. I have include& extensive documentation in the record demonstrating the way the Department of Justice responded in honoring Senator LEVINs requests. I have worked with Senator. LEVIN for 26 years. He is a very thorough and effective Senator. When he wanted to see this FBI agent. we worked it out so that he saw the FBI agent. I am glad the hold is off. I understand. we are going to vote on Ms. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3275}
{"speech_id":1090172832,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fisher. I believe this comes under Shakespeares edict: Alls well that ends well. And now we will go on to work on some other important matters. such as trying to get habeas corpus in effect on the Guantanamo issue. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3275}
{"speech_id":1090172866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress. Senator KENNEDY and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law. sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society Likewise. each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. On March 8. 2006. in Savannah. GA. David Bennett was attacked by five men outside a local gay bar. Accordingto police. Sidney Swift. one of the alleged attackers. made several antigay remarks towards Bennett while in police custody. ","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090172866,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Swifts motivation for attacking Bennett was based solely on his sexual orientation. I believe that the Governments first duty is to defend its citizens. to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become :substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law. we can change hearts and minds as well.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1034}
{"speech_id":1090172893,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"The Cost of Crime: Understanding the Financial and Human- Impact of Criminal Activity\" on Tuesday. September 19. 2006 at 10:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Witness List Panel I: Harley Lappin. Director. Federal Bureau of Prisons. Washington. DC. Jeffrey- Sedgwick. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090172893,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Director. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Washington. DC. Jens Ludwig. Professor. Georgetown Public Policy Institute. Georgetown University. Washington. DC. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090172893,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mary Lou Leary. Executive Director. National Center for Victims of Crime. Washington. DC.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":647}
{"speech_id":1090172895,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Tuesday. September 19. 2006 immediately following the first vote. approximately 12 p.m.. in Room S219. The Capitol. Agenda I. Nominations: Terrence W. Boyle. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. William James Haynes. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1192}
{"speech_id":1090172895,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"II. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. Kent A. Jordan. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. Peter D. Keisler. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. William Gerry Myers. III. to be U.S. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1192}
{"speech_id":1090172895,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Norman Randy Smith. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Valerie L. Baker. to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. Francisco Augusto Besosa. to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico. Philip S. Gutierrez. to be U.S. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1192}
{"speech_id":1090172895,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"District Judge for the Central District of California. Marcia Morales Howard. to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida. John Alfred Jarvey. to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa. Sara Elizabeth Lioi. to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio.","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1192}
{"speech_id":1090172983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise to support House Resolution 526. which supports the observation of the Year of Polio Awareness. I do want to thank the sponsor of the legislation. my colleague from New Jersey Representative STEVE ROTHMAN. for not only sponsoring this bill. but also for all of his efforts to increase awareness of polio. He will be speaking just a few minutes later. Polio. as you know. is a viral illness that destroys nerve cells. As a result. muscles become paralyzed. and these muscles can atrophy and die. Polio is most common in infants and young children. however. complications occur most often in older persons and often postpolio. Those complications have the often disabling symptoms of overwhelming fatigue. muscle weakness and pain. sleep disorders and more. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090172983,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It occurs in 75 percent of paralytic and 40 percent of nonparalytic polio survivors about 35 years after the polio virus attacks. Although polio has plagued humans since ancient times. its extensive outbreak occurred in the first half of the 1900s before the vaccination created by Jonas Salk became widely available in 1955. And I would say. Madam Speaker. that Icertainly am old enough to remember when there were many people who were struck by polio. Andin the 1950s. when I was growing up. the fact that there was a vaccine available was just seen as an amazing thing. It was very much on the minds of all of us as we were growing up in the 1950s and the 1960s. Sadly. despite having a vaccine against polio. this disease has not beeneradicated from the world. and outbreaks continue to occur in the U.S.. and other countries. As a matter of fact. it seems we are. headed in the wrong direction. The World Health Organization announced last year that they would not meet their intended goal of eliminating new cases of polio worldwide by the end of 2005. since many cases remained. The hope is that this resolution and the new resurgence of focus on polio will promote increased vaccination and education and treatment of postpolio complications. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090172983,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Even today. Madam Speaker. 10 percent of American children under the age 3 do not receive their polio vaccine. This percentage is lower in poor cities. Given new cases being reported in Indonesia. India. Pakistan. Somalia. Afghanistan. Egypt. Niger. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090172983,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ethiopia and Yemen. an outbreak in the U.S. would not be surprising. And last year four cases of the polio virus were reported in Minnesota. The eradication of new polio cases is achievable. but only if we reeducate the public - about the dangers. effects and availability or a vaccine and treatment. This resolution asks all appropriate Federal agencies to take action to educate the people of the U.S. about the polio vaccine. and to educate polio survivors and medical professionals about the existence of postpolio complications and available treatments. Therefore. I support this resolution recognizing a Year of Polio Awareness beginning on November 1. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3044}
{"speech_id":1090172997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. today I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 386. honoring Mary Eliza Mahoney. as Americas first professionally trained African American nurse. Born in. 1845. Mary Eliza Mahoney lived with her parents. Charles Mahoney and Mary Jane Steward Mahoney. For 15 years. Mary Eliza worked alternately as a cook. janitor. washerwoman. and an unofficial nurses assistant at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Roxbury. Massachusetts. In 1878. at the age of 33. she was admitted as a student into the hospitals nursing program. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1704}
{"speech_id":1090172997,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After graduation. 16 months later. Mary Eliza worked primarily as a privateduty nurse. Her nursing career. ended as director of an orphanage in Long Island. New York. a position she had held for over a decade. As the resolution states. Mary Eliza Mahoneys motto was always. \"Work more and better the coming year than the previous year.\" Mahoney also recognized the need of nurses for nurses to work together to improve the status of African Americans in the profession. In 1908. she was the cofounder of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. Mahoney gave the welcoming address at the first convention of NACGN and served as the associations national chaplain. She became an inspiration to all nurses and helped make it possible for the members of the NACGN to be received at the White House by President Warren G. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1704}
{"speech_id":1090172997,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Harding. Ms. Mahoney died in 1926. Because of her dedication and untiring will to inspire future generations. she has been an inspiration to thousands who are a part of the nursing profession. Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the author of this resolution.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1704}
{"speech_id":1090173017,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. during. World War II. the War in the Pacific began with attacks on the United States on December 7. 1941. including the bombing of Pearl Haibor. attacks on the Philippine Islands and the invasion of Guam. Within days of these attacks. our nation and our allies mobilized for war. The United States and the. Philippines united behind the cause of democracy and we are proud of the support of the Filipinos during that difficult time. This is why I rise today in support of House Resolution 622. to recognize and honor the Filipino World War II veterans for their defense of democratic ideals and their important contribution to the outcome of World War II. Ultimate victory belonged to the cause of freedom and therefore to the American and Filipino people. Having suffered a brutal occupation. Filipinos and Guamanians alike were liberated in the march to allied victory in World War I1. Filipino soldiers and civilians fought. sacrificed and died sidebyside with members of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2054}
{"speech_id":1090173017,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Armed Forces throughout the course of the World War I. Loyal to the American flag and to the ideals which our country represented. Filipinos fought with notable skill. dedication. and heroism. We honor their commitment to freedom and democracy. Over sixty years later. we pause today to remember the valor and the commitment to freedom displayed by Filipinos who fought the invading forces alongside their American brothers in arms. With this resolution we also proclaim our deep debt of gratitude for their service and share the disappointment that our nation has not fully honored Filipino World War II veterans as have we have honored our own. It is important that we recognize the Filipino veterans and express our appreciation for their sacrifices. contributions and accomplishments. I am a proud sponsor of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to honor Filipino veterans by voting in favor of this resolution to honor the Filipino World. War II veterans for their defense of freedom and their important contributions to our nation in World War II.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2054}
{"speech_id":1090173079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Con. Res. 317. requesting the President to issue a proclamation setting aside a day dedicated to eradicating violence* and establishing -greater trust- among peaceloving nations and families everywhere. This resolution has a distinguished history. Madam Speaker. In the year 2000. Congress unanimously agreed to a similar resolution. The previous legislation. authored by the late Senator Paul Wellstone from Minnesota. expressed the sense of Congress that a day of peace and sharing should be established at the beginning of each year. This day would encourage people around the world to gather with family. their faith commnunity. and neighbors to share a meal and to pledge to work for peace in the new year. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1897}
{"speech_id":1090173079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It called upon Americans to match or multiply the cost of that years meal with a contribution to fight hunger. In the following year. 2001. the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution asking the global community to set aside the first day of the year to recognize the importance of international unity. peace. and sharing. Today. Madam Speaker. we are considering House Concurrent Resolution 317. sponsored by my colleague Congressman CONYERS. recognizing that in order to implement these resolutions calling for peace and the alleviation of worldwide suffering. we must rely heavily on the family. It is the family that is the basic unit of a civil society. The family is where our values are learned and carried out. Stability and peace in the global community can only be accomplished one family at a time. A special day where families worldwide can sit down to a meal and pledge H6688 co to work locally for peace and toend injustice in their own communities will no doubt have a worldwide impact. I urge an \"aye\" vote. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1897}
{"speech_id":1090173134,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. as one of the original cosponsors of the Zero Tolerance for Guns and Weapons in Schools. I have long supported the effort to make our schools safer. and. in fact. schools are among the safest places in our entire society for children. but this legislation. I do not quite understand what it is trying to do. The suggestion here is that if we just pass this law. that somehow schools will become safer. The- fact of the matter is every school district. every State has a policy with respect to the bringing onto campus of drugs. which it is illegal to have on campus. off campus. in your own home or anywhere else. and the use in bringing on weapons. which we have a very strong zero tolerance policy against the bringing of any guns or weapons onto school sites. It seems to me that this legislation is somehow founded in the idea that if the Congress just votes. this will. in fact. happen. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6209}
{"speech_id":1090173134,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Tragically. what we have seen is while people are asking us to vote on this policy. which is already in llace in most school districts. or all school districts in all of the States in accordance with the State court decisions and in accordance with the Supreme Court decisions. what we have is that the Republicans are masking the fact that what they do is they keep gutting the Safe and DrugFree School Grants to the States. They cut those grants from $437 million in 2005 to $346 million in 2006. and the House Republicans want to cut them even further to $310 million next year. So the very funds that this Congress - has determined and we worked in partnership with States and school districts over the last several years to make our schools safer. to help educate children about the dangers not only of the drugs and of weapons and various kinds of social behavior. they are now in the process of cutting those. but they want to pass a law that says to do what we have as a matter of existing policy. except that this law. in fact. exposes the district to much more litigation now because now. under the guise of this law. they have to go back through. and. if a student is searched under this law. the questions are raised all over again which many districts h&ve tried to settle under State law. under State court interpretations. so that they can have a policy that works. that the schools are on notice of. and the students are on notice of. and that the parents are on notice of. The fact of the matter is that the policy appears to be working across this country. So. when we get all done with this. I think what we have with this legislation is an effort to try and cover what are the more serious votes taken by this Congress. to slash the funding for the Safe and DrugFree Schools legislation. Also. this legislation. if it were to be passed into law. fails to take into account additional legal standards that have been. imposed by State courts. A uniform search policy can cause difficulties for school districts and would require it to establish policies to address requirements of H.R. 5295. as well as legal standards that apply to respective jurisdictions. The Congressional Research Service adds that enacting Federal legislation with respect to schoolbased searches could. therefore. interfere with areas of traditional State and local responsibility. of which there is no showing that the States and local school authorities are not meeting their responsibilities to their students. to the teachers. to the staff in the schools. to the parents and to the communities. The question is. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6209}
{"speech_id":1090173134,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I guess. just a question of whether or not you think you trust the Congress more simply to pass a law. of which there have been .no hearings and no discussion with local officials about how to do this. or whether you trust the people who are running the schoolsthe school boards. the school administrators. the principals. the district superintendentsSeptmbe.. 19. 2M.. who. inrfact. have the rspongibility for the safety of the children of their districts and of their schools. It is not much more complicated than that. and you do not have to take it -from me. because the fact is that the National School Boards Association. the American Association of School Administrators. the American Federation of Teachers. the National PTA and the Great City Council Schools all oppose this legislation. Why do they oppose this legislation? Because this legislation only makes it a very difficult job that they have been working at and policies for the safety - of our students that they have been refihing over the last decade. 0i 1745 This legislation just throws all of that open to new interpretations. to new exposure to liability on the questions of their actions that they take on a daily basis to keep our schools safe. to keep our children safe. They understand this policy. They have developed these policies they have done in conjunction with the communities that they represent. Now Congress wants to fly over on suspension without hearings and drop down a new policy. one size sort of fits all. for all of these school districts. for all of the schools. when in fact the people we represent in our communities have been working on these policies a long time before this legislation was ever sug-. gested. They have been working on them successfully. they have been working on them within the intricacies of State and Federal law. and they have developed the policies in cooperation with the communities and with the parents. And I would hope that we would reject this legislation. and we would let those who have to take the responsibility. those who absorb the liability for their actions. and those who have local cooperation within their communities on engaging these policies. that they would in fact be allowed tp go forward and continue those policies. and we would heed the concerns of the Congressional Research Service that we now have a Federal policy that. if it was to pass. requires this kind of reaction by all of the States to see whether or not they comply with this Federal law when in fact they are already complying with the efforts in their communities to keep their schools safe. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"GEORGE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6209}
{"speech_id":1090173140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. Columbine High School. Colorado. East High School. Green Bay. Hubbard Wood School in Winnetka. Each of these schools bore witness to an attack or an attempted attack using a gun. in school. I served as a teacher. and I remember the kids who were the brightest lights of our countrys future. and I also remember those who bore scrutiny as people who might bring a gun to class. Americans have the right to send their kids to safe. gunfree classrooms. Just last week. alert school officials foiled a Columbinestyle attack on a Green Bay school. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2155}
{"speech_id":1090173140,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my district. we were not so lucky in Winnetka. There. an attacker shot and killed a child and wounded five others in class. Jeffrey Phillips of my own staff was a first grader in that school on that day. I spoke with -a number of fellow teachers who say they hesitate before searching a child. Dan Larsen and Andrew Conneen. teachers at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. told me that teachers many times hesitate before searching a book bag for a gun. They worry about being punished. they worried about being sued. This bill reassures teachers that they have the power to search any minor child to make sure that their classroom remains gun free. And the Nations largest teachers union. the National Education Association. strongly eidorsed this bill. Like all other American workers. teachers deserve to work in a safe. drugfree. and gunfree workplace. Diane Shust and Randall Moody of the NEA wrote: \"On behalf of the 3.2 million members of the NEA. we would like to commend you for introducing the Student and Teacher Safety Act. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2155}
{"speech_id":1090173140,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 5295 will help promote a safe school environment.\" The National Education Association knows that there is nothing more important than the safety of children and teachers who have dedicated their lives to education. Let common sense prevail. This bill puts teachers back in charge and makes classrooms safer. If this bill helps one teacher stop one Columbine massacre. then Congress today will have served the Nation well and protected its children. I urge Members to support this bill so strongly backed by the National Education Association.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2155}
{"speech_id":1090173142,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I oppose the socalled Student and Teacher Safety Act. This bill would impose a onesizefitsall policy on student searches on every school district in the country. You know. in my experience with children and youth. it is a mistake to assume that every student is as guilty as a few troubled persons. making all youth feelguilty because a few actually are. Mr. Speaker. this bill would strip Safe and DrugFree School Acts funding from any school district that decides that local parents. that teachers. and administrators know better than Congress how to make their schools safe. In fact. the President and the Republican Congress have cut Safe and DrugFree funding every year since the year 2002. This bills proponents argue that it will clarify student search rules for school administrators and teachers. but the American Association of School Administrators has said that the bill simply will create unnecessary new Federal mandates. The American Federation of Teachers has said that -the bill will complicate school districts efforts to develop student search policies. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090173142,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And the National Parent Teacher Association. the PTA-. has said that the bill fails to improve the safety of students and school personnel. Mr. Speaker. if we are serious about school safety. we will reject this bill. we will reject the Presidents and this Congresss continuing cuts to the Safe and DrugFree Schools program. and we will stop any new_ program that would label all youth as guilty.","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1482}
{"speech_id":1090173279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"and our whip Mr. talk about facts. because when you did HOYER. Once again. I want to thank the not talk about facts. then you made great State of Georgia for sending you the wrong diagnosis. and when you to Congress. make the wrong diagnosis. somebody _ _gets hurt. Somebody gets hurt. So. Madam Speaker. when my colTHE OFFICIAL TRUTH SQUAD leagues on the other side of the aisle do","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":382}
{"speech_id":1090173417,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senator is right. It is absolutely a phenomenon between being crushed by falling real income and rising costs. It is not a situation where incomes are falling and being compensated by falling prices. It is a situation where they are being caught in this vice. The pain is palpable to working families throughout this country. These are all of our citizens. These are the people we all say we are here to help. And we are not helping themnot this Congress. not this administration. Not only are we not helping these individuals but it turns out the very policies of this administration and this Congress are rewarding those people who are doing the best. not those who need the assistance. That is evident in the tax policy being pursued by this administration and supported by this Republican Congress. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5001}
{"speech_id":1090173417,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the average amount of capital gains and dividend tax cuts by household incomes in 2005. This is one of the centerpieces of the administrations proposal. They have to cut capital gains taxes. They have to cut dividend taxes. Here is where the benefits go. If you make under $50.000that is an awful lot of Americans--you get $6 in benefits. If a person is making between $50.000 and $100.000most Americans within that range are considered to be pretty prosperous folks--they get $55 in benefits. If a person makes over $1 million. they get $37.000 in benefits. One of the reasons for this is the fact that most working Americans. if they hold stock. they hold it in their retirement accounts. These retirement accounts do not benefit directly from these capital gains and dividends tax cuts. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5001}
{"speech_id":1090173417,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So for the vast majority of Americans. we are seeing virtually no direct benefit from these capital gains and dividends tax cuts. Of course. for the wealthiest. it is a bonanza. Now. if this somehow stimulated a huge spurt in economic activity. growth. job performance. and increased employmeht. that might be a justificationnot the most compelling. but a justification. We are not even seeing that. What we are seeingbecause. again. ultimately this is about arithmetic as much as anythingwe are seeing a decrease in the resources and revenues of the Federal Government. So we cant compensate for increased cost of tuition. In fact. this administration. as the Senator from Michigan suggested. is sending up a budget that has record cuts in Pell grants and Stafford loans and those supports for education that are so critical at a time when everyone reflexively says we have to be the best educated country in the world because we must compete today with an emerging India and an emerging China. We can no longer sit back on our laurels saying we have the best educated people. We have to keep investing in education. We have dissipated those resources in a way that does not benefit the vast majority of Americans but benefits very few. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5001}
{"speech_id":1090173417,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As a result. not only are the costs of education going up. but our Federal support for education is going down. I should say something else. too. The last several weeks the. President hasnt missed an opportunity to remind the American people that we are at war. We are. And we have to support our forces in the field. I saw a figure today that to keep an Army division in operation in Iraq for 1 month costs $1.5 billion. Those costs have to be met. With .the tax policy rewarding the wealthiest Americans. without benefiting the rest of America. without contributing in a demonstrable way to significantly increase employment. without contributing to supports and pro.grams so essential to investments for the future of this country. we are not only dissipating our resources. we have also engaged in an international policy that requires spending that is very difficult to avoid. nigh impossible. Who is bearing the burden? It is all being rolled into the next generation of Americans as we accumulate a huge amount of debt going forward. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5001}
{"speech_id":1090173417,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is the most reckless economic policy I have ever seen. It is \"credit card economics.\" borrow as much as you can -to fund military operations abroad. but we cannot afford domestic programs. What resources we have we give away in the form of tax cuts that are not strengthening the economy. It is a massive shift of resources from the vast majority of Americans to the wealthiest Americans. from a generation in the future that will pay for it. to a generation today that seems to be consuming it. Ultimately. these policies will catch up with us. They have. already caught up with the families of America. As we debate these issues today. they are looking at sticker shock in health care. education. at the gas pumps. and housing. And they are. looking at their stagnant paychecks. Not only can we do better. we must do better. This Government has in the past been able to sort these problems out. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5001}
{"speech_id":1090173474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. -on July 24. the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 5534 by a vote of 355 to 9. This bipartisan legislation seeks to provide grants. not to exceed $30.000. to assist gas station owners and other eligible entities who. install al-","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090173536,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to follow the distinguished Senator from California and the distinguished chairman from Idaho. They make a compelling case. I represent an agricultural State in the great State of Georgia. I understand the difficulties they have outlined. They have also given me a couple of points to follow on to demonstrate how important it is that this Senate. in fact. embrace comprehensive reform but do it in a two.tep process where we ensure our borders. The distinguished Senator from California made the following statement: The reason we have so much illegal immigration today is because Americans dont do the jobs or wont do the jobs. I submit that is partially right. The reason we have so much illegal immigration today is because it is easier to get into the United. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6813}
{"speech_id":1090173536,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"States illegally than it is legally. At a time of war on terror. that is a huge problem. We owe it to ourselves to fix our immigration system in a tandem. instep process that guarantees security and then reforms immigration to meet the demands of American business. American agriculture. and American industry. We do not find anyone trying to break out of the United States of America. They are all trying to break in. for a very good reason. This is the land of hope. opportunity. and promise. We have to return to the day where the way to come to this country is legally and not illegally. The best way to do that is to make illegal immigration into this country untenable. The way to do that is go from making promises to actually causing reality to take place on our border. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6813}
{"speech_id":1090173536,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I support the motion to proceed on this House bill. H.R. 6061. I support Senator SESSIONS amendment to the original bill in the Senate to put up a barrier. I support authorizing them. But I remind my colleagues in this body that we do two things that start with \"a\": we authorize and appropriate. An authorization is a promise. and. an appropriation is a commitment.. It is time in terms of securing our bor.ders that this Senate and the body across the hall made a commitmenj and made border security a reality. I commend Chairmah JUDD GREGG on the tremendous work he has done.Chairman GREGG is precisely correct. We are making progress toward securing the border. However. we have not closed the deal. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6813}
{"speech_id":1090173536,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have not finished the appropriation. We have not gone from the authorization commitment that it will take to do so. Until we do. we can never have a meaningful immigration reform program. I suggested. Senator CORNYN has suggested. Senator SESSIONS has suggested. and Senator FEINSTEIN just made the statement that this is truly a national emergency. If it is. it is truly a time for an emergency supplemental from the President of the United States to fund those things we have all agreed it takes to secure our border. For the sake of clarity. I will go through those for a second: 6.000 more Border Patrol agents. which. by the way. can be accomplished and trained in 24 months. barriers along the border in \"thbse geological and geographic areas that demand barriers. as in southern California years ago. We know how much that cost. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6813}
{"speech_id":1090173536,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That can be accomplished in 24 months. We need the \"eyes in the sky\" referenced in H. Res. 6061. the seamless \"eyes in the sky\" so our manpower can be multiplied tremendously because we have unmanned aerial vehicles patrolling our border. all 2.000 miles of it. night and day. We need to fund the judicial and prosecuting authority along our border to the southwest to see to it that when we make a case. we prosecute. Lastly. we need to build the detention facilities that end the practice of catch and release. The beauty of going ahead and making the commitment to do it is. immediately upon doing so. those who are here illegally will comply with whatever program we come up with because they will know they can no longer go home. When the border is secure. it works both ways. We can do that. I have not met an American citizen yet in this debate which has been raging for the better part of the last 5 months in the Congress of the United States who wouldnt consider granting legal status to someone who is here illegally if they have cleared the terrorist watch list. if they have demonstrated they have a job. but they dont want to do it until they are sure our border is secure. History is a great teacher. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6813}
{"speech_id":1090173555,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I once heard my home State of Montana described as a small town with long streets and I cant think of a more apt description. We are all neighbors. and one of our cardinal rules is if your neighbor needs help. lend a hand. Last month. as fires raged across our State. many of our neighbors needed a hand and Montanans from all over Big Sky country pitched into help. Among the first to help out was the Stillwater Mining Company. As many are aware. the massive Derby Mountain Fire caused serious damage around Big Timber. MT. At one time the Derby Mountain Fire was the top priority fire in the country. When the communities around Big Timber needed help. the folks at the Stillwater Mining Company rolled up their sleeves and figured out how they could help. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090173555,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Stillwater Mining Company knew what a massive disaster the Derby Fire had become. and how those fighting the fire needed every pair of hands they could get. To get more boots on the ground. the Stillwater Mining Company provided full pay leave to all of their employees who volunteered to either fight the fire or to assist the fire crews. They paid for every meal that the Red Cross served at the Derby Fire. They sent their human resource staffers to the area to help manage the evacuations. Their computer mapping specialists helped to make highly sophisticated fire maps. They sent their own personal bulldozers to the fire lines. They sent their sprinkler systems to the front lines to saturate areas to protect homes. They also allowed helicopters to dip into their mining ponds. And all of this was done by the Stillwater Mining Company while at the same time they were forced to shut their mines down for 8 days due to the fire. The Stillwater Mining Company saw a neighbor in need and without hesitation they lent a hand. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090173555,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am proud to call them neighbor. and in Montana there is no higher compliment.*","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1890}
{"speech_id":1090173583,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday. September 20. 2006. at 9:30 am. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an Oversight Hearing on the Tribal Self Governance: Obstacles and Impediments to Expansion of Self Governance.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":315}
{"speech_id":1090173598,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join my colleague Senator MURKOWSKI in sponsoring a resolution commemorating the annual Red Ribbon Week celebrated October 2331. Red Ribbon Week encourages individuals. families. and communities to take a stand against alcohol. tobacco. and illegal drug use. I hope the rest of the Senate will join in supporting this resolution -and support this very important campaign. The tradition of Red Ribbon Week. now in its twentyfirst -year of wearing and displaying red ribbons. started following the assassination of U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency -Special Agent Enrique \"Kiki\" Camdrena. In an effort to honor his memory and unite in the battle against drug crime and abuse. friends. neighbors. and students from his home town began wearing red ribbons. Shortly thereafter. the National Family Partnership took the celebration nationwide.- Since then. the Red Ribbon campaign has reached millions of children. families. and communities across the country. spreading the message about the destructive effects of drugs. In my State of Iowa. this years. theme for Red Ribbon Week is Take a StandBe Drug Free. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2271}
{"speech_id":1090173598,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Schools and community groups across the State areorganizing. a variety of activities including pledges. contests. workshops. rallies. theatrical and musical performances. and other family and educational events all designed to educate our children on the negative effects of drugs and promote a drugfree environment. Research tells us that the longer a child stays drugfree the less likely they will become addicted or even try illegal drugs. This is why it is so important to maintain a coherent antidrug message that begins early in adolescence and continues throughout the growing years. Such an effort must involve parents. communities. and young people. Red Ribbon Week provides each of us the opportunity to take a stand by helping our children make the right decisions when it comes to drugs. In light of the growing epidemic of methamphetarfiine abuse throughout the Nation and especially in my State of Iowa. this years Red Ribbon Week holds greater importance. I urge my colleagues to join us in passing this resolution to demonstrate our commitment to raising awareness about drugs and encourage everyone to make healthy choices.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2271}
{"speech_id":1090173628,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. tomorrow. September 21. 1 further ask that following the prayer and the pledge. the morning hour be deemed to have expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be .reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period of morning business for up to 30 minutes. with the first 15 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. and the final 15 minutes under the control of the majority leader or his designee. further. that following morning business. the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 6061. the Secure Fence Act. and further. that notwithstanding the adjournment of the Senate. all time count against the motion under rule XXII.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":854}
{"speech_id":1090173643,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would ington. Although born in Pittsburgh. like to thank our guest chaplain today. where he last served. Archbishop Wuerl the Archbishop Donald Wuerl. for lead- is very familiar with Washington where ing us in prayer. he studied at our own Catholic UniverHe attended Saint Mary of the Mount sity of America. The archbishop folparish and school. and then studied at lows Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. the Athenaeum of Ohio in -Cincinnati. whose humble priestly ways and meswas ordained to the priesthood in 1966. sage of inclusiveness made him beloved He received graduate degrees from the by people of all religions and backCatholic University of America. the grounds here. Gregorian University in Rome. and his Archbishop Wuerl will minister both doctoral in theology from Saint Thom- to official Washington and to average as Aquinas in Rofine in 1974. parishioners in the District and MaryHe began his career as an assistant land. The archbishops work in Pittspastor at Saint Rosalia parish in Pitts- burgh. however. foreshadows a leader burgh. There he became a secretary to who is first and foremost a pastor. We Pittsburgh Bishop John Wright. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3641}
{"speech_id":1090173643,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"From warmly welcome Archbishop Donald 1981 to 1985. he served as rector for Wuerl. Saint Pauls Seminary in Pittsburgh. and in 1988 Bishop Wuerl was installed IRANIAN PRESIDENTS SPEECH AT as the 11th Bishop of Pittsburgh. where U.N. for 18 years he led 800.000 Roman (Ms. FOXX asked and was given perCatholics in 214 parishes throughout mission to address the House for 1 southwestern Pennsylvania. minute.) We also knew him in Pittsburgh for Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker. yesterday. his weekly television program. \"The we witnessed an Iranian dictator lecTeaching of Christ.\" which is now ture us on freedom. democracy and juswidely distributed through the Chris- tice. Ironically. in his own country. tian Associates cable channel. and this tyrant denies his own people the throughout its national syndication. basic rights of freedom of speech and As a writer. his bestselling catechism freedom to assemble. Women are deof the same name is now in its\" 30th nied rights of inheritance. divorce and year of publication and has been trans- child custody. and youth of their rights lated into more than 10 languages and of selfexpression and economic creused throughout the world. ativity. We are very grateful for Archbishop While he may resent us for being Wuerls presence here. ","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3641}
{"speech_id":1090173643,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are sorry to powerful. he does not realize that the September 20.. 2006 foundation of our power is rooted in the freedom of our great people to pursue happiness. to innovate and to speak freely. These rights are denied to the people of Iran. and that is why. even with the soaring prices of oil. more than 40 percent of the Iranians are living below the poverty line. Today in Iran dissent is brutally repressed. and terror is the regimes only instrument for domestic or foreign policy. This tyrant accuses the free world that they are denying the people of Iran their rights to nuclear energy. yet he forgets that the Islamic regime is denying the great people of Iran their Godgiven rights to selfrespect and human dignity. He spoke of universal justice. yet he denies the Holocaust. and has threatened to wipe Israel off the map. This regime wrongfully portrays the war.on terror as a war of civilizations. yet uses every opportunity to export its brutal ideology. violently. to the other nations. We are not at war with any religion or. civilization. We are at war with terrorism and terrorist interpretations of any religion. We need to protect the civilized world from thethreat of Islamic fascism.","speaker_name":"TIM MURPHY","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3641}
{"speech_id":1090173648,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on September 7. a champion of our community. someone who had waged and won countless battles for people. lost one of her own. Donna Kammritz was a friend. But even more than that. she was someone who stared -down adversity with a passion. principle.and tenacity. Whether it was fier brave fight against cancer. a disease I too have fought. or her impassioned commitment to the rights of working people. Donna never stopped. She always fought. She may not have won every battle. but she never gave in. Indeed. it was through her volunteer work as director of research for The Organization for the Rights of American Workers. TORAW. that I first met this remarkable woman. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1778}
{"speech_id":1090173648,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A mother of two daughters. -Heather and Rachel. Donnas job had just been sent offshore. She lost her health insurance. and she had just been diagnosed with cancer. At a moment when most people would have thrown in the towel. Donna fought back. She faced her cancer with courage. She drew upon her personal experience with outsourcing to infuse TORAW with the energy and focus we needed to elevate the issue to the national level. and she did so for as long as she could. Donna helped bring together the entire Connecticut delegation. - Repub* licans and Democrats. to press the government to start confronting the issue of displaced American workers. She was a proud mother who wanted nothing more than to see her daughters attend college. and she did. Donna understood something elemental: that when you protect workers rights. you strengthen families. you strengthen communities. ","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1778}
{"speech_id":1090173648,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. today. let us say thank you to Donna Kammritz for her gifts. for her selfless dedication and for her love of the things that we hold so dear. May her inspiration live- on in all of our work. 0J 1015","speaker_name":"ROSA DELAURO","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1778}
{"speech_id":1090173649,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. America is at a critical time in moving forward with our efforts in the fight against the global war on terror.and it is time for this House to act. In the coming days this House will consider legislation to ensure that we can try terrorists in military tribunals and military commissions while protecting Americas most vital secrets. That legislation will also give those brave Americans who confront suspected terrorists on the front lines of the war on terror and those who interrogate them with the guidance on what they can do to protect our citizens. We will also be considering legislation that will officially sanction the NSAs terrorist surveillance program that is critical. absolutely critical. to help keep our Nation safe. Mr.. Speaker. we have not been attacked here at home since the horrific attacks on our Nation of 9\/11 in large measure because these programs have worked. I ask the Democrats to put aside their partisan posturing and to join with us in protecting America. The Democrats must recognize that we are at war against terrorists. and that their political rhetoric and demagoguery in search of votes will not make America more secure. ","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1288}
{"speech_id":1090173649,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They have an opportunity to join us. and I sincerely hope they do so. The security of our Nation depends on it.","speaker_name":"CANDICE MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"F","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1288}
{"speech_id":1090173652,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President Bush and the congressional Republicans are failing Americas middle class again. This is nothing new. Millions of Americans are struggling paycheck to paycheck. and falling deeper in debt. . Under Republican rule. the rich are getting much richer. while the middle class are helpless to stop the decline in their purchasing power. Americas companies are recording their best profits in over four decades. while wages remain stagnant for the overwhelming majority of middleclass workers. Workers are behind those record corporate profits. but the workers are left behind sharing the gains. The middle class deserves a pay raise. but Washington Republicans pay no attention to the needs of real Americans. They cant raise the minimum wage. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090173652,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They are too busy working for the rich. For 5 straight years. Republicans have said to the middle class. You dont count. We have got rising college costs. skyrocketing health care costs. crippling energy costs. but no help from the Republicans. The Democrats offer a new direction for America. Democrats will restore economic opportunity and economic stability for the forgotten middle class. In November. the middle class is going to get taken care of by the new direction of the Democrats.","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1251}
{"speech_id":1090173664,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the coming days. millions of American seniors are going to see why the Republican prescription drug plan was written to help the pharmaceutical companies and the private insurance companies rather than to help our seniors. Republicans on Capitol Hill sided with the pharmaceutical companies when they wrote the law to forbid the Federal Government from negotiating lower prices. Then they sided withthe private insurance companies when they allowed them to create private plans that include what is known as the doughnut hole. a giant gap in coverage. when seniors must continue to pay their premiums but receive absolutely no help with their prescription drug bills. That is right. Under the private plans that the Republicans created. seniors will lose their drug coverage after they spend $2.250 of their own money on prescription drugs. This Friday. Mr. Speaker. is the day that the average senior is expected to fall into the doughnut hole. If congressional Republicans were really interested in helping our seniors. they would join us in filling the doughnut hole so seniors do not have to continue to face this giant gap in coverage.","speaker_name":"GEORGE BUTTERFIELD","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090173673,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Republicans want to erect a fence. around the right of the American people to vote. They have offered a bill that will restrict voting rights for Americans. In effect. the Republicans are trying to dilute the fundamental rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. It fits right in with the Republican effort to suspend those rights they find inconvenient. The president -of the League of Women Voters. dont take my word. Mary Wilson summed it up this way: \"This is an attempt to politicize the voting process by erecting barriers to keep many eligible. legal voters from participating. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1707}
{"speech_id":1090173673,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Congress should not be playing politics with our right to vote.\" Yet this is exactly what Republicans are doing. creating a nonexistent problem to appeal to their base. This is basically a PR opportunity just before the election. Just yesterday. millions of Americans across the country voted. including those in my State. and today there is not a single story anywhere in this Nation about noncitizens voting illegally. In fact. last week. the circuit court in Missouri threw out the Harmful ID law. the real name of what Republicans are trying to give us. Republicans have the superrich. so they would like to disenfranchise everyone else. anybody who doesnt have a photo ID. Native Americans. the elderly. the disabled. people who dont have a birth certificate. They fear what happens when every eligible American gets to vote. Democrats believe that the Constitution is worth protecting. We surely wish that the Republicans would start spreading democracy in all of America. not just those who have a photo ID. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JIM MCDERMOTT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1707}
{"speech_id":1090173705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to make a point of clarification. If this goes into effect. and somebody does arrive at the polling place without their photo ID. they would be given a provisional ballot and be permitted to vote with the caveat that they would return within 48 hours to show their photo ID. I just wanted to make that point of clarification. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to my colleague on the Rules Committee. my esteemed colleague the gentleman from Georgia .","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":473}
{"speech_id":1090173709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the gentleman asked for examples? I have an example here of a study that was done by the Johns Hopkins University computer science students that found 1.500 dead people listed who had voted in past elections. Now. you want to talk about onerous voting. It is difficult to get out of a grave and vote.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":313}
{"speech_id":1090173763,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5450. Virtually every group that has looked at ocean issues has concluded that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would be able to function better if it had a clear basis in law. That is what this bill. an organic act. would provide. It would give this key science agency. which was created by executive order. a firm legal basis for its full range of activities and responsibilities. That is hard to argue with. The bill. which was introduced by Dr. EHLERS. who has been its tireless champion. would also strengthen science at NOAA. pretty darn important. which makes sense. since NOAA is a major science agency. The bill also would greatly improve oversight of the agency by ensuring that Congress and the public get the information needed to evaluate NOAAs organizational structure. its facilities plan. its budgeting and its satellite programs. ","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1757}
{"speech_id":1090173763,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As usual. this bill is the result of bipartisan cooperation on the Science Committee. and I am very proud of that. I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their hard work on this legislation. We obviously have more work to do before this bill is enacted. including work with our colleagues who have jurisdiction over NOAAs resource management programs. such as fisheries.. We want an organic act that covers all Of NOAAs activities. But this is a good start.. a solid bill that will strengthen the agency. which will only improve the important services NOAA provides to our citizens. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5450. Once again. let me commend Dr. EHLERS for his leadership on this very important issue. and let me commend the minority side for their outstanding cooperation and. in many instances. their leadership too.","speaker_name":"SHERWOOD BOEHLERT","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1757}
{"speech_id":1090173770,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I thought the chairman was going to speak about Florida when he spoke about the most beautiful place in the country. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5450 introduced by Chairman EHLERS. who has. done a great -deal in bringing this bill forward. I think we all know what this bill does: establishes under law NOAA. within the Department of Commerce. and provides a leadership structure and an organization for NOAA and establishes. obviously. NOAAs mission and functions. I represent and live. am blessed to live and represent a peninsula. an area that is greatly affected by weather. whether it is in the oceans or whether it is by storms. ","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1908}
{"speech_id":1090173770,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"NOAA. as we all know. includes many important agencies. including the National Weather Service. the National Marine Fisheries Service and also the National Hurricane Center. All of those areas are of great interest to the citizens of the State of Florida. and impact. their work impacts the economy and citizens of Florida. South Floridians consistently rely on NOAA and on the National Hurricane Center for information. particularly. again. during this time of the year. Year after year the hurricane center has served as a trusted voice during a storm and maintains a continuous watch on the weather around the world. It issues warnings and watches and forecasts and analyzes the weather to make sure that it can stay in front of the technology so that it continuously does a better job in forecasting storms. Very few agencies around the country can say that their work is indispensable in actually saving lives. and the weather center is one of those. There are so many oceanic and academic and environmental groups that have expressed support for this legislation. I want to thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward. I want to thank him for his effort. I urge all of my colleagues to support this fine piece of legislation.","speaker_name":"MARIO DIAZ-BALART","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1908}
{"speech_id":1090173840,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4844. the Federal Election Integrity Act. Since the passage of the Help America Vote Act. this bodyled by the Committee on House Administration on which I proudly servehas paid careful attention to our electoral process and has considered several recommendations on how we can improve the way we vote. One such recommendation came from the -bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform which was headed by Former President Jimmy Carter and- Former Secretary of State James Baker and recommended that in order to deter and detect voter fraud. we should require photo IDs at the polls. In this day and age. it is shocking that we still do not verify U.S. citizenship when people vote. Motorvoter laws have allowed drivers license applicants to simply check a box to register to vote regardless of whether they are a U.S. citizen. This loophole has facilitated the many instances of noncitizen voting that I we. have heard about today. While there may be disputes about the nature and extent of voter fraud. there can be no dispute that it occurs. In close elections even a small amount of fraud can affect the outcome. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090173840,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Do we really want foreigners to cast the deciding votes in our elections? When an illegal immigrant casts an illegal vote he does more than break the law. He is canceling out a legal vote and robbing Americans of our constitutional right to be heard in an election. The Federal Election Integrity Act that we are debating today can help restore integrity to our elections. Requiring individuals who vote in a Federal election to provide proof that they are a United States citizen will help prevent voter fraudplain and simple. It is the best way to ensure the utmost accuracy in realizing the will of the American people. In short. requiring a photo ID is the best way to make sure that only U.S. citizens are casting ballots. Contrary to what the critics would have you believe. this isnt a radical idea. Showing proof of identification and citizenship is warranted and commonplace in todays society. Individuals are required to have photo identification to engage in routine activities such as boarding an airplane. entering a govemment building. purchasing cigarettes and cashing a check. Our voting system deserves at least as much protection as these other activities. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090173840,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Democrats have argued that this bill will disproportionately affect racial minorities andhave even alleged that this is one of the motives behind our Republican Leadership bringing this bill to the floor today. These claims are outrageous and unsubstantiatedvoter fraud affects us all. In fact. under this bill states must provide the necessary photo ID free of charge to individuals who cannot afford to pay. This bill is simply about protecting the will of all Americans. When an illegal vote is cast. an American citizen with the constitutional right to have his vote counted becomes disenfranchised. regardless of race. When voting. our citizens should be able to trust that the system will honor their voice and reveal the will of the American people. I urge all my colleagues to join me in protecting the rights of every American by supporting the Federal Election Integrity Act.","speaker_name":"JOHN DOOLITTLE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3220}
{"speech_id":1090173843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4844. the socalled Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006. Beginning in 2008. this bill imposes a requirement that eligible voters must present a govemmentissued photo identification and beginning in 2010. eligible voters must present a governmentissued photo identification that would prove they are a citizen. Proponents of this bill claim that requiring a photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote will combat voter fraud. But. too often. anecdotal stories are put forth as evidence to prove the claim they are using to make the case for this bill. However. there is no concrete evidence to back up the need for this proposal. Accordinb to Demos and People for the American Way. to date there have been no major studies to document actual election fraud in the United States. Furthermore. according to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. nationally since October 2002. only \"86 individuals have been convicted of federal crimes relating to election fraud. while 196.139.871 ballots have been cast in federal general elections.\" There needs to be more safeguards to protect the integrity of the electoral process. but this can only be done by addressing actual problems that are currently undermining voting rights. almost all of which have the effect of disenfranchising eligible voters. The bill doesnt address voter intimidation and discrimination at the polls and it doesnt take into account the costs to states to implement the requirements of H.R. 4844. making it an unfunded mandate. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3473}
{"speech_id":1090173843,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill is not just guilty of being a solution in search of problem. It actually will create a problem. The real impact of this bill will undoubtedly be an increase in voter disenfranchisement. because the burden and cost involved in obtaining the identification required would likely discourage. many Americans from voting. an essential Constitutional right. Also. even though H.R. 4844 has a provision that requires states to give free photo identification to those who cannot afford them. it does not take into account the time and cost that eligible voters would incur to get the supporting documents needed to. obtain this required identification. Essentially this forces people to pay for their Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. Mr. Speaker. the burden that this legislation creates falls squarely on the shoulders of seniors. and the disabled. The AARP is strongly opposed to this bill because of the disproportionate impact it has on seniors. Many seniors no longer drive and therefore do not have a drivers license. many were bom at home by midwives and do not have a birth certificate. and have limited mobility. making it extremely .difficult for them to obtain a governmentissued identification to meet this bills requirements. Even those who wish to vote by provisional ballot are required to present the required identification for their vote to be counted. ","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3473}
{"speech_id":1090173843,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Elections should be open to all eligible voters and as Members of Congress we should be enacting legislation that encourages more Americans to vote. not erecting new barriers to voting. Laws such as the groundbreaking Voting Rights Act of 1965 were enacted to create a more inclusive democracy by making voting easier. H.R. 4844 will seriously undermine that goal and. will be a disservice to the memories of those courageous civil rights heroes who fought for its implementation. I urge all of my colleagues to oppose H.R.","speaker_name":"JANICE SCHAKOWSKY","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3473}
{"speech_id":1090173850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 4844. the wrongly entitled Federal Election Integrity Act. Like so many Republican window dressings this bill might seem like a nobrainer to some. Only citizens can vote. so why not have them show their ID and prove their address and citizenship to reduce fraud? If only the real world were as simple as country club Republicans imagine. What about students whose drivers licenses show their home address but who register to vote on campus? Nursing home residents who have been voting for over 50 years but whose documents are nowhere to be found? Lowincome Americans who dont drive and have never had a stateissued identification? Its no coincidence that the people who will be disenfranchised by this bill are core Democratic constituencies. Powerful interests have figured out that there are lots of ways to institute a poll tax by another name. What about reducing voter fraud. something we all support? It Will come as no surprise to anyone who has run for office or worked in campaigns that there is little evidence of fraudulent voting. Its hard enough to convince most registered voters to go to the polls. What is the incentive to engage in voter fraud. a felony offense? In particular. there is little incentive for immigrantsagainst whom this legislation is targetedto vote illegally. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090173850,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Voter fraud by immigrants is subject to immediate deportation without appeal. Do the sponsors of this bill really believe that thousands. or even tens. of immigrants would risk deportation to cast a single vote? If anything shatters confidence in our election system. it is the thousands of votes that are not counted because of dimpled chads. electronic voting breakdowns. provisional ballot mishaps. threehour lines at polling places. and the like. The Help America Vote Act. which was supposed to address some of these problems. has never been fully funded or enforced. and yet the Republican Majority wants to further restrict voting and create a new administrative nightmare for our states and localities. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill. so that all Americans might have the opportunity to cast their vote in November against this desperate cling to power.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2213}
{"speech_id":1090173852,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to the Republicans National Voter ID act. This bill imposes new Federal ID requirements on all voters in Federal elections and would have the effect of disenfranchising millions of American citizens. H.R. 4844 requires all States to demand that voters provide govemmentissued identification in order to vote in the 2008 election. and a copy when voting absentee or by mail. and proof of citizenship in order to vote in the 2010 election. Unfortunately. H.R. 4844 undoes the progress of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization enacted just 2 months ago by imposing a 21st century poll tax. This bill would disenfranchise the elderly. people with disabilities. and minorities. The costs of obtaining the documents needed to prove you are citizen are high. A birth certificate usually costs $1- $15. and according to the State Department only 27 percent of eligible Americans have passports. which cost $97. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1728}
{"speech_id":1090173852,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Naturalization papers. if they need to be replaced. cost $210. Wlile supporters of H.R. 4844 promise to help some citizens who dont have money to pay for these documents. we cannot bank on the promise from the Republican majority who have refused to honor their commitment to the Help America Vote Act. Mr. Speaker. let me state clearly that I oppose- voter fraud. Currently. there are very strong federal statues on the books to penalize voter fraud and I support their vigorous enforcement. The Help American Vote Act. which I supported. gave States resources to both expand access and prevent voter fraud. Yet. the Republican majority has underfunded the Help American Vote Act by $800 million. I oppose this legislation. and urge my colleagues to reject this 21st Century poll tax.","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1728}
{"speech_id":1090173891,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. First. let me extend my deep appreciation and thanks to our distinguished chairman. Chairman OXLEY of Ohio. As many of us know. Chairman OXLEY will be leaving us and I want to take this opportunity to recognize what an outstanding chairman you have been to our Committee on Financial Services. It has been a pleasure serving with you. and you have been an outstanding chairman. It is also a pleasure to stand here as I represent our ranking member. the gentleman from. Massachusetts . who has provided outstanding leadership on. our Financial Services Committee. andhas led the way for this to be a strong bipartisan effort. to","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":683}
{"speech_id":1090173909,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. Mr. JONES has explained very well this bill. We have no objection to passage of S. 1025. The Committee on Resources approved similar legislation in the 108th Congress. The Federal costshare for this project is not excessive. and the project itself will have a beneficial effect on local groundwater supplies. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":465}
{"speech_id":1090173928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore. enhance. and manage private land to improve fish and wildlife habitats through the Partners For Fish and Wildlife Program.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":311}
{"speech_id":1090173938,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design. planning. and construction of permanent facilities for the GREAT project to reclaim. reuse. and treat impaired waters water in the area of Oxnard. California. as amended.","speaker_name":"WALTER JONES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":379}
{"speech_id":1090173955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today the House plans to take up the reauthorization ofthe Appalachian Regional Commission. Every one of the southern West Virginia counties I represent is encompassed by the Appalachian Regional Commission and ARC support is critical to our communities livelihood and wellbeing. It is ARCs ability to serve its mission by adapting it actions to fit the times that makes ARC such an invaluable resource to Appalachia and the Nation. From the Appalachian Development Highway System to ecommerce and broadband initiatives. ARC continues to serve its mission by advocating and partnering with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for selfsustaining economic development and improved quality of life. For these reasons. among others. I will support the legislation before us today to reauthorize ARC. However. I do so with reservations. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2316}
{"speech_id":1090173955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For most of the past 41 years of ARC existence. its program has been free of congressional earmarks. Congress has appropriated funds to -ARC and ARC. through a formula based largely on need. has apportioned Federal money to the States. In fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007. we have seen significant earmarking of the ARC account. Indeed. my home State of West Virginia has received a number of these earmarks. Why is this? In most instances Members have not requested these funds come from ARC formula funds. However. committee leadership has been forced into. this practice of feeding on our own. Why? Because the priorities of Congress have shifted from Middle America to the Middle East. Our appropriators are faced with this dilemma because the $8 billion per month spent in Iraq precludes us from investing in needed infrastructure here at home. Ive said many times that dollars for Baghdad would be better spend in BeckleyBeckley. WV. ","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2316}
{"speech_id":1090173955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While one of the funded projects has benefited many southern West Virginians directly by providing much needed water and.wastewater assistance. I believe it is important we refrain from earmarking the very scarce. resources allocated to ARC and. if earmarking the ARC account continues. Congress should require that congressional earmarks are derived from that States formula allocation of ARC funds. I believe adopting such a provision will benefit all ARC member States and the longterm viability of ARC itself.","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2316}
{"speech_id":1090174010,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5664. offered by the distinguished gentleman from New York would designate the post office building in Babylon. New York. as the Jacob Samuel Fletcher Post Office Building. Mr. Speaker. Jacob Fletchers love for his country was second to none. and his patriotism was evident in his service in the United States Army. He was a 1994 Babylon High School graduate who enlisted in the Army shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11. After completing basic training. he continued on to earn his wings as a paratrooper. Based. in Camp Ederle. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090174010,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Italy. Jacob Fletcher was one of the first Americans to land. along with his fellow paratroopers.- just north of Baghdad during the first week of the war. Jacob. just 11 days shy of his 29th birthday. was killed on November 13. 2003. when a roadside bomb exploded next to the bus he was on in the town of Samarra. With gratitude for his bravery and sacrifice to our country. I ask all Members to joifi me in naming the Babylon. New York. postal facility in his honor. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1077}
{"speech_id":1090174012,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thankmy distinguished friend from Illinois for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I also thank my friend from Long Island. Congressman PETER KING. for sponsoring this resolution and for allowing me to cosponsor it with him. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Jacob Fletcher and his family. and urge my colleagues to support this resolution to name the Babylon post office in his honor. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4177}
{"speech_id":1090174012,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Babylon post office no longer resides in my congressional district. but I do have the privilege and the honor of representing Jacobs mother. Dorrine Kenney. She is a constituent. she is also a dear friend. She has become an impbrtant advisor to me on so many military issues that I confront as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Her son. Jacob Samuel Fletcher. was a native of Long Island. and if this bill is passed. all of Long Island will know about his life and his untimely death. Jacob Fletcher grew up on Long Island. he dreamed of serving his country on Long Island. He represented us proudly when he went to Iraq. On March 23. 2003. he an d the 173rd Airborne Brigade jumped into northern Iraq and made their way to Kirkuk. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4177}
{"speech_id":1090174012,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On November 12. 2003. Jacob was killed by an IED on Highway 1 in Samarra. Mr. Speaker. this kind of news does not tell us the fullness of a life. We see a name in the newspaper. We see a face. we see statistics and -numbers. but none of that really describes the fullness of a life. and so I want to take this opportunity to share with my colleagues and with all America the life of Jacob Fletcher. He was an athlete. He was an artist with a talent for drawing. He played drums. He wrote poetry. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4177}
{"speech_id":1090174012,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was described as having a. big heart. and of being a good listener. And those are the traits that I see in his mother. In response to her sons death. Dorrine Kenney had every right to retreat into her own grief. to wait for the entire world to feel sorry for her and to support her. But she refused to do that. Instead she created the Jacobs Light Foundation. It sends care packages to our servicemembers in dangerous places around the world. It sends toiletries and food and snacks and reading materials and sunscreen and writing materials. all of the necessities that our troops require. Rather than retreating into her grief. Dorrine Kenney felt it was her responsibility in her sons name to help improve the quality of life for her sons comrades. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4177}
{"speech_id":1090174012,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A few months ago she came to my office. Mr. Speaker. and she was angry. We sat down and she said that she was receiving emails from troops in the field in the theatre in Iraq complaining that they had not received coagulant bandages. which the Department of Defense has said could save 50 percent of casualties in Iraq. and she asked me to look into it. We called the Pentagon. and it took us a few weeks. but. in fact. we were able to solve that problem. And we are working with the Army even today to make sure that those bandages are arriving in dangerous places like Iraq and saving lives. Another example. Mr. Speaker. This woman could have felt sorry for herself. ","speaker_name":"STEVE ISRAEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4177}
{"speech_id":1090174014,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. like my colleagues. I am very proud to stand today in support of H.R. 5664. I was very proud to introduce the resolution. And I want to thank Mr. ISRAEL. my colleague from New York. for the strong support that he has given me on this resolution and also for the strong support that he has given to the Kenney and Fletcher families. Mr. Speaker. it has been discussed what Jacob Fletcher achieved during his life. what he achieved in his death. And he was an exceptional. exceptional human being and a young -man. As was stated. he grew up in Long Island. but he dreamed about joining the military even as a young boy. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090174014,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In fact. the story. it is a true story. that he actually submitted an application to join the Army when he was only 8 years old- And his mother had to explain and turn away the enlistment officers when they came to the house that Jacob was too young to join the Army. She had a tougher job of actually explaining it to Jacob that he was too young to join the Army. But his patriotic passion cannot be extinguished. and after the September 11 attacks against our country which killed so many New Yorkers and so many Americans and also claimed a family friend. Jacob joined the Army and fulfilled his lifelong calling to serve his Nation. Jacob came from a military family. His father. his stepfather served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. and Jacobs grandfather was -a veteran as well. As Congressman ISRAEL and Ms. Foxx mentioned. Jacob completed his basic training and his airborne school at Fort Benning. and he was among the very first Americans to land in Iraq. parachuting under the cover of darkness during the first week of the war. During hi$ time in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090174014,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jacob and his fellow soldiers spent much of their time in Iraq training police officers. And in conversations with his family. he spoke of how much he wanted to help these people as this was his calling. He very clearly felt that this was the right thing to do. Unfortunately Jacobs life ended tragically before he could return home and before he could fulfill all of his dreams. On November 13. 2003. a roadside bomb exploded near the convoy he was in near the town of Samarra. and he died the next day. November 14. He was just 28 years young. He was awarded a Purple Heart and -a Bronze Star. and he was also posthumously promoted to specialist. Like Congressman ISRAEL. I have had the privilege of working with his mother Dorrine. who. -again. rather than curse the darkness. has done so much to help those who are in combat in Iraq. in Afghanistan. throughout the world. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090174014,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"She has brought Brownies to my office. Girl Scouts. She is active on so many different issues involving the welfare of our solders. I admire her for having the strength that she does. Congressman ISRAEL and I were at a recent 9\/11 commemoration at- Farmingdale University. She was there at that. Dorrine was there. So she again has done so much in memory of her son. Similarly. I have the privilege of having his father. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090174014,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mo Fletcher.-reside in my district. Mr. Fletcher is a Vietnam veteran. He is also a very courageous man who gives so much of his time to veterans. to the military. Whenever a soldier is killed in combat who is from Long Island and adjoining areas. Mo Fletcher goes to the wake. goes to the funeral. stays with the family. So he is a very. very decent human being. And you can see why Jacob turned out to be the outstanding man that he was. In addition. Jacob is survived by his stepfather. his sister Tara. and his brothers Scott and Josh. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3784}
{"speech_id":1090174053,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"addressed the House. Her remarks will appear hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.) I met with the general of the AU forces. He made it very clear that they were being outgunned. that they were being overpowered under certain circumstances. that they needed help. and he would welcome the presence of the U.N. forces. Where do we stand on one of the great challenges and controversies of our time? We met with NGOs. Theytold us of how. 11yearold babies had been raped. and how the government would not allow an offense report to be filed. File an incident report. say that it happened. but dont give enough details so that a proper prosecution could take place. Where do we stand on one of the great challenges and controversies of our time? I met with former rebel leaders who are now part of the government. They want the U.N. forces. They understand that genocide is still taking place in Darfur. They understand that unless we have outside intervention. it will continue. ","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1083}
{"speech_id":1090174053,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Where do we stand on this great challenge and controversy of our time? A superpower has to have super vi-","speaker_name":"LYNN WOOLSEY","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1083}
{"speech_id":1090174079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. thank you for the opportunity to talk about the issue that is of foremost importance to our. Nation. and that is continuing the battle against Islamic extremists. Some seem to have forgotten that the front lines of our war against these Islam extremists is not limited to the countries with active conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Nor is our approach solely military. On the contrary. from the onset of this war on terror. formally initiated by the enemy on September 11. 5 years ago. the U.S. has also employed all available political. diplomatic. and economic tools to address the growing threat which for far too long had been ignored by the previous administration. We have undertaken bilateral strategies. built coalitions. and worked through regional and U.N. forums. Make no mistake. we are engaged in a battle of ideas. and one for our very survival. The Islamic extremists have declared war against freedomloving nations. Last year. a terrorist attack was foiled in Australia. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7504}
{"speech_id":1090174079,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But 52 people were killed by suicide bombers while on a public transit system in London. On November 5. 2005. the world once again looked in horror at the destruction caused by homicidal extremists in Jordan. In 2005. and as recently as in April of this year. the people of Egypt also fell victim to jihadists. Months later. in Jully of this year. Islamofascists attacked Indias financial capital. killing over 200 innocent people. Last month. authorities in the United Kingdom announced that they had disrupted a plot to hijack as many as 10 aircraft that were headed from the U.K. to the U.S. Hezbollah carried out attacks against Israel with the assistance and the support of Syria and Iran. the worlds most active state sponsor of terror. that seeks nuclear weapons capability. All of these attacks are further evidence that the war against Islamic extremists is global. it is ongoing. And it is brutal. In order to prevent future attacks. we must remain alert and proactive in the war against Islamic extremists. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7504}
{"speech_id":1090174079,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need to bring the fight to their doors. and infiltrate their hierarchy. and to gain intelligence that will lead to the disruption and the fall of these groups so that they may no longer inflict harm upon the free world. Iraq and Afghanistan serve as examples of what has been done so far and what remains to be done. But daily news reports focus only on the violence and attacks feeding into these efforts by the enemy to weaken our resolve so that they can capitalize on our weakness. But there is a larger picture which is certainly more encouraging. For example. I was recently on a call with a senior Iraqi official who detailed how. despite the violence. the Iraqi Government and Iraqi forces. with the help of U.S. and coalition forces. have been able to deny the insurgents and the Islamic terrorists strongholds in the country. Iraqis participated in elections three times since the year 2005. In 2005. we also saw Iraq draft a constitution that included their right to vote. that protected individual rights and religious beliefs. and safeguarded minority rights. Iraq now- has a unity government that draws upon different religious. political and ethnic groups. As Iraq has made substantial steps in its political institutions. it has also made great strides in its capabilities to secure their nation. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7504}
{"speech_id":1090174079,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In his August 30 briefing. General Casey. the commanding general of the multinational forces. stated that the threestep process in building up Iraqi security forces to a point of being independently capable of providing security is almost 75 percent complete. Iraq today is an Iraq transformed. an Iraq we helped rescue from the darkness of tyranny and guided them into .the light of freedom. My stepson Dougie and his wife Lindsey served as Marine officers in Iraq. And we thank all of the men and women who proudly wear their Nations uniform. And in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker. we have denied the al Qaeda terrorist network sanctuary. and we have assisted its transition to a multiparty democracy. Once the terrorist refuge under the repressive Taliban regime. which hosted the likes of terrorist mastermind KSM. Afghanistan is now a full partner in our war on terror. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7504}
{"speech_id":1090174079,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There can be no safe haven allowed for Islamic extremists and their activities. They must be brought out of the shadows and seen for what they truly are. In order to rout the Islamic extremists. we have been working with likeminded allies to create a global network of information used to monitor and destroy jihadist groups and their plots. We must also work to prevent the worlds deadliest weapons from reaching the hands of these Islamic jihadists and from countries of concern such as Iran. Toward that end. in May of 2003. President Bush launched the Proliferation Security Initiative. the PSI. The PSI is dedicated to stopping all aspects of the proliferation trade. and to denying terrorists. rogue states and their supplier networks access to WMDrelated materials and their delivery systems. Since its inception. the PSI has grown from a handful of nations to a global partnership of more than 70 countries from all around the world. In December of 2003. the PSI enjoyed tremendous success when. as a result of a critical interdiction. Libya. a nation once designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. declared that it would eliminate all elements of its chemical and nuclear weapons program. that it would declare all nuclear activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency. that it would accept international inspections to ensure Libyas complete adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and sign the IAEA additional protocol. and that Libya would eliminate all chemical weapons stocks and munitions and accede to the chemical weapons convention. ","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7504}
{"speech_id":1090174092,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. those are not my words. Those are the words of the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee. HENRY HYDE. in a letter that he sent this week to President Bush. So please dont come down to this floor and paint a.rosy picture. We are in trouble. The world is in trouble. And if we are going to win the war on terror. we have got to change direction and develop a strategy that will accomplish that after 5 years. It is 5 years since 9\/11. and Afghanistan is back to ground zero.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":503}
{"speech_id":1090174107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. MEEK. let me interrupt one more time. To be serious for a moment. I want to acknowledge both of you for participating. I would add that those who are watching should understand that this is an effort by both Republicans and Democrats for a tremendous cause. The men and women who serve in the Capitol Police. as well as the men and women who serve in this Congress. some of whom are behind us right now. are dedicated professionals. They do an extraordinary job. It is difficult. In the case of those two Capitol Police who were killed. what we can do for their family is something that we all participate in. and we owe adebt of gratitude to them. Great job.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":663}
{"speech_id":1090174147,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman from Georgia for coordinating tonights discussion. and I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania as well for his beautiful insiglts that he read that. as you so well said. have helped us create an opportunity not just tonight but through the events of the day. the difficult tensions. nonetheless. maybe there is a moment here which will allow us to explore. to unpack the inextricable link between faith and reason. I would like to tell a story. though. that might augment some of these reflections. As a much younger man. I spent a considerable amount of time in the Middle East and I was in a country that was predominantly Moslem and was being hosted by a Moslem family who were extraordinarily generous to me in welcoming me into their home. They lived in an oasis area that was just rich in agricultural production. Their neighbor was a Christian man. My host made a point to introduce me ysis goes on to say that this speech. to him. knowing of my own faith tradi- after that. was his second shot of trytion. He very humbly showed me. be- ing to get us all to realize what is cause I did not understand the lan- wrong with our current world. with the guage. the nature of their community. state of our current world and the state the nature of the way they lived. If I of mind of our current world. Accordrecall correctly. he took his Christian ing to Father Schall. these shots are neighbors hand. bowed down and gave designed to do what all. good intellecit a kiss to show again the unity. in tual battle does. namely. to make it. spite of the distinctions that are their possible for us to see again what is true faith tradition. the ability to live next and to live it. to one another out of respect and hu- 0 2230 mility. out of respect perhaps for a My colleague from Nebraskas realhigher good. a higher calling to be a life experience that shows that many member of the human family. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4095}
{"speech_id":1090174147,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And perhaps again what has already been dis- people do live it and that those are the cussed tonight in terms of the Popes examples that we need to see more of. cuse . iUnfortunately. our news carries with it comments. it gives us an opportunity from daytoday stories of violence to explore that beautiful wedding of that those carrying it out carry out in faith and reason as it flows out of the the name of God. Allah. or the name of very nature of the divine. their faith. If you recall. though. the Popes very Congressman MURPHY reflected on first viriting. his first encyclical. was the problems in Northern Ireland. Deus Caritas Est. God is Love. If I again. violence carried out often in the could read some reflections on that. name of faith. It is such a misuse of the they are these: teachings in the Old Testament. in the \"The Holy Father has already made New Testament. and what most people clear in Deus Caritas Est that love of would accept as a. I would say. progresour neighbor is not primarily a govern- sive interpretation of the Koran. that ment project. that justice is not that is not encouraged. What is encourenough. and often is not even a begin- aged is this peaceful dialogue. What is ning. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4095}
{"speech_id":1090174147,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We simply cannot just talk of encouraged is this goal of us finding a faith and justice without beginning and way towards peace. ending in charity and the reasons for The analysis by many in the days it.\" In other words. the reasonableness since the Popes speech at Regensburg of acting in faith or acting out faith in I think are fortunately giving a second love and the unreasonableness or the look. after the unfortunate analysis in irrationality of imposing the faith. par- the New York Times which criticized ticularly. or enforcing a faith particu- him for his words. Phillip Blond from larly through -violence. I think again the International Herald Tribune made the opportunity to unpack that discus- a statement that I think is extremely sion tonight iA extraordinary. poignant and to the point. He said. I appreciate the gentlemans allow- \"Secular reason as value free and reliing me a little bits of time to speak. giously neutral is meant to police","speaker_name":"JEFF FORTENBERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4095}
{"speech_id":1090174249,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. it is with great disappointment that I stand before you today to discuss a bill that fails once again to provide us with a comprehensive approach to handling border security. Last week. Republicans introduced a border fence bill which was exactly what they voted against in December 2005. Today we are going to discuss three bills already -considered by this body. In other words. the Republican leadership is forcing us to participate in their cheap political gambit to mislead the public. Simply put. the Republicans have morphed from a \"donothing\" Congress to a \"doover\" Congress. Unfortunately. we continue to have a long way to go. and we will get nowhere with this piecemeal approach they are masterminding. The Bush administration has had almost 6 years. and the Republican Congress 11 years. to secure the border. Since 9\/11. House Republicans rejected eight Democratic amendments to enhance border security resources. ","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090174249,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If these Democratic amendments had been adopted. there would be 6.600 more Border Patrol agents. 14.000 more detention beds. and 2.700 more immigration agents along our borders that now exist. On December 16. 2005. all 218 House Republicans voting that day opposed a Democratic motion to recommit to H.R. 4437 to improve border security and immigration enforcement by fulfilling the 9\/11 Commissions border security recommendations. Fifty days before election day. the House Republican leadership has scheduled votes on bills we have already voted on. As usual. Republicans are all talk. but cheap on action to securing the border. Last week they voted on a border fence bill. but refused to provide the money needed to build a 700mile fence along the TexasMexico border. If Republicans were serious. they would have moved forward with a HouseSenate conference that protects United States borders. strengthens our Nations security and addresses the Nations immigration problems comprehensively. Instead. they spent the summer conducting 22 sham hearings across the Nation. Republicans talk about the fence as if it is the sole solution. Meanwhile. on September 15. ","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090174249,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DEA agents discovered yet another tunnel located beneath a residence in Calexico. California. and extending approximately 400 feet to a residence in Mexicali. Mexico. We are spending $1.5 billion per week in Iraq. but the Republican leadership will not even commit to funding to secure our Nations borders. Democrats do not want to pass the buck on State and local governments to enforce immigration laws simply while the Republicanled Congress and administration fail to properly fund border security officers. States and localities are already robbing Peter to pay Paul by using a huge amount of their homeland security grant funding to secure the border. purchase communications equipment. and fortify bridges. ports and buildings. Democrats do not want to stay the course on President Bush and the Republicans failed border enforcement. Madam Speaker. we need a comprehensive border security and immigration plan. not a piecemeal plan.","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3046}
{"speech_id":1090174250,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself 2 minute. Madam Speaker. we hear complaints all the time about the fact that Republicans are not acting. We are acting today. We acted in December. We acted last week on the fence. We see the Democrat actions. All they do is say no. no. no. no. They are not where the American peopleare. They are not where our priorities ought to b4. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":595}
{"speech_id":1090174250,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senate has not messaged their bill. even though they passed it in May. We are running out of time in this Congress. .The American people say border security first. Madam Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":595}
{"speech_id":1090174273,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. the gentleman from Michigan has been waging a valiant defense. if you will. of the ongoing efforts that we have made to confront this issue. Might I take some of my time to correct the record. A good friend of mine who was just here on the floor did not want to answer some very simple questions. And you need not be the custodian of any records to know whether there have been specific hearings in the Homeland Security Committee on these bills. I am a member of that committee. and the answer is absolutely not. That is regular order. We do that not to hear ourselves talk.we do that so the. American people can have a truly vetted bill that really addresses the question that you are concerned about. Then. if we want to know whether they have been in.front of the Judiciary Committee. they have not. So we have not had an opportunity to determine the concreteness. if you will. of these bills and whether or not they will work. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9558}
{"speech_id":1090174273,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The other aspect of it. let me let you attend to this factor. these are authorizing bills. None of these will go anywhere if they are not appropriated. if there are funds that are not appropriated. And that has been the general issue. I listened to the elocfuence of my friend from Indiana. and I agree with him. There is no debate here on the floor regarding the criminalizing of those who build a tunnel. That is a commonsense. nodebate question. If you have a tunnel. and those who build it. many of the individuals who do it are coming across for criminal reasons. drug smugglers and others. then we should have some response. But what we do today is only isolated today. There is no question that we have delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed the work of this House and this Senate and this body. We have delayed it because we passed 2. 3. 4 months ago comprehensive immigration reform. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9558}
{"speech_id":1090174273,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You may not have liked the bill out of the House. you may have voted for it or voted against it. but it did pass. You may not have liked the Senate bill. You may have voted \"yes\" or \"no.\" but it passed. Regular order. * And I want to correct the record. Over and over again we hear: we cant do our job because they havent sent papers. Well. my question is. did they .not send papers on the Iraq resolution and we didnt resolve it? Did they not send papers on the Medicare bill? This is a paper response. This is a straw mans response. Let me tell you what is being discussed. In the Senate bill there are what we call fee enhancers or tax provisions. The only authorizing entity that can increase taxes is the United States House of Representatives. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9558}
{"speech_id":1090174273,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. isnt it interesting that the House is controlled by Republicans. the Senate is controlled by Republicans. So. in essence. the Republicans can get together and work it out. They want to have this conflict because. in fact. one of the Members here. it is alleged. in the House side would blue slip the Senate bill. this is all complicated. and that means they would stop it from going to conference. All of that can be worked out. my friends. That is like a playground squabble between siblings. And we know that it can be worked out. Mother can come to the playground. teacher can stop the siblings. But they want to use that as an excuse so they can frustrate the process and make the American people think we are doing our job. Even if we pass this bill. which I think it is almost going to be quite a big vote because we are arguing against nothing and we are arguing against something that could have been handled in. if you will. in conference. there is no money. There is no money to do some of the things that many of these bills will be engaged in. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9558}
{"speech_id":1090174273,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. frankly. that is why ve come to the floor with these complaints. Why not do comprehensive immigration reform. get ourselves in a posture to be able to appropriate immediately even in this session the dollars that we will need to fund comprehensive reform? The Border Tunnel Prevention Act will facilitate the prosecution of people who build or use tunnels across the border illegally. It will not -secure our borders. It is not the only thing. I have seen tunnels. I want them to be thwarted. and I want to make sure we have a system of protection of our borders. And. frankly. we have failed. We have failed that we dont have enough Customs and Border Protection agents so that when you come through the northern border and we note something suspicious and we are at the port of entry and we are in the outside area. there is not enough Custom and Border Protection agents that are there for what we call secondary inspection. That is shame on us. This Congress. this Republican Congress. has refuted time and time again Democratic amendments that would have generated 14.000 detention beds. increased U.S. marshals. increased Border Patrol agents. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9558}
{"speech_id":1090174276,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of the time. I think we ought to get back to what this bill does so that Members are properly-.advised on how to cast their votes.. I _ What the bill does is to create a criminal offense to prohibit the unauthorized construction. financing. or reckless permitting on ones land the construction or use of a tunnel or subterranean passageway between the United States and another country. Now. if you want that to be criminal. vote \"aye.\" and .if you dont. vote \"no.\" I am going to vote \"aye.\" I hope all the Members do.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":560}
{"speech_id":1090174304,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to all three of these bills. \u0095 We should be passing real immigration reform today not these meansprited. divisive bills. Real immigration reform should include a clear path to citizenship not targeting people who dont fit the Republican majoritys conception of what a citizen should look like. Under the provisions of H.R. 6094. they want to be able to single out two or three minorities walking down the street. call them a gang. and have an easy route to deport them by classifying them as a \"criminal street gang.\" Not only is that an infringement on the constitutional guarantee to right of a assembly. its indicative of the xenophobic sentiment shrouding the Republicans version of immigration reform. Real immigration reform should take meaningful steps at securing our borders like investing in infrastructure at our ports and airports. We shouldnt be deputizing local law enforcement as border police. Real immigration reform should recognize the intrinsic value that diversity through immigration has brought to our Nation and not seek to divide us as these three bills do. Unfortunately. this debate is no longer about border security. jobs. or the economyit has become about spewing hateful. rhetoric. These bills will contribute to the incitement of attacks against the immigrant community. such as the recent arson on a Mexican restaurant in California. or the attack on theyoung Lating student in Texas eariier this year. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1695}
{"speech_id":1090174304,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. these bills are nothing but a cynical attempt 7 weeks before an election to score political points. Thats not only irresponsible its reprehensible. I urge my colleagues to reject these hateful bills.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1695}
{"speech_id":1090174306,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 6094. the Community Protection Act of 2006. will fix a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has inadvertently put us in danger. The bill allows the Federal Government to detain illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes for 6month periods beyond their incarceration. as long as at the end of each 6month period the detention is renewed by the Department of Justice. Current law states that if a convicted illegal immigrant is ordered deported. but cant be deported because their home country refuses to take them back. the U.S. Government can only detain them for a 6month period. After that. the Government is forced to release the criminal immigrant knowing they may be a danger to the community. We have a responsibility to make sure the laws of this land protect Americans rather than endanger them. Under this bill convicted illegal immigrants will be detained until arrangements can be made to have them deported. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":979}
{"speech_id":1090174306,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to support the bill.","speaker_name":"LAMAR SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":21.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":979}
{"speech_id":1090174379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am proud that today Congress will pass vital legislation based upon legislation I. drafted. the Fairness in Immigration Litigation Act of 2006. to close an egregious loophole that allows thousands of illegal aliens to remain in our country every week. Passage of this legislation will result in safer communities across our nation. Currently. the Orantes injunction mandates that the U.S. Govemment afford all Salvadoran immigrants the benefit of full deportation proceedings and undermines the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to apply expedited removal procedures. The court order was issued in 1988 when El Salvador was in the midst of a bloody civil war and was designed to protect thoseseeking refuge in the United States. However. on January 16. 1992. a peace accord was signed ending 11 years of civil war and implementing strict human rights restrictions. Today El Salvador enjoys a democratically elected government and a developing economy. Illegal aliens stream across our border by the hundreds on a daily basis. ","speaker_name":"HENRY BONILLA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2466}
{"speech_id":1090174379,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They present an immediate danger to the lives of people in every Texas community and across the United States of America. For over 14 years I have worked to raise awareness on Capitol Hill about the crisis facing our border communities. I have met with law enforcement officials along the border and discussed this critical issue with my colleagues in Congress. providing those in Washington with a firsthand perspective on how to increase our border security. However. gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha. otherwise known as MS13. and members of drug cartels now exploit this loophole in our legal system to thwart our immigration laws and obtain release into our communities. This legislation removes obstacles that prevent our government from effectively enforcing the immigration laws that Congress intended. The threat of terrorismjs real. Each day our border -communities. witness violence and fear created by ruthless members of drug cartels. We must not allow terrorists and criminals from around the world to abuse loopholes in our legal system. turning our southwest border into a revolving door. The efforts of our law enforcement officials to catch. detain. and deport those who enter illegally must not be obstructed by those looking to abuse the system. I am proud that today Congress will overtum the outdated and obsolete Orantes injunction to protect the integrity of our legal immigration process.","speaker_name":"HENRY BONILLA","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2466}
{"speech_id":1090174396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would argue that it is germane to the bill. When you take the whole bill subject to consideration. and we look at S~titeer 21. 2006 representing a number of different immigration reform proposals. and my sections address those same exact matters. All day. Mr. Speaker. we have been hearing from the proponents of this and other immigration bills argue that the various. immigration reform proposals included in this bill are viable alternatives to much more comprehensive immigration reform legislation that has stalled in the 109th Congress. In other words. Mr. Speaker. they are conceding that this bill is related to many other immigration reform proposals this House has considered over the past 2 years. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1549}
{"speech_id":1090174396,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Republicans are trying to pretend that the 109th Congress has not debated the immigration issues on many other occasions other than today. That is simply wrong. This House has debated the subject matter of this bill many times. My motion certainly suggests a better way to handle the subject matter on this bill. which is to go to conference with the comprehensive bills that the two Houses have already passed. The subject matter of this bill is immigration reform. The subject matter of my motion to recommit is also immigration reform. The only difference is that my proposal would actually require Congress to do something. Republicans are addressing the immigration issue with press releases. I am saying the more responsible way to address the subject matter of this bill is to go to conference and actually pass a law.","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1549}
{"speech_id":1090174401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Well. it seems to me that it is germane. Mr. Speaker. We have heard on repeated occasions that what we are considering is the first step. We have heard that repeatedly here today. We have other bills. and simply what my motion to recommit instructs us that we go to conference to take it into consideration into the totality. We agree. Mr. SENSENBRENNER and I. if we were actually to sit around a table and use regular order. we would find that we have much agreement on securing our borders. on a number of the issues that have been raised here today. No one on this side of the aisle is pretending to stand up for gang members and drug dealers. ","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":977}
{"speech_id":1090174401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want them out of the country also. But we also -understand that like Mr. Tom Ridge. of Homeland Security. and Congressman SENSENBRENNER referred to the current Homeland Secretary in his statement. we have statements from the former Director of Homeland Security that we need to deal with. So I think it is germane. Mr. Speaker.","speaker_name":"LUIS GUTIERREZ","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":977}
{"speech_id":1090174416,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. before being elected to represent a border district in Congress. I served for 261\/2 years in the United States Border Patrol. including 13 years as sector chief in McAllen and El Paso. Texas. I have years of. experience of patrolling the tough terrain of the U.S.-Mexico border region. supervising thousands of dedicated Border Patrol agents and working to do everything in our power to strengthen Americas borders and to reduce illegal immigration. So I know from firsthand personal experience what works and what doesnt when it comes to border security and to immigration law enforcement. Given my background. Mr. Speaker. I attended many of the hearings on the border security and immigration that were called by the majority this summer. along with my Republican colleagues. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090174416,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is obvious from the bill before us today. however. that though the Republicans held these hearings. they did not actually do very much listening. Rather than charging our already overburdened local law enforcement agencies with enforcing immigration law. which is. I might point out. a Federal responsibility. we need to give the Department of Homeland Security the resources that they need to do their job. With this motion to recommit. we help rectify the failure of the Republican leadership to fulfill the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission. which. by the way. Mr. Speaker. is 5 years overdue. Specifically. over the next 4 years. we would authorize a total of 8.000 new Border Patrol. immigration agents. 1.000 additional immigration detention officers. 1.000 more U.S. marshals and 100.000 new detention beds. The idea that we have here. Mr. Speaker. is simple. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090174416,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we are really serious about helping to stop illegal immigration. we have to give the Department of Homeland Security the personnel and the detention space that they so desperately need today. .Unfortunately. Mr. Speaker. it is clear to me that there are some Members of this House who either have no idea what Congress really needs to do to help keep Americans safe. or they are more interested in scoring cheap political points with the voters back home this election season than in actually protecting our country. It Is now 5 years after the terrorist attacks of 9\/11. and the Republican leadership is still wasting our precious time. We need real action now. We dont need more rhetoric. The American people are counting on us. and we cannot fail them yet again. Lets finally give the Department of Homeland Security the resources that they need to keep this great country of ours safe. I ask all my colleagues to vote in favor of this motion to recommit. Mr. ","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2678}
{"speech_id":1090174446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank my colleague for yielding. I have told Members and have told you for months that we will be finished n on the 29th. We will be finished on the 1 29th. Now. how long the 29th lasts. I IS dont know. But I would expect that we would be here on the evening of the Y 29th and hopefully not much longer s than that.e Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman e for that information. It reminds me that before we had a court of appeals opinion in Maryland. r before I went to the Senate. constitue tionally you had a 90day session. but .0 as you point out. on the last day you a werent quite sure how long that last .r day would be. a Mr. BOERNER. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":811}
{"speech_id":1090174446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield. we have both been here long enough to know that that last day e before the recess for the election lasts a little longer than an average day.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":811}
{"speech_id":1090174458,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would yield. we are working with Members on both sides of the aisle who have issues that have been through committee or are almost through committee that they would like to bring to - the floor. As typically happens. I and my staff will work closely with you and your staff to schedule those so everypne has fair notice and we have gone through the usual scrubbing process.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":390}
{"speech_id":1090174507,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on Wednesday of this week. Mr. Edward Rust. Jr.. the CEO of State Farm Insurance Company. was supposed to be in Washington. I had hoped that I would have the opportunity to speak to him on behalf of the people of south Mississippi. State Farm is one of three firms that for thousands of south Mississippians has denied their claims on wind policy. some of them for over $1 million. have said that they are not going to give a dime as a result of what happened at Hurricane Katrina. Had Mr. Rust been there. I also would have. had the opportunity to tell him that last Saturday I met with two whistleblowers. two sisters. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5831}
{"speech_id":1090174507,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Cori and Carey Rigsby. who walked away from jobs that paid well over $200.000 a year. investigating claims for State Farm. because they felt that company was abusing the people who paid for their policies. that their company was engaging in fraudulent behavior by denying these claims. Instead of being rewarded by that subcontractor to State Farm for telling the truth. they are being sued by that subcontractor for telling the truth. So. Mr. Rust. if you had been there. I would have presented you with this letter detailing what I think you have done to the taxpayers and to the people of south Mississippi. But since you were not there. I am going to put it in you a copy. But there are two things I want you to know. You see. when you didnt pay peoples wind claims in south Mist sissippi. you hurt them individually. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5831}
{"speech_id":1090174507,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You hurt average Joes like Joe Dee Benvenutti. who. interestingly enough. is also an insurance salesman. or guys like Mike Chapoton. who is a banker. or Dr. Leroy McFarland. who was my familys physician when I was a kid. and now in his 70s has been denied over $1 million claim. But you also denied guys like Senator TRENT LOTT and U.S. Judge Lou Guirola. It is one thing to tell a banker or a former corrugated box salesman that you cant read a policy. but I think it is something else to tell a Federal judge that he couldnt read his policy. to tell a U.S. Senator with a law degree from the University of Mississippi apparently he cant read his policy. If they are doing that to the average Joes. I am sorry. if they are doing that to the bigshots like U.S. Senators and Federal judges. then the question is. what are they doing to grandmothers? What are they doing to corrugated box salesman? What are they doing to high school teachers who dont have a prayer and who have been told that their cases could take years to be heard? Mr. Rust. you not only denied those people. but. in my opinion. you also stole from the taxpayers. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5831}
{"speech_id":1090174507,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me walk the taxpayers through this. Flood insurance is paid through you. the taxpayers. It is heavily subsidized this year to the tune of over $20 billion. According to the Rigsby sisters. your agents were instructed to walk on a piece of property. and. without looking at any of the evidence. blame it all on the water. It was all water. offer to pay that water claim immediately. and say. we will get back to you on the wind. knowing full well that an investigation would not take place on the wind policy. and that the only check those people are going to get would be from the taxpayers. You see. that broke the law. because under the False Claims Act. when you ask your Nation to pay a bill that it should not pay. you are liable for triple damages and a $10.000perincident fine. I think that is exactly what went on. This House has passed language asking the inspector general of the Homeland Security Department to look into that. Unfortunately. the other body has not acted on that. Senator LOTT. for his part. has passed the funding for that investigation for $3 million. but this House has not voted on that. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5831}
{"speech_id":1090174507,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So. in return for your behavior towards the people of south Mississippi. where over 1.000 south Mississippi families feel like the only chance they have of any justice is to go to court. I am going to try to do three things in my time remaining as a Member of this House. Number one. I am going to push for that investigation. because I am confident in my heart that you stole from the taxpayers when you did that. The second thing is I am going to work to remove your antitrust exemption. I bet you it would surprise the average American to know that if the two- hardware stores in town called each other up and said. lets charge this much money for a gallon of paint. if they were caught doing that. they would go to jail. But Allstate can call State Farm. who can call Nationwide. who can call Farm Bureau. and they can say. this is how much we are going to charge for an insurance premium. and this is what the benefit is going to be. Yes. let. us all play hardball and not pay any claims. It is perfectly legal. Check my facts on that. it is perfectly legal. ","speaker_name":"GENE TAYLOR","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5831}
{"speech_id":1090174527,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I stated earlier. if Democratic amendments over the course of the past few years. the last 5 years. would have been adopted. there would be 6.600 more Border Patrol agents. There would be 1.400 more detention beds. and 2.700 more immigration enforcement agents along our borders to help us solve some of these problems. It is a lot like when you invite me out to dinner and you offer to buy me dinner. and then you dont bring your wallet. you know wfiat I mean. and then I end up paying for the dinner. It is just the same thing. You say you are going to provide the Border Patrol agents. and then there is no money. there. You invite me to. dinner. and then there is no money there. It is pretty much the same thing. Mr. Speaker. as we wrap up here. this is the 30something Working Group. We are taking emails. ","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":953}
{"speech_id":1090174527,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You can visit us at www.HouseDemocrats.gov\/ 30something. All of the charts that you seehere. Mr. Speaker. are accessible on that Web page.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":953}
{"speech_id":1090174529,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as I rise tonight to begin this hour. I rise with a very heavy heart. but with the most renewed sense of pride and patriotism I have ever had as I honor the life of Sergeant David Thomas Weir. Sergeant David Weir died 8 days ago on the streets of Baghdad in service to our country. He is from Cleveland. TN. where last night over 2.000 people showed up at the Bradley Central High School football arena to honor a great American hero. I spoke with Sergeant Weirs mother and father 2 days ago. Lynn and Jackie Weir. and it is just extraordinary to me that there are families in this country that love freedom so much. love our country so much that even in the most grief and sadness they could ever imagine or experience. a hundred percent believe in the mission. the service. the sacrifice of their own son to defend liberty for our Nation. Lynn Weir told me that if he would have tried. and he didnt. to keep his son from going. he could not have kept his son from going. He said David Weir. from the time he was a little boy. wanted to serve his country in uniform. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10934}
{"speech_id":1090174529,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was a member of the 101st Airborne. This was his career. This was his way of life. He leaves a wife behind. Alison. a little 18monthold son. Gavin. who does not understand what has happened. But everyone else knows very clearly what has happened. A great American patriot died doing what he wanted to do. which was to stand in harms way on behalf of our civilian population. as the Greatest Generation did. as other generations have been called to. at a time when there is a very real and imminent threat to our way of life called the Islamic jihadists. And Sergeant Weir goes to heaven. leaves this Earth. as others have. in the most sacrificial way. answering the scriptural call that says \"No greater love hath any man than to lay down his life for his friends.\" And I say to Jackie and to Lynn and to Alison and to Gavin. your father. your husband. Chris. his brother. your son gave his life for everyone in our country. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10934}
{"speech_id":1090174529,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will never forget him. We will always remember him. We hail his life. a sacrificial life of service to others. putting everyone else above himself. believing in his mission and his comrades. His father said he talked to him the day before and he was so excited about getting out in the streets of Baghdad because he didnt want to be sitting behind a desk. because that was not what he was trained to do. That was not what he volunteered to do. That was not what he was prepared to do. He did what he went there to do. and it cost him his life. And while his parents grieve. our State and our Nation stand united. I believe. in their -full appreciation of his life and his sacrifice and his extraordinary courage and bravery. On Monday. this coming Monday. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10934}
{"speech_id":1090174529,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am honored to be with the family in Chattanooga. Tennessee. with full military honors as we lay him to rest in the national cemetery. Thank you. Sergeant Weir. for loving our country so much that you were willing to die for it. Another friend from my district. Lieutenant Colonel Brett Hale. is there serving in Iraq today. He is the commander of the Dragon Slayers. He too is a patriot. His family is back home praying for him every day. a wife and children. He sent me an email 10 days ago. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10934}
{"speech_id":1090174529,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to read part of it in my tribute and our honor on the House. floor tonight of these great American patriots who volunteered to serve our country and make their life secondary to ours. He wrote me and said: \"If we could only get the truth communicated to the public. they would know we have made great strides here in Iraq. Weekly we are transferring responsibility for the security ih many provinces.\" and another one was transferred yesterday. \"and cities back to the Iraqi military. While certain people want to say it is a civil war. I want to tell you firsthand it is more about Islamic jihadists crossing over the borders. They continue to attempt to disrupt a young emerging democracy. The insurgents are capitalizing on the inexperience of this government and directly causing the sectarian violence and socalled fueling the fire. They get more and more strength and resolve when they hear the discourse in our country. They know it is only a matter of time before we give up because we perceive the war in Iraq is too difficult. ","speaker_name":"ZACH WAMP","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10934}
{"speech_id":1090174541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"mentioned the Homeland Security Department. $33 billion for a year. That could be paid for. our homeland security budget could be paid for with 4 months of spending in Iraq. How about equipping commercial airlines with the proper defenses against shoulderfired missiles? $10 billion. That could be paid for by 5 weeks in Iraq. And on and on and on. Now. a lot of our cities. I represent Youngstown. Ohio. Akron. Ohio. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1041}
{"speech_id":1090174541,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Warren. Ohio. A lot of the issues we face back home are the issues of cops and making sure we have police on the beat. And a lot of these local communities. very poor. they dont have the necessary resources. Mr. MEEK. to fund the police and fire. There are always levies going on the ballot getting shot down. We could double the COPS program which provides community policing grants. We could double the COPS program. $1.4 billion a year with 5 days in Iraq. So you want to talk about homeland security? You want to talk about making our neighborhoods safe? Just a few weeks in Iraq. we could be able to fund this program.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1041}
{"speech_id":1090174547,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank you. Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. MEEK fromrf Florida and Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. the cochairs of our 30something Working Group. for the boundless energy that you have expended. the tremendous intellect and the great commitment to a new direction and a better future. Our 30something Working Group has been an inspiration to Congress and invigoration to us all. and I join as a mother of 30somethings. and in thanking you for what you have done. It is appropriate that the 30-.omething Group is advocating advancing in a new direction because this new direction is absolutely essential for young people in our country. Our 30somethings are committed to a better future for all Americans. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5442}
{"speech_id":1090174547,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So is our new direction. a newdirection for all Americans. not just the privileged few. We can begin with our Six for 06. to make America safer. We will begin by passing the 9\/11 Commission recommendations. We have just observed the fifth anniversary of 9\/11. Here we are 5 years after 9\/11. The Commission is giving the Federal Government Ds and Fs and incompletes for implementation of their recommendations. The first day of Congress we will pass the 9\/ 11 Commission recommendations and make America safer. We will make our economy fairer. and we will begin by passing the minimum wage. We can do it next week. The bill is in the hopper. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5442}
{"speech_id":1090174547,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To make our economy fair. we can pass the minimum wage. and certainly not have Congress have any increase in its salary until there is an increase and unless there is an increase in the minimum wage. We can also remove the incentives for companies to send jobs overseas. Imagine taxpayers are giving incentives for companies to send job overseas. We will end that. We will make colleges more affordable. It is important to broaden the opportunity for a college education. and we will begin by making college tuition tax deductible and cutting in half the interest on student loans. We will make health care more affordable. and we will begin by allowing the government to negotiate for lower prices for prescription drugs. And we will promote stem cell research. That is better for a healthy America. We will move towards energy independence that our colleagues were talking about here. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5442}
{"speech_id":1090174547,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We will begin by repealing the subsidies that have been given to big oil and big energy compa.nies. and instead use that $18 billion for research in alternative energy resources. Every day that we are here. we will work for a dignified retirement by preserving Social Security. protecting pensions and encouraging savings for Americas seniors. This we will do within the first 100 hours of a new Congress. given the opportunity. But we could do it now even before Congress leaves. Instead. we have a donothing. rubberstamp Congress. I see the rubber stamp here. Here we are just a few days from the end of the fiscal year. and this Congress has still not passed the budget for this. fiscal year. How could it be. a week before the end of the fiscal year. and this donothing Congress has not even passed the budget? In addition. we have a crying need in our country for comprehensive. bipartisan immigration reform. We certainly are not moving in any direction to make that possible. The list goes on. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5442}
{"speech_id":1090174547,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We havent finished .our appropriations bills. We shouldnt leave here until we have an increase in the minimum wage. But when we return. and hopefully with a verdict from the American people. we will get about the peoples business. the issues that are relevant to the lives of the American people. their jobs. their health care. their economic security. the health care for their families. the education of their children. safe America. safe neighborhoods and a secure America with energy independence. We will do all -of this from the very first day with integrity. Our first rule that Members will vote on will be for integrity. to sever the link between special interests and legislation so that we are here for the peoples interest instead. With civility. with bipartisan administration of the House so that every voice in the country is heard. not only the voices of those who happen to have their Member be in the majority. and we will do it with fiscal discipline. No more deficit spending. Pay as you go. audit the books. account for the money to the American people. All of this is possible because of the energy and enthusiasm of our 30somethings. Mr. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5442}
{"speech_id":1090174557,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. RYAN. let me say this: Since we are getting into the debate of who can be appointed or what have you. I could be a millionaire. but I am not. Let me just say this. and I didnt stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. either. But let me just say this. As we continue on with the 30somethings coming to a close. as we wait on our Republican colleague to come get his or her next hour. I just want to say that it is very. very important because this is very serious business. Sometimes here in the 30something Working Group we spend a number of hours. I must say. Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3453}
{"speech_id":1090174557,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. a number of hours not only studying before we come to the floor. of sharpening our tools and talking about what we are going to do. how we are going to do it. talk about the history of what we have done in the past. and talking about the legislation that is filed in this Congress. You heard Leader PELOSI. She said we have a minimum wage increase for the American workers at $7.25 already filed. It is not some saying. well. if we could or we are dreaming of a piece of legislation. It is already there. So when we talk about the first 100 hours to the Republican majority and to the American people. this is not something that we have to say. well. wait one second. wait one minute. we have to draw up some plans. They are already there. They are already there because the American people have said that they want it. overwhelmingly. And at the same time we talk about real security and securing America. It is not something where we are going to come up with some plan orsome gimmick. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3453}
{"speech_id":1090174557,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is already there. Taking the recommendations. you heard the leader. in the first 100 hours. the Democratic majority. the 10 uninitiated 9\/11 recommendations that are vital to securing this country will be implemented. Like I said. as the ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee here in this House. Mr. Speaker. I have seen the schemes that have been brought about. that we are going to monitor the border and what have you. The American people want something more than monitoring. They want to secure the border. whether it be south or north. They want to secure it. not just monitor it.. So lets just say. for instance. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3453}
{"speech_id":1090174557,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. that this new $2.5 billion initiative to monitor the border actually works. And the reality. Mr. Speaker. is the fact that the President. years after the 9\/11 Commission report has been sent to the Congress and went to Barnes and Noble and Amazon.corn and folks have copies of it. two or three copies of it. read it three times. still sends his budget to the Hill calling for 250 Border Patrol agents. If the Democratic amendments were adopted. Mr. Speaker. we would have over 6.000 new Border Patrol agents at 2.000 Border Patrol a year. as the 9\/11 Commission called for. It was not that we went to the Democratic caucus and said. hey. lets just come up with a number of what we think should happen. We took the bipartisan recommendation from the 9\/11 Commission. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3453}
{"speech_id":1090174557,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So like I said. the leader has already laid the foundation. The leader has come to the floor here in the p.m.. a little bit before 8 p.m. eastern standard time. to deliver the message on behalfof the Democrats in this House that have the will and the desire to lead and said what we would do in the first 100 hours. So now that I know that our Republican colleague is here now. Mr. RYAN. I know that you were going to give the information out.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3453}
{"speech_id":1090174558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As you were talking. and we have all reviewed the Constitution. one Qf the things I. found very interesting as I was reading this is the very beginning. the \"We the people\" paragraph. \" . . . in order to form a more perfect union. establish justice. insure domestic tranquility.\" and then this last little phrase here hit me: \"provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare.\" The general welfare. -Not the special interest groups. not the oil companies. not the energy companies. not the pharmaceutical companies. but the general welfare. Mr. Speaker. And that is what we are here to do is provide for the general welfare. And.I think next year in January. when we agree as a caucus to elect a Member of this Chamber. an elected Member in","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":754}
{"speech_id":1090174606,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. the reality is very simple and very obvious. It is all at the pump. and the American consumer. I hope. has awakened to the reality of what a difference a day makes in the price of gas and the impact on their family budget and their .pocketbooks. Lets drill and develop the nozones. Madam President. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":334}
{"speech_id":1090174618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. I thank my colleague from North Dakota for his support and for his continuing interest and efforts to bring this toa conclusion. I came to the floor last week as well in an attempt to provide much needed emergency relief to our Nations farmers. ranchers. and rural small businesses that have been devastated by the long running drought that I have nicknamed Drought David. Some have asked why did I give it a name. A drought. unlike a hurricane or a flood. is a slowmoving disaster that can linger over the course of years. In some places. Drought David is celebrating its fifth birthday. and in other places it is celebrating its seventh birthday. But by giving it some identity. we hope we can give it the same kind of identity that is very often given to a hurricane which is named. It is not just a stormit is Hurricane Ernesto or Katrina. I felt that giving this continuing drought a name would help give an identity so people could focus .on this being a natural disaster. a devastation of major economic proportions to large areas within our country that can have the same impact in terms of economic loss which very often a hurricane will cause in its wake. ","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090174618,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At this time. I ask a simple question of the Senate: If not now. when? When will this Senate provide the relief needed by our Nations farmers and ranchers? Unfortunately. my question was answered last week by the procedural tactics to block an upordown vote. So. today. I have two questions to ask my colleagues: If not now. when? And. most importantly. if not now. why? Why do we refuse to provide relief to farmers and ranchers suffering from this particular natural disaster when we provide relief. as we should. to others for natural disasters like hurricanes? Is relief from the Senate seriously based solely upon the sensational nature of the disaster and the news reports of the disaster? If a Drought David were able to grab the headlines like a hurricane. would relief be constantly and consistently blocked?. That is not acceptable to the farmers and ranchers I know. and it is not acceptable to meand I am sure it is not acceptable to a majority of my colleagues in the Senate.","speaker_name":"BEN NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2171}
{"speech_id":1090174626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President..I come to the floor to speak about an equally important issue to many of our States and follow up on the earlier comment by my colleague from Idaho on energy independence for the Nation. and the importance of that at this particular time to the Gulf of Mexico. Americas only energy coast and an area that I need not have to explain again is in one of the most challenging situations of its entire history. I want to associate myself with the remarks of the Senators from Nebraska and North Dakota regarding the drought. We have had similar droughts. amazingly. in our State. even with the hurricanes. But as Senators who represent farm State communities. agriculture is very important to the State of Louisiana. We have been in a situation that they have been in. I know people think of us as a State with a lot of rain. and obviously a target for hurricanes. but we have also been stricken by serious drought. The point of my comment about what was said is this: Sometimes things happen out of the ordinary. extraordinary situations. as they have just described. which deserve an unprecedented and extraordinary response. I know we in Washington deal with that very well because we like everything that is sort of in the box. but we also dont like everything to kind of be one way. The fact is. when serious. extraordinary Circumstances happen. we need to make a quick and appropriate response. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2014}
{"speech_id":1090174626,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is most certainly appropriate for these Senators to come to the Senate and ask for a quickand immediate response to part of our Nation. This drought is not just. of course. in Nebraska and North Dakota. The pictures have shown pockets of severe and unprecedented drought. and whether it is because of global warming. or whether it is just because of the severe weather patterns caused by something else. we can debate that until the cows come home. The fact is we have farming communities. rural communities. suffering right now. TheyL need our best effort. I support seeing what we can do to help.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2014}
{"speech_id":1090174659,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to remember a fellow Ohioan. a young man who lost his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Army SSG Sean Landrus died on January 29. 2004. of wounds he suffered when a roadside bomb exploded next to his convoy in Iraq. He was 31 years old. Sean Landrus will be remembered for many things and iri many ways. He was an exceptional soldier who enjoyed and took pride in military life. More than that. he was a loving son. brother. husband. and father. a man who was completely dedicated to his family. Sean was born in January of 1973 in Painesville. OH. to loving parents Ken and Betty Landrus. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090174659,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The youngest of six children. Sean was very close to his entire family and remained so throughout his life. Sean attended Ledgemont High School where he excelled in football. basketball. and track. A highly competitive athlete. Sean hated to be taken out of any game. even if he was injured. According to his. mother Betty: One of the managers said that he just didnt play the same without Sean because he was the spark plug. Sean carried that dedication and competitive spirit with him throughout all that he did. After graduating in 1991. Sean attended Kent State University while working for C&K Industrial Service. an industrial cleaning company in Cleveland. Although she didnt enjoy it at the time. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090174659,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Betty now fondly recalls how grubby her son would be when he got home from work. Despite the dirt. she loved her \"iron teddy bear.\" On December 2. 1995. Sean married his high school sweetheart Chris. and they made their home in Thompson Township. Sean reported for boot camp just 1 month later. He was assigned to Company B. First Engineer Battalion. First Brigade Combat Team. First Infantry Division. Sean spent 8 years in the Army. including deployments to Bosnia and Kuwait. Sean was a devoted family man who found it difficult to leave his wife Chris. his son Keiineth. and daughters Khrista and Kennedy for his overseas tours. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090174659,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was very sorry to be away from them for that period of time. His deployment to Iraq was particularly emotional. Kennedy was then just a. few weeks old. At the time. Sean and his family were living in Fort Riley in Kansas. SeaR was offered a desk job at the base. but he declined it in favor of going to a combat zone. In the words of his mother Betty. \"Sean just hated being behind a desk.\" In September 2003. Ken and Betty drove to Fort Riley both to meet their new granddaughter and to say goodbye to their son before he left for Iraq. Because Sean was busy making preparations for deployment. they werent able to see him very often. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090174659,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But for Sean. it was important that he made sure everything for which he was responsible was in the right order. That is simply the kind of man he was. Betty and Ken woke up very early and stayed up very late to spend as much time with him as possible. Sean found it difficult to leave his family again. and as he said in his own words. \"It is my job.\" Seans deployment to Iraq would have been his last. Before going overseas. he told his family that it would be the final time he went away. He just didnt want to leave them anymore. Unfortunately. Seans convoy was ambushed after a roadside bomb exploded next to the truck he was in. Two days later. he passed away from his injuries. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4360}
{"speech_id":1090174720,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I am joining Congressman GREG MEEKS to submit a Senate resolution aimed at raising awareness of the prostate cancer crisis among AfricanAmerican men. This Resolution urges Congress to provide the funds necessary_ to prevent and fight the disease. and to encourage AfricanAmerican men to get screened. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death for AfricanAmerican men. They have the highest incidence and mortality rate due to prostate cancer of any ethnic or racial group. AfricanAmerican men are dying at a rate of 140 percent--almost 21\/2 timeshigher than other groups. That is the largest disparity for any major cancer. . No person of any race should have to suffer unnecessarily from a disease we have the medical science and moral obligation to prevent. detect. and treat. It should no longer rob sons. daughters. and wives of their fathers. husbands. and loved ones. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1289}
{"speech_id":1090174720,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Just as the doctrine -of separate but equal. was wrong in education. it is wrong in health care. -We have to reform the system so that the quality of health care for every American never depends on the color of any Americans skin. We need to fund more research and greater outreach efforts. For this reason. I urge every member of Congress to support this resolution.","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1289}
{"speech_id":1090174729,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that on Thursday. September 21st. 2006 at 10:15 a.m. the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a Business Meeting to. consider the following agenda: Legislation: H.R. 1463. To designate a portion of the Federal building located at 2100 Jamieson Avenue. in Alexandria. VA. as the Justin W. Williams United States Attorneys Building. Nominations: Roger Romulus Martella. Jr. to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Alex A. Beehler to be Assistant Administrator. of the Environmental Protection Agency William H. Graves to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority Brigadier General Bruce Arlan Berwick to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission Colonel Gregg F. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1226}
{"speech_id":1090174729,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Martin to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission Brigadier General Robert Crear to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission Rear Admiral Samuel P. DeBow. Jr. to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission Resolutions: 6 Committee resolutions authorizing prospectuses from GSAs fiscal year 2007 Capital Investment and Leasing Program dommittee resolution to direct GSA to prepare a Report of Building Project Survey","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1226}
{"speech_id":1090174734,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday. September 21. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Agenda I. Nominations Terrence W. Boyle. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. William James Haynes fI. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090174734,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Kent A. Jordan. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. Peter D. Keisler. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. William Gerry Myers I. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Norman Randy Smith. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090174734,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Valerie L. Baker. to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. Francisco Augusto *Besos&. to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico. Nora Barry Fischer. to be U.S. District Judge forthe Western District of Pennsylvania. Gregory Kent Frizzell. to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Philip S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090174734,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gutierrez. to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. Marcia Morales Howard. to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida. John Alfred Jarvey. to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa. Sara Elizabeth Lioi. to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio. Lawrence Joseph ONeill. to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastdrn District of California. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090174734,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lisa Godbey Wood. to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia. I. Bills S. 2831. Free Flow of Information Act of 2006. Lugar. Specter. Schumer. Graham. Biden. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2069}
{"speech_id":1090174742,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that. the Subcommittee on Water and Power be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday. September 21 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1106. to authorize the construction of the Arkansas Valley conduit in the State of Colorado. and for other purposes. S. 1811. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of enlarging the Argur V. Watkins Dam Weber Basin Project. UT. to provide additional water for the Weber Basin Project to fulfill the purposes for which that project was authorized. S. 2070. to provide certain requirements for hydroelectric projects on the Mohawk River in the State of New York. S. 3522. to amend the Bonneville Power Administration portions of the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2006 through 2012. and for other purposes S. 3832. to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish criteria to transfer title to reclamation facilities. and for other purposes. ","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090174742,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"S. 3851. to provide for the extension of preliminary permit periods by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for certain hydroelectric projects in the State of Alaska. S. 3798. to direct the Secretary of the Interior to exclude and defer from the pooled reimbursable costs of the unused capacity of the Folsome South Canal. AuburnFolsom South Unit. Central Valley Project. and for other purposes. H.R. 2563. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility studies to address certain water shortages within the Snake. Boise. and Payette River systems in Idaho. and for other purposes. and H.R. 3897. to authorize the Secretary of the Interior. acting through the Bureau of Reclamation to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Madera Irrigation District for purposes of supporting the Madera Water Supply Enhancement Project.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090174841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I proudly pause to recognize Daniel Cummings a very Special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America. Troop 312. and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Daniel has been very active with his troop. participating in many Scout activities. Over the many years Daniel has been involved with scouting. he has not only earned numerous merit badges. but also the respect of his family. peers. and community. Mr. Speaker. I proudly ask you to join me in commending Daniel Cummings for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth. in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.","speaker_name":"SAM GRAVES","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":736}
{"speech_id":1090175011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce. Science. and Transportation be authorized to hold a business meeting. offthefloor. on the nomination of Mary Peters to be Secretary of Transportation on Monday. September 25. 2006 after the first rollcall vote.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":281}
{"speech_id":1090175052,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would further say just briefly that. yes. we do have this matter before us. Is it what we want? The answer is. probably we think we could do better. That is why we would agree on this side to have -a limited number of amendments and have this body decide whether the bill can be improved. We hope that can occur. As I have indicated in my previous statement. it all depends on Dow the other 98 Senators feel as to whether we can move forward short of cloture on Wednesday.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":489}
{"speech_id":1090175070,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to. the preamble be agreed to. the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the RECORD as if read. without intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":264}
{"speech_id":1090175077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Committee on Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions has received a request from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia for records of the committee and testimony by. committee staff relevant to an investigation it is conducting into a Presidential nominees financial disclosure to. the committee during confirmation proceedings. The chair and ranking member of the committee would like to cooperate with this request. Accordingly. in keeping with Senate rules and practice. this resolution would authorize the committee to produce documents for use in this investigation. The resolution would also authorize testimony by committee staff. with representation by the Senate Legal Counsel. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":875}
{"speech_id":1090175077,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent tthat the resolution be agreed to. the preamble be agreed to. and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":875}
{"speech_id":1090175093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to say to the majority leader by way of a question that I have been working with Senator CHAMBLISS. the chairman of the Agriculture Committee. on the reauthorization of the Commodit27 Futures Trading Commission. and we have worked out what I consider to be a fair apportionment of time and amendments. We have been ready to go. prepared. waiting for that propitious moment. hoping that the majority leader would smile our way and give us that opening. that hour or two to get this important legislation passed. I would like to ask the majority leader if he has been thinking about that.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":614}
{"speech_id":1090175153,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R.. 4588) to reauthorize grants for and require applied water supply research regarding the water resources research and technology institutes established under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. as amended.","speaker_name":"RICK RENZI","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":276}
{"speech_id":1090175222,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we supported the original authorization for a memorial to disabled veterans here in Washington. D.C. Through no fault of the memorial proponents. complications regarding the final site selection have delayed the approval process. Mr. Speaker. this is a very important piece of legislation that is near and dear to many of our hearts. Just this summer. I attended a Purple Heart pinning ceremony for a young soldier from Guam. Sergeant Jeremy Balamonte. who was wounded in action in Iraq early in the war.. Another soldier. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":913}
{"speech_id":1090175222,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Jilario Bermanis. from Micronesia. was paralyzed in combat. Mr. Speaker. we have had a number of fatalities and wounded soldiers fighting in this war. So. again. I would like to emphasize that this is something that is very. very dear to my heart. We support this extension to allow this project the time it needs to move forward. Mr. Speaker..I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":913}
{"speech_id":1090175244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. while most Americans are aware of the significance of the Revolutionary War or the Civil War. the importance of the War of 1812 is not as widely understood. The Dean of this House. Representative JOHN DINGELL. is to be commended for his experience and effectiveness in bringing this important legislation to the floor. It is always an honor to work with Mr. DINGELL. and we urge our colleagues to support H.R. 5132. Mr. Speaker. it is now indeed my honor to yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan . the Dean of this House and the sponsor of this legislation.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":614}
{"speech_id":1090175285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me thank my colleague from Michigan. the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Mr. CONYERS. for his leadership on this and for pointing out the law enforcement agencies that are opposed to this important legislation and in favor of the arguments that we put forth in opposition. And. again. I just cite from David DiBetta. who is the president of Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association ATF division. who said: \"This bill would be crippling to their efforts to enforce our gun laws.\"","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":510}
{"speech_id":1090175291,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate this opportunity to explain my concerns with the bill. H.R. 5092. My primary concern with the bill is that it hampers the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco. Firearms. and Explosives (BATF) to put corrupt gun dealers out of business. and thus help reduce the carnage taking place in many of the Nations major urban centers. H.R. 5092 was introduced by Mr. COBLE and","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":398}
{"speech_id":1090175303,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5454. to provide a costofliving adjustment for Federal judges in fiscal year In 1975. Congress enacted the Executive Salary Cost of Living Adjustment Act to give judges and Members of Congress and highranking executive branch officials automatic COLAs accorded otherFederal employees unless rejected by Congress. In 1981. Congress amended the statute by enacting section 140 of Public Law 9792. which requires specific congressional authorization to grant judges a COLA. The legislation we consider today is substantially similar to other costofliving increases for Federal judges approved in previous fiscal years. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":992}
{"speech_id":1090175303,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I believe in fairness. which is why I introduced this bill to ensure that Federal judges receive a COLA when other civil servants. including Members of Congress. receive theirs. I urge Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":992}
{"speech_id":1090175349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the remainder of the time. There has been one other mischaracterization made that should be corrected here. because it has been said on the other side more than once that the plaintiff in these kinds of cases is required to stay in the State courts and that we are now moving him up in line with others. but there are many circumstances that require the exhaustion of a State court remedy before you can come into the Federal court. For example. the termination of parental rights requires an exhaustion of State rights. The detention and violation of the sixth amendment right to counsel requires an exhaustion of the State rights before you move. into the Federal court. Confinement for juvenile offenders in violation of the eighth amendment requires th6 same thing. so does denial of Medicaid benefits in violation of first amendment religious protections. What we see here is the most incredible use of determining who goes into Federal court and who can go in quicklyj and easily. and we do not think that developers have done anything to justify that. So in the name of all the local lawmakers. in the name of those who have any respect for the rights of States in these matters. who respect the traditions- that have been wellestablished in the law for determining howwe deal with these claims. we urge a \"no\" vote on H.R. 4772.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1364}
{"speech_id":1090175401,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5224 would designate the Post Office building in Green River. Wyoming. as the Curt Gowdy Post Office Building. Nicknamed \"The Cowboy.\" sports fans across the country in the 1960s and 1970s turned to hear Gowdys commentary on baseball. football. and college basketball games. He was the number one announcer at NBC Sports during the precable television era. and he was known for his objective. laidback style. In fact. one of his most careerdefining moments came almost 46 years ago today. when he called the. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090175401,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Ted Williams final atbat in the major leagues. I urge all Members to join me. in honoring the life and contributions of Curt Gowdy by supporting the passage of H.R. 5224. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":800}
{"speech_id":1090175416,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 471 and extend my congratulations and appreciation to the Professional Golfers Association of America for 90 years of continued excellence. Today. the Professional Golfers Asso6iation is the largest working sports organization in the world. The PGA of America was first formed in 1916 by department store magnate Rodman WanamAker and a group of 35 professional and amateur golfers. The organizations objectives were to promote interest in the game. elevate the standards of the golf professionals vocation. protect the mutual interest of its members. hold meetings and tournaments for the benefit of members. assist deserving unemployed members to obtain positions and to establish a benevolent relief fund for deserving members. These goals are still very much intact. The PGA has also been able to grow interest in the game. protect its members. and even provide assistance to America in its times of need. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2735}
{"speech_id":1090175416,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. after the outbreak of World War I. the PGA of America purchased and maintained an ambulance to be used by the American Red Cross. The PGA of America did this again after the outbreak of World War I1. In 1954. the PGA of America formed the PGA Foundation. a public philanthropic foundation dedicated to growing interest in the game while enhancing the quality of life for all people. especially underrepresented people. More recently. the PGA of America has contributed a great deal to the United States in providing relief following September 1 1th and Hurricane Katrina. The PGA of America donated $500.000 to match Ryder Cup donations for September 11th relief funds and raised $1.3 million for Hurricane Katrina Relief Funds. The PGA of America has not only provided monetary contnbutions but has also offered different programs such as the Urban Youth Golf Program in Louisville. The PGA Foundation provides resources and funding for local PGA professionals to conduct golf lessons for more than 300 urban youth. This program offers free participation and possible scholarships to attend the University of Louisville. The PGA of America has forged partnerships with other organizations such as Special Olympics International to make golf accessible as an official game in the Special Olympics and has created educational programs such as \"Golf in Schools\" which teaches students in elementary through high school about golf as well as such important topics as diet. nutrition. physical fitness and the importance of having a positive mental outlook. Again. ","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2735}
{"speech_id":1090175416,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I express my support for H. Con. Res. 471. Let us honor the PGA of America for its dedication to its members. its philanthropic work. and its service to the game that so many of us love.","speaker_name":"JOE BACA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":43.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2735}
{"speech_id":1090175471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speakser. I think I have been heard on this. but I did want to give Representative WOLF an opportunity to speak on this. As I stated earlier. Delegate Parrish. and it was Mayor before that. fighter pilot in World War HI. was a friend of ours. but he was a friend of the greater community of Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.","speaker_name":"THOMAS DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":346}
{"speech_id":1090175569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. I would like to just at this point thank the following congressional staff for their extraordinary work and persistence in shaping this bill. As my colleague from Minnesota pointed out earlier. we did mark this bill up 15 months ago in my subcommittee. and it has been a long. arduous journey to this night on this HydeLantos legislation. So I want to thank Joan Collins. Gregory Simpkins. Pearl Alice Marsh. Noelle LuSane. Ian Campbell. Hannah Royal. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1175}
{"speech_id":1090175569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Aysha HouseMoshi. Greg Adams. Samantha Stockman. -Walker Roberts. Jock Scharfen. David Abramowitz. Will Lowell. And I hope I didnt leave anybody out because there was an extraordinary amount of give and take on this legislation. Again. some of its aspects that we would have liked to have seen dealing with disinvestment was dropped by the Senate. I think that was a setback. But it is still a very solid piece of legislation and deserves the full support of this body to advance our efforts to mitigate and hopefully end the genocide in Darfur. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1175}
{"speech_id":1090175569,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This now goes to the President. as I have just been reminded. and I think he will sign it very quickly. I urge its passage.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER SMITH","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1175}
{"speech_id":1090175570,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise to support H.R. 3127. the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. This bill imposes sanctions on the government of Sudan and blocks the assets and restricts travel for individuals who are responsible for acts of genocide. war crimes or crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of Sudan. More than 450.000 people have died since 2003 as a result of the genocide in.Darfur. There are twoandahalf million displaced people in camps in Darfur and another 350.000 in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. Almost 7.000 people are dying every month in Darfur. There can be no doubt that what is taking place in Darfur is genocide. and the government of Sudan is responsible. Crimes against humanity in Darfur have escalated in recent months. Over 500 women were raped over the summer in one camp alone. There have been renewed attacks and aerial bombardment. and twelve humanitarian workers were killed. two of them in the last 4 weeks. ","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090175570,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If the United Nations does not intervene in Darfur now. the death toll could rise dramatically in the next few months. Earier this year. I visited the Darfur region with my good friend from California. Congresswoman NANCY PELOSI. and I was deeply disturbed by what I saw. As far as the eyes could see. there were crowds of displaced people who had been driven from their homes. living literally on the ground with little tarps just covering them. It is unconscionable that this should continue. - I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and take a firm stand against the crime of genocide in Darfur. The world stood by and watched the genocide that occurred in Rwanda. The world has noted over and over again the atrocities of the Holocaust. We must take action now to prevent a repeat of these horrific chapters in human history.","speaker_name":"MAXINE WATERS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":35.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1790}
{"speech_id":1090175607,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I want to commend my good friend from Texas. a distinguished member of the International Relations Committee. for presenting this resolution. and I want to echo his words. The United States and the United Kingdom are the closest of allies for a reason: We share an unshakeable commitment to freedom and democracy. As the successful British action against the recent terrorist plot demonstrates. we also share a deep conviction that we must remain constantly vigilant against those who seek to destroy our way of life through violence and terrorism. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":729}
{"speech_id":1090175670,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight to honor the life and the memory of Fort Worth Fire Chief Charles Gaines. Chief Gaines passed away this past Saturday evening rather suddenly of natural causes. Chief Gaines was 49 years of age. Mr. Speaker. our paths crossed several times during Chief Gaines 4year tenure as fire chief and my 4 years in Congress. The commitment and dedication that the chief showed to his profession was evident from the moment we met. Under his leadership. Chief Gaines was accountable for the oversight of 745 firefighters that composed the Fort Worth Fire Department. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2751}
{"speech_id":1090175670,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As fire chief. he also oversaw the departments response to over 57.000 incidents annually in the city of Fort Worth. Before serving as the fire chief of Fort Worth. Chief Gaines served in the United States Air Force as a fire protection specialist. He worked on crash and rescue teams at various Air Force bases until his promotion to Air Force assistant chief. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1980. he continued his career as a member of the Oklahoma City Fire Department in 1981. During the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. he served as the fire departments operations safety officer. His service and leadership during this national tragedy ensured that the first responders and government workers were informed and received all medical attention. Fire Chief Gaines was known throughout the department as a man of integrity. While negotiating with the firefighters union early in his Fort Worth career. his calm. collective demeanor earned him the respect of the department and his coworkers. He was able to compromise with the union and resolve differences between the two sides. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2751}
{"speech_id":1090175670,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He had a detailoriented approach to problems. and this meant that problems within his department. those issues were addressed the first time around. Chief Gaines earned his Masters Degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. and he incorporated efficient management techniques throughout the Forth. Worth Fire Department. This management style allowed him to incorporate and encourage innovation and altefnative thinking. Chief Gaines was able to initiate solutions that would more effectively safeguard the citizens of Fort Worth. while saving tax dollars in the process. Chief Gaines was the first African American fire chief in the city of Fort Worth. The city has a 113year history of that department. Chief Gaines brought a new wave of energy to the Forth Worth Fire Department. His policy of requiring a minimum of four firefighters to each fire truck helped Fort Worth become one of the top 10 safest cities in America. His leadership. professionalism and * dedication will not be soon forgotten in","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2751}
{"speech_id":1090175696,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 2006 it is estimated to be over 6.000 in this current year. 6.100 to be exact. It has become a narco state. Let me go back to this letter. \"That failure. coupled with aggressive efforts of the terrorists. threatens to destroy Afghanistans nascent democracy. A free government that Americans and coalitions have died to support.\" That letter was sent to the President by two of our colleagues. one HENRY HYDE. the highly respected chairman of the House International Relations Committee. and MARK KIRK from the State of Illinois. both Republicans. For the first time. there is a little bit of reality and forthrightness. and I am not going to use the word \"truth\" I will say accuracy. in terms of what the realities are. It is confirmed over and over and over again. wherever you go. whether it is Iran. or whether it is Iraq. or whether the Global War on Terror is being won. And when you have the administrations own intelligence services saying that they- conclude that the War in Iraq has made global terrorism worse by fanning Islamic radicalism and providing a training ground for lethal methods that are increasingly being exported to countries. we are spreading terrorism all over the world like a deadly virus.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1221}
{"speech_id":1090175702,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of the people. The U.S. taxpayer. We have individuals that are being placed in new positions. What do you think in the Pentagon? Well. if you go with your training. with. your education and your experience and talk about a postIraq plan or talk about standing up to the boss or talk about maybe saying. well. excuse me. I know that you have your plan and all. but you know. we need X. that you are making a career decision in this government? So just for balance we need a Democratic House: We need a Democratic Congress that will bring balance and will ask the \"but\" question or maybe we need to call this individual in and understand more about things because we are the individuals .that are elected to represent the peopfe ofthe United States of America. notRepublican. not Democrats. not Independents. but the people of the United States of America. Until we have that. we are not going to have a true democracy. We are not going to have balance. We are not going to have level thinking. We are not going to have the direction that our men and women need on the ground. We are not going to have the accountability that the Constitution calls for. that Mr. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2749}
{"speech_id":1090175702,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"RYAN always talks about in article I. section 1. We are not going to have that until we do away with this Republican rubber stamp Congress. I. do not care if individuals who want to follow me. Mr. Speaker. in a 30second ad to talk about somebody voted one way or another. The facts are that America is more in danger than it was prior to the invasion of Iraq and fiscally in a.worse situation in borrowing from nations that we have never borrowed from at the level that we are borrowing from at this present time. We can talk about articles. We can talk about all these things. The facts are that the experts are saying one thing. It is like going to the doctor and the doctor said. you know. you have a really bad virus. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2749}
{"speech_id":1090175702,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Are you going to stand there and question the doctor? Are you going to say. well. you know. well. I do not have a virus. Republican majority tells me it is just an allergy. I am going to be okay? No. You are not. So we have the 9\/11 Commission that is saying one thing. that are professionals that spent months and months and months. staff. millions of dollars. had the President and other folks going to testify before them. We have this National . Security Council that have pulled themselves together. that have released this report. and we have Members on the Republican side. oh. they do not know what they are doing. it is just a draft report. It is going to be a draft until after the election. So I think the American people. ","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2749}
{"speech_id":1090175702,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. are going to be paying attention to the obvious. This is not just party rhetoric. We are far beyond that at this point.","speaker_name":"KENDRICK MEEK","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2749}
{"speech_id":1090175712,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I dont know if the gentlelady saw last evening the interview with formerPresident Bill- Clinton. He achieved a bit of notoriety. There was a statement that President Clinton made about if he were President at this point in time. there would be so many more troops in Afghanistan. There would be so many more troops in Afghanistan. The inference is. of course. that we wouldnt be in Iraq. Well. I am not going to speculate. but I thought it was significant that he talked about the reality is that there is just insufficient troops existing. You know what I find particularly interesting. we are talking about active duty army military personnel. It is worse with the National Guard and the Army Reserve. I know we all have Guard units back home. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1772}
{"speech_id":1090175712,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have a large military reservation that has served this country very well. We have. in my opinion. some of the best Army and Air Force National Guard units anywhere in the country. But the truth is. they are under incredible stress. I will just read this to you. \"More than twothirds of the Army National Guards 34 brigades are not combat ready largely because of vast equipment shortfalls that will take as much as $21 billion to correct. \"The comments by Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum came in the wake of disclosures by Army officials. analysts and members of the Congress that twothirds of the active Armys brigades are not combat ready. \"The problem. they say. is driven by budget constraints that wont allow the military to complete the personnel training and equipment repairs and replacement that must be done when units return home after deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. \"I am further behind or in an even more dire situation than the active Army. but we both have the same symptoms. I just have a higher fever.\"","speaker_name":"WILLIAM DELAHUNT","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1772}
{"speech_id":1090175789,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is an interesting time as we end the 109th Congress. at least in that portion that will start with the recess apparently this weekend. according to the majority leader and the Speaker of the House. only to return and reconvene sometime in November to do a lot of work that was not done earlier this year. Most of the appropriations bills have not been passed. and perhaps one. maybe two. will be done this week. but the rest will be done after the election. I know my colleague who just spokeand others will come to the floor of the Senate and talk about how fruitful and how productive the 109th Congress has been. I wish I could say the same. I serve in this Congress. I am a Member of this Congress and I hope and wish we could end a year and say we did an unbelievably good job for 6he American people. that we addressed the things that needed to be addressed. that we strengthened this country. and that we helped people in many ways. I wish I could say that. But as Peggy Lees song says. Is that all there is? Is that an appropriate response to the chart that we see trumpeting the 109th Congress accomplishments? Is that all there is? Yes. that is all there is. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11082}
{"speech_id":1090175789,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me describe a few of the things we ought to be dealing with and especially describe the things we are not dealing with. On health care and the issues related to health care. every business in this country and virtually every family in this countryand especially our -Governmentbears the cost of these dramatically increasing prices in health care. No one seems to be addressing it very much. We passed a prescription drug plan a while back for senior citizens on Medicare. and that actually had a little provision in it which prevents the negotiation of lower prices on prescription drugs. That is almost unbelievable to me. Health care costs are on the rise. led. incidentally. by prescription drug prices. This Congress seems to stand with the pharmaceutical industry. It wants to prevent the negotiation for lower prices. I have stood on the floor of the Senate- holding up two identical bottles of the same pill made by the same company. both FDA approved. one sent to Canada. one sent to the United States. The difference is the one sent to Canada is half the price of the one sent to the United States. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11082}
{"speech_id":1090175789,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My colleague said there is a provision in Homeland Securityand indeed there isdealing with prescription drug reimportation. It is much to do about nothing. I regret to tell you. because it will allow people to bring a 90day supply as they cross over the Canadian border and come back. Very few Americans have the capability of driving to the Canadian border to access that lower cost FDAapproved drug. We are charged the highest prices in the world for FDAapproved prescription drugs. That is unfair to the American people. The provision in Homeland Securityis going to do very little. In fact. we have almost always allowed exactly what that provision says we should allow. We have always allowed a personal supply of 90 days to come across the border from Canada- when American consumers buy that prescription drug. This is nothing new. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11082}
{"speech_id":1090175789,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It doesnt address the issue. We have been blocked on the floor of this Senate for 2 years now with a bipartisan piece of legislation cospon- sored by over 30--myself. Senators SNOWE. MCCAIN. KENNEDY. and many others--a big bipartisan bill. We have been blocked from getting a vote on the floor for this legislation which would allow the reimportation of lower cost. FDAapproved prescription drugs. Why is that the case? Because on this subject the pharmaceutical industry has more influence here. regrettably. than the American people do. .We are not addressing the health care costs. and we are not addressing the issue of prescription drug costs--and we should. Trade and jobs. think of that. Are we addressing trade issues? The only thing we are doing on trade issues is to pass more incompetent trade agreements. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11082}
{"speech_id":1090175789,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We just did the Oman Trade Agreement. a country that by sultanic decree has said there will not be an organization of workers. it is illegal to form a labor union in the country of Oman by sultanic decree. We do a trade agreement with a country that basically prohibits organized workers. We have a $68 billion a month trade deficit. $800 billion a year. We are choking on red ink in international trade. Nearly 4 million jobs have been * shipped from this country overseas in search of cheap labor. in search of 20cent and 30centanhour workers working 7 days a week. 12 to 14 hours a day. Does anybody care much about that? We not only have this running up and dramatic increase in the trade deficit. but we see the potential loss of another 40 million to 50 million American jobs. according to some leading economists. And even those that do not leave are tradeable or outsourceable jobs andcompeting with others in the world who are willing to work for much less. causing downward pressure on wages in this country. Some say we see the world as it is. that it is a global economy. and there is nothing we can do about it. I see the world as it is and decide we ought to change it to what it should bestanding up for good jobs in this country. for American workers. Yet this Congress doesnt do that. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11082}
{"speech_id":1090175795,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to speak on three issues this morning. First. I will talk about two amendments I have filed to the Secure Fence Act which is the legislation the Senate is debating once we get through morning business. I will talk about the merits of those amendments and the reasons I believe Senators should support those amendments. that we should be allowed an opportunity to offer those amendments. There is some question as to whether we will be allowed that opportunity. After that. I will say a few words about health care and health care issues in this 109th Congress. First. as to the Secure Fence Act. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11773}
{"speech_id":1090175795,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 6061. I represent. as all of my colleagues know. a border State. I understand the frustration communities are facing due to the inability of the Federal Government to secure our Nations borders. Illegal immigration is a serious problem. and we do need to do a much better job in addressing this problem. The Senate has passed a comprehensive immigration bill. It is not a perfect bill by any means. but it is aimed at improving security along our borders and at also reforming our immigration laws. I believe that the bill passed through the Senate was a step in the right direction. I was disappointed that the leadership of the House of Representatives refused to appoint conferees to meet with Senate conferees and instead decided to hold hearings around the country to concentrate on differences of opinion and to stir up discontent rather than to seek some common solutions to our substantial immigration problems. The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill. The House passed what I would characterize as a different bill. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11773}
{"speech_id":1090175795,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should have convened a conference committee. We should have tried to work out differences between those bills. Thefailure to at least have made a good faith effort in that regard I think is very unfortunate. Mr. President. with regard to the specifics of this Secure Fence Actand the Secure Fence Act is a piece of the Housepassed immigration bill from about a year agoI do believe there are locations along our border where fencing makes sense and additional fencing is required. However. we need to be smart about our security. Walls may make good sound bites in political ads. but the reality is that individuals charged with securing our borders have consistently stated that walls and fences are only part of the solution and that there are better and more costeffective ways to provide for greater border security. Ralph Basham. who is the Commissioner of Customs and Border * Protection. stated earlier this year in response to a question about the proposal to build 700 miles of doublelayered fencing: It doesnt make sense. its not practical. He went on to say that what we need is an appropriate mix of technology and infrastructure and additional personnel. Let me take a moment to also read some remarks delivered by Secretary Chertoff. the Secretary of Homeland Security. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11773}
{"speech_id":1090175795,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"These were delivered on March 20 of this year in a speech he gave at the Heritage Foundation. In describing the Secure Border Initiative. also known as SBInet. Secretary Chertoff stated: We are going to build ourselves what I call a virtual fence. not a fence of barbed wire and bricks and mortar. which I will tell you simply doesnt work. because people can go over that kind of fence but rather a smart fence. a fence that makes use of physical tools but also tools about information sharing and information management that let us identify people coming across the border and let us plan the interception and apprehension in a way that serves our purposes and maximizes our resources thereby giving our border patrol the best leverage they can have in order to make sure that they are apprehending the most people. This week. the. Department of Homeland Security selected Boeing. as its contractor for this Secure Border Initiative. Under Boeings proposal. it will build a network of approximately 1.800 towers along the southern border. It is unclear how mandating 700 miles of fencing as is proposed in this pending bill will fit into the proposal which Boeing has made and which has been selected by the Department of Home: land Security and whether the two together make sense. Unfortunately. the bill as currently drafted does not provide the Department of Homeland Security with the discretion that Department needs in order to determine the most appropriate means to secure the border. It also ties their hands with regard to the use and the placement of fencing. I do not think we should be mandating over 700 miles of fencing at specific locations. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11773}
{"speech_id":1090175795,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I do not think this Senate and those of us here in the Congress have enough detailed knowledge of the various areas along the border to be making the decision as to the specific areas where fencing needs to be built. It is also clear that the cost per mile is something we do not have a good handle on at this time in our debate. According to the Department of Homeland Security. it costs approximately $4.4 million for a single layer.of fencing per mile. The bill we are debating today mandates doublelayer fencing. which would add up to about $6.6 billion for the 730 miles of fencing required under this bill. In discussions with local law enforcement. local. State. and Federal law enforcement along the border in the southern part of New Mexico. we have meetings with what we call the Southwest New Mexico Border Security Task Force. and at some of those meetings I have attended the point has been raised by local security officials that the location of the proposed doublelayer fencing in this bill is. in their view. at least. at the wrong place. The bill also mandates fencing in some areas where we just spent millions of dollars per mile to build vehicle barriers rather than fencing because it was the judgment of the Border Patrol that vehicle barriers were more appropriate in those areas. If we are going to spend billions of dollars to place a fence along over onethird of our southern border. we should at least ensure that it is in the right location and that the Department of Homeland Security can make necessary adjustments in the interest of securing our borders. To this end. I hope to offer an amendment that would ensure that the Secretary.of Homeland Security has the ability to modify the placement and the use of fencing that is mandated in this bill. that is. he has that discretion to make those modifications if the Secretary determines that such use or placement of the fencing is. not the best way to achieve and to maintain operational control of the border. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11773}
{"speech_id":1090175808,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am glad the Senator from Texas brought that up because this morning our distinguished colleague from New Mexico was talking about how Republicans have done nothing significant to lower health insurance costs when. in fact. the small business health plan would have done just that. I was a small businessman for many years. Health care is one of the highest expenses we had. The chance to pool together with small businesses all over the country to buy insurance. just like large companies can do. is a commonsense measure that should have been passed in the Senate. yet was blocked by our colleagues.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":602}
{"speech_id":1090175810,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have the opportunity to correct a wrong. An important bill was blocked. I would like. as we consider this Family Prosperity Act this morning. to ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed. to the.immediate consideration of Calendar No. 562. H.R. 5970. which is the Death Tax Repeal Act. which we call the Family Prosperity Act. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed. and a motion to reconsider be laid on the table.","speaker_name":"JIM DEMINT","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":470}
{"speech_id":1090175841,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. while we in the Senate have been busy doing many things .and our minds have been all over the world. literally. with the war in Iraq and all kinds of things that have come before us and to us for consideration. we have been confronted with a very exciting opportunity for America and Americas future. We have been listening to and acting on a rather remarkable effort involving three Senate committees. with valuable contributions from a number of other committees and a number of Senators from many committees. All of these Senators and all of these committees have worked to write this legislation and are deeply concerned about maintaining our Nations ability to compete in the hightech global marketplace. .Today I join a bipartisan group of Senators in. speaking about legislation that will be introduced later tonight by the distinguished majority leader and the minority leader. They will introduce the legislation later this evening. Its name will be the National Competitiveness Investment Act. and its number is S. 3936. All of us worked on this legislation because we are deeply concerned about America maintaining its ability to compete in the hightech global marketplace. One year ago. the National Academy of Sciences released a report that highlighted the urgency of the challenge. It was called \"Rising Above the Gathering Storm\" report. which was written by a distinguished committee chaired by -Norm Augustine. former chairman of Lockheed Martin. His committee included three Nobel laureates. presidents of leading universities. and chief executive officers of multinational corporations. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090175841,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The charge to Mr. Augustine and his committee was to develop a specific list of policy recommendations to bolster U.S. competitiveness. After an intensive 10 weeks of effort. the committee produced and recommended an impressive report with a list of 20 recommendations. The recommendations all address a central problem. that is. we are not doing enough to harness and develop our national brainpower. The report recommends significant increases in our investments in .science -and mathematics education at alllevelskindergarten through high school. college and graduate school. The bill that will be introduced later tonight. as I have indicated. contains provisions to address nearly every one of the recommendations of. the Augustine report. Many of these provisions were included in the Protecting Americas Competitiveness Edge. or PACE. legislation. which I introduced in January along with Senators BINGAMAN. ALEXANDER. MIKULSKI. and an additional 61 cosponsors. Through this new legislation. we are going to put the Augustine reports recommendations into action. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090175841,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We will authorize a doubling of research dollars to each research agency. including the Department of Energy. Office of Science. National Science Foundation. and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. As chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Committee. I was pleased I was able to slightly exceed U.S. competitiveness. which is so serithe Presidents request for a 14percent ous and about which many of us worry. increase in the Office of Science in fis- because we know that without our recal year 2007. putting it on a track to maining competitive. America has no double in a decade. which is the goal chance in a world which is built on and objective of the Norm Augustine competitiveness. We need to take acreport. The NCIA. which it will be tion to support our standard of living called. also includes provisions that and to ensure that we continue to grow will build on the educational program and prosper. If we do not. we can exsponsored by the Department of En- pect other nations to rival our global ergy. by engaging the facilities and sci- competitiveness and one day to surpass entific workforce of the national lab- us without a doubt. oratories. and these educational programs will help ensure that we are pre- I ask unanimous consent to have paring todays young people for the de- printed in the RECORD a chart I have mands of tomorrows hightech work- prepared which examines and compares place. The NCIA is a good partner to side by side the National Competitivethe Presidents initiative. ","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090175841,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I applaud the ness Investment Act to the Augustine President for his bold vision which he National Academies report and the adexpressed to us in his State of the ministrations American Competitive Union Address. and which we have Initiative to show how this bill cornbuilt upon in the legislation we are pares with each of those. talking about today. There being no objection. the mateI applaud the President for his bold- rial was ordered to be printed in the vision and leadership in the issue of RECORD. as follows:","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4738}
{"speech_id":1090175846,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from New Mexico and the senior Senator from New Mexico for their leadership and their comments. This is important legislation. It is worth pausing \u0095today. to notice that this is legislation which will be introduced tonight by the majority leader of the Senate. Senator FRIST. and by the Democratic leader of the Senate. Senator REm. There are not very many things this year in this Congress that have been introduced by our distinguished two leaders. They do that for a reason. They usually dont even cosponsor legislation. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4603}
{"speech_id":1090175846,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But they. have decided that in this case. this issue is so important that they wanted to send a signal to our country. to the rest of us in the Senate. to the Members of the House of Representatives. to all of us. The Presiding Officer and I deeply believe it is urgently important for our country to do what it takes to keep our edge in science and technology so we can keep our share of goodpaying jobs in the United States of America and not see them go overseas to China and India and other places. This is the way. to do that. and this is an important beginning. It would not have happened but for Senator DOMENICI and Senator BINGAMAN and a variety of other Senatorsso many. it is hard to mention them all. In fact. the reason I think the bill is having such success as it moves through the Senate is that it has so many fathers and mothers. it is not possible to tell who they are because this is a subject matter which -many Senators. have been working on for a \u0095 long time. This bill is about growing our economy. creating as many good new jobs. as we can. so that in 20 years we dont wake up and wonder -how countries such as China and Indig passed us by. This is a progrowth investment. This $20 billion of new spending over 5 years is as much a progrowth investment as a tax cut is. In my experience as a Governor of a State. we had low taxes. and that helped to create new jobs. But we also needed to make investments in centers of excellence and good teaching and distinguished scientists because we knew what most of the world now is learning: most of our good new jobs come from brainpower. from our advantage in science and technology. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4603}
{"speech_id":1090175846,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are in a constant state of losing jobs every day as most healthy economies are. So the key to our success is how many good new jobs we can create. and the key to that is our brainpower advantage. We are not the only ones in the world who understand this. We have a Democratic leader who understands it. We have a Republican leader who understands it. We have a President of the United States. President Bush. who understands it and who made it a central part of his State of the Union Address. But -let me mention just one other President who understands it. Just about a month ago. a group of Senators. led by Senator STEVENS and Senator INOUYE. traveled to China. We met with the President of China. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4603}
{"speech_id":1090175846,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"President Hu Jintao. We also met with the Chairman of the National Peoples Congress. the No. 2 person in China. Mr. Wu. Just 2 months earlier. in July. President Hu went to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering to outline a new 15year plan to make China the technology leader in the world. In his speech. the President of China said China must: Promote a huge leap forward of science and technology. we shall put strengthening independent innovation capability at the core of economic structure adjustment. His plan included reforming Chinas universities and massively investing in new research. The President of China concluded his speech this way: We all bear the timehonored mission to provide strong scientific support for the construction of a welloff society by improving our independent innovation -capabilityJ and good new jobs for us. Many go home. building an innovative country. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4603}
{"speech_id":1090175846,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope that Many are going back to China and our scientists and technicians will strive India to help their countries succeed. hard to make brilliant achievements and No country has national research labconstantly contribute to our country and the people. oratories to match ours. Americans have won the most Nobel Prizes in Mr. President. I ask unanimous con- science. We have registered the most sent that the complete remarks ofg President Hu to the Chinese Academies patents. That innovation has been reoesidence and totegineegcindJul sponsible for at least half of our good of Science and Engineering in .July benejos printed in the RECORD at the conclu- new jobs. That is why we introduced this bill sion of my remarks. today. That is why we went. together.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4603}
{"speech_id":1090175866,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from New Mexico. He is overly generous. I learned as a staff aide in the Senate that if an idea has many fathers and many mothers. it has a much better chance of moving along than if it just has one. Senator DOMENICI is being overly modest about his own role. This would not have gotten to first baseby \"this.\" I mean the competitiveness legislationhad not Senator DOMENICI created the environment in which it could succeed. and if he and Senator BINGAMAN had not had such a good partnership and been able to work together. set a good example and have been willing to step back and allow other good ideas that were progressing through the Commerce Committee and the HELP Committee. It has been a remarkable exercise in restraint for many distinguished Senators. some among the most senior Members of the Senate. and at a time when politics is at a pretty high level. I thank the Senator for what he said. It means a lot to me. ","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090175866,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a sumrhary of the National Competitiveness Investment Act.","speaker_name":"LAMAR ALEXANDER","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1089}
{"speech_id":1090175899,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to take just a few minutes to talk about what the Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions Committee has done this year. This Ryan White reauthorization is extremely important. but it is not the only bill we have been working on. Because of the way we have done our work. some people may not be aware of what has been done. In fact. I know that to be the case. This is a committee that has worked across .the aisle. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1729}
{"speech_id":1090175899,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When you work across the aisle. a lot of times you can work out many of the difficulties. and when you work out the difficulties. there is not a big floor debate. And when there is not a big floor debate. there is nothing for the media to write up about the blood.. consequently. it does not get coverage. So I want \"to correct that here today. and I would like to discuss the Senate Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions Committees accomplishments for the 109th Congress. We have heard some claims that this is a donothing Congress. Well. I am here to assure American workers. retirees. students. and parents that the Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions Committee has done a great deal to help you live more secure. productive. and healthy lives. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1729}
{"speech_id":1090175899,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Of course. we have more to do. but I am proud that during a time of intense partisanship on Capitol Hill. the HELP Committee has produced a lengthy list of legislative accomplishments. Looking back over the past 2 years. most of these victories materialized when Senators were willing to work across party lines and across the Capitol to put finding a solution in front of exploiting an issue. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that a list of bills and reports filed by the HELP Committee in the 109th Congress be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1729}
{"speech_id":1090175908,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in recognition of Dr. William C. Torch of Reno. NV. who has been selected as a recipient ofthe prestigious Tibbetts Award. Significantly. Dr. Torch is the first individual from Nevada to receive this honor. Each year the U.S. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090175908,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Small Business Administration celebrates the accomplishmentsofa handful of firms. organizations. and individuals nationwide with the Tibbetts Award. the agencys highest recognition for innovative technology. Named for Roland Tibbetts. the father of the Small Business Innovation Research Program. the award honors those who best exemplify the philosophy and doctrine of the SBIR Program. Recipients are selected based on overall business achievements. the economic impact of technological innovations. and demonstration of successful collaboration. among other factors. An individual may only win once in his or her lifetime. Considering the purpose of the Tibbetts Award. I find it very appropriate Dr. Torch is a recipient A neurologist specializing in sleep disorders.* Dr. Torch has long been an innovative leader in modern. medical research. and social improvement. I have been very impressed by Dr. Torchs unique contributions to the field of medicine and the State of Nevada. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090175908,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Torch is perhaps best known as the inventor of EYECOM. a biosensor that monitors the frequency and speed of the human eye blink. Small enough to hide inside of a pair of glasses. EYECOM uses an alarm to alert wearers if they begin blinking slower than normal. Already this technology has had profound social effects. it holds great potential for even more social and medical utility in the future. For example. EYECOM has improved the therapy and lives of many patients by allowing them to better interact with the world around them. In . 2002 interview. Dr. Torch said he hoped truckers and pilots would use EYECOM to warn them if they were getting too tired. thereby increasing the safety of our Nations airspace and highways. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090175908,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Law enforcement officers might also use the device to determine if individuals were driving while impaired. As I speak. researchers across the country are working to cultivate the inherent potential of EYECOM. Beyond being a noteworthy inventor. Dr. Torch has significant business achievements to his credit. He is the founder and director of the EYEcom Corporation. the Neurodevelopmental and N~urodiagnostic Center. and Washoe Sleep Disorders Center in Reno. NV. which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He is also the founder of SleepManagement. a Nevada corporation. specializing in jet lag and shift work fatigue research. From 1998 to 2003. he was the director of neurology at Northern Nevada Medical Center. ..Dr. Torch. whohas been licensed in Nevada since 1979. received his medical degree with distinction in research and a masters degree in neurochemistry from the University of Rochester. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090175908,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He received his bachelors degree in chemistry from the Brooklyn College. He completed a residency in pediatrics and a residency and fellowship in child and adult neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx. NY. The Tibbetts Award presentation ceremony is on September 26. 2006. in Washington. I wish to congratulate Dr. Torch on this significant achievement and express my confidence that he has great contributions yet to come. I hope that you will join me in recognizing Dr. Torchs significant achievement.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3419}
{"speech_id":1090175918,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak for a few minutes in morning business. In August. I received a letter from a constituent. Mr. John Dodgen. of Humboldt. IA. Along with the letter. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090175918,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dodgen enclosed a copy of an opinion piece he authored regardingthe war on terror that was published in the local newspaper. In his opinion piece. Mr. Dodgen rightly asserts that the United States is engaged in a global war on terror with an enemy whose goal is the elimination of the United States. I also strongly agree with his premise that we must take the fight to the terrorists where they operate or we will be forced to confront them on our soil. This is a war that we must win. and we must remain on the offense until the war is won. Mr. Dodgen raises some compelling thoughts in his opinion piece. Rather than try to summarize all of Mr. Dodgens points and recommendations. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090175918,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to submit for the RECORD his thoughts on controlling terrorism. I ask unanimous consent that the text of Mr. Dodgens opinion piece be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1035}
{"speech_id":1090175955,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Illegal Insider Trading: How Widespread is the Problem and is there Adequate Criminal Enforcement?\" on Tuesday. September 26. 2006. at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Witness List Panel I: Mr. Ron Tenpas. Associate Deputy Attorney General. Unitedi States Department of Justice. Washington. DC. and Ms. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090175955,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Linda Thompson. Director of Enforcement. U.S. Securities and Exchange .Commission. Washington. DC. Panel II: Mr. Robert Marchman. Executive Vice President. NYSE. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090175955,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"New York. NY. Mr. Christopher K. Thomas. Principal. Measuredmarkets. Inc.. Toronto. Canada. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090175955,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Professor John Coffee. Professor of Law. Columbia Law School. New York. NY. Professor Jonathan R. Macey. Professor of Law. Yale University. New Haven. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090175955,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"CT. and Professor James Cox. Professor of Law. Duke University. Durham. NC.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":926}
{"speech_id":1090175957,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a special markup on Tuesday. September 26. 2006. at 2:30 p.m. in Senate Dirksen Building Room Agenda I. Nominations Terrence W. Boyle. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. William James Haynes II. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit. Kent A. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090175957,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Jordan. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. Peter D. Keisler. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. William Gerry Myers III. to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Nora Barry Fischer. to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Gregory Kent Frizzell. to be U.S. ","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090175957,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Marcia Morales Howard. to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida. John Alfred Jarvey. to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa. Sara Elizabeth Lioi. to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio. and Lisa Godbey Wood. to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.","speaker_name":"ORRIN HATCH","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1093}
{"speech_id":1090175995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last week Turkey put renowned novelist Elif Shafak on trial for charges that she insulted Turkishness because the character in her latest book refers to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as genocide. Nine months pregnant. Shafak was forced to defend herself. or. more specifically. a fictionalcharacter in her book. to prevent going to jail. Although Shafak was acquitted. Turkey continues to use forms of intimidation to deny its citizens their right to freedom of expression. It lobbies for its socalled rightful role in the international community. yet it does not live up to democratic principles and standards. Mr. Speaker. in 1915 a systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians occurred. Over the following 8 years. -over 1.5 million Armenians were tortured and murdered. and more than half a million were forced from their homeland into exile. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090175995,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To this day the Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the fact that this massive crime against humanity took place in the name of Turkish nationalism. When it comes to facing the judgment of history about the Armenian genocide. Turkey has chosen to trample on the rights of its citizens to maintain its lies. The trial of Ms. Shafak is a perfect example of the depths the Turkish authorities will go in order to deny the Armenian genocide. Their refusal simply has no limits. Article 301 of the Turkish penal code was used against Shafak. It is the same law that was used against another author. Orhan Pamuk. in 2005. It states that any person who. quote. insults the republic can be jailed for between 6 months to 3 years. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090175995,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. more than 60 similar cases have been brought against writers and artists in Turkey. The law is being used to silence political voices in the country. In this instance. it disturbingly was used to charge a madeup character in a book. Mr. Speaker. I am extremely pleased that the European Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee. on September 4. insisted Turkey make substantial changes in many areas before the nation could ever be accepted as a merber of the European Union. On September 4. that Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament announced that Turkey had failed to align its laws with the European Union standards. and in particular. it noted Turkeys lack of recognition of the Armenian genocide. itsillegal occupation of the northern third of Cyprus. religious inequality and its oppressive penal code. But Turkish authorities continue to -deny their citizens the freedoms that Americans and other democracies across the world value so greatly. Without them. a true democracy does not exist. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090175995,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Until Turkey can guarantee key principles of a democracy. it should not be allowed to join the European Union. In addition. Turkey needs to abide by international law in its dealings with its neighbors. Turkey continues the illegal blockade of Armenia. It refuses entrance of goods from Cyprus to its ports. Mr. Speaker. the Turkish Prime Minister is expected to visit with President Bush sometime in early October. in the next few weeks. In light of these latest events. in light of the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. I would encourage the Bush administration to insist that Turkey clean up its act. both with regard to suppression of the rights of its own citizens. and illegal and aggressive acts against its neighboring countries.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3451}
{"speech_id":1090176021,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. there is a cliche of the unsung hero. Cliches can be tiresome. but generally they have to be true to become a cliche. One such unsung hero in the history of this House recently died. His name was Leo Diehl. Tip ONeill was a great Speaker. and we have seen before and since that it is not as easy to be a successful Speaker as it may look. One reason Tip was so good at his job was the friendship and partnership he had with Leo Diehl. Leo Diehl was a man of integrity. vision and intelligence. He had lost the use of much of .his body. but his brain worked. and his eyes and ears and . mouth. Because of the great friendship with Leo Diehl. because he could so clearly rely on a man of such strength of character and wisdom. that .was one of the reasons that Tip ONeills speakership. as he was free to acknowledge. was so successful. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090176021,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Leo Diehl recently died at the age of 92. He was a great figure in the history of this House. and I think it is appropriate that those of us particularly who served under Tip ONeills speakership with Leo Diehl mourn him today.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1073}
{"speech_id":1090176031,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the previous speaker talking about the rights of people to sue. and thatthis bill would discourage that right because we are taking away the ability to recover monetary damages or legal fees and court costs. the American Civil Liberties Union probably files most of these lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs. They have said very clearly that their motivation is not fees. is not compensation. If there were no fees involved. they would continue to file these lawsuits even though in many cases of course there are tremendous legal fees and court costs awarded. monetary damages. I want to just. Mr. Speaker. in response to the previous speaker. list a few- ekamples of what I am talking about. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090176031,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I mentioned already in my home State of Georgia. Barrow County of the $150.000 cost. And that small struggling county elected to defend themselves. And that is what it ended up costing them. Another example. The ACLU received $950.000 in a settlement with the city of San Diego in a case involving the San Diego Boy Scouts. The ACLU received $121.000 in Kentucky in a case to remove a Ten Commandments monument outside of the capitol.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1194}
{"speech_id":1090176048,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is just nonsense. Mr. Speaker. Absolute nonsense. There is nothing that keeps the county or the city from defending because the other side will get attorneys fees. The gentleman is trying to collapse a couple of things. The threat of monetary damages arguably would keep you from going to court. but a denial of attorneys fees to an individual plaintiff who does not happen to have an organization. that is not the fact that the other side may get attorneys fees if they win. And. remember. the gentleman suggested that people were being deterred from bringing lawsuits that they could win. or defending lawsuits they could win by the threat of what would be the expense. But in this case. you only get the fees if you win. This only denies successful plaintiffs the fees. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1810}
{"speech_id":1090176048,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that is what this bill does. It has nothing to do with keeping it from going to court. It is trying to discourage things from going to court. I guess what they say is. you cant bring such a lawsuit unless you get the ACLU. If you are an individual that has a different theory about this. and you dont have the money for an attorney. you cant go to court. And the gentleman said. well. that is whatever happened before the 1976 act. Singling out one class of cases for the denial of attorneys fees when every other one gets them does seem to me an odd way to run a constitution. This right and that right. And. by the way. no one should think that if this ever became law. which. of course. no one thinks it will. that it would stop here. There would be other unfavored rights where a minority would be at risk. where you. would be denied legal fees. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1810}
{"speech_id":1090176048,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So lets not collapse two issues. This has no deterrent effect. the part about attorneys fees. It is an effort on the other side to keep people out of court in case they might win.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1810}
{"speech_id":1090176050,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Massachusetts concluded his remarks by saying this is going to keep people out of the courts. In fact. the precedent is just the opposite. In 1962. in Engel v. Vitale. the United States Supreme Court said. 14 years before the attorneys fees award act was put into place. that the state sanctioning of prayer in public schools was unconstitutional. In 1963. 13 years before the attorneys fees award acts came into play. the United States Supreme Court held it was unconstitutional to have Bible reading in public schools. This will not change anything from what happened before this law was created that we are amending today. The same things will happen. And this bill. most importantly. does not remove injunctive relief. If it is the desire of the plaintiff to stop an activity or to remove a monument or remove a display. this bill does nothing to stop that from taking place. The injunctive relief available in all of these cases continues to be available in establishment clause cases. ","speaker_name":"JOHN HOSTETTLER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1153}
{"speech_id":1090176050,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. in fact. the court can say. remove the monument. stop the practice. This bill does not change that. and I want to make that clarification.","speaker_name":"JOHN HOSTETTLER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1153}
{"speech_id":1090176077,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Taking back my time. if the gentleman is trying to suggest that Thomas Jefferson didnt endorse the principle of churchstate separation. I would remind my colleague it was Thomas Jefferson who was the first American to use the term \"wall of separation between churchand state.\" I would reiterate my key points. -","speaker_name":"THOMAS EDWARDS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":311}
{"speech_id":1090176102,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I just would like to respond by making a couple of points. I have heard a number of people get up here and say they strongly support a rule. How can you strongly support a closed process? How can you not be in favor of allowing Members of this House. who have various concerns about this bill and different opinions about this bill and different opinions about how we can best deal with some of these very delicate issues. how can you be proud and strongly in support of a process that says that nobody has any right to come here and make any suggestions and offer any amendments? I find that appalling. I find it appalling. And the fact of the matter is this bill amends the Senate bill. The Senate bill was a bad bill. This makes it even worse. And somehow to claim that what we are doing is trying to make the lives of troubled teenaged girls easier in dealing with horrible circumstances. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1732}
{"speech_id":1090176102,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I mean. does anybody believe that a young girl who is a victim of incest or a young girl who has been raped by her stepfather or.her brother is going to feel that she can go to her mother?- Maybe. But. in many cases. I dont believe that is what will happen. So you are taking a tragic situation and adding more tragedy to it. So I find that puzzling. that we have people coming to the floor telling us how this is the right thing to do and that we should somehow praise this process that closes off any amendments and any real debate. This is a bad bill. and it is a bad process under which it is coming to the floor. I dont care what you believe on the issue of choice. The fact of the matter is this notion that these bills should come to the floor under closed rules I think is just wrong. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1732}
{"speech_id":1090176105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as I close this debate. I want to respond to some of the points that my good friends on the other side of the aisle have stated. They stated their concern about situations where a minor has been raped or a minpr has been abused by her own parent. indeed. a case of incest and what do you want to do about that. I want to make sure that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. indeed. on both sides of the aisle understand that there are clear exceptions in this bill. And they are important. They are very important exceptions. and I dont argue with that point that is made. Let me. Madam Speaker. enumerate a couple of those excerptions. It allows an -outofstate abortion to be performed without parental notification if it is done to save the life of the minor. And it allows an optofstate abortion. and this is most important to that point. an outofstate abortion to be performed where a physician is given documentation showing that the court in the minors home State has waived parental. notification requirements which certainly would be waived in those situations. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2903}
{"speech_id":1090176105,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. in closing. let me reemphasize the importance of Senate bill S. 403. the Child Custody Protection Act. as a safeguard of parental rights and protection for our minors. Almost 80 percent of Americans favor parental notification laws according to a poll 6onducted by the New York Times. yet current State laws can be circumvented and violated through the interstate transportation of minors. Allowing our children to be carted across State lines by nonguardians to get an abortion is absolutely immoral and -fundamentally wrong. I would challenge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. and we can talk about process all day long. you have a right. but to vote against this rule and this bill is just beyond my imagination. With over 30 States already requiring some type of parental notification. Congress cannot turn a blind eye to those who would violate the law and endanger our children. Madam Speaker. this Congress has an obligation and a moral duty to children and to their parents to make sure State laws are upheld to prevent nonguardians from making medical decisions for our children. Frankly. Madam Speaker. our Nations parents and children deserve better. and this bill will ensure that they get the care and consideration that they need. Again. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2903}
{"speech_id":1090176105,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to thank Septeinber 26. 2006 H7368 cc the sponsors of this legislation. Ms. RosLEHTINEN in the House and Mr. ENSIGN in the Senate. and I want to thank all of my colleagues who support efforts to preserve the authority of parents to oversee the wellbeing of their own children. Madam Speaker. I encourage my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on this rule and \"yes\" on the underlying bill. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2903}
{"speech_id":1090176135,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I was absent from Washington on Tuesday. September 26. 2006. As a result. I was not recorded for rollcall vote Nos. 474. 475. 476. 477 and 478. Had I been present. I would have voted \"aye\" on rollcall Nos. 474. 475. 476. and 477. I would have voted \"no\" on rollcall No. 478.","speaker_name":"MARK GREEN","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090176184,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together to produce this important legislation. I would like to especially thank the gentleman from California. Mr. HERGER. Chairman of our Human Resources subc6mmittee. and the gentleman from Washington. Dr. MCDERMoTT. Ranking Member on our subcommittee. for their work in guiding this bill through and reaching a compromise with our Senate counterparts. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3806}
{"speech_id":1090176184,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill is an important. although by no means final. step toward improving our child welfare system and providing hope and a -bright future to the 800.000 children that spend time in foster care each year. I urge my colleagues to vote yes. For far too long many foster children and abused children have suffered because their caseworkers are underpaid. overworked. and tumover frequently. A 2003 GAO report concluded that fkontline caseworkers should not handle more than 18 cases at a time. Yet data collected by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) showed that caseworkers around the country handle an average of 2431cases simultaneously. The GAO also found that the average tenure of caseworkers was less than 2 years. There is a direct relationship between positive outcomes for foster children and the frequency and quality of their interaction with their caseworkers. The more frequent the visits. the safer children are and the better chance they have of gaining permanency. Improving states abilities to recruit. train. and retain highly skilled caseworkers is one concrete way to help our most vulnerable children. This bill includes $95 million in funding over -6 years for workforce- improvements with the goal of ensuring that 90 percent of foster children are visited by their caseworker at least once a month. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3806}
{"speech_id":1090176184,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This funding is a great first step and one worthy of applause. Mr. HERGER and Dr. MCDERMor showed tremendous leadership in reaching a compromise with the Senate that maintained funding for caseworker improvement. However. we should not expect that such a relatively small amount of money will transform a troubled system overnight. There is more that we must do in this and other areas to bring about positive changes for foster children. Fixing our child welfare system has repercussions throughout our society. Foster children who age out of the child welfare system without having developed family supports or skills that can lead to employment create a large societal cost. Consider that a 1999 GAO report found that 40 percent of adults who had aged out of foster care were dependent on public assistance or Medicaid. 51 percent were unemployed. 25 percent had experienced homelessness. 27 percent of males had been incarcerated at least once. In the next 15 years 300.000 foster children will age out ofcare without any transition supports. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3806}
{"speech_id":1090176184,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This body has a moral obligation to do all we can to confront these sad realities. Even as I celebrate the progress that the bill before us today represents. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take the next step and implement changes that will provide support for children transitioning out of foster care. One such change would be to eliminate the scandalous state practice of robbing foster children of their social security benefits. Nearly every state in the nation confiscates foster childrens disability and survivors benefits when those children are under the responsibility of the state. If this practice were prohibited. foster children could use the money that rightly belongs to them for job training. housing. and transportation expenses. These funds would ease foster childrens transition to adulthood and provide them with hope for the future. I urge you to support the bill before us. but please remember that we still have work to do.","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3806}
{"speech_id":1090176233,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 2679. the socalled \"Public Expression of Religion Act of 2005.\" The central purpose.of this legislation is to bar damages and awards of attorneys fees to prevailing parties asserting their fundamental constitutional rights in cases brought under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. H.R. 2679 would limit the longstanding remedies available in cases brought under the Establishment Clause under 42 U.S.C. 1988. which provides for attorneys fees and costs in all successful cases involving constitutional and civil rights violations. I oppose H.R. 2679 for three very important reasons. First. the bill limits access to justice and makes it virtually impossible for an injured party to obtain remedial relief from a serious deprivation of a fundamental. constitutionally protected right. Second. H.R. 2679 would jettison a legal and constitutional principle that has stood the nation in good stead for over two centuries: that an injured party is entitled to just compensation for the injury he or she has sustained caused by the intentional wrongdoing or negligent conduct of others. Third. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090176233,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 2679 discriminates against the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment in favor of the Free Exercise Clause. I will address each of the fatal deficiencies in turn. 1. H.R. 2679 limits access to justice for those seeking to vindicate Constitutional Rights. If H.R. 2679 were to become law. Congress would. for the first time. single out one area protected by the Bill of Rights and prevent its full enforcement. The only remedy available to plaintiffs bringing Establishment Clause lawsuits would be injunctive relief. This prohibition would apply even to cases involving illegal religious coercion of public school students or blatant discrimination against particular religions. Awards of attorneys fees in civil rights and constitutional cases. including Establishment Clause cases. are necessary not merely to help prevailing parties vindicate their civil rights but also to provide an incentive for vigorous enforcement of these protections. which the Framers put in place to protect the Nation. Since widespread observance of the rights and protections set forth in the First Amendment is above a collective good. it is vitally important that there be an incentive for individuals to act as \"private Attorneys General\" to vindicate their individual rights and the public interest in a robust First Amendment. Our sister committee in the other body has found these fees \"an integral part of the remedies necessary to obtain... compliance\" and emphasized that \"[i]f the cost of private enforcement actions becomes too great. there will be no private enforcement.\" H.R. 2679 would turn the Establishment Clause into a hollow pronouncement. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090176233,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Indeed. the very purpose of this bill is to make it more difficult for citizens to challenge violations of the Establishment Clause. It would require plaintiffs who have successfully proven that the government has violated their constitutional rights to pay their legal feesoften totaling tens. if not hundreds. of thousands of dollars. Few citizens can afford to do so. but more importantly. citizens should not be required to do so where there is a finding that our government has engaged in unconstitutional behavior. If our civil rights laws are not to become empty words written on parchment which the average citizen cannot enforce. we must maintain the traditionally effective remedy of fee shifting in these cases.\" In sum. I oppose H.R. 2679 because I believe the elimirlation of attorneys fees for Es\" tablishment Clause cases would deter attorneys from taking cases in which the Government has violated the Constitution. thereby leaving injured parties without representation and without a remedy. It will insulate serious constitutional violations from judicial review. This effectively leaves religious minorities subject to the unbridled whims of the majority. which is precisely the evil the First Amendment. including its Establishment Clause. was intended to combat. 2. H.R. 2679 Denies Just Compensation. I am a former judge and. like many members of this Committee. an attorney. We know that attorneys fees are not awarded in Establishment Clause cases as a punitive measure. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090176233,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Rather. as in any case where the Government violates its citizens civil or constitutional rights. the award of attorneys fees is reasonable compensation for the expenses of litigation awarded at the discretion of the court. In fact. after intensive factfinding. Congress determined that the amount of attorneys fees awarded after review by the court \"are adequate to attract competent counsel. but ... do not produce windfalls to attorneys.\" Thus. H.R. 2679 is contrary to good public policy because it reduces enforcement of constitutional rights. it has a chilling effect on those who have been harmed by the Government. it makes it exceedingly difficult for plaintiffs to avail themselves of the services of attorneys experienced and skilled in constitutional litigation. and it prevents attorneys from acting in the publics good. 3. H.R. 2679 Favors Enforcement of the Free Exercise Clause Over the Establishment Clause. Finally. one cannot help but notice that H.R. 2679 creates an arbitrary congressional policy in favor of the enforcement of the Free Exercise Clause. while simultaneously impeding individuals injured by governmental conduct under the Establishment Clause. Among the greatest religious protections granted to American citizens are the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. The right to practice religion. or no religion at all. is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Religious liberty can only truly flourish when a government protects the Free Exercise of religion while prohibiting governmentsponsored endorsement. coercion and funding of religion. Through the denial of attorneys fee awards under H.R. 2679. plaintiffs will be able to afford the expense of litigation only when they are seeking to protect certain constitutional rights but not others. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090176233,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bad congressional policy serves to create a dangerous double standard by favoring cases brought under the Free Exercise Clause. but severely restricting cases under the Establishment clause. 4. Conclusion If the Constitution is to be meaningful. every American must have equal access to the federal courts to vindicate his or her fundamental constitutional rights. The ability to recover attomeys fees in successful cases is an essential component of the enforcement of these rights. as Congress has long recognized. H.R. 2679 is a direct attack on the religious freedoms of individuals. Therefore. I cannot support it. I am pleased to learn that I am supported in my opposition to this illconceived and unwarranted assault on the First Amendments Establishment Clause by some of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable groups on this subject in America. including: African American Ministers in Action. American Jewish Committee. American Jewish Congress. American Civil Uberties Unions. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7645}
{"speech_id":1090176246,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on Monday the Rules Committee met and reported a rule for consideration of the conference report for H.R. 5631. the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007. Mr. Speaker. when the Rules .Committee met on Monday night. it reported a rule that waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration. Additionally. it provides that the conference report be considered as read. Today. I rise to support the rule for H.R. 5631 and the underlying legislation. This piece of legislation is a hardfought. compromise between the House and the Senate. The required give and take in this case is a tremendous example of the dedication that Members of both bodies of Congress and both political parties have when it comes to supporting our troops in the field. Mt. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6720}
{"speech_id":1090176246,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. many said we could not be at this point today. Many expected compromise- could not be reached. I am pleased to say this has not been the case. Furthermore. the underlying legislation also provides the continuing resolution for the government to remain in operation until November 17. This represents a great compromise and maintains the lower funding levels from either the House or Senate from the previous year or the fiscal year 2006 current rates. H.R. 5631. in short. represents good. bipartisan. bicameral work. Mr. Speaker. the primary purpose of the underlying legislation is to secure and improve the defense of our country. To that end. the underlying legislation provides for several critical needs for our forces. First. its overall level of funding provides $377.6 billion plus $70 billion in the fiscal year 2007 bridge for operations in Iraq and Af: ghanistan. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6720}
{"speech_id":1090176246,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Additionally. a full $17.1 billion is provided for the Army for the purpose of resetting and refurbishing the force. This is particularly critical at a time when the Army clearly requires and deserves additional funds to fulfill the many complex and dangerous missions it has been called upon to undertake. Other critical expenditures in this legislation includes significant dollars for the Armys future combat systems. the Navys shipbuilding program. and aircraft research and development and procurement by the Air Force. Rather than focusing on the specific numbers. however. I want to address the fundamental reasons for the underlying legislation and the challenges that it attempts to address.. Mr. Speaker. today we are at war in both Iraq and Afghanistan. and are embarked upon the greatest military rebuilding effort in a generation. While our forces are stretched. they are doing a magnificent job. There is no doubt of their dedication. professionalism. and commitment to the missions we have asked t hem to fulfill. Frankly. we ask more of them than anyone should have to give. yet when we do. they always exceed our expectation$. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6720}
{"speech_id":1090176246,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. our combatant commanders and the administration have been very open during the multiple oversight hearings about the challenges they foresee in what they refer to as the long war. It is not a war that can be fought and won by force alone. It is one that requires military action. but also reconstruction. stabilization. and the fostering of democratic concepts and structures of government in areas and among peoples who have been subjected to dictators and totalitarian regimes for decades. This task is neither simple nor easy. However. it is necessary for the security of our country. When the American people are asked to support. our troops in the field. they always respond with the generosity and commitment required of them. Historically. however. Congress and the President have not always funded the military in peacetime at levels necessary to adequately protect us from future threats. I believe that many of the challenges we face today come from underfunding our military during the 1990s. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6720}
{"speech_id":1090176246,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today we may hear that the force is stressed. We may hear that we dont have enough troops. We may hear about excessive deployment rates. We may hear about increasing levels of stress on military personnel and their families. In large measure. I accept these assertions as true. but they are issues that have grown out of an historical reluctance to see the world for what it is. a very dangerous place. At the end of the first Bush administration in 1992. we were left with a military that was much larger and could have sustained operations in the H7404current environment for a much longer period of time. During the 1990s. many of the forces we wish. we had today were RIFed. disassembled. retired and transferred in pursuit of the socalled \"peace dividend.\" If there is one thing we should learn from this experience. it is that the military is like life insurance: it is expensive. and no one wants to pay for it. but it is there for a specific purpose and to be used when the situation ret quires. We have clearly seen what the misguided decision to reduce our forces from 15 divisions and then down to 10 divisions has meant for the Army. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6720}
{"speech_id":1090176253,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. let me take a moment to make a couple of points in response to my good friend from Wisconsins observations. First. on the bridge fund for appropriations for ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. I just want to note for the record. it is considerably higher than it has been in the past. $70 billion. I believe. as opposed to $50 billion. That is a significant increase. Also. that bridge fund allows us to frankly adapt to changing conditions on the battlefield. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090176253,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The reality is battlefields do not move in budgetary cycles. or wars do not. And. finally. it keeps us from building in a lot of expense of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq into the permanent base. We think it has been a good procedure to move forward with in this conflict. In terms of the cuts my friend mentioned. let me just say again for the record. if we check each year. we actually spend more money than we do the year before. and on more things. We have many. many choices to make. many. many tough decisions to make. The most important priority for government is always the defense of its citizens and the operation of its military. I would actually argue. I would probably agree with my friend. we should have been spending more there. we. should have spent more there -during the 1990s. In every other area of government. the reality is. including education. you mention No Child Left Behind. our expenditures are considerably higher than they were just a few years ago. and they continue to grow every year. So while we would all like to do more. the reality is we have increased the expenditures considerably. ","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090176253,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some would argue too much. Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to my good friend. the gentleman from Georgia .","speaker_name":"TOM COLE","chamber":"H","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1769}
{"speech_id":1090176314,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and commend him for his leadership in this area. I rise in strong support of this amendment. Despite widespread support for parental involvement laws and clear public policy considerations justifying them. substantial evidence exists that such laws are regularly evaded by individuals who transport minors to abortion providers in States that do not have parental notification and consent laws. Confused and frightened young girls are routinely assisted by adults in obtaining abortions and are encouraged to avoid parental involvement . by crossing State lines. Often these girls are guided by those who do not share the love and affection that most parents have for their children. Personal accounts indicate that sexual predators recognize the advantage they have over their victims and use this influence to encourage abortions in order to eliminate critical evidence of their criminal conduct and in turn allowing the abuse to continue undetected. Although not an interstate abortion. in my district in Cincinnati there is an ongoing court case involving parental rights. A teenage girl. 13 at the time of the abortion. was given parental consent by a man posing as her stepbrother. ","speaker_name":"STEVE CHABOT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2080}
{"speech_id":1090176314,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This man. her abuser. was later convicted on seven charges of sexual battery. Most recently. a judge ordered Planned Parenthood to turn over medical records in determining whether there was a pattern and practice within the clinic of violating parental consent laws. . H74i7: Public policy is clear that parents should be involved in decisions that their daughters make regarding abortions..CIANA will assist in enforcing existing parental involvement laws that meet the relevant constitutional criteria and will provide for parental involvement when minors cross State lines to have abortions. I urge my colleagues to support CIANA. There is no question that parents are the ones that should be involved in this type of critical decision. It shouldnt be the abuser or the rapist. I thank the chairman for pushing this legislation.","speaker_name":"STEVE CHABOT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2080}
{"speech_id":1090176326,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I feel like I am in a time wrap today. We already voted on and debated basically the same bill last year. We must be close to an election if this Republican Congress is bringing up an antichoice piece of legislation that they have already passed. While these types of bills may make good politics for some. they make bad policy for all. We should all be in agreement on the need to lower the numbers of unintended pregnancies and abortions in the U.S. White this bill purports to put the interests of minors and their parents first. as well as reduce the number of abortionsthe facts over the last few years of the Bush Administration have demonstrated that the numbers of abortions increased from the numbers during the previous 8 years of policymaking under President Bill Clinton. In fact. studies show the abortion rate. which hit a 24year low when President Bush took office. and has risen throughout President Bushs first term of socalled antiabortion policymaking. Instead of focusing on this fact. addressing why hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on abstinence only programs with little result. and pushing programs to expand contraception. this majority wants to criminalize aunts and cousins. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090176326,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It just doesnt make any sense. Fortunately. there are laudable programs that work with young people to help ensure that they get accurate and relevant information on how to protect themselves from pregnancy. We should work to find common ground on real solutions to the problems of unintended pregnancies and abortions. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against this meanspirited legislation.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1639}
{"speech_id":1090176360,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. this years Defense Appropriations Conference Report is a step up from previous defense spending bills. It contains funding for some very inventive programs and industries located in my district and throughout Oregon that will prove vital to strengthening our national security and military preparedness. This conference report also provides funding to the Department of Defense to begin researching and expanding its unexploded ordnance cleanup capabilities. Recently a pilot program has been implemented for the first wide area assessment which has already yielded valuable information for improving our ordnance removal methods. It is my hope that this is only the beginning of what will hopefully become a comprehensive approach to cleaning up unexploded bombs here at home as well as abroad. Another important program that will receive funding from this bill is the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative. which gives small businesses from my area involved with defense and military applications the ability to contract on a level playing field with the rest of the defense industry. Through this program. a coordinated effort between state. local. and the private industry. the Pacific Northwest is able to make its contributions to our Nations security. From this we can ensure that the inventive and costeffective solutions generated locally are implemented into our national defense strategy.","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1409}
{"speech_id":1090176376,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume.. Mr. Speaker. as we stated. H.R. 4942 will enable us to work with certain allies. Israel. the United Kingdom. Canada. Australia and Singapore. to engage with them in cooperative endeavors. focus on research. development. the commercialization of highpriority teclinologies. and enable us to prevent acts of terrorism and address the homeland security needs of Federal. State and local governments. ","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090176376,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The g~ntleman from New Jersey referenced the $25 million for each of the fiscal years from 2007 to 2010. That money is to be matched in each instance by the foreign partner organizations who participate in this international cooperative activity. This is very significant legislation. It is very vital. I would certainly urge the passage of the bill. But before I yield back my time. I would like to include for the RECORD letters . exchanged between the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Science regarding jurisdiction over H.R. 4942. I certainly thank the Science Committee and the gentleman from New York for their input on this bill and thank my colleagues for their bipartisan support.","speaker_name":"PETER KING","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1162}
{"speech_id":1090176421,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr.* Speaker. I rise today to support H. Res. 1030 to express a sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Border Patrol is performing an invaluable service to the United States. and that the House of Representatives fully supports the more than 12.000 Border Patrol agents. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. I know well the important role the Border Patrol plays in defending and protecting our homeland from foreign threats. I strongly support this resolution because Border Security is an issue of utmost importance to my district the U.S. Virgin Islands and have in the past. proposed legislations to require the Department of Homeland Security. DHS. to establish a Border Patrol Unit in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The security of the residents of the U.S. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090176421,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Virgin Islands as well as the mainland residents is greatly compromised. The U.S. V.I. contains over 175 miles of open unprotected borders which provides a viable alternative for terrorists. human smugglers and drug smugglers to gain access to the U.S. mainland because we are only 1.600 kilometers away from the U.S mainland. Since 1998 Mr. Speaker. close to 1000 Chinese nationals have entered the U.S. Virgin Islands to transit undetectably into the mainland. These landings have occurred mainly during the predawn hours at one of the several cays on the Island of St. John. The shear number of individuals who are able to infiltrate the island is indicia of vulnerability to a possible terrorist attack. The lack of a Border Patrol Security Unit. has placed an unreasonable burden on other Federal agencies such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090176421,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"ICE. which has to now spend considerable amount ofmanhours apprehending. processing and detaining aliens in custody: This detracts from the time ICE would have to carryout its investigatory duties. Just last month. there was an article published in the Economist Magazine describing the V.S. V.1 as \"Americas most vulnerable point. a lovely place\" but \"woefully unprepared for a terrorist attack.\" The article. points out that illegal aliens land in the Virgin Islands openly and regularly. yet they are rarely caught.\" Having a Border Patrol unit in the Virgin Islands. Mr. Speaker. will not only greatly enhance the security of the Virgin Islands. but the entire Nation as well. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res.","speaker_name":"DONNA CHRISTENSEN","chamber":"H","state":"VI","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2374}
{"speech_id":1090176431,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support ofH.R. 5533. the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2006. I would like to thank Chairman BARTON and Chairman DEAL and the Energy Committee staff for their continued support on this effort. I want to thank my colleague and friend. Congresswoman ANNA ESHOO. and her staff for your commitment. your energy. your counsel and your enthusiasm to get this bill as far as we have come. Thank you very much. It has been a joy to work with you. And I have to say at the time of this intense preelection partisanship. I am thankful that we might serve as an example to many. that you can reach across the aisle to pass important legislation that affects the American people so deeply as their future security. the security of their children and their families and the wellbeing of the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4604}
{"speech_id":1090176431,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you for working with us. I appreciated the opportunity to do that. I would also like to recognize the administration and their willingness to work with us to build upon Project BioShield. of which they really led the charge. We found that it was not sufficient. it needed some improvement. but it was very forward leaning of this President to come out and establish for the first time BioShield. knowing that the threat was real from terrorists around the country and trying to develop at least a program that would deal with the bioterror threat to the United States. They have been so willing to work with us in finding out what worked and what did not work and this second round we think improves BioShield dramatically and really has to happen if we are going to have protection against biothreats in the future. The efforts include both offensive and defensive ways to find new developments and better treatments for those infected by bioterrorist attacks and naturally occurring attacks. as was mentioned by the mention of the bird flu. The problems that we have discovered in looking at BioShield was that there was no single point of authority within HHS for the advanced research and development of countermeasures and quick procurement decisions. and. really. there is only one customer for these type of vaccines. and this is the place where we found some difficulty. There is really only one customer. and that customer is the people of the United States. the government of the United States. With a single source contract it is very hard to attract venture capital. very hard to get private industry excited about developing something if they did not know where the Federal Government was going to be when it came to purchasing something that we are the only ones that were going to buy it. a hard place to be. So we came up with the single point of authority to make quick decisions. and the Valley of Death takes a long time. 8 to 12 years. to develop these vaccines. very labor intensive. a lot of intellectual power applied to coming up with the right vaccine to be the right prophylactic for What we know is a bioterrorism or naturaloccurring event. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4604}
{"speech_id":1090176431,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That Valley of Death. because we are the single source of those contracts. was very real and stalling what we know is great research to happen for the cure and the development of these vaccines. Also. we found that it did not motivate academic researchers. drug and vaccine manufacturers and other possible partners to commit substantial resources. What this bill does. Mr. Speaker. is address all those issues and gives us a framework to go forward and bring out the best in our scientific community. our academic community. our producing community to come up with the right safety net for the protection of the United States when it comes to bioterror threats and natural occurring threats in and around our -societies. which we know is already here. bird flu mentioned. but we also know the real threat of bioterrorism as well. I would hope. Mr. Speaker. that we could encourage the Senate to take our lead here and set aside any partisanship that may arise in the course of this bill in the Senate and take quick action. This really -means the safety and security of every family in this country. Bioterrorism is. unfortunately. a reality in 2006 and beyond. and they need to set aside any differences they may have in the Senate and take this bill up. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4604}
{"speech_id":1090176431,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So I would encourage Senate Democrat leadership to do just that. I would also commend Senator BYRD. who has created this bipartisan product. and urge they move this product as soon as possible. And I would also urge. Mr. Speaker. that this important piece of legislation be passed as quickly as possible.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4604}
{"speech_id":1090176460,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consulme. I rise in support of this legislationwhich would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the commencement of construction deadline for the Swift Creek Hydroelectric Project in Wyoming for three 2year periods. The license was originally issued in 1997. and the bill before us would provide a routine extension of the commencement of construction deadline. The legislation is noncontroversial and was approved by voice vote of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. and so I urge the House approve the legislation. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of our time.","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":650}
{"speech_id":1090176468,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such timb as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the legislation which would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the commencement of the construction deadline for the Reynolds Creek hydroelectric project in Alaska for three 2year periods. The license was originally issued in the year 2000. and the bill before us would provide a routine extension of the commencement of construction deadline. The legislation is noncontroversial and was approved by voice vote of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. I urge that the House approve this measure. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"FREDERICK BOUCHER","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":670}
{"speech_id":1090176477,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today 4n strong support of H.R. 971. to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of certain hydroelectric plants in my State of Connecticut. I thank the gentleman for yielding time. and I also thank the chairman of the full committee. Chair-. man BARTON. for his leadership and work on this important legislation. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved licenses for three hydroelectric plants in Connecticut. Unfortunately. due to reasons beyond their control. Summit Hydroelectric has been unable to begin construction on these approved projects. The delays have been caused by regulatory changes and lease negotiations with the State of Connecticut. We know that section 13 of the Federal Power Act requires that the construction of a licensed project begin with 2 years from the date the license is issued. FERC is authorized under the law to extend this deadline upon a findingthat such extension is \"not incompatible with the public interest.\" FERC did provide a onetime extension. but more time is needed. and that is why we have this legislation before us here tonight. to -enable these projects to go forward. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2368}
{"speech_id":1090176477,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Like two other opdrational hydroelectric facilities located in my district in eastern Connecticut. these facilities will benefit local communities by adding historical value. because many of the dams are of historic nature. increasing property tax revenues to the. town and providing for economic stimulation. In addition. the facilities would significantly reduce trash and pollution in the rivers. For example. one such facility is estimated to remove about three tons of trash each year from the rivers through the screening process. Each of these facilities will remove 36 tons a year of sulfur dioxide pollution. 15 tons per year of nitrogen oxide pollution. and 5.000 tons a year of carbon dioxide pollution. So these facilities are not only important to generate electricity. they are also important to clean up the rivers and to clean up the air. In addition. they will all include fish ladders that are beneficial to our native salmon migration. Finally. Madam Speaker. we know that increasing renewable energy sources has never been more important. Hydropower serves to help lessen our dependence on imported oil. which is paramount to increasing our Nations security and reducing pollution.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2368}
{"speech_id":1090176478,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker.. I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for the information that he has given us. and I appreciatp his personal perspective on the continuation of the licenses for. these dams and the construction. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time and urge the immediate passage of H.R. 971.","speaker_name":"C.L. OTTER","chamber":"H","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":365}
{"speech_id":1090176546,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the chairmans contribution to the bill. He chairs the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs. At this time. I yield 2 minutes to Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. who also worked with us on the bill. He had his own bill. H.R. 6109. dealing with encryption. and we worked with the gentleman. We have three legacy platforms which are basically older operating systems. We were not able to achieve everything the gentleman has been seeking. but I want to appreciate the gentlemans sincerity and his effort and want to continue to work with the gentleman.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":573}
{"speech_id":1090176556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5835. the Veterans Identity and Credit Security Act of 2006. as amended. and thank Chairman BUYER for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. I also want to thank my colleagues from other Committees and across the aisle for the bipartisan effort that brought this bill to the floor. This is an important piece of legislation that aims to improve information security at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). and may set VA as an example for other federal departments and agencies. H.R. 5835. as amended. provides the tools for VA to improve information security and strengthens the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). The legislation. requires the Secretary to provide the ClO withthe authority over VA information technology (IT) to include information security. personnel. resources. and infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BILIRAKIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2708}
{"speech_id":1090176556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These authorities include oversight of the activities. policies. processes. and systems of VA IT. Last October. as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. I joined Chairman BUYER. Ranking .Member EVANS. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Ranking Member STRICKLAND and other distinguished Members to introduce H.R. 4061. the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act. to centralize the authority of the CIO. Last November. the House unanimously passed H.R. 4061 with a vote of 4080. I remember Chairman BUYER standing on this floor. sharing the failures of VA IT projects and the millions of dollars spent on major IT programs that have failed to assist in making the delivery of benefits to veterans faster. safer. and more efficient. I stand here today because of another VA failure in IT. with another piece of legislation to reform VA IT and ask members to unite and show support for our veterans by passing H.R. 5835. as amended. Since 2000. there have been 16 hearings of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and its Subcommittees on VA IT. This summer alone the Committee on Veterans Affairs held eight hearings on IT and information security. two of which were at the Subcommittee level. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BILIRAKIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2708}
{"speech_id":1090176556,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The House Committee on Veterans Affairs has been anything but lax in its review of VA IT. and I am confident that oversight of VA IT will continue following my retirement. It has been an honor to serve in this body and as a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs for the past 24 years. and passing H.R. 5835. would be another way for me to honor and protect the veterans I have served during my time in Congress. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5835. as amended.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BILIRAKIS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2708}
{"speech_id":1090176561,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. although the Rules of the House of Representatives do not allow me to cosponsor H.R. 5835. the Veterans Identity and Security Act of 2006. I wish to express my full support for this bill. My district is home to tens of thousands of veterans from every branch of the military. and this legislation will be extremely helpful to my constituents. The recent loss of data affecting over 26.5 million current and former service members was extremely unfortunate. and it became clear that the Departments data security and notification practices needed an overhaul. I believe this legislation will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to better protect the personal identification data of those who have served and are serving our country. and I am pleased that we are taking steps to prevent these incidents in -the future. As our countryincreasingly relies on electronic information storage and communication. it is imperative that our Government amend our informatiop security laws accordingly. This legislation will help in this effort. and I am wholeheartedly supportive.","speaker_name":"JO ANN DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"F","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1087}
{"speech_id":1090176568,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I also thank the gentleman from California for introducing this fine resolution. I rise in suplgrt of H. Res. 1016. which encouagesnfseaffices of the House of Reprpe VtoA.. to hire disabled veterai -IAnd I ask all my colleagues to support this important bill. Throughout history. our Nation has depended on the brave men and women of the military to secure our freedom. frequently at their own peril. Millions of those who fight valiantly for our country will return with injuries that threatened their livelihood and that of their families. ","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1377}
{"speech_id":1090176568,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"After completing their service to our country. our Nations disabled veterans often return to face another challenge: diminished prospects for employment due to the injuries they suffered in battle. By recruiting these exceptional individuals for employment in the House. we are both rewarding these heroes for their sacrifices they have made for their country and securing experienced. dedicated employees to work in House offices. By providing a congressional career path to disabled veterans. we are offering these courageous individuals an opportunity to serve the public in a new capacity. I ask the Members to honor our Nations veterans both by supporting this important resolution and by hiring disabled veterans. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1377}
{"speech_id":1090176633,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we are taining peace in Sri Lanka. The devon the verge of a fullscale war in Sri astating effect this is having on the ciLanka. The 2002 ceasefire agreement vilian population of the country is not and the peace process in Sri Lanka be- just. It is up to both parties to find a tween the government and the Libera- way to ensure the safete and security tion Tigers of Tamil Ealam. LTTE. is of all the people of Sri Lanka. essentially nonexistent. The violence is escalating and thousands of Sri Lankan civilians are suffering. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a These past few months have resulted previous order of the House. the gentlein nearly 2.000 deaths with more than woman from New York (Mrs. MCCAR200.000 displaced persons. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090176633,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The fighting THY) is recognized for 5 minutes. has also blocked access to essential (Mrs. McCARTHY addressed the supplies for many parts of the north- House. Her remarks will appear hereeastern province. cutting off more than after in the Extensions of Remarks.) 60.000 Sinhalese. Muslims and Tamils from water. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a This sinister cycle of war. ceasefire previous order of the House. the genand then more war is not effective. tleman from Nebraska is Each side blames the other side and the recognized for 5 minutes. situation is only getting worse. (Mr. OSBORNE addressed the House. Hostilities must end and violence His remarks will appear hereafter in must not be the means for resolving the Extensions of Remarks.) ethnic conflict. All efforts must be focused on restoring and sustaining peace. and both parties must swallow TRIBUTE TO GOLF LEGEND BYRON their pride for the sake of their Nation. NELSON Norway and the cochairs of the Mr. ","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090176633,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BURGESS. Mr. Speaker. I ask Tokyo Donors Conference. which in- unanimous consent to speak out of cludes the United States. have called order and address the House for 5 minfor a return to unconditional negotia- utes.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1929}
{"speech_id":1090176637,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President George Bush. in creating fear about terrorists in the American people rather than understanding. often says. \"If we dont fight terrorists over there. we will have to fight them right here.\" He never bothers to explain in detail who the terrorists are or what motivates them or how his policies are creating more of them. The Presidents explanations are too simplistic. and they are wrong. The President tried to convince us if we got Saddam Hussein and brought him to justice the battle for peace in the Middle East would take a favorable turn. Indeed. the opposite has happened as Iraq descends into chaos. Indeed. despite the military firmness and bravery of our soldiers. the Iraq war has actually failed politically by failing to win the hearts and minds of the people. \u0095 Equally bad. the Iraq war has strengthened Iran and those loyal to it. By removing Saddam Hussein as a counterweight to Iran. President Bush has left a vacuum now being filled by increasingly radicalized Shia populations and disillusioned Sunnis. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6589}
{"speech_id":1090176637,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Shia and Kurd factions inside Iraq and the outnumbered Sunnis are now at one anothers throats. Great instability is being created in a region where rising religious fundamentalism. unleashed by Saddams ouster. is the glue that is binding a rising revolution of expectations by formerly suppressed populations. The Presidents own White House was forced this week to declassify an intelligence report that I am going to put in the RECORD. This is a summary. called \"Trends in Global Terrorism. a National Intelligence Estimate.\" and this report says the Iraq war is shaping a new generation of terrorists. Anyone who knows anything about what is causing rising levels of hatred against the United States in the Middle East would have anticipated this eventuality. The key question the President and we must address and face is. why do his policies yield more and more terrorists who want to harm us. and harm us in many places beyond the boundaries of Iraq and Afghanistan? The complete story will show terrorists will continue to plot ways to harm America because more than wanting to come here. although some of them are capable of doing that. they want America and American influence out of their countries and regions. They want us out of there more than they want to come here. Rather than striking fear in the American people. the President ought to do more to explain the forces creating this antiAmerican and antiWestern sentiment across those troubled regions. Which American interests have caused this antagonism to our Nation? An important question to answer. In what countries has this hatred been fomented? Another important question to answer. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6589}
{"speech_id":1090176637,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And what is the face there of America that is hated more and more? Let me suggest part of that face involves U.S. oil alliances in cahoots with some of the most repressive and brutal regimes and leaders who hold down the potential of their own people. There is not a democracy over there. and we are totally reliant on all of those oil kingdoms. Let me suggest. that the presence of U.S. military bases that ensure the status quo of those repressive regimes doesnt help. Let me suggest America is hated more because we are not viewed as being evenhanded at arriving at fair and just peace settlements between Israel and the Palestinians and their neighbors. We need to do a better job of cultivating evenhanded diplomacy in the region. Let me suggest our U.S. popular culture and many of its excesses are regarded as abhorrent to the fundamentalist legions that have gained even greater ascendancy after the disgusting and outrageous behavior by Americans at Abu Ghraib. Let me suggest the U.S. now is being viewed by the multitudes of Muslims as fighting a religious war against Islam. President Bush made a huge blunder at the start of the Iraqi war by calling it a Crusade hearkening back to the Christian wars. His battle cry gaffe echoed across the Muslim world and became a rallying point for the opposition. How tragic and inappropriate. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6589}
{"speech_id":1090176637,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me quote from a wise American voice who tries to enlighten. about the roots of terrorism. rather than strike fear in our people: Robert Baer. author of best selling book See No Evil. is a decorated CIA agent who put his life on the line for our Nation for three decades. He tries to build understanding about the conditions giving rise to -terrorism. He defines our problem as larger than just a few menlike Bin Laden and Husseinand their followers. He argues the reason animosity is growing against the U.S. is the result of much larger forces spanning several decades. To name but one element of the challenge we facehe discusses the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood was an amorphous. dangerous. unpredictable movement that shook every government in the Middle East to its bones. Founded by an Egyptian. Hasan AlBanna. in 1929 it was dedicated to bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. The Egyptian Muslim Brothers had unsuccessfully tried to kill Egyptian President Abdul Nasser. The Syrian branch had tried to kill Syrian President Hafiz alAsad a couple of times. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6589}
{"speech_id":1090176637,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In 1982. its followers seized Hama. a historic city in central Syria. provoking Asad into shelling them and Hama into the next life. The Muslim Brothers are also distant cousins of the Wahabis of Saudia Arabia. the most puritanical sect in Islam. Underwritten by the Saudi royal family. the Wahabis spawned Osama bin Laden. They also served as the inspiration for the Taliban in Afghanistan and other radical Sunni movements. Many Muslims consider the Wahabis dangerous because they adopted the beliefs of Ibn Taymiyah. a 14th century Islamic scholar who condoned political assassination. AlJihad. the Egyptian fundamentalist who murdered Egyptian President Anwar Sadat relied on Ibn Taymiyah as justification for what they did. Understanding the forces that generate terrorism is fundamental for solving it. The National Intelligence Report summarizes some of the essential steps our Nation must take to broaden our understanding of what it will take to break our dependence on oil regimes. resolve peace settlements that have been let languish. and form alliances that are broadly representative and democratic in their focus. The world needs more understanding. not fear. to counter terrorism. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6589}
{"speech_id":1090176705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I appreciate the majority leader yielding. So everyone understands where we are. let me repeat what the majority leader said. As things now stand. we are going to have a cloture vote on the Hamdan matter. the Supreme Court detainee situation that now confronts the country. sometime this evening. What we are going to try to do in the next hour or so is work out a unanimous consent agreement that there will be amendments allowed to be offered on the Hamdan matter. There would be amendments. We would agree between the leader and me as to how much time will be on the amendments. I have cleared this matter with most everyone. As I told the leader today. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1603}
{"speech_id":1090176705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I still have to work things out with two other members -of the Judiciary Committee. Hopefully. I can do that. If not. what will happen is cloture will be invoked on Hamdan and then 30 hours will start. and there will be cloture on the fence bill. the barrier bill. sometime tomorrow. We are trying to work our way through this so the Hamdan matter will have some debate on it and some amendments offered on it. We are doing our best to do that. As I said yesterday. late in a session such as this. everyone becomes a Charles Atlasone person can stop anything. They have the right to do that. We understand that. But procedurally that is where we are now. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1603}
{"speech_id":1090176705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hopefully. we can work our way through this and have some debate on this detainee matter and move on to the fence bill. hopefully work something out on that. and put us on a glidepath to completing the work of the body. as the majority wants to do. in the next couple of days.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1603}
{"speech_id":1090176737,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it took an act of courage for JIM JEFFORDS to declare himself an Independent. It took an act of courage for a lifelong Red Sox fan to quote a New York Yankee in his farewell address to the Senate. JIM JEFFORDS is an extraordinary public servant. Fewer than 2.000 men and women in the history of the United States of America have served in .the Senate. We all understand the great privilege of being in this body representing our great States. But people .are not noted in the history of the Senate for longevity alone. People are noted for singular acts of courage. And when it comes to JIM JEFFORDS. his public career has been a singular act of courage. I hail from the State of Abraham Lincoln. where he lived most .of his adult life. and where we claimed him as part of our national heritage. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090176737,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When I think of JIM JEFFORDS and the political party he identifies with more than any other name. I will say he identifies with the party of that great leader Abraham Lincoln who stood up for principles often against public and popular will. This last week. Time Magazine noted they were going to designate Senator JIM JEFFORDS of Vermont as \"Person of the Week.\" They said in his one principled decision to become an Independent. \"He demonstrated to the White House and the United States Senate that revolutionaries often come in surprising packages.\" We all know what happened after JIM made his decision to become an Independent. He told me about walking home to his apartment at night down Pennsylvania Avenue. And people who were outside restaurants and cafes would stop and stand and start to applaud. and JIM would be startled by it at first. But he received more recognition then he. I am sure. expected. A lot of it came in positive terms. some in negative terms. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090176737,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"People wanted to name their babies after him. In Burlington. VTI think this is probably the greatest tribute a politician could- ever expectthey named a beer after him-\"Jeezum Jim\" they called it. I hope it was a popular brew because he has been a popular Senator. When they asked him why he changed his affiliation to become an Independent he replied very simply: \"It is all about education.\" I remember it well. because I know that was the deciding factor. Your commitment to particularly those students who struggled with disabilities. students who have these difficulties. your commitment to those kids led you to this decision. Many of us make these depisions on votes on the floor. But as has been said. for JIM JEFFORDS education went way beyond a vote or a speech. Several years ago. he established this tutoring program in Washington. DC. encouraging us. as Members of Congress. the House and the Senate. to walk just a few blocks from here. as he did o many times. to tutor the innercity youth of Washington. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090176737,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"DC. He isa true Vermonter and a true Independent. When we look at his record. he was the only House Republican who voted against the Reagan tax cut because he was afraid it would lead to dangerous deficits. How right he was. In 1993. he was the only Republican Senator to cosponsor President Clintons health care plan. He worked for years for regulation of tobacco by the Food and Drug Administration. a goal which I share with the Senator. And he sponsored the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. banning employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Some politicians in their career find ways to divide us. JIM JEFFORDS always looked for ways to bring us together. A strong supporter of Federal funding for AIDS research and the arts. justifiably proud of the role he played in passing the Work Incentives Improvement Act. and. of course. his record on the environment is without parallel. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090176737,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know. historians will also record all these accomplishments and courageous battles when they write about JIM JEFFORDS. On July 4. 2001. several weeks after he made his decision to become an Independent. he sat down at his home in Vermont and wrote these words: I hope my decision will move the two parties to the center. where the American people are. The American people want an active. -responsible. Federal Government. He went on to say: There seems to be a hunger in country for heroes. especially for the political variety. Not only with this one historic act of conscience but throughout his career in the House and the Senate. in public life JIM JEFFORDS has been a living example of these hopes and beliefs. I am proud to have been able to serve with him. I am proud to count him as one of my colleagues. even prouder to count him as a friend. I thank his family for giving him this opportunity to serve and giiing this wonderful man to public life. I thank you. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4719}
{"speech_id":1090176762,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If I could speak on this very important issue addressed previously by the Senator from Illinois. the Military Commissions Act of 2006. I have been restrained in making comments on this process. although I admit I have had to bite my lip a few times because I believed the process that was underway was responsible. Let me go back and talk a little bit about the beginnings of why this act is necessary and where we are now. We have been in some very difficult times and some uncharted waters when it comes to the war on terror since September 11. It has challenged us in many ways to deal with problems we have not had to deal with before. with an amorphous enemy which does not line up in uniform. in rank. but takes the vehicle of suicide bombers or roadside bombsthe worst of all possible attacks on innocent men and women and childrenwith no uniform. with no concern for what it does to these innocent people. not to mention those who are trying to bring about greater peace and democracy and opportunity and security in the world. in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Middle East and. yes. here at home. We are working through this as we go forward. These are unique times. In this process. we. have been able to capture and deter some of the worst of the worst jihadists in the world. intent on killing our soldiers and innocent men and women. We have had to deal with them. These are notpeople who ordinarily have been captured who would be covered by the Geneva Conventions. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10984}
{"speech_id":1090176762,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They are not serving in a countrys military. they are murderers of the worst sort. We have had to deal with this issue. This administration has dealt with it. They have done it responsibly. Have they made some mistakes? Why. of course. we are human beings. All of this led to a very unfortunate Supreme Court decision. referred toagain. unfortunatelyas the Hamdan decision. The Supreme Court clearly made a mistake. I must admit I was disappointed in some of the rulings of the -judges. but it has forced our hand to try to make it clear in the law and with the administration how we are going to deal with this question of interrogating these terrorists. how we are going to deal with some of the evidence that is acquired through that process. The administration has been working with the lawyers. with the Congress. and with the Senate to try to work through this issue. Some people were very distraught last week that we seemed to be having disagreement within our own ranks on the Republican side of the aisle where three or four Senators or some Senators had some concerns. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10984}
{"speech_id":1090176762,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I felt very differently. Finally. we were dealing with issues that really matter. Questions of law. how we deal with the terrorists. how we deal with the evidencethese are very serious discussions. the kinds of things the Senate should be doing a lot more of. While one can disagree with who Was doing what. we went through a process. took up legitimate questions of the lawhow to deal with the Geneva Convention. how is it perceivedand came to an agreement. I still had my doubts. There are parts I still do not particularly like. I thought it was a very good process. with a lot of different people. a lot of lawyers. a lot of military people. a lot of leadership in the Congress. and they came up with a conclusion. I have had occasion now to take a look at what they came up with. had questions about. and it is pretty good. However. it is an area where we must actbecause if we do not act. we are notthe administration. the Governmentgoing to know how to deal with interrogation or with the terrorists or how to deal with the evidence. This is a case where we do not have the luxury of not dealing with this issue. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10984}
{"speech_id":1090176762,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to do it. In some other areas. we should act. The electronic wiretaps matterwe should deal with that. but we dont have it. We can go forward on the law as it is. In this case. we have to clarify the situation. or these people who are being held in Guantanamo Bay are going to- be hanging in limbo. If you are worried about them. which I am not particularly. there needs to be a process of how we will deal with them. That is how we got where we are. That is now pending as an amendment to the border security bill that provides for a fence along our southern borderwith Mexico. That is not the way it should be done. It should be considered clean. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10984}
{"speech_id":1090176762,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it is typical of what has happened all year long in the Senate. The whole operation from the other side of the aisle is delay it. drag it out. dont cooperate. Why cant we at least debate? Why have we gone through a day and a half of nothingness instead of considering and debating the substance of the amendment which should be a bill and also the substance of border security? -Does anyone here want to leave to go home for an election periodand that is what this is really all aboutwithout having addressed how we do the military trials and without having done something more significant about border security? Not me. although I suspect there are some who say: Yes. lets dont let anything happen. then we can blame Senators. certain people. leaders. whatever. the administration. because nothing happened. Nice deal if you can pull it off. I dont believe the American people will buy that deal. Also. in listening to some of the comments in the Senate. it stuns me. First of all. I am an attorney. I have not practiced for a long time. I find myself now involved in a lawsuit. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10984}
{"speech_id":1090176798,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to speak in support of the Military CommissionsAct of 2006 which would authorize military .commissions for the trial of an alien enemy unlawful combatant. I take a moment to say my colleagues and others with whom I have served in the Senate the last 28 years stand at a moment of critical importance in the history of our Nation. What we do today will impact how we conduct the war on terror for as long as it lasts. In the estimate of this humble Senator. that could be for decades. It will fundamentally impact our relationships with our allies. It will fundamentally impact the image of the United States of America in the eyes of the world. It is crucial to our ability to keep America safe. It will speak most loudly about. the core values. the principles of this great Republic known as the United States of America. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5968}
{"speech_id":1090176798,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"From the outset. I make it clear I respect the views of all participants in this dialog. from the President and his team. to those particularly in the Congress. but elsewhere in the Congress. on both sides of the aisle. I have certain core principles I share with several of.my colleagues. I have endeavored to see this particular bill reflects those principles to the best of my ability. as have they. Nevertheless. I respect the views of others who may differ. The goal of this legislation. from my point of view. and I think it is shared by others. is first and foremost to meet the challenge for withstanding review by the Supreme Court. Out of respect for that Court. the Hamdi decision. which was quite an interesting decision in many of its findings. divided by different panels within that Court. it is quite likely in one or more instances. if this becomes law. the bill now presently before the Senate. that will likewise be taken to the -Supreme Court. That is the way we do things in the United States of America. We hope we who have labored to craft this. and the 100 Senators who will finally cast their votes. together with the other body. will give to the President a bill that will effectively enable him to do those things to keep America free. to fight the war on terrorism and. at the same time. pass the Federal court reviewwhether it is the district. appellate. or the Supreme Courtsuch as likely will take place. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5968}
{"speech_id":1090176798,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In late June. the Supreme Court struck down the Presidents initial plan to try detainees by military commissions. In its opinion. Hamdi v. Rumsfeld. the Court held by a fractured fiveJustice panel that the present system for trials by military commission violated both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and particularly Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions. There were some four conventions put together in 1949. In particular. the Common Article 3 was common to all four of those conventions. That historic moment in world history was a culmination from the learning experience of what took place all across our globe during World War II in an effort to see that certain injustices. in terms of the basic core values of the free world. would never occur again. It is my fervent hope and conviction that whatever the Congress does. the S10246 coi legislation we produce must be able to withstand further security review and scrutiny of the Federal court system. particularly theSupreme Court. From my own personal perspective. it would be a very serious blow to the credibility of the United States--and I have said this a number of times in connection with the debatenot only in the international community but also at home. if the legislation as prepared by the Congress now and enacted by the President failed to meet another series of Federal court reviews. To meet the mandate of the Court in its decision. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5968}
{"speech_id":1090176798,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hamdi v. Rumsfeld. this legislation provides for a military commission that. in the words of Common Article 3. affords \"all the judicial guar-. antees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.\" That is what we are striving to obtain. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 provides these essential guarantees in the following ways. The bill generally follows the current military rule oi the use of classified information at trial. That has been an area of concern probably to each and every Senator but most particularly to this Senator and others who worked closely in our group. We have. to the satisfaction of all interested parties. resolved that. That is a very fundamental thing we must maintain. that is. the ability of our continued gathering of evidence. the protection of source and methodsnevertheless. to provide. on a realtime basis intelligence for our fighting men and women and. indeed. intelligence to protect us here at home. However. our bill goes further by creating a privilege that protects classified information at all stages of a trial and prohibits disclosure of classified information. including sensitive intelligence sources and methods. to an alleged terrorist accused. As a fundamental matterand one we feel is crucial for this bill to survive judicial reviewthe \"bill would not allow an accused. however. to be tried and sentencedperhaps even being given the death penaltyon evidence that the accused has never been allowed to see. That. in my judgment. and I think in the judgment of many. would be establishing a precedent that is without foundation in American jurisprudence or. indeed. the jurisprudence of the vast majority of nations in the world. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5968}
{"speech_id":1090176798,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Further. the bill would prohibit the use of evidence that was allegedly obtained through the use of torture. A statement obtained before the date of enactment of the Detainee Treatment Act of. 2005December 30. 2005--in which the degree of coercion is in dispute could be used onlyand I repeatonly at trial if the military judge finds that it is reliable and tends to prove the point for which it was offered. A statement obtained after the date of enactment of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005. in which the degree of coercion is in dispute. may onlybe ad-","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5968}
{"speech_id":1090176836,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on September 14. the Senate Armed Services Committee favorably reported S. 3901. the Military Commissions Act of 2006. to the Senate floor with a bipartisan vote of 15 to 9. Supporters of the committee bill on both sides of the aisle emphasized that the bill met two critical tests: First. that we would be able to live with the procedures we established if the tables are turned and our own troops were subject to similar procedures. Second. that the bill was consistent with our American system of justice and would stand up to scrutiny on judicial review. On the first point. the committee bill did not authorize departure from the requirements of the Geneva Conventions. did not authorize the abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody. did not authorize the use of testimony obtained S10248 Co through abusive practices. because the standards for detention. interrogation. and trial in the bill were consistent with international norms. The bill contained no procedures that we could not live with if they were applied to our own troops who might be captured at some future time. On the second point. the committee bill established legal procedures consistent with basic principles of the American system of justice. such as the rightto examine and respond to all evidence presented. and the exclusion of unreliable categories of evidence. such as coerced statements. Because the bill took the approach outlined by the Supreme Court in the Hamdan case. a trial process based on rules and procedures applicable in trials by courts martial. subject to such exceptions as might be required by the unique circumstances of military and intelligence operations in an ongoing conflict. committee members could have confidence that these. provisions would be upheld by the courts on appeal. The committee bill was not brought to the Senate floor. Indeed. the majority leader reacted to the action of the Armed Services Committee by telling the press he would filibuster the bill if the Senate Armed Services Committee bill was brought to the Senate floor. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3599}
{"speech_id":1090176836,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Consequently. the three Republican Senators- who had drafted the committee bill. Senators WARNER. MCCAIN. and GRAHAM. entered into negotiations with an administration that has been unrelenting in its determination to legitimize the abuse of detainees and to distort military. commission procedures to ensure convictions. The bill before us. which is the product of those negotiations. has been changed from the committee bill in so many ways that the bill is a very different bill from the one that was adopted by the Armed Services Committee. It is the Armed Services Committee bipartisan bill that I have now offered as a substitute to this new version that is being offered today. Let me give you some examples of the differences between the committeeadopted bill and the bill that is before us.. On coercecl testimony. the committee bill prohibited the admission of statements obtained through cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. The bill before us prohibits the admission of statements obtained after December 30. 2005. through \"cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatinent\" but inexplicably. contained no such prohibition for such statements that were obtained before As a result. military tribunals would presumably be free to admit. for the first time in U.S. legal history. statements that were extracted through cruel or inhuman practices. By the way. on that issue. if anybody wants to read the actual difference in the way in which the December 30. 2005. date was provided in this bill as a dividing line between statements that","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3599}
{"speech_id":1090176850,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as I said earlier. I understood that the consent agreement was to give me 45 minutes on the SpecterLeahyDodd amendment and 15 minutes on the bill. That seems to not have been the agreement .TE S10253 entered into by leadership. I ask that I take 10 minutes from the Democratic leaders time and the remaining time from my own 45 minutes of time. I see the concern by the Senator from Michigan. I will take it from my 45 minutes. I also note that I will not consent to any other time agreements on this bill insofar as the time agreement I understood I had was not entered into. I will take the 45 minutes. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090176850,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. this administration has yet to come clean to the Congress or the American people in connection with the secret legal justifications it has generated and secret practices it has employed in detaining and interrogating hundreds if not thousands of people in the war on terror. Even they cannot dismiss the practices at Guantanamo as the actions of a few \"bad apples.\" With Senate adoption of the antitorture amendment last year and the recent adoption of the Army Field Manual. I had hoped that 5 years of administration resistance to the rule of law and to the U.S. military abiding by its Geneva obligations might be drawing to a close. Despite the resistance of the Vice President and the administration. the new Army Field Manual appears to outlaw several of what the administration euphemistically calls \"aggressive\" tactics and that much of the world regards as torture and cruel and degrading treatment. Of course. the President in his signing statement undermined enactment of the antitorture law. and now the administration is seeking still greater license to engage in harsh techniques in connection With the military tribunal legislation before us now. What is being lost in this debate is any notion of accountability. Where are the facts of what has been done in the name of the United States? Where are the legal justifications and technicalities the administrations lawyers have been seeking to exploit? Senator LEVINs amendment. which restores the bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee. would maintain some accountability for this administrations actions and some standards of justice and decency. The Republican lelderships legislation which is before us now strips away all accountability and erodes our most basic national values. If the administration had answered me when I asked over and over about the Convention Against Torture and about rendition. we could have come to grips with those matters before they degenerated. as they have. into international embarrassment for the United States. As Secretary Colin -Powell wrote recently. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090176850,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\"The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism.\" It did not need to come to that. If FBI Director Mueller had been more forthcoming with me at or after the May 2004 hearing in which I asked him about what the FBI had observed at Guantanamo. we could have gotten to a detention and interrogation policy * befitting theU.S. years sooner than we have. If the administration would have responded to my many inquiries over the years regarding the rendition of Maher Arar. I would not have had to send yet another demand for information to the Attorney General this week. and we would not have been embarrassed by the Canadian commission report about his being sent by U.S. authorities to Syria where he was tortured. Mr. Arar is the Canadian citizen who was returning to Canada through New York when he was arrested by American authorities at JFK airport and held for 12 days without access to a Canadian consular official or lawyer. He was then rendered. not to Canada. but to Syria. without the knowledge or approval. of Canadian officials. where he was tortured. Last week. a Canadian commission inquiry determined that Mr. Arar had no ties to terrorists. he was arrested on bad intelligence. and his forced confessions in Syria reflected torture. not the truth. Sadly. the administration is still seeking to avoid accountability by hiding behind legal doctrines. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090176850,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The administration continues to thwart every effort to get to the facts. to get to the truth and to be accountable. I am worried that the legislation before us.is one more- example of that trend. Unfortunately. Senator LEVINs amendment. like the Armed Services Committees bill. retains the extremely troubling habeas provision. I will be -submitting an amendment to strip that provision. We are rushing through legislation that would have a devastating effect on our security and on our values. and we need to step back and think about what we are doing. The President recently said that \"time is of the essence\" to pass legislation authorizing military commissions. Time was of the essence when this administration took control and did not act on the dire warnings of terrorist action. Time was of the essence in August and early September 2001 when the 9\/11 attacks could still have been prevented. This administration ignored warnings of a coming attack and even proposed cutting the antiterror budget. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090176850,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It focused on Star Wars. not terrorism. Time was of the essence when Osama bifn Laden was trapped in Tora Bora. After 5 years of unilateral actions by this administration that have left us less safe. time is now of the essence to take real steps to keep us safe from terrorism like those in t he Real Security Act. S. 3875. Instead. the President and the Republican Senate leadership ball for rubberstamping more flawed White House proposals in the run up to another election. I hope that this time the U.S. Senate will act as an independent branch of the government and finally serve as a check on this administration. We need to pursue the war on terror with strength and intelligence. but also to do so consistent with American values. The President says he wants clarity as to the meaning of the Geneva Conventions and the War Crimes Act. Of course. he did not want clarity when his administration was using its twisted interpretation of the law to authorize torture. cruel and inhumane treatment of detainees and spying on Americans without warrants and keeping those rationales and programs secret from Congress. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12038}
{"speech_id":1090176858,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are engaged in a very important debate about the way we will bring to justice very heinous individuals who committed terrorism. I will put in context first what I think the situation is. First. our most essential mission in the war on terror is to find these individuals. to attempt to capture them. and if they .have refused to be captured. to take extreme measures to eliminate them as terrorist threats to the United States. If they are in our hands as detainees or in any capacity. we have an obligation to interrogate them and we have to be consistent with international norms while also recognizing that as we treat people in our custody we can expect if our military personnel fall in the hands of a military power. they will be similarly treated. We must be very conscious of this.But an important point that is often overlooked in the entire debate. all of the individuals we are talking about todaythe 14 detainees at Guantanamo Bay and othersare enemy combatants. Under international law. they can be held indefinitely. There is a big difference between an individual who is anenemy combatant and someone who is in a criminal justice situation someplace else. Even if these individuals are acquitted of their crimes. they are still in the custody of the United States and still will remain in the custody of the United States. So as we debatethis issue of military tribunals. we have to recognize what we are talking about is not allowing people to walk out the door because our procedures are inadequate. because some clever attorney can take advantage of the rules of evidence. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4458}
{"speech_id":1090176858,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They will never walk out the door. What we are talking about is whether we will have legitimacy to impose the most difficult sanction on an individual. the most severe sanction. To be consistent with our value as a nation. I believe we have to have procedures that are procedurally legitimate. that are fair and are perceived that way. There is another issue here. not just in terms of our moral standing. It is a very practical one. I have suggested it before. How we treat these people will be the standard with which our military personnel will be treated overseas. We will surrender the right to condemn those people who may in the future hold our soldiers if they choose to use procedural gimmicks. if they want to stage show trials rather than real trials. if they want to punish an American fighting man or woman without any regard for the principles and practices of international law. That is. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4458}
{"speech_id":1090176858,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think. the issue before us today. The substitute Senator LEVIN has offered today is one we supported on abipartisan basis in the committee. It was a strong. good bill. It represented not only our best principles. but it recognized that these principles could also and would also be applied in the futurewe hope notbut certainly we have to recognize the possibility that American military personnel will be in the hands of hostile forces in the future. The bill we had in the Armed Services Committee did things this legislation before us undoes. For example. the committee bill prohibited the admission of statements obtained through cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. The bill before us prohibits the admission of statements obtained after December 30. 2005. through \"cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment.\" but it contains no prohibition against using statements so obtained prior to December 30. 2005. I do not think the Geneva Conventions were in abeyance up until December 30. 2005. I do not think the standards we should insist upon did not exist there. And very practically speaking. ask yourself. would we accept the response from a foreign power who said: Oh. of course. we are going to follow the Geneva Conventions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4458}
{"speech_id":1090176858,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Of course we are not going to use abusive treatment to obtain a confession. prior to December 30. 2020 or 2015? I think this seriously weakens not only the legitimacy of this approach but also our ability to argue with compelling legal and moral force in the future that other nations have to play by the rules. There are other provisions here in this bill. and there are many of them that I think alter dramatically what we accomplished on a bipartisan basis. what was applauded by General Powell and General Vessey and others. For example. the committee bill provided that evidence seized outside of the United States shall not be excluded from trial by military commissions on the grounds the evidence was not","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4458}
{"speech_id":1090176969,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask the entire Senate to join me. today in congratulating one of Kentuckys amazing young heroes. SGT Leigh Ann Hester of Bowling Green. KY. is traveling to the Nations Capital to receive the USOs Service Member of the Year Award at the organizations 2006 USO World Gala this September 28. Sergeant Hester is being honored for her valorous service in combat in Iraq. which earned her the Silver Star medal. The Silver Star is the Armys thirdhighest award for gallantry. and Sergeant Hester is the first femal6 soldier to win the medal for valor in combat since World War II. A retail store manager in Bowling Green. Sergeant Hester joined the U.S. Army in 2001 and was assigned to the Kentucky National Guards 617th Military Police .Company. based in Richmond. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2996}
{"speech_id":1090176969,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"KY. In March 2005. she was on the southeastern outskirts of Baghdad. shadowing a convoy of tractortrailers carrying supplies for American forces. The convoy was ambushed by about 50 heavily armed terrorists. They attacked from a trench alongside the road and rained down machinegun fire and rocketpropelled grenades on the convoy for a sustained 3 minutes. Several truck drivers were killed. -more were wounded. Thinking they had the upper hand. the terrorists moved towards the convoy. preparing to take hdstages. Suddenly three armored humvees roared up to the carnage. Sergeant Hester. as team leader of the second humvee. maneuvered her team into a position to draw the enemys fire and begin fighting back with grenades and M203 rounds. Sergeant Hester and her squad leader got out of their humvees and rushed the trench about 20 meters away from them to clear out the enemy. They worked. their way through the insurgents. throwing grenades and firing M4s. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2996}
{"speech_id":1090176969,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When she ran low on ammunition. she ran back to a humvee to reload. exposing herself to enemy fire from multiple directions. Because this squad had been so well disciplined. Sergeant Hester was able to reach blindly into any of the humvees and know- exactly where. to grab more ammunition. Finally. the soldiers of the 617th had put down enough fire that the enemy fell silent. It turns out that Sergeant Hester and her team. just 10 in all. had not only put themselves in the middle of a firefight against greater numbers and all survived. they had scored the highest death toll of insurgents in Iraq in many months. They killed 27. captured several wounded. seized a sizable weapons cache. and secured valuable intelligence. Sergeant Hesters actions were cited as having \"saved the lives of numerous convoy. members.\" For her bravery. she was awarded the Silver Star medal- on Sergeant Hesters courage. dedication. and sacrifice on behalf of her country and her fellow soldiers make her a hero and a role model that every young Kentuckian can emulate. I am proud that a woman of such character and determination hails from the Bluegrass State. and I know the entire Senate joins me in thanking her for her service in defense of America and Americas ideals.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2996}
{"speech_id":1090176978,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would like to take this opportunity to commend Rande Yeager. a constituent of mine. on completing a year as president of the American Land Title Association. ALTA. He ably represented the land title industry at a time when the \"value and public policy purposes of title insurance and the maintenance of land records came under challenge. His leadership of ALTA over this past year was a natural extension of his corporate experience. As president of Old Republic National Title Insuran*ce Company. one of the leading title underwriters in this country and my State of Minnesota. Rande has experience being both a leader and a spokesperson for a large company. As ALTA president. Rande made numerous trips to State conventions across the country to get to know his colleagues better. hear their concerns for their businesses and the industry. and came back ready to find out how ALTA could help. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1145}
{"speech_id":1090176978,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He also came to Washington to promote the importance of title insurance and land record maintenance. ALTA has been well served by Randes leadership. I congratulate him on his year as president and best wishes on his future endeavors.","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1145}
{"speech_id":1090176988,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. like all of my colleagues in this body. I recognize that our immigration system needs vast improvements. While we have spent a great. deal of time discussing immigration over the past year. it appears unlikely that this body will pass comprehensive reform before we break for the recess. This week we have been discussing an important bill that would begin the process completely securing our southern border. I support that bill wholeheartedly and I would also hope to make other improvements to our immigration laws we can make before we end this session. Todayt. therefore. Im proposing four separate bills intended to strengthen our immigration system. One will help military men and women become citizens more quickly. another will make it easier to remove gang members from our country. another will impose tough penalties on people who tunnel beneath our borders. and the fourth will begin an effort to stop illegal immigrationat its source. Id like to discuss all four bills briefly ... they have different purposes and Will all complement each other in efforts to improve our immigration system. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090176988,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am introducing the Community Protection Against International Gangs Act. Street gangs remain the bane of our society. Their members sell narcotics. steal. and commit horrific acts of violence. Many of these gangsgroups like Mara Salvatrucha. better known as MS13draw their membership from immigrants to the United States. While the overwhelming majority of immigrants in the United States obey the law. those who join these gangs wreak havoc on immigrant communities all over the country. To protect our Nation. we need to stopthem ... now. Thus. Im proposing the CPAIGA Act. This law will make our policy clear: immigrants who join gangs are no longer welcome in our country. Under my bill. anyone who joins a gang or helps one faces immediate deportation proceedings. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090176988,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In addition. my bill will let the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security deny visas to the nationals of any country that refuses to take back its own criminals. I am also introducing the Enhanced Border Tunnel Prevention Act. To enhance our crackdown on sophisticated criminal conspiracies. we should also impose tough new penalties on those who construct tunnels under our border. People who build tunnels. or allow them to -be built on land that they own or control. should face serious time in prison. Smugglers who use them should have their penalties doubled. We cant allow our borders to become a sieve. In addition. I am introducing the Soldiers to Citizens Act. Just as we make it clear that criminals have no place in the United States. we should simultaneously do everything we can to welcome the finest people from around the world. Every year. over 8.000 people who are not U.S. citizens enlist in our armed forces. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090176988,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They serve with valor and distinction ... they defend our liberty. If they wish to become citizens. they should not face unnecessary burdens. Under my legislation. anyone who gives our military 2 years of honorable and satisfactory service can acquire citizenship under an expedited process. Service in the military strongly implies that a person has acquired the things we expect from new citizens: a command of English. good moral character. understanding of our history and appreciation for our democratic institutions. Thus. soldiers. sailors. airmen. and marines whose chains of -command certify that theyve met these requirements should be able to acquire citizenship by filling out some simple paperwork and swearing the citizenship oath. I believe that the Senate should do everything it can to speed the citizenship process for others in the military who do not want to avail themselves of this process. In particular. we must do away with the burdensome. duplicative process that requires military enlistees to give fingerprints once when they join the military and again when they apply for citizenship. At the same time. we should establish a highquality. tollfree information center to provide. timely. accurate information to any servicemember interested in becoming a citizen. Finally. I am introducing the Illegal Immigration Source Study and Focus Act. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090176988,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Finally. I believe we need to do more to deal with the underlying causes of much illegal immigration: social. economic. and political conditions in Mexico that lead many to believe they have no choice but as to leave their homeland. Illegal immigration hurts both the United States and Mexico. Our governments must work together so we can understand what areas produce the most illegal immigrants and what we might do to help immigrants. My bill would begin a process of collaboration. It will mandate regular reports on the areas that produce the most illegal immigrants and. just as importantly. focus our own aid to Mexico on improving the conditions that produce illegal immigration in the first place. Steps like those I have proposed will not change our immigration system overnight. They will not end illegal immigration. But they will make our cities safer. stem the flow of illegal immigration. *and help those who serve in our armed forces. These are worthy measures and I urge all of my colleagues to support them. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090176992,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to join my colleagues Senators SMITH. CONRAD. and BINGAMAN in introducing the Womens Retirement Security Act of 2006. This legislation comes on the heels of the passage of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. which makes improvements to the defined benefit pension plan system. The legislation that we are introducing today builds upon that legislation and focuses on defined contribution plans. Our pension system has shifted away from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans.. We should make it easier for employers to offer defined contribution plans and for individuals to participate in these plans. At a time when we have a negative savings rate that -is the lowest since the Great Depression. we should provide appropriate incentives to help individuals save for retirement. In an effort to achieve this. the Womens Retirement Security Act of 2006 focuses on increasing retirement savings. the preservation of income. equity in divorce. improving financial literacy. and encouraging small businesses to enter and remain in the employer retirement plan system. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2714}
{"speech_id":1090176992,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This legislation increases savings by allowing employees to contribute a portion of their paycheck to an individual retirement account (IRA) if their employer does not offer a pension plan. Automatic IRAs will help the 71 million workers that do not have employersponsored plans. It is a lowcost. sensible. solution that provides a stepping stone toward employersponsored retirement plans. More workers are likely to contribute to an IRA if the contribution is deducted from their payroll. Automatic IRAs will help combat the inertia that is a factor in our low savings rate. The bill also provides a tax credit to help small businesses with the cost of implementation. Women are often placed at a disadvantage in our retirement system because they cycle in- and out of the work force. The Womens Retirement Security Act of 2006 addresses this issue by requiring employers that offer defined contribution plans to cover parttime employees that meet specific requirements. Pensiol coverage needs to improve. particularly for small businesses. In 2004. only 26 percent of workers at firms with fewer than 25 employees participated in pension plans. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2714}
{"speech_id":1090176992,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Progress has been made on providing coverage to small businesses. Currently. more than 19 million workers are covered by small business retirement plans. but more than 36 million Americans work for firms with less than 25 employees. The Womens Retirement Security Act of 2006 provides a startup credit for new small business retirement contributions. In addition. it removes rules that discourage small employers from adopting deferral only plans. By Mr. KERRY:","speaker_name":"JOHN KERRY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2714}
{"speech_id":1090177003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the Senator. It is a pleasure working with him. When I have legislation such as the legislation I just described. which is very difficult. and I know we are going to come to spots in the Senate. stopovers where we will have to vote because it is good for the country. I am counting in the column that if I have done my work. will this Senator vote for it. the Senators name. I believe if we do our work and get our votes properly and line up what we propose. a Senator such as Senator LOTT will not be running around asking people what is going on in his State. This matter deserves his attention. as it deserves my attention. I believe we will get that. I thank the Senator.","speaker_name":"PETE DOMENICI","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":683}
{"speech_id":1090177079,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. September 28. I further askconsent that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period of morning business for up to 30 minutes. with the first 15 minutes under the control of the -majority leader or his designee. and. the final 15 minutes under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee. further. that following morning business. the Senate resume consideration of S. 3930. as under the previous order.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":704}
{"speech_id":1090177095,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today is a joyous day for the people of Bulgaria. This week. the European Commission recommended Bulgaria be admitted into the European Union in January 2007. In less than 16 years. Bulgaria has successfully transitioned from a Communist totalitarian regime into a free market democracy. Just 3 years ago. I was honored to be at the White House with former Prime Minister Simeon SaxeCoburg Gotha as Bulgaria was admitted into NATO. Bulgaria has proven to be a true ally in the global war on terrorism. and Bulgarian troops have bravely served in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are currently plans for three U.S. bases to be located within Bulgaria. Bulgaria has one of the fastest growing economies. and membership in the EU will accelerate its pace. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1232}
{"speech_id":1090177095,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Economically and militarily. Bulgaria is secure. Congratulations to Prime Minister Georgi Parvanov. Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev. Ambassador to Washington Elena Poptodorova. and my longtime friend Ambassador to Athens Stefan Stoyanov. I am grateful to serve with Congresswoman ELLEN TAUSCHER as cochair of the Bulgarian Caucus. promoting the growing partnership between Bulgaria and America. In conclusion. God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11th.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1232}
{"speech_id":1090177119,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when are the House Republicans going to allow a minimum wage bill to come up on the floor where we actually vote on the minimum wage? It needs to become law. As health care. groceries. energy. housing cpsts skyrocket for average consumers. House Republicans would rather help their CEO friends than average Americans who are just trying to make ends meet. Today. fulltime workers who earn the minimum wage are only bringing home $10.700 a year. The average corporate CEO makes that much money during his first 4 hours of work for the year. This is simply not fair. Yet. for months. House Republicans have refused to allow a clean minimum wage vote on this House floor. Do House Republicans really expect that a family can live on less than $11.000 a year? The Democrats want to take the Nation in a new direction. one where the needs of all Americans are addressed. ","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090177119,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We want a clean vote on the minimum wage. And. Mr. Speaker. in light of the Republican leaderships unwillingness to move legislation on the minimum wage. I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 2429. the legislation to increase the minimum wage.","speaker_name":"EDDIE JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":30.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1125}
{"speech_id":1090177140,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am extremely disappointed that after an entire year. we cannot get the Ryan White reauthorization process right. We should not be robbing Peter to pay Paul. That means we should not be cutting precious funds from places like New York. New Jersey. California. and many other States that have historically borne the burden of the HIV\/AIDS epidemic. We should have enough money to take care of the people who are most at risk. regardless of where they live. The amendment that I offered in committee that would have added the needed funds was defeated. But I plan to offer it again on the floor. and I hope that the outcome is very. very different. ","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090177140,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to get the money to places that have substantially high HIV\/AIDS populations. particularly African American and Hispanic women and men. and substance abusers. We cannot leave these most atrisk populations without medications and care. This reauthorization in its present form does just that. And it is wrong. and I am hoping that the Members of this body will realize that we need to do something about this and should not leave people just to die and die because we are not acting properly.","speaker_name":"EDOLPHUS TOWNS","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1160}
{"speech_id":1090177143,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr Speaker. middleclass Americans are feeling more and more squeezed by the economy that values productivity. but not enough to reward it with an increase in pay. Wages are simply not keeping up with inflation. making it more difficult for families to afford monthly bills. One of the most daunting bills families face today is the bill for their childrens college education. The average cost for a 4year college at a State university is $40.000 -and the cost for private colleges top $107.000. Democrats want to help families better afford these everincreasing costs. Republicans. on the other hand. refuse to join us in making college more affordable. Earlier this year. they actually made college more expensive for our Nations students when they cut $12 billion from the higher education budget. forcing college kids to pay more interest on loans. Valuable dollars for college assistance are being siphoned off by the war in Iraq. which this administration chose to wage rather than to devote dollars not only to domestic priorities but to finding Osama bin Laden. Thank you. President Clinton. for telling it like it is and making the administration more accountable for their lack of vision and failed policies.","speaker_name":"DONALD PAYNE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1217}
{"speech_id":1090177168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. working families are feeling the financial squeeze now more than ever. At.a time when gas prices. tuition bills. and housing costs are skyrocketing. real wages for fulltime workers are declining. Lowincome families are suffering even more. with the lowest inflation adjustment minimum wage in 50 years. The Bush economy has made it difficult for the income of all working Americans to keep up with the rising costs. Democrats have a plan to reserve these misguided tax cuts and redirect them to the middle class and working people who need them most. Mr. Speaker. since the Republicans in this body have refused to raise the minimum wage for the past 9 years. and since they seem intent on adjourning this body before taking up a straighteupordown vote on raising it. I now ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 2429. Congressman GEORGE MILLERs Fair Minimum Wage Act.","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":881}
{"speech_id":1090177172,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. for 6 years now. Washington Republicans have done absolutely nothing to help college. students better afford college. President Bush promised to increase Pell \" Grants during his first presidential election in 2000. but has refused to live up to that promise. The maximum Pell Grant has been frozen for 4 straight years. and now only covers 32 percent of tuition costs. Inaction was not the problem earlier this year when the Republican Congress raided student aid programs. Our Republican colleagues raided $12 billion from college education programs. forcing the Education Department to raise interest rates on college loans to over 8 percent. Democrats reject these Republican actions. At a time when college students are confronting skyrocketing tuition costs. we think this Congress should be coming up with creative solutions to help college students better afford their education. Today. we should pass an improved LaborHHS appropriation bill that restores the massive cuts in college tuition assistance imposed on this Congress and expand the size and availability of Pell Grants.","speaker_name":"JAMES CLYBURN","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1101}
{"speech_id":1090177204,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gefitlewoman from New York for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this closed rule and the underlying bill. This is a debate about whether we are willing to preserve the fundamental protections our Nation has fought for centuries to maintain. As written. the underlying bill rejects these essential protections in favor of vague assurances and provisions open to interpretation. The potential erosion of our legal safeguards is a serious matter. That is why several members of our armed services raised these concerns when they testified to Congress several weeks ago. Mr. Speaker. certain rights are considered so fundamental to our Nation and to our Constitution that they cannot be sacrificed. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3796}
{"speech_id":1090177204,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The right of every American to have his or her day in court is one such right. But a number of law experts. including Martin Lederman. who worked at the Department of Justice for both President Clinton and President Bush. believe that this legislation would put that right in jeopardy. As written. this legislation couldbe used by the President as evidence of congressional agreement of a number of his legal assertions. That includes. his assertion that holding an American citizen indefinitely without access to a lawyer islegal. From my familys personal experience. I know something about what can happen to the rights of Americans when the executive branch overreaches in a time of war. Restricting the legal rights of our citizens is something which. if done at all. must be done carefully and with a proper balancing of concerns. I know that Members of both Chambers tried to meet that standard with the administration on this legislation. but this proposal fails to achieve that balance. For that reason alone. we should reject this bill. I am also concerned because the history of this legislation fits a pattern we have seen before. one in which officials assert expanded powers while ignoring their career professionals in the process. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3796}
{"speech_id":1090177204,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"A few weeks ago. Congress heard from a long line of generals and judge advocates general. Their collective testimony outlined a swift. tough -approach to these tribunals that protected our troops. and it did so while preserving our moral authority in the world. This bill disregards their testimony and their expertise: They argued forcefully for detainees to see the evidence presented against them. with some adjustment for classified evidence. They stated that evidence obtained through torture should not be permitted. not only because it is morally offensive but also because it is inherentl untrustworthy. They clearly reiterated their position that judicial review must be preserved. And. above all. they argued strenuously that any legislation must affirm the United States commitment to the Geneva Conventions. They believe this because they know. better than anyone. that these safeguards protect our troops fighting on battlefields around the globe. Unfortunately. Congress did not listen to these experts in military law. ","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3796}
{"speech_id":1090177204,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead. the bill made in order under this closed rule would permit evidence obtained through torture in some cases. The legislation does include a list of certain grave breaches of the law. Beyond those. however. it gives the President the authority to determine what is and what isnt torture as long as he publishes it in the Federal Register first. These provisions undermine our Nations moral authority. and..once given away. it will be that much harder to earn back. In closing. Mr. Speaker. the underlying bill is vague when it should be specific. it is casual with regards to important legal protections when it should be vigilant. and it is a fundamentally flawed approach to prosecuting terrorists. I urge all Members to reject this rule and to vote against the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"DORIS MATSUI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3796}
{"speech_id":1090177210,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for yielding. My colleagues. lets get this straight. the Supreme Court did not say that Congress did not have the right to prescribe this new structure under which we are going to prosecute terrorists. They said we had the obligation. They said that the President couldnt do this himself. that it had to be participated in by Congress and we should put together these rules and regulations. We have put together a structure that will allow us to prosecute terrorists efficiently and effectively. and at the same time. understand the exigencies of the battlefield. If you use the UCMJ. which I know a lot of folks on the other side want to do. under the testimony of our experts. and that means JAG officers who have tried hundreds of cases. you would have to give Miranda warnings to an insur. gent who shot at you outside of Kabul. Afghanistan. at the moment you captured him and threw him over the hood of your Humvee. You cant do that. You cant follow the UCMJ in that respect. We have given a boatload of rights. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090177210,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have given the right to counsel. the right to an impartial judge. presumption of innocence. standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. right to be informed of the charges as soon as practicable. right to service of charges sufficiently in advance of trial. right to .reasonable continuances. This list goes on and on. So Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. who was alleged to have designed the attack on 9\/11 that killed thousands of Americans. will have a greater body of rights. as Mr. .LUNGREN has said. in his trial than anybody under a similar tribunal system has ever had.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1610}
{"speech_id":1090177220,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as I always remind my colleagues. I am a mother of five children and I have five grandchildren going on six in October Their personal safety is of paramount importance to me. as it is to every parent of their children and grandchildren in our country. As elected officials. our primary responsibility is to protect and defend our country. to provide for the common defense. It is in the Constitution of the United States. So to come to this floor on this very important debate and to hear the Representative from Georgia. to imply that this issue of punishing those who do harm or could do harm to our country is not a priority for every Member of this body is a disservice to this debate and dishonors our Constitution. How dare you come to this floor and imply that we think that these people are being tried for chewing gum. They have committed the most heinous acts that we have witnessed in our lives. Every American wants them prosecuted and punished. Every American wants them prosecuted and punished. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8007}
{"speech_id":1090177220,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will not yield. You had your time. You demeaned this debate by implying that we think they were being tried for chewing gum. That is what. you said. The RECORD will show it. But it isnt just you. It isnt just you. It is the condescension and the disrespect for something that we should expect every Member of this body on both sides of the aisle to take very. -very seriously: To provide for the common defense. We have that officially as our responsibility. It is our first responsibility because. unless our people are safe. nothing else really matters. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8007}
{"speech_id":1090177220,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And as a mother. as a parent. as a mother of five and a grandmother of five going on six. as I constantly remind you all. I identify with the concerns of all of Americas families for safety in their neighborhoods while these Republicans are cutting the Community Policing program. Cops on the Beat program. So it just is very pervasive. But. again. we all want a safe home. a safe community. a safe neighborhood. homeland security. and to be able to protect our country wherever our interests are threatened in the world. And the ability to anticipate what those dangers may be is a very important one as well. It is 5 years since 9\/11. Not one person who has been directly responsible for 9\/ 11 has been prosecuted andpunished. There is something wrong with this picture. And this bill that is here today. because it does violence to the Constitution of the United States. also. as Mr. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8007}
{"speech_id":1090177220,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"SKELTON said. will produce convictions that may well be overturned because the bill does not heed the instructions from the Supreme Court. a Supreme Court friendly to this administration. which has directed it to go back to the drawing board.. Democrats bring to this debate an unshakeable commitment. as do Republicans. to the proposition that terrorists who attack Americans must be caught. convicted. and punished in a judicial process that will withstand the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. We want them in jail. We want them punished. whatever that punishment is. We dont want it overturned. And that is what this debate is about today. The American people want those who perpetrated and are responsible for 9\/11 to be prosecuted without further delay. It is 5 years later. and they want convictions to stick so that justice will not be further postponed. It is inexplicable. How do you explain to people that 5 years later this has not happened. and not one single planner has even been brought to trial? The bill does not help us achieve the goal of bringing anyone to trial. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8007}
{"speech_id":1090177220,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is badly flawed. It threatens the safety of our troops. our ability to prosecute terrorists effectively. our ability to protect the American people. and to honor our oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution. Rather than welcoming suggestions for improvements. Republicans refuse to hear them at all. The only one recourse that we have is to defeat this rule so that we can offer amendments to address some of the bills most glaring deficiencies in the areas of. one. habeas corpus. two. Geneva Conventions standards. and the appeals process. If we do not. I believe. as I have said. that we will be headed for a repeat of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. a Supreme Court defeat for the President and a decision that sends us back to square one in terms of bringing those responsible for 9\/11 to trial. By seeking to strip Federal courts of habeas corpus review. this bill is practically begging to be overturned by the courts. ","speaker_name":"NANCY PELOSI","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8007}
{"speech_id":1090177299,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I want to take 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker. just to remind my. friend who just spoke that this bill is largely the product of not only this body but Senator WARNER. Senator MCCAIN. and Senator GRAHAM. Shortly. they are going to be introducing the precise same bill in the other body. And. Mr. Speaker. in this bill. military commissions. if you will check on page 7. to answer the gentleman who just spoke who thought his wife might in some wild circumstance be prosecuted under this bill. this bill gives jurisdicti6n and military commissions. on line 24. page 7. to alien unlawful enemy combatants. It does not take away the habeas rights of U.S. citizens. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":701}
{"speech_id":1090177299,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker._I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":701}
{"speech_id":1090177301,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership and his commitment to our young men and women in uniform throughout the woild. At a time when even the National Intelligence Estimate has concluded that the occupation in Iraq has spawned a new generation of terrorists and made us. quite frankly. less safe. this bill now will undermine the security of our brave troops and hand a victory to those who believe the rule of force should prevail over the rule of law. I -have to say once again. as the daughter of a 25year military Lieutenant Colonel who served this country in many. many capacities through two wars. that this scares me. It scares me to death. What century are we living in when we trust intelligence acquired through torture? Clearly. the President fails to realize that these techniques will destroy the credibility of any verdicts that use information derived from torture. Insisting on fairness and just credibility is all we are asking for. credibility in the process. This isnt about protecting those who would harm us. as the Republicans would have you believe. it is about protecting our own troops and our Nation and notfurther alienating our country in the eyes of the world community. When we turn away from the legal and the moral values that have guided our Nation. we give up the principles that differentiate us from the terrorists. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1934}
{"speech_id":1090177301,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I quoted from a prayer given by Reverend Baxter at the National Cathedral during the memorial service for the victims and families of 9\/11 5 years ago. and Reverend Baxter said. and I keep thinking about this prayer. he said. \"Let us not become the evil who we deplore.\" So I just want to urge a \"no\" vote on this bill. and I want .to thank Mr. SKELTON for his leadership. for his support for the troops. for his steadfast work on behalf of our national security. and for making sure that this body continues to try to uphold the rule of law.","speaker_name":"BARBARA LEE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1934}
{"speech_id":1090177316,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I just want to share with the gentleman. I have to go back. you have to look at the four corners of the document. Please dont dive into rhetoric. When you go to the four corners of the document. it is very clear who is subject to the Code of Military Commissions. So. in title 18. you will have the Federal Code that applies to U.S. citizens. you will have the UCMJ creating a third chapter that will apply to unlawful enemy combatants. the Code of Military Commissions. It will not apply to United States citizens. It is very. very clear. If you think it applies to somebody else. sir. I cannot get into your mind. but I just want you to know that the world will be able to see what we have created here does not apply to American citizens.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":741}
{"speech_id":1090177340,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. we now know what the administration Wanted to hide from the American people: that the consensus view of all 16 intelligence agencies is that the Iraq war has made the overall terrorism problem worse. not better. that it has fueled the jihadist movement and made us less safe. and not more safe. The Bush administration was wrong about weapons of mass destruction. They were wrong about alleged collaboration between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. and they are wr6ng about this bill. \u0095 This bill will weaien. not strengthen. our national security. They are wrong because this bill will place our troops in Iraq and elsewhere around the world in greater danger of torture. both today and in future conflicts. They are wrong because this bill will further erode our already tarnished credibility and moral standing around the world. Let us always remember that our strength flows not only from the force of our military but from the power of our example. And they are wrong be.cause we have learned the hard way that information extracted through torture and extreme. coercion can be unreliable. Remember when Secretary Powell at the United Nations told the world that Saddam Hussein had mobile bioweapons labs? That information came from a person that we turned over to Egypt who was tortured. and the CIA has since acknowledged that information was false. and yet that was importantrinformation that was used as part of our argument to go to war in Iraq. This is. a defining moment for our Congress\"and our country. ","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2111}
{"speech_id":1090177340,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It will define who we are as a people and what we stand for. and yet it gives the President too much of a blank check to unilaterally decide that answer for all of us. It gives the President the authority to unilaterally define what constitutes specific acts of torture. It gives the President the authority to unilaterally decide who. can be detained as an enemy combatant. including American citizens. and. therefore. send them into a legal limbo. Mr. Speaker. when we take very important decisions in the name of the American people. we better get it right. This bill gets it wrong.","speaker_name":"CHRIS VAN HOLLEN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2111}
{"speech_id":1090177352,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 6166. the Military Commissions Act of 2006. I oppose the bill because it creates an unfair trial system for military detainees. and does almost nothing to curb the Presidents power to authorize interrogation tactics that are widely recognized as torture. Mr. Speaker. this socalled compromise bill. is actually nearly identical to what the administration has sought all along. The bill continues to allow secret evidence in trials. prohibits detainees from challenging the merits of their detention in courts. and effectively allows the President to authorize the CIA to continue inhumane detention and interrogation. The Supreme Cdurt ruled in the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case that the Presidents system to try terrorist suspects is unlawful. All of us here and Americans everywhere want to see al Qaeda fighters tried and convicted for their crimes. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6282}
{"speech_id":1090177352,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The measure the House is considering. however. does not go far enough to ensure that military trials will be conducted in a fair and open fashion. For instance. the bill still allows certain classified evidence to be kept secret from defendants. giving them access only to evidence with large redacted portions. And it still permits certain cases under which a military judge could allow a trial in absentia. Perhaps most egregiously. the measure actually blocks the ability of innocent detainees to challenge the validity of their detention in an independent judicial tribunal because the bill denies the right of detainees to bring a habeas corpus action. Mr. Speaker. habeas corpus is not .special treatment for terrorists.\" as proponents of the measure claim. Rather. it is a legal procedure that has the power to exonerate innocent detainees--not terroristswho have been imprisoned and not brought to trial. Indeed. the writ of habeas corpus is the bedrock of the rule of law and traces its heritage back to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 A.D. Denying habeas corpus review for detainees in U.S. custody is simply another unwarranted attempt by the Executive branch to arrogate powers vested by the Constitution in the Federal judiciary. If the bill before us becomes law. the administration could pick and choose not only who could be tried. but could hold them in prison indefinitely with no possibility of judicial review. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6282}
{"speech_id":1090177352,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Although the bill does not technically redefine the Geneva Conventions. the measure does nothing to curb the power of an executive branch. like the current one. with a track record of abusing the human rights of secret military detainees. The bill states that the President has the \" authority to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions.\" and could do so through executive orders. There is no question that President Bush fully intends to authorize the CIA to continue what it euphemistically refers to as \"alternative interrogation techniques.\" We know now that most of these interrogations using \"alternative techniques\" have occurred in secret \"black site\" prisons in Eastern Europe and other foreign lands in clear and direct violation of Common Article 3. which prohibits signatories from inflicting \"cruel treatment and torture\" and \"humiliating and de.grading treatment\" upon individuals who are not actively engaging in combat. including soldiers who have surrendered or been arrested and become prisoners of war. The bill may technically. skirt- the issue of Americas conduct under the Geneva Conventions. But if American personnel blithely toss aside our international treaty obligations to uphold standards in the detention and interrogation of wartime prisoners. America will alienate our longtime allies who are crucial partners in the fight against terrorism. If America whisks people from the streets into secret detention facilities. and then uses secret evidence to convict them in special courts. it will do more to embolden our enemies than any extremist jihad web site ever could. \u0095 Mr. Speaker. this is far too serious an issue to be used as a script for the mudslinging commercials of campaign season. The. very fact that the House is considering such legislation shows that Congress has not been exercising adequate authority over an arrogant and overbearing executive branch. There is a great need for a system to try suspected terrorists. both for the sake of the families of the victims of the September 11 attacks and for the sake of our American men and women fighting overseas. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6282}
{"speech_id":1090177352,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But the bill before the Housedespite being labeled as a \"compromise\"-fails to provide truly open trials and does not even allow innocent detainees to challenge their imprisonment. It is just another opportunity to rubberstamp the Presidents illadvised plan. and should be defeated. Mr. Speaker. in the final analysis. the debate today is not about the terrorists or Americas enemies. it is about the character of our country. It is not about them. it is about us. It is not about the terrorists. it is about who we are. We are the United States of America. We fight hard but we fight fair. We fight to defend our families. our friends. the powerless and unprotected. We fight to preserve our way of life and the ideas we believe in. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6282}
{"speech_id":1090177352,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And here is what we believe: We believe in equal justice under law. We believe in the dignity of the human being. We believe in fair play and square dealing. We believe in opportunity for all. responsibility from all. and community of all. We believe in personal liberty and the public interest. We believe in freedom of conscience and worship. Mr. Speaker. the Global War on Terror is not just a battle of arms. though arms we need. It is also a battle of ideas over how we should live. If we jettison the principles bequeathed us by our forebears to gain a temporary and fleeting advantage over our enemies. then we will succeed in doing something no adversary ever could do and that is to defeat ourselves. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6282}
{"speech_id":1090177354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Congress has an obligation under the Constitution to enact legislation that creates fair trials for accused terrorists that will be upheld by the courts. We also have an obligation to protect our troops that fall into enemy hands. and to uphold American values and the rule of law. Finally. even during wartime. the President must work with Congress and the courts to uphold our Constitution. In June. the Supreme Court in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld struck down the Presidents military commissions. since they violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions.. The Court noted that Congress. not the president. has the authority under Article I. Section 8 of the Constitution to \"define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas. and offenses against the law of nations.\" I strongly support our governments efforts to isolate. track down. and ultimately kill or capture suspected terrorists who are planning terrorist attacks against the United States. We. must bring these terrorists to justice swiftly. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4414}
{"speech_id":1090177354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We must also strengthen our efforts to protect the homelaid by providing additional resources to law enforcement and emergency services personnel who are charged with disrupting andresponding to a terrorist attack in the United States. As a former member of the Homeland Security Committee. I have fought hard to implement the recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission and to distribute our homeland security funds on the basis of actual threats and vulnerabilities. I am therefore. extremely disappointed. Mr. Speaker. that the House leadership failed to reach out to members on both sides of the aisle in crafting this legislation. We should heed the warning given by our former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. who states that \"the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism.\" The 9\/11 Commission recommended that \"the United States should engage itsfriends to develop a common coalition approach toward the detention and humane treatment of captured terrorists. New principles- might draw. upon Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions \u0095 . . Allegations that the United States abused prisoners in its custody make it harder to build the diplomatic. political. and military alliances the [U.S.] government will need.\".This legislation today undermines the protections of the Geneva Convention. and by weakening our moral authority makes it harder for us to work with allies to win the war on terrorism and protect Americans. I share the concerns of the many current and former military officers that testified to Congress that any weakening of these protections will place American soldiers at risk if they are captured overseas. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4414}
{"speech_id":1090177354,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am pleased that last December Congress adopted Senator MCCAINS legislation and outlawed the use of torture. and cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment by U.S. personnel. which would endanger the treatment of our American soldiers overseas. I am disappointed. therefore. that this legislation allows the use of statements obtained by some this prohibited behavior to be admissible in. court. Finally. this legislation eliminates the fundamental legal right of habeas -corpus. which would permit our government to hold detainees indefinitely without charge. trial. or the right to an independent hearing to weigh the evidence against the accused terrorist. We must join with our allies to win the war on terrorism and bring terrorists to justice. Our Constitution contains the very values we hold dear and that makes us proud to be Americans. and which motivate our soldiers to lay down their lives in defense of this country. I have swom to uphold and defend our Constitution and to protect our democracy. This legislation takes a step backward. is inconsistent with the rule of law. and will make it harder to work with our allies to build an effective coalition to defeat terrorism. I therefore will vote against this legislation. Five years after the 9\/11 attacks. it is inexcusable that not a single one of the terrorists who planned the 9\/11 attacks has been brought to trial. I am hopeful that the Senate will improve this legislation as Congress continues to discharge its constitutional duty to create military commissions that are consistent with the rule of law and that will result in convictions of terrorists that will be upheld by our courts.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4414}
{"speech_id":1090177358,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I have lost faith in this Republican controlled Congress. The Congress is no longer about doing what is right for out country. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle care more about giving the President what he wants. then what is in the best interests of the people weare here to represent. And in case my friends dont read. the country does not have a very high opinion of this Congress and the rest of our government. This Congress granted an excessive amount of executive power to the President to wage his war on terror with no oversight. That excessive power brought us to our present day problems and this President is unwilling to fix these problems or even admit they exist. We must reclaim our Constitutional authority and bring America back to the moral high ground. Regardless of how we feel about detainees. we must treat them humanely and in accordance with our rule of law and the Geneva Conventions. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3816}
{"speech_id":1090177358,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The example set by the United States is the example given to our own soldiers in the field. These terrorists are vicious murderers. I know firsthand because they killed my cousin on 9\/11. but my values as an American are what keeps those hatreds in check. I find it amazing that the man who. campaigned on bringing values back to the Oval office has lead the perception of our nation to an all time low. Torture and harsh interrogation techniques are not my values and are not those of the American people. We must lead by example on these issues. not be an evasive quasi participant. Our soldiers are abroad fighting a battle our President has not allowed them to win because of his continued mismanagement of all aspects of the war. The National Intelligence Estimate done by our 16 intelligence agencies flat out says that the war in Iraq has actually invigorated the growth of terrorism and worsened .the threat around the globe. We diverted all our attention from Afghanistan where the terrorists actually are and invaded Iraq on false statements and scare tactics. I This Administration with the help of the Republican controlled Congress has continued to stay on the wrong course. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3816}
{"speech_id":1090177358,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Today. we could have had an opportunity to fix ones of those mistakes. but we are ignoring the respect for due process and denying Habeas Corpus to detainees. This bill disregards the Hamdan decision. which stated that it should be a requirement of a \"regularly recognized constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable bycivilized people.\" As civilized people we must respect our laws. without the rule of .law we would have chaos. The Bush Administration still refuses to explain why we even need a different judicial system for accused terrorists. We must take the back the moral high ground in Congress just like many of our military leaders on the ground threw out the Department of Defenses recommendations on interrogation and instead decided to strictly follow the Geneva Conventions. We should be following the advice of our military who truly understand what the Geneva Conventions mean. not the civilian leadership who stay out of harms way. The President wants this Congress to bend the rules of our laws and the Geneva Conventions. a document that has protected our soldiers abroad since its inception. I ask my colleagues. are you prepared to bend those laws that have governed us so successfully so thePresident can have thie power to allow the harsh interrogations tactics and detention of detainees who .mayor may not be terrorists. We need to regain our stature as a world leader. I hate these terrorists and I believe they should be punished. punished for the murder of my cousin on 9\/11. But they should be punished under the rule of law. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3816}
{"speech_id":1090177358,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I pray this Congress will lead by example and not follow the example of the terrorists.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH CROWLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3816}
{"speech_id":1090177359,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise to defend American values. The Military Commissions ActH.R. 6166continues Republicans despotic assault on the Constitution. It denies detainees held abroad the fundamental right of habeas corpus. which has for centuries protected against unjust government imprisonment. It limits protections against detainee mistreatment. sanctioning \"alternative procedures\" of interrogation that amount to cruel and unusual punishment. It denies people the opportunityto confront the evidence used against them--even if that evidence is obtained through coercive and inhumane practices. It strips our courts of the jurisdiction to review casesincluding those already pending--concerning detainee abuse. Some call this legislation a \"compromise.\". I call it a capitulation. ","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2051}
{"speech_id":1090177359,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No sooner had the ink dried on this deal than the Bush administration declared that the CIAs program of secret detention and interrogation could and would continue. That should come as no surprise. Though this bill does not explicitly redefine our obligations under the Geneva Conventions. it permits the President to \"interpret the meaning and application\" of our historic commitment to the international communityand theirs to us. Make no mistake. our disregard for international law imperils the safety and security of our men and women in uniform. Our denial of due process to detainees invites foreign states and organizations to indefinitely imprison and interrogate our soldiers. Our insistence on defining detainees. as \"enemy combatants\" undeserving of legal protections encourages our adversaries to deny these very sime protections to American prisoners. Provided. of course. we havent already done so ourselves: This legislation allows the Government to declare not only foreigners. but also U.S. citizens. \"enemy combatants\" and arrest and hold them indefinitely. This legislation further confirms that Republicans in Congress are no more interested in fundamental human rights than is President Bush and his administration. I urge my colleagues to vote \"no.\"","speaker_name":"FORTNEY STARK","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2051}
{"speech_id":1090177396,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"ida. Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker. today the regulation of the surplus lines market is fragmented and very cumbersome. Insurers and brokers who want to provide insurance across State lines are subject to a myriad of different State tax and licensing requirements. Oftentimes these regulations will conflict. making it virtually impossible for one company to comply with all of them. This situation leaves policyholders underinsured and with little choice in providers. Moreover. most of the policyholders who have purchased insurance in the nonadmitted market do so every *day. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2781}
{"speech_id":1090177396,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"These very sophisticated commercial entities have educated risk advisers on staff with a thorough understanding of the market and their risk exposure. Yet most States require that these experts be denied coverage from multiple providers before they are allowed to purchase insurance in the nonadmitted market. The reinsurance market faces additional obstacles because some State regulators are taking it upon themselves to throw out arbitration agreements between reinsurance providers and primary carriers. These are contractual agreements decided upon by sophisticated parties on both sides of the transaction to settle disputes without tying up the courts. Accordingly. the bill that we have before us today. H.R. 5637. specifies that only the tax policies and licensing regulations of the State in which the policy holder is domiciled will govern the transaction. It also requires States within 2 years of the bills passage to participate in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners National Insurance Producer Database and to adopt regulations under NAICs Nonadmitted Insurance Model Act. The bill allows sophisticated commercial entities direct access to the surplus lines market withtout going through the multiple denial process. It also prohibits States from voiding established contractual arbitration agreements between reinsurers and primary companies. Policyholders in a number of States are facing skyrocketing rates. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2781}
{"speech_id":1090177396,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With these obstacles already impeding affordability. adding a quagmire of inefficient State rules certainly does not help. Additionally. with reinsurance rates rising at an alarming rate. companies should be encouraged to stay out of the courts and to follow their own voluntarily entered into arbitration agreements. This bill provides commonsense solutions to the nonadmitted and reinsurance market. I want to thank certainly Chairman OXLEY. who will be very much missed. not only by the committee. but by this entire body. certainly Representative MOORE and the other Members who .5igned onto this very bipartisan bill. as well as Mr. BAKER. for their leadership on this very important issue. I -urge members to vote in favor of H.R- 5637.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA BROWN-WAITE","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2781}
{"speech_id":1090177418,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals. it is vital that Congress bring competition. transparency and accountability to the credit rating industry. Thanks. to the leadership of House Financial Services Committee Chairman MIKE OxLEY and Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman RICHARD BAKER. our quest to reform the credit rating industry is becoming a reality. It is extremely disturbiAg that the two . largest NRSROs. S&P and Moodys. rated Enron -at investment grade just prior to its bankruptcy filing. Essentially. S&P and Moodys told the market that Enron was a safe. investment. and Enron was not their only blunder. S&P and Moodys also rated WorldCom and Orange County at investment grade just prior to their bankruptcy filings. But what other options were out there? There are over 130 credit ratings agencies in the financial market. However. only five are currently designated as NRSROs by the Securities and Exchange Commission. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4030}
{"speech_id":1090177418,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This label is the root of the problem. To receive the elusive SEC distinction. companies must be \"nationally recognized\" or. that is. their ratings must be widely used and generally accepted in the financial markets. This artificial barrier to entry has created a chickenandtheegg situation for nonNRSRO credit rating agencies trying to enter this industry. thus fostering a duopoly. S&P and Moodys have over 80 percent of the market share. and they rate more than 99 percent of the debt and preferred stock issues in the United States. As a result. they are raking in record fees. This lack of competition in the credit rating industry has lowered the quality of ratings. inflated prices. stifled innovation. and allowed anticompetitive industry practices and conflicts of interest to go unchecked. On June 20. 2005. I introduced the Credit Rating Agency Duopoly. Relief Act. On July 12. 2006. the House passed H.R. 2990 with a bipartisan vote. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4030}
{"speech_id":1090177418,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Last Friday. the Senate passed bipartisan and broadly endorsed legislation. the Credit Rating Agency Reform Act. S. 3850. by unanimous consent. I. am extremely pleased that S. 3850 took the legislation. H.R. 2990. as its base text. Like H.R. 2990. Senate bill S. 3850 would eliminate the SEC staffs anticompetitive NRSRO process. Mr. Speaker. in the wake of a seminal failure by S&P and Moodys in the Enron and WorldCom scandals. we must ensure integrity in the credit ratings process. This bill will reduce prices and anticompetitive practices. It will improve credit -ratings quality and spur innovation. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4030}
{"speech_id":1090177418,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This view is broadly endorsed by the Investment Company Institute. Association for Financial Professionals. the Bond Market Association. the Financial- Executives International. Financial Services Roundtable. Standards & Poors.. Moodys Corporation. Fitch Ratings. Fidelity Investments. and Consumer Federation of America. To~1ays passage of this important reform legislation demonstrates Congress commitment to protecting the individual investor by creating a more accountable. transparent and competitive market in our financial services industry. This would not have been possible without the exemplary work by the staff of the Financial Services Committee. especially Bob Foster. Kristen Jaconi. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4030}
{"speech_id":1090177418,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Frank Tillotson. Josh Wilsusen. Alex Urrea. Marisol Garibay. and Tom Duncan. and the staff in the Senate Banking Committee. especially Justin Daly. Thanks for your diligence. Again. I thank Chairman OXLEY and Chairman BAKER for their leadership. This artificial barrier of entry that fostered the duopoly and allowed the warning signs of Enron and WorldCom to go unnoticed had to be broken. Thank you for supporting our legislative efforts. Chairman OXLEY. it has been a pleasure to work with you. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL FITZPATRICK","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4030}
{"speech_id":1090177444,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. just in closing. let me salute our good friend from California. who has had a passionate interest in housing ever since she got here and has worked extremely well as the ranking member of the subcommittee with the. chairman and with both the full committee chairmen. myself and the gentleman from Ohio. We have surprised a lot of people with what we have been able to produce. They say politics is the art of the possible. and I think we have proven it time and time again. This is commonsense legislation that is good for all concerned. and I just want to salute her dedication to that effort.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL OXLEY","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":659}
{"speech_id":1090177445,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would first like to thank Chairman OXLEY. for this effort and for his great leadership of our Committee for the last 6 years. Six very challenging years in which fiscal policy really mattered. A time when security. reliability. transparency. made a difference. MS. WATERS. and Ranking Member FRANK and their staffs for their hard work on this legislation. Clinton Jones. Cindy Chetti. and Talman Johnson on the Majority staff have been invaluable. We are here today to extend a program that works: A program that saves taxpayers money. reduces rents on tenants. and ensures the longterm viability of affordable housing properties. ","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090177445,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The numbers speak louder than wordsIn just 7 years. MarktoMarket has resulted in nearly $2 billion in net savings to taxpayers. reduced rent costs at over 2.700 properties by an estimated $216 million per year. and completed debtrestructuring on over 1.400 properties. Central Ohio has been the beneficiary of many of these projects. including the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housings purchase of 12 HUDinsured properties in urban Columbus. and the continued development of a home for disabled individuals near the Ohio State University. the Center for Creative Living. This bill also includes an amendment I drafted in Committee. which provides relief for properties in rural and dense urban areas and nonprofit purchasers. and erases any question of the eligibility of properties damaged by Hurricanes Katrina. Rita. Wilma or other natural disasters. Our action today shows our commitment to acting before this program sunsets.","speaker_name":"DEBORAH PRYCE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"R","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1576}
{"speech_id":1090177461,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you. I would point out that here we are working closely with those who are in the business of making loans for affordable housing. Those are the ones who have particularly been interested in these kind of changes. We were glad to do it. Let me also note. Mr. Chairman. that section 405 of the original bill. which is now section 702. which leads me to wonder why we ever mentioned section 405 in the first place. but we are now talking about section 702. It was included at the request of the regulatory agencies to clarify that written conditions and applications and written agreements with institutionaffiliated parties are enforceable in order to protect the safety and soundness of insured depository institutions. Institutionaffiliated parties. a wonderful phrase that trips off the tongue. institutionaffiliated parties can include bank directors. officers and principal shareholders. Some concerns have been expressed that the regulatory agencies may use this language inappropriately to require personal guarantees from bank directors and officers. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1131}
{"speech_id":1090177461,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Chairman. would you clarify what section 702 is intended to do?","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1131}
{"speech_id":1090177533,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I would just point out with regard to that court case. an interesting thing with regard to that court case was the fact that the court. in part. reached a decision as it did because it said. I am not quoting it. but. in essence. that they could not define exactly what a hedge fund was.","speaker_name":"SCOTT GARRETT","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":301}
{"speech_id":1090177577,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. and I rise in .support of H.R. 6138. the Third Higher Education Extension Act of 2006. Some of the most important programs in the Higher Education Act. such as Pell Grants and Perkins student loans. are set to expire on September 30. 2006. Pell Grants and Perkins loans are the passports out of poverty for millions of worthy young people. and they deserve to be reauthorized. H.R. 6138 ensures that these provisions will not expire at the end of this fiscal year by extending them for another 9 months. through June 30. 2007. While the House acted on permanent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act by passing H.R. 609. the College Access and Opportunity Act. in March of this year. the Senate has not yet acted. The Senate should soon act to pass their reauthorization bill so we can negotiate a final bill and have these important higher education reforms signed into law. In the meantime. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2032}
{"speech_id":1090177577,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. this extension will allow the important programs of the Higher Education Act to continue past their current September 30. 2006. expiration date. In addition to extending the programs under the Higher Education Act. H.R. 6138 includes additional provisions to benefit students and institutions. Specifically. it reduces red tape for Hispanicserving institutions by eliminating the 2year waitout period between grant applications. The extension repeals an outdated and burdensome requirement that Hispanicserving institutions document the percentage of lowincome students enrolled at the institution. H.R. 6138 also eliminates the ability of schools to circumvent the new schoolaslender restrictions by forming an eligible lendertrustee relationship. And. finally. it provides loan forgiveness to spouses and parents of those who died or became disabled in the terrorist attacks of September 11. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to vote \"yes\" on H.R. 6138 because we must not break our commitment to Americas students. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2032}
{"speech_id":1090177578,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time -as I may consume. and I rise today in support of the Higher Education Extension Act. First. I would like to recognize that there are items in here that we all agree are important and that will help students. including changes to the Hispanicserving institutions program and loan forgiveness for 9\/11 survivors and their families. These changes will ensure that Hispanicserving institutions can continue to serve their important role in educating minority students and that families who fell victim to the terrible attacks of September ll.will have welcome financial relief. Unfortunately. however. this extension is a reminder that we have failed to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. and H.R. 609. passed earlier this year. was only another missed opportunity to help students and families. H.R. 609 failed to restore the $12 billion raid on student aid that was included in the Budget Reconciliation Act. These cuts come at a time when college costs are on the rise. At 4year public colleges and universities. tuition has skyrocketed by 40 percent between 2001 and 2005. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090177578,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Additionally. this is really the first time that we have asked an entire generation to go deeply into debt in order to get a higher education. The typical student leaves college today with $17.500 in Federal loan debt. Democrats would also boost the Pell Grant scholarships for students most in need. The value of Pell Grant scholarships are now worth nearly $1.000 less in inflationadjusted terms than they were 30 years ago. My friends on the other side of the aisle may say that they have increased Pell Grants. but the only reason there is more appropriated for Pell Grants is because there are mqre and more students that qualify for those grants. The only way to ensure that students receive meaningful aid through the Pell Grant program is to restore the purchasing power of the Pell Grant and significantly increase the maximum award. Mr. Speaker. oftentimes I believe we have lost sight of what the Federal role .is for higher education. It is to provide access to any and all qualified students to ensure they can get into higher education if they want to. I urge that we work together to provide real relief to students and families and reverse the raid on student aid. ","speaker_name":"DALE KILDEE","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2342}
{"speech_id":1090177581,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"for his work on this bill as well as his consistent efforts on behalf of our Nations college students and their families. I also thank Ranking Member KILDEE for his help on this effort of getting this bill reauthorized. Earlier this year. when the Deficit Reduction Act was signed into law. we authorized the Acts mandatory spending programs. In this process. we reduced lender subsidies. increased loan limits for students. simplified the financial aid process. and provided additional resources for needy students studying math. science. and critical foreign languages in college. And we managed to achieve all that while making certain that student aid programs operate more efficiently. saving U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. The House followed in March by passing the College Access and Opportunity Act. This bill would reauthorize the remaining program under the Act. Unfortunately. the Senate has not yet acted on reauthorization legislation of its own. Therefore. the measure before us simply extends these remaining Higher Education Act programs until June 30. 2007. which will give us time to finish up the bill in the next Congress. Additionally. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090177581,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"H.R. 6138 includes benefits for college students and institutions of higher education. For example. this legislation reduces red tape for Hispanicserving institutions by eliminating the 2year waitout period between grant applications. It repeals an outdated and burdensome requirement that Hispanicserving institutions document the percentage of lowincome students enrolled at the institution. It continues current law with respect to payments made to Guaranty Agencies so that those agencies can continue working to help students avoid defaulting on their loans. It eliminates the ability of schools to circumvent the Deficit Reduction Acts new schoolaslender restrictions by forming an eligible lendertrustee relationship. And it provides loan forgiveness to spouses and parents of those who died or became disabled in the September 11. 2001. attacks on our Nation. These student benefits. coupled with H.R. 6138s extension of vital higher education programs. are worthy of our strong. bipartisan support. At the same time. I am hopeful that our friends on the other side of the Capitol will renew their commitment to a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. These extensions. and we are now on the fifth in this Congress alone. ought to become a thing of the past. ","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090177581,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. yesterday. Secretary of Education Spellings outlined her vision for the future of higher education. following the release of a report from the Commission she formed a year ago to recommend ways to ensure our colleges and universities meet the challenges of the 21st century. As we extend these programs today. we should also commit ourselves to review the recommendations of the Commission and work with Secretary Spellings to expand college access and strengthen the quality of higher education in this country. As I noted. in March. the House passed a reauthorization that I believe would go a long way toward doing that. even before the report was issued. Our bill would strengthen the Pell Grant program. empower parents and students through sunshine and transparency in college costs and accreditation. improve college access programs. and much more. Now. with the new report in the mix. we have a chance to do so again in the next Congress. potentially with important improvements incorporated between now and then. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of the Capitol in completing our work early on in the 110th Congress. In the meantime. however. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this extension.","speaker_name":"RIC KELLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3718}
{"speech_id":1090177608,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 4766. the Esther Martinez Native American Language Preservation Act of 2006. and I would like to thank my colleague from New Mexico for introducing this important piece of legislation. It is an honor to be a cosponsor of it. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Michigan for his hard work on this issue. as well as many other Members who have taken an interest in this very important issue. and also thank Chairman McKEON who brought the committee to New Mexico. I remember. Mr. Chairman. we were in that room and it was standing room only. I think we could have gotten a much bigger room and even a bigger crowd. But it was an enormous crowd. and I think we were all impressed. and you could see and feel the real interest in this issue in terms of native communities caring about preserving their language. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090177608,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So it was wonderful to have you in New Mexico and have the committee out there and TOM PETRI. the gentleman from Wisconsin. who was also there. Mr. Speaker. we pass this legislation today with the great hope for the future. but with great sorrow for the recent past. As has been mentioned. Ms. Esther Martinez. a master storyteller from Ohkay Owingeh. a pueblo located in my district. was- tragically killed on September 17. 2006. Esther was returning home from the airport on the heels of a trip to Washington. D.C. to be honored as a 2006 National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. Esther was 94 years old. She had dedicated her life to maintaining and\\ preserving the various forms of the Tewa language. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090177608,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Among her Pueblo people. Esther. or Aunt Esther. as many called her. is best known for her storytelling. but also recognized for her linguistic and educational contributions. Esther taught Tewa at the San Juan Day School and for more than 20 years served as the schools director of bilingual education. She also published her stories and used them as. learning tools in the classroom. As a master of the Tewa language. she compiled Tewa dictionaries in various dialects for the Northern New Mexico Pueblos. and also translated the New Testament into Tewa. . Considering Esthers dedication to preserving her native -language. it is a fitting tribute that this legislation be named after her. The importance of language and its ability to enhance the rich dynamics of our Nations history is often overlooked. From learning the ancestry of those who came before us to passing stories down through the generations to maintaining religious. cultural. and social ties. language is fundamental. Passing this legislation today is an indication that the importance of cultivating and passing languages down to younger generations is now being recognized. I have had the great honor of visiting the Pueblos. the Navajos and the Apaches. and others. in my. district during my four terms in the Congress and learning the traditions and characteristics unique to each individualtribe. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090177608,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One similarity. however. is that native languages are being lost. Tribal elders are often the only ones fluent in the language as an increasing number of children are growing up in homes that speak only English. The urgent need to protect and preserve Native American languages is clear. We must invest in their preservation by implementing immersion programs. Passage of this legislation today is an important step toward reversing that trend. .I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3459}
{"speech_id":1090177613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 4766. the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006. This is important legislation which seeks to protect. preserve. and promote indigenous languages across the United States. Among the estimated 175 indigenous languages spoken by citizens of the United States today is the Chamorro language. the indigenous language of the Chamorro people of Guam. Ethnographers and linguists recognize the Chamorro language as belonging to the western group of the Austronesian language family. The Chamorro language has been spoken by the Chamorro people for more than 5000 years. It is a beautiful language that has survived outside influences and westernization. Chamorro and English are the official languages of Guam. I am proud to support H.R. 4766 because it proposes to increase federal resources for Native American language immersion programs. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2319}
{"speech_id":1090177613,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The version of H.R. 4766 that has been brought to the House floor this evening also would amend the Native American Programs Act to authorize the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) in the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to organizations and colleges dedicated to Native American language preservation. The bill specifically authorizes grants to establish sitebased educational programs for children and their families. \"survivor schools.\" and restoration programs. The preservation of the Chamorro language and culture is within the current authorized mission of the ANAadministered grant programs that H.R. 4766 seeks to expand and for which it seeks to reauthorize funding. The Native American Programs Act. which H.R. 4766 seeks to amend. contains a definition for \"Native American Pacific Islander\" that includes the Chamorro people and our indigenous language. This definition is codified in 42 U.S.C. 2992c and should guide the ANA in administering future grant programs in accordance with this legislation should it be enacted. Mr. Speaker. I also note .for the record that H.R. 4766 has received the support of the 28th Guam Legislature. The inclusion of the Chamorro language as among the Native American languages sought to be preserved by this legislation is an important element. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2319}
{"speech_id":1090177613,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge support for H.R. 4766. I thank the sponsor of this bill. my colleague from New Mexico.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2319}
{"speech_id":1090177675,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to increase the disability earning limitation under the Railroad Retirement Act and to index the amount of allowable earnings consistent with increases in the substantial gainful activity dollar amount under the Social Security Act.","speaker_name":"STEVEN LATOURETTE","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":291}
{"speech_id":1090177680,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Chairman YOUNG and Chairman LATOUIETTE and Ranking Member OBERSTAR for their work in bringing this important bill to the House floor for a vote. It has been nearly 20 years since we have passed a bill to help out our Nations rail workers who were injured on the job and unable to continue working in the railroad industry. I am pleased to see that everyone has agreed to support an increase in their allowed monthly earnings limit so that these hardworking men and women can work freely in jobs that are not as physically demanding as those in the railroad industry. H.R. 5483 will increase the outside earnings limits for disabled workers from $400 to $700 per month. which will then increase yearly based on the Social Security index. We all know that the cost of living in this country is skyrocketing. Whether it is the cost of needed medicines. increased insurance premiums. or the high price of gasoline. this small increase will make a major impact on the ability of these individuals to provide for their families. I stand in strong support of this legislation. and I am happy to see everyone has come together today and that the views of all interested groups. not just a select few. were included in this legislation. - I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important legislation. ","speaker_name":"CORRINE BROWN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1420}
{"speech_id":1090177704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 5606. introduced by my good friends RALPH HALL and LOUIE GOHMERT of Texas. designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 221 and 211 West Ferguson Street in Tyler. Texas. as the William M. Steger Federal Building and United States Courthouse. This bill honors William Steger. who dedicated most of his life to Federal. service. Judge Stegers service began in 1941 when he joined the Army Air Corps the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By 1952. Judge Steger was a seasoned attorney and appointed to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas by President Eisenhower. ","speaker_name":"BILL SHUSTER","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090177704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Judge Stegers career as a judge began in 1970 with an appointment to the Federal bench by President Nixon. During his tenure. he closed more than 6.500 cases. issued several landmark decisions and was rarely reversed on an appeal. Judge Steger passed away June 4. .2006. Mr. Speaker. I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BILL SHUSTER","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1086}
{"speech_id":1090177711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5606 is a bill to designate the Federal building and U.S. courthouse located at 221 West Ferguson St. in Tyler. TX as the William M. Steger Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Judge William Steger was born in 1920 in Dallas. TX. He attended local schools and Baylor University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":913}
{"speech_id":1090177711,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After training as a pilot. he served in Northern Africa and flew 56 missions over North Africa and Italy in Spitfires. the famous British fighter plane. In the 1950s. President Eisenhower appointed him to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern)istict of .Texas. In 1960. Judge Steger wds- the Republicari nominee in the Texas governor race in 1960. In 1970. President Nixon appointed him to the Federal bench. beginning his long and distinguished Federal judicial career. Judge Steger passed away this past June. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5606.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":913}
{"speech_id":1090177740,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 1556. a bill to designate the land located on the site of the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse in St. Louis. MO. as the Clyde S. Cahill Memorial Park. This parcel of land is bounded by South 10th Street. Clark Avenue. South 9th Street. and Walnut Avenue in St. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090177740,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Louis. Judge Cahill. a native Missourian. was born in St. Louis in April 1923. He attended local elementary -schools and Vashon High School. After graduating from high school. he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in Worid War II from 1942 until 1946. When he returned from the war he continued his education -at the University of St. Louis. He graduated from St. Louis University Law School in 1951. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090177740,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After graduation. Judge Cahill engaged in private practice until 1954 when he joined the staff of the circuit attorney of the city of St. Louis. From 1958 to 1965. he served as the chief legal advisor to the Missouri NAACP and filed the first lawsuit in Missouri to implement the Supreme Courts decision in Brown v. Board of Education. From 1975 until 1980. Judge Cahill served as a circuit judge on the 22nd Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri in St. Louis. With his appointment to the Federal court by President Carter on May 23. 1980. Judge Cahill became the first AfricanAmerican to be appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090177740,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Judge Cahill was known for being both compassionate and courteous. However. he frequently challenged the flaws in the judicial system and was critical of Federal sentencing guidelines. which he believed were sometimes inappropriately severe. He served as a role model for many young lawyers and civil servants. Judge Cahill died peacefully in 2004. Due to his lifetime of judicial excellence. it is both fitting and just that the park area located at .the Thomas Eagleton U.S. Courthousei. be designated in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1556.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1973}
{"speech_id":1090177760,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consune. Mr. Speaker. S. 362. the Marine Debris Research. Prevention and Reduction Act. was introduced by Senator INOUYE of Hawaii and was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate in July last year. The bill would enhance the Federal Governments capabilities to remove and prevent the creation of marine debris that is derived from oceanbased activities. Marine debris degrades very slowly. is highly buoyant and can be carried thousands of miles by ocean currents. Marine debris poses significant entanglement threats to many marine organisms. including fish. crabs. birds and marine mammals and can have serious consequences on human health. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1896}
{"speech_id":1090177760,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill would require the establishment of a Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to coordinate that agencys existing activities and requirements to reduce the impact of marine debris on the environment and navigation safety. The bill also would require the Coast. Guard to implement measures to improve compliance and enforcement of laws and international agreements regarding the discard of plastics and garbage from vessels. The bill also amends current law to reactivate the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee. rather than establish a new interagency forum. as was proposed in the Senatepassed bill. The bill before us today is the result of extensive cQnsultation between the Committee on Transportation and Infrastricture and the Committee on Resources. The bill has strong bipartisan support. and I expect the Senate to act quickly to send this legislation to the President. S. 362 will significantly improve the Federal Governments programs to prevent and remove marine debris without creating unnecessary. duplicative programs. I urge my colleagues to support the bil. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1896}
{"speech_id":1090177765,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of S. 362. the Marine Debris Research. Prevention. and Reduction Act. This bill has been developed in a very bipartisan fanner. The purpose of this legislation is to help fill in the gaps between existing maritime pollution laws such as the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Our oceans are becoming the garbage pit for the world. Each year. tons of marine debris. such as plastics and garbage from vessels. is discarded into the oceans. Its killing the animals in our oceans and with it the oceans themselves. The coastlines of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean are littered with debris that washes up including massive fishing nets that are lost each year. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1956}
{"speech_id":1090177765,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"September 27. 2006 . CC S. 362. introduced by Senator INOUYE. Will help address these problems. This legislation requires the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to map debris fields. to assess the impact of this debris on the living marine resources and navigational safety. and to develop strategies to prevent and remove marine debris from the navigable waters of the United States and our 200mile exclusive economic zone. S. 362 also requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard to take actions to reduce violations of and improve implementation of MARPOL Annex V and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Under the bill. the Coast Guard will also have to develop and implement a plan to improve shipboard waste management and to make sure that U.S. ports and terminals maintain and monitor the adequacy of receptacles for the disposal of plastics and other garbage that are brought into our ports each year on ships. The oceans are our lifelines. We cannot let human activity kill them. S. 362 will help to prevent thousands of tons of debris from entering the ocean each year from vessels. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 362. the Marine Debris Research. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1956}
{"speech_id":1090177765,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Prevention. and Reduction Act.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1956}
{"speech_id":1090177820,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public land located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the Wells Hydroelectric Project of Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County. Washington. to the utility district. as amended.","speaker_name":"STEVAN PEARCE","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":317}
{"speech_id":1090177888,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I just want to take a moment to again commend my colleague from New Mexico for his determination in getting this legislation before us today. Some of the more difficult and contentious issues that we deal with in this place are often issues involving property lines. jurisdictions of towns. private landowners. - and Indian tribes. Mr. UDALL has never shied away from such matters. especially when they affect the Indian tribes in New Mexico. and I commend him for his leadership on this issue and encourage adoption of this legislation. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"RON KIND","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":662}
{"speech_id":1090177893,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. H.R. 5516. sponsored by Congressman MIKE THOMPSON. amends Public Law 100516 and allows for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of water contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District in northern California. I urge my colleagues to supportthis legislation. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. \"","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":431}
{"speech_id":1090177901,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member and their staffs on the Committee for assisting in moving this legislation forward. H.R. 3606 is a straightforward. noncontroversial bill that would allow the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society to implement the new Human Use\/Natural Resource Management Plan for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museumin Chippewa County. Michighn. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Since 1992. the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has operated the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum to educate the public about shipwrecks in the region. The Museum provides exhibits on several shipwrecks in the area. including an indepth exhibit on the Edmund Fitzgerald. which was lost with her entire crew of 29 men near Whitefish Point. Michigan on November 10. 1975. Among the items on display is the 200 pound bronze bell recovered from the wreckage in 1995. as a memorial to her lost crew. In 2002. the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. working with the U.S. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2844}
{"speech_id":1090177901,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fish and Wildlife Service. the local chapter of the Audubon Society. and the local community. final-. ized a new management plan for the Museum to improve the experience at the Museum. The new management plan developed by these groups will allow the Historical Society to enhance the visitors experience by expanding the Museums exhibits and improving parking and access to surrounding wildlife opportunities. The. new management plan represents a consensus of all associated parties. and will improve the enjoyment of the historical and ecological resources in Chippewa County. Michigan. However. because the original land grant patent references the previous management plan. legislation to amend the patent is necessary before the new management plan can be implemented. In response. I introduced H.R. 3606. which would amend the land grant patent to allow the new plan to bie implemented. This legislation would simply change the land grant patent to include the new management plan. which has been agreed upon by all of the necessary stakeholders. Congressman CAMP has joined me in cosponsoring this legislation. recognizing the importance of increasing visitors to our state and its economy. I thank him for his support of this legislation. ","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2844}
{"speech_id":1090177901,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has continuously improved the experience at the Museum. since it was established in 1992. With the approval of H.R. 3606. Congress will allow additional developments at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. improving this cultural and historical resource. I encourage my colleagues to support this simple legislation. which will improve the opportunities available to visitors of Chippewa County. Michigan and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.","speaker_name":"BART STUPAK","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2844}
{"speech_id":1090177921,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today in support of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act. This legislation takes a commonsense approach to reduce nutrient and sediment loss in the Upper Mississippi watershed by coordinating existing public and private water monitoring initiatives. I believe that such a partnership promotes. the rivers health and is beneficial the communities and people of eastem Iowa. Most of the farm families I represent live and make their living either along the Mississippi. or its many tributaries. Soil erosion is a problem for farmers by reducing longterm sustainability and income potential of their acres. It is my understanding that farmers in the Upper Mississippi River Basin lose more than $300 million annually in applied nitrogen to soil erosion. In addition. sediment fills the main shipping channel of the Mississippi that family farmers depend on to get their commodities to markets. Farmers live close to the land. and are committed to being good stewards. This legislation. helps farmers and local conservation groups assess where problems are occurring in their watershed. and how to efficiently and effectively solve the problem. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3545}
{"speech_id":1090177921,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I believe this legislation is beneficial in mending our environment along the river. and better protecting it in the future. Sediment is a threat to the Mississippis fish. birds. and other wildlife by filling wetlands. Sediment reduces wetlands ability to be an adequate water filter and provide habitat to the creatures that live all along the Mississippi River. It is estimated that the Upper Mississippi contributes 31 percent of the nitrogen that impairs the watEr quality of the Lower Mississippi basin. Part of the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge is in my district. I believe this refuge is an important treasure for Iowa. What makes this area special is. of course. the unique wildlife that lives there. This legislation helps promote wildlife by monitoring and computer modeling data to ensure scientifically sound and costeffective decisions in promoting water quality. Additionally. a healthy Mississippi River is very important to the communities of eastern Iowa. The Mississippi is recognized throughout the United States and abroad as \"Americas River\". ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3545}
{"speech_id":1090177921,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Quad Cities area is a popular destination of international travelers who want to see and touch the water. For the residents of the Quad Cities area. the riverfront is the center of social life. with a historic district. baseball diamond. and several annually held festivals. The City of Dubuque boasts over one million visitors thanks to the Mississippi. This community has chosen to make its story of the river the cornerstone of its urban renewal with a million dollar investment in the revitalization of the riverfront. The Americas River project and historic Port of Dubuque represent the communitys dedication to growing its tourism industry. Madam Speaker. the Upper Mississippis health and water quality essential to growing the economies of the larger river cities of Bettendorf. Davenport. Clinton. and Dubuque. and the picturesque river towns of Guttenberg. LeClair. Bellevue. and Marquette. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3545}
{"speech_id":1090177921,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"All of.these communities. along with farmers. and conservationists. have invested much time and effort in promoting a clean river. I believe this legislation helps to insure these investments by coordinating the many interests of those living in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Accordingly. I am a proud sponsor of this bill. and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3545}
{"speech_id":1090177928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin. Madam Speaker. I rise today to urge the passage of S. 213. the Rio Arriba County Land Conveyance Act. S. 213 will convey to the County of Rio Arriba approximately 171 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. The county -intends to use this land for -a new public school. county facilities and a cemetery for the local parish. Rio Arriba County in northerh New Mexico is a vast. beautiful county with significant amounts of Federal land. The growing population of Rio Arriba has led to an increased demand for public services but no municipal lands on which to site them. Under most circumstances. this sort of transfer would be conducted administratively under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and authorizing legislation would not be required. This bill is before us today only because these lands are located on the Sebastian Martin Land Grant and were acquired by the Federal -Government under the BankheadJones Act. ","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090177928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Recreation and Public Lands Act does not apply to acquired lands. but the legislation is in keeping with provisions of that act. The Rio Arriba County Manager. Lorenzo Valdez. and members of the Rio Arriba Board of County SuperVisors worked hard on this and diligently. School Board Chairman Joe Guillen and School Board members Leroy Salazar. Ralph Medina and Isaac Medina worked tirelessly to raise the money necessary to construct the new school. Father Terry Brennan. the Pastor of San Juan Pueblo Parish. helped on this effort in order to ensure that his parish would have the land necessary for a cemetery. Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.","speaker_name":"TOM UDALL","chamber":"H","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1671}
{"speech_id":1090177934,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I lessen that risk. yield myself such time as I may con- Already. local governments and other entisume. ties have provided important protection for Madam Speaker. H.R. 2110 would re- portions of this mountain backdrop. quire the Forest Service to review The bill acknowledges their good work and lands in or adjacent to the Arapaho aims to assist further efforts along the same and Roosevelt National Forest and re- lines. port to the Congress on the present The bill does not interfere with the authority ownership of the lands. which undevel- of local authorities regarding land use planoped lands may be risk of development. ning. And it does not infringe on private propand what appropriate actions could be erty rights. taken to preserve the open and unde- Instead. it will bring the. land protection exveloped character of the lands. This perience of the Forest Service to the table to study involves how best to protect the assist local efforts to protect areas that comopen space between the western Denver prise the backdrop.. metro area and the National Forest Under the bill. the Forest Service will work from development. in collaboration with local communities. the This bill was amended in committee state. nonprofit groups. and other parties. to address issues raised by the Forest I think this is in the national interest. Service. and we urge its support. The backdrop both beckoned settlers westMadam Speaker. I reserve the bal- ward and was a daunting challenge to their ance of my time. progress. Their first exposure to the harshness","speaker_name":"LOUIE GOHMERT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1569}
{"speech_id":1090178002,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. will the distinguished leader allow me to say a few words? I listened very intently. The Senator from Connecticut and I have. over many years. formed a very. close personal and professional working relationship. I know the deep. abiding respect you have for your father and his work. particularly at that historic moment in the history of world jurisprudence. the Nuremberg trials. I regret that you perceive that this bill on the floor falls short of your idea of the goals. But I assure you the group with which I worked did everything we couldand I think we have succeeded. I say in all respectscertainly with regard to the 1949 treaty. which. as you know. was in four parts. and the Common Article 3 to all four of those treaties. preserving this Nations obligations under that treaty. So while we have our differences. I just wish to conclude that I respect you greatly for the admiration you have for your father. as do I have for my father. who was a doctor during that period. I thank you for the opportunity to listen to you.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1051}
{"speech_id":1090178069,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we are anxious to move to a vote on the Specter amendment to accommodate a number of colleagues. Therefore. I urge that the remaining time on the Specter amendment under the control of Senator SPECTER. and the time in opposition under my control. be now utilized by colleagues. such that we can move to that vote.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":328}
{"speech_id":1090178107,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the argument has been made that there is an alternative procedure which passes constitutional muster. But the provisions of the statute which set up the Combatant Status Review Tribunal are conclusively insufficient on their face. The statute provides that the Combatant Status Review Tribunal may be reviewed by the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia only to the extentthat the ruling was consistent with the standards and procedures specified by the Secretary of Defense. Now. to comply with the standards of procedures determined by the Secretary of Defense does not mean exclude on its face a factual determination as to what happens to the detainees. When the Senator from South Carolina argues that judges should not make military decisions. I agree with him totally. But the converse of that is that judges should make judicial decisions. to decide whether due process is decided. The converse. that judges should not make military decisions. is the principle that the Secretary of Defense ought not to decide what the constitutional standards are.. The Secretary of Defense should not decide what the constitutional standards are. ","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090178107,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is up to the. Supreme Court of the United States. and the Supreme Court of the United States has decided that aliens are entitled to the explicit constitutional protection of habeas corpus. The argument is made that the Swain case allows for alternative procedfLres. The Swain case involved a District of Columbia habeas corpus proceeding Which was virtually identical with habeas corpus provided under Federal statute 2241. so of course it was satisfactory. A number of straw men have been set up: One. that we could not apply these principles to the 18.000 detainees in Iraqnobody seeks to do that. the straw- man thatwe should not give search and seizure protections of the fourth amendmentno one seeks to do that. or the fifth amendment protection against the privilege of selfincrimination. In essence and in conclusion. what this entire controversy boils down to is whether Congress is going to legislate to deny a constitutional right which is explicit in the document of the Constitution itself and which has been applied to aliens by the Supreme Court of the United States. The distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee has said that he does not want to have this matter come back to Congress. But surely as we are standing here. if this bill is passed and habeas corpus is stricken. we will be on this floor again rewriting the law.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090178161,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. who is an ex officio member of the Intelligence Committee and does extremely valuable work as we try to work in a commensurate fashion on national security. I rise in opposition to the amendment being offered by my good friend from West Virginia. Senator ROCKEFELLER. who is vice chairman of our committee. The. amendment calls for yet another unhecessary and repetitious requirement of reporting. Now. I do not take issue with some of the numerous questions the Senator from West Virginia seeks. Some of these questions should be answered in the context of our regular committee oversight. The issue is not if reasonable questions are answered. but how and how often. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3906}
{"speech_id":1090178161,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I really question the need for a formal quarterly reportfour ttmes a yearunreasonable in scope and length that will be a very unnecessary burden on the hardworking men and women at the CIA. The simple fact is that the vice chairman and other members of the committee have been fully briefed in the past. present. and prospective future about CIAs detention and interrogation operations and will continue to be briefed. The vice chairman and other members of the Intelligence Committee can get answers to their questions and more through the course of the committees normal oversight activities. They only need to ask. I just mentioned the prospective future of the CIAs interrogation program. That is because without this legislation. there will be no CIA program. Lets be clear. If we adopt what I believe is an unnecessary amendment. contrary with the House. this bill will end up in conference .with the House. If that happens. I fear the bill will languish throughout the fall while Members are out campaigning. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3906}
{"speech_id":1090178161,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Meanwhile. the CIA will be unable to interrogate captured unlawful alien combatants. Forgive me. Mr. President. but I think the American people deserve better than to have this Nations efforts against alQaida bog down because some in this bodyand I dont question their intentare insisting on an unnecessary symbolic and redundant series of reporting requirements that could and will be answered through the regular committee oversight. All we have to do is ask and then to listen and then to respond. Where are our priorities? Where should they be? As I have listened to the debate on. this bill in the relative safety and comfort of Capitol Hill. I cannot help but wonder whether some of us have lost our perspective. While we must do our duty as elected officialsand we will do thatwe cannot forget that we are a nation at war. Consequently. our first and foremost duty should be to support our troops and intelligence officers at home and abroad. not to mandate four times a year reporting requirements that are unprecedented in scope and detail. The CIA will not be detecting and interdicting unlawful alien combatants. it will be writing one report after another. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3906}
{"speech_id":1090178161,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am on the side of our hardworking intelligence officers and. against the terrorists. I think that is an obvious choice. I think most Members would think they would be in that position. But I do not believe in making their job more difficult by legislating additional reporting requirements which are needless and burdensome and which will likely delay enactment of this vital national security legislation. If this were to pass. we can be reasonably certain that it will have a chilling effect on interrogation operations. We are sending a signal to our intelligence officers to be risk averse. the very thing we dont want to do. In fact. the very implication of this amendment is they are unable to carry out their duties with honor and respect for the law. and that. my colleagues. is just not true. So let us do our duty. as we should. and get this bill done and to the President. Mr. President. ","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3906}
{"speech_id":1090178161,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I oppose the amendment and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"PAT ROBERTS","chamber":"S","state":"KS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3906}
{"speech_id":1090178230,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the Kennedy amendment would require the Secretary of State to notify other countries around the world that seven specific categories of actions. each of which is specifically prohibited by the Army Field Manual. are punishable offenses under common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions that would be prosecuted as war crimes if applied to any United States person. Those seven categories of actions are: (1) Forcing the detainee to be naked. perform sexual acts. or pose in a sexual manner. (2) applying beatings. electric shock. burns. or other forms of physical pain. (3) \"waterboarding\". (4) using military working dogs. (5) inducing hypothermia or heat injury. (6) conducting mock executions. and (7) depriving the detainee of necessary food. water. or medical care. I listened very carefully to what my colleague from Virginia. the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. had to say about this amendment. He stated: Now Senator Kennedys amendment. depending on how the votes come. and Im of the opinion that this chamber will reject it. I dont want that rejection to be misconstrued by the world in any way as asserting that the techniques mentioned in the amendment are consistent with the Geneva Convention or that they could legitimately be employed against our troops or anyone else.... We must not leave that impression as a consequence of the decisions soon to be made by way of vote on the Kennedy amendment. The types of conduct described in this amendment. in my opinion. are in the category of grave breaches of Common Article Three of the Geneva Convention. These are clearly prohibited by the bill. I am in complete agreement with Senator WARNER that each of these practices is a grave breach of Common Article 3. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2520}
{"speech_id":1090178230,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I agree that these practices are unlawful today and that they will continue to be unlawful if this bill is enacted into law. However. I am concerned that the administration may have muddied the record on these issues through its unwillingness to clearly state what practices are permitted. and what practices are prohibited. under Common Article 3. While I reach the same conclusion as Senator WARNER as to the lawfulness of the practices listed in the. Kennedy amendment. I am afraid that others around the world may not. We agree that these practices are prohibited by Common Article 3. We need to send a clear message to the world that this is the case. so that the rest of the world will abide by the same standard. That is why I strongly support the Kennedy amendment.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2520}
{"speech_id":1090178254,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I respectfully say that our bill does. in my judgment. Clearly. it constitutes an affirmation of the treaties. I would not want to send a message at this time that there could come a point. namely. December 31. 2011. that such assurances as we have given about those treaties might expire. That is what concerns me.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":315}
{"speech_id":1090178257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it could be a Democratic President. as far as I am concerned. I think this is wise on the part of the Senate in conducting its constitutional oversight. to say that we will do it this far and then we will take another look at it in the light of the new day. in the light of the new times. the new circumstances. we will take another look at it. We are not passing any judgment on that legislation 5 years out. I am flabbergastedflabbergastedthat my friend would take umbrage at this legislation. I only have a few minutes left.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":542}
{"speech_id":1090178275,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I will conclude. then. I appreciate the Senator from Virginia. Instead of allowing this Presidentor any Presidentto decide. what does and does not constitute torture. we could have left the definition up to our own laws and to the Geneva Conventions. as we would have if we passed the bill that the Armed Services committee originally offered. Instead of detainees arriving at Guantanamo and facing a Combatant Status Review Tribunal that allows them no real chance to prove their innocence with evidence or a lawyer. we could have developed a real military system of justice that would sort out the suspected terrorists from the accidentally accused. And instead of not just suspending. but eliminating. the\" right of habeas corpus--the seven centuryold right of individuals to challenge the terms of their own detention. we could have given the accused one chanceone single chanceto ask the Government why they are being held and what they are being charged with. But politics won today. Politics won. The administration got its vote. and now it will have its victory lap. and now they will be able to go out on the campaign trail and tell the American people that they were the ones who were tough on the terrorists. And yet. we have a bill that gives the terrorist mastermind of 9\/11 his day in court. but not the innocent people we may have accidentally rounded up and mistaken for terroristspeople who may stay in prison for the rest of their lives. And yet. we have a report authored by sixteen of our own Governments intelligence agencies. a previous draft of which described. and I quote. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6276}
{"speech_id":1090178275,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"\". . . actions by the United States government that were determined to have stoked the jihad movement. like the indefinite detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.. And yet. we have alQaida and the Taliban regrouping in Afghanistan while we look the other way. We have a war in Iraq that our own Governments intelligence says is serving as alQaidas best recruitment tool. And we have recommendations from the bipartisan 9\/11 commission that we still refuse to implement 5 years after the fact. The problem with this bill is not that it is too tough on terrorists. The problem with this bill is that it is sloppy. And the reason it is sloppy is because we rushed it to serve political purposes instead of taking the time to do the job right. I have heard. for example. the argument that it should be military courts. and not Federal judges. who should make decisions on these detainees. I actually agree with that. The problem is that the structure of the military proceedings had been poorly thought through. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6276}
{"speech_id":1090178275,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Indeed. the regulations that are supposed to be governing administrative hearings for these detainees. which should have been issued months ago. still havent been issued. Instead. we have rushed through a bill that stands a good chance of being challenged once again in the Supreme Court. This is not how a serious administra-. tion would approach the. problem of terrorism. I know the President came here today and was insisting that this is supposed to be our primary concern. He is absolutely right it should be our primary concernwhich is- why we should be approaching this with a somberness and seriousness that this administration has not displayed with this legislation. Now let me make clearfor those who plot terror against the United State. I hope God has mercy on their soul. because I certainly do not. For those who our Government suspects of terror. I support whatever tools are necessary to try them and uncover their plot. We also know that some have been detained who hav.e no connection to terror whatsoever. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6276}
{"speech_id":1090178275,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have already had reports from the CIA and various generals over the last few years saying that many of the detainees at Guantanamo shouldnt have been thereas one U.S. commander of Guantanamo told the Wall Street Journal. \"Sometimes. we just didnt get the right folks.\" And we all know about the recent case of the Canadian man who was suspected of terrorist connections. detained in New York. sent to Syria. and tortured. only to find out later that it was all a case of mistaken identity and poor information. In the future. people like this may never have a chance to prove their innocence. They may remain locked away forever. The sad part about all of this is that this betrayal of American values is unnecessary. We could have drafted a bipartisan. wellstructured bill that provided adequate due process through the military courts. had an effective review process that wouldve prevented frivolous lawsuits being filed and kept lawyers from clogging our courts. but upheld the basic ideals that have made this country great. Instead\" what we have is a flawed document that in fact betrays the best instincts of some of my colleagues on both sides of the aislethose who worked in a bipartisan fashion in the Armed Services Committee to craft a bill that we could have been proud of. And they essentially got steamrolled by this administration and by the imperatives of November 7. That is not how we should be doing business in the U.S. Senate. and that is not how we should be prosecuting this war on terrorism. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6276}
{"speech_id":1090178275,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we are sloppy and cut corners. we are undermining those very virtues of America that will lead us to success in winning this war. At bare minimum. I hope we can at least pass this provision so that cooler heads can prevail after the silly season of politics is over. I conclude by saying this: Senator BYRD has spent more time in this Chamber than many of us combined. He has seen the ebb and flow of politics in this Nation. He understands that sometimes we get caught up in the heat of the moment. The design of the Senate has been to cool those passions and to step back and take a somber look and a careful look at what we are doing. Passions never flare up more than during times where we feel threatened. I strongly urge. despite my great admiration for one of the sponsors of the underlying bill. that we accept this extraordinarily modest amendment that would allow us to go back in 5 years time and make sure what we are doing serves American ideals. American values. and ultimately will make us more successful in prosecuting the war on terror about which all of us are concerned. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6276}
{"speech_id":1090178285,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to my good friend. I fully understand what you endeavor to do here. and I respectfully strongly disagree with it. I think many of us share this. This is going to be a very long war against those people whom we generically call terrorists. In the course of that war. this President and his successor must have the authority to continue to conduct these courtsmartialthese trials under these commissionsand not send out a signal to terrorists: If you get under the time limit and you dont get caught. this thing may end.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":539}
{"speech_id":1090178330,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I first compliment the distinguished chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. the Senator from Virginia. for being the calm and steady hand on the rudder during the course of the discussions and debates involving this important piece of legislation. His work and demeanor have always been constructive and civil. and any disagreements we have .had are befitting of the great traditions of this institution. I thank him for that.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":454}
{"speech_id":1090178411,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wanted to call the Senates attention to the fact we do have wastewater legislation that has passed both the House and the Senate. in the House by a vote of 413 to 2. It is something which is desperately needed. We need to attend to that as soon as possible. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":309}
{"speech_id":1090178419,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The purpose of this legislation is to strengthen. not to weaken or modify. the Detainee Treatment Act. For the first time. this legislation is required to \"take action to ensure compliance\" with the DTAs prohibition on cruel. inhuman. or degrading treatment. as defined in the U.S. reservation to the Convention Against Torture. He is directed to do so through. among other actions. the establishment of administrative rules and procedures. Nothing in this legislation authorizes the President to modify the requirements of the DTA. which were enshrined in a law passed last December. I would point out as well to the distinguished ranking member that the President himself never proposed to weaken the DTA. Rather. he proposed to make compliance with the DTA tantamount to compliance with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. That proposal is not included in this legislation.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":884}
{"speech_id":1090178430,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That is my understanding and intent as well. andI agree with the Senators other clarifying remarks. In the same section. the term \"serious physical pain or suffering\" is defined as a bodily injury that involves one .of four characteristics: \"a substantial risk of death.\" \"extreme physical pain.\" \"a burn or physical disfigurement or a serious nature.\" or \"significant loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member. organ or mental faculty.\" I do not believe that the term \"bodily injury\" -adds a separate requirement which must be met for an act to constitute serious physical pain or suffering.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":604}
{"speech_id":1090178440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. once the Military Commissions Act. MCA. is signed into law and section 7 is effective. Congress will finally accomplish what it sought to do through the Detainee Treatment ActDTAlast year. It will finally get the lawyers out of Guantanamo Bay. It will substitute the blizzard of litigation instigated by Rasul v. Bush with a narrow DC Circuit -only review of the Combatant Status Review TribunalCSRThearings. Perhaps even more important than the narrow standards of review created by the DTA is the fact that that review is exclusive to the court of appeals. This is by design. Courts of appeals do not hold evidentiary hearings or otherwise take in evidence outside of the administrative record. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6024}
{"speech_id":1090178440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The DC Circuit will operate no differently under the CSRT review provisions of the DTA. The circuit court will review the. administrative record of the CSRTs to make sure that the right standards were applied. the standards that the military itself set for CSRTs. And it will determine whether the CSRT system as a whole is consistent with the Constitution and with Federal statutes. There is no invitation in the DTA or MCA to reconsider the sufficiency of the evidence. Weighing of the evidence is a function for the military when the question is whether someone is an enemy combatant. Courts simply lack the competencethe knowledge of the battlefield and the nature of our foreign enemies--to judge whether particular facts show that someone is an enemy combatant. By making review exclusive to the DC Circuit. the DTA helps to ensure that the narrow review standards it sets do not somehow grow into something akin to Federal courts habeas corpus review of State criminal convictions. The courts role under the DTA is to simply ensure that the military applied the right rules to the facts. It is not the courts role to interpret those facts and decide what they mean. Because review under the DTA and MCA will be limited to the administrative record. there is no need for any lawyer to ever again go to Guantanamo to represent an enemy combatant challenging his detention. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6024}
{"speech_id":1090178440,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The military. I am certain. will make the paper record available inside the United States. This is one of the major benefits of enacting the MCA. As I and others have noted previously. the hundreds of lawyer visits to Guantanamo sparked by Rasul have seriously disrupted the operation of the Naval facility there. They have forced reconfiguration of the facility and consumed enormous resources. and have led to leaks of information that have mgde it harder for our troops there to do their job. to keep order at Guantanamo.. Some of these detainee lawyers have even bragged about what a burden their activities have been on the military. and how they have disrupted interrogations at Guantanamo. Putting an end to that was the major purpose of the DTA. Today. with the MCA. we see to it that this goal is effectuated. Another major improvement that the MCA makes to the DTA is that it tightens the bar on nonhabeas lawsuits contained in 28 U.S.C. \u00a72241(e)(2). That paragraph. as enacted by the DTA. barred postrelease conditionsofconfinement lawsuits. but only if the detainee had been found to be properly detained as an enemy combatant by the U.S. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6024}
{"speech_id":1090178440,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Court of Appeals on review of a CSRT hearing. Although nothing in the DTA or MCA directly requires the military to conduct CSRTs. this limitation on the bar to nonhabeas actions effectively did compel the military to hold CSRTs--and to somehow get the detainee to appeal to the DC Circuit. The alternative would have been to allow the detainee to sue U.S. troops at Guantanamo after his release. The MCA revises section 2241(e)(2) by. among other things. adopting a much narrower exception to the bar on postrelease lawsuits. Under the MCA. 2242(e)(2) will bar nonhabeas lawsuits so long as the detainee \"has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination.\" This new language does several things. First. it eliminates the requirement that the DC Circuit review a CSRT. or that a CSRT even be held. before nonhabeas actions are barred. This is important because many detainees were released before CSRTs were even instituted. We do not want those who were properly detained as enemy combatants to be able to sue the U.S. military. And we do not want to force the military to hold CSRT hearings forever. or in all future wars. Instead. under the new language. the determination that is the precondition to the litigation bar is purely an executive determination. ","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6024}
{"speech_id":1090178440,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is only what the United States has decided that will matter. In addition. the language of (e)(2) focuses on the propriety of the initial detention. There inevitably will be detainees who are captured by U.S. troops. or who are handed- over to us by third parties. who initially appear to be enemy combatants but who. upQn further inquiry. are found to be unconnected to the armed conflict. The U.S. military should not be punished with litigation for the fact that they initially detained such a person. As long as the individual was at least initially properly detained as an enemy combatant. the n onhabeas litigation is now barred. even if the U.S. later decides that the person was not an enemy combatant or no longer poses any threat. The inquiry created here is not unlike that for reviewing. in the civilian criminal justice context. the propriety of an arrest. An arrest might be entirely legal. might be based on sufficient probable cause. even if the arrestee is later conclusively found to be innocent of committing any crime. The arresting officer cannot be sued and held liable for making that initial arrest. so long as the arrest itself was supported by probable cause. simply -because the suspect was not later convicted of a crime. Similarly. under 2241 (e)(2). detainees will not be able to sue their captors and custodians if the United States determines that it was the right decision- to take the individual into custody.","speaker_name":"JOHN CORNYN","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6024}
{"speech_id":1090178509,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will go ahead and answer the questions. then. and hope this changes your mind on being the one willing to make the -objection. Would I protect my State if my State were losing money? I think we are elected to the Senate by the people in our States. but our obligation is to the people of the United States. And were my State grossly overpaid on an average. and I was still going to be grossly overpaid afterwards. and my State couldnt use the money each year that it received. I think I would have a terrible time trying to object to this bill. I hope we do not play that kind of numbers game. we dont get that parochial on bills around here. Another bill I have been working on is the Older Americans Act. and it has a formula in it. Again. there are States that lose under that bill. But there are people who have been willing to work out a formula like we did on this. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090178509,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must have run about 300 different programs trying to come up with something as equitable as possible. We even put in the 3 years hold harmless for people who were being grossly overpaid. \u0095 I think we have come up with as reasonable a bill as we possibly can. We need to get it passed. and we need to get it passed by September 30 so the penalties dont kick into effect for those States that have a big penalty coming up and that are desperately in need of making sure they get enough money to take care of the cases they presently have.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1428}
{"speech_id":1090178532,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So. I understand that you have given States like my own Pennsylvania more time to change their system. so that they dont have losses just due to system issues when people still need care. What would Pennsylvania and California lose if those States did not receive the 4year extension you are proposing?","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":302}
{"speech_id":1090178548,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the television. cable. and satellite industries recently launched the \"Be the Boss of What Your Kids Watch\" campaign. This campaign. which is headed up by my good friend Jack Valenti. educates parents about how to protect their children from inappropriate television programming. When Senator INOUYE and I first became cochairmen of the Senate Commerce Committee. several groups and individuals approached us. they were concerned about decency in media content. In November 2005. our Committee began the process of bringing each of these groups together. We convened an Open Forum on Decency and held hearings. In all. more than 30 groups and individuals shared their concerns and insights with us. The \"Be the Boss\" campaign is one noteworthy initiative which developed from these efforts. Surveys show that only three percent of Americans know how to use the Vchip. a feature in every television set which enables parents to block programs based on ratings. This $300 million ad campaign seeks to teach parents how to use thisand otherblocking technologies and will help them better monitor television programs. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1783}
{"speech_id":1090178548,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In July. Jack Valenti and Peggy Conlon. the president of the Ad Council. kicked off the \"B& the Boss\" campaign when they showed our committee their first two public service announcements. Thanks to these announcements. and the campaign web site. www.thetvboss.org. parents now have information about the Vchip. cable and satellite controls. and television ratings. Earlier this week. kits containing information about this campaigh were delivered to every Member of Congress. I urge my colleagues to share these valuable resources with their constituents. and I thank Jack Valenti and his colleagues for their leadership on this issue. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1783}
{"speech_id":1090178584,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce \"The Intelligence Community Audit Act of 2006.\" with Senator LAUTENBERG which would reaffirm the Comptroller Qeneral of the United. States and head of the Government Accountability Offices. GAO. authority to audit the financial transactions and evaluate the programs and activities of the intelligence community (IC). Representative BENNIE THOMPSON. ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee. is introducing similar legislation. The bill Senator LAUTENBERG and I offer today is in keeping with legislation introduced in 1987 by Senator John Glenn. the former chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee. to ensure more effective oversight of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the wake of the IranContra scandal. The need for greater oversight and availability of information to appropriate congressional committees is not new. What is new is that Congress does not have the luxury of failure in this era of terrorism. Failure brings terrible consequence. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11393}
{"speech_id":1090178584,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 9\/11. effective oversight is needed now more than ever for two very basic reasons: First. intelligence reforms have spawned new agencies with new intelligence functions demanding even more interagency cooperation. The Congress needs to ensure that these agencies have the assets. resources. and capability to do their job in protecting our national security. However. now the Congress cannot do its job properly. in part. because its key investigative arm. the Government Accountability Office. is not given adequate access to the intelligence community. led by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Moreover. intelligence oversight is no longer the sole purview of the Senate and House intelligence committees. Other committees have jurisdiction over such departments as Homeland Security. State. Defense. Justice. Energy. and even Treasury and Commerce. which. in this war on terrorism. have intelligence collection and sharing responsibilities. Nor is the information necessary for these committees to exercise their oversight responsibilities restricted to the two intelligence.committees as their organizing resolutions make clear. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11393}
{"speech_id":1090178584,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ufifortunately. the intelligence community stonewalls the GAO when committees of jurisdiction request that GAO investigate problems despite the clear responsibility of Congress to ensure that these agencies are operating effectively to protect America. This is not always the case. Some agencies recognize the valuable contribution that GAO makes in improving the quality of our intelligence. As Lieutenant General Lew Allen. Jr.. then Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). observed in testimony before the Senate Select Committee To Study Governmental Operations With Respect To Intelligence Activities. on October 29. 1975: \"Another feature of congressional review is that since 1955 resident auditors of the General Accounting Office have been assigned at the Agency to perform onsite audits. Additional GAO auditors were cleared for access in 1973. and GAO. in addition to this audit. is initiating a classified review of our automatic data processing functions.\" Not surprisingly. this outpost of the GAO still exists at the NSA. Second. and equally important. is the inability of Congress to ensure that unfettered intelligence collection does not trample civil liberties. New technologies and new personal information data bases -threaten our individual right to a secure private life. free from unlawful government invasion. The Congress rhust ensure that private information being collected by the intelligence community is not misused and is secure. Over 30 years ago. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11393}
{"speech_id":1090178584,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator Charles Percy urged Congress to \"act now to gain control over the Governments dangerously proliferating police. investigative. and intelligence activities.\" He noted that \"we find ourselves threatened by the specter of a watchdog Government. breeding a nation of snoopers.\" The privacy concerns expressed by our former colleague have become vastly more complicated. As I have noted. the institutional landscape has become littered with new intelligence agencies with everincreasing demands and responsibilities on law enforcement at every level of government since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and the passage of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. They have the legitimate mission to protect the country against potential threats. Congress role is to ensure that their mission remains legitimate. The intelligence community today consists of 19 different agencies or components: the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Central Intelligence Agency. Department of Defense. Defense Intelligence Agency. National Security Agency. Departments of the Army. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11393}
{"speech_id":1090178584,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Navy. Marine Corps. and Air Force. Department of State. Department of Treasury. Department of Energy. Department of Justice. Federal Bureau of Investigation. National Reconnaissance Office. National GeospatialIntelligence -Agency. Coast Guard. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL AKAKA","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11393}
{"speech_id":1090178635,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I have news. good news. A child is born. a girl. Brooklyn Allyson Reaves arrived in the summer heat of Austin. Texas. August 18. 2006. at 7 pounds. 13 ounces. Her parents. Kim and Derek Reaves. and her brother. Barrett Houston. are all proud of this new family. member. Brooklyn is in the sunrise of her life. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090178635,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"May her days be long. may she see good days of happiness and health. days of doing service for others. days filled with a passion for liberty and righteous justice. days with a love for her heritage and her country. and days with a commitment to her Maker. so that when she reaches the sunset of life. she will have been a good citizen. a good patriot. and a good servant of her Lord. Every time a child is born. the Almighty is making a bet on the future of humanity. Kids are our greatest of all national resources. So. Madam Speaker. the angels in heaven may be singing with joy at the arrival of Brooklyn. but they cannot be as happy or as proud as I am. because Brooklyn is my new granddaughter. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1055}
{"speech_id":1090178654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. at the end of the week. this Congress will adjourn so that its Members can go home to campaign for their seats. I like to think of a campaign as a long job interview. Everyone in the body will have to convince his or her constituents that they are the best person for the job. that they have spent their time here in Washington doing whatever they can to better the lives of the people back home in their districts. Madam Speaker. this Republican Congress has not made that task easy. It isnt just what the Congress has done with its time that is so disappointing. for example. yesterdays passage of a military detainee bill that undermines some of our most cherished and fundamental principles. It is also what the Congress has not done. All the challenges it has not addressed. The responsibilities it has not lived up to. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8289}
{"speech_id":1090178654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is all going to leave voters wondering what we have been doing these last 2 years. The American people do not need us to tell them why their country is headed in the wrong direction. Every day that Congress fails to implement the critical recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission. they feel les6 safe. Every day they struggle to get by on real wages that continue to decline. they feel less secure. And every day that seniors and those with disabilities cannot afford their prescription drugs. that students and their families lie awake worrying about how they are going to be able to afford college tuition payments. and that tens of millions of commuters break the bank trying to afford their drive to work in the morning. every day these problems remain unresolved. and people ask themselves why this Congress doesnt seem to care about what really matters to them. They need it to take their troubles and concerns seriously and for us to spend our time passing meaningful bills that will actually help them live their lives and provide for -their families. So today. my fellow Democrats and I are offering one last opportunity to our Republican colleagues to make the 109th Congress really mean something. This rule will give us the ability to consider numerous important suspension bills today and tomorrow. In that short amount of time. we can pass legislation that will go a long way towards giving our constituents and fellow citizens the help they need to live in safety and security. to achieve their goals and ensure a brighter future for their children. I want to briefly mention five goals that we should all pledge to reach before we adjourn. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8289}
{"speech_id":1090178654,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Since 9\/11. this administration and Republican Congress have tried to convince us that we are in a war for civilization. They used the urgency of that supposed fight to justify reductions in our fundamental liberties and wars that have cost our citizens dearly. And yet they have largely failed to implement the overwhelming majority of the 41 security recommendations made by the 9\/11 Commission. recommendations designed to prevent another attack here at home. And as was made clear by the response to Hurricane Katrina. this government is not prepared to respond to disasters. Nor has it adequately addressed weaknesses in our security system that could be exploited at any time. weaknesses in our energy infrastructure. at our ports. and in our intelligence community. And that is why I call on this Congress to immediately pass legislation putting the commonsense recommendations of the 9\/11 Commission into law. We have no reason for inaction. and the American people wont accept any more excuses. Threats to the security of our citizens do not come from the outside alone. Madam Speaker. They are threats to that security right here at home. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8289}
{"speech_id":1090178654,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Working families cannot hope to feel secure if they are living paycheck to paycheck and deeply in debt. And if those paychecks are not enough to live on. they do not have much cause for hope left. The real wages of Americas workers have fallen for years. squeezing the middle class and making it harder for our 7 million minimum wage workers to even get by. One way to alleviate that pressure would be to increase our minimum wage. The majority leader bragged a few weeks ago that he has spent his entire career in Congress voting against minimum wage increases. And he isnt alone. Under Republican control. Congress has refused to raise the minimum wage for 9 years. not even to adjust it. for an increased cost of living. On the other hand. that costofliving adjustment has been made to the congressional salaries numerous times. Well. enough is enough. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8289}
{"speech_id":1090178654,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My Democrat colleagues and I pledge here and now we will not support another congressional pay raise until we give Americas minimum wage workers a raise as well. There is an easy way to do it. We can immediately pass Representative GEORGE MILLERs Fair Minimum Wage Act or a similar amendment that Representative HOYER authored to the Labor. Health and Human Services bill. Doing so would have an immediate and profound effect on millions of lives. Madam Speaker. the deeply flawed Medicare part D legislation rammed through Congress last year has already come home to roost. Millions of Americans face prescription drug premiums they cannot afford. a reality that weighs especially heavy on the elderly and the disabled. This Congress should immediately give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. This would immediately help countless men and women get the lifesaving prescription drugs that they need. Nor should we focus only on the present. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8289}
{"speech_id":1090178674,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. for the purpose of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":266}
{"speech_id":1090178678,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I appreciate my friends comments on the prescription drug debate. the energy debate. andl the student loan debate. I would remind my friend that we are here to facilitate action on the Homeland Security appropriations bill. the Foreign. Intelligence Surveillance Act modernization. and the military tribunals bill. and with her help we can move this procedure along and continue to act on behalf of the American people to make them safer. Madam Speaker. we need to get the boots on the ground to secure our borders. the money for 1.200 new Border Patrol agents. new Customs officials. and the modernization and authorization for our intelligence and law enforcement officials to utilize the best technology and the best communications to prevent and disrupt any potential plans to attack our homeland. Those are the items that are embodied in this bill that we are considering at this time. and. as I said. with her assistance we can move forward and then be able to again address the other issues that she mentioned. on top of the work that we have already done in passing three major energy bills in the past 18 months that deal not only with fossil fuels and the need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. that deal with the expansion of refining capacity in this country. which was largely blocked by the other side of the aisle. an energy policy that provides prizes in the form of monetary grants to those innovative individuals around America who find the next bi thing. who can innovate on a hydrogen type of fuel cell or the hybrid -and continuing to build on that. building on the tax incentives that we passed through this body that encourage people to purchase hybrid vehicles. looking at renewables. solar. and wind. All of those things. Madam Speaker. are part of the energy bills that we have passed in this House. and now we need to pass these items of important national -security. That is what this bill does. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2006}
{"speech_id":1090178730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I appreciate the gentleman yielding. You are talking about letting the free market work. You shut down. You have a closed market with pharmaceuticals. We wanted to allow reimportation in from Canada. you wouldnt allow that. And if the free market was working. just like WalMart. I am sure they are buying in bulk and using the negotiating power of WalMart. just like they do on everything else to keep the prices down. You are not allowing the free market to work.","speaker_name":"TIM RYAN","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":464}
{"speech_id":1090178735,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. in my short 6 years here. I dont think I. have ever seen nerves so raw on a sameday rule. It is. I think. a function of the calendar. a function of the end of the session where temperatures run high and passions are certainly in overdrive as we all are watching the clock wind down and wanting to make our points to the American people. The points that are embodied in this legislation before. us at this moment are keeping America secure. Most of the debate on this sameday rule has not been on the topic at hand. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090178735,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have successfully passed Medicare modernization. something that was not accomplished in the previous 40 years. It was this majority that accomplished that and gave seniors the modern access to prescription drugs that they did not have previously. It was this Congress that delivered not one but three substantial energy independence bills. r1 1215 Bills that would allow us to reduce our reliance on countries that often dont like us for the economic lifeblood that this Nation requires. by expanding our own capacity. expanding exploration. expanding refining capacity. expanding renewables. putting an emphasis on American agriculture so that we can grow our way to energy independence. investing in renewables like solar and wind and hydroelectric. investing in longterm technologies like hydrogen. That was this Congress that passed those items in three different vehicles. including a passage that would have fixed the Clinton administrations billion dollar giveaway to Big Oil in the Gulf. That was this Congress that passed that legislation. over the objections of the minority. The issue at hand is homeland security appropriations. the funds that are necessary to put boots on the ground on the border. to hire 1.200 new Border Patrol agents. to expand the Customs capabilities. to use the technology and communications capacity that this great Nation brings to bear to break up. disrupt. and arrest terrorists who are plotting to do us harm. That is in this bill. To update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Surely. surely. there must be agreement that this Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 should be modernized to reflect things like the cell phone. multiple access to the Internet. all the tools the terrorists use to plot against innocent women and children and civilians and our military personnel at home and abroad. This is the vehicle to accomplish that. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090178735,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is the vehicle that allows us to move those items that are so important to this agenda. We have already moved the energy items they were talking about. Passed. We have already passed out of this body a minimum wage that they were so eloquent and so passionate about. Many voted against it. but it passed this body under this majority. We have passed the prescription drug plan. We have increased the number of students benefiting from Pell Grants. But this piece of legislation that nobody wanted to talk about deals with national security. protecting our people. securing our borders. listening to the bad guys. locking them up and keeping them from doing future harm. Let us move this sameday resolution. Let us move this agenda to keep America safe. secure. and prosperous. ","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090178735,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Let us continue to have a free. society that creates free enterprise. that creates capitalism so that companies can choose to do things like lower drug prices on their own. not by government decree. Let us foster that type of environment. Let us foster the type of research and development and the investments that -are required for research and development that were opposed by the other side when we moved the minimum wage bill. Let us continue to press on with that agenda. the secure America agenda. the economic prosperity agenda. and embrace the free enterprise and entrepreneurs. That is the agenda that we are moving forward in this same day. The material previously referred to by Ms. MATSUI is as follows:","speaker_name":"ADAM PUTNAM","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3982}
{"speech_id":1090178761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this legislation. I first want to thank my good friends ILEANA RosLERTINEN and GARY ACKERMAN for their tireless work on this critical legislation. \u0095 Mr. Speaker. the Iran Freedom Support Act will dramatically increase the economic pressure on the regime in Tehran to abandon its headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons. If we fail to use the economic and diplomatic tools available to us. the world will face a nightmare that knows no end. a despotic fundamentalist regime. wedded both to terrorism and to the most terrifying weapons known to man. Irans desire. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090178761,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Irans determination to acquire nuclear weapons. is beyond dispute. For years it lied to the International Atomic Energy Agency. and even today it continues to deny access for IAEA inspectors to sensitive nuclear sites. Mr. Speaker. a short while ago I had an extensive visit to IAEA headquarters in Vienna where I had discussions with some of the leaders of countries that are interested in this issue. They have no doubt that Iran is determined to pursue a military nuclear program. Tehran has also defied the U.N. Security Council. which has demanded that it cease its enrichment of uranium. And now that Iran has been offered an incredibly generous package of benefits by the United States and our European allies in exchange for suspending uranium enrichment. the regime in Tehran is playing its usual cynical game. stalling for time. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090178761,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I meet with some frequency with Middle Eastern leaders. and there is not one who isnt deeply worried by the prospect of Irans going nuclear. A nuclear Iran will touch off a bonechilling arms race in the Middle East. But long before that happens. before Iran threatens to fire a shot. as it were. virtually every nation within reach of Iranian missiles will recalibrate its foreign policies to make certain that it doesnt offend the regions new nuclear power. Iran. and that. Mr. Speaker. would be a disaster for U.S. foreign policy interests. for the Middle East and for the entire civilized world. Some argue that our legislation will undermine our relations with European allies who invest in Iran. But that argument. Mr. Speaker. is simply.wrongheaded. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090178761,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Our legislation is intended to reinforce diplomacy with economics. We ask our allies to do what the United States did over a decade ago. divest from Irans energy sector. the cash cow of the ayatollahs nuclear aspirations. Nor is this legislation. Mr. Speaker. all stick and no carrot. By removing Libya from the list of the sanctioned. this legislation is an implicit invitation to Iran: mend your ways and your support of terrorism and your quest for weapons of mass destruction. and you will be welcomed back into the family of nations. Refuse to do so. and you will suffer accordingly. The legislation before us will extend the Iran Sanctions Act for 5 years. It will boost congressional oversight over its implementation. The clear message of this legislation is that the administration now has to enforce the law fully. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090178761,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would be delighted if our legislation were rendered redundant by serious Security Council action to impose international sanctions on Iran. but the attitudes shown by Russia and China thus far strongly suggest that meaningful U.N.-imposed sanctions are a most unlikely development. In the meantime. we cannot shirk our responsibility- to employ every peaceful means possible to defeat Irans reckless nuclear military ambitions. That. in essence. is the reason for the urgency of .passing H.R. 6198 today. Mr. Speaker. I strongly support this bill. and for the sake of foiling a looming. longterm nuclear terrorist threat. I urge my colleagues to do so as well. Mr. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3810}
{"speech_id":1090178777,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I -thank my friend from Oregon for yielding me this time and providing it to us in the context of this debate. This proposed legislation is contrary to the best interest of Iran and the United States. It is. unfortunately. reminiscent of the State of the Union address which declared Iran. Iraq. and North Korea as part of the Axis of Evil. and we are now very familiar with the consequences of that statement. We have seen a disastrous situation develop in Iraq. and we have also seen the revival of nuclear interest both in North Korea and in Iran. The attitude of our country toward Iran now for more than 50 years has been overly aggressive and overbearing. and the consequences of it have been very dangerous. We should be acting in a much more mature and respoilsible way. particularly toward this country. This is a very significant country. not only in the Middle East but in the world genefally. ","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1903}
{"speech_id":1090178777,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The people of this countryare good. sound. solid. reasonable people. and we need to be appealing to them on that basis. not on the basis of the language of this resolution. which continues to create this atmosphere of hostility- which .is. as I have indicated. has been going on now for more than 50 years. That needs to change. We need to change our attitude. change our approach to this nation. We need to engage them more objectively. more seriously. and in a much more filial way. a much more friendlier way. And if we were to do that. we would find that this country would. react and respond to us in a similar fashion. Unfortunately. this proposed legislation does exactly the opposite. It places us. continues to place us in a difficult and dangerous. antagonistic circumstance between ourselves and this country.. and unnecessarily so. So this legislation is contrary to our interests. just as it is contrary to the interests of Iran. and so it should be rejected by this body.","speaker_name":"MAURICE HINCHEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1903}
{"speech_id":1090178801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me thank the distinguished gentlemen. the ranking member and the chairman of the Management Subcommittee on Homeland Security. that deal with these crucial issues. I rise to support the Secure Border Initiative Financial Accountability Act and offer that there is an overall vision that this is a very important component of. and I hope that as we move this legislation along we still may have a window of opportunity to ensure that the Secure Border Initiative that Secretary Chertoff speaks of. that this is a major component of. is in place. And I just want to thank both gentlemen for your leadership and acknowledge that. even with this Financial Accountability Act. we are still missing and need to move forward on: More agents to patrol our borders. secure our ports of entry and enforce immigration laws. expanded detention and removal capabilities to eliminate \"catch and release\" once and for all. a comprehensive and systematic upgrading of the technology used in controlling the border. including increased manned aerial assets. expanded use of UAVs. and nextgeneration detection technology. increased investment in infrastructure improvements at the border. providing additional physical security to sharply reduce illegal border crossings. and greatly increased interior enforcement of our immigration laws. including more robust work site enforcement. and. of course. an earned access to legalization. We must not frighten America. Let them know that we are doing the job. But we can do both. We can account for everyone that is inside our borders. and we can work to protect and secure our northern and southern border. This initiative. the Financial Accountability. is crucial because it gives the Inspector General oversight and we. as the Management Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee. have seen the fractures in the oversight of spending money. This is an important way to provide the Department of Homeland Securitys Inspector General to. immediately review any Secure Border Initiative contract valued at $20 million or more. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10532}
{"speech_id":1090178801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Let me thank the two gentlemen. Mr. ROGERS and Mr. MEEK. who spent hours and hours reviewing some of the mishaps that have occurred with contracts that have not fulfilled the responsibility of securing .America. contracts that have violated our trust. They have not had the right equipment. the technology. It hasnt worked. They havent had the right staff. This way. the Inspector General can make findings. including cost overruns. delays in contract execution. lack of rigorous contract management. insufficient Department oversight. and limitations on small business participation. which now will be able to be reported under this particular bill. Within 30 days of receiving the Inspector Generals report. the Secretary must submit a corrective action plan to Congress. and as well we must ensure open opportunity. Let me congratulate the ranking member. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10532}
{"speech_id":1090178801,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. THOMPSON. and I joined him on these amendments that will highlight small businesses. automatically triggers oversight based on the award of contracts once a certain monetary. amount has been reached. requires that the Inspector General conduct a review during the pendency of the project and requires that the Inspector General assess the inclusion of small. minority. and womenowned businesses in the SBI subcontracting plans as a factor in itsreview. If that is not one of the larger pieces. everywhere we go. as this Department grows larger and larger and larger. Homeland Security spends more and more money. the question is. why cant the homegrown people do the job. the small businesses. the womenowned businesses. the minorityowned businesses? And the answer is a. blank. We dont have an answer. This committee has been in the lead.ership realm. this subcommittee with Chairman ROGERS and Ranking Member MEEK. You have been in the drivers seat on pushing the Homeland Security Department and our subcommittee in ensuring that the little guys get the work. We are now suffering in Louisiana and the Gulf Region because the little guys have been ignored. and the jurisdictions down there say we have got the little guys willing to work but the big guys have thrown us out the door and not allowed us to be able to do an efficient. costefficient. good job. It has been the layered contracts with multinatiohals. and it never gets down to small business persons. So I rise to support this initiative. the Secure Border Initiative Financial Accountability -Act. and I want to thank Cherri Branson and Rosaline Cohen for their leadership of staff. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10532}
{"speech_id":1090178801,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the ranking member for yielding to me. and I ask my colleagues to support it. But our work is yet undone until we finish comprehensive immigration reform. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 6162. requiring financial accountability with respect to certain contract actions related to the Secure Border Initiative (SBI) of the Department of Homeland Security. The Secure Border Initiative. SBI. is a comprehensive multiyear plan to secure Americas borders and reduce illegal migration. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has announced an overall vision for the SBI which includes: more agents to patrol our borders. secure our ports of entry and enforce immigration laws. expanded detention and removal capabilities to eliminate \"catch and release\" once and for all. a comprehensive and systemic upgrading of the technology used in controlling the border. including increased manned aerial assets. expanded use of UAVs. and nextgeneration detection technology. increased investment in infrastructure improvements at the borderproviding additional physical security to sharply reduce illegal border crossings. and greatly increased interior enforcement of our immigration laws---including more robust work site enforcement. Mr. Speaker. an earlier version of this important bill passed the House as part of a border security measure in December 2005. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10532}
{"speech_id":1090178801,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Furthermore. the language of this bill also appears in fiscal year 2007 DHS authorization measure that passed the Committee on Homeland Security in July 2006. This bill requires the DHSs Inspector General to immediately and automatically review any Secure Border Initiative contract valued at more than $20 million. This review necessarily entails examining the cost requirements. performance objectiyes. and program timelines set by the Department for the SBI project and requires an assessment of the inclusion of small. minority and womenowned businesses in any subcontracting plans. The Inspector Generals review must be completed within 60 days after its initiation and reported to the Secretary of DHS. Within 30 days of receiving the Inspector Generals report. the Secretary of DHS must submit to the Comhmittee on Homeland Security a report on the Inspector Generals findings and the. corrective action plan the Secretary has taken and plans to take. This automatic triggering of oversight by the Inspector General for contracts greater than $20 million is critical to minimize the Waste. abuse. and fraud. which unfortunately has plagued many of DHSs contracts. In addition. this review will occur during the pendency of the project rather than at its termination to minimize waste and ensure redemptive steps are taken expeditiously. The Inspector Generals findings will include cost overruns. delays in contract execution. lack of rigorous Department contract management.. insufficient Department financial oversight. limitations on small business participation. and other high risk business practices. Moreover. this bill requires that the Inspector General. assess the inclusion of small. minority and womenowned businesses in the SBI subcontracting plans as a factor in its review. Historically. small. minority and womenowned businesses have been disadvantaged in seeking and winning these types of contracts. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10532}
{"speech_id":1090178837,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my friend from New Jersey for yielding to me. and. first of all. Mr. Speaker. I want to express my extreme displeasure that this bill comes here today on consent calendar. a bill with more than $2 billion in this bill and we have 40 minutes to debate it. This is not a bill that should be under a sus.pension calendar. This is a bill that should have full and open debate among the Congress with not a 40minute time limitation. This is not a consensus bill. This is a contentious bill. and many of us are very. very upset. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4935}
{"speech_id":1090178837,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We are upset about the bill. and we are upset at the manner that this leadership brings this bill to the House floor. This bill will destabilize established systems and care and will have a devastating -effect on the ability of high prevalent communities to address need. and. unfortunately. as home to 17 percent. which is onesixth of the Nations AIDS population. New York is just so upset that this bill has come out the way it has. This is profoundly important to our State. That is why all 29 Members of the New York delegation. Democrats and Republicans alike. have signed a letter opposing this bill and pledging to vote against the bill. New York remains the epicenter of the HIV\/AIDS crisis. leading the Nation in both the number of persons living with HIV\/AIDS and number of new cases of HIV\/AIDS each year. But what does this bill do? It has. been estimated that New York State stands to lose more than $78 million in the first 4 years.of the reauthorization. New York City will likely lose $17 million in the first year alone. LI 1445 This bill will result in deep cuts in medications and services for people living with HIV\/AIDS throughout the State. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4935}
{"speech_id":1090178837,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It reminds me of homeland security. Sometimes we needto use a little common sense. Homeland security. every.one knows. unfortunately. that New York City remains the number one terrorist target and Washington number two. So what did we have when we had the Department of Homeland Security come up with its budget? They cut New York City by 30 percent and cut Washington by 30 percent. The two biggest terrorist threats. That made no sense at all. What happens. here? New York City remains the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic. and what does this bill do? It cuts $78 million for New York and $17 million for New York City. It is shameful and disgraceful. And despite what s6me may say. the HIV\/AIDS epidemic has not shifted. It has expanded. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4935}
{"speech_id":1090178837,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Onehalf of all people living with AIDS reside in five States: New York. New Jersey. Florida. Texas. and California. Three of these States. New York. New Jersey and Florida. will face devastating losses under this reauthorization. There is no question that other States have mounting epidemics and they are absolutely entitled and deserving of more funding. A good Ryan White bill would have ensured that every State had enough money to meet their needs. that every State would be held harmless. that every State would not be a winner or a loser. but that every State would havethe resources needed to combat the scourge of AIDS. I offered amendments in committee to increase funding for the bill with Mr. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4935}
{"speech_id":1090178837,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"TowNs. Ms. EsHoo. and Mrs. CAPPS. It failed on essentially a partyline vote. So I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this bill. Where are our spending priorities? We continue to pass irresponsible tax cuts in a time of war. and yet shortchange cities and states who are just trying to provide lifesaving services. Were truly talking about life and death here. and it is shameful that we are pittinstates against each other for scarce funding. Compounding the funding problem is that a proposed Severity of Need Index. expected to be implemented in this reauthorization. may consider state and local resources in determining how much federal funding to grant to states. This is not the right message to send to NY that has more HIV\/AIDS cases than any other state in the nation and spends more of its state dollars on care for HIV\/AIDS patients than any other state in the nation. ","speaker_name":"ELIOT ENGEL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":17.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4935}
{"speech_id":1090178839,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman for the time. Mr. Speaker. this bill seeks to offer services by primary care providers for the uninsured and less fortunate individuals. We have to work together to improye the quality and the availability of care for persons living with","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":271}
{"speech_id":1090178853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I rise today. Mr. Speaker. in strong opposition to the. legislation before us. It reduces vital funding for States that are most heavily impacted. I absolutely disagree with the Chair. He is wrong when he says that this problem has shifted. The epidemic has expanded. It has not shifted. There are more areas that are involved. and we should be fair to all areas besides New York. California. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1570}
{"speech_id":1090178853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Florida. Texas and New Jersey. I cant support that idea. If Ryan White resources are to follow the epidemic. they must continue to. flow to all jurisdictions. and be increased. It is irresponsible to take an already inadequate pot of money and cover new areas with it. taking it away from the areas of need. If you dont understand what the need is in those five States that I recognize. I will give you the flat statistics: They are not diminishing in any sense of the imagination whatsoever. I dont know what facts you are looking at. Under the proposed bill in the House. Mr. ","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1570}
{"speech_id":1090178853,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. funding for New Jersey will be cut by $13 million. I looked at the numbers .in New Jersey. I have worked on this problem for 15 years. I dont know where this gentleman is coming from when he says that the problem is less in those five States that I mentioned and increased in other areas. It just is not so. It is not true. Sixty thousand of these dollars will go directly to the two counties that I am involved in. a cut of 40 percent in the funding. I urge you to vote against this proposed legislation. It will hurt all EMA and the States most affected by the devastating effects of HIV.","speaker_name":"BILL PASCRELL","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1570}
{"speech_id":1090178927,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the. gentleman for yielding.. I know I talk slow. but I hope I wont take 3 minutes. But I appreciate the opportunity. I mentioned just a- moment ago that my specialty was gynecology. but there is another part to that. and it is the obstetrical part. the birth and babies part. So it is an honor and a pleasure to be here and to support H. Res. 402. and I want to thank my physician colleague in this House and another OB\/ GYN. Dr. MIKE BURGESS. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":691}
{"speech_id":1090178927,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Representative BURGESS from Texas. who also practiced OB\/GYN for 17 years. for bringing this resolution. and. also. of course. my colleague from Georgia. Representative WESTMORELAND. and my good friend from Chicago. Illinois.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":691}
{"speech_id":1090178989,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the hard work of my staff. Kate Houston. Stephanie Milburn. Rich Stombres and Taylor Hansen for the work they have done on this. along with the Democratic staffers on the other side of the aisle.","speaker_name":"HOWARD MCKEON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":25.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":290}
{"speech_id":1090179034,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. my friend from Florida. for the time. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong option to this closed rule and the underlying legislation. First. let me say that I really am pleased that Congress belatedly sees a need to address the Presidents unconscionable. declared by court. unconstitutional domestic spying program. Unfortunately. we are considering a -bill today that was primarily drafted by the White House. I do not relish the notion of criticizing this bill. but because what it does to the Constitution. however. and I am sworn to uphold. as are all of the Members of this body. to uphold and defend that Constitution. I am not going to sit idly by and watch people trample on it. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6723}
{"speech_id":1090179034,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. I haVe lived and seen how unchecked power in the hands of bureaucrats can be used to. squelch legitimate first amendment exercises. We have seen monitoring of students. preachers and housewives. I have seen what happens when government protectors think they answer to no one. And. frankly. it is not pretty. I just implore you all to think back to the 1970s.and Americans were shocked to learn about President Nixons unchecked spying for political advantage. Americans were similarly dismayed over the legendary J. Edgar Hoovers listening in not only on Dr. King. but many other targets. Those illegal surveillance scandals were. in part. what led to the creation of the select committees of intelligence. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6723}
{"speech_id":1090179034,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is our job. Congresss job. to ensure that we effectively oversee the activities of the NSA. the FBI. and the CIA. To the point. This White House bill really does scare me. We would be giving not just President Bushs administration. but every subsequent administration a blank check. This bill does so much to chip away at the civil liberties and privacy protections built into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. you will hear it referred to often as FISA. that it could. if passed. have very disastrous effects. It redefines the definition of surveillance in an irresponsible way. The effect is that the NSA. the FBI. would be able to listen to any call or read any email that comes into or goes out of the United States. So if a soldier overseas calls her husband. NSA can listen in. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6723}
{"speech_id":1090179034,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If a little girl in my home town of Mirimar. Florida. sends an email to her grandmother in Israel. NSA can read it. If a student at Florida Atlantic University is studying in France and calls her father at home in Ft. Lauderdale. NSA can listen in. Now. that soldier putting her life on the line in Iraq is not a terrorist. The little girl in Mirimar and her grandmother I think we can all assume are not plotting to overthrow anything. The student at Florida Atlantic and her father I am just guessing have likely not sworn their lives to overthrowing the United States Government. At the risk of being trite. the White Housedrafted bill has more holes than Swiss cheese. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6723}
{"speech_id":1090179034,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Maybe we ought to just call it the Swiss cheese bill. It throws out some pretty broad terms and never defines them. What is an armed attack? What is an imminent threat or imminent attack? They are not defined in this bill. Yet. the President has broad authority under this bill to do whatever he pleases under these conditions. Footnote right there. Lets make this very clear. not just this administration but succeeding administrations would have this power. Arguably under this bill. every single day since September 11. 2001. we have been under the imminent threat of a terrorist attack. And if the mover of this bill and the White House get their way. every call and every email. even domestic ones. would be subject to warrantless surveillance. Allowing this President or any President to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance under these vaguely described circumstances is. simply put. dangerous. You never know how the next President might use or abuse her power when she gets it. ","speaker_name":"ALCEE HASTINGS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6723}
{"speech_id":1090179055,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman. It is good to cite Ben Franklin. Maybe we should also be citing Phineas T. Barnum. because there is a section in this bill. sectioA 10. entitled \"Compliance with Court Orders and Antiterrorist Programs.\" That actually amounts to a getoutofjailfree card for someone who may have leaked classified information. Now. Gerald Ford gave Richard Nixon a pardon. I am wondering to whom this bill is giving a pardon. Does it give immunity or impunity for certain crimes and misdemeanors? This bill may actually be about someones legal problems. We need to look at this. We need to find out if someone leaked classified information and this bill is going to give them a getoutofjailfree card. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1133}
{"speech_id":1090179055,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Read the bill. Take a look at section 10. I want the sponsor to tell me that no one is going to get out of jail free who may have leaked classified information. and no one is going to escape prosecution for certain crimes and misdemeanors once this bill passes. I want them to tell that to the Congress. Tell us you are not slipping in a clause here where you are trying to get somebody out of jail. Tell me that. Tell us that.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1133}
{"speech_id":1090179109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this dangerous and unnecessary legislation. Dangerous because it threatens the fundamental rights all Americans hold dear. and un7 necessary because the sponsors appear to believe that freedom is the enemy. The right to engage in surveillance of communications is not at issue today. What is at issue is the right to spy on Americans in the United States without a warrant from a court. Nowhere under current law is there any requirement that the government stop listening to terrorists until they get can a court order. Existing law gives the government 72 hours after it has begun surveillance to get a warrant from the secret FISA court. Our colleagues. the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Arizona . have proposed to extend that time so the government has more time to make its case. and they have proposed to update the FISA law so as to make it unnecessary to get a warrant to tap a conversation between. two persons outside the United States. even if the conversation is routed through the United States. That proposal solves all the legitimate concerns with FISA. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090179109,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is so reasonable a proposal that this Republican rubberstamp Congress refused to let us even get a vote on it. It is not surprising that the process of taking away liberty should trample on democracy as well. What the President -wants. and the Republican Congress is prepared to give. is unrestrained authority to spy on anyone. without having to answer to anyone. Once again. the President wants to be above the law. and this House appears ready to oblige him. The power to use every tool we have to gain as much intelligence on the terrorists as we can is a vitally important power. and we support that power as long as it is constrained by law. It is also a dangerous and easily abused power. We have plenty of experience with the abuse of that power. Remember J. Edgar Hoover wiretapping Martin Luther King. for example. That is why we have a Constitution. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090179109,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is why we have courts. That is why we have checks and balances. That is why we have legal controls on the executive branch. not to protect the bad guys but to protect the rest of us from abuses of power. Unchecked power. no matter what the purpose is dangerous. It is also unnecessary. History will judge this Congress harshly when this inevitably bad bill is approved. Do not be stampeded into signing away our freedom. Let us insist that this be done right. by rejecting this very wrong and dangerous bill and considering the very reasonable alternative given to us by the bipartisan gentlemen. Mr. SCHIFF and Mr. ","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090179109,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FLAKE.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2616}
{"speech_id":1090179135,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds. because it has been stated that we might have been able to prevent the September 11 attack. But a distinguished member of the 9\/11 Commission specifically criticized General Hayden for suggesting that the NSA warrantless wiretapping program could have prevented the September 11 attack by stating that it is patently false and an indication that he is willing to politicize intelligence and use false information to help the President. The Administrations claims that the NSA programs could have prevented the September 11 attacks do not appear to comport with the facts. With respect to Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almihdhar. the September lth Commission found that the Government had already compiled significant information on these individuals prior to the attacks. writing. \"[o]n May 15. [2001]. [a CIA official] reexamined many of the old cables from early 2000. including the information that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. and that Hazmi had come to Los Angeles on January 15. 2000. The. CIA official who reviewed the cables took no action regarding them.\" Under FISA. the Administration could have used the information to seek permission to monitor the suspects phone calls and emails without risking any disclosure of the classified information. It is also not at all clear that warrantless surveillance would have been useful in averting the 9\/11 attacks. since the Administration was unable to locate where the two suspects were living in the United States and. according to the FBI \"had missed numerous opportunities to track them down in the 20 months before the attacks.\" Senator Bob Kerrey. who was a member of the 9\/11 Commission. specifically criticized General Hayden for suggesting that the NSA warrantless wiretapping program could have prevented the September 11 attack stating: \"[t]hats patently false and an indication that hes -willing to politicize intelligence and use false information to help the President.\" I turn now to the gentleman from Virginia who has studied this matter and I yield him 2 minutes.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2065}
{"speech_id":1090179176,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. I rise in opposition to H.R. 5825. the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act. I strongly support aggressive action to protect America from the threat -of terrorism. We must do whatever it takes to defeat our terrorist enemies and defend our core principles. But this bill is unnecessary and goes too far and empowers unaccountable bureaucrats to violate the rights of lawabiding Americans. Since the terrorist attacks on our nation on September 11. 2001. I have consistently supported the modernization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through my votes in favor of the USA PATRIOT Act and its reauthorization (P.L. 10756. P.L. 109177). the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (P.L. 107108). the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act (P.L. 107273). and.the Department of Homeland Security Act (P.S. 107296). FISA is a modem. flexible statute that is a vital tool for the FBI. ","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1998}
{"speech_id":1090179176,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"CIA and the NSA in their investigations of terrorism and espionage. This law provides intelligence and law enforcement officials the authority to monitor the communications of those who would do us harm while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. persons as guaranteed by the Constitution. H.R. 5825 is an illconceived. electionyear ploy that would expand executive wiretap authority to unprecedented levels and expose the daily. innocent communications of American citizens to review by faceless bureaucrats. Mr. Speaker. we must provide our law enforcement officials with the tools and resources they need to plug gaps in our homeland security and to penetrate global terror cells. but the House Republican leadership attempts to weaken the U.S. Constitution by lowering the standard of the Fourth Amendment to score political points. I support the bipartisan HarmanFlake alternative that represents a balanced approach to defeat the terrorists while safeguarding our rights.","speaker_name":"BOB ETHERIDGE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1998}
{"speech_id":1090179192,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. . Mr. Speaker. I am not comfortable in this -position. standing up to argue in favor of a Democrat motion to recommit. Just a year ago. I stood at that very podium and argued on behalf of the majority in favor of reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and against the Democrat motion to recommit that was favored by many of my colleagues. But during that process. we had more than a dozen hearings. a long markup. a spirited debate on the floor under a rule that allowed for a series of amendments. including four of my own. We did not have that process this time. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1946}
{"speech_id":1090179192,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This was a closed rule that did not allow for a vote. a clean vote. on a bipartisan substitute except as a Democrat motion to recommit. I wish that this were not the case because. as I said. I try not to make a habit of voting for Democrat motions to recommit. But for those -of us who believe we should exercise our congressional prerogative to regulate the Presidents authority to conduct surveillance. this is our only option. For those of us who believe that FISA should be the exclusive vehicle for conducting surveillance related to foreign intelligence. this is our only option. And for those of us who believe that we should give the administration all the tools they need to conduct surveillance but retain the ability to regulate and provide oversight for such surveillance. this is our only option. If the underlying bill is enacted into law. we will have two surveillance programs. one under FISA and on the books. and one outside of FISA and off the books. If we do this. we will not give due deference to our congressional responsibility. Make no mistake. if we vote for the underlying bill and against the motion to recommit. we will walk out of these doors a lot less relevant than when we walked in this morning. With that. ","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1946}
{"speech_id":1090179192,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I urge a vote for the Democrat motion to recommit and against the underlying bill.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1946}
{"speech_id":1090179226,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"If the gentleman would continue to yield. I. am reading now from I believe it is a press release of Congressman DAVID OBEY. DWisconsin. announced December 12 that the Great Lakes Maritime Institute. the joint effort of the University of WisconsinSuperior and the University of MinnesotaDuluth. will receive .$2 million in Federal funding.\" I believe that that is now the identified home of the Institute and. therefore. receiving money year after year would. I believe. be defined as an earmark for that purpose.","speaker_name":"JEFF FLAKE","chamber":"H","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":512}
{"speech_id":1090179244,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. H.R. 6075. legislation sponsored by Representative JOSEPH PITTS. was unanimously passed by the Government Reform Committee on September 21. 2006. The bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester. Pennsylvania. as the \"Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building.\" Robert Thompson. a member of the Pennsylvania Stat Senate since 1995 and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. passed away in January of Madam Speaker. Robert Thompson was a distinguished citizen who gave much of himself and much of his life to public service. and one way of recognizing and remembering the contribution that he made is to name this postal facility in his honor.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":787}
{"speech_id":1090179246,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to honor a great public servant and friend. the late Pennsylvania State Senator Robert J. Thompson. Today. the House of Representatives has the unique opportunity to designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester. Pennsylvania. the \"Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building\". Bob. a native of Chester County. Pennsylvania. gave his life to public service as a township supervisor. county commissioner. member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. and finally as State Senator representing the 19th District of Pennsylvania. In all of these endeavors. he represented his constituents with honor. dignity. and professionalism. He was also known throughout the community as a loving father and grandfather with a tremendous sense of. humor and love of life. ","speaker_name":"JIM GERLACH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090179246,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So. it is an honor for me to take this time to remember a man r worked closely with and who I greatly respected as a mentor and a friend. Bob and his wife Nancy made community service. civic participation. and faithbased activities paramount in their lives. When not serving on countless commissions. committees. and caucuses. Bob made sure he was there for his family as well. In short. Bob was a \"legislators legislator.\" a highly honored servant and a loving family man. Madam Speaker. it is a privilege to stand before this House today to help remember State Senator Robert Thompson. He is sorely missed by his family. his constituents. and myself. and I know that by naming the post office in West Chester after him. his legacy of public service will live on.","speaker_name":"JIM GERLACH","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090179296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Ithank my friend from Illinois for yielding the time and thank him for his cosponsorship of this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight in support of H.R* 5929. the Katherine Dunham Post Office Designation Act. Katherine Dunham was a legendary dancer. choreographer. and social activist. Katherine Dunham always said she wanted a useful legacy. a legacy that was more than being a dancer. She truly achieved that goal. Katherine Dunham was born on June 22. 1909. in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn. ","speaker_name":"JERRY COSTELLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090179296,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"She was one of the first African Americans to attend the University of_ Chicago. where she eventually earned her bachelors. masters and doctoral degrees in anthropology. She achieved broad critical acclaim both in the United States and abroad for her performances. borrowing movements and rhythms from the Caribbean and South America. while also adhering to classical ballet. Her technique is still taught and bears her name. Ms. Dunham used her fame to focus the publics attention on social injustices. around the world. including enduring a 47day hunger strike at the age of 82 to help shift public awareness to the international relationship between America and Haiti. Further. she received many awards and recognition for her work such as the Presidential Medal of Arts. Southern Cross of Haiti. the Kennedy Center Honors. the French Legion Honor and the NCAAP Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1967. Ms. Dunham moved to East St. ","speaker_name":"JERRY COSTELLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090179296,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Louis. Illinois. where she helped open a performing arts training 6enter and established a dance anthropology program at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. The center in East St. Louis was eventually named the Katherine Dunham Center for the Arts and Humanities. Honoring Katherine Dunham- with this post office designation is fitting and appropriate. not only to Katherine and her family. but the residents of the city of East St. Louis and the congressional district that I am privileged to represent. East St. Louis is a community that has suffered hard times. but through it all. Katherine Dunham and her center served as a focal point for revitalization and hope for the city and its people. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JERRY COSTELLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090179296,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. Katherine Dunham touched the world. not only through her artistic gifts. but with her conscience as well. Through her. we grew as a Nation. Just as she challenged the norms of dance. she challenged all of us to confront the important issues of our time. Renaming this post office for Katherine Dunham is a small gesture. but it is one way to say thank you for her -continuing contributions to the people of East St. Louis. which she was proud to call home. Mr. Speaker. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5929. and I thank my friend from Illinois.","speaker_name":"JERRY COSTELLO","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2729}
{"speech_id":1090179313,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker. my father used to tell us that he or she who fails to plan. plans to fail. Of course. the same is true when it comes to money management and handling ones finances. This resolution makes all of us aware and reminds us that financial planning is essential to financial security. I am pleased to join in support of this resolution setting aside and recognizing Financial Planning Week. I urge its passage.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":474}
{"speech_id":1090179331,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to support another bill introduced by my distinguished friend. the. gentleman \" from Illinois . Pastor Wallace Wyatt Sykes iS well known for his accomplishments within. and devotion to. his commu- New York Highway 43 in Averill Park. New nity of Maywood. Illinois. York. shall be known and designated as the In addition to providing leadership to \"Major George Quamo Post Office Building\". th Churhon o Godsinladersp to (b) REFERENCES.-Any reference in a law. the Church of God since 1961 Pastor map. regulation. document. paper. or other Sykes has played an active role in his record of the United States to the facility rechurchs day care center. music center. ferred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to talent and tutoring center. as well as be a reference to the \"Major George Quamo the community crisis center. Post Office Building\". His contributions to Maywood have The SPEAKER pro tempore. ","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1258}
{"speech_id":1090179331,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pursugreatly been appreciated by its citi- ant to the rule. the gentleman from zens. and I hope all Members will join Texas and the genme in honoring him. tleman from Illinois each Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of will control 20 minutes. my time. The Chair recognizes the gentleman","speaker_name":"KENNY MARCHANT","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":24.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1258}
{"speech_id":1090179593,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Of course there are. We have various zoning boards. We have various agencies. We have the same basic things in our community that most of the other communities have. And I was on the- community commission. We have appeals of all kinds of nature at all times.","speaker_name":"STEVE CHABOT","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":258}
{"speech_id":1090179608,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I looked at the website of one of the witnesses that Mr. CHABOT brought from Cincinnati. and looked at a couple of the things that. he has been successful in achieving. as significant expansion in a landfill. siting a 1.000foot radio and TV tower. These are the sorts of things that I worked on as a county commissioner. I assume. Mr. CHABOT worked on when he was a county commissioner. It took years. for example. for us to deal with sitings for radio tower emissions because local people. neighbors and representation from industry were going crazy. But the lengthy process was worth it. we produced the safest standards in the country that the industry ultimately adopted. ","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1052}
{"speech_id":1090179608,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Using Mr. CHABOTS approach. it would allow those powerful interests to have bypassed us and gone to Federal court. We could not have stood up to them. The neighborhood would have been at risk. It is exactly the sort of thing that people elect local officials like we used to be to protect. I think it is outrageous that Congress is going to undermine them. l 1145","speaker_name":"EARL BLUMENAUER","chamber":"H","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1052}
{"speech_id":1090179626,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. this bill deals with when a government exercises zoning power and the big developer disagrees with that. what happens. It says you go into Federal court right away. which is more expensive for the local government to defend. and which is unconstitutional. as I mentioned a few minutes ago. because you have to go through the State remedy. But second of all. it changes the substantive law to enable the developer to say that any reduction in his use of the property. that says you cannot have more than X number of houses on the property or you cannot destroy all the wetlands on the property. anything that will help preserve the local communities. all the regulations it would depend on to preserve property values. to preserve local communities. they are all gone because you have to pay for them and no local government is going to pay for them. So nobody is going to be able to go to their local zoning board and complain. They will have to go to the Supreme Court. which will not have time for them.","speaker_name":"JERROLD NADLER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1070}
{"speech_id":1090179643,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"and my other colleagues are going to speak on the rest of the bill. but before I finish I want to make one point very clear. This legislation does not condone or authorize torture in any way. In fact. we make it a war crime. punishable by death. for one of our soldiers or interrogators to torture someone to death. Let me emphasize this again. In Section 6 of this bill. we amend 18 U.S.C. 2441. the War Crimes Act. In this amendment we explicitly provide that torture inflicted upon a person in custody for the purpose of obtaining information is a war crime for which we may prosecute one of our own * citizens. While most of this legislation deals with how we handle the enemy. I want to make it crystal clear that nothing in What we are doing condones or allows torture in any way. There is more to thisbill than military commissions. however. H.S. 6166 addresses an issue that Supreme Court created in the Hamdan case. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4124}
{"speech_id":1090179643,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Court in Hamdan decided that Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventionsa article that many assumed only applied to regular armiesapplies to terrorist organizations. like al Qaeda. As a result of this decision. our brave personnel in the military and other national security agencies are faced with an unpredictable legal landscape because the meaning of certain elements of Common Article 3 are vague. For example. would a female interrogator of a male Muslim detainee be guilty of violating Common Article 3 because the mere scenario constitutes an outrage upon personal dignity? Such a situation is untenable. It is unfair to our personnel out in the field trying to protect lives here at home. It is Congress responsibility to draw the lines of what conduct will be criminal. As a result. we need to amend the War Crimes Act to make clear that only grave breaches of Common Article 3 constitutes a war crime under U.S. law. Let me be clear. under international law a party to the treaty is responsible for incorporating only grave breaches of Common Article 3 in its penal code. My point is simple: Today the Congress is complying with our treaty obligations under Geneva Conventions and today the Congress is following the guidance of the Supreme Court in Hamdan (even though many believe that the Courts decision was ill construed). Now. some have suggested that H.R. 6166 condones torture or that this bill implicitly permits \"enhanced torture techniques\". These suggestions are absolutely false and they fly in the face of the very words that appear on the pages of this bill. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4124}
{"speech_id":1090179643,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Firstit is illegal under U.S. law to torture. This was true before H.R. 6166 and it will remain true. Moreover. H.R. 6166 makes torture a war crime that can result in the death penalty. This means that under the War Crimes Act. any U.S. personnel that engages in Torture will be subject to prosecution for committing a war crime. Additionally. in the context of military commissions. a statement obtained through torture is not admissible. Secondthis bill makes clear that the way we treat our detainees is guided by treatment standards set by the Congresslast yearin the Detainee Treatment Act. also known as the McCain amendment. This standard is based upon the familiar standards of the U.S. Constitution. Thus. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4124}
{"speech_id":1090179643,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"\"cruel. inhuman. and degrading treatment or punishment\" under this section means the cruel. unusual. inhumane treatment. or punishment prohibited by the Fifth. Eighth. and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. as defined by the U.S. reservations to the UN Convention. Against Torture. I believe that the Constitution. which provides the fundamental. underlying protections for the citizens of the United States. provides more than sufficient protections for unlawful enemy combatants. Why should accused terrorist enjoy protections that exceed what the Constitution provides to United States citizens? Mr. Speaker. in summary. I believe that this legislation is the best way to prosecute enemy terrorists and to protect U.S. Government personnel and service members who are fighting them. I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation. Mr. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4124}
{"speech_id":1090179643,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. I regerve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4124}
{"speech_id":1090179644,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. The history of tribunals goes back to during and after the Second World War: The German saboteurs who were captured at Ponte Verde. Florida. and Long Island were tried before a tribunal. the Japanese leaders who carried out such inhumane treatment toward the American soldiers and prisoners of war. among them General Yamashita and General Tojo. and. of course. the Nuremberg trials held in Nuremberg. Germany. after the war of the Nazis who perpetrated those various crimes. Now. here we are trying to establish a tribunal or a commission. which we should do and need to do. The Supreme Court. as a result of the Hamdan decision. said that we in Congress need to do it as opposed to an Executive Order. But what we needed to do was to be tough on terrorists. And being a former prosecuting attorney and knowing that the specter that hangs over every prosecutors head is that a hardwon victory in court will be overturned by an appellate court or by a Supreme Court. we should be tough on the terrorists. not just tough on them with the law but tough on them with certainty. not giving the opportunity through legislation for the overturning of a conviction. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1927}
{"speech_id":1090179644,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Now. as you know. Mr. Speaker. there are two ways in which a conviction may be overturned. Number one is on the evidence. a mistake made by the judge or a comment made by the prosecutor. On the other hand. someone may have their conviction overturned in the event that the law upon which the conviction is based is unconstitutional. In my debate and comments recently. I pointed out some seven areas of constitutional uncertainty which may very well cause a reversal of a conviction. Consequently. I think this bill before us. as I have said before. is flawed and thatwill cause us not only to be not tough but to be uncertain that these convictions will be upheld. Mr. ","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1927}
{"speech_id":1090179645,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I will yield myself such time as I may consume to say. first. that I appreciate the gentlemans participation in the hearings and the briefings and the markup that we had on the initial bill that came out of the Armed Services Committee 528. and I would remind my colleagues that. in fact. the appellate route in this particular bill provides for the court of military review. a new court to be set up as a first appellate stop. and secondly. the D.C. Circuit Court. And in channeling all of the actions to the D.C. Circuit Court. we are going to a court that has lots of experience. is building a body of experience in this type of work. and that will keep us from rifleshooting actions out throughout the country. I think that makes for an efficient process. and it provides now two appellate reviews. whereas the Democrat substitute had only one appellate review before you would apply for final review by the Supreme Court. which might or might not occur. So instead of one review. we have two reviews. And I think. that that is a strengthening. if you will. of this bill that is one more measure to ensure that as we move forward on this process of bringing to justice those who attacked our country. we give them a robust right of appeal. Having said that. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1426}
{"speech_id":1090179645,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana . who is the chairman of. the Veterans Affairs Committee and a former JAG officer himself.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1426}
{"speech_id":1090179716,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. and I certainly appreciate his leadership in this matter. Mr. Speaker. as I hear thiszdiscussion today. it is a heartbreaking thing to see this body completely engaged in partisan politics because it does not matter to the American people when they cannot afford their medicine. when they cannot afford health insurance anymore. Health insurance. the cost has doubled under the Bush administration. They come and pretend and posture and try to give the impression that they care about what happens to the American people. When America fails. we all share in that failure. We all suffer. We all get part of the pain. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2891}
{"speech_id":1090179716,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we cannot afford to fill our automobiles up with gasoline. we all suffer. When Social Security is threatened. we all suffer. When the minimum -wage is- not raised to a reasonable level. we all pay the price. It is very distressing to know that under the Bush administration and the majority Republican Party leadership in this Congress that we have failed on every count. Not only can we not afford our gasoline or our health care or to educate our children because they have raised the cost of student loans. we know what a mess we have in Iraq. We know what a failure our borders have been under the direction of the Bush administration and the Republican majority in this Congress. It makes me very distressed to know that we are going to leave here this week very likely without doing anything substantive on any of these issues. The good news is this: we can go in a new direction. We know how to provide health care to the American people. We know how to provide gasoline they can afford. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2891}
{"speech_id":1090179716,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Is it not a sad state of affairs when we think $2.15 gas is a good deal? We know how to provide prescription medicine to our people at a fair and reasonable price that they can afford and they will not need any government help to purchase it. One of the great Arkansas companies just came out with a new plan this week that demonstrates the power of massive buying. That is WalMart. and they have a new prescription drug plan that they are going to present to America. All of these are good things. We know how to get the job done. and the Democrats cannot wait to get started to see that our people do not have to go to bed wondering if they are going to be able to afford their medicine or their gasoline or their light bill. thinking that they are going to work tomorrow and still be working for $5.15 an hour. wondering if Social Security is going to be there for them. That should be something that there is no question about. As I said. the Democrats cannot wait to get started in the right direction. We know how to do these things. We are excited about being part of it. and to continue to play these political games on the floor of this great institution is a sad commentary on the corruption of absolute power.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BERRY","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2891}
{"speech_id":1090179802,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the pending Conference Report. and thank the Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. Mr. HAL ROGERS. for his work on this legislation. I appreciate the fact that this bill includes important provisions that consolidate the Noble Training Center with the Center for Domestic Preparedness. establish a Homeland Security Education Program. and ensure fi-. nancial accountability of the Secure Border Initiative. which is similar to a provision of my billH.R. 6162that the House passed yesterday. In addition. this bill includes funding to add 1.500 new Border Patrol agents. In 2004. Congress authorized 2.000 new agents be added each year. To date. the Border Patrol has added fewer than 2.000 new agents. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3182}
{"speech_id":1090179802,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In May. the President announced that the Border Patrol will increase its ranks by 6.000 new agents by FY 2009. At the current pace. we will not meet this goal. I look forward to working with Members of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee to ensure that the Border Patrol will be able to make the Presidents goal a reality. While I support the overall Conference Report. I am deeply concerned with one provision included by the other body. This provision would require that all instructors at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centerreferred to as FLETCbe Federal employees. This is a terrible provision that could prevent Federal law enforcement agenciesnot just OHSfrom being able to quickly and costeffectively train their officers and agents. Particularly in emergency circumstances. like we experienced immediately after the 911 terrorist attack. OMB Director Rob Portman wrote to Congress on September 6th regarding DHS Appropriations and expressed his serious concem that this provision is too restrictive. He wrote that by preventing publicprivate competition. the provisionquote: \"deprives the Department of the operational efficiencies to be gained by competition. and limits its ability to direct Federal resources to support other priorities.\" I have reviewed FLETCs course list and find it indefensible that anyone would -advocate that only a Federal employee can efficiently and effectively_ teach some of these courses. ","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3182}
{"speech_id":1090179802,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"For example why is it that only a Federal employee can teach \"7 Habits of Highly Effective People.\" or \"Archeological Resources Protection.\" or \"Self Leadership Through Understanding Human Behavior?\" All of these are courses taught at FLETC facilities. All of these courses could very easily be taught by a State or local government official. a college professor. or a professional from the private sector. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. the need for FLETC training has increased dramatically. and FLETC is under significant strain to meet these needs. Should an emergency arise tomorrow. I am certain that this provision will make it impossible for the Department to be able to meet any surge in demand for training that might arise. I urge my colleagues to consider the serious ramifications of this provision. and join me in working to lift this ban in the future to ensure our Federal law enforcement agencies can meet all their training needs.","speaker_name":"MIKE ROGERS","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3182}
{"speech_id":1090179820,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of this rule and the conference report. I want to begin by congratulating Mr. COLE and Ms. MATSUI for their management of this rule and to say that this is a great example of bipartisanship. Our friends DUNCAN HUNTER and IKE SKELTON have worked very closely on this bill. which is. if I recall. $562.8. billion.. It includes that $70 billion bridge fund. a 2.2 percent increase which is part of a 40 percent increase over the past 8 years that has been provided for our men and women in uniform. It is a very important thing as we continue to fight this ongoing struggle against teirorism that we are dealing with all over the world. Only the United States of America can provide the kind of leadership that is being provided today. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2930}
{"speech_id":1090179820,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And. Mr. Speaker. I believe that it is absolutely essential that this Department of Defense authorization bill continue to set the example of bipartisanship in our quest to win that war against terrorism. The reason that I wanted to take a few minutes here. Mr. Speaker. is that I wanted to underscore the fact that our reforms are working. Now. why would I be talking about the issue of reform as we bring up the Department of Defense conference reports rule? It is the fact that this is the first time in a conference report that we have actually had a- required listing of the socalled earmarks. items that were not included in either the Housepassed authorization bill or the Senatepassed authorization bill. We use this term \"air dropped.\" There are five particular provisions. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2930}
{"speech_id":1090179820,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. that have been listed. This list is now made available. and the American people. our colleagues and the American people through the media. and obviously this is online. can see exactly what items were provided. And it enjoyed bipartisan support this reform. We had Democrats. whom I am happy .to say joined with us in our quest to reform. Very few. but we had some Democrats joined with us in our quest to ensure that we could have greater transparency. disclosure. and accountability so that the American people will be able to see on these very important items that relate to our Nations defense -capability. They now dont have those hidden. they are in fact open for everyone to see. and that is a reform led by Speaker HASTERT that we have been able to implement. And I want to thank Speaker HASTERT and Majority Leader BOEHNER for. as we were going into .the August break. making a commitment. The three of us introduced the legislation that called for this rule change. and we were able to implement it expeditiously. and it is now in effect. and this conference report is the first time that we have seen it. So I just want to join in extending congratulations again to Messrs. HUNTER and SKELTON and all of those who have been involved in this process and to say that we look forward to the passage of this rule. of course. and passage of the legislation.","speaker_name":"DAVID DREIER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2930}
{"speech_id":1090179843,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank. the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5122. the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year And I would like to thank the chairman of this committee and the ranking member of the committee both. You have earned your pay all the way through. but particularly in the last few weeks as we have struggled to get this conference report through and actually bring this bill to the floor. and I appreciate the yeomen effort that both of you have put in.","speaker_name":"JOEL HEFLEY","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":516}
{"speech_id":1090179846,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. HEFLEY. I appreciate that. Let me just say the fact that we were able to bring this bill to -the floor and do as much work as we did on it. as--big as it is and as comprehensive as it is and with so many people dependent on it and at the same time do the bill that will allow us to prosecute terrorists. do all that. that was largely a product of this tremendous staff. this wonderful bipartisan staff that we have on the Armed Services Committee. They have done a fabulous job. and that is why we are able to juggle these two important challenges at the same time. They are great. great people. and .what professionals. and also people who can work very effectively when they have been up for 24 hours. That has always astounded me. frankly. but they have done a great job. and I think they deserve a lot of thanks from this committee.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":840}
{"speech_id":1090179874,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman. In concluding. he referred to his $89 a month and the loan sharks. When I was in as a private. I made $68 a month. The loan sharks were out there. So the legislation to get them off the backs of our soldiers is welcome news.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SIMMONS","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":260}
{"speech_id":1090179891,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. good things happen and we Members. of course. often take the credit. but truthfully the staff does so much work. We would be at a loss without them. so a special thanks to all of our staff. And it is special to note that Betty Gray of the Armed Services staff is now completing 30 years of service on our Armed Services staff. So a special thanks to her for her dedication. Mr. Speaker. at this time I yield 2\/2 minutes to the gentleman from Long Island. New York . who belongs to the Tactical Air and Projection Subcommittee and who has taken a great interest in professional military education.","speaker_name":"IKE SKELTON","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":609}
{"speech_id":1090179975,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the distinguished chairmanof the Judiciary Committee for his gracious offer. and I rise today in strong support of Senate 3661. the Wright amendment compromise of 2006. I want to use the brief time that I have to explain what the compromise is all about. Back in the 1960s. the two cities of Dallas and Fort Worth could not agree on anything. including where to locate their two respective airports. The Civil Aeronautics Administration said we will fund one Federal Aviation airport in the D\/FW area but not two. That brought the two cities together to create what is now known as Dallas\/Fort Worth Airport. When a struggling airline called Southwest decided to fly their one plane out of Love Field to Houston and to San Antonio. they went to court and won the right to fly commercial air service out of Love Field. which had been suspended when D\/FW came into. existence. Hence. we got what is called the Wright compromise. which restricted flights from Love Field to an area within Texas or States contiguous to Texas. Today. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090179975,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"D\/FW Airport is one of the five largest commercial aviation airports in the country. Love Field is a regional airport that currently has in use. I believe. 13 gates and several hundred flights per day. The compromise before us would repeal the Wright amendment over an 8year period. It would allow thruticketing immediately from Love Field. and it would create what I call a superregional airport. where the majority of the gates. over 100 gates. would be at D\/FW. and no more than 20 gates would be at Love Field. which. as Congressman JOHNSON pointed out. is only eight miles from the easternmost runway at D\/FW. There are currently only in use at Love Field 13 gates. So this limitation. socalled. of 20 gates. would actually allow an expansion of gates in actual use at Love Field. There are more empty gates at D\/FW right now today than there are total gates at Love Field. This compromise is supported by almost every member of the Texas delegation and may yet be supported by every member of the delegation. It would put to bed an issue that has been vexatious for a number of years. in fact. you could say a number of decades. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090179975,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know my good friend from the Judiciary Committee has some antitrust exemptions. but again I will point out there are moreempty gates at D\/FW than there are total gates at Love. This would be procompetitive. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of S. 3661. \"The Wright Amendment Reform Act.\" This is a very timely bill that will help resolve. once and for all. a local dispute stemming from the Wright Amendment. What we are doing here today is important to my constituents and the north Texas region. I want to thank the Speaker and the Majority Leader for their willingness to schedule this legislation. I also want to give special thanks to Chairman DON YOUNG. Ranking Member OBERS1AR. and Subcommittee Chairman MICA for their leadership and excellent contributions in crafting this responsible and beneficial compromise into legislation. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090179975,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Their committee staff members also deserve a big. Texas \"Thank You\" for all of their hard work and support in this effort. I also want to thank my staff director. Theresa Lavery. for her tireless work on this issue. As you may know. I have long supported the covenant between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth because I believe the best public policy for the north Texas market is to have competing airlines. not competing airports. Todays legislation embodies a compromise intended to firmly cement the role of DallasFort Worth International Airport and Love Field Airport. and put to rest calls for immediate repeal of the Wright Amendment. This bill. once signed into law. will give our region and the traveling public resolution on this issue and leave time for public and private stakeholders to plan for final repeal in eight years. In the interim. consumers across the Nation will reap the benefits of immediate thruticketing at Love Field. The compromise was hammered out in a deliberative fashion. considering valid concems and unique factors of operation that have benefited the growth of the DallasFort Worth metroplex since enactment of the Wright Amendment. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090179975,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill is a balanced compromise that has the support of Dallas and FortWorth. as coowners of DFW Airport. Finally. this agreement ensures that Love Field will continue to offer an important alternative for consumers while not diminishing the capacity for competition available at DFW Airport. Growth at Love Field is restricted. as it is a landlocked airport and therefore should not be reconstituted for greater traffic with repeal of the Wright Amendment. Love Field will be reduced to 20 gates over time. and this will allow the residents of the area peace of mind concerning pollution. noise. traffic. and safety concerns. I view this agreement as facilitating a \"super\" airport. where the terminals at DFW Airport serve national and international destinations. and Love Fields gates provide a regional function with select national routes offering direct competition via thruticketing. Importantly. after eight years the Wright Amendment as it exists today will be repealed. This is truly the best .of both worlds for consumers in Texas and throughout the country. Mr. Speaker. local leaders have negotiated a thoughtful. viable alternative to the status quo that should be supported. I commend everyone involved for their efforts. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6232}
{"speech_id":1090179991,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank all the gentlemen -and ladies who are here on the floor tonight talking about the Wright amendment. that we are going to pass this amendment tonight. But to answer the gentlemans question from Michigan. the reason why this is a proconsumer bill is that effective immediately. when the President signs this. every single person that takes off from Love Field will be able to ticket through wherever they want to go. Today. they have to ticket through to an adjacent State that is close to them. they have to get off the airplane. they have to get their bags. and they have to reticket through. This is a proconsumer bill. This is the right thing to do. We have come together as a delegation. I am asking for all the Members of the United States Congress to please support the bipartisan attempt between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. between the airlines to do something favorable for consumers tonight. Our majority leader. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1158}
{"speech_id":1090179991,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"JOHN BOEHNER. was aware of this issue. It has been a continuing. simmering. boiling issue for the Texas delegation. We have asked that it be brought here. I am asking for everybodys vote. Vote tonight \"aye.\"","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1158}
{"speech_id":1090180015,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to first thank Congresswoman BIGGERT for her leadership on this bill. We have worked very hard to get to this point to get this bill on the floor. I was very proud to be a part of it I thank you again for your leadership. And I thank Congressman KIK for helping us in this effort and my colleague from Texas. Mr. SMITH. for his hard work. This alternative energy legislation is crucial for America. But it isnt just an alternative energy issue. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090180015,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is also very much a national security issue. For some time now. we in the Congress have been pushing towards reducing Americas addiction to foreign sources of oil. This is a giant step in the right direction. This bill will provide research and development fop energy independence. for clean energy technologies. for plugin hybrid vehicles. solar power. wind. biofuels. clean coal technologies. and hydrogen. If passed. this visionary legislation will put us on the track to provide cheaper and more reliable alternatives to fossil fuels and will work to provide a cleaner environment for our children and our grandchildren. I want to thank our colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their strong support of this legislation as well. It is an important bill for Americas energy future.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL MCCAUL","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1260}
{"speech_id":1090180023,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from Illinois who put together this legislation as a leader in Congress. Along with Congressman MCCALL of Texas. you have outlined an alternative energy and renewable fuels future for the country in a bipartisan way. along with the gentleman from Tennessee. The U.S. imports nearly 5 billion barrels of oil a year. And there has been a recent declinein the price of gas across the United States. but we need oil independence to protect us from a volatile world of oil markets. increasing global pollution. and unstable leaders in Iran and Venezuela. We know that alternative energy and renewable fuels equals national security for the United States. This legislation will accelerate the development of advanced and clean technologies. It promotes the implementation of solar photovoltaic. wind. geothermal and hydropower. It establishes a research and development program for the conversion of coal into pipelinequality fuel. ","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2028}
{"speech_id":1090180023,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my State of Illinois. we have a 250year American supply of coal. one of the largest supplies. in the United States. and with the development of clean coal technology we can better utilize a vast resource to help out the energy independence of the United States. The grants. incentives and programs established in this bipartisan bill have the potential to save American consumers billions of dollars. create thousands of new jobs and dramatically decrease energy consumption and pollution. In achieving the goals set forth in this bipartisan bill. we end our addiction to foreign oil and enhance our national security. Mr. Speaker. on a day in which we look at the loss of a colleague in this House. in which we see vigorous foreign policy debate.- what is being missed without a single reporter in the gallery is bipartisan legislation working on an alternativeenergy future for the Nation. It is a story that should not be missed. both parties joining together to make sure that we enhance renewable and alternative fuels and that we make sure that America leads.","speaker_name":"MARK KIRK","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2028}
{"speech_id":1090180041,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I I rise today in support of House Resomove to suspend the rules and agree to lution 1028. a resolution supporting the the resolution (H. Res. 1028) supporting goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon and to commemorate the life andservWeek. . ice of DEA Special Agent Enrique","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":319}
{"speech_id":1090180047,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1028 to support the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week was established 21 years ago to honor the life of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique \"Kiki\" Camarenb. who died in the line of duty while fighting illicit drugs. More than 100 organizations across the United States. including the Nations Governors and community organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America. have joined in this effort to promote drugfree communities. As a Representative of the great State of Nebraska. I recognize the importance of such efforts to prevent abuse of dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine. The war against the rising tide of meth in the MidWest and on the West Coastand now even in some parts of the East Coast--can only be effectively fought through partnerships with law enforcement. govemment. social service agencies. communities. schools. parents and children. The meth problem affects all aspects of our communities and requires comprehensive solutions at all levels of government and in partnership with private charities and volunteer organizations. ","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2348}
{"speech_id":1090180047,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We need effective drug prevention and education programs. greater parental involvement and public awareness. and law enforcement and social services coordination in order to rescue our communities from the ruination and devastation of meth. The recent survey of 500 county law enforcement officials found that meth abuse is still the number 1 drug problem nationwide. Many States. including Nebraska. have enacted laws to control access to Sudafed and other drugs that act as the basis for \"cooking\" meth. The number of Mom and Pop meth labs dropped by an astounding 70 percent in Nebraska and other states. However. 85 percent of law. enforcement officials report the meth problem is still growing due to drug trafficking from \"superlabs\" in Mexico. This Congress can best honor the memory of Agent Camarena by continuing a strong battle in the \"new front\" of the war against drugs: methamphetamine. I urge my colleagues to join me today in not only supporting our law enforcement officers who risk their lives each day to keep our communities safe. but to join me and other Members of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine by pledging to stop the scourge of meth across our Nation.","speaker_name":"LEE TERRY","chamber":"H","state":"NE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2348}
{"speech_id":1090180066,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the rule on H.R. 4954. the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006. This rule is furtherance of a process that can be summed up in two wordsa joke. After weeks of negotiations. Republicans refused to share the final conference report on legislation that was supposed to be bipartisan. Indeed. this is legislation that builds on what my colleague LORETTA SANCHEZ did last Congress and that JANE HARMAN took up this Congress. Last night at 7:30. a conference report meeting was called and it was missing the key ingredienta conference report. After opening statements. Chairman PETER KING closed the meeting. telling us it was his intention \"that amendments would be offered.\" And. at 11:30 last night. we finally received the report with. a very clear P.S. from Mr. ","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2392}
{"speech_id":1090180066,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"KINGthere would be no amendments offered. His actions contradicted the will of this House. which voted yesterday 281140 to instruct conferees to consider specific issues that the amendments to be offered would have covered. Now. the Committee on Homeland Security has been a bipartisan committee to date. These questionable processes undermine our homeland security effortsall in the name of politics. I know the elections are important to my colleagues across the aisle but they should not take precedent over Americas homeland security efforts. Adding even more insult to the process. the Republicans have attached internet gambling to the port security bill. Now. Mr. Speaker. I ask someone to explain to me how prohibiting internet gambling is more important to our homeland security than making our trains. subways. and buses safe? You will hear excuses about why we cant do mass transit and rail security and that we will \"take it up soon.\" When? Madrid happened in 2004. ","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2392}
{"speech_id":1090180066,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"London happened in 2005. Mumbai happened only a few months ago. Are we waiting for New York Citys Long Island Railroad to be attacked to pass sensible security for trains? If so. at least well have comfort in knowing that Americans cant bet on the Superbowl online. Now. I have signed on to the conference report because there are good things. but they arent enough. Frankly. this body can and should do better. We need to put Americas security first and foremost before politics. I urge all Members to oppose the rule. The material previously referred to by Mr. HASTINGS of Florida is as follows:","speaker_name":"BENNIE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2392}
{"speech_id":1090180155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to be here today to advance this imporiant legislation. A few weeks ago. Presidnt Bush gave a speech in which he stated that our intelligence shows thaf alQaeda has two main goalsto destroy our nation physically through attacks such as 9\/11. and to pursue a \"death by bleeding\" strategy in which terrorists destroy us economically. We could protect against aIQaedas first goal by shutting down our borders--but by cutting off Americas life blood of trade. we would actually be helping alQaeda achieve its second goal. This bill is the right way to protect both our borders and our economy. It utilizes innovative systems to protect our citizens. and it provides new resources along our borders. Through programs such as the CustomsTrade Partnership against Terrorism. we bring the energy and experience of the trade community into our fight against terrorism. These programs. together with the bills provisions modernizing our intemational trade data systems. also show that we can facilitate legitimate trade while at the same time providing information to our law enforcement officials to identify and stop threats. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1759}
{"speech_id":1090180155,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"To defeat alQaeda and prevent it from achieving its goals of destroying America physically and economically. the Administration. Congress. our citizens in the private sector. and our international partners must work togetherand trade cannot be seen as the enemy of security. I have made it a priority in this bill to ensure that through consultation and cooperative programs. all of these key partners are brought together so that we have the most effective and unified effort we can against terror and for trade. I congratulate all the Members of this Conference on this bill and look forward to its quick passage.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1759}
{"speech_id":1090180173,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of S. 2562. as amended. the Veterans Compensation CostofLiving Adjustment Act of 2006. The House passed a similar measure. H.R. 4843. on July 26. 2006 by a vote of 4080. Each year since 1976. Congress has provided a costofliving adjustment (COLA) to the benefits provided to our Nations disabled veterans and their survivors. The purpose of the annual COLA is to ensure that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cash benefits retain their purchasing power and are not eroded by inflation. The House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees are following their longstanding practice of setting the COLA by reference to the yettobedetermined Social Security increase. In February 2006. the Administration projected a 2.6 percent increase. as of May 2006. the Congressional Budget Office is projecting the COLA to be 2.2 percent. -iowever. it may be higher or lower depending on changes in the Consumer Price Index. ","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090180173,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The exact percentage will be calculated in the next few weeks and the COLA will go into effect on December 1.2006. As Chairman BUYER indicated. this is one of the more important pieces of legislation the Veterans Committee brings to the floor each year. and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.","speaker_name":"JEFF MILLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1247}
{"speech_id":1090180185,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to say that the gentleman from Oregons point is well taken. As someone who engaged in the debate over India. I am familiar with the concerns that he has raised. And there are concerns about the ability of the United States Congress. which is being asked to on one hand ascent to the proliferation of one group. and deny the proliferation of another. for this Congress to be in a position of trying -to help this country have a consistent program of nuclear nonproliferation. which I know is exactly the point that the gentleman relates to. In addition to that. the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission has said that North Korea ought to be given the same kinds of guarantees that is in the agreed framework of 1994 that they are not going to be attacked. This is the same thing that has been recommended tha is done with Iran as well. So we do not need to get into these nuclear crises and say that people are threats if we engage them in talks that work towards nonproliferation. This group made recommendations. Mr. Wu. that I am sure you are familiar with. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2740}
{"speech_id":1090180185,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They said that a negotiation with North Korea should aim at a verifiable agreement. including as a principle element. North Koreas manifestation of its adherence to the MPT and accepting the -1997 additional protocol. as well as the revival and a legal confirmation of the commitments made in the 1992 joint declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And notably saying that neither North nor South Korea shall have nuclear.weapons nor nuclear reprocessing and uranium enrichment facilities. and. fuel cycle services should be assured through international agreements. The agreements should also cover biological and chemical weapons as well as the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. thus making the Korean Peninsula a zone free of weapons of mass destruction. So what Mr. Wu is asking about. and which.I certainly support. is some consistency in policy. And it beings with Congress since we are being called upon. as Mr. Wu stated. to either agree or disagree with these policies. I want to thank the gentleman for raising that. because this is the appropriate time to raise that. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2740}
{"speech_id":1090180185,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"WU. Reclaiming. my. time. I thank the gentleman. I want to make clear that I am certainly not defending the North Korea regime. But. I am calling into question the actions of this Congress and the strong advocacy of the chairman in favor of a proposed treaty with India which would have the result of starting a nuclear arms race or accelerating a nuclear arms race in south Asia and. just as importantly. which in the big picture blows out the whole treaty system for restraining the \"proliferation of nuclear weapons. I would be happy to yield to the gentleman.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2740}
{"speech_id":1090180186,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"With respect to -the strategy to bring India into the MPT. in our considered judgment. and the judgment of the majority of the Members of this House. it is a wiser policy to bring them into the tent. to get their cooperation and to focus on using nuclear energy to produce energy for peaceful purposes in India. Now.. with respect to North Korea. it remains a very real threat with over a million troops. possibly several nuclear weapons. 9nd most importantly. the propensity to export these types of weapons. This is not something we have seen from India in the past. But North Korea is an exporter of its missiles and of its technology. And for that very reason. the goal of this legislation is to put a prohibition on the transfer to North Korea of the types of technologies that could be used by North Korea in order to further develop its weapons systems. It is that simple. It is the same with respect to Iran. It is the same with respect to Syria. Now. we are putting in place a lrovision stating that North Korea shall not have the ability to receive from the United States or any companies in the United States this type of technology. U.S. companies will not be able to be licensed to export this kind of technology. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1647}
{"speech_id":1090180186,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They will be sanctioned if they attempt it. Mr. WU. I share with the gentleman the concerns about the export of nuclear weapons from North Korea. The point of my earlier comments is not about export from India. but because of our actions with respect to India. that we would be encouraging and accelerating the Pakistani nuclear program from which there is a real risk of exportation. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.","speaker_name":"EDWARD ROYCE","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":40.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1647}
{"speech_id":1090180189,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. if I could make just one last comment in support of what the gentleman is saying. I am sure many are familiar that in the Hindu religion Brahma. theCreator. and Vishnu. the Preserver. and Shiva. the Destroyer exist simultaneously and represent the multiplicity of God. We here are called upon to determine which of the principles. Creator. Preserver or Destroyer. shall work through each of us. As the gentleman from Oregon says. if we continue to pursue nuclear proliferation as embodied in the nuclear agreement with India. we will be open to the principles of destruction. At this moment when world tensions are rising and violence is cycling higher. we need to take the direction of preserving the peace and creating a new opening through the abolition of all nuclear weapons. Again. I want to thank my friend from Oregon for raising this point at this propitious moment.","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":888}
{"speech_id":1090180260,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we have an opportunity today with the border fence bill and with the concurrence of Members of this body to help an industry that right now is in deep trouble. and that industry is American agriculture. The reason it is in deep trouble is because it does not have the workforce to harvest the crops. This is true whether it is Florida. the State of Washington. Iowa. Idaho. California. Arizona. or any other agricultural State. The reason for the shortage of workers is because agriculture dominantly depends on what is an undocumented or illegal workforce. The reason thaD is the case is because it has been found over the years that American workers simply will not do this work. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3858}
{"speech_id":1090180260,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Therefore. agriculture. the huge industry that we have in America. has come to depend on an undocumented workforce. Just to give one exampleand I wish I had a big chartbut this is the pear crop in Lake County. a farm owned by Toni Scully. and these mounds are rotting pears on the field because they cannot be harvested in time. California is the largest agricultural State in the Nation. It is a $34 billion industry. It has 76.500 farms. California produces onehalf of all of the Nations fruits. vegetables. and nuts from only 3 percent of the Nations farmland. If these products cannot be harvestedand it is late in the harvest season todaythe price. of fresh produce all over this Nation is going to rise. We have an opportunity to do something about it. I am joined on the floor by Senator Larry Craig of the State of Idaho who is the main author of the AgJOBS Program. In the Judiciary Committee in the immigration bill. we revised AgJOBS and it was part of the Senatepassed immigration bill. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3858}
{"speech_id":1090180260,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Along with AgJOBS. we have reformed the agricultural guest worker program called H2A. These two programs combine to give the farmers of America the certitude they need that there will. in fact. be a workforce able to harvest their crops. plant their crops. prune._ cut. pack. and sort crops in this great coiintry. In my State we have roughly 350 different crops: lemons. tomatoes. raisins. lettuce. prunes. onions. cotton. and many others that are grown all across the State. Growers are reporting that their harvest crews are 10 to 20 percent of what they were previously. It is a disaster. and it will be a very costly disaster for the farm community as well as for the consumers of America. And it can be solved. We could move today to put the AgJOBS bill on the border fence bill. We all recognize it isnt germane postcloture. but the body could agree to include it because of the emergency circumstances that exist in agriculture States throughout the Nation today. In my State we employ at least 450.000 people in the peak of the harvest. with farm workers progressing from one crop to the next. stringing together as much as 7 months of work. The estimate is that the season is falling short by 70.000 workers. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3858}
{"speech_id":1090180260,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is a very serious situation. Fields in Pajaro Valley in Santa Cruz County are being abandoned. Farmers cant find workers to harvest strawberry. raspberry. and vegetable crops. In the Pajaro Valley. one farmer reports he has been forced to tear out 30 acres of vegetables. He has about 100 acres compromised by weeds because there is nobody to weed the field. He estimates his loss so far to be $200.000. California and Arizona .farmers say they need 77.000 workers during December to May to harvest vegetables. and they estimate the shortage will be 35.000 workers. It is amazing to me that we cant do something about this by passing a bill that has been heard in the Judiciary Committee. that has been amended. that has been discussed over a period of years. I would ask. if I might. the Senator from Idaho a series of questions. through the Chair. The first question is how long the Senator from Idaho has been working on the AgJOBS bill?","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3858}
{"speech_id":1090180263,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is a growing crisis in the State of Idaho. I would like. if the Senator from California doesnt mind. to submit for the RECORD a \"Dear Colleague\" letter that the Senator from California and I sent out late this .month. It speaks of California and Idaho and Washington and Oregon. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the RECORD:","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":342}
{"speech_id":1090180279,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I thank Senator BURR. Senator BURR and I served on the Commerce and Health committees in the House together. He also served on Intelligence in the House. and We have his expertise. his experience. and his tremendous insight into what needs to be done. and therisks. I find it ironic that since we talk about all the issues that face our country in terms of risk. this is potentially one of the most deadly risks our country faces--not just from a natural occurrence such as bird flu but from the intentional use of manipulating biological. of manipulating viruses and bacteria. We know the intent of the people we are now fighting. It is to use fully any means at any time in any way to cause great disruption.not only to the lives of Americans but on the economy of America. The fact that someone would hold up this bill to give us the capability to direct resources to become prepared says one of two things: Either they dont believe there is a real threat either from Mother Nature or the leaders of the \"Islamofascist\" terrorists who want to attack us today or that they think we are prepared. And we are not prepared. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3294}
{"speech_id":1090180279,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We heard Senator GREGG talk about the vaccine industry. We need a.program to redevelop our capabilities. I am a practicing physician. What we do know is vaccine costs are higher today because we have no industry. We have a limited supply of vaccine manufacturers. We need research into vaccines. at every area of every virus and every bacteria that could possibly be used against us. and then we need a way to get that Out and a way to utilize it. We need research into new antiviral drugs for many of tlhe viruses that could be posed as a biological weapon against this country. I find it ironic. kind of like last night. we are trying to do something for victims of HIV. and those who want to object will not come to the floor and object. they want to hide in secrecy. They do not want to say what is really wrong. What they -want to do is stop the process. hold up the process. and not accept the responsibility. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3294}
{"speech_id":1090180279,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is no one in this Senate who h6lds up more things than I do. but everybody knows that I am the person doing it and they know why I do it. This is within the responsibility of the Federal Government. It is within the priority of making a decision on where we spend money and what should be spent first. Protecting this country should be one of the No. 1 things we do. Protecting the lives of American citizens should be one of the No. 1 things we do. To not come here and defend why we think this bill is not appropriate. to not come here and stand up and take credit for stopping prevention of accidents and terrorism in this country says a whole lot about the lack of transparency in this Senate. They should come to the Senate and say what is wrong and why they object. We should have a debate. If they want to object after that. let them do it. But to not come to the floor to make a formal objection as a courtesy to Senator ENZI. who does respect the rights of other Members of this Senate. it means those Members who will not come hide in the shadows. and the American people do not get to know what others might think is wrong with proceeding. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3294}
{"speech_id":1090180279,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That does an injustice to the country and to this Senate. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3294}
{"speech_id":1090180342,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. to bring to the attention of the Senate. during the consideration of the DOD appropriations. I offered an amendment with my colleague Senator REID about an NIE for Iraq. We have not had an NIENational Intelligence Estimatejust for Iraq. The one that has been printed in the newspapers. or the reports in the newspapers have been an NIE kbout global terrorism. of which Iraq was a part. but we have not had an NIE on Iraq in the last 21\/2 years. This was accepted in the conference report. Yesterday I sent a letter to Mr. Negroponte. with Senator ROCKEFELLER. Senator LEVIN. Senator BIDEN. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":779}
{"speech_id":1090180342,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator REID. and Senator REED. urging him to move forward. It outlines the areas to be covered in the assessment. I had that letter printed in the RECORD. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":779}
{"speech_id":1090180415,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House of Representatives on the bill to reduce temporarily the royalty required to be paid for sodium produced. to establish certairi National Heritage Areas. and for other purposes.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":254}
{"speech_id":1090180440,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I dont know of anything more frustrating to all of us who come from farm and ranch country than to try to get this taken care of. We tried to take care of it last year and didnt get it done. There was no urgency. We had a fairly good crop this year. We were not the epicenter of the drought. We have been in that bullseye now for 6. going .on 7 years. It takes its toll not only on wells but reservoirs and streams. I am here in support of this because I will tell you that the Dakotas were the epicenter. and they helped us out when we needed it. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2199}
{"speech_id":1090180440,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are going to try to help them out the best we can and do something. This year in range country. we probably had more range fires- burningover 800.000 acres in Montana alone. We had a lot of growth to our grass in the first part of the year. We hit July when it was terribly hot. and it became crisp. When August came. we got the fires. They were devastating. taking out fall pastures. hayfields. fences. even livestock. and we had to move a lot of livestock. We need to boost this legislation. We have it back down to where I think it is a pretty commonsense approach where nobody is getting rich. The only thing we are trying to do is just get the folks to next spring. get them into next year. That is what this piece of legislation is all about. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2199}
{"speech_id":1090180440,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There is nothing excessive in this piece of legislation or the money we will spend. There is not. All of that has been taken out. This is barebones. This is the basics to their operations. We need to pass it this afternoon. I call on the leadership from both sides of the aisle to urgently take a look at this and make sure we get it done before we go home. Mr. President. I heartily support this. and I know the man in the chair right now. who probably knows his State about as good as anybody--he was raised \"west of the river.\" as we call it. in South Daleota. ","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2199}
{"speech_id":1090180440,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I have never seen an area as devastated by drought as this area was. You could not raise a fence. So. I would call on the leadership to take a look at this. pass it this afternoon. and get them some money before next spring rolls around. I thank my good friends from North Dakota for their leadership. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"CONRAD BURNS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2199}
{"speech_id":1090180457,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my distinguished colleague from North Dakota. Mr. CONRAD. who championed this cause of disaster relief for not only his farmers in North Dakota but across the affected areas. which certainly includes my State of Minnesota. As others noted. this is a bipartisan effort. I see my friend and colleague. Senator COLEMAN from. Minnesota. is here also. Westand together to make this a bipartisan effort on behalf of the farmers- throughout our State who have been devastated by these natural disasters over the last few years and particularly. the last 2 years to which this bill applies. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090180457,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I regret that this has been passed by -the Senate before. I commend this body for doing so. again. on a very strong bipartisan basis. Unfortunately. the administration has not been willing to allow this funding to go forward or even some part of it. This is long overdue. It is unfortunate that we are now at the llth hour. the 59th minute of this session in this year. and we havent even addressed the disaster relief necessary for the last calendar year. This legislation would deal with that and also this years relief. This disaster has afflicted our State. and some of our counties have lost threefourths of our crops. In fact. almost half the counties in Minnesota have already been declared disaster areas. The crisis is real. The suffering is acute. ","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090180457,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As others said. we have a magnitude of disaster in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. but a disaster is a disaster. A complete disaster is as devastating to a family in northwestern Minnesota as it is to a family in New Orleans. I urge my colleagues. once again. to support this measure. and I plead with the House and the administration to work out these differences so that these farmers and their farms can be saved. and their families can be saved. It is only simple justice and humanity. Mr. President. I yield the floor and yield back the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090180502,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. will the Senator from Rhode Island. with whom I agree 100 percent. join me in a unanimousconsent request to pass this bill right now? Mr. President. I. ask unanimous consent that we pass S. 757. the Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act of","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":257}
{"speech_id":1090180508,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my understanding. this is the\" minoritys time. Senator BYRD is coming to the floor. and they graciously granted me time to talk. I wish to address a couple of issues that were raised by the Senator from New York as to the accuracies of the claims that have been made. I think it is real important. I dont doubt for a minute that she genuinely cares for everybody who has HIV in this country. I think she does. I think her perspective on the challenges that face us as a nation in- terms of finances is different from mine. and I will grant her that as well. But some of the claims made are not really accurate. I ask unanimous consent to print in the RECORD an article from the New York Times stating specifically money was spent on walking dogs for HIV\/ AIDS patients. art classes. tickets to Broadway shows. free legal services. haircuts. things that other people cant do in any other place other than New York and California.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":949}
{"speech_id":1090180552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am sorry to hear the objection. We have been trying to find a way. any way. to be able to move on to a vote on this bill that is bipartisan. bicameral. It has already passed the House and I am sure it would pass here. So I am really disappointed. Mr. President. I allocate 5 minutes of time to the Senator from North Carolina. Mr. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":353}
{"speech_id":1090180552,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"BURR.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":353}
{"speech_id":1090180589,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. weve hit the end of the road on trying to pass the trailer bill separately. It is pretty clear we wont get a bill to the Presidents desk before we recess for the upcoming midterm elections. From my perspective the right thing to do is to pass legislation that resolves two important tax policy issues. The issues are a permanent death tax relief package and the trailer bill which contains a retroactive extension of several tax relief provisions. Those provisions expired on December 31. 2005. That is the right dateDecember 31. 2005. Taxpayers have lived with uncertainty on these bipartisan. widelysupported provisions for almost 9 months or threequarters of a year. How did we get here? How come we cant get a permanent death tax relief deal when it is clear that more than 60 Senators are on record in support of repeal or significant relief? How come we cant get a resolution of.expired tax provisions that are overwhelmingly supported in both the House and Senate? This uncertainty is solely the responsibility. of the leadership of both 8 ptember 29. 2006 CO] parties here in the United States Senate. We are stuck on death tax because the Democratic leadership wont let enough Democratic Senators vote their conscience. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9394}
{"speech_id":1090180589,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Its all because of political calculations. Thats a shame. Family farmers and small business owners deserve an answer to the uncertainty posed by the death tax. My answer would be to repeal the death tax. Repeal isnt in the cards. We have had votes to prove it. Unfortunately. the political proof that repeal wasnt in the cards didnt materialize until the cloture vote we had back in June. The American people deserve a final and definitive answer on death tax relief. As we go home. they have only to look to the -Senate Democratic leadership and ask why the Senate was not permitted to work its will on this issue. I want to tell the rightfully disappointed family farmers and small business folks that we will resolve the death tax problem. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9394}
{"speech_id":1090180589,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It should have been resolyed .by now. And. it will be resolved in a way that focuses on family farms and small businesses. I pledge to family farmers and small business folks. especially those in my home state of Iowa. that I will devote my energy and resources. as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. to resolving this problem. Lets turn to the trailer bill. Its an odd name for a bill. The bill has been held up for so long some folks have probably forgotten_ the basis of the nickname. I will remind you. Its a trailer bill because it covers tax provisions that dropped out of the tax relief reconciliation conference agreement. That conference agreement included the cornerstones of both the House and Senate bills. The cornerstone of the House bill was a 2year extension of the lower rates on capital gains and dividends. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9394}
{"speech_id":1090180589,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The cornerstone of the Senate bill was an extension of the holdharmless on the alternative minimum tax\"AMT\". I was pleased we covered the cornerstones of both bills. We only had revenue room to cover the cornerstones. The other provisions. principally the tax extenders. were decided to travel in a bill to follow or \"trail.\" Hence the name trailer bill. The trailer bill -took several weeks of intense negotiations. The negotiators were Chairman THOMAS for the House and Senator BAUCUS and me for the Senate. They were tough negotiations. but they produced a fair agreement. That agreement was included in the trailer piece of the trifecta. The House ratified Chairman THOMASs agreement when it passed the trifecta. In my view. the agreement is closed. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9394}
{"speech_id":1090180589,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":13,"republican":1,"speech_text":"No items should be subtracted. No items should be added. A deal is a deal. Let me repeat that. A deal is a deal. Changes should only occur if all the parties to .the agreement consent. We dont have another 5 to 6 weeks to renegotiate the trailer bill. In getting to that agreement. I pushed hard for several Senate issues to be resolved. Im referring to items other than the basic2year extension of provisions that expired on December. 31. 2005. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9394}
{"speech_id":1090180616,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in my capacity as a Senator and chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. I rise this evening to pay tribute to two men who were bookends of what has been termed the \"greatest generation.\" those Americans who served in World War II. One stood behind the lens and took that famous photo on Iwo Jima that became the iconic picture of the war in the Pacific. The other gave up his life in front of the lens and laid his life on the line in the cause for freedom in Europe. I speak. of course. of the photographer Joe Rosenthal and the famed actor Glenn Ford. Both men died a few weeks ago. and it is fitting that this body. the Senate of the United States. recognize these great men for their contributions. Most Americans instantly know that image Joe Rosenthal captured: the photo of five marines and one. Navy corpsman raising the flagthe American flagover Iwo Jima. That image became the basis for the Iwo Jima Memorial which rises above Arlington National Cemetery and a copy of which greets those who enter Quantico Marine Base in Virginia. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6879}
{"speech_id":1090180616,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"That image was also made into a postage stamp. not once but twice. and inspired the creation of at least two majorpictures: \"The Sands of Iwo Jima\" starring John Wayne and the new movie. \"The Flags of Our Fathers.\" produced by Clint Eastwood. which will debut in a few weeks. It has been said that Joe Rosenthals famous photograph not only gave Americans back home an image of what was happening on the front lines. it persuasively argued that America was winning that war. The impact of that image cannot be overstated. In fact. former President George Herbert Walker Bush. who served as a Navy pilot during World War II. recently recalled seeing the flagraising photo in the newspaper during the war with Japan and said that without Joe Rosenthals picture. the war might have dragged on even longer: I wonder if Joe fully appreciated what this photograph meant. and what it still means to the American people. That is what the elder President Bush wrote. The Presidents comments were shared recently at a public presentation in which Joe Rosenthal was posthumously awarded a Navy medal for distinguished public service. It was an honor long overdue but one I am proud has finally been awarded. But while many know the story of Joe Rosenthals famous photograph. few Americans. however. really know the real life story of the famous actor Glenn Ford. Glenn Ford was born in Canada. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6879}
{"speech_id":1090180616,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He emigrated to the United States when he was 5 years old. He was a descendent of U.S. President Martin Van Buren. But Glenn Ford made his own way in his life. He went on to become a Hollywood movie star who appeared in over 100 movies and television shows. But his heroic reallife military actions are worthy of a film all its own. Before the beginning of World War II. Glenn Ford served in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. In 1942. he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6879}
{"speech_id":1090180616,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In the aftermath of the war in Europe. Glenn Ford came upon a displaced persons camp several miles outside of Munich. Germany. An estimated 12.000 to 15.000 homeless Jews were living at the Fernwald camp. which appeared to have been overlooked in the postwar confusion. According to the Simon Wisenthal Center. which in 1985 presented Glenn Ford with the Liberators Award: The survivors were astonished and wept with gratitude to see an American who really cared. and for seven weeks Ford brought food. books and medical supplies. The supply sergeants looked the other way as Ford loaded up his jeep day after day. and headed up to Fernwald. Ford alone was responsible for giving hope and life to approximately half of these 12.000 to 15.000 inmates in an over 7week period. Many women named their newborn sons after him in recognition and in gratitude. Committed to service in the. Armed Forces. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6879}
{"speech_id":1090180616,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Glenn Ford also served a tour of duty in Vietnam in the Mekong Delta during Operation Deckhouse V and twice came under fireintense enemy fireand narrowly .escaped death from a snipers bullet. a bullet which wounded the attache standing next to him. Among his numerous medals and accommodations are the Medal of Honor presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. the Medaille de la France Libre for the liberation of France. two commendation medals from the U.S. Navy. and the Vietnamese Legion of Merit. He received the rank of captain with the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1968. Today. as we battle terrorists wherever they are. I think we should all reflect on the words of Glenn Ford penned in 1980. Here is what that honored and decorated movie star said: Im proud to be an American. Let me say again. Im proud to be an American. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6879}
{"speech_id":1090180618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise tonight to speak about the Ryan White CARE reauthorization. We have heard a number of speakers on the Senate floor over the past few days claiming to be experts on New Jerseys HIV\/AIDS community and our Ryan White Program. Now. some might choose to listen to them. but I choose to listen to the real.New Jersey experts. Governor Corzine says the bill will have \"an enormous negative impact for individuals and families with HIV in New Jersey.\" New Jersey stands to lose millions of dollars in the first year alone with these losses increasing over time. The losses will disrupt and destabilize the comprehensive continuum of care that has been established. And New Jerseys HIV\/AIDS providers and advocates are unified against the proposed bill and know the real impact these cuts have on real lives. The medical director from the Monmouth Medical Center and HIV Clinic in Long Branch. NJ. a clinic funded by Ryan White funds. says: Since our inception in 2001. .we have doubled our size. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5803}
{"speech_id":1090180618,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fiftytwo percent of our clients are women. Fortyeight percent are African Americans. The majority of our clients have no insurance and no access to medications. except to the State ADAP program. Our patients are living longer and having a better quality of life. In fact. this past year we have had 8 babies born to HIVinfected women. None of these infants are infected with the virus. To ensure that we will not lose ground in the fight against this epidemic. the Ryan White program must be reauthorized so that existing clinics and programs continue to provide medical access for care and treatment. Please do not dismantle the system at the expense of another. they tell us. Now. I really had to bite my lip earlier because some came to the floor of the Senate and had the audacity to say that New Jersey is a privileged State. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5803}
{"speech_id":1090180618,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"To them I say: I would gladly give up the privilege of being No. 1 in the Nation in the proportion of women living with AIDS. I would gladly give up the privilege of having the third largest proportion of children living with HIV\/ AIDS. I would gladly give up the privilege of having the fourth highest number of people living with HIV\/AIDS. I would gladly give up the privilege of having the fifth largest number of new AIDS cases each yeareach yeardespite the fact that we are only the ninth largest in total population. I would gladly give up the privilege of having the fifth highest rate in reported deaths due to AIDS. I am sure that the 32.000 people living with HIV or AIDS in New Jersey would love nothing more than to be able to give up that privilege. or the people of color who account for 75 percent of all HIV\/AIDS cases. or the women who make up more than a third of all people living with HIV\/AIDS. I am sure they would gladly give up that privilege as well. These same experts have argued that New Jersey is receiving more than its fair share of Ryan White funding. But what we are hearing is just another numbers game to try to avoid the real issue. which is the completely inadequate funding in this reauthorization bill. When you look at the full picture. without just zooming in on the piece that happens to fit your argument. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5803}
{"speech_id":1090180618,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"New Jersey is one of the most expensive States. in which to live in this country. Yet it spends less per personless per personthan 15 other States. including Alabama. Wyoming. South Dakota. Montana. Alaska. Idaho. Massachusetts. Vermont. the District of Columbia. Arizona. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5803}
{"speech_id":1090180618,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Pennsylvania. Louisiana. and Michigan. So just to put things in perspective. according to the Care Coalition. Alabama spends about $5.778 per HIV\/AIDS patient. and Wyoming spends $5.984 per patient. In contrast. New Jersey spends $800 less than Alabama and $1.000 less than Wyoming per patient on HIV\/ AIDS care. So I cannot accept the numbers as those would have it constructed for the purposes of pursuing their argument. There are more than 2.130 new HIV\/ AIDS infections each year in New Jersey. and in 2004 New Jersey reported almost 2.400 new HIV and AIDS cases. more than all but 4 other States. Ryan White funding is being put to good use saving lives and helping individuals avoid disability and lead productive. successful lives. In New Jersey. we are giving 32.000 people with HIV\/AIDS a new lease on life. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT MENENDEZ","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5803}
{"speech_id":1090180656,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent at 9:10 this evening. the pending amendment. No. 5036. be withdrawn. the bill be read the third time. and Senator SALAZAR be recognized for 5 minutes. Senator BINGAMAN for 5 minutes. Senator CRAIG for 5 minutes. Senator REID for 3 minutes. Senator FRIST for 3 minutes. and the Senate proceed immediately to a vote on passage. with no intervening action or debate. and I further ask consent that following that vote. the Senate proceed as under the rule to the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur on S. 403. I further ask consent if cloture is not invoked. the Senate proceed immediately to the conference report to accompany H.R. 5441. the Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report. and there be 5 minutes equally divided for debate prior to a vote on adoption of the conference report. I further ask consent that if cloture is invoked on the motion to concur to S. 403. the pending amendments be withdrawn and the Senate vote on the motion. with no intervening action or debate. and further the Senate proceed as above to the Homeland Security conference report. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2293}
{"speech_id":1090180656,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I also ask following the vote on the Homeland Security conference report. Senator LAUTENBERG be in control of 10 minutes. Senator COLLINS for 5 minutes. Senator STEVENS for 5 minutes. the Senate .proceed to a vote on the conference report to accompany H.R. 4954. the port security conference report. if the papers are received from the House and -they are identical -to those at the desk currently. with no intervening action or debate. further. I ask that if the papers have not arrived from the House. then upon receipt of those papers. the Senate proceed to its consideration. again. only if those papers are identical to those at the desk .currently. then the conference report be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. I further ask consent that following the vote on the port security conference report. H.R. 5441. if port security has not arrived. then the Senate proceed to consideration of H. Con. Res. 483. the adjournment resolution. provided further. that Senator LEVIN be recognized to speak for up to 10 minutes. and following that time. the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2293}
{"speech_id":1090180705,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I would barriers on our southern border and like to take a few moments to explain contemplating doing the same on the why I voted against limiting debate on northern border. we are strengthening the Secure Fence Act of 2006 when that the will of Canada or Mexico to give us vote occurred last night. that cooperation? In large measure my decision to vote Is the next step going to be building against cloture was procedural. This fences along the remaining 1.300 miles Senate has had no opportunity to de- of our southern border and the more bate and amend the bill before us than 3.000 miles of our northern border? today. There are some very important At what cost? The Congressional Budgamendments that our colleagues would et Office puts the cost of the current have like to offer which now they can- fence proposal at $3.2 million per mile not. of fence. Other estimates are even Those who do not understand Senate higher10 million per mile for some procedure might ask. how could that be stretches of the fence. When you add in possible? After all. hasnt this bill been annual maintenance. the cost of the the pending business of the Senate off fence could exceed $1 billion. So are we and on for 6 days? prepared to spend another $5 billion to Let me explain. The Senate majority $6 billion or so to construct an addileader has. as is his right. used Senate tional 4.300 miles of fencing to comprocedures to block Senators from of- plete the job? fering or voting on amendments. He In the meantime our immigration has done what is called filling the system is broken. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090180705,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More than 10 million amendment tree. Until the Senate undocumented aliens live among us but voted last night to limit debate on this at the same time outside the legal legislation. no vote was taken on any structures of our Government creating additional economic and national security challenges which the comprehensive immigration bill passed by the Senate responsibly sought to address. The pending bill does not. The House and Senate passed very different legislation related to comprehensive immigration reform and enhanced border secupity. The President endorsed the Senatepassed measure. What would usually be the next step in the legislative process would be for the House and Senate conferees to meet to reconcile the differences between the two bills. But that is not what has happened in this case. Rather. the Republican leadership. in an effort to score political points. has rushed through this very minor bill authorizing the construction of fences on the southern border and mandating a study of the advisability of doing so on our northern border.- They have blocked any serious debate or amendments to the pending matter. and once final passage occurs they will declare that our Nation is now secure. That is why I felt strongly last night that we ought to have a real debate on the challenges to our Nations security and consider relevant amendments that could address those -challenges rather than rushing to judgment on the very simplistic and costly approach called for in this bill. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090180705,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. we do our citizens a real disservice when we let election year politics get in the way of the peoples business. Unfortunatey. it will have to be left to a later date to do what would really enhance our Nations security. namely. enact legislation to fix our broken immigration system.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3394}
{"speech_id":1090180711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to speak about H.R. 6061. the Secure Fence Act. and to express my disappointment that the majority leader has decided to prevent Senators from offering relevant amendments. I have an amendment. which is germane postcloture. which simply provides the Department of Homeland Security with discretion regarding the use and placement of fencing along our border. As a Senator who represents a border State. I understand the frustration communities are facing due to the inability of the Federal Government to secure our Nations borders. Illegal immigration is a serious problem and we do need to do a better job of addressing this issue. The Senate has passed a comprehensive immigration bill aimed at improving security along our borders and at reforming our immigration laws. Although this bill isnt perfect. it is a step in the right direction. I was very disappointed that the leadership in the House refused to appoint conferees. and instead decided to hold hearings around the country to stir up discontent rather than to seek solutions. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090180711,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill. The House has passed a bill. We should have convened a conference committee and tried to work out the differences between these bills. The failure to at least make a goodfaith effort at coming to an agreement is unacceptable. With regard to the specifics of the Secure Fence Act. I do believe that there are locations along our border where fencing makes sense. For example. I support the $1.2 billion that is in the 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations bill for fencing. infrastructure. and technology. and I voted to provide $1.8 billion for the Army National Guard to build fencing and vehicle barriers along the southwest border as part of the Defense Appropriations bill. In addition. over the last several years I have secured millions of dollars of funding .for fencing and vehicle barriers specifically. for New Mexico. However. we need to be smart about security. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090180711,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Walls may make good sound bites in political ads. but the reality is that the individuals charged with securing our borders have consistently stated that they are only part of the solution and that there are better and more costeffective ways to provide for border security. As Ralph Basham. the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. stated earlier this year in a response to a question about the proposal to build 700 miles of doublelayered fencing: \"It doesnt make sense. its not practical.\" He went on to say that what we need is an appropriate mix of techndlogy. infrastructure. and personnel. Secretary Chertoff has voiced similar concerns. and has consistently maintained that securing our borders will require a much more comprehensive approach than simply building fences. Unfortunately. the bill. as currently drafted. does not provide the Department of Homeland Security with the discretion they need to determine the most appropriate means to secure the border. It ties their hands with regard to the use and placement of fencing. Under current law. the Department of Homeland Security already has the legal authority to build the fences that jority party removed this bill from the it needs. and I do not think we should 2007 Homeland Security appropriations be mandating over 700 miles of fencing bill. If the majority party wants to adin specific locations at a cost of mil- dress security issues. I stand ready to lions of dollars per mile unless we do so. Unfortunately. it appears that know that this is something that DHS they are more concerned with political believes it is the best way to enhance grandstanding than crafting subsecurity. stantive border security policies. This bill micromanages and man- I strongly believe that Senators dates specifically where DHS must should have an opportunity to offer build fencing. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090180711,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. with regard amendments and improve the bill. Reto New Mexico. the bill states that a grettably. the majority leader has used fence must be built \"extending from 5 technical procedural rules to prevent miles west of the Columbus. NM. port Senators from doing so. I cannot vote of entry to 10 miles east of El Paso. for this legislation without being .afTX.\" There hasnt been any local input forded the opportunity to offer my regarding this specific location and I amendments and fix this flawed bill. havent received any indication from I ask unanimous consent that I be alDHS that they believe that this is the lowed to offer this amendment prior to best place tobuild a fence. final passage on this bill. To the contrary. in discussions dur- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there ing one of the southwest New Mexico objection? Border Security Task Force meetings. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President. on this the point was raised by local security side there is an objection. officials- that the location of the pro- The PRESIDING OFFICER. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090180711,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Objecposed doublelayered fencing in the bill tion is heard. is in the wrong place. Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President. let The bill also mandates fencing in me conclude by saying that I think it some areas where we just spent mil- is unfortunate that we cannot make a lions of- dollars per mile to build vehi- commonsense change. in this bill to cle barriers. According to DHS. it costs make this a workable piece of legislaapproximately $4.4 million for a single tion. It could pass this Senate with 100 layer of fencing per mile. The bill we votes if. in fact. this amendment were are debating today mandates double- adoptedat least as far as I am conlayer fencing. which adds up to about cerned it likely would. The fear that $6.6 billion for the 730 miles of fencing the purpose of this bill is to get a bill required under the bill. If we are going to the President that has the word to spend billions of dollars to place a \"fence\" in the title so that the people -fence -along over onethird of our south- can go out and campaign on it in the ern border. we should at least ensure next 4 or 6 weeks. that is not good govthat it is in the right location and that eminent. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10066}
{"speech_id":1090180718,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. we recognize the need for a fence. We recognize the need for border security. But as we speak. American agriculture is losing somewhere between $1 billion and $5 billion at the farm gate because our southern border is closing. We have troops at the border. We are investing now nearly $2 billion a year at the border. This Congress. this Government. wants to prove. as we must. to the American people that we mean it when we say we are going to secure our southern border. But I have said for 2 years that. in doing that. we had to tie the cart and the horse together. that is. we needed to provide for the American economy a legal guestworker program. We have not done that. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090180718,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are not doing that. In my State of Idaho now. there is an 18 to 20 percent reduction in the employment base in agriculture as we speak. In the State of Kentucky. the tobacco growers cooperative is now losing their tobacco crop because they - have nobody to pick. In Illinois. in the orchards at this time. apples are rotting on the trees. In Florida. it is estimated that we have already lost nearly a billion dollars worth of oranges. Is this the fault of American agriculture or is this the fault of a Congress that would not take an obsolete and functional law and fix it. so that we could have a legal workforce. one that comes and works and goes fast. That is what a guestworker program is all about. In Oregon. an apple orchard picking 25 tons a day is now picking 6 tons a day. and the apples are rotting. The Senators from California. Senators FEINSTEIN and BOXER. talked about the produce in the greatSan Juaquin Valley that rots as we speak. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090180718,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Some will say those farmers. should -have known better. Maybe they should have. That is why they came to me several years ago and said: We have a problem. help us fix it. help us get a legal workforce. We did not do that. We tried mightilysome of usbut we are now refusing to do that at a time of crisis. So if it is not us to blame. who is it? So let the consumer go to the fresh produce shelf this fall and winter and pay double the price for some of the products. Also. see some of our production move offshore to Argentina and Brazil. because it will go where the workforce is if the workforce cannot come to it. None of us want an illegal system. We must have a legal system. We will return in November. and we will be able to add up the losses. and that will be a tragedy. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090180718,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I hope that in November. with those losses calculatedand I hope I am wrong. I hope it is not $5 billion or $6 billion or $7 billion. But if it is. Senators. roll up your sleeves. we have a problem to solve. and it is a very big problem. We cannot afford to lose the fruit and vegetable industry of this country. For the sake of America. for the sake of American agriculture. it is a laborintense industry of the kind that requires a viable- legal. guestworker program. Tonight. in a moment of crisisand we now know itthe Senate of the United States has refused to deal with the problem. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3030}
{"speech_id":1090180756,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Senator from Vermont is correct. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department are now in the process of developing the rules needed to implement this initiative. The State Department is proposing an alternate form of documentation to be accepted for land border crossings known as a passcard. The passcard would be slightly less expensive than a passport but wouldstill require the same adjudication and background check as a passport and could only be used for land travel between our country. Canada and Mexico. Many of my constituents travel to Canada every day. I believe each Senator from Idaho. Maine. Michigan. Minnesota. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2769}
{"speech_id":1090180756,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Montana. New Hampshire. New York. North Dakota. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Vermont and Washington will agree it is imperative that the travel requirements between Canada and the United States be implemented in a manner that does not adversely affect Americans. To date. the construction and price of the passcards have not been established. Passcards are essential to ensure the flow of travel and business activities between the United States and other countries is not hindered. I am also concerned with the looming date of implementation for WHTI. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2769}
{"speech_id":1090180756,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The administrations current plan is to implement the air and sea portion of.the initiative by January 2007. this coming January. This means that in just 3 months all U.S. citizens traveling by air and sea from Canada and Mexico or the Caribbean will need a passport to enter this country. The intent of language included in the Homeland bill is in no way meant to indefinitely delay the implementation of this initiative. Securing our borders is important. and I support these efforts. I Want to make sure the State Department is prepared to adjudicate the large number of requests for passports and passcards this initiative will produce. Our language also creates a single implementation date for land and sea crossings. Families often take a cruise to Alaska. and continue their vacations in Canada. In order to avoid confusion to these travelers. we must have one date in which they are expected to have new documentation. rather than the current plan to implement sea this January and land in January 2008. Further. they should be able to use the passcard for both land and sea crossings. rather than requiring a passport for the sea portion of a vacation. I believe DHS- and the State Department are operating under an unrealistic timeframe. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2769}
{"speech_id":1090180756,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We must ensure they have enough time to properly test\/and implement this system. which includes biometrics and new border security equipment. We must also clearly set out guidelines we expect to be met before this initiative can be implemented. This is what we hope to achieve with the language we included in the Homeland bill:","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2769}
{"speech_id":1090180827,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to discuss the impact of Public Law 1098. the bankruptcy reform legislation of which I was the lead sponsor here in the U.S. Senate. On October 17. 2006. we will see the oneyear anniversary of the new law. This law was the result of many years of comprehensive study and intense debate in Congress. There was much give and take among all interested parties over several Congresses. and the final bill that was signed into law was the result of compromise. upon compromise. upon compromise. In fact. people tend to forget. that this law passed both the House and Senate by wide bipartisan margins. It is a law that was sorely needed. It is a law whose central premiseif an individual wants to file for bankruptcy and can repay some of his debt. he should do just that. repay some of that debtis supported by almost everyone. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090180827,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The laws central premise is about fairness. It is about good old common sense. The bankruptcy reform legislation was driven by a desire to restore balance to a system that had become too easy: a -system where clever lawyers gamed the integrity of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of those who wanted to get out of their debts scottfree and to the detriment of those who played by the rules. In fact. bankruptcy rates in the 1990s and early 2000 timeframe exceeded bankruptcy rates during the Great Depression. despite the fact that the economy was going strong during much of this time. So with this law we closed some loopholes. made upperincome Americans repay more of their debts if they were going to seek bankruptcy. and enacted important consumer protection provisions so people could be more knowledgeable about their finances. The law retained bankruptcy for those who truly are in need of that relief. -while injecting more integrity and fairness in the bankruptcy system. So how has the new bankruptcy law worked? So far. I think it is too soon to make firm judgments. But early reports indicate the new law has been working very well. We have seen bankruptcy rates fall dramatically from about 2 million bankruptcies in 2005 to the point where I doubt there will be over 1 million bankruptcies in 2006. if current trends continue. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090180827,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my mind. this is bound to help the American economy. Fewer bankruptcy filings lead me to believe that only those individuals who truly are in need of a fresh start are filing for relief. Furthermore. a natural outgrowth of fewer bankruptcy filings is a much lower cost to the American consumer and the U.S. economy. As my colleagues may recall. the Clinton administrations Treasury Secretary. Larry Summers. told Congress that high levels of bankruptcies tend to push up interest rates. I have called that the \"bankruptcy drag\" on the economy. It is just common sense. When a business loses money because a customer files for bankruptcy instead of paying his bill. that business has a couple of options: Either the business can absorb the loss and spend less on growth and expansion or the business can increase what it charges other customers to offset the loss. imposing what many of us in Congress called a bankruptcy tax. It follows that businesses can weather the storm When the occasions where customers dont pay their bills are relatively rare. but when you have a scenario where filing bankruptcy is easy and customers are filing bankruptcy on a regular basiswhether they really need it or not. no questions askedand they arent paying their bills. well. then businesses get into trouble. Unfortunately. businesses that dont get paid arent the only ones impacted by this. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090180827,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The reality- is. either way. ultimately it is the consumers and the economy that suffer the most when bankruptcies spiral out of control. People who play by the rules and pay their way are the ones who end up picking up the tab. I would rather see the \"bankruptcy drag\" reduced. freeing up businesses togrow. add jobs. and contribute to the Nations economy and the peoples prosperity. I would rather see the $400 \"bankruptcy tax\" Jurdening American families each year reduced so they can spend their money in a more productive way. And based merely on the bankruptcy filing numbers available from the Federal courts. I think that it is fair to say that Public Law 1098 has been a success for our economy. Public Law 1098 has driven a -stake through the heart of this bankruptcy drag. I have struggled with how to put a dollar figure on how much bankruptcy reform has saved the economy since it became the law of the land. During Congressional debate. we received testimony that the average amount discharged in bankruptcy is $41.000 per fil-. ing. If one does some simple math. taking the total number of consumer bankruptcies filed in the first half of this year and doubling that number. it seems we could see about. 550.000 consumer bankruptcies in 2006--perhaps a little more. perhaps a little less. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090180827,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As I said. the Federal courts reported that we had just over 2 million consumer bankruptcies filed in 2005. So using the $41.000 figure. bankruptcy losses cost our economy $82 billion in 2005. On the other hand. it looks as if. because of the new law. bankruptcy losses for 2006 will only be about $22.5 billion. Let me repeat: $82 billion in 2005 and $22.5 billion in 2006 after the law was put in effect. We are not talking peanuts. That is a substantial savings for our economy. That is around $60 billion that would have been lost. that would have put a drag on our economy. And I am confidant that at least some of that money has been or will be redirected to economic growth. If this isnt success. I dont know what is. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8758}
{"speech_id":1090180842,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the organization known as Religions for Peace constitutes a global network of interreligious councils and affiliated groups. harnessed to encourage cooperation .among the worlds religious communities to transform conflict. build peace and advance sustainable development. Founded in 1970 as an international. nonsectarian organization. Religions for Peace is now the largest coalition of the worlds religious communities. President of Religions for Peace is His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Secretary General of WCRP. as the organization is known. is Dr. William F. Vendley. of the United States. Our former colleague and myfellow. Hoosier. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1354}
{"speech_id":1090180842,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"John Brademas. who served in the House of Representatives from Indiana for 22 years and then became president of New York University. which he now serves as President Emeritus. is an International Trustee of Religions for Peace. Last month. in Kyoto. Japan. more than 800 religious leaders. from all major traditions and over 100 countries. met at the Eighth World Assembly of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. The theme of this assembly was Confronting Violence and Advancing Shared Security. At the request of our former colleague Representative Brademas. I ask -unanimous consent to have the final statement issued by. the Kyoto Assembly printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1354}
{"speech_id":1090180863,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been asked by a Capitol employee. Mr. Albert Cary Caswell. to have printed in wrote in memory of the late. great Minnesota Senator. Paul Wellstone. Senator Wellstone was my friend of 22 years and Minnesotas senior Senator and my mentor during my first 2 years here. I have missed his conscience. his courage. and his eloquence in the Senate every day since his tragic death in an airplane crash nearly 4 years ago.","speaker_name":"MARK DAYTON","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":436}
{"speech_id":1090180869,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased to acknowledge Hedgebrook Farm. in Bartonville. VA. Hedgebrook Farm has been owned and operated by the same family since its establishment over 100 years ago. For the past half century. the 110acre farm has offered amusing attrac.tions such as a pumpkin patch. as well as a beautiful log home. Hedgebrook Farm also provides educational school tours and a young farmers camp. I would like to acknowledge the current managers of Hedgebrook Farm. Kitty Hockman Nicolas and her daughter. Shannon N. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":973}
{"speech_id":1090180869,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Triplett. for their exceptional work upholding their familys original commitment to preserve the environment. educate local youth. and maintain a pesticidefree. hormone- and antibioticfree farm. The Hedgebrook Farm continues to perform outstanding work in serving its local community. I congratulate its owners on over a century of success and thank them for the work they are doing to make Virginia a better place to live. work. and raise a family.e","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":973}
{"speech_id":1090180904,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I introduce legislation to authorize the title transfer of the McGee Creek Reservoir dam and its associated facilities. which are located approximately 20 miles southeast of Atoka. OK. My bill transfers title from the Bureau of Reclamation to the McGee Creek Authority. The McGee Creek Authority is a trust of the State of Oklahoma. This Oklahoma entity was established to develop. finance. operate. and maintain the water supply in the McGee Creek Reservoir. Thus. the primary purpose is to provide a dependable \"municipal and industrial\" water supply for Oklahoma City. the City of Atoka. Atoka County. and the area represented by the Southern Oklahoma Development Trust. The McGee Creek Authority currently operates the dam and associated facilities. This title transfer under this bill will allow Oklahoma City to make the necessary capital improvements and upgrades needed to assure the continued efficient operation of the Reservoir. ","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1701}
{"speech_id":1090180904,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This bill is responsible legislation that will end requests for federal funds and will protect the federal government from legal liabilities that could be incurred in their operation.. This legislation is the result of cooperation and coordination between Oklahoma City. the McGee Creek Authority. and the Bureau of Reclamation. I thank the Bureau of Reclamation for their drafting service in preparing the legislation. as well as of course the Senate Legislative Counsel. This legislation was requested by Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City. and I am happy to assist in this worthy cause. I ask unanimous consent to print in the RECORD the letter of request from Mayor Cornett. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the bill.","speaker_name":"JAMES INHOFE","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1701}
{"speech_id":1090180971,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed. the motion to reconsider be. laid upon the table. and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the RECORD. The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. was read the third time. and passed. as follows: S. 4044 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":433}
{"speech_id":1090180997,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to highlight an agreement reached by my colleagues. Senator MIKE ENZI and Senator RICHARD BURR. in regard to Federal funding formulas. Over the past year and a half the Senate Health. Education. Labor. and Pensions Committee. of which I am a member. has been working on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Part of this work included changes to the funding formula for the programs contained within the act. I was actively involved in this work with Chairman ENzI and Senator BURR. as I believe that the formula is unfair and inequitable to states with a growing elderly population. While we were able to make some changes to the funding formula for the Older Americans Act. it is far from adequate. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090180997,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The formula continues to provide highgrowth states with less than their fair share of funding. Chairman ENzI has agreed to hold hearings during the 110th Congress to review federal funding formulas. Senator BURR and I agree that Federal money should follow people. Current Federal funding formulas often ignore this and penalize those living in fastgrowing States. According to USA Today. the state of Nevada is projected to see a one hundred and fourteen percent increase in our populationthe highest rate of growth in the country. Nevada welcomes our newcomers with open arms. as they have recognized the quality of life the state of Nevada has to offer. I am proud that so many Americans have chosen to call Nevada home.. I was sent to Washington. DC. promising that I would do more to bring Nevadans hard earned dollars back to the State. Nevadans are happy to pay their fair share of taxes to the Federal Government. but also expect a fair share to return to the State. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090180997,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite my success in changing several funding formulas. Nevada continues to rank at the bottom of the list in terms of Federal dollars returning to the State. Much of this is because current Federal funding formulas contain provisions that require outdated population data. and others mandate the use of hold harmless provisions. Both of these provisions work against those who need the assistance these funds provide. These provisions punish those who have chosen to move to a different State particularly fastgrowing States. I have worked to bring some- equity and fairness to the title I education funding formula. which has brought an additional $43 million to the State of Nevada. I have also worked to bring some fairness to the Perkins Career and Technical Education program and other important programs. but much work remains to be done. I am anxious for these hearings to begin so we can truly shed some light on these formulas and the unfair provisions used to allocate Federal dollars. Federal money ought to follow those individuals it is designed to assist. It should not be held hostage to politics. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090180997,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is my hope that these hearings will lay the groundwork for work on other S10774 CO federal funding formulas. particularly those used to allocate funding for education and health care programs. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on this extraordinarily important issue in the very near future.","speaker_name":"JOHN ENSIGN","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3140}
{"speech_id":1090181065,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask (A) in clause (i). by striking \"clauses (ii) unanimous consent that the Senate through (iv)\" and inserting \"clauses (ii) through (v)\". and \u0095 Proceed to the immediate consider- (B) by striking clause (v) and inserting the ation of Calendar No. 536. S. 3526. following:","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":288}
{"speech_id":1090181081,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the early hours of the morning. we are going to be closing down here in a few minutes. We do have some very important business to conduct. first on the Defense authorization conference report. and closing up with a few other matters. It has been a long day. with a lot of productive work. The Democratic leader and I were just commenting it has been a constructive and productive last 2 or 3 weeks. Mr. President. before I propound a unanimous consent request on the Defense authorization conference report. I turn to my colleague. the distinguished Senator from Oklahoma. who has been intimately involved in this issue over the last several days and the last several hours.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":692}
{"speech_id":1090181083,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the leader for working with me on getting the requirements of what we need to do to get control of our spending in this country. I also- want to thank the House leadership for their commitment in attempting to do that. I had threatened to object to the unanimous consent request that we pass this bill. That is not a desire or something I want to do. But what I do want to do is make sure the money we spend actually goes for Defense. And we had. in both the appropriations bill and in the authorization bill. by a vote of 96 to 1 in this body. that even though we do not report earmarks in the Senate. we do not label them. we do not say who put them. we did have an agreementwith amendments in both those bills--that we will allow the Pentagon to report to the American public on the status of those earmarks and back to us as a Congress whether or not they met the mission of the Defense Department because about 40 percent of them do not. It is all about transparency. the American people seeing where we are spending our money. I appreciate the leaders both here and in the House agreeing to bring this amendmentwhich was offered and accepted and passed here. and what was thrown out of the conferencesup in the lameduck session. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1847}
{"speech_id":1090181083,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And given that commitment from both the House leadership and the Senate leadership. I will not object to this bill. -I will tell people. other than the earmarks that are in this bill. this is a needed bill. and a lot of the earmarks are appropriate and needed. But the American people ought to be seeing where we are spending the money. and they cannot. This amendment would have allowed them to see that. The agreement of. hopefully. bringing this back. so the American people can actually know where money is spent. I appreciate the leaders help in accomplishing that. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1847}
{"speech_id":1090181093,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I understand the amendment. it defines when the President can call on the Armed Forces if there is a major public emergency at home. The amended statute now lists specific situations in which the troops can be used to restore public order. This includes natural disasters. epidemics or other serious public health emergencies. and terrorist attacks or incidents that result in domestic violence to such an extent that State authorities are unable to maintain public order. These were not mentioned specifically before. While the amendment does not grant the. President any new powers. it fills an important gap in clarifying the Presidents authority to respond to these new kinds of emergencies. The amendment defines the kind of situations in which the President can employ the Armed Forces to restore public order. In our system. responsibility for law enforcement and the maintenance of public order normally lies with the State and local authorities. The Armed- Forces can and should enter this arena only in extreme ergencies. The amendment explains that the trigger for the employment of Armed Forces is a condition. which may result from a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. that makes it impossible for regular law enforcement agencies to enforce the laws.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1272}
{"speech_id":1090181115,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. reserving So that is the reason I have tried to the right to object. I support this legis- work out a reasonable way of addresslation. I have for many months. This ing this and have not been successful was reported out of the committee to date. sometime in July. And from that time So with that. Mr. President. I hope to today. we have given the majority a we will be able to do this just as soon proposal for a -limited number of as possible. If there is no progress made amendments. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1811}
{"speech_id":1090181115,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When we get back after on the other side between now and Nothe electionI have spoken to the ma- vember in narrowing down the large jority leadercertainly there is a com- number of amendments on the other mitment from us that we would com- side. we would have to take the measplete this bill very expeditiously. This ure up under cloture. That is not the has been rejected. way I would want to proceed. When I As I have indicated. this bill has been look at the large number of amendon the calendar since July. and it has ments on the other side. though. it not been scheduled. We could have looks like we would have no alteracted on this a long time ago. It was native. I assure our colleagues that I held up initially because of an arms consider this legislation very high pricontrol measure that was placed in the ority. and absolutely I am determined bill by Senator LUGAR. And a number to bring it back to the floor at the earof people on the majority side. the Re- liest date possibleI hope soon after publican side. held this up. It took a we return. We have a lot of legislation to dc when we come back. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1811}
{"speech_id":1090181115,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need to get tc this as quickly as possible. With that there should be nodoubt on our side o: the determination and President Bushs commitment on this matter an to get this done as soon as possible.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1811}
{"speech_id":1090181118,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 483 until 10 a.m. on Thursday. November 9. and that following the prayer and the pledge. the Senate stand in adjournment until Monday. November 13. at 2 p.m. I further ask that notwithstanding the adjournment of the Senate on Novembei 9. Senators be permitted to introduce bills and submit statements and the Senate receive messages until 10:3C a.m. on November 9. . I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge on Monday. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":857}
{"speech_id":1090181118,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"November 13. the morning hour be deemedtc have expired. the Journal of the proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and the Senate proceed to a period of morning business. with Senators permitted tc speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":857}
{"speech_id":1090181325,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to S. 3930. the Military Commissions Act. I oppose this bill because I stand strong for our troops. I stand strong for the Constitution. I stand strong for the values that have made our country. the United States of America. the greatest country in the history of the world. I oppose this legislation because it is not becoming a nation that is strong in its values. confident of its future. and proud of its ancient heritage. Mr. Speaker. let us be crystal clear: All Americans. and Democrats especially. want those responsible for 9\/11 and other terrorist acts to be tried fairly and punished accordingly. and we want those convictions to be upheld by our courts. Democrats want the President to have the best possible intelligence to prevent future terrorist attacks on the United States and its allies. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12232}
{"speech_id":1090181325,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrats agreed with the President when he said \"whether the terrorists are brought to justice or justice brought to the terrorists. jus\u0095tice will be done.\" But Democrats understand that justice requires the Congress to establish a system for trying suspected terrorists that is fundamentally fair and consistent with the Geneva Conventions. We should abide by the Geneva Conventions not out of some slavish devotion to international law or desire to coddle terrorists. but because adherence to the Geneva Conventions protects American troops and affirms American values. S. 3930. the compromise before us. includes some improvements that I strongly support. For example. evidence obtained through torture can no longer be used against the accused. Similarly. the compromise bill provides that hearsay evidence can be challenged as unreliable. Perhaps the most important improvement over the bili passed by the House is that accused terrorists will have the right to rebut all evidence offered by the prosecution. As is the case in the existing military justice system. classified evidence can be summarized. redacted. declassified. or otherwise made available to the accused without compromising sources or methods. This change to the bill goes a long way toward minimizing the chance that an accused may be convicted with secret evidence. a shameful practice favored by dictators and totalitarians but beneath the dignity of a great nation like the United States. As Senator JOHN MCCAIN said: \"I think its important that we stand by 200 years of legal precedents concerning classified information because the defendant should have a right to know what evidence is being used.\" \" However. I am concerned that there is reason to believe that even with.this compromise legislation. this system of military commissions may lead to endless litigation and get struck down by the courts. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12232}
{"speech_id":1090181325,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then we would find ourselves back here again next year. or 5 years from now. trying to develop a system that can finally bring the likes of Khalid Sheik Mohammed to justice. Why would we want to give terrorist detainees a \"get out of jail free\" card when we can avoid that by establishing military commissions that work. As currently written. the compromise bill has provisions that could lead to the reversal of a conviction. Specifically. the bill contains a section that strips the federal courts of jurisdiction over habeas corpus petitions filed prior to the passage of the Detainee Treatment Act last December on behalf of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Speaker. nine former federal judges were so alarmed by this prospect that they were compelled go public with their concerns: \"Congress would thus be skating on this constitutional ice in depriving the federal courts of their power to hear the cases of Guantanamo detainees. . . . If.one goal of the provision is to bring these cases to a speedy conclusion. we can assure from our considerable experience that eliminating habeas would be unconstitutional.\" Mr. Speaker. common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention requires that a military commission be a regularly constituted court affording all the necessary \"judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.\" Notwithstanding the provision in the House bill asserting that the military commissions established therein satisfy this standard. the fact is that many other nations will disagree. Simply saying so does not make it so. Moreover. they may well be right. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12232}
{"speech_id":1090181325,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Consider this. Mr. Speaker: The compromise allows statements to be entered into evidence that were obtained through cruel. inhuman and degrading treatment and lesser forms of coercion if the state: ment was obtained before passage of the Detainee Treatment Act last December. To provide limited immunity to government agents involved in the CIA detention and interrogation program. the bill amends the War Crimes Act of 1996 to encompass only \"grave breaches\" of the Geneva Conventions. U.S. agents could not be tried under the War Crimes Act for past actions that degraded and humiliated detainees. The bill also limits any use of international law such as the Geneva Convention in interpreting the War Crimes Act. Mr. Speaker..what is sometimes lost sight of. in all the tumult and commotion is that the reason we have observed the Geneva Conventions since their adoption in 1949 is to protect members of our military. But as the Judge Advocate Generals pointed out. the compromise bill could place United States service members at risk by establishing an entirely new international standard that American troops could be subjected to if captured overseas. As Rear Admiral Bruce McDonald testified: \"I go back to the reciprocity issue that we raised earlier. that I would be very concerned about other nations looking in on the United States and making a determination that.. if its good enough for the United States. its good enough for us. and perhaps.doing a lot of damage and harm internationally if one of our servicemenor womenwere taken and held as a detainee.\" Whats more. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12232}
{"speech_id":1090181325,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the Geneva Conventions also protect those not in uniformspecial forces personnel. diplomatic personnel. CIA agents. contractors. journalists. missionaries. relief workers and all other civilians. Chadnging our commitment to this treaty could endanger them. as well. We can fix these deficiencies easily if we only have the will. What we should do is recommit the bill with instructions to add two important elements: (1) expedited constitutional review of the legislation. and (2) a requirement that these military commissions be reauthorized after 3 years. Under expedited review. the constitutionality of the military commission system could be tested and determined quickly and earlybefore. there are trials and convictions. And it would help provide stability and surefooting for novel legislation that sets up a military commissions system *unlike anything in American history. Such an approach provides no additional rights to alleged terrorists. All it does is give the- Supreme Court of the United States the ability to decide whether the military commissions system under this act is legal or not. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12232}
{"speech_id":1090181366,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to one of my constituents. Mr. Maxwell Bain of Littleton. Colorado. Mr. Bain has been accepted to the People to People World Leadership Forum here in our nations Capitol. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the People to People program founded by President Eisenhbwer in 1956. Mr. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS TANCREDO","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":618}
{"speech_id":1090181366,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bain has displayed academic excellence. community involvement and leadership potential. All students chosen for the program have been identified and nominated by educators. Mr. Speaker. I would like to join in paying tribute to Maxwell Bain. and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.","speaker_name":"THOMAS TANCREDO","chamber":"H","state":"CO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":618}
{"speech_id":1090181398,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on July 24 the Majority Leader placed in the RECORD a list of the Senators that had sought to be cosponsors of S. 3709. the United StatesIndia Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. Mr. President. I ask that an updated list of those who wish to be listed as cosponsors be printed in the RECORD The names follow.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":327}
{"speech_id":1090181466,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. The Boise foothills provide a beautiful. openspace backdrop for the city of Boise. For decades. community members have sought a way to protect open space. and in May 2001. the citizens of Boise approved a tax to secure open space in the foothills. Roughly 7.700 acres of land in the Boise foothills is owned by the State of Idaho. The Stateis required to manage these lands to maximize revenue. which would likely lead to development. S. 1131. introduced by Senator LARRY CRAIG in the Senate and Congressman BUTCH OTTER in the House. would remedy this problem by codifying an agreement produced collaboratively by the city of Boise and the State of Idaho and the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The agreement would exchange Idaho State endowment lands on an equalvalue basis with other Federal and State lands across a broad area in the State. I urge support of this important measure. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE RADANOVICH","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1009}
{"speech_id":1090181521,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of S. 1140. legislation to name the State Route 1 Bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Delaware after the late Senator William V. Roth. Jr. S. 1140 passed the Senate unanimously in June 2005. and as the sponsor of the House companion. H.R. 2800. I am pleased to join Senators CARPER and BIDEN in offering my full support for S. 1140 and to encourage its adoption by the House today. A leader and dedicated public servant. Senator Roth served honorably during his years in Congress and set a tremendous example for future generations of Americans. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1397}
{"speech_id":1090181521,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Best known for creating the successful \"Roth IRA.\" Senator Roth also fought hard in Congress to improve the quality of transportation in the State of Delaware. In the early 1990s. Senator Roth played an important role in helping to build the State Route 1 Bridge in New Castle County. Delaware. Senator Roth was first elected to the House in 1966. serving two terms. before being elected to the Senate. where he served for 30 years. He also won the Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Army during World War I1. He died in 2003 at the age of 82. Nothing in my mind would serve as a better tribute to Senator Roths many years of dedicated public service than to rename this bridge. a true architectural gem in Delaware. in his honor. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 1140.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL CASTLE","chamber":"H","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1397}
{"speech_id":1090181618,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. although Republicans face new challenges in the coming Congress. one thing is clear. We are unified in our determination to pursue policies to strengthen our Nation and our economy. Republicans will continue to fight for complete victory in the global war on terror and work to ensure that the intelligence community and our troops have all the tools necessary to complete their mission. Through Republican policies of providing the administration the tools it needs to be successful in the war on terror. we helped defend our Nation from another attack on American soil. Republicans are unified in our ideals of tax relief for all Americans to grow the economy and provide opportunities for every American to prosper. As a direct result of the Republican tax relief policies. unemployment is at 4.4 percent. there have been 38 consecutive months of job creation. and wages have risen 2.4 percent over. the last year. These are undeniable accomplishments of the Republicanled Congress. that affect all Americans.. Republicans provided tax breaks for American families through the child tax credit and marriage tax penalty relief and voted to kill the death tax. Republican policies have made our Nation safer and stronger. and we are unified in our fight to continue these successful policies.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1306}
{"speech_id":1090181627,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the majority leader and I have had a number of conversations and we think this should be a productive week. There will naturally be a number of interruptions. but we have our minds on completing the appropriations bill and finishing the very important nuclear agreement with the largest democracy in the world: India. We want to do it now for a number of reasons. not the least of which is the President is leaving in the next few .days for Vietnam and we want to see if that can be completed with a minimum amount of debate and amendments. We are confident and hopeful that can be done.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":602}
{"speech_id":1090181638,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I ask. unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5385. the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and related agencies appropriations bill for 2007. I further ask consent that the committeereported - substitute be agreed to as original text for the purpose of further amendment. with no points of order waived by virtue of this agreement.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":398}
{"speech_id":1090181683,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today with a heavy heart and deep sense of gratitude to honor the life of a brave young man from Upland. IN. Cpl Lance M. Thompson. 21 years old. died on November 15th. Lance was killed by an improvised explosive devise while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. With his entire life before him. Lance risked everything to fight for the values Americans hold close to our hearts. in a laind halfway around the world. A 2001 graduate of Eastbrook High School. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3488}
{"speech_id":1090181683,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Lance followed in his brother Phillips footsteps by joining the Marines. His father. Gregory. told the Kokomo Tribune that his son had been a committed member of the Armed Forces and believed in what the Marines were doing in Iraq. Reflecting on Lances life.- his halfbrother. Matt. told the Marion ChronicleTribune that his \"motto\" had been \"gungho.\" This selfless dedication carried Lance through his first tour of duty in Iraq and led him back again for a second tour. which began in September of this year. Lance was the 38th Hoosier soldier to be killed while serving his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was assigned to the Weapons Company. 2nd Battalion. 5th Marine. 1st Marine Division. Camp Pendleton. CA. This brave young soldier leaves behind his wife Dawn. his father Gregory. his mother Melanie. his brother. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3488}
{"speech_id":1090181683,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Phillip. and his halfbrothers. Matt and Alexander. Today. I join Lances family. his friends. and the entire Upland community in mourning his death. While we struggle to bear our sorrow over this loss. we can also take pride in the example he set. bravely fighting to make the world a safer place. It is his courage and strength of character that. people will remember when they think of Lance. a memory that will burn brightly during these continuing days of conflict and grief. Lance was known for his dedication to family and his love of country. According to friends and loved ones. he also enjoyed spending time outdoors. being with children and animals and was always making jokes. Today and always. Lance will be remembered by family members. friends. and fellow Hoosiers as a true American hero. and we honor the sacrifice he made while dutifully serving his country. ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3488}
{"speech_id":1090181683,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I search for words to do justice in honoring Lances sacrifice. I am reminded of President Lincolns remarks as he addressed the families of the fallen soldiers In Gettysburg: \"We cannot dedicate. we cannot consecrate. we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men. living and dead. who struggled here. have consecrated it. far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here. but it can never forget what theyi did here.\" This statement is just as true today as it was nearly 150 years ago. as I am certain that the impact of Lances actions will live on far longer than any record of these words. It is my sad duty to enter the name of Lance M. Thompson in the official RECORD of the U.S. Senate for his service to this country and for his profound commitment to freedom. democracy. and peace. When I think about this just cause in which we are engaged and the unfortunate pain that comes with the loss of our heroes. I hope that families like Lances can find comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah who said. \"He will swallow up death in victory. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.\". ","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3488}
{"speech_id":1090181683,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"May God grant strength\" and peace to those who mourn. and may God be with all of you. as I know He is with Lance.","speaker_name":"EVAN BAYH","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3488}
{"speech_id":1090181684,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to pay tribute to SFC Scott E. Nisely. who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country. Sergeant Nisely. of Marshalltown. IA. was assigned to C Company. 1st Battalion. 133rd Infantry Regiment. 34th Infantry Division. Army National Guard. based out of Iowa Falls. IA. He was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom with the unit in September 2005. and arrived in Iraq in early May 2006. He died at the age of 48. on September 30. 2006. in Al Asad. Iraq. when his military vehicle encountered small arms fire. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1728}
{"speech_id":1090181684,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Staff Sergeant Nisely will be posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for the second time. the Purple Heart. the Iraq Campaign Medal. the Army Good Conduct Medal. the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization device for the second time. and the Combat Infantryman Badge. My thoughts and prayers have been with Scotts wife Geri and his children. Justin and Sarah. as well as all those other family and friends who are grieving his loss. Scotts family said. \"Scott was a dedicated and loving husband and father. He was actively involved in his childrens lives. He was a loyal. compassionate. and caring friend that everyone liked. He loved and was committed to God. and was very involved with his church and community.\" Learning about the sacrifice of Scott Nisely. I am reminded of the words of John 15:13: \"Greater love has no man than this. that he lay down his life for his friends.\" His family also said of Scott that he \"loved his country and was a volunteer career servicemember that was proud and honored to serve his country.\" Our Nation will be forever grateful for Scott Niselys loyal service and sacrifice. 1Iis loss is tragic. but he will be remembered as an American hero.","speaker_name":"CHARLES GRASSLEY","chamber":"S","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1728}
{"speech_id":1090181693,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I tale this opportunity to recognize San Mateo County sheriff Don Horsley. who is retiring after 38 years of dedicated service to law enforcement and public safety. Sheriff Horsley is a San Francisco Bay Area native who was born in San Francisco. raised in Daly. City. and educated in the countys public schools. He graduated from Daly Citys Westmoor High School before graduating with honors from San Francisco State University in 1969. . After a brief time as a classroom teacher. Sheriff Horsley entered into a career in law enforcement that has spanned 38 years. Beginning as a patrol officer in Daly City and later serving as a patrol deputy officer in East Palo Alto. Sheriff. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3502}
{"speech_id":1090181693,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Horsley Was elected Sheriff of San Mateo County in June 1993. From the beginning. Sheriff Horsley has been dedicated to making his community a better and safer place to live. Under his leadership. the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office has implemented an extensive number of innovative programs to make the community safer. including community policing. graffiti abatement. gang intelligence\/investigative unit. sexual habitual offender program. hightech task force. school resource officer program. and a youth camp for atrisk youth. Sheriff Horsley also established an after school Sheriffs Activity League to help kids succeed in school and stay out of gangs. After the tragedy of September 11. 2001. Sheriff Horsley stepped into a leadership role and joined the FBI in a regional Joint Terrorism Task Force. He established a regional information sharing network with the nine Bay Area counties and directed the Sheriffs Office of Emergency Services to take the lead to ensure that the countys first responders and public health workers had the equipment and training to respond to disasters. Sheriff Horsley also worked with regional transit agencies to establish a transit unit of deputy sheriffs to patrol bus and rail transportation within the county. Sheriff Horsley was also a fierce advocate for the construction of a stateoftheart forensic crime lab that is used by local. regional. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3502}
{"speech_id":1090181693,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"State. and Federal agencies to solve crimes. Sheriff Horsley tirelessly worked with the Bay Area Congressional Delegation. including my office. to bbtain funding to ensure that the forensic crime lab had the latest in crime fighting technology. Among his many accomplishments. Sheriff Horsley currently serves as cochair of the Attorney General and State Superintendent of Public Instructions Safe Schools Task Force. vice chair of the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. chair of the San Mateo County Vehicle Theft Task Force and Vice Chair for the County Narcotics Task Force. Sheriff Horsley has also been a member of the executive board of the California State Sheriffs Association since 1996. served as the past chair of the San Mateo County Criminal Justice Council and as a past member of the board of directors of the California Peace Officers Association. Sheriff Horsley has not only improved public safety but has worked tirelessly with local elected officials. schools. and community organizations to foster a strong sense of community and improve the lives of children and families in San Mateo County. Sheriff Horsleys service to San Mateo County and dedication to public safety throughout California is inspiring. I have been honored to work with him. I am confident that. even in retirement. Sheriff Horsley. will -continue to touch lives with his good will and compassion.*","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3502}
{"speech_id":1090181698,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to Mr. Dennis Cochrane. a Wisconsin resident who last Thursday concluded his term on the board of directors of the NortheastMidwest Institute. The NortheastMidwest Institute is a Washingtonbased. private. nonprofit. and nonpartisan research organization dedicated to economic vitality. environmental quality. and regional equity for Northeast and Midwest States. During his tenure on the institutes board. Dennis has provided exceptional counsel and guidance. and in the process has helped to improve the economic development and environmental qualityof the NortheastMidwest region. Dennis is a partner in the law firm of Marcovich. Cochrane. Milliken and Swanson in Superior. WI. ","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090181698,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Prior to his law practice. he served as assistant district attorney for Douglas County. WI. and city Attorney for the city of Superior. He has served as a member of the city of Superior Harbor Coimission and was active in the founding of the Head of the Lakes Council .of Governments. which evolved into the Metropolitan Interstate Committee of the DuluthSuperior Region. I thank Dennis Cochrane for his leadership on the NortheastMidwest Institutes Board. His valued service and council will not easily be replaced..","speaker_name":"HERBERT KOHL","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1233}
{"speech_id":1090181825,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. according to the Dallas Morning News. \"Farmers Branch. Texas. on Monday adopted strict measures against illegals. requiring apartment renters to provide proof of citizenship or residency and making English the citys official language.\" \"The city also unanimously agreed to let police apply to participate in a Federal program that would enable them to check the residency status of suspects that they arrest and initiate deportation proceedings in certain cases. These measures. believed to be the first of their kind in the State of Texas. brought cheers from some supporters. but sparked anger among some Hispanics.\" Madam Speaker. cities across the Nation are taking positive action in dealing with illegals. These are commonsense steps the Federal Government has refused to take for political reasons. Of course. the proillegal immigrant crowd has threatened lawsuits. It seems odd that illegals can use American courts to prevent cities from enforcing laws against illegal entry. The example of Farmers Branch. Texas. is a statement that cities cannot and will not continue to bear the costs in education. health care and social services of illegals. This Nation. must be firm that it is illegal to be in America without permission. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1282}
{"speech_id":1090181826,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. since the beginning of the war in Iraq. congressional Republicans have refused to provide any oversight of the Bush administration in its handling of the war. When no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. House Republicans refused to investigate how the intelligence could have been so bad. When the administration sent our troops into combat without the proper body armor. House Republicans refused to hold anyone in the administration accountable. When milestone after milestone passed without things getting better in Iraq. congressional Republicans refused to hold oversight hearings and allowed the Bush administration to continue with the status quo when a change was clearly needed. Today. our Nation desperately needs for Congress to do its job and provide real oversight *of the administration. When Democrats take control of Congress in January. we vow to provide proper oversight of the actions of this administration. It is something that is required of us all by the U.S. Constitution.","speaker_name":"DIANE WATSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":33.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1023}
{"speech_id":1090181833,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield ed to recover. rehabilitate. and obtain myself such time as I may consume. the skills necessary to reintegrate I am also pleased to rise in support of back into society. This legislation H.R. 6314. Which would. as we have means that the VA can continue to heard. extend expired and expiring au- supportthese hundreds of community thorization for the Department of Vet- shelters. But let me remind us all. as I eran Affairs and expand eligibility for will continue to do next year. that this survivor and dependent educational as- covers barely 5 percent of the homeless sistance. veterans. We owe as a Nation help and I want to thank the gentleman from care to the almost 200.000 others that Indiana . the chairman of remain on the streets tonight. our committee. and my other col- This bill extends the authority to leagues for working together on this treat seriously mentally ill and homevery important legislation. I also less veterans. More than one out of would like to remind us all of the work three veterans returning from Iraq and of Ranking Member LANE EVANS. His Afghanistan who have turned to the integrity. leadership. and advocacy for VA for health care has received an iniveterans will be missed as we move tial diagnosis for a mental health disinto the next session of Congress. order. Many more have such a disorder This bill extends important authori- but did not come to the VA. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090181833,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many did ties for the Department of Veterans Af- not check the boxes that would indifairs to take care of our veterans. cate this because they just want to get From 1962 through 1973. the Depart- home to their families. We have a lot ment of Defense conducted biological of work to do in this country to help and chemical warfare tests on active those with mental health disorders. duty servicemembers. These tests were This bill. though. will ensure that known as Project 112 and Project the VA has the authority it needs to SHAD. The Department of Defense has provide our recent veterans. as well as acknowledged that it did not keep pa- veterans from previous conflicts. with tient care records to archive health ef- this mental health care that they need. fects of the tests nor did they get. I am As the chairman said. this legislation sure. informed consent on these tests. also extends certain work study opporJust recently. in 2003. in response to tunities for veterans who are students concerns from veterans that their ill- through June of 2007. Helping veterans nesses may be a result of these expo- who are attending college or vocational sures. Congress did act. We authorized training to earn while they learn the VA to provide priority care to vet- makes good sense. This bill will allow erans who participated in these tests veterans who are students to receive anddid not require them to provide work study allowances for working at medical. evidence that any of the ill- VA hospitals and domiciliaries. at nesses are attributable to the testing. State veterans homes. and at national This legislation before us today does and State veterans cemeteries. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090181833,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"While I the right thing for these veterans. It am disappointed that we could not exwould extend the VAs authority to tend authority for this program beyond provide priority care for them through next June. I am glad that this legislathe end of next yeai. tion will allow veterans who are parI am disappointed that we have not ticipating in this program to continue extended VAs authority to give pri- through the end of their academic ority care to veterans who were ex- year. posed to Agent Orange. Just like those A small number of permanently and veterans who were subject to Project totally disabled servicemembers are 112 and Project SHAD tests. veterans kept on active duty status to help who were exposed to Agent Orange and them recover and rehabilitate from probably got cancers and othermala- their injuries. When these servicememdies as a result deserve priority care. bers are discharged. their spouses and which may be a result of this exposure. dependent children are then eligible for They have provided service to the Na- VAs educational assistance program. tion. They were not given full informa- This bill. though. accelerates eligition. They deserve our help and care bility in cases where a disability rating today. of permanent and total disability is deThe administration has requested layed because the servicemember has that we extend VAs authority with re- not officially yet been discharged from military service. I am proud and I am grateful that this legislation will help families of these very severely wounded veterans by providing early education benefits. I appreciate the chairmans enumerating other bills that need to pass through the Senate. As he said. a lot of good things are waiting. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090181833,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And this is one of them. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6314. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4933}
{"speech_id":1090181834,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank my good friend Mr. FILNER for his comments. You are absolutely right. We have a lot of good work product that hopefully we can get done. At this point I would like to yield 2 minutes to a friend of Americas veterans. the Honorable MICHAEL BILIRAKIS. MICHAEL will be retiring and leaving us here at the end of this Congress. and his work and leadership will be missed.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":390}
{"speech_id":1090181896,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of Johannas law and I thank Representatives LEVIN. ISSA. DELAURO and BURTON and their strong bipartisan coalition for all of their hard work in bringing this bill to. the floor today. This bill honors the memory of Johanna Silver Gordon and the thousands of women who have lost their lives to gynecologic cancer because they were not diagnosed until the late stages of the disease. This year. more than 80.000 women will be diagnosed with gynecologic cancer. and more than 28.000 women will die from these diseases. However. there is very little awareness about these deadly diseases. According the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. NOCC. only 15 percent of women are familiar with the symptoms of ovarian cancer. and 82 percent have never talked to their doctors about the symptoms and risk factors. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1984}
{"speech_id":1090181896,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If caught in the early stages of the disease. the fiveyear survival rate for ovarian cancer is 90 percent. However 75 percent of women are diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease. when the prognosis is very poor. It is clear that we must do something to increase awareness about this disease and promote early diagnosis. Johannas law will authorize a national campaign directed at women and their providers to promote early detection of gynecologic cancer and raise awareness about these devastating diseases. I would like to thank one of my constituents. Barbara OBrien. a 9 year survivor herself. for her passionate advocacy and her dedication to raising awareness about this incredibly irnportant issue. Education is a c ritical first step and this bill will significantly increase awareness. However. we must also continue to pursue the research necessary to find a diagnostic test. better treatments and ultimately a cure for this horrible disease so that succeeding generations will have to turn to the history books to learn that there was ever a disease called ovarian cancer. I urge support of this important legislation.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1984}
{"speech_id":1090181898,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1245. a bill to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of women with respect to gynecologic cancers. Two mdnths ago marked the seventh .rnual Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. I expressed my strong belief that raising public awareness. detecting gynecological cancer. early. and educating women to the risk of reproductive tract cancers are powerful methods with which to combat this disease in my Sep-. tember 29. 2006. statement in honor of Gyne.cological Cancer Awareness Month.. Today. we continue the important work to raise public: awareness of gynecologic cancers throug\" passage of this bill. We also reaffirm that de-. tecting gynecological cancer early and educating women to the risk of reproductive tract cancers are key methods with which to combat this disease by passing this legislation. It is important to recognize that H.R. 1245 enjoys the support of 257 members of this body. The bill has been named in honor of Johanna Silver Gordon. who lost her life to a battle with ovarian cancer which was not diagnosed until it had reached an advanced stage. Today we honor her life and her fight against cancer. ","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090181898,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We also renew our commitment to legislation to be known as Johannas Law once enacted that will help save the lives of others who are at risk of gynecologic cancers. A poll recently released by the Gynecological Cancer Foundation revealed that 45 percent of American women could not name a single symptom common to gynecological cancers. This fact alone suggests more must be done in terms increasing awareness. Education and outreach on gynecological cancers deserves to be a national priority and an ongoing effort of the Department of Health and Human Services. I urge that this House adopt H.R. 1245. and I urge my colleagues support for additional and continued action towards increasing research funds and treatment options for those individuals who have been diagnosed with forms of gynecologic cancer.","speaker_name":"MADELEINE BORDALLO","chamber":"H","state":"GU","gender":"F","party":"D","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"nonvoting","speech_char_length":2073}
{"speech_id":1090181920,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the greatest natural resource in this country is not the Spotted Owl. it is not the Grand Canyon. it is not the environment. it is our children. and this bill is a preventive bill. I spent all my life in the criminal justice system before I came to Congress. 22 years on the criminal court in Houston. Texas. I saw about 25.000 people work their way to the courthouse. Many of those people were young people who made bad decisions. first to drink and then to commit a crime like driving. I will relate one of those to you. A young lady by the name of Lisa. graduating from one of our local high schools. was. as was said earlier. just a regular person. not a troubled child. In fact. she was an honor student. a National Merit Scholar going to one of the Ivy League colleges upon graduation. She and her best friend drove to a nearby town. had something to eat to celebrate. and then they decided they needed something to drink. because that was the thing to do. even though both of them were 18yearolds. under the age to drink. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2285}
{"speech_id":1090181920,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They did have something to drink. The waiter knew they were underage. but he figured he would get a big tip if he served them. and he did. They were driving home in Lisas mothers car. Having too much to drink. she started weaving on one of our farmtomarket roads. crashed in a ditch and killed her best friend in the car. her very best friend. her nextdoor neighbor. Because of that crime. involuntary manslaughter. drinking and driving and killing somebody under Texas law. it was mandatory that she go to the penitentiary for a period of time. . But in court. when that 5foot2 little girl came to court. she said to me. \"Judge Poe. this cant happen to me. This cant happen to me.\" But. you see. that is lifes biggest lie. especially among young people. It can happen. It does happen. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2285}
{"speech_id":1090181920,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It destroys lives. And rather than wait to be reactionary. to socalled punish somebody for committing that crime. we need to educate. We need to make sure that young people understand it is not socially acceptable or legal to drink under the age of 21. I *appreciate this bill. This is a good bill to be sponsored to show that we have a concern about our children. I too want to thank Coach Osborne for dedicating his life to the betterment of young people.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2285}
{"speech_id":1090181932,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 96) recognizing the contributions of the Christmas tree industry to the United States economy and urging the Secretary of Agriculture to establish programs to raise awareness of the importance of the Christmas tree industry. as amended.","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":318}
{"speech_id":1090181935,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for his kind words. and I look forward to working with him in a new capacity in the new Congress. He certainly has my commitment that we will continue to work together for the interests of Americas farmers and ranchers and agribusinesses in the bipartisan fashion that has been the history of the Agriculture Committee. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as she may consume to the author of the legislation. the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).","speaker_name":"BOB GOODLATTE","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":501}
{"speech_id":1090182000,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have listened to my colleague with great interest. He is the chairman of the Budget Committee. someone with whom I work closely and have respect for and affection for. But he has talked about this violating the budget. There is no budget. No budget has been passed. My colleagues have been in control. and we have not passed a budget. Lets be square about this. There is no budget. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090182000,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"No. 2. this is not the new Congress. this is a continuation of the old Congress. The old Congress didnt get the job done. Lets be straight about that. No. 3. the Senator said this has been defeated in the past in the Senate. Wrong. This has passed the Senate. This passed the Senate with 77 votes. It wasnt defeated. it was passed with 77 votes on a bipartisan basis. The package that passed was more generous than this package because the White House raised objection to that package. The White House said it was too much money. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090182000,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The White House said they did not want the direct payments as an offset to the skyrocketing energy prices. so we took those provisions out and saved $1.8 billion. That is the package that is before this body. It is the package that has passed. In fact. in the appropriations process. it passed several times. In fact. it is waiting in the Agriculture appropriations bill right now. Unfortunately. that bill. we are told. is not going to be considered. So the only opportunity we have to address the emergency disaster concerns of people all across this country is with this amendment. make no mistake. This amendment is fully bipartisan. We now have 20 cosponsors. This is an emergency. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090182000,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95. the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006. I move to waive section 402 of that concurrent resolution for purposes of the pending amendment. and I ask for the yeas and nays.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1854}
{"speech_id":1090182030,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I again want to commend the Senator from Wisconsin for his leadership on this issue. It has been a great pleasure to work with him. I mentioned we have 24 cosponsors of the amendment. I did want to acknowledge that Senator LIEBERMAN and Senator COLEMAN have played important roles in drafting -this bill. and boththe chairman and the ranking minority member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.. Senator WARNER and Senator LEvIN. are cosponsors as well. Finally. I want to thank the two floor managers. Senator HUTCHISON and Senator FEINSTEiN. for working with us on this bill. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":880}
{"speech_id":1090182030,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator FEINSTEIN is also a cosponsor of it. and I very much appreciate Senator HUTCHISON assisting us to bring this .to the floor. So I say thank you to my colleagues. Mr. President. if there is no further debate on the amendment. I ask that the amendment be brought to a voice vote.","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":880}
{"speech_id":1090182091,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I notice the majority leader has returned to the floor. I tried to recount for our colleagues the status of our discussion. and the understanding that we had reached. that I would withdraw my amendment from this bill with the understanding that we would go to the Agriculture Appropriations bill tomorrow and have a chance to offer it there. All Senators rights would be reserved. That is the status of it. I just ask if that is the majority leaders understanding. If it is. I will then be willing to withdraw my amendment from the Military Construction bill and we can conclude that.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":599}
{"speech_id":1090182224,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support the Smith and Burns amendments and take just a few minutes to address both issues which are truly an emergency. First. Mr. Smith has filed an amendment to extend the. Secure Rural Schools and Community SelfDetermifiation Act for 1 year. Without a one year extension. the 780 counties that benefit from the Act will face difficult funding decisions regarding the next school year.- This act expired September 30th of this year and the last payment is in the process of being made. Without this funding. school districts will have to decide what programs should be cut in order to make ends meet. For many districts this will include the decision of which schools to keep open and which schools to close. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8992}
{"speech_id":1090182224,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are about to experience an emergency in our schools if funding is not addressed. The act has been an enormous success in achieving and even surpassing the goals of Congress. This act has restored programs for students in rural schools and prevented the closure of numerous isolated rural schools. It has been a primary funding mechanism to provide rural school students with educational opportunities comparable to suburban and urban students. Over and it is now being considered by the priations bill because of its commit4.400 rural schools receive funds be- full Senate. ment to VA health care as well as its cause of this act. The bill provides a total of $94.3 bil- support of vital and necessary military Next. the act has allowed rural coun- lion in spending. including funding to facilities in the State of Colorado. ty road districts and county road de- make a number of critical upgrades to I am pleased that this bill increases partments to address the.severe main- our military infrastructure. As a mem- funding to essential programs that tenance backlog. Snow removal has ber of the appropriations subcommittee maintain and improve the quality of been restored for citizens. tourists. and that has oversight on military con- life for our veterans. It important to school buses. Bridges have been up- struction. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8992}
{"speech_id":1090182224,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was able to use my position note that this is the sixth consecutive graded and replaced and culverts that to ensure that $23.4 million was in- year that Congress has increased fundare hazardous to fish passage have been cluded for three military constructioji ing for veterans health care programs. upgraded and replaced. projects in South Dakota. This year the committee recommends The legacy of this act over the last Investing in our military infrastruc- that Veterans Health Administration few years is positive and substantial. ture ensures that our military per- be appropriated at $32.67 billon. which This law should be extended so it can sonnel have the tools they need to per- is a $3.32 billion increase over last continue to benefit the forest counties. form their mission. This bill provides years level. their schools. and continue to con- $7.5 million to Construct a new base Furthermore. I would like to corntribute to improving the health of our civil engineer maintenance complex for mend the committee for maintaining national forests. the South Dakota Air National Guard their commitment to Capital Asset ReIf we do not work to reauthorize this at Joe Foss Field. This funding is nec- alignment Enhanced Services. CARES. act. all of the progress of the last years essary because the current complex is process. CARES is the most cornwill be lost. Schools in timber depend- undersized and inadequate. The new fa-. prehensive analysis of the VAs health ant communities will lose a substantial cility will help the 114th Fighter Wing care infrastructure that has ever been part of their funding. These school dis- maintain a combatready force of civil conducted and is important in tricts will have to start making tough engineers. prioritizing the VAs budget. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8992}
{"speech_id":1090182224,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Specifibudget decisions such as keeping or In addition to this infrastructure up- cally. I am especially pleased with the canceling after school programs. sports grade. Ellsworth Air Force Base will committees recommendation of $52 programs. music programs. and trying receive $3 million to install an ur- million for a replacement hospital in to determine what is the basic edu- gently needed base water well. Like- Denver. CO. cational needs of our children. Next. wise. a new Armed Forces Reserve Cen- The current Denver VA hospital was counties will have to reprioritize road ter will be constructed in Sioux Falls. built more than 50 years ago and medmaintenance so that only the essential Currently Army Reserve and Navy Re- ical technology has far surpassed what services of the county are met because serve operations are housed in leased the builders of the Denver VA origithat is all they will be able to afford. facilities that are over 40 years old. nally envisioned. While I cannot say Thirty of our colleagues. have joined The new center will consolidate all op- enough about the care and service our Senator Wyden and me in recognizing erations into a new complex. veterans receive at the current facility. the importance of the reauthorization The bill also includes nearly $78 bil- many changes and improvements can of this Act by cosponsoring S. 267. lion for the Department of Veterans and should be made. and a new facility Next. Mr. Burns has filed an amend- Affairs. which is $6.45 billion above last is the only way to accomplish these ment addressing wildfire suppression years funding -level. This amount in- goals. funding. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8992}
{"speech_id":1090182224,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"As we all know. this has been cludes $28.7 billion for medical serv- The construction plans present credan extraordinary year with 89.524 fires icesan increase of $3 billion from last ible proof that a new Fitzsimons facilon 9.5 million acres of land across the year. ity will increase healthcare quality and country to date. Indeed. this has been Most importantly. the Senate Appro- quantity for our veterans. -It is my the worst fire season on record in priations Committee rejected Presi- hope. and it is a likely one. that a new term.s of acres burned. By way of corn- dent Bushs budget proposal to imple- hospital will also serve as a regional parison. the 10year average projection ment a $250 annual enrollment fee and beacon for modern veteran medical for fiscal year 2006 was 60.726 fires on increased pharmacy copayments for care science and will fill an important 4.9 million acres. or about half of what category 7 and 8 veterans. These fees void for the large number of veterans is likely to burn for this year. are designed to generate revenue in in Colorado. Due to the severity of this years fire order to help offset VA expenditures. In I would like to acknowledge the recseason. the Forest Service and Depart- reality. they may force veterans to ommendation of $161 million for the ment of the Interior. DOI. will exhaust seek health care elsewhere because National Cemetery Administration. their appropriated funds for wildfire they cannot afford either the annual which saw an increase of $4.1 million suppression before the end of this fiscal enrollment fees or the increased copay- over the fiscal year 2006 level. Specifiyear which will force them to borrow ment costs. cally. I am pleased the committee recfrom nonfire program accounts. Addi- Rather than relying on budget pro- ognizes the need for a VA cemetery in tional funds are needed to repay these posals aimed at driving veterans out of the Pikes Peak region of eouthern Colborrowed funds or these agencies will the VA in order to save money. ","speaker_name":"LARRY CRAIG","chamber":"S","state":"ID","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8992}
{"speech_id":1090182245,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor and recognize with the highest esteem Mr. Alan Johnston of Windsor. ME. for the tremendous courage and enormous valor he demonstrated in Iraq in 2004 that helped save many lives. CPT Aaron P. Hill of the U.S. Marine Corps recounted in a witness statement that Alan Johnstons heroic actions on August 7. 2004. had he been in military uniform. would have earned him a medal. Mr. Johnston. a civilian contractor who was overseeing construction of two medical clinics in Iraq. acted swiftly and selflessly to rescue others during a suicide attack on the headquarters facility at the Al Kasik Military Base located approximately 35 miles northwest of Mosul. .Iraq. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3598}
{"speech_id":1090182245,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Captain Hill was part of a unit advising Iraqi soldiers in Northern Iraq. He credits Mr. Johnston with saving a number of lives after insurgents drove two water trucks packed with as many as 8.000 pounds of explosives to the headquarters building. The blasts from this insurgent attack lasted over 90 minutes and destroyed the 2level headquarters building. resulting in 14 deaths and an estimated 40 severely to critically injured people. Acting without hesitation. Mr. Johnston sounded the alarm. throwing those around him to the floor. saving many lives. In the devastation that followed. acting with total disregard to his own safety. Mr. Johnston emerged from the wreckage and began to assist in evacuating and treating the survivors. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3598}
{"speech_id":1090182245,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Despite the continuing barrage of mortars and rockets. Mr. Johnston continued to offer help with his medical expertise. calm demeanor. and steadfast devotion to helping his fellow man. Mr. Johnston not only reduced casualties and treated the wounded but restored critical support systems. including power and water. He also helped to find ways to feed the thousands of Iraqi soldiers dependent on the American military for support. Alan Johnston. a 6year veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and an emergency medical technician for nearly 18 years. suffered injuries to his head and leg but treated himself and remained at the base in Iraq for 3 months after the attack. He left Iraq in December of 2004 and underwent another series of leg surgeries once he returned to the United States. As a result of Captain Hills eyewitness account of Alan Johnstons actions. last month I had the solemn privilege of pinning the Defense of Freedom Medal on Mr. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3598}
{"speech_id":1090182245,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Johnstons lapel at a medal ceremony held at my Augu~ta. ME. office with Mr. Johnstons family present. officially acknowledging these courageous actions. This award is a rare and uniqtie commendation issued only to civilians and is equivalent to the Purple Heart awarded to military service men and women. But what is most remarkable is that this occasion marked the first time a civilian. private contractor was awarded this particular medal. Mr. Johnstons lifesaving response to serve and sacrifice on behalf of others was something he chose to do. It was not his duty. It was not his responsibility it was his goodwill and American patriotism that drove him to put his life at risk in order to assist and save others. There is only one word that sufficiently describes this exemplary Mainer. and that word is hero. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3598}
{"speech_id":1090182245,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I was extremely proud to present him with the Defense of Freedom Medal. Mr. Johnstons aweinspiring willingness to think of others ahead of himself will forever be remembered by those whose lives he touched and saved that day. The courageous commitment and valiant care demonstrated by Alan Johnston of Windsor. ME. exemplifies the very best of what it means to be a Mainer and an American.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3598}
{"speech_id":1090182379,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. last Friday in Saluda. South Carolina. 400 elementary school students gathered at a football field while a military helicopter landed in the middle. Why such a big treat for such a small school. you may wonder? HollywoodElementary teacher Anna Frye learned of the Flags For Soldiers Project. headed by Alpha Troop Commander Captain Jason D. Hennigan. and wanted to involve her students. The project is to raise money to purchase 500 American flags. one for each soldier serving in a Cavalry Squadron of the 82nd Airborne Division. During the past several weeks. these students donated their snack money and paid a fee to participate in dressup days so they could contribute to this cause. Captain Hennigans father. Daniel Hennigan. a retired Army officer. was so touched by the schools gesture that he arranged a special celebration on Veterans Day. As American solders continue to fight for our freedoms around the world. we can all learn a lesson from the students at Hollywood Elementary. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1080}
{"speech_id":1090182400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the leadership of the Resources Committee on both sides of the aisle. as well as the leadership on both sides of the aisle in the House. for allowing myself. Congressman BASS and Congressman SANDERS to have another opportunity to debate this bill today. What we have before us is a compromise in true New England fashion. with both States delegations and Governors of both States having worked together to bring before the House a consensus package that represents the best interests of my colleagues State of Vermont and the best interests of my State of New Hampshire. As someone who is an avid hiker and someone who will have a little bit more time now to hike. I can attest to all Members of the House. this wilderness designation makes sense for New Hampshire. I have hiked in both regions of the proposed wilderness designation. They are worthy of this additional protection of wilderness designation. In the case of New Hampshire. myself and Congressman BASS. ","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090182400,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator GREGG and Senator SUNUNU. the sponsors of this measure. have worked extensively with all sides that were interested in this legislation. both environmental groups. logging interests. snowmobiling groups to make sure that we had a plan that mirrored the interests of Tom Wagner. who is the administrator of the White Mountain National Forest. and his very capable group of people that proposed the White Mountain National Forest plan and the wilderness designation. As a side note. the White Mountain National Forest plan. despite all the comments that came in after the plan. was published. in particular comments about wilderness designation. was not challenged in court by any. of the various interests. which is a tribute to how hard New Hampshire interests worked on the compromise that you see before you today. So. as somebody who has spent extensive time hiking in the White Mountain National Forest. including in these two proposed wilderness designations. the Sandwich designation. as well as the Wild River designation. I thank again my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for allowing this bill to come forward. I thank the leadership on both sides for allowing this bill to come forward. It is truly going to protect both the Green Mountain National Forest and the White Mountain - National Forest. and I would welcome all of you to come join me in hiking in these two wilderness designations once they have been signed into law.","speaker_name":"JEB BRADLEY","chamber":"H","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090182436,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. I certainly appreciate the gentlemans guidance on signals. I will make sure. going forward. I smile or wave when I am being sarcastic. Or the gentleman. who will be the chairman of my committee in the next Congress. I will simply just speak when I am being sarcastic on your committee in the next Congress. if that would be all right. Actually. before I close. I want to give one final story. Before I got on the Financial Services Committee. a senior Member told me that with the ranking Democrat from Massachusetts that if he ever asks you to yieldin a committee debate. say \"no.\" And. I said. why. isnt that rude? He says. well. you have never been in a debate with BARNEY FRANK. have you? Well. sure enough. 6 months in. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1201}
{"speech_id":1090182436,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I say something and the ranking member asks me to yield. And as a new Member. I mistakenly said \"yes.\" I will not make that mistake going forward. The gentleman is quite able with his arguments. a Harvard educated attorney. I respect his ability to make an argument and to make the opposition look silly. And with that. as the opposition. I would sit down and say. Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time.. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1201}
{"speech_id":1090182446,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate my hometown St. Louis Cardinals on winning the 2006 World Series. Rather than chase individual glory. the sole goal of all 25 players on the playoff squad was winning the World Series. While many of these players have been awarded a variety of honors. including the Most Valuable Player Award. the Cy Young Award. the Gold Glove Award. the Silver Slugger Award and the Rookie of the Year Award. and the opportunity to appear in AllStar games. I congratulate this years World Series MVP. ","speaker_name":"WM. CLAY","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090182446,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"David Eckstein. along with two Gold Glove winners. Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen. St. Louis has a wonderful baseball tradition. because Cardinal fans have always faithfully supported their team. The St. Louis Cardinals have a history of great players. including Bob Gibson. Lou Brock. Ozzie Smith. Curt Flood. Willie McGee and Stan Musial. ","speaker_name":"WM. CLAY","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090182446,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Against all odds. the extraordinary win marks the 10th World Series title for the Cardinals. I commend General Manager Walt Jocketty and owner Fred Hanser for assembling and leading a great organization. In addition. Manager Tony LaRussa and the coaching staff have done a remarkable job of guiding this team to victory. I would also like to commend the San Diego Padres. the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers for proving worthy and honorable opponents during the postseason. Mr. Speaker. it is with great privilege that I pay tribute to the players. coaches. management and all other personnel of the St. Louis Cardinals. as well as the fans. who. I may note. have never had a riot after the celebration starts for a World Series title. On this great victory today. before Congress. ","speaker_name":"WM. CLAY","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090182446,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I ask for approval of this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"WM. CLAY","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1800}
{"speech_id":1090182459,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate the recognition. Mr. Speaker. I dont anticipate I will use the entire 20 minutes. but we will see how we proceed here. Mr. Speaker. I bring before the House a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2007. This CR runs through December 8. It is clean without exception. This CR will fund the agenciesand the nine remaining bills awaiting conference at the lower rate of the Housepassed. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1974}
{"speech_id":1090182459,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senatepassed or current fiscal year 2006 level. When we passed the last CR. my hope was that it would provide a strong motivation for Congress to complete its work in regular order. I remain hopeful that our colleagues in the Senate will complete their work on the floor so that we can move the remaining individual conference reports before the end of our legislative session. I want the body to know that the Committee on Appropriations has been strongly committed to bringing to this floor individual conference reports for each and every bill. This committee does not support an omnibus in any form and has done everything in its power to ensure that that does not happen. The Appropriations Committee passed each bill of the 11 subcommittee bills out of the full committee by June 30. and with the exception of the LaborIHS bill. all of those bills were off the floor by the Fourth of July break. The Appropriations Committee has remained committed to moving these bills individually and within the framework of the budget resolution. My colleagues. the Appropriations Committee has kept its word. I am convinced that moving bills individually is the - only way for us to get back to regular order. Lacking regular order. there is a tendency for the remaining bills to become Christmas trees and for spending to grow out of control. ","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1974}
{"speech_id":1090182459,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In my view. that is simply not acceptable. I urge my colleagues to support this CR. and would like to close my remarks by wishing all of my friends. as we go out of town. a happy Thanksgiving. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JERRY LEWIS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":41.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1974}
{"speech_id":1090182493,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. Saturday we celebrated Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a holiday. but it is more of a memorial. It is a day we honor those who served. It started because of the end of the war to end all wars. World War I. and on the llth hour of the l1th day of the llth month of 1918. the First World War stopped. and because of that. since then we honor all veterans who have served. Memorial Day is the day we honor those who served and died. Veterans Day is the day we honor those who served and lived. In this House of Representatives today. in the 109th Congress. about 25 percent of Congress has served in the military. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090182493,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1950. in the fifties. about 65 percent were veterans. 111 Members of Congress served during the Vietnam era. 78 of whom served in the Vietnam era. and 20 of those saw combat. We have our own SAM JOHNSON. who was a Navy pilot during Vietnam. was shot down and spent 7 years in the Hanoi Hilton prisonerofwar camp. We have in this House of Representatives at least eight Members who have sons or daughters serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. We have Senator INOUYE of Hawaii who was a Medal of Honor winner. All of these people served and served with honor. War for independence costs the lives of Americans. Freedom has always cost. and it always will. and I think it is worth noting the time frame of the wars that this country has fought in and those who died. In the War of Independence. 5.000 Americans died. In the MexicanAmerican War. there were 13.000 Americans. In the War Between the States. there were 250.000 Confederates and 350.000 troops of the Union army. but they were all Americans. 600.000 died for this country. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090182493,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In World War I. there was 116.000. In the great World War II. 408.000 died for this country. My dad was one of those who served in the great World War II. and he. like many veterans of that war. never talked of that engagement until many. many years after that war was over with. In Korea. it is sometimes said of the Korea war it is the forgotten war. 55.000 Americans died. In Vietnam. 58.000 died. In the first gulf war. 300 troopers died. and in our latest fight in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. 3.000 have died. The point being. in these few wars that I have mentioned. not all of the wars. this country has always called upon the American warrior to be the one to protect us from the forces of all evil. I have had the honor to be in Iraq with many of our troops. as many of our House Members have been. and I find them to be. in my opinion. the greatest military ever assembled. with their morale extremely high. Over Labor Day weekend. I had the honor to go and see some of our troops in military hospitals overseas and to see.and visit with them. and before I went. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090182493,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I asked my staff in Texas to see if we could arrange to have some of the local school kids write and make some homemade cards. In 2 days notice. they were able to produce about 5.000 handmade cards that I took to our troops overseas. who were very grateful. The point being. I think now in this time in our history our country is grateful to the American warrior for putting their life on the line for the rest of us. So we can do no better than to honor those who have served. the American warrior. And though it was said in the Vietnam era that some gave all and all gave some. that is true of the American veteran. So we thank them on this day and every day. those that served and lived and those that served and did die for this country. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090182501,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today I rise to honor a great man who led a purposedriven life that touched many in my State of Georgia and around the country. Unfortunately. he lost his life Friday afternoon in Marietta. Georgia. riding home from work at Kennestone Hospital on his motorcycle. just a mile and a half from his home. Dr. Robert Lipson. the chief executive officer and president of Wellstar November 15. 200 CC Health System. -vas a man of honor and genuine character. For 5 years. he has boldly led *Wellstar. a refiowned health system of five hospitals in northwest Georgia. Under his leadership. the wellstar Kennestone Hospital recently tained an open heart surgery program and an expanded 84bed patient care tower. Moreover. he has wor.ked to attract worldclass khysicttjns to the entire fivehospital syst.e.m. Before moving to Atlanta. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2629}
{"speech_id":1090182501,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. Lipson obtained his medical degree from Tulane University. and then he served his country for 2 years in the United States Army. When he moved to Cobb ?ounty. he began his 25 years of praclacing internal medicine at Kennestone Hospital. and it was my good fortune to meet him then. and we became close friends and colleagues. often caring for each others patients. When Dr. Lipson saw the great need for primary care physicians in his community. he decided to leave his lucrative practice and put together the Wellstar team. There. he helped build the Wellstar Physicians Group. which currently is comprised of 250 physicians who are responsible for nearly a million annual patient visits in Northwest Georgia. Mr. Speaker. Dr. Lipson Will also be remembered as a prolific philanthropist. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2629}
{"speech_id":1090182501,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was known for his generous spirit. always willing to support charities that needed his help. And due to the financial success of the system he led. he was able to give back compassionately to the community. Dr. Lipson was also an esteemed amateur photographer. with his art being most recently displayed at Kennesaw State University in Cobb Coun15y. And admirers of his work describe the photographs as. and I quote. \"awe inspiring.\" and him as a remarkable talent. Mr. Speaker. I cannot say enough about this fine man. a man who did more in his tooshort 60 years than many can aspire to in a much longer :ifetime. Dr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2629}
{"speech_id":1090182501,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Lipson is survived by his gracious wife. Livvy. his daughter. Dr. R achel Lipson. who is a practicing neonatologist in Boston. and his son. Aaron. who specializes in health care law. His family meant so much to him. and I want to offer my sincere condolences to them during this time of their profound loss of a loving husband. a devoted father and devoted grandfather. [ 1215","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2629}
{"speech_id":1090182515,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am transmitting a status report on the current levels of onbudget spending and revenues for fiscal year 2007 and for the fiveyear period of fiscal years 2007 through 2011. This report is necessary to facilitate the application of sections 302 and 311 of the Congressional Budget Act and sections 401 and 501 of H. Con. Res. 376. which is currently in effect as a concurrent resolution on the budget in the Hou..e under H. Res. 818. This status report is current through November 8. 2006. The term \"current level\" refers to the amounts of spending and revenues estimated for each fiscal year based on laws enacted or awaiting the Presidents signature. The first table in the report compares the current levels of total budget authority. outlays. and revenues with the aggregate levels set by H. ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090182515,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Con. Res. 376. This comparison is needed to enforce section 311(a) of the Budget Act. which creates a point of order against measures that would breach the budget resolutions aggregate levels. The table does not show budget authority and outlays for years after fiscal year 2007 because appropriations for those years have not yet been considered. The second table compares the current levels of budget authority and outlays for discretionary action by each authorizing committee with the \"section 302(a)\" allocations made under H. Con. Res. 376 for fiscal year 2007 and fiscal years 2007 through 2011. \"Discretionary action\" refers to legislation enacted after the adoption of the budget resolution. This comparison is needed to enforce section 302(f) of the Budget Act. which creates a point of order against measures that would breach the section 302(a) discretionary action allocation of new budget authority for the committee that reported the measure. It is also needed to implement section 311(b). which exempts committees that comply with their allocaticns from the point of order under section 311(a). ","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090182515,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The third table compares the current levels of discretionary appropriations for fiscal year 2007 with the \"section 302(b)\" suballocatcns of discretionary budget authority and outlays among Appropriations subcommittees. The comparison is also needed to enforce section 302(f) of the Budget Act because the point of order under that section equally applies to measures that would breach the applicaDle section 302(b) suballocation. The fourth table gives the current level for 2008 of accounts identified for advance appropriations under section 401 of H. Con. Res. 376. This list is needed to enforce section 401 of the budget resolution. which creates a point of order against appropriation bills that contain advance appropriations that are: (i) not identified in the statement of managers or (ii) would. cause the aggregate amount of such appropriations to exceed the level specified in the resolution. The fifth table provides the current level of the nondefense reserve fund for emergencies established by section 501 of H. Con. Res 376. The table is required by section 505 of the budget resolution. and is needed to de:ermine whether an increase in the reserve fund. allocations and aggregates will be necessary for any pending legislation that contains erergencydesignated discretionary budget authority.","speaker_name":"JAMES NUSSLE","chamber":"H","state":"IA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090182558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I notice the majority leader has returned to the floor. I tried to recount for our colleagues the status of our discussion. and the understanding that we had reached. that I would withdraw my amendment from this bill with the understanding that we would go to the Agriculture Appropriations bill tomorrow and have a chance to offer it there. All Senators rights would be reserved. That is the status of it. I just ask if that is the majority leaders understanding. If it is. I will then be willing to withdraw my amendment for the Military Construction bill and we can conclude that.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":598}
{"speech_id":1090182569,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Presideint. I want to say to my colleagues. I hope very much we are able to find some accommodation to work out the situation. I stand ready to try to resolve this matter. I did it yesterday. I withdrew -an amendment with the assurance that we would go to the Agriculture appropriations bill today. I really expected that commitment would be kept. I dont know how else this place can run but on the good faith of Members. I did my best to accommodate colleagues yesterday and did so on the assurance. both public and private. that we would go to the Agriculture appropriations bill so we could have a votewe could have a series of votes. if necessaryon the question of whether we are going to provide disaster assistance to farmers who have been hit by drought. flooding. and other natural disasters. something we have done routinely in the past. frankly. at far greater cost. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090182569,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of my colleagues asked me yesterday:: How does this compare to disaster bills of the past? We looked it up. One year we had a disaster bill of $16 billion. natural disaster. Another bill. another year it was $14 billion. This is $4 billion for 2 years. This is not some outsized disaster assistance legislation. it is barebones. We recall that the bill that passed earlier was in the $6 billion range. when I had earlier offered $6.7 billion. We are down to $4.5 billion. as we have taken out things the White House said they would object to. We took out the energy provisions. for a savings of $1.8 billion. We stripped out some of the support for small businesses. for a savings of $215 million. We did add steps to reduce the cost in response to complaints from the administration. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090182569,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We now have it stripped down. to the barebones. $4.5 billion for 2 years. Mr. President. I thank very much those who have tried to work things out. I look forward to further discussions. With that. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1902}
{"speech_id":1090182624,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I hereby submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report prepared by the Congressional Budget Office under Section 308(b) and in aid of Section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. as amended. This report meets the requirements for Senate scorekeeping of section 5 of S. Con. Res. 32. the first concurrent resolution on the budget for This report shows the effects of congressional action on the 2006 budget through September 30. 2006. The estimates of budget authority. outlays. and revenues are consistent with the technical and economic assumptions of the 2006 concurrent resolution on the budget. H. Con. Res. 95. ","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1552}
{"speech_id":1090182624,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Pursuant to section 402 of that resolution. provisions designated as emergency require-. ments are exempt from enforcement of the budget resolution. As a result. the attached report excludes these amounts. The estimates show that current level spending is under the budget resolution by $11.869 billion in budget authority and by $4.030 billion in outlays in 2006. Current level for revenues is $6.590 billion above the budget resolution in 2006. Since my last report dated September 5. 2006. Congress has cleared and the President has signed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. 2007. P.L. 109289. In addition to providing regular defense appropriations for 2007. this act appropriated $200 million for firefighting activities in fiscal year 2006. Those appropriations were designated as emergency requirements in 2006 and did not affect the current level totals. This is my final report for 2006.","speaker_name":"JUDD GREGG","chamber":"S","state":"NH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1552}
{"speech_id":1090182660,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today. it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m. on tomorrow. Thursday. November 16. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge. the morning hour be deemed expired. the Journal of proceedings be approved to date. the time for the two leaders be reserved. and there be a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":453}
{"speech_id":1090182662,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. tomorrow we will conduct a short period of morning business before turning to the United StatesIndia nuclear bill. We were able to reach an agreement to limit amendments to the bill earlier today. and it is my hope that we will be able to expedite consideration and vote final passage tomorrow. We are also attempting to begin work on the Agriculture appropriations bill. We were able to pass the shortterm continuing resolution today. I thank everyone for clearing that joint resolution for the Presidents desk.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":527}
{"speech_id":1090182784,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the elections are behind us now and we are looking forward to the next Congress which will be seated on January 4the 110th Congress. We have in town a number of newly elected Senators and their spouses. A number of usSenator ALEXANDER. Senator VOINOVICH. Senator PRYOR. and myselfhave been involved. along with the Secretary of the Senate. in holding orientation for new Senators and their spouses. On Tuesday night we were over at the National Archives and wehad the opportunity to have a reception there and a dinner. The reception turned out to be a tour of the National Archives and the opportunity to see firsthand original copies of the Constitution. the Bill of Rights. handwritten letters from George Washington to all kinds of people. and from Abraham Lincoln to all kinds of people. We actually looked at the original Bill of Rights where. we found that there were actually 12 amendments proposed to the Constitution. not 10. Two were not actually adopted. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4709}
{"speech_id":1090182784,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was interesting to see and to go back over 200 years to the history and formation of our country. to focus on it and to think about it and reflect on it. When the Constitutional Convention was held. just up the Delaware River from where I live in Wilmington. DE. and up in Philadelphia. whenever the Founding Fathers were getting into a tough time trying to come to consensus or agreement on one issue or the other that they were grappling with. a lot of times they would take a break and pray about it. When the inauguration of President Washington occurred in New York. City. when they finished the inauguration. they didnt go off and hold big parties and balls. but they actually went to a church and prayed together and had a worship service. In fact. I am told over in the. House of Representatives. when our country was young. President Jefferson was participating in worship services held there. Even now. 207 years later. we still begin each days session here in the Senate. as they do in the House. with a prayer. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4709}
{"speech_id":1090182784,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have Bible study groups that meet on Thursday with the Senate Chaplain. Barry Black. We have done that for a number of years. Senator COLEMAN. who has been one of our leaders in a Wednesday morning prayer breakfast. and MARK PRYOR from Arkansas have led that for a number of years. So faith. from the beginning of our foundation as a country. has been important to us. to guide us as a nation. and to guide us today in our own personal lives. When the Constitution was written and the Bill of Rights was written. the idea was not to establish an organized religion. the idea was to make sure people were free to practice whatever faith they wanted. and to be respectful of people of different faiths and the fact that people can worship as they see fit or choose not to worship at all. One of the strengths of our Nation is our faith. but another of the strengths of our Nation is the respect we have for people of different faiths. We have people in this body who are Protestant. Catholic. and Jewish. We worship the same God. just a bit differently. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4709}
{"speech_id":1090182784,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"One of the things we try to do during the course of the week is to use our faith. Whether we happen to be Presbyterian. Mormon. or Jewish. how do we use that faith to help guide us in the policies we adopt for our country and for tile people we represent? I feel fortunate to live in a country where we are free to worship God as we see fit. I think there is a real opportunity here for us in the Senate as we try to put our country back together and begin to work together after a roughandtumble election to find ways that we can use our faith to figure out our path. and to better ensure the people in this country have health care. that folks have decent jobs. that folks get a good education. and that we can bind the wounds we have opened over the last several months and to move forward as a nation. I say how pleased I am to have a chance to work with Senator COLEMAN from Minnesota and how much I appreciate the great leadership he has shown in bringing a bunch of us together on Wednesday mornings. I usually cant get here on Wednesday morning. I go back and forth on the train to Delaware almost every night. so I cant be there for many Wednesday mornings for that type of fellowship. But I oftentimes join my colleagues. including Senator LINCOLN of Arkansas and others. on Thursday right down the hall here for a Bible study group that is a little bit like an adult Sunday school class with the Senate Chaplain. affording us the opportunity to read scripture together. reflect together. to pray for one another. and to be nourished spiritually. I am delighted to be here with Senator (OLEMAN today. and I thank him for his leadership.","speaker_name":"THOMAS CARPER","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4709}
{"speech_id":1090182851,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the end of this process. they finally determined after about a month that this was not a credible threat. Dragonfires report turned out not to be credible. . But at the time they took the report very seriously. They analyzed it this way: Was it possible that a Russian 10kiloton nuclear weapon could have been stolen? Yes. it was possible. Is it possible a terrorist group could have acquired it? Yes. Is it possible it could have been smuggled into New York City? The answer was yes. And. if so. was it possible a terrorist group could detonate a nuclear weapon in a major American city? The answer was yes. This is not fiction. I am reading an excerpt of a book of something that happened in October of 2001. My greatest fear is that we do not yet understand the difference between what was and what is. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11747}
{"speech_id":1090182851,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What was. was a standoff called the cold war in which two major nuclear superpowers aimed massive numbers of nuclear warheads at each other. but understanding. under the concept of mutually assured destruction. called MAD. that if either attacked the other. the other would be literally vaporized by an avalanche of nuclear weapons. The result was that there was a standoff. a mutually assured destruction standoff. and although both sides in that Cold Warthe United States and the Soviet Unionpossessed the most unbelievably powerful killing machines known to humankind. they were not used. Neither side ever used them. Fastforward to today. The Cold War is over. President Bush. in fact. visited with the President Putin yesterday. in Russia. Times have changed. but this world still has somewhere between 25.000 and 30.000 nuclear weapons. the loss of one of which could be cataclysmic for this world. The detonation of one nuclear weapon in a major city will change everythingeverythingand be a catastrophe unlike any we have previously known. If we have 25.000 or 30.000 nuclear weapons on this Earth. what is the responsibility of this great -country? What is our responsibility? What burden falls on our shoulders? I submit it is the burden to provide world leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and to reduce the stockpile of nuclear weapons. That is our responsibility. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11747}
{"speech_id":1090182851,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That responsibility falls on us. How do we do that? Listen. our country has provided leadership in a nonproliferation treaty. the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty. the test ban treaty. Our country has been moving always. telling the rest of the world we aspire to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Now we live in this age of terrorism where we see people who are perfectly content to kill themselves. They dont care. As long as they can take a weapon with them and kill themselves and many others with them. it doesnt matter to them. They are reaching for some higher glory. apparently. In this age of terrorism. everything about nuclear weapons has changed. The loss of one nuclear weapon. the loss of one anywhere on this globe to a terrorist organization is going to be devastating. So if that is the case. what does it have. to do with what we are talking about today? We are now talking today about a country called India. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11747}
{"speech_id":1090182851,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"India is quite a remarkable placea wonderful country with wonderful people. It is a big country. It is trying to build an economy. You can read some books about what is going on in India and the discussions about progressit is quite a remarkable place. Our country aspires to have a better relationship with India. I support that. I believe we ought to reach out to India and improve our relationship. cement our relationship. I know there are some who see all of the geopolitical relationships on this Earth as aligning one way or the other. We align with this country to be a counterweight against this set of interests. and it is kind of akin to teams. So I confess to you. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11747}
{"speech_id":1090182851,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":12,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I come here today not perhaps understanding all of the sophisticated elements of counterweights and the nuances of why someone believes it is essential. at this point. to allow India to produce additional nuclear weapons in order to create some sort of counterweight to China. but I want to talk about this issue. I was unbelievably surprised to read in the newspaper of the travels of Ambassador Burns. someone for whom I have high regard. and of the interest of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in going to India and reaching a deal without consulting Congress that I think begins to unravel. and undermine several decades of efforts in our country to tell the world: It is our responsibility and our major goal to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and try to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and reduce the nuclear threat. We would not be in this position today with this bill with India if India had followed the example. for example. of South Africa. They secretly had nuclear weapons by the 1980s. But South Africa dismantled them prior to the transfer of power to the postapartheid government. Ukraine. Kazakhstan. and Belarus had more than 4.000 nuclear weapons in those three countries when the Soviet Union was dissolved which they gave up in the years following. And I must say that my colleague Senator LUGAR and others had significant successes in working with those three countries to accomplish that. So Ukraine. Kazakhstan. and Belarus are all now free of nuclear weapons. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11747}
{"speech_id":1090182853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I want to say just one additional- thing. I have two amendments that I intend to offer today. I do not intend to take a great amount of time with either of them. Both of them are very important. I wish to say to the chairman. I know he is working through this bill today. I want to be cooperative but not so cooperative that I do not have an opportunity to fully explain amendments that I think are very important relative to what I just described. The amendments I will offer. one has to do with requiring India to comply with what the U.S. is already required to comply with. the second relates to a United Nations resolution. that our country pushed. that represents American policy that appears to be completely contradictory to the underlying bill on the floor of the Senate. I say to the chairman. I will have two amendments. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090182853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am prepared in a reasonable period to offer the amendments. I do have. with Senator MCCAIN. an obligation at 12 oclock for a few minutes off the Senate floor. We are going to be speaking to a group. But following that. I would be happy to come over and offer my two amendments if the Senator is willing to have me do that.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090182861,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today in strong support of S. 3709. the United StatesIndia Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. This legislation has been thoughtfully crafted and will help cement an important partnership with a vitally important Nation in a part of the world that will become increasingly important for the future. I first want to thank the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator LUGAR. for his commitment to this agreement from the very beginning. Thoughtful. as he always is. I thank him for his knowledge. his expertise. his wisdom. trying to make sure this is apprbpriate for our country. as well as India. and making sure there are provisions in there that are beneficial to our country while also not harming the ability of our friends in India to pass it in their country as well. There is no person in the Senate more knowledgeable on antiproliferation issues than Senator LUGAR. His leadership was instrumental in developing a bill with protocols that met the commitments made by our President while also respecting the safeguard agreements that have protected this country for decades. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090182861,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank our chairman. The hearings by Chairman LUGAR back in the spring. along with informative testimony of Secretary Nicholas Burns. were a necessary lesson for our colleagues on the committee. and I think the entire United States. that explained the benefits and also helped remove outstanding concerns about this historic pact. Chairman LUGAR. earlier speaking on this measureF. along with the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator BIDEN. addressed the specific sections of the bill. so I will not recite all of those provisions again for my colleagues. I wish to provide the principles behind it. the strategic goals that are achieved in this United StatesIndia civil nuclear pact. I want to focus on the big picture and the longterm impact of this cooperation agreement. First and foremost. the United StatesIndia civil nuclear cooperation agreement is a significant foreign policy achievement for the advancement of our security. It is a significant achievement for the advancement of jobs. and also a significant achievement in improving the environmentthe air quality particularly. in India. This strategic partnership between the worlds oldest democracy. the United States. and the worlds largest democracy. India. is desirable. and it is possible because we share the same values. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090182861,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We both believe in representative democracy. We believe in and are girded by the rule oflaw. We respect human rights and religious tolerance. We share the same goals for Asia and for the world. which are freedom and peace. This pact. this partnership. this agreement. in my view. can be the beginning of a blossoming marriage between the people of the United States and the people of India. India is a vital ally and a key global partner in the war on terrorism. They understand it. They have been threatened in India. In fact. India has been hit by terrorism in the name of religious fanaticism and religious extremism. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090182861,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This agreement is a step forward also regarding concerns with nuclear proliferation. Some critics will. argue this agreement undermines the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty. but when you look at the facts. India has no record of proliferating nuclear material. nuclear equipment. or technology to any other countries. In addition. Indias nuclear weapons are there for selfdefense and India has been a consistent practitioner of the \"no first use\" doctrine when it comes to nuclear weapons. India has been an exception in this regard and. in my view. should be viewed differently than other countries that do not have such a record. The fact is as a result of this agreement India will place a majority of its thermal power reactors under the International Atomic Energy safeguards for the very first time. and there also will be permanent inspections.. By contrast. Iran doesnt have the same sort of policy as India. Iran has kicked out the IAEA inspectors. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090182861,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This agreement helps bring India into the global nuclear mainstream where it is not right now. It is very clear. whether it was Chairman LUGAR or Senator BIDEN and others. if you examine this agreement it is going to significantly increase transparency and oversight of its civilian nuclear program. We also ought to look at the economic and energy benefits of this cooperation. India has tremendous energy needs that will only increase as their economy and country grows and increasingly prospers. The United StatesIndia nuclear agreement strengthens energy security for the United States and India by promoting the development and stable use of clean nuclear power. rather than relying on the Middle East for oil and gas. particularly from Iran. Obviously. India benefits through a reliable. afi fordable energy supply. United States companies will benefit from increased jobs and economic opportunity in the India energy market. Cooperation from this will also ensue. I believe. in clean coal technology and also biofuels. ","speaker_name":"GEORGE ALLEN","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10785}
{"speech_id":1090182868,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in full support of the United StatesIndian nuclear agreement. I wish to share the two distinct reasons for my support. First and foremost is the distinguished chairman from Indiana. Senator LUGAR. There is not an individual in this Senate and I say probably not an individual in this country who has committed more of their life to preventing nuclear disaster and its proliferation. There is perhaps no one who has worked harder to see to it that the U.S. agreements. as they relate to the security of nuclear power and the interest of our country. have always been nothing but in the best interest of the United States of America. As a Senator from Georgia. I am well aware that Senator LUGAR partnered for many years and still partners today with our Senator. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3663}
{"speech_id":1090182868,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Sam Nunn. in seeking to ensure nuclear proliferation does not take place anywhere in the world and that nuclear materials from existing nuclear nations never fall in the hands of those who would use them in an act of terrorism. I place my con: fidence first and foremost in the distinguished chairman from Indiana. There is a second. equally compelling reason. that is. my visit to India in April of this year. just shortly after the President announced the civilian nuclear deal with India. Quite frankly. my initial reaction before I went to India was one of significant concern. I think any time any of us look into nuclear agreements and the sharing of nuclear technology. we should have significant concern. However. I went to India and learned a number of things firsthand that I did not know. I share them with this Senate today because I believe they are important in whether we grant this agreement. First. I learned quickly that in the 30year history of involvement in the development of nuclear energy. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3663}
{"speech_id":1090182868,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"India has never had a single deviation from its stated original purpose. which was civilian use. and in terms of military. only for minimal deterrence. They have clearly said from the beginning they would never be a firststrike nation. and they have always said that our motivation from a defensive mechanism is minimal deterrence. A 30year consistent policy like that in any nation is good enough evidence for me in terms of the heart and the intent of that country. Second. India is a democracy of 1.3 billion people in round numbers in a part of the world of significant importance to the United States of America. They have demonstrated in their cooperation with us in the global war on terror their interest only in peaceful operations of all nations and niever in nuclear energy or technology falling into the hands of those who would use it in a devious way. As the distinguished Senator from Virginia has said. India is a blossoming nation economically. but it suffers dramatically from the coal it has to burn and from the lack of efficient energy sources it now has. This civilian nuclear agreement allows them the opportunity to. expand nuclear energy for the generation of electricity and to reduce the pollution in the atmosphere. which is not just Indias atmosphere but is the worlds atmosphere. The distinguished chairman from Indiana has worked long and hard on this agreement. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3663}
{"speech_id":1090182868,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I am in full support of this agreement in its draft form and its presented form today. I hope the Members of the Senate will endorse and ratify without debilitating amendments. I have confidence in the chairman and his work. I have confidence in my visit to the people of India and Prime Minister Singh that they will continue to be what they have been: a burgeoning democracy and a great partner with the United States of America.. I yield back the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3663}
{"speech_id":1090182879,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I see the floor manager and the matter we have before.us is of great importance and consequence. I know we have a variety of different amendments that are being considered and are being talked about. even as we are here now. I do not mean to interfere with the flow of this debate and reaching a timely conclusion of it. but I want to address the Senate for a few moments onwhat I consider to be sort of the important agenda for our committee. our HELP Committee. in this next session. I will cooperate. obviously. with the floor manager and ask that my remarks be printed in an appropriate place in the RECORD. And I will speak for just a few moments.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":667}
{"speech_id":1090182930,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will be very brief. As I said. I really admire. respect. and observe the passion of my friend from North Dakota on this issue. But I think the comparisons are not particularly apt. The wing strut the Senator has was able to be held in his hand because two countriesthe United States and the Soviet Unionconcluoed that it was in their mutual interest to cease and desist and\/or significantly reduce the threat each posed to the other. And they were the only threats that existed. The only threat to the United States from a nuclear capability of an ICBM or a Backfire bomber resided in the Soviet Union. Now. we tried. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3355}
{"speech_id":1090182930,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I was the author ofand. as a matter of fact. there was a South Dakota Senator named Pressler. along with JOHN GLENN. who early on put in legislation relating to sanctions for India. India obviously violated those sanc.tions and did not comply with the U.N. resolution. But there is a reason for thatnot & justification. a reason. They looked across their borders north and west and saw two nuclear powersone emerging nuclear power. one existing nuclear powerand they concluded. rightly or wrongly. from their perspective that they had to be a nuclear power. It is clear nonproliferation does not work in a vacuum. Nonproliferation entreatments. requests. proddings to a nation that finds itself in a situation where it believes it is threatened by a nuclear neighbor have not worked particularly well. offering those two examples. for example. It seems to me what we are attempting to do is the only route to get to the point where both India and Pakistan are part of a nonproliferation treaty. that is. we are trying to change the regional situation on the ground. It is not going to happen through a nonproliferation treaty. It is going to happen through a rapprochement between India and Pakistan. The idea that we would be able to. through any legislation. prevent India from moving forward to add additional nuclear weapons. if they so choose to do thatthere is no legislation we can pass to do that. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3355}
{"speech_id":1090182930,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What this legislation does is recognize the reality of the geopolitical situation in the region. set up safeguards to deal with the ability for India to use anything we are doing with them to be able to further advance their nuclear capability. give them a new buyin to an international regime that will have the effect of putting pressure on them to move in the direction we and the So-. viets moved on back when that Backfire bomber strut was sawed off a wing. and that is the route we choose. It is not pretty. It is not clear. It is no guarantee. It is not certain to succeed. But I do know one thing: Absent this agreement. -there is a likelihood things get worse instead of better. beyond what may already occur. I appreciate the Senators comparisons. but I think they are not as apt as they might appear to be because. again. Indias motivation. in terms of its viewing its need for a nuclear arsenal. is not unlike the motivation that existed with regard to the United States and the Soviet Union. It is going to take a geopolitical settlement of that. not a nuclear arms control agreement imposing a settlement on India and Pakistan at this moment. now that the genie is out of the bottle. I appreciate my friends point and respect his point of view. but I disagree that it is the best way to move forward.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3355}
{"speech_id":1090182952,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a series of stacked votes in relation to the following amendments: the Bingaman amendment No. 5174. the Dorgan amendment No. 5178. as modified and the Dorgan amendment No. 5182. further. that there be no second degrees in order to any of the amendments prior to the votes. that there be 2 minutes of debate equally divided before the second and third votes.","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":423}
{"speech_id":1090182995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. before the Chair rules. I will remind Senators that those who attend the closed session are not permitted to bring any electronic devices into the Old Senate Chamber. Mr. President. I send to the desk the list of the names of the stafL members that could be present.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":281}
{"speech_id":1090183024,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Briefly. the letter notes that there are still flaws that remain in S. 3709. and urges the Senate to adopt at least four measures to address them. The second of their four recommendations for improvements is that there be \"a determination and annual certification that U.S. civil nuclear policy does not in any way assist or encourage Indias nuclear weapons program.\" My amendment is directly in line with the advice of these leading experts. and addresses an important shortfall in the legislation as it stands now. I acknowledge that the U.S. business community has come out strongly in support of this legislation. I would only like to add a note of caution to their optimism. There is nothing in this deal that would secure U.S. contracts or guarantee an increase in U.S. business. The U.S. is not the only one in the nuclear market. Australia and Russia have already indicated they are working with India to sell fuel. and companies from Great Britain. France. and Russia have viable civil reactor technology that they will certainly pitch to India. It is far from a foregone conclusion that U.S. companies will directly benefit from the deal. In the 8 years that nuclear trade has been permitted with China. the United States has sold exactly zero nuclear reactors to Chinazero. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2331}
{"speech_id":1090183024,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I bring this up to point out that some of the benefits of this deal may be exaggerated. and we should remember the overriding priority as we consider this legislation: whether it will make the citizens of the United States more safe. or less. Mr. President. in closing. I would like to put in a brief word of appreciation for the substantial amount of work done on this bill by Senator LUGAR. Senator BIDEN. and their staffs. This bill is a real improvement over. the original proposal put forward by the administration. but there are still a few shortcomings that remain. My amendment would address what I. and many others. see as one of the main outstanding concerns with the bill. It will ensure that this agreement is in line with our nonproliferation obligations and protects U.S. national security. without putting any undue burdens on the U.S. or our Indian partners. It is a nonpartisan. commonsense amendment. in line with previous legislation. and I hope that all of my colleagues will consider voting in favor of it. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2331}
{"speech_id":1090183039,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this is a very simple amendment. What we are saying is this deal should not go forward until India has agreed to cut off militarytomilitary ties with Iran and that the President so certifies. The Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty is the keystone of our efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons throughout the world. Back in the 1960s. there was widespread concern that dozens of nations would have nuclear weapons within a decade. Just months before his death. President Kennedy warned of this dire threat. saying: I ask you to stop and think for a moment. what it would mean to have nuclear weapons in so many hands ... that there would be no rest for anyone then. no stability. no real security. no chance of effective disarmament. There would only be the increased chance of accidental war. and an increased necessity for the great powers to involve themselves in what otherwise would be local conflicts. But thanks to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty. there are less than 10 nuclear weapons states in the world today. In fact. since the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty was first signed in 1968. more nations have ended nuclear weapons programs than have begun them. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11916}
{"speech_id":1090183039,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Countries such as Brazil. South Africa. and Japan decided to abandon their nuclear weapons program and join the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty. India did not sign the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty. instead choosing to develop nuclear weapons outside of the NPT regime. India developed a nuclear weapon in 1974 using a research reactor and materials provided by Canada and the United States of America in the 1950s. India had pledged to use the reactor only for peaceful purposes. but it failed to keep that promise. So by giving India a special deal to both possess nuclear weapons and receive civil nuclear assistance. it will be harder to convince nonnuclear weapons states to keep their commitment to forgo nuclear weapons. The timing could not be worse. Right now. the international community is trying to convince one nonnuclear member of the NPT. Iran. to cease uranium enrichment because the IAEA cannot verify that its program is for peaceful purposes. We are also trying t6 roll back North Koreas nuclear program and convince them to rejoin the NPT. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11916}
{"speech_id":1090183039,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"India is becoming a recognized de facto nuclear power. but it is not required to take on any of the commitments made by the five recognized nuclear powers. As The Economist reported earlier this year: ... the recognized nuclear powersAmerica. Russia. Britain. France and Chinaare committed under the NPT to curb their arsenals .... on the way to eventual disarmament. the deal with America lets India build as many bombs as it chooses. I think it is important to note what we are doing here. There is no limit on the number of bombs that India could build in this deal. The Economist goes on to say thatthe five nuclear powers have: at least all signed the treaty banning further nuclear tests and have stopped producing more highly enriched uranium and plutonium. India flatly refuses to do either. Experts believe that this deal could allow India to vastly increase its production of nuclear weapons from about 6 a year to about 50 a year. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11916}
{"speech_id":1090183039,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"What a contribution this Senate is making to world peace. I am absolutely stunned. We are going to have 50 nuclear weapons. perhaps. made in India. touching off an arms race in the region. That would not be in any countrys interests. including our own. Secretary Rice has argued that we are not helping Indias nuclear weapons program because only a small amount of Indias indigenous uranium would be needed for Indias military weapons program. But listen to what the Congressional Research Service says: The question for the United States is not whether India intends to ramp up its weapons program with freedup uranium. but whether the U.S. and other states actions create a new capability for India to do so. We call this fungiblefungible uranium. This should concern every single Senator. but unfortunately it doesnt appear to. It should concern every Senator who believes that the proliferation of nuclear materials is the most dangerous issue facing the country today and that is why I have supported all the amendments. Unfortunately. these amendments were defeated. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11916}
{"speech_id":1090183039,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They would have required the President to certify that this deal does not assist or encourage India to produce additional fissile material for weapons. The amendment I am offering addresses a second area where the administration has failed to receive commitments from India and that has to do with Indias militarytomilitary relationships with Iran. Last spring. at the very same time that the President. our President. was in India to sign the United StatesIndia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. two Iranian warships were visiting the headquarters of the Indian Navys Southern Command. At the very same time that President Bush was in India to sign the United StatesIndia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. two Iranian warships were soliciting the headquarters of the Indian Navys Southern Command. These warships were participating in a training program under the military cooperation agreement with Tehran that was signed in 2003. The fact that India would conduct training exercises with the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism while the President of the United States is visiting New Delhi is simply unbelievable. My amendment says that the President may not provide civil nuclear assistance to India until he certifies that India has agreed to suspend militarytomilitary cooperation with Iran so long as the Government of Iran continues to support international terrorism. My amendment does not say they can never have this deal. But it says they must not cooperate. military to military. with Iran until the day Iran is taken off the list of terrorists. According to a March 2006 Defense News article: In 2003 India and Iran signed a strategic agreement to cooperate in defense and other matters. ","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11916}
{"speech_id":1090183076,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I will be very brief. We are giving India a oneofakind deal that no one else.gets: civilian nuclear technology and no cap on the number of bombs they can build. The least we can do is ask them to out off their military ties with the biggest state sponsor of terrorismIran. Iran is building the IEDs that are killing our soldiers in Iraq. The least we can do is ask the President to certify that they have cut off militarytomilitary relationships with Iran. Why is itimportant? Look at this Defense News: \"Indian Navy Trains Iranian Sailors.\" We know they have these ties. If we really believe we are doing something good. we should at least expect India to cut off military ties with the leading state sponsor of terrorismIran. I urge an \"aye\" vote.","speaker_name":"BARBARA BOXER","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":764}
{"speech_id":1090183087,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"On a related note. is it the chairmans interpretation of the legislation that. in the event of a future nuclear test by the Government of India. nuclear power reactor fuel and equipment sales. and nuclear technology cooperation would terminate. other elements of the United StatesIndia nuclear agreement would likely terminate. and the United States would have the right to demand the return of nuclear supplies?","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":412}
{"speech_id":1090183089,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I offered an amendment that the managers have already accepted pertaining to the supply of nuclear power reactor fuel in safeguarded. civilian nuclear facilities. To further clarify this issue. is it the -managers understanding that provision of a fuel to the Government of India should be sized in a way to maintain a deterrent to Indian nuclear testing. while also providing protections against shortterm fluctuations in the supply of nuclear fuel? In other words. is it your understanding that providing a fuel reserve to India is not intended to facilitate a resumption in nuclear testing?","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":593}
{"speech_id":1090183133,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. those were three of the most beautiful tributes I have heard any of our colleagues give about the men and women who have died in service to this country. It was truly a testament to the strength of the Senator from Ohio. his caring and compassion for the people of Ohio that he and his team would take the time to compile such beautiful memories of these three young men -and tb share them with us in the CONGRESSIONAL REcORD as he did. I thank him for those beautiful tributes.","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":493}
{"speech_id":1090183168,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to Murray State University in honor of their recognition by the annual U.S. News and World Report Americas Best Colleges issue. By constantly striving for academic excellence and inspiring their students to succeed. the faculty of this institute of higher education continues to provide the tools needed to ensure a bright future for all graduates. Every year. thousands of schools are surveyed by U.S. News. and the rankings are based on expert opinion about academic program quality and statistics that measure the quality of a schools faculty. research. and students. The information gathered is consolidated and measured to determine individual college ranking in the final report. Murray State University has a long history of academic excellence and continues to excel in enriching the academic careers of the students who attend. The school was ranked sixth in the South as a \"Top Public\" university. In addition. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090183168,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Murray was ranked 15th in the South among public and private universities in the individual category of \"Best Masters Universities.\" The 10.000 students who attend this school are ensured a successful academic career with diverse degree programs and exceptional faculty support. I now ask my fellow colleagues to join me in congratulating Murray State University on their exceptional academic accomplishments.. Achievements such as this bring great pride to the entire Bluegrass State. It is a true example of Kentucky at its finest..","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1490}
{"speech_id":1090183175,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to introduce and discuss my bill. the \"Guarantee of Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act.\" My bill would require that federallyfunded sex education\/abstinence only programs contain medically accurate and factual information as part of any course instruction. During the past few years. there has been an increase in the number of federally funded programs using curricula that provide medically inaccurate or misleading information. Some of these medical inaccuracies include teaching young people that HIV can be transmitted by sweat and tears. citing failure rates of condoms as high as 69 percent. as well as giving inaccurate symptoms and outcomes of sexually transmitted diseases. In addition. some federally funded programs provided erroneous information about basic scientific facts. for example. stating that human cells have 24 chromosomes from each parent when in fact the number is 23. Inaccurate information regarding contraception and STD\/HIV prevention can make sex education both dangerous and counterproductive. Responsible sex education. by contrast. is an important component of a strategy to reduce unintended pregnancies. decrease the number of abortions. and mitigate the incidence of STDs. Instruction regarding sexual health. and reproduction that includes inaccurate or biased information is not only irresponsible. but it is also dangerous. and it puts our young people at risk for unintended pregnancy and disease. I urge my colleagues to support medically accurate sexeducationprograms that helps young people to develop the proper understanding of their sexuality. so they can make responsible decisions throughout their lives. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1754}
{"speech_id":1090183177,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce The Standards to Provide Educational Access for Kids (SPEAK) Act. This bill will create. adopt. and implement voluntary core American education content standards in math and science while incentivizing states tO adopt them. Americas leadership. economic. and national security rest on our commitment to educate and prepare our youth to succeed in a global economy. The key to succeeding in this endeavor is to have high expectations for all American students as they progress through our nations schools. Currently there are 50 different sets of academic standards. 50 State assessments. and 50 definitions of proficiency under the No Child Left Behind Act. As a result of varied standards. exams and proficiency levels. Americas highly molile studentaged population moves through the nations schools gaining widely varying levels of knowledge. skills and preparedness. And yet. in order for the United States to compete in a global economy. we must strengthen our educational expectations for all American childrenwe must compete as one Nation. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090183177,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Recent international comparisons Show that American students have significant shortcomings in math and science. Many lack the basic skills required for college or the workplace. This affects our economic and national security: It holds us back. in the global marketplace and risks ceding our competitive edge. This is unacceptable. America was founded on the notion of ensuring equity in opportunity for all. And yet. we risk both when we allow different students in different states to graduate from high school with very different educations. We live in a Nation with an unacceptably high high school dropout rate. We live in a nation where 8th graders in some. states score more than 30 points higher on tests of basic science knowledge than students in other states. I ask my colleagues today what equality of opportunity we have under such circumstances. This is where American standards come in. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090183177,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Voluntary. core American standards in math and science are the first step in ensuring that all American students are given the same opportunity to learn to a high standard no matter where they reside. They will allow for meaningful comparisons of student academic achievement across states. help ensure that American students are academically qualified to enter college. or training for the civilian or military workforce. and. help ensure that students are better prepared to compete in the global marketplace. Uniform standards are a first step in maintaining Americas competitive and national security edge. While I realize there will be resistance to such efforts. education is after all a state endeavor. we cannot ignore that at the end of the day America competes 9s one country on the global marketplace. This does not mean that I am asking States to cede their authority in education. What the bill simply proposes is that we the convening power of the federal government to develop standards and then provide states with incentives to adopt them. At the end of the day. this is a voluntary measure. States will choose whether or not to participate. States that do participate. while required to adopt the American standards. will be given the flexibility to make them their own. They will have the option to add additional content requirements. they will have final say in how coursework is sequenced. and. ultimately. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090183177,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"States and districts will still be the ones developing the curriculum. choosing the textbooks and administering the tests. The standards provided for under this legislation will simply serve as a common core. Here is what the SPEAK Act will do. It will task the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) with creating rigorous and voluntary core American education content standards in math and science for grades K12. It will require that such standards be anchored in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math and science frameworks. It will ensure that such standards are internationally competitive and comparable to the best standards in the world. It will develop rigorous achievement levels. It will ensure that varying developmental levels of students are taken into account in the development of such standards. It will provide for periodic review and update of such standards. It will allow participating States the flexibility to add additional standards to the core. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090183177,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. it establishes an American standards Incentive Fund to incentivize states to adopt the standards. Among the benefits of participating is a huge infusion of funds for states to bolster their K12 data systems. What I propose today is a first step. A first step in regaining our competitive edge. A first step in ensuring that all American students have the opportunity to receive a first class. highquality. competitive education. I am hoping that the bill I introduce today will at the very least spark a discussion. A discussion about what it is that we want for future generations and how we will set along the path to get it to them. I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting the SPEAK Act and look forward to resuming the discussion and reintroducing this important initiative in the coming Congress. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5311}
{"speech_id":1090183179,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I am introducing the Affordable Housing Expansion and Public Safety Act to address some of the housing affordability issues faced by my constituents and by Americans around the country. including. unaffordable rental burdens. lack of safe and affordable housing stock. and public safety concerns in public and federally assisted housing. My legislation is fully offset. while also providing over $3 billion in deficit reduction. Increasing numbers of Americans are facing housing affordability challenges. Whether they are renters or homeowners. But the housing affordability burden falls most heavily on lowincome renters throughout our country. Ensuring that all Americans have safe and secure housing is about more than just providing families with somewhere to live. however. Safe and decent housing provides children with stable environments. and research has shown that students achieve at higher rates if they have secure housing. Affordable housing allows families to spend more of. their income on lifes other necessities including groceries. health care. and education costs as well as save money for their futures. I have heard from a number of Wisconsinites around my State about their concerns about the lack of affordable housing. homelessness. andthe increasingly severe cost burdens that families have to undertake in order to afford housing. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12591}
{"speech_id":1090183179,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Unfortunately. affordable housing is becoming less. not more. available in the United States. Research shows that the number of families facing severe housing cost burdens grew by almost two million households between 2001 and 2004. Additionally. one in three families spends more than thirty percent of their earnings on housing costs. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that at least 500.000 Americans are homeless every day and two million to three million Americans are homeless for various lengths of time each year. Cities. towns. and rural communities across the country are confronting a lack of affordable housing for their citizens. This is not an issue that confronts just one region of the Nation or one group of Americans. Decent and affordable housing is so essential to the wellbeing of Americans that the Federal Government must provide adequate assistance to our citizens to ensure that all Americans can afford to live in safe and affordable housing. Congress has created effective affordable housing and community development programs. but as is the case with many of the Federal social programs. these housing programs are inadequately funded and do not meet the need in our communities. We in Congress must do what we can to ensure these programs are properly funded. while taking into account the tight fiscal constraints we are facing. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. originally created in 1974. is now the largest Federal housing program in terms of HUDs budget with approximately two million vouchers currently authorized. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12591}
{"speech_id":1090183179,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Yet the current number of vouchers does not come close to meeting the demand that exists in communities around our country. In my State of Wisconsin. the city of Milwaukee opened up their Section 8 waiting list for the first time since 1999 earlier this year for twenty four hours and received more than 17.000 applications. The city of Madison has not accepted new applications for Section 8 in over three years and reports that hundreds of families are on the waiting list. Unfortunately. situations like this exist around the country. According to the 2005 U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Survey. close to 5.000 people are on the Section 8 waiting list in Boston. Detroit has not taken applications for the past -two years and currently has a waiting list of over 9.000 people. Phoenix closed its waiting list in 2005 and reported that 30.000 families were on its waiting list. In certain cities. Waiting lists are years long and according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. the typical waiting period for a voucher was two and a half years in 2003. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12591}
{"speech_id":1090183179,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Given these statistics. it is clear there is the need for more Section 8 vouchers than currently exist. While there are certainly areas of the Section 8 program that need to be examined and perhaps reformed. a number of different government agencies and advocacy organizations all cite the effectiveness of Section 8 in assisting lowincome families in meeting some of their housing needs. In 2002. the Government Accountability Office determined that the total cost of a .onebedroom housing unit through the Section 8 program costs less than it would through other federal housing programs. The same year. the Bipartisan Millennial Housing Commission reported to Congress that the Section 8 program is \"flexible. costeffective. and successful in its mission.\" The Commission further stated that the vouchers \"should continue to be the linchpin of a national policy providing very lowincome renters access to the privately owned housing stock.\" The Commission also called for funding for substantial annual increments of vouchers for families who need housing assistance. This recommendation echoes the calls by advocates around the country. many of whom have called for 100.000 new. or incremental. Section 8 vouchers to be funded annually by Congress. My bill takes this first step. calling for the funding of 100.000 incremental vouchers in fiscal year 2007. I have identified enough funds in my offsets to provide money for the renewal of these 100.000 vouchers for the next decade. While this increase does not meet the total demand that exists out there for Section 8 vouchers. I believe it is a strong first step. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12591}
{"speech_id":1090183179,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My legislation is fully offset and if it. were passed in its current form. would provide for the immediate fanding of these vouchers. I believe Congress should take the time to examine where other spending could be cut in order to continue to provide sizeable annual increases in new vouchers for the Section 8 program. According to the Congressional Research Service. incremental vouchers have not been funded since fiscal year 2002. During the past three to four years. the need for Federal housing assistance has grown and it will continue to grow in future years. We need to make a commitment to find the resources in our budget to ensure continued and increased funding for Section 8 vouchers. I We should examine doing more than just providing more money for Section 8. There have been numerous stories in my home State of Wisconsin about various concerns with the Section 8 program. ranging from potential discrimination on the part of landlords in declining to rent to Section 8 voucher holders to the administrative burdens landlords face when participating in the Section 8 program. Additionally. there are substantial concerns with the funding formula the Bush Administration is currently using for the Section 8 program. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the 110th Congress to address these and other issues and make the Section 8 program more effective. more secure. and more accessible to citizens throughout the country. But providing rental assistance is not the only answer to solving the housing affordability problem in our country. ","speaker_name":"RUSSELL FEINGOLD","chamber":"S","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12591}
{"speech_id":1090183183,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today. I am pleased to join my colleagues Senators LEAHY and ALLARD in introducing the Satellite Consumer Protection Act of 2006. I am pleased that Senators BYRD. INOUYE. SALAZAR. SNOWE. ROBERTS. ENZI. and ENSIGN are original cosponsors. I want to thank Senator LEAHY for his leadership on this issue.. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090183183,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This bill builds upon the hard work and legislative language that Congressman RICK BOUCHER (DVA) and I originally developed. Congressman BOUCHER has been invaluable in making all sure that all interested parties work together to protect consumers. and I must thank him for all of his hard work on this issue. We have introduced this legislation to protect consumers who through no fault of their own can no longer receive network television signals from DISH Network. Our constituents have lost this right because of a nationwide legal battle between DISH Network and television broadcasters. The Court found that DISH Network had violated the law and imposed a penalty. This decision impacted thousands of my constituent and I believe that Congress needed to restore the ability of these consumers to receive network signals. For many rural West Virginians. cable television is not available. We have a looming crisis on our hahds and Congress must pass our bill immediately. We have a duty to our consumers to minimize the disruption to their daily lives. and our bill allows those consumers who do not have the ability to get local television stations in their area to continue to receive distant signals. Again. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090183183,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge quick adoption of this legislation. By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. INOUYE):","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1619}
{"speech_id":1090183186,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor today to highlight the ongoing needs of our small businesses and homeowners. in the Gulf Coast Who were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In Louisiana alone. these disasters claimed 1.464 lives. destroyed more than 200.000 homes and 18.000 businesses and inflicted $25 billion in uninsured losses. Many of my colleagues here in the Senate have been down to Louisiana and have seen firsthand the size and scope of the destruction. The Congress has been very generous in providing billions of Federal recovery dollars as well as valuable Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone tax inbentives to help spur recovery in the region. These resources will be key in the recovery of the region but there are additional needs on the ground that still must be addressed. That is why I amproud to introduce a bill today. the Gulf Coast Back to Business and Homes Act of 2006. which I believe. addresses these problems and shows our small businesses and homeowners that the Federal government is responsive to their needs. I am happy that my colleague. Senator KERRY. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8983}
{"speech_id":1090183186,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. has joined me by cosponsoring this legislation. Katrina was the most destructive hurricane ever to hit the United States. The next month. in September. Hurricane Rita hit the Louisiana and Texas coast. It was the second most powerful hurricane ever to hit the United States. wreaking havoc on the southwestern part of my state and the east Texas coast. This onetwo punch devastated Louisiana lives. communities and jobs. stretching from Cameron Parish in the west to Plaquemines Parish in the east. We are now rebuilding our State and the wide variety of communities that were devastated by Rita and Katrina. areas representing a diverse mix of population. income and cultures. We hope to restore the regions uniqueness and its greatness. To do that. we need to rebuild our local economies now and far into the future. My State estimates that there were 71.000 businesses in the Katrina and Rita disaster zones. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8983}
{"speech_id":1090183186,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As I mentioned. a total of 18.752 of these businesses were catastrophically destroyed. However. on a wider scale. according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. over 125.000 small and mediumsized businesses in the Gulf region were disrupted by Katrina and Rita. Many of these businesses have yet to resume operations and others are struggling to survive. We will never succeed without these small businesses. They will be the key to the revitalization of the Gulf Coast. We also cannot succeed if our homeowners are being buried under red tape and regulations. The people who work for the Small Business Administration and FEMA are dedicated and interested to help in the recovery of. our region. However. these individuals are operating under a system which is inadequate and. in some cases. unresponsive to needs on the ground.. I come to the floor today to introduce a bill which provides commonsense solutions toget the Federal assistance to our struggling businesses and homeowners. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8983}
{"speech_id":1090183186,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"If we dont help them now. building a strong Gulf Coast will be all the more difficult if residents cannot rebuild their homes and businesses cannot open their doors. After talking to the business leaders and small businesses in my State. there are two things that they need right how: access to capital and additional time to repay their SBA Disaster loans. For homeowners. they are still encountering an SBA which is only disbursing small amounts of loan funds for home rebuilding. The SBA is also deducting proceeds from Stateadministered housing recovery grants to payoff existing SBA Disaster home loans. I understand the SBA -is just doing its job and following the current laws. but I believe this is a situation where the current laws are actually hurting taxpayers in their efforts to fully recover. For example. under current law. the SBA cannot disburse more than $10.000 for an approved Disaster Loan without showing collateral. This is to limit the loss to the SBA in the event that a loan defaults. However. this disbursement amount has not been increased since 1998 and these days. $10.000 is not enough to get a business up and running or to allow a homeowner to start making repairs. Our bill increases this collateral requirement for Katrina and Rita Disaster Loans from $10.000 to $35.000. To address the lack of access to capital for our businesses. the bill includes a provision to provide .funds to Louisiana. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8983}
{"speech_id":1090183186,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mississippi. Alabama. and Texas to help small businesses now. Not three months from now. but as quickly as possible. We are asking for $100 million so that businesses can have money they need to repair. rebuild. and pay their employees until they get back up and running again. The States know what. the needs of their affected businesses are and we want to provide them with this money so they can start helping businesses now. Many businesses and homeowners are also coming up on the end of their standard oneyear deferment of payment on principal and interest on their SBA Disaster Loans. For most disasters. oneyear is more than enough time for borrowers to get back on their feet. But for disasters on the scale of Katrina and Rita. oneyear came and went. with communities just now seeing gas stations open and some homeowners are just now returning to rebuild their homes. This is a unique situation and for French Quarter busi$11073 nesses. where tourism is down 85 percent from preKatrina levels. to require them to start making payments on. a $50.000 loan is virtually impossible if there are no customers! Homeowners too are experiencing widespread uncertainty and I believe the current oneyear deferment requires serious reconsideration. That is why this bill gives borrowers an additional year to get their lives in orderallow residents to begin fixing their homes and allow businesses the time for economic activity to pick back up. ","speaker_name":"MARY LANDRIEU","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8983}
{"speech_id":1090183195,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday. November. 16. 2006. at 2 p.m.. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building. to hear testimony on \"The CHIP Program From the States Perspective.\"","speaker_name":"RICHARD LUGAR","chamber":"S","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090183257,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. on October 26. 2006. the Esperanza fire engulfed five firefighters dispatched to battle an uncontrollable blaze. All five firefighters died as a result. Before it was extinguished. the fire consumed more than 40.000 acres of the southern California foothills and destroyed more than 30 homes. But while the forests will eventually return and the homes will be rebuilt. we can never reclaim the lives of our fallen firefighters. Today I am cosponsoring a resolution with Senator BOXER to honor the firefighters and other public servants who bravely responded to the Esperanza fire. On November 5. 2006. I delivered a eulogy at the Memorial Service in San Bernardino. CA. held in honor of the five firefighters who lost their lives in the fire. I believe it is appropriate at this time to enter these remarks into Si1096 Im here to express gratitude to the five brave firefighters who lost their lives in the battle against the Esperanza fire. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5310}
{"speech_id":1090183257,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They gave the ultimate sacrifice. Their heroism will not be forgotten and so do their families sacrifice as well. My heart goes out to you. mothers and fathers. sisters and brothers. sons and daughters of the five firefighters who perished from Engine Crew 57: Captain Mark Loutzenhiser. Jess McLean. Jason McKay. Daniel HooverNajera. and Pablo Cerda. These five men were on the front lines. protecting thousands of lives and tens of thousands of acres. when they were overwhelmed by the fires flames. They are truly heroes. Mark Loutzenhiser. Engine Captain. was 43 years old. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5310}
{"speech_id":1090183257,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He had 21 years of service as a firefighter. Mark was loved and respected by so many in the Idyllwild community. To Maria. I know little can be said that mutes grief and overwhelming loss with one exceptionfive beautiful childrenMark and Marias enduring legacy. To your five children. Jacob. Teesha. Savannah. and the twins Kyle and Seth. I say this: Your dad was a true hero. He was a coach. a mentor. a friend. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5310}
{"speech_id":1090183257,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is great in all our eyes. And to Marks parents. Russ and Polly: You can be so proud of his contributions. He made a difference. He leaves a legacy: a grateful communitya wifefive children. Jess McLean. Fire Engine Operator. was 27 years old. He had seven years of experience. To his mother. Cecilia: Jess was a thoughtful young man. a model son. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5310}
{"speech_id":1090183257,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am so sorry for .your loss. Jesss wife. Karen: You were married just three years ago. But those three years are packed withmemories. dreams -shared and you will find new strength because of these years. Jason McKay. Assistant Fire Engine Operator. 27 years old. He had five years of Forest Service experience. To Bonnie McKay. Jasons mother. you know that Jason lived out his boyhood dream of becoming a fireman. \u0095 To his fianc6. Staci Burger. you know Jason as a brave and decent man. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5310}
{"speech_id":1090183293,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"fornia. Mr. Speaker. the cost of higher education in our country has been skyrocketing for far too long. And this year alone. the Republicans raised the student loan interest rates by up to 7 percent and cut $12 billion out of the higher education budget to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthy. Their policy of prioritizing the wealthiest 1 percent over average American families has backfired. Last month the American voters said \"enough is enough\" and voted for a Democratic majority in the Congress. after Democrats offered students and their families an end to the rise in student loan interest rates. We ran on a platform that makes higher education one of our top priorities. Mr. Speaker. Democrats will keep their promise to the American people. ","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1076}
{"speech_id":1090183293,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Within the first 100 hours of taking office in the next Congress. the Democrats will broaden college opportunities for all students because we believe if you want to go to college. we want to help you get there. Democrats will work hard to make a college education possible for all who want it here in the United States.","speaker_name":"LORETTA SANCHEZ","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":47.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1076}
{"speech_id":1090183296,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate the Wake Forest Demon Deacon football team on winning the 2006 ACC championship. the. teams first since 1970. Formerly known as a basketball school and picked to finish last in their division in August. Wake Forest finished the season with its best record since 1940. 112. after beating Georgia Tedh in the ACC championship game on Saturday. Despite suffering injuries to several key players early in the season. the Demon Deacons bounced back and shocked the Nation with their determination and will to win. Jim Grobe. who has been named ACC Coach of the Year. and heads the ballot for National Coach of the Year. led the team to victory after victory xwith good oldfashioned coaching. a smart offense and a tenacious defense. With just 36.000 living undergraduate alumni. Wake Forest has developed an athletic program that. rivals the biggest and most storied programs in the country. Long known as an academic powerhouse. the Demon Deacons have proven their dominance on the football field and will travel to Miami on January 2 to face the Louisville Cardinals in the BCS Orange Bowl. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1246}
{"speech_id":1090183296,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I stand alongside all Wake fans when I say congratulations and wish the Deacons the best of luck in Miami. Go Deacs.","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1246}
{"speech_id":1090183302,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. a few days ago. in the small town of Friendswood. Texas. a citizen tried to discuss a water problem with a city worker. Apparently the worker could not be of assistance because the worker did not speak English. This led City Council to consider a ballot vote by citizens to determine if English should be the official language of their town. City Council Member Chris Perden said. \"English as an official language gives us a baseline. The city will publish everything in English. Our meetings will be in English ... and city forms will be in English.\" There are even suggestions that all city employees be required to speak English and even .teach those that cannot. The critics quickly surfaced. however. and LULAC officials say they will sue. claiming violation of civil rights if the public supports this ordinance. ","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090183302,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This is yet another example of how smalltown America must solve immigration issues that the Federal Government has not honestly addressed. The people of Friendswood. Texas. not the politicians. not the selfpromoters and not even LULAC. should have the right to vote and decide if English should be the official language of their town. And thats just the way it is.","speaker_name":"TED POE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1196}
{"speech_id":1090183386,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself the balance of the time. Madam Speaker. I think this is an example about the way this place does business. On a bipartisan basis we passed the Adam Walsh Bill and that was signed into law by the President at the end of July. And that was the single greatest protection of children law that had been passed by the Congress in decades. And I was the author of that legislation. I worked with people on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of the Capitol. and I think that this was a really great accomplishment of this Congress. And it shows what can happen when people work in a bipartisan manner. Now. we get to this bill after the election is over with. and there has been a change of control on both sides of the Capitol. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3440}
{"speech_id":1090183386,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I dont think that it can be disputed that the volunteers who set the rules of play should be exempted from liability. Now. these are the people that write the rule book. You know. they are not the people that actually coach the kids. They are not the people who make the equipment. They are not the people who provide the playing fields and either maintain them properly or dont maintain them properly. They are the ones that write the rule book. And a lot of the rules for amateur sports. whether it is at the high school or college or intramural level or whatever. those rules are designed to protect to the greatest extent possible the kids who compete in those sports. and that is what this bill is designed to protect. Now. I think that the complaints that were made by my friends on the other side of the aisle. that this bill could have been interpreted to provide immunity or a limitation of liability on those who commit acts of sexual assault or sexual molestation or sexual harassment against the kids were legitimate. And that is why the bill is amended. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3440}
{"speech_id":1090183386,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Now. when this bill was put on the Suspension Calendar last week by the leadership. we circulated an amendment to the minority party. We gave them the proposed language that is being debated and disputed early yesterday morning. and we never heard from them. And we followed up several times yesterday by staff to get their comments. and we never got any comments. We tried again this morning before this bill came up and never got any comments as well. The first we heard about their opposition to the legislation and the letters that have been cited by the gentlewoman from California was when we got to the floor today. Now. that is their prerogative to do that. as it is the prerogative of any Member of this House. whether in the majority or in the minority. But the fact is that what we have heard from the other side of the aisle is designed to defeat this legislation altogether. as it was -in the 108th Congress. And that would be a shame. because defeating this legislation is only going to hurt the volunteers who are making rules to protect children. rather than to protect people who might commit sexual offenses against them. We ought to protect the volunteers who make those rules. those volunteers who write the rule book. and the associations that bring those volunteers together so that kids can enjoy sports and play and learn the value of competition and the value of fair play. And if you cant get volunteers to write the rule book. then you are not going to be able to have kids sports at all. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3440}
{"speech_id":1090183386,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So lets put the kids first and pass this bill. Madam Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3440}
{"speech_id":1090183496,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the administration has strongly requested that the conferees remove from the conference report Senator HARKINS amendment regarding Iran. This motion would instruct the House conferees to ensure that that language was retained in the conference report. This is one item that wellmeaning Members can honorably dispute. But there is not enough time remaining to delay passage of this conference report. Therefore. I have no objection to the motion.","speaker_name":"HENRY HYDE","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":514}
{"speech_id":1090183511,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the concurrent resolution authorizing the printing as a House document of \"United States House of Representatives. The Committee on Ways and Means: A History. 17892006.\" and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"VERNON EHLERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":347}
{"speech_id":1090183537,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to be here today. I want to thank my colleague and friend from Georgia for organizing this hour and for yielding me time. A December 1 Congressional Quarterly article mentioned that a colleague from California across the aisle shed crocodile tears. \"crocodile tears for providers who faced a cumulative cut of almost 30 percent under the Medicare physician payment formula.\" This colleague quipped that he had difficulty sympathizing with providers who might be giving up their golf games. Instead of revoking negative stereotypes to justify cuts under an artificial price control formula. Congress ought to consider the real injustice the formula imposes on patients. such as an 85yearold caregiver who has to wait longer and drive further so her ailing husband can visit a physician. While Medicare does not force providers to treat Medicare patients. especially when the cost of providing care exceeds declining payments. for seniors who turn 65. it is Medicare or no care. It is virtually impossible for someone at age 65 to find insurance coverage for physician services outside of Medicare part B. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4948}
{"speech_id":1090183537,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Medicare needs to honor its commitment. and seniors need more than access to a waiting list. MedPAC. the independent Federal body created to advise Congress on Medicare reimbursement issues. calls the Medicare physician payment formula \"a flawed inequitable mechanism for volume control.\" It says it could \"threaten beneficiaries access to care.\" In fact. the agency already warns that subsets of beneficiaries report access problems. In 2005. more than one in five Medicare beneficiaries reported that they sometimes. usually or always experienced delays in getting an appointment. The same proportion indicated that they had difficulty finding a new primary care physician to treat them. MedPAC also writes that among the subset of people who reported any problems. Medicare beneficiaries were somewhat more likely in our 2005 sample to characterize the problem as big versus small than their privately insured counterparts. [ 1600 Also. the share of Medicare beneficiaries indicating that they experienced big problems accessing a primary care physician grew in both 2004 and 2005 samples. One in four seniors who faced access problems said that their problem finding a doctor was because they were covered by Medicare. and this is simply unacceptable. Equallytroubling is a recent survey reporting that 38 percent of responding physicians indicate that they would decrease the number of new Medicare patients they accept when the next physician payment cut occurs and Medicare payments continue falling below the cost of providing care. Congress might avoid a cut this year. and it is imperative that we do that. while leaving the artificial price control intact. as it did for 2003. 2004 and 2005. Yet officials with the Congressional Budget Office have repeatedly explained that the formula requires these automatic cuts to be made up in future years. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4948}
{"speech_id":1090183537,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This kickthecan approach might seem like the least expensive on paper. but it is clearly unsustainable. The formula must be changed. Otherwise. the annual cuts will become more difficult to avoid. and the problem of access will only grow worse. Congress needs to look past government accounting gimmicks and realize that adequate payments will help to ensure timely care and be more costeffective for the overall program than addressing serious health problems with more intrusive and costly medical procedures later. Also. all Americans have a personal stake in. this issue. and once informed of the cuts. people understand that cuts mean more than just a canceled golf game. Almost 9 out of 10 respondents agree that cuts would severely limit seniors access to physicians. Seniors want the freedom to access their physicians. but cuts will exacerbate projected provider shortages as the babyboom generation. onethird of our workforce.. becomes Medicare eligible. MEDPAC aptly warns that the formulas cuts could \"discourage medical students and residents from becomingprimary care physicians.\" Today. fewer radiologists specialize in mammography and fewer surgeons complete breast cancer fellowships. In addition. fewer students are entering the specialty of heart and lung surgery. while half of the heart and lung surgeons in the United States intend to retire within the next decade. and more than 70 percent plan to retire within 13 years. Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4948}
{"speech_id":1090183537,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is disappointing that some lawmakers want to expand pricefixing in Medicare under the false label of negotiation. Economists widely agree that artificial price controls lead to scarcity. which is why Americans do not rely on them in other sectors of our economy and why we must develop marketbased alternatives in Medicare. Congress. Mr. Speaker. has a duty to avoid the cuts and to replace the artificial price control formula with a realistic physician payment system that protects patient access.","speaker_name":"CHARLES BOUSTANY","chamber":"H","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4948}
{"speech_id":1090183545,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it was just about a year ago that I had the privilege of standing before the House to recognize and congratulate the 2005 NCAA Division IAA football national champions. Appalachian State University. I am here today to congratulate Appalachian State Universitys football team and coaches for another outstanding year of many triumphs. The Mountaineers football team has now reached.the playoff semifinals and currently is 121. tying last years record when the team won the NCAA Division IAA championship. the universitys firstever national championship. Not only is head coach Jerry Moore the winningest coach in the Southern Conferences history. he was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 2 Coach of the Year. his fourth such honor during his 18 years at ASU. Coach Moore has now achieved his 100th Southern Conference victory and its 150th win at ASU. The players of this years team have also earned seven national accolades. including. but not limited to the following: Running back Kevin Richardson. who is only a junior and is a candidate for the Walter Payton Award. set and matched seven school records with his 131 rushing yards and four touchdowns in last weeks win over Montana State. He is also ASUs alltime leader in career points with 282. Defensive tackle Omarr Byrom led the team with 3.5 sacks in the game against Montana State while the total number of sacks by the defense was 7. ","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1964}
{"speech_id":1090183545,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Both of these feats broke school records for playoff games. I applaud the players and coaches who are getting the recognition they so deserve. and I am proud to represent Appalachian State University in Congress. I particularly want to compliment Coach Moore for his faith and his expression of his faith and being the wonderful role model he is. along with his assistant coaches. Please join me in wishing the Appalachian State University football team good luck in this weekends game against Youngstown State. Go Mountaineers!","speaker_name":"VIRGINIA FOXX","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1964}
{"speech_id":1090183558,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. as the Democratic leader has so eloquently described. it is hard to imagine the smiles and the charm of Mary Miller Arnold will no longer grace the Senate. I have had the opportunity to talk to her daughter Mary Elizabeth several times since her moms demise. The love and the respect. that bond a mother and a daughter together share. is magnificent. it sparkles so much in her voice today. Mary was a fellow Tennessean. She will be remembered most for her uncanny ability to very efficiently enforce the Senate rules at this door. without sacrificing at any point in time her unfailing. consistent professionalism. her dedication. her polite demeanor. \u0095 The Senate simply could not function. we all know. without our staff and committed staff. We 100 Senators are. for the most part. the face of the Senate. but it is people such as Mary who are here. day after day. the cogs in the wheels behind it. who keep this Senate moving along. keep it ticking. She was the pulse of the Senate. in many ways. To Marys friends and to her family. let me say. our thoughts and prayers are with you during these difficult days ahead. To quote Senator BYRD from the other day. she was \"one of a kind.\" She had a tangible presence in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090183558,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are lesser now with the loss of her southern grace.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1301}
{"speech_id":1090183605,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I say to my colleague. this equals about 10 days of expenditure in Iraq. based on what we are told the supplemental will be and what is already in the budget. So this is modest compared to previous disaster packages. It will not make farmers whole. As I have indicated in the examples I have provided. farmers who had a 50percent loss will still have a 28percent loss in economic terms. even with this package. A farmer who has lost 75 percent. even with this package and with aggressive crop insurance. will still have a 28percent loss as well. This is a defining moment for thousands of people.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":596}
{"speech_id":1090183613,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. pursuant to section 402 of House Concurrent Resolution 95. the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006. I move to waive section 402 of that concurrent resolution for purposes of the pending amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays at the designated time.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090183654,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have come to the floor today to discuss a critically important issue to Washingtons farmers and ranchersdisaster assistance. I support the agriculture disaster assistance legislation that is before us here on the floor and am proud to be an original cosponsor of the bill. Washingtons agriculture economy is supported by small and mediumsized family farms. Our farmers are a key economic engine for the state. producing more than 300 different commodities.on 15.3 million acres valued at over $6.4 billion every year. And in our state. agriculture alone supports more than 300.000 good paying jobs. Washingtons farm families understand hardship. They understand that when you are in the business of farming. you have good years and you have bad years. Recent years have been particularly hard for them. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090183654,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Many are struggling just to make ends meet as they face low commodity prices. an influx of commodities grown abroad. and high fuel and fertilizer prices stemming from the hurricane disasters of last year. Unfortunately. in recent years. many producers have also had to cope with crops lost to adverse weather. Over the last three crop years. inclement weather. wildfires. and flooding have exacerbated the already difficult challenges farmers in my state face. In 2004. 32 of Washington states 39 counties received disaster declarations. In 2005. it was 13 counties. So far this year. 24 counties in the State have received disaster declarations. Once assessments have been completed on the damages sustained from recent flooding throughout Puget Sound and across the Olympic Peninsula. I am confident even more counties will receive declarations. This year many producers lost their crops or had their crops severely damaged due to adverse weather. Others lost livestock or had herds displaced due to wildfires. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090183654,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This summer. I visited with farmers in central Washington after the region sustained significant crop losses from hail. wind. and rain in June and July. I saw firsthand the damage that many of Washingtons apple. pear. and cherry orchards incurred. I saw the fruit that was no longer salvageable. I saw the losses that these orchards sustained. Individual orchards throughout much of the tree fruitgrowing regions in north central Washington statein counties like Chelan. Douglas and Okanoganlost significant portions of their crop. Some farms were decimated by the storms and lost their entire harvest. These losses threaten the continued viability of many of these family farms and orchards. The losses also affect the rural communities and economies these farms help support. ","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090183654,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Agriculture is the primary. and in some cases the only. economic driver in many rural communities throughout Washington state. Packing houses. processors. dusters. shippers and other small businesses depend on the harvest almost asmuch as the producers themselves. Many of these businesses had to lay off hundreds of workers this year because there simply was no fruit to pick or pack. The agriculture disaster legislation currently before the Senate contains important provisions that will provide desperately needed relief for our farmers and ranchers as they begin to recover during this difficult time. It also contains economic assistance grants to help the small businesses that support our farming communities. We must act now to provide assistance and ensure the continued viability of American farmers and farm families who lost their crop to disaster. Without it. many will not survive. I urge my colleagues to join me today in making a commitment to help our farm families and the communities in which they live by providing them the assistance they desperately need. Voting for the Conrad amendment is to vote for funding that will come to your state and help your farmers stay viable. I urge my colleagues to support the.Conrad amendment.","speaker_name":"MARIA CANTWELL","chamber":"S","state":"WA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3862}
{"speech_id":1090183667,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank my colleague from North Dakota for his leadership on agricultural disaster assistance. I wish to let this body know what assistance means to Minnesotas farmers by reading a few excerpts from letters I have received from producers in my State. I have been on the floor a number of times about this issue. We need to get it done. One man starts out saying. \"I am a struggling young family farmer in Northwest Minnesota.\" and registers his plea: We were counting on some help this summer to cash flow for the year after last years devastating floods. We are now attempting to work with our banker to increase our operating credit limit. refinance our machinery. or refinance our land. just to mak6 ends meet till we can harvest our crop. Please do not give up on this issue. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090183667,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This urgency is repeated again and again in the letters I receive and conversations I have. Another Minnesota farmer writes there is an \"urgent need for ag disaster assistance for our family farmers devastated by weather disasters in 2005 and 2006. My family has farmed in Minnesota since 1882 and we need ag disaster assistance now. Please. please help us.\" These are heartbreaking stories. These are real emergencies for our farmers. These folks need our help or they will be put out of business. plain and simple.\" And the need for agricultural disaster assistance is great. Minnesotas farmers have had to fend for themselves in the face of real natural disasterfirst. against record flooding in 2005 and now against record drought in In the sugar sector alone. revenue was reduced by $60 million in Minnesota in 2005. thanks to this natural disaster. In one county. crop loss exceeded $52 million and farmers were prevented from planting over 90.000 acres thanks to saturated fields. Now. thanks to one of the worst droughts ever experienced in the Great Plains. Minnesota farmers have experienced hundreds of millions of dollars of crop loss in 2006. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090183667,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"But it is not just about statistics. It is about farmers enduring personal struggles whom I have met all over the State. It is about farmers calling my office. desperate to save the family farm. Farmers are losing their operations. pure and simple. The producers who will not be coming back to the fields next year thanks to catastrophic weather are not just losing a business. many are losing a family tradition. We are losing a way of life. We are losing some of the heart and soul of America and of Minnesota. I am concerned about the comments of some of my colleagues. My colleague and friend. the Senator. from New Hampshire. indicated that the separate disaster assistance for sugar beets is akin to earmarks. I want to state that is not the case. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090183667,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not about porkbarrel spending. I think what some folks fail to recognize is that due to the nature of the sugar program. they dont get direct payments. It cannot be structured in thesame way as other production loss assistance for other crops. If you look at what has been laid out. we have been trying to be very focused and very clear. This is not about excess. This is about keeping families alive. This is about keeping farming alive. Some of the families have farmed for almost 100 years. With all due respect. these faulty characterizations do not do our farmers justice. Another farmer in my State gets at the crux of this amendment when he writes: Maybe the farmers in this area should have applied to FEMA for hurricane reliefit seems that hard working people in my community are looking to their government for help and getting ignored. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090183667,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is not that this Congress has refused to pass agricultural disaster assistance. We have provided $1.6 billion in emergency agricultural assistance. Of course. none of the farmers in Minnesota will benefit from this assistance because they do not own a farm in one of the Gulf States. Congress has not provided a dime for farmers suffering from natural disasters outside of. the gulf region. I have stood on this floor supporting our farmers in the Gulf States. I support us doing what we need to do to lift them up. I think it would shock many Americans to learn that natural devastation must come in the right package to be worthy of Federal aid. The message being sent is that record flooding and drought do not count. That is not a good message. Again. ","speaker_name":"NORM COLEMAN","chamber":"S","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5098}
{"speech_id":1090183695,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I only wanted to follow Senator CONRAD and point out that this amendment is truly bipartisan. Those who have watched this debate will recognize we have had Republicans and Democrats come to the floor of the Senate to say this is an important amendment. They support it. and they hope the Senate will pass it. . I want to point out again that this is the third time we have brought this to the floor of the Senate. On two other occasions. it passed the Senate and had gone to conference. On both of those occasions. it was blocked in conference with the U.S. House. It was blocked by the House conferees. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090183695,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I believe on both occasions I asked for a vote of the Senate conferees. and the Senate conferees insisted on their position. So it is not a weak will here with respect to disaster assistance for farmers that exists. It is a very strong will. and the Senate has expressed itself previously on two occasions. On the third occasion in the Appropriations Committee. we had a unanimous voteby unanimous consent in. the Appropriations Committeeto add the disaster legislation earlier this year. That bill has not previously come to the floor but not because we have not tried. We have pushed and pushed to get that bill to the floor of the Senate. Only now. in what is the last week of the session. have we managed to get the bill on the floor and. by consent. offer an amendment. So I think it is important to understand that we have been trying for a long while to get this amendment fully debated. get it through the Senate and back to conference with the House. It appears now that. whatever may happen on the floor this afternoon. this is likely to be a part of an omnibus appropriations bill at some point in late January or. .likely. midFebruary. Time is Very short. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090183695,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Someone used the word \"patience\" earlier today. Boy. we have had a lot of patience in dealing with this issue. There is broad. bipartisan support for itor there has been at least. We have been waiting and waiting. and it has been blocked in the Senate from bringing this to the floor. Finally we are here today. This is not an idle matter for a lot of American families. For many farm families. the decision will be a decision about whether they will be able to continue living on and working on their family farms. For those who dont know about them. those who never lived on a farm and dont know what they do on a family farm. dont understand the risks that are taken on a family farm. there are ways they should avail themselves to find out. It is an important part of this country. The network of farm families that are spread across the prairies and lands of this country and produces the foodstuffs. raises cattle. plants and harvests crops. takes all the risks. is an unbelievable group of Americans. and in many ways they are Americas allstars. the entrepreneurs who risk everything virtually every year. ","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090183695,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"When real trouble comesa natural disasterthe best instinct of this Chamber has always been to say to them: We want to help you. That is all we are saying with this amendment. We want to help family farmers have a chance to continue to stay on the lands. My hope is we will give broad. bipartisan support for this legislation today.","speaker_name":"BYRON DORGAN","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3231}
{"speech_id":1090183709,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator VOINOvicH has stated. the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal Plant Health Inspection Service emergency Federal order banning the interstate shipment of several species of fish is having a crippling effect on Ohios aquaculture industry. While my colleague and I recognize APHIS attempt to stop the spread of a damaging disease and their readiness to make amendments to the emergency order. many Great Lakes States. such as Ohio. lack sufficient testing tirograms and facilities to fully comply with the new testing regulation. It is appropriate to make our Senate colleagues aware of this issue during FY2007 Agriculture appropriations debate. as resources are needed to assist State and Federal agencies to establish additional testing facilities. monitor the spread of VHS throughout the region. and conduct research on the disease. At this time. it is difficult to fully quantify the financial needs of the entire Great Lakes region in light of these new amendments. The aquaculture industry operates on a short timeframe. and our aquaculture producers and sportsmen need assistance. or their livelihoods will be in jeopardy. Mr. President. Senator VOINOVICH and I are committed to working with APHIS officials and State departments of agriculture and departments of natural resources to provide them with resources to resume commerce responsibly and combat this disease. We are hopeful that FY2007 Agriculture appropriations conference negotiations will provide an opportunity to allocate muchneeded ftinding to Ohio and other Great Lakes States.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1561}
{"speech_id":1090183725,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the Senate now proceed to a period of morning business with the following Senators being recognized to speak: Senator CONRAD for 2 minutes. Senator SPECTER for 20 minutes. Senator BYRD for 20 minutes. Senator LANDRIEU for 10 minutes. Senator VOINOVICH for 20 minutes. and Senator DEWINE for an hour.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BENNETT","chamber":"S","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":338}
{"speech_id":1090183743,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to salute Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. which celebrated its 100th anniversary on December 4. 2006. Founded at Cornell University in 1906. Alpha Phi Alpha is the Nations oldest AfricanAmerican fraternity. In addition to Martin Luther King. Jr.. the fraternity also proudly claims notable American leaders such as former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. former Senator Edward Brooke. Congressman CHARLIE RANGEL. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. and countless others. From advocating for the rights of African Americans to encouraging young people to attend college. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":985}
{"speech_id":1090183743,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Alpha Phi Alpha has played an important role in our country. Most recently. the fraternity successfully pushed to create a national memorial for Martin Luther King. Jr.. on the National Mall in Washington. DC. I send my best wishes upon this important milestone. and I am certain that the fraternity will continue its rich legacy of service and social justice in the next 100 years.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":985}
{"speech_id":1090183750,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I rise to thank Colin Hauck. an intern in my Washington. DC. office. for all of the hard work he has done for me. my staff. and the State of South Dakota this fall. Colin is a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School in Aberdeen. SD. and after graduating from the University of Arizona with a bachelor of arts in Anthropology. Colin received a master of arts in international relations and diplomacy at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He is a hard worker and has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I would like to rise and give my thanks to Colin and wish him continued success in the years to come.","speaker_name":"JOHN THUNE","chamber":"S","state":"SD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":660}
{"speech_id":1090183756,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I pay tribute to Wayne Sayer. who died suddenly on November 3 of this year. When I came to the Senate in 1983. Wayne was among the first people I met who was interested in and concerned about the loss of our semiconductor industry to Asia. He was one of the first to recognize the value of a close partnership between government policy and the U.S. hightech industry. His advice and counsel to members and staff through these early debates until the day he died were invaluable. His contributions to American competitiveness cannot be overstated. An Air Force veteran. he first worked for Precision Scientific. an instrumentation company. When Precision Scientific was acquired by GCA Corporation. he stayed with the new company and eventually opened GCAs Washington. DC office. ","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090183756,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"At the time of his death. he was the senior government affairs consultant to Applied Materials. He was a smart. hardworking man with a great sense of humor and style. Those of us who valued his counsel and enjoyed his company over the years will miss his voice of good sense. his skill with policy issues and mostly .his friendship. This is a loss. Mr. President. not only to the industry but to the country.","speaker_name":"JEFF BINGAMAN","chamber":"S","state":"NM","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090183773,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to pay tribute in the RECORD of the Senate to my friend Carole Kell. who is a great Georgian. a great American. and a great citizen of Cobb County. Next week Carole will be honored by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce as the East Cobb Citizen of the Year for her many contributions to the quality of life in Cobb County. GA. Carole has a long and distinguished record as an educator in Cobb County. where she has lived for over 40 years. During her career. she served as the principal of Dickerson Middle School and Hightower Trail Middle School. I believe education is the most important thing we can provide for our children and for our countrys future. and I commend Carole for her dedication to the success of her students over the years. Carole also has a long history of community involvement in my .hometown of Marietta. GA. where she is a wellrespected and dedicated leader. Although Carole has retired from the workforce. she has not \"retired\" from her commitment to her community. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2265}
{"speech_id":1090183773,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Hopefully. she never will. Carole is a longstanding member of the board of directors of the Cobb YMCA and the Business Education Steering Committee of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. She is the chair of the Committee for Election of the Cobb County Commission and chair of the Wellstar Cancer Council. Carole also serves on the advisory board for Johnson Ferry Community Bank of the South. the Cobb and Douglas Board of Health. and the Cobb and Douglas Community Services Board. In addition. she is a member of the Cobb County Republican Womens Club and a board member of the Cobb Boys and Girls Club as well as a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Kell High School. which is named after her late husband. Carole was an active member of Marietta Baptist Church. where she taught Sunday School for children. sang in the adult choir. and helped with the childrens choir. She is currently. a member of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. Carole has also raised funds over the years for the American Cancer Society. the Leukemia Society. and the American Heart Association. It gives me a great deal of pleasure and it is a privilege to recognize on the floor of the U.S. Senate the contributions of Carole Kell to Cobb County and the State of Georgia..","speaker_name":"JOHN ISAKSON","chamber":"S","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2265}
{"speech_id":1090183775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to take this opportunity to recognize and say farewell to an outstanding Air Force officer. BG Benjamin J. Spraggins. upon his retirement from the Air Force after more than 34 years of service. Throughout his career. Brigadier General Spraggins has served with distinction. and it is my privilege to recognize his many accomplishments and commend him for his service to the Air Force. the Congress. and our grateful Nation. Brigadier General Spraggins is a longtime resident of my home State and devoted public servant of Harrison County. MS. He enlisted in the U.S. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090183775,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Air Force on March 17. 1972. After over 6 years of successful enlisted service. reaching the grade of technical sergeant. Brigadier General Spraggins received his commission from the Academy of Military Science. McGhee Tyson. TN. Following graduation from Officer Candidate School. Brigadier General Spraggins completed aviation school at Mather Air Force Base. CA. and RF4C training at Shaw. Air Force Base. SC. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090183775,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Brigadier General Spraggins was then stationed with the 187th Transport Ready .Group at Dannelly Field. AL. flying the RF4C fighter aircraft. While stationed in 187th. Brigadier General Spraggins served in many critical positions including iistructor. scheduling officer and assistant chief of standards and evaluations. He was a weapon systems officer in the RF4C from 19791983 and a weapons system instructor in the F4D from 19831988 at the 187th Fighter Wing. Brigadier General Spraggins completed his military flying career with over 2.500 hours in the T37. T43. RF4C. and F4Daircraft. On September 23. 1987. Brigadier General Spraggins was assigned to the Combat Readiness Training Center. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090183775,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Gulfport. MS. During his tenure at the training center. he served in various positions including range control officer. director of operations. operations group commander. and finally as commander .of the Combat Readiness Training Center. As commander. Brigadier General Spraggins was responsible for operations and training of over 20.000 military personnel annually and provided oversight for a $75 million dollar budget. Concurrently. Brigadier General Spraggins was sent to Andrews Air Force Base. DC. in 2002 to run the Crisis Action Team for the Air National Guard. In 2003. he also served as the interim commander of the 186th Air Refueling Wing where he was responsible for operations of KC135 aircraft wing. with over 1.000 personnel and oversight of a $48 million dollar annual budget. He was the first member of the Mississippi Air National Guard to simultaneously command two major units. the Combat Readiness Training Center and the 186th Air Refueling Wing. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090183775,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":7,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Brigadier General Spraggins was assigned to the Tennessee Air National Guard in.November 2005 as the chief of staff. In this capacity he was responsible to the adjutant general for readiness of Tennessees three flying wings and three mission support units. In addition to duties as chief of staff. Brigadier General Spraggins also served as the air deputy commander. joint forces Headquarters. Tennessee National Guard. Brigadier General Spraggins was also attached as .the battle commander for Air Force North. Tyndall AFB. FL. In this capacity he was responsible for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the continental 1nited States. During his long and distinguished career. ","speaker_name":"TRENT LOTT","chamber":"S","state":"MS","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4346}
{"speech_id":1090183780,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is my sincere pleasure to congratulate the Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics on being awarded the 15th Annual Secretary Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award. On November 16. 2006. the SORCC was honored with the Carey Award. an award given by the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledging those VA organizations which exhibit performance and organizational excellence. Nearly 400.000 of our Nations veterans reside in the State of Oregon. The service of these men and women makes me proud to be an Oregonian. Unfortunately. oftentimes with great heroism comes great risk. Mental impairments. along with a variety of contributing factors. have led to a large concentration of homeless veterans in Oregon. totaling roughly onethird of Oregons homeless population.","speaker_name":"GORDON SMITH","chamber":"S","state":"OR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":805}
{"speech_id":1090183801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on \"Examining Enforcement of Criminal Insider Trading and Hedge Fund Activity\" on Tuesday. December 5. 2006 at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. S1i219 Witness LIst Panel I: Mr. Ronald J. Tenpas. Associate Deputy Attorney General. United States. Department of Justice. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090183801,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Washington. DC. -The Honorable Richard Blumenthal. Attorney General. State of Connecticut. Hartford. CT. Ms. Linda C. Thomsen. Director of Enforcement. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090183801,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Washington. DC. Panel H: Mr. Gary J. Aguirre. Former Investigator. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090183801,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Washington. DC. Mr. Walter J. Stachnik. Inspector General. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Washington. DC. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090183801,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Robert B. Hanson. Branch Chief. Division of Enforcement. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Washington. DC. Mr. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD BURR","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1315}
{"speech_id":1090183973,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam .Speaker. last month the American people demanded change from Washington. and in January they are going to get it. Over the last couple of years. the American people have grown increasingly disillusioned with a government that was not working for them. It is time that Washington stop listening exclusively to the elite special interests and start listening to the people who send us here. That is why Democrats want to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies to instead invest in new energy technologies. Rather than handouts to Big Oil. we should be working to make America energy independent. The inclusive Democratic agenda starts us down that path. Our agenda also looks out for American seniors over the interests of drug companies. There is simply no reason why our government shouldnt negotiate for lower prices. The government already negotiates on behalf of our veterans. and they are now enjoying a 42 percent savings on their drugs. Democrats and Republicans have heard the loud voices of Americans. ","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1132}
{"speech_id":1090183973,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Their voices should be echoed in this peoples House by every Member of this new Congress. a","speaker_name":"RUSS CARNAHAN","chamber":"H","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1132}
{"speech_id":1090183976,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. today I rise with mixed feelings. As the 109th Congress draws to a close. my longtime chief of staff. Eric Dell. will complete his tenure on Capitol Hill. Eric and I have worked together for the past 14 years: More than a trusted. competent staff member. Eric is a good friend. While I know he will go on to great things. his counsel and leadership in the office will be missed. I am happy about his new opportunities. Raised in Ridgeland. South Carolina. by his loving parents. Wayne and Ouida Dell. ","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1062}
{"speech_id":1090183976,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Eric has a distinguished career in South Carolina public service. He served as an intern to Senator Strom Thurmond and Governor Carroll Campbell. He managed the final campaign of my predecessor. the late Congressman Floyd Spence. He was the firstever Republican chief of staff of the State Senate Transportation Committee. I appreciate Erics success and his training of his successor. Dino Teppara. who has served capably as legislative director for the Second District. In conclusion. God bless our troops. and we will never forget September 11.","speaker_name":"JOE WILSON","chamber":"H","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1062}
{"speech_id":1090183983,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. as a strong opponent of the war in Iraq from the very beginning. I welcome the change in leadership at the Department of Defense. After years of hearing shifting rationales for the preemptive military strike launched by the Bush administration. the American public deserves a realistic evaluation of the conflict which has cost thousands of American and Iraqi lives. It was sobering to hear Robert Gates. the nominee for Secretary of Defense. acknowledge yesterday that we are not winning the war in Iraq despite repeated reassurances to the contrary ty the former Defense Secretary. Those of us who made the case in October of 2002 that we should not rush to war until the weapons inspectors had completed their work are deeply saddened that this unnecessary war has taken such a heavy toll and diminished the standing of the United States around the world. I look forward to examining the recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group so that we can try to find our way out of this quagmire that was created by the rush to war based on faulty or. even worse. deliberately distorted intelligence.","speaker_name":"DONALD PAYNE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1117}
{"speech_id":1090184056,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. recent advances in ultrasound technology have shown that unborn babies have the ability to recognize and respond to positive and negative stimuli. In fact. researchers. scientists now know that unborn children smile and cry. For years doctors have thought that babies learn to smile from mimicking their parents. However. researchers now know that an unborn child can be seen smiling in the womb months before it was thought babies could make such expressions. One of the Londonbased researchers. Dr. Stuart Campbell. said: \"It is remarkable that a newborn baby does not smile for about 6 weeks after birth. Before birth most babies smile frequently. This may indicate a babys calm. troublefree existence in the womb. and the relatively traumatic first few weeks after the birth when the baby is reacting to a strange. new environment.\" Another group of researchers in New Zealand were testing the effects of maternal smoking and drug use on unborn children. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1580}
{"speech_id":1090184056,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The coauthor of the study. Dr. Edward Mitchell of the University in Auckland. stated that the research shows the baby has the necessary sensory and brain development to process the offending sound and recognize it as something negative. Researchers observed deep inhalations and exhalations. open mouth. quivering chin. with the low decibel noise on the abdomen. There were many experiments that were done. but if unborn children can recognize positive and negative stimuli in utero. imagine the excruciating pain that must be felt during abortions. I urge you to support the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH PITTS","chamber":"H","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1580}
{"speech_id":1090184099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I The Clerk read as follows: move to suspend the rules and pass the H.R. 3248 SEC. 2. LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE. bill to amend the Public Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Health Service Act to establish a pro- resentatives of the United States of America in 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end gram to assist family caregivers in ac-\" Congress assembled. the following: NOTICE The Government Printing Office will publish corrections to the Congressional Record as a pilot program that has been authorized by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Corrections to the online Congressional Record will appear on the page on which the error occurred. The corrections will also be printed after the History of Bills and Resolutions section of the Congressional Record Index for printonly viewers of the Congressional Record. By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. TRENT LOTTI. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090184099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Chairman. NOTICE If the 109th Congress. 2d Session. adjourns sine die on or before December 15. 2006. a final issue of the Congressional Record for the 109th Congress. 2d Session. will be published on Wednesday. December 27. 2006. in order to permit Members to revise and extend their remarks. All material for insertion must be signed by the Member and delivered to the respective offices of the Official Reporters of Debates (Room HT60 or S123 of the Capitol). Monday through Friday. between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. through Wednesday. December 27. The final issue will be dated Wednesday. December 27. 2006. and will be delivered on Thursday. December 28. 2006. None of the material printed in the final issue of the Congressional Record may contain subject matter. or relate to any event that occurred after the sine die date. ","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090184099,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senators statements should also be submitted electronically. either on a disk to accompany the signed statement. or by email to the Official Reporters of Debates at \"Record@Sec.Senate.gov\". Members of the House of Representatives statements may also be submitted electronically by email. to accompany the signed statement. and formatted according to the instructions for the Extensions of Remarks template at http:\/\/ clerk.house.gov\/forms. The Official Reporters will transmit to GPO the template formatted electronic file only after receipt of. and authentication with. the hard copy. and signed manuscript. Deliver statements to the Official Reporters in Room HT60. Members of Congress desiring to purchase reprints of material submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record may do so by contacting the Office of Congressional Publishing Services. at the Government Printing Office. on 5120224. between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. By order of the Joint Comrmittee on Printing. TRENT LOT. Chairman. O Printed on recycled paper.","speaker_name":"NATHAN DEAL","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2850}
{"speech_id":1090184178,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. on November 16 of this year. America and the world lost not only a brilliant economist but a towering giant of an unbounded vision for freedom. Dr. Friedman was widely recognized worldwide for his economic explanations and philosophies of government and markets. Beyond pure economic analysis. Dr. Friedman promoted liberty and choices in all areas. I am honored to have the opportunity to commemorate his life with this resolution to honor him and have enjoyed collaborating with the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey. House Resolution 1089 outlines his academic. publishing. and prizewinning accomplishments. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3852}
{"speech_id":1090184178,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will not relist them here. There is so much to say. Dr. Friedmans economic prescription advocated we steadily. constantly stabilize the growth of money supply. then more or less just stay out of the way. leaving the economy to the free creative choices of millions of productive individuals. households. and businesses. rather than one micromanaging government. Milton Friedman put individuals. not bureaucrats at best or despots at worst. in the drivers seat. Essentially we admire him for espousing that economic freedom is necessary for political freedom. And today few would arguethat Friedmans ideas went from being seen as radical to now being fully accepted. Most successful countries rely on monetary policy as their chief stabilizing tool. Some shining examples are borne out in Eastern Europe nations that not so long ago dwelled under the Iron Curtain. I think a cartoon that was printed in the Christian Science Monitor in 1990 by Danziger sums it up pretty well. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3852}
{"speech_id":1090184178,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It says \"Statue of Milton Friedman is erected in Poland in place of Whathisname.\" And of course it depicts a collapsed Lenin en his face with a lady chortling \"Hah!\" at the broken statue while other Poles are pulling up a smiling. bespeckled Milton Friedman statue and they have crossed out \"Lenin\" and carved \"Uncle Miltie\" on the statue base. My colleagues. his crowning achievement was establishing with his wife the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation. based in Indianapolis. Indiana. for the purpose of promoting educational choice and reform for parents and their children. School choice continues to be passionately debated today. yet experiments from the District of Columbia to my own State of Florida. under Governor Jeb Bushs lead. demonstrate great promise in liberating educational opportunities for all. We have done this successfully for colleges since World War II with the Montgomery GI bill. So why should we deny school choice for kindergartners through senior high school students here in America? And. finally. my colleagues. I cannot end a tribute to Dr. Friedman without also honoring his wife of 68 years. Rose was his classmate. partner economist. fellow radical for freedom. and. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3852}
{"speech_id":1090184178,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I daresay. the love of his life. I know she and children David and Janet and their grandchildren mourn their beloved Milton but are at peace knowing they contributed to this great man who contributed just so much to the multitudes in this country. For me when I think of the values not only Milton Friedman and his wife promoted. I am moved by this paragraph from the Friedmans memoirs. \"Two Lucky People.\" Mr. Speaker. this sentiment is bigger than partisan politics. It is more profound than the Washington interest group agenda. It marvelously illustrates optimism for: what America could be. \" . . . So we close this book full of optimism for the future in the belief that those ideas will prevail and that our children and grandchildren will live in a country that continues to advance rapidly in material and biological wellbeing and gives its citizens ever wider freedom to follow their own values and tastes so long as they do not interfere with the ability of others to do the same.\" Milton Friedman. well done. ","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3852}
{"speech_id":1090184178,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rest in peace.","speaker_name":"CLIFFORD STEARNS","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3852}
{"speech_id":1090184208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume to conclude for our side. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1084. as amended. a resolution that honors the life of Ed Bradley. Most of us know Ed Bradley from his 25 years of work on the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes. and his many interviews with world figures. celebrities and cultural icons. The men and the women who sat in the chair across from Bradley doing his 60 Minutes interviews were figures of importance. people to whom we should pay attention. and we could rely on Bradley to make sure that no skeleton in the darkest corner of his subjects closet was safe from the tenacious journalists. Bradley got his break by covering the 1965 riots while working parttime for free at a Philadelphia radio station. His talent did not go unnoticed for long. Bradley caught the ear of New York. and CBS radio hired him in 1967. He became the lone African American to report the news on the airways in New York. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2387}
{"speech_id":1090184208,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bradley went on to work in international television news in 1971. He worked for CBS news in Paris. Vietnam and Cambodia. where he proved himself as the quintessential journalist in sometimes dangerous situations. During his coverage of the Vietnam War. Bradley was injured by shrapnel from a mortar shell. a true testament to his devotion to getting a story. Bradley began working on the 60 Minutes news show in 1981. and he remained there until his death last month from leukemia. I had the opportunity to be sitting close to the mayor of the City of Chicago at the Democratic Convention when he and Ed Bradley got into a serious exchange. one that everybody in our city always remembers. A tenacious style and hardhitting coverage earned Bradley many accolades and awards over the years. He won 19 Emmys and countless other awards by bringing us some of the most memorable television news moments over the past 25 years. Whether he was standing on the floor of a Presidential convention. sitting across the table from a world leader. teaching us about the AIDS epidemic from a remote region of Africa. reporting about war and humanitarian crises in Vietnam or Cambodia. or calling from a public phone booth in Philadelphia to report on the 1965 riots. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2387}
{"speech_id":1090184208,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Bradley was a welcome guest in our homes and hearts for almost 40 years. I again express my strong support for this resolution that honors Ed Bradley.","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2387}
{"speech_id":1090184218,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. it is believed that Leroy \"Satchel\" Paige was born on July 7. 1905. In 1965. 60 years after Pages estimated birth. he took the mound for the last time and threw three shutout innings for the Kansas City Athletics. Paiges pitching was amazing and his showboating was legendary. Joe DiMaggio called Paige \"the best and fastest pitcher I have ever faced.\" His career highlights spanned five decades. Pronounced the greatest pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues. Paige compiled such feats as 64 consecutive scoreless innings. a stretch of 21 straight wins. and a 314 record in 1933. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090184218,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For 22 years. Paige mauled the competition in front of sellout crowds. His goal was to pitch in the Major Leagues. In 1948. Paiges dream came true. The Cleveland Indians were in. need of extra pitching for the pennant race. Paige stepped to the mound and helped the Indians win. He also played for St. Louis and Kansas City. When Paiges Major League career was completed. he compiled a modest 2831 record with a 3.29 earned run average. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090184218,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He also served as a coach for the Atlanta Braves in 1968. In 1971. Paige was given the ultimate honor. He was elected to join the very best in baseball history by being elected to the Hall of Fame. Mr. Speaker. I am honored to support S. Con. Res. 91. Mr. ","speaker_name":"DANNY DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1393}
{"speech_id":1090184239,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of House Resolution 1082. the resolution that condemns the decision by the city of St. Denis. France. to name a street in honor of Mumia AbuJamal. the convicted murderer of Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Faulkner. In 1981. Officer Faulkner was shot multiple times by AbuJamal. who was then convicted and sentenced to death. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1569}
{"speech_id":1090184239,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Although AbuJamals conviction was upheld on appeal. the death sentence was overturned on habeas review in 2001. 20 years after the crime was committed. The city of St. Denis exhibited gross disregard for the family of Officer Faulkner. the city of Philadelphia and the families of slain law enforcement officers all over the United States when it callously announced the naming of a street to honor AbuJamal during the 2006 National Police Week. House Resolution 1082 condemns the heinous murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner and urges the city of St. Denis to reconsider the decision to name a street after a convicted police murderer. Should the city of St. Denis fail to act. the resolution asks the government of France to take action to correct this injustice and concludes by commending all police officers for their commitment to public service and safety. This resolution has received the support of the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Troopers Coalition. I would like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1569}
{"speech_id":1090184266,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the chairmans support in allowing this bill to be brought to the floor to the House of Representatives today. I would also like to thank my friend. Mike Turner of Freedom Court Reporting in Alabama. who first brought this matter to my attention. I am pleased we have been able to work together with the committee of jurisdiction to find a satisfactory remedy to the issue of recognition of notarizations across State lines. During the hearings held on this bill by the Subcommittee on Courts. the Internet and Intellectual Property. Ranking Member Berman pointed out that. \"Although the topic of notary recognition between the States is not necessarily the most exciting issue. it is an extremely practical one.\" To my colleague across the aisle. I would have to agree with both points. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090184266,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During that hearing in March. we heard from several witnesses who all agreed that this is an ongoing and a difficult problem for interstate commerce. To businesses and individuals engaged in business across State lines. this is a matter long overdue which is being resolved. H.R. 1458 will eliminate the confusion that arises from States who refuse to acknowledge the integrity of documents notarized out of State. H.R. 1458 would require that documents be recognized in any State or Federal court if the subject affects interstate commerce and the document is duly notarized by a seal or if a seal is tagged to an electronic document. Currently. each State is responsible for regulating its notaries. Typically. an individual will pay a fee. will submit an application. and takes an oath of office. Some States require applicants to enroll in educational courses. pass exams. and even obtain a notary bond. Nothing in this legislation will change these steps. It shall be made clear that we are not trying to mandate how States regulate notaries public they appoint. In addition. the bill would also not preclude the challenge of notarized documents such as a will contest. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090184266,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During the subcommittee hearing. the executive director of the National Notary Association stated. \"We like this bill because it is talking about a standard for the legal effects of the material act. the admissibility of it. not at all interfering with the State requirements for education and regulation of the notaries themselves.\" Thank -you again. Mr. Chairman. for your support of this legislation and allowing the legislation to move forward today. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1458 under the suspension of the rules today.","speaker_name":"ROBERT ADERHOLT","chamber":"H","state":"AL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090184292,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of S. 4044. the Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation Clarification Act of During the 105th Congress the Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation Protection Act of 1998 was signed into law by President Clinton. This bipartisan measure. introduced by Senator HATCH. sought to protect the rights of debtors to continue to make religious and charitable contributions after they filed for bankruptcy relief. In addition. the act protects religious and charitable organizations from having to turn over to bankruptcy trustees donations these organizations received from individuals who subsequently filed for bankruptcy relief. As many of you will recall. a major overhaul of the Bankruptcy Code was enacted last year as the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. The clear intent of that act was not to disturb the rights of debtors to continue to make charitable contributions or to tithe pursuant to the 1998 act. ","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2101}
{"speech_id":1090184292,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Nonetheless. at least one court has construed Bankruptcy Code section 1325. amended by the 2005 act. to prohibit chapter 13 debtors with abovemedian incomes from making charitable contributions or tithing. To address this judicial confusion. this bill simply clarifies that a chapter 13 debtor who is subject to section 1325(b)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code. may make charitable contributions or tithe to the same extent determined in accordance with Bankruptcy Code\" section 1325(b)(2)(A)(ii). S. 4044 is a bipartisan measure that makes good sense. Donations are used by religious or charitable organizations to fund valuable services to society which serve the common good. This principle. for example. is recognized in the Internal Revenue Codes provisions concerning the deductibility of certain charitable contributions. Individuals who. for religious or other reasons. wish to donate to such organizations. even if they are in bankruptcy themselves. should not be deprived of this right. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"F. SENSENBRENNER","chamber":"H","state":"WI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2101}
{"speech_id":1090184327,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 1998. the stolen Valor Act. I commend my colleague from Colorado for introducing this. Ranking Member CONYERS and Chairman SENSENBRENNER for this important bill. because it will strengthen the penalties for the misuse and misrepresentation of our Nations highest military honors. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 3352. the House version of this bill. I thank Congressman SALAZAR and Senator CONRAD for working in a. bipartisan spirit to make this legislation a reality. I have had the opportunity during ny time in Congress to present medals of valor to many veterans in my district. Though their service was many years ago. it is an inspiring experience to hear these veterans talk about their service to our Nation with great pride and also reflecting the humility of the generation it served. For many of those who lay their lives on the line for our country. there is no greater honor than the receipt of a medal honoring their bravery and sacrifice. reflecting the sentiment of a grateful Nation. ","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2464}
{"speech_id":1090184327,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"It is disturbing to me that people would illegitimately sell these medals or display them as a false symbol of their own valor. While our soldiers have valiantly defended our freedom on the battlefield. others have displayed false symbols of service. misleading our citizens. cheapening the symbol. and dishonoring the heritage. traditions and servicemembers who have had to live the reality of military service. When General George Washington instituted our Nations first military award. he set forth a number of principles to follow. including one that stated. \"Should any who are not entitled to these honors have the insolence to assume the badges of them. they shall be severely punished.\" Those who illegally wear. sell or produce decorations and medals should be punished. These actions are disrespectful to generations of our Nations veterans and war heroes. The Stolen Valor Act will strengthen the punishment for those who falsely portray themselves as recipients of military decorations and medals. Military decorations and medals honor our Nations brave service men and women and inspire future generations to military service. They remind usof the great price of freedom. the excruciating time of separation. of loss. of pain. of sadness. and the joys of camaraderie that few can understand. I urge my colleagues to support the Stolen Valor Act and help preserve the integrity of our Nations military honors.","speaker_name":"GEOFF DAVIS","chamber":"H","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2464}
{"speech_id":1090184336,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yieldmyself as much time as I may consume. I am also pleased to rise in support of H.R. 6342. which would. as we have heard from Chairman Brown. extend expired and expiring authorizations for Department of Veterans Affairs programs. expand eligibility for survivor and dependent educational assistance. and authorize leases for VA medical facilities. This bill will permanently establish Parkinsons Disease research. education. and clinical care centers. as well as multiple sclerosis centers of excellence. Mr. Speaker. I include for the REcoRD letters of support for this bill from the Parkinsons Action Network. American Academy of Neurolojy. the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Hon. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":889}
{"speech_id":1090184336,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"STEVE BUYER. Chairman. Veterans Affairs Committee. Washington. DC. Hon. LANE EVANS. Ranking Member. Veterans Affairs Committee. Washington. ","speaker_name":"BOB FILNER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":51.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":889}
{"speech_id":1090184407,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. just about everything that needs to be said about the pipeline safety bill has been said. so I will not repeat the details. the specifics of the legislation. It is a good bill. We have spent a lot of time in subcommittee. in full committee. and in conferring between our Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Energy and Commerce Committee and with the responsible committee in the other body. and we have finally ironed out the details and have a very sound framework for the future. The Office of Pipeline Safety has had a very checkered history. It has not worked effectively for a very long time. and then it had an awakening and it got on the right track again. We got the number of inspectors increased. funding for the system increased. we straightened out the cooperation. the coordination between the Federal office and the State offices. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5004}
{"speech_id":1090184407,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Then there was a period of decline. Now this administration. to their great credit. has designated the best person in the history of this program to head up the Office of Pipeline Safety. though it has a longer title now. and that is Admiral Tom Barrett. who brings Coast Guard discipline and a Coast Guard organization structure and a Coast Guard safety mindset into the work of this agency. which is its principal mission. safety. Admiral Barrett. from the time he walked on to the property. had conversations with me. as I am sure he did with Chairman YOUNG. and instilled great confidence in his ability to lead the agency. implement the law. to give us suggestions on how we can improve the legislative product and give him the tools that the agency needs to carry out its mission effectively. And that has certainly been undertaken. and to his great credit. Admiral Barrett has done a superb job of leadership for the Office of Pipeline Safety. The first hearing I held as chairman of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee in 1987 was following a pipeline break and an extraordinary explosion that killed two people in Moundsview. just outside my congressional district. when a gasoline pipeline leaked for days. and at 2 oclock in the morning a car passing through. with a loose tailpipe hit the pavement. caused a spark. ignited the whole street. and a mother and her daughter were incinerated in the process. Why? Because the Office of Pipeline Safety and the pipeline operator were not doing their jobs. That is not going to happen casually at least in the future. There may be some catastrophic failure of some kind. but in place now and with this legislation. and thanks to Admiral Barretts oversight. there is a system of safety in place in this agency. For that. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5004}
{"speech_id":1090184407,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank our subcommittee chairman. Mr. PETRI. the ranking member. Mr. DEFAZIO. our committee staff on both sides. and Chairman YOUNG. This may be our last opportunity on the House floor during this session of Congress for me to pay tribute to the leadership the gentleman from Alaska has given to our committee over these 6 years. Forever etched in title 49 of the U.S. Code will be the biggest transportation investment in a single bill in the history of our country. and that will be SAFETEALU. $286.5 billion. a work product through which our chairman led us in subcommittee. in full committee. and in a long and difficult conference with the other body. I will always remember Chairman YOUNGS courage. Mr. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5004}
{"speech_id":1090184407,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Speaker. standing before his President. advocating for a robust investment of $375 billion. as recommended by the Department of Transportation. in the future of highway and transit needs in America. improved pavement condition. reduced congestion and improved safety. and standing before his own Republican Conference and advocating. and staying the course. not wilting along the wayside when we had to scale that figure back to the ultimate $286.5 billion. maintaining intact within that legislation good public policy that will be an enduring legacy for our chairman and for our committee and for our country. We go now into the implementation of SAFETEAZLU. awaiting the interim report of the commission that our committqe authorized on the future of transportation needs in the country and how to finance it. But we will do so with the blueprint in our hand and lying ahead of us. which was crafted by this committee under the chairmans leadership. That and many other items of significant achievement. including the great investments that our committee has authorized and that are now being carried out in the U.S. Coast Guard. for which I know the chairman has a great affinity and which service is so important to his State of Alaska. but to the thousands of miles of coastline on the salt water coast and the inland waterways on the Great Lakes of our country. For his leadership. for his skill. for his courage and standing by principle. I salute our chairman. and thank him for his service and for the privilege of the partnership that we have enjoyed during these 6 years.","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5004}
{"speech_id":1090184410,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the remaining time. Before I close. Mr. Speaker. I just want to take a moment to thank the many friends and colleagues that I have in this body that have made the last 6 years the most successful and enjoyable of my years in Congress. in 34 years. While I am looking forward to many more years here in Congress. you are not- going to get rid of me that soon. and I will continue to lead the charge for those issues near and dear to my heart. I take great pride in the work of the great Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure over the last 6 years. We faced some extraordinary challenges in the committee. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090184410,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"During this period of time was September 11. 2001. With the support. and I am sorry he has left. the support and cooperation of the ranking member. Congressman JIM OBERSTAR. we worked together. and within 2 weeks of this disaster for the aviation industry we enacted legislation to ensure the continued viability of this key transportation sector. Without the work of this committee. our aviation system would have collapsed. We also created the Transportation Security Administration and worked to set up the Department of Homeland Security. While I do not support everything that has happened in DHS. I believe that the efforts of our committee have ensured a safer and more secure America. We enacted the first major port security bill. We have improved pipeline safety. and tonight we will do it again. We enacted a multiple year aviation bill. reauthorized critical Coast Guard programs. restored the effectiveness of FEMA and overcame enormous obstacles to fund the building and maintenance of our highway infrastructure. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090184410,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I did not accomplish this all alone. and I want to thank my many friends and supporters in Alaska who sent me to work on their behalf. Again. I want to thank JIM OBERSTAR. and for those that may not know it. we never had a vote in the. committee in an adversarial position. We always worked it out. worked together. and I want to thank all the other 73 Members of the committee for their cooperation and support. We have the best reputation of the committees for bipartisanship. and I am proud of that. I hope we can continue to work that way. I have a great staff that has worked long and hard to draft legislation and negotiate on behalf of the Committee: Mrs. Megginson. Graham Hill. who is up in the audience who actually wrote this gas bill. Jim Tymon who worked on this bill and all the other bills and all the other staff members I have. ","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090184410,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I know the many sacrifices that the staff have made to get the job done. and I want them to know that I am grateful for- their efforts and very proud of them and for America. I also want to thank my many friends here in Washington who -have taken the time to keep me informed and support our efforts to enact good transportation policy. I finally want to thank my wife. Lu. TEALU. a bill that was named after her. for her close friendship. constant patience. support and encouragement. She is my inspiration for a legacy of the future of this Nation. I look forward to the next 2 years working. with this House in the House of Representatives to achieve great things in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I may not be the ranking member but I will be on the committee. I will be there. and we can provide for this Nation.","speaker_name":"DON YOUNG","chamber":"H","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":0.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3352}
{"speech_id":1090184425,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. \u0095 I rise in strong support of this concurrent resolution to recognize the achievements of The New York Institute for Special Education. During this academic year. the institute is celebrating its 175th year of providing an outstanding education to students with special needs. I thank my colleague from New York for sponsoring this very important resolution. Founded in 1831 as The New York Institution for the Education of the Blind. the institute began classes in March of 1832 as one of the first schools in the UnitedStates to provide an educational program for children who were blind or who were visually impaired. In the mid1980s. the institute expanded its mission to include programs for students with emotional and learning disabilities and for preschoolers with developmental delays. To reflect this broader mission. the institute adopted its current name change in 1986. In the year 2000. the institute again expanded with the creation of the Cornerstone Literacy Initiative to provide staff development and schdol reform leadership to high poverty school districts throughout the entire United States. This Congress has made special education a priority. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KUHL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090184425,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 2004. for instance. with overwhelming bipartisan support. we were able to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to provide teachers and parents and schools the tools needed to ensure that students in special education receive the opportunities that they deserve. In addition. in 2002. we passed the No Child Left Behind Act which ensures that the achievement of children with disabilities is a priority. and underline that priority. in our school systems. We are proud that we can partner with States. With local school districts and schools such as The New York Institute for Special Education. to ensure that our students with special needs are receiving a highquality education that prepares them for success. The New York Institute for Special Education in particular has a long history of providing just such an education for its students and being a leader in special education nationally. I again thank my colleague for bringing this important resolution forward and for giving us the opportunity to celebrate The New York Institute for Special Education on the occasion of its 175th birthday. and I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 484. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JOHN KUHL","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":29.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2453}
{"speech_id":1090184472,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. colleagues. I want to give ever update on the schedule for the of the week. We were attemp finish our business by late to That does not look possible ti this point. And in order to giv one as straight a headsup as I do expect that we will be fini the end of business on Friday. would suggest to Members tha time Friday we will be finishe only Wednesday. so I cant t what time Friday. so dont ask. those of you that have big pl ervations. if you want to make tions for Saturday morning. that you will be relatively safe.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":532}
{"speech_id":1090184487,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I have no further speakers. but I wish to take a bit of time to express my own deep admiration for my dear friend from Iowa. whose brilliance and decency and commitment we shall miss more than any of us can express. During an extraordinarily distinguished. rich. impressive service. Congressman LEACH has brought to this body intellectual equipment. integrity. a passionate commitment to the Congress. and he will be sorely and deeply missed by all of us on both sides of the aisle. On behalf of all of my colleagues on the Democratic side. I want to express our admiration. our respect and our friendship for him. and wish him the very best in what I am sure will be exciting future endeavors. ","speaker_name":"TOM LANTOS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":12.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":813}
{"speech_id":1090184503,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1088) expressing support for Lebanons democratic institutions and condemning the recent terrorist assassination of Lebanese parliamentarian and Industry Minister Pierre Amin Gemayel.","speaker_name":"ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"F","party":"R","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":260}
{"speech_id":1090184539,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. today the Iraq Study Group released a reasonable working document that affirms the situation in Iraq. and I quote. \"is grave and deteriorating.\" and. I quote again. \"time is running out for a U.S. success strategy.\" Indeed the report attests that 79 percent of the Iraqi people do not believe that the U.S. presence there is constructive. 79 percent of the people of Iraq do not view our presence as constructive. I have affirmed many times since the Abu Ghraib prison scandal that the Bush administration policy has forfeited our moral authority in Iraq. Those polling numbers prove it again. On the very day that this report was released. today. another 10 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq. Attacks against U.S. forces now total more than 180 a day. And this figure d6ubles with each passing year. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4556}
{"speech_id":1090184539,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The report also restates our Nations financial commitment to the Iraqi war. now soaring over $400 billion a year. sapping strength from U.S. domestic priorities such as health care. education. energy independence. all much needed here at home. Unfortunately. the report begins with this sentence. and I quote: \"The U.S. has longterm relationships and interests at stake in the Middle East.\" but then. amazingly. fails to identify them. Obviously. one of them is oil. And the U.S.. again. does not commit itself in this report to a strong effort ta restore Americas energy independence here at home. In addition. the report is very iffy on how the oil bounty of Iraq. which has the second largest set of reserves in the entire world. will be handled in the future. Though it makes suggestions on how to manage that oil reserve. the prospects of that being accomplished are quite remote. The report makes many recommendations that apply in Iraq.. but not to end Americas chief strategic vulnerability. our dependence on imported petroleum surely from the Middle East. Importantly. the report places the Iraq situation in a regional context. explaining how what is happening in Iraq is operating to harm Americas standing throughout the Middle East. It states how tepid international support is for the U.S. engagement in Iraq. despite the Presidents acclamations that there is a coalition of the willing. In addition. the report acknowledging that for the United States to draw down forces. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4556}
{"speech_id":1090184539,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iraqi units must replace .them. And then the report details that the 138.000 Iraqi Army troops and 188.000 police units have some state of readiness. Half of them are not up to the task. with many functions infiltrated by the opposition. The report presents a confusing picture on the issue of how long the United States might need to maintain its presence in Iraq. It recommends unit withdrawal by 2008 at some level. But then. in a different section. the report states that not all U.S. combat brigades would be needed in the future for force protection for backing up Iraqi units. but. of course. says many units would still be needed. At least that is the inference. but it doesnt say how many. In the end. it fails to address the issue of how many combat units would actually be needed and. therefore. leaves the door open for an extended U.S. presence. Admitting the difficulty it will entail. the report recommends restoring broken diplomatic relations with nations.the administration has publicly ridiculed. such as Syria and Iran. as well as factions within Iraq and throughout the region with which the administration has no dialogue. such as Moqtada alSadrs Mahdi faction. The report properly identifies the unresolved IsraeliPalestinian conflict as paramount to reaching a regional peace settlement. stating clearly that neither Democrats nor Republicans would ever abandon Israel. but making strong recommendations on how to restore the peace process. ","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4556}
{"speech_id":1090184539,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The report also makes some statements I find implausible. One is that only 5.000 civilian contractors are operating in Iraq. from hired guns to transportation specialists. when in fact that number now exceeds over 100.000. and represents a serious and worrisome departure from past U.S. military operations. If that private presence morphs into a mercenary force that occupies Iraq as the U.S. military withdraws. this would be a first in American history and a development I would not welcome. Mr. Speaker. I was disappointed to read that at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. which was the largest in the world with over 1.000 employees. only 33 Americans speak Arabic. This is shocking and dangerous and another indication of the shocking mismanagement of the U.S. mission in Iraq.","speaker_name":"MARCY KAPTUR","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"F","party":"D","district":9.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4556}
{"speech_id":1090184555,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. SHERRY BOEHLERT was my good friend. He was a wonderful chairman and a great environmental champion. SHERRY was a consistent bulwark in the Republican Party against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and his outstanding leadership is one of the main reasons why the Refuge remains a pristine wilderness. today. In defending this magnificent wilderness. he more than filled the shoes of a Republican GeneralPresident Dwight David Eisenhowerwho had the foresight to protect the refuge for its unique environmental values and the backbone to resist a storm of pressure to let the drillers destroy this untrammeled corner of America forever. SHERRY was also the leading Republican voice for higher fuel economy standards for our nations cars. trucks and SUVs. In doing so. he stood tall for our soldiers who fight on the oil fields of the Middle East and for the children of our children who are facing a climate change catastrophe that we are only beginning to fathom. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with him often in these fights and his leadership and passion were an inspiration to me and to everyone who knew him.","speaker_name":"EDWARD MARKEY","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1177}
{"speech_id":1090184647,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to bid farewell to a decent and principled member of this body. MARK DAYTON. Over the past 6 years. Senator DAYTON has proven his dedication to the highest ideals of this body through his devotion to economic justice. education. and health care concerns. In October 2002. MARK DAYTON voted against the Iraq war resolution. despite the fact that President Bush was presenting fairly convincing evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and most of the Nation was supportive of the decision to go to war. MARK DAYTON held to his convictions. and history will judge him favorably because of it. As a Senator. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3112}
{"speech_id":1090184647,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MARK has donated his entire Senate salary to help his constituents pay for prescription drugs. His salary goes to the Minnesota Senior Federation for \"Rx Express\" bus trips to help senior citizens buy cheaper prescription drugs in Canada. In the Senate. he has fought to make such trips less necessary by proposing the Meeting Our Responsibility to Medicare Beneficiaries Act to permit the Government to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. He has also introduced the Taste of Our Own Medicine Act to require Members of Congress to share the same prescription drug benefits as Medicare recipients. MARK DAYTONS 6 years in the Senate are a continuation of his lifelong copamitment to public service. He previously worked as a teacher on the Lower East Side of New York. as a counselor for runaways. and as the chief financial officer for a social service agency in Boston. He worked for Senator Walter Mondale and campaigned with him during his Vice Presidential bid with President Jimmy Carter. MARK also served twice as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Energy and Economic Development. MARK DAYTON has used the economic experience he gained as commissioner. and as Minnesota State auditor to help American workers during his time in the Senate. He has supported extended unemployment assistance and an increase in the minimum wage while opposing outsourcing of American jobs. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3112}
{"speech_id":1090184647,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator DAYTON has been a strong supporter of increased funding for education. He introduced the Nontraditional Student Success Act and the Restore the Dream Act to help students pay for higher edubation. He has repeatedly insisted that Congress live up to its promise to Americas public schools and children by offering amendments to fully fund the federal governments commitment to special education. MARK has also fought for additional career arid technical training. During his time in this body. MARK DAYTON has nobly stood up for the American people. In a speech on the Senate floor. he noted: \"A government of the people. by the people. and for the people is a government that tells the truth to its citizens. If it doesnt. it is not a government of them. not by them. and certainly not for them. It is imperative.\" Although MARK DAYTONs voice will no longer be heard on the Senate floor. I know that he will continue to do great work for Minnesotans and for all Americans. ","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3112}
{"speech_id":1090184647,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am proud to have served with him and wish him all the best.","speaker_name":"BARACK OBAMA","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3112}
{"speech_id":1090184676,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam President. this morning the Iraq Study Group issued a stunning indictment of the administrations policy toward Iraq. The study group has concluded that the \"situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating\" and that \"sectarian conflict is the principal challenge to stability.\" The groups report explicitly rejects the strategy of staying the course As it states. \"Current U.S. policy is not working. as the level of violence in Iraq is rising and the government is not advancing national reconciliation. Making no changes in policy would simply delay the day of reckoning at a high cost. Nearly 100 Americans are dying every month.\" Truer words were never spoken. The study group calls for \"new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region. and a change in the primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq that will enable the United States to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq responsibly.\" Significantly. this group of distinguished leaders has called unanimously for change in our military mission of engaging in combat directly to a new mission of supporting the Iraqi army and beginning to withdraw our combat troops. The report sets a clear goal for achieving this shift in mission and beginning the redeployment of our forces by the first quarter of 2008. The report states clearly that \"the United States must not make an openended commitment to keep large numbers of American troops deployed in Iraq.\" Instead. the report calls for clear commitments from the Iraqi government on reconciliation. along with clear consequences for our military. political. and economic assistance if the commitments are not met. The report also calls for talks that include all of Iraqs neighbors in the region. especially Iran and Syria. and for a new diplomatic initiative to resolve the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. The American people are demanding change in Iraq. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4735}
{"speech_id":1090184676,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Robert Gates. the nominee for Secretary of Defense. has agreed we need change. and now the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended a clear change in the way forward in Iraq. The verdict is in. There can no longer be any doubt that the violence and chaos in Iraq are getting worge. that our current strategy is failing. and that we need to work together on a new strategy that will make it possible for us to bring our troops home. The only question is whether the White House will heed this clarion call and agree to change the perilous course we have been on in Iraq since Saddam Hussein fell and the chaos began. More of the same failed policy that depends on an openended commitment of our military will not bring America closer to success. It will not stop the violence. It will only continue to undermine our own national security interests. Iraq is the defining issue of our time. and the person who will have a major voice in meeting the enormous responsibility of recommending the new course will be the new leader we are confirming today as the Secretary of Defense. The American people are demanding far more than a change of faces at the Pentagon. They are demandingand they deservea comprehensive change in our policy so that we finally have a policy on Iraq that is worthy of the enormous sacrifice. commitment. and valor of our men and women in uniform. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4735}
{"speech_id":1090184676,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Although I voted against the nomination of Robert Gates to head the CIA in 1991. I support his nomination to be Secretary of Defense. because he assured the committee that he would be an independent thinker and give candid and frank advice to the President about a way forward in Iraq. During the confirmation hearing yesterday. Dr. Gates spoke with candora candor that has been sorely missing from the Department of Defense under this administration. He recognized the high price that our troops are paying for the current policy. He clearly stated that we are not winning in Iraq and that all options for a way forward are on the table. He assured me personally that he would speak candidly. frankly. and boldly to people at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue about what he believes and what he thinks needs to be done. He told me that he is not coming \"back to Washington to be a bump on a log.\" He assured me that he will be \"independent\" and that he \"will consider all of the options.\" He said that he is open to dialogue with Iran and Syria. We all hope the administration will quickly set a new course that will enable our troops to begin to come home. ","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4735}
{"speech_id":1090184676,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We need more than a new facewe need a new policy. Our men and women in uniform who are making the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq deserve no less. and I look forward to working with Dr. Gates on these important issues in the months and years ahead as he assumes the responsibility of Secretary of Defense. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"EDWARD KENNEDY","chamber":"S","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4735}
{"speech_id":1090184690,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I rise- today to speak on behalf of the brave men and women who are defending our country around the world and for those valiant veterans who have served and are now home. On November 14. this Senate passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. I was on the Senate floor for 5 hours. and every Senator had ample time to debate any part of this bill. Several Senators spoke. In the end. this bill was agreed to by the entire Senate by a unanimous vote. It is a good bill. It is a bipartisan bill. It is one that we have worked on together for months. We are at war. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090184690,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have to care for the men and women fighting this war. and we have to take care of them when they return. This bill funds the vital infrastructure our brave soldiers. sailors. and airmen and women need to defend our country. They must have the funding to operate bases with sufficient facilities and protection so they can fulfill the mission we ask of them. The bill also provides critical dollars to care for those veterans who were injured in battle. This bill provides funds for medical services and mental health treatment for veterans suffering from the wounds they received in battle. They are not only suffering from obvious wounds. thousands are suffering from traumatic shock and mental anguish. Thousands are suffering from diseases for which we dont even have a treatment. This bill funds the research for that treatment. As a nation. we ask our men and women to defend and protect us. We owe it to them. ","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090184690,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We have an obligation to care for them. It is a moral obligation and one that I feel is my responsibility to fulfill. If we adjourn without completing our work on this bill. we will let those men and women down. We will let down every American they swore an oath to protect and serve. Madam President. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5385. the Military Construction appropriations bill. that the Senate insist on its amendment. request a conference with the House. and the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees.","speaker_name":"KAY HUTCHISON","chamber":"S","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2100}
{"speech_id":1090184730,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it has been my honor twice to sit down in my office with the Aominee to be our next Secretary of Defense. Robert Gates. Both meetings have been very positive. The last was this morning. When Dr. Gates came in early this morning. I congratulated him on his appearance before the Committee on Armed Services yesterday. He said: It is amazing what a little candor will do. That is what endeared him to the committee and resulted in this unanimous. bipartisan vote bringing his nomination to the floor. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7526}
{"speech_id":1090184730,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Gates was honest with members of the Committee on Armed Services. He will be honest with the American people. He understands that our efforts in Iraq are not going well and we need to change. He is a person who is dedicated to the kind of change which will be consistent with our values in foreign policy. He told me honestly he didnt know what we should -do in Iraq. but we need to examine the two primary missions we now face: establishing conditions of security on the one hand. training and supporting the Iraqis on the other. He said we may need to shift the balance between the two missions. That is not unlike the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group which were released today. That commission delivered to the President a series of recommendations. In just a short time. in about 2 hours. the Senate is expected to confirm Dr. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7526}
{"speech_id":1090184730,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gates as the new Secretary of Defense with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Those two developments today provide an opportunity to change the course in Iraq. Of course. the ultimate responsibility is on our Commander in Chief. the President of the United States. On November 7. the American people spoke out clearly of the need for change. Dr. Gates was an original member of the BakerHamilton group and agrees that change is necessary. Today. that group confirmed the need to change our policy and lay out a framework to redeploy American forces. Redeployment means basically removing them from the dangers of Iraq. placing them nearby to be called on if necessary but. more importantly. starting to bring them home. Only the Commander in Chief can make that happen. The President has said he is not looking for a graceful exit from Iraq. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7526}
{"speech_id":1090184730,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would have to say that America should be looking for the right exit from Iraq. The President was asked a few months ago: When will American troops come home? He said he would have to leave that decision to future Presidents. I dont believe America wants to see troops in Iraq facing the dangers of war for the next 2 years and for many years beyond. We believe we have done a great deed for the Iraqi people in removing their dictator and giving them a chance to have their own constitution and their own government. Now it is time for the Iraqis to stand and defend their own nation. According to the Iraq Study Group. the most professional and proficient military in history has been stretched to the breaking point because of repeated deployments to Iraq. As of today. I have been given an updated figure: 2.907 American service men and women have been killed and 21.000 have been wounded. We have about 140.000 troops in Iraq today. We certainly owe it to these soldiers. these brave men and women and their families to initiate this redeployment process as quickly as possible. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7526}
{"speech_id":1090184730,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":9,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The war in Iraq impacts our defense posture worldwide. Because of Iraq. we have fewer options to respond to emerging threats in this dangerous world. In thinking about the war in Iraq recently. like many others I was struck by how many comparisons there are to the situation of Vietnam four decades ago. There are many differences. but there are many parallels. In October of 1964. running for President. Lyndon Johnson said: We are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves. In 1969. 5 years after that statement. there were over half a million American troops in Vietnam. That same year. Johnsons successor. President Nixon. who had run on a campaign that he had a secret plan to end the war. said: Im not going to be the first American president to lose a war. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7526}
{"speech_id":1090184756,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to our distinguished colleague from Colorado that I had the privilege of being with the distinguished ranking member. Senator LEVIN. Senator BIDEN. Senator LUGAR. Senator LIEBERMANa group of us at the White HouseSenator ROCKEFELLER. Senator ROBERTS. counseling with the President on these various issues. It was an extraordinary meeting. I have had the privilege throughout my 28 years in the Senate to be in that Cabinet Room many times. but this was a very historic moment. ","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090184756,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The President listened very carefully to the perspectives and views of Members of the Senate. and we had an equal number from the House of Representatives. I am encouraged for the future. I am looking forward to our President assessing all of the options related to Iraq. I commended the BakerHamilton report during the course of our meeting. We talked about his interim study. We talked about the Pentagon input and the input of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. I am optimistic that our President is going to carefully consider all options. But we must wait and see as he. under the Constitution. has to make that final decision with regard to such changes that we may have in our policy. I thank the Senator.","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1208}
{"speech_id":1090184761,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I further ask unanimous consent that an essay which Christopher Bradish and I published in th6 current issue of the Washington Quarterly which goes into some greater detail about my own views as to the advisability of bilateral talks with Syria and Iran. as well as North Korea. be printed in the RECORD.","speaker_name":"ARLEN SPECTER","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":304}
{"speech_id":1090184782,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to express my support for the confirmation of Robert Gates to become our Nations next Secretary of Defense. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Gates in my office. I appreciated his frankness. both in my discussions with him as well as during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He demonstrated candor and pledged independence that the current administration has been sorely lacking up until now. He also acknowledged that at this point. our operations in Iraq must place far more emphasis on finding a political solution rather than continuing to place an undue burden on Americas Armed Forces. It is for these reasons that I hope that Dr. Gates will serve as a critical voice for reason. leading our forces toward a proper exit from major operations in Iraq and toward rebuilding our warbattered Armed Forces. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4610}
{"speech_id":1090184782,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Gates seemed to discern the cost of. the war in Iraq. which has been mainly measured in the number of lives lost and U.S. treasury spent. Over 2.900 brave American servicemembers have now been killed in Iraq and over $400 billion in appropriations have been approved by Congress. But there is another cost of warour militarys readiness. And. apparently. unlike his presumed predecessor. who believes that \"you have to go to war with the Army you have. not the Army you want.\" Dr. Gates has promised to address this issue. if confirmed. Some twothirds of our Nations combat brigades are currently unable to report for duty according to current reports. largely due to battleworn and damaged equipment. Dr. Gates seems committed to restoring our militarys readiness and. I hope. will be willing to fully meet the Armys request of $25 billion in fiscal year 2008 to fund the repair. replacement. and recapitalization of this gear. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4610}
{"speech_id":1090184782,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I concede that on a previous occasion I withheld my support for Dr. Gates when he was nominated for the position of the Director of Central Intelligence in 1991. At the time. I raised concerns over his past tenure at the CIA. including prior allegations of politicized intelligence. By all accounts Mr. Gates did a credible job as the Director of the CIA. It is my hope that his past experience has sensitized him to the danger that politicized intelligence can pose to our Nations national security and to the ability of our military commanders to understand and carry out the mission on the ground in Iraq. Afghanistan and elsewhere as they seek to advance United States interests. In addition. I am also hopeful that Mr. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4610}
{"speech_id":1090184782,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Gates will work with me to revisit the administrations military commissions policy. During our discussions. we talked about the bill that I introduced last month called the Effective Terrorists Prosecution Act of 2006 which addresses some of the most serious problems with the bill that the President recently signed into law. I. hope that Dr. Gates will consult with outside military and legal experts. as well as J.A.G. staff regarding the Military Commissions Act. I would further urge Dr. Gates to halt the Defense Departments plan to award a $125 million contract to build a new courthouse at Guantanamo Bay. to try detainees. This project was neither authorized nor appropriated by the Congress. and in my view. constitutes an egregious waste and abuse of taxpayers dollars on a facility designed to circumvent public and legal scrutiny into the treatment and trying of detainees. Our Nation and our Armed Forces are facing significant challenges. and. above all else. Dr. Gates needs to meet todays security concerns head on. swiftly and effectively. without any ideological agenda. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4610}
{"speech_id":1090184782,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Recognizing the hard truth. that we are not winning the war in Iraq. was a good first step. Understanding why we arent winning was a good second step. As Dr. Gates explained in his testimony. and as many of us have been saying for quite some time. we failed to deploy enough troops in Iraq to win the peace. we mistakenly disbanded the Iraqi Army. and we banned thousands of Baath Party members from working in the Iraqi Government. Only by recognizing and understanding that these specific policies have caused so much damage can we begin the work of ameliorating the ituation in Iraq. I look forward to working with Dr. Gates in a bipartisan and levelheaded manner to address these myriad problems. to adjust United States policy in Iraq and to rebuild our Nations Armed Forces. This fall. the American people voted for change in our Governments policies. particularly in Iraq. and I am hopeful that the confirmation of Dr. Gates will represent one of these many vital changes.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER DODD","chamber":"S","state":"CT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4610}
{"speech_id":1090184833,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The resolution notes that Georges shoeshine parlor has been in the heart of downtown Peoria for 60 years. Some would say that Georges just flat is the heart of downtown Peoria. TE S11311 Located across the street from the Peoria County Courthouse and kittycorner from the world headquarters of the Caterpillar Incorporated. Georges shoe shine parlor brings together people from all walks of life. Among his customers are the judges. lawyers. police. politicians and other courthouse regulars. business leaders. celebrities. and other folks who appreciate the importance of caring for leather and looking your best. They come in. sit down in one of Georges nine shoe shine chairs with their shoes scuffed and dirty and five or six minutes later. they stand up with their shoes polished to a mirror finish. looking like new money. Its like the old 1950 song by Harry Stone and Jack Stapp. Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy He makes the oldest kinda leather look like new You feel as though you want to dance when he gets through. And it only costs $3 a shinethe same price George has been charging for over 15 years. George Manias is a master of an almost lost art. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7082}
{"speech_id":1090184833,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He is a shoeshine professional. He wears a white dress shirt and a bow tie every day. A lot of shoeshine men nowadays apply the polish with a cloth. Not George. Hes old school. He massages the polish into your shoes with his bare hands. He explains: The polish gets into the leather better that way. Then he buffs and shines and the next thing you know. your shoes look better than when you bought them. Let me tell Georges story. It is a great American story. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7082}
{"speech_id":1090184833,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"George Manias was born in Peoria 75 years ago. the son of proud Greek immigrants. and he speaks with the accent of his parents homeland. Thats because. when he was 3 or 4 years old. his parents took the family back to Crete. to see Georges grandfather. who was very ill. While the family was in Crete. the Nazis invaded and Georges father was taken prisoner. In 1945. when the war ended. the Manias family was finally able to return to Peoria. They were practically penniless. Everyone had to work to support the family. George had to learn to speak English. At 14. he started shining shoes at the old Paris Shoe Shine Parlor on Main Street. next to the Palace Theater. He charged 20 cents a shine. Within a year. he had saved enough money to buy his own chair. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7082}
{"speech_id":1090184833,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He became an entrepreneur. working out of Ed and Roy Gibbs Barber Shop. In 1956. he opened his own 12seat shoe shine parlor in the Old Niagara Building. Over the years. George has had four different shops. The last three were all torn down to make way for bigger. taller buildings. He moved to his current location almost 20 years ago. Today. a professional shoeshine might seem like a minor indulgence. But back when George started. a man didnt feel properly dressed without a hat and a shoe shine. It was a time. as Arthur Milldrs legendary Willie Loman said in Death of a Salesman. when we were all salesmen. getting along with a shoe shine and a smile. For many men. the shine was a weekly ritual. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7082}
{"speech_id":1090184833,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Back in the day. you could walk into Georges and all nine chairs would be occupied with customerswingtips. next to oxfords. next to loafersand George would be polishing all nine pair at once. It was like an assembly line. but there was nothing automated about it. At one point. he had four men working for him and he still worked 14- and 16hour days. seven days a week. He didnt take a vacation for 29 years. until 1975. when he went back to Greece for two weeks with his mother. brother and sister. After that. he didnt take another vacation for 25 years. Hes been to Greece twice in the last three years to visit relatives. He says he might take a vacation again somedaybut only with family. Work and family. Those are the things that matter to George Manias: His sister Angie owns a small candyandnuts shop in Peoria. and his brother Manny is a private detective who used to be the deputy sheriff in Peoria County. In 1996. his widowed mother suffered a serious stroke that left her paralyzed. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7082}
{"speech_id":1090184838,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise in support of H.R. 4766. the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act of 2006. which was passed by the House of Representatives on September 27. 2006. and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. This legislation reauthorizes the Native American Programs Act of 1974 through the year 2012 and provides a grant program to ensure the survival and vitality of NativeAmerican languages through such programs as language nests. survival schools. and language restoration programs. in addition to programs currently funded by the ANA grants for language preservation. I am asking the Senate to pass the bill as passed by the House of Representatives. However. I understand that Dr. COBURN has a question about the intent ofthis bill in respect to a particular matter and would like to engage in a colloquy for the purpose of clarifying that intent.","speaker_name":"JOHN MCCAIN","chamber":"S","state":"AZ","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":886}
{"speech_id":1090184852,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at the end of this year. a longtime employee of the Congress and the legislative branch will retire from -Federal Service. On January 3. Anthony J. \"Tony\". Zagami will leave the U.S. Government Printing Office. having been the longest serving general counsel in the agencies history. Tony Zagami began his career as a page in the U.S. Senate in the mid 1960s as I was completing my first term as a U.S. Senator from Hawaii. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1468}
{"speech_id":1090184852,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"His late father. Dino. also served the U.S. Senate at that time as a member of the Official Reporters of Debates. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with both of the Zagamis during that period of time. Dino retired in 1972 as Tonys congressional career was just getting underway. Tony held a number of positions on the Hill while pursuing an undergraduate and law degree. He spent a total of 25 years working for the Congress in positions ranging from Senate page to committee general counsel. before leaving in 1990 to become the general counsel for the Government Printing Office. As you know. the GPO is responsible for producing and distribother vital Government documents on a daily basis. After 40 years of dedicated Government service. Tony Zagami has decided to move on to the next chapter of his life. ","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1468}
{"speech_id":1090184852,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As he ends a distinguished career. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tony Zagami for his many years of public service to our Nation and wish him and his family the very best in all future endeavors.","speaker_name":"DANIEL INOUYE","chamber":"S","state":"HI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1468}
{"speech_id":1090184853,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. at the end of this year. Anthony \"Tony\" Zagami will retire after 40 years of public service. including the last 16 years at the Government Printing Office. which for all of us every day. I first met Tony when I served in my first term in the Senate. He was working as a legislative assistant in the Democratic cloakroom. He spent 25 years working in the Congress. including general counsel to the Joint Committee on Printing. In 1990. Tony left to become the general counsel at the Government Printing Office. When he retires it will be with the distinction of having been the agencys longestserving general counsel. As he moves on. ","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":761}
{"speech_id":1090184853,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I know all my colleagues join me in thanking him for his dedicated service. and wish him the best for the future.","speaker_name":"JOSEPH BIDEN","chamber":"S","state":"DE","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":761}
{"speech_id":1090184874,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday. December 6. 2006. at 10 a.m. for a hearing titled. \"Hurricane Katrina: Stopping the Flood of Fraud. Waste. and Abuse.\"","speaker_name":"JOHN WARNER","chamber":"S","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":258}
{"speech_id":1090185011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this circuit court nomination was reported unanimously out of the Judiciary Committee. I do not believe there is any controversy with this nomination. I hope we could vitiate this cloture motion and proceed to an upordown vote during tomorrows session. In the meantime. I have filed cloture to ensure a vote this week on this circuit court nominee.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":363}
{"speech_id":1090185025,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. President Bush has cited oil as a reason for our continued presence in Iraq. The Iraq Study Group is recommending that Iraq oil law be changed to facilitate privatization of Iraqs oil resources. The Iraq report says as much as 500.000 barrels per day. that is $1.3 billion per year in Iraqi oil wealth. is now being stolen. which is interesting since the oil ministry is the first place our troops were sent after the invasion. And we have 140.000 troops in Iraq. How can we expect the end of the Iraq war and national reconciliation in Iraq while we advocate that Iraqs oil wealth be handled by private oil companies? And it is ironic that this report comes at the exact time that our Interior Departments Inspector General says that oil companies are cheating us. the U.S. people. out of billions of dollars and the administration is looking the other way. Is it possible that Secretary Baker has a conflict of interest. which should have precluded him from cochairing a study group which promotes privatization of Iraq oil assets. given his ties to the oil industry? Is it possible that our troops are dying for the profits of oil?","speaker_name":"DENNIS KUCINICH","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"D","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1147}
{"speech_id":1090185054,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me also say to my colleague from West Virginia that I have enjoyed serving on the Rules Committee with her as well. and I have enjoyed our debates. I admire her intellect and I appreciate her efforts to create a more civil Congress. and I regret that she will no longer be on the Rules Committee because I thought she added a lot to the debate and to the civility in that committee. Again. Mr. Speaker. I would simply say to my colleagues that this process is not the process in which we should conduct our business. This martial law rule is not needed. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090185054,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can stay here next week and get our business done in regular order. There is no need to rush out of here. and my fear is that we have created a process in which Members are not going to have an opportunity to even know what they are voting on. So. with that. I would urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on this martial law rule. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":991}
{"speech_id":1090185169,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I would also ask that after I make my opening remarks. I be allowed to yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Indiana . the sponsor of this bill. and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control the time for purposes of debate.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090185191,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. this is one of these bills that it is good to go out on as we close down this session of Congress. This is an excellent initiative by my good friend from Montana to name the Armed Forces Readiness Center in Great Falls. Montana. in honor of Captain William Wylie Galt. who was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Mr. Speaker. we just had a hearing under the leadership of JOHN MCHUGH. who is the outgoing chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee in Armed Services on the Medal of Honor and on the criteria for the award. And we had some initiatives. some good discussions with our service representatives on ensuring that we have the appropriate guidelines for giving this great medal. ","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1702}
{"speech_id":1090185191,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And it was an uplifting hearing. because it is a hearing in which the acts of Americans who went far beyond the call of duty were reviewed and were discussed. Mr. Speaker. I think anytime somebody passes this. walks by the Armed Forces Readiness Center in Great Falls. Montana. and they see that it is named after Captain Gait. they are going to be reminded. perhaps inspired. of his heroism. The Congressional Medal of Honor is a symbol of adherence to duty. honor and country. and I think it is absolutely appropriate that we name. with this dwindling pool of Medal of Honor recipients. and the gentleman. as a veteran of the .United States Army knows. we now have a very small pool of living Medal of Honor winners. So I think that wherever it is possible to name our buildings and our institutions and installations after Medal of Honor recipients. it is a point of inspiration for young people that will be enduring. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"DUNCAN HUNTER","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":52.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1702}
{"speech_id":1090185201,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. From the very beginning. the United States has been changed for the better by its citizens of Irish descent. Nineteen Presidents. including George Washington. and at least eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Irish ancestry. 263 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor were born in Ireland. as was John Barry. the first flag officer of the United States Navy. And the list of contributions of Irish Americans goes .on: Elizabeth Cady Stantons successful fight for womens voting rights. James Hobans architectural design for the White House. and Annie Moores brave passage through Ellis Island as Americas first immigrant. What began as 300.000 Irish immigrants in 1776 has grown to 44 million Irish Americans today. In recognition of the countless ways in which these Irish Americans have advanced our Nation politibally. economically and culturally. I rise today in support of H. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1020}
{"speech_id":1090185201,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Res. 733. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1020}
{"speech_id":1090185215,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And I will tell you why I am so pleased with our leadership and Leader PE LOSI and STENY HOYER. JIM CLYBURN. and all of our great leaders. They have said that before this Congress gets another raise in pay. we will raise the minimum wage for the American people. That is leadership that the American people can be proud of. As we move from the minimum wage. another area that we are going to work on very quickly: we know the high cost of education. we know what it costs for a young person to go to college. We have found a way in which we can get common ground. The Democrats will lead the way in cutting in half the interests that students will have to pay on their student loans. That is the kind of tax cut for middleclass America that is needed. It impacts everybody to have that. And we pay for it as we go. ","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1158}
{"speech_id":1090185215,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We can afford that. because that money that is saved is stimulated and goes right back into the economy. When you are able to get money back to the consumers and to the American people. they are able to use that money in every area. but it is recycled. it continues to go back into the economy to help the greater productivity of this country.","speaker_name":"DAVID SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":13.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1158}
{"speech_id":1090185217,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague from Arkansas. my fellow Blue Dog. Mr. Ross. and also Mr. SCOTT. for being here and sharing in this hour to talk a little bit about the priorities of the Blue Dog Coalition. Mr. Speaker. we have a unique opportunity here before us that we dont have a whole lot of time to grasp on to and do something with. It is an opportunity that doesnt come along often. maybe once every generation or so. in -which the American people say to the United States Congress and to the administration. We dont.like the direction the country is heading in. and we would like to put a new team in place and head in a different direction. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090185217,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And. Mr. Speaker. many of us who serve in the Halls of this Congress have not experienced this before. we have not been here when this has happened. More than half of the Members of this Congress were not here in 1994 when this happened before. So we have a unique opportunity to change the way that this Congress operates and to do some things that will help to keep America the greatest country on the face of the Earth. Mr. Speaker. we all recognize that we live in a very special place. It is not perfect. but it beats the devil out of what is in second place around the world. We have the greatest economy on the face of the Earth. we have the political machine that has been put here over the years that has never been equaled by man before. And with that. we achieve a lot of political clout around the world. and with that comes a lot of responsibility. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090185217,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"But we have an underlying economic model. Mr. Speaker. that has allowed us to become really the greatest country on the face of the Earth. and for several years now we have eroded that underlying economic model in a way as we begin and as we try to address. and hot very successfully. the issues that face our country. It appears to me that over the last few years that manyof the things we. did were to maintain power rather than to advance the American cause and make life better for the American people. We have a unique opportunity. Mr. Speaker. to tear down that wall that exists in the middle of that aisle that has been built over the last 8 or 10 or 12 years. The Blue Dogs want to do that. We want to reach across that aisle as Democrats and take hands with some folks on the Republican side who feel like we do. that we have to preserve that economic model. we have to address these issues that are before us in terms of spending problems and revenue problems. we have to address them all in one context. You cant come here to this floor and address the spending issue one day without any regard for the revenue side. and then come the next day and address the revenue side. vithout any regard for the spending priorities of this country. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090185217,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that is what the Blue Dogs are all about. We believe at the end of the day the revenues have to meet the expenditures. Now. we have some very difficult choices to make before us in the next few months: how do we put this Congress and this country on a path so that we will again come into a fiscal discipline situation where we can see down the road that we are going to have a balanced budget. We have a systemic deficit built in right now into our government activities. and we are going to have to make some tough choices relative to spending and relative to the revenue side. and I am honored that the Blue Dogs are going to be leading the way to bring fiscal sanity back to this government that we are so very proud of. My friend from Georgia has laid out the agenda items of the first 100 hours. and those we agree with. We think they are items that we heard the American people tell us during the campaign that we need to get done. And we are going to do those things. and we are going to do them in the context of balancing the budget in the long run. One of the things that the Blue Dogs are going to really push for in the first 100 legislative hours in the 100hour agenda is to make sure that we pass a PAYGO rule. a PAYGO rule that says that if you are going to have a new program. you have got to find money to pay for it. And we also want to put in place spending caps. We want these in statute. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090185217,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This is what we did in 1997. Mr. Speaker. shortly after you came here a few years ago that got us on the path to fiscal responsibility and fiscal sanity. So I am very proud to be a part of this group. This group wants to reach across that aisle. tear down that wall that exists. work with the folks on both sides of the aisle. because we all represent about 650.000 or 700.000 people. and those people have a right to be heard. Those people from back in the country have a right to be heard. and we ought to work that way. And I .know the new readership of this Congress has committed that they will work in a bipartisan way. and we will have a Speaker of the House. not the Speaker of a party. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank you for the time. and I want to especially thank my colleague. ","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5007}
{"speech_id":1090185219,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"you are so right. The American people on election night were telling us they want us to put an end to the partisan bickering. to clean up the mess in Washington. to reach across that aisle and work together. not as Democrats or Republicans. but as Americans. And put America first again. put our families and children first again. and put the peoples interests above special interests. That is why I am so proud that Speakerelect PELOsI has announced that during the first 100 legislative hours we will see a meaningful ethics reform bill on the floor of this House. Some people. when they hear about the Blue Dog Coalition and the fact that we are a group of fiscal conservative Democrats. a lot of people all of a sudden just assume that it is a group of Southern Democrats. Not true. This is not a regional group. this is a national group and a national movement that stretches from Salt Lake City and Burbank. California all the way to Long Island. And I am so pleased that one of our longstanding members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. the gentleman from Long Island. STEVE ISRAEL. is here with us today. and I yield to him.","speaker_name":"ALLEN BOYD","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1158}
{"speech_id":1090185255,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. 5 months ago a constituent came to me back home and said. Oh. HOWARD. who is the most eloquent Member of the Congress? Without hesitation. I replied. HENRY HYDE. She then asked. Well. who is the most eloquent Member of the Senate? I said. Oh. when I answered you. I was including the Senate. HENRY HYDE is the most eloquent Member of the entire Congress. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1275}
{"speech_id":1090185255,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I told HENRY that story on the floor this week. and he said. HOWARD. that is why I am going to miss you. HENRY HYDE appointed me to Chair the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts. the Internet. and Intellectual Property. which I did for 6 years. for three terms. During that time. the ranking Democrat was the distinguished gentleman from California. Mr. HOWARD BERMAN. and as far as I can recall. Madam Speaker. neither HOWARD BERMAN nor I ever had a cross word with HENRY HYDE. nor did he have a cross word with Mr. BERMAN or me. I will always remember that. and I thank Henry for having named me to chair that subcommittee. Madam Speaker. ","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1275}
{"speech_id":1090185255,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I asked him on the floor this week what his plans were. Henry replied. I plan to have CSPAN nearby. Well. he may have CSPAN. but CSPAN will never be the same. Madam Speaker and colleagues. without the presence of HENRY HYDE. the distinguished gentleman from Illinois.","speaker_name":"HOWARD COBLE","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1275}
{"speech_id":1090185335,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I appreciate yielding from the three distinguished gentlemen from Georgia. including my namesake who has preceded me here as well as on the voting list every time we look up there on the board. Indeed. Delta has an impact in the State of Utah as well. Delta and its feeder services have about 7.000 employees. they fly 350 flights out of Salt Lake City every day. they have added 30 nonstop flights since their recovery process is going through. It is significant not just to the consumers of Utah but the entire Intermountain West and indeed the West. as we now have a situation of competition that exists. US Air had a hub in Las Vegas. It merged with America West with a hub in Phoenix. Delta has a hub in Salt Lake. That has a competitive overlap which gives the consumers of the West a choice in where their air travel goes and the kinds of air fare in a free market environment. The southeast of this Nation has basically the same situation. with a hub already for US Air in Charlotte as well as Delta in Atlanta. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3337}
{"speech_id":1090185335,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those are very close hubs geographically. It makes no sense. especially in the West. of a company. even though they have said they would. to maintain a hub in Las Vegas and Phoenix and Salt Lake at the same time. Business sense would say something would have to close. And if that happens. the net result is that there are fewer air travel opportunities and less competition for consumers in our area of the Nation. In fact. and the concern I also have is the merger between America West and US Air I am told resulted in four times as many fare increases in cities as it did in fare decreases. Now. I am also told that if this merger would go through. there would be near monopolistic competition. as some of you have already mentioned. Twentythree States would be in a near monopoly situation. 71 cities. including those in the East. would have almost monopolistic situations. with 57 percent of the slots and 44 percent of the gates controlled by simply one company. That does not lead to better economic situations and better choices for our customers and our citizens. If this was a willing merger. ","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3337}
{"speech_id":1090185335,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would not be so upset. but it is not. Delta does not wish to enter into this arrangement. They wish to stay a standalone strong company. and I would suggest that is significantly and fundamentally a different situation than US Air was in when they merged with America West. It is a company that is in economic recovery and very close to being in full economic recovery. And as the gentleman has already said. this is a company where the morale of their employees is on the upswing. As the gentleman from Georgia said. the employees are now coming back to this company as they have now turned the economic corner and can enter the market a strong. viable. standalone company. giving extra service. giving extra opportunity. giving consumer choice. which is for the betterment of all our constituents. Were this merger to go through. the service would be less in the Intermountain West. the choices would be less in the Intermountain West. and there would be significant harm done to my constituents. So I agree with my good friends over here that this is not in the best interest of any of our areas. it is not in the best interests of the flying public of America. And I also oppose this forced hostile takeover.","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3337}
{"speech_id":1090185348,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to discuss the pending nomination of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach to be the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. The FDA has a very broad and critical mission in protecting our public health. The Commissioner of Food and Drugs is in charge of an agency that regulates $1 trillion worth of products a year. The FDA ensures the safety and effectiveness of all drugs. biological products such as vaccines. medical devices. and animal drugs and feed. Let me repeat that: the safety and effectiveness of all drugs. biological products such as vaccines. medical devices. animal drugs and feed. It also oversees the safety of a vast variety of food products. as well as medical and consumer products including cosmetics. As Commis~ioner of Food and Drugs. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4705}
{"speech_id":1090185348,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Dr. von Eschenbach would be responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations in its mission areas. and by helping the public get accurate. sciencebased information on medicines and food. Dr. von Eschenbach has a strong record. He is an accomplished scientist. a proven manager. and a man with a vision. He is also a cancer survivor. and he has brought that perspective. and the compassion that goes with it. to his Government service. He gave up a job he loved. a challenging but rewarding post directing the National Cancer Institute. to offer his service for what I believe is a much more challenging and definitely thankless job of leading the FDA. The FDA has been without a confirmed Commissioner for all but 18 months of the last 52 years. Have you ever seen a business that can run for 52 years without.a boss except for 18 months? And that was a tenuous 18 months. I believe we can all agree that we need a strong leader at the FDA now. and one who has a mandate to act. He needs full authority to bring back the morale of the Department and get the job done. We must be forward looking. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4705}
{"speech_id":1090185348,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are many items before the FDA that require the immediate attention of an FDA Commissioner vested with full authority. But that authority flows directly from the act of Senate confirmation. Without a Senateconfirmed leader. we cant expect the FDA to be as effective as we need it to be. I urge my colleagues to consider this. I know some of my colleagues on and off the committee are not completely satisfied with their interactions with the FDA during Dr. von Eschenbachs tenure. Some would urge that the Food and Drug Administration move quickly on certain matters before it. However. I am not sure that holding- up a. nomination over single products or single issues is the right way to achieve faster action and to ensure that agency processes are free from the pressure of politics. In fact. I strongly believe the opposite would occur. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4705}
{"speech_id":1090185348,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think this is a position that has more Catch22s than any other position in Government. I do respect the right of my colleagues to disagree with the Presidents choice for this position or the policies a Presidents nominee might pursue. If our disagreements with the Presidents choice are so strong. we ought to vote against the nominee. But. in light of the trillion dollars worth of drugs and products overseen by the FDA and hundreds of drug approvals reviewed every year. I think we would be setting a dangerous precedent if any of us hold up the Presidents choice for FDA Commissioner over decisions made involving one product or one issue or something extraneous. even. to the Food and Drug Administration. It would be an especially dangerous precedent at this point. We have a lot on our plate with respect to the FDA during the 110th Congress. We have to reauthorize both the drug and device user fee programs. address two expiring pediatric programs. and improve our drug safety system. The FDA needs a leader with the backing and mandate that Senate confirmation provides in order to be our partner in these efforts. Dr. von Eschenbach has received significant support from the HELP Committee. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4705}
{"speech_id":1090185348,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This man could serve patients in many different ways. and has offered to serve them by running this critically important agency. I am talking about a doctor with cancer expertise. management expertise. and vision. who has agreed to run this agency at what we pay because he wants to give back to his country. I urge my colleagues who are not on our committee to give Dr. von Eschenbach a chance to effectively run the FDA with full statutory authority. so I urge my colleagues to accept the Presidents nominee. Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach. and vote to confirm him as the next Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Voting yes on this cloture vote will be the first step voting on a permanent head to oversee our Nations food and drug system. I reserve the remainder of my time.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4705}
{"speech_id":1090185352,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam President. I want to briefly comment. I understand the frustration. I have been working with him trying to get documents. trying .to get the interview with Mr. West. I want you to put yourself in Dr. Von Eschenbachs position. He has not been confirmed. He does not have the full authority to run that department. So what he has to do is rely on the Department of Justice. as the Senator mentioned. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1197}
{"speech_id":1090185352,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Department of Justice tells him what he is supposed to do. I dont think he has authority to go beyond what the Department of Justice says. The Senator is one of the most diligent Members to hold oversight hearings of anybody that I know. I appreciate the depth that you go to for individuals as well as groups. I know it is what you are doing on this one. Unless we give him full authority. he has to rely on the Justice Department. The way one has to take on the Department of Justice is through the Judiciary Committee and bring them to task for giving him that kind of advice. I think he is just following the advice he has gotten from those he has to rely on until he has authority. I think it will be different when he has full authority. I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Alaska.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1197}
{"speech_id":1090185361,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I wish to acknowledge the intense. enthusiastic. and persistent work of the Senator from Louisiana. Mr. VITTER. for drug importation. I do not know that I have seen anybody lead as much on an issue or work as hard on an issue. Around here. that is a talent which is very much appreciated. I do want to mention that. again. Dr. Von Eschenbach has not been confirmed. so he does not have full authority to run the Department or to do what he would like to do or might need to do. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090185361,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has to rely on the advice of other people. particularly until he is confirmed. After that. even then. he will have to abide by the laws. I would point out that drug importation is illegal right now. and it is Congress. not the FDA. that has determined that. So until we change the -law. until we do some or all of the things the Senator from Louisiana is suggesting. Dr. Von Eschenbach would really be stepping out of bounds to do drug importation. So I hope we do not hold that against him or hold up his nomination for that reason. We should hold him accountable for what is within his control. but urge him to work with Congress. I have had dozens of meetings with him on a variety of issues. as Senators have brought them up. Most of them have been resolved. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090185361,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Those within the law. those the Department of Justice has not contested. have been resolved.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1351}
{"speech_id":1090185363,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Just very briefly. first of all. I appreciate your kind comments. Very briefly. my comments regarding his and FDAs ability to move forward on this is based on current law. including the Medicare Modernization Act. which says that if they institute a safety regime and certify the safety of these drugs. they can. in fact. move forward with the reimportation regime. So under present law. that is possible. and that is what I was referring to. But I respect the Senators point of view.","speaker_name":"DAVID VITTER","chamber":"S","state":"LA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":484}
{"speech_id":1090185400,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Thank you very much. The blue card would require that they work in American agriculture for an additional 150 workdays per year for 3 years. or 100 workdays per year for 5 years. At the end of that time. they would be able to obtain a green card. Over the 5 years. it would apply to 1..5 million individuals. which would provide a stable. ongoing workforce for the United States. Workers would be required to pay a fine of $500. show that they are current on their taxes. that they have not been convicted of a crime that involves bodily injury or harm to property in excess of $500. Employment would be verified. The program would be capped and sunset. The Department of Homeland Security would ensure that the ID cards are encrypted. that they have biometric identifiers. that they contain anticounterfeiting protections. So you would be able to identify 1.5 million people who are currently illegal. You would know who they are. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2110}
{"speech_id":1090185400,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"You would know they are now legal. You would know they were working in agriculture. which desperately needs them. We would also streamline the current agricultural guest worker program. the H2A program. which is now unwieldy and ineffective. The bill would shorten the labor certification process. which now takes 60 days or more. reducing the approval process to 48 to 72 hours. There are a number of specifics. It freezes the adverse wage rate for 3 years. to be gradually replaced with a prevailing wage standard. The H2A visas would be secure and counterfeit resistant. In this way. agricultural labor would have a permanent workforce and you would have a secure guest worker program. H2A. where necessary. to go in to areas for short periods of time. It is a win\/win situation. ","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2110}
{"speech_id":1090185400,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It has passed this Senate. The losses .are in the hundreds of millions of dollars across the Nation. and we do nothing. We stiff the American agricultural industry. I have a hard time understanding that. I know the votes are here to do it. We could probably do it. Through the Chair. I ask Senator CRAIG. does he not believe we could pass this bill with maybe an hour on the floor of the Senate.","speaker_name":"DIANNE FEINSTEIN","chamber":"S","state":"CA","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2110}
{"speech_id":1090185423,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come sion closes. I have said it before. I will to the Senate floor to express my grati- say it again and again. I rank him at tude for the response I have gotten the very top of the 261 Senators I have over the last month from my friends been privileged to serve with these and neighbors in the Senate. many years. As many of you know. about on elec- In fact. I have looked back at the histion day I was diagnosed with leu- tory of Virginia and would like to note kemia. and I have spent the last month for the record that my colleague. in the hospital. I got out last Saturday. GEORGE ALLEN. is one of only five Virand I am now back on the job. and I am ginians to have served in the Virginia very delighted to do that. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10149}
{"speech_id":1090185423,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Certainly General Assembly. as Governor. as a Susan and I wish to express our real Member of the House of Representathankyou for all the comments and tives. and as a U.S. Senatorthe first contacts. expressions of hope. and in more than 150 years of our States prayers we have gotten from the Mem- history.. bers in the Senate. It is very meaning- Together. we have shared a long hisful. It is the first time I have been tory of serving the people of Virginiathrough a thing of this kind. and I can I as a Senator and he as a member of tell you that it means a great deal. We the Virginia House of Delegates. House also got literally hundreds of com- of Representatives. Governor. and.U.S. ments from our voters in Wyoming. So Senator. I remember participating in his first campaign and all the successive campaigns. GEORGE ALLEN served the Commonwealth of Virginia in pulllic office for 25 years. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10149}
{"speech_id":1090185423,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"How well I know. I campaigned for him when he ran for the State legislature. then for the Congress. then for Governor. and he won those elections handily. Then he ran for the Senate. It was a tough race. Tough because he was up against a very able opponent. a man whom I admire. a man with whom I have served with in this Chamber. But the voters of Virginiaand therein rests the final decisionsent GEORGE ALLEN to the Senate where I believe he has served with great distinction. I have been privileged to share the warmth and vigor of this magnificent man with his lovely wife Susan. and their children. Tyler. Forest. and Brooke. What a privilege. a joy for me to see them as they have grown nourished by the love of two strong.parents. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10149}
{"speech_id":1090185423,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In 1981 he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to the seat once held by his philosophical inspiration. Thomas Jefferson. Throughout his career in public office. GEORGE ALLEN has consistently been guided by that same inspiration of smaller government and individual freedom. He has also been driven by the thoughts of two other leaders important to him. Ronald Reagan who said \"If not us who. if not now when?\" and his father who always told him \"The future is now.\" Throughout his career in public service GEORGE has worked as an advocate of economic development. recruiting companies to Virginia and espousing policies to create jobs. As Governor. he oversaw the creation of 312.000 new jobs in Virginia by making the Commonwealth a better place to do business. He reformed the parole system to keep repeat offenders off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. His welfare reform set the stage for the Congress to act to help people get back on their feet and get back to work. He implemented the Standards of Learning in our schools to make sure all of our children receive the same quality education. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10149}
{"speech_id":1090185423,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I remember well our first effort together when he came to the Senate in 2001. As is often the case here in the Senate. there had been some problems confirming a federal judge who was ultimately recess appointed in late 2000. We came together and worked with the President to bring his nomination back to. the Senate and as a result. Judge Roger Gregory was confirmed by the Senate to become the first African American seated on the Fourth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. We were working partners. We shared everythingour staffs work together. our wives work togetherand we crisscrossed this State from one end to the other over those 6 years. When either GEORGE ALLEN or I felt. for whatever reason. we could not keep an appointment somewhere in the State. one would fill in for the other. We were quite parallel in our thinking. the philosophy. the things so important to Virginians. and I think to most Americans. first and foremost the preservations of our freedoms. a strong national defense. a right to work. to hold a job and to compete fairly. to hold that job and to advance. to have a system of health care that did not serve only those more affluent than others but would serve any individual who suffered from pain or the need for medical attention. We have joined together in countless efforts for Virginias communities. helping to fund museums. youth centers. innumerable infrastructure projects. and research at our colleges and universities. ","speaker_name":"CRAIG THOMAS","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":10149}
{"speech_id":1090185426,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. in the remaining moments here. I want to say one of the things this Senator will address in the next Congress is the fact that we did not pass a Water Resources Development Act. which has so many important projects for this Nation. We have not had a Water Resources Development Act bill since 2000. and we are suffering for it. As to this great ecological restoration project down in my State. the Florida Everglades Restoration Project. there are two critical projects in this WRDA billthe Indian River Lagoon and the Picayune Strand. The Indian River Lagoon is a 156milelong estuary that I grew up on as a boy. It runs from basically just north of Cape Canaveral all the way* south to Palm Beach County. It has been altered by unnaturally large and poorly timed freshwater discharges arising out of the St. Lucie Canal. They have altered the water quality and depleted the water supplies in the Everglades ecosystem. ","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1721}
{"speech_id":1090185426,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"So that is one project that is going to be necessarily addressed in the new Congress. There are many components to that project. The Everglades restoration is an $8 billion project over 20 years. shared by the Federal and the State governments. The other major projectI will close with thisis the Picayune Strand restoration project. It is going to remove roads and canals and other infrastructure to increase freshwater flows. It encompasses 94 square miles in Collier County. FL. and it includes such things as the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. the 10.000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge. and many others. These ecosystem protections and alterations are absolutely necessary for the future of keeping this beautiful planet Earth and protecting this very fragile ecosystem.","speaker_name":"BILL NELSON","chamber":"S","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1721}
{"speech_id":1090185437,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I join in this chorus of salutations and praise for the retiring majority leader. I listened carefully to Senator FRISTS recollection of his public service. and I noted the first item on his agenda was the $15 billion in the fight against global AIDS. It is an issue on which we joined together many times. an issue where President Bush showed extraordinary leadership. and there was extraordinary bipartisan support for what he was trying to achieve. As one reflects on his life and his background. it was no surprise that led the list. Senator FRIST dedicated his time before the Senate to the healing arts. and I think he brought some of that same dedication to this role in the Senate. trying to use his post as the Senator from Tennessee and as a leader in the Senate to heal the world and our Nation. I thank you for all your efforts in that regard. I know when he came to this job. it was thrust upon him rather quickly. I know lie had his critics. and there might even have been a few on this side of the aisle from time to time. but. by and large. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1930}
{"speech_id":1090185437,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I think his leadership has been symbolized by a lack of cunning. a lack of sharp elbows and an effort to try and patch up our differences and get things done. Once again. you were the healer when you had the chance to do it. I have traveled to Africa. as he has. probably not as often. I have seen some of those dusty villages where there is no one to be seen for miles around. But I cannot imagine your taking your surgical skills to those villages and those huts and operating under a flashlight. hour after hour. day after day. week after week. That defines BILL FRIST. in my minda person who may not have been recognized by anyone on the road to that village. did some good. and left a legacy that will be remembered. To you. to Karyn. to your family. let me add my voice in saying you left a great legacy in the Senate. and I wish you all the very best.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1930}
{"speech_id":1090185463,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me thank my great friend and colleague from Nevada for his very kind words. I thank him for coming to hear my last speech on the floor of the Senate. I know there are many listening who are applauding at this moment for that. But I come here with a wonderful spirit. I have written on the top of the page the same words that I wrote the night of the election. and that is the word \"gratitude\" because that is all I feelan incredible sense of gratitude. Mark Rodgers is my longtime friend and chief of staff. now head of the conference. We were talking again this morning about coming to work every day and walking. up to the Capitol Building every day for 16 years now and still feeling that. wow. I work hereevery day for 16 years. It was such a gift. such an incredible gift to be blessed to serve the people of the 18th District in the Congress. southwestern Pennsylvania. in Allegheny County. and for 12 incredible years to be able to serve the people of Pennsylvania here. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5290}
{"speech_id":1090185463,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"So first and foremost. I want to thank who is most responsibleand that is Godfor this great gift he has bestowed upon me and my familyto be able the serve the greatest country in the history of the world and to serve in a body that is. and hopefully will be. the greatest deliberative body in the world. I think back to my dad. when he came to this country. and my mom. who is a second generation. and I think of how I grew up. It is amazing what a great country this is and how God has bestowed upon me and my family tremendous blessings. So I thank Him for the opportunity he has given me to serve. We are all called to serve. Some are frustrated because they dont think they are in a job or a position in life where they are doing what God has called them to do. God has blessed me with the opportunity to do this and to serve in a way that I hope he has called me to serve. Second. I thank my family. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5290}
{"speech_id":1090185463,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Karen and the kids are watching. They have suffered a lot and have sacrificed a lot in 16 years. I was telling JOHN the other day that it is amazing how you think you are doing certain things well. and then you have the opportunity to spend a little more time doing those things and you realize how insufficiently you did them in the past. A phrase from the Bible is ringing in my ears. \"the scales falling off of the eyes.\" In the last month or so. I have had a lot of scales fall from my eyesto see not just what the 2 years have been to my family.- which have been a tough 2 or 3 years. but the accumulation of 16 years in what is a very difficult life. I know everybody here recognizes that because you live it. They know how difficult this life is. how public everything we do and say is or what we are accused of. We think we understand how difficult that is for our family. but I dont think we really do. I want to say thank you to Karen. who I picture in my mind with this Tshirt dress she wore and had stenciled on it \"Santorum for Congress.\" She went knocking on doors in 1990. when no one gave us a chance. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5290}
{"speech_id":1090185463,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We did the impossible. We were able to defeat a 14year incumbent who no one thought could be beat. I would not have even come close to winning that election but for her. In 1994. it was the same thing. She went out with the two children at home and she spent day after daynot traveling with. no. she was giving speeches in her own right and traveling all over the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. sacrificing. They continued to do that day after day. year after year. I was a Senator. and I had important things to do. I tell stories all the time about debates that were held on the floor of the Senate. when I would call Karen and say I had to come back to this very place and say more. There was never a hesitation. She served more than I did. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5290}
{"speech_id":1090185463,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"My childrennone of them have known their father without being in politics. I got married in 1990 to Karen. and Elizabeth came along 11 months later. Their life has been with their father in politics. in the public arena. They have had to deal with that in both pleasurable ways and some very painful ways. So I thank them for being without their dad far too often. Even when they are with their dad. I am not as attentive as I should have been. But I think they knew and they shared in the endeavor because they knew it was important for them and for our country. So. hopefully. out of this experience they have been given a sense of purpose. and they know more about what life should be all about and that is to serveserve God. serve your family. serve your community. and to serve your country. It is a great blessing. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD SANTORUM","chamber":"S","state":"PA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5290}
{"speech_id":1090185471,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. President. I wish to say to my good friend from Pennsylvania. before he leaves the floor. what an extraordinary 16 years he hashad representing the people of his State and what a truly outstanding Member of the Senate he has been and what a moving farewell address I had an opportunity to witness. Good luck. good friend. and Godspeed. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the vote on the pending nomination occur at 5:45 today and that prior to the vote. Senator GRASSLEY be recognized to speak for up to 10 minutes. Senator ENZI for up to 5 minutes. and Senator KENNEDY for up to 5 minutes.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":604}
{"speech_id":1090185504,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I say to my neighbor in West Virginia. my friend and my colleague. first of all. that the poem he just recited is one that my wife Frances and I learned in the seventh grade in Yellow Springs. The Senator reciting it brings back very good memories. not only of the poem but of being in the seventh grade with my friends. There will be many things about this Senate that I will miss. and certainly one that I will miss is having the opportunity to sit here and to listen to my colleague from West Virginia as he speaks. It is a great privilege. It is a great thrill. I must tell him. however. that there is CSPAN in Cedarville. OH. I suspect the library does get the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD at Cedarville College and other places. so I will have the opportunity to listen to him and read what he has to say. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090185504,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He is a great treasure of this Senate. I might also tell my colleague. as I told him personally yesterday. that I will carry around with me and keep with me and prize the small Constitution that I know is in his pocket right now that he gave me. I deeply appreciate that. And I know he gave one to the Presiding Officer as well. One of the first things I did when I came to the Senate in January of 1995 was walk across the hall to see Senator BYRD. Senator BYRD was kind enough to give me his \"History of the Senate.\" I have cherished that. have read it. That will be going back with Frances and myself to Ohio. If I do. I say to my colleague from West Virginia. do what I hope to dodo a little teaching at the college levelI am sure those books will certainly come in very handy. I thank my colleague for his friendship and for his great service now beginning this January his ninth term in the Senate. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090185504,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One final note. I will tell my colleague. and Idont know if I have told him this. but my son and my daughterinlaw and our new granddaughter now live in West Virginia. so they are constituents of my colleague.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL DEWINE","chamber":"S","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1932}
{"speech_id":1090185507,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I thank this friend of West Virginia. this friend of mine. I shall always remember as long as I livehowever long that may beI shall carry in my heart a very warm feeling for him. He is our neighbor. He represents the people of Ohio. our neighbor to the west of the West Virginia hills. I thank him for his friendship and for his services to his people. His people are my people. I wish him well in the days and years ahead wherever he may serve. May God always bless you. my friend. and may He always keep you in the palm of His hand.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":534}
{"speech_id":1090185520,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to pay tribute to a retiring colleague. Senator DAYTON of Minnesota. MARK DAYTON has made a career of public service. in the very best sense of the term. After graduating from college. he taught public school in New York City and served as a counselor to teenage runaways before returning to Minnesota. For 20 years. he served in a variety of positions in State government in Minnesota. from commissioner of Economic Development to State auditor. In the Senate. MARK DAYTON has been an independent voice in the tradition of our former colleague. Paul Wellstone. He eschewed political expediency and instead relied on his conscience in making important decisions. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1936}
{"speech_id":1090185520,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For example. he agonized over his vote on the Iraq war. before ultimately deciding to join the small minority of Senators who voted against it. I have worked most closely with MARK on agriculture and other issues affecting rural Americans. Trhoughout his Senate service. he has been a strong and consistent voice on behalf of family farmers. He has helped lead the fight for much needed disaster relief. He has opposed misguided cuts to commodity and conservation programs. And he has been a leader in calling for a significant expansion of ethanol and other renewable fuels that can benefit our rural economies and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Senator DAYTON has also been a strong voice on behalf of our troops and their families at home. He has called for better armor and equipment. He has insisted on better care for veterans. And he spearheaded efforts to ensure that soldiers on leave could get all the way home to visit their loved ones rather than simply being dropped off at remote cities and asked to pay lastminute air fares to get home. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1936}
{"speech_id":1090185520,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MARK DAYTON has insisted on integrity and honesty in every aspect of his public life. He has been a true champion for Minnesota. Lucy and I wish him well as he goes on to other ventures.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1936}
{"speech_id":1090185524,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to announce the retirement of a longtime public servant and former staff member of the U.S. Senate. After 40 years of Federal service. Anthony J. \"Tony\" Zagami will retire as the longest serving general counsel in the history of the U.S. Government Printing Office. Tony arrived on Capitol Hill just as I was completing my first term in the Senate. Before Tonys arrival. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":987}
{"speech_id":1090185524,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I had the privilege of knowing and working with his late father. Dino. a member of the Senates Official Reporters of Debates staff. Dino retired in the early 1970s. while Tony went on to serve the Congress. moving to the GPO in 1990. Over the years. Tony Zagami became a valued and trusted staff member of the Congress in many different capacities. His strong skills and commitment to public service were well recognized. not just on the Hill but also throughout the legislative branch. As he departs the GPO for a welldeserved retirement. I thank him for his service and wish him all the best.","speaker_name":"ROBERT BYRD","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":987}
{"speech_id":1090185541,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today .to honor Frank Fiala. superintendent of the Keweenaw National Historical Park. After nearly 32 years of Federal service. Frank will be retiring in January. Franks service to our country began in the U.S. Air Force where he worked as a medic from 1969 to 1973. His career then transitioned to the National Park Service. where he has worked to protect our countrys natural and historic treasures and to make them available for the publics enjoyment and appreciation. Franks Natiohal Park Service career included assignments at the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska. WrangellSt. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090185541,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. and Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. For the past 10 years. Frank has served as superintendent of the Keweenaw National Historical Park in Michigans Upper Peninsula. working to preserve and interpret the regions copper mining history. I offer this tribute to Frank because of my 10 years of personal experience working with Frank and witnessing his passion and enthusiasm for Keweenaws rich mining history of immigration. labor. vibrant cultures. and changing technologies. Frank has been an extraordinary park superintendent at Keweenaw. Frank has successfully navigated the challenges of managing a park that owns less than 10 percent of the land within the park boundaries and requires partnering with a variety of public and private organizations. A significant milestone was reached with the completion of the parks General Management Plan. which Frank shepherded. Development of the plan was at times contentious and involved incorporating viewpoints from multiple stakeholders. including local citizens. businesses. landowners. entrepreneurs. corporations. educational institutions. foundations. and government agencies. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090185541,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Frank has been an enthusiastic advocate for the park. promoting the Keweenaw Peninsulas historic and cultural riches and envisioning the parks role in the future economic development of the region. Where some saw ruined. dilapidated buildings as eyesores. Frank saw them as opportunities. To preserve the historic landscape of copper country. Frank secured funding to make several significant property acquisitions. including the Quincy Mining Companys Pay Office. the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company General Office Building. which is now the Park Headquarters. the C&H Library. which now houses the parks extensive archival collections. C&H Warehouse No. 1. and the Union Building. A true preservationist. Frank successfully fought to stop the replacement of .the city of Quincys historic water tower. a vital part of the regions cultural landscape. with an underground storage tank. Frank personally researched and produced the original plans for the historic water tower. and now a replicated water tower stands proudly. providing water service to the areas residents and preserving a key feature of the Keweenaw landscape. In addition to preserving historic buildings. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090185541,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Frank also helped save a large collection of artifacts from the Calumet & Hecla Mining company. v4hich is being cared for and catalogued by one of the Nations finest professional staff of archivists. curators. and museum technicians. Since Franks arrival. the parks museum collection has grown from nothing to over 300.000 historic items. As anyone who has had the opportunity to drive through the park with Frank knows. Frank truly is a visionary. One is quickly transported back in time to the 19th century. when the Keweenaw produced 85 percent of the Nations copper. Frank makes the history of \"copper country\" come alive: the sounds of the immigrants arriving. the smells of pasties wafting from lunch pails descending into the deep mine shafts. the tremors from the strikes of 1913 caused by unfair labor conditions. His enthusiasm in relation to rehabilitating and interpreting the historic properties scattered across the park is contagious. Thanks to Frank. visitors to the Keweenaw can truly experience what it was like to be part of the mining community during the industrial revolution. Franks dedication to preserving and interpreting the history of the Keweenaw. and his many years of public service is truly an example to others. His enthusiasm. vision. and proactive approach have given the people of Keweenaw. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090185541,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"MI and our Nation a great gift. Thank you. Frank. for your service. and congratulations on your retirement.","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4494}
{"speech_id":1090185553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I honor Dr. Allan Rosenfield. Dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. as well as introduce the training program named in his honor. Dr. Rosenfield has spent his career working to improve the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable populations. He has been a champion of womens health both in United States and around the world and is well known for his work on the HIV\/AIDS paidemic. innovative family planning studies. and strategies to address the tragedy of wholly preventable maternal deaths in resourcepoor countries. As dean and professor of the Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Rosenfield has been. for the past 20 years. a mentor for several generations of educators. public health students. and researchers. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2530}
{"speech_id":1090185553,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Dr. Rosenfield was among the earliest to voice the ethical challenges of decreasing transmission of HIV to newborns by treating mothers with antiretroviral drugs before delivery. without consideration of ongoing care and treatment of mothers. He has spearheaded programs in resourcepoor settings that not only prevent mothertochild transmission of HIV but also provide comprehensive clinical services to women. In light of Dr. Rosenfields countless contributions toward improving the health of individuals globallyas a researcher. an advocate. an educator and as a compassionate human beingit is fitting to name the ASPHCDC Global Health Fellowship Program in honor of Allan Rosenfield. The fellows in this program. who are graduates of the Nations accredited schools of public health. are trained to help prevent HIV infection. improve care and support. and build capacity to address the global HIV\/AIDS pandemic. Fellows also participate in immunization program activities in support of global polio eradication. measles mortality reduction. regional measles elimination. and general global immunization activities. They receive mentoring and support from dedicated CDC employees in the field. The mission of this fellowship program is to train the next generation of global health leaders. and it is fitting that this program honor an individual who is a foremost leader in global health. Mr. ","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2530}
{"speech_id":1090185553,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"President. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the Allan Rosenfield Global Health Fellowship. most appropriately named after a person whom I. and many others. admire and respect for his relentless dedication and remarkable achievements in preventing disease and saving lives worldwide. I would like to honor and thank him for his many years of work.*","speaker_name":"HILLARY CLINTON","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2530}
{"speech_id":1090185556,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I ask that the Senate observe the recent passing of Sister Cynthia \"Cindy\" Mahoney and recognize her tireless service to this country. A former emergency medical technician. Sister Mahoney volunteered at Ground Zero in New York City on September 11. 2001. blessing victims and providing medical and spiritual attention to survivors. In the days following. Sister Mahoney helped set up a respite program for first responders at St. Pauls Chapel across from the World Trade Center. She also became an official Red Cross volunteer chaplain serving as a grief counselor at the Pier 91 Federal Emergency Management Agency center. In October 2001 Sister Mahoney joined the Red Cross Medical Examiners Fatality Team as a chaplain working out of the morgue to bless human remains excavated from Ground Zero. She served on the Fatality Team well into 2002. ","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090185556,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"In September 2002 Sister Mahoney moved to South Carolina to establish a spiritual practice but was unsuccessful. By this time. Sister Mahoney was experiencing symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic materials like asbestos. Sadly she soon became homeless. and her physical condition continued to deteriorate. Last summer she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD. Sister Mahoney died on November 1. 2006. from complications related to her pulmonary condition. I ask that the Senate join me in commemorating Sister Mahoney for her actions at Ground Zero on September 11 and in the months that followed that fateful day.0","speaker_name":"LINDSEY GRAHAM","chamber":"S","state":"SC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1516}
{"speech_id":1090185563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today I wish to pay my respects and to say goodbye to a man who was bigger than life itself. John Jordan \"Buck\" ONeil passed away on Friday. October 6. in Kansas City at the age of 94. Buck was a gifted baseball player. a veteran of the U.S. Navy. a devoted community leader. a role model for young and old and a good friend he was and will always be an American Hero. I count myself as truly fortunate to have known Buck and will always cherish the opportunities I had to visit with him. When I think of Buck. I think of a great and loving man with a heart as big as Kansas City who believed that love and education could heal all wounds. I think of his near mythical baseball career. a career that spanned seven decades. making him- a foremost authority of the game and one of its greatest ambassadors. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5554}
{"speech_id":1090185563,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think of his contributions to his community as a role model and to society as a leader in the civil rights movement. Bucks contributions to the game of baseball and society will be everlasting. Id like to take a few minutes to tell you a little bit about Bucks life. Buck ONeil. the player. was a first baseman and manager for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1937 through 1955. His achievements include hitting .353 and leading his team to the 1942 Negro World Series Title. His career batting average of .288. included four .300plus seasons winning batting titles in 1940 and 1946. hitting .345 and.353 respectively. Buck played in the 1942. 1943 and 1949 EastWest AllStar Classics and barnstormed with the Satchel Paige AllStars during the 1930s and 1940s. Buck ONeil. the manager. led the Monarchs from 1948 through 1955. His achievements as a manager include sending more Negro League players to the Major Leagues than any other manager in baseball history. including Ernie Banks. Elston. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5554}
{"speech_id":1090185563,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Howard. Connie Johnson. Sweet Lou Johnson. and Satchel Paige. He led the Monarchs to league titles in 1948. 1950. 1951 and 1953 and he managed the West squad in the EastWest AllStar game in 1950. 1952. 1954 and 1955the West won all four contests. In 1956. Buck was hired by the Chicago Cubs as a scout paving the way for him to make history 6 years later when he became the first African American to coach in the Major Leagues. As a scout he discovered such superstars as Lou Brock and Joe Carter. In 1988. after more than 30 years with the Cubs. he returned home to Kansas City to scout for the Kansas City Royals. The work Buck did after his retirement from the game are arguably more significant to the history of baseball than his exploits on the field as a player. scout and manager. Bucks true passion over the past 16 years was to share with the world the contributions that Negro Leagues players made to our National Pastime and more importantly to society through his work as chairman of Americas National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5554}
{"speech_id":1090185563,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Bucks tireless work led the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. NY. to hold a special election this spring to induct Negro Leagues and preNegro Leagues candidates into the Hall. In July. 17 legendary players. managers and owners were inducted into the Hall. This induction Was bittersweet for many of us as its most visible legend. Buck ONeil. did not receive the necessary votes. Although many of us viewed this as an outrageous oversight. Buck graciously viewed this as one of the greatest days in Negro Leagues history. That was Buck in his truest form. He was always about doing the right thing. No matter what doors had been closed to him. he always picked himself up and did what was right. never what was easiest or most beneficial to himself. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5554}
{"speech_id":1090185563,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":1,"speech_text":"What was most important to Buck was his true love for the Negro Leagueg. the Negro Leagues players and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museumhe poured all of his life and energy into seeing that their stories were told and never forgotten. Buck reminded us that these Leagues and their players are significant on so many levels: they represent a triumph of the human spirit. tremendous sportsmanship. high quality of play. were of vital importance to the African American community. and they led directly to the integration of the Major Leagues. which was the first in a series of major civil rights landmarks that eventually led to the progress we have achieved today. Buck was significant In so many ways and on so many different levels in his own righthe played an important part in shaping the America we live in today. Bucks remarkable life reminds me of a favorite poem. Game Called. by Grantland Rice. Id like to read it into the RECORD: Game Called. Across the field of play the dusk has come. the hour is late. The fight is done and lost or won. the player files out through the gate. The tumult dies. the cheer is hushed. the stands are bare. the park is still But through the night there shines the light. home beyond the silent hill Game Called. Where in the golden light the bugle rolled the reveille. ","speaker_name":"JAMES TALENT","chamber":"S","state":"MO","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5554}
{"speech_id":1090185775,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I rise today to honor the memory of a great Arkansan. a giant of American .business who passed away yesterday morning. J.B. Hunt of Springdale. Arkansas. He built a billiondollar trucking business from humble beginnings. and in the span of a lifetime went from a sharecroppers son to the employer of over 16.000 people and a major force in shaping the economy of the Third District of Arkansas. He donated to charities. he was very. very active in his church. and was known to carry $100 bills in case he ran across somebody who needed help immediately. When asked why. he explained. I was hungry once. a lesson we can all learn from. I knew him when I was a young man. when he had absolutely no idea who I was. and I knew him when I was a young professional in my community. and later on as his Congressman. ","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1068}
{"speech_id":1090185775,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He was the kind of man that treated me the same in regard to all of those stations in life. He was a wonderful man. and certainly our prayers are with him. his wife Johnelle. his family. and his company which lives the American Dream every day.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOOZMAN","chamber":"H","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1068}
{"speech_id":1090185780,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. for purposes of debate only. I yield the customary 30 minutes to the getlewoian from California . pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution. all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.","speaker_name":"SHELLEY CAPITO","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"F","party":"R","district":2.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":262}
{"speech_id":1090185800,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me time. Madam Speaker. it is with great respect for my good friends I consider this conference report the right start in the face of challenge of nuclear nonproliferation. It is a start. And even though this conference report allows a relationship with India and the United States to pursue civilian nuclear research and investment. this is not the final stop. There is a responsibility that there is an agreement with the IAEA that the Indian Government must assure that their purposes are for civilian purposes only. We do need to continue the friendship between India. the United States. and Pakistan. And I would much rather affirm the fact that there are two governments who are allies of the United States in the South Asia region. India and Pakistan. and to include both of those countries in our discussions in the war against terror. and as well the isolation of Iran and certainly the resolution in Iraq. To do so we must show the respect and the friendship that India has shown to us. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5501}
{"speech_id":1090185800,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And so this is an important step. I might say that this conference report ensures that safeguards in the agreements -between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency is finalized before the President can exempt India from certain legal restrictions. It also provides for enduse monitoring of U.S. exports to India. and as well it strengthens the Nuclear SupDller Group. the group of countries .that try to stem nuclear nonproliferation around the world. It helps us. in fact. by having India in the family of nonproliferation. but also having civilian use. Madam Speaker. I am also glad that my amendment stayed in that I offered in the House. remained in the conference report. And that amendment particularly talks about the fact that there are two. important countries in South Asia. and that is India and Pakistan. and that relationships should continue with both of them. Madam Speaker. this is. in fact. the right start. There is a second chance. and that second chance is the atomic energy agency. We do have the opportunity to maintain our friendship. to pass this legislation. to allbw India to do its research in civilian nonproliferation nuclear use. and at the same time provide a buffer for those countries who refuse to adhere to international guidelines. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5501}
{"speech_id":1090185800,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"India has shown itself a democracy. shown itself to be a friend. and I would encourage that this conference report be a roadmap. if you will. for ensuring the friendship of the United States with India and Pakistan. and at the same time recognizing the longstanding democracy that India has been. I believe it is a good step. I think it is a first step. I think that we have the checks and balances that would support the idea that we are not promoting the proliferation of nuclear use. we are helping to provide for the safe nonproliferation use of nuclear devices. particularly in the civilian area. I thank the Gentleman for yielding. I thank the Rules Committee for making consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 5682. the \"United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006\" in order. Madam Speaker. the United States relationship with India and Pakistan is of paramount importance to our nations political and economic future. With the receding of the Cold Wars global divisions and the new realities of globalization and transnational terrorism. we have embarked on a new era of promise. possibility and uncertainty. This means the United States. the worlds only superpower. bears an especially heavy responsibility to remain engaged in all regions of the world. with all nationstates. It is in the nationdl interegt for the United States to continue our policy of engagement. collaboration. and exchange which has served the nation well in the past. particularly in the South Asia region. - It is important that we are considering this conference report today. ","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5501}
{"speech_id":1090185800,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I also want to thank my colleagues for adopting my amendment to H.R. 5682. My bipartisan amendment. which was endorsed and cosponsored by Congressman BURTON. and which was not opposed by either the Majority or Minority of the Committee on International Relations. simply states that the \"South Asia region is so important that the United States should continue its policy of engagement. collaboration. -and exchanges with and between India and Pakistan.\" Peaceful nuclear cooperation with India can serve multiple U.S. foreign policy objectives so long as it is undertaken in a manner that minimizes potential risks to the nonproliferation regime. This will be best achieved by sustained and active engagement and cooperation between India and the United States. Similarly. Pakistan has been a critical ally in the global war on terror. Pakistan has been a good friend to the people of the United States. Although H.R. 5682 signals no change in this countrys relationship with Pakistan. it is not difficult to understand why it may give pause to some supporters of Pakistan. This is another reason Why it is vital for the United States to continue to engage both Pakistan and India in ongoing political engagement. economic and technological collaborations. and personal exchanges. which will bring the United States closer to these two vitally important democracies in the South Asia region and will bring India and Pakistan closer to each other. I support this Rule. this Bill with my Amendment. and this Conference Report. I urge my colleagues to do the same.","speaker_name":"SHEILA JACKSON LEE","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5501}
{"speech_id":1090185801,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I commend the gentlewoman from Texas for her very articulate expression of what this resolution and this conference report does indeed do. and refocusing the debate on the specifics that brought an unusual harmony together from both sides of the aisle and to a specific report and specific conference report that is here. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance.","speaker_name":"ROB BISHOP","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":432}
{"speech_id":1090185814,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I am disappointed but not surprised that this is how we are ending the 109th Congress. Like I said yesterday. old habits die hard. Once again. we are here on the floor debating an omnibus bill. a smorgasbord. if you will. a bill which cobbles together several bills and other provisions that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. This process is unfortunate. The Republican leadership is forcing a bill through this body today that includes tax extenders. Medicare payments. offshore drilling and an expansion of the D.C. school voucher program. It is a 279page bill that is datestamped yesterday at 1:39 p.m. I wonder how many people in this House. Madam Speaker. have actually had the time to read and research what is in this bill and how it will impact current policy. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4212}
{"speech_id":1090185814,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I would say to my colleagues. dont be surprised if in a week or two you pick up your local newspaper and that there is a story about other goodies that are hidden in this bill that we are about to consider today. Sadly. that is what we have come to expect from this Republican leadership. There are at least four separate bills included in these 279 pages. each of which does a variety of things. First. the tax extenders bill. The tax extenders provisions include things like the R&D tax credit and Work Opportunity Act. just to name a couple. These tax extensions happen every year. are generally bipartisan and noncontroversial. and could and should be passed on their own and considered in the Senate under regular order. Second. this bill includes Medicare payments to ensure our seniors are able to receive the health care that they have come to expect. The Republican leadership and the Republicans on the Ways and Means committee have known for an entire year about the need to address these Medicare payment issues. They just didnt care enough to act. They should have written a bill and brought it through the committee through regular order. but they just didnt seem to care enough to get it done. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4212}
{"speech_id":1090185814,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Third. and most problematic. is the offshore drilling bill that has been inserted in this tax bill. This bill passed the House earlier this year but failed .to get out of conference. so instead of the Republican House and the Republican Senate doing their job and sending us a conference report. we get instead a bill stuck in with tax extensions and Medicare payments that allows for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This bill is as far from a solid. comprehensive energy strategy as we can get. Madam Speaker. and yet another bow to the interests of Big Oil. And that comes as no surprise. That is what the majority has been doing for the past 6 years. So lets be clear. Opening up these areas of the Gulf of Mexico will have no significant impact on oil and gas prices but it will benefit the oil and gas industry. This is tl}e same industry that used a royalty relief loophole to swindle the American taxpayers out of at least $7 billion in royalties. And it is the same industry that received $7.5 billion in tax breaks in the socalled energy bill. all courtesy of the Republican leadership in this Congress. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4212}
{"speech_id":1090185814,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Fourth and finally. Madam Speaker. we know there is an expansion of the school voucher program for Washington. D.C. Rather than advocate for more money to improve public schools. the Republican leadership has decided to divert funds to unaccountable religious and private schools. This is a highly controversial program that should not be stuffed in a catchall bill as the Congress is trying to adjourn. Madam Speaker. I support extending the noncontroversial tax credits and at long last fixing these Medicare reimbursement problems. but I cannot support efforts to open up offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico or expand the D.C. school voucher program. And I certainly cannot support the way the Republican leadership is forcing the House to consider this omnibus bill. under a closed rule. with no time for adequate review or amendment. Madam Speaker. this.is not the way the House of Representatives should be run. This is not the way we should legislate. ","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4212}
{"speech_id":1090185814,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I urge my colleagues to vote \"no\" on the rule and vote \"no\" on the bill. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JAMES MCGOVERN","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4212}
{"speech_id":1090185830,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my good friend JIM McGovERN for those kind remarks. The feeling is indeed mutual. I certainly have enjoyed serving with him and all the members of the Rules Committee on both sides of the aisle. and I thank him for his kind remarks.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":261}
{"speech_id":1090185833,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. in closing. I rise again in support of this rule and in recognition of the importance of the underlying bill. I do want to take this opportunity in closing to recognize the hard work and efforts of Chairman THOMAS and Chairman BARTON. as well as their respective committees. for the final product that we have before us today. Also. Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize and thank Chairman THOMAS for his decades of service to this House. and the people of his district. as well as Americans all across this Nation. BILL THOMAS. a brilliant professor from Bakersfield. has truly been a leader across the board. and his expertise and devotion of 28 years of service across this country will truly be missed. Mr. ","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1541}
{"speech_id":1090185833,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 is a very important piece of legislation that positively impacts each and every American by fostering economic growth. driving innovation. Increasing our energy supply. and improving the quality of health care in this country. As the 109th Congress draws to a close. and the minority prepares to become the majority. I believe that we must work together to produce legislation like this that recognizes the fact that when the government gets out of the way. Americans can do what they do best. and that is what is best for America. I want to encourage all of my colleagues to support this rule and support the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.","speaker_name":"PHIL GINGREY","chamber":"H","state":"GA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":11.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1541}
{"speech_id":1090185854,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her leadership on this extremely important issue and many others. I rise in strong support of this bill. We need to support our veterans when they are in harms way. and when they return home. we have to give them the support for their health care and for their lives that they deserve. I am very pleased that the Veterans Administration is- continuing to support the 23rd Street Veterans Hospital in Manhattan in~my district. which is rated as one of the best veterans hospitals in this country. a center of exbellence in six different categories. Under this bill. that hospital and other veterans hospitals and outreach centers will have additional support for mental health. Regrettably. many of our veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. and our veterans even from the Vietnam and the Gulf wars. are suffering from posttraumatic stress. Many of them have this challenge. and this bill addresses it and puts support there for our returning men and women. I am extremely pleased that one of the first bills that I ever introduced in this Congress. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090185854,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"H.R. 4537. the Veterans Housing Fairness Act. is part of this bill. A home is a home whether you live in a condominium or in a traditional house or a mobile home or a townhouse. Yet. currently. VA loans cannot be used to purchase cooperative residential units. This bill corrects this and allows veterans. whether they live vertically in coops or horizontally in homes or in mobile homes. it allows them to use this loan to purchase their home. A home is a home for a veteran. no matter where they are. This will help many returning veterans and veterans that currently live in New York City. And I thank my colleagues for their support. particularly Senator SCHUMER in the Senate and of course Chairman BUYER and Ranking Member FILNER for their hard work on this. Let me tell you that it is so important. what we are doing today. This includes many important provisions. and I thank them. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090185854,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the cochair of the Parkinsons caucus. I am very pleased that the bill includes six Parkinsons Disease research education centers. Regrettably. many of our returning veterans are suffering from Parkinsons similar symptoms. and this will help us to research this. help our veterans and others suffering from Parkinsons. It is a thoughtful bill. it is inclusive. and I am particularly pleased that it is one of the first bills that I introduced. a home is a home whether it is a coop or a mobile home. and our veterans will be able to use their VA loans to purchase the appropriate housing for them in the areas that they live. I thank all of my colleagues for their hard work on this. My colleague. CORRINE BROWN. we came to Congress together. I thank you very much. I thank as well SHELLEY BERKLEY.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2794}
{"speech_id":1090185879,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my strong support for the Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act. While I am pleased that we will have the opportunity to vote on this matter. it is important to note that we are not expanding accountability but are in fact correcting a mistake. Earlier this year. language was included in the National Defense Authorization Act to terminate funding and authority for the Office of the Special Investigator General for Iraq Reconstruction. This organization is critical to ensuring that taxpayers dollars are being used wisely. and the office has already uncovered millions of dollars lost to waste and fraud. Besides protecting the integrity of the Iraq reconstruction program and providing accountability to the American taxpayers. the Office of the Investigator General. is also helping the Iraqi government fight a culture of corruption. Corruption is a scourge on the Iraqi society that threatens its stability. It not only drains needed funds from the fledgling government. but funds skimmed from government coffers may also finance criminal and insurgent operations. I urge my colleagues to support this measure to maintain accountability for the American people and.the Iraqi people.","speaker_name":"SILVESTRE REYES","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"D","district":16.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1228}
{"speech_id":1090185922,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for all of his leadership. and I congratulate the dean of our delegation. CHARLIE RANGEL. for working hard on this bill and restructuring of the bond issue for New York City. among other issues. Why I am rising today. however. is the audit report that came out 2 days ago of the Department of the Interior. It was a scathing indictment of mismanagement and cronyism. In my years on the Committee on Governjment Reform. it is the worst report I have seen and it documents billions of dollars that are owed to the American people for oil and gas extracted from federally owned land. land owned by the American people. These revenues are not coming into the Treasury. but into the pockets of the oil industry. I rise in support of the MarkeyHinchey amendment. which includes. among other things. a renegotiation of these leases to pay a fair price to the American public and to our country. It is long overdue. ","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1936}
{"speech_id":1090185922,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We should not tolerate this type of mismanagement. It showed that the number of audits have gone down. the number of auditors have come down. They have a paper compliance review board that has oversight which amounts to pushing paper around. It is not a watchdog. but a lap dog. for private industry as opposed to documentation of what is fairly owned to the American pe6ple and to our government. Correcting this will literally bring 10 to $30 billion into the Treasury of the United States. It is the fair thing to do. It is the right thing to do. We should all follow and read this important report and vote to renegotiate the ripoff leases and have them pay a fair deal for what they are reaping for their own pockets. Our constituents are paying record prices at the pump and for heating oil. yet the oil companies are not paying their fair due for their leases on American federally owned property. This is an important amendment. and I urge my colleagues to support it.","speaker_name":"CAROLYN MALONEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1936}
{"speech_id":1090185929,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. let me thank Mr. RANGEL not just for yielding me this time. but for your friendship. I have enjoyed my years on the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. THOMAS. I wish you only the best. It has been an incredible experience to serve on the Ways and Means Committee. It is interesting that the last bill that we will be considering. maybe not the last because we will have a trade bill later. but this bill causes me some trouble because of the manner in which provisions have been brought together. It seems to me that we should have had an opportunity to vote on many of these provisions separately. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2344}
{"speech_id":1090185929,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Several provisions that have been incorporated in this bill I have voted against. and I would like an opportunity to do that again. I am troubled because there are some very important provisions included in this legislation. As you know. we let expire many important tax provisions in the beginning of this year. and this bill will reinstate those provisions effective for 2006 and 2007. I am particularly pleased that the research and development credit is extended and improved for 2007. I worked with Mr. WELLER from the other side of the aisle so we could make the research and development. credit more available for businesses today. I am glad that is included. I am glad that we have extended the deduction for higher education expenses. We need to bring down the cost for higher education for families in this country. On the environmental front. ","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2344}
{"speech_id":1090185929,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am very pleased we have extended the provisions for electricityusing renewable sources. That is certainly in our interest as a Nation on energy independence. I am also pleased that on the Medicare side we have found a way to provide relief for physicians update for this year. I hope that we will be able in the next Congress to do that on a permanent basis. and I am pleased also that we have been able to extend therapy cap provisions so that the harsh impact will not be felt by Medicare beneficiaries. Mr. Speaker. there are many provisions in this bill that are extremely important for us to enact before we adjourn sine die. I am pleased that the provisions that have come under the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee are provisions that I think are important to be enacted.- and I hope we will find a way to ensure that they are enacted before we adjourn sine die.","speaker_name":"BENJAMIN CARDIN","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2344}
{"speech_id":1090185932,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. here we are on December 8 talking about legislation that we had discussed in prior months this year before this Congress was set to adjourn officially on September 30. We find today -a circumstance where we have some very good provisions that are lumped together in this legislation. We have provisions in this bill that would promote the cleanup of brownfields. Those are contaminated sites throughout this country that are lying empty because they are too contaminated to use and too expensive to clean up. We are going to promote the cleanup of those brownfields. We are going to provide a better way to have environmental settlements occur so we have funds in place that will then be used to help pay for cleanup of environmental degradation. We have the very important research and development tax credit which so much of American business needs to know about so they can make sound investments into the future about what. to devote their next 1020 years worth of money into in terms of research and development. We have the welfaretowork tax credit to get folks on welfare back to work. We have the extension of the American Jobs Creation Act for Puerto Rico manufacturing. but we have a lot of other things as well that dont belong here.","speaker_name":"XAVIER BECERRA","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":31.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1257}
{"speech_id":1090185936,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this legislation because it adopts a number of extremely important tax provisions. expensing of brownfields remediation costs. mental health parity benefits. deduction of higher education expenses. the work opportunity tax credits. incentives for renewable and alternative sources of energy. and the R&D tax credit with its new forwardlooking option. but it also helps to ensure that our senior citizens will be able to choose the physician of their choice by preventing the scheduled 5 percent cut in physician Medicare reimbursements. In addition. it extends the 508 hospital payments and requires a study of how to reform the wage index system. laying the foundation for needed reform in that area. The Medicare home demonstration project it adopts will reward small physician offices for managing patients with chronic or severe illness more holistically. both to reduce the cost of medical care and to improve the quality of the care those seniors receive. But while I support this bill. I believe the 1year doctor payment policy it adopts is deeply flawed and urge my colleagues to develop a more thoughtful and fair approach to reflecting the quality of physician performance in our Medicare payment system. First. in any payforperformance system. clinical criteria for quality must emanate from the physician community. Bureaucrats must never be allowed to dictate medical practice. Second. any payforperformance system must not penalize doctors who care for difficult. noncomplying patients. or patients for whom criteria has not been established. ","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1911}
{"speech_id":1090185936,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Consequently. all doctors should receive some increase to recognize the increased cost of delivering care to our seniors. increased cost of malpractice insurance. health benefits for their employees and so on. And above that. a fair. balanced payforperformance system must be adopted. I urge support of the bill. \u0095l 1415","speaker_name":"NANCY JOHNSON","chamber":"H","state":"CT","gender":"F","party":"R","district":5.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1911}
{"speech_id":1090186003,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I strongly oppose this unconscionable attempt by the Republican leadership to force passage of a damaging offshore oil drilling measure by attaching it to an omnibus bill. H.R. 6111. The language contained within this bill. which would open the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas exploration. threatens Floridas delicate ecosystem. places coastal tourism and fishing industries at economic risk. and does little to address our dependence on fossil fuels. If Congress was serious about offering real energy solutions. then we would be examining the true environmental and economic impacts of offshore drilling and exploring the use of clean. renewable energy technologies. increased fuel efficiency. and conservation. Policymakers should not be strongarmed into supporting legislation that could cause irreparable harm to our ecosystem and economy. Mr. Speaker. the American people deserve an open and honest debate on our Nations energy policy. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill and support passage of a comprehensive energy plan that promotes independence and protects our Nations resources as well as the health of our communities.","speaker_name":"ROBERT WEXLER","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":19.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1156}
{"speech_id":1090186004,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 3711. the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. I believe this legislation offers a balanced approach to increasing our energy independence. while still ensuring the safety of our environment. I had opposed H.R. 4761. the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006. when it was brought before the House because I believed it was the wrong way to approachOuter Continental Shelf drilling. It is my strong belief that if we are going to open Federal waters to leasing and drilling activities. than these revenues should be dedicated to go to the Federal Treasury for the betterment of our Nation. Ideally. I believe that revenues from leasing activities should be dedicated to conservation funding. as legislation like the Conservation and Reinvestment Act. which I introduced with .Representative DON YOUNG a few years back would have. Unfortunately. the full scope of our legislation was never signed into law. However. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090186004,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"S. 3711 offers just that. Fifty percent of revenues from leasing activities will be designated to the Federal Treasury. and revenues that will be designated to the gulf producing States are authorized solely for conservation efforts. This legislation clearly states that each gulf producing State dedicate their revenues \"only for 1 or more of the following purposes: projects and activities for the purposes of coastal protection. mitigation of damage to fish. wildlife. or natural resource. implementation of a federallyapproved marine. coastal. or comprehensive conservation management plane. mitigation of the impact of outer Continental Shelf activities through the funding of onshore infrastructure projects.\" In addition. 12.5 percent of these revenues will be dedicated to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It is clear from the high cost of oil and natural gas today that we need to explore ways to increase our supply of hydrocarbons. Since the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP. began in 1981. the portion of winter heating bills that LIHEAP covers has declined to 8 percent. Benefit levels based on the 1981 value have decreased from $209 in 1983 to $132 in 2004. causing many seniors on fixed incomes and low income families to bear the burden of excessive heating bills. If S. 3711 is enacted. the Minerals Management Service estimated that the area proposed for drilling contains at least 1.26 billion barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas enough natural gas to heat and cool every home in Michigan for the next for 16 years. Furthermore. the Congressional Budget Office. CBO. estimates that if S. 3711 is enacted. direct spending of Outer Continental Shelf recipients would be reduced by $900 million over the 20082016 period. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090186004,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I support S. 3711 today because it proposes a more limited approach to Outer Continental Shelf drilling plan than the House version. H.R. 4761. I am pleased that this legislation directs revenues towards conservation. ensuring that by fncreasing our domestic natural gas supply we are not compromising the environmental safety of our coastal lands in the Gulf of Mexico. We can all agree that we should be looking for alternative fuels and renewable energy sources. but our immediate concern should be reducing the cost of natural gas and oil supplies for those most vulnerable in our society. I anticipate that the House Energy and Commerce Committee will look into alternative fuels and renewable energy sources during the 110th Congress.","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3500}
{"speech_id":1090186049,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. the bill before us represents one of the last chances that the majority has to leave its mark on the 109th Congress. and yet again we are ending this session like we began it. rushing to pass a rule on a bill without having taken enough time to get either one right. Along with the broken process used to pass this legislation. what is in this bill is a perfect representation of what is wrong with the way business has been done under this majority. It is a clear example of why we need a new direction in Washington. why we need a new philosophy of government to take root here in the peoples House. This continuing resolution will automatically fund government programs at their current levels through February 15 of next year. It is the third continuing resolution Congress has passed since the current fiscal year began on October 1. We are in the second week of December. and the majority has approved only two of thell bills that were needed this year. In fact. by the time this resolution expires in February. the Federal Government would have been on autopilot for more than onethird of the 2007 fiscal year. The nine spending *bills that the 109th Congress will leave unfinished when it adjourns this week cover over $460 billion in Federal spending. 460 billion. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4750}
{"speech_id":1090186049,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is almost half a trillion that the leaders of the Congress have decided to send out the door without any policymaking or oversight. Madam Speaker. the majority didnt do its job. As representatives. we are sent here to be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars that the Federal Government spends. It is one of our most important responsibilities. Voters do not expect us to abdicate that responsibility or any other responsibility. for that matter. What they expect is that we will take on the challenges confronting our Nation. challenges which have for years awaited a leadership with the vision and commitment needed to address them. Madam Speaker. my fellow Democrats and I understand what the American people expect of us. Democrats believe that running this House correctly is a matter of pride. We believe it is a matter of having a fundamental respect for both the institution in which we serve and for the citizens who gave us the privilege to serve here. And that is why when the 110th Congress opens next month. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4750}
{"speech_id":1090186049,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Democrats will actually face the unanswered challenges confronting us with a new promise and address them in a new way. The House will no longer avoid asking tough questions or fail to live up to its most basic duties. Democrats are going to show the American people a Congress with a new set of priorities and a new set of how best to do the peoples business. They are going to see a Congress committed to getting our deficits under control and passing critical bills like unfinished budgets before us on time. They will see a Congress focused on rewarding millions of hardworking Americans with an increase in the minimum wage and on promoting education and employment opportunities to help save the backbone of our economy: the middle class. Americans are going to see a Congress committed to the high standards of ethical conduct and procedural fairness so that corruption will no longer find refuge within these Halls. And they are going to see a Congress with the principle needed to truly stand up for our troops in the field by changing our course in Iraq and by rooting out the fraud. waste. and abuse that to this day endanger the very soldiers that we have asked to risk their lives countless times on our behalf. 0l 1615 Mr. Speaker. the new direction my fellow Democrats and I stand for will show our gratitude to the American people for giving us this opportunity to serve our country. to help our communities. and strengthen out future. It is in the Democratic Partys respect for the fundamental principles of our society that they will see the faith we have in the principles and their timelessness and in their strength. It is in the challenges we choose to confront and the honest. open and fair means by which we confront them that they will see our dedication to a government of. by. and for the people of the United States. \u0095 The- American people understand what is at stake in the years ahead. ","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4750}
{"speech_id":1090186049,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They understand that how we act. both in Washington and toward those at home and abroad. will determine who we are as a Nation. They want a country they can recognize. They want the country they grew up believing in. They want a Congress they can be proud of again. And. Madam Speaker. that is exactly what the Democrats are going to give them. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"LOUISE SLAUGHTER","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":28.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4750}
{"speech_id":1090186108,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thank the gentleman for his courtesy. Again. I thank Chairman SHAW. This does not help Haitians. This helps Chinese. We want to help the Haitians. but by giving more jobs to China and allowing more goods to come in. the wellintentioned folks. and I applaud their support because I support their desire to help the Haitians. they donot accomplish it with this bill. Again I thank Mr. SHAW. Chairman THOMAS. and Senator CARDIN for their courtesy.","speaker_name":"ROBIN HAYES","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":446}
{"speech_id":1090186109,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time in order to read a paragraph into the RECORD. This is a letter dated December 8 from the United States Customs and Border Protection. Mr. Speaker. the commissioner in this letter says: \"As the customs and border protection official ultimately charged with our trade facilitation and enforcement efforts. including protecting United States industry against unfairly traded textile imports. we can and will enforce this legislation. if enacted. I was disturbed to learn that some interests are characterizing the Customs and Border Protections position as opposed to the package of legislation. That is not the case.\" Of course. he was referring to the legislation that is before the body at this time.","speaker_name":"E. SHAW","chamber":"H","state":"FL","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":738}
{"speech_id":1090186136,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. as a combat Vietnam veteran. I have a 4trong personal understanding of why granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations status to Vietnam is so important for both our country and theirs. Reconciliation with our former adversary has been a long and ongoing effort. and today we are taking a long step toward furthering that process. This process began more than a decade ago when we lifted the trade embargo on Vietnam in recognition of the cooperation received from Vietnam In POW\/MIA accounting. In May. the United States and Vietnam signed a bilateral WTO accession agreement. which was required as part of Vietnams bid to join the WTO. For the United States to participate in this trade agreement. Congress must pass legislation granting PNTR to Vietnam. Mr. Speaker. its important to understand that congressional approval of PNTR for Vietnam is a necessary step toward maintaining our competitive edge in the 21st century global economy. ","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090186136,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"By passing PNTR. farmers. ranchers. businesses. manufacturers and consumers will be able to take full advantage of Vietnams rapidly expanding economy. The facts speak for themselves: Vietnam has become our fastest growing export market in Asia. In just the last five years. trade between the U.S. and Vietnam has increased more than 400 percent. going from under $1 billion ayear to $7.8 billion. If we fail to pass PNTR. we are putting ourselves at a distinct disadvantage because we will be the only WTO member country that will not have access to Vietnams booming economy. Foreign competitors will get the benefit of lower trade barriersbenefits we negotiatedas U.S. farmers. manufacturers and businesses watch from the sidelines. Also. granting PNTR status to Vietnam advances our interests in areas other than trade. PNTR will promote ongoing internal reforms within Vietnam. WTO membership will require Vietnam to adhere to WTO rules of law and provide greater transparency where trade matters are concerned. Vietnams laws and regulations that affect foreign trade and investment will need to be published and made publicly available. In addition. ","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090186136,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Vietnam has been cooperative with our efforts to achieve full accounting of U.S. soldiers missing in action. Enactment of PNTR will further this good working relationship. Mr. Speaker. today. we have an opportunity to expand our economy and improve American prosperity. We also have an opportunity to eliminate the remnants. from a war that ended more than three decades ago. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6406.","speaker_name":"MIKE THOMPSON","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2525}
{"speech_id":1090186190,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. the conference report on H.R. 5682 includes language implementing the \"Additional Protocol\" to the U.S. nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The other Body gave its advice and consent for the Additional Protocol in 2004. but without enactment passage of this implementing legislation the Additional Protocol cannot enter Into force. Following the 1991 Gulf War. IAEA member states took steps to strengthen the nuclear safeguards system. This led to the development of a model \"Additional Protocol\" to supplement safeguards agreements and amend verification arrangements. It Is designed to improve the ability of the IAEA to detect clandestine nuclear weapons programs in nonnuclearweapons states by providing the IAEA with increased information and expanded inspection access. As of March of 2006. 110 countries had signed additional protocols. including all the nuclear weapons states. and 78 countries have them In force. The U.S. is not obligated to accept safeguards under the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty or the Additional Protocol. However. the U.S. already allows safeguards to be placed on certain facilities and materials under a voluntary agreement with the IAEA. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2659}
{"speech_id":1090186190,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This underscores our support for the Nonproliferation Treaty. The U.S. signing the Additional Protocol demonstrates that adherence will not commercially disadvantage nonnuclearweapons states. Under both the voluntary agreement and the Additional Protocol. the U.S. maintains a national security exclusion and the right to manage IAEA access to facilities or information of direct national security significance. Enactment of this implementing legislation provides the President with authority to permit IAEA Inspectors. accompanied by U.S. representatives. access to certain facilities and to information on activities In the U.S. It also authorizes the Department of Commerce and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop -implementing regulations and conduct training and trial inspections. Finally. the legislation sets forth procedures for the inspections. similar to those for the Chemical Weapons Convention. and establishes civil and criminal penalties for the failure of U.S. entities to provide such information. Mr. Speaker. this legislation will strengthen our Nations ability to advance the cause of universal acceptance of increased safeguards and for that reason I urge both Bodies to adopt the conference report and send It on to the President for his signature. Among the many tributes to our beloved colleague. HENRY HYDE. this bill and what It can do for global nuclear security Is among the most worthy.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2659}
{"speech_id":1090186205,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin. who has done such an extraordinary job in trying to bring fairness and coherence in this process. Unfortunately. he will soon be in the business to do so. although carrying the burden that he has to get out from under. I first want to- join him in saying that I am glad to see we finally recognize the incongruity of pay raises for ourselves and no minimum wage increase. Many of us tried to argue that on logical grounds and on moral grounds. It is interesting to see that the loss of 30 seats apparently succeeded. where morality and logic was less persuasive. But I will take it any way I can get it. Then I also want to congratulate my colleagues on the other side for their consistency because they end this Congress governing in the same way in which they carried on for 2 years: frankly. incompetently. without respect for democratic procedures. and with d willingness to inflict harm on the most vulnerable members of our society. Earlier today we voted on packages of things that in a Democratic legislature. for example. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3693}
{"speech_id":1090186205,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Iraq. we would not have had all lumped together. Members who opposed some and supported others would have had a chance to say so. Today we got have one continuing resolution. as the gentleman from Wisconsin said. we have no choice but to vote \"yes\" so that the government does not stop acting. But let us take a look at what they have done. I have a particular responsibility in my committee for housing. The one housing program that the Republican Party has not undone is the section 8 program. But we have today a resolution that substantially and deliberately provides fewer dollars for the section 8 program than the housing authorities of this country need to meet their existing commitments. This is a budget that goes into. what. January of this current fiscal year. Months will have gone by in this current fiscal year. and you are funding section 8 at significantly less than your president asked for for this fiscal year. significantly less than is needed to meet commitments. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3693}
{"speech_id":1090186205,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And in January housing authorities will be faced with dilemmas. They may be told by HUD that they cannot continue to service what they are now doing. There is section 8 projectbased assistance you put forward in a bill here which is $636 million below what your President asked for just to meet existing commitments. And housing authorities that have jurisdiction over projects which house elderly people and disabled people may be in turmoil and there will be uncertainty. We will probably be able come to their rescue. but why should we have to? Why should we create. Mr. Speaker. *you and your colleagues. a situation in which this difficulty exists and we have to come to the rescue? Why such little regard for the poorest people in this country. the most vulnerable? Why are they going to be treated this way. as pawns. so you can avoid having to make difficult decisions. Mr. Speaker? So I just want to echo what the gentleman from Wisconsin said about the inappropriateness of this. I do want to point out in particular what happens here. ","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3693}
{"speech_id":1090186205,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"And let me say to those Members on the other side who supported this rule and supported this approach. I will predict now. Mr. Speaker. that many of them will be hearing from the housing authorities and from section 8 residents in January complaining of the uncertainty. complaining of the difficulty. You will have no justification in claiming that it wasnt your fault. those of you who voted to send this procedure. So please be ready to explain to peopld in January why you so callously. Mr. Speaker. disregarded once again the interests of the poorest people in the country.","speaker_name":"BARNEY FRANK","chamber":"H","state":"MA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3693}
{"speech_id":1090186208,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. when Congress passed SAFETEALUthe legislation that reauthorizes the Federal surface transportation programsin 2005. it recognized the need to significantly increase Federal investment for highway. highway safety. and transit programs. In fact. the Safe. Accountable. Flexible. Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. SAFETEALU. increased the overall investment in surface transportation programs by more than 40 percent. with a significant part of that increase guaranteed to take effect in fiscal year 2007. Earlier this year. the House passed H.R. 5576. the Transportation. Treasury. and Housing and Urban Development. TTHUD. appropriations bill. which meets SAFETEALUs funding guarantees. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090186208,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It provides an increase of $3.4 billion for the Federalaid highway programs and an additional $47.4 million for the transit programs over the fiscal year 2006 SAFETEALU funding levels. It is now more than 2 months since the start of fiscal year 2007. and the Republicanled Congress has not enacted the TTHUD appropriations bill. Instead. H.J. Res. 102 provides funding for the highway. highway safety. and transit programs through. February 15. 2007. The resolution funds these programs at the fiscal year 2006 level. Thus. all of the highway and transit investment increases guaranteed by SAFETEALU are put on hold. If this approach is continued and the continuing resolution is extended through fiscal year 2007. SAFETEALUs guaranteed highway funding will be cut by $3.4 billion and its transit investment slashed by $474 million. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090186208,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Under a longterm continuing resolution. the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA. and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. FMCSA. safety programs will be funded at substantially lower levels than guaranteed in SAFETEALU. NHTSA stands to lose up to $21.7 million. At a time when more than 43.000 people are dying in roadway crashes each year. we simply cannot afford to shortchange an agency tasked with making our roadways safer. Likewise. FMCSA could lose almost $27 million that would be spent on motor carrier safety programs and grants. It is essential that we properly fund these critical programs. The highway. highway safety. and transit programs differ from most other Federal programs in that they are supported by user fees. Motorists who drive on our highways pay. the fees when they pump gas. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090186208,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"They willingly pay the fees because they rely on a commitment by the Federal Government to use the money so collected to finance our highway and transit programs. In other words. users have already paid for the investments authorized in SAFETEALU and funded in the Housepassed TTHUD appropriations bill. However. the Republicanled Congresss failure to enact this legislation in a timely manner will shortchange funding for critical transportation projects. Transportation projects are usually highcost undertakings that take several years to complete. Certainty in fundingespecially Federal fundingis critical to their success. Relying on shortterm. stopgap measures. such as continuing resolutions. does not provide the certainty that State departments of transportation need to plan for their construction projects in the upcoming season. And for northerntier States. where construction seasons are short. delays in providing adequate Federal funding can severely disrupt their process for contract bidding. directly affecting next years construction season. Continuing resolutions also provide great uncertainty for transit programs. The Federal Transit Administration. FTA. has delayed the release of transit formula apportionments and other new grants until a final TTHUD appropriations act is enacted. ","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090186208,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The continuing resolution. coupled with FTAs policy. is resulting in many transit agencies being unable to advance badly needed transit projects. According to the Federal Reserve. housing construction is currently very weak throughout the country. Congress should do everything within its power to ensure that transportation infrastructure investment is not disrupted through congressional inaction. placing an additional burden on this sector of the economy. Hundreds of our small businesses and thousands of our workers could be put at risk as a result. I urge Congress to fulfill its responsibilities in passing appropriations acts and to honor the funding guarantees established in","speaker_name":"JAMES OBERSTAR","chamber":"H","state":"MN","gender":"M","party":"D","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":4382}
{"speech_id":1090186235,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I thank bill we introduced some 11\/2 years ago. the chairman. That is a pretty remarkable achieveI had a friend of mine say the other ment. The postal service is the kind of day. gee. 11\/2 years dedicated to one endeavor that touches the lives of virissue. that is a long time. My observa- tually each and every American each tion was. there are people in certain ju- and every day. and while it may not risdictions in this country that have garner the kind of attention and passpent less time for committing murder sion and interest that some other than I have spent on this bill. I am not issues do. at the end of the day. it is sure what the parallel there is. but if one of the most important activities. there is any truth in the old adage that Most of all. this is for the postal anything worth having is worth wait- workers. those 800.000plus strong who ing for. this is a very. very good night. go out every day and do their job so efThis is an excellent bill. It is not a fectively. so efficiently that for the perfect bill. but the fact that you can vast majority of our constituents. the tdke the mix of interests that is rep- last thing they think of when they resented in this piece of legislation. walk to their mailbox or go to their unions. mailers. postal dependents and post office is will the mail be there. It postal competitive industries. the post- will. And through this legislation. al service itself. and have them vir- through this advancement. hopefully it tually uniformly and universally sup- will continue in that regard. port it suggests that it is a remarkable Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2372}
{"speech_id":1090186235,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Speaker. it is a great night. a achievement. great day for all Americans. and I In that regard. I want to thank so thank all of those who have endeavored many people: former Chairman Bill so hard for more than a decade to make Clinger who first presented me the it a reality. challenge and the opportunity of ad- It has been more than 36 years since Presivancing this initiative. then. of course. dent Nixon signed into law the most cornDAN BURTON. the followon chairman. prehensive postal legislation since the foundthe gentleman from Indiana. who kept ing of the Republic. the Postal Reorganization it alive. and most recently. most im- Act of 1970. The PostOffice Department was portantly. the gentleman from Virginia transformed into the United States Postal","speaker_name":"JOHN MCHUGH","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":23.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2372}
{"speech_id":1090186297,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would like to make several points: First off. that committee staff knows there are elections every 2 years. too. I was a staff director in the minority before we became the majority and when the rariking member changed. all staff loses their job whether there has been an election or not. Yes. you could take your personal accounts for the losing Members and cover some. But the fact is so could committees. If they withheld funds. they could have done it as well. I lose five staff. They have been very close to me. Many of them have been personal friends. They have had 2 months. It would be nice if they could have the extra months. but it is no more their right as higherpaid staff than personal office staff. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090186297,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We are not arguing to spend even more money. We are saying. how did you come up with the double standard? Why do leadership staff get the dollars. why do committee staff get the dollars and not the personal office? The budgets are the same. The elections are the same. You know the risks. In fact. for a committee the risks are higher. because you could change your ranking member. you could change your chairman. You could have your chairman switch subcommittees and the staff change. This is the nature of the business. I think j is great to be generous with your own dollars. but when youre generous with the taxpayers dollars. there are obligations with that. At the very least. there should have been a discussion. There should have been hearings. ","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090186297,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We hear that all the time. There should have beef hearings. Sometimes there arent. But at this point. at the last day. for us to come up here and give special benefits to the few. including some of my own staff. is just wrong. I hope the Members give this a resounding \"no.\"","speaker_name":"MARK SOUDER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1743}
{"speech_id":1090186349,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we have a copy of those comments on the way over to the gentleman from Virginia. I would hope we would never require begging in this institution for access to information. and I apologize for any inconvenience. While we are delivering the Department of Justices letter. the first paragraph of which talks about supporting the bill. I would be happy to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania such time as he may consume.","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER CANNON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":490}
{"speech_id":1090186354,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. having just been handed the letter and gone through it very quickly. I would just point out that the last sentence on the first page says. \"The department has a number of recommendations (described below) to clarify the bill and to make it even more effective.\" They suggest. just briefly going through it. A. B. C. D. E. F. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":816}
{"speech_id":1090186354,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"G. H. I. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. J. K. improvements needed for the bill. E 0000 I do not know if this is a copy or original or what. but I hope everybody reads the letter that was entered previously in the RECORD so they will know that we are taking this action before we hav6 had any time to consider the recommendations of the FBI which will have the responsibility of enforcing the bill. if it ever becomes lawat the end of this session. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":816}
{"speech_id":1090186356,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. A. the bill could be made more effective by creating a more graduated series of offenses and then details. B. the bill could be made more effective by prohibiting attempts. then a description. C. a new provision should be numbered 18 U.S.C. 1039 and a description. D. the drafters may wish to include a clear statement of jurisdiction. E. the bill could be made more effective by prohibiting. generating. and transmitting misleading caller identification information in addition to modifying such information. on and on and on. These are substantive recommendations that we are just going to ignore by taking this bill up in the middle of the night right here at the end of the session with a bill that has been handed to this side at the last minute. with the FBI recommendations that have been hiding the ball right up until I demanded it. and then they finally let it go. This is a ridiculous way to put things in the Criminal Code. and I would hope we would defeat the legislation. ","speaker_name":"ROBERT SCOTT","chamber":"H","state":"VA","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1088}
{"speech_id":1090186384,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I yield to the gentleman from Oregon. Mr. WU. In the original House version of the bill. the person in control of Federal -property was given virtually unfettered discretion in determining what activities were acceptable and what activities were not. I had hoped in the closing hours of this session that we would come together in comity to respect both the fallen dead and the Constitution. which is certainly my intent.","speaker_name":"STEPHEN BUYER","chamber":"H","state":"IN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":4.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":421}
{"speech_id":1090186387,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wanted to thank the gentleman for yielding. and recall that he was a distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee himself for a considerable period of time. We will keep in mind the conversations that we have had here tonight in the closing hours. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.","speaker_name":"JOHN CONYERS","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":14.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":302}
{"speech_id":1090186394,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 6427 and urge its adoption by the House. The bill changes the way a particular royalty formula under the BayhDole Act. This is the landmark 1980 law that governs protection of patented inventions developed with the assistance of Federal funding. In brief. H.R. 6427 allows small governmentowned. contractoroperated laboratories and their affiliated universities or nonprofits to receive a fair percentage of revenue from a successful patent that they license. ","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER CANNON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":754}
{"speech_id":1090186394,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The bill produces an equitable result for small entities that perform important research in a number of scientific fields. all of which benefits the American people. I commend the gentleman from Iowa","speaker_name":"CHRISTOPHER CANNON","chamber":"H","state":"UT","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":754}
{"speech_id":1090186432,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. This resolution corrects \"the text of H.R. 5946. MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2006. The Senate amendment to that bill included a provision not in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Resources. and with the passage of this resolution. that provision will be deleted when the bill is enrolled. And. Mr. Speaker. the MagnusonStevens Act is an act 30 years old that manages the Nations fisheries out 200 miles. It is a bill that deals with an industry that is nearly $100 billion annually. ","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":746}
{"speech_id":1090186432,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And what we have done with this bill. with the Members. with the chairman of the Resources Committee. Mr. POMBO. with the former chairman of the Resources Committee. Mr. DON","speaker_name":"WAYNE GILCHREST","chamber":"H","state":"MD","gender":"M","party":"R","district":1.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":746}
{"speech_id":1090186453,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"The gentleman from Oregon is entirely correct. It is my understanding that the bill would permit the Pacific Council process to continue. We recognize that the Pacific Council has made substantial progress and do not intend to disrupt their efforts to develop and implement an appropriate groundfish management program. consistent with this act.","speaker_name":"NICK RAHALL","chamber":"H","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":345}
{"speech_id":1090186474,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 5946. a bill to reauthorize the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This bill will improve the management of our nations fishery resources. and help ensure that we have a sustainable supply of seafood for Americans. Importantly. the new bill would permit regional fishery councils to implement marketbased management programs for fisheries that will improve the economics of fishing and enhance the safety of our fishing fleets. I am also pleased that the new legislation would not disrupt the ongoing efforts by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to improve the management -of its groundfish fisheries. The Pacific Council is working diligently to develop a rationalization program for its groundfish fisheries. This process has been underway for more than 3 years. and is nearing completion. While the bill requires the Pacific Council to implement an appropriate groundfish management program within 24 months from the date of enactment. and to meet other requirements in the new law. it does not require the Pacific Council to begin anew in developing that program. I would like to thank Chairman POMBO and Ranking Member RAHALL for their efforts on this bill. and for their willingness to work with us on issues of importance to our Pacific Northwest fisheries.","speaker_name":"DAVID REICHERT","chamber":"H","state":"WA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1336}
{"speech_id":1090186481,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"for all their hard work on this NIH bill. As was mentioned. this is the first time in 13 years that we have had a reauthorization of the National Institutes of Health. This is an important piece of legislation because the National Institutes of Health are the worlds premier research medical center and the key focal point for medical research in the United States. On September 26. the House overwhelmingly passed H.R. 6164 with a vote of 4142. The Senate recently passed that bill with amendments. which is the bill before us now. Those amendments helped clarify provisions in the bill and therefore improve it. So every Member who voted for H.R. 6164 on September 26 should feel comfortable voting for this bill this evening. I wanted to mention that the bill before us also includes provisions with regard to the SCHIP. or the State Childrens Health Insurance Program. This is another reason we should be supporting the legislation this evening. This part of the legislation would provide the money necessary to help a number of States. including my own. avert a funding shortfall in their State Childrens Health Insurance Program. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2978}
{"speech_id":1090186481,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Specifically. the bill will redirect existing unspent SCHIP funds from fiscal years 2004 and 2005 to help States that will not have sufficient funds to maintain their existing programs. States forfeiting unspent funding will be held harmless by capping the amount of funds that will be donated to $20 million. Thanks to this compromise. we can prevent many States from having to limit eligibility. increase costsharing requirements or restrict benefits. Keeping these programs intact is critically important for the health and wellbeing of our Nations children. Since its inception. SCHIP has been an integral part of reducing the number of uninsured children. But last year. for the first time since 1998. the number of uninsured children in the country actually increased. and even more children will go without coverage if Congress does not act tonight to avoid the funding shortfall currently projected for next year. Again. I would like thank my colleagues Mr. DINGELL and Mr. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2978}
{"speech_id":1090186481,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"BARTON. as well as their staffs. who helped work out this compromise. as well as our Senate counterparts. Thanks to our efforts. we will help preserve access to health care coverage for millions of low income children. as well as their families. Finally. Mr. Speaker. while we have temporarily prevented a cut to the SCHIP program tonight. we must not forget that there are still approximately 8 million American children who currently have no health insurance. many of which are eligible to participate in SCHIP. Reauthorization of the SCHIP program must be addressed early next year and we must work together to help expand coverage and increase participation. Failure to do so will undoubtedly jeopardize the health of those most vulnerable in our Nation. our children. I would like to thank everyone again. Mr. Speaker. ","speaker_name":"JOHN DINGELL","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":15.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2978}
{"speech_id":1090186494,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I appreciate Chairman BARTON allowing me time to speak on this bill. Mr. Speaker. I rise opposing this Dietary Supplemental and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act. The bill would replace the current system of adverse event reporting by medical professionals through the MedWatch Program with a mandatory system that would require manufacturers and retailers to keep records and to report to the FDA when they received. reports of adverse events. -The bill redirects complaints of adverse effects away from local health responders. health care professionals. to manufacturers and retailers and then to the FDA. Consumers who are injured should be directed to medical professionals trained to determine whether the condition is caused by ingredients in the supplement or by other factors. not by selfdiagnosis. Secondly. this bill depends on those who may be responsible for types of drugs or drug supplements to report adverse effects to the FDA. Those guilty of violating the law are less likely to report adverse effects to the government and to follow the law. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1141}
{"speech_id":1090186494,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I think this is a bad bill. I hope that we reject it. -","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1141}
{"speech_id":1090186496,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. just in closing. I would urge support of the bill. The dietary supplement industry is a mature industry now. and I would estimate over 90 to 95 percent of those in the industry support passage of this bill. There are some segments of the industry that do oppose it. This is a Senator ORRIN HATCH bill. I know that Congressman CANNON here in our body strongly supports it. ","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":476}
{"speech_id":1090186496,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I would hope that we would pass it.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":476}
{"speech_id":1090186518,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Understand that we are very supportive of the PREEMIE Act and the underlying legislation. It is just these additional provisions that have been added. I was going to suggest that the majority simply take out those 10 pages or so at this time because without having the opportunity to further review it we cannot support the legislation at this point.","speaker_name":"FRANK PALLONE","chamber":"H","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":406}
{"speech_id":1090186519,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise tonight in strong support of S. 707. the PREEMIE Act. which I hope still comes up for passage yet tonight. This bipartisan bill will improve prenatal care for women and boost research into why one in eight American babies is born early. I want to take this opportunity to thank ANNA ESHOO. our original cosponsor. andher staff for their support and assistance in moving the bill forward. and I also want to express my gratitude to my Chairman. JOE BARTON and his staffer Randy Pate for making it possible to bring this bill to the floor today. As a nation. we must do what we can to ensure that our children are born healthy. In this age of technology and stateoftheart medicine. it is difficult to comprehend that one in eight babies born in the United States is premature. It is essential that we are successful in reducing the spiraling rate of premature birthsthey have risen 30 percent since 1981. The stakes are too high to failthe health of our children hangs in the balance. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090186519,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Premature birth is a serious and growing problemthe statistics are alarming. In February 2004. the National Center for Health Stqtistics reported the first increase in the U.S. infant mortality rate since 1958. Each day 1.305 babies are born too soon. Prematurity affects more than 480.000 babies in the United States each year. Tragically. premature infants are 14 times more likely to die in their first year of life. I Further. premature babies who survive may suffer lifelong consequences. including cerebral palsy. mental retardation. chronic lung disease. and vision and hearing loss. Preterm delivery can happen to any pregnant woman. and in nearly onehalf of the cases. the cause is undeterminable. The costs are also staggering. The average lifetime medical costs for a premature baby are conservatively estimated at $500.000. Although we have made vast improvements in treating premature infants. we have had little success in understanding and preventing premature birth. and the knowledge that we have gained has not been translated into improved perinatal outcomes. ","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090186519,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"This has got to change.","speaker_name":"FRED UPTON","chamber":"H","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2105}
{"speech_id":1090186595,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Commerce be discharged from further consideration of the bill to enhance and further research into paralysis and to improve rehabilitation and the quality of life for persons living with paralysis and other physical disabilities. and for other purposes. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"JOE BARTON","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":6.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":377}
{"speech_id":1090186620,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr.. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the bill to treat payments by charitable organizations with respect to certain firefighters as exempt payments. and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM THOMAS","chamber":"H","state":"CA","gender":"M","party":"R","district":22.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":284}
{"speech_id":1090186669,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that Members may have until publication of the last edithorized for the Second Session of the 109th Congress by the Joint Committee on Printing to revise and extend their remarks and to include brief. related extraneous material on any matter occurring before the adjournment of the Second Session sine die.","speaker_name":"JOHN BOEHNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":8.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":344}
{"speech_id":1090186685,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. this morning the Senate will debate the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Kent Jordan to be a U.S. circuit judge. Under the regular order. that cloture vote will occur at 10:30 a.m. this morning. Once cloture has been invoked. we would hope to have a vote on confirmation shortly. There are many critical legislative and executive items that must be completed before the Senate adjourns sine die. including a continuing resolution. the tax extender package. the U.S.rIndian nuclear agreement. and a number of other items that both sides are attempting to clear for action. The Senate will remain in session into the weekend. if necessary. in order to finish our work. I suggest the absence of a quorum.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":729}
{"speech_id":1090186704,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. 6 2 years ago the Senate acted to ensure that the desk of Henry Clay would forever stay in the family of Kentucky Senators. Henry Clay. the greatest statesman that my home State ever produced. served the people as speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams. and of course as one of the greatest Senators to ever walk throughthe Capitol. He was also honored to receive his partys nomination for President three times. in 1824. 1832 and 1844. The essence of legislating in the Senate. as 100 viewpoints are brought together to create one law. is compromise. Henry Clay became known as the Great Compromiser by forging the compromise that would keep his precious Union together. Clay did not compromise in the sense of forsaking his principles. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3904}
{"speech_id":1090186704,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Rather. his skill was to bring together disparate ideas and forge a consensus among his colleagues. That is a skill we could certainly use more of now: We recognize his dedication and service to our Nation by displaying his portrait just off the Senate floor as one of historys most outstanding Senators. In the 106th Congress. the Senate unanimously resolved that the Senate desk once used by Henry Clay would be assigned to the senior Senator from Kentucky. to maintain the Clay legacy. Only two other desks are so honored. In the 94th Congress. the Senate assigned the desk of Daniel Webster to the senior Senator from New Hampshire. And in the 104th Congress. the Senate assigned the desk of Jefferson Davis to the senior Senator from Mississippi. Since 1999 I have been honored to use the Clay desk. and would have been honored to do so for the remainder of my Senate career. However. in January I will begin service as the 15th Republican leader. With the Republican leaders position comes the Republican leaders deska desk equally steeped in tradition. First used by Republican Leader Charles McNary of Oregon in 1937. it has been passed to nearly every Republican leader since. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3904}
{"speech_id":1090186704,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Leaders such as Robert Taft. William Knowland. and Everett Dirksen have sat behind it. So have leaders I have been fortunate to know and work with. men like Howard Baker. Bob Dole. TRENT LOTT and. currently. BILL FRIST. In fact. Senator LOTT spoke on the floor on behalf of my resolution of 1999. and he also had some very kind words for me that I have not forgotten. I want to thank my good friend. the Senator from Mississippi. for that kindness. So I was faced with a decision. the same decision that faced Senator Styles Bridges of New Hampshire when he was elected Republican leader in At that time. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3904}
{"speech_id":1090186704,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Senator Bridges was using the famed Daniel Webster desk. Rather than give up that desk. he chose to have it moved to the front row of the Chamber. and he became the only Republican leader since Senator McNary to not use the Republican leaders desk. In fact. the Congressional Directory lists the desk as unassigned during 1952. I can understand Senator Bridgess decision to keep the Webster desk in the family of New Hampshire Senators. And yet it would be a shame not to follow the custom set by the Republican leaders I have just named. as well. So today. I come to the floor to offer a resolution to keepboth of these venerable traditions alive. This resolution will amend the resolution of 1999 by adding that. if the senior Senator from Kentucky is also a floor leader. then the Henry Clay desk will go to the junior Senator from Kentucky. That way. we can ensure the Bluegrass State will maintain its link to a tradition symbolized by this mahogany desk. I am sure my colleague and friend Senator BUNNING will honor and keep the legacy of the Henry Clay deska legacy I have been proud to help continue. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3904}
{"speech_id":1090186704,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that a list of every Republican leader to have used the Republican leaders desk be printed the RECORD.","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3904}
{"speech_id":1090186711,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. first. I thank my senior colleaguenot senior colleague but senior Senator from Kentucky for this wonderful gesture. Every young student in Kentucky knows the legend of Henry Clay. My wife Mary and our children all learned about Henry Clay in Kentucky schools. Many of my grandchildren in Kentucky have also heard the stories of Henry Clays time spent as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives where he became speaker. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Secretary of State in the United States. and U.S. Senator. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2314}
{"speech_id":1090186711,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Henry Clay served the people of Kentucky for nearly onehalf a century. He also is called and should be called one of the greatest Senators in the history of the Senate. for the compromises he brokered during the divisive war years before the Civil War. Henry Clays legends remains with allKentuckians today. His home in Lexington is a revered site in Kentucky. A statue and portrait of Henry Clay stands just off the Senate floor. and the desk of Henry Clay used when he served in this great body remains with us today. as well. As my colleague Senator MCCONNELL said. he has used that desk since it was assigned to the senior Senator from Kentucky. Senator MCCONNELL is a student of Kentucky history and a student also of the history of the Senate. Like Henry Clay. Senator MCCONNELL has become a respected leader in this Senate. Now with Senator MCCONNELLS new role as the Republican leader in the 110th Congress comes a new desk and with it. its own special history. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2314}
{"speech_id":1090186711,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He has been gracious to introduce and pass a resolution to allow Henry Clays desk to remain forever in the family of Kentucky Senators. #As the junior Senator from Kentucky. it would be an honor to serve in this Senate with the same desk that Henry Clay once called his own. It is with deep gratitude and thanks to my senior Senator from Kentucky for his work on this resolution that I have cosponsored. and I hope my colleagues are as excited as I an about what has just happened. the fact that my time in the Senate will at least be spent. partially. at the desk of Henry Clay. the great compromiser from Kentucky. I thank my senior Senator for all the work he has done in his entire Senate career and particularly today on passing Henry Clays desk on to the junior Senator. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2314}
{"speech_id":1090186738,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am pleased the Senate finally has an opportunity to consider the nomination of Kent Jordan of Delaware for a lifetime appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Jordan is a wellqualified nominee with the support of both home State Democratic Senators. as well as that of the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. whose State is within the Third Circuit. I support this nomination. and I will vote to confirm him. I regret that the Republican leadership chose to eschew bipartisan discussion of nominations and unilaterally filed an unnecessary cloture vote on Judge Jordans nomination. especially after we worked so hard to expedite it in September. We could very easily have voted on this in September instead of having this folderol of urgency now. Most of us wanted to vote on this weeks ago. and I am not sure what political last gasp is involved in saying we have to have cloture. That was never necessary. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12492}
{"speech_id":1090186738,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I wish. instead. the leadership had followed the customary practice in the Senate of the Republican and Democratic leaders to have sat down with the chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and worked out a process to conclude the consideration of judicial nominations for this session. Had they done so. we could have capitalized on the hard work done by the chairman and the Judiciary Democrats to report consensus nominations. Insteadand I mention this to those from States such as Georgia and elsewherethis is the only judicial nomination the Republican leadership has scheduled for consideration in months. I mention this for my colleagues who might be from States that have some of these judicial nomineesapparently those from those States do not particularly care. I mention it in case anybody is reading the RECORD later on. I was. going to suggest a way to get some of them. but there does not seem to be an interest in it. so I will not. What they have left unexplained is why they refuse to go forward with the Presidents nomination of Judge Janet Neff from Michigan. The Federal court serving the Western District of Michigan has three Federal trial court vacancies that are judicial emergency vacancies three in one district. The Senators from Michigan have worked with the White House on the Presidents nomination of three nominees to fill these emergency vacancies. The Judiciary Committee has proceeded unanimously on all three. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12492}
{"speech_id":1090186738,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Working with Chairman SPECTER. the Democratic members of the committee cooperated to expedite their consideration. On September 16 we held a confirmation hearing for those three nominees on an expedited basis. Regrettably. the President waited until July to make these nominations. Had he acted sooner. as some of us suggested earlier this year. we would not be in this situation. From the beginning I have urged the President to work with us on consensus nominations. and I have worked hard to proceed. I continue to do so even at this late date in the session. in spite of the pocket filibusters employed by Republicans to stall and block more than 60 of President Clintons qualified judicial nominees. Democrats cooperated to expedite consideration of a number of matters and reported the three judicial nominees to fill the emergency vacancies in the Western District of Michigan on September 29. Regrettably the White House. Republican leadership. and objections by Republican Senatcrs continued to undermine this process. Instead of focusing on consensus nominees. the President sent back to the Senate in September and. again. following the November election. highly controversial nominees who had been returned to the White House in the hope that the President would work with us on a bipartisan basis. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12492}
{"speech_id":1090186738,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We have been accommodating. and we will continue to be. I urge all Democrats to vote for confirmation of Judge Jordan. as I will. But neither the Judiciary Committee nor the Senate should be a rubberstamp for this President or any President. We should be taking our constitutional responsibility to advise and consent seriously. These are the only lifetime appointments in the Federal Government. and they will have an enormous impact on the lives. the rights. and future of Americans. We were accommodating when Judge Jordan was pending before the Judiciary Committee. I knew this nomination was from Chairman SPECTERS circuit. and I cooperated with his request for a special executive business meeting. We came to the meeting and made sure we had a quorum. even though the meeting was out of the normal course. The chairman said that the meeting would be held to expedite consideration of noncontroversial nominees. I agreed to let the. majority meetto hold over the nomination of Judge Jordan in order to expedite its consideration at our next meeting. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12492}
{"speech_id":1090186738,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In order to be more accommodating. I went further and continued to meet so that nominees of interest to Senator GRASSLEY and Senator DEWINE could be moved forward in the process as well. The Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee- and our staffs worked especially hard as time ran down in this Congress to be accommodating on judicial nominations. The chairman held four nomination hearings in September. Three of these hearings were for four nominees. an extraordinary number in one hearing. and the fourth was an unprecedented hearing for two nominees who had received \"not qualified\" ratings from the American Bar Association. This was a faster pace than is traditional for the committee so late in the session. particularly in an election year. It was a much faster pace than is ideal for careful consideration of lifetime appointments to the Nations courts. But we nonetheless cleared nominees at this pace to be accommodating and to keep the nominations moving forward. Sadly. rather than meet to work out a process to conclude the consideration of judicial nominations for this session. the Republican leadership has apparently made the unilateral decision to stall certain of these nominations. including those for the judicial emergencies in the Western District of Michigan. and particularly the Presidents nomination of Judge Janet Neff. This fall. an editorial in the Richmond TimesDispatch entitled \"No Vacancies.\" highlighted the admiiistrations counterproductive approach to judicial nominations. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":12492}
{"speech_id":1090186792,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I was asked to allow this bill to come up at this late hour in the Congress. This bill is going to pass. The goals of this bill are very worthy. As a practicing physician. and knowing the families whom I take care of and the family members they have. I know the burden that is placed on multitudes of people. When they do the better thing .of keeping their loved ones in their own homes. in terms of quality of life. I have no argument with the intent and background of what is trying to be accomplished. But I want to make three points. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9682}
{"speech_id":1090186792,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"One is how this place operates. What we do. at the end of the session is we try to run hundreds of bills through that very few people have thoroughly looked at. that drives all sorts of new spending. that does not get the privilege of the debate that the American people deserve on the priorities of how we spend their money. That needs to change. It is a terrible way to govern. It is inappropriate in the way we do it. It has more to do with the rules that we operate the Senate under than anything else. Thatought to be changed. There is no question I am known for my desire to try to get our fiscal house in order. For example. this bill is great. but what the American people are never going to ask out of the almost $350 million that this bill authorizes. where is the money going to come from to pay for it? What priority is going to be decreased so that priority can be increased? We have in the Social Security account a surplus this year. We have a $344 billion deficit. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9682}
{"speech_id":1090186792,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"A lot of my friends would say that reflects the fact that we need to have paygo and increase taxes. But during.the last 2 years. I have held 49 hearings in the Federal Financial Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs. where we have identified a pure $100 billion worth of waste. fraud or duplication in this Government. and no one wants to change that. It is easy for us to come out here and spend $300 million on a new program. But it is very hard for us to get together and. do the hard work of eliminating the fraud. waste. and duplication. There are two other programs that have money in them available for this. not the correct way. and not done as good as this bill does it. We havent done anything in this bill to change those programs to redirect any of that money through. So now we are going to have three programs that have an impact in this area. Representative FERGUSON has done a great job of bringing this up. But unless we change the culture of how we operate. we are going to enhance what we call the birth tax. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9682}
{"speech_id":1090186792,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When you are born today in this country. counting the unfunded liabilities for Medicare. Medicaid. and Social Security. you are born having liabilities of $435.000 on you the day you are born. We are adding a little bit to that. We are adding a little bit more and a little bit more. Until we get together and say we are going to review this Government and get rid of the waste. fraud. and abuse. we are going to care as much about the person who is born today as we care about those who need some respite care. legitimate rest from the care of parents of those people they love. we will do a great disservice. We are doing a great disservice in this country. Two weekends ago. I delivered a 9 pound 4 ounce baby to a woman whom I had delivered a baby to before. I had very well controlled her gestational diabetes. She had- delivered a 9pound baby before that. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9682}
{"speech_id":1090186792,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":11,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I thought about the 2 minutes it took me. from the time I decided I couldnt deliver a baby in a normal way for her. It took me 21\/2 minutes from the time of that crunch when there was no way to get a baby out. with a heartbeat of 50 beats per minutewhich is about 40 percent of what it should bewe have a baby in trouble. it took me about 2Y2 minutes to go around and get that baby out of that momma. We saved that babys life. Now. the corollary is. I had warning signals. I had indications that said things arent going right. And this body. this Congress. this Government is not paying attention to the warning signals. The baby is going to die. Our country is going to drown in debt. The processes by which we operate include not paying attention to the waste. fraud. and abuse and not making the hard choices on priorities. not offsetting. not deauthorizing something else that is not working where there are billions of things that are not working. and adding another problem. ","speaker_name":"THOMAS COBURN","chamber":"S","state":"OK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":9682}
{"speech_id":1090186824,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor today. joining my colleague Senator PRYOR. as we pay tribute to the life of one of Arkansass business and philanthropic giants: Mr. J.B. Hunt. The billion dollar trucking company that J.B. Hunt built can only by characterized as the very personification of the American dream. and the only thing more impressive than the trucking empire he has created is the life he led and the journey he took to get there. I am so grateful to have known this wonderful man and to have called him my friend. From the moment you met J.B. Hunt. you knew he was not your typical business mogul. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3134}
{"speech_id":1090186824,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was much more. He was much like all of these hardworking Arkansans whom I reflect on this map. J.B. Hunts formal education ended when he dropped out of school at 12 years of age when. similar to many people of the Great Depression and that generation. he had to find employment to help his family survive. That is what we are talking about. we are talking about American families who are working hard to reach that dream. Here is a man who did. Every time I was able to be around J.B. Hunt. I always knew he never forgot that challenging period of his life. and its impact helped shape the character of the man who would put in the hard work and long hours to get the job done right. When I first heard the news of his passing. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3134}
{"speech_id":1090186824,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I reflect on our first meeting. He asked about me. came up to me. and he said: Now. BLANCHE. who are your people anyhow? Of course that meant. Who are your relatives? Who are your parents? Where do you come from? He immediately recalled that he had come to know my father from the time he spent personally hauling rice loads across the State of Arkansas. Mr. Hunt reminisced that those were back in the days when he had just one truck. And I thought then that not only was J.B. Hunt a man who was proud of what his company had become. but he appreciated the time and the hard work that had been required to get there. He knew more than just where his trucks traveled. he knew the people along the way. Although J.B. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3134}
{"speech_id":1090186824,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Hunt is considerably larger todayany of our colleagues who travel across the interstates will see a J.B. Hunt truck from Lowell. AK.-Mr. Hunt himself never changed who he was as an individual. His dedication reached well beyond his company to many philanthropic efforts that continue to greatly benefit our State of Arkansas. True to form. J.B. Hunt dedicated much more than millions of dollars--he dedicated considerable amounts of his time. Until his death. he remained a man who was willing to put in the hard work and the long hours to do the job rightand Arkansas is a far better place as a result. I am certainly grateful to have had his friendship and to pay tribute to the life he led so well. ","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3134}
{"speech_id":1090186824,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"My thoughts and prayers and my deepest sympathies are with his family at this very difficult time. and my gratitude goes out to Mr. Hunt. who truly exemplified that it is not just the view at the top. it is truly the journey that gets you there that is worth more than anything that you could get in return. I yield the floor for my colleague. Senator PRYOR. from Arkansas.","speaker_name":"BLANCHE LINCOLN","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"F","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3134}
{"speech_id":1090186828,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. let me notify the staff. Senator DEWINE said he would certainly be flexible. if someone needed some time and needed to maybe cut in a little bit. He was certainly willing to work with whoever wanted to do that. but he did ask we seek unanimous consent for 1 hour.","speaker_name":"MARK PRYOR","chamber":"S","state":"AR","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":278}
{"speech_id":1090186871,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. Bill Hoagland is truly one of the best I have had the chance to serve with in 20 years. Bill Hoagland is deeply knowledgeable. decent. caring. He is one person who has extraordinary credibility on both sides of the aisle. I have known Bill in my 20 years in the Senate. Throughout that period I have served on the Committee on the Budget. Bill has been. at various times. the staff director or the leadership stamp on these issues. I have enjoyed so many quiet moments with Bill in which we have reflected on things that concern us about the direction of the country. More than that. ","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1363}
{"speech_id":1090186871,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I have enjoyed his uncommon decency. Bill Hoagland is somebody who will be very much missed. I believe Bill Hoagland. because of his intense interest in the fiscal affairs of this country. in the economic wellbeing of our Nation. will always be there to give good advice. On many occasions I have joked with Bill and made him job offers for far more pay than he was. getting on the other side of the aisle. Bill always kind of indulged my humor and never paid too much attention to it because he was firmly rooted on the other side. Bill Hoagland represents the best of this institution. And it is with real sincerity I say I will very much miss Bills very good judgment in this Senate. I thank the leader for his remarks about our very good friend. Bill Hoagland.","speaker_name":"KENT CONRAD","chamber":"S","state":"ND","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1363}
{"speech_id":1090186907,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I thank the Senator from Texas for those comments. My point is. the Congress as a whole should have finished its job. We should have done this job before this Congress ends.. particularly for those bills which impact the men and women in our Armed Services. their families. and the veterans who have served. particularly the new class of veterans now who are coming out of the service. many of whom are wounded. Many of them have readjustment problems. This bill. the bill the Senator from Texas and her subcommittee prepared. would have answered many of those problems. It would have made money available now to deal with them. I am chagrined that bill is not going to pass. I think it is a failure of this Congress. ","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1434}
{"speech_id":1090186907,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"And we ought to admit it is a failure. But as far as this Senator is concerned. we have done everything we can to try to rectify that. It is just not possible to get the Congress to vote. The House has already voted. I do not think it is possible for us to try to amend this bill now. And I am told the agencies involved have reviewed it and say they will find a way to continue their work until February without it. That does not answer the question to me though because the things they should start now would be well underway by February. and it will not be possible with postponing this bill. It is a tragedy we are not able to complete our appropriations process. in my opinion. I yield the floor.","speaker_name":"TED STEVENS","chamber":"S","state":"AK","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1434}
{"speech_id":1090186912,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. from time to time over the last 12 years. new Senators have come up to me as they have come to the body and asked thequestion: How do you do this job? And I usually have responded: Well. what dO you want to be? Do you want to run for President? Do\" you want to be on the Sunday shows? Do you want to pass legislation? A surprising number of them have said they came here to pass legislation. important legislation for America that would make a difference. To every single one who said that. I said: Watch MIKE DEWINE. Go study MIKE DEWINE. The most prodigious. the most effective. the most extraordinary legislator in my time here in the Senate. Quiet. effective. a consensus builder. You see by those who are on the floor here tonight that he has friends on both sides of the aisle whom he has worked with. cultivated. and built the kind of relationships that make a Senator effective. So I would say to my good friend. the senior Senator from Ohio. he is a Senators Senator. the perfect Senator. the master of the art of making a difference. Farewell. ","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1102}
{"speech_id":1090186926,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I want to join my colleagues in bidding good wishes and Godspeed to Senator PAUL SARBANES. the senior Senator from Maryland and the longest serving Senator in Maryland history. as he retires this week. Senator SARBANES was elected to the Senate 2 years before me. and thank goodness he was here. PAUL SARBANES has been a dear friend. an indispensable source of wisdom. a trusted ally. and an inspiration. Senator SARBANES and I even briefly shared an office. when the anthrax attacks of 2001 forced him to leave his office in the Hart Building and set up shop temporarily in my conference room. After years of close cooperation. we were literally working side by side. What I have found over these years is that PAUL SARBANES is one of the smartest. kindest. and most thoughtful public servants in Government. He is quiet and does not seek the limelight. but behind his calm demeanor is a skilled legislator with a keen mind. Senator SARBANES operates by compromise and by building consensus. but he also has plenty of backbone when it is needed. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5730}
{"speech_id":1090186926,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He knows when to coax. when to charm. and when to say \"enough is enough\" and get things done. In the wake of the accounting scandals at Enron and other corporations. it was Senator SARBANES leadership that led to the most significant reforms of accounting practices in a generation. The landmark SarbanesOxley legislation. which grew out of his longstanding commitment to corporate responsibility and high ethical standards in business. curbed some of the corporate abuses that had shaken investor confidence in American business. That law has produced its critics. but most of the detractors are unhappy because SarbanesOxley is so effective. SarbanesOxley forces accountants to actually review the books. It forces CEOs to understand. review. and sign off on the companys financial statements. And it forces companies to produce meaningful financial statements with internal controls that back up the numbers. There are some critics who are waiting for Senator SARBANES to leave the Senate. hoping to weaken what he built. but they will find many Senators. including this one. who will fight to maintain high standards. SarbanesOxley will continue to serve as the foundation for reasonable regulation of our capital markets. While his name will always be associated with the SarbanesOxley law. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5730}
{"speech_id":1090186926,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Senator SARBANES remains an unsung hero for another accomplishment: cracking down on money laundering through the PATRIOT Act. I want to sing his praises on this for a moment because it is an issue I am passionate about and because Senator SARBANES deserves greater recognition for his work. For several years prior to the 9\/11 attacks. I worked on strengthening antimoney laundering lawsholding hearings. producing reports. and writing legislation but my effort had not succeeded. After 9\/11. it was clear that U.S. antimoney laundering laws were full of gaps and vulnerabilities that needed to be addressed. But it was also clear that many in the financial industry did not want to have to cperate under tougher laws. Nothing would have been accomplished even then if PAUL SARBANES had not stepped up and led. In the month after 9\/11. Senator SARBANES showed his legislative genius by taking a diverse group of provisions suggested by many different Senators and House Members. taming the competing interests. and writing a package quickly enough to be included in the PATRIOT Act. His own contributions included a key provision to make antimoney laundering programs mandatory rather than optional and to require antimoney laundering programs at a wide spectrum of financial institutionssuch as securities firms and insurance companies. not just banks. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5730}
{"speech_id":1090186926,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He also required for the first time that securities firms report suspicious activity. In addition to these major changes. PAUL helped enact a variety of provisions that I had been pushing for years. For example. he included my provision that barred banks and securities firms from opening accounts for shell banks. closing a major gateway for money laundering. He also helped shut down the flow of dirty money from foreign dictators who were looting their own countries and depositing their illgotten gains at U.S. banks by including my provision to make proceeds of foreign corrupt practices covered by our money laundering laws. And he did all of this work in 1 month. running the conference committee out of his hideaway office in the Capitol with 1 computer. 3 phones. and a shifting group of about 50 staffers from the White House. Senate. House. Justice Department. Treasury. and other agencies. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5730}
{"speech_id":1090186926,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"He was the only Senator who was present. throughout the entire conference. and it was his work at key moments that kept the antimoney laundering provisions in the PATRIOT Act. Senator SARBANES leadership is one of the great untold stories of that bill. and I hope that his role will one day be properly recognized. PAUL SARBANES has given Maryland and America a lifetime of public service. on President Kennedys Council of Economic Advisors. in the Maryland House of Delegates. in the U.S. House of Representatives. and in the U.S. Senate. I know that PAUL is proud that his son JOHN will now carry on that tradition of service. having been elected last month to represent Marylands 3rd district in the House. We will welcome JOHN SARB3ANES to Congress. but we will greatly miss his dad. My wife Barbara joins me in congratulating Senator SARBANES on his retirement and in wishing him and his wife Christine all the best. Wetreasure their friendship and hope they will visit our Senate family often. Senator SARBANES. with apologies to your Greek forbears for my pronunciation: chronyapola. ","speaker_name":"CARL LEVIN","chamber":"S","state":"MI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5730}
{"speech_id":1090186928,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise to honor in the highest possible terms and with profound respect. Senator PAUL SARBANES. one of the true giants of this institution. a sterling public servant and an inspiration to the people he has represented for 36 years30 of them in the U.S. Senate. where he has since become Marylands longest serving U.S. Senator. I am grateful to call him a dear friend and treasured colleague. A graduate of Princeton University and one of only two Rhodes Scholars in the current U.S. Senate. Senator SARBANES has brought a remarkable and stellar mind to his venerable legacy of public service. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3375}
{"speech_id":1090186928,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Elected to the U.S. House in 1970 and to the U.S. Senate in 1976. he has served the people of Maryland with exemplary integrity and distinction. The principles of fairness and opportunity have directed his tenure of tireless civic contribution. characterized by a relentless dedication to serving the public interesta devotion to defending and promoting the common good exemplified by his efforts to enact the law that today bears his nameThe SarbanesOxley Act. I also share a bond with PAUL SARBANES that transcends our service together in the U.S. Senate. including our substantial work together on the Senate Budget Committee as well as on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We are both the children of Greek immigrantsboth of our parents owned restaurants and inculcated in us a passion and commitment to education. service. and hard work. PAUL SARBANES has been a hero to lIellenicAmericans for decades. On countless occasions I have been referred to as \"one of two GreekAmericans in the U.S. Senate\" and I am so proud that the Senator from Maryland. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3375}
{"speech_id":1090186928,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"PAUL SARBANES. has been the other. Whether serving in the Maryland House of Delegates. the U.S. House of Representatives. or the U.S. Senate. PAUL has always been driven by the same Hellenic principles that make our heritage and community great. He remains an inspiration to innumerable HellenicAmericans. As a result of heroic and Herculean - service. PAUL SARBANES was honored in June 2003 with the prestigious Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award from the University of Illinoisestablished in 1992 to honor Senator Douglas. a man often labeled \"the conscience of the United States Senate.\" The award was fittingly designed to honor individuals who have made a substantial contribution to promoting ethics. And Senator SARBANES also received the Cox. ","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3375}
{"speech_id":1090186928,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Coleman. Richardson Award for Distinguished Public Service. from Harvard Law School in March Senator SARBANES vigorous and exemplary engagement in matters of public affairs undeniably epitomizes the following admonition from Pericles in his funeral oration more than 2.000 years ago that \"we do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business. we say that he has no business here at all.\" Being involved in the civic life of ones community. country. and heritage was not an option for the sons and daughters of Pericles. and it has been an expectation that the legacy of Senator SARBANES inspires all of us to meet. As much as the Senate will miss his * esteemed presence and I. will miss his collegiality in this Chamber. I am heartened by our enduring friendship and by a new generation from the SARBANES family entering public life in the upcoming Congress with JOHN SARBANES. serving in the U.S. House.","speaker_name":"OLYMPIA SNOWE","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":3375}
{"speech_id":1090186995,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I have been a longtime supporter of these tax credits and I am pleased that they are extended by this long overdue bill before us tonight. The tax credits included in this bill are significant both for families and for businesses. these credits will help families send their children to college. encourage businesses to hire individuals working to get off welfare. and support research and development. The IRS indicates that 19 million taxpayers will benefit from this relief. Our economy benefits from these provisions and many taxpayers have grown to rely on them. And those who benefit from these provisions need certainty. I am disappointed. however. by critical omissions and the inclusion of some provisions about which I have serious concerns. For starters. this package does not address the Alternative Minimum Tax. AMT. a tax provision that. with no Congressional intervention. will affect 37.1 million tax returns by 2010. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6445}
{"speech_id":1090186995,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Households are more likely to pay the AMT if they have children or live in a hightax state because the AMT does not allow taxpayers to claim an exemption for dependents as an itemized deduction for state taxes. By 2010. nearly 90 percent of married couples with two or more children and incomes between $75.000 and $100.000 will pay the AMT. .The AMT is complicated. unfair. and no longer meets its intended purpose. That is why in her 2003 annual report to Congress. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson identified the AMT as the most serious problem encountered by taxpayers. According to Olson \"... that is how the AMT appears to functionrandomly. no longer with any logical basis in sound tax administration or any connection with its original purpose of taxing the very wealthy who escape taxation. Congress must address the AMT before it bogs down tax administration and increases taxpayers cynicism to such a level that overall compliance declines.\" Also. the bill includes many illconceived provisions. I strongly oppose the bills inclusion of an expanded voucher program for the District of Columbia. There is no doubt that our nations capital faces severe educational challenges. However. this expansion is an unnecessary action that subverts the programs original intent to serve solely lowincome students. and continues federal government subsidization of private and religious schools at the expense of public education. This is another attempt by the President and Republican leadership to expand private school voucher programs. while reneging on our fundamental commitment to public schools. where 90 percent of American children receive their education. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6445}
{"speech_id":1090186995,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Instead of private school vouchers. we should spend the dollars necessary to make the No Child Left Behind reforms work. We should be focusing on educational issues that touch the lives of all American students. not just a select few. Also inserted in the bill is a considerable expansion of Health Savings Accounts. HSAs. The provisions. which were never given full consideration by either the Senate or House of Representatives. provide yet another mechanism for high income individuals to shelter taxable income under the guise of health care. An August Government Accountability Office. GAO. report on tax filers who reported mak-. ing HSA contributions had an average income of $133.000 in 2004. The annual survey of health care consumers by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Commonwealth Fund found virtually no change in enrollment in HSAs. nor did they find any measurable impact on the rates of the uninsured in this country. While those who support these extensions. which will cost taxpayers close to a billion dollars over the next decade. will argue that they will help expand these insurance products to more Americans. in reality they will benefit only those Americans wealthy enough to take advantage of them. The bill does contain some essential healthrelated provisions. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6445}
{"speech_id":1090186995,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Specifically. it includes another temporary update in the reimbursement rate for physicians under Medicare. While this package reverses the projected 5.1 percent cut for 2007. this Congress must take action next year to bring greater stability and predictability to the Medicare physician payment formula than currently exists. Nevertheless. this provision ensures that elderly and disabled Medicare patients will continue to have access to their providers. While this bill provides a 1year extension of the moratorium on Medicare therapy caps. many other needed Medicare and Medicaid provisions have been omitted. For instance. the bill does not include a moratorium on impending reductions in reimbursements for imaging services. However. I would commend the architects of the legislation for carving out unexpended monies available in the Medicare advantage stabilization fund to finance the provisions that were included instead of resorting to cuts in reimbursements to individual Medicare providers groups. I am further disappointed that this bill allows f6r exploration of the outer continental shelf. This provision will not provide energy security to the -United States. Our nation needs a comprehensive energy policy that reduces dependency on fossil fuels through increased energy efficiency. greater investment in renewable energy. and development of alternative fuels to replace oil. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6445}
{"speech_id":1090186995,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This provision is also unsound fiscal policy. It would mandate that almost 38 percent of revenue from federal resources generated by new leases in the Gulf of Mexico be given to four statesAlabama. Louisiana. Mississippi. and Texas. These are revenues that currently would be provided to the United States Treasury for the benefit of the Nation as a whole. Reducing revenue to the Treasury means that we. as a nation. will have fewer resources available in the future to respond to a call for help should there be another devastating natural disaster or terrorism attack. Unfortunately. the majority played political games to get us to this point. We should have passed this legislation long ago. Instead. we. are now faced with passing a bill that contains important provisions but also a number of others that I would have opposed had they been offered on their own merits. Despite this bills shortcomings. ","speaker_name":"JOHN REED","chamber":"S","state":"RI","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":6445}
{"speech_id":1090187009,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I ask unanimous consent that Senator GREGG be recognized in order to make a point of order against the pending legislation. provided that Senator GRASSLEY then be recognized in order to move to waive and that there then be 30 minutes equally divided. with the first 15 minutes by Senator GRASSLEY and the next 15 minutes by Senator GREGG. for debate. equally divided in the usual form. provided further that following that debate. the Senate proceed to a vote on the motion to waive and that if the motion to waive prevails. the Senate then proceed to a vote on the motion to invoke cloture. notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII. I further ask that if cloture is invoked. the motion to concur with an amendment be withdrawn and the Senate proceed immediately to a vote on the motion to concur in the amendment of the House. without further intervening action or debate.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":876}
{"speech_id":1090187011,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. what we have just done is laid out a procedure whereby a point of order will be made. Senator GRASSLEY will make a motion to waive. We will have a vote on the motion to waive the point of order. a cloture vote. and ultimately passage. There will be three votes. The first vote will be at approximately 12:30.12:35.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":329}
{"speech_id":1090187033,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. the timber tax proposal has the support of some Senators. but it is not included in the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. I have concerns about the proposal. I am sympathetic with the basic policy concern motivating the bills supportersto make it more feasible for timber companies to remain in corporate form if that is the best way for them to maintain their competitiveness. However. I believe that we need to do further work to make sure that we have an appropriate longterm solution. I understand this maybe a timesensitive issue. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee during the next Congress. I plan to work with interested Senators and with forest products companies toclosely examine this issue and determine the appropriate longterm solution. It is my hope and expectation that this work can be concluded in a timely manner so that appropriate action can be taken to address the longterm competitiveness of the timber industry. ","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090187033,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"HAITI","speaker_name":"MAX BAUCUS","chamber":"S","state":"MT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":970}
{"speech_id":1090187036,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I agree that it is outrageous that the Haiti bill in this package was never considered by any committee in the Senate. never properly debated in a committee or on the Senate floor. No Member has been given an opportunity to offer amendments to improve this legislation. and the U.S. industry that has most to lose from this bill was never given an opportunity to formally make its case before this body. I have long supported increased assistance for Haiti. and support measures to expand trade between Haiti and the United States. but this poorly designed bill would cause serious harm to the U.S. textile industry. potentially putting many North Carolina textile workers out of jobs. I believe this Haiti trade package needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Senator GRAHAM. Senator SESSIONS. and I would also like to propose a change to the length of time in which the administration must certify that Haiti has met the conditions to receiving benefits under the act. I request that the senior Senator from Montana agree to work with us to pass legislation to amend the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to provide the President up to 1 year to certify that Haiti has made sufficient progress in meeting the conditions in the act. This change will in no way preclude the President from certifying that Haiti has met the requirements of this legislation prior to 1 year from now.","speaker_name":"ELIZABETH DOLE","chamber":"S","state":"NC","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1380}
{"speech_id":1090187044,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I am extremely pleased to support the legislation before the Senate today. As often happens at the end of a Congress. the leadership has negotiated a large and complicated bill to tie up many loose ends. And I believe that on balance this is a very good bill. While I am disappointed in some aspects of this agreement. I understand that. when legislating. hard compromises sometimes have to be made. I recognize how difficult it was for us to get this far. I want to thank the leadership. and especially Senator GRASSLEY. the chairman of the Finance Committee. and Senator BAUCUS. our ranking member and incoming chairman. for working so hard and so long to protect the Senates interests in very difficult and often frustrating negotiations. They were fierce negotiators. and they made sure that we would be voting on a bill that a substantial majority in the Senate can support. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7298}
{"speech_id":1090187044,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It was no easy feat given the circumstances and sometimes bitter disagreements between the two Houses. and at times. between Members. The leaders of the Finance Committee deserve enormous credit. .This bill includes a critical Coal Act and AML reform provision. And I would like to take just a few minutes to explain to my colleagues what this provision is all about. It is about protecting the health benefits of tens of thousands of retired coalminers and their widows who were promised lifetime health benefits by their companies and by their Government. It is about keeping a promise to the men and women who have sacrificed themselves to fuel our Nations economic growth and continued prosperity. Historically. coal miners have bargained for their health benefits at the expense of other pension benefits and salaries because they have long known the grave toll that coal mining takes on a persons health and safety. This years tragic andrecord string of mine deaths shows that remains true today. More than 50.000 coal miner retirees and their aged widows. average age of nearly 80. are counting on the health benefits that are protected in the Coal Act and AML reform provision. These coal miner retirees live in nearly every State of the Union. and they still believe that the promise of their health benefits will and should be kept. So do I. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7298}
{"speech_id":1090187044,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This reform will stabilize the coal miners health funds and give retired miners some peace of mind that they will not face cuts in the health benefits cwn which they depend. That means the world to me. And Dixie Woolum. and the thousands and thousands of other retired miners and widows in West Virginia. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Kentucky. Illinois. and Indianaall across this Nationdeserve that peace of mind. They have had to bear so much in the. coalfields. for so long. They deserve. this peace of mind. They earned it. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7298}
{"speech_id":1090187044,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Specifically. the coal miners health fundsthe combined benefit fund. the 92 fund and the 93 fundwill receive annual transfers of monies from the interest on the AML trust fund. paid for by the coal companies. I think that is only fair. Before these changes. only the combined benefit and 92 fund could receive AML interest money to help compensate for its shortfallsand the administration wrongly interpreted the original Coal Act to cap that amount. That misinterpretation of the original Coal Act provision has been fixed in this bill. The new provisions helping the 92 fund and the 93 fund are phased in over time. but the CBF will get a needed infusion of money next year. The AML\/Coal Act provision is also about protecting the environment and health of communities where mining has left environmental scarsmany of which continue to pose significant health risks. This proposal reauthorizes the AML program for 15 more years. at a slightly reduced rate. and gives States back their unappropriated balances while more fairly distributing funding for historic coal production States like West Virginia. Pennsylvania. Kentucky. and Tennessee. The AML program was part of the bargain when we reformed surface mining back in the late1970s. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7298}
{"speech_id":1090187044,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":8,"republican":0,"speech_text":"We created a trust fund that is paid into by the coal companies that mine the land to ensure there would be money available to reclaim old mine sites. Hundreds of these sites remain unreclaimed. States have waited patiently for Federal dollars that have been parceled too slowly in the past. This provision will deal with the outstanding problem of AML reform at the same time it helps miners whose blood and sweat built up the AML trust fund in the first place. Today marks the culmination of a long. long fight14 years nowto make sure that Congress lives up to its responsibilities to retired miners and their families. And I wont recap all of the ups and downs of the past 10plus years. but I do need to personally thank a few people who finally made this possible. I am grateful to my distinguished leader and dear friend Senator REID. As the son of a hardrock miner. Senator REID appreciates what miners go through to bring us the natural resources that make our economy and standard of living possible. He has worked tirelessly to get these provisions passed. ","speaker_name":"JOHN ROCKEFELLER","chamber":"S","state":"WV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7298}
{"speech_id":1090187062,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas . the Senator from Nebraska . the Senator from Utah . the Senator from Arizona . the Senator from Alaska . the Senator from Pennsylvania . and the Senator from Virginia . Further. if present and voting. the Senator from Utah and the Senator from Virginia wouldhave voted \"yea.\"","speaker_name":"MITCH MCCONNELL","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":349}
{"speech_id":1090187085,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. shortly. the Senate will consider H.R. 6407. the Postal Accountability and Enhaficement Act. As the Presiding Officer is very well aware. since he has been a key player in molding this important legislation. this postal reform legislation has been a long time coming. And it is great news for the U.S. economy. This legislation represents the culmination of a process that began back in 2002 when a group of constituents came to me. sat down with me in Maine. and taught me the importance of the Postal Service to the viability of their businesses and to the employees they had. This coalition of groups included a Maine catalog company. a paper manufacturer. a printer. a local financial services company. and a publisher. They all came together and it was from them that I learned just how vital the Postal Service is to our economy. So shortly after that meeting in the summer of 2002. I introduced a bill to establish a Presidential commission charged with- examining the problems of the Postal Service and charged with developing specific recommendations and legislative proposals that the Congress and the Postal Service could implement. The President appointed the members of the commission. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11474}
{"speech_id":1090187085,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"They worked very hard. They came up with an excellent report which provided. in many ways. the basis for the landmark legislation that I believe we will finally clear tonight. During the next 4 years. the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. which I had been privileged to chair. worked very hard to craft the most sweeping changes in the U.S. Postal Service in more than 30 years. Senate passage of this legislation will help the 225yearold Postal Service meet the challenges of the 21st century. As a Senator representing a large rural State. I want to ensure that ny constituents. whether they live in the northern woods or on our islands or in our many small rural communities. have the same access to Postal Services as the people of our cities. If the Postal Service were no longer to provide universal service and deliver mail to every customer. the affordable communications link upon which many Americans rely would be jeopardized. Most commercial enterprises would find it uneconomical. if not impossible. to deliver mail and packages to rural Americans at the affordable rates charged by the Postal Service. But for several years now. the Postal Service haseiling to the edge of an abyss. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11474}
{"speech_id":1090187085,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Under the business model in which it has been forced to operate. the Postal Service has been at great financial risk. In fact. the Government Accountability Office aptly describesit as a potential death spiral in which escalating rates lead to lower volume. which in turn leads to even higher rates. which in turn causes the Postal Service to lose more business. The Postal Service faces the challenge of the electronic age. It also has been saddled with more than $90 billion in unfunded liabilities and obligations. which has included debt to the Treasury. nearly $7 billion to workers comp claims. $5 billion for retirement costs. and as much as $45 billion to cover retiree health care costs. The Comptroller General of the United States. David Walker. has cited these figures to point to the urgent need for \"fundamental reforms to minimize the risk of a significant taxpayer bailout for a dramatic postal rate increase.\" And it is telling. indeed. that the Postal Service has been on GAOs highrisk list since April of 2001. With this landmark reform legislation. we will put the Postal Service on a firm financial footing. We endorse the principle of universal service. of affordable. predictable postal rates. This legislation will modernize the Postal Services ratesetting process and provide muchneeded rate predictability for postal customers. Without this reform. postal ratepayers would have faced billions of dollars in highermuch higherrates over the next several years. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11474}
{"speech_id":1090187085,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The 750.000 career employees of the Postal Service often labor without anyone really knowing who they are. but their efforts play an absolutely essential role in the American economy. The Postal Service is the linchpin of a $900 billion mailing industry that employs 9 million people in fields as diverse as direct mailing. printing. catalog companies. paper manufacturing. publishing. and financial services. The health of the Postal Service. therefore. is essential to the vitality of thousands of companies and the millions of employees they serve. This bill represents years of hard work. As chairman of the committee with jurisdiction. I held a series of eighthearings. including a joint hearing with our House colleagues. during which we reviewed the recommendations of the Presidents commission and we heard from a wide range of experts and stakeholders. including representatives of thepostal employees .unions. the Postal Service itself. administration officials. mailers. the postmasters. postal supervisors. publishersa wide variety of groups. In fact. there is a broad coalition supporting this bill. including many nonprofit mailers. which rely on affordable pdstal rates. There are many people who have worked very hard to craft the very delicate compromise that is before us tonight. I particularly thank Senators CARPER. COLEMAN. and LIEBERMAN for their assistance but also our House colleagues. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11474}
{"speech_id":1090187085,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":1,"speech_text":"I will have more to say about them later. The compromise legislation before the Senate replaces the current lengthy and litigious ratesetting process with a rate capbased structure for products such as first class mail. periodicals. and library mail. For 10 years. the price changes for marketdominant products like these will be subject to a 45day prior review period by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The Postal Service will have much more flexibility. but the rates will be capped at the CPI. That is an important element of providing 10 years of predictable. affordable rates. which will help every customer of the Postal Service plan. After 10 years. the Postal Regulatory Commission will review the rate cap and. if necessary. and following a notice and comment period. the Commission will be authorized to modify or adopt an alternative system. While this bill provides for a decade of rate stability. I continue to believe that the preferable approach was the permanent flexible rate cap that was included in the Senatepassed version of this legislation. But. on balance.. this bill is simply too important. and that is why we have reached this compromise to allow it to pass. We at least will see a decade of rate stability. and I believe the Postal Rate Commission. at the end of that decade. may well decide that it is best to continue with a CPI rate cap in place. ","speaker_name":"SUSAN COLLINS","chamber":"S","state":"ME","gender":"F","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":11474}
{"speech_id":1090187099,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to honor the accomplishments of Bob McGowan. the Washoe County assessor. After more than 24 years in office. Bob will retire this year as the longest serving elected department head in the county. His personable demeanor and dedication to service will be missed. Bob has been a resident of Nevada for more than 38 years. After working in the Nevada Attorney Generals office. Bob made the first of many successful runs for elected office. In 1982. the citizens of Washoe County elected him as their county assessor. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090187099,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"For more than two decades. Bob has presided over the growth of Washoe County. From the rising real estate values at Lake Tahoe to the rapid development in the city of Reno. Bob has sought to provide fairness for Washoe County residents. Most importantly. Bob has never forgotten that the goal of elected office is service. After his election in 2002. he told the RenoGazette Journal: \"From the first day I went in office. weve always been a public service organization. not just a property appraisal.\" Under Bobs guidance. the assessors office has become more responsive to Washoe County Residents. For example. Bob moved the assessors office into the digital age. and residents of Washoe County can now access many forms online. Bob has also worked to save the taxpayers money. trimming his own .budget to return more than $2 million to the Washoe County general fund. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090187099,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"As the county assessor. Bob has always been in tune with the issues of Washoe County. He has navigated controversies over rising property values with ease. taking the time to talk with people he serves. To this day. residents are amazed that Bob is so approachable and accessible. He can quickly put a visitor at ease with his humble demeanor and his frequent jokes. In fact. I cannot recall a time that I have met with Bob when he hasnt told me a funny anecdote or story. In addition to his professional accomplishments. Bob is a dedicated part of his community. He has served as president for Habitat for Humanity and as an executive board member of the alumni organization for the University of Nevada. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090187099,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Reno. Additionally. as the president of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful organization. he led an effort to protect the pristine areas surrounding Lake Tahoe. While working to improve Washoe County. Bob also raised three wonderful children in Reno. A few years ago. I had the privilege to host his daughter Megan in my Washington office as an intern. Mr. President. Bob McGowan has been an important part of northern Nevada for more than two decades. His retirement will leave large shoes to fill. but I am confident that Bob will continue to improve Washoe County for many years to come. ","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090187099,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":0,"speech_text":"It is my great pleasure to offer my congratulations to Bob and the McGowan family.","speaker_name":"HARRY REID","chamber":"S","state":"NV","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2787}
{"speech_id":1090187104,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I come to the floor to discuss a very important issue facing American workers--millions of whom will be barred from organizing or exercising their labor rights unless Congress intervenes. Eight million workers will no longer be able to join a union or fight collectively for better pay and working conditionsincluding those already in a union. who will be forced to leave when their current collective bargaining agreements expire. This includes more than 800.000 nurses--40.000 nurses in my home State of Illinois alone. This will happen because the Bush administrations National Labor Relations Board recently decided which types of workers are considered \"supervisors.\" By law. if you are considered a \"supervisor.\" then you are not allowed to join a union. In a series of rulings. the NLRB has decided the fate of Americas workers. and it did so behind closed doors. These changessome of the biggest decisions in years have stripped millions of American workers of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. This flies in the face of what Congress intended more than 60 years ago. Moreover. at a time when several -states are suffering from nursing shortages.this will further worsen the nursing crisis. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2610}
{"speech_id":1090187104,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":0,"speech_text":"More than 72 percent of hospitals experience nursing shortages. and 1.2 million nursing positions need to be filled within the next decade. By denying 800.000 nurses the right to collectively bargain. pay will surely decrease and nurses working environment will deteriorate. thereby driving even more nurses out of the profession and discouraging people from becoming nurses. Clearly. this law must be clarified so that American workers receive the labor law protections that Congress envisioned. Many courts. including the United States Supremne Court. have struggled with how to apply the definition of \"supervisor.\" It is time for this Congress to step up and make clear that the American worker has the right to orgalize. Therefore. early in the next Congress. I hope that every Senator will join Senators DODD. KENNEDY and myself. in introducing legislation to amend the National Labor Relations Act to clarify the definition of \"supervisor.\" The legislation we envision will use a commonsense definition of the term that is faithful to Congresss intent in 1947. to delineate the relationship between supervisors and employees. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the ll1th Congress to pass this muchneeded legislation so that millions of working Americans will be able to retain their right to join a union and collectively bargain.","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2610}
{"speech_id":1090187105,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to talk about what should be a moment of great joy: the birth of a child. But for millions of women in the world. childbirth is a deadly game of Russian roulette. Over 500.000 women died last year in childbirth or from complications during pregnancy. Another 10 million were injured or disabled. often permanently. During her lifetime. a woman in Angola has a 1 in 7 chance of dying in childbirth or from complications stemming from pregnancy1 in 7. In Sierra Leone. the risk of dying is 1 in 6. That number is the same in Afghanistana 1 in 6 chance qf dying from pregnancy or childbirth. In developed countries. such as ours. the risk of dying in childbirth is 1 in 2.800. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8777}
{"speech_id":1090187105,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Every such death is a tragedy. but it is hard for us to even imagine that we would lose 1 of every 6 or 7 of our mothers. wives. sisters. or daughters. That statistic. the chance of dying from childbirth. represents one of- the widest chasms separating rich and poor countries. That gap is wider than differences for life expectancy and wider than differences in child mortality. even though the health of the mother and her baby are deeply intertwined. As Isobel Coleman of the Council on Foreign Relations has stated. \"In some countries. gettinig pregnant is the most dangerous thing a woman \"can do.\" We have an obligation to change that state of affairs. Earlier this fall. William Kristof wrote in the New York Times. \"These women die because they are poor and female and ruralthe mos overlooked and disposable people throughout the developing world.\" Kristof did a pair of columns on the subject of maternal mortality. In the first column. he described how a young woman in Cameroon named Prudence Lemokouno was desperately ill. Her baby was already dead and she was dying. her uterus ruptured. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8777}
{"speech_id":1090187105,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"After 3 days of labor. her family had managed to get her to a hospital. but the doctor initially refused to operate. saying he needed both money and blood. The family did not have the .money. and the nearest blood bank was 50 miles away. Kristof and his associate provided the money and donated the blood. They hoped it would be enough. but the doctor still did not operate immediately. Later. Mr. Kristof wrote a second column. In it. he told us that the young woman had died. In describing her struggle. he wrote. \"It was obvious that what was killing her wasnt so much complications in pregnancy as the casual disregard for women like her across much of the developing World. ... ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8777}
{"speech_id":1090187105,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Its not biology that kills them so much as neglect.\" We cannot continue to overlook these women. No one should be disposable. And todays devastating statistics do not have to be tomorrows realities. We cannot make childbirth risk free. it is not. There are sometimes factors and conditions that doctors cannot in the finest hospitals in the world cannot prevent. But women and girls in developing countries die at such tragically high rates during pregnancy and childbirth primarily for some basic and preventable reasons. And many of the solutions are both simple and cost effective. Millions -of deliveries in the world take place without a skilled birth attendantthat means no doctor. no nurse. no midwife. no one with any medical training at all. In fact. millions of women literally give birth alone. The shortage of health workers handicaps the worlds fight against HIV\/AIDS and every other global health challenge. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8777}
{"speech_id":1090187105,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":10,"republican":0,"speech_text":"That is equally true of the struggle against maternal mortality. Training community health workers. nurses. midwives. and doctors is part of the battle. But it is also critical to help countries better distribute their health workforces and better manage their health systems. Malawi. for example. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. But 25 percent of its nurses and 50 percent of its physicians are concentrated in 4 central hospitals. And yet .the population of Malawi is estimated to be 87 percent rural.. We address the maternal mortality crisis in part by building health workforces to provide prenatal care and to be there during delivery. in rural areas as well as cities. We also help countries address this crisis by getting them to take a second look at child marriage. In developing countries. girls aged 10 to 14 who become pregnant are 5 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women aged 20 to 24. These same young mothers are also at higher risk of obstetric fistula. ","speaker_name":"RICHARD DURBIN","chamber":"S","state":"IL","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":8777}
{"speech_id":1090187121,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I speak today on thd resignation of Ambassador John Bolton from the position of Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations. I am very disappointed that a handful of my colleagues prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the upordown vote that he deserved in the Senate. This comes at a critical time in our Nations foreign policy. His nononsense diplomacy was a welcome change at the United Nations at a time when the organization found itself rife with corruption. During his time- at the United Nations he successfully led negotiations that resulted in unanimous Security Council resolutions regarding North Koreas military and nuclear activities. He built consensus among our allies on the need for Iran to suspend the enrichment and reprocessing of uranium. In addition. his efforts to promote the cause of peace in Darfur resulted in a peacekeeping commitment by the United Nations. I wish Ambassador Bolton well in his future endeavors and -thank him for his service at the United Nations. ","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1169}
{"speech_id":1090187121,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"His job was. not an easy one. but he carried it out with a unique grace and candor that served our country well. He will be missed.","speaker_name":"JIM BUNNING","chamber":"S","state":"KY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1169}
{"speech_id":1090187137,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I support reauthorization ONDCP and passage of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006. This bill recognizes and strengthens the Office of National Drug Control Policy as the lead agency in the fight against illegal drug use. It also includes important modifications and clarifications that will improve the lives of all Americans by reducing the presence of drugs in our society. I am very pleased that five of my recommendations to improve the bill are included in this legislation. I commend Senator BIDEN. who has long been a leader in the fight against illegal drugs. and Chairman SPECTER. the lead sponsor of this legislation. The authorization for ONDCP expired 3 years ago. and it is long passed time for Congress to act. Illegal drug abuse. drug addiction. and drugrelated violence continue to exact an enormous toll on our society. Nationwide. drug abuse kills 52.000 Americans each year. and more than 20.000 Americans will die as a direct consequence of illegal drug use this year alone. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7996}
{"speech_id":1090187137,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Drug abuse costs our society nearly $116 billion annually. It has strained the capacity of our criminal justice system and our medical facilities and brought violence and tragedy to families. schools. and communities throughout the country. This bipartisan legislation will reauthorize ONDCP. for 5 years and provide ONDCP with the necessary tools and resources to develop a national drug control policy and coordinate and oversee the implementation of that policy. This legislation includes a number of reforms that provide clarification concerning the most significant objectives and duties of ONDCP. It allows Congress to be vigilant in our oversight by requiring the President to submit to Congress a yearly national drug control strategy. expanding ONDCPs reporting requirements to Congress on numerous areas of ONDCP responsibility. requiring ONDCP to give a full accounting of the budget. and requiring ONDCP to develop a new performance. measurement system that includes 2year and 5year targets for each of the strategys objectives. In addition. this legislation improves essential information sharing by requiring that various Government agencies. including the Attorney General. the Department of Homeland Security. and the Departments of Agriculture and Defense. submit to ONDCP and Congress reports relating to their agencies drug control efforts. I want to take a moment and address several specific provisions. First. as a strong supporter of the . National Guard. I am pleased that this legislation authorizes $30 million a year for the Chief of the National Guard to establish five National Guard Counterdrug Schools to train personnel from Federal agencies. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7996}
{"speech_id":1090187137,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"State. and local law enforcement agencies. communitybased organizations. and other groups in drug interdiction and demand reduction activities. I am pleased that this legislation will require greater diligence on methamphetamine. The bill calls for the creation of a National Methamphetamine Information Clearinghouse. an idea which I have long supported. including cosponsoring legislation to set up the clearinghouse. This tollfree number and Webbased source of information will promote sharing of \"best practices\" regarding law enforcement. prevention. treatment. environmental. social services. and other programs related to combating the scourge of methamphetamine. I am pleased that this legislation embraces a comprehensive policy that reduces the demand. as well as supply. of drugs. It reduces the demand for drugs by ensuring that programs to expand access to drug treatment are adequately supported in the Federal drug control budget and by providing greater. uniformity and accountability in assessing ONDCPs effectiveness in drug treatment programs. On the supply side. the bill takes steps to disrupt markets at home and abroad. It requires ONDCP to develop comprehensive strategies to address the severe threats posed by South American heroine and drug smuggling across the southwest border. This legislation also includes a good provision by Senators LEVIN and HATCH that amends the Controlled Substances Act to raise the number of opioid addicted patients a physician may accept from 30 to 100. In the last 5 years. the number of heroinrelated arrests and the number of people seeking treatment for heroin use in Vermont has more thandoubled. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7996}
{"speech_id":1090187137,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"This provision will expand treatment options for thousands of patients who have been denied access to critical addiction treatments in Vermont and across the country. I am also pleased that the bill includes- several of my recommended improvements. I continue to support the National Youth AntiDrug Media Campaign. but I want to make sure that the campaign is run in a way that uses funds efficiently and gets out its antidrug message effectively. I therefore recommended inclusion of comprehensive standards for evaluating what type of media campaigns and information are effective. as well as a prohibition on the expenditure of antidrug media campaign funds for political purposes. The campaign will be better for these changes. as well as the legislations additional step of creating an independent agency to conduct annual evaluations of effectiveness. The bill also adopted my recommendation to eliminate two unnecessary provisions which could also hinder international diplomacy and drug control efforts. I continue to have concerns about the safety and predictability of mycoherbicides against drug crops. Whilc this bill only calls for a scientific study on the use of mycoherbicides. I am pleased that the bill includes my recommendation to prohibit testing in any foreign countries. I believe this provision will prevent souring diplomatic relations between the United States and countries around the world. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7996}
{"speech_id":1090187137,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":6,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I am disappointed that my recommendations to remedy a few weaknesses in the bill were not adopted. Among other issues. I am .concerned by provisions that prohibit the expenditure of more than 5 percent of the Federal funds appropriated for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Programs for drug prevention programs and that prohibit the use of any Federal HIDTA funds to establish new or expand existing drug treatment programs. The State. local. and Federal law enforcement officials in the HIDTA Program should have the discretion to use the programs that work best in their areas. I am also troubled that the Bush administration and the Republican Congress have not sufficiently addressed the international drug trade. particularly the rising instability in opium production in Afghanistan. Three months ago. the United Nations released a report concluding that opium cultivation is surging in the southern region of Afghanistan and warned that the southern region was verging on collapse. Just this past weekend. the Washington Post also reported that opium production in Afghanistan reached a historic high in 2006. despite ongoing eradication efforts. These reports are particularly troubling considering that this administration has increasingly described the drug trade as a problem that rivals the Taliban and threatens to derail the stability and reconstruction of Afghanistan. While I applaud this bills inclusion of a provision that requires the ONDCP to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy that addresses the increased threat from Afghan heroin. I fear that this provision may not go far enough. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK LEAHY","chamber":"S","state":"VT","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":7996}
{"speech_id":1090187155,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":1,"speech_text":"never stopped being a physician. Throughout his 12 years in the Senate. he always had the Nations health in mind. He was always a champion of medicine. and his class and integrity is unquestioned. The Senate will truly miss his leadership. and we will miss all of our depart-. ing friends.","speaker_name":"WILLIAM FRIST","chamber":"S","state":"TN","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":289}
{"speech_id":1090187199,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. it is with great honor that I recognize John Machacek for nearly 40 years of service as a reporter for Gannett News Service. He has dedicated his career to breaking down policy and politics in a way that underscores how these important issues affect the daily lives of the people of New York. John began his Gannett career in 1967 as a reporter for the Times Union in Rochester. In 1972 John won a Pulitzer Prize for using.his instinctive investigative reporting skills to produce unparalleled coverage of the Attica prison riot. He began covering the entire State of New York. from Rochester to Westchester. in 1983 and has kept readers informed on news and politics by serving as a watchdog for the American people ever since. John has accomplished what reporters all over the Nation set out to do by immersing himself in the art of journalism and becoming one of the greatest reporters in his field. He has spent his career with his finger on the pulse of the Nations politics. government. and the American people. Johns unbridled search for the truth has raised the standards in journalism and reporting among his peers. coworkers and competitors and he will always be remember for his unbiased and colorful accounts of our Nations most important and transformative landmark events. As John concludes his renowned and distinguished 40 year career. he will be placed among the most influential reporters to have ever worked for Gannett News Service..","speaker_name":"CHARLES SCHUMER","chamber":"S","state":"NY","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1468}
{"speech_id":1090187213,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation that would preserve the publics right to know exactly what types and amounts of chemicals are being stored and released into their neighborhoods and communities. The legislation would stop the Environmental Protection Agencys dangerous attempts to undermine the Toxic Release InventoryTRI--programwhich I authored in 1986by allowing facilities that release.up to 5.000 pounds of a toxic chemical to simply provide notice of a chemicals presence at the facility. rather than disclose the actual amounts released to the land. air. and water. The 5.000 pounds standard represents a tenfold increase of the* current reporting threshold. this change would eliminate detailed reporting for thousands of facilities in communities around the country. including 92 facilities in New Jersey. and could eliminate entirely the disclosure of the releases of more than a dozen potentially dangerous chemicals. The EPA also has proposed to require reports on chemical emissions only every other year. instead of the current annual requirement. Under this wildly irresponsible proposed rule change. corporations would only be required to disclose their chemical emissions every other year. This means that communities would have no knowledge of what chemicals have been released in the 50 percent of years where emissions are not disclosed. additionally. companies would have a perverse incentive to concentrate their most egregious releases of toxic chemicals into the environment in years which are not reported. Furthermore. the EPA has published a proposal to reduce the.infornlation available to the public regarding the management of some of the most toxic chemicals that accumulate in the environment. including lead and mercury. Needless to say. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5337}
{"speech_id":1090187213,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"I strongly oppose all three of these rule changes. the legislation I am introducing will stop them from taking place. I firmly believe that it is simply unacceptable for the EPA to reduce the amount of information available to the public about chemicalsincluding mercury. lead and other carcinogensstored nearby or released into their community. When Congress passed the original Emergency Planning and Community RighttoKnow Act in 1986. as a response to the 1984 Union Carbide chemical disaster in Bhopal. India. some accountability was finally established in the chemical industry. And now. the EPA is attempting to weaken these rules and reduce the amount of information available to the public on these critical issues. For instance. in my home State of New Jersey. a chemical facility that released 2.000 pounds of arsenic via air emissions in 2003 would no longer be required to disclose this pollution to the general public. Fourteen facilities that released a combined 8.600 pounds of carcinogenic styrene would no longer have to report these emissions in detail. I find these proposals absolutely outrageous. It truly begs the question: who is the EPA really \"protecting\"? The general public and the environment. or corporate interests that pollute our communities? While the EPA touts the benefits of -its proposal as \"burden reduction\" for industry. I strongly believe that the benefit of annual. detailed reporting vastly outweighs the marginal reduction in burden that will be provided to industry. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5337}
{"speech_id":1090187213,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"In fact. according to the EPAs own estimates. the average cost saved for facilities no longer required to report the release of toxic chemicals in amounts less than 5.000 pounds would be approximately $2.32 per day.. It is simply stunning that the EPA is willing to jeopardize public health and safety for a daily cost savings roughly equivalent to a couple cups of coffee. There are constructive ways to improve the TRI program. and lessen the burdens on industry. without reducing the amount of information available to the public. These include improving the system for electronic reporting. and offering technical assistance to help businesses comply with the requirements. The bill I am introducing is simple. First. it would codify the requirement that companies which release emissions of more than 500 pounds of any standard TRI chemical must disclose the details of their releases. Releases in amounts less than 500 pounds would continue to be allowed to use the less detailed reporting form. Second. it would codify the current prohibition on using the less detailed form for the most persistent chemicals. including lead. mercury. and dioxin. Finally. it would prevent EPA from making the frequency of reporting less than every year. I would be remiss not to thank my congressional colleagues in the House of Representatives. ","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5337}
{"speech_id":1090187213,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":0,"speech_text":"FRANK PALLONE of New Jersey. and HILDA SOLIS of California. with whom I have been pleased to work on this issue. Representatives PALLONE and SOLIS have introduced the companion of this bill in the House. I now look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure its passage. I would also like to thank my colleagues Senator MENENDEz and Senator BOXER. for being original cosponsors of this important legislation. As a result of the EPAs dereliction of its duty to protect the public and the environment. Congress must act to do so. I strongly encourage my colleagues to do just that by enacting this legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.-","speaker_name":"FRANK LAUTENBERG","chamber":"S","state":"NJ","gender":"M","party":"D","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5337}
{"speech_id":1090187216,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. President. today my good colleague Senator MCCAIN and I are reintroducing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2006. This legislation is a reflection of our dedication to the health care of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. It also is a reflection of the work that has been done by Members and the many stakeholders to move this legislation forward. I want to thank Chairman MCCAIN and his staff. as well as Senator DORCAN and the rest of the members on the Indian Affairs Committee and their staff for their effort and commitment to the health care and well being of every American Indian and Alaskan Native. Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act is the fundamental statutory framework for the delivery of health care services to American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Since 1992. this law has been expired. This means that for the past 14 years there has been no comprehensive change to the Federal Governments approach to delivering health care to approximately 1.8 million American Indians- and Alaskan Natives. This troubles me. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5426}
{"speech_id":1090187216,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When I talk to members of the Northern Arapaho tribe and Eastern Shoshone tribe from my home State of Wyoming. they tell me that quality health care is a top priority for them. For me. as chairman of the Committee on Health. Education. Labor and Pensions. I believe that our health care systems should grow as science and technologies grow and that our Federal Government programs also should be kept currentin line with todays health care quality standards in the private sector. Last spring. Chairman MCCAIN and I held a joint hearing about this legislation. at which time Mr. Richard Brannan. the chairman of the Northern Arapaho Business Council of Fort Washakie testified about the problems those living on reservations face. He spoke about how they rely on these health care services. He also discussed the progress that has been made in reducing health disparities experienced by American Indians. and how this legislation can support such progress. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5426}
{"speech_id":1090187216,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Since 1992. there have been many advances made in health care. especially in mental health. Ii the past 14 years we have come to better understand how to prevent. diagnose. and treat individuals with a behavioral health problem. We have learned that individuals have the best chance of recovery when a comprehensive. integrated approach is taken. This legislation authorizes programs to provide such services. This is especially important as we better understand the interconnectedness.of alcohol. substance abuse. child welfare and suicide prevention. This legislation also recognizes the alarming suicide rates among Indian youth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Indian and Alaskan Native suicide rates in some areas are five to seven times higher than the overall United States rates. This is not acceptable. This legislation. aims to change that by encouraging more Indian people to enter into the psychology profession. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5426}
{"speech_id":1090187216,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Through such provisions youth have access to culturally competent professionals in a familiar environment. Recruiting and retaining qualified health professionalsIndian health professionals. in particularto work iri Indian communities is difficult. Secretary Michael Leavitt of the Department of Health and Human Services recognizes this challenge. Thanks to his efforts. this bill ensures that tribes can better rely on the services of health care professionals. Currently. a health care professional who receives a scholarship through the Indian Health Service may provide their services equal to the number of terms they received a scholarship. Thus some health care professionals are only required to work in a service area for one term. Most people understand it usually takes an individual anywhere from 3 months to one year to become accustomed to a job. Thus. it is not fair to those tribal communities to have a health care professional leave as soon as they become acclimated. This legislation would ensure that individuals serve a length of time that will allow their services to be depended on. Health care professionals will be more reliably available in areas where such professionals are scarce. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5426}
{"speech_id":1090187216,"chunk_id":4,"total_chunk_count":5,"republican":1,"speech_text":"There are many other recommendations that the Department of Health and Human Services has made that I think will strengthen this legislation and improve the quality of care provided through the Indian Health Service. I look forward to working with Secretary Leavitt next Congress. I believe that by the working together along with other members of the HELP Committee. the Indian Affairs Committee. the tribal community and any others interested in this legislation. we can maximize the funds available to the Indian Health Service and coordinate resources at the local and State level to provide tribes the tools they need to be self sufficient. I would also like- to thank the Department of Justice for their tireless work on this bill. This is truly a reflection of their commitment to ensuring every Native American and Alaskan Native who is an employee of the Indian Health Service is held to a high standard. and thus every individual who receives services through this pro-. gram receives quality care. I hope that this legislation can be a starting point next Congress. I also strongly encourage my colleagues to continue to work to get this invaluable piece of legislation signed into law.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL ENZI","chamber":"S","state":"WY","gender":"M","party":"R","district":null,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":5426}
{"speech_id":1090187534,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. I have 4he honor to recognize a fellow colleague from the Great State of Ohio. Chairman MICHAEL OXLEY. Chairman OXLEY has served with distinction in this House for 25 years and is retiring at the end of the 109th Congress. Many people know Chairman OXLEY either from his work on the Financial Services Committee. his tireless work for the constituents of the Fourth District of Ohio. or his years of participation as a player and manager of the Republican Baseball Team. Chairman OXLEY is also a tireless advocate of the military and especially the Joint Systems Manufacturing Cen- terLima. formerly known as the Lima Army Tank Plant. The Joint Systems Manufacturing CenterLima traces its history back to WWII when it prepared and. processed more than 100.000 combat vehicles. The plant today is the sole producer of the M1 Abrams tank. Chairman OXLEY worked with the Department of Defense over the years to encourage the utilization of the workforce and available space at the facility. Through his efforts. the plant has grown beyond its original mission. providing a wide variety of cuttingedge military vehicles for the Army. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2322}
{"speech_id":1090187534,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Navy and Marine Corps. Most recently. Rep. OXLEY was successful in working with Task Force LIMA during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure to ensure the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center remained a strong and continued asset for the Nation. the State of Ohio and the greater Lima. community. Chairman OXLEY was also able to restore funding for the modernization of the M1 tank. further ensuring our men and women in uniform remain the best equipped fighting force in the world. Chairman OXLEY is a distinguished member of the Ohio Delegation and of this HOuse. He has made his mark on this Nation not only through his ardent support of the financial service industry. but also his unwavering support of the military. His tireless support of the Joint Systems Manufacturing CenterLima has placed it in a strong position for the future. As Chairman OXLEY sometimes quotes former President Reagans farewell address. \"My friends. we did it. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2322}
{"speech_id":1090187534,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":3,"republican":1,"speech_text":"We werent just marking time. We made a difference.\" For 25 years. Chairman OXLEY has made a difference not only for Ohioans but for all Americans. The House of Representatives has benefited from his ideas and leadership. of Remarks E2199","speaker_name":"MICHAEL TURNER","chamber":"H","state":"OH","gender":"M","party":"R","district":3.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":2322}
{"speech_id":1090187548,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor Tim Leslie. Mayor of Aubrey. in the 26th District of Texas. Mr. Leslie was a courageous leader devoted to the best interests of his community. Mayor Leslie dedicated his lifes work to the citizens of Aubrey. During the 1980s. he was elected to two terms as Mayor. Mr. Leslies commitment to local children led him to serve on the school board for over a decade. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090187548,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"When Mr. Leslie was elected Mayor again in 2003. he championed modern improvements to community and school facilities. and promoted cooperation between the city and schools of Aubrey. As Mayor. Tim Leslie directed projects for the building of a new library and a water treatment facility. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year and enduring intensive chemotherapy treatments. Mr. Leslie courageously continued to fulfill his obligations as Mayor. In addition to his career in local government. Mr. Leslie served as editor and publisher of the City of Aubreys weekly newspaper. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090187548,"chunk_id":2,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"The Town Charter. As a founding member of the Aubrey Lions Club. he was also activein the Aubrey Chamber of Commerce and Aubrey Education Foundation. His legacy of public service will long benefit the City of Aubrey. . Mayor Leslie is survived by his wife. Allison. and their three children. Mr. Speaker. I am proud to honor the memory of such a courageous individual. Mayor Tim Leslie was a dedicated public servant. and serves as a role model to all citizens. I extend my sincerest sympathies to his family and friends. ","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090187548,"chunk_id":3,"total_chunk_count":4,"republican":1,"speech_text":"He will be deeply missed and his service to his community will always be greatly appreciated.","speaker_name":"MICHAEL BURGESS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":26.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1604}
{"speech_id":1090187550,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. it is a privilege today to honor Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Stephens as they celebrate 50 years of marriage. This is a tremendous milestone that embodies the enduring love and profound commitment they have for one another. For those of us who know the Stephens. their marrage is a celebration of life and an inspiration to us all. On December 12. 1957. Clyde and Nellie were married in Corinth. MS. Clyde and Nellie were blessed with three wonderful children. Pam Stephens Kelly. ","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":809}
{"speech_id":1090187550,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"David Stephens and Gary Stephens. six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Tonight their family and friends are gathering in Middle Tennessee to celebrate this occasion. Mr. Speaker. a 50th wedding anniversary is truly worth commemorating. and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Clyde and Nellie Stephens.","speaker_name":"MARSHA BLACKBURN","chamber":"H","state":"TN","gender":"F","party":"R","district":7.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":809}
{"speech_id":1090187552,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor the exceptional career of Mark L. Lowery. Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Dallas Field Office. Special Agent Lowery began his career with the Secret Service in 1983 in the St. Louis Field Office. following a 6 year tenure with the St. Louis County Police Department. With the U.S. Secret Service. he served in the Washington Field Office. the Presidential Protection Division. ","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090187552,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Special Investigations and Security Division. and the Financial Crimes Division. Under the leadership of Special Agent Lowery. the Dallas Field Office tackled many complex issues plaguing the Dallas community including identity theft. counterfeiting of currency and cyber crimes. Special Agent Lowerys leadership in these cases was instrumental. leading to the successful arrest and prosecution of many criminals in the Dallas area. Special Agent Lowery has received numerous awards and commendations during his twentythree year career. including the highest Secret Service award. the Medal of Valor in 1985. The legacy he leaves will speak loudly of the impact he made on our community and his peers and his devotion to the betterment of our community. His tenure at the U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office is marked by his dedication. work ethic and public service. I am grateful for Special Agent Lowerys service to our nation. and I wish him all the best on the occasion of his retirement.","speaker_name":"PETE SESSIONS","chamber":"H","state":"TX","gender":"M","party":"R","district":32.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":1437}
{"speech_id":1090187553,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":1,"republican":0,"speech_text":"Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to this inflammatory and misleading piece of legislation. The bill before us requires that women seeking abortions be given a brochure written by Congress regarding the capability of a developing fetus to feel pain. It requires physicians to provide this script to their patients even if the doctor does not believe it to be accurate or in the patients best interest. The text of this brochure was not written by or in consultation with the nations leading physicians. In fact. the sponsors attempt to impose his values on every woman seeking an abortion in this country is opposed by many physician organizations. including the","speaker_name":"NITA LOWEY","chamber":"H","state":"NY","gender":"F","party":"D","district":18.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":662}
{"speech_id":1090187563,"chunk_id":0,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Madam Speaker. Congressman MIKE OXLEY served the 4th district of Ohio for 25 years with great distinction. Much can be said about a man who dedicates himself to the Peoples House for a quartercentury. Perhaps the most telling example of his magnetism and leadership can be seen in the numberof staff members who dedicated themselves to serving Mr. OXLEY during his distinguished tenure. The longstanding members of Mr. OXLEYs staffJim Conzelman. Debi Deimling. Bonnie Dunbar. Bob Foster. ","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":941}
{"speech_id":1090187563,"chunk_id":1,"total_chunk_count":2,"republican":1,"speech_text":"Phil Holloway. Tim Johnson. Kelly Kirk and Peggy Petersonhave served the chairman a combined 250 years among them. This is an amazing feat. given the fact that Capitol Hill is synonymous with high turnover rates and the frequent shuffling of staff members. I believe this speaks to the statesmanship MIKE OXLEY exhibited over his congressional career. His colleaguesjust like his staffersrecognize his character. which inspires loyalty and perseverance.","speaker_name":"PATRICK MCHENRY","chamber":"H","state":"NC","gender":"M","party":"R","district":10.0,"nonvoting":"voting","speech_char_length":941}